Portrait of Vernon Velasco

Vernon Velasco

Vernon Velasco's humorous, observational style blends wit, irony and dark comedy. Drawing from his own experiences, he offers sharp insights into human nature and the awkwardness of everyday life, often exploring themes of family, culture and personal flaws. His writing is conversational and self-deprecating, balancing uproarious humor with moments of vulnerability and introspection. His distinct voice captures the absurdities of life, making readers laugh while also prompting deeper thought.

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At Kerem Shalom, aid trucks bound for Gaza sat full, yet, abroad, the story told was famine.

The Gaza edit

A single photo of a hollow child outruns hundreds of trucks stacked with flour.

1 MIN READ

Vernon Velasco

Torre: Too big to keep?

Then there’s Duterte. Nobody thought it could be done. They said he was sick, old. Maybe true, maybe not. Torre shrugged.

1 MIN READ

Vernon Velasco

Man who can’t be moved

Witnesses would crumble; not even Sara Duterte could handle that expression.

1 MIN READ

Two years since the 7 October 2023 Hamas massacre in Be’eri, the ruins of Castelvi’s house still reek of lost lives.

'They left us to die'

Be’eri burned, 102 dead: How can the IDF, strongest army in the Middle East, fail in its own backyard?

1 MIN READ

Vernon Velasco

Last seen rising

Israel has a way to shake the ground beneath your certainty. It made doubt feel small, and belief terrifyingly possible.

1 MIN READ

Vernon Velasco

Honeylet vs The Hague

We never really knew Honeylet. And then bam! Out of nowhere: Hammerlet Avanceña. We didn’t know much until that phone made contact.

1 MIN READ

In a rare act of statecraft through sound, Colombia turned to Tribu Baharú (photos to the right) to communicate joy, history, identity during its recent National Day celebration in Manila attended by the diplomatic community, among others (left).

Colombia in 2 acts

The music simply was Colombia: Loud, tender, unafraid to be beautiful and broken at once.

1 MIN READ

Under construction: The North–South Commuter Railway, a major railway corridor connecting Central Luzon to Metro Manila under the Luzon Economic Corridor initiative.

Quiet is a kind of power

You get the sense that Japan would rather you forget it was ever in the war. Instead, it wants to be remembered for that one train that ran on time.

1 MIN READ