Beware

Beware of the wolf in sheep's clothing, beware of the charmer who can turn out to be an abuser.  Community advocate Cherie Querol-Moreno, who has long championed the cause of domestic abuse survivors, issues this warning to women -- and men -- who may miss out on the warning signs of a potential abuser. It is someone who always says and does the right things and can quickly charm his way to a person's heart. It’s a timely warning on this Domestic Abuse Prevention Month.

Continuing our Filipino American History Month focus, a "bridge generation" (child of a first-generation Filipino immigrant) contributor, Robert V. Ragsac Sr., tells us about some of the close friends of his family whose life stories, he feels, should be told. "Forget Them Not" is his personal appeal for more throwback narratives on the unheralded men of the manong generation, especially those who didn't have families to tell their life stories.

In another part of the world, contributor Agatha Verdadero writes about the universal value of making friends across cultures. Having spent a few years in Somalia, she has some fascinating experiences with Somalians she now considers her lifelong friends.

For our Happy Home Cook feature, a personal recipe of macaroons, the rage among the hip crowd. Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino provides it.

Our Video of the Week: Mikey Bustos, the Filipino Canadian YouTube sensation, gives us a tutorial in rap on the Philippines' 81 provinces.

And I hope you enjoy my blog on some of the highlights of my ongoing road trip across the US.

Thriller

A sordid tale of suspected adultery, a brutal murder, treachery and a sensational trial -- these and more titillated the imagination of Californians in 1932-33 and marked a milestone in Filipino American history. In "Murder Most Foul",  Alex S. Fabros Jr. and his daughter Katherine S. Fabros, take us to what was then believed to be a "secret cult" in the community, allegedly burying a woman alive. The story is like a thriller with an unexpected ending so we hope you enjoy reading it.

It is a well known fact that the Philippines' marine biodiversity is the most extensive in the world, but did you know that our homeland also has the highest concentration of unique mammals? Dr. Lawrence R. Heaney, the curator of mammals at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, attests to this. Positively Filipino Correspondent Rey E. de la Cruz introduces us to this Philippine specialist who has made it his lifelong work to document the country's natural wealth.

Like a thief in the night, cancer is an insidious ailment that can afflict anyone. Celia Ruiz Tomlinson, a cancer survivor, shares an inspirational piece "What To Do When Cancer Comes," for those who are currently battling the big C and their families.

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week, another one from Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino: Mango Fried Chicken.

And our Video of the Week: Riza's Story. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg shares a story of how Facebook and Internet.org help a young Filipina earn a Computer Science degree.

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Plaridel Winners: Myles Garcia, Lisa Suguitan Melnick, Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, and Mona Lisa Yuchengco (accepting the award for Lotis Key)

Congratulations to our Plaridel Award Winners!

Positively Filipino writers once again won big in this year's Plaridel Awards from the Philippine American Press Club (PAPC). 

Here are the winners and their winning stories: 

Best International Reporting: Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, "My Battle with Ebola"
Best Sports Story: Myles Garcia, "Before Elorde, Before Pacquiao, There Was Luis Logan”
Best Entertainment: Lisa Melnick, “Maseg: An Artistic Tempest”
Best Personal Essay: Lotis Key, "Feeding My Filipino"

Runners-up:

Aurora Almendral - Best International Story, “'Selling' My Story"
Myles Garcia - Best Entertainment Story, “My Manila Movie Memories”
Anthony Maddela - Best Sports Story, “Jordan Clarkson, the Lakers’ Fil-Am Sniper”
Myles Garcia, Best Feature Writing, “Good Help is Hard to Find: The Improbable Story of Huguette and Hadassah”
Myles Garcia, Best Profile Writing, “Love Baskets for Betty”
Anthony Maddela, Best Profile Writing, “Above the Law Blogger David Lat Goes Long Form”
Senen Siasoco, Best Tourism Story, “Positively Pinatubo”
Manuel Hizon, Best Tourism Story, “11 Great Beaches You Probably Haven’t Been To”

A Month of Remembrance and Reflection

It's Filipino American History Month once again, a month that reminds us of the long, difficult road our ancestors in this country trekked to pave the way for succeeding generations of immigrants. Positively Filipino joins the celebration by bringing you stories that make up the complex tapestry that our kababayans have woven in America.

One of these stories is the Delano Grape Strike that started in 1965 and lasted for five years. The massive strike for higher wages and improved working conditions for California farm workers was organized by Filipino union leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Veracruz, but popular history has pushed them to the sidelines in favor of Cesar Chavez. Linda Revilla's story, "Remembering Our Manongs and the Delano Grape Strike" corrects this historical error and retells the story of how 1,500 Filipino farm workers walked out of their jobs and changed labor history in the United States.

A good "Read Again" for this month is Abraham Ignacio Jr.'s "Where Exactly Did 'Filipinos' First Land in California?" to put Filipino American history in perspective.

An exciting exhibit on the famous piña fabric of the Philippines is ongoing at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Contributor Manzel Delacruz takes us there as she reports on the efforts of The Hinabi Project to promote the beautiful and indigenous Philippine fabric to an international audience.

From Manila, cultural historian John Silva reviews "Right Footed," the award-winning documentary film featuring the amazing Jessica Cox and how she overcame her disability with the help of her courageous Filipino immigrant mother, Inez.

And speaking of Manila, a young entrepreneur named Dianne Atienza tells us her story of risk-taking and determination when she chose to give up a corporate career in favor of striking out of her own as a "rentapreneur." Want to rent an Airbnb in Manila? This story will help you decide.

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week, Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino's ropa vieja.

For Video of the Week, we feature a news segment from Fox-9 in Idaho, where a long distance romance began from a gift care package sent miles away to Joana Marchan in the Philippines.