Being able to laugh, cry, love, and express frustration openly is deeply human

 Being able to laugh, cry, love, and express frustration openly is deeply human. But do you see that emotional openness as a strength or a weakness?

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NEGATIVITY KILLS

 Chronic negativity harms physical and mental well-being by increasing stress hormones like cortisol, weakening immune function, and raising the risk of cardiovascular disease. Constantly focusing on the bad drains your energy, damages relationships, and stops personal growth.

Sometimes, we feel our life is turning miserably. Our negativity doesn't allow us to keep our eyes, ears - and, most important! -  our minds, hearts and souls opened. We're reaching our breaking point.

As I said several months ago here: this breaking point can be the prelude to our strongest moment. It is when we reach our breaking point, that we discover our real strength. Allow me to ask you, my dear readers, "What happens to you or with you when you reach your breaking point?" Do you face it or do you run away?

I'll be giving you a very simple answer: If you face it - you break it. If you run away (and/or close your ears, eyes and mouth) - it surely breaks you!

Everyday - a dull reality! Many of us will answer this question with a big YES! Actually we do like to cover a newborn's day already with a grey veil? Each day has a new face, but sometimes we don't have the strength to watch its countenance. Of course, not every day has adventures and highlights.

But we enjoy quarreling and arguing. With other people and even with ourselves.

Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that, at the same time, seemed especially desolating and painful with a particular satisfaction. Indeed, everything I have learned, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness. 

If it ever were to be possible to eliminate affliction from your earthly existence, the result would not be to make life delectable, but to make it too banal and trivial to be endurable. 

By observation, we can feel that many of us need help to manage our everyday life. We need something that would keep us going as we journey through life. Many times we can also learn from other people and their experiences.

Blue eyed or very philosophical but so very true: If the world is to be brought to order, a nation must be first changed.  If the nation isn't changed, my home town is to be reordered and must first be set right, my dear brothers and sisters. And, one step further: If my family is to be regenerated, I MYSELF MUST FIRST BE!

And here is one more thing: Affection is the humblest love - it gives itself no airs. It lives with humble and private things: soft slippers, old clothes, old jokes, and the thump of a sleepy dog's tail on the kitchen floor. The glory of affection, the disposition of mind, the good will and tender attachment, is that it can unite those who are not "made for one and another", people. Who, if not out down by fate in the same household or community, would have nothing to do with one and another.

For me life has been a thing of ups and downs in approximately equal measure. I don't have something sensational to report every day about my progress. Often, I wonder if fulfillment in life is necessarily tied to change for the better.

Alas Pilipinas closes breakthrough worlds campaign in style

 Physiotherapist Hannah de Luna, Resty Olaguir, Jhenica Sadia, Nadeth Herbon, Xyz Rayco, Madele Gale, Jhaynna Bulandres, Sharina Lleses, Caera Celis, Jello Mauricio, (front) Taj Teves, Khaira Manzano. (Volleyball World)

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Aug 20, 2026 01:36 pm

SANTIAGO, Chile — Built on just days of preparation and modest financial support, Caera Celis, Xyz Rayco, Jhaynna Bulandres, Irish Mahinay, Khaira Manzano and the rest of Alas Pilipinas Girls reached uncharted territory.

At the FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship, Alas Pilipinas—supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and Asics—showed the talent and resolve to compete among the best, entering the tournament ranked No. 25 and finishing in 15th spot.

The Alas Pilipinas Girls closed the tournament on a high, shaking off early troubles to defeat Czechia, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-22, on Sunday, Aug. 16, at Parque Estadio Nacional.

The victory capped a campaign that included a historic berth in the Round of 16 and gave the Philippines its best finish in any volleyball world championship.

Celis noted that while every moment of the tournament was special, nothing beats the feeling of winning.

“We learned a lot from every game, even when we made mistakes,” Celis said. “But the victories were for sure the most fun we had here.”

Celis, who scored 25 against Czechia, had a tournament average of 18 points per match. She matched the tournament’s third-highest total score of 162 and was fourth in total attack points at 141.

Rayni Merab Mondesi Arias of the Dominican Republic topped both departments with 217 attack points and 235 total.

