AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 1
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 1
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY-DASMARIñAS AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2017
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HIGH ALERT. With the recent shootings around Cavite, the Dasmariñas PNP are sanctioned to hold nightly patrol checkpoints to flag down motorcycle drivers in Salitran, Salawag, and Dasmariñas Bagong Bayan A-1, as per the Sangguniang Panglungsod Resolution No. 153-s-2017 of Dasmariñas City Mayor Elpidio “Pidi” Barzaga Jr.
Photo by Justine Bea Bautista
Campus security heightened after shootings in Cavite
DLSU-D emergency response team deployed by Naomi Lane Tiburcio The Campus Security Office and the General Services Office (GSO) implements “high alert security” in DLSU-D following the shooting incidents around the City of Dasmariñas that started mid-August, killing three and wounding 13 people from August 15 to 23. According to GSO Director Edwin Bunag, immediate action after the reported shootings was implemented to secure the DLSU-D community’s safety. “After hearing those incidents of
shooting, I have already instructed our security provider to be on high alert,” he said. The University’s security provider Combined Blue Dragon Security & Services Inc., which
also handles clients such as SM Supermalls and DLS-Health Sciences Institute, was instructed by GSO to implement stricter security protocols, especially at Gates 1 and 3.
Bunag furthered that the University’s security provider is also tasked to check for suspicious activities inside and outside the University through 24/7 CCTV cameras monitoring the University’s gates. “The security service provider is here to provide security assistance, ensuring that we are all safe here in the campus even outside our gates,” Bunag expressed. According to Combined Blue Dragon Security & Services Inc.
Chief Security Officer Jesus Roda, the Emergency Response Team, which consists of eight men trained in first aid, firefighting, and gun firing, was deployed at the start of the first semester in Academic Year (AY) 2017-2018. Following the shooting incidents around Dasmariñas, the Emergency Response Team is ordered to stand by at Gates 1 and 3 from 7 PM until the 9 PM curfew. Other than these security measures, two K9 units, one fire
truck stationed at the motor pool, walk-through metal detectors at Gates 1 and 3, an emergency response vehicle, and one police motorcycle patrol are among the new additional security advancements of the University this AY. Alleged shooting near campus Meanwhile, past 6 PM on August 24, security in the University were alerted after Facebook user “Ruzzle Joshua” posted that an See SHOOTING | page 2
University installs 6 additional security services by Yna Marisse Sodoy To “enhance campus safety and security features,” DLSU-D security services provider Combined Blue Dragon Security & Services, Inc. installed six additional security services in the University as per General Services Office Director Edwin Bunag and Campus Security Office Officer in Charge Junal Tugbo. As stated in the official memo issued by Bunag on June 9, the four initial security services are two K9 units, an emergency response vehicle with medical responders, one fire truck stationed at the motor pool, and the walk-through metal detectors
at Gates 1 and 3, installed on May 10, June 6, and June 13, respectively. Moreover, Tugbo said that two more security measures, two 9 millimeter caliber pistols, and one motorcycle patrol were provided on August 3.
In an online interview, Bunag stated that the upgrade of the University’s security services was to strengthen the University’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management program. “If you notice some enhancement in our campus security, this is part See SERVICES | page 3
News feature
features
crowning heritage. With their piece titled “Binukot”, the La Salle Filipiniana Dance Company (LSFDC) placed 2nd runner up at the 28th Philippine Trade Mart - Cultural Dance Competition (College Level) on September 6 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.
Photo by Bermanie Jean Doniña
Literary
sports
Fake check
The gears of class struggle
Tagapag-ligtas
Coach Tito Reyes
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NEWS
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 1
SHOOTING from page 1 alleged shooting incident took place near DLSU-D where some Lasallian students were supposedly shot. However, Dasmariñas Police confirmed to Heraldo Filipino that no shooting incident occurred near or inside the campus as stated on the Facebook post following negative reports from the policemen sent to investigate the perimeter of the campus. The information circulated online was ruled out to be fake by Bunag after confirming with the monitoring security personnel assigned at the gates that night. “We have verified na wala namang insidente [ng shooting]. Kung sino mang makakaalam na may shooting incident near our perimeter ay itong mga security guard natin, pero wala silang
report at na-monitor na may nangyaring ganoong insidente,” Bunag said. The Facebook account deleted the post on the same night after contradictions were pointed out by netizens and other people near the area. Bunag reminded DLSU-D netizens to be responsible in spreading and consuming information, especially with critical issues such as unconfirmed shootings. “Learn how to validate first the information before spreading false information. And how do we validate? Coordinate [with] the school authorities,” he explained. According to Section 19.2 of the DLSU-D Student Handbook 2014-2018, “publishing misleading information in social media and
in print” is considered a major offense and any student who fail to abide the rule can lead to suspension from three days up to 12 days, or non-readmission. For their safety, Roda advises students to refrain from roaming inside and outside the campus at night. “Sa Gate 1 mayro’ng stand-by (security) sa labas at saka stand-by emergency vehicle. Ina-assist namin ‘yong mga estudyante, ina-advice namin na huwag nalang mag stand-by at umuwi na for safety,” Roda said. Bunag called out to the DLSU-D community to report any suspicious or unlawful activities within or near the campus perimeters to the Campus Security Office through local hotlines 3279 and 3044 and mobile number 0955782916.
Admin implements ILO to serve as ELGA’s ‘operational definitions’
BFMO still at planning stage for SHS bldg construction by Yna Marisse Sodoy
To provide further understanding on the purpose of the five Expected Lasallian Grade Attributes (ELGA), the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academics and Research (OVCAR) implemented the Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) on July 10, serving as the ‘operational definitions’ of ELGAs starting this academic year (AY) 2017-2018. college deans, department chairs, and graduate school directors. Provided in the said memo is a table of the specific ILOs in each of the following DLSU-D graduate attributes: God-centered, Patriotic, Socially Responsive, Globally Competitive, and Professionally Competent. To avoid confusion of the ILOs with ELGA, Saez explained that the ILOs are meant to strengthen the ELGA. “The ILOs were formulated to give us a clearer picture [of the ELGA], through observable outcomes, of the kind of attributes that we would like to have our graduates to exhibit,” Dr. Saez furthered. All academic and non-academic programs are expected to contribute toward the achievement of the objectives provided by the ILO this AY, Saez said. As of press time, the OVCAR is still assessing the academic programs based on how their outcomes align
Photo by Kristine Rebote
‘SHS bldg construction separate from college students not in a hurry’– BFMO Director Pontanilla
by Naomi Lane Tiburcio
The plan to develop the ILOs was decided during a multi-sectoral committee meeting on July 2017, attended by the University Lasallian Family Office, Lasallian Community Development Center, Faculty Association, college deans, chairs, and representatives from the parent and student sectors. According to VCAR Dr. Marco Saez, ELGA did not contain a detailed definition on how it should be executed when it was implemented in 2009 by the De La Salle Philippines. “There wasn’t any operational definition of ELGAs before. The different programs were given the leeway to interpret it based on their own disciplines,” Dr. Saez stated. To address the absence of ELGA’s operational definitions, former VCAR Dr. Olivia Legaspi announced the implementation of ILOs through a memorandum released on July 10 addressed to
overkill. Protestors and mourners alike attended 17-year old senior high school student Kian Delos Santos’ wake at La Loma Cemetery, Caloocan City. Delos Santos was gunned down unarmed on August 16, and his death reignited the national debate over President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs and extrajudicial killings.
with the ILOs. Saez also added that the plans of the Office of the Student Services (OSS) are also developed to associate with the ILOs. “We hope that through the clarifications offered by ILOs with regard to what the ELGAs are, we can come up with decisions in our academic and non-academic programs that will help bring us closer to achieving that goal,” Saez said. Despite the official implementation of ILOs on July 10, it is still subject for review during the midyear workshop, where each academic department will be required to accomplish feedback forms to document the comments on the ILOs to help integrate the said program. Meanwhile, Saez said the committee plans to extend the ILO among all levels, particularly with the high school and graduate school, after refining the ILOs by the end of AY 2017-2018.
With the aim to provide better quality education for the Senior High School (SHS) students, Buildings and Facilities Maintenance Office (BFMO) Director Dennis Pontanilla said they aim to build a separate SHS building located at the West Campus of the University, alongside the Junior High School grounds. “Kasi pagdating ng next [academic] year (AY), may first year na tayo ulit, for class na naman [sa] SHS (College of Tourism and Hospitality Management) building. So, kailangan na nila (first year college students) ng mga space,” Pontanilla explained. However, despite starting the plan for the SHS building early last AY 2016-2017, Pontanilla clarified that they are yet to finalize it. “We’re still on the stage na approved, disapproved. Pinapakita [pa] namin, aside from Br. Gus (Augustine Boquer FSC), of course [to the] SHS administration,” he elaborated. Furthermore, Pontanilla said a separate SHS building was not constructed when the SHS officially started on AY 2016-2017 since the available budget was limited. Pontanilla added that the SHS building construction will separate the
school grounds of the SHS students from college students. “Hindi na magmimingle with the college, they (SHS) have their own facilities kumbaga. Kaya lang naman sila nakakapasok sa atin is ‘di ba there’s a need for services and then ‘yong ating ULS (Ugnayang La Salle),” he mentioned. SHS building In order to address the facilities needed for the SHS, Pontanilla said they also plan to construct facilities aside from classrooms and laboratories of college students, which are required for the SHS to use. The planned facilities include a cafeteria, elevators, an audio-visual room, mini auditorium, chapel, library, and a gymnasium. “‘Yong size ng classrooms is standard naman. Minimum of 9x7 meters,” Pontanilla expressed.
In response to the problem of long queues at the Office of the University Registrar due to joint counters of the college and SHS enrollees, Pontanilla said that there “should” be a separate registrar’s office in the SHS building. “Dapat lang, kasi doon sa dinecide namin, may sariling registrar office o kaya accounting pero I don’t know ‘yong plan nila (SHS administration) in the future,” he furthered. Regarding the concept of the SHS building, Pontanilla disclosed that the SHS building will follow a Filipino-Spanish theme. As of press time, there are no finalized details and schedule for the construction of the SHS building, as both the BFMO and SHS administration are still in the planning stage.
R e ac t With reports on various social issues, such as the rising number of extrajudicial killings, comes millions of Filipinos strongly expressing their thoughts and opinions, whether it be through social media or street protests. With that, we asked several DLSU-D students’ for their opinions on whether the University should take a stand regarding national social issues.
“Yes, because as a community, these social issues should be tackled as responsible citizens who understand and know that the voice of the public must be heard as it allows dialogue between people to fix our current social issues.”
“Yes, because I think it will inspire students to approach social issues critically with logic and reasoning.”
“I believe the University should not involve itself regarding certain issues for it may affect its name depending on how it reciprocated towards [the] said issue. Basically, it’s better to be safe.”
Neil Adrian Cabanda Fourth year Human Biology
Leonardo Soriano Fourth year Human Biology
Jomard Maniago Third year Business Operations Management
“DLSU-D should definitely take a stand on pressing social issues because as Lasallians, we have a say on what’s happening around us, especially since our safety is at risk today.”
“Yes, because as a big university, we also care about the social issues around us. We should be knowledgeable and updated to be able to stand [for] our rights.”
“Yes, I do think that the University should take a stand on pressing social issues, so that we could be more aware within our society and with its opinions.”
Jezreel Faith Tan Third year AB Psychology
Jeramie Julaton Third year Elementary Education
Ivan Capunitan Third year Electrical Engineering
“I believe that the University must take [a] stand on pressing social issues primarily because as an institution, it hones the students’ awareness and knowledge about our society and its mechanism. If the University would not take a side, more terrifying events may occur that could endanger the lives of innocent individuals. We have the right to speak but this right must be utilized and maximized properly.” Quennie Cyril Dacillo Third year Business Operations Management
“The University shouldn’t take a stand on pressing social issues because we don’t know the real reason behind it, just like in the recent case of Kian [Delos Santos], [a] grade 11 student, who had been shot because of war on drugs.”
“Oo, kasi bawat opinyon o nilalaman ng kalooban ng isang tao ay mahalaga kaya kada social issue dapat din pakinggan ang gustong sahibin ng isang Unibersidad at estudyante.”
Maria Alexandria Guasis Third year Human Resource Development
Daryl Campos Fourth year Hotel and Restaurant Management
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NEWS
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Dr. Marco Saez appointed as new VCAR Former VCAR steps down after 8-year term by Naomi Tiburcio and Ma. Celestine Samulde (contributor) Succeeding former Vice Chancellor for Academic Services (VCAR) Dr. Olivia Legaspi, former Assistant VCAR Dr. Marco Saez officially assumed office as the VCAR for academic year (AY) 2017-2018 on August 1, as confirmed by Presidential Management Office (PMO) Director Jose Ritchie Bongcaron.
other fees INCREASE. As part of the five percent tuition hike, some items in the other school fees were proposed to be increased such as the fees of the seven College Student Councils and University Student Council in varied amounts.
Infographic by Mikaela Torres
SERVICES from page 1 of the upgrading program of our security provider to complement the University’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Program,” he explained. One of the K9 trainer and handlers, Carlo Samson, said that the additional security measures are one of the standard procedures of every security services provider. Regarding his routine schedule at the University, Samson said that he and K9 unit, Belgian Malinois named Jaira, have no specific time of routine schedule. “Sa’kin kasi ‘di ako nagpa-pattern. Iniisip ko kasi na kung ako ‘yong bomber, kailangan ‘di nila mapattern kung anong oras ako nagsisimulang umikot [sa school],” Samson explained. Sharing his insights on the newly installed security measures, University Student Council 20172018 President Israel Pajarillo
said that it is “great” to see how DLSU-D continues to improve the security system and procedures since this area has not been given enough attention. However, he mentioned that there are also advantages and disadvantages that come along with the installation of the new security measures. Pajarillo explained that one of the advantages of the new security measures is that it “would greatly reduce” the risk of DLSU-D students bringing dangerous objects into the University knowing that they (DLSU-D students) have to pass through a metal detector first. “Knowing that there are these kinds of improvement, crimes and violence would be less likely to happen with the fear of being caught by the improved security teams,” Pajarillo mentioned. On the other hand, Pajarillo furthered that, “Implementing a security
system can be very costly. Financially speaking, these advancements are great, but the school should consider that rapid growth or developments can have drastic effects on the supply or the school’s budget.” Meanwhile, the students have also noticed the security changes on campus to a varying degree of reactions. DLSU-D student Anna M. (a pseudonym, as per request) said that it is a “good thing” to have improvements in the University, but she worries for problems that may occur in the future. “There are a lot of students and from what I have observed, there is a possibility that there will be a long queue and may waste a lot of time. I’ve always seen some students run in from the gates as soon as they get their IDs and bags checked, either they are late for submission or to class.”
