Mindanao Peace In Our Time?

President PNoy Aquino's legacy-building effort to put in place the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as a major foundation for peace with our Muslim brothers and sisters in Mindanao has received mixed reviews, all of them fiercely emotional.

Those who are for it argue that while the BBL is not perfect, it's a necessary first step. Those opposing it say the current language of the BBL leaves a lot of gaping loopholes that will prove dangerous.

Writer/historian John Silva in "Islamic Law Poised to Gain Philippine Foothold," presents his own concerns regarding the vague provisions on human rights under Shariah law that the BBL stipulates. We have also included a link to a primer on the BBL so you can see for yourself what the big fuss is all about.

The story of Edita Balane, a Filipina caregiver in Dubai, is almost an everywoman's story on the personal and social costs of working as an OFW. Journalist Ana P. Santos tells her story in "Everyone's Children But Her Own."

As a teenager, our regular contributing writer Myles A. Garcia aspired to be a stage actor, an ambition given some sort of encouragement by the well-known Jesuit, Fr. James Reuter. In this touching and amusing tribute to his late mentor, Myles takes us on a nostalgic trip to the Broadway musicales that entertained the Manila theater buffs and discovered stage talents among the Catholic school kids. "Remembering Fr. Reuter, 'Broadway' Producer" will bring back memories, if you were there.

We also feature this week a pictorial on the liveliest, longest-running Filipino fiesta in the San Francisco Bay Area, Pistahan, which took place last weekend.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe for this week: a stylized Ensaladang Talong (eggplant salad) with Coconut Vinaigrette from the must-have book, Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine, Second Edition.

Also in this issue, the recipe for Goldilocks' mango cake.

Our Video of the Week focuses on Filipinos' deep-seated love for basketball: "Ang Pambihirang Love Story ng Pinoy sa Basketball."

Politics and Food

The Philippine presidential race is heating up, with President Benigno Aquino’s endorsement of Mar Roxas as his heir apparent. Contributing writer Marites D. Vitug gives us a political situationer, "Stakes Are High in the '16 Presidential Election," that gives food for thought to all Filipino voters, wherever they may be.

The cuisine of Batangas is the focus of food expert Michaela Fenix as she regales us with savory delights that make the southern Tagalog province a necessary stop when doing a food tour of the Philippines. "Straightforward, Simple Batangas Cuisine" will make your mouth water, and it's just one of the chapters of Fenix's excellent book, Country Cooking: Philippine Regional Cuisines.

From food we shift to fabrics as writer Serina Aidasani introduces us to Art Almeida, an artist and textile designer, in "He Leaves You in Stitches." Almeida, who runs his family corporation Genknit, walks us through the intricate process of textile design, a niche market for sure, that requires not just talent, but also dedication and intuition.

In San Francisco last week, a tribute to one of the greatest Filipino writers in English, Nick Joaquin, took place. There cannot be enough ways to honor the memory of this literary great; thus, we ask you to Read Again his nephew Tony Joaquin's "My Uncle, Nick Joaquin," which we published last year.

This week's recipe in the Happy Home Cook: Marvin Gapultos' version of Sardines in Spicy Tomato Sauce, from his book The Adobo Road Cookbook: A Filipino Food Journey -- from Food Blog, to Food Truck, and Beyond. Also featured this week is Goldilocks' Taisan Loaf Cake.

Our Video of the Week is on Willy Layug, the ecclesiastical sculptor from Pampanga, courtesy of CNN Philippines.

And for my blog, my ruminations on Twilight Time. 

Mystery and Second Chances

The famously mysterious Iglesia ni Cristo, which claims a membership of two million in more than 100 countries, had its innards diced and dissected recently as scandalous allegations of family feuds, heavy-duty corruption and even violence within the leadership ranks exploded in the public eye. As the real story is still unfolding, we're posting veteran journalist Maria Ceres Doyo's column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, "'Deep Throat' Shakes Up Iglesia ni Cristo," which provides some behind-the-scene details on the biggest story that ever exposed the 100-year-old religious and political powerhouse.

A happier big story that happened last weekend was the victory of Filipino Australian golfer, Jason Day, in the Canadian Open. This is the second PGA title that Day has won this year, catapulting him to number four in the world golf rankings. Watch him do his winning stroke in our Video of the Week.

The senior celebrity world in the Philippines was all agog last year over the wedding of Boots Anson-Roa to Francisco "King" Rodrigo, the second marriage for the two. Now, a year later, the two lovebirds share intimate details of their joyful union, with writer Cathy Sanchez Babao in "That's Amore." The Boots-King story is proof that there is no statute of limitations on loving and grabbing a second chance at happiness.

In the second installment of Watch Out World, This Is a Filipino (WOW), contributing writer Elizabeth Ann Quirino profiles Ryan D. Aguas, a Fordham University graduate who is introducing vertical farming, also known as aquaponics, to Filipino farmers.

And Pinoyspotting this week follows world traveler Rey de la Cruz as he stops over at the Hong Kong airport and meets Filipinos who were also transiting to their destinations in various parts of the world.

For the Happy Home Cook, we have Goldilocks' Black Forest Cake recipe.