More than a hundred years since it was first written and first staged, the Filipino zarzuela Walang Sugat (meaning “no wound”) still rouses its audiences to rave-level applause. The zarzuela, locally known as “sarsuwela,” is a musical theater genre that originated in Spain in 1657 and was introduced by the Spaniards for their entertainment in...
Category: Culture
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Marrz Capanang opens 6th solo show; ‘Art for Everyone 2025’ ongoing
ILOILO CITY—The artist Marrz Capanang opens “Mga Kalibutan/Realms,” his sixth solo exhibition, today, July 19, at the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art. “Kalibutan,” a Visayan term meaning “world,” “universe,” or “realm of existence,” sets the tone for a collection rooted in mysticism, animism, and cosmology. Known for weaving the Hiligaynon language with visual poetics, Capanang...
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The ‘Paghili-usa’ mural is a tribute to Ilonggo spirit, culture and history
ILOILO CITY—A mural is the latest addition to Iloilo’s growing collection of public art. Walking along Esplanade 8, where the Iloilo River meets Muelle Loney Street near the Capitol, you must have noticed a vibrant mural brightening the corner of Solis Street. That eye-catching art work is titled “Paghili-usa,” and it has transformed a wall marked...
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An Agta wedding in the Sierra Madre demonstrates the precarity of tradition
It was not yet 6 a.m. and I was bouncing on the back of a hired motorcycle (locally called habal) navigating the rocky, slippery mountain road that leads to the sitio in General Nakar, Quezon, where I was to attend an Agta wedding. I had taken a bus past midnight in Manila and arrived a...
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Celebrity-powered show caps LGBTQIA+ community festivities calling for equality
Rainbow flags dominated the festive ground under the murky sky that burst in a downpour on June 28. At that moment at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Lov3Laban 2025 became more than a drenched march on campus: It was both declaration and living proof of Pride. The rain transformed the biggest festival of the...
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Pageant powerhouse Philippines makes its mark in Miss Supranational tilt
The Philippines again asserted its reputation as an international pageant powerhouse when not just one but two Filipino women earned podium placements in the recently-concluded Miss Supranational pageant held in Poland: first runner-up Anna Lakrini and third runner-up Tarah Valencia. Lakrini and Valencia advanced to the final round of the competition held in Nowy Sącz,...
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Solidarity festivals push LGBTQIA+ rights for love, dignity, and freedom
As Pride Month nears its end on June 30, LGBTQIA+ communities and their supporters will hold festivals, marches, solidarity programs and other activities in major cities nationwide. At the heart of the celebrations is the Lov3Laban sa Diliman 2025, the flagship festival of Pride PH, scheduled at the University of the Philippines Diliman on June...
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F.H. Batacan talks about writing crime fiction and her new book of short stories
At the Quezon City Public Library (QCPL) main branch’s conference room on June 19, crime writer F.H. Batacan is telling everyone that she’ll be reading an excerpt from her short story titled “The One Cry.” It’s in her new book, “Accidents Happen,” a collection of her previously published short stories. It features journalist Joanna Bonifacio,...
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Mindanao aces the Philippines’ longest running beauty pageant
After Luzon swept the top spots in the 60th Binibining Pilipinas pageant last year, Mindanao aced the 2025 competition and snagged the two crowns at stake with a runner-up placement to boot. Katrina Anne Johnson from Davao and Annabelle Mae McDonnell from Iligan City were crowned Bb. Pilipinas International and Bb. Pilipinas Globe, respectively, at...
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The Philippines’ first Miss Grand International finds her ‘very specific moment’
The Philippines has added another crown to its growing collection of international beauty accolades: the once-elusive Miss Grand International title that Christine Juliane “CJ” Opiaza received, albeit belatedly. The Filipino “pasarela” (pageant walk) coach was crowned as the official Miss Grand International 2024 queen at the MGI Hall of Bravo BKK in Bangkok, Thailand, on...