Good-Bye to All That, Hello Again

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This is our first issue for 2021 and it marks the beginning of the 8th year of Positively Filipino.

It is also the start of the third decade of the 21st century so we send you our fervent wishes for auspicious years ahead.

Before we write 30 (an old journalism term to denote the end of a submitted manuscript) to 2020, here are our Most Read stories for the year. Whether you're re-reading them or reading for the first time, we hope you'll enjoy them as much as thousands of readers have.

Stop and Smell the Power of Filipino Cooking By Elizabeth Ann Quirino
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/stop-and-smell-the-power-of-filipino-cooking

Colonization’s Impact on Manila By Nathaniel “Dinky” von Einsiedel
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/colonizations-impact-on-manila

The Colonial Legacy of Racism Among Filipinos By Michael Gonzalez
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-colonial-legacy-of-racism-among-filipinos

Connecting the Pots, Food from the Philippines to America By Elizabeth Ann Quirino
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/connecting-the-pots-food-from-the-philippines-to-america

A Compassionate Healer and Fierce Fighter for Fellow RNs By Cherie Querol Moreno
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/a-compassionate-healer-and-fierce-fighter-for-fellow-rns

Imelda’s Debt, Which Keeps On Going By Myles Garcia
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/imeldas-debt-which-keeps-on-going

Filipinescas – La Orosa’s Heroic Spirit By Virgilio Reyes, Jr.
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/filipinescas-la-orosas-heroic-spirit

Lest the Old Feuds & Scandals Die Away By Myles Garcia
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/lest-the-old-feuds-amp-scandals-die-away

Why We Must Have Uncomfortable Conversations By Constante G. Quirino
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/why-we-must-have-uncomfortable-conversations

On Filipino Culture, In the Wake of Barkadagate By Kat Velayo Greenberg
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/on-filipino-culture-in-the-wake-of-barkadagate

Stories of the Week 

A 2020 Year-Ender Of Sorts 

Unmasking Trump’s Election Loss By Andres D. Bautista 

Up Close With The Stars By Gemma Nemenzo 

The Ninja Warrior With A Rare Nemesis By Anthony Maddela

The Happy Home Cook: Crab In Coconut Sauce (Ginataang Alimango) By Chef Roline Casper

Video of the Week: Balik Pilipinas

In The Know

Women journalists in the Philippines: 'We transcend fear every day'
https://www.rappler.com/nation/women-journalists-in-the-philippines-we-transcend-fear-everyday?mc_cid=ce14b916ac&mc_eid=5b1f08a2af

Former toothpaste model in PH now a leading man in US
https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/12/29/20/former-toothpaste-model-in-ph-now-a-leading-man-in-us

David Medalla, Inventive Artist at Center of London’s Scene, Has Died at 78
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/david-medalla-dead-1234580360/

Number Fever: The Pepsi Contest That Became a Deadly Fiasco
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-08-04/the-inside-story-of-pepsi-s-philippines-bottle-contest-fiasco?utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews

The Cruise Ship Suicides
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-cruise-ship-suicides/?utm_source=twitter&cmpid=socialflow-twitter-businessweek&utm_content=businessweek&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&fbclid=IwAR2iAl3rKJPgr6peuikvYZZLxYEL_REGbQ-xXK2fyAF5YDmHVKaeWzMcQF8

To reprise her 'Karate Kid' role in 'Cobra Kai,' Tamlyn Tomita had some ground rules
https://news.yahoo.com/reprise-her-karate-kid-role-204635077.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

Our Journal in the Plague Year

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Seven years. That’s how long Positively Filipino has been sharing your stories all over the world.

This past year was like no other, what with the pandemic and all the other problems it brought with it. Not to mention the natural disasters that befell us like hurricanes, super typhoons, volcano eruptions and wildfires, and the political upheavals in the U.S. and other countries.  For the first time in my lifetime, my family and I experienced a pandemic. For ten months, we stayed put, covered our mouths and noses, and watched loved ones and friends die without being able to say good-bye. But it was important for all of us to continue living, if only to serve as a reminder that the world is not dead yet. So, at Positively Filipino, we continued to give you relevant stories not only on how the COVID-19 wreaked havoc on our lives, but also how our fellow kababayans in other parts of the world were faring.  At the same time, during the shelter-in-place period, we worked on producing webinars for a better understanding of racism, the electoral process, press freedom, and other experiences that make up our hidden but rich history in this country. 

