The Official Publication of Mindanao State University - General Santos Senior High School February 2022 - August 2022 | Vol. 3 No. 1 Himig sko truth in service, service in truth editorial board S.Y. 2021 - 2022 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Gwyneth Bartiana ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dohniero Lozano MANAGING EDITOR Rimmel Pino NEWS EDITOR Gwyneth Bartiana OPINION EDITOR Keith Joshua Ayag FEATURE EDITOR Henri Marie Belimac COPY EDITOR Nhiel John Esperanza GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT EDITOR Dohniero Lozano HEAD PHOTOJOURNALISMOF Princess Natasha Andrea Tulio HEAD OF DIGITAL ART Richelle De Arce HEAD OF CARTOONING Pauline Rae Nebran WRITING STAFF NEWS WRITERS Ella Claris Posadas Cyrus Oliverio Albert Hans Lipura Mika GrykaHamajoKrissan Balleras OPINION WRITERS Aaron Kate Damaso Sophia Louise Abaquita Chorena Grace Lorania Jessie Rey Bagatela Marie Kaye Bitos Mika Hamajo Chamierose Faith JhomarieJasmineGodwinNalanggayPalaparJoyPanesSevilla FEATURE WRITERS Reaj Vie Gift Pico Aeinoon JessiePrincessAmpatuanZohriaRauCunananReyBagatela Aramellah Pare Ella Claris Posadas Kristina Mae Manalo Simone Emata Shayne Peren VISUAL STAFF STAFF CARTOONISTS Francis Calonia Richelle De Arce Adnan Edris Essak Santy Baligod STAFF PHOTOJOURNALISTS Sophia Louise Abaquita Aura Delight Tuyogon Joieryn Nicole Robles STAFF DESIGNER Johann Andaya SCHOOL PAPER ADVISER Katrina Joie Buhian, MA
The advancement of technology in the 21st century has made information easily accessible. As an organization that embodies honesty and integrity, it is our duty to deliver material that can be trusted to fight the spread of misinformation. We stand by what we believe and we determine who we are by what we do. Truth in Service and Service in Truth.
It has been nothing but a challenging year for all of us as learners and citizens of the country to witness the changes in our nation and how it is headed. As frontrunners of truth, now is the time for student journalists to work together in solidarity. Himig Isko, as the Official Student Publication of Mindanao State University - General Santos Senior High School Department, is determined to give the student body a view of the happenings and takeaways of today’s events as a utility to empower the informed and bring light to the minds of the uninformed.
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editors’ note
Gwyneth Bartiana EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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As an MSUan, we are a large community of learners and excellence is embedded in our hearts and minds. We, at Himig Isko, aim to not just disseminate information and acknowledge students’ takes on certain issues, but to also recognize their efforts and achievements by bringing home victory from various competitions both local and international as it serves as a tool for reinforcing behaviors that drive organizational excellence. Indeed, we are Legends.
Rimmel Pino MANAGING EDITOR
Dohniero Lozano ASSOCIATE EDITOR
‘DREAM IN ACTION’
by Mika Hamajo & Albert Hans Lipura
Students vie for spots in MSU-GSC SHSAT
reminded the graduates to “Pay attention to yourself. Improve, upgrade. Aim for excellence. Think about yourself. You need to serve. Establish character. Better yourself. Think about yourself again. Seek the truth. Be selfless and be respectful. Refuse to be untruthful. Refuse to mislead and lie. Avoid being envious. Focus on the self and do not get lost focusing on “Rememberothers.”that instructions come to an end in the classrooms but education ends only with life,” Demdam finally ended.
venue.For Batch Marahuyo, their high school journey has ended with sweet hugs and well-wishing messages from their fellow graduates who were with them throughout all the ups and downs.
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news SchoolHighSeniorSantosGeneral-UniversityStateMindanaoofPublicationOfficialThe 2022August-2022February /HimigIskoMSU|1No.3Vol.| FL skoHimig truthinserviceservice,intruth 04
According to the batch valedictorian, Ms. Krisline Jell Zonio, it was truly a significant moment when she received her academic awards with her mother. Although delivering the valedictory speech was a bit nerve-wracking, according to her, she was glad to share her own experiences to inspire and encourage others to keep moving forward despite the congratulationssuccessfullyLastly,challenges.theeventconcludedwithloudcheersoffromeveryonein the
REACHING FOR THE STARS. After two long years, Mindanao State SocialHUMSSManagement),Business(AccountancyMathematics),Engineering,(Science,threegraduatesamassedjoyousonschoolgraduation,itscommemoratedSeniorGeneralUniversitySantosCity-HighSchoolface-to-faceheldatthegymnasiumJuly20,2022.Thecelebrationatotalof324fromthestrands:STEMTechnology,andABMandand(HumanityandSciences).
To comply with health protocols and avoid the spread of COVID-19, the students were required to wear masks, bring their vaccine cards, sanitize their hands, and check temperature prior to entering the testing area. Disinfection of rooms was done as well to ensure a sanitized and clean room for the takers.Moreover, security officers also patrolled around the testing area to guide and ensure the safety and comfort of students all day.
The Faculty and Staff of MSU-GSC, together with the working committee and group of proctors, acted jointly for the successful conduct of the test from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, having one batch in the morning and another in the afternoon that lasted two hours each.
Considering the huge number of students to cater to, there were medical services personnel and fire and rescue on stand-by within the testing rooms’ vicinity.
by Gwyneth Bartiana
Remember that instructions come to an end in the classrooms but education ends only with life.
Hon. John Salvador Demdam, GenSan SK Federation President
For the first time since the pandemic, the Mindanao State University-General Santos Senior High School Department held a faceto-face graduation ceremony last July 20. A total of 324 joyous senior high school graduates, 238 from the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics strand, 40 from the Accountancy and Business Management strand, and 46 from the Humanities and Social Sciences strand, graced the event to formally end and celebrate their senior high school journey.
Approximately 1,700 student aspirants took the Senior High School Admission Test (SHSAT) on April 24 with hopes to enter the next academic year of the Mindanao State UniversityGeneral Santos City (MSUGSC) SHS department.
Batch Marahuyo culminates face-to-face graduation
words by Sophia Louise Abaquita; photo by Auradelight Tuyogon
The fulfilling event was held at the school’s University Gym at around 1:30 PM. To ensure a successful and safe graduation rite, a 3-day face-toface practice was held which allowed the students to personally meet their classmates and teachers who were usually seen just on screen for the past 2Theyears.event lasted for about four hours with messages from the different university heads, graduates, and with the commencement speaker for the ceremony, Hon. John Salvador Demdam. As he took the podium, he shared encouraging words to the graduates of Batch Marahuyo talking about taking risks and knowing one’s strengths which was surely promising and inspiring.Demdam in his speech,
stick to our core, we can do so much more beyond our imagination,” Pare expressed in an interview.
From having 79 participants during the first phase, Project LUPAD chose only 15 participants to proceed in the second and third phases, and Aramellah Pare (STEM 11- Titan) and Bea Clarisse Miase (STEM 11- IO) were selected as part of the organization’s final members.
Hosted by Ma’am Bethany Lanzuela and with the initiative of the School Guidance Counselor Ma’am Asnifa Acob, over 400 students participated in the conduct of the webinar which lasted for almost two hours. The webinar started with the welcome address of the SHS Director Ma’am Jean
Aramellah Pare, STEM 11-Titan student
MSUans partake in Project LUPAD
On students’ online literacy
by Gryka Balleras
WATCH, LISTEN, AND LEARN. Dr. Monsour Pelmin, the resource speaker of the webinar regarding online netiquette, gives his lecture about the concept of netiquette and its importance, as well as other tips and advice last April 11, 2022. In the webinar, he emphasized the correct way of sending messages to the teachers online, teaching the students how to be respectful and aware of the several rules needed to be followed. words by Joieryn Nicole Robles; photo retrieved from SHS Faculty
Through the help of the conservationists,myspeakers,facilitators,andfellowyoungI was
AGENTS OF A LIMITLESS FLIGHT. Project LUPAD, a youthled organization revolving around promoting migratory birds and wetlands conservation held its final launching and awarding ceremony at KCC Mall GenSan, General Santos City on May 8, 2022. Two students from Mindanao State University - General Santos City Senior High School department namely Aramellah Pare of STEM 11- Titan and Bea Clarisse Miase of STEM 11- IO were selected as part of the organization’s final members. words by Joieryn Nicole Robles; photo retrieved from Project LUPAD
Academic Head Ma’am Margie Quimosing asked a series of questions to the students regarding the lecture and designated prizes were given to the winners via GCash.The event’s successful conduct was due to the efforts of the SHS faculty and administration, along with Ma’am Rona Dindang, the Operations and Learner Head, and Miss Ruby Facurib, an alumnus of MSU-GSC SHS who helped with the technical operation.
‘Project LUPAD’ of Ibaraki Academy led by Kyle Aboy, Melanie P. Genita, Loyd Joredell H. Curit, Roana Mae C. Caguliodo, and Dafhney G. Abueva, aims to narrow the knowledge gap about migratory birds in Tinagacan Lake and Barangay Buayan— which are considered hotspots—through engaging youth advocates in the areas.
Bergante, followed by the lecture of the speaker which focused on discussing the concept of netiquette and its importance, as well as discussing tips and advice on sending messages to your teachers/school administrator, and determining the eight fundamental etiquetteAfterrules.thediscussion, the SHS
In aspiration of promoting migratory birds and wetlands conservation, two students from Mindanao State University - General Santos City (MSU-GSC) Senior High School department partakes in the youth-led environmental organization, Project LUPAD.
by Gwyneth Bartiana
As students shifted to online learning due to the restrictions brought by the pandemic, it is critical to learn how to be cautious, behave appropriately, and politely respond in the current cybersociety. Thus, the Mindanao State UniversityGeneral Santos Senior High School (SHS) Department conducted a webinar on Online Communication Netiquette via Facebook live on April 11 with Dr. Monsour Pelmin, CH, CHRA as the resource speaker.
MSU-GSC SHS conducts webinar on online netiquette
Aside from utilizing social media platforms and organizing educational webinars and mall exhibits, the organization extended its advocacy by conducting a house-to-house talk with more or less 50 families near the saltpans of Barangay“ThroughBuayan.thehelp of the facilitators, speakers, and my fellow young conservationists, I was able to open my heart and mind on what is the real essence of conserving migratory birds. Project LUPAD taught me that even these young minds can serve as catalysts and agents of change; age won’t matter, as long as we
able to open my heart and mind on what is the real essence of conserving migratory birds. Project LUPAD taught me that even these young minds can serve as catalysts and agents of change; it doesn’t matter how old or young we are, as long as we stick to our core, we can do so much more beyond our imagination.
truth in service, service in truth 05
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A WATER-FUL LIFE IS A QUALITY LIFE . Dohniero Lozano, a STEM 11-Ganymede student, took home another prize for the senior high school department at EMB Soccsksarsgen’s Silway River Week 2022, placing second runner-up in the Infographic Design Competition. words by Auradelight Tuyogon; photo by Sophia Louise Abaquita
by Albert Hans Lipura
Cunanan added.
Silway River Week honors the
“We’ve given our best and we just let God do the rest. We were beyond grateful to receive the Special Award for Community Participation as we never expected to be granted any awards from this competition.”
truth in service, service in truth
‘Team Tagubtub’, the MSU-GSC SHS students’ team name, proposed a project to address the limited access to “everyday food” from happening through establishing a Food Security Plan which involves the creation of a Food Security and Marketing Strategy Committee in General Santos City. Their project proposal entitled, Administering Inclusive Marketing Strategies (A.I.M.S.): Ensuring Food Security through Utilization of Priority Commodities in Barangay Baluan, Katangawan, and Ligaya of General Santos City was selected among more than 30 entries to be part of the top 10 finalists of the said event.
TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY. On April 22, the Team Tagubtub, composed of Princess Rau Cunanan, Jaspher Ian Gregorio of 12 STEM-Euler, and Nelson Dapal III of 12 STEMReimann finished off as part of the top 10 finalists and were awarded with a special award for community participation during the culmination of 2021 KLIMATHON held via Zoom. words by Joieryn Nicole N. Robles; photo by Maria Christine Garcia
by Albert Hans Lipura
Mindanao State University- General Santos Senior High School (MSU-GSC SHS) students, Princess Rau Cunanan (STEM 12-Euler), Jaspher Ian Gregorio (STEM 12- Euler), and Nelson Dapal III (STEM 12- Riemann) received a special award for community participation for their project concept during the awarding ceremony of the 2021 KLIMATHON: Our Race Towards A NetZero Reality event, April 22, 2022.
On winning the award, the team felt nervous yet fulfilled at the same time.
establishment of the Silway River Water Quality Management Area by DENR Administrative Order No. 2010-10, issued 19 April 2021. It seeks to increase the environmental awareness and understanding of stakeholders and riverine communities on the aforementioned WQMA, as well as its significance, present challenges, and concerns, and provide potential solutions to these riverine problems.
When asked what led the team to propose their project, Cunanan answered that the agricultural sector seemed to be the most affected by climate change.
‘Team Neutralizer’, composed of Jeremiah Malalis and Larry John Competente of the University of Mindanao bagged first place during the awarding ceremony and received a 100,000-peso cash prize-which they can use as seed money to further improve or carry out their project. Meanwhile, ‘Team Genoplas’ from Mabini Academy High School in Lipa City, Batangas won second receiving Php 50,000 followed by ‘Team Econique’ from Ateneo de Naga University getting Php 40,000 as cash prize. Aside from the community participation special award received by the MSU-GSC SHS students, special awards on gender empowerment, and originality were also awarded to select teams.
Organized by Environmental Management Bureau XII together with Silway River Water Quality Management Area Governing Board Members and other partner agencies, the Silway River Week Infographic Design Competition aimed to continue their advocacy campaign to promote environmental awareness, protection, and sustainability among Filipinos.The competition was joined by various Filipinos residing in SOCCSKSARGEN region from dates April 18-22, 2022 and culminated at the Veranza Mall, General Santos City. The infographic materials produced by the participants will then be used by the organizing bodies for their continued fight for their advocacy for environmental awareness, preservation, and sustainability.
“The fact that the agricultural sector is the main source of our primary food commodities, we felt that we need to step up our game in combating climate change. Because if our food source is gradually being destroyed, limited food supply will be available and it will ripple to more drastic effects, specifically hunger. That’s the reason why we became passionate about food security and came up with this project,” Cunanan said.
to address the challenges relating to climate change through the participation of Filipino senior high school and college students aged 16-24 years old.
SHS studes yield sustainability-focused solutions, bag special award
Dohniero Lozano, a STEM 11- Ganymede student of Mindanao State University- General Santos City (MSU-GSC), bagged awards during the Silway River Week 2022 Infographic Design Competitionearning the people’s choice award and placing second out of all the participants.Following the event’s theme “Sagipin ang Ilog na Likas; Wagas na Agos ng Yaman ang katumbas!” Lozano’s work aimed to illustrate and highlight the significance of the waterbodies and the different ways people may contribute to mitigating water pollution in the Silway river.
“The idea that my skills can be of use to spread environmental awareness is just so fulfilling,” Lozano said in an interview.Healso mentioned that the decision to join the event was actually a last-minute decision as he was juggling academics and competitions at the time. Nonetheless, he still joined the competition and was happy to be able to place second as he was not expecting a podium finish. “I hope that through my entry, all of us would be more responsible in taking care of our waterbodies— promoting a sustainable development for us and the posterity,” he added.
The event ran for almost six months with all the participating teams having to undergo a mentoring program led by industry experts to further enhance their project concepts before presenting their final project proposal to a distinguished panel of judges.
STEM stude notches awards in design tilt
The event, KLIMATHON, is an event organized by Nestlé Philippines together with the Climate Change Commission (CCC) which aimed to create new and workable solutions
Siklab Debate Society Bags Awards in Bacolod Debate Open ‘22
by Cyrus Oliverio
Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) also made it to 5th place as one of the top performing regions in the said event, alongside with National Capital Region (NCR) in 1st place, Region IV-A (CALABARZON) in 2nd place, Region III (Central Luzon) in 3rd place, Region VI (Western Visayas) in 4th place, Region X (Northern Mindanao) in 6th place, and Region V (Bicol Region) in 7th place.
Over 100 teams from different colleges and high schools have competed in the said event as well as two additional teams from the Siklab Debate Society which include Elizabeth Joy Zaldivar from Grade 11 - HUMSS, Nelson Dapal III from Grade 12 - STEM, and Quincy Fatmah Fajutrao from Grade 11HUMSS for the competing debate team; Ayesha Mae Adam and Henri Belimac both from Grade 12 – HUMSS for the competing adjudicators.“Itwasan overwhelming experience because of how far we’ve got from the previous competition. I can say that all our efforts are worth it since our team ranked 3rd in High-school category. Not to mention that two of us are recognized as best speakers. Our team got motivated to join more competitions carrying the name of the dear University. And that we will work harder so we can do better on the upcoming debate competition: Mindanao Novice Cup.” said Lorania when asked about her experience during the competition. She also extended her gratitude towards her mentors on behalf of their team for accomplishing the said awards.According to Damaso, their preparation for the contest involved training with members
of the Mindanao State University – General Santos City (MGDS) which they conducted motion analysis, argumentation, and sparing in order to strengthen their team dynamics and speaking skills.“During the tournament, it was normal for novices to feel anxious and nervous. We get to go against big universities both in Visayas and Mindanao. Not to mention, our opponents are mostly college students. When we were announced to have broken (a term for making a spot in the finals), we were shocked and baffled. Even though we are breaking for the reserved team, it was a feat for us. Then comes awarding ceremony where Chorena and I were awarded as 3rd and 2nd Best Speaker for High School, respectively. It was our first time bagging an award in a debate tournament. It kept the passion and fire burning in our hearts to reach for greater heights.” Damaso added.
Chorena Grace Lorania, STEM 11-Io student
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truth in service, service in truth 07
our efforts are worth it since our team ranked 3rd in usmentioncategory.High-schoolNottothat2ofarerecognized to be best speakers.
