Grassroots Advocate

30/08/2025

26/08/2025

Protect Bhutan!
Hands off Nas!

I hope he is not here to exploit us like he did the Filipinos 😬

Filipino netizens were outraged with the unfolding scandal surrounding content creator Nas Daily, also known as Nuseir Yassin, who was accused of exploiting Whang-Od, a revered mambabatok or traditional tattoo artist from the Butbut tribe of Buscalan, Kalinga.

Considered a “living vessel of a traditional practice,” the National Commission for Culture and the Arts conferred Whang-Od the Dangal ng Haraya Award for Intangible Cultural Heritage. Nas Daily started offering a paid online masterclass called the Whang-Od Academy, promising to have her teach “all her rituals, tools, and methods for making tattoos.” Whang-Od’s grandniece, Gracia Palicas, insisted that Whang-Od did not actually give her permission for such a class. As the issue went viral, a surreal round-robin of callouts and accusations among local vloggers and social media personalities ensued. In a case of allyship gone awry, they inadvertently took over the social space and co-opted the issue. Amidst the online spectacle, one voice was left out — that of Whang-Od herself.

This is what cultural exploitation in the digital age looks like: foreign content creators take pieces of other people’s culture, filter them through their own lens (with exaggerated reactions and pandering titles on the thumbnail) and sell these back to them in exchange for clicks and views.

In olden times, we were sought after by colonizers for spices and natural resources. Nowadays, exploiters seek us out for today’s most valuable resource: clout. Filipinos hold immense power and influence in the online realm due to the sheer size of engagement we can bestow to any content that catches the Filipino eye. This, in turn, leads to influence and profit for people who offer such content.

Source : Inquirer.net

20/08/2025

well... bragging rights sealed...

03/07/2025

"We don't see thw world as it is. We see it as we are."- The Eternal Student 🙌👏👏

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒚

They moved into the quiet neighborhood in early spring, when the air still had a bite and the mornings came wrapped in fog. The house wasn’t much—peeling paint, a tired porch—but it was theirs. Fresh start, they said. New beginnings.

Her name was Jen. She had a way of noticing things, often before her husband, Von, could even sip his Arabica coffee.

On their first morning, as sunlight fought its way through the gray skies of the valley, she peered through the kitchen window. Across the narrow backyard, their neighbor—a woman about her age—was hanging laundry, her hands steady, her face unreadable.

Jen squinted. “Would you look at that,” she muttered, setting down her mug. “Her laundry’s filthy. Honestly, how does she not see it? She must not know how to wash properly. Or maybe she’s using some bargain-bin detergent.”

Von didn’t answer. He sat quietly, watching her instead of the neighbor.

But every morning, it became a ritual. Jen would sip her coffee, glance out the window, and scoff at the woman’s laundry.

“Still dirty,” she’d say. “Imagine airing that in public.”

Von kept silent, always listening, always watching.

Then one morning, about a month later, Jen gasped, almost spilling her coffee. “Well, would you look at that,” she said, eyes wide with something between satisfaction and disbelief. “Her laundry’s finally clean. Someone must’ve shown her how it’s done.”

Von set down his newspaper, met her gaze, and spoke softly—too softly for the weight of his words.

“No one showed her anything,” he said. “I just got up early and cleaned our windows.”

Jen froze. She felt it then—her cheeks warming, the bitter taste of pride thick in her throat. The room seemed quieter. Or maybe it was her, seeing clearly for the first time.

Outside, the neighbor’s clothes danced in the breeze, bright and clean, as they always had been.

"Sometimes, the dirt we think we see in others isn’t theirs to bear. It's ours."

Moral of the story:

We don’t see the world as it is; we see it as we are.

Judging others rarely reveals who they are—but it always reveals something about ourselves.

27/06/2025

Ang ganda!
We love handcrafted pieces. It's made of love, passion and purpose.
Check these artistry and bring with you Coleela Bindery journals and artist-marked blank pages.

23/06/2025

Offering heirloom Pinoy dishes with added twists! Casa Encantada Heritage Restaurant and Cafe is your next stop for solace. This local cafe in Baguio offers a perfect spot for a bibliophile at the same time a foodie. If you're looking for that old Mystery Cafe in Baguio, it now has a new name.

Managed by a whole new brand and a new team who came all the way form Manila, offers but the same enchanting vibe to accompany your insatiable quench for solitude to read while sippin on a great coffee.

There are ample space inside for family dining, group, dates, or for a lone wolf wanting a calm, yet welcoming vibe from the Casa Community. 🖼📚🦋

The crew behind came all the way from Manila, took time and poured effort to learn the culture and know their Northern audiences's preferences, hitting the mark! Find out why when you visit.

16/06/2025

Here are simple stpes for you to spot lies online. - via SEO Writist