8 Magazine

10/11/2025

: Angels on Wheels, a group of Eastern Visayas-based car enthusiasts turned humanitarian workers, along with other organizations, delivered relief goods and other essential items to Southern Leyte towns following the onslaught of Typhoons Tino and Uwan.

"Your generosity makes it possible for us to reach typhoon victims early, bringing them hope, comfort, and the reassurance that they are not forgotten," said Rhoel Ladera, a member of Angels on Wheels, as he acknowledged their donors and partners, including the Eastern Visayas Tourism Association (Evta), Association of Leyte Tour Operators (Alto), Bangon Bisaya, and other anonymous benefactors.

"Your support lifts their morale and strengthens their faith, knowing that someone truly cares," he added.

13/10/2025

:
#𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 | Joanna Sustento-Bacsa, a 35-year-old survivor of the 2013 Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), a Climate activist from Tacloban City, Eastern Visayas, and a movement organizer with Roots— a global project of Greenpeace. She has shared her experiences and knowledge about how she combats the climate crisis.
‎
In response to the traumatic experiences she endured during Super Typhoon Yolanda, she channeled her pain into a powerful force, demanding climate crisis accountability. She began questioning and advocating for climate justice, which ultimately transformed her into a dedicated climate activist.
‎
At 32, she embarked on a new journey, becoming a mother. As a devoted parent and a Climate warrior, she is deeply committed to teaching young people to be ambitious in protecting the environment from climate change. By confronting her own inner struggles, she's safeguarding a better future for her child and for generations to come.

---

A special series by Panaad ha Sinirangan that shines a light on the of Leyte — individuals and groups leading the fight to protect, restore, and sustain our environment. Through their stories, we celebrate local heroes who embody hope, resilience, and action for a greener Eastern Visayas.

Words by Charise Oliveros, Justine Kim Diomangay | PHS Features
Layout by Justine Kim Diomangay | PHS Creatives
Photo Courtesy of Joanna Sustento-Bacsa, Greenpeace Philippines

I via Panaad sa Sinirangan -AYEJ Leyte

09/10/2025

: LEYTE-BORN, SWISS-BASED MUSEUM OWNER MINERVA MONDEJAR-STEINER COLLABORATES FOR 'FOREST OF CIVILIZATIONS' EXHIBIT AT JAPAN'S EXPO 2025

Minerva Mondejar-Steiner, a native of Tacloban City, Leyte, and now an owner of Mondejar Gallery based in Zurich, Switzerland, has partnered with two Czech private firms in a unique outdoor installation exhibit project dubbed "Forest of Civilizations," featuring ancient subfossil oak trees at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.

“These trees represent history, resilience, and the continuity of life,” said Mondejar-Steiner, whose gallery has steadily built a reputation for curating exhibitions that merge artistic innovation with historical consciousness.

For her, the "Forest of Civilizations" exhibit is more than an international installation.

"It is a statement of how Filipino creativity and leadership can resonate within the world’s most prestigious cultural platforms, expanding the reach of Philippine art while shaping conversations on preservation and shared human history," she said in a statement.

Prominently displayed in the exhibit are 133 pieces of subfossil oak trees, remarkably preserved underground for 6,500 years since the Ice Age.

"These ancient oak trees, found over eight meters deep in the ground, were extracted seven years ago, embedded within glacial sediments in the North Moravia region of the modern Czech Republic," the exhibitor said.

"The preserved annual rings of the tree trunks offered insights, with the use of modern technology, into thousands of years of climate patterns, land shifts, and natural phenomena," it added.

Aside from its visual wonder, the ton-heavy tree installation at Expo 2025 turned out to be a representation of countries interested in participating in the project.

Besides the United Nations itself, among the countries that support the art installation’s concept of unity and climate awareness are the Czech Republic, where the ancient trees were found, as well as Norway, Monaco, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Canada, Armenia, Colombia, Thailand, Japan, the United States, and the Philippines, the birthplace of Mondejar-Steiner.

The outdoor exhibit, which started April 13, 2025, runs until October 13, 2025. I Contributed photos via Ronald Reyes/Sunstar Philippines

15/06/2025

CULTURE: KANANGA KAANYAG FESTIVAL MARKS THIRD YEAR WITH GRANDER CELEBRATION, BIGGER PRIZES

The streets of Kananga in Leyte came alive during the third-year celebration of the Kananga Kaanyag Festival, the town's official cultural showcase.

At least six contingents joined this year’s ritual dance showdown held on Sunday afternoon, June 15.

In the school-based category, participants were Kananga II District (Mattswerting Kanangahanon), Kananga III District (Banay Alimyon), and Kananga I District (Kanangahanong Mattahum).

The open category included Tribu ni Don Mariano Lantawan Festival of Capoocan, Leyte, STI College Ormoc/Ormoc City’s Pundok sa Nagkahiusang Ormocanon, and Pundok sa Villabanhanong Manaragat.

In a press conference, Kananga Mayor Manuel Vicente "Matt" Torres thanked visitors and expressed his aspiration to present Kananga Kaanyag at national-level competitions such as Cebu’s Sinulog and the Aliwan Festival.

He also took pride in the town’s festival, calling it a "vibrant cultural heritage" and a product of "intensive and comprehensive cultural mapping" in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

The finalists for Kananga Kaanyag Festival Queen 2025 were A***n Mae Cogay (Kananga II District), Shielo Sabornido (Kananga III), Pia Lovelle Omega (Kananga I), Eliana Gunabe Igamen (Tribu ni Don Mariano, Lantawan Festival), Ashley Marie Rojas (STI College Ormoc/Ormoc City), and Rea Joy Encienzo Cometa (Pundok sa Villabanhanong Manaragat).

One of the highlights of this year’s competition, in line with the town's 75th founding anniversary, was the increase in major prizes, with the top award for the ritual dance category rose from P200,000 to P500,000, while the street dance prize increased from P20,000 to P50,000, enhancing the competitive spirit of the contingents. I Photos by Moises Cruz via Ronald Reyes/SunStar Philippines

22/04/2025

: A stormy and rainy weather greeted Francis when he offered a public Mass before an estimated 500,000 people at the runway of the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban.

“So many of you have lost everything. I do not know what to tell you. But surely, He knows what to tell you! So many of you have lost members of your family. I can only be silent; I accompany you silently, with my heart…” Francis had said in the homily.

UCA News:

Francis met and comforted survivors of deadly Typhoon Haiyan during his visit in 2015

20/04/2025

: 2 TACLOBAN VISUAL ARTISTS JOIN WORLD ART DUBAI 2025

Two members of City's KOLOR BANWA art group, Dante Enage and Keenan Garrido, joined 43 other Filipino at the prestigious World Art Dubai 2025 held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, United Arab Emirates ( ).

Their works are being showcased at the first-ever Philippine , under Spectro Lucid, a -based Art Gallery owned by Filipino art curator Carlo Garrido.

His Excellency Alfonso Ferdinand Ver, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, also met with the Filipino artists during the VIP Gala Night on April 16.

The exhibit runs from April 17 to 20. I Photos courtesy of Dante Enage/Kolor Banwa via Ronald O. Reyes

I via SunStar Philippines