Off the Hoops

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With the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup happening in Manila now plus the visits of NBA superstars Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney (unrelated to FIBA), the already basketball-crazy nation is in a state of euphoria. 

Time was when Filipinos' basketball heroes were homegrown, not imports, and teams carried the names of sponsoring corporations like the Toyota Tamaraws, the YCO Painters and the Crispa Redmanizers. For Filipinos of a certain age, Atoy Co was the superstar not only on the court but in ladies' hearts. Where is he now? PF contributing writer Bella Bonner visits the Fortune Cookie's present world and finds a family man, a grandpa and an avid golfer, not necessarily in that order.

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Many people have had life-changing travels but for FilAm artist/musician Conrad Benedicto, his journey to Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines' southernmost province, was mind-boggling, transcendental and unforgettable. His words and pictures afford us a glimpse of the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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Memo to the powerful in politics, education and media: If you want to multiply exponentially the number of readers of a news item that you'd rather remained secret, try censoring it. You can be sure that: a) like a genie out of the bottle, it's no longer within your control; and b) pulling out the story will only make things worse because those who didn't pay attention at first now have their interest (and speculations) piqued. 

This is what happened when The FilAm, an online magazine based in NY, reported that Speaker of the House Martin Romualdez, the first cousin of the current Philippine president, donated $1 million to Harvard to start a Filipino language course. The Philippines' biggest daily, the Inquirer, picked up the story only to pull it out later, presumably because the paper's bosses were displeased by its publication. Too late; other news outlets were already on to the censorship and wrote the story. So the bigwigs attempt at secrecy boomeranged. The story exploded and, because it involved a Romualdez, evolved into a feeding frenzy around ill-gotten wealth, corruption, power bullying and press freedom.

We are reposting here both The FilAm's original story and the report on its pull-out in the Inquirer, written by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ). Oh, and by the way, the Inquirer's publisher is the sister-in-law of the Speaker. 

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On an entirely different matter, Positively Filipino is hiring:

Part-Time Social Media Consultant- Anti-Asian Hate Project

Positively Filipino, the premier digital native magazine celebrating the story of the global Filipino community is seeking a social media consultant for 12 months for public education about anti-Asian hate.  The project is part of a California statewide project to raise public awareness when incidents and crimes occur, how to report, services available to victims and their families and what the public can do to address the problem.

The new position of social media consultant will work closely with Positively Filipino editors and journalists to identify content, create and post messages on Instagram and FaceBook and tweets on Twitter “X”. 

This is a unique opportunity to work in collaboration with some of the most experienced journalists, scholars and activists in the Filipino community to raise awareness of the impact of this dangerous trend and how it is affecting Filipino Americans.

Planned level of engagement 4 to 8 posts per month for 12 months.  Compensation:  $500 mo.

Qualifications:  Facility with Instagram, FaceBook and Twitter “X” preferred.  Experience paid or volunteer with related nonprofit or advocacy organizations.  Interest in or experience in journalism a plus.  Some college helpful. The applicant must be US-based.

Please send your resume with a cover letter, links to sample Instagram, FaceBook and Twitter “X” postings and a writing sample to: filipinos@positivelyfilipino.com.

Funding provided by the State of California.

In The Know

Multi-billion-dollar SF start-up Scale AI accused of exploiting Filipino workers
https://nextshark.com/scale-ai-start-up-exploits-filipino-workers

Erik Spoelstra's dual heritage: Exploring his Filipino roots and coaching role with Team USA
https://olympics.com/en/news/erik-spoelstra-dual-heritage-filipino-roots-usa-coaching-role?fbclid=IwAR0WXYBUnAwEpuURXJ8JMf8dw8gAkR4U9gMpsfVne5dwXN-MG5t3ZMM0d_Q

'Mabuhay Pilipinas,' Philippines 1st Women's World Cup diary
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/38277541/philippines-2023-womens-world-cup-diary-reina-bonta

