I recently received a message from Chuckberry Pascual, who was looking for a resource person among individuals familiar with language, literature, and regional discourse. His students from the Bachelor of Multimedia Arts program of CIIT College of Arts and Technology are currently conducting a research study entitled “Hahaha! Mali ‘yang
May 13, 2026
Kinaray-a music is not merely a genre but a living expression of identity rooted in the Kinaray-a-speaking communities of Panay Island. It carries the emotional weight of everyday life, from love and longing to labor and loss, articulated in a language often overlooked in mainstream Filipino culture. Historically, it emerged
May 5, 2026
The light drizzle that fell on the evening of May 2 felt almost like a blessing, soft and unassuming, yet meaningful in its own way. Despite the faint rain, the Komposo Kinanta event, mounted by the Hubon Manunulat in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, pushed
May 4, 2026
In Iloilo City, the word “bolantero” has recently escaped the boundaries of casual speech and entered public discourse with unusual intensity. It has been repeatedly heard in local media reports and even echoed in national coverage referencing Western Visayas. As April draws to a close, the persistence of this term
May 1, 2026
The incident that took place outside the Iloilo Central Market at around 4:30 in the afternoon was more than just a street fight between vendors. According to Josefino Barroca, the conflict started when one bolantero insisted on taking a specific vending spot while another refused to give way. What followed
April 29, 2026
We often say we support creativity, and this April reminded me that there are many reasons to feel hopeful about it. As we celebrated National Literature Month, I had the chance to reflect not only on literature but also on the growing strength of illustrators and visual artists in our
April 28, 2026
After reading a post by a writer friend who is also a doctor about Cinematheque Center Iloilo, I found myself asking what the role of cinematheque centers in the regions really is today, especially here in Iloilo. I began to reflect and revisit memories of when that space once had
April 27, 2026
Where does credibility go after it has been swallowed whole by an oppressive system that feeds on silence, compliance, and fear? This question has been sitting with me for days now, lingering in the still moments after I deliberately limited my time on social media and chose instead to confront
April 25, 2026
Iloilo City is beginning to feel less like a home and more like a machine that extracts money from every step its people take. What used to be open and shared spaces are now turning into toll gates that punish the very people who keep the city alive. Over the
April 24, 2026
Let’s admit it, we pretend to be shocked by bare skin but secretly we are just uncomfortable with our own contradictions. I saw my neighbor early in the morning, casually topless while hanging laundry like it was the most ordinary thing in the world. It made me pause not because
April 22, 2026