In the heart of downtown Tacloban, amidst the bustling streets and the sound of footsteps rushing to work, Tatay Norbing, 60, carefully sets up his small workstation on the sidewalk. With a wooden toolbox in one hand and a stool in the other, he prepares for another day of repairing shoes—a trade he has mastered for over 30 years.

Tatay Norbing: A Sole of Hardwork

The arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 11, 2025, has sparked mixed reactions across the country. While some see it as a step toward accountability, others believe it is an unjust move against a leader they continue to support. In Eastern Visayas, the influence of Duterte is still evident, as indicated by the recent rallies and prayer meetings that took place throughout the region. However, not everyone shares the same sentiment. While his supporters are vocal in their defense, others remain critical, pointing to the still unresolved issues regarding his administration's war on drugs.


Solidarity Rallies Ignite Region 8

Friday, March 28, marked the first day of the official campaigning season for the 2025 midterm elections for candidates running for local positions.

TALE OF THE TAPE

The local culture in Leyte should be preserved, not forgotten. It is everywhere, often unnoticed. The Waray culture includes more than dancing the kuratsa or wearing clothes like barong and kimona; it also involves communication styles and body language.

Preservation of Waray culture pushed 

Close friends and political allies during the elections of 2022, running even under the Unity Team, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte are now as distant from each other as can be.


BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH

Music often finds its way into the lives of those who don’t expect it. 

Beyond the mic: The journey of a local artist

In Biñan City, Laguna alone, around 3,000 residents may die should the dreaded "Big One" – an earthquake reaching magnitude 7.0 or higher – strike the West Valley Fault line that runs along Laguna province.

MASS CASUALTIES

Ordinary Pinoys suffering amid boasts of ‘economic growth’

The Philippines may be one of the few Christian countries in the world where Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are given higher importance than Easter Sunday.

PENITENSYA

Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa, who has been identified as the leading drug lord in Eastern Visayas---and one time in fact confessed as one--is running for mayor of Albuera, Leyte.

Espinosa runs for mayor

SMC completes Biñan River cleanup; LGU says 'more should be done'

Business conglomerate San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has done its part in ensuring a “flood-free” Biñan City by dredging its most important waterway, the Biñan River. Local officials now ask the national government: why can’t it do its own part by undertaking a massive dredging of Laguna de Bay?


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