ECHOES February 2012 by Echoes

February 2012

Madz Aloria

Our Econ Scholar Hitchhikers’ Guide to

Hitchhiking

Truly

ECOSOC Now featuring the org’s most important members

Love and Consumerism OPPRESSION BY ECHOES?

Email your entries to litfolio2012@gmail.com Log on to Echoes.PH/litfolio for more details

CONTENTS October 2011

02 03

From the Editor Committee News

INSIDE ECOSOC

Ecosoc over the last month

NEWS

16 18 20

Photo of the Month News by Numbers Opinion

FEATURES

22 24 32

Featured Article Guide to Hitchhiking Cover Story Truly Ecosoc Featured Article A Culture of Oppression

Contributors Arsenio Lukban Joby Guerrero Nikki Bondad Andee Aguila Mik Singson Paulo Bautista

Kelvin Tagnipez Ayla Reyes Jessica Biscocho John Gan Horace Cimafranca Derek Parreñas

cover photograph by arsenio lukban

FEATURES Featured Story Tambayan: A Photo Essay

34 37 41 45 47

Featured Articles Last Hurrah from the Love Month On the Elections Ang Pagtutunggali A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the USC Elections Litnight High The Final Introduction

CULTURE Film & Travel

50 54 60

Entertainment Gossip G.

Editors HORACE CIMAFRANCA Editor-in-Chief BEATRIZ BAYUDAN Associate Editor AYLA REYES Managing Editor JESSICA BISCOCHO News Editor DEREK PARRENAS Features Editor JUDITH PASCUAL Photos Editor HAZEL SUMAMPONG Creative Editor MATT DAILISAN Webmaster CHERIE QUIRANTE Logistics Director

Staff BIANCA ALVARO

Camille Cruz GJ Agregado Bea Bayudan Paolo Tamase JR Nepomuceno Reuel Realin

Ralph Dantes Gab Sollano Issay Villanueva Lia Lontoc

AVRIL BRIES JOHN GAN RALPH DANTES FRANCHESKA JOSON PATRICIA VILLANUEVA

ABOVE: Madz during her interview / Photo: GJ Agregado

Previous Issue

Corrections 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.

A more comprehensive list of corrections from the previous issues will be published in the March issue.

Since the 2nd semester of the academic year 2010-2011, Echoes is released four times in a sem and eight times in a year, on the months of January, February, March, July, August, September, October, and December. It draws its funding from a subsidy from UP Ecosoc, sponsorships, subscription revenue, and other small funraisers. For this semester, 60 subscription copies, 3 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

upecosoc.org Echoes.PH facebook.com/up.economics.society No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

2â&#x20AC;

From the Editor

feel increasingly alarmed over some readers’ sentiments on certain content published here in Echoes. It seems like we’re being accused of incubating a culture of prejudice by presenting it to the general membership as innocent entertainment. I’d like to assure everyone that that is not the intention of Echoes. So far, no one has approached me, the editor, telling me that he or she has been unjustfiably portrayed in a bad light in any of the publication’s articles. If you feel offended by our articles, please don’t hesitate to approach us. We’re apologizing now if there had indeed been such instances. This is a free publication and we will take into account any criticisms and will gladly publish any letters of opinion regarding this publication or any other relevant topic that is worth sharing to the general membership.

Wow, that’s a start and at last, it’s something serious. On a lighter note, this is our second to the last issue for the semester. We had intended it to be the February issue and truthfully, it does have content related to the love month. I was supposed to write something about how awesome Litnight was, but then it occurred to me, that maybe I should write about a silent yet still pressing concern that may affect this organization.

acknowledging one’s potential inability to perform multiple tedious functions of utmost priority all at the same time (pardon me for the excessive runon), one must also learn to sacrifice. It is in doing this heroic act that one actually gains the trust of his constituents. It is in making a right choice, one right choice in favor of the people he serves, that will verify his full dedication and sincerity to serve the organization, especially if such a task has been given to him as a mandate by the majority. This is simply not a case of me against the world because in reality, it is impossible for the world to conspire against one thing it does not see as a threat. There has to be a profound reason for a consensus, even if it may just be for a mere sentiment. To set this straight, yes, I think the general membership feels a diminished dedication to one’s duties is a threat to the organization’s harmony and sustenance in the longer term. For me, it is a betrayal of our trust, that unspoken assurance of your commitment to the organization, especially that from someone in the top tier of the leadership, a great deal of this commitment is required. Remember, we cannot justify our decision solely with promises based on unproven presumptions. After all, they are just presumptions. Recognizing one’s limitations and shunning ridiculous inhibitions should have been the proper action.

Of course, you’re probably aware of an issue haunting the leadership of Ecosoc. No pressing me for details, please. I bet you already know. Personally, this should be a non-issue. There has to be no option to make two choices in the first place. Delicadeza dictates that more than

However, I also choose to apply the benefit of the doubt in this situation. After all, it was still a decision for him alone to make and only he would know what he is truly capable of. It just saddens me that if it so happens that a fault had been made, it is the organization who will suffer.

COMMITTEE NEWS

COCOY

JEREMAE

President

Vice President

It is finally the homestretch of the semester. Things are getting quite exciting since major events are popping up one after the other—there’s just really been so muchto look forward to lately! On Friday, Ecosoc will embark on a new kind of service as it ties up with the UP School of Economics for Ang Drama Mo, the CWTS Culminating Activity. The next day, the Outbreak applicants will have their app project—a sporty CDC activity entitled Fiestalympics. Later that same day, we will have the fourth installment of Band in Demand, which is our major fundraiser for the Ecosoc Fund. On March 9, we’re going to have RAGER, the benefit party for the Economics Society Scholarship Fund, at the Tents at Alphaland Southgate Mall. As the semester reaches its climax, the challenges that we as an organization face continue to come. UP Ecosoc has endured fifty-three years of existence, and it has reached such an age because it has been resilient despite all the tribulations it had undergone. And it will continue to do so in the next year and beyond because of its members who keep it strong. Ecosocers, it is you who keeps UP Ecosoc alive despite everything. Problems are normal for any organization, yet what sets those who are good apart from those who are lackluster is the resilience of its members. Ecosocers, you are the key to this organization’s success. Though now may not be the best of times, Ecosoc will always continue to prosper until there are members who give a damn for the organization. An organization is only as good as its members, and I believe with a conviction that Ecosocers are some of the most amazing people in this world.

Ecosocers, never lose the faith.

Hi ECOSOC! :) First, thank you for supporting the Ecosoc events! Congratulations to: Echoes for the wonderful and special Lit Night! SPEV for the very memorable Tambay Week, Scavenger Hunt and Vice Night. Special thanks to JR for accommodating Ecosoc in your lovely home. Thank you to Seccom and Echoes for adopting me. Go Sechomae! Woohoo! Hindi tayo nawaley =)) Sports for the intense Battle Royale! Acad-ExternalsEchoes for the successful UPFront! CDC for the fruitful Med Mission and Caravans! And to CDC-Seccom for the fun origami art workshop! Also to those who participated in the JPES Sportsfest (woohoo jackstones!) and to Sports, thank you for all the patience and the support! The battle is not yet over. Go UP ECOSOC! Of course, thank you also for supporting the best ever BINGO! We hope you all had fun! This event won’t be possible without the efforts of Lia (including your family. Haha.) and her super sexy sales team, and of course the entire TF Team Party! Congratulations! Shout out to the Ecosocers who won: Yasmin, Anj, Dhiren, Noreen, RYAN! Share your blessings!!! :) After bingo, you wouldn’t want to miss the best benefit party in town… RAGER! A Benefit Party for the scholars of the Economics Society Scholarship Fund. See you all on MARCH 9 at the Alphaland Tents, Makati! Follow the Sound of the Underground. And! Do not forget our Special Project… soon. I know you are all excited! Continue supporting the endeavors of Task Force! There’s more to come! For the mean time, continue supporting the remaining Ecosoc events! March 2 - Ang Drama Mo March 3 - Fiestalympics, Band in Demand 4 March 24 for something special! Please also support our games :) To the applicants, good luck on your app project! And your Final Interviews… soon :> The sem is about to end… KAYA! :)

Illustrations by Sol Cortes

ANGEL

JESS

Secretariat

Treasurer/Finance

Hi Ecosocers! Love is in the air this February, and I would like to thank the following people who have touched my heart this month: Seccom, we’ve gone through a lot these past few months, and I am sure we’ll enjoy the remaining month we have together. Cocoy, Gab, Marian, Rehi, Reuel, Sel and Therese, we’ll surely miss you! We have a little less than a month to be together, so let’s make the most out of it! Good job to every Seccom member who have made their remarkable pubmats. I feel happy that you’re all growing in your own little ways. Also, to Sechomae, congrats to us! ‘Di tayo nawaley, hooray! Lastly, a big shout-out to Cocoy for winning Manhunt! We all knew you could do it. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Yasmin, Ars and Kyla, no words can really express my gratitude to you three. Seccom wouldn’t be as this great without you. Thank you for ALWAYS being there. I hope you’re all learning as much as I am learning from you. Outbreak Apps, thank you for being bibbo all the time. Keep up the good work! Also, good luck on your App Project! Judging by your different publicity stunts, I’m sure we’ll enjoy what you’ve prepared for us. Janina, Lara and Shanica, I have high hopes for you three. Remember I’m always here for you!

(Lifted from the Ecosoc bulletin) 1) Band in Demand this Saturday, March 3, 7pm, at Katips Bar and Grillery. Enjoy a night of alternative rock, freeflowing drinks and special performances from Ecosoc’s very own, Reg Reinoso, BID 3 Champion, and The Egg White Project. Tickets at 200. Visit Facebook.com/BandinDemand for more details. *This is this semester’s REQUIRED event for Ecosocers. *Special Ecosocer price is 180 pesos. If you pay before March 3, you can get it for 150 ONLY. Tickets will be distributed during genmeet. Payments will be collected starting tomorrow during commeet. 2) Moonleaf planners for 180 pesos! SPECIAL ECOSOCER PRICE (S.E.P.) IS 150! Grab one now! Approach any Fin member. 3) I’m sexy and I know it. Embrace the inner sexiness in you. 02.29.11 4) Last day of payment for A/R next week, March 9! Complete breakdown will be posted on the Fin board on Monday, next week. Failure to settle at least 75% of your A/R can be a ground for probation (or suspension). Seniors, please wait for further announcements.

Ecosoc, thank you for attending CDC Art Workshop! I hope you had as much fun as we did. Also, don’t forget to buy your own (automatic) Ecosoc umbrella! Get yours for only P375 (or P350 if you buy in 4’s)! Watch out for more Sparkle Club updates too! To everyone, don’t stop loving just ‘cause the love month is over! See you next month! Love, Angel

Echoes.PH

7 5

CHILA

VON

PRO/External Affairs

Academic Affairs

Thank you from coming to UPFront! Thank you to Externals as well as the rest of the UPFront team! We did an awesome job! If you want to know the results of the UPFront poll, please approach me. Please continue to support our projects and the projects of our organization partners. We’ll keep you posted on events by Externals. Just listen during genmeet, okay?

Hello Ecosoc! The past month has been the busiest for ACAD so let me tell you about what we’ve been up to! 1. UPFRONT 2012: the USC Elections Forum, the tie-up event with Externals and Echoes which commenced last February 22. I’d like to thank all the members and applicants who contributed to the success of this event especially to the beautiful people from my Logistics Team: Dhiren, Hannah, Alan, Joby, Vico and Jr N- we almost drowned from stress but we still managed to carry out such a great event. You guys are the best!!! To the applicants who signed up as volunteers, you may now approach me to get my signature. Special mention to Mhela and Janeen: who helped a lot in putting up the tarpaulins around the acad oval. Nakakatear kayo, I love you both!

Written in lieu of Chila’s committee news

2. Stock Up: Building Essential Knowledge on Financial Markets, the Academic Symposium on February 16 which shall give you a crash course on all about stocks and investing headed by Neil (Logistics), Monina (Publicty), Cam (ER), and Lars (Sales). Grab this chance to hear from the best speakers from PSE and professors from our own university. 3. Freedom Wall- I hope you’ve all seen this Stock Up Freedom Wall! It’s one of the publicity gimmicks we thought for the upcoming Acad Symposium. For your convenience, we put this board just outside the tambayan. Feel free to share your thoughts and answer the question: Y U NO INVEST? 4. Graham Balls, the delectable graham rocks made by Lars Alivio and her sales team sold for 5 pesos only! Buy now and get yourself a treat! So there you go, I hope to see you all in the upcoming Acad Symposium! Shout out to my wonderful members, one month to go team! PS. Belated Happy Birthday, Janeen! Love you! <3

Illustrations by Sol Cortes

MHELA

HORACE

Community Development

Echoes

Hello ECOSOC! Thank you for all your support to all CDC events. Thank you for those who really worked hard to make these possible.

Praise the Almighty for this leap year (thus, the ‘leap’ photos of the Execom)! If it weren’t for the 29th, this would’ve been released in March. What a sham.

To my very reliable and capable VCs, XP and Mariel. You don’t know how blessed and thankful I am for having you two. XP, thank you for having an organized and dedicated mind, pacifying my scattered thoughts. Mariel, thank you for your “cool” attitude, always ensuring me beyond constraints. You guys are the most generous people I know.:)

I cannot thank you enough for supporting Echoes in a lot ways last month. Thanks to you, we’ve earned more than P1,800 from It Might Be You. That was supposed to cover 30% of our printing cost for this issue, but all of it went to feed those who went to Litnight.

To the Med Mission team, your efforts really contributed to the betterment of the community.:) Never have we witnessed a more holistic and interactive Medical Mission in the organization’s history. Thank you to those who really got out of their way to help the team in organizing. To the interns, I hope that you were able to feel the cause of the organization embodied by CDC. I hope that you will continue in the organization with the same dedication. To the apps, thank you for sharing your time and effort for this outreach. I wish that you were able to appreciate the organization more than ever. To the members, I hope that we are reminded of what we signed-up for. We are here to make an impact to our community and beneficiaries. For the Caravan team, I admire your creativity and flexibility in organizing two events on loaded weekends.:) You are proof that we are one in every CDC activity that you give your 101% to. Thank you. To the members and applicants, I hope that we were able to open your minds and hearts to the people who most need our love and friendship. Let us always think how blessed we are to have an able body, our family and friends around us who make our life complete and happy.

