Stressed? Tired? Burned out? Breathe. Take a rest. Relax. Pandemic or not, feel human. You are neither a creased picture nor fading pixels meant for the fleeting memory. Remember: Statues don’t do much. So, move on. Stop the still. Foot forward, step up. Walk – No! Run – the talk. ***** I wish the above mumblings apply to… Read More »
Five-five hundred years ago, the first Austronesians migrated from South China to Taiwan. It took another 1,500 years before they migrated to the Philippines. In my column, “Who Discovered the Philippines?” (April 13, 2007), I wrote: “In the late 1990s, Jared Diamond, Professor of Geography at UCLA and winner of the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, and… Read More »
Last January 22nd, China put into effect her latest coast guard laws, which explicitly authorizes pre-emptive strikes against foreign vessels in waters “under China’s jurisdiction.” Immediately, it raised alarms in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries, particularly those that have overlapping claims on the Spratly Islands – Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Philippines. To allay fears… Read More »
Barely a few days after being sworn in as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken spoke with counterparts in Asia, the Pacific, and Europe. The calls included discussions of defense and security in the Indo-Pacific region. The US has pledged to support her allies in maritime disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea. Indeed, the US… Read More »
Forty-four days between New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day would be very boring, when staying home is the pandemic norm. So for fun and festive reasons, I witnessed “livestream” town criers — donned in 1887 costumes — declare what famous North American groundhogs chuckled about the coming of Spring. That was on February 2, when North Americans celebrated… Read More »
THIS IS HOW NAOMI ONG and ROXLEE ONG played their tricks on us. As narrated by Mae Bentia, the victim and now one of the victims’ advocates. MARCH 2. 2019 – in a BIRTHDAY party. The couple NAOMI and ROXLEE ONG introduced themselves to me. Naomi says “DI BA IKAW SI MAE? Yes, I am. Hey, I know… Read More »
Back in the homeland, SSS means Social Security System (Paseguruhan ng Kapanatagang Panlipunan.) Lately, the state-run insurance agency warned that it would lose projected income unless it raises the amount of contributions of its members – workers in the private formal and informal sectors, including those overseas. The warning comes amid congressional hearings on two – House Bill… Read More »
On an essential trip (with face mask and physical distancing naturally) to the local dollar store, I was pleasantly surprised when – voila! – I came across shelves full of spring gardening stuff. This was a welcome signal for the coming warmer months, and it is only January! At first the thought that came to mind was that… Read More »
As I am writing this column, President Donald Trump has only two days left in his presidency. Then he will go into retirement. It must be hard for him to accept that he would be a one-term president being defeated by President-elect Joe Biden by a stunning eight million votes! Yet he claims that he was cheated. He… Read More »
With a 21-gun salute, a color guard, marching band, and red carpet, ex-President Donald Trump bade good-bye to a handful of his followers at the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews at about 10 am on January 20, 2020. Two hours later President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. took his oath of office at the Capitol. But peaceful transition came… Read More »