Echoes - September 2014

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03 04 12

EDITORIAL COMMNEWS

The Latest IsraelGaza Conflict

34

Terror Redefined: The Islamic State

36

What Ever Happened to Malaysian Airlines?

48

Josen Guerrero

30

NEWS MAN THE MAKER

Relics of the Past: Ecosoc Heirlooms

56

Escolta: Walking Down Memory Lane

The Evolution of Video Game Art

59 62

Three Days of Non-Existence

Chili Perez

A Brave New World Of Superstimuli and..

Martin Consing

The Soles of Marikina OIivia Solomon

Anton Castillo

52

For the Love of Tea and Coffee Kristina Viray

Eric Sto. Domingo

Josh Madarang

26

10 28

Dani Gonzales

Josh Siat

16

40

Of Roshes and Resellers J. Geron & T. Jacob

66

From Line to Life..

Carlos Cabaero

Contributors Josh Madarang Josh Siat

Alfonso Roces Josen Guerrero

Astin Louis Padlan Patrick Lim ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 1

Previous Issue

Editors JUDE BENEDICT GERON Editor-in-Chief PATRICIA ISABELLE PEREZ Associate Editor

JOSE RICARDO STO. DOMINGO Managing Editor

ANTONIO RAMON CASTILLO Creatives Editor

OLIVIA SOLOMON Features Editor

KRISTINA MARGARITA VIRAY Culture Editor

RAFAEL MARTIN CONSING News Editor

DANIELLE ROSE GONZALES Digital Content Editor

KAMILLE FRANCESCA MANUEL Digital Content Editor

BERTRAND BELEN Echoes TV Producer

TIMOTHY JACOB Echoes TV Director

MA. BIANCA YSABELLE KIT Photo Editor

Staff KAZEL AMOR

DEBBIE YRREVERRE

CARLOS CABAERO

RAM BONSOL

BIANCA ORTIZ

THIRDY SANTOS

RENZO DEFENSOR

NICO DE LA PAZ

CHITO BALINDONG

RYAN JACOB CHACHI SORIANO

Errata

Our mistakes in the August issue Grammatical errors and incomplete captions are corrected in the online edition of the August 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 2014-2015, 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, 31 subscription copies, 1 tambayan copies, 1 archive copy, and a complimentary copy for each of our sponsors, featured members, and featured alumni 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

upecosoc@gmail.com upecosoc.echoes@gmail.com visit for more information

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 upecosoc.echoes@gmail.com 2 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

upecosoc.org Echoes.PH facebook.com/up.economics.society

No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

From the Editor

The subject of creation is typically linked with discussions on science and religion,

essentially a discussion of origin. Various beliefs have offered often conflicting and contested accounts, literal and metaphorical, of how man and the world we live in came to be: stories of deities and mythical animals, and celestial bodies and matter in motion. The nature of these stories is such that they trace back to a time man could not physically record, to a time man may not have even been present. What we would like to focus on is the now, in the age of recorded history, of man as a creator.

We like to frame man in terms of fellow men; man as a social being. We like to discuss (and scrutinize) how we interact with, and influence, each other. But we can also frame these interactions as a means to which we are able to shape the environment, to coordinate our wants and needs and produce such that these are met and satisfied.

We then see the environment and the objects we craft in terms of function and benefit. This view inevitably puts man on a pedestal, as the end of all processes of production.

Perhaps the pedestal is raised when we tackle the aesthetic side of “making”. Because, if not as means for survival, for seeing another day, of what “use” are our material things? If humans are not the only species on this planet that engages itself in “producing” as “art”, only humans make that desire manifest in the grand scale that we do today, in all that we design.

Where did we come from, where did we begin? For now, who's to say with absolute certainty? What we do know is, anywhere and everywhere, there is beauty and cohesion, and there are things to look forward to, the bounds of which we continue to redefine.

ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 3

ECHOES NEWS CommitteE

As someone who spent her entire high school life burning under the academic pressure, I knew I would spend my college years differently. So in my first semester in the university, I immediately devoted my time in being part of Ecosoc and its numerous activities, which has ultimately been the story of my undergraduate life. Now in my senior year, the question of "if not Ecosoc, then what" has continuously crossed my mind. There are a lot of interesting organizations in UP that cover almost all of my interests that I would want to be part of. From film and music orgs to sports clubs (LOL), I always wonder what it would be like to have a life outside of Econ.

But even then, I am glad to have made the decision to apply three years ago because I still get to do what I love since "nandito na lahat sa Ecosoc eh". I think it's pretty amazing how an Econ-based org can cater to the different "trip sa buhay" of our members and in that aspect, we are able to achieve great things.

To answer the question, "if not Ecosoc, then what?" - then I would not have met the strong boys and girls of ExeQTnTs, inspiring people of Ecosoc Month 56 and all the talented Ecosocers who have all made college the best time of my life.

CARMEL|Ecosoc Month

May the (Task)Force be with you!

Now, that I am on my third year as a member of UP Economics Society, it’s really good to ponder on what I could be doing now if I did not submit my application form or even passed Ecosoc way back 2012.

I can think of 3 scenarios: Library person: Obviously, with no CDCs to attend to, no event planning and no commeets and genmeets, you can always find me in one of the cubicles in the library studying (sleeping) advanced topics in all my subjects. In short, I will be back in my UPLB days when all I knew is to go up to the Library, read newspapers and finish all my assignments in one day.

JMA? IE Club? Other orgs?: One of my goals when I entered Diliman is to really be a member of one organization. I had one thing in mind before: If I will not pass Ecosoc’s app process, I won’t do it the second time around. Perhaps, I could be a part now of university-wide organization outside the School of Economics, and these are probably: JMA, AdCore (yup) and IE Club.

BS Economics Student: I am currently taking BS Ecosoc major in Event planning minor in Logistics. I will be more focused with my economics classes since I have no Ecosoc events to attend to (which is really sad). Also, I think I will know how to use STATA already.

Thinking what could have happened in my life without Ecosoc, I can say that I made the right choice of joining this org.

50 DAYS AWAY FROM MUSIKAPELLA!

MIKE|Task Force

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COMMNEWS Life as a non-Ecosocer is pretty difficult to imagine.

Imagining life with out Ecosoc entails imagining quieter Wednesday lunches, and much slower weekends. There'd be no genmeets, no CDCs, and no late night Friday events to look forward to.

There'd be no pubmats to share, no tickets to sell, no sponsors to call. There'd be more unfamiliar faces, too.

And indeed,with all this being said, what would my life be like, if I never met Ecosoc?

It's a given. If I weren't an Ecosocer, I'd have so much more time in my hands. I'd probably take more strolls around the acad oval, get to reconnect with friends more often, and get to afford long pauses of reflection, as I was so accustomed to before I met Ecosoc. Perhaps my personal life would be so much more deliberate.

What else would I be doing? If I weren't an Ecosocer now, I'd love to man our newly-opened cafe in Fairview. I'd probably read more books, learn to play more songs, and pursue my previous hobbies.

But after all's said and done, I really wouldn't have had it any other way. Being a part of Ecosoc is one of the best choices I ever did make.

RIEL|Secretariat

If I wasn't Ecosoc, I'd probably be playing for the UAAP chess team or be super GC. I think Ecosoc is the only organization that really fits me and makes me feel at home so I probably would not have joined any other Econ org. I don't think I'm also the type to join an org outside Econ. I was varsity chess in high school and was GC so probably that would be my niche.

Thinking off it, life outside Ecosoc is hard to imagine, it has given me so much.

BRIAN|Finance

ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 5

ECHOES NEWS CommitteE

The best part about Ecosoc is that it provides its members with the freedom to pursue a variety of interests and the avenues to learn new things, and that’s probably why I really don’t see myself joining any other org in the university. I don’t see myself anywhere else because I’ve found my home and my anchor in Ecosoc :)

INES|External Affairs

If I weren’t an Ecosocer, I probably would have applied in AIESEC, JMA, Debsoc, Pugadsayk or PsychSoc. I also probably would have run for a position in the Council, or joined an alliance, or even run for a position in USC. But if I didn’t join any orgs at all, I probably would have done volunteer work or had internships in government offices or companies.

I would have applied as a student consultant for startups as well.

If I weren’t an Ecosocer, I probably would have focused more on my academics, and would have probably gotten higher grades. I also would have focused more on my well-being: sleeping earlier and taking the time to work out. I also would have gone to conferences and talks to expand my network.

If I weren’t an Ecosocer, I probably would have done a LOT of things. You know, being a part of this organization has a lot of tradeoffs and opportunity costs, especially if you are holding a position; directorate, VC, chairpersonship, etc. I could have been a part of another org, or I could have devoted more time to my other priorities. I could have been someone else altogether.

MONINA|Academic Affairs

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COMMNEWS Hi CDC!! We’re done with the UP Diliman parts of the service project, so we can concentrate now on the culminating event in Tacloban <3, as well as the remaining CDC events like the med mission, caravan etc. We can do this!!!!!

If I weren’t an Ecosocer (meaning I’d be orgless ), I’d probably be doing a lot of things during my free time, or I’d probably just sleep and do nothing at all hehe. Most probably, I’d choose the first option and I’d have more time to skate again, to have lessons to review the instruments I know how to play already, or I’d learn a new one (BAGPIPES pls). I’d also probably be summa cum laude standing JK =)).

Basta, point is I’d have more time to study. (or not).

I think I’ll also go to gym and jog more regularly, if I had more free time, however, the most possible and probable thing for me to do, if I weren’t part of Ecosoc is to play dota 2 more often (as if I don’t play it often enough now HAHA). SHOUT OUT TO MY CLAN [AN]!! HAHA kidding aside, if I weren’t part of any organization, it’s true I’d have more time to do things that make me happy, but I wouldn’t trade all of those for Ecosoc . <3

CARLO|Community Development

As much as I really love Ecosoc, Echoes and my work, it's a very, very time consuming affair! I've never been the type to really stick it out with any one hobby or interest to the point of mastery, so if I weren't a member, I'd have a lot more time to do a little bit of everything. For starters, I'd definitely do a lot more studying! I probably wouldn't be as scared to take tougher electives as well. And on the side I'd have more time to read for leisure. I'd also work on improving my guitar and bass playing, and probably try to improve singing as well (probably setting time to practice with my high school band). I'd definitely want to improve in the sports I've learned in the past like ultimate, football and basketball, and other skills like making posters and videos. It'd be really cool to learn new skills as well like cooking and computer programming! And perhaps I'd be more open to joining other orgs as well. However, projecting my high school self to the present, I probably wouldn't have had the same drive to pursue all of these. You could say that Ecosoc really taught me to find that drive, aiming for self improvement in service of the organization and its members. And, if I didn't enjoy giving so much of my time to the org, I would never have stuck out with it as my only org and definitely wouldn't have aspired to join the execomm. And that's taking into account the fact that I've been in Echoes since I was inducted as a member and since then I haven't explored the other committees!

JUDE|Echoes

ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 7

ECHOES NEWS CommitteE

Hi Ecosoc! First of all a huge shoutout to my two amazing teams: GTeam and AH Team, especially to my lovely and super hardworking heads Cheska, Pammy, Seldel, Jaja, Therese, Mia, and Lora. Thank you as well to everyone who made RELIV happen! I will never forget seeing the joy in our alumni’s eyes most especially during our Jologs Quiz Bee segment (special thanks to Celery and Nicolle for this. YOU GUYS MAKE ME PROUD) Looking back at the year that was, I’d say I have no regrets whatsoever being on this memorable ride. But if I wasn’t in this journey at all, if I wasn’t an Ecosocer, I’d probably be MEMA-ing my way in some other org that would satiate my hunger for travelling and love for event organizing and conversations. I’d have no excuse to not work out and miss my Muay Thai sessions at Elorde so I’d probably have my dream abs by now (not that I’m blaming Ecosoc for this of course.) But now that I think about it, if I didn’t app in Ecosoc at all, I’d probably have no motivation to go to school. Ecosoc is family and my number one driving force so no, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

TELLE|Liaison

The UP Economics Society truly changed my life and it has become a substantial part not only in my college life but in my whole life. Seeing this org, made me realize who I am, what I can do and it made me feel that I am part of a family.

It’s very hard to imagine if I did not join this org. It’s like taking away a huge chunk of my life. But anyway hahaha! Ok if I did not join Ecosoc, I would probably be an active member in some org in econ, maybe OBEM or ETC. It’s really hard to survive if you don’t have an org in UP. Or maybe I’ll join the SESC and be a batch representative. I’m just not sure hahahaha, Ecosoc is really irreplaceable for me!

The University of the Philippines is not just an avenue for your academics or higher learning, it is also an avenue where you can showcase your talents, or simply to have fun. So, to all of the apps out there, please be serious in your app process and be part of an organization that is backed up by 56 years of Service, Excellence and Tradition.

It’s really fun to look back in time and imagine what would life have been if didn’t join Ecosoc. Thank you Ecosoc for giving me a colorful college life that I would really never forget.

GO APPS! GOOD LUCK FOR YOUR MIDSEM INTERVIEW NEXT WEEK! ALSO, HAVE FUN DOING YOUR GW TASKS!!

JOMAC|Membership

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COMMNEWS

I was a 1st year 2nd sem applicant. While most of my batchmates were busy with their sigsheet and interviews in the 1st sem, I spent my 3-hour breaks studying with Patmen, and had my dad fetch me right after class. That life worked well for me because I spent less time studying at home and more time watching my series. Without Ecosoc, I’d still be living that chill life. After a couple of weeks, however, I’d probably get bored and fat. I would then start jogging every after class, but I would still go home right after.

Because I have Psych and Maskom friends, I might also try applying for Pugad or FGUP. In my last commnews, I mentioned climbing. Had I taken it as my PE earlier, I might have also applied for Grip UP. Given all these, you might think that Ecosoc barred me from a lot of opportunities. This, of course isn’t true, as Ecosoc proves to be an avenue for almost everything. It helped me balance my academics with my social life, which by the way used to be nonexistent. I met people who know how to work hard and play hard. I also didn’t lose contact with my non-Econ friends because I got (and still get) to invite them to external events. I could have experienced a whole different world had I not been part of Ecosoc, but I am definitely glad I am.

ANDEE|Special Events

Some of my friends would ask me what my life would be like if Ecosoc wasn’t in the picture. Honestly, I never gave it that much thought because Ecosoc has always been my life ever since I stepped into college. Now that I’m into the whole fitness and healthy lifestyle, it never occurred to me that this organization would actually be an avenue for me to influence a good number of people regarding my passion.

LANCE|Sports I can’t thank Ecosoc enough for changing my life one step at a time.

I guess if I wasn’t an Ecosocer, I would most probably focus on my academics and my social life. I will never have that sense of fulfillment nor will I discover a lot about myself if it wasn’t for Ecosoc though.

