Political Anxiety

Mercifully, the political circus will be over in five days. But will it really?

The traditional "wisdom" in Philippine political campaigns is that a candidate, especially for hotly contested posts, will have to overcome two major hurdles before he/she can claim a win: the voting and the counting. “A candidate may win in the voting, but will he win in the counting?” is a common question asked by voters. The vote tally is the bigger hurdle, thus political operatives know that a big chunk (some say 98 percent) of campaign funds should be saved for the last night before election, when the horse-trading and the bribing will be at fever-pitch and poll watchers are deployed (and paid) in every precinct to make sure the votes are counted correctly.

Who wins and who loses when the electoral process is subverted? Walden Bello, a recognized thought leader and independent senatorial candidate, shares his opinion piece on who or what is the biggest current threat to the Philippines' teetering democracy.

Moving on to other compelling stories, Positively Filipino Contributing Writer Rey E. de la Cruz takes us to his hometown of Ballesteros, Cagayan where the destructive effects of black sand mining has resulted in an eroded coastline and the wiping out of "gakka," small clams unique to the area. Gakka has been a traditional Cagayan delicacy for centuries and its disappearance has made Ballesteros natives angry at those profiting from the mining activities.

And another hometown, another lament: Rene Astudillo returns to Baguio and realizes that the hometown he knew is now just a memory. "What Happened to the Baguio I Once Knew?" is a common question from those who once loved the beautiful city of pines.

In Manila, Kashmir restaurant, the first and longest-running Indian restaurant in the metro area, continues to lord it over newbies. Serina Aidasani pays tribute to the restaurant's longevity in "Spicing Up the Filipino Palate," some 40 years after the owners introduced Indian cuisine to Filipino taste buds.

Kashmir also shares with us its recipe for Vegetarian Samosas in our Happy Home Cook section this week.

In our Video of the Week, Chef Myke "Tatung" Sarthou presents dishes which Filipinos prepared during pre-hispanic times.

Homestretch

Overseas Filipinos who are registered voters should have their ballots by now and those who are still deciding on who to vote for have a lot of thinking to do.

We have put together a folio of stories which we hope can help or, at the very least, amuse:

The battle for the vice presidency has now come down to two candidates: Leni Robredo and Bongbong Marcos. Take your pick.

Veteran political observer Randy David presents his views about the presidential frontrunner, Rodrigo Duterte. 

Myles Garcia anticipates what will happen if Bongbong Marcos becomes vice president.

Turning to better subjects, tai chi master Rene Navarro narrates his harrowing experience practicing his routine in a public park in "Tai Chi Chuan Sword and the Cop."

History buff Jonathan Best takes us to the Ateneo Library's American Historical Collection in "Dig Into the American Period in the Philippines at Ateneo."

For our Happy Home Cook recipe, another gem from culinary guru Nora Daza: Royal Russian Salad and Homemade Mayonnaise.

And for our Videos of the Week, our favorite national dance, the tinikling, is featured again in these two videos hitting the social media.  

Politics and Machismo

As election day in our homeland nears, the rhetoric is getting hotter and the polls are getting tighter. Here's an update on the presidential and vice presidential races as reported by author/academic Vicente L. Rafael, a recent visitor to the Philippines.

Presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte, famous for reckless remarks, went beyond the pale recently with his outrageous comment on a 1989 incident of rape and murder, which he recalled in a recent campaign sortie. We are re-posting from theater artist/women's rights activist Monique Wilson's Facebook page, her impassioned and thought-provoking statement on why rape is no joking matter. "An Open Letter to Mayor Duterte" is a sober read that will hopefully educate Duterte fans on why their candidate's words have intense repercussions.

And speaking of machismo, Dr. Penelope V. Flores, our resident cultural historian, writes "Of Cocks and Men." 'Nuff said.

On to the brighter side, Bay Area writer Ed Diokno regales us about the current NBA champs, "The Golden State Warriors Make an Asian Connection." Get to know the Filipino Americans who are crucial contributors to the team's tremendous success.

And for those hungry in LA, Positively Filipino Contributing Writer Anthony Maddela tries out Eggslut, a unique sandwich place, and writes about it in "Runny Side Up."

We also take you back to another write-up by Anthony Maddela last year, "Boy Band That Sings Together, Stays Together," on the impressive a capella group, The Filharmonic. 

Our Happy Home Cook feature, Bangus Shanghai (Milk Fish Egg Roll) from Rene Astudillo.

For our Video of the Week, Lea Salonga sings on the season finale of the CW's musical comedy "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend."