By Dr. Joseph D. Lim Brushing our teeth is such an ordinary part of daily life that we rarely stop to think about where the toothbrush came from. Yet this simple tool, essential for maintaining oral hygiene, has a fascinating history that spans thousands of years and multiple civilizations. The toothbrush, as we know it …
OPINION
False prophets galore!
By Fr. Roy Cimagala “Beware of false prophets!” (Matthew 7:15) That’s what Christ told his disciples. These days, this warning assumes a most urgent character, since we cannot deny that we are having many people who are presenting themselves as prophets and yet their messages can stir serious doubts in us. There is indeed a …
After the CHED hearing, what lingers?
By Herman M. Lagon There was something quietly uneasy about the May 5 CHED hearing on the reframing of General Education. Nothing dramatic, nothing confrontational — just a kind of feeling that stayed in the background. You could pick it up in how people spoke, a bit more measured than usual, in the slight pauses, …
‘Corned beef’ as dehumanizing language to mock activists’ deaths
By Dennis Gorecho Social media has recently been flooded with the dehumanizing term “corned beef,” used to mock the deaths of activists. On April 19, 2026, a military operation in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental, left 19 people dead. Among the casualties were student leader Alyssa Alano and land rights activist Maureen Keil Santuyo, both …
CHED and the balance we might lose
By Herman M. Lagon The May 5 CHED online hearing comes with a quiet kind of unease. Not loud, not dramatic — just there, in faculty rooms and in passing thoughts. The idea of cutting or reshaping General Education may look like a simple fix, but it feels like shifting something foundational midstream. It is …
Natural ‘miracle tree’ may help filter microplastics from drinking water: study
A plant long dubbed the “miracle tree” could offer a low-cost, eco-friendly solution to one of today’s most pressing environmental problems: microplastic contamination in drinking water. A recent study highlighted by CNN found that extracts from the seeds of Moringa oleifera can remove up to 98 percent of microplastics from tap water. Researchers from Brazil’s …
Job promotions for our teachers
By Sonny Angara A 2011 study by Harvard and Columbia University economists found that a good teacher — measured by how well their students improved in terms of test scores — imparts lifelong benefits. Using data on 2.5 million individuals over 20 years in a large urban district in the United States, the researchers concluded …
How to enter God’s kingdom
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Christ said it very clearly. “It is not anyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) Indeed, we always have to be open to God’s will and ways that oftentimes can be …
Women reveal battle with chronic leg fat condition
No matter how much she exercised or dieted, Aurelie Hamon’s legs have stubbornly amassed fat since adolescence, regularly causing her pain. “Walking for more than 20 minutes was impossible without feeling extremely heavy and a tightening sensation,” the 47-year-old French sales representative told AFP. Doctors kept telling her to get more exercise and eat less. …
Anti-corruption bodies must be protected from politicians
By Ade S. Fajardo In August 2018, Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang was ordered dismissed from the service. It was the Office of the President that issued the dismissal order despite prevailing jurisprudence at the time that the president has no power to dismiss a deputy ombudsman. The ombudsman, and by extension his or her …