Requiems for UK in EU and the EDSA Republic

The worldwide tumult brought about by the United Kingdom's Brexit vote is personal to our Britain-based friend and former colleague, Emmily Magtalas Rhodes, who gives us an impassioned account of what it means tohave an uncertain future for her family. "My Beef with Brexit" is both a rant and an appeal to reason that Americans, facing a tough election season, should heed.

A leap back to Philippine history is provided by historian Dr. Michael Gonzalez in "Heneral Antonio Luna's Railroad," which tells the story of how the Philippine National Railway ushered in a future of numerous possibilities at the turn of the 20th century. For Filipinos of a certain age, Tutuban conjures images of trains and adventure. Too bad young Filipinos now only know it as a mall.

As the six-year term of President Benigno Aquino III comes to a close, political analyst and former congressman Walden Bello shares with us his "Requiem for the EDSA Republic," a think piece that provides an important challenge to the incoming administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte. 

Meanwhile, regular contributor Manzel Delacruz writes about "Taklub," the award-winning movie by director Brilliante Mendoza about the resiliency of the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). Nora Aunor stars.

In Sports, Positively Filipino Contributing Writer Anthony Maddela reports on the Los Angeles Dodgers' Filipino Night game and how it is seen by some members of the largest Filipino community in the US.

For our Happy Home Cook feature this week, let's celebrate US' Independence Day with a barbeque Filipino style. Actress Judy Ann Santos shares her recipe for Marinated Baby Back Ribs from her book, Judy Ann's Kitchen.

For our Video of the Week, the Philippine Department of Tourism ran a successful marketing campaign at the London Waterloo Station in order to entice the Britons and kababayan abroad to visit the Philippines.

Pride Amidst the Sorrow

Summer has arrived in the western hemisphere and with it come the fragrance of flowers, the aroma of barbecues and the piercing heat of high temps. June is also Gay Pride Month and this year, the traditionally raucous and colorful celebrations are tempered by the senseless tragedy in Orlando, Florida. We join the world in mourning the dead and in celebrating love, as Broadway stars, including Filipino American Joey Llana (currently playing the King of Siam in “The King and I”), gather to passionately sing the Burt Bacharach hit, "What the World Needs Now Is Love."

Wife-and-wife team Lisa Dazols and Jenni Chang has come out with a documentary on the "supergays" who are leading the charge for LGBT rights worldwide. Contributor Manzel Delacruz writes about the making of "Out and Around," which was filmed with the help of the beloved singer Pilita Corrales, in the Philippines.

A recent live event on Facebook organized by Manila Valley founder and CEO Chris Peralta brought together startup CEOs from the Philippines and some Silicon Valley stalwarts to talk about the future of the Philippines’ high tech sector. Contributor Harvey I. Barkin reports on how our homeland can play a big role in evolving the Internet of Things, as discussed during the event.

If summer means gardening, our regular contributor Lotis Key regales us with her story on how she "accidentally" joined the hordes of budding horticulturists in "In My DNA."

From Paris, Watch Again the interview by blogger Randy Diaz and Joyce Ibardolasa of Chef Aaron Isip who won the coveted Trophee Espoir from Gault and Millan last year.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week, La Paz Batchoy, Iloilo's soup delicacy, from Rene Astudillo.

Father Courage

Happy Father's Day to all the dads -- and single moms -- out there who, like our contributor Patricio N. Abinales in "Single Parenting an American," is trying to negotiate the rough waters of a kid's tween years combined with some cultural dilemmas. I feel his pain because about two decades ago, I was in the same situation as I wryly recall in my blog this week, "Paternal Instincts." It will be a tough journey ahead for parents like him but time flies and pretty soon the difficult years will just become family anecdotes to laugh about. At least that's always the hope.

It will be the 155th birthday of our National Hero Jose Rizal on June 19 so we are reposting two stories to remember him by: Penelope V. Flores' "Rizal's Great Loves" and John Silva's "Rizal's Cook Remembers a Good Man."

Lifelong activist and first-time contributor Edwin Batongbacal writes an impassioned review of the new book, Women Against Marcos: Stories of Filipino and Filipino American Women Who Fought a Dictator, by Mila de Guzman. Edwin's take is personal because some of the women featured in this book were his mentors who helped shape his political views. We are also including a chapter written by Mila Aguilar, one of the valiant women profiled in the book.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week: food blogger and cookbook author Marvin Gapultos' Lying Laing, his version of the traditional Bicolano dish but this time using kale instead of gabi (taro) leaves.

For our Video of the Week, we join the celebration of June as Immigrant Heritage Month with "I Am An Immigrant," a short video featuring celebrities standing by immigrants.