Months ago, the uncertainty surrounding lockdown measures became more pressing, with hordes of shoppers storming supermarkets to stock up on essential goods. With customers loading an alarming amount of fresh produce in their carts, the unfolding scene eerily resembled a dystopian tale—but this growing fear of a food shortage was not completely baseless. Food security,…
Author: Josemaria Rustia
For a travel agent like Maria Fe Cantillo-Rofule, trips abroad are a customary part of her work life. She has led numerous groups of vacationers around the world that, in a way, it has become a form of routine. However, last January 26, a trip to Hong Kong became anything but routine: popular tourist spots…
Since the implementation of the community quarantine policies last March, many households across the country have struggled with the economic fallout caused by the pandemic. The situation in Iloilo is similarly grim, as many villagers try to satiate gaping needs using what little resources they have left; in an effort to obtain sustenance, some have…
The world seemed to be put into a standstill as it started to experience the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses were closed until further notice, public events were canceled or postponed, and everyone’s movements were limited due to community quarantine policies. At home, we seek different activities to keep ourselves anchored and to maintain…
As the country scrambled into a panic over the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were forced to isolate within their homes. Driven by the need to ensure the well-being of a involved in the educational system, school administrators deemed it necessary to restrict access to school campuses. With the gradual relaxation of quarantine measures,…
The forced isolation imposed on families across the country due to COVID-19 has left a massive impact on the lives of everyone involved. This has been no less true for some of the most vulnerable members of society—children. Over the past couple of months, the conventional life that a child may have known has been…
Music is intangible, yet is closely intertwined with human experience. From the radio tunes kids used to wake up to on Sunday mornings, the playlists that accompany commuters on crowded bus rides, to the certain songs that lull people to sleep at night, music has always been a part of life. Throughout time, it has…
The question of what reality is—of different dimensions, alternate timelines, or even the nature of our existence in this world—has continued to boggle scientists and philosophers from thousands of years ago until this very day. While others simply bury these concepts under the rug, many consider things like the possibility of an afterlife as fundamentally…
“Isang mapagpalayang Pride!” These words took over social media—in greetings, in calls to action, in statements of solidarity and comfort—throughout Pride March 2020 commemorations. Representing both an acknowledgment and a wish, the statement is a celebration of the hard-fought victories of those that came before, and a battlecry for the war that is far from…
Last June 22 to 26, a FAST2019 flagship project, ARTSvocacy Journey: PRIDE (ARTSJ: PRIDE),set sail in honor of the LGBTQ+ community. It aimed “to advance the [LGBTQ+] sector through inclusive governance and holistic opportunities,” according to Batch Vice President and ARTSJ spearhead Verrick Sta. Ana. Headed by FAST2019’s Mark Jay Casipit, Wylie Valerio, and Francine…