George Banez, Ph.D.
Speaking Truth to Power in a Nun’s Habit
When I saw Sister Aida Velasquez OSB without a veil, I thought it was someone else impersonating her. We both had given our talks the day before. And that morning in Mindanao (Philippines) in 1991, she had just finished breakfast…
The First to Circumnavigate the World May Have Been a Cebuano Seafarer
During the pre-Facebook era of the early 2000s in Sarasota (Florida), I always heard from my volunteers returning from a cruise. They raved to me about the wonderful Filipino crew they met on the trip. I am not surprised now.…
The Cost of Being Authentic–Made Bearable by a Chosen Family
In search of a sea route to the spice islands, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) led a fleet of five ships that left Sanlucar de Barrameda, a port in Cadiz, Spain, on September 20, 1519. Three months into the expedition…
What Family Love Already Understood: A Filipino Coming Out Story
“I figured they already knew,” said Jeremy about coming out to his family. A middle-aged academic living in Manila, Jeremy (not his real name) had the physique Filipinos called “batak” (ripped). His students joked that with his dark complexion and…
You Know Someone: Harvey Milk’s Fifty-Year-Old Message We Never Finished Hearing
Self-proclaimed “Queen of Drag” Ru Paul once said: “You know, we as gay people, we get to choose our family. We get to choose the people we’re around.” That sounded like a spin. But he was referencing the cold reality…
Sorry Lobster, You Happen to Be on the Luxe Menu
“Freeloader.” A colleague called me that after discovering that my cousins in Los Angeles fed me for a year, free of charge. But there is more. This new immigrant also got to tag along with them to Las Vegas for…
Rice Noodles, please!
Fortunately, nobody could read my mind, especially when I am hungry. “Just order something, anything, I’m paying!” I grumbled with my mouth shut. I saw stars swirling as I listened to the back-and-forth chatter between the China-born owner waiting…
Sayonara Bites: Saying ‘Thank You for Your Hard Work,’ the Japanese Way
I ran the words through my mind as I taught the class. The polite Japanese translation of “today is my last day, I quit” scrolled across my forehead like a TV news ticker. The words streamed as fast as…
Filipino Cuisine Shines: Finalist Rex Alba Brings His Roots to “The Great American Recipe”
“This cooking competition streams globally. I feel like the time and platform have come to showcase Filipino dishes that have yet to hit mainstream.” Bohol-born Rex Alba said. “I wanted to show Filipino grit and our resilience under pressure.…
Science Crucial to Global Environment Facility (GEF) Action
The Science and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP), establishing a sense of urgency, deployed scientific analysis to set priorities to guide the investment of newly replenished funds allocated to solve our persistent and worsening global environment woes. At the Global Environment…
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