NOTES FROM THE EDITOR
Creative. Competitive. Crazy. ARE YOU
ONE OF US?
PATIENT NAME: VLAD R. TROPICO DATE OF ADMISSION: NOV. 3, 2011 DATE OF RELEASE: INDEFINITE PATIENT NO. 11-3285-08 PHYSICIANS’ NOTES
We need plenty of overall insanely imaginative open-minded people. Do those words apply to you? Ready yourself, you could become a valuable addition to the CE Staff.
*The Central Echo recruits new staff members during the start of every new school year. Like our official Facebook page to be updated and watch out for coming announcements.
BIRTH D NATION
Subject has a history of erratic behavior, extremely volatile, suffering from neurotic impulses, prone to sudden bursts of anger
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Editorial Board SY 2013-2014
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Airon B. Buenvenida ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ron Adrian A. Dionaldo MANAGING EDITOR Rhick Lars Vladimer T. Albay
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FOREWARNINGS
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NEWS EDITORS Blessed Bea T. Plondaya Verna Roz Q. Taperla FEATURE EDITORS Dazen P. Lariza Katrina Joyce V. Mabanes FILIPINO EDITORS Almina Marie L. Gange Micaela Allen S. Garcia STAFF WRITERS Daphne Claire V. Buenaflor Krystille Camille C. Bontuyan Rosanne Grace M. Castor LITERARY EDITOR/DIGITAL ARTIST Daniel Fern L. Tinagan SPORTS EDITOR/WEB ADMINISTRATOR Ian Jan N. Dalisay PHOTOJOURNALISTS Chalcedon A. Sañor Krystalline Joy O. Guion Christian Earl S. Sevilla ILLUSTRATOR Jessrell L. Gavan
We complain that there is never enough time. Deadlines and schedules - as we live through our daily routines, a clock somewhere is counting down the days, minutes, seconds, we have left. Life is a constant race. To finish all the projects, to graduate on time, to achieve what we want to achieve, to cope with all the garbage thrown your way, to grow and change. Time waits for no one: keep up or be left behind.
Someone once said: “To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.” The world in its constant motion, shifting its skylines, turning on its axis, won’t stop for you if you fall. It won’t wait for you to get on your feet before it starts moving once more. The idea is to adapt or let yourself stagnate; to reinvent or become obsolete. Change is renewal and it almost always come for the better. Rhick Albay Magazine Editor
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CARTOONISTS Irish Paoline D. Jurinario Julian Paul V. Querubin ADVISERS Esther Rose A Romarate Rea Angelica F. Villeza
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BETA
Be connected, be aware, everywhere you go
www.centralecho.com
youtube.com/centralecho twitter.com/centralecho
facebook.com/centralecho info@centralecho.com central.echo@gmail.com
ABOUT THE COVER
ASHES TWO ASHES. Two characters, one in black, the other in white, stand strong against an ocean of debris. Embodying how there are always two halves to a whole. Freedom and confinement. Light and darkness. Life and death. More on Page 32 >>
MEET THE TWINS Renee Rose and Liana Rose Jamayo are 4th Year Students of the CPU High School. Without the make-up, they are star players of the CPU Golden Lions High School Volleyball Team.
The Backdrop Over a century old, Iloilo’s former Rehabilitation Center lies beside the Iloilo Provincial Capitol and Museo de Iloilo. Built in 1911, the Old IRC
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has housed hundreds of the province’s criminal offenders, even serving as a Japanese Military Garrison during World War II, until it was abandoned in 2006, when the jail’s operations were relocated to Pototan. Exhibiting an air of grit and decay, the Old IRC served as the perfect backdrop for our cover shoot. From treading through the building’s courtyard littered with scrap timber and rusty nails to feeling chills in the eerie bartolina cells, the shoot was a surreal, though unsettling, new experience. We will surely look back and recall such an amazing experience in the years to come.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OLD ILOILO REHABILITATION CENTER 1911 – The structure was built with the aid of American Colonizers 1942 – It served as a Military Garrison for four years during the Japanese occupation 2006 – Precinct operations were transferred to Pototan, The Old IRC is left unoccupied 2011 – Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. sets his goal to convert the Old IRC into a Heritage site and Museum
2013 – TM Malones’ film Salvi: Ang Pagpadayon, with scenes shot at the Old IRC, represented Iloilo in the National Sineng Pambansa 2014 – Renovation and conversion of the Old Iloilo Rehabilitation Center into a Museum starts
ABOUT THE COVER
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THE NEWS COME IN TWOS
10 YOUR 2 PESOS THESE
DAYS
11 EDUCATION UNDERCONSTRUCTION
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UNANG PANLUNAS SA IKALAWANG WIKA 12
th e
EDITOR’S NOTE
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CONTENTS
13 IT DOSN’T MATTER 14 TAG TEAMS 15 THE GRIMM REALITY OF DISNEY FANTASIES 16 ME, MYSELF, AND I 17 FRENEMIES 101 18 CAUTION: DO NOT THROW
JOVELYN GONZAGA: VOLLEYING HER WAY TO THE TOP 20
23 UNDERSTANDING THE MARTIAN
AND VENUSIAN LANGUAGE
25 DALAWANG PULANG LINYA 26 CLARITY AND THE LACK OF IT 28 DUALITY: DO THINGS
HAPPEN TWICE?
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SMILES AMIDST CHAOS BY CHALCEDON SAﾃ前R
Youngsters still manage to enjoy themselves while resting on the remains of a house brought down by Yolanda.
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29 THE SAME OLD HEADLINES 32
SEEING DOUBLE
38 CALAJUNAN COLORS
THE BACKWASH: A WEEK AFTER YOLANDA
51 MUKHANG ORIG
46 GODS AND MONSTERS
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49 LIFE OF BI
ELEVEN ODD BUT DELISH FOOD TANDEMS
62 PANIPLAT
50 AZTEC PRINTS: A
55 HYPE
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TRANSITION
58 STAFF PAGE
48 SHADOWS
CPU PRESIDENT TEODORO ROBLES RETROSPECTING FOR THE FUTURE
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The Central Echo Staff would like express our gratitude to the following people: Mrs. Lilian Jamayo the Central Philippine University Student Body Russel Jude Pati単a Makinaugalingon Printer and Bookbinder Ma Ke of Colors and Strokes Prof. Esther Rose Romarate Renee Rose and Liana Rose Jamayo Prof. Rea Angelica Villeza the Iloilo Provincial Capitol Public Relations Desk Mr. John Henry Miranda the Office Dr. Raul Banias, Provincial Administrator Ms. Lilibeth Lorio 8
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VOLUME 104 No. 5
FOUNDED 1910
AND WE RISE AGAIN
YOLANDA AND THE FILIPINO SPIRIT
THE DOUBLE
COR RUP T I O N ARE WE CONDEMNED TO THE CYCLE?
OF RENEE AND LIANA JAMAYO
Photos by Christian Earl Sevilla and Krystalline Joy Guion
ON REPEAT
LIFE
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S W E E TH N IN E M O C TWOS
NEWS
rds Wo
ay Alb s r La hick R y b
If there’s anything that 2013 has taught us, it’s that significant events come in pairs. Whether feuds or controversies, last year they seemed to occur in multiples of two.
HIGHS AND LOWS PRINT AND ONLINE MEDIA High: Realizing its potential, microblogging site Twitter launches its own News Division headed by NBC News’ Vivian Schiller.
Low: After 79 years in print, Newsweek published its last print edition. The globally circulated publication announced its full switch to the digital world, ceasing their printing operations and fully embracing the Ebook format this 2013.
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3D PRINTING High: The innovation has shown
its potential to save lives. Recently, a 3D printed windpipe splint saved the life of a baby diagnosed with Tracheobronchomalacia.
Low: The blueprints for a 3D printable gun are one of the most downloaded templates on the internet. More than 100,000 people downloaded it on the first two days it was uploaded.
DANCE High: A short film showing a dancing ballerina with sharp knives extending from her ballet shoes went viral, scaring thousands of people half to death. The film entitled “En Puntas” (roughly, Spanish for “On Tiptoe”) is directed by Javier Perez who suggests that it is about a “figure expressing effort, sacrifice and pain in her struggle for perfection.”
Low: Miley Cyrus courted controversy
“twerking” with barely nothing on during her performance at the 2013 Video Music Awards.
ARCHITECTURE High: The construction of what may become the world’s tallest building started in China. The Sky City tower is set to be 2739 ft high, overtaking current title holder Burj Khalifa at 2716 ft. Low: Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial building in Bangladesh collapsed, April 2013. With 1,127 causalities, it is considered the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern history.
HEAD TO HEAD MIRIAM DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO VS JUAN PONCE ENRILE
“I was advised to ignore what was said about me during the hearing because the abusive words were from a cuckoo, an insane, bitterly hostile mind.” -Enrile on Santiago
“Enrile with his eternal philandering and unexplained wealth desperately needs a shrink. His mind is sick, sick, sick! Sick!” -Santiago on Enrile
PHILIPPINE RED CROSS VS BOHOL MAYOR Instead of embracing camaraderie in the aftermath of the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that brought much of Bohol and Cebu to their knees, Maribojoc mayor Leoncio Evasco Jr engaged the Philippine Red Cross in a spat over the distribution of relief goods The Bohol major going as far as to claim that some people in the Red Cross were inclined “to use the misery of people to promote their own political agenda.” PRC Commissioner Dick Gordon insisted that the Red Cross is strictly apolitical, to which Evasco responded, “Apolitical? Get Gordon out of the Red Cross and I will believe that Red Cross is apolitical.”
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YOUR
P2.THESE00DAYS
Is having two Rizal coins a luxury?
Words by Blessed Bea Plondaya Photos by Chalcedon Sañor
Most of us have been placed in that situation wherein we are about to pay the jeepney fare and after searching our purses and checking our pockets suddenly we suddenly realize that the two pesos we have wouldn’t suffice. Well, what else could we do but hesitantly hand over our new fifty or hundred peso bill to the driver and receive crumpled twenties and dented coins in return. Then, we frown upon their added weight to our wallets and sigh. If only two Rizal coins is worth something these days, right? In this world where money has already been considered a necessity by most people, a few coins can be nearly compared to nothing at all. Vaguely remembered are the days when one can enter the marketplace with only P2.00 in one’s pocket and step out having at least 2 bags filled with ingredients for the day’s meals. As a student in the 1970s, such amount would have been good for either a 3 kilometer
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tricycle ride or for snacks consisting of a pack of chips and a soda. Try going all the way back to the late 1950s when you could already go on a little shopping spree with your friends and if you go further back to the past P2.00 was once the equivalent of one US dollar. The dramatic decline of the value of the Philippine peso cannot be denied any further. The devaluation of our currency began in 1934 during the time when the United States was suffering from the Great Depression. Now, the inflation rate of the country was recorded at 2.90% as of October 2013. The salaries we have dreamt a decade ago is now only good for having a stable life which means having a maximum of three meals a day for an ordinary Filipino. A hundred pesos is almost never enough for the students of our generation. How much more with P2.00? Well, two pieces of candy, a stick of cigarette, a phone call at the PLDT public phones, a sachet
Peso Facts The Philippine two-peso bill featured Jose Rizal on the front side, while the declaration of the Philippine Independence was on its reverse side issued in the year 1916 to 1921 of the Bagong Lipunan Series. The foreign exchange for a US Dollar was only P2.00 from the year 1935 to 1961 beginning with the administration of President Manuel L. Quezon until President Carlos P. Garcia. In 1861, gold coins were issued for 2 pesos which was equal in gold content to the earlier Spanish coins of 1 escudo. of Happy peanuts or a bubblegum. Hardly, not anything of value anymore. The country is in a state of monetary crisis brought upon by the government spending too much for purposes of political expediency or having our taxes go into the pockets of politicians instead of being allocated for the funding of infrastructure, education, transportation, food, water and electricity. It is high time to put a stop to the quick diminishing of the Philippine currency before it reaches a point that a thousand pesos in our pockets is nearly not having much at all. How we wish we could rewind to a few decades when we could buy our necessities at a hundred percent less of what they cost now; the time when the mere P2.00 could not be found in the sidewalks nor dropped in the tin cans of the poor but was considered a luxury to have.
EDUCATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION TWO MORE ACADEMIC YEARS? Words by Rosanne Grace Castor Photo by Chalcedon Sañor
What do we really know about K12?
WHAT IS K TO 12? K to 12 is the new educational reform of the Aquino Administration. Kindergarten serves as its base program followed by six years of elementary (Grades 1-6), four years of junior high (Grades 7-10), and two years of senior high (Grades 11-12). Sec. Armin Luistro of the Department of Education said that K to 12 hopes to improve the quality of education in the country. Sec. Luistro added,“In K to 12, by Grade 10, students have a choice of going to work, training or higher education. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and CHED (Commission on Higher Education) are working with us on these options.” The features of the program covers Universal Kindergarten, Contextualization and Enhancement, Spiral Progression, Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education, Senior High School and College and Livelihood Readiness, and 21st Century Skills. UNIVERSAL KINDERGARTEN Strengthening early childhood education is the main focus of the universal kindergarten. In this stage, the students will learn alphabets, numbers, colors and shapes through the different games, songs and dances in their mother tongue. At 5 years old, children start their schooling for them to be better prepared to adjust to formal education. According to recent research, children who underwent a complete Kindergarten program are better prepared for primary education. CONTEXTUALIZATION AND ENHANCEMENT Making the curriculum relevant to learners, the K to 12 imposes activities such as songs, poems, and stories based on local culture and history. Through these, the lessons will be better understood. Included in the curriculum are the discussions on issues such as Climate Change, Information and Communication Community and Disaster Risk Reduction.
