Echoes March 2016 by Echoes

1 â&#x20AC;¢ MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

2 â&#x20AC;¢ MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

PREVIOUS ISSUE

EDITORIAL

COMMITTEE NEWS

NEWS

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

News By The Numbers

People You Meet On A Night Out

Rachelle Basas

#NeverAgain

Incomplete Foodie Guide

Drowning In The Sound

Ding Ding Ding!

Drunk Dialogues

Pita Ochave

Bruno Santos

Planar Fantasies Ritch Sylva

Bianca Ortiz

Tinder Conversations Olivia Solomon

Yanna Potenciano

Ana B. & Gino G.

A Night of Prohibition

Under The Stars Botan Belen

Peaches Tenorio

Rolly Oliquino

Ecosoc Stats Kelsey Mariano + Apps

CONTRIBUTORS Jerm Racela Nika Espiritu Nica Pine Roma Orcullo

Alex Vitasa Bella Viaplana Josh Siat Miggy Villamor

Ana Buban Gino Gerodias Andrew Escay Bruno Santos

Yanna Potenciano Thirdy Santos Ritch Sylva Cheska Yazon

Miguel Paje Jolo Zagala Danielle Cruz Bianca Ortiz

Bianca Rañola Rolly Oliquino Trexia Lechoncito Jackie Comendador ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 3

Previous Issue Editors SELENA YAO Editor-in-Chief

DOMINIC CARREON Associate Editor

IVAN GUNO Managing Editor

MA. PILAR OCHAVE Creative Director

PATRICIA YSABELLE BANSON Features Editor

RACHELLE ANNE BASAS News Editor

KELSEY MARIANO Culture Editor

DEA VILLAROSA Photo Editor

MAYA PARAGUYA Photo Editor

LORENZO CANARIA Art Editor

ANNA PAGDANGANAN Layout Editor

KEN RECASATA Web Editor

DANIELLE GONAZALES Echoes TV Producer

GUSTAVO VITRIOLO Echoes TV Director

ALI BALINDONG III Echoes TV Director

OLIVIA SOLOMON Event Director

Staff

KRISTINA VIRAY

LERIZZE TAN

TIMOTHY JACOB

KIMBERLY TENORIO

ANTONIO CASTILLO

ALESSANDRA GABORNI

MIGUEL DELA CRUZ

JUDE GERON

KATRIELLE ABRENICA

VILMAR GAYUTIN III

BERTRAND BELEN

ALFONSO PANIS

Errata

Our mistakes in the February issue Grammatical errors and incompleted captions are corrected in the online edition of the February issue.

Echoes is the official publication of the UP Economics Society (UP Ecosoc), a non-stock, non-profit, student organization based in the University of the Philippines Diliman School of Economics. Since the 1st semester of the academic year 2013-2014, Echoes is released four times in a sem and eight times in a year, on the months of February, March, April, May, August, September, October, and November. It draws its funding from a subsidy from UP Ecosoc, sponsorships, subscription revenue, and other small funraisers. For this semester, 35 subscription copies, 1 tambayan copy, 1 archive copy, and a complimentary copy for each of our sponsors, featured members, featured alumni, and one lucky winner are produced. This publication is printed by Yza Copy Systems and Trading, located at Stall 22 at the Shopping Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City. contact us

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All errors are corrected when posted on issuu.com/echoes. If you spot any errors, do not hesitate to tell us by emailing us at ecosoc.echoes@gmail.com 4 â&#x20AC;¢ MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

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FROM THE EDITOR

Hello there, friends! Welcome to the March 2016 issue of our little publication, Echoes. Thanks for taking the time to read it! This issue is all about THE NIGHT LIFE, a celebration of the time when the most interesting mysteries and misadventures take place. If it isn't obvious, I think that nighttime is an absolutely beautiful, wonderful time to be alive. While the darkness blankets the world with its tranquility, a whole new world emerges under the shadows of the celestial bodies in the sky. You can just feel the atmosphere change as the sun disappears (I mean this in both the scientific and ambient sense). There's just something about the energy of the night that stirs up a different side of us. It's fascinating to observe how everything transforms when the sun bows out and the moon takes its place overhead. As with every object in life, there's a term for people like me: nyctophiles. Nyctophiles, or people who have nyctophilia, take comfort in the dark and are happier during the night. Granted, the word may remind some of an odd sexual fetish or whatever, but you can spare me that thought. I won't deny the excitement I feel when the sun sets though. It's something I seriously look forward to everyday.

Some people prefer to sleep as early as they possibly can, but some people like me choose to stay awake under the watch of the night (Or shall I say... THE NIGHT'S WATCH. Just kidding. Hella excited for Game of Thrones Season 6 though.) I guess you could say that my body and mind just feel more alive at this time, which probably explains my high productivity levels during the evening. I'd rather sleep during the day, because the night literally gives me life. For this issue, we tried to look at the different ways people enjoy the night. We've got stuff for the social butterflies who can't wait to get out of the house during weekends, the kids who would rather spend Friday evenings chilling at home, and those who are looking for a different kind of adventure. After all, there is so much more to the night than partying or getting wasted (although these are undeniably significant in many college nights, so don't worry, we didn't leave them out). This issue is not just about nightlife. It's about the night life. There's a difference, friends. Cheers, Sel

ECHOES | MARCH 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 5

COMMITTEE ECHOESNEWS Annyeong haseyo!!! THE KDRAMA ‘CHEESE IN THE TRAP’ IS SO NICE!! I am suggesting this to all the KDrama fans out there HAHAHA. Anyway, at times like this aka break, my favorite thing to do at night is to binge-watch KDramas. But on a normal day, what I always do and love doing at night is checking IG photos of adorable babies. Some examples (because you may be interested) are Olivia (she turned one last March 20 HBD BB), Alonzo na nahanap ko lang sa IG na SOBRANG QT DIN, and Matti na nephew ni Maine Mendoza!!! After a long day, looking at the pictures and videos of these cute babies gives me a huhu-why-are-you-all-so-adorable-I-can-sleep-well-now feeling!!!! Stalk niyo na rin sila and kung may massuggest kayong cute babies, let me know. TYSM. How are you so far mga ate at kuya? First of all, congratulations to Memcom for Tambay Week and Echoes for the Annual Fliptop Tournament!!!! Halfway na ng sem na to, ibig sabihin malapit na magparamdam Ecosoc Month ½ jk! IBIG SABIHIN LAPIT NA GRUMADUATE NG MGA SENIORS HUHUHU WILL MISS YOU ALL!! MEMA HAHAHA. ANYWAY, March was pretty chill in terms of events and puro internal events!! We hope that you guys will continue to go to the events that the different committees are preparing because THE ECOSOC MONTH of 2nd semester is here!! Gets ba?? Cos marami mangyayari HAHAHA. A lot of internal events in store for y’all + fundraisers + A LOT OF CDCs!! (Jologs Quiz Bee, UPFront, Litnight, Sunika, Captain America, Symposia, Scribbling Sessions, Battle Royale, Scav Hunt, etc.) ARE YOU EXCITED? GET READY FOR A(P)RIL-LY AMAZING MONTH AHEAD!! APRIL 2016. SAVE THE MONTH HAHAHA JK LABO. CONCOM and COMELEC elections season! Please take it seriously!! Don’t forget to vote! ALSOOOO, BAWAL NA MAGCARD GAMES SA TAMBS!!! Dala na lang tayo UNO, Jenga, Monopoly, and other games! SEE YOU SA TAMBAYAN EVERYONE! Good luck Amazapps for your midsem interview this week! ENJOY AND DO WELL! SARANGHAE ECOSOC!!!

Stalking Olivia

CHA|Task Force

Hello, Ecosoc!!! All-night gaming binges. Why do we do it, and what does it do to us? At this point in my life, gaming has fallen by the wayside, and has only been few and far between the ongoings I have been dealing with in academics and Ecosoc. But thankfully, this Holy Week vacation (shout out to all you Catholics) has given me an opportunity to go right back into (binge) gaming, more specifically, League of Legends. Personally, I prefer to play games at night, long after a sensible bedtime. I’m a binge gamer, and once I get started I don’t want to stop. It’s not that I’m playing 24/7 – whole weeks can go by when my gaming PC remain untouched – but I’ve always found it difficult to integrate gaming sessions around other activities and responsibilities, favouring a big blowout over snatching an hour of play here and there. There’s also something ever so slightly subversive about overnight binge gaming; it feels a little risky, like you’re stealing excitement during the times society – and even your own internal clock – deems you should be asleep, a minor infraction against the established order of things, in the comfort of your own home. Pushing through tiredness to keep playing puts me on edge, giving tense games a heightened intensity. I feel more involved, more in the game. In the dead of night, with nothing to distract from the glowing screen, a barrier which separates player and game is shed. Anyways, that’s enough of what I love to do at night, let’s move on to comm news! Last March 16, Task Force had its last GA (SWOT + pakain). Thank you to those who went and to those who are still accomplishing post-event deliverables! You the real MVP’s. For Scholcom, given that most, if not all, of our guardians are graduating this semester, we’re going to open applications for Scholcom Guardians!!!! Hope you all apply! Also, for the scholars, let’s all wish Eduard a safe trip in South Korea (sorry a month late), KM good luck in his thesis (last push!), Tin and Kim good internships this upcoming summer, and Trisha, Micha, and Andrea good-looking promdates WAHAHAHA. That’s all, thanks for taking the time to read my comm news!

Playing League of Legends

JJ|Task Force

6 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

COMMNEWS OLA ECOSOC! Second Echoes 58 issue, and consequently my second comm news to write! I'm asked what's my favorite nighttime activity? UM DUH?? WHY DON'T YOU CHECK MY TWITTER???? I SPEND MY NIGHTS LOOKING AT CUTE CAT PHOTOS!!!!! I save lots and lots of photos and GIFs on my phone, so my phone's like a treasure trove of cats (I have a folder dedicated to cats, ask ‘em about it). I sometimes bless my followers real quick by tweeting a photo of a cute cat. Aaaand as I am typing this, I'm using writtenkitten.co, a website that displays a photo for every x number of words you type (I JUST GOT A CUTE KITTEN HAHAHAAAAAAH KYOT HIHI) (very very helpful when you're cramming a paper LOL). I retweet and favorite cats on my Twitter. What's ironic is I don't own a cat (and I can't have one as long as I live with my Mom)!!!! So I veer my frustration towards social media, which supplies my kitty needs. ^________^ HIHI. April's just around the corner AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS MY LOVES: SCRIBBLING SESSIOOOONS!!!! <3 <3 <3 Seccom's event is up on April 16, so do wait for the pub! If you're interested in exploring your ~ahrtsy~ side, go go go! (I just got the second cat photo, it's not so cute because it's a plush toy meh) This even will be organized alongside the Habitat for Humanity Sales Team and its head, my bff, Sylina Alcazar! <3 <3 <3 A portion of the proceeds will go to the betterment of HFH as an up and coming organization of UPD. We hope you support HFH x Seccom's endeavors this April. smile emoticon Also Ecosocer, you may have seen the big boxes in the tambs, one's allotted for bottles, and the other for clean paper (e.g. handouts), so kindly learn to segregate! There's also a bin now allotted for wet trash SO YOU KNOW WHERE TO PUT YOUR PINAGKAINAN, OK! Shout out to my BOD: Arlene, Sheena, Carlo, Fau, and Angel. Let's make this worth it and the best it has ever been! To Team Tambayan Aesthetics: Rella, Arlene, Sam Ceniza, Pat, Barch, Rowell, and Patmen, let's keep the tambayan clean and kind to the eyes LOL! (Third cat photo: FUCKING CUTE UGH) To my apps Alex, Hans, and Allan, 100% PASSING RATE OKAY???? LOVE YOU GUYS! To everyone in Seccom: ily all!!!!!! LET ME BLESS YOU REAL QUICK WITH jk I don't think I can add a cat photo here lol just check my Twitter. (Fourth cat photo: it's a kitten on the lap of a woman with a guitar. IDC about the woman GDI.)

Looking at Cats

NIKA|Secretariat

Sleeping (with Chanel the Dachshund)

NIKUO|Finance

All I do is sleep, sleep, sleep no matter what. (to the tune of “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled) This. Is. My. Life’s. Theme. Song. Sleep is definitely one of my favorite activities — especially at night (with Chanel, my baby Dachshund)! <3 I’m sure all of you have heard the saying that sleep is for the weak, but I beg to disagree as sleep is for the strong! Without a night’s good rest, you’ll never get the energy to keep you up the whole day, right? This is why I love sleep and the happy dreams that come along with it. :—) Although… Sometimes sleep has to be sacrificed in order to deliver the several various tasks that have to be accomplished, such as Finance duties! (Naks, maka-segway haha.) This is why I would like to take this opportunity to thank again all my Finance members — Fundraisers Team (FT), Management Team (MT), Finance Project (FP), Team Major Events (TME), and of course, the Fin apps for their hard work and dedication to the committee and the organization. Thank you! Also, special shout out to my VCs — Tin, Cami, Theresa, and Joel. I definitely feel so blessed to have you guys who are so responsible and responsive. *single tear drop from my left eye* (left eye = tears of joy according to some online post lol.) Anyway, I hope you’re enjoying and learning a lot

from this experience. To all ya readers, how are you guys? How has March been? I hope you were you able to survive your midterm hell week and rest well during the Holy Week break! March has been definitely a non-stop, no-break kind of month in preparation for April, when most of the events and projects of Ecosoc will be happening, like Sunīkā MNL: A Sneaker and Lifestyle Fair on April 17 (Sunday) and Captain America: Civil War movie screening on the 29th of April, where I’m hoping to see your gorgeousss faces! ;) Don’t miss this great deal as a P285 early bird ticket to the movie screening is inclusive of free food, drinks, and goodies! So, get your tickets ASAP before it becomes P300 per ticket. Don’t miss out on one of the most-awaited super hero movies for the year. :> As for Sunīkā MNL, if you still haven’t heard it, this event is partnered with the one and only Sole Slam, one of the biggest names in the sneaker community here in the Metro! Get ready for a weekend of sneakers, street wear, food, and lotsa fun and coolness at Sunīkā MNL, which will be held at Greenfield District, Mandaluyong. Get your tickets while they last! It’s just P150 ;) See ya!

ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 7

COMMITTEE ECHOESNEWS Hello, Ecosoc! I can’t believe we’re halfway done with the sem! I hope you’re still alive despite the endless all-nighters for academics and orgwork! Konting push nalang mga beh!!!! For this month’s theme, we were asked to talk about the favorite thing we like to do at night. For me, it’s bingewatching my favorite TV shows! I haven’t had much time to catch-up on my TV shows for the past months because of the endless things I have to do, so when I finally get the time to watch, I do so for hours on end! I’ve recently been addicted to Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Suits! They’re really great shows so I suggest you guys watch them (plus ang hot ni Harvey Specter)! Shout out to the aspiring lawyers and policemen/ women out there HAHAHA THESE ARE THE SHOWS FOR YOU. On to my comm news! Hello to my Xtrnlz babies for all the hardwork and patience! I’d like to commend Martin and the Brand Management Team for patiently researching for awards we can apply for and of course, for the consistent photo udpates! The Brand Management team has been really trying to make the photo updates as member-centric as possible so I hope you continue to take the time to view and share the updates! The standard time for updates is 8:30 so watch out! We also had our first awareness event, Manila by Night: Shedding Light on the 1980s, for UPSE’s Beyond the Ballot Campaign, and I’d like to give a special shout out to Jem, Kristine, and the Awareness and Partnerships teams for delivering despite the time constraint! It was a success and I’m happy to let you guys know that the UP School of Economics admin (especially Tita Rose and Ma’am Abrenica) came up to us just recently for another partnership! On April 1, the UP School of Economics in partnership with Ecosoc will be holding a documentary screening and forum on Batas Militar. We’ve decided to help UPSE with this event as we believe that it’s the perfect avenue for you guys to be informed of the true consequences of the Martial Law. A huge thank you to everyone who attended our previous event and I hope you guys continue to support Externals’ initiatives! In addition to all of this, we’re also less than two weeks away from the largest and most-recognized USC elections forum, UPFront 2016! Hello to our ever-reliable upfront BOD Jem, Joshua V, Jarlot, Kyanne, Ynna, Tin, Jecs and Josh for meeting all their deadlines and deliverables! SOLID NIYONG LAHAT. We’ve been working so hard to make this event great so I hope you’re all excited! That’s all! Happy reading, Ecosoc! <3

Watching Series

CHESCA|External Affairs

HOW ARE YOU, ECOSOC? I hope you’re all staying strong after all the exams and hassle requirements our profs keep bombarding us with! Anyway, okay so my nights are always spent with my family at home. I have yet to find out what the night life is all about kasi my parents never let me out unless I insist I have to attend an event (lol). My favorite thing to do at night is being productive at home! Don’t you just just love the feeling of getting your life together at night before going to sleep? I make my looooong to-do lists (consisting of acads and org work) and finish at least some of the things I listed down. I enjoy lazy nights… until guilt kicks in the next day kasi marerealize kong dami kong sinayang na oras. If there’s one thing I realized now after being given the great responsibilities of being an Econ student x Ecosoc Acad Chair, it’s that first and foremost, I really need to learn how to manage my time well and know my priorities if I want to achieve success in the things I do. I’m still working on it. Acad is busy doing a great job providing services and promoting academic excellence hehehe especially since the first exam season just ended. Congrats Team Tutorials – Jasper, Thea, Dorothy, and Renzi! And of course, a special thank you to our Ecosoc Tutors, Rich, Kiss, Dea, and Dale for being a great help! Acad Digest Team, Ynna & Jecx, gave you tips on how to pull off an all-nighter for the March Digest. Team Resources is still selling book-a-likes. It’s not too late to order your books! Feel free to check out the Acad Website for updates on competitions, conferences and scholarships. Good job Team ACDC for the three solid sessions so far, 2 more to go! Super-duper good job again to my VCs, Iyla and Maye! A special thank you to Cielo, Joshua, and Charm for reppin’ Acad (at the super last minute) sa Ecosoc Fliptop! You guys are amazing, kinulang lang talaga tayo sa practice eh HAHA! And to the very active Acad mem, Lora Baje, proud of you. TO ACAD, GOOD JOB FAM I LOVE YOU ALL! <3 Acad has so much in store for you, Ecosoc! There’s an academic symposium in partnership with the UP Investment Club coming and of course there’s also the *drum roll* JOLOGS QUIZ BEE!!!!!!!!!! But wait there’s more… after The Rundown, Chesca and I are now on to the next elections forum organized by Acad and Externals – UPFRONT 2016! This year’s USC Elections will be interesting. WATCH OUT AND BE EXCITED!

Doing Productive Things

TRICIA|Academic Affairs

8 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

COMMNEWS

Discovering New Songs

There’s a certain thrill I get when discovering new songs that nothing else can give. When I was a freshie, I discovered the song Open Season by High Highs while watching TV. When I heard it, I was so excited, I literally ran to the TV and listened to the lyrics so I could type them down. From that moment, I’ve made it a point to devote time to searching for new songs and soundtripping. I used to have a new playlist every week based on a certain theme. As some sort of a music nerd, music has been a huge part of my life, and to me, nothing can paint a vivid picture or tell a story the way music can. (SIDENOTE: I RECENTLY DOWNLOADED SHAZAM AND IT IS AWESOME.) Another month has passed, and here’s another whole list of things to be thankful for! First is the successful documentary screening in partnership with UP MBS! We hope you guys learned a lot from it! Shout out to Benju for making this partnership possible! Rest assured, more partnership related projects are to come. To the rest of Team P, Adriel, Alyssa, Annika, Iya, Liam, Mayumi, and Pammy, let’s continue working to provide Ecosoc with more of these. Thanks for all you’ve done so far! We also had the second and third ACDCs, which were, again, a success! Credits go to the assigned OICs, Angel and Lattice, as well as the rest of my awesome and organized Staple Projects team, Enzo, Ian, Jose, Kayla, Mark, Pam and Rich! Keep up the great work! Special thanks to Tanya for making the ACDC video! Thirdly, we finally had the first Habitat event push through! Sorry to those inconvenienced by the sudden schedule change. We also had a booth at the recent NGO Fair at CMC! To the directors, Angela, Bea, Irah, Pat, Ria, Sylina and Tetet, all the work and stress has paid off. Thanks for your commitment to the cause. To Jean, thank you for documenting and being so game! To Carlo, Dale, Gino, Giselle, and Maan, I hope to see you in future CDCs! To my apps, I hope your Ecosoc journey has been amazing so far! To Bea and Monique, thank you for attending and helping out at pretty much every CDC so far! To Jennus, YAY MAY COUNTS KA NA HAHAHA joke, thank you as well! To Mar, Ram, and Ryan, I’m so proud of you three. Thank you for making this experience so much easier. WOOO LOVE YOU ALL CDC! Lastly, to all those who volunteered for these projects, we couldn’t have done it without you. There’s going to be a lot more in store come April, so be excited! Happy March, Ecosoc!

CARLOS|Community Development

Eating Chips

HELLO. I can’t believe we’re already halfway through the semester… What a crazy couple of months! I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun!!! I’d like to say thank you to our subscribers and everyone who contributed to our endeavors this March! Anyway, I would have to say that my favorite fun nighttime activity is… EATING CHIPS. I love fried potatoes so much – French fries (follow me on Twitter @prenchpries), fried wedges, potato strings, but most of all, POTATO CHIPS. I realized that I was addicted to chips when I was in high school and eating one giant bag of Ruffles a day was the norm for me. I was only waiting for myself to turn into a ridged, ruffled potato chip, honestly. I’ve since toned down my chip consumption in the name of a health. Now I only eat like, 5 Piattos-sized bags a week. Speaking of potato chips, I’d just like to give a shout out to the most solid committee there is: ECHOES!!! (Yeah, there was literally no connection there.) March was a busy month for us, but we pulled through! First, to my VC’s – Van, Dom, and Pita – WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU GUYS? Thanks for giving me a boost or lending me a hand whenever I need one. <3 To the publication team – Rachelle, Trysh, Kelsey, Maya, Dea, Zo, Anna, Peaches, Vim, Leri, Kristina, and Migs – thank you so much for all your hard work in putting together this issue! It was definitely more clutch than the first, but great job on giving it life! To Echoes TV – Dani, Chito, Chino, and Anton – you guys have been churning out videos like a factory in China (with better quality, of course… LOL?) Super solid, thanks a million guys! To Echoes Web – Ken, Jude, Botan – keep up the good work with the site! Keep the content coming! To the most active, Alfonso Panis, thank you for designing the Nechoes Atsume stickers! To the Litnight team – Olivia, Timmy, Katie, and Lisanne – I’m so grateful to have a wonderful, efficient and passionate team like you guys! Litnight will be amazing. To the Echoes apps – Bianca R, Rolly, Trina, Bianca O, and Gabe – stay active, and keep doing what you’re doing! You’re on the right track, guys! <3 LITNIGHT IS ON THE 22nd OF APRIL ALREADY! We’re currently accepting submissions for the Litfolio and are looking for poets and artists who can perform during the event! <3 Come one, come all and be a part of Litnight 2016! <3 PS: BUY NECHOES ATSUME STICKERS YO.

