WLC Political Science Program - Demolitus Organization

𝗔𝗵𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗮𝗻, 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗮! 🕌

𝑨𝒔-𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒖 𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒌𝒖𝒎, 𝑺𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒍𝒔! Don your most elegant thobe and your sparkling abaya as we step into this year's 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 2026 with the theme 𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 🧞

Witness the Political Science Program in glitz and glam in celebration of achievements, feats, and camaraderie—in sparkling jewels under Arabian skies

Don't miss the fun! To be held at 𝐏𝐢ñ𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐎𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐜 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 on 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 14, 2026 𝐚𝐭 4:30 𝐏𝐌, it will be the most magical and majestic night—𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒑.

𝙎𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣, 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙗𝙮, 𝙝𝙤𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙥𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧'𝙨 𝘼𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩! 🪔




________

via Ralph Gilmor Ballera
LAYOUT | Charisse Joy Noval

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵!🌏💙

As we celebrate this year’s 𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡, may we be reminded of the roots that binds us and the innovations that have propelled us forward.

ASEAN 2026 is a celebration of heritage and progress. Rooted in the wisdom of our traditions and driven by the strength of innovation, together, we celebrate the strength of unity across our 11 nations with the theme 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

As we look ahead, let’s work hand in hand as we sail towards a brighter future, one that is 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆. ✨🌏



______

via Simone Antoinette Amazona
GRAPHIC | Jhulla Ryne Mercadal

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐍 | 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗔𝗠𝗻𝗲𝗱

𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙩 𝘿𝙖𝙢 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤 150.61 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡—𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒎 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈?!

Instead, it barely stopped our scrolling.
A few days later, the rains came. The water rose a little. The headlines softened. We breathed a sigh of relief, congratulating ourselves as if the problem had been solved.
It wasn't.

If your house catches fire and someone throws a single bucket of water on it, do you call the fire extinguished? Then why are we treating our water crisis that way?

This is not just about a dam. It is about a country that has learned to mistake temporary relief for permanent solutions. Every year we wait for the rain to save us instead of asking why we are so desperate to be saved in the first place. 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐.

It disappears because forests disappear. Watersheds disappear. Responsible planning disappears. Long-term thinking disappears. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒐.

The rain is not the hero of this story. It is simply buying us time. Time that we continue to waste. What makes me angry is not that El Niño happened. Droughts are part of nature.
What makes me angry is that our response is always the same: panic when the reservoirs are empty, forget everything when they fill up again.

𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧.

𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞.

𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲.

We wait until the crisis arrives, then congratulate ourselves for surviving it. That is not leadership. That is procrastination with a press conference.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞? Where are the speeches that should have shaken this nation awake?

Where are the plans to protect our watersheds instead of sacrificing them? Where are the investments in sustainable water systems? 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚? 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅, 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅.

We argue over personalities while the reservoirs that keep millions alive quietly sink. We cheer for ribbon-cuttings while rivers die. We debate slogans while the very thing that flows from our taps becomes less certain every year.

A nation cannot drink campaign promises.
A farmer cannot irrigate crops with excuses.
A child cannot quench their thirst with optimism.

𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆.

The cruelest part is that when the taps finally run dry, those with power will still have bottled water delivered to their doors. It is the ordinary Filipino who will stand in long lines with empty containers, missing work, missing school, praying there is enough left for tomorrow.

That is how inequality works.
The crisis arrives for everyone.
The suffering does not.
So no, I am not comforted because the water level rose after a few days of rain.

A patient whose heartbeat returns is not automatically healthy.

A nation that escapes disaster today is not safe tomorrow.

The rains have given us another chance.
The question is whether we will waste this one too.

Because Angat Dam is not merely losing water.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲.

And if that keeps falling faster than the reservoir itself, history will not say we ran out of water.

It will say we ran out of wisdom long before we ran out of rain.

_______

via Neil Gowan
GRAPHICS | Charisse Joy Noval

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐍 | 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗟𝘂𝘅𝘂𝗿𝘆

There is a particular kind of advice that only sounds wise when you have never had to choose between two necessities.

“𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒚.”

They say it so casually. As if the reason someone has no savings is because they never learned that money should be saved. As if people living paycheck to paycheck have somehow never heard of a bank account. 𝑨𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆.

But some of us are not spending money we have. We are spending money we need. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

You tell someone to save ₱5,000 a month, and they nod because the mathematics works beautifully on paper. Five thousand becomes sixty thousand in a year. Look at that. Discipline. Planning. Responsibility.
But what happens when the salary arrives already carrying names?

𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐭.
𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲.
𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫.
𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝.
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
𝐓𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞.

A younger sibling who needs school supplies.
A parent who suddenly needs help.
An emergency that does not care whether your budget spreadsheet has an “emergency fund” column.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬. And then someone who has never had to make those choices looks at you and says, “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔.”

𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞.

But maybe you also need to understand that financial literacy cannot manufacture money.

You can know exactly where every peso goes and still have nothing left at the end of the month. You can know the difference between a want and a need and still be unable to afford both.

You can make the perfect budget and watch it collapse because life does not respect spreadsheets. I have always found it strange how easily people confuse privilege with discipline. Some people learned how to invest because they had money left after surviving.

Some people learned about savings because their emergencies were inconvenient, not catastrophic.

Some people were taught to think about retirement before they were taught to think about tomorrow's meal.

And perhaps that is why they look at someone struggling and call it irresponsibility.

They mistake the distance between their lives for a difference in intelligence.
The truth is, saving money is easier when your income gives you something to save.
𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔. 𝑶𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔.

𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬. They should understand debt, interest, budgeting, savings, and the consequences of financial decisions.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 there is something cruel about telling a person who has ₱100 left to “just save more.”

Save what?

The last hundred pesos?

The last meal?

The last bit of dignity?

Sometimes the problem is not that people do not know how to save.
𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆.

And I wish we would stop seeing poverty as a personal choice. Because maybe the person who could not build an emergency fund was not careless.
Maybe they were the emergency fund.
Maybe every time their family needed something, they became the money.
Maybe they kept giving until there was nothing left to put away for themselves.
And maybe that is not financial illiteracy.
Maybe that is what survival looks like when nobody has enough.

So before you tell someone to save better, ask what they were asked to survive on.
Before you call them financially irresponsible, ask how many responsibilities were already waiting for them when their salary arrived.

And before you congratulate yourself for knowing how to manage money, remember that sometimes the greatest financial advantage 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚. 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝.

_______

via Neil Gowan
GRAPHIC | Charisse Joy Noval

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝗠𝗿. 𝗥𝗼𝗻𝗮! 🥂

The Demolitus Organization would like to extend its warmest birthday greetings to 𝐌𝐫. 𝐋𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐧𝐚! We thank your invaluable stewardship and guidance towards our pursuit in becoming well-rounded youths in action.

May this new chapter bring forth another year of prosperity, gratitude, and good graces. May your integrity and dedication continue to serve as our beacon towards our goal—𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆.

𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙎𝙞𝙧 𝙇𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙚𝙧 🥳

_____

via THE POLITICANON

𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬

Who does the government truly serve? The Filipino people who placed them in office, or the interests that continue to drown out the people's voices?

Last July 27, 2026, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. delivered his fifth State of the Nation Address. As millions of Filipinos listened with hope, many waited for the nation's most pressing concerns to be address yet, many of the issues affecting the people remained unmentioned. While the SONA carried a different agenda, the voices of ordinary Filipinos continued to echo unanswered. The President spoke of launching rockets, praised Pax Silica as beneficial, and discussed topics that, in the eyes of many, did not address the country's most pressing concerns. The silence surrounding these issues speaks louder than the promises made during elections. After all, a government exists to serve its people— not to distance itself from their realities.

The government is the workforce of the nation. We Filipinos are the ones who fund the government through our taxes, so they must serve us with transparency and accountability. During elections, candidates pledge to the nation and cast their promises.

...𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗼𝘀, 𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗸𝗼 𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗼.

When public officials fail to listen, the distance between the government and the people only grows wider. Filipinos are not merely asking to be heard or recognized; they are demanding concrete action and genuine accountability. Public office is not a privilege to be enjoyed but a responsibility to be fulfilled.

Despite the many promises made by those in power, countless national concerns remain unresolved. Among the most pressing issues that continue to affect the people. Whether it is Pax Silica, SOGIE Equality Rights, environmental deterioration, the West Philippine Sea dispute, or the educational crisis, each issue reflects the same question: Is the government listening to its people?

These are not merely issues listed on paper; they are the daily realities of millions of Filipinos. Yet despite their urgency, the government continues to fall short in providing the action, protection, and accountability that the people deserve.

Kung patuloy na mababalewala ang mga suliraning ito, mawawala ang tunay na diwa ng panunungkulan. Lahat ng mga hinaing at boses ng Pinoy ay dapat isaisip at isapuso ng ating gobyerno. Hindi sila nakaupo para umupo lamang; sila ay mga trabahador ng bayan.

Tayo ay sumigaw, makisawsaw, makisali. Tama na ang bulag‑bulagan. Our voices must grow louder so that those in power will hear the problems Filipinos face daily while they sit comfortably. We have the power to turn the tables in our favor. Even if the SONA failed to ignite hope, we must stand firm and give courage and wisdom to others.

𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗮𝗻, Hindi tayo tuta ng gobyerno sapagkat sila ang tuta ng bayan at mamamayang Pilipino.

________

via Rhian Magsayo
GRAPHIC | Darlene Bolanio

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐍 | 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘁 𝗔 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲

“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔” 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕-𝒐𝒇-𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒔.”

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻?!

They keep saying we lack motivation, like it’s some kind of national flaw, like we all just woke up one day and decided not to try. But I’ve seen the way people run—how they chase jeepneys before sunrise, how they line up with folders pressed to their chests like fragile hope, how they rehearse answers to questions no one will ever ask them because the job was never really theirs to begin with. Don’t tell me we don’t try. Don’t tell me we don’t want it enough.

I remember sitting in a cramped classroom with a broken electric fan that only knew how to turn its head away from us, listening to a teacher say, “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒃𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓.” And I wanted to laugh, not because it was funny, but because it felt like being handed a map with half the roads erased. 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒃𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔?

There is no motivation crisis here. There is a shortage of doors, and the ones that exist are locked from the inside.
And what makes it worse—what makes my hands shake when I think about it—𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒆𝒚𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌. They sit in rooms cooled by silence and privilege, talking about progress like it’s already ours, like we’re ungrateful for not clapping harder.

They build ladders just tall enough for themselves, then act surprised when the rest of us are still on the ground, reaching.
I’ve seen people with talent so sharp it could cut through steel settle for less because less is all that’s offered. I’ve seen brilliance dim into survival. A friend of mine used to write like her pen was on fire—stories that made you feel alive and afraid at the same time. Now she spends her nights answering emails for someone who will never learn her name. Tell me again how this is about motivation.

People say we’re resilient like it’s a compliment, but sometimes it feels like a warning. Like they expect us to endure everything quietly, to bend without breaking, to smile while we’re being handed crumbs and told it’s a feast.

And I’m angry—angry in the quiet way that lingers, like a song stuck in your head that you can’t shake off. Angry at how normalized it all is, how people shrug and say “𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔” like that’s supposed to make it easier to swallow. Angry that caring feels like shouting into a void that’s learned to echo nothing back. Because we are not lacking. Not in talent, not in effort, not in dreams.

𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙.

And maybe the real problem is that some people are so comfortable where they stand, they’ve forgotten what it looks like down here—𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝.

_______

via Sael Lorin
GRAPHIC | Darlene Bolanio

📣 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗨𝗠 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘

Please be informed that 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐦 𝐍𝐨. 01, 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 2026 (𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐦 𝐍𝐨. 02, 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 2026 (𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐋𝐂 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐨𝐬), both signed by Demolitus President Mr. Bryle Lamoste, have now been officially released.

All students covered by these memoranda are required and encouraged to read them carefully and take note of the guidelines, schedules, and other important information contained therein. We kindly ask everyone to comply accordingly.

𝐈𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐝𝐢𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐤𝐚 𝐈𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚, 𝐖𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐠 𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐧. 📜

𝑰𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒅𝒊𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒌𝒂, 𝑰𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑲𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂 — sapagkat ang wikang Filipino ay hindi lamang simbolo ng ating pagkakakilanlan, kundi sandata ng bayan laban sa pang-aapi at pagkakawatak-watak.

Sa bawat salitang ating ginagamit, pinatitibay natin ang kasaysayan, kultura, at paninindigan ng sambayanan. Ang 𝗕𝘂𝘄𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝗸𝗮 ay paalala na ang ating pagkakaisa ay nakaugat sa wikang nagbubuklod sa atin. Ang wika ay boses ng bayan sa laban para sa pagkakapantay-pantay at kalayaan, kasangkapan ng mas mabilis na pagkilos at mas matibay na ugnayan sa lipunan.

Kaya’t ipagdiwang natin ang ating wika, at ipaglaban ang ating kultura bilang pundasyon ng makatarungan, makabayan, at mas demokratikong kinabukasan. 🇵🇭

ᜃᜉᜌᜉᜀᜈ᜔. ᜃᜆᜉᜅᜈ᜔. ᜋᜎᜌ. ✊
𝑲𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒚𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒂𝒏. 𝑲𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒏. 𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒂.

_______

via Rhianne Jhane Atizon
CARTOON | Luke Lahoylahoy