September 2019 - Volume 71, No. 2

HI-LITES

for the students, by the students

SEPTEMBER 2019 - VOL. 71, NO. 2

“SALINDAW” HIGHLIGHTS BUWAN NG WIKA ‘19

By Annika See

The white walls of the ASHS building gleamed with color as the Senior High School community celebrated the annual Buwan ng Wika revolving around the theme “Salindaw” meaning “radiant” or “bright” in Maranao through various contests aimed at showcasing the diversity of Philippine culture and traditions.

These events which included: Pistambayan, Hugot Pa, Bihis Pinoy, Harana, and Origs that were held on separate days with the culminating activity held in the High school covered courts on August 30.

Amidst the midterms week, students were seen decorating their respective classrooms in accordance with the Philippine province assigned to them for Pistambayan and Hugot Pa. They were given a week in order to finish their designs and to clean up.

It was announced during the culmination program for Buwan ng Wika, or Pinoytuntunan, that Tsuji won both

Pistambayan and Hugot Pa in Grade 11, while Acquaviva won Pistambayan and Pro won Hugot Pa in Grade 12.

The decorations are expected to stay up all throughout September.

For Bihis Pinoy, students were asked to design costumes inspired by a deity from their province.

Great creativity was shown in using recycled materials and fabric in order to put together extravagant costumes for their models. It was announced that 11-Wright and 12-Pro were the winners of their respective batches.

Another contest conducted was the Harana, for Grade 11, and

Dengue Causes Heightened Alert, 622 Dead

In line with the “Deng-get Out” campaign, LGUs encourage households and communities to search and destroy breeding areas, use insect repellants, defog their places, and seek medical attention.

As stated by the World Health Organization, “[t]he Aedes aegypti mosquito is the main vector that transmits the viruses that cause dengue” and a person who has contracted dengue may experience nausea, headache, rashes, and fever.

A dengue national alert was already declared in July but it was swiftly changed into an epidemic in order to heighten the awareness and response of the public.

By Sophia Marie Orlanes The Department of Health during a press conference on August 6, 2019 declared dengue as a national epidemic since the number of deaths already spiked up to 622 as of July 22.

According to an article released on the DOH website, the number of dengue cases this year increased by 98% with almost 150, 000 cases recorded and Region VI (West-

ern Visayas).

“It is important that a national epidemic be declared in these areas to identify where a localized response is needed, and to enable the local government units to use their Quick Response Fund to address the epidemic situation,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III stated during the press conference.

Hong Kong Protests

The Work of ASHS Fair 2020

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Origs for Grade 12. Grade 11 students were asked to make their own interpretations of chosen songs that reflect the province they were assigned, while Grade 12 students were asked to make an original song. They performed at Dulaang Sibol on August 29, and the winners of these contests were Hoyos and Campion from Grade 11, and Oldcorne and Anchieta from Grade 12.

There were also contests that were held by strand, such as Hataw and Palarong Pinoy. The dancers of each strand banded together in order to prepare a combination of folk and modern dances during Pinoytuntunan. The winner of this contest was HUMSS, while ABM, STEM, and GA followed, in that order respectively.

For Palarong Pinoy, six players from each class represented their strand in playing traditional Filipino games. GA was the winner of this competition, with HUMSS in second place, ABM in third place, and STEM in last place.

Oplan Sauron in Negros Page 11 Photo courtesy of philstar.com

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

Layout by Mickie Deang | News Editors: Ethan Galvan and Lexi Lagamon

2 | NEWS

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Photo courtesy of Justin Chin / Bloomberg

Hong Kong Protests Carry On: police fire water cannons at protesters

By Ashley Cua

HONG KONG — Marking another escalation of violence in Hongkong, police fired water cannons toward protesters during a large-scale, police-sanctioned march in Tsuen Wan district on August 25.

The pouring rain failed to prevent the thousands of people who marched in Tsuen Wan district continuing the nearly three month-long protests against the extradition bill and the government’s new surveillance plan, both seen as potential threats to the safety and human rights of the Hong Kong people.

As the day passed, police officers formed into lines while a group of protesters set up makeshift roadblocks out of bamboo rods and plastic barriers. To disperse the crowds, the police launched rounds of tear gas towards them, but the protesters stood their ground behind their make-shift barricades, some even throwing Molotov cocktails and bricks in retaliation. A number of protesters, armed with weapons and bricks, cornered and attacked some officers. Police officers also drew their guns at a crowd of people, including journalists, and one officer fired a warning shot to diffuse the violence.

However, it would only con-

tinue as the crowds persisted and the police kept launching rounds of tear gas. Soon after, the police charged in with two anti-riot vehicles equipped with water cannons to drive the protesters out of the streets, having previously warned the protesters that the vehicles would be deployed if they did not leave.

In a previous statement by the police, the anti-riot vehicles, also equipped with real-time surveillance cameras, would only be used in a “large-scale disturbance.”

Once the water cannons were fired, the protesters scattered. However, smaller groups of people soon emerged and entered in several districts to cause disturbances to the police. The public broadcaster RTHK has reported these incidents: a group of protesters flashed a laser beam right into the Sham Shui Po police station until at least four of them were arrested and another group also disrupted the operations in a cross-harbour tunnel by setting up barriers to block traffic.

Additionally, according to local media, some people used trash cans to barricade the main road of Tsim Sha Tsui, a popular tourist spot.

The next day, Hong Kong police reported that twenty-one officers were injured during the incident while more than 30 protesters, including a 12 year old, were arrested for unlawful assembly, possession of weapons and assaulting the police.

In a separate statement, Hong Kong police severely condemned the violent acts of protesters stating that, “The escalating illegal and violent acts of radical protesters are not only outrageous, they also push Hong Kong to the verge of a very dangerous situation.” In the statement was also a

Photos courtesy of Honk Kong Free Press and The New York Times

pledge that the police would “strictly follow up” on those acts.

Despite this, protesters remained determined to fight for their political and human rights, refusing to budge until the government heeded their demands.

“The more the government ignores us, the more we have to come out,” said Peggy Tai, a woman in her 60s, earlier on the day of the incident.

The wave of protests began in early June as opposition to the extradition bill, under which individuals may be sent back to mainland China on trial. But eventually, the protests have surged into a bigger anti-government movement.

Protesters have 5 demands to the government which are: the complete withdrawal of the now-suspended extradition bill; the setting up of an independent body’s investigation on police brutality; the ceasing of the characterisation of protests as “riots”; amnesty for those arrested; and a continuation of political reform to allow free election of Hong Kong’s leader and legislature.

Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, has promised the public that there would be open-table negotiations on the conflict. However, protesters have dismissed her offer, saying that she needed to heed their demands rather than negotiate.

Protests show little signs of stopping—recently, a #MeToo protest

surfaced after alleged claims of sexual assault that was done to protesters, which the police have denied, claiming that it they were only baseless rumours. The Civil Human Rights Front is also organizing a general strike to be held on August 31, Saturday.

