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01 April, 2026

Sometimes, silence arrives before anything dares to make a sound. It curls into corners, bends habits, and shapes what is possible long before a word is spoken.

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Political Dynasty Cloaked in the Language of Reform

31 March, 2026

It begins like a script everyone has read before—because the ending was written long before the first vote was cast.

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Brainrot Culture or Broken System?

31 March, 2026

Skibidi, brainrot, rizz, and gyatt. These are the words kids are picking up nowadays because of platforms like Roblox and similar online spaces. Yes, it may sound funny and harmless at first. To me, they show how fast young minds absorb whatever they see online without fully understanding it.

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The finish line: a win or a loss?

25 March, 2026

In politics, timing is everything. After the 2022 elections, Philippine politics may still appear peaceful, but the race for the next president may already be on. Vice President Sara Duterte declared her intention to run as the president of the Philippines in the 2028 national elections in February 2026—a declaration made two years before the official campaign season even begins.

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Beneath the skyline

20 March, 2026

Cities rise like forests of steel, but somewhere beneath their shadows are families still living under roofs as fragile as fallen leaves.

Truth be told, cities are storms of concrete, and for decades, thousands of Filipino families have survived them in houses built like paper boats, drifting through urban tides that rarely slow for the poor.

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The Price to Pay for Gas

20 March, 2026

Does the phrase “Iran is weeks away from developing nuclear weapons” sound familiar? Because it is. It’s the same thing they've been saying for years about Iran, claiming that the country is a threat, but is it really?

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More Than 5 Minutes

12 March, 2026

“Mic check 1, 2, 3!”

A line that signals you’re ready to voice the truth beyond the headlines.

Last year, I often viewed radio broadcasting as both grandiose and austere—five minutes of airtime to deliver the news seemed short yet demanding. It made me realize how essential it is to learn to gauge time and stay aware of whether you’re going over or falling short of your goals.

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Is Living Abroad the Answer?

12 March, 2026

A new country—higher salary and a better life. A fresh start to somewhere “better.” A belief that opportunity increases the moment you land.

Global cities are often known as gateways to reinvention. New address, new identity, new possibilities. For many, that promise is real.

Photo via Dreamstime

After the bucket empties

12 March, 2026

We are obsessed with maps for lives we cannot navigate.

In that obsession, we line up desires like markers, imagining that if we plot enough points, the terrain will submit—that time will obey, that fulfillment will feel reachable, and that direction will seem certain, even as that confidence remains fragile.

Photo via iStock

The Other Side of the Window

18 February, 2026

As a lad who grew up in Baliuag, I find myself venturing into the head-turning cityscape of Metro Manila which requires traveling to get by, and how it’s unavoidable to commute, whether by bus or jeepney. However, for greater efficiency and convenience, I choose to ride the Light Rail Transit (LRT).

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Not if, but how

08 February, 2026

Picture this: In the near future, artificial intelligence will be so powerful that it will start to shape our work, learning, and decisions. Will it save humanity or change what it means to be human?

Presently, chalkboards are slowly being replaced by visual screens, notebooks by tablets, and now, even lessons are being touched up by AI. Something that used to seem like science fiction has subtly entered our classrooms.

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Guidance Not Included

02 February, 2026

Growing up in a run-of-the-mill, strict Filipino household, I despised how almost the entirety of my formative years revolved around the need for constant safekeeping.

Bedtime curfew, no gadgets on school days, the threat of a supposed white van anticipating my doom when I go outside, barely having anyone allowed to play with me—and I wonder why I’ve grown so anxious. But then again, seeing as how the children of today are so liberated in causing ruckus in everyday peace, I suppose I’m somewhat grateful to have been treated like an inmate.

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Make America Mute Again

29 December 2025

The Trump administration has banned almost 200 words and phrases from being used in any official capacity by any U.S. Government agency. Every agency, including educational, clean energy, inclusivity, disability, and health programs across the United States.

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The art of still becoming

20 December 2025

You were not meant to live every life; you were meant to live yours fully. You were not made to do it all; you were made to do what matters. If we could do it all, we would never learn the art of choosing what truly matters.

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The cost of hesitation

23 November 2025

ASEAN is tearing down trade barriers while the Philippines risks building walls of hesitation.

Across ASEAN, the most powerful economic shifts rarely make headlines — they happen quietly, in tariff schedules and trade protocols. Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia have all made decisive moves toward 0% tariffs, signaling a regional race toward borderless commerce. The message conveyed is clear: in a world built on supply chains, friction is fatal.

Seedling Growth

19 November 2025

As a middle-class citizen, I often find myself pinned to the local “tindahan,” a small store bustling with everyday essentials and fresh produce. Yet, with each visit, I notice a burdening pattern: prices rise and supplies shrink—gradually, relentlessly.

Photo via Philippine News Agency

New pledges, but full of edges

19 November 2025

“Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Mukha” — a jingle that is full of promise and catches the Filipinos' minds to vote for President Bongbong Marcos, it echoed from radios, televisions, and social media platforms. As we, Filipinos, believe that in contrast to our nation's previous leaders, those lines will alter and modernize the Philippine economy. It talks of change and revitalization of an economy poised for growth and battle on this global battlefield.

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So far, so flawed

11 November 2025

“We do not have the luxury to be purists, but as long as we keep settling for almost-good, almost-bad governance, our nation will mirror that mediocrity: Forever almost what it could have been."

Photo via Yale HRL

Blood For Gold

10 November 2025

“I will never have mercy; our job is only killing” — Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander Abu Lulu’s response to an unarmed captive pleading for mercy. The fighter then executed the unarmed man casually with a rifle.

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DynaCracy

06 November 2025

As the year draws to an end, the Philippines once again finds itself reflecting on another election that promised change — yet delivered the same familiar faces. Despite the hope for transformation, the cycle continues: political power remains concentrated in the hands of a few families who have long treated public office as their inheritance. Our democracy, once envisioned as a government “of the people, by the people, for the people,” now seems more like a democracy of the elite, sustained by dynastic rule.

Illustration by Chloe Kumi Cruz

Grounds shaken, families unbroken

30 October 2025

In the recent months and weeks, the Philippines has been rattled by extremely powerful earthquakes. One earthquake after another, one life destroyed after another. Roofs have collapsed, walls have fallen, and entire towns have been emotionally and physically shaken to their foundations. Nevertheless, the Filipino family ties endure despite all the dust, debris, and destruction.

Disenyo ni Gabrielle Emilie De Lara

Butil ng pag-asa

27 October 2025

Isang tanong na paulit-ulit na bumabagabag sa tuwing panahon ng anihan, kung kailan ang pag-asang itinanim ay nalulunod sa mababang halaga ng palay. Habang tila sagana ang mga bukirin, salat pa rin sila sa kita. Sa murang bentahan ng palay, tila sila’y lugi sa bawat ani.

Illustration by Jairah Puno

Is the school environment healthy?

27 October 2025

When we picture a school, some of us, especially adults, tend to say that it is a good place. A place of happiness. This is where a person could learn, but sometimes, it isn’t. Why, you might ask?

Illustrated by Alliyah Quizon

One by one, the cameras cut out

15 October 2025

I watched the livestream, I watched as the camera feeds lost signal, and another boat took its place on the livestream, only to lose signal again. Until no more cameras were available, and the livestream ended.

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Nourishment for the tax-eaters

14 October 2025

The ghost flood control projects that were led by the 15 contractors are now being brought into the light. One of the contractors that was called out for building substandard infrastructures is St. Timothy Construction Corporation, which is allegedly owned by a politician.

Dibuho ni Eko Maria Manaloto

Posas ng Kalayaan

13 Oktubre, 2025

Ang tindig ko ay malinaw—ang kapangyarihan ay nasa kamay ng mamamayan, kaagapay ang boses ng dumadagundong na panawagan para sa isang mayabong na bayan, dapat managot ang mga nang-abuso na nagkukubli sa imahe ng pagiging bayani ng pinagkaitan na lipunan.

Disenyo ni Gabrielle Emilie De Lara

Hindi kailanman magiging solusyon ang dahas

26 September, 2025

Lahat ng mamamayan ay may karapatang lumaban para sa kanilang kapakanan at kinabukasan. Hindi maikakaila na ang kanilang hangarin ay makamit ang katarungan at simulan ang pagbabago. Gayunpaman, dahil sa labis na paghahangad, tila nakakalimot na sila sa kanilang mga limitasyon — hindi na pinag-iisipan nang mabuti ang mga aksyong ginagawa, na sa halip na makatulong sa protesta ay lalo pang nagpalala sa sitwasyon.

Disenyo ni Gabrielle Emilie De Lara

Unavoidable resilience

25 September, 2025

With a teeny drop of rain in just a matter of hours or minutes, Filipino families have to defy another hardship just to survive—the flood. A flood that slowly submerges our homes, destroys parts of our communities, and once again forces the people to endure the grievous pathway of flooding just to pull through.

Disenyo ni Gabrielle Emilie De Lara

Marcos Handang Humarap sa ICI: Transparency o Politika?

24 September, 2025

Isang malaking usapin ngayon sa ating bansa ang bilyones na halaga na inilaan para sa mga gawaing imprastraktura ng pamahalaan mula sa buwis ng taumbayan. Ngunit ang tanong, nagamit nga ba sa wasto at napunta nga ba sa tama ang bilyones na halaga mula sa buwis ng mga mamamayan?

Photo via ABS-CBN

The devil wears reptile

17 September, 2025

They say that a bag is a woman’s best friend. It represents your social status, aspirations, and wealth. But the recent appearance of Senator Imee Marcos’s “talk of the senate” crocodile bag doesn’t fulfill any of the things a bag represents—it only shows irony.

Photo via Etsy

In the middle of it all

16 September, 2025

One day, you feel like you have got it all together — your friendships, your plans, your identity. And the next? It feels like the ground has shifted beneath you, unnoticed by everyone else. Suddenly, everything you thought was solid slips right through your hands. I have felt that. And in those moments, I have caught myself wondering: Who am I even doing all this for? What comes next?

