THE INDEPENDENT BULLETIN (7

June-July 2021

Photo Courtesy: inquirer.net

5M doses of COVID-19 Vaccine managed in the Philippines

By Cahri Anjhelo C. Saturay

As of May 30, 2021, there are 5,180,721 total doses administered in the Philippines.

There are 3,947,350 administered doses as the first dose of the vaccine and 1,206,371 administered as the second and final dose of vaccine.

The average daily administered doses in the

last 7 days count up to 144,402 doses. The average number of active reporting vaccination sites in the last 7 days total 1,124 sites.

The number of vaccination sites in the country depends on the supply of vaccines the country currently has. As more vaccines are delivered, the more vaccination sites will increase.

The government

insists on people that are in the priority groups of A1, A2, and A3 to be vaccinated to complete the required number of doses as scheduled. The government still urges the vaccinated people to adhere to the minimum public standards as they can still fall victim to COVID-19 and infect others as well.

MSHS wins Bronze in the recent Wellness Campus of the Year Awards.

By Ashley Ayessa R. Limjoco

In the recent Wellness Campus of the Year Awards, Marikina Science High School Nestle Wellness Council won 3rd Place at National Level.

Along with winning

bronze, they also received minor and special awards.

They won gold for pinakabest in dancercise and bronze for pinaka-best in Module Integration, both on the national level.

They also received

a special award as a Top 3 Finalist for Pinaka-best Wellness Guro of the Year on the national level which was given to Arvin Lark Santiago.

2

NEWS

DepEd announces End of School Year Rites for K to 12 students

3

OPINION

Are All Cops Bad?

4

OPINION

The True Filipino Bayanihan

7 OPINION There is Hope in the Sea: Inspiring Fisherwomen of Quezon Province

2

NEWS

The Independent Bulletin | Vol. XVII June-July 2021

The Pokémon Company donates 530 tablets to Marikina Public Schools

By Cahri Anjhelo C. Saturay 29 March 2021 - The Pokémon Company (TPC), with support from the Makati Business Club, has recently donated 530 tablets to 3 Marikina public elementary schools to be used by Grade 1 students. The donation aims to help increase Filipino children’s access to quality education, especially during the pandemic.

Last Tuesday, the Schools Division Office (SDO) Marikina External Partnerships team, led by Mr. Reinan Ignacio, with the assistance of Mr. Gil Catuday (SDO personnel), and Mr. Eros Bulaclac (SDO personnel) collected and delivered the tablets to Malanday Elementary School, Concepcion Integrated School Elementary Level, and Fortune Elementary School. The said schools are currently implementing the BasaBilang project, ONLINE LEARNING. Tablets were donated in Fortune Elementary School in Marikina City. Giellian a separate project between SDO Froyalde Marikina and The Knowledge Channel is a part of our endeavor to interview. They also said that Foundation, Inc. which requires support nonprofit organizathey hoped the tablets that learning devices for its recipients. tions around the globe to imwere donated for distance This donation is part of TPC prove the lives of children with learning could promote equal Pokémon GO Fest 2020. “Following a focus on diversity, equity, opportunity in education for Pokémon GO Fest 2020, this program and inclusion,” TPC said in an the city of Marikina.

DepEd announces End of School Year Rites for K to 12 students

By Angel Sophia Choa Sy On May 24, 2021, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced in a memorandum about this year’s end-of-school-year (EOSY) rites for kindergarten, Grade 6, Grade 10, and Grade 12 students who have met the curriculum requirements for the school year. The EOSY is said to follow the theme Kalidad ng Edukasyon Lalong Patatagin sa Gitna ng Pandemya (Strengthening the Quality of Education Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic).

It is to highlight the quality education given despite the struggles most of us

faced during the year of online learning. The said ceremony shall happen virtually to ensure the safety of the students, workers, and parents.

The Multi-Year Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of the K to 12 Basic Education Program End of School Year Rites remain in force and in effect, except for the grant of academic awards, which shall be stipulated in a separate issuance on Awards and Recognition. It also stated that the fourth quarter of the

school year 2020-2021 is said to end on July 10, 2021.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones. PHOTO COURTESY: inquirer.net

3

OPINION

The Independent Bulletin | Vol. XVII June-July 2021

EDITORIAL Are all Cops Bad? A.C.A.B or All Cops are Bad started on the 25th of May when George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, when the convenience store employee dialed 911 and told the police that Floyd bought cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. After he was found pinned beneath three police officers showing no signs of life, the day after, the Police Department fired all four officers that were involved in the episode, which on the 29th of May, the Hennepin County attorney, Mike Freeman, declared third-degree-murder and seconddegree-murder manslaughter charges against Mr. Chauvin, who is white, kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck for about 8 minutes and 15 seconds, and Derek Chauvin, the officer that was seen clearly in witness videos pinning George to the ground. But can we say that all cops are bastards?

Not all cops are bad. If not all people are evil, then so are the police. It has been showcased in the news numerous times that there are good cops all around the world.

Ranging from small acts of kindness to sacrificing their lives for the sake of humanity. Toronto Police Officer Mark Borsboom did a very simple act of kindness by tying an elderly’s shoelaces. Tacoma police Officer Reginald “Jake” Gutierrez said he sacrificed himself to save his partner and the wife of the man who opened fire. However big or small a deed is, it helps many people. Although there are many corrupt cops, there are also those who show care for our society.

Although not all cops are bad,

this does not mean that they are entirely good either. We cannot ignore the multitude of police brutality worldwide and its gravity upon the lives of so many living things. The very cause of this radical movement is the abusive use of power of cops against the citizens they are supposed to protect.

George Floyd remains in our memories, as proof of this injustice. As well as the thousands who remain in silence.

One of these people is Police Officer Kristine Koryciak. Despite being new to the job, police officer Kristine Koryciak already taught people about acts of kindness by her selfless act of kindness. She even paid for a shopper’s medication and groceries after the items he purchased were stolen. In this case, just small acts of kindness can make a big impact on others' lives.

However, just as how it is unjust for a cop to inflict any harm on a living thing, it is also not right to blindly label them as “bad”. The

events cited above are just one of the few examples of the existence of good cops. Not just because there are cops who are racist, sexist, and abusive of their powers does not mean all cops are. Let us not let our prejudices get the best of us and keep an open-minded view to everyone we encounter.

Yes, there are bad cops. But yes, there are also good cops.

We can conclude that not all cops are bad. We just do not usually see it on the social media platforms, but it does not make them bastards. They are humans too, same as us so we should treat them with the amount of respect that they deserve. We should remember that everyone deserves a second chance and if they make mistakes, so do we. If we continue to keep a mindset of perceiving policemen as “bad” just because of the fault of some, then what will happen to our society? Police are the people who promote justice and peace. Let us remember that there are always good police that we can count on.

4

OPINION

The Independent Bulletin | Vol. XVII June-July 2021

Giellian Ghelsey Rhaey Froyalde Magbigay ayon sa kakayahan, kumuha batay sa pangangailangan” (Give what you can, take what you need). A phrase frequently heard nowadays. You may have heard of the community pantry which started on April 14, 2021 by Anne Patricia Non from Maginhawa Street in Quezon City.

This simple act has inspired people not only in the Philippines but from other countries as well. Most are organizing their own community pantries in their areas. It has also helped numerous people who were less fortunate especially in this time of pandemic. Due to job loss, many families cannot provide their basic needs.

Sadly, some organizers of community pantries were initially red tagged by

the government since it was initiated without any government support. Even the president himself belittled the efforts of the organizers.

Food security is a serious issue and now that pandemic is happening, the situation has gotten worse.

The True Filipino Bayanihan supporting this program?

Doing something good requires great courage.

