By Rex Catubig   TWO years close to the date, the world was caught unawares and put in shackles by a virulent virus that is a variant of corona. Here in Dagupan where I had retired a little over a year earlier, government imposed health protocol had me confined at…

By Rex Catubig   Note: This is a continuation of our tribute to the simple ordinary woman. Last week, due to space constraint, a couple of lines meant to paint the contrast between the two types of women who work the “night shift”, and the metaphorical coda at the end,…

By Rex Catubig   March is Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”, in reference to the “ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers” during the ongoing pandemic. More, it is “a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided…

By Rex Catubig   IT’S been two years since it happened, the historic event on a February love month that made the world sit up and notice this tiny patch of islands, whose people became giant poster figures of bravery amid adversity. But as I lay on my bed watching…

By Rex Catubig   (Note: At the height of the pandemic, this crime of passion was broadcast in the news. It was so unbelievably gruesome and shocking that it begged to be retold in a manner the untamed human heart can grasp. This is my retelling of the story–of a…

By Rex Catubig   (Note: Of late, there has been news of a brewing resentment among the fish vendors of Magsaysay market, who despair that their supposed deplorable condition allegedly has not been addressed. This piece is in homage to that vital, vibrant, vigorous soul of the city.) WHEN Metro…

By Rex Catubig   SHE was the love of his life — for Adams Ryan Evaristo, an amiable young man who who worked as a waiter in a casual diner, aside from doing other odd jobs, while waiting for the opportune moment. The apple of his eye, the joy of…

By Rex Catubig   NOTE: In February 2020, the Pangasinan collective artist groups, the UL cultural group, the DCNHS Arts program department, and the Jayceeken, combined forces, partnered with the Dagupan City Tourism bureau, and mounted a mammoth art competition and exhibit billed as Darapilan to celebrate National Arts Month….

By Rex Catubig   AFTER the project launch for the restoration and revitalization of the old PNR Train Station, skeptics were quick to raise the issue of priority. “Bakit yan ang ginagawa, wala namang pakinabang ang tao diyan?” Coming from residents of the city who profess love for and loyalty…

By Rex Catubig   (I wrote this piece much earlier, but not much has changed since then. Except for a plan to relocate the monument–which very much depends on who is in the City Hall). There are no road markers to lead visitors to the site. The site, in fact,…