By Herman M. Lagon The chart is blunt. You do not even need to read the footnotes to feel uneasy. Provinces with the highest share of what scholars call fat political dynasties are also places where poverty, weak institutions and fragile public services have long felt familiar. The bars stretch longer where hope often feels …
OPINION
Filipino time: Why we should break the habit of being notoriously late
From the car-jammed streets of Metro Manila, to an unending list of household chores, all the way to being outrageously cornered by nosy neighbors, Filipinos never seem to run out of excuses for being late, whether for a casual meetup or, worse, for serious business transactions. For years, the trait of being notoriously late has …
Trending slang words we should know
By Herman M. Lagon Let us begin with a confession: Once, while trying to decode what my students meant when they said something was “mid,” I found myself scrolling through Facebook with a furrowed brow and a browser history full of Urban Dictionary tabs. Somewhere between “cap,” “no cap” and “cringe,” I realized I was …
Lessons we can learn from the Epiphany
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Definitely, the main lesson we can learn from the Solemnity of the Epiphany when we commemorate the visit of the Three Magi to the newborn Jesus is that Jesus is meant to be the redeemer, not only to the Jews, regarded as the chosen people of God, but also to the …
Voices from the waiting shed: What Filipinos wish for this New Year
By Ignacio R. Bunye As the year ends, the country feels noisy again. Headlines compete for attention — a record-breaking national budget, traffic that refuses to move, and yet another scandal that leaves people shaking their heads. But outside the news cycle, in the places where most Filipinos actually live, the hopes for the new …
Routine and new initiatives
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Happy New Year, everyone! As we open another year, let us first of all be thankful for everything that took place in the last year, regardless of what color they came, and look forward to this new year with great desire to do a lot of good things. We certainly have …
The case vs. political dynasty
By Herman M. Lagon Election season in the Philippines has a familiar rhythm. Tarpaulins rise before the rain clouds do, surnames grow larger than platforms, and campaign jingles recycle promises that sound generous but feel oddly hollow. In many provinces, the choices look different only on paper. The same families rotate seats, swap positions and …
Gregoria de Jesus as ‘lakambini’ of the Philippine Revolution
By Dennis Gorecho All that I knew about Gregoria de Jesus is that she was the wife of revolutionary Gat Andres Bonifacio, or Mrs. Andres Bonifacio. Then I recently saw “Lakambini: Gregoria de Jesus” when it was screened at the University of the Philippines Film Center. It is a 2025 meta-docufiction film directed by Arjanmar …
Who was the first Filipino?
By Herman M. Lagon The question sounds simple: Who was the first Filipino? The quick reply is a name. The steady reply is a map. Ask a classroom full of teachers and students, and 10 answers will surface — Lapu-Lapu, José Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, a Negrito ancestor, even a fossil from a cave. None is …
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 …