The community pantry gave the people hope in this pandemic. People can take their necessities free of charge.

This is truly helpful, but the government disapproves of

“

Good actions are the ones that are violated while crime and sins get away from the law.

The community pantries help solve this problem. But why is it being discouraged?

Why is the government not

it. Good actions are the ones that are violated while crime and sins get away from the law.

Shanaya Christabelle Sales Call-out culture.

Are we being too sensitive?

No. We are being wrong and wronged.

As I scrolled through my newsfeed in my Facebook account, the food page that I was following posted a video of a mother preparing a bento-inspired lunch for her children. At the bottom of the post, there were “angry” reactions to the video. It puzzled me, “Why were people angry over a mother lovingly preparing snacks for her children?” So, I looked inside the comment section, only to find berating comments of how she belittled every single mother out there by cooking. I am certain that most of you have heard or seen this term

somewhere in your conversations or newsfeed. This is call-out culture.

According to a dictionary, calling-out is an act of publicly addressing an unacceptable action of an individual or group. Although this is the technical definition of call-out, its definition took a sharp turn when the public formed polarizing views and differing takes on it in recent years.

Nowadays, call-out has tight ties with social media and is primarily deemed as a weapon either to protect or to harm.

In my story earlier, there were many people who were angry at the mother.

They reasoned that it was

Yes, there are disadvantages of the community pantry.

More people gather in community pantries. Hence, violating the health protocols set by the government. This can be controlled if people are disciplined. Observe social distancing. Most importantly, take only what you need. Don’t take more than needed because there are still more hungry people out there that can also benefit from community pantries. The news reported numerous encounters of selfish people taking more than needed from this community pantries. You should be compassionate of others as they are in need as well.

This simple act of kindness and compassion changed the lives of some. It was giving without asking for anything in return.

The community pantry showcases the true Filipino Bayanihan.

Call Not offensive of her to do that because not all mothers have the luxury and time to create such detailed snacks for their children. I considered their reason, and it is indeed true. However, it was clear that the mother had no intentions of belittling single mothers nor bragging of her luxuries to them. There are many cases like this all over the world happening every second. Most, just like the mother, are misunderstood and are tarnished before even having the chance to tell their side of the story.

And some are publicly humiliated, used as a joke. All of it ends up with their reputation going down the drain.

And all this was just because some people deemed it as

“offensive” so that they could look “woke”.

The margin that determines the righteousness and wrongfulness of an opinion is very thin to the point of non-existent. The opposite goes for different social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook. An opinion has the gravity equal to that of a fact. If a group of people call you bad, then you are bad. If you are called good, then you are good. We all know this.

Before blindly criticizing review and assessing the situation first, there are always two sides to a story. Assess the parties’ reasons and be rational. And finally, before hitting that ‘post’ button, think, “Will my comment actually help people?” “Will it matter?” Stay “woke” correctly. Call-out correctly.

5

OPINION

The Independent Bulletin | Vol. XVII June-July 2021

False Information on Social Media

Shanessa Kristin Morado

In these times there are a lot of Influencers, Youtubers, and even doctors who are giving testimonials about products that they use or have used, even if it isn’t scientifically proven or beneficial for anyone.

Although this started a couple of years back, it spiked when the pandemic happened. Because no one is allowed to go out of their houses, everyone stayed at home, working, studying, and do other activities to kill their time.

People are mostly on social media platforms like Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, and many more. There are lots of people who post online that we mostly see every day to kill time and even remove boredom. But here’s the thing, there are Youtubers, Influencers, and even Vloggers who advertise products that aren’t even scientifically proven or beneficial to any human being.