However, the more violent progression on Tsuen Wan district has overpowered the concept of peaceful protests or of the “Hong Kong Way,” which on August 23, united people from all across Hong Kong to hold hands and form a human link through over 60 kilometers in the city.

The deadlock in the conflict has also resulted in a “white terror” strategy by the government, which has pressured major Hong Kong businesses over staff support for the protests. Most notably under pressure are the airline company Cathay Pacific and the city metro system (MTR), who has been accused of transporting protesters to the rally sites. Since the media allegations, the MTR has shut down stations near planned protests.

Additionally, Hong Kong’s reputation as a thriving financial hub has been damaged as the stocks have fallen at the opening of trade on August 26, closing nearly 2 percent down.

Layout by Mickie Deang | News Editors: Ethan Galvan and Lexi Lagamon

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A NEW CHAPTER FOR ATENEO

By Jermaine Ocampo

Last August 6, 2019, a memorandum was sent out informing the university community that the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) will have a new university president beginning the next academic year.

Mr. Ernesto Tanmantiong, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Ateneo de Manila University has announced that they have elected Fr. Roberto “Bobby” C. Yap, SJ as the next university president.

He will begin his term as ADMU president on June 1, 2020, after the third and final term of current president Fr Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ, who has served as Ateneo de Manila president since 2011.

Fr. Bobby is the current president of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan (XU), and has presided over the active engagement of the university in various programs for the community such as the rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong and the rehabilitation of Marawi.

“I accepted the election as my new Jesuit mission. Always on mission, only for mission, Jesuits go where they are sent,” Fr. Bobby mentioned in his acceptance memo.

Fr. Bobby would also like to assure everyone that the search for the next president of XU will commence shortly with the formation of a search committee that will begin on the 7th of September 2019.

Photo courtesy of usphsociety.org Photo courtesy of ASHS Sanggu Facebook Page

A Celebration Full of Grace: The Feast of the Assumption

By Lexi Lagamon

Quezon City, Philippines — Amidst the string of class suspensions throughout August, the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS) community remained ignited for the Lord as it converged at the Junior High school Covered courts to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15 (Thursday).

The celebration started with a mass officiated by Rev. Fr. Braulio Dahunan, SJ. At the beginning of his

Photo Courtesy of timstaples.com

homily, he asked the ASHS community, “Ano ang mga inaawit ng inyong puso ngayon?” and sang portions of some hit OPM songs such as “Sana”

by I Belong to the Zoo and “Sa Ngalan ng Pag-ibig” by December Avenue which are popular among the youth.

The songs he mentioned tackled the topic of love and relationships. He then continued making insights on different experiences of love and how we should have grace and love in our

lives similar to how the Assumption is a symbol of Mary’s grace and love.

Mrs. Dimalanta then gave closing remarks and thanked everyone who participated in the mass.

She called on the ASHS community to show grace and love in their lives.

Moreover, Dimalanta commended 12-Ogilvie for sponsoring the mass and creating the backdrop which read “Ave Maria Gratia Plena” (Hail Mary Full of Grace).

Layout by Ryan Tayag | Features Editor: Shan Porras

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First Impresions on Buwan ng Wika

By Gabrielle Dotado

“Unity does not mean Sameness. It means Oneness of Purpose”Priscilla Shirer

Our Filipino culture is a rich and diversified set of beliefs, values and norms. This is an effect of our geography—our large number of islands and vast waters guarantee that each region in the Philippines is as different from each other as each is similar to one another.

In the same way, the students of Ateneo Senior High School, filled with unique stories from distant Philippine provinces and even other countries gathered together to celebrate the unity in the diversity of the Filipino culture; that no matter our differences, we are able to find our similarities in order to connect and do more for the common good.

During the past three months of our stay here in Ateneo Senior High School, we have already been constantly encultured with the Atenean maxims—one of the greatest of which is “Magis,” the Latin word for More.

Contrary to its literal understanding, Magis does not only mean “more” in terms of quantity but rather “quality” or in better words “Excellence.”

Take time to look around the SHS Building and see the “Obra Maestra’s” of each class as you take a stride along the halls of one classroom to the other, immersing yourself into a unique sensory experience, of how your sight is overwhelmed by the intricate beauty and vivid color palettes that pop out from the paleness of the ASHS walls.

One pulls you into a place of Filipino myths—that of Siquijor, where night time stories of kapres and aswangs are most prevalent, and as you take a step further, you are transported to the neighboring province of Antique with bright festive hues that portray the epic of Sugidanon and the bountiful harvest of sugarcane in the region and with 40 more immersive Pistambayan and Hugot Pa designs waiting for you to explore and feast your eyes upon.

As a senior, Julia Izabel Panambo of 12-Miki had put the experience into words perfectly, “I remember my first ASHS Buwan ng Wika celebration last year to be just as memorable

as this year. At first, I was surprised that a majority of the student population were really willing to sacrifice their time after school in order to decorate their classrooms. OPM blasted through the speakers as everyone cut and pasted scrap papers, CDs, magazines and newspapers. It was especially beautiful at night seeing the entire community laboring hard at work and enjoying one another’s company.”

“Buwan ng Wika is one of the events in the ASHS wherein Ateneans best exemplify Magis”; always going above and beyond what is expected! I think that the Pistambayan and Hugot Pa designs just get bigger, better, and brighter every year!” she added.

But more than just the bold and bright picturesque sceneries found in the halls of the Ateneo Senior High School, the ASHS drives to promote indigenous languages and dialects by going above and beyond the normal way of celebration through also paying attention even to the simplest details of integrating these indigenous languages and dialects in each student’s daily grind. That every single day they get to learn the words for good morning, good afternoon, goodbye and thank you in different Filipino dialects.

Such as “Dakal salamat,” meaning “Thank you” in Kapangpangan; “Asta sa liwat,” “Goodbye” in Ilonggo; “Mapiya Kapipita,” “Good morning” in Maranao and “Naimbag na malem,” “Good afternoon” in Ilocano, and many more.

“I know, it’s just a small thing but I am truly amused by the idea of learning other Filipino languages and dialects daily through greetings—from Pangasinense, Chavacano to Cebuano and many more. It makes me feel grateful to be a part of such a diverse and rich Filipino culture”, Josh Vellila 11-Mayer said when asked regarding his views on the implementation of “wikang katutubo” greetings.

By words through music, Ateneans were also given the chance to promote “wika” through the lively beats, the compositions and rocking performances of Harana—a love song translated into an indigenous language and Origs—an “original” class composition celebrating the “youth” with the usage of other Filipino dialects and languages with Tagalog.

Pio Ramirez, one of the brains behind the winning Harana song of 11-Hoyos recalled, “The anxiety I felt minutes before our group went on stage was nearly unbearable, but on stage I felt free. It was liberating to share something you’re proud of with a community like

the SHS.”

Furthermore, Quade Ilagan of 11-Hoyos added as he recalled his highlights of the Harana performance,”When the whole class started cheering during our mini concert in the classroom, I realised how the whole class is in this competition together. While it may seem that it only took a certain people to create such a powerful song, it actually took all 41 people in Hoyos to create such a memorable performance.

