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Pandemic Parenting: How COVID-19 is making childcare challenging for these Filipinos
Ryan (not his real name) got his swab test in early April, at the height of Manila’s sticky summer and two weeks after the capital went into lockdown for the coronavirus. The first thing he thought of when the word positive jumped off the official papers was, “What about the kids?” As if things weren’t ...
Nightingales in Peril: Filipino nurses put their lives on the line in the UK
Patrick looked at the dialysis patients and adjusted his face mask as he stamped out a feeling of dread rising within him. It was in the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis, and...
Renouncing Rebonding: Curly-haired Filipinas are fighting a battle for (self-)acceptance
Steam rises up from a woman’s head as a hairstylist flat-irons her hair, one section of head at a time. The client is having what’s known as a hair rebond, a process in...
‘Comfort’ or con? Despite money, education, well-off Filipinos turning to questionable treatments
In 2008, retired finance professional Pablito Bermundo found himself staring up at the surgical lighting hanging over the operating table, feeling both annoyed and amused that he...
Battle Lines: Gov’t, critics close ranks over return of mandatory ROTC in Philippines
It’s been more than 20 years since it happened, but memories of the traumatizing afternoon in Sampaloc, Manila, remain fresh in Angelo De Alban’s mind. Clad in starched...
That sinking feeling: Philippine cities facing ‘slow-motion disaster’
When Mary Ann San Jose moved to Sitio Pariahan more than two decades ago, she could walk to the local chapel. Today, reaching it requires a swim. The main culprit is catastrophic...
When You’re Smiling: In age of Duterte, politicians play it for laughs ahead of election
It wasn’t much of a joke. More of a quip. But it had the desired effect, as it usually does when Rodrigo Duterte cracks wise amid the adoring throngs at his campaign...
Planet Plastic: The undying plastic problem on Manila’s Baseco Beach (Video)
It was a perfect day for somersaults at the beach. Three teenagers took turns showing off their acrobatic skills, each impressively sticking their landings after taking running...
In the Mood for Blood: Filipino TV mistresses and the women who love to hate them
Irene Curtis’s roommates jumped to their feet and rushed to her side when they heard the blood-curdling scream. As they burst into her room, however, they found no...
On the Inside Looking Out: A Filipino’s experience doing life in HK’s maximum security prison
Mario de los Reyes is gasping for air. It’s just after midday on a hot afternoon in late May and the sun is baking the concrete yard where the 64-year-old Filipino has been...