Heraldo Filipino Vol. 31 Issue 3

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 1

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY-DASMARIñAS JANUARY - MARCH 2017

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VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

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lasallians go live. Composed of participants from all sectors of the University, the Lasallian Festival 2017 (LSF) Mission Parade kicked off the week-long celebration on February 27 at Lake Avenue, ending at Ugnayang La Salle. With the theme “LIVE! (Living Innovation, Vocation and Education),” LSF hosted numerous activities, such as exhibits, workshops, and college days from February 27 to March 4.

Photo by Angelica Aludino

USC VP, PRO resign Vacant positions filled this sem

by Yna Marisse Sodoy Former University Student Council (USC) 2016-2017 Vice President (VP) Sacen Sacay and former USC 2016-2017 Public Relations Officer (PRO) Bryan Castillo have officially resigned from their positions this second semester of academic year (AY) 2016-2017 after their half-year term in office due to differing “beliefs and judgments” regarding decision-making within the council.

Apart from the conflicting stands in making decisions, Castillo shared that numerous instances occurred in the council that did not align with his principles and beliefs.

“May mga nakita na akong mali (sa pamamalakad sa USC), pero no’ng unang beses, pinalagpas ko kasi naisip ko na baka naman start pa lang [at]

baka maayos pa as time goes by, pero the other way around ang nangyari,” he explained.

Castillo furthered that he regretted remaining silent at times when decisions were finalized as he was reluctant to oppose his co-officers, who were also his seniors.

However, he clarified that not every decision made by the council fully contradicts his beliefs and principles.

Supporting Castillo’s statement, Sacay said that she also noticed oversights within the council which she could no longer tolerate. “[Ganito], pag-uusapan na may gagawin kami (USC) tapos

[biglang] ‘di nase-settle ‘yong desisyon tapos magugulat na lang [kami] kinabukasan may desisyon na pala,” she said.

Sacay added that there were instances where she would be consulted or informed regarding the council’s plans only when a decision had already been made. “Masakit ‘yon

e, kasi wala kang stand. Nakakalungkot lang talaga,” she said.

According to Sacay and Castillo, they were both already planning to resign from USC during the first semester of AY 2016-2017.

After thorough deliberation, Sacay and Castillo finally made the decision to submit their resignation

letters to USC Adviser Phillip Mallari in February and January, respectively.

As of press time, Castillo said that he will now focus on academics, offcampus activities, and possibly returning to the Broadcast Journalism Program Council (BJPC) before he graduates.

“Pero ngayon, I have no political plans in joining any student council. [Mas] See USC | page 2

Admin plans to merge college depts next AY

by April Ciaralei Cenedoza Due to the lack of first and second year enrollees next academic year (AY), select college departments such as the Kagawaran ng Filipino at Panitikan (KFP) and Languages and Literature Department (LLD); and the Biological Sciences Department (BSD), Mathematics and Statistics Department (MSD), and the Physical Sciences Department (PSD) plan to be merged into two respective departments in AY 2017-2018.

As the College of Science and Computer Studies (CSCS) waits for the administration’s approval of their proposal, CSCS Dean Johnny Ching said physics professors will transfer to MSD, while Chemistry professors will go to BSD as per the proposal submitted from the college to the administration.

Meanwhile, KFP will be combined with LLD, as confirmed by KFP Chair May Mojica and LLD

Chair Teresita Pareja. Ching said that the departments concerned will be merged due to the fact that they both offer various minor subjects exclusively for freshmen and sophomore students.

“Wala pang nilalabas na decision ang organization committee (ng administration), so definitely we cannot say na sure na [ang merging of departments],” he added.

transforming lives. Mr. Christian Pasao, a student from General Emilio Aguinaldo National High School, received a college scholarship grant via raffle from DLSU-D during the “Kundirana 2017: Salamat sa Musika” concert held at the Imus Sports Complex, Imus City on February 21.

See MERGING | page 2

News feature

features

Photo by Justine Bea Bautista

Literary

sports

Shifting gears

History, the abridged version

At March’s End

Cagebelles’ PRISAA triumph

page 4

page 11

page 12

page 14

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Proposed ROTC mandate to affect male SHS students

Mandatory ROTC bill in line for Congress’ deliberation

by Yna Marisse Sodoy Following President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval on the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) revival, 276th Naval ROTC Unit (NROTCU) Commandant Captain Benito Ante PN submitted a draft bill to the Congress that seeks to officially implement mandatory ROTC for male Senior High School (SHS) students.

Apart from the Congress, Ante also submitted the proposal to the Department of National Defense after attending workshops which will help improve the revised ROTC program together with the Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and other school administrators involved.

“But of course, subject to the availability of schedule (Congress’ session) kasi alam mo naman maraming issues ngayon na inuuna ‘yong Congress,” he said.

The mandatory ROTC bill proposed implementing a mandatory basic ROTC course in SHS and an optional, advanced ROTC course in college, both of which will require two years of service.

However, Ante clarified that ROTC will only be mandatory for male SHS students. College students enrolled in National Service Training Program may

choose between Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) and ROTC. “‘Yong basic ROTC is not in college. It is in the high school.

Ang advanced ROTC [sa] college is optional and it does not prevent females in joining (ROTC),” Ante asserted.

Furthermore, NSTP-CWTS Coordinator Neil Villanueva said that the 276th NROTCU will be in charge of training male SHS students in case the mandatory ROTC bill obtains the Congress’ approval.

In the quest for the Congress’ approval, Villanueva expressed hope in implementing mandatory ROTC as early as the first semester of the next academic year (AY). Ante agreed, saying, “If we’re optimistic that by next AY, mandatory ROTC will be implemented. Even Neil and me are hoping so we can help.”

As of press time, there has been official decision from the Congress after Ante submitted the proposal of

the ROTC mandate to the Congress in December 2016.

ROTC in DLSU-D Ante furthered that the ROTC program’s advantages will award numerous benefits to the youth, such as development of the body’s physical fitness.

Despite not engaging in school intramurals, sports, or athletics, Ante assured that the ROTC cadets will be physically developed in the trainings conducted by NROTCU. As the Congress opens again for sessions this year, Villanueva encouraged the Lasallian community to support and defend the country as part of the Filipino youth.

On a similar note, Ante affirmed that ROTC is beneficial for the youth as ROTC develops discipline and respect for authority, gives cadets the skills that will make them productive members of the society, and build their stability under pressure which “cannot be learned in an ordinary classroom.”

CEAT to resolve online enrollment error for next sem CEATSC aims to end manual enrollment by June

by Jazmine Estorninos The College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) took action in resolving the online enrollment issues by coordinating with the administration to ensure that manual enrollment will no longer be implemented for the summer term in June.

During the second semester’s manual enrollment in December 2016, majority of the problems encountered in adding, dropping, and registering subjects involved an error in encoding the wrong curriculum.

“Mula pa no’ng previous academic years (AYs), pagdating

sa CEAT online enrollment … ‘yong CEAT student [enrollees], kahit na hindi pa nila puwede matake ‘yong certain subject dahil ‘di pa nga nila nakukuha ‘yong pre-requisite, ay nakukuha pa rin nila (certain subject),” CEAT Student Council (CEATSC)

2016-2017 President Patricia Dequito said.

According to Dequito, after conducting the said manual enrollment, all of the CEATSC officers and manual enrollment volunteers detected that the encoding of curriculum was the main error

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

USC from page 1 nararamdaman ko na mas kailangan ako sa Broad Journ (BJPC),” he added.

Meanwhile, Sacay said that she is also planning to refocus on academics seeing as she will be graduating one semester late.

“Late ako ng isang sem[ester] na igugugol ko dapat ‘yon (academics) no’ng last sem[ester] e kami (USC) nga ‘yong nakaupo,” she said.

Regarding their future relations with USC, Sacay and Castillo both shared that they are still willing to help USC should the council need and allow them to do so.

According to the Heraldo Filipino Volume 30, Issue 4, Sacay initially ran for the office of the PRO but assumed the VP position due to the failure of elections in AY 2015-2016 together with USC 2016-2017 President Christine Fortunado who also ran for PRO under the SINAG political party.

To fill in the empty council positions, the USC appointed Castillo as PRO together with the USC secretary, auditor, treasurer,

and business manager, following Article V, Section 9 and 10 of the 2013 Amended USC Constitution.

In response On the sudden resignation of former VP Sacay and PRO Castillo, Fortunado described the situation as “saddening.”

“May personal issues talaga sa kanila and alam ko na mas importante ‘yon,” Fortunado said. “Kung ano ‘yong piliin nila, susuportahan ko na lang sila kasi mahirap na pilitin sa bagay na problemado sila.”

Meanwhile, former USC Auditor and newly appointed USC Vice President Martin Cacanindin expressed his support for their decisions.

“If sa tingin nila (Sacay and Castillo) doon sila mag-gro-grow sa decision na ‘yon, who are we para naman pigilan ‘yon. Kaya kailangan namin (USC) tanggapin ‘yong decision nila,” he expressed.

Cacanindin refrained from mentioning the reasons behind their resignations. “Sacen and Bryan have their own reasons kung bakit sila nag-

resign, and kung ano man ‘yong reasons nila, we should respect it,” he said.

Despite Sacay and Castillo’s official resignations from the council, they stated that they are yet to further discuss their sides on the matter with all of the sitting USC officers. However, Fortunado stated that they are “on good terms” after their resignation.

Vacancies As for the two USC positions left vacant, Fortunado confirmed that aside from former USC Auditor Cacanindin assuming the office of Vice President, Theresa Llorente was also chosen by the USC to fill the role of PRO. Meanwhile, former USC Business Manager Joyce Castillo has assumed the office of USC Auditor, and former USC Assistant Secretary Louve Komatsu has assumed the office of USC Business Manager. USC Secretary Jessone Puricacion and USC Treasurer Mae Montehermoso retain their positions as is.

However, USC PRO Micah Rubio’s position remains vacant until he officially enrolls this semester, as confirmed by Cacanindin.

‘Unwanted behavior’ online can be sanctioned – SWAFO

by April Ciaralei Cenedoza

Upon establishing the Student Welfare and Formation Office (SWAFO)’s own social media accounts as their means of reaching out to the Lasallians, SWAFO Student Formator Loren Peñano confirmed that they often check the students’ “unwanted behavior” online.

Using SWAFO’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, Peñano explained that some students are not aware of SWAFO’s online presence, especially on Twitter.

She admitted there have been instances where Peñaño saw posts containing vulgar or offensive words pertaining to SWAFO. “May mga na-e-encounter kaming [mga post na] bobombahin kami [o kaya] papuputukan kami ng mga bala … Ang ginagawa namin doon [sa post], ise-search ko kung sino ‘yon (who posted offensive content online against SWAFO). Kapag na-verify ko na siya’y estudyante rito, gagawa kami ng memo or letter.

Invite namin siya rito para mainterview kung bakit niya nasabi ‘yon [online],” explained Peñaño.

Meanwhile, she said that SWAFO’s posts are usually announcements of various activities within the University and a monthly report of lost and found items.

Despite some “rude” posts of students online, Peñaño said that SWAFO’s online presence is “effective” in addressing students’ concerns.

“Buti na lang nagpo-post kami ng ganoon (lost and found) kasi kahit papano kunwari nawalan ako or ‘yong isang estudyante nawalan, kapag nakita niya ‘yong item na

‘yon [online], puwede naman siyang pumunta rito sa office namin.

Malaking tulong [ang social media] lalo na sa mga nawawalan ng gamit [sa loob ng campus],” she said.

Addressing students’ concerns According to Peñano, students raise their concerns through direct messages to SWAFO’s Facebook or Twitter account,. However, when the concern involves cases, SWAFO advises the student to meet them in their office.

“Si [former SWAFO Director] Albert [Puchero], gusto niya na ma-reach ng estudyante ‘yong mga SWAFO staff kasi ang akala

See ENROLLMENT | page 3

See SWAFO | page 3

R e ac t President Rodrigo Duterte has been vocal about his interest in amending the 1987 Philippine Constitution to give the President sole power to declare martial law instead of undergoing a rigorous process as written in Article VII Section 18 of the Constitution. With that said, we asked several DLSU-D students whether they agree or disagree with Duterte’s idea.

“No, because martial law is very dangerous to the Philippine nation. Duterte should quit the presidency if he declares martial law in the future.”

“I agree with Duterte’s statement with regards to the amendment of the Constitution. Although there may be a possibility that the power to declare martial law might be abused by him, we should also consider the bright side of that power, which would still be for the general welfare of the Filipinos.

Marcos is not the same as Duterte––let’s take a risk.”

“I disagree because the Constitution we have now is a rigid constitution. The Philippines was victimized before by (Ferdinand) Marcos (Sr.) into changing the Constitution for his own benefit and we, as Filipinos, cannot let a dictator take over our lives again.”

Adrian Neil R. Alagao Second year Associate in Computer Science

Joshua F. Presentacion Fourth year Accountancy

Kate Leen A. Tarlet Third year Computer Engineering

“Yes, but at the same time, it should undergo due process. Declaring martial law is a very sensitive issue, which should be addressed with a proper process.”

“Yes, because Duterte’s statement is for our own good. This is the first time that we have had a president who cares so much for our country, especially for the Filipinos living in the Philippines just to support each other and spread the love in our country.”

“No, because in the first place, having easy access to martial law will definitely bring back the pain of the people whose families were part of it.”

Reicel P. Porwel Fourth year Accountancy

Thea Mae V. Garcia Fourth year Tourism Management

Angel Jose J. Balcruz Fourth year Information Technology

“No. First [of] all, human rights is present. martial law is not just a war against different platforms to develop different aspects of the Philippines. Martial Law is providing the sole authority to the military to control absolute change. The Constitution is not just the basis of implementation, but also a change in the system of government to who is more capable and efficient in engaging change.”

Andy O. Gonzaga Fourth year Political Science

“Yes, because the President is the chief of the state and I believe that Duterte will make these (sic) amendments with his full knowledge about anything regarding the martial law.”

“Yes, so that in case of a war in our country, the President will not wait for the congress’ approval before declaring martial law.”

Dwynn Merce C. Dela Peña Fourth year Tourism Management

Louise D. Zafra Third year Business and Operations Management

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VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

SPECIAL REPORT

Cavite holds first arts festival Paghilom for Nat’l Arts Month 2017 Paghilom Film Showing screens films from DLSU-D students, professor

by April Ciaralei Cenedoza and Jazmine Estorninos In celebration of the National Arts Month 2017, Cavite presented Paghilom, the first arts festival in the province, comprised of three main events such as Pamana in DLSU-D, Sintomas at SM Malls in Cavite, and a three-day Paghilom Arts Camp at the Union Theological Seminary (UTS) in Dasmariñas.

As stated by Paghilom Co-convenor Henry Ancanan, the festival’s theme “Paghilom” refers to a renewal that aims “to foster a spirit of community among artists” in Cavite, home to many of the country’s leading contemporary artists.

In line with this, Paghilom’s Film Showing presented nine films, in which three were directed

by DLSU-D third year AB Communication students Arsenio Rafael Bulaong and Christian Mikas Alcantaras, and Communication and Journalism Department faculty member Mark Sherwin Maestro.

Museo holds Pamana The Museo De La Salle, in collaboration with local artists, is currently holding the Pamana Group Art Exhibit of 25 Cavite-based artists, which opened on January 30 and will run until March 11.

The exhibit’s theme, Pamana or heritage, reflects the wisdom of the past that serves as a beginning of healing current societal issues and encouraging the audiences and the artists to look back at where they came from.

One of the exhibit’s 25 Cavite-based artists, 45-year-old Architect Richard Buxani from Imus, Cavite who created the installation artwork located at the Museo De La Salle garden shared his inspiration for his artwork.

