DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE 1
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 3
THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY-DASMARIñAS DECEMBER 2017
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THE CLASH OF CAUSES. Various mass organizations rallied in protest to the threats of an impending revolutionary government on November 30, the 154th birthday of Andres Bonifacio. The march started at Liwasang Bonifacio and ended at Recto Avenue after protesters were blocked from entering Mendiola Street as it was occupied by Duterte supporters urging the president to declare a revolutionary government at the same time.
Photo by Pia Marantan
294 major offenses recorded this sem Registrar to release 1 official COR per student next sem by Jazmine Estorninos The Student Welfare and Formation Office (SWAFO) has recorded a total of 294 major offenses in the University from the first semester of this academic year (AY) 2017-2018 as of November 24, according to SWAFO Director John Casidsid. With a total of 19 causes for the 294 major offenses, the top three causes of major offenses include commission of third minor offense, violation of conditions of being under probation, and commission of second major offense, with 157, 68, and 18 frequencies, respectively.
“That means, according to the [DLSU-D 2014-2018] Student Handbook, if you commit four minor offenses, [then] it’s already equivalent to one major offense. Kasi sa handbook, dito nakalagay, the first minor offense that you will be committing, you will just be given a verbal warning … second offense
will be considered as your first minor offense. And then, third offense will be considered as the second minor offense … the fourth violation will be considered third minor offense which is equivalent to one major offense. And many of our students [are] committing many minor offenses,” Casidsid explained.
According to the SWAFO director, the most frequently committed minor offense that leads to commission of major offenses are ID-related instances such as lending of IDs to other DLSU-D students with different identities or to outsiders, improper wearing of IDs, and not wearing IDs. “So, sabi ko hulihin nang hulihin (students violating the rules) kasi we have to teach them discipline with regards to IDs. And besides, napakalaki ng campus natin. Hindi natin alam kung sinong pumapasok dito [sa campus],” he said.
Moreover, Casidsid discussed that the use of certificates of registration (CORs) is “rampant” in place of IDs, leadings students to commit more major offenses. As Casidsid explains it, some students frequently print their CORs to loan their IDs to other students or outsiders. “Kaya ngayon nagdo-double time kami para talaga ma-check. Eh, you can re-print your COR anytime, how many times sa labas. Kaya ‘yong mga estudyante, tingnan mo ha, pinapagamit nila ‘yong kanilang COR. Hindi naman nache-check [ng
guards]. Walang picture ‘yan eh. Kaya nga ang sabi ko din sana puwede bang COR (to use in place of school IDs) plus any [valid] ID. To further resolve the issue, Casidsid talked with the Office of the University Registrar. “In the second semester, hindi na puwede na i-allow namin pumasok ‘yong mga [students who print their CORs outside]. Ang puwede [na lang ay official] certificate of registration forms to be officially given by the Registrar. So, isa na lang ‘yon. So, hindi ka na puwede mag-print sa labas at gagamitin mo dito.” See SWAFO STATS | page 3
SENTRO, R.E.D. establish polpars TATAG, YUGTO by Patrik Aboy In preparation for the 2018 University Student Elections, the suspended political parties for this academic year (AY) 2017-2018, SENTRO La Salle and R.E.D. Alliance, have established two new political parties, namely TATAG (Transformative Actions Towards Active Governance) Lasalyano and YUGTO LASALLE, respectively. As announced by the Student Commission on Elections (SCE) earlier this semester, SENTRO La Salle and R.E.D. Alliance are suspended this AY due to their non-compliance with the event requirements for existing political parties, as mandated in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the 2016 Amended Student Election Code Article V, Section 5.
After SCE started accepting the filing of new political parties last October, members of the suspended political parties filed petitions for the accreditation of new political parties on October 25 and 26, respectively. On November 3, the SCE, as allowed by Resolution No. 6, Series of 2017-2018 with due notice and deliberation, accepted
the accreditation of the new political parties. TATAG Lasalyano Following its suspension, SENTRO La Salle posted a statement on its official Facebook page on November 5 emphasizing the “drastic change” in the management of their organization.
IN BLOOM. Different schools and organizations participated in the annual Dasmariñas City Paru-Paro Festival parade on November 26, which started from Congressional Road up to the City Quadrangle.
Photo by Pia Marantan
See NEW PARTIES | page 2
News feature
features
Literary
sports
A decade in retrospect
(Un)silenced voices
In heat
A knight to remember
page 4
page 11
page 12
page 15
NEWS
DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE 2
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 3
Br. Gus to launch ‘School for Governance,’ complete Ayuntamiento by Yna Marisse Sodoy After a decade of planning, DLSU-D Brother President Augustine Boquer FSC is targeting to launch his project “School for Governance, Public Service, and Corporate Leadership” along with the Ayuntamiento building completion next academic year (AY) 2018-2019. The 10-year project Br. Gus explained that the “School for Governance, Public Service, and Corporate Leadership” is a certificate program where leaders such as local government officials, some of whom were once his students, will serve as speakers in workshops and seminars offered by the said program. “When I arrived here, I was planning it already. It (School for Governance) was not easy,” Br. Gus said. The project originally started in 2007 composed of sessions with local leaders, councilors, and even street sweepers with the Br. President. They formed small group discussions, following a program for all members in the society coming from various demographics. He furthered that the certificate program in the upcoming school is a single course program with a “laddered” structure wherein enrolled students will be put into a team to discuss various topics along with the workshops and seminars included in the program. After completion of the course, a certificate will be granted which will serve as additional credit to your current degree. “You have a team and different topics. And when you’re done with that, a certificate that’s going to your BA or MA, we can credit that (certificate) to your degree so it becomes a plus-plus for you,” Br. Gus said. Initially, the certificate program was to be graduate program. However, Br. Gus saw the potential of offering the
said program to undergraduate students who wish to be trained as corporate leaders in the industry. “I’m working it out to see how it can be done as an enrichment certificate before a student graduates, because ultimately when all of you are looking for jobs, when you’re being interviewed by your potential employer, they will look at you and ask, ‘Does this person have common sense?’” Br. Gus expressed. “Those are skills that can be found in the heart of this particular facility program that we would like to do.” Mentioning the need for this “unique Lasallian program,” Br. Gus highlighted how this could help make the students’ studies “relevant”. “If you, as a student, would do very well academically, you know all the theories, but your feet are not grounded on the floor, and [then] that is what this program is all about, [for] your feet to be grounded,” he furthered. As of press time, the program is in its “applying” stage, wherein Br. Gus and the University administrators involved will be conducting “time-testing” and other assessments. The said stage includes the materials needed for the program and as well as “looking at how would the program be” as described by Br. Gus. The offices involved in the program are the Office of the Br. President, the Presidential Management Office, and the
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academics and Research. Ayuntamiento completion Clarifying the target date of his program’s launch and the Ayuntamiento completion, Br. Gus said, “We’re working it out very well. I don’t want to rush it and I think that’s something all of you (students) will be proud of.” He confirmed that the Ayuntamiento building has already finished construction and only finalizing interior design elements is needed, such as tiles, dividers, ceilings, and electrical lines. As to whether the Ayuntamiento building will serve as the new administration building, Br. Gus confirmed that “The [student] admissions [office] will be there, the registrar, finance, scholarship will be there, the major offices, board rooms, a gallery for exhibits, and then the School for Governance, Public Service, and [Corporate] Leadership,” he explained. Moreover, Br. Gus said that the building will be fully operational by the next AY if they manage to acquire the last remaining necessary funds for the completion of the Ayuntamiento construction in time. “The amount is not big, and it’s not small, and it is possible for me to find a very capable donor to do one donation for the whole period. And I’m meeting the person during the next two to three weeks,” he said at the time of the interview in mid-November.
#BANTRUMP. A series of protests from November 12 to 17 by several militant groups and organizations were held in opposition to US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Philippines for the 31st ASEAN Summit. Protestors engaged in tense confrontations with the Philippine National Police as groups pushed past the barricades and others burned the American flag and effigies of Trump.
Photo by Justine Bea Bautista
NEW PARTIES from page 1 TATAG Lasalyano Chairperson and former SENTRO La Salle member Cesar Gayo said, “As specifically mentioned in our official statement, SENTRO encountered challenges internally as far as management is concerned and it is on this ground that TATAG Lasalyano would want to come.” However, TATAG Lasalyano clarified that the new political party is not entirely a “solution” to SENTRO La Salle’s suspension since it is in the members’ personal interests to form the new political party TATAG Lasalyano. “It is a collective decision of the members of the party (SENTRO La Salle) to pursue the same principles and objectives with different approach and leadership,” Gayo said. TATAG Lasalyano, headed by Jahanara Osman, Louise Gabriel Alonzo, and Cesar Gayo, shares the same political beliefs and ideologies with SENTRO La Salle, such as giving importance to the “students’ rights and welfare, nation-building, and democracy.” In coming up with the name of the TATAG Lasalyano, “We (TATAG) want to be that political party who would embody firmness in our stances regardless if it is unpopular, dependability to produce some projects, and toughness to represent the students in the best way possible,” Gayo emphasized.
The word tatag is a Filipino term which refers to strength, solidity, or the state of being strong. In preparation for the 2018 University Student Elections, TATAG Lasalyano plans to create a screening process for candidates, wherein they will be educated and informed on the status of the student council leadership and other relevant issues inside and outside the University; trained through programs and activities; and willing to widen their understanding of leadership by establishing partnerships with outside student organizations, emphasizing TATAG Lasalyano’s tagline “empowering the ordinary.” YUGTO LASALLE Meanwhile, YUGTO LASALLE President Aya Funaki, the only remaining member from R.E.D. Alliance in the new political party, headed the formation of the new political party along with the R.E.D. Alliance alumni. “We felt the need to continue what R.E.D. Alliance started and what it is standing for, so ito na po ‘yong YUGTO [LASALLE],” Funaki said. With the organization’s aim to continue what R.E.D. Alliance started, the name of the new political party is rooted under the same principle. As the Filipino term yugto means “fundamental transition”, Funaki furthered that R.E.D
Alliance is transitioning to YUGTO LASALLE. Funaki mentioned that YUGTO LASALLE started with the objective to foster student leaders within the University and to get them involved in socio-political discourse outside the university. Using the ancient Filipino script Baybayin in their logo, Funaki shared the advocacy of YUGTO LASALLE, which is to “re-introduce” the roots of the Filipino culture and relive the Filipino values such as being hardworking and perseverant. “We tend to forget the roots of our traditional writing. We wanted to introduce, re-introduce to them the roots of the Filipinos,” Funaki said. Recruiting new members Given that TATAG Lasalyano and YUGTO LASALLE are newlyestablished political parties, the need to recruit members to sustain their plans for the student body is still present. As for YUGTO LASALLE, they started recruiting members even before the suspension of R.E.D Alliance as students have been aiming to join their political party, Funaki mentioned. On the other hand, TATAG Lasalyano has yet to start their ‘official’ recruitment. However, Gayo said that the political party began their online recruitment.
R e ac t Various stores located near DLSU-D Gate 1 are eyeing to implement a 9:00 PM curfew for the students’ safety. With that, The Heraldo Filipino asked DLSU-D students and dormers whether they agree or disagree with the said curfew. “Disagree po ako ‘don kasi ‘yong ibang students may ibang inaatupag na other stuff before ng curfew. Kung ganon kaaga ‘yong curfew, ‘di na nila maaasikaso ‘yong gawain nila. Nasa labas na rin po sila ng school, mayro’n na silang freedom sa sarili nilang time.”
“Maganda ‘yan para safe ‘yong mga bata at saka para mabawasan din ‘yong crime. Sobrang aga [nga lang], sana [ginawang] mga 10 [PM].”
“For me, hindi ako apektado kasi 9 PM din curfew ko. Pero mas maganda [na may curfew] para sa akin kasi nababawasan ‘yong mga estudyanteng nakatambay sa labas nang sobrang gabi na. Much better, I think.”
Nina Kiara Gisala Third year AB Psychology
Al-Khaizar Que Third year Criminology
August Jill Destreza Fourth year Architecture
“I disagree kasi hindi naman lahat ng estudyante nasa bahay na, kasi mayro’n din namang mga tao na talagang mas effective sila sa pagwo-work late at night. At saka siguro naman mga college [student] naman na ‘yong mga nagdo-dorm diyan or nagwo-work na, so mga responsible enough naman siguro sila para mag-manage ng kanilang mga time at para ingatan ang sarili nila sa gabi.” Marx Voltaire Basco Third year AB Psychology
“Paano kung late na talagang umuwi, tapos kailangan ng papeles or emergency? ‘Diba wala nang computer [shop]. More on disagree talaga ako eh kasi masyadong maaga for the curfew, dapat mga 10:30 PM.”
“Disagree ako sa curfew ng mga food store outside, because, ‘yon nga, gawa no’ng may night persons talaga na mga tao: sa umaga natutulog muna, nagpapahinga, tapos gumigising na ng mga madaling araw o kaya gabi para mag-aral, kasi minsan mas tahimik.”
Andro Isao Aquino Fourth year Physical Education
Aldrine Enard Vergara Fourth year Environmental and Sanitary Engineering
“I disagree. Kasi kung safety purposes naman, okay lang since for the sake naman ng students. Pero pagdating sa mga…halimbawa may kailangan ka sa gitna ng gabi, so ‘di maiiwasan kailangan mong bumili sa labas, eh curfew na so ‘yon ‘di puwede.”
“Naga-agree ako na magbigay sila ng curfew ng 9 PM dahil sa panahon ngayon, laganap na ‘yong mga krimen. Mas safe kasi sa estudyante lalo na sa mga dormers ‘di lumabas ng mga gabi. So, naga-agree ako na dapat silang mag-impose ng 9 PM na curfew sa stores.” Ericka Joice Manaloto Third year Operations Management
“For me, mas agree ako d’on sa may curfew na 9 PM kasi siyempre, as a Bio[logy] student, siyempre marami kaming ginagawa. At saka mas safe, para, kasi siyempre nagkalat na rin ‘yong mga holdaper, or kung anu-ano, mga criminal. So, mas safe na rin na mag-stay na lang sa loob ng dorm after 9 PM.”