SEL|Echoes

ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 9

COMMITTEE ECHOESNEWS

YO YO YO YO ECOSOOOOOOOC!! What’s my favourite night time activity? Well, there are a lot of activities that I do at night. From watching to reading, drinking water to going to the toilet for a long time to reminisce the good old times (lol kidding) and a lot more but my favourite activity would definitely be sleeping. Why sleeping? I think that sleeping is God’s greatest gift in par with buffalo wings. I really like to sleep especially at night because we need it. My favourite part of being asleep is that you’re not awake. My other favourite part of sleeping is when I dream. I really like to dream because I normally remember them even after I wake up (one time I even had a dream journal). There was this one dream that I was in a zombie apocalypse and it was really vivid how the zombies tried to chase me and I killed all of them (even my neighbour lol). Anyway, I also like to wake up but that’s another story. (Ang hirap mag-Ingles kaya magtaTagalog na ako) Mag-a-Abril na… Ang bilis ng panahon parang kahapon lang Marso pa. Mema HAHAHAHAHAHA. Anway, salamat sa Echoes para sa issue na ito kasi lahat naman ng tao gusto ng issue (woah there). Magpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng sumuporta sa Marketing Bootcamp! Maligayang pagbati kay Roma at ang kanyang koponan para sa pag-aayos ng bootcamp! Sobrang galing ng speakers… ang rami kong natutunan. Magpapasalamat rin ako sa lahat ng mga ecosocers na sumuporta sa Liai/ Fliptop career ko! Sana napatawa ko kayo sa mga kababalaghang linya na sinabi ko. =)))) Nagpapatawad ako mga nasabihan ko ng mga masasama. Sana hindi kayo nasaktan kasi hindi naman totoo… kung nasaktan kayo edi totoo. HAHAHAHA. Joke. Sa darating na Abril ang komite ng Liaison at Acad kasama ng UPIC ay ihahandog sainyo ang Acad-Liai Symposia. Suportahan niyo ang aming event upang matuto ng iba’t ibang bagay tungkol sa kaalamang pananalapi (Finance). Ang bagong Ecosoc Privcard ay ipapamigay narin namin sa mga bumili! Wooooo! Shoutout (hassle ang hirap i-Tagalog ng shout out) sa lahat ng mga kalaro ko sa chess!! Sobrang saya talaga maglaro ng chess! Shout out rin sa lahat ng alumni na pumunta sa ACDC kahit hindi niyo to mababasa. HAHA. Shout out rin sa ELF dahil mananalo tayo sa scavhunt sa darating na ika-30 ng Abril! Shout-out sa aking mga VCs si Roma, Harriet at Karen! Ang galing niyong tatlo! Pagpatuloy niyo lang ang inyong magandang pagtrabaho! Shout-out sa lahat ng mga miyembro ng Liaison! Gawin pa natin mas masaya ang buwan na ito para sa ating kumite! Salamat!

Sleeping

LEAN|Liaison

Facebook

I am a person who you would consider a night person. I gain my energy at night (which also explains why avoid morning classes). The night is where you go out with friends and go to a fun event. The night is also a time you can also spend at home and reflect deep thoughts about the meaning of life. However, out of all these activities, I’ll be honest with you and say that my favorite thing to do at night is just watch Youtube and check Facebook. I watch Youtube to keep up with my foreign language practice and watch about other stuff ranging from various types such as history to comedy (my favorite channels are TestTube, Vice and Learn Liberty). And of course, Facebook is where I go to talk and chat with friends (Ecosocers in particular also) and just check out my feed to check out some random funny stuff. Also, Facebook is where I also do my work – both academic and organizational wise. Of course, other things I like during the night are sleeping and eating also. Anyways, I hope you will enjoy this month of April! For you guardians out there, be prepared as GW Tasks will be released soon. Get a chance to do fun things with your wards. Also, we hope you enjoy the Membership committee phone as it has already been released (thank you very much Plim for texting us haha). Plus, a shoutout to all of our seniors out there! Work on the Seniors' Send-Off has begun. Expect many great exciting things for this event as you guys deserve it. Final venue will be at Corinthian Gardens, May 26, 2015. To end my news, I would like to thank once again my whole committee for making Tambay Week special! Hope you guys enjoyed the Ecosoc race and got a chance to meet the apps during Ecosoc dinner. Thank you also very much to my VCs Thirdy, Plim and Keeve and also to my Seniors' SendOff BOD, LA, Kim, David, Miggy, Alyssa and Marianne. And, most of all, I would like to thank every Ecosocer for contributing his or her part to the organization. Without you guys, obviously, this org won't exist. Keep in mind, this is our organization; so, feel free to share your thoughts about it, what changes we can perform, and what else we can do to serve you.

PONCHO|Membership

10 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

COMMNEWS

Catching Up On Shows

FATI|Special Events

What’s up Ecosoc! I hope you all had a great mini-vacation! Besides catching up on sleep and soaking up sun in the beach, what I enjoyed the most this break was catching up on my TV shows. This is my most favorite thing to do at night. After a long day out, it’s a great way for me to relax and unwind before going to sleep. Unlike most people who prefer going out to drink and hang out with friends, I'd rather be that lola in the barkada and binge watch my TV shows. The shows that I’m currently catching up on are Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill (lol please don’t judge me), and I promise once the semester ends, I will get on the OTWOL bandwagon. If you guys have any suggestions (together with the file HEHE) for any series I could watch, please don’t hesitate! It’s my absolute favorite thing to do at night because it gives me a chance to sort of just escape life (woah). But seriously, it’s like taking a break on my stressful, hectic and demanding life and being part of the upper east side of Manhattan or the laid back suburbs of Tree Hill. Fun fact about me: I love doing this alone – I seriously hate having marathons with anybody because I

really get into the storyline and get way too emotional (LOOOOL). Okay that’s it. Lots of events coming up for April, Ecosoc! As Madam Charie would say, it's the "Ecosoc Month" for the second semester. Pretty much everything to look forward to with SPEV happening this APRIL Watch out for ECOSOC x POOLCLUB this coming April 8 - unli drinks and unli fun! This is your chance to get loose and unwind before exams come once again. And by the end of April, ya’ll should probably watch YO BACKS, if you know what I mean. Start strategizing, testing your limits and hyping your teams to the biggest and baddest challenge you'll face. All I can say is, GOOD LUCK! Last but definitely not the least, special shout out to Daryl, Aya, Juvy, Jolo, Jus, Aaron, Erwin, Cara Ig, Ayi, Josh and Julia for being SPEV’s makatas for Fliptop. MAHAL KO KAYO. Hugs & Squishes, Fati. :)

My favorite nighttime activity or activities rather is sleeping and playing Kendama. Due to my hectic schedule, sleep has become a luxury for me and I try to maximize the most of out it whenever I can. I recommend people to sleep rather than wasting time on social media because of the immense health benefits that come with being properly rested. On days that I have free time, I hone my skills in Kendama instead of increasing the dexterity of my fingers through endless scrolling on social media. People are way more impressed with Kendama than my ability to scroll through my feed. If you have free time before sleeping, find a hobby and keep at it! March has been a wonderful month for Sports. We had our first major event, MBA (Members Bersus Applicants). It was held last March 7 in Quezon Memorial Circle. This MBA was more traditional in terms of its games compared to previous semesters. Due to logistical limitations, we stuck with the staple sports Basketball, Futsal, Volleyball. Aside from these, Ultimate and Tug of War were present (as always). I measured this event a success not because the apps were brutally murdered by the members but because a lot of applicants and members participated to begin with. It’s only an added bonus that members thoroughly crushed the apps to reclaim their throne. The success came not without worry because I noticed most of the apps present were female and I wasn’t so certain if they enjoyed even if they did not play as much as the boys. I asked one app and she said even if they did not play, cheering for their co-apps and being present made them bond with one another. This means my measure of success now becomes great success because ultimately the purpose of these kinds of events is to forge bonds, build relationships, and foster camaraderie with members and applicants. I would like to give a shout out to Team Micro, headed by my boy James “Feeling Pogi” Baluca, for a job well done. Aside from MBA, Sports’ second workshop was held last March 3. The workshop was all about HIIT “High Intensity Interval Training” headed by the beautiful (according to Juancho) Coach Kaye. I have always considered myself as an athlete and someone who is considerably more physical active than most people. I was humbled by the HIIT workout. That shit was the one of the hardest training sessions I have undergone post-varsity life. It made me realize that I was too comfortable and that I needed to undertake even more serious training in order to become the best I can be. During the breaks, which were short AF, I talked to coach Kaye asking her to slow it down because it was beyond difficult. I noticed some people started just resting (me included lol) during some exercises but still came back in order to finish this Spartan regimen. Just goes to show you that it’s truly mind over matter and that nothing is impossible. Another huge success for Sports because there were so many participants. Another shout out to team Workshops, headed by Ysa “Marlou Fan Since Day 1” Zacarias, for this successful workshop. Please support the next workshop this coming April! A workshop close to my heart since it’s my favorite nighttime activity woohoo! The “How To Sleep Anywhere Anytime” workshop. PSYCH. Haha but it’s even better because it is a Kendama workshop! With the help of Econ’s number 1 Kendama player, Echoes’ very own TIMMY JACOB. So see you there!!

Kendama

BENJIE|Sports

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NEWS

ON THE PODIUM:

Sir Agustin Arcenas gives a short talk after the screening of Manila By Night, a film set during Martial Law. • 12 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH Photo by Selena Yao

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INSIDE ECOSOC

ECOSOC FLIPTOP IS BACK By Dominic Carreon

Last March 8-11, Echoes hosted the annual Ecosoc Fliptop competition. Members from each of their respective committees came together to prove to Ecosoc just who the illest committee in the organization is, with the winner of the competition bagging P1000 for their committee. Each battle was composed of a best-of-three matchup, with anyone from their respective committees free to speak within the one-minute time limit. The winner of each round was determined by a panel of judges. Eight committees – Academics, Community Development, Externals, Finance, Liaison, Membership, Secretariat, and Special Events – participated in the competition, with 14 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

game with plenty of offensive material. Spev and Liai came out on top and would face each other in the finals. The final matchup was held on Friday, Echoes and Sports serving as the hosts and March 11. In a hotly contested battle, judges respectively for the event. Spev and Liai hit at each other with The week started off with the verbal barbs regarding their opponent’s elimination rounds on Tuesday, March 8. committee performance and member’s The elimination rounds saw Seccom face looks, among other things. The matchup Liai, Externals against Fin, Acads versus went to a tiebreaker, with Spev taking Memcomm, and CDC take on Spev. Each the crown after an intense final round. Fliptop representative came prepared with The event was not yet done, however, their baddest lines, but only four teams as a bonus battle between an all-star would move on to the semi-finals. At the team of Migrey Ramos and Joseph end of the first round, Liai, Fin, Memcomm Malcontento and the two finalists took and Spev all advanced to the semis. place immediately after the final round. The semi-final round was held on The bonus round, which can be seen on Wednesday, March 9. Memcomm faced Echoes’ YouTube channel, was judged off against Spev for the first matchup of through crowd reaction with the all-stars the day, followed by Liai against Fin. Both winning against Spev and Liai, capping matches were highly entertaining as the off an intense and entertaining Ecosoc remaining committees stepped up their Fliptop.

NEWS

INTO THE WILD: AMAZAPPS ACQUAINTANCE PARTY By Jerm Racela Last February 26, the UP Economics Society applicants of 58A, dubbed as the AmazAPPs, held their traditional acquaintance party. This year it was entitled “AmazON: Unleash the Beast Within” to match this semester’s Amazon theme. The AmazAPPS transformed SE111 into a jungle to help everyone get that jungle party vibe. The program was hosted by Bea Abendan and Shaira Maguiguilid. It started with some opening remarks from the AmazAPP’s assistant batch head, Trexia Lechoncito which was then followed by an exciting game to break the ice. True to the party’s title, the AmazAPPS tried to the reveal the wild side in everyone with a twist to the classic game Musical Chairs. In this version, the guys had to form a circle and hold an eggplant using their thighs, and the girls had to walk around them and grab

onto one of the eggplants once the music stopped. The room was filled with shrieks after every round but the fun had to end at some point when Sabrina Go won the last joust for L.A. Manlangit’s eggplant. Dinner was then served while Eryel Benitez, Jennus Alonte, and Trexia Lechoncito serenaded the members. Some of the AmazAPPS also performed a dance number while everyone was getting recharged. Afterwards, the program

continued with the ‘LSS Game’. In this game, a player had to sing a specific song using animal sounds and the rest of the team had to guess what song it was. In the end, the Team Mems proved to be the better team outscoring the Team Apps, 7-4. To formally end the program, the batch head, Benn Sinugbuhan, gave his closing remarks. The acquaintance party was then followed by the traditional bidding for guardians.

MEMBERS VERSUS APPS By Alex Vitasa

Last March 7, 2016, applicants and members of the UP Economics Society gathered at the Quezon City Memorial Circle covered courts for Mems versus Apps or MBA — a sports event where members and applicants go head to head in games of tug-of-war, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, futsal and basketball. The program started off with a warm-up and then proceeded right away with the first match. Team Amazapps unleashed their inner beast, and Team Mems brought their A-game, while those who weren’t participating in the current event cheered for their teams from the sidelines where they got to talk and know each other. The Amazapps put up a good fight, but at the end of the day, the members maintained a clean streak after winning all the events. Athletics aside, everyone enjoyed and bonded over a little friendly competition. Paolo Soller, an applicant, shares: “MBA was really fun! We got to play a lot, but since we were short on players we had to play multiple games. We were tired by the end, but I didn’t mind.” ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 15

NEWS

MANILA BY NIGHT SCREENING By Rachelle Basas Last March 4, 2016 at the UPSE Auditorium, a movie screening of the the film “Manila by Night” was held. The event started at 4pm and ended at 7pm. Ishmael Bernal’s Manila by Night was an unveiling of the unadulterated state of the society - particularly in Manila - under the Marcos Regime. It was a portrayal of a regime that had drug addiction, unemployment, prostitution, and so forth as its dominant themes. After the movie screening, Dr. Agustin Arcenas gave a short talk to shed some light on the significance of the film. Moreover, he entertained some questions from the audience and gave clarifications about the film. To formally conclude the event, a certificate of appreciation was given to Dr. Arcenas for sharing his valuable insights with the audience. Ian Serrano, one of the attendees of the event, had this to say: “Manila by Night is an expertly-crafted retelling of life before and during Martial Law. Individual liberties were highlighted in the earlier parts of the film, and these were also the liberties taken away by the several injustices that took place during the Martial Law. Clearly, these nights were the darker nights of late Philippine history, a period that Filipinos would not want to experience again.”

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY UPD CONDUCTS FIRST BUILD

By Trexia Lechoncito

It was on the morning of March 19, 2016 when the UP Economics Society, together with the Habitat for Humanity, visited Brgy. Nagpayong, Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City for their first build this second semester of A.Y. 2015-2016. The morning was filled with warm greetings as the members and applicants alike were welcomed by the president of the village, as well as by one of the youth officers of Habitat for Humanity, Gelo Paterno. The day began with a demonstration on the proper procedures for the housepainting activity. The participants then went on with painting the walls of the four-storey house, hoping that through this gesture, they could bring color into the lives of the residents in that building. Ivan Bernardo, a participant, remarked, “I really felt grateful for this opportunity. Although it was challenging, I am really glad that I am able to help the community through acts such as this one.” In the end, the president of the village concluded the event by sharing how the residents ended up in the house building. He mentioned that they were relocated to the said building in 2011 since they were initially living in a danger zone. He closed his speech by saying, “Nagpapasalamat kami dahil nakapunta kayo ngayon rito. Ang lugar namin ay nagkaroon ngayon ng kulay dahil sa inyo.” The participants felt really fulfilled despite the tiring activity. “I have come to the realization that I am blessed with a decent home. Ecosoc gives me the opportunity to bless others with the same, and I am thankful for that…This is one way of how Ecosoc stays true to its service thrust, and I think it’s really great,” Joshua Villanueva said. UP Economics Society has thus once again contributed to the society, tracing back to its roots of being a socio-civic organization in the UP School of Economics. 16 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

NEWS

TAMBAY WEEK

By Bella Viaplana

Everyone is gathered around in Starback, otherwise known as E-bak, cheering on their respective committee representatives as they battle it out in the Ecosoc Fliptop Tournament. I hear laughter, combined with “ooohhhhh”s, “PANGET!!”s and “tang-INA!”s all over the area. As the various reps threw insults of rhyme and rhythm at each other, the audience around was having a blast, with members laughing at their friends, and apps getting a taste of some of the fun of this org. It was definitely one of the most memorable internal events, and a great way to remember Tambay Week by. Tambay Week was a new project for apps which involved a required ten hours of tambay in one week, which would be made more fun with various activities. To kick off Tambay Week was MBA (Members Bersus Apps), held in the QC Circle Courts on Monday. Apps and Mems battled it out in Futsal, Basketball, Volleyball and other games,

with members taking home the win! MBA is always an event to look forward to because not only do you meet so many new people, whether you’re an app or a mem, but because everybody cheers on each other. Some of the other activities were the themed outfit days, such as Sports Attire on Tuesday, High School Uniform on Wednesday, Shades of Red on Thursday, and Summer Wear on Friday. It’s always fun to dress up in theme with friends, because it gives everyone that sense of closeness, if not a sense of humor at their outfits (aka walking around the campus in a blast-from-the-past uniform). There were also plenty of games for apps to meet mems like Bring-Me-A-Mem and Hip-Hip-Hooray. Sports and Memcomm worked together to create the Ecosoc Race, a competition to see who would finish one round around the oval the fastest. Our Sports Chair Benjie Gana also stood in

front of Quezon Hall (halfway point of the oval) to make sure no one cheated and cut through the middle, in the spirit of true sportsmanship. Congratulations to our winner Ervin Hilado, and to Hezi Rance and Anton Manotok, who placed 2nd and 3rd respectively. The Special Events Committee treated everyone to a fun game, where apps and mems alike had to look for ribbons hidden around UPSE as incentive for additional points in Scav Hunt. SEC-C beat out JJAMS and ELF, finding 30 ribbons around, in comparison to the seven and four of the other teams! This was a fun activity that had people looking around in the more hidden parts of the tambayan. As a wrap up, on Friday was the Ecosoc Dinner in Dencio’s, the perfect weekender to get everybody together to just eat and chill. Overall, Tambay Week was a great way for mems and apps to enjoy little gimmicks of the organization that is, or is about to become, their home in UP. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 17

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FLIPTOP 2016:

Members and applicants flocked to the backparking to see which committee will reign supreme in this year’s Fliptop competition. • Photo by Danielle Cruz

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SPORTY SMILES:

Despite the palpable competitive spirit during Members Bersus Applicants, at the end of the day, Ecosoc remains to be one big family. • Photo by |Maya Paraguya ECHOES MARCH 2016 • 21

NEWS

MARKETING BOOTCAMP By Roma Orcullo

When people hear the word “marketing”, they try to avoid it at all costs because that means having to talk to companies and having to get them to sponsor an event. Proposals, MoA, X-deals, 150% rule, corporate partners, business meetings, sponsor packages, PCL (Product Life Cycle)--the list could go on forever. Marketing isn’t entirely boring nor it is too technical. In reality, marketing isn’t all about sealing the deal; It’s how you deliver and stick to your brand. Last March 5, 2016, the Liaison Committee hosted a marketing bootcamp for both applicants and members alike. Jessica Biscocho and Jessica Bodo, who both have contributed so much to Ecosoc during their time and are now accomplished alumnae, gave their insights on marketing basics and on the things companies look for in partnerships, respectively. Jessica Biscocho first debunked the notion of marketing solely being used for the purpose of getting companies to sponsor an event. She showed us how to make a Brand Equity Model which we can use as our compass to plan out our events. Moreover, she taught us how branding is important for both Ecosoc and its audience, and how we could carry out Ecosoc’s unique brand. Jessica Bodo, one of the pioneers of Foodgasm, shared with us her personal experiences and explained how companies handle partnerships.

Not everyone who sends proposal letters gets to seal the deal; most of the time companies have to choose depending on the proposal matrices. So what do we do for us to stand out? Be creative. Think of other ways to convince them to invest in your project and always be open to negotiation. It should be a win-win situation for both parties. Another important thing is to be innovative, for trends keep on changing faster than we can predict, and people’s tastes change faster than we can imagine. Innovation is the key to stay relevant and impact society as young leaders. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box--because who knows? Maybe the next big idea can come from you.

SECCOM PHOTOSHOP WORKSHOP

Last February 23 and 24, 2016, the Secretariat Committee conducted two consecutive Adobe Photoshop Workshops held at SE 102 from 3:005:00 PM. This was handled by Anna Pagdanganan, former Secretariat Committee 57A Vice Chairperson for Creatives and Task Force 57B Creatives Officer. Through the Adobe Photoshop Workshops, Team Creatives, headed by Carlo Cabato, aims to promote the publicity process to the members of the organization and encourage them to take 22 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

By Nika Espiritu

on publicity campaigns. The workshop started with Anna discussing the basic tools of Photoshop and what they do, basics of layers, and some tips on being a Creatives Officer. The main highlight of the workshop was an activity to mimic a coffee shop’s brochure (for those making marketing proposals), and a menu (for those assigned to make infographics). Participants were presented with a messy brochure and menu, and they were tasked to correct and copy the design Anna Pagdanganan made. Besides Anna, Carlo Cabato and Paul Rondario,

Vice Chairperson for Creatives and Creatives Officer, respectively, were there to accommodate and answer questions from participants. At the end of the workshop, participants were overwhelmed yet more determined to learn how to make a publicity material for their respective teams. In order to further aid the workshop attendees, she has also proceeded to make a Facebook group for the attendees of the workshop, to share some helpful links in their publicitymaking process, from fonts to free flat icons (ask Anna if you wish to be added!).

NEWS

H.I.I.T. SPORTS WORKSHOP

By Nica Pine

Rihanna’s song “Work” was definitely the song of the day for UP Economic Society members as they had their H.I.I.T. Sports Workshop last March 3, 2016 at the School of Economics. As part of VP for Sports Committee Benjie Gana’s plans to provide an avenue for members to bond whilst promoting a healthier lifestyle, the committee conducts various workshop introducing different sports or different means of exercising. They kick-started the first set of workshops for this semester with High Intensity Interval Training. In order to make the experience worthwhile, Ysa Zacarias, the VC for workshops, invited HIITPH trainer Kaye Acot to lead the exercise. Thirty attendees, all of which are first timers, came and sweat it all out. The HIIT program, as a means of exercise alternative, had four rounds with around three to four sets each. The first round was the Plyo Run that served as a cardio workout as well. Initially during this round, the attendees were joking around as they did the first set of exercises. However, towards the middle of the Plyo run round, Coach Kaye switched it up a bit by making the attendees play rock, paper, scissors while doing squats, with the losers having to do jump squats as a consequence. Here, the members realized why it’s called “High Intensity” for a reason. As the members tried to recover, Coach Kaye whistled again as a signal for the start of the second round. The new set of exercises focused on working on the legs. These involved leg exercises such as side lunges and lateral jumps. By the time the third round was done, people were lying on the floor wearily asking for it to be done, but their hopes were gone as there was one more round to finish. During the fourth round, known as the core workout round, Coach Kaye maximized the chance and time by conducting the 32-ab workout exercise. As the last whistle sounded, everyone came crashing down, breathing heavily as sweat covered them. The exhausting feeling was overcome by the feeling of fulfillment for finishing the first session of HIIT. To end the event, Benjie and Ysa awarded Coach Kaye with the certificate of appreciation and had a group photo taken with the participants. In the end, the workshop the attendees definitely learned the meaning of the phrase, “No pain, no gain."

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BACK AGAIN:

Ecosoc alumni Jessica Bodo and Jessica Biscocho impart their marketing knowledge during the Marketing Bootcamp. • Photo by Maya Paraguya

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IN THE JUNGLE:

Active seniors showing off their wild animal masks at the Amazon-themed photobooth. • Photo by Jackie Comendador

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MANILA BY NIGHT:

Ecosoc members were all ears as Dr. Agustin Arcenas concluded the screening with a brief talk. • Photo by Selena Yao

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NEWS

NEWS BY THE

NUMBERS

BY RACHELLE BASAS

is the percentage of Brazilians who wish to impeach Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

is the number of times volleyball player, Alyssa Valdez, has been a part of Ateneo's straight seven Final Four appearances.

was the day James Reid and Nadine Lustre, otherwise known as "JaDine", confirmed their real-life relationship during the February "Jadine In Love" concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

82nd

is the Philippines' ranking out of 157 economies in the list of world's happiest countries, as reported by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Earth Institute at Columbia University.

