December 10, 2025

Teleserye Politics

December 10, 2025/ Staff

Filipinos love drama.

From the radio serials of the '50s and '60s (Eddie Ilarde's "Kahapon Lamang" and Dely Magpayo's "Mga Liham kay Tiya Dely" dramatizations come to mind), to the telenovelas of the recent decades, and the current rage over K-dramas and the daily "Batang Quiapo," ours is a homeland enchanted by high emotions, fairy tales and voyeurism.

This year, the biggest drama that befell our nation was the arrest and continuing detention at the International Court of Justice (ICC) prison at The Hague of former president Rodrigo Duterte. The riveting elements are all there: an 80-year-old lead character known to fake his demeanors, his immediate family of colorful (some say unsavory) characters that include the vice president of the country; a big army of trolls that hound social media spreading lies and fake news; and loyal supporters physically present outside the detention center that shatter the peace and equanimity of the usually staid The Hague. Add to the mix the Caucasian lawyer of the accused, obscenely paid a humongous amount of money to file legal petitions that he knows are dead in the ICC water even before the last paperwork is submitted.

On November 28, the ICC judges rendered Duterte's petition for interim release unacceptable, ironically using the convoluted and noisy arguments of his supporters as reasons for saying NO. PF's France-based correspondent Criselda Yabes travelled to The Hague to witness the drama of denial and disappointment at the actual courtroom. "High Drama in a Low Country: Duterte Watch in The Hague" would have been more distressful had saner minds not prevailed.

And so we shift back to the unresolved dramas in Manila, which are plentiful. And we're not even talking about the very public and disgraceful mental breakdown of a former high government official, yet.

As the radio scriptwriters of yore would say: Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

This Week’s Stories

High Drama in a Low Country: Duterte Watch in The Hague by Criselda Yabes

Crime and Comfort Food by Claire Mercado-Obias

‘Holesome’ Low-Carb Treats Selling Like Hotcakes by Anthony Maddela

[Read It Again]

On the Arrest of an Autocrat by Sheila Coronel

My Soldier Dad and the 1989 Coup Attempt Against President Cory Aquino by Buddy Cunanan

Tocino del Cielo: A Sweet Reward for Human Kindness by Elizabeth Ann Quirino

The Happy Home Cook: Tocino del Cielo by Elizabeth Ann Quirino

[Video of the Week] Best Coffee in the Philippines

In The Know

New US immigration policy
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2025/12/07/2492418/new-us-immigration-policy

‘My legacy is not Charlie Kirk’: the university president building a culture of peace after violence
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/dec/06/utah-valley-university-president-charlie-kirk?

10 Hidden Cafés in Makati You Might Miss—But Shouldn't
https://www.spot.ph/eatdrink/the-latest-eat-drink/10-hidden-cafes-in-makati-you-might-miss-but-shouldnt-

[Vantage Point] The P500 Noche Buena: Rewriting math, economics, and the laws of physics
https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/vantage-point-noche-buena-budget-controversy-2025/

Filipino facing deportation from US pulled off flight to PH after protests
https://usa.inquirer.net/185201/filipino-facing-deportation-from-us-pulled-off-flight-to-ph-after-protests

July 24, 2024

Our Oxygen

July 24, 2024/ Staff

For a bare-bones operation like Positively Filipino, contributing writers are the oxygen of our existence. There are over a hundred of them listed on our website. Some are friends and former colleagues, but a large number started out as total strangers who reached out to ask if they could write for PF.

Take Dr. Patricio Abinales, a friend of ours from our alma mater, who is now with the University of Hawaii in Manoa. Jojo is one of our regulars, willing to take on assignments, eager to write reviews of books dealing with Philippine politics (among others). In this issue, he looks at a newly launched book, Unrequited Love: Duterte's China Embrace, by ace journalists Marites D. Vitug and Camille Elemia.

Gary Ferrington, a retired University of Oregon professor, is one of those who wrote to us out of the blue, asking if we were interested in profiles of three young, relatively unknown Filipino singers. Gary is a writer for Oregon ArtsWatch and identifies himself as an advocate for emerging artists. We have published two of his articles (on Francis Greg and Bugoy Drilon) and we have his third -- and final -- contribution this week, on a gifted Cebuano cover singer, Anthony Uy.

