Requiem for a Good Man

The community of journalists in Manila is mourning one of its own. Michael Marasigan, formerly of BusinessWorld and an esteemed colleague, was gunned down along with his brother in San Juan a week ago. No known motive.

Michael and I were in Business Day at the same time in the early '80s. We reconnected on Facebook about a year ago and he gave PF permission to post some of his acclaimed road trip (around the Philippines) videos, and we did. We're posting another one in this issue as our Video of the Week, in memory of a good man, as everyone who knew Michael can attest.

The world-renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers (also known as the UP Madrigal Singers) is the subject of Manzel Delacruz's feature this week, as the choir embarks on another world tour. San Francisco gets to hear them on August 12. Check the story for details.

We have another Hometown feature, this time on Cebu. Isabel Taylor Escoda, formerly of Hong Kong, offers a spirited argument for "Overstaying in Cebu."

From the south, we go northas first-time contributor Merlita Usita Campañano writes about a popular restaurant in her hometown in Cagayan. "Hapag-Kainan sa Ballesteros" lures with small-town flair and shares its recipe for "Dinakdakan," that famous dish favored by Ilocanos worldwide. 

And our In The Know links for this week:

The Night Asian America Took One Last Stand. Remembering 40 Years After the Fall of the I-Hotel
https://asamnews.com/2017/08/02/the-night-asian-america-took-one-last-stand-remembering-40-years-after-the-fall-of-the-i-hotel/

Are Priests Duterte’s Fiercest Foes?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/opinion/are-priests-dutertes-fiercest-foes.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region&_r=0

Wiki warriors: activists fighting to keep truth of brutal Marcos regime in Philippines alive
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/02/wiki-warriors-activists-fighting-to-keep-truth-of-brutal-marcos-regime-in-philippines-alive?CMP=share_btn_fb

How to Get Ahead in Politics in the Philippines
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/08/opinion/the-philippines-contemptuous-politics.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fmiguel-syjuco&action=click&contentCollection=opinion&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection&_r=0

My Trip To The Philippines, Part 2: The Power of Colorism And Colonial Mentality
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/597a9f76e4b06b305561cf62

Love and Consciousness

Now that LGBTQ rights are under assault (again), it's heartwarming to hear of a good story like Cherie Querol Moreno's "Two Brides and Open Hearts," a loving portrait of a family wedding that affirms the right to choose who you love. That it took place in Orlando, Florida -- the land of homophobic Anita Bryant -- is doubly sweet.

In San Francisco's Manilatown, Fil-Am history gets an early tribute with the exhibit of paintings and photographs of Tony Remington, a Manila-born, San Francisco-raised artist who went through the angst of lost identity and found his bearings when he went back to the Philippines for a few years. Carlos Zialcita chronicles the artist's journey of self-discovery in "Tony Remington's Launching Point to Fil-Am Consciousness."

Presy Lopez-Psinakis, who passed away recently, was an important figure in the US-based movement against the Marcos dictatorship. Cherie Querol Moreno pays tribute to the lady known for her grace and courage.

Our In The Know links for this week:

Stemming the tide of violent extremism in the Philippines
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2017/07/29/stemming-the-tide-of-violent-extremism-in-the-philippines/

Online Harassment: Lessons from the Philippines
http://gijn.org/2017/07/13/fighting-online-harassment-lessons-from-the-philippines/

5 Needed Steps To Transfer A Land Title In The Philippines
http://pinoyjuander.com/blog/2015/12/5-needed-steps-to-transfer-a-land-title-in-the-philippines/

New Rules on Balikbayan Boxes Take Effect Aug 1: What You Need to Know
http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/news-and-events/new-rules-on-balikbayan-boxes-take-effect-aug-1-what-you-need-to-know-a00178-20170726?utm_source=Facebook-Cosmo&utm_medium=Siteshare&utm_campaign=20170727-balikbayanboxesnewrules

What 'simple, comfortable' Filipino life looks like, according to NEDA
http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/06/29/16/what-simple-comfortable-filipino-life-looks-like-according-to-neda

For our Happy Home Cook, Richgail Enriquez “veganizes” for another Filipino favorite: Macaroni Salad.

For our Video of the Week, youtube channel Just Saying HG featured the five Filipina Beauty Queens who won in the International Pageants from 2013-2016.

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.