By Dr. Joseph D. Lim Think brushing teeth is just for show? To make your teeth appear pearly white and your smile perfect? Well, yes. But it goes beyond esthetics. Think about this: According to our Department of Health’s Dental Health Program, oral disease continues to be a serious public health problem in the country. …
OPINION
Between populist and principled politics
By Herman M. Lagon When Rodrigo Duterte stepped down from Malacañang and Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. took over, a profound paradox emerged and shaped the country’s political narrative. The global tendency towards strongman leadership, which frequently muddies the lines between populism, authoritarianism and democratic values, is reflected in this transition, which is representative of the country’s …
Sunflower Run as a campaign on empowerment of women, children
By Dennis Gorecho On March 29, 1984, Proclamation No. 2346 was enacted declaring April 30 as “Woman Suffrage Day” to enable Filipino women to “renew their advocacy and support for clean, honest and free elections and pursue with greater zeal their efforts towards this direction.” It was on April 30, 1937 when Filipino women exercised suffrage …
Christian leaven and the Metaverse
By Fr. Roy Cimagala We have a tremendous challenge with the coming of the new digital platform called the Metaverse. It is supposed to be the Internet’s next frontier focusing on virtual and augmented reality, which is really quite a development. Like any development in the world, Metaverse offers us tremendous advantages, but we should …
Showcasing PH history, culture through art at Venice Biennale
By Sonny Angara For the fifth straight time, the Philippines is taking part in the La Biennale Di Venezia or the Venice Biennale. Now in its 60th year, the Venice Biennale is arguably the most prestigious and famous international art festival. A total of 88 nations will take part in the 2024 festival, including new …
Ode of defiance in ‘Dog Eaters’
By Herman M. Lagon As the lights dimmed at Cinema Exmundo in UP Visayas Cinematheque this Friday, April 19, anticipation coursed through the audience at the Leoncio P. Deriada Conference on Literature and Cultural Work. The spotlight was on Kevin Piamonte’s “Dog Eaters,” a film that transcends mere adaptation to powerfully reimagine Leoncio Deriada’s …
Word war over Ayungin
By Ade S. Fajardo What is EEZ? EEZ stands for “exclusive economic zone.” Under the Unclos, or the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the EEZ is an area of the ocean extending up to 200 nautical miles, or 370 kilometers from a country’s coastal baseline. What can a country do in …
The little things as a way to God
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Make no mistake about this. The little, ordinary things of our daily life can and should be pathways to reach and be with God. This truth of our Christian faith has been amply proclaimed by Christ in many of the parables he used to describe how the kingdom of God is. …
Wanted, real senators!
By Herman M. Lagon We stand at a crossroads in the 2025 senatorial elections, influenced by the appeal of celebrities and the pressing need for efficient leadership. The names that have been popular in recent polls are more easily recognized in the entertainment industry than in legislative discussions and policymaking. This tendency highlights a …
Tongue scraping
By Joseph Lim Brushing or scraping the tongue helps rid bacteria in the mouth. As in many things in life, there is a downside to the beneficial effects of tongue scraping. And it has something to do with bacteria in the oral microbiome. The microbiome is a “community” of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, benign viruses, …