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In search of material for a column, I visited the Ateneo Rizal Library the other day and browsed aimlessly in the periodical section. There, I came across bound volumes of the pro-Ferdinand Marcos Sr. magazine ‘Republic Weekly.’ In it was a series on Dovie Beams and her lurid affair with the former president. The first article that caught my attention was suggestively titled ‘Dovie Turns the Screw,’ written by someone hiding under the initials ‘A.E.’ I was very disappointed that someone had cut out all the sexy photos from the article. The photo captions left a lot to the imagination. A missing vertical photo was captioned: ‘Dovie Beams Hungry and Angry,’ and the other missing horizontal or landscape photo was captioned: ‘Miss Beams posing for photomen in the buff.’ Almost all the photos in the series that ran from April 1971 were cut out, and I wondered: who would have done this? Was it a horny Ateneo student or professor? Or was it a prude librarian who wanted to keep the stacks free of pornography?

Going over the whole Dovie Beams series over several issues of Republic Weekly made me reflect on the practice of history. First, did I find the material, or did the material find me? I could have opened issues of the Philippines Free Press, Graphic, Asia Philippines Leader, Sunday Times Magazine, etc., but I chose Republic Weekly because it was not familiar to me. Finding Dovie Beams was pure serendipity. History in the university setting is either placed under the humanities or social sciences department because the discipline is both about creative expression and rigorous research and analysis. In the humanities and the sciences, all scholars go through their so-called eureka moments.

Second, looking at the missing photos of Miss Beams and being curious about them underscores the fact that until the time machine is invented, the historian cannot truly go back and know the past fully. At best, the historian tries to get as close to the truth as possible, following in the tracks or traces of the past through the primary sources. What happens if the sources are incomplete, nonexistent, or worse, biased, wrong, or outright lies?

Historians digging through current Philippine newspapers know that there are no newspapers on dates that fall on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Having no Philippine newspapers on these dates does not mean that nothing happened on those days, that time and history stood still. This reminds me of a trick test question I have in an exam. I asked for the most significant event that happened in the Philippines on Thursday, Dec. 31, 1844. Students couldn’t find it because that day ‘disappeared,’ thanks to Spanish Governor General Narciso Claveria, who realized that the Philippine calendar was off or 11 days ahead of other places where the Gregorian calendar was adopted. To correct the discrepancy, Claveria decreed that Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1844, would be followed by Friday, Dec. 31, 1844. Remember this is the same governor who decreed in 1849 that, for census and tax purposes, all Filipinos had to adopt a surname chosen from the ‘Catalogo alfabetico de apellidos (Alphabetical catalog of surnames).’

Libraries and archives are the lifeblood of history and historians, but these institutions cannot collect everything. When I go over the periodicals collected by the Rizal Library, I realize that these are mostly broadsheets. Where are the tabloids? In terms of magazines, the library did not collect movie titles, song hits, or local pornography. I was surprised that the Rizal Library has the Baguio Midland Courier and other local papers, but these are either in English or Filipino. What about materials in other languages, like Ilocano or Kapampangan? What about periodicals in Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Bisaya, Maranao, Manobo, or Subanen? In the Rizal Library special collections, we have materials in Spanish, even recorded oral epics from Palawan. In a country with over a hundred different languages and many different ethnolinguistic groups, how can we weave a true Philippine history when what passes for it is basically a local history of Manila? When I think of a national history these days, I think in plural terms, because what we have is not one Philippine history but rather many Philippine histories.

While the content of the Republic Weekly in 1971 was old news, there was a lot that was strangely contemporary. Politics filled the first sections of the magazines, followed by showbiz news and features. Some people featured in 1971 are still in the news, like the immortal Juan Ponce Enrile. Tirso Cruz III, in 1971, was part of a movie loveteam with Nora Aunor. Today, he is the chair of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. Annabelle Rama, controversial today for what she says, was provocative in 1971 on the Republic Weekly cover, her blouse open slightly to provide a peek into one of her breasts. Browsing through the Republic Weekly of 1971 made me realize that the historian’s true task is to write and educate so that the present will stop reading like the past.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is preparing to subpoena a social media user over a post in which she claimed Acting Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. urged officers to disobey President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

‘According to the CIDG and the Anti-Cybercrime Group’s report, the post was taken down and the poster of the disinformation was identified,’ PNP public information chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said in Filipino in a press briefing in Camp Crame on Wednesday.

‘The CIDG subpoena is now being prepared to summon her and give her a chance to explain,’ he added.

Tuaño said he was not at liberty to name the social media user, only saying that she was a ‘professional living in Mindanao.’

A screenshot of the original post shared by the PNP at the briefing showed a Facebook page named ‘Rose Ann’ claiming that Nartatez urged the police force to disobey Marcos’ orders and called the president a ‘thief of the country’s treasury.’

In a statement on Tuesday night, the PNP debunked the post, saying it was ‘fabricated and malicious’ and it ‘intended to spread confusion and discredit our institution.’

In a press briefing last Monday, Nartatez said neither he, his staff, PNP commanders, nor regional directors had been asked to withdraw support from Marcos.

‘And what’s the basis? We have a president who won by a majority vote. I don’t see any basis to remove him from office,’ he said.

This came after Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said he rejected open calls by several groups and retired officers to oust the President amid outrage over alleged anomalies in infrastructure projects. /mcm

The World Bank (WB) said the Philippines can continue to lean on resilient domestic demand to cushion its economy from the fallout of higher US tariffs, which threaten to slow growth across East Asia.

In its latest East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, the Washington-based lender kept its growth forecast for the Philippines at 5.3 percent this year and 5.4 percent in 2026, pointing to steady consumer spending and sustained government investment in infrastructure development.

That relatively stable outlook stood out in a region bracing for trade disruptions and weaker external demand. The WB expects the broader East Asia and Pacific economy to expand by an average of 4.8 percent this year, easing from 5 percent in 2024.

3rd fastest growing

With those projections, the Philippines-which was slapped with a 19-percent American tariff-is poised to be the region’s third fastest-growing economy this year, trailing only Vietnam’s robust 6.6 percent and Mongolia’s 5.9 percent.

Still, the bank’s forecast fell short of the Marcos administration’s target of 5.5- to 6.5-percent growth this year and 6 to 7 percent in 2026.

‘The Philippines will benefit from robust domestic demand, supported by easing inflation, lower interest rates and strong labor markets,’ WB said.

‘Growth will also be sustained by public infrastructure investment exceeding 5 percent of gross domestic product and private investment spurred by the reforms discussed above,’ it added.

Some of that momentum is already visible.

New challenges

In the second quarter, the economy expanded by 5.5 percent as household consumption grew at its fastest pace in more than two years, lifted by moderating inflation and lower borrowing costs. Even so, consumer spending remained below the prepandemic five-year average of 6.2 percent.

Zooming out, the WB said East Asia and the Pacific continued to outperform much of the world, but sustaining that momentum would require ambitious reforms as the region navigates an uncertain global environment.

The bank warned that the region’s once-successful model of inclusive development now faces new strains. Recent job growth has been concentrated in low-productivity, often informal service sectors that offer limited prospects for advancement.

Labor constraints

At the same time, many young people are struggling to find work, and women continue to participate less in the labor force.

While about 25 million people in the region are expected to escape poverty between 2025 and 2026, the WB noted that the share of those vulnerable to falling back into poverty now exceeds the size of the middle class in most countries.

‘East Asia’s export-oriented labor-intensive growth lifted a billion people out of poverty in the last three decades, but the region now faces the twin challenges of trade protection and job automation,’ said WB East Asia and Pacific chief economist Aaditya Mattoo.

‘Reforms of the business climate and improvements in education could unleash a virtuous cycle between opportunity and capacity, leading to higher growth and better jobs,’ Mattoo added.