It was because of this org that I actually learned to look at life in a “healthier” way. I get to talk about what I love to random people – people who also want to start the same journey I’m still in. Eventually, I really hope to open a restaurant that will be in line with my love for healthy food and people. Until then,

PS Shoutout to my members! Thank you for being so patient with me! Love you all!

PPS Happy Anniversary to us, Executies!!! We have around 3 months to go! Love you guys so much!

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INSIDE ECOSOC

ECOSOC HOLDS NATIONAL ECONOMICS SUMMIT

by Ram Bonsol

OVER TWO-HUNDRED DELEGATES FROM SCHOOLS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY TOOK TIME OFF THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES TO ATTEND THIS YEAR'S NATIONAL ECONOMICS SUMMIT.

With the theme of the country’s preparedness for the 2015 ASEAN Integration, this year's summit featured talks from Dr. Amador Peleo from UP’s Political Science Department, Ms. Luz Lorenzo of Maybank ATR Kim Eng Securities Inc., Mr. Francis Samonte of Sun Life Financial, Dr. Niceto Poblador and Dr. Josef Yap of the UP School of Economics, and Dr. Jayant Menon of the Asian Development Bank. These talks were respectively held at GT Toyota, NISMED Auditorium and the Engineering Theatre at UP Diliman on September 12-15, 2014.

The symposium gave the delegates the opportunity to discuss and consolidate their views on the timely topic. At the peak 12 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

of this year’s summit, the delegates were given the chance to formula this year’s NES Statement which features the combined ideologies and responsibilities each delegate has taken up to further the symposium’s cause of preparing for the integration. The delegates highlighted their roles as students today and as future economists to know and effectively disseminate information about the ASEAN economic integration.

The National Economics Summit 2014 is organized by the UP Economics Society and proudly presented by Garnier, Dove, Magic 89.9, Sun Life Financial, John Robert Powers, Jack ‘n Jill Kropek ni Mang Juan, Jack ‘n Jill Jumbo Chiz Curls, All Good Oatmeals and Cereals and Jack ‘n Jill Magic Chips; in partnership with Rexona, Bank of the Philippine Islands, THEFACESHOP and University Hotel; also brought to you

by Ford Commonwealth and SM Prime Holdings; with special thanks to 5th Element Professional Lights and Sounds Rental.

NEWS

ECOSOC HOLDS APPS ORIENTATION FOR 56B

by Thirdy Santos The UP Economics Society held its applicants orientation last August 23 in SE 105. The organization welcomed its aspiring members by blindfolding them and leading them to the room full of members eager to greet the applicants with loud cheers. The program started with the opening remarks by the President Carmel Baquilod followed by the different videos of the different committees within the organization. After all the videos were shown, each chairperson explained the tasks and duties of their respective committees.

Afterwards, the applicants were divided into groups for the amazing race. They had to go through stations facilitated by the different committees wherein each station/task had a lesson for the applicants. After the amazing race, the applicants were made to select which committee they would like to be part of. Before the event ended, awards were given out to the most enthusiastic applicant, Martin Suarez, as well as the committees that had the best station and video. The event was concluded by the closing remarks given by the Vice President, Mike Saulo.

SPARK: ECOSOC MONTH IGNITES

by Nico de la Paz On September 6, the UP Economics Society held its internal launch for Ecosoc Month, “Spark.” The event took place after the Quidditch Cup at the Tierra Pura clubhouse in Quezon City from 6:00 PM onwards. A warm and private event, Spark brought the Economics Society together in preparation for the monthlong anniversary celebration of the organization and its ideals.

The launch started with an early dinner of barbecue and pasta served with some mixed drinks and was followed by a brief program. Videos of the past Ecosoc Month events were shown to not only hype up this year’s lineup of events, but to show how far Ecosoc has come through the years.

However, the highlight of Spark was the members’ toast. Ecosocers were gathered around the front of the clubhouse where several sparklers were set up. With sparklers around them and drinks in hand, the members raised their glasses in a toast to another September to remember.

GRAND TRADITION 2014 PAYS TRIBUTE TO DIVAS

by Carlos Cabaero

Membership Committee, as part of the celebrations for UP Ecosoc Month, held the annual Ms. Grand Tradition last September 26 at UPSE Auditorium. The theme for this year was ICONA: a tribute to the visionary and innovative female artist of our generation.

In line with the tradition of selected men of Ecosoc competing in girls’ wear, this year’s line-up featured, for the first time in a long time, an all-mem cast starring JJ Saliman, Daryl Yu, Astin Padlan, Brian Perez, Ryan Alba, Mike Buenaventura, Raphael Jambalos and Miguel Rey Ramos strutting the heels of pop music icons Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus respectively.

The crowd was up and lively in the whole event, which featured wildly well-choreographed individual performances, dazzling nightgown walks and a highly amusing question and answer portion, with each candidate giving it all that they’ve got. Every pageant must have winners though: the fierce Mike Buenaventura won 2nd runner up, followed by Astin Padlan, who danced the floor away with both Most Photogenic and 1st Runner Up. It was Daryl Yu who would run the town that night though, and was crowned as Ms. Grand Tradition 2014.

All in all, the event was truly a highlight of Ecosoc Month, and will definitely be something all will remember from September.

ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 13

NEWS

SAILOR APPS THROW ACQUAINTANCE PARTY ON STRANGER TIDES

by Ryan Jacob

On September 25, Friday, the UP Economics Society applicants of 56B hosted their acquaintance party, a traditional required event and task for Ecosoc applicants. The acquaintance party was entitled “On Stranger Tides”, in line with this year’s Ecosoc’s maritime theme.

Prior to the event, the applicants, otherwise known as Sailors 56B, elected freshman applicants Martin Suarez as Head and Yanna Potenciano as Secretary of all apps. Afterwards, the Sailors 56B were divided into separate committees: Logistics, headed by Miguel Paje; Programs, headed by Bea Balbacal; Publicity, headed by Chloe Tapucar, and Finance, headed by Kiss Sanchez. A weekend before the event, the Sailors 56B attended Eventology, a seminar where certain Ecosoc alumni imparted their knowledge on event planning.

“On Stranger Tides” began at 5:30 pm at SE 111. The members of Ecosoc were welcomed in by the applicants dressed as pirates and were ushered to their respective crews assigned by their color-coded wristbands given at registration. After the acquaintance party, the members of Ecosoc grouped all the applicants and arranged them according to twelve families.

Each family then had to bid for their desired guardian pairs, who would take care of them and help them fulfill application requirements throughout the semester. Each pair came in and made their presentation and were then bidded for by the applicant families. Though it got a little rowdy, each family walked away with assigned guardians. Before the night ended, members and applicants helped out in cleaning the venue.

ECOSOC MONTH HOLDS FIRST EVER QUIDDITCH CUP UP Ecosoc Month launched its first major event of the semester—the Quidditch Cup--with the collaboration of the Sports and Finance Committee. Inspired by the sport of the same name in the Harry Potter series, the tournament was held on September 6 (Saturday) at the UP Diliman Sunken Garden.

Six teams stepped up and gathered all their courage for a skirmish to win the grand prize of P10,000 and experience the ultimate battle in this “muggle” version of the famous game.

The teams were Team Xavier, Datu Jornz, Nikuo Taicoons, Boom Walis, Team Rexona and Matt the Best. Each team was given the chance to play 3 games to crawl their way up to the semi final rounds. The semifinalss were intense do-or-die battles between the Nikuo Taicoons and Datu Jornz, and between Team Xavier and Matt the Best. Datu Jornz advanced to the final round leaving the Nikuo Taicoons with a heartbreaking loss, facing Team Xavier who beat Matt the Best during the semis.

The battle for supremacy extended to an overtime after the 10-minute play with a 30-30 score, but in the end, Team Xavier showed more puso and won 50-40 against Datu Jornz.

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by Chachi Soriano

NEWS

LIV WILL BE FEATURED IN A SUCCEEDING ISSUE. ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 15

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ECHOES

MAKING SENSE OF THE LATEST ISRAEL-GAZA CONFLICT

BY JOSH SIAT

THE LATEST EXCURSION IN THE ISRAEL-GAZA CONFLICT, a part of the greater and even more intractable israeli-palestinian conflict, was one of the longest in recent years, lasting nearly two months before an indefinite truce brought it to an end before september. Much of the fighting in the overall conflict has been caused by territorial disputes, fights for independence from Israeli control, militant actions from both sides, and a slew of other factors such as internal warring factions in the Palestine government and controversial Israeli military operations.

The conflict has long been exacerbated by the lack of any definite agreement, truce, or willingness from both sides to end the conflict. Human rights violations, civilian deaths, international sanctions, meddling from other nations, and a host of questionable moral and ethical decisions in the name of varying definitions of “self-defense”, “protection”, and “freedom” have been the unfortunate outcomes of the conflict so far.

Who are the Key Players?

Gaza – The Gaza Strip is one of two Palestinian territories (the other the West Bank), and is bordered by Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. For much of the last half of the 20th century, it was under the military occupation of Israel until 1994, when Israel handed over the piece of territory to the Palestine government. Since 2007, Gaza has been under the control of Hamas, an Islamic-Palestinian organization with a notable and powerful military wing, considered a terrorist organization by most of the OECD member countries but not by some Arab nations and Russia.

Israel - Led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has been involved in Gaza’s affairs for much of its brief history. Despite its disengagement from Gaza, Israel, in some ways, still has a foothold in the area. They provide and control utilities such as water and electricity to the

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OPINION

region, have set up numerous checkpoints and patrols around Gaza’s borders, and monitor their airspace as well (this is known as the Gaza blockade and has met criticism in the international community). The country has also launched several military operations and offensives aimed at impeding perceived threats from Hamas and Fatah (another group who currently controls the West Bank, but had recently formed a union with Hamas to form a united government leading both of the Palestinian territories).

What set it off this time?

This year’s conflict was set off in June, when three Israeli seminary students hitchhiking in the West Bank (one of them holding an American citizenship), were kidnapped on June 12 and subsequently killed. Their bodies were later discovered on June 30. Israel quickly pointed fingers at Hamas, which initially denied accusations of committing the atrocity, but later admitted that some of their members were responsible. In a seemingly retaliating fashion, a Palestinian teenager was kidnapped and burned to death, sparking riots in East Jerusalem, a largely Palestinian-dominated area. Three Israelis have been charged for the murder of the Palestinian teenager.

Following the kidnapping and killing of Israeli students, the Israeli government and Israeli Defense Force began a crackdown on Palestinians, arresting more than 300 of them and raiding over a thousand homes. Again in retaliation, Gaza launched rockets aimed towards Israel. While technically inferior to Israel’s weapon systems, Gaza’s rockets appeared to be much more advanced than in previous years and caused enough alarm that Israel soon carried out airstrikes in Gaza. The match has once again been lit.

Operation Protective Edge and the Aftermath On July 8, Israel launched the military operation Protective Edge in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Protective Edge aimed to stop the rocket attacks from Gaza and clear out a network of tunnels that Hamas had been allegedly using for military purposes such as weapons storage. The ultimate goal then, for Israel, was to protect its citizens and demilitarize Gaza. The operation was carried out through airstrikes and a ground invasion. After 50 days of fighting, an Egyptian sponsored truce ended the latest conflict indefinitely. Let’s crunch some of the numbers that resulted from Operation Protective Edge.

Almost 10,000 rockets and mortars have been fired from both the Israeli and Gaza sides. 73 Israeli nationals

have been killed in the conflict (including soldiers) while on the Gaza side, a whopping 2,104 individuals had been killed. The UN estimates that 69% of those deaths were civilians. The Gaza Strip has clearly taken the brunt of this latest conflict. Over 400,000 civilians, nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population has been displaced. Over 500,000 children will be unable to go to school since much of the infrastructure in Gaza was destroyed. Even UN-sponsored schools were destroyed in the air strikes from the Israeli Defense Force.

On August 26, after some initial and prior peace talks fell apart, the two sides finally came to a truce with the Egyptian government as the middleman. Some of the proposals from both sides such as Palestine’s request to ease Israel’s border restrictions were granted, but other requests such as construction of air and seaports and the release of prisoners were refused by Israel. More talks from both sides will be conducted in Egypt afterwards.

The ceasefire is indefinite, but hopefully, this can pave the way for a more stable resolution of the conflict for the meantime. On the flipside, this could just be another break in the fighting. Now we ask, was this latest excursion worth it? The deaths of a couple of teenagers sparked another bloody and unnecessary waste of resources and human life. The longer this war goes, the harder it is to find a winner and a loser. Both sides have become morally ambiguous in their action and goals, even that of Israel, largely supported by the United States. Much of this conflict is rooted in history, and I’ll go as far as to say that even during biblical times, the sought-after land areas were already being fought over by their ancestors. A chunk of what Israel is doing to the Palestinian territories is illegal but Hamas poses a major security threat to much of the region as well.

In the end, it’s a question of what is more valued: security or freedom? Can we ever have both?

Sources: h t t p : // a b c n e w s . g o . c o m / I n t e r n a t i o n a l / i s r a e l - g a z a - c o n f l i c t / story?id=24552237 http://time.com/3197802/israel-gaza-hamas-palestinian-ceasefire/ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28252155

ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 19

ECHOES

ZHONGGUÓ:

THE CHINESE HEART OF FILIPINO INNOVATION

BY ALFONSO ROCES

A FEW MONTHS AGO, there was an altercation captured on video involving a taxi driver and another man. The man, most possibly due to the reckless driving done by the driver, had pulled the taxi over. As the man approached the vehicle, the taxi driver was shown taking out a knife; the man, in response to this, pulled out a gun and aimed it at the taxi driver. Immediately after, he left and sped off. Days later, after the video had spread on social media, the taxi driver reported to the police and the media was quick to (subtly) portray the man as the bad guy; they even posted a (wrong) photo of him on Facebook.

It turned out that the man was Filipino-Chinese and netizens immediately bashed him and created hate comments focusing on his race (rather than actually seeing both sides of the story). Some even said this man wasn’t Filipino and had to be deported (even though, he actually was a Filipino citizen and could fluently speak Filipino).

This incident and the reaction of the netizens may be miniscule and easily forgotten, but, if seen in a different, it can be a grand reflection on how we Filipinos unfairly treat and view the Filipino-Chinese. People who, in fact, have made countless of contributions to our country, throughout history by creating millions of jobs and introducing new technology, which became vital to increasing output in the economy.

Firstly, we should remember that the Filipino-Chinese contribution to our country isn’t recent; they have been here even before the Spaniards came. And throughout that time until the Spaniards left the country, their influence on technology has been outstanding. Whether that technology is food (pancit, siomai, lumpia, mami, hopia, etc.), progress of our language (words like ate, kuya, hikaw, susi, etc.) or “traditional” technology (mining, metallurgy, fireworks, gunpowder, etc.), there is a lot to thank the Filipino-Chinese for.

