Teaching did not suddenly become difficult in 2026. It has been quietly heavy for years, but this year feels different because the weight is finally being named. The posts circulating on social media about what teachers must avoid struck a nerve not because they were radical, but because they sounded familiar.
January 8, 2026
The news spread quickly, as it often does now. A technical decision by the United States Department of Education—framed in regulatory language about loan categories—suddenly felt personal to many nurses. Nursing, long grouped with medicine and law for federal student loan purposes, was removed from the list of “professional degree” programs.
January 7, 2026
There are moments when public silence becomes a form of laziness. Not neutrality, not prudence, but the quieter vice of letting noise do the work so one does not have to. This is one of those moments. I am usually critical of institutions, including the Catholic institution I remain part of.
January 6, 2026
The criticism directed towards a magazine cover that featured Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco was never primarily about photography, layout, or even a single publication. It struck a deeper nerve because it echoed a familiar frustration: when public institutions slowly begin to resemble personal billboards, people notice. This is not because we
January 5, 2026
Let us begin with a confession: once, while trying to decode what my students meant when they said something was “mid,” I found myself scrolling through Facebook with a furrowed brow and a browser history full of Urban Dictionary tabs. Somewhere between “cap,” “no cap,” and “cringe,” I realized I was
January 5, 2026
The chart is blunt. You do not even need to read the footnotes to feel uneasy. Provinces with the highest share of what scholars call fat political dynasties are also places where poverty, weak institutions, and fragile public services have long felt familiar. The bars stretch longer where hope often feels
January 4, 2026
You know politics is in trouble when it starts performing instead of working. Gestures get louder, statements sharper, and moments carefully staged. There are villains and heroes, urgency everywhere—and still, nothing really moves. We have lived through this pattern for decades, now repackaged with slicker visuals, fiercer click baits, and younger
January 3, 2026
In public life, silence can matter more than any press conference. When people quietly leave an institution meant to stand firm, something lingers. The recent resignations from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) were low-key, but they left questions words could not settle They came softly, almost politely. That is precisely
January 1, 2026
Election season in the Philippines has a familiar rhythm. Tarpaulins rise before the rain clouds do, surnames grow larger than platforms, and campaign jingles recycle promises that sound generous but feel oddly hollow. In many provinces, the choices look different only on paper. The same families rotate seats, swap positions, and
December 31, 2025
Spoiler Alert: This column discusses key scenes from Call Me Mother. Readers who prefer to watch the film first may wish to return after viewing. We went to Robinsons Jaro that Christmas evening fully intending to watch Avatar 3. It was a small family ritual—my daughter Parvane and I, a shared
December 30, 2025
The question sounds simple: Who was the first Filipino? The quick reply is a name. The steady reply is a map. Ask a classroom full of teachers and students, and ten answers will surface—Lapu-Lapu, José Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, a Negrito ancestor, even a fossil from a cave. None is absurd. Each
December 29, 2025
Whenever the Constitution enters public debate, a familiar tension appears. The tone subtly shifts from guidance to warning, as if reminding people to tread carefully. Ordinary citizens begin asking questions, and suddenly the conversation feels restricted – guarded by credentials, framed as technical, and quietly closed to many. The effect is
December 29, 2025
