THE WOMEN WEAVERS OF SITIO BALABAG

Deep in the interiors of Barangay Gulayon in Dipolog city, Zamboanga del Norte, an old craft is kept alive: "nito" weaving. Where nito vines are used to produce handicrafts such as pouches, bags, hats, baskets, and many others. The customary trade continues to exist today courtesy of a small band of women of the Balabag …

THE FORGOTTEN ART OF SHOE SHINING

I met Benny Rubosin on Labor Day, 2022 at the Malcolm Park in Baguio City, busy in his business of shoe shining. Unknown to many from the Millenial batch, a shoe shine boy does exactly just that: cleans, buffs, and waxes shoes. The last shoe shine boy I know is Elvis — a young man …

A BICOLANO CHARM THAT WON’T LET ME JUST PASS IT BY

They don't sell SMB Pale in this sleepy Sabang town of San Jose, in Camarines Sur. The next available is by a 15-minute drive to the poblacion. Where—something along the way—sparks interest: an antiquated watchtower, or what remains of it, rising above someone's bakuran. About 20 feet tall, camouflaged in moss and ferns (and a …

PINOY ZOOM CONFERENCE: THE TEN USUAL BACKGROUND NOISES

Crazy thoughts in these crazy times. Our regular Zoom videoconference at the office includes work-from-home personnel in Manila, Visayas and Mindanao. And all sorts of background noises. Every session is open to  the sound of life in the backdrop. You can't blame people for not having soundproof spaces in their homes. Different places, but no …

LOCKDOWN BREW

It's not illegal to drink alcohol in Manila. The liquor ban prohibits the sale and distribution of alcoholic drinks — not their consumption. So, if Juan has a stockpile of wines and beers prior to the liquor ban, it's for Juan to keep and enjoy. If not, he would have to find spirits where spirits …

P FOR PLAGIARIZED

Borongan is not very near. You need to travel across different languages to get there. For the Philippine Information Agency to simply copy-paste my notes about eatables I experienced in Borongan, is contemptible. Wednesday, Patch Salarzon, very eagle-eyed, alerted me about the PIA's lifting of some pieces from my decade old article Borongan Appetit! and …