Praying mantis By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   AT eight o’clock, there was already a long queue at Land Bank of the Philippines, Philcoa Branch. I was among the first to arrive, having been told yesterday that they could no longer accept deposits at 12:00 noon and should come today, despite…

The man with flowers in his hands (Part 2) By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   I still don’t know who he is. He does not seem to be the talking kind. He seemed to just focus on looking at the blooms and in making a choice on what flowers to pick…

Listen By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   THE wind is saying we reap what we sow. But those who did not sow anything equally reap the karma of those who sow.  It is this collective karma that speaks in silence, louder than the words. We feel it closing in, like a…

The miracle by the window By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   LOVERS all over the world celebrate St. Valentine’s Day on February 14. He is the patron saint of lovers, epileptics, and beekeepers. The Roman Catholic Church continues to recognize St. Valentine as a saint of the church, even when he was removed from the General Roman Calendar in…

Garbage Contracts By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   EVERY Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, the garbage truck passes by at odd hours of the day. There is no schedule that one can work with so that you can do other things. You cannot bring garbage out into the street because the…

The song I heard By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   LATELY, as I spent more time in the garden, I am able to sense more things. At a far distance, someone is playing an instrumental song I have heard before but could not remember where. I struggled to remember what it…

Salagubang Helicopters By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo WE finally met for the first time after the lockdown at Matzzip Korean Restaurant beside what used to be Mr. Park’s Bread And Cake, which closed like most of the small cafes at Timog Avenue. Not only are most restaurants closed at Timog, but…

Travel light By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   MY first travel outside the country was with Cynthia Cabie, a friend of mine from Laoag City, who thought that we could buy things in Hongkong and sell them in the Philippines. I did not share that goal, I was curious about the…

The ribbon on her hair By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   THE Shih Tzu, with a pink ribbon on her head wriggled out of Manero’s hands and fell on the pavement. He was about to bring her home. Concerned that the dog had gotten away, a mechanic joined the chase. “Tulungan…

Senior Citizenship By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   ACCORDING to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the projected population of senior citizens (60 years old and above) for 2020 (Medium Assumption), is 9.5M. Of this total, 5.2M (55%) are female and (4.3M (45%) are male. With the onset of COVID-19, seniors, assumed to…