Hometown Is Where the Heart Is

We're really hitting gold with our Hometown stories and we hope you send in yours. We define "hometown" as the place you remember from childhood. It doesn't matter if you grew up in an urban area or you spent only a snippet of your childhood in a particular place. Wherever you have memories -- no matter what they are --  that's your hometown. 

This week, Lilia V. Villanueva transports us to her beloved hometown with "My Bacolod of Sights, Sounds, Smells." 

Going back further in our homeland's history, PF Correspondent Dr. Penelope V. Flores once again submits an evocative piece, "Surprising Facts About Ferdinand Magellan and His Voyage to the Philippines." If the archipelago had been named Magallanes, what would we, its natives, be called?

Summertime in the western hemisphere means travel to many. Here are two stories to Read Again if you're dreaming of a French holiday: 

The artist Ofelia Gelvezon-Tequi writes fondly about her adopted hometown, Limeuil, considered one of the most villages in France: http://www.positivelyfilipino. com/magazine/limeuil

Author/journalist Criselda Yabes writes about her part-time home, the remote village of Haybes in the Les Ardennes region of France: http://www.positivelyfilipino. com/magazine/my-french-village

And if you missed reading these interesting stories in various publications, here are some links so you will be In The Know:

Natixis' Nguyen Sees More Downside for Philippine Peso
https://finance.yahoo.com/video/natixis-nguyen-sees-more-downside-021752269.html

15 Filipino Actors Who Are Making It in Hollywood
http://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/arts-and-entertainment/15-filipino-actors-who-are-making-it-in-hollywood-a1926-20170719-lfrm

The 50 Best Filipino Films of the 21st Century
https://pinoyrebyu.wordpress.com/2017/07/23/the-50-best-filipino-films-of-the-21st-century/

UCLA alumna creates pop-up ice cream shop featuring Filipino flavors
http://dailybruin.com/2017/07/23/ucla-alumna-creates-pop-up-ice-cream-shop-featuring-filipino-flavors

5 Filipino heroines who changed Philippine history
http://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2017/06/07/5-filipino-heroines.html

And for a summer refresher to counter the scorching heat, PF Correspondent and resident foodie Elizabeth Ann Quirino shares "Cantaloupe Strings-Calamansi Dessert Drink," which should bring back memories of hot summer days in our Motherland.

For our Video of the Week, Emirates Airline released a video of Baylor University School of Music Men’s Choir performing Ryan Cayabyab's “Da Coconut Nut” after a flight to the US from Kenya. “You wake up one day and a song you wrote nearly 30 years ago has 10 million + views on the internet in three days,” Cayabyab reacted on facebook.

Letters

In the ancient days, before email and social media, we had penpals -- strangers from other countries we exchanged handwritten or typed letters with via snail mail. I myself had two, a girl from Japan and a boy from Sweden. We went as far as sending pictures and exchanging stamps for our respective collections, but both correspondence fizzled because I lost interest and stopped writing back. Not so Rey de la Cruz, who carried on a penpal friendship with a woman from Finland named Satu, for 51 years. In "Dear Satu: Letters Tell the Story of Our Lives," Rey tells us how he and Satu finally met and became even closer friends. They now exchange emails, although occasionally, for old times sake, they would switch back to air mails. A heartwarming story of a lasting friendship that only few can manage.

Another Hometown story, this time about San Juan, Metro Manila where Dr. Senen "Sonny" Siasoco grew up in his physician-grandfather's house across the street from the famous Pinaglabanan monument. As he narrates in "My Lolo's House," their balcony was where Philippine presidents spoke from during the annual commemoration rites. The house held some other attractions and historic provenance, that Dr. Siasoco humorously shares. 

Our feature last week on Nora Aunor triggered some where-are-they-now questions on social media. So if you're wondering what has happened to Hilda Koronel, Boots Anson-Roa and songstress Becca Godinez, the answer as provided by contributor Cathy Sanchez Babao is: they're all happily married and in love. Here are some Read Agains:

Second Springs
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/second-springs

That's Amore
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/thats-amore

And, in case you missed them, here are some links to interesting stories from various publications, to keep you In The Know: 

The silent hero behind the Philippines' case vs China
http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/175731-profile-henry-bensurto-philippines-china-case?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral

Sacramento district can’t find enough teachers, so it turns to Philippines for help
http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article161521288.html

How the Philippines managed to lose a potential world chess champion in Wesley So
http://www.spin.ph/chess/special-reports/how-the-philippines-managed-to-lose-a-potential-world-chess-champion-like-wesley-so

Inside The Mind Of The Young CEO Who Introduced The Break-Up Leave
http://www.fhm.com.ph/be-a-better-man/mens-stuff/meet-break-up-leave-pioneer-ceo-third-domingo-a00028-20170716-lfrm

These Michael Cinco Gowns Are So Unbelievably Pretty, They Left Us Totally Speechless!
https://brideandbreakfast.ph/2017/04/21/fashion-friday-michael-cinco-fall-2017-couture-collection/

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is a favorite merienda fare, Ginataang Mais from Judy Ann Santos' cookbook.

And for our Video of the Week: the Guardian UK reports on Filipina domestic workers being abused by their employers in London and the women's efforts to organize.

Timeless

"The Timeless Nora Aunor" is appropriately the title of our lead feature this week, which focuses on the single most influential superstar in Philippine entertainment for the past 50 years. San Francisco-based film expert Mauro Feria Tumbocon Jr., who has followed Nora Aunor's life and career meticulously, expertly encapsulates her triumphs and challenges -- certainly no mean feat since the superstar's trajectory is as fraught with drama as her roles have been.

Likewise, emerging triumphant from a long-drawn, turbulent legal case, the century-old (almost) Philippine Women's University (PWU) is all set to "build the scaffolding" for its next hundred years, as its current president, Dr. Francisco "Kiko" Benitez, puts it. Lyca Benitez-Brown, the university's media director, writes about the crown jewel of her distinguished clan's commitment to education, women and the nation.

We sent out a call for Hometown stories and the response has been gratifying (keep 'em coming, dear readers). Here's the first in our series: "In Search of the Cupang I Used to Know," where Ed Maranan, one of the most awarded Filipino writers of all time, tells us why his hometown, Cupang, Batangas, means a lot to him. 

For our Happy Home Cook this week: vegan chicharon is really not an oxymoron as our vegan chef, Richgail Enriquez, shares.

For our In The Know links this week:

Human Trafficking Survivor Speaks Out
https://www.facebook.com/fusionmedianetwork/videos/2036729566353011/?autoplay_reason=user_settings&video_container_type=0&video_creator_product_type=2&app_id=2392950137&live_video_guests=0

26 Filipino Words Now Officially Part Of The English Language
https://www.buzzfeed.com/aviannetan/like-hillary-clinton-is-a-presidentiable?utm_term=.veL7OB3OG#.mopmvxYvO

Mr. Wash SyCip @96
http://business.mb.com.ph/2017/07/04/mr-wash-sycip-96/

The problematic portrayal of Filipinos on American TV
http://cnnphilippines.com/life/entertainment/television/2016/06/23/filipinos-on-american-tv.html#.WV6QP0W1FT0.facebook

Why even the millennials must know the imprint of Luis Ma. Araneta
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/265841/even-millennials-must-know-imprint-luis-ma-araneta/#ixzz4meRLR6G7 

For our Video of the Week, the singer formerly known as Charice Pempengco makes her singing debut as Jake Zyrus on ASAP.