Ellinor Fernandez Third year Tourism Management
Jacqueline Grace Sunga Fourth year Human Biology
NEWS
DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE 3
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 3
SWAFO STATS from page 1 CBAA first on list Among the seven colleges, the College of Business Administration and Accountancy (CBAA) holds the highest frequency of violations in previous years, with a total of 94 major offenses committed in the first semester of AY 2017-2018 as of November 24. This year, CBAA was followed by the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology, and the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management in terms of the highest number of major offenses with 62 and 44 cases, respectively. With that, Casidsid explained, “Kasi nga napakahigpit with regards to their business attire. Wala ka lang necktie, minor offense [na]. ‘Pag ‘yong sapatos mo ay flat shoes, minor offense, ‘di ba? … Commission of third minor offenses lead to one major offense. Eh, ang daming estudyante nila. ‘Di ba? Kwan na lang din yon. Parang logical. Marami sila so mas maraming magkocommit.” As per Casidsid, around 400 IDs were confiscated when they first
implemented the guidelines on the appropriate business attires for the CBAA students. “That was to teach them, to discipline them, and to follow what the norm of their dean wanted to impose to their students,” he added. As for the other colleges, Casidsid reminded them to be more responsible since there are rules and regulations needed to be observed and followed. “Kasi most of the times, ‘yong mga estudyante kapag nandito sa amin (office) ‘Ay, sir bawal po pala, hindi namin alam,’ Ay nako, ignorance of the law excuses no one,” he furthered. Consistency of SWAFO With regard to the increasing number of students committing violations each academic year, Casidsid said, “‘Yong mga nahuhuli [na students] eh mas marami ‘yong nasa ilalim ng iceberg—‘yong hindi nahuhuli kaya nasasabi niyong napaka-biased ng SWAFO. Ayun lang naman, so bear with us … Unang-una bakit ka magtatago kung ikaw ay law-abiding student, ‘di ba ‘yun lang naman ang
point namin. If you follow the norm at wala tayong problema ‘di ba, sana edi wala kami. Students must always follow the norm.” With 10 formators from SWAFO divided between the education, lost and found, and investigation sections of the office, he explained that they are being “outnumbered” by the large population of students in the University which results in the alleged “biases” of SWAFO. “They are only 10. And how many are you (students) in the University? I think 15,000, 13,000. Dami-dami niyan. ‘Di talaga naming makikita and besides ang trabaho ng formator is not just to go to different colleges and look for those violators. No. Part of their work is to investigate the cases being filed to us at ang dami no’n,” he said. As of press time, the revision meetings of the DLSU-D Student Handbook for the AYs 2018-2022 are currently ongoing and the topics of student attire, offenses, violations, and sanctions are among the topics to be discussed.
UAO to conduct a recordbreaking attempt with Project SMILE’s photo mosaic by Marjorie Alanzalon The University Advancement Office (UAO) plans to break the current record of the largest photo mosaic in the Philippines through the launching of “Project SMILE: Sharing, Making it a Lasallian Experience.” The photo mosaic project will coincide with the celebration of the University’s 30th Pearl Anniversary on the Feast Day of St. La Salle, May 15, 2018, at the DLSU-D Grandstand. UAO Director Marco Polo said that the photo mosaic project will be converted into a digital format to be printed and exhibited using a huge tarpaulin highlighting the image of St. John Baptist De La Salle, the emblem of DLSU-D, and the University’s tagline “Creating Possibilities.” Regarding the size of the photo mosaic project, Polo mentioned, “The photo mosaic will have massive proportions and the target area will be at least 5,000 square meters (100 m x 50 m).” He furthered that due to the size of the photo mosaic, the project will be unveiled at the Grandstand. “Imagine mo ‘yong façade ng Grandstand, that will
be the whole, it’s like the big billboard, doon siya iu-unveil,” Polo explained. The project will require at least 50,000 photos with the minimum size of 8R to break the Philippines’ record of the late President Corazon Aquino’s photo mosaic in 2010. The guidelines set by the UAO for photographs to be donated include good quality and resolution, as well as ethical and inoffensive content. Polo furthered that individuals planning to donate are to pay a 20 PHP fee for every photograph donated to the project. The accumulated cash that will be raised from the project will be donated to the One La Salle Scholarship fund. Following the completion of the campaign, Polo discussed that portions of the mosaic will be displayed in strategic locations in campus and other portions of the tarpaulin will be recycled
into bags, tents, and other functional items for the Lasallian community. “(Bro. Gus) is aware of the project that we intend to do and he supports it, and that is why he has given some inputs [for SMILE], ” Polo shared. As to why the photo mosaic project was named “SMILE”, Polo explained that its acronym, “Sharing, Making it a Lasallian Experience,” embodies the goal of the campaign. “As a person shares a picture of happiness, he/she is also spreading joyfulness through giving something to the projects of the university,” he elaborated. The “SMILE” project will also be co-organized alongside college councils, Recognized Student Organizations (RSO), Council of Students Organization (CSO), and the University Student Council (USC).
Ayuntamiento’s exterior ‘almost complete’
Admin to plan interior design by Marjorie Alanzalon
For academic year (AY) 2017-2018, the administration is in the planning phase of the interior design of Ayuntamiento building following the completion of its exterior construction, as per Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administrative Services (VCFAS) Deodoro Abiog II. Abiog clarified that the building’s contractor still needs to consider the whole interior of the Ayuntamiento such as dividers and tiles. Until the interior elements are complete, the Ayuntamiento building’s opening date is still yet to be confirmed. However, Brother President Augustine “Gus” Boquer, FSC said he aims to open the Ayuntamiento building next AY 2018-2019 once the interior design is complete. “Target pa lang naman iyon (Ayuntamiento completion next year). The structure is almost complete, the exterior’s construction. But the interior design, the partitions, and the offices are [still] being finalized,” Abiog furthered. Moreover, the Ayuntamiento building completion also depends on the amount of donated funds that the University will receive, with Br. Gus
stating that the necessary funds are neither “too big” nor “too small.” In an article issued in the The Heraldo Filipino Volume 31 Issue 2, Building Facilities and Maintenance Office (BFMO) Director Arch. Dennis Pontanilla confirmed that the entire administration office will be transferred to the Ayuntamiento building, while the offices left vacated in the Gregoria Montoya Hall (GMH) will be turned over to the other various student organizations. Following this transition, the GMH building will undergo renovation once vacated to better furnish the offices of the student organizations residing in the building, as per Abiog. Prolonged construction Abiog reiterated the previous concern of the administration wherein
construction will only proceed when donations are acquired, “So as the funds come in, nagkakaroon ng construction, ganon ‘yong general concept kaya medyo matagal ‘yong nangyari,” said Abiog. Br. Gus also clarified that the administration chose to prioritize the construction on College of Engineering and Technology (CEAT) building first before the Ayuntamiento, however the building’s completion is well on its way. “Once the Ayuntamiento is finished, the students will have their center, that’s my challenge (legacy to be left behind), all I want is to finish what I had begun, and pass it on to my successor with no problems, and for students to say, finally we have our center here, and a nice one,” Br. Gus said.
Source: Student Welfare and Formation Office MAJOR OFFENSE. The major offenses with the most cases was recorded from AY 2016-2017, with 725 cases of major offenses overall. Meanwhile, a total of 294 major offenses have been committed so far this AY, as of November 24.
Infographic by Yves Villanueva
USC Pres on LOA until Jan 15 USC VP elevated to USC OIC Pres by Yna Marisse Sodoy After University Student Council (USC) 2017-2018 President Israel Pajarillo officially filed a leave of absence (LOA) on October 12, effective until January 15 of next year, USC elevated current USC Vice President Risstin Limalima as the USC Officer-in-Charge (OIC) President and current USC Auditor Karen Buenaventura as USC OIC Vice President. In the Resolution Nos. 0016, 0018 and 0019 filed by the USC, it stated in Article V, Section 14 of the 2013 Amended USC Constitution, that if any of the officers of the Executive Board aside from the Presidency becomes temporarily vacant, the President shall appoint Officer/s-in-Charge from the USC Executive Board (EB) of AY 2017-2018 without relinquishing their original post until such temporary vacancy ceases to exist. As such, with the position of the USC Auditor left vacant, the USC Executive Board has appointed USC Assistant Secretary Reiben Arcilla to be the USC OIC Auditor. However, Arcilla clarified that he was not part of the USC’s EB. “Pero to clarify lang, ASec (Assistant Secretary) was not part of EBs. Bale it’s a designation wherein I’ll be the one to monitor the units that we have. Walang voting and signing power,” he explained. Meanwhile, the rest of the USC officers’ positions remain the same for AY 2017-2018.
USC President’s LOA Further explaining the cause of his LOA this semester, Pajarillo expounded that the company he previously interning for encountered a ‘problem’ and so he needed to find another company to finish the remaining hours of his onthe-job training. Pajarillo added that Student Development and Activities Office (SDAO) Director Ma. Luisa Ongcol requested for his LOA during a meeting called by the SDAO director. “The discussion was fruitful and Ms. Ongcol had valid points in her request for me to file my Leave of Absence given that she knows I was still holding my post while balancing it with my OJT and my academics,” Pajarillo mentioned. Meanwhile, the SDAO Director confirmed that she requested for Pajarillo’s LOA to prevent any problems that may arise. “If ever lang naman ha, baka magkaroon ng bagsak si Israel mahirap na ‘di siya
makakabalik (as USC president) kasi diba may maintaining grade,” Ongcol explained. He then discussed the matter with USC Adviser Antonio Gutierrez Jr. and then USC VP Limalima who agreed to the changes that would occur in the council after Pajarillo officially filed for a LOA. “To further explain on why our adviser and the USC EB agreed upon it is that my leave of absence would result to faster circulation of documents given that it would take away my signing power and they won’t have to wait for me come to school and sign the documents then circulate it afterwards,” he explained. Moreover, Pajarillo said that his LOA will only temporarily remove his “signing power” and that the duties and responsibilities as part of USC will remain. “Even if most of my time is occupied by my OJT, I trust my co-officers enough that they would be able to provide quality service to the students together with our USC Logistics and Marketing Unit,” he expressed.
E R R AT U M In The HERALDO FILIPINO Volume 32 Issue 2 released on October 24, the article stated that the Dasmariñas public university was “under construction.” To clarify, the construction of the university has not yet begun; however, the lot allocated for the public university is already fully paid and the city government is preparing for the next stages of building the university.
N E W S F E AT U R E
DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE 4
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 3
A decade in retrospect Brother Gus’ 10-year term in DLSU-D by Yna Marisse Sodoy and Marjorie Alanzalon Photo by Justine Bea Bautista With a report from Naomi Lane Tiburcio “When I look at you, students, the thing that comes to mind is, what will tomorrow be for you?” –– Br. Augustine “Gus” Boquer FSC For the first time in his 10th year of being the University Brother President, Br. Augustine “Gus” Boquer FSC revealed to The Heraldo Filipino his life before the position, his past experiences in campus, his ongoing plans for the University and the students, the academe’s stance regarding national issues, and more. Little does everyone knows, the Brother President’s journey started a long time ago, when he was once the principal of La Salle Greenhills in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. Before becoming the DLSU-D President, he had already been the brother president of the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod for 9 years, from 1998 to 2007. “I knew from the bottom on what it is to be a teacher, what it is to be a principal, and a director. I knew from experience,” Br. Gus said as he disclosed what he learnt from his years with the Ordained Partners and the Brothers. On the University Recently, DLSU-D reached the 50th spot in a ranking of a network of eco-friendly universities from all over the world that consists of notable universities like University of Nottingham, University of Oxford, Harvard University, Stanford University, National University of Singapore, and Hong Kong University. To be accepted in the network, the university must first apply before being subject to membership. However, the Brother President disclosed that DLSU-D received the invitation even without applying. “This (membership) is by invitation only, and that, to me, is an honor given to the institution that does not apply, and this is [also a] part of the honor given to you students,” he furthered. In pursuance of DLSU-D’s international accreditation, Br. Gus said he challenges the students to have a passion for research that will have an impact both locally and internationally. “Our students must have the passion to look into research that is very important for getting the higher notch of the academe. A good research must not be local, but international and national in terms of obligation and presentation, and a research that will have a milestone in the province,” he said. As a matter of fact, DLSU-D is one of the universities known for its efforts in the research field nationwide, not to mention that the University holds an annual research week that discusses various research topics and issues—such as the involvement of the Lasallian community in the global thrust for the enhancement of skills and role of research endeavor and linking research utilization and inclusive growth, to which both were DLSU-D’s research week themes in 2015 and 2017. Facing DLSU-D’s conflicts Throughout the years of DLSU-D, one of the major problems that the University has encountered is keeping the financial capability of the University balanced as a result of the K-12 implementation several years ago. This implementation has since then affected most, if not all, tertiary schools in the Philippines where some schools have been forced to postpone offering Senior High School programs. Yet on the contrary, all 16 La Salle schools in the Philippines were not forced to close, “Because we prepared very well, [for] the last 2 years, we were spared of major difficulties,” he guaranteed. In connection to the K-12 matter, the Brother President said that they did not re-trench any faculty since
the school worked well with a “formula” they came up with, despite disagreements from the Faculty Association. Meanwhile Br. Gus also mentioned while talking about the faculty that he asked them to not engage in anything that will “shake the stability of the institution” as according to him, all La Salle schools maintain a well-balanced system, instigating the brand image of vision. “We saw a crisis coming years before, so we developed a plan, [and] we created a formula. It’s like a typhoon, it’s still very far away, it’s not even in our land yet so we started planning and the plans worked [out] well,” he furthered. Vision for the students With nothing but hope and optimistic words coming from the Brother President, he said he envisions DLSU-D as a “caring” university, which led him to develop his concept of the “culture of change” or the bringing in of ideas and paradigms that can transform the University. The Brother President furthered that he wishes to see the students full of passion in studying, seeing it as not just a course but a lifestyle to be embraced. “I want the University to have a human face, that as human beings, they will make a difference with their leadership skills, and our corporate social responsibility would be very pronounced,” he elaborated. Meanwhile, the President’s office, together with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Research (OVCAR) and the Presidential Management Office (PMO) is currently planning to launch a school for governance, public service, and corporate leadership in DLSU-D, an enrichment certificate program on students’ leadership skills. He said it is a unique program which can make the learning of the students more relevant. “What is sad is if you as a student, [even if] you would do very well academically, but your feet are not grounded on the floor, then this is what this [certificate] program is all about, your feet to be grounded, because you have to see where is your course leading you,” he said.
The Brother President also assured the Lasallian community that when an issue arises, the academe should “take the lead in sobriety” by looking at the objectives carefully. In response to the University’s stand on social issues, specifically regarding extrajudicial killings rampant in President Duterte’s administration, “What is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong. We do not advocate killing the innocent,” he attested. Moreover, the Brother President elaborated that our civilized society “sometimes takes things too fast” in silencing the person, or drug user, when in reality, it does not solve the real problem to deal with. With all the recent events affecting the society, such as the Marawi siege, human rights violations, and the government’s war on drugs, Br. Gus went on to advise the Lasallian community to pray for the sparing of the nation. “Your prayer and mine are as good as anything else before the Lord. Pray for the transformation of these war leaders who are creating a scenario of doom’s day for the world without caring for them,” he expressed. In addition to these, with the advent of fake news spreading like cancer, the Brother President said that the judiciary cannot “function well”. “They (judiciary) are put into corners, and we in the academe, in this ministry, we are men and women committed to promote the spouting the truth but at the same time, we are never ever going to crush the human being whether the person is a perpetrator or the victim,” the Brother President said.
The University’s stance With all the recent socio-political national issues plaguing the country, many have looked to DLSU-D to await their two cents on the matter. However, Brother President has advised the community that careful articulation of thoughts regarding such issues stands as an utmost importance. He also mentioned that virtue of prudence must be practiced. “We don’t run into the streets like headless chicken and suddenly, you drop because you are not prepared,” he expressed.
Further plans After 12 years in construction, the Ayuntamiento building approaches its completion stage after the collection of funds from donors are acquired, the Brother President stated. The Ayuntamiento will consist of board rooms, the major offices such as Office of the President; Vice Chancellor for Academic and Research; Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administrative Services; Vice Chancellor for Mission; External Affairs and Advancement and the Presidential Management, and more.
