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 […]
At the start of the year, I wrote about how Shobe tries to skirt the limits of her physical prowess and climbs up everything. In that article (Tulay, Jan. 16-Feb. 5, 2018 issue), I emphasized trusting our children because they know their bodies best. This time, I’d like to focus on their minds. As they […]
Metro Manila is so urbanized today that only a few people know or can imagine that its capital, Manila, was once surrounded by a “Metropolitan Garden Ring.” When we talk of the metropolis’ vegetable supplies, what almost always comes to mind is the produce transported from the provinces, especially Baguio. But just a century or […]
The 22-person Consultative Committee tasked by Malacañang to review the 1987 Constitution and propose a new Federal System charter submitted its draft to President Duterte July 9, its work finished in a mere five months. Why the undue haste? The 1971 and 1987 Constitutions were crafted after extensive and exhaustive public hearings and consultations. This […]
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. 一年嫁十八處 tsit ni ke […]