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Reuniting with the grandkids after the long lockdown: A Lola’s indescribable joy
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, PhD It all seemed eerie. When March 2020 arrived, so many changes happened around us. In many households, rooms were transformed into office spaces. Regular school terms were set aside and children were educated electronically. Everyone was talking about ‘vaccination’ – when to get it, where, how long to wait, and […]
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Remembering: No shame in being second
Papang, the family tenor By Rochit Tañedo Papang, Eliseo Del Mundo Tañedo, was a beautiful tenor, and sang amazing duets with his favorite sister, Auntie Nena Wijangco, a contralto. They had a “panata” in their youth to be Joseph and Mary in the annual “Salubong,” and in their adulthood sang the 1930s Kundimans beautifully. My […]
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A letter to my grandson Lucas
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Hello Sweetie, Myriad thanks to a story from the “Dog Trainer.” A description of the New York-based band of “singer/songwriter/producer Nick Broman (25) and guitarist/songwriter/producer Lucas del Calvo (26) who had originally titled their new album “Every Word Is True.” Your Lola would never have known the heights you’ve undertaken in the world of music […]
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Remembering: Only bright red lipstick for my Nanay
Missing my courageous travel partner By Vicky Perez My mother, who died this day two years ago, was my best travel partner. She was inquisitive, knowledgeable of history, courageous when it came to new experiences. She was the one who trekked into jungles to find wild growing papaya, hiked through valleys to find the elder […]
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Remembering: Eating with my face shield on
Find the person who will ‘sit with you in the dark’ By Ness Bantog I remember the morning after my son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I woke up with eyes puffy from the night before and immediately started crying. I just could not imagine how we would figure this life out. I was […]
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Remembering: Lolo Eddie died in a casino
2 kidneys? I’ll take them! By Menchu De Luna Whew! What a journey! When my transplant did not push through in the Philippines in August of 2019, I thought that I was done! When the doctors told me that they cannot do my transplant anymore, I felt that the world fell on me, and I […]
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A vacation in my hometown and a realization of who I am, who I want to be
By Karen Joy Pangantihon It felt like I traveled through three flights over 22 hours in the air, in the course of over 40 hours just to hug my mom and dad. As soon I got off the last plane on the way to Cabadbaran, my mother’s hometown, in Agusan del Norte province I knew […]
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A Zoom Thanksgiving: Do we still gobble gobble?
By Cristina DC Pastor As the dust of the November 3 election settles – whether the president is newly elected or reelected — Americans will soon dive into the next most important debate: How to celebrate Thanksgiving. Dr. Anthony Fauci has provided a preview of how some families will be celebrating the holidays: apart from […]
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Family politics and the Abasolos of New Jersey
Alice Abasolo, a resident of Woodbridge, New Jersey, is the portrait of a fervent supporter of Donald Trump. A conservative Catholic and pro-Life advocate, she is the third child among four siblings, all of them born in Ozamiz City, the hometown of their father. Their mother hails from Loay, Bohol. They came to America when […]