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3 suspected rebels killed in clash in Philippines Batangas
MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Three suspected rebels were killed in a clash with government forces in Batangas province, south of Manila, on Tuesday, the Philippine military said. The military said a 30-minute gunfight broke out around 6:30 a.m. local time after the troops ran into a group of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Rosario town. The troops recovered three rifles, six jungle packs, and some mater.....»»
Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, March 26
MANILA -- Three suspected rebels were killed in a clash with government forces in Batangas province, south of Manila, on Tuesday, the Philippine military said. The military said a 30-minute gunfight broke out around 6:30 a.m. local time after the troops ran into a group of New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Rosario town. (Philippines-Clash) - - - - BEIRUT -- Two people were killed and nine other civ.....»»
Braving the Heat
BRAVING THE HEAT. Workers install a platform in front of the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City on Monday, 25 March 2024. The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that the city's heat index reached 43 degrees Celsius at 1 p.m. the same day. The platform is in preparation for Easter Sunday's "Salubong" mass. MindaNews photo.....»»
600 families homeless in Tondo fire
A fire broke out at a neighborhood composed mostly of shanties in Tondo, Manila on Thursday night, leaving at least 600 families homeless......»»
Sinulog celebrated by Fil-Ams, showing their faith, cultural tradition
LOS ANGELES – Sinulog, dubbed as the Queen of Festivals, was celebrated this month by Filipino Americans as part of their cultural and religious tradition. At the Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles, the nine-day novena leading to the Sinulog Festival was attended by Fil-Ams. The Sinulog festival a the Our Lady.....»»
Celebrated Syrian author Khaled Khalifa dead at 59
Syrian writer and veteran government critic Khaled Khalifa has died of cardiac arrest at the age of 59 at his home in Damascus, a close friend told AFP. Khalifa, who hailed from Maryamin in northwestern Aleppo province, was celebrated for his novels, television screenplays, and newspaper columns, and honored with several of the Arab world's top literary awards. He "died in his home alone in Damascus" on Saturday, said journalist Yaroub Aleesa, who had spent time with the author during his final days. "We called him repeatedly and he didn't respond. When we went to his home, we found him dead on the sofa." Doctors at the Abbassiyyin Hospital in Damascus said the cause of death was a heart attack. Khalifa gained fame as a writer of several popular Syrian TV series in the early 1990s. He was known as a staunch opponent of the ruling Baath party and his columns criticizing the authorities. But despite his well-known stance, he chose to remain in the country after the 2011 civil war broke out with the repression of protests against the government. "I am staying because this is my country," he said in a 2019 interview. "I was born here, I live here and I want to die here!" His 2006 novel "In Praise of Hatred" was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arab Fiction -- often dubbed the Arab Booker Prize -- and was translated into six languages. The novel recounts the story of a young Syrian woman from Aleppo who escapes her sequestered life by joining a jihadist organization. In 2013, his novel "No Knives in the Kitchens of this City" won the Naguib Mahfouz Literature Prize, Egypt's top accolade for writers. It focuses on the lives of Syrians under the rule of the Baath party headed by President Bashar al-Assad. The writer's death sparked a wave of condolences on social media from fellow writers and members of Syria's exiled opposition. "Goodbye, you kind man," wrote Syrian writer and academic Salam Kawakibi. Khalifa was expected to be buried later on Sunday in Damascus, though details of the funeral had yet to be disclosed. The post Celebrated Syrian author Khaled Khalifa dead at 59 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate titan Dianne Feinstein dead at 90
Veteran Senator Dianne Feinstein, a titan of US political history who notched a string of legislative achievements during a trailblazing three-decade career in the Senate, has died at 90 years old, US media said Friday. Feinstein, the Senate's oldest member, was celebrated as a pioneer for women in politics and a hugely effective legislator. During a career that began in local California government, she grew to be a tough check on administrations from both parties. She had already announced her retirement this February as her health worsened and following a number of missteps that threatened her legacy. The Californian, who was widowed last year, became San Francisco's first female mayor after the fatal shooting in 1978 of Harvey Milk, the country's only openly gay politician, and mayor George Moscone by a disgruntled former colleague. Other dramatic moments including surviving an attempted bombing of her home. She was also near the scene of an infamous double murder in San Francisco. Her death is not expected to shift the tight balance of power in the Senate, with the Democratic governor of California appointing her temporary replacement. Summing up her dedication to public service, Feinstein once said that "even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives. Each of us was sent here to solve problems." "That's what I've done for the last 30 years, and that's what I plan to do for the next two years." Democrats in her home state led tributes as news of the senator's death cast a pall over proceedings in Congress, with staff placing flowers on Feinstein's desk in the Senate chamber, according to Fox News. "She was a trailblazer and dedicated her life to public service," said David Valadao, a member of California's delegation in the House of Representatives. An icon in Senate politics who took the lead on hundreds of bills, Feinstein rose to the chairmanship of the powerful intelligence committee -- another first for a woman. Her achievements include writing the 1994 assault rifle ban and producing a 6,700-page report on the CIA torture program during the US "war on terror." But it was in her home state of California where she first made her mark. As the first female Board of Supervisors president in San Francisco, Feinstein led the city through the tumult that followed the fatal shootings in 1978 of Milk. She replaced the mayor and served for 10 years as a no-nonsense pragmatist, willing to work across the aisle, balancing nine budgets in a row and being declared the nation's "Most Effective Mayor" by local government bible City and State Magazine. Latterly, the pandemic and her husband's declining health curtailed her public appearances outside of Congress and she faced growing misgivings about her declining cognitive abilities, raised by figures in her own party. The youngest member of Congress, 26-year-old Maxwell Frost, described Feinstein as a "champion for Gun Violence Prevention that broke barriers at all levels of government." "We wouldn't have had an assault weapons ban if it wasn't for Senator Feinstein and due to her tireless work, we will win it back," he posted on social media. The post Senate titan Dianne Feinstein dead at 90 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hawaii fire death toll hits 55, expected to rise
A terrifying wildfire that left a historic Hawaiian town in charred ruins has killed at least 55 people, authorities said Thursday, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the US state's history. Brushfires on the west coast of Hawaii's Maui island -- fueled by high winds from a nearby hurricane -- broke out Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the seaside town of Lahaina. The flames moved so quickly that many were caught off-guard, trapped in the streets or jumping into the ocean in a desperate bid to escape. "It really looks like somebody came along and just bombed the whole town. It's completely devastated," said Canadian Brandon Wilson, who had traveled to Hawaii with his wife to celebrate their 25th anniversary, but was at the airport trying to get them a flight out. "It was really hard to see," he said, teary-eyed. "You feel so bad for people. They lost their homes, their lives, their livelihoods." The fires follow other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave baking the US southwest. Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc. "What we've seen today has been catastrophic... likely the largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history," Governor Josh Green said. "In 1960 we had 61 fatalities when a large wave came through Big Island," he said earlier in the day, referring to a tragedy that struck a year after Hawaii became the 50th US state. "This time, it's very likely that our death totals will significantly exceed that." Maui County officials said just after 9:00 pm Thursday (0700 GMT Friday) that fatalities stood at 55, and firefighters were still battling the blaze in the town that served as the Hawaiian kingdom's capital in the early 19th century. Pictures taken by an AFP photographer who flew over Lahaina showed it had been reduced to blackened, smoking ruins. The burned skeletons of trees still stand, rising above the ashes of the buildings to which they once offered shelter. Green said 80 percent of the town was gone. "Buildings that we've all enjoyed and celebrated together for decades, for generations, are completely destroyed," he said. Thousands have been left homeless and Green said a massive operation was swinging into action to find accommodation. "We are going to need to house thousands of people," he told a press conference. "That will mean reaching out to all of our hotels and those in the community to ask people to rent extra rooms at their property." President Joe Biden on Thursday declared the fires a "major disaster" and unblocked federal aid for relief efforts, with rebuilding expected to take years. 