On this day, October 24, in 1960, The LaSallian released its very first print issue. Today, after 60 years of serving the Lasallian community, the publication commemorates the milestone that serves as a testament to the decades-old principles of impassioned journalism that we have stood—and will continue to stand—for. True to its motto, “Be there…
Category: Opinion
September 21, 1972 etched itself in Philippine history as the day the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos began a 14-year rule with the country under Martial Law. But what is often left unmentioned is that the proclamation was not officially declared that day; in actuality, those alive at the time would remember Martial Law to have…
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The war of art
When Walt Disney Studios released a teaser last year for a live-action adaptation of Mulan, the film gained widespread attention for casting mostly Asian-descended personalities, with Chinese star Liu Yifei playing the titular character. A little over a month later, calls to boycott the film flooded social media after Liu expressed support for police brutality…
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Word of caution
We should not want to go back to the way things were. President Rodrigo Duterte still holds the highest seat in the Philippines. The War on Drugs tactics of the Duterte administration was perhaps put on hold by the outbreak—yet just as existent in the mobilization of the military and police during a health crisis.…
When the Department of Health (DOH) disclosed last July 30 that it carried out a “mass recovery” adjustment, it gave the impression of a government papering over the many, many cracks caused by their refusal to deal with the crisis in an appropriate and immediate manner. The record-high amount of “recoveries” reported are meant to…
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Packing up the pitchforks
In 2018, Amber Heard wrote an op-ed, published on the Washington Post, about her experience with domestic abuse, saying, “I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.” This was alluding to the abuse claims she filed against her ex-husband Johnny…
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Everybody’s business
“Keep your business out of politics” is a piece of hush-hush advice that is, more often than not, given to many fledgling entrepreneurs. Corruption issues, a poor judicial system, and red tape constantly hound the private sector; appeasing unscrupulous officials, or even colluding with them, is seen as an easier way of “doing business”. The…
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The elephant in the room
With tensions already high amid this COVID-19 pandemic, many more issues have surfaced in society—threats against press freedom, cases of sexual assault, and racial discrimination—and discussions of these have made their way online. I have seen many infographics and posts all over social media that promote different ways by which one can make a difference…
Last June 11, the Lucban Municipal Police Station publicized what soon became a controversial Facebook post warning women and girls to “not wear short clothes” to prevent becoming victims of sexual assault crimes. Among many others condemning the post for its perpetuation of rape culture, Frankie Pangilinan’s tweet, “Stop teaching girls how to dress? Teach…
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A system of care
The COVID-19 crisis has in many ways exposed the incompetence of several of our country’s public officials, not just in terms of pandemic response, but also in the apparent absence of development and support for several important sectors and societal institutions over the past years. Among these key areas is the healthcare system, shoved into…