20 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

Secondly, modern Chinese-Filipino contribution to our country is outstanding; Chinese-Filipinos have made numerous Filipino companies which have introduced new technology in our country.

For example, the first Filipino phone company in the Philippines, MyPhone, was started by a Chinese-Filipino back in 2007. This company has introduced affordable, yet high-quality, mobile products which include tablets that act as phones and features such as dual-sim capability.

Their newest phone for example, features an 8 megapixel camera (same with iPhone 5s) yet is more than as twice as affordable as the iPhone.

Another company started by a Chinese-Filipino is one of the country’s first low-cost airlines, Cebu Pacific Air. Not only do they offer affordable prices to numerous destinations around the country and numerous locations around the world, they have introduced new technology here in the field of aviation; last year, they launched a new aircraft that has been equipped with Sharklets, the newest Airbus technology.

One of the Philippines’ top fast food chains, Jollibee, is also owned by another Chinese-Filipino. It isn’t only introducing technology when it comes to food--back in 2012,

OPINION they introduced a new type of technology called Near Field Technology or NFC, which in turn, has made numerous companies adopt this technology as well. NFC means that you can easily point a card to a kiosk center for it to be read. The company has been doing this so that one can accumulate points which can earn him or her rewards and, it is also a way to purchase items without having the need of cards.

Another way the Filipino-Chinese community has contributed to technological progress in this country is through their works in education. Filipino-Chinese, although a minority, make up a huge percent of the students in the Philippines’ top universities. Many of these Chinese-Filipinos are enrolled in Math and Science courses, and because of this, many of them go to research or start-up businesses later on.

The last thing I would like to mention is how the FilipinoChinese have helped spur technological and economic progress in our country through their culture of innovation which has been adopted by many Filipinos. There are countless examples of Filipino-Chinese whose lives have been an inspiration to many of our countrymen.

One of them include John Gokongwei, who, at the age of 13, lost all of his wealth due to death in family yet recovered by first, peddling in the streets as a child and later on, starting his own company. Now, he is one of the richest men of the Philippines and he continues to inspire Filipinos to work hard and be innovative.

What I have mentioned are just a few of the many contributions the Chinese-Filipino community has done for the Philippines yet from these contributions, we can see how much they have done for our country.

I think this topic transcends to answer an even deeper question; what makes a Filipino? Is a Filipino, as seen on our elementary textbooks, someone who has brown skin, black hair, and round eyes as opposed to someone who has fairer skin and slanted eyes? Or is nationality a concept that goes far beyond physical appearances and instead revolves on one’s contributions and love for this country?

Just remember that question whenever you’re faced with intolerance or ignorance.

ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 21

ECHOES

TERROR REDEFINED: THE ISLAMIC STATE

BY JOSH MADARANG

TERRORISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST HAS TAKEN ON A NEW IDENTITY YET STILL MAINTAINS ITS PURPOSE. It has risen as the latest threat to the safety of neighboring nations. With many other Middle Eastern nations already embroiled in conflict, their emergence further complicates the lofty goal by other world powers of finally bringing peace and stability to the embattled region.

They go by various names, all of which are fundamentally the same. They have been identified as ISIL, or the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, pertaining to the area on which the countries of Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus, and part of southern Turkey are situated. A more common moniker is the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, better known as ISIS. But now, they dropped any mention of geographical situation and simply call themselves the Islamic State.

They are no brand-new entity. Their origins extend back to 1999, from Iraq-based members of Al-Qaeda, known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq or AQI, who later pledged their allegiance to Osama Bin Laden in 2004. Though aligned in belief with Al-Qaeda, their brand of terror is quite different from that of other groups including the Taliban. Journalist Anand Gopal, who reports for the Wall Street Journal, explains that the Taliban are motivated by a nationalistic goal, which is fighting on behalf of all Afghans. The Islamic State operates differently, in a sense that they “reject the international order altogether,” as Gopal puts it. He also adds: 22 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

“…what’s different about ISIS is that they are very happy to show their atrocities. They post it on Twitter. They put it on YouTube. And it’s because they have basically rejected the international order… (G)roups that are in power, including the Syrian regime, and groups that are in opposition, including elements of al Qaeda or the Pakistani Taliban, can be just as bloodthirsty, except that they try to minimize their atrocities; they don’t want the world to know about them. They hide their atrocities, whereas ISIS, because they reject the international order, they have a completely different strategic logic. So they promote their atrocities…”

The United States acknowledges that the Islamic State is a force that must be dealt with immediately, given that their acts of terror, such as bombings, beheadings, and takeover of entire cities, are increasing in volume and intensifying in gravity. However, there have been conflicting accounts on its perception of their opposition. At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel states that the Islamic State marries “ideology, a sophistication of strategic and tactical military prowess.” He adds that the Islamic State is “tremendously well-funded”, and is “beyond anything” that the United States has ever faced. Secretary of State John Kerry thinks otherwise, mentioning that the Islamic State “isn’t as organized as everybody thinks,” commenting that their forces scattered “the minute we hit them.” Nonetheless, President Barack Obama has declared that the United States, along with its al-

OPINION lies, is determined to “degrade and destroy” the Islamic State.

It is safe to say that a battle between the Islamic State and the Coalition Forces (the US and its allies) is a horrifying mismatch. Trumping what TIME describes as “a ragtag collection of militants using secondhand weapons” would be a cakewalk for the most sophisticated, advanced, and organized military force in the world. A recently released comprehensive report by the Pentagon shows the kinds of ISIS targets it has hit during a month-long series of over 150 airstrikes. 42%, or 88 of 212 targets, were armed vehicles. Take note that by “armed”, they pertain to simple trucks with machine guns. TIME adds: “Roughly 10% are anti-aircraft artillery and locations described as ‘IED Emplacements, Mortar Positions, [and] Machine Gun Locations.’ The ‘facilities’ on Central Command’s hit list include ‘Fighting Positions, Checkpoints [and] Observation Posts.’ This is not an arsenal, but a ragtag collection, including gear the U.S. supplied to the Iraqi army, which ISIS seized after driving Iraqi forces from Mosul.”

With this information, Secretary Kerry’s opinion may actually be validated. However, this leads to the question: how come despite their lackluster military strength and apparent condition of disarray, the Islamic State still has not taken a severe beating from the opposition? The answer is very much similar to the reason why, after over a decade of bloodshed and civil war, the Middle East still cannot be corralled by the so-called Western peacemakers. Ideology, not military might, is what drives the Islamic State. Their hardline beliefs based on the principles of their al-Qaeda origins will not waver even if their opponents take the last of their bullets from them. With the governments of Iraq and Syria also rooted in anti-Sunni belief, the Islamic State has an even greater motivation to continue its purpose. One important realization, though, is that the Islamic State has only succeeded where it is unopposed, with its domain at the heart of one of the world’s most heavily-armed regions. They will continue to persist as long as they avoid the full reach of their enemies, as they have done astonishingly well over the past months.

The influence of the Islamic State is not constrained within their territorial domains. They have breached the borders of the very nations that oppose them, as shown by recent recruitment efforts in Australia, London, and Minnesota.

Social media, particularly videos in YouTube, has been their primary tool in conveying the mission of the Islamic State to potential recruits. Apart from ideological reasons, the Islamic State has become attractive due to its immense and ever-expanding wealth, with a reported net worth of $3 billion and an average of $3 million added per day as a result of human trafficking, smuggling, theft, and kidnapping for ransom.

Terrifying as it may be, this jihad or ‘holy war’ being waged by the Islamic State has gone global. Despite their underwhelming military might, cities have fallen under their control, and scores of people have perished. As they continue to add numbers to their ranks and unleash wave after wave of terror, not only is the safety of the Middle East in question (as it has always been since the turn of the millennium), but so is that of the rest of the world.

Sources: http://time.com/3373928/isis-threat-hagel-kerry-syria-iraq/ https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/24930670/mohammad-ali-baryalei-australiasmost-senior-member-of-islamic-state-funnelled-fighters-onto-the-frontline-ofsyria-iraq-wars/ http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2014/09/11/obama-didnt-mention-isis-recruitingbut-minn-community-still-on-edge/ http://www.vice.com/read/we-spoke-to-a-veteran-war-correspondent-about-theorigins-of-isis-822 http://kickerdaily.com/many-are-joining-isis-since-it-has-grown-to-be-theworlds-wealthiest-terror-group/

ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 23

ECHOES

QUESTIONING FERGUSON: ARE THE POLICE STILL OFFICERS OF PEACE?

BY ASTIN LOUIS PADLAN ON AUGUST 8, 2014, MICHAEL BROWN, AN UNARMED BLACK 18-YEAR-OLD MALE WITH NO CRIMINAL RECORD, WAS ALLEGEDLY SHOT WITHOUT PROVOCATION AT LEAST SIX TIMES BY POLICE OFFICER DARREN WILSON IN THE ST. LOUIS SUBURB OF FERGUSON, MISSOURI. After that, peaceful protests were held, yet ultimately escalated to the point of riots and looting, resulting in increased tensions between the police and the black community, thus beginning the Ferguson riots. With so much confusion surrounding the events, one must go back to the facts of what exactly happened that night and determine whether this was simply another product of racism in America as well as answer the question: At least in the United States, are law enforcement agencies still protectors of the people?

24 â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

OPINION

Michael Brown was a suspect for robbing a convenience store and assaulting people there, but these are not immediately relevant or related to the case of his murder.

However, some people use this as an excuse for what Officer Wilson did to an unarmed teenager. Had the officer known prior to killing Brown that he was suspected of a felony, would it have justified his summary execution? Of course not.

Is racism truly dead? Definitely not. Discrimination of any kind can never truly die out, for so long as people live and people hate, discrimination will always exist. There’s nothing we can do about that, but what we can do is mitigate the power we can give to discrimination, or to reckless behavior.

People armed, prejudiced, and given political freedom to be that way can put innocent people at risk. In the United States alone, data gathered by the FBI shows that in 2012, 410 people were ‘justifiably’ killed by the police, 409 with guns.

This figure is a conservative estimate because not only is it limited to the number of people shot while committing a crime, the reporting itself by a police officer is only voluntary; the true figure might have been in the thousands.

Compare that to Germany where in 2011 their police officers shot only a total of 89 shots for the whole year, and to Great Britain where their police officers only fired their guns three times in 2013 and nobody was fatally shot. Add that to the fact that in one case in the USA also in 2011, Los Angeles police fired over 90 shots on a 19-year-old man before killing him following a high-speed chase down the freeway. The police of one state in the United States fired more shots against one person than the whole German police force ever did in one year. Do the police have too much free reign in the name of the law?

This begs the question: “Are the police really here to protect us?” Yes, they are meant to be peacekeepers and uphold the law, but by doing so by any means necessary, are they morally justifiable? Most importantly, are the police to now be treated as another military force? The riots in Ferguson were brought about by the death of Michael Brown. But how the police responded was very questionable in nature. The police countered these riots with officers wearing full combat suits, armored personnel carriers, tanks, and automatic rifles with rubberized bullets.

This is the type of equipment for fighting a war. Is that what they’re doing? Fighting a war against their own citizens?

This is primarily because of the US Military’s 1033 program, where it distributes surplus military equipment to the police force, made in order for them to combat the war on drugs domestically. The paranoia brought about since the 9/11 attacks only served to justify racial profiling and police militarization further.

Given the circumstances, was the militarization of the police justified? Of course not. We need to draw a fine line between the police and the military, because they serve two distinct purposes. One is there to uphold the peace internally, and the other is there to defend the peace from external forces.

The police can and should keep the peace without resorting to military-grade weaponry because imposing force upon their own citizens is never socially just.

As they militarize the discriminatory and give them a license to kill, police brutality simply becomes inevitable. So what is the national government doing to prevent this? Are they simply ignoring the many cases of innocent citizens killed and physically abused by the police? Thankfully, the answer is no. As of September 4, 2014, the US Justice Department is now investigating the Ferguson police force for the death of Michael Brown. This is the second probe done for the Ferguson case, and the Justice department is also simultaneously investigating possible criminal charges against the police officer who shot Brown.

Additionally, outgoing US Attorney General Eric Holder, visited Ferguson after the shooting and said that the residents there do not trust the police and are concerned by their presence, which in turn prompted the federal investigation. Holder also pointed out that the investigation is not only limited to the St. Louis suburbs but may also include the rest of the Ferguson area. The probe will examine how the Ferguson police use force, conduct stops, searches, and arrests, how they treat detainees and whether they engage in discriminatory practices.

So what can we, thousands of miles away from Ferguson, learn from this? Unfortunately, perhaps, it is to be wary of our police force, to make noise when they make mistakes (because they still can), and to always be vigilant in our watch against oppression because all it takes is a little complacency on our side for the corrupt to win. This means that we, and they, must be paragons of morality and social customs and they must always behave in the best possible manner.

Sources:

police

http://rt.com/usa/us-germany-85-shots-022/ http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2014/08/armed-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Ferguson_unrest http://news.yahoo.com/u-justice-department-investigate-ferguson-policeteen-shooting-200941595.html http://www.vox.com/2014/8/11/5988925/mike-brown-killing-shooting-caseferguson-police-riots-st-louis http://graphs.net/police-brutality-statistics.html http://www.vox.com/2014/8/18/6029019/9-essential-facts-about-whatshappening-in-ferguson-missouri-michael-brown http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/8-19-2014/Police-shoot-unarmedblack-man_will-this-ever-end%3F/ http://www.vox.com/2014/8/14/6003239/police-militarization-in-ferguson

ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 25

ECHOES THEY SAY, “YOU NEED TO GET LOST IN ORDER TO FIND YOURSELF.” That, however, is a terrible reference to Flight MH370, which has been missing to this day with all its 239 crewmembers and passengers. It is also sometimes said, “Once you hit bottom, there’s no way to go but up.” That, however, would be an even worse reference to Flight MH17, which crashed into the ground with all its 298 crewmembers and passengers. It may indeed be said that I am terribly incompetent at cheering other people up.

But with the Malaysian Airline System lost in a deep plummet after its 2 aircraft losses, it is undoubtedly hard for one to find true words of comfort for the company, its shareholders, and employees. Anyone who paid attention to the coverage of the accidents cannot avoid wondering at some point where exactly the tragedies have now left it, and what the future holds in store for it.