Ah, Litnight. Just when I thought everything we toiled for a whole semester (okay, just a week) was to crumble right before us, lo and behold, your mere presence and enthusiasm, the cheesy lights, the mellow songs, the sound system, and the singers, writers, readers and hosts saved the night! Again, I give you the most priceless and rarest commodity you will ever get: my sincerest and most heartfelt gratitude. As for Echoes, we’re awesome right to the bones. If you know you’re worthy of a pat on the back...go on, pat yourself on the back. Of course, Riri is worthy of a special mention. We really appreciate your short, albeit class act. See you more often!

My apologies to the subscribers who did not get their copy of the January issue. We’re arranging a second print to cover the deficiencies.

P.S. Thank you Patmen, Jomac and Derek for standing in.

Let us all support the Applicants in their app project at Mother of Mercy, Novaliches. It’s on March 2, 10am-2pm. Also, the remaining CDCs are already posted! Please keep track.:)

Echoes.PH

MARK

Liaison

Memcom

Hi Ecosoc! I’d like to take this opportunity to give you a glimpse of what have we done in Liai so far. The accomplishment of our nominations for the JPES Excellence Night 2012 and Gawad Tandang Sora 2012. Thank you to everyone who contributed for the write-ups for our nominated events! Good luck also to Paolo Tamase who is also nominated for the Ten Outstanding Economics Students! Pai, Cokie, and Car, it’s time to conquer SESC’s Econ Excellence Awards! The completion of the first consolidated alumni database. All the alumni databases from different generations have been compiled into one database. It is currently being updated by the persistent database team ever! Briana and Pito, I credit this monumental feat to you! The execution of the first alumni dinner, and its successions. We were able to meet the former SPEV Chairperson, Mr. Warren, the prime initiator of the first membership card in Ecosoc and in UP Diliman. His exceptional insights and stories did inspire and motivate us to become better leaders of the organization. Marte and CJ, get ready for the next! Constant alumni birthday greetings in the continuously expanding alumni group. This may be a small undertaking but it actually received commendations especially from the old alumni. This is one strategy to build and strengthen our ties with our alumni. Kudos to the group admin and birthday girl, Cel H! We may have ended the weekly career tweets, yet there will still be more substantial career opportunities to be announced! Stay tuned! Cheers to Niña, Sel DL, and Chiara B. for working on our auxiliary services! Internal supplementary money to fund our services care of my own finance team, Bea and Simone! Way to go! Thank you also for being very supportive in all our endeavors, Jorell and Carrie! You never go on the blink! I don’t want to sound defensive, but I made this commnews to tell everyone that Liai is still relevant in the Society. Give us again a chance to show our potentials as a committee and we will deliver. Well, I can proudly say that WE DELIVER.

It is now time for another round of thank-you-for-givingup-two-minutes-of-your-life-to-read-my-commnews! First things first, I want to acknowledge the efforts of my members in the month of February. Thank you to my VC’s Camille, Carlo, and Ines for being there whenever I need help and for dedicating yourselves to Memcom. To my members, Mads, Aris, JM, Henry, Mabel, Bettina, Jade, Issa, and Lesley, thank you for trying your best to attend commeets even if it is such a hassle to listen to me haha. To my senior members, Janna, Paolo, Lia, Reg, and Gilbert, I hope you are spending your last days in the university wisely! Thank you for all the support and advice you have given me! To SpoC Me, I did not get the chance to say thank you for participating in this year’s Scavhunt. It was a pleasure to be on your corner. I could not have asked for a better team. From stealing a grocery cart to keeping adult magazines to impersonating a chemistry student in order to get a pustiso, I can say it is one of those moments worth remembering (except for the fact that I am living with one shaved armpit). Although we lost the fight, there is still much to be thankful for! We definitely felt infinite (Taskforce Pintas/Perks of Being a Wallflower Reference). For all the people in Ecosoc, save the date March 24 as we celebrate the magnificent Outbreak semester in Ecosoc’s first ever Culminight! That is all for now! Till the next you-just-wasted-twominutes-of-your-life-reading-my-commnews! Oh and guess what, I just decided that you’re going to have the best month ever!

PS: Buy our Superman baseball shirts for only Php 280!

Illustrations by Sol Cortes

JANEEN

MIGUEL

Sports

Special Events

Heyow Ecosocers

Hello ECOSOC!

I have a lot of things to say but first and foremost, I would like to thank everyone for attending Scavenger Hunt and Vice Night last February 11! Congratulations to Seccom, Echoes and Jeremae for bagging the gold and to Memcom, Sports and Cocoy for bringing home the new Ecosoc grocery cart haha just kidding! I know things turned out wilder than what we expected, but I hope you all had a wonderful and worthwhile experience with us (Spev). I’m sure most of you will remember the good times you had during Scav Hunt, and I can confidently say that your stories will be told until the next generations of Ecosocers.

It’s the love month and single or not, I hope you all had a great Valentines. <3

For the next paragraph, I will be speaking in straight Filipino, as it is crucial to the content of what I am about to say. Sa ika-2 ng Marso 2012, sama-sama tayong gumawa ng isang makabuluhang pagbabago! Sa ganap na alas-sais ng gabi (6:00 pm), sa School of Economics Auditorium, inaanyayahan ng UP School of Economics at ng UP Economics Society ang lahat na dumalo sa kauna-unahang tanghalang Econ mula sa kagawaran ng CWTS ng kolehiyo - Ang Drama Mo: isang makabuluhang tanghalan para sa bayan. Panoorin at pakinggan ang mga nakakaaliw na dulaan at tulaan mula sa mga mag-aaral ng Ekonomiya, at tayo’y mamulat sa kanilang mga pagtatanghal tungkol sa mga isyung panlipunan na bumabagabag saating bayan. Nakuha niyo ba? Maraming salamat at inaasahan namin ang inyong pagdalo! Thank you to all my members for making Scav Hunt a truly unforgettable event. Thank you Sam, Andre and Lia for making the pubmats for our recently-concluded events. Thank you Chrissa for spearheading the lights and sounds logistics for our CWTS event. Good job everyone!! AND THANK YOU RANDOM PERSON FOR READING MY COMMNEWS.

Thank you for those who supported, cheered and played for Team ECOSOC last JPES Sportsfest. Everybody did a good job showing all the other organizations that we indeed are the best. To those who played for Basketball, Volleyball, Futsal, Patintero, Dodgeball, Jackstones, Chess, and Snakes & Ladders, thank you for doing the best that you can. Still it isn’t over yet because some games didn’t reach the finals and we still have to prove them who’s gonna be the champion this year! (UP E...conomics Society!) Also support the EcoSoc Slo-Pitch Team on March 2 and 6 at the UP Oval Grounds (4:30 pm). I would like to invite everyone to come and play with the team. It is not about winning, what’s is the FUN moments that we share together as an organization and hearing our LOUDEST cheer for the team. To the members, applicants and interns of the Sports Committee, thank you for helping me with the committee’s endeavours! You guys are awesome, great and definitely the BEST! Let’s show people that SPORTS is such a great and AWESOME COMMITTEE. Thank you to my members Anon, Cesca, Chello, CV, Dave, Hari, Jana D., Jed, Lance, Mik, PauBau, Raya, Rino, Tobie, Tracy, Trixie and Van. Also to my most bibbo applicants and interns, Ria, God, Joc and JR. You guys made me so proud! Keep up the good work and good luck with your (almost done) application process. Let’s look forward for the remaining events that Sports prepared for you guys this semester. To the EXECOM, we’re all in this together and we’re halfway done with the semester. I hope to still work with you guys next semester. I LOVE YOU ALL!

Peace! Echoes.PH

INSIDE ECOSOC Litnight charms BY JOBY GUERRERO “If it was your last chance to say how you really feel to someone special, would you take the chance?” Sounds romantic, isn’t it? This was the theme surrounding 2012’s litnight which the organizers titled as Never Ender. The home committee of this publication held a literary night last February 17, 2012 at SE 111. It was 2 hours filled with songs, poems and love. SE 111 was decorated with white and red lights which added a romantic vibe for the room. The white board was converted into a freedom wall where one can write anything one feels writing. Love quotes, heartbreak quotes, marry me quotes and finish the sentences lines filled the board. The committee also gave copies of the literary folio which showcase the literary works of the members and applicants. Darell Magsambol and Gab Sollano hosted the program. The event wouldn’t be complete without the performances and poem reading by the members and the applicants of the organization. It was started by a lovely duet by Dia Magsaysay and Miguel Andres. It was then followed by a poem reading by yours truly. Jomac Conty, a fellow applicant, also read his poem. The next song performance was given to the audience by Nathan Legacion. It was then followed by a reading of the poem made by Avril Bries. JR Nepomuceno also gave a reading of his poems. The next set who showcased their talents were Henry Tan and Shanica Sollegue. Henry Tan serenaded the crowd with his songs while Shanica awed us with her poem dedicated to her family.

Yasmin Sehob one of the organization’s graceful ladies honored the listeners with songs. She was followed by a Japanese song performance of Sol Cortes. The showcase of singers was then followed by a poem reading by Ramm Advincula. The next person who had let the crowd hear his voice was Jason Tayawa, he was accompanied by Miguel Andres. The next striking performance was given to us by Andre Sarmiento. He was accompanied by two Miguels, Miguel Andres in guitars and Miguel Dela Cruz in beat box. The next poem reading was rendered by our own associate editor, Bea Bayudan. After the poem reading, Andre gave another outstanding song performance. He was accompanied by Paolo Tamase in piano. Afterwards, Janina Raymundo delivered a reading of her poem. Cocoy Licaros also gave a great song performance. Miguel Andres also sang a song for the audience. The last poem reading was read by Paulo Bautista. The second to the last song performance was presented by Hannah Manalili. She was accompanied by Reg Reinoso in guitars. The audience was also privileged to hear Reg sing with Paolo Tamase in piano. Food was served all throughout the program. Echoes served chips at the start of the performances. Scrumptious pizza was also served to the crowd. Before the night ended, the results of It Might be You, a voting contest with whom two persons with the highest votes will win a movie ticket and a dinner for two, was released. Everybody was excited to hear who the winners are. After almost a month of voting, Leus Punsalan and Kelvin Tagnipez won.

Echoes.PH

CDC is Jologs Committee wins biannual quiz bee BY VICO UBALDO The Jologs Quiz Bee is a Tambay Week event organized by the Academic Affairs Committee applicants. This quiz bee is like any other ordinary quiz bee. There are questions for the contestants to answer in order to get points, and the committe with the highest points in the end will get a prize. This semester’s Jologs Quiz Bee is a game of Jeopardy and thus it has mechanics patterned after this popular TV game. When a question is presented, committees will have to call Von’s number, and whoever calls first will get to answer. The Jologs Quiz Bee is called that way because really jologs questions will be asked. The themes of the questions were Shet sino siya?, TV shows, Musikapella lovers, Mabuhay ka Jolina!, and More fun in the Philippines. Very random (and jologs) questions were asked such as “actor na bumida sa palabas na Home Along Da Riles” and “ang komedyanteng kumanta ng Butsekik.”

It was very noisy during the quiz bee! Lots of people were talking and, as a result of not being able to hear each other, start talking very loudly. This may have been because the questions brought back different memories from the past. Who could forget Gimik or April Boy? Finance even sung Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin as a requirement to answer one of the questions. At first, Finance and Spev were getting the most points. However, CDC finally won, simply because they answered the final jeopardy question correctly which was worth 1000 points, which was more than any single committee had at that point. This semester, there’s a trophy for the Jologs Quiz bee, which is a colorful letter “J” attached to some random objects. Of course, the winning committee, CDC, also won a box of yummy Yellow Cab Pizza. This semester’s quiz bee was organized by Alan Orquinanza, JR Nepomuceno, and Vico Ubaldo. It was held during the general assembly on Tambay Week.

A woman is tested for her blood pressure as her son watches in awe and Lia Pablo looking extra haggard Residents of nearby urban poor communities flocked to the School of Economics last February 25 during CDC’s Medical Mission where free check-ups and medicine were given away Photo: GJ Agregado

Member Jess Biscocho shares lunch with a retiree at the St. Camillus center in Marikina Dozens of Ecosocers participated in a mini-caravan event organized by the Community Development Committee which visited a health center for the aged in Marikina last month. A similar caravan went to the Tahanang Walang Hagdan last February 27. Photo: Horace Cimafranca

INSIDE ECOSOC

Dozens die in Battle Royale No winner emerges from four-day fight

BY MIK SINGSON During the ECOSOC Tambay Week, members and applicants played the ECOSOC battle royale, in which the objective is to eliminate your target while avoiding your own target. It started on February 7, 2012 at about 8 am and formally ended at February 10, 2012 at about 6 pm. The Sports Committee provided 10 water guns for use in this game. The games are stopped at 5 pm every day of the Tambay Week and resumed at 8 am on the next day. The Outbreak applicants also offered guns for rent during this game. However, members are also allowed to have their own water guns to be used. The water guns that are provided are not to be brought home after the period of the games.thge There are cease fire moments in the game itself, like the Genmeet and the Commeet periods. Even council meetings have a cease fire to the members of who are associated with the party. Of course battling is not allowed inside the Ecosoc Tambayan, inside the classrooms, and inside the libraries. This was to prevent unnecessary spillage of water to the said areas, and it was also to make sure that the battle royale is just a game and not to be taken too seriously. There also was a 2 meter safe zone just in front of the Tambayan door, wherein the participants are not to be shot with the water gun, and were there can be no shooting by the participants. The participants are required to go to the tambayan for at least 1 hour in order for them not to be disqualified, because it would be unfair for others who did go to the tambayan and risk being shot just by going there.

In the first day itself, at least 5 people were already eliminated within the first 2 hours, some of them not even in the premises of the School of Economics. People had their own tactics when playing the game, with some escaping through the window just to make sure that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get shot. People were allowed to bring their guns to other buildings in the University provided if they got the guns from the case provided by the Sports Committee to return it after 5 pm. Of course they are not allowed to shoot inside the classrooms. At the end of the first day there were 25 casualties, in the second day there were 46 casualties, and on the third day 64 casualties. There were just fewer than 150 participants. In order to make sure somebody won, the Sports Committee decided to add new rules on the third and on the fourth day, on the third day, there were partnerships in which when a partner is shot, regardless of where the other is, then both participants are considered dead. In the fourth day, it became a free for all, where every remaining participant can shoot another participant, when that participant is outside the safe zone. To keep the unpredictability of the game because of the leaks, the targets are shuffled every day. Unfortunately, despite the last day being a free for all stipulation, only a few dared to go out of the safe zone and risk losing the game, and it is because of this that there were still as many as 6 participants at 6pm in February 10, with some people not even going near the tambayan because of the risk of losing. Bingo players try their luck at winning at TFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gotta Covet bingo event at a pavilion in North Greenhills Initial reports from a TF insider a.k.a. Kelvin Tagnipez reveals that the bingo event held last February 26 earned TF some amount of profit. Echoes cannot verify the information, but with the crowd last Sunday, there had to be a lot of money! Photo: Horace Cimafranca

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Ecosoc hosts USC elections forum BY NIKKI BONDAD The UP Economics Society, in partnership with over 40 student organizations, held its 2nd University Student Council (USC) elections forum at the UP Film Institute on February 22. Entitled “Upfront”, the university-wide event encouraged the candidates of the upcoming USC elections to voice out their honest opinions on different academic and socioeconomic issues faced by the university. Jointly headed by the External Affairs Committee, the Academic Affairs Committee and the Echoes Committee, Upfront is an annual event of the organization, striving to promote critical thinking and social awareness among the students of the university so that they will be able to cast educated votes for the future student leaders. The organization’s USC elections forum was supported by nine major sponsors, six minor sponsors, 16 project partners and 10 supporting partners. Some of which were Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity, Alpha Sigma Fraternity, Upsilon Sigma Fraternity, Sigma Rho Fraternity, Delta Lambda Sigma Sorority, Fact Check, Up Aggregates, PSME-UPSU and Life Box.

Hosted by Cocoy Licaros and Dean Dulay, the event started with the singing of the National Anthem, followed by video presentations from the three political parties, namely, StandUp, Kaisa and Alyansa. A separate video was also showed for the only independent candidate for USC chairperson, Martin Loon. The candidates for chairperson and vice chairperson, along with one USC councilor candidate from each party, were then asked to come up to the stage for an opportunity to speak to the audience regarding their various stances on the state of the university and their plans to take action as potential student leaders. After a timed speech from the aforementioned candidates, the floor was open for questions from the incumbent USC officers, representatives from partner student organizations and the general audience. Immediately after the open forum began, questions kept on coming and countless issues were raised to the extent that some were not thoroughly addressed due to time constraint. All questions that were left unasked were posted online to ensure that the candidates were still able to answer and tackle them.

TF Bingo a surprise hit BY KELVIN TAGNIPEZ A first for the UP Economics Society, Team Taskforce Sales hosted an afternoon of bingo with family and friends at the North Greenhills Pavilion in San Juan last Sunday, February 26. With prizes like thirty thousand pesos cash, a Blackberry phone, a Store Specialists, Inc. Purple Card, an iPad 2, an iPhone 4S, and a MacBook Pro to be won, bingo cards sold like pancakes weeks ahead and even more on the day itself. Aptly titled ‘Gotta Covet’, the pavilion filled up quickly with eager guests wanting to win no other way but big. Ecosoc’s resident broadcast communications major Patty Bucao, and former CDC Chair Faye Ferrer entertained the crowd as they emceed over 15 bingo games for a jam packed pavilion with milk tea, pizza,

pasta, and shawarma concessionaires set up by applicants of the UP Junior Marketers Association (UP JMA), a partner of Task Force for this event. As the afternoon progressed, the major prizes one by one slowly disappeared with lucky bingo players claiming their most coveted gadgets. The crowd cheered and jeered at the same time at the slightest reaction close to a “BINGO!” but at the end of the day, our own Ryan Malit through his proxy player won the Macbook Pro. The biggest Bingo game of the year was made possible by Taskforce Sales with all proceeds of ‘Gotta Covet’ going to the Economics Society Scholarship Fund.

INSIDE ECOSOC

SE retains BEAST crown At least in our hearts BY PAULO BAUTISTA The School of Economics fell short at defending its back-to-back-to-back BEAST championship last January 21, 2012 at the DAR sports complex. BEAST, a sports tournament organized and participated by the colleges of Business Ad, Economics, Architecture and Statistics (made evident from the acronym BEAST) had each college competing in men’s basketball and table tennis, women’s basketball and table tennis and mixed footstall, badminton and volleyball. This year, Econ finished only second place, behind BA, which won by a comfortable margin. The tournament scoring was based on all the sport events, each college receiving points for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place finishes per event, along with points for attendance and a facebook “liking” contest. Econ showed up strong in men’s Basketball, finishing second place after an intense finals showdown against a powerhouse BA team that ultimately escaped with a 1 point win after a seesaw battle. After shaky 1st and 2nd victories against Stat and Architecture, Team Econ came tantalizingly close to an upset victory over a BA team that nonchalantly blew-out the same teams by 30-point margins. The game went down to the wire, with BA coming back in the last minute by hitting 2 jumpers in its last 2 possessions, giving them the a 1-point and then a 3-point lead that they never relinquished.

of a complaint that Myk Narciso, a graduate from the last semester, played for the Econ team. That dropped Econ from a 1-1 standing, having lost by default to Statistics to a 0-2 standing , and consequentially 4th place. Team Econ also had a strong showing in mixed futsal bagging 2nd place after a close finals loss to Archi. Team Econ, led by UAAP Footballer Jorell Garcia, defeated team BA in the first round, but then was not able to contain team Archi’s Alfonso Ancheta in the finals. In mixed Badminton Econ again finished 2nd place, after a finals loss to BA. In Men’s table tennis, Econ’s Arsenio Lukban nabbed 2nd place after an intense finals matchup with Archi. The two players won one set a piece with the 3rd and deciding set finishing 17-15 after an 11 all tie meant resulted in a win-by-two tie break. Lastly, in a show of college pride, Econ won 1st in both attendance and in the Facebook liking contest. All in all it was a very successful and exciting BEAST. Though team Econ was not able to defend its crown, the competition this year was a good sign for the succeeding BEASTs, which may even see rivalries stem from this year’s competition. What is certain though is that next year’s BEAST will definitely be an event to look forward to!

There was some controversy though in the otherwise lighthearted women’s basketball, which saw Econ being curiously eliminated by Stat after beating them twice in two games. The margin of victory was not enough to merit advancement due to Econ’s earlier loss to BA and Stat’s default victory over Archi , rewarding them with technically a 10-0 win. The rules stated that Team Econ would have had to win by a margin of 10 points or more in the first game, which they won by 1 point. After lobbying for a change of rules the BEAST team decreased the margin from 10 to 5 points, and in a rematch Team Econ won again, but again, by a margin less than what was set by the officials.

In a decision even more shrouded in controversy, Econ Volleyball was disqualified of its 1st round win because 14

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Tambay Week lasts for 5 days BY ANDEE AGUILA Tambay Week is the most colorful week in Ecosoc as there are different activities happening each day for the applicants and members to enjoy. This semester, the funhouse-themed Tambay Week lasted from February 6 to 11. The tambayan’s usual interior was draped in black, red and white, and adorned with clowns and cards to give the whole place a circus feel. The Spartan Club Flash Workshop was the week’s first event. Prepared by the Secretariat Committee, this event helped the participants gain knowledge on the basic commands and features of Adobe Flash, and create simple animations on their own. The Externals Committee also had a film-showing at the tambayan. It was called CINEX: Cine Externals, featuring movies such as Zurich Chan’s Teoriya, Auraeus Solito’s Busong and Jeffrey Jeturian’s Bisperas, all of which are notable Cinamalaya entries. On the 3rd day of Tambay Week, February 8, the Academics Committee facilitated the Jologs Quiz Bee

during Genmeet. There were questions like “Sino ang Pinoy counterpart ni Ariel, the Little Mermaid?” and “Saang teleserye unang sumikat si Judy Ann Santos?” and people actually knew the answers! Battle Royale And who could forget Battle Royale II? This game, headed by the Sports Committee, got everyone in a state of paranoia, literally watching out for their backs, and climbing in and out of windows. The players carried their loaded water guns everywhere they went, and anticipated the game master’s texts about the latest casualties. On the last day, there was also a Tekken competition which really unleashed people’s hidden gaming skills. From movies to assassins and targets, Tambay Week was a success. It wasn’t only about completing the required 10 hours of tambay (for apps), or eating popcorn or playing Tekken, or even winning the coveted Battle Royale pot money. It was about fostering a deeper sense of unity among the applicants and members while having fun at the same time.

Vice Night caps Tambay Week

Seccom-Echoes-Jeremae is Scav Hunt champion BY AYLA REYES Last February 11, 2012, the Special Events Committee capped the Tambay Week activities with Vice Night at the Yambao Residence in Mandaluyong.

The winners, Echoes-Seccom-Jeremae, were then handed a celebratory champagne bottle which Cocoy Licaros uncorked and sprayed onto everyone surrounding him.

The night started off at around 9pm because of the dedication some teams had to Scavenger Hunt which delayed the arrival of all the members at the venue. Despite the delay, Special Events Chairperson, Miguel Andres, formally welcomed everyone to Vice Night and proceeded to announce the results of the Scavenger Hunt.

After the celebration, all the members enjoyed a meat and pasta dinner. In true Vice Night fashion, various drinks were also served to the members. The night ended with the members getting together to share their experiences after a long day at the scavenger hunt and some friendly games of Taboo.

NEWS PHOTO OF THE MONTH

A still from ‘The Artist’ showing French actors Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo as silent film stars George Valentin and Peppy Miller respectively finishing a dance French film ‘The Artist’ earns five wins in the Oscars, routine. Photo copyright of La Petite Reine including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin. It is one of only two silent films to ever win the best picture trophy from the Academy Awards, the other being ‘Wings’, which bagged the award during the first ceremony 85 years ago.

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News

UPFRONT 2012: A candidate for the University Student Council (USC) chairperson speaks before a full house at the UP Film Institute during an elections forum organized by Ecosoc. Photo: GJ Agregado

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NEWS

NEWS BY

NUMBERS 67,095

55,863,374

hopefuls took the December 2011 Nurse Licensure Exam, but only 22,760 of them passed. Results were officially released by the Professional Regulation Commission last thursday

the total worth, in pesos, of assests, properties and investments Chief Justice Renato Corona failed to declare in his 2010 statement of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALN. According to Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello,”There are now at least 55 million reasons for the Senate impeachment court to convict Corona on charges of doctoring his SALN and even without the court opening his dollar

5,000,000 worth of grant given to 4,000 Amadeo farmers under the Sagip Saka program led by the Department of Agriculture and Sen. Francis Pangilinan. The money given will be used invest on a 10-kg roasting machine needed to increase the productivity in the coffee industry

Korean tourists kidnapped and extorted of their money last on Valentine’s Day. Four policemen from the Manila Police District were identified to have been involved in the said crime

30,000 classrooms are projected to be established under the Public-Private Partnership School Infrastructure Project, states the Public Works Secretary Rogelio L. Singson. The construction and realization of this 10.5 billion project is said to take at least 10 years 18

The Senate during the opening of a session on the Corona impeachment proceedings on Monday, February 27 / Photo: Philippine Daily Inquirer

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countries, Germany and the Czech Republic, reprimanded by The Anti-torture Council of Europe for using castration as a punishment to sex offenders

civilians and two Western reporters, Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik, killed from a government attack in Syria under the Damascus regime. Since last March, thousands are recorded to have lost their lives due to this political unrest

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bathers attacked by piranhas at a beach in Toropi, Brazil

people died while 600 were injured from the train crash in Buenos Aires last Febrauary 23. The incident is said to be the worst train crash in Argentina in 40 years

The Syrian city of Homs suffer damages with hundreds probably dead as a result of continuous government shelling in this opposition stronghold. /Photo: AFP

tourists struck by a skin irritation caused by a chlorine leak in the hotel swimming pool of Phuket Orchid Resort and Spa. Among the 30 tourists is a Swedish national who remains to be in a serious condition

the newest version of Windows (Windows 8) that will be released for a test run on February 29 at the Mobile World Congress to be held in Barcelona An image of the Windows 8 home screen released by its developers in September 2011.

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OPINION

Some thoughts on the elections Contributed With all the sh*t that’s been going around about every candidate in this year’s coming elections, I couldn’t help but think of the extent a person would go in order to secure for himself a position within the council or actually, any position in that matter. Instead of candidates focusing on themselves and how they would be qualified for the position, they’ve now resorted to focusing on others and how their opponent isn’t qualified for it. This may be effective because they give us, the voters, a choice of choosing the lesser of two evils but is this actually what we want? Clearly, this type of elections portrays how we have this ‘crab mentality’. When we see someone else getting ahead of us, we are not motivated to achieve more and better ourselves so that we too may improve but rather we envy their accomplishments and attack these people by pulling them back down to where we are. However, this ‘black propaganda’ does not always stem from such negative intentions. Taking a closer look into the candidates, most of them had started with good intentions and actually no plans of bashing their opponents, “it just came out because of the circumstances during that time” says one of the former councilors. There had also been accounts where it is actually their friends and supporters who would start this black propaganda against their opponents with only the intention of helping their friend, not knowing that this could actually be the worst thing to do. Having the opportunity to have ran for the local student council, I expected that the elections in the organizations and even in the University Student Council (USC) would be typically similar or maybe just 20

a little bit more stressful. This was not the case as I had interviewed some of the candidates for this year’s elections as well as others who have already gone through the ordeal. During the interview, I had seen a whole different side of the candidates. Right now, as they go from room to room promoting their General Plans of Action (GPoA’s) and what they can offer us, we only see them as confident and strong people. However, deep down, they’re also people, also students going through the same problems we too are facing, only multiplied by ten fold. These same people would spend hours on end practicing their speeches and coming up with publicity materials and for what? More than the prestige and having your name up there in the limelight, these people run to serve. No one can do the things they do for a whole year without this passion for service for without it, they would simply ‘crash’. Some not even reaching half the school year, would just stop attending meetings and doing what they’re supposed to do because they’ve realized that they were running for the wrong reasons. I believe it is only this passion to serve and to take delight in helping others that one may truly be a good student leader. That is why I envy the people who, after a year can still take it up upon them to go through all of it again. Basically, the message I’m trying to get across through this article is that before we judge these candidates in front of us, before we start bashing them about things we don’t really know first hand, let us try to understand them and focus more on the positive things they have done instead of always looking for that thorn among roses.

