Social media became witness to last year’s significant turn of world events. From #Brexit, the United States elections, the Aleppo crisis, the impeachment of South Korea’s President, to President Duterte’s anti-American streak, our news feeds have been fueled with stories that have spread like wildfire. The democratizing power of networked spheres spur easier citizen participation…
Author: Cirilo Cariga
The drag scene in Manila is far from dragging. Identity theft is a crime common around the world, but not when it’s done in bars. Behind the comforts of great company and comedic ambiance, impersonation has become a staple among the midnight stages of the metro. Places like Obar and Wicked have become breeding grounds…
It looked like a typical post-siesta afternoon for Johnny “Mang Jun” Montemayor as we approached him. Lying on his wooden bed under the shade of an old Feng Shui-blessed tree, he conversed with his friends in front of one of the numerous mausoleums or kapilyas in the cemetery. It was not an occasional visit to…
The bullet that almost pierced through the chest of Francis “Jay R” Santiago Jr. during an alleged buy bust operation last September 13 at Aldecoa St. in Malate, Manila could have easily added him to the long list of drug suspects slain in the name of Duterte’s relentless war on drugs. Jay R, however, managed…
“My laptop’s webcam suddenly turned on for no apparent reason, probably due to some malware or hacking,” Jedrek (II, CS-CSE) recalls a creepy hacking incident he experienced one night, comparing it to the 2011 thriller film Abduction. Panicking, Jedrek quickly disconnected his laptop from the internet, scanned his computer for potential malware, and disabled his…
When Mom and Dad couldn’t always be around growing up, who was there to help look after you? While some had grandparents to take over, a number of us recall having someone we fondly called, “Yaya!” Overseas, they are referred to as domestic helpers, nannies, sitters, or maids. Here, we call them yaya, inday, or…
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Deconstructing Transformative Learning
Much has been said about this generation’s learners—entitled to a vast plethora of knowledge and skills yet unwilling to put in work, impatient with a need for information now, and in possession of an attention span competitive to that of a goldfish. The typical “You talk, I listen” set-up between teacher and student that has…
Fifty years of Manila trash is what makes up Smokey Mountain, the infamous mountain of stinking and rotting refuse heaps in the slums of Tondo. Called home by thousands of Manila’s poorest of the poor, the Tondo slums remain as the largest slum area in the entire metropolis. For the longest time, Smokey Mountain has…
For every college student, the end goal and fruition of all our hard work is usually thesis writing. Most of us struggle (and hopefully, succeed) with a senior research paper, study, or project. However, for some courses, the thesis can be, shall we say, unique. While no less challenging, time-consuming, and socially relevant, this particular…
With several cafés already established along Taft Avenue, Lasallians won’t be running out of places to get their first latte in the morning, cram that research paper, or just chill out during long breaks any time soon. But for those looking for a different kind of fix, there’s a coffee shop across the street that goes…