How faithful are we, really, to this ordinance as a city? Who follows it, who ignores it, and most importantly—why? When Iloilo passed its plastic ban ordinance, the news was greeted with cheers, hashtags, and perhaps even a few dramatic sighs of relief. Finally, a progressive city! Finally, we are
August 28, 2025
When the world shut down in 2020, life as we knew it changed overnight. Plans were put on hold, routines disrupted, and for many, the quietness of isolation was overwhelming. But for a small group of Filipino writers, the pandemic sparked something unexpected, a burst of creativity and connection that
August 27, 2025
There is an image that remains vivid in my memory from the height of the pandemic: hundreds of bicycles moving along Iloilo’s Diversion Road, each rider a fragment of a collective dream. Cycling then was not merely transportation; it was a rediscovery of freedom, freedom from traffic, from dependence on
August 26, 2025
The idea of building separate restrooms for trans people often comes up as a “solution.” On the surface, it sounds progressive, an attempt to create a safe space. But in reality, it echoes a dangerous philosophy we know too well: “separate but equal.” In practice, these facilities are rarely equal.
August 25, 2025
On August 20, I was invited by the National Book Development Board (NBDB) to speak at the 3rd Book Nook Conference in Iloilo City. The invitation alone was an honor, but standing there, sharing stories from Iloilo and Guimaras with fellow workers in culture was more than a privilege. It
August 23, 2025
This was the question I kept asking myself after our visit yesterday, August 18, with Sir Al of Room to Read, to the Ati community in Kati-Kati, Guimaras. Room to Read is planning to establish a library there and to donate books that would benefit the community, especially the Ati
August 20, 2025
Let me begin with an apology because today’s column is not for the faint of heart. I am about to talk about poop. Not the kind of figurative “political poop” we usually complain about, but the very real, smelly, stomach-churning kind. Yesterday, August 17, a pile of it was discovered
August 19, 2025
When I first stepped into my Filipino 7 classrooms at U.P. High School in Iloilo, I expected the usual mix of nervous smiles, shy introductions, and the occasional burst of confidence from students eager to impress their new teacher. What I did not expect, however, was to meet several 12-year-olds
August 18, 2025
When I first learned about Sumakwelan Iloilo, Inc., I realized something we often forget during Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa: the story of our national literature is not, and has never been, centered in Manila alone. The Philippines is an archipelago not just of islands but of languages, each with its
August 14, 2025
Let’s be honest. Working out without music is like sinigang without the sourness, bland, uninspired, and frankly, a little depressing. For someone like me who hits the gym almost every day (with only two sacred rest days per week), music isn’t just background noise. It’s a workout companion, a hype
August 13, 2025
