When the Department of Education confirmed that it is studying a shift to a trimester school calendar for basic education, the reaction was immediate and divided. I find the proposal bold, even tempting—but also risky in ways that cannot be ignored.

The present system, still recovering from pandemic disruptions and repeated calendar adjustments, is hardly a picture of stability. A trimester scheme promises shorter terms, more frequent breaks, and potentially better lesson pacing. In theory, that could mean less burnout for learners who now endure long, uninterrupted stretches of classes, especially in overcrowded public schools. Three terms may allow students to regroup, breathe, and return sharper. That rhythm, if carefully designed, might help attention spans that are already strained by gadgets, heat, and the sheer density of the curriculum.

Yet I cannot dismiss what this would demand from teachers. Teaching is not just delivery of lessons; it is planning, checking, meeting parents, filling out forms, and coping with endless administrative requirements. A trimester setup compresses time. Fewer weeks per term could mean faster coverage of competencies, tighter deadlines, and a race against the calendar. Without serious streamlining of paperwork and non-teaching tasks, the burden could intensify. The promise of “more breaks” may dissolve into shorter recovery periods between equally exhausting sprints.

Parents would also feel the shift. Many families plan work schedules, vacations, and even farm cycles around the school year. A trimester calendar could interfere with long-standing routines. Tuition and miscellaneous fees in private schools might be divided differently, which can affect household cash flow. On the other hand, more frequent breaks might give families regular windows for rest or bonding, instead of waiting for one long summer that sometimes arrives when everyone is already drained. For working parents, predictability will matter more than novelty.

There is also the question of facilities. A trimester system could, in principle, make better use of classrooms by redistributing schedules and possibly easing congestion if paired with other reforms. But if the number of students per room remains high and infrastructure gaps persist, the calendar alone will not cure overcrowding. Changing the rhythm of the year does not automatically build more classrooms or hire more teachers. Reform cannot be cosmetic; it must be structural.

I see a potential academic gain in pacing. Three grading periods might allow clearer checkpoints for mastery. Students who struggle in the first term would not have to wait too long for a fresh start. Remedial programs could be embedded between terms. Countries and universities that use trimester systems often argue that learning becomes more focused because each term has a defined arc. Still, basic education is not the same as college. Younger learners need continuity and routine. Too many breaks, if poorly timed, can disrupt momentum.

Another angle deserves attention: climate and health. The Philippines regularly suspends classes due to typhoons and extreme heat. A more flexible calendar divided into three parts might allow adjustments without throwing the entire year off balance. If a disaster disrupts one term, the damage is contained. In that sense, a trimester scheme could be a practical response to the realities of geography and weather. But flexibility must be backed by clear contingency plans, not improvisation.

Ultimately, I do not reject the idea outright, nor do I embrace it blindly. A trimester system could offer relief, focus, and resilience—but only if accompanied by real investment in teachers, facilities, and curriculum review. Without those, it risks becoming another reform that looks decisive on paper yet leaves classrooms gasping. If the shift proceeds, it must be gradual, consultative, and data-driven. Education reform is not a fashion statement; it is a long covenant with children, and it deserves patience as much as courage.

The landscape of leadership is undergoing a significant transformation, marked by the increasing presence and influence of women. This shift is not merely a matter of equality but a recognition of the unique strengths and perspectives that women bring to leadership roles, ultimately benefiting organizations and society as a whole.

The Benefits of Women in Leadership

Decades of research confirm that empowering women to take on leadership positions yields metamorphic effects for everyone. Some of these benefits include:

Improved financial performance: Companies with women in C-suite positions have a positive impact on overall performance and efficiency, with higher profits and better returns for shareholders.

Enhanced collaboration and innovation: Diversity in senior management fosters creativity and broader perspectives, leading to innovation through joint approaches.
Stronger employee engagement: Women leaders drive more engaged employees, which translates into significant organizational savings due to lower absenteeism and higher productivity.

Fairer treatment: The presence of a female leader leads to the anticipation of fairer treatment within the organization, regardless of the industry or level of hierarchy.
Transformational Leadership Styles

Studies suggest that female leaders demonstrate more transformational leadership styles, inspiring people and epitomizing what’s good in the organization. They are often perceived as more honest, intelligent, compassionate, outgoing, and creative than their male counterparts. This style involves:

Serving as role models: Epitomizing what’s good in the organization and inspiring people to align with its mission.

Effective communication: Creating a culture where compassion and vulnerability are celebrated, fostering open communication and trust.

Mentoring and support: Providing advice and mentorship to colleagues, acting as a catalyst for their personal and professional development.

Overcoming Barriers and Challenges

Despite the clear benefits, women continue to face challenges in achieving leadership roles. These include:

Underrepresentation: Women are still underrepresented in senior management roles, despite progress in education and the job market.

Bias and stereotypes: Women may experience bias due to gender, race, sexual orientation, or disability, affecting their career development and psychological safety.

Work-life balance: Balancing work and personal life remains a significant barrier, challenging the myth that women must sacrifice family life for success.

Strategies for Empowering Women in Leadership

To accelerate the progress of women in leadership, organizations can implement several strategies:

Diversify leadership positions: Ensure that female voices are heard and considered by increasing the number of women in executive positions.

Establish mentorship and sponsorship programs: Provide women with mentors for career guidance and sponsors who advocate for their advancement.

Implement fair and inclusive policies: Ensure equal treatment and opportunities for all, regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation.

