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#CartoonOnPoint by Zen

Adi Joaquim Tolentino The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reminded local government units (LGUs) that failure to act on requests to use public venues for campaign activities within three days will result in automatic approval. Photo Courtesy of ABS-CBN News/Department of the Interior and Local Government. This came amid the final stretch of the campaign period before the May 12 midterm national and local elections. According to Memorandum Circular 2025-037 posted on DILG’s Facebook page on April 28, any delay in responding to applications for venue use violates the RA 11032 or Ease of Doing Business Act and Anti-Red Tape Authority guidelines. Under the same memorandum, the department emphasized that LGUs may impose reasonable rules on the use of these venues. “The Department clarified that LGUs may implement reasonable guidelines governing the use of public facilities, provided these are consistent with existing rules and regulations and are applied uniformly,” t...

Andrie Hans Bayon In its pursuit of promoting inclusive education, the Department of Education (DepEd) on April 28 rolled out Artificial Intelligence initiatives aimed at improving support for Learners with Disabilities (LWD) in the country. Photo Courtesy of  Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism . The initiative will include the expansion of access to Special Education (SPED) resources by converting SPED centers to advanced Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (ILRC), with plans to establish virtual and satellite ILRCs. The department will also develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI)- powered tool to detect early disability risks.  According to DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, these initiatives will result in equal access to quality education and opportunities for LWDs. “The Department is fully committed to harnessing technology not only for instruction but also for decision-making, resource planning, and inclusive service delivery,” Angara said on Tuesday. Angara also ...

Joseph Azil Buena The Supreme Court (SC), in a full decision on January 20 and released on April 28, ordered Mother Goose Special School System, Inc. in Pangasinan to recompense PHP 650,000 in civil liabilities over their negligence in handling a bullying incident inside their school. Photo Courtesy of Mother Goose Special School System, Inc. In its 16-page decision, the SC Second Division affirmed that Mother Goose School failed to properly address a punching incident involving three grade school students inside a classroom in 2007. According to accounts in the decision, the incident occurred during class when an argument over a missing pencil resulted in two students repeatedly punching a classmate while the subject teacher was in the restroom. Several days passed before the victim had reported the incident to his teachers, but ‘no meaningful action’ was taken by any of them. However, two students admitted to punching their classmate, as told to their class adviser. The victim's ...

Mary Sophia Angela Buenavidez Juan “Johnny” Dayang, a veteran journalist and longtime president of the Publishers Association of the Philippines Inc. (PAPI), was shot dead in his apartment at Kalibo, Aklan on April 29 according Aklan Police Provincial Office’s Spokesperson, Captain Aubrey Ayon.  Photo Courtesy of PAPI Publisher. Upon initial investigation, the 89-year-old journalist was watching television inside his residence when he was shot by an unidentified male suspect around 8 pm. The suspect disembarked from the motorcycle and fired three shots at seven meters far from the victim outside the perimeter fence of his residence. According to reports, Dayang received two shots in the back and was unresponsive while being brought to the hospital.  Dayang was brought to Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital (DRSTMH), yet was declared dead on arrival.  Juan Dayang writes a weekly column in news outlets Tempo and Balita, published by the Manila Bulletin Publishing ...

Adi Joaquim Tolentino Local government units (LGUs) will spearhead the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s Strengthening Opportunities for Lone Parents Program (Program SOlo) as an initiative to uplift solo-parent headed families across the Philippines. Photo Courtesy of ABS-CBN News. DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said that the program’s success largely depends on how LGUs customize interventions based on the real needs of their solo parent constituents. “The Program SOLo is designed to complement Republic Act (RA) No. 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act. It is crafted with the realities of solo parents in mind – acknowledging the daily challenges they face while raising children single-handedly,” Dumlao explained through a news release. Program SOLo, formally launched on February 15, 2024, in Lapu-Lapu, Cebu, complements Republic Act 11861 or the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act through offering economic and psychosocial support to solo parent...

Lyndon James Diesta As the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights in the Philippines continues onward, Bianca Castro-Arebejo, known by her drag name Jiggly Caliente , stands as a leading figure for equality, a transgender icon, an activist, and an avid supporter of local Filipino drag. With her untimely passing on Sunday, April 27, a private statement from her family said that she passed peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones. To recall, Caliente’s family also announced earlier this week that she would not be able to do public engagements for an extended period of time due to a severe infection that led to the amputation of most of her right leg. Cementing her 21-year drag legacy as a resident judge of all current seasons of queer reality TV show Drag Race Philippines , a two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race alumna herself, and an international drag superstar — let us revisit her beginnings, how she rose to fame, and her mission for Philippine representation in queer media. From San Pedro to the world ...

Mary Sophia Angela Buenavidez The Department of Education on April 25 confirmed the school reassignment of the principal in a viral graduation video where she forced the graduating students to remove their togas.  Photo Courtesy of Presidential Communications Office. “The principal was removed from her position in the school per President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary Sonny Angara,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed in a brief conference.  She also clarified that the principal’s license was not revoked, but was temporarily suspended.  The Assistant Regional Director of Region 6 will serve as the officer-in-charge of Colonel Ruperto Abellon National School according to DepEd’s Facebook announcement on April 26.  The Commission on Elections (COMELEC), in the same post, has also approved the said transfer as it will not influence the conduct of elections in the said area. In the video, mid-ceremony, the principal went up on stage and reprimanded the lear...

#CartoonOnPoint by Samantha Amber Idian

Jun Marwin Hangad Since time immemorial, the Catholic Church has been deemed authoritarian, anti-progressive, and bound by its disunited orthodoxies. But when Jorge Mario Bergoglio emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in 2013, it was the start of the church's new rearing—signaling a brand of faith where compassion and benevolent reforms resisted the long-standing rigid traditionalism. Truly, the world mourns the timely passing of Pope Francis. I am raised as a Catholic by birth, but I had observed my friends with different religious beliefs showed their respect and gratitude to the pope. It was a moment of a lifetime to view such harmony, and that is for the man who left a unifying legacy that made him a beloved figure of all seasons. Break from tradition Pope Francis' papacy elucidated a straightforward break from tradition, making his brand totally the opposite of his predecessors. Historically, previous popes embraced the luxuries that came with the position, how...

Daiven Monforte Growing up, I wasn’t just watching the news — I was watching my dream unfold. From a young age, watching news reporters and journalists on television brought joy to my heart. Filipino journalists like Lourd De Veyra, Jeff Canoy, and Kara David are among those I’ve always looked up to. They inspired me to dream of becoming a journalist someday — and student journalism brought me closer to that dream. I’ve been involved in campus journalism since elementary school. I started as a radio broadcaster, eventually becoming the technical director of our team. Over time, I took on roles as a layout artist and photojournalist, and in my final year of high school, I served as one of the Editors-in-Chief of our school publication, The Maroon Ink. These experiences have not only sharpened my skills but also deepened my passion and advocacy for student journalism. During my time as an Editor-in-Chief, I was deeply passionate about taking our student publication beyond the walls of ou...

Jascyl Jee Sayson I’ve always had a pencil in my hand for as long as I can remember. During my elementary years, I was always the Art kid—the one they’d all run to when there was a group activity that involved drawing. It was the summer of 2015 when I was enrolled in what looked like a special writing summer class. Back then, I don’t even think I could remember the name of that class—“Journalism,” was it? A word my 3rd-grade mind couldn’t even comprehend, pronounce, or spell properly. At first, I thought journalism was already pretty fun. Writing about funny-looking people I didn’t know, being allowed to bring our phones to take photo walks (something you couldn’t do on regular class days), and even reading scripts in front of everyone while wearing professional-looking coats that were too warm to wear during the summer, but looked cool. There was something about it that I enjoyed. But then they introduced Editorial Cartooning, and that’s when everything became even more exciting. From...

Joshua Pasion Before the first light of dawn touched the streets of Marabulig II, Cauayan City, Isabela, the familiar hum of a tricycle engine echoed through the quiet morning air — not the usual sound of a father preparing for another long day of driving, but instead, the rumble of a tricycle getting ready for something much more special. Inside their modest home, patched together with plywood and dreams, 18-year-old Aldwyn Delmendo,  son of a tricycle driver and a housewife, was about to experience his greatest day. Instead of his father heading out for another day of pamamasada and his mother tending to her grandchildren, they were both putting on their best shirts, ready to watch their son walk across the stage, not as the boy from a small barrio, but as a proud high school graduate. Today, the same tricycle that had taken him to school through dusty roads and rain-soaked mornings would now carry him to his graduation, his ticket to a future beyond the cycle of daily struggle. ...

Andrie Hans Bayon Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines have been ranked as the country’s top-performing universities in the 2025 Asia University Rankings released by Times Higher Education (THE) on April 24.  The THE Asia University Rankings assess higher education institutions based on 18 performance metrics across research quality, teaching, industry, research environment, and international outlook. The rankings compiled by the same organization behind the THE World University Ranking, first launched in 2004. In the results released Tuesday, Ateneo and UP both placed in the 501–600 bracket out of 853 universities from 35 countries and territories across Asia. Despite sharing the same overall bracket, Ateneo outperformed UP in five key areas: Research Quality (57), Industry (24.4), International Outlook (33.4), Research Environment (10.8), and Teaching (30.1). Ateneo encountered a slight drop from the 401–500 bracket in 2024 to the 501–600 bracket this...

Danniell Domingo Sensors typically used for facial recognition in smartphones have now been adapted to enhance the efficiency of farm robots, making them GPS-independent and capable of navigating varied terrains. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have developed Adaptive Generalized LiDAR Odometry and Mapping, or AG-LOAM, which helps farm robots navigate unpredictable farm terrains. “The key design principle of this framework is to prioritize the incremental consistency of the map by rejecting motion-distorted points and sparse dynamic objects,” the researchers said. Unlike previous technologies which heavily rely on GPS signals, AG-LOAM can work accurately in areas where GPS is weak or non-existent. At its core, this breakthrough technology is powered by adaptive Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), where data is produced by the LiDAR sensors as it moves across a terrain. To significantly minimize inconsistencies in data, AG-LOAM utilizes Generalized Iterative Clo...

Jamayka Rhose Pascual Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) leaders expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Pope Francis, recognizing him not only as the head of the Catholic Church but as a global advocate for peace and unity. Photo Courtesy of Facebook/Bangsamoro Government/Vatican Media. BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua offered heartfelt condolences to the Catholic Church, the Christian communities within BARMM, and to all who grieve the loss of the pope. In his statement, Macacua reflected on Pope Francis’ lifelong dedication to justice, compassion, and interfaith dialogue, values that have guided the Bangsamoro’s own pursuit of harmony and reconciliation. He emphasized that the pope’s voice reached far beyond the walls of the Vatican, touching the hearts of Muslims in Mindanao who saw in him a sincere ally in the global call for peace. Macacua also described the pope as a beacon of hope in uncertain times. “The news of his passing brings profound sadness ...

Geelyn Avanceña Drugs. Justice. Science. More than 20,000 victims were listed as the total count of the extrajudicial killings (EJK) that rose due to former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs campaign that resulted in a bloodshed and demise of suspected addicts and even innocents.   On February 10, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Duterte following his return from a visit in Hongkong. He was detained later on in The Hague, Netherlands the next day for committing crimes against humanity.  But amid the sea of unresolved EJK cases, could forensic pathology finally offer justice that has long eluded the victims and their families? The loved ones of those souls who succumbed to the war on drugs campaign still strive to fight for justice. Most — if not all of the EJK victims' — or those who have been killed from questionable police operations or vigilantes, regardless of age, yet with economic status afloat — cause of deaths have n...

#CartoonOnPoint by Zcharrina Miguela Villones

Mark Aaron Balbin A physicist from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman is a part of the group of researchers who won one of the world's most prestigious honors in fundamental physics. Photo Courtesy of Dr. Marvin Flores. Dr. Marvin Flores, professor at the National Institute of Physics (NIP), UP Diliman, and the team leader of the A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS (ATLAS) group in the Philippines, is among the 13,508 researchers worldwide that were awarded the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for their work in the ATLAS Collaboration at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN.  Recognized for revolutionary work, the ATLAS Collaboration explored high-energy collisions at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The ATLAS Collaboration includes critical studies on the Higgs boson and efforts to explore physics beyond the Standard Model, the theory behind what explains how particles and forces interact. ATLAS is one of the biggest and most advanced scien...