May 21, 2025

Polls Post-Mortem

May 21, 2025/ Staff

The Philippines' midterm elections are over, thank goodness. And the overall results are a mixed bag, some unexpected, some unfortunate, a few horrifying. We asked our Manila-based political writer Ernesto Hilario for a post-mortem and he sent us this comprehensive overview of what this election portends for the next three years, until the next cycle comes along. While there are rays of sunshine and hope, it's still generally a stalemate among the trapos (traditional politicians) and the political dynasties.

In the world of women's football, it's a different story. FilAm phenoms Alyssa and Giselle Thompson, aka the Thompson sisters, are expected to light up the roster of team Angel City FC. PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela writes of an optimistic future for the two, the progeny of a Filipino American father and a Peruvian American mother.

Launching this month is FilAm writer Monica Macansantos' book, Returning to My Father's Kitchen, a collection of 15 essays that tenderly honors the legacy of her late father, a Palanca-award winning poet. Novelist Patty Enrado reviews the book.

If you're planning to travel internationally this year and considering whether to go it on your own or join a group tour, read PF Correspondent Cherie Querol Moreno's story on the satisfactions of being among new-found friends.

Read It Again

Postcards from Rome by Odette Foronda
When Spring Ran in Manila, a Sort of Book Synopsis by Amadio Arboleda
Six or Seven Meals a Day by Ralph Semino Galán

[Video of the Week] Heritage Houses

In The Know

Today I Learned: Filipinos Can Acquire Spanish Citizenship by Proving Descent
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/spanish-citizenship-a7994-20250516-lfrm?

[Edgewise] Racially slanted Trump immigration scheme bared
https://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/celebritylife/news/122426/lea-salonga-and-her-child-nic-share-their-experiences-as-filipinos-in-the-us/story?

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-girlfriend says he raped her, paid $20 million in settlement
https://www.reuters.com/legal/sean-diddy-combs-chief-accuser-resume-testimony-sex-trafficking-trial-2025-05-14/

Filipino Mothers and Their Famous Children
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/arts-and-entertainment/filipino-moms-a7942-20250511-lfrm?

View from Manila: A West Philippine Sea documentary one country doesn’t want you to see
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/view-manila-west-sea-food-delivery-documentary/

July 17, 2024

Sailing for Peace in Troubled Waters

July 17, 2024/ Staff

The turmoil in the West Philippine Sea (WFS) has roiled the Philippine defense establishment and has sadly surfaced long-simmering anti-Chinese prejudices among Filipinos. How can one not be angry when watching the YouTube videos of the Chinese Coast Guard training powerful water cannons on Philippine Coast Guard ships, blocking Filipino fishermen from fishing in Philippine waters (as confirmed in 2016 by the arbitral ruling of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Seas) and, in a recent episode, surrounding and destroying with pickaxes and poles the Philippine Navy rubber boats carrying survival supplies for the Marines stationed in BRP Sierra Madre?

But war with China is not an option, even with the proclaimed full support of the more militarily superior United States for the Philippines. How best to conduct a David-and-Goliath struggle without the use of military force? Popular political pundit Ronald Llamas says civilian mass actions on the sea are best; they perplex the Chinese military because they cannot be seen as aggressors to civilians (and therefore have to maintain distance), and they send a calm and friendly message to the Chinese people that the Filipino people are not against them but rather against their government's policies. A highly nuanced approach no doubt that may or may not be lost on the intended recipients.

Atin Ito!, a project led by Akbayan Philippines, is a civilian activity that has sent two supply missions to the WFS bringing aid to Filipino fisherfolk. The first took place last December [Defying Goliath in the West Philippine Sea].

The second and bigger one was last May and, like the first one, our Manila-based contributing writer Robert Francis Garcia was part of the contingent. Read his blow-by-blow account of this harrowing but ultimately successful mission in this issue. And be sure to watch the beautiful video at the end of the article.

Do you agree that civilian action can be more effective than a purely military approach to counter Chinese aggression in Philippine shores? Tell us how you feel by replying to this email.

