40 Years Ago This Month

Two major events in the last week of April changed history, and we commemorate both in this week's issue.

April 24 is the 35th death anniversary of Macli-ing Dulag, the Kalinga tribal chief who led the opposition to the Chico River Dam project in the Cordilleras. His assassination by elements of the Philippine Army in 1980 unified the people against the dam and led to the eventual scuttling of the project by the Marcos dictatorship. Macli-ing Dulag's legacy is forever etched in Philippine history and April 24 is celebrated as Cordillera Peoples Day every year.  Ace journalist Ceres P. Doyo shares some excerpts from her new book on the charismatic chieftain in "The Unforgettable Macli-ing Dulag."

April 30 marks the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, which ended the catastrophic Vietnam War. Ken Kashiwahara witnessed the chaos and the tragedy of the withdrawal of the US and revisited Saigon for the first time a few months ago. He shares his recollections and observations in "Escape from Saigon."

Meanwhile, a confrontation that the whole world awaits with gusto happens on May 2 when Manny Pacquiao comes head-to-head with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Two boxing enthusiasts, Roilo Golez and Peter Bacho, share their predictions on the outcome. You can also share your pick on our new online poll.

In Seattle, pet owners are lucky to have in their midst Dr. Michael Mison, a topnotch veterinary surgeon, who comes from a family of educators and civil servants. Gia Mendoza profiles her pet's lifesaver in "A Pet's Best Friend."

As we celebrate Earth Day this month, read again two of our informative postings on the environmental impact of the aquarium fish trade ("Saving Nemo") and the holy guardians of Bud Bungao, the magical mountain in Tawi-tawi ("The Holy Mountain of Tawi-tawi"), both by Philippine environmental writer, Gregg Yan.

Our recipe for the week in The Happy Home Cook comes from food blogger and author, Marvin Gapultos, who shares his award-winning "Slow-braised Pork and Pineapple Adobo."

And for our Video of the Week, the Bisaya-speaking Americans of the Hey Joe Show are back in “Signs That You Are Filipino.”

I hope you also visit my blog, “Gemma Nemenzo on Life, Love, Writing, and Everything In Between” and let me know your thoughts on "Expat Realities."

What the #@!, Tiger?

As the clock ticks toward the 2016 national elections in the Philippines, controversies hound the Aquino administration even as the economy is roaring its way to Asian tigerhood. Marites D. Vitug offers an incisive analysis on this irony in "Aquino Conundrum at the Heart of Messy Politics," which we picked up from Nikkei Asian Review.

We also feature this week two artist friends who are unrelenting in their pursuit of their artistic passions:

First, Sonny Alforque who, for 25 years now, has produced and directed a community theater in every sense of the word in Sacramento, California. The Sinag-tala theatrical revue which happens every first weekend of December is always worth driving two hours for just to enjoy the energy, the enthusiasm and the varied talents of Filipino American children and adults who have come under the tutelage of Sonny. Regular contributor Anthony Maddela profiles this theater dynamo in "Sonny Alforque Shines the Light on Sinag-tala."

Second, Filipina artist France Viana explores the various shades of Filipino skin color in an innovative installation ongoing at Mills College in Oakland, California. In "Fifty Shades of Kayumanggi," Manzel Delacruz explains the complex concept and the hard work that France put into this exhibit of her extraordinary talent.

Meanwhile, for entrepreneurs and companies wanting to do business in the Philippines, Marla D. Rausch, CEO of Animation Vertigo, draws on her extensive experience in taming the bureaucratic beast in our homeland. Be sure to read "10 Things You Should Know About Starting a Business in the Philippines" before you take the plunge. 

The Happy Home Cook recipe for the week features Ampalaya with Beef or Shrimp, from the kitchen of Jojo Sabalvaro-Tan. 

And for our Video of the Week, a couple weds under the best and the worst of circumstances. Be prepared to shed tears. 

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.