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NEWS

$81,000,000 49 62

was the amount laundered from Bangladesh's Central Bank's American accounts and deposited in RCBC's Jupiter Branch in Makati. The bank heist's money trail ended at the casinos.

was the age at which movie firector, Wenn V. Deramas, died of a heart attack.

is the number of people who were killed in the FlyDubai Flight FZ981 which crashed due to landing amidst severe weather conditions

15, 000

was the peak number of #PiliPinasDebates2016 tweets per minute during the second Presidential Debate. is the number of Filipinos that still remain poor, according to official government statistics for the first semester of 2015.

26,000,000 ECHOES | MARCH 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 31

ECHOES

DUTERTE HARRY: WHO ARE YOU? BY MIGGY VILLAMOR

Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte began his career in politics in 1986 when he was appointed officer-in-charge vice mayor of Davao City. He ran in the 1988 elections for the mayoralty post and won. In 1998, he ran for the 1st Congressional District of Davao City and won. He returned to the mayoralty of Davao City in 2001 and had remained ever since. He - much like other politicians in the Philippines has family members serving in related elected posts. His daughter, Sara, served as mayor of Davao City before him and his son Paolo is the current Vice-Mayor of Davao City. Controversy began to surround him when he hinted at a presidential run in 2015. This was supported by the numerous listening tours he conducted throughout the country which was done to raise awareness of federalism as a possible replacement to the current system of government. His supporters were clamouring for him to run for the highest office in the land but he refused. On 16 October 2015, the last day for filing Certificates of Candidacy (COC) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Martin Diño, the Secretary-General of the PDP-Laban, filed his candidacy for the presidency. In his COC, he named Duterte as his substitute in case he ever is disqualified or decides to withdraw from the race. Diño was thought by critics

IN A OPEN FORUM HELD IN UP LOS BAÑOS, DAVAO CITY MAYOR AND PARTIDO DEMOKRATIKO PILIPINO-LAKAS NG BAYAN (PDP-LABAN) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE RODRIGO DUTERTE WAS ASKED A QUESTION BY A STUDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY REGARDING HIS METHODS TO ENACT HIS PLAN FOR PEACE AND ORDER WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BUDGET FOR EDUCATION.

Stephen Villena may have had no foul intentions when asking the mayor this question but the internet was far from understanding. Numerous posts on social media condemned the student, stating a lack of respect for the presidential candidate when Villena asked Duterte his question citing the wording as disrespectful. How come Philippine social media sided with the candidate instead of the student? Why does Duterte have this seemingly hypnotic power over the masses despite numerous controversies surrounding him? Who is Rodrigo Duterte? 32 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

NEWS

to be a “stop-gap” candidate until Duterte decides with finality on the possibility of running for the presidency. Indeed, 3 days later, Diño withdrew his COC and called on Duterte to replace him as the standard-bearer of the PDPLaban Party in the 2016 elections. He did this when a petition to have him declared a nuisance candidate was filed with the Comelec. Comelec chairman Andres Bautista stated that the Comelec has taken note of Diño’s withdrawal but had not yet received any word from Duterte regarding his acceptance to be the new presidential candidate of PDP-Laban. Duterte was still adamant about running for the presidency, stating he needed to wait for the party’s decision on the matter. On 21 November in a gathering of his fraternity brothers from the San Beda College of Law, he declared his intention to run for the presidency. Nine days later, the leadership of the PDP-Laban party officially endorsed him as their candidate for the presidency. He also accepted Senator Allan Peter Cayetano’s offer to become his running mate. Duterte filed his COC twice, once through a representative and once more, this time personally going to the Comelec office in Intramuros, to show his seriousness in running for the most powerful elected position in the Philippines. Duterte cited the decision to allow Grace Poe to run for the presidency of the Senate Electoral Tribunal as the catalyst for his running for the presidency. How Duterte’s campaign had started foreshadowed how it would progress. The most talked about incidents of Duterte’s campaign so far are: him admitting to being a womanizer and insulting Pope Francis, the highest authority figure for more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide. On the former issue, women’s rights group Gabriela called for the public to “look beyond his womanising issues and focus on his track record.” Numerous netizens voiced outrage at this

statement which seemingly contradicts the core principles of Gabriela. The issue on the insult to Pope Francis is extremely important in Philippine society since the Catholic Church still has influence over the secular realm in this day and age. Mayor Duterte clarified that he was not insulting the Pope himself but rather the inefficient way the government prepared for his visit to the country in January 2015 for the World Youth Day. He has since stated that he will donate Php 1000 everytime he says an obscenity on television. Duterte’s popularity with the masses is largely due to his “Dirty Harry”-esque attitude towards criminals. He has claimed to have drug pushers in Davao executed to ensure peace throughout the city. His plans can clearly be imagined by the voters who are tired of drug pushers, crooked cops and thieving politicians. The most recent of these claims is that he will remove all corruption in Philippine government within six months after assuming the office, if elected. While this may seem like a way to solve the country’s problems, Mayor Duterte’s plans are more fit for a local government rather than the national government. Extrajudicial killing have been rampant throughout the country ever since the time of Ferdinand Marcos and yet we still face the same problems. True reform of government will take time and effort from everyone involved, from the people who are elected to the people who are electing. While this is a longer and more tedious course of action, having the people work with the government will ensure that the reforms will remain for a long time instead of them chaining with whomever occupies that iconic white palace on the banks of the Pasig River. Miggy Villamor is the long-lost son of Cha Surdarlingam. Like his mom, he enjoys playing bridge in tambs and eating Jollibee's C3. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 33

ECHOES

RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE: THE STORY SO FAR BY JOSH SIAT

AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S SUPERPOWERS AND A LARGELY UNDENIABLE (FOR BETTER OR WORSE) SPHERE OF INFLUENCE OVER WORLD AFFAIRS, WHOEVER GETS ELECTED AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE PATH THAT PRECEDES IT IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LOOK OUT FOR. The

race to the United States presidency has grown even tighter, with only 5 candidates left between the two parties vying for their respective parties’ nominations. On the Republican side, only business mogul Donald Trump, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and Governor John Kasich of Ohio remain. For the Democrats, as has been going on for the longest of time, still former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont continue to duke it out. With more than half of the state primaries already over, the current leads of both Trump and Clinton seem unlikely to change throughout June, where the last of the primaries for both parties occur. THE GOP “APPRENTICE” BECOMES MORE INEVITABLE In what started out as one of the largest field of candidates for the Republication nomination in party history, only three names remain. The last candidate to drop out was 34 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

Senator Marco Rubio, who decided to exit the race after a demoralizing loss in his own home state of Florida. Those who have previously exited the race have already thrown support to some of the remaining candidates, including the likes of Dr. Ben Carson and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who have both pledged support to Donald Trump. Is the world ready for Republican Presidential Nominee Trump come the November Presidential Elections? Looking over the current results and delegate counts, Trump already has over half of the delegates needed to secure the nomination and it will take some very decisive victories from Cruz for him to have any chance of unseating Trump from the lead (1,044 delegates remain as of March 22. The Donald has 680 delegates and 1,237 are needed to secure the nomination; Cruz has 424). Only half of Republican voters actually wish to see Trump secure the party nomination. As for those within the party itself, it’s widely known they are less keen on seeing the “outsider” Trump represent them in November. The 2012 Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney even called out Republicans to vote against Trump at all costs, and take away enough delegates from him to not secure the nomination (He has since expressed support for Ted Cruz). The so-called party “establishment”

NEWS

has not thrown away the idea of nominating someone else during the Republican National Convention. If such an event occurs, a third-party run by Trump is not a far-fetched idea. Senator Ted Cruz still serves as a worthy challenger to Trump’s dominance, with a couple of wins under his belt and his solid conservative-Christian base. Once Kasich exits the race as expected, Cruz has a better chance of taking solid leads in the rest of the primaries, with the Kasich votes going to Cruz. Notably, Jeb Bush, has expressed support for Cruz (in as much as a plea for anyone else but Trump). Governor John Kasich is still standing his ground and refuses to drop out from the race, even if it’s almost mathematically impossible for him to secure the nomination (he has to basically win all of the remaining primaries). Despite a recent big win in his home state of Ohio, the road to the nomination certainly looks bleak for Kasich, and pundits expect him to drop out from the race in the next few weeks. THE GAP WIDENS Despite encouraging wins in the earlier primaries, including New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders has found himself playing catch-up with Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination. Clinton has widened her delegate gap, while getting a sizable chunk of superdelegates as well. Superdelegates are unique to the Democratic Party. They come from individual members of prominent groups within and affiliated to the Party and are unpledged; they can change their vote on their own, unlike regular pledged candidates, which are allocated according to voter preferences. 2,383 delegates are needed to win the Democratic nomination - Clinton currently

has 1,630 delegates while Sanders has 844. Of Clinton’s delegates, 467 are superdelegates; Sanders only has 26. Experts have a positive outlook for Sanders though, and expect him to win some of the coming primaries, making the Democratic race tighter in the future. Still, they don’t expect him to secure the nomination, and it would take a large external issue or controversy to take down Clinton (the closest being another reinvestigation or all-out indictment in her e-mail scandal). THE ROAD AHEAD As of writing, Trump and Clinton look to be locks to secure their parties’ nominations. Regardless, both of their respective rivals, Cruz and Sanders, will not let them get there without a few bruises along the way. Both are polarizing candidates, and are often the biggest targets of derision from the other party. The recent attack in Brussels will certainly shape significant aspects of the race, and will serve as another important litmus test to all of the candidates’ views on foreign policy and terrorism. By May, it will become pretty clear who will run away the winner for the delegate race. The real story though, is what will happen during the respective party conventions. Securing the needed delegates does not assure victory, and anything could happen along the way. Just ask Hillary in 2008. Josh Siat is currently working on the first draft of his thesis. You may find him at the Lib and offer your condolences. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 35

ECHOES

#NEVERAGAIN BY ROLLY OLIQUINO AFTER LAGGING BEHIND SENATOR CHIZ ESCUDERO (IND) IN THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL SURVEY FOR MONTHS, SENATOR FERDINAND “BONGBONG” MARCOS JR. (IND) HAS FINALLY INCHED HIS WAY TO THE TOP OF THE LATEST VICE PRESIDENTIAL SURVEY CONDUCTED BY PULSE ASIA FROM MARCH 8 TO MARCH 13. Senator Marcos

was able to get 25% of the 4,000 respondents compared to the 24% garnered by Senator Escudero. However, they are considered statistically tied due to the 1.5% error margin at the 95% confidence level used in the nationwide survey. Despite being kicked out of the Philippines during a popular uprising in 1986, the Marcoses are back and are slowly trying to take back Malacanang. The widow of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda Marcos, is currently House Representative of the 2nd District of Ilocos Notre. Their daughter, Imee Marcos, is currently Governor of Ilocos Norte. Marcos Jr., son of the elder Marcos, is an incumbent senator, eyeing the Vice Presidency in 2016, and according to rumors, the Presidency in 2022. In fact, when Senator Bongbong declared his intention to run for vice president on October last year, Imelda was greatly disappointed that he wasn’t running for president. 36 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

The surge in Sen. Marcos’s ratings have startled figures from both ends of the political spectrum. In a speech delivered by President Benigno Aquino III on the 30th anniversary of the First People Power, the president expressed grave fears of allowing another Marcos to return to Malacanang. Likewise, those from the far left such as Rep. Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna, a victim himself of the abuses during Martial Law, has criticized the younger Marcos for failure to apologize for the sins committed by his father. As a matter of fact, Sen. Marcos has continually denied to answer the issues thrown at him, saying that martial law and ill-gotten wealth are not issues concerned with his bid for the vice presidency. However, many are asking where the hundreds of millions of pesos he uses for television, radio, and even online media advertisements come from. Running as an independent candidate without a huge political machinery (such as the Liberal Party) and being able to launch a massive campaign similar to that of Mr. Marcos can raise speculations on corruption and ill-gotten wealth. With only $320,000 worth of assets (all in excess are ill-gotten) as declared by the Supreme Court in 2003, it does seem quite suspicious for the average Filipino. Sen. Marcos answered President Aquino’s call for Filipinos to oppose the younger Marcos’s bid. He said that history should be left to the professors who study

NEWS

history, and not to politicians. Academes and intellectuals wasted no time to counter Sen. Bongbong’s statement. More than 400 professors of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) signed a statement condemning the “willful distortion of our history”. Concurrently, the University of the Philippines Department of History showcased an exhibit with the theme, “Nakaw na Yaman, Ibalik sa Bayan!” aimed at educating Filipinos, especially the youth, on the abuses during the Marcos regime. The problem, however, lies with the millennials who have not experienced the tragedies of martial law. They have fallen victim to countless false propaganda through word of mouth, and various online revisionist photos and statements which depict the martial law days to be the “Golden Age of the Philippines” despite existence of empirical data which prove otherwise. This may be the result of a flawed education system that does not teach learners to be critical and scientific. In 2012, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro said that students should judge for themselves if martial law was good or bad and that DepEd was implementing that approach. In early March of this year, however, DepEd decided to integrate to the K-12 the atrocities and abuses of the martial law regime to give students a firmer grasp of the happenings during those dark

ages. This move may be too late, however, for the damage has already been done. But then again, better late than never. Martial law victims have vowed to oppose the Marcos return to Malacanang. Coalition after coalition has been formed to achieve just that. They are blocking the bid of an unapologetic son who may one day rewrite history and clear any wrongdoing the father has done. They seek vengeance for hours of unbearable torture and pain that have left scars physically and emotionally. They seek justice for the loss of a father, husband, daughter, or son whose body has never been found and never will be. As learned individuals, it is our duty to uphold what is right and inform every Filipino the truth, and denounce the lies that make us fools in our own country. What a shame it is to those who have given their lives for the freedom that we enjoy today! Remember, if we cannot learn from history, then we are bound to repeat it.

Rolly Oliquino is an amatuer photographer. He wants to become a lawyer someday while doing professional photography.

ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 37

38 â&#x20AC;¢ MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

We don't know if you guys were even going to notice it, but we just thought we should put it out there that there isn't a Culture or Features section for this issue.

This is the Echoes Night Life Special.

ECHOES | MARCH 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 39

ECHOES SPECIAL

9 REASONS TO LOVE LOCAL BY BIANCA RAÑOLA I’LL CUT RIGHT TO IT: FILIPINO BRANDS ARE GREAT. And I don’t mean the way you go “Ugh, great” when a huge scoop of your ice cream falls onto the floor or you see someone you totally hate walking your way, I mean a proper “Yaaaassss great” that only a particularly good CRS batch run or a free cut in class can elicit from you. And before you go “the grass is always greener” on me, hear me out. 1. DANDY ONA (http://dandyona.com/) This is the kind of intricate jewelry you’re going to hate me for introducing you to because once you see it you’ll realize how much you need it in your life. And while some of their bangles do sort of look like plain pieces of gold wire you could find in the garage, they’ve got lots of pieces that will inspire your “demure hipster aesthetic” awakening. Give these to your special someone (or yourself, if you are your special someone). If you do want to treat yourself, check out their personalized necklaces. Too cute not to Instagram. 2. 23060 (http://twothirtysixty.net/) If you want a clean slate and a fresh start, aka something to doodle on in class, look no further. 23060 notebooks will be there for you when they aren’t. With pages as white as the lies they told, what better way to stay away from they than getting a place to pour your feelings into and help you continue on the pathway to more success? Plus, major key alert: 23060 has a variety of cover designs ranging from Manila scenery to textures that will make your prof think you’re doing serious bizness blessing up and not ranting about him. Say it with me: another one. 40 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

3. SUNNIES STUDIOS (http://sunniesstudios.com/) What time is it? Summer time… in a few months. But thanks to our hellish climate, we don’t need to use summer as an excuse to whip out our shades. Also, if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to looking like Tom Cruise in Top Gun, Sunnies Studios is worth the shot. They’ve got cat-eyes for the basic bitches, wayfarers for the fuccbois, specs for the hipster

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE 5. PROUDRACE (http://proudrace.com/) This is for when you wake up and go, “Hmm, I think I want to look like I’m going to a Yeezus concert today.” Like, honestly, you can’t wear their all-black, lazy day garb and not at least feel a small urge to dance to “The Life of Pablo” in your head. You can even go so far as to say Kanye himself designs their pieces, if Kanye were, you know, a Filipino industrial designer. You’ll love it like Kanye loves Kanye. But legit, Proudrace is so damn successful, they sell worldwide. Makes you proud of your race, doesn’t it? ;)

6. WEAR AND BARE (http://wearandbare.com.ph/) Less porma than Herschel but more porma than those drawstring bags you can pick up at SC, Wear and Bare bags are great if you don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard. They have a mesh and leather drawstring hybrid that you can take to the beach straight from your classes, if you fancy studying Econ beside the sea like that. Besides, you can never go wrong with a versatile bag.

7. BLEACH CATASTROPHE (http://facebook.com/bleachstore) This store is exactly like Topshop, if Topshop were less trendy, more reasonably priced, and had better creative direction. Okay, so it’s nothing like Topshop. Bleach Catastrophe has collections that look like they could’ve been part of New York Fashion Week, but at the same time are completely wearable. They’re basically Nylon magazine editorials come to life, only with less glitter and more human. They’re cool enough to make a statement but simple enough to make the right one. (Editor's note: I think they're on sale right now because they're closing down soon.)

8. MANILA SOLE (http://manilasolefootwear.com/) Like TOMS but set in the Philippines, Manila Sole sells ace shoes and stands for a good cause. Every pair of shoes is made of environment-friendly materials, so each one they sell has a great impact in that it lessens the number of tires that ends up in a landfill or being burned. They’re all for sustainable style, which is quite impressive if I may say so myself. Every step I take a step towards a better earth? I’d take it. I really would. 9 7 8 wannabes, and more. So basically there’s a frame for everyone. They come in cute little pouches you may or may not reuse as pencil cases or somewhere to put a small fan in. Now you’re only a swimsuit change and a trip to the pool away from summer. 4. RENEGADE FOLK (http://renegadefolk.com/) It is a truth universally acknowledged that a self-respecting person in possession of a good fortune must be in want of… a new pair of shoes. Not assuming that y’all are materialistic or anything, but there’s nothing wrong with a good pair of sandals, right? So form an orderly queue, ladies and gents. You’re in for a very indie/alternative treat. Think: the perf thing to wear to your next music festival, your next poetry reading, or even just your next class. You’ll #ownyourstep in absolutely no time at all.

9. OLIVIA AND DIEGO (http://oliviaanddiego.com/) It’s fun. It’s fresh. It’s funky. It’s everything you want your accessories to be. But wait, there’s more! All jewelry is made of used fabrics. Another environment-friendly brand, anyone? But wait, there’s even more! Olivia and Diego is a social business that stands for women empowerment through fashion and design. It holds workshops for women and teaches them to bring out their ~creative side~ to help them make a living out of these accessories. It also works closely with human trafficking survivors and stay-at-home moms. So if that doesn’t convince you to check them out, you’re a heartless human being. See? Filipino brands are great. End of story. Bianca cannot be left in the mall alone. She will end up buying things with money she doesn’t even have. One time she online shopped during Math 100 and officially reached a new low. Just look at her exam score.

ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 41

ECHOES SPECIAL

WHERE TO NEXT: THE INCOMPLETE FOOD GUIDE

BY ANA BUBAN & GINO GERODIAS

IT’S THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD TO FIND SOMEONE WHO LOVES FOOD JUST AS MUCH AS YOU, OR ASKS WHAT’S FOR DINNER WHILE YOU’RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF LUNCH. Or drags you to three different grocery

stores to buy his favorite bottle of peri-peri sauce and ingredients for this recipe he found online. I forgot to mention—it’s also the greatest thing in the world to find someone who can cook. But, when we’re too lazy to make anything (which comes more often than our pockets would like), we visit our go-to restaurants for dishes that we just can’t help but order—even though we’re itching to try something new. We’ve categorized them according to particular cravings or moods—whether it’s to drown our sorrows after a brutal 131 exam, to celebrate free cuts, or simply, to satisfy the munchies—these are the places that have won our hearts, and our stomachs.

GO BIG OR GO HOME Let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room—no list is complete without the Filipino favorite—the all-you-can-eat buffet.

2. SWEET INSPIRATIONS Best. Mongolian. Buffet. Ever. And they recommend sauce combinations so you’ll never have to worry if your bowl is too spicy. Gino always has a separate bowl with just meat in it (don’t worry, I’m trying to wean him off it). Sweet Inspirations. Katipunan Ave., Quezon City. P360 Mongolian dinner.

THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

1. SODAM You’ll know it’s authentic when an old Korean lady prepares the staple side dishes that come with an all-you-caneat Korean BBQ. And P299 for lunch and P329 for dinner—I’d be surprised if you didn’t have Korean BBQ cravings every week. They have thinly sliced pork and beef that we always fry like bacon to make it crispier. They have good Chapchae too! Sodam Korean Restaurant. Little Baguio, San Juan. Reservation recommended.

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When you’re feeling cultured and you want the experience that comes with the food, this is where you should be eating. You’ll be a globetrotting “foodie” in no time.

were all worth coming back to. Try Quik Snack for their Fresh Lumpia and spicy Misua Guisado stir-fried noodles (this is Gino’s favorite). Don’t forget to buy pillowy-soft Bicho-Bicho from the many street peddlers that ply the length of Binondo. And then stop by Dong Bei Dumpling—practically an institution in Chinatown—for their Kuchay and Pork Dumplings that slides right down your throat. Never leave Chinatown without trying Shanghai Fried Siopao, slightly crispy on the outside but all the workings of a bola-bola siopao inside. Binondo is a street with many secrets, and the best-kept ones are the authentic dishes that have been passed down among the generations who lived here. Quik Snack. Binondo, Manila. P140 for the Misua Guisado. P70 for Fresh Lumpia. Shanghai Fried Siopao. Binondo, Manila. P25 for Fried Siopao. Dong Bei Dumpling. Binondo, Manila. P120 for 14 pieces Kuchay dumplings.

1. BINONDO The first time we went, we already had a list of places in mind, and they

2. TAMAGOYA This quaint little noodle house is a bit far, but it’s so worth it. The interiors take you back to the pop-up ramen

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE houses in Tokyo, without having to break the bank on Japanese favorites. Their best seller is Karaage and the Stamina Ramen (said to be what kept Japanese students up to study for their finals). The Karaage is tender and juicy, while still maintaining the crunch on the outside. It’s authentic too—managed by a Japanese businessman and a Japanese chef—you won’t regret leaving Metro Manila for this. Tamagoya. Masinag, Lower Antipolo, Rizal. P168 for the Stamina Ramen. P148 for the Karaage.

TREAT YO' SELF Treat Yo Self Day doesn’t have just have to be one day, you can have these decadent eats any day of the year—just be sure you got the dough for it. 1. VA BENE

eight slices of sashimi over rice. It was fresh and the rice was seasoned so well that we didn’t have to dip our fish in soy sauce. But the star of the night was the Gyu Kushi—cubes of melt-in-yourmouth grilled wagyu beef—it was like biting into butter. It was sooooo good.

Tadyang.

WITH A BEER IN HAND 1. BENI’S FALAFEL

Izakaya Kikufuji. Little Tokyo, Legaspi Village, Makati. P240 for Spicy Tuna Maki. P450 for Nigiri Nami. P125 for 1 stick of Gyu Kushi.

THE you RICE-OVER-RUN When go hungry, rice DIET is always the answer (at least for me). And no mound of rice is complete without the ulam. But what if the rice is the ulam?

This is undoubtedly one of the best falafels around, and I usually don’t like vegetarian dishes. You wouldn’t believe these deep fried balls of pureed chickpeas didn’t have any meat in them— they’re that good. Even better when you eat it with a beer in hand. Beni’s Falafel. Ground Floor, A Venue, Makati City. P185 for Beni’s Falafel.

We first knew about this place from Food Network’s Best Thing I Ever Ate, and after that first bite of their Veal Cheeks Ravioli, I knew I wanted a huge tub of it to swim in. That’s real love, folks. It was creamy, and the meat inside the fresh pasta was fork-tender, I almost couldn’t help but scarf it down. Good thing I remembered it cost P580. Va Bene Pasta Deli. Bonifacio High Street Cinema Level, BGC, Taguig. Reservation recommended. 2. LITTLE TOKYO This compound of Japanese restaurants is perfect for when you can’t decide what to eat—you can even order from all the restaurants and sit outside since they’re all close by. Try Izakaya Kikufuji, fabulously known for their Spicy Tuna Maki and Sashimi. We also ordered their Nigiri Nami, a selection of

1. THE STUDY Their Lechon Kawali and Sinigang Rice is probably the most perfect combination of two things since JaDine. The dry rice has completely soaked through the broth and it has all the flavors of your favorite sour soup. Just try it. Please. The Study. Regis Center, Katipunan. P180 for Lechon Kawali with Sinigang Rice. 2. CATABOLIC CAFÉ We went here for their much raved about Chicken and Waffles, but we came out falling in love with their Pares Rice with Crispy Tadyang. This is probably Gino’s favorite dish of all time, and for good reason: the rice is perfectly reminiscent of the umami flavor of Pares broth, and the Crispy Tadyang can stand on its own. I’m proud to say we’ve eaten here thrice already. Catabolic Café. Malingap Street, Quezon City. P350 for Pares Rice and Crispy

2. EAT FRESH HONG KONG FAMOUS STREET FOOD This is great for those nights where you stumble out of wherever it is you’re drinking, a little but tipsy but craving for something fried and oily. Their name speaks the truth—it’s famous Hong Kong fried street food on a stick, doused in their special curry sauce. Try the Crab Fingers and Lobster Balls, but they have an assortment that you can point to if you’d like. They also serve good Fried Noodles! It’s a hole-in-the-wall that we’d definitely go back to every night. Eat Fresh Hong Kong Famous Street Food. Little Baguio, San Juan. P60 for Hong Kong Style Fried Noodles. P40-60 for their Street Food on-a-stick. Ana and Gino have been really close friends for almost 2 years, and they plan on going on a global food adventure when they start earning money. They also plan to get fat together and roll around like a bunch of out-of-balance Teletubbies on a hill. (Not Ana, just Gino. And he already got a head start.) ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 43

ECHOES SPECIAL

STANDING OVATION 101: HOW TO WIN YOUR AUDIENCE OVER BY ANDREW ESCAY

THE NIGHTLIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES HAS BEEN GROWING AND CHANGING. Places like the Palace and the Fort Strip

cater to those with the drive to party. Mercato in Fort Bonifacio caters to those whose tummies can never get filled with enough food. Movies are for couples looking for something to see at night after dinner before they head home, and for the complete bums who don’t want to move, there’s Netflix now. But there is a nightlife activity that remains to stay in line with the so called elegant, prestigious and cultured individuals: watching plays. Live on stage evening acts are often seen as occasions to come in well dressed clothes and your most proper decorum. Plays are expensive and not easy to come by; they’re usually held in prestigious locations and run for a short period of time. So when you do get a chance to watch one, what does make a play a play, and what are the things that you must look out for when watching?

First, we must remember that play is a truly imaginative experience. You can’t just sit down and look at a play; it needs you to fill in some gaps with your imagination which are created by the limited capabilities of live productions. A play’s set, say The Phantom of the Opera, can’t take you from the opera house to a real underground cave-like area in 10 seconds. It’s too costly and difficult to transport the audience, let alone expect them to still stay focused on the storyline after all the movement that had happened. The same goes for war scenes, which need to be acted out by a thirty member ensemble. These are but a few of the gaps that we tend to work with in plays. However, because of the different aspects of a play, our imaginations are guided to stitch in those gaps and enjoy.

basic and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll spend money to see a production that doesn’t have these locked in already. Sounds provided by a live band or orchestra give a substantially more engaging feel to the production. Artists and performers have a passion for what they do and it’s expected that they always give it their all because of their love for their craft. These are also the two aspects that aren’t really limited by financial constraints, as compared to the others. Given that those two are pretty much set, we can continue to talk about the other trickier aspects.

The next aspects are what I consider enhancements to the hard work and talent that the performers on stage put up for the audience. Without making sure the other parts of a play are done well, you won’t be able to stir up enough pathos in your There are a few things that I feel must be done right in audience to bring them to tears or make them laugh with you. order to enjoy a play: set design, transitions, costumes, sounds, To be frank, the other parts done well just makes your actors acting. Just the same standards we learn in high school English that much more believable. class. I don’t plan to go through every single one in this article - because that will bore you all - but I will talk about what, in The first element is set design; this is the aspect I’m most my own opinion and based on my experiences, makes a play passionate about because I am a stickler for detail and precision. great and not just good. Sounds and acting, for me, are the most I’m going to compare two plays that I’ve watched in the 44 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE Newport Performing Arts Theater and The Theatre at Solaire. on a made up stage with props in their hands. This allows you In Newport, I watched both the Sound of Music adaptation by to eliminate unnecessarily dull moments where actors are Repertory Philippines and an adaptation of the timeless Bituing awkwardly standing around uttering lines with little animation. Walang Ningning. In The Theatre at Solaire, I watched both international production tours of Having a great stage also brings Saturday Night Fever and Singin’ you to the next aspect: smooth in the Rain. Briefly put, the transitions. Now I know, this Newport plays were good but the might sound nitpicky, but it adds Solaire plays were great. to the ability of your imagination to stitch together two scenes and Both The Sound of Music ignore the fact that things in the and Bituing Walang Ningning stage are changing and what used relied heavily on pictures of to be a house is now a store, for backgrounds being flashed on example. In the Sound of Music the big LED boards of Newport’s transitions were made by actors Theater. Personally, I hate moving alongside the moving watching plays in Newport picture on the LED board – I because on one hand it allows personally found this cheap – but you to accurately visualize the in Saturday Night Fever, a dining setting they want you to think set was all on wheels and could of, but it comes at the cost of be easily rolled off stage during your actors having less things to a song and dance performance interact with and your audience without the audience noticing the knowing very well that it’s just scene changing. This avoids the a picture on a screen. It removes unnecessary and awkward people dimensions to your stage, it lessens the creativity that can in black coming in to move the set and items on stage and the run in your mind and overall, takes you a step back in your awkward transitions where actors just walk out when it isn’t journey of imagining these are the real people in a real story intended to be. Creating a great set gives you more meaningful that’s being told. Arguably, the performers in Bituing Walang scenes to see that you can actually feel instead of transition Ningning were better singers than the performers in Saturday movements that could break the emotion of a scene. Night Fever – despite the leads being Broadway performers – but putting all elements together I was much more drawn in Finally we have costumes. While the stage gives life to the with the latter. location, the overall setting is locked in with the costumes. I wouldn’t have felt like the acting was right if I watched Saturday Compare this to Saturday Night Fever’s iconic Chicago Night Fever and they didn’t have bellbottom pants. Fashion “L” train track set or Singin’ in the Rain’s actual raining stage. is a good indicator of social class, the era you’re in, and what These stages were simple. They had little movement and group of people you belong to – generally the people who are limited elements but everything was precisely built to look friends dress alike. The thing with plays is that you’ll have to and feel like they belonged. On the other hand, Bituing Walang learn more about a certain character as the play goes on, and Ningning had a market place scene where signs were made of one of the best ways to understand what’s going on is to know tarpaulins printed with white borders and a set up that was the character and their role as fast as possible. Their costumes extremely spacious (which doesn’t really exist in real Philippine allow you to believe they’re who they say they are and, more marketplaces). The more accurate and interactive a set is, the importantly, give you a quicker way to figure out where they fit more room the actors have to use objects, move in a space in the whole story line. All of these can be told to the audience and make you believe that they’re real people, moving in real through the costumes they wear. places with real things they’re holding and not just fake actors The great thing about plays is that you don’t need to see everything to believe. You’re given an illusion of interactions and activities that mimic the real world. From there you begin to feel, understand and stumble upon a story that could either make you feel happy, sad, mad or inspired. In the end it is all but an act. An act that must deceive, direct and control your imagination to visualize and immerse yourself in a story that brings you to smiles, laughs, cries and heartache, and then to your feet.

"You’re given an illusion of interactions and activities that mimic the real world. From there you begin to feel, understand and stumble upon a story that could either make you feel happy, sad, mad or inspired."

Andrew Escay is a second year BS BAA student who loves watching plays in his free time (no shit). He has acted as stage and technical director for his high school's major music festival and various other events, which is where he got his eye for detail. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 45

ECHOES SPECIAL

DROWNING IN THE SOUND BY BRUNO SANTOS

“DRINK WITH CARE, PLAY WITH HEART.” – QUOTE PAINTED ON A WALL OF A GIG PLACE I still remember my first gig experience. It was four years ago and it was Halloween. I went to Route 196 to support my high school friend’s band and to grab a few drinks. Being a spur of the moment decision since I was able to find two others who would go with me, I improvised and went as Jason Voorhees to have that 50-peso discount at the door. I initially feared being out of place in a scene that I thought I was all too familiar with. Knowing the local indie music scene is one thing, but to actually go to their live shows is a whole other ball game. But, to my surprise, I saw a lot of familiar places that night (due to the fact that the crowd was sort of an “Ateneo” crowd) and got comfortable, all while enjoying Imelda and She’s Only Sixteen sets. It was glorious. It was magical. I went to the next Halloween gig the following year as Saul Silver, but lost to Frodo for best costume.

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“OPM IS DEAD” MY ASS. OPM is well aware of an impending renaissance in the local scene, particularly due to the advent of new technology, hence the bedroom producers, and acceptance of different, sometimes avant garde genres of music. Local bars on the other hand are still the go-to places for those who want to make it. No, I’m not talking about tacky bars that feature cover bands. I’m talking about the venues that allow for socializing and live performance in front of a generally accepting audience. Route 196 in Katipunan Extension and Saguijo in Guijo St. in Makati come to mind when one talks about gigs. The “middle-men” between the northerners and the southerners, these bars in my opinion are one’s entry-level places to try and see how the local music scene is outside the internet. Route 196 in particular, is frequented by UP students and Ateneans, due to the fact that it is along Katipunan and that it caters to a certain kind of niche that is prevalent in these schools. However, these are just not the places to go to have a good alternative trip down the underground music scene. There is 12 Monkeys and 19 East for the south people, while we, the north, have Historia Bar, 70s Bistro, and the notorious Mow’s (down Matalino street). Mow’s, a relatively new venue (he just turned 1 early March), is more frequented by UP students and fresh and raw talents that start mosh pits. Mosh pits inside a room that is as big as a classroom that is. No matter what you choose, each gig experience is different. You can go sulk you feelings down the drain whenever Up Dharma Down have their infamous monthly gigs down Route and/or Saguijo, let loose and embrace a younger crowd in Mow’s, or have a go at minimalist RnB, trap trip-hop and make a Bad Decision on Wednesdays in Black Market. Each venue has a niche taste and crowd, but despite appearing intimidating, is easy to get used to. Sort of.

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

THOSE WHO SAY OPM IS DEAD CAN GO BACK UNDER THEIR ROCKS FULL OF SELL-OUT ARTISTS.

Different productions and collectives mean varying sound in their chosen band lineups for a chosen night, and in turn mean a rich composition of people with different backgrounds. Monthly Terno Nights consist of bands from the Terno Inferno label including Up Dharma Down, and for me these are one of the many entry-level gigs one can go to in order to feel the gig life vibe. The guys from Logiclub give you alternative beats and hip-hop, while A Spur Of The Moment gives you your nightly dose of Japanese-influenced post-rock and math rock bands such as Tom’s Story, tide/edit, and Run Dorothy. Or you can just go to kuya Mow’s and flail to hardcore rock while having a good time. Young or old, tasteful or not, hippie or yuppie, hypebeast or hipster, the local gig scene has it all. You just have to go to the right places.

From the bottles of beer scattered on the tables and the streets, broken or not, the gig life is somehow more than the music. It’s more about the experience, whether you’re a regular, “I’m here for the music” type of gig-goer or not. The gig life, depending on the ones playing, is a social event. One would think going alone to these types of things is bad, but it’s the complete opposite. Meeting and having small talk with complete strangers is a totally normal occurrence. Gigs are (mostly) a congregation of like-minded people and are in the scene more or less, supporting fellow band friends, checking the latest buzz about a young band, or are simply just there to have good time. Based from a personal and almost-drunk experience, I went to a gig alone once, and through the course of the night I got acquainted with the likes of Autotelic and TheSunManager. On a separate occasion, I was able to know the nitty-gritty behind the money-driven politics of record labels and their grasp and control over bands, and how those who have real talent are rarely given the limelight. From shallowly fangirl(boy)ing towards band crushes to actually hearing their story on why they chose to play music, meeting these kinds of people in gigs is what I live for. You can’t predict the next time you’d meet a simpleton who turns out to be an erratic, buckethat-wearing, rain-dancing vocalist of a lo-fi garage rock band. There is simply no price to that. It’s part of the gig life magic. The gig life has its own merits: free beers from doormen, seeing local celebs out of their idealized selves, backstage access from flirtatious band members, and life talks with complete strangers and foreigners who want to make it big like you. OPM is not dead. There are those who still choose to keep it alive. You just have to look at the right places. These are just some of them. Oh, I forgot to tell you about Cubao Expo and its myriad of wild, bloc parties. Nah, you can just go there and tell me about it. There’s also this series of gigs held in secret location, but they’re so far….

Alvar Santos is an avid music and street culture enthusiast and is a writer at Clavel Magazine. He also recently got a girlfriend, but assures Timmy that this won't be a factor. *wink wink* LOL. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 47

ECHOES SPECIAL

THE 10 PEOPLE YOU MEET ON A NIGHT OUT BY PEACHES TENORIO ILLUSTRATIONS BY LERI TAN

1. MISTER/MISS CONGENIALITY This fine lad/lady knows almost everyone. He/she has numerous stopovers just by walking around in the said parameter. He/she usually gets smothered with besos, hugs, redundant shouting of his/her name, and not to mention free booze. He/she also has good time management skills so he/she can hang with different groups.

2. THE LOLA/LOLO These people are the ones who usually love to have dinner, some cold beer by the porch or have their weekly wine nights with cold cuts and cheese. You usually see them by the bar away from the crowd of people. They're mostly the ones who wants to sit down or wanna fast forward where you guys eat at The Recovery Food.

4. CELEBRITIES/MODELS They're busy at work but there still normal people who likes to drink and unwind. You'll see them strutting their hot bodies and mingling with their fellow celebrities or people from the elite

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3. THE FUCCBOI This boy is always on the lookout for every hot girl in existence. This guy usually wears the latest kicks in town. Beware, this guy is usually smooth and may make you head over heels by just mere words. This guy also tries his best to flex but subtly to woo the girls. This guy is very good at "the game". And he would totally love to bring someone home or maybe in his car. "What's a fine lady like you doing in a place like this?"

5. THE SLUT

The term is a bit over the top but this is the counterpart of the fuccboi. She is always on the prawl. Seduction is her expertise; with a smirk, twisting of her hair, and some grinding. You usually see her talking to different guys or boys buying her some tequila or margaritas.

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

6. AFAMS

These are foreigners residing in Manila for awhile or permanently. They usually go in groups like a wolfpack ready to prey on locals. They dress more casually than Filipinos. They're usually "walwal". They love to crowd up the dance floor and meet new people. They're more likely to swim at Pool Club.

7. SPONKY

This is a group of gay people who has a lot of connections in the modeling or show business. They go in groups. They scan the place with their "future alaga" vision. If they like you, they'll buy you a shitload of drinks or more. They'll offer you a lot of opportunities. They're good people but don't let your head go underwater.

9. THE WALWAL This person is usually seen in two places: the bar or the dance floor. He/ she buys a shitload of drinks then goes "WOOOHOO" on the dance floor. This person may or may not be inclined in dancing but he/she knows how to go with the beat. There is also a possibility that this person messed up some chemical activators and thus goes all out cray.

8. THE FIRST-TIMER This person is usually seen in the middle mesmerized by the whole venue. He/she typically asks what's the best in the list of cocktails. This person's line is usually "I don't really go out that much. Are you here often?". He/she might usually wear something formal or too dressed up because he/ she doesn't know the ambiance of the place.

10. THE SOCIAL MEDIA WHORE

This person loves to update everyone about their crazy lives everywhere like Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook. He/ she likes to use Foursquare to know his/her location. He/She usually goes, "OMG LET'S HAVE A SELFIE, GUYS!!!" or "SNAPCHAAAAAAAAT!". And because of this person, everything is recorded. His/her motto in life: SNAPCHAT REMEMBERS.

Peaches Tenorio is cynical and loves peanutbutter (and Sel). This distorted being is a cannibal because she loves to devour peaches topped with cream. She tends to enjoy any form of idiosyncrasy. She loves Echoes (fam).

ECHOES | MARCH 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 49

ECHOES SPECIAL

PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME

POP MY COLLAR

BY CHITO BALINDONG

THIRTEEN. I WAS THIRTEEN YEARS OLD WHEN I HAD MY FIRST AND ONLY NIGHTLIFE EXPERIENCE.

I think this doesn’t really come as a surprise to most people since I come off as the type who would rather spend his late nights watching superhero movies and listening to post-Zayn One Direction, which is kind of true by the way. I’ve been to a few parties but all of them were org parties and I’m usually one of those who go home first. To put it simply, I don’t like to “walwal”. Regardless, I always tell my friends about that slightly-crazy experience I had when I was 13 and that’s what I’m going to do now. Wow. Just your luck. P.S. I’m just gonna call this Column “Chito’s Corner”. I haven’t thought of an alter-ego yet and you guys already know that I’m me (since my last article revealed who I am) so hiding my identity wouldn’t really help. Either way, I’m going to continue writing about my weird thoughts and experiences. It was a late summer night in 2011. I was already in my pajamas, combing my hair, and about to sleep. My siblings and I were in Manila, staying over at the “family” house, for summer vacation and we were waiting for our parents to arrive from their US trip just in time for my 14th birthday. All was well. Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door (or our door). It was my uncle. He told me to get dressed up right away because he and my other uncle are going to take me out on an “initiation experience” and “prepare me for the future”. I forgot the exact words he used but it was along those lines. I said no at first but when he told me “Pag hindi ka sumama ngayon, pagsisisihan mo habang 50 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

buhay”, I finally gave in. I put on the most pre-teen outfit ever and off we went to who knows where. For our first stop, we went to this popular bar near the ABS-CBN studio. According to my uncle, this was the “most popular bar in Metro Manila”. He told me that about 5 times on our way there while uttering the phrase “sabado nights sabado nights” in between. He sounded like a broken record. Either he loves the place that much or he was already drunk. Before we got off the car, I checked the time and it was almost 11 pm. I started to regret my decision to come but there was no turning back. I was the type of kid who was scared to stay up past 12 MN because I was scared of ghosts. As we were walking to the entrance, my uncle pulled me aside for a while so he could judge my outfit and try to make me look as old as possible, but there was absolutely no chance in the world that anybody would think I was old enough to go inside a bar. That night, I was wearing a slightly-oversized red polo, baggy jeans, and a pair of Crocs rubber shoes. I was barely a 5-footer and I looked like a grade-schooler, to be honest. In a last act of desperation, my uncle made me pop my collar. However, I knew that it would only make me look ridiculous and overly-entitled. We spend a good minute arguing about it but in the end, I succeeded in fighting for my right to not embarrass myself by popping my collar. Instead, my uncle told me to pretend to be the little brother of my other uncle. When we finally reached the entrance (Wow. It took two pararaphs.), we were greeted by this gigantic bouncer. I tried to enter normally ‘till he stopped me by putting his arm in front of me. Our conversation went on like this:

UNCLE 1: Sir, kapatid ko po to. Sinasama ko lang po para masanay. BOUNCER: Sorry Sir. Bawal po talaga eh. UNCLE 2: Sige na boss. Kasama niya naman po kami. BOUNCER: Pasensya Sir. Hindi po pwede. ME: *medyo naiiyak na* BOUNCER: *asks Manager-Bouncer* Boss! Papasukin ba 'to? MANAGER-BOUNCER: Basta kasama yung tatay, papasukin mo na! *awkward pause* UNCLE 1: Ahhhh. Anak ko po! BOUNCER: … Sige na nga. Pasok na.

uncles order a bucket of beer while I ordered Iced Tea Blast. Yeah, you heard that right. To describe the environment, it was CRAZY. The place was loud, people were shouting and laughing, the waiters were dancing all over the place and all of them were bald. Looking back, they remind of those crazy bald guys in Mad Max: Fury Road. We did not stay there for too long though. We transferred to another place. This time, instead of a bar, we went to a club. My uncle called it the “most popular club in Metro Manila” and again kept saying his sabado nights phrase. We did not have much trouble entering this time because the owner of the club was the friend of my uncle, who was also apparently my uncle also. How fortunate. The environment at the club was more subdued since we arrived a bit early. The only people inside were us, one drunk guy dancing with glow sticks like Terry Crews in “White Chicks”, and this group of guys who looked underage also. I don’t remember much from our visit to that club besides the DJ’s fire remix of “Rocketeer” and the great-tasting cheese sticks. We only stayed 20 minutes before my uncles decided that it was time to leave. On our way to the next location, my uncles asked me if I still wanted to come with them and meet some of their lady friends but I was already half-asleep. That was when they decided to drive me home to end my “sabado night” and to start with my “sabado goodnight” (forgive me). My uncles were already drunk at that point so I think this was the best time to call it a night. What’s the point of the story? Nothing really. I just wanted to point out that wearing Crocs to a night-out is a big nono. Also, when bringing one of your underage friends along, make sure that one of you could pass for his/her father. Now, I may have not turned into the “sabado night”-er that my uncles would’ve hoped for but I still thank them for giving me one more good story to tell my future grandkids. Time-check: 10:25 PM. Bye guys. I still need to study for 151 Escresa.

CHITO'S CORNER

Holy moley. We got in. I was in utter disbelief. We had trouble finding a table at first because the place was jampacked so my uncles made me talk to these two girls so we could sit with them but thankfully, another group vacated their table. The waiter proceeded to take our orders. My ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 51

ECHOES SPECIAL

WHAT TO WEAR ON A NIGHT OUT EVERYONE HAS EXPERIENCED THROWING ON 50 DIFFERENT OUTFITS BEFORE FINDING THE RIGHT ONE.

This situation becomes problematic especially if you’re running late and pressed for time. But, fear not. Cheska Yazon and Miguel Paje are here give you a few tips on what to wear on a night out.

