The Beacon Newsmagazine September-October 2015 Issue

Vol. 69 Issue No. 1

September - october 2015

ALCALA. BANTAY. ORTEGA. ORTEGA

LEADING LADIES LADIES leading byAUDRIE AUDRIE SEPE BY SEPE

CONTENTS table of

editorial board Editor in Chief: Trisha Ortega Internal Managing Editor: Irene Wahab External Managing Editor: John Xyrious Dela Cruz Features Editor: Franco Rivas Cananea News Feature Editor: Kent Kerby Bayona News Editor: Fathima Ahamed Kabeer Deputy Internal Managing Editor: Ciara Mae Obillo Deputy External Managing Editor: Christine Therese Oboy Associate Features Editor: June Karlo Suan Associate News Features Editor: Christianne Dawn Sicat Associate News Editor: Fatima Mandangan Finance Officer: Arjay Jumawan Communications Officer: Jessanell Sevilla Physical Property and Maintenance Officer: Julius Elciario Auxiliary Corps: Monique Praico, Joyce Sophia Carpitanos

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LA PUrisima Marijuana

PAPERLESS=RECEIPTLESS?

07 sOUL-SEARCHING IN RESEARCH WANNA BE ON TOP?

The BEACON Atelier Creative Director: Bianca Alyana Zamora Head Cartoonist: Ioneebel Garcia Head Photographer: Lea Alessandra Lim Cartoonists: Fahad Alfad, Patricia Denise Apolinario, Hazel Rosie Bayaras, Roderick Mendoza Jr., Christopher Tabula, Jonie Alaban, Alana Lois Alano, Deanna Rose Bucoy, Joshua Cabrezos, Nica Franz Visitacion Photographers: Ivan Emmanuel Bokingkito, Darrylene Clemente, Ryan Covarrubias, Yves Xaviery Valerio, Mark Phillip Ycaza, Roseller Gyle Samong, Mohammad Sarajan Layout Artists: Jamie Catherine Go, Ray Andrew Santiago, Eleazar Torres, Lord John Luza Moderator: Mr. Marion Guerrero

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12 Comida Zamboangue単a The Battle for City Hall: Beng vs. Celso

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Provocation, Persuasion, Position PROFILES: NURBONG

Associate Editor for SINAG: Pristine Janielle Padua Writers: Jorace Martini Dayrit, Ivon Macapla, Amira Solaiman, Alymrah Anuddin, Gillian Manalo, Loren Justo, Mark Macaso, Irene Wahab, Rizanna Narag, Putli Amilbangsa, Audrie Keith Sepe, Jamila Becca Daud, Charle Kent Lim, Mary Kathereen Cacayan, Nehemiah Araojo, Katleen Tampos, Therese Duterte

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10 POISONOUS ANONYMOUS: ADZU SECRET FILES CARING, REARING THE FUTURE

Associate Editor for Reveille: Aseya Khadija Calo Writers: Keith Joshua Dumpit, Neilson Nick Alinsangan, Mia Falcasantos, Aeon Abad, John Dexter Canda, Leonette Sadioa, Al Asmad, Aisha Ibrahim, Bianca Roma de Leon, Charmine Bannister, Hasmina Alfad, Anne Falcasantos, Candeline Galvan, Abdelaziz Maldisa, Clark Punzalan, Darwin Lacbao, Diego Esperat, Harmony Lucero, Dave Cervas

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HOW CHEATING CAN HELP SAvE OUR WORLD

IN THE DEFENSE OF THE JEJE

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24 WANTED: mR. & MS. aTENEO THE BEACON AT 70

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Editorial

The wise and only option

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a t 70

Released in 1946, the Issue No. 2, Vol. 1 of the BEACON Courtesy of Ma. Christina A. Canones/ADZU Archives

he Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC)-EDSA fracas is one of the many issues 2016 candidates chose not speak about. The presidential candidates, who rarely refuse to remain silent, went mute because one wrong statement is equivalent to thousands and millions of lost votes, thus slimmer chances of winning the race.

BY TRISHA ORTEGA AND PRISTINE JANIELLE PADUA

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In case you are unaware as to how united the INC members are, think of them as a hive. The queen leads, all the other bees follow. It is an obedience bordering on being an obstruction to one’s freedom to vote. If these are our candidates—politicians who would rather garner votes than speak up against the injustices brought about by certain phenomena—what are we left with?

PHOTOS BY RYAN COVARRUBIAS

hen we have reached nearly three quarters of a century, it is with fond and gratified remembrance that we look back at all that The BEACON Publications has accomplished as it nears its 70th year:

This is where you, our dear readers, can help eradicate the political culture of valuing position over service. Every Filipino who has reached the age of majority is eligible to vote. The right to such is inherent and does not come with a price. What one simply needs to do is register in the Commission on Elections office.We live in a democratic country; we vote for who we believe is worthy of being voted. If we cast them only once every three or six years, should we not make them count?

You may opt to vote wisely or otherwise. One thing is certain, though: if you are tired of politicians who only work pre-election by reconstructing roads that are perfectly intact, or unqualified candidates who win because of surnames, or leaders who feed off of Pork Barrel funds, or cowards who refuse to stand up for the prejudiced just so they could garner votes from the masses or a group, the wise and only option is to vote honestly and smartly.

If one bee is not enough to produce the sweetest of honeys, one whole colony is. ●

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It is during the school year of 2014-2015 that The BEACON Publications has experienced its early renaissance. In this school year alone, The BEACON has published seven issues – twice as much as what is regularly published in a single school year.

The BEACON Publications traces its beginnings to 1946, a year after the Philippines was liberated from Japanese reign at the end of World War II; the same year Ateneo de Zamboanga resumed classes in La Purisima, now known as the Fr. Eusebio Salvador, SJ Campus. Its first editor-in-chief was Jesus P. Delgado with Adolfo C. Navarro as mod-

It was realized that BEACON is not only home of some of AdZU’s competent writers, but it also takes pride to being the nest of some of AdZU’s best ingeniousartists. For this reason, Mélange, The BEACON Atelier’s official photo and arts folio, made its debut this school year.

Aside from newspapers, newsmagazines, and literary folios, a national folio in collaboration with publications from all Ateneo schools from all

erator. Ten years later, in 1956, The BEACON published its first issue in magazine format.

over the country will also be launched in 2016 January.

The years have subsequently flown by, amid forty volumes and nearly a hundred issues of paper imbibed with ink, memberships to organizations such as the College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines, and triumphs in press conferences and competitions such as the 2001 Gawad Ernesto Rodriguez, Jr. for the best literary and artistic folio among campus publications in the Philippines.

As it persists on scribbling more pages into its continuing narrative, The BEACON admits that it had encountered failures and triumphs in the past but these proved to be no obstacles in the pursuit of responsible journalism. As a student publication geared towards campus press freedom and campus journalism, The BEACON Publications still has a long way to go.Yet in the true spirit of magis, itconstantly perseveres to be more, to be of more.

In 2012, The BEACON Reveille was launched on the occasion of the centennial year of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University. Two years later, in 2014, The BEACON released its maiden issue of SINAG, the first and only multilingual student publication in the Philippines, featuring articles written in Chavacano, Sugbuanon, and Tausug among other regional languages.

As The BEACON Publications verges its 70th year, it looks back with gratitude and appreciation to all those who labored to start the flicker of light in a quaint campus in La Purisima to blaze like a radiating beacon– enlightening, stimulating, and inciting. Join us in 2016, in the 70th year of The BEACON Publications – 70 years of being your voice and your light. ●

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Digging Your Own Dave

BY DAVE CERVAS

The Seven Deadly Maralita Sins

“Unraveling the ethos of Maralita Problems is a cranial-activity that exhausts the creative juices of one’s mind.”

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Live-stream Lovers

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Torrent Toe Tappers

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Paper Paupers

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Pirated Paraphernalia Purchasers

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Boxed-lunch Believers

o your basic needs overshadow the luxuries you unendingly lust?

Do money-involved decisions in your life deliver you befuddling braingasms? Do you feel entrapped in the dilemma because your wallet is nothing but broke? Do you suffer the psychological warfare popularly dubbed as Maralita Problems? In one way or another, here are seven evident tendencies that will indicate if you fall prey into this despicable state:

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This is possibly the mildest display of being a maralita. The hurried act of begging for a piece of processed wood to serve as a sheet for an unannounced exam constitutes the traits of being a paper pauper. They are those who instantly turn into idolaters of varying sorts. They are constant seekers of whole-size intermediate papers. They are avid fans of half-size lengthwise and crosswise sheets, ultimate devotees of quarter-size leaves.

Having an amount of cash not reaching three units, a maralita is an aficionado of every available and cheap rice-in-a-box variety sold in the two floors of the AdZU Cafeteria. They have a mental outline of the type of assortment they deem as their choice to fill a six-day long never-ending mission of budgeting. At the most common cases, these cut-offs are complemented with continuous meet-ups with the eight water fountains around the whole campus.

Free-Food Fanatics When the abovementioned incident of accounting does not serve your standard of a maralita, this supersedes the vein attempt of minimization. Maralitas naturally adore their friends. Nonetheless, they exude much more intimacy than usual during three extraordinary circumstances: when a friend’s birthday is fast approaching, when it is a friend’s birthday, or when a friend genuinely yet irrationally decides to treat people who are closest to him. The concept of “If it is meant to be, then it will be,” does not apply in this extreme model. Instead, what fits in this moment of dire setting are two notions: “If you want it, then you work for it,” and “If there is a will, there is a way.”

