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 …
Speaking Out
The Black Nazarene: Why millions walk every January 9
By Ignacio R. Bunye Every January 9, Manila becomes a city transformed. Streets that usually echo with jeepneys, vendors and office workers are swallowed by a sea of humanity. Barefoot men push forward, women clutch rosaries, children ride on their fathers’ shoulders, and elderly devotees lean on companions. All surge toward one image: the Black …
When celebration turns to tragedy: Lessons from Switzerland — and a painful echo from Ozone
By Ignacio R. Bunye The New Year fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland — a blaze that killed dozens of young people in a basement bar — shocked a nation known for order, discipline and safety. But for Filipinos, the tragedy carries an even deeper resonance. It echoes a night we have never fully forgotten: March 18, …
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 …
P6.794 trillion and counting: Will the budget finally reach the barangay?
By Ignacio R. Bunye The 2026 national budget — set for ratification on December 29 — is the biggest in our history: P6.794 trillion. That’s P18.6 billion every single day, or P775 million every hour. On paper, it promises everything: classrooms, calamity response, rice subsidies, railways. But one question refuses to go away: Will this …
Same old names, same old games
By Ignacio R. Bunye Walk down any provincial capitol or city hall in the Philippines and ask who’s in charge. Chances are, the surname will sound familiar — because it’s the same family name that’s been plastered on campaign posters for decades. That’s the reality of political dynasties: Families treating public office like family property, …
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 …
Marcos siblings’ rift explodes in public
By Ignacio R. Bunye A dramatic family feud within the country’s most powerful dynasty burst into public view last week, as Senator Imee Marcos accused her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., of illegal drug use during a rally in Manila. Her remarks at the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s anti‑corruption gathering at Quirino Grandstand drew immediate denials …
Requiem for Juan Ponce Enrile
By Ignacio R. Bunye Juan Ponce Enrile, who passed away on November 13, 2025 at the age of 101, leaves behind a legacy as complex and enduring as the nation he served. His death at home in Manila, surrounded by family, marked the close of a chapter that spanned nearly every presidency since Philippine independence. …
Yacht race with a bold environmental mission
By Ignacio R. Bunye As the sails unfurl for the third season of the BPI Private Wealth Signature Yacht Race Series, the event has evolved into more than just a showcase of nautical prowess — it’s now a beacon of marine conservation and environmental advocacy. Sailing with purpose: A legacy of stewardship Launched in 2023, …