On the Vancouver Tragedy

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"When violence strikes one of us, it strikes all of us."

These words from our British Columbia-based contributing writer Lani Domaloy hits home for Filipinos everywhere following the shock of the recent tragedy in Vancouver where a mentally deranged Asian man drove through a large crowd of Filipino Canadians at the tail end of the Lapu Lapu Day Festival last Saturday, April 26. What started out with such joy -- a Filipino gathering of thousands can't help but be a grand celebration (and kudos to FilCans for honoring the first Filipino anti-colonial, a hero that FilAms barely know) -- ended up in collective sorrow. Eleven dead so far, including a five-year-old girl. WHY? 

At this point, there are no answers, only more questions. And outrage. A vehicle as a weapon for mass killing has happened several times in the US in recent years. But in Canada?

We join our northern neighbor -- and kababayans there -- in mourning, not just the dead and the wounded but also its loss of innocence.

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In an agrarian economy like the Philippines, land reform is not an abstract idea but a living, breathing organism that determines the livelihood and survival of the millions who rely on the land for subsistence. This week, writer/photographer/social activist David Bacon discusses a little known (at least to the general public) issue that has immense repercussions on the Philippine economy: the World Bank is financing a program that will dismantle farm cooperatives, which have helped small farmers gain collective ownership of big plantations, in favor of splitting ownership of land into small parcels. This is a new twist to the very fraught issue of agrarian reform, for which insurgencies have been fought and lives lost. Bacon provides a comprehensive overview of what's happening and what the resistance has been doing.

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We introduce two books and their women authors in this issue: Kalayaan: Filipina Heroines of World War II by Kathryn Serrano, as featured by Elaine J.E. Degale; and Dirty Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family by Jill Damatac, as reviewed by Anthony Maddela. Both books are about Filipina warriors, in war and against domestic abuse. 

For our Video of the Week, here’s a short trailer for the film on Larry Ramos, created by independent filmmaker Rick Quan. Larry was one of the lead singers of the iconic Grammy Award-winning group of the 1960s, The Association. He was the first Asian and Filipino American Grammy winner. He died 11 years ago today. For more about Larry Ramos, Read Again our story on him below.

Read Again

Along Comes Larry by Peter Jamero

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

In The Know

Despair Blankets Scene of Car-Ramming Attack at Festival
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/world/canada/vancouver-festival-attack.html

Five year-old girl and her parents among 11 people killed in the Vancouver festival attack
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/vancouver-car-attack-victims-philippines-festival-b2740927.html

Why the death of Pope Francis is hitting me so hard
https://www.thediarist.ph/why-the-death-of-pope-francis-is-hitting-me-so-hard/

The brilliance and humanity of Nora Aunor
https://www.thediarist.ph/the-brilliance-and-humanity-of-nora-aunor/

Fil-Am blasts rival over ballot fight, alleged affair with NYC mayor
https://usa.inquirer.net/170990/fil-am-blasts-rival-over-ballot-fight-alleged-affair-with-nyc-mayor?

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Staff

Once In A Lifetime

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The Filipina actor Cherie Gil was a once-in-a-lifetime talent that graced Philippine movies and television for almost five decades. She belonged to showbiz royalty with her parents Eddie Mesa and Rosemarie Gil, her brothers Michael de Mesa and Mark Gil, and a big bunch of nephews and nieces who are likewise making their mark in the entertainment industry. Cherie's demise announced on August 5 led to a deluge of tributes, one of them from her friend, PF contributor Pablo Tariman. ["Cherie Gil, A Beautiful Soul"]

Five years ago, a distinguished Filipino was flying to New York via Vancouver when he suffered a heart attack. When the airline crew called for a physician among the passengers, a Filipino doctor and his wife, also a doctor, rushed to resuscitate him, but it was too late. The distinguished gentleman was Washington SyCip, 96 years old, an icon in the business community. The doctor who tried to save him was Blas Bermudez who wrote about the heartbreaking experience on his Facebook post, which we are reposting here. ["Last Flight Home"]

Filipinos of a certain age crooned and swooned to The Association's big hits like "Never My Love," "Cherish," "Windy," and "Along Comes Mary." What we didn't know then was that a Filipino-Hawaiian was a big part of that cherished pop group and in fact became the group's leader in 1984. Larry Ramos was a Bridge Generation Fil-Am worth extolling and Peter Jamero, another Bridge Generation stalwart, does so. ["Along Comes Larry"]

 If you haven't yet, go and watch Easter Sunday, the movie starring a delightful cast of Filipino Americans led by Jo Koy. One of them is Rodney To, who plays Tito Arthur. PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela profiles this real-life professor of dramatic arts at the University of Southern California. ["Rodney To is More Than Just Jo Koy's Uncle in Easter Sunday"]

Hometowns was one of our popular series that collected personal nostalgia stories about places in the Philippines that defined one's character and memories. Here's one of those narratives about the tiny island of Cuyo, where writer Noni Mendoza grew up and continues to yearn for. ["My Island in the Sun"]

[Read It Again]

The yo-yo is not a Filipino invention but a Filipino, Pedro Edralin Flores, got the first commercial trademark for the toy in the US: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/pedro-and-the-yo-yo-man-and-myth

The beauty of indigenous Filipino tattoos is on full display in this story:

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/mark-of-four-waves

{Cook It Again] The Happy Home Cook: Marinated Baby Back Ribs 

[Video of the Week] Little Girl Does T’boli Dance

[Partner] Sinehan sa Konsulado 2022 - As part of the Sinehan sa Konsulado 2022, Positively Filipino presents a special screening of Mona Lisa Yuchengco’s MARILOU DIAZ-ABAYA: FILMMAKER ON A VOYAGE. The film will be available VOD (video-on-demand) for FREE from 12 noon August 19 to 12 noon August 25 PST on this access link: https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/marilou-diaz-abaya-filmmaker-on-a-voyage

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Staff