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Live-streaming is the medium of connection that is most appreciated by maralitas. Not affording the cost of attending their favorite bands and artists’ concerts live, they invest their luck in crappy streaming channels. And at the end of the concert schedule, they realize that the split-second moment where the coverage has actually served its function was useless in aiding their delusional attempt to find a compromise for a thousand-peso worth of experience. Not so fast in becoming a free-rider, economically.

You are a maralita if you cannot meet the expense of watching blockbuster movies in formal cinemas and theatres. As an alternative, you find pleasure on waiting law-breakers to illegally videotape-record a lavishly funded production and then toe-tap in pure bliss as it gets updated in the most convenient torrent sites and eventually becomes free from any financial obligations.

This sign is similar with the previous tendency of a maralita.

Instead of allocating 120 pesos for authentic viewing and consequently have the attested right to present feedbacks and make accurate comments, maralitas gamble the assurance supplemented by original copies as the pirated CDs contain incomplete versions because of probable interruptions during the ‘filming’ of the movies. However, this is overlooked because it is much better to circumvent or deceive the law and miss certain seconds of a twohour long movie rather than using P120 worth of legal enjoyment.

After all, there are numerous maralitas doing the same thing so it is not an isolated situation in any way. And those unwatched scenes uncapped by the pirated paraphernalia could be just inquired to those who were courageous enough to pay their share of bucks. Fair play to everyone, equal indeed.

Penny Polices The ultimate maralita is both a charm speaker and a corrupt police. Maralitas entrance their friends to ask for spare coins to shoulder their photocopies’ charge, class contributions for feast celebrations, or simply for their jeepney fares. They strong-arm to successfully witness the realization of their preconceived goals.

They practice the art of collective solicitation as they usually involve huge number of participants and collect negligible, small amounts from everyone. Thus, they reach their quota expectations and satisfy their self-serving needs.

Unraveling the ethos of Maralita Problems is a cranial-activity that exhausts the creative juices of one’s mind. Solving these is as difficult as merely characterizing its features. Instead, a fine line of thrust is to further enhance the craftiness of being a maralita. After all, the benefits of being one seem to outweigh the costs. ● |25

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n the advent of globalization, distinct trends are rapidly adapted by the society, especially by the youth, as mostly projected in the culture of being "cool." One of these commonly sought-after trends is smoking marijuana. Influential celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dog and Rihanna, through their incorporation of marijuana in accentuating their masterpieces (which comes in the form of music), echo a culture of glamorizing marijuana use.

Due to a widespread and growing rate of consumption, it has come to a point that an act that was once considered illegal has been legalized in certain countries including the Netherlands, Uruguay, and in some parts of the US and Canada.

Ysabel Rochella Enriquez

“Masaya. Masaya siyang gawin.” – Coming from two graduating students of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, a statement expressing their state of euphoria in using marijuana.

Though she loves painting, playing the piano and the guitar and some basketball on the side, she has all her time to be active in her church. For her, the essence of her course is caring. According to her, the moment she sees her patients smile because of the care she provided them is a very fulfilling moment.

MAC “Let go and let God.”

Favorite MAKEUP BRAND: Thought provoke:

John Thomas Luna

LA PURISIMa MARIJUANA

Oftentimes, it is not surprising to hear stories of people using marijuana, even if it is illegal in our country. However, when such act is done by students who are products of Jesuit and Catholic education, the matter becomes a subject of irony.

The BEACON interviewed two female students of AdZU who admitted to their regular pot consumption. Upon request to withhold their identities, we shall name them Mary and Jane.

When did you start smoking weed?

Mary: First year college.

Jane: Second year college.

What or who influenced you to do it?

Mary: Internet... Mga kapitbahay ko rin– close kasi kami.

Jane: Friends.

Why do you do it?

Mary: Masaya siya. Tapos lumalawak din yung isip mo. May mga bagay kang biglang mare-realize na hindi mo naiisip dati.

Jane: Masaya. Masaya siyang gawin. Like, yung saya na nararamdaman mo kapag nakikita mo yung crush mo, higit pa ‘dun yung saya kapag ginawa mo ‘to.

Where do you get your supply of weeds?

Mary: Sa kasama naming taga-(name of a local private school) If you have any knowledge as to how many other AdZU students smoke marijuana, can you give us a rough estimate?

Mary: Mga 50 ata...

Jane: 50 or more, pero mga kakilala pa lang namin ‘yun.

Are you aware that such act is illegal? If yes, why still do it?

Mary: Yes, aware kami na illegal siya. Bakit namin ginagawa pa rin? ‘Yun nga, kasi masaya. Hindi mo maa-achieve ‘yung level na happiness na ‘yun unless gawin mo siya. Hindi naman kami masasamang tao.

Jane: Aware ako. Masaya siyang gawin. At alam namin na hindi naman kami nananakit ng ibang tao. Wala naman kaming ginagawang masama sa iba. Hindi katulad ‘pag nalasing ka, aware ka pa rin sa ginagawa mo ‘pag nagsmoke ka.

He is a self-confessed music man who started playing the piano when he was 7 years old. Through the years, Ateneo has instilled within him the Ignatian core values, magis and cura personalis. During duties, he gets to touch his patients’ lives and how in return they also somehow get to touch his.

BY ASEYA KHADIJA CALO AND ANNE LOUISE FALCASANTOS

Favorite FOOD:

In addition to these responses, Mary and Jane also mentioned that they carry with them the paraphernalia for smoking weeds. "Hindi naman chine-check ni guard yung pockets, kaya nakakapasok yung material sa loob ng school."

Thought

To establish a fair view in the issue, The BEACON also conducted an interview with the Director of Student Affairs, Stevan Dimaguila. When asked with the question if the office is aware that students are coming to school with or have smoked marijuana, Dimaguila offers the answer, "I'm not aware na meron because I have not encountered...."

When pressed on how the office plans to address the matter at hand, considering that youth icons today trend smoking weeds, and are naturally idolized and imitated by various youth, Dimaguila said that the school offers a line of advocacies that will help the students deliberate what is right from wrong. "We have the RS, we have Philosophy. You are being taught how to, more or less, be able to have that critical thinking – is this good, is this bad, is it good for you, is it bad for others?"

Though, admittedly, the office has an absent anti-drug campaign, Dimaguila emphasizes that he trusts the students of the institution, saying that he believes that they are mature enough to discern their actions. In facing the issue, he mentioned the need for a person “to have an open mind and an open heart.”

In a follow-up question posed by The BEACON, asking what if students who engage in smoking marijuana influence the people surrounding them and lead to an aftermath of significant population of marijuana users, Dimaguila turns optimistic and relates that, what if their friends (the non-smokers) are the ones who will influence them? If the process will go this way, the marijuana users may come to a point of realization and stop what they are doing. This, then, will reduce the population of the marijuana users.

Confronted with a great deal of societal ills, it is up to the individual to use the values taught during his or her upbringing, as a basis for weighing the moral value of an action. An individual does an act based on two codes – the code that pulls an individual to follow the society's norms of right and wrong, and the code that tells a person to simply follow his or her own happiness. In serious cases, rarely do these two codes coincide. There is all but one thing to do: choose a code.●

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Spaghetti provoke: “Always be humble in victory and never be bitter in defeat.”

Ayesha Saddaramil She may seem girly and formal sometimes, but she is very much into sports. She plays badminton, lawn tennis, and volleyball. This 4th Year ABIntS also enjoys reading. Her course challenges her to step out of her comfort zone, as it tests her ability to act with utmost confidence, within the parameters of diplomacy.

Favorite book:

“Wild Orchids” by Jude Deveraux Thought provoke:

“If you believe it, you can achieve it.”

Mohammad Sarajan A junior taking up BAComm, he has been joining marathons for about two years now because it makes it challenges him. A gifted photographer, many of the photos he has takenhave been featured in multiple VSCO feeds online. He has also hosted an exhibit of his works. For him, Ignatian spirituality is spirituality for everyday life.

Favorite brand of shoes: ASICS Thought provoke: “There will always

be someone who is better at whatever you’re doing, but you can always be the most hardworking person and the most hardworking will always win.”

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Queendel Vanee Garcia

A veteran in joining pageants and a BSEd major in Biological Sciences sophomore, she has won titles in the short time she has been joining them. According to her, in the School of Education, they are trained to make students be the best in everything that they do, to always be the best version of themselves.

PAPERLESS=RECEIPTLESS?

BY NEHEMIAH ARAOJO, CHARMINE BANNISTER AND JAMILA DAUD

Favorite TV SHOW:

It’s Showtime!

Thought provoke:

T

ate the paperless slash receiptless transactions in our cafeteria? Shouldn’t axes, in many ways, are a crucial part of nation-building. It the issuance of receipts be a must because it is one of the little ways to serves as the country’s fuel as it basically keeps it moving. thwart fraudulent filing of taxes? Not that we are condemning the business From the building and maintenance of infrastructures like owners of that. But how can we be assured of their honesty in filing their roads and bridges, to the salaries of the public servants as- ITRs? suring our safety; these are provided by the government using the very taxes they collect from people. These taxes fund the serSecond offense First offense Second offense First offense vices that make living light for us. Yes, us.