LADIES

by Cheska Yazon Everyone has their own sense of style. If you know how to work it, what you're wearing shouldn't be an issue. These are just the rules I follow so that I don't become a cranky little b because I’m uncomfortable with what I'm wearing and all I can think about is wanting to go home and change. When in doubt, wear black. But let's be honest, I wouldn't dare wear any other color otherwise. I would totally suggest wearing white or gray, but if something spills on you (or if you sweat), it's going to be disastrous. Your print-on-print coordinates will only gain you Cool Girl points for maybe two more years and your shining shimmering splendid dress will probably evoke the same emotions as the time you saw your pictures of your apple haircut in Kindergarten. You may not remember anything from that night out, but pictures will be there to haunt you, and you wouldn't want to make two regrettable decisions that night, would you? If you are going to be wearing something with a low back, a top without sleeves, or a halter, no one wants to see an extra strap where the designer envisioned skin. Wear a strapless or get those sticky youknowwhats. As for shoes, knowing where you will be is key. The Palace, for example, has different footwear rules for each club. You can get away with sandals or sneakers in Pool Club, but there is no way you can enter Revel. I wouldn't suggest wearing open-toed anything if you plan on making walwal on the dancefloor (or even squeezing your way through the sea of partygoers to go to the bathroom). I pity your toes. But, you wouldn't want to be the girl who carries her 4-inch heels by the end of the night as she drunkenly walks barefoot to her car either. So again, know what you are going to do or where you are going to do it. If you know you have a table, by all means, wear heels because scientifically, a. they make your legs look longer and b. they make your butt look better. Or do what I do: keep a pair of flats in your car or your friend's car. By the end of the night, no one will know you got 3 inches shorter anyway. Most nightclubs (do we even call them that?) nowadays can get pretty chill. You can get away with sneakers, jeans, and even whatever you wore going to school (as long as you didn't just have an exam and you decided to go to school looking exactly as so). If it's going to be your first time, either Google the dress code, stalk their location on Instagram to see what people who were there last week were wearing, ask around (perfect way to subtly hint to someone that you're 52 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

going, maybe?), or stalk the albums their event photographers have posted on their Facebook page. It's 2016, get online. As for makeup, always always remember to wear waterproof eyeliner and mascara (people should still be able to tell the difference between you and a racoon), and if possible, wear a lip color that lasts as long as the prerog lines for Philo 1. Mattes stay on the longest. And bring your tube or bullet with you. Don't bring your entire makeup arsenal when you go out. The lipstick will do. Do your brows. They frame your face, but don't let them be the only thing people see because you've overdrawn them like there's no tomorrow. Lastly, keep in mind the cardinal rule of makeup: if you are going for dark eyes, don't go for dark lips. Just choose one. The same applies to boys. So there you go, have fun, stay safe, and go get 'em.

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE GENTLEMEN BY MIGUEL PAJE

GENTLEMEN by Miguel Paje

Dressing up for a night out can be quite intimidating especially for men but all you have to keep in mind is to choose key articles of clothing that help you look the best while having the most fun. Hitting the club may make you feel a little bit selfconscious but if you choose the clothes that you feel CONFIDENT and COMFORTABLE in while dressing for the right occasion you'll never second guess yourself when it comes to looking good. Some guys take the opportunity of the night out to show off an uber trendy piece of clothing they wouldn't usually wear, so go for it and put on that Yeezy sweater or those ripped jeans. If you're the type of guy who prefers to stick with clean and classic looks, then you might want to go a button-down and loafers. There are just as many kinds of outfits to wear as there are nights out. The clothes you wear really depend on the kind and vibe of place you plan to go to. Here are a few tips on how to dress depending on where you're headed for the night:

UPSCALE CLUB

When going out to more upscale clubs like Valkyrie, Pangaea, and the like you must keep in mind that these clubs have a dress code. Shorts, tank tops and sandals are a big nono. Dress to impress is the number one rule when deciding what to wear. It's best to stick to more dressy articles of clothing like button downs, polo shirts and slim-fit chinos. You can also try mixing it up by making a more casual article of clothing like a sweater or t-shirt look more dressy by pairing it with a denim jacket or black chinos.

POOL CLUB

Keep in mind that Pool Club doesn't have air conditioning so when you choose your outfit be sure to choose something light and comfortable. A t-shirt or polo shirt, swim shorts and boat shoes are always safe choices but keep in mind that it's cool to wear pants too especially if you feel like you might end up in Valkyrie or Revel at the end of the night.

OFF-BEAT CLUB

In the more off-beat clubs, like Black Market, it's okay to dress a little bit more casual and laid-back but, keep in mind that it IS a club, so shorts, tank tops and sandals are not allowed. With clubs like these, it's okay to be a little bit more adventurous with your choices of clothing especially depending on the vibe of the place. For example if the place has a more underground hip-hop feel, you can wear a tee with, black skinny chinos, white sneakers and dress it up with a statement piece like a sporty windbreaker.

BARS

If you're feeling a little bit more lowkey and are headed out for a more laid-back night out at one of the many bars in the metro, then it's okay to dress casually. Polo, shorts or jeans and sneakers would be a good choice for a chill night out. But be wary when wearing shorts because some bars (especially the more upscale ones) have strictly enforced dress codes.

INUMAN

If you're going to an inuman at a friend's there really are no rules for dressing up. You can be as casual as you like of course while still respecting that you still are in someone else' house. A t-shirt, shorts and sneakers would suffice. All in all there is no one best way to dress for a night out. Just remember to be yourself, wear what you feel like you look best in and you won't have a problem feeling confident and looking great while you and your barkada take to the streets, hit the clubs, and paint the town red.

Cheska Yazon is a retired ballerina and currently serves as the senior batch representative of the class of 2016. Despite everything she just wrote, Cheska thinks her party phase is over... until she finds a boy she can take with her. Miguel Paje does not know what he's doing here. Don't swipe right if you don't intent on chatting with him. Message first. INFJ. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 53

ECHOES SPECIAL

ON POINT: A MAKE-UP TUTORIAL BY KRISTINA VIRAY MAKEUP CAN ELEVATE YOUR LOOK WHEN DONE RIGHT. Up your confidence with looks that

could kill before you get started with the booze. With the following tips and practice, you can wow yourself with your makeup skills in no time.

BASE The face itself is oft-overlooked when putting on makeup, because people are drawn to the smaller details. That is a big mistake. Just like other artists, your art needs a primed, smooth canvass. In case you need reminding, wash your hands and your face before putting on anything. Putting makeup on dirty skin will not only potentially ruin your skin but also spread dirt and bacteria throughout your makeup collection. I highly recommend using a primer a few minutes after your moisturizer in order to smoothen your face and to increase the staying power of your makeup. Some primers even minimize the appearance of pores or give the skin a subtle glow. Give your primer a few minutes to dry before putting on foundation. Cream or liquid foundation is usually preferred over the powdered ones when a long night is expected. Make sure your foundation matches your neck in order to avoid looking like an espasol. If you don’t have a brush, your fingers will work fine for blending. In fact, the heat can make blending easier. Apply foundation starting from the center of your face and work towards all directions, ensuring no visible streaks remain. Don’t forget the neck! A good base makes a huge difference.

EYES People say the eyes are the windows to the soul. I’m not sure about that, but I do know that perfecting eye makeup can do wonders for the soul. I may be biased, but eyebrows are everything. They frame the face while making you look more polished. Use a spoolie to brush your eyebrow upwards then downwards towards the end. Pencil is the easiest to use to fill in the brows, but wax, powder, and gel are also available. Combining products may also be 54 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

done. Use soft, gentle strokes following the natural direction of hair growth when applying product. It is highly recommended to soften the inner side in order to prevent the drawn-on look.

few minutes before putting on another coat to prevent clumping. Mascara may also be applied to your lower lashes. If you’re going for falsies, using mascara beforehand is optional. Make sure your falsies fit your eye; otherwise, trim the excess. Put a very thin layer of eyelash glue on the falsies, wait for around a minute for the glue to become tacky, and place them above your eyelashes, leaving no space in between. If you’d rather not apply eyelash glue on your own, go for falsies that have adhesive.

The cat eye is a bold look that can be a statement on its own. Newbies can play around with pencil liner, but the shape may not be as precise. You may opt for liquid or gel as you become more confident with your eye makeup skills. Apply the eyeliner as close to your eyelashes as possible. As a rule of thumb, your eyeliner wing should flick towards FACE the end of your eyebrow. You can go as thin or as thick as you please. Experiment People are obsessed about face and practice in order to perfect that wing makeup, because the right technique can five minutes tops. bring out or hide features. As an alternative, you can opt for a smokey eye. Use an eye primer before starting color application, especially if you have oily lids. Using a kohl liner can help you achieve that look. Simply apply and smudge the liner, and voila! If you have money and time to spare, get an eyeliner palette. Apply the lightest shade using an eyeshadow brush to create a base. Add a darker shade, avoiding the innermost corner. The darkest shade can be applied to the crease to create depth. Blend them all together using a clean blending brush to create a seamless look. Whether you choose a cat eye or a smokey eye, using waterproof mascara or falsies is non-negotiable. Use an eyelash curler to open up the eyes. Try to curl as close to the roots of your eyelashes as possible and again in the middle. For mascara, wiggle the wand as you put on a coat from top to bottom. Wait for a

Let’s get down to serious business and talk about contouring. To find the spots where bronzer should be placed on your cheeks, look at a mirror while in a setting with natural lighting. Observe where shadows naturally appear on your face. Those are where you should apply matte bronzer a few shades darker than your skin tone in order to “push back” your features. You can also draw a “3” from your forehead to your cheekbones to your jaw. Don’t forget to blend away. You know you’re done with bronzer when you no longer see where it starts and where it ends. Blush is needed in order to avoid looking washed out, but you can skip it if you’re planning on having an intense lip color. Apply it on the apples of your cheek, stroking outwards. Smiling can make application easier.

If you’re serious about makeup, you can also use highlighter to bring out certain features. As opposed to contouring, highlighter should be placed where light naturally hits the face — on top of your cheekbones, outer corners of your eyebrows, inner corners of your eyes, above your lips, and sparingly, on your nose. Be careful about the last one, because it’s easy to get oily in that area.

LIPS Good lip makeup application starts with smooth lips. Use lip balm and slough off dead skin cells before lipstick for that perfect pout. Line your lips with a nude lip liner or with a liner that matches your lipstick’s shade to prevent lipstick bleeding. Apply your lipstick, and pat the excess with tissue. You can pat translucent powder above the tissue if you’re using matte lipstick for additional longevity and to absorb whatever shine that is left. Do the last step twice.

FINISHING TOUCHES Some people stop after application of colors, but using translucent powder to set everything will help your makeup last longer. You may also use setting spray to look amazing even after hours of debauchery. While it’s true that looking fabulous in real life and in your Instagram posts can brighten your mood, don’t forget that you’re going out to enjoy good company. You don’t have to obsess over how you look. Makeup is for enhancing what you already have; it’s not supposed to change who you are. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 55

ECHOES SPECIAL

A NIGHT OF PROHIBITION BY YANNA POTENCIANO HAVE YOU EVER HAD ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS WHERE YOU’RE IN THE MOOD TO GET A FEW DRINKS IN AFTER A LONG WEEK OF SCHOOL, BUT YOU’RE STILL A LITTLE TOO BURNT OUT FOR FULL-ON CLUBBING? WHY NOT KICK OFF THOSE HEELS (OR WHATEVER SHOES GUYS WEAR TO A CLUB) AND TRY A SPEAKEASY! Never heard of a speakeasy? Well that’s no surprise because the idea of a speakeasy is founded on the idea of secrecy. The first speakeasies originated from the Prohibition era of America in the 1920’s where a ban on the transport and sale of alcohol was implemented. Naturally, people had to improvise. They built bars hidden in hole-inthe-wall locations that people only knew about by word of mouth, which is where the name comes from. Although the limits of alcohol know no bounds today, the speakeasies of Metro Manila remain rather underground and can only be found if you really look hard enough, aka researching on Spot.ph. In a span of a few hours, I brought along a few friends to challenge ourselves to a Speakeasy Crawl in the general area of Makati and BGC to get a glimpse of what the speakeasy culture Metro Manila has to offer. Here are the bars we got to cover: 56 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

EXIT

The only way to get to this speakeasy is to exit, literally! Head to the back corridor of Plaza Café on Paseo de Roxas until you see the exit sign on your left! It may take your eyes a few seconds to adjust to the darkness because the only source of light comes from the wall behind the bar. Leather couches run along the length of the bar, ideal for rather large groups. The drink menu features a lengthy bottle and beer selection, but what stood out was the craft cocktail and shots list. Shots go for P100 each and cocktails start at P180, perfect for those on a budget. The cocktails were generally refreshing and had that saktong kick to get you loosened up. For cocktails, we

recommend the Old Sport and Golden Lion. For shots, we recommend the Four Horsemen if you want to get the job done fast. Hint: it features our good friends Jose, Johnnie, Jim and Jameson. This is the most budget friendly location for a college student and is a great entry-level example of a speakeasy.

Exit is located at Corinthians Plaza 121, Paseo de Roxas corner Legaspi Street, Makati City

ABV (ALCOHOL BY VOLUME)

If you’ve ever gone food tripping along Jupiter Street, you would know the gem that is Lazy Bastard. Hidden under a huge neon sign is a literal underground burger bar that only seats people along a bar in front of the kitchen. But we realized that more treasures were to be found behind the antique elevator shaft by the stairs. Just say the magic words (“a glass of giggle water please”) and you are instantly

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

transported into what looks like an original speakeasy from the 1920s. The lighting is warm and subtle and the individual booths give it a more intimate vibe. Just by taking a look at the viewing case that runs along a portion of the wall, you can already tell they only use the good stuff, with the likes of bourbons aged for 6 years and scotch aged for 12. With that being said, their cocktails don’t come cheap, with the most expensive one going for P880. By a very generous donation of a friend (you know who you are and my wallet and I love you), I was able to try the Lazy Old Fashioned, a bacon-infused bourbon with maple syrup and chocolate bitters, served with a crispy slice of bacon. Basically, I loved it before I could even taste it. The bourbon was very smooth and it barely tasted like bacon but it had a very subtle hint of maple syrup. If you’re in the mood to let out your inner Gatsby and go all fancy for a night, this is the place to be! You also have the option to rough it up with some burgers afterwards (they serve the same burgers in ABV as well!)

ABV is located at Basement Level, 22 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air Village, Makati City

BANK BAR

All we knew about Bank Bar was that it was in the 7-Eleven of an RCBC. Yeah, we didn’t get it either. We went around the Fort a few times before we could find it (pro-tip: it’s the RCBC in front of the Fort Strip). I had actually been to this 7-Eleven once in the past after a night in Aracama, but little did I know that the real party was lying inside the storage room. Just find the guard standing by the cash register and get ready for the biggest surprise of your life. Once you get past the shelves of cup noodles and ketchup, behind the curtain lies a full-sized bar, twice the size of the ones we had already visited. The ceilings are high and it has no individual booths, creating a really wide and open interior. It could even resemble a lounge in a club. This is a great example of the modern twist on a speakeasy, based mostly on its industrial and edgy interior design. Drinks are rather pricey, but we were able to try a cocktail called the Nutter Club, a gin-based drink with pistachios. And if you’re into that type of thing, they also have an indoor cigar room. We also recommend the bar chow, especially the truffle fries!

Bank Bar, G/F RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Center, 25th and 26th Street, BGC, Taguig City

BONUS: FINDERS KEEPERS

We weren’t able to visit this on our crawl, but I felt like including it anyway, having been there in the past. Have you ever seen that neon-red FINDERS KEEPERS sign on your Instagram feed? Well, this can be located inside Finders itself, but no such sign

can be located anywhere on the outside. The only indicator of its presence would be Joe’s Meat Shack right outside it. This is the smallest among the speakeasies mentioned above, housing only a few tables and couches. The sign bathes the entire bar in red light but somehow adds to the vibes of intimacy. When it comes to their drinks, prices change based on the type of alcohol used. I was able to try two of their cocktails: the Beergarita and the Sangria. The Beergarita is a traitor in disguise, only containing Cerveza Hegra and generous shots of cuervo. On the other hand, their special Sangria mix uses white wine and fruits, a light and fruity alternative to the usual red mix. No matter how you pick your poison, you can be sure of the kick you’ll be getting out of it. Personally, I liked the cocktails from here the most. In case the intimacy gets too much for you, you also have the option to hit Black Market which is literally right next door.

Finders Keepers is located at Warehouse 5, La Fuerza Plaza, Chino Roces Avenue Corner Sabio Street, San Lorenzo, Makati City This article is dedicated to your inner lolo/lola who wants to go out on a Saturday night but has had a bit too much of Pool Club. Long live the speakeasy! Yanna is a self-declared rare mem, but only because she's probably spending most of her time eating. But she still loves Ecosoc very much. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 57

ECHOES SPECIAL

DING DING DING! BY BIANCA ORTIZ

WELCOME TO THE UNDERBELLY OF THE METROPOLITAN, P. BURGOS. LAND OF THE STRIPPERS, THE DOMS AND GROS. The not-so godly

district of this god-fearing nation. And what’s our destination for tonight? None other than the infamous Ringside Bar. Tourists in Metro Manila come here to see the spectacle of midget boxing among other ahem ahem thingamajigs. (Litol tidbit: The Metro is known in the tourist scene for midget boxing because of the book Pacific Rim by Rafe Bartholomew). Visiting this place is keeping true to my travel belief that we should live like tourists in our own country - that we should look for the destinations in the city as if we’re visiting the area for the first time.

Coincidentally, this was a spontaneous thing. When my best friend picked me up from my place at around 9pm that Saturday night I expected that we would have a chill drink around the area - it being the first weekend of the Christmas break and all, but when he asked me where I wanted to go, well, I suggested the first place that a backpacker travelling in the city would probably pick. What was otherwise a normal sketch night out with my sketch best friend, turned into a seedy club-hopping deal, our first and main destination that night being Ringside. Upon pulling up the street (which was also their makeshift parking lot) in front of the bar, we walk up and see the sign: RINGSIDE BAR in neon lights. And apparently, based on another sign beside the main entrance, they hosted a variety of other shows. They also had lady boxing, midget dancing and lady dancing…either way, okay. Alright. We goods. We’re in the right place. We go through the doorman and through the heavy doubledoors and finally through the heavy black curtain that separates the world of Ringside to the outside world fuss-free. The first 58 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

thing you notice are the lights, or the general lack of with only the staple patterned laser light units and multicolored half-globe looking thingamajigs dancing around the little space. Note: the size of the place was a little smaller than SE 121. The next thing you notice is the music: 80s-90s OPM and pop on shuffle. The third and fourth thing is probably the smell and the overall atmosphere. I swear I can smell the sleaze in the air and feel the lack of authenticity, of meaning and of cleanliness (godliness) in the room. After scanning the room that only had about a dozen or so tables, we chose the table at the other side of the entrance. That table was the closest to the boxing ring. Why shouldn’t we want to get as near to the action as possible? There were about three other groups there - all foreigners; guys and gals, probably backpackers and about yuppie-aged. And upon surveying, I was able to count about seven DOMs with GROs sprinkled around the place. Also, on the table on the far end sat a group of middle-aged looking Filipinos. And oh! Also, I almost forgot to mention, there were about 20 strippers and about ten midgets roaming around the place. Once we were seated, an average-looking Filipino lady with menus and an earpiece who looked like she was in charge of getting people to order drinks, got us to order drinks. 2 beers, thank you. The midget employees also served as waiters and the welcoming committee. They asked us if we wanted to buy the girls drinks, we politely “temporarily” refused their request. What I liked about this place is that the staff wasn’t pushy. The girls weren’t touchy. I actually felt safe here. And by safe I meant relatively safe as compared to going to The Palace where random strangers would tap your shoulder and look at you expecting a favorable reply. Some girls were dancing on this cute little well-lit boxing-ring/stage in the

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

to winnit? Neither guy really tried their best, not even trying their best in acting like they’re trying their best. I think they knew that people went there to see one thing: midget boxing and you know what - yes, they were midgets and technically they were indeed boxing. What I think counts more, is the idea of watching midget boxing. If I couldn’t say “I watched midget boxing” then I wouldn’t even get the chance of writing this article right now. It’s so easy to romanticize the idea - It can sound so glamorous and enticing but really, it’s not very spectacular in itself. The idea of being in a place that people, in the same demographic as you, don’t really frequent has a thrill factor in itself. It will make you feel like a trailblazer or an outlier of sorts even if people like you have gone there before and it wasn’t really that hard to and it didn’t really take that much to do so either. The context of it, the fact that it’s in the red light district and the experience of getting there and actually being part of that world was more exciting than the15-ish minute show. center of the room. We were set. We - being surrounded by old men, with GROs on their laps and a few drunk tourists - were ready to watch some midget boxing. While I was trying to do some decent catching up with my friend, we can’t help but notice and comment on the lackluster dancing of the strippers on stage. There was nothing sexy or enticing about it, they seemed mechanical and tired to say the least. They were in Christmas-themed lingerie and bikinis. Though that didn’t help to bring in the ol’ Christmas cheer to the place. I never knew that girls can look so dead dancing to the backstreet boys - actually, I never knew strip clubs played the backstreet boys either, but oh, something new everyday.

What did impress me was what happened after the match. The girls all go back up the stage and resumed dancing, but this time they invited people from the audience up the stage. There was this drunk middle-aged Filipino guy from the group on the table on the other end. He seemed like a regular if not, one of the owners, since he was able to gain access to the mic too easily. He started singing to the songs being played. The strippers along with the midgets were dancing and smiling and laughing along with him. Joy. He pretended to serenade several of the girls and they took it in good humor, laughing along with him. Soon the yuppiebackpacking-foreigners also took to the stage. They were dancing and laughing and swaying along with the Filipinos even if the music was now OPM.

At some point, the Final Countdown starts playing, the girls start clearing the stage. And finally, the stage is a boxing ring. An announcer’s voice shouts “Are you ready for some boxing!!!?” his depiction of a real American voice was remarkable btw. Made the whole thing feel legit. Then two midgets enter the ring. Coincidentally, they were the ones that asked us to buy the girls drinks a while ago. Each guy takes his place, one in the red corner and the other in the blue corner. The host then asks a person from the audience to referee. A girl from one of the yuppiebackpacker tables steps up. She then acts like a referee and talks to the boxers.

What this made me realized is that this is a community. A weird place to seek belongingness in but it is such a place – especially for the more marginalized and stigmatized people here. From my perspective, I did not feel as if the midgets or the girls were mistreated. In fact, I felt that it was quite the opposite; the midgets were treated like friends and champions. And off-stage they go around the place like victors, asking the audience for tips and getting them by the hundreds (they have more luck from the foreigners tho lol). After soaking in everything, and after seeing the drunk Filipino practically fall off the stage from leaning too steeply on one of the ring cords, it was time to leave.

DING DING DING! The start of round one. The boxers throw punches at each other - DING DING DING! Round two. The boxers throw punches at each other again - DING DING DING DING! Round three. The boxers throw punches at each other one more…and this went on for about two more rounds until the referee decides on a winner.

The night didn’t end there, however. We had a walk through Makati’s best street, we entered a few other fuss-free places, drove to a bar that you enter through an exit door, bought some fireworks and basically did what other millennials do: waste youth the best way they can.

