Heartbreaks

Can you imagine same sex marriage becoming legal in the Philippines? Me neither, at least in our lifetime. But the times are certainly a-changin' as a legal case filed by a young, gay lawyer named Jesus Falcis III that pushes for the legalization of same-sex marriage in a mostly Catholic country gets a hearing as far up as the Supreme Court. That alone is an achievement, as PF Correspondent Rene M. Astudillo, reports in "Quo Vadis, Philippine Same Sex Marriage."

Hardly controversial is the innate talent of Noel Trinidad, the artist profiled by another PF Correspondent, Rey E. de la Cruz. 

Forty one years ago this month in San Francisco, one of the most heartbreaking conflicts took place -- the eviction of elderly Filipinos from the International Hotel. Read Again Veronica Versoza's account of what really happened that crucial night from which an entire generation of activists earned its chops. http://www.positivelyfilipino. com/magazine/the-last-night- of-i-hotel

Have you ever wondered how your family got its surname? Read Again cultural historian and PF Correspondent Penelope V. Flores' research on the genesis of Filipino surnames.
http://www.positivelyfilipino. com/magazine/how-filipinos- got-their-surnames

Quite a number of interesting Filipino-related stories were published in various media outlets recently. In case you missed them, here are some links in our In The Know section:

Carmen Guerrero Nakpil: The Greatest National Artist for Literature We Never Had
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/301505/carmen-guerrero-nakpil-greatest-national-artist-literature-never/

Eating while immigrant: The bitter taste of assimilation and the joy of 'stinky' food 
http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-food-immigrant-food-and-childhood-0801-story.html

Philippines Raises Concern over Chinese Radio Warnings
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/philippines-raises-concern-over-chinese-radio-warnings/2018/07/30/a50ec7ee-93fe-11e8-818b-e9b7348cd87d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.055854687a61

Filipina Chef Introduces Boodle Fights to the French Culinary Scene and the Europeans love it.
https://www.wheninmanila.com/filipina-chef-introduces-boodle-fights-to-the-french-culinary-scene-and-europeans-love-it/

Six Filipinos Indicted for Domestic and International Money Laundering and Conspiracy for Multi-Year Bribery and Fraud Scheme
https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/six-filipinos-indicted-domestic-and-international-money-laundering-and-conspiracy-multi

For our Happy Home Cook feature, incarcerated military officers (now freed) share their recipe for Calderetang Kambing (goat stew), a favorite of Filipino beer drinkers. 

For our video of the week, AARP nominates FilVetRep's Executive Director Jon Melegrito as one of its AAPI Community Hero Award finalists for his work in honoring the Filipino World War II Veterans. If you wish to support Jon, visit AARP's AAPI Hero Award facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/AARPAAPI/videos/1391794597623242/

Salad Days

Next to halo-halo, the perfect summer treat for most Filipinos who grew up in the Philippines is buko salad, especially when fresh young coconut is readily available. Here's a traditional recipe from Kulinarya, the book put together by some of the Philippines' best chefs, that shows how buko fruit salad is done in the old days. Hint: it involves heat, not just mixing stuff together. Our Happy Home Cook recipe for the week.

If you're planning a balikbayan visit, do spare the time to visit Intramuros, the best-preserved remnant of Spanish Manila. First-time contributor Renz Mae S. Ladroma shows as what you can see and enjoy in the Walled City, complete with prices and other details.

In San Francisco where the musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is on stage until August 8, PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia focus on Alysia Noelle Beltran, the Fil-Am actor who plays the lead role of Esmeralda, the gypsy.

Emerging as one of the acclaimed books of the year, Fil-Am author Elaine Castillo's first novel America Is Not the Heart is a must-read, according to reviewer Pia Cortez.

Some riveting stories that you may have missed:

The Philippines is building a green, disaster-resilient city
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/new-clark-city-philippines/index.html?utm_source=CNN%20Five%20Things&utm_campaign=59f5ebca53-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_07_23_07_43&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6da287d761-59f5ebca53-91010673

In Duterte’s Philippines, Having a Beer Can Now Land You in Jail
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/21/world/asia/philippines-duterte-crackdown.html

'I tended to the bodies': attacked by the Philippine army
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/21/philippines-lives-land-lost-coffee-empire-militarised-politics

Galo's Road (page 11)
http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2018/071118/Arlington.pdf

For video of the week, CNN Philippines features the work of Dr. Josephine Bundoc and Prosthetics and Orthotics Technician Ariel Zinampan on assisting People with Disabilities (PWD).

Suicide Isn't Painless

Through these days of rage and disquiet, let's face up to some important issues.

With the recent spate of celebrity suicides, do you wonder if Filipinos are just as prone to mental health issues that drive a person to choose death over life? Contributor Isabel Taylor-Escoda, who has retired in Cebu from living for decades in Hong Kong, researches the issue in "Suicide Among Filipinos."

We got this heartwarming story from a first-time contributor, David R. Rabaja, a Florida-based surgeon, about how the Rabaja clan was able to reunite in its original hometown in Cagayan. "Coming Home in Ballesteros" begs an answer to the perennial question of expats, can we really go home again?

As the immigration issue burns in the US, another first-time contributor Elizabeth Keanini-Silva tells the interesting story of Mayo Buenafe-Ze, who was brought to the US as a child, deported with her family back to the Philippines, and returned as a Fulbright scholar.

If you missed these stories from other publications, read them here in our In The Know lineup:

Manila's Mystery Red Banners
https://www.asiasentinel.com/politics/manila-mystery-red-banners/

What Does It Mean To Call Yourself Filipino, If You Can't Speak The Language?https://www.shopcambio.co/blogs/news/what-does-it-mean-to-call-yourself-filipino-if-you-cant-speak-the-language

Erica Paredes introduces ‘kamayan’ style, boodle fight to Europeans
http://www.interaksyon.com/chef-filipino-cuisine-france-erica-paredes-kamayan-boodle-fight/

LOOK: Filipino-French footballer celebrates World Cup win
http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/16/18/look-filipino-french-footballer-celebrates-world-cup-win

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is Vegan Nilaga from Richgail Enriquez. 

For video of the week, ABS-CBN News profiles Nella Sarabia, who continues the family legacy of optometry.