“It’s completely not their fault,” says aviation analyst Mohshin Aziz of the Malaysian financial company Maybank, “but right now if you ask any customers would they fly with Malaysia Airlines, they’d just have that negative sentiment of ‘I’d rather choose something else.’” In hindsight, any rational nonsuperstitious mind would be capable of understanding that the two tragedies that occurred were, in the most part, beyond the company’s reasonable control. One could maybe question what MH17 was doing flying over Ukrainian soil. But realizing that several other airlines including British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, and KLM had also been using the exact same route in the days leading up to the crash, it quickly loses decency to refer to the judgement of the aviation regulators as “poor”. “Fifteen out of sixteen airlines in the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines fly this route over Ukraine,” says Malaysia’s transport minister Liow Tiong Lai, “European airlines also use the same route, and traverse the same airspace.” A look at their history would indeed reveal that Malaysian Airlines has had its share of periods of unprofitability. However, the company was an otherwise wellhandled quality airline, for the most part again, in the context of these tragedies. What went wrong? Nothing basically, aside from a mysterious, ephemeral, and powerful force called chance – a very emphatic reminder of how much it sucks to be unlucky.

Even worse than how fortune decided to not favor Malaysia Airlines was how people reacted to the events.

What are a few things the reader and majority of the public probably don’t know about Malaysia Airlines? For starters, it was recognized as the world’s best airline-turnaround story, receiving the Phoenix award from Air Transport World in 2007. Since then, it’s received the award for World’s Leading Airline to Asia in 2011 and Asia’s Leading Airline in 2013 from the World Travel Awards. It’s also received a 5-star rating from Skytrax World Airline Awards several times in recent years – with it being one of only seven in the world with it in 2013. Skytrax also gave it World’s Best Cabin Staff and Best Airline Signature Dish in 2012 – all the while receiving Most Promising Brand from the Putra Brand Awards that same year. It’s also worth noting how 26 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO MALAYSIAN AIRLINES?

BY JOSEN GUERRERO

I emphasized recent awards for relevance. For the reader, who would probably have little reason to know better: yes those are prestigious awards for airlines, and yes those words should be comforting. For comparison, PAL only has 3 stars from Skytrax – 3 stars. That’s something worth keeping in mind the next time one boards a PAL flight.

Despite all its actual legitimate competence and quality, Malaysia Airlines is ironically in a far worse financial decline than it had even previously been preparing to deal with. Prior to any of the incidents, Malaysia Airlines was already dealing with a substantial period of unprofitability. Not making a profit since 2010, Malaysia Airlines had already been piling losses over recent years: RM1.17 billion (US$356 million) in 2013, RM433 million in 2012, and RM2.5 billion in 2011. A new wave of low-cost rival airlines like AirAsia and aggressive Gulf carriers like Emirates provided difficult competition for the government-linked company. Cumulatively, the losses amounted to $1.7 billion worth. In efforts to recover, the airline began with its business turnaround plan, which included route rationalization. It was shortly after cutting costs to see a 14% decrease in expenditure that chance (at least in the sense it could’ve easily been any other airline) decided that it was “kinda bored” with the company’s signs of improvement. Two fateful days occurred. Bad turned to worse. CNN’s ratings dropped as they actually began to use words like ‘Bermuda triangle’ and ‘black hole’ as they discussed MH370’s case.

OPINION Although a model example of quality products and services, the company has been suffering financially underneath.

It now reports a significant widening in its quarterly losses to RM307 million (US$97 million), almost double the same period last year (RM176 million). Jeremy Grant from the Financial Times sums up the source of the company’s amplified distress: “Malaysia Airlines has struggled to cope with waning confidence among would-be travellers after the loss of flight MH370 en route to Beijing in March, and then MH17 over Ukraine last month.” Considering that both disasters were at least not the company’s fault for the most part, the average person would probably guess that travellers’ confidence wouldn’t sway by much. After all, the circumstances of both events were made apparent to the public - unambiguously. Unfortunately, it turns out that people aren’t always perfectly rational. Average weekly bookings have fallen by about 33%; numerous flights have been cancelled, leaving some planes largely empty during travel. We humans have these certain evolutionary glitches called cognitive biases that are hardwired into our psychology. Without a step-back analysis, one will always be prone to committing these errors, regardless of how many Ph.D.’s one has. Effectively, the Malaysian Airline System’s shareholders and 19,500 employees – as well as the rest of the Malaysian taxpayer population - have things like the Base Rate Fallacy and Neglect of Probability to arbitrarily flip the middlest of their fingers off to. Tragic.

What now for Malaysia Airlines? All the circumstances and conditions that have led to their precarious course have proven to be well beyond what their little turnaround plan was ready to tackle.

They forgot to account for the possibility of “mysterious vanishing planes” or “inhumane pro-Russia separatists in a future Ukrainian revolution” – as well as the “Bermuda triangle” and “blackholes” according to CNN. The next move for the company now involves restructuring, although not just through simple incre-

With the company having been on government life support long before these tragedies, articles from The Economist criticize the Malaysian government for being one among many that persist in keeping “rickety airlines in flight” - simply for being the flag carrier airline of the nation. They cite poor management, overstaffing, and strong unions as leaving the company struggling in “a changing business and with little hope of cost-cutting or streamlining.” The Malaysian economy, which has relied on a system of economic patronage, is said to have fuelled cronyism and misallocation of resources throughout the years. According to Grant from the Financial Times, “…the tragedies at Malaysia Airlines, paradoxically, now provide an incentive to tackle the airline’s long-running problems.” It turns out the It would be important to first note recent abrupt tragedies may be turned that the company was only partially into a push to address even bigger longowned by the government (Khazanah) term issues. But they must respond propprior to the disasters. Following July, erly. As Alexander Graham Bell once said, however, the government bought out the “When one door closes, another opens.” remaining shares from the minority share- Let’s just hope that it wasn’t a trapdoor holders to pull the company off the public that opened here, with this. Because that market and pave the way for restructuring. would just be tragic.

The restructuring is to be carried out by creating a new company with what the government calls a “right-sized work force Sources: and work practices and contracts.” – whathttp://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraineever that means. The airline’s creditors will be offered a swap of the airline’s debt plane-crash/why-was-malaysia-airlines-mh17-flyingover-ukraine-time-money-n159161 for shares in the new company – placing http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/afterthe heaviest burden and risk on the credi- two-tragedies-financial-future-malaysia-airlines-uncertain tors. Khazanah plans to de-list the airline http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/3f648360-2932from Malaysia's stock exchange by the 11e4-8b81-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=intl#axzz3D end of 2014 and plans to return it to profit- Tn75mi3 http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6d0b6c6c-2e68ability by late 2017, re-listing the airline by 11e4-b330-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=intl#axzz3D 2018 or 2019. In terms of its route network, Tn75mi3 http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6530cd92-36e8the airlines will be abandoning long-distance routes like those to Europe and the 11e4-95d3-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=intl http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/ef4ab4b6Middle East, where it has failed to remain 1ea1-11e4-9513-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=intl http://online.wsj.com/articles/malaysia-airlinescompetitive. It will instead shrink to focus on regional destinations. Malaysia Air- plans-revival-likely-to-cut-staff-routes-1409044072 http://online.wsj.com/articles/malaysia-airlineslines has already received more than $1 reports-wider-loss-1409228266 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/30/business/ billion from Khazanah and undergone at least four previous restructurings in the international/malaysia-airlines-to-cut-30-of-work-force. html?_r=0 past. With all that’s at stake in this radihttp://www.economist.com/news/ cal move, at least the Malaysians can take business/21612190-why-governments-are-so-keen-keeptheir-loss-making-airlines-aloft-flags-inconvenience comfort in the classic saying, “fifth time’s the charm” – oh wait, or was it “third”?

mental change. "We operate in a harsh business environment of stiff competition from regional and global carriers and high operational costs. Coupled with the impact of the two tragedies, which have damaged our brand, the need to restructure the company was accelerated," says Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, group chief executive of Malaysia Airlines. As per August 29, the company will be undergoing a radical restructuring as outlined in a report entitled Rebuilding a National Icon: The MAS Recovery Plan, released by its majority shareholder and state-run investment arm Khazanah Nasional. Malaysia Airlines will be cutting 6000 jobs (30% of its workforce) and will be receiving a bailout of nearly US$2 billion worth from the government.

ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 27

M A N T HE M A KER 28 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 29

ECHOES

I ALWAYS WONDER WHAT OLD PEOPLE USED TO DO WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG. I’d think of what was hip then, what they used to do for fun, what their youth was like, especially without the things that make our millennial story great (yes, I’m talking about the internet). My grandparents never understood my fascination with the past (after all, they lived in it), and we always look at the past with a certain fondness—call it nostalgia, or just an absurd yearning for place and time that you never actually experienced-- but to me, there was something frustratingly magical about the Manila of the past.

The idea of a unplugged, clean Manila was so foreign but fascinating to me. Imagine that nearly derelict city minus the grime and traffic, complete with square dance halls and top-notch art houses and visible sidewalks.

It was a time when Manila really was the heart of the region, the Paris of the Orient, a time when it was young and becoming and a beautiful, thriving city.

There was always one place that my grandparents used to mention whenever I asked (badgered) them with my questions—Escolta Street, known as (in my grandmother’s words) the “Fifth Avenue of Manila” of the 50’s. In the absence of SM and the concrete spawn of Ayala and Gokongwei we have now, people had to travel (what a concept!) all over Metro Manila to get whatever they needed or wanted. Now, you can just go to a mall and literally have one store selling food, books, clothing, gardening tools and random knick knacks—no fuss, no hassle, just consumption heaven. But back then—you needed shoes? You went to Marikina. You wanted clothes? You bought at Divisoria. Imported goods? Escolta was the answer (because of its closeness to the ports), so on, and so forth. [Things we seem to take for granted nowadays.]

The glory days Escolta then housed premium products from all over the world, so it was just natural that it built its reputation as the street for the Philippine upper echelon. The goods brought in the people, and so Escolta had to keep up with her glamorous visitors. Lo and behold,

30

ESCOLTA: DOWN MEM

BY CHILI

Escolta caught up—her sidewalks were tiled blue and yellow, with two worldclass movie theatres on each end (Lyric and Capitol), a SyYap store (equivalent of a Rustan’s now), the first elevator in the country, and Neo-Classical and Art Deco buildings that served as headquarters for leading companies. Basically, she was a strip of wealth, glamour and luxury right smack in the middle of what is now Dan Brown’s Gates of Hell.

So when I saw an article online (“7 reasons why you should visit Escolta NOW”), my friends and I blocked off a date and decided to take an adventurecum-culture walk to Escolta-Binondo to see how it fared over the years.

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Escolta in ruins In a way, I was incredibly disappointed when I first saw Escolta. Ito na yun? This was the Fifth Avenue of the 50’s? (I couldn’t even imagine it being the 50th, much less the 5th).

Escolta now truly looked like it was decades past its glory days—to the point that if you didn’t look closely enough (or didn’t research beforehand), you would completely miss it.

Remnants of its former beauty would catch your eye once in a while—like the beautiful Art Deco façade of the Capitol theatre—but take a few steps closer and you’d find yourself sighing, out of frustration, because of course it would just be junk and dilapidation inside.

There was life on the street still, but Escolta was just like any other street in Manila—gritty, tight, Gates-of-Hell worthy. Walk a little further and it’s the same, and it feels a little bit like searching for stars over Manila—it’s close to impossible, but still a sight for sore eyes. The pulse of the city beat slower here, as if its age could take its toll on the concrete buildings, weary, somnolent. Escolta is a street of shells, but nothing if not a remnant of life once lived vast.

WALKING MORY LANE PEREZ

Escolta has actually been getting some online buzz recently, with some art collectives and cultural preservationists actively fighting for the restoration of the famed street. Every month on one Saturday, various artists come together to sell their artwork and paraphernalia in Escolta, in their attempt to reclaim even an iota of the glory that was once spilling over.

Even tourists visit this area more than locals to learn about our capital’s history, so it just seemed right that our main destination in Escolta was the incredibly secretive, almost elusive, blink-and-you’ll-miss Calvo Museum (named after the building that contained it). And so we went.

Cathedral of the Past Calvo Museum was a gem in the rough. You enter the Calvo Building (which is nestled in between a Chinese seafood restaurant, a Tropical Hut and a Mercury Drug) and there is one security guard. The museum is not open, not until someone comes for it. I felt even sadder about it, the fact that even the museum is literally locked down until someone asks to go inside. Like it was just waiting for someone to come, waiting patiently, nothing more to lose but still with everything to offer.

You first see 2 old-style elevators before going up to the museum, the kind you would crank the door open so you could step out and in. (Apparently they still worked, although you had to have someone to operate it for you else it gives up on you.)

The first thing you see is a small airconditioned room with (filthy) red carpeting.

Out the window you could see National Post Office building across the Pasig River. The parallel walls however, were covered in old magazines, publications and journals privately collected and donated to the museum. Most

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were written in Spanish (with some famous ones like La Solidaridad), some in deep Tagalog (Liwayway) and others in English (Manila Review).When I think about how they didn’t have computers and digital printers then, it was easy to appreciate the skill behind the production, even just by looking at the art of the letterheads and logos.

Each publication had a distinct artistic style that reflected some famous art movements of the early 20th century, although the content itself was oddly specific to catering to certain strata in Philippine society. The news was mostly about the rich and educated, the journals and reviews (especially printed during the Commonwealth) depicted art of a benevolent America and a thankful Philippines, but others were also a stark comparison to such imperialist angles, effectively showing journalism’s most important caveat: that it is subject to varying historical perspective.

Coming from a background that actually works behind the (printed) work, it was so easy to relate to these publications. And although most of the publications were almost a century old, glimpses of their vision still survived the years, albeit behind glass walls.

Step out to the hallway and photos of war-ravaged Manila hung on the wall would lead you to the next and final room of the museum (yes, there are only 2 rooms in the museum!).

This room was around thrice the size of the publication room, (and also thrice as humid and stuffy). Boy, was this vintage galore, a gold mine for history and advertising enthusiasts! The room was filled with movie posters, print ads, record sleeves, music sheets, microfilms and newspaper clippings from bygone eras—but all from Escolta at its height. The content varied as well—some were about the history of Escolta (ex. A spread entitled “Calvo Building to be inaugurated tomorrow!”), some about the stores that used to line the street, and some just generally about Manila in her heyday. Shelves of old soda and milk bottles, mason jars, ink receptacles and medicine kits boasted the museum’s strange collection of (previously commonplace) note-worthy objects.

It was such a pleasure to read the ads then (with unthinkable nominal prices, imagine $5 for a gold watch!) and the products they used to sell (“deliver vinyl recordings to your foreign friends”, hat repairs, and a new (ancient) Kodak). Borderline-campy movie posters were on exhibit as well, featuring characters that were almost always an American GI and a Filipina in an illicit post-war love affair. You had kundiman sheet music to the right, then a collection of microfilm to the left, and

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honestly, even though I couldn’t connect to the products per se, the advertising was just so different.

