A building or structure collapses when its pillars and trusses fold into one another, making them unable to perform their support function. Strong societies, like strong buildings, distribute their weight efficiently among a number of differentiated support systems.  When one of these systems fails, the framework may be compromised, but chances are it will remain … Read more

(The following is an abridged version of what I read at a recent forum on volunteerism organized by the UP Kalipunan ng mga Mag-aaral sa Sosyolohiya) The early history of volunteerism bears the mark of institutional interests operating behind the selflessness of the individual volunteer. As long as this was the case, volunteers were viewed … Read more

The theory is that if a society has to deal effectively with the challenges of an increasingly complex world, it must itself grow in complexity.  This means it must evolve differentiated and autonomous institutions.  This is what modernity is about. Traditional societies assign multiple functions to dominant institutions like the family, the church, and the … Read more

Maybe because I am the brother of a priest, I am often invited to speak at seminaries and Catholic schools, as well as before religious congregations.  This is quite ironic because in our family I count myself as the least religious, if church attendance is the measure. My education has been entirely secular, my philosophical … Read more

Rev. Fr. Eddie T. Panlilio is the parish priest of Betis, the small devoutly Catholic town in Pampanga made famous by its carpenters and wood artisans. At his regular Mass last Wednesday, he told his parishioners of his decision, reached after long reflection, to take a leave from his priestly duties in order to run … Read more

The senatorial race, with its shining stars and famous faces, may seem like the defining contest of the May 2007 election, the one on which the administration and opposition are expected to focus their greatest energies.  But a hard look at what the government is doing on the ground suggests a different picture.  My view … Read more

The attacks on the nation’s image have come one after the other. The first came from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) which certifies the eligibility of graduates of foreign nursing schools for work in the United States.  The commission had made it known they would deny Visa Screen Certification to passers … Read more

Running for public office in our society has become so costly that elections are losing their relevance.  Instead of serving as the means for tracking changes in the public pulse, injecting new blood, and strengthening the legitimacy of government, our elections only perpetuate feudal hierarchies and promote political instability.  The new forces of modernity are … Read more

Soldiers erecting checkpoints, entering communities, and rounding up and interrogating residents in various parts of the country have become so commonplace in Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s regime that we take for granted their lawfulness.  Do soldiers have a right to do these things? Not being a lawyer, I can only ask questions.  The construction of the 1987 … Read more

One of the most compelling public affairs programs on Philippine television today is GMA-7’s “I-Witness,” a show featuring documentaries made by the station’s young reporters.  Every week, a different host gets to write the script, go on location shoots, and present the show.  My daughter, Kara, is fortunate to be one of the regular hosts. … Read more