The opening scene of the Cinemalaya short film ‘Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat Ha Langit (Objects Do Not Randomly Fall From the Sky)’ hits audiences right in the face – it is a display of how the country’s fishermen grapple with the territorial aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

For its director and writer Maria Estela Paiso, it is a manifestation of her anger toward the ongoing issue. ‘Dahil hindi ako nag-film school, sinulat ko ‘to dahil sa galit. Sa totoo lang. Sinulat ko ito as a response sa ‘Ampangabagat nin talakba ha likol (It’s Raining Frogs Outside).’ Kailangan nating lawakan ang lente natin sa pagtingin kung saan tayo nanggagaling,’ she told Inquirer Entertainment in an interview.

(Since I wasn’t able to go to film school, I wrote this short film out of anger. If I have to be honest with you. I wrote this as a response to my other short film, ‘Ampangabagat nin talakba ha likol.’ We need to widen our lenses when it comes to telling stories of where we come from.)

Paiso, who finished Communication Arts at De La Salle University-Manila, was referring to her 2021 short film, which screened at the QCinema International Film Festival in the same year, and the 2022 edition of Cinemalaya. It tells the story of Maya returning to her childhood home in Zambales as the world is about to end, wondering why frogs are literally raining down from the sky.

This time, ‘Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat Ha Langit (Objects Do Not Randomly Fall From the Sky)’ revolves around Sita and her mother turning into half-fish, half-humans, as they navigate through their youth in Zambales amid the ongoing territorial aggression on the West Philippine Sea.

‘Docu-fiction siya, pinagsama ko siya sa mga kwinento sa’kin ng mama ko sa pagkabata niya sa Zambales, territorial aggression na dinadanas ng mga mangingisda sa Masinloc sa West Philippine Sea,’ Paiso explained. ‘Ilang admin na ang dumaan pero wala pa rin tayong solusyon. Mas malala na siya ngayon.’

(It’s a docu-fiction short brought together by the stories of my mom’s childhood in Zambales, and the territorial aggression that fishermen go through in Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea. Many administrations have come and gone, but there is still no solution. It even got worse.) Throughout the entirety of the short film, stop-motion animation was used to explore the narratives of Sita and her mother, combined with compilations of fishermen and the country’s past presidents sharing their take on the issue.

To bring ‘Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat Ha Langit (Objects Do Not Randomly Fall From the Sky)’ to life, Paiso compiled sentiments from fishermen, before ‘structuring them together.’ Also included are quotes from her mother and other related soundbites, before adding in the visuals.

‘Noong nakausap ko ang ilang interviewees ko, hindi pa rin sila nakakapunta sa Panatag Shoal. Banned sila within 14 nautical miles ng shoal, so mas malala pa. Dati, nakakatakas sila pero ngayon naka-barricade na talaga. Hindi ka na makalapit,’ Paiso said, reiterating that topics on the West Philippine Sea aggression need to be discussed.

‘Importante siya pag-usapan kasi may karapatan ang mangingisda natin sa sarili nating katubigan. Tayong mga Pilipino ang dapat makinabang sa likas na yaman natin. Ang isa sa narratives na gusto kong ibahagi ay [to counter] ‘yung claim na issue lang ito ng pamimili between magkaibang bansa in case magka-guerra, hindi siya issue ng pamimili ng kakampihan. Ang dapat nating kinakampihan ay ang mga kababayan natin,’ she said.

(My interviewees shared that they haven’t been to the Panatag Shoal. They are banned within 14 nautical miles, so it got worse. Before, they were still able to find their way through, but there is a barricade now. You really can’t come close to it. It’s important to talk about it because our fishermen have the right to their own waters. Filipinos have the right to our own resources. One of the intentions in my narrative is to counter the claim that we must choose a country to stand by in case of war. It is not an issue of choosing our allies. We must choose our own countrymen.)

