Hue in You - The Central Echo Magazine by The Central Echo

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

A SSOCIA TE EDITOR

John David Maza

Ariel Lorenz Castronuevo

Dazen Dawn Lariza

NE WS EDITOR

CARTOONIST

A DVISER S

Israh Marie Dayalo

Bejay Songcog

Rea Angelica Villeza

FEATUR ES EDITOR

LAYOUT ARTIST

Onesiforo Berina, Jr.

Rodjie Perucho

LITERARY EDITOR

WEB ADMINISTRATOR S

Paul Mackey Marfil

Michael Angelo Fandagani

Kathleen Frugalidad Rachel Beatizula

CONTA CT

Moises Segundo Alba

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329-1971 loc 1051

Coleen Casanova

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central.echo@gmail.com

Zharina Marie Stephanie Lugo

Central Echo (Facebook Page)

CONTR I BUTOR S

John Pel Bañares

Leumel Renzo Panaguiton

Renato Paolo Torres

Jedrick Leighnoir Solinap

recy

this

Nicole Anike Dorgu

DIGITAL ARTISTS

• Plea

PHOTOJOURNALISTS

STAFF WR ITER S

Francis Mathew Gappe

Rod Gerard Fuentes

3rd Floor, Dr. Alfonso Uy Student Union Building, Central Philippine University, Jaro, Iloilo City 5000

gazin

Jiselle Yanson

OFFI CE

MGA PATNUGOT NG FILIPINO

Esther Rose Romarate

The Independent Student Media of a Free Student Body f o u n d e d 1 9 1 0 Official Student Media of Central Philippine University

Member of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines

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. ©2019 All rights reserved. Copyright reverts to the respective authors, illustrators, and photographers whose work appear in this issue. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without prior written consent from The Central Echo.

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MA GA ZINE DESIGN B Y

John David Maza This publication is not for sale.

Editor's Letter

O K A THL E E N FR U G A L I D A D

Hue in you

Human eyes develop the ability to notice contrast and distinguish color in as early as 60 days from birth. From that point, the mind begins to give meaning to what we see based on our surroundings. Preschool drawing activities influence our early vocabulary, treating yellow as a synonym to sun, green to leaves, blue to skies and seas. Art teachers introduce us to the theories, arranging and understanding color relationships in a wheel. Physics class educates us about the fact that hues are produced by light, and black, by the absence of it. We review through history books how violet have since been used to represent the abstract concepts of majesty and wisdom. Psychology reveals to

us that various shades and tones are capable of manipulating our brains—while red can make people aggressive, combining it with white to make drunk-tank pink (page 13) can create a calming effect. However, seeing the world around us doesn’t end with the images processed in our retinas. In this issue, we escape the lecture hall’s explanation and probe into the heart’s chambers. Rather than just something being perceived by eyesight, we bring light to the way color emerges out of individual personalities and experiences. From those with brightly-dyed hair (page 46), those judged because of their skin (pages 38, 44), to those whose visions are challenged (pages 58, 62), we look at

how the definition of color varies from person to person according to their backgrounds and circumstances. May their stories lead you to realize that there’s a wider world out there waiting to be explored and appreciated; that the planet will someday overflow with harmony once we start understanding and live comfortably with our differences. Remember that you are unique and wonderfully created. Go ahead on your journey—discover and radiate that hue in you.

John David Maza EDITOR-IN ‐C HIEF

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value #ManilaEncounters

What started out as an online RPG became an avenue for people to share their own traumatic horror experiences and flash fiction based on Philippine history and urban legends.

20 Titik

Naging tanyag sa atin ang Baybayin na siyang ating tinuturing na ina ng ating sistema sa pagsusulat. Ngunit hindi lamang ito ang sistema ng pagsusulat na nabuo sa Pilipinas.

The Polychromatic

Body of Christ

Christians around the globe are not exempted from diversity’s spell. Ecumenism seeks to put the church into the state of being one.

Gantimpala sa Nananampalataya 26

Isang bagong tala sa makulay na kasaysayan ng unibersidad ang kauna-unahang Summa Cum Laude ng isang kurso na naging topnotcher din sa board exam.

Mga Guhit sa Bahaghari ‘Nognog,’ ‘kasing-itim ng uling,’ ‘negro’ o ‘negra,’ o di kaya’y ‘taga-bundok,’ ay iilan lamang sa mga ginagamit na pangungutya ng mga kapwang Pilipinong likas na may kayumangging balat.

saturation Don't say it.

We have a ton of words at our disposal, and yet many of us choose to use the wrong ones. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;n-wordâ&#x20AC;? is one of those words.

All things bright, pastel, and ombre People always have their own opinions on colored hair. Some love it. Others see it as a taboo.

Confused and

Strange Smudges How can young leaders make ASEAN more resilient and innovative? This challenge is something we need to critically think about.

Inclusivity

beyond Visibility As the world went through industrialization and modernization, so did the people mature and became more accepting of differences. One such topic that has grown in awareness and acceptance is the Transgender community.

tone Legally Blind

When people think about PWD, what usually comes to mind are wheelchairs and crutches and those dark eyeglasses for the blind. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more to it than that, though.

Know your poisons.

Save lives.

Linaw ng Pananaw

Salungat sa paniniwala ng karamihan at mismong pangalan nito, ang colorblindness ay hindi uri ng pagkabulag.

Broken Crayons still Color Being a mother is a blessing and the birth of a baby is generally considered a joyful time, but it is also a time when women are more susceptible to depression.

cover story

Contributors

Nicole Anike Dorgu  Don’t Say It, page 44

The daughter of a Nigerian and a Filipina, Nix was born and raised in her father’s homeland until they moved to the Philippines in 2009. Having lived in Iloilo since she was eight, you may converse with her in smooth Hiligaynon.

Leumel Renzo Panaguiton  Black Panther, page 80

An avid Marvel fan for almost a decade, Leumel has now spent half his life reading comics and watching superhero cartoons. As a tradition, he makes sure to grab premiere tickets for every upcoming Marvel movie release.

Madal: Dancing in her Footsteps In the Southern part of Cotabato, it is said that the diety Fu Dalu visits this group of T’Boli women called the dreamweavers in their sleep to tell them how to weave certain patterns on their looms. The product—a T’nalak, woven abaca fibers dyed to create these special patterns. Each design is unique as is the unique culture of these people. Amid the changing times, the T’Boli continue to preserve their rich and colorful culture of dances, art, music, and sacred traditions for the future generations. PHOTOS BY Kathleen Frugalidad

Jedrick Leighnoir Solinap O Liftoff, pages 16, 42

Jeddy began his training in photography as early as first grade. With a strong passion and spirit of volunteerism, he aims to change the world one photo at a time. THE

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2019: The year in Technicolor Alphabet of Uncommon Pigments 72

70 StaffBox

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TOUCHDOWN

The Modern Calligrapher: An ancient art's rising popularity in the 21st century

Dawn 'til Dusk: Foodstagramming 'round the clock

HYPE

Weighing in on the latest releases  BLAC K PANTHER $ HUJI C AM L PR O FILT 'R FOUNDATION  C ALL ME BY Y OUR NAME B ONE OF US IS LYING  LOVE, SIMON N THE C HILLING AD VENTUR ES OF S ABR INA N SEX ED UC ATION B M Y HEART AND OTHER BLAC K H OLES B THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END

 BLAC K MIRR OR : BANDER SNAT C H N C IRC LE: TWO WOR LDS CONNEC TED

HEADSTART

The year in technicolor The first few months of 2019 passed by in a blur with a record-breaking egg, make-up guru tea and mukbang drama, trending hashtags, and the release date of Game of Thrones Season 8. From boyband comebacks to lowering the age of criminal liability, it was an array of dark hues and bright . BY Dazen Dawn Lariza

Adieu, Notre-Dame de Paris “But you have to think that Notre Dame will be gone one day. There used to be another church or cathedral at the same…right there.” – Before Sunset (2004) On Monday evening, April 15, a massive fire engulfed the historic Notre-Dame de Paris. The fire knocked out the cathedral’s spire. Over 400 firefighters tried to douse nine hours of continuous flames before declaring the situation under control. Government officials are still hopeful that the Cathedral could be rebuilt after millions of euro were pledged for its repair. O INDYSTAR

Jailed at Nine PH House Panel approved the bill lowering the age of criminal liability to nine-years-old. Under this bill, children aged 9 to 15 will face criminal charges for committing serious crimes if found guilty. A minimum of 12 years imprisonment will be imposed as punishment. This sparked wildfire from citizens who were against jailing children below the age of 18 as they are not legally responsible for their actions. Child protection agencies and even UNICEF criticized the house committee even after they increased the minimum age from 9 to 12. O ABS-CBN NEWS

Magtanim ay ‘Di Biro On March 30, fourteen farmers in Canlaon City and the towns of Manjuyod and Sta. Catalina in Negros were killed in operations conducted by police and military forces. They were known as the Negros 14. The Philippine National Police justified these killings intended to search and confiscate illegal firearms. These were backed up by justifications that the farmers fought back. “Nanlaban sila.” They were also tagged as members of the NPA. These claims were however countered by family members who witnessed the killings. In an interview with Carmela Avelino, wife of Hugpong Kusog Mag-uuma sa Canlaon Chairman Edgardo Avelino (one of those slain in the killings), she told of how she and her children had been dragged out of their home in the middle of the night as her husband was beaten in another room. Three gunshots were heard. Three more followed in the neighboring house owned by Edgardo’s brother Ismael. Ambulance came by morning as bodies were carried in. Police said they fainted during the beating but were pronounced dead on arrival due to gunshots. O ABS-CBN NEWS

No more Yangtze River Turtles As news of the Notre-Dame de Paris fire broke out, so did the news of the Yangtze River Turtle going extinct. The Yangtze River Turtle is the largest species of freshwater turtle with the last known female over 90 years of age. This female Yangtze River Turtle had undergone a fifth attempt of artificial insemination and had sadly passed away. She had passed away along with the entire hope of her species. O SIXTH TONE VOL.

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Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say the M-word Children from all over the globe were left petrified when a mysterious personality named Momo started terrorizing their online platforms. Momo used the photo of a sculpture made by Japanese artist Keisuke Aisawa. The sculpture had bulging eyes and a beak-like mouth. Momo apparently blackmailed children into doing dangerous tasks in exchange for their safety. O NEWS BHARATI

My heart and the first captured image of a black hole Astronomers have finally obtained the first image of a black hole! Using the Event Horizon Telescope observations of the center of the galaxy M87, they were able to develop an image of a bright ring formed as light bends in intense gravity around a black hole that is 6.5 billions times more massive than the Sun. They are also trying to capture more of the black hole and we might be able to see more than just an image soon. O BBC

Youtube video is most disliked Youtube video As ironic as it sounds, Youtube actually produced the most disliked Youtube video in history. The 2018 Youtube Rewind became the most disliked video in a span of a few hours after its release. The video received backlash after featuring nonprominent Youtubers and excluding the presence of Youtubers who made headlines in 2018. The video also failed to feature some trends which broke the Internet. O ENGADGET

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J. Bros Comeback After the explosive news of Nick’s marriage to Priyanka Chopra, the Jonas Brothers surprised the world with the news of their comeback. Yes. The boys are back from their six-year break. And with the release of their new single “Sucker.” The single became a hit especially after the music video was released featuring the Jonas’ wives. O STYLECASTER

Dalagang Pilipina, yeah Released July last year, the viral hit “Dalaga” by rap group Allmo$t now flooding everyone's social media feeds began its popularity after online personality Mimi took the “Dalagang Pilipina” challenge in the video sharing app TikTok to the next level by uploading her own interpretation of the song being comically coy. O MIMIYUUUH

Winter has come After two long years, Game of Thrones fans around the globe rejoiced as HBO released the eighth and final season of the greatest show in HBO history. The season premiere attracted a record 17.4 million viewers, overtaking the prior season 7 finale with only 16.9 million viewers. With a total of 6 episodes, season 8 has the least number of episodes but took the longest time to make among the previous seasons. At present, the series has garnered a number of world records including “most Emmy Awards for a drama series,” “largest TV drama simulcast,” and “most pirated TV show.” O COLLIDER VOL.

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HEADSTART

Annato /ah-NAH-toh/

Annato is a natural dye derived from the seeds of the Bixa Orellana tree native to Central and South America. Locally recognized as Atsuete, it is commonly used in the Filipinofavorite Adobo for its appetizing orange color.

Alphabet of Uncommon Pigments An index of lesser-known color names and terms you might want to add to your vocabulary BY John David Maza

Brazilin /bruh-ZIL-in/

The natural pigment Brazilin is obtained from the wood of the Caesalpina echinata or Brazilwood tree which once grew plentifully in the Brazilian coast. These trees played a role in the naming of the country Brazil.

Coquelicot /KOHK-li-koh/

Coquelicot, a French vernacular name for the Papaver rhoeas flower, is the bright, orange-tinted red color of the common Poppy which bloomed between World War I trench lines and no manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lands and has since been used to commemorate soldiersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; deaths every November 11.

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Drunk-Tank Pink

Falu

Incarnadine

Proven in numerous studies to reduce violent behavior, DrunkTank Pink got its name when two naval officers during the 70s began painting drunk tanks (detention cells for drunk people) in this tone of pink, making inmates much calmer and well-behaved.

/FAH-loo/

/in-KAHR-nuh-dahyn/

Made from mineral tailings extracted from the various copper mines of the City of Falun in Sweden, Falu is a deep red paint commonly found on wooden cottages and barns to mimic buildings with brick cladding.

In his tragedy “Macbeth,” William Shakespeare meant Incarnadine as blood-red although originally, the term came from incarnates which is Latin for flesh-colored. Today, incarnadine describes a rich, dark red shade similar to Shakespeare’s interpretation.

Eburnean

Gamboge

Jonquil

/e-BUR-nee-yuhn/

/gam-BOHZH/

/JONG-kwil/

Eburnean can be used to picture something made of ivory or as white as ivory. Gathered mainly from tusks and teeth of animals, Ivory is the white, slightly yellow material primarily composed of dentine which is a hard yet sensitive body tissue.

Gum resin tapped from trees of the family Clusiaceae that bear yellow mangosteen varieties generates the mustard yellow Gamboge pigment traditionally used to dye the robes of Theravada Buddhist monks.

Jonquil is a hue of yellow referring to the color found at the center of the fragrant Narcissus jonquilla flower native to Mediterranean. It has been cultivated in France since the 18th century for Narcissus Oil, a component of many modern perfumes.

Harlequin

Kobicha

/HAHR-luh-kwin/

/ko-BI-cha/

Located halfway between green and yellow-green in the color wheel, this hue represents humor as jesters during the Middle Ages often wore Harlequin-colored costumes while entertaining monarchs or noblemen and their guests.

One of the Japanese traditional colors which determined rank and social hierarchy in the beginning of the 7th century in Japan, Kobicha, used in dyeing and designing kimonos, took its name from a type of kelp tea.

Most hunted animals for Ivory WALRUS

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R HINO

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ELEPHANT

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HIPPO

WARTHOG

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NARWHAL

Lapis Lazuli

Old Heliotrope

Rajah

/LA-pis luh-ZOO-lee/

Depicting the dim pink-purple appearance of the ever sunfacing Heliotrope flower, Victorian fashion included Old Heliotrope among the several colors of dresses worn during final days of mourning for the dead.

/RA-jah/

Malachite

Pervenche

Sarcoline

/ma-LUH-khayt/

/pur-VAHNZH/

/SAHR-kuh-lin/

A result of the weathering of copper ores, Malachite is a natural stone pigment with a vibrant green color. For ancient Egyptians, a “Field of Malachite” is an eternal paradise in the afterlife with no suffering.

French for periwinkle, Pervenche is the lavender blue or pale indigo color of the flowers blooming from the Lesser Periwinkle (Vinca minor) vine which were broadly used in medieval Europe for wreaths placed on the graves of dead babies.

The adjective Sarcoline, derived from “sarx” which is Greek for flesh, can be used to portray something that has a light, brownish pink tone resembling a white person’s skin, or simply flesh-colored. Nowadays, this definition of flesh-colored is deemed exclusionary and offensive.

Nattier

Quercitron

Tiffany Blue

/NAT-je/

/KWUR-si-truhn/

French painter Jean-Marc Nattier’s color of choice to render fine fabric, a delicate shade of blue dubbed as Nattier after him, perfectly complements the pink undertones of the skin in his portraits of women.

The name Quercitron, coined by chemist Edward Bancroft from Latin quercus (oak) and citron (lemon), refers to the natural yellow pigment gathered from the bark of the Eastern Black Oak (Quercus velutina) tree indigenous to North American forests.

The trademarked shade of robin-egg blue New York jeweler Charles Lewis Tiffany chose for his company Tiffany & Co’s first Blue Book catalogue has “1873” (the year the company was established) as Tiffany Blue’s own custom Pantone color code (Pantone 1873).

In the medieval and renaissance eras, the metamorphic Lapis Lazuli rock from Afghanistan was crowned the most expensive pigment for its intense blue color, followed by gold. Italian painters reserved the natural ultramarine produced from Lapis for robes of the Virgin Mary.

