When fear of failure ran my life

By Anna Mae Lamentillo

Published Feb 6, 2026 12:05 am

 

NIGHT OWL

Fear of failure didn’t announce itself as fear. It called itself discipline. Ambition. “Wanting it badly enough.” It looked responsible from the outside. I was the person who stayed late, double-checked everything, said yes before I had time to think. What I didn’t understand then was that I wasn’t chasing success—I was running from the humiliation of falling short.

Failure, to me, was never abstract. It had a face. It sounded like people saying, I knew it. It felt like being exposed as someone who had overreached. I didn’t fear mistakes as much as I feared the moment afterward, when the room goes quiet and everyone decides who you really are. Fear taught me that one misstep could cancel out years of effort. That belief changed how I moved through my life.

I started choosing the safer version of myself. The project I knew I could complete instead of the one that excited me. The opinion that wouldn’t rock the table. The goal that looked impressive but didn’t risk public disappointment. Fear made me strategic, but also small. It taught me to measure my worth by outcomes, not effort, and to treat rest like laziness I hadn’t earned yet.

The irony is that I was often successful—and still terrified. Fear of failure doesn’t leave when you succeed; it raises the stakes. Now there’s more to lose. Now people expect something from you. Every win becomes a narrow ledge you’re afraid to fall from. I learned how to smile while thinking, This can all disappear.

But the hardest part wasn’t failing. It was trying to explain how afraid I was—and not being believed.

When I said I was struggling, people pointed to my résumé. When I said I felt stuck, they said I was lucky. When I said I was scared, they told me to be confident, as if confidence were a switch I was refusing to flip. Disbelief followed a pattern: if you look capable, your fear must be imaginary. If you’re functioning, you must be fine.

There is something uniquely destabilizing about being told your fear isn’t real while you are living inside it. You start to wonder if you’re weak for feeling it. You start hiding it better. You stop asking for help and start performing competence. Fear of failure thrives in that silence. It grows when it’s invisible.

Eventually, fear taught me another lesson: I was spending my life trying to be believed by people who only respected outcomes. People who praised me when I succeeded and disappeared when I struggled. People who confused my fear with ingratitude and my honesty with excuse-making. I kept explaining myself, thinking clarity would earn me understanding. It didn’t.

So this column is a line I’m drawing.

I no longer believe in the voices that only trust me when I win. I don’t believe in the advice that tells me fear is a flaw instead of information. I don’t believe in shrinking my goals just to avoid the look on someone’s face when things don’t work out.

Fear of failure has changed my life. It has cost me risks I didn’t take, words I swallowed, versions of myself I postponed. But it has also taught me something essential: belief starts inward. If I outsource my self-trust to people who only believe in success, I will always be at their mercy.

I am learning to fail in smaller, braver ways. To try without rehearsing my apology. To let disappointment be survivable instead of catastrophic. And when someone doesn’t believe me—when they dismiss the fear, minimize the cost—I remind myself: their disbelief is not evidence. It’s just a limit.

I believe myself now. And that, finally, feels like progress.

𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧

𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨–𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐝 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐧 “𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐠”

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has allowed limited sea travel in specific Davao–Samal routes after Public Storm Warning Signal (PSWS) No. 1 was raised due to Typhoon “Basyang.”

Routes Allowed to Operate

Only vessels on the following routes are permitted to sail:

• Km. 11 – Villarica Pier

• Sasa Barge Wharf – Maewess Babak Wharf

• Davsam Ferry Terminal – Port of Babak

All other sea routes remain suspended.

Conditions for Allowed Trips

• Travel is allowed from sunrise to sunset only

• Vessels must arrive 30 minutes before sunset

• Passenger boats: up to 50% capacity only

• Ro-Ro vessels (over 300 GT): up to 75% cargo capacity

Safety Advisory

• Fisherfolks and coastal residents are advised not to go out to sea

• Avoid all sea- and water-related activities while bad weather continues

Resumption of Normal Operations

Regular sea travel will resume only when weather and sea conditions improve, subject to further notice from the Coast Guard.

The PCG urges the public and vessel operators to strictly follow safety rules to protect lives and property during Typhoon “Basyang.”

#DabaweNews

All reactions:

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Rescued PH hawk-eagle released in Agusan Marsh

 

By Philippine News Agency

Published Feb 5, 2026 06:41 pm

BUTUAN CITY – Personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-13 (Caraga) have released a rescued Philippine hawk-eagle (Nisaetus philippensis) at the buffer zone of the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary.

A resident of Barangay Magaud, Loreto, Agusan del Sur, Benjie Geral Dumogoy, rescued the raptor and turned it over to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Loreto on Wednesday.

CENRO personnel assessed the bird, weighing approximately 1.1 kilos, and found it physically fit for immediate release in the designated area. The raptor is classified as vulnerable under DENR Administrative Order 2019-09.

“The release of the Philippine hawk-eagle at the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary reinforced the ongoing efforts to protect the region’s rich wildlife and forest ecosystem,” the DENR-13 said in a statement Thursday.

Agency officials commended Dumogoy for turning over the hawk-eagle and CENRO-Loreto for its immediate action.

“Community participation is crucial to the success of wildlife conservation initiatives, and such cooperation helps ensure the safety of threatened species while upholding national laws that protect wildlife,” the statement added.

Considered an important indicator of healthy forest ecosystems, the Philippine hawk-eagle thrives in the Agusan Marsh, a key wetland and ecological landscape in Mindanao.

The DENR-13 encourages the public to immediately report sightings of injured, distressed, or illegally held wildlife to the nearest DENR office to ensure proper handling, rehabilitation, and lawful release. (PNA)

K-pop girl group Everglow announces cities for 'RE:CODE' world tour

By Jonathan Hicap

Published Feb 5, 2026 10:07 am   

   Overglow (CHXXTA Company)

Korean girl group Everglow announced the lineup of cities for their upcoming world tour “RE:CODE.” 

The “RE:CODE” tour will kick off in Seoul and continue in seven cities across North America from April 17 to May 8. 

After visiting North America, they will also meet fans in Latin America and Europe, including Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Milan, Munich, Budapest, Berlin, Warsaw, Amsterdam, Paris, and London.    

RE:CODE North America Tour Schedule 

April 17: New York

April 19: Dallas

April 23: San Francisco   

April 25: Los Angeles

April 30: Calgary

May 3: Toronto

May 8: Montreal

“I am especially excited as this tour will give us the opportunity to meet fans around the world in person. We are preparing the performances with a new mindset, hoping that our fans are looking forward to the stages that are ready to unveil,” said member Sihyeon.  

Everglow held their Asia fan meeting tour from October to December last year in Seoul, Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei, and Hong Kong, but the “RE:CODE” is their first world tour after rebranding as a quartet under their new management company, and will serve as an important starting point for the group to accelerate their global activities.    

With the world tour, they aim to showcase their powerful performance skills that are well-known to many fans, and to introduce a new theme and message that will represent the group’s next chapter.

“We are truly happy and delighted to be able to meet fans from all over the world through this tour. We are preparing diligently, and plan to showcase a wide range of new sides and fresh energy on stage that is different from what we have shown before,” said member Onda.

The cities for Everglow's world tour (CHXXTA Company)

Everglow (CHXXTA Company)

Rare jade vine discovered in Apayao forest

 

By Philippine News Agency

Published Feb 5, 2026 09:23 pm

TAYABAK

CALANASAN, Apayao – Forest guards in Apayao province, along with personnel of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) in mountainous Calanasan town, discovered clusters of thriving rare wild jade vine, or most commonly known as Tayabak (Strongylodon macrobotrys), in remote Barangays Tanglagan and Langnao.

Municipal environment and natural resources officer Sarah Mae Batil said on Thursday that they were conducting regular biodiversity monitoring a day earlier when they sighted the jade vine's blooming flower.

“We have documented this in past years but it is only now that we found it in perfect bloom,” she said.

According to Batil, the presence of the species in Calanasan is a strong indicator of a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem.

The public was advised to report sightings of the species to the MENRO for monitoring and documentation and is reminded not to gather the plants for cultivation.

Authorities said this is endemic to the tropical rainforests of the Philippines. The climbing plant is known for its spectacular hanging clusters of claw-shaped flowers in a rare turquoise to jade-green color, which can grow up to a meter long.

It is generally regarded as endangered or vulnerable in the wild and is a rare find because it is pollinated by bats.

Considered a national treasure and a symbol of natural beauty, the plant is even featured on the Philippine five peso coin.

“We are strictly implementing the Wildlife Act and the Lapat Ordinance, which prohibits the gathering of wild plants,” she added.

Lapat (meaning prohibited or off-limits) is a customary belief practiced by the Isnag people for generations. In this practice, a specific area is designated by community members as sacred.

This public declaration happens after the death of its owner or occupant, making an area off-limits to the public, including immediate family members. (PNA)

Why are Filipino women so beautiful and desirable?

 

Ronna Lou

 

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Following

Matchmaker, Dating Advisor, and Wannabe Writer

As a Filipina, it’s always nice to read about people from other countries appreciating beautiful Filipino women.

I can’t speak for all the men who find Filipinas attractive, but I’d like to believe that it’s because of how our physical characteristics blend with our personality traits.

Most Filipinas are morena or have a dark brown complexion. For a lot of guys, this is highly appealing. We also tend to keep our hair long and well-maintained, and because we’re used to doing household chores and keeping ourselves busy with taking care of our families, we’re also often in good shape.

As for personality traits, Filipinas are usually modest and dainty. Since traditional gender roles are still common in Filipino culture, the women in the country are also more feminine.

Despite all that, it’s not always obvious to us Filipinas that we are considered beautiful or desirable. This is mostly because conventional beauty standards are based on Western features, like blonde hair, pale skin, and high-bridged nose—features that are distinctly non-Filipino.

So it’s nice to read things like this. You may not be talking about me specifically, but you have my gratitude all the same.

Let me end my answer by sharing photos of more beautiful Filipino women: