February 2020 - Volume 71, No. 3

HI-LITES

for the students, by the students

2019-NCOV: FEBRUARY 2020 - VOL. 71, NO. 3

A BREAKDOWN

By Kristina Jao

The tumultuous infiltration of coronaviruses is not new to human history. Different strains of the said virus are known for, not only one, but two notorious global pandemics, namely, Severe Acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) of 2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) of 2012 (Nazario 2020). Less than a decade since, humanity is once more fazed by a new face of the coronavirus - Novel Coronavirus (2019- nCoV) or COVID-19, discovered a day before the dawn of the new year in Wuhan City of the Hubei Province in China.

Four weeks in and Wuhan City is suspected to have around 1000 cases who are to test positive of the virus, alongside a current staggering but rising death toll of 56. With common-folk hearsay spreading faster than the very virus itself, news whether fake or factual - has sent the world into a global frenzy.

First and foremost, no, the 2019-nCoV is yet to be declared a global epidemic.

Although the occurrence is not completely out of the realm of possibility, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partner institutions have not done so. M o r e over, theorists are feeding on the notion that the virus was planted by the Chinese government to combat overpopulation, as Wuhan turns out to Central China’s most populated city.

This is not true, however, as a study conducted prove that the virus is zoonotic, meaning that

TWG Extends Motor Taxi Test Run Page 2

it can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa; thus, supporting the prior hypothesis that the initial reservoir of the strain was a snake (2020). If the zoonotic link is strengthened and confirmed, the discovery will be vital to the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs. Lastly, although there has not been a reported cure of the virus, it will NOT turn you into a zombie. Conspiracists are conniving with the notion of an apocalypse, triggering unnecessary chaos to the gullible audience of mass media.

Worst case symptoms of the virus exhibited by the affected include pneumonia; but, not a single one of these patients has turned into the Walking Dead.

Great is the need to properly and truthfully inform the general public of the nature of the virus, especially the youth. Smooth and easy access to social media and the world wide web opens a million doors to the truth, but also a

mill i o n possible truths that may or may not turn out to be fallacies.

2010 - 2020: A Decade Review

The 2019-nCoV is a member of the subfamily of Coronavirae, which is the betacoronavirus - also infamous for spreading beta strains of SARS and MERS. The virus is so called because of its “halo” shaped like the sun’s corona as seen under the electron microscope. This structure is lined with proteins that determine host tropism, or simply, specifies the species that the virus can infect. Moreover, the same family is said to have a large genome size, which means that “more genes, more and longer introns, and more transposable elements than organisms with smaller genomes”.

Given the aforementioned actualities, those who are versed with the basic intricacies of virology will understand how the virus seems to have been made to cause a ruckus. However, what a tenth grader needs to understand, primarily, is that the virus is not a joke. It is not to be taken lightly but also, it is not something to excessively panic about. The spread of the virus has multiple points of entry but knowing these by heart will allow us to prevent and prepare against it.

The Center for Disease Control and

to take precautionary measures, such as the proper hand washing and wearing of face masks, to protect one’s self.

Yes, the tumultuous infiltration of coronaviruses is not new to human history. Thus, it is only mandatory and expected of the generation to be knowledgable and prepared enough to face the challenges that this probable epidemic may bring. This is not the first time and this will, most definitely, not be the last. Yet, the best thing humanity can do is prove why we are the higher order thinkers of all Creation - by learning from the past, applying in the present, and preparing for the future.

Prevention names respiratory droplets as the main driver o f person-to-person transmission of the disease (2020).

Therefore, it is essential

Market Match Page 10

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Layout by Sabina Guerrero | News Editors: Ethan Galvan and Lexi Lagamon

Photos taken from the World Health Organization and Business Insider

Layout by Andrea Senson | News Editors: Ethan Galvan and Lexi Lagamon

2 | NEWS

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SC strikes down same-sex marriage petition

By Annika See MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court made a ruling to dismiss the petition for same-sex marriage on Monday, January 6. This decision was made in finality, with no possibility of reconsideration in the futwure.

The motion to legalize samesex marriage was first proposed by Jesus Falcis in October of 2015. Falcis made the appeal as a young and openly homosexual lawyer, but the appeal

was denied in September because the Supreme Court claimed that it was insufficient.

Specifically, Falcis made a petition to change the definition of marriage under the Family Code. He asked that it be declared unconstitutional, as marriage was defined and limited to “between

a man and a woman.” When his petition was denied in September, he asked for reconsideration in November.

The Supreme Court has declared that they will entertain no further pleadings or motions.

House Deputy Speaker Bro. Eddie Villanueva made a statement claiming that this should serve as a reminder for lawmakers to not tamper with the Family Code, as it reflects the

tradition and culture of the Filipino people. He claimed that marriage has always been a sacrament between a man and a woman, and to change that would be to go against God and human nature.

The petition to legalize samesex marriage, which once was dubbed historic for a predominantly Catholic country, seems unlikely to be passed in the near future.

TWG extends motor taxi test run

T

By Sophia Orlanes

he government’s Technical Working Group (TWG) on January 22, 2020 decided to continue the pilot study on motorcycle taxis such as Angkas, JoyRide, and MoveIt.

The said pilot study will be conducted to assess the safety of the passengers, the system of transportation, and the need for alternative rides.

In an article published by Inquirer.net, Sen. Grace Poe stated, “The continuation of the pilot operation of motorcycle taxi is a triumph for c o m m u t e r s in need of an alternative mode of transportation.”

In addition, DOTr Sec. Tugade allowed the 15,000 rider capacity of

each company to be flexible, making the slots available for redistribution.

