And Lulu Nepomuceno sitting quietly by the coaster door signaled that everything was on track.

They had gathered cheerfully at what seemed like the crack of dawn on M. Hemady in Quezon City, and the coaster took off a little past the appointed time of 7 a.m. A bit of heavy traffic on Ortigas, quite expected on a Friday, stalled them on their way to the corner of Gil Puyat and Edsa to collect the others, Lulu competently keeping count. That done, with raucous greetings, they headed out of the metro 8ish.

The travelers beginning their day on Feb. 7 with expressed hope in the Divine and anticipating a great time at Kate Aguila’s La Crispina Farms in Ibaan, Batangas, are members of the College of the Holy Spirit (CHS) High School Class of 1965. Including at last count roughly a dozen based abroad, they had been coming together willy-nilly since December and seriously in January to prep for the celebration of their Diamond anniversary at the alumni homecoming on Feb. 2. 

‘Stayin’ Alive’

In the coaster, Charo Legarda dropped the taskmaster stance but was still keyed up about the dance presented by the class during the homecoming program at which the CHS Alumni Foundation recognized each jubilarian class’ outstanding alumni (the Diamonds had two). Charo the dancer and teacher had been stressed and sleepless; she had felt hassled by less than perfect entrances and exits, botched blocking, as well as flubs and missteps, to speak nothing of incomplete attendance during practice sessions held in Esther Jose’s lanai and elsewhere. 

But at the moment of truth the performance staged to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive” drew applause and compliments—even if, as Charo was now recalling with a loud laugh, the dancers stood smiling in their finale pose while those at the foot of the stage still swung to the beat, vigorously shaking their pompoms.

Still and all, what did it matter? Someone may have stepped into a space where she shouldn’t be, or another may have missed raising a graceful hand at the precise second, but the performance was a class act in more ways than one—a classic example of what has come to be the Diamonds’ mantra of “live, love, laugh.” 

The unflappable Dee Villareal, along with Charo, Esther, Patty Antiporda, Vicky Aliño, Mel Viado, Dina Casis and Inday Jopson, demonstrated the adage that dance is moved by the heart more than the feet, as did, despite their having just flown in from points overseas, Corit Fernandez, Rosa Alvarez and Paeng Francia. The front act of Gracielou Rebullida and Luz Ibarra was a riot: Gracielou with a wheelchair (borrowed) and Luz with a walker (hers). 

Rosalou Soriano, aka the class “glue” who always makes things happen, was in the secondary corps along with Lulus Maceda and Nepomuceno (the logistics team), Tiks Carillo, Joy Sabado, Nitz Tecson, Buching Yoingco, Lita Llacar, Lorie Rualo, Richie Concepcion, Lillian Santillan… Many others, including the Co sisters Fely (CHS’ first lay president) and Lilia, as well as the not-often-seen Vicky Jose, Ging Coruña, Perla Cardenas, Evelyn Manding, Toni Villaraza, Cynthia Cheng, Kathy Marte, Francis Tayag and Connie Abeleda, held up the sky while the dancers did their thing. 

Delai Prodigalidad, Illa de Guzman and Tess Centeno were observed savoring their interlude in their motherland. Assorted life conditions notwithstanding, Carina Querubin, Ening Arce, KT Banta, Mila Licauco and Chari Paje showed up.

Imagine it: the Diamond class dressed white on white down to their footwear, the better to show off bursts of color flashing in their hair and hanging from their ears and necks. The pompoms lovingly turned out by the artist Vicky Aliño, an expert at making accessories to bedeck her classmates at homecomings, completed the happy picture. (Vicky also managed the feat of transporting the “Antipolo gels”—Tiks, Mel, Luz, Cielo Basco—to and from every occasion.)

Excursions 

Now freed of the pressure of practice and performance, the Diamonds were on the second of their two planned excursions, determined to extend the fun they enjoyed on Feb. 4, when Ottie Henson hosted lunch at her popular Central Grill restaurant in Angeles, Pampanga. Ottie’s gift was made even more memorable by line dancing, games, and a raffle of her artworks.

Past 10 a.m., the Batangas air fresh and dewy under a cloudy sky, they were being welcomed by Kate to her home nestled among trees, lush plants and a flowery gazebo. Lillian arrived shortly in her van with the “Southern belles.” The listed assembly was now complete, with Susan Chou missing the homecoming but flying in from Australia in time for this second foray.

Kate had to use a mic to inform her guests talking all at the same time of their packed schedule after the refreshments: brief visits to the archdiocesan shrines of St. James the Greater in Ibaan and of St. Joseph the Patriarch in San Jose (this being a jubilee year, blessings await apparently even lapsed Catholics who visit jubilee churches); lunch back at her home noonish: more conversation and lingering bonding before departure for the metro by 3 p.m. 

The wisdom of seizing rare moments such as this, specially in this chapter of their lives graced by love and wounded by loss, cannot be overstated. The scandalous national budget, the House’s long-delayed impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, and the appalling quality of most of the candidates in the midterm elections may be scorching the local landscape, and halfway across the planet Donald Trump may be ruthlessly upending “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” but the brief time spent with friends one has known since one’s youth, partaking of Kate’s fine food and learning a thing or two from her on the art of running a poultry farm, and engaging in a fierce down-memory-lane trivia competition—Vicky Aliño ably emceeing—even a rowdy, risqué game, served to lift and fortify one’s flagging spirit.

And suddenly it was time to head back. The Diamonds (made in the labs of the heart, and nothing remotely relevant to the “blood diamonds” defined by Amnesty International as extracted in conflict zones and obtained at the cost of human lives) steeled themselves to a return to routine. 

