How women can change America
(Part I of II) “You can’t be what you can’t see.” – Marian Wright Edelman “If they see it, they can be it.” – Geena Davis, March 19, 2015 at…
Category: Lifestyle Columnists
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Halloween: its origin and universal observances
AMONG the numerous holiday celebrations worldwide, Halloween takes a remarkable spot in the roster… contending with Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, and Thanksgiving Day while taking a…
Entertaining trivia
Here are some remarkable, educational, and attention-grabbing bits of medical and general factoid that could enrich your cerebral armamentarium: • Arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) starts when a child is…
Children just like you (2 of 2 parts)
“The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by tragedy.” —Alfred North Whitehead (Continued from last week’s issue …) “Pay attention, Icarus. Stick close behind me and watch your…
‘The Coming of Good Winds’: Their paintings and the guiding principles of Ronald Cortez, Danny Doce and Master Jessie Mariñas
“We used to be able to manage with the belief that the physical art object was the end product of art, and the process of art was everything that went…
Caregivers: Quiet angels with gentle hearts
IN private homes, we learn yet of another world — of quiet angels with gentle hearts that back home used to be teachers, bank tellers, office workers, civil engineers, registered…
On being healing partners of God
AND as he was leaving Jericho along with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, son of Timaeus sat at the roadside begging. On hearing that it…
PACCAL honors 21 outstanding Fil-Am highfliers and trailblazers
IT was, indeed, an indisputably far-fetched fete that ineradicably marked the elegant celebration of PACCAL’s 26th Founding Anniversary and Awards Night at the posh ballroom of the Ramada Plaza Hotel…
Medical pearls
Losing weight on a diet that is high in fat is dangerous for overall health. The risk of coronary heart disease has been found to increase significantly among those individuals…
Children just like you (1 of 2 parts)
“The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by tragedy.” —Alfred North Whitehead (HERE’S an abbreviated version of a fascinating story from Greek mythology. This is a redux.) Long…
The life force that surrounds you — the aura
(Part II of III) AS a recap of my last column introducing the aura, let me summarize salient points before we dig deeper into the subject matter. The aura is…
On our humble service to God
“If Jesus, the Son of God, was hated and killed, what excuses do we have, mere human beings, from not also being mocked, attacked, belittled, and put on the cross…
Cry of courage, fundraising in the Fil-Am community
FUNDRAISING is not a game, nor is it a social commentary or a religious revelation. It is not the breeding ground for the trite and the shallow. Those who say…
Abraham Ferrer: Using art to influence culture and building communities
“WHICHEVER way they choose, an observer must apply some skills of their own to the experience, just as the artist must apply their skills and experience to creating the work…
PACCAL 26th Anniversary exalts human endeavor & community service
AFTER having remarkably established and conscientiously demonstrated its full capacity effort to serve the community and enthusiastically promote the very essence of the mission and vision of its advocacy for…
Hair falling out?
When a handful of hair falls out each single day, clogging the drain, it is scary. While it is normal to lose 50-100 strands of hair a day, it is…
How to build a house of bricks in any season
(Third of 3 parts) “I build my house of stone I build my house of bricks. I’ve had no chance to sing and dance. ‘Cause work and play don’t mix.”…
A young Fil-Am sexual assault survivor’s journey
[Writer’s note: This was published in May 2018 in the Asian Journal’s Los Angeles weekend edition, but the recently concluded, controversial associate justice confirmation hearings on Brett Kavanaugh makes this…
Seeking God’s kingdom
A YOUNG man ran up to Jesus and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? No one…
Meet Loloy, Max and Andy: A ‘few good men’ living the American dream
IT is almost cliché whenever we hear about “real men” doing unusual things. Some say “they (can) wear pink,” or that they cry (when necessary and are not ashamed of…
In praise of the Los Angeles Philippine Women’s Club
THEY are daughters of dramatic journeys and fantastic tales, carrying their stories like treasures, proud of their heritage they came to America amid colonial romance, hope, despair, misfortune but are…
Life is wonderful
In this era of health consciousness, people, in general, are seeking ways to live healthier and maximize longevity through prevention. This was one of the reasons why I wrote the…
How to build a house of bricks in any season (Second of 3 parts)
” I build my house of sticks. I build my house of twigs. With a hey-diddle-diddle, I play on the fiddle. And dance all kinds of jigs” — Fiddler Pig (The first 5 tips…
Rick Rocamora’s moral courage and visual voice of witnessing human wrongs to human rights
“Every life is a wonderful story worthy of being told. Every life is a work of art, and if it does not seem so, perhaps it is only necessary to…
Leading ladies share personal credos
THE year-round oasis is timeless in the Fil-Am community, motivated by independent women that pursue common goals and interests, with their paths frequently intersecting, overlapping — socializing with many of…
The joy of marriage and family
THE Gospel this Sunday (Mark 10:2-16) begins with the Pharisees asking Jesus if it is lawful for a husband to divorce his wife. Jesus responded by reminding them of the…
Proud to be a Filipino
While on an Iberian Peninsula Cruise with my wife, Farida, and 21 other medical colleagues and friends last August 30, we met a friendly Filipino coffee server by the name…
How to build a house of bricks in any season (First of 3 parts)
” I build my house of straw. I build my house of hay. I toot my flute. I don’t give a hoot. And play around all day.” — Fifer Pig (Enjoy a…
Two priests and their long years of selfless and “big” service
ON World Youth Day in 2014, Pope Francis challenged young people with this message: “Do you really want to be happy? In an age when we are constantly being tempted…
High standard for judicial nominees: Impartiality, an instrument of our common unity and fidelity to the Constitution
“Every judge needs to have both the intellectual capacity to deal with the incredible variety and complexity of the issues and an instinctive understanding of the human implications of the…