Saez, who started as part time professor at DLSU-D, became a full-time professor in the Languages and Literature Department (LLD) in AY 20022003 and part of the administration the following AY. He started as an Administrative Assistant for the Executive Vice President, followed by assuming the position of Director of the Institutional Communications Office. From AY 2009 to 2016, he served as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for divisions such as Scholarship and Academic Services and Academics and Research. According to Saez’s memo to the academic community on August 1, he emphasized the need to address academic and research concerns within the campus, stating, “recognizing the need to further strengthen our Lasallian curriculum, I also acknowledge the reality that there are academic and research concerns that are vital to
the delivery of a Lasallian quality education.” Furthermore, in the Academics and Research division’s academic vision this AY, Saez plans to focus on strengthening the curricular and extra-curricular programs to develop the capabilities of the students, utilizing published research in the community, and providing a short and easy process in Lasallian service. As with all DLSU-D administrative officials, Saez will serve as VCAR for the entire academic year and may be given a renewal for up to a maximum of seven years. As to who are involved in the decision making, the PMO Director explained that the search and decision-making for potential candidates for Vice Chancellors is a process administered by the Office of the President where Brother President Augustine Boquer FSC initiates a search process for any of the three Vice Chancellor positions.
“Well, the choice for the Vice Chancellor is with the Brother President, but of course that’s in consultation not just with the Executive Committee of the Board but also with proper information to the Board of Trustees,” Bongcaron furthered. Meanwhile, former VCAR Legaspi, being familiar with the K to 12 program, previously extended her term for one year to aid with the K to 12 transition as per the Brother President’s request, serving as the VCAR for a total of 8 years. Legaspi will return as a full-time faculty under the College of Education (COEd) in the Professional Education Department, as confirmed by COEd. As of press time, the administration welcomed 17 new University administrators who officially assumed their respective offices on August 1 for AY 20172018.
Open Mind Publishing launches community-based website New Dasma’s beta version Official launch of website and print publication to follow by Yna Marisse Sodoy Newly-established publication Open Mind Publishing launched the beta version of the community-based website New Dasma on September 11 after three months of preparation, as per co-publisher and DLSU-D alumnus Orlando Oliveros. The beta version refers to the “testing” version of the website before its official release, which will then be open to all viewers since the beta version is only accessible by a few. As for the New Dasma’s official launch, Oliveros said that they (Open Mind Publishing) are yet to meet for the “tweaking” needed for the website. The website will contain various feature stories surrounding Dasmariñas with the aim to establish the city as an ideal place to settle in. According to Oliveros, New Dasma is more of a magazine-type website since it will contain more feature stories than straight news stories. “Naisip namin mas maganda kung magazine type kasi kapag halimbawa [sa news], madaling mapanis [at] madaling mapaso or malagos. So marami kaming mga feature story.” Disclosing one of their upcoming feature stories on the website, Oliveros said that they initially plan to feature ‘Outstanding Dasmariñas Citizens’. However, he clarified that it is not a requirement to be an influential icon as they are looking for people who inspire those around them. Oliveros furthered that they will also feature ‘People of the South’ so as not to limit the scope to Dasmariñas alone. “It could be someone from
Bacoor or Tagaytay or Silang. Pero magsisimula muna kami sa Dasmariñas.” Moreover, Oliveros said that Open Mind Publishing is open to students who are looking for interns, interested contributors, and partnership with schools. He mentioned that the website will also conduct contests and promotions in the future. Dasma as a crossroad Aside from establishing Dasmariñas as an ideal place to settle in, Oliveros also stated that they do not only aim to construct the city as a crossroad, but also to remove the image of Dasmariñas as simply the city that connects to other provinces. Open Mind Publishing’s graphics designer and web developer, Frederick Agustin, furthered that Dasmariñas is often recognized as a mere ‘passageway’ to Tagaytay, Laguna, and Batangas. However, a lot of people are not aware of how many universities and attractions Dasmariñas has to offer. Agustin revealed that the thought of Dasmariñas as a ‘portal’ is where they had the idea to create the website. “Why not promote the community as a place talaga, no? Kung estudyante ka, maraming
universities. Kung businessman ka, puwede ka rito. Kung artist ka, puwede ka mag-settle dito. Halo-halo, mayro’ng education, madaming religious group. Merong business. Important talaga is ‘yong kumpleto (Dasmariñas),” Agustin expressed. Print publication After the launch of New Dasma website, Oliveros said that Open Mind Publishing is eyeing to produce a print publication after “two to three months”. However, they have not yet decided whether the print publication will be a newspaper or a magazine. Nevertheless, Oliveros assured that the print publication will be circulated for free. He explained, “Pero siyempre, we have to strategically distribute the paper para ‘yong message ng advertisement [ay] makarating sa tamang tao. We (New Dasma) will be having advertisements also, so ‘yong advertisers, ‘di lang siya sa website talaga.” Clearing any possible political conflicts that may arise, Oliveros clarified that Open Mind Publishing is a private company. “Hindi ‘to connected sa kahit anong political personality or what—parang kawanggawa,” Oliveros said.
the caviteÑo story. Community news website New Dasma will launch on September 11 containing news and feature stories revolving around the Dasmariñenos. The brains behind the project include various DLSU-D alumni, faculty members, and staff.
Photo by Bermanie Jean Doniña
P25-M Scholarship budget maintained despite drop in frosh, sophomore enrollees by Jazmine Estorninos and Ma. Celestine Samulde (contributor) Despite the non-admission of freshmen and sophomore applicants caused by the University’s transition to the K to 12 program, the administration has maintained the allotted P25 million scholarship budget this academic year 2017-2018, as confirmed by Student Scholarship Office (SSO) Coordinator Linda Lou Palomino. “Actually, naka-fix [na] ‘yong fund for the scholarship program, fix amount siya sa P25 million for one academic year,” Palomino said. According to Palomino, the financing sources of the scholarship budget are through the University’s external donors such as One La Salle Scholarship Endowment Fund, internal funds, fund raising activities; as well as partnerships with local municipalities namely Dasmariñas, Imus, and Bacoor. “[Ang] internally funded scholarship [ay] nanggagaling sa school operations natin and the other one sa endowment
fund like for example, si donor magbibigay siya ng portion and then papasok ‘yon do’n sa trust fund. ‘Yong kikitain ng pera in a year kung magkano ‘yong tinubo noon, 80 percent ng tubo ‘yon lang ang pwedeng magamit as part ng scholarship fund natin,” Palomino elaborated. As for the grantees, scholars in partnership with the city or municipalities can avail 100 percent full scholarship, wherein 50 percent is funded by the school and the remaining 50 percent coming from the municipalities. “We have scholars from Dasmariñas, scholars from
Imus, and now we have scholars from Bacoor, so 100 percent ang kanilang na-a-avail. Totally, wala talaga silang binabayaran,” Palomino furthered. Palomino clarified that it is the administration who screens the applicants for scholarship and submits the list of possible candidates for the 100 percent full scholarship grant to the respective municipalities (Dasmariñas, Imus, and Bacoor). Furthermore, Palomino said that the scholarship budget covers the tuition fee, miscellaneous fee, laboratory, and other fees.
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N E W S F E AT U R E
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 1
Fact Fake check The fight against fake news by Naomi Lane Tiburcio
Art by Sheka Ignaco
From bogus weight loss clickbait ads to fake shooting incidents on social media, the Internet is no doubt fenced in and festered with misinformation. Although certain instances are nothing but practical jokes that only non-skeptics will bite into, fake news duping in the political scene is becoming a national crisis.
Recently, the #FireMocha movement started off with the aim to remove Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson from her position. Uson came under fire for spreading fake news after another social media blunder in which she shared a 2016 Philippine Daily Inquirer article in the context of the controversial death of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos in 2017. Meanwhile on July 5, an ethics complaint was filed against Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II by various youth groups before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly spreading “fake news” to the public. This was after he accused Senators Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Antonio Trillanes IV, and other political personalities for sparking the Marawi siege after visiting the city weeks prior to the clash—all of which the two senators denied and provided evidence against. Aguirre later claimed he was “misquoted” by the media despite recordings of his original statements. Acknowledging just how out of hand the fake news epidemic has gotten, President Rodrigo Duterte signed an amendment of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) in Republic Act (R.A.) 10951 on August 29 to impose higher fines to those who commit the crime of “unlawful use of means of publication and unlawful utterances” which includes the publication of fake news. However, this is only the start of a long and arduous battle against fake news in this post-truth landscape. Cradle of misinformation What was once thought to be limited to clickbait ads online has now affected millions through its political propaganda-driven alternative facts. Just recently, international media company Canadian Broadcasting Corporation claimed that fake news may be even more dominant in the Philippines than United States, considering how much technology and influential personalities can make Filipinos fall prey to false reports in just a short amount of time. Proving how powerful fake news can be, the “discovery” of fake rice did not only create a commotion in the social media scene earlier in June of this year, but also had millions convinced. However, in a matter of time, it was debunked by local rice traders after thorough studies revealed there is no such thing as fake rice—only fake news. Fake news hasn’t only victimized politicians and locals but also media entities themselves. National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) slammed the state-run Philippine News Agency for peddling falsehoods after misquoting Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary for Plans and Programs Epimaco Densing III on the sensitive issue of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines during the 27th Universal Period Review of the UN Human Rights Council this year. Efforts against fake news Looking at the bright side, efforts to destabilize the proliferation of fake news is making its way after the NUJP and Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility
defense tactic to protect the government. “‘Unlawful’ info ‘yong keyword sa RPC. Connotative sa pag-protect sa state—kung ‘yong ay harmful sa state, puwedeng ma-consider na fake news. That’s overreaching and ambiguous,” she explained. On the other hand, DLSU-D Social Sciences Department professor Edwin Lineses believes that the bills and laws passed on fake news won’t essentially get in way of freedom of expression. “It won’t necessarily undermine freedom of expression as it will curtail the spread of fake and malicious news. Freedom is not absolute and should be exercised with responsibility. One’s right ends when another’s right begins,” Lineses said. Lineses furthered that the detailed definition and distinction of fake news from opinion in the law should be clarified to avoid misinterpretation. He added that the effectiveness of the law, as with any other, still lies on the consistent and fair execution of the provisions of the law.
(CMFR) launched Fakeblok in June, a journalistmoderated Google Chrome plug-in that flags fake news and half-truths on Facebook. Along with other media entities that are releasing a list of fake news websites to warn the public, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines also provided a lineup of websites that are proven to be peddling fake news, some of which are Definitely Filipino, Pinoy Trending News, and Trending News Portal. Legal actions The expansion of fake news urged Senator Joel Villanueva to file Senate Bill 1492 or “An Act Penalizing the Malicious Distribution of False News and Other Related Violations” on June 21. According to Villanueva, “The effect of fake news should not be taken lightly. Fake news creates impression and beliefs based on false premises leading to division, misunderstanding, and further exacerbating otherwise strenuous relations.” While the fake news bill seems new to our ears, it actually isn’t a first. Before fake news, there was libel and slander, or published and spoken false statements that aim to defame a person or an entity according to Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code (RPA). On another note, libel is also listed as one of the crimes covered by the Cybercrime Prevention Act or R.A. 10175.
