May Is for Dancing and Feasting

There's something about the month of May that feels like the psychological cobwebs and lethargy of winter have lifted and sunshine and celebrations have taken over. For Filipinos, particularly, May is fiesta time when many towns celebrate the feast day of San Isidro de Labrador, for instance, on May 15. San Isidro is the patron saint of farmers, and it's understandable that a still largely agrarian Catholic country pays homage to his patronage. Other towns have their own saints whose feast days fall on different months, but the May-born ones have the advantage of summer, when town folks are in the mood for celebrating.

In the US, there's a big list of commemorations in May, but the significant ones (for us) are the Asian American-Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Older Americans Month, Mental Health Awareness Month and of course, Mother's Day. 

Always in the spirit of celebration, we have new stories for you this week:

"Dancing with the Kalinga: Homage to a Brave Past" is Dr. Michael Gonzalez's riveting account of his visit to Kalinga province where he immersed in the musical traditions of the indigenous people and paid silent tribute to the late warrior/activist Macli-ing Dulag, who inspired and led the resistance to the massive dam project that would have drowned the lands and history of his people.

In "Incarcerated 6x9 Gets You on the Cell-ular Level",  PF Correspondent Lisa Suguitan-Melnick provides a sneak preview of the forthcoming dance theater creation of Alleluia Panis, whose name is synonymous with passion and artistry.

PF's resident food expert Elizabeth Ann Quirino introduces Chef Jam Melchor, an advocate of the Slow Food Movement, whose advocacy focuses on bringing back the traditional methods and dishes of Filipino culinary history. From the Chef, who is a Kapampangan, comes his recipe of Sisig Babi, our Happy Home Cook feature for the week. 

Here's our In The Know lineup:

The Philippines Genocide 3 million Filipinos Killed
https://britsinthephilippines.top/philippines-genocide-3-million-filipinos-killed/

Boracay: From pristine island to fragile paradise
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/201094-boracay-history-island-paradise-fragile-closure

Patis Tesoro
http://artinsite.org/2018/04/patis/

Sisig with egg and mayo? Thanks, but Kapampangans aren't having any of that
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/food/651699/sisig-with-egg-and-mayo-thanks-but-kapampangans-aren-t-having-any-of-that/story/?utm_source=GMANews&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=lifestyle

White Rabbit, China’s beloved homemade candy, tries to modernise whilst maintaining tradition
https://www.scmp.com/video/china/2142468/white-rabbit-chinas-beloved-homemade-candy-tries-modernise-whilst-maintaining

For Video of the Week, we feature the trailer of director Alexandra Cuerdo's documentary “ULAM: The Main Dish,” which will be shown on May 11, 2018 at the San Francisco CAAMFest.

On Stage, Underwater, and at a Certain Age

This week, we take you to the theater for a play on Filipino immigration, to the ocean with an underwater videographer and to a writer's personal journey towards becoming a septuagenarian.

Elaine Elinson, who did the exclusive interview for PF with novelist/playwright Jessica Hagedorn, now does a review of Gangster of Love, the play, showing at San Francisco's Magic Theater until May 11. She describes it as funny and heart-wrenching, which makes it a good one to catch -- and with a 20% discount for PF readers, why not?

PF Correspondent Rey de la Cruz profiles Robert Suntay, marine conservationist and underwater videographer, who talks about what it takes to film some awe-inspiring sights under the sea.

How does it feel to reach 70? PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia feels it's time to do the things you didn't do in your youth.

Learn more about the US-Philippines Society from former Ambassador John F. Maisto, our Partner post this week.

We have some precious links in our In The Know collection this week:

US Military Bases Disguised as Philippine Bases are Here Again
http://www.preda.org/fr-shays-articles/us-military-bases-disguised-as-philippine-bases-are-here-again/

Meet the journalism student who found out she won a Pulitzer in class
https://www.cjr.org/the_profile/mariel-padilla-pulizter-cincinnnati.php

Documentary | Fake news in the Philippines: Dissecting the propaganda machine
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/rich-media/199895-fake-news-documentary-philippines-propaganda-machine?utm_source=The+Daily+wRap&utm_campaign=0cd94f25bc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_04_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b3868977d4-0cd94f25bc-95400069&mc_cid=0cd94f25bc&mc_eid=0c0639d4af

Accident that amputated swimmer’s leg led to his Palaro 2018 journey
https://www.rappler.com/sports/specials/palarong-pambansa/200613-ortho-amputee-swimming-mark-salazar-palaro-2018?utm_source=The%20Daily%20wRap&utm_campaign=0cd94f25bc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_04_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b3868977d4-0cd94f25bc-95400069&mc_cid=0cd94f25bc&mc_eid=0c0639d4af

We go vegan again for our Happy Home Cook recipe with Richgail Enriquez's Kaldereta Stew. 

For our Video of the Week, we feature the Philippines' Gourmet Gypsy Art Café, a restaurant which that specializes in ketogenic dishes and trains adults with special needs.

Marriage Migrants and the Price They Pay

This week, we situate our stories in two of our Asian neighbors, the first as a source of financial succor at the cost of marital practicalities, the second as a place for discovering new sites and experiences.

Manila-based journalist and community activist Rochit I. Tañedo covers the fate of Filipinas who choose to marry South Korean husbands in their quest for a better life for their families. In "Pinay Migrants Gasp for Air in South Korea's Closed Society," the realities of mixed marriages in a society that both embraces and looks down on the concept are poignantly described.

In "Taking It Easy in Japan Islands," PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes takes us with her on her meanderings in the land of Mount Fuji, goddesses and public baths.

From another PF Correspondent, Serina Aidasani, comes a profile of noted pianist Charisse Baldoria, who also sees herself as a writer, photographer, composer and cultural worker whose compositions salute her cultural roots as a Filipino.

Some compelling stories are in our In The Know lineup this week:

Reuters journalists win Pulitzer for reporting on Philippine 'drug war'
https://www.rappler.com/nation/200391-reuters-journalists-win-pulitzer-2018-report-war-on-drugs-philippines

How a secretive police squad racked up kills in Duterte's drug war
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/philippines-drugs-squad/

The Filipino tribe that hangs its dead from cliffs
http://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20180405-the-filipino-tribe-that-hangs-its-dead-from-cliffs

Meet Davao's Willy Wonka who put PH chocolate on the world map
http://news.abs-cbn.com/life/04/17/18/meet-davaos-willy-wonka-who-put-ph-chocolate-on-the-world-map

12 Longtime Pampanga Businesses That Are Still In Existence Today
https://kaplistorian.blogspot.com/2018/04/78-12-longtime-pampanga-businesses-that.html

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week comes from Chef Barb Batiste, whose Big Boi restaurant in LA we featured last week. Here's her own recipe for Chicken Adobo.

For our Video of the Week, we feature Houston-based Filipino Food Truck, “Flip n' Patties.”