Public Lives

The nation in the bardo  

In Tibetan Buddhism, bardo refers to the in-between state after death and before rebirth. It…

When the young refuse to forget  

The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting,” wrote the…

Cleaning house without breaking the republic 

The government of the day—the administration of President Marcos Jr. and Congress—is not the entire…

When reputations collapse like buildings

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Bogo City, Cebu, a few days ago reminds us of…

Don’t waste the anger

The nation may appear politically, economically, and culturally divided. But on one thing there seems…

What would Rizal advise?

Fifty-three years ago, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., seizing upon a little-known provision of the 1935 Constitution,…

Marcos Jr.’s test of credibility

We are in the midst of a political crisis whose outlines are still forming. What…

Through Indonesia’s mirror

Nations have always watched one another. What happens in one becomes a mirror for the…

More than conspicuous consumption

Why do some people, particularly those who have become suddenly rich, flaunt their wealth? It’s…

Why corruption persists

The current uproar over ghost, overpriced, and substandard flood control projects has again put corruption…