The Ban Is Coming. Are We Ready to Lose 90 Million Hours of Attention?

June 28, 2026

Here’s what should be keeping every marketer, PR lead, and digital strategist in this country up at night: the Philippines is not watching the UK’s under-16 social media ban from a safe distance. We are about to pass our own version of it. Digital Secretary Henry Aguda has said the government wants an online safety law enacted by the end of 2026, with a minimum age of 16 — even as industry players like TikTok lobby for a lower threshold. The specifics matter, because this isn’t one bill, it’s five. The Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media has already held hearings on a stack of competing proposals: Erwin Tulfo’s SB 595, which would bar children 12 and under outright and require verified parental

Infographic comparing bullying prevention approaches: one-off campaigns that show little effect versus whole-school programs shown to reduce bullying, with the statistic that Philippine students report bullying at roughly double the OECD average.

What Actually Stops Bullying: A Guide for Schools Beyond “Be Kind” Posters

June 25, 2026

In 2022, the OECD’s PISA survey asked 15-year-olds how often they get bullied. The global average came back at roughly one in five experiencing it multiple times a month. In the Philippines, that number was 43 percent of girls and 53 percent of boys — more than double the international rate. Researchers studying the data concluded the Philippines had effectively become the “bullying capital of the world.” That statistic sat in policy briefs and committee hearings for a couple of years. Then, on June 22, 2026, it stopped being an abstraction. Two students at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City opened fire on their classmates and told police they had been bullied. Four students died. Nine were wounded. The motive police cited was

Infographic summarizing the Tacloban school shooting: three columns covering bullying response, firearm access, and the juvenile justice debate, with incident details for June 22, 2026.

Tacloban Wasn’t Supposed to Happen Here — That’s Exactly Why It Did

June 23, 2026

Tacloban Wasn’t Supposed to Happen Here — That’s Exactly Why It Did On a Monday morning that started like any other, students at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City were settling into class around 9:20 a.m. Two minutes later, police were already responding to gunfire. By the time it was over, three students were dead and 20 others wounded — a wounded count that has been revised upward more than once as treatment continued. Two of their classmates — 14 and 15 years old — were in police custody, charged with carrying out the attack themselves. This wasn’t a foreign news story playing out somewhere distant and unfamiliar. It happened at a public school with more than 1,500 students, in a city of

Black-and-white photo of Nicanor "Momoy" Gabunada Sr. and his bus conductor leaning against the front of their passenger bus, number 208.

The Bicycle I Never Got, and the Lesson That Mattered More

June 21, 2026

There was a year in grade school when my father promised me a bicycle if I topped my class. I studied like that bicycle was already mine. I never got it. What I remember, decades later, is that the promise itself — made by a man who probably didn’t have the money to keep it — taught me more than the bike ever could have. That was my Papang. Nicanor “Momoy” Gabunada Sr. left Cebu as a young man chasing a better future in Mindanao. He drove for a living, raised a family, and spent most of his life making sure we had food on the table — even when that wasn’t guaranteed. This Father’s Day, I want to tell you why a man who

A Filipino Flag symbolizing an independent country is shown against the background of a nation mired in poverty, corruption and flooding.

We Are Independent – But Are We Truly Free?

June 12, 2026

Every year, on June 12, we celebrate Independence Day and the moment our ancestors declared themselves free from foreign rule. We honor the bravery of those who fought, sacrificed, and dreamed of a nation that would govern itself. We remember the flag, the anthem, the heroes, and the long struggle that gave birth to the Republic. However, with all that has been happening with our country, I can’t help but pose this difficult question: Is the Philippines even truly free? Stupid question, you might think, as we have been an independent nation for 128 years now in 2026. Yet what does independence truly mean? Independence was supposed to mean that the Filipino people would be free to determine their own future, protected by strong institutions,

A composite image featuring basketball player Rene 'Bobet' Baterbonia; one section shows him embracing his mother, and another shows him waving goodbye at the airport."

For Bobet, and Every Child Who Left Home to Dream

June 11, 2026

There is a particular kind of pain that only people from the provinces understand – the pain of leaving home. You board a plane, a bus, or a ship, carrying little more than a bag, a dream, and the hopes of your entire family for a better future. When I learned about the death of Rene Clert “Bobet” Baterbonia, I could not help but see more than just another tragic news story. I saw a young Mindanaoan whose journey looked familiar. Not because I knew him personally, no – it’s because I know the feeling of leaving everything behind. A Rising Star From My Very Own Alma Mater Bobet was not yet a household name, but those who followed Philippine basketball knew exactly who he

The First Day of Classes: Beyond Uniforms and Politics

June 8, 2026

Today, June 8, 2026, marks a familiar milestone for millions of Filipino students and their families. It’s the first day of classes—a day filled with the scent of new notebooks, the crispness of fresh uniforms, and the quiet energy of teachers ready to shape the next generation. For most of us, the routine has officially restarted. We wake up before dawn, bleary-eyed but determined, to prepare our children for the journey ahead. In those early morning hours, our world is small, centered entirely on the hopes we have for our kids. The Noise in the Background Yet, as we scroll through our feeds while waiting for the school bus or sitting in traffic, the contrast is jarring. Over the past few weeks, our social media

Explosive ₱805 Billion Corruption Allegations: The 18 Ex-Marines Testimony That Rocked the Senate

June 5, 2026

On June 4, 2026, the Philippine Senate became the stage for one of the most dramatic and controversial hearings in recent memory. Eighteen individuals identifying themselves as former Marines took the spotlight in a contested Blue Ribbon Committee session, unleashing sweeping allegations of systemic corruption tied to multibillion-peso flood control projects.19 Their claims? They served as “bagmen” for fugitive former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, personally delivering suitcases stuffed with cash kickbacks — allegedly totaling around ₱805 billion — to some of the country’s highest-ranking officials between 2022 and 2025. A Hearing Born of Political Turmoil The session itself was mired in controversy. It proceeded under the leadership of the Alan Peter Cayetano bloc despite efforts by the opposing Senate majority (led by figures

Habagat 2026: Panahon na Naman ng Pananagutan

June 4, 2026

Habagat season na uli, kaya asahan na natin ang matitinding ulan at baha sa maraming kalsada. Ngunit sa taong ito, ang bawat patak ng ulan ay nagpapaalala sa atin na ang baha ay hindi lamang usapin ng panahon; ito ay malaking factor ng pamamahala at kung paano ginagastos ang pondo ng bayan. Ang Misteryo ng Bilyon-Bilyong Budget Nasaan na nga ba ang bilyon-bilyong budget para sa flood control? Bakit parang walang pinagbago ang sitwasyon? Sa kabila ng paglalaan ng humigit-kumulang ₱545 bilyon para sa halos 10,000 proyekto sa pagitan ng Hulyo 2022 at Mayo 2025, marami pa ring Pilipino ang dehado tuwing uulan. Ang mga sumusunod na isyu ay patuloy na bumabagabag sa ating sistema: “Ghost Projects” at Substandard Works: May mga ulat ng mga

You Can’t Teach Old Dogs New Tricks

May 13, 2026

The saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” is often used as an excuse to avoid new approaches or trying something different. But in the dog world, this is not true as dogs of almost any age can still learn new tricks. Animal training experts confirm that dogs of nearly any age are capable of learning. The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan offer numerous examples. These examples show how even older dogs’ behaviors can be successfully modified. It’s the human animal that invented this excuse for stopping to learn after a certain age. “I’m too old to change“ – is simply an excuse to avoid the hassle of leaning or experimenting with something new. I’ve seen this firsthand with staff members and officers

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