The Central Echo - Tabloid November 2020 by The Central Echo

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OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA OF CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY VOL. 110 NO. 2 NOVEMBER 2020

COE Dean Molina, 2 others develop ROHDA BY KATHLEEN E. FRUGALIDAD

College of Engineering (COE) faculty led by their Dean Engr. Dany Molina, along with Engr. Gelvie Lagos and Engr. Christsam Joy Jaspe, has developed Remote-Operated Health Delivery Assistant (ROHDA) for the use of Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC), an identified coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) referral hospital for Western Visayas. ROHDA was developed in response to the need for solutions addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. It benefits the health sector in minimizing the exposure of medical and non-medical personnel to patients suspected, probable, or confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. ROHDA

BATTLING THE UNSEEN Sonico volunteers for COVID-19 vaccine trial BY KATHLEEN E. FRUGALIDAD

ON PAGE 05

Novo, Ledesma fabricate BVM Ambu Bag BY RACHEL D. BEATIZULA

SONICO

ollege of Nursing alumnus Ramon Francisco Sonico is among the subjects of Clinical Trial for a vaccine being developed against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus which causes COVID-19. Sonico was inoculated on August 8 with an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (Vero-cell) developed by Sinopharm of China and approved by the Department of Health of United of Arab Emirates (UAE) for a clinical trial. He said that he first heard of the clinical trials of the UAE government and Sinopharm in social media. He registered in the 2nd week of July and was notified that he was approved to take part in the clinical trial last August 1. “The time that the Department of Health has released an announcement that there will be a clinical trial, I immediately volunteered because I want to end COVID-19,” Sonico said.

I want to end COVID-19. -Sonico

SONICO ON PAGE 05

Engineering graduates Charles Marc Louise Novo and Hector Jaime Ledesma, along with Augustinians Ernest Florenz Quitalig and Lemuel Ben Belasoto came up with a low-cost mechanical ventilator made of locally available materials. They have successfully fabricated and run experiments on the first phase prototype of their version of Bag Valve Mask (BVM) based ventilator. “This project is our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and all other pandemics that will be coming our way. Ventilators cost a lot, so we started this project in hopes that our work could create a cheaper and more available alternative to imported equipment. AMBU BAG

WHAT’S INSIDE

GIRLS ARE GIRLS, NOT BRIDES

ON PAGE 05

OPINION

CPU Faculty, Staff baliktrabaho sa tunga sang bag-o nga normal BY RYAN DAVE T. PORAL

ina abi-abi sang mga faculty kag staff sang Central Philippine University ang ginatawag nga “new normal” sa pagbalik trabaho nila sa tunga sang pandemya tuga sang Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 ukon COVID-19. Suno kay Rey Dividine, isa sa mga chief Security Guard sang unibersidad naga-adjust sa gihapon ang CPU sa bag-o

COCOEU CHANGING LIVES, ONE BOWL, AT A TIME

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nga sitwasyon. “Naga-follow gid kami sa advice sang administration, kon ano ang protocol nga dapat sundon gid, para mapa layo man kami sa balatian nga COVID,” saysay ni Dividine. Dugang pa sini, “Mag sulod diri (sa CPU), dapat ma fill up ka gid sang daily health monitoring form, tapos gina

FEATURES

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check ang imo nga temperatura, kung taas, wala gid namon gina pasulod. Alchohol dayon, kag wala namon gina pasulod ang mga wala appointment.” Gin-aku ni Dividine nga pati sila nga mga security guard nahidlaw naman sang naandan nila nga kabuhi bag-o pa nag-abot ang pandemya... BALIK TRABAHO

ON PAGE 05

university

LIBRARIANS ON THE GO. Delgado and other CPU library staff in action, during the virtual international conference, and seminar.  ALLANA DELGADO

Delgado represents PH in int’l program explains digital library services in the university

BY ZHARINA MARIE STEPHANIE P. LUGO

niversity librarian Allana Delgado was chosen as the only representative of the Philippines during the Emerging International Voices Network Program conducted by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and Geothe-Institute last October 22. The program is a joint project of IFLA and Goethe-Institute to allow Emerging International voices to discuss the role of digital libraries and digital technologies in their respective countries. “We were given the opportunity to discuss and learn from librarians and professionals from prestigious libraries and organizations-New York Public Library, National Digital Library of India, Denmark Public Libraries, Munich Public Library in Germany and other organizations working in the international library field,” Delgado said. According to Delgado, this also became an avenue for her to network with other library professionals in other parts of the world and learn from them as she was the only Filipino delegate from among 22 chosen participants around the world.

“This program is focused on librarians who are working on digital services and advocacies. In that case, librarians who would like to join should be already working on digital services in their libraries,” she said. She shared that her experience in working at the Henry Luce III Library and owning an active blog named “Malditang Librarian” containing library-related news increased her chance to be noticed in the selection process. “When the long lockdown from March to May 2020 was placed, the library faced a new challenge, shared by libraries all over the country. Libraries and librarians are not highly valued by the public and many have questioned why libraries need to be open at all,” she stated in an article published in the Goethe-Institute. In this article she shared how students in the University started to question the need to pay a library fee despite it being closed to the public. “We also had to prove to the university administration that the library could still function-that the library may even be more

relevant during the pandemic,” she said, adding, “We are all new to digital services and there are still many things to do and learn, but we had a great start. The pandemic had affected everyone, but we did our best to improve our services for the Centralian community even during a challenging time.” Delgado also highlighted that the Centralian Core values that helped her achieve this success together with the library were faith and resilience. She believed that what they faced in the library would be a great case study. It was challenging on their part but they persevered. She encouraged young librarians to take part in this initiative by IFLA. She explained that she was fortunate to have this opportunity to get to know librarians all over the globe and learn from them. The program will continue to support her library advocacy in the country. “This is for young librarians who are willing to learn, open to change, and are not afraid of trying new things for their organizations,” she said.

AHA! Movement qualifies for Be Like Jesse Youth Grant BY KARREN JAY G. ASGAR

VOL. 110 NO. 2 NOVEMBER 2020

OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA OF CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

he AHA! Movement (Alertong Hero Ako) project of the College of Medicine Student Council has been recognized as a funding recipient of the Be Like Jesse Youth Grant Competition organized by the Jesse M. Robredo Foundation. Out of 851 organizations that took part in Be Like Jesse Youth Grant Competition, the College of Medicine Student Council qualified among those 20 shortlisted applicants who were given a chance to present their projects to panel of experts. It was announced last September 18 that the AHA! Movement was eligible to receive funding assistance. The project, spearheaded by College of Medicine Governor Jasper Vijar, aims to help every frontliner “hearten and embolden” every youth group in teaching them to become wellinformed in pre-hospital management. According to AHA! Movement Project Manager and Student Council Vice Governor Jason Rehum Baldimor, it aims to educate

SK officials and members from age 10 to 25 years old on some Basic First Aid ideas for immediate care of the sick and injured. “With such training, the young heroes will now help [out] in reducing the influx of patients from hospitals by being able to manage common household injuries or situations,” Baldimor said. Furthermore, he added that the project is “different” from other projects because it offers “sustainable, relevant, and systemic changes to the dynamics of the community.” “The goal is to achieve long-term solutions by providing opportunities for the youth to become of influence in terms of providing basic health care management,” he added. The College of Medicine Student Council saw the urge to help non-COVID patients that seek hospital care and service and formulated the project during the pandemic. Since there are protocols and restrictions caused by this crisis, this project developed

strategies and training that created heroes inside certain homes. “As you know, the AHA! Movement aims to train household heroes in basic first aid of common household illnesses or accidents. So, one of the challenges we encountered would be finding a way of implementing AHA! Movement or training heroes without risking the health and safety of everyone,” AHA! Movement Project Manager External and Student Council Board Member Paul Landoy said. According to Landoy, the pandemic limited the things people could normally do so they thought of ways to combat this. “We could’ve gone to the barangays and have our training or lectures there, but we could not do that now due to health protocols. So, we had to think of alternative routes to... AHA

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Romero, Ruiz among TOSIA’s ‘Top Circle

ECHO  BITS

CPU declares Mental Health Day

BY KATHLEEN E. FRUGALIDAD

ollege of Engineering alumni Ivan Jan Romero and Christian Ruiz were among the roster of finalists for The Outstanding Students of Iloilo Awards (TOSIA) 2020 Top Circle. Romero received the TOSIA Hall of Fame Award and the titles TOSIA Leader (a student who exemplifies the ideal characteristics of a leader through his school and advocacy), TOSIA Speaker (a student who exemplifies confidence, firmness, and wit during the interview round of TOSIA), and TOSIA Scholar (a student who has embodied the meaning of burning the midnight candle to exceed in the pursuit of excellence). On the other hand, Ruiz earned the titles TOSIA Writer (a student who exemplifies the impact of his advocacy work through writing) and TOSIA Worker (a student who exemplifies the ideal characteristics of a nation builder). After being a TOSIA awardee in high school, Romero shared that he initially had no intentions of applying again for the College level because his only goal is to “survive Engineering.” But then, he kept going as he found inspiration from the people who surround him. ”Who inspired me to keep going? The people who believed in me: my family, teachers, and friends and the people I met along the way: the jeepney and tricycle drivers, the street and market vendors, the farmers, the IPs, and others that society calls the underprivileged,” Romero said. “I believe that they are worthy to be represented and they all inspired me to pursue TOSIA once more.” According to him, the greatest challenge he had was not during the screening process, but before the very moment he decided to apply. ” …that challenge was to overcome the fear of failure. Since I somehow had the idea of what makes a TOSIA awardee, I thought my achievements or accomplishments weren’t enough for me to be able to enter the circle.

I had to constantly battle this thought in my head, what if this time I won’t be able to make the cut? However, it’s better to fail than to live my life with regrets,” he said. Ruiz, on the other hand, said that he felt “overwhelmed” because he entered college not expecting himself to be a student leader and to graduate with honors and awards. Romero shared that the COVID-19 pandemic had not greatly affected their TOSIA journey since they were just two days away from the awarding day when the government released a mandate regarding the community restrictions, but he emphasized that he would “be more sentimental” if ever a physical awarding happened. “I think without the pandemic, I was able to give more due honor and recognition to the people who believed in me, who are the ones who truly deserve to be called outstanding. It was supposed to be exactly 5 years after I was awarded in high school, same day, same venue, so I would be more sentimental,” he added. Ruiz dedicated his award to health workers and frontliners during this COVID-19 pandemic and to his fellow student leaders, “who in their way, have sparked positive change in their respective communities.” He also expressed his gratitude to the people who supported him. Both Ruiz and Romero graduated magna cum laude in June 2020. The Outstanding Students of Iloilo Awards is a program of JCI REGATTA- Iloilo. It aims to recognize students who are outstanding not just in academics and leadership but also in community service. They had a virtual awarding ceremony last September 28. Two weeks prior, they were awarded physically at HW Study Hub, Jaro, Iloilo City, for the prerecording of the videos needed for the virtual awarding, while practicing safety protocols.

BY DANICA MAE V. HABLADO

RUIZ

ROMERO

 JOSHUA JAMES ENRIQUEZ

It was just a year ago that I entertained the idea that I will embark on this journey because I always feel that TOSIA is way beyond my reach. But God has a plan and here I am,” - Ruiz

The Office of the Central Philippine University President signed memo no. 95, s. 2020 declaring every Wednesday of the first semester as Mental Health Day, aimed to deliver classes on asynchronous mode only for sub-term colleges, October 14. According to Ro-Anne Lozada, president of the CPU Republic, the Mental Health day was designed to give the students a one-day break per week. “In line with the current set-up of CPU towards online classes, it is undeniable that heavy academic workloads have put the wellbeing of Centralian students at stake. This includes lack of sleep, over-fatigue, stress, too much exposure to gadgets, and other negative effects of online classes,” Lozada said. As per memorandum, heavy academic workloads, long and major exams should not be given on the said day. Wednesdays will also be allotted for consultation and for the students to connect with the guidance services of the university. After this was signed, many students have found the Mental Health Day “useful and beneficial” in reducing workload. “I can say that it is really helpful because I tend to have more time with my family and with myself. I can do whatever I want without even stressing about my school works,” Jason Vien Guerra, a freshman student from the College of Nursing said. “It is a big help for us, to have a day to breathe and a chance to be away from the screen if we want to. We still have asynchronous classes but my Wednesdays have been a lot more breathable since it has been implemented,” Ellena Anne Jelica Esperal, a BS Psychology freshman, remarked. Lozada said that the pandemic was already too much for the students to handle. Furthermore, the well-being of every Centralian should not be neglected and sacrificed. “...they really matter, their mental health matters. And, knowing their struggles, empathizing with their struggles—those are my motivation to propose this Mental Health Day to our administration,” Lozada said.

Centralian students qualify for AYLP 2020 BY ZHARINA MARIE STEPHANIE P. LUGO

entralians Karren Jay Asgar, Ryan Dave Poral, and Zierra Venus Joy Palma qualified for and represented CPU to the ASEAN Young Leaders Programme (AYLP) last September 22-25. “It was a life-changing opportunity for me. I was able to meet different ASEAN leaders. Even if I got disconnected multiple times, everything was worth it. I’m now an AYLP alumna,” Asgar, an AB Political Science student, shared. “To represent CPU and our country for the ASEAN Young Leaders Programme was so amazing! I met different people virtually along the way; all of us had one goal, and that is to make the ASEAN community a better place to live in,” Poral, a BA Communications student, added. During the program,

participants generated ideas in response to the program’s challenge around the eight sub-thematic areas, namely: Technology, Inclusiveness, Education, Regional Identity, Work, Health, Employability, Future of Work, and Youth Building. With various External Consultants’ aid, they received feedback on their ideas to make their work possible, sustainable, and realistic. Palma, a BS Business Administration student said that one of their speakers shared a visualization of what jobs in the future will be like, adding, “He showed us how careers have changed with the comparison of the traditional and today’s way of employment.” “Aside from learning its history, foundation, purpose, and

the challenges which strengthen the ASEAN region, I also learned from amazing and brilliant people across Asia,” Palma added. The program successfully concluded with diverse groups presenting their ideas during the project pitching sessions and virtual graduation on September 25. ASEAN Young Leaders Programme was founded in 1989 to help aspiring leaders develop their cultural intelligence through leadership development programs that expose delegates to workshops and interactive activities. The said event was virtually participated by more than one hundred and fifty delegates from various ASEAN regions.

