Fortibus Vol. 5 No. 1 - Black or White Issue

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1

PHOTOS FROM INQUIRER.NET

JULY 2016 - NOV 2016

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T H E O F F I C I A L S T U D E N T P U B L I C AT I O N O F PA R E F N O R T H F I E L D S C H O O L F O R B OYS

DIGNIFYING DIGNITY

Defending Human Life Amidst Today’s Throwaway Culture

OPINIONS

∞PA G E 7 PHOTO FROM HUFFINGTON POST

ON THE BALANCE

Teen Suicide in the Philippines and How We Can Save the Young ∞PA GE 1 1

THE BREW

PHOTO FROM MONTEREY BAY PARTISAN

NATURE’S LOSS

Why and How the Great Barrier Reef Met It’s Final Days ∞PAG E 17

SCIENCE

PHOTO FROM MONTEREY BAY PARTISAN

T H E 3 6 T H & 3 8 T H C AT H O L I C M A S S M E D I A AWA R D S ’ B E S T H I G H S C H O O L P U B L I C AT I O N

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@FortibusNFD

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facebook.com/fortibusnf

COVER DESIGN BY MARK VILLALUNA

Fortibus

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CAMPUS

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

NEWS LEDGE

SEB holds IGNITE 2016 LUCAS BONIFACIO MANAGING EDITOR

To jump-start academic year 2016-2017, PAREF Northfield held its second Organization Fair “Ignite”, last August 12, 2016 at the campus covered court.

The Personal Formation – Student Affairs (PF-SA) office and the Student Executive Board (SEB) spearheaded this event where students had an overview of each organization’s purpose and mission, and upcoming projects. Ignite organizers held a game similar to the reality TV-show, “The Amazing Race”. Grade school and high school students were divided into teams, while the different organizations set up booths for the players. Each team had to complete certain tasks per booth and they had to collect stickers with different point equivalents. The teams were divided into two batches, and each batch had 30 minutes to complete the entire race.

The school’s newest organization is the Junior Librarian Guild that is intended for students with a great passion for books. “The purpose of this club is to give emphasis on service and to have fun activities that will involve the library,” said the moderator, Mr. Mark Caguioa.

Despite being the adviser of a new org, Mr. Caguioa has high hopes. “At first, I really thought no one will join this club. Surprisingly, a multitude of students, not only from Grade School but also from High School, came storming at our booth to join this club,” remarked Mr. Caguioa.

The different organizations that took part in this event were: the Northfield Servers Society (NSS), an org that trains students to be altar servers; Fortibus, the official school publication of NFD in English; Ang Kumpit, the school publication of NFD in Tagalog; Ka-Tribu, an org that increases social awareness; UnaVox, the school’s choir ensemble; Lemniscate, the math and science club; Project Management Team (PMT), an org that helps the SEB in organizing their projects; Ilaya Music Guild, an org for students with a passion for music; Ilaya Arts, an org for students with great passion for writing; and Mayhem, NFD’s dance crew.

“The purpose of the Organization Fair is for all students to be able to expose themselves to extra-curricular activities that will help them academically. This is also the chance for all Organizations to showcase what they can offer to students,” said Year 5 student and SEB President, Martin Berberabe. “This year’s Organization Fair was indeed a success,” he said, “Join clubs, it will help you.”

PROUD FORTIBOYS. In the photo are (from the left to right) FORTIBUS Moderator, Mr. Bernz Ordonez Caasi; Gio Boncan; Michael Racho; Francis Perez; EJ Tucay; Kevin Abellar, and former moderator, now consultant, Mr. Mark Villaluna. PHOTO BY RON DAVID MANABAT.

Fortibus bags second CMMA EJ TUCAY

NEWS EDITOR

Fortibus, PAREF Northfield’s official school publication, received its 2nd Catholic Mass Media Award last October 12, 2016, in the Star Theater of the CCP Complex in Pasig City.

Their previous issue, “Going to the Peripheries, Volume 4 No. 1” was hailed as the Best Student Organ for High School in the Print category at the 38th CMMA Night. Among over 70 entries nationwide, four school publications were recognized and were finalists. These are “Ang Bakulo” of Saint Augustine School, “Icalettes” of Immaculate Concepcion Academy-Greenhills, “The Republic” of Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School, and “Fortibus”. Fortibus’ print advertisement, “#OfferItUp”, was also recognized and became one of the six finalists for the Best Student Public Service-Print Ad of the same category, but lost against Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s “Stop the Sale”.

A total of 59 outstanding works were awarded that night.

Special awards were given first. The Serviam Award, a recognition for a group or individual who transmit Christian values through media-based programs, was given to the Paulines Institute of Communications in Asia (PICA).

The St. John Paul II award, a distinction for a group or individual who uses media

creatively to uphold Christian values, was awarded to Attorney Eugenio “Toto” Villareal.

A posthumous award was given to Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon-Chua, the late CMMA Chairman & President who died last March 11, 2016.

Some other works that were awarded during the night were Luntiang Panulat of La Salle Greenhills as the Best Student Organ –Grade School and The Varsitarian of the University of Santo Tomas as the Best Student Organ –College. “The Great Unknown” of Sarah Geronimo under Vivo Records Corporation won the Best Secular Album in the Music category.

“Failon Ngayon” of ABS-CBN 2 won as the Best Public Service Program in the category Television. One award was given to two entries, namely ABS-CBN 2’s “Be My Lady” and “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” as the Best Drama Series/Program in the category Television.

The 2016 Cardinal Sin Catholic Book Awardees that were recognized last September 14, 2016 were also mentioned during the program. Some of those who were awarded are Bo Sanchez’s “How to Avoid Jerks and Jerkettes So You Can Find God’s Best”, that won the Family Life category; and Russell Molina’s “Hugging the Trees”, that won the Youth and Children category.

The night started at 6 pm and ended at 9 pm. The invocation was led by First

Runner-Up of The Voice Kids 2, Reynan Dal-Anay. A welcome address was given by Rev. Fr. Rufino C. Sescon Jr., Trustee & Executive Director of the CMMA Foundation, Inc.; and a special message was given by His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila & Honorary Chairman of the CMMA .

The theme of the 2016 C M M A i s “C o m m u n i c a tion and Mercy, A Fruitful Encounter”, based on Pope Francis’ message for World Communications Day. This was evoked during the speech of Cardinal Tagle, “We hope every act of communication is mercifully done.” Cardinal Tagle also pointed out mercy in relation to communication, “What is the heart of God? Mercy, the only communication that gives Hope.”

During the intermissions, talented individuals and groups performed. Some of these were Elha Mae Nympha, the Grand Winner of the Voice Kids 2 and Esang De Torres, Second Runner-Up of the Voice Kids 2 who gave song numbers; and AC Bonifacio of Lucky Aces who gave a dance number.

