Calamities, Natural and Man-Inflicted

So much sadness and anger this week as the US grapples with three mass shootings that resulted in 29 deaths in different parts of the country. The Philippines, where killing is officially sanctioned, is not spared the agony of violence. Currently however, natural disasters are taking center stage there. 

The big one is the series of earthquakes in Batanes, which destroyed the solid, typhoon-resistant structures of Itbayat, one of the islands in the Batanes chain. To get a feel of what it was like and the aftermath, we called on Dorian Merina, a Fil-Am journalist who has chosen to settle in Batanes, to give us a report. Read "A Deadly Quake Tests Batanes' Tradition of Resiliency," also to find out how to help.

Back to the US, the Trump administration has started the process of revoking the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program which allows the families of Filipino veterans to join them in the US. Immigration lawyer Lourdes Santos Tancinco explains how the early termination will work and what to do if you're affected by it. (Partner Post: What the Impending Rescission of the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program Means to the Veterans Families)

In the city of Markham, Ontario, a larger than life statue of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal is unveiled, to celebrate Canada's first Filipino Heritage Month last June. The statue was created by Filipino Canadian scuptor Ignacio "Mogi" Mogado Jr., who's passionate about letting the world know about Rizal. Toronto-based writer Marisa Roque tells us the story in "Rizal Honored in Ontario."

PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia educates us on the fascinating evolution of the carnival (aka karnabal or perya) in the Philippines, tracing its colonial roots and noting its new iterations. "Did I Stay Too Long at the Fair?" is a fascinating read that you'll surely enjoy. 

It's Buwan ng Wika (National Language Month) in our homeland. Read Again poet/author Marne Kilates' "Why the 'F' in Filipino and How Did It Get There" to be updated on the new realities of the Filipino national language. 

For the Happy Home Cook this week, we borrowed a recipe from the famous chef Nora V. Daza from her book (co-authored by Michaela Fenix) A Culinary Life: Personal Recipe Collection: Ampalaya with Braised Beef. 

And our In The Know links, ICYMI:

Dark Web connects PH to mass shootings in US, Filipino pols’ vanities
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1151006/dark-web-connects-ph-to-mass-shootings-in-us-filipino-pols-vanities?fbclid=IwAR2T-QaA8ZGwP8isI2wfvyrO23pkIm4zpQaqvVyZUThIrr5rk4YL68osw3A

Care.com Founder to Step Down as CEO Months After WSJ Report
https://www.wsj.com/articles/care-com-founder-to-step-down-as-ceo-months-after-wsj-report-11565089901

Pogo workers in their midst: Notes from an ‘invasion’
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1147812/pogo-workers-in-their-midst-notes-from-an-invasion

She Was Filipino Food’s Greatest Champion. Now Her Work Is Finding New Fans.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/30/dining/filipino-food-doreen-fernandez.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage

For video of the week, South China Morning Post featured Jollibee and how it became one of the world’s biggest companies from Asia.

Life's A Beach

How does Boracay look now after the big cleanup? First-time PF contributor Willie Vergara, who had seen the island in its pristine state in the 1980s and has returned twice since, provides an honest look-see in "Boracay in Rehab."

Another first-time contributor Dr. Aileen Soriano-Pisaturo, the Director of Palliative Care Services at Kent Hospital in Warwick, Rhode Island, explains what palliative care, a new field in medicine, really means in "The Fuzzy Wuzzy of Medicine."

Batanes, the Philippines' northernmost province, has been in the news because of the twin earthquakes that caused deaths and destruction in Itbayat, one of its islands. Read Again Omar Paz's travel essay, "Batanes Beckons," and see why the islands have become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

And. for a touch of levity, Read Again Lotis Key's award-winning and very funny story, "White Men Can't Jump-Start."

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is PF Correspondent Rene Astudillo's innovative Garlic Cloves Adobo with Mushrooms.