PALMA

PORAL

ASGAR

HEROES IN THE MAKING. Members of CPU College of Medicine Student Council pose for a photo as their proposal was approved.  JASPER VIJAR

AHA, FROM PAGE 02

cater our Household Heroes and in trying to get our message across,” he said. Be Like Jesse: Youth Grant-Making competition calls for project proposals from different Youth Organizations that accepted the challenge in instigating change. It also advocates nation-building and promotion of development through empowering some communities. “Let us improve ourselves rather than waiting for someone or something to do it for us. We should know that being a hero doesn’t require us to make massive changes. You don’t have to be rich, famous, or to be a politician. All it takes is an attempt to improve what is closest to us and what matters the most. If we want to see the change, we have to be the ones making those circumstances. Little it may be, but every little step counts,’’ Landoy added. The College of Medicine Student Council, along with the four chosen organizations, was virtually awarded as one of the top five recipients of Be Like Jesse last October 17.

university

Molina, 2 others bag Most Courageous and Resilient Frontliner Award BY KATHLEEN E. FRUGALIDAD

n honor of their valuable service in the fight against COVID-19, three Centralian alumni, Dr. Felice G. Molina. Dr. Rene Juaneza, and Dr. Lina Amsua, were awarded Most Courageous and Resilient Frontliners by the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP)Western Visayas Panay Chapter, in an annual PCP General Assembly, September 2. According to Molina, the award came out unexpectedly to her as she only found out about it on the day of the recognition. “It was a very timely and pleasant surprise for us and me,” Molina said. As the chairperson of Infection Prevention and Control Unit of Western Visayas Medical Center, the forefront in terms of making policies, putting them into place, in response to the pandemic, Molina shared that putting together a team in the time of COVID-19 is “a lot of challenge.” “The previous pandemics, AH1N1, MersCOV, and SARS were not in this magnitude. So, putting the teams together and getting the hospitals ready was a very daunting job for us,” she added. Aside from her administrative work, she was also involved in the clinical work as she supervised residents and trainee doctors in going to the COVID-19 ward. Knowing the risk, she said that being rooted in faith kept her going. She shared

that she would usually start her day with a quiet time. “I always remember that science and faith go well together, just a very Centralian theme,” she said, adding “But, in this difficult time, focusing on God who has a control over the pandemic and not COVID-19 itself keeps me going.” According to her, nothing “actually” made her prepared for this pandemic, except for those introductory times and experiences she had from other pandemics before, but a “good plan and focus helped in prepping for the battle.” “A preparation starts with a prayer, not only for yourself but also for the patients and co-workers as well. Focus; you should be 100% focused on your work. You should be focused on how God prepared you for such a work in day-to-day activities,” she added. Furthermore, Molina advised her fellow Centralians, “the Exemplary Christian Education for Life (EXCEL) is true. Being a medical doctor is a life-long learning process. With the pandemic, let us not focus only on COVID-19 but to learn from it.” Moreover, she encouraged her cofrontliners to take this time of pandemic as an opportunity to have goodness within their work, because they are God’s extension of His service.

Molina quoted 2 Corinthians 4:89, saying that this is how she felt most of the days from January when she was called by the Department of Health-VI for a consultative meeting, the start of her COVID-19 journey. “God gave us that confidence to move forward because He inspired us to thrive, and made us as extension arms of His service. To be courageous, you should have the heart when to go on or when to stop,” she said, adding “hindi na nga puro lang sugod nga sugod, but you also have to have the courage to say no. We have to think first. We have to pause. We have to plan.” Philippine College of Physicians is a group of Physicians, an organization of Internal Medicine Specialists with 228 fellows and 72 diplomats. Molina is a true-blue Centralian. She finished her kindergarten, high school, elementary, and college education at Central Philippine University. She graduated Doctor of Medicine at West Visayas State University in 1992. She was also the former Editor-inChief of the Central Echo, S.Y.1983-1984. Juaneza and Amsua graduated high school in CPU, batch 1965 and 1982, respectively. Along with other awardees, they were recognized virtually last September 2.

CPU Republic conducts Hope from Central BY ZHARINA MARIE STEPHANIE P. LUGO

FOR A CAUSE. CPUR gives box of supplies to recipient in corresponding barangays.  CPU REPUBLIC

VOL. 110 NO. 2 NOVEMBER 2020

OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA OF CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

AMBU BAG

o share hope and compassion beyond the boundaries of the Centralian Community, the 16th Parliament of Central Philippine University Republic conducted “Hope from Central,” to give hope to the residents of Brgy. Nabitasan, Leganes and Brgy. Talaugis, Zarraga, October 30. “It is about the role and responsibility of the Centralian community outside its boundary. The parliament pursues the “Hope from Central” to give hope to the Centralian community amidst the pandemic,” Prime Minister John Erland C. Pudadera stated. According to him, their objective was to assist micro-communities in the battle against COVID-19 by handing out face masks, face shields, and alcohol to the frontliners of the community such as Barangay Tanods, Barangay Health workers and Barangay Officials. ”We often see them working 24/7 to deliver service and make sure that the community is safe,” he added. Pudadera also elaborated that Hope from Central served as a platform where they could express their gratitude to the real heroes of the generation. He said that the activity served as an inspiration to everybody especially

to the younger people that love and kindness can give hope and motivation to continue. “Hearing stories and seeing their real situation was the most significant feedback we have got. Those things made us understand and feel that they are still doing their best during their shifts, delivering services, and taking good care of their citizens despite lacking support and resources. We had also seen the positiveness of the people despite the pandemic. Lastly, hearing “mas makabulig na guid kami sa amon kasimaryo” let us understand that helping them coud lead them helping others,” Pudadera added. Lastly, Pudadera advised Centralians to “give ray of hope and assure marginalized communities that they are not alone in this journey amid the crisis. In small or big ways, we could extend help and give an impact on the community. Show some kindness because it’s contagious, show a smile in your eyes, and let them feel happy and be magiting to padayon!” The 16th Parliament successfully purchased and distributed 8 gallons of alcohol, 38 boxes of facemask, and 40 boxes of face shields for their chosen barangays.

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Similarly, we want to trigger an industrial movement in the country – one that is of Filipinos and aims to serve all Filipinos,” Novo said. According to Novo, as engineers, it is their duty to find ways to make Philippine science move forward to create innovations. “We believe that the prime duty of engineers is to build roads and bridges of collaboration rather than walls that prevent the forward motion of science in the Philippines. It can onlybe attained by breaking down all theimaginary barriers of bias, prejudice, and discrimination,” he said. Novo also expressed his gratitude towards everyone in the development of the project and advised the public to keep following health protocols and to stay safe.

Central Philippine University supports the development of this project with the approval of President Teodoro Robles, along with ISAT-U Research Hub and WVSU MC. The results will be subjected to a proposal for further development and testing, which the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 6 will review the submitted data. Novo and Ledesma graduated from the University in 2020 under the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering programs, respectively. Ventilators act as artificial respirators, which assist the lungs when they fail to function and is essential in managing the effects posed by Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

(L to R) Ledesma, Novo, Quitalig, Belasoto.  CHARLES NOVO

university ROHDA

FROM PAGE 01

ROHDA is a remote-operated delivery device with a maximum carrying capacity of 10 kilograms. This system will be used to deliver medicines, food, supplies, and other necessities to confined COVID-19 (suspect, probable, and confirmed) patients who are still able to move about. The electronic control system comprises a microcontroller, wireless modules, DC motor assembly, and an android app that will serve as the wireless controller. This will be used to reduce the healthcare workers' risk of contracting the virus by minimizing face-to-face contact with patients. Also, the use of this device can help lessen the need for healthcare workers to use the already limited supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). Furthermore, ROHDA will facilitate interaction between patients and the medical staff through voice and or video communication. The Faculty of Engineering envisioned ROHDA to pave the way for future collaborative bioengineering efforts between the CPU COE and the medical sector. It is also hoped to profit developments in the health care systems, which will improve public health and safety. The device was turned over to WVMC last August 20.

SONICO

Alarcon recipient of ‘Ang Ilongga Awards’

BY KATHLEEN E. FRUGALIDAD

BRAVE ILONGGA. Alarcon with her ‘Ang Ilongga Award’ after the awarding ceremony.  MICHELLE ALARCON

ollege of Nursing alumna Michelle Alarcon was one of the recipients of Ang Ilongga Award, which recognized brave Ilongga Frontliners in the Service of the City and Province of Iloilo in time of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Originally working as a contractual nurse at the City Health Office, she had been reassigned as a quarantine facility Nurse at St. Therese MTCC hospital, an identified quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients. According to her, she initially thought of turning down the assignment in a COVID-19 facility simply because she had two children at home. But then, she thought of the oath she took as a nurse and felt that serving her fellow Ilonggos was the “right thing to do.” She also added that Iloilo City’s local government unit has been “very active and supportive when it comes to the needs of its people during this pandemic” and this has been the reason why she kept going. Alarcon said that the pandemic has “drastically changed” her outlook on life, ”Just thinking of the danger that comes

with my job, I felt scared at first but I prayed really hard to God for him to guide and protect me every day, and luckily until now, I’m still here fighting.”When asked about how she felt receiving the award, she said that this came out as a “huge surprise” for her and that she felt “so honored and grateful’’ to Junior Chamber International (JCI) Iloilo Ilang-Ilang for choosing her as one of their awardees this year. Alarcon thanked the Lord Almighty, her family, friends, and her Alma Mater. “I am blessed to have an understanding family who supports me in my duty as a nurse. Human as I am, there were times that I felt tired and exhausted but this award will serve as an inspiration for me to keep going.“ she added. Alarcon also advised her fellow frontliners, “I hope and pray that we will all look at back to this time as in a “rearview mirror.” When we do, it will be with great pride in how we individually and collectively responded.” Ang Ilongga Awards, an event by JCI Iloilo Ilang-Ilang, aimed to recognize and show appreciation to the action of women essential workers in their service to fellow Ilonggos.

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Assigned at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital with COVID-positive patients on ventilators and dialysis machines, he said that the pandemic is the “hardest time” in his whole nursing profession. “Being an ICU nurse, we struggled a lot. Even doctors don’t know how to manage COVID. So, it’s experimental management,” he added. Sonico shared that another reason why he volunteered is he felt “guilty” for the other non-COVID-19 cases, “With the increase of the cases, naga-taas man ang mortality rate. Sometimes we have two (2) to three (3) patients who are dying. So, nagaka-guilty ka man kay hindi mo na mahatagan care ang iban, because you are so invested sa COVID. The vaccine being developed had already gone through two testing phases, the first being in a laboratory in China, and the second on a controlled sample of around one hundred people. The third phase, which tested 15,000 in UAE is nearly complete. This is the final step before a vaccine is approved for use among the public. Prior to inoculation, Sonico said he went through several processes. “When I arrived in Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the location for the vaccination, we were asked to input all our personal details, after which I waited for a

BALIK TRABAHO

“In the advent of this pandemic, we have to believe in Science and let’s have faith.” -Sonico couple of minutes for the medical checkup. After my vital signs were checked, the doctor asked about my medical and surgical history like allergies to food, drugs, hypertension, diabetes, etc. and if I previously had COVID,” Sonico said. During the medical check-up, he was asked to sign a consent form, after being informed of the pros and cons of the vaccination. He shared that after signing, he felt fear that “what if the vaccine will not give a good result and instead, a disability” on him. “Knowing the risk, I just prayed to

normal side effects,” Sonico said. Sonico said that he felt no serious adverse reaction from the vaccine, saying he felt ‘’completely fine,’’ and that he hopes that this trial will have a positive result and “make the world COVID-free.” He was given a booklet to monitor his progress for seven days and is slated to return 21 days after the first dose of the virus, for repeat COVID-19 testing and the second dose of the vaccine. He completed his second dose last August 28, by which, on a Facebook post, he said that he was also advised to monitor his body temperature for the next 7 days, like what he did during the first dose. Sonico shared that he is thankful to CPU College of Nursing for preparing him to become “globally competent.” “Although I was not really active back in college, CPU CON helped me to rise. I’m thankful for being trained in CPU as one of the best nursing schools in the Philippines. Furthermore, he also reflected the motto of the University, Scientia et Fides, saying “In the advent of this pandemic, we have to believe in Science and let’s have faith,” adding that his strength and courage comes from God. Lastly, he felt overwhelmed, warmed and thankful with the number of prayers and well-wishes he had received from the Centralians, family, and friends.

CPU website tops WV uniRank’s List

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Masubo kon isipon suno sa iya nga ang mga lugar nga sang una puno sang estudyante, daw ghost town na sa subong nga tinion. “Mas mayo gid ya ang dati nga normal, kay damo estudyante, kundi malingaw man kami. Him-os pa to dayon ang pensar mo kay wala pa to pandemic, indi pa delikado.” Dako naman ang pasalamat ni Dividine sa administrasiyon, mga alumni, estudyante, faculty kag staff sang nasambit nga unibersidad bangod wala gid sila gin pabay-an sa tiyempo sang kabudlay nga gina atubang sang bilog nga kalibutan. “Dako gid amon pasalamat sa CPU, kay wala gid kami nila gin pabay-an sa sini nga mabudlay nga sitwasyon; naga pasalamat man kami

God that everything will be okay, so that at least, matapos na ang COVID. Then, I remembered that I was doing this for humanity, so I moved on to the next part of the procedure,” Sonico said. Afterward, he was brought to a room for blood extraction. He said that his blood was checked for antibodies, and then he was swabbed. He tested negative for both tests, as no immunoglobulin or antibody was detected in his blood. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and Immunoglobulin M (IgM) are the known antibodies, which if found in higher concentration is indicative of an infection. ”With the negative results, it means that even as I was an ICU nurse handling a COVID-positive patient, I never contracted COVID-19 in my blood,’’ he added. “After the swab test, I waited again for about 30 to 45 minutes and they injected me the vaccine,” said Sonico. After the vaccination, he was asked to stay there for another 30 minutes for further observation. He was then told to regularly monitor his body temperature and record them for the next 7 days, saying that if he shows signs of adverse reaction he should immediately report it. “On the first and second day, the only discomfort I have experienced is on the injection site. There were pain and a bit of itchiness, I believe that these are only

sa mga estudyante, alumni, faculty kag staff kay pati sila naga hatag man bulig kag kalipay sa amon sa paghatag sang pamahaw, bugas, ukon ano man da,” dugang ni Dividine. Sang gin pamangkot si Dividine angot sa kon ano ang iya mensahe sa mga Centralians nga nabudlayan man sa sini nga panahon, nagsabat siya nga dapat padayonon gid sa gihapon ang pagpangamuyo kag pagsunod sa mga protocols. “Pangamuyo lang gid kita kag sundon ang mga health protocols nga gina hambal sa aton, mag suksok sang facemask, face shield, mag distansya, kag mang hugas gid pirme sang kamot, kay para likaw kita tanan sa katalagman.”

BY KATHLEEN E. FRUGALIDAD

entral Philippine University once again topped the Western Visayas uniRank University Ranking system placing 19th in the national followed by University of the Philippines - Visayas at 38th, University of St. La Salle at 55th, Aklan State University, 67th, West Visayas State University, 78th, and University of San Agustin, 80th. The uniRank University Ranking 2020 League Table listed the top 200 most popular universities in the Philippines and placed CPU at rank 24, a significant jump from last year’s ranking, which was 33. Only one educational institution from Region VI entered the Top 30. Next to CPU is the University of the Philippines-Visayas, at rank 40.

uniRank (formerly 4icu.org or 4 International Colleges & Universities) is an international higher education directory reviewing globally accredited universities and colleges. uniRank includes 12,358 colleges and universities, ranked by web popularity in 200 countries. According to Centralian Link, CPU’s ranking is credited to the traffic of site visits, inquiries, and shares due to the student’s internet activity after the 2016 re-launch of the Centralian Link, an online publication of the University. Office of Communications Webmaster Mark Clemens Ortaliz manages the CPU website.