Seven Fortibus representatives attended the event to receive the awards. These were Mr. Mark Villaluna, Mr. Bernz Caasi, Francis Perez, Gio Boncan, Michael Racho, Kevin Abellar, and EJ Tucay.

Villaluna was the previous Teacher-Moderator of Fortibus during the release of the award-winning issue, togeth-

er with Perez, the previous Editor-in-Chief; Racho, the previous Associate Editor; Abellar, the previous Secretary; and Tucay, the Head News Editor. Mr. Caasi and Boncan are the new Teacher-Moderator and Editor-in-Chief respectively, for this school year.

Fortibus now aims to join Southridge’s official school publication, “The Ridge”, in the “Hall of Fame”. To be a Hall-of-Famer, the individual or group should be awarded for at least five times. Fortibus currently holds two CMMA awards, one from last 2014 and the other from this year.

“

What is the heart of God? Mercy, the only communication that gives hope.

Cardinal Tagle

SEB welcomes NFD students for A.Y. 2016 JACOB SUNGA

NEWS CORRESPONDENT

MARINERS ON THE MOVE. Students flock to the covered court to visit the booths prepared by the organizations.

PHOTOS BY KEVIN ABELLAR

PAREF Northfield held its first-ever ‘First Day’ program entitled ‘Setting Sail’ last July 12 and 13, 2016 at the campus covered court.

T h e n e w l y- e l e c t e d Student Executive Board (SEB) organized the entire two-day event. The first day was for grade school students, while

the second one was for high school. To hype the students, SEB gave freebies to early-birds.

One hundred candies were given for grade school and 50 ball pens for high school.

T h e f i r st d ay o f t h e program started after the Flag Ceremony with the opening remarks of the SEB president, Martin Berberabe. Elementary students were given name tags and were ushered to their

classrooms by high school volunteers. Meanwhile, the SEB prepared a photobooth by the canteen area for students who wish to have their picture taken.

In the second day of the event, the new teachers of PAREF NFD were introduced.

In the beginning of the school year, three new teachers joined the faculty: Jun Abejo, Religion; Darwin Quitan, Arts, Civics and Religion; and Mr. Bernz

Ordonez- Caasi, Literature and Religion. Mr. Daniel Pascual is also Northfield’s new psychometrician and counselor in the Personal Formation Office.

Martin Berberabe and Kevin Abellar, Team Captains of Anchor and Vinta, welcomed their new members with their houses’ cheers. Dino Robles, an alumnus of PAREF NFD, also performed to welcome the Mariners for this school year.

VIRTUS IN VERITATE

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VOLUME 5 NO. 1

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Northfield opens A.Y. 2016 with facility renovations new classroom, now occupied by 5th Grade students. Soundproof windows replaced the NEWS CORRESPONDENTS old windows of each classRenovations in PAREF room to ensure improved Northfield went in full concentration for the students.

Northfield now has a fully swing in preparation for operating multi-purpose hall, the school year 2016-2017. a computer lab, and a library Air conditioning units or a Learning Research Center. were installed in all classThe library was revamped rooms but were not running with new furniture and indue to an electrical system terior changes.

In addition, problem with the City Hall and Meralco. The trans- five computers were made former for the units was fixed available at the library for during the one week sem- the use of students. The new break. Students started using computer lab is now more the AC units last November 7, spacious and efficient for 2016. The AC unit in the Grade classes. Thirty computer units 9 and the Grade 5 classroom were installed and are used by had no problems and were High School students. A/C used by the class since the units, together with soundfirst quarter of the school year. proofed windows, were also The old computer room was installed in the multi-purrenovated and turned into a pose hall, located at the 3rd

GREG PIENCENAVES & ETHAN PRE

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floor of the school building.

A new set of stairs were constructed beside the Personal Formation office for students to have easier access to the second floor. The narrow set of stairs by the PF office is now off-limits for students for some safety reasons, and is for teachers’ use only. The teachers’ faculty room has a new entrance by the hall, near the comfort room. The narrow set of stairs serves as a shorter way for teachers to go to the second floor.

“These renovations are necessary for a more conducive learning environment Better facilities increase our learners chances of studying well and in succeeding with other school activities,” said Mr. Emmanuel Sator, NFD Executive Director.

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BETTER FACILITIES. PAREF Northfield opened academic year 2016-2017 with newly renovated facilities. 1) The multi-purpose hall could be repartitioned into two separate function rooms. 2) Computer lab was modernized. 3) The new library looks more like a cafe. PHOTOS BY MARK VILLALUNA.

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Year 5, Grade 8 dominate ‘sabayang bigkas’ UNDOI CALVARIO IN-FOCUS EDITOR

PAREF Northfield celebrated its annual ‘Buwan Ng Wika’ celebration themed: “Filipino: Wika Ng Karunungan,” August, 2016.

The theme highlighted the Filipino language as the foundation of our knowledge and wisdom to combat any such notion of superiority that usually comes when one is fluent in a foreign language. This objective was manifested in the various contest pieces used during the academic activities and the culminating event.

The culminating event occurred last August 26, 2016 in the campus’ covered court.

Three classes emerged victorious, each in its own category.

The Grade 4 class won against Grades 3 and 5 in the category Sabayang Pagkukuwento with the piece, “Ang Sapatos Ni Mommy” by Segundo D. Matias Jr. Grade 8 won against Grades 6 and 7 in the category Sabayang Pagpapakahulugan ng Tula with the piece, “Tatag ng Wikang Filipino, Lakas ng Pagka-Pilipino” by Avon Adarna. Lastly, the graduating batch, Year 5, won against Grades 9 to 11 in the category Sabayang Pagbigkas with the piece, “Wikang Filipino” by Marvin Ric Mendoza. Grades 1 and 2 did not compete but

instead prepared intermission numbers for the audience.

As with previous Buwan Ng Wika celebrations, festivities commenced in the days prior to the culminating event with academic activities organized by the Filipino department. However, fewer academic activities were organized this year as compared to previous years. Tagisan Ng Talino and Paglikha Ng Paskil were not present in this year’s academic activities.

The Buwan Ng Wika festivities would not be complete without the traditional “salu-salo” right after the culminating activity, wherein everyone savors the delicious food available in every class, which to many, is as highly-anticipated as the performances themselves.

“I agree with theme of this year’s Buwan ng Wika,” said Martin Berberabe, Student Executive Board president.

“As cliché as it sounds, our language is what makes us Filipinos. Our language is the source of our knowledge because without our language we would never understand each other. With our language, we get to share our ideas, our stories, and our knowledge to all the people around us.

We learn by appreciating and using our language So yes, CHAMPIONS. The graduating Year 5 class dominated the upper high school division with a convincing in short, wikang Filipino is a creative interpretation of their piece. Meanwhile, the current Grade 8 batch retained their title as the source of our knowledge.” champions of the lower high school division. The batch has been a consistent winner for 3 years now.

LIST OF WINNERS PAGTULA Grade 1: First Place – Marco Gomez, Second Place – Ayo Andres, Third Place – Cito Reyes Grade 2: First Place – Javi Encarnacion, Second Place – Inigo Barnachia, Third Place – Tristan Papas Grade 3: First Place – Gabby Braganza, Second Place – Jose Benitez, Third Place – Kobe Camaso MALIKHAING PAGKUKUWENTO Grades 4-5: First Place – Raphael Buendia, Second Place – Joaquin Garcia, Third Place – Anton Tanchuling Grades 6-7: First Place – Anton Encarnacion, Second Place – Luis Isidro, Third Place – Amanu Syquia MADULANG PAGTATALUMPATI Grades 8-10: First Place – Lucas Bonifacio, Second Place – Alfonso Syquia, Th i rd P l a ce – Q u e n zo Agravio BIGLAANG PAGTATALUMPATI Grade 11 and Year V: First Place – Francis Perez, Second Place – Sam Sarandona, Third Place – Martin Berberabe

Fortibus

CAMPUS

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. JOSE BARTOLOME

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THE PIONEERS. The combined sections of 11A and 11B make up the first Senior High School batch of PAREF Northfield School for Boys. Most of them are taking the General Academic Strand (GAS).

Northfield rolls out senior high program MR. BERNZ CAASI, CARLOS ALAMAG & JOAQUIN DE DIOS NEWS CORRESPONDENTS

PAREF Northfield rolled out in AY 2016-2017 the full implementation of the Senior High School (SHS) Program in response to the enactment of the Enhanced Basic Education Law or K-12 in May 2013.

This happened after the yearlong preparations in updating the curriculum and realigning the academic standards of the school. “We spent the first months of the year until summer planning the curriculum and studying different teaching approaches that can used specifically for SHS,” recalled Mr. Jose Graciano Bartolome, the SHS Assistant Program Coordinator.

Prior to the legislation of the K-12 program, the country has six years of Elementary Education (Grade 1 to 6) and four years of High School Education (First Year to Fourth Year). With the new system, two years are added in high school, making the first four years the Junior High School (Grades 7-10) and the additional years the Senior High School (Grades 11 and 12).

During their senior high school, students will have introductory courses usually being taken in first two years of college in the old curricu-

lum. The general SHS Curriculum handles three main subject classes namely “Core Subjects”, which include Humanities, Science, Mathematics, and Social Science.

SHS Strands For Northfield, this ushered in changes in the school’s subject offerings, schedule, and academic calendar. The SHS program, as compared to the former curriculum, is now divided into two semesters which run from July to November, and November to April, respectively.

Apart from the added subjects in the core curriculum, DepEd’s Senior High School program also adds four tracks to the High School Curriculum: an Academic Track, a Technical-Vocational Track, an Art and Design Track, and a Sports track. These tracks are intended to help the students prepare for more specialized courses that they would be taking in college. Moreover, DepEd also envisions that through this system, students can already acquire basic mastery of concepts and skills necessary for them to be prepared in entering the university or the workforce and even starting their own businesses.

Since long before SHS was implemented in the country PAREF schools have

already been following the K-12 model, the Academic Council decided last year to limit NFD’s offering to just a single yet more flexible General Academic Track for students.

Mr. Bartolome said, “The strand that the school is offering is the General Academic Strand, wherein students are able to take subjects in different fields. However, we modified the program a bit and offered what we call ‘ministrands’, such that the students can take up elective subjects.”

U n d e r t h e s c h o o l ’s General Academic Track, students can choose three more specific ministrands which are Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Humanities and the Social Sciences (HUMSS), and Accounting, Business and Management (ABM).

the Introduction to Philosophy (2nd semester), which introduces the students to the concepts of the human person and the discipline of analytical thinking.

Full time faculty members also handle the new subjects in the new curriculum. Mr. Harold Colon gives an overview of general psychology in the Personal Development class (1st semester) and he also introduces the students to academic writing through the Research class (2nd semester).

Mr. Jose Graciano Bartolome trains the students to be effective leaders and managers in Organization and Management (1st semester).

He also helps the students conceptualize new and sustainable business concepts in Entrepreneurship (2nd semester). Mr. Bartolome also teaches General Mathematics (1st semester) which has algebra and business math New Subjects & Teachers components; and Pre-CalcuAs the senior high school lus Elective (2nd semester) program brought additional for those who are interested subjects to the curriculum, in the ABM ministrand. two new teachers also joined For Science, Mr. Guarra the faculty this year. Mr. handles Earth and Life Science Michael Aquino teaches Oral (1st semester) and Physical Communication (1st semester) Science (2nd semester). and Reading & Writing (2nd Lastly, Mr. Mark Fietas semester) which prepare the teaches research writing in students to be critical con- Filipino through Komunisumers of articles and to be kasyon at Pananaliksik sa competent public speakers. Kultura at Wikang Filipino Mr. Eric Portugal handles (1st semester). He also gives

the students a deeper sense of political and social awareness and involvement in Understanding Society, Culture, and Politics (2nd semester).

Students’ Say When asked if they find the change in curriculum beneficial for them, senior high school students say that the additional two years are really helpful. Students are generally interested in the new subjects that they have to undergo under the new program.

“Senior high school gives us advanced courses and a greater chance to learn new things,” said Chino Frianeza of Grade 11. “Our unique subjects and electives are very interesting for me,” Frianeza added. When asked about his favorite subject in SHS, another Grade 11 student, JV Sobrevilla, said that he loves Introduction to Philosophy.

“In philosophy, I learn how to treat people properly and I also have the chance to see others’ perspectives about things,” Sobrevilla said. He also added that the new program prepares the students better for college because of new learning experiences and challenging requirements. “Senior high school is more challenging.

It’s not like the old curriculum where in exams we only need

to give basic answers to multiple choice questions. Now, we have to do research and write more essays,” he added.

Future plans The preparation for the course offerings of Grade 12 for the next school year is already under its way. To ensure the competency of the faculty for the new program, SHS Coordinator Mark Fietas said senior high school teachers must at least have a Master’s Degree or are currently working on their MA units.

Mr. Bartolome also said that they will continuously improve the SHS program of the school based on the experiences they had this year. “We plan to sustain the program and make the necessary adjustments as we seem fit, especially after the first year where we’ve already had a general feel of the SHS works,” Bartolome remarked.

Although the students will choose their own Senior High School specializations, DepEd’s primer for incoming SHS students says “they will still undergo assessments of their strengths and interests…

Career advocacy activities will also be conducted to help guide students in choosing their specialization or track.”

Hence, the mentoring program of NFD will also help in the students’ transition to SHS.

PAREF NORTHFIELD SCHOOL FOR BOYS

IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICANTS FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL A.Y. 2017-2018 FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT MR. JONATHAN MARIANO @ 9264649

IN-FOCUS

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

PHOTO FROM www.globaljournalist.com

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1

Legitimizing Violence, Violating Life An Insight on the Issue of Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines FRANCIS PEREZ

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

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If we, however, continue this culture of accepting the extrajudicial killings around us, can we still consider ourselves moral beings if the same dignity is no longer respected by the people who vowed to protect us?

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ne of the main issues now faced by our beloved motherland and its current administration is the prevalence of the so-called “Extrajudicial killings”. Although this issue has long been questioned by many pro-life activists and many Filipinos since the 1970s, two months ago, incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte (known as “The Punisher” for his infamous unconventional approach) was berated by many sectors of society, particularly those of the religious and moral, when he issued a “shoot-to-kill” list in relation to his war against illegal drugs and criminality. Currently, several media outlets have reported that the death toll caused by Duterte’s “war-on-drugs” may have already reached more than two thousand casualties.

This is certainly alarming and upsetting for those activists against the killings because some have already reported that a lot of these killings occurred outside of the law.

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The transition from the uprising issue of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines from the 1970s up to the present time tells us the growing number of killings and the growing attention being placed at the issue calls for something. Yet, what considers as an act of killing to be “extrajudicial”? Why can this be a great issue of discord? What considerations can we make out of this?

As defined by USLegal. com, Extrajudicial killing is defined as “a deliberated killing not authorized by a previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples”. This means that the act of killing must be done consciously and intentionally, which was done without prior judgement of the court. Antonio P. Contreras of ManilaTimes. net, however, argues that the drug-related killings couldn’t be considered as extrajudicial

killings because “[he finds] it irresponsible for anybody to automatically label as EJK the case of anyone found in the streets with tell-tale signs of being drug-related, for it assumes that such death was in the hands of agents of the state, when it could be from non-state actors, such as drug-syndicates. While these could include rogue law enforcement officers involved in the drug trade, these are done outside their state-sanctioned duties, and hence could not qualify as EJK.” Contreras also claims that we cannot solely rely on the definition given by the US Constitution even if the Philippines does not have an official definition of what an extrajudicial killing is, but to consider the things that have happened to come up with a definition suitable to us Filipinos. Therefore, he came up with a definition based on the arguments created by the activists who are rallying against this issue: “the death of any person – whether as a

suspected criminal or already a convict in the custody of the agents of the state – should be labeled as an EJK. This is a fair definition, considering that holding suspects or convicted criminals in their custody already imposes on state agents the responsibility of ensuring that their rights are respected.”

It must also be noted that there are severe consequences when extrajudicial killings take place such as the psychological impact on the children of those victimized by the killings (where the children are traumatized by ex-policemen who are committing these kinds of acts) and growing number of issues that may worsen the situation of countries such as ours. For instance, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand attempted to fight for the same cause Duterte is currently fighting for, however the endeavor ended up miserably, causing the divisiveness in local communities since half of those killed were in-

nocent. Another thing to take note of is the credibility of Duterte’s “shoot-to-kill” list.

Do we believe that he has a list of names that are to be included in his “shoot-to-kill” list? Does Duterte even realize the consequences of creating and publicizing this list?

Now what does the issue of extrajudicial killings imply in our society today? People need to relook their basic beliefs regarding the value of every human life. The human being is incomparable to every other creature created in this world because it contains the gift of freedom which allows him to make use of his capabilities and talents to the fullest. He is expected to consider the dignity of human life because this is the same concept that protects him from being harmed. If we, however, continue this culture of accepting the extrajudicial killings around us, can we still consider ourselves moral beings if the same dignity is no longer respected by the people who vowed to protect us?

Fortibus

IN-FOCUS

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

QUOTED

An Exodus to Peace

The Syrian Refugee Crisis and the World Today

PHOTO FROM LATIMES.COM

As people of faith, we wish to join our voices to speak out on your behalf. We hope that the world will heed these scenes of tragic and indeed desperate need, and respond in a way worthy of our common humanity.

Vatican Leader Pope francis

ALVARO PATO

FEATURES CORRESPONDENT

ith the ongoing war against ISIS, many people have been caught in the crossfire. Refugees have been come from all over the Middle East, attempting to seek asylum in many European countries. At least 4.8 million people have been displaced from Syria alone.

Many European countries such as Germany, Sweden, France, the United Kingdom, and even countries outside of Europe such as Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, etc., have been accepting these refugees. Outgoing United States President Barack Obama plans to take in 10,000 refugees by the end of 2016.

However, due to the Paris attacks last year, the vetting process for the Syrian refugees became even more rigorous than it had ever been before.

Republican governors, lawmakers, and presidential candidates are calling for a

is referred to the U.S., the government puts them through their own screening which includes consultation from nine different government agencies who meet up weekly to decide which refugees are to be allowed in U.S. soil. This process is increased if the asylum-seeker is Syrian. Syrian refugees are required to go through the vetting process of the State Department, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Centre, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security. This includes in-person interviews with a DHS officer, collection of biometric information that is matched with criminal and terrorist databases. Only about 50% of the applicants pass this process that takes between a little over one to two years to complete. These applicants are mostly the elderly, children, and women.

Hardly any “combat age” men pass this vetting process.

Even though rigorous vetting processes do not

totally guarantee that a terrorist would be unable to infiltrate the U.S. border, the probability of one getting through is quite low. Since the attack on September 11, 2001, the U.S. has accepted and resettled over 750,000 refugees without this tedious process. Of these, just three people have been arrested for planning terrorist activities.

This is still a heavily-debated topic until today and as of time of writing, it is unsure how the U.S. is going to handle it.

In the meantime, while the U.S. is being swayed from within, France is still willing to accept refugees within their borders. On September 24, 2016, Francois Hollande, President of France, called for the closure of the Calais refugee camp so that they could move the refugees there into reception centers within the border of France, as he called the living conditions of refugees living in the Calais camp “unacceptable”. He plans to move up to 9,000 refugees from the

Calais camp to reception centers since the announcement of this plan. Currently, over 2,800 refugees have been moved to reception centers within France.

Hollande said that “30,000 refugees will be welcomed over the next two years. Our country has the duty to respect this commitment.” This is an example that should be followed by everyone. The Republican Party in the U.S. is moving to stop the flow refugees to America, despite not having a serious external terrorist-related incident in the past fifteen years, France, who has just lost at least 129 people due to terrorist attacks, is still willing to let refugees into their country considering the risks.

The refugee crises brought about by terrorism is not merely a political issue, but a moral one.

To care for these refugees is a social duty. We all deserve the right to live.

PHOTO FROM UNHCR.ORG

PHOTO FROM VDU.LT

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halt to the acceptance and resettlement of Syrian refugees in the United States., because of their belief that, just like France, a terrorist posing as an asylum-seeker could slip inside the borders of the U.S. These refugees from all over the Middle East are the most heavily vetted and screened people among the other categories of people entering the U.S. The vetting process begins in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the U.N.’s refugee agency. They are responsible for registering and resettling over 15 million asylum-seekers around the world. The asylum-seeker must go through multiple background checks which include in-depth refugee interviews, home country reference checks, and biological screening. Ex-combatants don’t usually pass this process.

Once this is done, they will be referred to countries accepting refugees. When a refugee

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FLIGHT FROM THE WARZONE. Topmost - Thousands of Syrian families push their way to the borders of neighboring countries like Turkey and Lebanon to escape the threat of being caught in the crossfire.

Leftmost - Women and children are the most vulnerable of the refugees. Rightmost - In a desperate attempt to find a safer haven, the refugees tried to cross the sea onboard rubber boats and rafts. Many have perished in the process.

In the faces of suffering families, our nation of immigrants sees ourselves.

US President Barack Obama

Refugees, undoubtedly, need our compassion and support.

However, the only way to solve this problem at a fundamental level is to restore the statehood where it has been destroyed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Europe is based on values and principles, and the right to asylum is part of foundation.

French President Francois Hollande

FROM HUFFTINGTONPOST.COM

6

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1

OPINIONS

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

EDITORIAL

Dignifying Dignity Respect for Human Life amidst Today’s Throwaway Culture

any people in present-day society have access to an unprecedented range of goods and services, necessities and luxuries. Most of these products are accessible with just a few taps of a finger, a quick call or a short walk or drive to the mall. In other words, it takes very little time for people to get what they desire when they want it. It is a fact that people have easier access to “desirables” more than any other time in our history.

While acquiring wealth is not wrong, there is much to be said about the superfluous acquisition of such things. The question arises; what becomes of these excess goods after we have lost our taste for them? Many of us do not give a second thought to disposing things we no longer deem useful or pleasurable.

This “throw-away society” can also be seen in the way we treat people.

In the entertainment industry for example, non-committal relationships are often promoted (if not praised) in TV shows and films. There seems to be an increase in the number of TV series that portray people being treated as temporary instruments of pleasure, playthings that one may freely discard when one is tired of them. Consequently, they have even permeated the lives of many entertainers themselves!

In our own country, the problem of drugs has started a cycle of executions of drug suspects, catching the attention of international media and human rights groups. In an report published by the UK-based newspaper The Guardian last October 17, 2016, it was presented that our government and our president have shown no reservations in talking about the killing of drug suspects while branding the slain innocent as “collateral damage.” All these actions diminish human persons and lead to their objectification.

Unlike material goods, which can be purchased, used and disposed of, persons have unique God-given qualities, the intellect and will. These must afford them universally distinct rights apart from animals and material objects. Thus, human persons have dignity because they are created in the image and likeness of God. When this “disposable” mindset becomes widespread in our Philippine culture, the results can be catastrophic especially for young and impressionable minds. When one stops viewing people for what they are, created in the image and likeness of God, then one no longer recognizes the dignity inherent in them. This is a morally unacceptable standard, for instance, who is to say that the elderly and disabled cannot be euthanized or that the unborn be aborted. Indeed, one’s recognition of the value of a human life begins to fall apart. Correspondingly, one’s mindset towards interpersonal relationships will begin to degrade.

During his visit to the United States in September of 2015, Pope Francis said, “There are no longer close personal relationships. Today’s culture seems to encourage people not to bond with anything or anyone, not to trust. The most important thing nowadays seems to be follow the latest trend or activity”. Speaking out on consumerism and what he calls the “throw-away” society, Pope Francis exhorts bishops and pastors to double up their efforts to encourage young people to commit themselves to building families. “I would therefore like us all to make the serious commitment to respect and care for creation, to pay attention to every person, to combat the culture of waste and of throwing out so as to foster a culture of solidarity and encounter,” (Pope Francis during a general audience on June of 2013).

The family (composed of a mother, father and child) is society’s foundation and is where wholesale change must start. It is here where one learns the value of another person regardless of what they can do or produce. Additionally, it is here where one first learns a sense of obedience to the law and of accountability.

Thus, to address this present-day “throw-away society”, a respect for creation must be maintained. This includes participative solidarity with the poor (through donations, volunteer work, outreach programs etc.), doing ordinary tasks, (chores, schoolwork, errands etc.) with extraordinary effort and most importantly, being committed and accountable to others in relationships especially within one’s family.

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CARTOON BY ANDY YABUT

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I would therefore like us all to make the serious commitment to respect and care for creation, to pay attention to every person, to combat the culture of waste and of throwing out so as to foster a culture of solidarity and encounter.

Pope Francis BEYOND PRINT READ MORE ON THIS TOPIC ONLINE

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Fortibus

OPINIONS

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

CARTOON BY JIRO MIZUSE

8

For Display, Only

TODAY’S TROUBLES ALDO GREGORIO

FEATURES CORRESPONDENT

ast June while most students had already begun their school year, we in Northfield could look forward to another month added to our annual break. While this news must have come to the relief of many students, it was the aftermath of an eventful summer for Northfield, to say the least. The school has gone through a large-scale renovation; many changes have sprung up around our campus. This initial response to a call for change has been met with warm reception, as students have felt for years that Northfield needed to improve many of the facilities it has offered. Northfield has finally begun to act upon many of these demands that students have been pointed out for years. The school has acted to construct many new facilities, as well as to improve what we already have. Several of these promises have already been met. On the other hand, many of the promises they made remain far from fulfilled as of time of writing.

To be fair, let ’s give credit where credit is due.

The school could effectively enact some major changes over the summer. The most obvious difference in the landscape of the school is a new staircase built over a section of the former library.

This simple act of adding a staircase seems like a trivial addition, a mere afterthought amidst the other renovations, but this is far from the truth.

That additional staircase is one of the most welcome changes that school has given us thus far. You would be mistaken in thinking that we already take it for granted, that we already treat the staircase as if it has been there for years. That, however shows it is something that we truly needed; we started using that staircase as soon as it was built, it has made getting around school much easier. Not only has the new staircase been a godsend for our school, but the new multi-purpose hall is now much more eye pleasing, a far cry from the incomplete old one. The new one now has a proper ceiling which now covers the rafters and wiring of all the lights, repainted and redone walls and new furniture. The multi-purpose hall’s renovation has given it more purpose and a feeling of progress. While we haven’t had any assemblies there yet (more on

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that later), it will be a welcome renovation to our school, a departure from the old and unfinished third floor hall.

While many of these changes have been welcome so far, and have benefitted our school in many ways, there are still a host of things to fix. Let’s not beat around the bush anymore, simply put, only now after the end of the Mid-term break have the air conditioners been operational.

Many students had seen it as a joke, the aircon units have commonly been called “for display only” and this is far from untrue. The school was vague about the announcement of the air conditioning; we were originally told that it would be operational by the first week of August. Now it is just 1 month shy of Christmas.

The deadline of the air-con had been pushed back so much, that students jokingly said they were generally unsure if they would get air-con within the century. Jokes aside, we had paid an increased tuition fee this year. We all paid it in good faith if we would could use what we had paid for.

