BANDILA NG PAGMAMAHAL sa INANG BAYAN

By @romzno Paris, 1889. A Filipino won a bronze medal at the prestigious world’s fair Exposition Universelle, which marked the hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution and for which the Eiffel Tower was built. The win defied racial bias and cemented the painter’s place in what might still be regarded as the art capital of the world. The painter’s name was Juan Luna , and his award-winning painting was entitled Hymen, oh Hyménée! or Boda Romana (Roman Wedding). With oil on canvas, it depicts a bride being showered with flowers by women, children, and men in a lavish atrium. It has been described as ethereal, joyous, and majestic.  After the fair, the renowned Luna kept the painting in his private collection, where it remained until his death in 1899. Its whereabouts became unknown after that. Images of the painting remained in books and lithographs of it were even sold at auctions, but nobody could see it in its entirety again. Until one day in 2014, when an art dealer was invited

A Letter to Sass Sasot July 3, 2023 Dearest Sass Rogando Sasot, How nice to hear from you! It’s been years since we last saw each other, here in Cebu City. That was when I had the  privilege to meet you in person, someone I had always had the greatest respect and admiration for.   You had always impressed me as one who would rather engage in erudite discourse rather than resort to crass name calling. You ask if “Kayo po ba dyaan sa Cebu Province eh mahilig magkumpuni ng mga bagay na hindi naman sira?” Hmmm. A quick written answer will not suffice for someone of your intellectual calibre. As they say, words are cheap. It’s action that counts. And again, as they say, to see is to believe. And so, I would like to invite you to come and visit Cebu again, this time, sa CEBU PROVINCE talaga, and not Cebu City. For after all, it’s the 7 other cities (including Mandaue City) and 44 municipalities that I, as Governor, am responsible for. If you would be so kind as to accept our invitation, I wi

Admin's Note: When the Philippines was screwed up by the privileged...  THE CITIZENSHIP ISSUE OF GABBY LOPEZ By Atty. Bruce Villafuerte Rivera  What has been established? Lopez was born in the US to Filipino citizens. He is a dual citizen not by virtue of the Dual Citizenship Law but by an international citizenship aberration that is either a dual citizen or a stateless person. Absent a dual citizenship law in the Philippines, there should be a citizenship chosen as an effective citizenship.  That is the same question that was asked of Edu Manzano where the Supreme Court ruled that it is the doctrine of effective citizenship that should determine Manzano to be Filipino because the totality of his actions proved it. He grew up in the PH, he studied here, established his career in the country, married Ate Vi and run for public office. But here is the real problem, is the exercise of a right SIMILAR to the exercise of a privilege. Under the rules of statutory construction, in the gran

By Tessa Roines #FirstLook #Nonethewiser #unedited  I have been writing since high school. I was told to just write and check the spelling and grammar later on. Hence, the word "edit" and "proofread" were invented. But such thoughts never occured to me. I am more into expressing my thoughts than guarding my words from the scrutiny. I have drifted into many stages and state in the world of a writer. Honestly, I don't even call myself a writer. I am not even close to the definition let alone the title.  Anyway, as I become more aware of my readers as well as the people I interact with daily, I become self conscious, paranoid even. But then, I said to myself, I am not writing for people, I am writing to express myself. And with that mindset, I still write and kept them in my notebooks.  I am really fascinated with the English language. It is with the fact that I can read and understand it from a very young age. I started reading my Tatay Masuy's textbooks in ma