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    About That. (with Marga Ortigas)

    The latest issues. A broader view. Unique perspectives. Join international journalist Marga Ortigas and her special guests as they have the necessary conversations on everything from historical revisionism to human rights. 
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    "Insightful." | "So Interesting!" | "Super accessible."

    en-us34 Episodes

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    Episodes (34)

    Episode 2: ABOUT THAT: Spotlight on Storytellers: HARRIS WHITBECK

    Episode 2: ABOUT THAT: Spotlight on Storytellers: HARRIS WHITBECK

    After decades of working with one of the largest global news companies in the world, Guatemala-born journalist, Harris Whitbeck, boldly tells his own story in a new memoir. 
    He speaks to me from his home about death squads, dictators, and growing up gay in Latin America in the late 20th century. We also explore what its like to work in warzones, how using gadgets affects a story's impact on storytellers, and what he's learned about handling creative blocks.


    Disclaimer: Some colourful content, which is not meant as an endorsement of narcotics or psychedelics.

    About That. (with Marga Ortigas)
    en-usFebruary 13, 2023

    Episode 1: ABOUT THAT: Spotlight on Storytellers: The SERING Sisters

    Episode 1: ABOUT THAT: Spotlight on Storytellers: The SERING Sisters

    The Brontes, The Moriartys, and also The Serings. But besides their individual achievements as authors and writers, sisters Tweet & Tara Sering together penned the hit show "K-Love" for VIU, Asia's leading streaming service. It instantly became a hit with viewers. 

    With the success of their first -- joint -- screenwriting endeavour, Tweet & Tara join me to talk about the joys and challenges of working with a sibling, the many different ways creative projects come to be, and believing in the power of dreams.

    This is the first episode of a new season spotlighting STORYTELLERS.

    About That. (with Marga Ortigas)
    en-usFebruary 13, 2023

    Episode 31: SPECIAL POST-PANDEMIC EPISODE: The Graduates

    Episode 31: SPECIAL POST-PANDEMIC EPISODE: The Graduates
    Catch up with Gen-Xers Marga (the journalist), Karla (the chef), & Tanya (the film producer), a year after they were first "community quarantined" in pandemic-stricken Manila. The city has been under the longest and most militarised 'lockdown' in the world.

    Our hosts talk coping, keeping busy, and staying hopeful - as they say farewell to Karla who is off on a new adventure.

    S3 Ep6: MAPS & Other FICTIONS

    S3 Ep6: MAPS & Other FICTIONS
    How do we move past an increasingly polarised world to create a common identity? Or are we doomed to always draw lines between US...and THEM?

    Back on the podcast is special guest Nik de Ynchausti.

    Music: Homestead, by Kai Engel


    About That. (with Marga Ortigas)
    en-usSeptember 30, 2020

    S3 Ep5: A LOST GENERATION?

    S3 Ep5: A LOST GENERATION?
    Boomers, Gen-Xers, Gen Y, Millennials, Gen Z...each generation had its share of challenges, but it can be argued that none more so than today's children. Health crises, wars, violence, environmental catastrophes, and above all global warming - they're in line to inherit a world with an expiry date.
    On this episode, we speak to Bhanu Bhatnagar from Save the Children International. Why aren't the Grown-Ups doing more for the world's children?

    S3 Ep4: The FEMALE POLITIK: The Gender Struggle in Public Office

    S3 Ep4: The FEMALE POLITIK: The Gender Struggle in Public Office
    It's the 21st century and women in positions of power are still a rarity in many places. Even the country feted as the most powerful in the world has yet to see a female president. We talk gender and politics with a female (minority) senator from an Asian country overrun with macho, populist leaders and strongmen.

    SPECIAL GUEST: Philippine senator Risa Hontiveros

    News clips from : Euronews, ABS-CBN, Vice

    Music by Scott Holmes

    S3 Ep3: MAD WORLD OF METH: A Controversial Conversation

    S3 Ep3: MAD WORLD OF METH: A Controversial Conversation
    The ins and outs of the Southeast Asian meth trade. Who are the key players? What's politics got to do with it? And how successful is the so-called "war on drugs"?

    We speak with journalist Patrick Winn, author of "Hello Shadowlands: Inside the Meth Fiefdoms, Rebel Hideouts and Bomb-Scarred Party Towns of Southeast Asia."

    Visit us on: www.patreon.com/aboutthatthepodcast

    Twitter: @margaortigas

    S3 Ep2: The FOURTH Estate

    S3 Ep2: The FOURTH Estate
    A former journalist from a country that no longer exists talks to us about oppressive regimes, freedom of the press, and the changing face of democracy.
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    Neven Andjelic left his native Sarajevo when the communist republic of Yugoslavia was splintering. He sought asylum in the UK and is now a leading lecturer on International Relations and Human Rights. I catch him in Croatia.

    Newsclip from Radio Free Europe
    Music: "Paper Lanterns in the Dusk" by springtide

    S3 Ep1: "BAD" History: Revisit, Revise, Re-do?

    S3 Ep1: "BAD" History: Revisit, Revise, Re-do?
    With special guest, Nik de Ynchausti.
    Why are autocrats & the far right rewriting the past? How powerful a tool is social media in this exercise? In the democratized world of information, are we seeing the demise of "objective facts"? And yes, we talk about the Marcoses and their creative view of Philippine history.

    EPISODE MUSIC: "Over Midnight" by Lobo Loco.

    SPECIAL QUARANTINE EPISODE

    SPECIAL QUARANTINE EPISODE
    A brief look at life in Manila, one of the longest lockdowned cities in the world. We talk staying sane, Viber ecosystems, cloud kitchens, social participation during distancing - and the glaring social divide.
    With special guests, media executive Tanya Yuson and chef Karla Mendoza.

