August 05, 2026

A Living Archive of Fil-Am Achievement

August 05, 2026/ Staff

History is not preserved by monuments alone. It endures because people choose to remember, to tell stories, and to honor lives that have shaped a community. That is what the annual Building Communities: A Tribute to our Manongs and Manangs, created by Mona Lisa Yuchengco, have accomplished year after year. Through Positively Filipino, the event is more than an awards program; it is a living archive of Filipino American achievement. The honorees come from different generations and walks of life, yet together they reveal a larger truth—that our history has been written by soldiers and teachers, scientists and physicians, artists and writers, entrepreneurs, public servants, and community advocates whose contributions have too often remained outside the pages of mainstream history. By bringing these lives into the light, the manong and manang honors affirm that every story preserved strengthens the story of us all.

This year's gathering is another opportunity to celebrate not only twelve distinguished individuals but also the enduring legacy of a community whose contributions continue to shape America. The honorees did more than achieve personal success; they widened the path for those who followed, opened doors once closed to Filipinos, built institutions, preserved our heritage, and enriched the fields they served. In honoring them, Positively Filipino honors our collective journey.

We invite our readers to join us for this special occasion—to listen, to affirm, and to become part of a celebration that reminds us that history is a living inheritance, carried forward every time a name is spoken, a life is remembered, and a community comes together in gratitude and pride.

This Week’s Stories

When the Youngest Manong Becomes the Elder by Alex S. Fabros, Jr.

Trans Man and Trans Woman Tie Knot in PH Catholic Church by Rene Astudillo

‘Subsaharan Mindanao’ to the World by Elaine Joy Edaya Degale

He Danced Before He Knew Why by Lani Domaloy

[Read It Again]

My Close Call on 9/11 by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba (Ret.)

Why the F in ‘Filipino’ and How Did It Get There? by Marne Kilates

[Video of the Week]

Why is America defending a shipwreck?

In The Know

'Most exciting player' Eala shows 'Filipino heart' to make history
https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/cjwx9y96x90o

Nearly 10 months in ICE custody, a photojournalist’s case tests the limits of protected speech
https://www.therebelyellow.com/p/nearly-10-months-in-ice-custody-a?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

‘Little Manila is in the heart. 209:’ How a Stockton community preserved the stories of the Filipino migrants who built it
https://stocktonia.org/news/community/2026/07/30/little-manila-is-in-the-heart-209-how-a-stockton-community-preserved-the-stories-of-the-filipino-migrants-who-built-it/

[OPINION] Pax Silica and the Philippines: Will we build the future or simply build it for others?

https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-pax-silica-will-philippines-build-future-or-for-others/?

'I feel like I dug my own grave': The workers caught in the AI transition
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr7nxve05go

5 Library Cafes to Visit Around Metro Manila
https://www.preview.ph/culture/food/library-cafes-manila-a6887-

Laperal, Not the Haunted Baguio Mansion
https://tribune.net.ph/2026/07/24/laperal-not-the-haunted-baguio-mansion

July 01, 2026

July 4th: Ties that Bind

July 01, 2026/ Staff

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, Filipinos—especially those in the diaspora—have every reason to reflect on a shared past that shaped both nations.

For nearly half a century, the Philippines was part of the American story, leaving a legacy of sacrifice, opportunity, conflict, and enduring ties. This complex relationship—defined by colonial rule, democracy, nationalism, and deep cultural connections—continues to influence Filipino identity and U.S.-Philippine relations today.

To commemorate this year's July 4, we asked retired Philippine history professor Michael Gonzalez to provide our readers a bird's eye view of pivotal events that have defined Philippine relations with its former colonizer since 1898. It was a difficult ask, especially considering the limitations of deadline and word count.

What emerged from Gonzalez's knowledge archive is his list of ten pivotal milestones, each split into the good, the bad and the ugly, that reveal how history forged a bond that has been as turbulent as it has been transformative, with consequences still felt on both sides of the Pacific.