Iloilo City, “Clean Tourist City”-ASEAN

local

BY GAD B. CASTRO

loilo City received the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Clean Tourist City award for the year 2020-2022, in recognition of the City of Love’s efforts in improving and enhancing public areas and urban spaces, preserving the environment and natural attractions, and maintaining cleanliness and sanitation. According to the award committee, this was given to provide ASEAN participating countries with benchmarks to aim for in promoting sustainable tourism development which eventually leads to higher tourist satisfaction, higher visitor numbers, and better

conditions for the local population. “To everyone who documented our gains, we are very proud of them and we are very happy to have earned one of these awards. For me, the hard work of our people has paid off,” said Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas in an interview with the Philippine News Agency. Furthermore, the city was evaluated based on the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Standard, which consists of the following indicators: (1) Environmental Management, (2) Cleanliness, (3) Waste Management, (4) AwarenessBuilding about Environmental Protection and Cleanliness, (5) Green Spaces, (6) Health Safety,

Urban Safety, and Security, and (7) Tourism Infrastructure and Facilities. Department of Tourism VI Regional Director Helen Catalbas received the plaque on behalf of Mayor Treñas during the awarding ceremony in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei last January 16, 2020. “We have done a lot of things to keep Iloilo City clean and beautiful, so we are very proud of this achievement,” Treñas said. Baguio City and San Carlos City also received the award.

PLASTIC NO MORE 06

Iloilo City magadumili na sa paggamit sang singleuse plastics sa pampubliko nga lugar BY RYAN DAVE T. PORAL

BYE BYE, PLASTIC. Iloilo City on the waging of war against plastic pollution, regulating the use of single-use plastic products, and progressing towards a clean and sustainable future.  RYAN DAVE T. PORAL

angod naobserbaran ni Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas nga nagadamo ang nagalapta nga mga plastic sa city hall, public plaza, kag sa Iloilo River Esplanade, naghingyo siya sang isa ka memorandum nga nagadumili sa paggamit sang mga single-use plastics sa mga nasambit nga lugar. Ang Memorandum Order Article IV, Section 30 of Republic Act 9003 naga siling “No person owning, operating or conducting a commercial establishment in the country shall sell or convey at retail or possess with the intent to sell or convey at retail any products that are placed, wrapped or packaged in on packaging which is not environmentally

acceptable packaging.” Paagi sini, nagalaom si Treñas nga masolusyonan ang problema sang pag damo sang basura sa syudad, ilabi na ang mga plastic, nga amo ang rason sang pagbaha kon mag munog ang ulan bangod naga bara ini sa mga drainage sa syudad. “Ang single use of plastic indi na pagtugotan sa parks, plazas, kay nakita naton kadamo na gid nga basura sang plastic sa aton Esplanade kag mga pampubliko nga lugar,” hambal ni Treñas sa isa ka interview sa Daily Guardian. Dugang pa niya, “As part of the effort of the city government to educate and lead

to curb the use of single-use plastic items that pollute waterways, kill marine life and contribute to our country’s increasing solid waste, you are hereby directed to follow the implementation of the plastics bans, which forms part of the government’s solid waste avoidance and minimization strategy.” Upod sa mga ginadilian nga mga singleuse plastic amo ang mga plastic cups nga may nubo sa 0.2 millimetro ang kadamulon, plastic straw, coffee stirrers, plastic spoons, plastic forks, plastic knives, nipis nga plastic bags, kag mga bags nga nubo sa 15 microtons ang kadamulon.

City mandates installation of barriers in bars, restaurants BY YUSIMAY V. HABLADO

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SEPARATED. Customers in a restaurant eat separately as new protocols are implemented.  ONE NEWS PH

xecutive Order no. 169, mandating the installation of barriers in bars and restaurants, to adhere to the guidelines set by the Department of Health, which implements non-pharmaceutical interventions to reduce the transmission rate and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 was signed by the Iloilo City mayor, Hon. Jerry P. Treñas, on October 13. Starting October 14, all restaurants, bars, and food establishments within Iloilo City should follow the executive order and install physical barriers made from non-permeable materials on the cashier’s counter, bar stations, and dining tables, with dimensions that will not compromise the breathing zone of the customer.

Any person or establishment who fails to comply with the said provisions, including the health and safety measures issued by the Department of Health, will face appropriate administrative and/or criminal charges and a penalty of business permit revocation. According to the DOH, the virus spreads through droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks; hence, the use of droplet barriers was recognized to lower the spread of COVID-19 and will further protect the customers from the virus’ transmission.

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RA 11496 to increase WVMC’s bed capacity, workforce BY YUSIMAY V. HABLADO

resident Rodrigo Duterte approved Republic Act 11496, aimed to increase the bed capacity of Western Visayas Medical Center, November 13. Filed by the author lone district representative Julienne Baronda, sought the increase of beds from 425 to 700. House Bill 00909 sought the improvement of hospital equipment and the hiring of doctors, nurses and other personnel commensurate to the number of beds. “Amid the grim challenges of a pandemic and the natural disasters that currently beset our land, this piece of welcome news also brings us closer to our avowed

goal of improving the lives of the Ilonggos through responsive, accessible and quality hospital care,” Baronda said. She ran on the platform called “HOPE” which stands for “health, obra, peace and order, and education,” adding, “ through this, we are a step closer at improving the lives of the Ilonggos through responsive, accessible, and quality hospital care.” Western Visayas Medical Center has been known as the one-stop Emergency Medical Services provider not just in Iloilo City, but also in its neighboringprovinces.

Moreover, it was the appointed hospital to accommodate the COVID-19 patients during its first onset on Western Visayas. The increase in bed capacity and medical workforce will further improve the services of Western Visayas Medical Center, especially during this time of health crisis. “We’ll see to it that this act is implemented as envisioned as to ensure that better healthcare is made available for the Ilonggo community. Para gid ini sa mga Ilonggo!” Baronda said.

Garin, 3 iba humaharap sa kaso ukol sa Dengvaxia BY KARREN JAY G. ASGAR

agpalabas ng hatol ang hukuman ng Quezon City tungkol sa pag-aaresto kay dating Health Secretary Janette Garin at tatlong iba pa hinggil sa pagkamatay ng dalawang magaaral dahil sa Dengvaxia. “The court went over the record of the case and finds that probable cause exists to issue warrant of arrest against all accused,” nabanggit ni Branch 107 Judge Jose Bautista Jr. noong Nobyembre 18 sa hiwalay na omnibus orders. Kasama sa pag-aaresto sina Stanislas Camart, Jean Louis Grunwald at Jean Francois Vacherand galing sa Sanofi Pasteur Inc., ang may-ari ng di umano’y bakuna sa Dengvaxia. Sila ay binigyan ni Bautista ng pagkakataong isumite ang kanilang piyansa sa loob ng tatlong araw. “Jurisdiction having acquired over the

persons of these accused, this case is set for arraignment, pre-trial conference and preliminary conference on Nov. 27, 2020 at 2 p.m.,” pagmando ni Bautista. Nagpahatid din ng paalaala ang hukuman sa pagsunod ng mga protokol na dapat alalahanin at sundin ng bawat panig na dadalo sa pagdinig sa korte ng Quezon City Hall of Justice. “They should wear face mask, face shield, and observe proper physical distancing at all times,” diin ni Bautista. Ang ulat na ito ay tinanggihan naman ni Garin batay sa kanyang pahayag. Ikinaila na hindi raw niya natanggap ang utos sa pagaresto sa kanya kasama ang tatlo pa galing sa Quezon City Regional Trial Court. “This news, yet again, is another attempt to mislead and condition the

public’s mind,” pahayag ni Garin matapos siya raw ay siniraan ng puri ng iniulat ang kanyang isyu ng mga mamamahayag ng walang beripikasyon. “No warrant of arrest has been issued. The Court document stated: ‘The record shows that some accused, namely Dr. Janette L. Garin, Stanislas Camart, Jean Louis Grunwald, Jean Francois Vacherand have not yet filed their bail bonds. They are directed to inform the Court if they have already filed their bail bond in other courts and to furnish this Court a copy of the courts order approving their bond so that the Court can likewise approve the same without them filing a new bail bond within 3 days from receipt of this order, otherwise a warrant of arrest will be issued against them,” dagdag pa nito.

Mateo, new MUP 2020 BY KALANIE N. SALDEJANO

I want to help my community, I want to use my strength to make an impact. And that is the essence of beauty pageants. It gives us the power to make a difference.” -Mateo

abiya Mateo, a 23-year-old lass from Balasan Iloilo, was crowned Miss Universe Philippines during its first pageant held in Baguio Country Club last October 25. The Indian-Filipina beauty triumphed over 45 other candidates from different provinces. She was also hailed best in swimsuit in the preliminary “I started as a nobody in the pageant world but I really have the heart and I really wanna win for Iloilo,” Mateo said in her homecoming speech. During her journey to the crown, many people told her that she would never be Miss Universe Philippines but she chose to surround herself with people who believed in her. “I chose to surround myself with people who wanted me to win and I would always try to remind myself the glory and the honor that I will bring back to Iloilo City once I have the crown on top of my head,” she said. Despite the controversy that came with the crown, Mateo tried to see things through other people’s point of view to understand where they were coming from. “Of course it was painful because

Iloilo City launches Uswag Tracer

o replace manual contact tracing forms, Iloilo City’s Uswag Tracer, a quick response (QR) code system was made available publicly online through a website last November 16. The City Government shall require offices and establishments to use the QR code system as a means to fast-track those in close contacts with confirmed COVID-19 positive patients as well as identify those on the quarantine period. The QR code system will also “further enhance contact tracing of persons possibly exposed to the virus,” said Iloilo City government’s Information

there are things [that] you can settle by talking to each other. At the end of the day this is a competition and being the bigger person in the picture, I need to understand where they’re coming from,” she explained. Mateo will represent the Philippines in the upcoming 69th Miss Universe pageant, date and venue of which are still yet to be announced. She is the first to win the crown in the newly-minted event under the new franchise owner, Miss Universe Philippines organization. “And now, I will promise that I will do my very best to bring home the fifth crown for the Philippines but most especially for my Iloilo City,” Mateo added. Prior to her victory, she had been a lecturer and review coordinator at SRG Manila Review Center. She is the second Ilongga to represent the Philippines to the Miss Universe competition, the first of which was a Centralian, Louis Vail Aurelio. Mateo is a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy graduate from Iloilo Doctors’ College. Mateo finished cum laude, best intern, and university valedictorian.

LADY IN RED. Rabiya Mateo, in her crown and winning smile, as she makes her final walk upon winning the MUP crown.  MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES

BY KATHLEEN E. FRUGALIDAD

Technology Services Division Chief Francis Cruz in a press conference last November 16. Cruz also explained the process of securing the QR codes and stressed that individuals ages six years and above who are residents, working, or visiting the city are mandated to register at www.uswagtracer.com. Registrants must also input their full names, home addresses, contact numbers, and email addresses. A confirmation email with their codes, site access, and user manual will be sent to successful registrants. They can either have the QR codes printed, laminated, or screen captured in their mobile phones and present

it for scanning upon entry to any establishment. Furthermore, Mayor Jerry Treñas said that filling up forms when entering malls and other establishments for future contact tracing reference will no longer be required. “Through this, we can minimize contacts, risks of infection, and help us monitor the movements of our residents to ensure their safety,” Treñas added. All residents shall be given a two-week moratorium to generate their codes starting November 16.

nation

REHABILITATION Duterte orders mega taskforce to probe corruption in all government agencies BY DANICA MAE V. HABLADO

resident Rodrigo Duterte revealed the creation of a new task force to investigate corruption in all government offices, starting with the Department of Public Works and Highways, in a recorded address to the nation on October 27. The order to head the expanded task force against corruption was given to Secretary Menardo Guevarra of the Department of Justice —the same group that investigated the alleged corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. Duterte initially created the task force in August to investigate PhilHealth. This time, however, the group is to expand their probe in all agencies of the government, as President Duterte vows to keep fighting corruption until his term ends.

“In the coming days, expect suspension. Kung i-suspend kita, may duda ako. Hindi ako mag-suspend ng walang kasalanan,” the President said. Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr. explained that the aim of the mega task force, which will last until June 30, 2022, is to investigate corruption in all offices of government and file charges against those found guilty. When questioned why Duterte had to create a new anti-corruption task force when the Ombudsman and PACC are there, Roque defended that “the biggest number of prosecutors are still under the Executive via the DOJ.” Additionally, the President wanted things done immediately. Roque said at a virtual press briefing

that the president will give utmost priority to fighting corruption in the last two years of his term. “Gusto lang talaga niya na maiwan niyang legacy ay malinis niya ang gobyerno sa natitirang panahon ng kanyang termino,” Roque added. Meanwhile, the Secretary of Justice has identified five government agencies on the top of their priority list pursuant to the directive of President Duterte on investigating corruption. These agencies are the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and the Land Registration Authority (LRA).

