September 13, 2023

A Story from Our Man in Beijing

September 13, 2023/ Staff

A little known episode in Philippine pre-colonial history is the visit of the delegation of the Sultan of Sulu to the Chinese Imperial Court in 1417. Led by Sultan Paduka Batara (pronounced as Pahala in Chinese), who reportedly brought with him a large entourage of wives, aides and soldiers numbering more than 300, the visit affirmed the significant trade and cultural relations between the two Asian trade routes. The Chinese Emperor Yongle hosted the Sultan for a month, after which the latter began his journey home to his kingdom. By an unfortunate twist of fate, the Sultan fell ill and died in Dezhou in Shandong Province, and was buried there. His tomb and that of his consort and two sons remain to this day; in fact, as our story this week shows, the site has been expanded and enhanced.

The backstory to our story is just as interesting. The writer, Jaime FlorCruz, first visited the Dezhou burial site of the Sultan of Sulu in the early '80s, when, as a curious student in exile from martial law in the Philippines, he surreptitiously worked his way to the area which was off-limits to foreigners then. Now he is Philippine ambassador to China, able to travel by bullet train to the city where many generations of the Sultan's progeny still live. [Read "Sultan of Sulu" which also includes links to more detailed stories of the Sultan of Sulu's fateful journey.]

September is a month of sad commemoration and none sadder than the horrific terrorist attack that felled the two World Trade Center towers in New York City. It has been 22 years and two days since 9/11/2001 but our memories of that day remain fresh and vivid, no matter how far away we were from Ground Zero and Washington DC, the other epicenter of the attack. One of those who had a very close call and lived to tell the story is Major General Antonio Taguba. Read Again his personal experience of that horrendous day when he was a mere 2 minutes and 75 feet from being pulverized by American Airlines Flight 77 which plowed into the Pentagon that morning : https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/my-close-call-on-911

We continue our Act Against Hate series with this story [https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/act-against-hate/fil-am-couple-to-press-on-with-case-against-hate-attack-suspects-another-family-of-victims-agrees-to-plea-deal-with-their-attacker] and Hate Watch, a compilation of links to related stories from various states.

Jacob Maentz, a former Peace Corps volunteer now a Cebu resident, chronicles the lives of Filipino Indigenous peoples in a book of photography that he recently launched.

A new book is always a cause for celebration and FilAm author Noel Alumit's latest is no exception. Cecilia Manguerra Brainard writes about the author and his work.

PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia continues his Internet sleuthing and comes up with the obscure but definitely fascinating story of a Manila party boy named Juan Torena who became a bit player in the Hollywood orbit in the mid-20th century.

And ICYMI, we're 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.

Stories This Week

Sultan Of Sulu by Jaime FlorCruz

Fil-Am Couple To Press On With Case Against Hate Attack Suspects, Another Family Of Victims Agrees To Plea Deal With Their Attacker by Jun Nucum

Homelands: A Fight For Life Itself by Jacob Maentz

Tales Of The City: Noel Alumit’s "Music Heard In Hi-Fi And Other Stories" by Cecilia Manguerra-Brainard

From Manila Party Boy To Hispanic-Hollywood Heartthrob by Myles A. Garcia

[Read It Again] My Close Call On 9/11 by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba (Ret.)

[Partner] Giving Hope to the Children 2023

[Video of the Week] Filipinos Did It First… In America

In The Know

Utah nonprofit seeks to establish more libraries in PH
https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/08/29/23/utah-nonprofit-seeks-to-establish-more-libraries-in-ph

U.S. NLRB says Jollibee engaged in ‘unfair labor practice,’ sets Oct 11 hearing
https://thefilam.net/archives/39340

Filipino Cuisine Is Finally Getting Its Due in the United States
https://www.insidehook.com/article/food-and-drink/filipino-food-finally-getting-due-united-states?fbclid=IwAR01p_CAHjZqLDWHRU35b6oRW07MwLD-WyGSR3jAkRwoxnCKxMs8_EgHiug

The Philippine Influence in Mexican Mezcal Distilling
https://www.liquor.com/filipino-mexico-mezcal-distilling-7485906

This Alaska City Has a Thriving Filipino Food Scene—and It's Breeding a New Fusion Cuisine
https://www.tripsavvy.com/filipino-food-juneau-alaska-7643808

Twins graduate as doctors, call for solutions to Philippine healthcare crisis
https://www.rappler.com/nation/twins-pae-lu-aldaba-conquer-medical-school-share-thoughts-philippine-healthcare-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR09og70PU1sfH48mImCVLJIBeiSlzUjCDJZspwsxOpPDvFVb3Hj8Kr8Jl0

Inside FlipTop: The Legendary Battle Rap League From the Philippines
https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjvz9q/inside-fliptop-the-legendary-rap-battle-league-from-the-philippines?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-viceasia&utm_content=later-37501657&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkin.bio&fbclid=IwAR2j5EciRO1luyU82AzMoVb_FI9Qzeh4OCE3Vs_VOuos2BmtXnnPri0Upgw

Anti-Asian Hate Watch

Elderly Asian couple held at gunpoint in another Seattle home robbery
https://nextshark.com/elderly-asian-couple-gunpoint-seattle-home-robbery

‘I hate Asians’: Man arrested for anti-Asian attacks in Portland’s Slabtown district
https://nextshark.com/portland-slabtown-anti-asian-attacks-arrest

API Equity Budget in Jeopardy as California Faces $20 Billion Deficit
https://ethnicmediaservices.org/stop-the-hate/api-equity-budget-in-jeopardy-as-california-faces-20-billion-deficit/

Killer convicted of murdering elderly Asian man in Oakland
https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/killer-convicted-of-murdering-elderly-asian-man-in-oakland/

AAPIs in Indiana Fear Being Targets 6 Months After Knife Attack on Chinese American Student
https://ethnicmediaservices.org/news-exchange/how-a-hate-crime-in-indiana-became-a-rallying-cry-for-asian-americans/

September 06, 2023

Off the Hoops

September 06, 2023/ Staff

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

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

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.

Stories This Week

Straight-Shooting Atoy Co Today by Bella Bonner

Memories Of Mindanao: Tawi-Tawi by Conrad Benedicto

The Stories Behind The Million-Dollar Donation by Carmela Fonbuena and Cristina DC Pastor

Little Miss Maddie, Gerber Baby 2023 by Claire Mercado-Obias

Writer Eileen Tabios’ Lines Of Work: The Hay(Na)Ku by Lynn M. Grow

[Partner] The Filipino Veterans Recognition And Education Project (FilVetRep) Announces Release Of 2023 Duty To Country Education Project by Leezel Tanglao

Read Again: Joe Mari Chan’s Enduring Heart Songs by Paulynn Paredes Sicam

Cook It Again: The Happy Home Cook: Gising Gising (Seafood Extreme)

[Video of the Week] The Mountain Ballers of the Philippines

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

August 30, 2023

What Makes a Hero?

August 30, 2023/ Staff

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.