Larry Boy B. Sabangan, Wagi sa Pagsulat ng Dulang Tandem/Duo ng Dula Táyo 2025

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Nagwagi si Larry Boy B. Sabangan sa Pagsulat ng Dulang Tandem/Dou ng Dula Táyo 2025 ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) pára sa kaniyang dulang “Sino ba Dapat ang Magsaing?” at makatatanggap siyá ng PHP10,000.00 (net) at plake. 

Nagwagî rin si Hannah A. Leceña ng ikalawang gantimpala pára sa kaniyang dula na “Para sa Panitikan” at makatatanggap siyá ng PHP7,000.00 (net) at plake. 

Hinirang naman sa ikatlong gantimpala sina Alpine Christopher P. Moldez sa ikatlong gantimpala pára sa kaniyang dulang “Recognition Day” at Klara D. Espedido pára sa kaniyang dulang “Ang Nawawalang Berso.” Makatatanggap ng sila ng PHP2,500.00 (net) at plake. 

Si Larry Boy Briones Sabangan ay kasalukuyang mananaliksik sa Sentro ng Wikang Filipino – UP Diliman. Nagtapos ng Master sa mga Sining sa Edukasyon sa Filipino sa West Visayas State University, Lungsod Iloilo. Naging Fellow sa UST National Writers’ Workshop, Palihang Rogelio Sicat, at Palihang Rene Villanueva. Awtor ng tulang pambatang Kat Nagpamaeaybay Ro Panumduman it Unga na may saling Nang Tumula ang Gunita ng Bata mula sa Kasingkasing Press. Nakapaglathala na ng akdang tula, kuwentong pambata, dagli at sanaysay sa ANI: CCP Literary Journal, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, Kasingkasing Press, 7 Eyes Production at iba pang mga magazine at antolohiya. Naging Language Translator sa UP Resilience Institute. Naging finalist sa Ulirang Guro sa Filipino 2022 ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. Kasalukuyang kumukuha ng doktorado sa Malikhaing Pagsulat sa UP Diliman. Nakapaglahad na rin ng mga pag-aaral sa mga internasyonal na nga kumperensiya ukol sa wika at panitikan. Isang anak, guro, mananaliksik, manunulat at lingkod-bayan na nagmamahal sa wika, kultura, panitikan, kabataan, at bayan.

Ang Dulang Tandem/Dou ay tawag sa anyo ng maikling dula na may iisang yugto, tagpuan, tunggalian, at isinasadula ang isang maliwanag na banghay o daloy ng kuwento. Tinatawag itong Dulang Tandem/Duo dahil umiikot lamang ang kuwento sa mga diyalago ng dalawang tauhan.

Ito ay timpalak na itinataguyod ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino para sa Buwan ng Wika. Pakikiisa ito ng KWF sa pagdiriwang ng UNESCO International Decade of the Indigenous Languages (IDIL) 2022–2032, at ng SDGs Manila ResiliArt EarthSaving Event (sa ilalim ng UNESCO patronage) sa pangunguna ng International Theater Institute (ITI)-Philippines Center.

Horror at Vancouver: Filipino Festival Turns Tragic as Vehicle Rampage Claims Nine Lives

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

What began as a vibrant celebration of Filipino pride and heritage ended in unimaginable tragedy Saturday night when a black vehicle, described as "driving erratically," plowed into a festive crowd gathered for the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party. The horrifying incident left at least nine people dead and many others injured, shattering what was meant to be a joyous evening into one of grief and chaos.

At approximately 8:00 p.m. local time (0300 GMT), as music filled the air near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, families, friends, and children celebrated the heroism of Lapu-Lapu — the Filipino warrior who defied colonization centuries ago. But in an instant, the festivities turned into scenes of screams, sirens, and sorrow.

Witnesses recounted chilling moments of terror.

"I saw a black car weaving through traffic like it was out of control," one festival-goer told CTV News, still visibly shaken. "Before anyone could react, it came right at us."

In the immediate aftermath, acts of courage surfaced amid the chaos. Bystanders, propelled by instinct and bravery, pursued the driver after the collision. They managed to subdue the man until authorities arrived. Vancouver police later confirmed they arrested a 30-year-old Vancouver resident at the scene — a suspect who was already "known" to law enforcement.

