Another Man’s Gem

Smokey Mountain. The name alone conjures up images of filth and suffering. Although Manila's notorious garbage dump has been leveled, it continues to fascinate and haunt documentarists such as Japanese indie director Kohki Hasei whose short film, "Godog" pays tribute to the children who lived and survived in this late, unlamented urban wasteland. Manila-based contributor Maria Carmen Sarmiento writes about how this award-winning director saw gems where others saw only garbage in "The Japanese Jologs Who Loves Smokey Mountain."

Tackling the health situation in the rural areas meanwhile is the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California (PMSNC), a 42-year-old organization of doctors, nurses, medical personnel and support staff, which has been conducting a yearly medical mission to various areas in the Philippines for 29 years now. Manzel Delacruz informs us about the group's commitment and structure that has made it one of the longest running missions from the US that’s helping alleviate the medical needs of the homeland.

For a touch of nostalgia, we are reposting Lou Gopal's "A Neighborhood of Yesterday: Malate/Ermita District Part 1," which reminds us of the glory days of old Manila. While you're at it, you can also read Part 2 of this fascinating throwback story.

Another Read It Again story: Rochita Loenen Ruiz's "How Tolerant Are the Dutch?" for a firsthand account of living as an immigrant in The Netherlands.

We have another Pinoyspotting report from Bay Area-based Joe Santos from his recent travel to Europe.

How about some sinfully delicious Pork Binagoongan for dinner? Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino shares her recipe for cooking the usually fried pork in the oven instead.

And our Goldilocks featured recipe, Sans Rival.

Don't miss our Video of the Week featuring the Pinay girl group "4th Power" on X-Factor UK.

Please read my blog this week, “Road Scholars,” about why a road trip is important. 

Climbing to the Top

As we come out with this issue, the Filipino American chess grandmaster Wesley So is competing in the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri. As our contributor Eliseo Tumbaga, who wrote the chess master's profile, "A Chess World Champ in the Making," alerts us: "This will be the third-highest rated tournament of all time with eight of the world's top ten playing, including the world champion." Wesley is ranked #7 in the world and #3 in the U.S. Let's root for this 21-year-old chess genius who is considered the best Filipino chess player of all time.

No one can accuse retired anesthesiologist Dr. Sonny Siasoco of not being adventurous. After scaling Mt. Pinatubo (Read: Positively Pinatubo), he turned to Mount Arayat, Pampanga's famously subversive mountain (it was the center of revolutionary activity during the Hukbalahap movement). Climbing mountains is never easy, but if you're a senior citizen it's doubly challenging. Read Dr. Siasoco's lively account of his adventure in "Mt. Arayat Is a Pain in the Ascent."

In Palo, Leyte, meanwhile, where the trauma of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda remains a reality, a group of women and a few men organized by the NGO, WeDpro, is treated to a psychological healing workshop by famous therapist, Dr. Margarita Holmes. Aida F. Santos, who heads WeDpro writes about the residents' eye-opening exposure to mental health issues and the interesting way they responded.

We go vegetarian in The Happy Home Cook this week, with Richgail Enriquez's Vegan Mechado. And of course, we have another delicious recipe from Goldilocks: Banana Loaf Cake.

In Video of the Week, we have an excerpt from the 2009 BBC travel documentary “Explore: Manila to Mindanao,” in which British reporter Simon Reeve interviewed Imelda Marcos and asked the source of the Marcos fortune.

Finally, we send our condolences to the family, friends and readers of Bert Eljera, a Positively Filipino contributor and correspondent for Inquirer.net. Bert passed away on Sunday, August 17 in Las Vegas. He had been waiting and hoping for a kidney transplant. Unfortunately, his tenacious struggle for life didn’t succeed. We will miss our colleague and friend.

Cello, Golf and Angioplasty

The well-dressed crowd attending the June 12 Independence Day gala of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco rose to their feet to applaud the young cellist who enthralled everyone with his impassioned playing.That young man was Matthew John Ignacio who our regular contributor, Elizabeth Ann Quirino, features this week in Watch Out World, This is a Filipino. A video clip of Matthew John playing "Maalaala Mo Kaya" gives you a taste of his talent, but if you're in LA, try to hear him play in person and be proud.

Another reason to be proud: Jason Day, the Aussie-Filipino pro golfer finally lands the big prize -- the PGA championship last weekend. Not only was his win big, Jason also became the first golfer ever to finish 20 under par, beating Tiger Woods' record. The media frenzy over his win also introduced his Filipina mother, Adenil "Deling" Grapilon, to the world. Jason's unabashed tears at his victory was, he said, because he remembered the sacrifices his mother did to set him on a straight path and golf superstardom. Read I. Wilfredo Ver's report, "Jason Day, Golf Superstar."

Meanwhile, Bella Bonner writing from Manila gives us an idea how a serious -- and expensive -- medical procedure affects one's finances. "Angioplasty in the Philippines" is food for thought when deciding one's retirement location.

Pinoyspotting returns with Chicago writer Rey de la Cruz reporting on the Filipinos he socialized with in Indonesia.

August 21 is coming up once again and we point you to our previous stories on two historically changing events that happened in our country's past -- the 32nd anniversary of the assassination of Ninoy Aquino and the 44th anniversary of the Plaza Miranda bombing. Read again Ken Kashiwahara's "Ninoy's Final Journey" and Gregg Jones' and Mila Aguilar's "August 21 Stories."

This week's Happy Home Cook features another recipe from actress Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, Sinigang na Munggo. Goldilocks shares its recipe for Pinipig Polvoron.

Our Video of the Week: Ayuntamiento-A Costly Renovation

My blog this week: 10 Reasons to Love -- or Hate-- Retirement.