By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   I never doubted the evolution of the human race. We are born, we live, we die. Or we take another form. We become something else, to sustain human existence. Others believe that our spirits join the larger spiritual dimension, the superconsciousness, becoming one with God….

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   CONTEMPLATION. That is what birthdays mean to me. An occasion to be grateful for the many things, good and bad, that continue to weave into our human life. Often, we celebrate with friends and family, or with a special person whose presence inspires, or with…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   I knocked in a room where some students were cooking as we were about to use the room at 3pm for rehearsal. The lady in charge was surprised and annoyed and blurted, “shit!” Keeping my cool I told her, “You should vacate, and why are…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   PARTICULARLY numbing is the realization that most people rely on memes and soundbites from the social media to form their opinions, without watching the context of the issues at source. It requires enormous efforts for those who try to explain, as they also get dragged…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   WATCHING Pulang Araw (Red Sun) makes me juxtapose the Japanese occupation of the Philippines (1942-1945) and the insidious, creeping occupation that is happening, being peeled layer after layer, during the hearings on Philippine Offshore Going Operators (POGOs), through the relentless efforts of the Senate and…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   LAST Thursday, I had a discussion with Elvira Bautos Estravo, former official of the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF), on how languages can serve to facilitate understanding in a fast-evolving world where new terminologies in science, commerce and trade are emerging. We are witnessing new…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   IN celebration of Pangasinan’s Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa 2024 (Filipino: Wikang Mapagpalaya) a flyer of “Manjalteng” was sent to me with two important questions: Is it something necessary for the promotion of the Pangasinan language? Is it necessary and appropriate for culture education? According to…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   THERE are many things I have learned, skills that I can command to this day. However, like my friends Teresita de Venecia (Tess) and Armi Bangsal, I haven’t learned how to drive. I tried but ended up confusing left and right, and ended up driving…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   FOR most, long-distance relationships (LDRs) don’t last. But there are success stories. I know some who met only several times and spent long years sustaining it. I know others, especially overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose marriages and relationships prevailed, despite so many challenges in between….

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   TODAY, I flow with the wind sweeping the green fields, enveloped by the mist along NLEX and TPLEX. Sitting by the window, I sense the sun, trying to break through the thick layers of overlapping clouds, and trees, whose identities blur in the speed of…