Branding was simple but sophisticated, to the point that the simplicity contributed to the appearance of quality of the product. It was good old-fashioned advertising… a quite refreshing spectacle when compared to some tacky advertising that is viral now.

But what was most interesting to me, personally, was the collection of photos of the beauty queens during the 1930’s. Apparently, there used to be an annual Manila Carnival! It wasn’t just some perya like we have now, it was a huge event, think World’s Fair with the exhibits and the freakshows, the vaudeville, and the beauty pageants. They used to happen a lot back in the 30’s, and it’s perplexing that it virtually disappeared from public thought… as if they never even happened. It just makes you wonder how much exactly time can bury truth in forgetfulness.

Nostalgia, Now How do you deal with a yearning for a time and place that was never yours to begin with?

The tendency to shroud the past in nostalgia is noble when it becomes a critical springboard for development, not to confuse it with sheer romanticism. Ultimately, I think that’s what I got out of this trip—the feeling that I wanted to preserve Escolta’s beauty, even through my short visit to that museum, in my own mind. It was almost as if the only thing dying Escolta wanted was to be remembered, even by a few, that once in the distant past, this was how she was, and this how she was loved.

And I think that’s why it’s so important to treasure and preserve these cultural ruins, despite their current state of decay—that they reflect our struggle against ‘oblivion’, against fading into the past until you leave no trace of existence.

It’s unnerving to think that what we treasure now and what we are now could be so close to forgotten in a few years’ time. The fleetingness of it adds to its beauty, but the concern and the act of preservation helps us understand what used to be important to the people who used to walk on these same streets, to remember their lives, to learn from them. We will never be what we were then, but it would be a crime to forget.

So before old Escolta truly breathes her last, try visiting her in your free time. Look for the things that used to make her shine, and remember them, as with the kindness of an old friend. Let her impart her legacy, even if she slowly vanishes into the past. Let her live longer in memory.

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RELICS OF THE PAST: ECOSOC HEIRLOOMS IN OUR OWN DIFFERENT WAYS, WE ALL HAVE THINGS OR PEOPLE THAT WE TREASURE. Some of these things

can move from one lifetime to another which is something that we can often find in some families. Heirloom, in particular, is a beautiful name for a word with a beautiful meaning. This time around, we get to look at some of the heirlooms from the different people in our own little family here in college that is Ecosoc.

BY DANI GONZALES

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First off, we have this necklace from Cheska Yazon. It goes four generations back with the original owner being her great grandmother. It depicts Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the front

The wall clock is said to be around 100 years old already.

Chili Perez has quite the interesting heirloom in her family.

They have a birthing chair which is also called a “Butaka” which is the Kapampangan term for “bukaka.” She’s not exactly sure as to who owned it first but it’s been with her family for generations. One thing she does know is that her grandfather and his siblings, all on her mother’s side, were

and it has an engraving of the name Josefa at the back.

This here is a wall clock from Josh Madarang. His great grandmother used to own it. It was passed on to his mother by his grandmother when they moved to their new house.

born on this chair.

From Brian Perez, we have a watch collection that goes back four generations. The oldest watches aren’t in the picture since they’re out of the country but the oldest ones are around 100 to 120 years old. The oldest is a pocket watch which was bought by his great grandfather in Hong Kong.

Those in the picture are some of the most recent additions

to the collection since they’re all only around 20 years old.

Lastly, to compensate for the lack of pictures, we have a lot of heirlooms from Kaye Villaseñor to be shared in words instead. The first of many is the one she finds most interesting-- her grandmother’s Sto. Niño used during the feast in Marinduque. Her grandmother’s sister had it especially made for her and gave it as a gift to her in the 70’s. The second is a black crucifix from the early 1900’s from her grandmother’s grandfather. Quite amusingly, they found it on a tree after the highest flood that was recorder in their province. They also have a statue of Mary called the “Virgen Del Carmen” which was owned by the grandparents of her mother’s grandparents. Lastly, in addition to Kaye’s Spanish heritage, they also have a violin. It was from her great great grandfather from Barcelona and the ones who played the violin were all masters and it’s still being used until now.

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THE EVOLUTION OF VIDEOGAME ART

BY ERIC STO. DOMINGO ART BY MARTIN CONSING

VIDEOGAMES HAVE CERTAINLY GONE THROUGH A LOT OF CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE DECADES, ESPECIALLY WITH HOW THEY LOOK, SOUND, AND PLAY. Notable in these changes are how videogames are presented through their technical aspects or production values, like graphic and sound quality. Their visual and sound direction constantly change to match the changes in technology and the creativity of the designers. Beyond this, peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perception of videogames have also changed. The idea that videogames, specifically the experience and narratives they provide gamers, can be considered as art revealed an unexpected and surprising side of the industry. In fact, debates have been raised over the issue, and one of the most notable ones against the idea was from the late, great film critic, Mr. Roger Ebert, who shot down the idea that videogames could ever be considered art.

Interesting to note, that the art form he once adored and loved, wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t considered art until much later after the film industry started, but the debate deserves another 36article altogether.

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Here’s a quick history lesson. There were many minor attempts during the early 50’s to make videogames. Many of them involved using ancestors of the computer. They didn’t really catch on, and were far from what we know today. [That’s probably why we don’t have Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Devices lying around in our houses.] The first “videogame” would have probably been Tennis for Two by Dr. William Higinbotham (created in 1958), but it never gained much traction.

What did make it to the mainstream was Atari’s Pong, which was released in the early 70’s. It’s what got the ball rolling for the videogame industry, and would be a fitting decade to start the article in.

Despite the decade’s association with psychedelic colors, videogame graphics were mostly composed of black and white lines and dots. Three games stood out among all the black and white-- the first two were Pong and Space Invaders, both incredibly popular during that time. Pong’s simple frame (two white paddles bouncing a small white ball across a black playing field) has been featured in all forms of media. Space Invader’s iconic aliens, along with the player’s green ship and mounds of cover, were significant at the time because they were one of the most complex images to ever grace arcades.

The third one, and in my opinion, the closest the 70’s had to videogames as an art form, was the game Zork. Among the three, it was probably the least graphically appealing. In fact, there was nothing on the screen except for text. Even the player input was all text, and that was what made Zork such an immersive experience. Like with literature, you use your imagination. I’m not comparing a text-based adventure game like Zork to the likes of Murakami, or Tolkien, but it laid the groundwork for immersive videogame experiences with rich back stories and engrossing adventures.

After the arcade’s beginnings in the 70’s, videogames grew into the mainstream and established the 80’s as its golden age.

Pac-Man is without a doubt, the most popular arcade cabinet to have ever come out. It helped usher in the era of colorful and sound-laden videogames not only in arcades, but in homes as well. Companies like Nintendo and Sega gained their fame with the birth of their characters Mario and Sonic during the 80’s. In terms of art, the era was dominated by 8-bit and later on, 16-bit raster graphics, which can be described as those little blocks that make up a character like in old-school Super Mario games on the NES. An example of a game that stood out in terms of their art direction was Castlevania, with its horror themed background music and art palette. Wolfenstein on the PC, also paved the way for the First-Person-Shooter (FPS) genre and themed games, and even Tetris stood out with its simplistic yet ingenious block and puzzle design. The most popular and influential 80’s game in terms of art was not Super Mario Bros.

3 (despite its claim to fame as the most popular and influential game of all time) but The Legend of Zelda. In my opinion, it

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was the 80’s most “artistic” game. It had pretty visuals, boasting some of the most colorful game design of the 8-bit era, with loads of different places to explore and even a decent enough story to keep you interested. It was the total package in terms of immersing yourself into a videogame. You were immersed in the story, excited at each new area you explored, and impatient to try out the newest item you just discovered. It was an 80’s staple, and a true retro classic.

In the 90’s when technology began to pick up, the industry took to a whole new direction. More powerful home consoles were developed. These consoles became so popular that arcade attendance eventually went down. A big selling point for consoles like the PlayStation 1, and the Nintendo 64, was the new visual power, and ultimately, newer gaming experiences that you could have in the comfort of your own home. “3D visuals” and polygon count became buzzwords of the 90’s, and duly so, because of the number of games that employed these to their advantage. With stronger hardware, a focus on cinematic cut scenes became popular at the time. [The videogames I’ll be mentioning all employed these in some shape and form, so sorry to the fans of 2D gems out there like Pokemon Red, Symphony of the Night, and Chrono Trigger.]

When speaking of cut-scenes, I have to mention one of the most iconic scenes from the 90’s. <DISCLAIMER IF YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS THEN THIS IS A MAJOR SPOILER> The death of Aerith in Final Fantasy 7 was a shock to many, and has become such a big part of videogame lore. <SPOILER END> If we talk about atmosphere in a game, then Resident Evil is a top contender. This isometric 3D game took advantage of its claustrophobic camera angles, giving you a sense of dread, fear and danger every time you went into a new room in the game’s mansion. The soundtrack of the game was just as effective with its eerie music and the occasional (but always creepy) “what the hell was that” noise.

There was one game that got me convinced that 90’s video games were already on par (or even beyond) movies in terms of production value, entertainment, and artistic value-- and that would be Metal Gear Solid for the PS1. Today, Hideo Kojima is notorious for making the extremely long cutscenes for the Metal Gear series, but the enigmatic creator’s first entry for the PS1 had the right amount of production values, gameplay mechanics, and plain ol’ eye candy. He not only created the one of the stealth genre’s best videogames; he made one with a great story, an amazing James Bond-esque soundtrack, groundbreaking voice-acting, graphics that took the PS1 to its limits, fun and intuitive gameplay, and Hollywood-like cinematics.

It was a masterpiece, and to this day, the opening underwater sequence of the game still impresses many, including myself.

I’ll move on to the decade we know and love, considering that we all grew up during this time. The 2000’s, or commonly

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referred to as “The Aughts,” was an incredible time for videogames. There are literally too many games to choose from (and I’m probably going to miss out on a lot of fan favorites), but in terms of art techniques, orchestral tracks, indie game gems, and a lot more sprung up during this decade. Videogame production reached such a high quality, that even its music and original soundtracks became focal points of production (another topic deserving of an article!). One of the most famous composers for video games would be Nobuo Uematsu. He’s the man behind most of the music in every Final Fantasy game, and he deserves every praise he gets. His orchestral pieces have been highly regarded not only in the industry, but in the music world as well. Nobuo Uematsu’s music just brings the gaming experience to another level, and he has consistently achieved this for all of the projects he worked on.

One of the new techniques used for videogames during the time was cel-shading. It’s basically used to make 3D models look “flat” and cartoon like, and designers use it often when they want to pull off a stylized, comic-book look. I’m a big fan of the technique, and a lot of games have used it well. Jet Set Radio Future, Viewtiful Joe, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, and Borderlands are some of the notable cel-shaded games that came out during the time. I just think that it makes the games prettier to look at, and more fun to play.

When considering videogames as art, many people would

point to Braid and Flower. Braid is a critically acclaimed indie puzzle game, where the whole point of the game is “exploring our relationship with the past.” The narrative is told in between stages, through text and stills, while the actual levels reinforced the whole point of the game. Flower on the other hand, was released for the PS3. The player would take control of a gust of wind, that would blow a flower petal around, collecting more and more flower petals. The whole thing depended on aesthetics and visual cues for the players to progress and understand a ‘story’.

Because the 2000’s just ended four years ago, I feel like it’s too early to start talking about the videogames of the 2010’s, although there’s already a lot to say. What we already know though, are the new places and experiences that videogames can take us in the coming years. If you haven’t heard about it, virtual reality is slowly becoming...a reality. The crowdfunded VR device, Oculus Rift, started production a year or two ago, and is soon to be on the market. Sony’s project Morpheus (which is the company’s own stab at virtual reality) is also slated to make its debut in the near future. We’re still waiting on Nintendo and Microsoft to join the party.

Virtual reality is only one of the new possibilities that the future brings for videogame art. It’s an exciting time to be a gamer.

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PASSION MAKES THE PIONEER WORDS BY TIMMY JACOB PHOTOS BY JUDE GERON

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This September,

Our organization celebrated the fact that we are pioneers. We have broken a lot of ground with the work and events our organization has made, and we proudly celebrate the fact that we were “first”.

In the basic sense of the word, a pioneer is someone who was the first to explore a new area, or develop a new way of approaching things. Our featured member of this month told me he agreed with this basic definition of the word, but also believes there’s more to it than that.

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FEATURES

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Carlos Miguel Andres was born

submitted. From the stories he told me about what new things he offered to the organization, what stood out to me was his term as the Special Events Committee Chairperson. In his term, he changed the mechanics for both Treasure Hunt and Scavenger Hunt, two of SPEV’s biggest events, and they both came out successfully with members genuinely enjoying. But besides his several contributions to Ecosoc, Andres embodied being a pioneer throughout other aspects of his life.

on April 13, 1992 to his mother Anna. He is the eldest of three children, with a brother named Rafael and a sister named Sophia. He grew up with his mom and brother until his mother met his stepdad Fernando Mueco, the father of his sister.

He shifted out of BS Economics after his first year in college and is now a 5th year Civil Engineering student. A few days before we actually selected him to be the featured member for the month, we were joking around about how long he’s been in Ecosoc without ever being on the cover of Echoes.

When we landed on the theme of “Pioneers”, it Andres narrates that, growing was difficult not to consider him knowing all the up, his life was very simple. He describes himself work he’s done for the organization. Upon seeing being laking-kalye, playing patintero and sipa his credentials when we both submitted our (which he claims to be a pro at) with the other application to be guardians (shout-out to our GW kids in his village in Taytay. He didn’t grow up Family, The Homies), I was extremely impressed, being rich like his friends and classmates in and at the same time embarrassed with what I had 44 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

ECHOES Ateneo and was on a financial aid scholarship throughout high school, and he admits it was difficult. Some of his friends had their maids and drivers bring them to school while he learned and began to commute on his own as early as the 6th grade. He had to learn how to be independent at an early age for his younger siblings. With both his parents working, he had to be the one to wake up his siblings in the morning and wash their clothes, but one of the responsibilities he learned to really love with his parents gone was cooking. His love for cooking resulted in him joining Klub Kulinarya in high school, and later on became the president of the organization. He also picked up other things growing up, such as playing guitar, piano (which at first he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like), and drums. When he was in 2nd grade, he was the only one in his batch who knew how to play the guitar. He quit taking lessons after 3 years because he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interested in it, but then in high school, he began to self-study piano all over again. He taught himself how to read notes and play pieces, and eventually he became the pianist for the daily mass in high school. This later on led Andres to become the Choir Master of the Ateneo Music Ministry. When the choice had ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 â&#x20AC;˘ 45

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to be made as to where he would attend college, he encountered a very big obstacle – he wanted to go to UP to take up engineering while his parents wanted him to go to Ateneo since he had a full scholarship there. Of course, any parent would want their child to go to a prestigious school like Ateneo de Manila University without having to pay tuition, but Andres really had his mind set on UP. He finally convinced his parents to allow him to go to UP, but on the condition that he would pay for half his tuition. Andres agreed and used his savings just so he would be able to get in his dream course and school. At first he got into Econ, and just took Engineering subjects like the Math 50 series and Physics later on so that he would be able to transfer. Though he shifted into Engineering, he still says that his favorite semester in college was his sem as an Ecosoc applicant, and this sem led to him to want to participate more and excel in the org.

I noticed a pattern with the stories that

Andres told me – he would always be open to learning new things, and when he put his mind into it and finds the drive for it, he would really excel in that new endeavor. With the cooking, it turned into him being active in a high school org, and for those who didn’t know, he’s currently the go-to cook for Ecosoc PlanSems. With music, he started out with the guitar and basic piano, but then further studied piano by himself and excelled in it.

He also learned how to play drums just for one of his grade school bands. He kept on with his music, and now he produces full songs for his band, Contra Classic. With his drive to be an engineer, he worked hard and sacrificed a lot to be able to be in that course.

He actually even has plans to fix the problem with the roads and traffic in the Philippines with his future engineering degree, and hopefully land a position as the DPWH Undersecretary.

With Ecosoc, having in his application semester led to him 46 • SEPTEMBER 2014 |fun ECHOES.PH

being an active member, with positions in both EM (previously FEATURES Ad Hoc) and Task Force, and eventually a position in Execom.

Early in his life, Andres was forced to be independent and this thrust him into new things that people in his age group at the time probably didn’t even know how to do. In my opinion, this is what influenced him to always be open to trying new things. But Andres’ definition of being a pioneer wasn’t just limited to just being first at something. “Being a pioneer, for me, dapat kung may gawin kang bagay, dapat pinapakita mong ikaw yung pinakanag-eenjoy gawin yung bagay na yun.” It’s not just about trying new things, but enjoying them and having passion for them too.

What use is it to be first or discover new ground if you don’t really do anything to “cement” your breakthrough? “Isa sa mga mantra ko… always be open to learning new things,” said Andres, but he also recognizes that it’s useless to be stuck at just the “knowing” stage of new skills. “Lahat tayo may limitations. “Di naman tayo magaling sa lahat ng bagay, pero sa mga bagay na ginagawa ko ngayon, I try my best sa pinakakaya ko. Be it playing instruments… or being a leader sa ganitong org, hindi ako half-hearted yung passion ko. Laging one hundred percent. Di ka magiging pioneer sa isang bagay kung hindi ka maaalala bilang tao na nag-succeed.”

We try new things and learn new skills to find what we like, what piques our interest, then we narrow the list down to what we can be passionate about, and then learn to excel in them.

To end my interview with Andres, I asked

him if there was anything he still wanted to learn. “Marami pa akong gustong matutunan eh… Sa music, gusto ko talaga matuto mag-sax. Dream instrument ko yun eh.” He added, “Other than music, gusto kong matuto sumayaw,” at which we both laughed.

Lastly, he quipped that he really wanted to be able to travel around the world. Who knows – maybe if you let Miguel Andres actually travel the world, he may actually pioneer some new lands.

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Three Days of Non-Ex( or First-Hand Experience on How Hong Kong Is What Manila Can Be

by Antonio Castillo For something to exist, one needs

three things: that it is conceivable; that it is observable; and that its existence can be affirmed by many at any given time. So for three days in September, I failed to exist.

It was 3 A.M. on a Friday. I woke up to the lightning whiting out my room.

A full second after, it went dark again.

Next thing I knew, I was in NAIA, sitting down near the café. I checked my watch (I wasn’t wearing one at 3 A.M.): it read ten. I could hear the rain underlining the general noise of the international crowd. I guess I was waiting on a delayed flight, but I didn’t remember. Did I wake up or did I fall asleep?

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First day Skipping past the vagaries of flying, I ended up in Hong Kong International Airport.

I bypassed the immigration and customs lines entirely and didn’t stop, even to get my luggage at the conveyor belt.

I walked straight out of the airport and into a mysterious black van. Inside, there was a Fiji bottle and a hand towel waiting for me. And the windows were all around.

The drive into the city was breathtaking. Whereas in Manila, the bay is plain and reeking, the third-busiest port city was bustling with tankers and cargo ships that each seemed to be carrying something precious.

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)stence

Hong Kong’s bridges were something else, too. Forget the Golden Gate; I felt like I was on a dragon. I could almost feel its jaws around the van, as the buildings of Hong Kong grew the deeper into the city I got.

It was like coming home to a new Manila after fifty years. The weather would be the same; the subway system that DOTC was mulling over a few weeks ago would be finished and in as good condition as Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway (for now); the big international brands would have finally settled in the most newly-developed urban areas, like Arca South and NUVALI; and the projected economic boom of the Philippines would manifest in the order and maintenance of the more conspicuous areas of the capital.

Meanwhile, some parts of (the present) Manila were declared to be in a state of calamity. The typhoon had not stopped since that one second of lightning strike. It was strange how, despite the strength of the wind and rain, it felt foreign to me. For once, Manila was flooding and I wasn’t there. I was not existing in Manila, and the typhoon did not exist to me right back. The rain became a story I heard.

The weekend weather forecast in Hong Kong was telling me otherwise, but the clouds sidestepped me, and the sun shone on. It was an auspicious stroke of luck; the next day, I went to Disneyland.

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Second day

The theme park experience was another kind of reality. For starters, the park itself represented something that, by all accounts, did not exist. Main Street’s heart lay in another time. Mickey Mouse’s clones reiterated every 100 meters. Even more absurd, I kept entering exits and finding myself in front of the line. And for some reason, this worked every time. I even went back to the same rides over and over. The tally reached ten attractions in the morning, and four more after lunch until 3 P.M.

After, I rode the MTR home and looked out at the nothing-new. The trains were much faster there, but the people looked more stationary. The same went for the escalators and the fast food restaurants. But when it came to the sidewalks and the staircases, the city-dwellers remembered all their urgencies and hunched forward to their matters. Even as the sun set, their business did not seem to end.

I only realized that I was going up an elevator when my ears popped. Number 27, top floor, I saw from the buttons. How did I get there? And where was I going?

At the top, the floor lights were blue, and by the time I reached the bar, they turned pink. It was a bar named Sugar, with a mindnumbing night view of Hong Kong. I sat on the ledge and leaned back on the glass. I saw 50 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

the outlined shadow of the building that Batman jumped from in that one movie. On the sea, I could only tell the huge tankers by their signal lights.

In the bar proper, the DJ was playing trip-hop music in time to the visualizers on the big LCD screens. I vacillated between the lounge and the deck, martini in hand, looking outside then inside again.

The rest of the night was a blur of stations. Red station, orange station, green. I might as well have been dragged out of the window, hooked to a plane, and flown away.

But that was reserved for the last night.

Third day

I had no sleep in Hong Kong; I ended up having too much to think about. Maybe it was because I was unconsciously excited by my mental dislocation, or maybe it was the unfamiliar sights and sounds; maybe I was dreaming all throughout. After an early breakfast (it needs saying: bee pollen tastes horrible), I walked down the side streets and alleys of Hong Kong; everyone passed there either fully aware of their security or lulled by a lack of danger.

I caught myself expecting the inner city pres-

sure that came with the setting. And I thought, it shouldn’t be that way. I wonder if Manila will ever feel this safe with itself.

I ended up walking the whole day, returning in time for my dinner, a degustation menu of ten courses. Each dish seemed to stand on the previous one’s artistry—Hong Kong’s finest jewelry. Aristocratic dining followed a reinvention of mass cuisine. No one ever believes it, but the food explained the city’s harbours, skylines, and cultural heritage.

The sky creaked shut like a chest full of gold, the twinkle leaving at the last moment.

So did my recollections fall into an incoherent darkling. It was time for the black van to bring me home. The Fiji bottle and the hand towel still lay there, anticipating me. I sat down and leaned my head on one of the windows when, suddenly, a lady tapped my right shoulder: was I in line for Flight PR ###? I looked around and shook my head out of its daze—I was, in fact, already in the airport.

I heard a tune I knew playing live in the airport’s jazz bar. “You are the breathless hush of evening / That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.” It was my grandparents’ theme song, but the band modified it so much that I didn’t recognize it by the end. I’d heard stories of Hong Kong from my parents, who both frequented the city when they were younger: it was a lot different now from how they remembered it. If Manila were to change as rapidly as Hong Kong, could its citizens keep up?

At this point, I was looking at Hong Kong from above. All its streets, all its skylines, ports and bridges—they were all just lights. I couldn’t call anything marvelous in particular; they were altogether pretty. From up there, I couldn’t tell the dizzying megalopolis from another, more familiar one to which I was coming home. The lights in the cabin dimmed quickly, and soon, I stopped remembering what happened next.

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ECHOES

OF ROSHES AND RESELLERS

BY JUDE GERON AND TIMMY JACOB

Rubber, laces, and mesh: these are 3 simple pieces that have been put together to create

one of the biggest trends among consumers across multiple demographics today. The Nike Roshe Run surely isn't the first product to put these 3 together, nor does it necessarily break any new ground, but regardless, you're probably wearing them right now, and tons of pairs have found themselves on the feet of your family, your friends, and their own families. The runner silhouette is a major force in the greater scheme of popular footwear, which includes retros like Air Jordans, vintage runners from the likes of New Balance and Asics, and modern performance footwear such as Nike's Flyknit shoes (many of the mentioned too are, essentially, different combinations of the 3 materials). Given the popularity of sneakers as a fashion item and as a collectible today, it pays to take a closer look at the underlying economics of the trend and unlock how exactly the trend has come to be.

For starters, the amount of people in the early 2000's who would identify themselves as “sneakerheads” in the Philippines wasn't as big as it is now. Air Jordan retros were definitely popular then, but Nike SB Dunks were also gaining a huge following. Eventually Filipinos caught on to the trend, but the market wasn’t that saturated. There were very few stores, like Bunker, that stocked Nike SB’s, but it was so easy to log on instead to Multiply and buy from resellers, who in turn got their stock abroad. Reseller prices were relatively reasonable and weren’t that jacked up, and the supply seemed to be almost enough to satisfy those interested. Everyone had a chance to buy the new models released every month without much stress. Simply put, it was a “better time” to be a sneakerhead in the Philippines.

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Nowadays, it’s not hard to notice that there has been a huge boom in the market for sneakers, with so many different brands are releasing so many different models in a wide variety of colorways, patterns and materials. Nike continues to churn out all footwear across many categories, Adidas remains a staple, and other brands have begun to cement their place as viable and popular choices among consumers. But what’s even more evident, and perhaps what drives our awareness of sneaker choices today in the first place, is the exponential increase in demand for sneakers since the early part of the century. One might first look at the products themselves. It's hard not to admit that many sneakers are well designed, aesthetically pleasing and comfortable. As such, good products are supposedly born to fly off shelves. You can also point to the marketing that brands and shoe stores do with all their advertisements and ambassadors, but it may also very well be connected to the meteoric rise of social media sites, such as Instagram and Facebook. The widely popular Instagram in particular, being a very efficient outlet for people to share their photos, could very well be a culprit for increasing the demand for sneakers. Why? Generally, it’s human nature to show off, and that’s what Instagram is a very good platform for – posting your best pictures and increasing your popularity in the form of likes. What better way is there to show off than posting an artsy picture of your brand new, latest, hard-to-get, limited edition sneakers? Sneaker enthusiasts from before or celebrities with an eye for fashion and a lot of money do post photos of their limited sneakers on the app, sometimes garnering hundreds of “likes”, and in turn promulgate the sneaker culture. More people then learn about the hobby of sneaker collecting, acquire the taste for it and begin to see sneakers as covetable items, and want to get into the hobby. After getting their first pair of nice sneakers and subsequently posting pictures of them on Instagram, their network of friends can, in turn, learn about the culture and possibly get into it. Even if the average joe's reason for purchasing a pair of kicks wasn't because of a celebrity or isn't for the purpose of starting a collection, his or her friends are going to see the photos; add those joes up and an increase in demand is inevitable. Those who are introduced to the hobby are also introduced to blogs, that publish sneaker release dates weeks in advance with accompanying photos and thus build “hype” for the releases, further increasing demand.

As a result, whereas long lines used to appear just for exclusively released or limited edition sneakers, you can now see general releases for Nike basketball shoes and Roshe Runs getting hyped to the point of sell-outs within 2 or 3 days. And who buys them out? Besides those who buy the sneakers for their personal use, either for collecting or “stunting” on Instagram, there is a growing number of people who buy out stocks to resell the sneakers. These people, commonly referred to as “resellers”, are aware of the sneaker trend and the crazy demand behind it and attempt to take advantage of it. Resellers typically price the sneakers they purchase a few thousand pesos higher than the retail price, sometimes exceeding the 5-digit peso mark, and, surprisingly,

still have people purchase them. That has to be the biggest indicator of an excessive demand for sneakers: a highly active secondary market. In economic terms, for a number of sneaker models, the retail price is set below the theoretical equilibrium price (perhaps prices have not scaled as large as demand has over the past few years), creating a shortage (in the econ sense of the word), and the secondary market serves to “correct” this, as resellers typically purchase shoes upon release, preventing buyers who aren't able to line up but want the shoes from buying at retail price. As people buy anyways, it's similar to how ticket scalpers are able to ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 53

make quite a profit off concerts and UAAP games.

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Now, economics aside, it would be in the interests of stores to circumvent reseller tactics in order to establish goodwill with customers who visit them for the sake of their hobbies and not for profit (selling the shoes to those who truly “want” or “deserve” them). Tactics include 1 pair per customer policies and tracking buyers on Facebook groups, where the secondary market largely operates. But, when we talk about the brands themselves, would it be in their best interests to put an end to a profit-making secondary market? Many people call the brands out on blogs, asking for larger stocks of certain models of shoes. But then, the way demand is outstripping supply these days and how large the resale prices are getting helps further the status of these sneakers as covetable and collectible items. It can be argued that that, together with a large number of blogs writing about sneakers weeks or even months in advance, all the generated hype continues to keep sneakers off shelves after multiple releases and, in effect, promote the brands. Given these brands' success, it would be hard to contradict that sort of logic if it were really the case.

Yesterday's “sneakerhead” thus faces a far different landscape today: one with a greater population and with much higher prices. Many thus argue that it's much more “difficult” to be into the hobby today. At the same time, however, with more and more boutiques able to bring other brands to our shores and these brands pumping out a lot of good sneakers, the choices now available perhaps offsets the prices of limited and popular sneakers by a bit. It doesn't have to be a bad thing for the older guys and girls that there are now more people to discuss their collections and releases with, and more purchases of sneakers from other brands do create a bigger incentive for regular shipments. As to the future of the trend and the next big silhouettes, only time will tell.

