Hepatitis is a general term for inflammation of the liver, which can be caused by several viruses. At present, there are hepatitis A, B, C, D, E and G. There is no hepatitis F. Because the virus attacks the liver, all the symptoms are also related to the liver. As the largest internal organ in […]
The Sto Cristo de Longos shrine on Tomas Pinpin corner Ongpin streets was not as widely adorned in the past as it is today. According to Norma Martin, who has been selling sampaguita garlands on the same corner ever since she was 12 (more than three decades ago), the Cross was dirty and neglected. Nobody […]
Blind faith. Almost all the people I asked and interviewed about the Sto. Cristo de Longos at Ongpin corner T. Pinpin streets did not know the provenance of the black cross, how it got to the place and what it represents. But, many remain devoted. Legends are recounted, heard from other devotees; some attribute answered […]
Shen Nong (神農) is a legendary figure in ancient China. Literally, shen is deity or god (神) nong agriculture (農), Shen Nong, therefore, means god of agriculture. In ancient times, people lacked food and suffered from hunger. It is said that during the time of Shen Nong, people started to gather seeds and fruits for […]
This past five-day weekend had been both a blast and a horror at home. When the Quezon City government announced on July 8 that classes were suspended until the 10th, I started having palpitations. The girls were going to be stuck in the house with nothing to do and, predictably, they started fighting over every […]
For Earl Samuel Ty Chua the land of opportunity is not the United States where he was born, but rather the Philippines from which his parents migrated. Through his fledgling fast food restaurant FaBurrito, he hopes to leave his mark in the world of business. Born in San Francisco in August 1983, Chua is the […]
The Ateneo de Manila University Press recently released Michael Cullinane’s new book, Arenas of Conspiracy and Rebellion in the late Nineteenth-Century Philippines: The Case of the April 1898 Uprising in Cebu. According to the back cover blurb, Cullinane’s new title “explores various aspects of late 19th-century Philippine society in an effort to locate the major […]
My search for missing Chinese relatives have led me through winding paths and side trips to unexpected destinations. The journey has enriched my life, broadened my horizons, and put me in touch with many people. After my visits to the Calbayog cemeteries searching for Li Xianggu’s tomb, I learned of a survey done in the […]
I have a short memory. This is why memorabilia, such as old photographs, are so important to me. They help me recall yesteryears, however faint the memory has become. Without them I am lost. This story is about one search that took so long, traversed so many of my other-relative finder quests and even became […]
Hokkien, on the tongues of Tsinoys, has grown and evolved, taking on a life of its own. Sometimes words simply fail us. With some creativity, Tsinoys have strung together words to form colorful phrases that simply hit the bull’s eye. Here are some expressions unique to Hokkien as favored by Tsinoys. Idioms, expressions Hokkien pronunciation […]