By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   THE death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral involves no foul play, according to Secretary Jonvic Remulla of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). This very quick assessment was tempered by the statement of Jose Melencio…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   “TUNGANGA” has different meanings depending on the context of the person saying it. For example, when confronted with exceptional beauty, one is likely to say, “Napatunganga ako sa ganda!” (I was awed at the beauty!). That is the context of my late mother, who loved…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   TODAY, I watched Karen Davila interview Maria Lourdes Sereno, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who was impeached under the Duterte administration for failing to submit her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) during her 17-year tenure as a professor at the…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   IN two days, there will be significant changes in our national life. Significant because what we intend to replace presents a formidable obstacle, a systemic disease gone malignant over time, and it will not go without the danger of further contamination of healthy cells or…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   THE giants are devouring our mountains. Protect the Cordillera and Sierra Madre mountain ranges. No to logging. Revisit all mining permits, quarry permits and lands converted into subdivisions. Pass the National Land Use Act. Local government units (LGUs), pass a Municipal/Provincial Land Use Plan. Kutsara…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   RECENT satellite imagery revealed significant deforestation in the Sierra Madre mountain range, causing public outcry and debate, with environmental groups expressing concern over its impact on the ecosystem of Sierra Madre, referred to as the “backbone of Luzon”, as it resembles a huge spine or…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo    I am in Aklan, visiting two places, Boracay, an island in Malay town and Habana in Nabas. Boracay has a unique quality that attracts all kinds of people, especially tourists and leisure seekers, local and foreign. Habana, on the other hand, attracts development workers and…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   WE like to convince ourselves that we are preoccupied with important things, disregarding those around us. We take them for granted because they are always there, with no conditions. However, we are at a loss when all of a sudden, they’re gone, to pursue their…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   POLITICIANS often underestimate the common sense of ordinary citizens. To them, the public is there to give them votes, in exchange for their “little mercies” during elections and disasters, where their names appear on every donation they make, taken from the public’s collective taxes used…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   RECENTLY, so many “pa-cute” reels of politicians pass through my feeds, on Facebook, Thread, Instagram, and X. Some of them pose like harmless, beautiful, desirable faces, love teams, others post tender moments with their families, others lace the reels with humor, even rehashed curses, the…