Kassandra Lianna

Violence Against Women (VAW) is not just a statistic—it’s a harsh reality for millions of women worldwide. In the Philippines, nearly 1 in 5 women has endured emotional, physical, or sexual abuse from someone they loved and trusted. These numbers, revealed in the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey, are more than just data; they represent real lives affected, families torn apart, and futures altered forever. Every year, the  18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women  reminds us of this ongoing struggle. Anchored on Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9262, the  Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 , this campaign highlights the importance of laws designed to protect women and children from abuse. R.A. No. 9262 empowers women to seek justice through protection orders, legal support, and stronger penalties for abusers. It acknowledges that abuse is not just physical—it can also be emotional, sexual, or even economic. This recognition is crucial because...

Elpidio Quirino, born into a poor family in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, was a self-made man with a strong will and a burning passion. While attending Vigan High School, the young Elpidio taught in the neighboring town of Caoayan's Barrio Caparia. He earned enough to pay for his transfer to Manila High School, and he continued to work while studying law at the University of the Philippines. He received one of the highest marks in the 1915 Bar Examinations. He started his career as a law clerk for the Philippine Commission before catching the attention of rising politician Manuel L. Quezon, who became his mentor in life and politics. He served in a variety of posts, including congressman, senator, and cabinet secretary, until becoming President Manuel A. Roxas' Vice President in 1946. When Roxas died of a heart attack in 1948, Quirino took over and was elected to his own term the next year. Faced with the challenges of a war-torn and newly independent country, Quirino established the grou...

       The book Indigenous Peoples' Movements: Past and Present gave a historical account of the attempts to reestablish indigenous identity and autonomy over time. The indigenous are traditional populations that have lived on the territory since before the Spanish arrived in 1521. These communities include Mindanao's Moros, Lumads, Kalingas, Tagalogs, Ilocano, Igorot, Bikolon, Aetas, and Agtas.      Prior to being fisherman and farmers, their forefathers were hunters and agriculturalists. The indigenous cultural communities of the Philippines have long fought for their rights, ancestral properties, and sovereignty. Over the past century, Filipinos have responded to external oppression through a variety of movements and responses. This period saw the end of the Spanish "civilizing" missions, which sought to demolish or eliminate native cultures through forced conversion, absorption, and transformation. The locals' first reaction was defiance, and they ...

     https://fashionmagazine.com/style/overconsumption/      From "Let's purchase this top from Shein," to "We have to buy the new iPhone," we can't seem to stop supporting the overconsumption movement that slowly contributes in deteriorating our climate. Overconsumption is when humans consume more resources than we produce. Office siren, mob wife, sage girl —we make up the most outrageous micro trends that we spend every dime we have for in a span of 2-3 weeks. Trends keep going viral every second of every day, and we're too environmentally clueless to realize that all the purchases in our carts take up a percentage of the causes of climate change every time we press "Check out."  https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/fast-fashion-2021-sustainability-environment-b1981303.html     Over the past years, overproduction and overconsumption add to the brutally increasing levels of pollution and toxic gases that contribute to global...

       https://stock.adobe.com/ph/search?k=filipino+children      "Hindi 'yan abuso, disiplina nila yan," I hear people say when I voice out my opinions on child abuse. If it's perceived as discipline, well —at what cost? Through the passing years, we've seen more hits from hands, rather than warmth from hugs.       The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimates that three out of five Filipino children experience violent discipline. On a larger scale, of the 33.4 million children aged 1 to 14, approximately 20 million (59 percent) have experienced violent discipline in the past month. Despite various efforts to curb this menace, the prevalence of physical, emotional, and sexual violence against children in the Philippines continues to alarm child rights advocates and policymakers.      https://ncbaptist.org/article/5-ways-to-guard-against-child-abuse-in-your-church/      N...

       I've been a student leader for 4 consecutive years, and undoubtedly, environmentalism was one of my platforms every time. Maybe this is why I even considered majoring in environmental science in college. One thing I noticed is that people don't really realize and grasp the reality of how mind-complex climate impacts are gonna be. The earth is on its death bed—forests are on fire, and full cities will soon be underwater. Climate change is not a joke— and we have little to no time left until its effects become irreversible.      Living like a billionaire is actually expensive for the Earth. The unsustainable carbon footprint of private aircraft, yachts, and those obviously mandatory space missions significantly beyond that of the typical citizen. However, putting aside the enormous vanity projects, billionaires rank among the world's greatest pollutants due to their position as the beneficiaries of an unfair economic system. A 2022 Oxfam analysis ...