An notice of dishonor sa kaso nin BP 22 o ang Bouncing Checks Law puwede nang ipadara sa drawer o nag isyu kang tseke sa paagi nin rehistradong koreo, o email, Viber, Facebook Messenger, o iba pang kaparehong digital platform, basta nasusunod an mga kondisyon na itinakda kan Supreme Court. Sa Arnel Carlos and Marivic Carlos v. People and Tire Star, Inc., G.R. No. 277047, April 15, 2026, pinagtibay kan Supreme Court, En Banc, ang conviction kang mag-agom na Carlos sa anom na kaso nin pagbalga kang BP 22. Nilinaw kan Supreme Court na valid an electronic service kung an email address o account na ginamit naverify asin aktibong ginagamit kang drawer. Puwede man ini gamiton bilang substituted service kung dai praktikal an personal na paghatod. Kung substituted electronic service an gagamiton, dapat ipadara an mensahe sa laog nin 24 oras pagkatapos kang pinakahuring personal na paghatod, asin dapat nakasaad sa mensahe an mga detalye kan mga pag-attempt na ini. Importante an notice of dishonor ta pigtatawan nin limang banking days an drawer para bayadan an tseke o mag-arrange nin paagi para mabayaran ini. Kun dai ini magibo, puwedeng maging basehan ini sa presumption na aram kang drawer na kulang o mayo ning pondo an saiyang account, na sarong mahalagang element kang kasong pagbalga sa BP 22. An simbag na ini para sana sa pankagabsan na impormasyon asin dai dapat ituring na legal advice para sa partikular na kaso. Kung may mga kahaputan, mag email sa ihapotkiattorney@gmail.com.

By Fr. Roy Cimagala THIS is the lesson hidden in Christ’s command to his disciples: “Watch therefore, because you do not know what hour your Lord will come.” (cf. Mt 24:42-51) It is one of those simple sayings that become more mysterious the longer one reflects upon them. We sleep not because night has conquered us, but because we have forgotten that dawn is always approaching. Watchfulness is not reserved for days of sorrow or moments of extraordinary danger. It is just as necessary when fortune smiles and life seems comfortably ordinary. The battle for the soul never declares a truce. Only the careless imagine that peace means the war has ended. Our nearest enemy is not far away at all. It is ourselves. We carry within us a strange contradiction: we desire goodness and yet repeatedly bargain with lesser things. The heart that longs for heaven can still be distracted by the nearest comfort, postponing virtue until tomorrow, as though eternity kept office hours. Beyond ourselves stands the world, dazzling precisely because it mistakes glitter for glory. It offers pleasures that promise freedom while quietly forging chains. Modern inventions have multiplied conveniences beyond counting, but they have also multiplied distractions, making temptation travel at the speed of light while wisdom often continues its patient walk. Nor should we dismiss the oldest enemy as an outdated superstition. Evil is most dangerous when it persuades us that it has retired. The devil does not usually arrive carrying horns but excuses. Being a spirit, he often understands our weaknesses better than we do, and he delights in turning our strengths into traps. How then should we remain awake? Curiously enough, prosperity demands as much vigilance as adversity. When blessings abound, gratitude must grow even faster. Otherwise, comfort becomes conceit, abundance becomes forgetfulness, and gifts quietly replace the Giver in the affections of the heart. Hardship, on the other hand, possesses a surprising privilege. Pain strips away illusions that comfort carefully preserves. If we immediately turn toward God instead of away from him, suffering becomes not merely something to endure but something through which grace quietly performs its astonishing work. The Cross remains the great paradox: defeat transformed into victory. Such a vision saves us from bitterness. The Christian may suffer, but he need not despair. Hope is not the denial of pain; it is the refusal to grant pain the final word. The darkest valley is still crossed beneath the same heaven. Then there are the ordinary days, which are perhaps the greatest test of all. Heroism is easier for an hour than fidelity for a lifetime. Routine can become either the workshop of holiness or the waiting room of mediocrity. The difference lies in whether love is deliberately renewed. To remain spiritually alert, we must demand something of ourselves every day. Charity grows by exercise, not by accident. We keep its flame alive by remembering Christ’s sacrifice, noticing our neighbor’s needs, and performing ordinary duties with extraordinary love. Great saints are often those who refused to waste small moments. Scripture never tires of repeating this lesson. St. Paul urges us to stand firm in faith, be courageous, and let everything be done in love. Christ himself adds the indispensable secret: “Watch and pray.” He knew that the spirit is willing while the flesh remains unreliable. Spiritual watchfulness, therefore, is not an emotion but a discipline. It grows through prayer, frequent examination of conscience, careful reading of the signs of the times, and an honest evaluation of our daily choices. Only then do we remain truly awake—not merely with open eyes, but with a heart ready whenever the Master knocks.

