Much is known about the links between the Philippines and Mexico. This is largely due to the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade. What is not known is there existed a spur of this trade route, which connected Acapulco and Alto Peru, and from there, to the Vice-Royalty of Rio de la Plata, […]
Life in the Foreign Service is full of twists and turns. There is no telling about what’s gonna happen to us. We may plan ahead, but life always gives us unexpected surprises. After nearly three years of stint at the Home Office, I had a choice on whether to obtain […]
Fidel Castro is finally dead. It was an eventuality that Cubans have been waiting to happen for a very long time. I am not a Fidel Castro fan. Never was. Never will been. And I see empathize with the Cuban diaspora who yearn to be back to their homeland. However, […]
I am constantly reminded of the fact that I am probably the lone gatekeeper of information pertaining to Philippine-Cuban relations at the Department. Basically, I was our last man in Havana. I was tasked with closing down the now-defunct Philippine Embassy in Havana, which closed down for good on 31 October […]
By the time the Spaniards have established themselves in Manila in 1570, the mobility of human resources between the two far-flung septentrion provinces of the Viceroyalty of New Spain (present-day Mexico) became fluid. There was a new-found need for moving people around. Mostly, it was because of economic nature. Later, […]
Mexico is one place in the world where the Dia de los Muertos is celebrated way too seriously. Sure, most former Spanish colonies in Latin America have their own little variations of this festival. Many of these were created by the fusion of indigenous folk beliefs with Roman Catholic traditions. Mexico, however, has one of the liveliest variants. […]
My first impression of Mexico when I first visited the country in 2008 was that it felt so familiar. Since then, I have lived in Mexico for almost two years and this impression has been largely confirmed. The Philippines and Mexico are basically similar countries separated by a vast ocean. […]
It is always difficult to grow up in the shadow a more illustrious sibling, especially one who demanded singular attention and adoration. That is what Raul Modesto Castro Ruz had to deal with all his life. One can only imagine how much it affected his psyche and ego in his […]
For foreigners doing business in another country, their foremost concern is cultural adjustment. This, however, is not a problem when it comes to the Philippines for Mexican investors. The country that prides itself as Asia’s friendliest is culturally and temperamentally more attuned to the Hispanic culture because of its Spanish […]