Among all the events, Bihis Pinoy stole the spotlight with its parade of colors and fashion styles on point—gracing the runway with tableaus representing epics of different provinces, the muses wore a variety of recycled, innovative and aesthetically pleasing pieces. Making use of old CDs, old newspapers, bamboos, egg cartons, and even the materials once used for the Pistambayan, the Bihis Pinoy did not fail to amaze us all with their ingenuity and sense of style.

Not only were the ASHS students given a chance to further understand their respective provinces and indigenous languages but through this year’s Buwan ng Wika they were given an opportunity to foster stronger relationships with one another, especially their classmates.

“Never have I expected myself to be immersed in the feeling of class unity through such unconventional means, and given an opportunity to foster an appreciation towards our Filipino culture in this process of working together with my class in our Bihis Pinoy, I have developed so much dedication,” Luis Francisco of 11-Mayer, the leader of Mayer’s Bihis Pinoy which won 3rd place, narrated in an interview.

“In having a similar desire with my peers to create a piece that went beyond what was expected of a traditional Filipino costume, we tirelessly challenged each idea we can-

vassed, until we reached a level of understanding that our design would be worth all the efforts...” he continued, ”Dedicating full days to our crafts, honestly, everything became worth it ,winning was just secondary, hence we focused more on camaraderie. The authentic perseverance of our team from 11-Mayer, pushed beyond the boundaries of teamwork and love for Filipino culture”

From a simple and vivid image of people carrying and lifting a house so that it can be transported from one place to another, the word Bayanihan has now evolved into a new, fresh and up to date meaning that our younger generation can relate to—Bayanihan is when a community chooses to live out the essence of “Magis” for one another, that in the same way our ancestors lifted up the Bahay Kubos of their neighbors, we lift up the Filipino languages as a community in ASHS by the modes of music, fashion, arts and even dance.

We do this because we choose to do more than what it expected of us.

We do this because we choose to live out the spirit of Bayanihan to the best of our God-given talents and strengths.

Some are gifted with the talent of music—and they have showcased their gifts through Harana, Origs and even the Karaoke. Some with Arts and Fashion, as we witnessed their creations through Pistambayan, Hugot Pa and Bihis Pinoy. Some with dancing as we have seen them passionately expressing our Filipino culture in Hataw.

Truly, in a matter of even just a few months in Ateneo, I found myself surrounded by a united community of diverse young men and women living out the true meaning of “Magis” through the innate Filipino culture of “Bayanihan,” and for that I am forever thankful.

Photos courtesy of Stella Arenas, Marcus Garcia, Ella Grenas, Tonydin Ramos

Layout by Ryan Tayag | Features Editor: Shan Porras

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VICE CHAIR, WHO?

By Kat Soriano

DP Blasts. Slogans. Room-toroom campaigning.

The search for the next Strand Vice Chair became something that pushed the Grade 11 students to step out of their comfort zones and jump into the field of serving their fellow strandmates. Lots of aspiring student leaders from HUMSS, ABM, STEM, and GA rose up and faced the challenge of running against each other in the race towards becoming the next Vice Chair of their respective strands.

However, every competition can only crown one winner. After the elections held on the first day of August, three people were officially placed under the Vice Chair title.

Julia Agbayani

Julia Agbayani from 11-Brebeuf took the position of ABM Vice Chair. Agbayani, who came all the way from St. Theresa’s College, said that her winning the Vice Chair elections was really unexpected. “Pero of course,” she said. “I was so grateful and thankful that I had this opportunity since ‘yon nga, it’s a passion of mine to serve and to lead.” Even though Agbayani was shocked with the workload, she promises to sacrifice her time and energy for the people she serves and, of course, make them a priority, which clearly defines her campaign slogan “agBAYANIparaSAYO.”

From the Ateneo Junior High comes Clarence Monterozo of

Gino Bulatao

11-Wright who won the elections for STEM Vice Chair. This newly-elected leader said that he ran around his classroom, jumping and hugging everyone, when he heard the announcement in the PA System. “FullSTEMAheadWithClarence” is what he stands for, and this campaign slogan comes hand in hand with the concept of trains (full STEM ahead, trains, get it?). “Parang ‘yong naisip ko lang kasi train, kasi there [are] a lot of parts that go into a train,” Monterozo said.

“We’re all working together in this.

Parang train tayo [...] if there’s a part that fails, most likely, the entire train will be affected by it. [...] Gusto ko talagang we’ll work together as one. Kasi parang, I don’t want us to just compete with each other, I want us to actually help and bring each other up as STEM.”

Also from the Ateneo Junior High comes Gino Bulatao of 11-Goupil, the newly-elected HUMSS Vice Chair.

When asked about how he felt when he won the elections, Bulatao said,

Clarence Monterozo

“Syempre, shocked. Like, ‘di talaga siya nag sink in agad-agad, so, parang the day after ko lang na-feel na I got the position na, gano’n.” “Paglilingkod, pag-aalay, at pagbubuklod” was his campaign slogan. “Galing ‘yon sa tagline na ‘Maglilingkod para sa ikabubuklod’,” he explained. “‘Yong pinaka-center talaga noong platforms ko ‘yong paglilingkod na parang inaalay natin ‘yong mga bagay-bagay na mayroon tayo sa Diyos and siyempre sa ibang tao.”

Though they come from different backgrounds with different stories, these newly-elected Vice Chairs all aim to serve their fellow strandmates. All their reasons on running for vice chair sums up to the fact that they want to unify their fellow strand mates and make them stronger as individuals and as a strand. They want to ensure that their strand mates will feel as if they actually belong in the ASHS Community and that they aren’t just another whisper to be shushed, but a shout to be heard.

Annika See

Photos courtesy of Stella Arenas, Marcus Garcia, Ella Grenas, Tonydin Ramos

Layout by Leiana Toledo | Features Editor: Shan Porras

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Should We Be Laughing At Self-Deprecating Humor?

By Katrina Antonio

"I’m kind of ugly but at least that way I know people aren’t just friends with me because of my appearance," my friend once said to me. I laughed then told her I never thought about it that way but should I have complimented her instead?

"I forgot to cook the rice. This is why my mom is never proud of me," another friend of mine’s tweet read. I smiled and then pressed the like button but should I have rather sent him a heartening message?

Self-deprecating humor, or jokes that belittle yourself, has slowly become a normal part of my daily life; with memes about being a failure constantly being shared on my online timelines and jokes about not getting into college being shared at parties. Therefore, it is not surprising that I wonder whether these jokes come purely from a place of comicality in order to make others laugh just at your own expense or if it’s actually rooted in insecurity and self-hate.

While self-deprecating humor definitely has negative connotations, studies have shown that it actually has several positive psychological implications. According to research, possessing this type of humor is an indicator of confidence and self-awareness as it requires the capacity to admit your shortcomings and weaknesses in a light-hearted manner. Owning up to and even laughing at your personal failures is linked to the ability to assess your own character and areas in need of improvement. Taking your own imperfections and turning it into amusement for others shows that you accept them and are not ashamed to talk about them openly.

Additionally, according to a psychologist, there are several benefits to using self-deprecating humor. One is the greater chance of creating positive relationships.

Self-deprecating humor often humanizes people and shows authenticity which allows people to feel less intimidated and rather make them want to talk to

you. It can also be an effective way of opposing stressful situations. Instead of being threatened by a challenge, making a joke about it can ease your nerves and motivate you to do better.

However, like every other thing, the effects of self-deprecation vary especially depending on how often you practice it. According to a psychologist, if used in excess, self-deprecating humor can result in poor self-esteem or may indicate an already suffering self-esteem. In many cases, people use it in order to lower others’ expectations of themselves in case of underperforming. This not only hinders people from normalizing failure but can also leave an impression on others that you aren’t competent and possibly permit them to poke fun at you too. It is also used by people as a means to get attention in the form of compliments but this is an unhealthy attempt at receiving a boost of self-confidence. By focusing too much on your weaknesses, you are subconsciously creating a negative self-concept that is reliant on validation from others.

Constantly making light of your bad choices can also inhibit you from looking deeper into your personal issues. Instead of rationalizing and thinking about why you made a bad decision, you resort to belittling yourself. It can stop you from understanding your emotions and motives for your regrettable actions which in turn, will hinder you from improving.

The question is, will I stop retweeting tweets about procrastinating and not getting any work done?

No, because firstly, they’re usually pretty funny, and secondly, it pushes me to stop putting off my work. But the next time I notice a friend cracking jokes about their bad study habits a little too much, I will probably laugh but, this time, follow it up with a concerned question. Because, while it isn’t completely harmful to laugh at self-deprecating humor, you never really know what lies behind a joke.

have you ever heard of the

Po modoro ?

By Julia Quilatan

Nights have been getting longer, and days a little shorter; this only means one thing: the ‘Ber’ months have officially arrived. It’s time to whip out your hoodies and Michael Bublé Christmas Playlists because 2019 is reaching its end.

But despite the heavy excitement and anticipation for this time of the year, the arrival of September also comes with downsides: it’s CETs season!

Unfortunately for the seniors, their CETs coincide with their final exams for the first semester.

Usual side effects during this time may include (but are not restricted to) headaches, puffy eyebags, and caffeine addiction. So whether you’re applying for Ateneo, UP, UST, La Salle, or any other college, you’re going to want to take down some notes because what comes after will come in handy.

After carefully scouring the deepest corners of the internet, I have found what might be the best study technique out there. Of course, not everyone will find it suitable for their preferences, but this particular trick ensures that you get most, if not all, your work done without the burnout.

Introducing, the Pomodoro Technique:

The basic workings of this study technique is fairly simple: you study for a certain amount of time, and then you take breaks; the more you study, the longer your break gets. This allows for a better understanding of new information.

To make use of this technique, the first thing you have to do is set a timer for 25 minutes. During this time, you study and get as much done as

possible. The alarm of your timer signifies the end of your first pomodoro or study time.

The next step requires you to do something relaxing and not study-related. You can grab a snack, listen to some music, or meditate— it’s all up to you. This will go on for about 5 minutes. Once that’s over, proceed to your next pomodoro.

Here’s the twist: for every 4 pomodoros you complete, you get to increase the time you have for rest.

You can upgrade to 10 minutes, and then 20, or even 30. By doing this, you eliminate the strain your brain goes through during your study sessions.

This secret to studying-success is something that will hopefully be a saviour for all seniors. Not only will it ensure better productivity, it will also show you that time is not particularly your enemy. With proper time management and allocation, you will be able to sleep like a baby at night—without the added worry of unfinished tasks in your subconscious.

Layout by Leiana Toledo | Features Editor: Shan Porras

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By Andrei Celestial

Let’s face it: whether you like it or not, we are now living in a world that is technologically advancing at a supersonic rate. New computers, mobile phones, and laptops are being released every single year, as well as the applications that go with it.

From Microsoft Office to Flappy Bird, applications are programs that are designed to help people and serve a purpose, either to make life more convenient, to speed up a process, or to entertain.

I want us to focus on the last one: to entertain. While there may be different apps to entertain ourselves such as Netflix and YouTube, the most prevalent apps or sources for entertainment in these technological devices, especially us teenagers and adolescents, are video games.

I don’t think I really need to explain what video games are. In fact, I’ve already mentioned one in the second paragraph. With something as simple as that to a highly complex game such as Rainbow Six Siege, video games have been a staple of our culture. They have been the foundation of eSports, wherein a game (usually a team-based game such as CS or Rocket League) is played by professional "virtual athletes" for a prize pool that can go as high as USD 20M (DOTA 2). However, just because it is one of the primary sources of entertainment and happiness doesn’t mean it is always beneficial. So, here we are to answer the question:

Are video games good or bad?

To be completely honest, the answer is neither. See, video games both have good and bad sides, depending on the player and his/her habits. To further clarify this, let’s start with the good aspects of video games.

Games like these, especially the ones that are team-based, are beneficial because they can improve communication skills, help with hand and eye coordination, as well as to practice discipline and commitment.

If you play a multiplayer game such as Global Offensive, it’s going to be no surprise that most people would opt to use their microphones to talk to their team in competitive play. This is mainly because they want to get their callouts right and to guide their teammates to win the round. Things such as these strengthen our "people skills" and will most likely be applied in the outside world. Hand and eye coordination will also come into play here, as for most games, you will need to work with both your eyes and hands to properly do what you want to do. Again, things like these further improve our coordination and reflexes which can also be applied in the outside world.

Lastly, good habits such as discipline and commitment will be practiced here, because a player is determined to get better at a game/level, he will discipline himself and truly commit to the game, doing all the exercises and things he can to get to the next level.

As you can see, video games help us form and strengthen values and habits that will be extremely beneficial for us when we grow up and do what we love to do.

But again, I did say that video games also have a bad side. Mainly, video games promote violence, induce video game addiction in teens, and increases the risk of diseases such as obesity and heart disease.

Some games such as God of War, Grand Theft Auto, and the Call of Duty series involve a lot, and I mean a lot of blood and fighting. Grand Theft Auto goes way beyond that, including references to drugs, gangsters, and defying authorities. In fact, a recent

study showed that teenagers who have committed crimes get their "inspration" from their frequent playing of the same or other similar titles, saying that it would be "cool" to "do the same thing in real life."

Video games also make their players addicted to them. The World Health Organization declared video game addiction as a mental illness recently, defining it as excessive playing of video games to the point where their physiological needs are ignored. All players are at risk of this, especially when they love the game and its community so much that they just want to stay there.

Lastly, these games increase the risk of several diseases. Just think about it. You’re at your phone, console, or computer playing and you feel hungry. What’s the thing you grab? Of course, these are your best friends of junk food, processed meats, and readyto-eat meals. While these meals and snacks are delicious and edible while playing, these are extremely unhealthy options and will make you prone to different mental, physical, and psychological illnesses that will make life unenjoyable and stressful. Examples of these include the aforementioned obesity and heart disease, but also include depression, social anxiety, and sleep deprivation.

