• A legal process that takes six years to resolve, discarding its original premises yet arrives at a severe conclusion, two activists were convicted of financing terrorism, with their case involving prolonged detention and collapsed evidence of their arrest.
• The 2025 Bar results showcase Eastern Visayas’s academic strength. DVOREF ranked 4th nationally with 85 successful bar examinees, ESSU produced 14 lawyers, and Christ the King College celebrated 10 passers—a collective triumph of perseverance and local investment in justice.
• The San Juanico Bridge, a vital link between Samar and Leyte, has a strict daytime weight limit for safety. This necessary measure disrupts commerce and travel, raising transport costs and creating a regional bottleneck.
• The New Year brings cautious hope after a 2025 marked by destructive storms, pervasive corruption, and the resulting erosion of public trust, which left many promises unfulfilled. We do not ask for miracles, only for honest leadership and competent governance to move forward.
• In Eastern Visayas, Christmas hope is tinged with anxiety over inflation and job security. Facing 2026, our resolution must be to meet uncertainty with our region’s hard-earned, defiant hope and shared commitment to building a better tomorrow.
• The PNP must move beyond reacting to viral scandals with press releases. To restore public trust, it must build proactive, internal accountability that enforces rules before the public sees them broken.
• Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla launches a digital Investment Management System to bring unprecedented budget transparency to Eastern Visayas. Its success depends on the political will to act on the inconvenient truths it reveals.
• The crippling 3-ton load limit on the San Juanico Bridge is severing the economic link between Leyte and Samar, causing layoffs, soaring logistics costs, and threatening regional business survival.
• A decade after Typhoon Yolanda, Tacloban City’s economy surged 8.2% in 2024, fueled by a services and tourism boom. Leaders must now ensure this robust, post-disaster growth becomes sustainable and inclusive for the entire region.
• The Senate’s suspension of flood control project hearings undermines public trust and transparency. Halting this probe into alleged corruption sends a dangerous message that accountability for mismanaged billions can wait.
Do We See a Calibrated Balance? 
Bar Exam Triumph: Eastern Visayas Law Schools Deliver a Landmark Achievement 
Our Bridge, Our Responsibility: Keeping San Juanico Strong and Safe 
A New Year Burdened by Corruption but Built on Resilience 
Finding Christmas Spirit in the Face of New Year’s Uncertainty 
Social Media’s Viral Verdict as Police Watchdog 
Data Transparency Plan to Drive Development in Eastern Visayas Faces Test of Political Will 
A Bridge Too Weak: The Economic Chokehold on Leyte and Samar 
A Blueprint for Resilient Growth Must Not Be Wasted 
Stopping the Flood of Truth