While Villanueva’s fake news bill is still pending in the Public Information and Mass Media committee, President Duterte recently signed to law an amendment of the RPA in R.A. 10951 on August 29 posing higher fines of P40,000 to P200,000 to any person publishing false news, “which may endanger the public order, or cause damage to the interest or credit of the state.” These efforts show the apparent intent of the government to tackle fake news, yet bills specifically targeting fake news haven’t set foot onto the level of a law, and the opinions on the effectivity of such a law are still at odds. Divided opinions DLSU-D Communication and Journalism Department professor and news correspondent at German broadcasting company Deutsche Welle, Purple Romero, says anti-fake news bills and laws such as Villanueva’s can act as a double edged-sword, “Mayro’n akong reservation na sana hindi abusuhin ng government ang magiging power out of this law.” She furthered that government officials might be able to use the bill as a political tool made to distort or malign anyone who doesn’t share the same views with them. As with President Duterte’s amendment of the RPC, Romero says the prohibition of the publication of “unlawful information” suggests that it might be a
Fake news localized In the premise of DLSU-D, Romero mentioned how this could be used against a news organization, citing triggered critiques and internet trolls against the university after the HERALDO FILIPINO covered the school’s actions against the burial of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani from November to December of last year—an event which gathered DLSU-D and non-DLSU-D individuals to demand that some of the posts be taken down. She expressed, “Given na very conservative ‘yong La Salle, puwede sila magsabi na ‘ah fake news ‘to dahil hindi siya nagma-match sa ‘values ng La Salle’. . . magagamit siya (sic) for censorship to be honest.” Romero’s advice to every social media user is as simple as GMG—“Google mo, g---.” Going back, advancements in digital media continues in order to be utilized, not overlooked, “You have all the tools at your disposal para i-check ‘yong veracity ng information na nakikita mo online kaya wala kang excuse para mabiktima o maging source ng fake news,” she added. Meanwhile Lineses pressed on the message on responsibility provided by the anti-fake news bill, “What is important is that the bill places premium in our being responsible with the information that we intend to share. To wit, we need to think before we click.” *** Romero believes that fake news is a misnomer, an oxymoron as she puts it, “Kasi ang news, kapag fake, hindi ‘yan news. Dahil ang news ay laging accurate at reliable.” It doesn’t always take journalists or even politicians to produce news—anyone from students to public officials can be purveyors of news. That’s the reason why the weight is on everyone, whether or not fake news bills comes to pass. Sources: www.philstar.com www.cnbc.com newsinfo.inquirer.net
www.chanrobles.com www.rappler.com cnnphilippines.com www.cbc.ca
Behind the honor During my first two years as a student journalist, I never really got to avoid the subtle judgmental looks of students, professors, and even administrators upon seeing that my lanyard carries not just my student ID—but also my Press ID. Unsurprisingly, an object as simple as a Press ID can easily become a tool of stigma in this generation where almost everything is interpreted into something. And in that world of stigma, it is not only mental health that gets stigmatized—journalism also falls under the same bracket. Truth be told, no one can stop the flow of stigma that runs in our society, but the least we can do is stop it from spreading. In the industry of journalism, journalists—as well as student journalists—have been under fire after recent events have undermined the honor behind the profession. Just look at how our president bashes news organizations every chance he can get. Media
has undergone waves of criticism that people’s trust in it is wavering (thanks for that, Mocha Uson), leading to an impulsive reaction against any news report that contradicts what they want to believe in. It has been that way for a long time, but it never really bothered us that much to want to actually stand against the crowd and break this toxic cycle. But perhaps it’s time to start. As the official student publication of DLSU-D, Heraldo Filipino (HF) is quite familiar with instances like this. After all, our job is to tell stories that students need to hear, regardless if they want to be told in the first place. Our job is to inform—not to be liked. Critics, haters, and outright trolls are to be expected, but it’s never stopped us from fulfilling our responsibilities. Because at the end of the day, we’re just doing what needs to be done—something that every journalist and media practitioner knows and understands. However, not everyone else does. See, this profession isn’t meant for the thin-skinned or softhearted. Criticism is part of everyday life, and facing trolls is a daily battle. Most have now become immune to the insults “bias,” “dilawan,” and “bayaran.” Regardless, we carry on through the torrential onslaught of insults to
do our job—to uphold the truth—because if we don’t, who else will? If journalism will teach you anything, it’s this: sometimes you need to hear what you don’t want to know, because while ignorance is bliss, it’s also cancer. There’s no hiding that there are some crooked journalists out there, but it shouldn’t stop you from trying to be a decent one. It’s both a burden and a
A single step forward is better than taking no steps at all responsibility that we student journalists have to carry for a long time—to be responsible and ethical even in the face of those who would see you fail. Honestly, it’s tiring to spend sleepless nights producing broadsheets for the students who may or may not want to read it in the first place. However, crazy as it may sound to some, this only serves as a burning
match stick that makes the fire in HF rise even more to fight for the truth, as it has been doing for the past 32 years. Because at the end of the day, it will always be service to the community that will matter above all else—above the stigma, the criticism, and the distrust. As our Editor in Chief constantly reminds us, “Be good and do good. Always.” No matter the odds. And so, as you have managed to reach the end of my column, I hope that you realized something and learned a thing or two. And maybe, just maybe, after you finished reading the last paragraph, you’ll find yourself putting down this broadsheet, pausing for a while, and thinking deeply about the importance of the media’s relationship with society. Everyone has their own purpose to fulfill, and so do we. You don’t need to be insanely smart to know that, and unless we want a significant change to happen, let us begin with challenging ourselves to see and understand how we all play a role in this world, just as media and journalism have their own important purpose, whether people like it or not. It may take a while before the stigma is washed away, but a single step forward is better than taking no steps at all.
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 5
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 1
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 6
OPINION
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 1
EDITORIAL
Panic button
It was after 9PM on Thursday, August 24, when Facebook user and Dasmariñas student named “Ruzzle Joshua” spread fake news that awakened the Cavite community. In a Facebook status, he warned DLSU-D students to be on high alert as a shooting had allegedly taken place near the premises of Gate 3. Eventually, the status spread like wildfire and went viral. Before the post was called out online and ruled out as false, panic and dread had already creeped in overnight. With just a few taps on the keyboard, that single status triggered a chain reaction of angered Facebook posts, concerned calls for authorities, and a general feeling of danger. It’s become clear in times like this, social media responsibility is no longer an option—but our duty. *** Two days later, August 26, a picture was posted in Imus City claime to be another shooting incident in broad daylight. This was quickly disproved on Facebook by Imus Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi as a robbery incident. Situations like this are when citizen journalism must come into play. In times of distress, our instincts may tell us to warn others immediately, but the role of citizen journalism—when used responsibly—is to inform others of what is factual and objective before we spread it to the vast world of social media. Although gatekeeping—limiting and filtering the spread of information— is a term typically used for traditional media, citizen journalism has opened the gates to welcome a channel where information gets picked out for and by the public. Truth is, media and journalism is no longer high up in its ivory tower and untouchable by the public. The public has become the media in a lot of ways. And just as many know the privileges and rules of journalism, so must citizen journalism follow the same principles.
Choose common sense over the comments section Earlier this year, The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) collaborated and launched a Filipino journalist-created Google Chrome extension named “Fakeblok” that notifies a user whenever they’re seeing misinformation on Facebook. “We cannot believe everything that we read. We need to constantly question. We need to reclaim the truth. We need to reclaim our newsfeeds,” said the NUJP in a Facebook post. As of press time, the plug-in has almost 1,700 users. While situations like the false shooting report in August don’t have malicious intentions like the numerous trolls and legit fake news sites, it doesn’t take away from the end result—that people bought into the fake news that peddled their panic. Unfortunately, even with various outlets doing their job to keep the proliferation of fake news at an absolute minimum, it still can’t stop the false information that plague our own timelines every day. Because truth is, fake news doesn’t just stem from fake news sites, it comes from pushing that panic button. When fake news and false reports leak into our immediate communities, that’s when we know that this entire fake news fiasco has reached a new low— one we have to address before false reports go from mistakes to habits. The solution here may be an obvious one, but it’s often overlooked. What we see in social media may feel real, but that’s not always the case—and that goes the most for panic. Don’t push the panic button over an unverified status or photo. Instead, choose common sense over the comments section, and verify the information for yourself—no matter how difficult it may be. We must understand and follow the duty of not just being responsible citizens, but responsible social media users as well—not because of the fear of being called out, but because of the dire consequences on the community after spreading false information.
The Official Student Publication of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas Founded: June 1985 Member, College Editors Guild of the Philippines Editorial Board AY 2017-2018 Anri Ichimura, Editor in Chief Jazmine N. Estorninos Associate Editor Casvel Teresa A. Lopez, Managing Director Ma. Bianca Isabelle C. Lariosa, Copy Editor Glazel Ricci H. Noceda, Office and Circulations Manager Yna Marisse B. Sodoy, In charge, News Kelsey V. Telo, In charge, Features Shakira Mae O. Austero, In charge, Literary John Zedrick E. Simeon, Sports Editor Justine Bea V. Bautista, In charge, Photo Mikaela L. Torres, Graphics and Layout Director Edline Abigail S. Eribal, In charge, Web SENIOR STAFF Lynoelle Kyle Arayata, Martin Ong Cabale, Ezekiel Coronacion, Fernan Patrick Flores, Camille Gallardo, Christian Mateo, Kristine Mae Rebote, and Naomi Lane Tiburcio JUNIOR STAFF Angelica Aludino, Rose Kristine Amarillo, Jason Paz, and Paolo Salud Dr. Lakandupil C. Garcia, Adviser The HERALDO FILIPINO has its editorial office at Room 213, Gregoria Montoya Hall (Administration Building) De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, Cavite, Philippines 4115. Telephone: +63 2 8447832, +63 46 416 4531 local 3063 Email: officialheraldofilipino@gmail.com Website: www.heraldofilipino.com Contributions, comments, suggestions, and signed letters should be addressed to the Editor in Chief.
Schoolbook’s decision to archive all past subjects has decluttered past assessments and notifications from all previous classes.
Half the fight Things are only getting worse. Kian delos Santos, Carl Angelo Arnaiz—when you put names and faces to bodies and statistics, it becomes harder and harder to turn away from the extrajudicial killings that are wreaking havoc in society. Taken, shot, stabbed, killed—these victims were boys whose lives were cut too short. Now, take a look at yourself and see if you’re doing something about it—and if you are, see if it’s enough. Perhaps it’s my idealistic young mindset that’s got me riled up and urgent to do something more—more than writing, sharing, or liking stories criticizing EJK on Facebook. Because the truth of the matter is, writing is no longer enough. That might sound ironic coming from a member of an organization that deals primarily in writing, but it’s exactly because of that fact that I realize that writing is only half of the fight in this battle against blatant injustice. I suppose that’s the curse of a journalist: always the narrator, never the protagonist—always the observer on the sidelines rather than the one fighting amidst the battle. However, I’ve begun to understand that we’re simply different forms of soldiers fighting for the same thing nonetheless. I’ll always stand by the idea that the pen is mightier than the sword, but that doesn’t mean the pen is
the only weapon in our arsenal—especially in these times where every action of independent press is dubbed fake news. We all have our own ways of challenging President Duterte’s culture of killing, and we all have our own roles to play—but only if we have the courage to step into them. You can’t doubt that people are restless—that they too want to stop the death count of the war on drugs from getting any higher. The flood of social justice warriors and self-proclaimed “woke” folks is a testament of that. At face value, woke might seem like a badge of honor for those riding the
You can’t will away this war with words socio-politically aware bandwagon, and social justice warriors might just be stuck tweeting their advocacies with witty verbose wordplay, but these instances only signify the tip of the iceberg of just how much the youth want to fight. They’re watching this war play out, including the “collateral damage” in the conflict—and they’re mad. But for the youth stuck sharing news links and tweeting their commentary, this is only a fraction of the fight. Hopes and wishes can only go so far, and our words are only as good as our actions. For the most part, the fight has already begun. But more could be done if we realize that leaders should be fighters too. As Lasallians, we’re educated—but eventually, we have to put that education to the test. Speaking up and standing
for what’s right is something our students need do more of, but that’s only half of what they should be doing. No, I’m not saying you need to join a protest at EDSA or sign up to a radical organization—I’m saying that we need to do better than pursuing concerts, awards, medals, and certificates. After all, the best leaders teach us that it’s better to fight for something than live for nothing—and right now, the fate of Filipinos everywhere is everything. *** A couple of years ago, I would have said that one of our nation’s problems was youth apathy. But now, the tides have changed. It’s not so much a fight against inaction but not enough action. Our words, viral tweets, and this column are only the first step in acknowledging the crisis of extrajudicial killings and challenging those responsible for it in the first place. The next is to acknowledge that it’s still not enough and translate that concern into action. We all have a role to play—the media, the government, and the youth. It’s just a matter of deciding if we’re willing to do more than talk about what we need to do. Words are the embers, the spark that sets off the change. But the rest is up to the people, public office, and policy. While the pen is mightier than the sword, you can’t will this war away with words. Eventually—and not in the corrupt sense—we have to get our hands dirty to get things done. Now, the question is, who’ll lead the way?
Bukas-tainga
Sa bawat ideyang ibinabahagi ng isang indibidwal na taliwas sa sarili nating paniniwala, hindi maikakailang lumalabas pa rin ang ating mga negatibong komento laban dito—nang hindi ibinabalanse ang bawat katibayan at patunay sa isang paksa. Sa bawat kililing ng telepeno mula sa isang kaibigang nakararanas ng depresyon, madalas tayong nakararamdam ng pagaalinlangang tumugon. At sa iba’t ibang problemang pinagdaraanan ng ating bansa ngayon, sunodsunod naman ang mga hinaing at daing ng lahat—nang hindi na napakikinggan ang saloobin ng magkabilang-panig. Nakatatakot pakinggan ngunit mas nakalulungkot isiping unti-unti na ngang nawawala ang kahulugan at kahalagahan ng pakikinig at pag-unawa. Sa halip na buksan ang ating mga tainga sa masaklap na realidad, mas pinipili nating magbingi-bingihan sa takot habang patuloy na namumuhay sa sariling paniniwala—na kung noon pa lang ay natuto na tayong makinig at umunawa, hindi na sana tayo magdurusa pa. Tunay ngang kung titingnan ang bawat online post na ibinabahagi ng isang netizen o mamamahayag sa Internet, partikular na kung ito’y tungkol sa isang kontrobersiya, makikitang isa sa nagpapaalab ng diskusyong online ay ang iba’t ibang komento mula sa magkakaibang ideya.
“Tama na po, may test pa ako bukas!” Ito ang linyang huling isinambit ni Kian Lloyd delos Santos matapos siyang pagbabarilin ng kapulisan nang hindi man lang pinakikinggan ang kaniyang panig. Makikitang mas pinili lamang nilang pakinggan at paniwalaan ang impormasyong mayroon sila sa halip na ikumpirma muna ito para sa mas makatotohanang datos. Isa na rin ang missed opportunity ng mga ralyista at ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte noong kaniyang SONA 2017 nang harapin niya ang mga ito sa pagnanais
Kung noon pa lang ay natuto na tayong makinig at umunawa, hindi na sana tayo magdurusa pa na mapakinggan ang kanilang daing. Sa kasawiangpalad, hindi naging maayos ang resulta ng kanilang paghaharap kasabay ng kanilang hindi pagkakaintindihang dulot na lamang ng kaingayan sa mismong pangyayari. Sa kabilang banda, isa ring uri ng pagtanggi sa makabuluhang pakikinig at pag-unawa ang tweet ng isang estudyanteng marahil ay may dinaranas na depresyon. Aniya, ang Suicide Hotline ng ating bansa na siyang dapat na takbuhan ng mga taong nakararamdaman ng pagkalugmok ay siya rin palang hindi makapagbabahagi ng kaunting oras upang sumagot ng tawag at makinig sa kanilang nararamdaman. Ilan sa mga tugon mula sa nasabing hotline ay,
The “DLSU-D Wi-Fi” is stronger in certain areas around campus, such as JFH and LDH, while other buildings have yet to obtain access.
