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Carmen Linda Atayde: Life in perfect phases

Like a flawlessly solved puzzle, everything fell into place for Carmen Linda Macasil-Atayde by the time she reached the age of 25. In 1965, at the young age of 23, she graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Mapua Institute of Technology....

Ces Buenavista: Queen of the barracks

She was one of the thousands of college students stranded in their campuses when the Enhanced Community Quarantine was imposed throughout Luzon.  “Sir, it was difficult to get tickets. The airline schedule kept changing because of the developing situation,” said Ces Buenavista, 21, the...

Heidi Sison: Radio, TV, and ‘doing what’s right’

Her life has gone through a world war, the martial law years, show business, and working closely with cops, soldiers, and high officials in the military. But almost 80 years and two careers later, director Heidi Sison still professes she has not been witness to any atrocity or decadence of any kind.

Town cops repulse NPA surprise attack

It was supposed to be a surprise attack on a police station. The plan was to take the police officers unawares by hitting them a couple of hours before dawn. This was the time when someone manning a post through the night is...

The bookshop my parents built—growing up at Solidaridad

When Solidaridad, the bookshop my parents, Frankie and Tessie Jose, set up in 1965 on Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila, turned 50, we should have probably thrown a month-long party. Fifty years is a huge accomplishment for any business, all the more a...

Love locks, tokhang, and Rosario at Baclaran

He cradled his son with his right arm, while he wrapped his left fist around a sledgehammer. The grilles surrounding them were full of padlocks with names written on them. A spotlight focused on the father and son, their figures unnoticed by the passing...

Random Pickings

Harry Roque and the deathly hollow blocks

He had barely warmed his seat yet already he was making threats. Reporters covering Malacañang who were more used to the staid and detached...

Ricky Lee: Tale of a motherless child

Many things about Ricky Lee’s life are worth rewinding. As he turns 76 this March 19, he has obviously come to terms with what...

Poetry: a new global force for good

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of UNESCO’s World Poetry Day this 21st March, the Czech Embassy Manila champions poetry as a much-needed force...

Life & death in the arts

In the last two years of the pandemic, we lost seasoned actors, great musicians, passionate poets from the mountains and in the city, colleagues...