OT, Filmmaker Gerry Balasta Puts Off Candle due to COVID19
By Marivir R. Montebon New York – At age 49, there could have been so much great things way ahead for Gerry Balasta, an occupational therapist and filmmaker. But he succumbed to complications of COVID19 on April 15, 2020. A painful loss not only to his wife Leah and family, but also to the larger […]
A Poem and a Counter-Charge in the time of COVID
ANG POSAS Hait kini og tango Ang paak niini Mas sakit pa Sa paak Sa usa ka hugpa Sa lamok Nga nigakos Sa akong kalag- Ug bisan katol na Kaayo, ning Kasingkasing Kay way undang Ang paak Sa mga lamok. Dili nako makatol O mabutangan man lang og Off lotion. Unsaon man? Ang akong Kamot […]
Poetic Requiem for a Brother, Johnny Hubilla
COVID19 Gasping for breath…. that would not come, Clutching at life that would not stay…. “Lord,”….I whisper… I Pray, As fearful eyes, searching… not finding, familiar faces…a hand to hold, to…say…goodbye. Sylvia Hubilla, poetry on April 21, 2020 in Austin, Texas In memory of Interior Designer Johnny Hubilla, an icon in the world of Philippine Interior […]
The Freeman women journos sing their hearts out in the time of the pandemic
When we are out there in the dark We’ll dream about the sun In the dark, we’ll see the light Warm our hearts, everyone. By Marivir R. Montebon New York – In the time of coronavirus, Cebu journalists of The Freeman Newspaper have proven (to themselves) that they too can sing. They’re unstoppable, hypertensively eager, […]
Earth Day 2020: Leadership by Example Starts in Your Own Backyard
By Marivir R. Montebon New York – We do a virtual garden tour today, Earth Day, in the backyard of Filipino leader Ann Constantino Beck, who has committed herself to be a farmer to ensure that she and her family are eating organic, pesticide-free vegetables and fruits. Going organic is a way to heal the […]
Filipinos in NY: Surviving the COVID19 Pandemic in Style
By Marivir R. Montebon New York – Here’s a little story of love rolling in our Filipino community as we deal with the invisible enemy coronavirus. Since I’ve been covering stories about the pandemic, it is natural to think of the people in the frontlines, as I, like most Filipinos, have family and friends who […]
Cebu Artist Businesswoman Jailed for her Satire
How crazy can we get at this time of the pandemic Editor’s Notes By Marivir R. Montebon New York – While the world is turned upside down by this invisible enemy COVID19, it’s sad to see how government can still have time to be brutal, and in my birthplace at that. Last weekend, a friend […]
One of Three Filipino Deaths to COVID19 in US East Coast is a Front Liner Nurse, Staff
By Marivir R. Montebon New York – One has to wrestle with this grim reality. One of every three reported Filipino fatalities due to the coronavirus pandemic in the East Coast is a front liner nurse and emergency staff. Consul General Claro Cristobal said that of the 50 death reports received by his office (as […]
Reopen the Economy? Health Experts Cite Care and Caution
By Marivir R. Montebon New York – While indicators have shown that the Big Apple has so far ‘flattened the curve’ of the spread of the coronavirus, caution and coordination have been raised by local leaders in adopting measures to reopen the economy. “We don’t want to go back to the mayhem that happened a […]
Cathedral of St. John the Divine: Always an Open Door for the Community
New York – Earlier this week, the biggest Cathedral in the world, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, opened its doors to COVID19 patients of its neighbor, the Mt. Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital on upper west side Amsterdam. But plans have changed, as the admissions have lessened and more patients have been discharged. Thankfully, […]
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