Phenomenal

Alex Eala proved she belongs to the top 100. She beat a higher ranked foe in the first round of the Madrid Open, another WTA 1000 level tournament. But she struggles for consistency under public expectation as she enters the main draw of the French Open for the first time.

But not Mondo Duplantis, the greatest pole vaulter cleared 6 meters the100th time. While EJ Obiena is yet to find the form that once vaulted him to the 6-meter club, he jumped to three golds in his successful comeback from injury.

Conversely, Petro Gazz snapped winning streak of the winningest team in the premiere volleyball league. The angels spread their widest wing span to uncool the Creamline smashers to a 3-1 game 3 mortality. It happens to the best of teams or athletes. Or any one for that matter. Even icons go to the unknown beyond.

Nora Aunor, the little girl who broke the color barrier in a brown country obsessed with white skin is now laid to rest in the heroes’ grave. The golden voice enthralled millions at a time when singing was not yet screaming. But the gold rust to abuse and lost to a botched reverse ageing procedure.

Despite losing her singing voice, she spoke the loudest, through her eyes, especially pain. She reached the pinnacle but was lonely at the top, and lonelier on her way down, despite millions who adored her without condition, even if she made bad choices in life, especially in love and vices.

 An ordinary woman with extraordinary talent in a small package leaves a body of work that moved and disturbed Filipino consciousness. Great on screen, she became the different faces of a struggling Filipina. Greater in the streets, she advocated for the marginalized, even against foreign military presence. Greatest in the hearts of many, for although she failed in her foray to politics, she gave and lost herself to others.

The country lost its national artist and the world lost Francis, probably the best pope ever who unsettled and updated an archaic church. Inclusive, he did not discriminate against different gender identities. He refused to judge, but stood clearly against war, genocide and human rights abuses. Transparent, he recognized sexual abuse by some men of cloth. Humble, he apologized for the sins of the church.

And simple. Averse to luxury, he declined a pricey car and gave it to charity. He flew economy while other religious leaders sit on bejeweled throne worshipped by believers impoverished to the bone. Faith blinds, the faithful sleep with faithless thieves in the dead of the night and embrace robbers in broad daylight. This phenomenon is not unique to faith, it is abundant in politics.