The Love of Grandparents

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We’ve all heard the joke: “If I’d known grandkids would be this much fun, I would have had them first!” It’s said with a wink, but ask any grandparent and you’ll find some truth in it. There’s a special joy in loving a child without having to shoulder all the responsibilities of raising one—and, when the little ones get cranky or the lolos and lolas get tired, there’s always the wonderful option of sending them home to Mom and Dad. A luxury parents, of course, can only dream about.

Grandparents Day falls on September 14, and we’re marking it with two heartwarming stories about that extraordinary bond between grandparents and grandchildren. In one, a granddaughter (Cebu-based Phoebe Gwynn Francisco) celebrates her deep love for her Lola; in the other, a Nana (PF publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco) revels in the affection of her grandson. There’s nothing extraordinary about either story—and perhaps that’s precisely what makes them beautiful. In a world that sometimes seems increasingly divided and disconnected, the uncomplicated love between grandparents and grandchildren reminds us of something enduring: some bonds transcend generations, distance, and circumstance.

And then there is another kind of love—the world’s newfound love affair with ube.

For generations, Filipinos have known and savored this vibrant purple crop, turning it into halaya, ice cream, pastries, breads and countless other treats. Now ube has burst onto the global food scene, appearing everywhere from gourmet bakeries to supermarket freezers. But as demand grows, an important question follows: Will Filipino farmers share in the bounty of ube’s newfound popularity, or will big business once again capture most of the profits from a crop that has been part of our heritage for generations? Philippines-based PF writer Rene Astudillo takes us inside the rise of ube as an emerging cash crop—and the opportunities and challenges it brings to the farmers who grow it.

Meanwhile, a high school junior, Sophie Festejo, pays tribute to a corner of Queens, New York, that has earned a name familiar to many Filipinos: Little Manila. Its very name tells a story—a story of immigrants who carried more than suitcases across the ocean. They brought their food, language, traditions, memories and sense of home, creating a community that, generations later, continues to keep a piece of the Philippines alive.

From the love of a Lola to the ube fields of the Philippines, from a grandson’s embrace to a little corner of Queens, this issue celebrates the many ways Filipino connections endure. They live in our families, our food, our communities—and in the generations that carry them forward.

[Read It Again]

My Close Call on 9/11 by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba (Ret.)

After 9/11 by Gemma Nemenzo

Book Review: The Story of a Life by Criselda Yabes

[Video of the Week]

What Eala-Mania Really Shows Us About Filipinos

In The Know

Alex Eala's interview on CBS Mornings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Tvxa1x9PU

Lea Salonga makes history with Hollywood Walk of Fame star
https://usa.inquirer.net/208430/lea-salonga-makes-history-with-hollywood-walk-of-fame-star? 

Olivia Rodrigo Is Doing It All, and From the Heart
https://vogue.ph/magazine/olivia-rodrigo-september-october-2026-cover/?

Silent Book Clubs Are Giving Manila's Introverts a New Way to Socialize
https://www.spot.ph/arts-culture/the-latest-arts-culture/the-rise-of-silent-book-clubs-a5229-20260731-dyn?

Filipino-born aunt, Air Force nephew charged in alleged U.S. citizenship fraud scheme
https://www.filipinoreporters.com/post/filipino-born-aunt-air-force-nephew-charged-in-alleged-u-s-citizenship-fraud-scheme?

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Staff

The Many Faces of the Fil-Am

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Our stories for this second issue of Filipino American History Month (FAHM) 2024 reflect the many facets of being Fil-Am in this day and age. Our four million-strong community in the US has gone beyond its farmworker beginnings and expanded into a variety of professions, affiliations and locations.

But of course, no matter how far we've evolved, we begin a FAHM issue with our manongs, they who sowed this American earth so we can strive and thrive. PF contributor Alex S. Fabros, Jr., whose biography can fill several volumes, regales us with stories from his young life among the manongs of California's Salinas Valley. These are stories told orally, although Fabros, the historian, meticulously checked newspaper sources to confirm some of the incidents he writes about. "The Ilocano Gang of Salinas Valley" is a rare and valuable attestation to the hard but also fun-filled lives in California farms in the mid-20th century.

Fil-Ams have accomplished much in various fields previously unknown or unreachable to our manongs. Later this week, the Philippine Development Foundation (Phildev) will honor some to them, and we feature them here.

In this crazy election season, Fil-Ams are participating in record numbers. But one Filipino Republican pauses to reflect on his disappointments and dilemma. 

