Looking Back

There's no question about it. Uncertain times require focused, well thought out political activism. And the best way to be good at it is to look for guidance from organizations and people who have been there, who have done successful actions that got positive results. That's why the release of  A Time to Rise, a book that chronicles the anti-Marcos struggles and the quest for social change for Filipino Americans by the Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino (KDP) in the '70s and '80s, is timely and valuable at this point when the siren call for resistance and change cannot be ignored. History professor James Sobredo writes an extensive review of the book.

If you lived in the Philippines during the Marcos regime, you will certainly remember Ricardo Silverio, who owned the Toyota franchise, among others, at that time and was one of the more well-known cronies. The Silverio business empire did not survive the fall of the regime in 1986 and PF Correspondent Myles Garcia tells us why in "Tales of the Late, Last Toyota King of the Philippines."

Switching now to a more soul-enriching topic, artist/writer France Viana gives a glimpse of the Philippine Art Exhibition of San Francisco's Asian Art Museum (AAM) in "Myth, Magic and Madonnas in the Eye-Opening Philippine Art Exhibition." It is a very tiny collection -- just 25 objects, all donated -- on display but, as the author asserts, the exhibit nonetheless provides "insights into racial makeup, ancestral trade routes, and migratory histories." A puny beginning for the AAM which hopefully will lead to a bigger, richer one. 

Salted egg whatevers are the rage in Manila right now and PF Correspondent Rene Astudillo, who also has a food blog, is right there with his Crispy-Fried, Salted-Egg Fish Skins version, our recipe for the Happy Home Cook.

We have an interesting array of In the Know links for you this week:

Filipinos of the Year 2017: Pinoy Ako Blog and other voices vs. fake news
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/958077/filipinos-of-the-year-2017-pinoy-ako-blog-and-other-voices-vs-fake-news#ixzz53mjehdvx

Filipino Film ‘Ang Larawan’ Sets the Bar High for Movie Musicals
https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2018/01/09/filipino-film-ang-larawan-sets-the-bar-high-for-movie-musicals/

Are These The 20 Most Beautiful Places in the World?
http://www3.forbes.com/lifestyle/are-these-the-20-most-beautiful-places-in-the-world/

Why the Market for Skin Whitening Products is Growing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjzvvgmg1NU

For Video of the Week, BBC News features Mitos, one of the many victims of modern day slavery in the U.K. She tells about her everyday life working as a domestic helper in Britain until she escaped her employers.

Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino

Simple and Successful

After those sumptuous, sinful dishes of the holidays, I'm sure many of us are hankering for simple, basic comfort food. And so we bring you the late great chef Nora Daza's Chicken Tinola Soup recipe for our Happy Home Cook this week. 

In picturesque Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, stands the Bayanihan Community Centre, the pride of the island's Filipino community. Purportedly the envy of other Canadian cities with sizeable Filipino communities, the Bayanihan Community Centre's longevity is attributed to its solid financial management and accountability and its active organization. First-time contributor Ben Pires, who has been involved in the center since its inception, writes its story.

How to pay tribute to someone you admire but hardly knew? FilAm author/academic Laurel Fantauzzo, who just came out with a highly acclaimed creative non-fiction book, shows us how as she honors the late Congresswoman Dina Abad, her mother's friend.

Oh, and by the way, this issue marks the sixth year of Positively Filipino's existence and as is our wont, we list down our ten most popular stories of the past year so you can read them again or for the first time. See below.



Once again, our In The Know links for this week. We can't possibly monitor all the stories from other publications to include in our list so if you come across stories about Filipinos and the Philippines in your local newspapers, please send the link to pfeditor@yahoo.com.

Duterte Threatens to Dethrone the Jeepney as King of Filipino Roads
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/25/world/asia/philippines-jeepney-duterte.html

House panel passes bill declaring Kalayaan Islands as 'alienable, disposable land'
http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/12/26/house-panel-kalayaan-islands.html

Zuckerberg Under Fire For Facebook’s Deal With Rodrigo Duterte
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk_ns1ynSRo

Celebrating Brown Skin
https://www.facebook.com/ajplusenglish/videos/1072515149556658/

For Video of the Week, NBC Asian America features dance troupe Kinding Sindaw as they teach and preserve the traditions of southern Philippine culture.

Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino

Where Are You Going in 2018 (Literally)?

So here we are once again -- another year over, and what an emotionally taxing year it has been.

Now we get to start again and we send our wishes for a more peaceful and meaningful 2018 for everyone.

Will this coming year be filled with travel for you? Here's a reality check for one of the most desired destinations in our motherland -- Coron in Palawan. PF contributor Bella Bonner visited the place for the first time and shares her astute observations of what awaits you in one of the most talked about places in anyone's bucket list.

In another part of the world, Joe Santos posts his encounters with Filipinos of various kinds during his cruise earlier this year. 

And for a delicious New Year's meal, Elizabeth Ann Quirino once again puts together a menu consisting of Spanish-style Cocido, which is a complete meal in itself, and Coconut Leche Flan.

As for our In The Know links, we always try to give you a variety of stories for your reading pleasure:

Women of Manila ‘killing field’ count on power of silence
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/949345/war-on-drugs-drug-killings-extrajudicial-killings#ixzz52TTjA1gP

Decolonizing With Betel Nuts
https://medium.com/@margostebbing/decolonizing-with-beetle-nuts-3785731297fc

5 famous personalities around the world who have nothing but praise for Filipino nannies
https://www.facebook.com/FilipinoTimes/videos/1278772492230043/

What's wrong with this statue of a comfort woman?
https://www.rappler.com/nation/192301-comfort-woman-statue-roxas-boulevard-manila-issues

For Video of the Week, we wind up the year with renowned shadow dance group El Gamma Penumbra's rendition of Pentatonix's “Mary, Did You Know?”

Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino