Not out of the woods yet: A Principled Audit of the Maharlika Wealth Fund

Given that the issue was introduced by the media as a SSS and GSIS-centric issue, instead of having the potential for en masse impact, places the public in the palm of the MWF sponsors because passivity is what they need at this point. And with that, the public has been masterfully pacified and the MWF still progresses its way to passage, sneaking an incredibly important context that managed to pass through the public consciousness.

The families, the stories, and the facts that matter

Some things are best left uninvestigated, for they simply do not matter. The case of being encouraged to watch Darryl Yap's "Maid in Malacañang" is perhaps one of these things.

Tanggap Kita, Walang Pero: A Bumpy Road to Self-Acceptance

Back in October, once my cousin had left our house after her three-week vacation here,  my mom and I found ourselves sitting on the couch, with the television softly playing in the background, discussing things ultimately bigger than the present; the past, and how  I should take those experiences and mold them into my future. ...

Astraios: A sweet escape from reality

In life, we all live in a cruel world and over time, the only thing that we want is to escape this reality. Hope, confidence, and elegance, are what Astraios gives. To be better and feel better, in contrast to the chaotic world we live in. Delicate yet sweet, a natural thing we seek and...

Rebyu sa Walang Pagsidlan: Pang-aasar, Pananakit, at Pagpapalaya

Bukod sa kanyang pagiging premyado at tanyag sa larangan ng panitikan, repleksyon ang “Walang Pagsidlan” ng personahe ni Allan Popa bilang manunulat sapagkat sinasalamin nito ang adhikain niyang nuotin ang esensya ng karanasan. Sa kanyang libro, maiinis ang mga mambabasa sa sukdulang husay at galing ng panitik ni Popa sa pagsasalarawan ng dalawang nakatagong elemento...

Machina Ex Presso and the Road that leads to Coffee

Coffee has always been viewed as something that is best enjoyed in solitude; sometimes in small groups or even as a couple. Cafés have been a sanctuary for those who wish to experience the calm in the midst of busy schedules - a single cup of coffee becomes a measure of time that is just...

Merely PR: Why BBM prefers to choose his interviews

tion in social media. With over 5 million views on YouTube, the event was made even more sensational due to Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.’s refusal to participate based on claims that the interviews might be biased and antagonistic, even going as far as calling it "Anti-Marcos."

The problem with the Silent Majority

The silent majority holds a lot of merits when it comes to proving its concrete performance of supporting the opposition. But instead of posing as a community that truly represents the Filipino people, they present themselves as an arrogant elite and exclusive group that boasts intellectual, political, and moral superiority among others. The concept of...

Bongbong’s Oxford Degree and the Absurdity of Filipino Meritocracy

It is futile to validate a degree that only exists in the arms of strong propaganda machinery. Today, a degree can be used as a political weapon. A Bachelor's degree represents three things: competencies that are typical of any graduate of a prestigious institution, the network that comes with being affiliated with the said institute,...

From Hobby to Business: Ariane Crochets and the Art of Healing

Ariane Crochets offers a wide variety of hand-made, customized crochets from tops to bonnets to beanies and coasters.

Why party politics does more harm than good to independent candidates

It is inevitable for any independent candidate to rise up in the rankings of an electoral system that is undeniably controlled by party politics. Although it is understandable for them to take advantage of this feat to further widen their network, it still defeats the purpose of why they ran as independent in the first...

The gravity of a front liner’s resignation

We have always been moved by pictures that depict excessive sweatiness, face mask scars, and obvious hints of exhaustion especially coming from our heroes in the medical field. We can only imagine the amount of dedication, persistence, and passion it takes to make such sacrifices. However, in times when our medical workers start to air...

Lost for good

The feeling in me is still new, fresh as the leaves on a windy morning. I feel like I was that small leaf being blown so hard, having the lightest grip on the branch that I was holding onto. I recall the day when I was having a good chat with a friend, sarcastically asking...

Your Best Has Seasons, Too.

You can't always be at your best form. And that is okay. You don't have to try to be when you feel and know most of your parts have worn out or fallen apart. You don't need to paint those parts with fake energy and make them spark, so they would be more perceivable like...

