Esprit de Corps: what it actually means

By Dawn Iva P. Satumbaga

Citizen Army Training (CAT) officers have the privilege of seeing their cadets undress. This, among many other misconceptions, is a lie that officers formulate for the sheer fun of it.

My Dad is superman in disguise

By Ma. Alexandra C. Austria

I have this nagging feeling that my father is Superman in disguise. His whole “breadwinner” aura may just be a mask to fool us all. There are times when I can clearly see through his “Clark Kent” masquerade.

My Dad is an inveterate environmentalist

By Sherilyn Siy

It is difficult for most people to believe that for a family of five adults living in a modest two-story house, the monthly water bill amounts to only P170, while its electricity bill averages P2,000, max. Thanks to Dad, an “inveterate environmentalist.” In my opinion, he lives the meaning of “resource efficiency.”

The Final Tests

By Sophia Isabel J. Estrella

The Philippines has gone through a lot of changes throughout its history, from colonization to independence. Even the national anthem has gone through its share of changes—from “Marcha Filipina Magdalo” to “Lupang Hinirang,” the literal translation of which is “The Chosen Land.” Our national anthem was created not just for the sake of having a national song but to express the early Filipinos’ defiant declaration of and ardent longing of what was rightfully theirs—the freedom they were deprived of during 300 years of Spanish rule and oppression. Our independence and freedom today is a prize our forefathers paid for dearly.

Two weeks of change

By Jessica Therese S. Naguit

We Filipinos pride ourselves in being the third-largest English-speaking country in the world, or so the government says. We have a lot of call centers because of the large number of people who speak English fluently. Students from other countries come here to learn English too.

“Our Light Through the Crisis”

By Eugenie D. Apostol

Without doubt, a relevant, responsive education system premised on quality is “our light through the crisis.” How can we make this light shine brightly and continuously?

An Awakening

By Angelique P. Ang Co

A few nights ago, my friend texted me and said, “I hope all of us will be successful in the future. How are you?”

Race and destination

By Betheena C. Dizon

I am hardly moved by what I see on television.

But there was this particular scene that really touched me to the core: Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez running toward the final pit stop in “The Amazing Race Asia Season 2,” carrying the Philippine flag. What struck me about this scene was that these guys made it a point to show the world that as they competed, they were thinking not only of themselves but of this country as well. And to think that Nelson does not even have a drop of Filipino blood in his veins! It seemed to me that he was also running the race for the country that he had adopted as his own. These guys have not forgotten the Philippines at all. But the realization also made me sad because, today, there are quite a lot of Filipinos who have forgotten their own country.

The speech

By Ched de Gala

I’m trying to think about what I’m supposed to write. In all honesty, I’m not really sure what to say. The words in my head just keep spinning and spinning and, now, everything is messed up.

Blogging myths

By Rolly Jude M. Ortega

I’ve been into this thing called blogging for several months now. And like millions of people in the planet who are hooked into it, I’ve been unabashedly chronicling my life. I’ve been updating my friends online about great moments in history—like where I went for coffee last night and how I fell into a fishpond last week.