My Quest for Marcos: The long trek to his Ilocos Norte mausoleum
There are two things I really like, visiting the Philippines and an embalmed former dictator, so when I discovered that these two hobbies could be combined into one trip you …
History
Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day to be celebrated on July 5th
The 14th annual Philippine-Spanish ‘Friendship Day’ is set for July 5th in historic Baler, Aurora. The celebration was originally scheduled on the same day incoming President Rodrigo Duterte took his …
Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel dies aged 87
Romanian-born author, Holocaust survivor and Nobel peace laureate Elie Wiesel passed away on Sunday at the age of 87. Probably best known for his book Night – a somber work that …
Bramovich: In The Missionary Position
“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)… There are just some kind of men who – who’re …
Marines: Man in Iwo Jima flag raising photo was misidentified
One of the six men long identified in an iconic World War II photograph showing the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima was actually not in the image, …
World War Two hero, Corporal Magdalena Leones, dies aged 95
Corporal Magdalena Estoista Leones, the only Asian woman to receive the US Silver Star medal, has died at her home in Daly City, California. Leones made history after receiving the Silver Star …
‘The Pearl of Allah’ a treasure of the Palawan Sea found in 1934
Eighty-five years ago this month, the largest pearl ever discovered – the legendary Pearl of Allah – was found in the Palawan Sea. The discovery in June, 1934, was made at Palawan’s …
Muhammad Ali: ‘Greatest’ boxer, showman and ambassador
More than 60 years ago, a bicycle thief in Louisville, Kentucky, unknowingly set in motion one of the most amazing sports careers in history. An angry 12-year-old Cassius Clay went …
Mexican museum explores history of Manila to Acapulco trade route
“Tornaviaje” or ‘Return Voyage’ is a new exhibit featuring artifacts from the Manila-Acapulco maritime trade route from 1565 to 1815. A new exhibit in Puebla City in Mexico is entitled …
Majority of Japanese don’t expect US apology for Hiroshima bombing
The majority of Japanese people do not expect an apology from President Obama for the Hiroshima bombing, according to a recent poll by the Japan Times. The newspaper conducted an …
West Point Military Academy returns bell taken from La Union in 1901
A bell which has hung at a chapel at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, since being taken from the Philippines has tolled for the last time …
Vintage photo of murdered Australian nun Jacqueline Hamill at Davao Jail
Jacqueline Hamill was 35 years old, a Protestant missionary from the Christian City Church in Sydney, Australia. Arriving in Manila on July 15, 1989, Jacqueline was part of Joyful Assemblies …
Survivor of Bataan Death March who fought for soldiers’ rights dies aged 95
Jesse Baltazar, a leading advocate for WWII Filipino soldiers, died at a hospital near his home on April 12. He was 95. Baltazar was a survivor of the Bataan Death March, …
Duterte apologises for “joke” about raping murdered Australian nun
Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte has apologised on Tuesday for a rape comment that caused a political storm and could dent his chances of winning the presidency in an election three …
Sister of murdered nun Jacqueline Hamill denounces Duterte’s sick “joke”
Robin Haines Merill, the sister of Australian nun Jacquelin Hamill is outraged about the joke that Davao City Mayor, and presidential hopeful, Rodrigo Duterte made this week. Sister Hamill was raped …
1930s Baguio City Vintage Poster
Baguio City, also known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines, served as the provincial capital from 1901 to 1916 but has since been independent after being converted to a …
How Australian communist helped launch China’s top capitalist Jack Ma
A new book is set to reveal the surprising link between Jack Ma, founder of an online shopping giant, and a family from Down Under. In the book, Ma revealed a little-known story …
Exhibition of Marcos jewellery to ‘teach new generation about corruption’
An online exhibition of jewellery owned by the Marcos family aims to educate a new generation about the corruption of that era. The postings on Facebook and Twitter by the …
David Fagen: African-American soldier turned Filipino rebel leader
Hero or traitor? Opinion is starkly divided in the case of African-American David Fagen, who made headlines in the early 1900s when he defected to the Filipino side during the Philippine-American …
“Time changes everything”: Rolling Stones arrive in Cuba
When Carlos Carnero’s rock band Los Kent plugged in guitars and drums to play Rolling Stones covers on Cuba’s Island of Pines in the 1960s, soldiers stopped the gig at …
Who was the last US President to visit Cuba almost 90 years ago today?
Next week, Barack Obama will be the first sitting president to visit Cuba in nearly 90 years. The last sitting president to visit Cuba was Calvin Coolidge in January 1928. …
Agoo, La Union, a town full of history in North Luzon
When I first came to live in the Philippines a few years ago I never expected that I would end up living in a small town on the coast of …
Former first lady Nancy Reagan dies aged 94
Former first lady Nancy Reagan, who as an aspiring actress married leading man Ronald Reagan and then offered her unfailing support and Hollywood style as his unlikely political career took …
Three brothers hunting for Japanese treasure die after gas floods into mine
Three brothers are dead after their uncle told them last year that he “had a dream” about gold bars being buried in the area around their home. The three brothers …
1950s basketball legend Carlos M Loyzaga dies aged 85
Philippine basketball star, Carlos M Loyzaga who was one of the greatest Filipino basketball players of the 1950s and early 1960s has died. A two-time Olympian, and a member of …
Rare photo of Angeles City railway station captured in about 1910
Behold this beautifully detailed old photograph of Angeles City railway station. Although it’s now in complete ruins, remnants of its existence can still be found today. Urban explorers won’t have too much difficulty finding its old …