As the vaccines arrive in our cities, there is hope that this pandemic will be over soon, and with a new administration, there is hope for unity. I had been thinking a lot about many things these past ten months, and what I would do if I survived this pandemic.  We just cannot go back to life before COVID-19.  There are too many lessons to be learned from this experience, and we can’t turn our backs.  How do we prevent another pandemic? How do we reach out to our neighbors and start a serious conversation about race, equality, and unity?  What do we need to do to heal Mother Nature?  How do we repair the social, emotional, and academic toll our children have gone through?  How do we uphold our constitutional rights and democracy and hold our politicians accountable?  How do we begin to genuinely help the poor achieve economic stability? Too many questions that could take more than a lifetime to answer, but we have to start now.

In the meantime, let’s do our part, no matter how small.  Here at Positively Filipino, we will continue to share your stories and provide relevant information.  Thanks to our talented writers who create the stories every week.  Thanks to our thousands of readers like you, who faithfully read these stories and send us encouragement every week.  And thanks to our staff, Gemma Nemenzo, Rene Ciria-Cruz and Raymond Virata, who make Positively Filipino happen every week. 

Please continue to share our amazing stories of Filipinos all over the world as these stories define us as a people. We are no longer invisible. 

Join us in ushering a happy and hopeful 2021.

Lisa-Signature.jpg
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Mona Lisa Yuchengco

A Timeout Year

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How will we remember 2020?

It was the year when the earth healed. The sky cleared, the waters became bluer, wild animals  revisited their original habitats, bird species thought extinct were seen in city streets, and aquatic animals once again swam freely in waterways.

It was the year when music stopped in arenas and concert halls but emerged in balconies and homes as people found community in singing and making music. 

It was the year of reconnecting as multiple families, old friends and previously neglected relationships got together to update, to converse, to wine and dine virtually, to dance.

It was the year of reflection as the hassle and bustle of daily existence turned to quiet calm. 

It was the year of renewal, when the demand for distance and isolation brought forth stark reminders of one's priorities and what really matters.

It was the year for expanding one's horizons -- virtually-- as webinars, podcasts, talks by experts, museum tours, travel documentaries as well as streaming movies and dramas transported us to worlds we didn't have the time to explore before.

And yes, it was also a year of righteous rage, constant grief and good trouble, the intensity of which has led to significant changes that should usher in a better tomorrow.  

Despite the pain of the pandemic and the sorrow of lost lives, we end the year with hope for a better 2021 and with faith that the cycle of life will continue as it has through the ages.

Our Stories This Week

It’s Not About That Imelda By Esther M. Chavez

Read Agains

Lulu’s Fifty-Peso Christmas Gift By Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Banana Leaves, Rice, And Coconut By Leah K. Sicat

Delicious Dishes For Your Christmas Table

Video of the Week: Parol Making Workshop

In The Know

Cebu Simala Shrine – Lindogon: The Miraculous Castle Church

https://sugbo.ph/2019/simala-shrine-church-cebu/?fbclid=IwAR3rKPuPLrje0VOaNUkzzuBKqFFTG50rIsc2kjkUIg7Thn5ZRMiZjC4sOjY

LOOK! This curvy, sexy, modern building is Marikina’s hidden architectural gem

https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/12/13/20/look-this-curvy-sexy-modern-building-is-the-guggenheim-of-marikina?fbclid=IwAR2Z8CnjflUVOw-vQ0g1o-CfrAyxROI5LLeevsw2WMTifhMISM3HNfG1ZRs 

Independent int'l probe on alleged human rights violations in PH launched
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/17/20/independent-intl-probe-on-ph-human-rights-violations-launched?fbclid=IwAR0Viuv7kEiXD7h7ZSU95noKDuf9q07VMdVMIXQxao7BuyQ8tyLY1gueWDU

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Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino