Kapawa Online Newsletter Vol. 7 No. 7

City of Smiles Reinvigorates Masskara Festival

SYMON PETERNEIL F. VACUNAWA

Bacolod City celebrated this year’s Masskara Festival after a twoyear hiatus on Oct. 1–23, 2022.

The annual revelry was kicked-off with “Salubong: The Grand MassKara Countdown” at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) on Sept. 30, bringing in music icon Rico Blanco and ending with a fireworks display at midnight.

“This is what we have been preparing for, to give you the biggest and grandest MassKara Festival,” Bacolod Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez told the crowd.

As part of the activities prepared by Benitez and Atty. Pinky Mirano-Ocampo, the president of Bacolod Yuhum Foundation

Incorporated, 31 local government units (LGUs) showcased their festival dances and exhibited their local products as part of the first “Masskara sa Panaad” on Oct. 10 at Panaad Park and Stadium.

“MassKara Festival is [...] a story of hope, resilience, and ingenuity. As the pandemic forced upon us the use of masks, this year, we [...] are going to don MassKaras with the same grit,” Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who led the celebration’s opening rites, commented on the event.

The city crowned a new Miss Bacolod MassKara Universe during a grand coronation held in the University of St. La Salle (USLS) Coliseum on Oct. 19.

“We have to show [the rest of the country] that even if we’re faced with these challenges, we are strong, we choose to rise from it all, and we still decide to smile,” Miss Bacolod MassKara Universe Kara Daniela Villarosa replied during the question and answer portion.

Signals from mobile service providers were shut down for the Electric Masskara on Oct. 22, as 13 barangay participants flickered the streets from Megaworld’s Upper East to the BCGC.

“This is customary during big events, especially since we are expecting no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grace our main event,” Ocampo said.

Seventeen barangays clashed in a street dance competition

PBBM Grants 88M to Negros Occ.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. offered nine farmers’ organizations in Negros Occidental checks totaling PHP88 million as part of the Philippine Rural Development Project on Oct. 23, 2022.

Marcos, also the concurrent chairman of the Department of Agriculture, made a quick stop in Talisay City to introduce the checks to the heads and representatives of the nine farmer organizations involved in the said project, which would aid 1,835 farmers in the various municipalities and towns of Negros Occidental.

“Kaya kami nandito para tiyakin na maging maayos ang distribusyon, maging maayos at lahat ng mga nangangailangan ay makakatanggap,” Marcos explained to the beneficiaries.

Falling under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, 100 farmers in Negros Occidental received 104,498 sacks of palay seeds from the president, with a project cost of PHP79,418,480.

“Sa palagay ko naman po, basta’t ipagpatuloy natin ito, basta’t ipagpatuloy natin na pagandahin ang

paghawak sa ekonomiya, sana naman hindi na tatagal, hindi niyo na kakailangan itong tulong na ito. Ngunit habang nandiyan— hanggang kailangan ninyo, nandito kami,” he added.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided 100 individuals in Bacolod City with financial aid totaling PHP500,000 under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program.

“Kaya’t habang nangangailangan ng tulong ang taong-bayan, gagawin ng gobyerno lahat para kahit

during a parade passing through the streets of Gatuslao, Gonzaga, and Araneta on Oct. 23.

“We [chose] Paglaum because the grandstand there can accommodate around 5,000 people. The plaza does not have enough space [...] so it’s hard for spectators [to] see the performances,” Ocampo emphasized.

On the same day, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., along with several government officials, graced the culminating event at Paglaum Sports Complex.

“Ipinakita ninyo sa buong Pilipinas [...] tayo ay babalik na sa ating dating ginagawa na pagandahin at pataasin ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas [...]” Marcos said in his speech.

papa’no ay makatulong,” the head of state reaffirmed the commitment of his government to helping out the needy Filipinos.

In his speech, President Marcos emphasized that when he travels to different parts of the nation, he makes sure that aid from the government gets to the people.

“Pag ako’y umiikot at pumupunta sa iba’t-ibang lugar tinitiyak ko na ang inyong inaasahang tulong galing sa gobyerno ay tuloytuloy ang parating sa taong bayan [...]” said Marcos. Marcos and the first family were invited as guests of honor for Masskara Festival 2022’s culmination.

EVE DENISE J. LILIA

Jeopardized Safety of the Truth

It is a certitude that the Republic of the Philippines has been under a democratic government since 1987. The country is a democracy, based on the 1987 Philippine Constitution. However, with the onslaught and threats inflicted on the deliverers of truth, there is hesitation in the verity of that statement.

Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa, a radio broadcaster, was murdered in Las Piñas City on Monday night, October 3, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP). The police added Mabasa was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle riding assailants. Taking statistics into the picture, Percy Lapid was the 197th journalist to die since 1986, the 26th since 2016—the

start of the Duterte regime when extrajudicial killings were prevalent—and the second to be killed during the current administration in its first 100 days. Lapid was known for his fierce and harsh criticism in his commentaries against the former and current government. The PNP has been investigating the case ever since the murder occurred. Charges have been filed against suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director Gerald Bantag, BuCor’s Director of Security and Operations (DSO) Superintendent Ricardo Zulueta, and a slew of individuals who have been incarcerated due to their involvement in the killings.

Despite the ongoing probing of the case—albeit with the lack of urgency and delays— it doesn’t steer away the fright and the bottomline that the onslaught and redtagging of journo-veterans have the Filipino press on a chokehold, especially campus journalists. The dominant apprehension induces budding messengers to be reluctant to write their stances. With the trepidation of being red-tagged— Philippine press freedom is in terrifying danger—and is on the shaky brink if its future journos couldn’t declare their positions. It demotivates the youth—second guessing their access to freedom of press and speech—even with governing laws that are

supposed to cushion them. Legal protection for journalists should be strictly enforced and they should be shielded from all forms of assault if they are only performing their duties faithfully. Deeper and imperative probing should be undertaken to serve justice and citizens must be alarmed—as democracy is periled if journalists are oppressed. As for the future of the Philippine press, they shall keep their ground despite the quivers, and still uphold journalistic excellence just like what they always aspire to do. Campus journos shall persist to be resilient—but should continue to do so without the fear of being held at gunpoint.