Study Shows That Filipinos Value Personality Over Looks
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/this-study-reveals-that-filipinos-value-personality-over-looks-a00203-20171226?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20230827-fbnp-culture-this-study-reveals-that-filipinos-value-personality-over-looks-a00203-20171226-fbold&fbclid=IwAR0jJGl1CEjohbLkxm8Uk4X9oZOEyhmkz3U5VLug-vbeTGYGxtRgTy0L5_s

A Different Kind of Food Trip
https://www.sbs.com.au/language/filipino/en/podcast-episode/a-different-kind-of-pinoy-food-trip/igqc8vp63?fbclid=IwAR1CoLPb1w_GruBlaEHtlyJvYHE4tu3eYga1FEEgfiCoG9fecnQ-OsynyiU

The Extraordinary Story of Anna Bayle, the Filipina Who Became Asia's First Supermodel
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/anna-bayle-facts-a00007-20230823-lfrm?utm_source=Facebook-Cosmo&utm_medium=Siteshare&utm_campaign=20230827-anna-bayle-facts&fbclid=IwAR0IkDwLzQU1ttqJ4em-VQJthxqasslolN0MVcFR6C4KtFxP7jg_AiZFO3k

Fresh Grad Recalls How Selling Tie-Dyed Items Helped Her Finish College
https://www.businessnews.com.ph/fresh-grad-anne-recalls-how-selling-tie-dyed-items-helped-her-finish-college-20211127/?fbclid=IwAR0bM3eITt0mWOXrIgUZqVIvVOgo0EezI6MM8wuRinP1S0R5orsEHx4jitE

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Staff

What Makes a Hero?

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Today, August 30, marks the 160th birth anniversary of the Philippines' other National Hero, Andres Bonifacio. Last Monday, August 28, our motherland celebrated National Heroes Day as a national holiday, an omnibus celebration that covers all the country's heroes, regardless of generation. National Heroes Day began as a commemoration of the Cry of Pugad Lawin (aka Cry of Balintawak), when Bonifacio as the leader of the Katipunan (KKK), tore his cedula and declared the beginning of the Philippine war of independence against Spain. That happened on August 23, 1896. 

So many historical transitions have taken place since then, of course, and so many heroes and heroines have passed through. Even the term itself - heroism- has undergone multiple definitions, many of them self-serving or partisan, thus often undeserved or untrue.

What makes a hero then, in this day and age? Perhaps instead of bestowing the title of hero to a person, which would beget intense scrutiny likely to unearth non-heroic elements, it would be better to use a description -- "heroic" to label a life commitment for a cause beyond one's self-interest. No more heroes, just heroic deeds. 

Today would have marked the 72nd birthday of a woman who defied convention and chose to lead an altruistic life. Two days from now (September 1) is her first death anniversary. Nelia Sancho was more than just a beauty queen/activist as she was popularly labelled. Manila based artist/illustrator Lynett Advincula-Villariba tells us more about her sorority sister and lifelong friend. 

Since September 1 is Labor Day in the US and September 8 is the 58th anniversary of the beginning of the Grape Strike in California, we pay homage to the Filipino farm workers who, in addition to working the fields, organized labor unions to fight for their rights. Read "From Spain to Delano: The Radical Roots of Farm Workers Unions" by writer/photographer David Bacon. 

Stories This Week

Nelia Sancho: The Last Conversations by Lynett Advincula-Villariba

From Spain To Delano—The Radical Roots Of Farm Workers Unions by David Bacon

Jollibee Invades North America by Anthony Maddela

The Postmodern Barong Tagalog By Barge Ramos by Charlize Mendez Legaspi

Read Agains:

Andres Bonifacio, The Other National Hero by Penélope V. Flores

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 1 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

[Make It Again] The Happy Home Cook: Atsarang Repolyo (Pickled Cabbage) by Nina Ines Garma

[Video of the Week] Clark International Airport

In The Know

[ANALYSIS] Brace yourselves for higher rice prices under Marcos

https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-brace-higher-rice-prices-marcos-jr-administration/?utm_source=piano&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=3969&pnespid=qrDOmYMOuKmX9rfouRG0sqRH_EEOvyMskAJ5HUZooxCVC2asPCq5FJqMXgCGDdUgt9hSNXtV&fbclid=IwAR23f4fFWB8ulfRdHB3OCXmDIJEIqy0ulRvPo1rTr9PldZUOujXISUxEsc8

