Nowadays, we have a host of unbeknownst addictions and dependencies. Sometimes it requires intervention, and then sometimes not! Often subconsciously, these are things that surrounded us growing up. Addiction can be acquired through the influence of the company we keep and our environment. Children after all, take in what their parents say or do. It is no surprise… Read More »
One of the things the Philippines boasts of is being able to communicate in English fluently. Whereas neighboring Asian countries are still during learning the language as they opened their doors to the world, Japan, China, South Korea, and so on comes to mind. As such, foreign businessmen and tourists find it easier to consider travel to the… Read More »
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 »
Nothing attracts people more than promos, freebies, and add-ons. Business establishments spend money on research to lure people to choose them over their competitors. That is, for people to buy what they don’t need. This is what powers consumerism and materialism. In terms of food, fanning lust and greed are two things they exploit. Lust for food and… Read More »
There are many, many unique things about the Philippines. Naming one’s kid is one of them. For instance, would you ever think of naming their baby girl to honor the three major Philippine islands — Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao: Luzviminda. How clever is that?! But many years later, after that initial adventure into a name, Filipino parents have become… Read More »
Under the service of Spain, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, came upon the Philippines in 1521. I am not using the word ‘discover’ because like in many other countries, the Philippines already had the rudimentary elements of a civilization when the Spanish vessels docked. In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, to honor the reigning king, Philip… Read More »
At end-2023, World Happiness Reports Finland ranks top for the last six consecutive years. Finland’s high level of social trust could be one of the reason the country has been the happiest country in world. As the World Happiness Report, which does the ranking, notes most Finns expect their wallet to be returned to them if they lose… Read More »
Nowadays, there is such a thing called food trips. And this does not include an indulgence in a harmful as it was in the mid-60s well into ‘70s when pot did not necessarily mean a cooking vessel. A term food trip is now literally visiting a country to taste and experience the country’s culinary delights. People travel to… Read More »
Part IV and Conclusion: The Ultimate Sacrifice and the Future By Wilma Gonzales Buenaobra The advent of Overseas Filipino Workers (or OFWs) came about during the downward spiral of the Philippine economy of the ‘70s. A foreign journalist observed, “the Filipinos were robbed blind.” It is not a stretch of the imagination to say that the blood, sweat,… Read More »
Part III: How the OFWs changed the Philippine socio-economic landscape The advent of Overseas Filipino Workers (or OFWs) came about during the downward spiral of the Philippine economy of the ‘70s. A foreign journalist observed, “the Filipinos were robbed blind.” OFWs economic impact: When the Philippine economy reached the cliff of near bankruptcy, the OWFs was like a… Read More »