The numbers are staggering: $1.03 trillion lost to digital scams in 2024 worldwide and increasing exponentially every year. In the US, online fraud went up by 25 percent in 2024 from 2023, with a large number victimizing people over 60.

The Philippines, where almost 80 percent of the population are digitally active in varying degrees, digital crimes are two-thirds higher than the worldwide average. The country has been described as the epicenter for online shopping scams, among others.

It's quite a breath of relief that there are Filipino tech experts in-country who have made fighting online crimes their life mission. One of the more prominent ones is Art Samaniego, a journalist and co-founder of Scam Watch Pilipinas, a national citizen movement that educates the citizenry on cyber fraud. Samaniego's doggedness, vigilance and commitment in fighting online scams is heroic as it is necessary. PF's Manila-based correspondent Rene Astudillo profiles this admirable crusader.

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If you're in San Francisco, take the time to visit The Hinabi Project's exhibit of Philippine indigenous textiles and perhaps join the workshop on traditional Philippine weaving this month until September. "Hinabi's Woven Worlds" by Liza Suguitan Melnick and Almira Astudillo Gilles entices and provides details.

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Still thinking of where to go for a dream vacation this year? How about checking out Puglia, the less grandiose southern region of Italy, located on the map at its boot. Criselda Yabes, now based in France, chose the coastal towns and historic marvels of the region for a brief vacation, and was beguiled by the natural attractions and the food. "Puglia Pulls You" is both a promise and a come-on.

Read It Again

The President Who Never Was by Susan V. Tagle
The Accidental Cheese Monger by Richard Cavasora
‘Time to Change’ – How It All Began by Atek Jacinto

[Video of the Week] Fr. Leo Patalinghug

In The Know

The tragic story of Gelo Dela Rosa as narrated by Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David
https://verafiles.org/articles/the-tragic-story-of-gelo-dela-rosa-as-narrated-by-pablo-virgilio-cardinal-david

Filipina lawyer in Netflix docu fights for women victims of sexual assault
https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/series/filipina-lawyer-toni-jaramilla-netflix-documentary-trainwreck-cult-american-apparel/

'Utang na Loob' and Its Complicated Role in the Cycle of Poverty
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/notes-and-essays/sandwich-generation-in-the-philippines-meaning-opinion-

Meet Antonio Miranda Rodriguez Poblador, the Filipino Who Co-Founded Los Angeles
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/antonio-miranda-rodriguez-poblador-los-angeles-california-founder

Her father was a US Navy man who served in Vietnam. So why is ICE detaining her?
https://www.wrdw.com/2025/05/24/her-father-was-us-navy-man-who-served-vietnam-so-why-is-ice-detaining-her/

Death has not been a stranger to anyone this past year and a half. The steady and unrelenting drip drip of news of someone's passing has become a numbing reality. Some weeks are worse than others and the emotional toll can vary -- a little sadness for those you never got to know personally, a few tears for those you did know but were not that close to. And then there are those that are heavy as a mountain, when the loss leaves one deeply grieving. Such was the impact of the sudden passing of well-known revolutionary activist Sixto Carlos Jr. on my co-editor, Rene Ciria Cruz, whose poignant eulogy to his kasama and kabayan (they both grew up in Pandacan) is a fitting tribute to a man who lived a consequential life. ["My Friend, Sixto Carlos Jr."]

It's never all gloom and doom however. Positively Filipino publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco celebrates the long and eventful life of Delfin Gonzalez, who is now 107 years old and still hale and healthy. This man she calls Tito Delfin was the subject of her first film, "66 Years, 2 Months, 21 days…and Still Counting" made in 2009 when he was just 95. ["The Indefatigable Delfin Gonzalez"]

Contributing writer Leny Mendoza Strobel writes the inspiring story of Justin Jones whose quest to connect to his Filipino roots has given depth and impetus to his civil rights activism. ["Justin Jones – Black, Filipino, Civil Rights Activist"]

And speaking of inspiration, if you're a church goer, chances are you've sang "Time to Change," a popular inspirational song composed by Atek Jacinto, the musical director whose other claim to fame is his being the "creator" of the famous Circus band of the '70s. Many who remember the song say it's an appropriate time to revive it, considering the political situation in the Philippines. ["'Time to Change' -- How It All Began"]

Part 27 of Fil-Ams Among the Remarkable and Famous includes artists, community leaders, corporate professionals and the mother of Jo Koy.

Always delightful, always delicious. That's Sandy Daza's cooking as showcased in the Metro Channel's Casa Daza. For the Happy Home Cooks this week, enjoy Sandy cooking classic favorites: Kare-kare, Bistek Tagalog and Adobo.

For Video of the Week, we feature the episode of ANC’s “Our Fragile Earth” on Pujada Bay and Sarangani Bay.

[PARTNER] Deadline To Register For Overseas Voting For The 2022 Philippine National Elections