Editor’s note

Growing up is the most difficult thing that we can do.

Getting old is scary. We lose in touch with our inner child to face taxes, bills, and expectations.

However, as we progress and create paths of our own, allow one veracious thought to wiggle its way into our minds—our phases in life don’t define who we are. They augment potential and strength as time pushes us to move

forward—but they are just proof that we exist. What makes us—is us. We mold ourselves. We learn—on our own.

As we fully let our feet touch the long staircase of our phases of life, may we stop holding ourselves back from grabbing the tickets that lead us to happiness and truth. Break free from the standards and speak up when you are dissatisfied with the status quo.

Be the best friend of one’s self, even when the world doesn’t let us.

visuals by KAORI JASH D. HIROSE

brycelozada22@gmail.com

The Greyline

1972—a time that marked the beginning of a terrible era in which no Filipino was permitted to criticize the government. Loud gunshots and bloodstains filled every street corner, and the heartbreaking screams of those who had been slaughtered for refusing to recant became the morning praise of all. It was at that specific time that Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin performed one of the most astounding deeds that altered the ostensibly hopeless trajectory of our history.

In response to Vice-military Chief Fidel V. Ramos and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile defecting from dictator Ferdinand Marcos after a falsified snap election, Sin made a radio broadcast on February 22, 1986—pleading with listeners to help our two good friends in the military headquarters close to EDSA.

“If any of you could be around at Camp Aguinaldo to express your solidarity and your support in this very vital era, when our two good friends have shown their idealism, I would be very glad,” Sin said to his flock on the church-run radio station, Radio Veritas.

Although, Sin’s long-time private secretary, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas warned the

57-year-old cardinal that Marcos ‘could attack the people, or the troops might bomb the area, and people might be killed.’

None of that stopped him from leading his fellow countrymen in a movement that brought back the freedom that they all longed for—the People Power Revolution.

Given these circumstances, it is obvious that a priest was among the first to fight for our nation’s democracy; therefore, it is absurd for politicians to attempt to delegitimize the political opinions of religious figures.

Every time bishops, priests, and any other religious people condemn extrajudicial executions, human rights violations, corruption, anti-poor economic policies, etc., the standard response is, “The Church should not intervene in politics as the Constitution provides for the separation of Church and state.”

This statement is actually an example of a huge misconception that most Filipinos have on the separation of church and state, because it was never about what the church is forbidden to do with matters of the state—but rather what the state was forbidden to do to the people of the church.

The Translucence of Private Markets

The laissez-faire mentality continues to wreak pandemonium among the Philippine markets, extending the years of capitalism as the main course of the economy. What makes it stray further from the western societies it’s tried to emulate, however, is its considerable dominance of a monopoly of men from a well-crafted web of convenient acquaintances that benefits only the spider. Business cannot exist without connections—at least, it cannot stay visible for long enough to be acknowledged as a business without the right people to keep it afloat in the ever competitive markets. Crony capitalism engulfs Philippine economic affairs until the atmosphere reeks of economic statism and faltering profits of small business owners. The most prominent economic crisis begins at COVID-19 peaks; early 2020 consumerism was augmented by paranoia of the global, viral threat, and blue-collared workers and minimum wage workers were bared as the backbone of an economic system that favors those

who have higher seats in power. The dissonance of privilege between classes strike an unfavorable dichotomy when it comes to the distribution of wealth. Resilience can lead to waste as much as it leads to yield. There is only so much one could do before buckling under the weight of an economy that focuses on ‘the grind’, the overachievement, the overtime, and soul-spiraling work habits. There is simply no mercy in a world that prefers its occupants bustling about for necessities like sustenance, healthcare, and housing—especially when Filipinos lag behind the rest of the world in the quest for COVID recovery.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and likewise, change cannot reach its fullest truth until it unveils itself slowly—raw and unabashed.

brycelozada22@gmail.com

gelisemblante@gmail.com

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and likewise, change cannot reach its fullest truth until it unveils itself slowly— raw and unabashed. The hand that holds the pen cannot exactly dismantle a system on its own. Realistically speaking, overcoming late-stage capitalism is a mass-effort for Filipino everyman that could take decades.

Rather, individuals should make themselves aware of the capitalistic cycle they’re perpetuating regardless of their own political and economic ideologies.

Boon and Bane: Hyflex Learning Amidst the Pandemic

Let me bring you back to March 2020. The summer vacation approached, plans were made and excitement was shared among students. However, things took a turn. What I thought was just another Friday was the day I shouldn’t have taken for granted.

March 13, 2020, followed by former President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration, put Metro Manila on lockdown. It started a chain of events leading us to undergo two years of online classes. Most of us, cooped up in our homes where the future holds no promise, may have wondered, “Will things go back to how they were?”

However, when face-to-face classes were once again implemented, the ambiguity soon came to a descent. It was the end of a dark tunnel for students who had missed seeing their peers in person. Although many have expressed their

enthusiasm, there are still some who are wary of the change.

Being one of the minority of students attending full-online classes, our story goes differently. Despite the proposed Hyflex learning, many parents still hesitate to send their children to school, and their concerns are understandable.

There are 17, 049 active COVID-19 cases as of November 24, 2022, with 6,926 asymptomatic and 126 in critical condition.

