By Fr. Roy Cimagala We all have reason to be always hopeful and even optimistic despite the ugliest fears and worries we may have in our life. And that reason can only be that we can always count on God who is all powerful. Not only that, he truly cares for us, though in ways …
OPINION
Urgent action needed to respond to global health financing emergency —WHO
Urgent action is required to address a growing global crisis in financing vital health systems, as countries grapple with towering debt and plummeting aid, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The United Nations agency launched guidance for countries on how to counter the immediate and long-term effects of the sudden and severe cuts to external …
Identifying the cyber author
By Ade S. Fajardo A man and his girlfriend had been in a relationship for three years. The romance ended when the woman became pregnant but refused to join the man in marriage. Probably realizing the man’s shortcomings by then, she decided to live with her parents. The man reacted negatively. In one visit, the …
Fat dynasties, thin democracy
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 …
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 …