Now I’m not gonna lie, midget boxing was okay, but it wasn’t really as spectacular as I imagined. The actual show was alright. Neither of the boxers really went at it. They were good sports, but they were obviously just doing it for show. But really, they did this every night, how could I have expected them to be innit

If Bianca’s not out in the mountains, out and about the city, or nose-deep in Econ books, then she’s secretly practicing progressive multi-perspective activism and running for public office. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 59

ECHOES SPECIAL

A LOOK INSIDE MANILA’S PARTY SCENE BY KELSEY MARIANO

THEY SAY THAT MANILA IS “WHERE IT’S AT” AND THE NIGHTLIFE AND BUSTLING ENERGY OF THE CITY SEEM TO JUSTIFY THAT CLAUSE. Whoever said that parties only lived during weekends has probably never been to Manila

on a Wednesday night (Black Market, anyone?) and whoever said you couldn’t party on a Sunday has probably never been to a Sunday Social. While the energy in Manila is the main attraction for most, in terms of partying, the unique vibes of the different clubs also play a role in attracting partygoers. We were lucky enough to sit down with Today x Future to discuss the concept and idea behind their place. We then compared it to two other prominent clubs in the city, of course: Black Market and The Palace. Q: How would you describe the concept of Today x Future? TXF: You'll find written on our doorway... the phrase-- "No one is rich enough to buy back his past but everyone has a FUTURE to toast to TODAY." We'd like everyone who comes in to leave their worries behind and to celebrate the present and the future. Design wise, the concept is DIY. From repurposed furniture to recycled tidbits, we like to put our personal touch to it. The team is always hands on when it comes to our events and our food/drinks too. We always make sure everything's unique, and constantly changing at the same time. Q: How did you come up with this concept? TXF: We all came from creative backgrounds. And LIFE experience has made us who we are. We rarely over think and we basically roll with the punches. What you'll see around you embodies our personal taste that's why we're driven to create a space that echoes what we like, hence the DIY. Each of us has different taste but luckily, we managed to make Today x Future for what it is now. Q: What kind of night would one experience from a night out at your place? TXF: We are actually not a "club" though. We are a dive bar and restaurant, but there are weekends that we transition into having a "dance club" feel. Every night is a different experience, as we have varying platforms especially during weekends. Though regular nights are Mondays, which are anchored towards r&b, hip hop, beats and bass; Tuesdays are for jazz with live performances and DJ sets. Come Wednesdays through Saturdays, DJ sets vary from House and Garage to Pop and Alternative, Throwbacks and Techno. We have random art shows too. Like last Saturday, we had an event called, "GARAPARTY" featuring artist Dex Fernandez aka GARAPATA MAN. Q: What quality do you think attracts people to your place? TXF: People come to our place because we have quite a laid back atmosphere. Music is good. Vibe is unpretentious and sometimes unpredictable as well. People who come for the first time almost always gain a new friend and end up coming back to become regular customers or even DJs. 60 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

The laid-back atmosphere of Today x Future can somehow resemble the atmosphere of Black Market, a new and upcoming bar/club. The club was conceptualized by the people behind B-Side and is described as an “underground industrial warehouse style club that focuses on all sorts of underground music.” (Manila Clubbing, 2016) They have a different theme for each day of the week that they are open. Wednesdays is the Groove Pocket, Fridays is The Drop, and Saturdays is the Black Out. Frequenters claim that Wednesdays are the best nights to drop a visit. Within Black Market is Finders Keepers, a speakeasy style lounge bar, very much akin to the Prohibition Liquor Lounge in Dillinger’s. It’s a great place to visit for good spirits, cocktails, and draft and bottled beers. Ralph Lagos, below, describes the overall experience of a night out in Black Market: “Good music. Weird people. Interesting nights. That's what Black Market has to offer for you and your friends. Personally, I'm not a fan of whatever they play on Saturday on Fridays but Wednesdays, ah that is a major key to success right there. People can vibe to rap just as well as edm and the dark lighting just helps bring out all those bad decisions. No regrets though.” The group behind Black Market also happens to be the group behind The Palace Pool Club, as well as Revel, The Brewery, Valkyrie, etc. However, these clubs all have different concepts, each with their own unique vibe. Even though these clubs are situated beside each other, you get a different experience for each. The Pool Club is very popular amongst the (mostly) legal youth and has garnered quite a following, with different events opting for Pool Club as their place of choice. Even though the Pool Club is the preferred place for most young ones, it still has quite a following over the older ones as well. The vibe of Pool Club is actually very different from Black Market and Today x Future. In the latter two, we have a laidback, chill vibe filled with good tunes and great, sometimes weird, company. All three clubs have themed nights or weeks, but Pool Club has a wilder, all-out vibe.

Step in Pool Club from 11:30 pm or 12 am onwards and you can feel the energy of the club getting to you. With the lights, the bright LCD screen (which shows weird videos sometimes), and the huge crowd down front, a certain euphoria, almost at a high, starts to seep in. When you are at Pool Club, there’s a need for your body to dance, and almost always, a need for your head to start spinning. Pool Club offers a different atmosphere in the sense that you’re free to let loose. While most clubs can offer you that kind of atmosphere, Pool Club is unique simply because of the energy that it offers. Expecting energy to die down at 3 am? Think again. You can step it at exactly that time and still be greeted by a gigantic crowd who probably won’t leave ‘til the sun sets. Akin to Black Market, the crowd can be very fun, yet very… weird. You can witness people actually stepping in the mysterious pool, and even some, ehem, slightly older foreigners stripping off their shirts and showing their beer belly to the world (True story. Would not witness again 0/10). All in all, these clubs offer different atmospheres and different vibes, and each will guarantee you an experience worthy of the Unforgettable Nights segment. Try all of them out and see which vibe you’re for the laid-back, chill atmosphere, or the wild, fun, dizzy experience (Just don’t drink 10 vodka sprites and a margarita popsicle in one hour if you’re not high tol). Always remember to hold on to your drink and be safe! TODAY X FUTURE is at 7T General Malvar Street. Araneta Center, Cubao. Beside Manhattan Parkway Parking and Capitol Pawnshop. BLACK MARKET / FINDERS KEEPERS is located at Warehouse 5, La Fuerza Plaza, 2241 Don Chino Roces Avenue (Pasong Tamo) (corner Sabio), Makati. THE PALACE POOL CLUB is located at 9th Ave cor 36th Street, Uptown Bonifacio, Taguig, Metro Manila. Kelsey Mariano is only 16 but she’s turning 17 soon so that’s a year closer to being legal. Don’t ask her how she gets in. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 61

ECHOES SPECIAL

DRUNK DIALOGUES

an interview featuring one very sober philosopher and your favorite drunk questions

BY PITA OCHAVE

UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, REASON HAS ALLOWED ME TO SEE WITH THE EYES OF MY MIND, THIS TIMELESS TRUTH: THAT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE IS NEVER THE ANSWER, BUT THE QUESTION. My philosophy professor is Leander Marquez, a young, laid-back guy with an atmosphere of nonchalance. He is dressed in his usual polo shirt and jeans; his expression blank, as it usually is when he is not discussing philosophy. In class, it is policy to refer to him only as Leander and never as “Professor Marquez” or as “Sir Leander”. The first name to first name basis in his classroom fosters a collegial and friendly environment, where our views are free to be discussed and debated on and the professor is not viewed as some infallible, distant figure, but as a guide through the muddy trenches of philosophy and reason. After some niceties, I explain to him the purpose of this article, which is to answer as many important philosophical drunk questions as possible so that your temporarily impaired reason will never have to. Or, at least, so that you can ponder your destiny whilst ridding your stomach of last night’s nachos and Cuervo. If Descartes believed that human existence was hinged on our capacity to think, at this point, you wouldn’t have even made it to the cut-off. To keep with the theme of this article, I have decided to write this interview in the form of a dialogue. In addition, the words “evaluative claim” are used a lot throughout the interview. To be clear, evaluative claims are value-judgements that make statements on whether an action is bad or good, ethical or immoral. Just laying that out there in case it causes confusion. In philosophy, definitions are important because they ensure that both you and the person you are addressing are on the same page. And unlike that guy from last night’s bar crawl, I don’t like being malabo. 62 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

we experience here in the world are foretastes of heaven and hell. The idea of heaven is being close to god while the idea of hell is being far from God. The idea here is that God is the one you love the most. If you are apart from the person whom you love the most, that is very difficult. However, if you are together with the person you love the most, you are happy. In that sense, I don’t think there really is a place. There is a possibility that if there really is such a thing as a soul, the soul will be right here…or everywhere around us. Objectively, I don’t know. Me: Would you rather live happily but be poor or live unhappily but be rich? Leander: I think I’ve already answered that by being here, in UP. Prior to teaching in UP, I taught in a university where the students were rich and the compensation was good. But I still chose UP because I prefer brilliant students. Me: So I'm guessing our class has been brilliant? Leander: Yeah, so far. Because in my experience, what I teach you is what I would teach my former students. They couldn’t understand or find any answers or relevant questions. So I would rather be poor and happy because right now, I’m here and I’m happy. Me: So why are we here? Leander: Right here, right now? Me: No, why are we alive? What is the point of all of this? Me: So given that love is a discovery, do you believe in the idea of Leander: Yeah, I’ve been asking myself the same question. As I’ve mentioned in class, I’ve been having an existential crisis a one true love you are meant to be with? since I was ten years old. What is the point of living if you just Leander: Meant to be with? grow up and die eventually? Me: Since it is a discovery, are you meant to find your soulmate? Leander: Love is not about finding the one true love that Me: Have you found your answer? you’re always meant to be with. In one of the treatises of Plato, Leander: Right now, I’m still trying to find an answer. I have Aristophanes says that in the beginning, we were all joined this idea that before I die, I would like to contribute something together but were separated as punishment by the gods. to make the world a better place. I have this evaluative belief According to the Bible, there is Adam, and Eve was formed out of that in teaching philosophy to you, the future leaders of the Adam’s ribs and they were commanded to multiply. In the Greek country, I am somehow making a positive change. Given the sense, being separated is a punishment. In the Bible, to multiply kind of reasoning that many of our politicians are capable is an act of love. I think true love is not a person you are meant to of—even you philosophy students can really see how find later on. It is more of a decision that this person will be my uncritical most of them are. In the future—it might be ten or fifteen years from now—it is possible that you might become one true love. government leaders that could bring change to the country. Me: So it is a decision to discover? Leander: It is a decision to accept what you’ve discovered in If you would observe in Europe, where philosophy prospered, this person. Because why do you love the person? That is one their approach to issues are very different. For example, of the relevant questions to ask. A person has her strengths and European nations continue to accept refugees because they weaknesses but still you choose to love her despite the discovery have a philosophy different from that of the US’s. In a sense, I guess, that is one of the reasons why I am here. To help of these flaws. It is your choice to choose to love them. Me: Moving on, if there were such a thing as a soul, where does it you become more philosophical, more critical. As for other, people, I still don’t know. I’m in the process of finding out. go when we die? Leander: I honestly don’t know. Because even in the Christian Me: Given all of that, do you think everyone has a purpose? sense—with me being a Catholic and all—Heaven and Hell are not Leander: Everyone has to find a purpose. If you don’t have places. In Catholic teaching, they are states: the state of being in one, make one. Because if you don’t, what makes you any heaven and the state of being in hell. The sufferings and happiness different from a chair?

Me: Thank you for agreeing to answer drunk questions. I'll start with the favorite: Is love an invention or a discovery? Leander: When you say something is a discovery, it means that it’s there for you to find but if it’s an invention, it is not there. You make it. The thing is, what kind of love are we talking about here? In the sense of romantic love? Me: Since it's assuming that the person asking is drunk--and drunk people like romance--I'd say romantic love. Leander: For me, romantic love is more a discovery than an invention because if you were to invent love, you would have to have the materials for it. What would be your materials for inventing love? Attraction, need, or want for companionship? I don’t think so. For me, love is there for you to eventually find. It’s always been there. Of course, this is an evaluative claim.

"[Love] is a decision to accept what you've discovered in this person."

Pita Ochave likes pancit canton, foot cramps, and traveling. She has been mistaken for your mother since 2008. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 63

ECHOES SPECIAL

DRUNK MESSAGES: EXPOSED FOR THIS ISSUE, WE'VE DECIDED TO PUT TOGETHER SOME OF THE WEIRD AND AMUSING MESSAGES THAT ECOSOCERS HAVE SENT WHILE DRUNK. YEAH, WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE. COMPILED BY KRISTINA VIRAY Peaches Tenorio

“Call *insert ex’s name*. Tell him to bring me home!!!” “Pota I’m so drumkl. Wru let’s momol” "Pweds talaga si ***** eh. Do u think I should ask him out?" "WRUIIW GOOO HEREES PLS I MEED U. I LOVE U" "Tangina. I don't know where I am. I'm on a road." "Wait. I actually don't know I came home." “Take me back” “T Ice is so strong pala I’m so drunk second bottle pa lang”

64 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

"No momol 2day" "Finally going home yay"

Kelsey Mariano @TheKelseeey

"Teh world is spining"

"@solennconsing love u" "I WNANA PIKE" "Fuck" "I love you @solennconsing" "Go back" "WHO DO I LIKE, ??"

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

“I’m so Fri k idk” “Sri k” “Ri k” “Drug k” “Drunk” “Fuck I just dipped my ohoen"

",n a party hehehehehehgx" "HWS X "GAHAHA HELP ME" "I VSR IBE GTI3NF" "Love y" “G ka ba?”

"Ahaha im yl 4extibf u hehehe" "Hi"

“It’s a quarter after one I’m a little drunk and I need u now”

"I LOST MY SHOES"

ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 65

66 â&#x20AC;¢ MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

UNDER THE STARS WORDS BY BOTAN BELEN / ART BY ZO CANARIA

AS THE NAME LITERALLY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, STARGAZING IS BASICALLY THE HOBBY OF IDENTIFYING CONSTELLATIONS AND HEAVENLY BODIES IN THE NIGHT SKY. To be able to properly do this, one must have a

prior background or knowledge of constellations and stars. This can be easily obtained through a crash course in astronomy or recalling your high school science classes or simply looking up the constellations on Google. You will notice too that not all constellations and stars can be seen throughout the world. There are some which unfortunately cannot be seen from the Philippines. There are some however which can be seen wherever you are in the globe such as Orion’s belt. If you are trying this for the first time it would be best to simply try identifying constellations and stars that are commonly seen at night – anywhere. You can take a quick look while driving or walking at night. It is very important that you get to train the naked eye first before you move on to more advanced equipment. Some very common constellations that can be seen at night (which you’ve probably noticed already before but haven’t identified) are Orion’s belt, the big dipper and Venus which can be seen even when you’re in the city. After you’ve already identified and familiarized yourself with the basic constellations and stars following many nights of glancing at the sky while doing your usual routines, you might finally want to try stargazing which entails looking for a nice spot away from the brightness of the urban jungle in order to see more stars and constellations clearly. This can be easily done if you’re in the province or when you’re on a mountainous area. Common places to stargaze near Metro Manila are in Antipolo or Tagaytay, however the urbanization of these places have made it a bit more difficult to do so. According to a friend, the best time to stargaze is around 4:00 – 5:00 in the morning, giving truth to the phrase “it’s always darkest before the dawn”. At this time, light from the moon is at its weakest and so the stars are most visible at this time. It would take a little sacrifice in waking up at such an early hour but as they say the view is definitely worth it. Stargazing is a popular hobby among the youth nowadays because of its simplicity and minimal need for preparation. Of course, this goes without saying that over time and as you get more and more into it, there will definitely be some expenses occurred. For many who cannot afford a professional telescope, there are a lot of instructions online on how you can save money and build your own at home. There are venues also like the UP Observatory located in the college of science which occasionally opens itself to the public for star gazing activities, especially when there are meteor showers or when certain heavenly bodies become temporarily visible in our sky. This allows many amateur stargazers to deal with more advanced equipment and enhance their skills. Whether you become hooked on it or not, stargazing is definitely worth the try.

Botan Belen is the president of the UP Marine Biological Society. He can recommend some great diving spots around the country. THIS MAP OF THE SKY (LEFT) SHOWS THE EXACT POSITION OF THE STARS FOR THE EVENING OF MARCH 31, 2016. DON'T FORGET TO LOOK UP. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 67

ECHOES SPECIAL

GETTING OVER THE HANGOVER BY SELENA YAO

99% OF THE TIME, I HATE DRINKING ALCOHOL. I hate it because liquor tastes weird, and consuming even just a bit always results in a haggard, knocked out version of me. I hate it for a couple of other reasons too, like how it can turn otherwise friendly people into rude, violent pricks. But most of all, I hate drinking because of the inescapable hangovers that torture me the next day. You know what I mean: the splitting headache and nausea, the dehydration, vision so sensitive it can’t handle the sun’s light, spotty memory of what went down last night, and the bad mood you can’t help but have because all you want to do is be alone in the darkness. If you’re unlucky, your H.O. might even involve you smelling faintly of the chico fruit… Fun, huh? Err. Not really. My grandmother once quoted one of my ancestors, who said these profound words of wisdom: “The test of true strength is conquering Mount Hangover.” Okay, nobody said anything of the sort, but there’s still some truth to the statement. Those who have experienced these awful motherf*ckers after a night of one too many drinks can attest to the amount of willpower it takes to act fine when you really feel like death (it takes a lot). It’s even worse when you need to hide the H.O. from your parents, who you conveniently forgot to inform about your plans to drink the night before. So, why the hell are we subject to H.O. anyway? Must the universe really punish us with such pain for drinking in excess? And is there a way to reverse the damage of the H.O.? 68 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

The science behind the H.O. is not yet certain, but there are a few theories that explain it. A popular one puts the cause on alcohol’s diuretic nature, which states that the more we drink, the more we piss (I'm speaking exponentially here). Too much of anything is bad, and pissing is no exception. When we pee too much, we not only lose water, but also the important stuff our electrolytes are made of – like potassium, sodium, and magnesium – so we wake up dehydrated, with an electrolyte imbalance, reeling from all of the common H.O. symptoms that we so love. Another theory points the finger at the toxins contained in alcohol, also known as congeners. They’re basically evil substances that are a natural part of the fermentation process. The darker liquors like beer, red wine, and whiskey contain more of these toxins than clean liquors like vodka or gin, so expect worse H.O. symptoms if you’re into the former. One more explanation behind the H.O. is the (warning: delving into scientific jargon right now) glutamate overproduction that occurs after drinking. See, whenever we consume alcohol, a chemical our brains produce called

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

glutamate is suppressed. When we stop drinking, the brain overcompensates for the period of suppression, and produces above average levels of this substance. The result: headaches and a difficult time sleeping soundly, leading to fatigue and nausea. Unfortunately for those who love chugging, the only real way to dodge the H.O. is to take preventive action. In other words: stop drinking so damn much. Know your limits and make sure you stay within them, because once you’ve passed the point of no return (also known as the blackout zone), you’ve already dug your own hungover grave. But since we’re all a bunch of youthful creatures at heart, sometimes we just forget that limits exist. We don’t stop saying ‘YES!’ to alcoholic offers until we feel the puke coming on. Then we pass out. And the night ends with our friends dragging us up to our rooms to give us a bath and change our clothes after we’ve barfed over everything within a one-foot radius. Totally kidding about that last part. With the H.O. plaguing the lives of millions of reckless individuals worldwide, there are (unsurprisingly) a million and one remedies that will supposedly help do away with this terrible affliction. However, as I said just a few paragraphs ago, you can’t really make the H.O. go away. You can only ease the H.O. symptoms. Here are some of my personal recommendations for you.

1. EAT LOTS BEFORE DRINKING.

When people say don’t drink on an empty stomach, you should listen to them. If you eat a heavy meal before drinking, your body absorbs the alcohol at a much slower rate. How much slower the alcohol enters your system depends on how much food you ingest, but the point is, you should never drink hungry unless your goal of the night is to get a piercing headache the next day. And remember: if you give in to the drunchies (drunken munchies), they won’t help your H.O. much. The keyword is to eat before getting drunk AF.

2. HYDRATE LIKE AN ATHLETE WOULD.

This tip is especially important for those who prefer to pass on the agua. Dehydration is the prime suspect behind the H.O., so obviously, drinking a ton of water is the best way to make up for all the liquids you'll be losing. Drink water before you go out. Drink water alternately with your alcohol. Drink water when you get home. Drink water when you wake up the next day. You know what, just keep drink water constantly, from the moment you greet the day until the moment you hit the hay. You need it anyway. (Side note: I AM BUSTA RHYMES.)

3. MUNCH ON SOME BREAD OR CRACKERS.

I learned this trick from Gossip Girl, when Blair Waldorf had a bad H.O. and Chuck Bass said that bagels would help soak up the alcohol. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my god, that makes so much sense.’ But more than absorbing the alky from your system, the carbohydrates will bring your blood sugar levels back up to normal (an important process your body can’t do when it’s metabolizing the alcohol in your system, so you end up tired and pissed off at the world).

4. HAIR OF THE DOG.

If you’ve never heard the phrase above, this is what it means: drinking more alcohol to get rid of the H.O. This old saying originates from the ancient practice of putting dog hair to treat a bite wound. Even though I listed this down, I do not recommend that you do it. LOL. Sadly, drinking to alleviate your H.O. woes only works for a short period of time (i.e. when your glutamate overproduction is temporarily halted #science). Once you stop drinking, you’ll still feel the H.O. you tried to escape from, but worse. Also, if you keep selfmedicating this way, you might end up dependent on alcohol.

Friends, I’d just like to stress one last time that the best and most effective way to avoid the hangover is to stop drinking before you enter an unsalvageable state of drunkenness. Practice some self-control, people. Having said that, I should probably start listening to my own advice.

Selena Yao’s drink of choice is an ice cold Red Horse. She’s usually more than buzzed before she reaches the bottom of the bottle though. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 69

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YOUR MOST UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT COMPILED BY KELSEY MARIANO

“5 OF US PLANNED ON CATCHING THE 3AM TRAIN, HEADED FOR A TOWN CALLED BA DA LING, TO SEE THE GREAT WALL ONCE AGAIN. Prior to this, we, including 4 more people, were roller skating in this square from 8 until 10pm, after

eating dinner. We reached our apartment by 10:15pm, and 2 of these people wanted to go to the club. The rest joined, and I stayed (This isn’t the fun part yet). We were only 3 in the apartment, and we stayed up until 3am. We waited for the others and they arrived by 2am. The three of us were ready to leave, since it takes a maximum of 30 minutes to reach the train station, by car. It was already 2:30 when we decided to go ahead, and the others would just catch up. Sadly we missed the train, and decided to ride the 6am bus in another location, quite far from the train station. Instead of taking a taxi, we just walked and enjoyed the quiet, car-free, noisefree, smog-free streets of Beijing, while watching the sun rise from a distance across the many high rise buildings.” –Kiss Sanchez

“I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT ONE NIGHT IN TAGAYTAY. I was in my friend's house in some village, but that evening it felt like there was nobody around but us. It was my first time to try some of that magic candy (ya know, the one that makes you feel uncontrollable euphoria). I remember us going crazy, hugging each other, laughing until our stomachs cramped, and dancing and jumping around nonstop to the music on max volume. I'm sure we looked like a bunch of idiots but there was no one there to witness it anyway. I never knew I could be so freakily and unnaturally happy. Damn, that was one epic evening. The best part of it all is that I got to bond with my girls like never before. That weekend took our friendship to a whole new level. Now we're tighter than ever.” –Sikreto Kasi Yo “MY FRIEND AND I ALMOST WENT TO JAIL FOR DOING SOMETHING REALLY REALLY STUPID, I DON'T EVEN WANNA MENTION IT HERE. It's a good thing the police were really nice, probably because we were girls. Sexism actually did me some good this time around. It's an unforgettable experience that I'd never like to repeat though.” –bang

“I CAN NEVER FORGET THE NIGHT I MILDLY EXPERIMENTED. It was a friend's birthday party, I was having a lot of fun just making new friends (they were all from different schools), and I was hitting it off pretty well with a guy my friend was trying to set me up with. What happened later that night? Apparently the chemistry wasn't enough because I ended up kissing some girls instead.” –Ms. Scientist 70 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

“BOYS' NIGHT OUT IN THE BIG CITY. Few drinks here and there. Accidentally took a drugged one. Woke up the next morning all alone on the rooftop of the hotel we were staying. My boys come back for me just in time for my wedding that day.” –FiddlerOnTheRoof “LIV WAS MY FIRST COLLEGE PARTY. I've heard what happens there but that's all the "experience" I have. Imagine my excitement when my parents allowed me to go! As my dad drove me to Libis, I could feel the beat of the music from miles away matching with the beat of my own heart. Passing through the bubble foam machine felt like passing though the gates of my prison of innocence. I saw the party and felt a breath of fresh air. I made a beeline for the paint station and did my best impression of Counter-Strike, shooting anyone that moved. I had a lot of problems carried over from high school that I wanted to forget. I made a beeline for the alcohol after my little war game. AND. I. DRANK. I drank to celebrate, to forget and to live my life how I see fit. I may not remember what happened after, but I will NEVER forget what happened before.” -The Boy Who LIV-ed “I MET MY CURRENT BOYFRIEND IN DA CLUB. Yes. I met my boyfriend in Valkyrie. It does happen. He approached me with good pick-up lines and techniques. Like asking me to wing-man his gay friend to my gay friend. Note: It worked, while the two dudes talked he got to talk to me alone. His lines were good too. From the cute "If you were gonna make out with someone, what would you usually do?" to "I like your shoes...want to make out?" Long story short, we clicked and had our Before Sunrise moments. Note: he approached me at 1am, he kept on hitting on me til about 6:30am. He only stopped because we were being asked to leave by the bouncers. We part, went home using our respective cars, no momol. He texted me about two weeks after, and the rest is history.” -Wow Swerte Po “MY FRIENDS AND I WENT TO A PARTY ORGANIZED BY AN ORG IN UP. I had a few drinks and just enjoyed the music. All of a sudden, I saw my friend who is a varsity player in UP and he was with the men's basketball team of UP. He knew I had a huge crush on one of them and he introduced me to him. I held his hand and when he introduced himself, he had to talk so near to my face because the music was so loud. After that, my night was complete even though I discovered my wallet got stolen. It was a crazy night.” -lalalala “MY MOST UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT WAS YESTERDAY COS IT'S THE MOST RECENT.” -Alfonso Roces

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LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

THE NIGHTHAWK WORDS BY TRYSH BANSON PHOTOS BY MAYA PARAGUYA

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WHEN GOOGLED, “NIGHTLIFE" GIVES US PICTURES OF DARK ROOMS, LAZER LIGHTS, REVIEWS OF THE PALACE POOL CLUB AND A DEFINITION STRAIGHT FROM WIKIPEDIA SAYING THAT “NIGHTLIFE IS A COLLECTIVE TERM FOR ENTERTAINMENT THAT IS AVAILABLE AND GENERALLY MORE POPULAR FROM THE LATE EVENING INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING.” BUT FOR US AT ECHOES, WHEN WE THOUGHT OF NIGHTLIFE ONLY ONE NAME CAME TO MIND: MIGGY JUICO. On January 19, 1996, Miguel Antonio Nolasco Juico, more commonly known as Miggy, was born to Joel and Anna. The fourth and youngest child preceded by Angela, Joan and Brad, Miggy jokingly attributes his love for the nightlife to the fact that as he was growing up, his sisters, whom he was closest to, were always out. “Nagmana ako sa kanila,” he says. His formative years were spent studying in the all-boys Catholic school, La Salle Greenhills. Throughout his high school years, he found himself a member of various organizations such as the Tennis Club, Badminton Club, Ultimate Frisbee Club, and Writing Club (maybe he should have written his own feature, joke). He graduated high school from the honors section with second honors. Impressive. Like most children of UP Alumnus - his mother is a graduate of UP Fine Arts while his father is a graduate of Civil Engineering - Miggy felt the pressure to pass the UPCAT. With the precedent set by his older siblings, who have degrees in Fine Arts, European Languages, and Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Miggy was expected to graduate from UP Diliman. He says that although there was pressure to pass the campus, there was never any pressure in regards to which path to pursue. Going into college, Miggy was pretty sure about what he wanted. All his applications said one thing: Economics. Despite having a skewed perception of the field, thinking that it would not include as much Math as it does, he has never thought of shifting out. Though, the course proves to be a little bit difficult for him, considering the fact that in high school he found himself more inclined towards English and less so in Math, A.K.A. the core of Econ Students' Academic Lives. He still manages to maintain a GWA that earns him at least the right to be called a college scholar though. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 75

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“Jomac made me.” Originally, Miggy had no plans whatsoever of joining the UP Economics Society. His dad had reservations against him joining an organization so early in his college life, and he was instead encouraged to make friends outside of one. But Jomac Conty got in the way. The former Membership Committee chairperson dragged Miggy along the SE Walkway straight to the UP Economics Society Recruitment Booth and had him sign up then and there. Miggy then went on to spend his first year in Ecosoc as an applicant and member in the Finance Committee. Looking for a change at the start of his second year at UPSE, Miggy shifted committees and became a part of the Membership Committee. He later went on to be the Membership Committee Vice-Chairperson for two consecutive semesters during the second semester of his sophomore year, and the first semester of his junior year. Though he has changed committees, one thing he will never leave is the Ecosoc Month team. He first got involved with the Ecosoc Month team through his guardian and former Ecosoc president Carmel Baquilod, who decided to sign up her entire GW family as EM interns. As an intern, he was assigned to the Logistics B team. When he became a member of Ecosoc, Miggy joined the Programs division. Now he has two years worth of experience under his belt. Considering his love for being a part of the Ecosoc Month team and his passion in celebrating Ecosoc, Miggy says he has no real plans of ever applying for a director position, at least as of this interview. Another thing Miggy has no plans on doing as of this interview: being a guardian. According to him, it's because he's still too shy - an adjective Miggy used

“[Nightlife]

is about friendship.”

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quite often in reference to himself both during and before this interview ever happened. Miggy's friends typically describe him as adventurous, chill, and hipster. Shy is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind, contrary to his own opinion of himself. If Miggy is one thing, though, he is fraught with contradictions. An honor student all throughout his years in La Salle graduating grade school with a gold medal in Reading due to being ranked 1 in Reading for his batch, Miggy already found himself to be a connoisseur of the nightlife way back in high school. As opposed to the stereotypical depiction of nightlife - strobing lights, pounding music, cramped spaces, and overflowing alcohol - Miggy said he used to find himself in places with pounding music, slightly cramped spaces, and just some alcohol. It is also known as the gig scene. It was during the earlier half of Miggy's high school life that he found himself entrenched in the local music community. This was circa 2010. Mag:Net, a now-defunct hipster cafe that used to be in The Fort, was his go to place. Back then, the band that really personified the time and was

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working it out to make it was Up Dharma Down. He says that the first band he ever saw was Pedicab, and reminisces over RomCom, a group he loved that never really made it. Other bands he thinks deserves a special mention are Musical O, Sleepwalk Circus, The Strangeness, The Charmes, Wilderness, Taken by Cars, Radioactive Sago Project, Ang Bandang Shirley, and Twin Lobster. Over the later half of his high school years, Miggy found himself frequenting the gig scene less and less, and instead found himself in the quintessential high school night out: the house party. Nowadays, Miggy is still very into the nightlife, something he jokingly attributes to his older sisters' being lakwatchera and his being born in Makati (which has

inadvertently become synonymous to the center of one of the country's most notable corruption cases, as well as the center of activities that occur at a certain time of the day which can be likened to that of a specific family. LOL. #PILIpinas.) Though his favorite area to burn the midnight oil is along Jupiter Street, the home of the Sweet Ecstasy, Lazy Bastard and of course by association, ABV, you are more likely to spot Miggy around Quezon City or in the Kapitolyo area as that is where most of his friends are. “It's about friendship.” When asked about what would make his ideal night out, Miggy says that the best nights are spontaneous. He says that his favorite night out was completely unplanned. Sort of. He and his friends originally planned on going to one of the newer bars in the nightlife world at the time, Black Market, but thanks to some unknown twist of fate, they found themselves at Tagaytay eating bulalo in one of the many bulalo places that were still open at around 1 AM. They capped off their adventure by watching the sunrise in Starbucks Tagaytay. He follows the story up with another one of his great nights, when he randomly got a call and received both tickets and backstage passes to the Ultra Music Festival. Though he is quite the Night Owl, this self-proclaimed shy guy is also interested in way more than the quest for the best super dry beer, though having a good one isn’t bad. You can also find Miggy climbing mountains, longboarding, and being a low-key film buff. Just ask him how many films on IMDB’s Top 250 he's seen or about his little yorkie named Mozart or even about his love for Carly Rae. If you’re lucky, he may just tell you about what happened on April 21, 2013. Nightlife, though it does bring about fun times and cool stories, it can also come with stories you hope no one will ever remember or stories you don’t remember at all. But no matter where the night may take you, remember that when it all comes down to it, nightlife is about friendship. Trysh Banson like cute dorky guys, especially if they have chinky eyes.

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ECOSOC TINDER SCREENCAPS

COMPILED BY OLIVIA SOLOMON

MOST PEOPLE FROWN ON TINDER BECAUSE IT MAKES THINGS TOO EASY. WELL, OUR FELLOW ECOSOCERS MAY PROVE IT TRUE OR OTHERWISE.

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STAFF PICKS PART I: LATE NIGHT SOUNDS 1 | 'LIKE THE MOON' BY FUTURE ISLANDS

“I discovered this gem on a lonely night full of feelings, alone with the company of my thoughts. Despite being pretty upbeat and using synths, there's a melancholic undertone that really struck a chord with me (pun intended lol). I love the frontman Samuel Herring's voice because it reminds me a lot of Morrissey's, and the musical influence of the The Smiths on the other songs off the album "Singles" are a plus too.” –Selena Yao

3 | 'THE MOON' BY THE SWELL SEASON 2 | 'KISMET' BY SOUND ARCHITECTS

“It gave me certain unexpected chills the first time and great satisfaction all times thereafter. It's about losing yourself but... It's good MOMOL music (not that I would know). LOL!” –Ken Recasata

“It's perfect for late night drives or just contemplating on life. Plus, if you ever want your life to be a music video, this is the perfect song for it.” –Olivia Solomon

4 | 'INTO THE NIGHT' BY CAROUSEL 5 | 'LOVE AGAIN' BY TA-KU

“The song speaks for itself hahaha! Best song to drive to at night!” –Botan Belen 86 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

“First time I heard it I fell in love. Its probably got something to do with the piano and the backup gospel-ish voices or just everything about this song in general.” –Trysh Banson

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

PART II: DRINKS OF CHOICE

1 | DILLINGER’S TEQUILA SUNRISE

“I’m a big fan of light and fruity cocktails, seeing how hot and humid it is here. Dillinger’s Tequila Sunrise is light, balanced, and perfect for the summer heat. You can barely taste the tequila, but you will definitely feel it after a few drinks—a fact which we owe to their internationally acclaimed Bartender of the Year. Pro tip: Dillinger’s has a buy one, take one promotion on cocktails from 5pm-8pm in Greenbelt 3.” –Kelsey Mariano

2 | JOHNNIE WALKER DOUBLE BLACK

3 | MOJITO

“Mojito is my favorite drink, yo. The tanginess from the lime combined with the mint leaves, together forming a bittersweet mixture, hides the alcohol. Works best if you're in a chill state of life but want to get that party-level-tugstugs boost with a few, sweet drinks. It's available pretty much in every bar in Manila but you can concoct one up if you have white rum, sugar, lime juice, mint leaves, sprite, and don't forget -- more rum.” –Chino Vitriolo

4 | ABSINTHE

“If you wanna go cray and all out, drink shots of this. I'm a hard drinker and this made me forget everything. I didn't even know how I went home. You can buy this at liquor specialty stores. (I'm not so sure though, I think it's banned here in the Philippines?)” –Peaches Tenorio

“I like my alcohol strong and simple. Anywhere decent should have it!” –Kristina Viray

5 | WATER

"Like they say, water is the source of life and I find that especially true after a night out. Did you take ten shots of jäger after downing a bottle of Cuervo? That's no problem. Water is more powerful than even the most potent of vodkas.” –Pita Ochave

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THE PERKS OF BERKS BY ANNA PAGDANGANAN

YES, IT’S PRETTY IRONIC THAT SOMEONE WHO SPENDS 60% OF HER TIME AND 90% OF HER ALLOWANCE ON OVERPRICED COFFEE IS WRITING ABOUT THE PERKS OF STAYING IN. However, in an ideal universe where I did

not have any acads, org work or social life (or lack thereof….) to worry about, I would probably spend 100% of my time locked up in my unit. Yup, you read that right. I have everything I need in my shoebox condominium unit. Now that I think about it, it doesn’t take much to make me happy. All I really need is fast internet connection, an air-conditioning unit, a microwave, a bed and my laptop. If you’re anything like me there is nothing more exciting than a whole day indoors. One relatively free day on my planner means that I have a whole day to be productive. I could spend hours rewriting my notes, reading chapters in advance and making multiple drafts of pubmats. Maybe I can finally attempt to teach myself After Effects or practice vectoring on Illustrator? Heck, I could use all that free time to proofread this Echoes article better! At the same time, a near empty page on my planner could also mean that I have one extra day to procrastinate. Who cares if I have to read up to prepare for my Econ 121 recitation? What does it matter if I have to submit my website mock-up for my CWTS internship tomorrow? And who cares if I have to hurry up lay outing my assigned articles? Why not just spend half of the 1. Anton Manotok making fun of the wrtier's pathetic snaps to him, depicting her numerous mental breakdowns while studying in her condominium unit in. Berkeley. wh 88 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

2. The writer and her two favorite Beas in their "F.U. guys, girls rule" sleepover in Berkeley. day trying to master the rap in Satisfied from Hamilton and the other half crying over the Facebook profile of my crush? When you have a condominium unit all to yourself and your identical twin, it is so freaking tempting to bum around. Honestly, I feel like a huge portion of the highlights of my college life happened in my unit. Sleepovers with the Beas, Master Chef moments with my sister and regular mental breakdowns over my EWA are all monumentally significant events in my two years as a college student and a Berkeley resident. Now, my dear Echoes subscriber, please suspend judgement when it comes to what I would want to do with my spare time. Before you call me “anti-social” or a “sore loser”, please just erase your misguided perspective on introversion. What exactly is an introvert? Funnily enough, when you Google the term, you are bound to get all sorts of conflicting definitions of the word. For instance, according to the dictionary, an introvert is “a shy, reticent, and typically self-centered person”. Another misconception about introversion is that it is synonymous with shyness. However, according to some parenting sites, there is no correlation with introversion and shyness. The explanation behind this is that shyness deals with an element of apprehension and nervousness, as opposed to introversion, which has something to with how an individual recharges. According to a Ted talk by Susan Cain,

introversion has a lot to do with an individual’s reaction to stimulation. If an extrovert gets energized through large crowds and loud company, an introvert would opt for for a quieter environment. I don’t really get why people have such a poor understanding of what it means to be an introvert. Apart from the previously mentioned contradicting definitions of introversion, I feel like romanticizing introversion is a key player behind our misconceptions of it. Case in point: I remember trying to befriend random batch mates, but I ended up ditching them midway through the conservation the moment they started ranting about some goddamned imagined war between extroverts and introverts. “We, introverts, are going to rule the world someday” is something only twelve-year olds actually believe. Nothing makes me cringe more than an idiot who thinks one type of personality is superior to the other. Since when did being an introvert mean more than just someone who recharges in private? Opting to stay at home and shamelessly go on Doctor Who marathons will not make you a freaking special snowflake. While there are people glorifying introversion, there are also people who find shame in solitude. I guess this is something I will never understand or sympathize with. You would be surprised with the number of times my own parents called me up just to remind me to loosen up and go out for a change. In fact, they

even raised my allowance for March because they expected me to treat all my friends to drinks and dinner. (That money went to my coffee fund. I know my priorities.) I guess not a lot of people realize it, but there really is nothing embarrassing about choosing to stay in while all your other friends are out. With that being said, please stop making introverts like me feel guilty for choosing to act the way we do. Given all the work our professors and Ecosoc throws at us, a few hours of alone time wouldn’t even hurt. Heck, a few hours of me-time are even healthy. The ultimate perk of staying in is the opportunity to recharge, reflect and think. It’s high time we learn to appreciate solitude, and recognize it for what it truly is: a necessity for creativity. You would be surprised with all the great ideas you can come up just by immersing yourself in a quiet environment.

Anna Pagdanganan is currently on her sophomore year in UPSE. She feels like she could have written a better article, but she was too busy watching videos of Tibetan throat singers to start this piece in advance. She hopes to be seated in Congress in 5 years. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 89

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SIX GOOD MOVIES

YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY MAKE TIME FOR BY JOLO ZAGALA

WHEN IT COMES TO SPENDING ONE’S BREAK TIME PROPERLY, THERE IS NOTHING LIKE WATCHING A GOOD MOVIE. Good movies provide you with the chance to take a step out of your reality; a mix of stunning visuals and an

excellent script can surely help you relax and enjoy your break. I know you’re burdened by your academics and org work but it is important to reduce stress every now and then to help boost your productivity. For that, I have come up with six reviews on six excellent films that I believe will be worth spending every minute of your precious break time on.

CREED

TRAINWRECK

Trust me here, this post-Knocked Up Judd Apatow movie is actually hilarious. Trainwreck stars comedian Amy Schumer, a writer who reconsiders her disbelief in monogamy when she meets a sports surgeon, played by Bill Hader. Trainwreck is able to satisfy your romcom craving with a realistic example of today’s dating society. The film’s strongest aspect is its cast, as it is carried by the smooth chemistry of both Schumer and Hader, even if they play two completely different people on screen. The story is also bolstered by the charisma of supporting characters such as Colin Quinn, Brie Larson and yes, LeBron James, who surprisingly contributes to a lot of the film’s funny scenes. Oh and don’t see this film if you haven't seen The Usual Suspects. You can thank me later. 90 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

This generation’s Rocky film is just as stellar as Future’s remix of the classic Rocky training montage soundtrack. The revival of the franchise revolves around the rise of young boxer Adonis, the son of Rocky Balboa’s late rival Apollo Creed. Although it helps to have seen the classic series, the Rocky-spinoff is very much able to stand on its own with top notch cinematography and performances from breakout star Michael B. Jordan and Oscar nominee Sylvester Stallone. The parallels to the old films are more nostalgic than redundant as director Ryan Coogler was able to integrate these well in the film. Thanks as well to the pumping soundtrack and intense montages, it will be near impossible for any viewer to not develop a desire to get back to their daily grind.

ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL

This film sets out to prove that you can get by with a little help from your friends. The story follows high schooler Greg as he is forced to hang out with his sick childhood friend Rachel by his parents. Indifferent at first, Greg later on develops a sense of care for Rachel, as she continues to recover from her sickness. Even without the commercial success, this powerful film on friendship deserves more recognition as one of the best coming-of-age films in recent time. Just be prepared for this movie to tug on your heartstrings. It’s too bad TFIOS came first and took up all the hype, really.

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF

EDGE OF TOMORROW

I know. This is Tom Cruise and another sci-fi film we’re talking about but don’t be turned off just yet. During a battle to take back France from the invading alien race of Mimics, the main character Bill Cage gets into a freak accident which sends him into a time loop, causing him to restart the day whenever he dies. Together with war hero Rita Vtraski, played by Emily Blunt, they will try to figure out how to use the loop to their advantage. In this performance, we see Tom do what he does best, which is kick ass and be very crazy doing it. Emily Blunt’s character is also very crucial, as she provides both the right emotion and badass-ery when needed. Overall, The Groundhog Day style storyline, heart-pounding action and excellent character development provide a fresh sci-fi movie experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

Out of the six movies I will mention, this movie will be the one you relate to the most. The story follows Ferris Bueller, a well-liked high school student, as he decides to take the school day off and go on an adventure in the city with both his best friend and his girlfriend. There’s much to this story as it features many good aspects such as good humor, rich characters and fourth-wall breakdowns but most of all, it allows you to rethink the your outlook on life. Seriously. Slow down and see this timeless John Hughes classic.

THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Arguably one of the best movies of all time, and probably also the one of the most overlooked, this film throws you into the middle of an FBI investigation of a massacre on a docked ship. FBI agents Baer and Kujan have to work with the testimony of one of the massacre’s two survivors, Verbal Kint, to find out who the alleged mastermind of the crime is and put him to justice. The account of Verbal, played by Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, serves as the narrative of the film, as director Bryan Singer is able to masterfully use the flashback story device to make the viewers the investigators in the film, guessing at all times. If you choose to see this film, pay close attention. I guarantee you will not regret picking this film over your academics for tonight. Although, I would like to warn you as well, you may just come out even more stressed than you were before if you decide to see this all time great.

Taking a break is just as important as accomplishing your task at hand. And as stated above, you now have six different ways to de-stress and spend that time right. Who knows, you may even learn something new. So treat yourself to a few hours off, grab a beverage and invite a person you care about to see these films. You deserve it.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it.”

-Ferris Bueller

Jolo Zagala is just as much an entertainment geek as he is a self-entitled black man. Feel free to talk to him about the latest news on movies, music, sports or life in general. Just make sure to bring a bucket of fried chicken to share, of course. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 91

ECHOES SPECIAL

GO:OD AM PO! BY THIRDY SANTOS

“NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS AFTER 2 A.M.” – TED MOSBY. There are a lot of different reasons as to why people stay up late at night. Maybe you have to finish a paper that’s due tomorrow and you only decided to start on it earlier tonight. Or, maybe you had Kopiko 78 for dinner and you’re regretting it now, when you realize that it isn’t 11 o'clock, it’s actually 1 in the morning already. Or, maybe you were able to get the entire Breaking Bad series from your friend and after watching a few episodes, you were hooked and you’d rather sacrifice sleep than delay seeing what’s next for Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Regardless of what that reason you have for staying up past your bedtime, you can’t deny that the ungodly hours of the night are magical. It all began in third year high school when my parents finally decided that I could have my sister’s old room. I was thrilled that I could finally sleep whenever I wanted without being regularly checked upon, if I was actually asleep or just keeping my eyes closed. Since my move into my new room, I began to watch more movies, followed more series, and stayed longer on social media because I felt I had more time to myself, given that I could sleep whenever I want now. This is when I began observing the different types of people who stay up late as well. I started noticing the kind of behaviors these people usually have. Most of these observations are based off what I see on Facebook, Twitter, and even on Instagram. (Yes, social media is a wonderful thing. Stop blaming it for people not talking to you. It’s your fault you’re not as interesting as the Internet.) Here’s what you usually see on social media during the early hours of the day:

online. Although, it clearly isn’t advisable to be that active on social media while you’re studying, it’s a good avenue to release stress as well! Just don’t get carried away!

#2AMHITS (YOU GUESSED IT: HUGOAT.)

THE WORKING STUDENT

3 exams, 2 presentations, and a paper due today? Yup, welcome to the witching hour. It’s not uncommon for college students to be awake at this time especially when you’re in your hell week. You see these people posting about their misery 92 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

May it be a line from a tear-jerking Maroon 5 song, or a genuinely frustrated tweet (with either a shitload of ellipses or IN10S CAPSLOCK ON) that Crush X just won’t notice all your efforts to woo his/her affection, these late night musings don’t escape any of us. At one point in our lives, we all took to social media at the most dead hours of the evening, our broken hearts looking for a remedy to cure the pain only you would

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

understand at that specific moment. Hell, even present you would find yourself ridiculous for feeling that way before. I, for one, admit that I was that kind of guy back in high school. I would regularly tweet about how sad I was because of my misunderstanding that every girl in the world is just another Summer Finn, set out there to break every young man’s heart. When I finally stopped taking my hugot to Twitter, I realized that people who are up past midnight tend to be more vocal about these feelings. When I got to college, my feeds in all social media platforms contained even more negative feelings toward unrequited love, academics, and even just simply feeling worthless. Most people tend to reflect more during the quiet hours of the night. Maybe next time you see a friend post their frustrations and downheartedness, comment or tweet them words of encouragement or simply let them know you have their back. Your words may not mean much to you, but your words can go a long way for others.

ME, TASTY, AND THE DYING STUDENT

DAMN, DANIEL! AND OTHER VINES/MEMES (SHIT GETS HILARIOUS ON THE INTERNET) I think the worst thing anyone can do at this time is share a food video. If you’re working late at night and you really really need to finish that paper due in a few hours, but you’re watching a food video on Facebook because some motherf*cker shared it at 4 am, GG. SWEAR. NO RECOVERING FROM THAT. That crippling hunger you will feel will literally make it so much harder for you to finish whatever you have to do. I cannot express this enough: IF YOU WANT TO MAKE LATE NIGHTS A BETTER PLACE FOR CRAMMERS TO WORK, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP SHARING THESE VIDEOS DURING UNGODLY HOURS. Let’s make the late night a safe space. :)

I know this isn’t mutually exclusive to late nights, but damn. Watching Vines and seeing different memes late at night is exponentially easier to laugh at when you’re somewhat sleep deprived. You usually wouldn’t find it funny or even see the point of these videos during a more normal time, but heck, at 3 am? This stuff is comedy gold.

