It's About Time

A video that went viral of a transgender woman being prevented from using the women's restroom in a Quezon City mall has renewed calls for the passage of a Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) legislation that will protect the LGBT community from being discriminated against. As usual, the voices for or against are strident and loud, as PF Correspondent Rene M. Astudillo reports in "A Transgender Restroom Incident and Filipino LGBT Rights."

In far-away Vienna, Filipina IT veteran Malou Soto Reininger commits her time and skills to the Philippine-Austria Cultural and Educational Society (PACES), an organization that provides scholarships to deserving Filipino students in the fields of science, technology, education and mathematics, aka STEM. Hawaii-based PF contributor Pepi Nieva profiles Reininger in "From Vienna, an Angel for Filipino Science Scholars."

August, or more specifically August 21, is a historically tragic day for our homeland. Two heinous crimes were committed on this day that upended the course of Philippine history. The August 21, 1971 Plaza Miranda bombing that almost decimated the entire leadership of the then-Liberal Party led to the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus by President Marcos, which eventually led to the proclamation of martial law. In 1983, August 21 was the day Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. was assassinated in the airport tarmac, a tragedy of enormous proportions that triggered massive protests against the Marcos administration and, three years later, led to its downfall. Read Again our stories on those two monumental events:

Gregg Jones' "The Ghosts of Plaza Miranda" 

Ken Kashiwahara's "Ninoy's Final Journey" 

On a more positive note, August is also the month we honor our homeland's Commonwealth president, Manuel L. Quezon. So here's another Read Again:

Ambeth R. Ocampo's "Quezon Saved Jews from the Holocaust" 

For the Happy Home Cook, here's Elizabeth Ann Quirino's Instant Pot Pata Tim recipe, guaranteed to be worth the calories.

Our In the Know links this week: 

Gina Lopez, Who Led Crackdown on Mines in the Philippines, Dies at 65
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/19/obituaries/gina-lopez-philippines-dies.html?fbclid=IwAR1MV-1GeJlvmOnuvMnF-DPUlWut4Y8FIDOO73EDM7p-xem2E2YcrTo5KHc

The Vigilante President
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/philippines/2019-08-12/vigilante-president?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_cta&utm_campaign=cta_share_buttons&fbclid=IwAR15L81WXDBJZ0GA1V5NNrphbjrf6hvyDKNJzrltqex30gPZdd3ihnw_NZw

Penguin Classics’ Pinay publisher puts the spotlight on PH literature
https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/07/29/19/penguin-classics-pinay-publisher-puts-the-spotlight-on-ph-literature?fbclid=IwAR3ZSdOt2nYt-IyZbTvUc_KgNeP0CyFIcA5QSAvbz83Fj1vGP3oI50nLdPo

Mayor Vico Sotto: 'The Rules of the Game Are Clear, But We Need People to Push the System a Bit'
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/profiles/mayor-vico-sotto-the-rules-of-the-game-are-clear-but-we-need-people-to-push-the-system-a-bit-a2212-20190722-lfrm2?ref=home_featured_big

Jia Tolentino on the ‘Unlivable Hell’ of the Web and Other Millennial Conundrums
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/04/books/review/jia-tolentino-trick-mirror.html?te=1&nl=books&emc=edit_bk_20190816?campaign_id=69&instance_id=11703&segment_id=16236&user_id=a6813a01d20d50942afadad6c6f1e549&regi_id=47563992

For video of the week, KPIX SF Bay Area reports on the renaming of a Mountain View school after Pulitzer Prize winner and immigration reform activist Jose Antonio Vargas.

Confusions, Mixed Feelings, and Hate

Nobody tells the colorful stories of the good 'ol days of mass media in the Philippines than Greg Macabenta, who has done it all --  journalism, script writing, advertising, publishing, column writing, even occasionally performing -- and who was responsible for some of the most memorable ad campaigns in the annals of Philippine advertising history. Already a career multitasker when it wasn't yet a thing, Greg puts his stories on print with his newly published memoir, Confusions of a Communications Man, which is a must-read for anyone who has aspirations of hitting it big in media. PF contributor Lorna Lardizabal Dietz reviews the book in "A Jack of Many Communication Trades."

Author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard reveals her mixed feelings about her recent visit to Japan, whose beauty she totally appreciated while not completely forgetting WWII, Hiroshima and the cruelty of war. Read "Japan: A Thoughtful Travelogue" to understand what she means.

Racism and its concomitant terms - white supremacy, hate crimes - are once again fueling dastardly acts that have targeted minorities in the US. History shows that the crimes are nothing new and Filipinos are not spared. Lest we forget (or before we get lulled into thinking that this current wave will not affect us), let's look back:

Just 20 years ago, a Fil-Am postal worker Joseph Ileto was gunned down by an avowed white supremacist looking for a kill. Ileto's only "crime"? He was a brown man who inadvertently crossed the path of the perpetrator. Filipinas Magazine in October 1999 had this story: "Death by Discrimination" by the late Bert Eljera.

And further back in time, another crime against Filipinos in Watsonville, California. Read Again Alex S. Fabros Jr.'s "In the Heat of the Night: The Exeter and Watsonville Riots 1929-1930."

Our In The Know stories this week:

PH now among main cyberattacks targets
https://business.inquirer.net/276283/ph-now-among-main-cyberattacks-targets

Lives lived and lost along Manila's Pasig river
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49203752?fbclid=IwAR1nX26dgDXI6wrKmuuxD2P-tp1hXsXBTWEvHdwhrscdNmu9EQXRedMHgL4

Rodrigo Duterte is losing interest in creating a federal Philippines
https://www.economist.com/asia/2019/08/01/rodrigo-duterte-is-losing-interest-in-creating-a-federal-philippines?cid1=cust/dailypicks/n/bl/n/2019087n/owned/n/n/dailypicks/n/n/na/290433/n

A thriving Filipino community makes Juneau home away from home
https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/travel/destination/08/07/19/a-thriving-filipino-community-makes-juneau-home-away-from-home?fbclid=IwAR2596WX3E6JxCCswO8N8O6ssgaB2_1tYOkCWZNxEdgp-93K67FqJVlqoK4

What Makes An American?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/09/sunday-review/immigration-assimilation-texas.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share#commentsContainer

Born in Israel, hundreds of Filipino children risk expulsion
https://news.yahoo.com/born-israel-hundreds-filipino-children-risk-expulsion-021046223.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

For the Happy Home Cook, we bring back this plant-based treat: Ensaladang Talong with Coconut Vinaigrette.

For Video of the Week, we feature a Pan Am Airlines travelogue on the Philippines from the 1960s.

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.