Recently, along the cyber highway, I found my missing-in-action Haitian friend, Rosemarie Lelong. In 1990, we bade each other tearful goodbyes at “Los Venaditos”, a favorite haunt. We had felt a special affinity, our homelands were shrouded in darkness by military dictatorships. We had a duet of boasts: Haiti was the first black republic in … Read more
(Ang orihinal ay nasa wikang Ingles na sinulat ni Gemma Cruz Araneta) Translated into the Filipino language by Dante A. Ornedo. http://www.gemmacruzaraneta.com/2021/10/leni-robredo-raises-the-standard/ https://mb.com.ph/2021/10/14/leni-robredo-raises-the-standard/ Naitaas ni Vice President Leni Robredo ang pamantayan ng talakayang pampulitika sa ating bansa. Kapuna-puna ito sa talas ng kanyang talumpati nang inanunsyo nya ang kanyang pagsabak sa 2022 elections sa pagkapangulo. … Read more
Translated into the Filipino language by Abdon “Jun” Balde Naitaas ng Pangalawang Pangulong Leni Robredo ang pamantayan sa pampolitikang talakayan sa ating bansa. Ito’y napatunayan sa katotoohan ng kaniyang talumpati, sa Wikang Filipino, nang ipaalam niya na siya ay sasabak sa pagtakbo sa panguluhan sa halalan sa 2022. Pinanood ko ito sa You Tube upang … Read more
Vice -president Leni Robredo has raised the standard of political discourse in this country. That was evident in the acuity of her speech (in Tagalog) announcing that she will run (sasabak ako!) for president in the elections of 2022. I viewed it on YouTube so I could replay sections which I found particularly inspiring. Although … Read more
Pundits, pubic intellectuals, political analysts and media practitioners have spoken and written about the decay of our national institutions. This seemingly unstoppable process threatens the very existence of the Philippines. Our country used to be called the “showcase of democracy” in Asia, do we still deserve that honor, no matter how dubious? No one has … Read more
Tales of Huks, communist horror during the Spanish Civil War, the imminent invasion of Mao Zedong’s red horde were the specters of my sheltered childhood on Donada street, Pasay. Yet, a gentle world unfolded behind the unbreachable stone walls (topped with shards of broken glass) of my Guerrero grandfather’s house. The property merged with those … Read more
Political winds now ravaging the cyber super highway are like typhoon signals that warn us of an impending electoral tsunami. Most of the presidential wannabees from various regions of this archipelago are already hymning praises to themselves. Social media is inundated with prevarications and fake news brewed by anonymous armies hiding in troll farms. Apps-enhanced … Read more
As this writing (September 15), I am commemorating two events close to my heart. The first was the inauguration of the Malolos Congress in 1898, in Malolos. The second is my 56th wedding anniversary. My husband, Antonio Araneta, and I chose that significant date to celebrate our marriage, to tie the proverbial knot. I wanted … Read more
Herminio Lopez Roque, Jr, a.k.a Harry was born in the Philippines on 21 October 1966. That is probably why he is more of a compulsive Scorpio than a harmonious Libra, his zodiac sign. An undergrad of the University of Michigan, he read law at the University of Philippines where he later taught public international law … Read more
When Pres. Joe Biden decided to extricate the United States of America from Afghanistan, he said it was to end the “forever war” in that distant land. He does not want to send more American soldiers to their death. After 20 years of military intervention and attempted nation-building, the Afghanistan project flamed out spectacularly, so … Read more