Duterte appoints Sinas as PNP Chief BY KARREN JAY G. ASGAR

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OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA OF CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

PARTY! Sinas flashes two thumbs up as press catches him during one of his parties, breaking lockdown and social distancing protocols.  RAPPLER

ontroversial cop, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Police Major General Debold Sinas was designated new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) by President Rodrigo Duterte last November 9, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed. “Tinalaga po ni President Rodrigo Duterte si Debold Sinas bilang bagong Philippine National Police chief effective po bukas, November 10,” Roque announced in an online briefing. Sinas, known as the person involved in the issue of mañanita mishap violated the COVID-19 health protocols when he had his 55th birthday celebration. He hosted a birthday party with at least a dozen of his men celebrating with him. Photos of the event that were widely shared online showed that the celebration had multiple violations of the country’s ban on mass gatherings. Sinas even insisted that it was merely a mañanita, a tradition in the police force where a birthday celebrator is being serenaded by his colleagues. President Rodrigo Duterte defended Sinas, calling him a “good officer” and insisted that he would get to keep his post as Metro Manila police chief. “I believe he is an expert with regards to [the] training of personnel, and training of recruit… I am a father and a brother to all of them, let’s just say if they will be disciplined I will do that for them,” (22nd) Chief of the PNP General Camilo Cascolan stated. General Sinas’ promotion made him the highest law enforcement officer of the land. He will also retire this upcoming May 2021. Under Republic Act No. 8551 or the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998, a police officer cannot be promoted to any position if he only has a year left before retirement. The only exemption is a promotion to PNP chief. “Whichever way one looks at it, NCRPO chief Police Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas set a bad example in committing what he

did during his birthday ‘mañanita’ or whatever he wants to call it. As a result, he has been bashed, criticized, and pilloried both on social and mainstream media for the incident, even as he has since apologized and regretted his indiscretion,” Senator Panfilo Lacson stated. After this announcement, Sinas became a trending topic on Twitter as netizens expressed their disappointment and frustrations over the NCRPO chief’s promotion. “Presidential appointments are really very executive in character. It is a prerogative of the President and he need not make any explanation for his appointment. But nonetheless, the President looked at the track record of the appointee and the President had said that new PNP chief Sinas has contributed a lot to his war on drugs,” Roque said during a press briefing. “Do not worry. The President believes (PNP) chief Sinas will be effective in his new position and let’s trust the President on this decision,” he added. Critics also had complaints regarding in Sinas’ promotion. It was clearly stated from Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa’s statements about his warning to all police officers, from patrolman up to the high-ranking generals, to start losing weight, if not their paunches, if they don’t want to be denied schooling needed for their promotion for higher ranks, as well as for certain positions within the organization. “Cops with bulging stomachs are proof of poor police training,” Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa stated when he was the PNP Chief last 2017. Sinas should be punished because of his wrongdoings but instead, he got promoted. He now ascends to the top post of the country’s police force and will be tasked to implement coronavirus protocols he once broke and violated.

nation

Biden becomes oldest US Prexyelect after Electoral College win BY KATHLEEN E. FRUGALIDAD

ONE FOR THE DEMOCRATS. President-elect Joe Biden flashes a winning smile to his supporters as results of election came out.  NEW YORK TIMES

oseph Robinette Biden Jr., who turned 78 last November, is United States’ 46th Presidentelect becoming the oldest person elected president and fulfilling his decades-long ambition in his third bid for the White House. With 306 electoral college votes amassed by Republican Party Nominee, Biden was able to triumph over the former President Donald Trump who had 232 only during the November 8 elections. The Electoral College (established in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution) is a system wherein selected electors from each state, and not the voters themselves, are the ones who officially elect a president. Each state is assigned a specific number of electors based on population, totalling to 538

electors in the entire USA. In order to win, a candidate must reach the so-called magic 270 votes, which is half plus one of the total electoral votes. With his triumph, Biden promised, in his economic speech, to restore political normalcy and a spirit of national unity to confront raging health and economic crises. “With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation,” he said. “It’s time for America to unite. And to heal. We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together.” Biden is expected to be sworn into presidency in January 2021.

PH signs deal with AstraZeneca for COVID-19 vaccine BY KALANIE N. SALDEJANO

hilippine government signed a tripartite agreement with the United Kingdom-based pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca in partnership with the local private sector represented by the Go Negosyo Foundation for purchasing supply of 2.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, November 27. National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief and the country’s vaccine czar, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. sealed the partnership with Joey Concepcion, the private sector representative, and Lotis Ramin, the country president of AstraZeneca Philippines. AstraZeneca initially reported that the vaccine showed an average of 70% effectiveness. However, that rate jumped to 90% when an initial half-dose then a full dose was given, similar to that of trials of rival vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. “Through this partnership, we are thinking and acting ahead of the virus. Through the show of unity and selflessness, which we refer to as the bayanihan spirit, we are demonstrating to the world that although the pandemic knocked us down, we will rise and come together as one,” Galvez said in an interview. According to Concepcion, the supply is to be paid for by the private sector, and the vaccines will be donated to the Department of Health (DOH), which will handle

the deployment. Half of the donations are reserved for government frontliners, while the other 50 percent will cover employees in the private sector – both regular and contractual – provided they follow the government’s priority sectors for distribution. “With all these announcements, our Filipino people can be assured that we will not be left behind. With the efforts of Sec. Galvez in bringing the vaccine to this country, we will soon see this pandemic disappear,” said Concepcion. AstraZeneca has a zero-profit program in 2021, which means that vaccines are priced as low as possible. The cure is estimated to cost around P500 ($10) for two doses. Aside from the delivery of the 2.6 million doses of vaccine, Galvez bared that there are also on-going negotiations with AstraZeneca for the provision of another 20 million doses of its vaccine that will be paid for by the national government. “The Philippines aims to vaccinate up to 75 percent of the population against COVID-19, but this would not be completed in one year. The government could vaccinate only 25 million to 30 million people a year. The vaccine is expected to become available either in May, June or July next year, so the immunization drive is likely to start late in the second quarter of 2021,” Galvez added.

ECHO  BITS

Senate Bill 1373: Girls not Brides Act passes third reading BY KALANIE N. SALDEJANO

On November 9, the Senate has voted unanimously approving the third and final reading of Senate Bill 1373—a bill criminalizing child marriages. Also known as the “Girls Not Brides Act,” the bill was filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality. This bill aims to protect children by prohibiting the marriage between a minor and an adult. It also penalizes child marriage. The bill states that facilitation, solemnization, or participation in child marriages is a public crime, and will be considered a violation of Section 10 of the Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, with the penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period and fees up to 50,000 pesos. “This is wrong in so many levels. Child marriage is a human rights violation as it undermines the well-being of girls and impedes their personal development. Many will likely end up in poverty as child brides will have limited education and economic opportunities,” Hontiveros said. According to her some of the child brides were discovered to have entered marriage through commercial sex and trafficking, as well as the infamous mail-order bride industry. She also added that in violence-ridden areas like Marawi, child marriages are spiking because of the economic constraints felt in the area where some of these children are “married off as economic exchanges.” “Today, we give our girls a chance to dream, a chance to define their futures according to their terms. We defend their right to declare when they are ready to begin their families. We tell them their health matters to us. Their education matters to us. We give them a fighting chance,” she added. In a survey conducted by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, it was stated that 15% of Filipino girls are married before their 18th birthday, with 2% married before 15 years old.

ECHO  NUMBERS

17%

LTFRB requires franchisers to plant trees BY KARREN JAY G. ASGAR

he Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has ordained mandatory tree planting as a requirement of every franchiser for their franchise application that will officially start on December 1. In the recently released memorandum Circular 2020-076, LTFRB Region 2 Director Edward Cabase recommended including a basic tree planting program as part of requirements for applying for the franchise of cooperatives or even individuals. “This board, as part of our responsibility to conserve and protect our environment, has agreed to initiate efforts by undertaking to plant trees in the entire Philippines, and thereafter require our stakeholders, who have a similar responsibility to our environment and to the next generation … to plant trees, as a precondition for the issuance of a certificate of public convenience,” the circular stated. The regulatory agency is expecting to have at least 50,000 trees to be planted within the next three months, “at the very least to mitigate the impact of natural calamities.” Operators are also expected to reach

out to their respective local government unit (LGU) or nearby office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for any tree planting activity and schedules they can participate in. The aforementioned agencies are obliged to provide proof of compliance which will be included in the documents that should be compiled before submitting the franchise application. “Imagine, if part of the responsibility in getting a franchise or license from all government offices is to plant trees in areas chosen by the local government and the Department of Natural Resources, we would be helping in this [flooding] problem,” the transportation department quoted Tugade’s statement after his survey of the flood damage in Tuguegarao last Nov. 15. The order also includes that failure in attaching this requirement could cause nonacceptance of their franchise application. The LTFRB memo did not also specify what type of trees should be planted. All franchise applicants those including that have less than 10 PUVs, must plant a tree for every vehicle.

of Filipino girls are married before their 18th birthday

IN REGIONS

2% are married before the age of 15.

IV-B, VII, X11 marry earlier than in other regions

SOURCE: ATLAS.GIRLSNOTBRIDES.ORG/

opinion Never Again, Always 10

EDITORIAL

ictator Ferdinand Marcos is by far one of the most controversial political figures in Philippine history. Disgustingly known as the president who signed Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, Marcos placed the Philippines under Martial Law. As the longestserving president whose term lasted for almost 21 years, he systematically dismantled the parties that existed prior to martial law. Despite his intentions of uniting the poor and the privileged for the Bagong Lipunan (New Society), his term was plagued with crony capitalism, human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, graft and corruption, suppression of media, and many others. His reign was considered one of the darkest times in contemporary Philippine history and people to this day still cry out “Never Again” to the horrors of the Marcos regime. More than 30 years have passed yet to this day, the Marcos clan not only refuses

to negative historical revisionism. At this point, historical revisionism becomes harmful for it misleads people into believing in false narratives, especially those that cover up lies as if nothing bad ever happened. Under the Duterte administration, multiple pieces of evidence of attempts at historical revisionism can be found. On November 18, 2016, the remains of Ferdinand E. Marcos were buried in the Libingan ng Mga Bayani—the Heroes’ Cemetery. This has been a blow to the survivors of Marcosian atrocities. How would you feel seeing your tormentor being buried in a place considered only for heroes? During this year’s anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, the Official Gazette, the official journal of the Philippine government, earned widespread criticism from netizens for applying “historical revisionism” in their post regarding the birthday of Ferdinand Marcos. The said post highlighted two

especially those that portrayed his family in a negative light. He backed up these proposals claiming that the reports of corruption and abuse during the martial rule of his father was nothing but a mere political ploy by rivals. ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro refuted all of his proposals. “Teachers will not allow a revision of history books and rewrite it as if the Marcos era was all good, no injustice and corruption when in fact history already judged him as a plunderer, murderer, fascist, and criminal,” Castro said. Marcos is no hero and we should not let future generations treat him like one. Just let the numbers speak for itself. According to the official website of the Philippine government, 75,730 people filed cases as victims of human rights abuse under the Human Rights Victims Claims Board (HRVCB). An estimated 70,000 people were detained as enemies of the state, 3,240 people became victims of extrajudicial

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Marcos is no hero and we should not let future generations treat him like one. to apologize, but much worse admit how they made the Philippines a hell on Earth for the Filipinos during their time. They continue to claim that the former president did not violate any rights or commit any form of crime—a vile attempt at historical revisionism. Groups who are supportive of the Marcos family would go as far as picturing the Martial Law period as the “Golden Age” of the country and not the dark era that it was. Historical Revisionism is the greatest plastic surgery done by Marcos apologists to hide the ugly truth of what happened during the notorious dictator’s reign. In the simplest of terms, it involves a reinterpretation of a past event or a presentation of new narratives based on newly discovered facts. It is therefore necessary and an integral part of seeking the truth behind historical events, retrospectively. However, people can use the pretense of historical revisionism for political gain by spreading falsehoods and manipulating historical events which are completely baseless and are outright deceiving the Filipino people. Manipulation and deception are core

competing views on the history of Martial Law, with the other painting the Marcos regime as the “Golden Age” of the Philippines. On September 2, 2020, 197 representatives voted for the passage of House Bill (HB) 7137, which declared September 11 of every year a special non-working holiday in Ilocos Norte to commemorate the birth anniversary of Ferdinand Marcos. Holidays for the normal Filipino are a time to rest, skip work, and relax yet there are more to holidays. Holidays represent what a nation desires to remember and it is essential in promoting national identity and memory. How can you celebrate a holiday when it symbolizes a dark time in our history? It is also disheartening that amid the pandemic, it only took 44 days to approve the passage of HB 7137. On the other hand, the “Free Mass Testing Act of 2020,” which seeks to provide free mass COVID-19 testing for all suspect cases, highrisk communities, and health workers, remains pending for three months since its filing. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also made numerous proposals to revise school textbooks

killing, and 398 people were subjected to forced disappearances during the 20 years of Martial Law. The national government debt peaked at P395.91 billion with the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant as the largest contributor. These are only a smidgen of the cruel acts brought by the Marcos regime and Martial Law. The next generations of Filipinos should familiarize themselves with the atrocities of the Marcos regime given the almost unlimited accessibility in the Digital Age. Not being alive at that time does not excuse ignorance. Today’s generation are especially at risk for exposure to negative historical revisionism, further amplified by the lack of filters, and the freedom to make claims of their own on social media. We should be critical and continue fighting against negative historical revisionism. Let us look at the past and learn from it as we should. Let us continue to tell and defend the truth— fight for the truth and the truth only. Marcos is not a hero. Never forget the Martial Law. Never forget the bloodshed. Never Again.

opinion

A Battlefield Beyond Foggy Screens BY ZHARINA MARIE STEPHANIE P. LUGO

e all know how the world celebrated the birth of technology, the internet, and social media. As human beings, we appreciated their ability to connect us to other people across the globe with just a video call or chat away. With all these gadgets glued on our palms, these three horsemen of innovation and modernity eventually have gained control over our senses without us even noticing it at all. With a few taps on our foggy screens, we get to access the boundless technological powers that allow us to do extraordinary things like shaping the minds of others and gaining power and influence by posting on platforms. Yet through the inevitable

breeding ground for clout-chasing and cancel culture, which are two main players in “soc-med wars” especially on issues relating to prominent people and events that could affect society. “Clout-chasing,” without its exact and formal definition is seen by netizens as “fame-chasing” and also considered “social climbing.” Admit it, we can often see these on negative-charged celebrities, political figures, and influencers. Unfortunately, clout-chasers are like monsters, feeding on the downfall of others and using it in high hopes to gain more clout no matter how negative or positive the support might be.

massive online bullying and hurtful words that could attack the offender personally. It could also create another battleground where anyone that has a different opinion from the majority will be punished or ignored. At the end of the day, we should not embed our lives on any of these doubleedged sword norms. Clout-chasing should never be normalized for the sake of likes, comments, and faltering support systems. Most of the people on the internet are surfing on dangerous and shameful trends just to get millions of views. Cancel culture as well should not be used as a weapon to degrade and

EDITORIAL BOARD AY 2020-2021 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kathleen Frugalidad ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Zharina Marie Stephanie Lugo MANAGING EDITOR

Rachel Beatizula WEB ADMINISTRATOR

Ryan Dave Poral LAYOUT ARTISTS

Gad Castro Danica Mae Hablado GRAPHIC ARTIST

We should not embed our lives on any of these double-edged sword norms. Clout chasing should never be normalized for the sake of likes, comments, and faltering support systems.

evolution of social media, they have also granted us lethal gifts of destruction which allows us to place people on the throne of fame and success and shatter them easily when needed. Social media platforms have began to shed their true motives, blinding most of us with unsettling feelings that unconsciously trigger us to crave for superficial desires likes, comments, and attention. Sometimes, it tickles our jealousy of what others have and unfortunately place us into a subconscious that makes us feel incomplete, lost, and not being enough. Blessed are those who found the way out from this rat race of clout-chasing and temporary things, for they will find peace within natural and calm moments in their lives. These platforms have been a perfect

Cancel culture, on the other hand, has the special ability to turn tables, a lethal element lurking into the abyss of social media posts. As I’ve said earlier, it has the power to put people in a place of success and remove them easily when they commit an act or express an opinion that is disturbing to the society. This could often be done by huge companies or personalities by boycotting their products and endorsements. Unlike clout-chasers, cancel culture has good attributes elaborated in the article entitled “Is Call Out Culture Good for the Society?” It can amplify the voices of those who are unheard and suffering injustices, then gives “boycott” a new groove to carry out social changes for the public. Yet, cancel culture or “call-out culture” also has a slippery slope that could cause

excommunicate someone, but it should be a torch that sheds a meaningful radiance to educate those who committed mistakes in an appropriate manner. It should magnify the voices of change and reforms that could hold someone accountable with the aid of truth, pieces of evidence, and examining both sides of the issue. It might sound cliche but be reminded that we are given the chance to live in this plain to bring change, and not to be altered by the algorithmic melody of negativity on social media. We should be sincere and authentic in creating norms that could help others grow mentally and socially healthy and still hear everyone out through productive discourses. Fight wisely. Let us turn these weapons of destruction, into torches of clarity and truth.

Girls are girls, Not Brides

Prince Ric Emmanuel Paciente ONLINE WRITERS

Yusimay Hablado Kalanie Saldajeno Coleen Casanova Karren Jay Asgar CONTRIBUTORS

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hild marriage is happening all over the world, not just among indigenous and immigrant communities. It is still prevalent among developing countries—those in Asia leading the statistics. South Asia has the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with Bangladesh having the highest rate of child marriage in the whole continent. Additionally, Nepal and India also face a high rate of child marriage. In the Philippines, 17% of girls are married before the age of 18, and 2% are married before 15—this is according to data gathered by the UNICEF. PATRIARCHY AND GENDER INEQUALITY However, at its core, the issue of child marriage can be looped back to patriarchal values and gender inequality. The belief of women being inferior and less valued than

long and it has been normalized, and will only keep happening if no one raises a question against these harmful practices. Tradition should never be an excuse for human rights violations. Just because something has been happening for a long time, doesn’t mean that it cannot be stopped. What sort of individual would even think it’s okay to force a child into marriage? This act robs children of their childhood, subjects them to sexual violence and risky pregnancies and deliveries. They may even die during childbirth. They also have underweight babies who may either die early or be stunted for life. What’s even good with child marriage? GIRLS NOT BRIDE ACT The Senate bill 1373 or the “Girls not Bride Act” sponsored by Senator Risa

Family Code, it does not guarantee criminal liability to the violators. This act, on the other hand, will prohibit child marriage and at the same time penalize the violators. Their act of facilitating, arranging, or even solemnizing child marriage will be considered a public crime. ENDING CHILD MARRIAGE These girls are not physically, mentally, and emotionally equipped to marry at a young age and become a wife—more so a mother. Children are supposed to go to school and play, not carry big responsibilities on their small shoulders. One of the main reasons for pregnancy among adolescents is child marriage. Getting pregnant at a young age puts the girls in grave danger. Early pregnancy is the leading cause of maternal

Tradition should never be an excuse for human rights violations. Just because something has been happening for a long time, doesn’t mean that it cannot be stopped.

The Central Echo is an independently managed and financed student press. Opinions expressed herein by the authors, respondents, and artists are exclusively theirs and do not necessarily reflect those of the University or the entire editorial board. ©2020

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men, furthered by tradition, can be found at the very root of early marriages. More often than not, child marriages are done against the wishes of these young girls. Their individualities are not respected, and they are sold off as mere livestock, with no guarantee of their supposed husbands treating them with respect. Sometimes, a female child is married off at a young age for being impregnated, just to avoid shame. Young girls who have had their first bleeding will be forced to marry older men, as the next step of their “womanhood”. Child marriage has happened for so

Hontiveros aims to protect minors especially young girls by penalizing child marriage. If made into law, this will criminalize any facilitation, solemnization, or participation in child marriages. Violation of the said act will have a penalty of prison mayor (6 years and one day to 12 years of imprisonment) in its maximum period and fees up to 50,000 pesos. If it is the child’s parents or guardian, they will face imprisonment of 12 years, a fine of 50,000 pesos, and a loss of parental authority for the child. Despite having 18 as the legal age of marriage in the Philippines as stated in the

mortality since girls at this age have a greater risk of complications and death. Their bodies are not mature enough to nurture and house a growing baby, and this may also cause danger to the child they are carrying. Our children are important to us and we want to protect them from harm and danger. We hope for them to grow up and become responsible adults who will soon be a productive part of society. Preventing child marriage will be one of the many steps that we should take to further materialize this goal. Let us empower our girls and let them become more than just brides.

Editorial Reference: Online conference on historical revisionism dubbed Balik Ka/Saysay/An on 21 September 2020 organized by the Asian Center for Journalism (ACFJ) and Consortium on Democracy and Disinformation in partnership with Tanggol Kasaysayan and Bulatlat.

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 RYAN DAVE T. PORAL & JEDRICK LEIGHNOR SOLINAP

paliplat

paniplat

was a carefree and single 35-year-old in November 2015 when I suddenly became a single mother to a one-and-a-half-year-old boy. I was unprepared. I have never been responsible for a child’s life before, and I have never had any children of my own. While his arrival caught me off guard, it also reminded me of some simple but oftentimes neglected lessons that could very well be applied in various contexts of our lives. Life is essentially a series of surprises His arrival caught me unaware. One day I was informed of a visit, and the next day, I was made in-charge of raising a boy. I had plans – I dreamed of many things. I had plans of going to many places, I had thoughts of spreading my wings. Could I do it with a child in my arms? I had no answers at that time, but my friends reminded me of something I said many years back – that if ever I would have a child in the future, I would want him/ her to be at least a year old already because I did not want to go through the entire cycle of the uneasiness of pregnancy, the pain of childbirth, and the chaos of breastfeeding. Suddenly I realized that it was indeed what was given to me – a child but without all the “hassle”. It was indeed a surprise, but without batting an eyelash, I took the child as my own. I did not know what was in store in the next few months since that day. He could be taken away as fast as he was handed to me, but I did not change my mind. I embraced the surprise that Life has given me. Life is indeed a series of surprises. We wake up one day with things and events that are not part of our plans. When this happens, we are faced with the discomfort of making crucial decisions that could affect the entire course of our lives. Yes, discomfort, because it is uncomfortable when we are faced with a situation that requires us to make a decision – one wrong move could spell disaster. Perhaps this year is a year of surprises. Did we ever think that from March, we will be spending most of the remaining months of the year cooped up in our homes and unable to do the things we’ve been doing for so long? Wasn’t it that we had plans of spending the summer somewhere with our friends only to be at wars with the airline company just to get our refunds? Weren’t we looking forward to spending our last year in college with our friends and having sleepless nights together finishing our thesis only to be made to stay home attending our online classes? Didn’t we look forward to celebrating our Lola’s 80th birthday only to be attending an online memorial service for her instead because we lost her to COVID-19? Also, weren’t we thinking that we will be all bored staying at home doing nothing only to realize we have the knack for baking, painting, and writing songs? Weren’t we surprised about our capacity to help others in any way we can? This year isn’t over yet. We can only guess what other surprises remain.

In every challenge that comes our way, we rest in the comfort of knowing that there are people who will see us through.

MAXIMUM 

VOLUME

His name is Alex

WE GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY When he arrived, I thought about what could happen. Will I ever be able to raise him alone, send him to school, teach him the values he needs to survive, etc.? What if I couldn’t? I couldn’t even change a diaper, couldn’t tolerate kids acting up, couldn’t stand being deprived of sleep. I was not used to sharing my bed with another human being. I was never prepared for full-time motherhood, but there I was, with a toddler for a bedmate since that day in November 2015 until a few months ago when he finally got his own bed as he turned six. It has been five years since November 2015. When I look back to that day, I realize that I couldn’t have made it through without my family and friends. All these years, nobody close to me has ever told me that it was wrong for me to take him in. All of them supported my decision, and assisted me in all ways imaginable so that five years after, that oneand-a-half-year-old boy who could barely walk and talk is now in Kinder 2 and currently doing well in school. We had our share of meltdowns and one hospital scare, but I can only revel at the joy I feel with every little achievement he has had through the years. All these couldn’t have been possible without my tribe cheering us on. This last quarter of the year brought unimaginable events that have disrupted our already vulnerable situation. The typhoons that have wreaked havoc to our country have left countless families in dire states. While we feel bad about the devastations brought by Rolly and Ulysses, we can’t help but admire the indomitable Filipino spirit of generosity and kindness manifested in many ways – the donation drives, the rescue operations, and many more. Most of these, by the way, have been initiatives by private organizations, small groups, and even individuals whose actions are not driven by public obligation but by sheer humanity. In every challenge that comes our way, we rest in the comfort of knowing that there are people who will see us through. LOVE AND COMMITMENT GO TOGETHER Along with my love for him is my personal commitment to look after his welfare, that is, to be a parent to him. That I did, that I am still doing, and when granted, that I will continue to do for a long time. With certainty, I can say that even if I would be blessed to have a child of my own, I will never waver in my love and commitment for him. He will always be my firstborn. When we decide to serve others because we have declared our love for service, we gain people’s trust and confidence. With that, it is essential that we commit ourselves to the task at hand. People decide to run for public office because of the inherent premise that they love the country and that they are committed to serve its citizens. Generally, they get the position because of the trust and confidence of the majority, at least in our political context in the Philippines. This commitment should not waver in the face of challenges, especially during times of need.

BY SHARLENE G. GOTICO

True leadership demands full commitment from the leader, at least that is how good governance is described in books. In the face of dissent, and even unrest, the true leader who, under oath, has espoused love of country should manifest commitment in putting the welfare of the nation and its citizens at the top of his/her priorities, more so if the country and its citizens are in the middle of a crisis. Commitment also demands visibility, as a parent should be present in his/her children’s lives – in their successes and happiness, and even more so in their failures and distresses. True leadership is the same, especially for those in public service.Indeed, love and commitment go hand in hand. There are things that couldn’t be put on hold at that time, it was apparent that he needed to have a parent – someone who will take care of him, someone he can depend on, someone who will see him through. I became that person for him. In the face of all the things I wanted for myself, I knew that parenting this child couldn’t be put on hold. So I took the plunge. December 25 is a few weeks from now. Will there be Christmas this year? With all the things that have happened, in the face of the virus scare that the whole world is facing, with all the calamities interrupting our lives, could celebrating Christmas be put on hold? I dare say, NO. There will be Christmas this year – maybe not with the usual grand merriment associated with the occasion, but it will be more of the sublime and spiritual kind. The birth of our Savior is not something we just decide not to celebrate. A few weeks back, I heard “Give Love on Christmas Day” on the FM radio on my way to school, and I was reminded that Christmas is near. I thought about putting up our Christmas tree with all the lights and trimmings when I get home that day. I was not able to do that. I was overwhelmed with guilt for even thinking about it when many others are grieving over the loss of their loved ones and others losing their homes and their material possessions that they have spent their entire lives acquiring. Yes, the tree was not put up that day. Then I realized that Christmas cannot be cancelled. The birth of the One who redeemed us from eternal darkness is that one light that will guide us through these difficult times. So now at home, we have the tree and the lights as beautiful reminders of that salvation. THERE ARE THINGS THAT CANNOT BE PUT ON HOLD The celebration of Christmas, however simple, is one of them. I am not who I was five years ago. One child changed me in many ways I could only imagine before. I look at him, and I am grateful to know how blessed I am to have been entrusted with one child’s life. His name is Alex.

opinion

BY KALANIE N. SALDEJANO

onversations about race have reached an all-time high since the beginning of the Black Lives Matter protests this year. George Floyd’s death amounted to massive global outrage and drove people to start making a move—to end racism. With quarantine and social distancing around the corner, we now have more time to do a lot of self-reflection and ponder on the events in the world including this current issues in racism. This made me wonder, am I a racist? Are Filipinos racists? After a lot of contemplating and internet lurking, I have come to the conclusion that in a way Filipinos can sometimes come off as racists. Although our bouts of racism are a lot less volatile compared to westerners it still doesn’t change the fact that it is what it is—racism. As children, The Legend of Three Races was taught to us as our own Pinoy spin on a creation myth. The story goes this way: Once upon a time, great god Kabunian decided that he was lonely. So, he decided to create companions and he formed 3 humanoid shapes out of clay. He baked the first clay in the oven but he has forgotten about it and the clay came out black. He breathed life into the dough and this would later become the people from Africa. After his first attempt he tried again, he shaped man from clay but this time he was too worried and undercooked the clay. It came out too pale nonetheless he breathed life into it and this would become the white people. For the last time, Kabunian tried again but he was extra careful and attentive. When the clay man came out from the oven, he deemed it the right color for it was the perfect shade of brown. He again breathed life into the clay and from that perfectly colored man-shaped clay would descend the Filipinos. To a child, this would just sound like every other

The everyday racist comments that we make are often treated as an attempt to make a joke rather than offend somebody. But sometimes some of these jokes can go too far and can unknowingly make fun of someone’s culture and heritage

story, simple albeit a little funny. I mean, where can you find a god who is bad at baking? Yet upon rereading as an adult one can’t help but cringe a little and realize that this story is a little bit problematic and racist. You might also wonder why no one has pointed this out when you were still young. Racism has never been a big deal here in the Philippines; it was never deemed polarizing and controversial. It is also safe to say that racism is everywhere and it managed to integrate into our culture. For example, it has become the norm to call a dark-skinned boy “Negro” or a girl with slanted eyes “Instik” and nobody would bat an eye. If you watch a variety of comedy shows you would often hear some of the hosts making jokes about skin color and race. We also have a habit of praising and supporting any kind of product from abroad while putting down or abandoning locally made products. The Philippines has a rich and complicated relationship with racism and colorism which can be traced back to our past experiences of colonization. In the 333 years ruled by Spain, we were treated as secondclass citizens dubbed as “Indios.” In those years, Filipinos had been convinced that they were at the bottom of the food chain while the Spaniards called “peninsulares” were at the top. When the Philippines was bought by the United States, the Americans treated us as their “little brown brothers” and proceeded to help us. It was an act of kindness in the eyes of others but one cannot also deny the underlying hint, that we were not seen as equals but rather someone below them and therefore needs looking after. The Spaniards and Americans have something in common, which is their pale skin color. This has started the Filipino obsession with VOL. 110 NO. 2 NOVEMBER 2020

fairer shades and anything that is not “white” is considered dirty and unattractive. Both of these countries were pivotal in shaping our rich culture today but they had brought their own share of negative traits that managed to assimilate into our daily lives. One can also go as far as to say that Philippine racism comes out unwittingly and stems from a place of harmless ignorance rather than malice. The everyday racist comments that we make are often treated as an attempt to make a joke rather than offend somebody. But sometimes some of these jokes can go too far and unknowingly make fun of someone’s culture and heritage. We Filipinos are a race who fought back against our colonizers and put ourselves on the map. We are proud of who we are and our accomplishments through the years; we love our culture and we love who we are. How would it feel if somebody made a joke of you or treated you differently just because of your heritage and skin color? The Philippines’ brand of racism is quite unique, innocent, and funny at best and offensive and degrading at worst. We do not have the same racial diversity as the West and this has made us tone-deaf to the unconscious racism that we exhibit. In a way, Filipinos are lowkey-racists especially when you observe our day to day conversations and cultural mindset. However, it is never too late to change. We are no stranger to racism for we experienced it ourselves in the past therefore we should be a lot more concerned about this issue. No matter how subtle or “innocent” racism is in the Philippines, racism is still racism and it isn’t welcomed anywhere. Let us educate ourselves, learn to sympathize, and stop contributing to a culture that thrives on prejudice.

