By Herman M. Lagon We have a way of laughing even when the news feels like a slap. My prediction since 2022 is captured in two words: “Popcorn, please.” It is the kind of line you throw when the plot becomes predictable yet too juicy to miss. Only this time, the screen is not in …
OPINION
The danger of being trapped by our human laws
By Fr. Roy Cimagala We, of course, need laws. Otherwise, our world would be in chaos. But we have to learn the different kinds of laws and know the importance, coverage and effectiveness of these laws. Offhand, we can distinguish between divine law and human law, the natural law, which more or less governs the …
No more alter accounts? Social media user verification mulled
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said there is now an ongoing discussion on requiring social media users to register or be verified, a measure that rights groups criticized and that was eventually thumbed down by then-President Rodrigo Duterte in 2022. This proposal is similar to the SIM registration, which mandates SIM users …
Manila Bay reclamation: A test of governance
By Ignacio R. Bunye When the rains come, Manila drowns. Streets turn into rivers, homes into islands. Ordinary Filipinos know this pain too well. Now imagine adding concrete walls across the bay, choking its natural flow. That’s what reclamation threatens to do. Church leaders, fisherfolk and civic groups are right: this is not just about …
Why no noon breaks matter
By Herman M. Lagon There is a quiet kind of joy in ticking off a full list of government errands in one afternoon. Not because it happens often, but because when it does, it feels like a miracle. No fixer needed. No dramatic sighs. Just systems that actually work — like when government offices stick …
UK mulls social media ban for children: No option ‘off the table’
Britain will consider tightening rules on children’s use of social media with no option “off the table,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, warning that they risked being pulled into “a world of endless scrolling, anxiety and comparison.” Starmer said his Labour government was prepared to take “robust action,” a day after it said it …
Your gums and heart rhythm
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim There is danger lurking in your gums, new research from Hiroshima University shows. It’s the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) that causes gum disease, according to the study published in the medical journal Circulation. The bacterium can travel in the bloodstream and enter the heart where it can cause atrial …
The constant danger of treachery and betrayal
By Fr. Roy Cimagala That Bible episode about King David and his rebellious son, Absalom, (cfr. 2 Samuel 18:9 – 19:3) perpetuates the narrative that treachery and betrayal will always be with us for as long as we live. Even at the start of creation, some of the angels, headed by Lucifer, rebelled against God. …
Resolutions: On the romanticism of reading
Humanity has a collective habit of trying to change at the beginning of each cycle: whether it’s an annual summer bucket list, or the beginning of a new semester or quarter, or the start of a new relationship, we all try to put new beginnings to good use. Perhaps the most popular example of this …
Aswang in UP Lantern Parade as symbol of corruption
By Dennis Gorecho Vibrant floats of Filipino folklore monsters as symbols of corruption flooded the academic oval of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman during the annual Lantern Parade last December 17, 2025. The 103-year-old tradition was kept alive as more than 30 lanterns were showcased. The College of Fine Arts’ (CFA) “Maligno sa …