By Farah G. Decano   BEFORE the public cries this slogan once more, President Bongbong Marcos made an anticipatory remedial move. He dismissed his cabinet secretaries, allegedly due to the disappointing performance of his candidates in the recent elections. Some opinion writers suggest that he acted rashly, seeking a scapegoat…

By Farah G. Decano   “PAKURONG” is a Pangasinan word which literally means “to allow the crawling of a person, animal, or thing.”   Nowadays, the term refers to goods or money furtively given to the electorate at least hours before the voting process stars in exchange for the candidates’ names included in…

By Farah G. Decano    “TRUST your gut,” the saying goes – that subtle, nagging feeling, the instinctual nudge that guides decisions without logical explanation. In Filipino, it’s called “kutob,” a rapid flash of unease or certainty. Have you ever felt an inexplicable aversion to someone, a feeling that defied…

By Farah G. Decano   IT has been seven years since my father had passed on. I cannot help but be reminded of his last moments on earth, how ephemeral life is, and how tough that “final” battle was. My two older sisters took care of my father during that…

By Farah G. Decano   “SON, behold thy mother.” That was Jesus Christ entrusting his mother, the Virgin Mary, to his beloved disciple John.  This is also interpreted as the Lord’s instruction to the faithful to consider her as the mother of Christianity. Such is His love for His mother. …

By Farah G. Decano             WHEN women started discarding their roles as damsels in distress, they did not ask for men to discontinue being knights in shining armor.  Awakened by their worth, the maidens wiped their tears, picked up their spears and shields, and donned their cuirasses.  They just wanted…

By Farah G. Decano   I was speaking to a confidential security detail of a VIP in a restaurant in Dagupan when the security’s knees suddenly vigorously moved up and down.  I had to inquire what triggered his annoyance.  He puckered his lips and used the same to point to…

By Farah G. Decano   I recently watched an impassioned call for the return of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD) to the Philippines by a mother whose child was raped and killed by a drug addict. To her, illegal drug users do not deserve a day in court and…

By Farah G. Decano   WHEN I was in grade two, I appreciated the national politicians dancing on stage during the campaign period.  My young self thought that their performance was not for mere entertainment but was also for reaching the masses.  As a kid, I surmised that our leaders…

By Farah G. Decano   OUR country is again suffering a deluge of online fake news after the arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Let me enumerate a few: Videos, purporting to be protest rallies against the ex-chief executive’s detention at The Hague,  have been shared by thousands of…