Rayco, meanwhile, matched the ninth-best total in the tournament for successful receives at 38, while averaging 9.33 points. Nadeth Herbon matched the 14th-best total at 33. Chinese Taipei’s Ting-yi Chen had the highest total of 88.

Herbon, who played outside hitter twice while taking the role of libero in the other matches, was 11th in the digs department with 95. Peru’s libero Vannia Giordana Adrianzen Ocrospoma led the field with 166.

Mahinay had 15 aces to match the sixth-highest total. Italy’s Beatrice Scalzotto topped the list with 23.

While they are being celebrated back home for breaking new ground, the team that also features Madele Gale, Megan Hernandez, Sharina Rhyza Lleses, Nadeth Herbon and Resty Olaguir were quick to keep the focus on the experience they shared rather than comparisons with previous national teams.

The Alas Pilipinas team featuring Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas came within a couple of points of reaching the Round of 16 before finishing 19th at last year’s FIVB Men’s World Championship. The 1974 Philippine women’s team placed 18th in the 1974 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship in Mexico.

Frances Ramos, Jello Mauricio, Jhenica Sadia and Taj Arkhea Teves also played key roles as Alas Pilipinasmade it to the Round of 16 with a 2-3 record, beating world No. 8 Mexico in four sets and sweeping past No. 20 Tunisia.

The USA won the gold medal match against Turkiye, 25-23, 25-11, 25-23.

Jennylyn Mercado on returning to music: 'It's in my DNA'

By Neil Ramos

Published Aug 20, 2026 06:53 pm

At A Glance

• Jennylyn Mercado returns to music with "Jen Deluxe," opening up about her first love, her family, and why she chose to put her singing career on hold.

Jennylyn Mercado may have built a successful career as an actress, but she still wants to be known as a singer.

“Kasi nasa DNA ko na siya,” she told us. “Music is my first love and siguro, kahit saan ako dalhin ng kapalaran, I will always return to music. Ito ako e, ito ang passion ko.”

Long before she became an actress, Jennylyn was already singing in lounges and bars.  

“Parang sa pamilya kasi namin hindi puwede na hindi ka marunong kumanta,” she said.

She rose to fame after winning “StarStruck” in 2003. From there, she went on to become one of the country’s most successful actresses, starring in several hit films and series.

But she never really left music behind.

Jennylyn released several albums and scored hits including “Sa Aking Panaginip,” “Basta't Nandito Ka,” and “Kahit Sandali,” among many others.  

Then came a long lull.

It may have seemed like she was done with singing, until she announced “Jen Deluxe,” a new compilation under Star Music that will be released on streaming platforms on Aug. 21.

“Na-excite talaga ako dito kasi for the first time, hands-on talaga ako sa music ko,” she said. “Dati kasi yung process, pinapapili ka lang ng kanta then yung gusto mo, yun yung gagawin mo. With ‘Jen Deluxe,’ I was able to participate dun sa process, nakakatuwa.”

But why the long break?

“Naging busy rin talaga ako with so many things. Sunod-sunod ang naging trabaho and, of course, we got a new member of our family, Dylan. So, nag-focus ako sa family.”

“Para sa akin kasi ang music, gaya ng acting, andiyan yan e, puwede mong balikan. Pero yung panahon mo sa pamilya, lalo na sa mga bata, hindi mo na maibabalik yan e.”

Her family also became part of the inspiration for the new album.

“Because my new album is all about love, love for family, self-love, sa partner mo,” she said.

“Tsaka parang ano rin ito, reintroduction ko as a singer and performer na tipong ito na ako ngayon.”

For Jennylyn, music was never really something she left behind. It was simply something she knew she could return to when the time was right.

That time, it seems, is now.

The Philippine Peso closed at P61.67

 The Philippine Peso closed at P61.67 against the US dollar on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

Visit www.bworldonline.com for the latest news and updates.

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Pia Wurtzbach draws flak for vacation photos amid Manila storms, floods

By Ian Ureta

Published Aug 20, 2026 01:53 pm

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach drew criticism from a netizen after vacation photos of her and husband Jeremy Jauncey surfaced online while parts of Metro Manila were dealing with severe flooding.

The photos, shared by Jauncey, showed the couple enjoying a tropical getaway in Madagascar.

One netizen questioned the timing of the posts, saying Pia should have been more sensitive to Filipinos dealing with the effects of the storms and flooding.   

“Manila is literally flooding right now. Konting pakiramdam naman. Your vacation dump can wait a day,” the netizen wrote, while also questioning whether Pia’s advocacy work was merely “a performance.”

The criticism caught the attention of popular online personality Miss Everything, who came to Pia’s defense while arguing that public attention should instead focus on government officials and the country’s long-standing flood-control issues.

“I understand that my twin Pia should be understandability of the super flood 3rd week anniversary, but it is the CONGRESSMEN FLOOD CONTROL FESTIVAL we MUST CALL OUT more!!!” Miss Everything wrote in her trademark humorous style.

She followed it with another pointed remark: “Hello, congressmen? Can you suitcase the flood?” 

PhilHealth, DOH to pursue first shared agenda aligning benefits, health programs

 

By Jel Santos

Published Aug 20, 2026 06:57 pm

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Department of Health (DOH) will pursue their first shared health agenda to align PhilHealth benefits with existing government health programs, PhilHealth President and CEO Beverly Lorraine Ho said.

She said the Unified National Agenda for Health (UNA) will focus on cooperation, progress, and recognition of the contributions of local government units (LGUs), partner institutions, and healthcare workers.

“And we know at this point in time, PhilHealth can do so much more. So ang aming shared agenda po ay tinatawag na Unified National Agenda for Health or UNA. Una sa pagtutulungan, una sa pag-usad, at una sa pagkilala. (So our shared agenda is called the Unified National Agenda for Health or UNA. First in cooperation, first in progress, and first in recognition),” Ho said during a media briefing on Thursday, Aug. 20.

Ho said this marks the first time PhilHealth and the DOH will pursue a common agenda for the country’s health sector.

“For many of you who’ve been covering the health sector, this is the first time that we will actually be having a shared agenda with the DOH,” she said.

Under the agenda, she explained that every PhilHealth benefit will be aligned with existing DOH programs to ensure continuity in the healthcare services received by Filipinos.

“Una sa pagtutulungan, para tuloy-tuloy ang alagang dama ng bawat Pilipino, every PhilHealth benefit will be aligned to existing DOH programs. (First in cooperation. To ensure that every Filipino continuously feels cared for, every PhilHealth benefit will be aligned with existing DOH programs),” she said.

Ho cited the expansion of PhilHealth’s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), which provides primary-care services such as consultations, laboratory tests, preventive screening, and prescribed outpatient medicines, in schools and workplaces.

“For example, we’re currently scaling up YAKAP in schools and workplaces to widen primary care access, while DOH strengthens interagency coordination and health promotion in those same settings,” she said.

She added that the DOH will promote healthy habits and health literacy, while PhilHealth will help ensure that Filipinos have access to consultations and medicines when needed.

“Para mapanatiling malusog ang bawat Pilipino, DOH will enable the healthy habits, health literacy, but PhilHealth ang magsisiguro na may access sa konsultasyon at gamot kapag kailangan. (To keep every Filipino healthy, the DOH will promote healthy habits and health literacy, while PhilHealth will ensure access to consultations and medicines when needed),” Ho said.

The new PhilHealth chief said the state health insurer will continue to expand access points, improve its benefit packages, and ensure the quality of care received by its members.

“Ang trabaho namin ngayon ay ituloy ang pagsulong ng mga programang ito by increasing access points, improving benefit packages, and ensuring that every member receives not just any care, but quality care. (Our task now is to sustain the progress of these programs by increasing access points, improving benefit packages, and ensuring that every member receives not just any care, but quality care),” she said.

“We want our progress to reach the people who need it most,” she added.

As such, Ho acknowledged the role of LGUs, partner institutions, frontliners, and other stakeholders in advancing the government’s health programs.

“Una sa pagkilala, every win is shared with our LGUs, partners, and frontliners, and that includes all of you. (First in recognition. Every achievement is shared with our LGUs, partners, and frontliners, and that includes all of you),” she said.

She said PhilHealth will remain open to feedback and questions as it fulfills its mandate under the Universal Health Care Act.

No limit but the sky

 

August 21, 2026

Updated August 20, 2026

By Klaus Döring

“No limit but the sky” is a famous inspirational phrase often attributed to the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote. It means that your goals and potential have no real boundaries.

Yes, but the “sky” is more poetic. You could argue that the “sky” is the atmosphere, and above the atmosphere, the sky is over. But if you look up from the ISS, what are you looking at? Isn’t there a sky on the Moon? What are you looking at when you look up from there? We say “the Sun in the sky,” “the Moon in the sky,” and “the STARS in the sky.”

I say the sky goes on forever. If you stood upon the edge of the universe and looked up, the multiverse would be the sky. Space has no up or down, but wherever you’re standing, the thing you’re standing on is the ground, down, and wherever you look that is AWAY from the ground is up, the sky. It’s the place over your head that can’t be reached from where you are standing.

Wherever you go, the intangible, mysterious area above you is the sky. The phrase “the sky’s the limit” is often used to convey the idea that there are no limits to what one can achieve or aspire to. It suggests that one should aim high and not be constrained by conventional thinking or perceived limitations. The phrase “the sky is limitless” emphasizes the idea that possibilities and potential are boundless, encouraging a mindset of endless opportunities and potential for growth. Both expressions encourage individuals to dream big and reach their full potential.

This anthology collects the most riveting, real-life adventure stories from America’s oldest mountaineering and conservation journal, Appalachia. Each of these essays, published from 1877 to the present, chronicles a tale of explorers who push the limits — of endurance, weather, altitude, or personal achievement. Some of these explorers make history, such as the first American climber to ascend Kilimanjaro in 1932; others, such as the leader of an 1895 team attempting the first ascent of Canada’s Mount Lefroy, never return.

Some people have money to burn! Every time I observe them, I feel that their money is going down the drain. Yes, “money talks.” The more money you have, the more avaricious you might become. Every time we have to dig deeper into our pockets, we might long to be like those people who don’t see the difference between a 500 or 1,000 bill.

I am really not rich! I also wouldn’t hesitate to say that I would like to be so! Being rich means having wealth! Wealth is abundance, opulence, and affluence. Affluent people can quickly become influenced. Dyed-in-the-wool millionaires or even multimillionaires lose sight of reality many times. They can’t even see the horizon, which could be the demarcation of their real estate. They don’t even recognize the wonderful flowers growing and blooming in their gardens.

Money calms you down! Sure. No doubt at all! We all need an income to survive and meet our daily needs — and, maybe, a little bit more. Many of us struggle through life and work like slaves for a pitiful daily minimum wage. If you’re rich, you might be on top. But believe me, once you are on top, you will have some unwelcome, mostly unavoidable companions, such as loneliness, so-called friends (!), parasites, and freeloaders.

These companions will let you scream in pain because you will start missing things you expected from them: real friendship, love, care, comprehension, understanding, sympathy, appreciation… Remember such things? Miss such things?

Yes, money can give you a wonderful sleep, and you might stay in one of the most luxurious beds — but be awake while your poorest neighbor sleeps better and more peacefully on the floor. There are many sayings about money. I like this one: Money can buy books but not brains. You might study a lot and gain a lot of experience; it’s just a pity if you don’t use it at the right time for the right people in your surroundings.

Money can buy food but no appetite. Who reaps the benefits of it? A full-to-overflowing storeroom will never be satisfying if sour freeloaders join your table and push away your real friends.

Our last earthly dress has no more pockets. The remembrance of how we acted and lived together with our fellow creatures will remain forever. With money, we might be able to let the devil dance. But money alone doesn’t make us happy. Money kills more people and friendships than a cudgel.

The more money, the more problems.

The more money, the more we have to pay, and the higher our bills become.

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Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook or LinkedIn or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com.

The Daily Guardian is a renascent Iloilo-based publishing firm and media outfit with bureaus across Western Visayas and beyond. Led by Iloilo's most respected journalists, we pledge to tell the Ilonggo story as seen through the various lenses of society so that every side may be told.

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