By Rowena Cruz I love this picture of my mother. This was taken in February 1977 as she boarded a Korean Air Lines flight from Manila to San Francisco. She left behind her husband and three young children in the Philippines to build a life for us in this country. She worked hard, saved, and […]
By Loida Nicolas Lewis When I texted Maria Banatao that I would like to talk to her in the morning at 11 a.m. New York time – which is 8 a.m. Los Angeles time — she told me that she would prefer to do it three hours later. Why? Because she would be going to […]
My name is Teresita Price. I’m Josh’s mom. Josh doesn’t like asking for money. So today, I told him I would ask you instead — and explain to you why he’s so deserving of your donation. You always want your children to have more advantages than you had growing up. That was very true with […]
Multimedia artist, writer, and performer Kilusan Bautista has opened a GoFundMe campaign as he shares the story of his daughter Phoenix who has developed CHARGE Syndrome, a genetic condition that affects multiple organ systems, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders. In the last four years, Kilusan has stopped creating, writing, and performing as […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]