Given this, it’s evident that students, teachers, and household members, run the danger of getting infected. This may result in them missing school days due to plausible

trizblancia102914@gmail.com

classroom lockdowns, isolation, etc. Even the Secretary of the Department of Education, Sara Duterte,

claimed COVID-19 infections in schools are a “natural consequence”. Despite how face-to-face classes mark “the return of normalcy”, we shall not forget that we are still amidst an ongoing pandemic. It’s therefore essential to continue offering the online modality for students who require them.

Understanding the needs of the students as a whole is one way of stitching slowly the broken hems of our flawed educational system. It should not be about going back to our old ways, but being able to cater well to the present needs of students.

...because it was never about what the church is forbidden to do with matters of the state—but rather what the state was forbidden to do to the people of the church.

“

Extra Royce

BRYCE CHRISTIAN V. LOZADA Sioping

SOFIA BEATRIZ A. BLANCIA

“

sige, aguantahi

ANGELI MARIE A. SEMBLANTE

“

It should not be about going back to our old ways, but being able to cater well to the present needs of students.

Tak

gin

Flight

It takes more than thought to dream. It rushes through your veins, pulses with your heart, and glistens in your eyes, though not all of us have the willingness to pursue it. The height of reaching the stars is vast for dreamers whose wings have yet to spread, but when you’re a doer who’s raced miles with wings that continue to flap stronger, wider, and faster, the stars are only arms away.

Setting just the example, Athena Tashcuh Sonota of STEM 12-G soared with her wings of passion and brought pride to the Philippines by bagging gold in the Women’s Junior Category of the Japan Mountain Bike Cup - Cross Country Olympic on Oct. 29 in Japan’s wondrous Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. But despite being one of the Philippines’ rising stars, Sonota is still a student—seamlessly sewing practice into the after-hours of her hectic student life—a pair many fail to balance. She shares, “I would want to be remembered as a pro athlete who prioritizes her academics. It will give enlightenment that with discipline, you can achieve anything.” Shining a spotlight upon the importance of steady efforts, Sonota serves as a pillar to those who struggle to maintain life’s harmony.

THE HEROINE

Attaining

international prominence, it’s no doubt that Sonota feels the weight of pressure of prying eyes, but that doesn’t stop her. Laser-focused on her goals, Sonota shares, “I would love to be able to compete against world champions while carrying the PH flag.”

Sonota’s patriotism, humility, and down-to-earth personality despite the whirlwind challenges she’s faced makes her like a heroine to others who share similar ideals. The heroine who strives to reach for the stars with wings that have raced miles—whose beam uplifts those around her—who rejoices in triumphs and humbly accepts loss against her peers who are just as passionate—Athena Tashcuh Sonota.

With the heart of a dreamer, the mind of a doer, and the might of a hero; Sonota continues to reach for the stars—to bring back home.

ELIJAH LOUIZE S. BERNARDEZ, AINE SINEAD V. GUILLEM, NISHEL ANGELA K. MENDOZA, AND ESTELLE HOPE L. SEGOVIA

photo taken from Athena Tashcuh Sonota; visuals by FENNIEL FAITH C. DE PEDRO

Rose-tinted Screens

Of the hundreds to thousands, millions to billions of voices spanning over the vast expanse of digital landscape, 78 million are the ones we call that of our own brethren. And among them, many are merely the tiny voices of the youth—whispers wanting, waiting to be heard, until the day comes for them to rise to an uproar. Tangible presence forbidden, they resorted to the voice of text rather than the voices that cannot reach beyond home’s confinement. When not only COVID-19, but other crises and calamities raged on outside, online movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, #YemenCantWait, and #PrayforUkraine gained traction even within the Philippines. We call this phenomenon cyberactivism, and of the supporters of this movement, in Facebook alone the highest percentage of 31% are those at the young ages of 18–24 years old. More than 24 million Filipino youths—together they battle real world adversaries with digital swords and shields in these changing times. But the digital web provides more than their fair share of foes, as words are spun by many, both fact and falsity, falling upon the viewer’s intuition to perceive information credibility. Fake news—

according to a Pulse Asia survey, seen as a problem by 86% of Filipino adults—is a nuisance to young cyberactivists, who range from regular individuals to young journalists to online youth organizations. One such organization amongst many against fake news, its spreaders, and benefiters is TAYO (Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations) 2020 awardee “Millennials PH”, which to this day continues to serve the Filipino people through outreach programs, climate and human rights activism, as well as speaking out with speculation against ignorance and falsehood spread throughout online media—role models in confusing times. When only 17.9% of Filipinos learn their news from printed papers and magazines, acquiring knowledge more online than offline according to Ateneo School of Government, the significance of accurate and committed activism online only grows evermore. Though the introduction of the RA No. 11479 (Anti-Terrorism Law) back in early 2020 planted the seeds for the press and speech suppression, there are always those who remain steadfast. The notions of #JunkTerrorBill and #NeverAgain spread across social media are only some of the many other cyberactivist advocacies fought for in our country plagued by calamity and corruption.

NASA launches Artemis I

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) made history once again after Artemis I launched successfully from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Nov. 6, 2022.

The event was a critical turning point in the return of crewed missions to the moon, propelling a test flight of machinery to reintroduce humans to the lunar surface.

“To all of us that gaze up at the moon, dreaming of the day humankind returns to the lunar surface: folks, we’re [....] going back. [...] Our journey begins with Artemis I,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson declared during a press conference on Aug. 3.

The Artemis I space explorer was made up of the Space Launch System,

a space rocket intended to send humans to deep space, and the Orion spacecraft, a next-generation shuttle developed for human missions.

This initiative will enable NASA to send the first woman and person of color to the moon, establish a lunar base camp, build a spacecraft in lunar orbit, establish an off-world internet, and lay the foundation for human settlement of Mars.

