Life Choices

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At certain points in our lifetime, we will come upon a crossroad (or several) that will force us to make a choice. Should I or shouldn't I? Do I get off the fence and risk a burning or do I stay put and risk irrelevance, or worse, regret?

The Philippine elections on May 9, 2022 is one such crossroad that calls on every Filipino to do his/her part in forging a better direction for the country. How to do it when one is far away? Former COMELEC chief Andy Bautista offers guidance in "How Overseas Filipino Voters Can Wield Clout in May ’22 Polls." 

[To help you make your decision, check out the links we post below in the Philippine Elections 2022 section. And if you want to verify your registration to vote, here's our Partner post from the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco.]

Around this time 36 years ago, our homeland confronted the motherlode of crossroads with the People Power revolt (aka EDSA '86) which led to the ouster of a dictator and a different political path for the country. No one who was there during that three-day uprising, like first-time PF contributor Ed Garcia, can forget what they did to help history along. Read his "On the Eve of Insurrection" and another EDSA story in “Read Again” below.

On a personal level, the choice one makes when in a crossroad can alter the course of one's life. 

A young lawyer's summer job in a country district attorney's office changed his career path. Now Pelayo A. Llamas is slated to become the Superior Court Judge in Alameda County, California (he's running unopposed).

A third-generation Fil-Am in Seattle chose to parlay her environmental science degree into actual farming, and now, Ari de Leña supplies Filipino produce to restaurants, civic organizations and households in the area.

And a college student in the activist '70s, forced to endure a painful breakup, decided to focus on her career dreams and raise a family in Australia. Almost half a century later, she faced another crossroad when her teenage love returned and promised to stay.

Read Again

77 Hours: The Behind-The-Scenes At The 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution by Gemma Nemenzo

The Battle Of Manila, WWII by James Scott

This year is the 77th anniversary of the month-long (February 3-March 3, 1945) battle to liberate Manila from the Japanese in WWII. Here's how it happened.

Recipe of the Week: Pan-Seared Halibut Fillet

Video of the Week: Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo by Doctor Influencers for Leni

In The Know

The Philippines Has the World's Second Highest Number of Female Inventors
https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/news/philippines-has-second-highest-number-of-female-inventors-a833-sa00171-20220222-src-spot?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20220222-fbnp-politics-philippines-has-second-highest-number-of-female-inventors-a833-sa00171-20220222-src-spot-fbfirst&fbclid=IwAR1HXYQ_8IGD3tGkl0Qe3T0gPvjsjdzKDfVVc7cnDj87qCy1nO5HJPTM-84

‘The Fabulous Filipino Brothers’: Dante Basco on How His Return to the Philippines Helped Tell His Story

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fabulous-filipino-brothers-dante-basco-000941075.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

Roderick Hall: Obituary
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/roderick-hall-obituary?id=33037918

Jollibee debuts in Scotland with stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow
https://www.goodnewspilipinas.com/jollibee-debuts-in-scotland-with-stores-in-edinburgh-and-glasgow/?fbclid=IwAR2zQBYsBA3hDPe1KnPt6QBL7X5wfDygT53E_THmoYtWHazjy-CYfzHqP7s

This is the place to order Filipino home cooking in Toronto
https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2022/02/10/this-is-the-place-to-order-filipino-home-cooking-from-in-toronto.html?fbclid=IwAR0mLE6RyYvK2in6d93Gt6KrcEDbx8LqiJZ23-UopZHAaS_lfv2FJdyPjcc 

A Dose of History: The Glory Days of Philippine Society Before World War II
https://www.tatlerasia.com/culture/arts/the-glory-days-of-philippine-society-before-world-war-ii?fbclid=IwAR0bqbvGM6qRVozSEXr74j-wvG4qw2q9LIhtlIjRVrpbSY9rATjF-t5svbY

Filipino settlers’ descendants in Louisiana show ancestral pride in new HBO Max series
https://usa.inquirer.net/92703/filipino-settlers-descendants-in-louisiana-show-ancestral-pride-in-new-hbo-max-series?fbclid=IwAR1bHS5do3MjpGKF43QQMcFnvF9XNP4cj8WUdgOjamhkC1ONJltqnvt6Ptw

Harana Market: Woodstock’s Asian Grocery-Deli Offers Filipino Flavors To The Catskills
https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2022/02/18/harana-market-the-dig/?fbclid=IwAR3FT-Vh5vBlyqKaZJH3BvZxFctjDUzBHrB6RUzHNGw9lLzwppyMkPAb5zc

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Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino

Stories from Far and Away

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Twenty eight years ago, Filipinas magazine, the first glossy monthly for Fil-Ams, was born, spearheaded by Mona Lisa Yuchengco, now Positively Filipino publisher. At that time, there was a severe lack of stories and writers about the Filipino diaspora and the staff (including us) had to search far and wide to identify achievers and celebrities with Filipino roots and to dig up issues worth writing about that affect us.

