Before Boracay became home to beach party scenes, it offered pristine white sands, clear waters, island hopping, and snorkeling. Today, vacationers seeking sun and simple beach-bound pleasures have found a new destination: Islas de Gigantes, or the Gigantes Islands. There are not many establishments, so one cannot expect party scenes. It is for those seeking […]
A t the parent’s orientation of our school in early June, one of the new things we covered was Quezon City’s new ordinance on canteen food. The Anti-Junk Food and Sugary Drinks Ordinance of 2017 prohibits the selling and promotion of junk food and sugary drinks to students in schools or within 100 meters of […]
Beep. Item 2527 added to catalogue. The cover was bright and shiny, protected by the plastic sticky wrapping. The spine devoid of creases, evidence of its unopened status. After months of searching and waiting, she finally had the book and it was just begging to be read. She should have a little time to finish […]
In Manila Chinatown, two streets are named after 16th century Spanish priests: Salazar Street after Domingo de Salazar and Benavides Street after Miguel de Benavides. Benavides Street is perpendicular to Salazar Street, which in turn is perpendicular to Ongpin Street. The two streets were named after Salazar and Benavides who were pioneers in the Christianization […]
I tried to reread my Tom Clancy collection while trying to get through a dismal week. The rains and floods had not yet subsided as I was writing this, and I was battling a viral infection I couldn’t seem to shake off. There was a piece of good news, however. A Nueva Ecija court decided […]
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 […]