“When we think about Artemis, we focus a lot on the moon. But I just want everybody [...] to remember our [....] sights are set clearly on Mars,” NASA’s Johnson Space Center’s Chief Astronaut Reid Weissman said in a press conference on Aug. 25.

The Orion spacecraft delivered images of the Earth after more than nine hours of travel, the first of which since the last photo taken 50 years ago during the final 1972 Apollo mission.

“Images captured during the [Artemis] mission will be different [from] what humanity saw during Apollo missions, but capturing milestone events such as Earthrise, Orion’s farthest distance from Earth, and lunar flyby will be a high priority,” Imagery Integration Lead for the Orion Program David Melendrez stated.

Orion will be conducting a close flyby of the moon next week, bringing it within around 96 kilometers of the lunar surface.

MARGARET KELLY N. CUMAGUN

LUISA CAREESE F. BRITANICO

visuals by PRINCESS JAIMARY F. SOLACITO

visuals by KAORI JASH D. HIROSE and SOFIA BEATRIZ A. BLANCIA; content by JUSHLINE FREINE S. SAYCON and ESTELLE HOPE L. SEGOVIA

Negros Occ. Observes Cinco-deNoviembre

Negros Occidental held celebrations for Cinco de Noviembre on Nov. 5, 2022.

The provincial government arranged this year’s celebration at the Provincial Capitol Park and Lagoon in Bacolod City, attended by Capitol employees, Department of Agriculture (DA) representatives, various governmental organizations, and non-government organizations (NGOs).

“It is my ardent hope that as we celebrate the victories of our past, we will find renewed meaning, resolve, and inspiration to unite and work together to achieve our common goal as a people and as a nation,” Governor Eugenio Lacson said in his opening remarks.

Silay began with a Thanksgiving mass in the morning at the San Diego Pro Cathedral followed by a Ceremony of Remembrance, which all coincided with the city’s 25th Adobo Festival.

“Its goal is to remind Silaynons, Negrenses, and tourists alike of our Silay heritage and how they used to live during the Spanish times,” Reena Gamboa, the festival’s director, stated.

In Bago City, Mayor Nicholas Yulo led the wreath-laying ceremony at the General Juan Araneta monument, while the “Sigabong sang mga Kanyon” competition commenced that afternoon.

“Its very essence is the ingenuity and bravery of the valiant hero, General Juan Araneta and his Bagonhon troops together with the forces from the north led by General Aniceto Lacson,” Mae Ann Furtos, Bago City tourism operations officer, said.

This year marks the 124th anniversary of Cinco de Noviembre, a bloodless coup that ended Spanish rule in the island.

Typhoon Paeng Hits Western Visayas

Western Visayas was hit by tropical storm Paeng which caused flash floods and landslides, on Oct. 28, 2022.

In line with this, schools on selected areas of Negros Occidental were suspended because of the storm as well as trips that are routed on seas.

“Because of the rains and floods in our city, I’m suspending classes in all levels today (Thursday). Keep safe everyone,” Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez stated in a video announcement.

According to an update from the Paeng Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Region 6, Paeng

affected 24,530 families, or 75,767 individuals, across 124 barangays in Western Visayas.

“We are also still waiting for other LGUs to report their evacuees so they could be given assistance,” Jason Alagos, the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) officer, stated.

#NasaanAngPangulo went viral on Twitter as people expressed their frustrations and sought to find the government’s response to the storm.

“All that he did was point fingers at local officials for supposedly

failing to prepare for the typhoon’s onslaught; yet, almost 20 hours after his first public appearance via virtual conferencing, we have still not seen Bongbong Marcos in action.” National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates (NNARA)-Youth expressed on Twitter.

On Nov. 8, the president led the distribution of relief goods in Antique and conducted an aerial inspection of the area to further assess the damage caused by the typhoon.

“Asahan po ninyo na lagi kaming nandiyan kahit hindi niyo kami nakikita. Kapag mayroong ganitong bagyo at may mga

naging biktima ay alam namin ang mga pangyayari at ginagawa po [namin ang] lahat” Marcos asserted.

On the orders of Marcos, the government on Saturday announced the provision of PHP4.1 million in assistance to Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng” victims.

“The Marcos administration, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), local government units (LGUs), and other partners, provided PHP4.1 million in assistance to families affected by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng, [..]” Office of the Press Secretary officer-incharge, Cheloy Garafil stated.

Negros Occ. Gov, Australian Schools Inks Scholarship Agreements

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson signed a memorandum of agreement with two international schools during his trip to Northern Territory, Australia on Nov. 5—11, which granted fifteen students from Negros Occidental with scholarships to pursue further education in Australia.

The agreement was signed with Chief Executive Officer Sean Mahoney of International College of Advance Education (ICAE) on Nov. 9, and Chief Executive

Officer Alana Anderson of Alana Kaye College on Nov. 10.

“We are convincing them to put Negros Occidental on their map so that whatever it is that we can synergize with them, we can follow,” said Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II.

The scholarship aimed to provide the Negrense youth with the opportunity to study and work in Northern Territory, Australia and pave the way for them to obtain work visa and eventually permanent work visa.

“The goal of the program is to upgrade the skills of Negrense scholars, who will have the opportunity to eventually become permanent residents in Australia.” Karen Dinsay, head of the Negros Occidental Scholarship Program Division, said.

Of the 15 scholars, 10 of them would be studying at Alana Kaye College at Darwin, while the remaining five would be studying at ICAE in Rapid Creek.

“We will be sending more scholars next year,” the governor said, but

noted there would be a lot of work to be done, as Darwin currently lacks the manpower.

The agreement wasin accordance with the “Study Now, Pay Later” Australia scholarship program, which would provide the scholars with the sufficient funding for their two year training course, including tuition and medical fees.

“Our scholars from Negros Occidental have no regrets in going to Darwin [as] they also never felt any discrimination, which is a positive thing,” the governor added.

