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[OPINION] Confessions of a former rah-rah activist
It was a gloomy Monday morning, July 2012. President Benigno Aquino was about to deliver his second State of the Nation Address. I woke up early to catch the latest news and prepare my speech for our...
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[OPINION] Activists take care of our rights, but who takes care of our...
If we take care of others and fight for their rights, who takes care of us?This is what my colleagues and friends from the civil society/non-profit sector jokingly ask among us. During drinking...
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[OPINION] The real hostage situation
On March 2, we witnessed a 9-hour hostage situation at Greenhills Shopping Center. The hostage taker was a security guard from Safeguard Armor Security Corporation who had been removed from his post...
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[PODCAST] I've Got An Opinion: I'm married, but I don't want children
Subscribe to I've Got An Opinion on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Soundcloud.MANILA, Philippines – For the longest time, having a baby was part and parcel of being a woman. That was just how it was: a...
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DENR removes barbed wire blocking reforestation site in Masungi Georeserve
MANILA, Philippines– The Masungi Georeserve is finally free from the clutches of a quarry company after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) removed barbed wire blocking a...
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[OPINION] Do you believe in 'quiet activism?'
I once thought that activism was only about protests and rallies in public places. But I was wrong.I had never considered quiet activism.I learned about quiet activism when I met a landless farmer in...
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[OPINION] In solidarity with our queer sisters
When I came out to myself as queer when I was still a little kid, I found discomfort in not knowing how I was different — or similar — from my brother, my sister, and my friends. I had no idea then...
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From a photographer's lens: Remembering strong women throughout history
MANILA, Philippines– I have been taking pictures for 35 years now, professionally for 29 years. From the many frames I made from Kodak Tri-X using a Leica Rangefinder camera and from the digital files...
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[OPINION] I was an atheist, then a Christian, and now an agnostic
Being raised an atheist as a child, as well as being a former Christian made me realize that there is discrimination on both ends. And realizing that somehow made me a better person.Growing up atheist...
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The power of capoeira: Manila street children find a new rhythm through sport
MANILA, Philippines – What would have happened to Joshua if he had not started practicing capoeira? As a young boy on the streets of Manila, Joshua (not his real name), was among the most vulnerable,...
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These Filipinas use their passion to empower marginalized women
MANILA, Philippines– Strong women uplift other women.This much is true as three Filipina changemakers shared their inspirational journeys in making it their mission to empower women and provide them...
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#SanaAllSchools: Students seek safe spaces vs sexual harassment on campus
MANILA, Philippines– When students experience sexual harassment on campus, what happens next?For some, these instances go unreported due to a lack of avenues for victims to forward their...
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Nationwide earthquake drill canceled due to coronavirus outbreak
MANILA, Philippines – The The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has canceled the first quarter nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill (NSED) that was supposed to be...
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[OPINION] Campus militarization: Imagined or real?
The scene opens with a young boy named Paco having a conversation with his father, a farmer in the rice fields of Nueva Ecija. The father reminds Paco to study hard because life as a farmer is...
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#SalamatUP: Netizens laud U.P. scientists for developing coronavirus test kits
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – A day after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the coronavirus test kits developed by scientists from University of the Philippines (UP), #SalamatUP trends...
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Self-quarantine guide amid coronavirus pandemic: When to do it, what to stock...
MANILA, Philippines – As soon as the Department of Health (DOH) reported a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country, many Filipinos found themselves wondering if they should self-quarantine as some of...
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Staying compassionate in the time of coronavirus
The global spread of coronavirus isn’t showing signs of slowing down any time soon. Because of that – sure – it is tempting to be selfish and it is easy to feel powerless. In the Philippines, as soon...
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[OPINION] Pens and placards: On campus journalists as student activists
“News is what someone wants suppressed. Everything else is advertising.” – Katharine Graham You see, campus journalism through the years is mostly institutional advertising in Philippine universities....
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How young doctors are fighting online misinformation on novel coronavirus
MANILA, Philippines – Access to timely, relevant, and correct information is critical during times like this. But when misinformation and disinformation can spread as fast as a virus, what do we do?For...
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[OPINION] Let’s not forget the poor during the coronavirus pandemic
Back in 1998, I helped conduct a study on "Elite Perceptions of Inequality and Poverty in the Philippines," which included in-depth interviews and semi-structured surveys with nearly 100 of the...
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