MoveIt said that they can only fill up to 10,000 of the slots, thus, the remaining 5,000 slots will be allocated for Angkas instead.

This made Angkas have a total of 20,000 bikers, which responds to their controversy prior to this year where they were mandated by the government to cut down the number of their bikers from 27,000 to 10,000. #SaveAngkas trended worldwide on Twitter on December 21, 2019 in which bikers, commuters, and netizens joined forces to cease the motion since many were about to sacrifice their livelihood.

The TWG sought the termination of the pilot run testing of the company just a day before the decision to continue the pilot run was released because pioneer group, Angkas, filed a case against them which hindered them from executing and evaluating the pilot study well.

Photos taken from Manila Bulletin News and Rappler

Layout by Andrea Senson | News Editors: Ethan Galvan and Lexi Lagamon

3 | NEWS

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IRAN and US TENSIONS

By Jermaine Ocampo

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike kill on General Qasem Soleimani on January 3, 2020.

This resulted in tensions between the two countries and their respective allies.

General Qasem Soleimani was in charge of Iran’s military force which included its nuclear weapons. He expanded his military power to other countries in the Middle East and built up military groups that are pro-Iranian.

The U.S. Department of Defense called General Soleimani and his troops a “foreign terrorist organization.” They held General Soleimani accountable for the hundreds of deaths of American soldiers deployed in the Middle East. Iran mourned over the death of the second most powerful person in Iran while Esmail Ghaani, Soleimani’s successor, vowed for “severe revenge.”

Iran retaliated with a missile

attack on the U.S. military base in Iraq on January 8, 2020, five days after General Soleimani’s death. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched 11 ballistic missiles at the Ayn alAsad airbase in Al Anbar Governorate in Western Iraq and another airbase in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. Fortunately, only 10 out of the 11 missiles struck U.S. military positions.

U.S. President Donald Trump backed out of the “potential war” with Iran and asked North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to step in the tensions in the Middle East. He announced new sanctions against Iran in retaliation for the missile strike on the U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. The new sanctions are directed at eight senior Iranian officials while targeting Iran’s steel industry, as well as its textiles and mining, construction, and manufacturing sectors.

More violent Taal eruption looms says Phivolcs

The once bustling villages lining the vicinity of Taal Volcano remain ghost towns as the volcano continues to be active nearly two weeks after it erupted on January 12.

The volcano, located 60 km south of Manila, shocked residents who welcomed the new decade with its phreatic explosion that generated ash plumes up to 14 kilometers in the air, blanketing CALABARZON and nearby provinces gray.

Despite the volcano exhibiting less violent activity than in

By Ethan Galvan previous days, volcanologists from to implement a total evacuation order the Philippine Institute of Volcanolofor high risk areas located within the gy and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) have 14-km danger zone of Taal’s crater. maintained the Alert Level 4 status In relation, provincial and over the volcano signifying that it has municipal authorities are now spearnot ruled out the amplified risk of furheading disaster response efforts ther eruptive activity caused by conthrough coordination with various tinuous magmatic intrusion that may national and international agencies. lead to an explosive eruption of fast A total of more ₱8.5 million (US$ moving pyroclastic gases and volcanic 167,000) worth of assistance has so material. far been provided by DSWD to af As a result, 271,000 people fected people. On the other hand, the remain in emergency shelters scatPhilippine Red Cross is distributing tered across Batangas, Laguna and aid and setting up first aid stations Cavite as local governments continue and welfare desks to provide psycho-

social support to affected people.

In addition, UN agencies and humanitarian partners have provided technical and logistical support to local and regional authorities to assess and respond to the needs of people affected by the disaster.

Apart from the loss of homes, the livelihood of thousands of farmers and fishermen has also been affected as the Department of Agriculture estimates that around 3.17 billion pesos worth of agriculture and fisheries have been virtually wiped out.

Photos taken from dailyguardian.com.ph

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4 | EDITORIAL

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Covid-19 readiness

in the Philippine school system

By The Editorial Board

Memorandum No. 15

In response to the current novel coronavirus outbreak (officially named “Covid-19” as of February 11 by the World Health Organization or WHO), the Department of Education (DepEd) issued Memorandum No. 15 last February 4 titled “Creation of a Task Force for the Management of Department of Education Response to Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease” or 2019-nCoV ARD. The task force is an extension of the existing DepEd Quick Response and Recovery Team (QRRT).

close monitoring of a learner’s or teacher’s health.

Procurement of surgical masks and other medical supplies

The profiteering free-for-all over surgical and N95 masks

The memorandum contains the first set of policy directives for the newly-created task force. Several measures for prevention–upon the advice of the Department of Health (DOH)–include the suspension of travel for national and regional activities for learners and teachers, the deterrence of large gatherings with various schools, and the suspension of all off-campus activities. Some lesser known stipulations of the memorandum include awareness campaigns to encourage precautionary habits (like wearing surgical masks and properly handling food), and Photos taken from Rappler and abs-cbnnews.com

from the January Taal eruption, combined with the spike in demand from the Covid-19 has depleted supplies in s t o r e s across different regions, including stores in Manila and Pagadian City. Some pharmacies in Cebu City have even rationed masks to prevent hoarding through a “oneb o x

policy.”

In a press briefing last February 3, President Duterte promised the immediate procurement of masks: “Is [the] government doing something to buy more, to protect more?... We are not just sitting down here. We have resources coming.”

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon M. Lopez has tasked the agency to canvass more suppliers–including those overseas–to provide a total of five million masks. The agency’s February 11 announcement on their website read that DTI procured 125,000 N88 masks–a partial supply. However, they indicated that the manufacturer Medtecs, “committed to double their production, enabling them to provide 400,000 pieces of masks weekly.”

These masks will be allocated for DTI regional offices, Red Cross and other NGOs, and private retailers– schools and DepEd were not explicitly mentioned as direct receivers of the supply.

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Available aid in schools

One of the recorded and documented events of distribution by a local government for a school was in Araullo High School on January 31,

after the Manila City government announced it would distribute masks to public schools (elementary to high school levels) and its barangays.

Are schools equipped?

The Covid-19 pressures schools to bolster their preparedness, which may increase costs if supplies are not properly channeled by the government throughout the school system. To protect learners and teachers, supplies of surgical masks, hand soap and other disinfectants, laboratory or testing costs, clinical costs, and other expenses may be incurred. Although Medtecs has promised to boost its production, most LGUs lack proper distribution to different schools, especially to public ones.

The Covid-19 can be transmitted from animal to person, and from person to person (in close or direct contact). DepEd’s directive to

suspend off-campus activities and gatherings of schools is not enough to prevent the spread of the disease, as students are still at risk outside of school (including on the way to their respective campuses). They will encounter large crowds and other people at risk whenever they are outside their own homes, and even within their own campuses.

The effort put into creating a Covid-19 task force, importing surgical masks, and instructing school heads to disseminate information on precautionary measures will not be enough if resources are not balanced within school systems, and if schools are not directly entrusted with distribution.

Photos taken from Philippine Canadian Inquirer, Rappler, The Daily Guardian, and Philippine Star

Layout by Sabina Guerrero | News Editors: Ethan Galvan and Lexi Lagamon

6 | NEWS

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AUSTRALIA’S RAGING FIRES

ARE SIGNS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

By Ashley Cua

Since early June, Australia’s wildfires have blazed through the land, claiming at least 30 lives, destroying more than 3,000 homes, and burning through an estimated 10 million hectares of land, almost the equivalent of the whole Luzon region in the Philippines.

The fires have spread in every state, emitting hazardous smoke that triggers asthma attacks and other respiratory issues. In Sydney, the smoke from the fires are 11 times above hazardous levels, setting off fire alarms and suspending the local ferry service. While in the state of New South Wales (NSW) alone, the fires claimed six lives and destroyed at least 829 homes, as of December 23.

Furthermore, according to the ecologist Chris Dickman, an estimate of more than a billion animals (excluding fish, frogs, bats, and insects) have died due to the fires. In addition, their habitats have been left in a devastating condition.

In response to this crisis, thousands of firefighters and military have been d e -

ployed to douse the fires and rescue the people and endangered organisms.

According to BBC, approximately 3,000 firefighters from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service are out every day to battle the fires, in which 90% of firefighters are volunteers. By December, over 100 American and Canadian firefighters have flown in to aid them.

As unnatural as this crisis may seem, wildfires in Australia are a natural part of the ecosystem; there are “fire seasons” every summer as the hot, dry weather makes it easy for fires to start. Similarly, natural dry lightning and winds often cause such fires to break out. Small versions of these fires can help fire-dependent organisms like the Eucalyptus and other Savanna vegetation to release seeds for survival according to Tropical Savannas CRC & Bushfire CRC.

But this year had remarkably different circumstances due to climate change—2019 was Australia’s hottest and driest year, its temperature at an all-time high of 45°C in December and its last spring bei n g one of the

worst droughts in history according to the Bureau of Meteorology. These conditions along with strong winds allow wildfires to begin and spread quickly.

The impact of climate change to this crisis did Photos taken from The New York Times and The Atlantic

not stop there. Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick of the Climate Change Research Centre explained that the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) foretold signs of vast temperature increase to Australia and even East Africa. The IOD is a cycle of natural temperature shifts in the surface water between the eastern and western areas of the Indian Ocean, or from the edge of Africa to the edge of Australia. These natural temperature shifts have 3 phases: positive, neutral, and negative. The positive phase is what currently troubles both countries; the western winds shift warmer water to East Africa which provides in evaporation and thus more rains and flooding. While the colder water is left to Australia, resulting in droughts.

As the climate change crisis continued on with few actions against carbon emissions, this natural shift suddenly increased by 2°C, leading to the historic flooding and wildfires in East Africa and Australia, respectively.

Despite the data, back in November, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his deputy minister Michael McCormack h a d d i s missed the intensity o f

the fires due to climate change. McCormack further expressed that those who linked the fires to climate change were “inner-city raving lunatics”.

Though as of January 2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stated in a news conference that “the government has set its targets (on reducing carbon emissions), and we’re going to look to meet and beat those targets,” though he added that he would not compromise the jobs in the coal sector or energy hikes for consumers.

Currently, a brief respite from the wildfires is happening in Australia as hail and rain hit most cities. NSW Rural Fire Service authority Sheperd has stated that these rains have led a drastic reduction to fire activity. “(It) has given local crews a well-deserved break—but we are under no illusions it was drought-ending or fire season-ending.” Sheperd says, “We are likely to see fire conditions once again start to increase towards the end of the week.”

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7 | FEATURES

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By Kristina Jao

I was around six or seven years old when I first saw Peter Pan on television. No, not the Disney cartoon. The 2003 live action adaptation where Jeremy Sumpter played lead. I was young and I never really understood why my stomach churned when he smiled.

I guess I liked how he held Wendy’s hand and flew her to Neverland.

Or maybe, it was just because he could fly. I mean, who doesn’t want to fly?

