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Through tragedy, grateful for our second chance together
By Tiara Camille Teruel “Hello? Sino ito?” the question was so comforting. She always said it so softly with an almost angelic gentleness. “Hi Lola! Si Camille po,” I would respond and she would let out a cheerful cry of happiness. She loved saying my second name. It is sort of her nickname for me. […]
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Cancer mom Cheely Ann Sy fights son’s battle
By Cristina DC Pastor September 2014 would be the beginning of an uphill battle for Richard and Cheely Ann Sy of Bergenfield, New Jersey. On September 3, their youngest and only son, 3-year-old Richard Aiden or RJ, was diagnosed with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that usually afflicts children. Since that […]
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Thou shalt be called Benjamin
By Joseph Jerome Francia The flight from San Diego to New York was delayed by eight hours due to bad weather. Hungry and tired, I arrived 4 a.m. at the hotel the office had booked for me. I approached the receptionist to check in. I was told, “Sorry, we gave your room away since you […]
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We may be ready for Hillary, but are we ready for a Filipina-American President?
By Tiara Camille Teruel I watched as she sang me lullabies and chased the monsters from under my bed. She was my biggest supporter and yet my strongest critic. My morals were valued and my character was shaped with her unconditional love by my side. She was and always will be, the biggest influence in […]
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On Grandparents Day, remembering the heart of the family
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. The tenth of September was observed as Grandparents Day in the United States. In our homeland, there is a similar observation, but the celebration period is longer: March 11-18, each year; hence, it is named Grandparents’ Week. Reportedly, recognition of the much-anticipated event was made official a few years back […]
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After 42 years, exhuming a bitter memory of Martial Law
By Julia Carreon-Lagoc On September 21, 1972, a day of infamy in Philippine history, Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed Martial Law. This year on the 42nd anniversary of its proclamation, I exhumed this bitter remembrance — the memories ever fresh as when they were first written. NEVER AGAIN! In bold capitals and with an exclamation point. That’s […]
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Grateful to 2 ‘lolos’ and their legacy of service, leadership
By Tiara Camille Teruel I read an article recently in the Panay News about the Panay guerrillas being the best organized guerrilla movement during World War II. It casually mentioned Raymundo Teruel, and, how, as a result of that war, he became a general. General Teruel was my grandfather. Lolo Raymundo, or Lolo Ray as […]
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‘My son is not the bride!’ Film explores interracial, gay couple’s ‘pamanhikan’
The short film entitled, “Pamanhikan,” is a story of an interracial, gay couple’s parents’ first meeting over brunch to discuss their wedding. ‘Pamanhikan’ is the Philippine tradition where the parents of the bride and the groom meet formally to acknowledge their approval of the marriage. Writer-director Angelo Santos called this film a “witty and touching […]
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Jersey dad creates ‘Phil the Fil-Am’ cartoon to help teach his kids Tagalog
A South Jersey father of four who wants his children to learn Philippine culture is creating a language-focused animation inspired by “Dora the Explorer.” David Asis is doing a pilot of “Phil the Fil-Am” in the hope of teaching his children – son Michael, who is 4 years old, and triplet daughters Gabriella, Kayla and […]