Paiso is aware that funding is one of the biggest challenges filmmakers face, especially when it comes to certain ‘political’ topics. Or in her case, ‘kung anong ibig sabihin ng political sa mga institusyon (what being political means depending on the institution,’ but she hopes that it serves as a reminder of why the public should never stop talking about the aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

The short film, which ends with the glaring phrase, ‘Atin ang Pinas (The Philippines is ours),’ is an official entry to the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, which runs until Oct. 12.

Debuts and defenses take center stage on the second game day of the PBA’s 50th season, which heads to Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday.

Titan Ultra makes its big-league debut at 5 p.m. against Meralco, while San Miguel Beer launches its Philippine Cup title defense at 7:30 p.m. against NLEX.

While San Miguel’s campaign in the conference it has historically dominated is a key storyline, Titan Ultra’s first PBA appearance draws added attention. The team enters the league after parent company Pureblends Corporation acquired the NorthPort franchise in the offseason.

Most Improved Player and All-Defensive Team honoree Joshua Munzon, alongside Calvin Abueva, Cade Flores, and rookie Chris Koon, is expected to lead the Giant Risers in their bid to upset the seasoned Bolts, who won the all-Filipino crown in 2024.

‘We’re a new team and we have to manage expectations,’ Munzon told the Inquirer. ‘The players and the coaches haven’t been together for a month so we have to go out there, build our chemistry and stay together.’

Munzon enters the season having grown steadily over the past two years, averaging 15.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.0 steals during the 2024-2025 campaign with the former Batang Pier.

Titan Ultra also bolstered its roster by signing veterans James Martinez, Arvie Bringas, and Roi Sumang, who spent recent seasons in the MPBL.

Meralco, on the other hand, enters the conference with new uniforms and renewed optimism. After being eliminated in the quarterfinals of all three tournaments last season, the Bolts are eyeing deeper runs.

Chris Newsome, who re-signed with the team despite exploring free agency, leads the charge alongside a healthy Allein Maliksi, who returns after playing only two games last year.

San Miguel, meanwhile, is brushing off preseason tuneup losses to Converge and Meralco, focusing instead on games that matter.

June Mar Fajardo, fresh off a record-extending ninth MVP award, will once again team up with CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz. The trio will look to resume their dominant form from July, when they secured the Jun Bernardino Perpetual Trophy against a TNT squad chasing a Grand Slam.

Rookie Chris Miller may also carve out a significant role in the Beermen’s rotation. Meanwhile, Robert Bolick, who finished second in the MVP race, hopes to steer the Road Warriors past last year’s quarterfinal heartbreak-when they squandered a twice-to-beat edge to Rain or Shine. INQ

Consumer prices climbed in September at their fastest pace in six months, driven by surging food costs after a series of storms that flooded farms and destroyed crops – a setback seen to make the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) more guarded in its next policy steps.

Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, quickened to 1.7 percent in September from 1.5 percent in August, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Tuesday.

It was the strongest reading since March, when inflation stood at 1.8 percent. Even so, the figure came in better than the 2-percent median forecast of economists polled by the Inquirer last week.

September also marked the seventh consecutive month that inflation remained below the BSP’s 2- to 4- percent target range.

Prices pressures

Transport prices, which reversed seven straight months of decline after posting a 1 percent gain in September, emerged as the top driver of inflation.

State statisticians flagged mixed price movements of diesel and gasoline last month, though most of the weekly adjustments were upward.

Food prices also nudged inflation higher, rising 1 percent in September from 0.9 percent in August. The increase was driven by a spike in vegetable costs, which jumped 19.4 percent, the fastest in eight months.

The PSA said storms had disrupted harvests and pushed up prices of staples like cabbage, chilies, peppers and pumpkins.

Rice prices, meanwhile, posted a milder decline of 16.9 percent from 17 percent previously, extending their slump despite the ongoing import freeze.

‘The slight uptick in inflation underscores the sensitivity of domestic food prices to supply disruptions,’ said Secretary Arsenio Balisacan of the Department of Economy, Planning and Development. ‘We are working closely with various agencies to stabilize supply, keep essential goods affordable, and safeguard household welfare.’

