Mindanao Peace In Our Time?

President PNoy Aquino's legacy-building effort to put in place the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as a major foundation for peace with our Muslim brothers and sisters in Mindanao has received mixed reviews, all of them fiercely emotional.

Those who are for it argue that while the BBL is not perfect, it's a necessary first step. Those opposing it say the current language of the BBL leaves a lot of gaping loopholes that will prove dangerous.

Writer/historian John Silva in "Islamic Law Poised to Gain Philippine Foothold," presents his own concerns regarding the vague provisions on human rights under Shariah law that the BBL stipulates. We have also included a link to a primer on the BBL so you can see for yourself what the big fuss is all about.

The story of Edita Balane, a Filipina caregiver in Dubai, is almost an everywoman's story on the personal and social costs of working as an OFW. Journalist Ana P. Santos tells her story in "Everyone's Children But Her Own."

As a teenager, our regular contributing writer Myles A. Garcia aspired to be a stage actor, an ambition given some sort of encouragement by the well-known Jesuit, Fr. James Reuter. In this touching and amusing tribute to his late mentor, Myles takes us on a nostalgic trip to the Broadway musicales that entertained the Manila theater buffs and discovered stage talents among the Catholic school kids. "Remembering Fr. Reuter, 'Broadway' Producer" will bring back memories, if you were there.

We also feature this week a pictorial on the liveliest, longest-running Filipino fiesta in the San Francisco Bay Area, Pistahan, which took place last weekend.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe for this week: a stylized Ensaladang Talong (eggplant salad) with Coconut Vinaigrette from the must-have book, Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine, Second Edition.

Also in this issue, the recipe for Goldilocks' mango cake.

Our Video of the Week focuses on Filipinos' deep-seated love for basketball: "Ang Pambihirang Love Story ng Pinoy sa Basketball."