August 12, 2026

A Good Month for Remembering

August 12, 2026/ Staff

“There is something about listening to the stories of our Filipino-American elders that touches me at the soul level,” posted Fil-Am biopharma entrepreneur Lieza Marie Danan after attending last Saturday’s tribute to community manongs and manangs, sponsored by Positively Filipino. [See report by Lorna Lardizabal Dietz.]

Lieza's words speak to something deeply Filipino: our instinct to remember, to honor those who came before us, and to carry their stories forward. Wherever Filipinos may be in the world, our history travels with us—in memory, in family stories, and in the communities we build.

August is a good month for remembering. The Cry of Pugad Lawin, the founding of the Aglipayan Church, and the arrival of the Thomasites all took place in this month. Marcelo H. del Pilar and Manuel L. Quezon were born in August; and on August 21, 1983, Ninoy Aquino Jr. was assassinated, changing the course of Philippine history. [More on this date next week, but read Howie Severino's Ninoy story in this issue.]

These are the familiar milestones. But history is also found in the quieter stories—the lives of our elders, the struggles they endured, and the communities they built. To celebrate them is, in a small but important way, to celebrate ourselves.

This Week’s Stories

Honoring Our Manongs and Manangs 2026 by Lorna Lardizabal Dietz

The Only Unhappy Aquino in America by Howie Severino

A Childhood My Children Will Never Fully Know by Elena Baldwin

Adoring the Philippines from Afar by Anthony Maddela

[Read It Again]

Day Trips to Culinary Heaven by Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Mark of Four Waves by Mel Orpilla

[Video of the Week]

San Jose’s Filipino American Community

In The Know

Conrad Ricamora Hopes His New Role Will Make You Rethink Your Relationship To AI
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/conrad-ricamora-disruption-play-

Inside Kapusod, Howie Severino's Lakeside Paradise Where Thoughtful Living Takes Root
https://www.spot.ph/things-to-do/weekend-guides/howie-severino-kapusod-batangas-a5138-20260724-dyn?ref=home_wgt3-weekender_read-more

Fil-Am Jacob Batalon ties the knot as ‘Spider-Man’ shatters records
https://usa.inquirer.net/205862/fil-am-jacob-batalon-ties-the-knot-as-spider-man-shatters-records

Lorna Tolentino becomes Philippine Navy reservist
https://www.pep.ph/pepalerts/pep-troika/193316/lorna-tolentino-philippine-navy-reservist-a4118-20260807

Filipino American activist detained in the Philippines
https://asamnews.com/2026/08/08/filipino-american-activist-christina-pasion-detained-arrested/?

August 05, 2026

A Living Archive of Fil-Am Achievement

August 05, 2026/ Staff

History is not preserved by monuments alone. It endures because people choose to remember, to tell stories, and to honor lives that have shaped a community. That is what the annual Building Communities: A Tribute to our Manongs and Manangs, created by Mona Lisa Yuchengco, have accomplished year after year. Through Positively Filipino, the event is more than an awards program; it is a living archive of Filipino American achievement. The honorees come from different generations and walks of life, yet together they reveal a larger truth—that our history has been written by soldiers and teachers, scientists and physicians, artists and writers, entrepreneurs, public servants, and community advocates whose contributions have too often remained outside the pages of mainstream history. By bringing these lives into the light, the manong and manang honors affirm that every story preserved strengthens the story of us all.

This year's gathering is another opportunity to celebrate not only twelve distinguished individuals but also the enduring legacy of a community whose contributions continue to shape America. The honorees did more than achieve personal success; they widened the path for those who followed, opened doors once closed to Filipinos, built institutions, preserved our heritage, and enriched the fields they served. In honoring them, Positively Filipino honors our collective journey.

We invite our readers to join us for this special occasion—to listen, to affirm, and to become part of a celebration that reminds us that history is a living inheritance, carried forward every time a name is spoken, a life is remembered, and a community comes together in gratitude and pride.

This Week’s Stories

When the Youngest Manong Becomes the Elder by Alex S. Fabros, Jr.

Trans Man and Trans Woman Tie Knot in PH Catholic Church by Rene Astudillo

‘Subsaharan Mindanao’ to the World by Elaine Joy Edaya Degale

He Danced Before He Knew Why by Lani Domaloy

[Read It Again]

My Close Call on 9/11 by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba (Ret.)

Why the F in ‘Filipino’ and How Did It Get There? by Marne Kilates

[Video of the Week]

Why is America defending a shipwreck?

In The Know

'Most exciting player' Eala shows 'Filipino heart' to make history
https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/cjwx9y96x90o

Nearly 10 months in ICE custody, a photojournalist’s case tests the limits of protected speech
https://www.therebelyellow.com/p/nearly-10-months-in-ice-custody-a?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

‘Little Manila is in the heart. 209:’ How a Stockton community preserved the stories of the Filipino migrants who built it
https://stocktonia.org/news/community/2026/07/30/little-manila-is-in-the-heart-209-how-a-stockton-community-preserved-the-stories-of-the-filipino-migrants-who-built-it/

[OPINION] Pax Silica and the Philippines: Will we build the future or simply build it for others?

https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-pax-silica-will-philippines-build-future-or-for-others/?

'I feel like I dug my own grave': The workers caught in the AI transition
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr7nxve05go

5 Library Cafes to Visit Around Metro Manila
https://www.preview.ph/culture/food/library-cafes-manila-a6887-

Laperal, Not the Haunted Baguio Mansion
https://tribune.net.ph/2026/07/24/laperal-not-the-haunted-baguio-mansion

July 29, 2026

Extraordinary People, Unforgettable Stories

July 29, 2026/ Staff

Thirteen and a half years ago, the four of us former Filipinas* magazine colleagues—came together with a simple idea: to create an online magazine that would tell the stories of Filipinos everywhere, not just in the Philippines or the United States. We had no idea Positively Filipino would still be here more than a decade later.

Looking back, what fills us most is gratitude. Through PF, we have been welcomed into the lives of kababayans around the world. Our readers and writers have introduced us to extraordinary people, unforgettable stories, and perspectives that have deepened our understanding of what it means to be Filipino in today's world.

One of our greatest privileges has been discovering talented writers—many publishing for a wider audience for the first time—and giving them a place to share their voices. We've also had the honor of recognizing Filipinos whose achievements deserve to be celebrated and remembered, while providing history and context for our shared story.

It hasn't always been easy. There were times we were criticized for taking a stand, and other times for not taking one. We've also lost dear friends and contributors over the years, including one who sent us his final article from the ICU. Their words remain part of PF's legacy.

If these thirteen and a half years have taught us anything, it's that stories matter. They connect us across oceans, generations, and experiences.

To everyone who has read us, written for us, shared our stories, and encouraged us along the way—thank you. Your trust and support have made Positively Filipino what it is today. It has been our privilege to be part of your lives.

* Filipinas was a monthly glossy magazine for Filipinos in North America. It was founded by PF publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco. It ran from the early '90s to the mid-2000s.