A Good Month for Remembering

“There is something about listening to the stories of our Filipino-American elders that touches me at the soul level,” posted Fil-Am biopharma entrepreneur Lieza Marie Danan after attending last Saturday’s tribute to community manongs and manangs, sponsored by Positively Filipino. [See report by Lorna Lardizabal Dietz.]

Lieza's words speak to something deeply Filipino: our instinct to remember, to honor those who came before us, and to carry their stories forward. Wherever Filipinos may be in the world, our history travels with us—in memory, in family stories, and in the communities we build.

August is a good month for remembering. The Cry of Pugad Lawin, the founding of the Aglipayan Church, and the arrival of the Thomasites all took place in this month. Marcelo H. del Pilar and Manuel L. Quezon were born in August; and on August 21, 1983, Ninoy Aquino Jr. was assassinated, changing the course of Philippine history. [More on this date next week, but read Howie Severino's Ninoy story in this issue.] 

These are the familiar milestones. But history is also found in the quieter stories—the lives of our elders, the struggles they endured, and the communities they built. To celebrate them is, in a small but important way, to celebrate ourselves.

This Week’s Stories

Honoring Our Manongs and Manangs 2026 by Lorna Lardizabal Dietz

The Only Unhappy Aquino in America by Howie Severino

A Childhood My Children Will Never Fully Know by Elena Baldwin

Adoring the Philippines from Afar by Anthony Maddela

[Read It Again]

Day Trips to Culinary Heaven by Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Mark of Four Waves by Mel Orpilla

[Video of the Week]

San Jose’s Filipino American Community

---

In The Know

Conrad Ricamora Hopes His New Role Will Make You Rethink Your Relationship To AI
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/conrad-ricamora-disruption-play-

Inside Kapusod, Howie Severino's Lakeside Paradise Where Thoughtful Living Takes Root
https://www.spot.ph/things-to-do/weekend-guides/howie-severino-kapusod-batangas-a5138-20260724-dyn?ref=home_wgt3-weekender_read-more

Fil-Am Jacob Batalon ties the knot as ‘Spider-Man’ shatters records
https://usa.inquirer.net/205862/fil-am-jacob-batalon-ties-the-knot-as-spider-man-shatters-records

Lorna Tolentino becomes Philippine Navy reservist
https://www.pep.ph/pepalerts/pep-troika/193316/lorna-tolentino-philippine-navy-reservist-a4118-20260807 

Filipino American activist detained in the Philippines
https://asamnews.com/2026/08/08/filipino-american-activist-christina-pasion-detained-arrested/?

---

One Man and the Sea

For over 30 years, Roberto Ballon, aka Ka Dodoy, spent most of his days fishing for a living in the West Philippine Sea and, more consequentially, organizing his fellow fishermen towards a collective effort to replant and revive the mangrove forest in Concepcion, Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay. It was a long, tedious operation that took years and a lot of grief and challenges. But Ka Dodoy and his group persisted. Today they are reaping the rewards with more catch and more income. This year, Ka Dodoy is one of the awardees of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Awards which, since 1958, has been giving due recognition to outstanding Asians whose "selfless service has offered their societies, Asia, and the world successful solutions to some of the most intractable problems of human development."  PF contributor Manuel Hizon from the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation tells us Ka Dodoy's story. ["One Man's Journey to Save the Seas"]

As the 49th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines comes up (the official date is September 21), veteran journalist and PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes explores in depth "Marcos Legacy and the Philippine Military." Find out how and why Marcos' strongest weapon ultimately led to his downfall. 

We're getting close to ending our listings of Fil-Ams Among the Remarkable and Famous, with part 28. 

For the Happy Home Cook, Nina Daza Puyat, daughter of culinary icon Nora Daza, shares her recipe for  Parmesan Chicken Cutlets with LGBP (lemon, garlic, butter, parsley) Spaghetti, a take-off from her mother's famous Fish Sticks recipe.

Read Again: A granddaughter writes about life with her famous grandmother and her equally famous friends, http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-muses-of-lvn-pictures

For our Video of the Week: Our Friend, Larry Itliong

Every week we post links to stories in other publications that you may have missed. We thank those of you who have sent us links and shared stories with us.

In The Know

PGH’s Bahay Silungan: The healer is a home
https://www.philstar.com/other-sections/newsmakers/2021/09/10/2126193/pghs-bahay-silungan-healer-home?fbclid=IwAR1gm7thg1o2XDnHO3pR9DvN_D83kfhVAuG8epd_XH6s0_-cn8KyvfAzYhE

John Arcilla: ‘For now, I want to remember the smiles’
https://www.thediarist.ph/john-arcilla-for-now-i-want-to-remember-the-smiles/?fbclid=IwAR0azfDonx9DmyjviCXwz9P_5i63hGmtHJgdLayvaNINi02sP9uaUqA1n_k

10 Interesting Filipino Coffee Table Books: Betsy Westendorp, Old Manila, And More
https://www.tatlerasia.com/homes/decor/10-philippine-coffee-table-books 

PHL tycoons’ wealth surges by 30% amid pandemic
https://www.bworldonline.com/phl-tycoons-wealth-surges-by-30-amid-pandemic/?fbclid=IwAR1gFMvMai8jt53HApOrvh9ozeTFrE5UGz-OV6W4Nc0E3bskCf-wld1gzHE

On The Job review: Filipino series matches Hong Kong's crime thrillers
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/on-the-job-review-filipino-series-match-hong-kong-crime-thrillers-053626515.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

---