“Sorry, business hours are now closed,” o “Sorry, nasa mass ako now ah, may hospital diyan malapit.” Ah, tandang-tanda ko pa ang sigla at pag-asang naramdaman ko no’ng nalaman kong magkakaroon na ng Suicide Hotline ang ating bansa, subalit hindi ko naman naisip na ganito lang din pala ang kalalabasan ng proyektong iyon—wala pa ring handang makinig sa isang buhay na sana ay nabago o sa pakiramdam na sana ay napagaan. Alam nating tayo mismo’y minsan nang naging biktima’t sangkot sa ganitong uri ng problema. Nawa’y alalahanin nating hindi lamang pakikinig o pagsasalitaang puwede nating pagpilian sa araw-araw na mayroon tayo, dahil sa bawat pagkakataong ibinibigay sa atin, ang mabigyang oportunidad upang makapagsalita at mapakinggan ay isang daan tupang makapagbahagi ng isang mahalagang parte sa ating sarili. At kung nais nating tayo mismo’y mapakinggansa tuwing nagsasalita, atin ding isipin ang kahalagahan ng pakikinig natin sa panahong may ibang nagsasalita—para sa isang matalinong diskusyon. Pagkatapos ng lahat, hindi natin talagang masasabi kung ano at papaano nga ba nakagagawa ng magandang resulta ang pakikinig at pag-unawa sa ating kapwa sa hinaharap. Ayon nga sa sikat na manunulat ng Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino na si Bob Ong, “Higit sa pakikinig kung ano ang sinasabi, unawain mo kung ano ang ipinapahayag.”
The new loading and unloading jeepney barricade is both lessening the traffic and making loading and unloading safer outside of Gate 1.
OPINION
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 7
Pamatnugot “If we were given the chance to serve the Lasallian community, we assure you that we’ll do our best to provide quality service...” Sa tuwing sasapit ang kampanya, kabilaan ang mga kandidatong nanunumpa ng kanilang mga plataporma upang maluklok sa pwesto. Mabigat kung tutuusin ang inaasahan sa bawat leader, subalit hindi natin maiaalis ang paghihintay sa katuparan ng kanilang mga sinumpaan. Iba-iba man ang paraan sa pagtupad ng hangarin at serbisyo, hindi naman nawawala ang pagprenda ng pagbabago. Ngunit tunay bang nararamdaman natin ang kanilang pagkilos sa pagtupad ng “tunay” na pagbabago? Nasaan ang pinangakong paglilingkod sa mga Lasalyanong ilang pinuno na ang dumaan ngunit tila hindi pa rin natin nararamdaman? *** Bilang kabataan, tayo’y may mga bagong ideya upang maglunsad ng mga programa at pakikiisa sa mga tamang adbokasiyang lilinang sa samabayanan. Sa ating pamantasan, maraming estudyante ang aktibo sa pagsali sa mga organisasyon; patunay lamang na hindi totoo ang kaisipang ang mga millennial ay
passive sa pakikiisa sa komunidad. Ngunit sa kabilang dako, hindi lamang ito ang basehan sapagkat sa kabila ng pakikilahok, hindi pa rin buo ang ating loob sa pagtugon sa mga importanteng usapin— na sana’y pangunahing impluwensya ng mga student leader na posibleng maging lingkod sa bukas ng ating bansa. Sa nakalipas na mga taon, ups-and-downs ang ating naranasan sa mga lider na dumaan.
Nasaan ang kanilang boses bilang namumunong grupo? Hangad mang serbisyo’y “estudyante muna” ngunit sa ating karanasan, tila hindi natin sila nararamdaman. Ang inaasahang councils na tinig at kinatawan ng estudyante sa mga isyung pampaaralan, tila nauwi sa pagiging event organizers sa kabilaang pa-party at pa-concert sa bawat semestre. Hindi sa pagtutol sa kasiyahang inorganisa ngunit nasaan ang leadership sa mga programang ito? Bilang isang estudyante, hindi natin maiaalis ang paghahanap ng saglitang kasiyahan sa
gitna ng kapaguran sa pag-aaral, ngunit ang pagtugon sa kakulangan ng mga mag-aaral ang wari ko’y mas mabisang paraan upang matulungan ang bawat isa sa paghihirap na nararanasan. Isa pang pumukaw ng aking atensyon ay ang pananahimik sa usaping dawit ang sektor na ating kinabibilangan. Maraming isyu na ang dumaan ngunit bakit ni isang pahayag ay walang naiharap? Sa mga nasabing senaryo, nasaan ang kanilang boses bilang namumunong grupo? Sana’y ‘di pa nawawaglit sa kanilang isipan ang adhikaing maglunsad ng isang mabuting pagbabago at maging kinatawan ng bawat estudyanteng Lasalyano. *** Ika nga ni Pastor John Maxwell, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Ang bawat student leader ay hindi lamang nasa posisyon kundi may isang mabisang pag-aksyon. Sa mga naturan ko, batid kong wala talagang perpektong pinuno. Ngunit sa bagong mga pinunong naatasan, bagong imahe at bagong pangarap ang hinihintay mula sa mga pamatnugot—gayundin sa lahat ng Lasalyano, tayo’y may sarili at kaniyakaniyang hangarin na ‘pag nagsama-sama’y magiging nagkakaisang grupong kumikilos para sa “tunay” na pagbabago.
Miss represented
I left the cinema after watching Wonder Woman feeling like a total badass. I suddenly wanted to take on a hundred bad guys with my hair and composure still on point. This surreal yet potent shot of adrenaline reminded me so much of becoming totally enamored in the Tomb Raider world when I was younger. It came to me then, while absentmindedly wielding an imaginary sword in public, that if this was the reaction of a 19-year old, what more the young girls who left the cinema urging their parents for Diana Prince costumes and feeling empowered to see someone like them being a superhero for once? It’s no mystery that comic books (and their movie counterparts) are generally boy territory, with women settling for the role of googly-eyed romantic interest or objectified sidekick. But with the new wave of movies such as Wonder Woman making a splash with more than $3 billion in the worldwide box office, mainstream media is slowly but surely becoming accepting that these types of movies are actually a free-for-all—and this makes a stronger impact than we realize. The beauty in being represented is not in the wheres, but in the hows. It’s significant for
young girls (and some older women at that) to see someone being strong yet sensitive, idealistic yet grounded in reality—to know that women are so much more dimensional and layered than the tropes assigned to us. And I’m not talking about rom-coms, but more on genres that we’re not so used to seeing ourselves immersed in. Through this fiction, we can see a world where we are not represented as either the damsels in distress or the powerful and equally emotionless counterparts— but simply whoever we want ourselves to become.
Women are so much more dimensional than the tropes assigned to us Truth is, gender representation—and in a larger scale, normalization—is validation of existence, especially in places where we never thought we’d see ourselves in, like comic books, video games, and “boy-centered” films. The impact of characters like Wonder Woman, Lara Croft, and the Thirteenth Doctor are huge for representation. It goes without saying that media’s take on this social change is subtle and a lot stronger for young minds, because it’s what they’ll naturally grow accustomed to in the future.
And though there’s no better way to represent the minority than with someone actually belonging in it, the film industry has yet to realize this. As according to womenandhollywood.com, only 11 percent of writers, 3 percent of cinematographers, 19 percent of producers, and 14 percent of editors were comprised of women in 2016—with only a staggering 7 percent of women directors in the top 250 films of the same year. Time magazine also stated that only 30 percent of speaking parts has been going to women since 2008. Talk about consistency. In reality, Wonder Woman had high regards mainly because of the person behind the scene: director Patty Jenkins who was considered a gamble because she was a woman indie director. This is just one instance of women in positions of power. Just like Jenkins, we shouldn’t be afraid to engage ourselves in cultures that expect less from us, grow from it, and prove them wrong. Never be afraid to enroll in courses with a ratio of 1:20 of women to men. Don’t be afraid to become programmers, engineers, or just about anything you’re not “supposed to be”. Maybe one day, someone younger will see you as the superhero they’ve been needing all this time. Maybe, just maybe—the future can be female too.
Fear of fear “Don’t be scared.” Easy to say, but there are still times that I get nervous whenever I let others see my artwork. Putting it out there for them to see, exposed to everyone to freely judge or ridicule makes me drown in anxiety and wonder if a real-life undo button exists. And it’s all because of this four-letter word that does a good job in scaring me out of my wits and giving me second thoughts about sharing my work. In the book, Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, authors David Bayles and Ted Orland explored what gets in the way for the creative process of an art piece, and it pointed out that fear is a primary factor. It made famous artists, writers, and other creative people, doubt themselves. Van Gogh, whose life was plagued with self-doubt and other psychiatric illness, is a perfect example. American author, Sylvia Plath, once said, “The worst enemy to creativity is self- doubt” and I agree as I can’t remember
ever being fully confident with an artwork I made. There’s always the frustrating thought of not being good enough or that I could have done better which makes me give in to the fear. Not to mention other people telling you being an artist is not practical. According to psychology, fear is an autonomic reaction that happens without our conscious control. Meaning to say, we don’t know it’s happening until it has already happened. But avoiding fear won’t work— fear is inevitable and we should accept the fact that it isn’t something we can get rid of.
There’s no greater achievement in life than creating an impact to even just a few
But for everyone who’s feeling the same way as me, what we can do is to face our fears and take risks until something happens— no matter how good or bad the result can be. For what’s worse than failing is not
The Dasmariñas student who spread fake news after posting on Facebook regarding an alleged “shooting” that occurred near Gate 3. It was later ruled out as false by GSO and the Dasmariñas PNP.
pursuing our dreams and the regret of not trying out what you can do—what your art can do. Shifting the mindset I have about my fears from being anxious to having the desire of getting the things I’m afraid to achieve is a venture. You’d realize that it’s not that scary as you thought it was—or maybe it is a little, but persevering through it is a great opportunity to self-discovery—seeing something in ourselves that we never saw before, something that we can put to use. And as we go day by day, enjoying the things you want to do without worrying about other people’s judgement, it will help overcome the anxiety. Everyone has a story inside that’s trying to put yourself out there and share it, and it doesn’t matter how you do it. It’s not going to be left unnoticed, because at least one person appreciates the things you do. And as an artist, there’s no greater achievement in life than creating an impact to even just a few. What more if your art can change the world or even just make it (slightly) a better place. It matters more than we think it does. So, today, be courageous—not meaning fearless, but choose to create despite the fear. Then do it all over again.
The Lasallian Community Development Center (LCDC) has continued to provide both monetary and relief goods efforts for the victims of Marawi.
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 1
WITBREAD
Three reasons why by Catherine Plotteck (BSY31) I hate 13 Reasons Why. Before you grab your torches and pitchforks, give me a chance to explain myself. We’ve all seen or heard about the Netflix original series that’s been hyped for the past few months. The show stars Hannah Baker, a teenager in your typical suburban high school, who kills herself due to some intense detrimental situations brought on by individuals in her school; however before doing so, she leaves a series of tapes (13 to be exact, hence the title) one tape for each person who has bullied and/or abused her in some form. Psychologically speaking, whatever one sees, one absorbs into the unconscious which is later manifested in the conscious. Take for example, the memes that erupted right after the premiere of the series. The phrase “welcome to your tape” that had a deeper meaning was reduced to a mere joke that everyone threw around lightly. However, the aim of the show was to create a platform that portrayed the struggles faced by the teens of today. Instead of showing the public the everyday challenges teenagers face and how to manage them, it romanticized suicide by making it look like a valid solution to our problems. Though we all go through hurdles that are difficult to overcome, the unfortunate goal of the show came out as if suicide was the only choice we have. What was the goal Hannah Baker wanted to achieve after making those tapes? It was clearly not for self-reflection, so what was it? It was likely a means to exact revenge even after she was gone. It was to place those who bullied her in her shoes and make them feel guilty about what they did to her. It’s true that people need to know that they caused you pain and when talking to them isn’t effective, you have to devise a way to make them listen; but what’s wrong here is showing young people that suicide is a “message” to be sent. When in reality, those with suicidal thoughts often feel like they are burdening those around them with their mental health issues—but that should never be the case. When 13 Reasons Why came out, it was a disturbing to see every
What’s wrong here is showing young people that suicide is a “message” to be sent corner of social media jabbering about it. People were so hyped about watching a series that focused on suicide as a tool for revenge—it gave people the wrong idea, especially teenagers who were the main target audience. Don’t get me wrong, movies that inform the public about the effects of suicide and awareness about the battle with mental health is important, but the way the plot of this movie was woven by the film industry and how this was advertised by social media was appalling. A girl as early as 10 could have seen this content online, and she would not think that there was something wrong with it and may even start using the tagline, or worse, watch the series and realize that was something she could resort to. As a Psychology major, we study human behaviors and mental processes and the subject of suicide is something not new to us. It is our job to understand why people act this way and why they do what they do. I tried so hard to understand the character of Hannah Baker. I am caught in between sympathizing with her and feeling that she was seeking validation from the people around her. She was toxic and purposefully emitting that toxicity to others, which is then reflected back to her. Though she was never marginalized or even neglected by her parents, she was ready to throw away her potential for the sake of proving a point. Maybe the idea of the show was good—great, even—but it failed to provide a deeper understanding on the character’s situation. It would have been a good way to say that different people handle various situations in a different manner. Perhaps the show was meant to teach us how to handle our emotions in a healthy and safe manner. In the end though, 13 Reasons Why teaches the importance of learning how to let it all out even if it means letting our guard down and facing that we are all vulnerable. It may be a cliché, but life is a gift and as young adults, we don’t know it just yet, we are going to be so thankful we kept going. So, keep going.
WRITE FOR THE HERALDO FILIPINO We are accepting contributions for Witbread, the opinion section of the broadsheet open to all students, faculty, and staff in the DLSU-D community. Send them via email to officialheraldofilipino@gmail.com Contributions are subject to selection and editing of the editorial board and should not have been previously published in any way.
The influx of SHS students has been evident as a new batch of Grade 11 students join the Grade 12 students, inciting complaints from college students regarding the crowdedness of the campus.
