SARAH LOHMANN WRITES — “Who are we to say that we are not enough?” Ena Mori asks this of listeners in “WHITE ROOM,” the tenth track of her sonically stunning LP, DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE! (2022). The LP flows through an eclectic soundscape with passion-charged lyrics and production. According…
Full Article MUSIC REVIEW: DON’T BLAME THE WILD ONE (2022) – THE POWER OF THE OUTCAST
ANGELINE KEK WRITES — One of the scariest moments of a child’s life takes shape with the realization that our parents are mortal beings no further from death than a wilting flower or a gray-whiskered cat. They have no friendly contract with the grim reaper. With the fleeting time, we…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: LIKE A SOLID TO A SHADOW (2022) BY JANICE LOBO SAPIGAO — GETTING TO KNOW THE DEAD
ALEXANDER KYDONIEFS WRITES – Philippine police officials are scrambling to find the killers of Percival Mabasa, late host of the “Lapid Fire” program on the Philippine DWBL 1242 radio station. On October 4th, at 8:30pm, motor-cycle-riding gunmen killed longstanding Filipino journalist and radio personality Percival Mabasa, known to audiences as…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: ANOTHER MEDIA VOICE IS SNUFFED OUT
MOHAMMED ALKANDARI WRITES – Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. needed only a few months, after his swearing in as the 17th president of the Philippines, to prove that he would be a better leader than his dictatorial father. As the son of a tyrant synonymous with violence and corruption, Marcos Jr.…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: LIKE FATHER, NOT LIKE SON
JARED SIVILA WRITES — For many Filipino households, Manny Pacquiao’s fights in the boxing ring were an excuse for celebrations and parties as big as Christmas or Thanksgiving. During his prime, Manny Pacquiao consistently drew an overwhelming audience to watch his finesse and expertise within the ring. The legendary fighter…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: CAN RETIRED BOXER MANNY PACQUIAO FIGHT HIS WAY INTO POLITICS?
JONAH AGLUBAT WRITES– The Philippines has had its fair share of corruption and authoritarianism, from multiple colonizations to annexations. Under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos – who reigned for 21 years, from 1965 – 1986- the archipelagic nation has experienced states of extreme poverty, severe underemployment, and has been subject…
Full Article THE PHILIPPINES: WILL THE MUSLIM MAJORITY OF MINDANAO ACHIEVE INDEPENDENCE?
NELLY CARRILLO WRITES — Food insecurity – as defined by the FAO, the inability to access nutritional and safe food that is essential to maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle-is nothing new to the Philippines. In a 2016 report, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization found that at least…
Full Article THE PHILIPPINES: HUNGRY FOR POLICIES THAT ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY
NAWAF AL-SABAH WRITES- Although Colombia is the world’s top source of illicit drugs, traffickers have now made Asia a hub for both transportation and consumption. Interestingly, a few years ago, South Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka became vulnerable regions for human trafficking due…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: IS THIS THE WAY TO RUN A DRUG WAR?
LULU ALKHALIDI WRITES – In polls conducted by Pulse Asian between September 14 and September 20, the rating for Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance was 91%. The poll was of course conducted during the coronavirus pandemic, with 5% of the population giving a negative response while 4% were undecided. In…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: PRESIDENT DUTERTE SCORES HIGH MARKS FROM FILIPINO FANS DESPITE LOW REGARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
MARY SANDRINE BERNOS WRITES — Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, a transgender woman, was found dead in 2014 at a local motel in Olongapo City by U.S. Marine Joseph Pemberton. She was found in the bathroom, wrapped in a blanket and slumped over a toilet bowl, after the soldier, upon finding out…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: CONVICTED U.S. MARINE SET FREE
CASEY MCGANNON WRITES — Many immigrants have similar motivations for leaving their home countries. They may seek opportunities that simply don’t exist where they’re from, or wish to escape persecution or, like many Filipino nurses, they seek better pay. The average salary for a registered nurse (RN) in the Philippines…
Full Article COPING WITH COVID-19: HOW FILIPINO NURSES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES SUPPORT FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS
IMMANUEL PORTUS WRITES — On May 2 the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival opened its first night with a film that took home the Grand Jury Prize soon after: “Yellow Rose,” helmed by director Diane Paragas and starring Tony winner Lea Salonga and Tony nominee Eva Noblezada— all prominent…
Full Article MOVIE REVIEW: ‘YELLOW ROSE’ BLOSSOMS BEYOND THE PHILIPPINES
NICOLE ALAVERDIAN WRITES – It is no secret that humans are amid a most severe environmental problem — global climate change. Ecological reports and scientific evidence point to the possibility of the “sixth great mass extinction” taking place. Countries have suggested climate change guidelines: The Paris Climate Agreement, of course.…
Full Article Asia Round-Up: As Election Season Looms in the Region, Why is the Environment a missing topic of concern?
MUHAMAD Al-OTHMAN WRITES– Online dating has taken the Asian region by storm, although not without consequence. Currently, online scams– where perpetrators convince their online ‘partner’ to send them money or give them access to their data– has swept over the Philippines. With the advent of the internet came the woes…
Full Article PHILIPPINES: Online Dating Scams, The Cost of Virtual Dating
CHELSEA SALAC WRITES– On December 17 last year, Catriona Gray won the Title of Miss Universe 2018. “It’s our Superbowl. The level of support that Filipinos give the arena of pageantry is phenomenal,” 25-year-old beauty queen Catriona Gray explains. The Philippines, a country that dominates International Beauty Pageants, has produced…
Full Article Philippines: Powerhouse of Beauty Pageants
“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” – Charlemagne ANAS ALZAHRANI WRITES — When non-native English speakers decide to learn English in a different country, the first locations that come to mind are the U.S and England, where English is the first language. Command over the English…
Full Article You Might Want to Head to Asia to Learn English