Philippine History – David Haldane

July 1, 2024

The Sea Gypsies Come Ashore

By David Haldane July 1, 2024 The joke made me cringe. “Are you a goodjau or a Badjau?” my companion asked the pretty young girl […]

June 17, 2024

On God’s Orders: The Eruption of Mount Pinatubo

By David Haldane June 17, 2024 It was almost Biblical. First came the earthquake, one of the most powerful the Philippines had ever […]

March 11, 2024

Zamboanga Reimagined

By David Haldane March 11, 2024 Hanging out at the mall. That’s how thousands of Zamboaguenos spend their weekends these days. You see them […]

June 24, 2023

Hey, Joe!

By David Haldane June 15, 2023 It happened again the other day. I was riding my motorcycle along the coast towards downtown Surigao, minding my […]

June 12, 2023

Slaughter, Slaughter Everywhere

By David Haldane June 8, 2023 The headline was a grabber. “We had our own holocaust here,” it grievously intoned. The story that followed–on the […]

February 17, 2023

American Expat Launches Book on Finding Island Home

Cebu Jose Joya Gallery LITERARY TREATS 2023: A TOOTH IN MY POPSICLE BY DAVID HALDANE BOOK LAUNCH APRIL 12th, 15th, and 25th. […]

November 3, 2022

Standing In

By David Haldane Nov. 3, 2022 I had an entirely different lede in mind for this column. I expected it to say that the […]

September 15, 2022

Dancing in the Streets

By David Haldane Sept. 15, 2022 It happened again. People wearing ornate, many-colored costumes swirled in the streets to the cadence of drummers in […]

May 19, 2022

Bongbong Marcos: Forward to the Past?

By David Haldane May 19, 2022 I don’t mind telling you that a recent Manila Times headline made me smile. “Marcos, Biden vow stronger […]

February 10, 2022

Who Do You Trust?

By David Haldane Feb. 10, 2022 When I was a college student in Southern California, the name Ferdinand Marcos evoked visions of hell. Wasn’t […]

January 26, 2022

The Past Swept Away

By David Haldane January 27, 2021 There was something comforting about living across the street from a monument to history. On Tuesday mornings, we’d […]

December 2, 2021

The Mexico of Asia

By David Haldane Dec. 2, 2021 I still remember the first time I set foot in the Philippines. My immediate reaction: “Wow, this is the […]