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F E AT U R E S
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The chokehold of influence Why we worship the wealthy by Paolo Lorenzo Salud Graphic art by Camille Joy Gallardo
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 1
OK . So last week I posted this picture of my newly-bought bag. LV, so medyo bongga. Tapos yesterday, I was walking around the mall then biglang may lumapit sa`kin na mother—she’s with her kid, hawak-hawak niya ‘yong bata—and ito ah, I noticed she has the same bag as mine. At first I’m like, okay. Coincidence. But then she said she got that bag because of me raw. And napansin ko lang ha, it looks fake pala ‘pag malapit. Nakakaloka. Pero in fairness ah, bongga.
There’s no arguing that the trends of the masses have always followed the tastes of the rich and influential, especially in the modern Filipino society. Whether it be something physical like apparel or the mentality of adapting a foreign accent, there will always be the need to rely on “iconic figures”—AKA people in the upper class—on what the ideal lifestyle is. Kaisipang Kolonyal Long before the Philippines attained “independence”, we had a long history of colonization from different nations. From the tyrannical rule of the Spaniards to the “helping hand” of the Americans, their invasion in our country meant the invasion of our culture, language, and religion. And of course, besides the fact that they resided here for centuries gives us one more thing: their genes. Ridiculous as it seems, we Filipinos have yet to progress from the belief that being a mix of Filipino and white descent already makes us racially superior. Stature and facial features aside, what we envy most is their complexion. It’s no secret that most Filipinos prefer fair skin rather than our usual kayumanggi skin tone. This explains the people’s fondness of skin-whitening products, dyeing their hair, and the sort—all in the name of achieving that “mestizo look.” Why? Because bongga. The truth is we have embraced the Western ways even in the very details of our lifestyle. The article “The Real Pinoy Problem: Colonial Mentality Or Cultural Ignorance” from getrealphilippines.com attests that colonial mentality is but a symptom of cultural ignorance not only towards foreign countries’ but as well as ours. Hundreds of years have passed, yet our colonizers still have a huge influence on our way of living. While we look up to their lifestyle, they look down on ours. It has been the way of the wheel. Yet we have still settled in this convention, developing the culture of being underdogs of our own.
and gestures so we’ll be in the know, and in with the crowd.” Considering the Filipinos’ ever-present envy and ambitious nature, people have developed the “look-up-thenadapt” system. And since there’s no one better to idolize than those who seem to be living perfect lives, of course we do. On the other hand, those who are already at the height of popularity also suffer from discrimination. Filipino actress, photographer, and blogger Saab Magalona vents her annoyance via her Twitter account about an incident when she was belittled for her Filipino accent. According to her tweet, the other party expressed great distaste, saying, “It makes my ears bleed.” Seems like this isn’t the end of the “Filipino hate party” as Tagalized movies and TV shows are also too often mocked by Filipinos for being too baduy. And that’s not a good thing. These problems are already commonplace, and some of us don’t even realize it. The good thing is the way netizens have begun to dispatch our cultural apathy—at the least of being loud about their opinion in pursuit of rippling change through subtweets and retweets. However, it doesn’t stop with digital protests and advocacies—but also putting some of our relics to revival like when the Baybayin keyboard applications became a big thing online. Before we even realize, some people already started promoting the appreciation of our own language and culture, combined as well with questioning the status quo and the misguided social conservatives as many propel those ideals even further.
LODI Another factor that contributes society’s marginalizing of critical national issues is our destructive love for idolatry. Rappler’s article, “The trouble with Filipino fanaticism” summarizes our fanatic behavior perfectly in essayist Shakira Sison’s words: “We want to imitate their actions
The one percenters All things considered, the colonial mentality and fanaticism boil down to one thing—the people we look up to seem to be living lavishly fulfilling lives. They say money can’t buy you happiness, but anyone would rather shed tears in a Ferrari
rather than on a bike. And even though a huge number of Filipinos don’t have that luxury, they compensate by admiring those who do. There are a lot of wealthy personalities, and almost everyone has their favorite rich individual to subscribe to. Here’s one—well, you’ve all probably heard of her. Posting her son’s grades online? Ah, interesting. Going on exciting adventures on her daily TV show with her kids? Nice. Anything Kris Aquino does in show business, however mundane or extravagant, has a huge sway on the Filipino masses. She’s just one to prove how public figures can deeply influence us, not to mention how easily they can dictate how things should be, should look, should feel, for the people whose eyes are blamelessly set on them. It’s not really worst, though. It’s just that at times, it’s inevitable to think that the non-stop attention that we give them could be channeled towards more pressing concerns, which are increasing day by day given the current state of our society. Things that people should be aware of are unconsciously getting pushed on the sidelines by meaningless gossip. This just further proves the point that maybe we’re being influenced by them a little too much. And that’s got to change. *** There are hordes of norms that’s been built through time, including all the wrong thinking about superiority and influence. It’s not easy to swim against the popular belief in which the society is shaped upon. But there’s still a possibility to move on from the colonial mindset, the obsessive idolatry and fanaticism to eventually start appreciating our own traits that make us… us—free from the deathly chokehold of influence.
The hf radar TV SERIES WESTWORLD (2016—Present)
by Christian Ralf Dugan
Created by: Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, and Anthony Hopkins Watch if you enjoyed: Mind-twisting shows, artificial intelligence, and robotics [Analysis.] Guns, blood, and flesh are roaming the Earth as the war among class and race rages on. But imagine a world where murder is leisure, death is monetized, and life is cheap— welcome to Westworld. Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, Westworld’s mind-twisting storyline is beyond the usual science fiction drama—a masterpiece made from pain and the product of an unfinished. Violence is a crucial annotation to its narrative, emphasizing the gap between the privileged and the unarmed. Despite the show’s perplexity, its coherence salvages the storyline and brings you into the core of questionable human desires. The series is compact with twists and turns, therefore spilling too much might burn the surprises. Actress Evan Rachel Wood redefines versatility with her character arc in playing the vital and gorgeous human-like robot Dolores. Unpredictably, women empowerment paves its way in the patriarchal path of the show as the multi award-winning actress Thandie Newtonplays Maevs unravels the twisted lie behind the formulated truth. Dominion among the powerless and controlled—Westworld is an allegory of the modern fascist, capitalistic, patriarchal, and chaotic society. And it all boils down to wreck the collective moral grounds and subjective subsistence of humanity. [Archive this configuration.]
FILM
BOOK “I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”
The Great Gatsby (1922)
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald Read if you enjoyed: Classics and lovelorn tales with a twist
In the scorching heat of the 1920s during America’s Industrial Revolution is where Fitzgerald’s masterpiece takes place. Being one of the greatest classic novels ever published, The Great Gatsby beholds more than the mere romantic scale, offering grandeur layers of social revelations and insights from the vintage jazz atmosphere to social upheaval. The book revolves around Jay Gatsby, his romantic attachment to Daisy Buchanan, and his quest for the glorious paradigm of self-discovery, all through Nick Carraway’s point of view as the narrator of the book. The presence of irony is noticeable in the entire novel, and so is its persistence to attain satisfaction. As the pages are flipped, the sequence unfolds more coats, varnishing each element to furnish gleam in every issue. Jay’s connection with the elite explains the relevance of his character to the societal frameworks being exhibited. The materialism of humans and the constant battle with idealism are strongly connected to the storyline and the characters of the novel. Nevertheless, The Great Gatsby is a must-read novel that has existed for almost a century, showing the congruence among the social classes which—like Gatsby’s love—is partly unattainable, yet not entirely impossible.
Instalado (2017)
Director: Jason Paul Laxamana Watch if you enjoyed: Indie films and Laxamana’s works
Most films dwell on socio-political issues, and education isn’t an exception. It might be repetitive, yes, but what if we add a twist? Education as scientific fiction, as a privilege, and as a concrete evidence of class struggle. This pioneer Filipino sci-fi film shatters complexity and misconceptions about indie films—simplifying the most complicated contexts in its simplest forms. In Instalado, everyone is welcome to embrace and utilize its moral compass in a time when people are lost from the conviction of reality, especially in its highlighted core—the notion of education. Instalado takes place in a remarkably advanced version of the Philippines as it beholds the revolutionary future. Derived from the word “installation”, a breakthrough in the realm of education changes the entire fate of humankind when college courses, intelligence, and knowledge can be injected into a human brain. The film’s conflict lies in the narrative of education turning into a privilege that can be bought, rather than a right that must be upheld. As sci-fi-esque as it is, the film never fails to shift the idea from a futuristic setting to a socio-political agenda. By leaping into the future to disclose the predicaments of our present, Instalado exceeds its purpose to project its sole message. No need to pave the way for complexity and deeper layers as the eye-openers—childhood, growth, and responsibility—are enough to lift the core of the film: education is and will always be a right.
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F E AT U R E S
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 1
The gears of class struggle Taking on the fabric of society By Anri Ichimura | Photo by Justine Bea Bautista The rich on top, the poor at the bottom, and those in between fending for themselves—for as long as we can remember, this has been the way of the world. Class sews together the fabric of society to the protest of millions around the world and through the centuries. There have been more revolutions than we can count, all geared towards ending class struggle once and for all—to break the wheel and the gears that keep it moving. But before breaking the wheel, you first have to understand how it works.
Giving ‘class’ a new meaning There’s one person you have to familiarize yourself with to fully grasp class struggle—Karl Marx. His name has been spoken with both idolization and disdain, but despite his infamous reputation for sparking divisive political ideologies, he gave the word “class” the meaning we know today. Class is a social construct that we’re aware of because of class consciousness, but we wouldn’t be conscious of class if there was no conflict of class. Enter Marx’s Conflict Theory based on the foundations of power dynamics, inequality, and how they drive social change. Contrary to popular belief, class struggle boils down not to money or power, but to production. Politics, science, culture—these are just part of the superstructure secondary to the central “modes of production” in Marx’s concepts. These modes of production are made up of forces of production (the labor) and relations of production (the control) comprised of the two polarizing classes of the bourgeoisie (the working class) and the proletariat (the ruling class), respectively. Long story short, the proletariat have nothing to offer but their labor to sustain their way of life, but they’re not the ones reaping the benefits of their labor—the bourgeoisie are. It’s from this dynamic all conflict takes root. As the forces of production develop, they come into conflict driven by the drive to change the development of forces, relations, and control of surplus that the working class want to see—simply put, revolution. In the ideal scenario of toppling the elite, the oppressed working class finally benefit from the fruit of their labor. A classic case of local class struggle, the long-time issue around Hacienda Luisita can be considered a small-scale model of what happens when class struggle tension reaches its peak. Owned by the Cojuangco clan, Hacienda Luisita is a large sugar plantation in Tarlac that’s been mired with controversy as farmers have been protesting for ownership of the land they live and work on. Tensions climaxed in the Hacienda Luisita Massacre of 2004 when 14 died and hundreds were wounded in protest. To this day, the plight of the farmers goes largely unheard. The idea that the oppressed shall rebel against their oppressors is simple and straightforward, but the question
remains, how do the elite stay on top when the proletariat dominate them in numbers? Answer: cultural hegemony, a theory by neo-Marxist Antonio Gramsci. The gist of it is that ideas shape culture, and when the ruling class controls the views and norms of society, they successfully maintain power and the status quo—thereby remaining in position at the top. Capitalism: Digging its own grave These theories that were made long before we were born are what we still see happening now. While there are no longer serfs or peasants, the idea of the working class is still evident in every capitalist society. Capitalism, the bane of Marx’s existence, is the utilization of innovation and invention to create profit for the individual. Nowadays, a negative connotation is inseparable from the word “capitalist” to the point that it can be an insult. Multiple Facebook pages have even been centered on mocking the hilarious yet sad reality of capitalist domination through the sarcastic millennial weapon of memes. However, opposing Marx’s controversial view of the bourgeoisie, Dr. Bart van Heerikhuizen of the University of Amsterdam views that “The exploitation of the proletariat has nothing to do with evil intentions of capitalists.” Heerikhuizen explains that the bourgeoisie are simply captives of a social trap that forces them to unintentionally exploit the workers as the elite and the proletariat are both puppets in the show of capitalism. A pyramid is normally used to illustrate social stratification, but in the case of capitalism, a wheel might be a better representation. Imagine the elite running on the upper portion of a wheel like a hamster in his cage. As the wheel spins, it represents capitalism—a competition between elites to stay ahead of the game. And when the elite can no longer keep up with the pace, they tumble to the bottom to join the working class they once ruled—a fate capitalists aim to avoid. Regardless of who remains on top or not, “Capitalism takes care of its own continuation,” says Heerikhuizen, due to its competitive nature. However, it also “goes slowly but surely into the direction of its own destruction.” It can be argued that those with blue collar jobs are modern slaves to everyday life, “because there is never enough work,” says Heerikhuizen.