So, are video games good or bad?

Again, I say it’s neither. While I did present the facts and stated the reasons for each side, the real answer is up to you. Whether you have bad experiences associated with gaming or have one of the most life-changing experiences through some games, we can’t deny the fact that it is one of the constants in our culture and will continue to change lives, positively or negatively.

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hoW Hong Kong’S Youth is fighting back

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t’s July 2019. For more than three months, the bustling Hong Kong streets have been flooded with millions of people. Nameless, faceless, and clad in black, these people have no leader, no definite movement. Their demands differ considerably—some call for increased autonomy from China, others for independence altogether. For a brief moment, however, they stand united, a melody rising up into the heat of the Hong Kong afternoon: Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men?

The song, which originates from the 1986 musical Les Misérables, has become a rallying cry of sorts for the youth of Hong Kong. It’s not hard to see why—its subject matter (the student-led June Rebellion in Paris) echoes the fervor of the Hong Kong youth’s revolt against increasing censorship, against fading democracy, against the creeping threat of Chinese intervention. It has become an anthem for a revolution.

Like all revolutions, though, unrest had been brewing long before the first protesters took to the streets on March 31. The disparity between the multicultural, capitalist Hong Kong and the communist mainland China had always caused tension between the two entities, even with the “one country, two systems” approach that allowed Hong Kong its own autonomous government.

However, after Beijing was given sole power to approve candidates for Hong Kong’s chief

By Monica Sugay executive in 2014, tensions reached identities hidden even from each otha new high. Led by the then-sevener; operations are planned through teen-year old Joshua Wong, the premessaging apps such as Telegram, viously apathetic Hong Kong youth if planned at all. The protestors aswere galvanized into action. The Umsemble almost spontaneously, then brella Revolution, as it was called, saw disperse without warning. It’s a stratmore than 100,000 peaceful protestegy that has made them so difficult to ers flood the streets and social media hunt down, even with the police doufeeds alike with calls for democracy— bling down on the use of tear gas, wacalls that were met with tear gas and a ter cannons, rubber bullets, and sheer bevy of arrests. The protests, in spite brute force. of their size, barely made a dent in the

In the face of this police brusystem. tality, the protesters have responded

It was only upon the proposal in turn. They have gathered around of the 2019 Extradition Bill that the public buildings, coating their walls same revolutionary spirit resurfaced. with anti-authoritarian grafitti, or The bill, which would allow people storming their halls and tearing docwho have committed crimes outside uments apart. They have wielded of Hong Kong to be extradited (or destones and baseball bats in the streets, ported to stand trial for crimes comclashing directly with the police. They mitted in foreign countries), sparked fight their battles online, as well. fears of heightened Chinese control in Apart from tearing down Chinese the country. Similar laws have been propaganda with informative posts of used to illegally “kidnap” enemies of their own, they have taken advantage the Chinese state from within Hong of the power of social media: videos of Kong; the possibility of this happena woman blinded by police bean bag ing on a wider scale has been considbullets and state-hired gangs batterered a serious threat to Hong Kong’s ing subway commuters at Yuen Long autonomy, democracy, and, to an exstation went viral in minutes, genertent, its very identity. ating international sympathy for the

Immediately, the youth rebel cause. Utilizing what has been sprung into action. Rather than an called “hybrid warfare” by journalorganized movement like the Umists, protesters have fibrella Revolution, one that was easily nally caught the governbrought down by the arrest of its inment’s—and the stigators, they have opted inworld’s—not ic e, stead for a largely leaderless making more of operation. The masked an impact than movement has no ever name, with its b e par ticipants’ fore.

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Although their methods may seem brutal, this is not a choice made willingly. With the threat of Chinese authoritarianism growing ever closer, the youth have been forced into the streets to defend their future by whatever means necessary. It’s the only chance they have of being seen, being heard. This isn’t to say that they’ve abandoned the discipline that is so associated with Hong Kongers; the protesters’ actions suggest the opposite.

They handed out bread and milk to bystanders after a sit-in protests drew Hong Kong Airport into a standstill, and even left money at the cashier before taking drinks from a government building during a break-in. In the midst of instability, the Hong Kong youth reflect the very world they seek to create: one of fairness, equality, and freedom, no matter what the cost may be.

In spite of their herculean efforts, the protesters know that the odds they face are almost insurmountable.

The police brutality shows no signs of stopping, peace talks with the government have led nowhere, and Chinese troops have been stationed by their borders for weeks. And yet they keep fighting, masks on, arms raised, for the future that they themselves seek to build. As long as they are out on the streets, braving the crack of the whip each day, they will continue to sing: When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes.

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Photo courtesy of ASHS FAIR 2020 Facebook Page

The Work of ASHS Fair 2020

By Kimi Pantanosas

As the school year enters full swing, so does the work of those student-leaders working in the Sanggunian. Everyday for the past few months, students from various councils, organizations and committees of the ASHS have worked tirelessly to be of service to the student body with their projects, platforms and advocacies.

Part of this is the work of the Fair Committee.

It’s easy to see how pressuring the work of the Fair Committee has become. Last school year, the first ever ASHS Fair Committee was formed, guided by a grand vision of making the first ever ASHS Fair as good as it could be. Surely enough, they were able to achieve this vision through PRIMERO, the first ASHS fair. The

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entire event was jam-packed with booths, games, rides and mini events, which all culminated at the 2-night special event concert entitled Sulyap, wherein some of the Philippines’ biggest bands were able to perform on AHS grounds. Considered a success by the committee and many fairgoers alike, Primero was able to raise over 2 million pesos in revenue. Now on its second year, the ASHS Fair Committee are now looking to find even more success in their second endeavor.

Work for the committee started as early as the beginning of the school year. From the selection of this year’s Fair Committee Head, Lance Calanog of 12-Denn, to the selection of the subcommittee heads, all the way down to the tedious process of processing and selecting individual

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students off, from displaying cryptic QR codes that lead to seemingly irrelevant webpages, to showing strange messages when brightened.

This has led to a scavenger hunt by students on social media and freedom walls, with many people trying to figure out what exactly these promotions mean. Although the committee hasn’t given a straight response to any speculation, it’s very clear that they’ve succeeded in engaging the student body.

Not many people know of the direction the Fair will take this school year. The bar has already been set high for most students because of Primero. If their promotions are any indication of what’s to come, then it’s safe to say that the ASHS community is very much excited and ready for this year’s Fair.

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fragments appropriated from other cultures, if you look hard enough.

For example, a lot of “Filipino” home cooking is similar to Chinese and Spanish dishes. From the adobo, lechon, puchero, embutido, leche flan, and so much more. They were brought over from overseas and we merely changed the recipes a little and slapped our own label onto it. The “Fiesta” is one of the Filipino’s favorite celebrations but we must be reminded that it originated from the Spaniards.

Even Christmas, was brought over by foreigners. Nearly all of our major holidays were brought to us by foreigners.