Described as pastel ochre or bright deep orange, Rajah, an Indian title for a monarch, is closely related to Saffron (considered as the most valued color in Hinduism). They take after the yellow tinge at the tip of a Saffron crocus thread, the world’s costliest spice by weight.

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World’s priciest spices after Saffron [ 3 0 0 0 U S D / k g ] V ANILLA

�

700 USD/kg

Ultramarine Blue

Xanadu

Because natural ultramarine from Lapis Lazuli was too costly and difficult to produce, a French industry organization was urged in 1824 to offer a prize for a synthetic alternative, hence the invention of the more vivid Ultramarine Blue.

/ZAN-uh-doo/

Vantablack

YInMn

Developed by UK-based Surrey NanoSystems, Vantablack is considered the darkest substance ever made. Millions of vertical nanotubes sticking out from the surface where the coating is applied absorb 99.965% of light that strikes the surface.

/YIN-min/



Wenge

Zaffre

Trademarking doesn’t mean

/WENG-gey/

/ZAF-er/

Often used to refer to rich-brown furniture with reddish undertones, Wenge came from the lumber of the Millettia laurentii tree listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as “endangered” due to timber over-exploitation and habitat destruction.

Originally obtained by burning ores of cobalt in a furnace, the Zaffre pigment during the Victorian era stained glass and glazed ceramics in a distinctive deep blue tint. The origin of the name Zaffre can be traced back to the Latin for the precious gemstone sapphire.

�

MAHLAB 150 USD/kg

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LONG PEPPER 99 US D / k g

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BLACK CUMIN 84 U S D / k g

Although the word Xanadu illustrates an exotic place filled with magnificence and luxury, its relationship with the color Xanadu, the dull, gray-green shade in the leaves of the Philodendron plant, is unclear.

Other colors that are Trademarked

CADBURY PURPLE PANT O N E 2 6 8 5 C

MATTEL BARBIE PINK PANT O N E 2 1 9 C

UNIV. OF TEXAS BURNT ORANGE PANT O N E 1 5 9

YInMn, which stands for Yttrium, Indium, and Manganese, is the first blue pigment created in over 200 years. The brilliant blue pigment was accidentally discovered in 2009 by a team of scientists at Oregon State University while conducting experiments related to electronics.

3M POST-IT CANARY YELLOW PANT O N E 1 2 - 0 6 3 3

UPS PULLMAN BROWN PANT O N E 0 6 0 7 2 9 8

that one will get sued for using these colors in painting a house. Only competing companies in the same industry are off-limits. This bans them to use such shades in marketing, packaging, and any other considerations mentioned in the trademark application.

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value, n. ¹ lightness or darkness of a color ² one's judgment of what is important in life

A pile of smoke exits through a building's melted roof as brave firefighters scramble to put off the violent flame. O JEDRICK LEIGHNOIR SOLINAP

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#ManilaEncounters When Philippine Speculative Fiction meets the Twitterverse TEXT BY

Dazen Dawn Lariza ILLUSTRATION BY

Bejay Songcog

“A young mangkukulam harbors a deep dislike for her annoying classmate. She casts a curse on her classmate, dooming him to slowly lose the one he loves the most. A few days pass, and the witch falls ill with a mysterious sickness which she can’t seem to get rid of. @UntalanArrel ” Late February of this year, the Manila Encounters hashtag became viral. What started as a tabletop roleplaying game became an avenue for people to share their true to life horror stories and short fiction tales based on Philippine folklore. How did this come to be and what sparked Filipinos in Twitter to turn it into something more?

Dragons and Tabletops

“THE DRAGON OF PASIG, as large as your house and 5x as smelly. Its skin is plastic bags and sh*t and tetra packs. Its breath is corrosive factory smoke. It eats people, but it is tired of masa and wants to know what glutathione skin tastes like.” @bjrecio

The hashtag is traced back to Twitter user BJ Recio who created the hashtag on the 24th of February for an online tabletop roleplaying game (RPG) set in Metro Manila. The first entry was based on the book “A Time for Dragons: An Anthology of Philippine Draconic Fiction” and was about a so-called “Dragon of Pasig.” But what exactly is a tabletop roleplaying game? According to John Kim’s article entitled “What is a role-playing game,” tabletop roleplaying is a form of roleplaying game where players declare their actions by narration. They describe their characters, what these characters speak, etc. and abide by certain rules introduced at the start of the game by a Game Master. The creator of the hashtag intended to start an online tabletop RPG for Filipino RPG players in Twitter. This, however, sparked other ideas from Twitter users who created their own short stories with horror as their central theme forgetting what his hashtag was truly aimed at.

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Girl in the mirror feat. Bloody Mary

“Walk into the libingan ng mga bayani and press an ear to the grave. Listen to the simmering, angry silence of three thousand unjustly killed and the terrified screams of a dictator finally getting his “ It was you/your mother/Inang Bayan/

due.” @isnotsamantha

Rizal/*random person’s name*” Later on, tweets surfaced of people sharing their real life experiences of horror stories centered in Manila as well as urban legends. This was when the hashtag became viral. From stories of how Bloody Mary asks how someone’s day went after they summon her to legends of the three black women of Intramuros and how they signaled the destruction of the walled city. The stories started to evolve until some even decided to end with comedic twists. The hashtag soon not only centered on Metro Manila but further expanded to other cities and provinces in Luzon which later spread through the whole country. The #ManilaEncounters soon became an avenue for Filipinos in different islands and regions in the country to share their own horror stories, historical fiction and urban legends in their area. This also sparked conversation on school hauntings and political issues in the country as well as tragic historical events. Among those featured were the burning of Club Ozone and the hauntings behind the Manila Film Center which were backed up with links to articles on what happened and photos.

“You saw a lady crying, looking for her 2 children. But it wasn’t Sisa trying to find Basilio and Crispin. It was Inang Bayan looking for Kapayapaan and Katarungan.” @Its_me_Rei Soon after, certain formulas to the hashtag were developed. Among which were those ending with “That girl was you/your mother/your sister/Inang Bayan/some-prominent-female-figure.” The hashtag began to lose its touch until what used to be a platform for horror-seeking users became a laughingstock.

This hashtag became a way for people to be socially aware and also to delve deep into the realms of historical fiction.

#IloiloEncounters

“1PM. Jaro Cathedral. People were lining up for the Candelaria statue. A woman carrying her child approached a man and asked for water. The man rejected. Typhoon Frank hit Iloilo one week later.” @sonnrox

Other provinces and cities decided to create their own localized hashtags to share stories within their province. Iloilo was not an exception. From tales of how Candelaria often disappeared at night to buy Growee at a nearby drug store to the rumored ghosts stalking the halls of famous universities. This became a platform for Ilonggos to dig into historical events in the city. VOL.

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People started to use the hashtag as a guilt-inducing platform. #ManilaEncounters tweets started to lose their poetic touch and became clichés. What it was originally intended to do was not what it became. Avid followers soon started losing interest after cheesy and overly repeated tweets started to surface. We cannot deny, however, how this hashtag became a way for people to be socially aware and also to delve deep into the realms of historical fiction. People started to discover Philippine Speculative Fiction and other Filipino Anthology books. Twitter users started wanting to know more about historical events and political taboos.

“The daughter of a certain lawmaker has been mysteriously appearing in photographs of a college graduation ceremony, her face blurred but undoubtedly there amongst the graduates. This is, there are no records of her ever being a student there. @danysian ”

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(Titik)

TEKSTO NI

Francis Mathew Gappe

Nakatatak sa ating pagka-Pilipino ang ating natatanging kultura at kasaysayang inukit na sa matagal na panahon. Naging tanyag sa atin ang Baybayin na siyang ating tinuturing na ina ng ating sistema sa pagsusulat. Sa tulong nito, mas nagkaroon tayo ng pagkakakilanlan, kaya hindi maikakaila kung bakit ganoon na lamang ang kagustuhan ng House Committee on Basic Education and Culture upang ituring na pambansang sistema ng pagsusulat ang Baybayin. Kapag naaprubahan, ang House Bill 1022 o “National Writing System Act,” ay naglalayong gamitin ang Baybayin sa mga etiketa ng mga produkto at ang mga LGU’s naman ay dapat isakatuparan ang naturang batas sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng Baybayin sa mga karatula sa kalsada at sa mga gusali katulad ng mga ospital, istasyon ng bumbero at pulis, at sa mga plaza at city hall.

4/17 na mga suyat ang naipabilang sa UNESCO Memory of the World Programme noong 1999 na naglalayong pangalagaan ang mga pamanang kultural sa iba't ibang dako ng daigdig.

D sen+t+rl Eko

ᜋᜄᜐeᜈ᜔

COURTE SY OF L L O YD Z A P A N T A

value

Mga logo ng mga tanyag na produktong ibinaybay sa baybayin.



Hindi maikakaila na ang pinakasikat na sistema ng pagususulat ay ang Baybayin. Kadalasan na nga itong ginagamit sa sining, sa mga tattoo kahit sa makabagong disenyo ng ating pera ay matatagpuan din ito. Ngunit mas kilala ito sa tawag na ‘alibata’ na kung ating babalikan sa ating kultura, ay sadyang mali. Ayon sa UP Diksiyunaryo Filipino, ang alibata ay ang siyang unang dalawang titik ng arabikong alpabeto alif(a) at bata (b) at ang Baybayin ang tawag sa sinaunang alpabeto ng mga Pilipino. Ang Baybayin ay isang sistema na bunga ng impluwensya ng mga taga-India sa mga bansang Indonesia at Malaysia ay siyang nakarating sa ating bansa. Ito ay karaniwang ginagamit ng mga taga-Luzon at ng mga taga-Visayas. Ito ay nagmula sa salitang “baybay” na ibig sabihin ay “to spell.” May mga paniniwala rin na ito ay nagmula sa salitang

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“baybay” na nangangahulugang dalampasigan. Ang Baybayin ay binubuo ng tatlong patinig at 14 na mga katinig. Ang mga katinig ay nagtatapos sa patinig na ‘a’ at ginagamitan ng kudlit upang palitan sa ibang patinig. Ngunit hindi lamang baybayin ang siyang natatanging sistema ng pagsusulat na nabuo sa arkipelago ng Pilipinas. Sa pagsasaliksik ng mga eksperto, tinatayang 16 na iba't-ibang sistema ng pagsusulat (na pangkalahatang tinatawag na “suyat”) ang siyang nabuo bago paman dumating ang mga dayuhan sa bansa. Natatanging dalawang pook na lamang sa bansa ang nakapagpanatili ng kanilang sistema ng sulat. Ito ay ang ‘Surat Mangyan,’ na siyang ginagamit ng mga Hanunó'oMangyan at Buhid-Mangyan sa Mindoro, at ang ‘Surat’ ng mga Tagbanua at Pala’wan sa Palawan, na nangangahulugang pagsulat.

Mga natitirang suyat ‘Surat Mangyan’ Ang salitang ‘Mangyan’ ay tumutukoy sa isang pangkat-etniko na naninirahan sa isla ng Mindoro. Ang iba sa kanila ay matatagpuan sa iba pang mga lugar sa ating arkipelago tulad sa isla ng Tablas at Sibuyan sa probinsya ng Romblon , Albay, Negros at sa Palawan. Kinapapalooban ito ng iba’t ibang mga tribu kagaya ng Iraya, Alangan at Tadyawan na siyang bumubuo sa mga tribu sa Hilaga. At ang mga tribu namang matatagpuan sa Timog ay ang tribu ng Buhid, Bangon Batangon, at ang Hanunó'o-Mangyan. Dalawang tribu lamang ng mga Mangyan ang nakapagpanatili ng kanilang sistema ng pagsulat.

ᜱ ᜨᜳ ᜨᜳ ᜢ HA N UN Ó ' O •

Pinaniniwalaang nagmula ang Hanunó'o sa sistema ng mga taga Java, Bali at Sumatra na kung tawagin ay Kawi, na nagmula din sa Pallava script na nagmula sa Timog India na nagmula sa Brahmi. Kadalasang inuukit sa mga kawayan gamit ang maliliit na kutsilyo sa pagsusulat ng mga tula na kung tawagin nila ay ambahan o mga musika na may kinalaman sa pag-ibig. Mahigit 70% ng mga Hanunó'o-Mangyan ang

marunong magbasa at magsulat gamit nito. Sinusulat ito mula ibaba paitaas at mula kaliwa pakanan at binabasa mula sa kaliwa papuntang kanan nang pahalang. Dahil sa makabagong sistema ng edukasyon, ganoon na lamang ang pangamba na baka mabura sa ating kasaysayan ang ganitong sistemang pinangalagaan sa loob ng matagal na panahon. Kung kaya’t minabuti ng mga namumuno sa ng Hanunó'o-Mangyan na idagdag ang pagtuturo ng Surat Mangyan sa mga silid aralan.

ᝊᝓ ᝑᝒ ᝇ

BUHID • Ang sistema ng pagsulat ng mga Buhid ay may magkaparehong kasaysayan ng mga Hanunó'o-Mangyan. Ito ay nag-ugat din sa Brahmi ng mga taga-India, na kung saan nagmula ang Pallava script na siyang pinanggalingan ng Kawi. Ito rin ay sinusulat kasama ng alpabetong Latin.

ᝦᝤᝪᝨᝯ ‘Surat’ ng mga Tagbanua at Pala’wan Ang sulat ng mga taga-Mindoro ay mahahalintulad sa sulat ng mga taga-Palawan. May D sen+t+rl Eko

ᜋᜄᜐeᜈ᜔

 STE E MI TM A E N T Z

Inuukit ng isang babaeng Hanunó'o sa kawayan ang Ambahan.

O JACOB MAENTZ

Abakada

nagkaparehong bilang ng patinig, ngunit ito lamang ay kinapapalooban ng 13 na mga katinig na siya ring nilalagyang ng patinig na ‘a’ sa dulo. Gumagamit din ito ng kudlit na inilalagay sa itaas o sa ibaba upang magsilbing gabay sa pagbabago ng patinig. Magkaparehas din ang direksyon ng pagsulat nito sa Mangyan at siya ring sinusulat sa mga kawayan gamit ang matalas na panulat na kung tawagin nila ay ‘pisaw.’

ToMo

Ang pagkawala ng Baybayin Abecedario Sa pagdating ng mga dayuhang Kastila sa bansa, ang paggamit ng sistemang baybayin ay unti-unting nawala at napalitan. Kinalaunan, nagkaroon ng 32 na mga letra ang alpabetong ginagamit sa pagsusulat bunga na rin ng impluwensya ng mga dayuhan. Ito ay tinawag na abecedario. Ang mga letrang matatagpuan sa abecedario tulad ng CH, LL, RR ay karaniwang ginagamit ng mga nagsasalita ng Chavacano na matatagpuan sa Zamboanga at mga iilang lugar sa Cavite. 109

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Abakada Sa taong 1939, binuo ni Lope K. Santos ang bagong alpabeto ng bansa. Ang abakada ay ang alpabetong binubuo ng mga tunog sa Tagalog. Ito ay binubuo ng 20 na mga titik, lima rito ay patinig. A, B, K, D, E, G, H, I, L, M, N, NG, O, P, R, S, T, U, W, Y Ito ay binago ng Department of Education, Culture and Sports at dinagdag ang mga letrang: C, CH, F, J, LL, Ñ, Q, RR, V, X, Z, dahil na rin sa mga salitang bunga ng impluwensya ng mga dayuhan.

Ang Pangwakas na Tuldok Sa kasalukuyan, ang ‘Makabagong Alpabetong Filipino’ ay binubuo ng 28 na mga titik, ang 20 ay nagmula sa abakada at ang natitirang walo ay nagmula sa alpabeto ng mga Espanyol. Ang paraan ng pagsusulat ay napakahalaga sapagkat ito ang nagiging paraan upang tayo ay makilala at mapanatili natin ang atin pagkakakilanlan. Sa mga titik na ito inukit ang mga kasaysayan ng kahapon na siyang salamin ng ating kasalukuyan.

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The Polychromatic Body of Christ An insight on the movement seeking unity among the world's Christian Churches TEXT BY

Onesiforo Berina, Jr. ILLUSTRATION BY

Michael Angelo Fandagani

“The light of Christ illumines us all”—brilliant and soul-touching words from Gregory Palamas, a notable theologian during the Byzantine Period. To many Christians, this is undebatable and, to others of similar religion, his words are beyond doubt too. Yet, we are still enthralled to ask: How does this light look like? Is this a blinding light? Or a light glowing with warmth? Is it too bright that it can encompass everyone with its luminance? Or is this light scattered? And what colors does it radiate? Just as how species of flora and fauna vary, Christians around the globe are not exempted from diversity’s spell. Since the Apostolic Age, when Apostles are believed to have dispersed from Jerusalem to fulfill their mission of spreading the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus, a variety of Christian groups already existed. As Christ’s believers rapidly multiplied, differences among Christians increased too and this continues even today. Some differ in faith practices, doctrines, ideologies, and even in theologies. It may sound comical but many denominational groups argue over petty things, such as a person’s dress code when entering the church and even the choice of music for worship. And if you think that the senate court is the grandest courtyard for the plenty arguments regarding the implementation and interpretation of laws, you THE

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“I have encountered people who tried to bend my beliefs. But, we must always remind ourselves that we are gathering to comprehend each other’s differences and to strengthen our unity. Respect must always prevail.” —Mace Sulayao

31.4% of today's global population are Christians, as stated in "World" —The World Factbook by the Central Intelligence Agency(CIA).

