It has been a disturbing, infuriating, ire-inducing nail-biter of a past few weeks in our homeland. (It's hardly any better in the US.)

Investigations, accusations, scandals and lies are assaulting the sanity of those who have been assiduously monitoring the situation. As young Filipinos make their voices heard through social media, rallies and even during sports events, we wonder where all these will lead to. Will there be more revelations of scandalous corruption? Will there be prison sentences, as majority of Filipinos are clamoring for? An EDSA 4 people's uprising? A regime change?

Confronted with such existential question marks, it was quite a welcome break to listen to Fil-Am superstars Maria Ressa, veteran journalist and Nobel Laureate, in conversation with community icon/Pulitzer Prize winner Jose Antonio Vargas at the University of San Francisco. Not that Ressa's presentation was less disturbing (there's nothing comforting about AI and social media scrambling our brains with disinformation). But the difference was that the level of rhetoric was elevating, the discussion truly informative. PF contributing writer Lorna Lardizabal Dietz provides a summary.

Also in this issue, Manila-based contributor Manuel "EG" Hizon profiles Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, one of this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award recipients. Fr. Flavie, as he is fondly called, went through hell-on-earth as a drug addict before he found his vocation as a Catholic priest. He has since devoted his time and passion to helping the downtrodden, particularly fighting for justice for victims of the Duterte regime's extra-judicial killings. During his acceptance speech at the award ceremony, Fr. Flavie dramatically brought out a list of the victims -- a lengthy document that spilled out beyond the lectern into the stage, illustrating that there were tens of thousands that perished.

It's always good to be reminded that there are Filipinos who inspire with their intellect and their commitment to the common good.