MELANCHOLY DANIELLE BAROT

GALE MOREEN P. DIOSO

MARIENNE BEATRICE F.LOPEZ

Bacolod City Resumes Full Onsite Classes

Several public schools in Bacolod City shifted toward full onsite classes on Nov. 2, 2022, in accordance with Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 34.

During an interview, Vice President and Secretary of Education Sara Duterte expressed that the implementation of the full face-to-face modality is the most important intervention the administration has done in their first 100 days in office. “In-person learning modality has a lot more benefits compared to others,” Duterte asserted.

While private institutions were given the option to continue conducting the blended learning modality in lieu of the amendatory

DepEd Order (DO) to DO 34, s. 2022, 69 public schools in Bacolod City alongside several others in Negros Occidental have resumed full face-to-face classes as per authorization of the Department of Education.

“I’ve always been […] participative in classes where I can […] interact with people […], which I found hard during online distance learning. […] I […] find the coming back of face-to-face classes [exciting] because […] we […] are finally back to the curriculum we’ve always wanted to be in,” Michael Ferrer, a grade 12 student of Negros Occidental High School (NOHS), expressed.

Amidst the excitement, some teachers

are still concerned due to the lack of classrooms and shortage of teachers and staff.

“Grade 12 will start at 12:30 p.m. because some classrooms will be available by then. [….] There will be two shifts for the senior high school,” Josette Terora, the Principal of NOHS, in adjusting their schedule to accommodate all students.

The Vice President’s decision, however, stands still, adding that faceto-face is still the most effective learning modality.

“There’s a study that became our basis saying that face-to-face is still the most effective learning method for students, especially those who came from disadvantaged [...] families,” Duterte explained.

Negros Occ. Initiates Blue Alert for Undas 2022

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson announced a provincial-wide “blue alert” in preparation for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Oct. 26, 2022.

This was in preparation for the long weekend ahead to safeguard people’s welfare, particularly when visiting cemeteries in the midst of large crowds flooding the streets and public spaces as Negrenses return home to spend the holidays with their family.

“In line with this, all local Disaster Risk Reduction Management

Councils and Operation Centers are instructed to raise their status to “Blue Alert” from Oct. 25 to Nov. 2, and intensify road safety measures and deployment of responders to different areas of convergence, especially at cemeteries in their areas of responsibility,” Lacson stated.

According to Lacson, the government released Oplan Undas 2022 for the direction of these forces, urging them to report any unforeseen circumstances, create contingency

plans, preparedness measures, and responses.

“Responders will be deployed at cemeteries and churches, and road safety preparations are being undertaken.”

Zeaphard Caelian, head of the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division, said.

Maj. Junji Liba, the officer-in-charge of the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO), proposed the traffic management plan which the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) members affirmed on the same day as the announcement.

“The appropriate systematic traffic management system aims to reduce traffic congestion during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day,” Liba explained.

In terms of keeping order in cemeteries, Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director, Police Col. Thomas Joseph Martir, disclosed they have deployed personnel in several areas since Saturday, Oct. 29.

“Cemetery goers had been cooperative,” he reported.

The public was advised by the Bacolod

SP to continue practicing precautions against COVID-19 and observe minimum health protocols when visiting during Undas.

“The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus is still very much around with daily cases still recorded in Bacolod

BLESS VYONNCE B. MINGUILLO

KARYLE VENICE A. DELA PEÑA

RESTART

Students from

Ghostwriters

ESTELLE HOPE L. SEGOVIA

Finding a unique spark that ignites a fire in our hearts—a personal specialty—in a society where there is always a norm for everything, is challenging.

We’re all blank pages when we are born— lacking our personal ideologies and beliefs. So, we mimic those around us—good or bad—as they represent the culture of society. But it’s in our nature to search for the extraordinary in ordinary people. A manifestation of the person we most aspire to be—our personal heroes.

Most of us crave society’s validation as children who’ve yet to make our marks, so we follow in our hero’s footsteps in hopes of becoming someone society will respect— painting ourselves with a mimeo of images we aspire to become. So, with the aid of ghostwriters, we pen our

own tales, each page revealing a little more about our lives.

However, our books aren’t faultless. We misspell, smear ink, and color beyond the lines–and initially, we haven’t an idea of how to fix them. That’s where our heroes come in—our story’s ghostwriters. They advise, uplift, and criticize us with the goal of raising us as respectable members of society.

Over time we mimic their behavior— their sunlight pouring through our skin and coursing through our veins. Our heroes’ shards become part of us as a whole. But of course, we are our own authors, telling our stories with ghostwriters to guide us along the way.

Thus, when the moment is right, we’ll also be personal heroes to others, and the pieces of our heroes along with our own will kindle a fire in their hearts.

JigsawPuzzle The

We gradually piece together who we are through time. It’s a clever analogy highlighting how crucial it is to put the right pieces in the right places to view the big picture.

Some people’s lives can be very straightforward, like assembling a fourpiece puzzle. But life doesn’t arrive with a cheat pad where each knobs align, a pattern of the puzzle we must be put together; with each choice we make, it takes a different turn. For most, life may come as a 10 by 10 rubik’s cube that needs patience, focus, and sacrifices to be worthwhile living.

We expect trials and tribulations as we piece the jumbles together. Yet having to be surrounded by different art and masterpieces will have you doubting your

own, pushing you to answer the lingering question: Are these shards of puzzles bound to create another paragon or a laughingstock? On many occasions, we try to complete our own persons with the pieces of

desperate to be whole; along the way, we may not care about the process we take to fortify this desire. There will always be moments when we feel as though there are missing pieces–occasionally, changing due to the ebb and flow of life.

others or try to fit a part of ourselves into other people’s puzzles for we fear being different as we contemplate the validation and acceptance of the world around us. Most of us are

Life can be a puzzle with its pieces laid off the table or waiting to be found and one has to seek. The countless attempts will drain all your patience but all beautiful things take time. As these knobs piece themselves together, one can finally say that this jigsaw puzzle is indeed another masterpiece. A paragon of our character: the reflection of countless failures we’ve encountered as we built ourselves from scratch, a montage of our struggles of breaking free from being captive in someone else’s role, and the chapters unveiling every single drop of our blood, sweat, and tears.