 GAD B. CASTRO

OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA OF CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

Racism or Harmless Ignorance?

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features 16

Cocoeu:

Changing Lives, One Bowl at a Time BY GAD B. CASTRO & KALANIE N. SALDEJANO

or Jovie Mae Hierro, a CPU BS Advertisement graduate and young business owner, she faced one of the biggest challenges in her life—starting a business in the middle of a pandemic. Together with her family and the community around her, she founded COCOEU a local brand that uses discarded coconut shells to create household essentials. For Jovie, this socalled “tree of life” managed to piece her life together during these tough times. ROOTS COCOEU was founded through the initiative of Jovie who conceptualized this business idea during one of the hardest times in her life. A young art director from Riyadh, she was processing her paper in hopes of returning to the Middle East for her job when suddenly Iloilo was placed on lockdown due to the pandemic thus preventing her from leaving the country. Due to this, her source of financial income was suddenly cut off. “This all started when I noticed that I only have 150 pesos left in the bank. With a pandemic going on, no one can survive with just 150 pesos. I was at a loss and I didn’t know what to do, and I started thinking of ways to make something out of this 150 pesos. I asked myself, how can I grow this 150 pesos? How am I able to pay all my bills when I only have 150 pesos left?,” Jovie narrated when asked about COCOEU’s beginnings. Suddenly, she thought about selling coconut bowls. She got the idea from her grandparents who live in Brgy. Bita, Oton, Iloilo. As a young girl, she always admired her grandparents’ way of life—they practice slow living and sustainability. In addition, she remembered that when she was in Saudi Arabia, coconut bowls would sell for 57 riyals and when converted it would cost around 500 pesos. “I have a friend who sells discarded coconut shells and I went to her and asked her if she would sell it to me. They were selling it per sack at a very low price. After taking out the meat they have no other use for the shells. If no one buys them they would just throw it away. It takes billions of years for coconut shells to fully decompose and this makes it possible to make something sturdy and long-lasting out of it,” she added. The name COCOEU has a unique story behind it. The first CO came from “coconut.” The second CO and the EU came from Cornelio and Eufrosenia, the names of her grandparents. These two people are an inspiration for they lived a simple and sustainable life—something that her business tries to emulate. In a way, this business is a love-letter to her grandparents.

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OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA OF CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

TRUNK During this pandemic, the world seemed to have come to a stop and it inspired her to be mindful because it was starting to take its toll emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. For Jovie, God made everything possible and gave COCOEU not just to her and her family, but also to the community and the local farmers as well. If you look up the COCOEU’s official Instagram page all the advertising and social media management were done by Jovie. She would whip up the smoothies, do the plating herself and take photos. But COCOEU is not a one-woman job. She employs the help of the local families and farmers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Thanks to COCOEU they now have a means to support themselves no matter how small.

LEAVES COCOEU is different from other businesses out there, rather than focusing on generating profits and expansion it focuses on the ethical side of things. Jovie stressed that COCOEU is a community that helps lift other people especially local artists, craftsmen, and farmers. A coconut bowl may look simple, but the process behind making one is long and tedious. Hours of polishing and scrubbing has to be done to achieve that reflective sheen. Bags and bags of coconut shells go through a sorting process to select the best of the best. For each coconut bowl or any coconut product that they sell you can feel the love, time, and effort that was invested. To make this possible Jovie reached out to many people and as an ethical business, she always makes sure that her workers are compensated well. “Even kargadors and farmers deserve to be paid well, people do not realize how hard their job is. We might be a small company but I do try my best to take care of the people under me. They have done so much for COCOEU and without them, any of this wouldn’t be possible,” Jovie expressed. COCOFRUIT As of now, COCOEU is still young but according to Jovie, they are doing really well. The idea that a small Ilonggo-owned company such as this is reaching so many people is an amazing feat. Through a simple coconut bowl made of discarded coconut shells, COCOEU was able to reach so many people from different places such as celebrities like Andi Eigenmann, and influencers from Bacolod. Other than coconut bowls, COCOEU continues to make innovations—in a sustainable way of course. Their latest products as include coconut lamps, coasters, pots, and utensils made of coconut shells. They also started tapping other Ilonggo craftsmen and started selling products from other materials such as abaka. The reception from their customers has also been overwhelmingly positive. Jovie attributes this to the fact that they always put their best in making each of their products and putting their all in every single coconut bowl. WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE FUTURE OF COCOEU? Currently, COCOEU is mainly an E-commerce store and they do all of their business transactions and receive orders online. Jovie hopes that one day they would be able to put up their own small store in Brgy. Bita—nothing grand but just something small and humble to fit the image of COCOEU. Their advocacy is clear which is to promote slow living, sustainability, and to run the business as ethically as possible. A lot of companies here and abroad have also shown interest in collaborating with them. There is beauty even in discarded coconut shells and there is a business opportunity as long as you use your creativity. To all the creatives out there who are thinking of starting their own business Jovie has one advice, “Be clear with your voice for your this is important for your brand.” COCOEU may have started as a means to gain financial support but for Jovie, it has managed to grow into something more beautiful—a brand that is sustainably, ethically, transparently, centered along with its community being its core.

features

17 The Plantito/ Plantita Checklist? BY DANICA MAE V. HABLADO

Your Instagram feed and stories are full of leafy babies. Your backyard or room is starting to look like a jungle. You have joined barter groups on Facebook just to get your hands on more plant variants.

You give names to your plants.

You find yourself spending most of your time caring for—watering, trimming, nurturing, growing—your plants.

WER THE P

TI / P L A N TI TA TO C

You have memorized the scientific names of some plants. (Do Dracaena trifasciata and Caladium bicolor sound familiar?) You browse online shops to buy pots, fertilizers, and other gardening tools. You dirty your hands by expanding outside! You start to replant, repot, or grow outdoor plants of your own.

L I ST

You find yourself collecting or asking around for cow dung to keep your plants organically grown. You find immeasurable happiness from simply tending your plants. You have a special corner in your house dedicated to your plants. You have spent at least Php500.00 for just one plant. You start selling plants of your own. You catch youself talking or singing to your plants. You can diagnose problems of plants.

There is beauty even in discarded coconut shells and there is a business opportunity as long as you use your creativity.

SUCK-culent (0-5) BEGINNER Nice try! Not really that you suck, but there’s a lot more work to be done! You are new to this journey, but you seem to be on the right track already. You just recently got into plant raising, and you are still navigating your way. Gardening has become quite a fun and meaningful hobby for you, but you need to exert more effort and dedicate more time in order to unlock more leafy levels.

Scan to shop at Cocoeu’s Online Store

GARDEN-nia (6-10) SKILLED It looks like you have grown a garden of your own. You are quite the plant parent, and you have acquired multiple gardening skills. Plants no longer die under your care. You have a supply of soil, fertilizer, and pots at the ready. You probably are part of Facebook group of fellow plant parents, and you enjoy it.

TOP-TIERarium (11-15) EXPERT  Cocoeu’s Instagram and Website

Congratulations! You have mastered the art of the green thumb! You have gone above and beyond in taking care of your green babies and becoming a parent to them. Gardening has grown to so much more than just a hobby for you, and you have proven yourself a dedicated and passionate caretaker. Your home has become your green sanctuary, and you are the master of it.

features

ng pag-aaral ay isa sa mga susi patungo sa tagumpay - yaman na kahit kailan ay hindi maaagaw ng kahit ninuman. Sa bawat ikot ng mundo, ang mga bagay ay mas lalong nagiging kumplikado kung saan kailangan ng bawat isa na magkaroon ng lakas at tibay ng loob. Ang edukasyon ay ang totoong yaman at daan na nagbibigay lawak sa mga oportunidad sa isang tao. Ang pagaaral ay isa sa mga susi patungo sa tagumpay - yaman na kahit kailan ay hindi maaagaw ng kahit ninuman. Sa bawat ikot ng mundo, ang mga bagay ay mas lalong nagiging kumplikado kung saan kailangan ng bawat isa na magkaroon ng lakas at tibay ng loob. Ang edukasyon ay ang totoong yaman at daan na nagbibigay lawak sa mga oportunidad sa isang tao. Subalit ngayong taon, tila lahat ay nag-iba sa ating mga nakagawian. Dulot ng pandemyang, bumagal ang kilos ng lahat. Ang mga saganang pampublikong transportasyon kalimitang matao noon ay nagbago na ngayon. Ang mga kalsadang ay napalitan ng nakabibinging tahimik. Ang sistema ng pag-aaral ay hindi rin nagpahuli sa pagbabagong nito. Ang mabilisang pagtuturo noon ay napalitan ng makabagong sistema na kung saan lahat ay on-screen na ngayon. Sa ating buhay, hindi lahat ay makukuha lamang nang madali, kailangan ang sapat na sikap at hirap kung saan ikaw ay mismong dadaan sa butas ng karayom. Gaya ng mga pamilyang kapos sa buhay na nagdesisyong ipatigil na lamang sa pag-aaral ang kanilang mga anak. Sa makabagong paraan, sumibol din ang mga pag-asang pumukaw sa mga estudyanteng nais pa magpatuloy. Nabuo ang kampanyang Piso Para sa Laptop, Piso Para sa Pangarap, Piso Para sa Edukasyon at marami pang iba sa social media. Sino ang mag-aakalang sa simpleng piso na ibinigay mo, ay may natululongan ka ng pangarap na maitupad? Isa si MaryJane Cahayon, BSA, 1st year college student ng Batangas State University-Nasugbu ang sumubok sa kampanyang ito para siya ay magkaroon ng laptop sa pasukan. Sa paraang ito, ang mga estudyanteng nais sumabak sa giyerang haharapin sa online class ay natutulongan. Maraming mga netizens

Shema: beauty of hearing

VOL. 110 NO. 2 NOVEMBER 2020

OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA OF CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

BY YUSIMAY V. HABLADO

PISO PARA SA PANGARAP BY KARREN JAY G. ASGAR

Maraming nakahandang paraan para tumayo ulit.

he problems that you are facing may have driven you to a corner while trying to figure things out as your life falls into a complete disaster. You might be bound by thoughts that keep getting out of your control and fears that haunt you even though you are wide awake, but do not despair for God hears and He listens to you. All of us had a hard time dealing with our own circumstances, but it did not hinder the Centralogos Team in the pursuit of their goals. This pandemic became their motivation to produce a teaching material that will empower Christians in their service and commitment to God. As a result of their unyielding spirit and the unfailing grace of God, they had integrated a bible study handbook—Shema. According to Centralogos Chief Visionary Pastor Joshua Zonita, the word “Shema” was derived from a classic Hebrew word that means “to hear or listen”. It is an invitation by God to obedience and faithfulness in His laws. The laws are written in the scripture set as a guide for us to follow in our thoughts, actions, and plans in life. “This teaching tool aims to reorient people in different walks of life to return to the basics or fundamental principles of living our lives and not under the pressure of modernity and transactional affairs,” he said. Shema, he furthermore stated, was inspired by Deuteronomy 6. It speaks of God’s promises for people who observe and keep his commands. “Shema is inspired by a mantra: spreading truthful ideas. Thus, this project is an investment in character formation and spiritual renewal in building our country to become a better nation under God’s covenant,” he added. Pastor Zonita said that it is a must for every Centralian as it could aid them in

ang nagkaisa at hindi nagdalawang isip mag-abot ng tulong at suporta. Maraming hangarin ang biglang sumibol at mas naging matatag. Dahil sa kampanyang ito, labis-labis ang mga magulang nabawasan ng problema’t suliranin para mga gastusin sa makabagong sistema ng pag-aaral. “August 14 nung nag-post ako about po sa #pisoparasalaptop. Nung una ay nagdadalawang isip ako kung gagawin ko po ba ‘yun kasi nahihiya akong humingi ng tulong sa iba. Pero nung sinabi ko yun sa mga magulang ko ay pi-nush nila akong subukan, kasi wala namang masama na humingi ng tulong sa iba, kasi totoo naman na di talaga namin kaya na makapag-provide ng gadget na magagamit ko para sa online class,” ani MaryJane. Nagkaroon din ng iba’t-ibang organisasyon na nagpaabot ng tulong para sa iba’t ibang mag-aaral na nais makatanggap ng tulong para sa mga gastusin na haharapin sa online class. Isa na dito ang the Wagi Project na kilalang organisasyon na nagkusang kumalinga para sa mga mag-aaral na nais magkaroon ng sariling laptop. Sina Mariko David, Marie Bartolome, at Shiela Barongan ang mga tao sa likod ng proyektong ito. Sila ay patuloy na tumatanggap ng iba’t ibang kagamitan na maaaring ibenta para makapag-ipon ng pondo pambili ng iba’t ibang gadyet para sa mga karapat-dapat na mag-aaral. “Habang nag-soscroll ako, nakita ko yung group na tumulong sa akin, yung ‘The Wagi Project.’ Since hindi po naging sapat yung nalikom ko na pera nung unang nagpost ako about sa campaign, tinulungan nila ako. Bale na feature yung story ko sa Move.Ph and Rappler. Dahil dun ay maraming nagbigay ng tulong sa akin,’’ sambit ni MaryJane. Dumating man ang mga unos sa buhay, palaging tandaan na lahat ay may paraan para bumangon ulit. Maraming nakahandang mga paraan para tumayo at magpatuloy ulit. Sa paglalakbay ng tao sa kanyang buhay, labis ang mga bagay at pangayayari ang maaaring dadaanan – kung saan ang bawat isa ay maaaring magpapatibay o magpapahina sa bawat katauhan. Sa takbo ng buhay, pinakamahirap daanan ang mga pagkakataong magkamali, mabigo, at madapa sa mga landas na tinatahak. Palagi mong subukan nang subukan hanggang makamtan ang inaasam.

dealing with their struggles in life. “Shema offers basic and fundamental principles for living. It is recommended to our fellow Centralians to have a copy and study it and integrate it in their endeavors and ways of life. Once you internalize it, you will know the difference and why it makes sense.” The pandemic has changed our way of life, our thoughts, and even our vision. It affected every nation and every people, took countless lives, jobs, dreams, and future. We are shaken and isolated, but we are never separated from God. He hears our groans and despair, even the faintest voice in our broken hearts. God is listening, and he speaks with us with words of compassion and comfort— only if we learn to listen.

this project is an investment in character formation and spiritual renewal in building our country to become a better nation under God’s covenant.

features

Maragsâ:

A Stress of Our "Pagka-Pilipino"

BY YUSIMAY V. HABLADO

n this time of lockdowns, travel constraints, and border restrictions, our routines and everyday activity have shifted to the online platform. When we open our istagram, facebook, and other social media accounts, we could see different headlines and graphics that introduce us to this beautiful world of typefaces. We are all probably familiar with Arial, Calibri, and Times New Roman being the standard fonts required by our professors to use in schoolwork at one point in our lives. But have you ever heard about the font ‘Maragsâ?’ Centralian alumnus and graphic designer, John David Maza, has released his self-developed font, Maragsâ—inspired by our culture and literature that will make you feel deeply rooted in your identity as a Filipino. Maza is the former Editor-in-Chief and layout artist of The Central Echo, the University’s official student publication, and was a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Packaging Engineering, batch 2020. He started designing his first typeface, Maragsâ, on November 2019, being motivated to make his very own font after attending a lecture, together with his CE colleagues, by Filipino type designer Aaron Amar who is known for his jeepney letteringinspired typefaces, Quiapo Free and Cubao Free. “One of the perks of growing up in the Visayas is being able to understand a variety of regional vernaculars along with the national language Filipino, which is largely based on the tongue of the Tagalog people in Luzon. I wanted this project to be inclusive and showcase the beauty of other local languages as well through accented glyphs.” “It was in that moment of experimenting with compound glyphs and accented characters that I settled on the name ‘Maragsâ’ for my typeface. While Filipino has never been my

May prenong pabigla, ito ang Maragsâ. strong suit growing up in the Visayas, the lesson on diin (stress) and tuldik (accent marks) has particularly interested me. I recall how we’d add accent marks to Hiligaynon articles with CE in college. Among the stresses, Maragsâ had the strongest impact. The pakupya mark (^) is like the graphical combination of both pahilis (‘) and paiwa (`). Even if these are rarely used in day-to-day life, accent marks are very helpful in communication, not just in Tagalog, but other languages in the country, too,” he explained. This concept of maragsa in Filipino writing--mabilis at may impit, was manifested by the hastily flowing forms and abrupt cuts of his typeface. “I wanted to come up with something close to home, raise awareness on the beauty of our local languages, and to produce something I could call my own,” he added.

