In 2024, I was fortunate to visit two museum complexes in Germany. First, I had a chance to walk through some of the museums in The Museumsufer (Museum Embankment) in Frankfurt, a cultural complex on both banks of the River Main, featuring 39 museums. Centered around the Schaumainkai in Sachsenhausen and the Altstadt, it offers a dense concentration of…
Tag: UNESCO
Ueno Park: A Museum Complex
In Tokyo, Ueno Park stands out among tourists. The park is one of the city’s largest and most accessible, and it is an easy addition to any itinerary because it is steps away from Ueno JR Station. The park was part of a temple complex owned by the Tokugawa clan during the Edo Period. Today,…
Nikko, mountain worship, and kaitai-shuri
My colleagues and I had the opportunity to visit Nikko in the last week of February 2026. Our visit was part of a consultation with various institutions in Japan, as UP Diliman is in the process of establishing a Center for Indigenous Knowledges and Local Cultures. This center is envisioned as an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary unit…
Tétuoan, Morocco, and why it reminded me of Iligan City, Philippines
November 2025 – I had the opportunity to visit the UNESCO Creative City and World Heritage Site of Tétuoan. The story of Tétouan is tied to the narratives of the expelled Hispanic Jews in the 15th century. The largest influx of Jews to Africa came after a series of violent episodes against Jews during the…
Aachen’s Charm is a World Wonder
And of course, Aachen is a world wonder because its cathedral (Aachen Cathedral) is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. My third time in Germany, second time in Cologne. This time, on official business, as an Executive Committee member of the International Federation for Theatre Research, whose members met at the University of Cologne for the…
Miss Liberty of NYC
The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island is arguably the most popular UNESCO World Heritage Site in the United States. Many foreigners, especially my fellow Filipinos, commonly think of Miss Liberty as the ultimate symbol of the United States. When asked what they think about it as a symbol, often, one gets the “land of…
Hello, Philly! or Where the US of A was born
When I think of Philadelphia, I think of a sandwich made of thinly sliced beef, melted cheese, and often sauteed onions, all served on a hoagie roll. That beef is usually ribeye! The cheese – oh all American – what else – Cheezwiz! But other Philly (how Philadelphia is called in the US) locals use…
Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in Bethlehem
Two years ago, my family and I embarked on what was publicized a “life-changing journey” to the Holy Land. Our travel agency identified three countries belonging to the Holy Land cluster: Jordan, Israel, and Egypt. However, we actually visited four. The agency missed Palestine. The State of Palestine is literally and figuratively at a crossroads….
Kutná Hora, an alternative to the tourist-heavy Prague
When we planned to visit Prague, a part of it was to see a nearby city. Most likely, every well-versed person in geography knows that it is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic, and it used to be the capital of Bohemia or one of the largest kingdoms of the Holy Roman…
Celebrating the All Saint’s Day in Kutná Hora
Today is the last day of our Germany-Czech tour before returning to Frankfurt for our flight to Manila. It’s the 31st of October. Commonly, on this day, the Philippines is really busy – cleaning the nitso, the puntod, and the mausoleum of dead loved ones. The next day is All Saints’ Day, and on 2…
Tanghal Kultura 