Teka Teka

For nearly five decades, Elmer Cordero drove a jeepney. In his later years, Tatay Elmer became a transport advocate who fought for the rights of ordinary Filipinos despite his age and declining health. He died at 78 years old, days after suffering a heart attack during a transport strike.In this episode, we remember Tatay Elmer through the young activists he guided, the journalists who covered his struggles, and the comrades inspired by his lifelong commitment to the movement.You're invited to MAKI+Fiesta: A Media Festival Celebrating Free Expression, Democracy, and the Creative Economy. Register for this FREE event through this link: https://ticket2me.net/MakiFiesta

In the third episode of our mini-series “Exporting Dreams,” researcher Eunice Tejada explains how migration aspirations are shaped not just by money, but by dreams of better opportunities, education, lifestyle and quality of life, and what might make young Filipinos choose to stay or return.You're invited to MAKI+Fiesta: A Media Festival Celebrating Free Expression, Democracy, and the Creative Economy. Register for this FREE event through this link.

Hindi biro ang pagkakaroon ng regla. Bukod sa masakit ito sa katawan, mabigat din ito sa bulsa. Ano nga ba ang ekonomiya ng regla? At paano ba tugunan ang pangangailangan na ito, lalo na kung mahirap ang akses sa tubig, kuryente, at iba pa?Ang episode na ito ay nabuo sa tulong ng Patas na Bukas Media Fellowship ng Oxfam Pilipinas.

What does the Philippine national budget tell us about what the government chooses to prioritize?Public finance specialist Zy-za Nadine Suzara breaks down the proposed 2027 national budget, from shrinking fiscal space and ayuda programs to gender and development spending and unpaid care work, and looks at the budget through a feminist economic lens.The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Philippines supports this episode of Teka Teka as part of its work to strengthen democracy and promote social justice through partnerships with civil society, trade unions, youth movements, and other democratic actors. Guided by the values of social democracy, FES works to foster freedom, justice, solidarity, and inclusive democratic participation. Visit the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Philippines website for more information.

For many Filipino families, migration means years of separation. But what happens when families finally reunite? In the second episode of our mini-series “Exporting Dreams,” Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio, author of the novel Reuniting with Strangers, shares what she has learned from working with Filipino youth and families in Canada, where a large Filipino community has created new spaces for connection, support, and belonging. To order Jennilee’s book, go to her website.

Almost a year after Typhoon Tino left at least 269 dead, Cebuanos still brace themselves for disaster whenever heavy rain falls. And just this month, a landslide in Barangay Pulangbato, Cebu City killed three people. Floods have become more frequent, even without a typhoon.In this episode of Teka Teka, journalist Maverick Avila talks to three women from one family fighting on different fronts. Atty. Golly Estenzo Ramos, the environmental lawyer who helped stop offshore drilling in Tañon Strait, explains what the law already guarantees and how communities can use it. Dr. Emma Estenzo Porio, professor emeritus and lead author of the IPCC’s upcoming special report on climate change and cities, explains how Cebu became this vulnerable. Niña Estenzo, executive director of Impact Blue Dot, shares what flood survivors tell her.We trace the pattern from the stripped uplands to the rivers below, and ask who pays when the safeguards fail.

As Canada and the Philippines strengthen labor ties, Wilma Delo, a caregiver and activist in Canada, says protecting workers abroad must go hand in hand with creating decent jobs at home.In the first episode of our mini-series “Exporting Dreams,” she talks about the challenges Filipino caregivers face, from low wages and job insecurity to workplace protections and the fear of speaking out.

The Ifugao Rice Terraces are more than breathtaking landscapes. They are living monuments of human ingenuity, hand-carved over 2,000 years ago. Declared as a National Treasure, these terraces embody the deep bond between culture and nature. Yet today, the “Eighth Wonder of the World” faces urgent threats: climate change, deforestation, and failing irrigation systems. Farming, once a proud heritage, has also become a struggle to sustain.Ifugao Governor Jerry Dalipog shares how the terraces remain at the heart of the Ifugao identity, while Polish Author Maciej Podhjski shares his mission to save the national treasure by writing a book.