Born That Way

There’s proof that American-born or raised Filipinos inherit the humor genes of their immigrant parents. Our correspondent Anthony Maddela writes about Filipino AF, a year-old comedic ensemble that uses sketch humor, dance, film and yes, lumpia, to tickle its mostly Filipino audiences (see “Comedy That’s as Filipino As F__.”)

On a sober note, Lt. Patricia Teston, a young Filipina officer in the U.S. Navy, safely guides her ship through the dangerous waters of the Persian Gulf and feels she has fulfilled a vow she made as a child when a devastating typhoon battered her island (“My Vow for Undang.”)

Slow down with writer Criselda Yabes (“Kyoto Days”) as she serenely bikes her way around Kyoto, the former imperial capital of Japan. Meditatively feast your eyes on its temples then mercilessly chomp down its French-inspired croissants.

Cookbook author Liza Agbanlog is back with her take on Adobong Dilaw.

For this week’s in The Know links:

Desperate victims of Philippines landslide that killed 29 send texts for help from under the rubble
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/21/desperate-victims-philippines-landslide-killed-22-send-texts/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_fb&fbclid=IwAR1kVylxjh0w49NCUwt4GlQSh92gMnFpwAN2LM-M9mJM19yoVTOE7JXu9Kc

An American And Her Filipina Translator Exhume A Massacre In 'Insurrecto'
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/10/666360732/an-american-and-her-filipina-translator-exhume-a-massacre-in-insurrecto?fbclid=IwAR0ojG4MVScDQXW5udZQioxYb8iM5U8B53NN-hVgIflWs9IxdD0Ecu8RPVc

Rizal and the Creatures of Dapitan
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/specials/content/11/rizal-and-the-creatures-of-dapitan/?globalbanner&fbclid=IwAR2-I5IvknKErei0k-JclbnExMJS2weQNkz6Mt6A7j32e-_O4EZ1cG6SSnE

Google pays tribute to Dr. Fe del Mundo with a doodle
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/27/18/google-pays-tribute-to-dr-fe-del-mundo-with-a-doodle?fbclid=IwAR3LEuT1651SIQr4h5MmRV80N6BOG0p2VX6LKRi5nGZME3t1TKHF6zrtXrY

For Video of the Week, CNN Philippines features Lea Salonga as celebrates her 40 years in show business.

War and Remembrance

How do you forgive wartime enemies that committed horrible atrocities and victimized your own family? Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino tells how the late President Elpidio Quirino forgave the Japanese imperial forces who wreaked havoc in his country and killed members of his own family ("War and Forgiving"). "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away," declared the late Gen. Douglas MacArthur in his retirement/farewell address to cadets of West Point. Titchie Carandang-Tiongson writes about the memorial that makes sure the old soldier's legacy doesn't fade away ("A Visit to the MacArthur Memorial"). And In a different kind of war that Filipinos eventual won by peaceful means, a blog by the late Benjamin Maynigo gives an account of his family's escape from the clutches of the Marcos dictatorship, in "Martial Law Stories: Escape to Sabah."

In our [In the Know] links:

The Ruins Of Marawi: A year after liberation, Meranaws await rehabilitation
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2018/10/the-ruins-of-marawi-a-year-after-liberation-meranaws-await-rehabilitation/

BBC: Philippines Democracy in Danger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSDEtZsqSj0&feature=share

The Facebook cleaners: 'I've seen hundreds of beheadings'
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-45833049/the-facebook-cleaners-i-ve-seen-hundreds-of-beheadings

For our Happy Home Cook, Elizabeth Ann Quirino shares with us her recipe for Adobong Kangkong (water spinach) with Talong (eggplant)

For our video of the week, Flyhigh Manila TV posts Cebu Pacific's Capt. Irizari's emotional farewell speech on his last flight before retirement.

Past and Pastime

Often overlooked in the history of American student activism is 1968 Third World students' strike in San Francisco State (University), which led to the formation of the first ethnic studies college in the country. Read all about the Filipino American students' leading role in that upheaval in Juanita Tamayo Lott's "PACE, A Critical Link in Filipino American History." 

But history is not all Big Politics. Read Bibeth Orteza's hilarious recollection of her frustrated quest for romance on campus just when the Big Politics of Marcos' Martial Law was descending on the Philippines.

For a dose of nostalgia, join our raconteur Myles Garcia as he lays his hands on one of Manila's favorite pastimes,  "Oh, How I Miss Manila Mahjong." 

We would like to thank our writers who won in the recent 7th Annual Plaridel Awards of the Philippine American Press Club, USA:

Rene Astudillo, Plaridel Award for Best International Story, “Will the Philippine Jeepney Soon Be Extinct?” http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/will-the-philippine-jeepney-soon-be-extinct

Elizabeth Ann Quirino, Plaridel Award for Best Tourism Feature Story, “Savoring Hidden Flavors of the Philippine Kitchen”
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/savoring-hidden-flavors-of-the-philippine-kitchen

Titchie Carandang-Tiongson and Erwin Tiongson, Plaridel Award for Best Profile Writing, “The Untold Story of Nina Thomas: The American Woman Who Could Have Been First Lady of the Philippines” http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-untold-story-of-nina-thomas

France Viana, Plaridel Award for Best Entertainment Story, “Myth, Magic and Madonnas In Eye-Opening Philippine Art Exhibition” http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/myth-magic-and-madonnas-in-eye-opening-philippine-art-exhibition

Rey E. de la Cruz, Honorable Mention for Best Profile Writing, “Happy Beneath the Sea”
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/robert-suntay

Rey E. de la Cruz, Honorable Mention for Best Feature Story, “Dear Satu: Letters Tell the Story of Our Lives”
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/dear-satu-letters-tell-the-story-of-our-lives

Lisa Suguitan Melnick, Honorable Mention for Best Entertainment Story, “Incarcerated 6x9 Gets You on the Cell-ular Level”
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/dance-theater-review-incarcerated-6-x-9-gets-you-on-the-cell-ular-level

Elizabeth Ann Quirino, Honorable Mention for Best Food Story, “Tupig from Tarlac,”
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/tupig-from-tarlac

For Filipino American History Month, we recommend the following Read Again stories:
“An Ilongot Murder Mystery” by Michael Gonzalez: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/an-ilongot-murder-mystery

“Fil-Am Olympic Great Vicki Manalo-Draves” by Ed Diokno: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/fil-am-olympic-great-vicki-manalo-draves

For our [In The Know] Links:

Soldiers in Facebook’s War on Fake News Are Feeling Overrun
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/business/facebook-philippines-rappler-fake-news.html

Wanted: More Public Libraries
https://opinion.inquirer.net/116595/wanted-public-libraries

Gov. Brown rejects ethnic studies bill, saying high school students are overburdened
https://www.dailybulletin.com/2018/10/02/gov-brown-rejects-ethnic-studies-bill-saying-high-school-students-are-overburdened/

For Happy Home Cook, Chef Paolo Espanola dishes his take on a Filipino classic, Pansit Molo.

For Video of the Week, Center for Asian American Media remembers Professor Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, through her film collection on her family's history.