What began as a disparaging online exchange about the celebrity Kris Aquino’s elder son has become an investigation into possible violations of disability-rights laws. Beyond the apologies and public outrage lies a larger question about the responsibility of those who turn other people’s lives into entertainment. It took 26 seconds for the conversation in “Machong...
Category: Specials
Post
Surge in land prices offers opportunity for land value capture in Muntinlupa
MAGALANG, Pampanga—A surge in land prices in a residential subdivision in Muntinlupa City following the construction of a publicly funded access road to a central business district (CBD) has presented the city government an opportunity to get a share of the unearned windfall gains of landowners. But the city government has overlooked this source of...
Post
Police try to arrest veteran photojournalist in anti-US rally
Police attempted to arrest veteran photojournalist Alberto “Bullit” Marquez as he was covering a rally on Wednesday, July 22, in Pasay City against alleged US aggression in the Middle East and the Washington-initiated “Pax Silica” project to set up an expansive AI and semiconductor hub in the Philippines. Marquez was trying to take pictures of...
Post
Experts urge digital safety in uploading AI-generated images of children
Transforming a child’s face into a cute, playful AI image may appear creative and harmless, but uploading it to AI-powered online platforms, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, could pose risks that are often overlooked, according to authorities. One AI-generated image that has become popular is the “AI baby sticker,” which displays a baby’s photo enhanced...
Post
Girlie’s life in captivity and the challenge of conservation
Few visitors at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City realize that whenever they see Girlie, they are looking at a living chapter of Philippine conservation history. Girlie, estimated to be 45–46 years old, is believed to be the oldest living Philippine eagle. She has been living by herself in a caged...
Post
Filipino trust in news posts biggest fall–Digital News Report 2026
Trust in news in the Philippines plummeted by 10 points in 2026, the steepest decline among all 48 markets covered by this year’s Reuters Institute Digital News Report (DNR), amid deep political divisions, sustained attacks on the media and a continued shift toward social media, video platforms, creators and AI tools. Only 28% of Filipino...
Post
Six state-run schools assigned land in 9,450-hectare ‘smart, green and resilient’ city
NEW CLARK CITY — As a strategy, developers set aside land for a school to make real estate projects attractive to potential residents or investors. This government project in Central Luzon has allotted parcels of land to not one but six educational institutions. The scale of the project may explain the plan to put up...
Post
Possible giant leap in real property tax alarms Ayala Alabang Village residents
Residents of Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City have expressed alarm over an increase of up to 4,304% in the value of residential land in the posh neighborhood that will raise their payments of the yearly “amilyar,” or real property tax (RPT). At a public hearing on Feb. 11 in the barangay hall of the...
Post
AI use is growing faster than Southeast Asia can keep pace with
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) across Southeast Asia is accelerating faster than governments, schools, and institutions can keep pace with, with 75% of students using AI in the Philippines, according to studies released by the Asean Foundation. “Across Asean, we are seeing AI use grow faster than our systems’ ability to guide it,” said Asean...
Post
Asking the question we’d rather avoid
The traditional newsroom is under siege, and the invaders aren’t just algorithms—they are individuals with smartphones and opinions. According to the latest insights from the Reuters Institute, 2026 marks a tipping point where generative AI and human “influencers” are squeezing traditional media institutions into a corner of perceived irrelevance. We are moving away from the...