The Genius of Eduardo Masferré: Father of Philippine Photography

https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/eduardo-masferre-father-of-philippine-photography-a00007-20230811-lfrm?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20230813-fbnp-long-reads-eduardo-masferre-father-of-philippine-photography-a00007-20230811-lfrm-fbnew&fbclid=IwAR0imovAJH6o2vqmR7uWv5acqW7lwMivOUsWsH1uXNseF5dqoZODzxQk20o

Sarangani village comes alive with roasted flavors of Pinadapla

https://www.rappler.com/nation/mindanao/sarangani-datal-batong-comes-alive-roasted-flavors-pinadapla-festival-august-25-2023/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwAR3tWz3SDL81JjNExMlbDqc2Vg61QZjMKLaJ7D-yTIoEbp9QIOSoqwaTZr4

Video: Filipino American bride shares how she incorporated Filipino culture into her wedding

https://nextshark.com/filipino-american-wedding-tiktok

Ube Just Keeps Getting More Popular

https://www.pastemagazine.com/food/ube/ube-just-keeps-getting-more-popular?fbclid=IwAR1e-3k99ZDz_FkY-AR3nW2aF01c2I89p-g-4cZDKrFDHPJqvCXgCkcAyFY

How a Streetwear Designer Shifted the Culture of Import Drag Racing

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a44820090/how-a-streetwear-designer-shifted-the-culture-of-import-drag-racing/?utm_source=facebook_ign&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=ign_remarketing&fbclid=IwAR3018Lj7mVWNuhHMziDpRC_AWErPjQ_YK1CyJcmUG2bhK7YEh6ryqMOcMQ

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Staff

Fateful August

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August, particularly its third week, can trigger some somber memories among Filipinos of a certain age who were living in the Philippines during the administration of the first Ferdinand Marcos.

Fifty-two years ago, on August 21, 1971, the bombing of the miting de avance of the Liberal Party at Plaza Miranda happened. This heinous crime, which permanently injured some of the LP's leading lights, led to the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, a precursor to martial law.

Forty years ago, on August 21, 1983, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino was assassinated a few minutes after his plane landed at the Manila International Airport, another heinous crime that eventually resulted in the downfall of the Marcos dictatorship. [See our stories below on Ninoy Aquino.]

The killings have not stopped. Our lead story this week is about a concert tribute that poet/journalist/arts and culture impresario Pablo A. Tariman mounted last week to honor the memory of his daughter Kerima and her husband, Ericson Acosta. Both were felled by government bullets on August 20, 2021 and November 30, 2022, respectively.

A sad/horrific story but with a new twist: AsAm News reports that the Smithsonian Institute has arranged to return the remains of 64 Filipinos from the early 1900s that were unethically collected by an American anthropologist for his research (unsubstantiated) to prove that White people are genetically superior to other races. Take a deep breath before reading this story. 

This issue is not all grim, however. 

We have a delightful story about a 72-year-old who went paragliding and sky jumping. And lived to tell the tale.

Then there's this young Filipino artist who paints raindrops. 

This week, we are also posting a new section called Anti-Asian Health Watch that provides links to stories on Asian hate incidents. With our Act Against Hate section, Positively Filipino continues to be an information resource for California's anti-Asian hate campaign.

Anti Asian Hate Watch

Funding provided by the State of California.

Free program offers legal services to Californians facing racial discrimination in the workplace

https://www.abc10.com/article/news/community/race-and-culture/program-california-employees-victims-racial-discrimination-workplace/103-b5afc674-fd7b-4d45-bc1b-9d4f95a8ff90 

Discrimination during pandemic significantly harmed Asian American students’ mental health: study

https://nextshark.com/discrimination-during-pandemic-significantly-harmed-asian-american-students-mental-health-study

16-year-old girl charged with assault for viral attack on Asian family riding NYC subway

https://nextshark.com/teen-girl-assault-charge-nyc-subway-attack-asian-family

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Staff