For printing or causing, For failure to issue or abetting the We are all using this variety of services as P10,000 P20,000 aiding receipts or sales printing of: or commercial issues they are available to the society as a whole; a) Receipts or invoices without authority from P10,000 P20,000 For refusal to issue which is why, as citizens of this country, we receipts or sales or P25,000 P50,000 the BIR commercial issues are greatly obliged and even legally-boundb) Double or multiple Not subject to compromise sets of receipts or ed to pay taxes. Though the importance of invoices For issuance of receipts P1,000 P2,500 that do not truly reflect c) Receipts or invoices paying tax is already much emphasized in and/or contain all the not bearing any of the information required to P5,000 P10,000 following: our community, there are still those who fail be shown Name of taxpayer to pay their fair share of tax. Transparency If the information missing P2,000 P5,000 is the correct amount of Business Style the transaction and reporting of income then becomes a Business address If the duplicate copy of responsibility in this case. We should then of the person or the invoices is blank but entity to use P10,000 P20,000 the original copy thereof the same be wary even in our own community. is detached from the

Amount of Compromise Penalty

booklet

Regarding this matter, how are the stalls in Café Atenista doing?

Taxpayer Acct. No.

For possession or use of unregistered receipts or invoices

P10,000

P20,000

For use of unregistered cash register machines in lieu of invoices or receipts

P25,000 P50,000

Name, address, date, authority no. of the batch or receipts printed VAT No., if taxpayer is VAT-registered For failure of the printer to submit the required quarterly report under Sec. 238 of the Tax Code as amended

Issuance of receipts serves as proof P1,000 P3,000 For possession or use of of transaction to consumers; a reliable stateNot subject to compromise multiple or double receipts or invoices ment that a sale has happened and respective payments are received. We interviewed the “We have no jurisdiction over the reporting of their income,” stall owners in Café Atenista, and it seems that issuance of receipts is said Angela Baes, University Treasurer. The Finance Office claims they done only upon request of the buyer and not voluntarily. Upon this reare only responsible in collecting the rents and bills from each stalls as quest of the buyer, the one attending to the stall then writes the details of the sale made in a piece of paper that will serve as a receipt. This is the money goes into funding the scholarships within the school. As for the income of the businesses, it goes straight to the BIR as the owners understandable, since as we know, regular stall buyers would not see of each stall attend to their own financial statement. This goes to show the need to be issued a receipt for having bought a fifteen-peso drinkthat the office doesn’t have mechanisms to follow into assuring that these ing water, but in terms of business, it serves a great role in their filing stalls are indeed stating their income accurately. The thought might sound of their income tax returns (ITR) which determines their tax liability. startling, but the stalls so far haven’t encountered problems regarding their The responsibility of issuing receipts is stated in Sections 113, 237 statement of their income. So it is safe to say that they are doing their reand 238 of the National Internal Revenue Code. It isessential to have sponsibilities as tax payers. accurate accounting records evidenced by receiptsso that the business owners can report correct incomes. In this way, are assured to be pay- The importance of paying taxes couldn’t be stressed enough. ing their tax as they should.

The seemingly underdeveloped country might even be from the fact that

We are legally bound to pay our taxes correctly. People or establishments that report inaccurate statement of income and fail to pay their corresponding tax liability are subjected to the penalties as shown in the table.

there are still people that don’t pay their taxes as they should. The also seemingly lack of services and the feeling that it’s always not enough might be from the same reason. If people do want changes in the system and all these things, they should also consider and think that it is them who make up the country, and it is them who are responsible for the changes they want to see in it. ●

“There is no greater triumph than God. Believing in Him is the most important thing.”

Novruz Orayev

He hails all the way from Turkmenistan, a landlocked Central Asian republic, to take up BSEd major in English as a means to be better in the said language. This hardcore football fan has been playing the sport since he was 8 years old and initially wanted to become a professional player. On the School of Education, says: “There are a lot of good and kind teachers who teach me what I like to learn.”

Favorite Filipino food: Chicken Adobo Thought provoke: “Don’t let your past

define your future.”

Sitti Fatima Chua This junior BSBA has been playing football for three years now and she considers this her childhood sport. A firm believer in the value of magis, she never wants to settle for less. She also happens to be one of the most active and visible El ConsejoAtenista officers as its Department of Student Involvement secretary.

Favorite Athlete: Thought provoke:

Messi “All ways, always.”

Harold Henry Jumawan

Playing for the Ateneo de Zamboanga basketball varsity team is a way for this 4th Year BSOA to live out the Ateneo spirit. Besides playing hoops, he is also inclined toplaying the guitar and the piano, singing and dancing. Though others see his course as the lowest of the low, he saysthey are not really what others perceive them to be, they’re much more than that.

Favorite song: Thought provoke:

“Dessert” by Dawin “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you.”

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: D E T WAN

Soul-Searching

Mr. & Ms. Ateneo A

BY AISHA PUY IBRAHIM AND HARMONY LUCERO

teneo de Zamboanga University has long eschewed the idea of holding pageants pitting its long-warring academic organizations and units in an embarrassing display of superficiality. However, this did not stopThe BEACON to scout for possible “candidates” for our imaginary Mister and Miss Ateneo—a male and a female student who transcend a pleasing personality, embodies true Atenean values, performs well academically, brings pride to the school, and are achievers in their own way.

in Research

BY CHARLE KENT LIM AND RIZANNA NARAG

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he Ateneo de Zamboanga University, known to be an institution that produces excellent research studies, once again made name in both national and local scenes as Cindy Ann J.Quaile, and Myra Cel L. Espinosa triumphed in two different research conventions, early this year. Both drew an inspiration in creating their research about the tragic Zamboanga Siege.

Quaile, a faculty member of the School of Liberal Arts brought pride in the institution not just once but twice and now for the third time, as her research study entitled “Impact of the Siege on the Zamboanga Economy” availed a package in financing her study.

Qualie’s research focuses on the impact of the Zamboanga Siege to the major sectors of Zamboanga City’s economy and if such sectors recovered from the incident. Her two other research studies that were already published in 2013 and 2006, one is on barangay leadership (published in TAMBARA, the research publication of the Ateneo de Davao University) and “Local Government Expenditure and Income: A Case of the Four Cities in the Zamboanga Peninsula.”

Moreover, Espinosa, a Bachelor of Arts Major in Communication graduate, brought honor to the university as her research entitled “The Living Conditions of Zamboanga Siege Internally Displaced Persons” was awarded as the Moderators Choice. Her paper was about addressing the living conditions and the needs of the Internally Displaced Persons by the government through their desired channel of communication. There were at least 10-15 research entries and Ms. Espinosa is the only representative from AdZU who participated in the 2015 National Communication Research Conference held at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

In line with these achievements, Ateneo Research Center (ARC), the office in charge when it comes to research endeavors, offers incentive package to motivate faculty members to conduct research. Aside from Quaile’s package availed, other incentives include those for basic education faculty, andfor non-teaching personnel. According to Marilyn T. Miguel, ARC’s research assistant at the ARC, AdZU is doing well so far in its research agenda. She hopes that in the near future, AdZU will be at its best when it comes to research. The ARC is doing its finest ways to achieve that goal, she added.

Furthermore, Michelle Reyes, chair of the Languages Department and herself an English 112 instructor said that faculty members are more than willing to conduct researches but they do not have enough time to put emphasis on this matter. Research-making consumes time, demands time and it needs time and their time allocation is well divided according to priorities. Teachers do not know where to insert doing research or research writing if they are loaded with 21 units or more to teach.

In response to this year’s 13th Development Policy Research Month with the theme “TamangRegulasyon para sa Patuloy na Pagahon (Effective Regulations for Sustainable Growth),”this serves as a reminder that the improvement for regulatory quality should be abreast, to guarantee that the policies and laws are in line with the public’s interest and innovativeness. This annual nationwide event is aimed at advertising and promoting the importance of policy research to the public which helps in nation building. Quaile added that the university is improving its state of research, however students still need to develop the needed communication skills as still some are not yet prepared to overcome the struggles of making research studies. She also said thatthe faculty and students’ research studies have not yet been made bases into actual policies, but still they are looking forward to it.Everybody must be serious and strict in doing research because the readers want the truth. She says, “Even though the truth hurts, still strive for it because a research paper without facts, is not a research paper at all.”

For a teacher’s point of view, Reyes said that based on her observations, students are actually afraid to go to English 112 because of the course title itself (Research and Academic Writing). Students find it hard to choose a topic or problem that centers in their research proposal. Graduating students also do thesis writings for the sake of passing and to graduate on time, the willingness to do is not within these students, they are not well motivated but still, their researches are off quality because everything will reflect on their instructor. In sum, Reyes believes that students have not imbibed the culture of research.

“How can students get into it if faculty members are also not into it, how can we share something that we don’t have? In terms of research, we are still immature,” said Reyes. Research teachers really contribute a lot on how students perceive research. They should set as an example to students, they should influence students aside from helping them. “We have good teachers, we have intelligent teachers, in terms of capacity and ability, and we know they can. Time is really our enemy,” she supplemented.

One of the most challenging things every Atenista submits himselfinto is constructing one’s research paper or thesis, which is especially true in taking English 112 or a major. Well, one does not really need to have an Einstein-like intelligence or Freud-like exotic yet imaginative mind to complete such research or thesis. “In writing a research paper, you may always feel down and hopeless. But when you finally finish it, all the sacrifices and efforts will be paid off. Always dare to do things that you think is impossible, and be proud to share your knowledge to other people.At the end of the day, we are Ateneans, men and women for others. Constantly look for your soul in research, you need to find your center before anything else, imbibe its (research) culture and you’re halfway done,” furthered Espinosa. ● |07

Debra Ann Ponce

This BSAc sophomore is one of the youngest ever to clinch a Mindanao-wide debate title. Inclined to listening to playing the violin, she feels that her course makes her “appreciate and value the small things in life, things that we don’t value that much as students.”