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Charlie Kirk's Impact on my Political Views

12 September, 2025

Charlie Kirk was a prominent conservative political activist who was recognized for his fiery debates and opinions against the Liberals. He was also known for his social media presence and his connection to the youth. He was a Trump supporter and was criticized for promoting “Covid-19 Misinformation” and his view on “The Great Replacement Conspiracy Theory.” His opinions and controversies in which he was involved were the reasons why his life was in constant danger.

Illustrated by Eko Maria Manaloto

Babad sa Kasakiman

12 September, 2025

Bilang isang mag-aaral sa Bulacan, ako ay namulat na ang lakas ng loob ang aking karamay sa kamay ng kahirapan at sakuna, ngunit nang umabot na ang baha sa aking leeg at unti-unting nilulunod ang aking pagkakakilanlan at kinabukasan, aking napagtanto: ang pagtitiis sa mga mapanlinlang na nakasanayan ay hindi sukatan ng tatag, kundi malinaw na palatandaan ng matagal nang pagbubulag-bulagan at pagkukulang.

Illustrated by Alliyah Jade Quizon

Chocolate's even bitter side

10 September, 2025

Chocolate—a staple snack in our daily life. From ice cream and cake flavors to snack bars! The cacao beans are then processed into cocoa, from which we can make all sorts of things—chocolate, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder, from which all other chocolate products come. Yet what really happens behind the scenes is that there is an even bitter reality to our beloved sweet treats.

Litrato mula kay Atty. Joji Alonso

Huli Na Sa Karera

26 August, 2025

Habang unti-unting nauubos ang mga araw at buwan sa taong 2025, hindi maikakaila na mabigat na rin ang pinapasan ng BINI – ang tinaguriang Nation’s Girl Group ng ating bansa. Mula sa pag-leak ng mga pribadong video at mga alegasyon tungkol sa kanilang masasangsang na mga ugali hanggang sa kontrobersyang dulot ng isang tila inosenteng bidyo kung saan tinikman nila ang ilan sa mga kilalang street food sa Pilipinas.

Photo via Mohammed Saber

Baby Formula, A Matter of Israeli National Security?

25 August, 2025

Regardless of any situation your nation may be in, there should be no excuse for the specific targeting of humanitarian aid or humans, for that matter. Israel has just demonstrated multiple times that they are against basic human rights.

Litrato mula sa DPA/Picture alliance

Nuclear energy: Germany’s mistake or future?

23 August, 2025

Nuclear reactors, glowing goo, or the future of Europe? Germany has made its decision – and now we must examine what led it to eliminate all its nuclear infrastructure. Germany shut down its last nuclear reactor two years ago, after large anti-nuclear movements, rooted in the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, then gained even more supporters after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. The nation announced that it would shut down all nuclear reactors by 2022.

Photo via Manila Bulletin

Adjacent compulsion

In these past few years, online gambling or what some call iGambling, has been exploding on countless social media platforms and websites. It bursts with relentless persuasion of a lot of people, especially preying on Filipinos who are experiencing financial hardships. Some say it's an opener to many opportunities—namely, it has a high risk of attaining sums of money or a way to be part of a workforce in an online casino. But, sometimes I wonder: Can you truly clinch fortune just by wagering money?

Photo via Freedom Health Insurance

Ink and insights

We live in a world that moves fast and expects us to keep up. In a rush to do more, achieve more, and be more, our inner voice often gets drowned out. But sometimes, all it takes to hear ourselves again is a blank page and a pen, through journaling. It might just be one of the most grounding tools we have for making sense of the chaos.

Photo via NPR

To know is to learn

Think of any public health threats here in the Philippines, specifically among Filipino teenagers, one may think that it is malnutrition, insufficient access to clean water, use of drugs, or Covid-19. Try to scroll, share, and stream not around social media but through life. There is one silent threat that is intensifying the situation of not only our own country, but the youth of many Filipinos—the quiet yet alarming disease: Human Immunodeficiency Virus or mostly known as HIV.

Photo via iStock | NicoElNino

The Next Big Thing

Philippine media can be quite the unforgiving audience. That is, if one were to find themselves caught up in the crest of its latest hate wave. However, once the peak of the topic eventually comes crashing down, the debris left behind by the performative want for social justice will be washed ashore — swept away from the minds of most Filipinos. While there is truth surrounding the unappeasable nature of Filipino masses, I find that it is also important to state that they are just as forgetful as they are ruthless.

The Plague named "Deception"

It has been 2 years since the 2022 elections period flooded—and in a way terrorized—both the physical and virtual streets of the Philippines.

Where in almost every corner of your neighborhood, you’ll spot plastered posters, murals, campaign material, or crusading supporters clad in red-green or pink-green or whatever color combination they used as aliases for their chosen leaders.

Photo from Philstar.com

SHIMENET

From the lion’s den to the pack of wolves, Vice President Sara Duterte proposes her ₱2.07 Billion budget for 2025. A fuming Duterte faced the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations in what should have been a conducive briefing on the 2025 OVP Budget—a moment of redemption from the preceding catastrophe in the Senate—that turned out to be another episode of the executive refusing transparency and accountability.