My Journalist friends: Mang Ruben, Mang Tony, Jojo, Tenny and Butch

My journalist friends—Mang Ruben Cusipag, Mang Tony Sikat, Jojo Taduran, Tenny Soriano and Butch Galicia—have retired permanently, resting in their graves. Once in a while, I think about them because I know I’ll have the same eventuality– passing on. Being a senior, I cannot help but think about both life’s uncertainty and its eventuality, that someday, I will… Read More »

My Beloved & Favorite Place– Pasong Tamo

In this troubled and anxieties-filled world, we need some little space, a small corner, be it physical or imaginary, to smell the scent of roses, breathe fresh air and be with all ourselves, not minding life’s cares. We need this kind of meditation, some soul searching to re-connect those little dots that bombard our minds, If I want… Read More »

Our Earth Will Never Be Destroyed by Nuclear Wars

Most people are anxious about the ongoing wars between Russia, Ukraine and Israel against Hamas in the Middle East, fearing that these wars might trigger the use of nuclear bombs in the arsenal of powerful countries. It’s an open secret that the US, Russia, China, and other countries have a vast stockpile of nuclear warheads, hundreds more potent… Read More »

Our Throw-away society

Throwing away household stuff is a norm in our society; those things we slightly used before and some old stuff we’ve kept for years now we want to get rid of are usually found in garbage dumping areas or thrown in the streets.  In North America, people sometimes keep buying goods at whims, and later, they replace them… Read More »

The Joy of a Simple Family Get-together

Having a once-in-a-month family get-together is refreshing and joyful, but most of all, it strengthens the family’s love and unity. In this anxiety-filled and busy world, family members struggle to have a simple meal together. Their secular jobs, school demands, never-ending household chores, and busy lifestyles force them to have an individualized kind of living; day in, day… Read More »

Why “kubetero” is a dead Filipino word?

When I was a boy, my Nanay would always impress upon my young mind that I had to study hard to escape poverty, or I might become a kubetero. One recent morning, when I was having a coffee chat with Reggie in his home in Chicago, he’s the husband of my sister-in-law, I told him about that kubetero story… Read More »

Media Reporting during Martial Law Years

Working in a newspaper during those early years of martial law in the 70s was not so complicated and fearsome; all the papers had to do was publish “positive stories” about the workings of government and country– and follow Malacañang’s directives. Those martial law years were the heyday for press releases, but some people called them “praise releases.”… Read More »

 People at SSS office in Toronto deserve praise

The people manning the “little office” of the Social Security System (SSS) in Toronto deserve to be commended for their dedication and hard work in serving the growing number of Pinoy seniors and the caregivers in the community. When I was there two months ago, I saw a long line of seniors and caregivers, standing for hours, waiting… Read More »

Let’s support our “Scarborough Gen” Hospital

In whatever seasons, when we either get sick or need emergency treatment, our community hospital, officially called Scarborough Health Network Foundation is always on hand to serve us. Although it’s a public-funded institution, it still needs the private sector’s support to enhance the quality of its healthcare treatment.  Aside from donating online, in some corners at the hospital,… Read More »

Our Seniors’ Ways of Doing Everything Online

With the new technology, those so-called Baby Boomers, those seniors in our midst, are now forced to learn everything online. Of their little knowledge of navigating cyberspace, most of the time, they have been victimized by scams. While writing this piece, a friend back home asked me if I knew someone from the Philippine National Police because her… Read More »