We are awarded the title of being one of Asia’s top English-Speaking countries, but is this really an award or a humiliation? We put much more importance in having our youth study and learn to speak english but what about our own national language? I

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Case of Mistaken

Identity

By Shan Porras

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The Melting Pot of Asia. This is what people used to call the Philippines because of its unique location and due to the numerous racial groups (Americans, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, etc.) in the country. Our nation has become home to different groups from all sorts of places and all walks of life, who have brought with them their own cultures and traditions. Over time, we slowly integrated the ways of these foreigners and took their culture for our own. Don’t believe me? Nearly every single aspect of our culture has

members for each subcommittee, the process was never easy from the beginning. Now that the full committee has been formed, they have since started their work on making a new Fair experience for all SHS students this year, under the guidance of their moderator Mr. Gino Macapagal. Although this is the part of the Fair process that most people don’t get to see, perhaps what gets people most excited is what people do see: their marketing and promotions.

The Fair has been promoting itself since nearly the beginning of the year, and their tactics have caught many people’s attention. They’ve shown several promotional videos after schoolwide events marketing the Fair, all which have later been posted on their Facebook page.

These promotions have thrown many

know many people who would much prefer expressing themselves in English rather than Tagalog because they are not fluent enough with Tagalog. Take note, they have lived in the Philippines their whole lives. This article itself is a testament to this fact. I was supposed to write this in Tagalog but I realized that I would never be able to express my ideas if I didn’t use English.

Even our entertainment is being taken over by foreigners. Basketball is one of the most loved games in the country. Yet, the sport isn’t designed for us. It needs its players to be tall and most Filipinos aren’t. We are good at so many other sports, such as football, weightlifting, judo, badminton, and so much more. Yet, why do we not give those sports as much attention as we give to basketball.

More Filipinos would much rather watch Korean drama or anime

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and listen to Kpop rather than their own local artists and tv series. Our own standards of beauty are based on the looks of foreigners. Even our own government would much rather serve the interest of another nation rather than fighting for the interest of our country.

This begs the question…

Do we even have our own identity left? If we strip all these foreign influences away, what would we be able to call our own? What would we be able to call truly “Filipino?”

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Photo courtesy of Save San Roque Twitter Page

Tumbalik:

Imagine the poor have the opportunity to grow and thrive despite their financial limitations. Imagine a place where corporations will be able to respect the rights and identity of indigent citizens. Imagine a local government that will help promote urban development for all walks of life.

But then, this is the Philippines - a place where capitalism reigns supreme, even if it is against its own countrymen.

A victim of this mass elitist campaign is the decade long fight for a community development project in Sitio San Roque, a public urban poor community that is owned by the National Housing Authority (NHA) and situated within the North Triangle in Brgy. Bagong Pag-asa along Agham Road.

Background and History

All of this started back in 2006 when the World Bank conducted a study that said it was advisable to build a central business district at the North and East Triangles of Quezon City. Moreover, other than being the most populous city at that time, Quezon City also generated the highest income-earning city nationwide with a total fund of P8.36 billion, even though 192,342 households belong to the informal settlement population of the country.

With the potential to become an economic hub in the heart of the National Capital Region, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed an executive order (EO No. 620) last May 4, 2007 to speed up the development of the North and East Triangles. Basically, the goal of this law is to finish the project immediately in order to comply from the suggestion of the World Bank.

In the midst of the ongoing project, the NHA leased a part of their land to the New San Jose Builders, Inc. Both parties have already planned to build an establishment within the realms of the agreed land, but the projects were not materialized because renegotiations managed to show up about the proposed lease.

To solve this problem, the organization pulled a public bidding in 2009

First world buildings, third world communities

By Michael Lopez II for someone to rent their land and tinanggal mo yung urban poor? Sino immediately stripped the New San kaya yung mga empleyado? Kasi kaJose Builders out of their rights as pag nag-profiling ka, makikita mo talthe developer. Ayala Corporation took aga yung mga residents ay employees this chance and won the joint-venture dito sa area na nakatira.” agreement with the said agency.

Vertis North and the Ayala Land

In partnership with the local Occupation government, the Quezon City Central

Three years later, Ayala Land Business District (QCCBD) was finalrevealed a 256-hectare central busily established and formalized a year ness district called the “Vertis North”, after. This swiftly came into fruition encompassing various residential and due to the introduction of the Pubcommercial properties that aims to lic-Private Partnership (PPP) under cultivate economic growth. The comthe Aquino administration. plex will be situated within the “quadrant” or location of where Sitio San

It is also worth noting at that Roque is - the most active site in the time the main campus of the PhilipQCCBD. pine Science High School was in danger from getting displaced because

All of these will lead to the the entire institution was under the residents of that 256-hectares of land, implemented business district. It was that was once reserved for an urban then known afterwards that the school poor community development and was spared from any demolitions. socialized housing, to forcefully evict themselves from the comforts of their

Rafael Dimalanta, a licensed own homes. What is even worse is architect and one of the organizers that they were displaced as far as San who started the Save San Roque AlJose del Monte and Bocaue, both of liance, stated that many influential which are municipalities in Bulacan, and powerful figures finished their that will require them a tremendous education in Pisay, causing a huge upamount of energy to commute in orroar from the community. While, on der to attend their livelihood in Metro the other hand, the poor did not have Manila. the chance to speak up or air out their voices because they are perceived as

“For example, nagtratraba“useless”. ho ka sa Taguig. Ang pamasahe mo balikan ay 40 pesos. Ngayon i-re “Maraming influential relocate ka sa San Jose del Monte. friends ang grumaduate from Pisay,” Ang pamasahe na aabutin mo ngayDimalanta said. “So parang walang on balikan ay 150 pesos araw-araw,” power ang urban poor na magsasabi Yumi Castillo, who has been living na: ‘hindi niyo kami pwedeng i-inin San Roque for the past nine years, clude’. Wala silang pakialam sa urban said. “Magkano lang ba ang minimum poor. Mas tinitingnan nila na there is [wage]? Tapos ibabawas mo pa yun. ‘nothing to gain from them’,” he addHindi mo naitulong ang mga maralied. ta,” she added.

He also emphasized upon from the agreement that the NHA will be receiving income from Ayala’s commercial areas in their land. Although they will garner a small portion out of it, Dimalanta stressed that it is better to receive profit than just an urban poor community occupying the lot.

“Hindi nila nirerecognize [na] ‘sino ba ang nagpapagana ng area na yan?’,” he stated. “Ano ba kaya ang itsura ng development na yan kung

To assert dominance, one volunteer disclosed that there are security guards coming from the Ayala Corporation armed with guns that will roam around randomly within the community. The person added that if your house got demolished and you will be bringing construction equipment inside, these policemen shall be able to confiscate it without any prior negotiations.

“Kaya dito sa San Roque, meron silang concept ng ‘tumbalik’. Base sa pangalan, kapag may tinumba, babalik.

So nung giniba yung mga structure, yung komunidad [sic] nag-schedule na mag-gather sila. Community effort siya na mula sa mga debris, gagawa sila [at] tulong-tulong itayo muli ang ginibang bahagi ng bahay,” the volunteer stated.

Majority of the residents are living with one another due to the surprise demolitions that had occurred.

The NHA promised that there would be cash compensation or a relocation site once they had demolished the property, but it is not clear how the NHA will process this. Dimalanta said that they have already raised this issue in meetings, but even the NHA themselves cannot provide an explanation.

As the days draw near, there will be an impending time wherein the San Roque market or their very own basketball court will be eradicated due to the hunger of money from these stakeholders and conglomerates. With that in mind, Castillo strongly opposes the concept that the people here are lazy and would rely solely everything on what the government will give in to them. Castillo clarified that she is not against any form of prosperity, but her only wish is for their socio-economic status to be also acknowledged, not entirely only for the privileged class.

“Wala naman kaming tutol sa pag-unlad eh, pero sana kasama kami.

Kung tatanungin mo ang mga maralita sa [mga] mayayaman: ‘mga kriminal ang mga yan!’, ‘mga mamamatay tao iyan’, ‘mga adik’, ‘mga tamad’. Ganun agad ang pagtingin nila,” Castillo replied. “Ngunit sino ba ang gagawa ng mga proyekto ng isang inhinyero?

Mga drawing ng isang arkitekto? Syempre, mga maralita,” she said afterwards.

Ever since the first demolition took place way back in September 2010, the marginalized have already lost what was originally theirs in the first place: having a peace of mind.

“Hindi maaaring pumasok ng mga materyales,” the source said.

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Oplan Sauron in Negros: Sugar bowl topped with blood

Despite the island of Negros being renowned all over the world as the sugar bowl of the Philippines, the country’s top sugar producer has also been the site of rampant violence against several civilians due to the increased militarization brought about by the issuance of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Memorandum Order No. 32 and the launching of Oplan Sauron.

According to Karapatan or the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights, the implementation of Oplan Sauron has led to the deaths of at least 41 people from the Negros provinces since it was established in November 2018 to July 28, 2019.

Negrenses from all walks of life have been named victims—from farmers, workers, activists, organizers, lawyers, school officials, government officials, policemen, and even a one-year old boy.

Oplan Sauron is a joint operation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) against suspected communist rebels, criminals, and those involved in illegal drugs in Negros, Samar, and Bicol. It was a response of state forces to Duterte’s MO 32, which aimed to “suppress lawless violence and acts of terror” in the provinces.

Anti-insurgency policy

MO 32 is an anti-insurgency policy signed by the Chief Executive on November 22, 2018 that mandated the deployment of more military troops and policemen to Samar, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, and the Bicol Region to “prevent such violence from spreading and escalating elsewhere in the country.” Another goal of this order was “to prevent further loss of innocent lives” following the alarming number of violent incidents in those areas, most of notable of which was the killing of nine sugarcane farmers in Sagay City, Negros Occidental.

By Carey Baisas

On December 27, 2018, one ed. Trinidad was included in an anmonth after the issuance of MO 32, ti-communist hit list in the previous combined elements of the police and year. military launched Oplan Sauron, a socalled “one-time-big-time” Synchro In the same day, PNP Chief nized Enhanced Managing of Police General Oscar Albayalde declared Operations (SEMPO) to strengthen that Oplan Sauron, albeit killing six the government’s efforts to suppress civilian peasants last December and illegal drugs and loose firearms in the 14 more last March, was effective. He Central Visayas Region. further added that the police and military operation should continue. Al Mobilized for this purpose bayalde issued the statement during were around 3,000 composite troops a visit to the wake of the four policeof the 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) men at Camp Francisco Fernandex in and 62nd IB of the 302nd Brigade of Agan-an, Sibulan, Negros Oriental. the Philippine Army, in coordination “Since maganda ang epekto, if we see with various units of the PNP such as that this Oplan Sauron is effective to the Special Action Force (SAF), Reend insurgency not just in Negros, gional Mobile Force (RMF7), and the but throughout the country, then why Negros Oriental PNP Office (NOPO), not?” he pointed out. including those from the Philippine Navy and Philippine Air force who

Furthermore, the killings were either on stand-by or in the field continue on July 24 when United of action.

Calango Farmers’ Association President Felimino Janayan and Weng Bloodiest days in Negros Alegre were killed in Zamboanguita,

A timeline created by KarapaNegros Oriental by unidentified attan shows at least 41 victims of Oplan tackers. That being said, the death Sauron, with 14 civilians alone killed toll unprecedentedly rises on July 25 last March 30. However, the spate with the addition of seven more vicof killings last July proved to be the tims in just one day. It began with bloodiest days in the island of Negros. the killing of school principal Arthur Bayawa and Department of Education

Following the deaths of four official Aldane Bayawa in Guihulnintelligence policemen of the 704 Mogan around 1:00 AM. Forty minutes bile Force Company of the Regional later, barangay chairman Romeo AlMobile Force Battalion in Central afipan was also gunned down. In adter being ambushed by armed at Badition, at 8:30 AM, Rakillin Astorias rangay Mabato in Ayungon, Negros was shot to death in Siation, Negros Oriental on July 18, Duterte visited Oriental. This incident was followed their wake two days later and offered by the killing of Rodan Elmuterio by a reward of 1.3 million pesos for the riding-in-tandem shooters in Ayuncapture of the suspects who were algon at around 5:10 PM. The bloody leged members of the New People’s day comes to a conclusion with the Army (NPA), “dead or alive.” murder of one-year-old infant Marjon Ocampo and his father Marlon in

The next day, on July 21, their house at Santa Catalina, Negros peasant Epifanio Romano was arrestOriental at around 8:00 PM. ed in relation to the ambush. The day after that, barangay chairman Sunny

Additionally, on July 26, Caldera was forced to commit suiFrederico Sabejon was shot to death cide after being tagged as a suspect in Siaton, Negros Oriental at around in the ambush. Moreover, on July 7:20 PM. During midnight on the next 23, human rights lawyer Anthony day, city councilor Bobby Jalandoni Trinidad was gunned down in his and barangay chairman Ernesto Posacar by riding-in-tandem assailants das were separately gunned down in in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, Canlaon, Negros Oriental. Two and a leaving his wife Novie Marie woundhalf hours later, former town mayor

Edcel Enardecido and Leo Enardecido were also killed in Ayungon. Lastly, on July 28, barangay tanod Anancianino Rosalito was shot to death in Canlaon.

At around 8:00 PM of the same day, churches across Negros started the tolling of their bells to call for an end to the killings and massacres.

Emergency powers and atrocious acts

In response to this, PNP Chief Albayalde ordered a thorough and immediate investigation into the series of killings and the deployment of more than 300 SAF troops to Negros Island on July 29. Meanwhile, two days later, Duterte raised the reward money for the arrest of the ambush suspects to 5 million pesos and mentioned that it could go up to as much as 20 million pesos

“The Chief Executive is cautioning the enemies of the state in the island of Negros that he will use his emergency powers under the Constitution to quell the lawless violence engulfing the island, as well as to crush all forms of threats aimed to destroy the government,” said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Wednesday, July 31, in a statement.

