You hear it on a jeep from Lacson to Libertad or in a faculty room from Bacolod to Barotac: someone says she’s Negrense, slips into a Hiligaynon story, and a friend calls her Ilonggo. No one corrects anyone. The labels only get tricky when we stop them from moving. In real
October 17, 2025
You do not need to be an anthropologist to know that tsinelas—those humble, often weather-worn slippers—carry more than soles. For many of us, they carry memories. They are not just footwear. They are symbols of childhood, tools of discipline, signs of hardship, and even unexpected sources of authority. Who could forget
October 16, 2025
In a world that often turns to titles, uniforms, and reputations for reassurance, it’s easy to assume that those in power must always be right. We’re taught early to trust the doctor, the teacher, the elder, the politician. But sometimes, our trust goes too far—crossing into blind faith. That’s where the
October 15, 2025
No matter how modern or high-tech the workplace, the “sipsip” still survives—the yes-man, the brown-noser, the constant flatterer. They never miss a chance to admire the boss’s ideas or agree with every plan. It feels polite at first, even team-spirited. But unchecked, it turns the office into a contest of charm
October 14, 2025
The Senate says it dislikes drama, yet the past weeks have felt like prestige TV—alliances shifting by the hour, a throne that never stays warm, cliff-hangers you wish you could rewind. Ping Lacson walked away from the blue ribbon chair mid–flood-control probe; Chiz Escudero is out, Tito Sotto is in; Alan
October 13, 2025
There are quiet policies, and there are loud ones that hit people in the gut. The Civil Service Commission’s move to grant eligibility to Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials who finish their terms feels like the second kind. On paper, it honors youth service and invites young people into government. Look closer,
October 11, 2025
There’s a certain rightness in putting Miriam Defensor-Santiago in La Paz Plaza. The Iloilo City Council’s unanimous push for a statue is more than nostalgia—it’s a civics lesson cast in bronze. Placing her where she once hurried to class, valedictorian ribbon fluttering, reminds every student and teacher that greatness can grow
October 10, 2025
There are thank-you notes, and then there are full-bodied letters written with every drop of gratitude one can pull from memory. This is the latter. After all, how do you simply say “salamat” to something that shaped the very architecture of your professional life? When I received news back in 2008
October 9, 2025
Once upon a time, poorly written essays made teachers sigh. These days, they make teachers smile. A clumsy sentence or an awkward phrasing now feels like proof of something human—unpolished, yes, but unprompted. In 2025, many educators have come to quietly cherish the mess, especially in a world where ChatGPT can
October 8, 2025
The moment I stepped into Healthway (Qualimed) for my colonoscopy, I felt the usual mix of nerves, surrender, and curiosity. It was not my first time—gastroenterologist Dr. Ramel Ramon Balbastro also handled my procedure back in 2020 at St. Paul’s Hospital—but every screening feels personal. In my family, colon cancer is
October 8, 2025
Floods do not wait for paperwork. When rain slams Iloilo. Bacolod, or Manila, you either have working drainage or you do not. That is why Senator Bam Aquino’s push to put the national budget on a blockchain ledger feels worth hearing out. The promise is plain enough for taxpayers who are
October 7, 2025
Not all rebels come with fists raised or flags waving. Some walk into empires quietly—armed not with armies, but with a compass, a mind full of Euclid, and the grit to wait. Matteo Ricci, a mathematician-priest at heart, did just that. In 1582, this Italian Jesuit stepped into Ming China not
October 6, 2025