Category: Opinion

THE 2025 midterm elections are quickly approaching, and the ongoing buzz of social media, built upon heated debates and popular memes, is becoming harder to ignore. Filipinos, who are among the world’s most active social media users, are deeply invested in this digital environment. While this connectivity brings people together, it exposes us to troubling influences during election time.

IN the highly competitive business world, many companies from various industries try their best to take the lead and maximize their market share. Businesses use a range of marketing strategies to get the public’s attention, and people are prone to easily believe in such claims and “promises.”

“NAKAKA-DEPRESS naman tong subject na ‘to.” “OCD ka naman masyado!” “Bipolar ka ba?”— we’ve all likely heard or even used these expressions before. It’s almost second nature now, slipping into conversations whenever we want to describe frustration, tidiness, or changing moods. I honestly lost count of the times I’ve heard my family, friends, and even my co-majors in the field use terms like this. A habit that even I (with deep regret) face difficulty in mitigating. It’s really easy to let our feelings control what we say. It’s only in the rare moment that we think, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.” But most of the time, do we even make the conscious effort to think about what we’re saying?

TALINO? Pwede ba magpahinga muna? As a student, you can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the immense pressure that seems to be hanging at the back of your head. From the first day of elementary school until college, we students are bombarded with expectations that come from not only our families, education, and ourselves. There is this unspoken competition among us, a race not just to succeed but to outshine everyone else. “Perfect ka nanaman?” “Nag-aral na yan eh.” These compliments feel like a heavy backpack that someone can’t take off.

IN many ways, being raised in a rigid environment shapes you and your viewpoint of the world. The standards have been established, and the rules are firm. Religion, family, and a strong moral compass guide your decisions. Life was structured for you, and that structure was not to be disrupted.

HEY… Yes – YOU. Have you ever looked in the mirror and said to yourself, “Hindi kaya, ako yung mali?” or you never did, and you were always, “Parang ‘yon lang eh!.” Which of the two are you? Honestly, this doesn’t wholly reflect who you are, but it does say something about you.

“The paths you select are the ones you decide on.” Time flies as if every second matters, and we are compelled to make judgments. It seems that we are constantly driven to make big or small choices because every second counts in this ever-changing world.

BEING part of THE BEDAN HERALD, a student publication, requires dedication and commitment. As a creative, my job consists of producing content by taking photos, writing articles, or making graphic art. Creative professionals occasionally experience creative blocks. It is the feeling of running out of creative juices or not being able to access one’s imagination that limits one’s ability to create and come up with ideas.

“WALANG PERA DIYAN” – the dismissive remarks I get as a student taking a degree in arts. The stigma attached to arts degrees has persisted. Such attitudes contribute to a prevailing belief that degrees in media, arts, humanities, and related fields—are “useless” compared to those in business, economics, or science and technology.

Home News Opinion Cartoon Editorial Features Sports Issues About Us Contact Us Opinion Graphic Art by Louise Mansing Lasting dynasty By Juan Miguel Diaz | September 28, 2024 WITH the 2025 senatorial elections on the horizon, Filipinos clamor for new and better leaders who will tend to the needs of Juan and Juana.       Just […]