Alive and Kicking

Barotac Nuevo, a town on the outskirts of Iloilo City, has seen better times. Described as "obscure and hardly prosperous" by PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes, a recent visitor, the town nonetheless has a claim to fame that no other place in the Philippines can dispute -- the football capital of the country. Soccer football to this otherwise undistinguished municipality is the lifeblood, the legacy, the source of pride and the driver of ambitions of its citizens. For decades it has supplied the national team with star players, coaches, federation officials and yes, next-generation athletes who, like their counterparts in Europe, Africa and South America, worship soccer as its sports religion. Why/how does Barotac Nuevo defy the country's basketball obsession and embrace soccer as its One True Thing? Read our lead story this week.

Fides Cuyugan-Asensio's proclamation last month as 2022 National Artist for Music was a cause for celebration among the country's culturati, among them the writer Pablo Tariman who writes this week's feature on this beautiful woman who was not only a foremost coloratura but also a revered librettist, music teacher, and actress on stage, TV and the movies. As her former students attest, Cuyugan-Asencio was their guide and inspiration in their musical careers, a lasting legacy that truly deserves the National Artist designation.

We're now on list 34 of Fil-Ams Among the Remarkable and Famous, and still counting. If you know someone who should be included, please send the name and links to supporting information to our publisher, Mona Lisa Yuchengco, who painstakingly updates the list. Send email to PFpublisher@yahoo.com.

While soccer remains an "emerging" sport in the Philippines and basketball dominance internationally will forever be a pipe dream for Filipinos, there is one sport where Filipino grit and size have been a winning fit: boxing. Meet the boxing star who first put the Philippines on the world map, Luis Logan. http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/before-elorde-and-pacquiao-there-was-luis-logan

And if you're braving a Philippine beach vacation, here are some suggestions beyond Boracay: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/11-great-beaches-you-probably-havent-been-to

Don't forget to check out our In Brief section, for capsule news on Filipino things that matter.

For a savory summer treat: The Happy Home Cook: Buko-Pandan Gelatin (Young Coconut-Pandan Gelatin)

 Video of the Week: Decolonizing Leche Flan

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In The Know

Techpreneur Sheila Lirio Marcelo Opens New Doors Into the Metaverse
https://www.tatlerasia.com/power-purpose/technology/techpreneur-sheila-lirio-marcelo-metacrafters?utm_campaign=PH_MAG_FULL20220712&utm_medium=email&utm_source=tatlerasia.com

LOOK! This 10-story state-of-the-art theater is new home of world-class Filipino talent
https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/07/06/22/sneak-peek-the-new-samsung-performing-arts-theater?1=1&fbclid=IwAR3drgVIrBXCiui_XHoY1a6Hs0C-5_xUWqJHy_gL8kuhapaTOY8Tnyk6a7c

At an Isolated Boarding School, a Culture of Sexual Abuse Thrived for Decades
https://www.vice.com/en/article/3adzw5/philippines-high-school-for-the-arts-sexual-abuse?fs=e&s=cl&fbclid=IwAR1Lp49G9uMBPPKu2kRFOZmTgs-4gzUApVO6NfWb1dyCVH5PPON9JmAa8AI

Tapayan, Gusi, or Martaban: Tales of Stoneware Jars in the Philippines
https://verafiles.org/articles/tapayan-gusi-or-martaban-tales-of-stoneware-jars-in-the-philippines?fbclid=IwAR3qMhcjwe7GBqLLFwhNdu59_SkvezsgGsCkXzHw2DjQfgU4qeso2-TYF74

Anna bought abortion pills via social media. Now, like thousands of other Filipinas, she is dead
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/jul/04/abortion-pills-facebook-filipina-women-philippines?utm_term=62c2cf3917e26940d8746561663ecda9&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email

CFNet presents Outstanding Filipinos in Canada for 2022 to combat Filipino Invisibility in Canada
https://www.canadianfilipino.net/opinion/commentary/cfnet-presents-outstanding-filipinos-in-canada-for-2022-to-combat-filipino-invisibility-in-canada?fbclid=IwAR0Jh806DVHyl4TfDHR_T7FmEN2hf9nXs54c7p7mh1LlRKzjtIlazXWtQdE
SF Filipino Community Mobilizes to Preserve Unique Elementary School Language Program
https://www.kqed.org/news/11918252/sf-filipino-community-mobilizes-to-preserve-unique-elementary-school-language-program

Calamities, Natural and Man-Inflicted

So much sadness and anger this week as the US grapples with three mass shootings that resulted in 29 deaths in different parts of the country. The Philippines, where killing is officially sanctioned, is not spared the agony of violence. Currently however, natural disasters are taking center stage there. 

The big one is the series of earthquakes in Batanes, which destroyed the solid, typhoon-resistant structures of Itbayat, one of the islands in the Batanes chain. To get a feel of what it was like and the aftermath, we called on Dorian Merina, a Fil-Am journalist who has chosen to settle in Batanes, to give us a report. Read "A Deadly Quake Tests Batanes' Tradition of Resiliency," also to find out how to help.

Back to the US, the Trump administration has started the process of revoking the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program which allows the families of Filipino veterans to join them in the US. Immigration lawyer Lourdes Santos Tancinco explains how the early termination will work and what to do if you're affected by it. (Partner Post: What the Impending Rescission of the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program Means to the Veterans Families)

In the city of Markham, Ontario, a larger than life statue of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal is unveiled, to celebrate Canada's first Filipino Heritage Month last June. The statue was created by Filipino Canadian scuptor Ignacio "Mogi" Mogado Jr., who's passionate about letting the world know about Rizal. Toronto-based writer Marisa Roque tells us the story in "Rizal Honored in Ontario."

PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia educates us on the fascinating evolution of the carnival (aka karnabal or perya) in the Philippines, tracing its colonial roots and noting its new iterations. "Did I Stay Too Long at the Fair?" is a fascinating read that you'll surely enjoy. 

It's Buwan ng Wika (National Language Month) in our homeland. Read Again poet/author Marne Kilates' "Why the 'F' in Filipino and How Did It Get There" to be updated on the new realities of the Filipino national language. 

For the Happy Home Cook this week, we borrowed a recipe from the famous chef Nora V. Daza from her book (co-authored by Michaela Fenix) A Culinary Life: Personal Recipe Collection: Ampalaya with Braised Beef. 

And our In The Know links, ICYMI:

Dark Web connects PH to mass shootings in US, Filipino pols’ vanities
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1151006/dark-web-connects-ph-to-mass-shootings-in-us-filipino-pols-vanities?fbclid=IwAR2T-QaA8ZGwP8isI2wfvyrO23pkIm4zpQaqvVyZUThIrr5rk4YL68osw3A

Care.com Founder to Step Down as CEO Months After WSJ Report
https://www.wsj.com/articles/care-com-founder-to-step-down-as-ceo-months-after-wsj-report-11565089901

Pogo workers in their midst: Notes from an ‘invasion’
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1147812/pogo-workers-in-their-midst-notes-from-an-invasion

She Was Filipino Food’s Greatest Champion. Now Her Work Is Finding New Fans.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/dining/filipino-food-doreen-fernandez.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage

For video of the week, South China Morning Post featured Jollibee and how it became one of the world’s biggest companies from Asia.