By Herman M. Lagon The mood always shifts when someone cracks a hard truth with a grin. These days, one line has become shorthand in classrooms, sari-sari stores, FB posts, and jeepney queues: “We told them thusly.” Borrowed from “TBBT” Sheldon Cooper’s smug wit, it is less a taunt than a coping tool. Teachers mutter …
OPINION
Study: Rising temperatures slowing early childhood dev’t
Climate change, including extreme heat and frequent heat waves, is already known to harm ecosystems, agriculture and human health. New evidence now suggests that increasing temperatures may also slow key aspects of early childhood development, according to Science Daily. Published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, the study reports that children who experienced …
When patience runs thin
By Herman M. Lagon We all have them — those little things that poke at our patience until it wears dangerously thin. Maybe it’s the tita who cuts the line at the grocery. Or the beachgoer who treats the sand like their trash bin. To some, these may seem petty. But for those who value …
Why we rejoice in Advent
By Fr. Roy Cimagala The 3rd Sunday of Advent is usually dubbed as Gaudete Sunday (Rejoice Sunday) because the Entrance Antiphon of the Mass for that day starts with the joyful greeting, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:4-5) We are clearly encouraged to be happy as …
World’s 1st teen social media ban takes effect in Australia
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia’s implementation of the world-first ban on social media for children under 16 “is one of the biggest social and cultural changes,” stressing “enough is enough.” The ban took effect at midnight on Wednesday, December 10, with authorities ordering social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat …
A life saved: Gratitude to DMW and OWWA for rescuing nurse April Salvosa Andrade
By Ignacio R. Bunye In the span of just four days, a young Filipino nurse’s dream of working abroad turned into a nightmare of involuntary servitude. Yet, through the swift and compassionate intervention of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Nurse April was rescued from abuse in Turkiye …
Habits that hold the line
By Herman M. Lagon Productivity gets tossed around a lot — sometimes as a buzzword, sometimes as a pressure point. But at its core, as personal development blogger Celestine Chua (2022) and many like her remind us, it is not about doing more — it is about doing what matters. That hits harder when you …
New study suggests best way to stop taking antidepressants
The best way for people with depression to stop taking antidepressants once their condition improves is to slowly taper off the medication while also receiving psychological support, new research suggests. More than five percent of the global population is estimated to suffer from depression, according to the World Health Organization, and a range of drugs …
When was the last time you visited a dentist?
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim When was the last time you’ve seen the dentist? If you don’t remember, you are not probably seeing the dentist regularly. You’re not alone. In the United States, only six in 10 or 65 percent of adults had a dental exam or cleaning in the past year. The American Dental …
Blending humility with magnanimity and magnificence
By Fr. Roy Cimagala We have to be clear about the intimate relation between the virtues of humility, magnanimity and magnificence. Often these virtues are understood as somehow opposed to each other. Humility is often understood as projecting a low profile, hidden, passive, and kind of indifferent to the things around, especially the big, raging …