People are reaching for their phones on a tiring commute on their way home, on a stressful day, or even as a reward for going through another week—not to scroll, but to listen. In the Philippines, podcasting has evolved from a niche hobby to a mainstream platform for news, storytelling, and even politics. Some podcasts unpack current events and social issues, while others focus on mental health, self-improvement, or similar topics often left out of mainstream media. The podc

That 2 a.m. panic when you realized that your reviewer is a hundred pages long and you haven’t even started. It’s that time of the semester where the sheer amount of review materials is combined with relentless additional activities that make you jokingly question, “Is it finals week or MY final week?” for the lack of sleep you got. But hey, don’t worry because here are the rituals you can do before an exam. Superstitions Failing to master the material leads inevitably to mas

Every January 9, the streets of Quiapo transform into a river of faith. Millions of barefoot devotees march alongside the Black Nazarene, a centuries-old statue of Christ carrying the cross, moving slowly through Manila’s streets in a ritual known as the Traslación —a sea of fervor that spreads through the city. The Black Nazarene wasn’t originally from Manila; it was carved in Mexico and brought to the Philippines in 1606. Over time, it has survived fires, earthquakes, wars,

Ang unang araw ng Enero ay mahalagang pagdiriwang ng mga tao upang salubungin ang bagong taon. Pagpatak ng alas dose ng umaga ay makikita ang karaniwang ganap sa selebrasyong ito. Maririnig ang kabi-kabilang paingay gaya ng naglalakihang torotot, paputok, ugong ng motor, kalampag ng mga kaldero, at makukulay na fireworks .  Maging sa mundo ng social media ay hindi mahuhuli ang mandatory posts  ng buong pamilya at nakasuot ng damit na ayon sa “color of the year” . Sa gitna ng

With its jaw-dropping twist of revelations to its gut-wrenching series of plots—the roller coaster ride of 2025—flooded by corruption that fueled people’s action, is finally coming to its final drop and turn to carry new stories of calls for actions, victory, and justice.  As the year comes to an end, it’s important to look back at the stories that shocked the people, knocked them sideways, and made them proud in one way or another. With everything that has happened on the ri

Christmas always brings me home. Not just to the house, but to the corners we don’t visit the rest of the year—the cabinet that smells like dust and pine cleaner, the room where forgotten things gather because throwing them away feels like erasing proof that we once believed in something. This year, while unpacking old decorations, I found a small box tucked behind tinsel and old lights. Inside were letters. Folded unevenly. Some smudged in pencil, others neat in pen. All add

Ngayong buwan ng kapaskuhan, isa sa mga hinahanap-hanap ng mga labi ay ang lasa ng mainit at matamis na tsokolate sa isang malaking tasa. Sinasangga nito ang malamig na simoy ng hangin at nagsisilbing malaking yakap na tila ba selebrasyon sa pagtatapos muli ng isang buong taon. Bahagi na rin ng tradisyon na ito ang pag-inom ng nasabing inumin tuwing gabi. Marahil ay sa gabi tunay na nararamdaman ang pagpasok ng iba’t ibang agam-agam kasabay pa ng malamig na hangin, kailangan

It is a rule that when you don’t get what you deserve, you leave.  But for Filipinos who have been battered by a great deal of disappointments from the government, leaving is not that simple. Because unlike those politicians under scrutiny, they cannot just leave the country easily—not when it’s difficult enough to bring food to the table, and not when they were promised something else. Every Christmas in the Philippines, it has always brought the light and warmth people nee

Spoiling ourselves and relinquishing the joyous respite to rest and celebrate Christmas has come upon us. A time of repetitive drifts of this week’s holiday traditions of the contemporary. A convergence of joyous spirits on the table to share their journeys. In many Filipino homes, Christmas does not end on December 25. The days that follow are marked by shared leftovers, extended gatherings, and quieter reflections around the dining table. This post-Christmas period reveals

Nakagawian na ng mga Pilipino ang paggising nang madaling araw para sa kapana-panabik na tradisyong kanilang hinintay. Tuwing papatak na ang ika-16 ng Disyembre, tila ba nagbabago ang simoy ng hangin na nagpapaalalang malapit na muling magsimula ang panibagong taon… at panibagong determinasyon ding tapusin ang siyam na Simbang Gabi habang bitbit ang pasasalamat sa buong taon na lumipas at mga panalangin para sa parating na bagong kabanata.  Ngunit… hindi lahat ng bukang-liway