These are just some of the people you’re bound to come across the Internet once the clock strikes twelve. The dwindling amount of online friends is only the beginning to a long night of humor, hunger, and well, misery. That’s why staying up late is such a magical experience for me. You appreciate everything in another level. The funny stuff gets funnier, the sad stuff gets sadder, and things that make you hungry make you hungrier. Thirdy loves all of you as much as he loves Kanye. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 93

ECHOES SPECIAL

PLANAR FANTASIES BY RITCH SYLVA

PEOPLE USUALLY SPECULATE UPON THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNKNOWN. They’ve heard stories from their respected elders of magical and mystical beings, elemental entities, and the memories of those long gone that have decided to remain on this plane of existence. I don’t speculate. I’ve been admitted into that world where one can do nothing to but affirm its existence. Admission to this world was not purely by choice but more of a mandatory responsibility given to me. A person may either be born with the gift or not. People who are born with it usually come from families or environments that have a strong spiritual presence. People who aren’t gain the ability from voluntary awakening or near death experiences (NDEs). In my case, it was a near death experience.

core and I was brought to tears. I started falling. I woke up. I saw my mother and a couple of nurses around my bed. They said they lost me for a few seconds. I didn’t know what they meant, but I felt lost for an eternity.

Fast-forward to my second year of high school. I met an I was diagnosed with a severe case of dengue when I was upperclassman (let’s call him my magister) that would be 10 years old. During one of the nights I was admitted to the the one to teach me about my awakened gift. I had no idea I hospital, I felt my soul leave the comfort of my body. I knew possessed such ability. He was the one who informed me of my this because when I turned around to look at the bed, I was still affinity towards the unknown. laying down on it. I didn’t have enough time to be flabbergasted. Before I knew it, a force was pulling me upwards towards My magister helped me develop my gift to a state wherein something that looked like a portal of light. I then saw visions I could utilize it in a purposeful way. He explained to me that of my past. Memories of both good and bad, and fears that I kept with my gift, I could see and feel things others couldn’t. I could in my subconscious revealed themselves and started revolving manipulate energies that could affect me, and the world around around me. A plethora of emotions rushed through my very me. I was entranced by the idea that there was a whole new 94 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

read a former high school teacher’s aura and I made him cry and rethink his life. Haha. No shit, I’m serious. I read a person’s aura to help with potential advancements on love. I even read the aura of a girl I eventually fell in love with, and we’ve been in a relationship for almost three years. Reading auras lets me know a person on a deeper level. It may come to a point when I see things that they never even knew about themselves. Some of you may think that what I’m saying is complete bullshit, while others are thinking, “Woah dude, that’s so solid.” I can say that this is definitely not for everybody. Some may be entranced, but others may say that they have no time for such outrageous things. In truth, such a paradigm of new existence is entrancing and very outrageous for someone who enters that world.

world waiting to unfold before my eyes. I felt like a newborn, amazed by the very alien world around me. I had no idea that the gift came with risks that could mean potential harm for others and myself. Leaving a baby with a razorblade is a situation where the baby could hurt itself. Leaving a baby in the middle of a forest means potential danger from the darkness. Having this gift can be dangerous, especially since it comes with a whole new world with it. We all know that in a world, there is good and evil.

I mentioned before that my gift is a responsibility. I believe this to be so. As a person who can peer into this new world, I need to be wary of the entities both from the human and the spiritual worlds. I am the one in between. I am responsible for the harmony between the worlds. I am the medium. I am not alone though. There are so many others like me who experience the same things that I do. We just don’t blatantly express these phenomena because, as I said, this shit’s not for all to know and comprehend.

I remember my first vivid encounter with the new world around me. It all seemed normal. I went into my house, climbed up the stairs, and saw a dark shrouded figure welcoming me home. “Nope,” was the first thing that came to mind as I went back downstairs, checking my pants to see if they’ve been baptized in urine. Thankfully, they weren’t. Like humans, spiritual beings have their own personalities; some of them are good, some of them are evil. The one I encountered atop my stairs was a spirit that lived in my house for the longest time and means no harm to the residents. Other encounters aren’t as friendly. Some try to follow me around, appear in my dreams and even attempt to inflict physical harm on me. I had an encounter with a malicious entity that attempted to take over my body while I was sleeping. I felt that I was being pulled out of my body and a demonic figure was on top of me trying to finish the process. Yes, it does get pretty fucked up at times, but take my stories with a grain of salt. Besides seeing other entities, I can also see energies around people and the world. Everybody has an aura. This aura comes from the energy within a person’s body. The aura can say so much about a person, such as their emotional state, personality, health, etcetera. I learned to read these auras. I read auras to help people understand themselves better. I

However, if you feel that chill in the middle of the night, or that shadow walking past in the corner of your eye, you may just be able to become one of us.

Ritch Sylva is a super pogi guy with an open third eye, ready to look, listen and feel whatever you have to say. If there's something strange in the neighborhood, call him. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 95

ECHOES SPECIAL

THE SCARLET LETTER BY LADY HESTER

96 â&#x20AC;¢ MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE Q: Dear Lady Hester, I only go out with people during the day time. Is something wrong with me? (I feel like mas fun pag night) –Sunny A: There's nothing wrong with you, bb. In fact, day time is the new IT time. Going out during day time is more fun than having a GNO/BNO during the night because first, you get to spend a lot of time shopping, doing groceries or maybe running your personal DidARE youSO know thatCLIQUES the bestIN time to shop orDEAR maybe do your personal errands is between 9AM-11AM 1. LADY errands H, I FEELyourself. LIKE THERE MANY ECON. I 2. LADY HESTER, I ONLY GO OUT WITH PEOPLE DURING because this traffic lessI THINK and everyone already inME their working Second, it givesWRONG you theWITH perfect lighting (I FEELwhenWANT TO BEisA when PART OF ONEisBUT THEY'REisSHUTTING THE DAY place? TIME. IS SOMETHING ME? LIKE ever you decide take a selfie or picture of your Instagram-worthyMAS meal. And lastly, since everyone is busy around the metro ) –SUNNY OUT. WHAT DO ItoDO? -HAMILTON FUN PAG NIGHT. during the day, you get really the chance to appreciate life and its little things without being bombarded by the hustle and bustle of the metro. Lady Hester answers: Bitch them out or maybe throw some Lady Hester answers: There's nothing wrong with you, bb. In Q: I want to die. wantneed to killto myself and endthey all the sufferings I'm going How I do it?–Notw-it shade. Those lil Ishits realize who are talking that fact, day timethrough. is the new IT should time. Going out during day time is Youur know Just don't. a deep breath and just more think fun about everything done for yourthe friends, toA:cuz fromwhat, 716 don't. the real OG, justTake kidding. Let's promote than having a you've GNO/BNO during nightfamily because oramaybe a random stranger. Without things be exactly the same is now. I don't know how youdoing are going to positive and happy atmosphere inyou, econ. Whywouldn't do you even first, you get as to itspend a lot of time shopping, groceries feel better but always remember that you are not alone in this world. Suffering is part of life and it is not only you who will suffer need a clique when you have Jesus by yo side. TBH, you don't or maybe running your personal errands yourself. Did you when die, remember that of you have your friends, family and relatives. Talkthe to them. Reach make connections andpersonal ask for needyou a clique to feel a sense belongingness because sweetie, know that best time toout, shop or maybe do your help. Dotell whatever it takes to cliques make you happyyouindo you! let me you even though look so good the outside, errands is between 9AM-11AM because this is when traffic is (Editor’s Update usstory. on your situation via the Lady Hester form pageeveryone if you wish remain Weplace? want to help the insidenote: is a different Being in doesn't really matter less and is to already inanonymous. their working Second, you. Know that you are never alone.the Youmost are loved!) in college because what matters is the connections it gives you the perfect lighting whenever you decide to take and friendships you have forged during your stay. You may a selfie or picture of your Instagram-worthy meal. And lastly, Q: I've my friend for a while now.have Problem is,to he's my friendsince and Ieveryone value my is friendship withthe himmetro too much to risk not haveliked the casual constants but you proved yourself busy around during the telling day, you him feelings (and ruiningindependent the friendship). I really like himthe though, I honestly have to no appreciate idea if I should or thatmy you can be a strong man/woman and getand really the chance life risk and the its friendship little things forever wonder what been. What I do? friends without being bombarded by the hustle and bustle of the world can't stop you could've from achieving your do goals to –Just overcoming A: Gurl, just don't! I have been there trust me it's really awkward if ever he/she knows how you feel about him/her because life's adversities. The possibilities areand endless! metro. there's a tendency he/she will make chika about your feelings to your other friends or maybe take advantage of you. Things wouldn't exactly be the same unless you are really like best of friends but in most cases, things like that wouldn't even happen. If I were you, I wouldn't exactly tell how I feel about that certain friend because the chances are it is not going to be mutual. Just believe that time will come love will find you and you’re gonna thank that special person for showing you exactly why it didn't work out between you and your friend. 2. I'VE LIKED MY FRIEND FOR A WHILE NOW. PROBLEM IS, 4. I WANT TO DIE. I WANT TO KILL MYSELF AND END ALL THE HE'S MY H, FRIEND ANDthere I VALUE FRIENDSHIP HIM TOO to be SUFFERINGS THAT GOING THROUGH. SHOULD I DO Q: Lady I feel like are MY so many cliques WITH in Econ. I want a part of one but I'M I think they're shuttingHOW me out. (AND RUINING THE IT?–NOTW-IT MUCH TO RISK TELLING HIM MY FEELINGS What do I do? -Hamilton ). I REALLY LIKE HIM THOUGH, AND I HONESTLY FRIENDSHIP A: Bitch them out or maybe throw some shade. Those lil shits need to realize who they are talking to cuz ur from 716 the real HAVE IDEA IFLet's I SHOULD RISKa THE FRIENDSHIP ORatmosphere FOREVER in econ. Why do you even need a clique when you have Jesus OG, justNO kidding. promote positive and happy –JUST Lady Hester answers: You know what, don't. Just don't. Take WONDER WHAT COULD'VE BEEN. WHAT DO I DO? by yo side. TBH, you don't need a clique to feel a sense of belongingness because sweetie, let me tell you even though cliques FRIENDS deep breath and justinthink about everything you've done look so good in the outside, the inside is a different story. Being in adoesn't really matter college because what matters the for your friends, family or maybe a random stranger. Without you, most is the connections and friendships you have forged during your stay. You may not have the casual constants but you have things exactly it is now.your I don't know proved to yourself that you can be a strong independent man/woman andwouldn't the worldbecan't stopthe yousame fromas achieving goals to Lady Hester answers: Gurl, The just possibilities don't! I haveare been there and how you are going to feel better but always remember that overcoming life's adversities. endless! trust me it's really awkward if ever he/she knows how you feel you are not alone in this world. Suffering is part of life and it is about him/her because there's a tendency he/she will make not only you who will suffer when you die, remember that you chika about your feelings to your other friends or maybe take have your friends, family and relatives. Talk to them. Reach advantage of you. out, make connections and ask for help. Do whatever it takes to make you happy- you do you! Things wouldn't exactly be the same unless you are really like best of friends but in most cases, things like that wouldn't even happen. If I were you, I wouldn't exactly tell how I feel about (Editor’s note: Update us on your situation via the Lady Hester that certain friend because the chances are it is not going to form page if you wish to remain anonymous. We want to help be mutual. Just believe that time will come & love will find you you. Know that you are never alone. You are loved!) and you’re gonna thank that special person for showing you exactly why it didn't work out between you and your friend.

ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 97

ECHOES SPECIAL

ECOSOC STATS 2016 TALLIED BY KELSEY MARIANO AND THE ECHOES APPS

MEM RESPONSES - 85 APP RESPONSES - 26 TOTAL - 111

NUMBER OF MOMOLS?

0/NA/I wish/"I'm a good kid" - 32 1-10 - 30 10-20 - 8 20+ - 3 Secret/Too many to count/Binibilang ba yan?/Can’t remember - 24

WHAT IS YOUR YEAR LEVEL? I - 31 II - 29 III - 27 IV - 22 Secret/Others - 1

ARE YOU A VIRGIN?

Blurry/Not sure/Ano kaya - 3 Yes - 78 No - 29

HOW OLD ARE YOU? Sixteen - 2 Seventeen - 11 Eighteen - 29 Nineteen - 23 Twenty - 20 Twenty-one - 16 Secret/Others - 9

YOUR AVERAGE SLEEPING TIME? 9 pm - 4 10 pm - 13 11 pm - 19 12 am - 35 1 am - 17 2 am - 10 3 am - 5 4 am - 2 IDK - 8

WHAT DO YOU USUALLY DO ON FRIDAY/SATURDAY NIGHTS?

Sleep - 18 Inom/Party/Go Out with friends - 39 Study - 10 Watch movies or shows - 10 Chill/Stay home/Me or Family Time - 10 Hang out with S.O./Look for prospects/ Evening Explorations/Sex - 7 Others (Mentioned: DOTA/Ball/Smoke pot/Shop/Cry myself to sleep) - 10 98 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

IF YES, WHEN DID YOU LOSE IT?

WHO DO YOU USUALLY SPEND WEEKENDS WITH?

Family - 34 Friends - 29 Myself - 14 S.O./FuBu - 5 Bed - 4 Laptop - 1 Readings - 3 Dog - 2 PS4 - 1 Others (mentioned: J. Malcontento/M.R. Ramos/No one) - 14

WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST KISS? Twelve - 6 Thirteen - 6 Fourteen - 6 Fifteen - 15 Sixteen - 13 Seventeen - 13 Eighteen - 12 Nineteen - 4 Never been kissed - 34

Thirteen - 1 Fourteen - 1 Fifteen - 1 Sixteen - 3 Seventeen - 5 Eighteen - 9 Nineteen - 2 Twenty - 4 Twenty-one - 2 Secret - 1

FURTHEST BASE REACHED? 0 - 40 1st - 9 2nd - 13 3rd - 20 Home Run - 29

DATING APPS USED?

None - 96 Tinder - 9 Grindr - 1 Facebook - 1 Coffee Meets Bagel/Happn - 1 The real world/Secret - 2

WEEKDAY CLUBBING? Yay - 21 Nay - 20

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO GET READY? <1 hour - 55 1-2 hours - 24 2+ hours - 16 IDK/Laging handa - 9

LATEST YOU’VE GONE HOME? 1 am - 2 2 am - 18 3 am - 18 4 am - 23 5 am - 14 6 am - 13 7 am - 3 8 am-12 pm - 9 1 day after - 6 3 days after - 2 Di ako umuwi - 2 Others - 5

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? Yes - 30 No - 81

ALCOHOL THAT MESSES YOU UP THE MOST? Hard liquor (mentioned: Jag, Cuervo, Tequila, Rum, Bacardi, Absinthe) - 60 Beer - 7 I don’t drink - 15 Others - 4 IDK - 9

MOST SHOTS IN ONE NIGHT? 1-10 - 31 11-20 - 23 21+ - 6 IDK/I don’t remember - 31 I don’t drink - 15

DO YOU BELIEVE THERE IS LOVE IN THE CLUB? Yes - 21 No - 73 Maybe/Others - 17

DO YOU SMOKE CIGARETTES? Yes, regularly - 15 Nope - 64 Only to try it out - 32

ECOSOC CRUSH?

You - 3 Haha/;) - 2 Aya/Cara Lat - 4 Emira/Raffy - 3 Sofia/Joseph Malcontento/Yanna/ Renzo/Fati/Jason Layug/Ryan Jacob - 2 Honorable mentions: Jose, Benju, Cha, Jus Nuque, Botan, Cara Ignacio, Eina, Charlotte, Miggy Juico, Chesca, Kissa, Angela Mantes, Nikki Liu, Theresa Morada, Dindo, Timmy, Pita, Marianne, Jay Bal, Gio Perez, Benjie, Sel, Nikuo, Lyon

APP CRUSH? (AMAZAPPS ONLY) Nica - 3 Gabe/Hans/Jus - 2

Honorable mentions: Trina, Max, Angel Alvaraz, Jerm

MOST WALWAL AMAZAPP?

Gabe - 6 Benn - 5 Jackie - 2 Honorable mentions: Angel, Trexia, Maica, Trina, Jerm, Nica, Allan Alex

MOST WALWAL IN YOUR BATCH? FRESHMEN Benju/Sab - 4 Kelsey - 3 RD/Kissa/Dindo - 2 Honorable mentions: LA, Kim, Benn, Shaira

SOPHOMORES Paje/Aya - 4 Honorable mentions: Ken, Vim JUNIORS Peaches - 17 Joel Licup - 2 Honorable mentions Sel, Lean, Miggy Juico SENIORS Lyon/Kristina - 4 Joseph Malcontento - 3 Matthew Mercado/ Paolo Villaflores - 2 Honorable mentions: Lora, Hazel, Flora

MOST WALWAL IN ECOSOC?

Peaches - 56 Lyon/Kelsey - 6 Poncho - 4 Aaron Galano/Paje - 3 Kristina/Miguel Juico/Sel/Sab - 2 Honorable mentions: Benn, Ram, LA, Godofredo Bamba, Matthew Mercado, Danes Cruz, Rocky Trinidad, Joseph Malcontento, Marte, Van, Lean, Pam, Miggy Villamor, Dea Villarosa, Jeremiah Tomas, Zo, Cha, Mix, Juvi, Carlo Cabato, JJ, Paola Villaflores, Cheska Yazon, Dindo, Renzo Aguillo Thanks for answering! Now we all know each other a little bit better. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 99

ECHOES SPECIAL

THE 24/7 NIGHT LIFE BY ANONYMOUS

I’M A PERSON WITH A SUNNY DISPOSITION MOST OF THE TIME, BUT THE PAST FEW MONTHS, THE DAYS FEEL JUST LIKE NIGHTS AND THE NIGHTS FEEL EVEN DARKER AND COLDER AND MORE DESOLATE THAN THEY’VE EVER BEEN. Your heart feels so heavy that sometimes it’s difficult to physically breathe. And the nights

just keep getting darker and you just keep feeling colder. It’s like you’re trapped in a hole but instead of trying to get out, you just find yourself unable to move or even scream to let other people know that you’ve fallen that far down. The worst part about it is that you can’t expect anyone to understand you. A lot of times, they don’t. Whenever people ask me how I’m doing or if I’m OK or any other variations of the question as old as time itself, I don’t even know what to answer anymore. Do I say “I’m fine/good/great/amazing,” flash a wide grin and pretend I’m OK? I’ve tried that and all it’s ever done for me is make me feel sick to my stomach for lying through my teeth. So sometimes I tell the truth. I say “No, not really.” Maybe “I’m going through a lot right now.” And you know what I get? “Aww, cheer up!” “Aww, it’s gonna be better.” Holy flying fuck. I mean I get it, it’s not like they understand my situation. I don’t 100 • MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

really want to advertise it either – mental illnesses have a negative stigma in this culture so I’d really rather not walk around with a glowing neon sign about it. But it’s tough, being told that things are gonna be better when getting out of bed every day is a herculean challenge. It’s tough being told to cheer up when you’ve tried every single thing possible to improve your mood and not feeling any better. It’s hard to feel useless, so useless that you can’t even help yourself. The only way I’ve been trying to cope is by distracting myself from everything that’s happening around me. I play games, binge-watch The 100, go out with my friends every night, drink a lot, get drunk, smoke a lot, get high, anything to keep me from all the crap that I’ve done wrong, all its implications, everyone that I’ve hurt, everyone that I’ve abandoned, everyone who has abandoned me, and whatever depressing shit I’m going through at the time. And distracting myself was a pretty good tactic: I stopped overthinking about thinking about my problems. Fuck it, I thought to myself. And it was good. I’ve become useless, not just to myself but to people around me. I stopped going to class. I stopped doing my responsibilities. Because fuck it, right? Do whatever makes you happy. Six weeks, numerous bottles of alcohol, countless hours of TV and gaming, and several ounces of weed later, reality hits you in the head like an airconditioner that just randomly fell from the 42nd floor of an apartment complex. It’s unexpected, but somehow you should have seen it coming. It hurts, but you should have known it would anyway. I sat on a bench overlooking everything that I love and have ever loved that afternoon, just relishing in my intense sorrow and looking at the mess I’ve made. And I remember thinking to myself that I should have known better. But I did know better – I knew I couldn’t let my sadness get me down, I knew I should have tried to fix things or at least ask for help – but I didn’t. I saw the airconditioner from the 42nd floor of the apartment complex plummeting down towards me. And all I did was shrug. It’s a vicious cycle of intense sadness and ugly crying and lying in bed for hours just waiting for Death to swoop in and get me, trying to do better and failing, saying “fuck it” and distracting yourself, and getting hit by a falling airconditioner. Lather, rinse, repeat. And boy, is it also a harrowing cycle, not just for you but for everyone around you. Some people dismiss your shit as immaturity, or being whiny, or whatever. Some people try, but then you hurt them one way or the other (because fuck it, right?) and they disappear from your life. Some people think there are better uses of their time than trying to fix damaged goods. It’s a cycle that bleeds you dry of everything you had and have and

will ever have. Sometimes literally, even. And when you think you’ve bled yourself dry, when you’ve lost all the light in your life to the point where you’re not sure if it's dark or your mind has driven you blind, you somehow fuck up again. People connotatively define nightlife as an escape from the mind-numbing stress of their days, but there are some people, people like me, who identify with the night and see the night as a symbol of their despair. Most of us dread the daily grind and crave for the sunset, where their troubles end and their joys begin. But what about us? What about the people who are plunged in eternal melancholy? People often unite to celebrate the night, but there’s nothing more that we want, nothing more that we desire, than feeling the light seep through the cracks of our permanently shattered hearts. ECHOES | MARCH 2016 • 101

ECHOES SPECIAL

POEMS FOR WHEN THE DAY TURNS DARK ON THE TRANSLUCENCY OF YEARNING STUPID STUPOR

by anonymous

there must be something about the night, for it seems I can never speak so of any emotion til it comes, and when it does, they come running, spewing out of my mouth like a violent fire, drenching some pitiful soul who just happened to stand there, speeding by, a thousand miles per hour, dragging everyone, myself included, along with it then, i guess there must be something in liquid fire, liquid courage, liquid stupidity, something enough to test my limits, and test whoever's sympathy or, you know, whoever i decided to fuck with that night, something about this peculiar liquid carries me away, deceiving me into thinking it could keep me afloat, only to wake up the next day, down, sinking, drowning, into the abyss but, then again, there also must be something about you, for you are the first and the last thing that appears in the lonely, overbearing night, and the constant thought in my drunken stupor

102 â&#x20AC;˘ MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

by Mikael de Lara Co

If this were a song it would have no words. If this were a window. Looking out to Cubao saying, look, an island. Mist then mountains straddling the horizon. If this were about distance I would believe for a moment in the translucency of yearning. Not glass. But curtains. A stray lock of hair draping over your ear. I whisper something and what do you hear? Pain and my voice quivering from rain. (Look, Cubao worships rain.) This is a poem I wrote long before we met. And how will I map the strange geography of your heart? I am looking for a street. (A river, to follow out to sea.) A corner where once I put my hand on your cheek. Tell me its name. Tell me your name. Tell the window, saying look, look, Cubao worships rain.

LA NUIT: THE NIGHT LIFE

ECHOES | MARCH 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ 103

104 â&#x20AC;¢ MARCH 2016 | ECHOES.PH

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