Etymology

 

                                            (photo: News360 Media Network Inc.)

Tokhang!

In communication, it is important to examine the etymology of a word, particularly when it is borrowed from or derived from another language. Understanding a word’s origin helps clarify its meaning, context, and appropriate use within the communication process.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro recently stated that the term “tokhang” has come to be widely understood by many Filipinos as synonymous with “to kill.” However, her explanation did not fully clarify that the word originates from the Visayan expression “toktok hangyo,” which directly translates to “knock and request.” The term was used during the Duterte administration to describe police operations in which officers would visit suspected drug pushers or users, knock on their doors, and request that they cease involvement in the illegal drug trade and the use of prohibited substances. Over time, the term evolved in public discourse, acquiring connotations associated with stern warnings and intensified anti-drug enforcement measures.

Online reactions emerged criticizing what many described as the “misuse and misrepresentation” of the term. Several netizens emphasized that the Undersecretary should exercise precision in language, given her role in representing the President in communications with both the Filipino public and international media.

It should also be noted that there were reported instances in which individuals subjected to tokhang operations died, although responsibility was not conclusively established as originating from police personnel or from individuals associated with their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

This discourse underscores the importance of language and etymology, particularly in interactions with the press. While much attention has been given to the proliferation of fake news and irresponsible social media posts, it is equally important for communicators to use clear and precise language. Ambiguous or inadequately explained terminology may create confusion among audiences who rely on accurate information.

Research indicates that word choice significantly influences how information is interpreted, understood, and acted upon. Phrasing can shape perception and decision-making regardless of the communication platform, and unclear language may lead to misunderstanding or unintended interpretations. This highlights the responsibility of communicators, especially public officials and media representatives, to employ contextually appropriate and precise language (Dvir et al., 2023).

Ultimately, public discourse demonstrates the importance of careful and accurate language use. Words carry historical, cultural, and contextual meanings that shape audience understanding. In communicating with the public and the media, clarity and precision in word choice are essential to minimize misunderstanding and promote informed, responsible dialogue.

Shukran

 

                                              (photo: MindaNews)

Miduaw.

“Shukran,” the standard Arabic word for “thank you,” has become a familiar expression often used by Vice President Sara Duterte across her communication platforms, gradually emerging as one of her recognizable trademarks. Beyond this, she frequently incorporates various local dialects and languages when greeting audiences during her engagements, a gesture that conveys inclusivity and cultural sensitivity toward the country’s diverse communities.

Recently, she visited communities affected by Typhoon Basyang, personally reaching out to residents, speaking in their local dialect, and wearing simple, non-threatening attire that ordinary people could easily relate to. Her gestures reflected humility and solidarity, drawing people closer as she projected a genuine sense of connection with the community.

This discussion is not centered on the Vice President herself, but rather on the broader significance of representation. Some leaders are able to engage meaningfully with the masses because they possess an intuitive understanding of how to relate to the majority. If such connection is strategically cultivated, it becomes difficult to replicate for those who merely attempt to simulate solidarity with the poor and marginalized, as authenticity cannot be easily manufactured.

Authentic engagement fosters trust because individuals perceive shared identity and lived understanding, rather than performative association. Leaders who demonstrate cultural awareness and genuine proximity to people’s experiences are more likely to gain public confidence and sustained support (Pitkin, 1967).

Politicians must therefore prepare themselves by developing both strategic awareness and a deep understanding of public engagement. This underscores the importance of political science as an academic discipline, designed to equip individuals with the theoretical knowledge and practical insights necessary for navigating governance, public service, and the complex dynamics of people and their politics.

Whether the Vice President consciously studied and applied these approaches or whether they stem from her innate disposition, many people appear to resonate with her presence. There are detractors who view such gestures as superficial or politically motivated; yet the visible, unfiltered responses of ordinary citizens, particularly those who warmly embraced the country’s second-highest official, reveal a palpable connection.

As a practitioner of Stoicism, this writer approaches politics with detachment, focusing less on individual personalities and more on the broader implications for the common good. From this perspective, the role is simply to observe. The narratives are clear: some leaders demonstrate a genuine understanding of representation, whether motivated by personal gain or by a sincere commitment to the welfare of the people.

