I knew of Merlie “Milet” B. Mendoza 10 years ago, before she knew me. The evil kidnapping menace was rampant then, in Metro Manila as well as in Mindanao. Mendoza was abducted and held for 61 days, together with her fellow social worker, Esperancita “Espie” Hupida, in Basilan on Sept. 15, 2008. Both of them were working […]
The spotlight this year is on Merlie “Milet” Mendoza, recipient of the Lawrence Trust Fund for Volunteer Efforts. She is a social activist involved in peace, humanitarian and development efforts. Her work experience could fill a book and then some. It is activists like her, living for others, that the Lawrence Trust Fund had set […]
Asians are fond of horror stories. Many movies have been produced in the recent decades from Korea (“Train to Busan,” “A Tale of Two Sisters”), Japan (“The Ring,” “The Grudge”), Thailand (“Nang Nak,” “Shutter”), even the Philippines (remember the 15-series “Shake, Rattle and Roll?”). Back in high school, my classmates would swap Japanese horror comic […]
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 […]
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 […]
In celebration of Philippine Heritage Month (in China) and to further strengthen Philippines-China relations, as well as friendship, cooperation and understanding between the Philippines and Fujian, our balangay team under the leadership of Art Valdez replicated part of the 1417 voyage of the sultan of Sulu to China. The faint glow of the Milky Way […]
“W ill there be war again?”This was the question Lola Estellita Dy asked when told US troops were in the country for war exercises. This was in May, when the 2018 PH-US Balikatan exercises were being held in Central Luzon.“War is difficult… women and children…the innocents… they suffer most,” she said, teary-eyed.She had also heard […]
In journalism parlance, “writing 30” means the end of a story. Not so with Tulay. The fortnightly Chinese-Filipino news digest is celebrating its 30th year of publication with this June issue. Unveiled on June 12, 1988, what was once a monthly news digest that sought to publish stories told from the viewpoint of the Tsinoy […]
We celebrate two significant events this year. The 200th birth anniversary of Francisco Mercado Rizal, and the 120th commemoration of our Independence Day (June 12, 1898). Both dates are closely tied with the narrative of our National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. He was born June 19, 1861, in Laguna, the first province that led the […]
To five million Chinese Americans, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA 美國華人博物舘) is an important repository of their community’s memories and history. Since it opened in 1980, the MOCA has become the place for Chinese Americans to share with the rest of the world how history and culture helped shaped their identity. The museum […]