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Features

FEATURES

A Hitchhiker’s Proper Guide to

Hitchhiking BY HORACE CIMAFRANCA

t is pertinent in the natural scheme of things that we will always fall prey in a parasitic relationship in one or some of our everyday interactions. It could be that one guy who always grabs a bite from your baon, that classmate or that acquaintance who happens to catch you with a car on your way home. However, to be fair with everyone, I do acknowledge that It is but human nature that we seek, at least in some points of our lives, an opportunity to accomplish a task without much of an effort. During these points, we usually take advantage of others who are nonchalant or simply too tired or afraid to say no to us. In Ecosoc, a particular burden befalls upon one who drives and brings a car to school. Chances are, you would have had a circle of followers who follow you to your car. They are called the hitchhikers and they will choose to be with you no matter what just to avoid that long, hot and hazy ride in that sham we call public transport. Nevertheless, I’m not here to rant on behalf of car owners, I’m here to educate you, hitchhiker. It is you who should bear the burden of hitchhiking. To get you acquainted, here are some things you should consider, and most importantly remember, when you nab a free ride. After all, you’re not a freerider, you’re a hitchhiker and you are bound by unspoken rules that must be followed.

Rule #1 Out of the way? No way! Never ever ever expect anyone to bring you home if home means driving kilometers off course! Here’s a tip, asked to be dropped off at a place where you can get more convenient transport options provided that this place is along the driver’s route. Unless you’re a good friend to whom everybody owes a favor, it’s high time to cap your insensitive expectations and be grateful for that free ride somewhere even if somewhere isn’t exactly where home is.

Rule #2 Be a companion The first thing you should always remember to do if you’re alone hitchhiking with a driver is that you must offer to sit in front. Hey, you can’t afford a regular chaffeur so don’t go acting like you have one! Now that you’re beside him, you now have the obligation to engage the driver in a conversation and make him feel that he is with good company. If you’re with a group, make sure the driver or the car’s owner can relate to your conversation. After all, a bored driver is a sleepy driver and drivers shouldn’t be sleepy. Echoes.PH

Rule #3 Everything in, everything out Simple. Don’t leave anything in the car. Don’t leave your trash, don’t leave stains on the seat covers, don’t leave tracks on the car mats and most importantly, don’t leave your things. What a driver can best do is lock his car and leave your things untouched. It’s your responsibility to come and get them back.

Rule #6 Share the burden! Toll fees and parking fees are not gratis for you, hitchhikers. Since the driver is already paying for his own gas, isn’t it only proper that you at least insist your share in paying for the additional incidental costs of bringing a car? Righteous.

Rule #4 Don’t stuff the car Can’t fly with the rest of the pack? Leave them behind. A heavy load causes unnecessary strain to the car. Also, it adds up to the cost of gas as it takes more power to move. So if you are a group of fat, clingy friends or simply a heavy packer, don’t expect to be together while in transit in a car you don’t own.

Rule #7 Be grateful Finally, don’t forget to say thanks. If the driver didn’t take you in, you could’ve died along the streets. You owe him big time.

ENX FOR THE RIDE, KYAH! Rule #5 Hey, drivers are no GPS The burden of pointing where to drop you off falls on you. Drivers and car owners shouldn’t worry anything but to get to where they want to go. Make sure you make it clear that you have to be dropped off at this specific place. That’s a no brainer, but bad hitchhikers tend to say it when they’re just a mere few meters away. That brings us to Rule #5.5: Drivers don’t like swerving.

ANYTIME, BITCH! There you have it, hitchhikers! Remember these and you will be one of a student driver’s staple car buddy! These are little things that we should never forget to do. After all, it still is much more convenient being driven in a car, whether it’s yours or not.

FEATURES

GJ Photos by

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Truly Ecosoc BY HORACE CIMAFRANCA

FEATURES

he other night, Rager was all over my Facebook feed, and so was Pintas and Band in Demand, This hard sell method of viral marketing is gripping its hold on the organization and the whole routine has been affectionately noted by some as Ecosoc love. Ecosoc love? That’s simply too much. I’d imagine most of us just nonchalantly reposting the content, unaware of its repercussions, just passively dismissing another affair with an Ecosoc endeavor with a few clicks. That doesn’t really require much effort. And yet, that’s how we profess love nowadays, or at least that’s how some Ecosocers see it. Who remembers that moment of Facebook jubilation when guardian Hannah Manalili posted the graduation photos of Anjanette Ronquillo? It was that rare moment of pride that sparked a greater, more profound realization that hey, all what we’d been doing for Ecosoc was not a waste after all. Who would’ve thought that all the marketing, crafting of publicity materials and yes, sharing on Facebook will get this kid to graduate high school? I don’t know how other orgs work, but that is how we roll here in Ecosoc. That is Ecosoc love. Or, perhaps you’re asking now, who’s Anjanette? Come to me and I’ll smack your head with the big Acad pencil, which I should’ve done to myself as well. The thing is with most of us, I included, we tend to forget the nature of our jobs in Ecosoc. In fact, we forget the nature of Ecosoc altogether. Why do we want to have the biggest parties? Why do we want to earn when we’re a non-profit organization? Yes, there is always that guaranteed pride attached to every success, but more than that, we are, or at least should be, consciously moved by the true aspirations of this organization.

it’s so common and repetitive, it has been relegated to a mere formula. It’s easy to quip that trifecta of words when asked what Ecosoc is all about. Maybe once upon a time, when everyone was sold to the idea of Ecosoc’s socio-civic nature, we used to say it with vigor. Those three words, in all their vagueness, gave us a false promise that we will all fall into that utopic Ecosoc culture of having a strong and genuine concern for the community. However, over time, we get engrossed in the organization’s politics, and preoccupied with marketing, doing publicity materials, surviving Battle Royale and winning Scavenger Hunt that we forget the very rationale behind all this. Why? It’s because we’re too busy working for it, that we forget its very essence. It’s because Service, Excellence and Tradition became a motivation for selfgratification, if not an obligation. It has ceased to be a way of reminding us that Ecosoc, stripped of all things superficial, is a venue to serve the community. The following pages feature the fruits of your hard labor, Ecosocer. If there is any indication that your toil was very well worth it and that the organization isn’t merely taking credit for your work, they are our scholars and CDC kids. Every story is unique, but what encompasses them all is the humbling fact that Ecosoc has made a huge difference in their lives. These are stories we tend to overlook since they never get to our consciousness in the first place. That’s why I’m telling them here, perhaps to strike a chord. How we act in this organization is, as I see it, slowly deviating from its ideals. We’re focusing too much on the material rewards that we either think Ecosoc is merely exploiting our talents to its collective gain or we see Ecosoc as a mere training ground to pursue our ambitions. That is if you’re even active.

Service. Excellence. Tradition. How many times has this mantra been repeated over and over in a lot of the organization’s videos? Sickening, really, especially that 26

Well, behold, ladies and gentlemen! This is what Ecosoc is really all about. Echoes.PH

SEANN

eann recounts that day during his first year in high school when he was pulled out from class by one of his teachers to take a test. He didn’t know what it was for but being one of the brightest in school, he was used to it anyway. Little did he know that it was the start of his now twoyear affair with the UP Economics Society through our Scholarship Fund.

recently earned a distinction. To the keen observer, I guess you know that a copy of his certificare is posted on the CDC board. After high school, he says he intends to study philosophy and eventually law.

Seann gives brief answers, so short that each response seems like it’s just a yes or no. He’s also soft-spoken but he doesn’t consdier himself shy. He describes himself an average guy. He isn’t sporty but he loves reading books. Mythologies are his favorite and he said he

That day he met Ate Gel, the former CDC chair, for the test in Balara, was one moment in life that he won’t forget. Although it is hard to measure the gravity of how much Ecosoc has done in his life, it is easy to say that the scholarship has brought him to a better place in which he is more likely to reach his ambitions. He said, he never had the faintest idea of the organization before, that’s why he is still amazed at how a simple encounter would bring so much change to his life.

could go on all day just reading them. Also, he likes Science and biology is his favorite topic. He admits he’s struggling in chemistry, but was quick enough to reassure me that he was still doing well in school. He now attends New Era High School, where he has

“Thank you at natutulungan mo kami,” he said. Hopefully, this simple gesture of gratitude will come a long way in making us realize how much is at stake in every endeavor we do in Ecosoc.

Photograph by Arsenio Lukban

FEATURES

KHIM Photo by Arsenio Lukban

him belongs to a brood of five, all of whom are familiar with Ecosocers. At four years old, she takes that regular short walk from her house to Econ on most Saturdays to see her kuyas and ates. Indeed she is delighted at the sight of Ecosocers greeting her as she arrives. It’s not really surprising that we take these CDC sessions for granted. After all, it’s the kids who come to us. I guess many of us think that it’s a regular, but passing encounter and that mindset is mutual between us and the kids. This whole Saturday affair, as I said, is merely obligatory for many Ecosocers. On the contrary, these kids, or at least Khim and her army of cute toddlers, sincerely look forward to it. Since Khim is still too young for an interiew, we talk to Karl. Among Khim’s siblings, Karl is the oldest and has spent the most years in the CDC program. He tells me

that he sincerely enjoys the even if he’s already 11 years attended the art workshop committee and was looking mission later that afternoon.

CDC daycare programs old. In fact, he had just held by the Secretariat forward to the medical

Karl, Khim and all these other kids and beneficiaries are all integral members of Ecosoc. Without them, we serve no purpose as it is enshrined in our letter of goals and aspirations that we must work for the betterment of the community. What is there to work for if we lack a community? That is why we must give our extra effort not only for CDC or Task Force, but also for all things we do in Ecosoc. During our induction, we make a promise to not only serve our functions, but also to put into heart the ideals of Ecosoc. Our organization isn’t simply a tambayan or a petty social affair, it is a game changer in the lives of the people we work for: these kids, the scholars and the greater community. Echoes.PH

Photos by GJ Agregado

Photograph by Arsenio Lukbanâ&#x20AC;

Madz Aloria M adz Aloria, petite and perky, is a familiar face in Econ. She is a student in the college, a member of ETC and now running for a position in the local student council. To Ecosoc, she is our college scholar.

Madz was born to a humble family from Mindoro. Her father, a farmer based in the province, used to commute between Mindoro and Metro Manila a few times a year to be with his wife and three daughters who all lived in Marikina. The set up didn’t quite work out and her father had to leave their farm in Mindoro. It was at that time when Madz learned to acknowledge that she never lived a privileged life, but she knew she had to make the most of what she already had. I’m sure the Ateneans in Ecosoc will be delighted to find out that Madz was a Tulong Dunong scholar. If you’re not aware, Tulong Dunong is an immersion program for Ateneo’s senior high school students. Once a week for one whole school year, Ateneo brings its seniors to the public schools of Marikina to conduct free tutorial sessions in Math and English for Grade 6 students. Madz was fortunate enough to have taken part in the program for two years. She was one of the few outstanding Grade 5 students who were admitted to the program and was eventually chosen for a high school scholarship. At St. Scholastica’s Marikina, she furthered her quest for excellence, driven by the blessings she had received out of her sheer dedication to her studies. She graduated from high school with the 12th highest marks in her batch and was eventually admitted here, into the premier state university of the country. Why Econ? She was bashful at first, afraid that her answer was unprofound. She later admitted though that she initially applied for Biology and Accountancy, Photograph by GJ Agregado

only to get DPWS-ed. She eventually chose Business Economics, a course, she said, is not far from her second choice. Although she longed to shift at first, she eventually learned to love Econ. Having found a home in ETC (Economics Towards Consciousness), she has set her feet permanently in the college. “Okay ako sa Econ. Okay yung community. Mayroong mga first impressions tulad ng stereotype na sinasabi tungkol sa mga taga-Econ pero na-appreciate ko yung differences dito. Magiging dull kasi kung wala ‘yon.” Madz initially applied for the scholarship grant of Marikina Representative Miro Quimbo, husband of our very own Prof. Stella Quimbo, but she had to defer knowing that the grant can end up with somebody else who’s just as worthy. “Nakuha ko kasi yung sa Ecosoc Scholarship Fund and thankful ako doon.” When asked about how she sees herself five years from now, she said she’ll still be studying Economics. She credits the many opportunities she has garnered over the years saying that she wouldn’t be the Madz now without them. “Ang masasabi ko, huwag natin sayangin ang scholarship. ‘Yun yung dahilan kung bakit ako naging hopeful. Kung may tutulong, ay dahil ‘yun sa gusto nila mag-invest sa’yo. Hindi naman sila magsasayang ng tulong.” Truly an Iskolar ng Bayan, Madz is more than what she says she is - a good investment. She serves as an inspiration to many of us especially since her life was also touched by Ecosoc in one helpful way. She is a living, breathing example of our ideals, a testament to our commitment to others. 27

FEATURES

A CULTURE OF OPPRESSION

BY AYLA REYES

hey say when you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything. Apparently people in ecosoc ignore this rule especially when it comes to writing. It is evident in what we write in the logbook and our Echoes issues throughout the years. This time however the jokes and insults have even made its way to more than just the members’ logbook. If we’ve been labeled as having a rape culture in Ecosoc then we have a bullying problem as well. Sure we don’t hear news of deaths from bullying as much in Ecosoc but because it doesn’t happen doesn’t mean no one is getting hurt. What makes it worse is we’re using the things that should be bringing us together to separate us more. From the way we make jokes of each other when we talk, or the way we write in the logbooks and even how we write articles in echoes. We comment on how they look, act, seem and have every possible flaw they could have when most of the time we hardly know those who we talk about. Being the economists we are, we go on assumptions and observations that spread like wildfire without thinking of the repercussions of these actions. These are often delivered in the form of jokes and that’s why it continues to go on. We tolerate it because as long as its not us being made fun of or insulted we think it’s okay. For a while now, the targets of those jokes have been the same and from the initial playful banter it has evolved into insults that are no longer funny. For the most of it, we’re very lucky that the targets of the jokes don’t take it personally and they

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make an even bigger joke about it but not everyone is like that. Not everyone is as resilient and able to deflect these comments about themselves that they take it personally. Is it because no one will ever know who wrote what? The lack of accountability makes it easier to say whatever you want without having the blame on you. Yet who are we to judge? We’re not free of flaws but we call people out for theirs may it be true or not. It’s not fair to do this to anyone especially when the person isn’t close to the one that they’re judging. Yes freedom of speech is in our bill of rights but the things being expressed in the tambayan and our official publication can be interpreted as a representation of our whole organization. If non ecosocers overhear what we are saying in the tambayan and hear those kinds of statements, they might think that’s how we treat each other in Ecosoc. Especially what we write in echoes, these are published online and are

Photograph by GJ Agregado

available for anyone to see. For an outsider to read a copy of echoes like that what kind of character are we showing to them. As an organization Ecosoc is trying to be revolutionary and change its image from being a party org to something more socially relevant and socio civic yet we tend to forget that our members are what represent our organization. We’re tearing each other down and discourage people from being active in our organization if they feel ashamed of showing up at Ecosoc. We start to lose our sense of belonging in Ecosoc to the point that they find it elsewhere and ultimately lose that feeling for Ecosoc. As an organization, we’re supposed to be one and support each other in all aspects. We have to show everyone how much we love Ecosoc through how we treat each other. We’ve already had a few casualties through the years lets start now and work together to show everyone what it truly means to be Ecosoc.

