May 05, 2026

Festive May

May 05, 2026/ Staff

For Filipino Americans, the month of May hits different. It's packed with commemorations that impact who we are, what we carry, and how we show up for each other.

It’s AAPI Heritage Month, Older Americans Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s also Lupus and Arthritis Awareness Month. Then you’ve got days that hit on a deeper level—World Press Freedom Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day. Each one connects to our community in real, personal ways.

And back home? May is fiesta season. If you grew up in the Philippines—or grew up hearing the stories—you already know: this is one of the most joyful times of the year. Lots of food, parades, music, reunions. That kind of energy stays with you, even from across the ocean. Honestly, it rivals December.

We’ll be highlighting these moments through the stories we share this month. We might not cover everything, but we’ll do our best to honor what matters—and make it feel real, relevant, and close to home.

Here's our lineup this week:

"Mama's Last Lesson" by Nanette Carreon-Ruhter, a touching remembrance of her mother's indelible presence in her life;

"The Eye Doctor, The Nurse and the Fine Print of Aging" by Alex S. Fabros, Jr., both heartbreaking and funny on what he has lost and what he has found as he lives through the vicissitudes of age and ailment;

"You Can Go Home Again -- the Blairs Did" by Meyen Quigley, giving lie to Thomas Wolfe's famous line about not being able to return to where you came from;

"Southern Encounters: A 'Mindanawan' Identity" by Patricio N. Abinales, an eye-opening account of his revisit to the region of his birth and its current realities."

We've got more in our Read It Again, our Video of the Week, and our In The Know links below, as well as in our Global News Briefs (In Brief — Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora) and Community News sections (Community News — Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora).

[Read It Again]

Mother Tributes: Thanks for the Memories, Mom! By Mona Lisa Yuchengco

A Hundred Mangoes in a Bottle by Elizabeth Ann Quirino

[Video of the Week]

Purple Ube has gone global. What it means for Filipino farmers.

In The Know

BINI receives Billboard Global Force Award: ‘A milestone, a responsibility we carry’

https://www.rappler.com/people/artists/bini-billboard-global-force-award-2026/?

Olivia Rodrigo's 'SNL' hosting debut: A Jake Paul callback, a 'Drivers License' DMV parody and two new songs

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/article/olivia-rodrigos-snl-hosting-debut-a-jake-paul-callback-a-drivers-license-dmv-parody-and-two-new-songs-150300055.html

Who is Bea Millan-Windorski, Miss Universe Philippines 2026?

https://www.rappler.com/people/profiles/miss-universe-philippines-2026-winner-bea-millan-windorski/?

Women of the tides: Holding the line in Dahican

https://mindanews.com/top-stories/2026/04/women-of-the-tides-holding-the-line-in-dahican/

Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship with 38 Filipino crew: What we know so far

https://www.rappler.com/philippines/overseas-filipinos/hantavirus-outbreak-mv-hondius-ship-ofw-crew-may-2026/

January 15, 2025

Good People

January 15, 2025/ Staff

It has only been 15 days since 2025 began and already our senses have been assaulted by the major disaster in the Greater Los Angeles and the impending doom of man-made disasters to come. Our ancestors believed that whatever happens at the onset of a new year portends what will happen in the year ahead. If we go by this superstition, we're in deep trouble.

But there's always a yang to a dark yin, the wellsprings of hope and optimism, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. When the going gets rough, good people always rise up to the moment of need and voluntarily do good deeds (as there are those who play the blame game -- however far-fetched their theories -- and do nothing). Canada, South Africa, Mexico and even Ukraine, among other states and countries, have deployed their firefighters to help quell the conflagrations. The LA fires have become sterling reminders of what global cooperation can do.

GoFundMe, the app for donating money, is busy receiving donations for families who've lost their homes. A word of caution though: GFM, however well-intentioned, also attract online scams, so be very wary. If you wish to donate to a family you know, it would be best to contact them first and get their actual GFM address.

As of yesterday, January 14, the Philippine Consulate has identified 150 Filipinos affected by the fire. We know this is a very conservative number and that's because the Consulate identifies Filipinos as only those holding Philippine passports. Those who have naturalized as US citizens no longer fall under the ambit of the Philippine government and are therefore not entitled to whatever assistance is available.

As Los Angeles continues to suffer hell on earth, we continue to storm the heavens for rain, respite and renewal.

Stories This Week

How Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan Were Nearly Lost to the United States by Dr. Federico V. Magdalena

Abra On My Mind: Tracing My Family Roots by Rene Astudillo

First Filipino Fire Survivor Report Stresses Financial Needs by Yiming Fu

Ramon Santos’ Intriguing World of Non-Music by Manuel Hizon

[Video of the Week] Flora Arca Mata

In The Know

Take these 10 Precautions Before Trump Takes Office
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/take-10-precautions-before-trump-takes-office-glenn-d-magpantay-qymze/

Philippines alarmed after China sends ‘monster ship’ to disputed shoal
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/philippines-alarmed-china-sends-monster-ship-disputed-shoal-rcna187557?

New report sheds light on why young Asian Americans are 40% more likely to develop allergies
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/asian-americans-pacific-islander-native-hawaiian-allergies-rcna186695?

Roughly 150 Filipinos displaced by LA fires
https://asamnews.com/2025/01/14/displaced-filipinos-la-wildfires/

Jollibee provides free meals to Los Angeles wildfire victims
https://asamnews.com/2025/01/14/pacific-palisades-eaton-relief-aid-natural-disasters/

Displaced Filipino Families Affected by the LA Fires with GoFundMe Links
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17hqZniTXSkz2xCXg06dLL3bV7NCnp-JROBPESwnjsgw/edit?gxpyLncJALv8_aem_yEnfWfaPJ_C6Q8722P2Mnw&gid=0#gid=0

April 17, 2024

Treasuring Mindanao

April 17, 2024/ Staff

For most of us who came of age in the 20th century in Manila and surrounding provinces, Mindanao has always been a frontier land -- remote, unknowable, somewhat scary. And violent. Our elementary and high school teachers glossed over Mindanao, foreign governments warned against visiting. What a shame!

In the last few decades, as Mindanao enjoyed relative peace, both domestic and foreign tourists have discovered the richness of the Philippines' second largest island -- its indigenous cultures, its natural beauty, its biodiversity, the wealth of opportunities it offers to water sports, and many other attractions that we missed out on when we were mired in prejudices against Mindanao.

In this issue, we have put together stories about Mindanao, with the hope that the lingering biases that may still inhabit readers' minds will finally be laid to rest.

• A Muslim Mindanaoan visits Tawi-tawi, the Philippines' southernmost province, and finds kinship.

• A Fil-Am cultural worker and his group is hosted by cultural groups in Cotabato for an unforgettable cultural immersion.

• A Manila-based community activist does a whirlwind tour of Zamboanga and discovers treasures.

From our archives, enjoy reading:

• A travel writer's visit to Sarangani, the district that Manny Pacquiao used to represent in Congress:
https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/discovering-pacquiaos-sarangani

• A Mindanaoan academic debunks the myth that our Moro kababayans are prone to violence: Why Our Moro Brothers and Sisters Will Never Turn Fundamentalist — Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora

Also in this issue, our Earth Day offering on how an entrepreneurial couple has committed to the global environmental sustainability effort by setting up a sustainable, organic farm in Coron, Palawan.

And our Fil-Am compatriot, Rob Bonta, who is California's incumbent Attorney General, talks about the challenges in convicting hate crimes.

[Video of the Week] Chef Rex De Guzman