SPIRAL PROGRESSION Subjects are taught from the simplest concepts to more complicated concepts through grade levels in spiral progression. This ensures a mastery of knowledge and skills after every level wherein as early as elementary, Geometry, Biology and Earth Science subjects are taught. In High School, Biology, Chemistry and Physics are already integrated in Grade 7. MOTHER TONGUE-BASED MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION Twelve (12) MT languages have been introduced for SY 2012-2013: Bahasa Sug, Bikol, Cebuano, Chabacano, Hiligaynon, Iloko, Kapampangan, Maguindanaoan, Meranao, Pangasinense, Tagalog, and Waray. This multilingual education enables the students to learn best through their first language or their mother tongue. In the same way, English and Filipino are taught as subjects in Grade 1 with focus in oral fluency. In Grades 4 to 6, English and Filipino are gradually introduced as languages of instruction. On the other hand, English and Filipino will be the primary languages of instruction in Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS). SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Senior High School is two years of specialized upper secondary education where the choice of career will be traced. The will be done based on aptitude, interest and school capacity. SHS will have a core curriculum and specific tracks. The core curriculum will include Languages, Literature, Communication, Mathematics, Philosophy, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences. In the Specific Tracks, students may choose from three - Academics, Technical-VocationalLivelihood, and Sports and Arts. The academics track will include Business, Accountancy, Management (BAM); Humanities, Education, Social Sciences (HESS) and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM). After finishing the JHS, students will receive the Certificate of Competency (COC)/ National Certificate(NC I). Furthermore, National Certificate Level II will be given to those who finished a Technical-Vocational-Livelihood
track provided they the competency-based assessment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). NC I and NC II enable the graduates to apply for work in fields like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade. COLLEGE AND LIVELIHOOD READINESS, 21ST CENTURY SKILLS Nurturing holistically developed Filipino is the aim of the years 11 and 12. Every graduate will be equipped with information, media and technology skills, learning and innovation skills, effective communication skills, and life and career skills. Students will take up vocational courses during the years 11 and 12. The added two years are the students’ stepping stone or preparation to their desired courses in the colleges and universities. PROBLEMS IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM The biggest problem of K to 12 has always been, and will always be, the cost of its implementation. The lack of family, school, and government resources is much to be paid attention to. Does the government have enough money to build more classrooms, buy more books, and pay more teachers? Can all Filipino families afford it? An additional two years is an added burden to the existing financial troubles that most Filipino families are currently experiencing. Another thing to be considered is the educators. The teachers who will handle Grades 11 and 12, must be trained well for the new curriculum to be correctly implemented. Teachers have to be retooled to teach the new K to 12 curriculum properly. Anyhow, the Filipino people hope for a better future through this K to 12 program as it uplifts the country’s educational quality and enables the future Filipino graduates to compete with their contemporaries from other ASEAN countries in the job market. Nevertheless, the Filipino people hope that this will be of great help so that two added years of high school will be all worth it.
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EDUCATION
Unang Panlunas sa Ikalawang Wika Panulat ni Airon Buenvenida Pagsasalarawan ni Verna Roz Taperla
Kapag narinig mo sa isang dayuhang mula sa Kanluran ang salitang salvage, tatakbo ka ba? Kung pagmamasdan mo ngayon ang iyong paligid, mapapansin mo na karamihan sa mga titik na hinabi upang bumuo ng mga salita ay nasa wikang Ingles. Naturingan mang pangalawang lengwahe nating mga Pilipino ang wikang Ingles, hindi natin maikakaila na karamihan sa atin ay mas pipiliing mapalawak ang ating kasanayan sa paggamit nito. Patunay rito ang ilang mga nakatatawa at minsan nama’y nakaiinis na paghiram ng mga salitang Ingles sa pang araw-araw nating pakikipagbalitak-takan. Nabigyan tayo ng dalawang tenga at isang bunganga upang magaya at mabigkas natin nang tama ang mga bagay-bagay na ating natututonan gamit ang ating pandinig. Bagkus, kung mali na agad ang ating mga naririnig ng tayo’y musmosin pa lamang, malamang ay daladala pa rin natin ang mga ito hanggang ngayon. Isa sa mga salitang ating unang natutunan ay ang “apir” o high five na siya namang natutunan pa ng ating mga kanunu-nunoan sa mga kaibigan nilang mga mga Amerikano noon. Kung isasalin ito nating mga Pinoy sa Ingles, malamang ay baybayin natin ito nang A-P-P-E-A-R, pero lingid sa kaalaman ng marami, ang talagang nais ipahiwatig ng salitang “apir” ng mga mala-higanteng Amerikano noon ay bigyan sila ng isang high five “up here”- oo, isang high five sa itaas. Kaya kung ikaw ay hindi nabiyayaan ng taas at magaalok ka ng isang high five sa isang taong mas mataas sa iyo, nararapat lamang na sabihin
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mong “down here” at hindi “ap hir”. Ganyan talaga ang nangyayari kapag ang sambayanang Pilipino na ang gumagamit, ang mali ay nagiging tama. Buti na lang at tama ang ating pandinig at pag-unawa ng mga salitang tenacious (at hindi ‘sapatos na pang tennis’), punctuation (at hindi ‘pera pang enroll’), persuading (at hindi ‘unang kasal’), predicate (at hindi ‘pakawalan ang pusa’), dedicate (at hindi ‘patay ang pusa’), defrag (at hindi ‘ang palaka’), at devastation (at lalong hindi ‘ang sakayan ng bus’). Kung magkaganoon man ay devastation na talaga ng mundo. Isa rin sa hilig ng mga Pilipino ay ang pag ulit-ulit ng mga salita. Tulad ng major-major na sagot ni Venus Raj, madalas rin nating inuulit ang ilang mga salitang Ingles upang gawing simple ang mga bagay-bagay. Isa na rito ang “next next week” na kung itatama natin ay dapat maging “week after next week.” Dahil sa makukuripot tayong mga Pilipino, pati laway
ay ayaw sayangin. Kung magkakaintindihan din lang naman tayong lahat gamit ang masisimpleng salita, eh bakit nga naman hindi. Meron din namang mga salitang Ingles na naka-program na sa ating mga utak na mahirap nang hiwalayin tulad ng pagbati ng “happy birthday” o maligayang kaarawan. Pwede rin namang maging merry, joyful, delightful, o kung ano pang pang-uri sa Ingles ang isang birthday, pero mas pinipili pa rin natin ang nakasanayan na. Kaya kapag nahuli tayo ng bati, imbis na “happy belated birthday” eh pilit pa rin natin silang dalawa pinagsasama kaya nagiging “belated happy birthday.” Ganoon lang talaga tayo siguro kasigurado na masaya ang lahat na kaarawan kaya dapat palaging “happy birthday” kahit hindi masaya ang naging kaarawan ng isang tao. Marami-rami pa siguro ang natitira sa ating kanya-kanayng “ay-mali-na-listahan”
Pilipinas VS Filipinas
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“Higit nating maiintindihan ang ating kasaysayan mula sa watakwatak na pulo tungo sa isang pinagisang kapuluan sa pamamagitan ng pangalang ‘Filipinas,’” – Virgilio Almario, Commissioner, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
“If the commission wants to change the name of the country at all, why does it have to settle for “Filipinas.” Why should the original Spanish name of “Las Islas Filipinas” constitute a vast improvement over the Americanized “Philippines”? It’s just expressing a preference for one colonizer over another.”
– Conrado de Quiros, Columnist, the Philippine Daily Inquirer
“Let’s not be boxed in by language calisthenics. Unity is the reason we have a national language.”
– President Benigno Aquino III
tulad na lang ng mga salitang salvage (na ang talagang ibig sabihin ay ‘to save something’), lip sync (at hindi lip sing) at kung ano pa diyan. Ngunit, bago natin isa-bibig ang ilang mga salitang Ingles, hindi naman siguro makasasakit kung aalamin muna natin ang pinagmulan o ‘di kaya ang tamang gamit ng mga salitang ito. Ok lang kung sa kapwa nating mga Pilipino ito ginagamit, pero paano kung darating ang panahon na kailangan nating makipagtalastasan sa mga taong hiniraman natin nito? Kakasa ka ba? Kung oo ang sagot mo [naghahatak ng upuan] at sa tingin mo ay maibabalik mo ng walang halong pangamba ang bawat Ingles na lalabas sa iyong bibig [umaakyat sa itaas ng upuan], ihanda mo na ang iyong kamay at magbilang ng isa, dalawa, tatlo! Apir naman diyan!
DOSn’t Matter
Words by Verna Roz Taperla
Grades – they’re not all that. How do you know that your four-eyed classmate always blinking at thick books is aiming for a medal? Why do you think that your unruly classmate always sitting at the back might not graduate within four years? How do you group the people you know into the smart ones useful for assignments and the “okay” ones who tend to be answer-parasites? Let me take a guess. You use grades, don’t you? And the 2.0 grade is the borderline. Ah yes, 2.0. The grade that is about average – the one dreaded by scholars, tolerated by those just wanting to graduate, and dreamt of by absentees. Grades are what we call the numerical equivalents of our academic performance. They are the tools used by teachers to measure whether the students are learning. They are the numbers that tell whether you are going to graduate on time or not. They are the quantitative determinants of your future employment. They are mere numbers, but their meaning has branched out into different aspects that they have already even become a basis for dividing the students into the geniuses and the
mentally-challenged. However, having an equivalent of 1.0 in exams is not the absolute sign of intelligence. Heck, a cheater can even get some of the good stuff himself through cunning and state-ofthe-art cheating techniques! An intelligent person can also fake bad by hiding behind final marks ranging from 2.0 to 3.0. So perk up, having marks below 2.0 does not equal to your downfall as a human being. As long as you did your best and gripped onto your morals in the process, then you have never fallen at all. Unlike some people who use cheating just to obtain 1.0s. Remember that grades are just the standard of man —and we live for a much greater purpose than just that. In the end, grades are just numbers generated either by the results of your bookish quizzes, or your honest academic output. They are not an absolute measure of a student’s learning. They are not an absolute means of dividing the students. They are not a measure of who you are. They are just numbers – like 2.0.
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POP CULTURE
TAG TEAMS Words by Rhick Lars Albay
From Batman and Robin to Sherlock and Watson, even B1 and B2 from Bananas in Pajamas, dynamic duos have proven themselves as pop culture staples.
Walter White & Jesse Nothing says “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” better than a Meth Kingpin and his assistant running the drug ring of New Mexico in Breaking Bad. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, Walter White, a chemistry teacher, turns to a life of crime to provide for his family, teaming up with his former student, now drug pusher, Jesse. Whether it’s cooking pure crystal blue or eliminating rivals, these two get along like father and son, (but with just the right tinge of violence, psychological manipulation, and a few brutal deaths here and there to make things more interesting). If you want an exhilarating thrill ride that makes science seem fun, watch the recently concluded Breaking Bad.
Daenarys and her Dragons So technically this is a foursome, (Daenerys, Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion, that’s four), but I will count this as a tag team nonetheless. Game of Throne’s Daenerys Targaryen, the daughter of the ousted Mad King, hit rock-bottom after her family was wiped out by her father’s dethroners, leaving her and her psycho of a brother to fend for themselves, that is until she set herself on fire and become the mother of three beautiful dragon hatchlings. Now, with her dragons and a growing army on her side, she is ready to claim the throne that is rightfully hers, may it be by fire or blood.
Daryl Dixon and his Crossbow I was extremely tempted to list the Governor and his Zombie Daughter here to represent the Walking Dead, but that may upset a few people’s stomachs so. Instead we have fan-favorite Daryl Dixon and his handy-dandy cross bow, (Yes, an inanimate object can be counted as a teammate). A character that starts off as the shadow of his older brother in the show, slowly builds his reputation as a master marksman one arrow to a zombie gut at a time. Always distant, he is the lone wolf of the group. That’s ok because the only partner he really needs is his crossbow and some ammo.
UNLIKELY PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
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(1) A group of teenagers take a group selfie with Pope Francis I. (2) Models pose along side Whale Sharks, locally known as Butanding in Oslob, Cebu a famous Whale SharkWatching area in the Philippines
Finn and Jake the dog The last human and a shape-shifting dog, these two are not the heroes the Land of Ooo needs, they are the ones it deserves. In Adventure Time, Finn and Jake go on otherworldly adventures ranging from rescuing princesses abducted by the Ice King to defending the balance of the multiverse from the evil Lich. Actually, “otherworldly” is an understatement. The Land of Ooo is a post-apocalyptic Earth populated by Candy People, Fire spirits, Why-wolves (Like werewolves, but smarter and more curious), Demons and many many more. With a cast of characters as weird as Adventure Time’s, I’m sure Finn and Jake will have much more exciting things to come.
It’s not everyday that you get to post these kind of photos on your Facebook and Intagram walls.
THE GRIMM REALITY OF DISNEY FANTASIES Words by Verna Roz Taperla Art by Daniel Fern Tinagan
Disney Princesses were not always full of happy-ever-afters. Once they were shrouded in a world by the Grimm Brothers. Let’s talk about fairy tales. These are colorful stories like that of the cinder girl, the poisoned anemic princess, and the tower-imprisoned maiden with rapid hair growth that we have adored when we were still under strict parental guidance. However, we will not just be babbling about their hackneyed storylines and characters. Instead, we will try to purge out the truth from the fantasized revisions of Walt Disney to know what really happened in another popular version – the ones compiled by the Brothers Grimm. Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm were German linguists, lexicographers and academicians who, in the 1800s, were the forerunners of the widespread popularization of Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty – the fairy tales we now associate with Disney. Now, we already know how the wicked witch poisoned Snow White by letting her bite a poisoned-dipped apple, and how Cinderella perfectly fit the glass slipper. But, are you sure it is all that happened? In the Grimm Snow White, the queen did not merely ask for Snow White’s heart, but also her lungs and liver that she demanded for dinner – innards, yum. Also, the girl was assaulted thrice by the wicked queen. The first was by giving her a belt that suffocates. The second was by giving her a comb that had poisoned bristles. And the third was the poisoned apple.
