Love and Revolution

If history is theater, February 1986 will be highlighted in Philippine history in bold, bright marquee lights. It was a whirlwind month with the political situation changing almost every day, moving at a pace quite unheard of in our homeland, leaving everyone barely enough time to reflect. There was no doubt however that a big change was on the way, so palpable and anticipated that the normal functioning of a nation was put on hold while the people awaited the events' unfolding.

In this issue, we begin a series intended to take us back to that fateful February when the political status quo was smashed and our country reeled with the turmoil of revolt. "Countdown to the Revolution: The Snap Election" is a story I culled from my notes and my writings as a freelance journalist then who was just as caught up with the excitement of being part of and witness to history being made.

But we also haven't forgotten that February is also the month of love, and to celebrate we have:

• "Romances in History" by Ambeth R. Ocampo, a Read Again piece tells us that history is not always about turmoil and cataclysmic changes, but also about people and romance;

• "Spouse It's About Time" by John Silva, whose 40-year love relationship with Jonathan Best culminated in their wedding in the city where they met and fell in love;

• "'When I Am Six Feet Below the Ground'" by Lourdes Santos Tancinco pays loving tribute to an exceptional priest, the late Monsignor Fred Al Bitanga, who demonstrated to his parishioners that loving the way of God is not just empty rhetoric;

• "Table for Two," our Happy Home Cook feature by Rene Astudillo, is another Read Again that presents recipes for a romantic Valentine's Day meal; and

• For our Video of the Week, revisit our story and Mona Lisa Yuchengco's film on centenarian lawyer Delfin Gonzalez.

Battles Political, Literal, Physical

Like it or not (and many of us don't like it), politics will take center stage this year as both our homeland and the US hold their presidential elections. The upside of these, of course, is the wealth of materials that satirists and comedians will have at their command. Rene Ciria Cruz, our editor who is also the bureau chief of Inquirer.net for North America, fires the initial volley with "Scientists studying ailing PH senator's miraculous recovery." This is satire, dear readers, so no need to get into emotional knots about it.

From the present to the past, contributing writer Larry Ng who writes from Australia, takes us back 75 years during the Battle of Manila that started February 4, 1945. In "Ordeal by Fire," the gruesome realities of war is juxtaposed with the unexpected kindness of fellow victims. Larry's family story is painful but is ultimately inspiring since it restores faith in human nature.

In the San Francisco Bay Area which is currently awash with tourists and festivities for the Super Bowl, the biggest sports event in the US, Dr. Elaine Serina, an expert in bio-mechanics, is on alert. Her firm, Talas Engineering, specializes in scientific analysis of accidents, and the SuperBowl events are ripe for such eventualities. Beyond her professional expertise, Serina is a strong advocate of empowering Filipina women in the field of engineering. Positively Filipino Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino writes about this amazing role model.

And for our very special Super Bowl Video of the Week, veteran broadcast journalist Lloyd LaCuesta, along with videographer Ken Guanga, brings out the Filipino flavor to the festivities with their interview of Jordan Norwood, the Denver Broncos' wide receiver whose Filipino roots run deep. Norwood talks about his pride in his mother's heritage and about his brother, Gabriel, who currently plays for the PBA in Manila. Our video team also had a brief chat with Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach who is covering the Super Bowl for CNN's Inside Edition, and with Stephanie Rivera, the Filipina wife of the Carolina Panthers' head coach Ron Rivera, whose grandfather is Filipino. We hope you enjoy our exclusive Super Bowl video. 

For the hundreds of thousands of balikbayans and other tourists enjoying the Philippines right now, here's a re-post of Manuel Hizon's award-winning article, "11 Great Beaches You Probably Haven't Been To." Often the best vacations are in off-the-beaten-track places. Just saying.

Our Happy Home Cook feature, Scampi and Crab Pasta, an easy-to-make dinner recipe from Bernie Cervantes, a documentary photographer who used to have her own restaurant in UP Diliman.

Chocolates, Books and Beauty Contests

In 1990, Jessica Hagedorn, a Filipino American author, came out with her novel with the controversial name, Dogeaters, which became an instant bestseller, acclaimed by critics and winning for the author some plum awards. Now, 25 years later, Jessica is bringing the colorful characters she created for Dogeaters to life in a play of the same name that she wrote herself. Opening on February 10 in San Francisco and running for three weeks, "Dogeaters" the play, has actually had several incarnations from its first staging in 1990 to the current version. In "Dogeaters Comes to the Stage," contributing writer Elaine Elinson interviews Hagedorn on the evolution of the play, her transition from novelist to playwright and her inspiration in capturing the "wackiness and complexity of the [Philippine] culture."

Speaking of cultural wackiness, Filipinos' fascination with beauty pageants is in full focus in Positively Filipino Correspondent's Myles A. Garcia's "And You Thought You Know Everything About Beauty Pageants." From the first Miss Manila Carnival in 1908 to the current crop of beauty pageant winners, Myles traces the drama, the romances, the rivalries that make beauty contests almost like blood sport.

In this January of nature's fury, how about hunkering down with a box of Jade Chocolates, created by Mindy Fong of San Francisco, who draws upon her Chinese and Filipino heritage for her award-winning chocolate flavors. Contributing writer Manzel Delacruz takes us to Mindy's shop in "Jade Chocolates, Among the Best, Bar None."

And if snow or rain keeps you stuck at home, a good match for good chocolates is a good book. I've listed some of the amazing books that came out in 2015 in my blog, "The Pick of 2015."

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week is Breaded Tofu with Peanut Sauce from Rene Astudillo.

Our Video of the Week, enjoy Filipino crooner Arthur Manuntag's rendition of "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" which he performed at the beautiful Smetana Hall in Prague to commemorate Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday in December 2015.