The cartoons on television morphed into the words I would read off the pages of books I wolfed down in less than a day. Wendy found Neverland in Peter’s arms; I found mine on words printed on hundreds upon thousands of pages.

And in these pages, in fourth grade, I met Percy Jackson. Son of Poseidon. Seaweed brain. Water-bending weirdo. And like Peter, there was something about Rick Riordan’s brainchild that made him stand out. Maybe it was his awkwardness or his humor or maybe because he liked his pancakes blue. Unlike Peter Pan though, he couldn’t fly nor did he have a Neverland to show–but he was Percy. He was Percy by his own right.

The books flew out of my hands like birds as swift as the seasons came and went. The glorious princes who saved their damsels turned into broken characters who struggled to save even their own sanity from falling apart. And still, despite the monsters their brokenness had them keeping under the bed, these men didn’t turn into the very monsters they feared.

Oh Romeo, what hath happened to thee?

Where are the men who held healthy discourses about life and their multifaceted perspectives about the world? Why have we settled for the ones who have simply “held the door” for us?

Where are the men who valued what we thought of and weighed on what we fought for?

Why have we settled for the ones who think we can be bought?

We are not trophies for display. We are not prizes to be won.

We are not objects to own. And above all else, we are able with or without you.

We don’t need Peter Pan and his promise of Neverland. We don’t need Percy and his demigod privileges. We don’t need Prince Charming to sweep us off our feet and save the day.

We don’t need Romeo to die for us.

W e just want men to do more than just hold the door for us.

We want men to value us beyond “swiping right.” We want men to respect us and hear our opinions as if they were as significant as theirs because I swear to you, they are.

And naturally, despite society having its own perspective on how men are these days, the characters, especially the most broken and damaged of the lot, got me holding out a flame for the opposite sex.

Unfortunately, fast forward to now and to be completely honest, the blazing torch I once held slowly turned into a flickering flame at the tip of a single matchstick.

We need men to be who they really are. Men

Photos taken from Seventeen Magazine and IMDb

need to BECOME MEN. And not only for relationships, but especially for friendships, companionships, and even maybe just for the mere coexisting as human beings.

“men” has become, nowadays. And so I sigh and realize I have to stop here. Because then again, what can a two-page narrative do to so much as half of the world?

The standard has become too low for men because we allowed it to dive into the Marianas.

The standard has become too low for men that “men” as a thought in itself is a warning. The standard has become too low for men because we let it stay that low.

And so I sigh, Oh Romeo, what hath h ap pened to thee?

Oh Romeo, what hath happened to thee? We should not let men be. We should let men do.

Do as they should. Do as they must. Do as what a man would do.

Still, it rests upon the volition of billions of men all over the world to see how shallow the definition of

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8 | FEATURES

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2010-2020: A decade review

By John Andrei Celestial

Well, we’ve reached the end of a decade and it’s now the beginning of a new one. Despite the future holding many new opportunities and events for us and the world to experience, we can’t help but look back at what has been a decade filled with both positive and negative things. The last few years have brought us some nostalgic, iconic, and joyful memories that the world was delighted to have experienced. However, some events have also brought us worry, fear, and terror.

For this decade review, I will be breaking it down into numerous categories, that being on sports, music, politics, and technology and entertainment. These aspects have changed greatly over the years and have made a significant impact on the general public. Now, join me as I take a trip down memory lane!

sports

Sports alone has been fluctuating. From football to basketball to hockey, there are so many things that made the past decade one where sports flourished.

Take the FIFA World Cup, for example. Spain, Germany, and France w e r e the last t h r e e winners of the trophy, accumulating it in 2010, 2014, and 2018 respectively. However, most cannot forget the matches other teams had that gave way for thrilling and nerve-wracking minutes. Taking into account the 2018 World Cup, Croatia made a

magical run, managing to face France in the final. However, while they did lose, the matches before were some of the most exciting and tense. They beat powerhouses either by only one goal, overtime, or a penalty shootout.

When looking at basketball, the first thing that comes to mind is the NBA. True enough, from Ray Allen’s stepback three to LeBron’s block on Iguodala in 2016, the NBA had seen rising young talent not just in the US, but also internationally. Greats like LeBron were able to further enhance their status and do more for their team.

Many other events conspired, such as the Olympics, UAAP and PBA changes (in the local scene), and the recently concluded SEA Games. A few events may have been organized at a mediocre rate, but overall, sports in the decade was a time of experimentation and constant improvement.

MUSIC

Music has been very influential in our lives. The early years of the decade gave us some of the most amazing, nostalgic songs to jam and chill on. Young Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber were booming during that time and releasing great and well-composed songs that when we listen to now, remind us of our childhood.

Eventually, 2015 onwards gave way for EDM and rap to flourish.

Many more artists started making rap songs and other DJs such as Kygo, DJ Snake, and Marshmello collaborated with famous artists. Solo artists such as Lauv and Post Malone also became famous and released hits that the public loved.

In the local scene, OPM and Pinoy Rock flourished and were louder than ever. Independent artists started making more and more music that we all related to. This also became trending on Facebook and even people from across the globe loved the genre! An example would be the song “Hayaan Mo Sila.” It used to be not only a trend in the Philippines, but also for foreigners. They also joined in

the trends.

Finally, even K-Pop has made its resurgence! It is now a global phenomenon and the industry is continuing to shine, especially in the Philippines.

While music is subjective to the listener, it was a progressive and changing era for the tastes of the people in music. Many genres appeared.

POLITICS

By far, this has been the most controversial. The US has seen By far, this has been the most controversial.

