In a typical Pinoy household, we celebrate the “well-rounded” child. You know the one: the honors student who also plays the keyboard, leads the rosary, and always remembers to mano to every single Tita at the party. But for many Gen Z parents today, the reality looks a bit different. You might have a child who can explain the intricacies of black holes or the lore of a complex video game (High IQ), yet they’ll have a total meltdown because the texture of the ulam is “too slimy” or the classroom is too loud (Sensory/ND). This is the “Spiky Profile,” and in our culture of high-pressure excellence and pakikisama, it’s time we talk about why being “smart” isn’t as simple…

Walk into any karenderya at lunchtime or scroll through your Tita’s Facebook feed, and you’ll realize something quickly: Filipinos love talking about right and wrong. From celebrity scandals to political maneuvers, we are a nation constantly calibrating our moral compass. But when the topic shifts from neighborhood gossip to life-and-death issues like war and armed conflict, that compass starts spinning wildly. We often hear the sentiment, “Peace is always the answer,” or that being against war is inherently the “moral” stance. It feels right in our gut. After all, we are a people who value connection (kapwa) and community (bayanihan). We’ve seen enough suffering. But is the statement “being against war is morally right” always correct? If we look at…

Part 3 of 3 If Parts 1 and 2 were about the laws we pass and the leaders we choose, Part 3 is about the stories we tell ourselves—and how those stories might be keeping us small. We often talk about the Philippines being “on the rise,” but in 2026, many of us feel like we’re hitting a glass ceiling. It’s not made of wood or stone; it’s made of mindsets. It’s the internal weight of a conservatism that tells us to be “content” and “obedient” even when the house is on fire. How many times have we seen news clips of Filipinos smiling in chest-deep floodwaters? We call it “Pinoy Resilience,” and we wear it like a badge of…