Nearly every overseas Filipino who has visited the Philippines in the last several years has one common complaint – the horrendous traffic jams in Metro Manila. What normally takes 20 minutes to travel now takes from one hour to two hours depending on which road you are using and what time you are traveling. And rush hour in… Read More »
By Edwin C. Mercurio Ruben Cusipag, a veteran journalist who was detained as a political prisoner during in the early days of Martial Law in the Philippines in 1972 passed away yesterday. Cusipag migrated to Canada by late 1974. Cusipag was the co-founder of Atin Ito in early1976. Atin Ito (This is Ours) was one of the first… Read More »
THERE ARE MANY STORIES TO TELL ABOUT RUBEN, AND NOT ONLY BECAUSE RUBEN HAD A LARGER THAN LIFE PRESENCE, THE 800 POUND GORILLA, EVEN WHEN HE IS NOT IN THE ROOM. HOW TO EULOGIZE RUBEN AND GIVE IT JUSTICE? HE TRANSCENDS DESCRIPTION. FULL OF LIFE, HE HAS THIS UNFORGETTABLE LAUGH, PASSIONATE, INTEGRITY, COMMITTED TO SOCIAL JUSTICE, DEEPLY EMOTIONAL,… Read More »
I have good news for you. This is especially welcome news to those who have secret desires, more so to those who salivate to become senator of Canada. Justin Trudeau, newly crowned leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and thus steps closer to become the country’s Prime Minister is coming to town. Mind you, it will not… Read More »
There were a number of developments that caught the interest of kababayans at the start of this month- Typhoon Gorio (that’s the storm’s local name) sparing the country from further ruin by failing to unleash its fury. We thank the government especially its barangay officials, as they truly did their jobs this time, mapping out a disaster management… Read More »
An archetypal swashbuckler, rambunctious to a point, an uncanny nose for news, hard drinker but hardworking, irreverent but with a sense of honor and justice. Passionately in love with his craft. If this would be the epitaph on Ruben’s tombstone, it might as well be for those breed of journalists (to which he belonged and a few are… Read More »
By: Jason Maghanoy I heard of the larger than life, and at times controversial figure in the Filipino community. The political prisoner. The dynamic writer, charmer and leader, committed to helping Filipino’s build a strong cultural identity in Canada. When I visit my aunt’s house I would see the accolades hanging on the wall: awards for his journalism… Read More »
Whenever a senior Filipino professional leaves to work abroad, alarms bells ring out and panic reigns here in the Philippines. There goes the talent, woe unto us! people cry out. The debate here about a brain drain has been around for decades. OMG, what are we going to do, Dr. Somebody has abandoned us! goes the cry. In… Read More »
When the wave of Filipino professionals landing on North American soil started in the 1960s and 70s, a small number of them included journalists who had already made their mark in Manila. Finding the urge to write and publish irresistible, these scribes itched to start their own publications. On the west coast, the likes of Alex Esclamado and… Read More »