By Dennis Gorecho “Linog! Linog!” Those were the words I heard while talking over the phone with Father Victor Bompat of Stella Maris in Tagbilaran, Bohol, at 8:12 a.m. on October 15, 2013. A few moments later, social media was flooded with reports that a magnitude 7.2 earthquake had struck Bohol and nearby provinces. It …
OPINION
The viral Senate
By Herman M. Lagon What makes Philippine politics uniquely exhausting is that sometimes the punchline writes itself before critics even begin speaking. The recent Senate reshuffle following the takeover of the new majority under Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano gave Filipinos another season of what increasingly feels like political situational comedy. Robinhood “Robin” Padilla heading …
How climate change is driving extreme weather events
Global temperatures in 2024 exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial era for the first time, bringing the world closer to breaching the pledge governments made under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, according to scientists. The World Meteorological Organization confirmed the 1.5 degrees Celsius breach, after reviewing data from US, UK, Japan, and EU scientists. …
Towards a more inclusive education system
By Sonny Angara The Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the “Inclusive Education” Act, which aims to institutionalize a policy of inclusion and services for learners with disabilities (LWD) across the country’s education sector. The measure languished in the legislative mill for many years. No less than my late father, former Senate President …
The temporal aspect of the Church’s mission
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Given the obvious fact that the Church has to carry out its spiritual and supernatural mission in an earthly and temporal setting, it behooves everyone of us in the Church, both clerics and lay who should work in the spirit of coordinated and synergized synodality, to see to it that we …
WHO declares int’l emergency as Ebola outbreak kills more than 80 in DR Congo
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international health emergency on Sunday, May 17, over an outbreak of an Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has killed more than 80 and for which there is no vaccine. Fears of further spread grew when a laboratory on Sunday confirmed a case in …
Misleading scare tactics?
By Ade S. Fajardo Why is there a subpoena all of a sudden against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa? Last Sunday, no less than Secretary Jonvic Remulla of the Department of the Interior and Local Government announced the issuance of the subpoena. “It’s all related to the 100-plus complaints of EJK [extrajudicial killings] that occurred …
Logic lessons from Sara’s impeachment
By Herman M. Lagon A quick apology in advance for the length of this piece. Perhaps the article became this long after watching nearly an entire day of congressional speeches this Monday — where logic, emotion, theater, constitutional law, and political survival all collided in one livestream. Ironically, this also comes at a time when …
Pensioners’ perks in Belgium
By Emmanuel Canto I came across an article about the perks given by the Belgian government to its senior citizens when they reach the age of 65. In Belgium, I believe the age of a person to be considered a pensioner is 65. Here in the Philippines, that is a mandatory retirement age. But when …
Bridging the gendered gap
By Herman M. Lagon It is easy to cheer for progress — especially when numbers say we are doing well. The country has often ranked high in gender equality lists, topping Southeast Asia at times. We have had women in politics, laws like the Magna Carta for Women, and a visible female presence in public …