Clik here to view.
[PODCAST] Love of Country: When is music patriotic?
MANILA, Philippines – Should music be nationalist for it to matter?Rappler's lifestyle and entertainment reporter Amanda Lago sits down with singer-songwriter Joey Ayala and tackles original Filipino...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION] China’s soft underbelly
China is a formidable country. The world’s oldest continuing civilization. The largest population. An economy that is still very powerful despite recent negative indicators. Awash in cash. An...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[PODCAST] Laffler Talk: Ghosting
MANILA, Philippines – Ilang araw na nagte-trending sa social media ang nakatitindig-balahibong kuwento ng ghosting.Mga parang multo na bigla na lang naglalaho.Sila ang mga nang-iwan sa ere at hindi na...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION] The real losers and winners of Chinese online gambling
My cousin-in-law Lim finally divorced his wife in 2018. Over the past 3 years, the young couple had been quarrelling because the wife was addicted to online gambling. She often locked herself in her...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION | NEWSPOINT] What press freedom?
The Social Weather Stations (SWS) has done a survey on the state of press freedom in the country. Actually, anyone observant enough should be able to tell, unaided by surveys, that it is in mortal...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION] On toilets and transgender rights
Almost two months ago, I posted an essay on being discriminated as a transgender woman both in my workplace and in school, a part of which was an account of my struggles concerning the women's public...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION] The benefits of knowing many languages
Most Filipinos speak 3 languages: their mother tongue, Tagalog, and English. It is not uncommon for a Filipino to know even more than 3 languages. For example, many Waray people can speak Waray,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION] I adopted a stray dog, or a stray dog adopted me
We have 5 dogs in total, and we didn’t buy any of them. Our female shih tzu was given by a former boyfriend, our male shih tzu is her offspring, an aspin (asong Pinoy or Filipino dog) was given to us...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION] So you want to be a humanitarian worker: A message from the frontlines
It’s been more than 15 years since I began my journey as a frontline humanitarian responder. My work tends to take me all over the Philippines whenever disasters or armed conflicts strike. I am a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[EDITORIAL] #AnimatED: Bigyang pagkakataon na ang Filipino ay sumulong
Pagpasok ng Agosto taon-taon, nagiging kabi-kabila ang talakayan sa media at sa mga forum sa eskuwelahan tungkol sa wika. Inuulit-ulit din ang argumento ng mga kontra sa ideya ng wikang pambansa: dapat...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[ANALYSIS] Duterte says safety comes at a price. Filipinos should know what...
President Duterte was elected on the promise that he would fight drugs and crime and make Filipinos safe. But implicit in the compact he has sealed with voters is this: Safety comes at a price. I have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION] Activism as the foundation of the university
The recent crackdowns on activists in our universities threaten not just the basic democratic rights of free expression and assembly, but also the depth of social criticism as the core of any...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION] Can Hong Kong’s rule of law survive the anti-extradition bill...
As a close observer of Hong Kong affairs, I am often asked as to how the Hong Kong protests will end. Nobody knows the answer to this question, but I believe a better one would be, how have the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[ANALYSIS] SOGIEnomics: Why fighting for LGBTQ+ rights makes economic sense
It’s not only morally right, it’s also economically sound.LGBTQ+ rights are in the news now in the wake of the appalling case of bathroom discrimination experienced by Gretchen Diez, a trans...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION] Media sensationalism, bureaucratic ineptitude, the common tao's...
The Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law is now in jeopardy. The media continues to sensationalize the issue by repeatedly tying it to the supposed impending release of Mayor Antonio Sanchez. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION] 'Never feel small': What I learned as Gina Lopez's executive assistant
Love for a boss is rare.Ask any employee for the first word that comes to mind upon hearing the word “boss,” and I’ll bet anything it’s either “stress” or “toxic” or “hate,” among others. More often...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION | Deep Dive] What the GCTA law is and what it needs
Disclosure: The author is a member, and currently the Regional Coordinator for Metro Manila, of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) which acted as counsel for the petitioners-in-intervention...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[ANALYSIS] Is Canada becoming anti-immigrant?
“Go home.” He mouthed the words and kept walking. I typically greet seniors I encounter on my way to work with a “Good morning,” and I did so one crisp, fall day when I saw a white old veteran in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINYON] Ikinasal ako sa isang atheist
Ikinasal ako sa isang atheist. Noong una 'di ko alam na hindi pala siya naniniwala sa Diyos o sa kahit na anong may kinalaman sa relihiyon. Pero ako, ang pamilya namin ay saradong Katoliko. Although...
View ArticleClik here to view.
[OPINION | Dash of SAS] G7 to discuss how to make gender inequality history
This weekend, August 24-25, the G7 – 7 of the world’s richest countries – will get together in Biarritz, France, and one of the things they will discuss is how to make gender inequality history.This...
View Article