Looking Back

We visit several periods in Philippine history with our stories this week:

First, a little known side of Jose Rizal, this time as an oracle. Our publisher, Mona Lisa Yuchengco, unearths a rare book called Haec Est Sibylla Cumana or A Book of Oracles, which is essentially a fortunetelling parlor game handwritten and drawn by our national hero while he was in exile in Dapitan between 1892-1896. In "Jose Rizal, The Oracle," we are once again awed by this multifaceted genius whose talents seem endless. 

A few years after Rizal was executed, the Philippine-American War broke out and one of the celebrated booties for the victor America were the bells of Balangiga, Samar. Prominently displayed in a military base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the bells have been the object of several unsuccessful campaigns for their return to Samar. This time, some Hollywood celebrities headed by actor/private investigator Logan Clarke have banded together with some prominent Filipino Americans to establish the Committee for the Return of the Bells. Carlos Zialcita, one of the board members, writes about the launching of the campaign, which promises to harness public support so that the bells can be returned to Balangiga. Read "The Bells of Balangiga Make It to Hollywood" and its sidebar, "Logan Clarke, Retriever."

To commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the Fall of Bataan, we encourage you to read again two of our stories on World War II: "Remember Bataan" by Cecilia I. Gaerlan and "The Spies Who Came In From the Sea" by Virgil N. De la Victoria.

Moving on to the present, we take pride in featuring a Filipino American artist whose medium goes beyond painting. Maria Apelo Cruz Jonavonic also sculpts, restores, designs, cooks and runs a high-profile business, among other talents that Rey E. de la Cruz tells us about in "Art is Life, Life Art."

And speaking of cooking, we have two recipes of bistek for you this week -- the regular Bistek Tagalog and its vegan equivalent. 

Our Video of the Week features Lea Salonga showing high school kids what good singing is all about.

New on Holy Week

As the Christian world takes a breather for Holy Week, we'd like to invite San Francisco Bay Area residents to watch "An Open Door: Jewish Rescue in the Philippines," an award-winning documentary by Noel Izon on how the Philippines opened its doors to more than a thousand Jews rescued from Europe in the early years of WWII. A touching affirmation of love and brotherhood featuring the children of the survivors, this film will be shown for the first time for free on April 15. Seats are limited so click on this link right now for details.

We don't usually do Q&As, but we couldn’t resist one with Walden Bello, who recently resigned as congressman because he could no longer support his party's (Akbayan) uncritical support for the Aquino administration, following President PNoy's skirting of responsibility for the Mamasapano tragedy. Walden is always worth reading, and this interview shines new light on some aspects of the controversy that has been glossed over by media.

And speaking of controversy, writer/professor Peter Bacho shares some pretty strong views about Filipino Americans and the issue of identity, in this profile by regular contributor Anthony Maddela. In "Peter Bacho, Pessimistic Sage," the author of Boxing In Black and White states that “Young Filipinos are not interested in the past; they are not intellectually curious, so I have no real desire to explain [the Filipino experience], to be honest.” Read the story to get the full context of this controversial statement.

Starting with this issue, we're posting a recipe a week to help you with your menu planning for your family. We start off with Elizabeth Ann Quirino's Filipino Fish Stew in Ginger Broth with Tomatoes and Spinach, a perfect Holy Week treat that I can personally attest to as delicious. If you have a recipe that you want to share, please send it in. Read the intro to The Happy Home Cook on how to do it.

And in observance of Holy Week, we've gathered some pictures of rituals and images from our contributing photographers, Marites Falcon, Brian Aguilar Agana and our art director, Raymond Virata.

More Holy Week traditions are featured in our Video of the Week.

In my blog, I focus on a trending topic in the Philippines: divorce, or the lack of it.

The Incredible Beaches

If you're in the Philippines and pondering a quiet, meditative getaway for the Holy Week, check out Manuel "EG" Hizon's very enticing list of "11 Great Beaches You Probably Haven’t Been To." These spectacular beaches are [still] hidden gems because they're far from the madding crowd (i.e. Boracay, etc.), which is where you want to be if you're seeking peace, privacy and a respite from the scorching summer heat.

A look back at a controversial historical item: San Francisco State University professor emeritus Dr. Penelope V. Flores  supports the view of historians and writers that "Magellan's Interpreter, Enrique, Was the First to Circumnavigate the World." She tells us why.

Switching back to the recent past, Randy David's postscript to the Philippine National Police's board of inquiry report on the Mamasapano tragedy is instructive and thought-provoking, as is usual of Professor David's writings. Read it here.

We have another compilation of Funny Signs for you, lest we "forget" that we belong to a nation of punsters and jokesters, and we never fail to laugh at life, no matter what.

And continuing our celebration of amazing women, Read Again some of our earlier postings:

"Blazing a Journalism Trail" by Benjamin Pimentel features Sheila Coronel's very impressive career trajectory from ace investigative journalist in the Philippines to dean of Columbia University's School of Journalism, arguably one of the best journalism schools in the world.

"3 Lessons from an Art Ambassador" by Dominique Padilla Gallego focuses on Lolita Valderrama Savage, the celebrated artist and citizen of the world whose paintings have been hailed in the art circles of Florence, New York and Manila.

"Model Mom" by Cherie Querol-Moreno reveals the woman behind California Assembly Representative Rob Bonta's success -- his mom, Cynthia Arnaldo Bonta, activist and educator, whose lifelong commitment to the fight for social justice has been her son's inspiration in becoming the first Filipino American to win a seat in the California legislature.

"Super Grandma" by Marianne Dayrit-Sison zeroes in on Consuelo Dancel Sison who recently turned 94 but is still as dynamic and energetic as anyone half her age. I met Mommy Elong recently and was truly amazed --  a fine example of the saying, "age is only a number."

Our Video of the Week is on the special delivery of food and guitars that Philippine military made to the soldiers on BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, which is being claimed by China.

A blessed Easter to all.