When workers hit rock bottom and realize they have nothing to lose, that’s when the idea to rebel against the oppressive ruling class sets in. This is where class consciousness begins to take effect as solidarity and unity takes a hold of the working class to create one huge movement—“a class in itself and for itself,” a popular concept in Marxism—to start a revolution. Case in point, masses in Venezuela that have been rioting on the streets since 2012 in protest of President Nicolas Maduro’s dictatorship. His administration, as well as his predecessors, has created severe drops in employment, health, economy, and democracy for the working class while the ruling class live comfortably. As Karl Marx said in The Communist Manifesto, “The proletariat have nothing to lose but their chains.” But Marx didn’t take into consideration that people grow to love their chains. He also didn’t predict the adaptability and globalization of capitalism that extended its longevity, but that doesn’t mean his ideas and predictions on class struggle died along with him. The 20th century saw the rise of communism with leaders like Fidel Castro, Mao Zedong, Kim Il-Sung, and Joseph Stalin preaching in defense of the working class. We all know how that turned out. While Marx told us to wake up from idealistic dreams of a perfect capitalist society, the effect of his works in places like the Soviet Union where labor conditions were atrocious also woke us up from his idealistic dream of communism. Or did they? Karl Marx and the millennial You don’t need much sources to prove that millennials are the most educated generation born. But even with their education, they are missing one thing—experience. Having not lived through the Cold War when communism was spoken in hushed tones, millennials are more open to the ideologies of Marx after witnessing the class struggle still evident in modern society. In a political rhetoric poll by the Pew Research Center in the US, 51% of respondents have a negative view of capitalism and 31% have a positive view of
socialism. Meanwhile, the Generation Perceptions study by Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation found that millennials agree with Karl Marx more than the Bible. In the same study, only 55% of millennials found communism to still be a problem, in sharp contrast with the 90% and 80% ratings of the elderly and Baby Boomers, respectively. Closer to home, the long surviving communist organization New People’s Army (NPA) has been recruiting youths like 25-yearold Ka Kathryn, who told Agence France-Presse (AFP), “We are facing an enemy who has committed atrocities against the people.” While Marxism has died out for the most part, it can’t be denied that Marx’s contribution to class struggle has endured not by his legacy but by its relevance. In the Philippines, income inequality is increasing. According to the Asian Development Bank’s 2017 report Eradicating Poverty and Promoting Prosperity in a Changing Asia-Pacific, more than 20% of Filipinos are still living under the national poverty line, a result that speaks of the effectivity of the government’s efforts—or lack thereof. Millennials are sick of hearing “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” In this age of innovation, they want a society that’s more inclusive of social and economic class, but while most reject the old-school teachings of communism, they’re still searching for other ideologies that address their need for an overhaul of the system. *** Class—after reading this article, you’ll probably never think of the word in the same way again. Class struggle is more than just the simple understanding of rich versus poor or the powerful versus the powerless— it’s a multilayered, multifaceted abyss that’s both helpful to social stratification and adverse to human freedom as we’re all chained in a socially constructed cage of our own making. Who’s to say what will happen next, but one thing’s for sure—if the working and ruling class system is fixed, then we all “have a world to win,” (Marx, 1848).
Anti-sosyal social club
I used to not give a damn about elitism. When I stepped into college, I didn’t understand that much about what people were talking about. Secularism, populism, alt-truth, and post-truth. Sex and beer. Economy, law, and metaphysics. I went on the ride of learning, but along the way, I’ve also learned that acquiring knowledge is different from obtaining societal empathy. After all, I still didn’t care about elitism— until I noticed how new shame cultures emerge. Take for an instance a person buying an expensive latte or wearing branded clothes— more likely, he or she gets called an elitist. And when they say elite, some people don’t mean its denotative definition, but a whole different context with that added pinch of bitterness. But see, there’s something wrong with dubbing people as elitists or burgis based on simple remarks of their lifestyle.
This case of shaming isn’t as commonly talked about as discrimination towards the less privileged is; but the judgment still exists. Perhaps we think that just because the rich are “on the top of the pyramid” it already means prejudice doesn’t reach them. From this, we all see how labeling and stereotyping has shattered the human perception, same as how class has become great walls right even before world leaders began building them. The culture war has been existing long before now, but it has only worsened. Author Andy Crouch argues in his article The return of shame that the omnipresence of media has opened up a deadly game for people to vie for inclusion of selves and the exclusion of others. Suffice to say, more and more cases like this arise these days, especially online (thanks, social justice warriors). People hate against the wealthy, white, or influential and insultingly call them privileged—assuming they’ve done something downright dreadful to humanity, blaming them for the terrible way of the wheel and for the unearned advantage they enjoy. It’s safe to say that the main reason we’re fond of
the thought of shaming the rich is because we think we should serve social justice only to the poor—that when we conceivably pull them down, we impose equality. But perhaps not. Maybe we don’t really put an end to class struggle by doing this, but instead we extend it across the other side of the spectrum. At the end of the day, we can’t just hop onto the ride of generic sympathy—the blame-the-
Class struggle cannot be resolved at the expense of another rich-for-the-poor mentality—because truth is, we can’t resolve the problem of inequality by leaning on another form of class shaming. It would be a delight to inject equalitarianism, which doctrines spare us from the repulsive fundamental worth or social class. But all the same, it would be hard to change the way we strive to classify people because of the judgmental culture we both developed.
We can already see right from here how bleak it’s become in a society if we continually fight against the stigma of gay-shaming, body-shaming, or poor-shaming, but still accept shaming the rich. We hate the concept of privilege so much that we are blinded by it, because we thought it was all cheer and beer, shine and wine to be in the embrace of affluence. At this point, there’s a call to stop seeing only dollar signs on their faces and quit naming them after their social constructs. We need a society capable of recalibrating its perception to wealth, and somehow, strive together instead of feeling resentful over each other. One does not need to give a full-blown damn about elitism to realize that shaming any person for any reason is destructive. If we truly want to break the wheel, we might as well remember that a class struggle cannot be resolved at the expense of another. As soon as we stop shadily throwing the brand of elitist at whomever and whenever we like, and as long as we try to refrain checking on each other’s privilege as an insult, only then the blame game ends. Until then, don’t join that anti-sosyal social club.
LITERARY
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Tagapag-ligtas By Jason Christopher Paz
The sound of the television rang inside Noel’s ears. He was watching the TV in his small house. It was the right size for someone who lived alone; someone who no longer lived with his parents—someone who was too busy to get a girlfriend. There was news about an unknown disease targeting livestock in an area in the mountain province. Reports said that people consuming infected meat could fall victim to it as well. He got distracted by the beep of his voicemail. Pushing the play button, he decided to brew some coffee. “Dr. Salazar, kindly check the email that we sent you.” A man’s big voice boomed from the telephone. Sipping from his cup, Noel opened his laptop and clicked on the unread email. Along with his co-researchers, Noel volunteered to conduct a medical mission to research about the mysterious infection that had been spreading. Reading the email, he smiled learning that the hospital agreed to fund the program. Being a doctor and a researcher, he had been following the news about the mysterious infection ever since it made national news. As soon as he knew he was going to be sent to the mountains, he went packing his stuff immediately. Ever since his parents died, he vowed that he would do everything he could as a doctor to help people. It was a chance he couldn’t waste because it wasn’t only a challenge for him, but a chance to also be connected with the people living there. The scorching heat seeped through Noel’s skin as they arrived at the mountain province. The village was far from town and surrounded by towering trees that protected them from the blistering golden rays of the sun. Along with his co-researchers, he was made to walk to the village carrying his own belongings and supplies for the medical mission. Despite different insects and bugs that crawled on their skin, they made their way through the emerald forest that rustled in the breeze. “Nandito na tayo,” one of Noel’s coresearcher announced. Noel pushed a branch out of their way, and the village was revealed. The houses were nipa huts and the people only wore traditional garments. While the women were busy tending to their children, the men were using their handmade tools to farm and build more huts. Their bodies were
decorated with tattoos like it was their second skin. Some were smoking tobacco as a part of their daily routines, but the coughing and the paleness of the tribe made Noel and the others believe that it wasn’t just the smoking that made them sick. Other than the tobacco circling in the air was the beating of drums and the melody of flutes. Noel and the others went to the deeper part of the village. As they walked further, more eyes were on them; some had curious looks while more looked wary as to why complete strangers were coming into their village. A lady noticed them, wide-eyed and rushing towards Noel and his team.“A-ang tagapagligtas!” She shouted and the people gathered around. Noel felt like an exotic animal in a pet shop, garnering growing attention from the villagers with every move. “A-ah e, naku ho. Mga doktor lang ho kami. Pero susbukan po naming tulungan kayo sa paraang alam namin,” Noel waved his hands to emphasize that they might have mistaken him for someone else. His parents taught him to always be humble and even after their death, he tried to keep his feet on the ground. “Hindi kami nagkakamali, kayo nga ang tagapagligtas namin,” an old man said. Tattoos covered his skin and he reeked of tobacco. “Sa wakas! Dininig ni Bathala ang panalangin namin. Maari niyo bang gamutin ang mga tao namin at matingnan din ang mga hayop namin?” His eyes stared at Noel’s like he saw a spark of hope. “O-opo naman. ‘Yon ang trabaho namin. Ako po si Noel at ang mga kasama ko ay sina Ned at Arnie,” as he pointed to two other doctors in his team. The old man introduced himself as the chief of the village. Noel bowed his head slightly as a sign of respect and ordered Ned and Arnie to give their packed sandwiches to the hungry villagers. They accepted it but as soon as they took a bite, they spat out in disgust. The chieftain waved his hands, signaling Noel and the others to follow him to the back of the chief hall. He apologized for the villagers. They weren’t fond of meat outside the village. Noel, on the other hand, told the chief about their research and asked if they could stay in the village for a month, also promising to continue aiding the sick villagers. The chief smiled and welcomed their stay. As they went
nearer to the animal pens, animal wails could be heard that sent shivers up their spines. Ned took out a camera and started filming while Arnie readily took notes on his notepad. They were surprised to see the animals consisting of cows, pigs, and chickens lying on the ground and having a hard time breathing. “Kasabay ng panghina ng aming mga hayop ay ang ontionting paghina at pagbawas ng aming lahi,” the chief said with sorrow in his voice. He explained that it had been a month since the animals became sick because of the immense heat. Their crops were dying, too. They couldn’t just live off from the limited food supply that they managed to harvest. “’Wag ho kayong mag-alala, gagawin namin ang aming makakaya,” Noel assured the chief with a smile. Weeks had passed with them helping the villagers and their data gathering was almost complete. Noel and the other researchers learned that the villagers either drank rain water or traveled down the mountains to get access to the flowing river. They soon believed that the water was the primary carrier of the bacteria that had infected the villagers and the animals. Aside from their data gathering, they slowly became accustomed to the village’s political system wherein the people looked up to their chieftain and also relied solely on him when it came to matters regarding the tribe— they didn’t get to decide for themselves. When they told the villagers that they had discovered the origin of the disease and promised to immediately report their findings to the CDC to get started with the cure, the villagers were absolutely thrilled. Despite their smiling faces, with every passing day, Noel noticed that the number of villagers was decreasing and the remaining sick people were reported missing. Finally, it was their last day in the village. The medical team was treated like royalty as they were attended to in each of their own separate nipa huts, although Ned and Arnie got sick just two days after the research was finally completed. “Hindi naman siguro maganda kung aalis kayo na ‘di namin kayo napasasalamatan. Mamayang gabi, may maliit na salo-salo saaming bahay. Hayaan mong kami’y maghanda ng kaunting piging para sainyong mga kasamahan. Ang mga tao ko na ang bahalang umasikaso sainyo.” The chieftain
said to Noel as he was packing his stuff for his departure the next day. That night, the clouds blanketed the stars like a mother putting her children to sleep. The moon seemed to be the child that was always anxious of the dark, following Noel like it was trying to say something important, but he was too preoccupied with the stares from the villagers. He was always uncomfortable with the way they looked at him, but the thought was always followed by the realization that maybe they didn’t get to see other people outside their own tribe. Hearing their whispers, he could only make out the words of “huling araw” and “tagapagligtas”. He shrugged it off every time. Knocking on the door of the chief’s house, the chieftain greeted him and welcomed him inside. On the walls were portraits of his family, Noel noticed a white door at the opposite end of the dining hall. Curiosity washed over him as he pondered about the peculiar door; it was the only one different among the others made of brown wood. As though the chieftain could read his mind, he reassured Noel that it was the kitchen. The chieftain sat down beside his pregnant wife. Noel looked at the chieftain’s family who were all gathered around the table, but Ned and Arnie were not present. “Hindi po ba imbitado ang mga kasama ko?” Noel asked but the chieftain’s wife smiled and reassured him that they will be joining them soon. The door opened and a big man holding a tray full of cooked meat and vegetables entered and laid the food carefully on the table. “Mapalad tayo at nabiyayaan tayong pagkaing pinagsasaluhan natin ngayon,” the chief said and grinned as he looked at the meal with much appreciation. Noel thanked the chief and his family for the generosity. As the family started to eat, his eyes wandered over the meat that was served in front of him and to the family who was, without a doubt, enjoying the meal like wolves devouring their prey. He sliced a piece of meat and put in his mouth. It was a different taste than the ordinary meat but he could not pinpoint what made it different. He was sure it was nothing he ever tasted before. “Ano po itong karneng ito? Medyo
kakaiba po e,” Noel asked as he tried to chew the unfamiliar meat. The chief looked at him and cleared his throat. “Alam mo ba kung bakit pinagpala ang mga tao bukod sa lahat ng likha ni Bathala? Higit kasi tayong may karapatan at may kapangyarihan na gamitin ayon sa kagustuhan natin ang ibang likha.” Noel continued eating; sweat trickled down his temples because of the incredible urge to throw up. His vision was getting blurry and he was getting dizzier as the screeching sound of utensils grazing on plates got louder. His ears felt like they were about to bleed. “Bilang naturing ang malalakas nalikha, kinailangan naming panatilihing buhay ang kapwa naming malalakas sa pamamagitan ng pagsakripsyo ng mga mahihina,” the family of the chieftain smiled and agreed, even the children looked like they were used to hearing it— like it was a bedtime story to get them to sleep. “Kabilang sa mga mahihina ‘yong mga kasamahan mo. Kaya nga nasa hapag-kainan na natin sila ngayon, e,” he smiled wickedly. Noel couldn’t handle it anymore. He rushed and opened the window to vomit, only to be greeted by villagers that started to crowd around the chieftain’s house. They were mumbling a prayer he couldn’t understand. All stared at Noel and he could only feel his heartbeat racing with their harsh stares and with every move of their lips. The prayer got louder but what he heard inside the house blocked out the noise. It was like the last clue to a mystery—the last piece to a difficult puzzle. The unusual rituals, how his fellow doctors got mysteriously sick, villagers going missing, and how they all looked at them like they were gods. He now knew what was behind those glorifying stares—they saw them as meals being prepped. He just wished that he discovered it sooner, but judging by the menacing looks of the chieftain, his family, and the villagers, it was all too late. “Ikaw ang susunod, tagapagligtas— tagapagligtas laban sa putanginang gutom na ‘to,” Noel felt a hard metal hit his skull—then, darkness.
LITERARY
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 13
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 1
Piyesa By Ranica Lane Meralpis
Mula sa pedestal ika’y nagmamasid May matang nag-uutos kahit walang imik. Walang magtatangkang gumalaw nang ‘di mo batid Isang tingin mo lang, kaming batalyon ay titindig Ikaw ay maaring tawagin sa maraming pangalan Kilala kang tuso na karibal at kalaban Pero sa aming mga piyesa ikaw ay ang hari, Ama naming diyos at kamahalan Sa aming tuwid na paghakbang aming lilipulin ang mga kalaban Kanilang mga labi ay susupilin sa iyong kaharian Uubusin ang kanilang lahi para sa iyong kagalakan Kami ay sasalakay Para sa iyong kaligtasan Gabay namin ay anino mong kay itim Sa pagsugod sa tiyak na karimlan Bawat batas na iyong hiling ay bibigyang katuparan Upang manatili sa piling ng iyong dakilang kapangyarihan Ikaw ay poprotektahan kahit sa paisa-isang hakbang Palalaganapin ang iyong gabay sa panig ng kalaban Maging sa aming huling sandali o pagkawasak ng kaharian Ikaw pa in ang aming hari, ama naming diyos at kamahalan
Suwelas
By Shakira Austero
Isusuot ko sa mga paang nadungisan ng isang magarbong buhay, ang sapatos na may kulay at baho ng kasinungalingan at pagkaganid. Isisintas ng mahigpit, kahit di kasya’y ipipilit— bawat hakbang ay tunog ng panaghoy ng bawat kaluluwang lubog sa putik at hirap.
Retaso ng damit ng mga maralita Ang siyang aking pamunas sa mga alikabok ng mga taong walang awa ko’ng tinapak-tapakan at ibinaon sa lupa. At sa panibagong paglakad ko Sa daang uhaw sa pagbabago, ay taglay ko ang kintab at porma na hahangarin ng lahat. Sisilawin kahit ang bulag, Ang mahihina’t api, at sila’y susunod sa bawat yapak ko, Kahit pa sila’y iligaw sa daang baluktot.
Sinumpaang tungkulin
Naglipana sa social media ang mga opinyo’t saloobin tungkol sa iba’t ibang isyu sa ating bansa. Ika-16 ng Agosto nang maibalita sa buong bansa ang sinapit ng menor de edad na si Kian Lloyd delos Santos na nagdulot ng mas pinainit na giriian ng iba’t ibang paniniwala ng mga Pilipino patungkol sa estado ng sangkapulisan at ng kanilang kapangyarihan bilang mga alagad ng batas. Ngunit hindi natatapos ang kuwentong ito rito, nito lamang unang araw ng Setyembre, naibalitang namatay ang dating mag-aaral ng UP Diliman na si Carl Angelo Arnaiz, 19 taong gulang, matapos niya di umanong mangholdap ng isang taxi driver sa Novaliches. Ayon pa sa mga ulat, napag-alamang nakaranas muna ang binata ng pagto-torture sa kapulisan bago ito tuluyang patayin. Mula sa mga nabanggit na pangyayari, maarami sa netizens ang naniniwalang inaabuso
ng kapulisan ang kanilang kapangyarihan sapagkat sila’y pinoprotektahan ng ating pangulo. Sa kasawiangpalad, marami sa atin ang nawalan na ng tiwala sa kapulisan dahil sa sunod-sunod na isyu kung saan ang pulis ay kumikilos nang hindi naaayon sa “due process” upang masabing sila’y sumusunod lamang sa utos ng pangulo. Sa kabilang banda, mayroon ding mga pumapanig sa ating sangkapulisans. Ayon sa kanila, masyado lamang maraming Pilipino ang takot sa pagbabago—at ginagawa lamang ng mga pulis ang kanilang tungkulin. Subalit pagbalibaliktarin man natin ang mundo, naniniwala akong mali ang sistema sa ating bansan pagdating sa usaping hustisya—at hindi tayo dapat magsilbing manonood lamang sa katiwaliang ito. Oo, kabilang ako sa mga taong naniniwalang may mali sa ating sistema partikular na sa pamamalakad ng ating sangkapulisan. May mga bagay na hindi maisasawalang bahala lalo na’t sakop ako ng sistemang ito—sakop ang mga mahal natin sa buhay, gayon na rin ang mamamayan ng Pilipinas. Isa sa mga argumentong aking nakita ay ang katanungang “Bakit ganoon na lamang
magalit ang sambayanan sa kapulisan sa halip na sila’y magalit na lamang sa mga kriminal o adik?” Marahil nga’t sa tingin ng iba’y mas malaki ang pagkakasala ng mga kriminal at adik, subalit ang pinagkaiba rito ay ang pananagutang mayroon ang sangkapulisan. Hindi rin natin maikakailang nangako sila
Walang puwang ang takot sa mga puso na may ipinaglalaban na gagampanan ang kanilang trabaho nang marangal at buong puso sa harap ng gobyern’t maging sa sambayanan. Pinagkalooban sila ng malaking responsibilidad upang matiwasay nilang maipakita sa mga taong dapat silang pagkatiwalaan—na para sa ikabubuti ng mamamayan ang kanilang pakay. Pinagkalooban sila ng baril at posas— mga makapangyarihang kagamitang kayang kumitil ng buhay—hindi dahil binibigyan
sila ng karapatang ipakita kung gaano sila kamakapangyarihan kung hindi’y upang gamitin lamang ito nang naaayon sa batas at pangangailangan ng ating bansa. Nakalulungkot lamang isiping sa halip na maging rason ang kapulisan upang mawala ang takot ng mamamayan, sila pa tuloy ang nagiging dahilan kung bakit naitatanim ang takot sa bawat isa. Sa lahat ng mga mambabasa, aking hinihimok ang bawat isa sa inyo na alamin at pag-isipang mabuti ang lahat ng ating nababasa at napapanood. Dahil sa oras na ating mapagtanto kung ano ang tama, ‘wag sana tayong matakot ilaganap ang katotohanan. Walang puwang ang takot sa mga puso na may ipinaglalaban. Ang mababang pagtingin sa sarili nating opinyon at ideya ay nagdudulot lamang ng takot at hindi pagkukusang manguna sa napapansin nating katiwalian pagdating sa kapulisan. Hindi dahil sa makapangyarihan ang nasasadlak sa ganitong uri ng isyu ay hindi na rin tayo kikilos. Tapos na ang mga panahong tayo’y tagapanood na lamang dahil ang pagsasawalangkibo sa kasamaan ay hindi nangangahulugang pagpanig sa kabutihan.
SPORTS
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 14
VOLUME 31 32 ISSUE 1
Rojales’ next move SDO’s adjustments and strategies for K-12’s second year impact by Fernan Patrick Flores Photo by Bermanie Jean Doniña
“As of now, minimal lang naman.” For a second, it sounded like nothing had changed as Sports Development Office (SDO) Director Fidel Rojales explained the problems they encountered after the first year of K-12. But as he continued— “Medyo nagbawas lang kami ng mga liga,”—it’s evident that the effect of K-12 has started rolling into the DLSU-D sports community.
Now that the beginning of K to 12’s second year has affected the Patriots, let’s look into the plans and adjustments of the SDO to continue bannering the Patriot flag. UCCL out, tune up games in During the first minute of the interview, Sir Fidel already dropped the bomb—“nag-leave muna kami for the meantime from the UCCL (United Calabarzon Collegiate League).” This year was supposed to be DLSU-D’s fourth year in the tourney but SDO was forced to pull out the Patriots due to unfinished documents and an incomplete varsity roster for basketball and volleyball teams. As of press time, one of the main dilemmas that the SDO is dealing with is the recruitment of athletes. According to Rojales, they have started entertaining walk-in applicants for tryouts last June but most were transferees— leading to another problem. SDO is not yet allowed to accept returnees and transferees until the Vice Chancellor for Academics and Research Dr. Marco Saez, who was appointed a couple of weeks before the start of classes, approves the document Rojales prepared. In addition, since
a lot of athletes graduated in the previous years, the Patriot varsity teams have been trying to complete the roster since early August. Since the 24th season of National Capital Region Athletic Association will officially start on November, the Patriots basketball and volleyball teams won’t be joining any other tourneys in the first months of the first semester—meaning they would be idle for a long time. But as per Rojales, he advised the coaches to arrange tune-up games against the University Athletics Association of the Philippines squads as he pointed out that “Mas maganda ‘yong level of competition kapag malakas ‘yong kalaban.” As of now, the Patriot cagebelles and volleybelles are targeting to play against Far Eastern University, Adamson University and the Philippine Air Force, respectively. On the other hand, the Patriot tracksters will get back on track this September 10 for the 2017 Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA) weekly relay. Meanwhile, Rojales is still deciding which team he should bring to this year’s University Games in October.
Back and forth As advised by the Office of Student Services (OSS), Karatedo club was recognized as a varsity team last academic year. But unfortunately, their varsity status has ended for the meantime as SDO decided to return DLSU-D karatekas to club status as a part of their adjustment for the second year of K-12 impact. “Hindi naman ako nagbawas ng coaches. May binalik lang ako na team sa club kagaya ng Karate-DO. Last year ginawa naming varsity, [but] as of now, binalik namin sa club,” he furthered. Rojales explained that they need to do what they have to do for the sake of the Patriots. “Naka-less na tayo ng coach na binabayaran and also with the scholarship of the varsity,” he continued. Money matters As of press time, the SDO Director still has no exact figure regarding this year’s budget for the Patriots but he is hoping that it would be the same
as last year. Preparing for the future, Rojales has made some adjustments regarding the payment system for the coaches and the scholarship of the athletes. For the past few years, the coaches were paid through honorarium or their own salaries. But starting this year, the SDO will implement the “deloading system,” where the coaches now take teaching units as part of the Physical Education (PE) faculty department so as to coach a team. In addition, a team’s head coach should load six units while an assistant coach should load four units. “‘Yong coaches ay deloading na, hindi na siya honorarium to help the PE teachers in handling the coaches … ‘yon ‘yong isang reason namin to try to help the PE teachers to accommodate for the K to 12,” he explained. Aside from these changes, the scholarship of athletes might be adjusted as well as per Rojales’ plans to sustain the sports community in the next few years.
“Medyo male-less ng konti, mga 10 percent siguro ‘yong male-less compared before. Kung same pa rin ‘yong budget, why not [gawing] as is pa rin ‘yong scholarship last year.” According to him, he allotted 1200 percent (equivalent to 100 percent tuition and miscellaneous fee discounts for 12 athletes) per team last year, which would be divided by the coach for his players. But considering the possible budget cut, he might reduce the scholarship percentage per team to 1,000 percent this year instead. Behind the adjustments planned by the SDO, Rojales strongly believes that the Patriots can still bag medals and bring pride to the University despite the effects of the K-12 implementation. However, he still hopes that someone could help the Patriots to sustain the achievements that the athletes bring to DLSU-D. “‘Yon sana ‘yong gusto namin with the help of VCMEA (Vice Chancellor for Mission, External Affairs and Advancement) and with the help of the alumni, na sana we try to help our program for the sports kasi ‘di kakayanin ng budget lang,” he added.
Ang dapat marinig “Anak, gusto ko lawyer o engineer ka.” “Anak, gusto kong ikaw ang mamahala ng business natin.” “Anak, gusto ko maging magaling kang basketball player.” *** Habang ako’y nagso-scroll sa aking Facebook feed, nakita ko ang pahayag ni Lavar Ball, isang sikat na comedian—este—tatay ng isang 2nd pick sa 2017 NBA Draft. Sinabi niya roon na isa sa tatlong kahanga-hangang anak sa larangan ng basketball ang hindi na makapapasok sa NBA. At inisip ko kung ano ba talaga ang rason sa pagsalang niya rito. Doon, napagtanto kong ilan sa mga magulang ay pinipilit ang kanilang mga anak para lamang sa sarili nilang kagustuhan. Mula pagkabata, ang ating mga magulang ang nagsilbi nating guro sa mga hamon, pati na rin ang pananaw na hindi pagbalewala ng mga biyaya sa buhay. At dahil doon, malaya silang nakikibahagi sa ating mga desisyon—at minsa’y sila na rin ang nagdedesisyon nang wala man lang pagsasaalang-alang ng damdamin natin. Hindi sa wala silang karapatan gawin ito subalit
dalawang magkaibang bagay ang paggabay at ang pagkontrol. Isang sikat na halimbawa ng epidemyang ito ay ang pagpili nila ng karerang kukunin nating mga anak. Palitan natin ang “Mothers know best” ng “Parents know best”. Alam nating lahat na sila’y mas dalubhasa sa pagdedesisyon natin sa buhay. Sabihin na rin nating kapag tayo’y nagkakamali, nagkakaroon tayo ng magagandang enlightenment galing sa mga magulang natin. Ngunit hindi lahat ng magulang ay laging tama at may ganitong hangarin—kahit sa malawak na mundo ng mga atleta. Kahit saang larangan, ang matuto sa sariling paa ay isang napakahalagang kasanayan subali’t hindi natin ito makakamtan kung tayo’y parating nakadepende sa iba. Ikumpara natin ito sa zombies sa pelikulang “Warm Bodies.” Ang mga zombie sa pelikula ay kilala dahil sa kaniyang hindi mapigilang hunger na kailangang mapunan kasabay ang memoryang nakukuha nila sa mga biktimang tao. Ang kanilang mga anak naman ay ang mga survivor na nagpupursigi para sa maayos na buhay. Dahil sa mga memoryang ito, kinaiinggitan nilang mabuhay muli—maging bata muli—habang kumakain sila sa huwad na pag-asang maitataguyod ang mga pangarap nila. At sa memoryang iyon—sa karera ng kanilang anak—sila’y naibabalik muli. Mapapatanong ka
na lang ng “Sino nga ba ang bata? Sino ang dapat tugunan ng pangangailangan?” Ngunit sabi nga sa classic dystopian novel na Nineteen Eighty-Four ni George Orwell, “We are the dead. Our only true life is the future. We shall take part in it as handfuls of dust and splinters of bone.” Hindi masamang gamiting hunger ang
Ang matuto sa sariling paa ay isang napakahalagang kasanayan subalit hindi natin ito makakamtan kung tayo’y parating nakadepende sa iba nakaraan para sa kinabukasan, masama lang ito kapag hinayaan mong sakupin na nito ang kasalukuyan. Kung gagamitin natin ito, piliin natin ang mga piraso na makatutulong hindi lang para sa ating sarili ngunit sa taong nasa paligid natin—lalo na kung ang mga taong ito ay kadugo natin. Marahil ay nabubulag lamang sila sa pagiisip kung ano ang makabubuti sa kanilang mga anak. Maaari rin namang sila’y isang helicopter
parent na parang isang rescue team na nandiyan kahit ang sugat mo’y singliit ng lapad ng karayom. Ito ang dinanas ni Eric Lindros, isang hall of famer ng sikat na patimpalak ng hockey sa National Hockey League (NHL). Sa kamay ng kaniyang mga “gabay”, ipinaranas kay Lindros ang pag-utos sa dating NHL at junior hockey league team na huwag piliin ang kanilang top prospect na anak sa draft, maging malayo sa kaniyang organisasyon, pag-reklamo sa sistema ng paglalaro ng kaniyang koponan, at, higit sa lahat, pag-apekto ng kanilang mga pinsala sa pagpili sa kay Lindros bilang hall of famer ng naturang isport. Siguro ay isa rin itong kaso ng prinsipyo ng “doublethinking” o ang pagsang-ayon at hindi pagsang-ayon sa isang bagay sa parehong oras. Maaring iniisip nilang ang pag-kontrol ay makabubuti sa atin—o sa kanilang sariili nang sa gayo’y hindi na sila makakawala rito, maliban lamang kung tayo mismo ang gigising para labananan ang sumpang ito. Malay pala natin, ang atletang nabuhay sa represyon ay ang dapat na susunod sa yapak ni Lea Salonga, ng SUD, ni Pia Wurtzbach, o ni Kuya Will—na may sariling will. *** “Anak, gagabayan kita sa kung ano ang gusto mo.” Hindi ba’t mas masarap marinig ang mga katagang ito mula sa kanila?
