What’s the price of having white skin?
Many Pinoys will spare no expense to have whiter skin. That’s why store shelves are flooded with whitening products—from soaps, creams, and powders. And, oh, who hasn’t heard of glutathione? To be white is to be beautiful. At least that’s what the ads tell us. (more…)

The famous “Dancing Inmates” from Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, a maximum security prison in the Philippines, were recently treated to a visit by Michael Jackson’s long-time choreographer Travis Payne and dancers Daniel Celebre and Dres Reid to learn performances from This Is It. (more…)

Tracing history could very well mean opening the city atlas and following the meandering lines.
By Johanna D. Poblete – While private streets are pretty much left to the owner to name at his discretion (which means his daughter or favorite cartoon character could be the inspiration), public streets are subjected to an ordinance or an act of Congress, with a stamp of approval from the National Historical Institute. As such, they bear the names — or dates — relevant to nationhood (unless it was donated land with the codicil that it should retain the name of choice, else revert back to the owner’s heirs). (more…)

When it comes to eating food, Filipinos just can’t say “No”, a survey by Reader’s Digest magazine found. The survey, covering 16 countries, asked over 16,500 people around the world about their views on weight and eating. (more…)

By Rosalia Pison de la Cruz – In 1997, David Graddol predicted that within the next 10 years or so, the number of people who speak English as a second language would outnumber so-called native English speakers. (more…)

By Rudy Santos – Some 10,000 feet up in the air, she navigates the skies using only her feet. Meet 26-year-old Filipino-American Jessica Macabare Cox, who was born without arms in Tucson, Arizona and holds the distinction of being the first woman pilot in aviation history to fly with her feet. (more…)

By Brenda P. Tuazon – Christmas traditions vary among nations expressing the same universal language of hope and joy. In the Philippines, the nine-day “Simbang Gabi” dawn masses which begins before sunrise Wednesday sends a native but jubilant message that the approaching birth of the Son of God is a reminder to millions of Catholics that “God is not frozen in history.” (more…)