While we are aware that is not totally the school’s fault, we were not the ones who demanded it by the end of August, the school promised it.

The year is almost half done, and only until recently, only the Grades 9 and 5 had not had to work in searing heat.

The school owes us a refund for what we have paid for the aircon, and to quote Mr. Mark Andrew Fietas, class adviser of 5th Year, “If by the end of August, you do not have aircon, the school will refund the cost for that month”. None of that money has materialized, we have given the school money to develop something that we could not use on time, and as a senior, it was something that I thought I would never get to use. Studying and teaching alike became hard under these conditions, reinforced by the lack of circulation from the now sealed windows, students were short of melting into their seats. The air-con was extremely overdue, the school literally owed it to us.

This is not a statement of entitlement, as beforehand we had effectively paid for little more than paint on the walls.

All-in-all, despite our concern with the lateness of the air conditioning, the school is still on the road of real progress, and it is beginning to speak for itself. Our new SEB (Student Executive Board) has been a force for good this year, they have been hyperactive in arranging new projects for our school. We are now even about to have our first annual fair, with exciting times ahead for Northfield. The school is in a transitional period, and it still has a long way ahead, but the seeds of progress have already been planted. Northfield just now needs to be more consistent and professional about what it offers its students to become the school it should be.

ver since the advent of electronic gadgets, people of all professions and ages all around the world have been purchasing devices such as tablets, Android smartphones, consoles, laptops, desktop computers and even Virtual Reality devices.

People have been using these electronics for quite some time, especially the youth, where many of them use computer gadgets for recreation and entertainment.

These people are the ones who use computer gadgets the most because of their fascination with technology and its constant evolution. The main drive behind their use of computer gadgets are for browsing, entertainment, gaming and social media. However, many children are beginning to use their devices more for gaming and entertainment, thus spending increasingly less time interacting face-toface with parents, siblings and peers. In addition, study time is also cut short due to these habits. Due to these practice, there are lot of negative effects experienced by the user.

There must be a balance when using devices, so that there’s time for everything.

Preventing these negative effects is hard especially when there is that urge to turn the smartphone button on, or turning the desktop’s power button on to play your favorite game. This desire overcomes one’s self-control and breaks the balance you are trying to maintain.

The influence of these devices upon the younger population can either have a good or bad effect on the users.

A positive use for electronic devices is for studying. Google for example, is a search engine where you type your query, and it automatically finds the information you need. It can

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A recent article from the New York Times states that computer addicts have poor academic standards because of an increased tendency for distraction.

Playing on tablets, or chatting with friends through social media can also have a large impact on the user’s writing skills.

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The Road to Brain Dead

also point you to websites and forums where one may be able to get an answer. There are also games which engage players to think. Games like virtual chess engage the user’s strategic thinking.

Strategy games may improve brain activity in addition to developing skills that can be used in a life situation.

Computer devices, however, can also have harmful effects on the user in health: studies have shown that touch-screen devices are indeed harmful to the cognitive development of a child. A recent article fom the New York Times states that computer addicts have poor academic standards, because of an increased tendency for distraction. Playing on tablets, or chatting with friends through social media can also have a large impact on the user’s writing skills.

This is due to the touchscreen interface of today’s modern tablets and phones.

Using this function is very common when typing on a screen. Devices may also have a negative effect on character: Many young users nowadays, tend to accidentally come across inappropriate content.

Do you think that using devices continuously on a regular basis with no moderation is beneficial for you?

Think again! There may be some benefits for children which electronics can give, but they’re few and far in-between. The negative effects on the other hand are many and are almost always experienced by children, which in turn, can lead children to unpleasant life and a negative childhood. These effects may remain with them forever and likely will be impossible to remove from practice.

Parents should try their best to moderate their children

TECH TALK

AGU SYQUIA

NEWS CORRESPONDENT

when using computer devices especially in gaming. In addition, they must limit the abuse of said rules. The use of electronics is perfectly fine provided certain rules and boundaries are respected such as those established by one’s parents. Even though these rules may be difficult to follow, it is still wisest to follow your parents because they know what is good for you even if it may not seem that way at first.

Electronics have already become a big part of our lives.

Many of us use them every day for a variety of tasks. Whether for gaming, chatting with friends online or browsing, it is an activity that is often addicting and hard to control.

This addiction is a problem that affects not only children but the whole world. At this point is nearly impossible to take away this passion for computer devices. The advancement of technology urges us otherwise, but we need to control ourselves. If we in contemporary society do not control ourselves, use gadgets in moderation or reject the temptation of using these devices for negative things, what will happen to the next generation? We need to educate people about the proper use of electronics as well as their dangers.

VIRTUS IN VERITATE

OPINIONS

VOLUME 5 NO. 1

F E AT U R E D S T U D E N T E S S AY

9

THE EDITORIAL BOARD & STAFF

At the Turn of the Day MICHAEL RACHO

FEATURES CORRESPONDENT

hange is here, for better or for worse.

For bitter or sweet.

What was promised was given, and the people received it.

Some received it in different ways than others. Some took joy in the fact that the prosperous idea of safety and stability seemed no longer so far away. For the first time in what has seemed to be an eternity, strength was found within a congress of disunity.

They take solace in the fact that a better tomorrow may finally come. But some took it with anger, with disbelief.

How could it be that change would come through a means so vile and unorthodox! How could change come through ideas that went against their very morals and principles!

They have lost whatever little hope they have left in the system. They flee from their cradle, fearful of the

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consequences that change may bring. They do not see a better tomorrow, rather they see a step back into yesterday.

But Tomorrow does not see Yesterday, and Yesterday cannot see Tomorrow. They are on two different planes of existence, each circling on a different axis. Those who see Tomorrow feud with those in Yesterday. They call them backwards, throw insults and shade. They will not take a single word against them, for the idea of Tomorrow is perfect in the eyes of its beholders. Tomorrow brings the sun, which will turn away the colds of the era and bring forth a new era. They care not if principles are being stepped on, if dignity is tossed aside.

The frustration of living in darkness has quelled any attempt at reasoning with them otherwise. They rage on and conquer, and what they cannot conquer they destroy. Such is the way of Tomorrow. But it must be said that at the very core of

Tomorrow is the love for the Sun, with all its rays of glory. Tomorrow may be rude, uncouth and somewhat vile, but at the very center of it is a Yellow Star, blazing brighter than any other before it.

But the men living in Yesterday are just as stubborn in their beliefs, in which Tomorrow fights with a blunt sword.

