When people stop taking the new generation of weight-loss drugs, they pile back on the kilos four times faster than they would after ending diet and exercise regimes, new research found. But this was mostly because they lost so much weight in the first place, according to the British researchers who conducted the largest and …
OPINION
A way to look into bank accounts?
By Ade S. Fajardo A detainee at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, has come out with a sworn statement claiming that he is a founding member of the Inday Sara Duterte Is My President (ISIP), which was formed in 2020 in preparation for the 2022 presidential elections. Ramil Madriaga has submitted an affidavit to the …
The quiet story of job orders
The year began quietly, over a canteen breakfast. There were no speeches or resolutions — just hot coffee, cold Coke Sakto and the familiar, careful conversation of job order friends. Someone joked about holiday weight gain. Another spoke, with relief, about a child returning to school. For a moment, there was gratitude — work would …
How to take care of one’s digital well-being
The new year is a time when many people set new goals and make resolutions, whether it is visiting new places or trying out new hobbies. For those aiming for a healthier lifestyle this 2026, improving digital well-being is also something worth considering. It deals with the mental, emotional and physical health implications of interacting …
When tourism becomes personal branding
By Herman M. Lagon The criticism directed towards a magazine cover that featured Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco was never primarily about photography, layout or even a single publication. It struck a deeper nerve because it echoed a familiar frustration: When public institutions slowly begin to resemble personal billboards, people notice. This is not because we …
Toughness needed to face life’s challenges
By Fr. Roy Cimagala That’s what the readings in Ordinary Time remind us of. From the Book of Job, we are already warned that our life here on earth is some kind of a warfare. (cfr. Job 7:1) And St. Paul in the Second Reading also tells us that we have to learn to be …
DOH: Guarantee letters not required for admission to public hospital wards
The Department of Health (DOH) has clarified that guarantee letters from elected officials are not required for patients seeking admission into basic or ward accommodations at DOH-run hospitals. For years, the issuance of guarantee letters by mayors, congressmen and other elected officials has become common practice to help constituents cover medical expenses — so much …
When celebration turns to tragedy: Lessons from Switzerland — and a painful echo from Ozone
By Ignacio R. Bunye The New Year fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland — a blaze that killed dozens of young people in a basement bar — shocked a nation known for order, discipline and safety. But for Filipinos, the tragedy carries an even deeper resonance. It echoes a night we have never fully forgotten: March 18, …
Standing for Fr. Flavie
By HERMAN M. LAGON There are moments when public silence becomes a form of laziness. Not neutrality, not prudence, but the quieter vice of letting noise do the work, so one does not have to. This is one of those moments. I am usually critical of institutions, including the Catholic institution I remain part of. …
What is ‘super flu’? Is last year’s vaccine still effective against it?
What is super flu, and is last year’s vaccine still effective against it? Officially termed subclade K, the super flu is a new variant of influenza A (H3N2) and has been sweeping parts of the globe in recent months. Subclade K viruses had been detected in more than 34 countries over the last six months, …