Why another column?
It is a fair question.
I already write a weekly column, Edukasyon, Panid-an Ta, in SuperBalita, where I write about education, teachers, students, schools, and the many challenges confronting Philippine education and other social issues, also.
Now comes another weekly column—this time in English—in SunStar Cebu.
It is called “Civic Lens.”
The answer is simple: there are simply too many issues that need to be examined, discussed, and understood.
Education alone can fill an entire newspaper. But education does not stand alone. It is deeply connected with politics, governance, public policy, economics, culture, technology, social inequality, and the quality of our communities.
What happens in Congress can eventually reach the classroom. What happens in city halls can affect families. What politicians decide—or fail to decide—can influence the future of students. And what happens in society inevitably finds its way into
our schools.
This is why I believe there is room for another voice.
Civic Lens is not intended to compete with Edukasyon, Panid-an Ta. Rather, the two columns will complement
each other. One speaks more directly to readers in Cebuano; the other reaches a broader English-speaking
readership and opens a wider space for discussing issues beyond education.
The word “civic” is important.
To be civic-minded is to recognize that public affairs are not somebody else’s business. Government belongs to the people. Public institutions exist for the public. Elections are not merely contests between personalities. Policies are not simply documents produced by bureaucrats. They have consequences on real people.
And the word “lens” is equally important.
A lens allows us to look more closely. It can bring something distant into focus. It can reveal details that are easily missed. Most importantly, it reminds us that what we see depends partly on how we look.
In today’s environment of instant opinions, viral posts, political influencers, anonymous accounts, and misinformation, we need more than reactions. We need reflection.
Civic Lens will therefore tackle education, politics, governance, social issues, public accountability, and other matters that affect our daily lives. It will ask uncomfortable questions when necessary, but it will also recognize complexity. It will criticize when criticism is deserved, but it will also acknowledge good governance wherever it is found.
A columnist should not be a cheerleader for any politician, institution, or ideology. Nor should a columnist pretend that every issue has two equally valid sides.
The responsibility is greater: to examine, question, explain, and provoke thoughtful discussion.
I write not because I have all the answers, but because I believe our society benefits when we are willing to ask difficult questions.
There will be issues about education. There will be issues about politics. There will be issues about corruption,
governance, technology, poverty, culture, public service, and the everyday struggles of ordinary Filipinos.
There will be agreements and disagreements.
That is democracy.
So, why another column?
Because one lens is never enough to see the whole picture.
Welcome to Civic Lens—where we look beyond the headlines, beyond personalities, and beyond political noise.
Let us examine the issues. Let us question the powerful. Let us listen to the people. And above all, let us keep our civic eyes open.