FEATURES

TAMBAYAN:

A Photo Essay BY GJ AGREGADO CAPTIONS BY HORACE CIMAFRANCA

Everyday we enter the tambayan, we talk to our friends, we watch TV we play some cards and we even do some homework, but many a times do we take for granted the little things and the candid moments that happen all around us. We put so much effort into our prodwork but poeple fail to realize the effort behind it. We talk to a lot of people and we share a lot of stories but people are too fast paced to stop and enjoy these little moments. Ah, seniors on their last year. Chill.

In the tambayan, bags rule!

Through photos, we have a chance to capture a split second in time, immortalized it and appreciate it for what a moment can really offer. From the naps we take in the sofas, to the meetings we hold around the tambayan, and even to the laughs that we make over some corny joke, we tried to capture those moments and we put it together in this one collage Be it the cards, the chess, the log books, the last minute home works, the tv shows, the Tekken, the laughs, the cries, the hugs, and yes, maybe even the people; almost always do we tend to take them for granted. As youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re reading this, I suggest that you take a break, sit down, and take some time to look through the photos and realize the many moments we can sometimes miss. With that, here is a photo collage entirely devoted to the little things and the neglected emotions that make our tambayan the special place that it is. Enjoy! Unconventional 1 x 1 shots with your best angle! Left: Pito pouts Right: Migs doing...what the hell is that?!

34â&#x20AC;

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THE

WORKING

PRESIDENT Neil’s next

move life is like a game of cards

Er... yes. People make noise. More people more you’ll never know what the=other noise.

thinks unless he tells you

BAKIT BALIKTAD MAGBASA NG LIBRO ANG MGA PILIPINO? Orgasmic Noodles

Shiver me timbers! Subscribe to Echoes for the sequel

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FEATURES LAST HURRAH FROM THE LOVE MONTH

February, Romance and E.E. Cummings BY DEREK PARRENAS

ebruary is ending. This month of love, also special because of how, in every four years, there is an extra day added to it (just like this year). Hopefully that article I wrote was of good use to you. If it was, then good for you! Really! Well, it wasn’t to me. This is awkward… But it doesn’t matter to me one bit. And why shouldn’t it matter to you? Of course you’ve heard of that almost hackneyed post-modernist and quasi-Marxist phrase that says “Valentine’s Day is a capitalist construct.” If you haven’t, well now you know, as the Pacquiao commercial goes. And thinking about it, it really is a capitalist construct. This whole gift-giving, romantic dinner venture ultimately benefits them. Although maybe you cut down that tree in your backyard and carved it into a life-sized statue of your lover. (Then maybe that statement doesn’t apply to you. Still, read on.) Jesus, you could argue with me that the money that was used to purchase those gifts and dinners were products of love. However, think about it. Almost everything you enjoy is bought, especially since, y’know, you live in the city, the metro, as they say.

hmmm… capitalist society. Cause it’s a capitalist society. If we lived in a socialist or communist society, I’d be singing a different tune. Sure, love is becoming a commodity nowadays. Like when advertisements feature love or sex or whatnot. I don’t like it, but it sells, as they say. It’s not our fault that it’s an emotion that is easily relatable. Writing about love is alright, and I do it too, just like last month. What really degrades it though has to be the fact that it’s sometimes used brainlessly as a tactic to sell things. There is a tasteful way to use it, but what’s taste nowadays? That’s a different discussion. Sad to say, I’m not siding with those who use that statement, of it being a capitalist construct. Buy gifts, everyone, it’s fine. Well, what was the last gift you got for any Valentine’s? Nothing? Don’t worry, you’re not alone, me too. (Well, I’m a guy and I don’t think guys are given gifts?) Yet, what was the last gift you ever got? It doesn’t matter what it is, a gift is a gift. A free lunch, a doughnut, a pair of socks, a bra. All those count, even the small things. And why should they take any less value compared to a gift given on Valentine’s or Christmas or Hanukah-if you’re into that sort of thing? A gift is a gift and love is love, any day of the year. and love is love, any day of the year.

So let’s see, buying is commonplace now in this…

Photo by GJ Agregado

I like my body when it is with your body. It is so quite a new thing. Now, you’re probably thinking, what is that horribly written line doing in the middle of the article (It’s by E.E. Cummings). Don’t worry, Raphael Dantes didn’t come here and massacre the thing (He’s back, ladies and gentlemen). I put that there on purpose to prove a point. It’s reminiscent of adolescent infatuation, you know, the neurotic kind that can’t seem to keep you from thinking about that person. The very first time you ever have fallen in love. Now, this might just be me, but I remember from my early adolescent days those powerful afternoons of the summer that kinda have their own smell. I can’t quite put a name on it. It’s like you’ve finally woken up, finding yourself in a strange body with alien feelings. The setting sun seemed so much kinder back then. And that’s when you actually experience that thing, love.

WERE YOU INFORMED?

Maybe you remember whom you had a crush on for the first time. I do. But I’m not selfish enough to dedicate a whole article to whoever that wasprobably too boring for you anyway. Did that happen on Valentine’s Day? Did you suddenly like someone on Valentine’s Day? I don’t think so, although the Survey reveals Ecosoc to be least probability that it happened on Valentine’s is there. informed org in Econ It probably has the same probability of happening on BENEDICT BISMARK any,BY other day. So tell me, why on Earth is Valentine’s special to you? You don’t have to conform to it, it’s not a special day for you. Remember all holidays are in commemoration of something important in history, 38

so why not have your own personal holidays? I have my own. Hell, I’m writing this a day before one of them. It’s no different really from how the University commemorates its founding. Or how fans of Star Wars mark a certain date for the anniversary of the release of the first movie. Seriously, if you want to celebrate a day just to remember the day when your dog started to actually act toilet-trained, then go ahead. If it makes you feel better about yourself, I have no qualms about it. Just, if your neighbors start looking at you weirdly when you start singing with your dog, that’s your problem. If you’re happy then I’m happy. I guess. Who are you anyway? Nevermind. Pablo Neruda wrote “Tonight I can write the saddest lines. Write, for example, ‘the night is shattered and the blue stars shiver in the distance.’” Well, do you know what date is that tonight he’s talking about? You don’t know. He’s probably the only one who can recall that night. All I’m trying to say is, if it means that much to you, celebrate it like you celebrate your birthday. Remember it. Cherish it. Nothing should take away the happiness of remembering a certain date special to you. I’m not trying to sound like a quotable quote or something, it’s just that, that’s the only way I can put it. And what of romance? We’ve all been lonely, one way or another. No use thinking about it. Everybody goes through it.

FEATURES ON A SIMILAR NOTE...

Hallmark Love BY CAMILLE CRUZ

“Romantic love is socially constructed.”

hose were the five words my high school music professor uttered one day in class, and I can honestly say that it got me thinking. What if the Hallmark company (with their colorful selection of romantic cards) has been ripping people off with this false idea of love all along? What if romantic love is merely the creation of Hollywood soap opera writers to generate profit? And what if those heart shaped chocolate boxes, love songs and flowers are really just created by merchants for the sole purpose of earning money? The idea of romantic love, according to that professor, is just a product of consumerism; and as a result, we have continuously been falling for something that really does not scientifically or biologically exist. In spite of this, you see couples around the school hallways showing the world how “deeply in love” they are. Instead of insisting that Valentine’s Day is strictly a commercial celebration, they tell you that they do it because they deeply care for their partners and they would do anything to make their day special. The purchasing of all those heart-shaped red or pink merchandise, according to these people, is because

of romantic love (contrary to the completely opposite idea my music professor suggested). These people strongly believe that romantic love is real, and perhaps their companionship and public displays of affection are evidences of its existence. I guess this is why when two people are “meant to be with each other,” people say they have good “chemistry”, an otherwise scientific term. The visible signs of happiness make it seem as though this type of situation is what is ideal and most desirable for everyone else. It makes some people believe that perhaps the beautiful endings in romantic comedies are not merely created by a bunch of scriptwriters, but are actually inspired by people who have gone through the beautiful and idealistic concept of “romantic love”. Because of the joys of those who are in this type of relationship, it makes a large number of people (mostly adolescent girls) crave to be in one as well. The quest to find an ideal mate stems from the hope to create an idyllic relationship. Perhaps the existence of unnecessarily high expectations or standards can be attributed to the hope of some people to be part of a dreamy, beautiful “romance”. The hope that one day a “soul mate” or a Prince Charming will come into their lives is a frequent topic among girl barkadas 39

(admittedly this type of topic is something I talk about with my friends on a day to day basis). It is almost laughable when I remember how my friends and I admired the Jonas Brothers and how we genuinely thought we had legitimate chances of ending up with them. I guess this is why some people become awkward around the people whom they fancy. People who are normally confident stutter and break a sweat when faced with the so-called “boy or girl of his or her dreams,” because the idea of “not being good enough” for the person desired is a fear that is inside the minds of many single people. The nervousness that comes with seeing one’s supposed “crush” can be linked not just to insecurity of oneself, but the fear of destroying one’s chances of being with the person of his or her dreams. Somehow wishing so much to be in a relationship creates fear of being alone as well. The idea of being single forever is something that most would never see as something good. Being an “old maid” is usually seen as more dreadful than anything else concerning the future. Single people are pressured into finding their future partners, and they are usually observed to show disappointment with themselves and other people when they are not able to. You hear tons of females showing their bitterness in social networking

sites (of course, most especially Tumblr) about February 14 actually being S.A.D or Single Awareness Day. I hear one of my close friends very frequently complain about how she has no boyfriend and how she will end up single and alone with nine cats. Amusing as those may have sounded; it just goes to show how important romantic love is to single people as well. The desperation of some to be in a relationship can be funny, but sometimes it is also sad and quite pitiful. With the different situations taken into consideration, it is obvious that each person, regardless of his or her relationship status, is involved in the growth and evolution of romantic love. The so-called “taken people” and those as well who hope to be taken look at love and believe that it exists within them and in society. Seeing the actions of people, it again raises the question: Is romantic love merely a product of the Hallmark corporation and other merchants? Are people simply being fools believing a concept that they themselves might have created? I guess the answer is, whether or not love is socially constructed, it may not be totally, but the social construct surely does matter. For better or for worse, romantic love is something that will be with us for a very long time. The sweaty palms, the rapid heartbeats and irrational actions of people can attest to that.

Photo: Horace Cimafranca

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Ang

Pagtutunggali NI BEA BAYUDAN

Tila pati ang panahon ngayong nakaraang araw ay naayon sa init ng halalang USC ng kasalukuyang taon – matindi. Panahon na naman kung kailan naglipana ang mga kartel at paskil na nagdedetalye ng iba’t-ibang plano para sa unibersidad at kolehiyo. Panahon na naman kung kailan kahit isang simpleng bagay tulad ng kulay ang nagpapahiwatig ng iyong katapatan at ideyolohiya. Sa ating unibersidad ang mga partidong asul at pula ang kilalang oposisyon, asul bilang Alyansa at pula bilang Stand UP. Sa ating sariling kolehiyo, ang School of Economics, ay may napagka-ugalian nang ihalal ang mga miyembro ng Alyansa, kaya’t isang sorpresa ang natanggap ng Econ nang tumakbo ang isa nitong estudyante sa ilalim ng partidong Stand UP – isang makasaysayang bagay sapagkat ito ang unang tunggalian ng Alyansa at Stand UP na direktang nauukol kolehiyo. Inihahandog ngayon ng Echoes ang isang panayam sa dalawang naglalabang kandidato para sa posisyong Econ rep to the USC, dalawang partido, dalawang lider, dalawang Ecosocer. Ang mga kandidato: Darrell Magsambol, 2nd Year – BS Economics Enrico “Miko” Gloria, 3rd Year – BS Economics Bakit mo napagpasyahang tumakbo bilang Econ rep to the USC? Planado na ba ito noon pa, o isa ba itong bagay na kamakailan mo lang napag-isipan? Sino ang mga taong naging impluwensiya sa iyong desisyon? Darrell: Noong una, gusto ko lang talaga mapabilang sa student council uli. Ngunit habang tumatagal mas nakita ko yung pangangailangan na mabigyan ng boses ang mag-aaral sa Econ. At dahil interesado rin naman talaga ako sa mga isyu ng bayan tulad ng conditional cash transfer program at isyu ng unibersidad tulad ng pagpapatibay ng STFAP, napagpasyahan kong tumakbo bilang econ rep. nabigyan ako ng inspirasyon ng mga nakasama ko sa kasalukuyang student council, sinadya man nila

o hindi, na mas palawakin yung responsibilidad ko at ipakita na kaya ng isang normal na estudyante na mamuno at magsilbi. Miko: Una sa lahat kasi, ang plano ko naman talaga na ngayong taon, pagbalik na pagbalik from our Christmas break, magfocus sa research at palawakin at paunlarin ang pag-aaral kasi gusto rin nating maging cum laude sana. Gusto ko talagang magturo dito sa University, magturo ng political science at makukuha lang natin yung will na iyon kung maganda ang track record mo as a student. Pero napagisip-isip ko na lumapit din sa akin yung mga miyembro ng Stand UP at inaanyayahan akong tumakbo for Econ Rep. Talagang ayoko, nung una, kasi nakaplano na diba? Siguro, napag-isip-isip ko na panahon na may

mamuno dito sa School of Economics, yung isang Econ Rep na talagang irerepresent yung stand ng ekonomista ng bayan, at talagang magso-show ng potential ng Econ students. Gusto ko talagang magsilbi dito sa School of Economics at sa lipunan na rin, dahil part ng society ang School of Economics. I think na yung pagtakbo natin sa konseho – kasi diba yung konseho naman yung pinakamalaking bargaining unit ng mga estudyante at ng iba’t ibang sector ng lipunan dito sa UP community. Gusto nating makuha yung posisyong iyon dahil yun yung pinakaefficient na paraan para makapag-serve ka di lang sa Econ students, ngunit sa mas malawak na tao dito sa ating lipunan. [sa mga taong naging impluwensiya] Ang bayan! Char. Siguro yung mga kaibigan natin sa higher batches kasi kinonsulta ko naman talaga sila, kasi firstly I was planning to run for batch rep. Mas local yung focus, siguro, mas kaunti yung trabaho,

lumaban para sa tama, at manindigan ayon sa hinaing ng mga nirerepresenta ko.

pero yun nga, nung ikinonsulta natin sa kanila, sinabi rin nila na sundin ko raw talaga yung gusto ko. Ano ba yung gusto natin? Yung makapagsilbi nga hindi lang sa Econ students pero sa buong university na rin.

being a Stand UP member and and an Econ student at the same time, and being open-minded sa mga bagay. Iyan din siguro yung weakness natin. Bilang miyembro ka ng Stand UP, may mga students dito sa School of Economics na di masyado, kasi yung pagiging Stand UP di masyadong popular dito sa School of Economics. Baka maging hindrance iyon sa pagrelay ng information sa mga estudyante ng Econ, pero susubukan nating malagpasan yung ganoong pagsubok. Ang pagiging Econ student ko at Stand UP, both a strength and a weakness.

Ano ang iyong mga kalakasan at kahinaan bilang isang lider? Darrell: Hangga’t maari, gusto kong marinig ang komento at suhestyon ng mga pinamumunan ko. Minsan dahil dito tumatagal ang mga pag-uusap; maaring isa ito sa mga kahinaan ko. Isa sa mga kalakasan ko bilang loder ay meron akong abilidad na ilagay yung pag-iisip ko sa kinalalagyan ko ng mga kasama ko. Kaya ko kumilatis ng mga oportunidad,

Miko: I am an Econ student, but I am also a member of Stand UP. Since history alam naman ng lahat na yung dalawa ay hindi masyadong mapag-ugnay, at wala talagang koneksyon. Siguro I am now the living example of that connection, na kung papayagan akong ma-elect, magkakaroon talaga ng koneksyon yung mga principles. Siguro yun yung pinakastrength natin na kaya nating mag-accept ng iba’t ibang principles labas pa sa natutunan natin dito sa School of Economics. Alam natin yung mga theories natin, for efficiency siya, for economic efficiency, pero yung Stand UP naniniwala na you have to combine efficiency with equality. At doon lalabas yung pagkalawak ng mga prinsipyo natin at pagiging open-minded natin sa lahat ng bagay. So basically,

Ano sa tingin mo ang kailangang baguhin ng SE, kung mayroon man, bilang isang kolehiyo? Sa palagay mo ba ay may pagkakakilanlan talaga ang

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SE na may kaugnayan sa USC? Bilang Econ Rep to the USC, sakaling maihalal, tutugunan mo ba ito at paano? Darrell: Hmm, wala naman. okay naman yung econ eh. ang maganda sa ‘tin kritikal tayo mag-isip at marunong talaga tayo sumuri, mapa-tao man ‘yan, o usapin. ‘Yung mga puntong sinasabi natin may pinanggagalingan talaga, may laman, makatotohanan. mas realistic imbis na idealistic. Bilang Econ Rep, tungkulin ko na maayos na maipaghayag at maisabuhay na rin yung mga katangian na ‘to. higit pa, tunay na magkokonsulta tayo ng mga estudyante at yun talaga yung ipaparating natin sa USC. Gusto ko na pagkatapos ng termino ko, gamay na gamay na mg mga taga-Econ ang mga kaganapan at mga kaugalian sa USC at mas lalo na, malaman ng unibersidad na may ibubuga talaga tayong mga ekonomista pagdating sa mga isyu ng lipunan. Miko: Oo naman, yun naman talaga yung main goal natin kaya tayo tumatakbo bilang Econ Rep to the USC kasi gusto nating baguhin hindi lang yung pagtingin sa atin ng estudyante sa labas, pero kung ano yung kasalukuyang nagiging role natin sa university. Yun talaga yung main goal ko kung ba’t ako tumakbo, kasi nakikita natin na masyado tayong nagfo-focus sa organizational and academic excellence. Sana macomplement pa natin ang org and acad excellence sa pamamagitan ng pagiging socially relevant sa labas ng ating kolehiyo. Ang pagbabagong ito magsisimula sa taong ito kung papalaring maging Econ rep to the USC kasi nais natin makilala naman tayo sa labas ng ating kolehiyo sa pamamagitan ng ating pagsuri at pagsali sa malawak na hanay ng estudyante na nakikipaglaban din sa karapatang iyon. Pinili ninyong dalawa na tumakbo sa ilalim ng partidong kilalang-kilala na magkalaban. Kung titingnan, nasa Alyansa ang boto ng Econ. Malaking bagay ba ito sa iyong pangangampanya? Darrell, sa tingin mo ba, bilang isang shiftee, sapat na ang nakaraang taon sa iyo para makilala kang Econ?

Miko, bilang miyembro ng Stand UP, hadlang ba ito? Paano? Darrell: Make-or-break talaga yung pagpanig ko sa alyansa. Oo, nananalo nga dati yung mga kandidato nila sa Econ pero seryosong usapan na rin kasi kung panahon na ba para sa pagbabago. isa itong hamon na pinili kong tahakin. gusto kong patunayan na tama ang pagpili sa alyansa at sa mga pinaniniwalaan nito noong nagdaang ngunit anuman ang mangyayari, ang mahalaga sa ‘kin, pinaglaban ko yung prinsipyo ko; na oo, di ko mo ko makikitang magmamartsa sa mendiola, pero aktibista ako. pinaglalaban ko yung mga sa tingin kong tama. inaalam ko yung mga nangyayari sa bansa. aktibo ako sa pagsasaliksik. matindi yung pagnanais ko na mapasa yung RH bill, halimbawa, kasi higit sa pagsusulong ng family planning, isang porma ito sa mga kababaihan. noong sophie batchrep ako, pinatunayan ko na alam ko kung paano magrepresenta. sa bawat council meeting, ang ipinaparating naming opinyon ay hango sa opinyon ng aming batchmates. higit sa pagrepresenta napakita ko na may kakayahan akong magsulong ng mga konkretong proyekto. bukod sa mga batch bondings at pagbebenta ng batch shirts, nagkaroon ng mas magandang electives 101 at naisagawa ang unang econ career talk. at sa halip na isiping kahinaan, sa tingin ko mas makakabuti pa sa pamumuno bilang econ rep ang katotohanang nanggaling ako sa cssp, na oo, mabuting gamitin ang econ lessons and principles, pero di ako nakukulong diyan, meron akong political science background na maaring sandalan at gamitin sa oras na kailangan. Miko: Siguro kung hindi ako kilala bilang Miko Gloria, yung Miko Gloria na ayun, feel ko magiging factor talaga na nagru-run ako under Stand UP. Nakikita naman ako dito sa Econ, so hindi naman masyadong nagiging factor yung pagiging Stand UP, pero malaki pa rin ito. Hindi natin maipagkakaila na sa hinabahaba ng panahon, isa itong blue country, at siguro naninibago yung mga estudyante ng School of Economics sa tuwing nakakita sila ng naka-pulang

kandidato. So oo, sa isang banda, isa siyang hindrance, kasi mahirap na maipaabot sa mga estudyante yung mensahe na gusto nating maglingkod ng tunay just because you are running under an unpopular or underdog party. Sa kabilang banda din, isa itong advantage kasi may ibang estudyante diyan na gusto ring makaranas ng ibang uri ng pamumuno at makikita nila iyon sa isang Econ Rep na tumatakbo sa ilalim ng Stand UP, at sana, doon sila sa latter pumanig, na gusto nila ng bago, na Stand UP naman, at iluklok tayo sa USC. Parang stalemate din eh, both a disadvantage and advantage. Ano ang iyong mensahe o payo sa kapwa kandidato mo? Darrell: Tayo ang USC. Miko: Galingan niya lang campaign, at sana, kahit sa amin, kasi isa lang rin palabok na sinasabi namin

sa remaining days ng sino man ang manalo naman talaga. Kung sa sa inyo, sa mga GPOA

at SPOA na inilalatag namin sa inyo, isa lang naman ang patutungahan niyan at yun yung mag-serve sa estudyante ng School of Economics at sa university. Sana ganoon nga talaga yung gawin niya sakaling siya nga yung manalo. Ang mapapayo ko sa kanya ay maging tapat sana siya sa panata ng isang Econ rep na tunay na marepresent yung mga estudyante ng School of Economics sa USC. Sana maging tapat din siya sa mga panawagan ng bawat estudyante na tunay na makapagsilbi sa bayan, kasi sa bayan naman talaga dapat tayo magsilbi bilang mga Iskolar ng Bayan. At sana, kung matalo man ang isa sa amin, sana maging active pa rin siya dito sa School of Economics, dahil active naman nga talaga si Darrell, di lang sa SESC. Kapag natalo siya, huwag sanang mag-give up na hindi na tumakbo next year, dahil bata pa nga siya, marami pa siyang opportunities na daratnan. In a nutshell yung maipapayo ko kay Darrell ay maging tapat sa panata sa estudyante na paglingkuran hindi lang yung mga estudyante ng School of Economics at UP Diliman, kundi yung sambayanan.

*Ang dalawang kandidato ay hindi nakapanayam nang sabay. Mayroon ring mga bahagi ng panayam na hindi na isinama dahil sa limitado ang espasyong nakalaan para sa artikulong ito.

44â&#x20AC;

Echoes.PH

What’s at stake?

A short cost-benefit analysis of the USC elections BY PAOLO TAMASE

The University Student Council (USC) election is an annual spectacle that captures the attention of the entire community. At the beginning of every calendar year, students take a break from the monotony of academic life to listen to room-to-room campaigns, pour over flyers, attend forums (such as our very own

economic returns and outlays that are required by the project. Furthermore, if the project is a societal activity, such as our USC elections, the benefits and costs to society must be considered.

UPfront), and on a single, fateful day, cast their votes. But is all of this necessary? What separates economists from other social scientists is our obsession with efficiency; this involves cutting-off any practice whose costs exceed the value derived. And so, at least in this article, we put our own USC elections up the pedestal and assess it as if we were deciding on its fate, using an important economic tool.

be undertaken if the resulting difference between benefits and costs—the Net Present Value (NPV)—is positive, i.e. it will net a return on the funds invested. A real CBA would involve an estimation of the financial equivalents of economic benefits and costs in order to arrive at the most informative NPV possible; however, we do not have the luxury of time and space to conduct a rigorous analysis, and so we proceed with a very crude version of a CBA, where we simply list the most relevant economic costs and benefits of the USC elections, and use a qualitative understanding to net the two factors.

In a nutshell, a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is a process where the present value of a project’s total benefits is matched against the present value of its total costs. Benefits and costs refer not only to financial figures, but to total economic value, including externalities. Also, in evaluating the project, we include all future

If the project in question has no alternatives, it can

The explicit economic costs of the elections are numerous. On the part of the university, there are the (taxpayer-provided) funds spent for electionday expenses and university personnel man-hours 45

Photo by GJ Agregado

spent on setting-up common poster areas, computer laboratories, and electoral boards; for the candidates, thousands of pesos are spent on campaign materials and rentals for the different party headquarters. Implicit costs include the environmental impact of flyers, the reduction in lecture times, and the loss of productivity of students who cut classes to campaign, or who reallocate their study time to listen to candidates, read platforms, and even join endless discussions over Facebook and peyups.com. It goes without saying that the USC elections carry huge economic costs—financial or otherwise—for the Diliman community and its members. On the benefits side, the main theoretical output of this democratic exercise is a functional USC that will be able to represent the views and concerns of the student body, as well as sponsor projects that forward student welfare. The benefits also include several positive spillovers or unintended consequences. For the voters, it includes an education on the vitality of the democratic process, the exposure to social and national issues, and even the improvement of criticalthinking and decision-making skills; for society atlarge, the elected USC also often brings to light several social problems to the media and concerned bodies such as Congress. More importantly, many of these aforementioned benefits accrue in the future, and over a long period of time, may even result to more

positive externalities (such as active citizenship). On a lighter note, the campaign spending also helps the photocopiers in the shopping center and three lucky apartments along Maginhawa St., which the major parties rent for their headquarters. Based on the above listing alone, the benefits of the USC elections, in theory, outweigh its costs. The reality, of course, is not all benefits are realized. The incredible partisanship often results to a dysfunctional USC that gets very little work done outside of the UP Fair and the University Job Fair (both of which are actually heavily-supported by student organizations). Moreover, the prevailing interests of special interest groups, including but not limited to organizations and fraternities, often results to a scenario where their welfare is prioritized ahead of the general electorate—in the past, the elevation of these special interests have allegedly given way to USC funds being siphoned to extra-campus militant organizations, or to the rise of fraternities who lord over the university community. At least for this year, most of the costs—explicit and implicit—have already been expensed. The next USC, therefore, must do its best to ensure that all potential benefits of the elections are realized.

