The Ashes of June

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If you were not in the Philippines on June 15, 1991, your memory of the gigantic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in Central Luzon -- the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century -- is probably hazy. It was before the Internet became a thing; power was off and the airports were closed for almost a week. Thus news reports of the full extent of the catastrophe came in trickles. 

But for those who were there, memories of that day are forever etched in their consciousness. Like writer/historian Robby Tantingco of the Holy Angel University of Pampanga who wrote the award-winning book, Pinatubo: The Volcano in our Backyard. His riveting and heartbreaking story of what happened that fateful day when, for the first time ever, a powerful typhoon and a once-in-a-lifetime volcanic eruption together overpowered the sun is a must-read here. His words:  "It [the eruption] switched off the sun like a light bulb and plunged the province in total darkness. It was so dark you couldn't see your own hand stretched out in front of you, and the ash fall was so thick even sound waves couldn't pass through. Thus, everything was muffled, you had to strain your ear to hear conversation, like a movie with the volume turned low." 

The main explosion of Pinatubo lasted just over 24 hours but the devastation was absolute. 

The ashes of Pinatubo did not stay in the Philippines. It circled the world and enabled spectacular sunsets in the western hemisphere. But for the people of Pampanga and nearby provinces, the mudflow of lahar, which wiped out complete towns, was a four-year nightmare, according to Tantingco. 

Would that such wrath of nature never happen again anywhere.

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With the devastating fire that demolished Lahaina, HI in 2023, the Filipino community expected help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It wasn't sufficient so they organized themselves into the Lahaina Filipino Fire Survivors Association to increase their negotiating power for housing solutions. We're reposting AsAm News' report on how they're faring.

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An interesting report by PF contributing writer Julienne Loreto unearths some historical record of the Visayans in early colonial Philippines, from the chronicles of Spanish missionary and historian Francisco Ignacio Alcina. And yes, it included mentions of lesbian love among them, an item that is rarely mentioned in history. Interesting reading this Pride Month.

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A group of journalism students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines sent in this story on an aspiring singer-songwriter who busks for a living and to pay for his college education. His name is Aris Ashe and he wants to be a psychologist someday. 

Read It Again:

Behind the Growing Popularity of Fil-Am Freemasonry by James Sobredo

Jose Rizal, the Oracle by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

Why My Success Is Philippine Society’s Failure by Leo Jaminola

[Video of the Week] Amiel Noble of Noble Creations

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Staff

Enjoy June 12!

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Enjoy a momentous Philippine Independence Day tomorrow. If you want to experience a celebration vicariously, read all about the Kalayaan 2025 festival in North Texas. Jocelyn Alvarez Allgood was there and shares the story with us.

Here's a bit of Philippine theater history: in 1975, an organization called Samaskom at the University of the Philippines Institute of Mass Communication staged a risky (the country was then under martial law) stage production called Programang Putol-Putol, a stinging critique on the state of television at the time. Written and directed by a broadcast communication student, Rey de la Cruz (now one of our PF Correspondents), the play was a big hit and was given glowing reviews in mainstream media. Programang Putol-Putol has since been recognized as the first LGBTQ+ play in the Philippines. PF contributing writer Ivan Kevin Castro brings us 50 years back and also tells us about the recent restaging of this monumental theater experience.

Another cookbook, but not just another cookbook. Chef Jam Melchor's Kayumanggi: A Kaleidoscope of Filipino Flavors and Food Traditions is not the usual compilation of the chef-author's food creations. It's actually a treasury of  at least 150 classic and timeless recipes of the dishes Filipinos grew up with. PF Correspondent Elizabeth Ann Quirino, herself an author of cookbooks and biography, describes Kayumanggi: "This is a workhorse type of cookbook, the kind you’d bring with you into the kitchen, bookmark, set sticky notes on, write on the margins, and plop on the counter, as you follow directions while cooking from its glossy, thick, spiral-bound pages."

The tragic fires in Lahaina, HI of 2023 continues to bring heartbreak to its survivors. How did it affect the lives of the Filipino women in Maui? What did it take for them to survive the aftermath? A study by a nonprofit in Maiu-Oahu paints a disturbing picture. We are reposting with permission the report by Yiming Fu of AsAm News.

Tell us about your hometown. In 1,000 words or less,  share your story about the place your mind returns to when it needs to retreat from the noise and din of the present. We define "hometown" broadly. It can be right smack in the grit of the city, an idyllic rural area, a middle-class subdivision or even a university campus. It can evoke memories of peace or traumas of violence. What they have in common is the feeling of home, however one defines home. We'd appreciate accompanying pictures (ideally both old and current). You can email the Word doc at submissions@positivelyfilipino.com.

A Happy Father's Day to all the dads and those who function as dads (especially moms) to children of all ages. Read some of our published stories below. 

Read Again:

Why June 12 Is Different from Other Days by John L. Silva

Untold Lessons from My Father by Ed Diokno

How I Knew My Father’s Love by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

[Video of the Week] Brown, Like Me  - June and Jean Millington

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Staff

Celebration Time!

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And just like that we're already midway through 2025!

While May was a month of fiestas and celebrations, June is a month of parades and commemorations. Look at the big events we can look forward to: June 12 Philippine Independence Day, June 19 Rizal Day and Juneteenth (in the US), June 15 Father's Day, and June 20 the Summer Solstice in the western hemisphere. All throughout the 30 days of June, we celebrate Pride Month and, according to Google, African-American Music Appreciation Month. There are of course the daily commemorations that border on the ridiculous, like National Go Barefoot Day, National Hug Your Cat Day and Love Conquers All Day, among others.  

Positively Filipino considers these important dates as landmarks that guide, but not limit, our coverage. June or not, we stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ community. We also wish Filipinos all over the world festive Independence Day and Rizal Day celebrations, and fathers, as always, reasons to be loved.

Our lineup this week:

A new book from the celebrated Filipino nonagenarian author, Linda Ty-Casper, titled Lives Remembered, is reviewed by literature professor Lynn Grow;

Our Toronto-based contributor Odette Foronda walked the Camino de Santiago the first time to pray for a child for her daughter, and the second time in gratitude for her twin grandsons. 

Another Angono, Rizal artist, Cecille Artillaga, emerges in the Philippine art scene.

And in women's soccer, an eyewitness account of Angel City FC's recent game. 

Read It Again:

In the End, Love Wins by Manzel Delacruz

My Father and Gay Pride by John L. Silva

Filipino Sports History: It’s In the Cards by Mark John Sanchez

[Video of the Week] SOMA Pilipinas: San Francisco's cultural district revitalized with art 

In The Know

OFW in Canada gifted with million-dollar house by employer
https://www.pep.ph/lifestyle/lifestyle/186893/ofw-canada-gift-million-dollar-house-a717-20250523?

More than buko pie: Sweet treats to eat in Los Baños as recommended by a local
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/507002/los-banos-eats/

When “Honest Review Lang” Becomes Harmful: The Real Cost of Viral Food Criticism
https://www.simpol.ph/when-honest-review-lang-becomes-harmful-the-real-cost-of-viral-food-criticism/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKsAPtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFhR0dQaGczSHB4NFlxZm5lAR4rXko6XVPng_sy6ZxPzlkLMFvV37ae6LWk7OlbfArJJHvXuFSEbpBivVJz9A_aem_6ftimwXs3_AYo3dhmvRojA

Lilo & Stitch star Tia Carrere gushes over her trans teen son
https://www.out.com/celebs/lilo-stitch-tia-carrere-trans-son-jude?

San Francisco scooter fanatic gets back in the saddle to open new cafe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1BroN4hJgw

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Staff