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might give yourself a chance to reconsider such thought once you realize that conventional gatherings and meetings of our fellow Christians is also a combat zone where pastors, priests, and ministers discuss and argue on matters concerning biblical and theological interpretation and the implementation of church programs. One example is the United Methodist Church General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, last February 23-26 , where policies to ban same-sex marriages and LGBT clergy members were up for debate. Amidst these differences, which seem challenging to accept for some, there are Christians who envision to develop relationships and understanding with their co-travellers in Christ who have different cultural and denominational backgrounds. Thus, Ecumenism was born. Ecumenism, Christian Ecumenism to be specific, seeks to put the church, which is Christ’s body, into the state of being one. In other words, the movement’s prime aim is unity. Despite Ecumenism’s noble intention, some consider this movement as a work of evil. They believe that Ecumenism tolerates the wrong and unbiblical teachings of some churches, while others see the movement as an opportunity for understanding different views in matters of faith, cooperation or united witness and harmony for justice and peace. In addition, they also consider it as a chance to build bridges that will bind Christians instead of erecting walls of division. This is also parallel to the outlook of MC Mace Sulayao, a fourth year student of Central Philippine University and a member of Kabataang Ekyumenikal. “As an Iglesia Filipina Independiente member, we affirm ecumenical movements and formations because we see it as an opportunity to unite despite differences,” she said.

On the other hand, being part of the Ecumenical movement may cause confusion, for you will be opened to new and sometimes strange theologies and religious principles. “In my Ecumenical experience, I have encountered people who tried to bend my beliefs for me to agree and adhere to what they believe in. But, we must always remind ourselves that we are gathering to comprehend each other’s differences and to strengthen our unity. Respect must always prevail,” Sulayao added. We may not agree in all matters of faith, but we can always choose to listen, to widen our perspectives and to respect. Ben Joseph Libo-on, a theology student, shared his thoughts regarding this. “In Ecumenism, we need not argue or else we’ll fail in both ways. Winning an argument won’t make you a winner. You may have won a debate but you might have lost the person you are in discourse with”, he said. Metaphorically, the Body of Christ is the Church. The church is composed of unique individuals, and the uniqueness of each individual gives color to the church. Being made distinct from each other does not mean that we are to be individualistic. In John 17:21, Jesus prayed that all may be one, as He and the Father are one. This means that if we are His followers we should seek to be in unity with those who follow Him too. Moreover, we, believers of Christ are called to be a beacon of light that will serve as God’s instrument to illumine this dark world we live in—a world full of deceit, injustice, and hatred. How could this be possible if we are enslaved by the shackles of disunity? May we, Christians, choose to let our light shine amidst differences, that this world may glow in His polychromatic radiance.

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Gantimpala sa Nananampalataya

Nakatitig siya sa kanyang reviewer habang inihahanda ang sarili para sa gaganaping pagsusulit. Isang mataimtim na panalangin ang kanyang binulong habang papasok ang gurong magsisilbing proctor sa araw na iyon. Hawak-hawak ang bolpen, nakangiti niyang sinagot ang mga tanong na pinaghandaan niyang sagutin ilang araw na ang nakalipas. “Magiging RMT rin ako,” bulong niya sa sarili. Lingid sa kanyang kaalaman na may dalawang malalaking gantimpala palang nag-aabang para sa kanya. Isang bagong tala sa makulay na kasaysayan ng Central Philippine University ang pagkakaroon ng College of Medical Laboratory Sciences ng kanilang kauna-unahang Summa Cum Laude at, kasama nito, ang pagsungkit ng pang-apat na pwesto sa Medical Technologist Board Examination noong Marso. Lahat ng ito ay naisakatuparan ni Daryl Jasyl Lim Cañon. Si Daryl ay 21 taong gulang na residente ng Oton, Iloilo. Siya ay nagtapos sa kursong BS-MLS bilang Summa Cum Laude noong Hunyo 24, 2018 at nakakuha rin ng 1.23 na General Weighted Average (GWA) at markang 90.40% sa board exam. Panganay sa dalawang anak ng isang nars at isang taxi driver, hindi naging madali ang kanilang pamumuhay. Ayon kay Daryl, ang lahat ng sakripisyo ng kanyang mga magulang ang nag-udyok sa kanya upang lalong maganyak sa pagsulong. Ang suporta ng kanyang pamilya at ng kanyang mga kaibigan ang naging inspirasyon niya para bumangon tuwing siya ay pinanghihinaan ng loob. Wala daw mapagsidlan ang tuwa at saya ni Daryl

TEKSTO NI

Jiselle Yanson DIBUHO NI

John Pel Bañares

Daryl Jasyl Lim Cañon R EGISTER ED MEDI C AL TEC HN OL OGIST

noong inihayag ng kanilang dean ang mga pangalan ng mga mag-aaral na mabibigyan ng parangal. Halos hindi raw siya makapagsalita o ni makagalaw man lang sa mga sandaling iyon. Tuwing babalik ang alaala niya ng araw na iyon ay napapangiti na raw lamang siya at muling nabubuhayan ng loob. Habang hinihintay ang paglabas ng resulta ng board exam, ang paglalaro ng Mobile Legends ay naging isang paraan upang mawala ang kanyang kaba. Paglabas mismo ng resulta't natagpuan ang pangalang niyang napabilang sa mga nangunguna sa listahan, halos hindi siya makahinga ng maayos sa sobrang bilis ng tibok ng kanyang puso at hindi napigilang mapahiyaw sa kagalakan. Ayon sa kanya, wala siyang maibibigay na tips o life hacks o maibubunyag na sikreto kung paano niya naabot ang mga karangalang natanggap kundi pawang pananalig sa Maykapal ang kanyang baon. Itinuturing niya ang lahat ng mga pangyayaring ito bilang biyaya, THE

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“Nakakabagot man ang paghihintay sa itinakdang panahon ng Panginoon, nais kong paalalahan ang bawat isa na ang Kanyang awa't biyaya ang nagdala sa atin kung saan man tayo ngayon at sa tulong Niya, malayo ang ating mararating.”—Daryl Jasyl Lim Cañon

walang hanggang biyaya mula sa Panginoon. Narating niya ang narating niya, hindi dahil sa kanyang kakayahan sa halip ay pagpapahintulot lamang ng Maykapal. “There are so many references with tons of possible questions among many others. How do you stay sane amidst these? Prayers plus faith,” ika nga niya. Isa sa mga nais bigyang-diin ni Daryl upang laging mapanatiling may maliwanag na isip lalo na sa pagkuha ng mga pagsusulit katulad ng naibanggit ay ang pananalangin at pananampalataya sapagkat walang nakakaalam kung anong mga tanong ang lalabas. Dagdag pa nga niya, ‘Study hard, pray harder’. “Nakakabagot man ang paghihintay sa itinakdang panahon ng Panginoon, nais kong paalalahan ang bawat isa na ang Kanyang awa’t biyaya ang nagdala sa atin kung saan man tayo ngayon at sa tulong Niya, malayo ang ating mararating,” sabi niya. Nakangiti siyang umakyat sa entablado isang taon TOMO

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ang lumipas matapos niyang kunin ang kanyang diploma. Isang masigabong palakpakan ang bumati sa kanya habang tinatanggap ang bunga ng paghihirap ng kanyang mga magulang at ng masigasig niyang pag-aaral. Maligayang nakipagkamay ang bawat opisyal ng paaralan sa kanya. Isa na siyang Registered Medical Technologist at isa pa sa mga mapalad na topnotcher. Sa ngayon, balak ni Daryl na ibalik ang karangalan sa kolehiyong kanyang pinagmulan sa pamamagitan ng pagtuturo sa kanyang departamento habang hinihintay ang tawag sa kanya ukol sa plano niyang pagpasok sa medical school. Naniniwala siyang makakatulong ito sa pagpapabuti ng edukasyon, lalo na sa mga magiging Registered Medical Technologist sa hinaharap. Ayaw daw niyang madaliin ang mga bagay-bagay dahil siya ay lubos na naniniwala sa mga salitang “God's perfect timing”

cover story

Madal Dancing in her footsteps

TEXT BY

Paul Mackey Marfil PHOTOS BY

Kathleen Frugalidad, Rachel Beatizula, and Jedrick Leighnoir Solinap

T’boli lore speaks of Fu Dalu — an entity that shows itself in dreams and brings visions of color and beauty. She serves as a guide that brings inspiration to women dubbed the ‘dreamweavers.’ It is because of this that the T’boli are known for their beautifully crafted T’nalak cloth made from Abaca fiber, a material that is endemic among T’boli communities. But times are changing, and

modernization is quickly taking its pace. Some, however, choose to keep things alive. Mae Aindraby Bansil, a first year Social Work student, is a pure blooded T’boli. She comes from South Cotabato. Mae never expected that she would end up at Central Philippine University. She said she was once offered a scholarship in a university in Mindanao, but then she decided to forgo the said offering and

chose to consider CPU instead. Having been accepted to Central, Mae expected that she would be a working student to sustain her studies. Her brothers also graduated from CPU. To her surprise, however, she was invited to President Robles’s office for an interview. She was asked about her knowledge of her culture and if she could dance. Little did she know she will be given a scholarship grant through the Sari-Saot Dance Troupe.

“Sewat”

“Bekelew”

“Kegal Bentilas”

“Hilet Lemimet”

“Lewek Tedeyung”

Headdress composed of a handcrafted wooden comb and strands of beads

Hand-beaded necklace in traditional geometric patterns

Long-sleeve V-neck blouse delicately embellished with ribbons, beads, and sequins

Wide beaded belt with a carved metal buckle and brass bell fringes

Hand-woven sarong skirt tied into a knot at the front and folded over at the waist

Adat T'boli Culture

The T’boli are known to be the shy, conservative, and humble, but they can also be very hospitable and sensitive to the needs of others. Mae proves herself to be a little bit of everything, always being the jolly type who never backs down. “I’ve never been shocked,” said Mae when she was asked if she experienced culture shock when she entered CPU. “Tao ang na shock sa akon (They're the ones who were shocked to see me).” Oftentimes her classmates would ask her how she can speak really good Hiligaynon if she is a T’boli. Some would even assume that she is an Aeta because of certain stereotypical views. But Mae, despite growing up speaking their own dialect, was already well aware of the Hiligaynon language. Furthermore, whenever she was asked to speak in their own dialect, people who are not familiar with T’boli culture would usually mistake it for Thai. By educating her friends about their dialect, she believes that it is one of the many ways that she can help preserve their culture. Stereotypes, however, are still present, and Mae faces them from time to time. One of which is how others would look down on people like them, presuming that they are low class. There are even times

when people would avoid speaking in English to her, thinking that she might not understand. This, for Mae, is a big surprise because she knows it is not true. “Pag indigenous ka or T’boli, daw dira ka lang ya. Basi grabe gid ni guro na agyan niya sa kabuhi niya hambal nila. (If you are

Kenhulung Gifts

Dancing and singing are two of the things that Mae is really passionate about, and it is something that is really integrated in her blood by virtue of her culture. But there are times, according to her, that some

Stereotypes, however, are still present, and Mae faces them from time to time. One of which is how others would look down on people like them, presuming that they are low class. indigenous or a member of the T’boli, it’s like you can't be more than that. Maybe she’s been through a lot of mishaps before, they would say).” Words like these have been stirring up the stereotype against people like Mae, a stereotype that she wishes to break by embracing newer cultures in a culturally diverse university, while at the same time preserving her own. According to Mae, people should look at other people as human beings too regardless of culture, color, orientation, and the like.

people would assume that those are the only things she could do, even to the point that they would think that those are the only reasons why she was able to get a scholarship. Of course these things have hurt her, but she is positive that those two things are just a small fraction of her entire personality. She wants to show that indigenous people can also be very creative and very gifted. This can be seen through the creation and use of instruments that are, amazingly, mostly exclusive to their culture. Just by looking at other people play, T’boli players

“The more you understand the importance of one’s culture, the more you understand the essence of your living” —Mae Aindraby Bansil

can quickly learn, and when it comes to impromptu compositions they also prove themselves highly skilled. But the skills of the T’boli go beyond that. The creation of beautiful T’nalak cloths and other crafts should also elevate the way we see them. As a matter of fact, they may live simple lives, but at least they stay true to their culture. Things like this make Mae proud to be a member of the indigenous community.

Ke H'lomi Change

Going back to the idea that times are changing really fast and development is quickly picking up the pace, we asked Mae how she and other members of the their community can cope. She said that there are certain parts of their culture that need to adapt to the modern times, yet they keep their roots. For her, their culture is everlasting, and can be seen as a

very innate and integral part of the total Filipino culture. A good example of this was when Catriona Gray wore a gown made from T’nalak fiber and a headdress inspired by T’boli culture. But despite being unique, Mae reaffirms that T’boli culture is still a big part of the overall Filipino culture, and there should be no fear for being divided because there is always unity in the midst of diversity. Belonging to a younger generation, Mae also struggles to balance the “new” life and her traditional roots, but she gives more importance to preserving her culture. It’s the idea that being “in” makes you cool that Mae wants to combat. Instead, she urges her fellow millennials to never forget about their roots even in the middle of embracing change, and to always accept who you are. She also aims to further educate people about her culture by joining programs that would allow her to share what needs to

be shared about their community and way of life. By doing this, she believes that she can preserve her culture, a culture that she hopes will remind us all of the beauty of being Filipinos. “Let us be reminded that our culture is a way of our living. We must know our culture and embrace where we came from or else, one day, we will just become an entry in a history book. Our cultures signify our descriptive personality or belongingness. A person who doesn’t know his own is akin to a living tree without roots. God is not impressed by the things we do but by what steps we can take to brighten the lives of others. We are made with a purpose and we know that whoever or from whatever race, culture, and values, you are living to be a light of change for progress and preservation because the more you understand the importance of one’s culture, the more you understand the essence of your living,” she finally added.

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Mga Guhit sa Bahaghari TEKSTO NI

Francis Mathew Gappe MGA RETRATO NI

Rachel Beatizula

Likas sa ating mga Pinoy ang magkaroon ng kayumangging balat. Kadalasang maituturing na naiipit tayo sa kalagitnaan ng pagiging maputi at pagiging maitim. Itinuturing pa nga ito ng iba na pagiging moreno o morena. Ngunit, ganoon na lang siguro tayo ka malikhain na nagkaroon ng iba’t ibang kulay ang pagiging kayumanggi. Naranasan mo na rin sigurong makumparahan ng kulay ng balat. May magsasabing ‘Uy mas maputi ako’ o di kaya ‘Ay parang umitim ka.’ Dahil likas sayo ang pagiging palaban, bigla mo na lang hahanapin ang pinakamaputing parte ng iyong balat. Iaangat ng bahagya ang damit, ipapakita ang hindi nasisikatan ng araw na balat na malapit sa braso at muli na namang ikukumpara upang malaman kung sino ang tunay na maputi. Nakakatawa dahil nagpapakita ito kung gaano tayo ka mabusisi upang matukoy ang iba’t-ibang kulay ng kayumanggi. Ngunit sa kasamaang palad, tayo-tayo ding mga Pilipino ang naghahanapan ng mga bagay na ikakasama ng ating loob at ng ating kapwa. Ang mga Ulap sa Bahaghari “Colorism”- isang uri ng diskriminasyon na pawang sa kulay ng balat, hindi kabilang kung saan at anong lahi siya nagmula. Kadalasan, makakarinig tayo ng mga salitang ‘nognog’, ‘kasing-itim ng uling’ ‘negro’ o ‘negra’ o di kaya’y ‘taga-bundok,’ iilan lamang sa mga ginagamit na pangungutya na maririnig natin sa ating kapwa. Hindi rin ligtas ang mga mapuputi, minsan ay nasasabihan din sila na parang sobrang putla, parang mayroong sakit at ang pinaka-karaniwang sinasambit ay ‘Hindi naman maganda, sadyang maputi lang, kung iitim ‘yan, mas maganda pa ako diyan.’ Ngunit ang kadalasang biktima ay ang may mga maiitim na balat. Mabilis matukoy ng iyong kapwa Pinoy ang pagababago ng kulay ng iyong balat. Tulad na lamang kung ikaw ay madalas nabibilad sa araw, tulad ng mga atleta o mga manggagawa, malamang ay narinig mo na ang mga karaniwang salita ng madla. May magsasabi na ‘Uy, parang umitim ka ata,’ o ‘Nagswimming ka?’ Pero may mga pagkakataon na nagiging personal na ang bagay na ito na nalilimitahan ang iyong mga kilos at ang mga taong gusto makihalubilo sa iyo. Hindi rin natatapos ang ganitong mga biro, dahil kahit sa ating mga tahanan ay nagaganap ito. Baka isa ka rin sa mga biktima na nasabihan na ampon ng iyong mga nakatatandang kapatid dahil naiiba ang iyong kulay. Madalas kang sinasabihan na kamag-anak ng mga ‘Ati’ o ‘Badjao.’ Kahit sabihin pa natin na biro