Yesterday fights with a hidden pen. The men of Yesterday prefer to write rather than fistfight, giving their opinions in well-made messages which they spread throughout the day. They engage in conversations, political, moral, and theological. They preach their message of good will to whomever may listen. They do not see a rising sun, yet rather a collapsing star ready to explode. The idea of Tomorrow is flawed for they do not fear the darkness. Why should they care for the heat of the Sun when they already have some themselves? Alas it is because of this that Yesterday dawns over. They preach

that they are better than those in Tomorrow for they speak with eloquence and prose, but it is the fact that they think they are better which brings them down. For it is in their message of good will that they demean the idea of Tomorrow, for if you do not agree with Yesterday they will shun you, as does the bird that shuns its chick when it is touched by the human hand.

At the turn of the day, a man from yesterday cannot truly see tomorrow, and men from tomorrow often refuse to look back. Neither side wishes to communicate with each other, to move towards a united Sun. The men of Tomorrow refuse to learn from Yesterday, and for this they cannot move forward. And as Yesterday has yet to realize, their rejection of Tomorrow is only pushing them further back. It is only through unity that we can advance, that we can learn from our mistakes.

For at the end of the day, we all live under the same Sun.

REPRINTED ARTICLE

CBCP Pastoral Statement on Extrajudicial Killings Beloved People of God, We, your bishops, are deeply concerned due to many deaths and killings in the campaign against prohibited drugs. This traffic in illegal drugs needs to be stopped and overcome. But the solution does not lie in the killing of suspected drug users and pushers. We are concerned not only for those who have been killed. The situation of the families of those killed is also cause for concern. Their lives have only become worse. An Additional cause of concern is the reign of terror in many places of the poor. Many are killed not because of drugs.

Those who kill them are not brought to account. An even greater cause of concern is the indifference of many to this kind of wrong. It is considered as normal, and, even worse, something that (according to them) needs to be done.

We are one with many of our countrymen who want change. But change must be guided by truth and justice.

We stand for some basic teachings. These teachings are rooted in our being human, our being Filipino, and our being Christian.

1. The life of every person comes from God. It is he who gives it, and it is he alone who can take it back. Not even the government has a right to kill life because it is only God’s steward and not the owner of life.

2. The opportunity to change is never lost in every person. This is because God

is merciful, as our Holy Father Pope Francis repeatedly teaches. We just finished celebrating the Jubilee Year of Mercy, and the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy.

These events deepened our awareness that the Lord Jesus Christ offered his own life for sinners, to redeem them and give them a new future.

3. To destroy one’s own life and the life of another, is a grave sin and does evil to society. The use of drugs is a sign that a person no longer values his own life, and endangers the lives of others.

We must all work together to solve the drug problem and work for the rehabilitation of drug addicts.

4. Every person has a right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Society has ways and processes to catch, prove guilty and punish perpetrators of crimes. This process must be followed, especially by agents of the law.

5. Any action that harms another (seriously) is a grave sin. To push drugs is a grave sin as is killing (except in self-defense). We cannot correct a wrong by doing another wrong. A good purpose is not a justification for using evil means. It is good to remove the drug problem, but to kill in order to achieve this is also wrong.

6. The deep root of the drug problem and criminality is the poverty of the majority, the destruction of the family and corruption in society. The step we have to take is to overcome poverty,

especially through the giving of permanent work and sufficient wages to workers. Let us strengthen and carry forward the unity and love of the family members. Let us not allow any law that destroys the unity of families. We must also give priority to reforming rogue policemen and corrupt judges.

The excessively slow adjudication of court cases is one big reason for the spread of criminality. Often it is the poor who suffer from this system.

We also call upon elected politicians to serve the common good of the people and not their own interests.

7. To consent and to keep silent in front of evil is to be an accomplice to it. If we neglect the drug addicts and pushers we have become part of the drug problem. If we consent or allow the killing of suspected drug addicts, we shall also be responsible for their deaths.

We in the Church will continue to speak against evil even as we acknowledge and repent of our own shortcomings. We will do this even if it will bring persecution upon us because we are all brothers and sisters responsible for each other. We will help drug addicts so that they may be healed and start a new life.

We will stand in solidarity and care for those left behind by those who have been killed and for the victims of drug addicts. Let us renew our efforts to strengthen families.

Those of us who are leaders in the Church should strive to push forward or continue programs that will uplift

the poor, like livelihood, education and health programs.

Above all we will live up to — we all will live up to — becoming a Church of the Poor.

Let us not allow fear to reign and keep us silent. Let us put into practice not only our native inner strength but the strength that comes from our Christian faith. Our Lord Jesus promised us: “You will have affliction in this world, but take courage, I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

“What will separate us from the love of Christ?

Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.”

(Rom. 8:35,37) Yes, indeed, “For the Spirit that is in you is more powerful than the spirit in those who belong in the world.” (1 Jn. 4:4) As we commemorate the 100th year of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, let us respond to her call for prayer and repentance for the peace of our communities and of our country shrouded in the darkness of vice and death.

A.Y. 2016-2017 FORTIBUS is committed to espouse a culture that promotes love for the truth among its members and the rest of the school community through the objective, meaningful and responsible exercise of scholastic journalism.

CHIEF EDITOR | GIO BONCAN ASSOCIATE EDITOR | MILO ANDRES MANAGING EDITOR | LUCAS BONIFACIO SECRETARY | FRANCIS PEREZ NEWS EDITOR | EJ TUCAY IN-FOCUS EDITOR | UNDOI CALVARIO THE BREW EDITOR | MICHAEL RACHO SCIENCE EDITOR | ALFONSO SYQUIA FORTIKIDS EDITOR | LUCAS BONIFACIO SPORTS EDITOR | JOAQUIN DE DIOS

NEWS, FEATURES, & SPORTS CORRESPONDENTS JED GUTIERREZ IGGY AREVALO ANGELO BONCAN ANDREI CHIO ALVARO PATO ETHAN PRE JACOB SUNGA CARLOS ALAMAG GREGORY PIENCENAVES AZI SYQUIA AGU SYQUIA ALVARO PALABYAB ANTON ENCARNACION SAM BRAGANZA JED REYES MIGUEL DE LA CRUZ ANTON PEZA JULIO BALAGTAS JAY KISON ALDO GREGORIO ALVARO CORDERO

PHOTOJOURNALISM HEAD KEVIN ABELLAR JUNIOR PHOTOJOURNALISTS LUIGI FLORES | ANDREI CHIO | SAM BRAGANZA

CARTOONISTS JIRO MIZUSE | ANDY YABUT

CONTRIBUTORS MR. ROMMEL TRINIDAD | MR. JOSE BARTOLOME

CONSULTANT & ART DIRECTOR MR. MARK - JULIAN VILLALUNA

CO-ADVISER MR. EMMANUEL RENTOY

SCHOOL PAPER ADVISER MR. JOHN BERNARD ORDOÑEZ CAASI

FORTIBUS is the official student publication of PAREF Northfield School for Boys. It is published with the help of the school’s Management Committee. The opinions expressed herein are the views of their respective authors.

They cannot be taken as the position of Northfield as such.

