When Context Matters: My Closing Argument for a Tenant with a Disability

There are moments in practice that stay with you long after the hearing room empties. This was one of them.

2028 Na Ba? Anyare na sa Corruption?

Ang bilis naman.

Parang hindi pa tapos ang kasalukuyang termino, pero ramdam mo na — 2028 mode na ang lahat. The Marcoses are consolidating. The Dutertes are recalibrating. The Pinks, mostly Akbayan and the Liberal Party, are repositioning.

Parang rehearsal na ulit ng next national showdown.

And the ordinary Filipino is left asking a very simple question: anyare na sa corruption issues?

Because let’s be honest. The scandals did not disappear. The allegations did not evaporate. The questions were never fully answered. But somehow, the national conversation has shifted. From accountability to alliances. From investigations to electoral arithmetic.

Under the Marcos administration, serious concerns were raised — from budget insertions to spending priorities to governance transparency. There were impeachment complaints filed. There were calls for deeper scrutiny. Yet politically, the momentum stalled. The message now feels less like “let’s resolve this” and more like “let’s move forward.”

Forward to what? 2028.

OSAP Changes: What Reduced Grants and Program Cuts Mean for Newcomers Like Me

When I landed in Canada, I didn’t arrive with a safety net.

I arrived with two suitcases, foreign credentials, and a quiet promise to myself: Hindi ako susuko.

Like many newcomers, I quickly realized that if I wanted to practice in a regulated field, I needed Canadian education. So I enrolled in a Paralegal Diploma program — and I was only able to do that because of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

That support changed my life.

So when I hear about reductions in grants and shifts toward more loans, I don’t just see policy changes. I see real people whose timelines, confidence, and futures may be affected.

Personal ito.