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lang ito. Panigurado hanggang ngayon ay tumatatak ito sa iyong isipan. Ang Litaw ng Bahaghari Ang usapin na ito ay laganap hindi lamang sa ating bansa na kung saan may samu’t-saring pagkakaiba sa balat. Sa bansa tulad ng USA, ang mga Latino, mga taga-Africa at mga taga-Asya na may lahing Amerikano ay tampulan ng mga tukso dahil sa kanilang kulay. Kung babalikan, ang ‘colorism’ ay nag-ugat sa Europa na kung saan mas tinatanaw na mas nakakataas ang mga mapuputi, ito ay dahil itinuturing na ang may maiitim na balat ay mga alipin, mababa ang estado at hindi kagandahan. Ang pagkakaroon naman ng mapuputing balat ay simbolo ng kagandahan, katalinuhan, at nakaka-angat sa buhay. Ang ganitong mentalidad ay umusbong pa dahil sa mga pananakop ng iba’t ibang bansa. Sa Pilipinas, base sa pananaliksik ang ganitong mentalidad ay impluwensya ng mga Amerikanong dayuhan halos anim na dekada na ang nakalipas. Itinanim ng mga Amerikano na ang pagkakaroon ng makinang na balat ay manipestasyon ng pagkakaroon ng positibong ugali at ang pagkakaroon naman ng maitim na kutis ay isang repleksyon ng hindi maayos TOMO

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na pag-uugali. Ang kagustuhang pumuti ay bunga din ng kagustuhang lumayo o iwanan ang mga nakaraang estado ng buhay o mga pagpapakita ng pagbabago sa sarili. May mga nagsasabi rin na ito ay dala ng mga Kastila dahil inuugnay nila ang pagkakaroon ng mas maputing balat sa estado ng buhay ng mga tao noon. Ang mga alipin ay karaniwag maiitim at ang mga mas nakakaangat sa buhay ay ang mga ‘mestizo’ o ‘mestiza.’ Isa din sa mga ebidensya kung gaano kabanidoso ang mga Pilipino pagdating sa usapin ng balat ay ang pagdagsa ng mga tao sa mga beauty o skin care shops. Mapalalake man o babae walang kawala sa kagustuhang pumuti, kuminis o marating ang pinakaaasam-asam na kulay ng balat. Dati nga ay may naririnig pa akong nag-uusap sa loob ng dyip tungkol sa kung ano yung mga ginagamit mong produkto o di kaya’y nasubukan mo na ba raw yung ganito o ganyan. Sambit pa nga ng isa ay hiyang daw ang kutis niya sa ganoong produkto at napaka-epektibo pa nga raw. At ang nakatutuwang parte pa nito ay puro lalake ang nasa usapan. Sadyang walang ligtas ang kahit na sinuman. Ayon nga sa isang pag-aaral sa Africa, may apat na bagay kung bakit may kagustuhan ang mga tao na pumuti. Una ay upang magmukhang importante,

pangawala ay mas maging kaakit-akit, idagdag pa rito ang kanilang pagkatuwa sa pagkakaroon ng maputing balat. At ang huli sa lahat ay itinuturing na isang uri ng ‘fashion’ ang pagpapaputi. Maliwanag din na hindi nila ginusto pumuti upang magtaliwas sa kanilang kultura ngunit ang pagkakaroon ng maputing balat ay magbibigay sa kanila ng mas magandang trabaho. Ang mga Bituin sa Bahaghari Sa mga nakaraang taon, nagsulputan ang mga produktong galing sa Korea dito sa ating bansa. Ganoon na lang siguro ang pagkahumaling ng mga Pilipino sa mga taga-Korea na hindi naman talaga maikakaila na may magagandang kutis. Kung kaya’t hindi rin nagpahuli ang mga Pinoy at sinubukan ang mga produkto tulad ng mga aloe vera gel, facial mud, peel-off mask at mga day and night creams na baka

sakali pa lang ay magbigay sa kanila ng pinakakaaasam-asam na kutis. Ngunit ang ganitong usapin ay hindi na bago sa ating mga Pilipino. Kung ating babalikan, hindi hihigit sa limang taon na ang nakararaan ay nauso ang mga camera apps na kaya tayong paputiin. Gamit ang ganitong application sa ating mga mobile phones, kayang pakinisin, gawing kaaya-aya at itama ang kung ano man sa tingin pa natin ang mali sa ating balat (na kung tutuusin ay wala namang mali). Ilan sa pinakauso dati na mga applications ay ang “retrica” at “camera 360” na sa sobrang hilig ng masa sa pagpapakinis ng mukha ay nabubura na pati ang ating mga ilong. Matagal na rin nang nagsitayuan ang mga derma clinic sa bansa na magpahanggang sa ngayon ay buhay. Matatandaan ang mga patalastas sa telebisyon ng

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Hindi masama ang mag-asam ng magandang kutis, maging maputi o maging kakulay ang iyong idolo ngunit tandaan hindi rin kasalanan kung ika’y maitim o maging kayumanggi.

iba’t -ibang uri ng sabon, lotion, beauty products, o tabletang maiinom na inaakit ang madla sa mga kutis ng kanilang modelo na bunga raw ng paggamit ng kanilang produkto na sa totoo lang ay maganda na talaga ang balat. Nahumaling ang lahat, bata man o matanda. May isa pang patalastas na naglalarawan sa isang babaeng ginustong pumuti. Nagpahid siya ng mga beauty products, nagpaturok, uminom ng mga tableta, at kung anu-ano pa. Sa huli, natagpuan na lamang siya na nakahiga sa isang kabaong dahil sa maabusong paggamit ng mga produkto. Sa Dulo ng Bahaghari Marahil ay hindi matatanggal sa ating isipan ang ganitong kagustuhan. Ang nakakapangambang sitwasyon ay kung paano lamunin ng hiya at takot ang mga biktima. Nawawalan sila ng tiwala sa sarili at ang iba ay nagkakaroon ng galit sa kung sino at kung ano ang mayroon sila. Ganito katalim ang mga salita na kung minsan para sa atin ay pawang biro lamang. TOMO

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Sana’y isipin natin ang bawat salitang ating sinasambit dahil baka may mga tao ka na palang ninanakawan ng buhay. Hindi masama ang mag-asam ng magandang kutis, maging maputi, o maging kakulay ang iyong idolo ngunit tandaan hindi rin kasalanan kung ika’y maitim o maging kayumanggi. Kaya ang mali ay kung itinuturing mong isang basehan ang kulay para kung sino ang mas nakakaangat at kung ang kagustuhan mo ay magdadala sa iyo sa kapahamakan. Sa kalagitnaan ng itim at puti, tayong mga Pilipino ay nakahanap ng kayumanggi. Kulay na siyang simbolo ng pagiging Pilipino. Ngunit tila sa pagdaan ng panahon ang kulay na nagbubuklod sa ating pagka-Pilipino ay naging isang bahaghari na ang bawat isa’y maaari nang ikumpara at makita ang pagkakaiba. Sana ang mga guhit ay muli maging isa, upang wala ng itim, puti, kayumanggi, ngunit pawang Pilipino at kinikilala tayo sa kung ano tayo bilang tao at hindi sa saplot na nakabalot dito.

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saturation, n. ¹ brilliance and intensity of a color ² to a very full extent, especially beyond the point regarded as necessary or desirable

A starlit sky at Fort San Pedro captures a moment of stillness in the midst of Iloilo's bustling metro. O JEDRICK LEIGHNOIR SOLINAP

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Don’t say it.

TEXT BY

Nicole Anike Dorgu Contributor profile on page 6 ILLUSTRATION BY

John Pel Bañares

1775 According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is the year the N-word was first used in a derogatory and hostile manner.

The English language is made up of several thousand words—171,476 words if we’re being exact—all of which have a backstory, all of which originated from something. We have 171,476 words at our disposal (more, if we bring Hiligaynon and Filipino into the equation) and yet many of us choose to use the wrong ones—words that degrade, words that isolate, words that showcase one’s xenophobia. The “n-word” is one of those words. Roots, n. From the Latin for black “niger,” the word evolved to become the noun “negro” which merely referred to a black person in English and simply meant the color black in Spanish and Portuguese. But no matter its origins, by the early 1800s, the word “nigger” was firmly established as a derogatory term and up to today, in the 21st century, remains a principal term for segregation, regardless of time, place, and the person using it. Throughout history, racial slurs have branded ethnic groups. But no group has endured as many racial nicknames as the blacks: coon, tom, savage, pickaninny, mammy, buck, samba, jigaboo, and buckwheat are some. Many of these slurs became fully-traditional, pseudo-scientific, literary, cinematic, and everyday distortions of African Americans. Caricatures, music, politics, propaganda, and many other forms of media reflect the extent and vast network of colored prejudice throughout history. The “n-word” carries with it much of the hatred and disgust toward African Americans and the black community. Historically, it defined, limited, made fun of, and ridiculed all blacks. It was a term of exclusion, verbal discrimination—invisible chains that continue to weigh down the people who have suffered years of segregation. Whether used as a noun, an adjective, or a verb, it strengthened the stereotype of the lazy, stupid, dirty, and worthless nobody. Rooted, adj. I’ve lived in the Philippines for nine years. But before I moved here, my mom would always tell me about her motherland—about the scrumptious food, the sights to see, and the respectful people. THE

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She was right about the food and the sights but time and time again, I’ve had to ask myself if the people were different in her time. Since I moved to this country, I’ve had instances where I’m minding my own business and strangers would start hollering the n-word at me, schoolmates would begin singing songs littered with the n-word when I’m around. Even some of my friends think it’s okay to address me in that fashion. Newsflash: it isn’t!

barriers at every corner; people who could be walking around a mall minding their own business only to catch strangers’ stares and nasty words; people who know what it feels like to be reduced to a skin color. Uproot, v. To a certain extent, the media and celebrities, especially our modern-day rappers and their prevalent use of racial slurs in their tracks, do affect our way of thinking and influence the way we communicate and perceive. However, I firmly believe that there is no excuse. Language is said to be dynamic meaning that words that previously had negative connotations can now be seen in a positive light, but still, several exceptions exist to this rule. In no way, shape, or form should racial slurs become an intrinsic part of our vocabulary. Words were made to bring us together, not tear us apart. They were the bridge that connected us as one people living in the same planet, under the same sky. No matter how you try to dress it up and defend yourself on the grounds of “it’s cool,” “it’s not a big deal,” “artists like so-and-so say it all the time,” and any other fallacies you can conjure up, it will never be right. Before you think it makes you look cool or popular for saying it out of habit, give it a thought before you speak. Or make the moral choice and—don’t say it.

Words were made to bring us together, not tear us apart. Instead of being welcomed with the hospitality she claimed her people were famous for, I was bullied, told that being “black” made me ugly, assaulted by images on a TV screen advertising every kind of whitening product known to man, and mocked because I didn’t understand the language. Bit by bit, the pretty picture my mother had painted for me was tainted with every encounter that showed me how far it was from the truth. I presumed myself to be an isolated case but then I met more Nigerians that understood and empathized with my struggle—people who have experienced being racially profiled and fetishised; people who were thrusted into a new world with cultural and language VOL.

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All Things Bright, Pastel, and Ombre TEXT BY

Dazen Dawn Lariza PHOTOS BY

Kathleen Frugalidad

She walks inside the campus, her hair in a tight bun, her uniform neatly pressed. She smiles as she passes by the security guard by the gate who gives a smile in return. She keeps walking until she is far enough and takes off the hair tie that held her hair in place. Her pastel pink hair cascades down her back. She smiles as people whisper their own different thoughts about it. People always have their own opinions on colored hair. Some love it and admire the bravery of people who do dye their hair. Others feel like it is a taboo going as far as making fun of people who do color their hair and tagging them as rebels. To Jascel Espinosa and Brendan Apuan, it was a form of self-expression and gaining more confidence in themselves.

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Brendan, Wendy, Tin, Jascel, and Nic stand proud with their brightly colored hair.

“I dyed my hair because I wanted to express myself through colors and fashion. Having a new look made me feel more confident about myself.” —Jascel Espinosa

All the colors of the Rainbow

Paint with all the colors of the mind.

LEFT TO RIGHT

“I dyed my hair because I wanted to express myself through colors and fashion. Having a new look made me feel more confident about myself,” Jascel said. Jascel has dyed her hair numerous times and in various colors. The first time was a dark red in 2014. Being a cosplayer, she had experimented with hair colors to look like the characters she portrays. Brendan, who now dons long lilac locks, said that having watched anime and cartoons while growing up helped encourage him to dye his hair. “Growing up, I was exposed to a lot of anime and always found the crazy hairstyles and hair colors fascinating, wanting to be like them,” he said. He also shared how dying his hair gave him a confidence boost. “I had fairly low self-esteem growing up and when I started using more unnatural colors, I quickly found that taking control of my own appearance was very empowering. It was a much needed confidence boost, being able to express myself artistically through something that I wear everyday on top of my head.”

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Brendan had started coloring his hair in high school saying how he had been a bit of a rebel with these kinds of things adding, “[I] thought I could get away with dying the front of my hair a dark blue.” He shared how he had not had any experience with hair color at the time and how his hair turned medium brown – far from the dark blue he had hoped. “I ended up keeping it until everyone with dyed hair got caught and forced to dye their hair black. Including my friend whose hair is naturally brown, for some reason,” he shared. Sticks and Stones As it is far from society’s norm, people with bright or pastel colored hair are often judged and noted as “rebels”. “ Often when I go out, there's always one or two people who look at me as if I were Satan incarnate wearing Hitler's skin as a scarf or something,” Brendan shares to which Jascel adds “there were times that I felt that I was judged, especially when having bright hair colors inside the school, knowing it was against the dress code.”

3 things you shouldn't “cheap on” when you're planning to dye your hair according to Brendan

1. Research Before you use a particular product, especially with dyes and developers, always make it a point to research as much as you can. Ask an experienced friend or a professional, get as much information while you're at it. It will help you in the long run.

2. Patience

“I see a lot more people with colored hair now than I did when I first started, and to me, that's a good step forward.” —Brendan Apuan

This one is the most important. When you have dark Asian hair, you likely won't get to a pastel purple in one day with one session. (Unless you plan to completely fry your hair). Depending in the color, it takes time between bleaching sessions, so make sure to give your hair some time to breathe and recover.

3. Haircare Even before dyeing, haircare is vital. Learn from my mistake.

BONUS: Fun! Don't forget to have fun with it! Expressing yourself is an art, and art is supposed to be fun, so enjoy the journey and wear those colors in your hair with pride!

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Brendan said that getting used to all the staring and whispering and just laughing it off really helped him deal with these sort of people. “Since these people likely weren't exposed to a lot of culture or subculture outside of what they grew up with, and therefore understand anything outside of their comprehension to be ‘bad.’ This applies to a lot of things, to be honest,” he said, adding, “Personally, trying to understand why they choose to judge really helped me block out the negativity.” “I just didn't mind the judgment, because sticks and stones may break my bones, but words would never hurt me,” Jascel said. REBELVEAL the inner you Like Jascel and Brendan, a lot of people have dyed their hair to express who they are. Even Dove in a recently released advertisement said “Your hair, your say.” “Society seems to be progressing towards a better acceptance of people with colored hair too. I see a lot more people with colored hair now than I did when I first started, and to me, that's a good step forward.” Brendan said.

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Brendan also said that the beauty of having colored hair is that it doesn’t have to last forever. “You can have it for a day, you can have it for a week, you can have it for years, it's never permanent so if you change your mind someday, there's no problem!” They said that the reason why people are often scared to dye their hair, aside from people judging them, is the damage that it may do. “Some people are afraid of dying their hair because they think it would heavily damage it, but doing proper research about what hair products to use can prevent damage,” Jascel said. “It'll take a bit of commitment, so be ready to commit yourself to changes in your shower routine and nightly hair care rituals. Be ready to commit yourself to bleaching as well, especially if you want a lighter shade. It's a necessary evil, but that's the price we pay,” Brendan said, jokingly adding ,” If you can commit to this, you can commit to anything and that's why you should date someone with colored hair *charot*” “Don't ever be afraid to express yourself through crazy hair colors, the world needs more unicorns,” Jascel said.

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Confused and Strange Smudges My ASEAN Young Leaders Program experience

TEXT BY

Zharina Marie Stephanie Lugo ILLUSTRATION BY

Michael Angelo Fandagani

It was my curiosity of the world and desire to see its diverse cultures that pushed me to travel alone for the first time on a huge international plane at the age of nineteen. These burned down the barriers of my comfort zone and brought me to a journey of becoming part of a better and brighter ASEAN future. Last October 31, I was one of the 150 aspiring young leaders from member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) who gathered in Singapore to attend the ASEAN Young Leaders Program 2018. Hosted by the global leadership organization Common Purpose Asia Pacific, in partnership with the THE

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National Youth Council Singapore and Singapore Institute of Technology, it was a three-day experiential leadership development program modeled for young leaders to discover ideas, listen to various points of views, and improve their leadership skills. How can young leaders make ASEAN more resilient and innovative? This challenge was given for us to critically think about some solutions for the ASEAN community itself. For three days, the leadership training program was ground-breaking and life changing. In a short period of time, it gathered aspiring young leaders across ASEAN and opened our minds to severe situations that we must confront in our society. We were enlightened about the background of ASEAN itself and the claws of dangerous issues such as terrorism, cybercrime, inequality, and climate change that lurk maliciously around us. Every minute, our brains were able to stretch to positive and negative possibilities and ideas that

economy. After the said activity, we were asked to generate ideas from the immersion visits and analyze how these organizations solve and address problems in a creative way. The third day was filled with surprises. We were oriented to wear business attire for us to be ready for an on-the-spot defense for the project that we formulated by group to address one global issue that might be all about health, education, unemployment, religious tolerance, energy consumption, and poverty. We were given the chance to reconcile strategies, ideas on how to set up our booths for the pitching, and ways on how we must defend our project to a panel of judges. Despite mixed emotions ruling our guts during the final pitching, we were able to surpass the ultimate challenge. The most uplifting part of the program was when everyone did not compete but instead encouraged each other to do their part. Our graduation was internally emotional. The

It showed us that the world needs more youth who will create an impact and the planet needs more people who are willing to bring back the colors of humanity. might nurture or damage ASEAN countries. The activities allowed us to communicate and understand each delegate by heart, mind, and soul no matter how different our perspectives, religion, gender, age, race, political beliefs, and culture. On the first day, we were welcomed by the team. They elaborated the house rules that we must follow during the said training. Right after that, we were able to appreciate diversity amongst us as we exchanged impressions and opinions on how our countries differ, especially in terms of cultural intelligence. We were divided into 9 groups on the second day for us to immerse in various companies and organizations around Singapore. Our immersion included the Architects of Life (AOL), Center for Livable Cities (CLC), Facebook, Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Yale-NUS College, Unilever Foundry, Viddsee and Viva Foundation for Children with Cancer. My group was assigned to the Ministry of Manpower. It is the ministry of the government of Singapore aimed to bring out the best in workers in order to establish a great workplace and give Singaporeans the avenue to fulfill their dreams. It also promotes a competitive and a manpower-leaning VOL.

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certificate that we received was not a mark for us to end the journey, but to start a new one to improve our lives as a member of the ASEAN community. Right after the leadership training as we went back to our ordinary lives, we promised ourselves to share our knowledge about the solutions we might use to mitigate the rising issues in our own homeland. The experience we had could not be replaced by any materialistic thing that lies in this earth. It made us see that it is servant leadership, not just leadership. It showed us that the world needs more youth who will create an impact and the planet needs more people who are willing to bring back the colors of humanity. At first we were like stray colors in a huge palette of the universeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;confused, unmoved, frozen by space and time. Yet with like-minded people at the conference, we all splattered and smudged the canvas of the universe with ideas, thoughts, and visions that could make things right. The ASEAN Young Leaders Program filled our souls with the hues the world needs right now. The colors of love, hope, peace and justice; can be vibrant and powerful with the help of the people who want to re-paint the world.

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Inclusivity beyond Visibility A look from the perspective of Transgender Centralians

AS TOLD TO

Ariel Lorenz Castronuevo

Cliché as it may seem, change is the only thing unchanging in this world. That statement might have made your eyes roll or maybe even made you cringe, but no one can ever deny that universal adage. Throughout history, people have come a long way with regard to societal norms. What even is normal? What’s acceptable and unacceptable? Can you even measure normality? Not fitting in to society in the past was not only depressing and anxiety-inducing. Being out of place during a time when people were not accepting of things that are not considered normal reached to a point that it became lifethreatening. Women falsely accused of practicing witchcraft were hanged to death or drowned. Men who were outed for being gay were castrated. There was even a time when burning was a punishment for both. As the world went through industrialization and modernization, so did the people mature and became more accepting of differences. One such topic or issue that has grown in awareness and acceptance is the LGBT+ community, the Transgender community in particular. Central Philippine University, as Christian as this institution may be, is not free from mixed opinions about the Transgender community. That is the overall gist after interviewing two Transgender Centralian alumni. Let’s get to know them, shall we?

A “full-fledged transwoman,” as she proudly calls herself, Kit Oliver Sta. Ana Lapating started Hormonal Replacement Therapy during High School. In 2017, she had her first surgery which was the Tracheal Shave where her Adam’s Apple was removed. Having undergone Sexual Reassignment Surgery later that same year, she considers it the best year of her life. “It felt like I was reborn to a new, right body,” she said. She went on jovially saying she had her breast implants a few days after, adding, “Now, I feel very comfortable with myself, no insecurities and completely happy.” Her Struggles in Transitioning Kit said it wasn’t easy being in CPU, further adding that it was the toughest and that it felt like she was torn between choosing to pursue her dream career or to express her true identity. “I can never forget during exam week when I was in my 2nd year. I was wearing a loose white V-neck shirt and jeans. Then when I entered the Main Gate, security called my attention. He told me ‘Indi na pwede ang ginasuksuk mo, indi ta ka pagpasudlon.’ I answered ‘Nong ano sala sa ginasuksuk ko? Panglalake man ni. THE

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Halog na ni gane, indi pa gid pwede? Exams ko subong nong. Ginbayran ko ang tuition fee ko para makakwa ko exam, tapos tungod lang sa ginasuksuk ko, ikaw ya nga indi ko teacher, indi mo ko pagpasugtan?" She said. She admitted to sounding rude, but had to say it because she knew there was nothing wrong with what she was wearing. Kit also shared how one of their spectacled friends took out a mirror looking for dirt in his eyes at the Alumni Promenade Concert Park when a member of the University Administration came near and told him “Ano ang gina-himo mo? Kabalo ka nga insulto na para sa ‘kon? Lakat ta sa Vice President’s office.” “Para lang sa simple nga pang-ispiyo, ginpatawag kami sa VP office,” Kit said, adding, “I explained myself to the VP that I was a graduate of Don Bosco Technical Institute which is an exclusive school for boys when I was in High School. And there we were taught that using sunblock and cream on the face is part of proper hygiene. And wala gid ya sala mang-ispiyo!” She exclaimed. Her Passion She is passionate about art and pageantry saying that it helped her discover so much more about herself while also becoming an inspiration to the Transgender community. “It is not only about winning the crown but it is a platform where I can showcase my individuality and somehow educate people,” Kit said. Her CPU atmosphere

after transitioning.

O COURTE SY OF KIT O L I V ER L A P A TIN G

When asked about the LGBT+ community in CPU, Kit said “we’re proud and loud, but we’re pulled down” and that discrimination has made the Transgender community shameful and has kept them inside their comfort zones. The school should have been the learning ground in expressing and sharing their unique personalities. Kit hopes for the University to realize how much the Transgender community has struggled and points out that they also have a strong faith in God. “As an advocate of gender equality, it has always been a tough issue when there is religion involved,” she said. Her Risks and Threats

Kit before and

Talking about the latest news regarding the LGBT+ community, Kit said that it causes more heartbreak knowing how fellow Transgenders are being killed ruthlessly, besides being discriminated. “Every group of people has their own beliefs and I respect that. However, let us all be reminded, that it is written in the Ten Commandments, ‘Thou shall not kill’,” further explaining that it would be a bigger sin to kill someone than be a homosexual.

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Her Crown

His Struggles in Transitioning

According to Kit, she is not in favor of Transwomen joining pageants for women such as the acclaimed Miss Universe. She believes that Miss International Queen is the biggest beauty pageant for Transwomen and that it is the appropriate avenue for them to share their individuality and uniqueness. Although, Kit emphasizes that Miss Universe was made for women and women of all kinds, and it was not stated that only natural born women could join. “If your basis of being a woman, is being able to bear a child, what do you call the women who cannot conceive a child?” She said and that Miss Spain should never have been bashed for joining since the Miss Universe Organization allowed her to do so.

To him, it wasn’t easy at first. It’s not easy, period. He only had the courage to go on and be really open about himself with the help of supportive classmates and friends. Since not everyone had enough idea about his gender identity, Nico shared that he tried his best to get comfortable around students especially during class, but had to constantly explain himself to people. “It was frustrating because they would still see me as a lesbian even though I’m already in transition into becoming a transgender man. But, I realized that I don’t really need to always explain myself to them. I can’t control how they would react or see me, the only thing that I can control is myself and how I would react to them. I respect them because they have different perspectives and beliefs,” Nico said. His Passion

“My hope is for tomorrow, to be able to live in a world of equality for everyone.” —Angela Ponce

Nicole Marie Brillantes. A Transman who first came out as lesbian during his years in High School and began transitioning in 2015. Nico said that most transgender people prefer being addressed with the pronoun corresponding to the gender they identify with. Explaining further, he said a transgender woman should be called “she” and a transgender man should be called “he” if that’s what each of them prefers. “Everyone has perceptions or preconceived ideas about what it means to be gay. Many people think they can tell if someone is gay by the way they look, dress, or behave,” he said. Nico cited examples saying that not all gay men are effeminate and flamboyant and that not all lesbians are tomboyish. “Just because someone is gay, that doesn’t mean he is obsessed with fashion or super styling. Just because someone is lesbian, that doesn't mean she has to wear short hair, tattoos, body piercing, and army boots,” he explained.

“I’m passionate about sharing the word of God. I love reading the Bible and devotional books and sharing the word of God to my friends,” said Nico adding that when it comes to his relationship with Him, he sets aside individuality and personal appearance. Nico is also passionate about videography and photography. He loves taking photos and editing videos, and it is in these fields that he shares his ideas and develops his creativity. This also allows him to represent his generation saying he wants to inspire other millennials to pursue their passion regardless of their sexuality and gender identity. “I want my generation to have the courage to keep going and to keep their head up high. To become more compassionate and kind to other people and to accept that it is okay to be different,” he said His CPU atmosphere When asked about how he felt about the of LGBTs in CPU, Nico said that it is a big deal especially to those who have not come out of the closet yet and are afraid to do so. Their presence can make others feel that they are not alone and that the LGBT+ community is fully supportive. Nico said he is thankful for the people in the campus who are open-minded and accepting despite the students and teachers who are disagreeable to this kind of topic. He said he understands how all of us have different beliefs. He also hopes that CPU would support LGBT+ organizations and allow events such as the annual Pride March, and especially for the University to acknowledge the issues and rights of the LGBT+ community. THE

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His Risks and Threats When topics on Russian concentration camps and gay bar shootings were brought up, Nico said “It’s horrifying and disappointing to hear these kind of events that have been happening these recent months. Discrimination is everywhere and we can’t deny that. It is a major societal problem because it is so pervasive, takes so many forms, and has such negative effects on so many people.” Nico adds that violence should be stopped and acceptance of the LGBT+ community must be increased and further explains how art, dialogue, and media campaigns are some of the tactics to break down the stigma. His Crown

O COURTE SY OF NI C O L E M A R I E B R I L L A N TE S

Nico is proud of Miss Spain as she made history in the Miss Universe. He is one with the Miss Universe Organization for recognizing her as qualified to enter the pageant since she is legally recognized as a woman. He said he doesn’t believe that any person should be discriminated on any level, this is a modern world where sexuality or labels do not represent an individual, and that you should not be penalized in any way for being your true self. “She showed that it’s not all about winning in the competition, she just wanted to stand in front of the crowd and be the spokesperson for a message of inclusion, respect and diversity not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but for the entire world,” concluded Nico on Miss Spain.

Nico before and

after transitioning.

These are just some of the experiences Transgenders have faced. They showed that living as someone nonconforming to what society expects entails a lot of hardships. They showed that no matter who you identify yourself with, we are all human. Special praise should be given to Angela Ponce for representing not only Spain in Miss Universe but representing the Transgender community across the globe. In a video tribute during the pageant she said “My hope is for tomorrow, to be able to live in a world of equality for everyone. Simply for us all to understand that we are human and that we must make all our lives easier together. That reality for many people is going to change. If I can give that to the world, I don’t need to win Miss Universe, I just need to be here.” Transwomen are women, transmen are men. If only we loved each other a little more, maybe it wouldn’t be that difficult to comprehend.

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tone, n. ¹ produced by combining a pure color with gray ² condition of the body or the mind

Emerging from the water, a swimmer quickly gasps for air while performing a butterfly stroke in a competition. O KATHLEEN FRUGALIDAD

Legally blind

TEXT BY

Dazen Dawn Lariza and Moises Segundo Alba ILLUSTRATION BY

Tweets, Truths and Discounts

In the Philippines, like most countries, Persons with Disabilities (PWD) are given many privileges and special care. These include discounts on medication and groceries, plane fares and other public transportation vehicles and tollway fees, VIP parking, priority lanes, educational assistance, and even extra opportunities for employment. With these discounts and benefits, PWDs will have easy access to their needs and should be well-assisted. Now, when people think about PWD, they usually think wheelchairs and crutches and those dark eyeglasses for the blind. There’s more to it than that, though. Earlier in January, a tweet circulated about a girl who was able to obtain a PWD Card due to poor eyesight. It turns out, the girl had an eye grade higher than 300 which became the grounds for her obtaining the said card. Which leads us to the questions: Does poor eyesight equate to PWD privileges? What are the grounds of obtaining a PWD card? Am I entitled to a discount?

John Pel Bañares

The Tweet The tweet came from twitter user @tokehang who proudly presented her PWD card and purchase booklet after having claimed it in Taytay, Rizal. According to her, poor eyesight became the grounds for claiming her PWD card. This sparked online discussions and threads. Some even decided to go to their local government offices to inquire of the said privileges only to be disappointed that their poor eyesight was not enough. Because of this slight confusion, the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) decided to clarify the term “visual impairment.” As stated in the Department of Health Administrative Order 2009-0011 and NCDA Board Resolution No. 1 Series of 2006, visual impairment or visual disability is defined as “one who has impairment of visual functioning even after treatment and/or standard refractive correction, and has a visual acuity of the better eye of less than 20/70 for Low Vision and or worse than 20/200 for Blind, or a visual of less than 20 degrees from the THE

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tone

Physical/Orthopedic Disability

Visual Impairment

Hearing Impairment

Speech Impairment

Intellectual Disability

Psychosocial Disability

point of fixation.” Simply stated, a bad eyesight or an eye grade of 300+ does not guarantee you a PWD card. The Philippine Blind Union also had their take on this issue saying, “Hindi po basehan ang grado para mabigyan ng PWD ID. Ang basehan po ay ang visual acuity/visual field. Pakitandaan na ang visual impairment/disability ay hindi napapalinaw ng salamin at contact lenses. (Eye grade is not a basis to be given a PWD ID. Visual acuity/visual field is the basis. Remember that visual impairment/disability cannot be corrected by glasses or contact lenses.)” NCDA executive officer-in-charge Carmen Reyes Zubiaga also reminded the public to be careful when applying for PWD ID Cards. “Siguraduhin niyo po na kayo ay may disability at hindi basta sakit lang,” she said. But how was Twitter user @tokehang able to obtain her card? The Truth After NCDA and various hospitals and health centers clarified the provisions, the tweet has long since been deleted. More information on PWD cards have been clarified such as the provisions, qualifications and the how to’s. According to NCDA, there are six categories VOL.

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through which a person could be eligible for a PWD Card: orthopedic or physical disability, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech impairment, intellectual or mental disability, and psychosocial disability. Visual impairment has been clearly explained as not just having poor eyesight but having a visual acuity which cannot be corrected by glasses or contact lenses or even after treatment or surgery. However, there are some areas such as Taytay (where the user applied for her card) who give cards for people whose base eyesight grade is 300+ or 400+. Hearing and speech impairment, as with visual impairment, is for those whose loss of hearing or speech cannot be treated. Psychosocial disability are for those individuals who have trouble with social interaction and have psychological problems leaving them unable to function normally as they did before. Orthopedic or physical disability are for people with impairments that limit their physical functioning, mobility, dexterity, or stamina and require the use of wheelchairs, crutches, or special equipment. There has also been a debate on intellectual/ mental disability for people who have problems with their mental health. People with depression, anxiety, ADHD, psychological stress, bipolar disorder, etc. are

To further test if one is eligible to avail of a PWD card, each town, city, or municipality hall has a Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) with licensed specialists who can determine if you can be qualified under any of the mentioned categories.

entitled to PWD privileges as they require medical attention and assistance. However, these people should be clinically diagnosed with such illnesses. To further test if one is eligible to avail of a PWD card, each town, city, or municipality hall has a Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO) with licensed specialists who can determine if you can be qualified under any of the mentioned categories. Do remember, however, that each area has their own standard which may mean that if you are qualified for a card in a certain city, you may not be able to qualify to another. The Discounts The benefits and privileges that may be availed by PWDs as identified by their PWD IDs include 20% discount and VAT-Free Sales on hotels and lodging establishments, restaurants and recreation centers, theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses, carnivals and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement, prescribed medicines in all drugstores, medical and dental services, diagnostic and laboratory fees, and professional fees of attending doctors in all private hospitals and medical facilities, domestic air and sea travel, public railways and bus fare. The PWD is also entitled to 5% discount on basic necessities like rice, corn, bread, fresh, dried and canned fish and other marine products, fresh pork, beef and poultry meat, fresh eggs, fresh and processed milk, infant formulas, fresh vegetables, root crops, coffee, sugar, cooking oil, salt, laundry soap, detergents, firewood, charcoal, candles, as well as

prime commodities like fresh fruits, dried, processed and canned pork, beef and poultry, meat, dairy products not falling under basic necessities, noodles, onions, garlic, diapers, herbicides, poultry, swine and cattle feeds, veterinary products for poultry, swine and cattle, paper, school supplies, nipa shingle, ply board, construction nails, batteries, electrical supplies, light bulbs, steel wire and other commodities that may be classified by DTI and DA. These are subject to a maximum purchase amount of Php 1,300 per week. Because all government agencies, offices or corporations are required to secure at least 1% of all positions for PWDs, employment opportunities are available. Private corporations with more than 100 employees are encouraged to reserve at least 1% of all positions for PWDs. Other privileges available for PWDs are express lanes in all commercial and government establishments, accessible biometrics registration and voting precincts, designated PWD-friendly public attorneys, educational assistance for primary, secondary, tertiary, post tertiary, vocational or technical education in both public and private schools, protection against verbal and non-verbal ridicule and vilification, Php 15,000 worth of benefits to qualified PhilHealth members or dependents in need of lower limb prosthesis, establishment of a Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) in every province, city and municipality, and accessible website of all government agencies. To avail of these privileges and benefits, the PWD may register and apply for a PWD ID at the Persons with Disability Affairs Office. THE

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Column A

Column B

Column C

Arsenic

Rubber Cement

Leukemia

Benzene

Rat poison

Heart Disease

Carbon Monoxide

Vehicle smoke

Skin Cancer

Cadmium

Illegal Fishing

Damage to Nervous System

Cyanide

Paint

Kidney Failure

Lead

Battery

Lung Cancer

Formaldehyde

Nuclear Bomb

Mental Retardation

Polonium

Preservative

Damage to Throat

Know your poisons. Save lives.