Favorite movie: “White Chicks” Thought provoke: “Whatever you are, be a good one.”

Jude Paraguya

A BSAT senior who was initially interested in singing but later on got inclined to dancing. Now he does both as president of the Ateneo Blue Vigors. Being a dancer, he believes in the value of magis. He dances not just for himself but for the happiness of others as well.

Favorite artist: Chris Brown Thought provoke: “Hard work beats talent.”

Nicole Erika Lim

Her passion for painting and creating digital art made her one of the few ladies taking up BSNMCA. A mainstay of the Animation Lab she often feels the pressure due to the deadlines of her projects and the rejection of her works. But she takes them all positively with the firm belief that all these things will prepare her for the future.

Favorite youtuber: Daniela Andrande “Things happen for a reason, Thought provoke:

but you make things happen and you can change them.”

Lorenzo Gabriel Limbaga

The current SALT president is on his last year as a BSBio major, who accordingly has the highest WPA among all the students in AdZU. Unlike most people who squirm at the sight of a dissected frog/shark/cat, the Bio Lab is his “crib.” He believes that magis is founded on the love or interest in what you are doing, which is why he incorporates the value in everything he does.

Favorite color: Gray Thought provoke: “Everything is an opportunity to

grow, to become a better person.” |22

PADUA PARA SA MASA

BY PRISTINE JANIELLE PADUA

L Wanna bE on top?

BY SENIOR WRITERS JOHN XYRIOUS DELA CRUZ AND KEITH JOSHUA DUMPIT

B

oard exams are such nerve-racking eventsthat when a fresh graduate takes it, he or she hopes it’ll be the first and last one he or she will ever take. Preparing for the board exam is a long and tedious process, but when one makes the cut and earns his or her professional license, every ounce of sweat and blood becomes worth the effort.

However, the preparations for the board exams do not rest solely on the students. The university itself, through its colleges and their respective professors and facilitators, are also gearing up for the final challenge. Board exams usually take place during the months of May or October and we are all witnesses as our newly graduates take on the exams be it the Nursing Licensure Examination, the CPA Board Exam, or the licensure examinations for teachers, doctors and engineers.

Gearing for Battle

“Kahit tiring ‘yong review, ang alam ko nag-enjoy ako,” said Jomarie Mhel Himor, 10th placer in the recent May 2015 Nursing Licensure Examination. Just a few weeks after graduation, these nursing graduates immediately embarked on a two-month long review process, which some of them saw as

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a huge sacrifice.

The atmosphere in the Nursing review process was stringent yet optimistic. The review team, composed of clinical instructors (CIs), guided the reviewees every step of the way, be it in their review or in preparing their documents. Himor said that the CIs would attend to all of their paperwork, such as their filings to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), just so they could stay in the Campion Lecture Hall and listen to the lecturer.

She added that the CIs would reproach them when they were dissatisfied with the exam results during the review. “Hindi biro ang mag review araw-araw nang dalawang buwan,” said Maria Kristel Rose Vesagas, 7th placer in the May 2015 NLE. Nevertheless, this conditioning worked wonders for the May 2015 NLE batch, which led to a 95.08 percent passing rate for first-timers and an overall Ateneo de Zamboanga performance of 92.36 percent.

On the other hand, Armee Jay Cresmundo, a faculty of the Accountancy Department of the School of Management and Accountancy, shared the preparations of their department regarding this year’s CPA Board Exam. He noted, “Aside from

In the Defense of the Jeje

et me paint you a picture of an indifferent, aloof, NBSB college junior in her penultimate year as a teenager: she has shoulder length hair, half-black and half-light golden brown after vowing to never have her hair dyed again (she does not give a hoot about appearances); she has no-nonsense square wire-rimmed prescription glasses that make her look like your aunt or some other spinster relative (she still does not give a hoot about appearances); she has a resting bitch face – a mouth whose corners are always turned down, always disproving; a nose that easily crumples upwards in obvious distaste; a pair of eyes that may be impaired, but still judges as fiercely as a thousand suns of Apollo; and just an overall aura of cynicism grounded on the thousand or so lives she has lived vicariously through books.

Obviously, she is an embittered, non-hopeful romantic, non-believer of neither hearts nor flowers, the pragmatic type when it comes to love. She won’t even bat an eyelid at the cheesiest, oeeygooee-iest of sweet nothings and pick-up lines. And don’t even get her started on knock knock jokes a two-year-old or even your dad may deliver. Just, no. But she still feels, and the few times she gives in to the feels, she feels them really strongly bruh.

Case in point, on the afternoon of July 16, at about 1:47 p.m., the monotonous world as this manhid little lass knew it erupted insmoke, flames, bright flashes of thunder and streaks of iridescent hues. Tingling sensations shot out from the tips of her fingers, the hairs on her arms stood on end, and the bottom of her stomach felt like it fell through. And though she may have the hardest of shells, her soft little heart quivered to Brandon Beal’s Twikilay (Miley dundundundun dun; like Miley). All this because Yaya Dub, played by Maine Mendoza, broke character when she noticed Alden Richards in the audience watching her. And for the first time in forever (or since the last time she held eye contact with her crush – eons ago), this little embittered, non-hopeful romantic, non-believer of hearts nor flowers, the pragmatic type when it comes to love – this little girl actually felt hoity-toity kilig.

Since that fateful July 16 afternoon, AlDub, a portmanteau of the names Alden and Yaya Dub, has trended almost everyday. During the first time they saw each other in person, the hashtag #ALDDUBBATTLEForACAUSE trended worldwide, garnering about 5.7 million tweets, breaking that of the previous highest number of tweets in the Philippines during the Papal Visit. The next Saturday, AlDub met again and with the hashtag #ALDUBTheAbduction, they again trended worldwide and broke their previous record on Twitter with 6.37 million tweets. And then the next Saturday, during their first date, with the hashtag #ALDUBMostAwaitedDate, they not only broke their previous record, but they also doubled it, amassing 12 million tweets.

Unwittingly, a small percentage of those tweets were tweeted by this little embittered, non-hopeful romantic, non-believer of hearts nor flowers, this – okay, I shall stop referring to myself in the third person point of view; I was never a closeted fan anyway, and I am certifiably AlDubnation all the way, errday, all day, 5ever, 5lyf! I never had doubts about tweeting what I tweeted and I will never be embarrassed if and when anyone calls me out as so masa, so maralita, so jeje. In the first place, what is so wrong with finding happiness in something so bakya, so local, so Filipino?

The fact that anything AlDub can trend worldwide for a day and break several tweet records with each passing weekgalvanizes the idea that something so cheap and shallow can actually make people come together.

These occurrences also reinforce the one fact that many anti-bakya and anti-jeje people cannot come to terms with: that AlDub is relevant. It is hip and happening. It is unique enough to be noted and celebrated. It is reality TV at its finest. KalyeSerye is not your usual fully-scripted telenovela.

Although there may be prompts from directors, it is still spontaneous. It is organic. The draw to the show lies in its being real than reel. To begin with, it started with a true-to -life crush that was spun off to create the phenomenon it has become today. And I think this is why a few people still cannot overcome their confusion and come to terms with the fact that this is a different genre that is revolutionary to Philippine television. Where else have you seen a teleserye with split screens and characters interacting with each other from distant locations, sometimes even breaking the fourth wall and interacting with the viewers too?

Besides being the first of its kind, Eat Bulaga’sKalyeSerye – the segment of the show the AlDub tandem stars in alongside three elderly sisters called Lola Nidora, Tidora, and Tinidora – reverts back to our conservative Filipino roots and reminds us of a time when courtship was a long and arduous process of courting not just the girl, but trying to win over the girl’s family too. It is reminiscent of a time when suitors fetched water and carried firewood (not necessarily as long a distance as Broadway Central to EDSA like Alden did) to prove to the girls’ family that he is diligent, capable of doing household chores, and willing to work for the girl’s hand in marriage. What Lola Nidora is making Alden do throws into sharp contrast the long courtships of yesteryears, to that of instant relationships of late. As Lola Nidora would say: “Fansignlang, kayo na?

Agadagad? Ano to, instant noodles?”

For my generation today, the concept of having to do chores or having to endear someone’s parents before being allowed to enter into a relationship seems so farfetched. Most often than not, we do not even keep our parents abreast of what is happening in our lives, but our followers and friends on social media are more privy to our by-the-minute goings-on. AlDub and KalyeSerye challenge this, and affirm traditional values and what we should believe in. It banks on social themes that are very relevant to our psyche as a nation. It mimics our everyday scuffles and struggles through life. And since our unofficial national pastime is being glued to our TV sets whenever our favorite show is on, we are conditioned to identify with fictional characters, to get emotionally involved, to make relevant to our own lives the angst, the thrill, the euphoria of characters we only see on TV. And yet people wonder why Filipinos are so overly dramatic creatures.

KalyeSerye and AlDub is more than the kilig; more than the fact that Alden Richards is such a cutiepie or that Maine Mendoza is totes talented; more than the comedy, the drama, the excitement; more than the cliché plotlines, the bakya but very believable acting, the overall jeje-ness of it all – it is so much more. It is unlimited in its potential. AlDub could be a return to the things that endear us to each other — respect for elders, patience, emotional IQ, delayed gratification, the thrill of the journey and not just the destination. In other words, AlDub represents the good things about being a Filipino – and that might just even entail being jejes, all of us.● |21

the continuous improvement in the instruction and curriculum, the department has also conducted several additional special lectures to the examinees before they went to Manila for the board exam.” He also added that the department is continuously developing its faculty to better deliver instruction in the classroom through attending seminars and undergoing retooling programs.

