The unseen child

 

Norrainne Orlin

“Healing my inner child” is a phrase that floats casually on the internet, wrapped in aesthetics and soft music. But for some of us, it is not an aesthetic. It is survival.

I learned to be strong before I even understood what strength meant. My father died of cancer when I was still young enough to believe that parents were permanent. My mother worked far away in Manila to provide for us. My grandmother cared for another family’s child in Saudi Arabia. My grandfather stayed behind, driving for a living while raising my older sister and me. I was known as “Lolo’s girl,” his favorite “apo” (grandchild). Yet even as the favorite, I often felt invisible.

My mornings were simple—fried egg, hotdog, garlic rice. I watched my sister prepare for school, her uniform crisp, her bag full of books. I envied her. She had somewhere to belong. When she and my grandfather left—one for school, one for work—the house would fall into a silence so loud it pressed against my chest. I filled it with dancing to music from an old phone, with Barbie dolls arranged in imaginary conversations, with television voices pretending to keep me company. It was a small world, but it was the only one I had.

At six years old, I carried questions too heavy for a child. Was I left behind because earning money mattered more than staying? Why did my grandmother raise another child while I longed for her touch? Where was my mother when I was burning with fever at night? I began shrinking my needs, convincing myself that my loneliness was less urgent than the adults’ responsibilities. I learned to be quiet. I learned not to complain. I learned to survive on my own.

When I entered Grade 1, something shifted. The first time I read the vowels aloud—A, E, I, O, U—my teacher praised me. The room felt brighter. For the first time, I felt seen. I discovered that excellence brought attention. At home, when they said, “Ang galing naman! Nakakapagbasa na pala si Chin” (Isn’t it great! Chin can already read), it felt like sunlight breaking through clouds. So I chased that feeling. I joined competitions. I collected medals. I memorized lines for recitations as if they were spells that could summon love. Each ribbon around my neck felt like proof that I mattered.

But even medals could not protect me from loss. In March 2013, my father passed away. I had so few memories of him that I feared forgetting his voice entirely. My grandmother finally came home, and for a while, her presence softened the emptiness. I felt like a child again—cared for, held, important. But life shifted once more. Supertyphoon “Yolanda” displaced relatives and our home grew crowded. Later, when my grandmother fell ill and had to leave to recover, my sister went with her. I stayed behind.

At 12, I carried responsibilities heavier than my body. I scrubbed floors, washed clothes larger than my arms, cooked meals, and stayed up late finishing schoolwork. I tried to remain the achiever everyone praised, even as exhaustion blurred my vision. When I finally gathered the courage to say I was tired, I was told, “You’re a girl. You should be the one doing those things.” My feelings dissolved in that sentence. Once again, I became invisible.

For years, I believed love had conditions. That I had to excel to earn it. That I had to endure quietly to deserve it. That being a girl meant carrying more than I could hold.

Looking back, I see the ethical questions hidden inside my childhood: Should financial survival silence a child’s emotional needs? Should gender dictate sacrifice? Is a child only worthy when she performs well?

Healing my inner child has meant confronting those questions with compassion. It has meant telling that six-year-old girl that she was never too needy, never too dramatic, never too much. It has meant unlearning the belief that medals measure worth.

I am 18 now. I still carry the echoes of that unseen child. But I no longer chase validation the way I used to. I am learning to sit with my younger self, to honor her loneliness, to give her the love she waited for.

And slowly, gently, the void she once carried is no longer empty. It is being filled—not by applause, not by ribbons, but by the quiet, radical act of loving herself.

Global airspace shutdown hits Philippines' mail to 35 countries

Ian Laqui - Philstar.com

March 3, 2026 | 7:12pm

Undated file photo shows artist's perspective of the Manila Post Office building.  

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Postal Corp. has temporarily suspended all international outbound mail services to 35 countries due to escalating military conflict in the Middle East.

In an advisory on Tuesday, March 3, PHLPost said the suspension takes effect immediately and covers all classes of mail, including standard letters, parcels and Express Mail Service shipments.

The disruption affects destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America.

PHLPost said the suspension is due to airspace closures in key transit hubs, particularly Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Doha in Qatar.

"These closures have disrupted primary air transport routes used by PHLPost, its international and airline partners," the agency said.

PHLPost assured the public it is prioritizing the security of mail items while taking steps to prevent major service backlogs.

"The Philippine Postal Corporation assures the public that it continues to prioritize the security of customers’ mail while implementing necessary measures to prevent significant service delays at this point in time," it said.

Affected destinations

The suspension covers the following countries:

• Middle East and Africa: Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh), South Africa and the UAE (Dubai).
• Europe: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.
• Asia: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• South America: Brazil and Colombia.

PHLPost said it will issue further updates once international transit routes stabilize.

Late-night scrolling might feel harmless

 Late-night scrolling might feel harmless, but research suggests it can quietly interfere with your body’s natural sleep cycle. The blue light emitted from phones and other screens suppresses melatonin — the hormone responsible for signaling that it’s time to sleep. When melatonin production is delayed, falling asleep becomes harder and overall sleep quality declines. Poor sleep doesn’t just mean feeling tired the next day; it can affect concentration, mood stability, memory performance, and even long-term metabolic health. Over time, chronic sleep disruption has been associated with increased stress levels and reduced cognitive efficiency. Creating a simple nighttime routine — such as limiting screen exposure 60 minutes before bed — may help restore your natural rhythm. Small behavioral shifts often produce meaningful results when practiced consistently.

Disclaimer: Individual responses to screen exposure vary.

Key Fact: Melatonin production naturally rises in darkness, not under bright screens.

All reactions:

2626

PEF appeals for donations to build cages for breeding eagles

By Keith Bacongco

Published Mar 3, 2026 10:20 pm

A Philippine Eagle at the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City. (Keith Bacongco)

DAVAO CITY – The Philippine Eagle Foundation is appealing for donations to build 10 cages for breeding Philippine Eagle pairs at the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary in Toril District here.

PEF Director of Operations Dr. Jayson Ibañez issued the appeal on Tuesday, March 3, World Wildlife Day, as some of these cages will be occupied by rescued Philippine Eagles from the wild.

Ibañez said that most of the rescued eagles still have the potential for conservation breeding programs using cooperative artificial insemination techniques.

He added that the cages are needed for imprint eagles.

Each cage costs at least P200,000 to build. It includes CCTV cameras with 4K high definition for 24-hour monitoring.

Currently, there are two breeding chambers, three imprint cages, and holding cages for 12 eagles at the NBBS, said Ibañez.

Seven of these breeding birds at the NBBS were rescued from the wild due to human-inflicted injuries.

“Our goal is to transfer all breeding birds before the breeding season starts this September, but we need funds for additional imprint cages for a full transfer of breeding birds to NBBS," Ibañez said.

Among the Philippine Eagles that suffered severe injury was Kalatungan 2, whose left wing was amputated in 2024 after the bones on its wings were shattered by bullets.

Due to this disability, Kalatungan 2 was never released to the wild and now part of the breeding stock of the PEF.

Kalatungan 2, a male eagle about two-years-old, is one of the three rescued and imprinted eagles set to be transferred to NBBS once the cages are completed, said Ibañez.

Aside from 12 eagles at the NBBS, the PEF houses 18 eagles at the Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos here.

The PEF said about 400 eagles are still left in the wild.

They underscored the importance of boosting their conservation program to help in saving critically-endangered Philippine Eagles.

Step back, sit down, and talk to avert war from escalating

 

By Manila Bulletin

Published Mar 4, 2026 12:05 am

The widening conflict in the Middle East has already demonstrated how swiftly a regional confrontation can assume global dimensions. Missiles have pierced skies once thought secure. Commercial aviation has been disrupted on an extraordinary scale, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers across continents. Oil prices have surged, unsettling fragile markets. Civilian casualties continue to mount on all sides. What is unfolding is not merely a clash of states. A shock wave is now reverberating through an already strained international order.

The world cannot afford another protracted war.

Beyond the immediate human tragedy lies a deeper danger—escalation driven by pride, retaliation, and the pursuit of strategic advantage without regard to long-term consequences. History offers lessons about conflicts that begin with promises of swift resolution yet evolve into enduring cycles of violence. Military action may yield temporary tactical gains, but it rarely secures lasting peace. Instead, it entrenches hostility, multiplies grievances, and destabilizes entire regions.

The responsibility to halt this descent rests not solely with the principal combatants, but with the international community at large. Foremost among its institutions is the United Nations. At this critical juncture, the UN must move beyond expressions of concern and act with urgency and resolve. An immediate ceasefire resolution should be pursued without delay. Even if political divisions complicate enforcement, a formal and unified call for cessation of hostilities establishes a moral and diplomatic baseline from which further negotiations can proceed.

The Secretary-General should appoint a high-level envoy with a clear mandate to engage directly and persistently with the leadership of the United States, Israel, and Iran. Discreet diplomacy—often conducted away from public scrutiny—has historically prevented miscalculations from spiraling into catastrophe. Channels of communication must remain open, particularly in moments of heightened tension when misinterpretation can prove disastrous.

Simultaneously, the UN must prioritize humanitarian access. Civilian populations must not bear the brunt of geopolitical rivalry. Safe corridors for medical aid, food, and essential supplies are not concessions; they are obligations under international law. Preserving human life must supersede all strategic considerations.

Yet the United Nations cannot succeed alone. Peace-loving nations with diplomatic credibility and established relationships across the divide must assume an active mediating role. A contact group composed of such states could provide a platform for structured dialogue, reduce mutual suspicion, and create conditions conducive to negotiation. Their efforts should be guided by a singular objective: to bring all parties to the negotiating table without humiliation or precondition.

Diplomacy requires space for dignity. Leaders are more likely to compromise when doing so does not appear as capitulation. Each of the principal actors must be afforded a pathway to de-escalation that preserves domestic legitimacy while advancing collective security. The language of vengeance must give way to the language of responsibility.

Economic considerations further underscore the urgency of peace. The global economy is already contending with inflationary pressures, debt vulnerabilities, and uneven recovery. Disruptions to energy supplies threaten to exacerbate hardship, particularly in developing nations least equipped to absorb such shocks. A prolonged conflict would deepen inequality and divert resources from pressing global priorities, including development and climate resilience.

Ultimately, the choice confronting the parties is stark. Continued escalation risks a wider regional conflagration with unpredictable consequences. Negotiation, though arduous and imperfect, offers the only sustainable path forward. The courage required today is not the courage to strike, but the courage to restrain; not the resolve to retaliate, but the resolve to reconcile.

In moments such as this, the measure of leadership is not gauged in displays of brute force, but in the wisdom to prevent further loss. The world stands at a precarious threshold. It must choose dialogue over destruction, and peace over pride.

 

BSP eases rules on large cash withdrawals

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has doubled the threshold for cash withdrawals, from ₱500,000 to ₱1 million, to ease the regulatory burden on legitimate business operations while maintaining the focus on high-risk financial activity. Read more

Economic team seeks emergency power for PBBM to cut oil taxes

 

A gas station attendant fills up a motorcycle in Quezon City on Tuesday, March 3.

Economic managers are seeking authority to allow President Marcos Jr. to lower excise taxes on petroleum products if oil prices surge to around $80 per barrel or beyond. Read more

Meanwhile, senators on Tuesday, March 3 supported the proposal to give the President the authority to reduce or suspend fuel excise taxes as global oil markets react to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Read more

Oil price rise might push peso back to 59:$1

 

BY IAN NICOLAS P. CIGARAL

MARCH 4, 2026

EDITED BY FAITH HINOJOSA/INQUIRER PLUS GRAPHICS

Read Next

PH chip sector risks stagnation

The Philippine peso could slide back past the 59-per-dollar mark if oil prices climb and stay elevated amid the war in the Middle East, a development that would strain energy-importing economies such as the Philippines.

In a note to clients, MUFG Global Markets Research said the local currency might trade between 58.50 and 59.50 against the US dollar should crude prices hold at around $90 a barrel.

Sustained gains in global energy costs, it said, would swell the country’s already heavy import bill, adding pressure on the peso.