A reporter named Tanya Chen from Buzzfeed shared a report of Influencers who share “Bad Tips and Information about COVID-19” on Instagram. At night, Tanya Chen saw this post of exbachelor contestant named

Krystal Nielson who was suggesting about how detox can protect us from COVID-19, which was caused by the novel coronavirus that started to spread 1-2 years back. This also shows that there are people who post stuff online about medical advices that aren’t even scientifically proven

who has over 637,000 followers on Instagram. She states that a 10-day detox of alcohol, smoking, and even sugars can help one’s body to fight COVID-19. “There are everyday precautions you can take like cleaning your surfaces and washing your hands, but a 10day detox isn’t one of them.

“

There are everyday precautions you can take, like cleaning your surfaces and washing your hands, but a 10-day detox is not one of them.

-Tanya Chen, BuzzFeed News which is directed to the netizens even though they can’t really assure that the information is even factual or beneficial to any human being.

There are times that they think everything they share is helpful for people in a specific situation like this pandemic but in reality, they are just making the situation a lot worse than it is right now.

Krystal Nielson is a self-proclaimed fitness coach

Sure, a reduction of nicotine, alcohol, and bad sugars is good for your body, and can lead you to living a healthier life overall, but to make an unverified, direct connection to COVID-19 is irresponsible at best,” she said.

According to Tanya Chen, Krystal isn’t the only one who has a lot of followers making controversial and bold claims during this time of pandemic since influencers also

The Independent Bulletin Editorial Board and Staff Editor-in-Chief Giellian Ghelsey Rhaey Froyalde Managing Editor Shanaya Christabelle Sales Copy Editor Shanessa Kristin Morado Writers Cahri Anjhelo Saturay, Ashley Ayessa Limjoco, Angel Sophia Choa Sy, Khrislyn Marie Mendoza, Therenz James Estanislao, Bhelron Bautista, Raymart De Vera

must feel pressured to post about COVID-19 “awareness” based on their influence on others. This is like the ripple effect wherein once you posted something that isn’t which isn’t scientifically proven or beneficial to any person, people will believe in what she says since they think that if she’s an influencer and is being followed by lots of people they think that everything she says is true.

Even at that time vaccines or cures for COVID-19 haven’t been manufactured yet, so how can we be so sure about this right? Yes, you can post testimonials about products and even medical advice especially in these times, but every one of us should make sure that the things we say or advertise are factual or scientifically proven by scientists and doctors. We can also see that there are influencers who are trying to help the people with the products that they are advertising or influencing people to use. What I can say to all of these kind of Influencers is that they should stop claiming their own opinions as factual since not all of what they are saying is actually true.

THE INDEPENDENT BULLETIN IS LOOKING FOR CONTRIBUTORS Submit your articles or essays you wish to be featured on our newsletter at: theindependentbulletin@gmail.com

Layout Artist Giellian Ghelsey Rhaey Froyalde, Ashley Ayessa Limjoco

Cartoonist Giellian Ghelsey Rhaey Froyalde

theindependentbulletin.com

fb.com/theindepentbulletin

6

FEATURE

The Independent Bulletin | Vol. XVII June-July 2021

New Normal Education: Tech Challenges of Online Schooling

By Khrislyn Marie Mendoza During this time of pandemic, the differences between a face-to-face class and an online class impose new obstacles in the pursuit of education. Giving teachers and students alike, a hard time coping with the new normal.

Older teachers have difficulty using a computer because they are not accustomed to using one. Students with computers, laptops, or tablets and a good internet connection in their home are very lucky because they have the technology that they can use to attend an online class.

Other students who do not have any gadgets and an internet connection at their homes, cannot be able to continue their schooling. Fortunately, there are still people willing to help the students just to continue their education and not be left behind.

A teacher named Emma Nanette Gumban, despite her age, continues to teach in these trying times using a computer for her online class. Ms. Gumban prefers to teach in a face-to-face class rather than an online class because she does not have that much experience in using a

computer. In her willingness to teach her students, Ms. Gumban tried to learn how to use a computer so she would be able to teach her students. Ms. Gumban also has difficulty using Google Apps since she is not familiar with it, so she is still using chalkboards for her teaching. She said that teaching

STRUGGLES. Student’s nowadays find it hard to cope with the new normal set-up especially on gadgets and internet connections. Photo by Khrislyn Marie Mendoza

through online classes is hard but even though it is difficult, her love of teaching inspired her to work harder just to teach her students.

Mrs. Rosever Quintos’

son is enrolled in a school that adapted the online method of schooling. Mrs. Quintos is one of the many parents that have a hard time in their son’s or daughter’s education during this pandemic.

At first, Mrs. Quintos is not planning to enroll her son this school year because they do not have an internet connection and they do not own a gadget to use for an online class. But they are lucky because her sister lent her a tablet so that her son may be able to attend school this year and continue his study.

However, they’re paying their neighbor who has an internet connection so her son can attend an online class. Paying for an internet connection is an added expense for their family.

The suffering does not end there, Mrs. Quintos’ son also said that it is hard for him to study online, he only wants to go to school and learn in front of his teacher, but they cannot, due to the pandemic.

Noise pollution is also a factor in giving Ms. Quintos’ son a hard time focusing on his studies. For them, they said that they wish that this pandemic will end soon because it was hard for them to live in this socalled “new normal”.

7

FEATURE

The Independent Bulletin | Vol. XVII June-July 2021

There is Hope in the Sea: Inspiring Fisherwomen of Quezon Province

By Khrislyn Marie Mendoza We know that fishing is one of the hardest jobs out there aside from medical, engineering, etc. Especially if done manually and it is even more difficult if the weather is bad because the waves in the sea get bigger and it adds weight on the net that the fishermen pull. The fishermen also rely on the grace of the sea if they will have a big catch or none at all, but as we know, working hard is the key to success.

In the town of Narciso in Quezon Province, many fisherfolks are women who used their spare time to catch fish in the sea for them to sell with their neighbors or as their food.

One of the fisherwomen in this town is Esther Necesario, 68 years old, and her nephew, Clarissa, 19 years old who still goes to school. Clarissa helps her Uncle and Auntie prepare the hooks they use to catch fish, after finishing her school work. They put pieces of fish on the hooks tied in a fishing line and drop it to the sea and after a while, they pull it up again.

They do this two times a day, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon so that they will catch plenty

of fish and earn more money. Whatever the outcome of their fishing at sea, they still happily accept it and thank God that they still have food to eat or earnings for the day.

There is also another fisherwomen in the town of Narciso, her name is Ceniza Abayon, 40 years old and she’s been fishing for almost 30 years now.

She has 4 kids and 2 of them have been confined in the hospital and her husband takes care of them when he is not working on the

construction site. Ceniza fishes with her nephew every day to earn money for her family. She needs to catch as many fish as she can but she catches only a few fish and sometimes there are none. They use their fishing net and fish cages that are planted in the sea. When she caught only a few fish she just cooked them to feed her children or when they were lucky and caught a lot of fish she also sold them to her neighbors to buy food like rice, and bread. She works very hard because she wants her kids to be happy and her two sick daughters to get better.

Even if life is hard, always work harder so you reach your dreams in life. Just like Esther, Rigard, Clarissa, and Ceniza, they never surrender even if their life is complicated and continue to work hard for them to be able to reach their dreams for their family.

LIVELIHOOD. A 40-year old fisherwoman named Neneng wakes up early in the morning to provide her family with their needs. Giellian Froyalde Photo courtesy: twitter.com

8

ENTERTAINMENT

The Independent Bulletin | Vol. XVII June-July 2021

WORD PUZZLES: COUNTRIES Unscramble the letters to form a word below

START

FINISH

1.

ALGNABSHDE ____________________

2.

KINATSPA ___________________

3.

HUBNAT

__________________

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

9

The Independent Bulletin | Vol. XVII June-July 2021

MYSTERY. Droves of elephants are mysteriously dying in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana. The cause remains unknown to scientists. Giellian Froyalde. Photo Courtesy: desicomments.com

Elephants are mysteriously dying in Botswana

By Therenz James Estanislao

African elephants are once again dying in droves in Botswana. In just the first three months of 2021, 39 have died.

