A Living Archive of Fil-Am Achievement

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?

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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

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Save the Philippine Eagle to Save Us All

A daring, up-close documentation of the life of the majestic Philippine Eagle entitled "Bird of Prey" is the subject of PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela's story as he talks to the people who made the award-winning film possible. In "What a ‘Bird of Prey’ Can Teach Humans," the Philippine Eagle is both a celebration of the richness of our motherland's natural resources and a strong warning against climate change that endangers not only the Eagle but a million wildlife as well.

A chance encounter in an exercise park in Hanoi led Toronto-based PF contributor Patty Rivera to write about Janice Buco Phương, a Filipina from the school of hard knocks who sang her way to the "Vietnam Idol" title in 2016. "Our Filipina 'Vietnam Idol'" is a heartwarming story of how determination, home-grown talent and a bit of luck can define one's place in a foreign country.

As we remember today the horrific tragedy of 9/11, Read Again Major General Antonio Taguba's close encounter with death on that day, 18 years ago, and his view on how it has changed the US and the world. 

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week is No-Churn Ube Ice Cream, a topping for the halo-halo of Barako Kávéház, the Filipino-owned cafe in Budapest that we featured last week. 

For your reading pleasure, here are links to stories you may have missed: 

The road less traveled: From Paris to Leyte
https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/sunday-life/2019/09/08/1949836/road-less-traveled-paris-leyte?fbclid=IwAR3NDbzYeMygt0aaSXgXXdAizkE_AOicX9rv5SG-RZc1pfFSHPqJoxBzZsE

How This Entrepreneur Built A Top-Rated Asian Fast Food Empire
https://www.forbes.com/sites/annalisaburgos/2019/09/03/how-this-entrepreneur-built-a-top-rated-asian-fast-food-empire/?fbclid=IwAR1N4n_xuW0Nm_GG7JRuOfJOoAmcx1Z80UbGFA8lKCKF9o1j0wwTTiq9_zY#5147bed72394

Fil-Am R&B star H.E.R. releases 19-song mixtape ‘I Used to Know Her’
https://asianjournal.com/entertainment/showbiz/fil-am-rb-star-h-e-r-releases-19-song-mixtape-i-used-to-know-her/?fbclid=IwAR2a5dU3HL0tiaP8vUMCfBTGNw55uIUZZ9tRenc8PglsuVsfGJMgTguElgg

I’m A Filipina Who Was Addicted To Skin Lightening Products 
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/filipina-light-skin-bias-philippines_l_5d5d942be4b03b44f416572d?fbclid=IwAR1TWJO34qocmRuyJGf-qIgrOppEGgo20vtZNec-wLjSnlLGgzpJtVsWnY0&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9sLmZhY2Vib29rLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALHi8dioVYHxjQnkGYM4nI46ACukC_K7JBVSnxR0gPdVrN5MuGCQYR6t6DGo_ALvkIx-aRfGC-RBqSrpMzFOtXvRo4KjnYdE-V-fPcNxlegwetpLM_jsvnqg_KqwT7j4QQ0eRqgKZWCmf6JLPaOYMdaF1Jp4JIDzUmJHvUnDgW8J

A Domestic Helper’s Love for Photography
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=450329585565326

For Video of the Week, Eater presents Chef Sheldon Simeon as he prepares Filipino-Hawaiian dishes.

Mothers All

How would you feel if your mother is labeled a "mail order bride? First-time contributor Carolyn Prasad explores the issue as she pays tribute to the grit and courage of her mother in "The Making of a Matriarch."

Poet/author Marra PL. Lanot waxes poetic as she remembers her dynamic mother, a classical pianist and an activist who was also a fantastic cook. "My Mother, Myself" is both a tribute and an aspiration for the writer.

Another first-time contributor Amy Schlanger writes about the parallels of her approach to motherhood with her friend, Min Bernardo, who nurtured and supported the career of her daughter, Kathryn, now one of the Philippines' top movie stars. 

Aside from celebrating mothers and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, May is also Military Appreciation Month. Here are some historical stories you may want to Read Again:

The Boogie Woogie Boys written by ex-Marine, Alex S. Fabros, Jr.

The General At Ease, my exclusive interview with Major General Antonio M. Taguba, one of the highest ranking Filipino American in the US military. 

In case you missed them, our links to important stories from other publications:

Duterte’s Unrelenting Attacks on Philippine Media 
https://philippines.fnst.org/content/dutertes-unrelenting-attacks-philippine-media?fbclid=IwAR0oXGem9nACvaKBueOpqGeW0nK5Bn9LCKmtzWu85Vk0Z8c3eWlsOMkiVFs

What My Father Edjop Taught Me About Heroism 
https://thelittleagegrouper.blogspot.com/2019/05/what-my-father-edjop-taught-me-about.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR0m4Tfd0LrtgqoYm2_FEXLMWilVm605dyyXP3m95tNGrE7jzojTDL1xF3c

The most expensive resort in the world costs $100,000 a night — here's what you get
https://ph.news.yahoo.com/most-expensive-resort-world-costs-181128004.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=fb&fbclid=IwAR1JiChPiiY6m9wAV16SqaT7kh_0ieXYaJPPwBsxZUTL_aheYf6oT-jJd6E

Cafe in the Philippines Now Uses Straws Made Out of Coconut Leaves to Cut Plastic Waste
https://nextshark.com/philippines-biodegradable-straws/?fbclid=IwAR2QPTqOtaG8v9waJdkWeEY2cl1au-Sbk9Ul5NC70H2UfUT_fB04RTgotp8

For the Happy Home Cook, another recipe contribution from SF-based foodie, Voltaire Gungab: Risotto with Shiitake, Chinese Sausage and Chicken Livers.

And for Video of the Week, we feature another Andre De La Varre Screen Traveler. This travelogue film shows Cebu in the 1930s.