For the northerners the trip from Batangas was a breeze, until Makati’s Friday traffic indicated that they had reached the urban wilderness. Evening had fallen by the time they got to Quezon City. But it’s true what’s often said: Old friends make the world seem right.

Read more: Easy like Sunday afternoon

The post Diamonds are forever appeared first on CoverStory.

“Short of saying ‘mind your own business,’ this year is about staying in your lane. The snake never attacks unless provoked; if you don’t move, it won’t attack you,” Allen said in a live broadcast on her eponymous Facebook page on Jan. 21. “So, stay in your lane, [and] stop spending your time on other people.”

Allen described 2025 as “the year for transformation”: Now is the best chance for people to make a change in their lives, much like how a snake sheds its skin—a process that can be challenging but ultimately rejuvenating. She encouraged embracing transformative experiences even when they’re difficult, saying they often lead to valuable life lessons.

She said that whatever issue one may be dealing with, this year is the time to confront it and make a change, while ignoring the urge to post about it online. 

“Stop telling people your plans,” she said. Instead, as part of her 2025 prognosis, she said it is better to create deep, meaningful connections—”to strengthen bonds, resolve misunderstandings, and foster harmony.”

It’s also a favorable year for love and partnerships, as the Snake’s subtle charm can enhance romantic pursuits, Allen said. 

In financial terms, she said, “success will come to those who plan carefully and avoid impulsive decisions.” That means one should look more toward long-term investments, especially those that align with one’s passion and skills.

Prosperity zones

To embark on one’s personal transformation and ensure an auspicious year, Allen recommended revisiting the arrangements in one’s home so as to activate one’s luck. She ticked off the home’s prosperity zones, as indicated in her 2025 Feng Shui Planner:

• The Southwest corner, a critical area for those seeking to enhance their financial prospects or to activate their wealth potential.

• The South sector, the zone for windfall luck and an area that should be enhanced by those hoping to attract financial gains or opportunities.

• The Southeast sector, which houses the Victory Star in 2025, making it an ideal location for placing symbols of achievement and success.

• The Western sector, which should be the focus of those seeking to enhance their love life or increase travel opportunities. 

• The East, which hosts the prosperity star No. 9 that Allen describes as particularly powerful. “Anything you do in this sector could multiply nine times,  she said.

Allen also identified these cautionary zones:

• The Northeast, which requires particular attention in 2025. Pregnant women or those with health concerns should avoid sleeping in this area as it could aggravate existing conditions.

• The North, as it carries the “robbery star,” suggesting potential risks of financial losses or unexpected expenses. Homes with main doors facing north should be especially vigilant this year.

• The Northwest, a sector that correlates with potential misunderstandings and legal issues.

• The center of the home, which requires particular attention as it houses the “illness star” which, Allen said, only emphasizes the need for increased focus on health and wellness all year.

However, Allen said, awareness of these sectors should inform, but not dominate, daily life. “Understanding these energies helps us make informed decisions about space usage, but it’s equally important to maintain a positive mindset and practical approach to daily living,” she said. “The energy of your home supports your journey, but your own efforts and mindset remain the primary drivers of success.”

Day-to day tips for beginning 2025 

By Marites Allen 

Day 1 (Jan. 29): Everyone should rise early and wear their new year clothes to visit friends and relatives. The Chinese visit temples to offer incense and pray for a safe and prosperous year. Red packets are given to children and by employers to their staff. Slaughtering animals and eating meat are avoided. 

Day 2: Traditionally, this day is for married women to visit their parents, along with their husbands, after celebrating New Year’s Eve with their in-laws.

Day 3: This day is believed to be inauspicious for any house visiting. Evil spirits roam the earth on this day and hence it’s bad luck to be outdoors. The air is filled with the potential for disagreements among family and friends. Best to spend the day in your own home. 

Day 4: This is basically a continuation of Day 3, and still not a good day to leave home. It is also believed that heavenly spirits like the Kitchen God visit earth on the fourth day. Thus, it is considered auspicious to prepare a feast and make offerings of incense, food and spirit money to welcome these deities and ensure a prosperous year ahead.

Day 5: The so-called Festival of Po Wu is celebrated on this day to welcome the God of Wealth, who is believed to also be the God of Five Directions—east, west, south, north and center—through which good fortune can enter. Thus, people open their doors and windows, burn incense, and set off firecrackers and fireworks to attract money luck and many forms of blessings. Local businesses reopen.

Day 6: On the sixth day, one should discard old clothes, clean out the garage, and discard trash around the house. This is done to drive away the Ghost of Poverty and to give way for a better life in the new year.

Day 7: This day is for commemorating Man’s Day or the creation of mankind. On this day, the Chinese eat healthy foods symbolizing abundance, prosperity and long life, including raw fish for success and noodles for longevity. This day is marked by reflections on blessings and respect for all human beings.

Day 8: The eighth day is for celebrating rice, the most essential Chinese staple food. Children are taught the importance of agriculture and where their food comes from.

Day 9: This day marks the birthday of the Jade Emperor, the supreme deity of Taoism. Food offerings and sacrifices of live chicken are done in his honor.

Days 10 to 12: On these days, more feasting, more visits, and more happy moments with family and friends are done. 

Day 13: This day is for cleansing and detoxing from the rich food enjoyed in the previous days. To help cleanse the digestive system, vegetarian dishes are served. The day is also spent preparing for the Lantern Festival.

Day 14: This is the eve of the Lantern Festival, and spent preparing colorful lanterns and food. Dragon and lion dance teams practice for the big event.

