Atop a hill overlooking the grey wasteland wreaked by Taal Volcano, I felt that the depressing lay of human catastrophe all around me may be an omen. It was early January, but there I was, struggling to breath in a foreboding N95 mask and setting up a live disaster...
PROSPECTS 2021
The Baesa Crematorium
Workers wearing protective suits pull a body bag near a furnace before cremation at the Baesa Crematorium in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. May 5, 2020. Basilio Sepe/BenarNews COVID-19: Deaths, meltdowns, valor Ever since the coronavirus spread to the...
‘I wish we could live life as before’
Stranded individuals along a street in the capital Manila eat a packed food prepared by missionaries and private organizations. Veejay Villafranca/Der Spiegel COVID-19: Deaths, meltdowns, valor Ever since the coronavirus spread to the Philippines early last year,...
The Stranded Migrant Workers
Overseas Filipino workers await for flight updates while cooped up in a school in Pasay City that serves as temporary shelter for stranded migrant workers. Veejay Villafranca/Bloomberg COVID-19: Deaths, meltdowns, valor Ever since the coronavirus spread to the...
White Sand, Murky Outlook
Boracay Island in October. Cristina Menina/The Straits Times COVID-19: Deaths, meltdowns, valor Ever since the coronavirus spread to the Philippines early last year, sparking prolonged and painful lockdowns, FOCAP journalists have scoured the treacherous front lines...
Empty Chapels, but Filled with Hopes
Filipino Catholic devotees emerge from quarantine to receive blessings from a priest on Palm Sunday on April 5, 2020 in Quezon City, Metro Manila. Jes Aznar/New York Times COVID-19: Deaths, meltdowns, valor Ever since the coronavirus spread to the Philippines early...
The Missionary Pilot
Davin Bennett doing pre-flight checks ahead of a mission. His face mask bears the name of his blog, Flying by Faith, where he shares stories about his missionary work. Martin San Diego/Washington Post COVID-19: Deaths, meltdowns, valor Ever since the coronavirus...
Pandemic hammers community press
ABS-CBN supporters stage a protest to seek the renewal of the network’s broadcast license. A congressional committee rejected its renewal, forcing the network to shutter most of its operations and lay off thousands of staff. Jilson Tiu Pandemic hammers community press...
Pushing Back Against Online Harassment: A GUIDE AND A CALL TO ACTION
Pushing Back Against Online Harassment: A GUIDE AND A CALL TO ACTION By Atty. Chel Diokno The Philippines is still one of the world’s deadliest countries for journalists. With advances in technology and the large role of social media in politics and society, attacks...
The Cagayan flooding, amid a health crisis
Floods submerge ricefields in Isabela province in Cagayan Valley region. Jojo Riñoza/BenarNews The Cagayan flooding, amid a health crisis By Jason Gutierrez, New York Times TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines From the air, it is hard to distinguish where the mighty Cagayan...
A death in the family: Gaby Tabuñar, 1925-2020
A death in the family: Gaby Tabuñar, 1925-2020 By Regine Cabato, Washington Post FOCAP lost one of its founders, Gaby Tabuñar, in February last year as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to upend humanity and the world. The global contagion muffled the depth of our...