By Rudy M. Viernes
 

THE PHILIPPINE FESTIVALS
By Rudy M. Viernes
    
     The first day of May in the Philippines ushers in the start of a month of festivals, merrymakings,  processions, Santacruzan, Flores de Mayo, flowers and the Virgin Mary.

     May is a festive month which implies feasting or celebration.  In most little towns and villages [...]

I find that each day there is something new to learn. We keep some views that we hold for a long time; and then all of a sudden we get shocked when something happen and finds that the view we hold is wrong.
          For a long time, I had the perception that racism and discrimination [...]

I was passing by a small flower shop inside the Finch Subway when my attention was caught by a row of sampagita plants in pots. The label was jasmine, but I know it was the Philippine sampagita with its small white sweet-scented blossoms. I know many of us grow them indoors during the cold weather [...]

OUR HEROES
By Rudy M.Viernes
     The Philippine government cannot provide employment opportunities to its teeming employable citizens, sad to say. So, many Filipinos go abroad where employment abounds. Thus the template OFW was coined for Overseas Filipino Worker (which used to be OCW for Overseas Contract Worker) and has become commonplace, a phenomenon nevertheless, and its [...]

One morning while out for my coffee break walk downtown, a young man deliberately went out of his way with the intention of bumping me with his shoulder. With the remaining agility of an aging baby boomer left in me, I sidestepped (basic Aikido) and he almost fell to the pavement. Then he looked at [...]

Where were you that Sunday afternoon when Sidney Crosby shot the puck that declared Canada the Olympic Hockey champions of 2010?  Did you see how Canadians from coast to coast jumped with excitement and joy?  Did you join in the screaming and the singing of the national anthem “O Canada”?
          It did not matter whether [...]

I was in a mall on Boxing Day morning and I was expecting hoards of people rushing for the big sales. I was kind of disappointed; there were not too many shoppers. The big announcement at the doors of the stores indicating 50 to 70% discounts were there but there were not too many passers [...]

One advantage Filipino immigrants to North America have is that almost all of them can speak in English. Actually Filipino immigrants in the 60’s and 70’s were educated from elementary to university in English. In 1946 when the Philippines got full independence from the United States, the medium of instruction in the elementary schools gradually [...]

I was listening last Saturday to the homily at the 5:00 pm mass. The priest was reminding the congregation that it was the end of the Christmas season and the celebration of the baptism of Jesus Christ. which should make us recall our own baptism. I have a great respect and admiration for this particular [...]

Several days ago, the Philippine Consulate General of Toronto hosted an art exhibition of the paintings of a Filipino artist, Rosalinda Roman. Her works featured the Philippine bahay kubo and the rare, awesome orchids, like the cattleya and the Waling Waling.
This art exhibit has already traveled to some cities in Europe and now in North [...]