This October, Museums & Galleries Month, the Ayala Museum and Filipinas Heritage Library are presenting new exhibitions and programs for art, history and culture enthusiasts. Ayala Museum welcomes visitors with friendlier admission rates. Visitors may also choose how they want to explore, whether by floor or through a full-access pass to all museum levels. At ₱500 for full access to the...
Tag: culture
Post
Experience Sorsogon one delicious bite at a time
Sorsogon at the southernmost tip of the Bicol Peninsula usually draws local and foreign tourists to its coastal fringes. Among the top seaside destinations are Donsol and its whale sharks, Paguriran Island in Sorsogon City, Subic beaches in Matnog, and the surfing hubs in Gubat. But there’s an alternative experience that visitors shouldn’t miss: a...
Post
Explore the cultural and historical contexts of the film classic ‘Mutya ng Pasig’
The Lopez Museum and Library invites the public to a talk by historian Abel Ubaldo, to introduce a free screening of the restored 1950 Filipino film classic “Mutya ng Pasig,” on Oct. 11. Ubaldo’s talk, titled “Phantom Muse: Folklore and Fantasy in ‘Mutya ng Pasig,’” starts at 10 a.m. at Power Plant Mall’s VIP Cinema...
Post
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...
Post
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...
Post
With Philippine tourism at a crossroads, it’s time to reset for resilience and relevance
Tourist arrivals to the Philippines in the first quarter of 2025 reflect both an overall increase in volume and an alarming dip in key source markets. According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), arrivals from South Korea and China fell by 13.9% and a dramatic 33.7%, respectively, compared to the numbers in the first quarter...
Post
‘Pista nin Teatrong Bikolnon’ brings theater (and alternative election perspectives) to rural folk
“Pista nin Teatrong Bikolnon” again brought together communities and campus-based theater companies from across the Bicol region, celebrating its sixth year of taking plays in their rawest form to the ordinary people. This time, the festival carried the theme “Gimata: Reclaiming People’s Narratives,” which organizers aimed at highlighting the importance of community narratives and promoting...
Post
KCC Philippines named ‘2025 Most Outstanding Korean Cultural Center’
The Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines was named the most outstanding during a recent meeting hosted by Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and attended by KCC directors and cultural promotion officials stationed all over the world. The meeting was held on March 4–7 at the Korean Culture and Information Service in...
Post
‘Pangalay at Maskara’ returns to historic FEU theater
The AlunAlun Dance Circle’s “Pangalay at Maskara” returns to the historic Far Eastern University (FEU) Auditorium in Manila in time for the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Month this October. “Pangalay” (also known as “igal” and “pamansak”) is a living heritage that originates from the indigenous peoples of southern Philippines, namely the Sama, Badjao, Jama Mapun,...
Post
Being ‘Filipino’
We’ve just celebrated our 126th Independence Day a few days back and, likely so, the euphoric spirit of patriotism and national identity lingers still to the fore. For my part, I cared badgering myself once again with the thought: What does it take being ‘Filipino’? My youngest son, my junior or namesake, who’s currently teaching...