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FEATURES

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FOR THE TEA AND

by Kristina Viray College is often the start of a love affair with caffeine. It can be very difficult to function without caffeine in your system on some days. While coffee is often the weapon of choice for many, tea has also been a go-to.

Coffee and tea, just like many others, are often taken for granted. It is forgotten that they are more than just beverages to keep a person going. Now is the time to change that. Take a break, grab your cup of choice, and get to know your beverage best friend a little more.

How much coffee can be found in a serving of so-called coffee? Does it still qualify as coffee or is it a combination of additives with coffee?

At some point, instant was no longer cutting it. Consumers wanted more. Enter the ubiquitous coffee shops. Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Figaro, Bo’s Coffee, and UCC are some of the more popular ones here. They sell not just coffee but also experience. Sure, Grinding Coffee the coffee they serve is not exactly as fast as instant coffee; however, what they lack in the Coffee is one of the most popular drink choices in the time department, they make up for in overall country. There is simply no best time to consume it, wheth- service. Different brewing methods and adder in its liquid state or as some other treat such as candy, ons are available for customers to enjoy coffee ice cream, cake, or jelly. Filipinos have kapeng barako but in its many forms. The friendly baristas often came to love the Western version of coffee even more. take note of your name which ups the personal The popularity of coffee started with humanity’s obses- factor of the interaction, albeit their spelling sion with anything instant -- instant meals, instant cash, can be questionable. Stores also offer pastries, and instant gratification. Of course, there had to be in- sandwiches, and (sometimes) main courses stant coffee. Companies heard the cry and changed the to complement your brew. With all the effort coffee playing field forever. Folger’s made instant coffee a put in to make your coffee experience better, it household staple in the United States while it was Nescafe is perfectly acceptable to stay in these coffee that sealed coffee’s fate in the Philippines. What started shops for a couple of hours. They make for an as something simple somehow turned into a game of who easy location option for study dates, first dates, can make the most number of flavors. Now, you can find and non-date dates. The market is evolving, a variety of powdered coffees: 3-in-1, 4-in-1, 5-in-1, gold, and the once sought-after coffee experience no hazelnut, mocha, and white, among others. Later on, cof- longer holds the same appeal. Your Starbucks fee became available in vending machines. While variety memories may be tinged with academic nightand convenience can be good, they lead to a few mysteries. mares; more than that, the quality of the coffee 56 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

LOVE OF COFFEE is consistent but pedestrian.

Coffee enthusiasts now want you to see the commodity in its best form -- coffee as a labor of love and passion. The rise of third-wave coffee has started. Seen as a movement that aims to produce coffee of the best quality, enough for it to be categorized as artisanal, the third-wave coffee revolution ups the ante in all the stages of coffee-making. Sourcing the beans is a big deal in itself. Most beans are single-origin, meaning they originated from a single region, country or farm, in order to get a certain taste. Direct trading is usually done in order to ensure that the beans are of the highest quality. Lighter roasts and latte art also make third-wave coffee different. In third-wave coffee shops, even more methods of brewing are available to get the most out of the prized beans. One sip tells you that the coffee is smoother, more flavorful and richer.

Do not make the mistake of adding milk or sweetener, because third-wave coffee is best consumed plain.

There are instances when you are given the story of your drink. It is evident that the baristas take coffee seriously. Questions are highly encouraged. Coffee workshops and tools are available in some shops to deepen your appreciation for your cup of joe. Some shops to try are Craft, Luna Specialty Coffee, Commune, Department of Coffee, Yardstick, Magnum Opus, The Curator, Duck & Buvette, Local Edition, Refinery, Starbucks Reserve, Toby’s Estate, and Kuppa Roastery & Café.

Steeping Tea It is true that tea is not as popular as coffee, and perhaps it never will. That does not mean that it cannot be seen as an art form as well. Filipinos have never had an opportunity to fully connect to tea. In fact, there is a popular misconception that tea is only for those who want to be healthy. Tea is, in fact, healthy; however, you can drink tea simply because you want to.

Tea’s presence and reputation spread because of Filipinos’ love for food. For some reason, it is acceptable to binge in the country, indicated by the prevalence of buffets, unlimited everything, and parties for every reason imaginable. Some one might have brought out a box of Lipton tea, the tea that changed the game for boxed teas in the Philippines, to aid digestion after a binge session. With a seemingly bad start, a number of people see tea as a bland beverage that is either green, black or chamomile. Admittedly, tea from tea bags is never as fresh and tasty as loose-leaf tea. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has been trying to increase the quality and variety of bagged teas here, but it still caters to a very small section of the market. A big chunk of the population still has not discovered the wonders of tea.

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Sadly, tea had the spotlight when it was not just about tea. The milk tea craze started a few years back with Serenitea as a frontrunner. Several other tea shops opened not too long after. Whatever milk tea you order, it is certain that the qualities of the tea itself would be lost in the concoction of milk and sugar. It should also be noted that milk tea is not exactly the healthiest drink available. Happy Lemon’s Cocoa and Rock Salt drink clocked in at more than 500 calories a cup.

Inevitably, the craze has died down. Serenitea, Happy Lemon, and Gong Cha, among others, are trying to keep the milk tea business alive. How events played out goes to show that tea’s market penetration was just not deep enough to disrupt the Filipino market in the long-run.

Tea persists and tries to stay alive despite the lukewarm response. The opening of tea salons is another attempt at making tea mainstream. da.u.de wants tea to be seen in a different light. Upon stepping in the shop, the sweet smell of tea hits you and pulls you to the counter where different tea leaves can be smelled and inspected. Owned by a certified tea master, it has a wide array of teas. True enough, tea can be an acquired taste. To make it palatable to those who cannot stomach tea on its own, tea is incorporated to all the menu items (and even the hand soap). da.u.de’s first location has shut down, but you can still visit a secret location, still in Taguig and available by reservation, or Café + bar / da.u.de. A bigger player is TWG which boasts an even bigger collection of tea and a tea jelly that goes well with their pastries.

Both tea salons offer afternoon tea sets and countless tea options with impeccable service. Their kettles and cups are specially designed for better enjoyment of the drink. Opulence, of course, does come with a bigger price tag. Perhaps that is also one of the reasons why quality tea has not been fully embraced. Then again, you do get what you pay for. It is all in the details. The perfect temperature of the tea, subtle flavor notes, and decadent ambiance cannot be easily matched. Other tea salons are popping up, but the 58 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

aforementioned are two of the first guests of the tea party. The fate of tea is yet to be determined, and only the Filipino market can control it.

Coffee and tea may be getting fancier or purer, depending on how you see it, but it does not really matter which variation you like more. You do not have to be a coffee or tea connoisseur to enjoy that cup of energy. It is okay to venture out and to treat yourself or to pique your curiosity. In the end, stick to the cup that you like best or maybe the cup that keeps you awake the most. The art of drinking tea or coffee leads to another type of art -- the art of knowing yourself.

A Brave New World of Superstimuli and Hyperreality

BY MARTIN CONSING

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ECHOES The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century saw the violent and dramatic birth

of modern society, and the aftershock brought with it a new concept that suggested a subversion of all the promise and progress that the idea of a modern society had: dystopia. A dystopia is society that is in some important way undesirable or frightening, a society often characterized by dehumanization and a totalitarian government, or set in the aftermath of a catastrophic event such as war, economic collapse, or environmental disaster.

With the idea of dystopia came the corresponding literary genre of the same name, and a lineage of writers who sought to warn of the direction they feared modern society was headed toward.

In 1932, one such writer named Aldous Huxley published a novel entitled Brave New World in anticipation of technological advances of his time, most notably the assembly line by Henry Ford (in the novel, Ford has centuries into future become the primary religious figure, often being addressed as “Our Ford” in place of the original “Our Lord”).

Throughout the twentieth century, some of the greatest perceived threats to democratic western society were the spread of communism in Russia and China along with the growing influence of fascism in Nazi Germany. This fear was reflected in the dystopian novels of the time: a society wherein the state holds total authority over its citizens and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible, a state that uses its own existence to justify the violation of an individual’s rights. Dystopia was the realization of democracy’s greatest fears at the time.

Aldous Huxley’s portrayal of dystopia in A Brave New World was far from the norm. Rather than fearing a society of deprived of information, he feared a society overloaded with information (e.g., how much we read the news versus how much we check our Facebook and Twitter) Rather than fearing a society that burned books, Huxley feared a society that simply didn’t want to read them (e.g., how many books we read for class versus how many books we read simply for pleasure). Rather than fearing that the individual would become captive, bound and gagged, he feared that the individual would become trivial, overwhelmed and docile (“So much to do, so little time”).

Was his dystopia the more plausible one? Can people really be influenced by something as mundane as consumerism?

Studies focused on superstimuli and hyperreality in the last decade suggest so.

Superstimuli Briefly defined, a supernormal stimulus or superstimulus in psychology and biology is an exaggerated version of a stimulus to which there is an existing response tendency, or any stimulus 60 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

that elicits a response more strongly than the stimulus for which it evolved. Essentially, superstimuli exploit the natural instinct of an animal or human that was driven into them over centuries (if not millennia) of evolution. For example, a male peacock may prefer to mate with a fake female that is more extravagantly designed than the real, living counterpart.

In 2010, research at Harvard University suggested that superstimuli have an effect on humans just as powerful as on animals, and this effect is exploited upon commercially in order to dictate a person’s actions and desires, often through reward-motivating behavior. For example, in an earlier study, junk food was suggested as a form of superstimulus that is specifically designed to reach a bliss point resulting in the brain flooding itself with dopamine (also known as the “pleasure hormone” used in positive reinforcement).

This flood of dopamine, upon receding, causes the individual to crave for more junk food. However, due to the previous overloading of dopamine, the brain overcompensates, so less of the hormone is released with the same amount of junk food, leading to an increased consumption of junk food in order to reach the same pleasure level each time.

Addictive behavior such as drug consumption, alcohol consumption, smoking, pornography-viewing, masturbation, and video gaming also follow a similar structure in how they affect human behavior. Similarly, information overload in the form of digital technology such as smartphones, the Internet and applications (such as on the iPhone) are considered a form of supernormal stimuli, relying on reward-motivating behavior reinforced by instant gratification and a sense of progression (e.g., levelling up in an MMORPG or collecting likes for Facebook photos and posts).

Advertisements and marketing campaigns take full advantage of the superstimuli effect by attempting to convince potential consumers that their product is the best one among all their competitors, and often do so by trying

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to connect with the viewer on an emotional level in order to create brand loyalty and another form of reward-motivating behavior (e.g., the Coca Cola Happiness and Dove Real Beauty campaigns).

In addition to being used to exploit a person’s natural instincts, it has also been speculated that superstimuli evolved as tools in order to reproduce or increase one’s chances of self-preservation. Research in 2012 by the Human Ethology Bulletin showed that surgically augmented breasts are supernormal stimuli, and they are more attractive than natural breasts, regardless of their size. It was then proposed that how women walk creates supernormal stimuli through continuously alternating motion of the waist and hips causing peak shifts in perceptions of physical attractiveness involving women’s waistto-hip ratio. Ultimately, however, the use of superstimuli as an exploitative tool relies on the concept of hyperreality.

Hyperreality In philosophy and semiotics (the study of symbols, signs, and meaning), hyperreality is an inability to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality. Hyperreality is a condition in which what is real and what is fiction are seamlessly blended together so that there is no clear distinction between where one ends and the other begins. Individuals may find themselves for different reasons, more in tune or involved with the hyperreal world and less with the physical real world.

Hyperreality has been used in order to explain the existence of certain cultural conditions, especially in the West. Consumerism, because of its reliance on sign exchange value (e.g., brand X shows that one is fashionable, car Y indicates one's wealth), could be seen as a contributing factor in the creation of hyperreality or the hyperreal condition, as consumerism uses outward displays of wealth or material value in order to convey a situation that may not necessarily be true.

act as simulacra: the viewer, having no real-life experience with which to compare to the events in the film (such as a romance, war, action, science fiction, thriller, or horror film), cannot undoubtedly think that such events are impossible, resulting in some unrealistic expectations being ingrained in the subconscious. When this unrealistic standard is faced with the real thing, however, a level of dissatisfaction and disillusionment tends to occur. The most specific incidence of this is in pornography addiction: the exaggerated behavior of the pornographic actors (pornstars) onscreen becomes more attractive than the behavior of sexual partners in real life, an example of the quote “The representation becomes better than the real thing.” This often results in a level of sexual frustration.

Twenty years ago, French sociologist Jean Baudrillard wrote: "Hyperreality tricks consciousness into detaching from any real emotional engagement, instead opting for artificial simulation, and endless reproductions of fundamentally empty appearance.” This would imply, then, that fulfillment or happiness is found through simulation and imitation of a transient simulacrum of reality, rather than any interaction with any "real" reality. This simulacrum in turn implies then that any contemporary representation or “copy” of happiness may be just as valid as the original idea of happiness since no one can show what it exactly is. Thus, superstimuli and hyperreality, if implemented correctly, can change the way a society perceives reality— they have the potential to create their own truth.

Having been suggested as early as 1986, hyperreality is not a new concept, yet its effects are more relevant today than when it was first conceptualized. There are dangers to the use of hyperreality within our culture; individuals may observe and accept hyperreal images as role models, when the images don’t necessarily represent real physical people. This can result in a desire to strive for an unobtainable ideal, or it may lead to a lack of unimpaired role models. This artificially-created standard of reality, perhaps, may be the source of dissatisfaction with one’s self-image through comparison with an unrealistic standard.

Examples of hyperreality include popular works of live-action fiction (from films to TV shows to pornography), and despite the viewer knowing on an intellectual level that these works are not real, they are ingrained into his subconscious because they ECHOES | SEPTEMBER 2014 • 61

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THE SOLES OF MARIKINA

BY OLIVIA SOLOMON

The rust of the mud, the caked up dust in the soles, and the endlessly traversing through streets, corners, and places bring us back to the humble pair of shoes we wear everyday. We often neglect the importance of the shoe and the hands that have made it. But now, as the world continues to spin faster and faster and the seams that once bound the Marikina shoe industry together are slowly being weighed down by time, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good to find out the stories of the small-scale shoemakers (sapatero) and uppermakers (mag-aareglo) in Marikina.

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ECHOES It is the year 1975 and Lolita Fulgencio’s shoe subcontracting business just started. She just resigned from one of the big shoe companies in Marikina and her boss, not wanting to completely let her go, suggested that she begin her own subcontracting business. From then on, she realized that she liked dealing with the making of shoes.

