President Rodrigo Duterte signed on May 16 Executive Order No. 26, which imposes a nationwide ban on smoking in public places. Saying that public health takes precedence over commercial or business interests, Duterte also ordered the creation of a smoke-free task force to help carry out the provisions of the order. The Department of Health […]
Officials of St. John’s Institute, also known as Hua Ming, will bring the issue of stripping of the school’s Catholic status by Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon to the Vatican. The officials led by Board of Trustees chairman Benjamin Lopue Jr. expressed their dismay over Buzon’s decision. On May 10, Buzon declared SJI is no longer […]
Mother’s Day celebration is primarily American since it originated in the United States. But in China, the people have embraced the day as a way to honor mothers since it is very close to the customary values of respecting the elderly and practicing filial piety towards parents. It is was initially celebrated in Hong Kong […]
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. 稱稱彩彩 tsin tsin tsai […]
The influence of our parents is so great that whether we admit it or not, we see traces of them in ourselves, if not exact “mini-me’s,” as we grow older. The examples and lessons our parents taught us molded us to what we are today – in our decision makings, business practices and how we […]
Each Chinatown around the world has a unique flavor of its own, coming from how the local Chinese community blends its culture and traditions with those of the host nation. A good example of this is Bangkok’s Chinatown in the Samphanthawong district. I rediscovered Bangkok’s Chinatown on a recent trip to Thailand. I convinced my […]
Early in my medical career, I had a middle-aged male patient who smoked a pack a day. He was an overweight businessman with high blood pressure. Being a neophyte, I constantly reminded him to stop smoking. After his third visit, he told me bluntly, “Hey young man, don’t tell me to stop smoking. I’m older […]
In April, 450 AD, Emperor Tai Wu Di (太武帝) of the Wei (魏) state ordered the arrest and execution of the minister of justice, Cui Hao (崔浩). Cui had displeased the emperor when he presided over the writing of Guo Ji (國記), The Record of the State, in which he insisted on the principle of […]
It is bad enough that drug suspects were found cramped in a makeshift tiny secret jail cell inside a police station in Manila, but it became worse when high-ranking Philippine National Police officials defended its existence. Acting on information from relatives, officials from the Commission on Human Rights paid a surprise visit to the Raxabago […]
On a warm and humid spring day in Southern China’s Guangzhou, a routine performance of the Yueju Opera (粤劇) is staged at the Tongle Restaurant – the only surviving tea house devoted to the traditional performing art form in Guangdong province’s capital city. When the play reached its climax, some audience members approached the stage […]