.jpg)
| Knee-deep in prayer: Despite floods, churchgoers still attend Mass at Barasoain |
| Ian Laqui |
Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦
𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓| 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦
Not all queens wear crowns in the city. Some bloom quietly in the wild, standing tall among the trees.
Among the thousand orchid species in the Philippines, one reigns supreme—the Waling-waling (Vanda sanderiana). Known as the Queen of Philippine Orchids- one of our country’s most treasured blooms and most-desired by orchid enthusiasts and horticulturists.
In Davao City, it shines as an icon of the Kadayawan Festival, the city’s grandest celebration of culture and harvest.
Found and thrives only in the treetops of Mindanao forests—in Mt. Apo where it was first discovered in 1880, in a few areas of Davao, Zamboanga and Cotabato, among other sites. Its rare beauty makes it more than a flower; it is a living symbol of our rich heritage.
For the Bagobo people, the Waling-waling was once revered as “waring-waring” or diwata—a goddess of the forest—offered in rituals as a sign of gratitude. Like a true queen, it blooms only once a year, from July to October. Yet its rarity also became its curse. Because of overcollection and demand, it was nearly lost in the wild.
This Buwan ng Wika, the Waling-waling reminds us that being Filipino is not only in the words we speak. It is in the names of our native plants, the stories of our Indigenous communities, and the treasures that grow in our forests.
This rare, high-priced orchid faces near-extinction in the wild and is under the protection of RA 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
On June 17 2026, Senate approves on third and final reading Senate Bill. No. 2092 declaring Waling-waling as the National Orchid of the Philippines, which carries a message that every Filipino and every Dabawenyo can embrace: Protect what makes us uniquely ours, before its beauty becomes only a memory.
May be an image of Adenium and text
Safeguarding public money demands more than promises
By Manila Bulletin Newsroom
Published Sep 1, 2026 12:05 am
The start of deliberations on the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget comes at a particularly sensitive moment. There is something profoundly ironic in the spectacle of Cabinet secretaries having to assure Congress that they will conduct lifestyle checks, enforce a one-strike policy and protect public funds from abuse.
Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon has told lawmakers that the agency is continuously conducting lifestyle checks, in coordination with the Office of the Ombudsman, and has adopted a one-strike policy against verified wrongdoing. He has also declared that the proposed 2027 DPWH budget contains no “leadership fund” and no allocations based on the controversial parametric formula.
Should this not be a given? Public officials do not need to be reminded that government money belongs to the people. They do not need extraordinary instructions to exercise integrity. And taxpayers should not have to depend on the personal assurances of Cabinet secretaries that billions in appropriations will not become instruments for corruption, political patronage or private enrichment.
Yet this is where we find ourselves.
Commitments to allocate and disburse public funds judiciously are welcome. But they should be regarded as the minimum, not the achievement. The bigger question is: Why did the system ever permit arrangements that made such assurances necessary?
The answer must involve not only the Executive branch but Congress itself.
The national budget is where government priorities become actual expenditures. It is also where political influence can be converted into projects, allocations and contracts. The revelations and allegations surrounding the previous DPWH budgets have exposed how vulnerable this process can become when institutional safeguards are weakened or circumvented.
Congress therefore cannot simply demand assurances from Cabinet secretaries and then proceed with business as usual. Every proposed project must have a demonstrable public purpose, technical justification, proper costing and transparent implementation.
Most important, Congress must be prepared to subject itself to the same transparency standards it demands from the Executive.
There should be no privileged category of public money. If a government employee must justify an unexplained increase in wealth, why should a politically connected contractor, intermediary or beneficiary be treated differently? If a DPWH official faces dismissal for a verified offense, why should political influence provide a shield to anyone who participates in manipulating public expenditures?
A genuine one-strike policy should apply to corruption wherever it is found; it must be enforced without fear or favor.
They should be supported by systematic examination of Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, procurement records, beneficial ownership, project costs and actual project accomplishments. Technology should make it possible to connect the money trail from appropriation to implementation.
Where wrongdoing is established, accountability must not end with administrative sanctions. Public funds must be recovered. Cases must be prosecuted. Those responsible must face the consequences prescribed by law.
Congress must also be reminded that the people are not merely watching how the Executive and the government bureaucracy spends their money. They are also demanding accountability from their representatives and senators in judiciously allocating public funds.
The 2027 budget must, therefore, become a test of institutional integrity. It is a litmus test on how the citizenry regards their government’s capacity to render genuine public service that addresses basic needs adequately. It demands transparency, accountability and performance.
Muslima Dipatuan Limpao is with DM Maranao Tribe
𝑲𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒐 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒂 𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒘 2026
Of all the events I have had the privilege of hosting, the Bangsa Meranaw community events will always hold a special place in my heart
It is both an honor and a privilege to be entrusted by our Deputy Mayor of Bangsa Meranaw Rahima MUsman to host these meaningful and remarkable programs. Beyond the platform, and the program itself, being part of these occasions allows me to celebrate our rich heritage, strengthen our sense of community, and witness the beauty of our culture being carried forward.
I am sincerely grateful for the trust, confidence, and opportunity to serve our community in my own little way
𝑱𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒌𝒖𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒉𝒖 𝑲𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒂 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒉𝒖 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒖𝒎
HMUA | JM Deguilmo Bongolto
Wardrobe | Aam A Ambrossio
Photo | DM Maranao Tribe
Aesthetics | SQUIN Clinic
May be an image of headscarf and text that says 'Kanla Caplaza la ra Ka'. May be an image of one or more people. May be an image of one or more people and text. May be an image of temple. May be an image of child and text that says 'ዩስርያ UNJN HOMP UN 3N PLIANCI 102 oHAC'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)