Participants Aaron Kate Damaso from Grade 11 - HUMSS, Chorena Grace Lorania from Grade 11 - STEM and Arwen Lia Sendico from Grade 11 - ABM obtained the title of “Reserved Breaking Team” for the high school category where they competed against both college and high school novice debaters nationwide and garnered an average score of 263.95 points in the Bacolod Debate Open 2022 held last April eight to ten via Discord hosted by the Bacolod Open Organizing Committee. Their team was also awarded second and third best high school speakers for Damaso and Lorania respectively.
by Ella Posadas
FRUITFUL EVENT. On April 30, 2022, the online press conference facilitated by Explained PH came to an end through an awarding ceremony via Facebook Live where multiple contestants were awarded for their outstanding skills in their chosen events including four students from MSU-GSC SHS publication, Himig Isko. This online competition became a stepping stone for aspiring journalists who missed face-to-face press conferences due to the pandemic. words by Joieryn Nicole Robles; photo retrieved from Explained PH
Student journalists bag wins in ExplainedPH ‘22
The said online press conference lasted for five weeks, from March 23-April 22, and was conducted online via Zoom, with a total of eight categories for both English and Filipino mediums.
Eight student journalists from Mindanao State University- General Santos City Senior High School (MSU-GSC SHS) bagged different wins in ExplainedPH’s Online Press Conference 2022, an event that aims to promote the power of student and community journalism.
It was cancompetition.fromfarbecauseexperienceoverwhelminganofhowwe’vegotthepreviousIsaythatall
At ExplainedPH’s online awarding ceremony last May 25, Richelle De Arce and Francis Calonia took home the 2nd and 7th place for Editorial Cartooning; Ayesha Adam and Princess Rau Cunanan won 4th and 5th place for Feature Writing; Albert Hans Lipura bagged 5th place in News Writing; Jasmine Joy Panes garnered 9th place for Pagsulat ng Artikulong Agham at Teknolohiya; Kristina Mae Manalo and Krisna Shayne Amorio got the 7th and 9th place for Pagsulat ng Lathalain.
In celebration of the annual Women’s Month of Mindanao State University- General Santos City (MSUGSC) last March, 20 students from the Senior High School Department showcased their talents and swept awards in the virtual campuswide competition conducted by the MSU Gender and Development (GAD).
by Gryka Krissan Balleras & Chorena Grace Lorania
Frodel Benhur Pascua, Marcus Ronulo, and Reaj Pico (STEM 12 - Euclid), and Christian Nantin of ABM 12 - Ford, with their jingle entitled ‘Women and We Men’.
SHS Director Ma’am Jean Bergante commends the event for not only celebrating women but also giving credit to the skills of the students. “I am amazed that the SHS students are not only competitive academics-wise but also with competitions like these,” she expressed, after handing over the certificates to the students.
WE MEN AND WOMEN. Twenty-one (21) senior high school students took part and won exemplary awards in GAD’s event in line with celebrating Women’s Month last March 2022. Students displayed adeptness in songwriting, singing, story writing, and animation. Thirteen (13) students representing the jingle secured first place, and eight (8) students participating in the filmmaking, took home the championship. words by Sophia Louise Abaquita; photo by Auradelight Tuyogon
Eight students emerged as champions in the GAD Film Festival and received awards namely: Best Film, Best in Story, Best in Editing, and Best in Animation. The participating students were Henri Belimac and Joshua Rosa (HUMSS 12- Comte), Richelle de Arce (STEM 11- Ganymede), Mark Canlas
Siklab sweeps awards on Women’s Month Celebration
truth in service, service in truth08
and Chorena Grace Lorania (STEM 11- IO), Ellin Cortel and Nelson Dapal III (STEM 12 - Riemann), and Reaj Pico (STEM 12 - Euclid). Their entry revolved on protecting women who are abused by gender inequality, in line with Republic Act 971 or the ‘The Magna Carta for Women’.
In the GAD Lilak-Sulawit: Jingle Making Competition, the following 12 students also won first place: Jzarina Comoda, J.S Guillermo, and Kyuan dela Cruz (STEM 11- Ganymede), Jade Padernilla (STEM 11 - Triton), Shelou Evidientes (HUMSS 11- Weber), Arwen Sendico, Trisha Meizzy Garcia, and Denn Matondo (ABM 11- Gates),
I am CD4! I will defend you! theTimeAttack!!toattackBodyagain! I’m CD4!attackgonnayouIwin! I myself!defendcanGoodbye,Body– You can do it, CD4! Oh nooo!! How can I myselfdefendnow??! Attack! I will make the sick!Body Attack! I will make the Body sick! Oh no, you won’t! youone?AnotherNo,won’t!Why CAN’T I myself?!defend Nooo! Where are you CD4?! I can’t myself,protectyouwin. What would I do without you, CD4? Thank you, CD4! fromadaptedandInspired Asia-PacifictheforCounselingHIVforToolsbyart LozanoDohniero&NebranRaePauline
Nowadays, almost everything is at the tip of our fingertips — from the concepts we yearn for, the lessons we learn, and even the handful of information that satisfy our concerns. Despite the technological advancements we enjoy, we still suffer the consequences of its progress due to forces beyond our control. Hence, centered on the cover were a few aspects that are particularly prevalent in modern society and predominantly in our everyday life as students.
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As technology advances, so are mechanisms that feed us bits of information that satisfy our thirst for disparate things. Although keeping up is a smart move, it is often difficult to distinguish which is which. Hence, we often capture ourselves getting caught up with misinformation — thinking that what we are informed is apt even if it is far from the truth. With this in mind, we must be discerning about things we consume by factchecking what we read, listen to, and grasp on and offline.
words by Sophia Louise Abaquita art by Richelle De Arce
BATTLING MISINFORMATION
covertheabout
In the main, student activism is seen as a heinous act, despite its primary goal of bringing attention to something unjust. However, most people reckon without is that if activism were not a thing, we would likely experience the abominable things that people from years ago had to endure and stomach. Without its existence, we would undoubtedly suffer more at the hands of those who like using us as pawns for their convenience and would be less able to appreciate the freedom we do have.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
STUDENT ACTIVISM
Freedom of speech is not a novel thing. It comprises statements, gatherings, petitions, and many more forms that empower us to promote ideas that ought to get disseminated to implement change. Although freedom of speech is our right as students, we are often restricted by forces beyond us that silence us when there is a vast need to be loud. One of these is our ability to exercise our right to free speech in our communities and in acknowledging truths to ourselves. Moreover, although freedom of speech is a fundamental human right, it is frequently grueling to uphold, contributing to dissent.
What we have now, including our freedom to vote, access to basic and social services, labor rights, education, and all of democracy’s myriad blessings, did not come easily. They were paid with one‘s blood and lives. Those who fought and died in defense of these ideals are frequently forgotten, misunderstood, and even maligned. Who were they, exactly? – They are the Activists: teachers,students,workers, farmers, professionals, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, and average citizens who stood up for what is Whenright.an
must recognize that the same people, whom they regard as “NPA”, are responsible for their current freedom and comfort. It is from this heavily demonized term “activist” they acquired space in society. It is through these misunderstood people whom we have the right to vote, whom the young professionals working more than eight hours a day, seven days a week, have benefits or overtime pay, where children are not forced to work, where everyone has an access to education and other fundamental social services regardless of their socio-economic status.At the end of the day, activism’s battle cry is about securing a more inclusive, sensitive, and loving government not only in the present times but also for the unborn generation, guaranteeing that their voices are heard no matter what they are, who they are, or where they come from.
maliciously red-tagged and blacklisted just for speaking up about the injustices enabled by the government – oppressing them from their rights, and silencing them in Societyfear.
The Anti-Terrorism Act, which was passed into law on July 3, 2020, and went into effect on July 18, puts these activists in grave danger. They can be detained without the benefit of the thestudents,thethefundamentalthisasnarrativeinnocent-until-proven-guiltyorproperdueprocessrequiredbylaw.Furthermore,ruleviolatesatleast15rightsguaranteedby1987Constitution,particularlyrightofanycitizen,notonlytospeakoutagainstgovernment.Theywillbe
individual recognizes him/herself as an activist, people around would raise their eyebrows with scrutiny and disgrace. One reason for this - society equates activism to a form of terrorism. Activism is a communal effort to pursue and bring about liberating, transformative, and empowering social changes that benefit everyone. An activist is both a catalyst and an agent of social change that liberates, transforms, and empowers people through meaningful social movements. Terrorism, on the other hand, pursues these very same objectives but through the use of violence, menace, and terror. Hence, activism is not and will never be a form of terrorism.
EDITORIAL PROPER opinion SchoolHighSeniorSantosGeneral-UniversityStateMindanaoofPublicationOfficialThe skoHimig truthinserviceservice,intruth 12 ‘KTIBIST: ‘KY’T BUNDOK N’ They will themandtheirthemoppressinggovernment–enabledinjusticesaboutspeakingjustandred-taggedmaliciouslybeblacklistedforupthebythefromrights,silencinginfear. “ > 2022August-2022February /HimigIskoMSU|1No.3Vol.| FL
Not all activism takes place in the form of rallies. The biggest misconception about student activism is when they are viewed to be a terrorist who is regarded as NPAs or those who are “umaakyat sa bundok”. Every deliberate and energetic engagement in the
Let your imagination and morals take over. Now, can you picture a world where women do not have the right to vote? Can you envision a millennial young professional working more than eight hours a day, seven days a week, with no benefits or overtime pay? Can you picture an industry where children are forced to work? Can you envision a modern world where only the wealthy have access to education and other fundamental social services? And if you can - will you remain silent and accept it?
pursuit of a just cause, whether on the ground or online, is, however, a sort of activism. It includes everything from on-the-ground rallies to internet signature petition campaigns. But what makes the protest action so crucial is that it unites these efforts into a single tangible, collective demonstration of devotion and accountability to the cause, fellow activists, and the people they serve. All concerns are connected in people’s movements - the liberation of one is the freedom of Activismall. does not seek to oppose the government. Activism encourages students to critically examine reality; if they discover injustice and inequality, and if they discover that the government not only fails to address these inequities but actually allows them to thrive, then the duty to what is just and right requires that the government be engaged, either through dialogue or direct action. Activists, in simple terms, are protectors of a just, equal, and democratic society - with the greater good always at the forefront of their moral convictions.Student activism is democracy itself. The freedom of assembly backed by the constitution gives every person the right to form groups, organizations, and institutions in the pursuit of one goal – to attain change. It is in the interest of people to seek what they deserve and not just the bare minimum. It is in every criticism we see faults. And from that criticism, we can obtain a spark of change that will appear in every part of society, resulting in a just, inclusive, and harmonious environment in which everyone is heard and authority does not solely circle around the privileged.
art by Richelle de Arce & Francis Calonia
Tunay ngang kapuna-puna ang mga estratehiya na ginamit ng mga tumakbong kandidato, kung atin itong tutuusin. Marahil noon, nakasanayan na natin ang mga taktika gaya ng mga tradisyunal na pulitiko kung saan nagpapamudmod sila ng sandamukal na pera, gumagamit ng matatamis at mabulaklak na salita at pangako, at nagpapasikat sa madla upang maging matunog ang pangalan. Sa ngayon naman ay kakaiba, sapagkat ang paggamit ng social media ang kanilang ginawang pangunahing instrumento upang manghikayat ng mga tagasuporta. Subalit hindi lamang iyon ang naganap dahil sa pamamagitan din nito ay nabilog nila ang isipan ng mga mamamayan sa pamamagitan ng pagbaluktot sa kasaysayan, pagpapalaganap ng kasinungalingan at walang humpay na pagsira sa pangalan o reputasyon ng iba. Kalimi-limi rin na ang mga taong nakikilahok dito ay sabik na gawin ang lahat upang maging bahagi ka nila. Ipapakumpayan at kukumbisihin ka nila sa mga bagay na tanging alam at pinaniniwalaan lamang nila kahit pa man hindi ito dumaan sa masusing pananaliksik. Hindi sila titigil sa kanilang ginagawa hangga’t hindi mo sila paniniwalaan kahit pa man magmukha silang gutay-gutay na basahan sa iyong mga mata. Marahil biktima lamang ang iba sa mga kumakalat sa social media ngunit pakatatandaan na dapat may pananagutan pa rin sila rito
Ang mga bagay katulad nito ay hindi dapat pinapalampas sapagkat nagmumukhang pinagkakaisahan lamang natin ang iba na maaring magdulot ng hidwaan at minsan ay nauuwi pa sa kaguluhan. Gayunpaman, ang mga mamamahayag at mga tagasuri ng katotohanan ay pawang mga modernong sundalong patuloy na tumitindig at naninindigan. Sapagkat ang mga bagay na ito ay maihahalintulad natin sa isang matindit na baril na maaaring gamitin o kaya naman ay pinakinabangan ng iba bilang pamproteksyon sa sarili ngunit sa kabilang banda ay mabagsik at nanghahasik rin kung hindi wasto ang paggamit. Minsan, ang dahilan kung bakit patuloy na ipinaglalaban ng iba ang kanilang hindi konkretong opinyon na halatang galing naman sa pekeng balita ay upang pagtakpan at labanan ay kanilang sinusuportahan na hindi naman katanggap-tanggap kahit na sila ay may karapatang magpahayag ang kanilang mga pananaw. Ang pakikibakang ito ay hindi lamang laban ng isa kundi laban din ito sa ating pagkakakilanlan at sa ating kinabukasan, laban natin ito kaya’t nararapat lamang na may pakialam ang lahat.
Pinag-isa Pinagkaisahannga’t naman
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truth in service, service in truth14
MULAT KATOTOHANANSA
lalong lalo na kung isa sila sa aminadong nagpakalat nito. Kung kaya’t nararapat lamang ikurus sa noo na huwag dagliang magpalinlang sa mga sinasabi ng iba dahil maaaring isa lamang itong propaganda na maiwawangis natin sa isang malalim na patibong at kapag nahulog ka rito ay tiyak na kaawa-awa ka.
by Jhomarie Sevilla
Kung kaya’t bilang isang Pilipino, huwag sana nating hayaang bulagin at piringan ng iba ang ating mga mata sa katotohanan dahil ang mga ito ay ating pansariling sandata na magagamit natin kahit saan, kahit kailan, at kahit kanino man. Ginamit nila ang mga nasabing estratehiya marahil upang muling maging tanyag at ikondisyon ang ating isipan ngunit kung ating pakauusisain ay sila lamang ang nakikinabang mula rito. Samakatuwid, hindi lamang ang ating sarili ang napagkaisahan ng mga maruruming taktikang nabanggit kundi pati na rin ang ating mga kapwa, ang ating pagkakakilanlan, at maging ang ating bansang Pilipinas. Dapat imulat ang mga mata, palagiang magbasa-basa, at maging mausisa sa mga nakikita at naririnig. Dahil sa panahon ngayon kahit ano pa man ang mangyari, hinding-hindi na pipikit ang mga namulat na sa katotohanan at umaasa akong nawa ay maging isa ka sa kanila.
Kung Pilipino,bilangkaya’tisanghuwagsananatinghayaangbulaginatpiringanngibaangatingmgamatasakatotohanandahilangmgaitoayatingpansarilingsandatanamagagamitnatinkahitsaan,kahitkailan,atkahitkaninuman.
Noong mga nakaraang buwan ay nasaksihan natin ang isa sa maituturing na makasaysayang araw ng ating bansa: ang Halalan, na siyang ginanap noong ika-9 ng Mayo taong 2022. Ayon sa Commission on Elections (COMELEC), ito ay dinaluhan ng humigit-kumulang 67.5 milyong botante kabilang na rito ang mga overseas voters. Maaninaw sa mga araw na iyon na talagang naghanda ang lahat, matiyagang pumila, hinanap ang kanikanilang presinto, at ibinoto ang kanilang mga napiling kandidato. Nakakamanghang isipin sapagkat para bang sa mga araw na iyon ay nagkaisa ang lahat kahit pa man kay daming aberya ang nangyari at nagsulputan. Gayunpaman, noong nagsisimula pa lamang ang kampanya o kahit bago pa man ang nasabing eleksyon, ang mga social media platforms ay naging pugad na ng paglaganap ng maling impormasyon at historical revisionism na nakakabahala at nangangailangang bigyan ng agarang pansin.
The national government has started to implement various programs in its response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) focusing on and targeting the holistic health of the working people and the citizen in general. However, it may be a little late but at least the government has taken action of it. Such programs should be effective – or the backbone of the economy will be in great danger.
As the government and the working people battle with the COVID-19 pandemic and its toll on their mental health, may they be enlightened to take tangible action because if not, it will only bring
Poor mental health awareness may result in poor mental health. With the various programs presented by the national government in battling mental health-related issues, such programs are not widely disseminated. It is necessary to mass disseminate these programs as it helps working people to know that there are government agencies that are willing to help them. To achieve this, the government should impose nationwide awareness about the importance of mental health.
At least 3.6 million Filipinos suffer from one kind of mental, neurological, and substance use disorder, the Health Department has said, citing a study by the World Health Organization (WHO) – needless to say, the number speaks for itself as a call for prioritization. The DOH has launched a multi-sectoral approach to mental health with programs and interventions across a variety of settings (e.g. workplaces, schools, and communities). The commemoration of World Suicide Prevention Day also calls scrutiny to the predicament of those who are enduring severe forms of depression.
Toward the Backbone’s Victory recession.endureeconomy,wellhabits,workingdriven,andpessimisticbeingthemstress-theirasasthewillthe
art by Adnan Edris
The current pandemic has affected every human being, regardless of their social status, class, and identity. It endangered not only physical health but also plunged mental health. However, even with the national government trying to address this issue, close-minded people view mental health as something that should not be taken as seriously. Consequently, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque stated that the importance of mental health initiatives is just as crucial as those for the COVID-19 pandemic.
health is properly disseminated, a stable mentality to working people may result in optimism and later a healthy working habit.
