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...
Tag: culture
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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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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...
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‘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...
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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...
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‘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,...
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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...
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The Santacruzan as a year-round spectacle
This isn’t a stale story or one may say, news. As a matter of fact, it is still taking place, and there’s no off-season. Consider this perhaps an extension of Mayflower festivities prevalent in the month of May. No matter, however; even though it’s already June, others may argue this is timeless. Rain or shine,...
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Leonardo da Vinci in overwhelming view
MELBOURNE—These excerpts are from what is believed to be the world’s first résumé on record: “I have plans for light, strong and easily portable bridges… I can give complete satisfaction…in architecture and the construction of buildings public and private; and in conducting water from one place to another…. In case of need I will make...
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The heritage house, the choreographer, and the ballet
Archivist Purissima “Petty” Benitez-Johannot and her team have been looking after Helena’s house, cataloguing its contents since 2018. The house on Mariposa, Qùezon City, is MiraNila, ancestral home of the Benitez family; Helena is Helena Z. Benitez—educator, former senator, and founder of the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company of the Philippine Women’s University (PWU). Helena was...