Coconut sunrise

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo   Coconut woman is calling out/And every day you can hear her shout/Get your coconut water/Man, it’s good for your daughter/Coco got a lot of iron/Make you strong like a lion… Thanks to Harry Belafonte’s hit song “Coconut Woman,” the wonders of the coconut had been immortalized in song long before coconut advocates of this decade aggressively pushed it to its deserved place in the world’s...

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Symphonic diplomacy with North Korea

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo In February 2008 I followed with bated breath the New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s musical voyage to the Hermit Kingdom, aka North Korea, which then US President George W. Bush called “The Axis of Evil.” Being a lover of classical music, I couldn’t wait to find out what the concert’s repertoire would be, what great symphonic work would be performed. Other questions in my mind then: How...

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A mission hospital in Samar

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo   While the election campaign noise rises to a deafening level all over the country, somewhere a quiet miracle unfolds without much fanfare, without the cackle of do-gooders aka politicians, but accompanied by humble appeals that this worthwhile endeavor will see completion. The Missionary Benedictine Sisters in the Philippines are building a 25-bed hospital in Pambujan, Northern Samar,...

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Letter from a local candidate: A sampler

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo A friend of mine is running for vice mayor. She was a town councilor in the past; she gave her all and gave up, swearing never to get involved in local politics again. But she has changed her mind and has paired up with a dreamer and political virgin who is running for mayor. Short on campaign funds and political backing from above, the two candidates are using a different strategy: person-to-person,...

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