Poor working behavior and ethics may result in poor economic growth. With people being bugged by mental illnesses that affect their working behavior and ethics, it may also affect the economy. If all working people are stressed, preoccupied, and are affected by mental health illnesses, it can impact their overall working habits and later on, may affect the economy. As public knowledge, working people are the bloodline of an economy. With them being pessimistic and stress-driven, their working habits, as well as the economy, will endure the
Althoughrecession.various programs have been established by the national government, their effect is nowhere to be seen. If this issue can’t be proactively solved, it will cause a domino effect on the society of the working people, affecting their working habits, and later, resulting in an economic recession. This may be because of the stigma revolving around mental health. These close-minded people often view mental health illnesses as only “kaartehan” and something only rich people experience. This stereotyping is indeed a hindrance to the nation in achieving its campaign toward mental health awareness.Responsible widespread of mental health awareness and sensitivity must be prioritized by the government just like their prioritization of physical health. It should provide tangible programs in the workplace to ensure the mental stability of the workers. Furthermore, the government should review the effectiveness of existing programs and provide massive effort through effective mental health hotlines, re-establishment of RA 11036 or the Mental Health Act that mandates the provision of comprehensive suicide prevention services encompassing crisis intervention, and a response strategy on a nationwide scale.
by Aaron Kate Damaso
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FORGOTTENWELFARE
Poor mental health may result in poor working behavior and ethics. Study shows that working people who have poor mental health are often subjected to being fired because of their poorer working behavior and ethics. Stress, anxiety, and depression may affect working people in a way that they become pessimistic. On the other hand, if mental
truth in service, service in truth 15 With
Climate change, global warming, and climate crisis are not novel ideas. Long before we flourished at school, we were already taught the significant importance of taking care of our planet. However, no matter how much we try to make a change and get into the ball of a carbon-free life, our steps in mitigating the problem will have little to no progress; for as long as hefty contributors will not take a step back in kicking in the rampancy of carbon emissions. One crucial area of focus regarding this is capitalism. Although capitalism has significantly contributed to increased economic efficiency, its methods are dreadfully detrimental to nature. Not to mention the fact that its systems are exorbitantly oppressive to both people and
Commensurate with this, since most gigantic companies own the congress and the media, they are prodding everyone with the mendacious propaganda that normal citizens, perhaps commoners, cause climate change, in place of their businesses’ safety from crippling. Seemingly, capitalists are passing the blame to normal citizens to save face— which then again corners the marginalized into taking the blame and biting the bullet without defiance. In light of this, most people also put pressure on consumers regarding the climate crisis when the real
by Sophia Louise Abaquita
the environment, its overriding priority of pitching in profit still materializes even amidst the worldwide crisis that we all are concerned with. Conclusively, capitalists benefit from the climate crisis while the poorest of the poor continue to suffer. The capitalist system, which prioritizes profit over all else, is preventing decarbonization while the rest of the world burns.
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art by Francis Albert Calonia
Global warming has progressed to the point where the question is no longer how to stop it and imprisoning environmentalists who know best is not of grave help.
thatrealizationThethe fight against the withcrisisclimatebeginsthe fight against healing.ofthecapitalism—ismomentglobal “
Capitalism breeds Climate Crisis: An Outcry to diminish Capitalism
To substantiate the aforementioned statements, one timely manifestation of those is the fast fashion brand SHEIN. As a company, SHEIN exploits and leverages workers and independent designers by mass-producing cheap clothing from unsustainable materials, whilst shipping it around the world for profit. More than that, cheap clothing manufacturing contributes immensely to climate change, which makes up to 10% of all human activity’s greenhouse gas emissions. (Earth Organization, 2022) Along with this, the majority of which are cheap synthetic and virgin materials that cannot be recycled, and alongside requires a lot of energy and water to disintegrate. For this reason, toxic dyes, water pollution, high-emissions manufacturing plants, and the people buying them—sparked off by the capitalistic movement behind—will certainly cause serious environmental and sustainability issues, if not halted.
CAPITALISTS ENVIRONMENTALISTSNOT
problem is the capitalists, along with the media and the greedy politicians they feed. Given these considerations, we arrived at this point not because there were no alternatives or perchance we did not know better. We have arrived at this point because a handful of capitalists have made money, knowing full well that their ill demeanor had put the earth and civilization in peril.
In the first weeks of April 2022, scientists worldwide staged a climate protest after discerning the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Report last February 28. The scientists have warned the masses about the extensive and irreversible damage that has already been done, effectively nullifying all previous efforts if nothing changed. Because of the climate crisis’ urgency for action, scientists did marches and rallies, which prompted the authorities to imprison them. Although it is the authorities’ responsibility to make the world a better place, what they did to the scientists was profoundly fuming and inequitable. With the rising prevalence and frequency of wildfires, tropical storms, and extreme drought—it is just upright to proliferate awareness and do whatever it takes to broadcast the dilemma if it is for the benefit of the majority.
Going back, what the scientists did was an eyeopener to all of us as to how critical our climate situation is. Although some people had varied opinions regarding the topic, it is already a great measure that many were terrified, shaken, and awoken by the possibility of us experiencing a nightmarish world; if we won’t demand and persist for change. Whereas acknowledging our inadequacies and overriding them to do something for our planet is deeply beneficial, we must also recognize the bane of our existence and not deflect it by believing that we are powerless to change it. With all things considered, the only way to save the planet is to dismantle corporations while also enacting a global government revolution that disempowers capitalists and their destructive ways. Hence, the realization that the fight against climate crisis begins with the fight against capitalism—is the moment of global healing.
ABOlish Party-list
truth in service, service in truth 17
kaugnayan sa Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) na hindi raw butohin dahil ani niya ay ginagawang legal front ng rebeldeng komunista na naghahangad ibagsak ang gobyerno. Kasama sa listahan ang Kabataan Party-list, Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, and Gabriela (KABAG). Ayon kay Duterte, mainit ang party-list sa mata nang mga kaanib ng CPP-NPA, nakikita raw sa pag-uugali nila, at sa pamamaraan ng pagpapakita nang suporta sa kanilang adbokasiya ay left wing, extreme left wing. Sa House of Representatives, ang mga party-list group na ito ang bumubuo sa tinatawag na Makabayan bloc. Bagama’t hindi nagbibigay ng patunay sa kanyang mga alegasyon, ang kanyang pag-aangkin ay umalingawngaw sa salaysay na itinutulak ni National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokeperson Lorraine Badoy na kaalyansa sila ng CPP laban sa gobyerno. Ang nasabing NTF-ELCAC spokesperson ay siya ring nang turil kay Former Vice President Leni Robredo sa pamamagitan ng isang facebook post, ani niya, itigil na ang pagtanggi ni Robredo sa pakikipag-alyansa sa mga rebeldeng komunista, na walang katunayan na inilatag. Pinuna ito, at nakatanggap ng abiso galing sa Ombudsman.
Duterte to Next Leaders; Abolish Partylist
Sa paglitaw ng walang humpay na red-tagging at isyu sa elitismo, may tiyak na isyu tungkol sa party-list system na kailangang tugunan.
Sinabi ni Atty. Emil Marañon III sa TeleRadyo ng ABS-CBN na ang pagsasama-sama ng mga salik, kabilang ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema noong 2013 na naging posible para sa mga hindi miyembro ng marginalized na sektor na kumatawan sa mga organisasyon bilang party-list groups, ang humantong sa kasalukuyang estado ng sistema.
by Jessie Rey Bagatela
“Itong party-list, kailangang alisin na ito, kung sinuman ang magiging (susunod na) presidente”. Hiniling ni dating presidente Rodrigo Duterte na buwagin ng susunod na administrasyon ang party-list system dahil sa mga elite at negosyante na gumagamit ng kanilang mga paraan tulad nang pagbili ng mga party-list sa pagkuha ng posisyon sa HOR (House of Representatives) para isulong ang pansariling interes.
Noong Marso 29 sa “Talk to the Nation” na inere sa PTV, nagpasaring si Former President Rodrigo Duterte na limang party-list group ang may
Tunay ngang maraming aberyang dinaranas ang party-list system sa bansa. Ang baluktot na sistema ay pinagsasamantalahan at nahaharas. Bagama’t ito ang kasindak-sindak na sinapit ng noon ay magandang intensyon sa lehislatura, ang hindi pagtugma ng mabuting intensyon sa status quo. Hindi ito mainam at sapat na rason upang bigyang-wakas ang partylist sa bansa. Hindi maaring tanggalan natin ng boses ang minorya. Hindi pwedeng hindi payagang magsalita si totoy at inday. Hindi pwedeng alisin ang mga totoong kumakatawan sa marginalized na sektor.
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Kabataan, Gabriela NTF-ELCAC issue
Kalaunan, nanawagan at inirekomenda ni Duterte na i-abolish ang mga party-list, sa sinumang papalit sa kanya sa kanyang posisyon. Ipinapahiwatig niya ang pangangailangan para sa Constitutional Assembly (ConAss) or a Constitutional Convention (ConCon), ngunit idinagdag na ito ay isang napakamahal na proseso. Mula noong Marso ng kasalukuyang taon, patuloy niyang pinupuna ang mga elite at negosyante na gumagamit ng kanilang mga paraan (i.e. pagbili ng mga party-list) sa pagkuha ng posisyon sa HOR. Dagdag pa rito, nilarawan pa ni Duterte ang konstitusyon bilang,Sa“fractured”.kabilangbanda, neutral ang Commission on Elections (ComElec) sa panawagan ni Pangulong Duterte na itiwalag ang party-list system, at sinabing hindi ito maa-abolish nang hindi inaamyenda ang Konstitusyon. Habang ilang party-list representative naman ang nagprotesta laban sa kagustuhan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na i-abolish ang lahat ng party-list sakaling maamyendahan ang 1987 Constitution.
Ngunit, paano kung ang sistemang binansagan bilang liwanag sa dilim ay siya ring dahilan ng pagdilim ng isang pangarap? Ang tanong, ang mga partylist group ba ay nagpapakita ng pagiging epektibo sa mga paraan upang maiwasan ang pagbabalik ng awtoritaryan na paghahari sa Pilipinas o nagpapanatili? Nagsilbi ba ito sa layunin nito sa pagpigil sa muling pagkabuhay ng tradisyonal na elitistang pulitika sa pamamagitan ng pagpapaunlad ng isang mas demokratikong institusyong pampulitika?
WAG TUMAHIMIK, MAGPAPASINDAKWAG
Ang House of Representatives ay nagsisilbing mababang kapulungan sa senado. Mayroong dalawang uri ng mga miyembro ng mababang kapulungan: 80% sa kanila ay kumakatawan sa mga distritong pambatas at ang natitirang 20% sa kanila ay kumakatawan sa mga party-list group. Ang mga kinatawan ng party-list ay nagtatamasa ng parehong kapangyarihan at benepisyo gaya ng mga kinatawan ng distrito ngunit sila ay inaasahang magsasabatas para sa interes ng kanilang sektor o partido.
Party List System Act of 1995
Ligtas na igiit na sa halip na buwagin. Nararapat repasuhin ng Kongreso ang 1995 Party-List System Law dahil nakalimutan na ang layunin, at ang tamang representasyon.
Nagsimula ang party-list system sa Pilipinas bilang isang institusyong pampulitika sa 1987 Constitution bilang daan sa pagpapahintulot ng mas malawak na representasyon sa pambansang lehislatura. Ang maka-demokrasyang konstitusyon ay naglalayon ng representasyon ng mga party-list sa House of Representatives (HOR) kasabay ng regular na sistema ng representasyon mula sa mga distrito, na nakikita bilang balwarte ng tradisyonal na elitistang pulitika sa bansa.Itinuturing ng marami ang partylist system bilang pag-asa para sa isang sistema na sa wakas ay tutugon sa mga pangangailangan at alalahanin ng mga marginalized na sektor tulad ng mga manggagawa, magsasaka, katutubong pamayanang kultural, kababaihan, at kabataan ng bansa. Kung sa bagay. binansagan pa ito ng gobyerno bilang lunas sa kanser ng tradisyonal na pulitika at mga pulitiko (TraPo).
Sa paglitaw ng walang humpay na red-tagging at isyu sa elitismo, may tiyak na isyu tungkol sa party-list system na kailangang tugunan. Isang kahihiyan ng demokrasya na magkaroon ng isang multi-bilyonaryo, angkan ng pamilya, at mga relihiyosong entidad, upang kumatawan sa mga minorya sa Kongreso, balintuna sa natural na mekanismo ng party-list system. Sa halip na palawakin ang representasyon sa lehislatura, binigyan lamang ng partylist system ang mga mayayaman ng ibang paraan upang makakuha ng mga posisyon sa gobyerno at matiyak na matatag na nakabaon ang kanilang mga pamilya sa Taliwaskapangyarihan.angmganakasaad na hakbang at pamantayan ng mga ganid sa yaman at salapi na umaabuso sa sistema, may mga grupo na maaari nating isaalang-alang bilang isang tunay na “representasyon ng mga marginalized na sektor. Ang kanilang mga gawa ay sumasalamin sa kanilang layunin na mapabuti ang kabuhayan, estado, at mga pribilehiyo ng kanilang sektor; Partidong may totoong awa sa kapwa, at hindi tumatakbo para sa pansariling interes.Sa kabila ng mga kapintasang umiiral sa party-list system, ang layunin ay hindi dapat na alisin ito kundi palakasin. Ito ay dahil ang isang panibagong sistema ng elektoral ay may napakalaking potensyal na baguhin ang pinagbabatayan ng mga insentibong mga pulitiko at sa gayon ay simulan na baguhin ang umiiral na mga pattern ng politika sa Pilipinas. Ligtas na igiit na sa halip na buwagin. Nararapat repasuhin ng Kongreso ang 1995 Party-List System Law dahil nakalimutan na ang layunin, at ang tamang representasyon.
art by Richelle De Arce
With all of these, it is basically a manifestation to stand as one of the thousand Filipinos who responded with a big no against open-pit mining in the province. It is a call for everyone to become more educated on the subject and to educate others about the dangers that this problem poses. Join environmental advocacy and sign petitions that support the veto of lifting the ban. Definitely, if the operation is continued, it will be an obvious ‘open pit’ that will cause a major downfall for the place, the environment, and the people. Tampakan needs your help!
being pursued. The area aforementioned is said to be abundant with agricultural resources, and having it affected will definitely take a toll on the livelihood of the farmers.Another alarming concern goes with how the mining location appears to be after a few years when the mining company has finally extracted the supposed average of 375,000 metric tons of copper and 360,000 ounces of gold in concentrate per annum. Professor Ramon Clarete of the University of the Philippines, School of Economics, stated in an opinion piece published in the media outlet ‘Business World’ that several mines in the Philippines had been abandoned or were inactive. One tells which the abandonment of a mining site has to be resorted by Black Mountain Incorporated, due to the mediocre set of regulations for the operation which thus eventually led to bankruptcy, prior to the imposed 1995 Philippine Mining Act (Republic Act No. 7942) signed by President Fidel Ramos with one of the intents of defining the conditions for mineral exploitation, and suffice specific requirements for obtaining mining rights.
May we understand that money, at the end of the day, is nonpermanent—but the open-pit neration to generation.
However, by saying those, the contrary speaks of how the effect is so two-faced. While it sure may offer the aforementioned benefits, may we reiterate the fact that the counterpart speaks of overwhelming destruction to the environment as well as the neighborhood and surrounding places. Furthermore, again, how about the farmers? They have already limelighted a resounding call about how open-pit mining will obviously bane their livelihood, rooting from the deprecation of ecosystem services due to evident mining aftereffects. It apparently just goes to show that Tampakan is presented as a sacrificial lamb, basically to save the grappling economy, and eventually, the people in the area will be in grave—grave danger.Also, regarding the Indigenous communities residing in the location given the benefits, while we understand that this serves well for their education and employment (which should have been the regime’s concern, to begin with), may we understand that money, at the end of the day, is nonpermanent—but the open-pit mining effect will be lifelong and irreversible, passing from generation to generation.
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As reported by the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), the continuation of the operation will bloodily ravage the forestry cover in the area; deforestation, to put it simply. Additionally, the pit will also induce leaked acid mine drainage that will intoxicate natural watersheds—also affecting the biggest river system in the region, named the Mal River, which is vital for the ecosystem service of the community. Having said those, the occupants are implicitly made highly vulnerable to specific natural disasters, such as Masipagflooding.Mindanao, a farmer-led nongovernmental organization dedicated to the efficient conservation of natural resources, also voiced its further dismay with the decision, which delineates their concern that the approval of the said matter might likely bane the farmers. Taking into account that open-pit mining will harm terrestrial and marine biodiversity in such locations, particularly in the Altiyan-Taplan River System in the Quen Mountain Range, where
On the other hand, the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) chair Michael Toledo asserted the fact that Tampakan would be “a powerful vehicle” to strengthen the local and regional economy, which satisfies a lot of facets: access to education, infrastructure, employment, business opportunities, health, and such. The project will also be a huge favor for the indigenous community. It is said that they are provided with financial assistance, including student scholarships, by Sagittarius Mines Incorporated despite just starting mineral extraction.
art by Francis Albert Calonia
DELVING DEEPER?
discovery of Tampakan mine reserves, the area itself has been kept under the keen eye of certain mining companies, from Western Mining Corporation down to Sagittarius Mines Incorporated, which was eventually prevented last 2010 with the imposition of a mining ban in South Cotabato Province. Fast-forward to 2022, the ban was finally lifted last May 16 in the South Cotabato province with the approval of eleven members of the South Cotabato provincial board—which is a blatantly poor decision that will certainly cause extreme environmental destruction now that openpit mining in Tampakan is permitted.
At this time of day, many of the youth are educated enough on issues such as these. For instance, it is often known that when a man and a woman find themselves in a scandal, the woman always gets the shorter end of the stick just for being a woman. Thanks to powerful movements such as feminism, women and allies alike are finally able to stick up for each other. However, where should men place their heels on this matter?
If
teaching, suitable technology, and learners’ engagement. These three are workable in the status quo, yet regard for the issue is scarce. In 2018, the Philippines performed the worst in Reading, Mathematics, and Science. Grade-schoolers will continue to struggle to catch up since 90% of them are challenged to read. The performance of the country on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) might plummet. Even if that should not be the primary concern, we need to consider the future of these children the most. Before we can express that the youth is the future of the nation, let us remind ourselves that the nation should realize the future of the youth. Education remains the strongest threshold, so let it be the first thing on the country’s priority list. With the new administration around the corner, this is an ultimate challenge for them–which we hope they can overcome. Let us not wait for eight hundred and seventeen days more for a miracle. As a nation, let us slump back down on our thinking stools and internalize the value of education for a nation to progress in this fast-paced world.
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In 2020, the Department of Education opted to distance education in order to allow students to learn despite being at home. Even at first, it was never considered effective by both learners and lecturers. It was a difficult alternative, but it was the only choice we had. Right after so, it became popular on social media that parents were the ones answering the modules for their children. It used to be a joke. People found it funny how adults had to go back to their old ways to answer grade-school tests. Slumping down on short stools, having to answer the modules. It was not the children who were taking care of their modules, which were for them to learn. Eight hundred and seventeen days later, these children cannot read or study on their own as a result.