The mysterious deaths happened at the Moremi Game Reserve, in the northern part of the country, nearly 100 kilometers from a region of the Okavango Delta, where about 350 African elephants died during May and June in 2020.

Scientists are puzzled by this phenomenon and have been calling for thorough investigations

as the government sends mixed messages on the cause of death.

Anthrax and bacterial infections had been predicted in the new deaths and “further laboratory analysis is ongoing,” Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks reported in a March 24 news release.

“However, the 39 recent deaths were linked, based on preliminary results, to the same cyanobacteria toxins blamed for last year’s mass die-off,” said Philda Kereng, Botswana’s Minister of Envi-

ronment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, in a March 30 state television address.

“The 2021 elephant mortalities are again specific to elephants, as was the case in 2020,” says Shahan Azeem, a veterinary scientist at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Lahore, Pakistan. Evidences point to pathogens as a cause.

“Recent genetic studies point that the Bisgaard Taxon 45, a

related bacterium, is the culprit,” says Jessica Dawson, CEO of Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust in Zimbabwe, which has been doing lab analyses for that country’s deaths.

In March, the International Union for Conservation of nature called the African Forest elephants “critically endangered” and the African savannah elephants “endangered.”

The IUCN lists poaching as the principle threat along with the rapid increase of human land use.

10

SPORTS

The Independent Bulletin | Vol. XVII June-July 2021

Execration overthrows Blacklist International at the Grand Finals of MSC 2021

By Bhelron Arcel Bautista Execration completed its redemption campaign against Blacklist International to claim the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) crown on Sunday, June 13.

In a recent esports tournament MSC 2021 or Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup 2021, twelve teams from Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Cam-

bodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam competed on the big stage to determine who has the best Mobile Legend: Bang Bang (MLBB) team in the region.

At the Grand Finals held on June 13, 2021, two Philippine teams, Blacklist International and Execration, came out on top. It was an all-Filipino finals showdown as both squads dominated 10 other teams

across Southeast Asia.

Team Execration being the champion brought home 70,000 US dollars while Blacklist International was first runner-up with 30,000 US dollars.

Beaten by Blacklist Beaten by Blacklist for the title in the Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines (MPL PH) Season 7.

Execration redeemed themselves with a 4-1 win in their best-of-seven

grand finals.

MSC Most Valuable Player Duane "Kelra" Pillas saved the best for last as he put up 15 kills and 5 assists against 2 deaths on Chang'e to lead Execration in the series-clinching Game 5.

It was an impressive title run for Execration as it survived the lower bracket to set up an all-Filipino grand finals with Blacklist.

Phoenix Suns finishes game 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers, 130-103

By Raymart De Vera 130-103 is the final score of the game 6, between Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers. Their team made a way to finish against the Clippers from their game 5 defeat. Chris Paul led the win against the Los Angeles Clippers with 41 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. Denver Booker followed with 22 points, 4 assists, and 7 rebounds.

Some of the Suns members lingered on the court for half an hour because of their desperation to win. And the result in each quarter was good, in the first and second quarters they had a score of 33, in the third, it was 31, and in the fourth it was 33 times in total, 130, while the Clippers only had a score, in the first quarter it

was 29, in the second 28, in the third 26, and in the fourth it was 20, so the total was 103.

On Tuesday, Alan Williams said after his team’s 116-102 loss. “ Getting your butt kicked like that should turn it on, I think our team is feeling it right now. We have already talked about it. We’ll talk about it again tomorrow.

But from a competitive standpoint, they got us and that should turn your switch on.

We Should play Suns basketball with that edge and relentlessness every time we step on the floor. We didn’t do it consistently, and tonight is a reminder you have to play 48 minutes in that mode, especially in the playoffs.”