Born in Pinamalayan, Mindoro, she reigned as Miss Mindoro at the celebrated Manila Carnival of 1927. She taught at the University of the Philippines until she married Jesus Pineda, a young lawyer and land owner from Tarlac. She raised six children, all of whom acquired MA degrees in their respective fields of study.

What is life like at 103?

At 98 she suffered a fall that required a hip operation. She has not been able to walk much since, so she is bed-ridden and, on good moments, chair-bound. She seldom leaves her room to avoid the risk of infection which in her physical condition could be fatal. Nevertheless, her mind is lucid and there are moments when she can engage visitors in conversation. (more…)

by Benjie de Ubago

The Blacktown Street Parade at the end of May kicked off a busy period for the community.  At the festival, I followed a group of men in suits and found myself sitting up on stage watching the parade go by.  But I made a few friends along the way and even got invited to lunch.  Little did I know, that somebody else had the same idea and gate-crashed the VIP stage, waving a flag.  As the Filipino contingent went past, one councillor said: “That’s a big contingent of Filipinos in Blacktown, but by the looks of it, they’re all divided.”  I should have given him a prize for saying that!

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by Benjie de Ubago

Ooops, it’s time to dust those barongs and sayas. Yep, it’s that time of the year when the community is agog as to who’s coming and who gets an invite. Some will be jumping from one event to another only to see the same faces. Get ready for those waist bending exercises – tilting the torso slightly forward, eyes nailed as if in coma, with the flick of the fingers down the side as we lean forward for the habitual routine of beso-beso.

It’s pride by association. Most of those busy bodies will feel the surge of pride through their veins as they stand for photo opportunities side by side with people who will never even remember their names.

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by Benjie de Ubago

We Filipinos have a penchant for copying, imitating, duplicating, replicating to the tee. The “photocopy” syndrome. The gaya-gaya, puto maya mentality. We are kings and queens of imitation!

We’ve always had the Philippine version of an international recording artist. Hagibis was our version of The Village People. Block buster movies had their Filipino counterpart though some were lost in translation.

Remember when hot pandesal was introduced in the Philippines? Suddenly, those piping hot buns simmered in every street corner. Then there was lechon manok and chooks were roasted to a crispy-brown and sold on every block. But the fad fizzled out as quickly as the chickens were slaughtered for gastric consumption.

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by Benjie de Ubago

I’ve come to realize that community work can indeed be hazardous to our health! It is definitely not for the faint hearted.

Stress causes blood pressure levels to skyrocket and there will be numerous stress-related instances. Sitting for hours at meetings means you’re not getting enough exercise. There’s no end in sight except added inches to your back side.

You’ll wonder if you’ve been to a picnic or a meeting as you munch on gastric delights that may cause intestinal chaos and wrap your heart in cholesterol.

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