Sex, gender and SOGIE
More than a decade ago, when many in this room were just beginning to consider what their sexual orientation might be or question their gender identity, feminists like myself, weary of the struggle for...
View ArticleAries Rufo: An inspiration, a journalist to the core
MANILA, Philippines – Aries Rufo's face lit up when he saw me in the newsroom after my first libel case was filed against me.I had been nervous about the case, wondering what strings Janet Napoles...
View ArticleListening needed to #StopLumadKillings
In the news on the Lumads, with all the poverty, the killings and deaths, it’s difficult to imagine any explanation other than what is presented: the brutish military unreasonably attacking members of...
View ArticleWhen breaking the law was necessary
September 21, 2015 being the 43rd anniversary of the declaration of martial law, I would like to share three tales from the anti-Marcos resistance abroad that illustrate why breaking the law is...
View Article#NeverAgain: Martial Law stories young people need to hear
Majority of comments on articles about Martial Law seem to be from staunch defenders of that era. There are and will always be citizens who see those years as an era of peace and prosperity in our...
View ArticleThe problem with Heneral Luna
As a citizen of an irreversibly globalized world, I often find myself cringing each time I watch a film that views “nationalism” as sacrosanct and endorses it. In my opinion, nationalism is like an...
View ArticleBinay and the duty to ask tough questions
“E di meron,” was the student’s curt response after Vice President Jejomar Binay was left with no choice but to admit that informal settlers – “about 3 or 5 percent” – continue to live in Makati.This...
View ArticleTime for senior citizens to fight for our rights
Is age just a number?The country’s total number of senior citizens continues to rise. The current population of Filipino senior citizens is estimated at 7 million, comprising nearly 7% of the total...
View ArticlePhilippine tourism: Held hostage again?
When Philippine President Benigno Aquino III formally declared 2015 as the year to visit the Philippines, I thought “right on!” Having spent nearly four years living in the nation while serving as the...
View ArticleThe problem with the lack of nationalism
This is in response to the iSpeak article "The Problem with Heneral Luna" published on September 23:As a citizen of an irreversibly globalized world, I often find myself cringing when I see people...
View ArticleWho were really behind Makati's yellow confetti rallies?
Various stories have circulated over the years since the fall of the Marcos regime. Some of these stories are about the origins of the "Yellow Confetti Rallies" that galvanized the business community...
View ArticleAn open letter to the ever-so-righteous Filipino voters
This was originally posted on the author's Facebook page:This is an open letter to the ever-so-righteous Filipino voters and to those who aren’t even registered:Dear ever-so-righteous Filipino...
View ArticleThe ‘Muslim type’
How unfortunate that even now, some people still look at Muslims with discrimination and hate in their eyes. After all these years, little has changed.I am a Muslim. Do I look like I’m carrying a bomb?...
View Article#EndDiscriminationNow: On being Muslim and discriminated
We are living in an era of pervasive discrimination, racism, and social inequality. We are living in a world where we are easily judged. Every day, we wake up to a society where freedom is not always...
View ArticleHuman Rights Watch: Heads should roll over attacks on Lumad
The Philippine military has repeatedly stood aside while paramilitary forces have attacked indigenous villages and schools in the southern region of Mindanao. These forces have committed killings,...
View ArticleINC rally sa DOJ at EDSA: Ito ba ang kaisahang itinuturo ng Bibliya?
Nasaksihan ng madla ang pinanawagan ng Sanggunian na “malaking” pagkilos ng Iglesia ni Cristo noong Agosto 27-Setyembre 1, 2015, sa isinagawang rally sa harap ng DOJ at sa EDSA upang iparinig sa...
View ArticleThe problem with PH history education
Often when I teach Philippine Government or Introduction to Political Science classes, especially for Political Science majors, I'd ask my students to do one rather time-consuming classroom exercise. I...
View ArticleWhy nurses are superhuman
I have never dreamed of becoming a nurse. When I was a child, my eager soul was claiming to be a renowned doctor. This vision would sometimes be replaced by thoughts of becoming a scientist, a Nobel...
View ArticleA philosopher's two cents on the #AlDub craze
It’s official. The AlDub phenomenon has taken the Filipino nation by storm. Reports indicate that tweets from the AlDub nation episode on Saturday, September 26, with the official hashtag...
View ArticlePolitical dynasties: The end of PH politics?
If there is a question that symbolizes the culmination of our so-called Philippine-style democracy, it is this: Nagalaw pa ba iyan (Is he still alive)? It’s a line from the film Heneral Luna. What...
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