Perspectives

By CORHEINNE JOYCE B. COLENDRES Youth development is an important aspect of the formation of society. As the next generation that will advance what is already established, or a generation that will fix the broken remnants of what their forefathers left for them, the youth holds a pivotal role in nation-building. However, when the figures of authority who promised to uphold the standards of the youth’s development end up turning their backs against the people whom they swore to serve and protect, one must acknowledge that dark times truly lie ahead. The National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson Ronald Cardema’s haunting proposal to revoke the scholarships of students who take part in alleged anti-government antics drew flak from lawmakers, citizens, and various groups. Despit

By LUIS MIGUEL B. ARUCAN With a heavy heart, Pope Francis courageously stood behind the podium to face 190 male prelates. He finally addressed the Church’s decades-long issue of child abuse. The result was disappointing. I implore the reader to open his mind to new perspectives before reading on. If you are religious, acknowledge that I will only respect your right believe and not your beliefs themselves. Nothing, not even religion, can be guarded on a pedestal and not be held accountable for the evil that exists because of it, regardless of whether the evil was committed in its name or as a result of its practices. The Pope should be applauded for raising the issue of pastoral child abuse to the global stage for the first time. However, his solution is flimsy and is as spine

By FATE EMERALD M. COLOBONG On July 5, 1991, the Philippine government enacted the Campus Journalism Act, which aims to protect the freedom of campus journalists and campus publications. However, what good is a law that protects the establishment of a free campus press if school administrations can decide that they are bigger than the law? In my two years of writing in the Issues or special reports section of the Flame, first as a staffer and now as the section editor, I was often asked if I am not scared of writing articles that might “trigger” the administration, especially now that I’m a graduating student. There was also a time when one of my sources asked me if my press freedom was being trampled upon. That time, I was working on an article about a controversy co

By MARK JOSEPH B. FERNANDEZ Before the rise of the New Media Age wherein people can easily access aural and visual materials for recreational purposes using the internet, movie and song rental retailers were some of the main avenues for home entertainment beside free television programs and movie and song title shops. These rental retailers were essential for people who did not want to buy a specific movie or album permanently and instead wanted to indulge on a specific title only for a short period of time. For Filipinos, music television and FM radio channels were the former avenues most used to listen to the latest song hits, but for movies and television series, rental retailers such as ACA Video and Video City were the top establishments visited by audiences, other than ...

By KRISTELA DANIELLE S. BOO No matter what other benefits it may give, any improvement that causes harm is not an improvement at all. The Chinese government-funded construction of the bridge that will soon link Binondo and Intramuros aims to ease traffic congestion and increase commercial activity in the area. However, this development can be considered a threat to the Walled City. Heritage conservationist groups have expressed their opposition to the planned four-lane, 734-meter bridge, saying that the construction will affect the Aduana Building and the walls of Intramuros due to its old age and soft foundation, as well as the Chamber of Commerce Building and Plaza Mexico. UNESCO has also warned that the construction of the bridge may result in San Agustin Church and thr

By DANEA PATRICIA T. VILOG   ‘Tis the season for graduation photoshoots and the season that one and a half years of avoiding beauty salons have finally boiled down to. Perhaps one and a half years is a slight exaggeration, but growing a shoulder length Dora the Explorer bob into a waist length waterfall of dark locks does demand much time to pass by. I grew up disliking my hair for the problems shampoo ad models ask through the fourth wall of my television screen: dry and frizzy most of the time, split ends, hair loss, and a bald spot somewhere that I desperately hope no one ever notices. The soft spoken lady who dolled me up for the photoshoot praised me for my long hair as she curled it upon my request, but that same day, I was met with a different comment from an