Insight PH · Feature · Literary · Opinion · Commentary
21 stories
“Meron kang limang pitik with soft moves!” What started as a playful line in a viral trend has now become a familiar echo across timelines—light, catchy, and instantly recognizable. Behind it is the online presence of…
John Benedict N. Banday · Jun 22, 2026
Kalapastangan ang hindi ka ibigin. Kalokohan ang hindi ka isipin.
John Benedict N. Banday · Apr 20, 2026
There are public servants who treat every peso like it came from their own pocket. And then there are those who treat the nation like a bottomless ATM.
John Benedict N. Banday · Apr 16, 2026
I don’t remember the exact moment I fell for you.
John Benedict N. Banday · Apr 9, 2026
Tahimik ang paligid, ngunit hindi ito payapang katahimikan. Ito'y katahimikang parang bibig na tinahi ng karayom ng takot, parang lalamunang nilagyan ng kandado ng kapangyarihan. Ang tanging naririnig ng madla ay ang…
John Benedict N. Banday · Apr 9, 2026
Lumaki akong naniniwala na may katumbas ang lahat ng mahalaga— may presyo ang pangarap, may sukli ang pagod, may balik ang bawat ibinibigay. Na kung magsusumikap ka lang, kung magtitiis ka nang sapat, darating din ang…
John Benedict N. Banday · Apr 9, 2026
A graduation ceremony is not a battlefield, yet some people walk into it armed with judgment, ready to fire at anyone who dares to stand out. It's supposed to be a garden of celebration—different flowers blooming in…
John Benedict N. Banday (Veritas) · Apr 8, 2026
Doves have long symbolized freedom, peace, and hope—the image of something unbound, something that rises without restraint—but what happens when the very symbol of freedom is the one being restrained, controlled, and…
John Benedict N. Banday · Apr 8, 2026
Tuwing sumasapit ang Biyernes Santo, tila humihinto ang oras sa maraming sulok ng Pilipinas. Sa ilalim ng matinding sikat ng araw at sa gitna ng makapal na alikabok ng lansangan, muling isinasabuhay ng mga debotong…
John Benedict N. Banday · Apr 6, 2026
The morning broke heavy over Jerusalem, as though even the sky hesitated to witness what was to come. In the courtyard of the governor, beneath the cold authority of stone and empire, two men were brought before the…
John Benedict N. Banday · Apr 3, 2026
I used to think my mom was unbreakable. Like no matter how hard life hit us, she'd just take it. Smile, fix things, make everything feel okay again. She always knew what to say, what to do. It felt like she had answers…
John Benedict N. Banday · Apr 2, 2026
I remember the first time I learned that happiness never comes alone. I was still young, still believing that smiles were endings and not pauses. Back then, I thought being happy meant you had finally arrived—that once…
John Benedict N. Banday · Mar 27, 2026
In this country, ink dries faster on land titles than on laws that protect human lives. Paper is stamped, notarized, and enforced with urgency—while dignity is told to wait, debate, and compromise. Property is sacred…
John Benedict N. Banday · Mar 15, 2026
Valentines Special
I've tried so many times to love, only to watch it slip away like sand through my fingers. Every time I open my heart, I leave it vulnerable, raw, hoping that this time it will be different. But it never was. Every…
John Benedict N. Banday · Feb 15, 2026
What the future generations will inherit if we continue abusing and destroying what we have in the present?
John Benedict N. Banday · Feb 11, 2026
Since the day my parents went abroad to work as OFW’s, the house has learned how to be quiet.
John Benedict N. Banday · Feb 7, 2026
In the past few days, the “Factory Reset” trend has gone viral on social media, often presented as harmless humor aimed at LGBTQ+ individuals. Scroll through any feed, and you'll see the same punchline repeated…
John Benedict N. Banday · Feb 1, 2026
Sa bayang ang pagsambit ng katotohanan ay mistulang pagnguya ng bubog, hindi nag-atubili si Juan na iharap ang sarili sa maitim na anyo ng lupang kanyang sinilangan. Alam niyang ang bawat salitang bibitawan ay may…
John Benedict N. Banday · Jan 29, 2026
Welcome to the Republic of Circus, where the workers bleed and the clowns get paid. In this grand national sideshow, some elites skip work, dodge duty, and still enjoy full salaries, while ordinary people grind from…
John Benedict N. Banday · Dec 7, 2025
Church should be the place where burdens feel lighter and hearts feel safe. It is where people seek peace after a long week of battles—internal and external. But what happens when the very individuals meant to serve…
John Benedict N. Banday · Nov 30, 2025
In the Philippines, we brace for storms like a ritual. We cover our windows, secure the roofs with hollow blocks and sack of sands, cover the appliances with plastics and lift them on a leveled place, and we pray the…
John Benedict N. Banday · Nov 11, 2025