Moreover, the President dangled an additional reward of 100,000 pesos for the turning in of anyone who participated in the killings. Panelo further added that the communists were taking advantage of land disputes to stir up violence and chaos in the island. “The communist rebels have exploited the land unrest and turned the province into a quasi-state. They have arbitrarily chosen who will own the lands subject of the controversies surrounding them,” Panelo said.

In addition, Malacañang warned the NPA that Duterte has no qualms about committing atrocities against their members. “The President vows to replicate the atrocious acts done by the communist rebels to the civilians, the barangay officials, and the law enforcers against these murderers in defense of our countrymen,” Panelo stated. The Chief Execu-

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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 Rebecca Filasol

Chief Photojournalists Stella Arenas Marcus Garcia

Art and Layout Editor Sabina Guerrero

Contributors

Katrina Antonio, Andrei Celestial, Ashley Cua, Mickie Deang, Gabrielle Dotado, Ella Grenas, Michael Lopez II, Jermaine Ocampo, Sophia Marie 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

tive, said his spokesperson, would do anything to “serve and protect” Filipinos and “fiercely save the Republic from imminent ruin.”

method that the state forces are using “is not far from the method that they are using in the government’s anti-narcotics campaign.”

According to the College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), the president’s use of bounty for the arrest of the said killers has led to victims being blatantly red-tagged and killed by the state’s military forces, thereby making them likely targets of retaliatory actions by state-backed death squads.

She explained that Duterte’s memorandum order “gave the police and military justification to conduct an illegal search, arrest, and even killing.” “Then after a series of the socalled legitimate operations, they will use death squads to liquidate more unarmed civilians, mostly peasant leaders and allies of peasant organizations,” she added.

Killing field even before MO 32

With the blood of the people now soaking the soil in the two Negros provinces, human rights watchdog Defend Negros Network insist that they have already recorded at least 87 killings that began in 2017, before President Duterte even issued MO 32.

Nadja de Vera, the group’s convener said the order “was just issued to legalize the killings.”

“The first victim of the extrajudicial killings in Negros since Duterte came to power was Alexander Ceballos on January 20, 2017,” de Vera stated. “After that incident, dozens of civilians, whom in one way or another had supported the plight of the farmers in Negros followed,” she said.

Karapatan attributed the extradjudicial killings of civilians to the precarious relationship between landlords and farmers in the island.

“Feudal relations prevalent in Negros make it a hotbed of agrarian unrest.

Centuries of land grabs edifying the ongoing hacienda system have turned most peasants who make up the majority of the island’s population landless, and the plantation system begun

by US colonial rule has made labor conditions a living hell for agricultural workers,” the group explained.

They added that any form of resistance to these feudal conditions have, time and again, been suppressed. “Between Duterte taking power in 2016 and Duterte declaring a ‘state of lawlessness’ on the island last November, 42 civilians have been killed. The declaration which came by way of Memorandum Order 32—an anti-insurgency policy—led to a spike in the atrocities. In the eight months of its implementation, the body count more than doubled to 87 under MO32, indicating an almost 350% increase in the rate of killings.”

Lawyer Maria Sol Taule of Karapatan claimed that the killings in Negros that involved civilians, rights defenders, activists, and farmers are “all state-sponsored.” Taule said the

Despite the rampant violence and killings, the state still refuses to call it a massacre and the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) police chief Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas would even go as far as saying that it is “not an alarming situation.” CEGP Cebu explained that they would even justify these killings by saying that these people were rebels or that they were sympathizers or supporters of the NPA, or that they resisted arrest (‘nanlaban’). But these people were innocent, unarmed, and defenseless against the state artillery.

Meanwhile the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas also added that “Oplan Sauron, however, did not run after criminals involved in the illegal drugs trade but was rather a highly coordinated military and police operation that targeted and employed illegal and brutal acts against unarmed civilians belonging to legitimate peasant groups, farmers associations, and local government units in the barangays. To justify the atrocities, the victims were later falsely tagged by the military as armed rebels or members of the NPA.” They also stated that the increased presence of military and police forces in communities in Negros forced many residents of Negros, most of whom are farmers, to evacuate, making it difficult for them to attend to the land they till and for their children to go to school.

Calls for end of Oplan Sauron

After the spate of killings in Negros Island, advocates and various rights groups called for an end to the bloodshed on August 1. In a forum led by the Defend Negros #StopTheAttacks Network about Oplan Sauron at the University of the Philippines Asian Center, Angi Ipong of the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) mentioned that the highly coordinated military and police operation is against human rights as it “targeted and employed illegal and brutal acts against unarmed civilians belonging to legitimate peasant groups, farmers’ associations, and vil-

lage level government units.”

In line with this, incumbent party-list representatives from Anakpawis and six other lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc, filed resolutions in the House Representatives to request the chamber’s Committee on Human Rights to probe the killings in Negros as well as to call for the scrapping of the provincial police’s Oplan Sauron which allegedly targets activists in the area.

“It should be noted that Oplan Sauron victimizes peasants and activists belonging to legal and democratic people’s organizations, such as KAUGMAON (Kapunongan Alang sa Ugma sa Gagmayhg Mag-uuma sa Oriental Negros), affiliated with the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), local affiliate[s] of PISTON and Gabriela, and chapter of Anakpawis Party-list,” the resolution read.

“Thus, these attacks are undeniable measures against constitutional rights to seek grievances or redress, and for fundamental reforms in the country such as genuine agrarian reform, rural development, and respect for human rights,” it added.

However, PNP Chief Albayalde dismissed these calls by progressive groups to have Oplan Sauron investigated and police officers involved in the deaths of the Negrenses prosecuted as “propaganda.” “It’s just propaganda. As long as they have something to say. They took advantage of the situation for their own advantage.

I hope the public won’t be blinded by this,” the police official said.

Furthermore, after warning that he might resort to “drastic and more severe” measures to quell the unrest in Negros Oriental, Duterte had ruled out declaring martial law in the island. The President clarified that the drastic action he was earlier referring to was the deployment of additional troops to the province. “You have a ruckus there in Negros. The ‘drastic’ I was talking about was that I would fill it up with soldiers, just like Jolo. I have one division and I will send another,” Duterte said in August.

He added: “Let us make it clear: I will never declare martial law. Except in Mindanao, where it’s needed, because there was already a rebellion.”

For ordinary citizens interested in helping put an end to the killings in Negros Island, Ipong also listed several ways during the forum at UP. “What can we do to help? We must push for an independent investigation regarding human rights violations committed in the course of Oplan Sauron, issue statements to express solidarity, and organize activities to help victims and survivors psychosocially, morally and financially,” said Ipong. Ipong also urged the public to fight disinformation by spreading awareness and helping create healthy and critical discourse on human rights violations not just in Negros but also elsewhere in the country.

Photos courtesy of bulatlat.com