The US has seen a change in its presidential position from Barack Obama to Donald Trump. In our context, President Duterte took former President Noynoy Aquino’s place in 2016.

Conflicts had arisen. People revolted on wars and protested for justice, freedom, and equality.

We have always not been the happiest when it came to governments arguing and changing the system.

There have been so many instances of this. The protests in Hong Kong and the refugees in Syria are all victim to what has been conflict regarding territory and the effects of the war countries have decided to put against each other and within themselves.

since the introduction of iPhones in 2008, it has quickly become a norm in society, with some holding the latest iPhone 11. Others have opted to choose Samsung phones or different brands that are cheaper. Nonetheless, using a smartphone became an eventual norm as the years passed. The same can also be said for computers, as different computer part producers clashed. More and more powerful parts were being released every year and consumers had a lot of options to pick in building a PC or a laptop.

This also included more innovations. New technology gave way for social media to rise, and just like using a smartphone, it became a worldwide trend. Applications that could be downloadable on phones and computers made life easier. Programs have been developed in order to solve a specific problem of a person, thus making living easier and healthier.

However, convenience was just not limited to applications, but it eventually spread to our everyday items.

Entertainment, on the other hand, is as turbulent as sports. Entertainment evolved and cartoons changed their style and platforms such as Netflix and YouTube were game changers, revolutionizing how we get our entertainment. Celebrities came and went by, and movies such as “Avengers: Endgame” and “Avatar” set records for the box office.

Overall, the past decade was not exactly the brightest in terms of positive politics news. Surely, there are some positive points to take note of, however, it was a decade filled with tension, war, and disagreement between the government and the people.

technology & entertainment

Now, technology alone is one big topic to talk about. However, we can say that the world is quickly advancing in terms of technology. Ever

Overall, the past ten years have been quite an experience. From our childhood in 2010 to us in the Senior High by 2020, many things have truly happened in the world, good and bad. However, what’s important is that we must cherish the good things of the past decade and learn from the bad happenings and find solutions to not repeat them in order to strive for a better decade as one Earth.

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Who’s the Real “Parasite”?

By Monica Sugay

WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers for the 2019 film “Parasite.”

There’s a moment midway through “Parasite” that feels almost like hope. After weeks of duplicity and deception, the destitute Kims— patriarch Ki-taek, his wife Chungsook, and their two adult children— have just successfully wormed their way into the employ of the maddeningly rich, frustratingly naive Park family. With their employers away on holiday, the four Kims lounge around the Parks’ extravagant living room, sipping liquor carelessly from crystal glasses.

Though they’re worlds away from the grimy semi-basement apartment they call their home, their presence in the sprawling house looks almost natural. Like this could have been their life, if only they’d been born under the right circumstances.

Unfortunately, though, they weren’t—something that the film swiftly and painfully makes clear.

Over the course of its two-hour runtime, the Korean comedy-thriller from director Bong Joon Ho (“Okja”) narrates the quick rise and quicker fall of a poor family who uses a web of lies to take over a rich household.

The movie, which took the film world by storm ever since its award-winning premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, is beautifully shot and intricately designed, with each of the cast delivering pitch-perfect performances. It has all the elements of a film destined for awards recognition, but unlike other (often duller) award-bait movies, each moment of its runtime is packed with a roller-coaster ride of laughs and tears and bone-chilling thrills.

It’s a two hour hurricane that hurdles by almost too quickly—but not without posing a question that stays with you long after you leave the theater.

Who’s the real parasite?

On the surface, the answer is obvious: it’s the Kim family, driven by desperation, who have taken to leaching resources from their employers in order to survive. The family themselves even note how the Parks’ money flows directly from their hilltop mansion into the tiny semi-basement.

It is the poorer family that enjoys the fruits of the wealthy family’s labor—or that’s how it seems at first, anyway.

But as you watch the Parks traipse through their daily lives, flitting from business meetings to supermarket trips to English lessons, this view quickly changes. Unlike the Kims, who must remain on their toes

or else risk sinking even lower into poverty, the Parks live their lives almost carelessly. After all, it is their employees who shoulder the brunt of their daily tasks. Even after the Kims’ home is decimated by a violent storm, the Parks still expect them to come to work the next day.

And then it hits you: the Parks are parasites, too. It is through the blood and sweat and tears of those beneath them that their lives are able to function. And no matter how hard the Kims work to rise above the destitution that fate has handed them, all they will ever get in return is a few bucks and more work to do.

This is the alarming image that the movie paints: one of a society so skewed that the rich get richer off the backs of the poor. One of a people so filled with desperation that they’re willing to step on others to survive.

One of a class divide so wide it’s almost impossible to transcend.

One of a world so real that all you need to do is look out your window to recognize its truth.

In the end, “Parasite” has resonated so strongly not because it’s well-written (although it is) or sharply edited (although it is) or well-acted (although, yes, it definitely is).

Its real brilliance lies

Who’s Laughing?

By Kimi Pantanosas

The start of the new year brought with it the promise of new hope and new beginnings. After all the difficulties and mistakes made in the decade that passed, some remained hopeful that the new decade would be a better one politically for the world in general. However, barely a week after the year started, the internet was ablaze with discussion and controversy as “World War 3” surfaced as the most trending topic on social media for several weeks.

This hotly contested topic can be traced all the way back to international headlines, starting with the murder of an Iranian general by an American. Many people have used this event as a sign or precursor to an incoming world war which may erupt very soon. While many people online have expressed their concerns and fears about this possibility.

But other people have decided to take this opportunity elsewhere.

Not seriously, but as a joke.