Day 15 (Feb. 12): The Lantern Festival ends the Chinese New Year celebration. Streets and houses are decorated with lanterns, fireworks are set off, and people take strolls to admire the lanterns and join the public singing and dancing. Sticky rice balls called tang yuan, again to symbolize family cohesiveness, are the common fare in Chinese homes. This day is also spent to celebrate the birthday of Tian Guan, the Taoist “Ruler of Heaven,” who is responsible for providing good fortune and wealth. Tian Guan is believed to like all types of entertainment; thus, various activities are done in his honor to attract auspiciousness.

To consult Marites Allen or find Frigga Charmed Life locations,
email [email protected] or call 0920 9509390.

Read more: Wet welcome for 2025

The post Stay in your lane in the Year of the Wood Snake appeared first on CoverStory.

Although from not so recent movies, a few such quiet scenes come to mind. 

One is that scene in “Cross of Iron” where Sergeant Steiner (James Coburn), the archetypal grizzled noncom on whose leadership smarts and survival skills all armies in the world rely, but this time with a rebellious antiwar mindset (“I hate this uniform and all that it represents…”), decides to free the Russian child soldier taken prisoner by his recon unit. He takes the boy beyond the wire and tells him: “It’s all an accident. An accident of hands: mine, others’, all without mind. One extreme to another. And neither works, nor will ever! And we stand in the middle, in no man’s land you and I…” The scene is all the more heartrending because as the boy turns toward his lines, he is cut down by his compatriots’ bullets who happen to be at that very moment launching a counterattack against the German invaders.

Another example is something more mundane, something that happens every day, such as on a very busy Tokyo sidewalk, the final parting scene in “Lost in Translation” of ageing actor Bob (Bill Murray) and lonely wife Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson). They hug for the last time and this time there are no words, no sound, as Bob whispers into her ear. It is absolutely quiet, absolutely still, even as the world turns and people busily walk by as only busy people on a busy street in Tokyo can. 

“Lost in Translation” is a mostly quiet movie, with the turmoil inside the characters, about a love you cannot have, an elusive feeling of ennui, of disconnection, of being adrift in the very moment when the timelessness of infinity echoes in the chanting of monks in a monastery.

But there it is, that moment of heart-piercing quiet, in that parting scene. Whatever else may have been lost in translation, now in this climactic moment, there is nothing to translate. It is pure, quiet, and lost forever. 

Action and dramatic movies are actually the best vehicles to elucidate the need for quiet, to look inward and take the time to wonder: In the end, what does it matter? This is best exemplified in the oft-performed monologue of Macbeth when he is told that his wife, the queen, is dead. Here, my favorite version is Michael Fassbender’s (closely followed by Jon Finch’s) maybe because there is no attempt at dramatic delivery, just a quiet, bitter, melancholic reverie: 

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.”

Even pure, cathartic action can have a core of quiet, as encapsulated in David Morrell’s “First Blood” which launched the “Rambo” movie franchise, having a taciturn, stoic Vietnam vet as the titular character: “The native allies in the war had called it the way of Zen, the journey to arrive at the pure and frozen moment, achieved only after long arduous training and concentration and determination to be perfect. A part of movement when movement itself ceased. Their words had no exact English translation, and they said that even if there were, the moment could not be explained. The emotion was timeless, could not be described in time…” 

Of all the Rambo movies, the goriest one, Rambo IV directed by Sylvester Stallone, is the best. Maybe because after all the shredded bodies and eviscerations, one just feels completely spent and just as skeptical as ever that peace will ever come to our planet.

The world and the movies to which we escape being what they are, we must in our daily lives seek those moments of quiet and keep balanced in our center, in our inner no man’s land, unfazed and unafraid.

The post Finding the quiet appeared first on CoverStory.

After graduating with a journalism degree in 2018, I worked at the Philippine Daily Inquirer. After two years, I decided to enter law school. 

My friends who were already law students briefed me on what I should expect: stress, anxiety, sleepless nights, loads of materials to study, and humbling experiences, such as being humiliated during class recitation and getting an exam score that screams mediocre. Still, I was eager to study law.

And as the world grappled with the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, I began attending virtual classes at the UST Faculty of Civil Law’s Section 1B, with people whom I would cherish throughout my law school journey.

Baptism of fire

Our batch in law school was the first to conduct online classes, at least for the first two years. Both students and professors were visibly adjusting to the new learning setup. There were instances when one’s audio, camera, or computer device was not working properly, resulting in class interruptions. Preparation for classes gradually meant not only studying the voluminous materials assigned, but also ensuring that one has a stable internet connection. 

For the 22-year-old Mikkah, freshman year in law school was a baptism of fire. I remember being overwhelmed by the number of cases that we had to study during our first week, to the point that one night, while I was washing the dishes, I cried because I despaired at completing the assigned readings in time for our next class. It also fully dawned on me that my law school life has officially started, and that, having chosen this path, I should endure and persevere.

Recitations were nerve-wracking even until my senior year. Despite studying before classes, most of the time I felt like I was fighting a war I could never win. Thus, every recitation day I prayed, “Thy will be done.” 

I also wrestled with each case. Back then, it took me an hour to read a seven-page case, and another hour or two to make a digest of it. I had difficulty identifying the essential facts and issues of a case—the usual details asked by our professors—because to a beginner like me, every detail seemed important. 

Freshman year ended with my block mates and I seeing each other only virtually. Occasionally I wondered how things could have been if we were physically together. 

Meditation, adjustment 

Sophomore year came and the number of cases to study and recitations to prepare for continued to overwhelm me. I was still my anxious self, but thankfully, I discovered a yoga and meditation channel on YouTube—Yoga with Adriene. Its videos helped me calm my mind.

I also got to know my block mates better. I slowly got used to the difficulties of law school, and found peace in the fact that I was going through a tough journey, but with the right people. I recall saying that I was willing to have terror law professors and awful class schedules as long as I was with my block.

