Keeping the community in motion amid crisis
5 MIN READThe surge in oil prices caused by the US and Israel’s war against Iran has hit Baguio hard, with the city experiencing some of the highest fuel prices in the country.
Read MoreAuthor: Northern Dispatch
Beyond capacity: Baguio housing crisis squeezes students
7 MIN READFinding a place to live in Baguio is no longer just difficult; for many students, it has become unstable, exorbitantly expensive, and in some instances, unsafe.
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On the Red-tagging of Nordis Contributors Iggy Lami-ing and JJ Buenaventura
2 MIN READBeyond the psychological turmoil many of us have experienced and continue to endure, and the disruption of our work, red-tagging has cost our ranks their freedom and their lives.
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Against all odds, journalism endures
2 MIN READTaken together, local data and global findings point to a consistent pattern: legal pressure, harassment, and intimidation are shaping the conditions under which journalists work.
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Meta’s AI Moderation Loophole and the PH Government Priorities
3 MIN READThis is not meant to excuse or dismiss the serious problems caused by deepfakes and viral falsehoods. The point is that the government should devote more energy and resources to reducing the public’s real sources of fear and anxiety.
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Inaction Deepens Fuel Crisis
3 MIN READDelaying decisive action, especially when viable options are on the table, such as removing fuel taxes and regulating the industry, risks deepening a crisis already evident in daily life.
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Fueling the Health Gap: How Rising Transport Costs Block Care
4 MIN READAs petroleum prices continue to surge, the journey to seek medical care is becoming increasingly difficult for countless Filipino families, particularly those in rural and geographically isolated areas.
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STL Out Na sa Ilocos Sur, Baka Balik Jueteng
< 1 MIN READMaaaring ito ay pagkakataon para sa mas maayos na pamamahala, ngunit wari ng iba, baka gimik lamang ito para papalitan ang operator, hindi ang bulok na sistema nito.
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Cordillera women’s group condemns lewd remarks vs Gabriela lawmaker
2 MIN READInnabuyog-Gabriela criticized lawyer Ferdinand Topacio for his ‘despicable and sexist’ comments against Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago, warning that such remarks worsen societal prejudices against women.
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Baguio students condemn US-Israel aggressions in Iran
2 MIN READStudent groups in Baguio City held a protest on Wednesday, March 4, denouncing the joint US-Israel military operation against Iran.
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Looking Back, Moving Forward: EDSA @40 and the Fight Against Corruption
< 1 MIN READ DSC029137DSC02942DSC02964142DSC0304011511125 EDSA @40. Baguio-Benguet Laban sa...
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Binukbok na Valentine: Seven Years After Rice Liberalization
3 MIN READSeven years after its Valentine’s Day signing, rice liberalization remains a promise contested in the fields and at the dinner table — its costs measured not only in pesos per kilo, but in the precarious balance between market efficiency and social equity.
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Remembrance at Work
3 MIN READHeritage is not only intellectual; it is also material. It lives not only in archives and narratives, but in places, in stones, in the quiet spaces where memory rests.
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When Journalism Is Treated as Terrorism*
2 MIN READThe case sets a dangerous legal precedent. It signals that reporting on militarization, development projects, or marginalized communities can be recast as terrorism.
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How to Grieve a Fallen Tree
3 MIN READI can only hope for many safer years to come – under this house, living, cooking, sleeping, and when the time comes to pursue another storm carrying the strength of what ancient seas it comes from, I pray to be spared from the fall.
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Enforced Silence Through Internet Shutdowns
3 MIN READHistory has taught people that access exists only until the state decides it threatens stability. So, those under the worst of conditions learn to communicate better within these constraints.
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The Cycle of Rice Planting
3 MIN READRice planting is a tradition passed down from our ancestors, whose lives revolved around the farm and the community. Their sons and daughters whose living in the city should feel it in their senses that this month calls anew to rekindle this tradition.
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Five advocates and rights defenders we lost in 2025
6 MIN READIn 2025, Northern Luzon bid farewell to individuals whose lives helped shape grassroots movements, championed people’s rights, and supported environmental defense campaigns across the region.
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Strange Weather in the Ili
2 MIN READWhen I went home to the province, I saw past through me a visibly changing world. As the year leaves anew, so is another increasingly difficult life experience of indigenous people living at the edge of climate change.
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A year of intensified repression, continuing resistance in Northern Luzon
6 MIN READNorthern Luzon’s human rights landscape in 2025 reflected a deepening state hostility toward grassroots organizations, land rights activists, and human rights defenders, particularly in areas where corporate interests collide with local livelihood and community values.
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In 2025, anti-terror laws continue to terrorize North Luzon activists
3 MIN READIn 2025, the Financial Action Task Force removed the Philippines from its “grey list.”
However, behind this diplomatic milestone was a sharp rise in terrorism-related charges against activists.
Why Social Sciences Can Save Our Future
3 MIN READIf all other academic disciplines embrace the value of social sciences as an equal partner in improving the lives of everyday Filipinos who live through meager means and honest ways, we will produce a strong workforce that will re-envision a truly sustainable Philippines for all.
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Moral Politics: Understanding the Case of Eric Yap
3 MIN READEric Yap embodies the fusion of patronage, spectacle, and moral legitimacy in a system in which accountability is uneven, and trust in institutions is fragile.
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Permission to Resist
3 MIN READRespect for authority has its place. Institutions need structure. Classrooms need order. But history reminds us—again and again—that blind obedience has consequences.
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Wiggling Your Way Out?
3 MIN READUntil mining firms like Woggle and concerned government agencies finally listen to the people’s calls—the blockades—community resistance will continue. Hand the land to future generations, not to mining corporations!
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Saving face?
4 MIN READAnother proposal has joined the stalled anti-dynasty bills gathering dust. One can only imagine that somewhere in the Batasang Pambansa Complex, there is a room reserved for anti-dynasty legislation, none of which has ever come close to passing.
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A city on edge: Baguio power outages beyond the weather
8 MIN READWith an industry hampered by operational challenges and a regulatory system criticized for being private-driven, even a Triple A electric cooperative struggles to ensure reliable and affordable power service.
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Cruelty is to free the cruel: Why interim release is not owed to Duterte
2 MIN READA more human, historically aware perspective demands that people look beyond the discomfort of one man and consider the thousands of Filipino families whose pain has been dismissed. Justice cannot be measured simply by the hardship of the accused.
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Naiiyak Ako
2 MIN READThe phrase “Naiiyak ako” was not only about letting others know, but also about saying that the trust between the two of us is alive. And that’s what I feel is what matters most right now.
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A University Town More Than a Tourist Spot
2 MIN READBy centering students in urban planning, Baguio would not just remain a famous tourist destination but also live up to its name as a quality educational center.
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Baguio’s 2025 Christmas Tree: Only Bamboo-centric, Not Zero-waste
2 MIN READThe choice of material for creating the said tree may be a blend of artistry and eco-friendliness; however, the environment was harmed early on by the materials’ sole transportation.
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Pagtanda at Pagtanda
2 MIN READGrowing up is a no-brainer. It comes, literally, with age and happens naturally. Remembering asks you to go the extra mile. It asks you to remember to come back, to be home for the holidays in the house that produced a part of who you are now.
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Environmental Protection: Awareness Through Reproduction Decisions
3 MIN READWithout proper education, awareness, discipline, and responsibility for protecting the environment, having a child would be unfair—both to the environment and to the child.
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The Byline’s Ethos
2 MIN READMore than just a career, journalism is a public trust. While this field is open to anyone with a talent for writing, including those with specific disciplinary expertise, it is vital to ensure that reporters are grounded in the profession’s ethics and techniques.
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Uno, My Nemesis
2 MIN READIn that dim, chaotic living room, surrounded by laughter and flickering lights, I understood something about blackouts, about games, about life: sometimes the battles we fight are not against the world, but against ourselves.
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Christmas Wish of Filipinos
2 MIN READThe 500-peso Noche Buena statement from DTI revealed how individuals connected with the government are so tone-deaf and detached from the realities of everyday life for individuals who work and sometimes do multiple jobs to survive amid the country’s continuous inflationary fluctuations.
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UP Baguio’s Lantern Parade returns, highlights social issues
3 MIN READAfter a six-year hiatus, the UP Baguio Lantern Parade returned this year, transforming the campus tradition into a platform for protest, highlighting pressing local and national concerns.
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Baguio welcomes Christmas with annual lantern parade, tree lighting ceremony
3 MIN READThe country’s Summer Capital steps into holiday vibes with SLU’s 17th Lantern Parade and annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony on December 1 from Session Road to Melvin Jones Grandstand.
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Questions rise over funds for collapsed Kalinga bridge, spark “ghost project” claims
4 MIN READFor two consecutive years, the Makilo Bridge received allocations for the DPWH’s Bridge Program, under Replacement of Bridges, intended to “(replace) temporary bridges made of timber or Bailey materials with permanent structures.”
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Youth, educators urge action on corruption, education crisis
3 MIN READStudents and teachers from Baguio and the neighboring towns of Benguet marched with other organizations during the nationwide protest on November 30 against corruption in the city, urging the government to address issues plaguing the education sector.
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Uwan’s Upon a Time: The Cost of the fAIry Tale
2 MIN READAlthough AI-generated environmental and disaster content can successfully increase awareness, it hides the fact that the sensationalism, water use, and energy footprint contradict the real message they aim to deliver.
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From animal welfare, ecology, to health: Advocates find common cause in corruption fight
3 MIN READFor individuals with different advocacies, the widespread corruption has emerged as common ground for coming together at the Baha sa Burnham Bonifacio Day protest.
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Church groups join call for transparency, accountability in Baguio protest
3 MIN READTransparency and accountability were the common call during the November 30 protest, including from religious groups whose opening prayers and messages reminded the public that without these measures, trust in the government will continue to decline.
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Sensitivity and Empathy in Times of Crisis
2 MIN READFilipinos’ social media communication is indeed interactive and funny, but showing empathy and considering the circumstances individuals experience should never be neglected for the sake of fame and clout.
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Protest continues against corporate-led Baguio market rehab
4 MIN READAfter months of intensified protests against the corporate-led Baguio City Public Market rehabilitation, resistance showed no signs of waning as about a thousand people gathered on November 26 at Malcolm Square, rallying against the impending “mallification” of the iconic landmark.
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I Don’t Have a Dream
2 MIN READI want what everybody has and does not, what anyone holds and does not, and what nobody sees and does—everything.
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North Luzon groups prepare for Bonifacio Day anti-corruption protest
3 MIN READGroups across North Luzon are organizing coordinated protests on November 30 to condemn massive corruption in flood control infrastructure and other government projects.
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On National Unity, Transition Councils, and Many Ways of Skinning a Cat
4 MIN READWe hope today’s broad anti-corruption movement sows seeds for this higher national unity—seeds that need careful nurturing until they bear fruit for future generations.
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Thousands of Baguio-Benguet students join walkouts over education cuts, corruption
3 MIN READAbout 5,500 students from Baguio and Benguet universities walked out of their classes on November 18 to protest the widespread government corruption amid rising school fees and budget cuts for state universities and colleges.
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A Serious Test for Transparency and Accountability
3 MIN READThe government—Congress and independent oversight bodies—must now demonstrate that such a process remains possible, and the people should be prepared to mobilize when these institutions fail.
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All set for youth-led school walkout in Baguio-Benguet universities
3 MIN READYouth and student groups from five universities in Baguio and Benguet are all set for their walkout on Tuesday to protest budget cuts in state universities and widespread corruption in the government.
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Sa Bawat Siphayo’t Tagumpay
2 MIN READKung hindi siguro tayo dinidiktahan ng lipunan kung ano ang dapat nating gawin at kung ano ang dapat nating maging ay mas mararamdaman natin ang totoong konsepto ng tagumpay.
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Digital Guillotine
3 MIN READSocial media is a medium of expression where everyone is free to post, react, and comment their thoughts and ideas without the fear of being judged or misunderstood—or so I thought.
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Opening Wounds Ethically
2 MIN READWhen carrying out case studies or policymaking, especially when it involves vulnerable populations like the women migrant workers in this case, they must be trauma-informed to ensure safety, dignity, and empowerment for the participants.
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NCIP’s betrayal of Bulalacao, Mankayan
4 MIN READNCIP-CAR and the NCIP Commission were complicit in betraying the Bulalacao indigenous peoples. Instead of acting as gatekeepers to protect the Indigenous peoples’ rights, they went against the very core of the IPRA.
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Baguio Public Market Redevelopment: From the big “if” to WTF
4 MIN READCertainly, the redevelopment of the Baguio Public Market must proceed. However, it should not come at the expense of the people, nor allow big business interests in the central business district to grow unchecked.
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When Death Was Fooled
3 MIN READLove, in its purest form, sometimes achieves the impossible. Not by conquering Death forever, but by confusing it just long enough to give life another chance.
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Ti autoridad dagiti Opisyal ti PNP iti panag-subpoena ken dagiti rumbeng nga aramiden
3 MIN READInpatarusmi daytoy pablaak ken paglagip ti abogado a ni Ephriam Cortez, presidente ti National Union of People’s Lawyers kasilpo ti autoridad dagiti opisyal ti PNP a mangpaayab ti maysa nga indibidual ken ania dagiti rumbeng nga aramiden.
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Dagiti Mito iti badiet a 2026: Pork barrel a naregta, naimbag iti laksid ti panangilibak
3 MIN READImbutaktak ti koalision a Makabayan dagiti mito nga ilaklako ti liderato ti Konggreso nga ilemmeng ti P95.78 bilion kadagiti inserrek a pork barrel – a bukbuklen ti “hard pork” ken ti “soft pork”.
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Whispers of Another Life
3 MIN READI’ve come to realize that these whispers are not a voice of judgment or regret, but a reminder of a decision that I’ve made to discover the unseen corners of myself.
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Smoke-Free or Smokers Run Free?
3 MIN READIt seems that fines and the threat of imprisonment are not enough to deter some people who still sell and use in community settings covered by the prohibition. Others even dared to distribute counterfeit products.
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Understanding What’s Going On with the Baguio Public Market
4 MIN READJunk and reverse that July 2020 resolution defining PPP as the modality for market development! If not, even if the SM proposal is disapproved, the same system remains in place.
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I Live for All the Women Before Me
3 MIN READSociety has long measured a woman’s worth by how much she can give, not by how far she can go. Their brilliance is often dimmed by their supposed duty to nurture, to endure, to stay silent.
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Restore Justice in Our Municipal Waters
3 MIN READBy restoring the 15-kilometer rule, the government would not only safeguard the livelihoods of millions of Filipinos but also reaffirm its constitutional duty to promote equitable resource use.
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Lanterns to light UP Baguio again as parade tradition returns
3 MIN READThe UP Baguio will bring back its Lantern Parade this year, after it was last held in December 2019, marking the return of one of the campus’s most treasured year-end traditions.
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Sierra Madre, ang Natural na Kalasag na Dapat Pangalagaan
3 MIN READSa kabila ng mga batas katulad ng NIPAS Act at ang Expanded NIPAS Act of 2018 na sana’y nagbibigay proteksyon upang mapanatili ang kalusugan ng mga naturang lugar, bakit nga ba patuloy na nasisira ang Sierra Madre?
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Tuguegarao mayor to sue DPWH engineer over questionable projects
2 MIN READThe mayor of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan plans to pursue criminal and administrative charges against the head of the DPWH Third District Engineering Office over alleged irregularities in city infrastructure projects.
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FALSE: North Luzon provinces, other areas under lockdown for influenza-like illness surge
3 MIN READThe Department of Health clarified that there will be no lockdowns in any part of the country concerning influenza-like illness.
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Ang Gaki, Mangingisda, at 15 km Municipal na Katubigan
2 MIN READNagiging totoo na ang mito. Nagpaparamdam na ang mga kuwentong nakakatakot—mga halimaw na naninira, pumapatay, walang itinitira.
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Cultural CLOUTing
2 MIN READWearing these clothes casually by random people may seem insignificant, but its impact on cultural identity is not. So the next time you visit Baguio or other areas, show respect for the culture by understanding instead of just wearing it.
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When a Professor Hands You Back Your Dream
4 MIN READAt that moment, being a lawyer ceased to be my parents’ dream. It became mine too. I guess that’s the best gift they’ve ever given me, a dream they believed in long before I had the courage to claim it myself.
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UP Baguio students showcase Cordillera instruments for IP Month
2 MIN READThe UP Baguio Student Council featured the cultural importance of indigenous instruments in the Cordillera during a workshop as part of National Indigenous Peoples Month.
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Suriin ang Papel ng San Roque Dam sa Baha ng Pangasinan
< 1 MIN READHindi ito simpleng isyu ng inprastruktura—ito ay usapin ng kaligtasan. Kung ang isang dam na itinayo para magligtas ay nagdudulot na ngayon ng peligro, panahon nang muling suriin ang mga patakaran nito
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What the Green Circle Hides
3 MIN READFor many young people, this is where they post photos of raised fists, sweaty faces after marches, and placards with bold slogans that stay hidden from family members who might not approve.
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UP Baguio presses for P46.8B system-wide budget, demands completion of delayed facilities
4 MIN READThe UP Baguio community is intensifying its campaign to secure the full budget proposed by the system to support the university’s needs.
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Picked Pickpockets
2 MIN READHundreds of Filipinos are crying out for desperate measures. Tens of thousands are dying from starvation and disease. And no one is held accountable for all of this. Is this what we want for a corruption-free society?
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Ang Tunay na Kapangyarihan
3 MIN READPanahon na upang sugpuin ang matagal nang korapsyon at bigyang-pansin ang mga problemang tulad ng palpak na flood barriers, kakulangan ng silid-aralan, at mababang minimum wage.
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Flood Control Cash Flow
3 MIN READThe corruption within flood control infrastructure goes beyond mere mismanagement; it highlights how public funds have been transformed into tools for dynastic accumulation.
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Bagyo ng Luho sa Baha ng Luha
3 MIN READ“Nepo baby” kung tawagin ang mga anak ng mga maimpluwensyang tao na laman ngayon ng balita at social media… Ang tanong: saan nanggagaling ang perang ginagamit para sa mga luho na nagdudulot ng luha sa taumbayan?
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Disability Organizations, Take a Stand
< 1 MIN READDespite legal frameworks on disability affairs, the state still enforces eugenics and ableism that contradict the common good of the Philippine disability community.
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New research shows social media won’t save local newsrooms — yet
2 MIN READA research project, stemming from the closure of the Baguio Midland Courier last year, demonstrated that moving to online spaces does not guarantee a news agency’s survival in the digital age.
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Students launch “Deserve Better” campaign at Baguio Students Day
2 MIN READStudent leaders in Metro Baguio launched the “Students Deserve Better, Filipinos Deserve Better” campaign during the 12th Baguio Students Day on September 14 at the University of the Philippines Baguio.
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From Hashtags to Human Chains
2 MIN READThe gathering last Sunday, of student leaders, youth organizations, and local communities at UP Baguio, under the theme “BSD 2025: Gear Up!” was a collaborative and empowering event.
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Pacifism Masks Kleptocracy’s Iron Grip in Imperialism’s Shadow
< 1 MIN READThe supposed “pacifism” espoused by many Filipino politicians is, in reality, a thinly veiled strategy to control a populace already decimated by the Marcos Jr.-led kleptocracy.
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Flood Control and the Cost of Corruption
4 MIN READThis is not the first scandal of its kind. The memory of the Napoles pork barrel scam remains fresh, as does the promise to abolish the pork barrel system. Yet discretionary funds, confidential allocations, and off-budget appropriations remain embedded in government practice.
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Celebrate the Struggles, Shatter the Silence
3 MIN READCommemoration must go beyond remembrance to tangible cooperation among nations to address the ongoing marginalization of indigenous peoples. The survival of rivers, forests, and cultural heritage depends on protecting those who have preserved them for generations.
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Kalinga Youth Stand Against Development Aggression
3 MIN READWe do not oppose progress; we are not against development. However, we refuse development that treats our rivers and forests as commodities. Without our consent, it is not progress, but a violation of our rights.
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What Happened to Our Tayan? Unchecked Quarrying Threatens Local Control
2 MIN READTayan is a clan-owned property. In certain parts of the river, clans build and rebuild kaot, temporary rice fields that are washed away during the rainy season.
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The High Cost of Unequal Relations with the U.S.
3 MIN READThis trend has been ongoing since the 1980s, as the Philippines has reduced tariffs under the guidance of international financial institutions and trade agreements. However, this liberalization has not translated into broad-based development.
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Influence with Integrity: Influencers and the Fight Against Illegal Online Gambling
2 MIN READIn a country where disinformation, fraud, and digital exploitation are rampant, we need influencers to be more than trendsetters—we need them to be trailblazers for truth, digital safety, and responsible innovation.
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Long Echo of Violence: The True Cost of Tribal Conflict
2 MIN READPeople are judged not by their actions or character, but by the tribe to which they belong. When tribal violence occurs, people are quick to blame, and their accusations are rarely based on facts.
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As shore and catch shrink, voices rise against dredging in Ilocos Sur
5 MIN READThe provincial government says the project aims to reduce flooding from the Abra River during typhoons and monsoon rains. Impact areas of the projects include several barangays in Santa, Caoayan, and Vigan City.
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Let Staying Be a Choice, Not a Sacrifice
3 MIN READThe DOH’s call for Filipino nurses to remain in the country—to serve, to stay, to choose home stirs the heart, but it also reopens long-standing wounds. Because for many of us, the decision to stay or leave is not simply a matter of patriotism or ambition, but survival, dignity, and hope.
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Seeds of Return: Morning Light and Mountain Goodbyes
2 MIN READGulay Pa More Sagada gave me more than food. It gave me meaning. And as I sat there, rolling slowly back to the city, I knew this was not the end. It was the beginning of something beautiful.
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Forage and Feast: From the Forest Floor to the Community Table
3 MIN READThe sky was clear, the air cold, but the warmth of shared food and stories held us together. Food, made with love and awareness, becomes more than sustenance. It becomes a connection to the land, each other, and ourselves.
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Gulay Pa More Sagada: A Journey of Food, Culture, and Connection
2 MIN READLast weekend was an unforgettable adventure as I joined the Gulay Pa More Sagada event—an experience that was as enriching as it was humbling.
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The Dying Romance of Print
2 MIN READ I probably will never fully grasp the community this publication built over the decades. But I understand the weight of watching something deeply woven into your daily life disappear.
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Unity Requires Policy Clarity, Not Just Shared Opposition
3 MIN READWhile Makabayan and groups supporting the coalition have expressed serious concerns about these initiatives under the Magalong administration, describing them as anti-poor, their omission from Makabayan Metro Baguio’s statement on the dialogue is notable.
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Mala-Alpabetong Sugalan sa mga Bayan ng Pangasinan
2 MIN READLubhang nakakabahala hindi lamang ang pagkalulong sa sugal ng maraming mamamayan ng Pangasinan—lalo na ng kabataan—kundi pati ang banta ng paglaganap ng droga, ang madalas na kasunod ng ganitong uri ng aktibidad.
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