Heraldo Filipino Vol. 32 Issue 2

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 1

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY-DASMARIñAS OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017

facebook.com/HeraldoFilipino

twitter.com/HeraldoFilipino

officialheraldofilipino@gmail.com

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

heraldofilipino.com

“STOP, LOOK, LISTEN.” Jeepney drivers staged a die-in protest in the middle of España Boulevard in Manila against the government’s jeepney phase out plan during the two-day nationwide transport strike on October 16 and 17, in which jeepney drivers demanded that the government “stop, look, and listen” to the financial impact of the program on the lower class caused by corporate privatization.

Photo by Kristine Mae Rebote

SENTRO, R.E.D. prohibited to run in 2018 University student elections SCE approves Sinag appeal for accreditation

by Naomi Lane Tiburcio

SENTRO La Salle and R.E.D. Alliance have been prohibited to run in the 2018 University student elections due to the suspension of their accredition this academic year (AY) 2017-2018 caused by their failure to comply with the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) stated in the 2016 Amended Student Election Code Article V, Section 5, which outlines the requirements for existing political party accreditation.

As a result, the two political parties are prohibited to run in the 2018 University student elections. The accreditation of

Sinag Political Party was also initially suspended. However, the party submitted a letter of appeal for accreditation, which

SCE accepted on October 18. As such, Sinag Political Party is not prohibited to run in the 2018 University student elections.

In a memo from the SCE to the three concerned political parties, the requirements include one outreach activity, one institutional activity, and two organizational activities per semester. According to the IRR, the non-compliance of the said requirements are “tantamount to suspension of the political party’s accreditation on the following year.”

SCE Chairperson Reen Marien Salvador said the suspensions is an outcome of the non-compliance to the four-activity requirement of the Commission.

She added that the the political parties are aware of the IRR requirements as they were oriented with the 2016-implemented IRR beforehand.

“Alam naman nila ‘yon kasi nagkaroon na rin kami ng IRR

orientation and nagkaroon din sila ng copies ng IRRs, naka-sign sila sa receiving copy namin,” Salvador said.

However, Salvador said members of the two suspended political parties can run as independent candidates for the coming University student elections. She also suggested that the members of the parties can resort to the creation of a new See POLITICAL PARTY | page 2

Dasma City Gov’t to build its first public university

by Naomi Lane Tiburcio

The Dasmariñas City Government is planning to build its first public university in the City upon purchasing a 12-hectare lot at Burol Main, 150 meters away from DLSU-D Gate 3, according to Dasmariñas City Mayor Elpidio “Pidi” Barzaga. As of press time, the public university is still under construction.

#LakbayMagsasaka: Land Reform. The farmers at the 155-hectare Enrile-controlled estate of Kapdula in Dasmariñas continue to fight to reclaim their land through a collective farming activity called the “bungkalan” system.

The plan to create the university, which is tentatively named Pamantasan ng Dasmariñas or Dasmariñas University, was initiated in the early 2000s—the same period when the government bought the land through installment.

Barzaga said that education has been one of his main platforms since his first term as Dasmariñas Mayor in 1998, which became his inspiration behind creating the public university.

He mentioned that he envisions to help the “intellectual

See PUBLIC UNIVERSITY | page 3

Photo by Kristine Mae Rebote

SPECIAL REPORT

features

yet underprivileged” students of the City. “Marami tayong kababayan na marurunong. We have approximately 14,000 public high school students [at] approximately 8,000—‘yan ang gumagraduate sa senior high school every year… Sasabihin

Literary

sports

DLSU-D bird sanctuary

The ride to pride

Patay na simbahan

Larong kalye

page 4

page 11

page 12

page 15

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 2

NEWS

POLITICAL PARTY from page 1 political party, given that they come up with their own constitution.

“Pwede sila mag-run as an independent… puwede silang bumuo ng another political party pero different name, different constitution,” the Commission Chair mentioned.

Salvador added that this is the first time that the two existing political parties simultaneously received suspensions for their accreditation.

Meanwhile, the SCE Chair shared her sentiments to SENTRO La Salle and R.E.D. Alliance.

“Nakikita naman namin ‘yong effort nila as a political party, nakikita rin namin ‘yong ginagawa nila para mahubog ‘yong mga member nila o ‘yong mga pinapatakbo nila, pero ‘yon lang talaga, hindi nila nagawang mag-comply do’n sa binigay naming requirements sa kanila,” Salvador said.

SENTRO, R.E.D. respond Meanwhile, in an online interview, SENTRO La Salle shared their response to the suspension: “The past two academic years has been marked by many frustrations and failures due to successive batches of incompetent and weak leadership. This

year, those strings of unfortunate events have come full circle with a heavy price: the suspension of our accreditation as student political party in our beloved university.

We take full responsibility for our failures and shortcomings. We accept and respect the decision of the SCE. We shall take this time to rebuild, regroup and re-organize into a much better organization worthy of the noble ideals on which sentro has been founded and to be worthy of the student body’s support in the elections.

This is not the end for this is just the beginning of a new chapter in our colorful and proud history of studentleadership and service to the Lasallian community.”

Meanwhile, R.E.D. Alliance, formed in 2014, released a statement on their Facebook page thanking the Lasallian community for the chance given to them.

“R.E.D. respects and acknowledges the said decision and will continue to support the goals and objectives of our SCE. In effect, R.E.D. Alliance will not be operational for the Academic Year 2017-2018.

Nonetheless, our team will not cease to support the University for its continued call for quality student service and we commit ourselves to providing more opportunities to more potentials.”

SENTRO La Salle and R.E.D. Alliance clarified that they have no plans to appeal to the SCE following the said suspension.

Sinag appeal Meanwhile, the SCE confirmed on October 18 that the they accepted the appeal of Sinag Political Party which was sent in late September to reconsider their accreditation this AY. John Cedrick Lacro, SCE Co-Chairperson, said among the three political parties, Sinag was the only one to complete three out of four activity requirements of the SCE. According to Lacro, the processed papers of the only event Sinag failed to accomplish didn’t reach the SCE despite the event taking place.

The SCE comissioners voted with three yes, one no, and zeo abstain on the appeal of Sinag, allowing the organization to apply for accreditation.

As per Sinag Political Party President Christelle Badilla, “Sinag believes that the decision of the SCE was based on the fact that we were able to comply with the requirements last year.

We are happy that we were given the opportunity to rekindle, and continue Sinag’s legacy.”

Road Extension. In order to reduce worsening traffic, the Dasmariñas City Government has continued the expansion of lanes for public transportation vehicles in the DBB-B area around the perimeters of the campus gates.

Photo by Bermanie Jean Doniña

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

New CEAT building construction to start upon final approval ‘We hope CEAT building be operational by next AY’ – CEAT Dean

by Yna Marisse Sodoy In preparation for the freshman enrollees next academic year (AY) 2018-2019, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) Dean Engr. Jose Rizaldy De Armas said that the construction of the new CEAT building is set to finally start once final approval is granted.

“We are still waiting for the final approval kung kailan itatayo talaga ‘yong building ng CEAT but based on our plan, we are hoping that the CEAT building will be operational by school year 20182019,” he explained.

De Armas furthered that the plan to build a new CEAT building began years ago, adding that they are conducting a series of meetings this semester with the Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administrative Services Deodoro Abiog II who will head the construction project of the CEAT building.

Building and Facilities Maintenance Office (BFMO) Director Arch. Dennis Pontanilla said they hope to finish the plan for the CEAT building construction by the end of 2017 to start the bidding process with the contractors on January 2018.

As to the location of the new CEAT building in the University, De Armas revealed that they proposed two plans for it, wherein the first plan will be located at the old Mariano Trias Hall, while the second plan will be located at the previous location of the old CEAT building.

Addressing concerns regarding the old building’s location, De Armas pointed out the main assumptions of most DLSU-D netizens.

“If ever na diyan maitatayo ‘yong building, they (BFMO) will make sure na sturdy ‘yong itatayong building and they [also] conducted a necessary test prior to the construction, pero before ‘di naman sinabi na soil talaga ang problem e, wala namang sinabi,” he explained.

In response to the main reason of the old CEAT building’s demolition, Pontanilla confirmed that it was not the soil, but instead the materials used for the CEAT building. “Pero ‘yong second option (previous CEAT building location) ‘yong mas matimbang sa amin (BFMO). ‘Yong dati pa rin.

Kung sa MTH building, gigibain mo pa ‘yon e, mare-relocate pa mga rooms at offices. E do’n sa dating location, tayo na lang ng building,” he said.

According to The Her al do Fil ipino,Volume 30, Issue 4, Pontanilla said that the old CEAT building was found to be structurally defective after the recommendation of the University’s technical consultants.

Only two years after the building’s construction on 2010, retrofitting was conducted in the damaged parts of the structure in 2012, wherein students, faculty, and staff had to temporarily vacate the CEAT building.

To assure CEAT students and faculty members that the demolition of the CEAT building two years ago will not happen again, Pontanilla said that they will be conducting a “safeguard” procedure. “Unang-una, we’ll have to get the right proper management team. ‘Yon ‘yong, in layman’s term, magbabantay ng the whole [period of] construction.”

He furthered that another team, a project management team, will also be included in the process, wherein they will be supervising the construction with the contractors.

Classrooms and facilities After the previous CEAT building was demolished, De Armas said the students and faculty had to adapt to their temporary building, Candido Tirona Hall (CTH), especially with the number of classrooms and needed laboratory facilities.

“In terms of classrooms, nanghihiram kami sa ibang colleges no’ng classrooms. So in terms of laboratory, some of the laboratories talaga are not fitted as laboratory kasi this (CTH) building was designed for classrooms, not for laboratory,” De Armas furthered.

He added that the college will conduct “splitting”, which will divide a room into one laboratory and one classroom. “For example, before, if ‘yong laboratory can handle 35 students, ngayon ay limited ang size ng classroom. 20 [students] lang ang limited so we will split the classrooms, so magiging 20/20. Still, kasiya pa rin sila sa mga laboratory. Gano’n ang naging way ng CEAT for the past years habang wala ang [bagong] building,” he explained.

As of press time, CEAT provides 21 laboratories for their students, which includes a power electronics laboratory, hydraulics laboratory, and computer laboratory.

Meanwhile, De Armas mentioned that some programs in CEAT also need additional facilities, especially for architecture which needs spacious exhibit halls for their presentations. He said that in order to address the problem, CEAT faculty and students must maximize their “creativity” to allocate space for the given areas until an exhibit hall is built.

R e ac t Following the controversial ID-pulling incident of a SWAFO officer to a student during the unofficial “Naruto Run” event, we asked the opinion of DLSU-D students whether SWAFO’s goals (S-tudent-centered, W-illing to serve, A-dvocating student formation, F-air at all times, and O-bedient) are being met.

“SWAFO isn’t being fair at all times, they aren’t always very observant, especially when they are close with the students. But they are student-centered, they implement rules and give discipline to college students.”

“I think SWAFO is doing their job implementing policies of DLSU-D, but not all [the] time [are they] fair to all students, and sometimes [they are] not clear on the [Student] Handbook [and] the policy they are implementing.”

“I believe that the SWAFO is doing their goal in order to promote their policies through implementing what is written in the [Student] Handbook. In this way, they are able to be student-centered while observing certain rules and regulations.”

Krishna Tamayo Third year Business and Operations Management

Benedict Labid Third year Criminology

Nicole Anne Del Rosario Third year Communication

“No, because marami pa ring mga estudyante na nakakapagsuot ng civilian kahit na uniform naman dapat.”

“No, because they are not doing their job properly, most of [what] they’re doing is nonsense. Even [when students are] wearing correct uniform on wash day, they [are] still getting IDs if they like it.”

“I think their attention is too focused on the strict implementation of the rules here in DLSU-D, which is a good thing, but there are times that they get carried away and lose their cool towards students, which is a vital issue.”

Gerald Matudan Fourth year Graphics Design and Multimedia

Victor Jason Baliber Third year Tourism Management

Raphael Miles Corro Third year Development Studies

“I think SWAFO are doing their job for the students and provide a strict implementation of rules to prevent bad issues, but they are so strict [and] that’s why some students are not following them.”

“I think SWAFO is doing their goal as they are obedient in what is written in the handbook and keeping the peace in the campus.”

“Not all goals of SWAFO are being observed, like being ‘fair at all times.’ Also, what they did in the recent ‘Naruto Run’ is not that good. Sometimes they do well, but most of the times they don’t.”

Rimbee Mercene Fourth year Marketing and Advertising Management

Raeniel Herrera Third year Information Technology

Micah Orbacedo Third year Secondary Education

NEWS

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 3

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

NEWS BRIEFS

Registrar, ICTC to test new enrollment system before 2018

by Bianca Isabelle Lariosa and Patrik Aboy In preparation for the enrollment period next semester, the Office of the University Registrar and Information Communications and Technology Center are planning to conduct a trial or “test” on a new enrollment system before 2017 ends.

University Registrar Paulino Gatpandan clarified that the “new” enrollment system has already been implemented before and it will allow irregular students to enroll in subjects that were previously reserved for regular students; wherein a separate schedule will be allotted for all students to add, remove, or drop subjects.

As of press time, Gatpandan said they are still in the planning process for a new enrollment system with the aim to accomplish it by the end of 2017. #NeverAgain. Protesting the 45th anniversary of Martial Law on September 21, national minorities and militant groups marched to Mendiola to stage the burning of the “Rody’s cube”, an effigy representing the different faces of the Duterte administration.

Photo by Kristine Mae Rebote PUBLIC UNIVERSITY from page 1 ng mga maestra, ‘Mayor ang galing ng ating valedictorian pero ang problema niya ay hindi ‘yan makakarating sa kolehiyo,’” he said.

Barzaga furthered that the government plans to offer health science-related courses, among other programs. However, the final lineup of offered courses will still be discussed with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“Definitely, we will be having health science-related courses, we’ll be having college of medicine, college of nursing, radiology, med[ical] tech[nology], plus other courses. But insofar with other courses we will be offering, we are making consultations with the CHED and the Department of Labor [as to] what course would really be needed so that our graduates will have immediate employment,” the mayor explained.

Need for nearer university Mayor Barzaga said that although there are public Cavite State University campuses located at 12 cities and municipalities in Cavite excluding Dasmariñas, local citizens have pointed out that the daily commuting fare to these distant universities can take a heavy toll on families despite the lower tuition fees.

“The trouble is that marami tayong kababayan, halimbawa, pumapasok sa Cavite State University [na] mababa ang matrikula, pero ‘pag nakakausap ko naman ‘yong mga magulang at alam ko ang realidad, kinakailangan [pa rin nilang] magbaon ng minimum, siguro 200 pesos a day,” Barzaga furthered.

The mayor said he hopes to alleviate the commute expenses and travel time through the new public university, which will be located along Governor Mangubat Avenue, Congressional Road.

City service for scholars In order to give back to the government, the mayor plans to require public university graduates to serve at the city government for a certain number of years after graduating. However, Barzaga is already expecting complaints regarding this plan, clarifying that the requirement is still under negotiation.

Due to the limited budget, the mayor said that the city has sought donations from the private sector for the construction of the public university, which is already totaled from 20 to 30 million pesos, although he is expecting more contributions to come.

The university is proposed to have four buildings, an oval track and field, and a grandstand. The local government will soon be conducting biddings with architectural firms.

The university is expected to be fully operational by August 2019.

SWAFO: Student not ‘pulled’ by his ID lace

by Yna Marisse Sodoy Clarifying the ID lace “pulling” incident between a Student Welfare and Formation Office (SWAFO) formator and the student runner concerned during the Naruto Run event on September 27, SWAFO Director John Casidsid claimed that the “intentional pulling” act was not true.

Casidsid explained that the officer was trying to restrain the student from escaping his grip, while trying to restrain another participant running on the other side at the same time.

“Iba ‘yong hinila, iba sa nahila. Ang act ng SWAFO officer doon ay hindi hinila kung hindi nahila,” Casidsid said.

As to whether the SWAFO director thinks the concerned formator is at fault, Casidsid clarified that he “did not do anything wrong,” as seen in the video from the beginning.

“I think ‘yong SWAFO officer formator ay walang ginawang masama, ‘nahila’ e.

Hindi siya ‘yong ‘nanghila’. Kasi iba ‘yon,” he expressed.

In an online article posted by Her a l do Fil ipino on September 28, the student concerned (who wishes to stay anonymous) said he did not expect his ID to be confiscated

by SWAFO as he was not aware that the Naruto Run event was not official.

He also said, “I was scared, and physically hurt because firstly, out of all the places that you can grab a student, why did you choose the ID lace? It hurt my neck. The officer of SWAFO

was caught on video, and if I wanted to, I could file a case against him for maltreatment.”

However, no sanction was filed against the student for participating in the Naruto Run event. Casidsid explained that it was to show the students that SWAFO does not punish students if they are not directly at fault or aware of the circumstances of an event.

“Kung may alam man siya sa plano nito, it’s not our loss.

It’s his loss, ‘di ba? Kasi siya naman mako-konsensiya ‘pag nagsinungaling siya sa mga sinabi niya sa akin noong interview,” Casidsid said.

When asked if Casidsid plans to change any policies of SWAFO following the Naruto Run backlash, the SWAFO Director replied with “none” given that the nature of their profession is to implement what is stipulated in the Student Handbook, which is decided upon partly by student leaders.

Before the run Whether SWAFO was indeed aware of the Naruto Run event beforehand, Casidsid disclosed that they were notified on September 21, six

days before the event happened.

Casidsid explained that they were called by General Services Office Director Edwin Bunag to discuss the circulating event.

Upon finding out that two Computer Science students were linked to the event by their affiliation to the Patriots E-sports community, Casidsid planned to talk to the two students concerned, but was hindered due to prelim examinations and inability to find them on the day of the Naruto Run event as they were “on field” for the day.

With no assurance of whether the Naruto Run event would push through or not, the SWAFO officers stood by the starting location of the race in case there were students who were going to participate.

Following the event, Casidsid shared that an organization, Genshiken, is already considering conducting a similar event with formal paperwork, which Casidsid said SWAFO would help if processed officially.

“Sabi ko ‘sige, basta pinayagan kayo ng OSS (Office of the Student Services) walang problema,’” Casidsid furthered.

CEAT clarifies enrollment issues The reason behind the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) students’ enrollment issues, such as the late changing of schedules, stems primarily from four part-time faculty who unexpectedly left a week before the start of classes, according to Engineering Department Chair Ma. Estrella Pineda.

Moreover, the availability of the newly-hired professors that replaced the four part-time faculty that left to work abroad is still limited to weekend classes due to their schedules.

Another factor for the schedule changes is because of the number of concerned parents who requested to change their children’s evening schedules to morning or afternoon classes due to safety concerns following the August shootings around Dasmariñas, Pineda shared.

CTHM programs receive International Center of Excellence accreditation The Tourism Management and Hotel & Restaurant Management programs under the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management (CTHM) received recognition from the Asia Pacific Institute for Events Management (APIEM) as an International Center of Excellence on September 14.

The accreditation is awarded to international institutions focused on events managementtourism and hospitality management in the Asia Pacific region that have reached the international standards set by the APIEM. The certificate was awarded by APIEM President Dr. David Hind and Vice President on Education and Accreditation Dr. Karen Fernandez to CTHM Dean Beberlee Designano, Associate Dean Wiziel Napod, Hotel and Restaurant Management Department Chair Irma Gatdula, and Tourism Management Department Chair Guiller Gison.

Aside from DLSU-D, other institutions in the country have also received the accreditation such as Far Eastern University, Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila, Lyceum of the PhilippinesCavite, Lyceum of the Philippines-Laguna, and Lyceum of the Philippines-Batangas.

CEAT to offer new undergrad courses next AY after CHED approval CEAT Graduate School introduces newly offered courses

by Naomi Lane Tiburcio The College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (CEAT) plans to offer new undergraduate programs in the first semester of academic year (AY) 2018-2019 after the graduation of the first batch of K to 12 students from Senior High School, as per CEAT Dean Engr. Jose Rizaldy De Armas.

The new proposed courses to be offered next AY are BS in Interior Design under the Architecture Department, BS in Industrial Design under the Graphics and Multimedia Department, and BS in Engineering Technology major in Electronics or Computer.

As of press time, CEAT is currently preparing to submit the requirements for the new programs to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), as mandated by the CHED Memorandum Order and Policy Standard and Guidelines on offering new programs.

Some of the said requirements are the course curriculum, faculty lineup, and upcoming facilities for the new courses.

However, De Armas clarified that the lineup for the new courses is yet to be finalized. “Pine-prepare pa ‘yan, so subject pa for approval ng CHED ‘yan.

So upon approval ng CHED, tsaka pa lang natin masasabi na final na siya,” he said.

The new undergraduate courses proposal came after the opening of

the new graduate studies courses this semester, which are Master of Engineering Major in Civil Engineering and Master of Architecture.

The proposal to open new courses is part of the CEAT’s longterm plan to expand the current courses offered by the college. “After we establish the existing programs, we will also offer additional programs in line with the existing programs we are offering,” De Armas stated.

He also said that CEAT is looking into adding new faculty members for certain specialized courses and subjects.

De Armas disclosed that the improved facilities will be utilized upon the target completion of the new CEAT building next AY 2018-2019, which is still in the planning stage.

“Right now, we are using [a] temporary [building], this CTH (Candido Tirona Hall) is temporary for CEAT, so hopefully we will be having our own building next [school] year,” De Armas expressed.

To monitor the outcome of the new offered courses, De Armas furthered that the college will conduct

feasibility studies and surveys for incoming freshmen students who plan to enroll under the new courses.

According to De Armas, CEAT plans to submit all CHED requirements for the new courses before the end of first semester of AY 2017-2018 in order to obtain CHED’s approval before the start of the next AY. He added that it is the college’s plans to exceed the minimum requirement expectations of CHED in order to provide new quality courses for the students.

Meanwhile, CEAT Student Council (CEATSC) 2017-2018 President Christian Cabatay expressed the council’s delight in the college’s plan to offer new courses and sees it as a sign of the college’s progress.

“We [CEATSC] are delighted that these [courses] are to be implemented next year. This [plan] is a clear indication that our college is moving forward to achieve its goal of providing quality education and wider opportunities for its students,” Cabatay said.

SPECIAL REPORT

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 4

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

DLSU-D bird sanctuary up for DENR recognition ERMaC to integrate sanctuary with Dasma City Gov’t tourism programs

by Bianca Isabelle Lariosa With a report from Patrik Aboy

Graphic Art by Camille Joy Gallardo

The Environment and Resource Management Center (ERMaC)’s proposal to establish DLSU-D as a bird sanctuary, which was first initiated in 2015, is currently awaiting recognition from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), as per ERMaC Director Marlon Pareja.

DLSU-D would be considered the first University in the country to be declared as a bird sanctuary once DENR grants the University the recognition status.

“Once we are declared as a bird sanctuary, this is a treasure na for all of us sa legacy na iniiwan natin to all students, and to all future students.” Pareja confirmed.

Before the final decision of the DENR, The Her al do Fil ipino takes a closer look at the thriving ecosystem within the campus grounds.

Habitat to home ERMaC spearheaded the bird sanctuary project for “campus development” such as protecting the campus environment within DLSU-D and keeping true to the “greenest university” title, as well as determining which places in campus need to be protected and further developed.

There are more than 1,400 trees in campus serving as home for 34 birds, eight of which are endemic species that can only be found in Luzon. Included in the list of birds are the ‘tikling’—derived from the ‘tinikling’ dance—oriole, kingfisher, and the endangered java sparrow.

Regarding constructing a separate aviary for the birds, Parejas clarified that ERMaC will not be pursuing it, as a bird aviary would enclose the birds to single infrastructure. “Puwede silang lumabas sa University, pupunta sila, pero ito ‘yung bahay nila”, thus making the entire campus grounds free for all birds to roam.

Meanwhile, the bird sanctuary did not cost the University any expenses, as Pareja mentioned, “The study was given freely by our friends ‘non. Nag-conduct (fellow scientists) ng linkage study. Wala tayong ginastos ‘don, walang ginastos ang University.”

Environmental effects With DLSU-D protecting the 34 endangered birds, it also keeps the ecosystem intact as birds are one

of the last consumers in the food chain that conserve biodiversity as a whole.

With ERMaC’s aim to protect the bird species, Pareja encourages the Lasallian community to protect the habitat as everyone should play a role in the conservation of birds. As to who will be in charge of taking care of the creatures, he said, “Lahat tayo, especially in how we take care of our surroundings.”

Pareja also encouraged students to conserve and protect the environment since the endangered birds are at risk of extinction.

The student-centered organization Lasallian Vigilance for Environmental Development (LS Verde) also supports the bird project. LS Verde PRO External June Levin Sanchez mentioned that the bird sanctuary can be the first step in gathering and habilitating more species, “The University’s ecosystem would indicate it as a healthy ecosystem that could also invite invasive species,” he furthered.

On a larger scale Although DLSU-D remains persistent in its efforts to preserve the 34 birds, in the Philippines, it’s a different scene. Once considered as one of the 17 “megadiverse” bird countries in an article titled Birds Caught Between Discovery and Extinction published in the Manila Bulletin, the Philippines has since then been making similar efforts to retain the biodiversity of birds in the country.

Many offices such as the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) under DENR have proposed the National Integrated Protected Areas System law to further press the importance of safe, government-protected biodiversity areas. There are also laws which protect the environment such as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, which strives to discipline persons engaging

in the killing and hunting of endangered wildlife species, an example being wherein an already endangered Philippine Eagle was shot dead just two months after its release in the wild in 2015, sparking a national outcry for the government to control the free hunting of endangered species at the time, especially the extremely rare Philippine Eagle.

Meanwhile, according to a recent update from BMB’s “Status of the Philippine Biodiversity” on their website, there are currently 691 species of birds found in the country, and 239 of those species are only found in the Philippines.

For the students Pareja furthered that the bird ecosystem also strengthens the environmentally-inclined ambiance of the University for the students and administration alike, “Siguro naman, between a campus na puro semento at campus na puro puno, you would prefer to be here na nakakapag-reflect ka, mas hindi ka tense, mas hindi mainit.”

He added that students are free to join in the bird-watching activities to be set by ERMaC. Students no longer need further requirements to participate in bird watching rather than the necessary equipment, “Na kung sinong mga estudyanteng gusto, nagdadala na lang sila ng telescope nila or binoculars nila or cameras, [dapat] powerful cameras.” As for the schedule, Pareja clarified that it will be held early in the morning during weekends.

Sanchez advises the future bird watchers to be patient because the frequency of bird appearances change and certain birds are not always present in every part of the day. “Time dedicated to it is important as you need to be at a specific time in a day to observe,” he stated.

University pride Although the bird sanctuary has yet to receive the request for accreditation from DENR—as the request is still in the technical services department of the government office, according to Pareja— both ERMaC and LS Verde have expressed their delight regarding the thriving ecosystem and the impact it has so far given the environment Pareja mentioned that the bird sanctuary is a “source of pride”, while Sanchez also mentioned that LS Verde shows their continuous support to the environmental project, “We are proud that our school’s ecosystem is healthy enough to be recognized by the DENR as a bird sanctuary.”

As of press time, Pareja said ERMaC is planning to work with De La Salle Philippines, as they also have projects focusing on modern forms of sustainability. Pareja clarified that they are overseeing to use a sustainability report in order for the University’s efforts to be recognized in a “international audience.”

Further benefits By allowing the students to interact and do volunteer work for the sanctuary, ERMaC aims to consider integrating the bird sanctuary with the natural sciences and tourism academic programs.

Moreover, Pareja stated that the bird sanctuary approval status will also benefit tourism within the school as they plan to collaborate with the University Linkages Office (ULO) to coordinate with the City Government of Dasmariñas to conduct bird-watching activities.

Although Sanchez hopes that the students do not forget their responsibility for the ecosystem, “we only hope that increasing attention does not affect [the sanctuary’s] health, as the DLSU-D community affects it way more than what watchers could do.”

Potential Just seeing the title, your mind might probably recall the recent drama linked to the word “potential”.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d likely be able to guess it right—it’s none other than the infamous tweet of a senior high school (SHS) student claiming that college students are “threatened” by SHS students because they possess “more potential.”

Just a quick disclaimer: this is not a rant, but simply a refresher on the importance of understanding that education is not a competition.

The K-12 program was not implemented to merely “catch up” to the education standards of other countries, but to further develop the education system in the Philippines—which has, for whatever reason, led to a clash between senior high and college students.