*****

People are talking about Asador Alfonso, an authentic Spanish roasting house featuring the innovative dishes of Chef Chele Gonzales in a fabulous, environmentally sensitive setting by architect/owner Carlo Calma. It's located in Alfonso, Cavite so it's a worthy weekend drive for Metro Manilans.

*****

A Filipina entrepreneur now based in Switzerland, Demee Mahinay Koch, has come out with DEMOI, her line of cruelty-free, socially relevant, and ecologically friendly beauty products. Fil-Am community leader Sonia Delen profiles this enterprising Cebuana with a mission.

*****

Our Video of the Week: a short documentary on the Philippine Rise, a collaborative production of the Daily Tribune and The Extra Mile Productions' Know Your North project.

In The Know

Without fanfare, the Philippines is getting richer
https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/04/23/without-fanfare-the-philippines-is-getting-richer?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1u-Fi7z_J0ag1U1CqxQIq2D05quqMROI9R6ncCJLeXYiyx67uFT7urhZI_aem_flAR-QQXcfYnpzqddm6c5w

Benedicto Cabrera, Filipino Artist in Flux
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/benedicto-bencab-cabrera-profile-july-a5102-20240708-lfrm2?ref=article_featured

Filipina artist to make historic debut at the Louvre in Paris this year
https://theglobalfilipinomagazine.com/filipina-artist-to-make-historic-debut-at-the-louvre-in-paris-this-year/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2y_wH1P9PJvE-gBrKw9H9-BaqyRucBb6xmItOEkwj2IYN9l3d6sWRc4VY_aem_jsU53A9JetuBXrsSqLYdGA

Citronella farmers in Agusan del Sur see bright prospects in marketing essential oil
https://mindanews.com/business/2024/07/citronella-farmers-in-agusan-del-sur-see-bright-prospects-in-marketing-essential-oil/#gsc.tab=0

67-anyos na lola, napabilang sa Top 5 sa entrance exam sa kursong Journalism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8gBrV5bu68

Anti-Asian Hate Watch

The States With the Highest Concentration of Hate Groups: All 50 Ranked
https://247wallst.com/politics/2024/07/12/the-states-with-the-highest-concentration-of-hate-groups-all-50-ranked/

Education, National Security, Gun Control, Climate, Matter To Asian American Voters
https://indiawest.com/education-national-security-gun-control-climate-matter-to-asian-american-voters/#google_vignette

More than half of Asian Canadians experienced racism, hate in past year: survey
https://www.sookenewsmirror.com/news/more-than-half-of-asian-canadians-experienced-racism-hate-in-past-year-survey-192331

Funding provided by the State of California.

January 03, 2024

The Past Year As Prologue

January 03, 2024/ Staff

A new year brings new beginnings, but it's also a time to take stock of the old year. This week, Positively Filipino, now starting its 11th year of existence, offers yearend look-backs -- and we've got two of them plus a first-person account of an adventure in the West Philippine Sea.

Manila-based analyst and columnist Ernesto M. Hilario steps back from the day-to-day grit of politics and offers a sweeping view of how the first full year of the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration panned out. His verdict in "Marcos' Year of Hits and Misses."

2023 was also a banner year for Fil-Am visual arts as contributing writer O.M. France Viana, herself an active artist, sums up the year with over 45 links to Fil Am artists, curators, and their shows. Dive into this visual feast in "2023 Filipino American Visual Arts in Review: An ArtsiLog."

A first-of-its-kind sea voyage -- and hopefully not the last -- was done by a group of about 50 social activists and media people in early December 2023. Part of the larger campaign called Atin Ito!, the goal was to deliver supplies and Christmas gifts to kababayans in the contested West Philippine Sea. Group members also wanted to see for themselves how Chinese Navy vessels engage in a dangerous dance with Philippine Coast Guard vessels and those of Filipino fisherfolk. How did the mission go? Read participant Robert Francis Garcia's account, "Defying Goliath in the West Philippine Sea."

We continue with our information campaign on Anti-Asian Hate with this feature on Los Angeles' foremost Fil-Am organization, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), and its Clinical Program of Mental Health. SIPA's staff of three therapists and three social work interns have their hands full in tackling "the painful consequences of anti-AAPI hatred," as described by PF's LA correspondent Anthony Maddela in "SIPA Helps Stop the Hate."