How to Survive this Lockdown It’s been weeks since the lockdown began, and how are you faring? I left the Philippines on the day the lockdown began, March 15, and arrived in Malaysia, where I work, a day before their own lock down began. I had no Wifi and until now use my mobile-phone hotspot to communicate with the world. I had asked my yaya to press my shirts and pants in Manila, and so they went to my luggage, as well as my comfort food for this lockdown: tuyo in bottles, corned beef made in the Philippines, powdered preparations for afritada, caldereta, menudo, palabok, and tocino. In a famous essay called “Where’s the Patis?”, award-winning writer Carmen Guerrero Nakpil said that you can bring the Filipino to lands faraway and genteel, but you can never separate him from his palate. In short, the Filipino will always hanker for his sawsawan of patis and toyo, will always look for his suka and bawang, will search for condiments so h
In the Graveyard Danton Remoto The walls round the graveyard Are ancient and cracked. The moss is too thick they look dark. The paint on my grandfather’s tomb Has the color of bone. Two yellow candles we lighted, Then we uttered our prayers. On my left, somebody’s skull Stares back at me: a black Nothingness in the eyes. The graveyard smells of dust Finer than the pore of one’s skin— Dust mixed with milk gone sour. We are about to depart When a black cat darts Across our path, quickly, With a rat still quivering In its mouth. * Immigration Border Crossing (From Sadao, Thailand to Bukit Changloon, Malaysia) Danton Remoto On their faces that betray No emotion You can read the unspoken Questions: Are you really A Filipino? Why is your skin Not the color of padi ? Your eyes, Why are they slanted Like the ones Who eat babi ? And your palms, Why are there no callouses Layered like th