Fateful February

The recent arrest of journalist/Rappler CEO Maria Ressa was not just a simple case of an aggrieved person filing a libel case (a criminal offense in the Philippines, unlike other countries where it is a civil offense). Rather, it was the latest in a string of charges leveled on the publication ever since it caught the ire of President Duterte. Veteran journalist and Rappler editor-at-large Marites Danguilan Vitug takes us through  the context behind this latest case and explains why, when multiple state agencies are used to go after one media outlet, it becomes an issue of media harassment and press freedom. Read "News Media in Danger in the Time of Duterte." 

An ancient bell coated with green patina greets visitors to Robinson's mall in Padre Faura, Manila. The backstory behind "That Jesuit Bell," as author/journalist Sylvia L. Mayuga calls it, is one that involves wartime exploits and heroism (notably of Fr. John Hurley, SJ, Ateneo's Father Superior during WWII), of community spirit and human endurance. Truly a story that transcends the ages.

Across the seas, community historian/leader Mel Orpilla narrates the history of Filipinos in Mare Island off the city of Vallejo, California. Not very many realize the important role this former naval shipyard played in the Filipino-American War that started in 1898 and of the early Filipinos who worked and lived in that piece of land that juts out to the San Francisco Bay.

Here are links to stories from other publications that you may have missed:

Trump Ripped His’National Emergency’ Move Straight from the Playbook of a Dictator
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-rempel-trump-marcos-parallels-20190214-story.html?fbclid=IwAR24ENM4dWDH54GKA_7F7ghcuQxUF2yD4zktnstkaEIG_QNOy7KDMXMaK7Q

Law used against journalist Maria Ressa stirs fears among Filipinos: It could target ‘all of us’
https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-philippines-maria-ressa-20190218-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3wxSpY82Nod_S2GL_2T4Hc-b3U-zH1nWqcgieI11NiDs3tgesXJdHR7Zw

Unsung Filipino Seafarers Power the Global Economy
https://www.economist.com/asia/2019/02/16/unsung-filipino-seafarers-power-the-global-economy

The Cinematography of 'A Star is Born'
https://filmschoolrejects.com/cinematography-of-a-star-is-born/

The official fast food French fry power rankings
https://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-french-fry-rankings-20190212-story.html

Our Happy Home Cook recipe: Vegan Spaghetti Mien from Rene Astudillo. 

For our Video of the Week, Bond girl Rachel Grant features 7 traditional dances from the Philippines on Storia’s facebook page.

Meet the Alaskeros

They call themselves Alaskeros, Filipinos who are seasonal workers in the fish canneries of Alaska. In his youth, author/poet/beloved teacher Oscar Peñaranda was one of them, but he did something more than scaling and slicing salmon. He chronicled in vivid detail the grit, the color, the toughness and of course the joy of being an Alaskero, a job or a circumstance that lends itself to a lot of riveting stories. Here, in "Pieces of the (Midnight) Sun: Sketches of An Alaskero" are those stories, with some name changes for privacy. 

What is a Poet Laureate and what does she have to do? Apparently plenty, as Filipino American poet Aileen Cassinetto describes her day. She was chosen by the San Mateo County (California) Board of Supervisors as its third Poet Laureate, the first Asian American to be thus honored. In addition to telling us what her mandate is, Aileen shares the poem she wrote and read before the county board's first meeting this year. 

This week, we join our homeland in mourning the passing and celebrating the life of Armida Siguion-Reyna, TV personality and cultural activist, who long-lasting TV show, "Aawitan Kita," preserved the legacy of Filipino music, particularly the kundiman. Read Again the profile written by her granddaughter, Sara Siguion-Reyna, "We Call Her Mahal."  

To add flavor to your Valentine's Day, how's about baking some Meringue Cookies with Toffee, a recipe from PF Correspondent and cookbook author Elizabeth Ann Quirino for the Happy Home Cook. 

