One Saturday night in Las Vegas
In a square jungle that is the boxing arena, good stories are good stories, regardless of who tells them. Whatever your story conveys, you know what it feels to have…
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The unheard, unwept and unsung heroes of Bataan
There is always a legend of a hero — one who fights and dies in the name of freedom. The word freedom does not seem to have a synonym, only…
The enjoyment of reading
It is the art of entertaining oneself with the brains of other men. I dedicate a considerable portion of my time with other people — reading their thoughts and their…
The ultimate interview: Questions I will ask Jesus Christ
Can anyone imagine how it would be like to interact with the Lord, who knows your every thought and word, even before you speak? How do I attempt to clear…
God bless the queen(s)!
Red-faced and feeling contrite, I erred last Sunday. I rant against mediocrity and plead so ardently for an intelligent performance about real people, who say coherent things to each other….
The camera never blinks
With its vivid communication of reality, a photograph is a powerful tapestry, which tells a story. Images of people and events are captured in the split second that they happened….
Spring once more
Spring has sprung. It is upon us in a scent that grows deeper, dizzying, improbable. It is too heady, too provocative to be diminished. Seeping through open windows, under doors,…
The Beatles: Let it be
I am one of those who freely and ungrudgingly take great interest in my friends’ pleasure, in what they relish and what they become anxious about in the world of…
The follies of fashion
I am reluctant to write about fashion. It does not fascinate me — on the contrary, I find the subject repellent. But I did not choose the times I live…
A gathering of the Democrat faithful at the LA Convention Center
In an overall mood that was celebratory, California Democrats gathered on March 8, Saturday to celebrate their dominance in state politics and their prospects in this year’s election. In this…
Life and writing
According to a famous novelist, life is that which pressingly, persistently, unfailingly and imperially interrupts. I measure my life through sentences pressed out, line by line, according to what poured…
To ConGen Hellen Barber De la Vega: Good luck and till we meet again!
Farewells are always simultaneously sad and bright, like sunshine after the rain. Braving the rain and howling wind, the guests poured into Double Tree by Hilton in Norwalk: Fil-Am officials,…
The Oscars: A metaphor for success
CELEBRATING the Academy Awards (nicknamed The Oscars) is as old as a man’s knowledge of entertainment, music, laughter and despair. It is as fresh as a child’s first taste of…
Too old to dream
This little piece takes us, not just to a place, but into the minds and hearts of those, who are in their twilight years, in a society that glorified youth….
For the love of art
Artists are those whose gifts set them apart — their talent, wisdom and integrity are superior. They make beauty, unlock mysteries, serve the truth, make life out of the matter…
The many faces of love
Love’s vistas are inexhaustible. But for all the ardency of love’s idealism and romance, it can only be taken as an act of faith. To be ruled under the spell…
The splendor of moonlight
I admire a contented mind — one that reveres enlightenment of simple things. Yet, in quiet meditation, the one emotion that’s hardest to fight against is a longing for all…
The academe, artists and doctors who rallied in an evening for a cause
On a recent Sunday, an enchanting concert with a profusion of unique talents of a superb ensemble of musical world of choirs (weeping violins, classics and folklore) settled briefly at …
Pacquiao-Bradley’s unfinished business
Some things never change. A presscon with Manny Pacquiao is a field day that has the same ingredients — whether here at Beverly Hills Hotel or any other venue. A…
Enduring hormonal mischief
It is the new perspective coming into view in every woman’s major life passage: a mid-life agitation, literal and poignant. First, the gushing, like the reddening of a dying tree…
A Palm Springs weekend
This year-round oasis is a timeless, limitless haven that spells an unparalleled sense of escape, adventure, recreation, and relaxation at your own unique way of playing. It is where you…
Not guns, but bullets that kill
They consist of running bits of metals through the flesh of men — large, small, pointed, square, round and splintered bits that tear and kill. It is not the metal…
The day a million hearts broke
Enroute to San Francisco, I saw glossy posters of people, waving happily as they hop into a plane. I realized what a lying society we inhabit. Airborne inside the belly…
Women and equality in the battle scene
Some things light up — an uneasiness that, at first, you wouldn’t know how to define. But then you eventually do, and a shudder rises up and down your spine….
Remember, Rebuild and Sustain: Walang Iwanan
Remember, Rebuild and Sustain: Walang Iwanan is the theme of the gala benefit event and concert for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which was organized by the Scripps College Music Department…
The street sweeper
What a noble trade, being a street sweeper. It’s about sweeping the filth we produce, of making our existence less infected. Mindless and ungrateful are those who use the word…
Rev. Pastor Orsay: The simple pastor
Each Sunday, promptly at noon, worshippers gather at the austere, simple Victory Christian Church in Eagle Rock. Here, they consider it as home away from home – with its promise…
2014 wish list
In every wish, there will be glimpses of kind virtues, to encourage and console. It could be something modest or even mundane, something fantastic or utterly practical. It can take…
Diosdado ‘Dado’ Banatao’s odyssey from Cagayan Valley to Silicon Valley
It is said that Silicon Valley likes to think of itself as morally exceptional: the saints of American Capitalists are there. They are actually regarded as successors to the big…