'Bodies in the water' US Coast Guard commander Aja Kirksey told CNN around 100 people were believed to have jumped into the water in a desperate effort to flee the fast-moving flames as they tore through Lahaina. Kirksey said helicopter pilots struggled to see because of dense smoke, but that a Coast Guard vessel had been able to rescue more than 50 people from the water. "It was a really rapidly developing scene and pretty harrowing for the victims that had to jump into the water," she added. For resident Kekoa Lansford, the horror was far from over. "We still get dead bodies in the water floating and on the seawall," Lansford told CBS. "We have been pulling people out... We're trying to save people's lives, and I feel like we are not getting the help we need." Green said around 1,700 buildings were believed to have been affected by the blaze. "With lives lost and properties decimated, we are grieving with each other during this inconsolable time," Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. "In the days ahead, we will be stronger as a... community," he added, "as we rebuild with resilience and aloha." Evacuations Thousands of people have already been evacuated from Maui, with 1,400 people waiting at the main airport in Kahului overnight, hoping to get out. Maui County has asked visitors to leave "as soon as possible," and organized buses to move evacuees from shelters to the airport. The island hosts around a third of all the visitors who holiday in the state, and their dollars are vital for the local economy. At the airport in Kahului, Lorraina Peterson said she had been stuck for days without food or power, and was now looking at a lengthy wait for a flight. "I don't know if we'll be able to get a hotel room, or we'll have to sleep here on the floor," she said. With a hurricane passing to the south of Hawaii, high winds fueled flames that consumed dry vegetation. Thomas Smith, a professor with the London School of Economics, said that while wildfires are not uncommon in Hawaii, the blazes this year "are burning a greater area than usual, and the fire behavior is extreme, with fast spread rates and large flames." As global temperatures rise over time, heat waves are projected to become more frequent, with increased dryness due to changing rainfall patterns creating ideal conditions for bush or forest fires. The post Hawaii fire death toll hits 55, expected to rise appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hawaii fire death toll expected to rise ‘very significantly’: governor
The death toll from a terrifying wildfire that razed a historic Hawaiian town is expected to rise "very significantly", the state's governor said Thursday, with 36 people already known to have perished. Brushfires on the west coast of Hawaii's Maui island -- fueled by high winds from a nearby hurricane -- broke out Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the seaside town of Lahaina. The flames moved so quickly that many were caught off-guard, trapped in the streets or jumping into the ocean in a desperate bid to escape. Governor Josh Green said Thursday the latest confirmed death toll of 36 would dramatically increase. "That number is going to go up very significantly," Green told CNN. "In 1960 we had 61 fatalities when a large wave came through Big Island. This time, it's very likely that our death totals will significantly exceed that." An official update was expected later Thursday, but Green said the numbers would "go into the 40s today at the least." Lahaina on Thursday lay in charred, smoking ruins, with Green saying 80 percent of the town was gone. "There is no doubt everyone would describe this as though a bomb hit Lahaina," he said. "It looks like total devastation; buildings that we've all enjoyed and celebrated together for decades, for generations, are completely destroyed." President Joe Biden on Thursday declared the fires a "major disaster" and unblocked federal aid for relief efforts, as residents said they needed more help in a recovery that could take years. Bodies US Coast Guard commander Aja Kirksey told CNN around 100 people were believed to have jumped into the water in a desperate effort to flee the fast-moving flames as they tore through Lahaina. Kirksey said helicopter pilots struggled to see because of the dense smoke pouring from the huge fire, but that a Coast Guard vessel had been able to rescue more than 50 people from the water. "It was a really rapidly developing scene and pretty harrowing for the victims that had to jump into the water," she added. For resident Kekoa Lansford, the horror was far from over. "We still get dead bodies in the water floating and on the seawall," Lansford told CBS. "We have been pulling people out... We're trying to save people's lives, and I feel like we are not getting the help we need." Aerial photographs of Lahaina, which served as the Hawaiian kingdom's capital in the early 19th century, showed entire blocks reduced to cinders. Green said around 1,700 buildings were now believed to have been affected by the blaze. "With lives lost and properties decimated, we are grieving with each other during this inconsolable time," Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. "In the days ahead, we will be stronger as a... community," he added, "as we rebuild with resilience and aloha." Evacuations Thousands of people have already been evacuated from Maui, with 1,400 people waiting at the main airport in Kahului overnight, hoping to get out. Maui county has asked visitors to leave "as soon as possible," and has organized buses to move evacuees from shelters to the airport. The island hosts around a third of all the visitors who holiday in the state, and their dollars are vital for the local economy. Fires have also broken out on Hawaii's Big Island, but officials said they were under control on Thursday. The state's tourism chief Jimmy Tokioka acknowledged the tragedy but reiterated that the "rest of Hawaii is open." With a hurricane passing to the south of Hawaii, high winds and dry vegetation fueled the flames. Thomas Smith, a professor with the London School of Economics, said that while wildfires are not uncommon in Hawaii, the blazes this year "are burning a greater area than usual, and the fire behavior is extreme, with fast spread rates and large flames." The Hawaii fires follow other extreme weather events this summer in North America, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave baking the US southwest. Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc. As global temperatures rise over time, heat waves are projected to become more frequent, with increased dryness due to changing rainfall patterns creating ideal conditions for bush or forest fires. The post Hawaii fire death toll expected to rise ‘very significantly’: governor appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Basilan ASG members killed