And here's a Read Again that should make you appreciate better your unencumbered Valentine's Day: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/when-hilario-met-sally-the-fight-against-anti-miscegenation-laws 

Here are our In The Know links for your reading pleasure:

Journalists, institutions decry 'absurd legal attack' against Rappler
https://www.rappler.com/nation/222921-journalists-institutions-decry-absurd-legal-attack-against-rappler?fbclid=IwAR10bwPmbR03zPzJFTXBM4AkKlke0sxwSOKlrq3TJoVs-BRXx_E0rll7f4Y

History of New Manila & Doña Magdalena Hemady
https://lakansining.wordpress.com/2019/02/06/quezon-city-the-history-of-new-manila-dona-magdalena-hemady/?fbclid=IwAR2xfo8QBIsxQJ2KRBP0oOorhqOLix9fWXSPY9b99JHL50PPlSInGFO8QJA

This place in Metro Manila takes you on a gripping Martial Law tour
https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/travel/ph-travel/146918-martial-law-tour-bantayog-ng-mga-bayani?fbclid=IwAR0iZ9vTP-Ms_cKMJynrFQIZZpOJDSSX6MW72WzYAph7VLxbistXjuq_LNQ

'Comfort women' activist, dead at 92, fought for reparations 'until the end'
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/comfort-women-activist-dead-92-fought-reparations-until-end-n964936?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_aa&fbclid=IwAR10bwPmbR03zPzJFTXBM4AkKlke0sxwSOKlrq3TJoVs-BRXx_E0rll7f4Y

For Video of the Week, educator Dr. Carl E. Balita posted an informational video on facebook on the importance of the Philippines to the world.

A Visayan Surprise International Hit

Some Filipino songs have been recognized internationally and one of them is the Visayan (Cebuano) song "Rosas Pandan," currently a staple among choirs in various countries, thanks to the intricate vocal arrangements of San Francisco-based musical arranger George Gemora Hernandez. PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia gives us the story behind this popular song's unexpected success and lists 22 different renditions in "The Late, Surprising 21st Century Success of Rosas Pandan." 

Ambassador (Ret.) Virgilio A. Reyes Jr. chronicles the story of the Tempongko family, originally of Pulong Mayaman, Malate, whose evolution spans over a century in "Portrait of History as a Filipino Family."

February may be the month of love but Philippine history also marks it as a month of bloodshed. On February 4, 1899, the bloody Philippine-American War began which resulted in over 20,000 Filipinos and over 4,000 Americans dead. Forty six years later, on February 3, 1945, the battle to liberate Manila from the Japanese began. Read Again our stories on these two monumental events in our motherland's history:

"A Valiant People's Army" by John L. Silva

"The Battle of Manila, WWII" by James M. Scott 

Here are our links to stories you may have missed:

The Philippine War - A Conflict of Conscience for African Americans
https://www.nps.gov/prsf/learn/historyculture/the-philippine-insurrectiothe-philippine-war-a-conflict-of-consciencen-a-war-of-controversy.htm?fbclid=IwAR0DgXk4c2t2I4FvTp_dKFtQVQvCV0le4IYezQsn7Ei-JTwo-eZuLPMugs0

The Black Presence in The Philippines
https://atlantablackstar.com/2014/06/28/the-black-presence-in-the-philippines%e2%80%8f/?fbclid=IwAR3pyfW_4wTU7aGKg18fOK7PdiEYaTVI450OMS0GvgzK7qnMvwaYjkzukNY

A Son of Immigrants Contemplates What His Life Might Have Been
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/lens/manila-philippines-dead-to-rights.html?fbclid=IwAR116ER81c_Dx3Q5NkGLJNxBrDB41zh7FpaG7IYZorkYxNYiZf12YNV9YT4

Small Filipino restaurant in New York sees popularity skyrocket after Esquire names its among best
https://news.yahoo.com/small-filipino-restaurant-york-sees-110001290.html?soc_src=community&soc_trk=fb&fbclid=IwAR1P71G-IZt_59cJgJIgu8hrRlvpH5fQE5m6fvNDXV9CJHZfQ4wLji266xs

5 Filipino Marine Scientists Who Are Saving Our Seas
http://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2018/07/24/Filipino-marine-scientists.html?fbclid=IwAR0KvKqg41UkVjyIL8RhdxyuQjwNC9a_PFruebEcoQY_bysoJfE1cvAqhpQ

Our Happy Home Cook features another recipe from San Francisco-based foodie, Voltaire Gungab: Longganisa with Apples and Asian Pear.

For Video of the Week, South China Morning Post features how a family in Marawi was ripped apart by fighting between ISIS and the Philippine military.