Women who have marked the political landscape with grit and grace and who continue to engage the burning issues of the day for the people’s general benefit are the subjects of a new book, “Six Filipino Women for Justice.” Published by San Anselmo Press and edited by Asunción David Maramba, the book features profiles of...
‘Pangalay’ takes young audiences by storm
A traditional dance is a dynamic expression of a people’s history and worldview. Thus, it should be preserved and developed to uphold a people’s rich cultural heritage. “Pangalay,” aka “igal” and “pamansak,” is one such rich dance form of the Sama, the Badjaw, the Tausug, the Jama Mapun and the Yakan of the Sulu Archipelago. But a...
When you hit the road and ‘feel the wonderful wind on your face’
“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling,” the American activist Susan B. Anthony once said. “I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a...
Artschoolnow Salon: ‘We can salon anywhere with anything’
Tanya Villanueva chose March 8 for the pop-up event of her initiative, Artschoolnow Salon, at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman only because she and her associates would all be available on that day. It happened to be International Women’s Day. On the way to UP in her car, we easily settled into a...
When we melt together
Italian painter Viviana Riccelli, currently based in the magical island of Siquijor, ushers us into Galleria Duemila where her new abstract paintings, collectively titled “Chaos,” are being exhibited until April 13. The exhibition welcomes us with a diptych, The Beginning of a Journey, mixed media on carton board on paper in which the field of...
Women in a Masbate barangay champion education
After completing their chores, eight mothers in Barangay Tugbo in Masbate come together to take on another role: as literacy champions for themselves and their children. Erlinda Cabarles, a mother of seven, rises at 3 a.m. to do her household routine. While her family sleeps, she cooks, cleans, and prepares for the day. She is...
Bianca Bustamante strives to race in male-dominated motorsport
Teen motorsports prodigy Bianca Bustamante is living the dream. From jet-setting around the world to making history as McLaren’s first female development driver, she seems to have it all figured out at the age of 19. But with all the success coming Bustamante’s way, it’s very easy to overlook the inner obstacles she has been...
Colliding scapes of happiness
What does hell mean in relation to heaven and the earth? Why do we visualize hell when our lives have been dominated by Christian values, believing that one’s life on earth must lead us to heaven? Does heaven continue to hold a profound meaning despite how life on earth has been mostly described as hell? ...
Miss Iloilo breaks the old beauty standards
ILOILO CITY—In a country where “brightening” products and treatments rake in millions of pesos in revenue, the Miss Iloilo pageant has broken the old beauty standards with a dusky athlete of African American descent capturing the title. American Filipino heptathlete Alexie Mae Brooks from the town of Leon emerged a convincing winner at the 2024...
All the past Presidents (but one) and Club Mwah
Name any past Philippine president since the 1986 Edsa Revolution. All except one went and watched the shows at Club Mwah in Mandaluyong City during their incumbency. They visited the glittery entertainment venue and enjoyed the world-class performance of its stars in colorfully designed costumes and sets. It was only Rodrigo Duterte who didn’t experience...