By Ignacio R. Bunye In the past week, Manila’s media has been ablaze with stories that range from impeachment raps against high officials to rising unemployment figures, from corporate scandals to leadership conferences promising “authentic communication.” For many ordinary Filipinos, however, the question is simple: How do these headlines touch our daily lives? Politics and …
OPINION
Robin’s ‘weak’ swipe at youth
At a Senate hearing meant to protect young Filipinos online, the conversation drifted in a strange direction. Instead of data or policy, Senator Robin Padilla opened with a blunt line: the youth today are “weak.” He said it almost apologetically, like an uncle at a reunion who knows his remark might sting. He compared them …
Why do we do crazy things when we’re in love?
“People always do crazy things when they’re in love.” That’s what Meg told Hercules in the Disney movie after she pushed him to safety, saving him from the falling pillar and taking the hit herself. You don’t have to be a Disney fanatic to relate to the feeling. Butterflies in your stomach, the quick …
Ancient teeth reveal new human species (Part 1)
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim Teeth millions of years old reveal a new human species, turning the story of evolution upside down. The new unknown branch of humanity from the depths of time cannot be named yet based on the teeth alone. More fossils are needed before that can happen, reports Arizona State University (ASU), …
Promotion by quiet pressure
By Herman M. Lagon It often resurfaces like a classroom leak nobody wants to claim: officials say there is no “mass promotion,” teachers say there is, and learners quietly move up a grade level carrying the same gaps like an old backpack. The denial is often technically correct in the narrowest sense. There is no …
Our daily work should be an expression of love
By Fr. Roy Cimagala When Christ told his disciples that the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind, after which the good fishes are separated from the bad ones, (cfr. Matthew 13:47-53) we are clearly reminded that there is such thing as a general judgment …
MMFF films on law as tool for justice and dignity
By Dennis Gorecho The 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) highlighted legal and societal issues through films that showed law as a tool for justice and dignity. The films “Bar Boys,” “Call Me Mother,” “Manila’s Finest,” “I’mPerfect,” and “Unmarry” showcased diverse legal realities focusing on issues like adoption, human rights, family law, and corruption reflecting …
EDSA: A school day for democracy
By Herman M. Lagon By February each year, a familiar dilemma returns to schools: Should February 25 be treated like any other busy day, complete with quizzes and late submissions, or should it become a moment to slow down and remember something larger than the day’s lesson plan. As the 40th anniversary of EDSA approaches, …
Invisible threat: How microplastics are polluting our cities and bodies
After previous studies detected microplastics in Laguna de Bay, milkfish and even drinking water, researchers at the Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) have raised fresh concerns — this time over the presence of microplastics in road dust. Their study, published in 2024 in the Philippine Journal of Science, examined the quantity …
Our slow justice system
By Sonny Angara For decades, many have decried how our justice system runs slowly and inefficiently. Despite our Constitution’s directive that every accused has the right, not only to a speedy trial, but also to the speedy judgment or disposition of their cases, sadly it’s already taken as a fact of life that the wheels …