Hear Them Roar

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When award-winning Filipina author Linda Ty-Casper was coming of age in the post–World War II Philippines, the literary spotlight was mostly reserved for men. Women like her? Expected to stay in the background—supportive, quiet, focused on pamilya first and career second. That was the script.

But Linda didn’t follow scripts.

After marrying American literary critic Leonard Casper, she moved to the U.S., raised two daughters, ran a household, earned a law degree, stayed active in civic organizations—and somehow wrote 20 critically acclaimed books. Not safe books. Not “nice” books. Books that challenged cultural and political norms and refused to shrink themselves to make others comfortable. Two of her novels, in fact, were banned during the martial law years.

Talk about main character energy.

This Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating Filipinas who refuse to be boxed in. Like immigration lawyer-turned-artist Elaine Bordeaux, who found her creative calling in sculpture. Like Fil-Am actor Shelby Rabara, who teamed up with her husband Harry Shum Jr. to write a children’s book—expanding representation for the next generation.

These are women who refuse to be sidelined. Women who are done being saling-pusa. Women who take up space—loudly, proudly, unapologetically.

We’re here. We’ve always been here. And yeah—you better get used to it.

[Read It Again]

Hilda Koronel Has Come Full Circle by Cathy S. Babao

Clemencia Lopez, Independista by Lyca Benitez-Brown

June Dalisay, Art Healer by Serina Aidasani

[Video of the Week] Historic Filipinotown |Lost LA

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Staff

History Recalled, History in Real Time

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It’s giving main character energy for Philippine history this week.

First up: the 40th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolt is all over your feeds. Yes, that EDSA People Power Revolt — the 77-hour gamechanger our parents and titos/titas like to say, “I was there.”

So what’s with the sudden flood of throwback posts? Is it collective nostalgia for the time Filipinos actually united and said “tama na” to a dictator? Or is it lowkey political warning aimed at the current president, the son of that same dictator, who was literally on the plane to exile in Hawaii four decades ago? History isn’t just repeating — it’s reposting.

Meanwhile, history is unfolding in real time in The Hague. For the third straight day, the International Criminal Court is hearing the confirmation of charges against Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity. He’s accused of overseeing thousands of killings during the so-called “war on drugs” and has been detained at the ICC for the past year. The big question: will the charges stick and move to full trial? We’ll find out soon. This is the kind of plot twist you can’t make up.

From current events to stories nearly a century old — there’s a powerful exhibit titled “How Can You Forget Me” now showing at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. It hits deep, especially for those of us navigating memory, migration, and identity in the diaspora. PF correspondent Titchie Carandang takes us inside.

Switching gears: with the FIFA World Cup 2026 coming this June, football (yes, football) is about to dominate global timelines — even in the Philippines, where basketball still reigns supreme. But shoutout to Reina Bonta, who represented the Philippines at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 and is now leveling up women’s football through a soccer clinic she organized in Negros Oriental. Athlete, filmmaker, advocate — we love a multi-hyphenate queen.

And the FilAm excellence? Still undefeated. Publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco has just released the 75th edition of her FilAm achievers list. That’s over 750 Filipino American names spotlighted — and counting. Diaspora dominance is real.

If you’re feeling reflective (or just want to deep dive into your parents’ revolutionary era), we’re reposting some of our stories on EDSA below. Consider it your history refresher — no pop quiz, promise.

Also, don’t sleep on this week’s In The Know links. Especially this myth-busting piece by our editor Rene Ciria Cruz unpacking the whole “MAGA Filipinos” narrative. It’s nuanced, necessary, and definitely worth the read: [Edgewise] The myth of the ‘MAGA Filipino’

History isn’t just something we inherit — it’s something we shape, repost, fact-check, and fight over. Stay informed. Stay critical. Stay connected. 

[Read It Again]

77 Hours: The Behind-the-Scenes at the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution by Gemma Nemenzo

On the Eve of Insurrection by Prof. Ed Garcia

Opinion: Never mind EDSA: Remember the mini-EDSAs, the battles before the uprising by Benjamin Pimentel

[Video of the Week] Historic Filipinotown |Lost LA

In The Know

[Edgewise] The myth of the ‘MAGA Filipino’
https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/edgewise-myth-maga-filipinos-united-states/?