BASAURA
There is no danger in one’s exploration of their delights if one did not do nor mean any harm. We, as a society, need to learn how to exercise our sympathy and eradicate the double standard. People are meant to mature, not to be the other way around. Onward we march and today we change. by Marie Kaye Bitos
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Eight hundred and seventeen days since students left their schools thinking that they would be gone for only two weeks. And ever since, there is nothing but struggle. Struggle to adjust, struggle to cope, and struggle to catch up with the fast-pacing life. It was not just a struggle, but there was depression and panic stirring along. Month by month there is something new in the news. An environmental crisis, an international conflict. An economic decline, countries announcing bankruptcy. With all the crises that had happened in just eight hundred and seventeen days, the pressure on the future generation screams louder than ever. Yet, this pressure exposed another crisis. Something that everyone seems to neglect. It may be a hard pill to swallow, but the education system has not been effective in the past eight hundred and seventeen days. A crisis that might pull the country into a
HYPOCRITICALMINDSET
In almost the same week as the uploads of Aika Robredo’s fake scandals, Inigo Pascual’s nudes got leaked. This means that the actor’s nudes were not fake but real. Yet, the reality of his nudes certainly does not equate to such tyranny. A leak means that the subject was not meant to be shared or publicized. If such leak and chaos had happened, would the young actor want it or would
causeintentionallywerethingsnotcreatedtobringupastorm,whyshouldweoneandbetheeyeofit?
Struggle to adjust, struggle to cope, and struggle to catch up with the fast-pacing life. It was not just a struggle, but there along.panicdepressionwasandstirring
Sex scandals and their exposures have long been concurrent in our society. These scandals are either videotapes, audiotapes, hearsay, or fully caught red-handed. Either way, once discovered, at least one of the pair would be ridiculed and outcasted. Once scandals such as these get unearthed, the consequences would always be detrimental.
ABAKADA: Aba, ‘Di pa nakakabasa?
In the last week of the elections, the trolls working against Leni Robredo’s campaign released trouble. These unidentified trolls have uploaded fake lewd videos of the past vice president’s eldest daughter, Aika Robredo. A letter was sent to the National Bureau of Investigation on behalf of Miss Aika Robredo. The letter discussed that there has been a sudden surge of posts on social media platforms that gave the impression of Miss Aika posing or acting scandalously.
The demeaning fake lewd posts were called out by the past vice president’s spokesperson, lawyer Barry Gutierrez, as “direct and vile”. Acts and impressions last long on people. These subjects are
Eight hundred and seventeen days ever since, yet we still cannot exhaust quite enough how the pandemic had caused significant changes to everyone and everything.
he not?When people lifted Aika Robredo from her unfortunate situation, not as many did so for Inigo Pascual. Simply drawn by the misogynistic history, people took advantage of the issue to ignore and jeer over the man. If the case were to happen to a woman, would the crowd still be as jeering? Would this not be called having a “double standard”?Nomatter the position in a sexual scandal, no one should be scorned. The general public, especially netizens, tends to be very toxic. As people with conscience, once word gets out, the best we could do is sympathize and console the victims. If things were not intentionally created to bring up a storm, why should we cause one and be the eye of it?
It is important to stress that reading is fundamental to learning. By this age, 10-year-olds should be able to do it by themselves already. However, the World Bank (2021) reported that 9 out of 10 kids at age 10 cannot read. The flaw was in the system of remote learning because the system lacked effective
both difficult to change especially considering the degrading effects on the victim hence, the uproar of Leni’s supporters along with feminists. It is hard to change someone’s lenses when they’ve already put one on for you.
by Chorena Grace Lorania
The Double Standard of Sexual Scandals
greater decline soon.
truth in service, service in truth20
When it comes to politics, one of the things that have always stood in the way of the progress of democracy and prosperity in the Philippines is the zealous hostility that citizens in the nation have against the elected representatives. By definition, fanaticism is an extreme and sometimes illogical enthusiasm, zeal, or loyalty for something such as a political stance, movement, or religion. The word “fanaticism” first appeared in print in the early 1700s. The foundation term, fanatic, originates from the Latin fànàticus, which means “relating to a temple, influenced by divinity.” The enthusiasm and devotion of a fanatic go beyond common interests. It is often associated with loyalty— but when loyalty becomes wild and unreasoning, and if it displays the qualities of hesitant acceptance it becomes fanaticism.
by Chamierose Faith Nalanggay
When will we remove the
Although it has always been in a fraction of the Philippines electoral system, political idolatry has been at its peak in this year’s election. The recent national election filled different social media platforms with the supporters of different parties showing their unending support for their chosen candidates. From pink to red, green to blue— the nation is flooded with colorful props, creative slogans, and catchy political songs. The 3 months campaign period marked a significant history of how people from different folks, ages, colors, and status braved their way to stand on their political bets.
theneglectingwhilethefollowingblindlylikeactingweWhenourandblindfoldopeneyes?willstopmobscrowdtruth? “ KEEPING IN TOUCH art by Essak Santy Baligod
The Modern Fanatical Zeal: Loyalty or Idolatry?
When used in politics, the term “fanaticism” refers, at its core, to the deferential respect shown by voters to those who proclaim themselves “public servants.” When it comes to holding government leaders responsible, this diminishes the significance of the citizen’s ability to ask questions and investigate issues. As a result, elected officials often intentionally interpret it as an invitation to appease the people with only lip service rather than acting upon the sworn obligations that they have taken on.
Have you ever seen a herd crossing the street? You can observe how they blindly follow their
abused. In this context, the politician takes advantage of this herd mentality, acting as the shepherd driving the fanatics to a trap that blindly follows their pie-in-the-sky system.
Have you stumbled upon phrases like “Duterte Die Hard Supporter”, “Kakampink”, or “Marcos Loyalist”? You probably do. Everyone talks about it! The hype of political rallies is sensational especially when a politician hires a celebrity to perform or endorse their campaigns. Like fuel to the fire, politicians take advantage of the celebrity’s ability to connect with the general public. The political rally turned into concerts feeding the flames by taking advantage of the nation’s penchant for fanaticism.
The effect of fanaticism is similar to that of a venomous insect sting. The precise instant at which the victim gets bitten is sometimes unable to be pinpointed. It may start out seeming to be little and not dangerous, but with time, it may get worse and more serious. Fanaticism should be eliminated or at least be moderated because turning a “blind eye” or “obsessive enthusiasm” in choosing the next leader of the country will create biases that will greatly
The result of the recent national election created history as the votes went landslide to the descendants of the two former presidents of our country. As a student who depends on the future of the nation, we are deeply hoping that those who will sit on the throne will prove that they are worthy of the majority of the votes. We are hopeful that the so-called “unity” or “Bayanihan” that they promise will uplift the Pearl of the Orient Sea to a better and brighter tomorrow. Because after all, the election is not about the surnames, faces, or popularity of the candidates; it’s not about who is leading the surveys or the richest among them— it is about the service to the nation and people. We Filipinos deserve a better government that serves more the marginalized and vulnerable— their interests, demands, rights, and needs. We hope that the majority shaded the ballot with critical and logical thinking rather than their fanaticism towards that certain politician. Because when will we remove the blindfold and open our eyes? When will we stop acting like mobs blindly following the crowd while neglecting the truth?
When we are already lost and abandoned? When we’re already at the edge of the cliff, watching our country slowly fall? When will we wake up?
truth in service, service in truth 21
Kung tutuusin, hindi naman direktang apektado ang mga indibidwal na may sapat na pinagaralan at kahusayan dahil sila ay may maayos na trabaho. Dagdag pa, sadyang mas malaki ang sahod sa ibang bansa dahil sila ay mas produktibo at maayos ang takbo ng kanilangAngekonomiya.isangmaituturing na pinagugatan ng mababang pasahod sa mga Pilipino ayang kahirapan. Dahil dito, limitado ang access sa mga resources ng mga mahihirap kung kaya’t mababa ang kalidad ng edukasyon na kanilang natatanggap. Kaakibat nito ang mababang kahusayan at kredibilidad kung kaya’t nauuwi sila sa mga trabahong kontraktwal, impormal, at pansamantala na may mababang pasahod.Kaya naman, mas karapat-dapat pahalagahan at ayusin ang sistema ng edukasyon sa Pilipinas. Kailangan
Sa kabilang dako, kailangan din ng gobyerno na lumikha ng iba’t ibang oportunidad sa trabaho upang hindi na mangibang-bansa ang mga mamamayan. Halimbawa, maaring bigyang pansin ang mga kapatid nating katutubo sa pamamagitan ng pagsasagawa ng mga pagsasanay ukol sa paglikha ng kanilang mga natatanging produkto at pagbibigay ng sapat na suportang pinansyal upang mas lalong mabigyang pansin ang kanilang kultura na maaari ring mapagkakitaan . Dagdag pa riyan, kailangan ding bigyangpansin ang sektor ng agrikultura at palaisdaan upang magkaroon pa ng interes ang mga mamamayan rito. Kailangan ding bigyan ng sapat na atensyon ang mga industriyang lokal sapagkat hindi maipagkakaila na mas naaayon ang kakayahan ng mga taong naninirahan dito sa trabahong nakapaloob dito.
Sa kasalukuyan, ang pinakamababang sahod sa National Capital Region (NCR) ay P533 para sa sektor ng agrikultura at P570 naman sa mga hindi kabilang sa sektor na ito. Kung tutuusin, kulang pa ito sa pang-araw-araw na mga gastusin sapagkat naririyan pa rin ang banta ng COVID-19. Dumadagdag sa gastusin ang pagbili ng mga pangsangga sa virus kagayang alcohol, face masks, at disinfectants.Umaaray na rin ang mga namamasada sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng gasolina dahil sa krisis sa pagitan ng Russia at Ukraine. Pati ang mga commuters ay apektado sapagkat tumataas din ang pamasahe. Bunga ng oil price hike, tumataas rin ang presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin kagaya ng bigas, mantika, gulay, isda, karne, at iba pa.
art by Pauline Rae Nebran
Pagod sa Mababang Sahod
Samakatuwid, kahirapan ang ugat ng mababang sahod sa Pinas. Mula rito ay sunod-sunod na ang mga epekto. Dagdag pa ang hindi pantay na suportang natatanggap ng bawat indibidwal mula sa gobyerno, kung kaya’t hindi natin masisisi kung bakit kulang sa kahusayan at mababa ang antas ng pinag-aralan ng mga Pilipino. Kung ating nanaisin na tumaas ang antas ng pasahod sa Pilipinas, kailangang maging pantay ang pagsisikap ng gobyerno at ng mga mamamayan nito.
Panghuli, kailangang puksain ang korapsyon na nangyayari sa lokal at nasyonal na pamahalaan. Sa halip na ginagamit sa tama ang buwis na binabayad ng bawat Pilipino
ni Jasmine Joy Panes
MAGING MAPANURI
Kapag binigyang pansin ang sistema ng edukasyon, magkakaroon ng mga produktibo at mahusay na mga indibidwal na kayang makipagsabayan sa modernisasyon.
pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga materyales na kinakailangan ng mga mag-aaral tulad ng mga aklat, upuan, at pati na rin mga gadyet upang makasabay sa modernong takbo ng mundo. Ayon sa pag-aaral ng Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) na isinagawa ng Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) noong 2018, ang Pilipinas ay ang may pinakamababang komprehensyon sa pagbasa sa 79 na kalahok.bansang Ito ay nakakaalarma sapagkat malaki ang badyet para sa sektor ng edukasyon. Sa kabilang banda, kailangan ding taasan ang sahod ng mga guro at bawasan ang kanilang mga gawaing hindi direktang konektado sa edukasyon ng mga magaaral upang mas matuonan ang mga ito ngKapagpansin.binigyang pansin ang sistema ng edukasyon, magkakaroon tayo ng mga mas produktibo at mahuhusay na mga indibidwal na kayang makipagsabayan sa modernisasyon. Ang mga ito ay magkakaroon ng sapat na kakayahan at kaalaman na kadalasang kailangan ng mga malalaking kompanya. Kumbaga, tataas ang halaga ng mga ito at maiiwasan ang mga trabahong may mababang sahod.
Hindi kataka-taka na marami ang umaalis ng Pilipinas upang magtrabaho sa ibang bansa dahil sa mababang sahod ng mga manggagawa. Karapat-dapat nga ba ito dahil kulang sa kahusayan at mababa ang antas ng pinag-aralan ng mga Pilipino?
truth in service, service in truth22
ay napupunta ito sa bulsa mga politikong korap na maaari pa sanang maging pondo para sa iba’t ibang proyekto, lalo na sa sektor ng trabaho, na siguradong makatutulong sa pagangat ang ekonomiya ng bansa.
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Kung maihahambing sa ibang bansa, hindi maipagkakaila na mababa ang sahod ng mga Pilipino. Ang karampatang sahod ng mga ito kada buwan ay nasa P31,100 para sa mga guro, P32,600 para sa mga nars, P24,689 para sa mga inhinyero, P12,858 para sa mga magsasaka, P10,704 naman para sa mga laborer, at iba pang propesyon na sobra-sobra ang pagtatrabaho ngunit mababa naman ang sahod.
mayroon rin itong kasabwat na kamag-anak nila na politiko. Ibig sabihin ito ang kanilang ginagamit na instrumento para makapagnakaw sa kaban ng bayan na hindi nabubunyag. “They act effectively to protect their members” dagdag ni Dr. DavisIkatlo, nawawala ang aspeto ng demokrasya sa ating bansa dahil sa Political Dynasty. Lumiliit ang pagpipilian sapagkat iilan lamang ang naglalakas loob na tumakbo para kalabanin sila. Dahil rin sa kanilang yaman at impluwensya, masyadong maliit ang tyansa na maluklok sa pwesto ang mga kandidato na galing sa ibang pamilya. Pangalan lamang ang nagpapagalaw sa baso at ito ang nagdidikta sa pagkapanalo. Sa pag-aaral ng Ateneo School of Government na nailathala pagkatapos ng halalan noong 2019, ay nagsasabing, mula 1988 hanggang 2019, ang mga Political Dynasties ay lumago ng humigit-kumulang 170 na posisyon bawat panahon ng halalan. Ito nagpapakita na ang mga pamilyang ito ay mahirap sipain sa kanilang kinauupuan. Mariing ipinagbabawal ng Saligang Batas na nakasaad article 2 section 26 ang Political Dynasty. Ngunit ang Sistema ng pulitika sa bansa ay hayagang yumuyurak sa ating konstitusyon na pinanday na may hangaring magbigay ng pantay na karapatan sa bawat isa. Halos lahat ng mga politiko sa ating pamahalaan ay napapabilang sa ganitong sistema. Sa Senado at sa Kamara pa lamang ay matatanaw na natin na uso ang mag-ina o mag-ama, magkapatid, magpipinsan o magtitiyuhin ang mga nakaupo sa pwesto. Tila ba ang mga taong ito ay nagiging monopolyo sa kapangyarihan. Bilang isang mamamayan, bakit tayo pumipili ng mga lider na ang tanging hangarin ay ang kanilang pampamilyang interest lamang? Para sa akin, ito ay malinaw na ebidensya na nagpapakita kung ano ang masamang dulot ng Political Dynasty sa ating bansa. Dapat tayong maging mulat sa reyalidad, matutong makiramdam at palawakin ang pang-unawa. At itanong sa sarili, patuloy ba tayong magpapaloko at magpapa-uto? O maninindigan tayo at ayusin ang pagpili sa mga dapat maupo. Ika pa nga ng namayapang senador na si Miriam Defensor Santiago, “Political dynasties are the equivalent of Mafia crime families”.
Bilang isang mag-aaral, dapat ng itigil ang pagtangkilik sa konsepto ng Political Dynasty. Ito ay sistema na kung saan ang isang pamilya ng mga politiko ay namamahala sa isang lugar at naipapasa sa kanilang kapamilya ang katungkulang ginagampanan sa pamahalaan. Ibig sabihin, ang kapangyarihan o karapatang mamuno ay umiikot lamang sa miyembro ng isang partikular na pamilya. Base sa pag-aaral, ang mga dinastiyang ito ay lumalaki ng isang porsyento tuwing eleksyon. Tila ba ang mga pamilyang ito ay ninanais na makontrol at paikutin sa kanilang mga kamay ang kapangyarihan sa pamahalaan. Dahil din dito, mas napapabilis nila ang kanilang transaksyon lalo na kung may kinalaman sa pansariling interest ng pamilya. Itoang kadalasang nagiging sanhi kung bakit mahirap ang isang lalawigan o probinsya na siya ringkalimitang pinag-uugaant ng korapsyon sa ating pamahalaan. At tila banawawala na ang kahulugan ng demokrasya sa ating bansa.
Dapat
magpapaloko?magingtayongmulatsareyalidad,matutongmakiramdamatpalawakinangpangunawa.Atitanongsasarili,patuloybatayong “
truth in service, service in truth 23
art by Pauline Rae Nebran
Una, ayon sa pagaaral ng Ateneo School of Government na nailathala sa Oxford Development Studies, nasubaybayan nila ang pagunlad o hindi pag-unlad ng iba’t ibang probinsya ng ating bansa. Napatunayan nito na ang pagbabago habang lumalago ang Political Dynasty ay lumalago rin ang kahirapan. Ang pag-aaral na ito ay sinuri at inaprubahan ng mga batikang ekonomista ng iba’t ibang bansa. Ayon pa kay Dr. Ronald Mendoza, Dean ng Ateneo School of Government, “Kahit pagsama-samahin mo pa yan, silang lahat yung mabuting dynasty, masamang dynasty, yung fat dynasty o thin dynasty. The average effect is under development and poverty. Lumalalim ang kahirapan yan po ang average effect.” Ninanais ng mga pamilyang ito na manatiling mahirap ang kanilang mga balwarteng nasasakupan, upang ang mga tao ay aasa sa kanila.
Pamilyang Dimagiba
PANGATWIRANAN
Isang napakamakabuluhang araw para kay president-elect Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos ang nangyaring joint session ng Mataas at Mababang Kapulungan noong Mayo 25 nang idineklara siya nina Senate President Vicente Sotto at House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco bilang ika17 na pangulo ng ating bansa. Matatandaang si Marcos Jr. ay anak ng namayapang diktador na si Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Kung ating babalikan ang kasaysayan ng mga nagdaang mga pangulo, si Bongbong ay pangatlo sa henerasyon ng mgapangulo na kung saan ang kanilang mga magulang ay naging presidente na rin sa ating bansa. Sumunod siya kay dating pangulong Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III at ang kanyang ina na si dating pangulo Corazon Aquino, at Gloria Macapagal Arroyo na anak ni dating pangulong Diosdado Macapagal na naging pangulo ng ating bansa noong 1957-1961. Samantala, ang anak naman ni Bongbong na si Sandro Marcos ay nanalo bilang Congressman sa 1st District ng Ilocos Norte. Ang kapatid naman niyang si Imee Marcos ay nakaupo pa rin sa Senado. Ito ay nagpapahiwatig na ang pamilyang Marcos ay nabibilang sa mga pamilya na tinatawag na Political Dynasty. Ang pamilyang Villar, Duterte, Cayetano, Binay, Estrada, Aquino at iba pa ay kabilang rin sa hanay ng pamilyang ito.
Ikalawa, ang Political Dynasty ay itinuturing din na tanggulan ng korapsyon sa ating pamahalaan. Ayon sa panayam kay Dr. Daniel Bruno Davis, isang Ph.D. graduate na nag-aral ng Philippine Politics and Corruption sa University of Virginia, “Political Dynasty just makes it harder to stop the corruption”. Iginiit din niya na mahirap alisin sa posisyon ang mga malalaking pamilya ng mga politiko na nadadawit sa korapsyon, dahil maaring
ni Godwin Palapar
DM for SheddingInquiries:Light to Academic Commissions
SOLIDARITYTRICKERY?OR
by taking loads off of other people’s plates.Personally, I am not doing well with handling my own load despite being in the second school year of this kind of setup. It seems like I can’t get used to it, and I know that I’m not the only one. Studies can get tough, especially for those who are always brought under pressure by family, or even by themselves. Sometimes, we cannot help but procrastinate which can result in a pile of a week-long worth of tasks and activities. I know you are as guilty as I do about it, but it’s not just laziness as it can be a product of burnout. With the constant stress students experience, they may come to a point where they feel like they’re unable to do whatever and that’s where academic commissions come in handy. Students can feel like someone’s lending a hand and slowly finishing all these tasks that have been put aside for a while. They can pass it on time while also doing other chores and can have a little time off for themselves to regain the energy they need to continue grinding for school. Academic commissions have removed a lot of weight on various students’ shoulders and it even results in getting good marks. And, surely, those who do academic commissions do not disappoint.Asstudents themselves, offering academic commissions may result in being constantly at risk of failing to do their own school work. They may get immersed in doing other people’s tasks that they may forget about their own. Academic commissioners may earn a lot from it, but they are on brink of losing their years of hardships if they are not able to properly sort things out and balance their business and studies. Good thing though, depending on the capability and talent of those who do commissions, their rate can go up and they can demand more payment in exchange for good work. It has become a total business and a lot of students avail as it is quick, easy, and reliable. With most academic commissioners found on different social media platforms, they can easily be spotted with a simple use of a search tool.
ni Mika Hamajo
It is clearly emphasized that academic commissions have definitely helped a lot of students, both those
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has surfaced, a lot has changed with our means of living. One of the most undeniable turnarounds has been in the Philippines’ educational system trying to tweak and fit it to the current situation — thus the birth of distance learning. With the country’s current academic setup, hitting its second year, students seem to find themselves in an easier way with the help of the so-called “academic commissions”. Some find it extremely helpful, both to the one doing the commission and the client, resembling the definition of “unity”. However, despite the positive feedback, some also find it to be disturbing, mocking it as “dishonesty”.
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who need help academically and those who need assistance financially. It has become a community of helping one another; however, most of them are being ridiculed for what they do. Students who avail of these services are seen as “cheaters” and just blatant “liars” about the work they submit. Usually, they are characterized to be “lazy people” who are just “idle” and pay someone else to do and fix their own “little” school problems. Academic commissioners on the other hand are seen as “enablers” who “take advantage” of other people’s “laziness” and make a profit out of it. The services that the academic commissioners provided are just straight-up called “cheating”, emphasizing that it is dishonest work, provoking students to be fraudulent. Because of this, some students have been reprimanded and have taken offense for either paying other people to do their school work or for those who receive money to do other students’ tasks. Some think that it is a fraud to the teachers and the school itself. Other students who hold out and do their own tasks also feel like they are being tricked as other people go on the simpler way whereas they take the long and bumpy road. It is deemed as “unfair” to co-students who finished everything without asking others to do it for them. Simply put, there’s a negative connotation behind academic commissions.Whether it is the fault of those who offer the service, those who receive it, or it may even be caused by our country’s education system, it’s still debatable. Others may want someone to be held accountable, but who should it be exactly? Everyone’s just trying to get by and survive the current circumstances, so who should take the blame? For others, academic commission is academic dishonesty. However, for some, these are their lifelines to get by the challenges brought by the circumstances. Despite these unclarities, what is sure is that the academic commission business has its own perks and downsides, and was able to help and hinder anyone involved in the transaction. Academic commission: solidarity or trickery? Take your pick.
truth in service, service in truth24
It is evident that during the past two years of distance learning, students are divided into those who have fully adjusted to the setup and to those who are nearly giving up. Despite this difference, it is similar that various means have been done by students already. Just so they can survive the new and unfamiliar position that they’ve been put into. May it be searching the terms online, advanced academic readings on Google, or real-time messaging of friends during an activity; the list just goes on forever. Along with the continuous increase of hardship that the students experienced, a seemingly new mechanism has risen and it is widely known to be the academic commission.Asasocial media patron, you may have seen a tweet: a certain academic help that someone can give you as long as you message them. Facing times of crisis, you click, and you can most probably get a list of how much they rate you depending on the service you needed. They can provide English essays, Mathematics projects, Filipino reports, and a whole lot more. But of course, this comes at a reasonable price. Technically, academic commissions are services that enable students to finish their school work without the hassle. Just pay someone and you’re done. Moreover, those who do academic commissions are also students who are trying to make a living by doing other students’ academic tasks. In fact, some have actually earned ‘5-digits’ per month, or even weeks, just
For others, academic commission is academic dishonesty. However, for some, these are their lifelines to get by the challenges brought by the circumstances.
art by Essak Santy Baligod
Ever since the pandemic started - the unending lockdowns, unforgiving quarantines, masks and face shields galore -, have you ever felt like you were out of your mind? It’s not that you are crazy or you start to see hallucinations, but have you noticed how everything just felt like a blur? Suddenly you’re struggling to focus in class, writing a simple paragraph feels like a chore, and basically doing anything feels like it requires all of your willpower and dedication. If you have, then you are not the only one. But instead of having mindless, brain-hungry zombies just like how the movies depicted them, the modern apocalypse involves a phenomenon called brain fog or pandemic brain.
Modern Apocalypse
The said phenomenon was explained in a joint research done by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. In their methodology, the researchers analyzed brain-imaging data, blood samples, and behavioral tests from people not infected with SARS-CoV-2. It was said in their findings that brain imaging revealed that people tested after pandemic restrictions had elevated levels of two markers of affectedCoronavirusneuroinflammationtheirunderexplored.“amonglifestyleofexplosionCOVID-19inHMSleadinexpressionpost-restrictionsHigherthoseproteinhadandburdenextent.restrictions,protein-1—weremonocytemarkers—interleukin-16Bloodwithproteinneuroinflammation—translocatorandmyoinositol—comparedthosetestedpriortorestrictions.levelsoftwoinflammatoryandchemoattractantalsoelevatedafteralthoughtoalesser“Peoplewhoreportedahigherofsymptomsrelatedtomoodmentalandphysicalfatiguehigherlevelsoftranslocatorincertainbrainregionsthanreportingfewornosymptoms.levelsoftranslocatorproteinalsocorrelatedwithofseveralgenesinvolvedimmunefunctions,”explainedauthorLudovicaBrusaferri,anpostdoctoralresearchfellowradiologyatMassGeneral,”Whileresearchhasseenanintheliterature,theimpactpandemic-relatedsocietalanddisruptionsonbrainhealththeuninfectedhasremainedInLayman’sterms,thefactthatrespondentshaveexperiencedprovesthatthepandemichasindeedourbodiesinawaythatis
by Henri Marie Belimac
Now that we are still going through the pandemic, we can not fully quantify the number of people suffering from a pandemic brain, and at the same time, we can never really determine to what mental extent the side effects and symptoms of this phenomenon could have. By the time we would return to the original normal, it will not be a surprise if there is indeed a literal ‘Great Depression’. Having multiple, even billions of
Due to this, do note that once face-to-face classes start, treat your classmates, colleagues, and even teachers with extended patience as you never know that they might be going through a phase from pandemic brain fog as well. Even now in our current situation, it is important to maintain and take care of our mental health, and we must act more accordingly and be patient with others so that we can not add on to their burden and disturb their already struggling mental health.
art by Pauline Rae Nebran & Dohniero Lozano
Other than the Coronavirus pandemic, there is also one more epidemic that is coming to plague everyone.
people, collectively breaking down and not being in the right state of mind would definitely wreak havoc and cause a modern apocalypse that would do no good to each and every single one of our sectors.
Although there still is not much additional research on how to properly combat and treat having a pandemic brain, Senior author Marco Loggia, Harvard Medical School associate professor of radiology at Mass General, said that acknowledging the possible role of neuroinflammation in the symptoms experienced by many during the pandemic might point to strategies to reduce them: “For instance, behavioral or pharmacological interventions that are thought to reduce inflammation—such as exercise and certain medications— might turn out to be helpful as a means of reducing these vexing symptoms.”
Just like in the zombie apocalypse films, we’ll never know who was bitten until they start showing signs. That is why we shouldn’t wait for others to succumb to the threats of a pandemic brain before we do good to them. Treat everyone well as you’ll never know who is struggling just to live their day-to-day lives in this pandemic. Just remember that everything is really a little foggy, and everyone’s just trying to live - let us not start an apocalypse that we will regret.
feature SchoolHighSeniorSantosGeneral-UniversityStateMindanaoofPublicationOfficialThe 2022August-2022February /HimigIskoMSU|1No.3Vol.| FL skoHimig truthinserviceservice,intruth 26
separate from the virus itself. Side effects of such neuroinflammation include being unable or having a hard time focusing more than usual, being unable to think critically, suddenly becoming forgetful, having more intense mood swings, etc.
To help students envision their future careers, the K-12 program has four senior high school tracks namely the Academic, Technical-vocational and Livelihood, Sports, and Arts and Design tracks. An article from Development Asia (2019) entitled “Factors Affecting Senior High School Track Offerings in the Philippines” showed that the academic track generally offers, but is not limited to, the following strands: Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM); Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and; General Academic Strand (GAS). Agri-fishery Arts, Home Economics, Information and Communication Technology, Industrial Arts, Technical-vocational and Livelihood Maritime, and Livelihood are some of the strands included in the technicalvocational and livelihood track.
The Philippine education system once consisted of only six elementary grade levels, four years of high school, and at least four years of tertiary education until the K-12 basic education program was first implemented starting from the school year 2012-2013 to present. Unlike before, students are now provided with two more years to decide what to pursue after high school.
Choosing the right college course is a tedious process for most senior high school students. Balancing passion and practicality, a student must realize the aptest college course accordingly. It is something that requires days, months, or even years of critical thinking–as this serves as the preliminary stage of the adulting journey.
STEM students usually prepare themselves to become professionals in the field of sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Most Filipino households would agree that students most likely enrolled in a STEM strand to become engineers or medical doctors. This mentality could also be linked to the 2009 classic comedy Indian movie 3 idiots: a representation of how Indian culture, where men must become engineers and women must become medical doctors, does not give opportunities for students to pursue what’s common in the table and not their passion.
Students who are in non-academic tracks like sports, and arts and designs track are quite similar in terms of their pursuits. These students, innately skilled or not, want to achieve something probably out of their passion. Whatever league they would set their feet on, they would soon become prides of their respective countries in worldwide events or competitions.However,although students may personally have the mentioned reasons why they pursue their senior high school strand, other factors could have influenced or forced them to take their strands also. It may be due to family expectations, peer pressure, and what job offers the most money and financial opportunities. Once they are forced to set aside their passion, they may not perform well in their chosen strand. Some could also be undecided about their future and are still soul-searching—leading them to choose any of the strands just to proceed and not skip the senior high school level without really knowing exactly what skill they want to
Soon-to-be entrepreneurs and
accountants often take the ABM strand to hone their essential business and accounting skills. Business and management-related program degrees could be the apple of ABM students’ eyes as they usually vie to be competent in the field of business industry. They may also strive to produce and market necessary goods that are cost-efficient to consumers—for example, initiating sustainable production and marketing strategies of commodities to ensure food security.HUMSS strand has the handbook for literature, social studies, political science, and psychology which is vital for our prospective lawyers, teachers, philanthropists, and many more humanitarian professions–not to mention that HUMSS could also flourish skills for architecture. They may have developed empathetic hearts that make their eyes easily distinguish who is morally right or wrong, has good and fair judgment, and the ones who lend their hands to people that are oppressed.
General Academic Strand has its door open for those who have not initially decided what to pursue in the future. During those years under this strand, students could learn what they are passionate about and what route they should embark Technical-vocationalon.and livelihood track prepares students to attain practical skills and become job-ready in the future. Usually, students who are graduates of this strand can immediately start their own business or still go to college if they want to. Since they are mostly exposed to a pile of training practical to life, such as mastering data encoding, they can be considered the “one call away” fellows.
develop. In the end, although students were given two more years to think about what college course to take and their prospective careers, they are actually falling into the loop of this Senior High School students’ dilemma. Those students who are experiencing this kind of dilemma may often feel unmotivated as they believe that good future would not come into their hands. Some STEM and ABM students may feel exhausted and drained as they keep solving math problems even though their hearts are not fully committed to do it. Some HUMSS students’ brains may become dehydrated as they keep on squeezing ideas for their essays despite not seeing the significance of their hard work. Students in General Academic Track may still feel empty—not knowing what to do after their high school graduation. Computers could be the most-hated device of TVL students majoring in ICT as they think they could not finish their coding anymore. Lastly, sports and arts students may have skipped their training or practice as they do not think they are skilled enough to pursue their current forté. Because of this dilemma, senior high school students sometimes miss out on visioning the bigger picture of life. They must be so focused on their fears to fail—forgetting that failures are the pillars of success. A student forced to study medicine may realize they want to become a musician even after finishing three years of pre-medical studies. A theater major student may want to pursue journalism in his or her graduating year. These students would think that it’s already impossible to pursue their wants—but it’s never too late to establish their fate. For instance, Jodi Chrissie Garcia Sta. Maria, known as Jodi Sta. Maria, is a multi-awarded Filipino actress who recently graduated college with a Psychology degree on June 23, 2021—at least ten years after she dreamed of finishing school. Although her life brought her first to show business, she was still able to walk her later-envisioned journey. “Remember, it is never too late, and you are never too old to reach your stars,” Jodi affirmed in her InstagramWhateverpost.path students initially take, their ways may or may not stay in the same direction. It may shift lanes or stop over for years, but life will always bring them to the right track. Practicality could be considered over passion when envisioning their future, but what life has stored for them will be given to them at the right time—after their experiences finally prepared them for their destined profession. College is only the beginning of the adulting journey, what mostly matters is how students make the most of their experiences, and having a strong faith in their life is to finally live their envisioned fate.
Having Faith In EnvisionedOurFate
by Princess Rau Cunanan
truth in service, service in truth 27
Students’ passion for STEM-related professions may also have been fueled by their determination to serve their community through the incorporation and utilization of science and technology in formulating innovative solutions for existing problems their fellow men are facing. May it be creating machines or further explicating theories, students in this strand want to develop their critical thinking and logical reasoning skills to be able to offer the best of their capabilities.
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by Aramellah Pare
“I was into you, but I’m over it now and I was tryin’ be nice…”
a sensation in which I was like traveling in my dream, floating through bountiful curiosity, and there I found myself— completely overwhelmed. My brain felt like it was on overdrive and there were just too many questions bombarding my brain. As a student myself, my life revolves around too many emails, too many articles, too many apps, too many comments, and other social mediarelated things that make me unable to keep up and stay focused. I had reached a tipping point. Something needed to change. I knew I badly needed to reduce clutter and distractions from my daily routine. It seems like a virtual weed, the moment I inhale—I knew I was addicted.
I was taken back into reality when my phone rang all of a sudden. A close friend of mine, Jessica, who has been very goal-driven and passionate in terms of her academics, hit me up. I then answered the phone, but no one was talking. A minute had passed when she suddenly let out a great sob. Her tightening throat and a short intake of breath are visible in the way she utters every single word she says. I asked her to turn on the camera, and I saw her eyes well up with tears and her lips trembling with chills. “Care to share?” I couldn’t think of the best words to say, but as I burst out this phrase, Jessica leaned her head over the countertop in a disheveled heap as her grief poured out in a flood of uncontrollable tears. I didn’t have any idea what to do, and later on, I felt a solemn tear fall down my cheek and my body looked calm compared to how tangled my mind was—I think I knew what happened. I opened my Facebook application and saw the list of honors displayed on our university’s page. I scrolled back and forth, from the bottom to the top, looking for her name, but it vanished from the list like a bubble after months of putting in all the effort. I consoled her until she was able to settle her emotions. I thought back over the last few months and remembered those several weeks when she kept inviting me to do live streaming, play online games, and binge-watch alluring movies—it was all due to carelessness, after all.Social media became her priority. She was envious of others of our age who were well-known, and because of that, she also became invested in the concept of clout chasing. Social media indeed interferes with education, which is evident from what Jessica has experienced. As students in this current time, we can’t deny the fact that instead of checking our school notes, we would rather scroll over social media to see what was happening in the lives of people around us, including the foods, clothes, events, or activities they were involved in. But something I would later discover was that by becoming more aware of other people’s lives and the content they were posting, we became less in tune with ourselves. We were more focused on the illusions that social media depicted than the actual realities of what life is. Thus, we began to sense insecurities, which came with depression, jealousy, and hatred as a result of comparing our lives with others. In fact, this could cause us to become the
Teenager’s Incarceration in the Virtual Reality
I closed my lethargic eyes and I felt
“My money don’t jiggle jiggle it folds...”“Ithink I left my consciousness in the 6th dimension…”
The moment I heard the crowing of the neighbor’s chicken, my ears were immediately awakened, yet my eyes were still sunken into their sockets like an introverted child not wanting to open up his sentiments. From the moment the sun looks upon the earth below with smiling eyes and cheeks that glow until the moon peeks out from its den, these famous lines of TikTok songs penetrate into my ears, leaving marks in my memory. Each day seems like a repetitive cycle, and anywhere I glance I can see people tossing their heads like twinkling stars and swaying their hips side to side from afar.