Unfortunately, just months after the first batch of K-12 came to DLSU-D, tension brewed between the SHS

and college students a year ago after the shared learning commons facility in our library sparked a DLSU-D Secret Files confession post from a college student—the one majority are familiar with. Other issues regarding the shared facilities were raised as well, including the nowSHS-congested food square, kubos, tambayans, and even the Ikot La Salle jeepneys. Another confession post, from a SHS student this time, stated (non-verbatim) how a certain subject (okay, it’s about math) is easy for them to learn, while college students complain about how hard it is for them almost every day. These are only some of the few complaints thrown by SHS and college students to each other—complaints that are, suffice to say, petty. See, none of this will lead to any improvement of the situation.

Going back to the viral Facebook post of the SHS student who said they have more “potential” than college students, truth be told, the post only speaks more of that particular student’s attitude and maturity— or lack thereof—than it does about their “potential” or competency.

And what exactly does “potential” mean? Does it imply that college students have “less potential” given

that they didn’t undergo the additional two years of education? Because that’s far from accurate. No matter what situation you’re in or the circumstances you’re given, anyone—and I mean, anyone—has the potential to go far in whatever path they may choose. Education is not the sole basis of whether you have potential or not, because potential comes from the person itself. There are countless stories of people who finished college

Education is not a competition but didn’t “make it” in the real world, and just as many stories of college dropouts who persevered despite their circumstances.

Reality check, potential is about what we do with our circumstances—not what our circumstances do to us. It’s about how a person can strive to be better without being chained by the locks of society’s standards.

I’m not here to make you feel guilty for being a SHS student or annoy you for dedicating a column to

SHS students—I’m here to relay a simple message.

We’re part of the same community, we’re studying in the same school, and we’re all working to attain the same goal: to become a useful member of the society that will work toward the betterment of our country.

So, we’re certainly not here to start a competition with each other over who’s the winner or loser. Because first of all, to even have the mentality that there are winners and losers in education is not something to be proud of.

Whether we’re college kids or high school students, we’re still very much lacking in a lot of ways, but it’s a matter of not letting that get to us and choosing to take the high road. Let’s start by quitting throwing shade at each other, may it be through posts online or gossip in school. Any of these might only spark a petty flame that’s better off dead. Because, honestly, when we talk about our potential, then we might as well consider encouraging others to fulfill their potential too, without dragging anyone down while we’re at it. This may be easy to say and hard to do, but trust me, it’s going to be worth the time, effort, and patience.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 5

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 6

OPINION

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

EDITORIAL

Far from over

Marawi is liberated. The leaders of Abu Sayyaf Group and Maute Group are dead. Rehabilitation has begun. But the fight is far from over.

On October 16 in Marawi City, top commanders Isnilon Hapilon of the Abu Sayyaf Group and Omarkhayam Maute of the Maute Group were killed by military forces as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) attempted to retake the city. A day after news of their deaths reached the public, President Rodrigo Duterte officially declared Marawi liberated from terrorist forces.

From two of the most violent terrorist groups in Southeast Asia who had pledged their loyalty to jihadist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS), the two commanders formed an alliance prior to their untimely deaths when they launched the siege of Marawi City in May 23, prompting Duterte to implement martial law in Mindanao. Following their deaths, the five-month battle over Marawi left an estimated 1,000 people dead, 600,000 displaced, and a city completely in ruins.

While the nation rejoices that the city has been freed from the clutches of terrorism, the sad reality is that the battle is far from over. What few understand, is that the crisis in Marawi is one rooted not in jihadist influence, but region-wide unrest, distrust, and injustice that Mindanaoans are yet to liberated from.

As Shidik Abantas, legal officer at Mindanao State University situated in Marawi, explained to Al Jazeera, the road to peace is more complicated than it seems. “The rise of extremism in Mindanao, especially in our locality, is not really caused by the ISIS in the Middle East. It is mostly caused by the historical injustices that continue to this day,” Abantas said. A basic Philippine history lesson will shed light on the Moro conflict in Mindanao that’s nearing its 50 year mark—a conflict rooted in centuries-old prejudice, displacement, and resistance.

“As long as there is an issue and the Moro problem is not solved—the narratives of the social injustice committed against the Moro people, this group [Maute Group] will exploit that narrative in order to get attention, audience from the ground,” Marawi Crisis Management Committee Spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong said to Davao Today just a month after the Marawi siege.

With the deaths of Hapilon and Maute, a vacuum of power has been left wide open in their respective jihadist groups. And there are already rumors of Abu Sayyaf’s sub-commander Furuji Indama replacing Hapilon. As Jay Batongbacal, lawyer and Southeast Asian Studies expert at the University of the Philippines, puts it, “For as long as the social and economic conditions in Mindanao have not improved, the Abu Sayyaf will find fertile ground for a comeback.” Suffice to say, Hapilon and Maute are only two heads of a hydra that feeds off of unrest—something Mindanao has much of.

Moreover, the city’s destruction has created “mistrust between the locals and the government,” Abantas said. Case in point, reports of Lumad bombings and abuses against the Moro people have only grown since the implementation of martial law in Mindanao, prompting minority groups to visit Manila during Lakbayan ng Pambansang Minorya, in order to express their grievances on the state—or turmoil—of Mindanao.

Back in Marawi, an estimated 600,000 citizens have been displaced as a result of the crisis. Families who fled Maguindanao to settle in Marawi eventually found themselves fleeing again, unfortunately no longer strangers to Mindanao’s instability. In evacuation camps around Marawi, internally displaced persons huddle to discuss how they will face the uphill battle of rebuilding their lives from scratch with no home, no money, and for some, no family members.

While donations such as food, shelter, and medical treatment are essential, the people of Marawi will need jobs, education, and most of all, stability in order to wade through the coming storm of rebuilding their lives.

While October 17, the day liberation was declared, will go down in history as the day Marawi refused to bow down to terrorism, it’s also the day marking the beginning of what should be a national effort to address the sources of the region’s instability and pulling them out, root and stem. The deaths of two terrorist leaders is indeed something to celebrate, but they were only a symptom to a deeper affliction in the region that won’t be solved through threats and battles, but through dialogue and peace.

For it’s about time that we heal the wounds that we don’t see.

The Official Student Publication of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas Founded: June 1985 Member, College Editors Guild of the Philippines

A role to play Before I start, let’s all understand one thing: a student council’s purpose is student representation, student leadership, and student service. As student council officers elected through democracy, their responsibility is to return the trust placed upon them by the students—trust that’s been faltering as the years go by—and little change has been made.

In my four years of college, I’ve seen the councils rise and fall, but never so much as within the last few months when social issues have divided the nation and most of our student leaders stayed silent and unmoved by the world beyond the perimeter of our campus.

You can’t entirely fault them for their actions (or lack thereof) since this has been the way of the school for as far back as we can remember. In DLSU-D, peace and prosperity are preached, to the point that passivity becomes a mainstay in our community. Our advocacies rarely touch politics and our voices (most of the time) are limited to social media posts. Yet, for whatever reason, this was the year I was most hopeful for a student government that would have changed this, to create a culture of active student participants in society rather than bystanders observing the struggles of the nation from afar. Suffice to say, I was disappointed.

Perhaps it’s the tradition of the councils to fall into step with their predecessors and focus on events, concerts, seminars and the like. Yet being so focused on what they think the students want, they have lost sight of what the students actually need. In the DLSU-D Student Handbook, two responsibilities of the USC are to “be an active agent in promoting national awareness and consciousness among the students in the university” and “foster an atmosphere where critical thinking prevails.” Now, let’s examine if they’re fulfilling this responsibility.

They’re probably just incredibly unlucky that they came into their positions at a time of

such national political turmoil, but the instances in the last few months have put their promises— and priorities—to the test. Some might argue that student leaders aren’t required to interfere with national issues, but I protest. As student leaders, their job is to promote national awareness and mold students to have the values and skills in preparation for the real world. And any issue affecting the nation affects our school and our students—the youth set to inherit the future. This is inarguable, so it raises the question as to why some student councils have sorely lacked in this area.

Majority are probably aware of the social media debate that had everyone grabbing for popcorn when a student publicly criticized the USC and CSCs on Facebook while others chimed in under the comments section, setting off a long debate about student council neutrality. The general argument of the councils is that they don’t have

The students deserve nothing less

a consensus of the students as to what stand they should have. In response to the argument of waiting for a consensus, my question is, had they even started gathering it in the first place by the time the rant was posted? The social issues occurring in the country have been present since last year when the current administration took over. Since then, thousands have died due to extrajudicial killings, threats of nationwide martial law have been going on for months, and human rights have been devalued and violated. This is not a new development—they’ve had enough time to gather a consensus. And if they are, what actions have they been implementing to actually get it? And if there are actions, when did they start—before or after the Facebook rant?

Moreover, if participating in national discourse was a priority, then they’d have had surveys, polls, and interviews both online and offline in classes and colleges the moment they sat in office.

Freedom walls and Facebook posts can only do so much compared to portal surveys and engaging

Gising na

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, Fernan Patrick Flores, Camille Joy Gallardo, Christian Mateo, Kristine Mae Rebote, and Naomi Lane Tiburcio JUNIOR STAFF Rose Kristine Amarillo, Jason Christopher Paz, and Paolo Lorenzo 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.

The College of Tourism and Hospitality Management received a four-star certificate and recognized as an International Center of Excellence by the Asia Pacific Institute for Events Management (APIEM).

dialogues that are stepping stones to making us participate in the discourse.

As for the arguments that taking a stand will lead nowhere or that our small actions won’t leave an impact, it’s that sort of thinking that locks the nation’s development in perpetual stasis in the first place. A logical insight would be that the hesitancy to say anything at all stems from the possible negative reactions of students who disagree with what they have to say, however this issue is no longer about just taking a stand or being neutral—it’s about participating in the conversation in the first place. Few colleges have taken the effort to tackle these issues, but for those few, their small actions go a long way. For example, the College of Education Student Council’s simple freedom wall in a hallway in West Campus that all students walk through to the Marawi video they played after the student leaders’ oath-taking mass were small actions that still managed to leave an impact.

As to the threat of losing the ability to stay a “united” student body if the school has divided opinions, disagreements and debate are not issues we should shy away from for they only make us engage in the conversation. It’s silence we should avoid—for silence is an injustice in itself that doesn’t comfort the afflicted, but those who afflict the torment. Silence doesn’t serve us at all for it only shows our unwillingness or inability to play a role.

The truth is, it’s not about standing for something or against something anymore—it’s now about showing that our student leaders are capable of more meaningful actions and impact than just concerts and other “fun” activities. It’s about fulfilling their duty to raise social awareness and critical-thinking in the DLSU-D community, engaging the students to participate rather than simply observe social issues, and mobilizing them to take their advocacies from the comments section to the real world.

A lot might say that this critique might be harsh, but we must hold our leaders, local to national, to high standards—because the students deserve nothing less.

Tulad mo, naranasan ko na ring magbulag-bulagan at manahimik laban sa mga bagay na alam kong hindi tama. Tulad mo, minsan na rin akong nagpanggap na ayos lang at may pag-asa ang lahat—dahil natatakot akong mahusgahan o ‘di kaya’y sadyang natatakot lamang akong tumayo.

Pero sa tagal ng pananahimik na ito at hindi pakikialam, sa tingin ko’y oras na—oras na pala para tayo’y gumising na dahil dati na rin akong nabihag sa ganitong pananaw.

Isa’t kalahating taon din ang lumipas bago ko ito napagtanto. Kamakailan lang, noong ako at ang aking mga kaklase’y dumalo sa Araw ng Protesta, aking narinig at naintindihan ang mga saloobing kanilang matagal nang ipinaparating sa gobyerno. Dati’y nakikita ko lamang ang mga ito sa telebisyon o social media, subalit noon ko lamang tunay na natunghayan at naramdaman kung gaano kasakit at kahirap ang kanilang dinaranas.

Ilan sa mga ito ay ang usapin tungkol sa karapatang pantao na matagal nang binabalewala ng gobyerno, giyera laban sa droga na kumitil na ng buhay ng libu-libong Pilipino, at paglala ng dibisyon sa pagitan ng mamamayan ng ating bansa lalo na sa pagbabahagi ng kani-kanilang opinyon at ideya.

Oras na para tayo’y gumising Alam kong hindi gano’n kadaling kumawala sa isang sistemang walang iisang direksyon, magulo, at pabago-bago, na dati ko ring binigyan ng benefit of the doubt sa loob ng tatlong buwan, anim, sampu, maging hanggang isa’t kalahating taon.

Mahirap mang itanggi subalit alam kong marami pa rin sa atin ang tila hindi pa nagigising sa katotohanang mali ang sistemang ating kinagagalawan.

Paano mo nga naman masasabing matagumpay na maiaahon ang ating bayang matagal nang nalunod sa pagkalugmok kung ultimo mahihirap ay itinataboy at sinasabihang,

The traffic congestion along Congressional Road to Magdiwang Gate has made the morning and evening commute extremely tedious, especially during rush hour.

“Wala akong pakialam, mamatay kayo sa gutom” ng gobyernong dapat ay para sa bayan at naglilingkod para sa bayan?

Hindi masama ang magkaroon ng matinding paniniwalang may patutunguhan ding maganda ang mga ito, ngunit sana’y bilang mamamayan ng ating bansa, alamin natin kung dapat pa bang patuloy na hayaan lamang ang mga nangyayaring hindi maganda—o dapat na bang gumising sa katotohanang dapat na tayong makiisa sa hangaring matulungan ang ating bansa.

Hihintayin pa ba nating umabot sa mahigit libu-libo ang dapat na mawala? Hahayaan pa ba nating patuloy na lumaganap ang fake news?

Nawa’y huwag nating kalimutang magsilbing inspirasyon at lakas para hikayatin ang ibang taong makiisa sa labang ito.

Kasabay nito, hindi rin naman mali ang magbigay-suporta sa gobyerno kung alam naman nating tama ang daang tinatahak nito.

Tulad ko, iyo na ring isantabi ang takot at pag-aalinlangang nararamdaman sa mga panahong nais mong tumayo para sa kapakanan ng marami. Walang problema kung pipiliin mong magsimula sa maliliit na hakbang dahil kung hindi tayo gigising at kikilos ngayon, kailan pa?

The University’s “Project Carbon Neutral”, a program to shift all campus lightings to LED, was featured in a United Nations Development Programme publication.

OPINION

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 7

Engganyo de bola Likas sa ating mga Pilipino ang maging mapanuri sa klase ng produkto o serbisyo bago tayo mapa-oo. Bukod sa pisikal na anyo na pangunahing itinatampok sa ating mga consumer, atin ding isinasaalang-alang ang kalidad at presyong pangmasa nito.

Hindi lang naman nalilimita ang produkto sa goods na ating kinakain o ginagamit. Hindi rin mawawala ang mga institusyong nanghihikayat sa atin pagdating sa pagbebenta ng kanilang best “quality service,” na sa kalaunan nama’y kabaliktaran pala at hindi kaaya-aya ang resulta. *** Maraming kompanya, paaralan, at iba pang institusyon na naglalaban-laban upang magkaroon ng mga parokyano. Kung tutuusin, karamihan sa kanila’y hindi na kalidad ang una sa listahan kundi ay ang dami ng malilikom na pera—na isang katotohanan kung paano nagiging lehitimong negosyo na lang ang dapat sana’y pag-aabot ng magandang serbisyo sa publiko.

Iba’t ibang salik ang nakakapagpakumbinsi sa atin upang tangkilikin ang isang offer; nariyan ang ating kagustuhang maranasan ang produkto, pagnanais mapasali sa hanay ng mga kung tawagin ay “elitista” dahil sa pagkakakilanlang dikit sa grupong kinabibilangan, at ang magandang advertisement na sa harap mo’y bumubungad. Tiyak kong lahat tayo’y madaling maakit ng promotion.

Subalit naiisip din ba natin ang kahalagahan ng perang posibleng masayang dahil sa ‘di patas

Pera-pera na lang talaga ang kalakaran na paglilingkod upang mapadali ang sistema?

Ang convenience na napalitan ng perwisyo dahil sa kaguluhan ng proseso, ang last minute announcements ng pagbabago, at kung ano-ano pang karanasang nauuwi sa kalituhan na nagdulot sa akin ng kaisipang pera-pera na lang talaga ang kalakaran.

Nakalulungkot isiping sa kabila ng pagbabayad ng tama, hindi pa rin naaagapan ang suliranin sa ilang taon ng bulok na sistema.

Kabilaan ang panghihikayat na subukin ang

kanilang kalidad subalit ‘pag pumasok ka na, masasabi mong “ay, palabras lang pala.” Tiyak kong lahat tayo’y nakaranas na ng usaping ganito, pero ano ang nangyari pagkatapos? Tradisyon na ba talaga ang mabagal na pagsasaayos ng mga nakakakunsuming kondisyon o magagawan naman ng paraan ngunit tayo’y pinagdaramutan lamang ng kaginhawahan? *** Nawa’y ang pang-eengganyo’y huwag lang puro palabas bagkus ibigay ito nang patas.

Sa pamunuang may kontrol sa pagsasaayos ng pamamaraaan, tiyakin sana na ma-sustain ang inyong serbisyong iniaalok upang hindi na mahirapan ang mga kliyenteng nagtiwala pati na rin ang mga manggagawang nagsisilbi nang tama ngunit nasisi dahil sa tagilid na kalakaran. Idagdag na rin natin ang ating sarili sa pakikialam. Lahat tayo’y may boses upang ilahad ang mga kamalian at kakulangang ating nararanasan. Hindi sapat ang pananahimik o pagsasarili ng kamaliang lantad namang nararamdaman ninoman dahil lahat ay may kakayahang umaksyon lalo na’t kung ito ay tama at nararapat—ang simula ng pagbabago ay nasa pagkukusa ng tao bago makarating sa malawakang institusyong kabilang tayo.

The trouble with “adorkable” I was in the middle of writing a completely different column when I found myself getting distracted with The Big Bang Theory on television.

TBBT is far from being my favorite TV show as it’s more of a long-time guilty pleasure when my brain is fried and I need something shallow to delve in. A few episodes in, I started growing concerned with just how tone-deaf the series actually is, with the five “geeky” grown men showing immense misogyny and deliberate blindness for the entirety of the series—all at the expense of a laugh track.

Don’t get me wrong, dumb shows are a good break every now and then. But when it comes to the point of women being used as ploys for men to better themselves and show off their intelligence—all while throwing them away when they are no longer useful plot devices to drive “adorkable” characters forward—that’s where the line gets drawn and should be up for debate.

No matter how much pop culture divides the line between “jocks” and “nerds”—always making the latter be the underdogs we inevitably root for— masculinity, and gender identity in general, is no competition. There’s no “better” type because there

is no basis on the tropes we grew up with in the first place. It’s fun to fall back on stereotypes, but when we get older, we realize it’s never the case in the real world.

Much like when social media set its hearteyes radar on the tokhang-inspired marriage proposal aptly named “Love in the time of Tokhang”, the deliberate blindness and insensitivity was through the roof, downplaying tokhang as a #relationshipgoals term than the national issue it really is. Misogyny in pop culture is no different, as it’s traditionally treated as the endearing comic relief. Or worse, the quirky detail among men that we pass off as the classic “boys being boys” excuse

We must never excuse the already downplayed and hidden because they don’t know any better. Too much sympathy with little correction breeds the inability to grow. We can’t always go “aww” on wideeyed men who don’t choose to know better and proceed to go gaga over devalued serious issues.

At the heart of it, what we laugh at comes into play here as well. Comedy is one of the best things in the world. Most smart TV shows

don’t confine themselves into stereotypes, but really get into the nitty gritty of what’s funny.

That’s why it’s so deafening when people fall back on stereotypes to get a laugh—degrading humor and the many layers it can pull back.

As if we needed an experiment to back it up, a Western Carolina University study did just that by confirming that exposure to sexist humor can lead to tolerance of hostile feelings and an overall discrimination against women. What we laugh at is what we end up internalizing and supporting, after all.

Just as much as power pop culture can open our eyes, it can also blur out red flags until they just look like flags. But as the viewers, we must never excuse the already downplayed and the hidden but challenge what feels wrong and off. Remember that asking “why” has so much power. “Why is this funny?” or “Why do you find it funny?” goes a long way in making people think. Make people (and yourself) scrutinize what they laugh at and crack jokes about until you realize it’s not worth being laughed off. If TV shows can do better than misogynistic humor—and they can—then so can people and what we choose to support.

The trouble isn’t just with shows like TBBT—it’s in the guilty pleasures that have a reason for reeling in that guilt in the first place.

Work the talk

Since entering college, I’ve come to wonder how “Lasallian education” works, or at least, what sets it apart from other schools. So, what can I really get from studying here in this institution?

We all know that Lasallian education centers on bridging Catholic values and academic excellence. It pushes to reach a different kind of level that strives on enriching our intellectual, physical, social—and most importantly—spiritual development. I ponder on this idea since I graduated from a Catholic high school. But as the years pass by, and with technology on the rise, the traditional type of education has been revamped into a more cool (what it aims to be) and poor (what it really is right now) kind—the 21st century education.

Technology wise, the trends that have emerged have brought us into a whole new level of education. Schools now need to have a broader set of “21st century skills” to face the battlefield of a rapidly evolving, technological world. It is also true that knowledge and information are rapidly changing and increasing that no one can learn everything all at once. For this reason, students need to be taught how to process, analyze, and use the information along with their skills. The problem with the idea of 21st century education

is how professors rely too much on technology as their means for teaching, like in the case of some professors uploading all the modules on Schoolbook and failing to engage with students in real life.

Primarily, Schoolbook is designed to complement class teaching and not to actually take over teaching. Because as far as students are concerned, they are paying tuition to learn something from their professors—and not just through Schoolbook. Without teaching us how these shells of information are used in a real-life

The learning we gain is only as good as how we apply it setting, right then and there, institutions already fail to educate us. For the learning we gain is only as good as how we apply it.

Outside of a classroom setting, there are professors who use blended classes in place of standing in front of a class for a one and half or three hour-long explanation with their lessons.

Some are more than willing to pass the duty to us students, thinking we can all learn and digest all the uploaded PowerPoint slides and PDFs on Schoolbook. In that instance, our learning is being confined digitally without personal interaction at all. Though online use is useful, especially during

Sharing of #WalangPasok posts on days with class suspensions have circulated online without first waiting for the official announcement from the VCFAS.

urgent matters like suspension of classes, letting it replace in-person classes does not equate to optimizing its purpose for our benefit.

Far from generalizing this perception, I look up to those professors who opt to make students jot down notes and input their insights, rather than spoon-feeding the information or letting us take pictures of slides. Another example of interactive learning is through class recitals where students are being engaged to think critically. Although all professors have a different approach, it all boils down to how students can process and let all the information sink into their brains—which is generally done through face to face communication versus online.

As far as I know, the learning process we all undergo is a two-way communication process between student and professor. The reception of knowledge demands the students to also make an effort in understanding the lessons as well as clearing out vague information. This doesn’t only take place in our classrooms, but when we actually step out and make use of our knowledge outside our school or even just in our homes.

There’s nothing wrong with pursuing a new alternative learning pathway for students, but there is a need to dig in deeper into the kind of education we truly want to establish as a solid foundation. At the end of the day, we all ask ourselves, “Am I getting something more than just learning?” Until then, we can only say this is the kind of education we signed up for from the start, but are yet to receive.

Dr. Ming-Kuok Lim from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was the guest speaker at the Media and Information Literacy seminar held at Tanghalang Julian Felipe on September 14, where he discussed safety of journalists, media and information literacy, and impunity.

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

WITBREAD

Freedom of disinformation

by Thale Joy Escuton (COM31) Do we really have the right to know the unknown?

The Philippines has long been battling for its right to be informed—and is already getting exhausted. Since the first filing of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill back in 1987 by former Senator Raul Roco, the bill has been an on and off priority for every president. Finally, after almost 30 years of fighting for the fundamental right of knowing the truth, the Executive Order (EO) No. 2—also known as Freedom of Information Order—was signed when President Rodrigo Duterte took office.

Overall, the FOI order provides Filipinos the right to information and state policies through full transparency of the government offices—an ‘honor’ sought by the Filipino people for a long time now.

Seems great, right? But hold your horses, as it’s only for the executive branch of the government, which means that the legislative and judiciary branches aren’t obliged to inform its constituents about their official acts, transactions, and decisions. Since the EO no. 2’s signing on July 23, 2016, there has been no succeeding action from the Congress to pass the FOI draft bill that would extend the freedom of information to cover all the branches of government—meaning we don’t really have the right of access to information.

Seems more translucent than transparent to me.

“But if it’s not true, why do they update us about their feats every single time on Facebook and Twitter?” Let me elucidate: though we already have this order, it is still not implemented well. First off, officials have a hard time processing these requests rather than fulfilling their jobs. The genuine tasks they were given to perform will be ‘occupied’ by ‘numerous’ requests of data.

Secondly, the information that should be kept and maintained as secrets will be forced to come out. No further words needed.

Furthermore, not every Filipino has his own ‘journalistic’ and ‘investigative’ personality. To deduce, the government probably thinks that no one will care about it. In contrast, I fathom that Filipinos at this point in time do care and want to be informed. But, here’s the problem: we lack the perseverance

Being equipped with knowledge is being armed with power and persistence to pursue this. No one is firm enough to look at issues with cognizance, and we often settle with disinformation falsely branded as ‘fake news’.

As an AB Communication student, my regard to people obtaining the information they deserve is like a dream come true. For the government to obtain effective communication with their nationals, they should undergo selfdisclosure. And by government, I don’t only mean the executive, but also the legislative and judiciary branches. Communication is the primary way for us to connect, and they should they never halt to provide us just that.

Yet we should do our part as patriotic citizens as well. As the saying goes, being equipped with knowledge is being armed with power. Our persistence to know the facts will pave the way for officials to be keen on making the FOI bill into a law. We should not be content in being served disinformation or ‘fake news’. As per United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Dr. Ming-Kuok Lim, there is no such thing as ‘fake news’, but only disinformation. Though we shall not consider them as facts, we should also seek for truth tantamount to how we seek for justice.

To answer the question: No, we do not have the right to know the unknown—yet. However, there is hope for the FOI bill to be mandated as a national law if we take action to enlighten the government that we need the full version of this freedom, not just the gist. To be fair, I do applaud the government for their immediacy in passing this as an executive order; this is a step closer to what we really want—transparent governance with corruption out of the picture.

A responsive government means effective leadership, and a democratic state without freedom of information is not democratic at all. The right to information may not be the grand solution for our big problems, but it mirrors the more complex human rights we deserve. After all, the truth shall indubitably set us free.

Remember to stay grounded—on nothing but the truth.

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.

Water leakages are experienced throughout the roofs of the CBAA building, GMH, and Food Square, brought on by recent heavy rains.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 8

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 9

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

F E AT U R E S

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 10

The directional dilemma Where the hell am I?

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

How does it feel to have a poor sense of direction, you ask? Let’s put it this way: you, a person with directional disorientation, are driving with your folks to an important family gathering. With only a couple minutes until you’re late, it’s you versus time, the road, and that nagging relative in the passenger’s seat doing the navigating for you. Whoops, you just missed your turn. Doesn’t matter, hang a left. No, the other left. Great, you’re right off-track.

by Paolo Lorenzo Salud Graphic art by Stephanie Arreza It’s not you, it’s your brain Your innate affliction of getting lost a lot is called geographical dyslexia—although the term doesn’t really do the disability justice (as dyslexia means “difficulty with words”), it’s what the experts are calling it. Geographical dyslexia is different from the other types of dyslexia, but the gist is: “Which one is left? Which one is right? Actually, where the heck am I?” The human brain has several sets of cells designed to help a person navigate. These networks of brain cells are tied to specific compass points, like north or south, and they light up whenever we’re facing that direction or planning on walking towards it—or at least that’s what a study from University College London suggests after they scanned the brains of 16 men and women as they played a computer game to put their navigational skills to the test. The results provided ample evidence supporting the idea that a person’s “internal ‘compass’ readjusts as you move through the environment,” says Dr. Martin Chadwick, lead author of the study. For those with a poor sense of direction, the signals of the compass in your brain—called the entorhinal region—get fuzzier.

The study also assumes that there’s not much difference between men and women in this case, and though it’s a bit of a long shot, the problem with your sense of direction could potentially be linked to dementia. But you can start worrying about that in 50 years or so.

Lost: The DLSU-D TV Series For those lucky enough not to suffer from being directionally challenged, you might think that it’s not that big of a deal, but it’s more than just a silly inconvenience. Having a completely unreliable internal compass can be a real pain for you and everyone else.

