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Ann van Wijgerden holds the original kingfisher and forest artwork by Tara Soriano created for the cover of her poetry collection Dear Planet.

Becoming Part of the Story: Ann van Wijgerden on Poetry, Nature and Belonging in the Philippines

From Tondo to the green hills of Antipolo, Ann van Wijgerden’s life in the Philippines changed the way she understood poetry, nature and belonging. In the final part of The Long Attention, she reflects on the living world behind Dear Planet and the realization that she was never simply an observer.

Mye Mulingtapang

Filipino writer Jose Y. Dalisay Jr. smiling in a blue jacket against a leafy green background.

History with Feeling: Jose Dalisay Jr. on What Fiction Preserves

Filipino writer Jose Dalisay Jr. reflects on fiction, memory and history—and on literature’s power to make the past intimate without confusing imagination with evidence.

Mye Mulingtapang

José Rizal and Cuba: 130 Years Later, an Unfinished Journey

José Rizal never reached Cuba. One hundred and thirty years later, Sir Chris Sta Brigida-Kopp retraces the journey history interrupted, uncovering unexpected connections between Cuba and the Philippines—and between two national heroes, José Rizal and José Martí.

Chris Sta. Brigida-Kopp

Portrait of Koi Diaz standing with arms crossed against a warm brown background.

OFW Family Life: The Distance Between Providing and Being There

Koi Diaz confronts the hidden cost of OFW life—the birthdays missed, marriages tested and families stretched across continents—and asks what it truly takes to provide without losing presence, connection and home.

Mye Mulingtapang

Marie Mallari of Sugar Blooms & Cakes, a Filipino-Canadian bakery in Winnipeg known for creative cakes and Filipino flavors including ube and macapuno.

From Ube to The Big Bake: Marie Mallari's Sugar Blooms & Cakes

After a Food Network Canada victory introduced Sugar Blooms & Cakes to a wider audience, Marie Mallari discovered that customers were responding to more than elaborate cakes. Through ube, family tradition and fearless creativity, the Winnipeg baker is creating a Filipino-Canadian story that tastes like home while making room for something new.

Mye Mulingtapang

Ann van Wijgerden and Paul van Wijgerden standing together wearing matching black Young Focus shirts.

Where the Bridge Crosses the River: Ann van Wijgerden’s Life in Tondo

In Tondo, Ann van Wijgerden learned to look beyond poverty without romanticizing resilience. Nearly two decades of friendships, creativity, generosity and injustice would ultimately reshape both her poetry and her understanding of what it means to belong.

In The Mix Magazine

Composite portrait of Anthony John Balisi, Genevieve L. Asenjo, and Kristian Sendon Cordero accompanying a feature on Philippine literature, translation, and the challenge of cultivating readers.

The Biggest Crisis in Philippine Literature Isn't Translation. It's Readers.

Philippine literature is reaching new audiences through translation, foreign publishers and international rights deals. But Genevieve L. Asenjo, Kristian Sendon Cordero and Anthony John Balisi point to a more fundamental challenge: cultivating the readers, institutions and habits that allow a literary culture to survive.

In The Mix Magazine

The Long Attention: Ann van Wijgerden Finds Poetry Between Tondo and the Forest

For over forty years, Ann van Wijgerden has written poems shaped by memory, migration, grief, and hope. In Dear Planet, those decades of writing come together in a collection inspired by life in England, the Netherlands, and the Philippines. Through communities in Tondo, the forests of Antipolo, and a lifelong commitment to listening, she explores how poetry becomes an act of attention, compassion, and shared humanity.

In The Mix Magazine

Kristian Sendon Cordero, Filipino writer, translator, publisher, and founder of Savage Mind Bookshop.

Literary Translation as Creative Authorship: Inside Kristian Sendon Cordero's Translator's Desk

Literary translation is far more than transferring words between languages. Award-winning writer, translator, and publisher Kristian Sendon Cordero explores why translators are creative co-authors, how Philippine languages enrich one another through translation, and why human imagination remains essential in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

In The Mix Magazine

Black-and-white portrait of Anthony John Balisi, founder of Década Literary and creator of the Database of Philippine Works in Translation, documenting Philippine books translated into 65 languages across 81 countries.

The Database Revealing How Philippine Literature Reached the World

Anthony John Balisi's Database of Philippine Works in Translation documents 2,647 translated editions across 65 languages and 81 countries, revealing how Philippine literature has crossed borders and reached readers around the world.

In The Mix Magazine

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September 2026 | Stories of Work, Family and Finding Our Own Way

Stories of Work, Family and Finding Our Own Way

What does it take to build a life—and make room for yourself within it?

In our September issue, In The Mix Magazine explores the lives, ambitions and responsibilities that shape Filipinos at home and abroad.

Our cover story, “A Life in Service, a Story Entirely Her Own,” introduces Mercy Malabanan: a Filipina domestic worker in Italy, a mother across distance and a content creator pursuing interests of her own.

Meet Chef Gerald Basilio, whose journey connects Milan’s kitchens with his roots in Tarlac, and designer Maxime Edward, whose encounter with Filipino textiles opens a conversation about belonging. Explore Philippine literature, the search for readers beyond the Manila International Book Fair, and the role of fiction in preserving history.

We also ask who protects the family breadwinner and examine opportunities—and practical considerations—for Filipinos looking to work overseas.

Browse the September issue below, or open the full-screen edition.

Previous Stories

Filipino chorizo inspired by Batangas longganisa displayed on a rustic wooden board with smoked sausages, grilled longganisa, paprika, black pepper, red chilies, and traditional Filipino woven mats, showcasing Pinay sa Barcelona's artisanal products.

Filipino Chorizo: How Pinay sa Barcelona Went Global

Inspired by homesickness, Jelyn Guerra Dimaculangan transformed Batangas longganisa into Filipino chorizo, introducing Filipino flavors to Barcelona while building a business that celebrates culture, community, and culinary innovation.

Filipino Street Photographer in Milan: Daniel Sorza’s Mission

Daniel Sorza, a Filipino street photographer walks the streets capturing candid, unguarded moments of public servants with heartfelt thank-you notes—from carabinieri and local police to Red Cross volunteers and members of the armed forces.

Victor Baguilat Jr. and an Ifugao elder proudly display a finished handwoven textile inside a traditional weaving house

Threads of Tomorrow: Victor Baguilat Jr. on Why Ifugao Heritage Belongs in the Future

Victor Baguilat Jr. believes Ifugao heritage belongs not only in museums but in the future. Through Kandama, he is transforming traditional weaving into a living archive that empowers Indigenous communities and inspires a new generation.

Biography of Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost

The first Augustinian Pope, Leo XIV is the second Roman Pontiff - after Pope Francis - from the Americas.

No Boundaries Only Love in the Most Beautiful LGBTQIA+ Weddings

After 12 beautiful years together, beloved TV personality and LGBTQIA+ advocate Jervi Li, famously known as KaladKaren, finally tied the knot with her British soulmate, Luke Wrightson, on September 8, 2024. The couple chose a breathtaking cliffside location in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, for their big day – a spot that promised stunning views of the coast.

But in a twist of fate that made the moment even more magical, the venue was wrapped in a dreamy fog, turning their much-anticipated sunny ceremony into what KaladKaren lovingly called a “wedding in the clouds.” It was as if the heavens themselves came down to bless their union. Looking every bit the radiant bride, KaladKaren wore a stunning mermaid-cut gown designed by the talented Filipino designer Francis Libiran, effortlessly blending elegance and drama.