Grief is something that’s always been there—it always has been. When you reach the end of October, you will see pumpkins, ghosts, costumes, trick-or-treats, or Halloween parties. But there is also the waxy scent of melted candles floating through the cool air that complements the clean fragrance of fresh flowers. Rosaries are draped over fingertips, picture frames are at the front of the altar, and families are finally connecting physically after months or even years of being

“Y'all can't handle s*** because you ain't s***,” says a Redditor. Mental Health Awareness Month is an annual global observance held every October 10, symbolizing a beacon of hope to individuals suffering from emotional instability. It raises awareness, fights against social stigmatization, and mobilizes support for mental health care and well-being. Organized by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) for th

Sa lupang pawis at dugo ng mga magsasaka ang patubig, kailanman, hindi tatamis ang tubong nakatanim dito. Gaya ng isang matandang tubo na may malagong damo, lumago rin ang bunga sa mga sanga ng problemang naka-ugat sa lupa na nagdala ng iba’t ibang kalupitan sa mga magsasaka. Sa kabila ng matamis na imahe ng Negros dahil sa tubo, hindi maitatago ng mga berdugo ang mapait na katotohanan sa lupang sakahan na may halong dugo ang tubig na pang dilig. Ayon sa isang mangunguma—mag

October is Philippine Coffee Month, as declared by former President Fidel V. Ramos Proclamation No. 1081 in 1997. And for marketing year 2025-2026, Filipinos are projected to have consumed an astounding 40.5 billion cups of coffee, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These numbers alone show how deeply coffee is ingrained in the Filipino daily routine. But what makes it truly worth celebrating lies beyond the bean itself. The Companion “Kape tayo” has b

It’s that time of the year again, and you’re probably hearing it everywhere: “You look so pretty, and I love this view, we fell in love in October.” On Instagram stories and TikTok feeds, October becomes a month for randomly posting memories, stolen glances, dates, and the girls who made them worth remembering. For many women loving women (WLW), Girl in Red’s familiar lyrics have become a soundtrack for putting love into words—or sometimes, simply putting it on display. But b

​“Sintang Paaralan, tanglaw ka ng bayan.” ​Sa tuwing umaalingawngaw ang unang linya ng iyong himno, may kung anong kurot sa aking dibdib na hindi ko maipaliwanag. Dati, kinakabisado ko lang ang mga linyang ito dahil kailangan sa klase. Ngayon, bawat salita ay may bigat, may mukha, at may kasaysayan. Naririnig ko ang iyong awit ngayon habang pinagmamasdan ang mga kapwa ko estudyanteng nakasuot ng sablay, naghahanda para sa araw na matagal naming hinintay—ang pagtatapos. ​Bilan

The word “finally” carries two significant meanings for many. For one, it marks the arrival of something we have long been waiting for—a new beginning. For another, it signifies the culmination of something we've worked hard to achieve—a fulfillment of a long-sought goal. For many college students, the journey begins long before the first day of class. It starts with getting accepted into a dream school. Review sessions, entrance exams, months of waiting for that acceptance

Sa tabi ng isang diktador na nakabarong, isang unang ginang na naka-terno at may libu-libong sapatos ang kasangga nito sa katiwalian, paglabag sa karapatang pantao, at pagkontrol sa buong bansa. Habang nasa ilalim ng kamay na bakal ni Ferdinand Marcos Sr. ang Pilipinas, hawak naman ni Imelda Marcos ang noo’y Metropolitan Manila—ngayon ay National Capital Region—sa bisa ng Presidential Decree No. 824 na siyang nagtalaga sa kaniya bilang Gobernadora nito. Layunin nitong bumuo

Napatayo ako mula sa aking upuan. Hawak ang maliit na papel na naglalaman ng aking bilang sa pila, binaybay ng aking mga mata ang dilaw na mga karatula. Nagbabakasakali akong makita ang pangalan ng nais na programa ngunit hindi ko ito mahagilap. Sa gitna ng dagat ng mga upuan at mga estudyanteng nangangarap, panandaliang tumahimik ang paligid nang una kong maramdaman ang bunga ng sistema ng unibersidad na pinasok ko—parang isang laro ng agaw-upuan. Muling umingay ang pali

Not all layers of a drawer open at once. In a typical Filipino household, we often see drawers rather than closets. Layer by layer, they hold various things — some are easily accessible, while others have been closed for a long time. For many LGBTQIA+ individuals, coming out is not a single, life-changing moment — it comes in different layers. Some are kept open, while others stay hidden, waiting for a moment when it finally feels safe to be pulled out — when the time, plac

Ang isang pamilya ay karaniwang binubuo ng ama, ina, at anak. Sa ideyal na tahanan, sabay-sabay silang kumakain, nagkukuwentuhan, at nagdadamayan sa bawat tagumpay at pagsubok. Ngunit para sa libo-libong pamilyang Pilipino, may isang upuang nananatiling bakante sa hapag-kainan at isang yakap na matagal nang hinihintay. Sa paggunita ng National Migrant Workers’ Day noong Hunyo 7, muling nabibigyang-pansin ang sakripisyo ng milyun-milyong OFW na nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa par

Sa pakiki-beki sa mahabang panahon, patuloy na pinapanday ng mga bakla o bading na karakter at friend of the pod na direktor at manunulat ang identidad ng mga bakla sa lipunan. Mula sa katatawanan hanggang sa repleksyon ng sosyo-kultural na reyalidad ng mga bakla sa lipunan, itinayo ang bahagharing barikada na nagpoprotekta at nagpapakilala ng kanilang tunay na identidad sa iba’t ibang sulok ng lipunan. Isa sa mga tanyag at kilalang artistang gumagampan ng iba’t ibang uri ng

Sa mesa, sa ibabaw ng makukulay na mantel nito, ay nakadambana ang samu’t saring putahe: mga luntiang gulay, ang umuusok na kaning puti, at mga karneng nalulunod sa sarsa. Nag-aagawan ang mga pinaghalong amoy ng pagkain sa hangin. Bawat subo ay puno ng papuri, ngunit sa bawat nguya ay may mapait na panlasa ang hindi napapansin—ang lasa ng tuyong lupa at alat ng pawis. Bahagi ng kulturang Pilipino ang paghahanda sa pista, kaarawan, kasal, at iba pang okasyon. Minsan ay kahit

Six years after the world went into lockdown due to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, many young Filipinos are still struggling to recover from the lives it disrupted. What was once considered a temporary crisis gradually evolved into long-term instability marked by financial struggles, emotional burnout, and dreams repeatedly adjusted to fit survival. Even as the country slowly reopened, new challenges emerged beyond people’s homes. Rising inflation, increasing tr

From the gentle hands that wake us early in the morning to the voices fighting for equality today—this is the story of the women who refused to let us settle for less. It’s still dark outside—too early and too cold for 5:00 a.m. Instead of an alarm ringing, I wake to a gentle hand nudging me. I mumble, asking for five more minutes, but the smell of freshly cooked breakfast drifts through the air, making my stomach rumble. With disheveled hair and heavy eyes, I finally drag

Sa isang sulok ng kampus ng PUP, may pusang payapang nakahiga sa ilalim ng punong nagbibigay ng lilim. Hindi ito pinapansin ng karamihan—abala ang mga estudyante sa paghabol sa oras, sa klase, sa mga gawain. Ngunit maya-maya, may isang hihinto, maglalabas ng pagkain, at marahang lalapit. Sa simpleng tagpong ito, nabubuhay ang diwa ng Sintang Pusa. Hindi na bago ang presensya ng mga pusa sa PUP. Matagal na silang bahagi ng tanawin—tahimik na gumagala sa mga pasilyo at tambayan

The fire that lives within usually refers to the burning passion of a person with dreams and goals. It is the drive that helps them brave all odds throughout their journey. But for the students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the fire that lives within means something different. For it is the heat that crawls through sunlit walls and crowded desks during lectures. "Hindi sapat ang bentilasyon na mayroon tayo sa klasrum. Halos 50-70 ang nilalaman estudy

Every April 22, Earth Day arrives like a visitor everyone pretends to prepare for. Schools are suddenly gripped by “green fever,” asking each student to design a ‘Save the Planet’ poster that typically ends with a drawing of a pair of hands holding the Earth. Then, teachers proudly hang posters along the corridors. Government offices are posting hashtags. Social media is blowing up with timelines filled with people posting their photos holding seedlings that may or may not s

There are places in the city you pass through without noticing: waiting sheds, platforms, terminals—designed for movement, not pause. You move through them on your way to somewhere else, rarely aware of the small rhythms they hold. The ferry along the Pasig River is one of those places, where passengers line up, board, find a seat, and drift toward the next shore. Its purpose is simple: to get from point A to point B. But what happens in between—the waiting, the crossing, t

Nowadays, some people say that when the Middle East sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold, but right now, it feels less like a sneeze and more like a fever that’s burning through the pockets of every Filipino. We often think of "war" as something confined to history books or evening news clips of sandy horizons and flashing missiles. We watch it from the safety of our sofas, thinking, "Mabuti na lang, malayo tayo.” But then you pull up to a gas station and see the nu