Failing forward

The 2025 Bar exam results are out. Of 11,425 examinees, 5,594 passed, for a 48.98-percent passing rate. Cheers erupted. Parents cried. The new lawyers raised clenched fists, tears streaming down their faces as the years of sacrifice finally paid off.

But on the other side of that celebration was the larger, quieter group — the ones who didn’t make the cut.

We call it a failure too easily, too quickly. As if one result defines an entire future.

I’ve always believed there is no such thing as failure, only delay. A delay in timing. A delay in reward. A delay in something you are still entitled to if you refuse to walk away.

Every failure is not a verdict — it is feedback. A lesson that hurts, yes, but teaches.

That’s why the term “multiple-taker” exists. Because trying again is not shameful. It is proof of resolve. No one is disqualified from dreaming.

There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes, though, you discover that the light leads to another tunnel and then another climb.

That doesn’t mean you stop. It means you keep moving.

— Carl Magadia

Clean faith

Every 9 January, the Traslacion of the Black Nazarene draws millions of devotees to the streets of Quiapo in an extraordinary display of faith. The barefoot faithful brave the heat, exhaustion and danger, believing that their sacrifice will bring grace. But faith, no matter how deep, should not come at the cost of public health.

Past Traslacions had resulted in a familiar aftermath: mountains of trash, clogged waterways and sanitation workers racing against time to prevent disease outbreaks. Bottled water, food wrapper, and discarded towels left behind are not mere eyesores — they are health risks that threaten both the devotees and residents of Manila.

Observing hygiene during the Traslacion is not a distraction from devotion — it is an extension of it. Carrying personal trash bags, properly disposing of waste, using designated toilets, and following health advisories are simple acts that protect everyone. Cleanliness is discipline and discipline is part of faith.

Government agencies and organizers have repeatedly reminded devotees to keep the streets clean. But reminders alone are not enough. The responsibility ultimately rests with each participant.

The Traslacion is about renewal and hope. Let the streets reflect that spirit. A clean route honors not only the Black Nazarene but also the millions who walk in faith — and the city they will return to again and again.

— Jason Mago

What now?

The US has flexed its superpower muscles once again.

Over the weekend, Donald Trump ordered the seizure of Venezuela’s head of state. It remains unclear whether this was an arrest or what others have called a kidnapping — justified by alleged links to drug cartels or perhaps by Trump’s broader desire to dominate the oil industry.

One thing, however, is clear: the US is once again asserting its hegemonic power over small to medium-sized states like Venezuela.

This brand of aggression is nothing new. During World War II, historians have argued that President Harry Truman’s decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki was meant not only to end the war but also to impress the USSR and showcase America’s unmatched military power.

Today, that dominance is delivered in an unmistakably “in-your-face” manner. Trump has revived the Monroe Doctrine, opposing European involvement in the Western Hemisphere and reinforcing US control over the Americas.

China, meanwhile, is pursuing its own global ambitions, expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific, the Global South and Latin America. The result is a world where great powers openly strut their strength.

Amid this shifting order, where does the Philippines stand? The country consistently professes loyalty to a rules-based international order, yet finds itself bullied by China in the South China Sea.

Complicating matters, the Philippines’ closest ally — the US — is now acting in ways strikingly similar to the power that intimidates it.

Global politics are fickle. Allies today may not be allies tomorrow. National interest always comes first.

The Philippines cannot afford to put all its eggs in one basket. After all, it was Emilio Aguinaldo whom the Americans first abducted.

— Vivienne Angeles