Norman Peñaflorida wants to be known as a fashion storyteller. “I design and create to tell stories about our indigenous people, our folklore and mythology,” he said. He believes that blending regional fabric and weave with a contemporary touch will reach and draw “a wider audience to listen to our narratives.” It was his theater...
Newsroom’s silent warrior, Romy Mariñas; 74
In the serene solitude of his residence, surrounded by artifacts of life deeply experienced and ardently lived, Romulo “Mang Romy” P. Mariñas passed away at 74, leaving behind a legacy that speaks volumes of an existential journey marked by resilience, intelligence, and unwavering spirit. Despite his later years being shadowed by illness, his demeanor remained...
‘What film can do more than what film can say’
What’s on the world cinema landscape this year? The prevailing temperament, style and substance of filmmakers and markets in the Asian capitals, including Manila? Writer-producer Roger Garcia, who was born in Hong Kong but grew up in England, is one of the best resource persons to talk about movies. He is the executive director and...
Imelda Papin on being a Marcos loyalist
There are many ways to view Imelda Papin, who is regarded as “Asia’s Sentimental Songstress.” From the sociopolitical standpoint, she is not a turncoat. The public moves she makes all seem to involve her political alliances—win or lose—particularly when she sought public office in Camarines Sur and in Bulacan. She has never turned her back...
Samboy Lim, ‘Skywalker,’ 61
Philippine basketball has lost the great Avelino “Samboy” Lim Jr. A legend at the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Lim died on Dec. 23 at 61, surrounded by loved ones. On Nov. 28, 2014, he fell into a coma following a cardiac arrest during an exhibition game with friends and former PBA colleagues at Ynares Sports...
5 Christmas parties while exploring for mines in 3 countries
Many Filipinos overseas yearn for Christmas in the motherland, and in my years working abroad, I’ve had to forgo that simple pleasure. But December 1993 was probably my best, celebrating it with five parties in three countries which are not even Christian. Although our work in Thailand was winding up, we went to Laos, across...
Michelle Dee finds purpose on the pageant stage
Everything’s coming up roses for Michelle Marquez Dee, who has gone from being the most maligned Miss Universe Philippines titleholder to becoming the most awarded Miss Universe delegate, who received a rousing welcome befitting a true queen upon her return home. Dee recently flew to Indonesia to film a campaign, and was spotted in Palawan...
Remember Ninoy Aquino
On Aug. 21 it will be 40 years to the day when the former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. landed at the airport that now bears his name and was shot dead as he disembarked from the plane. Ninoy Aquino had flown to Manila from exile in the United States with the intention of uniting...
The esteemed ‘Sir Doro’ made me laugh and kept me on my toes
I joined the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 1995, as a proofreader, a year after Amando Doronila—“Doro,” accent on the second syllable, to his colleagues and friends—became the paper’s editorial consultant and Opinion columnist. I had always admired journalists like Sir Doro, but when I needed to talk to him for the first time to clarify...
Jaime Tadeo: the lessons of ‘Kampo ng Bayan’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jaime “Ka Jimmy” Tadeo, farmer organizer and delegate to the 1986 constitutional convention, died on March 26, 2023. He was 84. (Second of two parts) It was decided that the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL, Alliance of Farmers in Central Luzon) would spearhead a march from Meycauayan, Bulacan, just outside Metro...