In relation to the readiness of the student to take the board exam, Cresmundo emphasized that on the part of the Accountancy Department, the only measure they have in place is the high standard of retention policies in the accountancy program and that as long as the student is able to comply with the retention policy until his or her graduation, then the department is somehow assured that the student is fit to take the board exam. That is why the preparations for the board exam are already in motion even in the undergraduate years of the examinees.

Tidbit from a Topnotcher

“Dapat one time big time lang ‘to,” said Himor, who claimed that the exam brought her utmost pressure. “Hindi mo na talaga gugustuhing ulitin pa [ang] magboard lalo na kung nandoon ka na,” she added.

ADZU has had topnotchers from years past, be it the NLE, the Accountancy Board Exam or the Electronics and Computer Engineering Board Exam. Perhaps, what these topnotchers all had in common was when they dreamed big, the sky became their limit.

Especially for board exams which are preceded by long months of reviewing, every board exam taker wants his or her efforts to pay off in the end. But, like from testimonies we have heard, the combination of belief, perseverance and confidence has led to many wonderful success stories. Taking a board exam is a milestone event for any graduate that could greatly determine and pave the career that awaits him or her.

“DAPAT ONE TIME BIG TIME LANG ‘TO”

Additionally, Vesagas shared that wanting to prove herself and gain recognition helped her achieve the feat. “Sabi nga ng review director namin, if you dream, dream big, aim for the top, para if mafall short kayo, pasado parin,”she said.

As with every other testimony, an actual board exam experience is a collection of confidence, doubt and optimism. Thoughts could range from “I want to top the exam” to “I just want to pass this exam.” However, Himor and Vesagas said that their perseverance and determination to pass the exam helped their batch achieve such a high passing rate, with four of them cracking the top ten.

Acing the Board Exam

“Totoo pala talaga ang ‘Do your best and God will do the rest,’” said Vesagas, who managed to translate her determination to success. On how it feels to be a topnotcher, Himor said that it’s a mixed bag of emotions. “Masaya…[pero] nakaka-worry nga lang kasi parang pressured na maganda dapat ang career mo,” she added.

On what it took them to become topnotchers, Himor and Vesagas claimed that wanting to provethemselves, coupled with hard work and perseverance, was their key to success, which they could not have done without the support of their parents, friends, loved ones, teachers and review staff.

Acing the board exam is no easy task and preparing for it may just be emotionally exhausting. But when one finds his or her name on the list, the passer earns great pride and so does the school from which he or she came from, which has helped cultivate in him or her the necessary knowledge needed for such exam.

True Measure of Success

Passing the board exam, for most of us, seems to be the sole measure of fulfilment of one’s college education. Board exam results are also a source of pride for each college, proving the success and brilliance of their respective programs.

As much as we give importance to the results of the board exams and as much as we consider it as a definite measure of success, there is more to that. Cresmundo shared that the success of the accountancy department, or for any department or college in the Ateneo, should not be gauged solely on the board exam results or the number of topnotchers. He pointed out that board exams are just stepping stones to a more challenging work life outside the comforts of the Ateneo.

Success is not just reflected by quantitative measures like the board exams, it also reflects one’s passion, dedication and love to one’s chosen field of work or career. Cresmundo also highlighted the fact that as a university and as an Ateneo community, our goal should not be just to produce topnotchers, but to produce honest, hardworking, intellectual and dedicated graduates.

In a short span of time, new Certified Public Accountants, new doctors, new teachers, new Electronics and Communications Engineers and new Registered Nurses, all coming from the Ateneo, will be named and tailing on the successful May 2015 NLE examination, there is a similar anticipation for success. With quality education from their alma mater and a strong sense of willpower from the takers, there is optimism that they will be able to replicate the same success attained by those who came before them.● |09

DIE AND GO

BY DIEGO ESPERAT

HOW CHEATING Can Help Save Our World

W

ith all the praise heaped on movies like The Love Affair and Etiquette for Mistresses or television series like last year’s runaway primetime hit, The Legal Wife, we cannot help but notice that we Filipinos are now entering an age where the other woman is taking the spotlight. It seems like every Filipino movie that is released nowadays follows the same rule: that if that particular movie has something to do with love and romance, then it has to have that third party element. Many have decried this trend, believing that all of these movies and television series are promoters of deviant morals, however,I believe otherwise. It is my belief that all of the things mentioned above are actually beneficial to our country and as such, would help us prosper as a nation.

So how do things like movies help us do all of this stuff you may ask? I mean, they are just movies after all. More than what you may think they are; they represent what life is really like in the Philippines. Take The Love Affair for example; who among us has not thought about cheating on our significant other after finding out that they cheated first? Being able to look at your life from afar can actually help you nitpick the small things that you did wrong so that you will be able to do better in the future. It’s like when you check each individual rice grain right before cooking a pot of rice so you would not choke to death while eating. Sifting through the reality of our lives will allow us to realize things that we might not even be aware of in the first place.

Now we all know how we Filipinos are notoriously bad at expressing our emotions properly. You would think that the advent of social media would provide us with a way to do this but no; it has just turned into a means for us to passive-aggressively insult people who have hurt us. Watching movies and teleseryes will allow us to properly process our emotions in a safe and mature manner. For example, when we feel angry that our significant other has cheated on us, we can just watch a movie about cheating and experience the same emotions as |20

one of the characters. As the movie ends, we would have gone through the whole rollercoaster ride of emotions and by the end of it (or more accurately, after watching it several times), be ready to move on or at the very least accept the situation and believe in our hearts that someone out there is having a worse day than ours.

Finally and most important of all, movies and teleseryes that deal with this kind of subject matter give us valuable tips and pieces of advice on how to handle these kinds of situations. We must always remember that we are constantly in a state of learning; we learn new things everyday (sometimes in the most unexpected of places). Movies and teleseryes are no exception; there are many things that we can learn from them and we should make it our mission in life to learn as much as we can. Take the massively successful 2011 film No Other Woman; it taught us that if you want something, you go for it no matter what the cost. I don’t know about you but it sure sounds like good advice to me. I mean, it is important for us to be able to want something and have the courage and guts to do everything in our power to have it. Just like how Anne Curtis’ character wanted Derek Ramsey’s and tried her best to seduce him and succeeded, we should try to do our best in everything that we do in the hopes that we might succeed.

So there you have it; movies and teleseryes that focus on extramarital affairs are not only an insanely popular trend here in the Philippines, they are actually important cornerstones of our very society. It is through these that we will be able to prosper as a nation and might just finally catch up to countries such as Thailand which has a thriving sex tourism industry (a topic for another day) or Japan –the land of hentai and Maria Ozawa. All we have to remember is that we have to keep an open mind about these kinds of things and not to judge things so quickly. Minus the ethics, being a mistress requires etiquette!

It kind of makes me wonder why there aren’t more of these out there to be perfectly honest. ●

Poisonous Anonymous:

The Ateneo de Zamboanga Secret Files

BY BIANCA ROMA DE LEON AND DARWIN LACBAO

F

rom the sweetest and corniest crush confessions to the most scandalous and outrageous revelations – Secret Files Facebook pages sure does have it all. Facebook is filled with diverse mind-boggling, wicked things that we would not even know what to expect to be popping out of our newsfeeds. For the past five years, one of the Facebook trends that really flourished and shook the online world of internet users, especially university students, are the Secret Files Facebook pages. In November 2013, Ateneo de Zamboanga University’s very own secret files page came into existence already reaching as much as 15,000 likes as of September this year. It has become the ultimate source into the scandalous lives of the AdZU community.

“THE ANONYMITY ELEMENT IS WHAT MAKES THESE PAGES VERY POPULAR FOR ANYONE CAN EXPRESS WHATEVER THEY WANT TO EXPRESS WHETHER BAD OR GOOD WITHOUT EXPOSING THEIR IDENTITY.”

Many of these Secret Files Facebook pages usually feature school reports, complaints, confessions and shocking stories that surely hook every reader’s attention and interest. The catch with these kinds of pages is that the person behind the submission stays anonymous. The anonymity element is what makes these pages very popular for anyone can express whatever they want to express whether bad or good without exposing their identity. With these, a person can vent out their most passionate affection for someone, the most severe irritation to a certain person, mantle-deep hatred and other relevant and irrelevant things that one can submit and share to the entire university. Inspired by the Secret Files of the other universities, AdZU has hopped on the trend train and this page is one of the hottest issues up to date.

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University Secret Files, AdZU SF as we call it, has been riddled with tales from anonymous donors, from the simplest issues like school stress and love life, up to the most bizarre of stories like finding a random eggplant in one’s pathways, or overheard conversations in bathrooms. The posts by the page are quite entertaining. Entertaining in ways that we do not even know whether it is because the story is fun or inspiring or just plain dumb and daring.

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However, let us first take a trip back on the memory lane.

Remember the period when the contributors started complaining about El Consejo Atenista’s inefficiency? Ateneans were wailing about the poor quality of the lending services the office offered. They groaned about how people within the office do nothing but sit on couches all day, within the comforts of their political positions and their air conditioned office. Some even targeted the loose ends of the current regime. Things definitely spiced up when an insider from the office itself stood up and confessed how the complaints were indeed true, that the people within were as useless as they were deemed to be. S/he even added that a lot of officers got their positions not only because of their submitted resume, but also because of their connections within the office to add to the irrelevant negative adjectives attached to the persons who are involved in the said complaint.