Talking from experience, a student from CLAC, KC Cruz, shares her sentiments as a victim of this predicament.

When she was younger, she had her first time driving a bumper car. Normally it’s all fun and games, crashing against each other and indulging in harmoniously playful road rage.

But there was one tiny problem: our little protagonist with her geographical dyslexia had a bit of a steering issue, and ended up completely immobile the entire time. Not only that, she managed to clog the traffic, meaning all the other players had just as much fun as she did. Needless to say, she’s not going to have a pleasant time driving a real car anytime soon.

Another story from a CEAT student, Jessica Perez, is a little less tragic, but similarly annoying nonetheless. When her friends are driving her home and asking for directions, she always needs to pause for a while just to think about which

is left or right. Even after that, she ends up pointing at the road they have to follow, something extremely embarrassing for her.

As if the hassle from dealing with this kind of problem on a daily basis isn’t enough, geographic dyslexia also takes its toll on its victims mentally. Feelings of emotional exhaustion, loss of confidence, and embarrassment often come with the package; so again, for those who are lucky enough to not suffer from it: please don’t mock the ones that do.

How to find yourself (literally) While there are no known formal treatments for geographic dyslexia, there are some strategies we can use to deal with it. For those having trouble with left and right, it’s recommended that you wear a watch on the left hand (or your right, for left-handed people) to provide a point of orientation. You can also try visualizing something that you always do with your hand, such as writing or holding a spoon and make it a mnemonic. It also helps to know that the index and thumb of the left hand can form an L when held in front of the face.

Now for those with a poor sense of direction, it’s important to write down the steps to your destination and try to memorize them. You can make it a habit to study maps because, according to the study The Visual Spatial Learner by psychologist Linda Silverman, dyslexic people are often superior visual learners as they tend to process things in pictures instead of words. And since you’re destined to get lost a lot, don’t be shy to ask for directions when you really need them. If you can’t, then it’s best to always travel with family or a friend. Perhaps you can just get yourself those GPS apps like Waze. It’s a no-brainer.

If all else fails, you can just start carrying a knife around and carve on every tree you pass by—or just leave breadcrumbs or something. But in all seriousness, these #traveltips ought to help alleviate your navigational troubles in some way. *** “When nothing goes right, go left” is hard advice to heed if you can’t even tell the difference. But the essence of the saying is still there; even if you have geographic dyslexia, there are several other ways to approach the problem and navigate with ease rather than straightforward cognition. It’s like real roads—if you can’t take one, you can opt for another route.

Sure, you might not prefer that alternative very much—or the traffic might delay you—but it can’t really stop you from going where you need to go. You just have to sit still for a second, collect your thoughts, and make that turn.

The great disappearing act Ghosting: Now you see them, now you don’t

by Jomar Villanueva Art by Marco Belarmino We’ve all been exposed to jaw-dropping magic acts—the dissipating cards, vanishing doves, and even the disappearing magician. Designed to delight the mind with both wonder and deception, it successfully tickles the imagination of the young and the old alike in a snap.

But lo and behold, not all disappearances are as exhilarating as magic. Some can irk us like the all too literal vanishing tricks—ghosting. This happens when someone disappears without any explanation—like that beshie who owes you money or that tropa who happens to be your thesis buddy—poof! They’re gone with the wind, and so are your hopes and dreams (and grades). Perhaps, “I deserve an explanation. I deserve an acceptable reason” is now running through your head. But before you get triggered, sift through to debunk the millennials’ great disappearing act.

Spooky strategy Obviously, ghosting sounds millennial and unique, but it isn’t anything new. As ghastly as the term suggests, ghosting has been common in relationships since the start of social media. Strolling through the good old days, people have already been using the term to pertain to someone who has disappeared without a trace—simply put, those who’ve gone MIA (missing-in-action) or AWOL (absentwithout-official-leave). Both were originally used for military purposes—the former was used to identify a soldier who was lost in war while the latter pertains to the offense of being absent without prior notice. Traversing to the present, these terms have changed into the expression that fits the language of millennials, gaining traction in the Urban Dictionary since 2006.

Relatively, ghosting is one of the seven strategies in dissolving relationships, as stated in a breakup strategy research

by University of Kansas Psychology professors Tara Collins and Omri Gillath. This means absolutely no conclusions nor clarifications of any kind—only the echoes of your own voice in the void, and perhaps that little “seen” text at the edge of the screen But the horror doesn’t just end in dating apps and sites. Be warned that it can also lurk within your strongest circle of friends.

In fact, ghosting is a common calamity in friendship, as specified by Georgetown University Linguistics professor

Deborah Tannen. In the Time magazine article aptly titled Why friends ghost on even their closest pals, Tannen shares that most responses include the universal fear of not being good enough—the feeling of inadequacy. This is exactly what Student A from the CSCS felt after a best friend for 5 years ghosted on her. It appears that they had a misunderstanding due to a “shallow” reason, but her best friend cut all forms of communication with her. “I reached out to my best friend to apologize,” she said, but “the damage had been done.”

Chances are you too might have been ghosted or you’ve even ghosted on someone, so while you’ve got a shattered heart, it’s best to relax for a moment and understand the reasons why some people ghost in the first place.

black butterfly gently fluttering in the mind—sometimes, it’s an externalizing grizzly bear.

With all these reasons considered, we shouldn’t always negatively gaze at those who ghost like they’re the bad guys.

As the old saying goes, everybody has their reasons—which also applies to those who ghost.

Concealed causes It’s almost too easy to cast hate on those who ghost without necessary interrogation. However, people who do the ghosting have more reasons than meet the eye. For instance, some people tend to ghost due to fear of confrontation where they resort to dissipation rather than negotiation. We all know full well that the fear of confrontation is hard to deal with, especially when not everyone has the courage to voice the truth—even if further conundrums could likely be resolved if addressed in a direct manner.

In other cases, people ghost because they sense danger.

Maybe ghosting isn’t entirely savage after all. Be real—if you were in a relationship with someone who’s generally a threat to your safety or perhaps when someone’s being plain mean to you, you’d definitely want to vanish into thin air. It’s a reasonable response to fear, psychologist Susan Kolod tells the Washington Post in the article Hey, where’d you go?, especially if the safest way to exit is to say nothing at all.

On the other hand, people have the tendency to ghost when they’re dealing with emotional and mental concerns like depression or trauma. A person suffering from something like this would sometimes withdraw from everybody in their life.

Irrefutably, emotional and mental concerns aren’t always a

Phantom of the mind Beyond the shadow of doubt is an invisible specter—the act of ghosting can bewitch a victim. According to American professor Leah LeFebvre from at the University of Wyoming, ghosting casts social rejection—causing a wide spectrum of antagonistic emotions including hate, rage, envy, regret, and worry. As disturbing as it is, social rejection plagues a person from the inside out.

The process begins with psyche-killing anxiety. This hands a blank map to clarification—however, it’s the larger problem—it leaves a person utterly clueless on where to start.

Unfortunately, anxiety isn’t the only catastrophic aftermath of the rejection caused by ghosting. Self-blame then possesses the victim who becomes more self-critical because of the agonizing dialogue inside their head—“You’re unlovable. It’s your fault.”

Similarly, it was self-blame which haunted Student A. “I felt stupid… I realized that I should blame myself,” regarding the situation, she bravely confessed.

Ironically, becoming overly anxious over a loved one who ghosted isn’t really a surprise. What’s shocking is the study that explains the relation of rejection to psychological processes and its link to physical senses. In the research Social rejection shares somatosensory representations with physical pain,

psychology professor Ethan Kross and colleagues revealed that individuals experiencing social rejection have the portions of the brain responsible for physical pain sensory activated (secondary somatosensory cortex and dorsal posterior insula, to be exact). According to the study, social rejection and physical pain possess similarities because both share a common representation in somatosensory brain systems. Normally, brain sensory pain pathways are activated through the physical stimulus but these pathways are also activated when a person feels rejected. Thus, the pain caused by rejection isn’t really different with the pain a slap can make.

Given that social rejection is a phantom dwelling in the mind, it would definitely take time before we can get rid it out of our heads. But, it’s time to shake things off and realize that the sting of ghosting may be purposeful.

Actually, it makes biological sense that we feel pain when we are ghosted. Maybe it’s the brain’s signal that, after all, the person who left us without a trace—like that beshie and tropa—isn’t worth the time. *** It’s daunting how life can be compared to a magic show. The world’s a stage and some people have their roles—some are cards, some are doves, and some are the magicians themselves. They pull the great disappearing act—proving that some people really do come and go. Alas! Now you see them—now you don’t.

Nonetheless, Shakespeare was right—“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances.”

F E AT U R E S

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 11

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

The ride to Pride The struggles of coming out

By Christian Ralf Dugan | Photo by Justine Bea Bautista

“I was confused on why I was attracted to men and, at the same time, to women.”

Acceptance feeds our existence, while rejection slowly and silently kills our being. With rejection as the greatest fear for a lot of young people, coming out of the closet is much like walking blindfolded—you can’t see what’s behind you nor what’s waiting in the end—and sooner or later, you won’t know who you are anymore. No matter how many times it’s kept quiet or downplayed, sexual identity and orientation is no “drama” for the youth to simply look over. The struggles are real—and more personal than we ever thought.

Welcoming committee Uncertainties always pave the way. Totally different from telling your parents about a sleepover or that you failed a class, coming out is a matter of identity. And one’s identity is a sensitive point where being uncertain can cause an ultimate crisis.

“Bea” from CBAA shares her story when she was 17 wherein sexual orientation confusion locked her up in the closet. “I kept on asking myself kung isang phase lang ba ito sa life ko na mawawala na lang bigla. Then when I finally realized that I am bisexual, in-denial ako at first kasi takot ako sa kung ano`ng sasabihin ng [mga] tao sa akin.”

One factor why some people, especially the youth, are afraid of coming out is because they are held down by the fear of judgment. It’s already a given: not everyone welcomes those who are different from the default. More than anything, acceptance is expected from those just within our reach—our own families.

The Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing identifies family acceptance as an imperative factor in the life among LGBT young adults, predicting self-esteem, social support and an up in youth’s general health.

“The first person I came out to was my aunt and we were in a clinic. Random lang ‘yong pinag-

uusapan namin then I started talking about this girl from class who I really liked since first year, and then out of nowhere sinabi ko lang sa tita ko that I’m bi. She didn’t look surprised at all and the exact words she told me were ‘As long as you’re happy, I’m happy,’” Bea shares. It was a sweet turning point in her life to be welcomed by genuine acceptance after battling identity crisis for a year.

Arriving at a point of courage hasn’t been easy for Bea. Coming out is a distorted narrative that must be certain; a sociological and cultural product roaming across society and even our minds. It takes psychology and even philosophy to have and understand what it takes to come out.

But if there’s one thing that would make the road easier, it’s acceptance.

What it takes The illusion that we must fundamentally know ourselves despite all the breakthroughs in this world is bewildering. It’s challenging enough to completely decipher our thoughts, our decisions, and our way of living—especially for the youth. Bound by confusion and anxiety, coming out touches on more serious notes like mental health.

In a study conducted by Journal of Youth and Adolescence about emotional distress among

LGBT youth, discrimination is “accounted for symptoms of depression and risk of self-harm and suicidal ideation.” The condemnation over one’s choice of clothes or way of speaking is already wrong, but when it comes to identity, it’s scarier and way more personal than anything we can imagine.

We remember in 2015 when Julia Buencamino, the daughter of renowned actors Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino committed suicide at the age of 15.“Be kind to yourselves” was the last statement in her suicide note posted on her Tumblr account. It’s a gruesome wake-up call on how devastating the impact of “queerphobic” people can be, even according to Julia herself.

Coming out has never been easy. If it was, then it wouldn’t have cost Ellen DeGeneres her early career or Julia’s young life—it should never have cost anyone’s life. And for many LGBT youth quietly stuck in the confines of condemnation, they must remember that they are never alone in the journey.

As a team The flags are raised higher than ever, as social media greatly supports the LGBT community through awakened tweets and factbased awareness posts. Media platforms have

now become more ubiquitous, birthing separate mediums solely dedicated tothe LGBT community like Huffpost’s LGBT website, Gayety, and on a local scale—TEAM Magazine.

Now that acceptance and inclusivity are highlighted more vividly, more LGBT youths can turn to and rely on social media to decipher the changes they themselves still can’t decode.

As social media continues to pioneer an open society and build a realm open to the gender conversation, then so can we outside the screen— and we must. *** Coming out doesn’t end with the coming out itself. It doesn’t stop with discovering who you are—acceptance is needed to build a supportive community for the LGBT. It doesn’t end with acceptance either. It requires opening the mind of those who refuse to or are not yet capable of doing so. Simply put, the struggle of coming out never ends, but every milestone is worth it.

“Months after coming out, I am now struggling with another identity crisis. This time, I keep contemplating whether I’m actually pansexual,” Bea furthers. “Pero sabi nga nila na life is a journey of finding yourself, that’s why I don’t care how long it takes me to know who and what I really am.”

The weight, the way, and the wait

It’s through leaders that a class knows what to do. It’s through leaders that project decisions are made final. It’s through leaders that a film makes it to the grand awards. It’s through leaders that myriads of chaos hush. But in the same way, it’s through leaders that a class strays, projects flunk, films flop, and chaos continues. Leadership is a base—both of grind and glory. It crowns you with loyalty and royalty. It gifts you with names and blames. It’s when you give commands but take demands.

You can easily Google “how to be a great leader” and be handed 26 million results in 0.56 seconds. Most will talk about good communication and the ever-golden rule: lead by example. There’s not a long debate about what a good leader is—lead the pack, there you go—except that there really is.

We can name a long list of norms about what it takes to be a leader. Of course, the first one is simple:

be the best. There is no lack of a better word for it, but it’s simply, you should be the best. That’s been the standard, we want someone who knows the most to hold the steer. You can skim through Forbes magazine’s article Top 10 qualities that make a great leader for that—first’s honesty, second is delegate, next is honesty; “If you make honest and ethical behavior a key value, your team will follow suit.” That’s a challenge you can never get away with. But if in any case you think you’re doing it the other way around— in the name of self-doubt, unpreparedness, indecisiveness, innocence, and everything that makes you short of fully deserving the position—it’s hard to convince yourself that you fit the number one requirement to lead.

That power in your hand will break you more than anything. It will question your entirety more than it will establish your identity, it will scrape your insides with every decision you make, and it never puts you soundly to sleep knowing that responsibilities upon responsibilities are on your shoulders. And at the end of the day, you’ll end up questioning—do I really deserve this authority?

I can’t deny the truth that in everything, someone has to be better than me, yet sometimes, circumstances take it from my will rather than of prowess. That’s when I learned that after all, leadership is not just about being the best. Being a leader doesn’t mean you are perfect—it only means you are capable. Far from how we always see it, it’s not completely about skills and proficiency—it’s also about the willingness to go beyond your

It’s not because you can do what others can’t— it’s because you’ll do what others won’t current reach. The thing we should remember is that when you become a leader, it’s not automatically because you can do what others can’t—it’s because you’ll do what others won’t.

For so long, we’ve let the dos and don’ts of being a good leader hone us in being the

frontrunner that our society needs. Being a good leader is always the goal, but we have to remember that before anything else, it all starts with choosing who deserves to lead—and it’s safe to say it’s not a matter of who is the best, but someone who will do their best.

Don’t lose courage in yourself, accept that people question the leaders—of course, we all should. But above everything, ask yourself as well, “what kind of leader am I?” You can grab all the keywords from all the blogs—just take being the best off the choices. It’s not always about that.

Here’s one thing: you are a student on the ride of learning and it’s hard to go through your endeavors with all that weight on your shoulders—tons of projects, endless academic worries, and the extra responsibilities of being a leader. But considerably, you can choose to focus on how to be your better self and do as you are tasked. After all, it might be the best to find yourself first before you can help others find themselves—lead the way, but wait for yourself too.

LITERARY

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 12

Bilang estudyante, marami tayong naririnig mula sa ating mga magulang katulad ang, “O anak, dapat maging inhinyero ka ha? Ikaw na ang magtuloy ng pangarap ko noon” o kaya “Ang babae, hindi dapat nagdadamit-lalaki.” Araw-araw, nararanasan nating mga estudyante ang walang humpay na expectation mula sa mundong ating ginagalawan—sa paaralan, sa bahay o maging sa ating lipunan. Naging parte na ng pamumuhay ang habulin o tuparin ang mga bagay na inaasahan ng iba sa kanya na minsa’y nagiging dahilan ng pagsaisang tabi ng mga bagay na gusto niyang gawin para sa sarili. Ang sapilitang pagtupad sa mga bagay na inaasa sa iyo ng iba ay parang paginom ng gamot kahit wala kang dinaramdam—pangit ang lasa at hindi nakatutulong sa iyong kapakanan.

Ipipilit ng iba ang mga ideolohiya nila at ipapagawa sa iyo, na may paniniwalang mas alam nila ang nakabubuti.

May mga panahon sa buhay na napapaisip tayo kung alam ba natin kung ano ang nakabubuti para sa sarili natin. Madalas, nag-aalinlangan tayonggawin ang mga bagay na una nating pinangarap sa takot na mabigo ang mga taong umaasa sa atin. Naaalala ko ang isang pangyayari noong ika-25 ng Oktubre ng nakaraang taon kung kailan nagpakamatay ang isang babaeng estudyante sa isang paaralan sa Taft bunga ng nasabing pressure mula sa pag-aaral.

Marahil, may mga tao nang sanay sa mga pang-araw-araw na pagsunod sa mga bagay na inaasahan ng iba, ngunit may mga tao ring ipinipilit sa kanilang mga sarili ang mga bagay na iyon kahit pa maging dahilan ito ng inner conflict o sanhi ng depresyon.

Setyembre ang naitalagang National Suicide Awareness Month at Oktubre ang naitalagang Mental Health Month. Inaatasan ang bawat institusyon na palawakin ang kaalaman ng mga tao tungkol sa

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

Lason

suicidal thoughts o depression. Sa mga paaralan, ipinapakalat ang posters at pamphlets na makikita ang ilan sa mga impormasyon tungkol sa mga karamdamang sikolohikal, kasama na rin ang mga numero na maaaring tawagan kung sakali mang

nagbabalak na mag-suicide at isa sa dalawampu naman ng populasyong ito ang itinutuloy ang pagsu-suicide.

Gamit ang kaalamang ito, suriin natin ang mga bagay na nakakaapekto sa sikolohikal na kalusugan ng mga taong parte ng ating lipunan. Doon natin makikita na isa ang pressure sa nagtutulak sa isang tao patungo sa depresyon. Maraming kabataan ang nakararanas na agad ng depresyon sapagkat hindi nila marahil masabi sa ibang tao ang kanilang mga saloobin sa takot na mag-iba ang tingin sa kanila, kaya naman nararapat lang na magkaroon ng

Ang sapilitang pagtupad sa mga inaasa sa iyo ng iba ay parang pag-inom ng gamot kahit wala kang dinaramdam

pagkakataon ang isang tao na piliin kung ano ang tingin niya’y mas makabubuti para sa kanyang sarili.

Nararapat lamang na magkaroon ng pagkakataon ang bawat isa na piliing linangin ang sarili niyang interes at hindi ng ibang tao. Sa paraang ito, ang mga pagkakamali ay hakbang lamang upang mas mapayabong ang abilidad, at ang mga tagumpay ay magsisilbing paalala na tama ang desisyong ipagpatuloy ang nasimulan.

may mga nangangailangan ng coun­­­selling. Ayon sa isang pananaliksik na isinulat ni Mark Anthony Mujer Quintos ng University of the Philippines Los Baños, isa sa sampung kabataang Pilipino na may edad labinlima hanggang dalawampu’t pito ay

How to make a nation fall (in love)

By Shakira Mae Austero

A potion on how to win the heart of a nation Ingredients:

Vial of imprudence

Strands of lies

Instructions:

1

Twisted innards Breath of the innocent Tears of a crocodile

2

3

In a cauldron of chaos, whisper incantations of righteousness.

Pour the vial of imprudence, And watch the liquid boil to the roar of applause.

Keep on boil.

Add strand after strand of impending lies—false promises that keep hope burning for nothing.

Add more lies to taste.

Gather loads of guts.

For it numbs the stomach of the sickening taste of your crimes.

The more twisted the innards, the more tolerant to anomalies.

Kill for the guts, And the glory will be yours.

4

Sacrifice an innocent—offer its breath to the unending wrath against forbidden crystals.

Wrap it in labeled shrouds that rob them of their rights.

5

And finally, Pour the crocodile’s tears.

Add them to the concoction only if the world can see that doing so will earn you sympathy.

Stir until the truth is dissolved.

Drink the ungodly concoction.

Enjoy with ice cold corruption.

LITERARY

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 13

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

Patay na Simbahan

By Ranica Lane Meralpis Mistulang napalillibutan ng mga ulap si Major Ibarra sa loob ng police mobile dahil sa makakapal na usok mula sa hinihithit-buga niyang tabako. Ito ang nagsisilbing panlaban sa lamig ng gabi sa labas ng sementeryo ng Santa Elena. Mag aalas-tres na ng umaga pero ‘di pa rin nila matukoy kung saan nagpunta ang sampung pares ng magkakapatid na nasa edad labinlima hanggang labinwalo na ini-report na nawawala ng iba’t ibang pamilya tatlong araw na ang nakalilipas. Sa lalim ng iniisip ni Major Ibarra ay ‘di na niya namalayang nasa labas na pala ng police mobile si Senior Inspector Evangelista.

“Major, kumpirmado na po na nanggaling po rito ang Patay Na Simbahan. Wala na po ‘yung mga kandila at bulaklak sa ibabaw ng mga nitso,” hingal na hingal na pag-uulat ni Senior Inspector Evangelista kay Major Ibarra.

“Ang mga nitso?” Tanong nito sa Inspector habang patuloy sa paghithit ng kanyang tabako.

“Dalawampu’t dalawa po ang kumpirmadong nitso na binasag ng Patay na Simbahan. Sampu pong bangkay ang kumpirmadong nawawalan ng bungo.”

“Naunahan na naman tayo! Ano na ang balita sa magkakapatid?” Galit na bulyaw ni Ibarra. Napaatras nang bahagya si Evangelista dahil sa galit na boses ng kanyang Hepe. Matagal na nitong hinahabol ang kaso ng grupong Patay na Simbahan–ang kinatatakutang kulto sa kanilang bayan.

Mula sa kanyang bulsa ay binunot ni Evangelista ang telepono na pagmamay-ari ng magkapatid na sina Miles at Enzo. Ang magkapatid na iyon ay undercover agents upang makakuha ng impormasyon mula sa Patay na Simbahan—dahil tanging mga magkakapatid lang ang tinatanggap ng kulto. Napag-usapan nila na kailangang iwanan ng magkapatid ang telepono kung saan makikita ito kaagad sa oras na mawala sila. Nakita ang cell phone ng mga pulis sa isang nitso. Hinablot ni Ibarra ang cellphone at nagmamadaling nagtungo kung saan nilalagay ni Miles ang mga impormasyong nakalap.

Base sa paniniwala ng Patay na Simbahan, tayong mga tao raw ay bulag sa katotohanan. Ito raw ay dahil sa masyado

nating inuubos ang ating oras sa mga walang kwenta at mabababaw na bagay. Ito raw ang dahilan kung bakit naliligaw tayo sa landas patungo sa tunay nating angking gilas. Sa oras na maabot daw natin ito ay tayo na ang magiging pinakamataas na uri ng nilalang.

Mga nilalang na matataas pa sa uri ng mga tao, katayuan raw ito na maiihalintulad sa pagiging diyos. Mayroong tatlong hakbang para magawa ito.

1. Ang Pagtatakwil sa Kabilang Buhay. Pagkatapos ng tatlong buwang pagsasaulo ng mga dasal ng ritwal ng Patay na Simbahan ay saka lang ito maisasagawa.

Simple lang ang dapat gawin dito, ito ay ang mangolekta ng mga tunaw na kandila sa ibabaw ng nitso ng mga patay nang alas tres ng madaling-araw. Sa paggawa nito mahahadlangan ang mga kaluluwa sa pagtawid sa kabilang buhay dahil ang mga kandila ang kanilang tanglaw at alas tres ng madaling-araw ang oras ng mga kaluluwa.

2. Ang Pagpapalaya. Sa ikalawang hakbang raw makukuha ang kapangyarihan na magbibigay-lakas sa mga natutunang dasal. Sa hakbang na ito ay kailangang magbasag ng nitso at magnakaw ng bungo.

Ang bungo ng patay ay isang importanteng sangkap sa pagbubukas ng ASTRAL PLANE, na siyang pagmumulan ng kapangyarihan ng miyembro. Ang bungo raw kasi ay may di nakikitang pising siyang kumokonekta sa magkaibang dimensyon ng mga tao. At ang mga pising ito ay nabubuo lang sa panahong makakalaya na ang kaluluwa sa laman.

Dahil nagbubukas lang ang Astral Plane sa oras ng kamatayan.

3. Ang Pagtakwil Sa Laman. Ito ang huling hakbang bilang maging miyembro ng Patay na Simbahan. Sa paraan daw na ito hihiwalay ang kahinaan ng laman sa lakas ng kaluluwa. Hindi ko pa masyado maintindihan kung anong nangyayari.

Ang sabi sa amin, dito papasok ang relasyon ng kaluluwa ng magkakapatid. Ayon sa paniniwala ng Patay na Simbahan ang magkakapatid ay may malakas na koneksyon sa isat isa dahil sa ang kaluluwa nila ay magkaparehas ng wavelength. Ang ginagawa

raw dito sa hakbang na ito ay pinag-iisa ang laman ng magkapatid para maging puro ang kapangyarihan. Pag nasa ganitong yugto na raw ay ‘di na makararamdam ng gutom o paghihirap ang tao. At sa pamamagitan daw nito ay mabubuo ang panibagong lakas dahil ang dalawang magkaibang indibidwal ay magsasama sa banal na seremonya at magiging isa. Gaganapin daw ito sa kung saan matatapakan ang mga tala. At hindi namin alam kung saan.

Napakunot ang noo ng dalawang pulis sa impormasyong ito. Kailangan nilang bilisan ang pagkilos dahil sa sampung taon na paghahabol ni Ibarra sa kasong ito, walang magkapatid ang nakita pang muli matapos sumali sa Patay Na Simbahan. Walang bangkay o kahit anong bakas ang natira.

“Major, ‘san po natin sila hahanapin?

‘San ba matatapakan ang mga tala?” tanong ni Evangelista. Masusing kinalikot ni Major Ibarra ang kanyang utak, nagmistula itong cabinet na punong-puno ng iba’t ibang folder ng impormasyon na maaring makatulong sa kanilang pag-iimbistiga. Hanggang sa napatingin siya sa side mirror ng police mobile.

“Repleksyon,” bulong ni Ibarra sa kanyang sarili.

“Repleksyon po?” tanong ni Evangelista.

“Saan pa puwedeng makita ang repleksyon pwera sa salamin?!” iritadong tanong ni Ibarra kay Evangelista. Napaisip bigla si Evangelista, ‘di nagtagal ay nakahanap din siya ng sagot.

“Sa tubig po?” walang kamuwangmuwang niyang sagot kay Ibarra. Biglang hinablot ni Ibarra ang radio transmitter.

“Maghiwa-hiwalay ang lahat at pumunta sa lahat ng anyo ng tubig sa Sta. Elena ngayon na! Nandoon ang mga bata!” sigaw nito sa transmitter. Agad sumakay ng police mobile si Evangelista at nagmaneho.

“Ser, saan po tayo pupunta?” tanong ni Evangelista habang paspasang nagmamaneho.

“Sa Bilog, ‘yung lawa sa kanluran. Bilisan mo.” Sa ilang taon nilang magkasama sa serbisyo ay ngayon lang nakita ni Evangelista nang ganito ang kaniyang Major, na nakitang balot na balot

sa takot. At sa utos nito ay binilisan niya ang pagmamaneho sa puntong lumalabo na ang kapaligiran sa bilis ng kanilang takbo.

Nang malapit na sila sa Bilog na ilog, nakaamoy ang dalawang pulis ng matamis na amoy ng nasusunog na karne. Nakapanlalaway ito at nakagugutom, tila ba may pista. Ang Bilog ay lawa sa gitna ng kagubatan ng Sta. Elena. Sa gitna ng kagubatan ay may nakita silang malaking usok at sinundan ito.

Habang palapit sila nang palapit sa usok ay may naririnig silang tugtugan. Isang kanta na malakas na tumutunog mula sa isang speaker at lenggwahe na ‘di nila maintindihan.

‘Di nagtagal ay nakarating na sila sa gitna ng kagubatan. Laking gulat at takot nila sa kanilang nakita.

Wala na ang mga miyembro ng Patay na Simbahan, ngunit nag-iwan sila ng isang napakaduming bakas. Sa gitna ng lawa ay may isang parte ng madamong lupa. Sa gitna nito ay may malaking apoy na pinanggagalingan ng matamis na amoy. Nilapitan nila ito, at doon nila naaninag ang nasa loob ng apoy.

Mga patong-patong na sunog na bangkay ang kanilang nakita. Pare-parehas na bumaliktad ang kanilang sikmura at nanginig ang kanilang mga laman. Napaatras si Ibarra patungo sa speaker na pinanggagalingan ng nakakakilabot na kanta na para bang isang dasal na walang katapusan. Nang patayin niya ang radyo ay narinig niya ang mahinang ungol sa di kalayuang lugar.

Nagmamadali siyang tumakbo patungo sa pinanggagalingan ng tunog. Tanging ang ilaw lang ng maliwanag na buwan ang nagsilbing gabay papasok sa gubat. Dahil sa katahimikan ay mabilis niyang natunton ang pinanggagalingan ng tunog, at ‘di nagtagal ay nakatayo siya sa harap ng isang puno kung saan hubad na nakagapos ang isang binatilyo na mistulang naliligo sa dugo.

“Nasaan na sila?! Nasaan na ang Patay na Simbahan?” tanong ni Ibarra sa nanghihinang binata. Wala itong imik kundi umungol sa sakit. Hindi niya gaanong maaninag ang binata dahil sa kadiliman.

Maya-maya pa ay bigla nitong sinuka ang ‘di pa natutunaw na kinain.

“EVANGELISTA!” sigaw ni Ibarra, ‘di malayo ang kanyang kinalalagyan kay Ibarra. Di nagtagal ay dumating na ito habang siya naman ay nagpupumilit na matanggal ang binata sa pagkakagapos. Hirap na hirap siyang gawin ito dahil sa wala siyang flashlight na dala.

Maya-maya ay nakarating na si Evanghelista sa kinalalagyan niya.”Ser, naitawag ko na po sa headquarters papunta na po sila dito,” hingal na hingal na sinabi ni Evangelista.

Kalaunan ay napansin din ni Evangelista ang binatilyong nakagapos sa puno. Binunot niya ang flashlight sa kanyang tagiliran. Inilawan nito ang basang likido na nagkalat sa kanilang harapan at sa paligid ng binatilyo. Kulay pula ito at may mga tila karneng laman. Nang mas ininspeksyon niya ito may napansin siyang kulay puting bilog na may ugat. Bahagya siyang napaatras at itinutok sa binatilyo ang flashlight.

Maging ang matapang at tigasing Major Ibarra ay napaatras sa kanyang nakita.

“M-miles? E-enzo?” Ang tanging nabanggit ni Major Ibarra.

Sa puno ay nakagapos ang di mawaring binatilyo, hindi nila maipaliwanag kung si Enzo ba ito o si Miles. Paano nga ba nila ito maipapaliwanag?

“A-ang pa-pag iisa ng la-laman.” bulong ni Evangelista.

Sa puno ay nakagapos ang magkapatid sa iisang katawan. Mitikolosong binalatan ng Patay na Simbahan ang isa sa magkapatid at tinahi ito sa balat ng isa. Parang pinagtagpitagping tela ang katawan ng binatilyo. Ang balat ng mukha ng kanyang kapatid ay maingat na naipatong sa ulo ng binatilyo na parang maskara. Sa suka ng binatilyo makikita ang natitira pang laman ng kapatid na tinanggalan ng balat. ‘Di napigilan ni Evangelista ang pumalirit na parang batang paslit, habang pilit na nilalabanan ang kakilakilabot na pangyayaring kanyang nasaksihan.

Mistulang nawalan ng boses si Ibarra, tanging ang hangin lang ng kagubatan ang kanyang naririnig. At sa bulong ng katahimikan ng gabi narinig niyang magsalita ang binatilyo.

“Ako ang magiging bagong Patay na Simbahan.” Mahina nitong paulit-ulit na bulong sa hangin.

SPORTS

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 14

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

Larong kalye #BallisLife isn’t just #TambayisLife

by John Zedrick Simeon

Photo by Pia Marantan

Baller—not the accessory—but a slang term for those playing basketball.

Almost every Filipino baller started from streetball. Even NBA players like Kyrie Irving— that man is streetball personified—and local professional players such as Paul Lee who lived and breathed basketball in Tondo started on the streets.

The Filipino’s love for basketball is no secret—almost every barangay in the Philippines has its own basketball court full of ballers who sacrifice the life of a cheap pair of flip-flops for a chance to play ball—with or without shirts. If there’s anything Filipinos love aside from basketball, it’s streetball, the informal style of basketball—or larong kalye in Filipino—a carefree game for anyone at any age and a footloose game for our Patriot cagers and coaches.

Streetball as an avenue Streetball—the sweet taste of “no blood, no foul” and freely showcasing shammgods and breaking your opponents’ ankles. No, not literally breaking bones, but putting their legs up on skates until they fall down and gather celebratory “ooohs” from the tropa.

Everybody starts from being “I”—a selfish, arrogant self. And in streetball, that includes stare downs, physical harm, and cursing the player you’ve crossed over. Although sometimes unethical, streetball requires “I” in order to be part of the team. These gestures construct the very foundation of streetball, the very criteria for a “survival of the fittest” mentality. After all, it’s informal with its battleground style for ballers—the first step in loving basketball.

For Patriot cager John Cantimbuhan, larong kalye prevented him from a future of waking up on the streets. The Patriot said that “ligang labas” or non-formal leagues outside supported his career.

“Maraming natulong, like no’ng before kasi ako magvarsity, since no’ng high school. Nai-scout lang talaga ako sa ligang kalye, sa ligang labas lang,” he shared.

“Doon ako nag-start noong high school no’ng kinuha ako ng coach namin sa St. Jude [College],” the point guard added.

Indeed, streetball sparks the integrity of a baller and sharpens the skills of the most famous of ballers. Coach Chot Reyes, the Philippines’ national team head coach, affirms this.

“The most talented players may not be in the PBA or the national team, it might be in some barangay somewhere—smoking, working—that breaks my heart. But we should be doing as a nation—if we’re doing our jobs right—to find the best basketball players that should be representing the National team.” he said when he hosted Nike Rise, a program in search of streetballers in the deepest parts of the country.

Even better than obtaining glory and pride is treating streetball as a way to school and a guide for one’s future.

Much like his cager, Patriot head coach Arnold Oliveros owes streetball a debt of gratitude. “Sa career ko, nakatulong sa akin kasi ‘yon nga, natuto akong makipag-mingle sa ibang players. Marami akong naging kaibigan. Same din

sa coaching, kailangan malawak rin ‘yong network mo.

‘Yong connection mo. Kailangan matuto rin makipagmingle sa ibang coaches,” he said.

Unity We are all familiar of the times when our neighbors and childhood friends would gather in the court in the hopes of the ligang labas championship.

Whether you’re a fan or not, whoever wins this championship will be the talk of the barangay.

“Sa streetball kasi talaga more on bonding ‘yan. Parang family kayo. Halos same lang rin sa mga kaibigan.” Oliveros said.

After everything, all will be back to the old way of living for ballers—back to the concrete or rubberized basketball courts. Back to waiting for dayo or baller visitors from other subdivisons and pustahan—which are most of the time won by the home team.

All of these are summarized with this—streetball brings camaraderie and comfort. For both budding ballers and professional players, even in the most daring situations, we can resort to streetball. “‘Pag sa streetball, kapag may problema ka, nandiyaan ‘yong mga barkada mo. Nailalabas mo ‘yong sama ng loob mo. Kumbaga hindi naman mawawala ‘yan eh. Hanggang ngayon ako, ‘yong mga kaibigan ko, nakakalaro ko sa streetball,” Oliveros said.

In the second year coach’s family, their bonding is streetball as well, “Minsan naglalaro ang fatherand-son, together. Magandang bonding ‘yon as father and son. Kagaya ko, may anak ako. Minsan naglalaro kami. Dumadayo kami, nakakasama ko siya.

Iba ‘yon. ‘Yon ‘yong magandang makukuha natin.” he said.

For Cantimbuhan though, streetball strengthens his faith in his basketball career. “Na-super-down ako no’ng rookie ko, no’ng laban namin versus RTU. First time ko lang naka-score ng two points lang…

Naitulong ng streetball, binalik ‘yong kompiyansa ko.

Tira lang ako ng tira. Doon talaga ako kumukha ng kompiyansa.”

He also treasures non-formal basketball as a way to develop a father-son bond. “Sa tatay ko, since mahilig siyang mag-basketball, mas lalo kaming nagiging close, kasi every game kapag may laro ako sa liga ng labas, lagi siyang sumasama. Super supportive din siya, mas lumalapit siya.” Cantimbuhan mentioned. *** Larong kalye’s perks aren’t limited to just team tambay. Most of today’s basketball superstars started from streetball. Together with hard work and the right amount of passion, playing on a concrete court with cheap sandals can soon turn into hardwood—with your feet burning with the same passion.

‘Di ko alam, wala akong paki’ Sa aking kursong Communication Arts, mayroon kaming isang asignaturang Communication Theory. Habang ako’y nakikinig sa klase, tumatak sa akin ang terminong “self” o sarili—ang pinagsamang “I” at “me”—mula sa Social Self Theory ni George Herbert Mead.

Bagamat parehas ang gamit ng mga panghalip na ito—ang maglarawan sa sarili—naiiba pa rin pala sila sa isa’t isa. Ayon sa aming propesor, ang “I” ay ang yugto ng ating kabataan na mayroon tayong sariling mundo at hindi natin pinakikialaman ang daigdig ng iba. Habang ang “me” naman ay ang karampatang gulang natin kung kailan nagkakaroon tayo ng pag-intindi sa buhay ng iba “through taking the role of others”.

Kasabay ng pagdanas natin ay ang malaman kung paano ilapat ang mga bagay na ito.

Sa palagay ko, ito ang dahilan kung bakit may mga taong walang pakialam o wala lang

talagang pakialam dahil hindi nila alam ang isang bagay—at para dito, isipin mo: bakit nga naman tayo magkakaroon ng pagkabahala sa isang bagay kung hindi naman natin alam ang makukuha nating benepisyo mula rito? Ang indeperensiya at kawalang-alam ay katulad lamang ng “I” at “me” na may pagkakaiba.

Bago ako pumasok sa DLSU-D, palagi akong nakaririnig mula sa mga nakatatandang kakilala kong “ang mga taga-La Salle-Dasma, feeling DLSU-Taft”, “’Yong mga taga La Salle-Dasma, mga wala namang utak ‘yon eh” at marami pang iba. Aaminin ko, sa kalaunan ay naging ganoon na rin ang tingin ko sa ating Pamantasan noong ako’y nasa hayskul pa lamang. Huwag n’yo akong sisihin, kung ang kinalakihan mo’y may ganitong pananaw at walang nagsasabi sa iyong mali ito at hindi na magkakaroon ng pagbabago.

Ika nga ng isa sa aking paboritong karakter na si Elliot Alderson ng Mr. Robot: “The only way to patch a vulnerability is by exposing it first”.

Noon ay walang namang naglantad sa akin na mali ang magkaroon ng ganitong panghuhusga.

Kung binulungan lamang ako ng aking sarili sa

hinaharap na hindi ganito ang La Salle Dasma, sigurado’y hinding-hindi ako magdadalawangisip na baguhin ang pananaw ko.

Lahat naman tayo ay may panghuhusga sa umpisa, Ang iba sa ating pananaw ay dulot lang ng kuro-kuro ng iba. Ngunit ang maganda rito’y hindi lahat sa atin ay nagpapatalo sa

Ang indeperensiya at kawalang-alam ay katulad lamang ng“I” at“me” na may pagkakaiba negatibong pananaw na mayroon tayo. Dahil sa kabilang banda, wala naman talagang pamantasang puro tamad ang mga estudyante.

Sa inilahad kong halimbawa, kung iyong titingnan, nararapat na maglahad ang mga may alam ng tamang pananaw sa mga baguhan.

Subalit sa kasamaang palad, hindi lamang nila ito nakaugaliang gawin.

Kagaya ng pagtatamasa natin sa mga magagandang bagay na may kaunti tayong kaalaman, ganoon rin natin hamakin ang mga ito.

Sabi nila, may dalawang panig ang bawat istorya pero para sa akin, may walong bilyong panig sa bawat istorya. Kaya nga may higit walong bilyong tao sa mundo. Bawat kultura, edad, kasarian, personalidad at marami pang ibang kadahilanan ay may sariling pag-unawa sa ating lipunan. Ang istoryang sarili ng mga tao ay natatamo lamang dahil dito sila dinadala ng kanilang landas.

Maaaring ang iba naman ay nanatili sa “I” ngunit sila’y dapat tulungan at hindi pagtulungan. Lahat ng tao’y may potensyal na kaalaman, may mga tao nga lamang na maaring nahuhuli ng sampung taon dahil wala pa sila sa konseptong sarili.

Ang pinakamahalagang natutunan ko sa natatanging araling ito’y simple lamang: hindi mabubuo ang sarili kung hindi mangyayari ang “I” at “me”. Ang mga tao ay parang magkakonektang parte ng isang makina. Hindi tayo mga islang nag-iisa lamang dahil kung tayo’y pinagsama-sama, tayo’y magiging isang islang kayang labanan ang matataas na alon ng realidad.

SPORTS

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 15

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

Cedeno is in: Former Macau-based cager joins the Patriots’ roster

by Fernan Patrick Flores

Photo by Angelica Aludino (contributor)

The NBA world was rocked when news broke out that Former Miami Heat teammates Cleveland Cavalier Lebron James and Dwayne Wade were set to defend the Land after Wade signed in a 2.3 million dollars deal— yes, you read that right—to try to build a better roster. That’s how big of a deal every single player is. And every year, the roster is updated with fresh faces that could either make or break any team.

So, it’s no mystery that each new player sets the standard for an entire team, and this applies even in our own campus as Patriot cagers’ head coach Arnold Oliveros upgraded the Patriots’ lineup this year with eight new recruits. The new basketball lineup includes four rookies, three returnees, and one former University of Macau-based Filipino cager—Aldrianne Cedeno.

