The month of July in Canada crosses the threshold of summer with a personal warmth of nostalgia tethering the enormity of presentiment. From coast to coast to coast, every Canadian embraces this particular time with elation and anticipation. It signals placid days for families to take pleasure in while their children are off from school. The luscious and… Read More »
Recently, I attended both a moving-out sale and an estate sale in our apartment building. As I walked through each one, I felt a quiet sadness. Although many of the items were being sold at bargain prices—almost given away—the experience left me reflecting on how temporary our material possessions really are. It was also the first time I… Read More »
Breakdancing, or breaking, emerged in the early 1970s in the Bronx as part of hip-hop culture, blending athleticism, rhythm, and creativity into a dance form unlike anything seen before. Rooted in street battles and community expression, breaking evolved through crews who pushed movement innovation—spins, freezes, footwork, and power moves—into an art that demanded both physical strength and musicality.… Read More »
Zumba began in 2001 when Colombian dancer and aerobics instructor Alberto “Beto” Perez accidentally improvised a class using salsa and merengue music he had on hand. What started as a happy mistake quickly grew into a global fitness movement, blending Latin rhythms, dance, and cardio into an experience that feels more like a party than a workout. For… Read More »
After “El Filibusterismo” came off the press in September 1891, Rizal had mentioned to his friend Ferdinand Blumentritt, that he was contemplating on writing a third novel. The Austrian intellectual who had written extensively about the Philippines wrote the preface to what would eventually become Rizal’s second and last completed novel. As a confidant, he was apprised of… Read More »
Let’s welcome our new lawyer, Atty Neil Abam, to the Filipino community in Toronto. He took his oath at the Law Society of Ontario on June 23, 2026. In a recent interview, Neil, as he is fondly called by friends, said that he is willing to serve his kababayans pro bono, for free, especially those who cannot afford… Read More »
Burong isda, a traditional Filipino fermented fish delicacy, carries with it centuries of culinary memory, regional identity, and the quiet ingenuity of rural communities. Originating primarily in the provinces of Central Luzon—Bulacan, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija—this dish reflects the Filipino instinct to preserve food in a tropical climate long before refrigeration existed. By combining fish, rice, salt, and… Read More »
Guess what? It took me over 24 hours to sit down and really think of what Canada Day meant to me, a Filipino-Canadian born and raised in the Philippines. And I have been residing here since 2017—almost 10 years ago. Goes to show how slow my assimilation is into the Canadian experience, or, more aptly said, within the… Read More »
The unabating apathy between the rich and the poor remains a virulent bane in Philippine society, constantly playing havoc with its people. With little to no progress in abridging the widening and commodious divergence, the continuous political, social, and economic turmoil reinforces the wealthy more than the needy. The bountiful resources of the land serve as exclusive playgrounds… Read More »
Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental speech condition in which a person knows exactly what they want to say but has difficulty producing smooth, continuous speech. It is not intentional – “stuttering is something that happens to them while speaking, not something they do intentionally.” In Canada, about 1 percent of adults and up to 4 percent of young children… Read More »