A QUIZ BY

John David Maza

Instructions: ➊ Prepare your chemistry and medical references, smartphones and search engines, or even your strong gut feel if you're feeling lucky. ➋ Draw a line to match the substances in column A with its common use or presence in column B and the diseases exposure to the substance might cause in column C.

The first item is already answered for you. You may now proceed. �

 Did you know? All these substances can actually be found in ONE superpoison developed in the 1800s? Answers on page 69. VOL.

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Linaw ng Pananaw TEKSTO NI

John David Maza DIBUHO NI

Bejay Songcog

Kasabay ng paglago ng mga social networking sites katulad ng Instagram na mga larawan ang pinagtutuunang pansin, pumatok ang paggamit ng mga camera filters para hubugin ang kulay at hitsura ng mga litrato bago ito ilathala sa mga tagasubaybay saan mang panig ng mundo. Dahil dito, naging malawak na ang pagpipiliang mga apps na makukuha’t malalagay sa ating mga gadget, nilikhang payak at madali, na nasa dulo na lamang ng ating mga daliri ang pag-edit. Ngunit ayon sa mag-aaral na si Sim Marlou Solis, hindi na niya kinakailangang magsumikap upang mai-edit ang kanyang nakikita sapagkat ang filter ay nasa mga mismong mata niya na—isang kondisyon na kung tawagin natin ay colorblindness. Musmos pa lamang si Sim nang nagsimulang magpamalas ng sintomas ang kanyang kalagayan. “Nagsugod ni sang kinder pa lang ako. Ginpacolor kami sang mga classmate ko sa coloring book sang dahon. Sang amo to nga time, wala panit ang ginhatag sa amon nga crayons. So, ang nagamit ko ya yellow kay paglantaw ko daw green,” gunita niya. TOMO

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Pagkabulag? Kilala rin sa tawag na color vision deficiency, ito ay isang problema sa pagkabuo o paggana ng mga selulang rods at cones sa busilig ng ating mga mata na sensitibo sa liwanag at namamahala sa tamang pagtingin sa kulay. Kadalasang namamana at karaniwang napapansin sa mga kalalakihan ang karamdamang ito dahil sa kaugnayan nito sa genes, lalung-lalo na sa X-chromosome. “May tiyo ko kag paka-isa sa side ni mama nga colorblind man,” paliwanag ni Sim. Salungat sa paniniwala ng karamihan at mismong pangalan nito, ang colorblindness ay hindi uri ng pagkabulag kundi ang kakulangan sa pagkilala ng kaibahan ng mga nakikitang kulay. “Makakita man ko color, hindi man black and white. Ga-base gid galing ang makit-an ko sa kasanagon o kadulumon.” Maituturing ang kaso ni Sim na partial colorblindness. Nakakalito para sa kanya ang pagpapalit-palit ng mga magkatabing kulay sa espektro. Kabilang sa partial colorblindness ang mga

 ALL ABOUT VIS ION

Mga halimbawa ng 'Ishihara plate' kung saan nakalakip ang mga numerong 7, 13, 16, 8, 12, at 9.

kondisyong dichromacy at anomalous trichromacy. Ang normal na paningin ng tao ay trichromatic, nangangahulugang may tatlong uri ng cone cells sa mata na wastong tinatanggap ang nakikitang alonghaba ng ilaw. Subalit kapag sinabing dichromatic ang paningin, dalawang uri lang ng cone cells ang nakapaloob sa mata. Sa anomalous trichromacy naman, isa sa tatlong cone cells ang depektibo at maling kulay ang nalilikom. Ang akala ng karamihang colorblindness kung saan black and white na ang pananaw ay, sa katunayan, ang pinakabihirang kaso na kung tawagin ay total colorblindness o monochromacy. Sa kalagayang ito, nawawalan ng kakayanang makakita ng ibang kulay ang mata dahil isa na lang o wala nang natitirang cone cell na pwedeng asahan. Noong nagsumite ng mga kinakailangan para sa makakuha ng lisensya sa pagmamaneho, dumaan siya

sa pagsusuring tinatawag na Ishihara test. Inimbento noong 1918 ng doktor mula sa Japan na si Shinobu Ishihara ang “Ishihara Color Vision Charts” na ginagamit sa nasabing pageeksamen. Ang isang Ishihara plate ay naglalaman ng samu’t saring sukat ng mga bilog na bumubuo ng mga anyo ng titik gamit ang pagkakaiba sa kulay ng likod at mismong titik. Magmumukhang blanko ang mga plates na ito para sa mga taong colorblind. Kahit isang siglo na ang nakalipas, nananatili ang Ishihara test bilang pinakamabisang paraan ng pagsiyasat sa uri ng colorblindness ng isang tao. “Ano ang kulay nito?” Nang nakuha niya na ang kanyang lisensya at nagsimulang magmaneho sa kalsada, naging malaking hamon sa sangandaan ang pagsunod sa pula, dilaw, at luntiang ilaw ng semaporo. Hindi niya noon THE

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“Nabaton ko na nga colorblind ko kag gina-enjoy ko ang akon paglantaw sa mga colors kay gapati ko nga lain-lain man kita panulukan kay ginubra kita nga unique.”—Sim Marlou Solis

mapagtanto kung hihinto ba o pwede nang humarurot sa mga panahong madilim ang kanyang pananaw. Ayon kay Sim, totoong kusang binabati siya ng walang kapagurang tanong na “ano ang kulay nito?” ng mga taong may alam na siya’y colorblind. “Kon makabalo ang mga tawo nga colorblind ko, dali-dali sila dayon tudlo sang mga bagay sa palibot kag magsagay pamangkot, ‘ano ni color ya bi?’” Naging tampulan siya ng panlilinlang dahil sa kanyang mga mata. “Sang elementary ko, may isa to ka time nga gintripan ko sang magulang ko sang siya ginpapili ko bayo para sa amon activity sang amu to nga adlaw. Dapat red team ko ya galing gingaan niya ko orange nga bayo. Ti sang gaparade kami, ako lang ya lain bayo sa amon tanan,” salaysay niya. Bilang isang estudyante ng kursong Electronics Engineering (ECE), mayroong mga oras na naging sagabal para sa kanyang edukasyon ang pagiging colorblind. “Sa amon sa ECE, may practical exam kami sa isa namon ka klase nga dapat i-identify namon ang color sang mga linya sa resistors para mabal-an ang ila value. Ti na-zero gid ko sa color-coding eh. Pro mayo lang kay may theoretical part man nga ginperfect ko gid. Nabawi man ang exam ah.” Lunas? Sumisibol ngayon ang paggawa ng mga lenteng pupwedeng gamitin upang maibsan ang paglabo ng mga mata sa kulay. Naging viral sa social media kamakailan ang bidyo ng isang binata na isinuot sa unang pagkakataon ang bagong EnChroma glasses na gumagamit ng spesyalisadong teknolohiya upang labanan ang pagpapatong-patong ng mga alonghaba TOMO

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ng nakikitang kulay. Maluha-luha ang naging reaksyon ng mga nakapanood ng bidyo nang napalitan ang pagkalito ng binata ng isang mangiyakngiyak na mukhang umaapaw sa kagalakan. Inilabas sa merkado ang salaming ito sa halagang $269 ang pambata at $394 ang pangmatanda na katumbas ng higit kumulang Php 14,000 at Php 18,000. Sa kasalukuyan, ang colorblindness ay isang kapansanang wala pang napapatunayang lunas. Hindi rin maikakailang napakamagastos kung bibili ng mga iniwastong lente. Anopa’t ang naiwang magagawa na lamang ay matutong sang-ayunan ang karamdaman at ituloy ang buhay kasama nito. Hindi dapat pahintulutang maging hadlang ang kakulangan sa pagkamit ng mga pangarap. Sa halip, ito'y dapat pagkunan ng aral. “Nabaton ko na nga colorblind ko kag gina-enjoy ko ang akon paglantaw sa mga colors kay gapati ko nga lain-lain man kita panulukan kay gin-ubra kita nga unique. As long as willing ka lang nga mag-accept or mangayo sang correction kag bulig sa mga importante nga mga butang, wala man kaso nga colorblind ka ah. Nami gid nga lantawon ta ini on a different perspective. Gina-isip ko nga naka-Instagram filter ya bi akon mata.” Marami mang pagsubok na hinarap, patuloy niyang pinaniniwalaang dapat iwaksi ang inggit at kawalan ng paniniwala sa sarili, ang kumpyansang binabatay sa bilang ng pag-pusong natatanggap sa SNS. Hindi na baleng malabo ang iyong paningin. Hangga’t maaliwalas ang iyong pananaw sa buhay, hindi mo man makita nang maayos, sa halip ay mararamdaman mo nang buong-buo sa loob ng iyong puso—mula sa mga taong totoong nagmamahal at naniniwala sa iyo —na napakamakulay ng mundo mo.

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Broken crayons still color TEXT AND PHOTOS BY

Israh Marie Dayalo ILLUSTRATION BY

Renato Paolo Torres

Most women, if not all, dream of having a family— of having a partner for life and children that they will treasure forever, a home where they can create simple, happy memories and share a common love for each other. But what if all these change in a snap? What if instead of feeling adored and excited toward your baby, you feel resentful and inadequate? From “this day will be the happiest day of my life“ to “I will never be a perfect mother,” motherhood and depression are an unlikely tandem. Being a mother is a blessing and the birth of a baby is generally considered a joyful time, but it is also when women are more susceptible to depression. Such feelings make it difficult for a new mother to take care of herself and her baby and put strain on the family.

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A mother and an entrepreneur, Helen*, just like any other mom, was excited and full of joy when she found out she was having her first baby. However, when the baby came out, everything became pointless for her. There came a point where she didn’t want the baby anymore and it annoyed her to hear the baby cry. She wanted to hurt the baby or return it to her womb. She knew that there was something wrong. She decided to ask for help and went to a psychologist where she was diagnosed with Postpartum Depression. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious mental illness that involves the brain and affects your behavior and physical health. If you feel empty, emotionless, or sad all or most of the time for longer than two weeks during or after pregnancy, or if you feel like you don’t love or care for your baby, you might have this condition. Postpartum depression isn't a character flaw or a weakness. It falls somewhere between the baby blues (experiencing mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping from two days to two weeks after childbirth) and postpartum psychosis (an extreme mood disorder which may

involve psychotic symptoms like delusions or hallucinations). It may affect up to 1 in 7 new mothers, although some experts believe it affects more than this. Symptoms may start as baby blues and then get worse, or they may take some time to develop. It may be most obvious when your baby is 4 - 6 months old. PPD can affect any woman — women with easy pregnancies or those problem pregnancies, first-time mothers and mothers with one or more children, women who are married and women who are not regardless of income, age, race or ethnicity, culture, or education. It was worse for Helen when she had her second child. When her first child had been born she only had thoughts of hurting the baby, but when the second one came she actually physically harmed him. It was three weeks before her labor when she asked her doctor if there was any chance to cancel it or to put her labor on hold for the meantime. She was afraid that she can’t be a “perfect” mother to her children. According to Helen’s friend from a PPD support group, she was lucky that she just wanted to put her labor on hold rather than totally terminating the pregnancy by drinking unprescribed medicine or, worse, abortion like other mothers suffering from it. It isn’t uncommon for women experiencing PPD to have scary thoughts about harming their babies even though it’s the last thing they’d want to do. While we have all heard stories of women harming their newborns, it happens very rarely. Helen said that whenever she was attacked by her depression and did something bad

“Motherhood should be a time when you are at your best. But for me, it was the worst”—Helen*

13% of women who have just given birth experience PPD as estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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towards her children, it made her more depressed. It tripled the sadness, the hurt, and the guilt. “If you have PPD, the number one symptom is that you are close to hurting or killing your baby,” Helen stated, adding, “It’s a blessing for me that it never crossed my mind to lose my baby.” After what happened, whenever she had episodes of PPD, she either went out of their house to calm herself and let her mother take care of the children or stayed in the house, making sure that she was invisible to her family to avoid hurting anyone. “Motherhood should be a time when you are at your best. But for me, it was the worst,” she said, adding, “I became less mom and less wife.” Helen shared that after giving birth, her relationship with her husband was full of anger *name withheld for confidentiality

because she blamed him for everything she did. For six months after her labor, being affectionate and taking good care of each other slowly faded for both her and her husband. “I simply passed my obligations as a mom to my husband and he did everything without thinking that it is tiring,” Helen said. According to her, she had not been living a normal life after that. She felt that it was a burden to not be awake but still feel really tired. During her difficulty, her parents never abandoned her. Helen’s mother became her number one supporter. She educated herself to understand more about Helen’s situation by talking to her daughter’s psychologist. Simply, a mother would do everything for her daughter. Just like whenever Helen had episodes or attacks, they just let her be and comforted her when she calmed down. The important thing for them is the visibility, to make sure that she was safe and guarded from any possible harm. PPD is a monster that can’t be seen and identifying people struggling from it can be difficult. It seems like a never ending struggle. For Helen, it was a lesson learned. According to her, slowly making your life better and not just relying on medicines helped. “It will not change your attitude and it will not change the whole thing. It should be 50% medicine and 50% yourself,” she said. In addition to professional help, there are things you can do at home to help prevent or lessen the symptoms of PPD. Helen mentioned that she is part of a group of mothers that support each other here in Iloilo. There are also online support groups that really helped her such as Ulikid and Postpartum Heroes. Counseling or talk therapy is a way for mothers with PPD to talk openly about their feelings with their partners, other mothers, friends, relatives, the people they trust and who can relate with them. Particularly, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) are the ones effective in treating postpartum depression provided by professionals. Every mother has an invisible workload and it is mental workload that causes stress. Sometimes they wish that they will have more “me time” and they could bring back the time of not having any babies or no problems to solve. Yet, even though there are a lot of what ifs, their heart still belongs to what they call home. At the end of the day, they will go home tired but with joy because of their family, the husband that they love and prayed for, and the children they showered with so much unconditional love. Helen considers the innocence of her children as antidepressants and, most of all, her faith, hope and love for God that kept her holding on. Living with postpartum depression can be very

difficult and frustrating. But because of the love of people who adjusted themselves and their lives, they became strong and had the will to go on with life. Just like Helen. She was able to survive PPD with the help of her husband and her family. The relationship she had with them became stronger and that’s why she is still on the go. Helen mentioned that they have developed a sense of responsibility to raise awareness about this condition. It has become their newfound purpose—to approach individuals who need help and remind them that they are not alone because they are the ones who truly know what it feels like and no one else. THE

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The Superpoison? Cigarettes.



QU IZ ANSW ER KE Y

TEXT AND ILLUSTRATION BY

John David Maza

a a a a

Numerous sources declare that lighting a cigarette produces 4,000-7,000 various chemicals and pollutants. The victims?

a a a

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

� � � � � � � �

b b b b b b b b

2 1 3 6 4 5 8 7

� � � � � � � �

c c c c c c c c

3 1 2 5 4 7 8 6

1. The Smoker

2. The Non-smokers

3. The Ocean

Tobacco fumes carry 10 times more toxic particles than diesel exhaust. According to the World Health Organization, the current trend suggests that there will be 10 million deaths per year worldwide by 2020 due to smoking. The Australian Cancer Council lists 16 cancers that smoking can cause. Unfortunately, you don't get to choose which among these 16 cancers kills you.

