Sea Finds and a Desert Run

Pearl is one of three birthstones for June, and PF Contributor Myles A. Garcia sends in a timely story about some of the biggest pearls in the world found mainly in Palawan, including the Lao-Tzu pearl whose provenance almost reads like a crime thriller. Read "Pearls of the Orient Seas" and be amazed.

What pushes a man to run the Badwater ultramarathon, the world's toughest footrace? Ben Gaetos, an LA-based architect and probably the first Filipino to finish this extremely rigorous race, explains why he did it in "The Stubbornness of a Long-Distance Runner."

It's considered a delicacy in northern Philippines but for journalist/food connoisseur Rene M. Astudillo, "pinikpikan" is a no-no in his book. Find out why in "Why I Won't Eat the Cordilleras' Popular Pinikpikan."

Be amused at some of the funny signs one encounters in the Philippines. 

One of the best essays about Rizal is a must-read in our In The Know list this week:

“Death Is A Night Wind”
http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reviews-essays/jose-rizal-poem-haunts-philippines-today

The wrecking-ball president
https://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/205469-rodrigo-duterte-wrecking-ball-president

Manila City gov't is planning to destroy its last park
http://nolisoli.ph/44441/arroceros-forest-park/

Duterte signs Philippine Mental Health law
https://www.rappler.com/nation/205425-duterte-signs-mental-health-law-services-philippines?utm_source=The+Daily+wRap&utm_campaign=43223b578b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_06_21_04_31&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b3868977d4-43223b578b-95400069&mc_cid=43223b578b&mc_eid=0c0639d4af

For the Happy Home Cook, another simplified version of a Filipino favorite -- cassava cake -- from Melanie Q. Suzara.

For Video of the Week, Safeguard Philippines features Norman King, the first Filipino Aeta to graduate from the University of the Philippines.

Gratitude

Gratitude is what we're giving in spades this week as the US, where about 4 million of our kababayans live, go through the annual ritual of celebrating Thanksgiving Day. 

For first-time contributor Teresa de Veyra-Montilla, the unexpected gift of visiting the former home of her grandparents, Jaime and Sofia de Veyra in Washington, DC, plus meeting Erwin and Titchie Tiongson, who are documenting the history of Filipinos in the US capital, are beatitudes that she writes about in "A Journey in Time with My Grandma." Montilla's forebears are important historical figures. Jaime C. de Veyra was the Philippine Resident Commissioner in the US Congress, representing the country as a colony; Sofia de Veyra, who we had featured before (Read Again Titchie Carandang-Tiongson's profile of this outstanding Filipina http://www. positivelyfilipino.com/ magazine/the-thoroughly- modern-sofia-de-veyra?rq= sofia%20de%20veyra) was an early feminist, suffragist and patriot.

Meanwhile, Jin Chow of Hong Kong and Stanford University, submits a tribute to the two  Filipina OFWs who raised her -- Rosita Aguas and Florencia Masbang -- and she admits guilt that she belatedly realized how much these women sacrificed to be able to work for her family. In "Words of Gratitude from an 'Alaga,'" her thankfulness shines through.

If you've been to Manila recently, I'm sure you've heard about the current rage: Salted Egg-Flavored Potato Chips. Since it's not yet available in the US, our culinary expert Elizabeth Ann Quirino shares her own recipe for the delicacy. 

Our In The Know links for this week:

How the Philippines’ Coral Heart Keeps Beating
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/11/tubbataha-coral-reef-philippines-unesco-world-heritage-site-sulu-sea/

The Former Army Navy Club Is Now The Rizal Park Hotel
https://www.realliving.com.ph/tips-and-guides/the-former-army-navy-club-is-now-the-rizal-park-hotel-a247-20170825-lfrm2

Tribes, Treks and Life Stories with Indigenous Aetas in the Philippines
https://www.nastasha.ca/2017/11/20/tribes-treks-and-life-stories-with-indigenous-aetas-in-the-philippines/

New York Times sues Filipina journalist for false representation
https://www.rappler.com/nation/188650-new-york-times-filipina-journalist-misrepresentation

For our Video of the Week, the US Signal Corps produced a documentary narrated by US Marine Corps Captain David Griffin about the war crimes in Manila during World War II. The film also features General Carlos P. Romulo in the introduction.

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The Philippine American Press Club USA's 2017 Plaridel Awards (Photo by Raymond Virata)

We'd also like to give a big thanks to our writers for winning big at the PAPC-USA Plaridel Awards, which was held last month at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco.

Plaridel Awards

Elizabeth Ann Quirino - 2 Plaridel Awards
Best Profile Writing: "Watch Out World: Tanya Maynigo Louks, Creator of Healthy Craft Kombucha"
Best Food Story: "Food for the Memory"

Gia Mendoza
Plaridel Award for Best Tourism Feature: "Two Side Trips (Cebu and Bohol) and a Wedding"

France Viana
Plaridel Award for Best Entertainment Story: "Her Mission Was In the Cards"

Merit Awards

Manzel Delacruz - 3 Merit Awards
Best International Reporting: "Priest and Physicist"
Best Investigative Reporting: "In The End, Love Wins"
Best Entertainment Story: "Taklub"

Rey de la Cruz
Best Entertainment Story: "Carol Varga: When She's Bad, She's Very Good"

On the Eve of Change

Have you been through a time when you know without any doubt that the world as we know it is about to change beyond our control? At around this time 30 years ago, the entire Philippines was in limbo as the snap election of February 7, 1986, intended to stabilize the volatile political situation, instead threw everything into chaos as the two opposing forces, Cory Aquino and Ferdinand Marcos, each claimed victory. The situation was ripe for explosion as our Countdown to the Revolution vividly documents, with part two focusing on the election itself and its aftermath. We all knew what happened and how the month ended, but re-living those days of uber-tension is almost cathartic for me, as I hope it is exciting for you.

In San Francisco this month, Jessica Hagedorn's acclaimed play, Dogeaters, based on her novel of the same name, is running in the Magic Theatre. Elaine Elinson, who had interviewed the Fil-Am author two weeks ago, writes a review of the theatrical presentation, which she tags as a definite must-watch. Enjoy "Dogeaters Distills the Time of the Conjugal Dictatorship" and buy yourself a ticket.

From Southern California, Positively Filipino Correspondent Anthony Maddela tracks down Cedrick Argueta, the Filipino-Salvadoran who got a perfect score in theAdvanced Placement Calculus AB exam, one of only 12 teenagers in the world to do so. His Filipino mother, Lilian, talks about how she and her husband, Marcos, are raising their son, now the popular math phenom. 

And from Crestwood, Illinois, Rey E. de la Cruz writes about a neighborhood gem, Philippine Cuisine and Groceries. 

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is Escabeche, the fried sweet-sour fish that is a great favorite among Filipinos.

And our Video of the Week: a short documentary from The Guardian on how the Aetas in the Philippines are fighting mining companies.