Christmas in the Philippines is the season of giving. From sharing food over the Noche Buena to exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve—Filipinos view the Christmastide as the perfect time to make their loved ones feel special and to celebrate their hardships throughout the year as it comes to an end.  Reflecting their values, the jolly, red-suited, grandfatherly gift-giver Santa Claus, who is said to live in the North Pole, is the central figure of gift-giving culture among Filipi

In Tayuman, where giant commercial signs flash with Christmas deals, the small, enduring store of Felymar  shines. Every December, generations of families make the journey—not to a mall—but to this humble spot.  What began   as a simple family business has endured for decades. Since then, the Felymar Special Bibingka has served as a reminder of the Pasko pilgrimage, where a plain act of buying turns into a meaningful “mission” or “panata.”   A Sense of Place  The tale started

When Christmas comes around, you can feel it in the thickness of the air. The way it shifts to lovely and crisp, slowly brushing against your skin. It’s as if the world finally stops for a moment, allowing us to bask in every bit of magic of the holidays. But for healthcare workers, time waits for no one. Their duty calls, and unlike the rest of us, it doesn’t take a holiday. The walls are white. The hallways are quiet. The wind is chilly as another day on the job begins on 

By the time December arrives, streets glow with lights, carols float through the air, and politicians roll out their annual greetings of “Maligayang Pasko sa lahat.”  But for millions of Filipinos, Christmas comes not with gifts or relief, but with the familiar weight of absence—no clean water, no decent roads, no classrooms repaired, no hospitals improved. In a season meant for giving, the poorest communities are left asking the same bitter question: where did the money go?

For Filipinos, Christmas is a special holiday that they celebrate with family or someone they love: the long-awaited reunions, adults giving gifts, silly party games, and a warm feast of Noche Buena that brings everyone together. While homes across the country glow with colorful parols, over 2.16 million Filipinos are spending their holidays thousands of miles away—packing their “balikbayan” boxes instead of gifts, sending videos instead of hugs, and celebrating Christmas thr

The shouting came again last night. A slamming door. A muffled cry. And outside—the lights stayed steady, the televisions got louder, and the neighbors told themselves, “ Hindi natin dapat pakialaman.” This is how violence against women and children survives in the Philippines—not just through the hands of abusers, but through the silence of everyone around them. And that silence has become a national habit. When “Home” Isn’t Safe: What VAWC Really Looks Like Under Republic A

Loud crowds, the adrenaline of the players, the thrill of the game, the hard-fought victories, and the shining trophies—these are the typical scenes in the lives of student-athletes, or at least the ones that people see during intramurals, tournaments, and competitions. But beyond the cheers are parts that no audience witnesses. Once the game ends and the crowd leaves, they return to a life most people overlook: missing classes because of tournaments, squeezing schoolwork bet

The air in Manila feels heavy today, and it isn’t just the humidity or the exhaust fumes clinging to the overpasses of EDSA. It is the weight of memory colliding with the friction of survival. It is November 30 again—a date circled in red on the calendar, signaling a pause in the grind of the work week and end of the month, a non-working holiday where the flags are raised a little higher and the wreaths are laid a little fresher. We gather, in spirit or in person, at the foot

“Sa College of Communication, papasok kang pamintang buo, lalabas kang durog.” Maraming beses ko nang narinig ang biro na ito mula nang pumasok ako sa COC. Ngunit sa unang araw ko pa lamang sa loob, natuklasan ko nang mas tama sigurong sabihin na lalabas ka nang may mas malinaw na bersyon ng sarili mo. Hindi durog, bagkus ay pinagtibay. Sa pagpasok sa maliit na gusali ng kolehiyo, natagpuan ko ang malaking espasyo para tuklasin at ipahayag ang aking sarili sa paraang malaya

Sixteen years ago today in Maguindanao, a convoy of 50 people, which contained the then Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu’s wife and relatives, his supporters, his legal counsel, and over 30 journalists, was bound to Shariff Aguak to cover Mangudadatu’s filing of certificate of candidacy as governor for the May 2010 elections.  Around 10 in the morning of November 23, 2009, 58 people were brutally murdered by the camp of Mangudadatu’s political rival—the Ampatuans. Neither the co