ZAMBOANGA CITY — Two individuals believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group were killed in a fresh encounter with government forces in Basilan province, military officials said Thursday. Joint Task Force Basilan acting commander Col. Frederick Sales disclosed that the clash transpired around 6 a.m. Tuesday in Sitio Talisay, Barangay Upper Benembengan, Sumisip town. The slain extremists were identified only as a certain “Dodong,” a follower of Mudzrimar Sawadjaan, a known bomber and Sulu-based ASG sub-leader, while the other, a certain “Boy,” is a follower of Basilan-based ASG leader Pasil Bayali. Sales said the troops recovered the remains of the two bandits in Barangay Pamatsaken, although the clash occurred in the adjacent village of Upper Benembengan. Their remains were turned over to the village chief of Upper Benembengan and Sumisip police for proper burial. The clash broke out when the troops chanced upon the ASG bandits while they were tracking down the group of Sawadjaan and Bayali. The government did not suffer any casualty or wounded soldier, according to Sales. To recall, the military was able to locate the harboring position of Mundi Sawadjaan on Saturday. The operation resulted in the rescue of an Indonesian teenager Abbang Rullie, the son of the Jolo Cathedral suicide bomber Rullie Rian Zeke. “Your armed forces will not stop its military operations until the terror groups are completely crushed,” said Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, commander of the Western Mindanao Command. The post Basilan ASG members killed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Final bell rings for boxing chief Ed Picson
Philippine sports lost a pillar -- both inside and outside the boxing ring. Edgar “Ed” Picson passed away following a long battle with liver cancer, his friend and longtime colleague Joaquin Henson announced. He was 69. A Letran College alumnus, Picson started his television career as a semi-regular in "John N Marsha" -- a highly-successful sitcom featuring comedy king Dolphy and Nida Blanca in the 1980s -- while doing boardwork as a radio DJ. He made it into sports the following decade as he served as commentator for “Blow By Blow,” the weekly boxing program that launched Manny Pacquiao’s professional career. He also served as color commentator for the Philippine Basketball Association and wrote a regular column at the Manila Bulletin. In 2009, his biggest break came. With the group of industrialist Manny Pangilinan taking over the leadership of the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines from Manny Lopez, Picson was appointed as executive director who will man the day-to-day operations of the organization. A few years later, he was tapped as Vargas’ secretary general replacing Patrick Gregorio. Under Picson, Philippine boxing flourished as he retained the services of longtime coaches like Pat Gaspi, Ronald Chavez and Roel and Boy Velasco while expanding its talent identification program in major provinces like Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro. To make the program more holistic, he hired a foreign mentor in Donn Abnett of Australia and provided the boxers with deep knowledge in strength and conditioning, psychology, nutrition and other sport sciences. The result was truly impressive as his leadership inspired Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam to win a silver medal while Eumir Marcial took home a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. His achievement was greatly rewarded when Vargas passed him the Abap leadership in November of 2021. To make up for his lingering battle with cancer, he tapped a young sport leader in Marcus Manalo to assist him as his secretary general. The boxers were preparing for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the Teachers Camp in Baguio City when news of Picson’s demise broke out at high noon on Wednesday. “It is with deep sadness that I confirm that ABAP president Ed Picson passed away this morning due to complications from cancer of the liver,” Manalo said in a statement. “ABAP will have a special board meeting tomorrow and will come up with an official statement.” Henson said branded Picson as a sports broadcasting “legend.” “ABAP president and dear friend Ed Picson passed away at 11 this morning due to complications from liver cancer,” Henson said in a social media post. “Ed was a legend in sports broadcasting and when Senator Manny revived ‘Blow By Blow’ late last year, he was invited to cover the fights but he declined. He will be missed.” Another broadcasting colleague in Bill Velasco said he will definitely miss Picson, whom he worked with in the PBA panel in the 1990s. “Lost another old friend today. Farewell, Ed Picson, my colleague from Vintage Enterprises in the early 1990’s,” Velasco said. “You were always articulate, level-headed, and spoke your mind. A great sportscaster, voice talent, and boxing official. God bless you, kind sir.” The post Final bell rings for boxing chief Ed Picson appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tearful Biden ends Ireland trip with nod at re-election