JUSHLINE FREINE S. SAYCON AND ESTELLE HOPE L. SEGOVIA

visuals by SOFIA BEATRIZ A. BLANCIA

visuals by FENNIEL FAITH C. DE PEDRO

Stepping Stones

FREINE S. SAYCON

As society has set an unreachable standard for the world, many are still eager to seek its validation. So, in building our own character, we tend to be stuck in someone else’s body—finding our way out to free ourselves from being captive by the need to fit in a cage someone has built too small for us. Some continue to run lapses inside a never-ending maze, searching for the light that will guide them out of their misery, constantly in search of themselves. And the latter, trying to walk on their own feet instead of others’. We meet connections and opportunities as we take our obstacledriven ventures into the world. We shake hands with empty promises, loose threads, and dead ends. Along the bumpy roads, one has to struggle on the journey towards victory unless taking the chance to own the wheel,

Leaving A Footprint On:

leading oneself to run the tracks even if it means emptying the baggage behind. Being alone is a contradiction of fear and freedom from relationships that delay one’s race to the finish line, connections that keep one from running, and hopeless opportunities that stop triumph from reaching one’s hand. To end the cycle of endless errors, we must gather all the hidden courage in our subconsciousness to win the battles alone and to sacrifice the happiness that is yet temporary and make-believe. A step into the real world, one may feel lost, and indifferent, and be tempted to run back into the arms of dependency–to crave once more for the support of others instead of our own–and drag one’s foot to take another. But the good news is, our solidarity conquers the many pursuits of failures and survives with a taste of success.

A Speck Of Mem o r i e s

ANDREA LOUISE L. VECERA AND GIANNA MARELLE R. AGUILAR

In life, the memoirs we leave behind will soon shed light on the possibility of building an enduring foundation and inherent potential to ascend moral or immoral. For most people, the act of leaving a mark reverses the tendency toward being regretful which can be ingrained in each and everyone for not doing something behind the curtains and enabling others to look up from downstage. But more than anything else, establishing an anecdote worthy to tell comes from our memories and perspectives that mirror our deeds throughout life. It fosters a broader outlook in our minds. Do our actions represent the legacy we hope to create? Our distinctive speck on this world is a mosaic of the twists and turns we experience as we progress through the chasm of self-discovery. Pieces of ourselves engraved in everyone’s hearts and thoughts is something that serves as a reflection of our character and as a backbone of our own with all the ripples life has brought upon us. Now that the dust is clearing and we are at the end of the great war, what was it all for? When nothing is left and we are at the end of the road, we are forced to look back on what we have accomplished. Blood, sweat, and tears we’ve drenched out our entire lives, we chased

after anything that would give our lives significance. Allies and enemies made, families of all sorts created, and sacrifices urged; what were these all for? Like a puzzle with one missing piece, we try to grasp the significance and importance of what we pride ourselves on with our entire being. Here we are, but where do we go from here? Most of us want a remarkable stamp on the world and a long-lasting impact for future generations to see. As we express our own story and narrative, we discover the purpose of creating a legacy that when people remember the traces we have left, they think about the values we have built in history and we succeeded as being someone worth

JUSHLINE

visuals by PRINCESS JAIMARY F. SOLACITO

visuals by MARGARET KELLY N. CUMAGUN

Haunt: COVID-19 and its Footfalls

Plastered upon a number of medical diagrams and posters is commercialized health in relation to how one’s physical attributes typically function, mostly promoting them for the good health of the public— marketing them as an achievable, inclusive ideal. When medical reports of COVID-19 hit the masses— from late 2019 until early 2020 and only accelerating onwards—at inexhaustible rates, the image of absolute health chips and cracks. With concern over COVID transmission waning at the presence of vaccines, rehabilitation, and eventual immunity, the pandemic seemingly faded into the backdrop. This is not to say that citizens should stay complacent, however, as World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Ghebreyesus emphasizes

that the pandemic remains ongoing and thus vigilance should be observed over potential variants regardless of vaccination status and present comorbidities.

Although no concrete study of immunosuppression (ISC) rates in relation to PostCOVID symptoms in the Philippines has been made, one could infer that the rise of long COVID—with 1 in 5 adults affected in its wake according to American consensus—was contributed by ISC and disability insofar.

Long COVID, as the term suggests, refers to the long-term repercussions of COVID-19 even after the virus has left the human body. High risk individuals suffering from autoimmune disease are most susceptible, and likewise must proceed with caution when accessing public services. Moreover, long COVID is defined only

by its primary symptoms of lasting fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of smell and taste as no patient has the exact same symptoms. There is a series more of the mark left by COVID infection— rendering victims into a state that cannot fully recover from ill-health, despite contemporary medicine.

Stigma was—and still is—on the rise when COVID hit, and subsequently sent most disabled and immunosuppressed individuals into a life of meticulous interactions with the society that ridicules their condition, lifestyle, and paranoia. However, it should be acknowledged that labeling someone as disabled is not as degrading as most people might perceive. There is no shame in disability, seeing as we cannot expect bodies to be constantly hypercompetent, even ones that are considered able.