What a difference three decades makes! Today, the global Filipino diaspora has exploded into the millions, with Filipinos living and working in almost 200 countries, bringing with them their stories and their issues. This time, we don't have to search -- the stories are brought to us from not just the US but various nations as well. We almost can't keep up.

One such story is that of multimedia artist, dancer and Cirque du Soleil performer Ehrlich Ocampo who has captivated audiences in several countries but who finds his center in Iceland. Multi-awarded PF contributor Jennifer Fergesen profiles this multi-talented Filipino in "Ehrlich Ocampo: A Warm Light in the Cold North."

Sacramento, California-based artist/writer Alex G. Paman carries on the storytelling tradition of our motherland -- that of telling ghost stories -- in "Heirloom Ghost Stories."

Vegan chef Richgail Enriquez shares a healthy one for the Happy Home Cook this week: Patola Soup with Tempeh. 

I'm writing this from Manila where I'm somewhat saddened though not entirely surprised that the fervor of the 1986 People Power Revolt is long gone. In case you don't know or have forgotten what happened then, here's a Read Again of history:

https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/30-years-ago-coup-detat?rq=EDSA%20people%20power

And for readers and seekers of information, here are some stories worth reading:

US health care needs its Filipino nurses, so why is the system stacked against them?https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3048163/us-health-care-needs-its-filipino-nurses-so-why?fbclid=IwAR363vz_RdKSt6_pFkkY0ezZ5Rosr9lGApy-iszXaDizQeQw_vyYaGppntg

The True Story of the Mindanaoan Slave Whose Skin Was Displayed at Oxford
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/the-true-story-of-the-mindanaoan-slave-whose-skin-was-displayed-at-oxford-a00029-20171102-lfrm2?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20200215-fbnp-long-reads-the-true-story-of-the-mindanaoan-slave-whose-skin-was-displayed-at-oxford-a00029-20171102-lfrm2-fbold&fbclid=IwAR1jqAeA5WfqY7nbPctQ9WSC2doCXObAmpLkrk_MSMAfSOTlwFzvfZ9rr8s

This Pinay Has Been Working To Save Our Seas Since She Was 23
https://www.cosmo.ph/lifestyle/career-money/anna-oposa-save-philippine-seas-a93-20190308-lfrm?fbclid=IwAR3fQQpeCsZDdz6Qvh92Nm_5yNTiTHFytQnltXoe_9zpv42JEpIg9Oi7Dbg

Oriental Mart at Seattle’s Pike Place Market wins an ‘America’s Classics’ James Beard award
https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/oriental-mart-at-seattles-pike-place-market-wins-an-americas-classics-james-beard-award/?amp=1&fbclid=IwAR0wtXj31VaKXQ1SoGu3azcZEIj8tPePXYe6zrj3Vv7IuiwsDJZFfdh2UMQ

For video of the week, this video came from the Filipino galley crew aboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess which has been quarantined in Japan due several of its passengers have been infected with the corona virus. They uploaded the video to let their loved ones know that they are okay despite the crisis. 

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Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino

An Astounding Historical Event

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Our series on February 1986 recollections ends this week with "Coup d'etat and People Power," a re-telling of what happened during the 77 hours of the peaceful EDSA People Power Revolt which ended with the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos and the flight of his family and several others to exile in Hawaii. My article's focus is on one side of the military action, the side of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM).

There have been attempts to revise the significance of EDSA, that astounding historical event; some even want to diminish it as just a hiccup in Philippine contemporary history. Well, I was there through it all and I knew then as I know now that it was a transformative triumph of a united people, the likes of which we may never see again in our lifetime.

Here's one reason to watch the Oscar Awards this Sunday: Filipino American Ronnie del Carmen is part of the team nominated for best screenplay for Pixar's acclaimed "Inside Out." He is also one of the co-directors of the film that is nominated for best animation feature this year. Entertainment insider Ruben Nepales features his fellow University of Santo Tomas alum Ronnie in "In the In-Crowd for 'Inside Out'".

How about trying out the "20 Filipino Foods You Need to Try Before You Die," a list compiled by foodie Rene Astudillo. The list includes such exotic names as "sundot kulangot," "dinakdakan," "kwek kwek" and "pigar pigar." Now doesn't that just whet your appetite?

From Rene's list we bring you our Happy Home Cook recipe for this week, the famous Vigan empanada.

Our Video of the Week: Hillary Clinton affirms her support for faster visa processing for family unification, in this one-on-one with ABS-CBN's Bev Llorente. 

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Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino