PARADOXICAL
The faith chroniclesTuesday, November 03, 2026
November 2026
BREAKING: Europe is under a massive cyber attack, with supermarket fridges and freezers in Belgium, Sweden, Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Finland and Estonia all hacked today by raising temperatures to up to 50°C, destroying huge quantities of food, per Reuters.
At home, St. Luke's Medical Center's data have been breached.
The Department of Education has bought 172,654 Apple MacBook Neo laptops for public school teachers and administrative staff at about P43,000 each.
Charles Usi, a young musician and working student, was mercilessly gunned down in Batangas, in what appeared to be a love triangle involving a supposedly prominent personality.
Comedienne Ate Gay died after being afflicted with cancer.
Establishing a Municipal Museum: Lessons Learned
Establishing a Municipal Museum: Lessons Learned
I was invited to this Municipal Museum event the other day, giving me the rare opportunity to go out of my comfort zone and visit the facility once again, which I and esteemed fellow committee members helped organize.
The event brought back memories of how we came up with this museum concept after a long journey, because among the speakers was the OIC of National Museum Region I (Vigan City). Her name is Maria Lourdes I. Ingel.
There were so many lessons learned ever since the municipal museum's conception during the time of former mayor 'CTQ' through Ms. Gloria de Vera-Valenzuela.
1. Among these is that calling for donations in general terms would bring in donations of all kinds. The randomness of artifacts donated can easily overwhelm any museum team. Caring for and housing all those in one safe place was a big headache in the absence of an adequate space and appropriate personnel.
2. Not knowing any better, most people don't care about museums and everything associated with it--history, culture, heritage, arts, ethnic and cultural identity... They are dismissive of old stuff: folk songs, folk dances, folk tales, crumbling documents, forgotten customs--resulting in massive loss of cultural capital where it matters the most: in the heart and soul of people living ordinary lives. This is a great challenge to any museum team. How to keep museums interesting to all? Maybe it is necessary for local communities to lose and forget the wealth of cultural heritage they have in order to realize their priceless value.
3. There are people who know the value of cultural artifacts and refuse to just give them away, preferring instead to sell.
At least one person reportedly offered to sell a jaw-dropping collection of millions-worth of antiquities in this town (the far-off location was kept secret from me) but unfortunately mostly of foreign provenance and therefore have no significance to the town. This kind of collection, Ingel says, best left as a private collection.
Our team was fortunate, however, to find enough residents who knew of the priceless nature of the artifacts they hold yet chose to donate it anyway to our town without getting a single centavo in return!
And that is the reason why their names are engraved on the brass marker right beside the entrance of the museum without them demanding recognition.
4. At least one donor of an admittedly significant and therefore valuable WWII artifact was reportedly sore because he/she couldn't find it among the displays. Our reason is lack of space. We had to work around exhibition spaces with very limited legroom. We couldn't even properly display the numerous large framed photos of our town's fathers (political leaders)--a huge disappointment on our part because it was something so basic at the entrance of a municipal-level museum.
5. The biggest question we had to hurdle is about the narrative we had to choose and resulting theme gleaned from it. At the outset, we didn't want our museum to be an antiques store or junkshop, and we certainly didn't want to add to the kind of heritage museums that were already out there.
A related question was: How do you cramp 400-plus years of history and culture in a few square meters of real estate? Imagine the quandary of Architect Denise U. Abella, the one hired to design everything from scratch.
Studying the long and colorful history of Bayambang, we thought of narrowing down the narrative to how the town chose to revolutionize things up and innovate in a lot of its ways through time, so we chose Innovation as our theme.
6. Running a museum is serious business, it turns out. It would require a professional curator with an SG-22 rank, Ingel points out!
Among the things a curator would have to deal with are deeds of donations, detailed inventories, catalogues, captions, lighting (strong light damages sensitive artifacts), temperature and humidity (fluctuations from the standard damages certain artifacts), restoration and repair -- all mentally challenging and highly technical territory. "It involves a lot of science," Ingel enthuses. To paraphrase her, "It is an endlessly fascinating aspect of museum work, because you can't help but be humble as you stumble into huge gaps in your knowledge."
***
At this event, I am also reminded of the interesting details of our local history, thanks to one of our town's professional historians (one of only a handful), my former classmate in grade school, Dr. Rosabella A. Mendez. We talked anew about the enduring question marks hovering above currently available narratives for the longest time. Why Malunguey/Balunguey/Balonguey? Why "culibangbang" as the origin of the name Bayambang when it is an Ilocano word for "butterfly"? And why "culibangbang" when "bayambang" per se is a native word, and a word for at least two to three different plants? What exactly is that "anuyais" or "anuyaw" bird, a yellow bird species observed by the Dominican friars as pecking on the rice grains and which had to be scared with a "baiang-baiang" (scarecrow)? Why were Negritos present in the origin story? Where exactly is the original Telbang? Isn't Brgy. Hermoza/Hermosa and/or Brgy. Inirangan the original settlement? Etc. etc. So many unresolved issues, like a mental health sufferer.
***
From the third speaker, Roland Gile Gregorio Jr. of NCCA, I also learned a lot of new things about the intricacies of cultural registration and cultural declarations -- complicated stuff I don't want to touch on at the moment. It requires an entirely separate discussion.
Sample questions from the floor: What does it take for a church to be declared a National Cultural Treasure or an Important or Significant Cultural Property? What can an ordinary youth do to help promote local heritage and culture? What if you found gold bars or Yamashita treasures within your property? (Stories like this abound in this town!) What does the law say about it? And so on and so forth.
***
Sensing that our speakers were tired, I made it a point to suggest to cut short the discussion at around 3 PM or we would end up the open forum at night.
Under the Radar: The Things We Do for Our Children
Under the Radar: The Things We Do for Our Children
I’ve been personally writing the municipal mayor’s State of the Children’s Address (SOCA) for almost 10 years now. The first one in 2016 was easy because I had something to work on: the former MSWDO head Ms. Lerma Padagas’ earlier report (for 2015). I just had to update the numbers.
The ones written for the succeeding years were a challenge to me.
“Is this all we do for our children?” I wondered in 2017. I was prompted to ask the question because based on the number of special events and regular activities that I had been reporting from day to day, I noticed that we had been doing a lot more things that went unnoticed or unincluded in the said report. Such report is one of the bases of DILG’s annual audit whether a town’s current leadership is child-friendly or not.
What I found out overwhelmed me because there were just too many things going on per department and agency—and I mean only those departments and agencies providing a direct form of assistance or service to children. (Children here is defined as “a person from 0 to 17 years old.”)
I think it was in 2019 when the new Municipal Local Government Operations Officer Royo Rosario challenged me: produce a SOCA like that of a certain town’s, which won recognition from the Office of President, no less. A cursory look, and the report was indeed extremely detailed and intimidating!
But after the initial palpitations, I decided to outdo that town's report because I believe our town was doing way better, and I am not even trying to brag. And this time, I needed the assistance of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office's Child Development Focal Person Marvin Bautista for the exhausting task of gathering data from all departments and agencies relevant to the task as well as my entire staff to help with finding the best photo documentation for each bulleted claim.
The following is the latest consolidated list of the municipality’s activities for children, grouped by LGU department or agency responsible for or involved in their implementation. It was based on the 2025-2026 Local State of Children Report (LSCR), covering the five mandated pillars of children's welfare and development: health, education, protection, development, and participation.
I. Health, Nutrition, and Medical Services
1. Municipal Health Office (MHO) / Rural Health Units (RHUs) / Department of Health
- Free Birthing Services – Provide free childbirth services to eligible pregnant women who regularly attend prenatal checkups at designated rural health units.
- Childhood Immunization – Administer routine vaccines to protect infants and children against preventable diseases.
- Prenatal and Maternal Health Services – Provide prenatal checkups, maternal vaccinations, and vitamin supplementation to support healthy pregnancies and infant development.
- Vitamin A Supplementation – Provide vitamin A to young children to support healthy growth, immunity, and development.
- Deworming and Iron Supplementation – Help prevent parasitic infections and iron deficiency among children.
- Child Growth and Health Monitoring – Conduct barangay health checkups, nutritional assessments, laboratory examinations when needed, and provide medicines and multivitamins to children requiring support.
- Medical Outreach Services – Bring medical consultations, free circumcision, medicines, vitamins, and other basic health services closer to children and families in remote barangays through Komprehensibong Serbisyo sa Bayan.
- Oral Health Education and Toothbrushing Drills – Teach children proper toothbrushing techniques and daily oral hygiene practices.
- Fluoride Application and Dental Sealants – Provide preventive dental interventions to protect children's teeth against tooth decay.
- School-Based Dental Services – Bring oral health education and preventive dental care directly to learners and early childhood centers.
- Project Buntis Health Seminar – Educate expectant and lactating mothers on safe pregnancy, proper nutrition, and maternal and infant oral health.
- Community Oral Health Partnerships – Work with dental organizations and private partners to expand preventive dental services and oral health education.
- Adolescent-Friendly Health Services – Provide health services and counseling appropriate to adolescents.
- Youth Health Education – Conduct lectures on HIV/AIDS, mental health, and responsible health practices.
- Teenage Pregnancy Prevention and Parenting Education – Conduct information campaigns to help prevent early or unplanned pregnancies and guide teenage parents on effective parenting.
- Anti-Dengue Campaign – Conduct information drives, mosquito-control activities, larvicide application, and distribution of mosquito-control materials to help protect children from dengue.
- Caregiver Education for Children with Autism and ADHD – Provide guidance on appropriate care, nutrition, and oral health for children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Newborn Screening – Support early identification of certain congenital conditions through newborn screening services.
2. Municipal Nutrition Action Office (MNAO) / Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC)
- Operation Timbang Plus – Assess children's height, weight, and nutritional status to identify undernutrition and determine who needs timely intervention.
- Supplemental Feeding for Undernourished Children – Provide nutritious food to help address undernutrition and support healthy growth.
- Supplemental Feeding for Pregnant Women – Provide additional nutritious food to nutritionally at-risk pregnant women to help prevent low birth weight and childhood stunting, in support of the First 1,000 Days Program.
- Nutrition Education and Healthy Lifestyle Lectures – Teach children about balanced diets, nutritious food choices, physical activity, and disease prevention.
- Nutrition Month Activities – Conduct nutrition quizzes, educational games, cooking activities, and creative competitions to make nutrition education engaging for children.
- Breastfeeding and Complementary Feeding Forum – Educate parents and caregivers on breastfeeding, appropriate infant feeding, and nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life.
- Backyard Gardening for Young Learners – Teach preschool children to plant vegetables and understand the importance of growing food.
- School and Child Development Center Nutrition Monitoring – Assess the implementation of school nutrition programs, healthy canteen practices, water, sanitation and hygiene, and school vegetable gardening.
- Nutrition in Emergencies Training – Prepare nutrition personnel and community nutrition workers to continue appropriate nutrition interventions during emergencies.
- Support for Barangay Nutrition Programs – Monitor and assess barangay nutrition initiatives to strengthen the implementation of nutrition services for children and families.
3. Mayor’s Action Center (MAC)
- Medical and Financial Assistance for Children – Provide assistance for medical treatment and other urgent needs of children, particularly those with special medical conditions.
- Psychiatric Checkup Assistance – Help minors access regular psychiatric consultations and follow-up care.
- Medical and Transportation Assistance for Children with Disabilities – Support consultations, surgery, and follow-up treatment for children requiring specialized medical care, including cleft lip and palate surgery.
- Financial Assistance for Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions – Help families meet expenses associated with assessment and care.
- Burial and Emergency Assistance – Extend appropriate assistance to families of minors facing urgent or difficult circumstances.
4. Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO)
- Supplementary Feeding in Child Development Centers – Implement feeding programs to improve the nutritional status of preschool children and support their healthy development.
- Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) – Provide early learning and developmental services that nurture children's physical, intellectual, language, social, and emotional growth.
- Child Development Center Operations and Maintenance – Maintain child-friendly learning spaces and provide equipment, furniture, and other resources needed for early childhood education.
- Child Development Worker Training and Supervision – Train and monitor child development workers to improve the quality of early childhood services.
- Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) – Educate parents and guardians on child-rearing, child development, and the use of early childhood assessment tools.
- Abong na Aro (House of Love) – Provide temporary shelter and protection for children and young people who have experienced abuse or exploitation.
- Juvenile Justice and Welfare Services – Coordinate case management and intervention for children in conflict with the law (CICL) and children at risk (CAR).
- Barangay Juvenile Intervention Planning – Help barangays develop intervention programs for children at risk and children in conflict with the law.
- Women's and Children's Rights Education – Conduct community orientations on children's rights, the Safe Spaces Act, and the protection of women and children.
- Adoption and Alternative Child Care Orientation – Explain adoption and alternative care processes to help ensure appropriate care and protection for children without parental care.
- National Children's Month Activities – Organize educational, cultural, recreational, and advocacy activities that promote children's rights and welfare.
- Assistance for Children with Disabilities – Coordinate access to assistive devices, medical support, therapeutic activities, and other services for children with disabilities.
- Support for Special Education Learners – Provide appropriate assistance to children enrolled in special education programs.
- Caregiver Education for Children with Disabilities – Help parents and caregivers understand nutrition and other care needs specific to children with disabilities.
- Community Outreach and Gift-Giving – Support activities that provide food, clothing, learning materials, and other assistance to children and families in need.
- Infant Clothing Assistance – Distribute clothing and basic items to eligible infants through barangay-based identification and coordination
- Pamaskong Handog for Young Learners – Provide seasonal gift-giving and food activities that bring joy to preschool children.
- Cultural Learning Activities in Child Development Centers – Promote local language, traditional songs, dances, games, and cultural identity among young learners.
5. Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO)
- Autism Awareness Activities – Support initiatives that promote understanding, acceptance, and inclusion of children on the autism spectrum.
- Assistive Device Provision – Help children and youth with disabilities access wheelchairs, walkers, and other mobility aids.
- Disability-Related Medical and Developmental Support – Coordinate assistance for hearing assessments, specialized treatment, and other needs of children with disabilities.
- Support for Disability Skills Competitions – Provide assistance that enables youth with disabilities to participate in information technology and skills competitions.
- Hydrotherapy and Therapeutic Activities – Support therapeutic programs that promote the physical development and wellbeing of children with disabilities.
- Nutrition Education for Caregivers – Provide guidance on appropriate food preparation, nutritious food choices, and healthy eating practices for children with disabilities.
6. Municipal Civil Registry Office
- Timely Birth Registration – Process birth registration to establish every child's legal identity and access to essential services and rights.
- Free Delayed Birth Registration Assistance – Bring registration services closer to families in barangays to help children without birth certificates obtain legal documentation.
II. Education and Learning Development
7. Local School Board (LSB) / Department of Education
- School Supplies Distribution – Provide essential school materials to help children meet their educational needs.
- Educational Equipment Assistance – Supply schools with printers, laptops, smart TVs, and other learning resources.
- School Facility Improvement – Support classroom construction, school repairs, and improvements to facilities, including appropriate comfort rooms for learners with disabilities.
- Brigada Eskwela Support – Provide painting materials and other supplies to help prepare and maintain school facilities.
- Support for Teachers and Schools – Provide materials and resources that assist teachers in delivering classroom instruction.
- Educational Assistance for Students Studying Outside the Municipality – Extend school supplies to Bayambangueño learners enrolled in schools in neighboring towns.
- Support for Special Education – Provide resources for inclusive education and the needs of learners requiring specialized educational support.
8. Municipal Library
- Children's Reading Services – Provide child-friendly reading areas and access to books and learning materials.
- Online Educational Resources – Give students and teachers access to digital reference materials through World Book Online.
- Barangay E-Reading Centers – Establish and monitor community-based facilities that give children and young people access to computers, digital information, and learning resources.
- Buklat Aklat Literacy Project – Provide reading support and instruction to improve reading comprehension and literacy among struggling readers.
9. Public Employment Service Office (PESO)
- Work Immersion and On-the-Job Training – Coordinate the placement of students in LGU offices and other work settings to provide practical workplace experience.
- Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) and Government Internship Program (GIP) – Provide work exposure and employment opportunities to eligible students and young graduates.
- Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Education – Conduct orientations on preventing child labor, illegal recruitment, and trafficking in persons.
10. Municipal Tourism, Culture and Arts Office (MTICAO) including Public Information/Media Affairs Office (PIO) and Museum Office
- Student Journalism and News Reporting – Give student journalists opportunities to practice reporting, feature writing, and photography during municipal events.
- Tourism and Local History Quiz Competitions – Help learners understand Bayambang's history, cultural heritage, and local identity.
- Pangasinan Poetry Writing Activities – Encourage young people to express local culture, experiences, and identity through literature.
- Arts and Creative Competitions – Provide opportunities for children and youth to develop and showcase artistic talents.
- Museum-Based Learning – Provide opportunities for children and young people to learn about local history, heritage, and community identity by establishing and operating the municipal museum as a learning venue.
- Little Mr. and Ms. Bayambang – Provide young children with opportunities to develop confidence, stage presence, self-expression, and talent. (with Administrator’s Office as main organizer
- Halloween Activities – Organize child-friendly celebrations and activities that encourage creativity, enjoyment, and social interaction. (with Administrator’s Office as main organizer)
III. Child Protection, Safety, and Disaster Preparedness
11. Philippine National Police (PNP)
- Anti-Bullying Lectures – Educate students about bullying prevention, respectful behavior, and school safety.
- Anti-Child Abuse and Anti-VAWC Campaigns – Conduct information drives and lectures on laws protecting children against abuse, violence, and exploitation.
- Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) Desks – Maintain reporting and assistance mechanisms for cases involving violence against women and children.
- School and Campus Security – Maintain police visibility near schools and provide assistance to help protect students.
- Oplan Sagip and Barangay Outreach – Conduct community-based activities and outreach initiatives to support and protect children and youth.
- Anti-Drug and Youth Protection Activities – Support community outreach and awareness programs promoting the safety and wellbeing of young people.
12. Bayambang Public Safety Office (BPSO)
- School-Zone Safety and Traffic Assistance – Assist students crossing roads and traveling to and from school, particularly in areas with heavy student traffic.
13. Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO)
- School Disaster Preparedness Drills – Conduct regular earthquake drills to teach students how to respond safely during earthquakes and other emergencies.
- School Early Warning System Monitoring – Monitor school early warning bells to help ensure timely alerts during disasters.
- Disaster Risk Awareness and Education – Promote preparedness, appropriate emergency responses, and a culture of resilience among children.
14. Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)
- School Emergency Preparedness Activities – Participate in earthquake drills and coordinated emergency preparedness activities to promote safety among learners and school personnel.
- Open House – Allow children to familiarize themselves with the fire station’s daily operations.
15. Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC)
- Quarterly Child Protection Meetings – Coordinate the efforts of municipal offices, barangays, and partner organizations in promoting children's rights and welfare.
- Child-Friendly Governance Monitoring – Review the implementation of child-focused programs and help ensure compliance with child-friendly local governance standards.
- Child Welfare Policy and Program Coordination – Help identify children's needs, guide local policy development, and monitor the implementation of programs intended for their protection and development.
- Children's Welfare Fund – Allocate resources for programs, projects, and activities that directly support children's education, welfare, and development.
- Partnership-Based Feeding and Assistance Programs – Coordinate with civil society organizations and other partners to provide food, clothing, educational materials, and other support to children in need.
- Inclusive Child Development Initiatives – Coordinate the efforts of health, social welfare, education, and disability-related offices to ensure that children with disabilities can access appropriate care, learning, and support.
- Child-Centered Program Planning and Monitoring – Use information on children's needs and welfare to guide local policies, resource allocation, and program implementation.
16. Local Council Against Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children (LCAT-VAWC)
- Anti-Trafficking and Anti-VAWC Coordination – Coordinate programs and interventions to prevent trafficking, violence, and abuse affecting children and families.
- Case Monitoring and Referral – Review reported cases, identify concerns, and strengthen coordination among agencies handling cases of violence and exploitation.
- Community Awareness Activities – Promote awareness of laws, reporting mechanisms, and protective services for women and children.
17. Sangguniang Bayan (SB)
- Child Protection Legislation – Enact and review local policies that promote children's rights, safety, health, and welfare.
- Mental Health and Teenage Pregnancy Policy Initiatives – Deliberate on proposed measures for mental health promotion and teenage pregnancy prevention and intervention.
- Review of Youth and Barangay Development Priorities – Conduct hearings on Sangguniang Kabataan and barangay budgets and investment programs to examine proposed projects and priorities.
- Support for Child-Friendly Local Governance – Provide the legislative framework for programs addressing child protection and other children's concerns.
18. Municipal Budget Office, Municipal Planning and Development Office, and Finance Team
- Review and consolidate budget proposals to ensure that funding for children’s education, health, nutrition, protection, and development is considered in municipal plans and budget allocations.
- Monitor budget appropriations and compliance with budgeting requirements to help ensure that funds allocated for child-focused programs are used for their intended purposes.
IV. Youth Participation in Community Development, Sports, and Recreation
18. Local Youth Development Office (LYDO) / Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation
- Linggo ng Kabataan Activities – Organize youth-oriented programs that promote leadership, creativity, health, civic awareness, and active community participation.
- Youth Leadership Development – Conduct leadership and civic education activities for student leaders and youth representatives.
- Youth Health and Wellness Forums – Promote awareness of holistic health, wellness, and responsible decision-making.
- Literary and Arts Competitions – Provide opportunities for young people to express their ideas and demonstrate their creative abilities through essays, poetry, and visual arts.
- Traditional Filipino Games – Organize recreational activities that promote physical activity, teamwork, and appreciation of Filipino culture.
- Youth Outreach and Reading Activities – Conduct storytelling sessions and provide reading materials to encourage literacy and learning.
- Youth Participation in Local Development – Encourage young people to engage in community projects and local development initiatives.
- Youth Volunteerism and Community Cleanliness – Involve young people in environmental cleanliness and community improvement activities.
19. Municipal Physical Fitness and Sports Development Council
- Youth Sports Tournaments – Organize basketball and other sporting competitions to encourage physical fitness, teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship.
- Athlete Development and Recognition – Support, recognize, and encourage young athletes who participate in sports competitions.
- Sports Uniforms and Competition Assistance – Provide appropriate support to local athletes participating in school and inter-district competitions.
21. Municipal Agriculture Office / Bayambang Polytechnic College / Youth Agriculture Initiatives / DepEd
- Youth Agribusiness Education – Encourage young people to explore agriculture and agribusiness as fields of study and future livelihood.
- Agricultural Seminars and Training – Provide learning opportunities on agricultural practices and modern farming.
- Millennial Farmers' Association of Bayambang – Organize young people interested in agriculture to encourage youth participation in farming, entrepreneurship, and agricultural development.
- Young Farmers' Enterprise Support – Recognize and support promising youth-led agricultural business initiatives.
- Gulayan sa Paaralan – Support school and child development center vegetable gardens through seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, and related assistance, helping children learn about food production and nutrition. (The Municipal Ecological Solid Waste Management Office pitches in by providing compost or soil ameliorants.)
22. Ecological Solid Waste Management Office
Information and Education Campaign - Conduct lectures on proper waste management in schools as part of the Environmental Month celebration, with discussions referencing Republic Act No. 9003 and local environmental ordinances.
***
Surely other towns and cities have roughly similar initiatives on top of regular compliance to mandated activities, but overall, Bayambang’s SOCA unfailingly shows that the municipal work for children in various areas is so vast and nothing to sneeze at, to say the least.
Saturday, October 24, 2026
The Hidden Hands Behind (LGU) Events
The Hidden Hands Behind (LGU) Events
Unless you have a coterie of servants and hirelings, there comes a time in your life when you are asked to organize an event, any event.
In our LGU, we organize not just one event, but events, literally almost every single day. It can be a small event like a lecture or a big event like an extravaganza.
But have you thought about how it is done? If you think it is easy, it is not. There are several things, people, and resources involved, most of them hidden from view.
The first part is conceptualization and planning. This requires several rounds of meeting of minds to map out the steps to successfully carry out the activity, from the flow of the program up to the assigning of tasks. The questions of what (kind of event? theme?), why (underlying purpose behind?), when (date?), and where (venue?) are the first ones that need to be answered.
Big events require physical 'programme-invites,' so someone is assigned to draft one for lay-outing and later distribution. As part of the plan, someone is assigned to run errands, drive, procure transport fuel, write scripts, be the emcee, take photos for documentation, and so on. Other considerations are: Opening remarks? Doxology/Opening prayer? Resource speaker/s? Messages from other VIPs? Closing remarks?
At the same time, or even before the planning stage, you need to write communication letters asking permission from top management and cooperation from all individuals and departments/agencies involved, not to mention the special guests to be invited.
Upon approval, you will need to work on the procurement papers for all materials and services needed for the affair itself. You will need to ensure that the activity is within the approved plan for the year (in coordination with the Planning Office), there is a budget for this purpose (Budget Office), and you will need the signature of key department heads (Budget, Accounting, Internal Audit, Bids and Awards Committee in case certain conditions are met).
In a formal event, you will need to observe proper protocol and consult about the legality of certain things (SB, Legal).
Up next is coordination work with all the individuals and departments/agencies mentioned, whether physical or otherwise to follow-up on your request.
In our case, a lot of hands are involved, working behind the scenes.
- You have to ask the help of General Services for the logistics side -- tables, chairs, layouts, transport, even down to the cleanup before and after.
- For big events, you will need to request for proper waste collection and disposal from Solid Waste.
- You will need a sound system that works (General Services) and a LED screen for presentations (ICT).
- Certain events need medics (RHUs), rescuers (POSO, PNP, BFP, MDRRMO), and security (POSO, PNP, BFP, Army) on standby.
- Really big events need help from Engineering for little construction works, and a prior hazard assessment from MDRRMO together with the electrical engineer, plus the activation of the ICS or Incident Command System.
- A hands-on events organizer and manager can be OC with the supposedly little things, from the sound effects, microphone, lighting, refreshments, electric wiring and cables, intermission number, red carpet, air-conditioning, table skirting, down to the stage decor and floral arrangement.
- And let's not forget the welcome leis to greet VIP guests with, if not an entire welcoming committee composed of well-trained ushers, and the certificates and tokens of appreciation to be given out towards the end of the activity.
- In my experience, a lot of organizers forget one thing: request for media coverage, whether internal or external, and request for prior announcements and advertisements including infographics for online posting and standees, tarps, and streamers for posting in chokepoints (whether made in-house or via Tourism/PIO, Engineering).
You never know the potential of these supposedly minor matters in ruining your affair. You can never be too careful. Bland food will ensure a frown on attendees' faces. Spoiled food could send hundreds to the hospital all at once, not to mention potential legal charges. (In our LGU, the Municipal Administrator has an Events Team to handle this delicate side.) Faulty wiring can cause fire or electrocution. Wayward cables could trip someone up. Lack of presentable visuals betrays a lack of preparation, not to mention passion for the job. What if your PowerPoint presentation suddenly wouldn't play for some reason (virus? corrupted file?) What would be your Plan B?
I have mentioned practically all departments and agencies. Did I miss anything or anybody? I apologize in advance for the inadvertent omission.
In local government, that's not even the end of it. After an activity, you are expected to submit a post-activity report. (This will come in handy later on when you are asked to submit an accomplishment report during reviews of program implementation.)
Thereafter, the liquidation process begins, which takes up a lot of work hours per se.
Obviously, in organizing an event, a lot of helping hands are needed. But is it really a matter of "the more, the merrier"? No, sometimes, it can be that "Too many cooks spoil the broth."
In case of really big corporate events, other things to consider are:
- Contingency fund for emergency purposes
- Consideration on whether the event is daytime or night-time, indoor or outdoor
-- Considerations if outdoor: weather, parking, power outage, traffic
-- Considerations if indoor: power outage, entrance and exit signages, whether to have photobooth
- Fire exit
- Entrance and exit plan of event
- Security plan (care of POSO, PNP, force multipliers)
- Plan in case staff get stressed out during an event
- Monitoring of event details, such as number of guests, etc.; the need to always have extra tables, chairs, food...
- Provision of an event contract for the safety of both parties
I was glad when I heard that TESDA is now offering a course called Events Management. Someone figured out that organizing events is a skill and a talent that can be elevated into an art form. In fact, you can develop an entire career out of it, like some do. In fact, the most challenging ones are sometimes best left to events management professionals, if not eventologists for really level-up events.
Friday, October 23, 2026
Notes on Ortograpiyang Filipino
Di ko forte ang Tagalog -- na Filipino na pala ang tawag, kaya bukas ako sa anumang koreksyon o suhestiyon mula sa aming in-house subject matter expert, Ma'am Letty, at iba pa. Ang dami ko tuloy natututunan.
First, a definition of term: "Orthography is the set of conventions and rules for writing a language, including spelling, punctuation, capitalization, hyphenation, word breaks, and emphasis."
1. Sa PORMAL na ortograpiyang (orthography) Filipino pala (emphasis on formal context), wala raw /ei/ na diphthong.
"A diphthong is a sound made by combining two vowels, specifically when it starts as one vowel sound and goes to another, like the oy sound in oil."
Kaya:
veinte - beinte - bente
treinta - trenta
2. Syllabic repetition rule
Mali raw ang ganito: makakatulong. Dapat ganito: makatutulong.
Kaso mukhang may exception to the rule:
kakausapin vs kauusapin
3. See forwarded post: Kapag nasa unahang bahagi ng salita ang W at Y, awtomatiko itong sinisingitan ng U o E.
pwede - puwede
tyanak - tiyanak
kwago - kuwago
Pano kung nasa huling bahagi? Puwede na ba? In case hindi, this one will affect a lot of words we use from day to day:
kampeon vs kampeyon
tropeo vs tropeyo
siudad vs siyudad
Munisipyo vs Munisipio vs Munisipiyo vs Municipio
establisyemento vs establisimyento vs establisimiyento
transaksiyon vs transaksyon
4. Another repetition rule
Dati raw ang "ano-ano" at kahalintulad na inuulit na salita ay dapat spelled as "anu-ano." Pero baliktad na raw ngayon.
So back to "ano-ano" na pala tayo.
Beyond orthography:
5. Yung salitang "Pilipino" noon referring to the language should be "Filipino" na ngayon. And no, "Tagalog" should not be used as a replacement term. Why? Because "Filipino" raw refers to the constantly evolving, more inclusive national language based on Tagalog that is meant to absorb bits and pieces from our regional languages so we could have one unifying identity as a nation (thanks to the idea of Manuel L. Quezon) just like the Bahasa of Indonesians and Malaysians. OTOH, "Tagalog" refers to the regional language and dialects of the Tagalog ethnic group.* (As for "language" vs "dialect," let's not go there for now because I'm tired explaining the difference between the two.)
*I am aware that regional language advocates don't buy that Filipino vs Tagalog divide. Let's tackle this disagreement some other time.
(Salamat James, JL, Sheina)
Thursday, October 22, 2026
New Ugly Word Alert: Esmeringhoy
From time to time, a word or expression arises from the middle of nowhere and suddenly becomes a part of our daily lingo because (a) it silently crept up into the mainstream culture through soft power or backmasking or (b) it became viral online through globalist Illuminati machinations and their hidden agenda. From recent years, there were random stuff like TOTGA, Pachamama, Peppa Pig, Shinaron, Roblox, performative, Marites, etc.
This week, the term esmeringhoy was suddenly on everybody’s flabbergasted lips, or FB posts to be exact--apparently belonging to the second category of cultural transmission.
The, er, pioneering post I doom-scrolled past says, “Looking 4 ka-esmeringhoy.” Not being able to make sense of it, I ignored it. Until one by one, netizens began posting about it--within a few hours of each other. That is the virulence level of covid during the first wave of the plandemic! It has what they call the Baader-Meinhof effect.
What’s all that hulaballoo? Turns out a female guest in a runaway popular show on YouTube used the strange word while in the middle of narrating her complaint against her husband. “Ayaw na niya ng esmeringhoy,” she says, or words to that effect, to prove her suspicion that her husband might have another woman, to put it bluntly.
In particular, during an October 16, 2026 episode of "Raffy Tulfo in Action," the guest, named Evelyn Batuigas, appeared on the show to complain about her husband's suspicious behavior. While describing her attempts to reconcile or be intimate with her husband before separating, she casually said: "Bago tayo maghiwalay, mag-esmiringhoy muna tayo para last na lang na ano" ("Before we split, let's make esmiringhoy for the last time").
Irascible mainstay host Raffy was absent for some reason, so when a totally surprised female proxy asked what "esmiringhoy" meant while obviously trying to restrain herself from breaking into laughter, Evelyn defined it as a colloquial or slang term for sexual intercourse, equivalent to "bembang" in Tagalog.
Clips of the unbelievably public exchange reportedly spread not just on FB, but also across the chismisverse: X (Twitter), TikTok, Threads, Reddit, and whatnot, turning the strange-sounding word into a massive internet meme, punchline, and reference point for dopamine-addicted netizens.
But there was an elephant in the room behind the newly heard word, and this is the question: Why in the world, after all, would a woman want to have one last esmiringhoy with someone she was hating on with a passion at the moment? The guy must be one lucky bastard despite himself for his wife to desire a last "isa pa nga" as souvenir from him, who is supposed to be just a walking relic of her sad past now? And, wait, what was she doing in that show in the first place? Shouldn't she sort out her marital woes in the confines of a counseling room instead?
Nevertheless, the virality sparked discussions on the word per se because the word's actual Visayan or Cebuano roots differ from how it was used on the show: Online users adopted it as a playful, humorous code word or euphemism for sex, but regional language advocates and the Akademyang Bisaya noted that older Visayan usage actually referred to a person—specifically a kabit (mistress, paramour, or side piece)—rather than an act. Or so AI conveniently explained this part for me.
To me, a Pangasinense, esmiringhoy seems like yet another new portmanteau, a wild concatenation of esmi (colloquial or pabalbal term for misis or wife), meringue, and balinghoy (cassava in Bisaya). Strange bedfellows, I know, but that’s how Filipino mongrel culture has always been—take note of chop suey, halo-halo, jeepney, and the rest of what’s considered to be very constantly code-switching Pinoy. (I am also reminded of my late mother who often used invented words like “esmeringgoles” while talking nonsense to the latest newborn in the house.)
The thing is, even if you don't know what it means, this Frankenstein of a word comes off as funny, and to be used only in that context, when you are just nakikipag-unggoy-ungguyan or playing monkey with another.
How long this new linguistic coinage or adoption will stay in our lexicon until certain extinction is anybody’s guess. Gosh, I hate this vulgar euphemism already this early.
Oldest Family Photo
Oldest Family Photo
This is the oldest photograph in my family's possession. It is the photo of my mother's grandmother.
According to an aunt, her name is Maria Cappadocia Lazam-Borromeo† from Solana, Cagayan. She was the grandmother of Mildred Borromeo Simon-Odon† (my mother), and the mother of Leonila Borromeo-Peralta† (my maternal grandmother) of Aparri, Cagayan.
I know nothing about my great-grandmother, except that she was a vendor of fruits in the public market.
It's my first time to hear this, but Cappadocia is an interesting surname--it's a Biblical word associated with a tourist region or town in today's Turkey or now officially the "Republic of Türkiye."
I wonder what year this photo was taken. Another old sepia photograph taken during her funeral indicates that she was born on October 21, 1893 (towards the end of the Spanish colonization) and died sometime in 1974, so this photo must have been during her prime in the early 1900s, as evidenced by her relative youth and attire.
With this photo, it occurs to me that I am related to entire branches of families I have never met or yet to meet: the Lazams, the Borromeos, and the Cappadocias of Cagayan. (I hope I got the spelling of Cappadocia right.)
Saturday, October 17, 2026
What is Happening in France?
- Scale of Protests: An estimated 550,000 people have taken part in demonstrations across major cities like Paris, Lyon, Limoges, and Saint-Étienne, uniting high school students, teachers, trade unions, and political activists. [1, 2, 3]
- Violence and Clashes: Demonstrations in several cities turned violent as masked groups clashed with riot police who deployed tear gas and water cannons. [1, 2]
- Damage and Destruction: Buildings, cars, and town halls have been set ablaze—including a major fire at the Limoges town hall that caused its clock tower spire to collapse—while shops and tourist offices have been ransacked or set on fire. [1, 2, 3] Casualties and Arrests: At least 1,200 people have been arrested across the country, over 150 police officers have been reported injured, and multiple protesters have suffered severe injuries.
- Root Causes: The unrest stems from weeks of student-led blockades over overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages, which have since expanded into a broader societal backlash against inflation, energy costs, and the government's budget policies as the country approaches upcoming presidential elections. [1, 2, 3]
- Government Response: President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu have strongly condemned the urban violence and looting, vowing that vandals will be prosecuted, while acknowledging some of the underlying economic and educational grievances. [1, 2, 3]
Thursday, October 01, 2026
Laguerta on Envy
Surviving Super El Niño
Surviving Super El Niño
Wasn't it just a few days ago that we've regarded rainwater as our frenemy? And yet here we are: treating it once again like some most precious commodity, something worth its weight in gold.
Now we have to deal with its opposite--and something at the extreme end of the spectrum too: too much heat from the sun and resultant drought.
Change is indeed the only thing constant in this world.
It's true what they say about the essentiality of water: a diamond has comparably no value when you are thirsty or trapped in the desert.
Now drought is nothing new. We've been through a lot of drought seasons before, and we survived them all, thank God: deep fissures on the ground, unbearable, energy-sapping heat, grassfires, banana trees withering, drying, and falling... What is new is how worse off this coming El Niño is supposed to be that it would be dubbed "Super El Niño," judging from media reports quoting at least a hundred scientists.
We're not so sure of everything at this point, but judging from what we've gathered so far, it seems to be the worst ever and therefore unprecedented. Whenever I read "climate change," though, I tend to be skeptical because I like to view things from a wide historical perspective. For example, a Yolanda-strength supertyphoon turned out to be not the first, per historical records. There were at least two before. The very name of Tacloban has something to do with such an enormous catastrophic kind of weather disturbance.
I just had to do some quick digital archaeology work on Super El Niño to get convinced. And this is what I've found: Anecdotal and documentary evidence say that the world has been through such severe droughts before (with a few years mentioned), and to put things into context, we humans only began scientifically measuring the warming of the Pacific Ocean in 1950!
Is a 3.6 degree rise in the warming of the Pacific Ocean a historical first? The jury is not yet in. Did hundreds of thousands of people die during the periods mentioned? No answer yet. Was there massive famine, one on a continental scale? No answer yet.
What probably has changed is the frequency with which these things happen, but how can we know for certain when we have just begun systematically studying these phenomena?
What we can do now is assume the veracity of the prediction, just to be on the safe side, and prepare for the worst, granted we still have time left to prepare. What is the worst thing that could happen within six months of this worrisome menace to our life and existence? My reflex reaction is to look at how people survive the desert.
Lessons from desert communities
Top of the mind are the Israelis who turned the Negev into farms using drip irrigation and through the kibbutz system of cooperation.
The Arabs of the "Middle East" are, of course, experts in this too. We must study their traditional architecture in warding off heat.
At the height of the recent heat wave in Europe which killed thousands of people, Al Jazeera's Basel Ghazoghli advised everyone to study the following tricks from the ancient world before the advent of electric fans and air conditioning systems:
- Yemen's brick tower villages were made out of thick mud but with windows that allowed air to enter. The buildings were packed together, creating sheds of cool air below, and painted white to refract or deflect red-hot solar radiation. I am reminded, however, of chronic news of massive destruction of such mud structures in Iran and Afghanistan after a particularly strong earthquake. Maybe these structures should have been reinforced with steel. Anyway, Metro Manila, with its hellish heat islands and heat index, should take note.
- Iran's ancient windcatchers called badgir were towers that funneled fresh air from outside and released humid air inside even without the benefit of wind.
- India's jaali, pierced or carved stone wall screens, blocked sunlight and heat while inviting cold air to enter the tower.
- Egypt's brick towers with domed roofs avoided direct hit from the sun.
- Ancient Granada's (in Spain) channels and fountains kept water constantly moving, pulling heat from the air and cooling the surroundings. Sounds much like Hiwata fans to me.
The problem with these desert solutions is that our country is not a desert for the most part. It has a rainy season, visited regularly by around 26 alphabetically named typhoons (and at times earthquakes of various magnitudes and intensities). Maybe our very own traditional bahay kubo and bahay na bato could point to better ways in our own context. After all, they have their own features that similarly ward off the tropical glare and oppressive heat, such as the use of light construction materials, cross ventilation, porous structures like calado panels, adjustable swing-out windows, rolling window panels, ventanillas, Persiana louvre windows, awnings, an airy silong (understory), etc. Porosity is a strong point, as anthropologist Fernando Nakpil Zialcita once pointed out.
But over time, we preferred using materials and architecture that, though sturdier, are built like heat traps and necessitating costly electricity and air-conditioning. This needs a new set of adjustments.
- Moreover, Middle East countries survive the desert by using desalination plants to make seawater fit for human use, so this is something we can look into if funding is not a problem.
Practical and doable actions
- Okay, let's wake up from dreaming, shall we? Maybe pumping and purifying water from our rivers is far more doable? I don't know. If we could easily purify tap water and turn it into "mineral water," then perhaps we can do the same with the Agno River water at least in our province of Pangasinan. (Whatever happened to all that recent excess runoff anyway?)
- On the personal level, a practical solution that is doable is to adjust our choice of clothing: it should be made of cool fabric, loose instead of tightfitting, and white or light-colored. I suddenly remember how Arab men don't wear any garments underneath their blinding white, freely flowing robes. Presko talaga! (Noted on that.)
- Staying hydrated is essential, but this presupposes adequate supply of water at any given time.
- Common sense: Avoid wasting water. Conserve H2O. The elevated areas of our town, for one, experience regular water interruptions, posing a problem to many residents.
- Recycle used water for cleaning the house and watering the plants.
- Construct giant water tanks or buy big drums to store water or collect the remaining rainwater expected to fall. A typical concrete water tank, however, can set you back for around P45,000.
- Trees are our best friends in these suffocating times.
- Vegetation or foliage in general is a significant shield as well. According to architects, moss, grass, shrubs, and loose gravel on the ground refract heat, absorb it less, and ward it off easily better than solid concrete pavements and pathwalk.
- I've heard about this air moisture harvesting technology, so we can look into that too.
- On the municipal scale, build rainwater impounding areas in catch basins.
- Last week, the national government mandated all LGUs to create a task force to find ways and means to deal with the coming threat through localized adaptation and mitigation plans.
Climate Change Commission
Speaking of government... Surprisingly, there is a government agency called the Climate Change Commission. The solutions it has broached so far include:
- Adjust school and work hours to avoid the 10:00 am to 3:00 pm window.
- Plant alternative crops--those that are not as water-intensive as palay. But what exactly are these alternatives, and would they have ready markets in a rice-eating country? Would greenhouses and hydroponics technology help?
- Use solar-powered pumps for irrigation.
- Put up hydration facilities.
- Advise senior citizens and other vulnerable sectors to stay indoors.
- I might add: Educate people about the warning signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. What other afflictions suddenly rise in incidence when it is hot? Let us remember that food spoils fast in humid weather.
- Does good old cloud seeding to make artificial rain count?
***
- Meanwhile, I've read somewhere that people in a Chinese city spend life underground to escape the heat. Apparently, they had the foresight to dig tunnels and build an alternate community there, complete with maybe movie houses, bowling alleys, and shopping centers.
- I remember how ancient Christians in places like Cappadocia escaped purges and persecutions by building a livable complex of tunnels and dungeons deep into the bowels of the earth. Not to mention the Vietnamese strategy of evading American forces during the war using interconnected tunnels.
- Another idea to escape the heat without breaking the bank in case of a power failure, which most likely will happen: Won't camping be fun at night? I mean, sleeping in tents outdoors--maybe with pre-charged JisuLife e-fans, or under the stars--with mosquito nets.
***
Furthermore, I wonder how we can put this coming delubyo to our advantage because, like fire, the light and heat from the sun also means energy and quick-drying capacity. One wonders what business opportunities intense drought and dryness could bring aside from the usual culinary offerings (halo-halo, ice cream, ice candy, etc.). Umbrellas? Solar-powered anything? Emergency cooling capsules?
In Pangasinan, there's this expression, "matalag nen say delap," which means "rarer than flood." If intense flooding has always been a rarity, what more intense droughts like this oncoming one? May they always stay that way.
How I wish climate change is not real, or is not here to stay. Denial is an effective defense mechanism, you see.
Rotating brownouts are an especially scary prospect, but running out of water would be catastrophic on all levels: residential, corporate, agricultural, industrial. (Imagine firemen having nothing to douse neighborhood fire with, for starters.) Like excessive hydration, it could be a matter of life and death.
What else can be done? All helpful suggestions are welcome. Let's all come out of this alive and well, in God's mercy, amen.
(Note: The above text is 100% *not* AI content.)
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
October 2026's Verbatim Quotes
October is supposed to a chilly month for us, to the point that our skin turns dry and scratchy. But it was noticeably not this time around. A rarity.
It is also supposed to be the time of the year for the most destructive of typhoons. Nothing like that happened--just winds. Not complaining at all about missing typhoons though.
Nonetheless, this month, there was a super-typhoon of so many significant things good and bad. Here's my copy-pasted catch--mostly, that is, unless provoked to intrude with my noisy, neurotic annotations.
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"Indonesia's cash-for-photos scheme turns villagers into wildlife protectors."
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HERO! >>> "Indian national Cpt. Smit Machchhar has been identified as the FlyDubai pilot who was stabbed by his co-pilot on the way to Israel and fought back. He reportedly managed to open the cockpit door after he was stabbed, allowing passengers to enter, subdue the co-pilot, and provide medical attention to Machchhar." ... "Machchhar was taken to a hospital after the plane carried out an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia."
***
"The oceans are warming at an alarming pace, bringing far-reaching consequences for which the world is unprepared, according to a report by more than 100 international scientists. 450,000 plus deaths are reportedly expected."
***
"EJ Obiena delivered the Philippines' third gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games after dominating the men's pole vault final . The Pinoy pole vault ace also set a new Asian Games record after clearing 5.91 meters."
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"Former Philippine Prime Minister Cesar E.A. Virata died."
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"A 28-year-old laboratory researcher named Daria Shipilova died in Russia from a suspected pneumonic plague infection following a reported lab accident."
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Flying car soon?! >>> "Tesla unveiled a prototype of its next-generation Roadster featuring SpaceX-derived cold-gas thrusters."
***
The increasing incidence of robots dancing like humans is unsettling to say the least. Don't you just hate robots dancing as much as you hate AI-generated videos, songs, graphics?
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The pope released something about AI creating art.
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Random find: "Study: Your body treats your tattoo as permanent immune system threat."
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Random claim: "Melon seeds contain squalene and loads of Vit. E."
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New terms encountered lately: "glocalization" (global+local), "hyperlocal"... "locavorism." ... Reminds me of "rurban" to refer to mixed rural-urban land use.
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"The Vatican has issued new theological guidance saying that seriously harming nature can be considered a 'sin against Creation and against the Creator.'"
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"Final resting place of Noah’s Ark found to hide man-made object, new study claims."
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Whatever it was, the Patrick Garcia-Jennylyn Mercado issue was all over the news.
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Hypertensive Vice! >>> "Reina Mercedes, Isabela Vice Mayor Harold Respicio was involved in a highly publicized confrontation during a Sangguniang Bayan (SB) session." ... "The incident escalated into a shouting match when Vice Mayor Respicio heavily questioned local barangay officials over the utilization of projects funded by the municipality's tobacco excise tax share. Tensions broke during the open forum as Respicio pounded on the table, explicitly called a barangay official a "magnanakaw" (thief), and engaged in a series of heated exchanges, which ultimately required police intervention to diffuse."
>>> DILG Sec Jonvic Remulla expressed displeasure, and the whole thing ended in heckling, drug test, and a GCash transfer as reimbursement. Next to Cong. "Meow-Meow," Respicio is a new interesting character to watch, to say the least.
***
Our very own mayor trended after explaining her new look: "I just want to be skinny." Body-shaming quickly ensued, and she related how she endured insulting words, from being an "aparador" to now being a "tarsier."
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The world's most arid desert -- Atacama in Chile -- bloomed. "The Desierto Florido (Flowering Desert) is a rare, spectacular natural phenomenon in Chile’s Atacama Desert—the driest non-polar desert on Earth. Every few years, when unusually heavy winter rains (often linked to El Niño) trigger the germination of millions of dormant seeds, the barren landscape transforms into a vibrant carpet of over 200 species of wildflowers. The bloom typically occurs between September and November, blanketing thousands of square kilometres in shades of purple, yellow, pink, and white."
***
Canadian poet and essayist Anne Carson won the coveted 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature “for her bold and inventive ouevre that, in playful dialogue with a classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature.” >>> One critic says this win proves contemporary literature is dying.
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"Galit na galit kayo dahil nagpa-picture si Leni Robredo kasama ang Ambassador ng Israel."
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"Muling nagkaroon ng minor eruption ang Taal Volcano!"
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"Torrential rain hit Chile’s capital, triggering mudslides that swept away cars through the streets and flooded homes, hospitals, and schools."
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"Nagkaroon ng malakas na pagsabog o moderately explosive eruption sa Bulkang Kanlaon sa Negros Island."
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"The Philippines ranks first among 193 countries in the World Risk Index 2026 due to its high exposure to natural hazards and vulnerability."
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A new 'Himalayan tsunami' hit Nepal. >>> "Imagine the agony of going through the same horror all over again. Scenic riverside settlements abutting steep mountains carrying loads of glaciers are suddenly no-build zones now."
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"A 7.7 magnitude quake hit Panama." >>> Just when we thought the subduction zones are easing up a bit.
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"If you sing regularly, researchers say your brain is releasing a unique mix of 3 chemicals that almost no other activity can replicate at the same time." >>> To my neighbors, sorry in advance but I just have to sing my heart out on a daily basis for my mental health.
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"Metacognition--the ability to observe one's own thinking--is the highest form of intelligence, not high IQ."
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"A fire tore through Paris’ oldest covered food market in the early hours of Monday, authorities said, destroying the historic site popular with tourists."
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"Cardinal Luis 'Chito' Tagle was elected as Dean by the College of Cardinals and approved by the Pope." >>> He is suddenly elevated as "the face of the pope," reports say.
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"The pope was operated on for lung cancer."
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"Pod Network pulls 'Machong Chismisan' episode for strong backlash over Josh Aquino remarks." >>> Macho kuno pero tsismoso naman? Why poke fun on children with autism and call them names like "walang kuwenta"? Even if it's meant as a joke, that doesn't lessen the sting of something too hurtful for unfortunate sufferers of ADHD (and other mental impairments) and their families. Contempt is better directed at the corrupt, the oppressor, the tyrant, the violent, the violator of human rights, and the barbaric instead.
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“Make no mistake: Super El Niño may come with strong rain and massive flooding.” >>> A bitchy retort online said, “So it should be called El Ñaño.”
By the way, as I have long suspected, El Niño was named after the Sto. Niño or Christ child in Peru because the extreme weather phenomenon was first observed to occur during Christmastime. I suggest we stop calling it that. But El Diablo doesn't sound nice either.
***
"A cancer treatment invented at the University of Michigan is being hailed as one of the most significant non-invasive breakthroughs in oncology in decades. Histotripsy uses focused ultrasound waves to mechanically destroy tumor tissue without a single incision, drug or beam of radiation. The technique was invented at U-M in 2002 by researchers including Zhen Xu, a professor of biomedical engineering."
***
"The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from service of Urdaneta City Mayor Julio Fernandez Parayno III, Vice Mayor Jimmy Dereje Parayno and six city councilors for defying a presidential suspension order. The ruling stemmed from consolidated administrative complaints involving the officials' alleged refusal to comply with a 12-month suspension imposed by the Office of the President for grave misconduct and grave abuse of authority."
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"Edrieza Rimbang, ex-solon, was allegedly linked to P3.5-B shabu from Laos."
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"Protests across France have reportedly intensified, with clashes involving police, fires, and alleged looting targeting major retail stores including Louis Vuitton, Apple, Celine, and Hermès. The demonstrations were initially driven by concerns over poor school conditions, education funding, and the rising cost of living, drawing thousands of people into the streets. The escalating unrest is putting additional pressure on the French government as protesters demand action on education and broader economic concerns." >>> Mainstream media noticeably avoided mention of intifada and the appearance of Palestinian flags. Very telling omission!
***
Meanwhile, Australians are rallying, saying we don't want to be like France, Italy, Belgium...
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"Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the Philippine government to demand a formal apology from Beijing over Chinese Ambassador to Manila Jing Quan’s remarks on the possible use of military force, calling for the envoy to be declared persona non grata if China refuses to retract them."
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Trending: "American actress Gwyneth Paltrow shared a clip of her cooking tortang talong for breakfast on Saturday. 'Tortang Talong with garlicky turkey crumbles and banana ketchup. A Filipino breakfast classic,' she wrote."
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"Dalawang katutubong magsasaka na may away tungkol sa lupa ang namatay matapos sumailalim sa sulif, isang tradisyunal na paraan ng pag-settle ng dispute sa kanilang community. Lulubog sa tubig ang magkalaban. Ang unang umahon, talo. Ang mas matagal sa ilalim ng tubig, sa kanya ang lupa. Ang problema, walang gustong umahon. Almost 12 minutes silang nasa ilalim ng tubig. Pareho silang namatay."
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"According to nutritionists, this four-ingredient bowl of rice, black beans, scrambled eggs, and avocado comes about as close to a nutritionally complete meal as you can get for under $5."
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"Scientists are working to bring back the dodo." >>> Exciting times ahead!
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"A priest in Ecuador died during mass after a crucifix at the altar fell down on him. Ironically, he was preaching about the fact that we do not know the exact time death comes knocking at the door." >>> The incident reportedly was laughable to a lot of Protestants who, of course, instinctively saw it as some kind of punishment for 'idolatry.'
>>> Sigh. But my worst unvoiced fear about these crucifixes hanging right above the priest's head like the sword of Damocles happened. From a DRRM perspective, it's always been a serious hazard risk that church authorities never pay attention to, it seems.
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"Commercial districts in China are swapping out traditional advertisements for giant posters of scientists. These massive displays have started appearing on screens in cities like Zhengzhou, turning researchers into the kind of faces you’d usually see selling perfume or handbags."
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"Japanese doctor turned Afghan desert into farmland--then was assassinated."
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"Japan bred Shine Muscat--China now grows 30 times as much, pays zero royalties."
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Learned a new word: esmiringhoy. Source: Tulfo show. It's a Visayan word for s*x. Naughty netizen says, "b*mb@ng is out". >>> Says a new FB contact: "Originally 'esmiringhoy' was a term used for call girls. Recently lang naging word for 'sex' like how 'bembang' evolved from 'napagalitan' to 'sex' na."
Of course, I just had to make a separate reaction article, no?
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"Cultural Marxism has been on the rise among the woke youth."
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"Saudi Arabia beheaded a Bangladeshi couple for kissing in Mecca. Bangladesh is demanding answers to their questions."
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"Norway could've made everyone rich overnight (with its vast oil reserves), but chose to make everyone rich forever instead. In 1990, the Norwegian Parliament created the Government Pension Fund Global. For the sake of future Norwegians." >>> These Norwegians are... different.
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Trending verbatim quote: "Usap-usapan ang pahayag ni Miss Earth Philippines 2016 Imelda Schweighart na, “Pills don't make you a woman, n*gga,” na ibinahagi niya sa social media. Nagbukas ito ng usapan tungkol sa gender identity, paggamit ng hormones, at kung paano tinutukoy ng mga tao ang pagiging babae."
Media's expected reaction: "Binabatikos ngayon si Imelda Schweighart. Bukod sa pagtawag na 'entitled,' binansagan din niyang “parody ng mga babae” ang Filipino gay community."
One 'trans-woman' got back at Schweighart by at saying something about her recent miscarriage.
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"Korean researchers restored hearing by waking dormant stem cells deep inside the ear. A human ear has around 16,000 hair cells that convert sound into nerve signals, and once they die, they never return. That is the standard sentence given to 400 million people with hearing loss. Korean researchers found a way to prompt supporting cells in the inner ear to behave like stem cells and regenerate new hair cells in animal models."
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"The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Wednesday that employees cannot be compelled to perform at company Christmas parties as it is a form of bullying."
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The phrase "misplaced empathy" trended. >>> Indeed, if you don't protect everything you hold dear with your whole life--and the principles underpinning them, you could lose them overnight. Let's not be like the French or most of the Europeans who have rejected their Christian foundation and identity.
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"China mulls sanctions, oil and fertilizer cuts vs Philippines."
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"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially awarded $34.1 million to support the growth and development of the ube (purple yam) value chain in the Philippines through its Food for Progress Program. ... The 5-year project, implemented by American NGO TechnoServe, is projected to directly assist approximately 12,500 local ube farmers."
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"Scientists discover what can trigger cancer cells to self-destruct : being mechanically compressed or confined for prolonged periods of time."
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"A sculpture called Io Sono was sold for $18,300 at an auction in Milan. The sculpture is completely invisible. It does not exist physically in any form. The buyer received a certificate of authenticity and instructions on how to display it: in a private home, in a roughly 5x5 foot space, free of obstruction. ... Garau described it as a "vacuum" full of energy, saying the work exists as long as the buyer thinks about it. The art world mostly laughed. A handful of critics called it a legitimate conceptual piece in the tradition of Yves Klein. Most people called it the most expensive nothing ever sold. >>> Had a good laugh here, and yes, I remember that artist named Yves Klein who got away with a similar conception or conceit.
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"A 12-storey building under construction in Nairobi collapsed."
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A young boy actor was stabbed five times by another boy in an altercation over a stupid video game.
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Horror: Two local planes collided into each other in a training field. Four pilots died.
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"In Serbia, a student-led movement that began as a protest against corruption has just won a historic parliamentary election, ending the 14-year political dominance of Aleksandar Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party." >>> Wow!
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Soc-dem Lula defeats fascist Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential election.
Viral post: "For the naysayers who keep insisting voting is pointless: in just six months, Hungary ousted Orbán, Serbia ousted Vučić, and Brazil said no to another Bolsonaro. Show up."
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The "food park" concept has become a thing. >>> To cater to hungry food-trippers, I guess.
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Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, a witty tita, has come to be called "Ante Kler" by her DDS detractors. And she seems to have embraced the originally derisive tag.
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"Inutos umano ng isang guro sa Pangasinan na pagpasa-pasahan at duraan ng mga estudyante ang softdrinks bago ito ipainom sa dalawang kaklase." >>> Kadiri! Nakakasira ng araw.
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Hit song: “Na Para Bang” by Maria Deborah. >>> Why kaya?
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A deadly train accident in Spain.
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"Amihan season begins. - PAGASA" >>> I hope it confuses super El Niño.
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"Patrick Stewart, the legendary British actor best known for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the long-running "Star Trek" TV series, has died. He was 86."
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“Stock up—world war has begun!” The United Kingdom and Japan have urged households to prepare food and water as an expanding international conflict disrupts trade routes and raises fears of shortages."
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Manhunt for missing Sen. Bato intensified, with the noose reportedly tightening shut.
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Mayon Volcano erupted again.
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