COP27: The Flawed Modern-Day Heroes of Climate Justice

Ever since the start of the modern era, it is no secret that our climate has been in danger for quite some time. Climate change is affecting communities in every country and continent—there are rising sea levels, extreme weather events, economic disruption, food and water scarcity, scarcity of resources, etc. But nonetheless, global efforts to combat these anomalies and achieve sustainable development are falling short. According to authorities and campaigners who had pushed hard for its establishment, the agreement at the COP27 climate conference to establish a “loss and damage” fund signals a turning point in the lengthy battle to gain aid for underprivileged people fighting global warming on the front lines.

A deal was reached early on Nov.20 to establish a new fund to assist vulnerable countries in paying rising costs of climate damage— the results of wilder weather and rising seas. The talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, which were hampered by international geopolitical tensions, had been going on for two weeks. Unfortunately, hours after the COP27 climate

talks had reached the deadline, still no deal had been made, and the European Union’s climate chief threatened to leave Sharm EI-Sheikh without one. “We don’t want a result at any cost,” Frans Timmermans, flanked by ministers from Germany, Austria, Ireland, and Spain, told reporters. “The EU would prefer not to make a decision than to make a bad decision.”

It is high time that international bodies took control of the situation and brought justice to the current anomalies that have been plaguing us for the past few years. Even the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) claimed that its members in the Pacific and the Caribbean had used all of their efforts at COP27 to secure a fund they had been vying for 30 years, ever since Vanuatu first brought up the subject of loss and damage at the climate negotiations.

It was a good idea to work toward improving our climate, but it is a disappointment that the plans put in place to finally alleviate our misery were not well-thought out and executed flawlessly. With an urgent need to adapt to a changing climate, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make the right choices. However, the clock is ticking.

ANGELI MARIE A. SEMBLANTE

BRYCE CHRISTIAN V. LOZADA

photos taken from

photos

Floor, Vaults, Parallel Bars, and Doubts

In the different angles of our lives, victories and losses are considered incentives for growth and progress. These two exist as a product of one thing from two different perspectives—competition.

With that said, victories and losses could weigh equally heavily in the sports world. In fact, it is what makes a sport—a “sport.” But how does it feel if the greatest competition is from within?

To Carlos Yulo, a Filipino athlete in the gymnastics field, the competition of doubt against oneself is the hardest one athletes could come across. For all we know, Yulo is the first male athlete in Southeast Asia to win a gold medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship in 2019. But with great power comes great responsibility—a responsibility to keep on growing and perhaps achieving more. In Yulo’s recent “disappointing” fall down to the seventh spot in the floor exercise—

the event where he got his first title three years ago—carrying a heavy bag of medals unfortunately came with a heavy bag of national pride pressure.

Sports are entertaining regardless if you are the one doing them or just watching them. But it should be viewed more than just from the physical aspect. Most may overlook it, but sports also heavily rely on the psychological side. It is undeniable that athletes will always come across victories and defeats along the way. With that said, it is also indisputable that it will take a toll on the athlete’s self-esteem and confidence in their field, all of which will result in unleashing the enemy from within— the infamous self-doubt.

In Yulo’s recently shared testimony about having to outperform himself because of self-doubt, he stated that being grouped with the great ones from different countries made him feel left out. He doubted

that he would do well because he lost confidence under the intimidation of his opponents’ shiny world records. But Yulo may not be the first Filipino athlete in history to feel this way. Anyone who has had a taste of the wine of great victory will crave more and more. But for what exactly? It’s always different from one athlete to another.

Striving for greater things is hard when part of you is on the way. For Carlos Yulo, acknowledging one’s own weaknesses and making an effort to master them is very important. Because when we start to busy ourselves looking up to greater things that are yet to happen, we tend to deprive ourselves of appreciation for the already-great things that we have done. So it may be true that having the greatest competition within is hard, but may we also see that, indeed, the competition is great because we too are great within. It’s always me vs. me.

USLS Wins 1st Runner Up for Negros Occidental Governor’s Cup

Sending a final kick off to a great tournament, FC Pamplona de Bago defeated the University of Saint La Salle Football Club (USLS FC) crowning them as champions of the 2022 Governor’s Cup Football Provincial Championship at Panaad Park and Stadium Brgy. Mansilingan on Nov. 12–13, 2022 in the 17 under category. After an intense back and forth game, FC Pamplona de Bago secured the win with a 4–3 final score against the USLS FC, wrapping up the two-day tournament. Apart from the team performance, outstanding players received special rewards for their excellent performance in the game, with Christian Rendon of FC Pamplona de Bago receiving the best striker award after scoring eight goals.

Furthermore, Earl Sinconigue of FC Pamplona De Bago took the best midfielder, La Salle’s Peter Olid was named the best defender, while Ashley Sacapaño of FC Pamplona De Bago earned the most valuable player and best goalkeeper.

With the support from various local government units, coaches, and players, the Governor’s Cup Football Provincial Championship was a great success.

The tournament was a part of the ABANSE NEGRENSE grassroots sports development programs of Negros Occidental’s Governor’ Eugenio Jose V. Lacson through the Provincial Sports Office.

Through these programs, Hon. Eugenio Jose “Bong “ Lacson hopes to provide many more opportunities for Negrense youth to develop their interest and skill in various sports.

CHELSEY M. LIBO-ON

MIGUEL EMMANUEL G. MAGDALES

Swimmer Diamante Bags Three Golds in COPA Swimfest

Nicola Queen Diamante delivered another outstanding performance after bagging three gold medals and a near-perfect campaign in the Samahang Manlalangoy ng Pilipinas (SMP) Grand Reunion Swim Challenge Championships last Nov. 12, at the Teofilo Ildefonso pool inside the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

Diamante, a member of the RSS Dolphins Swim Club, won the 50-m butterfly (33.48), 200-m

freestyle (2:37.00), and 200-m backstroke (3:04.54) events in the Class A girls’ 11-year-old category of the tournament organized by the SMP and certified by the Congress of Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (COPA).

“Nakakatuwa po na maganda po lagi ang performance ko sa tournaments. Hindi naman po kami tumitigil ni coach para mas maitama yung mali ko sa tuwing ensayo, [I am glad that my performance is consistently good in the

tournaments. My coach and I are not stopping to put in the best efforts to correct the mistakes I make in every practice.]” said Diamante. Moreover, in the first leg, Diamante topped the Class A 50-m butterfly (34.47), 50-m backstroke (35.72), Class B 200-m Individual Medley (3:14.79), Class C 100m butterfly (1:41.47) and the 12 years and under 200-m Medley Relay (2:25.06) and 200-m Freestyle Relay and got the silver medal in the Class A 100-m backstroke (1:26.04)

and Class B 200-m freestyle (2:50.40), while bronze in Class A 50-m freestyle (33.43).

Diamante’s winning streak continued in the second leg, with four gold medals in the Class A 50-m freestyle (32.20), 100-m freestyle (1:11.00), 100-m butterfly (1:21.30), 100-m backstroke (1:24.70), and 200-m backstroke (3:04.90) and won the 50-m butterfly (34.72), 50-m freestyle (31.69), and 50-m backstroke (34.41) events in the third leg.

Meanwhile, Chito Rivera, Tournament director, said that the consistency of Diamante’s performance proved the importance of having regular competitions aside from training.

“More tournaments mean more opportunities to discover young talents who may one day represent the country in international tournaments,” said Rivera.

Furthermore, Diamante will join the Batang Pinoy National Finals scheduled from Dec. 17–22 in Vigan, Ilocos Norte.

An athlete will stop at nothing to achieve perfection in their craft—but for what?

Historically, the Philippine international sports scene is not the most exciting thing to look at, only recently clinching the Philippines’ first gold medal in the Olympics back at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

However, in recent years the Philippines has been performing at its best in international events, finishing 1st in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, and breaking through the 50-gold plateau since 1993 at the 2022 Southeast Asian Games—not counting the 2005 and 2019 hosting of the SEA Games.

Coincidentally, these events and feats all transpired under the Duterte

DRX: The Kryptonite of the Fallen Legends, T1

DragonX (DRX) makes history after edging out T1 in the “League of Legends World Championship 2022” held in San Francisco, California on Nov. 6, clinching their first World’s Championship title with an unexpected Cinderella victory and creating upsets for fans around the world.

After five intense games, DragonX claimed the championship title with a 3-2 series romp and match score tallies of 17-13 on game 2, 14-4 on game 4, and on finals 18-10 to complete their miraculous run throughout the competition.

Jungler Hong “Pyosik” Change-hyeon, mid-laner Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo, bot-laner Kim “Deft” Hyuk-Kyu, support player Cho “Beryl” Geon-hee, and top-laner Hwang “Kingen” Seong-hoon composed DRX’s championship roster.

Meanwhile, T1 consisted of toplaner Choi “Zeus” Woo-je, jungler Moon “Oner” Hyeon-joon, mid-laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, bot-laner Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong, and support player Ryu “Keria” Min-Seok.

DRX was given the winning edge to end the series after T1’s fatal last resort play in game 5, wiping out their opponents with the Elder Dragon buff before destroying the enemy nexus.

DRX’s Kingen was hailed as the LoL Worlds Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) after unleashing the

Administration—being labeled “the golden years” for the Philippine sports scene. Be that as it may, the incentives alone do not offset what happens outside of the public eye.

During the Duterte Administration, we saw top athletes that came to the spotlight with the likes of Hidilyn Diaz and Carlos Yulo, enjoying the benefits and rewards under his administration—with the doubled prize money incentives. We also saw construction of the National Academy of Sports (NAS) which provided scholarships and support for athletes around the country.

Even old mix-ups were cleared, such with the case of Onyok Velasco being robbed from his winnings back at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics after

winning silver in boxing. He has since then been compensated with the same doubled prize money incentives, and was also bestowed with the Order of Lapu-Lapu for his Olympic feat.

But what goes under the rug from all the flashy stunts is the questionable actions done to make all of it happen. It is also under this administration where controversies and allegations of corruption of his allies come to fruition.

While we can celebrate the wins for our country, we mustn’t forget the inconsistencies of our leader’s actions—image is one thing, verity is another. We need to take the good from the bad, and realize the bad in the good—cut our losses and let our winnings run.

MIGUEL P. CLARIDAD

true potential of Aatrox in game 5, dominating the game to carry his team to victory.

In a post-game interview, DRX’s Deft said, “There was one thing that I wanted to say once I got up to the stage after winning Worlds finals, which was: I’m the best player in the world. But today, I [realized] myself being the best player doesn’t matter. It’s about our team being the best in the world, and today we were the best team. I want to say thank you to all the players, coaching staff, everyone working for DRX, and all the fans out there.”

Regardless of T1’s loss, Faker was delighted that Deft, his high schoolmate, had finally grabbed his first trophy after a decade, despite being on the opposite teams since their debut way back in 2013.

“My best talent is League of Legends. If I cannot be the best [at] playing LoL, I told myself I won’t find any success in life. That’s why I didn’t want to give up,” Deft added.

Despite the loss, Faker will remain as the face of T1 seeing as he has an offer to become part-owner of the team.

DRX’s rosters will continue their amazing journey to defend their championship title for the upcoming League of Legends 2023 World Championship.

When in Doubt, Make it Rain

“

While we can celebrate the wins for our country, we mustn’t forget the inconsistencies of our leader’s actions— image is one thing, verity is another.

ARABELLA

ROMERO

SLAYED. DragonX’s (DRX) bot laner Deft, jungler Pyosik, fellow teammates, and staff holding up the 2022 LoL Worlds Championship Trophy after winning