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…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   THE weather bulletin from PAGASA announced that severe tropical storm Paolo (Matmo) is expected to make landfall over Isabela or northern Aurora today, Friday morning, October 3. Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 was hoisted in several parts of Luzon as Paolo developed into a…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   I am looking at “The Butt Song from Hell”, detail from Hieronymus Bosch’s 15th-century triptych, “The Garden of Earthly Delights”, depicting a hellish chorus singing a song while the devil is inscribing the notes on the buttocks of a tortured figure in the hell panel….

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   IN 1981, September 21 was declared by the United Nations (UN) as International Day of Peace, a global observance dedicated “to strengthening the ideals of peace through non-violence and a temporary worldwide ceasefire” through Resolution 36/37. In 2001, the UN General Assembly passed a second…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo    THE last time I had my glasses on was a few hours ago, while reviewing the files of three NGOs where I used to be a Trustee. I recall having gone down to the ground floor to cook. That was around 7:00 p.m. After having…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   IN the NGO community, an umbrella organization is a big organization large enough to manage the interests of its member NGOs, who, individually, could not access funding on their own because they lack the necessary financial and operational documents required by the funding agencies. The…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo     ON the bus bound for Pangasinan to attend an important event, I sat beside a woman who, among other things started telling me about her life. When we encountered a flooded portion in Bulacan, she engaged me in a conversation: “Mga corrupt kasi nasa…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   THE poem below was written ten years ago, on 21 July 2015. Time has a way of blurring memories, sometimes deleting, sometimes overlaying events with more recent interpretations, depending on newer experiences, depth of understanding and compassion. Looking back now that the feeling is gone…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo    I’M in Pozorrubio with the sound of the crickets. Or is it just the ringing in my ears? I think of you, inside a car, driving to the north, cellphone in hand. I also see my sister Lydia in a yellow flowing dress, with a…

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo   THROUGHOUT history, the written word, including poetry, has proven to be a powerful weapon for change. It has been used to “express dissent, inspire action, and preserve the memory of those who have been silenced or forgotten.” Poetry can challenge injustice, encourage reflection, and eventually…