OF TREES AND FOREST In school, when we were kids, we were presented with a magnificent, almost divine image of Mayon Volcano. In our textbooks, Mayon is often described in superlatives. Rising 2,463 meters above Albay, its near-perfect cone shape has made it one of the most recognizable natural...
FINDING ANSWERS It was a revival wrapped in devotion, tradition and draped in couture at the Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May) procession in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary last Sunday, from The Manila Hotel to Quirino Grandstand. With Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso as Hermano...
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) mapped assistance gaps for former rebel communities in Bicol after Mayon Volcano released pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) that triggered ashfall across parts of Albay. Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen...
Former rebels and parents of students allegedly drawn into underground movements staged a Labor Day protest outside the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in Quezon City on Friday, May 1, calling for stronger safeguards in schools against reported recruitment activities. The group urged...
A former production intern on Willie Revillame 's TV show "Wowowee" has come out to reveal some of the big no-nos he encountered while working on the show. In an interview on the podcast "Walang edit-edit," hosted by Leland Lim, the intern revealed that he was not allowed to make eye contact...
OF TREES AND FOREST I have seen the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) Social Weather Survey of March 24-31, 2026 which found that 50 percent of adult Filipinos felt that their lives got worse, 26 percent said it was the same, and 23 percent saying it got better, compared to twelve months ago....
FINDING ANSWERS Two recent episodes of the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel spotlighted the Philippines’ response to the global oil crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran. One featured Sen. Rodante Marcoleta on fuel pricing accountability. The other guested Employers Confederation of the...
OF TREES AND FOREST Going to the movies is no longer the automatic weekend ritual it once was, even though cinemas have never looked—or sounded—better. Box office revenues remain disappointing, not just in the country but globally, as more and more audiences turn to streaming screens at home. A...
A former policewoman was shot dead inside her home in Valenzuela City in what authorities said was a planned attack, allegedly orchestrated by a man who was later arrested. Valenzuela police said several suspects were later identified through follow-up operations and CCTV backtracking. The...
The wife of a former Muntinlupa councilor who died in a plane crash in Palawan during Holy Week said preparations are underway for the transport of his remains. Former councilor Allan Rey Camilon and another pilot, Joseph Jiao, were killed when their plane crashed in Barangay Decalacho, Coron,...
OF TREES AND FOREST Just like everyone else, I 've been watching how the Middle East conflict is unfolding and praying that somehow all the parties involved realize that peace is better than war. The economic ripples of the conflict are already showing up at sari-sari stores, tricycle drivers,...
BEYOND BUDGET Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. March 27 is special because it holds two stories that are deeply personal to me: The story of Muslim women and the story of a peace we once only hoped for. Muslim Women’s Day: Strength that endures For those who may be unfamiliar, March...