Echoes.PH

FEATURES ON A HIGH FROM LITNIGHT

THE FINAL INTRODUCTION BY JR NEPOMUCENO

The end.

Call me morbid for starting with the end in mind, but isn’t that what’s always been taught to us since we were young? Of course it was worded differently, with phrases like “ follow your dreams” or “reach for your goals” or whatever similar transformation of the same concept, that which is the end. Blame the contemporary 2012 vibes for my bluntness, for I have been stricken with the atmosphere of fatalism rampant in our world today, with various ads and memes around us bearing the message of an upcoming end. But to what end? Are we being warned of an ultimate apocalypse that will rain unspeakable horrors of destruction upon the universe? I mean, we were already introduced to this concept even when we were too young to understand it! I’m here, not to preach about such beliefs, that sort of thing is reserved for another composition. It matters not really, whether or not this so-called armageddon

is coming...I mean one way or another our story, each of the lives we narrate from the moment we open our eyes, will reach an inevitable end, or some form of it ( I can sense some pilosopos who will counter-argue me, so yeah, “SOME FORM OF IT.”) I used to think, back in 2006 that High School would end slowly, contrary to what I had been incessantly told, and here I am, writing this article for Echoes as a sophomore in UPSE. Someone go back in time and troll-face my kid version. In a few more sentences, this very article will be but another file in your stockknowledge of the non-economics part of your cranium. But should knowledge of the coming end, stop us? Despair has never been the path to take people. If our heroes chose to wallow in grief and give in to their weaknesses, I’ll bet we’d be joining the Arabs in their spring from dictatorships. Albeit they died for their actions, heroes are remembered with zeal and honor in mind. They may have had their own little issues in the past, but they are remembered with honor and pride for what great deeds they had done. Call to mind Rizal; he may have had misgivings with his romances, but he IS our 47

FEATURES Photo by GJ Agregado

Now, I’m not saying you have to die for your country to be remembered, nor am I saying that you should party hard because the end of all things is coming close. I would just like you to introduce yourself to me. Yes, simple isn’t it? Well not really, considering that maybe, just maybe, you put the PRO in Procrastination in finishing your responsibilities...I really hope that you finished all your homework by now. Which brings me to what I really want you to understand given all the stuff I’ve written until this point. (cue inspirational music)

The arrival of the end, is not an excuse for us to WASTE our lives on choices that we know would yield ends we would come to regret. If people have been branding you a failure in life, it’s finally time to prove them wrong. Certainly you might think that your efforts in pursuing an uno may be futile with such a biasedagainst-males professor, or that lifting a 10 lb weight would not cancel out the effect of eating that 10 lb. pizza you ate last week. Maybe you’ll get what you’re dreaming of, or maybe not. What matters however, is that you tried reaching for it, and that even if you’ve tried to be humble, people will remember you for it, and in the longshot would get inspired to do the same or better than you. Let’s face it, there really is a lot of uncertainty we can only muse about.

Ask yourself: “How do I want to be remembered, such that if were introduced, I’ll be someone affiliated with honor and excellence?” I mean, we ARE introduced as students of THE University of the Philippines, who put honor and excellence in what they do.

Next time you’re asked to introduce yourself, I do hope that, after reading this explicit musing of mine, you’ll do so with a ring of honor and excellence somewhere in your choice of words.

Echoes.PH

Culture

Film | Travel | Fashion | Entertainment | Gossip

Photo by GJ Agregado

CULTURE

Travel

Itchy Feet in Chinatown BY REUEL REALIN

t is usually in the streets of Ongpin that people, both locals and tourists, venture into to celebrate the Chinese New Year. After all, the whole length of Ongpin is lined with red Chinese lanterns, vendors barking their wares of tikoy and hopia, and children clad in the traditional qipao and changpao running through the streets. Tour groups are a common sight around this time; bundled crowds of 5 or more people with a tour guide, usually someone with a Chinese descent who has lived in Binondo. A tour of the Chinese district leaves any day tripper an understanding of Binondo’s historical and cultural heritage; from the granite façade and baroque architecture of the Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz to the infusion of catholic and chinese cultures as can be seen in a street shrine which has a crucifix adorned by leis of white flowers laced with red ribbons and the striking aroma of newly lit incense sticks, a whiff of which may be enough to cause a brief bout of dizziness. The streets themselves have a story to tell, adjusting to the times, the names reflecting changes in ownership of the buildings it encapsulates, and even to a certain extent, the reach of political strengths and struggles of certain factions. While tour guides are able to provide an encompassing and sufficient view of the district, a city tour may prove to be second best and quite dragging for the quick footed traveler. After all, there will be as much tour guides as there are tourists, but most of the time, it only takes oneself to fully grasp and bask in the experience of discovering any place. Binondo, at the time of the Lunar New Year, makes all the jostling and drowning into the crowd worth it even if it means getting lost in one way or another. Diverging from Ongpin and into the zigzagging side streets of Chinatown, the lost traveler finds unique shops and experiences festivities that

are not usually done in heavily crowded places. In the distance, the sound of firecrackers breaks the silence of a silent street in Binondo. The side walk vendors do not seem to mind the commonplace sounds of exploding fire crackers; after all, as the Chinese New Year arrives at every businessman’s doorstep, each welcomes it with a barrage of noise and vividly colored dragons. Heavily lined with hardware shops and home accessories, the street of Soler has shops that have yet to open for the day. Chancing upon a hardware store where a small crowd has begun to gather, the unwary traveler may find himself in the middle of the crowd, innocently snapping away photos of performers waiting for the signal to start. At that point, a man clad in a red shirt with white Chinese markings sounds the cymbals. A dragon dance begins. A steady beating of the drum leaves a pounding in one’s chest as the dragons come into view, dancing as the drummer strikes a heavy but well-placed beat. A pair of gold-yellow dragons with red and white tassels moves fluidly through the crowd, jumping over the string of unlit firecrackers which lay on road in front of the general merchandise store. Seemingly they bow towards the open establishment, advancing and retreating to the beat of the drum, inspiring luck to bid well and reside in the tore throughout the rest of the year. After circling the store, the gold-yellow pair retreats as another pair, redwhite and black lined with golden tassels, advances, taking over the façade of the store. Movement is noticed in the crowd as the drums hastened pace, the people sensing something is about to happen. A flurry of children suddenly clamors on the sidewalk the source of the commotion being the red dragons flashing their golden streaks and tossing a generous Echoes.PH

amount of sweets on the sidewalk as they retreated. As the four dragons merge on the street, everything is at a standstill; vehicles caught in the middle of the street performance stop, the crowd backs away, and a foreigner raises his camera preparing for the climax of

that of the formation of a ball of fire which lasted for a short moment. Bystanders feel the heat emitted from the fire, a sudden rush of thrill and droplets of perspiration fall down their foreheads. The street performers did not perform without a price though, a

the dance. The dragons “rest” on the street, preparing for their “final descent”. First, the dragons engage in a playful squabble, pouncing upon each other and circling as their mouth flaps closed and open, eyes blinking with ferocity. Then without a warning, sparks begin to fly. The firecrackers which peacefully lay on the street awakened with a burst of fury. Gray smoke and debris scatter around as the dragons, impervious to the explosions, dance closer and closer to the fireworks, dancing and prancing without care. For the bystander, failing to fall back means temporary deafness and ringing in the ear, constant wheezing and coughing as you inhale the overpowering smoke and smell from the fireworks. The explosions ended with a splitsecond of silence then a loud bang, the four dragons creating a formation in front of the store, the red ones behind the yellow, and with a final movement, the performers end with a dragon head nod and a bow. As the dragon dance ended and the crowd gradually dispersing, the aftermath of this tradition,

red ampao envelope was passed as they performed, the crowd pitching in spare change as contribution. In the nooks and crannies of Binondo stumbling upon a quaint Chinese shop is fascinating, but learning that the quaint Chinese Shop has been considered as one of the oldest restaurants in the district is just pure amazing and can leave you awestruck. Sun Wah Restaurant and its counterpart, Ambos Mundos, have been noted to have big black boars lying in front of their respective restaurants. One can initially assume that there can be a rivalry between the two restaurants, but upon a brief conversation with the waiters in the restaurant, it is found that both merged as a result of the marriage between its owning families. The boars were somehow a sign of prosperity and good luck for the family, thus adorns the façade of both restaurants. In the end a trip to the Chinese district leaves the misplaced traveler a lesson or two. Taking the opportunity to explore the unfrequented and seemingly uninteresting places may actually put a spice or two to the travelling experience. It’s not every

and probably reflective of the aftermath of the whole New Year celebration, can be seen. Debris from the previous evening’s New Year celebration lined up the side streets in piles; bits and bobs of firecrackers and shredded paper cluttering street canals, fruit and candy wrappers adding up to the heap. Pursing to explore further the streets of Binondo, the unsuspecting traveler might chance upon another group of street performers. Fire breathers are spread all throughout the district, complete with their costumes and torches of fire. Their costumes reflected their creativity, and while scantily-clad, their faces are adorned with make-up. Under the heat, they performed their fire-breathing acts, some of which proved quite dangerous to crowded places such as

day that you find yourself in the middle of a crowd and wondering where you are and eventually ending up swept to the side streets of an unfamiliar district; to have the audacity to walk down an unknown alley which are lined up by towering buildings, locals looking at you with questioning stares, you asking yourself if you’ve overstepped a sort of boundary as you bite down the fried siopao you just purchased. As the journey closes, the misplaced traveler finds that losing sight of the road most traveled might have been the experience that he was exactly looking for, with the sound of firecrackers breaking the lonely silence and the aromatic scent of incense burning at the corner of the street.

CULTURE

Film

The Artist and the silence that was lost in time BY RALPH DANTES I approached The Artist with the same fervor the silent film era had for flappers and philosophers. After watching Michel Hazanavicius’s lighthearted and exuberant French silent movie The Artist, I found myself thinking of Clara Bow’s luminous presence in the runaway silent era hits, Wings, the Oscar’s first and until The Artist’s win, only silent film best picture winner and It, a supremely entertaining—the way Mean Girls is to our generation—pop culture classic. In It, the cheeky and sexy appropriation of the Cinderella archetype, Clara Bow was the flame that coursed through the rebellious spirit of the roaring twenties. This was the film that would ingrain the phrase “it girl” permanently into English lexicon. I thought as well of Charlie Chaplin’s well-loved satirical shenanigans, of

alone. From the beginning, the silent cinema was an art devoted to physical risk and to primitive passions, to rage, lust, ambition, and obsession—silence made emotions more extreme in many ways—and it yielded obsession in its huge audience. The Artist, a likable tribute, doesn’t completely immerse itself in that world of ambition and madness—it’s sexless and admittedly simple. For all its genuine charm, it’s certainly not the vision of wild and grand that many of those other great movies of the time represented.

Greta Garbo’s heavy-lidded sullenness, and of Louise Brook’s lethal erotic charm. In The Artist, there is nothing quite close to the intensity of the work of those actors. The movie’s principals—Jean Dujardin, as George Valentin, a swaggering silent-movie idol who is ruined by the advent of sound, and Bérénice Bejo, as Peppy Miller, the girl from nowhere who loves him and becomes a star herself—are eager, likable performers. But both characters, and both actors, move in a straight line in each scene; they stay, for all intents and purposes, within a single mood. The great silent actors did so much more.

one of those strange windfalls of idealism which sometimes occur in art. The Artist at least has a distinct advantage over the other Weinstein nostalgia fest of 2011, My Week with Marilyn, and that’s Hazanavicius’s cinematographic sensibilities. Whereas Simon Curtis’s flailing piece makes the wrong impression almost immediately, with an opening “film within a film” that’s supposed to be a 1950s movie musical—but looks more like a music video that Madonna would have rejected in the 1980s— Hazanavicius and his competent cinematographer Schiffman, at least have enough sense to craft his “old movie” scenes to look like old movies.

The silent film era stormed the world like a hurricane. As a filmmaking art form, it lasted less than twenty years, from 1912 to 1929, yet more than ten thousand films were produced in that period in the United States

Film enthusiasts should be happy that The Artist exists at all, of course. Even after being nominated for ten Oscars and winning numerous awards from critics’ groups and the guilds, the film still seems arbitrary—

In the routine circuit of contemporary movies— thrillers, action flicks, teen horror films, sensitive adult dramas—“The Artist” stands out as a fresh piece of

Echoes.PH

work. Hazanavicius plays with our sense of how odd silence is; he encroaches on sound like a stealthy predator into the bizarre world of noiselessness. In the movie’s most striking sequence, Valentin has a nightmare: he dreams of a sounding world, but he cannot speak—his screams come out as dry heaves. Apart from a few such brilliant bursts of invention, “The Artist” is an amiably accomplished stunt that puts silent film out for display for a bit and then returns it back into the archive. The silent movies we see in “The Artist” all look like jovial, if not slightly trivial, romps—like how “Singin’ in the Rain” teased us about the silent era nearly sixty years ago. What charms audiences about this genteel film may be the kind of gracious, caring, and well-groomed behavior that Hazanavicius has put on the screen. As far as we can tell, Valentin and Peppy are not lovers. The movie is a sweet, chaste dream of good will, but admittedly, silent movies were rarely about good will and restraint. Silent film is another country. They speak another language—a language of gestures, stares, flapping mouths, halting or skittering walks, and sometimes movements and expressions of infinite intricacy and beauty. The language is all the more difficult to understand because most of us haven’t seen silent movies as they were meant to be seen. The stories of silent drama may often have been elemental, yet artists among the actors could bring out nuances that had no exact substitute in spoken language. Here’s hoping that even while silence will remain dead in contemporary cinema, the ineffable would be reintroduced into filmmaking.

