Throughout the Philippine archipelago, from colonial times to the present, the presence of ethnic Chinese is an indicator of robust commercial activity and the relative economic importance of the area. The presence of parians or pariancillos easily identifies the place as an urban center. Outside Manila, parians and pariancillos were found in Jaro and Molo […]
Heritage buildings are structures that have a long association with an area or location. They are an important part of the community. They help define its physical, social and cultural identity, and thus are worth preserving. But the problem is some heritage buildings have outlived their usefulness, like the old office buildings around Binondo. Although […]
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. 死坐活吃 si tse […]
Do you know that globally, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women based on statistics? Locally, it is the second leading cancer in women next to breast cancer. It is also the second most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age. Current estimates indicate that every year, 6,670 […]
Sometime in August 1517, Ming Emperor Wu Zong (武宗) wanted to go out of Ju Yong Guan (居庸關), a strategic pass of the Great Wall, to inspect Xuan Fu (宣府). Upon learning of this, Zhang Qin (張欽), the minister in charge of the gates of the passes, wrote the emperor a letter to plead with […]
August 28 marks the 31st anniversary of Kaisa Para Sa Kaunlaran, the research-based cause-oriented Tsinoy NGO based in Intramuros. After hurdling the 30th year milestone in 2017, Kaisa is gung-ho to meet the challenges of the next 30 years, Kaisa incumbent president Meah Ang See says. As practiced since 2001, Kaisa will have its annual […]
The past few weeks have been eventful, with the usual ups and downs in our national life. President Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address on July 23 was overshadowed by the “coup” at the House of Representatives. Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez was ousted as Speaker and replaced by Rep. Gloria M. Arroyo. The maneuver […]
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. 想空想縫 sniu k’ang sniu […]
Palms pressed together as in prayer, college students bow in greeting as a visitor walks through study hall. Bright eyes and serene smiles mark these young adults as surely as their uniforms of white shirts, grey skirts or slacks and crimson bows for the women, like-colored pants and ties for the men. These remarkable Filipino […]
Traditionally, the Wheel of Life is placed at the door of Tibetan houses and painted at the entrance walls of Tibetan Buddhist learning institutions. These days, almost nobody lingers at the doorstep of a house or monastery. Naturally, the Wheel of Life also suffers from a severe lack of attention. The Wheel of Life is […]