But as if trying to teach me to step out of my comfort zone, junior year was marked by section shuffling. I was among the students transferred to another section under the school’s orders. It was heartbreaking at first, but as the saying goes, “Distance makes the heart grow fonder.” The section shuffling strengthened my relationship with my original block mates, and allowed me to learn from new people in my new block. 

A year of learning

Senior year saw more difficulties for me, the beginning of face-to-face classes, and a Mikkah who was feeling already worn out by then. It was a hard year filled with days of doubting my capabilities, and of striving to get by. 

But now that I am seeing past these things, my senior year—as I would like to best remember it—was a year of learning, a period in my journey when I felt like actually learning about life, and knowing myself better. 

Perhaps it helped that I embarked on daily journaling in that year. I was able to process my feelings and reflect on the events happening around me. I discovered emotions I never thought existed, and realized how much I had grown as a person since I entered law school. 

I remember a conversation with a friend while we were leaving the university after an evening class. We talked about what we wanted to be at that moment. I said I just wanted to be a good person, or someone who, despite all the setbacks in life he or she has suffered and all the problems he or she is facing, always tries to be kind to others and understanding of their situation. 

Senior year, moreover, was the year I finally realized why I wanted to be a lawyer: I wanted to be in a position to protect and provide for my brother, Dominic, who has autism. He was born when I was in high school, and since then he has become my favorite person in the world. As his elder sister, I wanted to support his needs and dreams.

Senior year, lastly, witnessed my reunion with my friends from my original block: now attorneys Abigail Garcia, Izel Tan, and Joy Asuelo. The four of us supported one another throughout our last year in law school, eating meals after classes, and sending encouraging messages from time to time.

Bar preparation

Weeks before our law school graduation last June 14, I enrolled in a review center. I started on the review materials for remedial law, but I was not absorbing anything. My mind and body were in unison in wanting to take a break from studying law. 

In July I was able to regain my determination. I studied for an average of four hours almost every day until the last day of the Bar exams (some days I was deep in study for six to seven hours). 

I was generally calm during my Bar review. I was unable to follow the review center’s study schedule, but I was able to finish the review materials that covered almost all the points in each Bar subject’s syllabus. Once I was done with my primary review materials, I began to read the other materials available to supplement my knowledge. 

The exception to my general composure during the Bar review was seen on days when I lost confidence in myself, days when I wanted to give up, and days when my body demanded rest. There were times when I broke down under all the emotions I was bottling up, and blamed myself for wanting to go through hell. 

Exam day

On the morning of Sept. 7, the day before the start of the Bar examinations, I was surprisingly calm. Through journaling and continued meditation, I was able to condition my mind that all is well, and that the Lord is always with me. But come evening of the same day, anxiety crept in. As a result, I slept for only two hours.

On the first day of the Bar examinations, I left my dormitory nervous but returned in good spirits. I knew that until the very last minute of the first-day exams, I did my best at answering the questions and I regretted nothing. But I was clearly exhausted physically and mentally. The following rest day, I slept for 13 hours then went on to study again. By the time I took the second- and third-day exams on Sept. 11 and 15, respectively, I felt drained. 

I particularly remember the night before the last day of the Bar exams. I bawled and surrendered everything to God. I did not know what to do anymore. I was beset by panic. I felt like I was not good enough to pass the Bar. I had no sleep at all, yet was unable to finish my last-minute review materials. 

But the Lord has His way of amazing us. On the third-day exams, the issues I was no longer able to review for were not raised! I left the testing center smiling, relieved that the grueling exam days were over. 

Waiting for results

For the most part of the three-month waiting period for the Bar results, I was, again, calm. I caught up on my sleep and spent time with my family. I became anxious only when the Supreme Court announced the date for the release of the results: Dec. 13.

On the day itself I purposely avoided watching the Supreme Court’s livestream of the announcement of the results. Instead, I went to church, watched a movie at the cinema, and just waited for my loved ones to let me know how I fared. I was restless deep inside. But then my parents called and told me that I had passed the Bar. Oh, God, it became the best day of my year!

It has been more than a week since I heard the happy results. My heart still flutters when people call me “Attorney Mikkah Factor.” I still can’t believe that I made it. 

I thank my family—my father Emerito, my mother Sheila, my sister Queenie, and my brother Dominic—my friends, and everyone who supported me throughout my law school journey. I could not have done it without their undying love, patience, and understanding. 

Now I hope for four things: to gain experience in the legal field and develop my skills in litigation; to give back to my family, friends, and community in every way possible; to become a good lawyer, one who has integrity and compassion, especially for the vulnerable sectors of our society; and, most importantly, as I once wished when I was still in law school, to become a good person.

Read more: To help those with special needs navigate life

The post To become a good lawyer and a good person appeared first on CoverStory.

It happens without warning on any given day (but mostly Mondays, Fridays the 13th, and during Mercury retrograde), and in the most inconvenient places, too (a public toilet, emergency rooms, inside people’s heads). Sometimes it shows up alone (think about a confessional). Other times it gets some bad company (now look at Congress).

One Thursday, however, the proverbial sh*t turned out to be a piece of iron wire lying on a sidewalk along Timog Avenue in Quezon City. I didn’t notice the wire until I felt a sharp sting in my foot. It was the sort of sting that climbs up the shin and says, look here, stupid, there’s blood! So, I stopped, looked under my left shoe, and saw that the sharp thing had pierced through the sole to an inch deep and hit the ball of my foot. I gasped, and in between a staccato of curses, I pulled the wire out, sending quick shivers up my spine. Of all the lucky Thursdays I had, that one Thursday was when I wished I had stepped on poop instead.