His journey in building this masterpiece was not an easy path. Since it is his first time to walk this field, he had struggled with the technicalities and how-tos. He said that he spent most of his time on Youtube tutorials— to which every beginner could likely relate. Since everyone was required to stay home, this pandemic has also given him time and liberty to continue with his work. “Pila ka adlaw after nag-umpisa ang lockdown, I read this post encouraging to spend our time at home to pursue ‘that passion project’. So, that’s what I did! I worked to finish the font and my type specimen/presentation, I prepped my materials for posting, set-up my storefront, kept everything in check, then released Maragsâ for everyone to enjoy.” “Building this project has caused me to unearth memories of fleeting moments, frozen in snapshots that have been piling up in my phone, like a moving vehicle being stopped by its brakes, like the pakupyâ concluding the delivery of a word with an impit.” He said in his facebook post that has reached over 2.3K reacts and 2.1K shares upon publish. You can download Maragsâ through gum.co/maragsa. It is also included in the font collection of the popular design app Canva. Maragsâ is the materialization of the beauty within or language, our culture. In this generation where our lingua franca is taken for granted, artists like John David Maza keep the fire in our Filipino hearts. So, the next time you have a project and in need of semi-serifs, use Maragsâ as your display typeface. This way, you could promote your heritage, and at the same time put stress in your “pagka-Pilipino.”

Maragsâ Characteristics

Semi Sharp Serif L PA

Ang mga salitang may diing Maragsa ay binibigkas nang tuloy- tuloy at may impit sa huling pantig. Diagonal Slant

The term “Maragsâ” refers to the way at pronouncing words in Philippine languages when there is a simultaneous occurence of a stress (diin) and a glottal stop (impit) in the last syllable. It is represented by attaching a circumflex (pakupya) mark on the final vowel of the word.

Typefaces that can be paired with Maragsâ: Neue Haas Grotesk Display Gotham

Produkt

Helvetica

L ATU

DIKANG FILI PIN O

Malúmay MalumÌ Mabilís Maragsâ (Pahilis) Acute Accent

(Paiwa) Grave Accent

Get Maragsâ now! Scan the QR Code to try Maragsâ on your devices, and together let’s promote our local typeface designers!

(Pakupya) Circumflex

environment

Fluctuation:

VOL. 111 NO. 2 NOVEMBER 2020

OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA OF CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

COVID-19 in Numbers Gina Lopez: The Tweet That Came Back

AS OF NOVEMBER 24, 2020

8,185

TOTAL DEATHS

BY KALANIE N. SALDEJANO

ina Lopez was right! Who would’ve thought that what somebody sent into the twitterverse three years ago would come back to haunt us? Well, that was the case for the late (God Bless her soul!) former DENR secretary Gina Lopez’ tweet that was originally posted in 2017. With the country still fresh and trying to recover from the devastation caused by typhoon Ulysses, her tweet couldn’t be more timely and accurate. The said post is an aerial photo of the Marikina watershed during an inspection in September 20, 2017 with a plea for urgency of the importance of rehabilitating the area as quickly as possible. She said, “As long as there is quarrying there and the Marikina Watershed is denuded, the Pasig River water will be brown!! And it will become more and more shallow — and it will cause flooding in Metro Manila! It is imperative that the Marikina Watershed is reforested!” There it is—we were warned, but did anybody heed her warning? No. It is now 2020 and the tweet is getting the attention that it deserved but it may be too late. Damage has been done and a lot of lives were lost. Ulysses brought what is now known as the “worst flooding” in the region in decades. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs more than 3.67 million people have been affected by the floods, with about 277,000 people displaced and at least 73 deaths as of November 19. On top of this, more than 67,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed by floodwaters and strong winds. There were numerous political issues concerning the way the government responded after the typhoon but, next time, rather than focusing on protocols on what to do during and after a calamity, why not give more attention to prevention? As what Lopez said, Marikina Watershed should’ve been reforested. If it was reforested, the first line of defense against rainwater water would’ve been strong and flooding wouldn’t even happen in the first place. Forests are there for a reason. They keep the water in the mountains. Without trees to hold the water around their roots, the water flows down unimpeded to the lowlands and causes floods like the one that just hit the whole Luzon. Illegal mining is also an issue since it destroys the forest that keeps the waters at bay—as long as there are illegal loggers’ reforestation would be impossible. Our government should learn a thing or two from this tragedy and pay more attention to environmental concerns so that, when the time comes, there would be no repercussions as huge as this.

next time, rather than focusing on protocols on what to do during and after a calamity, why not give more attention to prevention?

421,722

ACTIVE CASES

368,792

TOTAL RECOVERIES

91.97 %

1.90 % 1,449

Recovery Rate

Critical Cases Treated in ICU

Fatality Rate

BY DANICA MAE V. HABLADO

t was on January 30 that the Philippines recorded its first case of COVID-19. After less than two months, on March 7, the first local transmission was reported. The numbers then escalated quickly, which drove the national government to declare a state of public health emergency throughout the country on March 16. During this period, travel was banned, borders were restricted, and communities were under lockdown. This caused countless Filipinos to lose their jobs—destabilizing the economy and driving the country to further despair. The numbers continued to increase until 100K cases were reached on August 2. By August 6-12, 23,260 new cases were reported—the highest number to be recorded at that time. From that, the number doubled and reached 200K on August 26, which was only 24 days after the 100K mark. On November 11, COVID-19 cases had reached the 400K mark which doubled in the past 3 months. This has ranked the Philippines as the 26th country with the highest COVID-19 cases, the United States of America still leading the chart with 11,249,228. According to the demographic cases presented by the Department of Health, males aged 25-29 have the highest percentage of infected cases (8.3%) and at the same time the highest percentage of the recovery (8.5%). On the other hand, males aged 65-69 has the highest percentage of death (8.5%). Amid all these, health workers have pleaded with the government to impose stricter lockdown measures, detection, isolation, and contact tracing to contain the spread of the virus. The fight has been long going since March and medical professionals can only handle so much; feeling more and more burned out with the national government’s seemingly directionless plans. However, the city of Iloilo has been hailed as a sanctuary amidst all the chaos and losses. As early as March 20, Iloilo City closed its borders and was placed under lockdown. Direct flights from Iloilo to Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore were also

The fight against COVID-19 is not yet over, and numbers are rising—or falling—by the minute. As we ponder on these, may we keep in mind the health precautions and safety protocols. We must follow to protect ourselves and other people. suspended from way back in January. Since then, the city has been praised for its local government’s sense of urgency, accessible mass testing, organized aid, and the community’s oneness that have contributed to their commendable outbreak response. Presently, the Iloilo City COVID-19 team has revealed that cases in Iloilo City significantly dropped by 75 percent in November 2020. There were only recorded 135 cases (Nov 1-9) for the first nine days of the month, significantly lower than that of 535 cases from Oct 1-9. The fight against COVID-19 is not yet over, and numbers are rising—or falling—by the minute. As we ponder on these, may we keep in mind the health precautions and safety protocols we must follow to protect ourselves and other people. Hopefully, as we move forward to combat this pandemic, there will be no more single number to be added to this unfortunate tally of losses— only a rising rate of recoveries, employment rate, economic stability, and other victories.

environment

Dolomite: A Threat to Manila Bay's Marine Ecosystem?

ECHO  NUMBERS WASHING IN FACTS ABOUT

DOLOMITE

BY COLEEN F. CASANOVA

...the government seem to show incompetence in handling the situation, so negative feedback was given on this action

he Philippines is a country that prides itself with its numerous white sand beaches spanning throughout its main islands, with the most well-known worldwide – Boracay. Boracay is known worldwide for its white sand beach, and it is a trendy vacation spot for foreign tourists with at least 18, 000 tourists present during the day as of 2018 according to Inquirer.net. There are also hidden gems within other 7,000 islands of the Philippines, so it is not an understatement when you say our country has numerous white sand beaches. An example of that is the Nogas Island of Antique. It is not as popular as Boracay but still holds a beauty of its own. On the other hand, Manila Bay is considered a major center of economic activity ranging from shipping, industrial, commercial, fishing, aquaculture, and tourism activities. According to Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), it is susceptible to pollution as it bears these activities that cause adverse effects on the bay. Some of these negative effects are deterioration of water quality, overexploitation of fishery resources, loss of biodiversity, degradation of habitat as well as land and aquatic wastes that further heighten the effects on the area. That is why the government of the Philippines has proposed a developmental plan to improve the state of Manila Bay to reflect the beaches which the Philippines is famous for. The Manila Bay Sustainable Development Plant (MBSDMP) is the master plan the government has come up with for the sustainable development of Manila Bay. According to the National Economic and Development Authority, it should be the basis of the decision-makers present during its implementation. The focal themes of the master plan include improved water quality, ecosystem protection, upgrading of informal settlements, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and inclusive growth. However, included in the implementation of this plan is the work on the artificial beach of Manila Bay using crushed dolomite.

As of August 2020, the government permitted the Philippine Mining Service Corporation to transport crushed dolomite from Alcoy, Cebu to Manila and pour it on a 500-meter stretch of Manila Bay’s shoreline. This action raised a few concerns from the netizens who saw the news and started raising questions about the use of the said mineral. Dolomite, it can also be called dolostone, is a carbonate, rock-like mineral (CaMg(CO3)2) that is commonly mined in sedimentary rocks and described to be similar to limestone before its extraction and it is one of the three most abundant carbonate minerals; it is also used for its nutritional benefits as it is seen to be source calcium and magnesium for animal feeds. Although this is not the first-time dolomite was used for artificial beaches, other countries used it for the same purpose. So, what was the issue with using dolomite powder on the beach? The use of dolomite may not be the only issue overall as some citizens have expressed their dissatisfaction about how the project seems untimely as the country is currently battling a pandemic and how they feel that the government seem to show incompetence in handling the situation, so negative feedback was given on this action. It was discovered that dolomite is also commonly used in construction and found on cement. However, the biggest concern is placed on the environmental effects this mineral might have once it interacted with seawater and the marine ecosystem. Based on Eco-Business, there are fears that the dolomite contains hazardous dust particles and that, once eroded, it will cause marine sedimentation. Fishing is an important activity in Manila Bay, despite its waters containing high levels of coliform bacteria. Also, with the added acidification of seawater due to its pollutants, it will only negatively react to the dolomite sand’s carbonate properties.

What is Dolomite?

(CaMg (CO3)2)

Also known as dolostone, is a carbonate, rock-like mineral that is commonly mined in sedimentary rocks.

Similar to limestone before its extraction and it is one of the three most abundant carbonate minerals.

Where did Manila Bay’s Dolomite came from? Cebu Province

It was mined in Alcoy, Cebu Province. Through Philippine Mining Corporation it was transported to Manila.

BUDGET

500m BEACH SIZE

P359 Million

Global Seavivors Program 2020: Creating Waves of Global Efforts for our Oceans BY ZHARINA MARIE STEPHANIE P. LUGO

DID YOU KNOW? The oldest recorded fossil of sea turtles is at least 120 million years old, making sea turtles a few of the planet’s oldest animals. That means that they shared the world with dinosaurs that went extinct 65 million years ago.

oung leaders during these times of crisis are finding various ways in crafting and conducting meaningful projects, initiatives, and sessions that could create a positive impact on society by utilizing social media platforms. Since most of the people’s attention was directed on screens and applications, different webinars became an avenue for net Against all odds summoned by the pandemic, Global Seavivors Program 2020, a three-week online session, was made possible to train young environmentalists around the globe focusing more on marine bio-diversity and environmental conservation on a digital plain. In connecting young marine conservationists and environmental advocates, the three-week online program successfully gathered 541 seavior delegates and majority were Filipino participants. Delegates from countries of Bhutan. Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, United States of America and Vietnam were also accepted. As one of the participants of the program, I was able to meet passionate young leaders and enjoyed learning the topics with them. On week one and two, we delved into talks relating to marine conservation and had enough time enhancing our public speaking and critical thinking skills by joining break-out sessions on Zoom and sharing our learnings with other delegates. At the end of every session, we are encouraged to complete our tasks and challenges while we applied what we have learned along the process. Week 1 helped us use social media to execute the Cleanup Challenge for us to start the change by cleaning within our vicinity. On week two, we were asked to do our individual Seastainable Project Proposal related to saving the seas that we could

use in the future. Finally, we maximized our time in the last week to reflect on our Earthly Realization. In a short period of time, the program succeeded in weaving young marine conservationists and environmental advocates all over the planet to make a meaningful impact in the community. Despite the obstacles and challenges placed by the pandemic, we were able to utilize our time connecting with young leaders and at the same time learning from speakers who were marine conservationists, young leaders, and professionals in their respective fields. During the live segment of Kalikasan TV-AKTV on Facebook hosted by David D’Angelo last August 26, Global Seavivor Program 2020 founder Amina Shayne Halil and the organization’s Co-founder Khen Lexter Torres shared their insights regarding their global initiative. Halil stated that despite the distance between and among young leaders from each other, they have to do something that can make a meaningful impact in the community. “As a youth, we have the capacity to be interconnected with different parts of the world. We want to connect young advocates around the globe for us to be able to create a bigger change.”Torres added to Halil’s explanation. We are currently surfing into challenging times and there are many social and environmental issues that need to be addressed. We must grab this opportunity to take one step forward to create change starting from the four walls of our homes, and use the internet as a tool to connect with others and voice out our insights. Joining programs similar to Global Seavivors Program 2002 could be a great area for us to grow our minds and hearts; as we open our vision towards society and at the same time for our environment. It’s never too late to make a difference.