Odette Foronda, based in Toronto, is a world traveler and adventurer, who regularly contributes enticing travel essays that include her stunning photographs. Here she focuses on her adventure in Siargao in Surigao, one of the Philippines' most visited destinations for water sports.

With these three and the more than 100 other contributing writers, Positively Filipino survives and thrives as a chronicler of the Filipino diaspora, and a valuable repository of some of the best journalism pieces ever written.

We are ever so grateful.

Stories This Week

China And Duterte: ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ by Patricio Abinales

Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 59 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

Anthony Uy: A Musical Journey Rooted In Family And Faith by Gary Ferrington

Why Did The Chickens Go To Siargao? by Odette Foronda

[Video of the Week] Sylvia La Torre, Diomedes Maturan and Bobby Gonzales

In The Know

Jollibee named best fast food fried chicken by USA Today
https://asamnews.com/2024/07/18/jollibee-chickenjoy-ranked-number-1-in-united-states-usa-today-editors/

Filipino workers have among worst work-life balance – report
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/score-global-life-work-balance-index-2024/

15 Vintage Photos of Manila During the 1950s That Show What Life Was Like Back Then
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/lifestyle/manila-1950s-photos-

How The Acolyte’s Manny Jacinto Brought Sexy Back to Star Wars
https://www.gq.com/story/manny-jacinto-the-acolyte-finale-interview?

Who Was Benson Flores, the First Filipino in Canada?
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/benson-flores-the-first-filipino-in-canada-

Anti-Asian Hate Watch

Former Bentonville fire captain pleads guilty to assaulting Asian man
https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/former-bentonville-fire-captain-pleads-guilty-to-assaulting-asian-man/

Rash of vandalism at Muslim Center raises fear of hate crime
https://asamnews.com/2024/07/18/tibayan-center-st-anthony-targeted-for-vandalism-minnesota/

Seattle interim police chief fires officer who made ‘vile’ comments
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/seattle-interim-police-chief-fires-officer-who-made-vile-comments/

Funding provided by the State of California.

June 29, 2022

Feast or Famine

June 29, 2022/ Staff

This June has been a momentous month, in both bad and good ways. The Philippines is about to begin a new era on July 1 and, depending on which side you're forecasting from, there's a "feast or famine" dichotomy involved. The incoming administration will either be the best of times or the worst of times.

What is undeniable is it's bogged down by an inherited ignominy that involves dictatorship, unprecedented corruption, and attempts to rewrite history. How will it govern effectively with these historical albatrosses weighing it down? At this point, one can only surmise; the President-elect is characteristically reticent about his plans and policies, hinting only through his choice of people to head key positions, and most of them are unknown.

Meanwhile, as the curtain closes on the Rodrigo Duterte administration, here's an objective look at what he has done: Read Again Prof. Patricio Abinales' analysis, "Duterte's Mixed Legacy."

And if you're still gobsmacked by the results of the May elections, here's a controversial take by political analyst/defeated candidate Walden Bello: [Opinion] A Disaster Waiting To Happen: Marcos Jr. And The 2022 Elections

And yet, there are silver linings as always. The 2022 roster of National Artists is an impressive and deserving lot. Leading the pack is Nora Aunor, the long-hailed superstar who started out as a singer and evolved into one of the best actresses the Philippines has ever produced. Movie expert Mauro Feria Tumbocon Jr. wrote a story on Nora for PF and it's as timeless as its title: The Timeless Nora Aunor

Seltzer water with Filipino flavors, anyone? That's NY-based Fil-Am Sandro Roco's Sanzo brand, available through such giant retailers as Amazon, Whole Foods and Target, among others. Sanzo comes in mango, lychee, calamansi and yuzu with ginger flavors as PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela reports.

This Makes Us Smile: Mommy’s Brew

The actress Caridad Sanchez's love affair with coffee, as described by her unica hija, Cathy Sanchez Babao.

Another Read Again, this time a last hurrah for Pride Month and exquisite writing by early PF contributor, Migs Bassig: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2013/2/via-del-mar

And who can beat Filipino humor? Another sampling of Funny Signs: Forgive Us Our Signs 15

[Recipe of the Week] The Happy Home Cook: Bulanglang Batangas-Style With Crispy Tawilis And Calamansi Dipping Sauce

[Video of the Week] Halimaw