How do we tell a love story?

In a movie, we establish the shot and place the point of view amidst a cinematic landscape. It is, in the words of the contemporary American poet Mark Doty, a gesture of description, that one “encoded desire.” In this issue, we could only think of hometowns and the yearning to come home. This issue is a homecoming.

Poet and photographer Phillip Kimpo retraces his roots in Aklan and provides us dazzling vignettes and images of a most revered festival—the Ati-atihan. Locating his space in both local history and festive revelry, he lends us a fresh glimpse of this one big fiesta of varied colors and mythic proportions. Phillip is currently president of the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), the premiere organization of poets writing in Filipino, founded in 1985 by National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario (a.k.a. Rio Alma). 

Assistant editor Marie Angeli Syjueco visits her popular neighborhood haunt for trips down memory lane and platefuls of the original Pansit Malabon. She visits the houses that Pansit Malabon built—Norma’s Pansit Luglog and Restaurant of the Concepcions and Rosy’s Pansit Malabon of the Pachecos. Both Pansit Malabon houses opened their doors—and even kitchens to us—as they told their sumptuous tales and beginnings.

Storylines are important too—and places only make sense if we get to consider their stories. Philippines Graphic magazine managing editor Joel Salud weaves for us again a brilliant essay on love, Pinoy style, returning to the Great Books, sages and poets like Francisco Balagtas, whose lover’s discourse in Florante at Laura has defined our consciousness. Joel’s passion also gathers steam as he writes an ode to an old love—Tagaytay.

We opt for twists and turns, even detours. Palanca winner Althea Ricardo, in an unguided pilgrimage, walks us back to Baclaran, and sws the signs and wonders of this Marian shrine, embraced by mystique and popular piety. We see once again the ladies walking down the aisle on their knees to the altar of the Mother of Perpetual Help, the cheap bazaars, and the whole paradox of the unkempt in that one convergent space of faith and commerce. 

Award-winning screenwriter and La Salle professor Jewel Casto returns in our pages with a trailer of Filipino cinematic history, recalling not just the love teams that moved us, but also the soundtracks of our lives (a quaint prelude to the Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra’s “FASO Goes to the Movies” show on July 10, 2010, 7 pm, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium).  Jewel, our resident auteur, shows us that indeed, our body of romantic films is one cinema paradiso. 

We also broaden our viewpoints, setting our eyes not only on romantic landscapes but also to larger contexts and conquests. Love of country brings Carlo dela Cruz to help build homes and dreams with Gawad Kalinga. 

As in a plot, epiphany is always glorious and surprising. In associate editor Louie Jon Sanchez’s piece this issue, he rekindles his love of the sea and accomplishes what he always thought was impossible. In Silay, Negros Occidental, he plants mangrove seedlings with a local community and gets up close and personal with natural diversity. In Can-Avid, Eastern Samar, he joins a cast of surfers to ride the waves in the wide Pacific. 

Balikbayan magazine is our continuing affair with the old country from a new point of view. 

In our maiden issue, we posed the question: what is this thing called “love of country”? It is, simply put, the magazine you have come to love.  And after only a year, Balikbayan Magazine is ready for its close-up.

Who says you can’t hurry love? -end-