Being a reporter in the 80s, one of the best beats given to me by my editors was covering the first-ever “ Kapihan sa Manila, an early morning coffee media forum held at the Manila Hotel. The setting up of this Kapihan was timely because of the growing opposition to the Marcos regime; there was a need for… Read More »
The Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) has long been one of the city’s most cherished green sanctuaries—a place where beauty, learning, and community intertwine. Nestled at 777 Lawrence Avenue East, in the northeast corner of Edwards Gardens, this “little garden with big ideas” spans nearly four acres yet feels expansive in spirit. Its 17 themed, city-sized gardens invite residents,… Read More »
“The reward of a good life is the living of it.”—Stuart Turton, The Last Murder at the End of the World. If I only knew life would be extremely trying, like a runner jumping over several hurdles, yet not guaranteed of victory, I would have refused to get out from my mother’s womb, though it would result in… Read More »
Online dating and social media have changed how many people, especially those under 35, view love. Not long ago, the prevailing narrative, especially in Hollywood movies, depicted love as the result of a chance encounter. Another comforting narrative: “love is blind”; love knows no social boundaries—a princess can fall for a peasant. These narratives, along with others related… Read More »
…”We’re goin’ up, up, up, it’s our moment You know together we’re glowin’, gonna be, gonna be golden”… When these lyrics of the song, “Golden,” played in my ears for the first time, every word persisted in my memory. “Golden” is the theme song of the animated feature film, “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” which was nominated for the Golden… Read More »
Veteran Polish director Agnieszka Holland whose films have been nominated three times in the Best Foreign Language film category, namely ‘Angry Harvest’ (1985), ‘Europa, Europa’ (1990), and ‘In Darkness’ (2011), has finally realized her decades long dream project about the enigmatic literary giant, Franz Kafka, in her latest Academy Awards contender, ‘Franz’. The celebrated international filmmaker shares her… Read More »
Ontario is home to one of the largest and fastest-growing Filipino communities in Canada. The Greater Toronto Area alone hosts over 250,000 Filipinos, contributing to a provincial population that forms a significant share of the nearly 960,000 Canadians of Filipino descent nationwide. This vibrant community plays an increasingly visible role in Ontario’s economic landscape—energizing sectors such as food… Read More »
In terms of hiring, I have this, admittedly somewhat idealistic, holistic view: STEP 1: Candidates apply to a job opening. STEP 2: Candidates who applied according to the employer’s application instructions and based on their resume, appear qualified are selected for further assessment. STEP 3: The selected candidate’s LinkedIn activity and digital footprint are reviewed to assess their… Read More »
The e-book version has recently been released on Amazon, and its pocketbook counterpart will follow soon. The printed edition is available on a print-on-demand basis. Iskolar ng Bayan is a record of the struggles, hardships, and enduring hope of the First Batch—commonly known as the Pioneer Class of ’67—of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), the Philippines’ first… Read More »
The games that we played The Life of a Little Boy Growing Up in the ’50s. THE SEQUEL (part II ) In the 50s, even a slight relocation changes the dynamics of culture and tradition within the same population. Since most marriages were with people from the same town, many would confine their moves close to relatives and workplaces’… Read More »