With everything coming out lately about Cesar Chavez, we’re starting this month by looking back at a major moment in labor history—the Delano Grape Strike (1965–1970). It’s often called the most successful farm labor strike in U.S. history, and it was led in large part by Filipino American organizers like Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz, alongside others.

The five-year strike led to better wages and health benefits for over 10,000 Filipino and Mexican farmworkers in California—and created the United Farm Workers (UFW). But beyond the headlines and hero narratives, it’s important to remember the real cost: workers gave up their income, stability, and daily survival just to keep the movement alive.

Fil-Am historian Alex Fabros Jr. honors those sacrifices in his piece, “The Historic Delano Grape Strike’s Sacrifices and Rewards.”

As conversations around Cesar Chavez continue to evolve, authors Craig Scharlin and Lilia V. Villanueva of the book Philip Vera Cruz: A Personal History of Filipino Immigrants and the Farmworkers Movement revisit their extensive interviews with the revered labor leader. Their reflections—shared in “On Cesar Chavez: We Need the Truth More Than We Need Heroes”—offer a more personal and nuanced look at Chavez through Vera Cruz’s eyes.

Also in this issue: Lilia V. Villanueva shares her experience visiting Margaha Beach in Old Sagay, Negros Occidental, where a laid-back mix of sun, food, and community came together with a local short film festival.

And if you’ve been online lately, you probably saw the buzz: the first trailer for “The Forgotten Island,” an upcoming DreamWorks Animation film, just dropped—and it’s already blowing up among Filipinos around the world. PF correspondent Anthony Maddela breaks down why this film has everyone talking.

[Read It Again]

Images of Semana Santa by Contributing Photographers

Marinduque's Mesmerizing Moriones by Wilma B. Consul

[Video of the Week] This Changed How I See Being Filipino Forever - Ink and Identity

In the Know

The Philippines fuel emergency is a textbook case of a warning hiding in official statistics

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/philippines-fuel-emergency-textbook-case-warning-hiding-official-statistics?

Community pantry returns, this time for drivers hit by oil price hikes

https://www.rappler.com/philippines/community-pantry-returns-drivers-oil-price-hike/

Meet the stunning Fil-Ams competing for Miss Universe Philippines crown

https://usa.inquirer.net/192493/meet-the-stunning-fil-ams-competing-for-miss-universe-philippines-crown

Philippines scores poorly on work-life balance. Filipinos are not surprised

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3347635/philippines-scores-poorly-work-life-balance-filipinos-are-not-surprised?

Filipino farmworkers & LA County confront Chavez allegations

https://asamnews.com/2026/03/25/la-county-reviews-chavez-legacy-filipino-farmworkers-larry-itliong/?

Virtual Visita Iglesia Pilgrimage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vTocaN1U0I

MARILOU DIAZ-ABAYA: FILMMAKER ON A VOYAGE

In celebration of the life of Marilou Diaz-Abaya (b. Mar.30, 1955-d. Oct.8, 2012), National Artist of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts, the full-length documentary on her life will be available on Youtube for a limited viewing playdate starting today on the occasion of her 71st birth anniversary. This documentary was produced, written and directed by Mona Lisa Yuchengco.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9AmOmRlPtY

Today, August 30, marks the 160th birth anniversary of the Philippines' other National Hero, Andres Bonifacio. Last Monday, August 28, our motherland celebrated National Heroes Day as a national holiday, an omnibus celebration that covers all the country's heroes, regardless of generation. National Heroes Day began as a commemoration of the Cry of Pugad Lawin (aka Cry of Balintawak), when Bonifacio as the leader of the Katipunan (KKK), tore his cedula and declared the beginning of the Philippine war of independence against Spain. That happened on August 23, 1896.

So many historical transitions have taken place since then, of course, and so many heroes and heroines have passed through. Even the term itself - heroism- has undergone multiple definitions, many of them self-serving or partisan, thus often undeserved or untrue.

What makes a hero then, in this day and age? Perhaps instead of bestowing the title of hero to a person, which would beget intense scrutiny likely to unearth non-heroic elements, it would be better to use a description -- "heroic" to label a life commitment for a cause beyond one's self-interest. No more heroes, just heroic deeds.

Today would have marked the 72nd birthday of a woman who defied convention and chose to lead an altruistic life. Two days from now (September 1) is her first death anniversary. Nelia Sancho was more than just a beauty queen/activist as she was popularly labelled. Manila based artist/illustrator Lynett Advincula-Villariba tells us more about her sorority sister and lifelong friend.

Since September 1 is Labor Day in the US and September 8 is the 58th anniversary of the beginning of the Grape Strike in California, we pay homage to the Filipino farm workers who, in addition to working the fields, organized labor unions to fight for their rights. Read "From Spain to Delano: The Radical Roots of Farm Workers Unions" by writer/photographer David Bacon.