On July 4, A Changed America

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It's July and another Philippine-American Friendship Day is upon us (July 4).

While the Philippine government welcomes the pledged support and military hardware that the U.S. has bestowed to counter the Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea, the almost 5 million-strong Filipino community living in the U.S. is facing a different reality -- a changed America, no longer the welcoming land of freedom and democracy. Instead there are threats to the way of life, the safety nets, the comfort of citizenship (among others) that we have worked hard for to reap the benefits of living lawfully in America. One thing sure: the concept, the ideal and the celebration of Philippine-American friendship is up for a deep rethinking in the next few years.

This first-of-July 2025 issue of Positively Filipino brings good tidings though. Sulu, the province way down south of the Philippine archipelago, is emerging from decades of war devastation and is now a peaceful, safe and bustling (comparatively speaking) destination, as PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes happily reports. She knows the province well, having lived part of her childhood there and has since been visiting regularly. This welcome development is reason for hope. "Everything around me moved at the relaxed pace. Everywhere I went there were signs of things looking better. No one knows how long the relative peace will last, or if Sulu will get the future it deserves," Cris writes. Unlike her previous visits, she could now dare to be optimistic that the province's dark years are over. "Leaving the island felt better this time around. I can’t say entirely if it’s in better hands, but I’m counting on the people to know what goodness brings, without the fear of gunfire," she concludes. 

We always welcome heroes, or stories about them. Like this little known heroine of WWII, Josefina "Joey" Guerrero, who was afflicted with leprosy but managed to provide valuable intelligence to Allied forces that saved many Filipino and American lives. In a 200-page biography written for middle schoolers, FilAm author Erin Entrada Kelly accords this valiant U.S. Medal of Freedom awardee the recognition and honor she richly deserves. PF Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino writes about At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom.

Two Filipino venture capitalists are smashing the traditional rules of funding startups and rewriting them to ensure a more equitable access to capital. Read about them and their upcoming "Power Forward" investment summit. 

Read It Again:

A Valiant People's Army by John L. Silva 

A Reunion of Strangers by Oscar Peñaranda 

The Battle of Manila, WWII by James M. Scott

 [Video of the Week] In The Studio With Patis Tesoro - Vogue Philippines

In The Know

TRENDING: Dylan Harper's Filipino mom, Maria, captures attention after his NBA draft
https://philstarlife.com/celebrity/924358-dylan-harper-s-filipino-mom-maria-pizzaro-harper-trends?

F. Sionil José’s Manila bookshop up for sale
https://varsitarian.net/literary/20250628/f-sionil-joses-manila-bookshop-up-for-sale?

Remembering the Chinese Battalion That Defended the Philippines During World War II 
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/wa-chi-battalion-a1520-20200218-lfrm?

Not American enough. Not Mexican enough. But in Filipino love, Rocio found home.
https://www.facebook.com/thefilipinostoryofficial/videos/4123376281270830?vh=e&extid=MSG-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C

Rock Doc on the Association's Larry Ramos Has World Premiere in Houston
https://www.houstonpress.com/music/things-to-do-see-along-comes-larry-trailer-from-director-rick-quan-20759448

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Staff

We're Here, Get Used to It

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Often, when confronted by a barrage of unpleasantness, we revert to an exceptionalism mindset -- the "it will happen to others but not to us" mentality.

We're reposting below a report by The Rebel Yellow, an Asian American news site, as a cautionary tale, a wake-up call and an example of how to assert one's right in the face of, in this case, a verbal assault.

Filipino American New Hampshire state rep told to “go home”

New Hampshire State Rep. Luz Bay says a Republican lawmaker told her to “go home” after she spoke in honor of Philippine Independence Day at the State House.

“Home country”

In a speech delivered on June 12, Bay said the incident followed remarks she gave “exactly a week ago,” on June 5, during which she reflected on her heritage and referred to the Philippines as her “home country.” Afterward, an unnamed Republican colleague questioned how someone who called another country “home” could serve in the New Hampshire legislature.

She returned to the floor to address the exchange and affirm her right to serve. “Let me say it clearly,” she said. “I am here because I belong here.” A video of her remarks, posted by the New Hampshire House Democratic Caucus on June 14, has since been widely shared on social media and has drawn support from advocacy groups.

Bay’s background

Born in the Philippines, Bay immigrated to the U.S. and earned a Ph.D. in educational measurement and statistics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She lives in Dover and was first elected to the New Hampshire House in 2022. Now serving her second term, she is also a three-time cancer survivor and marathon runner.

