Opinions
Life goes on
As the New Year unfolds in this “post-apocalypse” era of 2013, we hope this will be a better and kinder year than 2012. And as we carry on, we would like you to know that it is your opinion that matters to us and we hope you will continue reading and bringing home every issue of Pilipino Express. We publish Pilipino Express with the commitment to inform and entertain you. We are honoured to be your reading companion and we hope to serve you even better in 2013.
We would like to express our most sincere gratitude to Ms Ligaya Buenaventura, our short story writer. Manang Li, as we fondly call her, is a retired Winnipeg teacher and now, she also wishes to retire from her creative writing project with the Pilipino Express.
Manang Li has been with us since 2005. You have followed her short stories, Mga Kathang Kuwento ni Tita Li, in every issue of Pilipino Express. She has made you cry and laugh with her short stories.
Thank you, Manang Li, for the many years you have roused the imagination of our readers through your short stories. Your fans will surely miss you.
Last summer, after Manang Li advised us that she would be retiring from her fiction writing in 2013, we launched a search for another short story writer in Filipino. It was during Folklorama 2012 at the Nayong Pilipino Pavilion when our friend, Emma Gallardo, introduced us to Marilou O’Halloran, a former Winnipegger visiting from Los Angeles. Marilou had with her several copies of a book, a collection of short stories in Filipino, written by her friend, Nestor Barco. Through our initial conversation, Marilou offered to connect us with this literary writer based in the Philippines. And she did.
In this issue of Pilipino Express, we are pleased to introduce to you our new short story writer in Filipino, Nestor S. Barco. Look for his masthead, Maikling Kuwento ni Nestor S. Barco on page 18 of this issue of Pilipino Express. We invite you to read his first short story contribution entitled, Ang Libro ng Gobernador.
Nestor hails from Imus, Cavite. Like Manang Li, Nestor is also a published author in the Philippines. He was declared as the Makata ng Taon sa Pilipinas 2003 (Poet of the Year in the Philippines 2003). He also writes novels, short stories, poetry and feature articles in various Philippine publications.
We know you will enjoy reading his short stories in every issue of Pilipino Express.
Have you visited our website, www.pilipino-express.com? If you missed any of our past issues, you will be able to read the articles on our website. You will also be able to send us your feedback and comments, or ask us questions if you need any information. We will try our best to answer your questions or provide you the agency or resources that can appropriately address your concern.
We have just updated our website and we are proud of its new look. While it is much easier to navigate now, we have maintained its integrity by keeping it uncluttered like it has always been.
We wish to thank our many writers and contributors (see page 4 of every issue to read their names) who have unselfishly given their time to help us bring you Pilipino Express every 1st and 16th of the month, year in and year out.
We also wish to thank our advertisers who have supported us through the years. We maintain our resolve to keep the high standards of Pilipino Express so that our readers, the consumers, will be always be curious and interested in what you offer.
And to the over 130 outlets in Winnipeg and other cities in Manitoba, we thank you for allowing us to distribute in your premises so that our readers can always conveniently get a copy of Pilipino Express.
From all of us, Rey-Ar Reyes, Paul Morrow and yours truly, Emmie Z. Joaquin, maraming salamat po at Manigong Bagong Taon sa inyong lahat!
E-mail Emmie at editor@pilipino-express.com