Fil-Ams are now all over the US, not just on the West Coast, and so, some of them have not been spared nature's wrath. The poet Tony Robles who moved from California to North Carolina years ago writes about how the recent Typhoon Helene has devastated his home and family. Read his lyrical account here.

And finally, a young Fil-Am megawatt celebrity visited and performed in her grandparents' homeland and wowed the country with her generosity. Read the story in our In The Know section below of Olivia Rodrigo's love gift.

*****

We can't help but repost this heartwarming Facebook post of Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David when he first heard that Pope Francis announced him as the newest Cardinal-designate of the Philippines. Get to know Bishop Ambo as he is fondly called in our In The Know section below.  

FROM A WHIRLWIND TO A SOFT BREEZE 

Cardinal-designate Pablo Virgilio David

I was enjoying a quiet Sunday morning at the Collegio Filippino after a heavy Synod schedule. I slept a bit longer because my Sunday Mass was not going to be until 4pm at the Chaplaincy for Filipino Migrants in Rome. For the first time in many days I had 8 full hours of sleep. After my late “Coffee with Jesus” my phone started ringing. I ignored it because I was also preparing my Sunday homily for my 4 pm Mass at the Sta Pudenziana Church. Besides, the call registered as an international call so I restrained myself from answering it because I’m using a Philippine SIM card and the call would have had to pass through the Philippines and would have been very expensive. Haha, now I realize it must have been someone from the Vatican trying to reach me to inform me about the announcement that was going to be made by the Pope at 12 noon after the Angelus.

Later at noon, the procurator at the Collegio sent me a congratulatory message on WhatsApp. I texted back and said, “For what?” He texted again and said, “Na-announce po na Cardinal kayo.” I texted back and said: “Joke?!” That’s when he called me up to say it could not be a joke because the Pope himself had announced it after the 12noon Angelus. And he sent me the video cut-out from the newsfeed of Vatican news. Then i began to receive a deluge of messages. It felt like being caught in a whirlwind. I put down the phone and did a five minute breathing exercise, which instantly calmed me down. Now it felt like Elijah standing by the mouth of a cave and feeling a soft breeze that penetrated my soul and prepared me for this new chapter of my life and ministry as a bishop, as a servant of God’s people. I said, “Ok, Lord. My life is in your hands.”

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Staff

Positively Against Anti-Asian Hate

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This issue marks the end of Positively Filipino's year-long grant from the State of California, through the California State Library, to participate in the efforts to inform and educate our communities, and help prevent anti-Asian Hate crimes. 

This grant year has been instructional for us, the PF staff, our contributing writers and our readers. The focus on the many facets of hate crimes and how they plague and traumatize not just individual victims but entire communities have been illuminating, at times, even frightening. PF has posted original stories, sponsored webinars (two of which are posted here), and collated articles from various publications (our Hate Watch weekly list) about anti-Asian Hate. We have also sponsored three self-defense workshops (IMPACT) for seniors and youth in San Francisco's South of Market district, Daly City and Union City. 

Our penultimate activity was "A Tribute to Our Manongs and Manangs," our community elders/heroes who lived through decades of racism and hate, and emerged triumphant in their respective careers. The inspirational event held in San Francisco was both a celebration of resiliency and a teaching moment for the next generation of FilAms. 

We thank those who have helped us fulfill the requirements of the grant: Gail Kong, our consultant, who guided us in navigating the grant process; Titchie Carandang, who handled our social media presence; our writers, notably Anthony Maddela who wrote many of our articles on anti-Asian Hate; and our resource persons who shared their knowledge in our webinars and in our articles. 

This may be the end of the grant but PF remains committed to doing our part in stemming the tide of hate in our communities, our institutions and in the national rhetoric.

In The Know

Olivia Rodrigo praised for lowering ticket prices in the Philippines
https://asamnews.com/2024/09/21/olivia-rodrigo-guts-tour-ticket-prices-philippines/

In a North Texas House race, two Asian candidates campaign on their version of the American Dream
https://asamnews.com/2024/09/22/in-a-north-texas-house-race-two-asian-candidates-campaign-on-their-version-of-the-american-dream/

Journey singer Arnel Pineda asks fans to vote on his future with the band
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/journey-arnel-pineda-leave-band-19787141.php

Fil-Am Sculptor to Unveil Rizal Bust in Litoměřice, Czech Republic
https://thephilbiznews.com/2024/09/20/fil-am-sculptor-to-unveil-rizal-bust-in-litomerice-czech-republic/

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Staff