Enter the National Hero

As if we still need convincing that our national hero Jose Rizal was one talented dude, contributor Rene J. Navarro, a long-time practitioner and teacher of  martial and spiritual arts, regales us with a feature story on a lesser known side of Rizal: his practice of and discipline as a martial artist in "Jose Rizal: Martial Arts Warrior." It's our hero's 154th birthday on June 19.

It's also Immigrant Heritage Month and we present to you a graphic overview of "Two Hundred Years of Filipino Immigration to the US." Bloggers Ray and Kira Del Rosario contributed this piece that illustrates how there are millions of us here now.

The positive contributions of immigrants in the US are well-documented and almost universally acknowledged. Rey Faustino, who was brought to this country as a young kid, is one fine example of someone who successfully beat the odds and is now giving back to the society that nurtured him. By founding One Degree, a nonprofit that harnesses technology to enable social service agencies to reach the needy more efficiently, Faustino has been rewarded with the support of some of the biggest names in the technology sector as well as government agencies and other nonprofits. Harvey I. Barkin profiles this innovative thinker in "He Founded the Yelp! of Social Services."

For those planning a visit to our Inang Bayan, a must-see destination is Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan, where you can step back a century prior and lose yourself in the grace and the elegance of Philippine ancestral homes. Omar Paz brings us there in "Time Travel at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar."

For our Video of the Week, we feature venture capitalist and technology titan Dado Banatao and how his nonprofit PhilDev is helping the Philippines rise. 

And The Happy Home Cook this week is Celia Ruiz-Tomlinson sharing with us her own version of the classic pulutan favorite, "Kinilaw."

Happy Father's Day and A Meaningful Summer Solstice to everyone.

June Busting Out All Over

June is the month we shower our motherland with love as we celebrate the 117th anniversary of Philippine independence as well as the 154th birth anniversary of our National Hero Jose Rizal. Some of you are probably flying back this month to attend weddings of kin, as June is also still the month of promising eternal love, even if December or January are giving stiff competition for the marrying-est month of the year.

To all the Filipino communities in the world who are celebrating Philippine Independence their own unique ways, we are one with you in spirit.

We start off this issue with a plea: Please Stop Calling the Philippines "P.I." That term is outdated and wrong, a colonial appellation that should have been banished along with the colonialists. So please, delete it from your vocabulary. History professor Dr. Michael Gonzalez explains why.

We have two recipes in The Happy Home Cook this week: the first is for "Adobong Dilaw," the original of which was created by Maria Agoncillo, the second wife of the first Philippine president, Emilio Aguinaldo, from whose balcony in Kawit, Cavite, Philippine independence was first declared. Our resident foodie, Elizabeth Ann Quirino, recreates the recipe for the modern cook and flavors it with some historical vignettes. Find out why this adobo is yellow in "Adobong Dilaw, A Timeless Recipe."

The second recipe is for Fried Chicken Sandwich that uses pan de sal made from scratch, a creation of Ria and Matt Wilson, the innovative and enterprising chef-couple who headlines WILD at Canele in Los Angeles. Savor Anthony Maddela's report, "California French (and Filipino) Cuisine Goes WILD."

And for another look back at history, Read Again John Silva's "A Valiant People's Army," featuring rare photographs of the Filipino American War.

Our Video of the Week is a heartwarming collection of testimonials from non-Filipinos who have chosen to live in the Philippines. Enjoy "Sarap Maging Filipino."

And my blog this week is dedicated to some friends who just reached the big 6-0. It's not as bad as you imagine.

Happy summer!

From Broadway to Batanes

Watching Julian DeGuzman dance in the Broadway hit “Newsies,” one would not believe that the energetic, talented Filipino American performer was once told by his doctor that his dancing career was over and he should take a desk job instead. Julian was diagnosed with hip cancer, operated on twice and had to undergo a painful rehab -- obstacles that would have stopped a less courageous person. But cancer was no match for Julian's commitment and determination and he was back to his great love -- dancing -- in no time. Bert Eljera profiles this exemplary young man in "Dancing His Way to Broadway."

Those who grew up in the Philippines once considered Batanes, the country's northernmost island-province as a no-man's land, difficult to go to because of the lack of regular transport, difficult to get out of because constant bad weather could derail one's leave-taking.  Not anymore. Regular flights and an influx of tourists have made the island a must-see destination and our contributing writer Omar Paz takes us with him as he wanders around the land of the Ivatans in "Batanes Beckons."

From Batanes, we take a virtual trip to the Netherlands as Jojo Sabalvaro-Tan shares with us the third of her series of travel sketches. Sketching, she says, seers the memories of beautiful sites deeper into one's soul, more than photographs do. Enjoy "Travel Sketching: The Netherlands" and share with us your own travel sketches.

For visitors to Chicago wanting the sweet tastes of home, there's Rowie's Bakery on the city's North Side. Our regular contributor Rey E. De la Cruz introduces us to Rowie Ramos, co-owner (with husband Mike) and chief baker in "Cakes To Have and Eat, Too." Rowie's Fruta de Crema recipe is our feature this week in The Happy Home Cook.

As we begin this month of weddings, read again "The Philippines Top 10 Wedding Destinations."