“Utusan” By Virginia J. Pasalo MY first time in a long time to hear this word, “utusan” (one who takes commands, a slave). Perhaps because it has evolved over time, to “katulong” (househelper) to “kasambahay” (house companion). Google translates kasambahay to “inmate”, which misses the context, but encapsulates the existence…
The honor of killing the truth By Virginia J. Pasalo WE have lost Gina Lopez at the Department of Environment and Natural Resoruces (DENR). Gina Lopez did not convince the Commission on Appointments. Some say Gina Lopez did not answer very well. Whatever her answers were, these did not really…
Comfort zone By Virginia J. Pasalo THERE are people we often seek, places we frequent, to find harmony. These people and places are different because they make us contemplate, confront our fears, face our realities and look at our darkest secrets. They make us uncomfortable, as we go through a…
Sense of Direction By Virginia J. Pasalo I REMEMBER years ago when I was looking for a place in Aguilar, Pangasinan, and missed the place. The tricycle driver told us, “Asingger la Madam!” (Translation: “It is very near, Ma’am!”) so we followed the narrow road he pointed with his…
Passion, prayer and remembrance By Virginia J. Pasalo Things I remember during Pangasinan’s 437th Founding Anniversary: The Ecumenical Prayer. I was expecting a prayer that was not read on paper, but delivered with the passion of one inspired by God, with each word reverberating with the energy from its…
Timelines By Virginia J. Pasalo I am grateful to Facebook (FB) for giving me a platform to save my literary work, which could have been lost forever. In the year 2014, I uploaded a short story, “Four Women and a Funeral (a not-so-true story)” published in “The Clique Women’s…
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