There are two major processes in shoemaking: uppermaking and shoemaking. Uppermaking deals with the individual parts of the shoe while shoemaking deals with stitching or closing everything up together. What Fulgencio’s business does is uppermaking because the shoemaking is left to the factory of the big company that she works for.

We come into the working area and we find two workers doing their jobs. One is stitching while the other is uppermaking. Fulgencio says that between shoemaking and uppermaking, it is uppermaking that requires more work since it is more tedious. We ask about the deconstruction of the shoemaking process and Fulgencio gives us a brief summary. We start with marking, then pagdadasdas (thinning out the leather), then the factory delivers the pieces to the subcontractor, then the subcontractor will complete the leaf of the shoe, afterwards, they will deliver it back to the factory. But this process is not set in stone. Fulgencio tells us that the process of making a shoe depends on the design of the shoe.

Aside from this, the shoemaking industry is no walk in the park. Being a subcontractor means that they have to depend on the volume of orders given by the company they work for. Fulgencio says, “Minsan dirediretso, minsan humihina ang trabaho. Minsan, nawawalan ng trabaho.

Depende sa bigay ng gawa, sa nakukuha sa department store. Kung maraming order, maraming trabaho.” We tell her that it seems that being in the shoe industry requires really hard-work and she agrees. She says that the skill need for being in the shoe industry is patience, “kung hindi, hindi ka tatagal dahil sa hirap ng trabaho.” Patience also requires being patient with your workers, she says, because sometimes you have workers who need constant reminding about the quality of their work and at the end of the day, it’s work and you need to do it well.

We go back to discussing uppermaking and Fulgencio tells us that when there’s a mistake in the shoe, the uppermaker has to manually remove the stitches one by one and “masakit iyon.” Quite interestingly, the biggest problem that the Marikina shoe industry faces is not with its shoemakers but with its uppermakers. The uppermakers are thinning out because of these modern times. Before the emergence of shoe factories and the sewing machines (around the 1950’s, before the war), one can make about P1 per pair of shoes that they uppermake (a big sum at that time). Fulgencio sees the threat of the pull of the factories and the call centers to the youth because there are less

and less young people who are interested in shoemaking and uppermaking nowadays. The bulk of the uppermakers are the ones who have been doing it for many years and in time, if uppermaking and shoemaking aren’t taught to the new breed of shoemakers and uppermakers, the glory days of the Marikina shoe industry might die out. But there is hope, Fulgencio says, because some youth take interest in the industry. She tells us that the shoe industry isn’t just for the uneducated and the ones who have been doing it for a long time, it’s also for the youth going to school and who want to help out their families like one of the daughters of her workers.

Before we leave, Fulgencio recalls what the glory days of the Marikina shoe industry were like. “Kalat-kalat yung pagsasapatos,” she says as she tells us how there were many small stalls all over Marikina. “Mahirap ang sapatos na hanapbuhay,” she tells us. “Mahirap na masarap.”

My family has been in Marikina for four generations and my lola was once an uppermaker. She tells me that before the sewing machine, the wage of the sapatero was high. She tells me that uppermaking is the soul of the process of making a shoe and that most of the time, it was the women who were the uppermakers. The area we now live in was once had many shoe making stalls but now it has a Converse factory. The emergence of China as a producer of shoes hit the Marikina shoe industry hard but little by little, the shoemakers and the uppermakers are still fighting to preserve their craft and their art.

There used to be a time when a pair of shoes from Marikina was regarded with the same respect one would have for Italian leather shoes. Now, we’re still trying to preserve what once was and we hope that what once was won’t be lost in this generation or any generation that will follow.

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towel

COLLECTIONS

by Botan Belen

Here’s a list of the 10 weirdest collections grabbed from the internet (www.oddee.com):

- Belly Button Lint - Latex Mermaid Tails - ABC (Already Been Chewed) Nicotine Gum - Hot Sauce - Milk Bottles - Air Sickness Bags - Fish Posters - Art on Toilet Lids - Sugar Packets - Moist Towelettes Pretty weird, huh?

At some point in our lives we’ve all had a phase of collecting or at least wanting to collect something. Collections have always been a symbol of our quirks and interests and to some extent, our obsessions. It serves as a reminder to us of who we are and what sparks our interests. It goes without saying that these collections can span a vast array of items from popular collectibles such as trading cards, books, wines and even cars to some that are downright weird.

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How do they start?

Collections can start from anything. Many are brought in through the influence of fads or peers. Trading Card games such as Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering and Yu-gi-oh all have a social aspect of exchange with them, and so from there thrives the habit of collecting. It would be a difficult hobby to maintain without having to interact with other collectors because this is where you will be able to truly diversify and improve your set. Many are also brought in through inheritance or having a collection passed from one person to another.

This would be the case in many historic and antique items within a family such as artifacts, weaponry or jewelry. Other less popular collections are brought in through impulse. It would be safe to assume that many of the odd and weird collections you find may all have started through impulse or through a fortuitous event.

An example would be picking up a shell on the beach, or suddenly feeling an attraction towards an empty soup can.

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Maintaining the collection As far as collections are concerned, the biggest constraint any collector faces is cost. It’s the simple reality of wanting something and having limited resources to spend for it. Many people learn to compromise and let go of items which are of lesser value in order to sustain the hobby through selling or trading. Some have it easier as their collection simply does not have any market value and so no cost is made. [I mean, who would want to buy belly button lint?] But of course there are some who seem to have misplaced priorities. This is where the difference between a healthy hobby and an obsession is clearly drawn. People who cannot seem to control the money and time spent for their hobbies ultimately end up debilitating the people around them and of course themselves. In some cases, the habit of collecting becomes equivalent to any other addiction and vice. It goes without saying that when starting a collection or when your collection grows to a significant size, have a clear stance on your limit and of course have the discipline to know when enough is enough.

What do they represent?

Even if some people do have weird fixations, it always symbolizes a degree of importance to the owner to which he or she may only be able to appreciate. Collections have different meanings to different people and likewise in varying depth.

Some have this hobby to reminisce their childhood or even remember loved ones who’ve passed away.

To some, it represents the desires of the heart or dreams of the future. I personally keep a small scale model collection of commercial airplanes. To me, this collection stems from a deep interest in airplanes and also a strong longing to become a pilot.

No matter how odd or how bizarre the item may be, collections continue to serve as a meaningful symbol of one’s own identity.

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From the Line to Life: The Evolution of Komiks and Society

BY CARLOS CABAERO

Self-expression: it is one of the most essential of our needs as people.

It is our way of conveying a message to the world around us. We express ourselves in hugely diverse ways;, from the way we talk,how we dress, how we carry ourselves, who we associate with and much more. Whether we recognize it or not, these forms of self-expression tell our personal stories to the world. As a society, we also have a way of self-expression that attempts to encapsulate the sentiments and struggles of our people: our art. In this article, we will trace the history of one of our country’s most beloved mediums: Komiks. By sifting through its history through the eyes of some if its most iconic characters, we will also trace how our culture and way of life has changed, from then to now.

We have all heard the story “Ang Pagong at ang Matsing” by our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. This story between a greedy monkey and a wise turtle is widely recognized as the pioneer of Filipino comics in 1887 , the first recorded use of words and 66 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

sequenced pictures to convey a story. This seemingly simple, perhaps even childish, narrative tells a bigger story when one looks at the context of our country at the time. The story places in metaphor the struggle of the country under the Spanish regime where the Spaniard is represented by the abusive Matsing and the Filipino takes the role of the wise but otherwise helpless pagong. Furthermore, the way Rizal ends the story reflects the yearning of the ordinary Filipino to gain the upper hand on the colonizers, which history will prove through the subsequent Philippine Revolution.

The struggle for identity and freedom will continue to be a prevalent issue in the country. This is manifested in Komiks, through a plethora of commentaries and satires, the most famous of such represented by Tony Velasquez’s “Ang Kabalbalan ni Kenkoy” in 1928. In what is considered a descripton of someone outlandish or whimsical today, Kenkoy was an icon. With his a slicked back hairdo, ridiculous hodgepodge of American and Tagalog dialects, and distinctly westernized clothing, Kenkoy posed a resounding question to the identity of the country as it tries to adapt to the culture of it American colonizers. Among the contemporaries of this era of Komiks were “Telembang” by Fernando Amorsolo and “Lipang Kalabaw” by Lope K. Santos. This era of Komiks will be followed by its temporary silencing by World War II. After the war, the newly gained freedom of the Philippines will also usher in a new age in the history of Komiks, with the birth of Halakhak Komiks, Pilipino Komiks and Tagalog Klasiks among others. This era, filled with colourful new characters and stories details the surge of nationalism at the time, with Komiks focusing on Philippine folklore like the Tikbalang, Duwende and Manananggal, a divergence from the politically fuelled satires of the previous era. Aside from these escapist fantasies, there were also Komiks like Francisco Coching’s “El Indio” which tackled the struggles of a Filipino revolutionary and “Lapu-Lapu”, a retelling and fictional sequel of the known tribal hero.

Ironically, another spectrum in the Komiks industry led by Mars Ravelo, displayed superheroes that held stark resemblances with western comic icons. Example of this include Darna, a hybrid of Wonder Woman (in being a feminist icon) and Captain Marvel (in terms of origin story). Other characters included Captain Barbell (Superman), Lastikman (Mr. Fantastic), Dyesebel (Little Mermaid), with some original characters like the famous Flash Bomba.

These comics collectively mirrored the truths and hopes of our country at the time. Stories revolving around the mythical,

the supernatural and the heroic immersed readers into a form of escapism and relaxation from the ravages of the World War. The Komiks also at the time undoubtedly exposed just how entrenched our country was (is) to western culture, with our comic icons being adaptations or amalgams of western heroes and concepts. That being said, Komiks also showed the great effort the country underwent in establishing a national identity, a notion that is most seen in the works of Francisco Coching. The dialogues presented in his works draw so deeply from the vernacular, in what is perceived as an effort to promote nationalism by the official language of the nation. Indeed, this era was the most dynamic and colourful in Komiks history.

The Komiks industry was silenced during Martial Law, with President Marcos asserting control on most forms of media, including the comics industry. This led to an exodus of Filipino comic writers and illustrators, who would go on to work for western companies like Marvel and DC Comics.

After Martial Law, Komiks came back, but with globalization and the introduction of other forms of media like the radio, television and the internet, Komiks have taken steps back, from the dominating form of media in the country, to being published by small, independent firms and being used as material for scholarly examination. This theme of globalization may be seen now in current Komiks where the range of stories, language, genre and even illustrations are highly varied and influenced by global events and trends. There are anthologies like the Pugad Baboy series, which is a comical take on everyday Filipino life, as well as political satires like “A.Lipin” and “Pinoy Nga” by Jess Abrera,“Kikomachine” by Manix Abrera, comic strip the follows a band of mischievous UP students, and “Trese” by Budjette Tan, a dark, modern take on ancient Philippine mythology phenomena taking place in present time.

There are many more Komik characters and icons that have era to era, captured the imagination and the contexts of Filipino society, just ask other readers and comic buffs. Needless to say, this proves that Komiks is more than just a form of entertainment or pieces of detached fiction. Rather it is literature that is deeply rooted in the heart of Filipino society, a vessel that gives the generation it is in a voice, and a testament to our current state, struggles and hopes as a nation. Even in the face of globalization, Komiks will find a way to push on and adapt, much like our nation does, and as we continue to write the history of our motherland, you can be sure that Komiks will be there, to be constant reflection of how far we’ve gone, where we are now, and where we will be going.

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BARBERS, HABERDASHERS AND COMING OF AGE

BY JUDE GERON

I still remember one of the first times I had

to wear a tie to go with my outfit for the night. My father was really OC about what seemed at the time as the smallest things, from the color choice to the knot and length of the tie, to the tuck of my shirt and how the buttons all aligned with my belt.

Later on, I’d get the chance to have my outfit for my graduation ball tailored, upon his choice. Having to go through all the motions of grooming from fitting to dressing up, head (hair) to toe, felt a little unnecessary to me at the time; I honestly did not put a big premium on dressing well and looking sharp as much as he did or others seemed to.

It was later on that I would begin to understand the demand for tailored suits, coordinated colors and a clean haircut. It was later on that I would realize that these, mundane as they may be, are part of a larger set of what many males deem as symbols for “gentlemen” and, to an extent, for coming of age. It should then come as no surprise that barbershops such as Felipe and Sons would grow in popularity as a result of these demands.

I took the chance the afternoon before LIV to visit experience at least a haircut and a massage at the place for myself and learn more about the shop. Felipe and Sons styles itself as a “barberdashery”, combining the words barbershop and haberdashery (a men’s outfitter). The shop offers standard barbershop services including a cut & shave and massages, as well as made-to-order formal wear. These mesh well together in that you can hit two birds with one stone in preparation for any formal occasion. The shop itself evokes an antique, nostalgic vibe from the moment you step in. The interiors are well designed as a whole, with a lounge area to go with their tailors’ room and the barbers’ area, creating a sort of laid back atmosphere perfect for a weekend stop-over, and the little details on the tables and the walls are worth exploring as well. The barbers make sure to converse with you throughout the service you pay for, and to top it all off, you can purchase alcohol in-store!

Post-haircut, I’d find in the visit that while the services themselves aren’t necessarily cream of the crop outstanding, what must keep people coming back is mostly the way the store owners fashioned the overall experience, which they clearly put a lot of thought for and attention to detail. You’re 68 • SEPTEMBER 2014 | ECHOES.PH

in for a visual treat throughout your stay, and it’s tough not to feel relaxed with the music and the basketball games playing on the widescreen TV while having a drink as you wait for your turn on a seat. Best of all, Felipe and Sons is able to do that while banking on shared experiences among men. Haircuts and formal wear, for many, largely comprise “father-and-son” culture. The two, especially the latter, are typically introduced to men by their dads, who were, in turn, introduced by their own dads. As such, some men may see getting a cut and going to a tailor as a sort of nostalgic, almost ritual-like experience. These services evoke a feeling of manhood, of coming of age to younger folks, and of success as an individual (ex. Preparing for a formal dinner).

While trends in hairstyles and in men’s wear come and go, classic cuts and suits have remained largely unchanged over the decades, and all the “timeless”, “suave” imagery which these are tied to thus end up as very appealing to many. These “basics”, the shop does, and as a testament to its popularity, does right and is further emphasized by the shop’s aesthetics.

Over time, with all the exposure to images of maturity and career success and the influence from fathers and elsewhere, it’s tough not to suddenly appreciate the joy of meticulous grooming. As such, it’s easy to see the appeal that shops like Felipe and Sons now have. It seems like it was only a matter of time that the barber and haberdasher would come together in Manila.

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