Stories

The Snap Revolution: A Post Mortem

The past is always present, but often concealed or costumed. Letizia Roxas Constantino wrote this in March 1986, less than a month after EDSA:

“The portentous events of February followed one another in rapid succession involving many millions of Filipinos in accustomed actions of commitment and courage and evoking in the whole nation a gamut of strong emotions from fear, dejection, and disgust, to pride and euphoria of victory.”

“Given the dismal 20-year record of the Marcos administration, the opposition did not lack issues. However, it concentrated on corruption, hidden wealth and Imelda’s extravagance, Ninoy’s assassination, and repression and terrorism. When they decried growing poverty and mounting foreign debts, the candidates blamed it all on Marcos, exonerating by their silence the US which had consistently and generously supported him all [READ]

RENATO2026-02-18T14:20:31+08:00February 18, 2026|

Revisiting February 4, 1899: The Philippine-American War in Historical Context

More than a date on the calendar, February 4, 1899 marks the beginning of the Philippine-American War. The conflict set in motion a new phase in Philippine history, one that continues to shape how this period is studied and understood.

This year, the Pandesal Forum at Kamuning Bakery Cafe returned to this moment through historical discussion, situating the war within its broader context and revisiting its place in the nation’s past.

Image source: Oskee Recabar’s Facebook Post and Constantino Foundation

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RENATO2026-02-07T17:28:36+08:00February 7, 2026|

A panelist’s reflection on the historical discussions from recent Pandesal Forum sessions

We share here a panelist’s reflection on the historical discussions from recent Pandesal Forum sessions, including those on the Abad Santos family and the Philippine–American Memorial Day, and on the transmission of historical memory across generations.

[READ]

RENATO2026-02-07T16:53:23+08:00February 7, 2026|

Pedro Abad Santos 150th Birth Anniversary Lecture

Dr Ian Christopher Alfonso gave a lecture yesterday worthy of the 150th birth anniversary of the revolutionary Pedro Abad Santos. We thank our co-organizers, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the UP Department of History, and the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Read More About The Lecture Here

RENATO2026-01-28T22:47:19+08:00January 28, 2026|

We are honored to be part of an event honoring one of the country’s finest – and one of Pampanga’s greats – Pedro Abad Santos.

Join if you can, it’s free – but remember, first come, first served basis. Seats are limited! Lezzgo and let’s learn tons of insights together. It’s not everyday one gets to hear the compelling scholar, Dr. Ian Christopher Alfonso, speak. #aPastRevisited #MabuhaySiDonPerico [READ]

RENATO2026-01-28T22:42:25+08:00January 27, 2026|

????✨ A New Year, a New Celebration of Curiosity! ✨????

This January 2026, we highlight “Damayan” by Celine and Dennis Murillo, awarded 2nd Best Film in Indie-Siyensya, the pioneering science filmmaking competition of DOST-SEI. Their work reminds us how a nation is built, one mushroom at a time.

Their film draws attention to the hidden networks beneath our forests –the mycelial threads that connect and protect life. By bringing these unseen systems to light, Damayan shows how science and art together can deepen our understanding of ecology and spark curiosity about the world we often overlook.

For us, Damayan is a reminder that abundance is both fragile and resilient. Seeds, blooms, edible plants, and towering trees are not merely resources but part of a living cosmos that calls for care and respect.

It’s about the science of art, [READ]

RENATO2026-02-03T17:02:33+08:00January 18, 2026|

A LIGHT THAT REFUSES TO BE DARKENED

By Wilson Lee Flores | December 14, 2025

Between the dangerous, dazzling “ningning” (glitter) of false promises & the steady, guiding “liwanag” (light) of truth—which do we choose?

Last December 12, at 87-year-old #KamuningBakery Cafe, the non-partisan #PandesalForum honored the 150th birth anniversary of the fierce, brilliant hero #EmilioJacinto—the “Brains of the #Katipunan.”

There, the powerful words of Jacinto’s timeless essay, “Ang Ningning at Ang Liwanag,” were given voice by LIRA Chairman & @ateneodemanilau Professor @abnerdormiendo. This poignant event, suggested by historian & environmentalist @red.constantino of the @constantinofoundation, was a living testament to ideas that refuse to die.

Jacinto’s warning is urgent: to reject the seductive glitter of #corruption & choose the purifying light of integrity.

Today, as moral ambivalence & systemic #corruption shadow our society in the #Philippines, his call is not history—it is an urgent manifesto. We do not need more cynics. We [READ]

RENATO2025-12-17T14:09:26+08:00December 17, 2025|

Bake history into our lives.

Buhay si Pingkian kung nais natin! A pleasure to break bread with Wilson Flores, NHCP’ Eufemio Agbayani III, Emilio Jacinto’s descendants, LIRA’s Abner Dormiendo, and the indefatigable Vim Nadera.

RENATO2025-12-13T11:39:00+08:00December 12, 2025|

Decade and a half trial, Slain People’s Botanist elusive of Justice

On this 15th of November, we mark the 15th anniversary of the brutal killing of Leonardo L. Co, a respected botanist, plant taxonomist, and dedicated environmental defender. Co and his companions, Sofronio Cortez and Julius Borromeo, were murdered by elements of the 19th Infantry Battalion (19th IB) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines while conducting critical fieldwork in Kananga, Leyte, in 2010. This attack was not an accident; it was a targeted act of violence against those who prioritize nature and people over profit.

The incident occurred during the counter-insurgency operation called ‘Oplan X-mas Gift,’ where soldiers from the 19th IB indiscriminately open-fired on the botanists, mistaking them as members of the revolutionary New People’s Army (NPA). Witnesses report that Co, carrying only his tools, cried out, ‘Tama na, hindi kami armado’ (Stop, we are not [READ]

RENATO2026-01-28T13:01:41+08:00November 20, 2025|

Botanist Leonardo L. Co’s handwriting

Botanist Leonardo L. Co’s handwriting. He is fluent in Hokkien and Mandarin, aside from English & Ilocano, having spent many years in the Ilocos and Cordillera while writing ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????????????????. He writes poems in Filipino. Ang hindi ko makakalimutang bilin niya: “Ang utak, hindi lang ginagamit para mag-imbak ng impormasyon, kundi para pag-isipan ang mga bagay.” Today is his 15th death anniversary. (From Jerry B. Gracio’s Facebook Post)

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RENATO2025-11-18T21:42:38+08:00November 19, 2025|