Promote open communication: Create a safe environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their experiences and providing feedback.

Provide accessible resources: Ensure clear and easy processes for reporting harassment or discrimination, with accessible support resources.

Invest in training: Companies can invest in training their leaders to make hard decisions while also honoring the humanity of their team members.

The Path Forward

The shadows of a world once dominated by men, where women were unjustly treated as second-class citizens, are receding, giving way to a radiant dawn. In recent years, courageous women have risen, shattering glass ceilings and proving that their potential extends far beyond the walls of any home. Though the fight for gender equality continues, women are steadily claiming their rightful place, their voices resonating with strength and purpose, their contributions shaping a better tomorrow.

The journey toward gender equality in leadership is not just a necessity; it’s an inspiring call to action, inviting us to build a world where women stand tall as equals, their voices amplified in every sphere of decision-making. Their unique insights and talents are not merely valuable but essential, enriching our societies and paving the way for a future brimming with peace, justice, and prosperity for all. Let us unite to dismantle the barriers that hinder women’s progress, champion inclusive policies that celebrate diversity, and invest wholeheartedly in women’s education, health, and economic empowerment, creating a world where every woman can thrive and shine.

For women, empowerment is more than just occupying positions of power; it’s about igniting a fire within, illuminating the world with our brilliance, and demonstrating the immeasurable value we bring to every endeavor. It’s about standing shoulder to shoulder with men, not as rivals, but as allies, forging a path toward a brighter, more equitable future, where every voice is heard, and every dream can take flight.
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If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts on the column, feel free to send an email to jca.bblueprint@gmail.com. Looking forward to connecting with you!

THIS can only mean that our communication with God should be genuine, sincere and authentic. It’s about being honest about our thoughts, feelings and struggles. It should express our true intentions and desires.

It should not be about using fancy language or trying to impress. It’s about being real and open with God, connecting with God on a personal and emotional level, and speaking from a position of humility. It should be freed from pretenses, using the so-called “right words.”
This much we can gather from that gospel episode where Christ told his disciples: “When you pray, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their much speaking they may be heard. Be not you therefore like to them, for your Father knows what is needful for you, before you ask him.” (Mt 6,7-8) And from there he proceeded to give the ideal prayer which is the Lord’s Prayer or the “Our Father.”

In our quest to be true souls of prayer, we should see to it that our prayer really comes from our heart that is full of faith and humility. We have to be wary of our great tendency to be dominated by worldly and temporal concerns such that we fail to properly pray. That would be a disaster since that would be like being deluded that we are doing well in life when in fact we are failing big time.

We have to start to pick up the rudiments of prayer and begin the process of becoming authentic souls of prayer, such that wherever we are, whatever situation we may be in, somehow we are always praying, we are always in touch with God.

This should not be difficult because we know that God is always around. He is everywhere. Besides, he is always solicitous of us. He cannot fail to love us. We may fail him and earn his anger, but that anger would only be for a while, since his mercy is forever. We can always manage to pray any time and in any place if we just would have the proper disposition.

Definitely, we need to exercise our faith and be willing to exert effort and make sacrifices. That is how we can aspire to make our prayer alive always. We should put ourselves in God’s presence always so we avoid anonymity in our intimate conversations with him.
What can also help is to train and use our imagination in our prayer. In fact, we have to use all our human powers and faculties—our intelligence and will, our feelings and memory, etc.—in our prayer.

And we should be ready to handle the unavoidable difficulties in our prayer. There will be times when we would feel dry and uninspired or when we would be tempted to think that our prayer is going nowhere.

Those difficulties are actually opportunities to improve our prayer and to grow in our spiritual life. If we persevere in praying, using all the means that are always available, we will see how this improvement and growth are taking place, and be filled with joy and satisfaction.

We really need to learn to pray from the heart, which also means that prayer should be second nature to us. As such, prayer becomes a constant activity. We can and should turn everything into prayer.

Even our work and mundane affairs should be an occasion or even a means of prayer also. We should end up praying as we breathe, and as our heart beats. Thus, St. Paul once said: “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thes 5,17)

Why does a 1989 song from an old singer would be linked and be metaphoric for AI ?The answer is simple, it is that line in the second stanza that says “theres nothing I can do, to keep from loving you!”

You see AI is something that we cannot control from loving and that thing from“ controlling our life”.

The AI Impact Summit 2026 was held in New Delhi from February 16–20, 2026 at Bharat Mandapam and other venues. It brought together heads of state, policymakers, tech executives, civil society groups, and researchers from around the world. The summit concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, endorsed by 88 countries and international organizations.

This writer remembered now vividly about the words and warning of the man fondly called the Grandfather of Artificial intelligence, Geoffrey Hinton, has been outspoken about the future impact of artificial intelligence. After leaving Google in 2023 to speak freely, he has consistently warned about both the transformative potential and the existential risks of AI. Hinton, had always maintained that somehow we Humans are not used and accustomed to living with entities SAMRTER than us. And that work will be disrupted and the degree of disruption is beyond our control!

The simple tools we use daily just like the Ride Hailing App I use on the early morning commute, the automatic door that open and closes, the words to text we use in note taking, what happens when all these will go astray? Would the impact be simple or catastrophic?

As the world is being reshaped by AI, would it wrong to say that it is being reprogrammed and that its going to be beyond our control? When the Grandfather of AI, a Nobel Prize Laureate and researcher of neural superintelligence is worried, we ought and we must be worried too..