August 2019 - Volume 71, No. 1

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PRIDE STILL A PROTEST

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GOING GLOBAL

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HUFF, PUFF POOF

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Q&A WITH CHEL DIOKNO

HI-L I T E S

for the students, by the students

Photo by Ella Grenas

AUGUST 2019 - VOL. 71, NO. 1 _

“FINDING GOD IN SUFFERING” CAPS ST. IGNATIUS FEAST ‘19

By Lanz Ethan Galvan

Quezon City, PhilippinesTorrential thunderstorms and the sudden power shortage failed to dissipate the festive mood as the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS) community converged at the high school covered courts on July 30 (Tuesday) to mark the solemnity of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

The festivities kicked off with a mass celebrated by Father Manoling Francisco, SJ followed by a salu-salo in the ASHS building.

Francisco, a known writer of many classical Jesuit songs such as “Amare et Serivire” and “Papuri sa Diyos”, capped his homily by invoking how St. Ignatius’ suffering led him to see God in all things.

“Shattering has a grace expe-

rience that leads us to go beyond ourselves. We all have experiences of being shattered at certain points in our lives… yet God offers His grace to everyone,” said Francisco.

In relation to that, he lamented the fact that he was no longer the same person when his parents’ marriage ended when he was Grade 4. He said, “I can

Duterte bats for ‘Glowing Days ahead’ in fourth SONA

tending my hand in gratitude to all who kept faith with me in our most trying times. Numbers speak a thousand words and tell a hundred tales. But the landslide victory of the Administration candidates as well as the latest survey results show that my disapproval rating is 3%,” the president started his speech and said that he is determined to continue what he has started.

Duterte pressed for the return of death penalty for drug-related crimes and other heinous crimes and stated, “It pains me to say that we have not learned our lesson. The illegal drug problem persists.”

He stressed that the war on drugs will not be over if there is still corruption and said, “To borrow the language of F. Sionil Jose, we have not risen above and beyond the parochial interests.”

Moreover, in defense to the reaction of his administration towards the dispute

By Sophia Marie Orlanes

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte on July 22, Monday delivered his 4th State Of the Nation Address (SONA), highlighting not only his administration’s gains in foreign policy, the drug war, criminality, and corruption but also rolling out his vision for Filipinos in the second half of his term. Similar to the last SONA, this year’s started almost an hour later than expected due to the bad weather which delayed the flight of the presidential helicopter.

“Let me begin by ex-

attest that I found inner peace in God as He has shined on me the light to a greater purpose in life - to serve Him. I will not be standing before you today if it were not for His grace and guidance that has not only opened my mind, but also my heart.”

On the other hand, in her closing speech, Mrs. Maria Victoria Panlilio-Dimalanta, batted for

Photos by Ella Grenas

on the West Philippine Sea, he quoted what PRC President Xi Jinping said in their bilateral meeting “He [Xi] said it softly, ‘It can mean trouble.’”

“If the trouble comes out from the mouth of a president of a republic, anong magawa ko?

So what did I answer? ‘Well then maybe, sir, we can talk about this at some other time,’” he added.

He claimed that the ramming of the Filipino fishing boat by a Chinese vessel was just a mere marine incident and was not supposed to be treated as an accident.

On the other hand, Duterte also brought up the government’s

a Senior High that continues to emulate the model of St. Ignatius of choosing the more loving option to grow in love for the Lord.

Moreover, Dimalanta thanked the entire community for remaining fired up despite the difficulties of balancing the academic workload and recognized the classes of 12-Gonzales and 12-Acquaviva who were the sponsors for the Ignatian Mass.

Immediately after the mass was the annual salu-salo which was conducted in the classrooms of the Senior High school. These gatherings, which reflects the Ignatian tradition of one community, offered a chance for each class to showcase their talents and skills while developing camaraderie and unity with their colleagues. achievements which included bringing in a third telecommunications provider, pursuing the Build, Build, Build Program, providing more access to non-formal education, and releasing P3 billion worth of loans.

He also boasted about Boracay’s restored beauty and warned the local businesses that continue to release waste water and landfill waste into water bodies.

He finished his speech with a vision for the country, saying, “I dream of glowing days ahead for every Filipino.

I dream of a Philippines better than the one I grew up with.”

Photo by Marcus Garcia

HI-LITES

2 | News Photo taken from Sir Erick Salonga

Pride still a protest

By CJ Caruncho for LGBTQ+ rights and express recently archived after legislators

“As human rights spaces The nature of Pride as a protest dissent on the administration’s unjust failed to tackle the bill during the across the region continue to shrink, continues to be evident as Filipinos policies. last 17th Congress session. It remains it becomes even more pressing that took to the streets with rainbow flags Through Lakambini’s the longest-running measure under at Pride, we come together to resist and placards in celebration of Pride initiative, the Ateneo SHS also joined Senate interpellation. oppression and social injustice in all Month. in the celebration of Pride with

The country still has made its forms, and through it, push for

Organizations and youth seminars and a week-long exhibit. no significant headway in pushing for cultural and legislative change,” said groups staged protests and activities Nicky Castillo keynoted a talk on the marriage equality, MM Pride overall co-coordinator around the country throughout the history of the LGBTQ+ movement. despite the May 2019 online poll Nicky Castillo. entirety of June. Members and allies A gender sensitivity training was created by the Congress and June

During the event, Marikina alike rallied against issues that affect led by members of Pantay Pilipinas, 2018 Supreme Court debate on sameMayor Marcelino Teodoro announced the community and the rest of the sex union. a coalition of youth organizations the passage of the Anti-Discrimination country, marching to the local theme

Twenty-eight countries have advocating for the bill prohibiting Ordinance, which seeks to provide #ResistTogether. already legalized same-sex marriage, discrimination on the basis of sexual everyone equal opportunities and

Despite the heavy rain on with Taiwan being the first Asian orientation, gender identity or rights to government services. The June 29, this year’s Metro Manila country and most recent addition on expression (SOGIE). ordinance also mandates LGBTQ+ (MM) Pride March and Festival the list.

The SOGIE equality bill was saw a record-breaking crowd of 77 representation in the proposed Anti000— a far cry from the less than Discrimination Council.

100 attendees of the first 1994 MM

The 50th anniversary of Pride. The number is thrice the 2018 the Stonewall riots on June 28 was turnout, thus making it the largest commemorated by two separate Pride demonstration in Southeast demonstrations from nationalistic Asia to date. youth groups: the Bahaghari March from España to the Mendiola Peace

MM Pride honored its Arch, and the Taft Pride March from pioneers and called for solidarity with

By Jermaine Ocampo Vito Cruz to UP Manila. Both served other marginalized sectors in their to see that the Jesuit Life is fun Who says Jesuits can’t shoot, kick, as platforms for attendees to advocate struggle for their rights. and exciting in addition to liturgy. and spike?

He also encourages the students to

Last July 26, the Athletics consider being a Jesuit as a possible Council (AthC), in cooperation with vocation. the Campus Ministry Office (CMO),

“We want the students to see launched the Jesuit Friendly Games. that and possibly, maybe some of the

The Jesuit Friendly Games students eventually to see, ‘Ah… This is in its second year of launching, might be a possible life for me in the wherein the Ateneo Senior High future, so hindi pala boring maging School students and Jesuits engage

By Annika See pari, may sports din pala,’” added Fr. in sports such as Basketball, Football leaked pubmat, but after thorough Atilano, SJ. The prospect of rains on July and Volleyball. investigation a senior had allegedly

Fr. Augustine Thomas, SJ 17 prompted the Sanggunian

The program started at made it. around 4:30PM in the Ateneo also shared his thoughts on the Communications team to create a

The student body was High School Covered Courts; the Jesuit Friendly games: “I think pubmat regarding the suspension of classes, however, to their surprise, a equally confused until an official basketball game occupied Courts the students in the high school are Grade 12 student had a similar idea. pubmat was released by the Comms 2 and 3, futsal game in Court 4, kind of mature enough to grasp and

On the evening of July 16, team to make up for the fake one. volleyball game in Court 5, and the interact more freely, so there is a lot the Ateneo Senior High School

According to one of the football game at the Ateneo High of mature communication between community opened their Facebook seniors, this was not a one-time School Football Field. the Jesuits and the Senior High… I accounts to a fabricated pubmat occurrence.

Last year, some

“It is a way to celebrate think that is the right age where we carrying the Sanggunian Logo students would photoshop fake the Ignatian Month, for students can actually engage in a very mature announcing the suspension of announcements for suspension, to know more about the Jesuits, at communication.” classes. which would then trend on Twitter. the same time to know that Jesuits

The Jesuit Friendly Games

Carrying the official logo It was accepted with little skepticism are not just into liturgy, but we are concluded with a prayer and new of the student government, the before Sanggu could release normal people—we play sports,” said bonds of friendship and camaraderie publication material led the Comms statements saying that they were Fr. Ro Atilano, SJ. between the Jesuits and the Senior team to speculate that it was a false.

Fr. Atilano wants students High School students.

Jesuits, ASHS partake in 2nd friendly games

fake pubmats in ateneo senior high school

HI-LITES

3 | News

Ong triumphs bronze in International Math Contest

By Stephanie De Jesus Carrying the name of not only the Ateneo but also of the Philippines, Dion Stephan Ong of 12-Pro bagged a bronze medal in the 60th International Math Olympiad held in the University of Bath, United Kingdom from July 11-22.

The Philippine team composed of six representatives: Sean Anderson Ty, Immanuel Josiah Balete, Vincent Dela Cruz, Andres Rico Gonzales III, Dion Stephan Ong, and Bryce Ainsley Sanchez ranked 31st out of 112 countries after garnering a total score of 129 points and copping one silver and five bronze medals.

In relation to that, People’s Republic of China, United States of America, and the Republic of Korea held the top spots with 227, 227, and 226 points, respectively.

During the two-day competition, the participants were required to answer three Math problems for four hours and 30 minutes each day with each problem was worth seven points resulting in each participant being able to accumulate 42 points.

“The most challenging part is crafting solutions for the problems because they are very difficult...they

[did] not only require advanced math knowledge but the ability to grasp the insight and create elegant proofs given a limited time,” Ong said.

Throughout the competition, the Filipino delegates were mentored by Dr. Richard Eden, their team leader, while the deputy team leader was Dr. Christian Chan Shio both from the Ateneo de Manila University.

The country’s participation in the IMO was a joint project of the Mathematical Society of the Philippines and the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI).

In preparation for the contest, Ong, together with the top 20 Area round winners of the Philippine Mathematical Olympiad (PMO), underwent six-week intensive training for the IMO or the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Camp (MOSC). The top 20 winners came from the 50 delegates from the elimination round three main islands, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with the National Capital Region held last October 20, 2018.

Aside from the IMO, Ong also competed in Math and computer programming contests in the previous

Dengue Outbreak On the Rise: Multiple Regions Affected

By Ashley Cua

MANILA — A dengue outbreak is now in a full nationwide swing for this month of July and in response, the Department Of Health (DOH) raised the national dengue alert after multiple regions declared a state of calamity.

The DOH defines the epidemic threshold as the critical number of cases required to declare an outbreak while the alert threshold is the number of cases that warns for a potential epidemic.

In a statement, the DOH said that from January 1 to July 6, 115,986 dengue cases have been recorded, an increase of 86% from the 62,267 cases recorded under the same period last year. As of July 26, the dengue outbreak has led to 491 deaths.

DOH Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has declared the following regions under Code Red, exceeding the epidemic threshold, to be: Region IV-A (Calabarzon), Region V (Bicol), Region VI (Western Visaya, Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula, and Region X (Northern Mindanao).

On the other hand, the regions under Code Blue Alert, exceeding the alert threshold, are: Region I (Ilocos), Region II (Cagayan Valley), Region IV-B (Mimaropa), Region VII (Central Visayas), Region VIII (Eastern Visayas), Region XI (Davao), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

In response to the outbreak, the provincial health offices in the provinces of Iloilo, Cavite, Zamboanga Sibugay,

South Cotabato, Leyte, and Tacloban have declared a state-of-calamity to facilitate the release of funds to purchase intravenous fluids, blood supply, diagnostic kits, and other medical supplies needed for patients.

Furthermore, to help contain the outbreak, the DOH highly urges the public to utilize the 4S Strategy which is to: - Search and Destroy mosquito breeding places - Secure self-protection measures - Seek early consultation - Support fogging/spraying only on areas where the increase in cases is registered for two consecutive weeks.

Moreover, Duque also advised the public to hydrate themselves more, as hydration is the main intervention for dengue since there are no known medicines or vaccines to treat the disease according to the DOH.

Dengue cases have been observed to rise every 3 to 4 years, especially during the monsoon season as mosquitoes breed in spaces or containers holding stagnant water.

The last peak of dengue cases recorded was in 2016. With this pattern, the DOH expects an increase in cases this year.

However, for Cavite Provincial Health Officer Nelson Soriano, the key should be prevention through applying the 4S strategy allyear round. In an interview with the Inquirer, he stated that “You know what the problem is?

years and merited awards such as Perfect Scorer in the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) when he was in Grade 10, National Champion in the Metrobank Math Challenge (MMC) in grades six and 10 (Team and Individual, respectively), silver medalist in the 2019 National Olympiad in Informatics, and an official representative of the Philippines to the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) on Aug 4-11, 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

“The road to the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is a journey of passion, hard work and perseverance.

It actually took me four long years to finally make the team, but I did not give up,” Ong said.

Sandigan Committees SpotlighT

By Lexi Lagamon and Shan Porras

The Sandigan Committees of the Ateneo Senior High School are the five big advocacy groups in the ASHS. Together, they push for various advocacies ranging from gender equality to Filipino culture.

Alunsina - The youngest committee among the five, Alunsina was just formed near the end of last school year. Focusing on bringing the different diverse regions all over the country together, the committee is also in charge of educating the ASHS on the diversity of languages and cultures so that every single region, group, and Filipino will have equal and proper representation in all mediums and platforms, especially in the Ateneo.

Mapulon - Some of the least noticed problems in this world are the ones that affect our mental health - this is where Mapulon comes in. They are the sandigan committee which fights for the sake of our mental health. Believing that a mentally healthy ASHS is a safe and happy ASHS, they encourage students to take proper care of themselves.

Lakambini - Lakambini, which directly translates to “‘muse”

in English, symbolizes their advocacy of gender equality. The committee stands for current and relevant issues such as LGBT and women’s rights.

The committee aims to make ASHS a place where everyone, regardless of gender and sexuality, feels safe and free to express themselves.

Matanglawin - Environmental degradation is one of the major pressing issues that society faces.

Matanglawin advocates for taking better care of the Earth. The committee encourages the ASHS community to treat the environment responsibly and with love at all times.

Kanlaon - We’ve gotten used to hearing news about typhoons and earthquakes visiting the country because of where we are on the globe.

Given this, we have to be prepared for all of these potential disasters and we’ve got Kanlaon to help us do so.

The committee is in charge of getting us ready, both physically and mentally, to face whatever potential disaster may come to us. They spearhead the preparation of supplies and simulation of drills in case disaster strikes the ASHS.

This seems to be happening every year, as if people are not taking it seriously.

That’s why we’re proposing to the provincial [board] to issue a resolution to make ‘search and destroy’ yearround and not only when there’s an outbreak.”

Currently, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has set up medical tents in Western Visayas to aid in the dengue crisis. The PRC has deployed two of their hospital tents, with a total bed capacity of 40, to the Jesus M. Colmenares District Hospital in Balasan, Iloilo, which is presently accommodating more than 250 patients as opposed to its actual bed capacity of 25.

HI-LITES

4 | Features

The Importance of ASHS Pride Week

By Kimi Pantanosas

Last June, people from all around the country (and the world) celebrated Pride Month, a month long celebration of all forms of love and gender identity. Last June 24-28 as well, the ASHS celebrated its own Pride Week.

Students from all over the ASHS community came together, through the spearheading of Lakambini, in support of gender equality. It’s easy to take for granted that a school like ours could even celebrate something like Pride Week, but it’s important to remember that it hasn’t always been this way.

Before the Ateneo Senior High School made the decision to accept girls as students, the Ateneo High School was known to be an all-boys institution. Associated with the all-boys environment was a predominantly mas-

Going Global

By Katrina Antonio and Julia Quilatan

For most, summer served as a break from all the school work and academic-related activities; a time to lounge around in bed all day, doing nothing except watching Netflix and stuffing their mouths full of whatever food they could find. For some, it was an opportunity to go on vacations to relax, unwind, and just forget about their responsibilities. However, for a handful of ASHS students, last summer meant venturing into foreign places (like Australia, Canada, South Korea, and Europe), full of new faces and unfamiliar traditions.

Now, a question might have been raised in your minds: “What would push someone to submerge themselves in a completely alien environment, on their own, in the middle of summer to study?”

The ASHS Global Experience, although daunting at first glance, presents an opportunity for students to undergo learning in unconventional academic settings for two weeks. The itineraries designed with the intention of allowing the participants to dive first-hand into different cultures through outdoor exploration and visits to museums piqued the interest of several students.

The GXP was not simply eight-hour days in a foreign classroom learning about conventional subjects like Math and Science. The participants were taught about sustainability, foreign culture, and foreign practices.

Subsequently, a number of participants said that they chose their destination because a particular activity caught their eye. For Arianna Tanglao, it was the mention of outdoor activities that drew her to joining the Canada GXP. For Enzo Abatayo, it was the museums and cultural heritages that they would be visiting in South Korea.

While certain things caught the attention of some students, there were overarching reasons that drew them to ultimately join the Global Experience. They wanted to undergo new experiences and learn about another culture; to put it in one statement, as Izak Letargo, from the Australia GXP said: “I wanted to join the study tour…mainly to expand my horizons.”

And, this is exactly what the Global Experience enables its participants to do.

culine culture, characterized by male students flaunting their manliness and masculinity in their actions and words in the classroom. For a long time, being feminine or identifying as part of the LGBT was still considered abnormal in the AHS community. Because of this, it was hard for students in the LGBT to fit in naturally with the rest of their schoolmates. Gay jokes and insults just helped normalize this culture.

Nowadays, with the school’s shift to co-ed, as well as with the shifting culture on gender equality thanks to social media, our culture in school has shifted. The existence of Lakambini in itself has made huge strides in promoting the value of gender equality among the community. In addition to this, the ASHS’ celebration of Pride Month last June has given a platform to all forms of love in the AHS.

Jhio Camama, a member of Lakambini, spoke to Hi-Lites about the

importance of Pride Week in the ASHS. He says, “Celebrating Pride Week was so important because it had to be. The Philippines has been celebrating Pride Week for many years now but it lacks the reach to other sectors of society like the youth. Lakambini felt the need to increase the reach of the Pride Month celebrations to the ASHS. We celebrated Pride Week because the LGBTQIA+ community deserved to. They deserved to be represented for who they are.”

Despite all of this, however, gender equality still has a long way to go in our community and our society. Even throughout all of the Pride celebrations that took place last June, many institutions and groups in the country have still chosen to condemn these events and the people who run them. The Ateneo itself has even been targeted by some people for supporting such celebrations.

Camama even acknowledges that the ASHS has some room for improvement in this area. “From what I can see, one of our challenges of equality could be the prejudice or discrimination against women of ASHS, how

people think that the girls aren’t qualified enough to run because they don’t ‘know’ about SHS enough or that they can’t handle the load of work. There are also times that some people make sexist and inappropriate jokes that cause other people to feel unsafe with their surroundings. I know there are so many problems regarding equality in the ASHS but there are initiatives that are against these issues and as a community we should and must tackle them together.”

In the end, however, our Pride Week was still considered a success among the students and teachers of the community. On social media, members of the community have posted about the school’s Pride Week festivities, with many of them gaining much positive attention from people inside and outside the community. Students and alumni alike have expressed their appreciation in seeing the AHS evolve into a community that is much more accepting of the LGBT. Although the road to true equality for our country will be tough, starting in our own small ways in the ASHS is a good start.

From the most mundane and everyday to the more stimulating and unusual, the activities during the Global Experience pushed students to step out of their comfort zones. Enzo Abatayo of the Korea GXP said he gained a sense of independence when he had to learn how to cook food for himself and do his own laundry. He was able to learn how to make food other than scrambled eggs, and impressively, even make some Korean ramen.

For Erin Urquico: a sense of sociability, as she was forced to interact with her peers whom she was able to grow close to after only a week together. She said that the Global Experience made her a more open person and that the friends she made along the way made it so much more enjoyable.

On the other side of the world, some of the students who stayed in Canada were also stepping out of their comfort zones, although in a more

literal manner. They traveled to an island and remained there for three days; walking through forests, hiking up fjords, kayaking in the middle of the sea, and singing songs around a campfire. All without the luxury of their cellphones which, at first, may have been the biggest discomfort but for Erin Urquico, became the most memorable part of her trip. As the three days went by, being separated from her phone allowed her to fully appreciate the nature and wildlife around her.

At the end of the day, the Global Experience participants were not only able to take home souvenirs from other countries, or more fond memories with their newly found friends.

They were also able to bring with them essential pieces of information that contributed to their development as good people and good students.

The participants ended their summer with their eyes opened wid-

er. Wider to the truth, wider to the world. They have become aware of the different cultures, practices, and traditions around the globe.

They experienced the diversity of the Earth firsthand and it gave them a push in the right direction where people see everyone as equal, no matter what race, color, or religion.

T h e ASHS Global Experience was not simply made for students who wanted to know what it would feel like to study abroad—rather, it was made for those with a penchant for explorations and a want to learn new things.

Ang Panday: Wanted for Graft and Plunder

By Julia Quilatan

Ang Panday, Bong Revilla - former action star, father of seven, member of the Senate, on his way to Camp Crame that one fateful Friday. It was the morning of June 20, 2014 when Revilla accepted his fate and surrendered to the Sandiganbayan, and to the people of the Philippines. His crime? Plunder, and graft. Sitting happily on his seat in the Senate, no one suspected the former TV star to be involved in one of the most controversial heists in the country.

It was through the Commision on Audit that Revilla’s collusion with other former senators, Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile, who at the time was Senate President, was brought into the light. These three legislators connived with Janet Lim Napoles, businesswoman and suspected mastermind behind the whole Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

It was the perfect plan - cover everything up with bogus nonprofit organizations and good intentions.

Money would flow and everyone would be left smiling, happy, and satisfied.

And surprisingly, it worked - Revilla alone went home every night smug, because his pockets were filled to the brim with about P224 million--until of course, it didn’t. Everything started to go downhill for the Panday when his ties to Napoles’ grand theft plot was revealed to the public. Suddenly, everything they schemed for was taken and they were left with nothing but silver handcuffs, and silver-looking jail bars.

Of course a huge controversy such as this one wouldn’t be able to es-

cape the public’s eyes. The people were outraged. Hard-earned money, stolen and taken, just like that. The men who vowed to uphold the country’s laws and values were the very men to break it-and they didn’t bother doing it lightly.

And so the people marched. With a protest that was dubbed the “Million People March,” the enraged Filipinos brought their anger with them to the Rizal Park in Manila. They stood in solidarity against those seated in power and used their voices to let the accused know that they would never allow dishonesty and selfishness dominate in their government.

On the 6th of June, 2014, the Ombudsman filed 16 counts of graft and plunder against Revilla and several others. He didn’t put up much of a fight, delivering a privilege speech which he named “Salamat Kaibigan”, a piece that was meant to show the masses his readiness, his acceptance of the situation.

It wasn’t until the 30th of June, 2014 when Revilla was suspended from office.

Even after raising his metaphorical white flag, a lot of attempts to escape the charges filed against him were made.

Throughout the course of his pre-trial conference, his plea to post bail was denied by the Sandiganbayan twice. In addition, his two attempts to have his plunder charges dismissed were also turned down.

Revilla remained in purgatory for three years. His case didn’t officially start until 2017, long after Enrile and Estrada were allowed to post bail.

Contrary to what was probably expected, Bong Revilla was proven not guilty and acquitted of his plunder charges.

His charge of graft on the other hand, be-

fell a similar fate as the trial never even happened due to the fact that the main whistleblower, Benhur Luy, was declared non-credible. He was allowed to walk freely once more--he managed to survive two cases unscathed, like the real Panday.

Like a phoenix, Bong Revilla rose from the ashes left behind by the flame of greed. He and his two other co-accused, Estrada and Enrile, tried their luck once more for a seat in the Senate. Fortunately (or unfortunately, it depends on how you look at the issue), only one of the three was able to succeed - the main phoenix, the Panday himself, the one and the only, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.

After almost five years of going through trials, he once again has a hold on the country. Despite the millions of pesos that he stole straight from the pockets of hardworking Filipinos, he succeeded.

He won the hearts of our lolas, titas, titos, through dancing--plunder and graft all forgotten because he moved his body to a trendy song. Yes, he was acquitted, but is it really that easy to trust someone with something as fragile and special as our own country? He might be the Panday, a hero whose destiny is to save humanity, but we, as the masses who hold the power, must keep in mind that on-screen is a different world from off-screen.

Open our eyes to the present.

Remember the past. Consider the future. These are things we must do as the future of the country to ensure that we will no longer be stolen from and abused by our own government. We must learn to use our voice for the betterment of the people, and of the country.

We are not a means to a selfish man’s end.

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5 | Features

The Path Unknown

By Voltaire Sto. Domingo

For all of us, life is an adventure. We traverse through different lands, we interact with different people and at every turn, we choose a path. But sometimes the paths that are set are not enough, and in these rare moments in our lives, we create our own paths.

For two Senior High Students, this was more apparent than ever. In the absence of the orgs they desire, they created their own, molding their orgs into the homes and communities they so long for.

A Film Org? For Reel?

Kimmy Cagalingan of 12 - Daniel, Head of the Ateneo Film Org, sought a path wherein students can express themselves creatively, more precisely, through film.

Harnessing inspiration from the unlikeliest of places and the most disappointing of movies, inspiration struck her through MMFF’s Fantastica. In this moment of dismay, Kimmy and AFO’s co-founder, Maxine Cuartero, asked themselves, “Why not make a film org?” Their path through the unknown began, and this path was not without its challenges.

They filled out their application a measly 4 days before the deadline but that was only the beginning. They had to acquire members and advertising was a difficulty, with every other org seemingly more popular than they are. Being lost in the path unknown did not stifle them, and they pulled through, acquiring enough members to continue their maiden year.

Although she will not be in the org next year, Kimmy envisions the org to live on in her and her co-founder’s absence. She foresees a Senior High School Film Festival, wherein all students can participate and express themselves through film. Then, at the end of it all, the whole Senior High Community can sit down and watch and celebrate their creations together.

Silk Road? Is that a fashion org?

Growing up with mixed

cultures is not an experience everyone can relate with, but for Darwin Co that is exactly the reason why the Silk Road, a Filipino-Chinese Org is an org he sought to create.

Being in the Ateneo made Darwin realize two things. First, it made him see the looming notorious perception of Chinese people. Second, it made him realize how much he missed Filipino-Chinese culture. During his stay in BTTA, in a stroke of spontaneity, one of his fellow Filipino-Chinese friends came up to him and said, “Wanna make an org?” And so began their path into the unknown.

Darwin sought to create an org that celebrated Filipino-Chinese culture to bring the sultry feeling of home he so longs for, closer to the Ateneo community. The org aims to strengthen positive perceptions on Filipino-Chinese culture as well as provide students an opportunity to grow and hone their leadership skills.

Contrary to their name, the conception of the org was not at all silky. The Org seemed niche, more of a community to be part of, not an interest to celebrate with other people. It gave off the image of being exclusive to Filipino-Chinese students which was not at all their goal.

But after a few weeks of advertising they managed to have members of varying cultures, not only Filipino-Chinese.

At the end of it all, the goal of The Silk Road is embedded in its namesake, to connect people to different places, places they’ve never been to, be exposed to cultures they’ve never experienced and meet people they never thought to meet. Darwin, at the end of his path unknown, envisions a community, a group of people part of something big, something that they could call home.

These two students showed that when the path you seek does not exist, make your own. It may be scary, you may feel lost and alone but only then can you reach the destination you so seek. So now the question is, are you willing to traverse the paths unknown?

Honestly, my love for music came so unexpectedly. It all started from a forced requirement that involved playing the guitar. Despite my below-average performance, I felt a deep passion for me to keep on going. All of that happened last year, and I’ve learned so much that I’ve completely changed as a person. My personality, my attitude, and my discipline have all been turned around due to my new passion. What was once a close-minded, one-sided teenager who hated music class turned into a person who turned out to love music and learn new practice habits which improved his discipline not only in the area itself, but also in other aspects such as academics. This has allowed me to do new things, expanding my comfort zone and allowing to openly express myself for others to understand and talk freely with me. Specifically, there have been two events in the last year that have been very impactful and has been a major part of my guitar journey in helping me become a better player.

First, let’s talk about my theater workshop. The Philippine Educational Theater Association (or PETA) has hosted numerous summer workshops, and last summer, I decided to join for the second time. In this workshop, we all did fun and games that helped us bond with each other. And so, nearing the end of the workshop proper, our facilitators asked us to create an original showcase which would highlight the different strengths and talents of each person. I was assigned to the “Music-al” group, in which we were divided into three more mini groups.

By John Andrei Celestial And guess what? We had to make our own song. And yes, our own song from scratch. No guides, no lyrics, no anything. However, it was about love, and the two people I was with, whom I consider my best friends, easily made the lyrics with my help. I put the chords of the song along with the musical structure of it together. Despite our song sounding bad in the beginning, one of our teachers helped us make it sound better. All of this, with frequent practice sessions, ended up being one of my best live performances ever last May. We performed the song (with a guitar solo – yay!) and the crowd loved it. I honestly wasn’t expecting anything since we had no bass or drums, but we had to use what we had.

The song had turned out to be a huge success, and even my other friends from the workshop were singing it.

Through this experience, it helped me increase my confidence in myself and my passion for playing the guitar. Though the making and performing of our song definitely wasn’t an easy process, seeing the crowd happy when we performed completely erased all the stressful and tedious moments in between. I felt ready to take on the world, and this mindset has pushed me to work harder and feel more motivated in my playing. Learning to ask for help from others was also another thing I got, as our song wouldn’t have been great if not for the revision of our facilitators. Every time I have struggles with my playing, I seek the advice of better and more experienced people such as my dad to clear the confusion and get

NOTE-ABLE MOMENTS

SOARING ABOVE THE TEMPEST OF LIFE

By Gabrielle Dotado

Finding one’s true meaning in life requires a leap of faith—for some, the IYF was that leap of faith and it has made all the difference.

The Ignatian Youth Festival, or IYF for short, was a Jesuit-hosted youth camp held last July 13-14, 2019.

It was a weekend-long affair where participants went to Xavier School Nuvali in Laguna to mingle with other delegates from the host school and Xavier San Juan, and to learn more about what we, the youth, can do to shine like stars amidst this darkened reality of life.

The theme of the event - “Beloved. Gifted. Empowered.” - is the core reality of Christianity. These do not only serve as a reminder for one’s identity in Christ but is ironically, also more often than not, the very root of the self-depreciating questions that people tend to ask whenever they are in doubt.

Every each one of those three inspiring words is the core reality of our Christianity; these do not only serve as a reminder of our identity in Christ but is ironically also more often than not the very root of the self-depreciating questions that we tend to ask ourselves whenever we are in doubt; “Am I loved? Am I gifted enough? Do I have what it takes?” Almost everyone today is focused on contemplating their fair share of fiascoes and frailties that they tend to forget the victories that spice up their daily lives. We have conformed to the norms of “avoiding failure” that we tend to underestimate the significance of how insecurities and our supposed “failures “are ultimately become our firm stepping stones to victory, only if we look at through a different set of eyes--through the eyes of St. Ignatius.

Ignatian Youth Festival: a catalyst for the change of hearts. According to Pepi Panaguiton of 11-Mayer, an important question was raised during the event. He said, “We were asked if we really felt beloved [by the Church], gifted [by the Holy Spirit], and empowered [to make a difference through our spirituality].”

Thus, in a span of two days and one night, all three words were discussed in detail with numerous topics divided by sessions and other activities.

The IYF put a premium on the students’ complete understanding of the Christian reality as told in three themes:

Beloved— “During our first day in the Ignatian Youth Festival (IYF), we were taught about how God will never abandon us because of how He loves us as He loves His children. God’s face is that of a Father. As a Father to everyone, he loves us, and His love can be felt through our encounters with people,” Pepi Panaguiton continued.

Truly the IYF has been a great

way to kick start the school year and celebrate the Year of the Youth 2019.

Not only were they able to connect with their peers, but also through the IYF, they are able to live out the Ignatian Spirituality of ‘finding God in all things’ - even if it meant finding God in the mere faces of the people they have interacted with for a span of two whole days.

Gifted— “Sometimes, it is also difficult to realize how we really are gifted. It’s hard to see that despite our [fortunate] position in life, God is there to provide for us, and He is there to give us a purpose in what we do. We don’t always realize it, but God is always there to encourage us through His gifts.” he pointed out.

There are common misconceptions of how these ‘gifts’ should equate to that of material wealth, but that is not the case, for in those material things there is often little to no purpose intact. For in fact these ‘gifts’ are actually that of spiritual gains such as patience, perseverance, faith, hope, love and so on. In these gifts we are reminded that here lies our purpose.

But above all these is the gift of Love. For we are called to use our God-given gifts to be the living embodiment of the love of God and the love for others. Through the IYF, we are reminded that wherever we are, God has strategically put us in this position to love, to serve and to continually be a person for others, no matter the cost.

If it doesn’t start with us, the youth, then who would?

Empowered—”Father Ro Atilano explained that being empowered is similar to how Jesus healed those who were formerly paralyzed from illnesses.

Jesus once asked a man who was paralyzed to pick up his mat and walk, and at once, the man was healed. Jesus also empowers us to pick up our own mats and walk in the face of our own challenges in life. God empowers us as the youth to rise from where we are and persevere,“ he stated.

“IYF gave us the opportunity to reflect on these through discussions and activities,” Panaguiton added, “Because of how this year is the Year of the Youth, as children, we are all beloved, gifted, and empowered, and the Ignatian Youth Festival helped us come to that realization.”

Pepi Panaguiton is but one of the many Ateneans who have had their lives gain deeper meaning and understanding of living out a life as a Light in the Lord. His story of the Ignatian Youth Festival is but one of the countless testimonies that have soared up and above the storms of life through a newfound Ignatian spirituality--and how it has made all the difference.

the right technique/concept. This not only applies to music, but life in general.

The second “life-changing” event is quite odd. After I found out that I loved the guitar, I was around five or six months into playing it when I learned that we had to make groups and perform a song called “Girl From Ippanema” for another Music test. In our group of 5, I was the guitarist and practiced the chords of it in the days leading up to the performance test (the major requirement, 40% of grade).

However, due to its jazzy flavor, I actually didn’t know the chords. I thought to myself, “Wow, these chords are so weird!” Despite this, I learned it and it turned out to be an epic fail in one of our practice sessions. The beat wasn’t right, the singing was off-key, and of course, I couldn’t switch to the chords right. I just told my group mates that I would continue to practice, and they trusted me.

What I also had in mind, however, was that I would be making my own song (this happened before my PETA experience). So, I was in school,

checking out the chords, and when I found the “perfect” chord progression, I heard my classmate sing the lyrics of “Girl From Ipanema” along with it. I was like, “Oh hey, that sounds cool. Do it again!” The second run was even better than the first, and my friend called our other group mates to give our new rendition of the song a listen. Everybody in the group had loved it, and I was in absolute shock (positively speaking). My other classmates were confused, maybe because they didn’t think it “stayed true” to its jazz origins, but honestly, we pushed on with the concept and practiced that version until the day of the test. With some second voices, minor chord changes, and a slightly modified beat, our rendition of the jazz classic turned out to be sad, melodic, and dreamy, which our teacher had loved.

On stage, I was singing and playing my heart out, knowing that our oddly modified tone would give us a good grade.

This experience taught me a lesson about creativity. Sometimes, you really have to think outside the box and

HI-LITES work with what you think is good. This type of creativity can be very rewarding, making ideas that completely stand out from the rest. I really try to apply this lesson in my playing, especially when it’s going to be those same old chords I’m soloing over. Whether it be changing the tempo, style, or way of playing, I’m always on the move, looking for creative ways to play.

6 | Features

891 in particular was faced with an extra challenge: their team had only been formed days before the competition. “I found them [Hubilla and Vitug] a few days before the tournament,” Gelbolingo narrated, “so we had 24 hours exactly to study the six subjects.”

Gelbolingo had been looking for teammates to compete with when he finally came across Hubilla and Vitug. Despite the short notice, thankfully enough, chemistry never became a problem. The three fell into rhythm almost as soon as they found each other—and with that, they went to work. Over the course of the next two days, they divided each of the six subjects among them.

For first-time participants Hubilla and Vitug, the workload was initially overwhelming. The latter shared, “I didn’t expect the subjects to be that many.”

They continued to pull their weight, however, spending the entire night before the competition drilling information about everything from the origins of Atlantis to the history of jazz music into their heads.

The long night spent studying, however, would be nothing compared to what the next two days had in store.

Diving in head-first

Right out of the gate, the team was greeted with WSC’s trademark unconventionality: the opening ceremony, officiated by WSC founder Daniel Berdichevsky, concluded with a pledge of sportsmanship—which was recited while each scholar balanced a stuffed alpaca on top of their head. After this, the teams dove head-first into their individual events.

First on the agenda for Team 891 was the Collaborative Writing

event—something they had initially dreaded. As it began, however, they were surprised to find how much they enjoyed it. Gelbolingo recounted that “the topics we chose felt like they were made for us, and that’s what helped us write so well in such a short amount of time.”

Taking the instructions’ suggestion that food could be used to bribe the judges into improving their scores, each of them sent their papers back with Fitbars and packs of mamon taped to the front of their essays. (Whether this helped them or not is something they still aren’t sure about.)

Afterward, the team breezed through the Scholar’s Challenge, an hourlong written exam regarding the six subjects in the curriculum. This was only a warm-up, however, for the team’s most awaited event: Team Debate. The event was one of the most challenging, as it required them to not only know the curriculum, but to be able to understand each subject and how they connect with one another. With two experienced debaters in their arsenal, however, they were able to face the event head on—and to end the day on a high note while they were at it.

Reaching new heights

Day two of the competition kicked off with the final event: the Scholar’s Bowl, a quiz bee that gathered every contestant in the main hall. Answering everything from simple trivia to video analysis to studying symbols on t-shirts took more than knowledge. “The quiz bee entails coordinating with your teammates,” Gelbolingo said.

The chemistry the team had built over the course of the competition was essential to getting them through the Bowl—and dividing the work didn’t seem to hurt, either.

Once the quiz bee wound down, the real fun of the tournament was set to begin.

Surprisingly enough, the team found the ensuing break to be one of the most memorable experiences of the tournament. Apart from offering them a welcome break from the excitement of the competition, it also gave the team a chance to go up to people from schools all over the country. Vitug noted that “...there were a lot of interactions in the contest especially during free times and breaks, we were able to interact with people from other schools.”

To tide the time over before the winners were announced, a Debate Showcase was also held to display the compe-

tition’s best speakers, including Gelbolingo as a panellist, duking it out in front of their peers; afterwards came the Scholar’s Show, which allowed scholars to demonstrate any talent of their choosing—ranging anywhere from song and dance to bottle flipping.

All this only built the anticipation up, however, for the day’s final event: the awarding ceremony. After each scholar was handed their own stuffed alpaca to take home, Team 891 finally settled down for the announcement of winners.

At the end of the day, they walked away with a sizeable stash of medals: Vitug with six, Hubilla with seven, and Gelbolingo with nine (including the distinction of ninth best debater). The team also bagged 14th place in debate, 3rd place in writing and 19th place overall, securing themselves a slot in the upcoming Global Round.

Facing the beyond

While the team was certainly pleased with the results, they knew that there would always be more roadblocks to hurdle. According to Gelbolingo, “The thing with WSC is that you (inaudible) after every round. And it always challenges you. So even if you get a number of awards, 6 medals, 10 medals, it’s all the same. After every tournament, you still feel that there’s a next level you can reach.”

But, in the end, once the dust had settled and the competition was long done, what remained with the team wasn’t the medals they’d garnered or the information they’d absorbed—it was the way the competition opened them up to their teammates, fellow scholars, and the wider world around them.

This year’s theme, “A World on the Margins,” was instrumental in this process. Vitug stressed that “There are fragments of history that are not as visible as the others.” Gelbolingo continued, “there is a part of history that we should remember...because it’s so important to remember how much we’ve grown from that point in time, how much more we are accepting of people today. With that comes unity.

“WSC is like a tournament that brings people together.”

And it certainly did— in more ways than one.

laga sa kaniya na bigyan niya ako ng position sa Sanggu. Sinabi ko sa kaniya, ‘Gawin mo akong Sandigan Committee Head ng isang Sandigan na hindi pa nabubuo.” The president declined his request due to lack of preparedness for a Filipino advocacy sandigan in terms of materialization, but Aison was thankful that his offer was not accepted, because then the rise of Alunsina last March 7. 2019 would not be genuine.

Midway through his grade 12 journey, Aison finally planned on making Alunsina more than just a figure of imagination, took a break from the Sanggunian to clear his decision, and, together with Ryan Oquiza (Council of Student Committees Chairperson) and Migs Tan (proposal translator), convinced the school administration and opened their eyes to the importance of this committee.

He researched on “missing gods and goddesses” in Filipino mythology and came across the name Alunsina, which came from the story of creation from the Visayan people’s perspective. He then had Joan Ramos help in vectorizing the design he made for the logo.

The Visayan tale centered around Tungkung Langit, a hard-working god, was madly in love with a selfish, lazy goddess named Alunsina. One day, when Tungkung Langit had to leave, Alunsina sent the breeze to spy on him. He found out

about this and drove Alunsina away out of rage, bearing the thought that she did not trust him. Unfortunately, Tungkung Langit felt himself regretting his actions when he lost his temper. Loneliness crept up on him and for months, he looked under every rock and climbed up every mountain clinging on to the thought that maybe he could still find her, but he was never really able to. The longing for company in Tungkung Langit’s heart sparked the idea of fixing the barren land he lived in. Whilst mending, he scattered Alunsina’s jewels across the sky wishing that one day, when she sees them, she’d run back into his arms.

However, despite his utmost efforts, Alunsina never came back.

Aison said that the fact that Alunsina was a missing character fit his experience on how his batch did not really approve of the idea of the Filipino-themed prom that the Batch Project Committee came up with when he was Batch Project Head. Aison said, “Kailangan ng mag-aaral ng Ateneo Senior High School ang hanapin muli si Alunsina [at] sa pamamagitan ng Sandigan ng Alunsina, magagawa nila ito. Mahahanap nila ang Filipino cultures and languages. So ‘yon, siguro ‘yung sasabihin ko na lang sa inyo, mga grade 11 grade [at] 12 ngayon: hanapin niyo si Alunsina ninyo, na para sa advocacies, sa genuine na paggus-

to niyong maglingkod, at hindi dahil naghahabol kayo ng posisyon.

Doon nagsimula ang Alunsina.”

The current committee head, Matthew Fernandez, compared this story to the committee’s burning passion to revive dying cultures of the Filipino nation. Senior High Students, along with students of different grades, tend to turn their backs on Filipino cultures - synonymous to how Alunsina left Tungkung Langit. However, Fernandez stated that, “Unlike Tungkung Langit, we hope that the ASHS community strives and actively chooses to ‘rediscover’ their Filipino roots and not just wait for foreign influences to diminish what they have left of our culture.”

Once Alunsina establishes themselves completely, this committee is expected to create a huge impact on the students’ lives by empowering them as Filipinos. This committee will not stop until the Ateneo Senior High Committee wears their cultures on their sleeves, because the Filipino nation will not have been perceived as a strong one if it weren’t for the mighty ancestors and the significant events that happened in the past; if it were not for our blood and background. Our identity survives as long as we live by it and manifest it as one community.

Ipagmalaki ang lahi, hindi lang sa salita, kundi sa pamumuhay at gawa. Ipagmalaki mo na Pilipino ka.

All in all, being a guitar player will have some stressful moments but also meaningful, interesting, and rich lessons that you will understand along the way of your journey. Now, sometimes I wonder…

What’s going to be the next step? Will it be something totally unexpected, or is it just right in front of my eyes, waiting to be discovered?

WORLD SCHOLAR’S CUP 2019: Exploring a World on the Margins

By Monica Sugay

More often than not, we see academic competitions as serious, cutthroat affairs. The mere mention of one conjures up images of students hunched quietly over differential equations, or hurling ruthless arguments at each other from across the room. At the World Scholar’s Cup, however, this is not the case.

The competition, which holds a regional round in the Philippines every year, describes itself as “a celebration of the joy of learning.” An international liberal arts competition consisting of four events—a debate, a quiz bee, an exam and a writing competition—WSC aims to unite thousands of students from all walks of life to discuss issues relevant to today’s world.

But what sets WSC apart, as Team 891 found out, is everything that happens in between.

Finding their footing

Held at Southville International School from July 14-15, this year’s competition carried the theme of “A World on the Margins,” with each of its six subjects (Science, Arts, Literature, History, Social Studies and Special Area) covering unconventional topics that had previously been swept under the rug by history.

The team, consisting of Vince Geronimo of 12-Hurtado, Vince Vitug of 12-Geronimo, and Andrei Gelbolingo of 12-Walpole, were only three out of over three hundred students from all around the country writing, testing and debating their way to the top prize and a chance to qualify for this September’s Global Round.

This would have been difficult enough for most teams, but Team

LOST

AND YET TO BE

FOUND

By Kat Soriano Ipagmalaki mo na Pilipino ka.

Taking off just this year, the fresh Alunsina aims to not just drop the comparison between “local” and “foreign” but also, raise the flag of the Filipino cultures way higher than it already is. This committee’s persevering individuals strive to get a grasp of what issues our country is currently facing and how they could gather the entire Senior ASHSl Community to stand up against these trials and tribulations.

Neo Aison, the founder of the Alunsina committee, ran for the position of Assembly of Class Officers (ACO) vice president when he was in grade 11 believing that that was where he could stand and be a servant leader for the ASHS Community. “Naaalala ko pa ‘yung date eh. March 8, 2018, results of the elections,” Aision said. “In-announce yung results--talo ako. Nilapitan ko ‘yung newly elected na president, si Bea Legaspi.

Tinanong ko sa kaniya kung--hindi nga ‘tinanong’ eh, parang, grabe ‘yung entitlement ko--sinabi ko ta-

HI-LITES

7 | Probe

Duterte’s Drug Addiction

By Laiel Bartolome

The Philippines elected then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte to presidency three years ago with high hopes of him turning the crime-riddled nation buried in debt into a place of order and safety to the extent that you can sleep on the streets and wake up unharmed, just like in Davao City (as locals Mila Sultan, a vendor, and Abear Bato said to the Washington Post in 2016). During his campaign, he was adamant on making a better Philippines and convinced most of the voting population that change is coming. Duterte was firm with eradicating the wrongs in our country – corruption, our deteriorating economy, and of course, the standout: the ever-growing drug industry in the country. He was determined to bring change in with him, and most Filipinos agree, but looking at the influx of drug-related violence all over the country, we ask ourselves - is this the only major problem the nation is currently facing?

Drug abuse undeniably leads to addiction, which poses severe threats to the human person, and Filipinos are no exception. During Duterte’s First State of the Nation Address (SONA), he claimed that there are 3 million drug addicts, a term he coined for those addicted to

drugs, in the country only to be rebuked by data from the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) showing that there are only 1.8 million, which is roughly 1% of the entire population in 2016. Duterte’s recent claims earlier in the year state that there are now over 8 million Filipinos addicted to drugs which is rather bizarre as in late 2018, DDB chair and retired police general Catalino Cuy stated that there are just around 4 to 5 million Filipinos addicted to drugs, roughly 4 to 5% of the entire population.

Duterte paints an exaggerated view of the country’s drug problem, making it a huge dilemma everyone has become worried about when the numbers are clear. The once small problem became over-exaggerated and sensationalized that it has turned into a real one. Since the beginning of the drug war, drugs have become more accessible than ever. Over the years, bricks of cocaine worth hundreds of millions of pesos were found off the shores of several provinces including Quezon, Camarines Sur, Surigao del Norte and Sur and the Dinagat Islands. Shabu or crystal meth got smuggled right under the noses of Customs and eventually flooded the market, lowering its price point. Duterte’s drug war through the years has

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/02/26/1896916/duterte-hikes-drug-use-figure-after-claims-suc cessful-drug-war

E-cigarettes, most commonly known as vape, are increasingly being used by smokers as a nicotine alternative to kick their dependency. According to Sandee LaMotte and Susan Scutti’s article, “E-cigarettes: Where do we stand?”, E-cigarettes work by “heating a pure liquid called e-juice – composed of flavorings, propylene glycol, glycerin and often nicotine – until it vaporizes. This vapor is said to be much less harmful to both smokers and non-smokers. Contrary to the target market of E-cigarette companies, which are adult smokers, teenage vaping has been increasingly becoming a trend ever since it was introduced in 2004.

Vaping became popular amongst teenagers due to some wanting to switch from using traditional cigarettes. Though quitting may be the best way to prevent the effects of smoking, some people find it difficult to suddenly quit smoking due to developing nicotine dependence, so they turn to e-cigarettes as a way to ease the transition from traditional cigarettes to not smoking at all. Although vaping still has harmful effects on the human body, Dr. Michael Joseph Blaha, M.D., M.P.H. stated in an article, “5 Truths You Need to Know About Vaping,” it exposes users to fewer toxic chemicals than traditional cigarettes.

The key difference between traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes is that the latter do not contain tobacco.

But, it is not just the tobacco in cigarettes that causes cancer. According to the American Heart Association, in their article, “Is Vaping Better Than Smoking?” E-cigarette vapor includes potentially harmful substances such as nicotine, diacetyl, cancer-causing chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead. Due to the vapor being exhaled, those nearby are also exposed to these contaminants. Just like traditional cigarettes, vape and other e-cigarettes also contain nicotine which according to Dr. Blaha, “It [Nicotine] causes you to crave a smoke and suffer withdrawal symptoms if you ignore the craving.”

Some teenagers are also socially pressured to start vaping. From the latest clothing trends to current choices of music, teenagers feel social pressure in different ways and friends just happen to be the strongest influence - even when it comes to developing risky behaviors such as vaping. High school is where most teenagers meet new friends and want to fit in with a certain group. In extreme cases, they will do anything to belong and vaping seems like a prerequisite for people to like you. Last March 2018, a study

become bloodier as the nation’s drug problem somehow worsens – another promise Duterte could not keep.

But while anti-drug operations are still on-going, turning bloodier by the minute, just a few days ago, the president delivered his 4th SONA. Before this, surveys conducted showed that Filipinos wanted to hear the president talk about higher wages, lowering the prices of goods, and Philippine sovereignty, but the issue with drugs was still handed the spotlight. The cry of Filipinos was again overshadowed by Duterte’s most famous but ultimately failing campaign. From the gathered answers, it is certain that there are a lot more things to be done and a lot more things to be given attention to than just drugs alone. While Duterte continues to wage war against drugs, our own fishermen are bullied in our waters and our farmers are deprived of compensation. While he continues to try and eradicate drug supply, environmental issues continue to threaten Filipino lives. And while corruption continue to decay our lands on top of every other problem we currently face, we dare ask: is drugs really the biggest problem we have on our plates right now? Or is it having 16 million countrymen not have anything on their plates at all? Let’s take a look: On poverty and wages

Last April, the Philippine Statistics Authority released estimates of the country’s poverty incidence showing that it declined in the first half of 2018 from 27.6% in 2015 to 21%.

While this seems wonderful, thinking that poverty in our country decreased by more than 6% in the past 3 years, in 2018, an estimated 2.3 million, almost 10% of the population, said they suffer from hunger in the first quarter of the year, which gives us a lot to think about. In late 2018, the Department of Labor and Employment confirmed the 25-peso wage hike for minimum wage earners, going P537 from the previous P512. But with this in-

crease comes the increase of inflation as well. National Wages and Productivity Commission Executive Director Criselda Sy explained that the implementation of a wage hike could be a potential source of secondary inflation effects. Alongside a higher inflation rate, raising the minimum wage could lead to layoffs, which might lead to the increase of unemployment and underemployment rates in the country.

On international ties

Just a month ago, an incident in the West Philippine Sea involving the ramming of a Chinese vessel towards a Filipino boat sparked conversations and made headlines after Duterte muddled it down to a simple ‘maritime accident’. There has since then been no recent updates on what happened after, and what actions were made to ensure that justice has been served for our fishermen. Not long before this incident, news from the Philippine Star and the South China Morning Post say that there is an influx of illegal Chinese workers in the Philippines has been circling around, taking jobs Filipinos are not ‘qualified’ to do. To add to this, rental rates in Manila, Pasay and Makati where most Chinese (and Filipinos) work, have been increasing due to the Chinese taking not just floors, but buildings and paying in cash, something a white collared Filipino just can’t afford.

The state of the Philippines now is nowhere near perfect, and it certainly has a lot of problems to think about and deal with aside from drugs. While drugs is an undeniable problem, there are still a lot of our countrymen living their lives one day at a time, some even wondering how they are going to do that. While our president continues to ramble about the ‘massive’ drug problem our country encounters, we are yet to hear from him about the other, more crippling problems we, the nation, are currently facing.

H U F F, P U F F — P O O F

By Alex Aquino

was conducted by Truth Initiative found that 39 percent of teenagers use vape or e-cigarettes because a friend or a family member uses them.

The use of vape or e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool, and as a result of social pressure are just two of the various factors that affect the prevalence of vaping amongst

teenagers. The rise in popularity of this trend is quite alarming since the effects of long-term use of vape or e-cigarettes are still unknown. Lastly, what one can do to contribute to the prevention of this issue, is to become a good example among friends, and to learn to say no to peer pressure.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/teen-vaping-is-not-a-public-health-crisis-despite-the-moral-panic

HI-LITES HI-LITES EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Katrina Moñozca

Associate Editor Kristina Jao

Managing Editor for Print Media Nathaniel Mariano

Managing Editor for Online Media Andrea Medina

News Editors Ethan Galvan Lexi Lagamon

Probe Editor Carey Baisas

Features Editor Shan Porras

8 | Guest Column

Q&A WITH chel diokno

How does the youth inspire you?

When I look at our young people, I see a generation of Filipinos who have never been more attuned to social justice. Unlike many of their elders, they know what is right and are not afraid to speak out for it. They have new and special sets of skills and knowledge that are very different from what we, their elders, have. Most importantly, I think they are really passionate and aggressive in making the world a better and kinder place.

They know they are never too young to have a seat at the table, and they are asserting that. All these inspire me and challenge me to be better, to work harder, and to make sure our youth have less work to do in the future by doing my part and leaving the world to them a little bit better than when I found it.

How do you manage to stay firm in your beliefs as a human rights advocate, especially when opposed by members of the current administration?

I stay firm in my beliefs because I have to. At an early age, my eyes were opened to the world’s injustices— especially when my father was imprisoned even without charges during martial law. This is why I became a human rights lawyer, and this is why I cannot simply close my eyes to what is happening in our country now. It will be easier to do and say nothing. It always is. But that goes against everything I learned from my parents, and from studying and practicing law. In difficult times, it helps to think about what sort of country I want to leave for my children, and for our youth.

When I do, there is no question: I must stay firm, I must speak up, and I must do something. We all must. If we stay silent and simply let all this happen, we are no less guilty than the perpetrators.

Broadcast Editor Rebecca Filasol

Chief Photojournalists Stella Arenas Marcus Garcia

Atty. Chel Diokno is a lawyer, human rights advocate, and dean of the De La Salle University College of Law. He received his education from the Northern Illinois University and University of the Philippines Diliman. He continues to forward his knowledge and desire for change through his work—he was a candidate for the recently concluded senatorial elections, campaigning alongside candidates of Otso Diretso who share in his advocacies.

Art and Layout Editor Sabina Guerrero

Contributors

Katrina Antonio, Alex Aquino, Laiel Bartolome, CJ Caruncho, John Andrei Celestial, Ashley Cua, Stephanie De Jesus, Mickie Deang, Gabrielle Dotado, Ella Grenas, Jermaine Ocampo, Sophia Marie Orlanes, Kimi Pantanosas, Julia Quilatan, Annika See, Andrea Senson, Kat Soriano, Voltaire Sto. Domingo, Monica Sugay, Ryan Tayag, Leiana Toledo

Atty. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno’s Independence Day speech in the ASHS.

Moderators

Ms. Caroline Laforteza Mr. Enzo Pisig

The United People’s SONA rallies held last July 22, 2019. Photos by Stella Arenas and Marcus Garcia