WITH an opening line that states “I am Filipino and I am proud’ and the famous quote “ask not what your country can do for you, [but] ask what you can do for your country”, Gemma ‘Gem’ Lauraya emerged as the winner of the on-the-spot essay-writing contest held at the Kennedy Town Bayanihan Center on Nov. 19. The essay-writing tilt ...
FOOD is taken seriously in Osaka. It did not become known as Japan's food capital for nothing. The Japanese word “kuiadore” – which roughly translates to “eat until bankrupt” (or to put it mildly, eat until you drop), perfectly captures the spirit of gustatory pleasures in Osaka. From that unassuming stall selling street food to the ub...
I had the opportunity to tag along my wife for a quick getaway to Boston in June, and it was such a blessing to be able to travel and explore the world on a whim. Ah, the perks of being married to a flight attendant. Boston - home to the Celtics of the National Basketball Association, Red Sox of the Major League Baseball, and the Bruins of the N...
THE province of Kalinga sits high atop the mountains of Cordillera in the north of Luzon. From Manila, you can go by car, which will take you half a day, or by plane to Tuguegarao in the neighboring province of Cagayan. And from there you are just an hour drive away. Sounds quite a journey, doesn’t it? But tourists, locals and foreigners alike...
UMABOT sa 10 taon ang pagtratrabaho ni Jun Delos Reyes Domingo bilang seaman bago magdesisyong tumigil upang makapiling ang kanyang pamilya. Mahirap ang kanyang naging buhay sa barko dahil hindi naman kataasan ang posisyon. Nagsilbi siyang cadet at buson mula 1993 hanggang 2013 sa isang cargo vessel. Sa loob ng 10 taon sa barko, tiniis niya a...
“Why are you going to Egypt?” “Don’t go there! It’s not safe.” “Why don’t you just visit some other country instead?” These were just some of the reactions – skeptical at best, discouraging at worst – that I received when I told my family and friends that I would be travelling to Egypt. Those who know me well, however...
MAY 2017: It’s a month to remember and the second Sunday was the day when Nanay Fe, 59, and from Cebu, was greeted with a ‘happy mother’s day’ and gifted with an early Pamaskong regalo when she comes home for good this Christmas. Naaalala pa niya ang sinabi ng anak na lalaki, “Nay, happy mother’s day. We love you. Pag-uwi mo ngayong ...
HELPING the Mangyan tribe has been the mission’ of Mary Jane ‘Mjane’ Cahilig for three years now, bringing her joy and happiness. Mary Jane is 37 years old and a mother of two who hails from Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro (at Sitio Sawmill). Coming from Mindoro, she knows well the province’s indigenous people, saying “I love the M...
“If it’s your birthday, they give you two chickens.” This was what a Coast Guard officer told me as we walked to the end of the 1,300-metre dirt airfield of Pag-asa island. At 37 hectares, Pag-asa is the biggest island controlled by the Philippines in the Spratlys. It is 480 kilometers west of Puerto Princesa or 34 hours away by boa...
CONSUL-General Bernardita Catalla may have only stayed in Hong Kong for a little over three years, but with those three eventful years, it seemed like she has stayed here far longer than that. Catalla is set to leave Hong Kong soon to assume being the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (AEP) of the Republic of the Philippines to...