Is using the page as a mediator in addressing the complaint objective? Is not it way better if the complaint was forwarded in a more formal, less obscene way?

Did gaining more Facebook likes resolve the issue the students have with ECA? The AdZU Secret Files clearly is not the right avenue for addressing issues if we really do want to see a change.

Unless we just want to bash and throw shame at people then we are making an excellent job. The page does not reinforce, and is inconsistent with, the school’s policy and way of addressing issues. We cannot expect change from just multiple online thumbs up and comments.

In all of these posts, we inadvertently become the source of entertainment of the administrator of the AdZU SF, whoever he/she may be. He/she may exercise restraint or censorship but every post is an offertory to his/her virtual altar decked in Schadenfreude or outright gossip-mongering.

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University Secret Files may be our short break from the realities of stress and agony from academics however let us not forget the values and integrity of being an Atenean.

Remember that we bring the name of our university in every string of characters that we share to the Facebook page. If we can be this active in reading the posts, hitting the like button and sharing out comments, why cannot we be also active and not be apathetic in terms of actual school involvement? Think about it. ●

PROFILES: NURBONG

BY KATHEREEN CACAYAN AND KATLEEN TAMPOS

“

Twerk it like Miley!” mouthed the 23-year old one-hit wonder guy named Nurbong Damsid as he lip-synched to the popular song in his Dubsmash video. But to anyone who does not know what it is—although that is quite unlikely considering that one has to live under a rock to not know about it—Dubsmash is an application that allows users to create short selfie videos dubbed with famous sounds and quotes.

Thousands find Dubsmash really fun; celebrities, regular folks, young and old. Come to think how difficult it is to get noticed among an overwhelming number of faces, but for Nurbong it worked out all differently. This guy seems to have taken the social media’s hilarity and wit by chance.

Type his name in on the YouTube search bar and you’ll find a video of a shirtless, tan-skinned funny looking guy who had initially appeared in the local news on ABS-CBN’S TV Patrol Chavacano. But his biggest break came about in the national TV magazine show, Kapuso Mo JessicaSojo, where he gained much more popularity after being teamed up with another Dubsmasher named Lourine by SenyoraSantibañez in Facebook. You might wonder; who is he? What’s the story behind the video? And, out of all the other Dubsmashers, what made him special enough to be recognized by the public?

lang sila. Kasi kung papatulan ko pa, baka sabihin nilang feeling talaga tayo.” He added while suppressing a smile.

During the short interview, he also spilled a little background about his personal life, though he thought that there is not much to say.

Being the fifth out of six siblings, Nurbong works in an internet shop, at the same time as a parking boy in front of Ateneo de Zamboanga University to help his mother sustain their needs. He has become the breadwinner of the family after his father passed away, leaving his elder sister to take care of them, who then left for Malaysia and never came back. Sadly, because of circumstances beyond their control, he had been deprived of education. It is clear that Nurbong is less fortunate than most of us but contrary to this is the fact that he’s relatively happy with his life. He did mention that times have been tough for him but there was not a tinge of resentment with the way he said it, which only implies his apparent contentment with what he has right now. When finally asked to say something to all other Dubsmashers out there, his reply was simple: “Ipagpatuloy lang ang pagbibigay ng kasiyahan sa mga tao.” Easy yet straightforward, his desire to spread happiness through his Dubsmash is directly stated. Perhaps one should have the same aspirations too, simply by using the power of social media to extend positivity instead of pessimism.

The video was taken in Keyo’s restaurant near the school parking where he works. Apparently, it was not his idea to create the video but rather of his friend, Fadjasani, who made him do it. “Napilitan lang ako,” He says, though he admitted to have enjoyed while filming his renowned ‘Twerk It like Miley’ record. For some reason, he expected the video to get viral, so his instant fame was not much of a big surprise for him anymore. Although many were entertained by this, it’s unavoidable that some people would react negatively and disapprove of his video.

When asked about what he feels when his ‘bashers’ criticize him, Nurbong only shrugged and answered, “Di bale nang masaktan, basta makapagpasaya ng tao.” He admitted that it feels bad to hear people call him names and make fun of his looks, but the best way to forget about it all is to pay no attention to their offensive comments. Like the saying goes, ‘You can’t please everyone’, you truly can never get people to like everything that you do, to which Nurbong nodded in agreement. “Pabayaan na

When asked about what’s next for him, Nurbong sounded cheerful about taking more steps. In fact, recently, he got a call from Atty. Mel Sadain requesting for his appearance in an upcoming local event.Also, he enthusiastically confirmed that he and his friends are certainly making several plans on creating more Dubsmash videos sometime soon.

We are living in a very technological age where social media lets us share everything virtually for the world to witness. In this era, the ticket to fame is practically within everyone’s reach. In other words, anyone can be famous; even the last ones you’d expect to be appearing in the news or all over your feeds and timelines, either for a good reason or bad.

What’s important is everyone now has a chance to do what celebrities can do: to influence, to spread the good vibes and most especially, to inspire. ●

“IPAGPATULOY LANG ANG PAGBIBIGAY NG KASIYAHAN SA MGA TAO.”

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4. How do you handle pressure?

I handle pressure as something that is a good thing, as something that helps me grow, as something that will let me say I’ve become a better Sheena.

5. What took you to that position?

I guess my hunger to break the monotony of the way I live as an Ateneo student drove me to accept the position. The very determination that pushed me here is to be able to tell myself and tell the people that I am worth it to be called a leader.

Emmanuelle Bantay

Given the task that she holds and all the criticisms she takes, Emmanuelle Bantay has showed everyone how strong of a woman she is, thus proving herself worthy of the trust given to her by the student body. Being the first female president of El Consejo Atenista, much is expected from her. Bantay’s best accomplishment as a leader is to be able to teach the officers to be independent and to come up with innovative ideas.

Caring, Rearing the Future

BY CANDELINE G BY CANDELINE GALVAN AND ABDEL AZIZ MALDISA PHOTOS BY CANDELINE GALVAN

E

verett Koop once said, “Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation.”

A teacher’s job holdsa huge responsibility in molding the future men and women of our society. This mission may begin inone humble place, such as a daycare center. Children at the age of three to five are usually enrolled in these centers, whichcan be foundin at least one barangay all over the city. Of the 298 daycare centers in the city,more than 150 are directly subsidized by the government. Among the more known daycare centers in the city is BahayBulilit, a private institution supported by City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) and whose building was donated by the Ronald McDonald Foundation, the charity arm of the fastfood giant McDonald’s.

Theyhighly regard both the knowledge acquired and safety of their students. Each session takes at least three hours andconsists of 30 to 45 students. The daycare is also fond of using a star-based reward systemin awarding them for their participation. The curriculum teaches basic arithmetic, reading and writing. Not only that, they are one of the few schools that have adequate facilities such as mini-libraries, toys and air-conditioned classrooms in place.

The government shows support to daycare centers through honoraria that should be enough for 120 days of supplementary feeding for the children and to pay for the salaries of the daycare workers. Unfortunately, the salary may not be enough depending on one’s perspective (the city government only covers comprehensive health insurance and excludes other government benefits usually accorded to public school teachers) due to the fact that these workers fall under the umbrella of the CSWD instead of the Department of Education. However, the only teacher of Bahay Bulilit, Barbara A. Chua said, “All we need is love for the children, hard work and most of all patience when taking good care of the children.”

Ortega to Bantay 1. How do you keep calm when the going gets tough?

According to CSWD director Ma. Socorro Rojas, it is an unfortunate fact that most of the non-government subsidized daycare centers in the city rely on volunteer social workers to man their posts. The income they earn is largely collected from a participation fee, which is a charitable amount donated by every parent of a child enrolled in the daycare. This is sought to be remedied by the implementation of the Early Acts Law, which is expected to overhaul the existing daycare and social work system. A big part of the new reforms to the system is the requirement that daycare teachers possess a college degree, and undergo additional trainings to ensure proper handling of the children within the center.

In addition, proposals to upgrade the current salary grade for daycare workers are being studied in Congress. As a consequence, volunteer daycare workers without a college degree, mostly serving far-flung barangays, are at risk in losing their position. Retirement benefits are also in study. Rojas told us of one example the day care workers’experience during their tour of duty. Accordingly, those who have worked for more than 25 years in service receive little to no retirement benefits as compared to other government employees. They still have to ask for help of District 2 Representative Lilia Nuño in order to award the retirees with a plaque of appreciation and subsidize their retirement money.

The only thing I do is that I stay in one corner and isolate myself. I try to talk to myself and at the same time I pray. I learned from my experiences that hindi mo pwedeng isabay yung chaos sa paligid mo. You also have to be calm.

2. You’re already halfway through your onePOSITION. Plucked from nowhere, Emmanuelle Bantay rose to become El ConsejaAtenista’s first ever presidenta. It is a position that endowed her with enviable power but with unenviable public scrutiny. Being a BS Psych major, Bantay relishes that it’s all in the mind.ConsejaAtenista’s first ever presidenta. It is a position that endowed her with enviable power but with unenviable public scrutiny. Being a BS Psych major, Bantay relishes that it’s all in the mind.

The daycare teachers may not have the same privileges as your everyday teacher but they are determined and willing enough to be the instruments of preparing children for their next big step, kindergarten.

Dealing with children especially at such an impressionable age is not an easy task. They can practically be persistent and charming at the same time. The Early Acts Law, or the Early Childhood and Care Development was made to begin the process of teaching them to at leastcomprehend the English and the Filipino languages, how to properly interact with their peers, and even a little bit of mathematics. It is like a preparatory course to further their knowledge for the next phase of their education.

The writersfound out that parents agree with the sentiment that a daycare education could help prepare their children for higher education. ● |11

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year term, are there any projects that you are proud of?

I can’t say na lahat ng projects namin was successful, but one thing is for sure. Sa lahat ng projects na meron kami, proud ako doon kasi makikita mo yung effort ng mga officers mo nabinibigay more than a hundred percent just so ang outcome ng projects would satisfy everybody.

3. In a scale of one to ten, how will you rate your current performance as president of the El ConsejoAtenista?

I’d go for six kasi I know na nag-eeffort ako para ipakita ko na I’m trying my best despite of all the demands that I get. Six kasi I know that there are things na kailangan ko pang matutunan, i-improve sa sarili ko at kasi alam ko sa sarili ko na iyan ang nakikita ng mga students sa akin.

4. What’s next for Emmanuelle Bantay?

Honestly, I really do not have a plan for myself right now. But one thing na gusto komangyari is that for the next six months, I will be stronger. I will not be persuaded and fooled by other people and I will make sure that I will get the help that I need coming from the right people.

5. What took you to that position?

I want to serve the student body. I am here because I was taught that you can’t be a student who just complains and does nothing. If you want to complain, you have to contribute for you to be able to solve the problem. ●

The BEACON is still growing. It is still in the process of transforming to be the ideal school publication because I admit we also have our shortcomings. Right now, The BEACON still has a long way to go before we can reach our goal of being the ideal publication.

Comida Zamboangueña

5. What took you to that position?

BY CLARK BRYAN PUNZALAN PHOTO COURTESY/ FACEBOOK

Basically, my passion for writing and my passion to serve. My determination also pushed me to pursue this position.

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Sheena Mae Alcala

side from the famous Alavar sauce and the locally made bagoong, there are well-known food stalls that are proudly bred in Zamboanga City.

Born and raised from a family of achievers, Sheena Alcala takes the big responsibility of leading and serving the Ateneo Debate Union. She was the secretary of the said organization for two consecutive years and now before. “My best accomplishment so far is working with the people,” Alcala said. More than the projects and all the awards they won as a debate organization, being able to trust and delegate tasks to her members is most definitely her best accomplishment as their leader.

Myrna`s Bakeshop One of the famous food shops we locals are proud of is Myrna’s Bakeshop. The bakeshop was established in 1983 and is considered as the most popular place to go for cakes and pastries in the city. It has five branches, the main branch located in Pilar St. and the other branches in Pasonanca, La Purisima St., San Jose, and Yubenco. It is famous for its black forest, beehive, and brazo de mercedes.

Annie`s Delicacies Another pastry shop that is proudly bannering the city is the humble Annie’s Delicacies located near the Sta. Maria Parish church.

It is amazing that it started out as a simple hobby of making yemas and pastillas that turned out to be a successful one as they decided to start their business in the year 2010. Their best sellers are pastillas and yema. For such sweet and satisfactory treats, you will be pleasantly surprised that they are so affordable. For instance, a pastillas de leche costs only two pesos. If you are craving for sugary delights but also happen to be a little low on the greens, Annie’s delicacies is surely a boom to you!

D`Master Bakery Zamboanga also brandishes other baked goodies. D’Master Bakery is one of the pioneers in the industry of breads and beyond.

The bakery is considered to be one of the oldest bakeries found in the city. For 25 years, the D’Master Bakery has been well-known to be the only bakery that is open 24/7. The business started with just a simple selling of pandesal, then later on expanded its production and added other pastries. It is famous for their super cheese bread, pan de coco, and pan mongo which generations past, from our parents and grandparents, and generations after have continuously loved and sought because of the addicting sweet scent and taste of their creations.

Tat`s Barbeque An all-time favorite barbecue found only in Zamboanga, Tat’s Barbecue! Tat’s Barbecue was established in the year 2010 that plainly started with just a simple “roadside-grill-business” that eventually grew out to be one of the best-tasting barbecues in the city up until now. This barbecue shop is acknowledged for its unique “timpla” of sauce and palatable and juicy meat. They see to it that there is consistency and savory in their barbecue’s taste.

Its main branch is in Camins, and the other branches are located in Putik, Tumaga, La Purisima, and the Ateneo Cafeteria. Those who have had a taste of their meal leave happy and satisfied after being stamped by the unforgettable experience of savoring their taste buds of the famous pork and chicken barbecue of Tat’s.• |12

Clamoring for CARLS

Bantay to Alcala

BY FATIMA MANDANGAN AND MOHAMMAD SARAJAN

This review was made as part of a requirement in the writers Comm001 course.

1. Who is the real Sheena Alcala?

Z

I’m really approachable. I’m the kind of person who is hard working. I cannot really say that I’m a people person. But if you want to talk to me, I can be that kind of person. If you share the same interest as I do, we can be friends and even more than friends.

amboanga City has slowly been gaining a reputation as a bastion of food innovation. And I don’t doubt that for a bit.

We have been dining in some of Zamboanga’s best kept secrets for many years now, and we must say it’s quite an experience. This so-called food revolution happening in the Zamboanga has seen many of the country’s best new restaurants sprouting like mushrooms in this lush valley. And for those of you searching for a culinary experience like no other, look no further than CARLS.

2. How do you handle conFLicts?

CARLS (Chef’s Authentic Recipes and Liquor Shop) is a casual dining restaurant where everyone can unwind and celebrate over good food and good ambiance. It is well-known for an alternative of TGI Fridays because of their dishes like American inspired. Of course, that is aside from the Pinoy favorites such as burgers, pasta and other rice dishes!

Something about the place, what we immediately observed was the square or rectangular tables which are usual. Anyway, we appreciated them so much because eating on them made our dining experience more “family-inclined”, in such a way that we were seated very closely with each other encouraging more conversations. Another thing we’ve noticed about the place was the somehow simplistic design which allowed exuding an organized and neat appearance.

Check out the CARLS in Canelar. It’s located in between Las Palmas and the Unique Motor Shop. All right, let’s proceed with the food!

We’ll admit that CARLS is really one of those restaurants that we won’t get tired dining in here in Zamboanga. The dishes are so flavorful that they never fail to excite our taste buds. That’s why this time;

I handle conflicts by really facing them.I’m the kind of person or leader that will make sure that everything will be solved because I have this kind of mindset that once I have a goal and I want to meet it, I make sure it will happen. So what I do is no matter how hard it is, I find a way that the problem will be solved.

PERSUASION. With Sheena Mae Alcala as Union President, this BA Comm senior consolidated a dynastic hold on perhaps the most awarded student organization in the whole of Ateneo. For the Ateneo Debate Union, victory is borne out of persuasion. For its elitist pedigree? Alcala finds no pressure.

3. How do you respond to criticisms?

I take criticisms as a motivation for me to be a better individual and a better leader and to look into the things that I am biased of, the things that I think that I am always right but at the end, these things might already be hurting or stepping on people. |17

PROVOCATION,

we decided to check out the dishes that we have never tried before to further explore the menu.

We considered the inside of the menu was a bit expensive; it surely boosted our appetite for the rest of lunch! The steak strips in skewer were fine and enjoyable. Nice and tender, and perfectly went well with the buttered squid sauce. Steak di Marco was a sure winner! It was an instant favorite, and we love how it perfectly jived with the steak (which, we assumed, was medium rare). Plus, it was not just spicy; it was also bursting with flavors.

PERSUASION,

Next in line was the Zambalaya Rice with Chorizo-stuffed Squid and Beef Siomai –one of their signature dishes that would surely leave you craving for more. The CARLS Facebook page proclaims, “Find the combination weird? Wait until you take the first bite and you’ll understand why it is a big hit among customers.” Well at first we didn’t even feel that was weird because just by looking, it was already deliIts modest entranceway welcomes you directly to the kitchen, cious. As expected, we were able to taste the freshness of the squid because of the texture and quality. And this was highlighted even more where trained chefs and cooks rustle up Japanese dishes in their small but suitable surroundings with wood, lamps and Samurai-inby the famous Jambalaya rice which we practically adore so much.

Okay, this one was simultaneously served up. The Big Mae burger, our first note will be the price! It’s intensely high. But, the food quality and experience almost compensated for it. We love how tender the meat was, and how the flavors sipped into the entire thing. In fact, it tasted great even without the sauce. However, of course, the sauce was there to complement it. In fact, this will take you to higher bliss (if there is such thing).

CARLS is one of the restaurants worth coming back to with friends and family or with loved one (you’ll enjoy it if you’re a large group because the food is good with beer or wine). The food was amazing, it was a great environment, and the waitress that took care of us made us feel welcome, comfortable, and was knowledgeable when we asked questions about current patters. We would definitely come back. Though we would love to be selfish and keep CARLS all to ourselves, the work of Chef Mikoy and Kiko Miranda is too good to stay hidden for long. There’s no doubt a table CARLS at will quickly become the hottest reservation in town. •

spired artworks to match. From the traditional wooden tables and seats to the more manufactured steel-covered upper walls, this restaurant aims to infuse tradition with modern influences. The staff is not too shabby either. Michael Marquez, the approachable manager, leads a team of dependable service workers, ready to oblige at every customer’s needs.