It was 3 in the morning when my throat felt dry as a desert. I almost tiptoed my way down the stairs, preventing myself from making any possible noise, as I was trying not to disturb the snoring tigers above. After squinting my eyes as I reached the final step, I heard loud stomps of feet, as if someone was rattly walking back and forth. I peeked over, and there I saw my sister’s wrinkled forehead while trying to master the steps of the dance craze that everybody is crazily obsessed with. The emotions drawn on her face reveal how impatience runs in our blood. I sat bouncily over our wheezing, fat-armed couch decked out in cream ruffled cushions, and I teasingly asked her, “Come here, what caused your brows to scowl like that?” I was hoping for a reasonable answer on why she is still up this late. “What should I do to be like them? Look, they are being showered with likes even though they didn’t do anything... aside from showing off some skin?” My sister’s eyes twinkled with excitement as if a light bulb had lit up above her head, indicating that she had come up with a good idea. She folded her tee and was about to go upstairs to change her pajamas into shorts when I yanked her arms over, “Scratch that idea. You better sleep now or else I’ll be waking up mom any moment now.” Full of disappointment, she walked heavily upstairs, and with each step, a rollercoaster of emotions and ideas began to spin through my mind. I went back to bed after quenching my thirst, trying to fall asleep, but my mind was still puzzled—how severely has social media poisoned the minds of the youth?
As the light of dawn seeped into my room, I rubbed my bleary eyes and walked to the window. The first rays of sunlight lit up my room, and a dawn chorus of melodic birdsong drifted in. I felt a sense of FOMO, or fear of missing out, gnawing at me, so I immediately checked my feeds on all of my social media accounts, which took me out of the present moment. I now realize why my sister is constantly thinking about her next post, stopping at random places to capture that socalled “instagrammable” photos, taking shots of foods rather than praying before eating or even ignoring whoever she was with, and that realization has awakened me—it was a reflection of what I used to do. With that, it came to me that social media was a vehicle to feed my ego, escape reality and flood my brain with quick bursts of dopamine. It reveals how we are becoming slaves to our devices and social networks in order to please the eyes that look upon us rather than lift our spirits.Ithen
remembered what had happened a while ago. That moment seems like a mirror reflecting how these online platforms manipulate the young minds of today’s generation into sacrificing their dignity in favor of malicious content over decency. I was aghast but was not surprised. We’ve known for years that social media platforms, especially image and video-based ones such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, have very harmful effects on teens’ mental health, especially for those who are struggling with body image, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. The algorithmicallydriven feeds of content tailored to each user’s engagement patterns on these platforms can draw vulnerable teens into a dangerous spiral of negative social comparison and hook them onto unrealistic ideals of appearance, body size, and shape. Hence, we must sow our
minds with the reminder that the number of reactions and comments doesn’t dictate one’s importance and success.
social media platform, such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat. From what I, my loved ones, and my fellow youth of today’s generation have encountered, it is certainly veracious to say that social media has undeniably carved its place in our lifestyle through its great influence. Many of us find ourselves mindlessly scrolling through social media, and before we know it, hours have passed by, and we are often left feeling worse than we did when we started. However, by knowing our priorities as well as exercising selfdiscipline and control, we can be flexible enough to withstand any adversity that this dilemma throws at us. Combatting the negative effects it has caused for many of us is never easy, but rather than being locked in the chain of addiction, try to explore the world around us. There are so many other things to focus our energies on. Take one step at a time, and there, you will find yourself becoming free from the chain of virtual captivity.
art by Vectorpocket // freepik.com
worst version of ourselves, similar to how people in the social media world wished for us to be.
to go with the flow of clout. Most youth’s happiness now depends on the number of their viewers, and they begin to compare themselves to others. If someone gets more interactions than they do, they feel sad and lose their patience. Like anything, if you compare your everyday life to the glamorized highlight reel of someone else, you are most likely going to find yourself beingOverdowncast.time,with
truth in service, service in truth 29
Reminiscing that one fine first day of school after summer vacation, everyone showed up in their trendy clothes and excitedly talked about the new gaming device or toy they received over the holidays. As children, we may compare what we received to that of others and feel “less than” when we see that our peers received something much larger and more expensive than ours. Personally, growing up, I struggled with the concept of comparing myself just to seek validation, but then my mind was knocked with the truth that I was looking for validation in the wrong places. Social media, in particular, is a common example, as it provides a brief video glimpse into the lives of others from around the world, giving off a false sense of reality that has been glamorized, fine-tuned, and touched up. It serves as a driving force behind the possessiveness of enhancing one’s looks to gain followers and fame for the purpose of being able
exposure to harmful content on social media, the negative impacts add up. And we now have more cause for worry than ever, with the pandemic worsening mental health stressors and social isolation for teens, pushing millions of young people to increase their social media use. We are witnessing dramatic increases in clinical level depression, anxiety, and suicidal cases that have doubled or even tripled at hospitals across the nation. Social media is a big part of many teens’ lives. A 2018 Pew Research Center survey of nearly 750 13- to 17-year-olds found that 45% are online almost constantly and 97% use a
Black Hair-story
this have to do with me?”, it has everything to do with you.
You can understand what it’d feel like.
Another reason why these hairstyles mean much to Black people is that they are a form of protective styling. In its natural form, black hair is thick and tightly coiled. And while it can seem strong, it is still prone to damage and breaking. So their beautiful strands are gathered up into these braids to stop them from getting tangled or knotted.
Alright, so we’ve established that blackfishing is bad. But then, are black people the only ones who have a license to wear braids? Are black people the only ones who can have tan or dark skin?
The Fine Line
Now, you could most likely pass off as an influencer.
Now that we’ve laid down why blackfishing is bad, there is another layer to blacksfishing where people who “blackfish’’ aren’t aware that they’re doing it or that they’re doing something bad. They either think it’s just part of a trend or a certain style in fashion. Sure, people, these days are quick enough to call them out and inform them that they’re “blackfishing.” But we still need to remember that we should call them out with the intention of educating them, not canceling them. These people are uninformed, not hopeless.
by Ayesha Mae Adam
One hundred fifty-one years ago, if you were dark-skinned or curly-haired or both, you were a slave.
To see these braids that are so intertwined with heritage and culture, stacked atop the head of someone who couldn’t care less where they came from and what they represent. Who only cares about what they look like, and what they will get from it.
When you’re fair, and you get tan, it’s just a sign that you’ve been spending time in the sun. You’re glowing with vitality and health!But when you’re Black or Brown, the same thing is read as dirty or ugly.
At this point of the article, you’re probably wondering, “Okay so what does
Well, no.
We can appreciate their culture, but we can’t blatantly copy their practices and pretend it’s entirely our own so we can leech off of it. A prime example of appreciating a culture (instead of appropriating it) is to wear cultural attire in the right way, to the right occasion, or have a black friend teach you about the history behind braids. Actually learn about the culture, and don’t just wear their attires or don their hairstyles like it’s a product you can get from a shelf. And most especially, don’t do it for just shares or Therelikes.are a lot of trends circulating right now. Some of these trends do incorporate elements from certain cultures, and it’s inevitable that as consumers of social media we would want to participate in these trends. But when or if we do, we should do so in the right, culturallyappreciative way. The goal is not to be offensive—it’s to appreciate what others have created, learn from them, and be inspired by their traditions.
Defining & Deconstructing The Currency Of Social Media
We have to remember that hair is not just hair. Hair, especially for Black people, represents their history and what they’ve been through. Braids or cornrows originated from Africa, and have been around for centuries, way before we were even born. They were supposed to indicate one’s status such as age, marriage, etc. During slavery, these hairstyles were also used to communicate among slaves and helped in relaying possible escape routes.
truth in service, service in truth30
When it comes to cultural appropriation, it’s not just about wearing a dashiki or henna tattoo. It can be as simple as hair.The Kardashians, Rita Ora, and Jesy Nelson, are just a few examples of celebrities accused of blackfishing. One of the leading reasons for those accusations is their use of cornrows or box braids. You might be wondering, “What does hair get to do with cultural appropriation?”
We can wear braids, and we can have dark or tanned skin. The point of the matter is we shouldn’t be appropriating these things from their culture. We shouldn’t try to be them, because we aren’t them.
Blackfishing has become a commodity in the digital world. As previously frownedupon features like dark skin, Afro hair, or even a curvy body now become more widely accepted, influencers, actresses, and other well-known people have found a way to turn the tide in their favor.
Skin Matters
Blackfishing Guide
who could better fit the roles—say, Filipino actors who are darker-skinned—they cast Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano, two wellknown actors who have been praised continuously for their caucasian features. Then they just painted them brown. Bagani was meant to shed light on Filipino history and culture. But casting Lizquen, showed that they prioritized profit over proper representation.Likewithcornrows, braids, and afros, celebrities darken their skin to appear more “black.” They do this by tanning, usually with creams. Again, this is a form of cultural appropriation. Going darker-skinned to appear black isn’t something you can just do now that it’s now trendy or “in” now to flaunt your “natural” skin tone. You’re taking away from the people who could truly benefit from doing so, because they had to experience what it’s like to grow up with dark skin. To be jeered at by peers, pressured to buy lightening/whitening creams and soaps, be called nasty names, and the many other things people do just because you’re dark.
It’s not just a matter of skin tone—it’s a matter of skin tone on a body that looks different than yours.
An episode entitled “Appropriation vs. Appreciation” from the PBS show, “What I Hear When You Say”, interviewed a black woman who said, “I saw this really great analogy for cultural appropriation. And it says that cultural appropriation is like taking a test and getting an F, and then someone else copies off your test and gets an A plus extra credit.”
Today’s currency comes not just in the form of a rectangular bill or a copper coin, it comes in likes and followers. With social media platforms engulfed with the spirit of movements and progressive thinking, we see a rise in African-American or Black men and women now embracing themselves as they are. And to many, that is a welcome sight. A representation of how far the world has come, of the eyes it has opened and the people it has saved. But to others, what they see are dollar (or peso) bills.
No one does social media quite as we do. We speed through Tiktok, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram like a sports car speeds through a four-lane road. We overtake every trend, we honk at every online misdeed and we steal the show with the ease at which we navigate this online world. And like any driver, we have to be aware of the rules of the road. Blackfishing is prevalent, even in the Philippines. There are times when we, for all of our internet savviness, still do it or support it without even knowing.Sobuckle up, buttercup. It’s time we learned.
Even in the modeling, fashion, and makeup industry, brands stumble over themselves to get on the bandwagon and “keep up”. We start seeing more and more dark-skinned models on billboards and shop signs, more and more shades of foundation to cater to darker skin tones and basically, black people finally getting the opportunities they deserved in the first place. Here is where blackfishing becomes problematic because non-black people “masquerade” as black using cosmetics, plastic surgery, or other physical alterations. With this masquerade, they poach on the resources meant for actual black people and get it for themselves, be it money, popularity, or opportunity.
art by Johann Andaya
Bagani is a prime example of how Hollywood and other industries use the growing awareness and need for representation to pander to their audiences. Instead of casting actors
art by Annibale Siconolfi // Instagram
Have you ever felt like you were the main character?
Black Lives Matter, Pride Marches, Rallies for press freedom — Have you realized how atrocious it is that even in the 21st century, we still have to fight for something as simple as our basic rights? Not only that, but those people who are actively fighting and amplifying their voices for the good of the many are being looked down upon and judged. They are being scarred not only by words but even with physical abuses done in rallies. Where is the utopia in that?
DYSTOPIA:
Now, the big question remains, how sure are you that we aren’t already living in it?
You wake up one morning, then suddenly you feel a tad bit different. Of course, you don’t have any superpower of some sort - that’s a bit too unrealistic. Instead, it was as if the fate of the whole world was resting on your shoulders. Do note that the world in question is already undergoing immense havoc, the government or basically any form of authority for that matter isn’t really doing well, and everyone’s just simply confused. You pause to think: what’s going on here?
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Older people would say that we have reached the golden age of society: we have technology, cars, the internet, groundbreaking discoveries, and many more. But are those enough to qualify our present state as utopia?
art by Darren Yeo // pixels.com
Fact or Fiction
It is already considered obvious from the given examples that a dystopian world is something no one would want to live in - the intense fear brought by the overly-strict government, people not being allowed to exercise their rights like freedom of speech, being trapped in a maze the people in power have forced you to go into - it really isn’t anything ideal. All of the stories mentioned above have the common denominator of being overall bad places to be in, and the same goes with the characters: their common denominator is that they want to
The happenings in recent years within the various nations around the globe go to show how much of a dystopia our world has become. What makes it worse is that in our lore, there’s two worlds: the real and the internet. The internet now is already considered a world on its own - and the vaster it is, the deadlier the threats. In the online world everyone is susceptible and gullible, we would never know if it’s the government messing with us or just a random stranger who chose us a perfect victim.Sometimes, there isn’t even a perpetrator — we fall to the trap of social media ourselves. Admit it, we all have done something to achieve that infamous 5-minutesof-fame. How despairing it is that our lives are now dictated by what pixels on a screen feed us. To elaborate, no one is safe. Now, imagine how more dangerous the real world actually is.
stop whatever is the cause behind their dystopian reality.
all still seem the same?
by Henri Marie Belimac
How are we in the golden age, when only those who are privileged enough to be blinded by greed are the ones who are able to live in it?
Well, if you have not, then that’s good for you. If you have not experienced such mornings yet, then that means you are not part of the ‘Youth-SaviorsOf-Dystopias’ Club. The people in this club are the members of the younger generations of our society who are constantly combating and surviving in a world where the status quo is being run by wretched and corrupt people in power, the masses are all going through some type of crisis, and basically the world is in utter, imbalanced chaos. Key members of the said club that you might be familiar with include The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen, Divergent’s Tris, Maze Runners’ Thomas, and many more. All of them might come from worlds of different lores, yet notice how they
To conclude, it’s sufficient to say that not everyone has the privilege to just stand around and have their personal interests take charge. Sometimes, we have to stand up for what we believe and for other people too. Our world may not be as deadly as the Hunger Games, as divided as the factions in Divergent— wait, are we reallyIndeed,not?in our society today, it is important to remember that everyone is the main character. Everyone has the right and the chance to make a difference to the world of ours who is on the verge of dystopia. Someone has to take a stand not only for the present, but also for the future generations. For those whose voices were unheard, and for those whose eyes chose to be blind in times of need. Are you brave enough to be that someone?
It is not a surprise if you found yourself resonating with the plot dystopian stories have to offer. In our generation today (especially the Generation Z or commonly known as Gen Z), sadly, it’s evident that we are approaching an era of dystopia. From having a right-wing hardened administration, havoc ensuing in social media from the spread of fake news and trolls, and so much many more - all those are great examples of what a modern dystopia would look like.
In the early 2010’s, there came a rise of novels and movie adaptations that revolved around the genre of dystopia. As explained by Cambridge University, dystopia is basically the opposite of utopia. Dystopia is used to describe a very bad or unfair society in which there is a lot of suffering, especially an imaginary society in the future, after something terrible has happened. In the context of young adult book trilogies, you can see the depiction of dystopian world in the corrupt Capitol and the lack of equity in the districts of Panem in The Hunger Games, in the ruins and political struggle found within the administration in Divergent, the overall state of the infected world from Maze Runner, etc.
Sa mabuting banda, naitatag naman ang Media Information Literacy o MIL na asignatura sa kurikulum ng Department of Education (DepEd) ng Senior High School. Subalit, sa kurikulum ng DepEd, hindi kasama ang kritikal na pagsusuri kung totoo o peke ang mga balita at kung mapagkakatiwalaan ba mga
Ang nakapanlulumo pa ay kabataan ang madalas na biktima nito. Ayon sa datos ng Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), noong 2012, nadiskubre na nililibang ng mga labinlimang taong gulang na kabataan ang kanilang sarili online sa loob ng 21 hours sa isang linggo. Lumobo ito sa 38 oras sa taong 2018 kung saan halos dumoble ito. Sa ganito kahabang oras, posible nga talagang makasagap ng iba’t ibang balita ang mga kabataan, peke man o totoo.
Gaya na lamang sa isang post na tungkol kay former Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo na kumakalat sa TikTok. Ani nila, nakapangasawa raw si VP Robredo ng isang lider ng komunistang rebeldeng grupo o New People’s Army (NPA) noong siya’y labinlimang taong gulang at nasa high school pa lamang. Ito ay naging ugat sa lubusang pagkaapekto ng kanyang kandidatura sa pagkapresidente dahil sa mga kumakalat na maling impormasyon online katulad nito. Pinabulaanan naman ito ni VP Robredo. “15 years old? 3rd year high school palang ako niyan. Lahat ng high school classmates ko at college classmates ko can attest na never akong nag leave of absence at grumadweyt ako on time at the age of 21. Sa dormitory ako sa loob ng UP tumira for 4 years,” sabi ni Robredo sa kaniyang Facebook post.
Robredo, nakapangasawa ng NPA
by Jessie Rey Bagatela
Sinukat ng PISA ang kakayahan ng kabataan na harapin ang fake news at misinformation. Sa pamamagitan ng pagsasala ng phishing emails bilang pagsukat ng kaalaman ng mga kinse anyos mula sa pitumput-siyam na bansa, lumabas na isa sa pinakakulelat ang Pilipinas. Mula sa 79 na bansang kalahok, ika-labimpito ang Pilipinas, katumbas ng -0.65 puntos. Kasama nito ang bansang Baku, Thailand, at Indonesia.
Hindiito.
na mabilang sa kamay ang mga naging biktima ng misimpormasyon at disimpormasyon, pangkaraniwang tao man, maging lingkod-bayan o pulitiko. Walang galamay ito, ngunit naaabot ang lahat. Sa kasagsagan ng eleksyon, naging paagusan ang TikTok upang mas makilala ng publiko ang mga pulitiko. Balita rito, balita roon. Propaganda rito, at propaganda roon. Isa na nga sa mga sumikat na TikTok video ang rehimeng Marcos, binansagan pa itong
Wala itong katuturan, kung ikukumpara ang GDP ng Pilipinas, sa GDP ng mga piling bansa sa Timog-silangang Asya o Southeast Asia gaya ng Indonesia. Pumapangalawa lang ang Pilipinas sa Indonesia. Bukod pa rito, mas mataas din ang GDP per capita ng Singapore at Malaysia kaysa sa Pilipinas noong panahon ni Marcos. Ang GDP o Gross Domestic Product at GDP per capita ay dalawang universal na indikasyon ng kaunlaran ng isang bansa. Sinusukat nito ang halaga ng output na produkto at serbisyo ng isang bansa.
balitapekengkontraPakikibaka naBulagsakKamandag: by Dohniero Lozano
art
“Golden Age of the Philippine Economy” o panahon ng kasaganahan ng Pilipinas dahil ang Pilipinas daw ang pinakamayaman sa Asya. Kung ihahambing sa kasalukuyang panahon, mas payak, simple, at mura raw ang bilhin.
Ang TikTok ay isang aplikasyon kung saan naipapamalas ng isang user ang kanilang galing sa pagsayaw, pagkanta, at pagganap. Nagbibigay ito ng saya, naghahatid ng panandaliang aliw, at maaaring pumawi sa stress o pagod ng mga manonood. Habang tumatagal, naging instrumento ito upang magbigay impormasyon sa mga tao. Kung saan naghahatid ito ng mga balita sa anyo ng isang bidyo na nakapaloob lamang sa di lalagpas na dalawa o tatlong minuto. Bagama’t magandang pamamaraan ito ng paglalaganap ng balita, impormasyon, at mga alituntunin, hindi maiiwasan ang pagragasa ng mga maling impormasyon, kung saan nakapaloob ang pag-usbong ng pawang misimpormasyon at disimpormasyon.
truth in service, service in truth32
Lumalabas sa pag-aaral na 41% sa mga estudyante mula sa developed na mga bansa ang may higher score na kung saan tinuruan sila kung paano maka-sagap ng phishing and spam emails. 76% naman ng mga estudyante mula sa mayayamang bansa ang natuturuan na intindihin ang posibleng mangyari kung magpapakalat ng impormasyon. 54% naman ang sumasailalim sa training kung paano malalaman na ang impormasyong nababasa ba sa internet ay may halong bias o wala. Tila hindi naman pinagtutuunan ng pansin sa mahihirap na bansa tulad ng Pilipinas.
Tila palaisipan sa nakararami ang pagpapaniwala ng iilan sa mga TikTok na mga bidyo na walang tamang pagsipi kung saan nanggaling ang mga impormasyon. Bagama’t may nagfa-fact check sa mga impormasyon na sumisirkulo online, may sumasandig pa rin sa maling impormasyon kahit alam nilang baluktot ito sa katotohanan. Maari itong maipaliwanag ng “cognitive bias”. Ang cognitive bias ay isang sistematikong proseso ng pag-iisip na dulot ng tendensiya ng utak ng tao na padaliin ang pagproseso ng impormasyon sa pamamagitan ng pag-filter ng personal na karanasan at mga kagustuhan. Kung ano ang pinaniniwalaan o ang saloobin ay ganun din ang klase ng balita ang hinahanap.
Tigre ng Asya: Gintong Panahon ng Ekonomiya ng Pilipinas
by Kristina Mae Manalo
4.) Ang sagisag-panulat na “TagaIlog” ay nauugnay sa kaninong bayani ng bansa?
a) Francisco Baltazar b) Jose Rizal c) Antonio Luna
A - Alamin kung saan galing at konteksto ng impormasyon. Kailangang galing lang ito sa mga lehitimong news organizations.
2.) Ang unang tunay na labanan sa pagitan ng mga Pilipino at mga Espanyol na naganap noong Agosto 30,1896 ay kilala rin sa tawag na: a) Pinaglabanan b) Pasong Tirad Battle c) Battle of Samar
3.) Siya ang naging Presidente ng Associacion La Solidaridad: a) Galiciano Apacible b) Marcelo H. Del Pilar c) Juan Dakila
5.) Ano ang pinaka matandang siyudad sa Pilipinas. a) Lungsod ng Makati b) Lungsod ng Cebu c) Lungsod ng Maynila
Sa dami ng napagdaanan ng mga bayani, makamit lamang ang inaasamasam na kalayaan ay imposibleng hindi mo magawang ipagmalaking ikaw ay Pilipino. Ika nga ni Gat Jose Rizal, “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.”
TamangSagot:1.C2.A3.A4.C5.B6.A7.B8.B9.A10.C truth in service, service in truth 33
7.) Ano ang itinuturing na pinakaunang anyo ng pagsulat sa Pilipinas?
S - Salain bago ibahagi at sitahin ang nagkakalat ng mali. ‘Wag maging agresibo sa pagsita. Bagkus, sumita ng may respeto. Sa gayon, mas lumalim ang pagunawa niya.
a) Francisco Dagohoy b) Andres Bonifacio c) Ruy Lopez de Villalobos
Ilan sa mga katanungan ang nasagutan mo ng tama? Ibahagi ang iyong iskor sa mga kaklase at hikayatin din silang sagutan ang pagsusulit na ito. Hindi ba’t kawili-wiling balikan ang mga kaganapan noon at alamin ang kasaysayan ng iyong pinagmulang salinlahi? Binabati kita kung marami kang nasagutang tama sa mga katanungan, tunay ngang Pilipino ka!
Mag-usisa upang sa huli, hindi kawawa.
a) Tuwing Hulyo 12 b) Tuwing Hunyo 4 c) Tuwing Hunyo 12
6.) Sino ang nanguna sa pinakamatagal na himagsikan sa Pilipinas noong panahon ng mga Espanyol?
8.) Sino ang nagpangalan sa bansang Pilipinas na hango kay Haring Philip II ng Espanya? a) Magellan b) Ruy Lopez de Villalobos c) Francisco Dagohoy
Kinalimutang Saysay ng Kasaysayan
Narito ang sampung katanungan na siguradong susubok sa iyong pangkalahatang kaalaman tungkol sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas:
1.) Ano ang naging tawag sa pinaka unang Republika ng Pilipinas? a) Macario Sakay Republic b) Republic of Manila
Gayunpaman, hindi nangangahulugang hindi mo nasagutan ng tama ang ilan sa mga katanungan ay hindi ka na matatawag na Pilipino. Patunay lamang ito na ang ating bansa ay sagana sa karanasan at hitik sa kasaysayan.
a) Hieroglyphics b) Alibata/Baybayin c) Alpabeto
I#IWASfake
- Ikalma ang sarili. Sakaling may mabasa online, huwag pangunahan ng emosyon. Mas mabuting ikalma muna ang sarili para mahithit muna ang balita.
9.) Ano ang tawag ng mga Pilipino sa fiat currency na ginamit noong panahon ng pananakop ng mga Hapones sa Pilipinas? a) Mickey Mouse Money b) Fake Money c) Bitcoin
10.) Tuwing kailan opisyal na ipinagdiriwang ang Kalayaan ng Pilipinas?
Alam mo ba kung ano ang pinakamatandang siyudad sa Pilipinas? Sino kaya ang nagpangalan ng ‘Pilipinas’ sa ating bansa na hango sa ngalan ng Hari ng Espanya noon? Sagutan ang pagsusulit sa ibaba at subukin ang iyong kaalaman tungkol sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas.
Kamakailan ay naging mainit na usapin ang isang eksena nitong sikat na Philippine reality show kung saan ay naging mahirap para sa mga sangkot na mga kabataan ang pagsagot sa ilang pangunahing katanungan sa kasaysayan at pangkalahatang kaalaman tungkol sa Pilipinas. “Krisis” umano sa sektor ng Edukasyon kung ito ay tawagin ng mga eksperto, lalo pa ngayong patuloy ang pag-aaral online at parehong hirap ang mga guro at estudyante sa pang-arawaraw na suliranin ng ganitong paraan ng pagkatuto.
Ang TikTok, Facebook, at YouTube ay mga medium kung saan pwedeng maghulog ng balita at opinyon ang tao. Walang namamahala para tingnan ang mga ito at di matibay ang paraan ng pagsusuri kung tunay o hindi ba ang balita. Naging rason ito kung bakit kumakalat ang pekeng balita sa lahat ng dako. Ang kryptonite nito ay mainam na pagusisa at pananaliksik kung tumpak ba ang balitang binabasa.
W - ‘Wag basta maniniwala, lalo na sa mga ikinakalat ng ating ka-tribu o yung mga kapareho ng paniniwala. Mas mabuting suriin muna ang grammar, o baka ang mga larawan ay edited, dahil kung kulang-kulang ang impormasyon at hindi sinasabi kung saan nanggaling ang balita, malamang sa malamang, fake news ‘yan.
c) Malolos Republic
Surely, everyone is enthused and can’t wait for the TV show to be aired, but of course, it will take years before the show’s premiere. However, to keep that excitement burning, let’s get a refresher on the series. Let’s revisit our childhood by summing up the events that made us love Percy Jackson and his sidekicks whom we all know as Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood.
Revisiting Childhood through Percy Jackson
by Shayne Peren
The Lightning Thief follows the story of young Percy Jackson, a troubled 12-year-old boy diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. His life was hard as it was for he always tended to get into trouble that always resulted in expulsion. It even got harder when he discovered that his Math teacher was not the person he thought she was. In fact, she wasn’t a person at all. She was a Fury, a creature with bat wings and yellow fangs. Yup! A monster. After this discovery, Percy’s life turned upside-down. It was revealed to him that he was, as a matter of fact, a halfblood.
Percy was sent into Camp Half-Blood, a training ground for the children of deities where he learned that his best friend Grover Underwood was a satyr - a gangly teenager with a goatee, furry hindquarters, and, hooves. He was sent to protect Percy from monsters such as their Math teacher whose name was Mrs. Dodds. Everything was unbelievable and what topped the ludicrous happenings in his life was the truth that he was the son of Poseidon, the Olympian god of the sea. You might think that Percy’s as nutty as a fruitcake and everything’s all in his head but nope! It’s all true, including the fact that an oracle revealed that Zeus had accused Poseidon of stealing his lightning bolt and required Poseidon’s son to return it before the summer solstice.Percy learned to control his divine abilities and prepared for the adventure of a lifetime. Together with Grover and Annabeth Chase (the grey-eyed quick-witted daughter of Athena), Percy embarked on a quest to recover Zeus’ master bolt, which was thought to be held captive by Hades in the Underworld. The three had a very important role: to prevent an Olympian conflict from spilling into a cataclysmic war on Earth.
Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters
Moving on, the following events showed how Percy, Tyson (Percy’s new cyclops friend who turned out to be his brother!) and, Annabeth defended themselves from monsters attacking the borders of the Camp. It so happened that Thalia’s tree (Thalia was a daughter of Zeus who turned into a tree) which protected the Camp from enemies was poisoned. Different kinds of mythical monsters such as minotaurs and hellhounds were attacking and it was only a matter of time before they would reach the cabins and attack all of the halfbloods.Percy had to save their race once again by retrieving the golden fleece in the Sea of Monsters — aka the Bermuda Triangle. He and Annabeth embarked on a journey without Grover. They sailed through the Sea of Monsters and encountered many challenges that required Percy to use riptide the same way Annabeth needed to use her dagger and magical Yankees cap (it makes her invisible). There were also many revelations along the way and when they finally retrieved the fleece, it healed Thalia’s tree, and Thalia herself emerged from the tree as the half-blood she once was. Now
It’s no secret that every demigod is hyped up and excited ever since Rick Riordan took to Twitter in May 2020 with the announcement that a TV adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians was in-development for Disney. The demigod fandom was in a frenzy and everyone - including myself - was surely bright-eyed and bushytailed upon hearing the news. Now, it’s been years since the unexpected post on Twitter happened and with the main trio’s casting only just announced in May 2022, the filming of the first episode begins in June.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
You think Percy’s heroic adventures would end after the first book. No, of course not, especially when he’s getting strange dreams featuring Grover Underwood hauling a goat tail while looking so terrified and muttering to himself. Bothered by his dreams, Percy suspected that there was something wrong in Camp HalfBlood. Truth be told, Annabeth came
Of Books and Myths:
truth in service, service in truth34
to his school and confirmed he had to use riptide again, his prized sword made of celestial bronze. It’s a ballpoint pen, but once uncapped, it transforms into its true sword form. It’s one of the things that made Percy love being a half-blood. Well, let’s also not forget the fact that he can control water now and ride his favorite pegasus Blackjack.
The story follows Annabeth, Percy, Grover, and Tyson as they navigate their way toward a labyrinth. When they learned its significance in a nefarious plot against the camp by Kronos’ Army, Annabeth didn’t hesitate to lead the quest to find Daedalus, the inventor of the famed labyrinth. To become successful in their journey, they had to ask for help from the gods including Hera and Hephaestus. In doing so, a horde of telekinesis attacked them that forced Percy to summon water within himself. He lost consciousness and when he woke up, he was already on an island called Ogygia.
truth in service, service in truth 35
A year after Thalia was brought back to life, Percy is once again back on yet another adventure. It started when they went to Westover Hall to find Grover Underwood who was tasked to bring new children to Camp Half-Blood. A battle between a manticore and the team took place. While trying hard to protect the new demigods named Bianca and Nico di Angelo whom the Huntress of Artemis assisted, Percy didn’t realize Annabeth was alreadyConflictmissing.arose but this time, Percy was with the Huntress of Artemis under the leadership of Zoë Nightshade. This was because the Oracle of Delphi once again recited a prophecy that stated 5 must go to find and rescue Artemis who was in trouble. Percy went with the hopes of also finding Annabeth. After a series of encounters with enemies, such as Luke who was the traitor who stole Zeus’ lightning bolt and poisoned Thalia’s tree, and also the Nemean Lion that came to attack them, Percy sends Grover with the monster they were looking for to Mount Olympus and ascended Mount Tamalpais with Thalia and Zoë to rescue Annabeth and Artemis.
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian
On Mount Olympus, the gods pondered whether they would kill Percy and Thalia because of the prophecy that said one of them had the power to end Olympus. However, Poseidon
Percy Jackson and the Battle of Labyrinth
Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse
As the quest continued, the group was able to find Daedalus but to their dismay, Daedalus had already given the enemy the magical item to help navigate the labyrinth and infiltrate Camp Half-Blood. The group hurriedly went back and saw the whole Camp preparing for war. Later, the war broke out and Grover used Pan’s gift of panic to send the enemy soldiers scrambling back to the Labyrinth. However, they knew that the monsters would soon come back. Daedalus then decided to end his life in order to end the labyrinth and save the camp.
and Zeus intervened and both of them were spared. What they didn’t know was that Thalia and Percy were not the only ones to who the prophecy might be referring. No one knew that Nico di Angelo was the son of Hades except Percy. At the end of the novel, Percy decided that Nico already had enough (his sister Bianca died) and claimed the prophecy as his.
Half-Flood, and the gods and goddesses needed to join forces in order to save not only the camp but the world.
Kronos – the King of the Titans and one of the most powerful children of Gaea – had gathered his Army and decided to attack Mouth Olympus. Percy, now sure that the Great prophecy was really about him, had to make the last stand on Mount Olympus together with the other heroes of Camp Half-Blood. It was a bloody battle between the heroes and the Titan Army that includes Atlas, Iapetus, and Prometheus — powerful Titans that existed even before the Olympias.Now, as we look back, this book was chaos, chaos, and more chaos. It’s a battlefront ballad to victory. Percy was battle-prepped along with the gang while the Titan Army were pounding and attacking everything on their way. Lives were taken and many tears were shed. However, because of the sacrifices, the constant need to save the world finally ended. Kronos and Hyperion had been defeated, and the Titans who remained fled. Camp Half-Blood was once again peaceful and jubilant, with a lot more half-bloods this time, including the children of the minor gods and goddesses.
art by Dohniero Lozano photo credits: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
that Thalia’s alive, everyone wasn’t so sure about the Great Prophecy anymore – a prediction made by the Oracle of Delphi that foretold the rise or fall of Olympus by a child of the Big Three.
The Last Olympian is the final novel in the series. You would think that Percy had gone through a lot of things and the story already had enough topsy turvy , but nope! The urgent call of becoming a hero was not finished yet and this time, everyone in Camp
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series was instrumental in igniting our interest in Greek mythology and otherworldly adventures. If I were to quote what a fellow demigod said, ‘it’s a dulcet pop sonnet moved by rhyming couplets of worldbuilding and perilous confrontation’. Indeed, Percy Jackson is a glorious blend of myth and modernity. It’s a precious treasure from childhood, hidden in a toolbox under a secret stash in the bedroom. It’s something that you want to separate from the others because it reminds you of the good old days when fantasy wasn’t an escape from reality, but rather a world where you get to be a hero fighting gorgons, furies, hellhounds, Kronos, and the Titan Army.
Have you ever been consoled by your parents or your circle of friends whenever you feel insecure about yourself? They would tell you that you’re unique ever since you were born and those cliche statements like “no one comes close to you,” “at least you’re not inflicting harm on anybody,” or even the line from that certain song, “you are beautiful/handsome no matter what they say” and the likes and then goes on with all the good adjectives? Pretty sure, at a certain point in your life, you definitely were.
They don’t believe in what they see They don’t believe in what they see at first glance. They tend to see things deeper and find out more about what mere displays convey. ISFJs aren’t the “protectors” for nothing. When it comes to their very small circle of friends, they are the most dependable and reliable for advice. They are more comfortable moving and expressing themselves around close confidants. With great strengths come great weaknesses. As INFJs have an eye for detail, they mostly dislike change especially when the results are not affirmative. They are highly detailed so when abstractness comes, they would immediately turn the concept down.
4.) ISFP — The Artist Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving
The personality type that is considered to be the rarest in this world. Advocates may be the most uncommon personality type, but they leave an indelible influence on the world. They are idealistic and principled people who don’t want to coast through life; they want to make a difference. They believe that success doesn’t come from money but comes from seeking fulfillment, helping others, and being a light in the darkness. Advocates aren’t surrounded by idealism but people acquiring this personality type care more about integrity and values. The thing is, with their noble characteristic, INFJs don’t like confrontations. They aren’t averse to feedback. They tend to overwork themselves at times which is why they’re very prone to burnout.
fromretrievedart freepik.com
Let’s get to know more about the strength and weaknesses of this “dependency” on Myers-Briggs.
The results from the scales would convert into either of the sixteen (16) personality types that everybody could use as a social media bio for display or… maybe for PSA. Some would even use MBTI as a basis for standards searched in a life partner.
5.) INFJ — The Advocate Introverted, Intuition, Feeling, Judging
by Simone Anne Emata
ISFPs tend to lean on the saying, “to see is to believe.” This personality type was labeled as ‘The Artist’ since people attaining this personality type often place more attention on aestheticism and arts. May it be fine arts, or deeper generalization of creativity. Artists are wary of their environment and know when to spend their energy. They would also make sure that the thing or situation that they bat an eye on would be worth their time. ISFPs are very practical and would always be loyal to their beliefs—their stand on issues. Their loyalty isn’t that bad since with this, they hate arguments about theoretical beliefs and avoid conflict. Even though they are “creative” they would still choose to be alone most of the time.
