The Oxford Dictionary hailed “toxic” as 2018’s word of the year. When a word garners that title, it means that it has reached certain social relevance. What made an entire generation use this word so much during this period? What message does this tell us? Nowadays, “toxic” is more than just a label that…

For the Kids (FTK) 2019 kicked off its program this January 20 with high excitement. The mini-olympic event invited children with special needs, called “angels”, to participate in a meaningful day with their Ate and Kuya volunteers. Already on its 30th anniversary, it coincides with the tercentenary celebration of St. John Baptist De La Salle’s…

I remember the days when my tiny feet were marching along with people who were dressed in saris, flamencos, kilts, kimonos, cheongsams, and all the other dresses representing the globe; my school called it appreciation of different cultures. I remember the days when my tiny fingers were flipping through pages of history books learning the…

With the rise in popularity of animal cafés, anyone who is fond of these lovable creatures now had a go-to place for food and warm hugs. Yet, a now viral post on social media brought a more critical eye toward these animal wonderlands. As Wagging Tails, a pet café, became increasingly notorious among netizens, so…

With every pulse-pounding sports game on your television or phone screen, there is always a pair of voices feeding you the action on the court. They detail the patterns, the numbers, and the activity of all the athletes in sight. Their narrative, mixing with the boisterous cheers from the crowd, provides the ebb and flow…

Family has a hallowed place in Filipino society. For decades, the model of the nuclear family has been hailed as the archetype of virtuous citizens in a strong community. The dutiful wife, the provider husband, two children, and a nice home—the only thing society will deem as the epitome of a fulfilled life. Anything different…

In Jeanette Patindol’s award winning children’s book, Papa’s House, Mama’s House, a young girl takes us through the ups and downs of life with separated parents. Growing up, my parents had to live in different houses due to my father’s health issues. My sisters and I would often wind up with weird schedules—lunch at this…

“There are these divine accidents. It’s the only thing that keeps films from being dead.” Orson Welles often attributed the best part of films to what he called “divine accidents”—the perfect shot or even the perfect scene was born from these, he claimed. Perhaps it’s a divine accident then that after over four decades since…

  “New year, new me” is a saying that has been repeated since time immemorial, or at least since Facebook was invented. The way we choose to express ourselves is a constant work in progress. The thought of reinventing oneself has probably crossed everyone’s mind once or twice. Whether it’s finally going to the gym…

On a planet where humans have been making use of animals for their own consumption and survival, there has been much debate over the morality of this practice. Trophy hunting, in particular, has been one of the most antagonized forms of hunting in today’s generation. As explained by BBC Wildlife, trophy hunting is the hunting…