The Center for Student Admissions, University Registrar, Accounting Office, Student Scholarship Office, gallery for exhibits and the school for governance, public services and leadership of DLSU-D will also be accommodated in the new building. On the other hand, in response to the prolonged construction of the Ayuntamiento Building, the Brother President explained, “We had to keep priority, we are about to start operating inside (Ayuntamiento) and all of a sudden, the Engineering (College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology) building became a challenge, so we had to work out the funding.” After the CEAT building’s demolition few years ago, the Brother President seeks to continue developing the culture of change at a higher quality. “It (CEAT) is the most expensive building on campus [back] then, but the board said that one life is more important than a whole building, so we redo it,” he said. Meanwhile, the Brother President gave an answer to the one question he’s probably been asked for quite a time now having reached his 10th year in DLSU-D––the possibility of serving for another term. He said, “Well, if it comes from the superior and the board of trustees, I think it’s God’s will. In the same manner, if they do not renew me, I think it is God’s will as well.” On the contrary, when asked on planning to retire soon, the Brother President explained that he is always willing to go beyond the borders of a president’s duties and responsibilities, whenever and wherever he is assigned. “Retirement is not a language for the Brothers, we retire when we are no longer able to do something,” he mentioned. *** Looking back at the 10 years of the Brother President’s term, DLSU-D would not be where and who we are now if not for the numerous changes over the past decade. While one can’t please everyone and grumbles of discontent are still present, one can’t deny that the common goal in living out the core values of faith, zeal for service, and communion will keep the Lasallian community intact as we strive to achieve what we aim to do: to be first-class citizens serving the nation.
Why it’s okay not to be okay To start, we never really understand ourselves. We’re ironic that way––ambitious, yet fearful of leaving our comfort zones while wasting each second staring at the ceiling of our cold rooms. We love to learn about the intricacies of strangers, but we refuse to let our guard down thinking that people will only leave us behind; and we’ve all once been that person who believes that everything is going to turn out okay at the end, but time turns us into the kind of person we never thought we’d become—proving that we never really understood ourselves in the first place. *** After hours of staring blankly at a new document of Microsoft Word page, I finally got
the focus to capture my thoughts and write my last column for the year. Honestly, it’s not easy to write this piece, cutting myself open, exposing my naked self to the readers and hoping they see a faint light of hope in my words—words that remain unspoken in the crevices of each of our minds. See, the older we get, the more we realize how much we don’t know—about the world, about people, and about ourselves most of all. We’ve come to a point where we try to pretend to be normal—to be fine—because we assume that anything else will only bother the people around us. But in reality, it’s simply going to lead us to the delusive and isolated bubble of pretending that you’re never allowed to not be okay––to be sad, to be out of yourself, unknowing that this may be the path to the person you want and need to be. Honestly, we all have our own problems and issues to deal with. The only thing that differentiates us is who’s better at concealing it.
On Mental Health on The Mighty, a Psychology-centered page, it said in one of its articles that waking up tired even after lying in bed all day is not only a sign of being physically tired, but being mentally tired as well. This can give you a sense of déjà vu as, more or less, you have experienced this once or twice during
When we finally realize we’re not okay, we’ve taken the first step toward actually being okay those midnight breakdowns when finishing a requirement due in the next few hours. Whether the cause of our emotional drainage is academic burnout or adolescent existential crisis, it’s still no easy task to realize how far we’ve sunk.
Truth be told, there are times where we need to fall and bump our heads—or just crash and burn—to simply feel again. We can be sad if we want to, we can cry if we feel like our eyes can’t take it anymore, we don’t have to be okay––and there’s nothing wrong with that. We’re told to always tell the truth, myself especially being a student journalist, but rarely are we taught to apply this to ourselves. There are times where we must quit being dishonest to ourselves and admit that everything is not fine because when we start telling ourselves that there is nothing wrong with being a little bit fragile and when we finally realize that we’re not okay, then we’ve taken the first step towards actually being okay. But here’s the plain and harsh truth: we are probably never going to be always okay, but we will always bounce back—and that’s what’s going to matter the most in the end.
DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE 5
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 3
OPINION
DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE 6
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 3
EDITORIAL
Talk about privilege
In the ideal world, every child is entitled to proper education that will lead to a bright future. However, in the real world, privilege kicks in. Perhaps unknown to privileged Filipino students already secured in their future, the number of those who do not have the means to study and join the workforce increases each year, as the government has taken neoliberalism to an entirely new level with the Philippine education system. The term neoliberalism refers to an economic policy or perspective that limits the intervention of the government to economic activities in the country, also known as laissez-faire. It refers to private sectors or companies having complete freedom to manipulate their production, increasing prices whenever and wherever they wish––leaving those who can’t afford their products and services with nothing to live with in the neoliberal world. As capitalists say, let the invisible hand reign––in this case, it’s in the form of a mighty fist. It is no longer a term used in the classroom, but a practice finding its way to our everyday lives. It happens, and it is continuing to affect millions of Filipinos––of which the majority are impoverished. Stepping onto the next stage of educational ladder—college. The problems that State Universities and Colleges (SUC) students are facing aren’t increasing, but worsening. For instance, the recently signed free tuition bill–– now called the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act––claims to alleviate SUC students, covering them with a full tuition grant nationwide. However, there’s more to it than the word “free”, as even though the tuition is fully paid, the miscellaneous and other fees have a kick back with amounts higher than before. This further implies that the situation does not only speak of the students themselves, but how certain SUCs plan to further increase their profits, even to the point of exploiting the less privileged Filipino students. But SUCs aren’t the
Use our privilege as an amplifier for causes greater than ourselves only ones who have experienced being controlled by the value of their tuition fees, as students of private institutions also meet the same fate. For instance, here in our own campus, the case of unexplained miscellaneous and other fees repeats itself time and time again. Although many of our students have voiced out their concerns, a solution has still not been presented. However, the administration isn’t liable for the students’ unawareness of the fees. A lot of students are simply uninformed, or rather the majority are not as concerned with it as they need to be, especially that the cost of their education lies on large yet uncertain amounts. Just as one DLSU-D student puts it, we are living in a fishbowl where we’re fed what we are “supposed” to learn and never go beyond our glass cage to learn more—becoming observers of the world as it passes by, yet never active participants when change occurs. This might sound ironic coming from a private school publication, but it’s exactly because of our privilege that we must speak out. Let this be an eyeopener for us, DLSU-D students who are more privileged than the rest, that we must not be blinded from seeing the Philippine education system slowly closing its gates to the poor Filipinos who only seek a path that’ll lead to a bright future. That’s where the principle of equity must come into play—because while equality gives everyone the equal opportunity, equity means giving each individual what they need to thrive. There’s a saying in law: those who have less in life should have more in law. In the same wave of thinking, those with less privilege should be given more windows of opportunities in education in order to really be at equal footing with those who have more. Privilege becomes exploitive if we don’t use it for the advantage of all—as we climb the ladder of society, we must lift as we climb. Simply realizing our privilege and being aware, while the first step, is never going to be enough. Instead, to serve as the voice of those who cannot be heard is what we can do––using our privilege as an amplifier for causes greater than ourselves. Because serving the Filipino people doesn’t end here—it starts here.
The Rohingya genocide Sub-human—this is essentially the category that the Rohingya people of Myanmar have been thrown into. Forsaken by their country, hunted by their military, and shunned by their people, the Rohingya are the most persecuted population in the world facing an ethnic cleansing right before our eyes—a genocide in the 21st century that we can no longer play deaf, dumb, and blind to. A genocide that the international community has allowed to happen. When we think of genocide, the first thing that comes to mind are Nazi gas chambers or mass slaughters of Rwanda—rarely do we think that genocides are actually years in the making, because that would make us liable for letting it get this far. And we are. Only recently has news of the 600,000 Rohingya exodus made it to the international community’s priority list. For those who aren’t sure of what’s happening in the small Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar (formerly Burma), the Muslim minority population of Rohingya are facing a state military offensive by the Buddhist majority population in Rakhine state on the border of Bangladesh. The United Nations’ Zein Hussein calls the event a “textbook ethnic cleansing” that has resulted in countless stories of rape being weaponized against the Rohingya women, viral videos of police and military brutality, and satellite images of burned villages engulfing the Rakhine state. Although the Myanmar government refuses to acknowledge these facts, the evidence still speaks for itself. The big question remains: Why is this happening? The answer: as with many things concerning social unrest, it all boils down to intolerance. Currently, there are 1.1 million Rohingya living in Myanmar with majority residing in the
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The Students’ Week 2017 theme of SOAR (Symphony of Arts and Rhythm) emphasized the importance of bridging arts and academics.
Our silence is complicit But this couldn’t be farther from the truth as the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation says, “Rohingyas have been living in Arakan (Rakhine) from time immemorial.” It’s hard to pin down when the unrest began, but a good place to start is 50 years ago during the Burmese military coup of 1962 which rid the country of their constitution and formed a military hunta. Prior to this, fierce nationalism singled out the Islam Rohingya community, made worse after the Buddhist and Islam side of the country were on opposite sides during World War II and the Burmese government proceeded with intolerant racial Operations Dragon King in 1978 and Clean and Beautiful Nation in 1991. In 2012, four Muslim men were accused of raping a Buddhist woman, enraging citizens to burn down Muslim villages and drive out Muslim neighbors. And in 2016, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army launched an attack on border police stations, prompting a brutal crackdown from the government in retaliation to the disproportionate threat. Since then, 210 villages have burned to the ground according to recent reports. Al Jazeera also reported that landmines have been placed along the
Bangladesh border to prevent the Rohingya from returning, forcing them to find shelter in the primitive refugee camps in Bangladesh or try their luck elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Yet after hundreds of thousands have been systematically driven out of their homes, persecuted, disenfranchised, and left stateless, Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has refused to acknowledge the genocide, further downplaying the ethnic cleansing. Following the same narrative, Myanmar has systematically rejected allegations, blatantly saying that “There is no ethnic cleansing and no genocide in Myanmar.” But the stories of the Rohingya and the simple hard facts cannot be erased by Myanmar’s attempts to cover up. Even Suu Kyi, once a symbol of peace and democracy in the world, can’t deny the Rohingya genocide—or her complicit role in the crisis for staying silent and rejecting accountability, failing to fulfill her duties as a duly elected leader of the country. However, it begs to question if we are any different from Suu Kyi for letting the first act of killing even begin. Now, the genocide has developed momentum near impossible to stop. And our silence is complicit. After more than 50 years of denial, we can no longer be quiet. International diplomacy may prevent us from doing much to help these people, but Suu Kyi once (hypocritically) said it so herself in an editorial in 1997: “The policy of non-interference is just an excuse for not helping.” It’s time to contribute the Filipino voice to the international community. As Atom Araullo, acclaimed journalist and advocate for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), stated, as Filipinos, we should be more willing to offer our support and solidarity for those suffering from this ethnic cleansing, “Dahil alam natin ‘yong pakiramdam nang walang-wala.” And in times likes these, it’s also essential to remember that it’s against the rules of humanity to believe there is nothing we can do.
Hindi pa wakas ng hustisya
Editorial Board AY 2017-2018 Anri Ichimura, Editor in Chief Jazmine N. Estorninos Associate Editor Casvel Teresa A. Lopez, Managing Director Ma. Bianca Isabelle C. Lariosa, Copy Editor Glazel Ricci H. Noceda, Office and Circulations Manager Yna Marisse B. Sodoy, In charge, News Kelsey V. Telo, In charge, Features Shakira Mae O. Austero, In charge, Literary John Zedrick E. Simeon, Sports Editor Mikaela L. Torres, Graphics and Layout Director Justine Bea V. Bautista, In charge, Photo Kristine Mae H. Rebote, In charge, Video Edline Abigail S. Eribal, In charge, Web
Rakhine state—at least, before the exodus began. However, none of these people are considered citizens of Myanmar after the Burmese Citizenship Act of 1982 omitted the Rohingya from the 135 recognized official ethnic groups of the country, essentially rendering the Rohingya stateless. Let that word sink in for a moment because it might the heaviest word you’ll ever encounter. Because of this, the Rohingya’s rights to study, work, travel, marry, practice religion, and have healthcare are perpetually restricted. Add insult to injury, the paperwork of certain Rohingya label them as Bengali as the government considers them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Buhay na nawala: 900 Buhay na hindi nabigyang-hustisya: 700 Sa panahong hindi na mawari ng marami kung alin ang hustisya sa hindi, nakalulungkot isiping hinahayaan na lamang nating dumanak ang dugo sa mga buhay ng mamamahayag na hindi nabigyan ng hustisya. Sa loob ng 11 taon, 700 mamamahayag ang hindi pa nakalalasap ng katarungan dahil lamang sa pagbabalita ng katotohanan. Kung ating mapapansin, kasabay ng sunod-sunod na pagpaslang sa mga mamamahayag ay ang kabi-kabila namang pagsasawalang-bahala sa hustisya na para sana’y naihatol na sa mga kumitil ng katotohanan. Sino nga bang hindi makalilimot sa karumaldumal na pagpaslang sa 52 katao, kasama ang 32 mamamahayag, sa Maguindanao—na hanggang ngayo’y hindi pa rin nabibigyang kasagutan, walong taon na ang nakalilipas. Kilala ang pangyayaring ito bilang pinakakarumal-dumal na pagpaslang sa mga mamamahayag sa buong mundo. Ang higit lamang na nakadidismaya rito ay ang kawalan ng kaalaman ng karamihan hinggil sa ganitong usapin.Sa halip na gumawa ng
paraan upang maprotektahan ang karapatang para sana sa mga tagapagbalita ng katotohnan, taliwas ang nangyayari rito. Sa halip na ikondena natin ang kawalan ng hustisya sa ating bansa, patuloy na sinusuportahan ng nakararami ang ganitong
Mayroon tayong magagawa—at hindi pa ito ang wakas kultura. Sa halip na tayo’y mas maging uhaw sa pagtuklas ng katotohanan, mas hinahayaan nating patuloy na lamang tayong maniwala sa kung ano lang ang ating nakikita. Nakalulungkot at nakagagalit ang lumalalang pangyayari na ang boses ng katotohana’y untiunting pinipigilang magsalita. Subalit sa kabila ng nagtataasang bilang ng mga pinapaslang na hindi nabibigyan ng kaukulang parusa ang mga nagkakasala, hindi ito sapat na dahilan para hayaan nating mangyari dahil “Wala na tayong magagawa.” Lingid sa kaalaman ng nakararami, ang kawalan ng kaparusahan para sa mga nagkakasala ay talamak na rito sa ating bansa. Bunga ng prosesong kilos-pagong pagdating sa pagbibigayhustisya sa mga taong dapat sana’y matagal nang
USC and CEATSC’s cases of plagiarism/copyright infringement with their online publication materials have sparked outcry on social media and opened the discussion regarding copyright and accountability.
nakatamasa ng katarungan, hindi napagbibigyan ang mga ito—sa halip ay nadaragdagan lamang ang kanilang bilang. Hindi na rin ako nagulat nang binansagan ang Pilipinas bilang pangalawa sa pinakamapanganib na bansa para sa mga mamamahayag, kasunod ang Iraq. Gayunpaman, alam kong hindi ito hadlang para manghina ang loob ng bawat mamamahayag sa ating bansa—dahil patunay lamang ito na patuloy pa ring nag-aalab ang hangarin ng bawat mamamahayag na maihain ang katotohanan para sa lahat. Napatutunayan din ang katapangan ng mga mamamahayag sa ating bansa sa bawat buhay na kanilang ibinubuwis sa ngalan ng katotohanan. Kung sisimulan nating makibahagi sa pagdagdag sa kamalayan ng marami ukol sa ganitong isyu at makilahok sa mga samahang may layuning para sa ikabubuti ng mga mamamahayag, hindi malayong unti-unting talikuran ng iba ang kulturang nakagisnan. Mayroong batas na pumoprotekta sa mga mamamahayag. Mayroong mga organisasyong naglalayong ipaglaban ang karapatan ng mga mamamahayag. Ang problema’y nasa implementasyon at tamang pagpapatupad ng mga ito—gayon na rin ang mga taong takot na malaman kung ano ang totoo. Mayroon pa; mayroon tayong magagawa— at hindi pa ito ang wakas.
Former DLSU-D Brother President and current President of De La Salle Philippines Br. Armin Luistro, FSC has been handpicked and named one of the Three Outstanding Filipinos (TOFIL) for 2017.
OPINION
DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE 7
Ang boring
“Tuwing gigising sa umaga, ang bigat ng aking nadarama—alam kong ako’y buhat sa pagpapahinga ngunit tila pagod na ang aking katawang-lupa. Sa pagsapit ng gabi’y hihimlay sa komportableng higaang sa aking pag-uwi’y naghihintay.”—ganito ang pangaraw-araw kong pamumuhay na kung minsa’y parang siklo na lamang at wala nang saysay. Nakakapagod. Nakakabagot. Hindi naman alintana na bilang mag-aaral, bagot na tayo sa kabilaang deadlines sa bawat kursong sinasabayan pa ng matinding pangangambala ng procrastination kung kaya’t mas lalong nagugulo ang atin nang naiplanong proseso. Hindi natin dapat ipinagsasawalang-bahala ang pangyayaring ito at ang pangontra sa problemang ito ay ang ating pag-aksyon. Pero paano nga ba humahantong sa puntong nakakasawa na ang mga bagay na noo’y nagdudulot sa atin ng sigla? Marahil marami ring nakararanas ng problemang ito. Kahit sandali pa lamang tayong gumagawa, pakiramdam na agad nating marami nang lumipas na oras at kailangan na natin ng pahinga. Totoong sa panahon ngayon, mabilis na ang paglipas ng bawat sandali at ramdam na natin ang resultang naidudulot nito. Ayon sa librong
isinulat ni Harold J. Sala, PhD, isang kilalang speaker, matatawag na boredom ang nasabing sitwasyon ng ating buhay na siyang bunga ng pagshu-shutdown ng emosyon. “Pagkagising mo, para kang robot na kikilos at tatapusin ang isa na namang araw.” Maraming dahilan ang nagdudulot sa atin upang maging “bored” sa buhay na mayroon tayo: isa na rito ay ang advanced civilization na kung saan marami nang pinagpipilian ang tao sa kung ano ang gusto nilang gawin at sa papaanong paraan. Dahil sa kabilaang libangan
“Pagod na ako” dahil sa tunay na pagkapagod sa mismong buhay na mayroon tayo na parang karaniwan na lamang na parte ng ating kaginhawahan, mabilis tayong magsawa kung kaya’t naghahangad agad tayo ng ibang pamalit—mas bago at mas kakaiba. Bukod dito, ang ‘di mabilang na pagpipilian at pang-eengganyo na ating nakikita sa social media ay siya ring nagdudulot ng ating pagkalimot sa mga nangyayari sa ating kapaligiran. Masyado tayong nahuhumaling sa kadalian ng proseso sa paggamit ng internet at gadgets kung kaya’t naisasantabi natin at ‘di nabibigyang-pansin ang
mga dapat nating unahin—kasama na ang epekto nito sa ating payak na pamumuhay. Halimbawa, ang paraan ng komunikasyon noo’y ilang buwan ang hihintayin bago makuha ang liham na mula sa mga mahal sa buhay—marunong maghintay; samantalang ngayon, hindi lang sumagot nang ilang minuto, beastmode na agad. Hindi na natin malaman kung sa papaanong paraan natin makakamit ang ating satisfaction kung kaya’t may pagkakataong nasasabi nating “pagod na ako” hindi dahil sa ginawa natin maghapon kundi sa tunay na pagkapagod sa mismong buhay na mayroon tayo. Bago tayo magpakain sa boredom na ating nararamdaman, bakit tila atin nang nalimutang maging masigla? Hindi ba’t ating sinisimulan ang isang gawain sa pagpapasya na tugon sa ating boluntaryong kagustuhan? Ang nawalang apoy ng ating pagkasabik sa pagkilos ay nararapat nating pagliyabin sa ating mga sarili upang mabuhay muli ang lingas ng ating buhay sa pamamagitan ng paggunita ng ating simula. Dagdag pa rito, ang pagkasawa sa klase ng pamumuhay na mayroon tayo ay wari kong nararapat na magsilbing motibasyon upang mas ganahan tayo’t magkaroon ng maayos na hangarin sa buhay. Hindi sapat ang paghihinaing na “pagod” na tayo, kailangan muna natin kilalanin ang problemang nakaharap sa atin, umaksyon kung paano tatalunin ang negatibong lumalamon sa ating pananaw, at paigtingin ang siglang hindi dapat mawala sa ating buhay.
(Re)educate yourself
Learning never happens just inside the four walls of a classroom—we already know that. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take a deeper look of what’s inside the four walls of all classrooms—the very product of the education system in the country. With the 1987 Philippine Constitution stating that education should receive the highest national funds from the government, and with the Department of Education receiving the largest portion of the national budget this year with 567B PHP, we should all be more comfortable talking about our country’s education system—as both students and Filipino citizens— regardless of the private status of our institution. A recent survey according to the National Union of Students in the Philippines states that 700,000 to 1 million junior high school students either have to switch to a private institution for senior high or drop out entirely to succumb to
the requirements of the K-12 curriculum—which not all Filipinos can do. Meanwhile, according to philstar.com, there have over been 400,000 junior high school completers dropping out of school since 2016. Private institutions like ours don’t have room in a normal Filipinos family’s budget, and so the choice—or rather, the lack of it—is obvious. We must not just be aware, but also
Speak in behalf of those who don’t know they’re being silenced
internalize that the world is so much bigger than the confines of our university. Though we can travel in and out of the country at our leisure, some are being utilized by the government as export products to fulfill the need of the international work industry—the docile workforce that the K to 12 system ultimately aims for. Though they are noble professions, the masses should have more career choices than the nurse, caretakers, and
maids fed to them. And though we can sit and grump about how other universities are flashier than ours, some are contemplating whether or not to pursue their education in the first place. The education system in the Philippines is a question mark that many don’t think need an answer. As Lasallian students receiving quality education, it is our duty to turn the questions marks into exclamation points. That means focusing on what others’ stomachs are rumbling for, rather than what our plates are “lacking”. Open the unspoken dialogue regarding the lack of proper education, fight for those who don’t think they can, speak in behalf of those who don’t know they’re being silenced. To simply believe that education is a right and not a privilege is the first step, yet it shouldn’t stop there. It’s about time we step out of the complaints regarding just ourselves and go beyond the confines of the campus, beyond Cavite, and beyond our comfort zones. DLSU-D was built on a resettlement area 30odd years ago. We are here now because they were here before. We were in a position of power—and don’t forget, we still are.
When existential crisis hits Not to be too dramatic or anything, but I was in the middle of doing chapter two of my thesis when I suddenly got caught up with asking myself: What am I even doing? What is the purpose of this, or my purpose for that matter? Is there a definite meaning of our actions and our lives or is it something that we just fabricate or validate with our own judgments? To make the long story short, due to constant overthinking and overanalyzing, I wasn’t able to finish my paper, because after all, what’s it going to matter anyway? It’s difficult when existential crisis hits you— really hard—because once you fall into the abyss of your own thoughts, it’s not easy to get out of it. The struggle continues and it takes away all vibrancies— eventually desaturating your world. See, existential crisis isn’t just material for viral memes, but an actual reality the youth experience but rarely face. Existential crisis may be about questioning the meaning of life, but its also about questioning the decisions, motivations, and other anxiety-inducing circumstances surrounding you. The great thinkers of existentialism, Søren Kierkegaard, Albert Camus, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, and John Paul Sartre, might give you differing definitions of existential crisis, but they all agreed that existence as a whole is so important that an entire field of study was dedicated to it. Sometimes we start to think “Why are we in this university when we could be somewhere else
doing much more interesting stuff?” or “Why are we following these social norms when, in fact, it was only made by people like us?” It only shows that we live in a world full of options, but all these norms merely hinder us from taking a different path. We are told to go to school, find a stable job, and build a family; but we forget that these options are simply human constructs made by people who are just as anxious and empty as us. To add to the doubt, there are people who “succeeded” in life without following the norms, like Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, F. Scott Fitzgerald—even freaking Walt Disney. Maybe it was all due to their natural talent, but maybe it was also because of their strong
Once you fall into the abyss of your own thoughts, it’s not easy to get out of it commitment to what they believed in—something so rare in the world today. It’s impossible as college students not to encounter at least one moment questioning our own existence and purpose in life because I know that most students like me end up feeling empty at some point in their college years. You may find yourself staring at the void, having a constant breakdown, and isolating yourself from anybody else, but according to James T. Webb, PhD and founder of SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted), people who experience existential depression are more likely gifted because of their
Men’s restrooms in the CTH and GMH buildings have been “out of order” for students since early October.
more highly developed sensitivities. He also mentioned that these people are idealists because they see the possibilities of how things might be, but feel extremely disappointed and frustrated when the said ideals are not reached. I can’t help but relate with this because I myself have encountered people who are creative, intensive, and highly sensitive, yet are battling existential depression as they don’t just focus on superficial aspects of life, but rather reflect on the deeper meaning of it. Before getting caught up in another existential crisis as I write this, I’d like to quote Kierkegaard on his first published work Either/Or, “I see it all perfectly; there are two possible situations — one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do not do it— you will regret both.” Kierkegaard believes that the only way to respond to these tough times in life is to laugh defiantly at it, and for him, humor is based on the incongruity and as philosophically important. So, do what keeps you alive—even laugh at it if you must, and remember that these crises in life will transform you into a stronger person. Albeit depressing, these moments questioning everything around us open an acute awareness that can only be learned through dark experiences. Sometimes we find ourselves stuck in our thoughts of how meaningless our actions are that we forget that, as Kierkegaard said, this world can only be understood backwards—but must be lived forwards. We might not understand it now, but we will eventually—if we only hang in there and keep going. Just don’t forget to finish your thesis.
Museo De La Salle’s collaboration with off-campus artists and Cavite-centered advocacies through exhibits HeARTbeats and Alsa Masa are ongoing until the end of the semester.
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WITBREAD
Liberalism in the age of pseudoauthoritarianism: An infantile disorder by Allen Casey Severino Gumiran (PSC41)
The emergence of grassroots-based ‘activism’ (in which a majority of such activists are liberals fascinated by the idea of ‘social justice’, as if social justice can be delivered by a stroke of a policy paper) should be of great concern to the existing mass-based movements and people’s organizations. Why is such a trend the new vanguard of the opposition, when these so-called ‘activists’ are nothing more than liberals meticulously wearing masks of activism to hide their responsibility and sins from the people? The sickening politicization of social media reflected on the echo chambers of the respective political persuasions currently competing for scrapes of the activist credo is both despicable and laughable. Now, our so-called ‘activists’ are engaging with the same strategies, tactics, and dispositions in an attempt to rebrand themselves. But if we are to gather from the experiences of these liberals on the picket fences, their contributions have amounted to little. They have become activists out of the necessity to lick their wounds while waiting for the moment to strike. Their strikes however, as demonstrated by the ‘events’ that they have held against let us say, the burial of Marcos for example, is but the manifestation of the limits in their so-called activism. Their utter descent and retreat to a single place known as their meeting points further make them a target of ridicule, and to some extent, as mere clowns under the cloak of revolution. Revolution for what purpose, some may ask? And here the usual rhetoric is uttered—land reform, education, the end of state terror, and so forth. While such ideas sound good for the sake of polishing up their resumes that they will later submit to the highest bidders of the private institutions, their inability to articulate a coherent program or framework outside of jargons is unsurprising. The issue of land reform for example, has been already endemic and if we are to point fingers, the current pace of land reform can be blamed entirely upon these individuals who are the current espousers of land reform. Why should they take the blame? As supporters for the most part of the prevailing neoliberal order, their viewpoint of land reform is reminiscent to waves of vapor, or to be simple, concepts which have not been fully elaborated whether theoretically or argumentatively. They will try to espouse their commitment to “Sustainable Development” but in reality, sustainable development is impossible under late capitalism. Their faith in the so-called private sector demonstrates that their commitment does not hold water of any sort, as their inability to expand their critique in stark opposition to the current forces that have driven the world into utter chaos demonstrates the bankruptcy of their beliefs and vision. The reason why the current administration is still relatively successful to garner popular support is not because of its adherence to the so-called democratic process, human rights, rule of law, or consensus, but rather on the sheer force of will. Regardless of any mishaps, the resilience of this administration shows that it can still hold a manageable power base despite the absence of any serious commitment to political or social reform. This support however is gradually fading. Though its fading will be both painful and slow, if the current methods of awareness are still to be used by our so-called activists. The weakness of this administration does not lie on a mere abandonment of morality, but rather on the notion that such a grouping will not last for long; contradictions will soon arise and the inevitable partition of this shaky alliance is but a fleeting possibility that can neither be avoided nor averted. If the opposition is to fight this administration, one must understand that the election of the current President, whether this can be interpreted either as a revolution and a reaction, is simply the result of the inadequacies and flaws of the post-EDSA consensus. To define the post-EDSA era as a period of democratic rule is misleading and even malicious; while it may have granted token concessions throughout its tenure, it is still a State ruled by a rapacious oligarchy whose concern is for its own benefit. Thus, it is unsurprising that out of desperation, the majority would rather choose a dictator who can bring them certainty, work, and food on the table rather than relying on a false god known as Democracy—whose only appeal is the allure for expression, a past time of the educated and the privileged few. The current opposition of Hontiveros et al. therefore—if it wants to gather a semblance of support from an apathetic and a disillusioned citizenry—should change their strategy. This should involve a long-term goal, but due to the disposition of the figures of activism nowadays, we could not expect for them to change aside from a few efforts on multisectoral attempts of mobilization. The current ‘activist’ figures are nothing more than parliamentary socialists, who abhor violence because it is ‘tantamount to barbarism’, only finding it convenient as tools to show the established order that they could moderate such sentiments or bouts of extremism. These parliamentary socialists, the offspring of reactionaries and exploiters, will in turn claim the reforms as their own, supported by a network of lapdogs who have given up any faculty for skepticism in the name of being the opposition, even if such opposition has no commitment or rigor. Since the fragmentation of the Philippine Left more than twenty years ago, the legacy of its demise still continues and will continue to haunt the present generation. The void towards emancipation since the widespread abandonment of the armed struggle is currently in need of refill. Ironically, this has been filled by the outburst of nostalgia and hero-worship. For the most part, the victory of the current administration over its opponents is but a sheer reminder that in every outburst of authoritarianism or fascism, there is a failed revolution continuing to cast a large shadow upon it. Its ghosts are still free to wander, without any means to go back to where they werebefore. With the current state of affairs on the horizon, people are being dragged from the gates of Paradise, without any map of the future. As perpetual slaves of the present, this present is constantly being castrated by the beacon of progress; and this progress whatever you call, is our current malady—the current storm.
The months-long traffic congestion caused by ongoing roadside construction near Gate 3 has still not eased, causing a great deal of hassle to students heading to class.
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F E AT U R E S
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The bad business Why it pays to be a rebel by Paolo Lorenzo Salud Photo by Justine Bea Bautista Collage by Camille Joy Gallardo Have you been getting in touch with your bad side? Okay, not bad bad—the kind of bad that doesn’t mind breaking a few rules here and there if it leads to a better outcome. But the kind that actively works for what they want and takes initiative because they think—rather, they know—that they’re more than competent enough for the task. And no, they’re probably not going to end up listening to anyone. The ordinary person would dub them as jerks (well, they’re kind of right) but underneath the cocky attitude and frequent disobedience lie their out-of-the-box way of thinking, and the undeniable ability to perform. Are you one of them? Probably not. Just close this page and live your thrill-less life, you shy, shy sheeple. It’s swell to rebel That was a bit much, but if you’re still reading this, then it means you’re a bit of a rebel too. It’s a start, but the real deal has much more to offer. In the Mindcor.com article Using Rebel Talent to combat workplace conformity, “rebels” are referred as people who “aren’t afraid of expressing their authentic selves, pushing against the status quo, and embracing multiple perspectives which ultimately benefits the organization.” They are believed to be more likely admired by their peers because apart from being genuine, they also tend to inspire creativity and innovation among others. Adding in a couple of other cool traits, this sums up just about everything you need to know about the “ideal” rebels. But of course, there are those who chose the thug life, and the thug life ended up not choosing them. Lois Kelly and Carmen Medina, coauthors of Rebels at Work: A Handbook for Leading Change from Within made a chart in their book that separates the traits of good and bad rebels. The former are known to be optimistic, missionfocused, and passionate, which are all nice to see in someone who can be a little hard to handle. The latter? They’re usually pessimists, complainers, and always the first ones to start pointing fingers. Needless to say, they’re not exactly achievers. These two kinds of “troublemakers” have the same label but differ in performance, reputation, and number of headaches given to other people. Word of advice: if you’re planning on being a
major pain to everyone around you, you can make up for it by producing optimal results. Or maybe not, but what’s important is that you’re productive. Too cool for school Being a rebellious student can be very difficult, especially in DLSU-D where most people have cultivated a “traditional” culture of doing things. Fortunately, there are professors who are open-minded when dealing with students who think that the system can go screw itself. In an interview with a professor from the Computer Sciences Department, Ma’am Annie (not her real name) talks about how “defiance” can either be constructive or destructive depending on the person, and that those who have attained success by being defiant are comparatively few. Ma’am Annie once had a student, Bob (again, not his real name), who would go to class with just a pen, pester his classmates for yellow paper, but could still manage to get the highest grades among his peers. Although it probably helped that Bob has a photographic memory where jotting down lectures isn’t really needed for a student who can memorize notes at a glance, not everyone is born with such a life hack. There are those who don’t really excel much academically but still have the gall to ignore instructions at every turn. “Pasang-awa” is what Ma’am Annie calls them and unfortunately, they outnumber the achievers by a considerable margin.
Conventions and chains Artistic freedom and its challenges to our culture, philosophy, and morals by Christian Ralf Dugan Art by Sheka Ignaco Boundless yet principled—there are artists who indeed create blatant expositions of truth and dauntless mediums of justice. The periods of revolutionary transcendence in art has prompted both artists and the people to defy the falsities of systems and beliefs. It has tainted conservatism and societal precepts; it’s been chaotic since the minds of history started to question existence itself.
Bearing these facts in mind, you can be a builder like Bob or a slob whose name nobody even remembers. This article simply encourages you how to be like Bob—the ideal for any aspiring rebel with the reluctance to agree but with the willingness to adapt.
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Defiance for dummies When asked if Ma’am Annie would recommend defiant behavior for students, she suggests that they should act based on their learning style. If your preferred methods are different from the professor’s, then a little defiance is considered A-OK. “Kasi positive defiance ‘yon,” she says. “Parang ayaw mo sundin ‘yong solution—kung paano nag-compute [ng problem] ‘yong teacher mo pero at least gumawa ka ng paraan para mas maintindihan mo.” Rejoice, all ye troublemakers; someone actually understands. If you’re still confused as to what being effectively defiant actually means, Foghound’s book Rebels at Work: Motivated to Make a Difference lists the traits that a rebel ought to have. They are said to have willingness to “call out problems others [are]
afraid of” and drive to “challenge ineffective sacred cow practices” or questioning pointless endeavors maintained by tradition, no offense to the cow. The list goes on, mentioning initiative and the ability to think outside the box. You ought to take note of this, but rebels don’t take notes, so maybe just keep it in mind. Defiance isn’t meant to be spontaneous: it requires careful and thorough thinking prior to action. So before you tear that cedula, it’s better to first explore your options and make sure that you’re on the right track. *** There are only two endgames waiting for a rebel: a) you instigate change and reap success in return or b) you refuse to cooperate and become a liability. Go big or go home; double or nothing; be a Bob or a slob. Where you’ll end up depends on your attitude, wits, and judgement. If you want play it safe, then cool. You can close this paper, forget you read this, and move on with your life. But if there’s even a slight chance that you want to take the risk, then get in touch with your bad side—just make sure you know when to unleash it.
Ever since, it’s been clear that writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, and other professions that embody art have the power to create a fire that could dispute the foundation of our philosophy, morality, and ethics. However, the question lies not on the upshot of art’s defiance to conventions, but with the sole meaning of their freedom and right to do so. This is where artistic freedom tracks its own path. The existent freedom of an artist to create art solely through his ideas, and style is the definition of artistic freedom; it connotes the freedom to express regardless of subjects and medium. Although semantically similar, artistic freedom must not be confused with freedom of art in the sense that the latter is a constitutional provision to prevent political censorship. Yet in reality, artists aren’t boundless but restricted—by laws, by morals, by politics, and by culture. To morally and ethically discern art is beyond objectivity and subjectivity. To simply put it, there are no universal rules that can be adhered in the judgment of different art forms, which cancels the concept of objectivity in the same way that people have varying cultures and customs that makes it difficult to consider subjectivity. “Artistic and creative expression is critical to the human spirit, the development of vibrant cultures, and the functioning of democratic societies. Artistic expression connects us all, transcending borders and barriers. Artistic expression can challenge us and change the way we view the world,” Janis Karklinš, the Ambassador of Latvia, stated in his speech in front of the United Nations Council on September 2015. As we know, freedom of expression has always been accounted to journalism. Yet, expression is not limited only to journalists; it is a universal avenue for people’s dissent and opinion. Added with creativity, this results in art forms meant to disturb our minds and question our defaults. As art evolves, medium, style, and approach change too. From coffee-inked and phallusbrushed paintings, some artists break the codes of traditional art for the sake of exploration and discovery—an embodied structure of subjective desires seeming to stand as a lyceum for criticisms. One of the most controversial art exhibits in the Philippines was Mideo Cruz’s Poleteismo, as he used religion and idolatry as themes for his artworks. It has been exhibited in the Cultural Center of the Philippines but due to harsh national criticism, the center had to take it down. His
controversial work featured Jesus Christ with an attachment of male genitalia made out of wood, a picture of Christ with his eyes covered withblank ink, and a crucifix with a condom. Similarly, Andres Serrano, an artist from New York, faced controversies when he soaked a picture of Christ in urine as a form of art. Serrano’s justification toward criticisms would always be his own submission to his original style—which just happens to be the use of urine and fecal matter. Even when we rage over standards and style, the truth is, breakthroughs in art do not do any harm, they only invalidate and disturb our ego. Our rationality directs where it is used to, but the problem only arises when we encounter peculiar things, in this case—art forms—against our morals and culture. The sole core of artistic freedom is freedom itself—no cage, no ropes but rather, space where it can freely express and uphold what is right. Challenging and ceiling-breaking art pieces are not only limited to religion and societal precepts. As much as our culture and faith, politics in the country is also a wide and contextual source of our behavior. We tend to disintegrate in this post-truth era—and believe it or not, the tenacity of thawing the cold war division only aggravates the chaos among us. Effigies that are being burned during rallies signify how art can challenge politics as much as any other science and study. In the midst of the atrocities during the Marcos regime, The Philippine Free Press was one of the courageous publications that published politically critical editorial cartoons and articles despite the dictator’s hold over the press. Up until now, editorial cartoons are significant in proactive resolution and in conceptualizing the ideas of the masses as they instigate vigor to protect and accentuate dissent. To say that art is meant to divide people and disseminate hate culture purposely ruins the point. Art is meant to wake us up from our deep, convoluted, and deceptive dream of peace, truth, and harmony. *** Our social defaults prevail over our morals and mindset. Although it has guided our culture and calibrated our image of the world, our molded instincts seem to be outdated as we shift to a culturally intensive mindset. And to delve into these new discoveries isn’t any safer at all, as it costs thousands of dissenting voices and a plethora of opinions. Afterall—art is meant to express, not repress.
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(Un)silenced voices On resistance, rebellion, and revolution By Jomar Villanueva | Graphic art by Yves Villanueva
Long ago, the nations lived freely as a species gifted with cognition and locomotion before we finally evolved from curious nomads into dominant empires and supreme kingdoms. But then everything changed when human beings became hell-bent on dominance and supremacy at the expense of another’s freedom— leading to the formation of those resisting in pursuit of change. It’s no secret that resistance has always been a part of our past. From the oldest antiquity to most recent history, the past holds more accounts of protests and rallies than we can count. But contrary to what many believe, there’s more to resistance than what films and textbooks show—something that goes deeper than simply going against authority just for the sake of it. A record of change Sewn into the complex fabric of history that toppled dictatorships—and democracies—rebellions and revolutions were led by those willing to rebel against the powers that be. But before we get deep into the heart of a resistance, it’s best to start at its roots. In times of political and societal turmoil, words like resistance, rebellion, and revolution are thrown about, igniting sentiments ranging from nationalism to all-out rage. The divisive nature of such words is expected as they all essentially either side with or against the government at varying degrees. Resistance is where it all begins, when dissenting opinions refuse to follow authorities for certain reasons, until resistance is exacerbated enough to become a full-fledged rebellion. Since the dawn of time, rebellions and revolutions have served as the bookmarks of history, however the two differ in that while rebellions are generally accepted to be mass-led passionate outbursts pushing to change the order, revolutions aim to overthrow political orders altogether. To add to that, rebellions have a negative connotation of being wrong, while revolutions showcase the highest properties of human nature and are usually in the right, at least according to the New York Times article Rebellion, not Revolution A Dastinction and a Difference. The odd dichotomy eventually finds its meeting point when the narrow domain of rebellions expand to encompass the broad and limitless fields of glorious revolutions—the best example would be the historic Arab Spring in 2010 when protests rebelling against
oppressive government forces led to revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen, but also civil wars in Libya and Syria. And this is where the approaches to rebellions diverge— in its most romantic sense, rebellions can be perceived as peaceful instances of resistance, but it can also be taken by the most violent approach of resistance—terrorism or allout civil war. The very essence of rebellion is also interlinked with the idea of treason, but experts in revolutionary thinking like Niccolò Machiavelli, John Milton, and Immanuel Kant would argue otherwise. While rebellious thoughts might seem treasonous at first glance, it should be noted that there’s a difference between treason—acts of disloyalty to your country—and dissent—acts driven by critical thinking to refuse to cooperate with authorities. The Philippines is no stranger to dissent and resistance— case in point, a rural unrest known as the Huk Rebellion of the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan raged across Central Luzon from 1946 to the early 1950’s. In the book titled The Huk Rebellion: A study of peasant revolt in the Philippines, Professor Benedict Tria Kerkvlet comprehensively enumerates the roots of rebellions starting from the adverse agrarian conditions in the 1920s, to the government hostility in the 1930s to 1940s, and to the oppressive years of the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945. Let’s also not forget the People Power Revolution and the ongoing Moro conflict. This testifies that these movements are in mission to mend the fatal origins of their resistance to cause a great shift— and necessary agitation—in politics, economy, society, and history. In the present, ubiquitous protests and rallies in the Philippines have led to Filipinos being politically awakened. But it doesn’t end there, as more people have become politically active and socially aware—becoming a fervent sea of patriotic individuals anchored on a sole—but never solitary—cause. The great fallacy behind change No matter how purposive these movements are, some people negatively view “resistance” as nationally disparaging. The common misconception is this: resistance is just a river of people who the police throw teargas to and spray with water, but never make changes at the end of the day. Similarly, this disdained misconception led to Huks being falsely viewed as the kontrabidas rather than purposeful revolutionaries back then.
Another erroneous instance is when the government itself views rebellion or resistance as an act of destabilization rather than an expression of patriotic sentiment. We know well that resistance and rebellion comes with dissent and protests—something contested by the Citizen National Guard (CNG) who recently claimed that dissent is associated, if not equivalent, to destabilizing the government, as reported by The Philippine Star. As far as the CNG is concerned, political dissenters commit seditious acts, therefore making them an “enemy of the state.” It would seem difficult to point-out the fallacy in this assumption—yet it isn’t. Dissent is the expression of an opinion contrary to the majority’s conviction, while destabilization is distressing the government to cause economic downfall and political dysfunction. Even Senator Bam Aquino has spoken out over the matter, urging the President Duterte to not equate dissent to destabilization, noting that passionate and vocal outrage over national issues is not to be mistaken for intentions of destabilization, echoing the words of Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1967 speech titled Why I am opposed to the war in Vietnam: “There are those who are seeking to equate dissent with disloyalty.” In the Philippines, some politicians have used the term to defend themselves. In 2006, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo used “destabilization” as an excuse to allegations against her in sprinting away from the controversial projects and questionable transactions under her administration. Engaging on a feint of victim-playing and finger-pointing, GMA claimed that the opposition’s aim was only to politicize the proceedings and destabilize her administration. This fallacious mindset linking dissent with destabilization is also globally common. In China, a man named Bingzhang Wang became a political prisoner after inflicting rebellion against the Chinese government. But hiding beneath China’s claim was the truth that Wang was a leader of a pro-democracy movement that aimed to push democracy to China. It’s intriguing why supreme authorities get discomposed with people standing even at the lowest ground of society. This only proves that the tiny—like the Huks and Wang—can cause the giant to tremble.
Renewed resistace In a classic essay The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt, French philosopher and journalist Albert Camus explained that those who stand against societal cruelty and administrative tyranny are “true rebels” as they resist out of love for others. Camus argues that this form of rebellion is an act for the general welfare of every individual—not driven by self-interest. We’ve all seen millennials actively participating in protests and rallies. For more than what we can recall, several youths have already stepped in harm’s way to express their dissent and dismay—rebellious indeed, but not with the negative connotation the word holds. When former President Ferdinand Marcos was buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani last year, many opposed— including 14-year-old high school student Shibby De Guzman. She gained traction in November 2016 when she boldly spoke against the Duterte administration and was praised by her school, St. Scholastica’s College, for courageously voicing out. However, behind all these praises were violent reactions from her colleagues as well as some netizens who claimed she was too young to understand the politics of her time. But at the light of it all, she was later lauded by Time magazine as one of the 30 Most Influential Teens of 2017—a shining example of the mission of awakening the youth. Unlike those who simply sit-tweet-repeat in front of screens, Shibby brought her tweets to the streets. This form of resistance is purposive in complementing the strengths of the generation older than us, as authors Neil Howe and William Strauss mentioned in the book Millennials rising: The next great generation. This means engaging on the continuous fight our ancestors started—the fight for justice. Emphatically, it also means finding the path to uprising no matter what the costs are—doing what history dared and the present requires—as we evolve into a generation made bold and brave by time. *** Resistance—gone are the days of hastily equating the word to mad protestors and mobs as it holds a compelling volume of history that can’t be redefined so easily. It has doubtlessly come a long way—not just with compelling placards and enthralling chants but with the quest of a real radical shift. Long ago, our forerunners ended social biases and opposed flawed norms through resistance, rebellion, and revolution so we could live freely as we do today. So, why are you still here?
Coming of cage You exactly know what they’re going to say—it’s not okay to be delayed. Graduate on time. Get that diploma and unburden your parents. Of course, it’s the ultimate goal to post your graduation picture and drop that #RoadToULS hashtag when you’re supposed to. Being on time is undeniably the matter at hand, but when you’re still far from the finish line, there’s no excuse letter format for that. But life, with perspectives tweaked a little, could use some understanding. Let’s first get it clear. You don’t automatically become an anti-future, careless, scrap-thissystem jerk if you’re delayed. The answer is simple: each person has his own timeline. And no hand on any clock can fully dictate the pace of this four/five-year myth.
There are numerous ways for a student to lose track and get off the ride of college. Remember, the road is never smooth for everybody, but worse is that sometimes, the road itself breaks off into a cliff. And from there you’ll realize how college has got to be the most sensitive make-it-or-break-it challenge—miss a single step and it renders you out of sync. Perhaps we’re over saying “graduating on time is just a social construct” because it really is. While there should never be a culture of incompetence, there should equally be a call to stop slapping the four or five-year rule to anyone. Take four years, or maybe six— it doesn’t make graduating any less of an accomplishment. The truth is, what ruins the supposed timeline runs a long list. Constraints of time and money are just two of the most common reasons in being delayed, but also take into account those who have fallen into the abyss of existential crisis in thr middle of a semester,
or those who have let their siblings finish schooling before them, or even those who have just begun to realize what they want to be. PowerPoint slide after slide, what we should learn is that we can afford to make
College shouldn’t feel like a cage we are constantly trying to escape from mistakes as long as we learn from them. Above all, as students, the eagerness to learn is what we shouldn’t lose along the way. For whatever breeds that sincerity, at the end of the day, you are who you make yourself to be. It matters to address the feelings of those who feel sinfully rebellious for not conforming to their own syllabus. It’s true that you may
swim the same pool and have the same starting point as others—but you can never completely have the exact strokes, depth, and distance from the finish line. The real world doesn’t just need you to be competent—it needs you to be whole. The kind of whole that was crushed but got back on its feet again. The kind of whole that is fulfilled. The kind of whole that actually enjoyed college and is now ready to face the world. The kind of whole that gave one’s self the chance to know the campus as the fulfilling place it is. After all, college shouldn’t feel like a cage we are constantly trying to escape from. The dropout rate in the Philippines rises significantly as the years go by. And as hard as finishing studies can be—if there are no constraints hindering your outward journey— don’t stop. It doesn’t mean things won’t go a slower than usual; but just keep this in mind: continue. The years won’t define you. Your timeline is yours.
DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE| PAGE 12 12
LITERARY
VOLUME VOLUME 32 32 ISSUE ISSUE 3 3
When volcanoes sing
By Shakira Austero
Scorching lava beneath the earth, ready to spill through its trembling mouth. It boils in tension, quivers in anticipation. Red and ready to burst. It shoots up. Free from the deep abyss below. Vaulting towards the light of day. And the sky heard the mouth rumble… And the wind scattered the ashes… And the trees... they burned. Red hot liquid flowed like a river, destroying everything it touched. Plants did not blossom anymore, and all the lands were barren.
Shadow play
By Shakira Austero
A silhouette behind a white curtain, only the outline’s seen. It talks, engages the audience. All cuts and curves—pristine. It moves vivacious and proud, to the music set for its story. The audience sighs and laughs, anticipating the protagonist’s glory. Its final scene is ending. The audience—entertained and content. Behind the curtain the cardboard lies, seeming completely spent.
In heat By Bianca Isabelle Lariosa
here is where i find you in the heat of the dry oasis i became the proud lioness you, my precious prey here is where i mark you red lips on your fresh meat dissatisfaction never tasted so bitter raw flesh won’t quench these needs here is where i leave you with the bloody mess we made our bodies in a violent dance but i know you loved the chase
The strings—attached no more. The lights are turned down low. Woe, with another night spent pretending. The stage is but a glitz-coated sorrow.
LITERARY
DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE 13
VOLUME VOLUME 32 32 ISSUE ISSUE 3 3
Ang pagsulpot ng petmalu
Werpa, petmalu, lodi. Ilan lamang ‘yan sa mga salitang madalas marinig mula sa kabataan o malimit na mabasa sa social media. Uso, ika nga. Nilalaro ang mga salita upang makabuo ng panibago na sumasabay sa pagbabago ng panahon. Ngunit lingid sa kaalaman ng iba, noong dekada sitenta, ayon sa spot.ph ay mayroon na ring mga salitang ‘astig’, ‘amats’ o ‘olats’ kung kailan pinagbabaligtad din ang mga pantig o silaba ng mga salita. Sa madaling salita, ang mga usong salita na ginagamit ngayon ng mga kabataan ay hindi bago. Kumbaga, nagawa na rin ito ng mga magulang natin o ng mga taong dekada ang tanda sa atin.
Ang salitang ito ay maihahalintulad sa fashion, nagiging uso, lumilipas, at nabubuhay muli. Kahit marami nang naririndi sa mga bagong salitang naimbento ng mga milenyal, marami ring dahilan kung bakit kailangan itong tanggapin at hindi ikahiya. Makulay ang ating wika—tunay na sumasalamin sa kwentong pumapaloob sa buhay ng mga Pilipino gayon na rin ang kasaysayang humulma sa katauhan ng bansa. Kung tayo’y magbabalik-tanaw sa nakaraan kung kailan ang bansa ay nasakop ng iba’t ibang lahi, ating mapapagtanto na kahit ang wikang Filipino ay hinulma rin ng mga pagbabagong ito. Ayon sa Worktext in Philippine History, isa ang Pilipinas sa mga mainam na isla upang makipagkalakalan. At dahil dito, iba’t ibang lahi na rin ang nakasalamuha ng mga sinaunang Pilipino. Siya naman itong naging tulay sa pagkatuto ng mga Pilipino ng iba’t ibang wika. Dumaan na ang
maraming taon at tuluyang nasakop ang bansa. Sa haba ng panahong nakisalamuha ang ating mga ninuno sa ibang lahi, malabong hindi sumabay ang wikang Filipino. Kaya naman hanggang ngayon ay mayroon pa ring nagbibilang sa wikang Espanyol, o ipinaghahalo ang wikang Ingles sa wikang Filipino katulad ng salitang “babay” na nanggaling sa salitang bye bye.
Walang puwang ang takot sa mga puso na may ipinaglalaban Mayaman ang kasaysayang pinag-uugatan ng wikang Filipino, ngunit hindi lamang ito ang isinasalamin ng ating wika. Ipinapakita rin nito ang pagkamalikhain ng mga Pilipino. Halimbawa
na lamang ang mga salitang ‘yosi’, isang salitang naimbento noong dekada sitenta na ibig sabihin ay sigarilyo; At ‘erpats’ na ang kabaligtaran ng salitang latin na pater na ang ibig sabihin ay tatay. Ipinapakita lamang nito na kahit sa anong sitwasyon, pampalipas-oras man o patungkol sa pamilya ay may maiisip na paraan ang isang Pilipino upang ibahin ng nakasanayan. Kaya naman, ang mga pagbabagong pinagdaraanan ng wikang Filipino ay dapat tinatanggap ng buong puso at siyang pinagmamalaki. Lumilipas ang panahaon, kasabay ng pagsibol, pagkamatay o pananatili ng mga salitang ginagamit ng bawat Pilipino. Maaaring hindi magustuhan ng ilan ang mga bagong salitang naiimbento sa panahong ito, ngunit nararapat lamang na unawain na ang wika ay parte ng identidad ng isang bansa. Ang wikang Filipino, kahit nag-iiba, ay hilagyo ng pagiging Pilipino.
Hiram na biyaya By Jason Christopher Paz
“’Nay, saan nanggagaling ang mga bata?” Tinanong ko sa aking Inay na naghuhugas ng pinggan. Tanging ang tubig sa lababo ang naririnig. Siya’y ngumiti nang hindi umaabot sa kanyang mga mata—isang senyas na hindi niya muling sasagutin ang tanong ko. “Sikreto lang muna, Jaime. Bata ka pa para malaman mo ‘yon.” Sa edad kong anim na taon— malalaman ko rin naman daw iyon kapag malaki na ‘ko. Sumimangot ako. Binuhat ako ni Inay at dinala sa kuwarto para mapatulog. Ipinangako niya sa aking sa pagdating ng kaarawan ko sa susunod na linggo ay sasabihin na niya ang sikreto. Ngunit nandoon na naman ang ngiti niyang hindi umaabot sa mata. Noong gabing ‘yon, natulog akong binibilang ang mga natitirang araw ng aking kaarawan. Pagsapit ng umaga ay ginising ako ni Inay para tulungan siya sa gawaingbahay. Mahirap ang buhay dito sa probinsya dahil madalas ay nawawalan kami ng tubig at kuryente. Nakatira kami sa maliit na bahay ng lola ko—walang telebisyon o radyo para magbigay-aliw sa amin. Naglalaba ang nanay ko para kumita ng pera. Nang matapos ko na ang mga gawaing-bahay ay pinayagan din niya akong maglaro sa labas. Pagkatapos na maglaro, naghanap ako ng pamalit kong damit sa aming aparador nang makakita ako ng maliit at lumang kahon sa pinakailalim ng mga damit ni Inay. Nakatago ito na parang ayaw ni Inay na makita ito ng ibang tao. Tila may sariling buhay ang mga kamay ko para buksan
ang kahon. At doon, nakita ko’y isang lumang litrato ni Inay na may kargang isang sanggol na hindi ko mamukhaan. Kinuha ko ang mga litrato at tumakbo papunta kay Inay. Tuwang-tuwa kong ipinakita sa kanya ang mga litrato na agad naman niyang hinablot mula sa pagkakahawak ko. Akala ko’y pagagalitan na ako pero niyakap niya ako at umaming ang sanggol na iyon ay walang iba kundi ang aking kapatid. Naluluha niyang sinabing namatay ang kapatid ko dahil mahina ang kanyang puso. Niyakap niya ulit ako at tinitigan na para bang sinusuri niya ang bawat anggulo ng aking mukha. “Kamukhang-kamukha mo ang kapatid mo. Siguro kung buhay pa siya, magkakasundo kayo.” Marami pa akong nais itanong pero agad na siyang umalis para gawin pa ang mga gawaing-bahay. Natigil na lamang ang mga tanong sa aking isip nang tinawag ako ng aking kalaro. Dumating ang araw na pinakahihintay ko—ang aking kaarawan. Tumitilaok na ang mga tandang nang gisingin ako ni Inay habang madilim pa. Nakapang-alis siya at may mga bagaheng nakahilera sa pinto. Aalis daw kami patungo sa malayong lugar na tiyak na ikatutuwa ko dahil inakala kong pupunta kami sa perya. Niyakap ako ni Lola at sinabihan niya si Inay na ginagawa na niya ang tama. Naputol ang kanyang sinabi nang may dumating na traysikel, at bumiyahe na kami. Laking gulat ko nang dumating kami sa pantalan, kung saan naghihintay ang mga higanteng roro. Dahil ngayon pa
lamang ako makakapagbiyahe sa dagat, magkahalong takot at tuwa ang umiikot sa tiyan ko noong wala na kami sa lupa. Nawala ang takot ko nang nakita ko ang malawak na dagat na parang walang dulo. Sinabi ni Inay na papuntang Maynila ito—ang lugar na kinuwento ni Inay kung saan siya naging katulong. Siguro’y bibisitahin niya ang dati niyang amo. Pagkatapos ng roro ay sumakay kami ng traysikel at namangha ako sa nagtataasang gusali, sa mga makukulay na ilaw, at sa dami ng mga tao na tila palaging nagmamadali. Tumigil ang traysikel at imbis na malaking bahay at masasarap na amoy ng pagkain ang sumalubong sa’min, isang estasyon ng pulis ang nakita ko. Sa loob, may nakita akong dalawang hindi ko kilalang babae at lalaking may tuwa sa kanilang mga mata pagkakita nila sa’kin. Nagulat ako nang niyakap nila ako nang mahigpit na parang kay tagal kaming hindi nagkita. Pero ang totoo ay hindi ko pa sila nakikita sa tanang buhay ko. Sa takot ko, magtatago sana ako sa likod ni Inay pero tila bumagal ang oras nang makita ko na pinosasan siya ng isang pulis. Noong nagkaroon ng away sa ’min, nakakita ako ng isang lalaking nilagyan ng metal sa kanyang dalawang kamay—akala ko laruan ‘yun pero posas daw ‘yun sabi ni Inay, at pinoposasan lang ang mga taong gumawa ng mali. Hindi ko maintindihan, gumawa ba si Inay ng mali? “Sa wakas, bumalik ka na sa’min, Audrey. Miss na miss ka na namin ng tatay mo.”
Hindi ko pinansin ang babae at lumapit ako kay Inay na nagsimulang lumuha. Hinawakan ko siya sa magkabilang pisngi para patahanin dahil iyon ang ginagawa niya kapag umiiyak ako. Sinubukan kong ngumiti pero hindi umabot ang ngiti ko sa’king mga mata. Hindi ko kaya. Paano ako ngingiti kung malungkot si Inay? “’Nay, sino sila? Bakit ka nakaposas? May ginawa ka bang mali?” Humarap ako sa pulis na may namumuong luha sa gilid ng mga mata, at boses na nagsisimulang pumiyok. “M-mamang pulis, puwede po bang pakawalan niyo si Inay? Uuwi na kami. ‘Di ba, I-inay?” Lumapit sa ’kin ang mag-asawa at pinaliwanag ang lahat. Ang totoong pangalan ko raw ay Audrey at sila ang totoo kong mga magulang. Ang kinikilala kong ina ay ang dati nilang katulong na ninakaw ang kanilang anak—at ang sanggol na iyon ay ako. Lumaki ang mga mata ko sa narinig ko at nagsimulang tumulo ang aking mga luha. Parang may pumipiga sa puso ko, dahan-dahang pumipigil sa paghinga ko na ngayon ko lang naranasan. Kumapit ako sa damit ni Inay. Hinawakan lamang niya ang pisngi kong basa ng luha. Paulit-ulit kong tinatanong sa kanya kung totoo ba ang sinabi ng babae. Bawat sandali ng kanyang pagkatahimik ay parang bawat sandaling gumagawa ako ng mahirap na takdang-aralin. Akala ko ay ngingiti si Inay at sasabihing biro ang lahat ng ito at ipagdiriwang na namin ang kaarawan ko nang walang lihim.
Pero tila nanghina ang buong katawan ko sa kanyang sagot. “Anak, totoo ang sinasabi nila. ‘Yung nakita mo sa litrato noong isang araw hindi mo talaga kapatid. Siya ang nag-iisang anak ko na pumanaw na. Parang pinagsukluban ako ng langit at lupa. Pero noong nakita kita, nabigyan ulit ako ng pag-asa. Kinuha kita noong nasa trabaho ang mommy at daddy mo at lumuwas sa probinsya. Pero m-mali ako, napagtanto ko ‘yun noong sinabi sa’kin ng Lola mo na ibalik kita sa mga tunay mong magulang noong unang araw na nalaman niya. G-gusto kong itama ang lahat ng pagmamali ko sa kanila—at sa iyo, anak. H-hindi kita tunay na anak. I-ito na ang sikretong gusto mong malaman. Binabalik na kita sa tunay mong mga magulang.” Nagpanting ang mga tainga ko na parang nabibingi ako sa mga kaklase kong nagsisigawan sa katapusan ng klase. Walang araw daw na tumigil sa paghanap nila sa ’kin ang mga tunay kong magulang, kaya nagdesisyon si Inay na tawagan sila para ako’y isauli nang pinilit siya ni Lola na ibalik ako. Niyakap lamang ako ng tunay kong mga magulang habang ang bawat hikbi at iyak ko ay umaalingawngaw sa presinto. Gusto kong magpumiglas—tumakbo, kahit anong pwede kong gawin para tumigil si Inay sa pag-alis. Sinigaw ko ang pangalan ni Inay noong dinadala na siya ng mga pulis sa loob ng presinto pero huli na—tuluyan na siyang nilamon ng kadiliman at kahit anino niya’y hindi ko na maaninag.
DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE 14
SPORTS
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 3
NCRAA from page 16
SPIKER from page 16 training may nagbabago, may nagi-improve. Kailangan po laging may learning para po pagdating ng liga, sure ako na prepared ako,” Pasco said. Improving not only grows Pasco’s individual skills but also being a senior Lady Patriot and an “ate” to the neophytes. Pasco said that they are still reconnecting the bond between the players step by step. Experience—especially from losing records—is what helps Pasco motivate to seek what the team lacks. “’Yong mga simpleng ‘pag natalo kayo, kailangan bumawi kayo. ‘Wag susuko kasi hindi naman ‘yon ‘yong katapusan…every day is a new beginning, a new chance. Laban lang, ‘wag susuko,” Pasco said. Preparing for their upcoming leagues like the National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA) and Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA), Pasco shared her ways
Photo by Justine Bea Bautista to excel and improve. From coaches to her own mistakes, she said all she needs is the conscious effort to fly high. “Pinu-push ko ‘yong sarili ko. Lahat ng mga tinuturo ni coach, kailangan tinatatak ko sa isip ko. Kailangan bawat sermon or bawat mali ko, ‘yon ‘yong gagawin kong basehan para gagawin ko ‘yong tama sa susunod,” she mentioned. As former Lady Patriot Myka Tiangco leaves the team, Pasco furthered that she needs to make an improvement of her performance to match or be greater than Tiangco’s performance last season. *** Pasco serves as an inspiration that everyone, not just athletes, must give out their all in everything they do—even when the circumstances are unsure. Pasco didn’t expect her spikes to lead the Lady Patriots to victory. But one thing is for sure—she gave her best and believed in herself.
the past years—and even more so. When asked who he expects to lead the team in scoring among his players, Reyes said he doesn’t expect just one to. Like Ateneo De Manila men’s basketball team’s “no-star mentality”, who just came from a successful UAAP season, the reason behind that mantra is because he hopes all his players will actively battle in the offensive department. In addition, he said that the past two years saw two different league MVPs in pointguard Diane Reyes and shooting guard Mariel Campasa. Anyone can sprout as a vital piece in offense. As for Tito Reyes, he anticipates it to be everyone. On the other side of the court, Tito Reyes expects every single one of his players to be active on defense inside the hardwood. “Ine-expect ko lahat sila [masipag sa defense]. ‘Yon lang talaga nagpapanalo sa amin, kasi underheight kami. So ‘ -main focus namin,” he said as he knows that while offense wins games, defense wins championships. Meanwhile, four rookies will try to grab the spotlight in this year’s NCRAA. The head coach expects Cherylane Cuyom from the Lyceum of the Philippines – Batangas—a team they’ve given a beating to several times in the past—to be a great contribution to the team after being the main scorer of her former team. Reyes knows that the Lady Patriots have leveled up from their former selves— something that will be deadly for opponents in the tourneys to come. The coach relies on the notion that his players are different in terms of physical and mental strength. Physical, thanks mainly to their physical therapists (PT) who exert maximum effort in the players’ conditioning. “Dahil sa tulong ng mga PT namin, siguro ‘yong strength nila ‘yong conditioning talaga. Number one ‘yong pinakabinibigyang focus no’ng mga PT na tumutulong,” he mentioned. In terms of mental vigor, Reyes holds on to the fact that his Patriots have experienced
a lot from nail-biting matches and a whole lot of extreme training. “Tumutulong sa atin ‘yong experience. Lalong-lalo na old players na sila, ‘yong experience talagang mayro’n na sila no’n,” he said. Defense, defense, defense, indeed. Reyes was asked one final question: “What will be the deadly aspect of the Lady Patriots against teams in NCRAA?” He reiterated defense mixed with quickness. And a whole lot of triples. “Defense talaga, tsaka ‘yong quickness namin. Dahil sa conditioning na ginagawa namin. Nagre-rely talaga kami sa depensa namin, tsaka sa outside shooting kasi nga maliliit sila,” he concluded. Basketball men Much like coach Reyes, Patriot men’s basketball team head coach Arnold Oliveros expects no less from his own pool of Patriots when facing their opponents dwuring NCRAA. “Ngayon mas maganda ‘yong line up namin this year kasi almost lahat ng players from last year makakalaro,” the second year long coach said. Though they missed a successful campaign last year, Oliveros thinks that greener pastures await his players, especially since they have been gradually mended of last year’s nuances. “Ang laki na nang pinagbago namin in terms of defense, experience, mas composed na sila maglaro ngayon offensively and defensively,” he said. He added that the threepoint shooting of the Patriots is on a steady rise—so expect that it’ll be raining treys in their upcoming match-ups. The team has nine rookies. Fear not, though, because most of these rookies have familiarity over the game and have played against tough opponents more than the normal Patriot rookie. One of those rookies is Vincent Alves, a former University of Perpetual Help - Las Piñas basketball player, who dominated the paint, has a smooth mid-range jumper, and an above average speed for a center, according to Oliveros.
Juan Mapagpabukas
Sumagi sa iyong isipang gawin nang mas maaga ang proyektong ibinigay sa iyo dahil marami ka pang gagawin. Sa kasamaang-palad, isang demonyo sa loob mo ang araw-araw na nagsasabing “bukas na lang ‘yan”—hanggang sa iisang araw na lang ang natira bago ang pasahan. Natapos mo ang iyong proyekto sa loob lamang ng isang gabi ngunit wala itong kalidad. At kinabukasan ay ipinagmamalaki mo pang nagawa mo ito sa loob lamang ng isang gabing pagpupuyat. Pagkatapos mong makita ang iyong grado, sinabi mong “babawi ako next time”. Dumaan ang next time ngunit muling nangyari ang ginawa mo. Ngayon, nalaman mong kailanman ay hindi dapat ipinagmamalaki ang isang pagkakamali maliban na lamang kung natututo tayo dito. Nasa gitna ako ng pagsusulat ng aking mga aralin sa Communication Theory nang maenkwentro ko ang cognitive dissonance theory ni Leon Festinger. Nakalagay dito ang isang halimbawa ng naturang teorya mula kay Aesop. Sa istoryang ‘yon, sinusubok ng fox o soro na makuha ang isang kumpol ng mga ubas subalit
hindi niya magawang makuha ang mga prutas. Dahil dito, sinabi niya sa sarili niyang ang mga ubas na ito’y maaasim at kung makuha man niya ay hindi niya kakainin. Ang cognitive dissonance, sa mas simpleng termino, ay isang psychological conflict na nararanasan ng tao kapag siya’y nagkakaroon ng maraming opinyon sa isang bagay sa parehong oras lamang. Ganito ang marami sa atin—na mas kilala bilang mga procrastinator. Sinabi sa Psychology Today¸ ang mga tinatawag nating procrastinators ay nagsasabing nakagagawa nang mas mabuti kapag mayroon silang pressure na nararamdaman, na siya namang pinabulaanan ng naturang website. Inihayag ng website na ginagamit lang ng procrastinators ang rason na ito upang mabigyang-katwiran ang kanilang katamaran. Sumang-ayon dito ang isang article sa Inquirer.net na may titulong “Why do people procrastinate?” Madalas ay nagkakamali sila sa pagtantsa sa hirap at kailangang oras para sa mga gawain. Dagdag pa nitong kadalasan ay “unhealthy perfectionists” ang mga procastinator dahil sila ang mga taong takot magkamali at napaparalisa bago gumawa o habang gumagawa. Procastination, mañana habit, o kung ano man ang tawag natin dito ay isang paulit-ulit na cycle. Hangga’t hindi ito itinitigil at hindi natin ipinagmamalaki na ginagawa natin itο, hindi ito mawawala.
Ano nga ba naman ang magagawa ng isa, tatlo, lima, at maaari pang maragdagang araw ng pahinga? Imbis na gawin natin agad ang ating mga trabaho, mas binibigyan natin ng pansin ang social media o kung ano pang distraksyon. Dalawang bagay ang magagawa nito: ang pagtaas ng bilang ng pagsasabay-sabayin mong gawain at ang walang saysay na kagalakang matatamo mula dito. Hindi talento ang procrastination kundi kabaligtaran—ito ay kawalan ng kakayahan sa disiplina at kontrol sa sarili. Walang taong kayang
Ang pagsasayang ng oras ay mas malala pa sa pagsasayang ng pera gumawa ng magagarbong thesis o kaya nama’y mga proyekto sa loob lamang ng isang araw. Isipin natin ang bawat oras na nasayang sa paggawa natin ng bagay na ito. Marami pa sana tayong ibang magagawa bukod sa dapat nating gawin. Ang pagsasayang ng oras ay mas malala pa sa pagsasayang ng pera. Ang procrastination ay parang pagbibigay ng permiso sa isang magnanakaw na nakawin ang oras natin. Sa normal na pagkakataon, hindi natin inaanyayahan ang isang magnanakaw, ngunit ganoon ang ginagawa
“Si Choi (Vincent Alves) nado-dominate niya’ yong ilalim at the same time ‘yong height advantage niya at speed niya,” he said. The coach also shared that their offense will mostly be run-and-gun, a basketball strategy which chiefly involves fast breaks. It fits the physique of the Patriots since they have quickness to their advantage. And according to Oliveros, it’ll be orchestrated by the whole team, not just one. “Dito wala kaming go-to guy. Everybody can score. ‘Yan naman din ‘yong sistema ko sa kanila. Gusto ko lahat ng players sa loob can score. Ayoko talaga ng iisang tao lang umi-score sa amin. Since last year, mostly rumo-rotate talaga ‘yan,” he said. As for their defensive scheme, coach Oliveros said that the full court press will be their backbone. “Most of the time we look to run. At the same time we defend. More on full court press kami. So agresibo bawat isa amin,” he said. Despite all these changes, Coach Oliveros still thinks there’s a hole in their team—the pointguard spot. Sure, they’ve acquired a 5’11 pointguard from Macau in Aldrienne Cedeno, but adjusting isn’t as easy as it seems. It takes a lot of time to learn a culture, and much more learning a basketball culture. But Coach Oli doesn’t go around letting these dilemmas get worse because instead of putting band-aid solutions, he searches for the best ones. “Nagkakaroon kami ng drills sa mga shooting, layup hangga’t maari mini-minimize namin ‘yon. Every training at laro bago ‘yong NCRAA, talagang pinapatira ko sila para mabuo ‘yong kumpiyansa nila,” Oliveros said. *** After the final NCRAA buzzer ends, expectations met or not, what’s vital isn’t the flashy awards and overwhelming praises but rather, the competition itself. The fact that we compete is the same as winning and the reality that there’s still much more in store. Expect the unexpected from these Patriots. Their story is our story.
natin tuwing tayo’y nagpo-procastinate—at ang malala pa rito’y ipinagsisigawan natin ito na para bang ito’y isang pambihirang kakayahan. Siguro’y dapat isama na rin sa masasamang pagkagumon ang procrastination dahil hindi tayo makawala rito. Ngunit kung magiging bukas ang mga mata natin dito, kasabay na nito ang pagkakaroon ng hinog na isip o maturity sa atin. Sabi nga nila, ang pagiging grown-up ay ang paggawa ng mga hindi mo ginugusto at kasama rito ang pag-iwas sa mga kasiyahan para sa sarili natin. Sinabi sa librong binanggit ko sa unang talata ng artikulong ito na ang pangangailangan na tanggalin ang dissonance ay dapat na kasing-antas ng pangangailangang malugod ang gutom o kaya naman ay ang kaligtasan. Isang importanteng punto ito ng libro. Kahit sa procrastination, ito ang tamang ideya. Kung titingnan nating mabuti, wala naman talagang magandang dulot ang bagay na ito. Kinakain tayo ng mga katagang “mamaya na lang”, “bukas na lang” at marami pang iba kahit na puwede naman itong gawin ngayon. Ang pagbabago ay nagsisimula sa maliliit na bagay, kung uumpisahan natin ngayon—sa oras na ito, habang binabasa mo ito (kung hindi mo ipagpapaliban ang pagbabasa nito)—ito’y isang hakbang na at magandang simula papalayo sa procrastination.
SPORTS
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VOLUME 32 ISSUE 3
A knight to remember Christine Jin Hernandez’s woodpusher journey by Rose Kristine Amarillo | Photo by Justine Bea Bautista “Kung gaano kalakas ‘yong ibibigay mong effort sa pag-iisip sa kalaban mong mas malakas, dapat gano’n rin ‘yong ibibigay mong effort sa kalaban mong mas mahina,”—these were the wise words that Patriot woodpusher Christine Jin Hernandez always hears from DLSU-D chess team coach, International Master Roderick Nava. Coincidentally, they’re the same words shared by her brother, Lourecel Hernandez, a University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) chess player. Just as the wisdom from her mentors say that a chess player should never be intimidated by the ratings or rankings of an opponent, Jin herself pushes forward with those words carved in her mind and heart—the motivation for greatness. With that all said, let’s check out every move that set her to where she is now before she marches forward to #ULS2018. “Nakaka-proud pa rin kapag na nonood kami ng games niya, parang pa-improve lang siya nang pa-improve,” she happily shared. At home on the chessboard while in the green uniform for five years now, the graduating veteran revealed the highlight of her playing career—her first national league. “Before ‘yong year na ‘yon, hindi ako nakalaro ng chess. Sinama pa ako ng coach ko do’n no’ng regionals…natuwa ako na ‘yong nakita ko na (player) nag-nationals last year na hindi ako sumali, ‘yon ‘yong natalo ko no’ng first time ko nagnationals,” she said. Although, Hernandez stopped playing for a year because she had problems meeting the required units in her subjects. Instead of slacking off, this provided an opportunity for Hernandez to join numerous off-campus leagues to further develop her chess talent and strengthen her skills and tactics, as advised by her brother.
Knight’s training The 22-year-old first encountered the game of strategy when she was still six, but only fell in love with the sport when she was in high school. Before chess, she tried volleyball but eventually found herself more at home among chessboards. Chess is in no way easy, but because of Jin’s advanced skills and dedication, she secured a spot in her high school chess team in her sophomore year. Excelling in her craft, she bagged medals and topped first league during her first year on the team. Hernandez has been consistently supported by her older brother, Lourecel—a former
Adamson University chess player who currently coaches chess players in Thailand—from day one up to now. As to who her ultimate chess idol is, Hernandez replied, “Nag-iisa lang naman,”— Wesley So, the chess player who became a grandmaster at a very young age, has represented the Philippines in international tournaments, and was a former chess player under the tutelage of her brother Lourecel. As their ages are in same range, she saw his development and said that she isn’t only proud of the fellow Filipino chess player making a name for himself in the global scene, but she also admires his dedication to his craft.
The Patriot experience Before stepping into DLSU-D, she tried out for her one and only dream school—University of the Philippines – Diliman (UP-D). Unfortunately, she was put in the Reserves team that didn’t lead to her dream of being an Iska, but then her brother encouraged her to try applying for other schools. She was recommended by her brother’s friendcoach to the former DLSU-D woodpushers’ coach Jelvis Calvelo. She was saved from the try-outs stage and instantly became a varsity player with her undoubtedly good playing records. In achieving those remarkable records, Hernandez shared how she manages her time as a student athlete.
“Kung ano ‘yong pinakamadali munang gawin, kung ano ‘yong urgent gawin, tapos kung ano ‘yong pinakamatagal gawin,” she said. “Dapat may sleep din lagi.” However, Hernandez is still contemplating how to balance team commitments and academics as she still has a board exam to focus on and desires to work first after she graduates from her Civil Engineering course. After nearly five years, Hernandez’s Iska-dream was reawakened when a UP chess coach invited her to play for UP-D. Exhibiting well-chiseled skills in playing chess, she was noticed by the coach when she was playing in tournament. As of the moment, the veteran woodpusher is still deciding on whether to take up the offer. A knightly dedication Unlike other chess pieces in a close game, a knight stands out for Hernandez because it can freely move and jump from one square to another—which makes it Hernandez’s favorite piece. As it has a unique role among other pieces, the knight serves as one of the winning pieces in a chess tournament. And just like a knight, Hernandez acts as an “ate” to her teammates, leading and supporting— coincidentally, Hernandez is also the oldest in the team. “Masaya lang [kami]. Every after training, kumakain kami sa Lain’s,” Jin shared. “Parang routine na nga namin ‘yon e…pinu-push namin ‘yong isa’t-isa, ico-correct ‘yong mali, [at] maga-accept ng criticisms.” *** Proving that she can be the knight of her own story, Jin’s journey is just another addition to the greater collection of notable players on the Patriot woodpusher’s team—the varsity players thinking out of the box and pushing the legacy of the woodpushers to new limits.
Into the Summoner’s Rift: The Green Patriots’ ongoing mission by Fernan Patrick Flores | Photo by Bermanie Jean Doniña “Tara, 5 v 5!” The game is about to start, and the heat is starting to ignite. A few moments later, the calculated mouse clicks and rapid keyboard ticks intensify. The atmosphere feels like someone is about to brawl inside a basketball court—but it’s far from it. Just like the much-awaited University Athletic Association of the Philippines basketball showdowns, e-sports has joined the collegiate sports scene as several teams all over the country have joined the battle—in front of their computer screens, that is. League of Legends (LoL), a 5v5 team strategy game where players control champions or avatars that duke it out in the Summoner’s Rift, has launched the widest LoL conference series in the Philippines with five divisions: North Luzon, South Luzon, Metro West, Visayas, and Mindanao leg, all of which are competing for victory in this year’s LoL Collegiate League (LCL). Heading to the final’s stage of the Southern Luzon chapter, seven DLSU-D students are a few inches closer to the national trophy behind their strategic roster and intact coordination inside the Summoner’s Rift. Even though they aren’t officially bannering the DLSU-D varsity flag, the so-called Green Patriots are still equipped with the weapons of determination and confidence against various universities and colleges across the country. Lineup of legends Since 2015, LCL has been searching for the greatest champions in the Philippines. In this year’s collegiate league, seven players from the two great divides of the University—college and senior high school—comprise this year’s Green Patriots LoL team to banner the green-and-white flag. The team consists of five starters, namely Team Captain Marc “Asta” Perez of BIT43 together with his brother Angelo
“MadGod” Perez of STEM12, Erwin “Kei” Gaa of MKA42, Alvin “Wiggato” Maulanin of BIT42, and Symond “ArchMon” Ordovez of BIT34, with two substitutes Gia “Mnemosyne” Llanes of BTM32 and Junell “Sirius” Gliponeo of BTM33. The Green Patriots was established by former DLSU-D player Anjo Alan Alzate in 2015. Team Captain Perez, who was part of the roster way back in 2015, said that the members of the Green Patriots were selected by Alzate based from the DLSU-D players’ LoL ranking or division in the game, choosing those who belonged to the Challenger, Master, and Diamond divisions. Offline campaigns In 2016, the head of the online social gaming platform Garena required its participants to have an organization affiliation within the University to qualify the team for the collegiate competition. With that, Genshiken, a student interest organization for gamers and animeenthusiasts, has been the right fit for the Green Patriots. With every LCL game, the Green Patriots receive incentives in which 40 percent of cash prizes is automatically transferred to the ‘bank’ of the team. Former Genshiken President and BIT41 student Job Marbellagas previously served as their
manager, negotiated with the Garena management, and managed the papers of the Green Patriots. But as of press time, the Green Patriots stand independently as their affiliation with Genshiken is not currently active. Apart from the LCL, LoL Varsity League (LVL) is an initiative that has the goal to “grow collegiate e-sports not only as a league but as a tool for education.” Marbellagas processed the Green Patriots request for approval of their LVL membership last semester. It would have been a stepping stone for the Green Patriots if they were recognized as varsities; however, they missed the boat due to conflicts with the processing of papers and the change of administration persons in the University. “Do’n po dapat kami malalagay sa LVL para official na player na talaga kami ng La Salle (Dasmariñas) kaso ‘yong dean na kinausap (former Office of Students Services Dean Don Malabanan) ay nag-end na ang term tapos hindi na-relay sa sumunod na dean,” Gaa explained. The gameplay Before entering the LCL stage, Green Patriots initially joined local competitions to gain experience that would develop the team’s skills. Similar to other sports teams, the Green Patriots require training and practice in preparation for their upcoming
games—except that they don’t do lifting and push-ups in the gym, but instead build their strategies to foresee unexpected situations, such as drafting dilemmas wherein their game lineup is ruined by opponents. With the clash of some players’ schedule, Marc Perez admits that their training routine is not regularly followed compared to their preparation back in 2015, “Last 2015, no’ng si Anjo pa ‘yong captain, may practice talaga. Every night, ganitong oras naka-set, 5 v 5, normal games. Pero ngayon, ‘yong members namin ay laging busy kaya hindi namin masyadong nasusunod ‘yong training schedule namin na every night at 8 PM.” Lacking experience points in real life, the team shared that their performance during a game is affected especially with their coordination in an intense in-game situation. But they address this through innate instincts and clear communication. “Kapag intense na ‘yong moment, mayroong magsasabi na ganito gawin and dahil sa trust namin sa kanya, susundin namin. Pero mas maganda na alam mo na ‘yong gagawin kaya mas maganda na nag-practice,” Perez explained. The team captain also added that continuous hard work in front of their computer screens will help the team to work as one and survive the low mana and dwindling health bars as long as they stick together in the LoL world.
As a part of the game, defeat is inevitable and it comes along with each victory. Instead of blaming someone for their loss, the team manages this situation by reviewing the mistakes of each player and discussing the ways to avoid it on the next game. Although they spend time playing LoL, the team always puts their academics first before anything else. As a matter of fact, playing LoL is one of their stressrelievers when the overload of academics arrives. The Garena management also reminds the Green Patriots and all other collegiate teams to prioritize their studies— proving that they also lay their priority on the participants’ education just like any other sport. “Ayaw kasi ng mismong Garena na naglo-LoL ka tapos may bagsak ka. Parang sinasabi rin nila sa amin na mag-aral nangmabuti. May time ka mag-LoL pero mas bigyan mo pa rin ng time ‘yong pag aaral,” Gaa mentioned. *** The Green Patriots might have already been honored with countless victories, but according to them, the real deal after the game is that they gave it their best—whether it’s “VICTORY” or “DEFEAT”—and never ever having the word “LEAVER” flash on their screens at the end of a match.
DECEMBER 2017 | PAGE 16
DECEMBER 2017
VOLUME 32 ISSUE 3
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VOLUME 32 ISSUE 3
Woodpushers Christine Hernandez page 15
green patriots Into the Summoner’s Rift page 15
LADY spikers The swift spike of a setter page 14
BACK TO SQUARE ONE. After another revamp, the Patriot cagebelles will compete in the National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA) with a loaded roster.
Photo by Pia Marantan
Patriots against the NCRAA challenges What to get ready for, from the coaches themselves by John Zedrick Simeon The new always arrives—from new semesters to new professors, from new classmates to new additions to our varsity roster. For the two dauntless Patriots basketball team—women and men—they have something new as well. New team jerseys, shoes, warmers, a new year; and most importantly, a new story for them to narrate in the upcoming National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA). Now that the tournament is approaching once again, expectations and pressure near both the teams’ ‘ole reliables and neophytes alike. With both teams revamped and sophisticated squads this year, there’s only one thing we are sure to expect—and that’s the unexpected. Basketball women Last year, the DLSU-D basketball women’s team captured the six-peat championship in the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) – Nationals. For six seasons, the Lady Patriots haven’t shared the anticipated crown with anyone except for
themselves. However, for the NCRAA, the green-and-white squad hasn’t had much luck. But the Lady Patriots’ head coach Tito Reyes thinks that they’ll be able to bring home the sweet gold for good this 2017. “Expect nila na every time na sasali kami sa tournament,
goal namin is to bring ‘yong championship. Sana nabibigay namin ‘yong best para ma-honor ‘yong school [at] para masuklian namin ‘yong binibigay ng school, lalo na sa players.” he said. The veteran coach added that he expects his players to give their 100 percent in every game— like what they’ve been doing
AT ALL COSTS. Hoping for a shot at the crown, the Patriot cagers have been training nonstop for the National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA).
Photo by Bermanie Jean Doniña
See NCRAA | page 14
The swift spike of a setter Diving into Myell Pasco’s story by Rose Kristine Amarillo “Nilakasan ko na lang talaga ‘yong loob ko, ‘di ko talaga ine-expect na gano’n ‘yong magiging outcome [ng laro]. Inisip ko lang talaga na kailangang may mai-contribute [ako sa team] sa kahit anong paraan.” These were the humble words from volleybelles’ setter turned spiker Myell Joy Pasco on her memorable spikes in the first and last season of National Capital Region-Universities Colleges of Luzon Athletic Association (NCR-UCLAA) last April—two final spikes that bestowed the crown to the Lady Patriots. Undoubtedly, the unexpected game-winner has her unique sky-high story. As she heads for another year of being a Lady Patriot, let’s
start from the narrative of the DLSU-D Lady Patriots’ swift setter-slash-spiker—even before her game-winning spikes landed on the floor. Mind for academics, heart for sports In her elementary days, Pasco discovered volleyball through the hobby of watching the exciting volleyball games on TV. And after all the times in front of the screen, she already knew what she wanted to be, and that was to be one of the
jocks. The discovery of her passion leveled up as she would subsequently reach the peak of her sports development when she bagged numerous volleyball awards in high school. “Nag-peak ako ng third year (high school). Nakakakuha na ako ng multiple MVP awards tapos [napasama ako sa] Mythical Six,” Pasco shared. Pursuing her passion throughout college, Pasco tried out in DLSU-D in 2014 and became a Lady Patriot. Hitting two birds with one
stone, Pasco had the chance to play her favorite sport and help her parents through her scholarship. Being a Civil Engineering student and an athlete at the same time for almost four years now, she balances academics and sports through proper time management and perseverance. And like majority of students, she aspires to graduate on time and also pass the anticipated Civil Engineering board exam. “Hard work tapos kailangan [ng] time management talaga… kailangan kong magpursigi tsaka kailangan ko tiyagain ‘yong mga ginagawa ko. Patience sa lahat,” she said. Crowning moment Pasco revealed that her most memorable college moment was her game-winning spikes in the NCR-UCLAA, the grand moment that she wasn’t expecting.
“’Di ko rin ine-expect… no’ng pinasok ako [sa court], inisip ko na lang na gawin ‘yong best ko para makatulong [sa team]. All out na, kasi nga championship na, last game na,” Pasco shared. After being down 2 to 1 sets agaist Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP), the Lady Patriots clawed their way back in the fourth set of that game. The fifth set, however, saw Myell out of the shadows and into the limelight. Myell’s natural spot was the setter as she was supposed to be orchestrating the offense of a team. They are naturally the strategists of the team—the engineers of war planes, not the pilots. But because of the timely shortage of players, she was given the spiker spot in a pressured environment—the fifth set of a volleyball match. And like the dropping of a
war plane’s bomb on enemy terrain, TIP’s ecstatic mood was destroyed. It was magical. Myell held the last—tensioned, heavy, and winning—two points. She wasn’t the main scorer, but she was the last important scorer. “Nilakasan ko na lang talaga ‘yong loob ko, ‘di ko talaga ineexpect na gano’n ‘yong magiging outcome [ng laro]. Inisip ko lang talaga na kailangang may maicontribute [ako sa team] sa kahit anong paraan,” she explained. And she did, she contributed not just in a “kahit anong paraan” but in a way that was the best way possible—a way that led to the crown. ‘Never content’ When asked if she is content with her performance, “Okay naman ‘yong performance kong ayon pero ‘di ako dapat makuntento. Every day, every See SPIKER | page 14