Walkouts, callouts, and police presence took over the Miss Universe pageant in just its first week, with global fans bracing themselves for more drama before a new queen gets crowned. The tension-filled 74th edition of the international competition has drawn spectators from around the world, including those who do not regularly follow pageants, because of...
Category: Culture
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‘Alon’ is a call for public awareness of plastic pollution and marine protection
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF), in partnership with the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), has brought the acclaimed exhibit titled “Alon” to the Ramon Magsaysay Center in Malate, Manila. Focused on the issue of plastic waste in the oceans, and with surfers as a central theme, “Alon” is the RMAF’s first...
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Myrna Esguerra is fighting for another Miss International crown for the Philippines
There is no doubt that the Philippines is an international pageant powerhouse, with crown upon crown collected from global competitions by both women and men for all these years. Among the competitions where the country has picked up multiple wins, the Miss International pageant tops the list with a total of six victories spanning six...
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From blade to bark, Gustavo Montero makes art from nature
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Gustavo Montero is an Ibaloi artist and artisan who is contributing to the preservation and increased awareness of indigenous arts beyond his native province of Benguet. It all started in 2009, when Montero first became interested in Kali, the Filipino martial art that involves hand and body movements and the use of bladed weapons. He...
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An abundant harvest of books that includes a special edition of Renato Constantino’s ‘A Past Revisited’
The current harvest of books is particularly abundant, and includes a special hardbound edition of Renato Constantino’s “A Past Revisited” as well as Atom Araullo’s “A View from the Ground,” Benjamin Pimentel’s “UG: The Life and Struggle of Edgar Jopson,” and Roderick Toledo’s “The Ruminant Ant & Other Essays.” “A Past Revisited” was first published...
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FEU Theater Guild cooks up dark comedy ‘Karne,’ a delicious twist on a Roald Dahl classic
On its 91st season, the Far Eastern University Theater Guild (FTG) is staging an interactive dark comedy, “Karne,” a reimagining of Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter.” Written and directed by the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s senior artist-teacher and the FTG’s artistic director, Dudz Teraña, “Karne” invites audiences into the aromatic home of a 1980s...
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Iloilo marks Asean Month with a powerful display of Southeast Asian art
ILOILO CITY—In celebration of Asean Month, Iloilo is presenting a powerful display of Southeast Asian art and the region’s rich artistic heritage. At the heart of the event is the unveiling of “Connecting Borders: A Collection of Southeast Asian Art” at the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art (Ilomoca). The landmark exhibition launched on Aug. 9...
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Lookback: ‘Walang Sugat’ and love in the midst of a revolution
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...
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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...