The Gifts of Our Fathers

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?

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In The Know

This Filipino Priest from Ermita is on the Road to Sainthood
https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/newsfeatures-peopleparties/filipino-priest-cesar-maria-guerrero-road-to-sainthood-a2793-20260405-bsc?

U.S. House Resolution Honors 120 Years of Filipino Immigration to Hawaiʻi
https://www.filipinoreporters.com/post/u-s-house-resolution-honors-120-years-of-filipino-immigration-to-hawai%CA%BBi?

These 5 Philippine hotels just scored a spot on Michelin Guide’s list
https://usa.inquirer.net/199092/these-5-philippine-hotels-just-scored-a-spot-on-michelin-guides-list

TIMELINE: Most destructive earthquakes to hit the Philippines since 1990
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/timeline-most-destructive-earthquakes-hit-since-1990/?

How deadly Philippines earthquake raised seabed and extended shorelines for hundreds of metres
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/philippines-earthquake-seabed-raise-shoreline-extension-b2995719.html?

Meet the Winner of ‘Top Chef: Carolinas’
https://www.foodandwine.com/top-chef-season-23-winner-11993200?

Why Jollibee said yes to one NorCal man and his 15-franchise dream
https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/george-almeida-jollibee-franchisee-22292078.php

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Independence, Ramadan, and Father's Day

As we celebrate 120 years of Philippine Independence, let's take a look back to how it all began. Read Again "Why June 12 Is Different From Other Days" by contributor John Silva.

In San Francisco, this year's celebration featured, among other highlights, an Independence Day cake created by Bettina Santos-Yap, a marketing person who recently embarked on her second career, this time in the culinary world. PF Correspondent Cherie Querol-Moreno reports.

We wish our Muslim brothers and sisters a meaningful celebration of the Eid ul Fitr on June 15, marking the end of this year's month-long Ramadan. How is Marawi City faring after the horrific fighting and bombing there? Our PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes updates us on the remnants of what used to be a glorious showcase of Muslim life in Mindanao.

And for our Father's Day feature, a touching story on how a son found his father and how the father accepted his previously unknown son. Derrick Reyes, the son, tells us his story in "May I Call You Dad?" while Ricardo "Dick" Taylor reveals what he felt when he found out that he had a son he never knew.

In our In The Know links this week, we pay tribute to Anthony Bourdain, the chef/media celebrity/adventurer/sage who, in two episodes of this highly rated series, publicly declared a lot of affection for Filipinos and Filipino food. 

A tribute to Anthony Bourdain, one of the OG champions of Filipino cuisine
https://coconuts.co/manila/lifestyle/tribute-anthony-bourdain-one-og-champions-filipino-cuisine/

This valedictorian began to talk about sexual misconduct at her graduation. Then her mic was cut.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2018/06/09/this-valedictorian-began-to-talk-about-sexual-misconduct-at-her-graduation-then-her-mic-was-cut/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f331545d609f

The Price of ‘Machismo Populism’ in the Philippines
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/06/duterte-kiss-philippines/562265/

Filipina Equestrian Spreads The Olympism Message
https://www.olympic.org/news/filipino-equestrian-spreads-the-olympism-message?esi=true

For your Father's Day celebration, here's a simplified version of our favorite Filipino dessert, Leche Flan from contributor Melanie Q. Suzara.

And for our Video of the Week, enjoy Anthony Bourdain's tribute to our people. 

Father Courage

Happy Father's Day to all the dads -- and single moms -- out there who, like our contributor Patricio N. Abinales in "Single Parenting an American," is trying to negotiate the rough waters of a kid's tween years combined with some cultural dilemmas. I feel his pain because about two decades ago, I was in the same situation as I wryly recall in my blog this week, "Paternal Instincts." It will be a tough journey ahead for parents like him but time flies and pretty soon the difficult years will just become family anecdotes to laugh about. At least that's always the hope.

It will be the 155th birthday of our National Hero Jose Rizal on June 19 so we are reposting two stories to remember him by: Penelope V. Flores' "Rizal's Great Loves" and John Silva's "Rizal's Cook Remembers a Good Man."

Lifelong activist and first-time contributor Edwin Batongbacal writes an impassioned review of the new book, Women Against Marcos: Stories of Filipino and Filipino American Women Who Fought a Dictator, by Mila de Guzman. Edwin's take is personal because some of the women featured in this book were his mentors who helped shape his political views. We are also including a chapter written by Mila Aguilar, one of the valiant women profiled in the book.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week: food blogger and cookbook author Marvin Gapultos' Lying Laing, his version of the traditional Bicolano dish but this time using kale instead of gabi (taro) leaves.

For our Video of the Week, we join the celebration of June as Immigrant Heritage Month with "I Am An Immigrant," a short video featuring celebrities standing by immigrants.