How about meeting someone for the first time and asking you what your personality is? Did you answer “I’m kind” as a default response? Or do you just shrug your shoulders because you can’t really tell at all?
In modernity, we now have a new cornerstone on the results of basically everything we do as human beings: what our MBTI is. How we respond to love, anger, strangers, family, and life as a whole, mirrors to GenZ’s dependence on the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator. It is a self-reported inventory and is utilized to define a person’s personality type, strengths, and preferences.
1.) ISTJ — The Inspector Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging
The test contains four (4) types of scales:
“High risk, high reward,” the greatest motto for ISTPs. They value results and get attached to them more than wanting to be attached to anybody else. They hate commitments so they would rather focus on doing their craft for themselves and get satisfied with how the hard work pays off. A lot may say that ISTPs are quiet and reserved but in fact, they are very excellent at keeping their cool and sanity even when under pressure. Though sometimes, they’re just too hard to get-to-know because of how they cope and adapt. Ironically speaking, ISTPs are not up for commitments, but they are risk-takers.
6.) INFP — The Mediator Introverted, Intuition, Feeling, Perceiving
Judging (J) - Perceiving (P) Tests how people would handle the outer perspective of the world.
3.) ISFJ — The Protector Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging
No to spontaneity. ISTJs are very “allergic” to unplanned schedules. May it be for leisure activities or formal meetings, everything just needs to be detailed. That’s how organized they are. When in a group of friends and when someone else would plan, ISTJs would be so willing to plot out different possibilities that could happen if they go with the plan. Yes, they may be introverted, but they are keen, observant, and detailed about how things are going, just like what their moniker says. The downside? They’re too judgemental but with subjectivity. They hate pretending so, if they see something wrong, they would point that out directly.
INFPs are known idealists. They have a penchant for setting their expectations high for people they meet. They are reserved and mainly focus on their circle of friends and family. In an argument, mediators would orchestrate an attempt to either avoid the argument or resolve it in their own ways. The Mediators are loyal and devoted to their passion mostly. Rather than focusing on themselves, INFPs care more about the people that surround them. INFPs are also known for being good at seeing “the bigger picture” in life. Even though their perceiving ability helps them to do so, one drawback that this would cause is that INFPs may lose sight of the little details because of their idealism.
Sensing (S) - Intuition (N) Tests how people would gather information.
It Depends on Myers-Briggs!
2.) ISTP — The Crafter Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving
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Thinking (T) - Feeling (F) Tests how people would decide on gathered information.
Extraversion (E) - Introversion (I) Tests how people would interact with the world.
Mind over matter. INTJs are excellent strategists bearing the moniker, “The Architect”. Their love for abstractionism is one of the key factors that they take criticisms well. They are very good listeners and take advice fruitfully. Since INTJs are analytical. They enjoy theoretical contexts more which drives them to approach consequences strategically. INFJs are very positive with the things they do that they are confident with whatever results would come. But with this, INFJs can be over analytical and judgemental as well. With the fact that they want everything to be in order, they are perfectionists who don’t want to see anything lacking on the blueprint.
16.) ENTJ — The Commander Extroverted, Intuition, Thinking, Judging
ESFPs are performers a.k.a mood makers. They make the atmosphere lighter with their playfulness and witty jokes. ESFPs are optimistic people who value and protect their peace and everybody else’s happiness. The Performers also don’t like to dwell on the past and overthink the future, instead, they focus on the present and ride with the tide. One thing people would often mistakenly think whenever meeting an ESFP, is they act irresponsibly and impulsively but, to all of those expectations built up, ESFPs are actually practical. They value importance and worth and so, they think of the pros and cons of every situation. Just like most extroverts, ESFPs dislike abstractness as well. They easily get bored and don’t really like the idea of planning ahead of time. They get out of focus and lose passion for long-term dedication.
Living with their moniker, the commanders are also known leaders of their pack. One thing ENTJs love the most is when they can feel the thrill of a good challenge. They often get really hyped up when they are able to see more of a good talk. Commanders are rational thinkers that are good at spotting problems and excels in seeking solutions. The edge of these types of extroverts from others are their love for abstraticism and theoretical ideas as well. A lot would think that they are up to a logical table, but they would rather talk about another theory. Some of their great weaknesses are they get very arrogant especially in times when they see someone that doesn’t match-up their pace. They are very poor in handling emotions so their outbursts explode everywhere, sometimes, affecting the people that surround them.
9.) ESTP — The Persuader Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving
they do and because of their outlooks on life, they can appear to be bossy, rigid, and sometimes, insensitive. They happen to be prioritizing everything to be according to plan and with this, they give out commands and opinions that are frank, and honest but appear to be and may come out harsh.
12.) ESFJ — The Caregiver Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging
This personality type is frequently described as enthusiastic, charismatic, and innovative. They are imaginative and creative people who thrive in environments that allow them to do so. They are so free-spirited and outgoing that they are usually known as one of the “lives of the party”. People with this personality type aren’t the type of extroverts that spend fun carelessly. Rather, they are the ones that are willing to have a deeper connection with people using ‘fun’ longing for more emotional relationships with others. They are overthinkers. Since ENFPs are also “future seekers”, they tend to be too idealistic, which may be the cause of overthinking at times.
8.) INTP — The Thinker Introverted, Intuition, Thinking, Perceiving
truth in service, service in truth 37
15.) ENTP — The Debater Extroverted, Intuition, Thinking, Perceiving
Also known as the consuls. Consuls prefer planned events to unstructured activities or unplanned gatherings because they respect order and organization and are willing to host to guarantee that everything runs smoothly. This personality type devotes a great deal of time and energy to make others feel special and appreciated, and they may take it personally if others don’t reciprocate. ESFJs are people-oriented. They love helping others and give their all in prioritizing others rather than themselves. But consuls expect to receive the same amount of energy they exert. They may get a little bit too controlling at times and may be vulnerable to criticism.
The social butterflies of the club. ESTPs are generally known for their very energetic aura that sometimes, people around them wouldn’t be able to tell when their social battery drains. But when situated in logical setups, ESTPs get bored easily and find themselves slacking off. Rather than just sitting down and doing nothing, ESTPs prefer to do physical things and move their bodies. With strangers, here comes their “persuader” side. Since ESTPs are socially active, it is not hard for them to be around new people. Although ESTPs are very hyper, they can also become very impulsive with their actions. They can get very competitive at times and may also express their emotions too much.
7.) INTJ — The Architect Introverted, Intuition, Thinking, Judging
13.) ENFP — The Campaigner Extroverted, Intuition, Feeling, Perceiving
10.) ESTJ — The Director Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging
Debaters are quick-witted and bold, and they aren’t hesitant to challenge the established quo. They’re not afraid to disagree with just about anyone or even anything. A good verbal sparring match excites persons with this personality type the most — and the more controversial the conversation, the better. A lot would probably misinterpret the way debaters approach life. For debaters who are knowledgeable and curious, they appear to be intimidating for others. But, as the extroverts that they are, they have a playful sense of humor and may also play with a free-spirited argument for fun. Sometimes, it may get overboard. With their personality, they can get too argumentative and competitive for some reason that they tend to be very insensitive about the situation. As knowledgeable as they are, they still do dislike the thought of practicalism.
14.) ENFJ — The Giver Extroverted, Intuition, Feeling, Judging
The ones who always think outside the box. Sometimes, INTP and INTJs are mistakenly taken as the same personality type, but no. INTPs are more expressive in what they think. They would never hesitate to speak up for themselves and even for those who can’t. They’re independent and rarely accept helping hands from the people that surround them. INTPs are very affectionate. They love to be clingy so they beam a very easy-going introverted aura whenever they are surrounded by strangers. In contrast to how they know what to say about what’s going on inside their heads, they have trouble saying what’s going on inside their hearts. They find it hard to convey their emotions so the tendency is, they would bottle them up and keep them to themselves.
ENFJs believe they have a higher calling in life. Sometimes they are called “protagonists” because of their ideals. These personality types are thoughtful and idealistic, and they want to make a positive difference in the world. They rarely turn down an opportunity to do the right thing, even when it is difficult. The idea that protagonists are usually amicable is a common misunderstanding. They need alone time to absorb and organize their thoughts, even if they enjoy being around people. Protagonists, when they witness something that is unjust or incorrect, they speak up. The givers are too empathetic that their decisions would weigh down with compassion for people, rather than prioritizing themselves in some situations, they turn out to be selfsacrificing most of the time.
11.) ESFP — The Performer Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving
The good model citizen. ESTJs are leaders. They love to initiate volunteering programs and community works especially if it benefits most of the body. Their leadership skills recognize the strengths of an individual and amplify the voices of those individuals who have ideas. ESTJs are very dedicated to what
Mamaya Na
Bilang isang mag-aaral, malamang ay nasubukan mo na ring ipagpaliban ang paggawa ng iyong mga gampanin. Halimbawa nito ay ang paggawa ng takdang-aralin na dapat noong nakaraang linggo mo pa ginawa ay trayenta minuto bago ang takdang oras ng pasahan mo pa sinimulan. Isa pang halimbawa nito ay ang magdamag na pag-aaral ng sandamakmak na lecture slides para sa inyong pagsusulit kahit noong nakaraang buwan pa ito inanunsyo ng inyong guro. Marahil ay sa kadahilanang mahaba pa ang panahon bago ang huling araw ng pasahan ng iyong mga gawain, hindi mo namamalayang unti-unti nang lumilipas ang natitirang mga segundo upang ang mga ito ay
Pamilyartakasan.basa
iyo ang mga katagang “mamaya na” o hindi kaya ay “bukas na lang, may oras pa naman”? Kung madalas mo itong masambit sa tuwing nahaharap sa iba’t ibang gawain, isa lamang itong palatandaan na isa ka sa mga biktima ng makaPilipinong kaugaliang tinatawag na “Mañana Habit”.
lantarang nagpapakita, tila aninong imposibleng kumalas sa iyong pagkatao ang mga masamang epekto ng pag-uugaling ito–lalo na sa epekto nito sa iyong kalusugan. Kaka-“mamaya” mo, hindi mo namalayang wala na palang oras na natitira upang tapusin ang mga gawaing nakaatas sa iyo. Dahil dito, mapupwersa kang mag-overwork o kaya ay magpuyat. Hindi naman lingid sa atin ang negatibong dulot ng pagpupuyat–iilan na rito ay ang pagkabalisa, stress, depresyon, mahinang memorya at pangangatawan. Maaari ring magdulot ng malulubhang sakit ang pagpupuyat kagaya na lamang ng altapresyon (high blood pressure), dyabetis (diabetes), at paghina ng immune system. Kung sa simula pa lamang ay hindi na maaagapan, mahirap nang maisasalba ang iyong sarili sa delubyong dulot nito.
Paano nga ba natin makikita ang magiging kinalabasan ng isang gawain kung hindi naman natin ito sisimulan?
Kung iisipin, napakaraming pwedeng gawing rason sa pagpapaliban-liban ng mga gawain. Katanggap-tanggap man ito o hindi, kailanman ay hindi magiging maganda ang resulta ng palagiang procrastination. Maaaring maiwasan ang ganitong pag-uugali sa pamamagitan ng maayos na pamamahala ng oras para sa mga gawain, pagbibigay importansya sa mga iyong mga responsibilidad, at pagninilay-nilay sa maaaring maging epekto ng pagbabalewala ng iyong mga tungkulin.
Isang matinding kalaban ang procrastination. Kaakibat nito ang katamaran at kakulangan sa motibasyong gawin ang mga nakaatas na responsibilidad sa nakalaang panahon. Kung ito ay magiging isang kaugalian, tiyak na mahirap na itong baguhin o
Hinditapusin.man
Hindi na bago sa pandinig ng mga Pilipino ang “Mañana Habit”. Ito ay hango sa salitang mañana na nangangahulugang “bukas” o “isang tiyak na oras sa hinaharap” sa wikang Espanyol. Sumasalamin din ito sa ekspresyong “mamaya na” ng mga Pilipino na siyang nangangahulugang pagpapabukas ng mga gawaing posible namang matapos sa kasalukuyang araw.
Kung sakaling ang pumipigil sa iyo upang kumilos ay ang pagkalito sa kung paano o saan magsisimula sa isang gawain, ang pagiging mausisa at magiting marahil ang nararapat na pairalin. Sa ganitong paraan, mahihimok kang kumilos upang
by Princess Rau Cunanan
truth in service, service in truth38 art by Essak Santy Baligod
Mahalaga ring isaisip ang magiging epekto ng procrastination sa mga taong nakapaligid sa iyo. Madalas itong mapapansin sa mga pangkatanggawain. Kapag nabigo ka sa pag-sumite ng iyong parte sa takdang oras, tiyak na maaabala rin ang iyong ka-grupo. Ang pag-iiba rin ng iyong ugali ay maaaring makaapekto sa iyong pakikitungo sa mga taong nakapaligid sa iyo. Ang mga ito ay bunga ng simpleng pagbabalewala sa halaga ng oras na tiyak na maiiwasan kung pagtutuunan lamang ng pansin ang pagiging masigasig sa iyong mga gawain bilang isang mag-aaral.
“Learn to enjoy and appreciate even your smallest achievements along the way. It won’t be easy, that’s for sure, but know that there will always be people guiding and supporting you at your back. Padayon lagi’t lagi, our Ate’s and Kuya’s!”
The Force of the Wagon
In every ending, there awaits a new beginning. As the leaf of the book flips into another, it signifies that a triumphant journey dies, yet a new chapter will soon rise. Every step you’ve made through the stairs of this momentous escapade is worth a million drops of blood and sweat that you shed just to reach the apex of your own victories. This preceding stage of your career requires you to be bold enough to withstand the adversities which will never disappear. The portal of the past may have closed, but a promising dimension will deliver you to a horizon full of wisdom, hope, and aspiration.
Hiraya Manawari, batch Marahuyo.
Specialstaff
"It's sad to see you go when we haven't even met yet. But we're glad and proud of you for turning the page from one chapter to the next. Dezurv!"
Page truth in service, service in truth 39
- Jhomarie Sevilla
"Wherever you are, no matter how hard it is, always own your truth and be a vessel of Congratulationsit—regardless. and farewell, Batch 2022! Love and light."
- Aaron Damaso
“Be your own light as you walk a new path. Hoping for the best for you all as you embark on this new phase of your life. I wish you much success and love!”
As the new journey kicks off, keep in mind how Himig Isko was once enlightened by your light, which illuminated our path and radiated a promising future for us, your fellow constituents. The extravagant ideas and outstanding contributions you had piled up into a massive tower of accomplishments which enabled everyone to reach, soar high, and develop their fullest potential, particularly in exploring the majestic world of journalism, wherein truth is served regardless of any obstacle that could get in the way.
Padayon Legends! You have been sharpened by the challenges and adversities this year; however, it didn’t stop you from overcoming them with resilience. May your diligent intellect capture the stars that hover around your head every night. And if the odds favor the tale of your story, never lose sight of your goal: “para sa bayan.” People believe in your vigorous mind, don’t let the flame stop burning, and shall not be deemed by anyone, even eyes were branded by dreadful fear.
"As you set forth on your new academic journey, may you embodyingcontinueHimig Isko's mantra, that Truth in Service, and Service in Truth. Good luck Ate’s and Kuya’s!!!"
- Jessie Bagatela
“From what I heard and saw, college is in its own league but I just know that y'all are gonna do great! Just remember to always mind your health and try to get enough sleep Stay hydrated batch — 2022!!”
- Chorena Lorania
“Patuloy ang paghawi ng ulap; wag magpasindak”
“You have already come a long way, Iskolars, so brace yourselves and put your best foot forward as you conquer another years of quest for joy and victory.”
- Dohniero Lozano
- Francis Calonia
Message to the graduating staff of Himig Isko
- Grade 11 Himig Isko
- Sophia Abaquita
"Nawa'y iwagayway ninyo ang sulo ng Siklab, na siyang lumalagablab at nagliliyab. Sa lahat ng mga mithiin ninyo sa buhay, panatilihin ang pusong nag-aalab."
Charge forward!
- Aramellah Pare
- Kristina Manalo
Jhomarie Sevilla Feature Writer
Dohniero Lozano Associate Editor
Gryka Krissan Balleras News Writer
Pauline Rae Nebran Head of Cartooning
Ella Claris Posadas News Writer
Cyrus Oliverio News Writer
Henri Marie Belimac Feature Editor
Ashley Untalan Staff Designer
Ayesha Mae Adam News Writer
Richelle De Arce Head of Digital Art
Krisna Shayne Amorio Staff Designer
Mika Hamajo Opinion Writer
Gwyneth Bartiana Editor-in-Chief
Aaron Kate Damaso Opinion Writer
Chorena Grace Lorania Feature Writer meet the team
Nhiel John Esperanza Copy Editor
Johann Andaya Staff Designer
Keith Joshua Ayag Opinion Editor
Princess Natasha Andrea Tulio Head of Photojournalism
Katrina Joie Buhian, MA School Paper Adviser
Reaj Vie Gift Pico News Writer
Kristina Mae Manalo News Writer
Albert Hans Lipura News Writer
Marie Kaye Bitos News Writer
Rimmel Pino Managing Editor
Aramellah Pare Feature Writer
Godwin Palapar Opinion Writer
Essak Santy Baligod Staff Cartoonist
Sophia Louise Abaquita Staff Photojournalist
Chamierose Faith Nalanggay Contributor
Francis Calonia Staff Cartoonist
John Philip B. Mendoza Contributor
truthinServiceservice,inTruth
Shayne Peren Contibutor
Alexandra Joy Maratas Staff Cartoonist
Simone Emata Feature Writer
Jasmine Joy Panes Opinion Writer
Joieryn Nicole Robles Staff Photojournalist
Princess Rau Cunanan Feature Writer
Aura Delight Tuyogon Staff Photojournalist
Jessie Rey Bagatela Feature Writer
truth in service, service in truth
These are the principles Himig Isko stands for as we commit ourselves to transformative journalism. Heraliding to engage and empower the student body in social movement—we pledge to be the forerunners of reliable and quality media in the Senior High School Department.
Truth in Service, Service in Truth.
Democracy. Integrity. Versatility. Excellence.
Himig sko
