It's election time in the Philippines, thus a period of chaos, uncertainty and disquiet. In Magdalena, a small town in Laguna which doesn't usually appear in people's consciousness, this local election takes on an added stake. A mysterious candidate with no visible ties to the town has inserted himself into its politics and has enabled some questionable deals that will transform some farmlands into sanitary landfills, i.e., garbage dumps. Magdalena's story is an actual case study on what is wrong with Philippine politics, among other things. A Magdalena native, Richard Cavasora, reveals this sordid tale of stinky politics.

The Philippines is known as a welcoming country for those fleeing persecution in others. The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in fact recognizes nine "waves" of refugees that have found safe haven in our homeland, starting in the 17th century with Japanese Christians until just a few years back with the Rohingya from Myanmar. One of the biggest refugee groups that settled temporarily in the Philippines was the Vietnamese who fled their homeland following the end of the Vietnamese American War in 1975. Fifty years later, in February 2025, a museum documenting the Philippine First Asylum Camp (PFAC) in Puerto Princesa, Palawan was inaugurated. PF contributing writer Dr. Vicente S. Salas, once the chief medical officer of the camp and now a board member of the museum, gives us the story.

Look, the FIFA World Cup 26 has chosen the official San Francisco Bay Area Host City poster and it’s designed by a FilAm artist, LeRoid David, who bested other artists in the competition. David however isn't a newbie in sports brands design. As our writer Wilfred Galila discloses, David’s impressive portfolio includes designs for all the Bay Area’s pro sports teams.

Who’s afraid of AI? Certainly not FilAm microbiology lab specialist Rochie Cuevas who applies this data analytics technology to her work in the combined public health laboratory of four California counties. Rogelio Constantino Medina profiles this impressive lady scientist.

Getting ready for summer travel? As PF contributing writer and intrepid traveler Odette Foronda cautions, it’s always best to prepare for rain but also to enjoy the glory of getting soaked.

Read Agains:

Mother of All Devotions by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo
Do You Remember Polio? By Alex S. Fabros, Jr.
How Black and Filipino Unity Was Forged in the Pullman Workers Union By Don Villar

[Video of the Week] Sana Naman, Taumbayan

In The Know

The story of Paul Palines, the Filipino fighter who stopped the Vancouver festival suspect
https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/2/the-story-of-paul-palines-the-filipino-fighter-who-stopped-the-vancouver-festival-suspect-1628

Chef Jessie recalls the blessing of cooking for Pope Francis
https://www.thediarist.ph/chef-jessie-recalls-the-blessing-of-cooking-for-pope-francis/

Maria Ressa warns of authoritarianism in the US: “This is a pivotal moment"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWpedkNHo3E

From Pussycat Dolls Star to Broadway Leading Lady, Nicole Scherzinger Has Nothing Left to Prove
https://people.com/nicole-scherzinger-has-nothing-left-to-prove-broadway-sunset-blvd

The Origins of Labor Day in the Philippines
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/origins-of-labor-day-in-the-philippines

Now that we're inching to spring, it's time to make travel plans. How about visiting Amsterdam, whose fascinating windows, artistic displays, cobbled streets, environmentally sound transport (bicycles) and intoxicating whiffs of legal substances guarantee a wondrous vacation for anyone. PF correspondent Criselda Yabes, now France-based, writes about this tourist friendly city that beckons and lures.

The fight against anti-Asian hate requires special efforts by various states to stem the insidious crime. In New York recently, as assault victim Vilma Kari, a Filipino American senior, was accorded justice with the sentencing of her attacker to 15 years in prison, NY Governor Kate Hochul pledged $30 million in support of the AAPI communities' (including the Fil-Am community) efforts to protect its constituents from hate crimes. The Filam.net founding editor Cristina DC Pastor reports.

It's never too early to teach children the principles of justice, and books such as Ang Hukuman ni Sinukuan are on hand to provide parents and educators the tools to explain the complicated concept via mundane and familiar stories. Contributing writer Ian Layugan elucidates.

We close Black History Month with two stories that solidify the solidarity between Fil-Ams and Blacks.

Justin Jones, an elected member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, made headlines in 2023 when he joined two other representatives in breaking decorum on the House floor in a gun control protest. Long before that incident, PF featured him as a community activist actively embracing his Filipino roots in https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/justin-jones-black-filipino-civil-rights-activist

A little-known but significant history: in 1925, the Pullman Company hired Filipinos as scabs when Black porters were trying to form a union. The train company didn't anticipate that the Filipinos would eventually join the Black porters in forming the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Read all about it in https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/how-black-and-filipino-unity-was-forged-in-the-pullman-workers-union

[Video of The Week] EDSA On My Mind