Fr. Rey Villanoy

Dear Nesta’s,When I first heard of the plan that you were going to close shop several months ago, I startedto be wary with some questions in my mind.But as soon as it became official, I could only think of the beautiful things that have happenedto Roxas City because of you.It has been 44 years since […]

After Chile, my recent travel brought me to Argentina. It was already nightfall when we arrived at theairport of its capital city of Buenos Aires.Our hotel was located in an exclusive neighborhood: the sophisticated Recoleta. But it was only thefollowing morning that we had a chance to view its charms. It is indeed full of […]

Our next stop after Lima, Peru is Chile. Another plane ride brought us to its capital citySantiago.From the airport, we went directly to Meson Nirudiano Restaurant. We were treated toanother South American lunch, but with a Chilean accent. We were told that the Nobel Prizewinner for Literature Pablo Neruda came here.I just don’t know if […]

It took me about a month to finish watching six seasonsof The Crown, reputed tobe the most expensive dramaseries on the life of the Britishmonarchy with focus on thereign of Queen Elizabeth II.Because it spans 70years of the New ElizabethanPeriod—starting from weddingin 1947 to Prince Philip, Dukeof Edinburgh—certainly thereis much to say and write about.Even […]

The last long weekend holidays (or were they also “holy days” with the celebrations of All Saints’ andAll Souls’ Day?), I was able to finish reading the book of my revered spiritual writer Henri J.M. Nouwen’s “Gracias.” The subtitle is “A Latin American Journal,” which explains that it was a series of his articles, or […]

San Enrique, San Lorenzo, Guimaras – This is our third and last day here on this quaint and quite remotebeach resort on the island. By “our,” it means that there are some 20 priests of the Vicariate of the Immaculate Conception who brave the inclement weather just to be here for a very short vacation. […]

It is very exceptional that a couple would celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary. I don’t think I can remember any such occasion that I’ve ever attended. But that was precisely what Nong Lito and Nang Fely Mabasa celebrated recently at the Mount Carmel Parish Church on July 21. The couple at their diamond jubilee celebration […]

I just returned to the Cathedral’s rectory after having joined the throngs of the faithful paying homage to this great saint whose relics returned to our archdiocese, in particular to the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral.As I was pondering on one of the vacant pews at the back of the church, my memories went back to […]

NOW & THEN (I must have either heard or read this story somewhere and sometime in the past).There was once a father of a sweet little girl, about six years old , who one day after December 25 observed that his daughter was not able to open all of her Christmas gifts under their big […]

Medjugorje. What a blessed coincidence that I am composing this article on the Blessed Virgin Mary on a Saturday, Our Lady’s Saturday, here in Medjugorje.The place where she appeared to six children in June of 1981 and thereafter.We are here only for two days and I might as well make the most of this short […]

NOW & THEN It was more than two decades ago, the year 2000 to be exact, that I was able to visit and watch the Passion Play in Oberammergau. It was when I was given a break while being one of the Adjunct Clergy at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Oberammergau is a town […]

(The following was the speech delivered by Geraldine Acuña Sunshine, Harvard Overseer, lawyer, philanthropist and health care advocate after she was conferred the Alab ng Lahi Award at the Philippine Consulate in New York City last July 11, 2022) Good evening everyone. Magandang gabi po sa inyong lahat. Consul General Elmer Cato, Hiraya Foundation Chairman […]

After I was able to have the second volume of my book, “Now and Then: A Collection of Columns in The Capiz Times” published recently, I shared a copy of it with Sem. Edwin Cernal, a promising writer who is much interested in this craft.After which, he wrote me a relatively long letter expressing his […]

NOW AND THEN After a little more than a month of traveling, I am now home. And home is where else but Sigma. Actually, home quarantine for a number of days. (Thanks or is it no thanks to Covid 19?) It doesn’t mean though that my present assignment, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral is not my […]

NOW AND THEN December 1  was my last day on the West Coast. What a way to say goodbye (again) and board a plane to the East Coast with a hearty and sumptuous seafood dinner at De Luxe Buffet less than a five-minute drive to the Ontario International Airport. Actually, Peniel Lipardo brought me here […]

August 21, the feast day of St. Pius X, was day five of my hospitalization. Time to muse on some insights I have gained these past days.First, the vulnerability of each person especially if the enemy is unseen or at least covert. But with the omnipotence of God, all kinds of viruses are naught.Second, the […]

NOW AND THEN My travels in 2018 brought me to Nepal and Tibet. While I was able to write about Nepal, I failed to write about Tibet, which is exotic as Nepal as both countries nestling in the shadows of the Himalayas. In Tibet, I took a plane (there were few lights though) and the […]

It has been half a year that I was able to publish my first book “Now and Then: A Collection of Columns in The Capiz Times,” but I haven’t written about it here. Well, it’s about time that I have to do it, especially that I am starting to work on the second volume. (Hopefully […]

(The following article was an excerpt of my homily on April 15) Today, as we celebrate the 120th anniversary of the establishment of Capiz as a civil government, we also commemorate the 73rd death anniversary of Capiz’s most illustrious son, Pres. Manuel Acuña Roxas. And so we go back to April 15, 1901, after the […]

On October 25, Jose Fuerte Advincula Jr., archbishop of Capiz, has been named cardinal by His Holiness Pope Francis. Born on March 30, 1952 in Dumalag, Capiz to Jose Sr. and Carmen Fuerte, Advincula was ordained priest on April 4, 1976 by the Most Rev. Antonio F. Frondosa and was appointed Papal Chaplain of Pope […]

In the course of my travels, I had lost two wallets in separate incidents. First in Istanbul, Turkey in 1999 and second in 2017 in Guangzhou airport in China. So during my recent trip to Australia and New Zealand with my sisters Lourdes and Aida, who contribute generously to my passion for travel, they reminded […]