After a year of living in Quezon City, on a street called Zamboanga where dogs outnumber kids (and kids like playing outdoors barefoot), I thought I had already mastered the footwork necessary to avoid landmines of animal turd. But then, stepping on a wire was another painful lesson to learn, which comes with knowing medical facts about tetanus and finding ways not to die from it. 

Suddenly I thought about Jesus. In His 30s, Jesus was crucified with long iron nails hammered through His hands and feet, at a time when vaccines were unheard of. For three hours, Jesus suffered on the cross before His anguished mother and a cackling crowd of Roman soldiers. I was reminded that stabbing my foot with a flimsy iron wire was a mere tickle.

The pious reader may find my writing “sh*t” and “Jesus” in the same sentence irreverent, but I’d like to say it for emphasis that Jesus went through a ton of sh*t trials in His life. And no mortal can ever take that tormenting path—from Bethlehem to Golgotha—the same way He so selflessly did. Jesus made miracles: He turned water into wine. He fed over 5,000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish. He healed the leper, let the mute speak, the paralytic walk, the blind see. He didn’t end war and poverty, but His ultimate act was the divine resurrection: He rose from the dead. 

I don’t mean to preach. Even my language would show I’m not religious. I just think that Jesus is the perfect example to make my point that life on Earth is half crap, half miracle even for the holiest person who ever lived. It’s only a matter of which half comes first. (It’s 2024, and I guess everyone is so dumbed down by the chicken-and-egg scenario, so let me put it in a Venn diagram.)

Picture the word “sh*t” in one circle and the word “miracle” in the other. (Or, if you are the kind of person who doesn’t like to draw diagrams with cuss words, you can use the words of the year, Oxford Dictionary’s brain rot and Cambridge’s manifest, just to make sure we are following the same logic.) And right there where the two circles meet, that shadow zone of encounter, that is where we insert Merriam-Webster’s polarization. A rational person would think that sh*t and miracle are two polar opposites, but sometimes life teaches us that a sh*tty thing can turn out great if only we give it more time and thought.

I don’t know who said it first, but the phrase “sh*t happens” was first seen in print in 1978, according to Merriam-Webster. Flash back to 1978, the year when many unfortunate events happened: Two popes died; the Afghan war broke out; the Philippines was under martial law; Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was still president. Wherever you looked in the world, there was dying and killing and chaos. But 1978 was also the year when the first “test-tube baby” was born—the one where Netflix got the inspiration for the film Joy—and the first operational GPS satellite was launched in space. There could have been better tradeoffs for all the great troubles we had in the past—in fact, the Philippines could have had a better president today who is not a Marcos—but having IVF and GPS are good enough compromises for the meantime. Plus, we have Netflix and Wi-Fi. 

The planet is now filled with these marvelous things, and honestly, half of the time, that terrifies me. What if one day robots get to be more employable than humans? What if humans become more and more demoralized and just quit? What if I don’t land that writing job I signed up for just because the company thought ChatGPT could do it better and way more efficiently than I could, and now I’m stuck doomscrolling on social media for funny memes and motivational talk as my therapy? There must be a sh*t side in all of these genius innovations, I think; I just keep hoping that it’s not all bad. 

Hope, I realized at 30, is sort of miracle’s little sister, and despair’s benevolent twin. And as twins, they typically sabotage each other. Hope is there whenever I seek a new job, a new hobby, or even just a new pen. But despair pops up as soon as I open my inbox and see the list of rejection emails I received over the year, which depressingly start and end with “thank you.” (I got the “thank you” twice for applying for the same job just two months apart.) Despair is this unkind voice that tells me sh*t happens. Hope is the friendly one that whispers, watch your step, walk past it, keep going. Sh*t will happen again, warns despair. And his lovely twin hope replies: Some things in life need sh*t to grow, so just go ahead and take your shot, anyway. 

Now the Christmas season is here. We’re happy to celebrate Jesus’ birth. A new year is coming, and everyone seems excited and hopeful. We will welcome 2025 with a basketful of fruits and a spectacle of fireworks. Then, after all the round fruits run out and some fingers get blown off by firecrackers, life becomes crappy again. Old problems are replaced by new ones, and new problems get to multiply like amoebas. And amoebas, as we already know, make people sh*t. I can go on and say sh*t historically caused the plague, but you get the big picture. We have learned to take our sh*t seriously, to wash our hands—even to write “sh-t” properly in a digital magazine that, the editor tells me, is fit to be read by both intelligent children and adults—and to watch our step in the hope of living longer, happier, wiser.

Read more: Finding our way to happiness amid life’s difficulties

The post Watch your step appeared first on CoverStory.

My friend DM, almost 80, boasts that in his younger years he won five of the six-digit lotto combination at least thrice. He claims that he did it through the prayer and meditative visualization technique.

So ask yourself: How can we pray and manifest awesome miracles, like winning the lotto?

For us believers, we can postulate that miracles indeed happen because of God’s supernatural power and loving consent. In other words, God is the source or cause of miracles—complemented, of course, by human supplication, or prayer, and cooperation.

In a sense, miracles do happen because it is an act of God’s grace or a blessing, and it is precipitated by the individual’s fervent asking and belief for the fulfilment or answer to his/her prayer or longing.

Therefore, two important questions need to be answered: how we can deserve God’s grace, favor, or blessing, and how we can manifest our longings, or make our prayers effective.

On the first question, it can be said that we can be deserving of God’s blessing or favor by trying to understand the beneficial reasons, or “purposes,” of miracles—namely: 1) as stipulated by the Church’s teachings, miracles signify or bring about God’s glory, or to use the Latin phrase, “ad maiorem Dei gloriam” (for the better glory of God); 2) miracles benefit not only the individual petitioner but also others, or the community: and 3) miracles induce one who is blessed to become a blessing to others, too.

