Three Myths about Mental Illness
In my practice, I have met many misconceptions about mental illness from patients and their relatives. I can’t blame them. Mental illness has not been understood for a while. In fact, it has created a stigma that people dismiss its importance and its impact in their lives. Some even hide their emotional difficulties from the scrutiny of their… Read More »
The Bicolanas
In one of the rooms of the residential apartment in pre-war Intramuros was occupied by three girls from the Bicol Region. These three girls coming from the different provinces of the region by mutual agreement rented the space while they pursued their education in a school located in Walled City. They could have enrolled in their home provinces… Read More »
Politics of Fear
Never in the history of the United States was “politics of fear” used to bring out the worse in people and sow fear in them. And by doing so, John McCain has created a “lynch mob” mentality among white voters. McCain unleashed his running mate, Sarah Palin, to attack Barack Obama with lies and innuendoes. At a Florida… Read More »
Bahay Kubo, Kahit Munti
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 America, starting… Read More »
Change vs. More of The Same
“Financial markets are collapsing. Credit is drying up. Your savings are in danger, and your retirement is at risk. Jobs are disappearing. The cost of health care, your children’s college, gasoline and groceries are rising all the time with no end in sight, while your most important asset – your home – is losing value every day.” “We… Read More »
Classic Eddie
What do you do when you have been an accomplished soldier and an officer, an EDSA national hero and a president of the Philippines? Relax? Playing golf or enjoy the fruits of your retirement and write your memoirs? What do you do when you’re going 80 years old, when most people of that age can hardly walk, hear… Read More »
All Saint’s Day Memories
If there were one subject barrio people loathed in discussing, it would be about the dead. Call it part of religion and folkways so that when someone would pass away, the concern was how to inter the body, which should not be beyond three days. In the barrio, the family of the dead had two choices for the… Read More »
Notes On A Concert
There is a lesson learned from the recently held Celebrate: Josie De Leon concert last October 10 at the Chinese Cultural Center. And this I hope should be heeded by people who promotes local community concerts featuring our Filipino-Canadian talents and artists and of course those “imported ones “ from the Philippines. The lesson is: if a project… Read More »
The Blame Game
One of the cruelest and dumbest things that have emerged out of the financial crisis now rocking the US and global markets is the unfair attempts by conservatives in the media and by some politicians to blame the current mortgage and financial crisis on minorities who were granted home ownership through the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). This is… Read More »