PerryScope
by Perry Diaz

While the lowlanders’ basic survival depends on the water flowing down from the forested mountains, the highlanders — the mountain inhabitants — depend on farming the mountains. However, to farm the mountain, they need to clear the mountains of trees. This is called “kaingin” — a slash-and-burn method of farming. I remember in the 1950’s and 1960’s during the Holy Week trek to Baguio, hardly was there an evening where there were no fires in the mountains. The “kaingin” is an illegal but accepted practice by the cultural …

PerryScope
by Perry Diaz

When I was attending high school at the San Sebastian College on Azcarraga Blvd. in Manila, I always treated myself to a glass of ice-cold buko juice — peddled by street vendors — while waiting for my JD bus to Quezon City. It was a good refreshing drink especially during the hot and humid months. This was in the late 50’s.
Today, buko juice is still being peddled in Manila in the same manner 50 years ago. However, in the past five years, buko juice is now being peddled …

PerryScope
by Perry Diaz
 

You mention HR 677 and chances are you will get varied reactions from Filipino-Americans. For those who have not heard about it, you would probably have to explain a lot of details before they could understand the issue and then ask you questions which would make you wonder if you understood what you were trying to articulate in the first place. And for those who have heard something about HR 677, watch out because you would probably hear different accounts of what it is all about.
HR 677 — …