Ultimately, true leadership is measured not by titles or rhetoric, but by the authenticity of connection and the tangible impact of representation on the lives of the people, as reflected in both symbolic gestures and everyday interactions.

Renewed Rigor

 

                                              (image: youtube.com) 

Inday unhon dakan!

EDCOM 2 has released its findings on the state of education in the Philippines, revealing alarmingly low learner proficiency. While approximately 30% of Grade 3 learners demonstrate adequate literacy and numeracy skills, proficiency declines sharply in higher grades, dropping to around 1.36% in Grade 10 and just 0.4% in Grade 12, or roughly four out of every 1,000 learners. The report identifies weak foundational skills and the practice of mass promotion, in which learners advance despite low mastery, as key contributors to this trend.

This situation raises questions about where implementation gaps occur. Discussions often focus on teachers and classroom practices, but systemic challenges extend beyond individual educators. School heads and other educational leaders also play a central role in ensuring that policies translate into effective learning experiences.

Research in the Philippines indicates that when school leaders engage in instructional leadership, including supervising instruction, mentoring teachers, and fostering professional growth, teachers report higher efficacy and improved classroom implementation, which in turn correlates with better student outcomes (Rodulfa, 2023).

Supervisory reports suggest that some school heads are increasingly preoccupied with administrative and financial management tasks, limiting their capacity to focus on curriculum delivery and instructional support.

Similarly, teachers facing insufficient guidance may adopt coping strategies that prioritize manageable tasks over pedagogical rigor. Over time, such practices can reduce instructional quality and weaken the learning environment. Learners may perceive this institutional laxity, sometimes turning to AI-generated outputs for assignments and assessments.

Addressing these challenges requires coordinated accountability across all levels of the education system. Teachers, school leaders, and other educational administrators must work collaboratively to implement policies consistently, maintain instructional rigor, and support continuous professional development. Without such efforts, low proficiency levels are likely to persist, further affecting student learning and outcomes.

Ultimately, improving learning outcomes is a shared responsibility. Sustained, focused, and evidence-based action from teachers, school heads, and educational leaders is essential for fostering an environment where teaching and learning thrive. When leadership and instructional practices are aligned, the system can move beyond coping strategies and mediocrity toward meaningful, measurable improvements in learner achievement.

Learning will only thrive where accountability, focus, and collaboration replace habit and neglect.

Humanizing AI

 

                                              (image: youtube.com)

Pati pagbati, AI na!

There was music playing that suddenly caught my attention: a cover of Sharon Cuneta’s “Bituing Walang Ningning.” It was sung so beautifully, so smoothly, like butter melting on warm skin. Curious, I searched for the source and discovered an entire trove of covered OPM songs. Each one was impeccable. The pitch, the phrasing, the musicality, almost disturbingly perfect.

Then it struck me: why the perfection?

That was the moment of realization. These songs were not performed by human voices but generated through Artificial Intelligence. And just like that, my senses were thrown into disarray. If music, once the most intimate expression of human emotion, can now be replicated with such precision, what does that mean for performance, for artistry, for authenticity?

Music is being quietly invaded by AI, and the unsettling question lingers: what’s next?

This unease is mirrored in education. There is a growing trend among universities and higher education institutions to administer examinations and assessments in oral form. This shift aims to assure professors that the ideas, insights, and reasoning being presented genuinely originate from the learners themselves rather than from AI-generated engines. By foregrounding spontaneous articulation, critical thinking, and real-time reasoning, oral assessments attempt to reclaim authenticity in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

Of course, we appreciate AI. It relieves us of tedious tasks, and the very intention behind its invention, to make work easier and more efficient, is a gift in itself. However, when people begin to allow AI to think on their behalf, when learners merely type prompts to generate answers without engaging in understanding, reflection, and intellectual struggle, the narrative changes entirely. At that point, convenience risks replacing learning, and assistance quietly turns into dependency.

This concern is not merely personal but scholarly. While artificial intelligence offers significant support in streamlining academic tasks, researchers caution that its uncritical use may undermine deep learning and cognitive engagement. When learners rely excessively on AI-generated outputs, they risk bypassing essential processes such as critical thinking, synthesis, and conceptual understanding. Rather than serving as a scaffold for learning, AI may become a substitute for intellectual effort if not guided by pedagogical frameworks that foreground human agency, reflection, and ethical use (Kasneci et al., 2023).

Music, education, and even laboratory results are now being uploaded into AI engines for analysis and interpretation. While these technologies offer speed and efficiency, they also pose a quiet threat when dependence begins to replace discernment and judgment. This reality calls for a critical discourse that moves toward humanizing AI, where technology remains a tool guided by human ethics, intention, and responsibility. In the end, it must still be people who decide, question, and think, not the other way around.

The moment we stop thinking because machines can, we begin forgetting what it means to be human.

The Revenge Lens

 

Mag-isip nan halayom kay bas mosiway…

A vlogger has recently made waves on social media by comparing supervisors in the United States and the Philippines. While he clarified that not all supervisors engage in what he calls the “Visitation of Gods” in schools, many netizens resonated strongly with his observations. His critique, striking as it is, highlights a persistent conversation about leadership behavior and professional accountability.

Though such comparisons may seem inequitable given the many factors involved, some of the practices he noted still exist. At the same time, many supervisors are gradually shifting toward more work-focused visits and exercising greater discretion in their conduct, reflecting a broader cultural awareness. In today’s information age, public scrutiny and ethical consciousness are shaping expectations for professional behavior across institutions.

This discussion gains further depth when viewed through the lens of James Kimmel Jr.’s The Science of Revenge. Kimmel notes that roughly 20 percent of people who perceive themselves as deprived of something they believe they deserve go on to plan acts of revenge. Such behavior is not simply emotional or situational—it is driven by ingrained psychological and neurological mechanisms that reinforce retaliatory impulses. This framework explains why some individuals invest significant time and resources in actions like defaming others or undermining positions of authority: their behaviors are motivated by a desire for psychological relief or restored balance.

Leaders who harm those around them may, in theory, be predisposed to such behavior, shaped by unresolved experiences of injustice or deprivation in early life. In leadership contexts, power can become a tool for reenacting or compensating for these past wounds. Kimmel’s research further demonstrates that revenge operates like an addiction, engaging the brain’s reward system in ways similar to substance dependence. Crucially, however, this pattern is not irreversible. Through cognitive strategies, forgiveness practices, and supportive environments, individuals can mitigate revenge-driven impulses and cultivate healthier behaviors.

Viewed in this light, the vlogger’s critiques may stem from personal experiences of perceived injustice, subtly reflecting his own impulses for retribution. Yet, as Kimmel emphasizes, such impulses are treatable and can be transformed. Recognizing and managing them offers the opportunity to replace cycles of retaliation with constructive insight, empathy, and growth—both for individuals and the communities they serve.

Ultimately, The Science of Revenge reminds us that revenge is not an inevitable human trait but a modifiable process. When acknowledged and addressed, even the strongest impulses toward retaliation can become pathways for understanding, healing, and ethical leadership.

Erosion

 

Amoy tagalong na mawaya sa passing.

It was around four in the morning in the ship’s tourist accommodation when an elderly woman placed a call. Her voice rang loudly through the cabin as she spoke to the person on the other end of the line, seemingly unaware of the passengers still asleep around her. Moments later, her husband joined in, and together they issued repeated instructions to the unseen listener. One by one, nearby passengers were startled awake, the quiet of the early morning broken by their insistent voices.

In another instance, distinct yet thematically related, there is a woman in her prime who appears to carry an adolescent spirit within her. She invests heavily in gadgets for vlogging and often presents herself with the exuberance of a BTS-screaming fan. While such expression is not bound to age, it becomes concerning when performed at the expense of her responsibilities.

These moments raise an important question: how has technology shaped our manners, as well as the way we decide and perceive the world? Are such actions manifestations of unmet needs: long-held hungers that now surface through excessive gadget use, slowly clouding our values and sense of propriety?

Scholars have noted that the pervasive use of digital technology has reshaped social behavior, often blurring boundaries of appropriateness and attentiveness in shared spaces. Turkle (2011) argues that constant connectivity can diminish face-to-face sensitivity, as individuals become more absorbed in mediated interactions than in their immediate social environment. This immersion may serve as a compensatory response to unmet emotional or psychological needs, where technology becomes a conduit for validation and self-expression. Consequently, manners and value judgments risk being obscured, not by technology itself, but by how it is used to fill personal and social voids.