“My constituents in Strafford County District 21 elected me under the same laws, with the same legitimacy as anyone in this room,” she said. “My birthplace does not make me less American. My accent does not disqualify me from public service. And my identity as a Filipino American does not make me a guest. I am a citizen. I am a public servant. And I am home.”

A broader message

Bay placed her experience within a larger American narrative, drawing attention to the country’s immigrant roots: “Unless you are Indigenous to this land … you too are descended from immigrants. Some of our families came centuries ago. Others came fleeing war, poverty, persecution, or simply searching for the promise that America holds.”

She added, “To question my right to be here is to misunderstand what makes America what it is — a place where democracy is enriched by diversity, where freedom means the opportunity to serve, and where strength lies in our shared commitment to justice, not in the sameness of our origins.” Bay concluded, “This is my home. This is my country. And I’m not going anywhere.” - The Rebel Yellow, 6/23/2025

Our Stories This Week:

"Understanding Pope Leo XIV's Politics" by Cesar Polvorosa Jr. reflects on the new Pope's presence in these times of authoritarian governance and cruelty to migrants.

"EDSA's 'Stairway to Heaven' Finally Coming Down" by Rene Astudillo updates on the much-maligned structure on EDSA in Kamuning.

Chapter 68 of "FilAms Among the Remarkable and Famous" by Mona Lisa Yuchengco features, among others, recent FilAm newsmakers Susie Ibarra, who won this year's Pulitzer Prize for music, and J.J. Spaun, champion of the 2025 U.S. Open Golf Tournament.

"Pass the Turkey, I'm Gay" by Ray Orquiola is a repost of a 1992 Filipinas magazine article that remains relevant 33 years later.

[Video of the Week] The Philippine Vampire Mystery | True Crime Reports

Read It Again:

On Newsmen’s Row by Tom Firme

Our Old-Fashioned Courtship: ‘Dalaw,’ 'Sundo,’ ‘Hatid’ by Philip M. Lustre, Jr.

Tagalog Spoken Here by Taylor Tomita

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Staff

The Ashes of June

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If you were not in the Philippines on June 15, 1991, your memory of the gigantic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in Central Luzon -- the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century -- is probably hazy. It was before the Internet became a thing; power was off and the airports were closed for almost a week. Thus news reports of the full extent of the catastrophe came in trickles. 

But for those who were there, memories of that day are forever etched in their consciousness. Like writer/historian Robby Tantingco of the Holy Angel University of Pampanga who wrote the award-winning book, Pinatubo: The Volcano in our Backyard. His riveting and heartbreaking story of what happened that fateful day when, for the first time ever, a powerful typhoon and a once-in-a-lifetime volcanic eruption together overpowered the sun is a must-read here. His words:  "It [the eruption] switched off the sun like a light bulb and plunged the province in total darkness. It was so dark you couldn't see your own hand stretched out in front of you, and the ash fall was so thick even sound waves couldn't pass through. Thus, everything was muffled, you had to strain your ear to hear conversation, like a movie with the volume turned low." 

The main explosion of Pinatubo lasted just over 24 hours but the devastation was absolute. 

The ashes of Pinatubo did not stay in the Philippines. It circled the world and enabled spectacular sunsets in the western hemisphere. But for the people of Pampanga and nearby provinces, the mudflow of lahar, which wiped out complete towns, was a four-year nightmare, according to Tantingco. 

Would that such wrath of nature never happen again anywhere.

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With the devastating fire that demolished Lahaina, HI in 2023, the Filipino community expected help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It wasn't sufficient so they organized themselves into the Lahaina Filipino Fire Survivors Association to increase their negotiating power for housing solutions. We're reposting AsAm News' report on how they're faring.

*****

An interesting report by PF contributing writer Julienne Loreto unearths some historical record of the Visayans in early colonial Philippines, from the chronicles of Spanish missionary and historian Francisco Ignacio Alcina. And yes, it included mentions of lesbian love among them, an item that is rarely mentioned in history. Interesting reading this Pride Month.

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A group of journalism students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines sent in this story on an aspiring singer-songwriter who busks for a living and to pay for his college education. His name is Aris Ashe and he wants to be a psychologist someday. 

Read It Again:

Behind the Growing Popularity of Fil-Am Freemasonry by James Sobredo

Jose Rizal, the Oracle by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

Why My Success Is Philippine Society’s Failure by Leo Jaminola

[Video of the Week] Amiel Noble of Noble Creations

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Staff