Miraculously, the pale-skinned girl was able to survive the first two attacks because the seven little men came to her rescue. Finally, the supposedly dead girl inside the coffin suddenly woke up when the apple in her throat was jostled out by the movement of the carriage the prince was apparently driving. In Cinderella, the step sisters’ feet were too big for the shoe, so one of them cut off her heel while the other one cut off her toes. The result was a bloody mess when they tried the golden footwear. Furthermore, the two pigeons that told the prince of the gory fraudulency pecked out the step sisters’ eyes out as punishment. These may only pertain to Snow White and Cinderella, but there are more differences in the Disney fairy tale films and Grimm Tales if we juxtapose them. In fact, it would tantamount to a very long list. So, let’s cut to the chase here. Sure thing, Disney has the same plot and main characters as the Grimm version, but it does not contain the brutality factor. In the first place, the brothers never really intended their collection for children. Even so, when they did decide that children should be their target readers, they only slightly sanitized the truculent details. Analysts say that Wilhelm and Jacob left the barbarity in the storylines in order for children to learn that wicked ways will always lead to equally wicked consequences.
Another notable difference between the two is the absence of adult supervision in the later version. Instead of influential and caring moms, step-mothers are being substituted and all they ever do is break and burn the lives of their step-daughters. Not a good example at all for princess wannabes. In the Disney fairy tales, what is emphasized is the happy ever after. So what happened to the values – piety, goodness, duty and such that were reflected in the Grimms’ versions? Well, apparently swept away from under the spotlight. Still and all, fairy tales serve a deeper purpose besides being a form of entertainment for children. They are stories that capture a society’s culture during a certain period. Revisions will continue to be born from minds of creative thinkers – revisions that try to be at par with the current form of society they are in. Just think. How many movies of different versions of Rapunzel, Cinderella or Snow White have you already watched? There is already a Rapunzel who fights back with her frying pan weapon, a Cinderella with a cell phone for a glass slipper, and even a Snow White with no seven dwarves and only a huntsman. Inevitably, fairy tales have to change with the world, too. If they don’t, then these stories where people live happily ever after will cease to exist.
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movies that popularized the diagnosis of multiple personality disorder. In rare cases, the number of alters may reach into the hundreds or even thousands. The primary identity, which often has the patient’s given name, tends to be “passive, dependent, guilty and depressed” with other personalities or “alters” being more active, aggressive or hostile, and often containing more complete memories. Most identities are of ordinary people, though fictional, mythical, celebrity and animal alters have also been reported.
ME, MYSELF, AND I Words by Airon Buenvenida Art by Daniel Fern Tinagan
“If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?” —George Carlin There would be times when we seem to not know ourselves. Sometimes, we feel this eerie disconnection from our surroundings, our actions, from who we are. Taking this instances to an extreme level of permanence, that’s what dissociative identity disorder (DID) is like. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously referred to as multiple personality disorder (MPD), is a dissociative disorder involving a disturbance of identity in which two or more separate and distinct personality states (or identities) control the individual’s behavior at different times. According to the fifth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), DID includes “the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states” that alternately control the individual’s behavior.
The legitimacy of DID as a category of illness has been probed by many. Some feel it is only caused by hypnotic induction and not seen in real life. One of the famous stories that described it is ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ by Robert Louis Stevenson that has been made famous by the Hollywood film industry. It is a 19th century thriller about a man who unlocks his evil alter ego and pays a terrible price for it. ALTERS Although a few DID patients have only one alter—the so-called split personality—most report having several, 16 being the average. Interestingly, that is the same number of alters purportedly possessed by Shirley Ardell Mason, the woman known as Sybil in the 1973 best-selling book and two made-for-television
NEUROLOGICAL UNDERPINNING Brain experts regard this disorder more as different circuits in the same brain, each circuit being activated separately. Severe developmental trauma prevented the direct connection of these circuits, resulting in relatively independent part-selves, each representing a particular emotional state or set of memories. The hypothesis is that sometimes, these experiences can simply be too much for a child to integrate into conscious experience. The child’s brain, as a coping mechanism, essentially “turns off” the conscious identity and creates alternate personalities to experience the pain. It’s possible that some minds are stronger than others, more capable of coping consciously with extreme trauma, so not all children in those situations develop split personalities. MINDING THE MIND Dissociative Identity Disorder is in many ways a very unusual presentation of mental illness. Because of its strangeness, many clinicians even reject the whole idea of it. The bottomline is we simply do not yet know enough about either the human brain or the mind to be able to formulate definitive answers yet. So we keep on researching, speculating, trying to understand enough to help those in distress. The human brain is the most complicated structure known to human kind, and we have a long way to go before we can claim to have more than a rudimentary understanding of it. Still, would it not be ironic if it turns out that the human brain/mind turns out to be too complex for it to understand itself?
Sources: • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders • webmd.com • health.howstuffworks.com • wikipedia.org
Frenemies 101 Words by Katrina Joyce Mabanes
an army. Trust me, they are going to be your best defenses.
NOTE: This will work out best if your friends are also against your frenemies. They can be quite handy when it comes to executing your ‘evil’ plans. 2.
1+1=3. Be creative! Your frenemy’s spreading rumors about you, then give that ‘paawa-awa effect’ and take the ‘good’ image. In that way, you can gain others’ sympathy- a nice start in forming your army! Anyway, they should stop spreading gossips if they don’t want to be talked about, too.
3.
Poison Ivy Words. This one is clean and what’s more, it’s beautiful! One must have a quick sarcasm-filled mind in order for this to work. Here’s an example:
A guide on how to face your frenemies in an angelic or despicable manner. Frenemies - friends and yet enemies. They might approach you with a smile plastered all over their faces, talk and laugh with you but little do you know their true intentions playing inside their head. Well, circumstances such as being hated by someone is painful, but it hurts more to the bone if that someone was a friend. Which is why every one of us must be prepared when faced with that situation. Listed below are tips on how to face your frenemies. Depending on your personality, either of the two sets can best suit you.
2.
3.
4.
WITH YOUR HALO AND WINGS Face your frenemies in a good, pure hearted manner. 1. Learn to genuinely like the person. Explore the positive sides of your frenemy aside from dwelling inside the negatives. Maybe you’ll find something in that person that you will truly like.
Don’t talk behind their back. Talking behind their backs will make you as bad as they are. The best thing to do is to calmly confront them when no one’s around. Help your frenemies. As a student, a friendship could start with a simple helping of home works, project ideas, and stuffs. Lend a helping hand. Who knows it may change their views about you. Love yourself. When you’ve done your best in making them true to you, but still the trouble persists, then cut it off. Maybe it’s not the proper time for both parties to get along. Don’t come pushing yourself on those people who despise you secretly. Love yourself and be happy.
WITH YOUR HORNS AND TAIL Face your frenemies in a wicked fashion. 1.
Form an army. You don’t want to be alone in this war, do you? Gather your friends. Form
“Wow! You really have soft hands!”
It may be just a plain compliment, yet it may also mean that that person is lazy. See? It can be both beautiful and ugly!
NOTE: Their level of sarcasm must match up with their level of stupidity.
4.
Jealous much? Envy much? This one works very well especially with the help of the internet. Simply add your frenemy as a friend on Facebook, or follow each other on Instagram and Twitter. Frenemies are very well connected with each other but only in the internet. You’ll stalk each other and get bitter whenever something good happens to one another. Call it immature, but admit ityou’ve been there at some point, right?
Those are just few ways to face your frenemies depending on your own conscience. But first, ask yourself if that frenemy of yours is indeed, a frenemy. Be careful around this huge society or else you’ll spring up a dangerous trap. Be observant. Spot those who are true and not. But whatever happens, be prepared.
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the
centralecho
ENVIRONMENT
Words by Ron Adrian A. Dionaldo
CAUTION
With our fast-paced modern world in its prime, it’s hard to keep track of everything. Everyday, several things change. Ideas pop out from nowhere. Technologies advance endlessly. Innovations rise, fall, and rise anew again. And yet, despite the hubbub and movement and cycle of old concepts dying and new concepts growing, some things just refuse to die. The immortal mantra of Reduce Reuse Recycle has been used for centuries. This is perhaps the most famous principle that never seems to expire. Call it cliché, but whether we practice it or not, the trinity is still one of the most effective ways to help the environment even in the modern day. In time, however, the three R’s of environmental sustainability have evolved into something more than the usual solid waste management. At its most technical sense, reduce should come from the production process of an item. The most apt example is the use of lesser material. However, recent ideas have transformed the factory-based reduction into something a typical consumer can do. The following are little ways that may appear insignificant if viewed singularly, but in due time, their effects will be exponential.
DO NOT THROW
REDUCE
CRUSH THE TRASH! Boyle’s Law states that as pressure increases, volume decreases. Now, using that seemingly irrelevant law, can you briefly explain
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how to maximize a trash can? Simple sense have pointed out that by crushing hollow objects like plastic bottles, boxes, metal cans, and clamshell containers before throwing them into any garbage bin, one could easily conclude that more objects can be thrown into the bin. By increasing the pressure against the garbage (crushing), their volume is reduced, thus allowing more objects inside the garbage bin. This is but a small act, but its effects are stupendous. Less garbage bags could be used,
more garbage can be taken in by a dump truck in one go, and so on. With nothing but a little bit of exertion to crush, you can do your part in helping Mother Earth. And build up your muscles in the process. Hey, who says you can be ecofriendly and goodlooking at the same time?
EXCLUSIVELY FOR GUYS The urinals have been assuring guys that they have entered the correct restroom since time immemorial. And if you were a normal guy who uses the appropriate restroom, you would probably know what nowadays can save approximately 150,000 liters of fresh water. If not, you may stop reading and go find a restroom then stare at the signs until you get it. Otherwise, and for the benefit of
REUSE
the girls who have never entered a men’s room, waterless urinals are the new technology that actually does away with water. The technology actually differs by urinal type, but basically, using this urinal is an easy way to reduce your own water waste. Now if given the choice between this and a flooded toilet bowl that could clog, gurgle, or explode with brown fudge…choose the urinal.
Reuse is simply using the same thing again, like plastic bags, bottles, and, if you give much thought about it, just about everything else in existence. The following are more insights…and one important caution…on the second point of the trinity.
NAME THEM If you’re in any event and the host is using plastic cups, it would be a smart idea to write your name on the cup so you can simply reuse instead of throwing an old one and using a new one. This may seem like a hassle, but this is actually very useful in camps and outings where the supply of utensils is limited. KEEP THEM UNDER YOUR CONTROL Use paper cores or bread chips to organize cables. Cut lengthwise along a paper core and use it to keep cartolinas, newspapers, gift wrapper, and other paper products in a rolled form. Use plastic containers or cardboard as an improvised phone holder when charging. Out on the beach? Cut halfway through a plastic container (like a used sunblock lotion) and use it to contain your valuables and keep them from getting wet. Ever wanted a bag that can be closed like a bottle? Insert the bag’s opening through a cut plastic bottle closure and you’ll get an ingenious bag with closure packaging! (Note: the bottom part of the plastic bottle can be used as an organizer)
A CAUTION ON NUMBERS If you look at the bottom of a plastic bottle, cup, or any plastic product, you will find a number inscribed in a triangle. Contrary to popular belief, the number does not indicate how many times you can recycle that plastic. A number 6 does not mean you can use it again 6 times. The number is the plastic identification code and is limited from 1 to 7. Each number simply represents the specific type of plastic used for the product, and not the recyclability guide. To be safe, focus on reusing those with numbers 1 and 2 (plastic bottles and bags). Some cases of numbers 5 and 7 (Tupperware, plastic tumblers) can also be reused, but even then the constant usage and stress from temperature and other hazards can cause these plastics to degrade.
THE IMMORTAL MANTRA OF REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE HAS BEEN USED FOR CENTURIES. CALL IT CLICHÉ, BUT THE TRINITY IS STILL ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. Recycling, as the third of the three R’s, is less favored than reduce and reuse. This is because both reduce and reuse simply modify the product or extend its useful life whereas recycling involves treatment of the garbage scraps.
RECYCLE
Glass is cleaned. Metal is reworked. Paper is repulped. Plastics are melted and formed into new products like chairs and furniture. Yes, this is why garbage bins have the label “Recyclable” because the garbage is brought into specific facilities that treat the materials to form new products. The three R’s of environmental sustainability will remain valuable as long as the practice lives, as long as people care. What once would have been thrown away would find a second purpose. What once that has been thrown will find a new beginning.
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VHEROWAY L L TO E YTHEI NTOPG Words by Airon Buenvenida
A pair of tattered white practice shoes and her passion for volleyball was all she had when she first stepped in CPU. Now, her passion became her life and she has countless pairs of shoes. Her rise as Shakey’s V-League MVP and being named by Yahoo! Philippines as one of the Outstanding Athletes of 2013 are some of what most of her followers know about her. But those who’d been with her journey would agree that there is a moving tale that has to be told. Jovelyn Segobre Gonzaga, or “Jovz”, is a native of Sta. Teresa, Jordan, Guimaras. She was born in October 30, 1991 and is the third of the five children of Godofredo Gonzaga and the late Evelyn Gonzaga who passed away last year. As a family, they lived a meager, but happy life. She was on her fourth grade when she started playing volleyball, though at that time, she never imagined that her fascination for the sport would later bring her to greater heights. “I was just passing by a training of
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the volleyball team of our school when I was encouraged to try serving the ball,” Jovelyn recalls. “To my surprise, I was able to hit the ball through the net, and then the team invited me to join.” From then on, volleyball has been transfused in her system. With her knack for volleyball, not a single person with an eye for the sport would overlook her potential. Unsurprisingly, as a high school sophomore representing their province during the regional meet, her potential caught the eyes of coaches from Iloilo and Bacolod who were engrossed with her and so recruited her for their teams. A decision had to be made, but accepting any of the coaches’ offers would mean leavihgher home. “My mother told me that I’m too dependent to stand alone, but I was determined. I told my parents that if I won’t grab the opportunity, there’s a greater possibility that I won’t make it
to college,” Jovelyn shares. “I promised that I’ll prove them wrong and that I would never give them any problem.” Finally, she chose to pursue her studies and her journey as a volleybelle at CPU. THE PROMISE OUT OF A PAIR OF SHOES With a scholarship grant from the University, Jovelyn had to worry only of her survival in the city. She first stayed at the house of Mrs. Melida Agriam (former HS secretery) where she helped with the house chores. She also served as a “kasera” of the Agriams for her meals everyday . Her teammates and friends, especially Beauty Denila, would also often treat her out. Though she had been receiving an athletic allowance, she still managed to save and send some money to her family in Guimaras.
Photo from Solar Sports
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SHE HAS THE ULTIMATE DEFENSE TO STAND AGAINST THE CHALLENGES OF LIFE AND THE PIERCING OFFENSE TO FIGHT BACK IN CONQUERING THE IMPOSSIBLE.
A RALLY OF SPORTS AND STUDIES Jovelyn admits that it was difficult for her to juggle volleyball and her studies. She underscores the need to stay in the middle. “I had to take care for my athletic life because it’s supporting my education, but I also had to make sure that I do well in my studies because once I fail, it would be the end of everything.” She has always subscribeb to the idea that “solution is much greater than problems,” fueling her ego of being a fighter. She also acknowledges that her strong faith in God has put her where she is right now. “He’s the pilot of my life, I’m a mere passenger. I believe that all the bumps, ups, and down, are part of the ride. I’m confident that
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He’ll bring me somewhere I meant to be in.” THE SPIKE SHE DIDN’T SEE COMING If there was one event in her life when she almost gave up, it was when her mother passed away. “Losing my mother, my best friend, caused me an unbearable pain. I used to ask in my mind why she left me too early, because we still have lots of plans. I felt like she deceived me and left me hanging,” Jovelyn confesses. “But with her condition, I know that she has to rest and I don’t want to see her suffer anymore. “ Jovelyn recalls that she was playing as a guest player for the Philippine Army last year when she left her mother with a heavy heart in the hospital. Because her mother was apprehensive of the hospital bills, she went out of the hospital without her daughter knowing it. Jovelyn became the player of the game during that time and what frustrated her most was that she didn’t know that her mother was there to watch her game. “When I was interviewed, I mentioned a lot of people except her who was there. I felt a mixed of emotion,” she said. “After that day, I dedicated all of my games to my mother. Until her last breath, she showed that she was a fighter. I guess that’s what I got from her.” “My mother was an extraordinary woman that’s why it’s hard to fill in what she left. But I promised to her that I’ll support our family to the
Photos from Jovelyn Gonzaga’s facebook
During their training, she used to wear a torn and ragged pair of jansport shoes. (note: was it jansport shoes?) “I used to slip and fall because it had no spike on it, and instead of cycling shorts, I used to wear a basketball shorts,” she cheerfully recollects. Good Samaritans in the person of Dominic Endriga and Denis Malada bought her a new pair. She was very glad because she just dreamed of having a new one, but couldn’t afford. “Since then, I promised to myself that I won’t let my little sister experience what I’ve been through. I want that someday, I can provide anything she would want, like the pair of shoes I wished for.”
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best I could. That’s my priority right now, that’s why I don’t have time for a love life,” she said with a resolve. HER PASSION, HER LIFE Volleyball is not just a sport for her; it’s her passion, her life, and her first love. “I can’t imagine my life without volleyball. I guess it would be boring because I already have a dull personality. I’m not the outgoing type. I prefer to sleep, eat, and then sleep again rather than socialize with others,” she shares. Her discipline towards her craft also makes her the person she is now. With all the victories and recognitions she has been achieving, she has learned how to stay humble. She quotes Rizal that,” the person who doesn’t know how to look back where he came from won’t reach his destination.” To never give up in pursuing one’s dream is her greatest lesson in life. “If you fail, stand up and learn from it. Be open to changes and learn how to adapt,” she challenges. “Most importantly, remember that talent is God-given so always be humble. Fame is man-given, so be grateful. Meanwhile, conceit is self-given, so be careful.” Jovelyn indeed plays her game well. She has the ultimate defense to stand against the challenges of life and the piercing offense to fight back in conquering the impossible.
Men and women have always stood on opposite ends of the spectrum, may this just be miscommunication dragged on for far too long?
UNDERSTANDING THE
MARTIAN AND
VENUSIAN LANGUAGE Words by Airon Buenvenida Art by Daniel Fern Tinagan
Suppose that men were originally from Mars and women were from Venus. Then once upon a time, Martians have discovered that they were not the only creatures in the universe- there were Venusians. Out of curiosity, Martians flew to Venus. Intuitively, Venusians welcomed them. Both were surprisingly delighted by each other’s values, preferences, and the like. Instead of clash, love blossomed. A decision to carry this magical tale on earth was then made. Years of joyful living was suddenly disrupted by a giant asteroid which knocked off peace from the planet. The wobbling impact resulted to a mass selective amnesia! Men and women then forgot what they learned from each other- they were supposed to be different.
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UNLESS MEN AND WOMEN UNLEARN SOME OF THEIR UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX, FRUSTRATION, THE VERY LEAST, WILL CONTINUE TO PLAGUE A SPECTRUM OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT MEN AND WOMEN SHARE
The above concept is adapted from John Gray in his famous book ‘Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus’. Needless to say, the friction ranging from frustrating interactions with the opposite sex to hapless non-working marriages had been a universal problem. Without the awareness that men and women are dissimilar, they will continue to be at odds with each other. Unless men and women unlearn some of their understanding about the opposite sex, frustration, the very least, will continue to plague a spectrum of relationships that men and women share.
On the other hand, Dr. Valencia posits a woman as “process-oriented.” A woman’s sense of self is defined through her emotions and the quality of her relationships. Instead of cars and gadgets, a woman would be more concerned with harmony, communication, and growth and healing. She perceives the process of an action rather than its goal. Using the same illustration, when a woman receives flowers from a man, she recognizes the genuineness and sweetness of the action. She values the emotion she feels on the process. The flower for her is a “symbol of love” from the man. That is why, when a man stops giving her flowers, she may feel that she is not loved anymore.
HIS AND HER NEEDS In a seminar last semester on “Improving Everyday Communication and Interaction Skills: a Gendered Perspective” , Dr. Marshall Valencia, a Social Psychologist, asserts that generally, men and women (disregarding the ratio of estrogen and testosterone each may have), each have their own particular needs. “To effectively communicate with them, we should have a clear grasp of how and why they value these needs,” he forewarns. Dr. Valencia describes a man as “goaloriented”. A man’s sense of self is defined through his ability to achieve results. He is preoccupied with things that can help him express power by creating results and achieving his goals. He is more interested in ‘objects’ and ‘things’ than people and emotions. Dr. Valencia best illustrates a goaloriented man using a cliché scene in a romantic relationship- a man giving flowers to a woman. According to him,” when a man courting a woman gives her flowers, he gives it with the goal to impress her, more or so to achieve a ‘yes’ from her.” He uses flowers as an instrument towards achieving his goal. After achieving a positive result, the flowers may not be of use to a man as his goals progress in parallel with his life events. A man would then perhaps earn a living for their marriage, save up for a house, and sustain the education of their child; leaving the flowers behind as these couldn’t satisfy the stomach of his family or other compelling needs.
HIS AND HER CABINET Dr. Valencia further explains the goalorientedness of man and the process-orientedness of a woman using an analogy of their brain to a cabinet. He shares that “a man’s cabinet is full of separate compartments.” For every speech and action, a man uses a one compartment at a time. This is why when a man is on his zone, he can’t afford of being distracted. This ability of men to focus generally gives them a better hand on activities that requires logic and spatial skills. Meanwhile, Dr. Valencia describes the cabinet of a woman as that of “full of linked compartments.” When a woman talks, she could use two or more compartments simultaneously. As a result, she could spontaneously associate anything she perceives to something else. This is what makes her more sensitive than man. Generally, this gives a woman better intuition and command of language. When these two cabinets confront each other, it would often lead to this exchange of words: Woman: “Is there any problem?” Man: “None.” Woman: “You seem to be deeply troubled.” [Man keeps silent]. Woman: “Talk to me.” [Man keeps still keeps silent] [Woman gets upset] This discord usually happens because man has a notion that a woman should think like him, while a woman has the need to be empathized with the way she feels.
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SAME WORDS, DIFFERENT MEANINGS Tension with the opposite sex, especially those in a relationship, could be best avoided by knowing that though their language may be speaking the same words, the way they were used gives different meanings. For women, remember that men value results and achievements, therefore, pay attention on their time, effort and their ability that constitute their achievement. First, since they may value time, be brief and direct when talking to them. Avoid using metaphors and “A is B, X is Y, so BY is Z” sentence structure. Second, always recognize their efforts as this confirms their ability to create good results. Third, when they are on their zone or when they suddenly keep silent, and you feel like they are troubled, never give some unsolicited advice nor empathize with them as these may make them feel less of a man. Resolving things on their own validates their manhood, therefore, trusting them to find their way out may help boost their manhood. Most importantly, if you want a smooth conversation with them as much as possible, open topics that may appeal to their reasoning, their plans, or anything that may ignite their being goaloriented. For men, remember that women express feelings in their speech. Therefore, as a rule of thumb, don’t take things literally from them. When conversing with them, especially when having a sensitive topic, give your full attention to them. Also, don’t solve their problem, empathize instead. They don’t care about the solution to their problems, what they need is someone who would be with them as they go through that painful process. They’re process oriented right? Finally, for those who are in a relationship, take note that when giving presents, big or small, they score the same point. So no matter what you give, what you do, or whatever your intention of giving is, it is still magically true that it’s the thought that counts. That is for you not to compromise your frugal living and her symbolic needs. At the end of the day, like in any other partnerships, how these differences shall be handled will determine the quality of the relationship.
Isang pagkakamali. Dalawang linya. Siyam na buwan. Habambuhay na pagsisisi.
L CY U N A P N G ANG LTA SA PRE
W A ESU R L A A N D MABAS ANG LU
A Y N I L G N A TEST
ulat Pan
e ang ie G r a aM lmin A i n
Pagkatapos ng humigitkumulang isang taong panliligaw ay nabihag na ng binatang tawagin natin sa pangalang *Inuyasha ang puso maging ang kaluluwa ni *Kagome. Sa murang edad na 15 ay kapusukan ang nangingibabaw sa katulad nilang mga kabataang umiibig. Mga dala ng init ng katawan at pagsubok sa mga bagay na para lamang sana sa mga ibinuklod ng Maykapal. Pagkatapos ng limang taon at limang buwan na relasyon ay napakaraming bagay na ang nasubukan nilang gawing magkasama. Hanggang sa ito’y humantong sa isang di inaasahang pangyayari na nagbunga ng panibagong buhay sa mundo. Sa pag-aalala ni Kagome pagkat isang linggo nang huli ang buwanang dalaw ay kanyang ipinaalam ito sa kanyang kasintahan na lubos na umaasang daratnan pa ang dalaga. Hanggang sa kanyang sinubukan ang pregnancy test kit na gumuhit ng dalawang linya na nagbigay sa kanila ng kasiguraduhan ng kanyang pagdadalang tao. “ Kahit anong mangyari, we will take the risk”, ito lamang ang tanging mga katagang nasabi ni Inuyasha pagkatapos ng isang rebelasyong babago sa buhay nilang dalawa. Mga tanong na walang kasiguraduhan kung may sagot, mga pangarap na di na makakamtan at mga pangyayaring maaring makasakit sa kanyang mga mahal sa buhay lalo na sa kanyang mga magulang, ito ang mga bagay na tila naglalaro sa isipan ni Kagome bawat gabi. Pagtakwil ng ama at ina at hindi kutya ng iba ang kinatatakutan n’ya. Samot-saring mga solusyon ang kanyang naisip, dahil alam n’yang lubos na masasaktan ang kanyang mga magulang lalo na ang kanyang ina. Hanggang sa sumagi sa kanyang isipan ang isang bagay na ipagkait sa isang sanggol na masilayan ang mundo. “Ang isang pagkakamali ay hindi masosolusyonan ng isa pang pagkakamali. Handa kitang panindigan Bhe”, ito ang tanging tugon ng isang magiging binatang ama sa kanya. Laking pasasalamat n’ya na kahit anong nangyari ay si Inuyasha ang naging sandigan n’ya at pinanghuhugutan ng lakas upang magpatuloy at ipaglaban ang kanilang panganay. Pagkatapos ng limang buwang pagbubuntis ay nagkalakas na ng loob ang dalawa na ipagtapat ito sa kanilang mga magulang. Isang inang lumuluha at amang tila nawalan ng ulirat ang tumambad sa kanila pagkatapos
MAG-ISIP MUNA BAGO SUBUKAN. KAILANGANG MAG-INGAT DAHIL MAY MGA BAGAY NA HINDI NA MABABAGO KAPAG NANGYARI NA. malaman ang maagang pagbubuntis ng anak. Ngunit buong puso nilang tinanggap ang sanggol at sinuportahan ang pagdadalang-tao ng anak ang naging pasya ng mapagmahal n’yang mga magulang. Ganoon din ang naging tugon ng mga magulang ng binata. “Mahirap ang pagbubutis, masakit ang panganganak ngunit ang kasiyahan na marinig at makita ang unang iyak ng sanggol ay walang kanpantay sa kahit anong kasiyahang nadama sa buong buhay ko sa mundong ito” ayon kay Kagome. Hindi nagbago si Inuyasha sa pagmamahal kay Kagome at tila nadagdagan pa ito dahil sa kanilang panganay na anak, at ang tanging bagay na pinag-iipunan niya ngayon ay para sa kinabukasan ng kanyang magina. Napilitan si Kagome na tumigil sa pag-aaral dahil sa pagdadalang tao. Ngayong naisaayos na ang lahat ay handa na s’yang ipagpatuloy ang pag-aaral at pagkatapos ay magkaroon ng trabaho upang maging kaagapay sa pagtaguyod ng kanilang pamilya. “Mag-isip muna bago subukan, kailangang magingat dahil may mga bagay na hindi na mababago pag nangyari na.” Ito ang payo ni Kagome sa mga kabataang di maiwasang maging mapangahas sa larangan ng pag-ibig. “Nagpapasalamat ako sa pamilya ko dahil kahit nabigo ko sila ay buong puso pa rin nila akong tinanggap, sa Maykapal dahil sa paggabay n’ya sa akin sa tamang daan at sa pagturo sa akin ng mga tamang desisyon sa buhay.” Isa lamang si Kagome sa libo-libong mga dalagang ina sa buong mundo. Ang pagiging isang magulang ay hindi biro. Ang mga kabataan ngayon ay kailangan ng ibayong pag-iingat lalo na sa kanilang mga katawan. Ang isang bagay ay higit na pahahalagahan kung matagal na iningatan at hinintay. Malaki pa ang kinabukasang naghihintay sa mga kabataan, huwag itong sayangin para lamang sa panandaliang kasiyahan. *pangalan na ninais itawag ng paksa upang itago ang katauhan.