    Please do pardon the audio quality. Recorded over the internet.

    Music is courtesy of Purple Planet.

    An ABOUT THAT Special Episode

    An ABOUT THAT Special Episode
    So who else is glad to see the back of 2018? It wasn't the easiest of times... but the beginning of a new year is always the perfect reason for a fresh slate. (Phew!)

    Last December, we took a trip to the Yukon. To say it was inspirational would be an understatement. There's something about the starkness of frost that is invigorating. I felt the same rejuvenation a few years prior on a visit to Mongolia in the dead of winter. It was like rediscovering magic.

    Nature holds all the universe's secrets - after snow, comes the Spring. The cycle of life and all that.

    This is the story of our trip to the Yukon in Northern Canada, the people we met... the choices they made... the way they live. I revisit it often because it has a way of uplifting my spirits. Hopefully, this recording - in some small way - can do the same for you.

    Find a comfy spot, shut your eyes, and let a cup of hot cocoa cool beside you as you listen... :)

    Here's to the wonder of a new year.

    Here's to new beginnings.

    With all my best wishes.

    P.S. - if you'd like to read the full article from the Yukon, you can find it on this link: https://www.i-migrant.com/stories/stargazing/

    S2 Ep8: A Conversation with DELAMAR

    S2 Ep8: A Conversation with DELAMAR
    If there's anything that many of our guests have echoed it's that legacies are built one small step at a time.

    In this final episode, a leading personality on Philippine English-language radio talks us through her pioneering journey: how a summer job that wasn't going too well became the career of a lifetime.
    Plus - the sorrows and surprises along the way.

    How DELAMAR unintentionally managed to speak for a generation... and take it all in stride.

    About That. (with Marga Ortigas)
    en-usSeptember 29, 2018

    S2 Ep 7: RANDI LEVIN: Life Changes, Transitions, & Reinventions

    S2 Ep 7: RANDI LEVIN: Life Changes, Transitions, & Reinventions
    Are you feeling overwhelmed by the world and struggling to keep up with everything you need to do? Or do you sometimes find yourself feeling "blah" about things? Maybe you're in the middle of a big life change and aren't sure how to get everything sorted just so...?

    It has been said that change is the only constant in life -- and yet it is the one thing that many of us fear the most. In this episode, we speak to professional life strategist Randi Levin who wants us all to live our best moments every day.

    She also shares with our listeners a 52-week self-guided challenge from her website:

    How to Balance Your Life:
    https://randilevincoaching.com/balance/
    About That. (with Marga Ortigas)
    en-usSeptember 17, 2018

    S2 Ep 6: NENA's Magic Mixes: Everything You Didn't Even Know You Wanted to Know About Essential Oils

    S2 Ep 6: NENA's Magic Mixes: Everything You Didn't Even Know You Wanted to Know About Essential Oils
    We're always searching for next big health kick...the latest cure-all and magic remedy. But what if that "new" health fix is really an old one? Centuries old, in fact.

    Business executive Nena Wuthrich joins us to share her latest passion outside of the office: it's all-natural, chemical-free, can help a wide vareity of ailments -- and ancient.

    Let's talk - Essential Oils.

    S2 Ep 5: DR. LIA - Prescription for Happiness

    S2 Ep 5: DR. LIA - Prescription for Happiness
    Are you battling depression? Maybe you're dissatisfied with your life - or know someone who is. Do you think people are unhappier now than they have been before? Does the nonstop buzz of the digital world make things worse for you?
    Why is that as humanity has reached technological heights, many say they feel trapped in the black night of their soul?

    There are ways to cope - without medication.

    Psychoneurologist Lia Bernardo speaks to us about finding peace and living a joyful life.

    S2Ep3: MATT KILLEEN - Dreamer, Father, Author: a Creative Journey

    S2Ep3: MATT KILLEEN - Dreamer, Father, Author: a Creative Journey
    This episode is dedicated to the dreamers. To those who are still in pursuit of dreams, and those who have had them come true.

    Are you an aspiring writer?
    Or maybe you don't know what it is you want to do yet. How do you find your passion?

    Meet British author Matt Killeen.
    He's done it all. Advertising, store managing, graphics designing, music playing. He's even dabbled in stand-up comedy.

    Now in his mid-40s, his 1st book is out this March on a topic that has critics raving - not just about the ingenuity of the plot - but also its timeliness.

    Matt speaks to us about his highly anticipated "Orphan, Monster, Spy", and taking the creative journey to self discovery.
    About That. (with Marga Ortigas)
    en-usFebruary 27, 2018

    S2 Ep2: GABY TABUNAR: A Man of Character, Reflections of a Nonagenarian

    S2 Ep2: GABY TABUNAR: A Man of Character, Reflections of a Nonagenarian
    Turning the tables on a veteran journalist:

    Gaby Tabuñar, Chairman Emeritus of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, speaks about the things he's seen, the choices he's made, the world as he's seen it change, and what matters most...

    Can you imagine yourself at a hundred?

    We're doing things a little differently this episode - we hope you take the journey with us!

    S2 Ep1: TIRSO RIPOLL - Daddy's a Rockstar

    S2 Ep1: TIRSO RIPOLL - Daddy's a Rockstar
    We all know Jagger, Ozzie, and even Gene Simmons... but ever wonder about a rockstar's life in the East?

    Spanish-Filipino musician Tirso Ripoll burst onto the Asian music scene in the early 1990s with the iconic rock group Razorback.

    27 years later - Tirso is a businessman, a father, and still rocking with his band.

    He says there is a way to do it all. Hear more in this super animated conversation.
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