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To a successor generation: find a different way of doing politics
Believing that our country’s future depends on a successor generation of leaders able to dedicate their lives to public service, this brief piece explores a different way of doing politics. It is...
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Fake news, bad views, and society’s loss
First of two partsThe issue of fake news is personal and political for me. As an individual, I like my freedom and would want to be always free to express my opinion. That includes promoting my version...
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Diving with a million sardines
Swarming around us is a giant wave of sardines, moving as one to avoid circlingpredators like tuna and mackerel.I’m with underwater photographer Danny Ocampo and we’re diving in Moalboal, known for...
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What Islamic State East Asia looks like post-Marawi
On September 24, 2017, the Islamic State’s Al-Hayat Media released a video titled “Hijrah Will Not Cease” in which a Singaporean fighter “Abu Uqayl” beckoned the ISIS (Islamic State) faithful to do...
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#AnimatED: Time to stand up to Duterte’s online bullies
If you’ve experienced being harassed and threatened online, you know that the fears are not imagined. They are recurring and magnified by the frequency and viciousness of the attacks from complete...
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Confrontation at the Senate
Second of two parts | Part 1: Fake news, bad views, and society’s lossIn the Senate hearing last October 4, traditional media came out well while the pro-Duterte bloggers gave the impression of being...
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End media neutrality
The favorite pejorative of online trolls is “biased.” They often use it to question the credibility of a media outlet such as this one, or, sometimes, academics like myself who should be “neutral” in...
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Federalism in motion: a runaway train?
The federalism train has left the station. The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban (PDP) has submitted a draft Constitution to the House of Representatives; hearings on proposed changes are ongoing....
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Revolutionary government, yes, Duterte-style, no
Under normal circumstances, I would be the first to welcome the establishment of a revolutionary government. After all, the existing economic and political system really needs not just a reboot but an...
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[OPINION] Part 2: Rethinking religious education
In my previous piece I proposed that we need to rethink religious education so that it becomes a safe space. By that I meant that students must be able to ask questions that they would normally be...
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Living well despite having bipolar disorder
I have bipolar disorder. Like all good owners, it has kept me bubble-wrapped, as pristine as possible for its own purposes. Previously, attempts to escape this bubble were rewarded with threats –...
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#FridayFeels: Halloween Costumes
Costume ba problema mo?Inggit naman ako sa 'yo!Habang kayo'y nananakot,Sa finals na ako yamot.Tama na 'tong hocus pocusKailangan ko nang mag-focus-focus!– Rappler.comArtwork by Janina MalinisText by...
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Tiglao and his fever swamp of conspiracy theories
No one wants to waste time responding to baseless accusations and obviously false statements because doing so dignifies them and might lend them credibility. So we will touch only lightly on Rigoberto...
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[Newspoint] How far can Duterte go?
An increasingly anxious discussion goes on about how far Rodrigo Duterte intends to go with his presidential powers, but it seems poorly focused. Given what he has managed to do within just over a...
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Whang Od at Manila FAME: Marginal notes on a damaged culture
A friend jokingly shared his dismay over seeing Whang Od at the Manila FAME, cordoned off and tattooing.He tells me that it's just like the 1904 Philippine Exposition at St. Louis during the World’s...
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[Editorial] #AnimatED: Sana'y hindi maging Zamboanga ang Marawi
Hindi maganda ang track-record ng PIlipinas sa rehabilitasyon.Setyembre 2013. Tumagal lamang ang Zambaonga siege nang 20 araw nguni't 120,000 ang naging internally displaced persons o IDPs at 191 ang...
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[OPINION] Peke at totoo
Heto na. Dumating na tayo sa isang sitwasyong ikinakatakot ng lahat ng guro mula sa mga nagtuturo ng Grade 1 hanggang sa mga nagtuturo sa mga programang pang-doktorado.Dumating na tayo sa isang...
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What I can't understand about the Whang-od controversy
I can't understand the current noise over the fact that the famous Kalinga tattoo maker, Whang-od, was in a trade event in Manila.Since I've started researching on the Dominican presence in the...
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Whang-od as a brand name
I was in Aparri, Cagayan when Apo Whang-od was brought to the Manila FAME to "perform" a tattoo demontration, speak in a panel, and to attend the announcement of her nomination to the GAMABA (Gawad ng...
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#FridayFeels: Vacation trap November
Remember, remember, the month of NovemberSo many vacations galoreIt feels like you're dropping your workload foreverBut when work does comes back, what a chore! Artwork by Alyssa ArizabalText by...
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