the
centralecho
Words by Reyshimar Arguelles Art by Daniel Fern Tinagan
“Every time I hear a political speech or I read those of our leaders, I am horrified at having, for years, heard nothing which sounded human.” - Albert Camus On September 8, soldiers from the secessionist Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), disgruntled by a framework agreement brokered between the government and another secessionist faction, arrived at Zamboanga City. Riding pump boats and carrying with them guns, ammunition, food and the mandate of their leaders, these men and women landed in Chavacano Town to let the establishment know that force rings louder than congressional bickering and that patience sings no solemn tune. The next day, they occupied four barangays, took hostages, and declared the establishment of the Bangsamoro Republic. The siege, dubbed by the national press and Wikipedia (the world’s most credible news source) as the Zamboanga City Crisis, raged for almost three weeks. Houses were razed, bodies (loyalist, rebellious or neutral) were piled up, and paranoia-inducing bullets whizzed pass dazed brains. As with Stalingrad, there were snipers in buildings, and no clear headed officer would have thought against peppering the structures along with their hostile occupants to bits. The siege wore on as it turned Zamboanga City into a victim of power politics, into a tragic melodrama that demands no curtain call for either hero or villain. It had been months since the crisis had ended. Scores of rebels and soldiers and civilians who have only the slightest idea about the Bangsamoro Framework were placed into graves, all for reasons too obscure and abstract. Indeed, what could be learned from conflicts like these? That politics (paging Mr. Binay) play amputated limbs in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors? That issues on secessionist movements require an immediate remedy? That politics (again), a game played
entirely with a thesaurus and cash-infused ambitions, often results in the loss of life and limb? And finally, that you may think twice before picking up a shotgun and declare the existence of (I don’t know) the People’s Republic of Panay or the Confederacy of Visayan States? Miles away, these same questions are being tackled in desperately, in alleyways and bakeshops and schools and dilapidated mosques. The people in Syria, like the victims of power politics in Zamboanga City, also demand clarity. The Zamboanga Crisis has become the offshoot of a long-standing call for an independent Muslim state. Several negotiations took place since the MNLF had taken up its cause in 1969. But these eventually broke down, having been regarded as indecisive deals that have nothing good in store for the Moros. The talks came simultaneously with atrocities even Mao would have been proud of. The recent was last year’s Bangsamoro Framework Agreement, a “peace talk” seen to effect lasting prosperity for the Moros, but this was done with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The MNLF was not dealt a single hand. And so, irked by such treachery, Misuari had ordered his men to wreck havoc once again, to prove that the Mindanao Question is far from solved, let alone fully explained. In Syria, the civil war waged by forces unhappy with the way how Bashar al-Assad runs things started off in 2011 with vague concepts such as hope and freedom. This year, the general public has cast a ruthless eye on the anti-Assad front. Atrocities
as graphic as those committed by progovernment soldiers earned for the opposition the animosity of television viewers, YouTube comment sections, online fora, and bloggers who think they know a thing or two about armed insurrection. Now Syria is bleeding, and the United States is up at its heels again, at the sight of a terminally ill patient at the mercy of Mother Russia. Reports of the Assad administration’s use of chemical weapons against rebel towns and cities would have passed as evidences to be presented in the International Court. The use of these weapons is Assad’s stern expression against armed defiance. Missiles have pounded Aleppo, and tanks have rolled across the countryside in a march of power – and the international community looks on with damning indifference. The civil war rages on, unlike Zamboanga City, which has since fallen silent. But in some ways, it mirrors the Mindanao Question. For one, the fate of thousands of people is being echoed within the United Nations Security Council. And just like the Mindanao Question, Syria only hears its own voice. The only one in the room, it screams for clarity until it wastes the last dregs of sanity.
THE CIVIL WAR RAGES ON, UNLIKE ZAMBOANGA CITY, WHICH HAS SINCE FALLEN SILENT. BUT IN SOME WAYS, IT MIRRORS THE MINDANAO QUESTION.
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DUALITY: DO THINGS HAPPEN TWICE? Words by Rosanne Grace Castor
When I looked up at the sky, I saw nothing. I slowly tilted my head sideward to get a good view of where am I- still I saw nothing. Everything’s blurry. I could only see shadows, not even a good one. But…this place, I had been here before. I made a sudden pause. I knew exactly what’s next. And I was right! As I was about to stand, I saw a dim light trailing to a narrow hallway. Was this in school? No,probably in the park. I didn’t know! Was I dreaming? Was this really happening? This was so familiar. I was sure I’dseen this before- same place, same scene. That’s it! You knew it never happened yet your mind kept insisting it had. Have you experienced a sort of repetition of things in your life? Like some kind of a dream?It feels like taking a strange, vaguely familiar sensation that keeps on pounding at the back of your mind. It seems quite similar to whatyou had experienced or seen before butit’s impossible because it’s the very first time you set foot on that place. Actually, there are several explanations to this- both scientific and superstitious. Some say they are just glimpses from our dreams and others say they are effects of tiredness and exhaustion. Traditionally, our ancestorsbelieved this phenomenon as reincarnation. Early people occasionally propose that after we die, our souls reincarnate and dwell in new bodies that would receive them – plants and animals. Well, that could possibly happen. This phenomenon is commonly called déjà vu [dàyzhaavoó]. Anyhow, déjà vu according to some may result from fantasy or fulfilment. On the other hand, several say it is caused by the mismatching of the brain from present to past. Either way, it may come from hidden desires that linger on, yet we keep on denying them. For example, the desires we aim to achieve. As part of human behaviour, those desires are dreamt through imaginations and in them the desires are fulfilled. But, what does déjà vu really mean? Déjà vu is the sense of familiarity. As we go back to previous studies, no one really knows where déjà vu originated. The word comes from a French word meaning a sense of familiarity yet no one can best trace the history of the idea itself.
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This phenomenon, déjà vu is subject to a new scientific research. Based on scientific studies, there are certain factors that cause déjà vu. In a 2003 study in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, experts believed déjà vu maybe linked to neurotransmitters. In a separate study, déjà vu is connected to medial temporal lobe epilepsy. In this disease, the hippocampus which manages the short- and long-term memories is affected. In this case, certain scientists suggested that at the onset of the seizures, déjà vu is consistently experienced. Jamais vu, or “never seen,” is a phenomenon
Words by Reyshimar Arguelles
where someone sees something familiar- like their own kitchen- but feels they have never been there. Déjà entendu (“already heard”) occurs when someone is certain they’ve heard something before- like a conversation, but cannot recall the precise time or place. Scientific or superstitious, no one knows why this is happening. No one can present the exact explanation on how déjà vu evolved. Yet, this common occurrence clearly depicted that in life, there is no going back. We may recall the past,but we can never go back. Things may happen twice, yet things of the past can never be changed.
THE
Poverty, Corruption, and Oppression. Our country is reliving the same mistakes again and again. The witness has lined the holding room’s walls with news clippings. Every surface and corner was covered with headlines and tabloid photos. On the wall, the report on the millions in kickbacks received by politicians; on one corner, the list of casualties during the last typhoon; near the door, the latest developments in the government’s investigation. He has been kept in this room with no windows for nearly a month now. “There’s a threat to your life, it’s too risky outside, ” the prosecutors have often repeated to him, he very well knew why; he had read about it again and again. Two of the other witnesses have been found dead; killed brutally, dismembered and stuffed into sacks, left on the side of a
SAME OLD HEAD LINES Words by Rhick Lars Albay Photos by Chalcedon Sañor
highway for everyone to see. What both comfort and scare him are the newspapers delivered to his room early in the morning every day. The witness has taken to going through them first thing when he wakes up, thumbing through each page cover to cover, cutting out paragraphs, headlines, pictures, reading the pieces he sees as important, gathering these bits of newsprint, pinning them onto his walls, one by one.
THE STATE OF THE NATION Somewhere in the Philippines, a politician is counting all the money he has amassed. Bribes and undeclared assets all amounting to millions. While in a dumpsite someplace, an expectant mother rummages through piles of garbage for scraps, searching for anything to sell or bring back to her hungry children in their barungbarong. In the Philippines, the rich get richer and the poor stay poor. The Nation GDP has been moving in the right direction, showing small but significant growths this past year, but the plea of the poor has made no difference.
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Graft and corruption has left the poverty rate of our country largely unchanged. The Philippine Statistics Authority estimates that 20% of the population is below the poverty line, reaching as high as 56% in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. The percentage has noticeably stagnated since 2006, with an estimated 4.2 million families who can barely live within their means. This is while politicians line their pockets with funds that could have helped alleviate the problems of the poor. The public upheaval and media attention garnered by the 10-Bililion Pork Barrel Scam, has done little to speed up the progress of the investigation, even with substantial proof against the accused senators. Evidently, Jinggoy Estrada’s net worth went up by 133% in a span of only 6 years, an increase of over a hundred million pesos. Estrada’s seemingly impossible multiplication of assets is followed by Revilla whose declared properties increased by 47% over the same period of time. These funds funneled into fake NGOs, could have benefited the Filipino people, instead they’ve been used to fill the coffers of already wealthy politicians: Marcos, Estrada, Arroyo, and now Enrile and company. This just adds to the already long string of corrupt public officials that continue to plague our country.
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A woman looks at the remains of what used to be her home. Despite the wreckage, she can still tell where their kitchen once was, her children’s rooms, where the bedroom she and her husband shared used to be. The sudden flood of water had led her away from her family. It’s been four weeks since the storm came. Even until now, she is not entirely sure where they are. A few miles away from the woman and her decaying house, volunteers were preparing a mass grave. Hundreds of children, fathers, and mothers, laid on the ground one beside another, distinguished only by the white nametags around their feet.
TWO OF THE OTHER WITNESSES WERE FOUND CUT UP, THEIR LIMBS STUFFED INTO SACKS, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. THE MEN IN THE SACKS COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN HIM.
The day before Yolanda made landfall, Pres. Noynoy Aquino had announced in a privilege speech, his confidence that the Philippines would weather out the coming storm, declaring that local government units were prepared for anything, going as far as to claim that there would be zero casualties. As communication started to be reestablished in the days after the typhoon, casualties were estimated at a modest 2,000. A police man who was quoted that the dead could be up to 10,000 was relieved from his position, for publicizing reckless conclusions, but he may have been right. Estimates right now stand at 6,000 while nearly 2,000 remain missing. Annually, an average of 19 typhoons enter the Philippine area of responsibility, last year however, the count went up to 25. One would
expect a country that experiences typhoons on a monthly basis to be well aware of the precautions for natural disasters, but no such awareness was shown in the aftermath of Yolanda. Public officials took to pointing fingers, not wanting to be held accountable for the death of thousands. Aid and relief goods trickled into the affected areas at a very slow pace. Thousands of dead bodies were left to rot beside highways because of lack of action. This is not news in the Philippines. Sendong, Frank, the list of typhoons that have brought the Philippines to its knees is long. We are ravaged by natural disasters yearly, yet time and time again we are caught off-guard.
COUNTING CASUALTIES
BLOOD FOR BLOOD The journalist steps back, stunned by the scene before her. Backhoes still droning, seemingly deserted in a hurry, and vans with shattered windshields, littered with bullet holes and faint traces of blood. The journalist can almost imagine it, the men and women, some journalists like her, being dragged out of their vans, and made to kneel on the ground one by one. They must’ve cried and pleaded for their lives. She imagines a woman watching her companions being shot one by one, she begs to be spared, but her voice is interrupted midsentence by a gunshot to her forehead. One of the most troubling news in recent memory is how the Philippines has come third to only Iran and Syria, as the most dangerous country for journalists. In 2009, the largest recorded death toll amongst media practitioners was reported. This was the year the Maguindanao Massacre stunned the world with its atrocity, 32 of the 52 people slain in the Mangundadatu convoy were journalists. However strong the cries of the people for justice, it has proven itself fleeting. Since the public hearings kicked off in 2010, eighty suspects remain free and at large, and three key witnesses to the Ampatuan Killings have been brutally slain, instilling fear to anyone who wishes to oppose the powerful Maguindanao family. History shows that the Philippines has never been the most welcoming to calls
STILL CASTING SHADOWS
Twenty-eight years after the Marcos Regime, the dark shadow of martial law continues to live on to this day.. Luxury at the Expense of the People Then: Imelda Marcos, with her over 3,000 pairs of shoes and millions of pesos in jewelry, traveling the world, engaging in shopping sprees wherever she went, all charged to the government account of the Philippines Now: Janet Napoles’ daughter Jeane, her Instagram feed spilling with designer labels and luxurious escapades, thanks to mommy and her pork empire Conjugal Corruption Then: Ferdinand Marcos ruling with his political confidante and wife Imelda Marcos Now: Gloria and husband Mikie Arroyo signing shady deals with foreign telecommunication investors; Juan Ponce Enrile and chief-of-staff / rumored mistress Gigi Reyes orchestrating PDAF transfers to fake NGOs
for social change, for during the Marcos dictatorship alone, more than 1,600 people were either killed, tortured, or made to disappear. They have been labeled as the Desaparecidos, and though Martial Law seems like so long ago, the clandestine practice continues to this day. In 2012, PNoy signed into law the AntiEnforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act which many have however labeled as simply a meaningless token and nothing more. In fact, two abductions were reported only days after the bill was signed into law. During the Arroyo administration alone, 17 cases of enforced disappearance have been reported. The latest case of disappearance was Bryan Epa of Nueva Vizcaya, an antimining activist, who was abducted by Vizcaya police on the night of August 21, 2013.
CONCLUSIONS The witness walks reluctantly towards the podium, everything this past month has led up to this, all the threats, uncertainty, and fear. To calm himself, he tries to imagine that he is back in his holding cell with no windows, walls covered with news clippings. He’s going against his former employers, so he very well knows that they’ll be out to get him. Two of the other witnesses were found cut up, their limbs stuffed into sacks, just a few weeks ago. The men in the sacks could easily have been him. The witness is not entirely sure if his words will bring the investigations a step further, but his account is all the Judiciary has. He prays that it is the best place to start.
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SEEING DOUBLE Words by Dazen Dawn Lariza Photos by Chalcedon Sa単or
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There’s a saying that we enter the world alone, go through the paces of life alone, and we leave it alone. There are however some lucky enough to be exemptions.
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T
hey walk the school grounds in their white blouses, navy blue and white plaid skirts and cravats, and polished black shoes. Sporting the same pixie cut, they turn heads and catch eyes. You blink your eyes repeatedly and do a double check. Surprisingly, the uniforms and matching pixie cuts aren’t the only things they share in common. And, no. Your brain is totally fine. They just happen to share the same last name, same eyes, same hair color, same skin complexion, same genes, and, apparently, shared the same womb for nine months. Need I mention that they have shared the same volleyball court, games, and skills for five years? You’re definitely seeing double of everything including the awesomeness. TWO DIFFERENT HALVES Born on the 5th of March 1997, Renee Rose “Yen” and Liana Rose “Yan” Jamayo, who are both known for rocking the volleyball court, are as identical as two peas in a pod. Well, given that peas in the same pod have their own differences you may not see at first sight. Aside from the tell-tale mole on the corner of Yan’s left brow, the Jamayo twins have their own personalities, likes and preferences that tell them apart from the other. Though they both like the colors black and white, Yen would much prefer sky blue over Yan’s
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pink. It actually shows on the shoelaces they use to tie their cravats around their necks on normal school days. Yan’s favorite pastime includes practice and surfing the internet and, even though Yen shares the same sentiments about practice being a favorite thing to do, she absolutely enjoys
a day roaming around with her sister. And while they share the same interest for pop music, Boyce Avenue and Maroon 5, Yan would rather jam to her Megan Nicole and Miley Cyrus albums than share her sister’s AJ Rafael and Yeng Constantino songs. Both also happen to have differences in the way they act around. “I’m a lot more talkative than her. I easily laugh at jokes. I’m a bit lazier, tactical and keen. I love to argue. But I’m not as confident as her,” Yen said. On the other hand, Yan says, “I’m shy and she isn’t. I’m more sensitive, emotional and serious, while she’s kind of talkative, enthusiastic and has a strong personality.” Their differences actually make it hard for them to trade places for a day which most of you may have been curious about. “Kabudlay kay damu na sang makakilala kung sino siya kag sino ako,” Yen shares. However, their Mom, Lilian, shares that she sometimes still gets confused between the two. She sometimes gets mad at the wrong twin when one of them does a mistake. It seldom happens though. And since they simply couldn’t have exited their mother’s womb at the same second (forgive me for the mental image), Yen happened to be born minutes before Yan which makes Yan the youngest of the Jamayo siblings.
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ON SPIKES AND VOLLEYING Though they look the same, they are separate individuals who would prefer not to be compared to each other. They both have the same passion: VOLLEYBALL. Both Yen and Yan are known for being part of the CPU Golden Lions High School Volleyball Team and, though Yan shares that volleyball runs in their family, the twins only started being volleybelles in fifth grade. “One time nagkadto kami sa gym tapos nakita namon ang varsity players sang volleyball. Kasadya sa ila kag makita mo gid bala nga nami bonding nila tapos ka interesting pa gid sang sport so we decided to join,” Yen shares. Some college and high school students alike all over Iloilo look up to the twins for their skills in playing the said sport, however, the fame and victories came with a price. Though they still get to hang out a lot with their friends they spend a lot of time for practices in the gym and often miss classes when gaming season comes near. They even missed out twice on what some believe to be a huge part of high school life: PROM. But wearing ball gowns, high heels, and a possible chance to winning prom queen don’t really equal to winning victories for your school,
district, province, or region for that matter. Although they seemed pretty ecstatic about prom during the shoot for this year’s cover, they’d much rather choose a chance to bring honor to their school than to glam up for prom. HOW TWO IS [AND IS NOT] BETTER THAN ONE One of the things both Yen and Yan pretty much hate about being twins is being compared to each other. “Ka-uncomfortable para sa amon duwa,” Yen shared, adding, when people say things like “She’s nicer than you, smarter than you, cooler than you, etc. Di siya manami.” Yan also added, “If she gets higher grades, they usually say ‘mas alam gali si Yen sa imo?’ It hurts kaya.” When they were younger, the twins shared that they used to fight over stuff they didn’t want to share with. It even came to the point that they wished they never had a twin. “Indi ko gusto may kaagaw daan sang una,” Yan shared to which Yen added, “Now nga may buot na kami, I never wished for it anymore.” Though it’s quite difficult to have a literally different version of you in the form of a twin, Yen and Yan have always been grateful for being two
individuals who once shared the same womb. “It feels unique and special kay indi tanan nga tao ginbiyayaan ni God sang kapid,” Yan said. Having a twin according to Yen is like having someone to compete against and to be somehow expected to act like, be like, and imitate. On the other hand, she says, you’ll always have someone who you can freely share problems and secrets with and someone that can clearly understand you and do random things with you. “For better or worse, I never felt entirely alone wherever I go. I always have someone to goof around with,” Yen said. Yan agrees to what Yen says, adding, “I don’t feel alone at all. That’s what I like about Yen-yen. She’s there to accompany me in every good and bad chapter of my life.” They make their way to the court in their matching uniforms, shoes, faces, height, practically everything, together. They graze the court making a squeak with every step and start stretching in a synchronized manner. They stare at each other and grin before the whistle blows to signal the start of a match. At the end of the day, no matter what the outcome may be, they always, always have each other.
Photographed by
Chalcedon Sa単or Styled by
Russel Jude Pati単a Hair and Make-up by
Ma Ke
of Colors and Strokes
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CALAJUNAN COLORS Words and Photos by Rhick Lars Albay
A dumpsite is the last place you‘d expect to find colors vivid and alive. A corner of the Calajunan Dumpsite proves that assumption wrong.
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The backhoe we are on steadily makes its way to the far side of the Calajunan Dumpsite. Plowing through mud and garbage, each sudden jolt of the vehicle threatens to throw us off and feed us to the heavy-set metal wheels below. The main dumpsite starts to resemble a murky hill as we go farther away. Smoke continues to rise from this decaying mound, the result of an accidental fire a few days before. Minors scavenging for scraps had found unlit firecrackers amid the trash and set them on fire. There are surprisingly many children here, rummaging through piles of trash, playing with their plastic bag kites. It’s hard to swallow that this is all they have as their playground. As the backhoe reaches level ground, we start to take in the view. Hectares of garbage laid on the ground. Plastic, scrap metal, and stray branches, all
unsegregated. All these clashing colors sitting side by side looking surreal, overwhelming, and oddly beautiful. Here men, women, and children endure the heat beating down their backs, to look through other people’s trash. So that at the end of the day they may bring home, more or less a hundred and fifty pesos to their families. A day’s wage for a simple meal they can share with each other or for their son’s baon when he goes to school the next day, or for the cough medicine tatay needs to take to get well. I was going to name this article “Where Colors go to Die,” but seeing how the children there smiled even though they weren’t in the most ideal of places and how hard the people strained themselves to provide for their families, Calajunan could just be where these people’s colors start to bloom.
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the
BACKWASH A WEEK AFTER
YOLANDA Words by Verna Roz Taperla Photos by Chalcedon Sa単or
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THE FALLEN - Fragments of walls of what was then an Iglesia ni Cristo church stack over the pews -even the House of God shivered and fell before Yolanda’s destructive wrath.
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THE LAST ONE STANDING – only the wooden cabinet among the rubble remains from what was then a house that sheltered a family.
THE BACKWASH Barotac Viejo – Trees scattered downhill that were uprooted from the once green hills that now look like dunes in a desert. Galvanized iron sheets and painted wood fragments that were once parts of a house toppled everywhere and blocked the way. Metallic poles bend down as if bowing in surrender along the concrete road. One week after Yolanda’s landfall, people struggle to survive with the little resources they have left. Some depend on the daily rationing, while others sell scraps of metal and steel collected from all the
rubble in order to buy food. In the more far-flung areas, children are being told to ask for alms from passers-by so that they could have something to eat. The storm may have already passed, and there may have been little or no casualties in the different areas of Barotac Viejo, but, like all the other survivors of Yolanda, they have been scarred deeply. Scars which are not just superficially seen, but can also be felt once you look into the eyes of those who have seen the hell-like vista during the tempest.
Opposite page from left to right: (1) Having no electricity in the area, locals from even the farthest barangay go to the town’s central to have their cell phones charged – their only means of connecting to the rest of the world. (2) With roofs of classrooms ending up on the hills, shattered jalousies, and cluttered learning materials, the education of young minds at Brgy. San Rafael temporarily and abruptly stopped.
BRIGHTER DAYS FOR VISAYAS
OVERSTAYED WELCOMES A message for Yolanda upon her leave-taking, with hopes that her kind will not come again soon.
FINDING SAFETY – A grateful couple stands beside the metal frame of a basketball ring that nearly pummelled their house during the storm. Itwas thrown by the strong winds about fifty meters from the barangay hall.
November 8, 2013 — Supertyphoon Yolanda made landfall in Panay Island, bringing with it the winds of destruction. But the bright morning in the next few days saw something unexpected. In the heart of chaos were children laughing. The typhoon survivors, in one
accord, have become a selfless coommunity of sharing and goodwill. The typhoon may have laid waste on the land, but it did not wipe out the Filipino Spirit, which is, and will always be, resilient. The days that come after the storm will always be the brighter days.
GODS and MONSTERS
SIRENA Guardians of the Sea
Words and Art by Daniel Fern Tinagan Audrey San Juan
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MAYARI Godess of the Night
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ur ancestors created gods because they feared monsters. That idea is true and established but what if it was the other way around? What if the fear that they had for the gods was the one responsible for the birth of their own monsters? Will gods still exist without the literal and figurative monsters and will monsters exist without their literal and figurative gods? Through the olden times, waves of different people have settled on the emerald islands of our motherland. They brought goods, technology and most importantly, their own culture with them. The myths and legends gathered from around the world caused the Philippines to become a treasure-trove of gods and monsters. As time passed, roles were exchanged, some of the gods broke bad and became monsters and some monsters, because of their power so immense, became gods. Let’s have a throwback and give homage to the heavyweight gods and monsters.
MAGAYON Dian Masalanta
MARIA MAKILING Maiden of Nature
MAGWAYEN Soul Ferry
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YOUTH
SHADOWS Words by Blessed Bea Plondaya
It’s never easy being the underdog. Envision yourself in a place where everything around you is ultimate blackness and the only thing that will help you make your way through the unknown horizon are the voices that dictate your every move and step. To be kept in the dark until you realize that the light was simply blocked because you were within the shadows. There you get to decide to either remain concealed by the expectations of everyone else or to flourish and surpass the limitations others have set for you. June 2009. Being a newly-transferred freshman student, I knew what would happen when I would introduce myself to class. I took a deep breath, “Good morning, I am Tina Alvarez.” Before I even got to continue, everyone started whispering around me until our teacher got them settled down and asked me my most dreaded question ever, “Are you the younger sister of the senior, Tanya Alvarez?” Urgh, the famous Tanya Alvarez. Well, let me state her credentials: President of the student body, Math Club, Drama Club, and blah blah blah. She’s not even the cliché nerd, since she holds epic parties at our house and gets invited in the big events in the city. Being her sister, I hated it that her achievements defined me. I had already predicted that the entire year would be filled with people being so nice to me just to earn an invite to one of Tanya’s parties, to help them get in the clubs my sister presided over, to have them over at our house and I knew that even my teachers would be pressuring me to be like her. June 2012. Well, my predictions of last year all happened and it had been like that for 3 long years. I thought it would all end after she graduated as Valedictorian but it only got worse. It was no different from when she was actually in school. It seemed she was immortal since it she was still all over campus - her former research papers were the basis of our project, her group’s model of the solar system was used by teachers for lectures, her established programs for last
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I DID NOT WANT TO BE ALWAYS KEPT BEHIND THE SCENE LIKE A MERE SUPPORTING CHARACTER. school year was now made an annual event, and her trophies for the school were displayed at the lobby. Most of all, I am still known as ‘Tanya Alvarez’s younger sister. October 2012. If looks could actually kill, my sister would be already buried 7 feet underground. I just announced at the dinner table that 3 photos of mine were to be published in the feature page of our local newspaper when she blurted out that she was now on the top 5 of the dean’s list. I didn’t even get a full minute of my parent’s attention. Only then I realized that it was time to make a decision. I had to be different unless I wanted it to be like this forever, which I didn’t.