US President Joe Biden ended an emotional visit to Ireland on Friday with a campaign-style exhortation for hope, as he inched closer to formally launching his 2024 bid. The 80-year-old Democrat, who has Catholic Irish roots, had a tearful encounter with a priest before a concluding speech that coincided with an angry address back home by Donald Trump, his potential Republican rival for next year's White House battle. "I told you my plan is to run again," Biden told reporters before flying to the United States. "I've already made that calculus. We'll announce it relatively soon. But the trip here just reinforced my sense of optimism about what can be done." Biden was feted by an estimated 27,000 people as he spoke in front of the floodlit St Muredach's Cathedral in Ballina, one of his family's ancestral hometowns, in northwest Ireland. In 1828, Biden's forebear Edward Blewitt sold the bricks that went into the construction of the Roman Catholic cathedral, using the money to fund his famine-stricken family's later emigration to the United States. The Irish and Americans were united by an optimistic vision, Biden said in the speech. "More than anything, hope is what beats in the hearts of all our people," he said, reprising the core message of his and Barack Obama's historic campaign in 2008. "Even during times of darkness and despair, hope has kept us marching forward toward a better future, one of a greater liberty, greater dignity and greater possibilities." Biden was in a more sorrowful mood earlier on a visit to the celebrated Roman Catholic pilgrimage shrine at Knock, near Ballina. Organizers made the last-minute discovery of a link between the Biden family and one of their priests, Father Frank O'Grady, who returned to Ireland after years serving as a chaplain in the US army. The president's son Beau Biden died of brain cancer aged 46 in 2015. Father O'Grady administered the last rites at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center outside Washington. O'Grady was not on the official guest list but was given hurried security clearance. Biden said it was "incredible" to meet by chance with the priest. "It seemed like a sign," he said of the 10-minute meeting, which was joined by his remaining son Hunter and the president's sister, Valerie Biden Owens. O'Grady told Irish broadcaster RTE that Biden "certainly misses his son" but that the president said his Catholic faith had "sustained him". "He has been grieving a lot, but I think the grief is kind of going down a bit," the priest said. Knock Shrine parish priest Richard Gibbons told the BBC that Biden "got the shock of his life" at discovering O'Grady's presence in Knock. "He was crying, it really affected him and then we said a prayer, said a decade of the rosary for his family. "He lit a candle and then he took a moment or two of private (reflection) for prayer." The US president went on to visit the Mayo Roscommon Hospice nearby with his son, sister, and Irish cousin Laurita Blewitt. In 2017, he came for the building's groundbreaking, and a plaque there commemorates Beau Biden. Biden then headed to the picturesque riverside town of Ballina, which was proudly displaying US flags and red, white and blue bunting as locals thronged the streets in anticipation. Ballina commissioned a five-meter-high (16-foot-high) mural of Biden when he won the 2020 presidential vote. Blewitt descendants still live in the town, where the Mocha Beans cafe changed its shop sign to read "Mocha Biden" for the occasion. "That buzz is incredible around Ballina today," the cafe's owner Trevor Mangan told AFP. As a baby, Flori Garvin was given a cuddly toy donkey by Biden when the Democrat visited Ballina as vice president. Now aged seven, she was back with her grandmother, Elizabeth Robinson, 63. "She hasn't stopped talking about it," Robinson said. "She thinks she's going to see him herself." The surrounding county of Mayo was the ancestral homeland of one branch of the Biden family, and the president also toured a genealogy center to find out more about his origins. Biden had declared in a speech Thursday to the Irish parliament: "I'm home." Ahead of a potential rematch against Trump, the president dwelt both at the parliament and the cathedral on the success of Irish emigres in carving out a new life far from home. "We Irish," he said on Friday, "we always believe in a better tomorrow because no matter what, we've always carried hope in our hearts." The post Tearful Biden ends Ireland trip with nod at re-election appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sto. Niño Chapel hosts first wedding ceremony
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Five couples tied the knot during the first-ever wedding ceremony held at the Sto. Niñ0 Chapel at Señor Citizens Park, on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. The ceremony was celebrated by Rev. Msgr. Camilo Alia of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. It was sponsored by Barangay Sto Niño, with the Megawide and the […] The post Sto. Niño Chapel hosts first wedding ceremony appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Heavy security at Indonesia churches for Easter
Christians in Indonesia celebrated Good Friday under heavy security with forces on high alert following a suicide bomb attack at a cathedral last week......»»