Secondhand smoke is 4 times more toxic than mainstream smoke. A paper published by Dr. Suzaynn Schick of the University of California, San Francisco reveals that secondhand smoking kills one person for every 8 deaths caused by active smoking. So even if you're not as suicidal as active smokers, their risky behaviors can also lead you to your hospital—or death—bed.

Forget plastic straws [in the meantime]. Cigarette butts are the single largest source of trash in oceans, outnumbering food wrappers, plastic bottles and caps, and plastic bags based on a report by the American NGO Ocean Conservancy in 2018. The Philippines is the 3rd largest ocean polluter and a ban on cigarette filters could significantly reduce the amount of garbage that flow to our seas.

87,000 The Department of Health estimates 87,000 deaths among Filipinos annually—more than the number of deaths due to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. Even if the government has taken huge steps against these fatalities including stricter smoking bans, nauseating graphic warnings, and increased tobacco taxes, cigarette smoking is still prevalent and the tobacco industry still foresees a rising demand for their products. VOL.

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My hope is for smokers to understand that it isn't 'cool' when you're destroying your body, and in that process, also risking the health of your family, the people around you, and even the environment and all the living creatures in it. People across the globe suffer from problems out of their control like accidents and calamities—and there you are, smoking, placing a problem upon yourself. Isn't now the time to end this Superpoison? Quit smoking. Save lives.

How would Juan Luna have painted the Spoliarium if he lived today? For this issue’s StaffBox, we ask the question:

Let’s relive one of the greatest Filipino masterpieces as The Central Echo portrays issues now plaguing our society.

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O JEDRICK LEIGNOIR SOLINAP

STAFF BOX

Editorial Board sy 2018-2019 TOP TO BOTTOM LEFT TO R IGHT

John Pel as hitman

Dazen as human rights activist

Moises and Ren as businessmen

Ariel as member of the press

Ma'am Esther and Ma'am Rea as weeping mothers

John David as farmer

Coleen and Paul as government officials

Francis and Kathleen as bloody corpses

Rachel and Rodjie as victims' families

Zharina as police officer

Michael Angelo and Bejay as goons

Jiselle, Israh, Rod, and One as victims

centralecho the



Would he have likened the present-day Philippines to the Roman Colosseum he originally depicted? Would he have replaced fallen gladiators with EJK victims pinned with placards that wrongfully scream “nanlaban,” and dragged by hired assassins instead of Roman oppressors? Or drawn the mourning faces of Filipino families as lifeless bodies of their loved ones are taken away from them?

TOUCHDOWN

The Modern Calligrapher

STAFF BOX

Brush pen

An ancient art's rising popularity in the 21st century

TEXT BY

Coleen Casanova

Dip pen

Parallel pen

Our staff Rod, One, and Jiselle [who had their on-the-job training in Metro Manila] had the chance to visit Juan Luna’s Spoliarium now displayed at the National Museum of Fine Arts. O ROD GERARD FUENTES

Would he have included the irony of how our hardworking farmers struggle with poverty and persecution while fraudulent businessmen bathe in luxury? Or how police try hard to follow orders of people in power and stay true to their duty to the country while activists fight to protect their rights while their lives are being threatened?

Ballpoint pen

Stylus pen

PHOTOS COURTESY OF

Neffie Di Paranga

Randomly scrolling through any social media platform, one wouldn’t fail to notice an image of an elegant and well-written word, or a short clip showing the flicks of a writer’s wrist as he pens a word with vibrant colors using a calligrapher’s brush. There’s something mesmerizing with the way each curve of the letters flow, like literal ink on water. The aesthetic of the words being expressed in different styles of calligraphy and the colors match to give emphasis on the meaning being brought by each scribble of words. Calligraphy has been known as a way of writing since ancient times. It is described as “fancy handwriting” because of its use of cursive—a way of writing most people neglect to use. Calligraphy comes from two Greek words, “kallos” which means beauty and

“graphein” which means to write. These two combined together translates to beautiful writing, and it is. There are different kinds of calligraphy around the world, having their own uses and views regarding calligraphy. In some regions of the world, like in the Middle East or East Asia, calligraphy is considered a form of art. There are schools where they teach calligraphy to children at a young age. It is also a form of meditation, according to monks, as it keeps the heart calm to create a flow of strokes through the use of brushes. Recently, with the increasing use of social media, calligraphy has been gaining more attention. Social media sites have become a platform for calligraphers to post their works and clips of their techniques to produce such fascinating works of art. It has THE

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given rise to the art as numerous people began showing interest in the art of calligraphy. It is not merely writing words or phrases, but a form of expression—to give an appearance to the words, enhancing its beauty. Nowadays, calligraphy, or also known as hand-lettering, can be used in designing, creating logos for corporations, editorials, and advertising. It is not strictly used for fonts in wedding invitations, crafted arts, or decorated documents anymore, but also in other aspects to better express words in the society. Branding can be personalized through handwritten words by artists with his/her own style or the owner of the corporation himself/herself, using his/her hand to create a logo for his company. There is Walt Disney as an example. The iconic cartoonist had such a unique way of writing that it became the opening for every Disney movie there was. Who cannot recognize the well-known castle with Disney’s name below it? Unlike traditional calligraphy that strictly adheres to certain rules and require the study of specific letterforms, today's calligraphy has a fresh, closerto-your-handwriting approach, giving more freedom to explore one’s unique style. Modern calligraphy has become a huge trend that it has caused influence and interest to masses, inviting others to try holding a pen and testing their skills with it. It has become a satisfying hobby, not only to the writer, but also the watcher, that it can garner comments of VOL.

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praise and appreciation. Writing has stepped onto a new level of regard in social media that no one can ignore it. Neffie Di G. Paranga, an active calligrapher on Facebook and Instagram, was asked how she started on calligraphy and what got her hooked to it. Apparently, she has been interested in lettering but never knew ‘calligraphy’ back then, she said, “I am always fascinated in playing art with letters since I was in high school, specifically in street art and graffiti. I love how I turn this plain font into a bolder and colorful one, making it feel like it speaks for itself. I've often heard and encouraged by my friends and family to try calligraphy but I never knew what exactly it was till I entered

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college. I started practicing calligraphy by watching video tutorials, and calligraphy is not really a ‘thing’ back then so calligraphy nibs and brushes are hard to find locally. Basically, I practiced with any pen or pencil and spent most of my vacant time or even during class on scribbling.” For Neffie, calligraphy is more of an `escape from reality.´ It is not merely a hobby or an interest, but something she takes seriously as it gives influence to her life. “Calligraphy is my escape from reality. The thing is, I take calligraphy seriously so whenever I write something, I always focuse on my strokes, making it hard for me to think about anything else. Writing makes me forget all of my problems in life, it gives me the time that I need to relax and just take a break from reality,” she said. If you are new to calligraphy, or enticed by the art of it, it’s not to late too learn how. Calligraphy can be done by anyone, as long as you have the right tools, you can start right away. The art of hand-lettering is not limited to the use of a calligraphy brush, ink, or pen style nib, you can also use colored markers with broad or fine tips and pen brushes. With this, you can connect to your creativity through the pen and paper, allowing your thoughts and emotions to flow from your fingertips. Neffie was asked to give some tips for beginners who wish to start calligraphy, and which tools they could use for starters, she was cordial with the idea and VOL.

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“Writing makes me forget all of my problems in life, it gives me the time that I need to relax and just take a break from reality.” —Neffie Di Paranga replied,“I guess the best tips that I can give to those who are planning on trying calligraphy is to start writing now and be consistent, keep on practicing, keep doing your drills and never run out of patience, sooner or later you will get the hang of it. And don't let someone discourage you from doing it. Feel free to explore more fonts, try different nibs and holders, and lastly, enjoy calligraphy!” As it is, no one can stop you from doing calligraphy, even as a hobby, because you will be able to discover various things likeable about it. Nothing can limit you from expressing your creativity, and calligraphy is one way to do so! Loving what you do and exploring new things is a fulfillment everyone can achieve. So start now, and don’t let anyone stop you.

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TOUCHDOWN

Dawn ‘til Dusk Foodstagramming ‘round the clock

THE FOODSTAGRAM TIMELINE If you’re a 1-day traveler or you just want to experience Iloilo City, here’s a suggested timeline for where you can stay and eat your fill for the entire day.

 TEXT AND PHOTOS BY

Barn Breakfast Bistro

Kathleen Frugalidad

Among seas of selfies, OOTDs, makeup looks, and tutorials, the only thing that will keep you from scrolling is an image of some mouth-watering food —the oozing cheese fillings of a sandwich, that perfectly baked cake with butter cream frosting, and the savory taste of panseared steak. Your taste buds tingling, just wanting to have a taste of heaven. Foodstagram is a millennial term coined from the words ‘Food’ and ‘Instagram.’ It’s

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probably not new to you because of all the hashtags on posts flooding your timeline. Getting a perfect shot can take a lot of patience, time, and proper angles. Rearranging plates, utensils, and even manipulating the chef's version of the food itself, standing on a chair, and preventing friends from having a bite just to take a picture are all becoming common rituals of a certified Foodstagrammer. You think it's easy unless you try it.

As a non-morning lark, I started trekking down the street of hunger for my mid-morning breakfast at around 9:00 am. It’s always good to go to a place that offers rousing all-day breakfast meals. The Barn Breakfast Bistro will take you to a country home vibe - wooden beams, sleek fixtures, and bricks flaunting a classic rustic and picturesque theme. Typically, restaurants only gratify the sense of taste and sometimes even the sense of smell. But, the bistro delivers pleasure even for your eyes. For brunch, I had “rogerthat” - an omelet stuffed with THE

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slices of bacon and ham, a creamy corn and mushroom roux soup and a blueberry french toast. Imagine chomping into edible kinetic sand or the clouds, that's how it feels when you bite into the fluffy and meaty omelet served with a big amount of lettuce on the side. The soup was heart-warming which feels like a potion, making you love it with every quaff you take. If you like the concept of breakfast dates, it's the best choice. The french toast is best when you don’t feel like eating a full meal in the morning. It also has a lot of colors that blend well with the hazel-colored interior of the building, taking images a lot easier. Is it worth the hype? A typical Instagram user would think of this Bistro as a magnificent locale for a food shoot. You just need to focus on finding the best area where you can take a shot. Near the window is my best wrinkle. VOL.

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

Wawa Heritage Restaurant 12:00

Instagram likes stories, so you should tell one. Iloilo has a lot to offer, historic ones for example. For an extended lunch, I went to the atavistic-themed Wawa Heritage Restaurant situated along the “Millionaire's Row” in Jaro. This restaurant will take you on a trip down memory lane. Imprints of the past make their own way back for future generations to see as they are being displayed as memorabilia. Pork Flexed in Shrimp Paste, a pretty simple dish yet what’s remarkable is how distinct the meat’s tenderness is, lending a clean and smooth flavor in every stringy bite. As with many of Wawa’s dishes, much time and effort are needed to come up with a single honest-to-goodness dish. You can feel the joy of waiting while the smell lingers through your nostrils.

You can also try sipping a smooth guyabano smoothie through a rolled banana leaf. Well, I do not actually know if it’s an old tradition or they’re just implementing a different angle of being eco-friendly. Just prepare for the leafy taste from your first sip. While most of the heritage homes in Iloilo are known for their prominent ghosts and his-stories, this restaurant is a very fancy-looking foodstagrammer’s fantasy turned into reality. If you like a 19th century vibe, this place is for you. The restaurant is filled with rustic decorations that came from Ilonggo crafts and are too adorable not to notice. No wonder there’s never a need to place an air conditioning unit in the restaurant. The warm welcoming ambiance feels like a mother’s hug to a tired son after a long day’s work.

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MAMUSA Art Bistro

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Ramen Choi and Red Curry House 15:00

Ilonggos love their batchoy. Chef Roderick Sesbreño thought of giving it a Japanese twist. This restaurant will make you have the best of both worlds by giving you a taste of the Japanese culture but mixing it with a bit of our own. Ramenchoi, a combination of “Ramen” and “Batchoy,” offers a flavorful bowl of Ramen broth and Batchoy noodles. The symmetrically placed

diced meat at the top, uniformly sliced noodles, and passionately stirred broth of the Wagyu Beef Ramen will leave you breathless. The creaminess of the broth is perfect for the noodles. A superbeef of sorts, Wagyu is known for its marbled appearance being so tender it actually melts in your mouth resulting in a more flavorsome eating experience.

Imagine good food, great music, and an art gallery in the same location. Wouldn't be it just awesome? MAMUSA Art Bistro, located along Festive Walk Parade in Megaworld, is designed with Instagram in mind—from glowing and colorful décor, aesthetically pleasing artworks in their gallery upstairs, to the food and drinks. Once in a while, new tactics like spoken poetry and gallery walks are being placed in their locus to tirelessly inspire their customers THE

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

13th Street Espresso

ice shavings, milk, ice cream and a topping of your choice. I tried two bingsoo flavors: the Choco oreo, which holds the “best choice” title, and banana, the flavor of the day. The ice is shaved so fine and the texture's almost powdery, melting to your mouth the moment it touches your tongue —a subtle taste that gradually builds up flavor, depth, and sweetness as you dig deeper into the icy domain. Want to know my verdict? The banana flavor tastes best! Inside the café is a haven of coffee aroma that’s perfect when you’re having a bad day. It's very inviting that your eyes will close involuntarily, just like in music videos. Subtle lighting and relaxed colors can also be relished. The yellowish-toned light can build your focus back together if you are studying or just venting out.

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to share photos on Instagram with hashtags streaming down everybody’s feed. Their famous baby back ribs are worth the labor put into producing it. The ribs are first boiled to tenderness then grilled in hot coal induced with the meat’s fat, sending a rich smoky and salty flavor when sprinkled with spices and herbs. The creaminess and softness of the mashed potato blend well with the main course. It’s so good, you’ll forget your name. VOL.

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A meal cannot be complete without a taste of some dessert. Filipinos generally have a sweet tooth, craving for panghimagas after every meal. So, after a day of eating savory, it's time to dwell on the sweet side of life. I decided to tarry at the 13th Street Espresso, just steps away from MAMUSA Art Bistro near the famous Festive Walk’s “Calle.” I tried their famous Bingsoo, a Korean version of our very own Halo-halo but slightly different since it is not mixed. You'll enjoy a spoonful of different layers of

For some diners, a meal-out cannot start without first taking a photograph of the meal and sharing it on social media. Try to be more creative in what you do, think of it as your own art and not just for the hearts you'll be getting. Instagram is good when you use it the right way. Don’t let the taking of food photo take over the true dining experience. Make sure to enjoy the moment and make the eat worthwhile. Some do not last long. And some can’t be repeated.

O M A R V E L S T U D I O S 2 0 18

HYPE

Weighing in on the latest releases

F ILM

Black Panther REVIEW BY

Leumel Renzo Panaguiton

2018 134 minutes

The movie like no other. One of the world’s most anticipated movies of 2018 and a breathtakingly astounding representation empowering people of color. From its opening scenes which encouraged self-confidence, bravery, and selflessness, to showing the gift of friendship, family, togetherness, and even the result of tragedy, the Black Panther movie moved its audience with astonishing visuals and sceneries as Marvel Studios portrayed the fictional, technologically-advanced country of Wakanda hidden behind the thick jungles of Sub-Saharan Africa. The various tribes depicted in the film

were well-researched and costume design was based on actual traditional clothing from across several parts of the continent. Although this may not be Marvel’s first prominent attempt to diversify the world of superheroes, Black Panther made a huge impact in the big screen as audiences were left in awe. This movie amassed a lot of unforgettable action sequences, especially at the were where T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) led his army to take back the throne from Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). The last fight scene really struck me and made me realize that even in the real world, some people think they’d rather just finish their lives than live in the

bondage of suffering. Black Panther is not just a movie. It’s a challenge to future movies to reach out and communicate with their audience through the screenplays they make. We’re making the world a better place even with just one small step at a time, and it starts with you, with all of us. Black Panther taught us how to appreciate different cultures and learn to love the gift of human relationships. It gave us the sight that there is no black or white in this world, only one pure love. Most importantly, this movie showed us that our fight is never over as long as there is something worth fighting for. Keep going everybody! THE

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Huji Cam REVIEW BY

Coleen Casanova

 GOOGLE PLAY

2017 15.36 mb

There are countless filter apps available for Android users nowadays, each having their own special features that attract others, however, individuals have their own tastes when it comes to taking pictures of others or themselves. Are you a fan of vintage pictures? Do you find it aesthetic? Or does the old-fashioned, antiquated feel of it attract you? Well, if that is so, then Huji Cam might be a useful app for you. Huji Cam is a mobile app that allows the user to capture desired scenes and applies a filter that resembles that of old-time pictures where the colors appear a rustic, auburn hue. It gives a cozy effect to each picture captured. Another thing that is novel about the app, is that

whenever you capture a photo, you will never know what other effects could be applied. Each picture would be a wonderful surprise since it would be enhanced and given a more eye-catching feel to it. The app is easy to use, doesn’t occupy much space, and is available for anyone and everyone. There is no need for unnecessary fuss as you can immediately use it upon clicking the Huji Cam icon. It simply adheres to your desire to capture a great photo with antique effects. The only downside to it is that it is limited only to that feature, you do not get to pick from other choices, and you cannot control the focus of the camera. But overall, it is great to use and exciting once the photo you took is developed.

