This is the second installment in the History Matters series, with the first book published early in 2023. For this second volume, the essays are divided into three parts: Philippine Culture and History, Genealogy in Philippine History Story-telling, and The Philippines: Past and Present.

The essays here were written throughout 2023 for my column History Matters, which appears every Wednesday in the Freeman newspaper in Cebu City, Philippines. While I have retained the titles as published in my column, all the articles here are the original, longer versions of what came out in my column, as those were shorter.

I have also expanded and revised them to make them more current or to add more details than the limited number of words allowed for my newspaper column. From discussions on lesser known historical figures and events in the Philippines, to more current issues today, like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which affects not only the Philippines but also the rest of the world, these articles are meant to continue introducing laypeople to Philippine history, culture, and genealogy.

. .