Palma to faithful: Have faith that 2021 will bring more blessings
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Faith will bring blessings in 2021. This was the message of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma in his homily on the New Year’s Eve Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral on December 31, 2020, the last day of the year. Palma, who celebrated the mass along with other archdiocesan priests, said in […] The post Palma to faithful: Have faith that 2021 will bring more blessings appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Church to observe 4th World Day of the Poor on Nov. 15
The Catholic Church will observe the 4th World Day of the Poor on November 15. (PIXABAY / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) In the Archdiocese of Manila, parishes,communities and organizations have been urged to observe the occasion by giving five kilos of rice to poor families in their respective areas. “Our Commission on Social Services and Development asks every parish, community, and organization in the Archdiocese of Manila to give five kilos of rice to at least 100 poor families in our areas,” Father Reginald Malicdem, chancellor of the archdiocese,said in a circular letter dated November 10. The World Day of the Poor was established by the Holy Father Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et Misera that was issued on November 20, 2016, to celebrate the Extraordinary Year of Mercy. It is celebrated every 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Malicdem also asked priests and chaplains to observe Alay Kapwa Special Sunday on the said day. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) declared November 15 as Alay Kapwa Special Sunday. “We are aware of the financial difficulties that many of our parishioners are experiencing now because of the pandemic,” said Malicdem. “But we can still appeal to their generosity and make them aware that the funds collected for Alay Kapwa are used to respond to the needs of those affected by calamities,” he added. Malicdem said a second collection may be taken on all Sunday Masses on November 15 for the said purpose. He added that the collections must be remitted to the Treasury and Accounting Department of the Arzobispado. Alay Kapwa is a fundraising program of the Roman Catholic Church for social services of the poor and the most in need, especially during times of disaster. Funds raised from Alay Kapwa will be used as emergency funds for both natural and human-caused calamities like typhoons, floods, fire, earthquakes, and other tragedies and crises, and for disaster prevention and mitigation programs......»»
Literary Fiesta
Filipino dining in Philippine literature Pahiyas festival, illustration by Manuel Baldemor It’s not Pinoy dining if it’s not a feast. And our Philippine literature has told many stories that illustrate our healthy appetite, traditional palayok (clay pot) cooking, siesta, fiesta, flavors, and fusions. Doña Victorina fans herself amid the smoke of a roasting pig. Her guests are coming, their noses up in the air sniffing the flavors. On the table, adorned with gilded copa de vino (wine glass) and plato, are sinigang na dalag with alibambang leaves, callos, adobo, tinola, and pochero. Everybody was in high spirits. Never mind if the doña is broke (to begin with). At least her guests are full. Jose Rizal drew a perfect picture of the Pinoy fiesta and salu-salo (gathering) culture. Our national hero himself loves to eat. He prefers a hefty serving of champorado and tuyo for breakfast. For dessert, he likes minatamis na santol (sweetened santol) made from boiled santol slices soaked for three days in hugas bigas (water used to wash rice). Before starving in Europe, where he published El Filibusterismo, Rizal would feast in carneng asada (beefsteak with sauce), made from lean meat marinated in olive oil, lime juice, and parsley and served with fried potatoes. Gabriela Silang loved pinakbet. Emilio Aguinaldo listed sardines with tomatoes among his favorites. Marcelo H. del Pilar would die (pun intended) for his apparent favorite, pochero, the local version of the Spanish cocido. Andres Bonifacio got his strength and protein source in nilitsong manok sa zaha (grilled chicken wrapped in sampaloc and banana leaves). The Filipino salu-salo Never mind if some of our celebrated dishes are not “purely” Pinoy. “What is Filipino food and how does food become Filipino?” asks the late food critic Doreen Fernandez. She argued that food only became Pinoy by process of indigenization, like patis (fish sauce) put in a foreign dish. And this is how Pinoy fusion came to life. What we have on our modern plates are many fusions, crazy or