Our In The Know links, ICYMI (in case you missed it):

Going Back to the Philippines to Retire: A How-to Guide
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/120315/going-back-philippines-retire-howto-guide.asp?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons&fbclid=IwAR00B6-pqOwn6rsOq7atDeMtEf0fvMrMaPb7tMyNvuoRHJYf8v2okaBnY4w

Why crafty Internet trolls in the Philippines may be coming to a website near you
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/why-crafty-internet-trolls-in-the-philippines-may-be-coming-to-a-website-near-you/2019/07/25/c5d42ee2-5c53-11e9-98d4-844088d135f2_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4c31350cd0e4

Where the Wealthy Go in Private Jets, From Bahamas to Barbados
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-26/where-the-wealthy-go-in-private-jets-from-bahamas-to-bora-bora?utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews

Everything’s coming up roselle
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/251494/everythings-coming-roselle/?fbclid=IwAR27NPQ8efeladshXIbJN5zVUHVGA4XgkRBz4TpxI7mzylFzPapjLy_Eh9I

Why It Is Important to Know the Story of Filipino-American Larry Itliong 
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-it-is-important-know-story-filipino-american-larry-itliong-180972696/?fbclid=IwAR2Z9ZWi6PkLldomZOlLJl1hblhbt0QHo7CTWKTLNLIUp1YXJoSAi0DKDU8

For our video of the week, we feature the 2019 Little Manila Rising Community Showcase “Dawn.”

All About Filipino Food

An underground Filipino food source in Iceland? Who would have thought? Contributing writer Jennifer Fergeson introduces Pinoy Taste Reykjavík, ran by Raquel Landayan and her husband Arie Bob Riesenbeck. The couple sells home-cooked Filipino food exclusively  through social media (thus the term "underground"). For the 1,500 Filipinos in Iceland, it's a heaven-sent salve for homesickness. So take that, President Duterte, people in Iceland, including our kababayans, don't eat ice, like you snidely remarked; they eat good food. ("Pinoy Taste Reykjavík')

From Pinoy Taste Reykjavik also comes our Happy Home Cook recipe this week, Cabalen Maki.

Culinary historian Felice P. Sta. Maria takes us back in time with a highly informative piece on the evolution of the Filipino breakfast. Treat your senses to "From Bahao to Breakfast," and enjoy not just old recipes but also the history.

From fish expert and first-time contributor, Robert Woods, here's a how-to piece on setting up an aquarium with fishes found in Philippine waters. ("Five Fish Breeds for Beginning Fishkeepers")

Our In The Know Links this week:

Who pays for Amazon’s “customer obsession”? The service reps who pick up the phones.
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/7/22/20691918/amazon-customer-service-call-center-philippines?fbclid=IwAR0eH4Y9FbiI0QkPtTJ-wuO1FpUdRVger2MSXB0w42pYtw70hA4Tsbg_ysg

The sacred weaving practice of Bukidnon's women
https://cnnphilippines.com/life/style/2019/7/5/Tagolaonen-weavers0.html?fbclid=IwAR3f4Bae3RF7NnC03so4GdsVCAyfEyqllKM7-1Rd8Mfcld3AyoaNnUPAZRs#.XSM99RAYaD1.facebook

Manuel Quezon’s Residence at 45 Gilmore Street: The House that Saw History Unfold
https://www.townandcountry.ph/out-about/arts-culture/manuel-quezon-s-residence-at-45-gilmore-street-the-house-the-saw-history-unfold-a1957-20190716-lfrm?utm_source=Facebook-RealLiving&utm_medium=Siteshare&utm_content=20190717-QuezonResidenceGilmore&fbclid=IwAR2zt3aVmX0J4Hz_KZ6AoHVDVrVkiDUyJmjhtqEyFd7JZ8UOfTUgqq0-Uvc

Most Filipinos think it’s important for PH to regain control of territories invaded by China
https://www.yahoo.com/news/most-filipinos-think-important-ph-022449217.html?.tsrc=fauxdal

Our Video of the Week is a fascinating dive into sea-urchin harvesting in Bohol -- an i-Witness documentary by Kara David.