Excited ako tuwing may tinatanong si Senador Robin Padilla sa impeachment hearing dahil hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin o itatanong niya. Kung minsan natutuwa ako sa mga tanong o sinasabi niya. Kung minsan naman ako ay napapaisip at namamangha kung paano siyang mag-isip. Sa totoo lang, na-mimiss ko siya pag-absent sa impeachment hearing dahil iba siyang mag-isip kung ihahambing sa ibang senador-judges. Isip talangka, sabi ng iba. Minsan tinawag niyang “one-sided” ang prosekusyon. Napaisip ako dahil malinaw sa akin na tungkulin talaga ng prosekusyon na maging one-sided para i-argue ang kanilang kaso. Hindi naman ako abogado pero common sense na hindi pwedeng maging neutral ang prosekusyon kung gusto nilang ma-convict ang respondent. Minsan naman tinanong nya ang testigo ng prosekusyon kung taga saan siya at kung saan siya nagtapos. Nang malaman niyang taga- Baguio ang testigo at sa St. Louie University nagtapos, sinabi kaagad ni Robin, na medyo nakatawa pa nga, na siya raw ay ganon din. Ano ang relevance ng ganitong mga tanong? Gusto bang ipahiwatig ni Robin na siya ay tapos din ng college gaya ng testigo para paniwalaan natin siya? Si Robin din ang may tanong, kung hindi ako nagkakamali, na sinungaling daw ba ang testigo kung magbago siya ng affidavit. Mukhang hindi alam ni Robin na may prosesong legal kung bakit nagbabago ng affidavit ang isang testigo at hind ito automatic na ang testigo ay sinungaling. Natatandaan ko nang pinag-uusapan ang intelligence funds ni Inday Sara sa trial, pinipilit ni Robin na hindi raw umatake ang CPP/NPA/NDF noong anibersaryo nila noong Disyembre 26 (CPP), Marso 29 (NPA) at Abril 24 (NDF) dahil ito rin daw ang mga petsa ng disbursement checks na naging dahilan kung bakit hindi umatake ang mga nasabing armadong grupo. Wala naman siyang binigay na mga ebidensya para patibayan itong supposition niyang ito. Mahilig siyang gumamit ng historical trivia para ipagtanggol ang paggamit ng confidential funds ni Sara Duterte at, marahil, upang ipakita na mayroon siyang kaalaman sa kasaysayan. Nitong nakaraang huling impeachment hearing, bumanat na naman si Robin. Pinilit niyang iugnay ang paggamit ng mga alyas sa panahon ng digmaan at rebolusyon at pananakop sa mga alyas na sangkot sa paggamit ng confidential funds. Sinabi niyang ang mga NPA ay gumagamit din ng mga alyas ganon din ang mga bayaning Pilipino noong panahon ng Kastila at ganon din raw ang mga beneficiaries ng intelligence at confidential funds. Kahit ipinaliwanag ng abogado ng prosekusyon na iba ang legal na konteksto ng Anti-Alias Law at ng confidential funds, hindi pa rin maunawaan ni Robin na hindi iyon ang isyu sa kasalukuyang impeachment trial. Sinabi nga ng depensa na “non-issue” sa kanila ang paggamit ng mga alyas. Sa gitna ng sagutan ni Robin at ng abogado ng prosekusyon, biglang binuhay ni Robin ang yumaong si Ninoy Aquino. Biglang tinanong ni Robin ang abogado ng prosekusyon kung kilala niya si Marcial Bonifacio, na alyas ni Ninoy. May alyas din daw ang mga bayani kaya valid ang paggamit ng Mary Grace Piattos, Pusa, Belat, Pagong. Parang all-knowing siya kung umasta, pero hindi naman naka-base sa tamang lohika ang mga sinasabi. Mabuti na lang sumagot si Senador Bam Aquino na inamin na totoong alyas ni Ninoy ang Marcial Bonifacio pero wala siyang confidential funds at hind siya kasama sa AR (acknowledgment receipts) roll call. Para sa akin, maliwanag na out-of-order si Robin sa paggamit ng mga alyas ng mga bayani at ni Ninoy para i-justify ang mga alyas ng mga tumanggap ng confidential funds. Hindi ko talaga makita ang koneksyon. Gumamit na naman si Robin ng mga historical facts para sa maling pag-justify ng paggamit ng confidential funds ni Sara Duterte. Ayaw ko naman tawaging bobo si Robin. Sa halip kulang sa logic o lohika kung mag-isip at hindi bihasa sa legal reasoning kaya hindi aligned ang kanyang mga tanong sa proseso ng korte. Para bang nagdudunong-dunungan. Para siyang isang estudyanteng nag -enrol sa advanced algebra class gayon hindi pa siya bihasa sa arithmetic. Lumalabas din ang kanyang lubusang pagsuporta kay Digong at, by extension, kay Inday Sara. Kilala si Robin sa kanyang matibay na pagsuporta sa mga Duterte nang sinabi niya: “Kahit sunugin mo ako dito, mangangamoy Rodrigo Roa Duterte ako.” Sa simpleng pananalita, si Robin ay hindi lang mangangamoy Rodrigo Duterte gaya ng kanyang sinabi. Nangangamoy na rin siyang Sara Duterte bilang isang senator-judge.

By Rhaydz Barcia TIWI, ALBAY --- The Diocese of Legazpi celebrated the 250th anniversary of devotion to Nuestra Señora de Salvacion and the golden anniversary of her canonical coronation as Patroness of the Diocese during a solemn ceremony here on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. Adorned with yellow and white flowers, His Eminence Jose Cardinal F. Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, together with Most Rev. Rex Andrew C. Alarcon, Archbishop of Caceres, and Most Rev. Joel Z. Baylon, D.D., Bishop of Legazpi, reenacted the solemn crowning of the new regalia of Nuestra Señora de Salvacion during the 50th anniversary commemoration of her canonical coronation. The celebration also marked the Marian Jubilee Year 2026–2027. The 250-year-old wooden image, affectionately called “Ina” by devotees, was adorned with new regalia in commemoration of the 250 years of devotion to Our Lady of Salvacion and the 50th anniversary of her declaration as Patroness of the Diocese of Legazpi. The historic canonical coronation of Ina took place on Aug. 25, 1976, led by the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, then Archbishop of Manila, during the bicentennial celebration of the devotion to the Marian image. The Joroan church in the upland village of Joroan was subsequently proclaimed a diocesan shrine. Fifty years later, Cardinal Advincula, together with Archbishop Alarcon and Bishop Baylon, reenacted the crowning of the new regalia of Nuestra Señora de Salvacion. The celebration was attended by Bishop Emeritus Lucilo B. Quiambao of the Diocese of Legazpi, priests, religious sisters and more than a thousand pilgrims and devotees from different parts of the country. Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ramon A. Cruz and his family also attended the historic celebration as devotees of Nuestra Señora de Salvacion. Thousands of pilgrims and devotees, particularly from Albay, Camarines Sur and Sorsogon, continued to arrive in Tiwi to visit and pay homage to the revered image. In his homily, Cardinal Advincula said the image of Ina, carved from a simple tree in the 1770s, symbolizes Mary’s maternal closeness to her children and her role as a constant companion of the people, particularly during times of natural disasters such as Mayon Volcano eruptions and typhoons. “If we’re brought back in the 1770s, the image was carved from a simple wooden tree. She is the shield against the typhoon and the erupting volcano. Mary intervened and closely watched our suffering. In 1895, her chapel was flattened to the ground, but her image had no single trace of bruises. She is our companion all the time,” he said. “She is the great mother of mercy. She carried Jesus Christ while her other hand was holding the hand of a human, pulling them away from the ground. We need to work together and take care of each other, especially the weak and the helpless in society. The moment we rally behind the poor, we put a diamond into Mary’s crown,” Cardinal Advincula said. The iconography of Nuestra Señora de Salvacion depicts Mary holding the Child Jesus in her left arm while her right hand holds a human figure, symbolizing her maternal intercession and role in guiding humanity away from sin toward her Son, Jesus. The 250-year-old image has been at the center of a centuries-old tradition of devotion and gratitude in Albay. Devotees believe the image, also known as Our Lady of Salvation, brings strength, hope and inspiration. The religious icon, believed by many devotees to be miraculous, has drawn thousands of pilgrims from across the country to Tiwi, where Catholics gather to honor the revered image and celebrate its spiritual and historical significance. Every third Saturday of August, the Diocese of Legazpi holds the grand Diocesan Fiesta in honor of Our Lady of Salvation in Joroan. The province welcomes pilgrims from different parts of the country throughout August and September. The third Saturday is traditionally marked by the shrine feast, highlighted by the “Aurora in the Sea” maritime procession. Boats from coastal towns in Albay and even from Camarines Sur join the procession, carrying the image through the sea before it is brought to the hilltop shrine. On the last Saturday of August, devotees participate in a nine-kilometer procession from St. Lawrence Church in Tiwi to the Diocesan Shrine in Joroan. The procession culminates in a 4 a.m. Mass at the shrine. The devotion to Nuestra Señora de Salvacion dates back to the 1770s, with devotees attributing various miracles to the image during the Spanish colonial period. According to local narratives, coastal residents sought refuge in the hills of Joroan during pirate attacks and prayed for protection before the image of the Virgin Mary. According to tradition, Mariano Dacuba cleared a portion of land and discovered a tree whose leaves did not wilt. Sculptor Bagacumba later carved three religious images from the tree: Nuestra Señora de Salvacion, San Antonio de Padua and Nuestra Señora de Soledad (Our Lady of Sorrows). On Aug. 25, 1776, the devotion to Nuestra Señora de Salvacion was formally established, beginning a centuries-old tradition that continues to draw pilgrims to Joroan, Tiwi, every year.

Historian Dr. Filomeno V. Aguilar Jr. and poet, translator and filmmaker Kristian Sendon Cordero — are set to join the Philippines’ delegation to the 39th Feria Universitaria del Libro (FUL) in Mexico, where the Philippines will be the festival’s country of honor. The 39th edition of the Feria Universitaria del Libro will take place from Sept. 4 to 13, 2026, at the Ciudad del Conocimiento in Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo. Organized by the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH), the fair will feature the Philippines as its invited country of honor and will explore the theme of “Comercio Global,” or Global Trade. Organizers have announced hundreds of literary, academic and cultural activities for the 10-day festival. Dr. Aguilar, a professor in the Department of History at Ateneo de Manila University, is a historian whose scholarship examines nationalism, global migration, citizenship, elections and popular culture, as well as the social histories of rice and sugar. His recent work has also returned to the history of Bicol, including research on the devotion to the Virgin of Peñafrancia and the making of the region. His academic career has extended beyond the Philippines. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Ateneo de Manila, a master’s degree from the University of Wales and a doctorate from Cornell University. Before returning to the Philippines, he taught at the National University of Singapore and James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. He has also served in major professional organizations, including as president of the International Association of Historians of Asia and chair of the Philippine Social Science Council. Aguilar was editor of Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints for 18 years, from 2003 to 2021. In 2025, he received the Grant Goodman Prize in Philippine Historical Studies from the Association for Asian Studies. His scholarship includes work on the colonial Philippines, overseas Filipinos, nationalism and the political history of the country. Cordero arrives in Mexico from a very different but closely connected terrain: the multilingual world of contemporary Bikol literature. A poet, fiction writer, essayist, translator and filmmaker based in Bicol, Cordero writes in Filipino, Bikol and Rinconada. His poetry collections have received major Philippine literary honors, including the National Book Awards, while his debut collection won the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award. He represented the Philippines at the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program in 2017 and has also been an artist-in-residence at the University of Michigan and the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. He is the founder and creative director of Savage Mind: Arts, Books, Cinema and Kamarin, a bookshop and artspace in Naga City. His presence at FUL 2026 will have an especially literary dimension. Cordero is scheduled to present his poetry collection La tristeza de lo alado, the Spanish-language edition of his selected poems, published by Círculo de Poesía, translated into Spanish by the award-winning poet and translator Lawrence Schimel. The host institution, the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, is one of Mexico’s major public universities and the organizer of the Feria Universitaria del Libro. The FUL describes itself as a major literary and publishing event whose programs combine literature with academic exchange, professional activities, translation, poetry, children’s programming and cultural events. The 2026 edition is expected to bring together hundreds of publishing houses and a large program of conferences, book presentations, workshops, literary encounters and artistic events. Organizers have said they hope to surpass the previous edition’s attendance of more than 148,000 visitors. The university has also framed the Philippine participation as an opportunity for academic and cultural exchange. In June, Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Arvin Reyes de León visited UAEH as preparations for the festival intensified, with university officials emphasizing the potential for stronger institutional and cultural ties between Mexico and the Philippines. For Aguilar and Cordero, the trip places two distinctly Bicolano intellectual traditions on an international stage: the historian’s examination of how Filipinos became a people through migration, colonialism and nation-building, and the poet’s insistence that the country’s regional languages are not peripheral to Philippine literature but central to its imagination. Their participation also arrives at a moment when Philippine literature is increasingly being encountered through translation. In Cordero’s case, the journey from Bikol and Filipino poetry into Spanish and now into the Mexican literary sphere makes the book fair not simply a showcase for Filipino writing, but another stage in the continuing movement of Philippine voices across languages.

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time First Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-9 Responsorial Psalm Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. Second Reading: Romans 12:1-2 Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:21-27 Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do." Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct."

Dear Father Bill, Táno po ta kaipuhan mayo nin tsinelas o sapatos kun mabali sa pag-voya? Tanô po ta dapat mga lalaki sana an magpasan ki Ina asin an magsakay sa pagoda? An minagalang, Arsenio Dear Arsenio, An mga prusisyon sarong porma nin relihiosong paglalakbay na enot nang ginibo kan mga Judio para iri-presentar an mga importanteng pangyayari. An mga Catolico kadakul na man ginibong mga prusisyon sa mga espesyal na okasyon tanganing ipagiromdom na an buhay Cristiano padagos na paglakaw pasiring sa Dios asin sa mayong kasagkoran na destinasyon sa kaibahan nya. Igwang duwang darakulang prusisyon na ginigibo sa kafiestahan ni Peñafrancia na inaapod tang Traslacion asin Pagsakay (fluvial procession). An mga voyadores nakabitis, mayong tsinelas. Ini nagin parte na kan tradisyon sa prusisyon ni Ina. Parte na ini kan pag-penitencia asin pamibi mantang nag-aayon an sarong deboto sa prusisyon. Mayo man nagbabawal na magsapatos o mag-tsinelas sa pag-ayon sa prusisyon kaya lang bilang pakisumaro, kadaklan sa nag-iiriba nakabitis. Kun dakula an sakripisyo pagpeusisyon, dakula man an kaogmahan asin consolacion pagkatapos. Sa Traslacion, an mga lalaki sana an nagtotolod kan saiyang andas. Siring man kun fluvial procession, nakagawian na man na gabos sana mga lalaki an nasa pagoda o sa dakulang baroto kun saen nakasakay si Ina. Ini nagpapahiling nin magayon na simbolismo huli ta si Ina sana an reina kan satong buhay o kan satong rona. Siya an "pinakaorog sa mga babae gabos." Si Maria an pinaka-enot na Cristiano asin disipulo ni Jesus. Siya sana an maninigong modelo kan gabos na gustong magin tunay na disipulo ni Jesus. An minagalang, Fr. Bill * * * Email me at: billparisadmu@gmail.com

By Marecil Sta. Maria Francia, RSW, JD JOSE PANGANIBAN — As World Vision Philippines formally concluded its Area Development Program (ADP) in Jose Panganiban on August 20, the gathering served not as an ending but as a celebration of a legacy that continues through empowered young leaders, strengthened communities, and enduring partnerships. Held at the MCEL Building, under the theme “Celebrating the Journey, Honoring the Impact, and Sustaining the Legacy of Child Well-Being and Community Transformation,” the event brought together government officials, community stakeholders, educators, church partners, and youth leaders who have shared in the program’s mission since its launch in 2010. Among the program’s most meaningful partnerships was its three-year collaboration with the Archdiocese of Caceres – Office for Women and Children Protection (COWCP) and Radio Caritas Mariae, now Veritas 98.3 FM Naga. Through the radio programs Urulay Kaakian and later Makabatang Umaga, children and youth leaders from Camarines Norte regularly traveled to San Felipe, Naga City to participate in discussions on rights of children, safeguarding, leadership, and community engagement. For many of these young participants, the journey involved early-morning travel across provincial boundaries. Yet they willingly committed their time and energy, believing that their experiences could inspire and empower other children throughout the Bicol Region. The partnership transformed radio into a platform where children were not merely beneficiaries but advocates and leaders. Their stories of resilience, participation, and service reached thousands of listeners, demonstrating the importance of giving young people opportunities to be heard. During the culmination activity, World Vision also recognized its institutional partners, including local government agencies, schools, civil society organizations, and faith-based institutions that contributed to advancing child well-being and community transformation. As beneficiaries become leaders and communities continue the work they have begun together, the legacy of World Vision in Jose Panganiban remains alive. Programs may formally conclude, but the values they nurture—leadership, participation, protection, and hope—continue to shape lives and communities, ensuring that the transformation achieved over the years will endure for generations to come.

Fr. Jayson Gaite, Director of the Archdiocesan Commission on Prison Welfare, celebrates one of the Triduum Masses in honor of St. Maximilian Kolbe, patron saint of the said Commission, before his feast day on Aug. 14. (Photo by Natalie Quimlat)

The Parish of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal recently observed a procession of the sacred images of El Divino Rostro and Inâ, Our Lady of Peñafrancia, ahead of the annual Peñafrancia festivities in September. (Photos from Inang La Medalla Milagrosa/Facebook)

By Natalie Hazel Quimlat The five jail facilities within the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Caceres celebrated the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe on Aug. 14. A Triduum Mass was observed in all the facilities ahead of the saint's feast day. Outreach activities were also done during the said occasion. In one of his homilies, Maximilian Ministry Director Fr. Jayson Gaite, spoke of the deep devotion of Kolbe to the Blessed Virgin Mary, urging PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) to foster and nurture their spiritual relationship and devotion not only to Mary, but also to Jesus Christ. Priests from the Archdiocese who also celebrated masses during these time were Fr. Leoniel Arce Belen, Fr. Erwin Bismonte, Fr. Sanny Apin, Fr. Rammel Pajenago, Fr. Emil Valeza, Fr. Jhun Oliva, Fr. Eric Bobis, Fr. Ralph Christian Golina, Fr. Ace Baracena, and Fr. Conrad Flores, FFI. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Franciscan priest, founded a spiritual Army of Mary in 1917, now known as the Militia of the Immaculata. This global Catholic movement for evangelization aims to encourage others to consecrate themselves to Mary. Kolbe was imprisoned in 1941 and was later transferred to the Auschwitz concentration camp. While imprisoned, he remained steadfast in his faith, leading others in prayer to Mary. He was also described as selfless by his fellow prisoners. In 1981, Kolbe was canonized by John Paul II. Upon the establishment of the Archdiocesan Commission for Prison Welfare in 2014, St. Maximilian Kolbe, patron saint of prisoners, was chosen as the patron of the Commission as well; thus, the Ministry was named after Kolbe. To date, service providers and volunteer priests continue to cater to the needs of the PDLs in the Archdiocese.

Bikol literature and language is the topic of a panel of three academics in the Philippine Studies Conference at the SOAS University of London on August 21, 2026. The overall theme of the conference is “Archipelagic Tongues — Philippine Languages and Meaning-making, Austronesian Worlds and Global Futures,” while the panel on Bikol literature and language is entitled “Istória, Díla’: Archipelagic Recovery and Re-orientation through Bikol.” The first speaker, Grace M. Saqueton, who has roots in Masbate, will talk about the Pasayaw sa Leon, a folktale that used to be a feature of the Santacruzan in the early 1900s. She will study the dicho, “a form of limerick recited/sung by the paaraway (narrator/main character).” She states that while there are several versions of the tale, there are two prominent ones: Reyna Elena and Prinsipe Constantino battling ferocious creatures while they search for the True Cross, and lowland villagers battling the Agtas who disrupt village festivities. She also states that the dicho is no longer featured in recent versions of the Pasayaw and “attempts to (re)construct the linguistic elements of the tale.” She then traces the “meaning-making practices of the community as they navigate the spaces of remembering, resisting, and living.” Julie B. Jolo will represent herself and Irish Joy Deocampo in a paper entitled “Tamwa-anay sa Balkonahe: Romero kag Huli, a queer Bikol-Hiligaynon tradaptation of Romeo and Juliet.” They use the Bikol and early Hiligaynon translations of Shakespeare in a short film of the balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet, “to reframe the act of translating Shakespeare as an experiment of archipelagic and queer co-imagination.” Tradaptation, or translation and adaptation, is “a response to the fidelity toward standard language varieties and heteronormative characterizations found in earlier translations of the play…The project explores how space and language can serve as both manifestation and affective resolution of geo-political conflict and romance.” Meanwhile, Maria Lorena M. Santos reads the latest novel of Filipina-Australian Merlinda Bobis, In the Name of the Trees, centering on the expression “No Trees, No English.” She looks into how the author unsettles the “ideology of a monolithic English” and “foregrounds archipelagic tongues” through the “sustained integration of Bikol words, phrases, and knowledge traditions… It shows how English and Bikol operate as languages of negotiation in the text, enabling pluriversal, archipelagic modes of meaning-making in representing colonial history, matrilineal memory, and survival.” All the presenters teach at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.