Empathizing With an Employer’s Hiring Concerns Is a Competitive Advantage

American professor, author, and podcast host Brené Brown once said, “Empathy fuels connection.” Empathizing with someone, especially with their concerns, is how you build strong relationships. Interacting empathically with employers is a competitive advantage since few job seekers do so. All hiring managers have concerns. The times you weren’t hired were likely because of a concern(s) your interviewer… Read More »

It Was Fortuitous After All

Puzzled and frankly bored as to why much of our high school Philippine history material covered battles and wars waged against the Spanish colonizers, I asked my history teacher why so?  Her profound answer was: As foreign invaders, the Spaniards treated Filipinos as second-class citizens in so many, many ways — calling them indios and ladrones, for instance.… Read More »

Providing Solutions Is How You Turn on Employers

Physical goods or services are commodities. All commodities exist to solve a problem. For example, apples—a raw agricultural commodity—are a solution to solving your hunger.  As a job seeker, you’re offering employers a commodity, your labour power, in exchange for a wage. In other words, at the risk of offending sensibilities, you’re seeking to serve as a commodity to… Read More »

Memorial of Jesus’ Death on March 24

These days, millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide are now actively engaged in a special campaign to invite people of all races to the memorial of Jesus’ Death, which will be held on March 24 at 7:30 in the evening.  These Memorial Invitations contain the venue and other details for this important event. Those who live elsewhere can also… Read More »

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2024

I cannot but think of the gloriously outspoken and eminently articulate Clare Daly on the occasion of International Women’s Day (IWD) last March 8. (It is actually not just a day but a worldwide movement highlighted with events and activities during the month of March.).  In the United Nation’s website, it says — “Officially recognized by the United… Read More »

Do Smartphones Have a Place in Schools?

Schools aren’t the safe haven we’d like them to be. Students have access to many unhealthy options within its walls, such as junk food and drugs. The Toronto District School Board’s latest attempt at limiting students’ ability to cause self-harm is the creation of a new policy that would restrict students’ use of smartphones while in class, undoing… Read More »

FUN PHILIPPINES TORONTO Food and Music Festival ON JULY 26-28 at Harbourfront Centre, Toronto

In keeping with Toronto’s summer vibe of mounting the biggest events, Harbourfront Centre at Toronto’s central waterfront, will play host to a much-enjoyed Filipino festival.  FUN PHILIPPINES TORONTO FOOD AND MUSIC FESTIVAL will celebrate its 3rd year with an expansive showcase of everything Filipino in one of Canada’s premier tourist destinations. A co-production of Harbourfront Centre and Philippine… Read More »

Courage is useless

“I’m not afraid and these 15 days convinced me there is nothing to fear. Let them be afraid instead.” — Alexie Navalny. When I heard the news that Alexie Navalny died on Friday, March 16, in the Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence, my first reaction was of great sadness. I thought why would… Read More »

Y2KK: Tulong Sa Kapwa Kapatid

Education is a path to opportunity. It develops human talents and interests, as well as being a vehicle for equity and greater social inclusion. Access to quality education is not a privilege, but a human right. However, not everyone has this right, especially among the many people and children living around the dumps of Payatas and Smokey Mountain… Read More »

THE LORE AND ENDURING LEGACY OF A WET MARKET

“Palengke” in the old Parañaque By Edwin de Leon “PAMILIHANG BAYAN NG PALANYAG” was the prominent sign of the Parañaque public market of the post-war years, right into the 50s. Anybody who has travelled between Manila and Cavite has passed the front of this iconic building along Quirino Avenue, the only thoroughfare connecting Manila to the southwest.  … Read More »