The death of a loved one is almost the death of you. It’s been more than a month since we lost our sister, our precious Ate Katrina, who was only 29, to a viral disease that started out as dengue and ended in a complex heart condition that baffled even the doctors attending to her.
The heady postelection days are always a festival of finger-pointing. With the names and faces of those who will claim 12 of the highest positions in the land now clear, social networks are going on overdrive, seeking to give an explanation for the fact that our elected officials are usually religious leaders, actors, and the scions or allies of powerful political families. We, the netizens of Facebook and Twitter, pride ourselves in being well-informed and quick to confirm news of vote-buying, past crimes and qualifications—so why is it that we still see the same surnames in the Magic 12?
Perhaps there is nothing stronger than the ideas of hope and change. In 2008, Barack Obama ran on a platform of hope and won the US presidency. It was the promise of change that helped elect President Aquino three years ago. And again, change was what people looked for in the May 13 elections.
I’d like to know how to find the path back to my innocence. I want to go back to the time when neither right nor wrong existed, no prejudice or cynicism, and basically no rules on how to live life.
To be accountable to the responsibilities and obligations of having a child may be everyone’s greatest fear. And becoming a mother at an early age will surely not be on every girl’s wish list because it can just snuff out dreams. However, life has its own way of throwing balls on our court. It’s a fact that there are circumstances beyond our control, but how we will react is always our call.
When I’m asked how many siblings I have, I normally respond like this: “I have two—my sister and my brother. We’re all firstborns.”
It was a humid October afternoon when my sister and I went to register at the Commission on Elections. That was the week before the last day of voter registration. The queue was not as lengthy as we expected, but there were already about 300 people there. The size of the crowd grew quickly as [...]
The elections are just around the corner. In fact, the trapo (traditional politicians), bagong pulitiko (new breed), and bimpo (batang isinubo ng magulang sa pulitika) alike are winding down on their campaign sorties, leaving our sidewalks festooned with the sleaze posters of epal brandishing their messiah complex. Radio and television are airing too-good-to-be-true political ads and candidates are strutting in the streets in an effort to win the masa vote. Some have engaged in public debates, and not without the old mudslinging. There is just too much politicking.
Since the election campaign started I have been thinking of who I should vote for, from senators down to councilors. I checked the background of most of the candidates, and found that a number of them are not practicing their real professions and are just keeping their positions in the government.
It was a nightmare for all of us. Everything happened so fast that our minds were filled with jumbled thoughts, deep regret, instant concern, and finally, overwhelming sadness. It happened last March 1—a day that I will forever remember as one of the most heartbreaking days of my life. On that day, seven of our students met an accident in Nalapaan, Pikit, North Cotabato. Of the seven, only three survived.
Sometimes I wonder if you have ever been jealous of the attention that I, our mother’s second child, received. I have learned from television shows and movies the nature of sibling rivalry and how gravely it can affect one of the most precious relationships a person can have. Also, I occasionally hear my friends’ own frustrations over the silent competitions between them and their own brother or sister. And do you remember our two baby cousins? Whenever the newborn would cry, her two-year-old Ate would tell her: “Stop crying! It’s my turn to cry!”
Late last year, Newsweek printed its last physical issue. Its issues are now all-digital, made specifically for tablets and phones for easy access.