Ever since #WW3 went on to become trending on social media, many people have jumped onto turning the possible disaster into a joke.

Online jokes and memes have since arisen to capitalize on the possibility.

Memes have popped up online pok-

ing fun at the entire situation. Some could be seen as fairly harmless and innocent, making light of the situation by focusing on what ordinary people would do in the situation that they get drafted. Other jokes, however, have taken it upon themselves to make fun of, mock, and ridicule the situation.

Potentially disastrous outcomes were downplayed for a laugh. The various minorities who would suffer the most were treated like jokes.

Offensive? Sure. Insensitive?

To many, yes. But maybe one would think it safe to assume that these jokes were made with no malignant intent in mind. This particular scenario of World War 3 becoming a joke represents a larger problem on the internet right now.

The rise of social media, and “meme culture” has brought with it a new wave of online content made to appeal to a demographic of people with more “twisted” senses of humor.

The internet has allowed many groups of people to enjoy their niche likes and passions without fear of judgement.

Wholesome communities have been formed because of this, but so have groups with less favorable agendas.

As a result, offensive jokes and memes (not just relating to WW3, but to a variety of other hotly contested topics)

have found their place on the web.

While many people still might view these as harmless, the long-term effects could end badly. Platforms as influential as social media could allow these jokes to eventually be normalized by a new generation of people. A new wave of people mostly based online could eventually lose traits that humanize us greatly: empathy and sensitivity, in favor of humor that aims for a cheap and sick laugh.

The truth still stands that jokes and statements like these always come at the expense of other people going through real world things. Many people online have expressed their anger at those joking about World War 3. But the truth is, this kind of humor will probably continue to persist for a long time, just as long as someone out there finds it funny.

in the way it takes such an unlikely premise, molds it into a mirror, and forces you to stare our hopeless reality right in the face.

So, after the credits fade to black, after you exit the theater, after you retreat back home to the warmth of your bed, take a moment to absorb the easy comfort you’ve grown so used to—and then ask yourself: Am I the real parasite?

Layout by Ryan Tayag and Sabina Guerrero | Features Editor: Shan Porras

10 | FEATURES

HI-LITES

Market Match

By Kat Soriano

The Katipunan Fund Drive or section is lined up in the tracks.

KFD season has made its bright and

After the opening ceremony, colorful entrance to the Ateneo Sethe ASHS community dragged themnior High community through postselves to their respective classrooms ers, DP blasts, and teasers via social for their first period subject, and as media about what each section has the recess bell rang, the gun went to offer. 200,000 pesos worth of proBANG!, and the race officially started. ceeds from the KFD will be donated

Hungry and curious students to the ongoing operations in Taal, as fill up the courtyard of the Ateneo stated by Mrs. Dimalanta during the Senior High building, making their official opening ceremony of the KFD. way around, and making sure they Mr. Salonga also stated that “Compay each stall a visit and take a peek passion is not just going down the at their menus. Banners floated high hill, but rather, compassion is going while different chants and taglines down from the hill, and then bringing echo around the facility. Transactions the people you have interacted with are made and the hungry students up with all of you,” as to motivate the turn into satisfied customers.The only students throughout the KFD season. question now is which section will From rice meals to snacks and bevergenerate the most funds for people in ages to desserts, the mouth-watering need–who will raise the most in the race of the KFD has been set, and each market match?

Are we setting ourselves up to fail during

New Year’s?

By Katrina Antonio

In modern times, New Year’s resolutions have revolved around changing yourself and breaking bad habits.

Particularly, and I’m sure you’ve heard it from one of your titas as she stuffs her face with your family’s Media Noche– “I’m gonna workout so much more this year.” If not, maybe a tito who’s had a little too much wine– “I’m never having another drink again.” However, these promises we make to ourselves (and mistakenly declare to others) during the end of the year weren’t always like this.

The origins of New Year’s resolutions can be traced to 4,000 years ago, back when the ancient civilization of Babylon existed. It is said that during New Year’s day which for them occurred somewhere in the middle of March, they would make oaths to their gods. Their resolutions would primarily consist of promises to settle their debts and

return things they borrowed. If they were unable to accomplish these, they believed that the gods would look upon them with disfavor and punish them. Luckily nowadays, unfulfilled resolutions usually just come with a few unshed pounds and disappointment, sometimes unsurprisingly.

Studies say that around 80% of New Year’s resolutions made are usually given up on by the second week of February. While this statistic doesn’t shock me, I do wonder why people have such a difficult time sticking to their resolutions. I’m going to take the hypothetical situation of Abil-Ili and Abil-Ishtar, two Babylonian men, to help better understand why.

It’s simple. Abil-Ili borrowed some barley from Abil-Ishtar in 1980 BCE. He promised during New Year’s day that he would return some barley to Abil-Ishtar in 1979 BCE in order to avoid any punishment from the gods. By the end of

Photos by Stella Arenas and Tonydin Ramos

the year, Abil-Ili still hadn’t returned the barley.

One reason as to why AbilIli might not have accomplished his resolution (along with millions of other people) is, according to a psychotherapist, the resolution wasn’t specific enough. When you set goals that are vague, you are more likely to give up on them. Try to include more details that are measurable and realistic. One useful way to help you stay motivated throughout the year is to create a timeline for your actions in order to help track progress. As for Abli-Ili, he probably could have indicated how much barley he wanted to give and at what points in the year he would give it to Abli-Ishtar.

Another issue is that Abli-Ili’s resolution could have definitely been worded more positively.