Needless to say, if the resultant effect of what we’re praying for resonates to these beneficial “reasons or purposes,” then it can be affirmed that we deserve God’s favor or miracle. It is interesting to observe, however, that with regard to the third purpose (being blessed to be a blessing to others), there are those who pray and make big compensatory promises before God to be done once their petitions, like winning the lotto, are granted. But after their prayers are answered, they rejoice on the blessings, forget being a blessing to others, and leave behind their promises as well.

Let’s proceed to the second question: How can we make our prayers effective?

Our answer is twofold: firstly, by believing; and secondly, through prayer and contemplation. 

True believing—the one that can make miracles happen—involves our whole being. It is a firm, deep-seated, positive conviction that powers our very fiber. True believing is believing with all our mind, heart and soul.

In Matthew 17:20, Jesus told us that “if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can say to a mountain to move from here to there.” Such is the immense power of faith, of believing: It comes from the heart.

Lastly, still, how can we make our prayers effective? 

Mystics and contemplatives affirm that prayer is not just asking or lifting to God our petitions but, more importantly, it is confidently believing in, claiming, and being grateful for God’s loving response, favor, or blessing. In other words, effective praying is trusting, claiming or manifesting (not just imagining or daydreaming) as if your prayer is already answered, and, thus, being grateful for God’s favor or blessing.

Mystics further suggest that contemplating is more powerful than just praying. Contemplation is not just praying or talking to God; it is listening to and embracing the presence of God. While praying or talking to God involves the element of “control” on the part of the one praying, contemplating is just being present and relishing God’s encompassing presence. Such sublime or sacred presence exudes overwhelming peace, love, enlightenment, gratitude, and abundance—this is one glorious moment of God’s miracle!

Peace ye! Prayerful wishes for your winning the lotto!

The post So you wish to win the lotto appeared first on CoverStory.

From that quote on the power of choice, let me first segue a bit to my favorite dictum from St. Augustine: “Deus qui creavit te sine te, non salvabit te sine te” (God who created you without you, cannot save you without you).

What St. Augustine meant may be deduced into two parts: first, when God created us, he did not consult us, hence it was not our choice but God’s; second, when it comes to our salvation, God cannot save us without our free consent and cooperation.

Ostensibly, the exercise of choice belongs to the faculty of the will (which God has deemed as free). But not exclusively with the will, because the intellect serves as operative requisite in the act of choosing or decision-making. Rightly so, we can’t simply make a choice unless we are aware (or conscious) of what to choose about. Thus, when God created us, it wasn’t within the scope of our choice as precisely we were not aware of it. 

And, in the domain of intellect, here’s a classic Latin dictum that I learned back in the seminary: “Nihil est in intellectu quod non prius fuerit in sensu” (There is nothing in the mind that does not come from the senses).

But this empiricist stance of epistemology (John Locke’s “tabula rasa” and Aristotle’s “empeiria”) is opposed by the rationalist or deductive school of thought. Thus, the antithetical positions between Plato and Aristotle, between Thomas Aquinas and Augustine.

In the realm of free will, there are two contending sides. One is the libertarian view, which argues that actions are freely chosen by an autonomous agent. The other one is the determinist view, which argues that our behavior is caused by a combination of genetics, past experiences, and current circumstance.

A host of factors

Enough with the philosophical sauntering. I just want to underscore the point that apart from sense experience and knowledge, there are a host of factors that come into play in our due exercise of free choice or decision-making: previous experience, cognitive biases, individual differences, belief in personal relevance, and level of commitment. Behavioral experts would even proffer the “science” of heuristics, or “rules-of-thumb to guide decision-making based on a more limited subset of available information.” A classic example of this is, when choosing between different brands of food items at the grocery store, you simplify the decision by going with the brand with which you had the best previous experience. 

In layman’s understanding, choice is the activity we initiate in our brains to reach an outcome. This outcome can take various forms such as decision, judgment, assessment, or behavior. In this context, hence, choice is theoretically broader than decision-making or the “process” by which one reaches a decision.

Now, there’s no denying that as long as we’re alive we’re always beset with choices (even including, right now, your choice of reading this article or your choice to agree or disagree with my opinion and insights).

But what about if we’re inevitably faced with life’s immensely hard choices—between right and wrong, between life and death? Or if we’re pushed to the corner of having “no choice” at all?

Insights

Here are some profound insights.

1. Often, when faced with equally painful options, we easily resort to “I had no choice,” but only to escape responsibility or be held accountable for our choice.

Paraphrasing Audrey Thompson’s blog in medium.com, instead of claiming our own power by saying “I decided to” or “I chose to,” we resort to saying “my only choice was to” or “I had no choice,” implying that we are not responsible for our decision, its outcome, or its consequences. 

Rather than see ourselves as active participants and authors of our own lives, we blame external forces (a person, a company, government, social mores, economy, religious dogma, cultural history, or even our childhood) for the “choice-less” situation we are in.

The fact is that, according to Thompson, when we look closely at how decisions work, we can see up to eight choices at any given time: this one, that one, both of them, neither of them, some of this one, some of that one, some of both of them, and something else.

2. Even in such a point of no-choice, there’s still freedom. 

My favorite author (philosopher, psychiatrist, and Holocaust survivor) Viktor Frankl said it wisely: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

We may get stuck in the worst of situations, but we can always remain free. Because our mind belongs to us. Our thoughts are ours only, and the attitude we choose determines the outcome of our situation.

Frankl said that in the concentration camp, “The prisoner who had lost faith in the future—his future—was doomed. With his loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay.”

But rising above the suffering, choosing to turn a tragedy into a triumph—that’s what Frankl calls finding your meaning in life. 

