Losses and Gains

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Positively Filipino begins its week on Wednesdays in the US (Thursdays in the Philippines). This is the day we come out with our new issue.

We begin this second week of January 2024 by remembering distinguished Filipinos who passed on in 2023, not just in the Philippines but in another countries as well. This edition of "In Memoriam," compiled by our publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco, includes four caregivers who lost their lives in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. There are 113 names that include statesmen, civil servants, artists, writers, diplomats, performers, business people, health workers and OFWs -- Filipinos who all contributed, in their own way, to the enrichment of our heritage. May they all rest in peace.

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Visual arts in the Philippines is alive and well, what with such giants as Jose "Bogie" Tence Ruiz, whose art falls under the "social realism" genre but whose more than a half century of creation has produced a body of work so vast that it defies categorization. The ever-productive Bogie recently compiled his works into a giant of a book called Litanya, from which PF contributing writer Isabel Rodrigo draws information and inspiration for her story this week, "The Relevant and Irreverent Jose Tence Ruiz."

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In the performing arts, Lea Salonga is the biggest Filipino marquee star of the moment. But years before her shining, a number of Filipinas have gained a foothold on Broadway and Hollywood, playing roles that may not have made them big stars but which nonetheless paved the way for Lea and other Fil-Am performing artists. PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia honors these women pioneers in "Before Lea Salonga, Filipinos Who Made It to Broadway and US Films."                                 

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If you lived in Manila in the '70s, chances are you have an Our Tribe thingy tucked somewhere in your memory or in your closet. This leather goods store whose bags, wallets, sandals, and keychains (among others) are known to last beyond a lifetime, is still going strong despite some setback years.  Our Manila-based contributing writer Bella Bonner talked to the Manalang-Tayag owners on how their tribe managed to thrive for more than 50 years in "How Leather Goods Brand ‘Our Tribe’ Increased."

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Hope springs eternal as the current Philippine government last November opened negotiation lines with the alleged leaders of the Left insurgency, one of the longest lasting on earth. The road to peace is of course laden with obstacles and controversies. Previous administrations have tried but failed to even get close to an agreement to end the fighting; will the Marcos II administration fare better? Retired Judge Soliman M. Santos Jr., a human rights lawyer, underscores the need for both parties to "address the fratricidal war’s human costs and the need to repair the tattered social fabric."

Anti-Asian Hate Watch

Man in Chinatown called terrorist and sprayed with unknown substance
https://asamnews.com/2024/01/07/hate-crime-chinatown-suspect-called-victim-terrorist/

FBI says anti-Asian hate crimes less reported in 2022, but what does that mean?
https://www.mvariety.com/news/national/fbi-says-anti-asian-hate-crimes-less-reported-in-2022-but-what-does-that-mean/article_a70be704-a922-11ee-8a3b-dfce6d897d2e.html

Hate crimes overall are on the rise in Illinois and across the U.S. Who's targeted?
https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/crime/2024/01/07/hate-crimes-are-on-the-rise-in-illinois-and-the-u-s-doj-data-shows/72119623007/

California restaurant’s comeback shows how outdated, false Asian stereotype of dog-eating persists

https://www.kron4.com/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-california-restaurants-comeback-shows-how-outdated-false-asian-stereotype-of-dog-eating-persists/

‘Our history matters’: California to develop Asian American and Pacific Islander history lessons
https://www.sacbee.com/news/equity-lab/representation/article283563003.html

Funding provided by the State of California.

In The Know

‘There’s No Other Job’: The Colonial Roots of Philippine Poverty
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/30/business/philippine-economy-colonial-legacy.html?mwgrp=a-dbar&unlocked_article_code=1.J00.YJ4e.9ofGXo0h006c&smid=em-share

Surprise? Manila Is One of the Most Expensive Cities to Live in Southeast Asia
https://www.esquiremag.ph/money/industry/manila-most-expensive-cities-to-live-southeast-asia-a00289-20210421?utm_medium=Echobox-Esquire&utm_campaign=Echobox-Ownshare&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR12l1onXeHhlSgMHyP-Aa4uMMYQwONrYq0n6m9uOpnME7u-MW_DUJG1gw8#Echobox=1704032357

The SPOT.ph 50 Great Restaurants of 2023: Best of Manila and Beyond
https://www.spot.ph/eatdrink/the-latest-eat-drink/107367/50-great-restaurants-2023-a2793-20231210-lfrm8?utm_source=Facebook-Spot&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20240102-fbnp-eatdrink-50-great-restaurants-2023-a2793-20231210-lfrm8-fbold&fbclid=IwAR1J061fZedW84mSE0JhBVRZX3f4hW_v4W3LK9Wijq3k62w7nidQPBaXNTw

10 Old + New Reliables in Pampanga for a No-Fail Food Trip
https://www.spot.ph/eatdrink/the-latest-eat-drink/107524/pampanga-restaurants-to-visit-a3378-20231223-lfrm?utm_source=Facebook-Spot&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20240101-fbnp-eatdrink-pampanga-restaurants-to-visit-a3378-20231223-lfrm-fbold&fbclid=IwAR2dtSnS6s3kSZEjd7UkqDkD6ruuXX5NCMg3EXKpNqh5Q0cZnCzcla9GfvM