PAREF Northfield School for Boys 107 Scout Gandia cor. Scout Torillo St., Sacred Heart, Quezon City (02) 929 5615 | (02) 928 5956 | (02) 414 6538

Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, Pray for us.

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Abp. Socrates B. Villegas, D.D. Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan President, CBCP January 30, 2017

This article by was written by Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas as an official pastoral statement of the Catholics Bishops Conference of the Philippines. The full-text article was obtained from http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/02/05/1669324/full-text-cbcps-pastoral-statement-vs-illegal-drugs-killings. FORTIBUS does not claim ownership of this article.

FORTIBUS IS ACCEPTING ARTICLES AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FOR PUBLICATION. IF YOU WANT YOUR WORK TO BE FEATURED, EMAIL US AT fortibusnfd@gmail.com

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100 THE FIRST

DAYS OF

AT A GLANCE INFOGRAPHIC BY ALVARO PATO

PRESIDENT

DUTERTE

THE BREW

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1 JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

TEEN ISSUES

ON THE

BALANCE Understanding Teen Suicide in the Philippines & How We Can Save the Young REPORT FROM

MILO ANDRES ASSOCIATE EDITOR

T FAST FACTS

1

The Philippines has the lowest suicide rate in Southeast Asia.

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More Filipino male commit suicide at 2009 persons in 2012.

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Though suicide rates among the young are still low, there has been a steady increase since 2013.

DATA FROM WWW.GMANETWORK.COM REPORT, 2014

BEYOND PRINT READ MORE ON THIS TOPIC ONLINE

BY SCANNING THE QR CODE.

oday’s youth is faced with a new plague. Teens and young adults are, now more than ever, claiming their own lives. This begs the question: What is causing this rise in suicides in young people today and, more importantly, can we prevent this from happening anymore?

Suicide in youth has been a problem for years; always present. The advent of the internet raised this to the forefront with cases such as Amanda Todd and, more close to home, Liam Madamba. Their stories brought the issue of youth suicides to public eyes.

A common thread between many of the teen suicides in recent memory is that their immediate causes often came from school. It could be traced to verbal or physical abuse from their peers and sometimes even their teachers; but the result in these cases is the person taking their own life because of the abuse.

The internet has become a double-edged sword in combating suicide in teens. It has been instrumental in raising awareness towards the ever-growing problem but it has also been instrumental in causing the problem in the first place through cyberbullying.

This can’t be attributed solely forces outside the afflicted. Chronic depression leading to suicide has been affecting people of all ages and walks of life for a long time. In recent times, it has started to affect youth more and more disproportionately. If not directly caused by abuse, mental illness can do even the most outwardly stable people. It doesn’t help that there is a societal stigma that discourages discussion of mental illness or discourages people afflicted with depression to seek treatment or therapy.

The biggest invisible cause of teen suicide may just be contemporary society and what it has come to

expect people to be or to become.

There is a prevalent air of absolute perfection being expected of people today and those expectations are most prevalent in today’s youth. Teenagers and young adults have much higher expectations set for themselves by society. Currently, when being a ‘Renaissance Man’ is highly valued, the pressure and the stress of trying to live up to those set expectations and standards is not be worth it for today’s youth. Pursuing these elusive objectives can lead to a host of problems such as a lack of motivation to work. These problems may ultimately lead to a person taking their own life.

It’s undeniable that people take their own lives every day. With the quantity in which people commit suicide daily it’s a wonder that we haven’t yet been desensitized to people killing themselves on a daily basis. The simplest way anyone can help reform this is to just pay attention. If enough eyes are brought to the issue reform will undoubtedly happen.

Adequate attention and oversight can show bullies and other abusers the error of their ways to make them stop or face justice. If enough attention is brought to the seemingly-invisible causes of teen suicide, it is possible to provide help and treatment to those who need it. If we give teens an outlet to speak and be heard, the psychological baggage which may bring someone to end their own life may be lifted.

Moreover, some legislators are refocusing their attention on the issue of mental health. In the Senate, for example, Senator Risa Hontiveros has been working on the bill that will champion services to improve the mental health of the Filipinos. Also, several non-government organizations has spread awareness on the importance of arresting the negative effects of depression and anxiety among the young.

In the end, it is important for both the government, private sectors, and ordinary citizens to work together in supporting the youth, helping them not to put their own life on the balance.

DATA FROM WWW.RAPPLER.COM INFOGRAPHIC BY MARK VILLALUNA

BY THE NUMBERS

12

6775 2250 3603 922

TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED IN #WARONDRUGS SINCE JULY 1, 2016

SUSPECTED DRUG PERSONALITIES

KILLED IN POLICE OPERATIONS, AS OF JANUARY 17, 2017

We hav opposing t the innocen that of th In the camp criminality, w plaud crimi

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VICTIMS IN CASES OF DEATHS UNDER INVESTIGATION, AS OF JANUARY 9, 2017

VICTIMS IN CASES WHERE INVESTIGATION HAS CONCLUDED,

AS OF JANUARY 9, 2017

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REPORTED BY

GIO BONCAN CHIEF EDITOR

ANGELO BONCAN

4, pu th w iss or de go Ev ha pr fir Se th sa go in de in

NEWS CORRESPONDENT

an dr an al ge pa by

ve to continue the murder of nts as well as he suspects... paign against we cannot apinal methods.

We must all stand together in defending our human rights, as well as the rights of those who cannot fight for themselves.

I did not order you and the police to perform punitive police action. I have declared war against the drug syndicates in this country. You know what is war. War is war.

Senator ILA DE LIMA

Vice President LENI ROBREDO

President RODRIGO DUTERTE

our months after President Rodrigo Duterte took office, 605 alleged drug addicts and ushers were already killed in he government’s anti-drug war. Among other perennial sues of our country, peace and rder are on the top of Presient’s agenda on reforming the overnment and the nation. ven before his presidency, he as already vowed to end the roblem on drugs within the rst six months of his term. Last eptember 18, after realizing hat there are hundreds of thouands of people – even from the overnment – who are involved n the drug business, the Presient asked for six more months n his war on crime and drugs.

As of this writing, more nd more bodies of suspected rug users are being found left nd right. Many people are larmed because of the stagering death toll of this camaign. In a recent survey done y Fortibus, most if not all of

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CARICATURES FROM WWW.MANILASPEAK.COM

high school students at PAREF Northfield are aware of this national crisis of drug killings.

As Quenzo Agravio of Grade 8 observed, a pressing social issue of our time is “everyone seems to be fine with all the extrajudicial killings.” Moreover, majority of Northfield Mariners who were surveyed are against the brutal executions of suspected drug pushers.

When dealing with a widespread and entrenched problem like drug abuse, there are no shortcuts. The current administration seems to have no reservations taking the “easy” way to eradicate the problem. Destroying the problem is not the same as solving it. Likewise, destroying drug users and pushers will not stop the use and sale of drugs.

The black and white portrayal of the drug problem is itself an issue. