Opinion-Editorial - The Mindanao Sentinel

Siargao Is Not for Sale: When Hospitality Becomes Surrender

Editorial Chief — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

A Paradise Under StrainIn Siargao, the image of a tropical haven is increasingly colliding with a harsher reality. What was once a symbol of community-driven tourism is now facing rising tensions, with a series of troubling incidents involving foreign visitors—most notably groups of Israeli nationals—sparking concern among locals. The recent altercation that circulated online, involving […]

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A Fuel Depot or a Bullseye? Why Davao Must Resist Becoming a Strategic Target

Editorial Chief — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The Dangerous Illusion of DeterrenceThere is a dangerous illusion being sold to the Filipino people—especially to communities in Davao—that a proposed U.S.-linked fuel depot in the Davao Gulf will enhance security through “deterrence.” While still in the planning stage, the involvement of the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency and the backing of the Armed Forces of […]

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A Child Killed for Mangoes: When Property Matters More Than Life

Editorial Chief — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

A seven-year-old boy is dead—not from illness or accident, but from a brutal beating with a piece of wood because he allegedly took a few mangoes. In Baliguian, Zamboanga del Norte the life of young Tamtam Alegase was extinguished in an act so disproportionate, so inhumane, that it forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: […]

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Fuel, Fish, and Failure: How a Distant War Is Sinking the Philippines’ Tuna Capital

Editorial Chief — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000

There is a cruel irony unfolding in General Santos City—the so-called Tuna Capital of the Philippines. In a place where the sea has long been synonymous with livelihood, abundance, and national pride, fishing boats now sit idle along the coast, their silence louder than any storm warning. The reason is not a lack of fish, […]

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Blood on a “Peace” Corridor: How Many More Must Die Before Accountability Arrives in the Bangsamoro?

Editorial Chief — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

A Killing Field Disguised as Peace Five policemen are dead. Three more are wounded. Their patrol vehicle was ambushed in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur—an area that is supposed to be under the firm control of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and governed by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, born out of a […]

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ENERGY EMERGENCY OR GOVERNANCE FAILURE?

Editorial Chief — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

The declaration of a national energy emergency under Executive Order No. 110 is not just a policy move—it is an admission. An admission that beneath months of official reassurances lies a fragile, reactive system now scrambling to catch up with a crisis it long denied. While Malacañang frames the decision as a necessary response to […]

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A Nation Divided by Care: The Brutal Truth Behind the Philippines’ Healthcare Gap

Editorial Chief — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Metro Manila vs. the Rest of the Country When Newsweek and Statista released the World’s Best Hospitals 2026, it was intended as a guide for patients navigating uncertain health crises. Instead, for millions of Filipinos outside Luzon, it confirmed a painful reality: the Philippines’ healthcare system is deeply unequal. While Metro Manila boasts multiple hospitals […]

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Peace on the Brink: Why the MILF’s Warning Should Alarm the Entire Nation

Editorial Chief — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

A Dangerous Pause in a Fragile Peace The recent statement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) announcing a temporary halt in several engagements under the peace implementation mechanisms of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) should not be dismissed as a mere procedural issue. It is a warning shot—one that signals a dangerous […]

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Billions for Education, Yet Children Cannot Read: A Hard Look at the Literacy Crisis in BARMM and Mindanao

Editorial Chief — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 04:00:00 +0000

A Crisis That Can No Longer Be Ignored The latest results of the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) conducted at the start of School Year 2025–2026 have revealed a deeply troubling reality: a literacy crisis gripping many parts of Mindanao, particularly the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The data shows that several of […]

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One Year After Duterte’s Arrest: Justice, Sovereignty, and the Philippines’ Unfinished Reckoning

Editorial Chief — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

A Year of Division and Reflection One year after the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his transfer to The Hague to face charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Philippines remains sharply divided. On March 11, 2026, supporters gathered at San Pedro Cathedral for a solemn “Bring Him Home” Mass marking the […]

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