By Dennis Gorecho The “Portrait of a Lady” or “Mi Novia” is Juan Luna’s famous painting often mistaken as that of his wife, Paz Pardo de Tavera who became a victim of a crime of passion. The painting depicted a woman in bed, clutching a rosary, with a prayer book and a night stand to …
Kuwentong Peyups
Mythical Chinese dragons and ‘bakunawa’
By Dennis Gorecho I am usually among those who converge along the streets of Binondo to celebrate the Chinese New Year and for the special performances (dragon/lion dances), cuisine, lucky charms, prosperity fruits, and boxes of tikoy. Year 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon, beginning on February 10, 2024 while other dragon years include …
The search for fireflies in Ifugao rice terraces
By Dennis Gorecho The film “Firefly,” which won best film in the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival, depicts the sad state of these blinking bugs — they are fast disappearing. Directed by Zig Dulay, the film is set in 1999 as narrated from the perspective of an adult Tonton (Dingdong Dantes) who reminisces about his …