SPORTS
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 15
VOLUME 31 32 ISSUE 1
The man behind the Cagebelles’ glory Coach Tito Reyes’ basketball journey by Rose Kristine Amarillo The cagebelles have been consistently trampling their opponents in the last six seasons of Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) Nationals—guarding their champion spot among the female hoopsters in the country. But someone stands behind all of their glory—a man whose patience, guidance, and motivation has pushed the cagebelles beyond their limits. His name is Tito Reyes—the head coach of cagebelles who has been honing the skills and shaping the personalities of his players on and of the court since day one. Rewinding to his early basketball career, let’s discover the story of the unsung hero of our University’s women’s basketball team. Humble beginnings Like any other budding basketball player who grew up watching the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in the 90’s, Reyes wanted to join the ranks of the PBA. “Bata pa lang kasi ako, nanonood na ako ng PBA. So nag-start na ako magbasketball...halos lahat naman yata ng basketball player ‘yon ang dream, makapaglaro professionally,” Coach Tito shared. All young men have idols who inspire them, and Tito Reyes’s was none other than Vergel Meneses—a three-time PBA champion, one-time PBA MVP, 11-time PBA All-Star, and now the head coach of his alma mater’s basketball team in Jose Rizal University. Paving the way for his hoopster dream at an early age, Coach Tito joined the Jose Rizal College (now Jose Rizal University, JRU) high school basketball team and played for the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Juniors. He later tried out at De La Salle University in Manila but ended up in the team reserve. Still hoping to fulfill his dreams, he left the said university after playing for one year and tried out for DLSU-D in 1999—succeeding to become a Patriot cager and earn a scholarship grant.
Reaping the rewards from all his hard work and efforts, the former shooting guard of the DLSU-D’s men’s basketball team proved his worth as he brought in championship trophies and medals for the University. Along with his co-varsity players, Reyes stepped up to the big leagues, such as Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) and Friendship Solidarity Competition (FSC) where they brought home the bacon several times. Also, 2003 was a notable year that marked his playing career as Reyes was appointed the captain ball of the cagers and even sparked a shootout in a game against “The Man with a Million Moves” himself, James Yap, who was playing for University of the East (UE) back in his PRISAA – Nationals days. The coaching career Being passionate about basketball, he chose coaching as a career. “S’yempre, in line na ako with basketball [at] parang wala na akong nakikitang ibang work kung hindi [basketball]. ‘Yong love ko for basketball, ‘yon na ‘yong naglead ng way para maging coach ako [at] para hindi ako mawala sa pag ba-basketball...sobrang passionate ako about basketball so parang ‘yon (coaching) na ‘yong next step,” Coach Tito affirmed. After graduating from college in 2004, he started his coaching career by becoming the pioneer of the De La Salle Health and Sciences Institute’s (DLSHSI) women’s basketball team together with DLSHSI sports coordinator and his
best friend, Paulo Belen. Eventually in 2006, he became the head coach of the cagebelles. However, being a coach is not enough for a living, admitted Reyes. “Kasi ‘yong pagco-coach, honestly, hindi siya financially [enough] pero wala na akong nakitang iba bukod sa pagco-coach,” Coach Tito shared about what made him stay. “S’yempre ‘yong passion ko for basketball and [this is] a way to give back na rin kasi dahil sa basketball, nakapag-aral ako ng libre, nagkaroon ako ng trabaho, [at] nakakapagturo ako sa mga bata,”. Strengthening bonds After almost 12 years of being a second father to the cagebelles, Coach Tito mentioned that honesty and transparency prevail in their team and keep them bonded and connected despite the different personalities of the players. “Sine-set [ko] ‘yong goal ‘lagi kahit sa simula pa lang ng practice— kung ano ‘yong gusto naming maachieve, kung ano ‘yong character na gusto naming magkaroon, ‘yong tamang attitude tsaka maging priority nila ‘yong paga-aral nila [at] maging mabuting tao sila,” Coach Tito explained on how he keeps the fire burning for the Patriots. Regarding the remarkable performance of the DLSU-D’s women’s basketball team in the previous years, “I-pe-prepare ko lagi ‘yong team ko sa lahat ng mga tournament, [para] madepensahan namin lagi ‘yong kung anong mayro’n... pagta-trabahuhan namin ‘yon,” Coach Tito assured.
COACHING CHAMPS. Coach Tito Reyes, head coach of the DLSU-D varsity basketball women’s team, has been training, leading, and mentoring the cagebelles for almost 12 years, with six PRISAA - Nationals championships under his belt.
Photo by Angelica Aludino
Patriot mentors Abdilla, AlFrazin Abdulwahab part ways with DLSU-D spikers by John Zedrick Simeon
After one academic year of helming the Patriot spikers, Head Coach Al-Frazin Abdulwahab and Assistant Coach Alnakran Abdilla departed from DLSU-D last May due to conflicts in their respective jobs’ schedule, as per Sports Development Office (SDO) Director Fidel Rojales.
“Gusto nila mag-full time doon (Philippine Volleyball League (PVL) team and the aerial warfare service). Kasi si coach Ran-ran Abdilla, he’s already on [Philippine] Air Force and also he’s playing for the national team,” Rojales explained. “And coach Fraz … naaccept na rin siya, nag-full-time na rin siya doon sa [Philippine] coast guard,” Rojales added.
Six-peat powerhouse. The cagebelles have been soaring high for the last six years with their six-peat champion legacy in the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) – Nationals leagues from 2011 to 2017.
Photo by Angelica Aludino
SPORTS COMICS
Discord in their timetables A couple of times during the Patriots’ matches and trainings for the entire year, coach Abdulwahab went missing in action due to his training with the Philippine coast guard as a trainee.
“Kasi before, nagpapaalam lang siya (Abdulwahab). No’ng first semester kasi, hindi pa siya naa-accept, trainee pa lang siya. Pero nahihiya na rin siya sa akin, kasi marami na rin siyang absences,” Rojales shared. On the other hand, Abdilla returned to PVL – Reinforced Conference’s PAF after his two-year volleyball hiatus, and even won the MVP award last June. Relating the schedule struggle, Rojales compared the PAF spiker’s problem with DLSU-D’s nearby sister school De La Salle Health Sciences Institute (DLS-HSI). “Compare naman natin diyan sa HSI, assistant coach siya (Abdilla) pero hindi naman
siya binibigyan ng limit na kung magustuhang um-attend. Unlike rito sa atin (DLSU-D) na may ground rules tayo na at least six hours a week [ang required duty hours ng coaches].” Rojales said. Rojales furthered that both coaches also had difficulty attending the Spikers’ trainings — becoming one of the main factors of their resignation. “Nag-uusap lang sila kung sino ang assigned sa practice pero hindi ko sila tinanggal. Sila ang nag-resign,” Rojales recalled what the maiden coaches said “Coach pasensya na, magfu-full time na kami (Abdilla and Abdulwahab) kasi nakakaawa [na] ‘yong team.”
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 16
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2017
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 1
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SPORTS NEWS Spiker coaches leave page 15
SPORTS COMICS Bandwagons page 15
Sports Feature Rojales’ next move page 14 CHECKMATE.The Patriot woodpushers finished at respectable places after competing against an estimated 120 players in the 25th Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship – NCR Leg Seniors Division held at the Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City from July 8 to 9.
Photo by Angelica Aludino
Patriot woodpushers shine in 25th Shell Chess Championships DLSU-D chessers face UAAP and NCAA teams
patriot head coaches for AY 2017-2018
by Fernan Patrick Flores Moving their chess pieces to the next level, the Patriot woodpushers competed against the powerhouse squads of University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the 25th Shell National Youth Active Chess Championship – NCR Leg Seniors Division on July 8-9, 2017 at the Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City. Making it to the top one-third of the participants, Private Schools Athletic Association – Nationals 5th placer Clinton Paulo Andres ranked 34th among 120 players after garnering a total score of 5.5 points in a nine-round crosstable match, edging contenders from De
La Salle University, Adamson University, University of Santo Tomas, and Mapua Institute of Technology. Meanwhile, Genrech Lalas settled at 51st with 5.0 points, while his twin Genten Lalas landed at the 69th spot with 4.0 points. Raising the flag of Tamaraws, UAAP 79’s first runner up Far
Eastern University’s Dale Bernardo, Jeth Romy Morado, and Darry Bernardo stood at the podium after topping the two-day match with a final score of 7.5 points each. The top three players of the NCR leg will advance to the Grand Finals on October 7 to 8 at Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.
Karate Do returns to club status Veteran player Nava reacts by Rose Kristine Amarillo
Due to the lack of budget caused by fewer freshmen enrollees, Sports Development Office (SDO) Director Fidel Rojales confirmed that the Karate Do team returned to club status this Academic Year (AY) 2017-2018, a year after they achieved varsity status in AY 2016-2017. Although the scholarship budget can still accommodate minor teams, Rojales shared that only the Karate Do team will be acknowledged as a club in order for funds to be prioritized for major events and leagues, especially for the men and women’s basketball varsity teams. “Before, marami kaming events na sinalihan like UCCL (United Calabarzon Collegiate League). Nag-leave muna kami [sa mga iyon] for the mean time kasi iniisip ko, [para] ‘yong mga main event [at] major competitions na lang ang sasalihan namin like PRISAA (Private Schools Athletic Association) and
the rest may be invitational,” Rojales furthered. Scholarship grants Rojales previously explained that only the varsity players of the men and women’s basketball team, men and women’s volleyball team, and the athletics team were to be granted scholarships, as stated in H eraldo F ilipino Volume 30 Issue 1. In line with this, the Karate Do team will operate without scholarship grants and other benefits that the other Although the scholarship budget can still accommodate minor teams, Rojales shared that only the Karate Do team
will be acknowledged as a club in order for funds to be prioritized for major events and leagues, especially for the men and women’s basketball varsity teams. Accepting their status Affected by the decision, Clyde Nava, a veteran karateka, shared his insights and reaction in behalf of his co-members. “Actually, me and my coach [ay] na-shock. Lalo na ‘yong mga teammates ko kasi para sa’min, ‘yong pagkakasali ng Karate Do sa varsity is a big milestone kasi noon pa lang, wino-work out na namin na maging varsity siya kasi unang-una kailangan ng mga athlete ng support ng school,”
SQUAD LEADERS. The Patriot head coaches of the varsity teams and clubs added a new addition, Coach Mikko Gako, to the coach lineup leading this year’s roster of players.
Infographic by Mikaela Torres last year’s PRISAA – Nationals contender said. “Parang nag-one step ahead na kami and ang nangyari [ay] parang bumalik kami from the start. But I hope na as time goes by, maibalik na rin ‘yong varsity [status].” the Patriot added. For Nava and his teammates, they believe the removal will result in a hindered performance in the upcoming PRISAA tourneys— their lone collegiate league— and the omission of a chance for scholarship. “‘Pag varsity ka, pwede kang makatanggap ng scholarship. Sa club kasi walang gano’n.” he said. Despite the unfortunate decision of the SDO, the senior
karateka shared the reason as to why he chose to stay in the team. “Nagpapa-stay sa ‘kin ay ‘yong puso, ‘yong pagmamahal mo sa gano’ng klase ng sport na either may allowance, may scholarship ka o wala, pero kung tutuusin, deserve din ng mga future athletes ‘yong gano’ng klaseng support either karate ka, volleyball, basketball. Kasi lahat ng mga athletes [ay] ginagawa rin naman nila ang kanilang best para makapag-provide ng dangal sa ating university,” he expressed. When asked if he thinks that there will be changes in their performance and their relationship with the SDO Director due to the issue, “Wala naman akong nakikitang mali
[sa desisyon ni Sir Fidel] kasi nakikita ko naman na he cares about his athletes. Siguro as an athlete, ang maapektuhan lang diyaan, [ay] ‘yong willingness nila sa practice kasi mostly ang iniisip diyan ng mga tao [ay] ‘yong reward.” he shared. Motivating himself and the Karate Do team, Nava mentioned that he will do his best to show that their sport deserves a spot in the list of varsity teams of DLSU-D. “Ipapakita namin na deserve [namin] ‘yong gano’ng status. Hindi lang sasabihin nila na pang-club lang or what. Ipapakita namin na kaya naming mag-compete [at] magbigay ng glory sa DLSU-D…pero as of now na nakapag-decide na naibabalik siya sa pagiging club, we should deal with it.” he said.