Alex Eala: The tennis star who could be a game-changer for the Philippines
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0n1l5sj?

Move On: 40 Years of People Power
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndldXwB6fGU

1976: The Golden Year of Philippine Cinema
https://www.pep.ph/news/local/191021/1976-the-golden-year-of-philippine-cinema-a4113-20260219-lfrm2?utm_source=Facebook- 

Isa Briones on how a Hiligaynon lullaby became part of 'The Pitt' season 2
https://philstarlife.com/celebrity/597965-isa-briones-hiligaynon-lullaby-the-pitt-season-2?

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Staff

Fresh Starts

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February hits different. It’s the month of kilig, fresh starts, and full-on revolution energy — and that vibe runs through all our stories this month.

First up: the epic, universe-aligned love story of artists Novy Bereber and Ignatius “Nacho” Jones. Two creatives chasing their art across continents, only to find each other at exactly the right moment — before life had other plans. When their global careers began to slow down, they chose to come home to Iloilo — where it all started for Novy and where it would end for Nacho. In “Artists Novy Bereber and Ignatius Jones: Not Like Everybody Else,” PF contributing writer Menchu Aquino Sarmiento tells a love story that feels cinematic, fated, and deeply Filipino.

From your childhood screen to the global stage: Fil-Am actor Joshua dela Cruz — yes, the host of Blue's Clues & You! — is back in his theater era. This time, he’s stepping into history, playing martyred Filipino hero Ninoy Aquino in the latest staging of Here Lies Love, now running in Los Angeles. After years of trying to land the interview, PF’s LA correspondent Anthony Maddela finally caught up with him for “A Definitely Happy Beginning for Joshua Dela Cruz.” From Nick Jr. to Ninoy? That range.

And if you or your fam were around for the 1986 People Power Revolution that ended the Marcos dictatorship, you probably still know every word to Bayan Ko. It became the unofficial anthem of the anti-Marcos protests after Ninoy’s assassination in 1983 and helped carry Corazon Aquino to the presidency. Fast forward to today: history has entered its plot-twist era with Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in office — and a new generation of artists is dropping protest tracks that hit just as hard.

In “Filipino Protest Songs Rage Across Generations,”  University of the Philippines Baguio professor Luis Zuriel Domingo breaks down how resistance sounds in 2026.

And because history is never just history — it’s personal. Two issues ago, we published Alex Fabros Jr.’s deep dive into “Alice Roosevelt, The Sultan of Sulu and The Theater of American Empire,” unpacking the 1905 visit of Alice Roosevelt and her encounter with the Sultan of Sulu. Soon after, PF reader Jessie Huberty slid into our inbox with a human-interest twist: her own family’s connection to that moment, complete with archival photos. We’re sharing her story — proof that diaspora memory is alive, layered, and still unfolding.

Love. Legacy. Resistance. Homecoming.

February isn’t just a vibe — it’s a reminder that wherever we are in the world, our stories stay connected.

[Read It Again]

30 Years Ago: Coup d'etat and People Power by Gemma Nemenzo
(This article was written 10 years ago and posted on February 24, 2016)

Romances in History by Ambeth R. Ocampo

The Poet and The Women He Loved by Gemma Nemenzo

[Video of the Week] "Sinners" cinematographer opens up about career journey amid historic Oscar nomination

In The Know

Philippine Church highlights unity as Lent, Ramadan begin together
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-02/philippines-church-lent-ramadam-same-date-shared-path-of-faith.html?

Airbrushing Autocracy: The Fall and Rise of the Marcoses
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002rdb3

Between English and Emptiness
https://www.weareonehumanity.org/writings/between-english-and-emptiness?

Brunei vs. the Philippines: The War That Ended in a Wedding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXvNLjf3V54

PSA: You Can Get a College Degree for Free Through UP’s Online University
https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/adulting/psa-you-can-get-a-degree-for-free-through-ups-online-university-

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Staff