F CULTURE

LIA LONTOC’S

ashown ashownan

Before you read my article, I would like to apologize in advance for my plentiful use of a certain word, but there really is no other word! I’m sure once you’ve gone through the entire thing, your usage of this word will take over your life! Ferowsh is in the air. Can you feel it? No? I suggest you take a ride with Ecosoc’s very own belles de jour (TF sales is selling planners, by the way). I was fortunate enough to be granted a sit down with the three fiercest Ecosocers whom I’d like to call the Ferowsh Council. They are Cyril “Caesar” Tablante, Alvar “Bruno” Santos, and Ralph “RiRi” Dantes. I asked them what makes them so FF (fenomenally ferowsh). Kids, you might wanna take down some notes.

Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me interview you! So, how’s everyone doing? Caesar: Yeah, you’re a lucky betch! Duh! I’m still still ferowsh! Bruno: I’m happy to be here on this fine day. I’m still ferowsh as well teehee! RiRi: Hey guuurrl! And to answer you question, I’m ferowsh. Now and forever. Can I get an Amen? OK. Glad to know, girlashes. First of all, I wanna know what makes a person feeyurs. Caesar: That’s such a hard queschen nemen! Well, I’m fierce so I guess you’d have to become me. Bruno: Bitch, please! Mas fierce ako sa’yo! Tabi nga dyan!

RiRi: Such savages! How dare you put me in a room with these two! I’m obviously above and beyond these childish imbeciles! I AM THE VERY DEFINITION OF FEROWSH. Can I get a hell yeah? Woah woah woah! Kalm you tits, people! Echoes believes that you are all equally ferowsh! You are all beeyoutifull! Anyway, what’s your beauty secret? Why are you so ferowsh? Caesar: I love boat shoes and bright red shirts! But most importantly, it’s all in the attitude, hunneh! Bruno: ‘Cos I know the difference between pumps and stilettos! HAH! I ain’t your ordinary hipster mhmmm.

RiRi: I may be black, but I am a clazzy one. Can I get a whut whut? Who, for you comes close to being ferowsh as you are? Caesar: Only one person comes to mind and that’s DARRELL MAGSAMBOL. Pa-kiss ng luscious lips, babe! Let’s make ferowsh babies! Bruno: I’d say Famamfa. That bitch is classy as fuq! RiRi: Gurl, NO ONE comes even remotely close to my ferowshness. But if I really have to answer that question, I’d say Rihanna! She’s black and proud! Can I get a hallelloo? One last question: what is one accessory you can never be caught dead without? Caesar: You know, you really have a problem with paying attention! Like I said, my ferowsh attitude! Bruno: My suppah ferwosh bonnet teehee! RiRi: Nice bonnet, Bruno! What’s it made of? Bruno: Yo mama’s chest hair! RiRi: NICE! Caesar: That is so fetch! (secretly whispers that it’s the ugliest bonnet I’ve ever seen) RiRi: I, for one, LOVE JUICE BOXES! Can I get a snap snap? That’s awesome! Thank you for answering all of my questions. It’s been very uninformative and useless to my readers. Caesar: No problem, betch! Bruno: Glad to be of no help! RiRi: Anytime sistah! Can I get an AWWYEAAAAH?

FEROWSH! FEROWSH! FEROWSH!

And there you have it. Phew. I thought we weren’t gonna make it through the entire thing! Apparently, there’s a thing as too much ferowshness. That’s probably the last time you’ll ever see those three in one room! Otherwise they might explode of ferocity! Well, that’s about it. Sorry for wasting your time. À bientôt! 43

CULTURE

THEVS.JED

ASIANS HOW RANDOM BY GAB SOLLANO On a late Friday afternoon, our Echoes EIC, Horace Cimafranca, approached me and asked me to write an article for the next issue. I was hesitant at first because articles don’t write themselves; they need to be written by hand or by a computer. But our EIC was persistent to make me, an ordinary man, become a writer and write an article for this issue so here goes nothing. THE JED I had to have a topic, and fast. With the little time I had left before departing the tambayan, I walked around the room, searching for anything that would inspire me. Then, it hit me, Jed Daval-Santos I mean. I stopped and gazed at this majestic creature, and wondered why no one had the decency of writing about him. But my time was running out. I couldn’t observe him much longer for my departure from the tambayan was imminent. Yet much more research about him was required so a plan of action quickly came into mind. Right then and there, I decided that the only way I would learn his craft was to spend a day of following him around without him noticing me. The perfect stalk! 56

The following day, at 6 in the morning, I waited outside his house in Kalookan to see what activities he does for his daily routine. I longed to ring his doorbell but the fear of being noticed would only compromise my position, so I did not see any action upon arriving – only after 8 hours of waiting outside did I see any action. He stepped into his car and drove to a near mall. There, he roamed around the mall. Like a hungry lion searching for prey, he went store to store flirting with salesladies. I did not know why he was doing this but being the researcher that I am, I knew that I had to take down notes about this phenomenon. Finally, he got one; he got a discount from flirting with a saleslady. With this power, he was able to buy a vintage t-shirt for only a quarter of a thousand pesos. I was in awe of him. So this was the secret of The Jed. He was able to attain something unimaginable using only his charm. Later, it was dinner time. He wanted to eat dinner but he forgot to bring a date, so he called this one girl to meet him in a certain exclusive restaurant. They ate

They ate while I ate behind them. The girl kept laughing at his jokes and she never removed the smile from her face, even when chewing her food. I couldn’t believe it; The Jed’s powers were far from what was told to me by legend. Soon, it ended and they went home. I followed the girl going home but she denied from giving me an interview since I lacked the proper ID to conduct any interview. I wasn’t ready to give up just yet so I held her hand but she pushed me and cursed me while going inside her house and locking the door, and that ended my night and my exploration of The Jed. Still, it felt that it was lacking something. The Jed was great but without a competitor, how would his awesomeness show? There was only one way to remedy this. I had to pin him against two worthy rivals, and their names were Louie Wee and Shinichi Ito. I set up a one-on-one interview with both of them to give me insights about what are the mythical powers that the Chinese and the Japanese have that would rival the powers possessed by The Jed himself. I had to cut their parts short

since the space provided to me was insufficient but here are the good parts of their interview. Q: What is good about being Chinese/Japanese? Louie: Well, everywhere you go, there is always a Chinatown. I guess that’s because women always want to stuff their mouths with a Chinese chorizo in the middle of the night. Shinichi: It is said that Japanese men are very passionate about our work. When one asks Geisha if they are more entertained with foreigners or locals and all of them would answer that no one satisfies them more than Japanese men. Q: What’s your secret? Louie: When I was young, I was a bit by a butterfly on both eyes and it gave me the power of charm. I could sweet talk my way through anything and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Of course, it came with a price. Look at me, my eyes have become chinky because of the bites but I’m not complaining. Shinichi: Ancient folklore tells of a child descending from the heavens to give happiness to a couple wanting a child they could call their own. Today, Shinichi is telling you that Shinichi is that child. Q: What makes you better than The Jed? Louie: The better question is ‘why is The Jed better than me’? You know, it is still one of the greatest mysteries of mankind ‘til today, and no one has dared to answer it because it legend has it that it has the ability to give you a stroke. Shinichi: Physically, Shinichi is bigger, stronger and more handsome than The Jed. You have dishonored me by comparing me with him. (He walked out after.) Now, if you feel a sudden urge to date one or all of these men after reading this article, it is perfectly normal. I cannot blame you for being persuaded by how legendary Louie, Shinichi or Jed are or how magnificent my writing style is, you decide but I think the latter bears a greater weight on this matter.

JED WITH THE SALESLADIES

Note: No one was harmed in the production of this article. All facts mentioned may or may not be true. Reader discretion is advised. 45

CULTURE

STANDARD DEFINITION A LIBERAL VIEW ON LIFE BY WOMEN, FOR WOMEN

A love song for every girl lover BY ISSAY VILLANUEVA

Where Are You (Natalie)

We Found Love in a Hopeless Place (Rihanna)

I’m staring out at the sky (I see you baby) Praying that he will walk in my life Where is the man of my dreams (right here) yea-yeah I’ll wait forever, how silly it seems

Yellow diamonds in the light And we’re standing side by side As your shadow crosses mine What it takes to come alive. It’s the way I’m feeling I just can’t deny But I’ve gotta let it go

Aww. single pa din, teh? Dumaan na naman ang Valentine’s pero wala ka pa ring date. Ilang taon ka na ding naghihintay na magkaroon ng tatawagin na “Baby” or “Sweetheart”. Nag-college ka na at lahat pero wala pa din. Okay lang ‘yan. Ikanta mo lang ‘yan. Sa ngayon, mag daydreaming ka muna. Pag-isipan ang mga katangian ng boyfriend na gusto mo. Yun lang naman magagawa mo eh. Pero dapar umaksyon ka na, dahil sa susunod, malamang Tanging Yaman na kinakanta mo for life!

Landi mo teh! Habang pumaparty ka eh biglang may nakatabi kang lalake. Gwapo. Matangkad. Mukhang harmless. Lumapit ka sa kanya at naamoy mo na ang bango bango nya. Perfect. Siya na nga. Siya ang matagal mo ng hinihintay. Pumikit ka at nagpasalamat sa Diyos na natagpuan mo na siya. Lumapit ka ulit, pilit na nagpacute at nagpapansin hanggang sa kausapin ka na niya. Pero kahit hindi, gora lang! Basta malakas ang imagination!

Lovers and Friends (Usher) Tell me again (Tell me again, my baby), That we’ll be Lovers and Friends (Ohh, I gotta know, baby, aw yeah) “So kayo na ba?” yan ang palaging tanong sa’yo ng mga kaibigan mo. “Hindi ah, friends lang kami”. Yan naman ang parati mong sagot. Napaka showbiz mo teh! Pero di nga, sa totoo lang naman talaga eh hindi naman talaga kayo. Kung ako sayo teh, i-enjoy mo lang ang moment na yan. Iyan ang pinakakilig sa lahat. Palagi kayong magkatext. Sa bawat “good morning :)” niya na text sayo ay napapatalon ka sa kilig. Pag lumalabas kayo, palagi mong hinahantay na hawakan na niya ang kamay mo. Haay. Trust us, ang stage na yan ang pinakakilig.

Bonnie and Clyde (Beyoncé, Jay-Z) [Jay] All I need in this life of sin, is me and my girlfriend. [Beyoncé] Down to ride ‘til the very end, it’s me and my boyfriend. It’s official. Kayo na talaga. “Me and you against the world” Aww. Finally may tatawagin ka ng “baby”. May nagtetext na sayo araw araw, every minute, every second. At sa wala na kayong mapagusapan, nagtatanungan nalang kayo ng useless questions like “Babe, ‘pag ang langaw pumatong sa kalabaw langaw pa rin?” every 10 minutes. Aww. Kilig. I’m happy for you.

Bump N’ Grind (R.Kelly) My mind is tellin me no but my body my body’s tellin’ me yes

mas lalo siyang ‘di makatiis! Parehas kayong nag-iinit ang katawan, pero mas umiinit ang kanya! At hindi ‘to lagnat teh! Hindi ‘to kaya ng Tempra! Pero dito sa Echoes ay hindi namin ineencourage ‘yan, at least yung hindi safe, informed at consensual. Paki-basa ang previous release para di ka madáli gurl! But if you’re a tigress, go lang! But don’t say we didn’t warn you. Goodbye To You (Michelle Branch) Goodbye to everything I thought I knew You were the one I loved The one thing that I tried to hold on to At biglang break. Ilang months din kayo. Pero ganoon talaga. Sabi sayo magpakasaya ka na nung lovers and friends pa kayo eh. Talagang mag aaway din kayo at mag-be-break. Sino ba naman hindi, eh palagi kayong magkasama at magkausap. Okay lang yan. The pain will pass. Pero sayang, sana nagpabili ka man lang ng baong bag bago kayo nagbreak. I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor) Go on now go walk out the door just turn around now ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore Bitter ka teh? Ganyan talaga pag unang heartbreak. Pero tama yan. Magpaka strong ka. Pakalasing ka, ikain mo, manood ka ng pang-hapong drama kung saan nag-rereminisce lang ang bida for 30 minutes o kahit ano para lang makamove on lang. Kung kailangan magpaka-bitter eh keri lang din. Balikan mo nalang yung unang kanta at hintayin ang prince charming mo. Photo by GJ Agregado

I don’t see nothing wrong with a little bump and grind See I know just what you want and I know just what you need girl So baby bring your body to me Ito na naman tayo sa rape culture eh! Alam kong may mga araw na pareho ninyong ‘di matiis, pero

Most importantly, always be happy.

CULTURE

Gossip G. Spotted!

Eavesdropped Spotted!

Eavesdropped

Spotted!

Just when everybody thought that the members’ logbook couldn’t get any more boring this semester, we find a long piece of literature oozing with controversy! Ooh, no clues now, honey. We don’t want to be blamed for treason. How about we just talk about who wrote it? It was anonymously written anyway. Hmm, you think those in the zone would know?

It’s a pity that one committee seem to be in shambles! Well, at least that’s what we’re hearing straight from its directors! From an inactive publicity team to a hullabaloo of dilemmas, they just seem to be out of luck! Don’t worry, people! Just put your best feet forward and hold on. We know you’re trying to do your best. Well, at least some of you.

Dirty politics is indeed dirty. Rumor has it that the SE council is abuzz with confrontations and apprehensions all because of a certain candidate mudslinging his election foe! Yes, he and his opponent are both Ecosocers. Allegedly, a member of the electoral board even had to resign to support the poor foe who was backbit, also allegedly, during every campaign opportunity by this mudslinger! I even heard that this mudslinger left early from the council meeting only to be found in the atrium doing his campaign! Tsk tsk tsk. Better clean up your act if that is true!

Did you miss Minerva? Well, it seems like she’s off to a long journey away from the tambayan! Her kids were thrown out a few months ago and now she’s on a search rampage. Isn’t it a bit too late, honey? I’m sure your kitties are just around. But that doesn’t stop there. I heard she’s coming back for vengeance so you better watch out for those little pellets of fury! You might just be sitting on one of them.

Echoes.PH