3. Love is the fundamental choice and highest form of meaning.

Again, Frankl said, “The truth is that—love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved.”

The meaning of life is found in the connections we form with others. Love gives us something to live for, something that provides hope and comfort even in the most insufferable of conditions. In sum, indeed, life is a choice. Let’s choose to live, learn, love and laugh.

The post Freedom of choice and no-choice appeared first on CoverStory.

But, on the contrary, I find the following words from an anonymous sage on social media profoundly captivating:

“Happiness does not create gratitude. Gratitude creates happiness. Gratitude is your foundation for all that you want. It is inevitable that you will have to overcome obstacles, so you must stay strong and humble. If things don’t work out for you, or you don’t get what you want, you learn to be more appreciative of what you already have.”

I like to think then that, most likely, being grateful for what we have can help us manifest what we want.

But even if we don’t manifest what we want, by itself, being grateful for what we have can already make a mountain of difference. In other words, being grateful for what we have is happiness itself.

Yes, an ounce of gratitude even for the little that we have is already a pound of happiness. It can be said then that nobody, nobody at all, is ever deprived totally of happiness! So true, because nobody, and nobody, among all of us who’ve been lovingly created by God, is totally deprived of anything. We’re not nothing at all. 

Virtue of existence

And, hence, by virtue of our existence or “essence” (if not, “being”), we have every reason to be grateful—and thus be happy. What makes people unhappy is their craving for more, and not being appreciative of what they already have.

We may differ in terms of “having” or “doing.” But we’re neither merely a “human having” nor a “human doing.” We’re defined neither by our “position or status” nor by our “possessions.” What makes us equal under God is that we’re a “human BEING”—a being equally created in all aspects, a being endowed with intellect and free choice, a being worthy of a happy and meaningful life. 

Even in physiological terms, contemporary science claims that gratitude can generate smooth, rhythmic heart coherence. According to the California-based HeartMath Institute, a non-profit research organization dedicated to neurocardiology, accessing coherent heart rhythms through the conscious generation of gratitude has numerous health benefits, including increased resilience to stress, a higher degree of foresight, improved memory, clearer thinking, more energy, and even greater hormonal balance.

Not only do we gain benefits from being grateful for what we have or for the things that serve us—but also from the things that challenge us. American chiropractor, Dr. Tom Pastor, who focuses heavily on the influence of emotions on physical conditions, explains: “Gratitude is about appreciating the elements of any situation. It’s easy to be grateful for things that directly benefit us. It tends to be more difficult to be grateful for a struggle. If we can learn to develop the ability to be more appreciative of the things that challenge us, we will be stronger and more adaptable in the long run.”

The late America’s Got Talent golden buzzer winner who succumbed to cancer, Nightbirde (Jane Marcrewski), cannot be more right when she said: “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.”

So, be happy we should! That is, by being grateful for what we have, and even for our trials and struggles. And the more we are grateful, the more we will find things to be grateful for.

The post Be grateful, we’re not nothing at all appeared first on CoverStory.

We’ve just celebrated our 126th Independence Day a few days back and, likely so, the euphoric spirit of patriotism and national identity lingers still to the fore.

For my part, I cared badgering myself once again with the thought: What does it take being ‘Filipino’?

My youngest son, my junior or namesake, who’s currently teaching and finishing his doctoral studies in the Netherlands, posed a similar query when he wrote in his FB post: “I grew up being taught that lack of punctuality is Filipino time, procrastination habit is Filipino habit, bahala na or fatalism is Filipino attitude, padrino system or favoritism is Filipino system, etc., and that we are to avoid these negative traits of being a Filipino. But who presumed that this is what it means to be Filipino? Why can’t it just be a lesson on getting rid of these awful traits because being a Filipino is being none of these?”

Hmmm, ‘tis undoubtedly a good point. But who’s the culprit indeed behind such linguistic degradation (read: hegemonic labeling) about “Filipino un-becoming”?

My son continued: “The colonial era played a big role in this linguistic scandal. Besides, the rhetoric of cultural degradation facilitates colonization. The Spaniards’ notion of Filipinos can be summed up in Gaspar de San Agustin’s letter in 1720 with the words: “‘The wretched beings (Filipinos) are of such a nature that they live a purely animal life, intent solely on its preservation and convenience, without the corrective of reason or respect or esteem for reputation.’ And over a period of time, like kids generally demeaned by their parents, Filipinos grew to dislike themselves unconfident and haunted by this glaring self-image.”

Inhuman labels

My son further ventured to postulate that because of such hegemony of inhuman labeling (or “cultural gaslighting,” in modern lingo), Filipinos thus have the impulse to practice the inhumanity embodied in such traits. “Inhuman labels to others allow the self to practice inhumanity. And if the word ‘Filipino’ really has a bad taste to Filipinos themselves, no wonder it is easy for them to escalate simple neighborly confrontation into murder, to allege crime against fellow Filipinos for the sake of ‘quota,’ to steal public funds, or not to work for the best interest of the state. Horrible actions are sometimes desensitized by seeing the other as ‘parasite,’ ‘lazy,’ ‘morally unreliable,’ ‘stupid’ etc.”

Whew! My stomach cringes in agreement with the hard truth propounded by my son.

Inarguably, indeed, language is linked with issues of power and politics. It was English novelist and journalist, Angela Carter, who rightly said, “Language is power, life and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation.”

In the same vein, the Italian thinker and political activist Antonio Gramsci suggested an interesting link between hegemony and language. In his seminal work “The Prison Notebooks”, Gramsci refers to civil and political society that make use of discursive and coercive approaches for purposes of hegemony. The impact of these approaches is so effective and subtle that the controlled populace welcome this control by consent. Similarly, thus, according to African novelist Ngugi wa Thiong’o, the “cultural bomb annihilates a people’s belief in their names, in their languages, in their unity, in their capacities and ultimately in themselves.”