Probable pause

Separately, the BSP said it would assess the September inflation data ‘to determine the appropriate monetary policy response.’

But while inflation continued to stay below the central bank’s target range, a fresh rate cut is seen to be unlikely this week, given the peso’s weakness. The local currency has slipped to the 58-per-dollar level and could stoke imported inflation.

Ten out of 16 economists polled by the Inquirer last week expected the Monetary Board to keep the policy rate steady at 5 percent on Oct. 9.

‘Looking ahead, a potential month-on-month increase in rice prices following the suspension of rice imports, along with the impact of adverse weather, could add some upward push to inflation,’ analysts at Chinabank Research said.

‘While overall price growth is still expected to remain low for the rest of the year, increased upside risks to the inflation outlook could prompt the BSP to adopt a more cautious stance and keep interest rates on hold at Thursday’s policy meeting,’ they added.

Gov. Edgar Aglipay has ordered a thorough investigation of the collapse on Monday of the Piggatan Bridge here, which sent five trucks crashing down and left parts of the national highway linking the capital city of Tuguegarao to the northern towns of Cagayan impassable.

The bridge, constructed in 1974, had an 18-ton load limit, far below the estimated 50-ton combined weight of the five vehicles-an 18-wheel, two 16-wheel, and two smaller trucks-passing through it at the time of its collapse.

Aglipay, who inspected the bridge on Monday night, urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to hold accountable those who might have violated regulations.

‘If found liable, the truck operator and drivers should be [face] criminal and civil [charges],’ he said at a briefing.

Aglipay also ordered the strict monitoring of other aging bridges in the province, including Buntun connecting Tuguegarao and Enrile town, Gava and Baybayog, both in Alcala town, and Magapit in Lal-lo town, to ensure the durability of these structures and to avoid accidents.

‘This should be a wake-up call. Let’s not wait for more disasters before we act,’ he added.

‘Just seconds’

‘It happened in just seconds,’ Jonathan Relos, one of the truck drivers passing through the bridge, recounted the moment it collapsed around 4:30 p.m. Monday.

He said he was transporting 650 sacks of palay that would be delivered to Cauayan City in Isabela province, where the grain sold for P12.80 per kilo, higher than the P11 buying price in northern Cagayan.

‘I was aiming to earn for my two children’s school expenses. But now, it’s gone,’ Relos, 41, said in Ilocano.

He appealed to the authorities to allow them to recover their cargo of palay so the sacks could be transferred to another truck and sold before the grains rot.

Alcala Mayor Cristina Antonio, in a statement, said the bridge’s structural lifespan should be checked.

‘Could the bridge be nearing its lifespan, and could this have been a factor in its collapse? Also, should the lifespan of a bridge first draw near before it is replaced?’ she asked.

Describing Piggatan Bridge as a critical artery for the Cagayan Valley region, Antonio stressed its role in connecting Cagayan to neighboring provinces and Metro Manila.

‘All vehicles, including heavy trucks, have no alternative except to pass through the national highway and Piggatan Bridge. They have no other way,’ she said.

‘Cagayan is one of the country’s rice and corn granaries, and it cannot be helped during harvest season that tons of produce are transported. Shouldn’t bridges with higher load limits have been built to serve today’s pressing needs?’ Antonio said.

DPWH action

Oscar Gumiran, district engineer of DPWH’s First Cagayan Engineering District Office, declined to comment further, saying he did not want to preempt actions by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon.

However, Gumiran confirmed that a team from the DPWH Bureau of Designs had been sent to Alcala to assess the structure after its collapse.

Antonio criticized the department’s previous advisories, which urged heavy trucks to unload cargo and ferry goods in batches across older bridges.

‘As the agency in charge of public works, DPWH should have the planning and foresight to install bridges that meet the demand of the times, instead of putting the blame and burden of adjusting upon the public. ‘Overloading’ should not be made a convenient excuse,’ she lamented.

