Foot and Fire

  It has been in my mind for quite some time now the fact that one day, I will be telling my readers about my travels through the necklaces and braceles I bought along the way. Here, I quickly run down some favorites. I divide the story into two, Philippines and outside the Philippines. This is the first of the two-part story.  In 2015, I had a chance to observe four ordinary days of the Panay Bukidnon of Calinog, Iloilo. It was an immersion of sort. Nothing is extraordinary at face value unless one looks closely with one's heart. The community struggles to survive amidst the challenges of modernization. But I am happy that the tribe still try hard to preserve the culture like the Panubok or embroidery and it is still hand-made as opposed to all things made by machines and the easy entries of ukay-ukay. I bought a set of sash, bracelet, choker and arm band which at that time I am thinking of wearing as accent to my office clothes. And I am happy I did. Found a remar...

Writing Home: 19 Writers Remember Thier Hometowns Edited by Ruel S. De Vera Anvil Publishing 191 pages, An anthology of essays, poems and short stories As of writing this review, I am yet to finish four more entries: The Bacon vendetta by Eileen R. Tabios (Santo Tomas, Candon, Ilocos Sur), The Adopted Hometown by Alfred Yuson (Dumaguete), Habit of Space by Karina Africa Bolasco (Lipa) and Outward Journey by Jaime An Lim (Cagayan De Oro). Just immediately before I sat down to write this review, I read one which is closer to home: EBJ Freedom Park by Alex de los Santos (Antique) which is a poem that remembers how the park came to be when "we heard the volley of gunfire that made this park a tomb. " EBJ stands for Evelio B. Javier who was a much-beloved Antique Assemblyman and governor who was assassinated in 1986. In the poem's opening lines, the park for Antiquenos is "here is where we rise, here we bury victories." And as closing lines, the...