Have a meaningful July 4th, however you want to celebrate it.

This week’s stories

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: A Guide to US-Philippine Relations Across Decades by Michael Gonzalez

When Philippine Independence Day Moved to Another Date by Rudy D. Liporada

FilAms Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 79 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

[Opinion] The Architecture of Dignity: How Culture Shapes the Soul by Cecilia Guidote-Alvarez

Obituary: Lourdes M. Esclamado by Alex M. Esclamado

[Read It Again]

A Reunion of Strangers by Oscar Peñaranda

The Flag of Their Forebears by Myles A. Garcia

[Video of the Week] Ube Festival showcases Filipino food, culture, and entrepreneurship in California

In The Know

How decades of US immigration law shaped the Filipino diaspora — and San Diego

https://www.kpbs.org/news/racial-justice-social-equity/2026/06/29/how-decades-of-us-immigration-law-shaped-the-filipino-diaspora-and-san-diego

Alex Fabros, 80, makes history at UCSB

https://news.ucsb.edu/2026/022633/alex-fabros-80-makes-history-ucsb

‘Street Fighter’ finally gets its 1st Filipino fighter after 39 years, and the details matter

https://www.therebelyellow.com/p/street-fighter-finally-gets-its-1st

Israelis, other foreigners in Siargao nabbed over immigration violations

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2026/06/29/2538603/israelis-other-foreigners-siargao-nabbed-over-immigration-violations?

June 17, 2026

The Gifts of Our Fathers

June 17, 2026/ Staff

As we mark both Rizal Day (June 19) and Father’s Day (June 21) in this issue, our stories reflect the meaning of these occasions for Filipinos across generations and across borders.

We begin with two moving tributes to fathers whose lives left an enduring mark on their sons. Alex Fabros shares the final words of his father, offering a glimpse into the sacrifices and resilience of a generation of Filipino workers who built their lives on American soil while carrying their homeland in their hearts.

First-time contributor Arniel Brown turns to Prince’s iconic “Purple Rain” as a lens through which to honor his father—a Vietnam veteran, husband (and later widower) to two Filipino women, and a janitor in his later years. Through his son’s eyes, he emerges not as a celebrated public figure, but as the kind of everyday hero whose story deserves to be remembered.

In our Rizal feature, first-time contributor Kahlil Corazo explores how José Rizal’s experiences abroad can help us better understand the Filipino diaspora today. Drawing from historian Filomeno Aguilar’s work on Rizal, Corazo shows how the ilustrados of 19th-century Europe wrestled with many of the same questions Filipino migrants and Filipino Americans continue to face: balancing multiple identities, confronting racial stereotypes, reconnecting with precolonial heritage, and defining who belongs within the Filipino community. Rather than seeing today’s diaspora identity debates as something new, Corazo argues that they are part of a much longer Filipino story of living between cultures.

We also feature the remarkable story of the Locsin clan, a reminder that Filipino roots can span centuries and continents while still sustaining a strong sense of family, identity, and purpose. From Agustin Locsin (Sin Lok), a Chinese migrant who settled in Iloilo in the 1750s, has grown a family network of more than a million descendants whose contributions have touched public service, business, architecture, the arts, journalism, and community development. More than a genealogy, the Locsin story illustrates how heritage, cultural memory, and a commitment to service can connect generations of Filipinos wherever in the world they call home.

And speaking of the Filipino diaspora, here's part 5 of our recurring compilation of Filipino Overseas Achievers by our publisher, Mona Lisa Yuchengco.

[Read It Again]

My Dad, a Daring Dreamer by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

José Rizal and His Dueling German Friends by Penélope V. Flores

Rizal +: A One-Stop Shop for Everything Rizal by Francis Layf Custodio

[Video of the Week] How Did The Philippines Become One Of Asia's Most Unequal Countries?