One of the drivers was injured and taken to a local hospital, while four trucks had yet to be towed from the collapsed bridge as of Tuesday

An individual was apprehended on Tuesday for a malicious social media post against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that was reported to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Facebook user Michael Romero, with the username ‘Mike Romero,’ posted a photo of Marcos Jr. overlaid with a red arrow pointing to the president’s head with the caption, ‘Headshot.’

Romero posted the same photo with a different caption, and he explained under the comments that the ‘system’ removed his post, and he claimed that he made an error in his caption.

‘My post earlier was deleted by the system. Mistake in the caption,’ his comment read.

After gaining attention on the social media platform, the NBI Cybercrime Division identified Romero and conducted a surveillance to locate him.

Romero admitted ownership of the Facebook account after being confronted by authorities, which led to his arrest in his residence in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.

According to the NBI, his post was a violation of Inciting to Sedition of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Following the arrest, the NBI warned against posting malicious content on social media. /apl

On a day meant to showcase international talent, it was the locals who delivered the drama.

ZUS Coffee and Akari opened the PVL Reinforced Conference on Tuesday with thrilling five-set action at Ynares Center Montalban-but without their highly anticipated imports, who were sidelined by what the league hinted was a move by the sport’s national federation to dictate its schedule.

Though the Thunderbelles’ Anna DeBeer and the Chargers’ Annie Mitchem warmed up and were ready to suit up, both were relegated to the bench after the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) refused to endorse the International Transfer Certificates (ITCs) required for foreign players to compete.

‘The PVL regrets to inform the public that the foreign guest players will not be permitted to participate in the ongoing season-ending conference until their ITCs are duly approved,’ the organizing Sports Vision wrote in a statement Tuesday.

Sports Vision claimed it had submitted all necessary documentation on time-including signed clearances from players, their federations and clubs. PVL insiders believe the PNVF is using the ITC approval as leverage to force the league to end its tournament earlier, reportedly to accommodate preparations for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in December.

‘The PNVF reportedly demanded that the Reinforced Conference end by Nov. 16, despite the PVL having structured the tournament to run until Nov. 27, including the finals,’ the league wrote in a statement. ‘We already adjusted our calendar to support the national program-even moving the conference to start after the national team’s commitments concluded on Sept. 30.’

Suzara in hospital

The PVL further claimed that stakeholders are questioning the PNVF’s motives, accusing the federation of placing political control above sport development.

The Inquirer reached out to the PNVF and to the federation’s president, Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara, but has yet to receive a response at press time. A source said the volleyball chief was under the weather, which Suzara confirmed when he messaged the Inquirer: ‘I am in the hospital.’

Despite missing their reinforcements, ZUS Coffee roared back from a 1-2 set deficit to stun Akari, 24-26, 25-23, 17-25, 26-24, 15-7, in a two-hour, 32-minute marathon.

Down 6-7 in the fifth, the Thunderbelles unleashed a nine-point run, powered by Riza Nogales’ timely hits and Fiola Ceballos’ back-to-back aces.

AC Miner, who had 10 points and was instrumental in forcing a decider, admitted they missed DeBeer’s presence-but made sure to win it for her.

‘Even though we prepared with Anna, and it would’ve been better if she was there so we’d be complete, we still gave it our all today,’ Miner said. ‘Even though I only really got going near the end, I’m still thankful because everything clicked and we managed to reach the fourth and fifth sets.’

Coach Jerry Yee said the late ruling caught the team off guard, but the Thunderbelles adjusted on the fly.

