A week after the commencement exercises of the University of the Philippines, an article in Rappler by UP faculty member and proud summa cum laude graduate JC Punongbayan titled “Let’s discuss grade inflation in the Philippines” made the rounds in social media. It eventually reached my own Facebook feed because my newly graduated former students, many...
Category: News
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Marcos urged to appoint ‘anti-Pogo czar’
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III wants President Marcos to name a “czar” to ensure that the government enforces his new policy to ban Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) now deemed hotbeds of crime and other illegal activities. In an interview with CoverStory, Pimentel raised the need for the President to “designate” an anti-Pogo...
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We need mental health care in times of calamity
During extreme events that upend our collective life, we should also be concerned about each other’s mental, spiritual and psychological health aside from the urgent need for food, clothing and shelter. After all, emergencies require attention to both the corporeal and the psychological. The intensity of the southwest monsoon rains exacerbated by Supertyphoon “Carina” (Gaemi)...
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Filipino fishers continue to struggle amid China’s intensifying aggression
SAN SALVADOR ISLAND—With a piece of chalk, Christopher de Vera Sr. marked the sketch of a triangle-shaped Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on the board, labeling the entrance in the east and pointing out where Chinese vessels are often seen on patrol. Laughter filled the venue of the meeting, a classroom of San Salvador High School in...
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Kiko Pangilinan mulls Senate run, challenges tech giants
LEGAZPI CITY—Former senator and Liberal Party president Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is mulling a comeback to the Senate in next year’s midterm elections, but this would depend on his prospects of winning. “I’m inclined to seek reelection, but I have not finalized my plans because I also want to see my chances [in the] polling,” he...
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We need to decolonize our understanding of teenage motherhood
There is a long umbilical cord that connects the contemporary framing of teenage motherhood in the Philippines and the country’s colonial experience. Teenage motherhood is currently framed as a developmental problem due to its impact on health and education, which are vital aspects of a country’s human capital. According to the narrative, teenage motherhood is...
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Leila de Lima and her personal quest for justice
The lawyer Leila de Lima is counting her blessings and savoring her recent legal victory that cleared her of her third drug case. But she’s not losing sight of her personal quest for justice against her persecutors. She will sue those who publicly maligned her and haled her to court on fabricated drug trafficking charges...
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Atin Ito marchers denounce China’s ‘acts of aggression’
On the eve of the 126th anniversary of Philippine Independence, hundreds of activists, fishers and their supporters marched to the Chinese consulate in Makati City in protest against China’s incursions into the West Philippines (WPS), warning Beijing not to underestimate the Filipinos’ resolve to resist foreign aggressors. “China will not intimidate us,” said Akbayan Party...
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A fresh look at Graciano Lopez Jaena’s heroic legacy
ILOILO CITY—On Independence Day on Wednesday (June 12), our thoughts dwell on the valor and dedication of heroes who fought for our freedom. For Ilonggos, among those who stand out is Graciano Lopez Jaena, not just as a revolutionary figure but a beacon of eloquence and intellect as well. As a tribute to the propagandist’s...
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Ilonggos recall Freedom Day moments in ‘Cry of Santa Barbara’
ILOILO CITY—While the Cry of Pugad Lawin in Luzon often takes center stage in history books as the trigger event of the Filipinos’ open revolutionary struggle to gain independence from the Spanish colonial regime, another pivotal moment took place in the Visayas, specifically Panay Island. The first sparks of rebellion flew in Barangay Jelicuon in...