Category Archives: General

Undocumented Caregivers – Part Two

In pursuit of the elusive PR By Faye Arellano After several failed attempts to restore her legal status even with the help of a lawyer, Maria eventually became undocumented in 2014.  “I incurred so much debts in the course of my legal battle, to no avail,” recalled Maria. She added that she was desperate to renew her work… Read More »

UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL CANNABIS

By Hermione Cabie Santos A 55-year old patient has been taking pain medications round the clock for several months. Unable to sleep most nights and taking high doses of anti-anxiety medications, he seeks other means of addressing his condition.Finally, he reads about medical cannabis, discovers its benefits and now enjoysa more pain-free way of life! We all have… Read More »

The Commencement Address

“There are no wrong turnings. Only paths we had not known we were meant to walk.” – Guy Gavriel Kay Dear Graduates You honour me for selecting me as your commencement speaker when you can have a better person than I am. As some of you may have known, I am a homosexual. I hope my revelation won’t… Read More »

FROM ACTORS TO POLITICAL FIGURES

Trivia: Looking back in the past, this writer simply couldn’t forget the famous actors who turned successful political figures. Not only because of their formidable public service but more so, out of my attachment to them. Many times I did feel their sincere friendship elucidated to me. To begin with, the acknowledged Agimat King of local movies Ramon… Read More »

EVOLUTION AND THE COVID VARIANTS

Evolution is a term that does not endear to a significant number of peoples. It is controversial because people of faith see it as an affront to their beliefs as it postulates that humans are just another member of the animal kingdom. In contrast, they see us as God’s unique creation with a body and “soul.”  On the other… Read More »

It’s always greener on the other side

“The truth is that where you stand does affect what you see.”  William Kaplan, Why Dissent Matters (2017) Rosario and I were inseparable when we were in high school. We did things together during our classes. We were seated side by side in the classroom, studied together and had lunch together to update ourselves with the latest gossips.… Read More »

Undocumented caregivers, they are unseen among us

By Faye Arellano  Maria, 35, arrived in Canada a decade ago under the defunct Live-in Caregiver’s  Program. Her initial employer changed her mind about hiring her and immediately  released Maria on her first week.  It took Maria about seven months to find a new employer who was willing to do the  required paperwork. This time, Maria endured almost… Read More »

LOOK NO FURTHER THAN OURSELVES

Ramon Farolan, a columnist with the Phil Daily Inquirer, in his March 22, 2021 column ” Not the Best of Times for Asian Americans,” asserted that in 2020 there was an upsurge by 150% of Asian directed racism, mainly in L.A. and New York. From verbal harassment to physical assault, in 2021, more than 500 incidents have already… Read More »

RESILIENCE: THE POWER TO BOUNCE BACK

By Hermione Cabie Santos In a game of chess, my 15-year old son suddenly becomes uncomfortable when he discovers his father’s deadly check move.  He carries on, nevertheless, quietly revisits his game strategy, resists the temptation to give up and remains calm in the hope of maneuvering an almost impossible escape. He knows losing is part of the… Read More »

Waiting for Grace

“Ubos, ubos biyaya, mayat maya’y nakatunganga.” From my wife’s collection of Tagalog proverbs. “The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops.” Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot.  By Rey Moreno Grace loved her family so much. So at age 17, she decided to look for a job… Read More »