‘We weren’t super prepared, but it’s okay,’ said Yee. ‘We’ve always trained with different combinations, so we just went out there and played.’ INQ

Nogales led ZUS with 15 points, including five blocks. Jovelyn Gonzaga and Chinnie Arroyo added 14 each, while Ceballos and Kate Santiago chipped in 13 and 11, respectively. Setter Clo Mondoñedo tallied 28 excellent sets, and libero Alyssa Eroa anchored the defense with 22 digs and 21 receptions Eli Soyud fired 22 points to lead Akari, while rookie Chennie Tagaod scored 18 in her debut. Alas veterans Fifi Sharma (13 points, four blocks), Justine Jazareno (32 digs), and Mars Alba (24 excellent sets) also delivered-but fell short without Mitchem.

True to its commitment of republishing ‘some of the best out-of-print ‘lost classics’ of Philippine literature,’ Exploding Galaxies brings back into circulation two important volumes: ‘Sarap: Essays on Philippine Food’ and ‘Palayok: Philippine Food Through Time, On Site, In the Pot’ by Doreen G. Fernandez and Edilberto N. Alegre.

‘Seeing ‘Sarap’ and ‘Palayok’ republished is incredibly gratifying. I remember on the 10th year anniversary of her passing, my mother-Doreen’s sister-was so moved at the many tributes remembering her, and amazed that 10 years on, not only had she not been forgotten but her work continued to be recognized as pioneering and revolutionary,’ says Maya Besa Roxas, niece of Doreen G. Fernandez.

Doreen Fernandez and Ed Alegre

Reviving the classics

The release of these two volumes on Oct. 15 via Exploding Galaxies and select branches of National Book Store, Fully Booked, Kultura, Mt. Cloud Bookshop in Baguio, and Everything’s Fine in Makati commemorates a couple of milestones. First, Exploding Galaxies’ push into nonfiction, and second, republished editions in excelsis since they first came into circulation in 1988 (‘Sarap’) and 2000 (‘Palayok’).

‘Novels and fiction have been our focus, but we heard the call of Doreen Fernandez’s books as something just as urgent to republish,’ says Mara Coson, Exploding Galaxies publisher. ‘These books have long been out of print and yet [are] so sought after.’

Doreen Fernandez | Photo by Stella Kalaw

Touted as seminal guides to Filipino food culture and identity for their ‘elegant prose that teaches us to taste, contextualize, and appreciate the world around us’ (Ambeth Ocampo), as well as their bold takes on Filipino food ‘as an essential marker of Filipino identity’ (Clinton Palanca), the new editions offer fresh opportunities for Filipinos to (re)connect with Fernandez and ‘Palayok’ co-author Alegre.

Gianne Encarnacion, Kitty Jardenil, Elle Shivers, and Eva Yu all lend their artistic points of view on ‘Sarap,’ while photojournalist Jilson Tiu makes a go at ‘the eateries and arteries of Manila, of first catches and ferments, of kitchens, tables, and fiestas all over the country’ in ‘Palayok.’ Kristian Henson and Miguel Mari, meanwhile, designed the tactility and beauty of the books and the weight of the written words.

Edilberto Alegre | Photo by Doreen Fernandez

An invitation to join the voyage

Lakan Uhay Alegre, son of Edilberte N. Alegre, lauds the re-release. ‘In college, when I was already reading more of Tatay’s works, I had found out that there were limited copies of ‘Sarap,’ and that its market value had quadrupled from its original selling price. How can scholars truly understand Filipino food if ‘Sarap,’ a canon on Filipino food studies, remains rare and inaccessible?’

‘Republishing ‘Sarap’ comes with making invaluable knowledge on Filipino food affordable. Like freshly caught sapsap sold at the talipapa, the republication of ‘Sarap’ is a blessing,’ he adds.

Rendered with renewed visuals and typography that speak to the modern reader, Fernandez and Alegre’s invitation is unflinching in its metaphorical gaze. To enamor you with such language is beauty that keeps you well-fed for a lifetime.

‘We invite our readers as well to join the voyage: we want readers who cook, who like to eat, who enjoy reading about cooking and eating, who are curious about the subtext beneath our food.’-Doreen G. Fernandez and Edilberto N. Alegre, ‘Sarap,’ (pg. vii)