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Opinion

Unbeaten path

Success cannot be dictated by society, but sometimes this truth is only as strong as one’s convictions.

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Editorial

Suspicious ascents

In the first eight days of October, the country was at a standstill. All eyes were on the convoys that arrived at the venue for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2022 national elections. Concluding with 97 presidential bets, 29 vice-presidential alternatives, 176 senatorial hopefuls, and 270 partylists that have registered, the…

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Opinion

Word of advice

Last March, distraught Filipinos saw hope in the announcement of a united opposition movement, which came amid a foreboding dynastic victory for the presidency. 1Sambayan, a pro-democracy opposition slate for the 2022 national elections, had just been launched. The coalition declared that they aim to establish a roster of candidates who can take on the administration’s…

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Opinion

A better president?

As President Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency comes to its penultimate moments, support for him has not faltered. Recent approval ratings and preferential surveys for the top executive seats show favor for his administration, the Filipino admiration over him as strong as ever. With less than 50 days before the filing of certificates of candidacy, many politicians…

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Opinion

Finding her space

“You played well—for a girl.” This was not what I had wanted to hear after a 90-minute game under the scorching heat. It wasn’t the kind of praise that any athlete would have wanted to hear. Dangling at the end of the remark was an unwelcome yet familiar phrase. It glared and blared at me,…

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Editorial Opinion

Proximity to power

In politics, nothing is permanent except greed. Last September 8, the Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi-led faction of PDP-Laban officially endorsed Sen. Bong Go and President Rodrigo Duterte for the presidential and vice presidential spots. The rationale behind having an incumbent president and his former top aide turned senator run for the top executive positions, Cusi…

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Opinion

A disappointing reactive approach

The administration’s focus toward eradicating the coronavirus seems to bank on the idea of vaccination and herd immunity. It is quite ironic then that the vaccination program in the Philippines is slow, confusing, and unorganized. The fault can be attributed to many factors, such as the scarcity of the vaccines, logistics, and other things that may be out of the administration’s control.

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Opinion Opinion Feature

In search of lost time

Growing up, I never really fit in. Having spent 13 years at an all-boys Catholic school, there were parts of myself that I hid—some of my own volition, others in fear of being ostracized for who I was. At home, I hid as well—pressured by the expectations of being an only son and by the…

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Opinion

Read the room

It was the ad from hell. A supercut of all the lockdown measures in the past year is read by a booming voice from the television as a young woman grows noticeably worried. As the minute-and-a-half video barrels on, dark circles began to appear under her eyes. Angry acne spots emerge, and body hair sprouts.…

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Opinion

For the children

As the Philippines once again enters different community quarantine levels, various problems in several sectors are exacerbated and worsened. At this point, it would seem as if ECQ, MECQ, GCQ, and MGCQ are all just a bunch of letters that the government declared to impose lockdown measures. The country’s lackluster response and inefficient governance have…