Dig Deep Into Our Treasure Chest of Stories

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If you usually tap into Positively Filipino through our Wednesday newsletter links, you might not realize just how deep the archive goes. We’ve been publishing for 13 years—so yeah, there’s a whole treasure chest of stories waiting for you.

Dive into the archives here:
https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/the-rack/

So… how many stories are we talking about? We don’t have an official count, but we asked Claude.ai to do the math, and here’s the vibe:

There are thousands of stories across categories like Life Stories, Fil-Am icons, history, business, entertainment, food, culture, and more. When you add them all up, it comes out to around 3,065 pieces. So far. (Real talk: some stories show up in multiple categories, so the number of unique articles is probably a bit lower—but still, that’s a LOT of content.)

Bottom line: Positively Filipino is more than just a website—it’s a whole digital tambayan for Filipino stories. Whether you’re a student, researcher, creative, policy maker, or just someone trying to stay connected to the culture, there’s something here for you.

And it’s not just about reading—we’re also a space for voices from across the diaspora. We’ve got 500+ writers (and counting!) sharing their takes on what it means to be Filipino today.

Wanna be part of it? 
Check out how to submit your work:
https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/editorial/

Come through and join our growing community of storytellers, culture shapers, and thought leaders. Let’s keep celebrating what it means to be Filipino—together. 

This Week’s Stories

FilAms Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 76 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

India: The Naked and the Dead by Bella Bonner

Painter Camille Dela Rosa’s Inner Cosmos by Leodivico Padua Masuli

[Read It Again]

A D.C. Springtime Concert Born in Manila by Titchie Carandang

Early Filipinos on Mare Island by Mel Orpilla

[Video of the Week] This Fish Shouldn’t Exist

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Staff

Stimulants, Magic and India

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Have you ever wondered how coffee, a non-native crop, and cacao reach Philippine shores? Did you know that the Philippines was once one of the world's top coffee exporters and cacao was so prevalent that many households had their own homegrown supply of chocolate?  Cultural historian Felice Prudente Sta. Maria takes us on a historical trip, "From Coffee to Pollo con Chocolate," that reminds us of the intertwined histories of our homeland and Mexico.

Magical realism is not the exclusive domain of Latin American authors as a new novel, The Book of Pedro Bautista by Dr. Mary Jane Guazon-Uy, attests. Veteran journalist/author Sylvia L. Mayuga reviews this new book from the prolific Ateneo de Naga University Press.

India, the land of mystery and contradiction, was the latest destination of PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia, who channels E. M. Forster in "A Passage to India, 2019." The country, Garcia states, is an "acquired taste," a feast for the senses, and requires some physical and mental preparation to visit. 

And if reading about tsokolate stirred up your craving, here's a recipe for Triple Chocolate Champorado from Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, our recipe of the week for the Happy Home Cook.

Here's our ICYMI listing of stories from other publications for this week:

[ANALYSIS] How the Marcos-World Bank partnership brought PH economy to its knees
https://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/227198-analysis-how-marcos-world-bank-partnership-brought-philippine-economy-to-knees?fbclid=IwAR1XflcNwCkq4X5hbWarcUIL768qt0P7STcOO50cdlMeRiR5Uzdxus_UDQs

The Duterte wealth: Unregistered law firm, undisclosed biz interests, rice import deal for creditor
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/227315-pcij-report-rodrigo-sara-paolo-duterte-wealth?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2ek03rBAi-1v15JlgfOqTS5_a5TSW_NrZ7FeVhYTgT1y740gyFAunt6RE#Echobox=1554285268

Don Jacinto: the Filipino American managing the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
https://www.asianjournal.com/magazines/mdwk-magazine/don-jacinto-the-filipino-american-managing-the-iconic-hollywood-roosevelt-hotel/?fbclid=IwAR1aDWN1rz3HqsDCuQzz-HJyEqXn9DOnWVGJxbUZz0NARjP8sNARaCkKOac

15 Heritage buildings that need to be rescued
https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/02/11/14/15-heritage-buildings-need-be-rescued?fbclid=IwAR0K9b_grKt4A7KNY5DMxxVIyubVHG4HlcXHnFuse28ZCDOQnYQp7Xt4WHo

For our video of the week, we present Rappler’s “Defend Press Freedom,” a video featuring journalists from the Martial Law years to today’s campus reporters.

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Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino

Tragedy and Enchantment

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Almost two months have elapsed since the tragedy in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, but the story is still very much alive in the military, the media and especially in the Aquino administration, which continues to suffer in the fallout.

This week we feature guest contributor Randy David, UP professor of sociology and political movements, who explains to us the bigger context of the tragedy: a police operation vs. the peace process that the government is trying to rebuild in Mindanao. Randy is known for his consistently illuminating pieces and this one is no exception.

From tragedy, we switch to enchantment and we have two stories to do just that: Engkanto Falls in Naga City in the Bicol region is where spirits of the supernatural variety dwell, according to legend. Excel V. Dyquiangco takes us there in "Romance of the Falls."

Likewise, our publisher, Mona Lisa Yuchengco, gives us a glimpse of enchanting India as she traveled with her sisters and some friends and encountered Filipinos, among others. "Pinoyspotting: Kababayans in India" continues our Pinoyspotting series, and we'd like to hear from you too about your travels and your encounters.

We continue to celebrate Women's History Month and this time, we'd like to point you back to enchanting women we have featured:

"Travels with My Aunt," by Lyca Benitez-Brown is about the formidable stateswoman and educator, Helena Z. Benitez, who at 100 years old, is still going strong.

"The Thoroughly Modern Sofia de Veyra" by Titchie Carandang-Tiongson introduces us to a little-known but definitely a memorable Filipina who, as wife of the Philippine Resident Commissioner in 1917, astonished and impressed Washington, DC with her intelligence, energy and charm.

"The Untold Story of Sugar Pie DeSanto" by Ben Pimentel is another eye-opener because Sugar Pie is not well known among Filipino Americans but was a big name in the jazz world.

Our Video of the Week transports us to enchanting Paris as bloggers Randy Diaz and Joyce Ibardolaza sample the culinary creations of Chef Aaron Isip of Restaurant Dix-Huit.

Wishing you a life of enchantment.

 

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Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino