A long time ago, the Jesuit psychologist Fr. Jaime Bulatao invented the curious term “split-level Christianity”. Very simply, it meant the superimposition of imported Christian meanings upon native religious beliefs and practices. For example, scapulars replaced amulets. Images of saints displaced the wooden gods in our ancestors’ homes. Priests took the place of our local … Read more
At around this time last year, private contractors hired by the government were rushing the construction of the 2 billion-peso FVR megadike in Pampanga. There was a passionate debate between scientists and government engineers on whether this was the best way of dealing with the persistent threat of lahar to people’s lives and property. The … Read more
Our problem with the corpse of Marcos has less to do with the question of where to bury it, but with whether we can sustain the demonization of his legacy with the passage of time. It is a problem because, 11 years after its overthrow, we have not validated the dark narratives of his dictatorship … Read more
At the end of the premiere screening of Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s latest film at the UP Film Center recently, some viewers were ecstatic while others were quiet and respectful. Those who liked it confessed that they could not immediately explain why they liked it. Those who didn’t were disappointed over the film’s unclear point of view. … Read more
My father died shortly before he was to turn 60. Had he lived longer, he would be exactly 77 today. I have often wondered how he would have lived in retirement. He was a lawyer, and a very good one. He went back to law school as soon as the war ended. Because the Ateneo … Read more