Every February, I am reminded that National Arts Month exists not because I suddenly feel festive about art, but because the state itself once admitted, at least on paper, that artists matter, and yet here in Iloilo the month often arrives like background noise, faint, ignorable, and easy to dismiss
February 2, 2026
Every year, institutions such as Oxford Languages present a Word of the Year as an opportunity to introduce the public to a newly prominent term that reflects contemporary realities. This practice affirms that language is alive, dynamic, and responsive to social change. New words gain legitimacy when they capture shared
January 31, 2026
Yesterday, January 27, 2026, I found myself interrupted in the most productive and unexpected way. While seated at my table in the faculty room of UP High School in Iloilo, four young men approached me with a purpose that was both academic and quietly ambitious. They were students from Ateneo
January 29, 2026
Every year, when the Ani ng Dangal awards season comes around and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts once again fills our feeds and conversations, I feel a familiar discomfort rising. Alongside the congratulations and applause, an old question quietly but persistently returns: why do we, as Filipinos,
January 28, 2026
In truth, Dinagyang does not really end on the day the winning tribes are announced, nor when the last drumbeat fades at the Freedom Grandstand or the Sports Complex. The festival persists beyond spectacle. It continues in the everyday struggles of a city and a province attempting to lift themselves,
January 27, 2026
I agree with the discomfort behind the question of authenticity in the Dinagyang Festival, because the festival we witness today is undeniably far removed from the conditions that gave birth to it. Dinagyang has become something else entirely, and insisting that it must still conform to an “original” essence risks
January 26, 2026
When I turned thirty-five, my white hairs became more noticeable. What used to appear only on my head slowly began to show itself on my chest as well. The realization did not arrive suddenly, but it settled into my awareness with certainty, like a truth that could no longer be
January 23, 2026
In recent years, I have developed a habit that now feels essential to my daily survival. I always carry a book in my bag. I did not plan it as a lifestyle change. It simply happened when I noticed how quickly my mind slipped into restlessness whenever it had nothing
January 20, 2026
CineKasimanwa: The Western Visayas Film Festival 2026, now on its thirteenth installment, once again proves that regional cinema remains one of the most vital and honest spaces for cultural reflection in the Philippines. Its Dinagyang Edition, opening on January 15 with TM Malones’ Salum, positions itself not merely as a
January 16, 2026
The importance of Heated Rivalry to young Filipinos begins with its status as a widely discussed and trending series. Its success proves that long-form, emotionally complex queer narratives can thrive without being diluted, a lesson our local industry often underestimates. Reading this series from a Filipino perspective feels personal. Shane
January 15, 2026
