Blog
In the Philippines, I learned to blend in with the crowd because no one wants to be that “walang hiya” who stands out and becomes the subject of everyone’s tsismis (gossip). And since the adults around me didn’t (or couldn’t) talk about what was really on their mind, despite the hardships I could see they experienced - that culture of never losing face runs deep - I got to believing that what I felt and what was on my mind didn’t really matter, either.
Continue reading
To continue sharing Pasko (Christmas) joy to our community, we are sharing our complete tutorial on how to create a Paper Parol. A Parol is a star-shaped traditional Filipino Christmas decoration, traditionally built with bamboo sticks and tissue paper. This Paper Parol tutorial is made easier, requiring only the following materials:
Continue reading
My kakanin cravings become extra real as the holidays approach, and while I don't put up Christmas decorations in September (anymore), admittedly I start thinking about different kinds of kakanin I want to eat: the classic baked bibingka, steamed puto bumbong, colourful sapin-sapin, homey palitaw. I can hear the shuffle of people leaving the church after midnight mass, and smell the scent of burnt coconut husks and strong salabat (ginger tea) wafting in the air.
Continue reading
If you’re young, a woman or nonbinary, and have ever spoken up to an elder, you probably already know how this story goes. No matter what you say or how you say it, the end is usually the same: there’s yelling and anger. And words like “walang hiya” (shameless) and “bastos” (rude) get thrown at you.
Continue reading
What does it mean to be a Filipino in Canada? It is common to connect with our roots through food, dancing, karaoke, and learning/speaking Tagalog. But what does it mean if we do not address the material conditions in the Philippines? Why are we proud of being Filipino?