ingenious, like paella with lechon, sinigang na steak, adobong tapa, pancit with kangkong. Yes, you get the picture. Could their favorite Filipino flavors be the reason behind the intelligence and nationalism of our heroes Rizal and Bonifacio? Too bad, many young Pinoys nowadays barely know what minatamis na santol is, or any Pinoy traditional merienda for that matter. What replaced maruya, nilagang kamote, turon, kutsinta, and ginataang mais are French fries, burger, pizza, and pasta. You know what they say: You are what you eat. In another table setting, Padre Damaso looks across the dining table. Everybody’s enjoying tinola, a stew of chicken and green papaya, but not him. Who wants chicken neck for lunch? He didn’t finish his plate. And this, people, was how the concepts of degustation and small plates were born. They’re not, after all, a French discovery or New York’s. We can blame our mañaña habit. We’re too slow to grab the credit. And oh, we are pioneers of the culture of not finishing plates, too. Blame these all to Padre Damaso (or Jose Rizal?). The tinola brouhaha scene in Noli Me Tangere started it all. Lechon haus mural by boonsai While it’s rude in other cultures not to devour all the food served on the plate, in the Philippines, it’s not. Pinoy eating tradition tells you it’s okay to have leftovers. Telenovela , movies, and literature are great examples. When a family fights over the dining table, the father (or any member) walks away with an unfinished plate. In Ibong Adarna, over a scrumptious dinner, the brothers were all too busy planning how to catch the elusive bird that they forgot to finish their plate. Besides books, paintings also tell our delicious food experience. Fernando Amorsolo captured Pinoy eating habits in his painting Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers. It shows Pinoy families cooking meals in a palayok and eating under the shade of a tree, seemingly ready to sleep after an afternoon feast. With all the food trends coming and going on our plates and literature pages flying off to oblivion, what remains steadfast in our eating habit is this: Siesta. –NICKKY FAUSTINE P. DE GUZMAN.....»»
COVID-19 free Tagle returns to Cathedral
For the first time since recovering from COVID-19, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle celebrated mass at the Manila Cathedral yesterday......»»
Feast of God to be celebrated August 2
Roman Catholics will mark tomorrow, August 2, the Feast of God, which celebrates God the Father’s paternal nature. (PIXABAY / MANILA BULLETIN) Prayers and reflections will focus on the special message and promise God the Father relayed to Italian nun, mystic, and visionary, Mother Eurgenia Elisabetta Ravasio (1907 – 1990), that said, “All those who call Me by the name of the Father, even if only once, with confidence and love, will not perish, but will be sure of their eternal life among the chosen ones.” God was believed to have appeared on two occasions — on July 1, 1932 and on Aug. 12, 1932 — to Mother Eurgenia to relay His message, and to request for a day to be dedicated to Him under the title Father of All Mankind......»»
Duterte declares Eid’l Adha holiday on July 31
President Duterte has declared July 31, Friday, a regular holiday across the country in observance of Eid’l Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice. (PNA / MANILA BULLETIN) Based on Proclamation No. 985 signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos made the recommendation that July 31 be declared a national holiday. Eid’l Adha is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year and is considered to be holier than Eid’l Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan. The feast honors the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command. It also marks the culmination of the Muslim’s annual pilgrimage to Mecca or the Hajj. It is one of the greatest feasts of Islam and Republic Act (RA) No. 9849 provides that it would be observed as a regular holiday. Proclamations declaring national holidays for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha are issued after the approximate days of the Islamic holidays have been determined in accordance with the Islamic calendar or upon Islamic astronomical calculations. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos is the body that makes the recommendation based on Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body. The Philippines has been observing Eid’l Adha as a national holiday for nine years. In 2002 RA 9177 declared Eid’l Adha only a regular holiday in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Last year, Duterte declared August 12, 2019 a holiday in observance of the Feast of Sacrifice......»»