Why Nazareth is important to Christian / Catholic pilgrims today? Nazareth is described in the Gospel of Luke as a town in Galilee and the hometown of Mary, mother of Jesus. Although it was not explicitly mentioned in the same Gospel that Joseph was from Nazareth, it can be inferred that it was also his…
Tag: Culture
Béguines, or dedicated women for Christ and their béguinages (The Antwerp encounter)
When I was young, I thought I wanted to be a priest. As early as 10 or 11, I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to Christ. I remember my elementary classmates were all excited for high school, while my eyes were all set for the seminary. I was a seminarian – and über proud…
Baroque Churches in the Philippines: 500 Years of Christianity (Part 3 of 3)
This is the final narrative (Part 3) about the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines collectively known as Baroque Churches of the Philippines. In the previous two posts, I have presented three magnificent Baroque churches, all of which are located in the Philippine largest island, Luzon: San Agustin Church in Intramuros in the National Capital…
Amsterdam: An Urban Center Dependent on the Waters
Many European cities such as Venice, Brugge, Gent, Paris, and Amsterdam are entwined with water. A lot of these magnificent cities are twinned with man-made canals, leading to rivers and onto the sea. Of these European cities, Amsterdam is exemplary, in such a way that its canals are significant to the city’s economic development. At…
Historic Centre of Macao and How it “Changed” Me
Macao has a very special place in my heart. My dad used to be an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) for about six years. As the eldest of five siblings, I had the responsibility of joining him in familial celebrations such as Christmas and even Holy Week. Sometime in 2006, I even stayed there for about…
Baroque Churches in the Philippines: 500 Years of Christianity (Part 2 of 3)
In an earlier post about the UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS) collectively named the Baroque Churches in the Philippines, I have discussed the impact of Hispanic colonialism in Philippine culture. In particular, I was pertaining to how Catholicism influenced the everyday life of the Filipino people. I also described how the Church through the Hispanic…
Manila, Entangled!
This post is an excerpt from my book Buhol-Buhol/Entanglement: Contemporary Theatre in Metropolitan Manila (Bern et al: Peter Lang, 2017). ENTANGLEMENT is persistent in Manila’s historical narrative. Travel writer Pico Iyer has observed many contradictions in the city of Manila. For instance, he describes the gallery going to his hotel room as an extraordinary space since: “on…
Stasis & Mobility: Launch Speech
Last night (19 October 2018), Stasis & Mobility: Nasa Dugo Natin Yan?! (An Exhibit on Philippine Genetics and Culture) was launched. The exhibit poses a general question: what is the role of culture and the environment in genetics? As I indicated in the program notes/exhibit catalog, this is not the first time the relationship between genetics and…
Traditional Fiesta in The Archipelagic Province of Batanes: Pistang Chavayan (Part 2 of 2)
In the morning, everyone is awakened by loud music of drums and violins. Musicians locally known as musikos roam around the street to signal the start of the festivity. The loud music also signals the arrival of the parish priest whose kumbento (residential parish) is 45-minute ride away from the Chavayan. By 7:30 am, the…
Traditional Fiesta in The Archipelagic Province of Batanes: Pistang Chavayan (Part 1 of 2)
The Batanes Group of Islands (or the Archipelagic Province of Batanes) is the northernmost region of the Philippine archipelago. Composed of three major islands: Batan, Sabtang and Itbayat; these islands have been inhabited for 4,000 years and are believed to be homes of the ancestors of the Austronesian-speaking peoples in the Pacific and Indian Oceans….
Tanghal Kultura 