Ahh, amid this wrestling conundrum of “what it means to be a Filipino”, I can only share a common aspiration with my son that indeed it’s high time for us to “organically disassociate our Filipino identity from such hegemonic linguistic-cultural labeling.”

For one, on a final note, I find relief in the words of Paolo Freire: “Man, who is an incomplete being, and yet conscious of his incompletion, has the inherent potential for completion.”

Read more: A new path for Southeast Asian civil society engagement with Asean

The post Being ‘Filipino’ appeared first on CoverStory.

That’s a general rule that Anna Cabrera, executive director of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), wishes to relay to those who are worrying about the wellbeing of their pets in the extreme heat currently being experienced nationwide. 

The temperature is not expected to drop soon. In an interview with PTV News last April 18, Ana Liza Solis, climate monitoring and prediction section chief of the Department of Science and Technology-Pagasa, said historically high temperatures have been recorded in the Philippines during the months of April and May. Thus, Filipinos should brace for even hotter days in the coming weeks.

And animal lovers have much to be concerned about during these troubling times.

Breed  

Cabrera observes that “with global warming and less trees, the heat is getting very bad.” She finds it “alarming” that many Filipinos looking for pet dogs are choosing purebreds or shih tzus belonging to the Brachycephalic breeds. (According to bluegrass.org.uk, Brachycephalic breeds are those that are short-nosed and flat-faced, or whose muzzle looks like it has been flattened or squashed inwards. “Their bottom jaw is disproportionately longer than their upper jaw, and the dog may look as though their lower jaw sticks out.”) 

Filipinos may not be aware that Brachycephalic breeds, as cute as they are, suffer most during intense heat, Cabrera tells CoverStory.ph, underscoring the importance of knowing the breed of one’s dog and what effects the summer heat has on them.

She cites an incident where a French bulldog was found dead in a room: “The house help just closed the door of the room. In this heat, without any air-conditioning or any other ventilation, it is dangerous for any dog, especially of the Brachycephalic breeds, to be kept inside [a closed space].” 

She laments reports of people who buy huskies, or dogs who have a double coat and are suited to live in a cold climate, and just keep them in cages, exposed to the heat. Of course, she points out, Pinoy dogs and cats—the beloved aspin and puspin—also need protection from situations that adversely affect purebred pets. 

Making sure that pets have access to clean, fresh water at all times, especially in this extreme heat, is important.  

In the PAWS shelter, an empty water bowl is a major infraction. Cabrera says she understands seeing empty food bowls because there’s a feeding schedule that is followed. (The shelter animals are fed twice daily, at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.). But it’s a different thing when it involves water. “The water must always be there,” she says. “In fact, part of our orientation is, if they see an animal area without water, they should report it to the shelter manager who will then call the attention of the caretaker, and a stern reminder will be given on the importance of the matter.” 

As a pet organization, PAWS holds Halloween contests where dogs and cats wear costumes. “They’re inside the mall and they just go up the stage for an hour or a few minutes, after which their costumes are removed,” Cabrera says. She notes that many Filipinos love to dress up their pets. “I guess in a mall setting, since the place is air-conditioned, it’s okay for our pets,” she says. “But if it’s in a regular environment, I suggest not to dress them up.”  

It’s the pets’ health and comfort and that should be first and foremost, Cabrera says, adding: “We love it when we see a cute dog in a stroller, but we should also be responsible and think of other things like, has the dog been vaccinated? Spayed or neutered?”

Sweating

A fur parent thinking of taking one’s pet to the groomer for a summer cut should be reminded that dogs actually sweat through their paws and tongue. An entry in the website willowbrookpetclinic.com states: “Although wearing a fur coat in the summer might increase your risk of heat stroke, the same isn’t true for your pets. Their coats actually provide a built-in heating and cooling system. During the winter, your dog or cat’s fur offers warmth when it lies flat against the body. When temperatures soar, the individual hairs in your pet’s coat stand upright, maximizing air flow.” 

There’s a post in the PAWS Facebook page showing a dog rescued in Fairview, Quezon City, with first-degree burns on his front paws. They named the dog Benjie. “The weird thing is only his front paws were injured,” says Cabrera. “We presumed that he stepped on a discarded piece of galvanized roof exposed for hours under the sun.” 

A graphic photo of Benjie’s burned front paws was posted to make people aware that it’s not okay to walk their dogs on a scorching hot pavement, especially during summer. Cabrera suggests grassy areas for walking, with no strenuous activities for pets for the time being. 

Would having pet dogs wear shoes remedy the situation? According to Cabrera, PAWS is against dogs wearing shoes because it’s through the glands in the paw pads, and the tongue, that they sweat. “It’s really bothersome to let them wear shoes,” she says. “Now, if dogs are made to wear shoes inside an air-conditioned mall, then maybe it’s okay. But definitely not outside.” 

Care

There’s no escaping this oppressive heat. Cabrera says responsible pet owners should share with their fur babies what make them comfortable, such as a place in an air-conditioned room, a space reached by an electric fan, a shaded area outdoors, even a handy hand fan. 

Cabrera says she respects people who say frankly that they have no pets because they have no time to give these pets the necessary care. She regrets that there are many who insist on having many pets but are neglectful of their welfare. 

With the challenges that animal welfare advocates have been facing, especially during this scorching hot summer, it’s a statement that gives voice to the cry for help of voiceless and helpless animals, and a wake-up call for those who have the means to make the world a better place for them, in all kinds of weather. 

We are, after all, responsible for the creatures that we tame.

The post Save your pets in this extreme weather appeared first on CoverStory.