On March 10, 2015, asserting the primacy of human life and safety, the Supreme Court rejected the appeals of the “Big 3” oil companies Shell, Chevron, and Petron to its November 2014 ruling that they stop operations and relocate from the Pandacan Oil Depot in Manila. The oil companies were given six months to pull...
Author: Mari-An C. Santos (Mari-An Santos)
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K-Beauty event taps into Filipinos’ fascination with everything Korean
It comes as no surprise that among the things that make South Korea popular around the world—up there with K-Pop and K-Drama—are K-Beauty products. After all, the celebrities who endorse them mesmerize global audiences with their glass-skin, seemingly pore-less complexion. The skin care routine that takes as many steps as most of us have fingers...
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John Arcilla commits to fire prevention and advocates for the safety of the most vulnerable
Fires are breaking out everywhere, resulting in not only death and injury but also damage to property and homelessness. Like many other Filipinos, the multiawarded actor John Arcilla has had brushes with such life-threatening events—when fire engulfed the house across the street from the family home and when fire occurred just behind their walls. Seeing...
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Looking back on a life serving and empowering rural communities in Negros Oriental
“One constant is the presence of Christ in our work,” Dr. Fe Sycip-Wale said in describing her 50-year career in public health spent serving rural communities in Negros Oriental. Sycip-Wale was born in Cebu in 1935 to a Chinese mother, Tim Wa Lee, a doctor, and a Filipino Chinese father, Daniel Sycip, a businessman. She wanted...
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How a high school org in Benguet preps students for life
In 2017 when Jonathan Supsupin of La Trinidad, Benguet, had to get on track for senior high school, he chose Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL). It was the first year of K-to-12 implementation and the middle child whose father is a vegetable picker at the trading post and whose mother works at a local hospital’s linen department was...
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To help those with special needs navigate life
“What will happen when we’re too old [to take care of them] or when these children age out of the school system? They need places to go, employment, housing, and friends.” “They need a structure that helps them navigate life.” These are the sentiments and concerns commonly expressed by parents and family members of children...
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2024 RM Awardees take firm stand for peace, against war
With Tibetan prayer flags inscribed with the word “peace” in different languages hanging above them and fluttering in the breeze, the recipients of the 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Award made definitive statements against all conflicts and pleaded for peace worldwide. Each of them cited the immense value of collaboration in effecting positive change in their corners...
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Tackling mental health at the community level
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article includes mention of suicide and self-harm. September is Suicide Prevention Month. BAGUIO CITY—Last year, my friend died by suicide. It took us all by surprise and the grief that those of us who were left behind felt was unfathomable. According to the University of the Philippines Population Institute’s Young Adult Fertility...
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66th year: Ramon Magsaysay Awards honor visionary leaders in Asia
For the 66th year, the Ramon Magsaysay Awards are being given to individuals and organizations in Asia that embody transformative leadership and greatness of spirit. This year, the Magsaysay Awards laud the efforts of those “whose work challenges boundaries and redefines leadership and community impact,” said Susanna Afan, president of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation...
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The personal is political in ‘And So It Begins’
Let’s get one thing out of the way: “And So It Begins” is not a film about the 2022 Robredo-Pangilinan campaign. The lawyer Leni Robredo herself made this clear as an introduction to the crowd gathered for the Philippine premiere of the latest documentary by Ramona S. Diaz. The plan had been to film a...