M A KEUP

Pro Filt’R Foundation Zharina Marie Stephanie Lugo

2017 50 shades

Rihanna slayed her way to dominate the beauty industry as she revealed her ultimate debut cosmetics line: the long-awaited Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’R Foundation. From 40 and now 50 various shades to cater to the deepest and fairest of skin tones, Pro Filt’R broke through extreme barriers concerning the lack of inclusivity of product offerings toward people of color in the beauty industry and radiated diversity to its finest. The idea of “Foundation for all” took Rihanna and her team more than two years of hands-on research to materialize. Its timely release set social media on a frenzy, captured the attention of huge Hollywood personalities, and drew international VOL.

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popularity. Since then, it has changed the game and became the industry standard other cosmetic brands have been trying to replicate. The Pro Filt’R foundation is available in the Philippines through Sephora.ph, an online shopping mall for beauty gurus. The online retailer also offers a special “shade finder” tool that could determine the perfect shade for your skin. The lightweight, breathable, medium-to-full coverage soft matte foundation serves as a magical veil that could hide away blemishes and complement natural beauty without making you feel sticky and itchy. The matte frosted glass bottle each shade is packaged in is very aesthetically-pleasing. This foundation line deserves a complete 5 out of 5 stars rating in the name of all beauty products. I

O FENTY BEAUTY

REVIEW BY

am no magical make-up expert, but this cosmetics set is legendary. It empowers all people, no matter the skin color—a magical formula that can transform through its wonderful shades without leaving anyone behind.

O CASA ITALIANA ZERILLI - MARIMÒ IMAGE IMDB

Call Me By Your Name REVIEW BY

Ariel Lorenz Castronuevo

N OVEL

2007 256 pages

Have you ever wondered how some art critics can look at a painting or sculpture and just instantaneously tear up? How certain forms of art such as the lyrics of a song, or a scenic landscape can make you feel something deep within you? This is what Call Me by Your Name is —art. The acclaimed novel Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman revolves around Elio and Oliver narrated from Elio’s perspective. Elio is an American-Italian adolescent and Oliver is an American scholar visiting as an intern for Professor Perlman, Elio’s father. Oliver’s six-week-long stay on the Italian Riviera blossoms a more than one of a kind friendship between the two. As you read along, Elio is curious and reserved while Oliver is confident and knows himself very well. Elio tolerates Oliver’s constant “Later,” imagines obscene variations to the word apricot, and observes

Oliver’s personalities depending on which color of trunks he was wearing. But as the story progresses, they confess hidden affection towards the other person in subtle ways. Oliver breaks down his walls and Elio reaches out for more. Bold but comforting, Call Me by Your Name leaves its readers an emotional wreck. AUD IOBOOK 2017 463 minutes

Armie Hammer’s deep and sexy voice makes the experience even more riveting when you try listening to the audiobook version of Call Me by Your Name. Hammer delivers the words raw and raspy while also keeping the story compelling to the listeners. F ILM 2017 132 minutes

Although the book is narrated from Elio’s perspective, Hammer

who read the audiobook plays Oliver with Timothée Chalamet as Elio. Both actors bring to life this summer Italian escapade together with Director Luca Guadagnino and Screenwriter James Ivory. The approximately 2-hour movie was able to unfold Aciman’s vision through his novel evident on how viewers appreciated the way the movie didn’t deviate that far. A portion of the audience who dedicatedly read the book before the movie were slightly disappointed when it was not explicit enough but lauded the iconic “peach scene.” Garnering numerous awards, Call Me by Your Name was not only loved by critics but was able to tug on the audience’s heartstrings across the globe. Memorable, dream-like, and a rather sensual than sexual experience, Call Me by Your Name manifests the ethereal beauty of love and heartbreak, because “when you least expect it, nature has cunning ways of finding our weakest spot.” A sequel is said to be in the works. THE

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REVIEW BY

Dazen Dawn Lariza

2017 384 pages

“A geek, a jock, a princess, a criminal. A murder. Who would you believe?” Imagine a cross between The Breakfast Club and Pretty Little Liars. This is exactly what this book is. Four very different teens find their paths crossed after a normal afternoon in detention suddenly becomes a crime scene. Yale-bound Bronwyn, homecoming princess Addy, drug-dealing Nate, and all-star baseball pitcher Cooper find themselves in a messed-up web when Bayview’s gossip app creator Simon suddenly dies due to an allergic reaction to peanuts during

detention. Apparently, the water he drank was infused with peanut oil and all the Epinephrine Pens in the nurse’s office were stolen. They all became victims of witnessing a very tragic event. But when rumors about the four students get published in the gossip app after Simon’s death along with very sick details of his murder and a note verifying that the murderer watched Simon die, everyone in that detention room becomes a suspect. Because, as they say, everything in that gossip app is basically the truth. This young adult novel is certain to keep you hooked and will make you want to finish it in one sitting. It’s going to keep you thinking about who really killed Simon and the reason behind his murder. The book involves all the four students’ point-of-views which will make you even more confused than you were as you keep reading through their eyes and see their lives. It will lead you to twists and turns as you realize

how a lot of people would have probably wanted to kill Simon because of all the things he posts in his gossip app. And just when you think you know who the killer is, the next chapter will prove you otherwise. So, who really killed Simon? Guess you’ll have to read it to find out.

O AMAZON UK

One of Us is Lying

F ILM

Love, Simon REVIEW BY

Francis Mathew Gappe

2015 110 minutes

O IMDB

The movie revolves around seventeen year-old high school student Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) building a connection with an online person “Blue” who has the same secret as his. Everything was going fine until their conversation was leaked and their huge secret got out. While Simon was trying to find out who “Blue” is, he was unconsciously discovering his true self. The movie portrays a typical teen-drama which contains relationship with family and friends and points out overcoming fear and finding ones identity.

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“Love, Simon,” exhibits a light mood in its plot despite its difficult theme. It’s funny, sweet, and also gives you the feeling of excitement and mystery all throughout the movie. It has a simple plot that is easy to follow and does not exaggerate the dramatization of each character which gives the movie a very realistic approach. In some technical aspects, the aesthetic appeal of the movie was just right and good. The camera angles are simple, making it easy for the audience to find the subject for each scene and the camera movements are creative enough that it could literally move you while watching. Overall, the movie is worth watching not only by teenagers but could be viewed by anyone. Watch it to find out who “Blue” is.

TV S ERI E S

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina REVIEW BY

Dazen Dawn Lariza

2018 20 episodes (se1-2)

presence of a certain Madame Satan, some vengeful ghost witches, a triad of witches called the Weird Sisters (who bullied Sabrina at the beginning of the series), and other weird things I should not spoil in this review and you’re sure to get tempted to binge watch it in one sitting. Be warned though. It has some pretty dark (low-key cultist) themes. So it is best to not to imitate the incantations or rituals you may see (unless you want to get in so much trouble) and not to get in too deep with the witchcraft. It is, however, a really cool series and a must watch for those who like dark and mysterious stuff. Just don’t let the voodoo get to you. Oh! And a side note to Riverdale fans, Greendale (the setting of this series) was actually mentioned in one episode with the lines “Nothing stays dead in Greendale.”

O NETFLIX

For a while, Netflix has been producing a lot of revamped versions of comic book classics, movies and TV series. From releasing Riverdale (a series based off of the Archie Comics franchise) to making a three season series of Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events (from book to movie and now this) and Stranger Things. So when they dropped the teaser for the release of a “chilling” remake of the 90s teen series Sabrina the Teenage Witch a lot of people were intrigued. *cue suspense music* So, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (or as fans call it, TCAOS) is based off of a comic book series of the same name. And while the 90s version was more of a comedic sitcom based off the experiences of the teenage witch, this one really stood up to its title of chilling. It

focuses more on the chilling struggles of Sabrina being a bad-ass teenage half-witch battling the pressures of becoming a full witch by signing off her name to the dark side. The series begins with her aunties getting all excited over her 16th birthday which was also the day of her dark baptism (which is apparently the only way for her to gain full witch powers) and Sabrina having the best time of her mortal life. Apparently, she had to let go of her mortal friends and, in general, mortal life after her dark baptism. The story takes a dark turn when Sabrina walks out of her dark baptism before signing her name in the “Dark Lord’s” book. As the story progresses, Sabrina is faced with trials which will eventually lead her to a choice. Will she sign her name on the book or will she keep her stand of not signing it? Add in the

O POWER TO DECIDE

TV S ERI E S

Sex Education REVIEW BY

Ariel Lorenz Castronuevo

2019 8 episodes (se1)

Netflix snagged the teens’ interest by storm in one of the latest Netflix Originals titled Sex Education. Asa Butterfield stars in the series by playing Otis who is a 16-year-old living with his sex therapist of a mother, Jean (Gillian Anderson), and is still ironically sexually inexperienced: not with others and not even with himself. The series begins with Otis who grows up being knowledgeable of genital biology and having to teach the female that is Maeve (Emma Mackey) where the female prostate and hymen are located. Now at Sixth Form or the last two remaining years in school, Otis innocently tries to keep himself in the corner. That is until a video is shared across the campus showing his mother demonstrating how to give a proper hand job. Maeve follows Otis outside and tries to comfort him, but in the VOL.

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process both hear someone in distress. They find Adam (Connor Swindells) who pleads for help while experiencing the repercussions of taking three doses of Viagra. Otis then unknowingly gets to the reason why Adam did that and gives him sound advice. After discovering the sex therapy Otis gave Adam worked, Maeve takes advantage of the opportunity and asks Otis to start a sex therapy clinic at school with her. Otis works out his acquired sex and relationship knowledge from his mother, while she handles the financials and scheduling of clients. The sex therapy clinic became successful after it spread through word of mouth that Otis became too busy and was able to neglect and hang out less with his best friend Eric (Ncuti Gatwa). Out and proud that he is, Eric’s storyline was given a much deserved justice for the LGBT+ representation by being bold and daring.

Sex Education, as attractive to the teens as it is, is not merely a visual representation of adolescent struggles such as social anxiety, the need for belongingness, relationships, a person’s high school reputation, and peer pressure. The series is layered with various social issues: premarital sex and abortion, bullying and juvenile delinquency, homophobia and the LGBT+ community, and even divorce and what modern day families look like. Sex education is not just about sex. “Sex Education. Well, the clue is in the name. There’s going to be a lot of sex. You’re going to see boobs. You’re going to see bum. You may even see a bit of vag. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. Because as well as a lot of genitals, Sex Education’s got a lot of heart. It may make you gasp at first, but it will also make you laugh, and cry, and dance. Just watch and see.”

N OVEL

My Heart and other Black Holes Dazen Dawn Lariza

2015 320 pages

O KOBO

Trigger warning: this review and the book talk about suicide. If you have experienced losing a loved one to suicide or have thoughts of suicide, this may make you feel uncomfortable and you have the liberty to continue reading or not.

Suicide is never the answer. But to 16-year-old Aysel, it is the answer to end her misery. With her father in jail and her mother embracing her new life with a new family, Aysel can’t help but think that her life is a time bomb waiting to explode. She is headstrong about killing herself but she doesn’t feel she has enough courage to do it alone. So when she finds a website dedicated to finding suicidal teens their own suicide partners, she finds herself trying to get matched as well. She ends up planning her suicide with a user named FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who is only a few miles away from her. They decide to meet and plan their suicide, but as she gets to know him she finds herself not wanting to go through with it anymore. What if the person she planned her death with becomes the reason she wants to live? The book delves into the very sensitive topic of suicide and into

N OVEL

They Both Die at the End REVIEW BY

Ariel Lorenz Castronuevo

2017 384 pages

“I don’t want to spend my last day wondering if people are being genuine when they throw sad words at me. No one should spend their last hours second-guessing people.” Adam Silvera shatters the hearts of his avid readers once again with his book They Both Die at the End. This is Silvera’s third novel following More Happy Than Not and History Is All You Left Me, both equally as tear-jerking. They Both Die at the End follows the last day in the lives of Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio when

the mind of a teenager who slowly learns that there’s so much more to live for. The chapters are named with the days counting to the due date Aysel and Roman planned to commit their suicide together. This story tries to be as realistic as possible and, unlike the very controversial Thirteen Reasons Why, this ends on a very positive note. However, this may appear unrealistic to a few. Trying to save someone you care about from themselves while you are trying to save your own self from, well, you is not something you see every day and may be considered somewhat a fantasy. But it does happen in real life though. Just that it seldom happens at all. It is actually a pretty good read and it will make you think if Aysel will really push through with her and Roman’s suicide plans or if she actually gets to save him. It ends with a cliffhanger though so we will never be sure of what happens after.

O TARGET

REVIEW BY

they received their calls from Death-Cast a little after midnight. Death-Cast is an organization that warns people by providing a date for when they are going to die, although not the exact time and manner of death. In the hopes of finding a connection within their last 24 hours, Mateo and Rufus find each other through the Last Friend app – a platform for those not wanting to spend their End Day alone. Both teens become friends by trusting the other person despite starting off as total strangers and try to live a lifetime in a single day.

The novel places emphasis on the significance of living our lives to the fullest, how death makes life worth living, and that it’s possible for your whole life to change in a day. “Life isn’t meant to be lived alone. Neither are End Days.” THE

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F ILM

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch REVIEW BY

Kathleen Frugalidad

2018 5 main endings

“The past is immutable. No matter how painful it is, we can’t change things. We can’t choose differently with hindsight. We all have to learn to accept that.” Have you ever watched a movie and felt the need to twist and turn the character’s fate into something he deserves? Well, now you have the chance to un-slouch that potato body and get ready to go on an adventure. But stand firm, for this is not your typical adventure movie. Bandersnatch, a stand-alone film in the science fiction anthology series “Black Mirror” directed by David Slade, is the first ever interactive movie of Netflix. The “Choose-Your-Own-Adventure” motion display follows the tale of a young programmer, Stefan Butler (Fionn Whitehead), who has grown up with depression and anxiety over VOL.

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the loss of his mother and begins to question reality when he adapts and works on an adventure game based on his childhood favorite novel, Bandersnatch. The part film-part video game idea is incredibly impressive with a crazy plot which leads to different fates and pathways you wouldn't have imagined. For the whole run of the episode, viewers will be presented with a series of choices that chart a path for the main character. Ranging from a humdrum (What cereal do you want for breakfast?) to more jittery choices that will determine the fate of the main character, the viewer only has 10 seconds to choose and make a decision using their TV remote control or a track pad if they’re watching from a computer. If you opt not to make a decision, the viewer will end up with a default

choice, making the overall experience boring. As an episode of the series that is usually set in an alternative present or the near future, often with a dark and satirical tone, Bandersnatch doesn’t fail to catch up with the theme for the fact that 4 out of 5 of its endings are on the dark side. Depending on your choices, Stefan could commit horrendous things, learn some disturbing truths about his life, or more unusual turn of events that you will never know if you don't watch the movie. The only downside of the film is that no matter how many times and how many hours the viewer spends to re-do and change the course of the character's life, there is only one sequence of choices to get a satisfying ending. It is mainly for you to watch the movie and decide on Stefan's fate.

O TVN

TV S ERI E S

Circle: Two Worlds Connected REVIEW BY

John David Maza

2017 12 episodes

In a setting where the “sky blue” taught in schools is the color of smog, one can only picture a society taken over by filth, infection, felony, and everything gloomy and treacherous. But amid such ruin [a.k.a Normal Earth in 2037], there exists the “Smart Earth” where citizens are given the chance to live the crime-free life, but at the expense of the essence of being human. The South Korean television network TVN breaks the usual in Kdrama by producing the first true Sci-Fi mystery Korean TV series “Circle: Two Worlds Connected.” Even with the unpredictability of the plot and an alternating timeline in each episode between present time 2017 and future 2037 [which might end up getting viewers confused and lost], the lines in the series are

intelligently written, characters well-developed, and their perspectives brilliantly executed, definitely getting the audience hooked and curious of what comes next. In a span of just 12 episodes, the series is fast-paced, jampacked with interesting details, mind-boggling plot twists, and heart-pounding suspense from beginning to end. The story begins when two brothers, Kim Bum Gyun and Kim Woo Jin, witness the landing of an alien that carried the later discovered advanced, extraterrestrial technology of being able to modify memories. This was secretly used by Smart Earth’s “Stable Care System” which eliminated crime by controlling strong human emotions such as outrage, misery, and worse, remorse for past sins. Scientists who closely worked with the astral visitor, Byul,

to harness this new knowledge knew the risks of the “Beta-Project” when held by the wrong hands. The wrong hands they were worried about were so unexpected that they ended up succeeding in abusing the power of the alien’s gift, building “a Brave New World.” With the playful writing of the narrative and exceptional acting of the roles in the script, experience intense human reactions yourself, sympathizing with the humble characters you got angry at for earlier misjudging them as traitors. Watch yourself getting overcome by the very emotions the citizens of Smart Earth had restrained. The drama concluded by delivering the powerful message that our feelings, our instincts, our memories are part of who we are. They are what makes us human, what makes us—us.

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