The old jeepney slowly negotiated the forested area of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in Laguna, its engine screeching as it struggled up the steep road. At the foot of Mount Makiling in this part of the UPLB campus, towering trees greeted everyone alighting from the jeepney. Many trees stood behind the...
Category: Specials
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Chinese online platforms swirl with Duterte arrest disinfo
Ten days after his arrest, false reports surfaced on Chinese digital media platforms claiming that former president Rodrigo Duterte had collapsed into a coma while in detention at The Hague, where he faces trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity linked to his bloody antidrug war. Fabricated accounts described his condition...
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Duterte arrest sparks disinformation surge, spinning tales in his favor
The stunning arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte by Interpol on March 11 has unleashed a torrent of disinformation across social media. Fabricated claims and misleading narratives widely cast him as a victim of injustice in an apparent effort to garner public support. Fact checks on spurious posts about Duterte’s arrest in Manila and his...
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Nadine Lustre pushes New Vegan appeal for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Text and photos by Bullit Marquez With her body painted to depict the Earth’s oceans and continents, popular actress and singer Nadine Lustre posed to push a New Vegan appeal for Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) at Parallax Studio in Pasig City on March 17. Members of the media were invited for...
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PLDT well on the way to building its campus-style HQ in Filinvest City
PLDT has finally acquired a large parcel of land for its campus-style headquarters in the 244-hectare Filinvest City in Alabang, the central business district of Muntinlupa City, CoverStory.ph has learned. The acquisition of the property ended years of on-again, off-again negotiations between PLDT and Filinvest Alabang Inc. (FAI) of the Gotianun family. Currently, the publicly...
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When apps are gamified, workers rarely win
On a Thursday afternoon, just after the lunchtime rush, a pack of motorcycles pulled into a narrow alleyway in a Metro Manila city. Their riders parked their bikes in front of a makeshift rest area. The space resembled a typical “tambayan.” Equipped with a wall fan, and a water and a charging station, it was...
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In Luzon, ‘ayungin’ the fish is also threatened
There’s the disputed Ayungin Shoal 105 nautical miles west of Palawan, and there’s the endemic freshwater fish called “ayungin,” which is now the size of a fisherman’s palm. But size shouldn’t matter, with both the large reef and the small fry facing the threat of one day being lost to the Philippines. Ayungin the fish...
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Atom Araullo’s victory over Red-taggers also a win for others
Television journalist Atom Araullo and his lawyers said his landmark legal victory against Red-tagging can be used by other journalists and activists similarly victimized to thwart this dangerous labelling that opens them to various forms of harassment and intimidation. Araullo, 41, a multiawarded documentarist, won a P2-million civil lawsuit for damages against ex-anticommunist task force...
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The journalism of our future
Deep in the south of Egypt a young woman once told me, “Being a journalist at a local newspaper has given me the opportunity to discover and assert who I am. What my community is and what it needs. Not be told who we are and are supposed to be.” As we near World News...
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Journalism is society’s safety net
A record number of newsrooms have signed up for World News Day 2024, recognizing the positive influence of journalism the world over. More than 600 newsrooms and media associations across all continents join to bring awareness to the purpose of journalism, a trade that is under constant attack. It’s a day to pause; and reflect...