ENDO buster: DALI shaking up industry not only in pricing but also in providing secure employment and competitive wages
https://bilyonaryo.com/2023/12/29/endo-buster-dali-shaking-up-industry-not-only-in-pricing-but-also-in-providing-secure-employment-and-competitive-wages/business/?fbclid=IwAR1Vl-uY-f1KySDr7rJ_tnxUKOQgjYOZetLxGTSOIRTyB_8cUFId5ubLMrY

Breaking Glass: Piolo Pascual on forging a path that goes nowhere but up
https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/entertainment/piolo-pascual-january-2024-tatler-cover-story?utm_source=tatlerasia.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PH_DIG_BREAKINGGLASS_FULL20240105&tId=7ee5e4e8f916fd76066a2703d3ca9ed9

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Staff

The Past Year As Prologue

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A new year brings new beginnings, but it's also a time to take stock of the old year.  This week, Positively Filipino, now starting its 11th year of existence, offers yearend look-backs -- and we've got two of them plus a first-person account of an adventure in the West Philippine Sea.

Manila-based analyst and columnist Ernesto M. Hilario steps back from the day-to-day grit of politics and offers a sweeping view of how the first full year of the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration panned out. His verdict in "Marcos' Year of Hits and Misses."

2023 was also a banner year for Fil-Am visual arts as contributing writer O.M. France Viana, herself an active artist, sums up the year with over 45 links to Fil Am artists, curators, and their shows.  Dive into this visual feast in "2023 Filipino American Visual Arts in Review: An ArtsiLog."

A first-of-its-kind sea voyage -- and hopefully not the last -- was done by a group of about 50 social activists and media people in early December 2023. Part of the larger campaign called Atin Ito!, the goal was to deliver supplies and Christmas gifts to kababayans in the contested West Philippine Sea. Group members also wanted to see for themselves how Chinese Navy vessels engage in a dangerous dance with Philippine Coast Guard vessels and those of Filipino fisherfolk. How did the mission go? Read participant Robert Francis Garcia's account, "Defying Goliath in the West Philippine Sea."

We continue with our information campaign on Anti-Asian Hate with this feature on Los Angeles' foremost Fil-Am organization, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), and its Clinical Program of Mental Health. SIPA's staff of three therapists and three social work interns have their hands full in tackling "the painful consequences of anti-AAPI hatred," as described by PF's LA correspondent Anthony Maddela in "SIPA Helps Stop the Hate."

Anti-Asian Hate Watch

Sacramento senior citizen center combats anti-Asian hate with escorted shopping trips
https://www.aol.com/sacramento-senior-citizen-center-combats-130000098.html 

Wing Luke Museum staff recount horrifying moments when hate crime suspect broke into building with sledgehammer
https://ustimespost.com/wing-luke-museum-staff-recount-horrifying-moments-when-hate-crime-suspect-broke-into-building-with-sledgehammer/

A Texas high school is piloting the state’s first-ever Asian American studies course. Could politics stand in its way?
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/19/asian-american-studies-texas-round-rock-isd/

Finding mental health care is difficult for Asian Americans
https://asamnews.com/2023/12/19/shortage-culturally-competent-asian-american-therapists/

Bonneville Elementary community spreads messages of love after hate crime vandalism
https://ksltv.com/608760/bonneville-elementary-community-spreads-messages-of-love-after-hate-crime-vandalism/

Funding provided by the State of California.

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Staff

Breathe and Refresh

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Jose Rizal

Time to take a breather after that hectic Christmas celebration. 

For your pleasurable relaxation and a dash of significant history, here's a compilation of stories we have published on Jose Rizal, the Philippines' National Hero, who remains an enigmatic person of great interest among our readers.

Through the ten years that PF has been publishing, we've had an array of Rizal stories usually in the months of June (his birth month) or December (his death month). We noted that these stories brought in a higher-than-usual readership, indicating a continuing curiosity, if not lifelong love, for this renaissance man who lived a brief but very consequential life.

Rizal was executed by the Spanish colonialists on December 30, 1896. He was 35. 

Rizal’s Great Loves by Penélope V. Flores

Rizal’s Cook Remembers A Good Man by John L. Silva

José Rizal And His Dueling German Friends by Penélope V. Flores

Jose Rizal, Martial Arts Warrior by Rene J. Navarro

‘The Month Of December, 1872’ Dr. José Rizal’s Rough Draft by Penélope V. Flores

Some Not Very Well Known Facts About Rizal’s Trial And Execution by Rodolfo A. Arizala

Jose Rizal, The Oracle by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

[Video of the Week] GomBurZa Teaser Trailer

Anti-Asian Hate Watch

New booklets teach communities ‘How to Report a Hate Crime’
https://www.dailynews.com/2023/12/14/new-booklets-teach-communities-how-to-report-a-hate-crime/

The Big Tell 2019: Peacock: Exeter, The Anti-Filipino Riot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmEQRtBXEhI

Salt Lake City police investigate salon break-in, vandalism as hate crime
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/12/11/salt-lake-city-police-investigate/

Funding provided by the State of California.

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Staff