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My birthday falls on the sixth day of Simbang Gabi Novena. So every year, it’s a tradition to start the celebration by attending the Misa de Gallo and lighting a candle, if possible. Beyond the balloons and cake, birthdays serve as annual milestones, reminding us of the journey we’ve travelled and the growth we’ve experienced….
When I first wrote about Rizza, it was a small, almost private testimony wishing her the best on her wedding — the kind you post quietly online hoping the right person stumbles upon it. That was twenty years ago. She has just turned fifty, and here I am, still finding reasons to write about her….
Finally, I managed to tick off one city off my travel bucket list, as DragonAir flight 362 landed at 1:05 p.m. at Tokyo’s Narita Airport on October 10th. I’ve been wishing to visit Japan since I was a kid, and finally it is happening. I had both happy and sad tales to share about the…
I still remember the thrill of those early days of email, long before smartphones and social media made constant connection feel ordinary. Back then, every new message felt like an event, and the simple phrase “You’ve got mail” sounded almost magical. Like in that eponymous film, notifications back then were pure dopamine. Each ping carried…
Although I am from Davao City, my family has more relatives in Cagayan de Oro than where I come from. I had fond memories of traveling there to meet extended family members. Larger meal attendance, longer time at the table, and always felt lonelier when our visit comes to an end. Because our family roots…
It was sometime in late February or early March—I can no longer recall the exact date, but the feeling of that period remains sharp, like a photograph that never faded. I was 23 then, working at UIC Computer Center in Davao, my first employer after graduation. By most standards, I was doing well. I had…
I first heard about Richard Linklater’s 1995 film Before Sunrise through the enthusiastic recommendations of Karen Obispo and Russell Gutierrez. At the time, I was an active member of Singles for Christ in Hong Kong, and conversations about meaningful films were a regular part of our fellowship. This blog post isn’t a formal review—it’s more…
Nyoman Koen Krisnawan has one of those names that immediately reveals where he’s from. “Nyoman” is a common Balinese name, and like many Indonesians, he doesn’t use a surname in the way we Filipinos or Westerners do. It’s not quite like Brazilian one-name icons (Pelé, Ronaldinho, Nenê) either, but there are hints of heritage if…
Growing up, I was fond of listening to the radio that is part of my daily routine. More than just a provider of news and entertainment, the radio served as our virtual alarm clocks. For example, when Bombo News and Views morning edition starts, it was time to head to the showers. A few years…
I no longer live in Hong Kong, but every now and then, certain memories pull me back—not to the city’s neon lights or MTR rush hours, but to something much older, much simpler: my childhood in Davao. It was a time when the world felt both small and enormous, when the most exciting part of…