FINDING ANSWER The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the crown jewel of the Christian liturgical calendar. It is on Easter that the message of renewed hope, of life conquering death, reverberates more profoundly. As Easter brings about redemption through the Risen Lord, the...
PEACE-MAKER Today, as Christendom celebrates the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are once again reminded that hope triumphs over despair, light over darkness, and peace over conflict. Yet even as churches across our country echo with joyful proclamations of “He is risen!”,we...
OF TREES AND FOREST I grew up during the time when Holy Week or Mahal na Araw was solemnly observed. There were no distractions that time. There were virtually no programs on TV except Holy Week related programs and movies like The Ten Commandments and Spartacus. Even radio stations...
PEACE-MAKER As the political campaign heats up, we are once again seeing the country gripped by division, mudslinging, and personal attacks. The atmosphere has become toxic — full of noise, anger, and venom. This is not what our democracy should be about. Healthy debate and differences of...
OF TREES AND FOREST The World Happiness Report for 2025 was released by the United Nations last March 20, 2025, which was also International Day of Happiness. The report does not only rank countries by their average levels of life satisfaction but also explored “the impact of caring and...
FINDING ANSWERS As the election campaign intensifies with candidates vying for local posts now joining national bets in battling for the hearts and minds of voters, many Filipinos find themselves questioning whether the triennial elections really usher in significant progress – or merely...
PEACE-MAKER The recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand has shaken Southeast Asia to its core. With over 1,600 lives lost and many more injured or missing, it has become a heartbreaking reminder of nature’s fury and of our shared vulnerability. In Mandalay,...
OF TREES AND FOREST (Part I) A few days ago, March 20 to be exact, the World Happiness Report 2025 was launched. That day, March 20, was International Day of Happiness. The United Nations website described the report as a document that “features a ranking of countries by their average levels of...
PEACE-MAKER As speaker of the House of Representatives and in the course of our modest foray in parliamentary and political party diplomacy, we have had the privilege of meeting UN Secretaries-General U Thant, Javier Perez de Cuellar, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Kofi Anan, and Ban Ki-moon — all men of...
Senator Imee Marcos announced on Wednesday, March 26, her withdrawal from the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas. Senator Imee Marcos "I cannot stand on the same campaign platform as the rest of the Alyansa. As I have stated from the outset of the election period, I will...
OF TREES AND FOREST It is a very controversial question. Should government regulate social media? On one hand, we know, and some of us have experienced first-hand the dangers of social media that is completely unfettered. I have been a victim of this. Most recently, I had to post a proof of...
FINDING ANSWERS Now being National Women’s Month, I’d like to highlight key legislation that greatly benefits Filipino women — laws of which I had the privilege of being the principal sponsor or author during the two terms I served as senator. Among the many laws I championed, I’m...