Buxani called his masterpiece “Fragility,” displaying five various sizes of cross figures, each of which is made of welded steel and stone, found stone-objects, rice grinders, and mortar.

Since 2009, he has been creating installation art, a contemporary art genre of three-dimensional works designed for a particular place and a temporary period.

Speaking before the DLSU-D Architecture students in his Pamana Art Talk on February 7, Buxani shared that his inspiration was the gift of faith in Christianity, drawn out from childhood experiences. “Pinag-isipan kong mabuti kung ano ‘yong namana ko from my parents,” the architect said.

Moreover, he said he dedicates his masterpiece to his family, spending no more than a month to finish his art. “It’s really about passion when you do installation artworks. It’s about getting the message across. If you’re successful, makukuha nila ‘yong message na gusto mong makita nila,” the artist shared.

As both an artist and architect, Buxani is an advocate of using recycled materials in building houses, which is a great influence in his various structural designs.

Sintomas, UTS In partnership with SM Malls, the travelling exhibit Sintomas opened on February 7 in SM City Dasmariñas, and was moved to SM City Trece Martires on February 13, SM City Rosario on February 20, SM City Bacoor on February 27, and SM City Molino on March 6.

Meanwhile, the three-day arts camp was conducted from February 9 to 11 wherein seminars and workshops related to the arts were presented at the UTS.

Campus radio speakers installment cancelled USC to prioritize major events after cancelled campus radio installment

by Yna Marisse Sodoy Due to lack of budget to support the campus radio installation in the University, former University Student Council (USC) Public Relations Officer (PRO) 2016-2017 and USC Broadcast Committee Head Bryan Castillo confirmed that the project which was a collaboration with the University’s radio station, DWSU 95.9 Green FM, has officially been cancelled.

Apart from the lack of budget, Castillo said that the campus radio installment was not in line with the original plan of activities (POA), of USC which served as one of the factors in the cancellation.

After receiving USC’s plan, Green FM Station Manager Aurora Quadra-Balibay said that they were delighted with the USC’s intention to install a campus radio in the University.

However, Balibay said they understood USC’s decision on the cancellation of the campus radio installment.

“Personally, I wasn’t putting too much hope in it because it is an issue of money,” she expressed.

Castillo and Balibay originally planned for the campus radio installment in academic year (AY) 20162017’s first semester, with December 2016 as their target date of installing the campus radio speakers.

Included in Green FM’s program schedule, USC’s

radio slot “Campus Connect” has aired only twice since last semester, which was supposed to air daily every 12:30 to 1:00 in the afternoon. When asked about to the future of USC’s radio slot, QuadraBalibay said, “With the USC, we invited them to come back on air. Their show which they have last time in Campus Connect was intended to have the USC address the University students.”

Meanwhile, Castillo said that if the USC allows him to continue the radio show despite his resignation from USC, he is still willing to host the show. “Dahil Broadcast Journalism ako, kumbaga in line sa’kin ‘yon (hosting), why not?” he suggested.

In possible plans for the campus radio installation, Balibay disclosed that aside from Green FM not having its own budget to provide speakers around the campus, they are not eligible to organize a fund raising activity since they are

not officially considered as a student organization.

“We’re running the radio station on behalf of the [Communication and Journalism] Department. So as you know, because of the nature of the group (Green FM), we’re not allowed really to do it on our own,” she furthered.

However, she clarified that she is open to collaborations with student organizations to conduct fund raising activities to afford the installation of speakers inside the campus.

Castillo agreed in planning a fund raising event. However, he said he is uncertain regarding its likeliness in happening in the future if the said event will not be included in the USC’s plan of activities.

“Dahil siyempre may mga priority event ang USC, so kapag ‘di naisingit ‘yon doon, medyo mahihirapan na lalo na’t wala tayong first year—ang laking kaltas no’n sa budget [ng USC],” he mentioned.

ART OF INHERITANCE. In celebration of the National Arts Month, the Museo De La Salle held Pamana, a group art exhibit in collaboration with different local artists as part of the Paghilom Cavite art festival.

The exhibit is open from January 30 to March 11.

Photo by Bermanie Jean Donina

SWAFO from page 2 nila, nakakatakot kaming student formators. Sa totoo lang, ang gusto namin ‘yong relationship ng student formators sa students na hindi matakot sa amin,” said Peñaño.

Second year Business and Operations Management student Arianne Borromeo admitted that she once feared SWAFO when she was caught wearing a short skirt.

“Noong nalaman ko na gumawa sila ng social media [accounts] para mag-reach sa students, nabawasan ‘yong parang takot na nafi-feel ko towards them (SWAFO team)… Nakakatuwa na gumagawa

sila ng way para hindi sila magmukhang nakakatakot,” she added.

According to Peñano, during the term of Puchero in academic year (A.Y.) 2012-2013, the former SWAFO Director became aware of cyber-bullying experiences, so he began setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts to help the students in coordinating with the SWAFO team.

Peñano, who was appointed by Puchero to administer the SWAFO’s social media accounts, is also responsible for the safe keeping of lost items in the University.

MERGING from page 2 On the other hand, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administrative Services Mary May Eulogio confirmed that the said plan is still on the administration’s organization review committee for further discussion.

Since the University budgets each college’s department, Mojica and Pareja said the merging of their departments could help save the University in “financial matters.”

“Positibo naman naming tinitingnan ‘yong pagsasanib (KFP and LLD merging) na ‘yan dahil alam mo na ito ay para sa pamantasan na maging stable tayo financially,” Mojica said.

Due to fewer faculty members and offered subjects next AY, both Mojica and Pareja affirmed that they needed to merge their departments.

“Wala naman din kaming magagawa. Wala kaming load [at] walang offering dahil ‘yong mga dapat sana’y seserbisyuhan namin sa panahon na ito, sa panahon na sila ay nasa General Education pa ay kasalukuyang nasa Senior High School,” Mojica said.

Pareja added that the said merging has “no impact” on the faculty members, since it is part of changes that are “beyond their control.”

As confirmed by Pareja, KFP and LLD were initially under one department when she first started working in the University in 1993.

Due to the increase of CLAC enrollees in later years, the KFP and LLD separated into their current respective departments.

Since the KFP faculty members will move to the LLD office when the merging plan takes effect, Pareja said the KFP office, which used to be a classroom, could be utilized by the students once again.

Teaching load concerns Mojica said the number of faculty members after the merging will depend on their teaching load given the requirements to be retained as a full time faculty member.

As stated in the DLSU-D Faculty Manual 2012, full time faculty members are required to have 18 units of teaching load.

“For example, kung walang estudyante na kukuha ng Filipino [sa] unang sem, hindi mo mibibigyan ng 18 units ‘yong full-time faculty [members],” she said.

However, Pareja said that faculty members could use their front load, which would “save the faculty.”

“Ngayon pa lang, kumukuha na sila ng sobra pa sa 18 units. The class will be virtual lang kasi wala talagang [face- to-face] meeting na. But then, nine units [ay] maibibigay pa rin sa regular faculty member’s teaching load for next year.

18 units ang record pero ‘yong nine naituro na niya ngayong school year. Tapos ‘yong nine units, ituturo pa lang [next AY],” she explained.

No retrenchment effect Instead of the possible displacement or retrenchment of some faculty members due to the reorganization of their departments, Ching said they could allow professors to transfer to the DLSU-D Senior High School or to leave without pay for five years, Mojica and Pareja affirmed.

“The administration gave some [of] what we call these ‘choices’ for the faculty [members] to decide on what to [do next AY]. Actually, I prepared them (faculty members) na ganoon ang magiging consequence [nila], Pareja said.

Meanwhile, Ching, Mojica, and Pareja expressed positivity on the proposal to merge their departments. “‘Yong higher admin natin, ginawa lahat in order to save all stakeholders particularly faculty and staff [from displacement and retrenchment],” Ching said.

On the other hand, Pareja said that same amount of incentives and salary will be given to the faculty members. “‘Yon ‘yong creative solutions [for the K to 12 program to professors]. That’s how [the University] take care of their faculty [members],” Pareja said.

As of the press time, the administration is yet to determine whether other college departments should also undergo merging next AY.

ENROLLMENT from page 2 during the previous AYs’ online enrollment.

“Ang nangyari pala [kaya nakakaencounter ng ganoong problema] ay may mga hindi na-encode na co-requisites dahil nagbago kasi kami (CEAT) ng curriculum at hindi pa lahat ng programs ay updated ang curriculum online,” she added.

Due to curriculum changes in CEAT’s programs almost every year, the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) could not avoid encountering enrollment problems since most of the subject codes and pre-requisites were not received on time to encode them before CEAT’s day of enrollment, Dequito explained.

However, she said the OUR clarified that despite the errors in the information recorded regarding the curriculum, the CEAT students must still be responsible in choosing their subjects as they know which subjects must be taken or not.

“Kaya lang talagang ‘di mo rin masisisi ang estudyante kung bakit pa rin nila tine-take ‘yong subject na ‘yon kahit bawal. Sa CEAT kasi, once may makita kang available subject, sobrang blessing na ‘yon para sa kanila lalo na kung irregular (student) ka at naghahabol ka sa (sic) graduation,” Dequito said.

On the other hand, she said the CEAT will assure that online enrollment will be used for the succeeding AYs after a meeting with the administration is finalized by the end of March, wherein a decision will be agreed upon.

“Magkaka-meeting with our enrollment head, deans, program advisers, department heads, volunteers, and CEATSC officers para tutukan ‘yong encoding ng curriculum kasi kailangan mabalik ‘yong online enrollment,” Dequito said.

There were approximately 40 manual enrollment volunteers compared to the 3,000 CEAT students who were manually enrolled.

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VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

Shifting gears From manual to online enrollment

by April Ciaralei Cenedoza and Yna Marisse Sodoy

Graphic art by Camille Joy Gallardo

In recent academic years (AYs), the University has undergone a series of improvements and modifications to better serve the DLSU-D students. More specifically, with the University’s adoption of innovative technology, students no longer experience the exasperating conflict that manual enrollment brings as encountered in previous years. But despite the shift from manual to online enrollment a few years ago, there are still indeed errors in the system that are frequently pointed out by the students.

Way back when Used to the current online enrollment procedure, DLSU-D students usually opt to point out its flaws and react on social media.

Such a response can’t be faulted as majority of current DLSU-D students enrolled at a time when “manual enrollment” was merely a story of the past—unaware that the former manual enrollment procedure was even more of a headache compared to what they have now, as explained by University Registrar Marialita Esberto “Wala talagang kagandahan ‘yong manual enrollment. Lahat ‘yon ay pahirap sa inyo (students) dahil kailangan niyong pumunta rito (Office of the University Registrar) at pumila. Sinusulat pa kasi ‘yong mga schedule. Nagsa-sign pa ‘yong mga adviser [at ako] roon (forms),” Esberto said.

Back in the day during the time of manual enrollment, the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) would have to print registration forms for all the enrollees beforehand. Afterwards, the registration forms would be forwarded to the respective colleges that would be given personally to the students. Then, the students would have to fall in a long queue to be called and fill up a registration form before they were finally enrolled.

What’s more, Esberto said that in previous AYs when students wanted to inquire regarding their grades, they couldn’t simply log in to their portal—they had to personally go to school to claim their “grade cards.” “Kawawa naman ‘yong mga estudyante na kailangan talaga pumunta pa ng school,” she expressed.

Esberto recalled that before the University shifted from manual to online enrollment, they had series of meetings before they settled on their decision. It was after Esberto was appointed as the University Registrar that she immediately took action to finally go through with the implementation of online enrollment.

Clearer road ahead Esberto, describing the recent online enrollment procedure as “fulfilling,” said that there is nothing much to worry about or fix regarding online enrollment in comparison to the challenges of the previous manual enrollment.

However, she shared that there are certain issues students find that she intends to address with some of her sought-after plans for the University’s online enrollment.

After cases of numerous students dropping their subjects after discovering the identity of

the professors assigned to a certain subject, Esberto shared that she too seeks to input the faculty member’s name of the subject in the preregistration stage. “Gusto ko talaga ilagay ‘yon (faculty member’s name) para malalaman agad ng mga estudyante kung sino ‘yong faculty ng subject na kukunin nila para ‘di na sila magda-drop, if ever,” she furthered.

Moreover, Esberto aims to modify the procedure of online enrollment so as to lessen problems that might arise in the future.

Nevertheless, Esberto clarified that she is very much open to the inquiries and concerns of DLSU-D students. “Kung magreklamo ang mga estudyante, hindi ko ‘yan iniisip na negative. I see it as an opportunity to improve.”

She furthered that she is also planning to improve the online enrollment for irregular students who are experiencing a hard time adding and removing subjects from their respective schedules.

Flawed reality In the last online enrollment of students for the first semester of AY 2016-2017, numerous inquiries and conflicts arose—just as Esberto had expected.

She explained that most of the problems delivered to them were the blank list of courses in the pre-registration stage during online enrollment. In response to the problem, “Pumunta lang sila dito sa registrar para matulungan namin sila sa inquiries nila. Open kami lagi sa mga estudyante,” she said.

On the revolving issue regarding the Senior High School and college students sharing of counters for payments, Esberto said that she wants to separate the counters to the East and West parts of the University in order to lessen congestion at the counter area.

Overall, Esberto shares, “Never na tayong mag-expect sa perfect system kasi eventually, mayroon talagang hitches na nangyayari.”

Despite—or perhaps because of—this, Esberto assures that their office is willing to accept inquiries and problems faced by the community, with hopes that they can solve them—and one day accomplish a near-flawless online enrollment that would satisfy and benefit the DLSU-D students.

Because no matter the flaws in the current online enrollment system, it’s certainly a step up from the hassle it was before—proving that the system is indeed improving, which is something we shouldn’t take for granted.

Hang on Most individuals have surely experienced the surreal feeling of falling head over heels in love. Whether between couples or close friends, commitment between two parties is necessary to give them the strength to go the extra mile when they feel like they’re just about to give up. However, some do just that—give up. A time will come when everything will seem impossible that quitting seems to be the best and only thing to do to solve everything—which isn’t the case.

With its inevitable nature, quitting issues have obviously arisen in situations not just in local and national politics but also inside organizations, student councils, and even group projects. Personally, I’ve experienced getting

into group works wherein the person who was supposed to lead the group was the first one to leave the members due to petty things and usual problems such as misunderstandings and demanding responsibilities. Of course, group projects are one thing, yet student leadership roles are another issue altogether.

Witnessing leaders showcase eagerness to achieve the position they’re running for and then lose interest after getting what they want has already become a normal case for me. Undeniably, tons of promises are thrown left and right by these “aspiring” leaders just to get the position and the public’s interest. There are those who said that they understood the responsibility of such a commitment before they took it up, but changed their minds halfway through their journey. And so, some student leaders entrusted with the capability to serve the students have found quitting as a sweet escape from all the negativities and hardships, without realizing that all these are a part of accepting the challenge to perform their respective duties and responsibilities.

Rather than being the source of strength and inspiration to their subordinates and fellow colleagues, these types of leaders become the weakness—creating a gap that may ruin the relationship dynamic among the people around them by destroying the foundation and making

Remember why you started in the first place them question their own commitment. The same thing goes with relationships, when the other half no longer gives the same interest given at the first stage of the relationship, everything changes and only becomes routine as passion and dedication are lost along the way, creating even more doubt.

While losing sparks in relationships can be acceptable for most of us, lacking the will to lead is a totally different story. At the end of the day, there is still the trust that your

subordinates gave you that cannot be just taken for granted.

Giving up the responsibilities given to you will not just affect your entire being but also the people you plan to leave behind— who were hopeful and dependent on your capabilities and your impact.

But here’s the key: when you feel like giving up, remember that it might not be the best solution, because there are millions of options apart from quitting. Leaders, just like partners, started with a goal intended to be attained in the middle of the journey that is supposed to be maintained until it lasts. And that goal has a number of people at stake who also entrusted you enough to take the lead.

When you’re wholeheartedly committed to what you are trying to pursue, you would definitely think beforehand of the possibilities and consequences you might encounter while doing it.

So why give up—if you can retrace the steps you took to climb that ladder and remember the reasons as to why you started in the first place.

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 6

O P INI O N

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

EDITORIAL

The New Colossus “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” These are the last five lines from Emma Lazarus’ sonnet “The New Colossus” inscribed on the plaque at the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. *** Just when you think his sexist humor, sweeping generalizations, and authoritarian ideals can’t get any worse—it does. Because now, businessmanturned-president Donald Trump has already tapped the two pressure points that has put the world in discord—race and religion.

Daring to redefine the very foundations of America, Trump called for a complete shutdown of Muslims whom he calls “terrorists” and immigrants like Mexican whom he calls “rapists” to “make America great again” while he was still campaigning for the position. Perhaps Trump ought to read more on the history of the United State of America—a land that was made by and meant for the immigrants and refugees of the old world. Banning immigrants from the land of immigrants—where diversity is what makes America great—Trump signed an executive order on January 27 suspending the entire US refugee admissions system for 120 days, banning entry from seven Muslim-majority countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) for 90 days, and indefinitely suspending the Syrian refugee program.

Rebutting this act of paranoia, the non-partisan policy research organization Cato Institute states that there has been zero recorded incidents of refugees from the mentioned banned countries being responsible for terrorist attacks in the US since 1975. But the damage has been done and hate crimes against American Muslims have escalated to their highest levels since the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to data compiled by researchers at California State University. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. But of course, it’s doubtful to say that Trump actually cares about the statistics—nor facts.

Thankfully, even those in his party see the blatant faults in his decisions.

US Republican Senators like John McCain warn that the ban could cause a selfinflicted wound in the clash against terrorism. Just after the announcement of the executive order, some jihadists celebrated and claimed victory with what they called the “blessed ban” as the policy falls perfectly into ISIS’ vital narrative that preaches that the West is persecuting the Muslims and justifying their holy duty to fight back.

While the chaos might be occurring on the other side of the world, that’s no reason to stand by when President Rodrigo Duterte and Trump shared volatile personalities and populist views that could mean a point of convergence between the two nations. However, even the slightest, wrong move from the two authority figures might provoke the beginning of another wave of violence from local terror groups with connections to ISIS, including the infamous Abu Sayaff and Maute, among others.

But more than that, Trump’s actions in the once greatest nation in the world may very well be an omen of worse things to come and a test to see if we’ll do anything to prevent it. A nation dubbed the new world in its early days, the very essence of the American dream was once one of endless opportunities for those of all walks of life, regardless of race and religion. Yet now, those very values are being tested as intolerance is being favored over acceptance, walls are being built, and airport gates are being blocked. The question for what this will grow to be is up in the air, but one thing is for sure—we can’t let this slide as it overwhelms a nation that once symbolized freedom and acceptance of “the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, and the wretched refuse of the teeming shore.”

But while they try to sort out their own issues, that doesn’t mean we must merely sit back and wait until they do so. Because when they close their gates, we must open ours—someone has to.

Dealing in action I’m a hypocrite. Which is just a totally awesome thing for the Editor in Chief of Heraldo Filipino to be. I always pride myself on leading by example, yet here I am writing my column weeks after the deadline I gave to everyone else. Now to be honest, I’ve got a pretty valid reason for my case of chronic procrastination (FYI, this is what sarcasm in print looks like): a quasi-existential crisis that arose from wondering about the meaning of life, worrying about the world, and cursing at my uselessness in it all.

But a little wisdom from a fortune cookie snapped me out of my pity party and back to reality. As the saying of an ancient wise man goes, “Yesterday, I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

Yet, it wasn’t really the quote I was hung up on, but the grammar (in typical EIC fashion) that the genius wise man used: “I wanted to change” versus “I am changing.” A wish versus a deed, an idea versus an action. Such a clever clue imprinted by the universe saying that if you want something to be done, there will come a time when you’ve got to stop thinking and start actually doing. *** To point out the obvious, we’ve got a pretty passive student body that borders on downright apathetic at times. That’s not to say that our campus is inane—simply, indifferent. And this indifference

Anri Ichimura, Editor in Chief Fernan Patrick R. Flores, Associate Editor Ricardo Martin O. Cabale, Managing Director Naomi Lane T. Tiburcio, In charge, Copy editing Kristine Mae H. Rebote, Office Supervisor Jazmine N. Estorninos, News Editor Ma. Bianca Isabelle C. Lariosa, Features Editor Rochelle G. Rivera, In charge, Literary Ezekiel A. Coronacion, In charge, Sports Lynoelle Kyle E. Arayata, Art Coordinator Kathelyn Ann M. Bravo, Chief Photographer Camille Joy D. Gallardo, Graphics and Layout Director Christian F. Mateo, In charge, Web SENIOR STAFF Jose Mari Martinada, Nishtha Nigam, John Chesleigh Nofiel, Alphonse Leonard Topacio, Mikaela Torres JUNIOR STAFF Rose Kristine Amarillo, Chandler Belaro, April Ciaralei Cenedoza, Casvel Teresa Lopez, Glazel Ricci Noceda, Yna Marisse Sodoy, John Zedrick Simeon Mr. Mark A. Ignacio, 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.

DLSU-D jumped three places up in ranks from the 13th to the 10th most sustainable and environment-friendly university in Asia in the 2016 Greenmetric World University Ranking.

A wish versus a deed, an idea versus an action The thing is, our school is home to hundreds with innovative ideas and tons of potential, yet very few venture to bring those ideas to reality, hesitant to try when there are already those with flowery words and glowing charisma but poor ideas and little action stealing all the air in the room. While some might be good with words, only a few have great ideas, and even fewer carry it through with tangible, legitimate action. And although they say that the best leaders back up their words with action, they should have good ideas and endless drive for action in the first place.

Maybe we’re hesitant to go beyond merely ideas with the fear of feeling crushing disappointment when the results don’t reach our expectations. Sometimes, we don’t carry out our ideas with actions, with the anxiousness of breaking the rules and shaking up the system. But

usually, if the idea threatens to rock the boat, then it might just be worth it—especially if the system now is no longer working.

As crucial as ideas are, they end up useless if they’re not carried out until the end. As legendary capitalist Georges Doriot once said, “Without action, the world would still be an idea.”

Student elections are just around the corner and this year might be the most eventful one yet.

For me, I’ll be looking for student leaders who— quite bluntly—can get shit done. Perhaps I’m getting old and the adage of practicality is getting to me—but it makes sense that if we start with hopes, words, and dreams, we must end with actions, triumphs, or even mistakes.

This entire column might be laughable coming from a writer who deals mostly in ideas and rarely in action, but that’s a part (and a curse) of the profession—to be tasked with starting the idea, and hoping that those reading this are willing to take on the responsibility to complete the action, with the anticipation that someone else might be inspired by such actions until the cycle of change and action begins once again.

So backtracking to that saying from the old wise man, while worries of the world might ignite genius ideas, ideas won’t become reality if we don’t take the action to change the first thing within our reach that could leave an impact—ourselves.

Everything starts with a good idea, but the best ends in action done here and now.

Focus on the verb, the action word—not the adjectives around it.

Be. Do. Start.

‘‘Di ba, CEAT ka?’

The Official Student Publication of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas Founded: June 1985 Member, College Editors Guild of the Philippines Editorial Board AY 2016-2017

traps us in a cycle that rejects massive change—even for the better—with its annual plague of trapostyle student politics, by-the-book standardized teaching, and a general culture that leaves diversity at the door. We go about complaining about the system for breaking our spirit but we do little more beyond just complaining. So we scheme to change things behind closed doors, talking about how we’d make things better but not actually doing as we’re saying, letting these ideas stay as they are— intangible concepts that won’t go anywhere or do anything if we don’t do something about it.

“Anak, ayaw gumana ng TV, paayos naman.”

Isa lang ‘to sa mga linya ng mga magulang ko sa tuwing mayroong mga bagay na nasisira sa bahay namin. At kapag sumagot ako ng “Bakit ako po?” isa lang ang masasabi nila—“‘Di ba, engineering student ka?” Oo, engineering student ako pero nag-aaral pa rin ako at hindi lahat ng nasisirang bagay ay kaya kong ayusin. Hindi naman sa minamaliit ko ang sarili kong kakayahan pero iyon ang katotohanan.

At hindi ko rin maintindihan kung bakit ganito ang pinapakitang expectations ng ibang tao sa kakayahan natin bilang estudyante.

Katulad na lang nga mga estudyanteng nasa kolehiyo katulad ko, kabilaan ang mga tanong kung saan ako nag-aaral at kung anong kurso ang kinukuha ko. Siguro, mabibilib ang iba kapag nalaman ang kurso mo—o sa kabilang banda, magtataka kung bakit iyon ang pinili mo. Pero habang tumatagal, nag-iiba na rin ang tingin nila sa‘yo dahil akala nila na sapat na ang nalalaman mo para magawa ang bagay na akala nila kaya mo.

Bilang engineering student, ang kadalasang trato sa amin ng mga tao ay “human calculators,” lalo na sa mga sitwasyong kailangan ang mathematics. Halimbawa na lang kapag magbabayad sa jeep, tatanungin ka agad ng kasama mo kung magkano dapat ang sukli niya.

Kapag mabagal kang sumagot (mabagal is equal to isang segundo pa lang ang lumipas), agad nilang isusumbat na “Ano ba ‘yan? ‘Di ba, engineering student ka? Bakit ang bagal mong mag-compute?”

Sa totoo lang, dapat naintindihan mo nang lubusan ang mathematics kapag gusto mong kunin ang kurso sa engineering dahil ito ang pundasyon ng engineering subjects. Pero hindi naman talaga dapat maging magaling dahil hindi naman namin kailangang i-compute sa isip ang 975 times 8 divided by 20 plus 13 minus 43 sa loob ng ilang segundo.

Katulad na lang ni Thomas Edison na kilala sa naimbento niyang light bulb. Hindi niya ginusto ang math at siya pa nga ay sinabihan ng mga guro niya na masyado siyang “stupid” para matutunan

Alam ng ibang tao kung ano ang potensyal mo para magawa ang mga bagay na akala mo hindi mo kaya ang math. Pero sa kabila nito, napatunayan pa rin niyang hindi math ang susi para maging isang matagumpay na engineer dahil nagawa pa rin niyang makapag-file ng 1,093 patents upang hirangin siya bilang “world’s most prolific inventor.” Ayon nga sa Principal Electrical Engineer at presidente ng isang engineering at fabrication firm na EPIC Systems, Inc. na si John Schott, “Engineering is not so much being good at math but more about having a passion for understanding how things work and interact.”

Bukod sa pag-label sa amin bilang math wizards, kadalasan din kaming napagkakamalang repairman lalo na sa bahay dahil akala ng mga magulang ko na sobrang advanced na ang natututunan ko sa field ng engineering. Sa totoo lang, nakakatuwa na nagtitiwala sila sa kakayahan ko ngunit ramdam ko ang pressure kasi kakaiba ang

The late submission of final grades from numerous professors past the original deadline of submission of grades on January 6 caused a number of students to worry over whether or not they would have to retake a certain subject.

expectation nila sa kaya kong gawin bilang isang engineering student. At kapag hindi ko nagawa, “Oh, bakit? ‘Di ba, engineering student ka?” ang tanging linyang maririnig ko sa kanila—na dapat ay hindi ako magpaapekto dahil alam ko sa sarili ko ang potensyal ko.

Siguro sa ibang kurso katulad ng biology majors, kadalasang expectation sa kanila ay dapat naman marunong mag-diagnose ng sakit kahit hindi naman ito ganoong kadali lang. Kung iisipin, maaaring nagbibiro lang sila pero may mga tao na sobrang taas ng expectations sa kakayahan ng isang tao katulad na lang ng ating mga magulang. Siguro masakit kapag hindi mo na-meet ang expectations nila pero sa kabilang banda ito ay nagsi-silbing alaala na kahit hindi mo nagawa, alam mo na balang araw na makakaya mo.

Ayon nga sa gasgas na linya, “Don’t judge the book by its cover.” Hindi lahat ng hugis tatsulok ay simbolo ng illuminati. Hindi lahat ng nakasuot ng green ay Lasallian. Hindi lahat ng late grumadweyt ay nagpabaya na sa pag-aaral. Kaya ang masasabi ko na lang sa aking sarili kapag hindi ako nakagraduate on time, “‘Di ba, engineering student ka?

Okay lang ‘yan, normal lang ‘yan. Bawi na lang next sem,” (knocks on wood). Hindi ko naman sinasabi na masama magpakita ng expectations kasi sa totoo lang, nakaka-flatter ito—pero may kasama itong bigat ng pressure. Pero bilang kilala mo ang sarili mo, alam mo kung ano lang ang kaya mo, pero sa dulo nito alam ng ibang tao kung ano ang potensyal mo para magawa ang mga bagay na akala mo hindi mo kaya.

Kapag nagpatulong ulit ang nanay ko para ayusin ang mga nasirang appliance sa bahay pagkalipas ng tatlong taon, ang masasabi ko na lang ay: “Ma, let me handle it. I got you, fam.”

DLSU-D successfully hosted the ASEAN University Youth Summit 2017 which focused on the environmental state in ASEAN, coinciding with the 2017 chairmanship of the Philippines in the ASEAN Summit on January 9-13.

O P INI O N

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 7

Passion de amor Madalas kong marinig ito sa mga kaibigan ko na hindi alam ang kurso ko, “Bakit hindi ka nag-fine arts?” “Electrical Engineering (EE) ka pala. Akala ko BGM ka,” “Ang layo ng kurso mo sa ginagawa mo,” Oo na, tama na. *** Karaniwang tinatanong sa atin ng titser natin no’ng bata pa tayo, paglaki natin, anong gusto natin maging? Bata pa man tayo, mayroon na tayong pangarap na propesyon dahil alam mo sa sarili mo na do’n ka magaling at gusto mo ang ginagawa mo.

Lumaki tayo sa paniniwalang “follow your passion, and money will follow.” Pero ang katotohanan, sa hirap ng panahon ngayon, ang madalas na kinukuhang kurso ay ang mga in-demand at malaki ang kita (pera ang labanan, bes). At sa tingin ko hindi masasagot ng passion ang bayarin at gastusin sa pang-araw-araw, maswerte ka kung magagawa mo.

Bago pa man ako pumasok ng kolehiyo, alam ko na sa sarili ko na mag-mu-multimedia arts ako at artist ang magiging trabaho ko Ngunit no’ng mag-e-enroll na ako sa kursong gusto ko, parang binagsakan ako ng langit—naubusan ako ng slot.

Wala na akong nagawa kundi kunin ang kursong Electrical Engineering at pagdating ng second year ay

magshi-shift ako sa Multimedia Arts. Pero wala pa ding slots sa kursong iyon sa sumunod na taon. Wala na akong nagawa kundi pinagpatuloy ko ang EE. Ganyan talaga, mapait ang buhay. Sabi sa akin ng mga kapatid ko at magulang ko, mas maraming pera pag naging engineer ako at walang pera sa pagiging artist. Nagpintig ang tenga ko, sabi ko sa kanila, depende ‘yan sa tao, madaming naghahanap ng artist sa panahon ngayon at malaki ang kita lalo na sa mga advertising company, marketing, sales, online business, at freelancing. At mayroon din naman na engineer na hindi successful sa trabaho. Nasa tao yan kung paano niya ima-manage ang kanyang kakayahan upang maging successful na artist o engineer.

Kahit na hindi ko nakuha ang kursong gusto ko, sumali naman ako sa Heraldo Filipino (HF) bilang isang artist at dito nagamit ko ang kakayahan ko, nakakapagserbisyo sa kapwa estudyante, nakatulong sa magulang ko (as freelancer na may sapat na kita sa pang-araw-araw at iskolar). Naging graphic artist ako for four years sa HF at pinalad na maging editor sa department ng graphics and layout ng dalawang taon. Hindi ko pinalagpas ang binigay na pagkakataon sakin at ninamnam ko ang pagtuturo sa mga miyembrong nasa aking department, pagsali sa iba’t-ibang contest, pagle-layout, pag-illustrate at pagde-design sa iba’t-ibang pina-publish ng organisasyon. Ang maging isang miyembro ng organisasyon ay para maisakatuparan ang passion,

maging makabuluhan ito at mahasa ito upang patuloy na matuto’t gamitin upang makapagbigay inspirasyon sa iba.

Minahal ko ang Electrical Engineering kahit na parang gumagapang ako sa mahabang daan na maraming bubog, at dahil sa sobrang challenging ng kursong ito, mas lalo kong nagugustuhan ito.

Tulad na lamang ni Rowan Atkinson na bago nakilala bilang si Mr. Bean ay may master’s degree sa Electrical Engineering. Na-i-pursue niya ang passion niya sa art bilang isang performer o kaya’y comedian at nagtagumpay siya sa napakaraming pelikula, shows, at iba pa.

Kahit na iba ang degree na kinukuha ko ngayon sa gusto kong kunin na trabaho in the future ay hindi ito magiging hadlang dahil ito ang nagpapasaya sa kaluluwa ko. Pero sabi nga ng iba, maging praktikal sa buhay—magtapos ng kurso na makakapagbigay na sapat na income sa iyo, magsumikap, magtiyaga at ang pinaka-importante maging masaya at matuto araw-araw. At sa mga katulad ko na hindi mayaman at kailangang kumita, hindi natin agad makukuha ito, ganyan ang realidad. Kung passionate ka talaga sa ginagawa mo at mahal mo ito, may mga ilan na ginagawa itong part-time job o kaya hobby bilang pahinga para magenjoy at para makalimutan ng panandalian ang stressful, boring at sobrang nakakadrain na trabaho araw-araw para lamang kumita.

Pero ‘pag pinapili ako ko kung high income o passion, gagawin ko iyon pareho.

Beyond compare It was an ordinary day when my little brother came home upset after visiting his friend a few blocks away and said he liked his friend’s house better than ours. This was before he went on to bluntly say he wished we had more furniture like his friend, a bigger flat screen TV like his friend, and even a better older sister like his friend (what music to my ears). Ironically though, his friend told him the same thing—just minus the furniture, the flat screen TV, and the older sister thing.

It’s with this simple, every day encounter that I realized that despite growing up with guardians who kept us motivated with a regular dose of sometimes unbelievable compliments about how beautiful and smart we are, there is always a void that exists within us that we think others have filled within themselves.

And so we start to compare.

Honing that void inside me is how I grew up and regretfully developed my unforgiving insecurity.

My self-doubt and susceptibility to liken myself to others was at its peak during the hard-hitting, nostalgic stage of puberty. I remember how I felt bad about almost everything—having rabbit teeth, not being bright enough, and so much more that reminiscing about it already gives me a headache.

Although, there’s nothing wrong in comparing ourselves to someone else to draw motivation in achieving our goals in academics or even our orgs.

It’s actually pretty common that there was a theory made about it: according to social psychologist Leon Festinger’s Social Comparison Theory, we measure our worth by the success and failure of others against our own. Yet there should always be a point where we draw the line. Because the longer we let ourselves compare, the more we’ll be inclined to developing an inferiority complex where we see the best in other people and the worst in ourselves; until it slowly and painfully rips away our self-worth.

Accepting our own individuality will enable us to grasp that we are beyondcompareafterall

Nothing like the picture-perfect versions of ourselves we create, we are humans designed to make mistakes. Comparing ourselves to the accomplishments of other people is a losing game, because someone will always trump us in something.

If we try to equate even the most detailed part of our being to other people, then we’ll just find ourselves painfully and tiresomely tracking an endless pavement of jealousy and discontent. We’ll continuously walk unaware of our bleeding soles and our bruised self-

esteem, all while keeping our eyes on something else we wish we had, rather than embracing and honing what we do have.

By becoming too focused on the achievements of other people rather than our own, it might become easier for us to see the beauty in others than to see the beauty in ourselves. Through the unhealthy custom of comparison, we weaken our potential to become better versions of ourselves and someone we’re proud to be.

It’s just a matter of perspective, and one day we’ll realize that there’s no need to compare and to change if we learn to embrace—embrace who we are and what we have. No matter how people tease you for your pimple-splattered face or how much of a joke your teeth are, these things are yours and there is no reason for you to change a thing just because you feel of no great concern under the shadows of much “better” people. It’s only then will we understand that accepting our own individuality will enable us to grasp that we are beyond compare after all.

Just like what my good friend Socrates said, “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”

We might not have the luxury of my brother’s friend, but we are in control of our lives—and this alone can do a great deal. If we decide to stop feeling limited and start being contented, then we can achieve something far greater than any material thing we ever dream to have—happiness.

Halinhinan ang hatol Kadalasan sa mga hindi pagkakaunawaan sa loob ng tahanan, may mga pagkakataon kung saan hindi naiiwasan ng magulang na makabanggit ng masasakit na salita sa atin bilang mga anak. Inaakala nilang hindi ka na tinatablan subalit sa kabila ng pagmamatigas na iyong pinapakita, sa loob-loob mo ay nasasaktan ka talaga sapagkat walang anak ang nagnanais na mabatikos ng sarili niyang mga magulang. Mapapaisip ka na lang kung nasaan ba ang problema, kung nasa iyo ba talaga o sa mga magulang mo na hindi maintindihan kung ano ang iyong sitwasyon. Sa kasamaang palad, ang ganitong scenario sa loob ng tahanan ay itinuturing na hindi kakaiba at kung minsan pa ay katanggap-tanggap, subalit sa makabagong panahong, sa tingin ko ay oras na para suriin ng mabuti kung ang mga bagay na katanggap-tanggap noon ay nararapat pa rin bang manatili dahil ito na ang nakasanayan.

Ang parenting ay mayroong iba’t ibang uri ayon sa sikolohiya: authoritative, neglectful, permissive, at authoritarian. Ang pinakamadalas na nakasanayan sa karamihan ng mga tahanan ay ang authoritarian parenting o strict parenting kung saan mayroong mga patakaran na ibinibigay sa atin at inaasahan tayong sumunod sa mga ito kahit anong mangyari—walang pero-pero, walang bakitbakit. Ang mga pagbubunganga, pang-iinsulto,

at pamimintas man ay hindi nakakasakit sa pisikal na aspeto ng mga anak, ibang epekto naman ang naibibigay nito sa damdamin at kaisipan.

Ayon sa web article mula sa mercola.com na Screaming at your misbehaving teen may backfire ng natural health expert na si Dr. Joseph Mercola, imbes na makatulong ay nakasasama ang paninigaw, pagmumura, at pang-iinsulto sa mga anak bilang pagdisiplina sa kanilang kinikilos, inaasal, o paguugali.

Subalit kung tutuusin ang ating mga magulang ay minsan na ring naging mga binata’t dalaga kaya naman may mga pagkakataon na hindi nila mapigilang ihalintulad ang kanilang mga karanasan sa mga bagay na ating nararanasan. Maaaring naging epektibo ang striktong pamamaraan ng pagpapalaki noon ngunit sa bawat henerasyong lumilipas at

Ang pagdidisiplina ay idinadaan sa malayang pakikipag-usap

napapalitan, maraming pagbabago ang umuusbong sa kapalaran ng siyang isinisilang dito. Ilan sa mga pagbabago na ito ay ang impluwensiya ng media, ng internet, at ng teknolohiya na naging sanhi upang ang kinagisnang pamumuhay ng mga kabataan ay tuluyang mabago. Ang paghahalintulad na ibinibigay ng mga nakatatanda ay hindi nagkakaroon ng gaanong kahulugan dahil ibang-iba na ang panahon nila sa mayroon tayo ngayon.

The unclear instructions of online enrollment regarding adding and dropping of subjects and online transactions and the lack of response from the DLSU-D Online Enrollment Inquiry Facebook page created confusion and disorder among the students, including numerous angry reactions online.

Mahalagang madisiplina ang mga anak upang lumaki sila ng matiwasay subalit ang pagdidisiplina ay maaari namang gawin sa maayos na pamamaraan.

Ang alternatibo sa strict parenting ay ang authoritative parenting na itinuturing na pinaka-epektibo sa lahat ng uri. Pagbibigay ng suporta at pang-unawa sa mga anak ang mga nangungunang aspeto kung saan ang pagdidisiplina ay idinadaan sa malayang pakikipagusap sa pagitan ng mga magulang at anak. Kung ano ang puno ay ‘yon din ang siyang bunga, kumbaga kung respeto at paggalang ang itinatanim ng mga magulang sa kanilang anak, uusbong at magsisilbing patunay ito sa kanilang buhay. Ang tahanang napapalibutan ng positibong relasyon ng mag-anak ay tiyak na mas magkakaroon ng makabuluhang pagsasama at pagkakaunawaan.

Sa oras na mapalitan ang mentalidad na “mahal kita kaya kita sinasaktan” bilang “mahal kita kaya kita susuportahan,” sa tingin ko ay tunay na mababago ang lipunan at komunidad na mayroon tayo. Matatanggal ang mga nasisirang relasyon ng mga anak sa kanilang mga magulang at mababawasan ang mga buhay na napapariwara dahil ang kasiyahan at pagtanggap ay nararanasan na ng anak mula sa kanyang pamilya.

Sa kabilang banda, hindi lang nakasalalay sa mga magulang ang kabuuang problema kung minsan kaya rin tayo’y napagsasabihan dahil may nakikita silang hindi mabuting pag-aasal o paguugali. Kung sa gayon, nararapat lang na gawin mo ang iyong parte bilang isang anak, dahil ika nga, ang relasyon ay hindi magtatagumpay kung isa lang ang nagtatrabaho para rito.

The Buildings and Facilities Maintenance Office has upgraded the electrical supply of CBA and its neighboring buildings like CIH and GMH to electrical substation 5 in order to supply enough power for air conditioners.

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

WITBREAD

Tama na ang hugot

by Heherson Soldevilla (JOU32) Minsan ‘di ko mawari kung malulungkot ba ako o maiinis sa tuwing nakakakita ako ng local film trailers na pag-ibig ang tema. Kasi sa trailer palang, minsan alam mo na ang magiging kahihinatnan ng kuwento. Kaya marahil ang ilan sa inyo, mas pipiliin nalang manood ng mga banyagang palabas sa sinehan o ‘di kaya mag-marathon ng banyagang TV shows sa net. Para kasi sa akin, mas nakaka-engganyo ‘yong special effects at storyline ng mga palabas ng ibang bansa kung ikukumpara dito sa atin. Hindi naman sa pagiging hindi patriotic, ngunit iyon ang totoo.

Aanhin naman ng tulad kong kabataan ang mga kerida slash langit ka, lupa ako slash ex with benefits na istorya? Oo, nangyayari nga sa totoong buhay ito pero puro nalang ba tungkol sa cliché love story na trailer at pamagat pa lang alam mo na ang patutunguhan dahil iyon ang mabenta? Pare-pareho ang mga plot at nire-recycle lang para magmukhang bago sa panlasa ng mga manonood?

Isa pang napansin ko ngayon sa ating mga palabas ay halos walang show sa television o pelikula ang hindi nagka-cast ng isang sikat na love team para humila ng viewers. Ang awkward lang diba na alam mo namang sila ang magkakatuluyan sa huli kahit ilang delubyo man ang humarang sa malaFlorante at Laura nilang pag-iibigan. May maipasok lang sa scene, para masatisfy ang kanilang mga tagahanga.

Sa totoo lang, may potential ang ating bansa na humanay sa paggawa ng mga de-kalidad na palabas tulad ng sa ibang bansa. Hindi ko ibig sabihing gumaya lang tayo sa iba, pero sa tingin ko, panahon na para sa pagbabago.

Marami tayong magagaling na artista, ngunit hindi nabibigyan ng kaparehong spotlight ang mga ito dahil mas nakatutok ang industriya sa sikat na love teams.

Maraming mga bagay na posible nating pag-pokusan para makabuo ng isang natatanging kuwento kung handa lang sa challenge na ito ang mga nasa film industry.

Sa pagkahilig natin kasi sa mga star-studded, comical, romantic, at melodramatic na plot ng mga mainstream na palabas, hindi na natin napaglalaanan ng kaparehong atensyon ang mga de-kalidad na independent films.

Wala e, na-kundisyon na tayo sa ganoong approach.

Na-kundisyon na tayo sa ganoong approach.

Isang magandang hakbang ang ginawang pagbabago ng Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) noong nakaraang taon, dahil kahit papaano, binigyan nila ng breath of fresh air ang ating mga mata. Mahusay na pinili ang mga pelikula na siyang nagpatunay na may potential tayo sa pag-likha ng mga natatanging konsepto na tatatak sa mga manonood.

Pero sa pagbabagong ito, may mga ilang hindi sumang-ayon. Isa dito ang actor at Senador na si Vicente “Tito” Sotto III na inihain ang isang senate resolution upang maglaan ang Metroplolitan Manila Development Authority ng magkahiwalay na film festival para sa mga independent films at mainstream commercial films. Ito ay upang ibalik ang dating sigla ng mga regular na tumatangkalikik ng MMFF dahil sa mga comedic, fantastical, at mostly romance -themed na mga mainstream na pelikula.

May maliit na porsyento sa aking isip ang sumasang-ayon sa resolusyong ito. Kaso naisip ko, mayroon naman na tayong magkahiwalay na film festival para sa mga malayang pelikula kaso ito ay ipinapalabas lamang sa piling movie houses at hindi nito kalimitang target ang mga malakihang audience. Aminin natin, halos hindi sila tinatangkilik ng publiko.

Kaya mas maganda parin na bigyan ng puwesto ang independent films sa MMFF dahil tradisyon itong panuorin ng Pilipino at mas malaki ang tsansa na mas malawak ang audience na makakapanood ng mga de-kalidad na malalayang pelikula. At kahit mababa man ang bilang ng mga nanonood ngayong taon, pagdaan ng panahon, matututunan narin ng mga ibang Pilipino ang kagandahan ng independent films.

Hindi naman kailangang laging may pag-ibig para mapa-daloy ang isang istorya. Hindi lang kasi do’n umiikot ang mundo. Sana, dumating ang araw na magkaroon ng variety ang ating screens. Para ‘yong mga mas nakakabata hindi magmadali sa paghahanap ng ka-spark, hindi puro pabebe, at ka-kornihan ang natutunan. At para matuto rin ang manonood na tangkilikin ang mga de-kalibreng gawa ng Pilipino at hindi lang ng banyaga. Para pagdating ng marami pang henerasyon, patuloy na mabubuhay ang telebisyon at pelikula sa pagbibigay-aliw, aral, at marka sa puso ng masa.

WRITE FOR THE HERALDO FILIPINO We are accepting contributions for Witbread, the opinion section of the broadsheet open to all students, faculty, and staff in the DLSU-D community.

Send them via email to officialheraldofilipino@gmail.com Contributions are subject to selection and editing of the editorial board and should not have been previously published in any way.

The one week extension in second semester was announced late, days after the classes resumed, causing confusion to both faculty and students.

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 8

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 9

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

F E AT U R E S

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 10

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

The political shtick Debate with others, and be civil about it

by Paolo Lorenzo Salud | Graphic art by Camille Joy Gallardo

Picture yourself in a room surrounded by your closest friends (if you have any). It’s a Friday night, and the whole gang’s holed up in your house having a good time. “Have you heard this song yet?” “When’s the next game scheduled?” And then out of nowhere, someone goes ahead and asks the forbidden question, “What do you guys think about the government?”

Pin-drop silence. The music stops playing. The games are paused. The opinions then start gushing out, one after the other. Soon everyone’s gotten all riled-up preaching their beliefs, with the occasional suggestion of where the other party can shove theirs. You see yourself in the middle of Signal #4 brainstorming, with all the opinions thrashing and furniture flying, and you might ask yourself if the fun was worth killing for this madness. You can find the answer on your own as you proceed, and like the very fundamental rule of political discourse—remember to keep an open mind.

“Dude, where’s my political discourse?”

There’s no denying that our current administration, with its astounding amount of supporters, has garnered a lot of raised eyebrows and blunt criticism from people who either don’t prefer or downright disagree with the actions of the President and his camp. In light of that, clashes of contrasting opinions are bound to happen, and when it rains, it pours.

There are two ways to engage in a political debate. The first one being face-to-face, where you verbally get your point across (liquor may or may not be involved). The second is online, where you butt heads with other people on social media. With unlimited internet ammunition, you try to rain down a flurry of “bullets”—AKA facts—on each other. Either way is just as efficient, although you just have to be careful with counterproductive elements such as close-minded people and even online trolls. In an ideas.ted.com article called How to talk about politics constructively, the writer, Celeste Headlee encourages us to “begin to talk and, more importantly, listen to those who disagree with us.” So put down that steel chair and hear the other party out first.

With today’s society and technology, there are countless means and places to exchange perspectives with others. You just have to pick one, and engage.

The real weeds to cull Although the lack of participation is an issue, the main problem of political discourse is the mindset of the masses.

We’ve seen how sheer public opinion has molded this country’s recent history—it’s one of the powers of democracy, the “rule of the majority” that’s both wonderful and fearsome at the same time. From the first People Power Revolution to President Rodrigo Duterte’s landslide victory, the Filipino people were in the midst of it all.

However, public opinion might not necessarily equate to the truth. As Einstein once said, “What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right.”

In Dr. Eva-Lotta E. Hedman’s paper entitled, The Politics of “Public Opinion” in the Philippines, she raises another cautionary argument, stating that politics of public opinion may only have limited transformative potential for democracy in our country. Case in point: Adolf Hitler—super popular at first. Look how that turned out.

One more hindrance to productive political discourse are—cue drum roll—online trolls. They’re abrasive, rude, and basically a total pain to deal with. Very much like those poorly informed, they will counter your facts with memes, plus satirical or downright fake articles. “Not true, you say?

Edi wow. Clearly you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Plus you’re what, 19? Too young to be lecturing me, so shut up ka nalang. Focus on your studies. Kaya ‘di umuunlad ang Pinas, eh.” They will get on your nerves as fast as a political FB

post can heat up in the comments section. Wikipedia defines a troll as “a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people,” and for once, Wikipedia hits the nail on the head. Whitney Phillips, a literature professor at Mercer University, portrays trolls as “mostly normal people who do things that seem fun at the time that have huge implications,” such as political debates turning sour due to personal attacks (which are totally uncalled for). These aren’t often realized by the perpetrator because as far as they’re concerned, it’s just a bunch of text on a computer screen.

Trolls are notoriously numerous in social media sites, so tread carefully.

Adding all these factors together plus a couple of encounters with ridiculously close-minded people, you may find political discourse exhausting. That’s a given, but if you can avoid getting caught up in their playing field, you can pull through all the negativity and move on to actual proper debates. Oh, and let them have this L. To the matter at hand When we see adults going out of their way to defend their respective opinions, we may end up wondering, “Where do I fit in all of this?” The answer to that is simple: we, the youth, are the key to real change. Or at least, we could be.

COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista said that during the 2010 elections, Filipinos aged 18-35 comprised about 37 percent of the entire electorate. He claimed that if 75 percent of the youth had voted for a candidate, a victory would have been all but guaranteed. Meanwhile, the 2016 registered voter polls estimate around 54-55 million voters, 20 million of whom are the youth. Yep, it starts with us.

In the cover story of Time magazine’s May 2013 issue, the article starts off with labelling us as narcissistic brats but despite our faults, we have what it takes to be the greatest generation anyway. According to journalist Joel Stein, “The Internet has democratized opportunity for many young people, giving them access and information that once belonged mostly to the wealthy.” A study by Dr. Jessica Lucia Beyer, Youth and the Generation of Political Consciousness Online, proved that young people are more politically engaged than much of literature on civic engagement suggests. The study also shows that the factors of the youth’s online political involvement include high levels of anonymity, low levels of formal regulation, and minimal access to small-group interaction. Now, if only we didn’t waste all that access and information by believing political memes, then something might just happen in our favor.

All things considered, the active participation of the youth in political discussions makes all the difference. We, who have all the resources we need, are possibly the best shot in turning things for the better in this nation.

But no pressure. *** Political discourse—it’s difficult, messy, and can destroy friendships more effectively than a deck of UNO cards. But no matter how many different beliefs are forced down your throat, one can’t deny that this kind of talk is productive and should be encouraged in a healthy manner.

Deep involvement in political discourse can eventually prove to be a useful asset for us in the future, in spite of all the bashing and trolling we have to face first.

“Ano sa tingin niyo, mga ka-DDS?”

The hf radar

by Casvel Teresa Lopez, Kelsey Telo, and Christian Ralf Dugan

MOVIE

Hustisya (2014)

Director: Joel C. Lamangan Starring: Nora Aunor, Rosanna Roces, and Rocco Nacino Watch if you enjoyed: Ka Oryang, Captive, and other independent, true-to-life films

International Award Nominations: • Asia Pacific Screen Awards • Nantes Three Continental Awards • Warsaw International Film Festival

When it comes to showcasing undoubtedly exceptional movies, director Joel Lamangan never fails to bring quality stories into a touching and realistic perspective.

Hustisya, a crime-drama entry in the 2014 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, tackles the hopelessness and awful condition of Manila—so prepare yourself to witness various dark scenes as the movie portrays the discourse of reality and crisis in outrage.

The film may be viewed as a typical story regarding the usual dark walks of life, but with the notable casting which includes Nora Aunor as the main protagonist, it’s no mystery that Hustisya became such a hit. The story follows a foul-mouthed rural woman, Biring (Nora Aunor), working under her human trafficking consort named Vivian (Rosanna Roces). Carrying the dreams of lifting their social status, Biring is a typical probinsyana who takes the risk of working in Manila under an illegal syndicate.

Despite the crimes she commits, Biring remains to be a religious devotee by continuously praying, donating to the church, and literally showering money from Manila City Hall’s balcony as a form of her penance. Although she’s faithful not only to church but also to the syndicate, her good acts aren’t enough to keep her safe from the group as she is accused of a crime she never committed. What follows is Biring’s experience with the agonizingly slow process of the Philippine justice system to clean her identity.

With her realizations inside the jail and reminders from her young lawyer Gerald (Rocco Nacino), her mindset takes a drastic turn—she eventually awakens to the truth that society either lets us become the victim or the victimizer. In the film, the storyline doesn’t only focus on human trafficking but also on drug addiction, street abductions, murders, and protests, which are all illnesses of the present society that decays and divides our nation. The bright-minded Ricardo Lee puts metaphoric details of justice in his screenplay to let the audience criticize Hustisya themselves and explore the connection between the title, the film, and the reality.

Through showing the prejudice of law against the poor, this movie showcases the truth of our justice system—a slow grind that favors the elite, which might just incite people to take vengeance in claiming justice for and by themselves.

BOOK

Ang Mamatay Nang Dahil Sa‘yo (2015)

Author: Carolina S. Malay and Ma. Cristina V. Rodriguez Read if you enjoyed: Under the Stacks and other historical profile research collections “In the supreme exercise of human agency, they defied the powerful for a cause larger than themselves.”

History viewed at the fingertips weighs nothing compared to the people who molded the past themselves. Taking a leap straight into history and imbuing heroism—Ang Mamatay Nang Dahil Sa‘Yo: Heroes and Martyrs of the Filipino People in the Struggle Against the Dictatorship, 1972-1986, Volume 1 signifies that forgetting the past doesn’t always mean moving on—especially when yesterday’s battle was crusaded for the sake of today.

Revealing the history that has turned into hushed stories, the book is a collection of the profiles of 113 people whose lives were shut down under the Marcos dictatorship fighting for their freedom, confronting terror, and daring their patriotism. Their names are etched on The Bantayog ng mga Bayani Center’s memorial wall with the underlying hope that injustice will not be buried. With justice being a far cry, the deeply researched memoir published by National Historical Commission of the Philippines implicitly attempts to turn the list of names into stories and weave numbers into faces.

This honed collective is the perfect slap to national amnesia— like bullets raging from the unsung certainty of the past shooting at our intentional and unintentional apathy. With Filipinos possessing clashing beliefs of truth about history, this book remains doubtless as it takes the standpoint of neither of the dictatorship nor the historians—but the perspective of the people who suffered firsthand. The collection is a series of heart wrecks with different stories of why’s and how’s, innocence ceased, and grasps to freedom eternally silenced.

Nevertheless, Ang Mamatay Nang Dahil Sa‘yo has no coats of drama— except the truth and nothing but the dark truth. It unveils the agony of the genuine stories alone, appalling to the reader’s senses. It is armored with the fine details of lives, sufferings, and deaths—deaths which might only be served justice through immortalizing their painfully legendary stories.

DOCUMENTARY

The Maguindanao Massacre (2011)

Created by: AETN International and History-Asia Watch if you enjoyed: Local documentaries and investigative films

Justice has always been manipulated, either by humans or the state, and seven years after one of the most brutal electionrelated killings in the Philippine history, we ought to revisit its darkness and examine its effect after all these years. Brought by AETN International together with History-Asia, The Maguindanao Massacre is a documentary about the 58 brutally murdered civilians and journalists portraying the fear, sympathy, and anger from the victims’ family, co-journalists, and defenders, straight to the viewers’ eyes.

The reconstruction of the event makes it easy for viewers to imagine how the rivalry between the Mangudadatus and Ampatuans brought about this horrible event into sheer reality.

Besides simplifying the series of truly unfortunate events, the documentary highlights the probable causes of this vicious incident, such as political dynasty, the political atmosphere, the Mindanao culture, and the rank the Philippines gained as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.

This documentary comes from the cold mixture of harsh facts and investigative aspects, and although it’s been years since the massacre that distressed international media, the topic will never be an obsolete one, as it will forever represent the deep-seated injustice of the justice system this country has.

With its additional coverage and exclusive interviews with hitmen of lords and politics, The Maguindanao Massacre manifests the horrors and crisis experienced by the underrated defenders of truth—our journalists.

F E AT U R E S

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 11

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

History, the abridged version Foreword by the revisionists

By Glazel Ricci Noceda Art by Lynoelle Kyle Arayata

It’s one thing to revise some parts of your thesis, but it’s an entirely different story if you have to change the entire narrative—especially when it’s history. Not far from the various political discourse and social issues that have dropped a bombshell on our country’s status quo is historical revisionism—flagged as one of the most controversial arguments in remodeling the past. For some who may think it only concerns local historians and the like, you might consider thinking twice. This matter holds a grave and huge shift in our history by changing the past, imparting misconception to the present, and even worse—deceiving us of our own future.

As historical revisionism rewrites our story—though it might seem like just a customary revision of our textbooks—in a darker sense, it may just make us blind victims of the filtered past.

A tale to be told “History is dead”—that’s what they all say, yet precisely because of this, it’s our job to keep it alive. But people tend to focus more on the present, often forgetting the significance of the past—essentially turning our backs on the heroes whose sacrifices made the future possible. This very reason is also why historical revisionism can be, at times, a necessary step to fulfill our duty to ensure that accuracy in history is upheld—and not abused.

The accounts of the past show just how powerful history is—even as you’re reading this article, several events have already occurred and are being recorded, and all of these are currently laying down the tracks for the future.

As author Nik de Ynchausti stresses in his article A manual for historical revisionists in Esquire magazine, studying as well as understanding parts of history is useful for comprehending both domestic and international affairs. That being said, history, though a complex matter, eventually opens the table for discourse. In fact, historical interpretations are always questioned in order to add more accurate information of the past in which historical revisionism comes into the picture, like in the case of raising awareness regarding the truth of the Holocaust.

On the contrary to its original connotation, historical revisionism is now being used

interchangeably with “historical negationism,” or the distortion of history which constitutes the denial of historical crimes. The former of which sheds light on the system of sexual slavery represented by comfort women that was originally removed from history books and the latter which rewrites former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos as a hero, as mentioned by Victor Abecilla, a veteran columnist in the Manila Standard.

He furthered that historical revisionism can be argued by citizens concerned in setting the record straight because for them, it can become a way to shed light on the real events that happened during the Martial Law era. After all, studying history with misleading information is as nonsensical as trying to revive it.

The underlying issue is that even though historical revisionism aims to correct history in an attempt to update the past, it is now becoming a method of negation that tolerates the changing of our nation’s true story.

Reversal of narration What bothers us today is not just the importance of how history is formed but also on how history is inherited. Before, history was written by the victors, but right now, history is being rewritten by the victors. As revisionism reveals its misuses, the twisted and torn ways of politics is slowly exposed and this manner makes the use of history even more significant and troubling.

At the core of revisionism lies the hands of politicians who are athirst to cover up their mistakes with yet other mistakes. In point of fact, British historian Richard J. Evans states that

historical negationism is an oppressing denial of the truth in favor of the victor’s agenda. Through unethical statements as with the reworking of the Marcos historical narrative, the act gives rise to the continuation of centuries-old grievances for modern injustice to take root.

Moreover, the book The Uses and Abuses of History by Margaret MacMillan states that the abuse of history for self-indulgent and political purposes is simply “bad history.” Historical revisionism, in the context of denial of any wrongdoing like in the case of the Holocaust or Martial Law, is essentially historical trivialization—a purposeful twist of the truth to make the terrible seem trivial. Adding fuel to the fire, the very foundations of truth are on shaky ground when historical revisionism arises as people start to rely more on spam, clickbait, and fake news without completely reassessing its points, thus only confining oneself in inaccuracies.

As the twisted turn of history favoring those with more power is unfortunate, it is only when historical manifestation and ideology are accurate that history can be an effective teacher of our future.

Preserving people’s history Once upon a time, the mental grasp of history was held equally with the law, forming a framework for the past and the future. But now that this has fallen by the wayside, law has become the foundation of the nation, and history is used as a tool for the elite and the propagandists—the new means for power.

We are all aware that President Rodrigo Duterte didn’t object to the burial of the late

Fatal flaw

Despite the raging journalist in me, I still tend to shy away from political talk from time to time. Though like a moth being beckoned by the lethal light, I can’t help but sometimes click on a compelling link or two and get washed away in a sea of disappointment and obosen jokes.

The saddest part about my online escapades is often the grimiest part of any online post—the comments section. The place where so many people bash on anyone who thinks negatively on the government—oftentimes because surely they can never go wrong, right?

Before we go any further, there’s no need to worry because this won’t just be another lengthy piece leaning on one administration and opposing another. On the contrary, it’s about something so much bigger than the political spectrum engulfing our very senses— the surrounding practice we are rooted in that often interchange legality for morality.

With the barrage of policies being implemented left and right by our government, we’ve all come to the point of taking a step back from our computer screens to really consider if all of this is done with the right mind. From banning NSFW websites like Pornhub and then wanting to expose Senator Leila De Lima’s alleged sex video to the Congress, it can be extremely confusing to know what exactly our government is fighting for because of their morally questionable ideas.

These ideas that are often so far-fetched from what we grew up with, shaking us to our core simply because the government can’t be this ridiculous. Sadly, like most of our doe-eyed ideas, even our system ends up disappointing us.

The fatal flaw here is the blind assurance we try to find from the government. Morality often serves as the core of who we are, something to be sure of when the world all goes to hell. In an ideal world, legality would be based on morality, wherein what is legal stems from what is right— and not the other way around. Unfortantely however, we’re forced to face the music and see the world go to hell anyway, one unjust policy after another.

A recent case being when United States president Donald Trump invoked an executive

order on January 27 that banned people from seven Muslim countries from entering the US for 90 days, and banning the majority of refugees for a whopping 120 days. It’s wrong and unjust—but in all aspect of the word,

Our moral compass may appear to be headed north, but without knowing the direction of the seas, we’ll all go south anyway not exactly illegal. The law is nothing if not a moral prescription for distress—a prescription that won’t necessarily serve its purpose when covered in filth and administered by unclean hands such as that of Trump.

Perhaps another equally disasterous outcome of the present system is that people also take this as a social cue to do what the

dictator at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. This issue has fired up strong oppositions from many groups, especially the Martial Law victims, who are to date still in outcry for justice. The president stated that he believes this calls for strengthening nationbuilding and to forget the tormented dark past of Martial Law in order for Filipinos to start anew.

However, this call has easily divided the nation and impeded its progress as many worry that this view can dangerously distort our long-preserved history.

Far from deceiving our minds and instilling false constructs, taking away all the dark sides— the most essential parts of history—is like giving the youth a filtered education with only the sugarcoated parts of the past when it is usually from our mistakes that we learn to prevent such horrors in our future. And as historian R.G Collingwood stated, “History is for human self-knowledge... the only clue to what man can do is what man has done,” emphasizing its role in educating the future generations.

To drive home this point, in the end, we’ll only end up as victims of our own lack of critical understanding that the true historical narratives stems from the untold versions from the point of view of all the Filipino people. *** The ultimate goal of writing and rewriting history should be anchored on the reality of what is according to the people and not what should be according to whatever political power is invested on how it is revised. After all, our history will play as the memorable narration of our past; even serving as fuel for our present struggles— something that we can and must look back on with no regrets.

government does—simply because they can.

Our moral compass may appear to be headed north, but without knowing the direction of the seas, no doubt we’ll all go south anyway. We shouldn’t wait for another Trump-zilla attack on our values—either from the outside or by our own government. It’s an utter mistake to simply stand back and let the government get its hands dirty and let them define that as our ethics. After all, we should first know ourselves as individuals in order to decide what we stand for as citizens.

In the midst of the political catastrophies and the world going to the dogs, we should all stop and look around for a while, not to ask if what we’re seeing is legal, but to ask if what we’re doing is right.

Admittedlly, what we stand for won’t always exactly correlate with what our government upholds, but when we start to replace a moral matter for a legal one, that’s when we start to lose ourselves and our identity in the process.

In times of political disarray, we should all take a page from Martin Luther King Jr ’s book and heed his saying, “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”—especially in a time when doing “right” has never felt so wrong.

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 1212

LITE R A R Y

VOLUME31 31ISSUE ISSUE33 VOLUME

The fictionist and the realist

Bata pa lamang ay mahilig ka nang magbasa.

Manghang-mangha ka sa mga nalilikha nito sa ‘yong isipan—mga dragon na bumubuga ng apoy, naggagandahang fairies, bahay na gawa sa kendi, aliens, robots, superheroes, at kung anu-ano pa. Para ka nilang dinadala sa ibang mundong ikaw lang ang nakakaalam. Kahit na may mga kontrabidang halimaw ay hindi ka natatakot dahil alam mong kahit kailan mo gustuhin ay makakabalik ka kung saan hindi ka nila mahahabol—sa tahimik mong kuwarto na punungpuno ng laruan.

Bababa ka saglit mula sa kuwarto papunta sa inyong sala. Sisigaw ka ng, “Mommy!” at dahil wala pa siya mula sa trabaho, magtatakas ka ng tsokolate sa ref at sabay tatakbo sa hagdan. Sisigaw ang yaya mo na magdahan-dahan ka ngunit hindi mo na ito maririnig. Lulundag ka sa‘yong kama at dadamputin sina Optimus Prime at Megatron—magboboses robot at tamang aakma na pagsalpukin ang dalawa.

Dalawang kilometro mula sa inyong tatlong palapag na bahay, sa labas ng magarang subdivision, patawid sa maingay na kalye, may bata ring okupadong nagpapagana ng kanyang imahinasyon. Pero maliban sa edad at malawak na imahinasyon, wala na kayong iba pang pagkakatulad. Kumpara sa maluwag mong

kuwarto, ang bahay nila ay singliit lang ng inyong banyo. At kung ikaw ay naliligiran ng mga mamahaling laruan at libro, siya nama’y pinamumugaran ng langaw habang nakatingin sa kawalan. Hawak niya sa kamay ang iilang baryang kinita sa pangangalakal ng buong araw.

Hindi man siya nakakapagbasa ng mga libro o hindi man niya kilala sina Harry Potter at Percy Jackson, puno rin ang isipan niya ng mga karakter na hango sa totoong kuwento. Mga salaysay na naiipon sa arawaraw na pakikipag-ugnayan niya sa realidad.

Lilipas ang panahon, magkakatabi ang inyong mga akda sa istante ng isang bookstore—isang bunga ng katha, at ang isa’y bunga naman ng hagupit ng totoong mundo. *** Sa totoo lang, ang akala ko ay napaka-boring ng mga kuwentong non-fiction. Kapag kasi naririnig ko ‘yon, ang naiisip ko kaagad ay mga biography na karaniwang ko nang napapanood sa TV. Ang naiisip ko agad, wala itong espesyal na dating ‘di tulad ng fiction na may halu-halong elementong nakakasabik basahin.

Buti na lang, sa pagbu-book hunt ko, may natagpuan akong libro na koleksyon ng mga kuwento. Nung binili ko ‘yon, hindi ko alam na non-fiction pala ito at tungkol sa totoong buhay ng awtor. Ang alam ko lang ay naakit ako sa pamagat nito. Sa pagbabasa, nalaman ko na tulad lang din ito ng fiction novels na nakaaaliw at higit na nakapananakit dahil nga totoo ang mga karakter at pangyayari. Dito ko rin unang nakilala ang kagandahan at sining ng pagsasalaysay na base sa katotohanan.

Mas kilala ito sa tawag na creative non-fiction.

Sa larangan ng panitikan, hindi rin maiiwasan ang pagbabanggaan ng iba’t ibang genre at writing styles. Lalo na ng ng fiction fiction at non-fiction. non-fiction. Pareho itong malalim at mahirap isulat kaya hindi masusukat ang galing ng isang manunulat kung fictionist man o hindi. Iba-iba lang din kasi ang pinanggagalingan ng mga manunulat. Ang sabi nga sa isa sa writing forums na napuntahan ko, hindi one way ang pagkatutong

Kapag umalingawngaw ang pandama, lahat ng puwede nitong maikuwento ay nagkakaroon ng kuwenta magsulat. May iba’t ibang paraan, puwedeng sa pormal na pag-aaral o kaya naman dala lang ng pinagdaanan. Isa lang ang sigurado—lahat ng kuwento ay mula sa mga manunulat na nakaranas ng kakaibang kirot. Isang ‘di matatawarang sakit na tumagos at sumabay sa pagpintig ng pulso, na nagtulak para makalikha ng mga pangungusap na bubuo ng alinman sa dalawa: bago at naiibang mundo o replika ng realidad. Kaya naniniwala akong hindi ang manunulat ang namimili ng kanyang sinusulat, kundi ang tadhana mismo—karanasan ang namimili sa manunulat.

Ang makapagsulat ng creative non-fiction ay katumbas ng mga totoong pangyayaring marapat ikuwento ngunit mas nababalot ng pait kaysa saya.

Sa pagsusulat nito, kailangang taas noong harapin ng manunulat ang kanyang mga alaala at balikan ang bawat tama at maling nagawa sa kanyang buhay. Kailangang maging handa siyang sariwain ang mga kahihilom lang na sugat at tapikin maging ang mga hindi pa talaga gumagaling. Sabi nga, “Ang makalimot ay isang pagtataksil sa alaala.”

Ngunit sa‘king palagay, may pagdurusa ring taglay ang pagsulat ng mga kuwentong mula sa kathangisip—dusa na nagmula sa pagdadamot ng realidad sa mga karanasang karapat-dapat ikwento, dusa ng pagkakakulong sa masyadong tahimik at ordinaryong daloy ng buhay.

Tulad ng mga bata sa unang parte ng sanaysay, ang isa—taglay ang buhay na wala na siyang mahihiling pa kundi mga dragong bumubuga ng apoy. Habang ang isa nama’y saksi ng mga kuwentong napupulot niya sa kalye sabay ng mga bakal na kinokolekta niya kapalit ng baryang pangkain.

Ang bottom line, ang pagsusulat ay hindi paligsahan ng mayabong na bokabolaryo, paggamit ng pormal lamang na mga salita, at mga enggrandeng konsepto. Lahat ng may pandama ay maaaring maging manunulat. Nagaral man ng creative writing o hindi, ano mang lenggwahe ang gamit, tungkol man sa mga sirena o tungkol sa totoong karanasan ng isang mananahi sa Divisoria, kapag umalingawngaw ang pandama, lahat ng puwede nitong ma-ikuwento ay nagkakaroon ng kuwenta.

At March’s End

By Jose Alfonso Sacdalan

It’s been two days since the general surrendered Bataan to the Japanese. Since then, the captured soldiers were forced to march as prisoners to Pampanga. The sun was making burnt crisps of us all, beaming its searing warmth against our skin. Sweat trickled down from my forehead to the dried cracks of the bleak soil.

We marched far from the shade of the nearby forest to avoid the prisoners from taking advantage of it and escaping. I could hear our battalion’s boots stomping against the ground, marching across the fields of Bataan.

I could hear the panting of everyone’s tired, beaten bodies, wishing they could rest—if only rest didn’t mean a gun pointed at your head and a bullet through your skull.

I turned to Isidro, he was one of the captured soldiers I was marching with. The guy was barely dragging himself to continue walking. I could see him limp. He had been marching with a bullet wound on his leg for five hours straight, because pausing for a mere second meant a patrol would shoot him dead.

Never mind that he was dying from thirst. Never mind that they never let him eat anything since the march began.

The air reeked of sweat and rotten flesh, as I stepped over a broken arm lying on the ground. It was a corpse of an American soldier, his blood painting the soil. His helmet had sunk into his head, and his body was crushed inside his uniform.

No doubt he was run over by a tank. My boot sank into his skin, and I continued, or at least I tried to.

I never got used to the sight of it—all the blood and mutilation. The lifeless bodies of a hundred soldiers, randomly littered on the roads we walked. Nobody bothered to bury them.

Maybe after a while, everyone just got used to the smell.

Maybe after a while, everyone just got used to the bloodbath.

In which case, I couldn’t help but ask, is this carnage necessary? Is this what it means to fight for your country?

The sun was beginning to fall.

I stared at the corpse of a young girl lying on the side of the road. There was a bamboo struck between her open legs and her scream never left her face. She held a doll made of sewn sticks in her left hand. She had been grasping to it so strongly that she almost broke it in half.

She couldn’t have been more than 13 years old.

“Walang hiyang mga Hapon ‘yan,” Isidro muttered under his breath, pausing for a moment before a patrol smashed his head with the back of a rifle, telling him to fasten his pace.

Isidro kept a straight face, despite the strong blow. I always admired how he did it—I never saw him flinch nor wince. He never gave any indication that he was hurt, despite the gunshot wound on his leg already bleeding through his bandages, despite his limping going slower, and slower.

I told him to endure it just until the day ends. I told him we’d already gone halfway to San Fernando. I told him that he could do it, to just ignore the pain and— The sound of a gunshot echoed across the field, followed by a scream of a man cursing in his language.

It was a young prisoner near the back of the march, shooting one of the patrols in the head. Nobody was quick to react. We all wore the same alarmed faces that even the rifles were slow to take aim.

The prisoner shot another one, “Uubusin ko kayong mga hayop kayo!” He shouted. It was a loud, desperate cry that left every patrol in panic. On instinct, they all pointed their firearms at his direction, leaving most of the prisoners in the back unguarded.

And in that split second, among the dreadful faces and the tired beaten bodies, that doomed soldier’s voice became the sound of nightfall.

The lousy, weak sound of boots turned into alert stomping. The breathing turned into ragefueled roars, and the road became a battlefield.

The prisoners from the bottom of the march charged at their captors, knocking them off and wrestling them to the ground.

The light slowly abandoned the sky.

I slammed my body against the guard beside me, knocking him to the ground as a gang of prisoners beat him up. I surged through the crowd, grabbing the knife strapped on my leg and hacked it through another guard’s chest.

Blood soaked his uniform as he fell to his knees. He wasn’t too old, perhaps in his twenties. I recognized him as the soldier who kept pushing Isidro when he was going too slowly.

I buried my knife into his shoulder, and he screamed in pain. I told him that he was Japanese scum and his very country wouldn’t even remember his death. I told him that none of them deserved to die with honor, or buried, or cried upon. I told him that they’re all a waste of human life and they could all rot in hell.

I felt a bullet scraping at the very edge of my ear, and I was back in the chaos. I pushed through the crowd, hiding between bodies.

One by one we ran into the forest, clutching on the slightest opportunity we thought we had.

I tossed my knife to Isidro, who immediately caught it to slice the nearest patrol. I punched the other one, and we ran.

Bullets chased us all.

The one beside me was shot through his chest, and another one got hit in the arm. I made my way to the forest, my boots burying beneath the mud.

I didn’t dare to look back. All I knew was that I was running away, as the sound of the war cries slowly drowned out in the noise of the gunshots.

They chased me through the trees, but darkness aided my escape. If no one could see anything, little violence would take place. The prisoners running with me had been gunned down, and I already lost sight of the few ones who survived.

To my left, I heard the sound of a machine gun firing aimlessly, forcing me to take cover behind a tree. My back rested against the wood, and I tried to catch my breath.

There were sounds of crackling leaves, coming from a direction. The sound occurred in long intervals, so it was enough to assume that the enemy was trying to be cautious, maybe thinking that I was armed.

Inhale, Exhale.

I sat there, grabbing the largest stone I could pick. My heart pounded. I moved my head to peek a little, noticing that he wasn’t too far from me.

Inhale, Exhale.

I charged at the soldier, throwing the stone and hitting his neck. He fell to the side, his head hitting another sharp edge. Again, I grabbed the stone and slammed it into his skull, making sure that he was dead.

Inhale, Exhale.

I began pulling the rifle away from his arms, when I suddenly felt a numbing pain at my side. I looked back and saw Isidro, holding the exact knife I gave him.

“Mga hayop kayo,” he whispered, pulling out his blade from my side, then burying it into my chest.

I coughed out blood, reaching for his arm to stop him from stabbing me again. He punched me using the other. I felt sharp edges against my cheek, and between his fingers I saw a doll made of sewn sticks.

It reminded me of the dead little girl, lying on the road. Her blank, empty eyes stared back at me like I did it. I remembered Isidro, how he kept a straight face as he was being beaten up. I remembered the way he looked at me, the way he blamed me through his eyes.

I remembered the young prisoner, and the confused look on his face when I slipped my pistol into his hand.

“Magsama-sama kayo sa impyerno, mga Hudas!”

I tried to tell Isidro I was different, but he kept screaming at me with words I never understood, stabbing me again and again. I tried to tell him I wanted to help. I tried to tell him how much I hated what my country did to them as much as he did.

But he couldn’t understand me. At least, not in my language.

JANUARY--MARCH MARCH2017 2017||PAGE PAGE13 13 JANUARY

LITE R A R Y

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

Sam

By Jason Christopher Paz The blazing sun was peeking out from the marble white clouds, warming Sam’s face with the brilliant rays of gold. He woke up along a busy street in Tondo filled with people bustling along the rows of goods displayed on the sidewalks. There were clothes, toys, accessories, decorations, and other random things sold at cheap prices.

The yelling of the vendors and the loud honking of vehicles rang in his ears like an incessant alarm. The whole place smelled of sweat from the cluster of bodies around him and smoke from the roaring vehicles.

Through the mass of people, Sam wandered like he was in a jungle full of wild animals. He made his way and found himself in front of a big glass window where he watched a kid munch a spoonful of chicken and rice. He swallowed hard as though he was eating the same delicious meal.

Sam hadn’t eaten in almost a week since he was separated from his mother and siblings while they were roaming through the crowded streets. His loneliness and hunger started to feel like a plague slowly infecting his frail body.

Map

By Shakira Austero Battles won by invaders, who once marveled at your profound wonders.

Foul chants torment your soul along with cannonballs of fists and suffocating bombs of threats and mockery.

Remnants of long endured pain has marked your Eden— trespassed by unwanted visitors at night.

A spontaneous ‘X’ marked your breasts— a gentle slope grazed upon without consent.

War tainted your sanctuary— a warm home seated on your chest that has loved its inhabitants, and even welcomed the lost.

A proud place you once were— now painted with colors of sore galaxies: purple, blue, black.

All that’s left are flowing rivers of salty tears rushing to meet a sea of thoughts as you sink deep below the surface of the earth.

He continued strolling along the glass windows with mouthwatering food being served on every table. As he waited on the other side, he hoped that someone might offer their leftovers, but they just walked past him or perhaps even diverted their way just to avoid him. After a few more hours of waiting, he gave up and left empty-handed.

He felt like the only thing he received was the scorching heat of midday. Now he was not only hungry, but incredibly thirsty, and there was nothing to satisfy his thirst.

He decided to find shelter beside the stairs of a shop, and as he was just about to lie down and sleep his hunger away, a group of children wearing dirty clothes approached him. They laughed and mocked the rashes on his skin, and he stepped back as they started to throw rocks at him. Despite how much he begged, the children even attempted to hit him with their slippers, so he ran away before they could even touch him.

Hours passed and the blue sky was already painted with hues of pink, orange, and yellow as the sun drowned in the horizon, casting shadows across the ground.

Sam flinched as the sound of thunder filled

his ears. Rain then poured as though the clouds were releasing its repressed torrent of tears and the mix of warm and cold air touched his face. He ran and wedged himself on a narrow pathway that led to an area of poorly-built houses covered with rusted metal roofing, old linoleum, and damaged rice sacks bundled together. A sickening odor invaded his nostrils as damp garbage was scattered like a second layer of earth.

On top of this mess were people living their usual lives. A woman was carrying her crying baby, singing her son to sleep. It reminded Sam of his own mother, and how she made him comfortable in her warmth.

The growing voices of children suddenly interrupted his thoughts. He turned his head in alarm, thinking that they were the same children that made fun of him. But they were just kids of the same age scavenging in the sea of trash, collecting plastic bottles.

Their bodies were similar to his—tainted with dirt and dust, with bony cheeks and skin hugging their ribcage tight.

Sam continued to roam around under the sudden downpour of rain and wandered his eyes over the foul river streaming with

junk and litter. He heard a group of men laughing in the distance, and saw them sitting on an old wooden bench, talking loudly with bottles in their hands. They reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. Sam shivered as they looked in his direction.

To his surprise, they called to him and offered a piece of bread. He looked at them, trying to find a hint of sincerity in their faces and for a second they seemed to be genuinely concerned. He thought that maybe these men could help him find his mother and siblings. With his heart beat getting faster, he hesitantly took several steps closer and immediately gobbled the food up.

The sky finally turned pitch black as the clouds blanketed the moon and the stars. The last thing Sam heard was his faint breathing as a metal bar hit his head while the men’s laughter drowned out like a song reaching its end. He whimpered in pain as darkness enveloped his vision. A man held his neck like he was a prize that they won and said, “Katayin na natin ‘tong tuta para may pangpulutan na tayo!”

SPORTS

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 14

DLSU-D cagebelles clutch 6th straight Prov’ls title, stun UPHSJ - GMA, 58-34 ‘Short-handedness’ dismantles cagers in PRISAA – Prov’ls

by John Harold Dizon and John Zedrick Simeon Booking their ticket to the Private Schools Athletics Association (PRISAA) - Regionals stage, the DLSU-D cagebelles speared down the twice-to-beat advantage of their long-time rival University of Perpetual Help Sytem Jonelta – GMA (UPHSJ–GMA) Lady Blue Saints, in a 58-34 get-away victory for the PRISAA – Provincials title, held at the Ugnayang La Salle (ULS), February 5. themselves at the back of the Lady Blue Coroza, UPHSD-GMA’s Dorio and Imperfect record Down to the first day of the Saints, 7-10. After a couple of misses, Irah Joannah Almariego, and Patriots tournament, the DLSU-D cagebelles it was Mariel Campasa’s trifecta with Campasa and Azarcon. Grabbing swept the scoreboards with their long 48 seconds remaining in the first canto another most valuable player award, bombs and series of offensive rebounds, which pushed the game’s first deadlock, Dianne Reyes was awarded for the second consecutive year. Despite dominating the Imus Institute of 10-10.

Stepping up in the game, Patriot having only a six-active-player lineup, Science and Technology (IIST) Lady stalwart Diane Reyes awed the crowd DLSU-D cagebelles’ head coach Tito Tigers, 110-44.

Reyes expressed their key to success, However, unlike their first game, Eliminations game scores “kasi well-prepared kami e. Kumbaga the Lady Patriots stepped out from the Imus Institute of Science alam na namin na mangyayari ‘to (low winning column when they embattled 110-44 and Technology TIGERS number of players). Dahil konti lang the Lady Blue Saints, throwing away a ‘yong players ko, hinanda talaga namin neck-and-neck overtime period as the University of Perpetual 75-80 Help SYSTEM JONELTA– GMA sila para dito.”

Lady Patriots fell a bit short, 75-80.

Blue Saints Earning their seat in the finals University of Perpetual Help 69-45 Undermanned Patriots with a bounce-back triumph from their SYSTEM DALTA – MOLINO ALTAS Due to injuries and academic morning loss, the Dasmariñas-based University of Perpetual issues as per rookie Patriot coach squad squared-off with the University 62-42 Help SYSTEM JONELTA– GMA Arnold Oliveros, the remodeled of Perpetual Help System Dalta – BLUE SAINTS DLSU-D cagers set a new low in their Molino (UPHSD–M) Lady Altases with her corner three, followed by her provincials campaign against the same with an overthrowing 69-45 tally.

Advancing to the finals where excellent defense, a dime to Agatha faces that granted the Animo squad they couldn’t afford to lose anymore, the Azarcon, and another three at the same a championship voucher last year, Lady Patriots fought it all hard against spot from her previous one, which the UPHSJ-GMA in their qualifying the Lady Blue Saints through their all- forced the UPHSD – GMA’s bench to match held at ULS on February 4.

The green-and-white cagers around jumpers and treys. Turning the call a timeout, 18-12.

Finding the right pulse, the launched the tourney missing players tables from their first meeting’s loss, the green-and-white squad pulled off a DLSU-D cagebelles bombarded a 10-2 such as former captain ball Dale 62-42 dominion that pushed the finals run with Campasa and Reyes leading Gutierrez and forward Christian the way through their threes and Loyola, who are out due to academic series into a second game. jumpers, ending the second canto with matters, while also losing big man a double-digit lead, 29-17.

Last dance Eliminations game scores Continuing to pull away, the With championship-or-nothing University of Perpetual at stake in the last game, both Lady hot-shooting trio of Azarcon, Reyes, Help SYSTEM Jonelta – GMA 83-76 Blue Saints Patriots and Lady Blue Saints showed and Campasa produced all of the greenoff their breed of basketball in their and-white squad’s 13 points in the third University of Perpetual Help System Dalta – Molino Atlas 104-113 final showdown for the PRISAA - canto, 42-22.

Up to the fourth and last canto, Provincials title.

University of Perpetual Help SYSTEM Jonelta – GMA 82-95 Hungry to steal the DLSU-D with Azarcon ensuring a great defense, Blue Saints cagebelles’ long-time crown, the GMA- Reyes, Campasa, and the injured Irene based squad lit up the game with a Toregosa added a combined 16 points Patrick Jamon and point guard Jesse 6-0 run led by Shennen Mae Dorio’s to their one-sided conquest, 58-34.

Forming the mythical five Remonte to injuries—leaving Coach fast breaks. Displaying a cold shooting beyond the arc, the Lady Patriots found selection was UPHSD-M’s Chloewin Oliveros with his undesired number

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

SPIKERS from page 15 hit in, Patriot Aidam Adam managed to close the first set with a sturdy spike from the opponent’s over received ball, 25-16.

After their ceaseless attacks on the first set, the green-and-white squad was unpredictably outran by the Blue Saints on the second quadrant who took advantage of their rattled offense and defense that paved way for the opponent to score consecutive check balls and sharp aces, 6-11.

The Patriots’ composure was tested after a double setting violation call on Patriot Rafshin Abdulwahab from the referee who ended up giving them a yellow card that forced head coach Al-Frazin Abdulwahab to call for a timeout, 11-19. Leading the charge for the Animo squad, Patriot Benitez produced a point through his power tip shot that enabled them to crawl back in the game while Patriot Kasim consistently broke down the wall and trimmed their deficit by two, 19-21.

Despite the Patriots effort to halt the bleeding, the Blue Saints continued to fly and challenge their shaky floor defense, 19-22.

In the face of the Patriots’ resilient chase down, the Blue Saints repeatedly scored from a check ball but the set ended with another double setting violation, 21-25.

Both teams started the third set on a high note as they pitched in scores in between each other’s plays, 7-all. Trying to pull away from the blue-and-black squad, Patriot Benitez elevated to score from a check ball.

However, the green-and-white team committed another attack error and was quickly answered by the Blue Saints’ steady open spikes in the third set, 16-all.

Trying to redeem his team from another deadlock, Patriot Benitez pulled off a momentum stealer running attack, 17-16. Meanwhile, Patriot Kasim soared high and scored

from the back row through his powerful attacks and eventually placed them in the set point after his off-theblock point that ended the neck-andneck set, 27-25.

Coming from a tightly-fought third set, the Patriots executed hotand-cold plays as they scored and committed error after another, 5-10. Despite trailing by half of the opponent’s score, Patriot Benitez successfully started another comeback rally with a swift drop, followed by Kasim’s back row smart drop, and the team’s solid net defense, 13-11.

Patriot team captain Al-Sharin Abdulwahab and Benitez jumped to shut the door as they double blocked and took advantage of the opponent’s faulty attacks. Slicing his way through the Blue Saints’ defense, Patriot Kasim consecutively hit the mark on the last frame from the back row to get them at match point, forcing the opponent to commit another net block, 25-19.

1 2 3 4

1 2 3

DESPITE THE DISTRESS. Although playing with a leg injury, cagebelle Irene Toregosa guarded their throne in the basketball women’s division of PRISAA - Provincials held at Ugnayang La Salle on February 5.

See CAGERS | page 15

Photo by Kathelyn Ann Bravo

Kontra-ktwalisasyon

Lingid sa kaalaman ng mga estudyante ng DLSU-D, kasalukuyang kontraktwal ang mga guro ng Senior High na itinuturing ng CBCP bilang imoral at panlalamang sa mga Pilipinong trabahador. Upang himayin ang konsepto nito, ang kontraktwalisasyon ay ang paghalili ng temporary employees sa halip na regular workers dahil mas nakakatipid ito sa isang kumpanya o institusyon sapagkat hindi na sila kailangang mabigyan ng benepisyo gaya ng 13th month pay, medical insurance, vacation, at sick leave na natatanggap ng regular workers. Hindi lamang iyon, hawak din ng employer ang hangganan ng pagtatrabaho ng manggagawa sa institusyon dahil sa end of contract o mas kilala bilang endo. Gaya sa mga guro ng Senior High ng ating pamantasan, kada semester ay in-e-evaluate sila at iyon ang nagiging batayan kung bibigyan pa sila ng renewal of contract o sa madaling salita, walang kasiguraduhan kung magtatagal o matatanggal sila sa trabaho. Sa aking pag-aaral sa ating Unibersidad lubos akong nabahala dito, dahil sa aking pananaw ay karapatdapat na mabigyan ng maayos na serbisyo ang ating mga guro upang mapantayan ang pagbibigay nila ng kanilang dugo’t pawis sa kanilang trabaho.

Sa pag-usbong ng kapitalismo sa ating bansa, ay siya ring paglaganap ng kontrakwalisasyon hindi lamang sa mga guro kundi lalo na sa mga manpower agencies

tulad ng Almer’s Manpower Corporation o mas kilala sa pamantasan bilang Almer’s. Nakakagulat kung iisipin na ang mga taong ito na naglilinis ng kapaligiran ng “greenest university in the Philippines” ay pawang mga kontraktwal na pinayagang makapagtrabaho sa isang pribadong katolikong unibersidad dahil nga mas makakatipid sila.

“There is no moral justification for the exploitation of the working Filipino, and for denying the laborer the benefits of permanent employment,” iyan ay ayon sa Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President na si Archbishop Socrates Villegas. Sa aking palagay, tila balintunay ang pagpili ng benepisyo bago ang “moral” standard sa pagbibigay-trabaho sa ilang campus staff ng pamantasan na siya pa namang itinuturo nito. Para bang naisipan nalang nilang isantabi ang paniniwala ng simbahan para makamenos sa gastusin ng institusyon.

Subalit wala namang sabit ang ganitong gawain lalo na’t ang mga manggagawang ito ang pumayag at pumirma sa kasunduang wala silang benepisyo at maaring may hangganan ang kanilang trabaho. Hindi rin natin masisi ang ating mga propesor na mula sa University ay lumipat sa Senior High dahil nga mas malaki ang average salary nila na panukala ng DepEd kumpara sa sandamakmak na requirements gaya ng master’s degree bago makapasok bilang propesor sa mga unibersidad na may mas mababang sahod sa ngayon. Sa panahon din ng transition sa K to 12 program, alam kong kinakailangan din ng eskwelahan na magtipid dahil pakonti ng pakonti ang mga estudyante ng ating Unibersidad.

Pero mabalik tayo sa mismong panukala at paniniwala natin bilang katolikong pamantasan. Nakakapagtaka

kung iisipin na mismong kapisanan ng mga kaparian na ang nagsasalita laban sa kontraktwalisasyon ngunit patuloy ang DLSU-D na kilala bilang Catholic school sa pagpapahintulot at pagpapatupad ng kontraktwalisasyon na pinaniniwalaan ng CBCP bilang isang “imoral” na gawain. Nakakalungkot din na ang ating mga guro mula sa Senior High ay aminadong karamihan sa kanila’y napilitan na pumayag sa pagiging kontraktwal dahil nga naman wala na rin silang mapag-a-apply-an na eskwelahan sa pagpasok ng K to 12 program. Imbes na ituon ang pansin ng institusyon ng DLSU-D kung papaano maipagpapatuloy ang pagiging regular ng

Kapwa manggagawa at employer ay may equal distribution of rights at hindi dapat nadedehado ang alin man sa isa mga guro, ay mas lalo nilang pinag-igting ang nasimulan nilang panglalamang sa kapwa. Sa pilosopiya ng employment, kapwa manggagawa at employer ay may equal distribution of rights at hindi dapat nadedehado ang alin man sa isa.

Hindi rin sapat na dahilan ang pagbabago ng curriculum upang mapilitang gawing kontraktwal ang mga SHS na guro ng unibersidad. Sa katunayan, noong panahon ng kagipitan ng mga propesor sapagkat maaring matanggal sila dahil sa K to 12, ay parang

sadyang sinamantala sila na mapapirma sa kontratang walang kasiguraduhan. Sa halip na gumawa ng paraan upang mabigyan ng assurance sa trabaho, ay naharap ang ating mga guro sa sitwasyon kung saan ay wala silang pagpipilian kundi pumirma sa kasulatan na maghuhudyat ng alinlangan kung magpapatuloy pa rin sila sa trabaho. *** Marahil wala ako sa kinalalagyan ng mga namamahala ng DLSU-D ngunit kahit pagbaligtarinbaligtarin man natin ang mga pangyayari, at gayon ding nagmula na ito sa CBCP, sadyang hindi maipagkakaila na ang kontraktwalisasyon ay “panlalamang ng kapwa at imoral.” Paano na lamang ang susunod na henerasyon ng mga gurong mag-a-apply sa ating paaralan na maaring mga estudyante din ng La Salle ngayon kung mahaharap lang din sila sa sitwasyon ng ating mga guro ngayon.

Kung mga estudyante mismo nahihirapan sa mga proyektong kailangang i-submit, mas higit na nahihirapan at nasa bingit ng alinlangan ang ating gurong maaring matanggal lamang sa isang iglap.

Sabi nga nila, “ang guro ang pangalawang magulang,” sapagkat sila ang magsisilbing gabay sa labas ng ating tahanan. Hindi deserve ng mga guro pati ng mga manggagawa ng DLSU-D na magtrabaho bilang kontraktwal dahil mas higit pa ang magagawa ng ating Unibersidad upang pangalagaan ang ating mga manggagawa. Kung mapuputol ng eskwelahan itong konsepto ng panlalamang at solusyonan ito sa pamamagitan ng pagtatatag ng maayos na sistemeng magbebenepisyo ang kapwa institusyon at ang mga guro, higit na maisasakatuparan ang values ng ating unibersidad.

SPORTS

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 15

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

SPORTS BRIEF

Woodpushers reign supreme in PRISAA - Prov’ls with 8 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze

by Rose Kristine Amarillo

Rising from the quicksand. Settling for bronze, Patriot volleybelle Justine Navidad prepared to defend their court side as Danikka Vyarra Canilang digged the opponent’s attack during the PRISAA – Prov’ls beach volleyball match at De La Salle Health Science Institute on February 11.

Photo by Jean Quinto

Lady Patriots preserve Prov’ls crown with twice-tobeat advantage

DLSU-D overwhelms UPHSJ-GMA, 3-1

by Ezekiel Coronacion

Patriot’s composure, 5-1. Feeding their hunger for the crown, MVP Galicia and Yasmin Shane Parohinog buried four perilous spikes that shattered the shaky defense of the blue-and-white courtside, 10-3.

Shifting the gears all of a sudden, UPHSJ–GMA outsmarted DLSU-D with unexpected drops and quick spikes, boosting their scoreboard, 17-14. Grasping the second set, the

Early downfall Closing the curtains of the championship, the Patriot volleybelles kept up with rivals Lady Blue Saints Eliminations game scores after having a back-and-forth score UNIVERSITY OF PERPETUAL HELP run that froze on a 16-all deadlock.

3-0 SYSTEM DALTA - MOLINO ALTAS Stealing DLSU-D’s momentum, the blue-and-white courtside bombarded University of Perpetual 3-1 Help SYSTEM Jonelta – GMA the green-and-white team with Blue saints perilous spikes and heavy barrages creating a 0-5 run, 16-21.

Lady Blue Saints had a taste of their Closing the door of the first own medicine after tallying 25-18 as canto, the Patriots struggled to Galicia unleashed and concluded the add more points to the pot but the canto with a heavy backrow attack.

GMA-based team persisted with Progressing to the third canto, their composure, concluding with a the DLSU-D volleybelles continued through-the-block bang, 18-25. to heighten their defense, resulting to impenetrable barrages, 2-1. Exhausted Stealing the moment from the Patriots’ robust defense, the Attempting to grab the second UPHSJ–GMA committed consecutive set, Tiangco unleashed relentless faults and received a discouraging 6-1 sharp service aces that boosted the long run from Patriot Sigrid Abalos’

1 2

off-the-block spikes, 8-2.

Attacking the blue-and-white courtside, Patriots Abalos and Galicia poured down back-to-back spikes that produced an astonishing 11-2 rally, raising their edge to double-digits, 194. Despite the Lady Blue Saints’ effort to outrun their rival, the Lady Patriots continued to deliver the goods while concluding the third set with distant scores, 25-12.

Reclaiming the glory Entering the fourth set, Parohinog unleashed an early service ace that secured the team’s momentum, 5-1.

Sustaining their yielding momentum, the Dasmariñas-based squad easily garnered points as their rival committed relentless violations and errors, 9-4.

Attempting to grab the rival’s composure, the blue-and-white courtside answered through discharging tactical drop balls, 11-9. Sustaining their defense, the Patriots executed another 6-0 rally while ending the hopes of the UPHSJ–GMA through Patriot Castillo’s off-theblock spike, 25-8.

CAGERS from page 14 of players in coaching basketball, 10 hoopsters.

“Kulang kami sa players. So talagang nag-adjust kami [pero] nahirapan kami mag-adjust, especially pagpasok ng tao [sa court]. Actually sa sistema ko, at least 12 players [ang kailangan].

Siguro kapag kumpleto ang players natin, mas malaki ang tsansa nating makalaro ng championship.” the Patriot helm said.

Paddlers end PRISAA - Prov’ls with 5 gold and 1 bronze

by Rose Kristine Amarillo

Despite having a new set of players, the DLSU-D Lady Patriots blossomed with a clean 3-0 eliminations record and gained a twice-to-beat advantage in the Private School’s Athletic Association (PRISAA) - Provincial’s volleyball women tourney after overwhelming the University of Perpetual Help System Jonelta – GMA (UPHSJ–GMA) in a 18-25, 25-18, 25-12, 25-18 victory held at the Ugnayang La Salle on February 5.

DLSU-D’s Mara Allyza Galicia was crowned as Most Valuable Player while Myka Tiangco, Eunice Gercie Castillo, and Cindy Celia Amutan were awarded as best setter, best middle spiker, and best libero, respectively.

Booking eight seats to regionals, DLSU-D woodpushers proved their dominance with eight gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the PRISAA - Provincials men and women’s chess tournament held at the De La Salle Health and Sciences Institute (DLSHSI) Pavilion, February 5.

Flaunting the Patriot chessers’ tactics in the men’s division, Clinton Paulo Andres, John Paul Españo, Genten Lalas, and Somel Eraño Chan secured their tickets to regionals. Meanwhile, Genrech Lalas chipped in a silver medal.

Extending the green-and-white triumph, DLSU-D lady chessers Christine Hernandez, Paula Blanca Manalo, Lindsay Mendoza, and Mari Angelique Mendoza contributed more gold medals to the woodpushers’ shelf as they placed first in the women’s division, while Kate Columna settled for the third spot.

As Coach Oli learns his lessons while addressing the problems leading to an undermanned team, particularly concerning academics, the Patriot coach furthered that he will sink his teeth in keeping an eye on the cagers’ academic performance—chiefly the team’s key players.

“Sinasabi ko na sa mga bata, next time ‘yong ibang hindi nakalaro dito kailangang mag-aral sila. Especially ‘yong core players namin, imo-monitor talaga

SPORTS COMICS

namin ‘yong grades nila. Kailangan i-monitor namin ‘yon para kung ano mang tournaments na darating ay makalaro sila,” the former San Beda Red Lion said. On the brighter side, Patriot John Cantimbuhan was selected as one of PRISAA’s mythical five and a representative for Cavite in the Regionals alongside Patriot frontcourts Jastine Kyle Amponin, John Michael Ronquillo, and sophomore guard Jonas De Vera.

Propelling their way up, the DLSU-D paddlers grabbed nearly all the gold medals in the PRISAA - Provincials table tennis tourney as they reaped five gold and one bronze medal at the DLSHSI Pavilion, February 4.

Chipping in two gold medals, paddlers Steven Evangelista and Antonio Emmanuel Tan seized the first spots in the men’s singles A and B event, respectively. On the other hand, paddler Celine Pagtakhan aced the women’s singles A event.

DLSU-D paddlers’ pair John Arthur Martizon and Jose Christian Roi De Vega and lady tandem Corizza Soriano and Rosalyn Zapanta bagged two more gold medals for the green-and-white team in the men’s and women’s doubles event, respectively.

Meanwhile, in the mixed doubles event, Patriot duo Hazel Anne Campoto and Jesus Agustin III earned a bronze medal as they concluded in third place.

Lady Patriots settle for third, Patriot spikers end up scoreless in PRISAA beach volley

by Ezekiel Coronacion Dropping their chance to progress to regionals, the DLSU-D beach volley Lady Patriots failed to smash their contenders as they landed in third place while Patriot spikers sank to the sands without even gaining a point on their scoreboard in the PRISAA - Provincials beach volley bout held at the DLSHSI on February 11.

Ending up defaulted for their first match, the DLSU-D spikers Cobie Pajiji, Chandler Salapuddin Jr., and Jayric Racelis arrived late at the venue, receiving their first loss in the tourney. Shutting down the hopes of the green-and-white courtside, Patriots fell short against the Imus Institute of Science and Technology (IIST) in their second bout, hence dropping the tourney, 13-21.

Smashing their way in the court, Justine Navidad, Danikka Vyarra Canilang, and Cleobel Pamienta proved their worth by overpowering DLSHSI spikers in their first match, 21-16.

Launching the second bout against the University of Perpetual Help System Delta – Molino (UPHSD–M) Lady Altas, the Patriot volleybelles failed to establish their defense, resulting to a disheartening defeat, 5-21.

Bouncing back from the setback, Patriots Canilang and Navidad joined forces to outplay the Imus Institute of Science Technology (IIST), 21-13.

Concluding in third place, the Patriots succumbed to defeat once again to the Lady Altas as they crushed the green-and-white hopes, 8-21.

JANUARY - MARCH 2017 | PAGE 16

JANUARY - MARCH 2017

VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

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VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3

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sports BRIEFS Minor teams page 15

SPORTS COMICS Varsity stereotypes page 15

play-by-play Cagers and cagebelles page 14 ROAD TO REGIONALS. The Patriot spikers celebrated their victory after the intense match against the Blue Saints to defend their PRISAA - Provincials title at the championship game held at the Ugnayang La Salle on February 5.

Photo by Jean Quinto

DLSU-D spikers prevail as PRISAA - Prov’ls kings Medals acquired by Patriots in PRISAA - PROV’LS

Patriots escape Blue Saints, 3-1

by Djoanna Nikole Javier Despite starting the league with a five-setter loss, the Patriot spikers defied the odds after outsmarting the University of Perpetual Help System Jonelta - GMA (UPHSJ-GMA) Blue Saints of their championship series with a heart-pounding 25-16, 21-25, 27-25, and 25-19 tallies in their winner-take-all game 2 during the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) – Provincials held at Ugnayang La Salle, February 5.

Tightening their defense as La Salle [Dasma] sa provincials. well as their composure in the Pero sabi ko sa mga bata hayaan na first game of finals, the green- lang. Aral na sa kanila ‘yon. Ang and-white squad fought their way magandang gawin, bumawi at ‘wag to force a do-or-die match after na isipin ‘yong pagkatalo.” showcasing tenacity with 22-25, Eliminations game scores 25-15, 26-24, 18-25, and 15-10 UNIVERSITY OF PERPETUAL HELP head-to-head triumph over the 2-3 SYSTEM DALTA - MOLINO ALTAS Blue Saints. The Patriot spikers put up a shatterproof wall to IMUS INSTITUTE SCIENCE AND 3-0 roof the opponent’s attacks while TECHNOLOGY Tigers continuously splitting their blocks with their stable offense that UNIVERSITY OF PERPETUAL HELP 3-2 SYSTEM DALTA - MOLINO ALTAS equipped them to take game 1.

Patriot head coach AlUNIVERSITY OF PERPETUAL HELP SYSTEM JONELTA - GMA 3-2 Frazin Abdulwahab shared that BLUE SAINTS complacency almost took their opportunity for another crown Grabbing three spots, team and he noted, “Actually no’ng captain and best setter Al-sharin natalo kami ng first game, nagulat Abdulwahab, best spiker Aidam ako no’n. ‘Di pa kasi natatalo ang Adam, and best libero Marco Polo

1

Source: Sports Development Office HITTING THE JACKPOT. The Animo squad bagged 63 medals in their cargo during the PRISAA - Provincials held at Ugnayang La Salle and De La Salle Health Sciences Institute Gym on February 3-5 and 11.

Infographic by Mikaela Torres

Patriot shuttlers seize 6 gold medals in PRISAA - Prov’ls

2 3 4

Ordoñez were included in the mythical six. Meanwhile, veteran Eddiemar Kasim was hailed as the Most Valuable Player.

Joust at the top Kicking off the first frame aggressively, the Patriot spikers immediately showed off after Patriot Eddiemar Kasim’s powerful shots left the Blue Saints’ defense shattered while failing to create offensive plays, 12-4. Despite calling a timeout, the Blue Saints still weren’t able to convert and deliver the goods, allowing the Patriots to execute lethal hits led by Patriots Daniel Angelo Benitez’s quick attack and Kasim’s through-the-block spike, 21-13. Struggling to get a clean See SPIKERS | page 15

Veteran Gilly Chavez eyes her goal

by Rose Kristine Amarillo Dominating the south side badminton scene, the DLSU-D shuttlers grabbed six gold medals in the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) - Provincials at the De La Salle Health and Sciences Institute Animo Center, February 4.

Despite having no player in the men’s singles A event, Patriot Jan Adrian Pullon and shuttlers duo John Michael Navarro and Aleckhine Aquino dominated the men’s singles B and doubles event, respectively.

Adding more gold to the green-and-white pot, veteran Gilly Chavez effortlessly aced the women’s singles A event, while Jenniline Lupango topped the women’s singles B event.

Progressing to the regionals level, Patriot sisters

Danica Rose and Dana Audrey Enriquez finished first place in the women’s doubles event, while Patriot duo Carl Justine Eugenio and Joie Elisha Orata chipped in another gold medal as they landed in the first spot in the mixed doubles event.

Behind the triumph Retaining their unblemished record in the PRISAA Provincials, badminton head coach Roderick Hinanay shared their secret to their triumph—the age-old advice of practice.

Currently in her last playing year, Chavez shared her insights and improvements after earning a gold in the provincials, “Mas determinado na akong manalo ngayon. Mas mabilis at mas consistent na ‘yong shots ko compared last year.”

On another note, Patriot Petronilo Nim was not able to play for the men’s singles A event after not meeting varsity’s academic requirements. “Kaya walang player sa (men’s) singles A ‘yong isang player (Petronilo Lim) natin [kasi] hindi na pinaglaro kasi sa dami ng bagsak na grades,” coach Hinanay added.

GREEN-AND-WHITE DYNASTY. Booking their ticket to PRISAA – Regionals, the Patriot volleybelles were crowned as champions against the University of Perpetual Help System Jonelta – GMA Blue Saints in the PRISAA - Provincials Cavite Chapter at Ugnayang La Salle, February 5.

Photo by Justine Bea Bautista