What does it take for a young kid fresh out of high school in the mid-'60s to learn about real life before he joins the US military in Vietnam? For Fil-Am writer/historian Alex S. Fabros, Jr., it was doing back-breaking labor with Filipino manongs in the farmlands of California. In this issue, we post the first of a series of five stories Fabros wrote about his time as a farm laborer. The story -- and the series itself -- is a valuable Fil-Am history lesson, made more so by the author's end notes and citing of sources.

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"He will be lonely without me." While probably said in jest, these words from Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. of his arch-rival, then-President Ferdinand Marcos, shortly before he (Aquino) left his US exile to fly home to Manila is the ultimate ironic statement. Forty-two years ago tomorrow, on August 21, 1983, Aquino landed in Manila and was shot dead, a heinous act that marked the beginning of the end of the Marcos regime. Chibu Lagman, a then-student journalist who happens to be Aquino's fraternity brod recalls his last interview with the Filipino martyr.

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Humor that bites -- that's what stand-up comedian Vice Ganda is known for. With over 20 million followers in social media, Vice is a formidable force in Philippine society and politics, as our Manila-based correspondent Rene Astudillo attests.

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Filipina nurses in WWII is now the focus of a campaign by the Bataan Legacy Historical Society to recognize their heroism with a Congressional Gold Medal. Cecilia Gaerlan, the group's Executive Director and founder, writes about Adelaida Garcia, one of the heroic nurses, to jumpstart the campaign.

[Read It Again]
The Ghosts of Plaza Miranda by Gregg Jones
August 21, 1971: A Testament to My Immaturity by Mila D. Aguilar
Diary of a Fil-Am Cop by Edwin Palomar

[Video of the Week]
”Quezon” Trailer

In The Know

Why The Hanapēpē Massacre Was Largely Forgotten For Decades
https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/08/why-the-hanapepe-massacre-was-largely-forgotten-for-decades/

Manuel L. Quezon remembered in Israel
https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/8/18/manuel-l-quezon-remembered-in-israel-1920?

Inside the Personal Pugad of Cartoonist Pol Medina Jr.
https://www.spot.ph/arts-culture/arts-culture-peopleparties/inside-the-personal-pugad-of-pol-medina-jr-creator-of-pugad-baboy-a8115-20250817-dyn?

Get to know Bessie Badilla, the first Pinay model of Balenciaga
https://www.pep.ph/peptionary/188162/bessie-badilla-pinay-supermodel-balenciaga-a748-20250819-lfrm2?

We're having another webinar next week featuring five super-accomplished Filipino women in health care, all acclaimed in their respective fields, coming from different states: Hawaii, Washington, California, Illinois and New York. Each one played a significant role in mitigating the negative impact of the pandemic in their communities and they will share with us their stories and their work. Join us as we celebrate Women's History Month by honoring these "Filipina Power Warriors in the Pandemic Front Line" this coming Monday, March 22. Details and registration information below.

Our webinar last week, "We Are Not the Virus: Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans," triggered some visceral reactions from some attendees. If you missed it or would like to listen to it again, here's the recording of the event. http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/webinar-video-we-are-not-the-virus-hate-crimes-against-asian-americans

We also have some pretty consequential stories this week which we hope will inform, clarify, entertain and inspire.