Potential point guard Cedeno is 100% Filipino but was born and raised in Macau, China. The 20-year old rookie moved to the Philippines this May to pursue his dream of playing basketball at a University level.

The five-foot-11 cager has played for several clubs in the Macau China Basketball Association (MCBA) in both Division 1 and 2. He was a former member of the four consecutive Macau University League champions in the University of Macau.

“When I came to the Philippines, I wanted to try basketball because playing in China has an edge [for me] and at the same time I think that the game here is more sophisticated and much more complex and it will improve my personal growth as a player,” Cedeno shared.

Although the name Aldrienne Cedeno didn’t make waves in Macau, Cedeno has a lot of potential as point guard, coach Oliveros said.

Cedeno tried out during the summer vacation and started training immediately after qualifying as

a Patriot. Before DLSU-D, he also tried his luck in University Athletic Association Philippines and National Capital Region Athletic Association schools such as University of Santo Tomas, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, and De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde. “As far as options go, I am looking into schools in Manila, however as of that time, I can’t say specifically which one I may land in after my time in DLSU-D,” Cedeno added.

Oliveros said Cedeno as an addition to the team has the potential to rebuild the Patriots— knowing that he has encountered a different level of competition in Macau. “Malaki siyang point guard. Alam kong makakatulong siya sa team in the future.”

In and out Although months have passed, Cedeno admits that he’s still in the process of adapting the inside and outside of the hardwood as a cager raised in Macau. “I’m adjusting to the life here.

The climate here is a lot hotter, I’m adjusting to commuting. On the court, I’m still trying to get to know my teammates, recognize their play style, try to build the chemistry,” he explained.

He said the communication between him and the team is nothing to worry about as he can converse in English and understand Filipino.

CSO suspends Patriots United Football Club for one sem

by Rose Kristine Amarillo

Due to inactivity and failure in submitting requirements, the Patriots United Football Club (PUFC) is suspended this semester, as confirmed by Council of Student Organization (CSO) Vice President Sam Magbuhat.

Under observation Expressing her initial reaction on the suspension, two-year PUFC footballer Angelique Ballesteros said, “Para sa’kin, s’yempre malungkot kasi sa batch namin nag-end ‘yong org... Ngayon lang nasuspend tapos sa amin pa.”

However, Ballesteros and other Executive Board (EB) officers are hesitant to push through the reconsideration of their status. According to her, PUFC members are doing well with their current situation seeing as their matches require less paperwork than when they were an official organization.

As to the reasons behind their suspension, Ballesteros said the club failed to maintain their activities and pass all the

requirements needed by the CSO and Student Development and Activities Office (SDAO), specifically the rubric that determines the grade of the organization.

“Naging kaunti lang ‘yong activities namin which affected the organization’s grade. So ang nangyari, kapag apat na semesters na kayong probationary na org, suspended kayo for one sem. Ayon ‘yong nangyari sa’min,” she said.

When asked about their plans this first semester, Ballesteros said an EB was already on stand by for the second semester. “May nakaready nang EB para sa second sem pero ang ginagawa na lang namin [ay] nago-observe na lang kami ngayong first sem

SPORTS COMICS

kung itutuloy pa ba namin o hindi,” Ballesteros said.

She added that hitches come from within the organization itself, “Kasi ‘pag binuhay pa namin sa second sem, hindi na guaranteed ‘yong sa members [na maglalaro].

Kasi ‘yon ang hirap sa’min. ’Yong naka-reserve na sa’min ‘yong field pero [ang] maglalaro lang apat [o] dalawa, lalo na [sa] second sem, mas busy...”

Apart from that, Ballesteros said the team’s ongoing problem is about handling paperwork. “Madalas, sa labas gusto namin sumali pero hindi namin nagagawa kasi late na sa deadline, late na sa pagpasa ng proposal, late na sa pagpasa ng ganyan kasi under pa rin kami ng school,” she furthered.

In line with adapting, coach Oliveros said that it should be Cedeno that must fine-tune with the team since the competition in the Philippines and Macau are opposite in terms of what end of the basketball court they are focusing on—especially on defense. “Nag-a-adjust siya especially sa defense, naninibago talaga siya. Kasi ako as coach, more on pressure ako sa kanila [Macau] more on zone sila kasi malalaki players so sanay sila mag-zone lang. Dito sa lineup natin medyo maliliit so medyo pressure defense talaga.”

Cedeno, who has faced seven footers back in Macau, added that the pace of the game is a lot faster in the Philippines since Filipino players are smaller.

Aside from defense, Cedeno also said he’s still modifying his dribbling techniques, handles, shooting, and his play style to have chemistry with the play style of the Patriot cagers. “The Patriot athletes personally don’t lack anything skill-wise but we are at a disadvantage in height,” the cager said.

But behind the pressure, coach Oliveros and the whole team is open to Cedeno’s concerns regarding his adjustment in the plays and as a Patriot cager. *** “This year actually may mga bagong mukha na tayo. Medyo maganda naman ‘yong takbo ng team namin ngayon,” coach Oliveros emphasized. This year could be Patriots’ year to reclaim championship titles, as they’re more than ready with the elevated list of Patriot cagers.

FELYN from page 16 si Coach Arnold Villarube” she said.

“Dapat talaga dito (DLSU-D) ako, kaya lang ‘yong parents ko parang nahiya na sa coach ng Taft dahil pinuntahan talaga ako sa bahay [para i-recruit] so ginrab ko na lang din kahit wala akong kaalam-alam about sa mga schools sa Manila. Kinuha rin ako ng FEU at UST pero hindi ko alam na sikat pala ‘yong mga schools na ‘yon kasi first time ko pumunta sa Manila,” Dolloso added.

During her stay in Taft, she excelled in her events with a level worthy of battling against international opponents.

She became a qualifying youth Olympic in Singapore and a part of the National Open in Singapore and Thailand. She also qualified in the Summer Youth Olympics in Guangzhou, China but failed to attend because she had urinary tract infection at the time. She also attended the 29th Summer Universiade in Taipei, Taiwan and ranked 11th out of 13 due to her recurring ankle injury.

Sure, these were earth-shaking feats. But Dolloso treasures a recent achievement—and at a local level at that. It was in the Philippine University games (UNIGAMES) when she broke her personal record in the long jump event with a gold medal-producing 6.02-meter record

in Dumaguete last year. This goes to show that Felyn is never satisfied with her current self, just as a great athlete should be.

The end of the line Starting her education as a Patriot, Dolloso decided to take up Bachelor of Physical Education because of her desire to teach. When asked on how she balances her time as a student-athlete, “diskarte lang at time management.”

Considering her performance in the 29th Summer Universiade, Dolloso seeks improvement with her training and is currently working on boosting her speed and trying to lift weights. According to her, having discipline, a daily routine, and waking up early in the morning are the essentials in being a student-athlete.

After dedicating more than half of her life to sports and experiencing a lot outside her hometown, Dolloso said, “Kung ano ako ngayon, hindi ko masasabing natutunan ko sa family ko kasi lumaki ako sa labas.”

Dolloso also mentioned that she has learned to adjust to different people and places. “’Yong goal ko ay maging isang sports director balang araw... babalik ako sa probinsya namin kasi marami akong gustong

tulungan sa lugar namin na mga bata… Tamang tama rin ‘yong course ko na education kasi gustong gusto ko talaga turuan ‘yong mga bata hindi lang sa sports kundi sa academics [din],” she shared. Furthermore, perseverance and patience in studying are her ways to achieve these goals in life.

Graduating in February of next year, Dolloso plans to apply and temporarily work at a public or private school, whichever hires her first, while waiting for the Examination for Teachers (LET).

She also plans to go and work in Taiwan.

Preparing to join other leagues this semester, Felyn is currently training for the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) finals this November to December. *** Learning from the experiences of this noble trackster, happiness is everything in order to be successful. Though we can’t achieve anything without perseverance, it is our own personal fulfilment that we should aim for the most. And as Dolloso puts it, “It’s not luck that brought me here—it’s hard work.”

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017 | PAGE 16

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2017

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

facebook.com/HeraldoFilipino

twitter.com/HeraldoFilipino

officialheraldofilipino@gmail.com

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 2

heraldofilipino.com

SPORTS NEWS CSO suspends PUFC page 15

SPORTS COMICS Basketball brawls page 15

Sports Feature Larong kalye page 14

The Last Leap. After four years of being on the team and bagging numerous awards, long-time Patriot trackster Felyn Dolloso will bid farewell to the Patriots as she heads for #ULS2018.

Before the takeoff Tracking the path of Felyn Dolloso

by Rose Kristine Amarillo Through their well-executed performances, the DLSU-D athletics team have made the Lasallian community proud of their numerous achievements over the past decades of running, jumping, and hurdling through their different tracks.

Continuing the tradition, the current athletics team has taken home more and more Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) and Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) medals each year. But only one girl takes the Patriot pride to an extra mile, she’s none other than Felyn Dolloso—a triple and long jumper who’s trying to make the most out of her final semester in DLSU-D. Before we hear that final starter pistol, we should look back on the graduating Patriot’s achievements before she crosses the #ULS2018 finish line.

The takeoff point Dolloso said she began with innocent steps that most 90’s kid can relate to—climbing trees and playing Chinese garter and luksong tinik.

These childhood games cultivated Dolloso’s skills and talents.

With a heart of a trackster and mind of a future teacher, 24-yearold Dolloso started to make herself known in track-and-field at an early age. She began leaping toward her dream of playing in the athletics team when she was just a Grade 4 student at Magsaysay Elementary School Escalante City in Negros Occidental.

Dolloso tried other sports such as softball and volleyball but still chose triple jump and long jump. The Patriot furthered that her elementary school coach encouraged her to play individual sports rather than team sports because there were only a few students in her elementary school who were interested in sports.

Inspiration mainly comes from her family and relatives, but out of her kin, Dolloso shared that Marestella Torres, a Filipino long jumper, three-time Olympian, and four-time and two-time Southeast Asian Games (SEA GAMES) gold and bronze medalist, became not

just an inspiration but also an “ate” for Dolloso.

Regularly training in Dasmariñas, Marestella invited Dolloso to train with her when the trackster transferred to DLSU-D, beginning a friendship that has lasted ever since. “Malaking oportunidad ‘yon para sa akin para makasabay ako sa kaniya (Marestella Torres) hanggang sa naging close kami [at] sabay ako sa kaniyang mag-training lagi. Tapos nakita ko kung gaano siya kadesidido sa pagte-training kaya alam ko kung bakit lagi siya nananalo. Sobrang sipag niya talaga sa training, daig pa niya ang lalaki,” Felyn said.

Far from home Way back in her high school days at Magsaysay Extension High School in their province, Dolloso remembered, “Parang laro-laro lang talaga sa‘kin. Hindi ko iniisip na magme-medal ako. Basta maglaro lang talaga ako at saka makapunta

sa ganitong lugar, masaya na ako… basta non-stop talaga ‘yong training ko [mula] morning [at] afternoon, Linggo lang wala (training).”

At her first Palarong Pambansa as a student athlete in 2009, an unexpected fever impaired her performance in Tacloban. Regaining her health and strengthening her body for the 2010 Palarong Pambansa in Tarlac, Dolloso rose and topped the league as she broke the 17-year Palarong Pambansa triple jump record of 12.02 meters, a record dating from 1993 which was diminished with her astonishing 12.35-meter record.

Because of her undoubtedly virtuoso records, universities such as DLSU-Manila, Far Eastern University (FEU), University of Santo Tomas (UST), and our very own University were lining up after she graduated high school in 2010.

Dolloso even caught the eye of Jeoffrey Chua, DLSU–Manila’s

Photo by Bermanie Jean Doniña

Athletics team coach, to the point where he personally went to Dolloso’s home in Escalante, Negros Occidental, convincing Dolloso to choose our sister school.

Playing as an Archer for more than two years, Dolloso left DLSU Manila in search of even greener pastures. “’Yong pinakamalaking trahedya na dumating sa buhay ko is ‘yong nasa Taft talaga ako. Kaya ako lumipat din dito (DLSU-D) kasi sabi ko bakit ko pipilitin ‘yong sarili ko kung hindi ko talaga kaya? Kasi nai-injure ako doon, tapos sobrang na-down ako sa sarili ko… parang hindi ako masaya talaga doon… nawalan na ako ng gana,” Dolloso shared.

And she found it here, not because it’s the greenest university, but because she fancied the company of Patriot head coach Arnold Villarube—a fellow Escalante City native. “Third year high school pa lang ako, nandito (DLSU-D) na ‘yong pangalan ko kasi taga-Escalante See FELYN | page 15

Patriots back out of 22nd UniGames due to ‘cost-cutting’

PATRIOT RECRUITS

by Fernan Patrick Flores

The Patriots will not be representing DLSU-D in the upcoming 22nd Philippine University Games (UniGames) from October 22 to 29 in Dumaguete City due to the Sports Development Office (SDO)’s cost-cutting for this year caused by the K to 12 adjustment period, as per SDO Director Fidel Rojales.

LOW ON ROOKIES. From 33 and 19 recruits in the last two academic years, the Patriots have only recruited 14 rookies this year due to the lack of freshman and sophomore enrollees.

Infographic by Yves Villanueva

Founded by former University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod City Brother President Rolando Dizon, FSC, UniGames has been uniting different colleges and universities, including the National Capital Region powerhouses every year since 1996.

After actively participating in the national event for the past few years, the Patriots are to lay low for the meantime to secure the budget for the other main events that DLSU-D will join for this year.

“Ngayon lang ‘yan for the meantime kasi cost-cutting din naman talaga tayo … Magfo-focus muna kami sa main events namin, NCRAA (National Capital Region Athletic Association) at saka ‘yong PRISAA (Private Schools Athletic Association), para ma-sure namin ‘yong budget kasi baka mamaya magdeficit kami, ” the SDO Director explained.

Supposedly, SDO was deciding to send the individual/ dual sports teams such as the Patriot tracksters and chessers to this year’s

UniGames before the final decision.

The Patriot woodpushers made their debut in last year’s tourney on a high note after garnering one gold medal, eight silver, and one bronze while the veteran tracksters bagged three gold medals and one silver in the 21st UniGames held at Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental from October 26 to 28, 2016.

When asked if the Patriots would be able to join next year’s UniGames, Rojales responded that the decision would depend on next year’s budget.