Studies show that when your resolution is made using negative language, you have the tendency to focus on the things you’re trying to avoid rather than the results you’re try-

ing to achieve.

Framing your resolutions with positive language will make them seem less like a chore. Along with this, the reasoning for your resolution should also be rooted in something positive. Abli-Ili used the potential punishment from the gods as his motivation. Alternatively, he could have seen his resolution just as the right thing to do or even as a means to strengthen his relationship with Abli-Ishtar.

Lastly, you have to believe in yourself. As inauthentic as this advice may come across, it is something important for one to remember. You might be accustomed to making New Year’s resolutions and just forgetting about them a few weeks into the year (which I am guilty of) but it’s never too late to want to change and make it happen. In the hypothetical situation of Abli-Ili, I’m glad to say that he eventually returned the barley to Abli-Ishtar in 1978 BCE and even gave him a little extra.

Layout by Ryan Tayag and Sabina Guerrero | Features Editor: Shan Porras

11 | FEATURES

HI-LITES

YOUR GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE

APOCALYPSE

It’s 2020, and the year has had a rough start– the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, the massive wildfires in Australia, and the flooding of numerous coastal cities and areas around the globe.

Nothing seems to be going right.

Well, it might just be nothing or it might be the prelude to the end of the world. Call it what you may, The End, The Great Cleansing, The Apocalypse, Armageddon, The Surfacing of the Lizard People, Ragnarok, The Rise of the Elder Gods, etc. At the end of the day, they all mean that the world will go through a big upheaval, causing massive disasters.

Scary right? Well, fear not, because this guide has been made to increase your chances of survival in the event of said massive disasters.

One of the safest and most effective ways to guarantee your survival is to prepare a huge underground bunker complex, complete with farms, fresh water sources, weapons, libraries, food, and anything

By Shan Porras a clearer and more comprehensive else you deem necessary to survive guide on what to put in your kit, you in an apocalyptic or post-apocalypcan check online for stuff they recomtic setting. With a bunker, you could mend you have. just pop right in, with the people you

Second, if you can’t have a Disave, at the first sight of trouble. Howsaster Emergency Kit with you at all ever, we can’t all have fully stocked times, you can opt for the next best underground bunkers, because the thing.

Figure and map out the differconstruction costs alone would be ent escape routes in your office, house, humongous (and if the apocalypse etc. and plot a route to the nearest doesn’t push through you’ll just look safe area.

This area might change delike a fool). pending on what disaster you are fac On to more reliable and easing.

It is preferable to find a location ier things you can do to prepare to that can protect you from most disasmake sure that you can survive the ters. This can be a wide open space first wave of disasters, without breakon high ground and the like. I suging the bank or looking like a fool. gest communicating with your local

First, have a Disaster Emergovernment to figure out what safety gency Kit A.K.A. your Apocalyptic measures they have in place in case of Survival Bag. This will be a bag that the apocalypse. you can keep close to you, like in the

Third, it is very important to trunk of your car, your place of work, know what to do during disasters. For or your house. In short, any place example, in an earthquake, your first that’s easily accessible. The kit should response should be to find something have fresh clean water, non-persolid to duck under, cover your head, ishable food, a first-aid kit, a set of and hold your position, and not to run clothes, a flashlight, a survival manuaround in a panic because everything al. Toiletries, a garbage bag, a whistle, is falling apart around you.

This goes a melee weapon, etc. For the same for any other

disaster. Look up and learn what you should do if they happen. Furthermore, you should also be knowledgeable about the usage of different equipment that may be needed during the apocalypse or disaster. For example, if a fire starts, you must know how to use a fire extinguisher or the fire might spiral out of control.

So those are the three main tips, I have, to help you prepare for the apocalypse or any similar natural or man-made disaster because let’s be honest, if we don’t start taking better care of the Earth, we’ll probably need to have that bunker built and ready soon. And lastly, it is also important to save people during the apocalypse because rebuilding civilization as a group is much easier than rebuilding it on your own.

In the off chance that our inevitable end comes in the form of a zombie apocalypse, then you’re on your own.

IF I COULD INTERVIEW

A SURVIVOR

FROM ALONG TIMOG AVENUE

By Julia Quilatan Photo by Fernando G. Sepe, Jr. for ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

“Itulak ang pinto, papasok sa sayawan. Sa gabing ito’y may isang inaasahang makasayaw at makapiling hanggang kinabukasan”

It was the height of the disco fever: the mid-90s. Everyone who was anyone at the time knew about the famous Ozone Disco along Timog Avenue in Quezon City. The night was cool and buzzing with excitement.

There was a 50 percent off promo for guests who were graduating (it was the middle of March and the owners were taking every chance they could), naturally the place was jam-packed.

The building could only really hold about 100 people but from my estimate, about 300 were there that night. If I could go back in time, I’d tell them the 50 percent wasn’t really worth it.

The deafening bass of the music was all I could hear (it was The Ethics’ “To the Beat of the Drums”).

I looked around and all I could see were the people. They were dancing, they were standing, they were having the night of their lives. Everyone had their eyes closed while they moved their bodies to the beat—it seemed

euphoric. The energy was palpable all across the room; it was getting late but no one wanted to leave the place.

The night started to go downhill when a friend noticed a spark right above the DJ’s booth. I wasn’t sure if it was real or if it was just part of the nightclub’s special effects, but the longer I stared at it, the more I felt the urge to run.

I shook my friend’s shoulders in a panic and told them to head to the door—a single door that opened inwards. By the time the exit was in sight, the spark wasn’t just a spark anymore. The dancing halted, the music stopped, and everyone was screaming. It was so loud, I couldn’t hear my own voice inside my head.

I remember the sweat. Hundreds of sweating teenagers huddled together, desperate to escape the rapidly growing fire. I knew our attempts were useless. There were so many of us pushing a door that needed to be pulled, there was no way out.

All of the sudden the lights went out, the establishment’s electrical system failed, they said. It felt like we were lost souls left to suffer in the Underworld for all of eternity. It was pitch black and the heat was suffocating—I accepted my fate.

Out of nowhere, I felt something cold brush my shoulder and for a moment, I felt alive—I realized it was the door handle. Somehow, I was pushed towards the exit and all I could think was “I have to get out.” So, I pulled. I was met with a backdraft, air slapped me in the face and pushed me down to the ground. The pain never registered. The door was open, I was alive.

“Sunugin natin ang ating mga paa, dagitab ng bawat padyak ay nadarama”

It’s been 25 years since that night but I can still hear the screams when I close my eyes. I can still smell

the burning wood and burning flesh if I try hard enough. But they’re all just memories now, and I can’t be touched by memories.

The nightmare that happened on March 18, 1996 was made into a song by Unique Salonga, forever cementing it into the minds of his audience, whether they know the truth behind it or not.

After 20 years of being untouched, the property that was once Ozone Disco, has been claimed and turned into an eatery. So when you pass by GoodAh!!! along Timog Avenue in Quezon City, picture it alive and pulsing, picture it in flames and burning.

Remember Ozone.

Photo taken from BBC.com

Layout by Mickie Deang | Features Editor: Shan Porras

12 | FEATURES

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

Broadcast Editor

In ten years’ time:

Hi, my name is Lucy and I am twelve years old today. Our teacher told us to write a letter to help “make the world a better place,” so here I am. My friends (specifically Kathy and Savannah) wrote letters to the government and to different government offices in our country, some of my classmates wrote to the President of the Philippines, others to the Mayor of our City and some even wrote letters to big companies. I wanted to do that too but everybody already seems to be sending their letters to those “big” people, so I won’t do that anymore, also I think they ended up sending all their letters to all the powerful people because our teacher told us to write a letter to the person (or a group of people) that we think would really make a difference in our future.

I agree, the government and all those institutions would play a big part in our future, but for now I’d like to write a letter to someone whom I know I can implore to be a part of the solution, to my future self, to Lucy, 10 years from now. For I know she and all our future selves can help make this world a better place.

Dear Lucy ten years from now, Hi, Lucy! How’s our future? I hope it looks better than what’s in the news today. In science class a while ago, I just found out that more than 300 million people live in the forest these days, most are from displaced indigenous tribes who got chased away by greedy businessmen, is everybody still greedy ten years from now? I hope not. I hope the Amazon reservoirs are now free from the cattle ranchers who intentionally burn the tens of thousands of acres of trees from the forest that supplies us 20% of our oxygen. They should stop destroying what they ought to be caring for.

You know, Lucy, I worry a lot about our forests these days and at the same time I worry for those around me because with so much injustice going on today, most people are discouraged from doing the right thing anymore. I don’t want to grow up to be like that. It just feels like being good is a liability and indifference is an asset in society today.

Right now, there are great wildfires are all over the globe and this causes us to lose more trees than we could plant, I truly feel like even our government leaders are desensitized when it comes to climate change and other environmental issues, it just feels like we’re fighting a battle we’ve already lost.

Yet I know that’s not true… not yet.

Rebecca Filasol

I do not know what the future holds for me but I hold on to the vision that things have changed for the better once you read this again, Lucy.

Chief Photojournalists

On a lighter note, here’s a few good memories, I’d like you to remember from this decade:

Art and Layout Editor

A man from northern India, named Jadav Payeng or also known as “The Forest Man of India,” started planting trees in a 1360 acre of once barren sandbars from when he was just 16 years old. He’s 57 now and lives in his own lush forest with its own rhinos, tigers and elephants! Look at the impact of what one person can do, Lucy, if he chooses the right thing.

Contributors

Then there’s Greta Thunberg, a youth activist whose constant and relentless campaigning every Friday outside the Swedish Parliament has opened doors for worldwide discussions on environmental issues and forums for reshaping environmental policies.

Stella Arenas Marcus Garcia

Sabina Guerrero

Katrina Antonio, John Andrei Celestial, Ashley Cua, Mickie Deang, Gabrielle Dotado, Jermaine Ocampo, Sophia Orlanes, Kimi Pantanosas, Julia Quilatan, Tonydin Ramos, Annika See, Andrea Senson, Kat Soriano, Monica Sugay, Ryan Tayag, Leiana Toledo

Moderators

Ms. Caroline Laforteza Mr. Enzo Pisig

So, Lucy, I know you’re busy living your life right now but please still try…try to be a part of the solution to our environmental crisis. And implore your friends, family and those around you too, for this letter is a wake-up call. I sent this to you because I knew that no project of a politician, no advocacy of an organization, and no policy of a nation can ever surpass the magnitude of change that initiates from the hands of the common people themselves.

I believe with all my heart that if everyone decides to do the next right thing constantly, then things will inevitably change for the better. It always does.

I hope you take this advice from your twelve-year-old self. This letter may be my school assignment, (and now I can say to my teacher I finished writing my letter and from now on I’ll keep this letter locked away within my tin box until ten years pass), but I do hope that what assignment I have for you in this letter will be a promise to me that you’ll keep.

In ten years’ time, 12-year-old Lucy

LETTER ” R E T A L E D “A DECA FUTURE E H T R O F R A LETTE Dotado

By Gabrielle