On what should have been a day of celebration, Filipino American civic leader Roswell Encina found himself alone, surrounded by masked members of a white nationalist group aboard a Washington, D.C., Metro train. His 25-minute ordeal was photographed by Getty photographer Finn Gomez, the only other "civilian" on that train. The now-viral image captured a chilling moment, but it tells only part of Encina's story.

The son of Filipino immigrants, Encina has devoted his career to preserving America's history and strengthening its democracy, believing that patriotism is rooted not in blind pride but in an honest reckoning with the nation's past and an unwavering commitment to its ideals. His extraordinary journey—from Laguna to leading the U.S. Capitol Historical Society—reflects both the opportunities and contradictions that have shaped the immigrant experience across generations. In this moving conversation with PF contributing writer Trish Muyco-Tobin, Encina reflects on fear, courage, belonging, and why the American story, like that of the Filipino diaspora itself, is still being written—one generation, one voice, and one act of civic faith at a time.

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Those who came of age in the early 1960s in our homeland will remember the heartbreaking tragedy of the 24 Filipino Boy Scouts who set out with hope and pride to represent the Philippines at the World Scout Jamboree in Greece, only to lose their lives in a devastating plane crash 63 years ago this month.

Among them was Victor Oteyza de Guia Jr., a son of one of Baguio City's most distinguished families. (His mother served as mayor, and his older brother would later become the National Artist Kidlat Tahimik.) The nation has honored the fallen Scouts by naming streets in Quezon City after each of them. For PF contributing writer Rudy Liporada, however, the loss remains deeply personal. He remembers not just one of the 24 heroes, but the beloved older boy he knew simply as Kuya Vijoe.

This week’s stories:

Alone Amid the Haters on the Fourth of July by Trish Muyco-Tobin

I Called Him Kuya Vijoe by Rudy D. Liporada

2026 In Memoriam (Second Quarter) by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

Loida Nicolas Lewis: How to Look Younger When You’re Older by Elizabeth Ann Quirino

[Read It Again]

“The Best Pig in the World” by Jennifer Celdran

The Bicycle of Tomorrow by Albert J. Lesaca

[Video of the Week] Sand Portrait of Alex Eala