+BTW: OPINIONS, CONTEXT & IDEAS FROM THE EDITORS - Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora

In the stand-up comedy world, Jo Koy is big. So big that he can fill up sports arenas and sell out shows. So big that even in a small community called Orillia in Ontario, Canada, he was able to draw a predominantly non-Filipino audience -- not his usual Filipino American constituency -- to his performance.

Behind Jo Koy’s comedy is a story familiar to many in the Filipi...

We’ve all heard the joke: “If I’d known grandkids would be this much fun, I would have had them first!” It’s said with a wink, but ask any grandparent and you’ll find some truth in it. There’s a special joy in loving a child without having to shoulder all the responsibilities of raising one—and, when the little ones get cranky or the lolos and lolas get tired, there’...

In the1980s, when the New People’s Army (NPA) was at the height of its strength, journalists and other sympathetic—or simply open-minded—individuals, both foreign and Filipino, were occasionally invited into its “guerilla fronts,” rural areas where the movement held sway. There, they could speak directly with rebel leaders about what they were fighting for and why.

Thes...

The Philippines’ global presence is often measured through familiar indicators—remittances, migration numbers, and the achievements of the 11 million-strong Filipino diaspora. In this article by Toronto-based professor and PF contributing writer Cesar Polvorosa, Jr.,

There is something uncanny about August 21 in Philippine history. Three pivotal events took place on this date, each profoundly altering the country’s political and social trajectory.

On August 21, 1901, the SS Thomas arrived in Manila carrying nearly 500 American teachers. Known collectively as the Thomasites, they were sent across the archipelago to teach English and ...