We like to think our Sunday worship bleeds into Monday’s choices. Yet time and again, many devout followers brandish their rosaries at Mass only to cast ballots for patrons whose pockets, not principles, line their campaign coffers. This contradiction between faith and vote did not spring up overnight. It has deep
May 11, 2025
There was something poetic about learning logic in the 1990s at 5 p.m., with the sun yawning over the University of Iloilo’s old engineering building—the same one now turned into a hotel. Our professor, a fiscal lawyer whose name has faded into the margins of my memory, walked into our TTh
May 10, 2025
Truth is not a trending hashtag. It does not dance on TikTok or shout over a loudspeaker in the middle of a barangay basketball court. It does not come wrapped in tarpaulins with faces the size of jeepneys. Truth, as historian Yuval Noah Harari reminds us, is often painful, complicated, and,
May 9, 2025
If the trapo were a character in a teleserye, he would be the kind who smiles with pressed palms in public, but snatches the last piece of lechon backstage. The kind who cries on cue, kisses babies for likes, and says “public service” like a punchline. Yet, the real punch is
May 8, 2025
When a five-year-old girl and a 29-year-old man were struck down by a rogue SUV at NAIA Terminal 1, it was not just a car crash—it was a verdict on our public safety. We like to believe that simple fixtures—a bollard here, a railing there—stand between life and ruin. As a
May 7, 2025
Name recall may be enough if we elect someone to regulate pedicab fares or rename a porch in a barangay sitio. But when we are electing a senator, someone with national oversight, impeachment powers, and control over billions in public funds, we cannot afford to treat it like a popularity contest.
May 6, 2025
In a country that consistently struggles to perform in global science and math assessments, one would expect its education system to ensure that only the best-prepared professionals handle these subjects. But reality, backed by hard data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), tells a far more disturbing story:
May 5, 2025
Something is profoundly wrong when 18 million high school graduates leave school with diplomas but cannot fully read a news article, understand a public sign, or follow basic job instructions. That is not just a statistic; it is a quiet national crisis. According to the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass
May 3, 2025
Now that the West Philippine Sea is finally getting the attention it deserves, perhaps it is time we shift our gaze eastward. Beyond Luzon, in waters quieter but just as consequential, lies the Philippine Rise, also known as Benham Rise. And while our collective energy has largely been consumed by the
May 2, 2025
There are days when the stars seem to align for you in the most unexpected places—even in government offices. Last week was one of those days. With a packed checklist in my hand, fueled by cautious optimism and a bottle of cold water, I braved the maze of getting my cedula
May 1, 2025
In a time when the world once again looks to the Sistine Chapel for divine smoke signals—this time following Pope Francis’s passing last week—the name of Cardinal Luis Antonio “Chito” Tagle quietly echoes through the marble halls of the Vatican and the hearts of many Filipino faithful. At 67, the former
April 30, 2025
Love comes in all shades, flavors, and intensities—something Netflix’s “When Life Gives You Tangerines” illustrates profoundly well. On the surface, the series captivates with the romantic tale of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, characters played brilliantly by IU and Park Bo-gum. But peel back the layers, and you will see how the drama
April 29, 2025