The motive behind the atrocity remains unclear as investigations intensify. Police have not yet confirmed whether the act was deliberate or the result of a medical or mental health emergency. Regardless, the devastation inflicted on Vancouver’s Filipino community — and the city at large — is undeniable.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney voiced the nation’s heartbreak shortly after the news broke.

"I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu-Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening," Carney said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Community leaders and festival organizers, still reeling from the shock, called for prayers, solidarity, and strength in the face of an overwhelming tragedy. The Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party, intended to honor resistance and resilience, now carries a painful new significance for Vancouver’s Filipino population.

Medical personnel rushed the injured to nearby hospitals, while counselors and trauma specialists were dispatched to aid witnesses and survivors grappling with the psychological aftermath. Authorities urged the public to avoid the area and respect ongoing emergency operations.

As the city mourns, makeshift memorials of flowers, candles, and Filipino flags have begun to appear near the site of the catastrophe — silent testaments to the lives lost and the spirit of a community wounded but unbroken.

The Vancouver Police Department has promised to release further updates as investigations progress. For now, the city — and indeed the entire nation — stands in mourning, struggling to comprehend how a night of celebration turned into a nightmare.

The Deafening Silence: Why They Fear Vico Sotto

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In a political landscape dominated by noise, one silence is louder than the rest.

Where are the voices praising Vico Sotto?

Among our presidents, vice presidents, senators, and cabinet secretaries in the past six years—how many have openly acknowledged the achievements of the young Pasig Mayor? How often do they speak his name with admiration?

Rarely. Almost never.

This silence, deliberate and heavy, begs the question: Why?

Since June 30, 2019, Vico Sotto has served as Pasig’s mayor, leading not with grandstanding or empty promises, but with the most radical weapon in Philippine politics: honesty.

Each year under his leadership, Pasig has saved an astounding ₱1 Billion—without slowing down on infrastructure, public services, or social programs. He achieved this not by magic, but by simply doing what most refuse to:

Transparent and fair bidding processes.

Honorable and efficient use of public funds.

Ruthlessly eliminating questionable transactions.

While many politicians obscure their financial dealings in layers of bureaucracy, Sotto has done the opposite—consistently and publicly reporting financial matters to his constituents. His governance style is an open book, a mirror reflecting what public service should be but so rarely is.

In 2021, the U.S. State Department honored Vico Sotto as one of the world’s Anti-Corruption Champions—a title so rarely bestowed upon Filipino politicians that it should have sparked national pride and celebration.

Instead?

Silence.

Why?

Because Vico Sotto's unflinching transparency makes the powerful uneasy.

Because his integrity is a stark contrast to the smoke and mirrors that shield their own dealings.

Because his presence alone is a comparison—an indictment of the way things have always been.

The unspoken reality is this: They fear him.

Not for what he says, but for what he represents.

A future led by someone like Vico would mean a future where lifestyle checks are real, where SALNs (Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth) are not just paperwork but the start of investigations, where public office is truly for the public.

Many in power don't want that.

Many among us, if we are honest, don't either—we have grown too accustomed to the comforting lies.

There is talk—whispers in the crowd—that Vico Sotto should one day be president.

But make no mistake: the path will not be easy.

Without the traditional political machinery—the alliances with governors, mayors, congressmen who control the votes—he would walk a brutal and lonely road.

We’ve seen it before: local officials sabotaging campaign events by offering the worst venues, national figures withholding endorsements, entire party systems closing ranks to protect themselves from the threat of genuine reform.

They will fight to keep him small.

And yet, there is hope.

Because if change were easy, it would have happened already.

Because real change has always been led by the few, not the many.

Because sometimes, the right man simply refuses to be silenced.

We can only pray that Vico Sotto remains true to himself. That he survives the system that has consumed so many before him. That his honesty, the very thing that isolates him today, becomes the light that rallies a nation tomorrow.

In a country where truth is often whispered, Vico Sotto dares to speak it aloud.

And maybe—just maybe—that will be enough.