I first heard the term Palace Princess when I was talking to a person I cannot name. I would have to sign a non-disclosure agreement or officially acknowledge that this person mentioned said subject not for me to write about it, but merely to share thoughts and views on the matter. In recent...
CAPIZNON HISTORY HAVEN Exterior shot of Capiz Museum My paternal great-great-grandmother Concepcion Talintin was a tuba drinker. She enjoyed it very much and believed it was a cure-all. When my great-grandfather Daniel Arcilla Romualdez decided to move his family from Pandacan, Manila to...
A GUIDE FROM ABOVE Mayans used constellations for orienting their temples. Photo above shows a temple based in Tikal, Guatemala During the latter part of lockdown, when people were finally allowed to leave their homes and freely walk around the village, I would go out at night, luxuriating in the...
PROXY DUTIES Delivering speech for Sen. Imee Romualdez Marcos at the opening of the Buglasan Festival in Dumaguete My paternal grandfather would often tell his children in Spanish, “If you can’t make the family proud, just don’t embarrass them.” This is what I would often remind myself when...
GETTING CASUAL AMID ART Visitors are encouraged to immerse themselves and create their personal history with an 'accessible and less stuffy' museum “ I do not see how yoga and Spoliarium plus the other art works there mix. What is next, a Zumba session in the same hall?” read the message I...
The social media flak I got (from a few people) on my previous article, “Disparaging the Darling Sass Sasot,” and its residual effects, on the bright side, prove people are still reading. I was taken aback by the attacks. I was intrigued by the onslaught. I knew it would touch a nerve...
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS A homeless Sass Sasot in Luneta along with friends Friday for me is like Saturday. It is the day after I submit my article for The Manila Bulletin and I am able to enjoy a day of no literary worries outside of the demands of social media posts, occasional comments or likes, and...
As we have seen in the successes of Maarte Fair, Katutubo Art Fair, ArteFino, among others, traditional art in its original and derivative forms, the result of collaborations between traditional communities and contemporary fashion designers, is growing in popularity. It is proof that traditional...
VOICE OF THE OPPOSITION Senator Ninoy Aquino served from 1967 to 1972 I was four years old when Martial Law was declared in the republic. I remember being brought to Malacañan compound with my family to stay with my dad’s older spinster aunt and cousins at what was then known as the tea house or...
A RICH CULTURE The people of Bulacan are deeply rooted in long-held traditions and love for their culture If you want to fall in love, go to Bulacan and be among its people. Tagalog spoken in Bulacan will take you back to how it was spoken at the time Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El...
IT BEGINS WITH A STEP Author's attempts at recovering, sorting, digitizing, and cataloging documentation of the Marcos couple's legacy In a few days it will be the 106th birthday of my uncle, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. I started this journey of discovery of his life and works quite by...
DAKILANG PROXY Receiving the Golden Reel award on behalf of my cousin Senator Imee Romualdez Marcos for her outstanding contribution to experimental cinema I went to the Oscars—well, to its Philippine counterpart. The Luna Awards, held yearly by the Film Academy of the Philippines, took place at...