diversion

Mairimashita! Iruma-kun

Find the Difference

ANIME BY COLEEN F. CASANOVA

 FILM AFFINITY

VOL. 110 NO. 2 NOVEMBER 2020

OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA OF CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY

ANSWERS

here are multiple ways one can entertain one’s self with, and many (who) like to read manga, Japanese comics drawn in black-andwhite with unique plots that can capture your interest. Mairimashita! Irumakun is a story about Suzuki Iruma, who had a tough life growing due to his negligent parents who, in the end, decided to sell him to Sullivan, a demon they randomly met. Iruma-kun was brought to the underworld and was adopted by Sullivan as his grandson and attended a school called Babyls, where joyful days in his new school started. I would highly recommend this one, as it may seem to have a familiar plot usually found in other mangas. However, I would suggest first to set aside this thinking and try at least a chapter to start, and once you start reading it, you can’t help but be hooked and click for the next chapters with anticipation. The art is wonderful, the details on each character are unforgettable; and their drawn actions are easily imagined. You can’t help but feel amused by the characters’ expressions, and it is highly enjoyable. The plot in itself may seem predictable, but it takes such unexpected turns that you find yourself accepting whatever happens but still enjoy it with a smile on your face.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay K-DRAMA BY KALANIE N. SALDEJANO

’ve been an avid K-drama enthusiast for as long as I can remember and It’s Okay Not to Be Okay is not your average funny, lighthearted rom-com that we are used to. It deals with much darker themes such as mental illness, trauma, and obsession while still managing to be whimsical and true to its K-drama roots. Released by Netflix in 2020 with 16 episodes, it was the perfect quarantine pastime. It’s the unusual love story between Gang Tae (Kim Soo Hyun), who works as a community health worker in OK Psychiatric Hospital and is too preoccupied about life and doesn’t have time for love, and Ko Moon Yeong (Seo Ye Ji), a famous children book’s author who is diagnosed with an antisocial personality disorder. Both Moon Gang Tae and Ko Moon Yeong have unhealed emotional wounds from their childhood that inhibit them from fully accepting each other’s life. The story then beautifully wraps Moon Sang Tae (Oh Jung Se) into the picture as Moon Gang Tae’s brother diagnosed with autism. Not too cliché, not too macabre—just right. It manages to find a balance between the two to convey the sensitive subject of mental illness while gracefully contrasting it against the backdrop of fantasy fairytales, romantic comedy, and even murder mystery. The entire series revolves around mental illness and neurodiversity with the OK Psychiatric Hospital where Gang-Tae works as one of its major settings. The portrayal of mental illness on Asian TV where it doesn’t center around it being the butt of the joke is quite rare and this drama manages to do it perfectly. Both Kim Soo Hyun and Seo Ye Ji delivered masterful performances, bringing both their characters into life. Not only are the main leads’ chemistry electrifying but also their chemistry with all the cast members. From the doctor, the other patients, the publisher, and even to Gang Tae’s best friend, each one of the cast members complement one another. The breakout performance would undoubtedly go to Oh Jung Se who put in a terrific performance in portraying Gang Tae’s autistic older brother Sang Tae. Another thing to look out for when

watching this drama is the beautiful set design. From the tiny apartment shared by the Moon brothers to the modern-inspired OK Psychiatric Hospital to Mun-Yeong’s mid-century dark fairytale mansion. The color palettes of each location add to the emotional weight of not only each scene but each character’s story. Who couldn’t forget Moon Yeong’s glamourous outfits? In all honesty, a part of me tuned in weekly not knowing what look she will be wearing but I know that every time she comes on screen, she will undoubtedly look good. Overall, I found this drama to have a fresh and Avant-Garde way of storytelling. From the opening stop-animation sequence to the goth fairy tale retellings of Mun-young’s books. Its way of delivering its theme is relatively new but its message manages to not get lost. It tells a heart-wrenching yet beautiful story of growth and healing. The characters are flawed with each of them having the traumas that they have to overcome. It was a bumpy ride but one can’t help but root for everyone’s happy ending. Love and acceptance can be found in imperfection and healing can be found with the perfect company. The message is clear and simple—that it’s okay to not be okay.

 THE NERD DAILY

diversion

sports Diasnes bags gold, silver in speed kicking champ tilt BY RYAN DAVE T. PORAL

folklore MUSIC BY PRINCE RIC EMMANUEL Q. PACIENTE

 THE NEWYORKER

t’s been months since pop music phenomenon Taylor Swift dropped a series of Instagram posts and tweets announcing her new project called “folklore,” a day before its release last July. An unforeseen, surprising move from the world-famous artist who’s known notoriously for putting out Easter eggs before her new music. As stylized in lowercase, folklore is Swift’s 8th studio album she made from scratch amidst quarantine in collaboration with The National’s Aaron Dessner, the band Bon Iver, and her frequent producing and songwriting collaborator Jack Antonoff from The Bleachers. The album was tagged a genre-bending, pop-alternative work marking yet another point of Swift’s shift in a music genre which she has done successfully during her complete countryto-pop turn in 2014 from her previous works “RED” and “1989.” This project consisted of 16 new songs and an additional track for its deluxe version with a notable variety of sound on

each of them. Packed with pianos, strings, laid-back drums, airy production and Taylor’s soft voice, these songs coincide entirely with the whole album’s “folk” and mysterious aesthetic. The alternative factor is greatly heard on the lead single and second track, “cardigan,” which debuted at number 1 in the renowned Billboard Hot 100 chart. The peculiar use of percussion instruments, strings, and story in this particular song is fascinating that much showed Swift’s versatility in her craftsmanship. Stripped, raw, and eerily magical. Every song in this project is filled with different stories Taylor has woven into something that will make you think that is about her own experiences but really isn’t. Stories that are so vividly written in a way that they can make you feel that you relate to them as if they also happened to you. Each track of their own, talks about lost love, heartbreak, childhood, friendships, relationships, current societal issues, and empowerment. The whole sound of this album screams Taylor Swift’s excellence as a songwriter. Every track has its own distinction but very cohesive as a whole. This album is straight-up Taylor Swift’s one of the best if not “THE” best in terms of lyrics and also production, exploiting her abilities and capabilities as an artist. Overall, folklore is yet another work of art by Swift deserving of its current recognition. A must-listen for those who prefer alternative, atmospheric pop songs, those who love deep and nostalgic lyrics, and of course, those who love music as a whole.

entralian Jin Alfie Diasnes won gold on the Kick Pad Kicking and silver in the Free Kicking in the first 2020 Smart/MVP Online National Taekwando Speed Kicking Championship last July 11-12. According to Diasnes, the preparation before the competition was quite challenging. They had to adjust to the new normal way of training due to the threat of the COVID-19. “Our training now is mostly thru online. At first it’s a bit difficult to approach the training because some have limited space in their homes to move or do the drills but we adapt as time goes on. The set-up is okay; we train three times a week online. I also train by myself,” Diasnes stated, adding, “We prepared for this competition together with the help of our coaches even though it’s tough but we managed how to approach the training and the day of video shooting to be sent for the upcoming competition.” Diasnes also stated that this is the first national competition that they have joined since the pandemic and that he is “fortunate to win and take part of this historical event.” “At this time we can’t have an actual competition due to the pandemic but thanks to the Philippine Taekwondo Association they’ve come up with the online competitions for each event of Taekwondo, Online Poomsae (forms/ patterns) and this new event called Online Speed Kicking for Kyorugi (sparring) event,” he said. In the Speed Kicking event, athletes will record themselves and kick as many kicks as possible within one minute. The scoring parameter for each aspect is scored in technical and the performance. The technical aspect is straight forward, consist of total number of kicks, number of head kicks, number of spinning kicks and number of punches. The judges count the number of kicks and punches and find the total average score based on their scoring parameter. The Performance is based on the quality of the kick or how good he or she executed the technique. It also included the difficulty of kicking combination and overall performance.

DIASNES

Comics BY PRINCE RIC EMMANUEL Q. PACIENTE

sports

Golden Lions adjust to virtual training BY RYAN DAVE T. PORAL

The CPU Golden Lion athletes adjust to the new normal way of training through online to compensate for the time lost due to COVID-19 pandemic. According to Bachelor of Science in Social Work and Men’s Volleyball Libero Miko Espinosa, online training is the same as their usual training except that instead of being with their teammates, they face laptop and phone screens. “Personally, daw pareho man gyapon dati nga ga-training kami sa University Gym kay 9 naman kis-a ga-end training namon, and ang daily routine nga iskwela-training halin Monday asta Friday, daw ara gyapon, except lang nga subong ga atubang na kami sa cellphone or laptop namon samtang ga training” Espinosa stated. Espinosa said that it is still more enjoyable to have actual training. “Lain gid kung upod ko teammates ko kay mas ga sadya ang training basta upodanay kami, physically” . Espinosa also added that they train three times a week through Google Meet. They are also struggling with the poor internet connection and the lack of space to execute their volleyball drills properly. “We train 3 times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:00-9:00 sang gab-i kag ang challenge nga na encounter namon sa online training is kabudlay mangita puwesto kun diin may mayo nga signal sang WiFi kag kung diin may enough space ko para ka hulag. Mayo kay sa subong conditioning lang anay kami. Indi man tanan sa amon may ara bola which is ang gina hidlaw namon tanan,” he said Espinosa believes that this pandemic has changed our world. And yet, he hopes and prays that “things will get better and that better days are coming ahead.” “All of us are still adjusting to the new normal, especially sa online classes, so we have to take care of our mental health because it is what keeps us going and always pray to God and ask for his help because nothing is impossible with God,” he said.

OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA OF CENTRAL PHILIPPINE UNIVERSITY VOL. 110 NO. 2 NOVEMBER 2020

NEW BATTLE. Jovelyn Gonzaga on duty as a member of the Philippine Army reads with a kid, a Locally Stranded Individual, to consume time until they finish the 14-day quarantine. 

Jovelyn Gonzaga’s Instagram

COURT OUT, SERVICE IN

CPU recognizes Golden Lions Esports org among 55 others

‘We just want to serve more’– Jovelyn Gonzaga BY KARREN JAY G. ASGAR

BY DANICA MAE V. HABLADO

Central Philippine Golden Lions Esports Organization (GLE) was one of the 55 organizations who were permitted to operate for School Year 2020-2021 as released by Office of the Student Development and Programs of the University, last October 16. Lone under the Sports category, GLE aimed to promote Esports and become the bridge between Esports and the students, school and even careers. “The people behind the organization are “gamers” and esports advocates, brought together by similar goals and interests, who have been in the industry for a while and want to share the beneficial outcomes of Esports as significant prospects of our experiences as young developing student-leaders,” said Junamy Aldridge C. Pedregosa, President of GLE for S.Y. 2020- 2021. Given the permission to operate, GLE aimed to broaden their member’s knowledge and bring awareness and familiarity through their future projects in the industry and to emphasize the significant role of Esports to their development as students. GLE hoped to work with the University to promote welfare and recognition to Esports players and especially those who want to expand their capabilities with new talents. They are also planning to expand the reach of their missions through international and national tournaments. “With the support of AcadArena, Golden Lions Esports Organization will be able to effectively expand the reach of our missions with tournament prizes, esports merit scholarships, and bootcamps,” Pedregosa concluded.

VIRTUALLY FIT. A member of CPU Golden Lions Esports organization follows COVID-19 protocols as he takes part in Mobile Legend tournament.  CPU

Golden Lions

ormer Centralian Volleybelle Jovelyn Gonzaga is now conquering a new court as a COVID-19 frontliner. Serving as a Philippine Army corporal, she is currently assigned to the special services center that caters to locally stranded individuals (LSIs). Gonzaga along with other athletes in the army were designated to work in some of the city’s busiest areas. “Nung mga past months, nagke-cater kami sa LSIs or locally stranded individuals so lahat ng mga kababayan natin na nandito sa Maynila, na hindi nakauwi sa kani-kanilang probinsya, kinater namin ‘yun dito sa Philippine Army Gym,” Gonzaga stated in an interview with Spin Life. “Naging busy lalo dahil nag-cater na kami ng mga LSI. Ngayon, nakatapat ‘yung duty ko ng midnight to 6 am, so struggle na siya sa body clock pero kalaunan, naka-adjust naman ,’’ she added. Gonzaga is used to playing inside the court where her life is accustomed to. But as an army, she must heed the call to serve the frontlines in this crisis. Her experiences as an athlete for long years helped her prepare to serve the country. “Athletes kami lahat dito and we just want to serve more. Makikita mo lahat ng kasamahan mo, bawat isa ginagawa ‘yung trabaho nila. Ito na ‘yung bagong game, laro namin. Ito yung laban na dapat

naming ipanalo. That’s how we see it,” she said. She also admitted that she had to succumb to gloominess and anxiety in such uncertain times. But, she did not suffer completely. Seeing and helping people who haven’t seen their families for a long time makes her happier and satisfied. “Kahit pa gaano katatag katawan namin, dumadating sa point na nagkakaroon kami ng anxiety, pagod, at lungkot. Pero nung nagkaroon ako ng chance mag-serve, nagkaroon din ako ng purpose,” she said. “Pag may na-rerelease kami, nag-rerelease kasi kami ng mga tao every midnight, sobrang sarap sa feeling. Tapos may group kasi kami, magme-message ‘yung mga LSIs, ‘Ma’am, ang laki ng pasasalamat namin sa inyo’. Mga message of appreciation. So nakakatanggal talaga siya ng pagod,” she added. Many of her fans know about her willingness and determination inside the court, which probably made her most loved. But her dedication to sports is also reflected as well in her service as military personnel. Regardless of the health risks that are now prevalent and make everyone vulnerable, she still chose to continue serving amidst the threats caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

DAMWON Gaming aces LOL Champs ‘20 BY PRINCE RIC EMMANUEL Q. PACIENTE

HANGHAI, CHINA — South Korean team DAMWON Gaming claimed the top spot against China’s Suning (SN) Gaming in the finals of the annual League of Legends world championship, October 31. With 22 total teams from around the world in a month-long competition for the Summoner’s Cup, one of the early favorites DAMWON Gaming managed to edge them all out with an impressive 34-3 record heading straight to the finale and beating SN Gaming 3-1 in a 5-game series. This marked DAMWON’s first win in their first

ever world championship finals paving a way for another League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) win also for the first time in three years since South Korean peers Samsung Galaxy’s victory in 2017. LCK has been renowned for notable League of Legends teams such as T1 (formerly SKT T1), Samsung Galaxy, Gen.G, and DRX (Dragon X). The 2020 League of Legends World Championship was hosted by Riot Games, the game’s developer in the newly opened Pudong Stadium in Shanghai with an audience of 6000 pooled people due to social distancing measures.