Reading some of my old diary entries when I was still in high school, I couldn’t help but smile and laugh quietly at myself for a few immature comments I’d written down. But I knew I did the right thing after that family dinner incident. I made up my mind to not let my parents, friends, the society and most of all not my ‘perfect’ sister define me. What I wanted was to be known as a professional travel photographer – a name I have worked hard for in the past years – a name I have made for myself. I did not want to be always kept behind the scene like a mere supporting character but I took the lead role to be who I want to be and not who they want me to be.
Bi
LIFE OF
Words by Daphne Claire Buenaflor
I like girls, but I like boys too.
Fifty messages left unread and dozens of calls unanswered. My phone still keeps on beeping. Obviously, it’s from him. I know he’s worried about me. He must be wondering where I am now or what I’m doing. But I just can’t face him at this moment. I am so lost; drowned in the depths of absolute confusion. Yesterday he confessed his love for me. Then after that, I just ran. Away from him. Away from the world. Now as reality knocks on my doors, I am faced by another dilemma. My girlfriend just sent me an SMS that she wanted to see me. I honestly don’t know what to say to her so I just replied with a simple ‘okay’. As I prep myself, I look at the mirror in my bedroom. As I see my reflection, I remind myself of who I am. I am Calvin Ramirez. I am seventeen years old. I am in college. I have a girlfriend named Jenna. I am not supposed to be in love with my guy best friend. I repeat these words like a mantra. Don’t get me wrong though. I like girls; a lot actually, but lately I have noticed guys more. Although I’m embarrassed to say it but I think I’m also attracted to boys too. It’s all very perplexing and frightening. What will the society say if they found out? It’ll kill me. I reach the tea shop where Jenna and I
BI THE 2 NUMBERS
decided to meet each other. Now I see her. She’s walking towards me. I see her smile and my heart breaks with guilt. How can I tell her that the feelings I once truly felt for her are long gone and have drifted away? I don’t want to hurt her. She’s still very special to me and I don’t want to break her heart. She greets me with a hug and my heart breaks some more. After a long day with Jenna I head straight home. The bed looks really inviting so I lie down. I make a list of all the things that give me stress. First, there’s this annoying fact that my parents still continue to baby me even though I’m already seventeen. But what else can I do? I’m an only child. Second, I’m still adjusting in school. I’m not used to being a college student yet and I have very few friends. That sucks. Also, I have to find ways to boost up my grades. Finally, the worst of all, I think I’m bisexual. As the word hits my mind, I
LGBT teens are twice more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers
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out of
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punch the wall then all things go blurry. I am Calvin Ramirez. I am seventeen years old. I am in college. I have a girlfriend named Jenna. I am not supposed to be in love with my guy best friend. I am Calvin Ramirez. I am seventeen years old. I am in college. I have a girlfriend named Jenna. I am not supposed to be in love with my guy best friend. What will my parents say? What will my friends say? Will they still befriend me? Will the society accept me? My phone rings and I see my best friend’s name on the screen and almost instantly, I hear my mom shouting that my girlfriend’s in the living room. I sink my face in the pillow and give in to absolute confusion.
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LGBT teens have of the victims of anti-lesbian/ possible result ranks in of self-identified gay and reported being bullied gay violence never report the taking the Kinsey scale, also bisexual adults become aware at school because of incident, often due to fear of called the Heterosexual– of their sexual preference in their sexual orientation being “outed” Homosexual Rating Scale high school
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TAGS
AZTEC PRINTS: A TRANSITION Words by Blessed Bea Plondaya
Fashion as described by the Merriam Webster’s Dictionary is the most general term when applied to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at one time or place or to cut it short – the prevailing style during a particular time. However, to die-hard fashionistas and shopaholics, fashion is not only a style but a pure sensational movement wherein there is an exhilarating need of expressing oneself with if not vintage but with the most updated mode of dressing of the season. Experimenting with designs woven in silk, velvets and brocades in 1423, then with the 16th century adorned by corsets and hooped petticoats, swiftly altering to tight bodices and wide overskirts in the 1700s to chemises made of white muslin with revealing necklines, before entering the Victorian Age of extremely bright colors whilst restoring the use of corsets now complimented by bustles followed by rising hemlines and the stockings after World War 1 – the easy transitions between periods where fashion was everything from status in the society, jobs and even politics. The trends of the entire 20th century were overwhelming that everyone especially women can barely keep track anymore of a certain vogue - with
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Christian Dior’s and Christóbal Balenciaga’s voluptuous feminine dresses, Chanel’s tailored suits, Gucci’s capri pants, Mary Quant’s miniskirts and mini-dresses, Yves Saint Laurent tuxedo suits, Calvin Klein’s trousers, and especially Levi Strauss blue jeans. With a new century incoming, each fad was trying to surpass the previous ones that led to prominent figures becoming known for their personal styles, take for example Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress (LBD) - now a considered essential to each lady’s wardrobe. We, Filipinos have been easily influenced by the ever-changing and endless trends created by the Western world. From the usual conservative and conventional looks of the yesteryears, we have taken the risk to become innovative, risky and even be avant-garde. Throughout the recent years, we have been playing around with apparel of effortless plains, creative prints, neon colors and multi-hued florals. However, we take
another big step as we cross the threshold of being bold and daring with the latest trend since summer time – Aztec Prints. Until when will this mania end before another takes its place? To what extent do you want to spend for it? What kind of trend do you want to set? Since when did our daily outfits tell who we are? How do we actually make a statement to a judgmental society? At all eras, fashion in the modern world has been greatly inspired from ancient civilizations and cultures like paisley prints from Persia, Roman tunics and tribal prints from Africa.
Mukhang
Orig Panulat ni Micaela Allen Garcia Pagsasalarawan ni Verna Roz Taperla
“Oh! Ate! Kuya! Class A po ba? 500 nalang po ang pantalon! GUESS o JAG mura lang! Sige ate, kuya, pili lang po! Ayy! Ayan! 550 lang ang NIKE. O biro mo may tatak na mura pa, kaya bili na kayo!” Iilan lamang iyan sa mga paboritong litaniya ng mga tindera ng ating sosyodad. Mapababae o mapalalaki ang lapitan, ang importante ay kailangan maipalam ang balitang tiyak na pagdadagsaan. Samu’t saring mga boses, panghihikayat’ panunuyo galing sa mga bibig ng ating matitiyagang tinderang pinoy. Bakit nga ba nanlalaki ang ating mga mata sa mga bagay katulad ng ibinabanggit sa kani-kanilang paninda lalung-lalo na kapag ito ay murang may tatak pa? Kapag tayo’y nakakarinig ng mga pangngalang NIKE, GUESS, CONVERSE, HAVAIANAS, JANSPORT, at kung anuano pang mga branded na kagamitan, tila napapalingon talaga tayo sa mga nito dahil sa halagang alam ng karamihan, iilan lamang ang makakabili. Dahil kung pinaguusapan natin ang salitang halaga, may malaking tandang
pananong parin ang dumadaloy sa ating pagiisip. Lumipas ang panahon kung saan ang uso ay hindi na tungkol sa orihinal kundi mas nagiging patok ang mga class A na mga produkto na mas kilala bilang mga“Imitations”. Ano nga ba ang ibig sabihin nito na bansag sa mga tenga ng bawat mamimiling pinoy? Ito’y mga kagamitang pangalawa sa linya ng mga uri ng gayang-gaya ang kalidad, kuhangkuha ang mga disenyo ng mga kumpaniyang branded na mga bagay na ito, at tila mukhang orig sa mga balintataw ng ating kapwa Pilipino. Sino nga ba naman ang aayaw sa mga murang mukhang orig? Ang presko ng dating diba kapag nakakasuot ka ng mga damit na akala ng iba galing Estados Unidos, dala-dala mong bag na Louis Vuitton na may halo pang taas noo sa bawat yapak ng paa.Kaya nasa kaluluwa ng mga Pilipino ang maging mapagmalaki sa
mga bagay na alam nilang kakaunti lamang ang meron. Ang magandang epekto nito sa atin ay naipapadama natin ang ating ekpresyon sa pananamit kahit malinlang man ang iba sa uri at kalidad nito. Hindi naman importante kung ilang sentimo ang nawaldas sa bagay na alam mong iyan lamang ang makakaya, kundi sa pagiging kuntento na ika’y naging malaya sa bagay na gusto mong mapag-arian. Sa halagang isang libo, sa iba, isa lamang ang nabibili. Pero sa mga taong naging libangan ang mga mukhang orig, isang dosena ang kanilang nahahagkan. Napapabaligtad ang hugis ng aking mga labi pataas sa tuwing makikita kong sinuman, galak ang dala sa pag-abot ng materyal na pinili nila. Wala namang mas makakapagpasaya sa ating mga Pilipino basta’t ang importante, meron tayo. “Oh! Ikaw, bibili kaba?”
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ODD but DELISH Fo o d TANDEMS
Words by Verna Roz Taperla Photos by Chalcedon Sañor
Feast your imagination with these scrumptious treats – and oh, did I mention that they’re considered weird?
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Dried Fish Topped with a Spoonful of Honey Besides, the cookies and cheese, this baby is definitely a war between salty pleasure and sugary goodness. The infused saltiness of the dried fish in stark contrast
with the sweet and viscid honey will make your taste buds cry out for more explosively flavorful bites. Now, how about leaving some of that dried fish you had as a viand for the last three days and drizzle a considerable amount of honey on top of it. Voila – instant dessert!
{ { Do you crave for something sweet? Or something savory? How about something spicy? Never mind the usual menu your stomach is mumbling at this instant, or whatever boring ol’ tastes your papillae are crying out for. Instead, feast on these exotic and tempting combinations, for a unique gastronomical experience. Don’t take it from me though. Create, experience, and judge for yourself whether these treats are palatable or edible enough. Oh, before you read on, just a warning – the food may bite back.
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Meat and Chocolate If you are not an avid fan of Giada di Laurentiis or any other cooking shows in television or in the internet, then you might have not heard of meaty dishes made with chocolate. Yes. Chocolate. That creamy, velvety, and luscious chocolate you only thought was good for having cavities, could also be mighty useful in cooking savory meals. You don’t have to add the sweetest chocolate in your pot of meat and vegetables though. Instead, semi-sweet or 70% chocolate is usually used. One example of a meaty dish with this kind of sweets is tenderloin cooked very much like adobo, but instead of the soy sauce and vinegar, what’s put in the cooking pot is chocolate. Now you have a good excuse to consume chocolate in meals!
Cookies and Cheese Have you been to Alberto’s lately? Maybe you have noticed the pizza toppings Cookies and Cheese – and may have ordered one too. This topping is one of the weirdest I know, save of course the Japanese pizza toppings which are way off the chart of weirdness. Anyhow, it tastes altogether salty and sweet – almost a showdown between good and evil. The creaminess of the cheese and its saltiness match perfectly the sweet and playful taste of the chocolate cookie crumbs. Chocolate and Onions Here’s another chocolate tandem. Try frying chopped onions, and place them on a serving plate with a spoonful of chocolate. The oniony and strong flavor of the bulb actually works well with the creamy goodness and sweetness of chocolate. Another variation that you could also try is to deep fry the onions which were pre-sliced into rings. You then make your own recipe of chocolate dip to serve with the crispy onion treat.
4 Banana and Mayonnaise Sandwich Looking for a quick snack to silence your roaring stomach? Grab a banana, slice it, cushion them on a piece of bread, slather a considerable amount of mayonnaise, top it all off with another slice of
Fries dipped in Milkshake
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Who hasn’t tried dipping his/her fry into some cold drink before? Well if you are one of those who missed part of their childhood for not doing so, then now is your time to be at par with the world when it comes to craziness in eating food. Just dip those fries you just bought from McDonald’s into a cold serves of milkshake and chomp on them quickly or they’ll get soggy. If you’re not a milkshake fan, you could always substitute soft vanilla ice cream. The saltiness and potato-ness of the fries just seem to blend with the sweet and cold milkshake.
bread, and presto – your quick snack is ready to be devoured! If you don’t like the tartness of mayonnaise, though, you could always substitute anything else worth slathering on your banana sandwich – like peanut butter.
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Melon wrapped in Prosciutto This, I saw in Everyday Italian, and it looked mouth-watering and tempting to make since it was quite easy to craft in the kitchen. Take out a pack of prosciutto, which is thinly sliced dry-cured ham, by the way, and slice open any variety of melon. Make use of the melon
baller from your mother’s kitchen tools to cut little circular melon pulps. After that, all you have to do is to carefully wrap the melon balls with the prosciutto and you’re done! Pop one of the wrapped melon pulp in your mouth, and experience the sweet burst of the fruit with the salt and spices of the prosciutto.
9 Vanilla Ice Cream Drizzled with Ketchup The plain vanilla ice cream goes well with almost any other ingredient. So it might not hurt if one tries to put some ketchup on it. The dish would not just look striking with its satin white and velvety red action going on, but would also taste fantastically striking. Just imagine – creamy vanilla ice cream partnered with the tangy and bold flavour of the ketchup. Oyster with Strawberry
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So you like your steamed oysters with vinegar? Forget that nasty smelling combination; instead try out something fresh – like strawberries. You read right, strawberries and oysters are a fine tandem indeed. Freshly picked and sliced strawberries balance with that slimy and sand-like taste of oysters.
Cheeseburger and Jam You’ve heard of peanut butter and jelly. Now hear about cheeseburger and jam! This food tandem will surely make you a head-turner at a fast food store if you flauntingly display the jar of jam on your table. But it’s somehow worth the baffled stares when you’re such a fan of sweet, savory and meaty. Go on, I dare you. And when you do, just don’t blame me if you feel peculiar, digestionwise.
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11 Eggplant and Honey The vegetable mostly avoided by some can actually be turned into a honey-coated sensation. Now you can actually enjoy eating an actual vegetable without worrying its veggy-taste that carnivorous people don’t like. It’s all thanks to the incredible powers of the naturally sweet honey. And if you really are planning on trying out the recipe, just go to the website where I bumped into this – Allwomenstalk.com.
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CE WEIGHS IN ON THE LATEST RELEASES FILMS
GRAVITY
REVIEW BY RON ADRIAN A. DIONALDO The mission is simple. Repair the Hubble Telescope. To bio-medical engineer and mission specialist Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), the job is her first space mission. To veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), the expedition is his final spacewalk before he retires. And then Control alarms them of a disaster and aborts the mission. In a span of a few seconds, debris hurtles to their direction. Their shuttle is destroyed. The rest of the crew is killed. Stone and Kowalski find themselves drifting in space as what appears to be a single calamity causes a chain reaction of destruction that follows them in orbit around Earth. As they struggle for survival against hurtling debris, depleting oxygen levels, explosions, and the constant feeling of helplessness, Stone and Kowalski must find a way to return to Earth.
Gravity is not your usual movie genre. The film deviates from the usual ensemble cast and fastpaced virtual action that seem to dominate the present-day trending movies. The lack of fantasy and technologically-advanced themes that are so common with most space movies makes Gravity even more realistic. With only two main characters making up the cast, the film was able to dive inward into their emotional struggles, which is almost tantamount to the physical torment they have to endure. Though the plot is fairly simple, the underlying theme is one of isolation and helplessness, clinging to a faint hope of survival. This was captured in the cinematography and musical score. Shots pan from the infinity of space to a close-up of the character’s emotions, from long unbroken takes to fast action, with the point of view smoothly changing from third person to first person. The soundtrack gives an apt definition of space—a prevailing silence broken only by static and heavy breathing, with the musical
scores played strategically on scenes of action and emotion. This overall mix gives the audience the illusion of actually being in space, a quality enhanced by the film’s 3D version. Gravity will take you right into the heart of outer space as Director Alfonso Cuarón vividly creates a scene of beauty and danger, all the while portraying mankind’s struggles with fear, hope, and sacrifice.
HOUSE OF CARDS REVIEW BY RHICK LARS ALBAY
We are nothing more or less than what we choose to reveal. In the political series House of Cards, the road to power is paved with blood and deception. Veteran Actor Kevin Spacey stars as Frank Underwood, a cold-blooded US Congressman, manipulative and domineering, ready to do anything necessary for his pursuit of power. With his equally deceitful wife, Claire Underwood at his side (played
SERIE S
brilliantly by Robin Wright), Underwood is determined to emerge at the top of the House of Cards that is the government of the United States of America, even if he has to bloody his hands on the way up. At Chapter 1, a betrayal from the President-elect whom he helped ensure the success of, catches Underwood off-guard, denied the Secretary of State seat, the position he was previously
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BY RICK RIORDAN
After Percy and Annabeth fell into the pit of the Underworld, the other five demigods have no choice but to believe in the fact that they could close the Doors of Death at both sides to be able to prolong Gaea’s rising. These young demigods rose to the almost impossible challenge to save the world. The Doors of Death must be closed from both sides, from the human world and from inside Tartarus. Feeling fragile and hopeless,
Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson venture down to the perilous Underworld to close the Door from the inside, while the other five: Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, Leo Valdez, Piper McLean and Jason Grace struggle to close the Door from the outside together with their trusted friends while battling the most fatal of monsters. These seven half-bloods fight to their very best to fulfil the New Great Prophecy while forsaking their own problems and setting their own deals with anyone who could be of possible help to them. Bolder decisions to be made, riskier combats to undertake and trickier enemies to confront, and the quest itself is undeniably difficult. The stakes are doubled as there are now two camps to be allied, two sides of the door to be closed, and two different races to be saved and now with the gods alternately using their Greek and Roman forms. Brace yourselves as you enter an entirely different world alive with mythological creatures that may have been long forgotten and hidden secrets behind every belief we have now in the modern era.
by Hajime Isayama. The story is about a young Eren Jaeger who wants to discover the world beyond the walls – the only boundary between the remaining population of humanity and the seemingly mindless Titans. However, his life took a turn for the worst when a colossal Titan appeared that led to the destruction of their town in the outermost wall and when he witnessed his mother being mercilessly devoured. After a few years, Eren with his adoptive sister Mikasa Ackerman, and with thoughts of vengeance, joined the Survey Corps – a military branch specializing in slaughtering the almost inevitable giants. Soon enough, Eren and his comrades unraveled some vague truths about everything, and they tried to reconsider whether they could
truly eliminate the bondage of living in fear of the Titans. If you try watching the first episode, you’ll later find yourself getting more and more addicted, not only to the story, but also to the smooth animation and the awesomeness of Mikasa Ackerman. The action-packed storyline will make your heart race and go doki-doki; the emotional and sensitive parts will make you think about ethics while holding back tears; and the deadly scenes will leave you saying, “Oh no! He’s not really dead, is he?” All in all, Shingeki no Kyoujin is a 25-episode anime series that will definitely tattoo a huge Wings of Freedom logo on your heart. And oh, this anime is not for you if you easily faint when you see blood and brutal deaths before your eyes, though.
HOUSE OF HADES BOOK REVIEW BY BLESSED BEA PLONDAYA
THE ROAD TO POWER IS PAVED WITH BLOOD AND DECEPTION. pledged. As an act of vengeance, Underwood puts into motion his plan of bringing down the empire he helped build, one calculated move at a time. Among his pawns is the young and ambitious Zoe Barnes played by Kate Mara, a journalist from the Washington Herald, whom Underwood consistently feeds with inside information and controversial headlines, completely unaware that she is just one of the many pieces in the Congressman’s grand scheme.
Exhilarating and unpredictable, House of Cards promises a cut-throat storyline with a stellar cast. At the helm of the series is David Fincher, more notably known for directing the films Fight Club and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. House of Cards is a thrill-ride like no other. Frank Underwood, Machiavellian in all his aspects, is character to be reckoned with. Whether it’s not giving an eff about the fourth wall (Underwood speaks directly to the audience as he pleases), blackmailing a fellow Congressman, or plotting the downfall of the President of the United States, Frank Underwood of House of Cards will keep you hooked. The last episode of the first season will surely leave you panting for more.
ATTACK ON TITAN (SHINGEKI NO KYOUJIN) REVIEW BY VERNA ROZ TAPERLA
Imagine a postapocalyptic Earth 2,000 years from now – a dystopia comprising of less than 10% humanity caged in 50-meter walls, and the remaining portion with human-eating and genitalless giants called Titans. If you see it in your mind, then you are picturing the world within Attack on Titan. Shingeki no Kyoujin(or Attack on Titan) is the serialized form of the manga of the same name written and illustrated
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NOVELS
BY DAVID HONTIVEROS
SEROKS
BOOK REVIEW BY RHICK LARS ALBAY
RECORD RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES S START READING AND BY DAFT PUNK
THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW YOUR AMONG THOSE WHO WALK THE DECAYING STREETS OF WHAT WAS ONCE A GREAT CITY.
In Serok’s post-apocalyptic Manila, pirated is no longer a word reserved for just CDs and DVDs. A reporter investigates the sudden disappearance of Mindanao’s entire Muslim population, an ousted politician uses his living clones as an unlimited organ bank, and a former metro city is flooded by a proletariat class composed of pirated clones labeled as Seroks. This is Palanca-Awardee David Hontivero’s world, a dystopia inhabited by masked vigilantes fleshed from famous film characters, tamaraw-horned thugs who abduct people for their limbs, and braindead junkies addicted to virtual
BY ARCADE FIRE
REFLEKTOR
REVIEW BY RHICK LARS ALBAY
The sun has set. All singing, all dancing, at dusk the streets of Haiti are alive with
reality. A Philippines no longer run a by a government but by a super-corporation owned by the country’s richest families; a Philippines as gritty, corrupt, and polluted as ever. Seroks is a compilation of short fiction that interconnects to form a dreary picture of a future not so bright, with the poverty and shadiness of Manila as its backdrop. Wholly consuming, start reading the book and the next thing you know you’re among those who walk the decaying streets of what was once a great city. Hontiveros alludes to themes of piracy, human trafficking, and the illegal underground, all the while making you realize that the world he’s painted is not that far from becoming a reality.
the spirit of Carnaval. Drums, cheers, colors, the joyful chaos assaults us from every street corner. Amidst the crowd, two lovers, Orpheus and Eurydice lose their way. Helplessly, they reach out for each other. Helplessly, they are taken by the tides of people. From one another, farther and farther away. This is the world of Arcade Fire’s Reflektor, the follow-up to the Grammy Award-winning success that was the Suburbs, their previous album. Equal parts bizarre and amazing, it takes our past expectations for Arcade Fire and completely smashes it to bits. In Reflektor, we are the
BOOK REVIEW BY DANIEL FERN TINAGAN
Featuring: Nile Rodgers, Giorgio Morde, Chilly Gonzales, Julian Casablanca, Pharell Williams, Todd Edward, Panda Bear and DJ Falcon. In the album Random Access Memories, Daft Punk decided that by assembling a cast of their favorite musicians and diving into their adolescent memories, they can somehow create a musical masterpiece and a musical masterpiece, they did create. If you are looking forward to hearing retro music made just for the sake of going retro, go away you disgusting hippie, you won’t find it here. This album from our favorite masked electro duo, is made of sounds, people and vibes from the past. Still maintaining their signature unconventional sound choices,
13 TRACKS OF RETRO-SOUNDING MIXES AND 74.24 MINUTES OF PURE NOSTALGIC MAGIC companions of Orpheus and Eurydice, Greek Mythologies’ star-crossed lovers. Hades is the streets of Haiti, and the night their song. With the narrative set against Arcade Fire’s sprawling anthems on loss and uncertainty, we are more than glad to follow the couple on their tragic journey. Reflektor signals new possibilities for the band, experimenting with electronica and dancehall beats, genrejumping from one song to another as they please, every time with a fresh perspective. Arcade Fire is at its strongest with their signature grit in the blistering
Daft Punk has unquestionably and successfully defended their array of superlatives. To the ears of today’s generation, Random Access Memories will just be another electro album that can and will somehow find its way to the dance floor speakers and be gone after a few weeks or so. It is rather depressing that most of us today would prefer listening to dance floor auto tune over digesting soulful electro music. Released back in the 17th of May this year, Random Access Memories as a whole, is by far the best album from the electro duo. With 13 tracks of retrosounding mixes and 74.24 minutes of pure nostalgic magic, Daft Punk have failed to make an album. Instead, they have successfully projected their grandiose statement of intent.
rock song Normal Person, countered by the pensive paces of the equally wonderful Afterlife where the frontman Win Butler contemplates “And after this, can it last another night?” The story of Reflektor begins at dusk and comes to a close just before dawn. Do Orpheus and Eurydice find their way to each other’s arms again in the end? That is never made clear. What we do know for certain is that we’ll be more than willing to wait again for the sun to set, and rejoin this unfortunate pair in their search for love, amongst the streets of Haiti filled to the brim with chaos, color, and music.
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EDITORIAL BOARD AY 2013-2014
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PANIPLAT
BRIGHT DAYS FOR ILOILO BY CHRISTIAN EARL SEVILLA
Lin-ay looks out into the blue sky, imagining better days for her city.
CUDDLES & ALL BY KRYSTALLINE JOY GUION
Felines nuzzle with each other in search of warmth and affection.
SYNERGOS BY CHRISTIAN EARL SEVILLA
No obstacle is too big for this determined pair hauling a spiral shell.
RADIATING HAPPINESS BY KRYSTALLINE JOY GUION
A boy, after swimming, beams with delight albeit the missing front teeth.
DIALOGUE CPU PRESIDENT
TEODORO C. ROBLES RETROSPECTING FOR THE FUTURE Read the full interview at our official website www.centralecho.com
An excerpt from CE’s recent correspondence with our University President
CE: So far, what preparations have been done to meet the challenges of the full implementation of the K-12 program? How does the University intend to cope with the lack of first year and second year students in 2016 to 2018 and its impact on the college faculty? How is the university preparing for the shift to outcomes-based education in the tertiary level? Sir Robles: Actually the impact of the implementation of grades 11 & 12 will not just be limited to the lack of 1st year students in 2016-2017, and a lack of 1st year and 2nd year students in 2017-2018. There will be few 2nd year and 3rd year students in 2018-2019, few 3rd year and 4th year students in 2019-2020, and few 4th year students in 2020-2021. This will eventually propagate through the College of Medicine, College of Law, and the fifth year of engineering if we eventually decide on keeping the five-year engineering program. CE: Which track will the University Senior High follow: academic, technical-vocational-livelihood, or sports and arts? Why has the university chosen this track or tracks? Sir Robles: The University will adopt the Academic track for senior high school. We believe that students who have chosen CPU are interested in a College degree hence it is imperative that we cater to those students. It is an area where we excel. Many High Schools and institutions will adopt the tech-voc track hence there will be a lot of competition for those students. Tech-voc classes also require investments in laboratory facilities and equipment. We expect less jobs available for those concentrating on sports and arts hence it will attract fewer students. CE: How would you describe the Centralian graduate of the K-12 program Sir Robles: We have to think of how well Central Philippine University can integrate faith and learning. We must devote more effort to spiritual formation and how that affects lifestyle. We will be more effective if we practice what we preach. We must create as much reality for the student in the learning process by immersing them in various external communities of opportunity. These are not in roles of employment only, but rather environments of learning whereby the students can integrate learning information and experience. This gets the students ready for the real world they are going to enter. CPU can be a most effective Christian university if we commit ourselves to mission fulfillment with economic sustainability and continue to maintain a Christ-centered, Biblically- based foundation for education while insisting that students receive quality education. A CPU graduate should be a model for the rest of the country, and be in the forefront in reforming the country so that corruption in all forms and level of government will be eliminated.
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