I am at that age when many people I know, contemporaries as well as older relatives and friends, have passed on. Death is an inevitable part of life. Some say it ends life; others, that it leads to better, eternal life. I almost lost mine to Covid-19. For two days I had fever approaching 40°C....
Category: News
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12 dynasties lose gubernatorial races, but 71 of 82 provinces still led by political clans
In the next three years, most provinces will remain in the hands of governors who come from political dynasties. By the count of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), 71 out of 82 winning governors in the May 12 midterm elections are members of political families. It’s the same number as before the May...
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Where ‘taong grasa’ are rescued from the streets with compassion and dignity
BAGUIO CITY—In 2020, Nanay Calteya was taken off the streets of the country’s summer capital, which she had been roaming for years. Through the initiative of the local chapter of the Anxiety and Depression Support Group (ADSG) led by Ricky Ducas Jr., a team of emergency service, social work, and health service personnel conducted the...
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The ‘obese’ dynasties of the Philippines are back, but reform hopes rise for 2028
Seventeen relatives of Luis “Chavit” Singson’s political clan ran in local races in Ilocos Sur province in northern Luzon with a little more than 700,000 people. Although one lost her bid, the Singsons occupy the seats of governor, vice governor, provincial board members, district representatives, city and municipal officials. Six others were nominees in the...
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What to know so far about the courtesy resignations of Marcos Cabinet members
When he called for members of his Cabinet on May 22 to each submit a courtesy resignation, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said: “The people have spoken, and they expect results—not politics, not excuses. We hear them, and we will act.” “It’s time to realign government with the people’s expectations,” the press release from the Presidential News...
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How the Bam-Kiko win alters the landscape of the Senate
All eyes will be on Senators-elect Benigno “Bam” Aquino III and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan when the Senate tries impeached Vice President Sara Duterte over a string of charges arising from her alleged misuse of government funds. The re-entry of Aquino and Pangilinan will alter the dynamics in the 24-member chamber that will need the votes...
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Comelec proclaims 52 party-list groups, suspends Duterte Youth and BH due to pending cases
Only 52 party-list groups were proclaimed on May 19 by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which decided to suspend the proclamation of two others, including Duterte Youth, because of pending disqualification cases against them. Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia announced that 54 party-list groups won seats in the House of Representatives in the May 12...
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Kontra Daya flags the automated election system used on Election Day
All was not well in the automated election system on Election Day 2025, according to the poll watchdog Kontra Daya. Toward the 7 p.m. close of polling precincts nationwide on Monday, May 12, Kontra Daya said the errors in the automated counting machines (ACM) accounted for most of the problems encountered in the midterm polls....
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In Ilocandia, land of ‘mega’ dynasties, Chavit Singson has 23 relatives running for office
Some of the biggest names in Philippine politics come from the Ilocos region, including the Marcos political clan of Ilocos Norte. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is now the country’s 17th president. He was elected in May 2022 in one of the biggest political comebacks in history. It came nearly four decades after a bloodless people’s revolt...
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In Bicol, political clans aiding victims backed projects blamed for flooding
Bicol, home to the majestic Mount Mayon, is among the country’s most disaster-prone regions. It is regularly battered by storms and other calamities that test the resilience of its people year after year. Rogelio Barajas, a resident of Legazpi City in Albay for over five decades, will never forget how Typhoon “Reming” (international name: Durian)...