Cello, Golf and Angioplasty

The well-dressed crowd attending the June 12 Independence Day gala of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco rose to their feet to applaud the young cellist who enthralled everyone with his impassioned playing.That young man was Matthew John Ignacio who our regular contributor, Elizabeth Ann Quirino, features this week in Watch Out World, This is a Filipino. A video clip of Matthew John playing "Maalaala Mo Kaya" gives you a taste of his talent, but if you're in LA, try to hear him play in person and be proud.

Another reason to be proud: Jason Day, the Aussie-Filipino pro golfer finally lands the big prize -- the PGA championship last weekend. Not only was his win big, Jason also became the first golfer ever to finish 20 under par, beating Tiger Woods' record. The media frenzy over his win also introduced his Filipina mother, Adenil "Deling" Grapilon, to the world. Jason's unabashed tears at his victory was, he said, because he remembered the sacrifices his mother did to set him on a straight path and golf superstardom. Read I. Wilfredo Ver's report, "Jason Day, Golf Superstar."

Meanwhile, Bella Bonner writing from Manila gives us an idea how a serious -- and expensive -- medical procedure affects one's finances. "Angioplasty in the Philippines" is food for thought when deciding one's retirement location.

Pinoyspotting returns with Chicago writer Rey de la Cruz reporting on the Filipinos he socialized with in Indonesia.

August 21 is coming up once again and we point you to our previous stories on two historically changing events that happened in our country's past -- the 32nd anniversary of the assassination of Ninoy Aquino and the 44th anniversary of the Plaza Miranda bombing. Read again Ken Kashiwahara's "Ninoy's Final Journey" and Gregg Jones' and Mila Aguilar's "August 21 Stories."

This week's Happy Home Cook features another recipe from actress Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, Sinigang na Munggo. Goldilocks shares its recipe for Pinipig Polvoron.

Our Video of the Week: Ayuntamiento-A Costly Renovation

My blog this week: 10 Reasons to Love -- or Hate-- Retirement.

Mystery and Second Chances

The famously mysterious Iglesia ni Cristo, which claims a membership of two million in more than 100 countries, had its innards diced and dissected recently as scandalous allegations of family feuds, heavy-duty corruption and even violence within the leadership ranks exploded in the public eye. As the real story is still unfolding, we're posting veteran journalist Maria Ceres Doyo's column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, "'Deep Throat' Shakes Up Iglesia ni Cristo," which provides some behind-the-scene details on the biggest story that ever exposed the 100-year-old religious and political powerhouse.

A happier big story that happened last weekend was the victory of Filipino Australian golfer, Jason Day, in the Canadian Open. This is the second PGA title that Day has won this year, catapulting him to number four in the world golf rankings. Watch him do his winning stroke in our Video of the Week.

The senior celebrity world in the Philippines was all agog last year over the wedding of Boots Anson-Roa to Francisco "King" Rodrigo, the second marriage for the two. Now, a year later, the two lovebirds share intimate details of their joyful union, with writer Cathy Sanchez Babao in "That's Amore." The Boots-King story is proof that there is no statute of limitations on loving and grabbing a second chance at happiness.

In the second installment of Watch Out World, This Is a Filipino (WOW), contributing writer Elizabeth Ann Quirino profiles Ryan D. Aguas, a Fordham University graduate who is introducing vertical farming, also known as aquaponics, to Filipino farmers.

And Pinoyspotting this week follows world traveler Rey de la Cruz as he stops over at the Hong Kong airport and meets Filipinos who were also transiting to their destinations in various parts of the world.

For the Happy Home Cook, we have Goldilocks' Black Forest Cake recipe.