With ramen, the stock does more of the work. Tonkotsu Ramen is a savoury blend of pork broth and soy sauce with a trace of green onions and ginger ornamented with nori, bamboo shots and sliced pork snuggled on top of Japanese noodles, suitable to guests who want to be filled in one shot. For vegetarians, Miso Ramen could gratify your hungry stomach because of its flavorful broth that fits perfectly with the noodles itself. It is topped with delicious bean sprouts, corn, chopped green onions, bamboo shoots and dried seaweed. The California Roll or California Maki is a sushi roll that is painstakingly made inside out. Crabstick, avocado, and cucumber are placed in the center of the nori while the flattened sushi rice with sesame seeds is on the opposite part that gives you the taste that you

Goin’ Samurai This review was made as part of a requirement in the writers Comm001 course.

What started out as a hobby to two Zamboangueños, Alan Villanueva and Antonio Veloso Jr. have successfully established Samurai as the city’s capital of Japanese cuisine. Opened on September 2014, Samurai’s menu features from the quintessentially Japanese ramen, to the more American California rolls, from the gratifying tonkatsu to the vegetarian-friendly tofu, all of which can be lost on a diner who does not know that Samurai crafts its dishes using primarily imported ingredients fresh from Japan.

Meet the three ladies on the helm of Ateneo’s most coveted posts

BY AUDRIE SEPE

PROVOCATION. Being the Editor in Chief of The BEACON was a post deemed worthy of only the firebrand and the rebel but BSAc student Trisha Ortega, with her meekness and lady-like demeanour proved provocation is best served wearing pearls and peplum skirts.

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teneo de Zamboanga University is home to more than three thousand students, yet only a select few can identify themselves as members of The Big Three –El Consejo Atenista, The BEACON and the Ateneo Debate Union. These three organizations have spawned the most number of class valedictorians and campus personalities whose name recall stretches across colleges and departments. If campus life is a small-scale version of our society, these three compose the 1%, the apex of the pyramid.

Being a member is one thing, but leading? This school year, ladies run the world of the Ateneo studentry. We have taken the task to know more of these leading ladies in a way that is more personal –among themselves. Though, no one asked whether they are friends or rivals, the ladies quizzed each other on leadership and the qualities that brought them to power.

BY DONALD ACOSTA AND RIZANNA NARAG PHOTO COURTESY// INSTAGRAM

If you are craving raw-fish delicacies from experenced sushi disciples or a bowl of warm ramen adorned with wheat noodles created in Japan, Samurai got you covered. A small albeit new and exciting destination just a few kilometres from downtown, Samurai is a satisfyingly clear-cut restaurant that strives to remain Japanese to its core.

POSITION:

are looking for. The Tekka Maki, a tuna loin tucked with white rice and wrapped around seaweed, is a product of craftsmanship which satisfies the gastronomic and visual experience.

Do not let their appearances fool you. Samurai serves simple dishes with remarkable depth that are not outrageously priced.

It is the kind of restaurant where friends and families could pass the time acquiring a taste of Japan and return home without putting much dent on anybody’s wallet. Food price starts at one-hundred pesos upwards and with five-hundred pesos, anyone can enjoy a meal for two. Everyone should not miss the leading restaurant of Japanese food in Zamboanga City but, just make sure to come by at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the day and 6 to 10 p.m. at night. So venture out with Samurai, this place is good for expanding the palate and better for experiencing the Land of the Rising Sun even without leaving the city! • |13

Trisha Ortega

From being a news editor, Trisha Ortega takes the responsibility in leading The BEACON Publications by being its editor-in-chief. “I really didn’t expect to become EIC,” Ortega admitted. She has been the happy-go-lucky kind of student during her high school days. But since entering college, she had seen a different environment to improve and grow into a mature, competent and responsible lady. Other than competitions and projects, Ortega’s best accomplishment as a leader is helping The BEACON staff be better.

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Alcala to Ortega 1. What really is your mission and vision as a publication?

Our goal to serve as the student’s voice and light. I admit there have been instances in the past that we have been questioned as to our credibility as a student publication but I think this should serve as our learning experience for us to fulfill our goal.

2. How do you feel about being compared from the previous The BEACON editorial on the decrease of critical writing and quality of articles?

A challenge. It’s like a constructive criticism for me to evaluate my performance as Editor-in-Chief and for the Editorial Board, so I think that these comments would help me somewhat improve and discern.

3. Is the fund you use for travels the same fund you use for printing? How do you allocate your funds?

We create a budget based on the budget that was given to the previous Editorial Board. We already set the number of issues that will be published for the school year, the number of copies per issue. If there are still unrestricted funds then those funds are the ones used for the travel.

4. Is The BEACON as it is right now, TheBEACON you envisioned?

respective Academic Organizations.

The results are as follows:

BengClimacois facing an all new dilemma: Elections. Climaco is married to retired General Trifonio Salazar who is now her unofficial military adviser. After graduating Bachelor of Science in Education from Ateneo de Zamboanga University and obtaining master’s from Ateneo de Manila University,she became the councilor of District 1 for two terms then became the vice-mayor during Lobregat’s term before winning as in 2013 as mayor.

During her time as councilor, she was able to file over 800 resolutions mainly for women, family, youth, children, education and social welfare.

On her mayoralty time,Beng is known for her aggressive campaign against illegal drugs and most importantly her unrelenting and firm leadership during the 2013 Siege, which has now become the highlight of her career. It has once been controversial that Beng once said that, “The city of Zamboanga… should never be included in the Bangsamoro, now or ever.”

THE BATTLE

FOR CITY HALL:

Beng vs. Celso

BY HASMINA A. ALFAD AND PUTLI MONAIRA B. AMILBANGSA II

U

pon reaching legal age, each person also has the right to vote for his or her next leader and representative. The fast approaching 2016 Elections is rampant with politicians and their indirect campaigns and ‘sipsipansamadla’, which are felt greater than ever. The big question is: Who will be the next mayor of Zamboanga City? Is it the man who once ran the city for three terms or the lady who ran the city for the very first time? More than half of the population of Ateneo de Zamboanga University are or will be eligible voters by May of next year. Even if the students are not the majority voters, their votes for the next mayor (and other city politicians) will affect the lives of Zamboangeños for the next three years.

A mayor in any city in the Philippines can only have three consecutive terms before he has to give up his position as mayor for a term. This was the case of District 1 Representative Celso Lobregat. After which he is qualified to run for office again. Although he has not yet given any official word or filed any candidacy as mayor, it is almost safe to say that he might run again for mayor for the fourth time. It is never absent in our minds that our current mayor, BengClimaco, might also run for the highest position in city-scale for the second term.

Neither of these two plausible candidates has confirmed their candidacy,however it is more likely that these two will face a neck-and-neck competition against each other.What once was

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a political alliance brought by a common party (Liberal Party) has now divorced. Although it is unannounced and unofficial, these two devoted politicians have gone their separate ways to achieve the Iron Throne of Zamboanga – that is the City Hall.

Survey: Beng VS Celso

A survey was conductedin the Ateneo community and their opinion on this life-changing situation. A number of 300 student respondents (registered voters in both districts of Zamboanga City) claimed their votes and became representatives of the student body population of the university based on their

The survey conducted in the AdZU Community is in favor of BengClimaco-Salazar with a total of 39.33 percent while CelsoLobregat received a near score of 34.33 percent and the rest are undecided with 26.33 percent. The respondents claim that Beng is a more reliable and prepared as a mayor compared to Celso accordingly due toBeng’s reaction toward the 2013 Zamboanga Siege and her manner of handling the situation after just three months of being in power. Others reasoned that Celso has proven to be more worthy of the position because they believe that the city needs a paternal figure to be governed. Furthermore, they say thatCelso’s previous three terms is enough evidence for a 2016 mayoral comeback.

Then there are others who argue that neither of them deserves to be in the throne for neither of them has proven worthy of the said position. One might also argue that they are both qualified enough for the position so they prefer to remain neutral. Although the survey results show greater numbers on Celso and Beng, the respondents who chose to beundecided are alarmingly high. It just transcribes that a large number of voters are indecisive and have no particular interest in choosing a leader for the city. Their indifference for these kinds of social responsibilities may lead to insufficient leadership in the future in which they would complain over again.

Beng Climaco

At the age of 49, the second female mayor of Zamboanga City, Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar or better known as

Celso Lobregat

District 1 Representative, Celso L. Lobregat Jr., 67, comes from a family of leaders. From his grandfather to his mother who were both previous mayors of the city, his term was considered a family legacy. Lobregat hails from Ateneo de Manila University as a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Economics and then proceeding with a master’s in business management from the Asian Institute of Management. Although he is not a natural born Zamboangueñosince he grew up in Manila, Celso’s career as a businessman and a politician was established here in Zamboanga City.In 2004, he was namedthe wealthiest mayor in Mindanao. The public’s support and trust to his family background proved as a great leverage in jump-starting his career, allowing him to succeed his mother’s position as mayor.

The Voters’ Pick

One thing the two politicians have in common is that the late Maria Clara Lobregat drove them both into politics.

Like what Vice-Mayor Cesar Iturralde commented as to who he would run with in the upcoming elections, “I believe both of them both of them are capable as a leader as they have already proved.” The fate of Zamboanga City lies on the voters’ pick, but as what we have learned from the undecided sectorof the populace in Ateneo, maybe Beng and Celso are not the only options. Besides, there are still no officially declared candidates for the position; we never know if someone new would step up and exceed in qualifications and experiences.● |15