Once again, the discourse on self-assessment and self-awareness resurfaces. Individuals must critically examine whether the technology they use has begun to encroach upon the values and manners they are expected to embody in shared social spaces, including those within social media.

This reflective process is crucial because unchecked technology use can gradually recalibrate social norms, normalizing behaviors once considered intrusive or discourteous. Research indicates that habitual engagement with digital devices in public and interpersonal settings reduces situational awareness and empathy, as attention is continuously divided between the physical and virtual worlds (Misra et al., 2016). Without deliberate self-regulation, individuals risk allowing convenience, validation, or visibility afforded by technology to override the ethical and social standards that sustain respectful communal interaction.

This discourse may be aptly concluded with a telling incident: during the Liturgy of the Eucharist at Mass, a phone suddenly rang. The woman who received the call not only answered it but proceeded to engage in a video call, turning her phone’s camera toward the priest at the very moment he was venerating the Body of Christ, an act that starkly underscored how digital immediacy can eclipse reverence and communal awareness.

When technology begins to speak louder than conscience, reverence, and self-restraint, it is no longer merely a tool—it becomes a quiet erosion of who we are in shared human spaces.

Self Care

 

                                             (image: youtube.com)

Mag uno dakan man baja?

A routine classroom observation turned tragic on January 7 when a 58-year-old public high school teacher in Muntinlupa City collapsed before her students and later died in hospital, leaving the education community in shock and disbelief.

In the aftermath, some teachers and netizens expressed on social media that rated classroom observations should be abolished, arguing that they increase stress and anxiety. Many suggested that classroom observations should instead emphasize mentoring and coaching rather than numerical evaluation.

In response, the Department of Education clarified in its latest advisory that classroom observation should be conducted in a supportive and respectful manner. It emphasized that observations are no longer the sole basis for evaluating teacher performance and that policies are under review to ensure the process is collaborative and focused on instructional improvement rather than inducing stress.

Within the DepEd RPMS cycle, classroom observation is a vital part of performance monitoring. It allows school leaders to closely examine instructional practices, ensure alignment with curriculum standards, and safeguard the quality of teaching and learning in classrooms.

If both the teacher and the observer clearly understand its purpose: to uphold instructional quality and support effective teaching and learning, why should classroom observation be a source of anxiety?

Educational research shows that anxiety around classroom observation often stems from misperceptions of its purpose rather than the process itself. Studies indicate that when observations are framed as collaborative, transparent, and aligned with professional growth, teachers are more likely to perceive them as constructive and less threatening (Danielson, 2013; Goe, Bell, & Little, 2008).

Considering the recent incident, it might seem that the classroom observation process is being blamed for the teacher’s untimely death. However, other factors, such as the teacher’s existing health condition at the time of the observation, must also be considered. Research highlights that pre-existing conditions, such as cardiovascular issues, chronic fatigue, or stress-related illnesses, can increase physical vulnerability during routine tasks, including classroom observations (Kyriacou, 2001; Montgomery & Rupp, 2005). Attributing such tragedies solely to professional processes overlooks the complex interplay between personal health and work-related demands.

If routine professional tasks are constantly linked to such tragedies, there is a risk that teachers, and workers in other fields, might begin to fear essential aspects of their work. For instance, lesson planning, a fundamental responsibility of every teacher, could be unfairly seen as hazardous. If this perspective prevails, any routine duty inherent to a job might be perceived as potentially fatal, undermining both professional practice and rational assessment of workplace risks.

Ultimately, while the tragic passing of Teacher Agnes Buenaflor is a sobering reminder of life’s fragility, it should not overshadow the essential role of classroom observations in maintaining and enhancing educational quality. These observations are not mere formalities—they are crucial tools for nurturing effective teaching, fostering professional growth, and ensuring that every learner experiences meaningful and well-guided instruction.

Rather than casting routine educational practices as threats, the focus must remain on supporting teachers’ well-being, promoting collaborative learning, and upholding the standards that transform classrooms into spaces of excellence. In honoring her memory, the education community can reaffirm its commitment to both teacher welfare and the enduring pursuit of quality teaching and learning.