To the burnt-out former gifted kid

Like it or not, we have to face the facts: we are not the gifted kids we were always told to be when we were younger. Back when you were a kid, you might have been told by your parents, older relatives, and others that you possessed something special, that you were special in some...

“Pinoy Baiting” bilang Manipulasyon (at bakit ito nakahuhumaling?)

Sa panahon ng birtwal na daigdig, masasabing mas lumaki na ang presensya ng mga Pilipino sa mga "social media platforms" upang manatiling konektado sa mga kakilala at mga kaganapan sa mundo. Dalawa lamang ang maaaring maging resulta ng mas babad na atensyon natin sa social media. Maaaring mas natagpuan natin ang mga sarili natin at...

What it means to achieve Olympian Glory (and the politics behind it)

For so long, sports has always been trivialized as a mere game, as a mere show made only to excite the fans watching from their comfortable sofa chairs as they relish over every victory and taunt every loss. But now, it has been made perfectly clear that the career of an athlete is something way...

OPINION | Analysis on the Pacquiao – Duterte Sensationalism

Nothing more but convenient theatrics.

The #FriendlyChops Experience: Why it’s best to be friends with your barber

"Barbering is not just cutting hair. It is also where you build your client's confidence," says Friendly Chops via Facebook. "Oozing with personality" was the first thing that came to my mind upon seeing the humble site of Friendly Chops, a barber shop located in the South that's all set and focused on giving their...

What an Empty Community Pantry Means to Us

What does an empty community pantry mean to all of us? It simply means that we tried, and that we are capable of so much more.

5 Ways to deal with “Creative Burnout”

Perhaps the worst thing that any creative might experience is having a burnout. Writers, artists, musicians, and others face the same fate of having to choose where to exert their creative energies: sheer creative expression, or survival.

The “Hair-flip” Decoy (And How We Fell For It)

It is downright disturbing to think that the hype from the woke online community was used against their very cause. It is saddening to see how we grew to be contented with mere seconds of glorification, savoring every bit of it as we convince ourselves that we are now empowered thanks to Webb's daring hair flip. But at the end of it, nothing has changed.

OPINION | Notes on Duterte’s Health Decline

What begs the attention of the public is the simultaneous incidents of Duterte's inability to appear regularly, much less perform the primary functions as head of the Executive Department. His frequent Davao escapades also needs concern. What pretty much summarizes the public anxiety is how Duterte appears in most pictures along with Bong Go. Therefore...

Museo De Filipino: A Curation of Collective Defiance

Despite being blundered with various online tasks, side hustles, and other means of surviving the pandemic, the resilience of today's youth did not falter. Taking the TikTok community by storm, today's youth managed to find a way to further encourage other people to be more vigilant of their political surroundings. The ferocity in the youth's...

What it means to forgive

We often hold people accountable over our sadness. Given the amount of time we spent dealing with melancholy all alone, we shuffle away from those who betrayed us and left us, those who were once there for us when no one else was. As they abandon us, we despised them for leaving us at the...

Retail Rants: The New Normal

A middle-aged woman frowns at me while she rummages around in her bag for her glasses. Beside her, a disgruntled grandpa sits with his hands trembling over a piece of paper as he carefully writes down his name, address, and contact details. I look behind them and see a young woman rushing towards us. "Excuse...

The Choice between Happiness and Validation

"It is better to disappoint your parents now, than hate them forever." https://www.tiktok.com/@garyvee/video/6780066349801671941?_d=secCgsIARCbDRgBIAMoARI%2BCjzzkbwk2WylV4P2gcmvSx%2B63jKpsgs9uB1fCO0QWk5tOdv2KN21XTbW7BP56m%2FlBY0jDKqZZtBFBk4VLGMaAA%3D%3D&language=en&mid=6780039853380799237&preview_pb=0&region=PH&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAIRVaaCW38D-72Avi9ta2m5ckScu-dN23WyqvVXD9LtWD_E7RyI634xKA61sN4KoC&share_app_name=tiktok&share_item_id=6780066349801671941&share_link_id=c1eca6dc-a072-4c14-942d-b6efbd631e35&timestamp=1600438676&u_code=dah82m8cb879ag&user_id=6788153481703687169&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=android&utm_source=copy&source=h5_t I once stumbled upon one of Gary Vaynerchuk's (Gary V's) TikTok videos explaining why we should follow our dreams regardless if our parents disapprove of them. As a teacher, I get to witness a lot of testimonies from most of my students...

What it takes to teach in the New Normal

Preparing for this school year is brutal, especially when teaching reached a point in time wherein it now has to cater to the need of pursuing online modalities despite them being taken by storm. In times of a pandemic, teachers are basically left at the mercy of a jobless environment borne out of a crisis....

Why we shouldn’t #CancelKorea simply because we were b*tthurt

One thing is for sure: #CancelKorea will not identify you as someone with an even better sense of nationalism. To be aware of what started all the racial slurs and the online race wars, Tiktok user Bella Poarch did a usual dance number, exposing most of her tattoos. One particular tattoo caught the online community's...

Forgotten Trauma: What it takes to honor a fascist

"Kailangan talagang mag-aral dahil bago lahat eh... yung ating mga estratehiya noon, parang kailangan na nating palitan, kailangang mag-adjust," says Ferdinand Emmanuel "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos, Jr. via his Youtube VLOG aired last September 3, 2020. [We need to do further study because everything is new... the strategies we used to employ seems to be in...

Grief, and the Beauty of Remembering (A Recount)

I previously worked as a volunteer for indigenous peoples. I was in charge of the majority of its operations including public relations, legalities of schools, and establishing day care centers for far-flung areas in numerous provinces. There I was exposed to a lot of parents, and I grew very fond of one of them. His...

Why we hate ourselves the most

Driven by our passions and ambitions, we, ourselves, are our harshest critics. What makes that dreadful feeling even worse is that no matter how we deny it, our pride convinces us that all of our failures, all of our sources for disappointment are in our control. I remember having a conversation with my sister during...

CRAZY TALKERS: Reflections from Cuomo

I recently watched Episode 19 of the CNN Replay series, posted last August 7. The show highlighted Chris Cuomo's scrutiny of US President Donald Trump's intentional mispronunciations of important words like "Thailand" (pronounced as "thighland" by Trump), California's Yosemite Park (pronounced as "yose-might" by Trump), and misusing the word "Oranges" for a word that was...

Redefining Mediocrity, and Why We Are Against it

If you think that Essays Against Mediocrity is a site that glorifies the intellectual structures of the elite, then you are gravely mistaken. As per suggested reading, I cite Judith Jack Halberstam's "The Queer Art of Failure." Halberstam centers on the argument of redefining the contemporary notions of what success means to society, and it...

As Happy Times Go Fewer by the Day

Let’s face it: happy days seldom come by in these trying times. Ours is a generation that grew too fast, matured so abruptly due to being exposed to a society so cruel that our sanities are at the mercy of being ripped apart by it. We are forced to be shackled by a destiny that...

CRINGE PHILIPPINES: Why a lot of Filipinos are Ashamed of their Nationalities

We have to admit: being a Filipino is not something to brag about. Filipinos are a race that dabbles in its pride, celebrating every time a Filipino reaches International concern and publicity. From its athletes to its geniuses, Filipinos are known of their resourcefulness and range of relevance in any scenario. However, this pride prevents...

Bashing Buknoy Glamurr (The Right Way)

It cannot be denied that the controversy of Andrew Luis Lapid (aka Buknoy Glammur) surfaced numerous expressions of hate and further discrimination towards the queer community. The social media unrest against Buknoy began on June 5, after he discriminated and undermined a tricycle driver and rendered the job shameful in a VLOG entry on YouTube,...

Gallery of the Unsung: Deyon Artworks Special

For self-taught young artist Dionn Nicolas, being an amateur allows you to explore art in a multitude of forms, essentially turning every bit of nothingness into a magnificent canvas. Having Nicolas as a student means seeing him everyday in full authenticity and genuine humanness. What's good about him as an artist is that he knows...

How do we justify healing?

Choosing to better yourself is the best thing that you could do to show how much you love yourself. However, be prepared because in the process of doing so, a lot of people will not be with you as you explore yourself even deeper. We frequently drown ourselves in a pool of self-doubt and disappointment....

The Rights and Wrongs of VinCentiments

The merit behind VinCentiments' cultural trend is that it stands as a representation to the pleas and woes and frustration of today's youth. And in their very own ways, the team puts themselves in a position to represent the youth; at the very least, that is respectable. In their latest controversial piece entitled KPL |...

Here’s Why MLM Marketing is Basically Legalized Theft

A lot of people face varying degrees of their own financial crises, and most of them find other jobs on the side to make ends meet. However, there are people who prey on the desperation for financial success and robs their clients by blinding them with unachievable and impossible opportunities. MLM Companies are to be...

#CancelCardema: Why the youth should not be represented by someone in his thirties

“The power of youth is the common wealth for the entire world. The faces of young people are the faces of our past, our present and our future. No segment in the society can match with the power, idealism, enthusiasm and courage of the young people.” – Kailash Satyarthi. This article will focus more on...

Beware of these work-from-home jobs

A simple click of the #DuterteApproved trend would perhaps be one of the major leads we would have in terms of how Philippine online troll farms operate. Anyone would be attracted to a job that provides all convenience; working within the safety of their own homes, a potential resource of income, and requires very little...

PUSA-Chronicles: Love from an Adopted Stray Cat

The decision to adopt a cat came to mind when I was drunk. I was out spoiling myself with liquor. Of course I was accompanied by a friend. And we were buying cigarettes to help us get over our drunken haze. I was too drunk to approach the variety store owner, and I had to...

The Myth of Noble Labor

Similar as to how society delves in appearances, the way we value hard work is superficial. Fortunately, demystifying this pretentious admiration is easily manifested in our words, our narratives, the way we treat people, and our internal judgments. For most people who have an economic high ground, it is more convenient for them to praise...

The Tragedy of Losing Your Job to COVID – 19: Reflections and Realizations

Receiving a notice of termination is heart-stopping. However, due to the necessary cost-cutting measures of the company you work for, you force yourself to understand the conditions. But ultimately, you face the harsh reality of losing your job, and looking for one in times of a pandemic. It is in these times where you get...

Justifying Online Hustles: What you should be proud of as an Online Seller

The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cost us our livelihood, job security, financial stability, and other economic pillars. Despite this, many chose to control their income through online businesses. The pandemic highlighted many societal instabilities, and among them is rendering professional merit as mediocre. Even before the pandemic, there has already been a culture of discriminating professions...

Why Xander Ford’s Gender Reveal is Invalid

If one were to search Facebook for issues concerning Marlou Arizala aka "Xander Ford's" charges on rape and physical abuse, they will be scrolling in vain. Last June 17, Ford's former live-in partner Ysah Cabrejas reached out to various legal platforms to charge him with rape and physical abuse. However, Cabrejas privately settled the matter...

The Absurdity of Social Media Arrogance

"A state born in violence, and the society that is its product, (will remain) marked by that experience even when the violence is justified and celebrated as a historic victory..." (Weiss et al., 2010).  In times where advocacy is grossly platformed in social media, it cannot be denied that a lot of self-righteous personages emerged from...

These poetic tarot readings remind us to keep in touch with our spiritual selves

In his most recent work, Thimoty Romero - Founder and Chief Storyteller of Conquer Mag - has released an online poetry book entitled “Luminous Divinations: A Collection of Poetic Tarot Readings.” “Tarot is a way for us to appeal to our souls, that there are times when the body and the mind can only do...

The Option to Not Engage

In times when argumentation is now prevalent on-line, the line has become blurry in terms of encouraging people to believe in the truth, and humiliating them for their ignorance. I had a few realizations regarding the Philippine political landscape, vis a vis the communities that support their respective presidential bets. For one thing, even if...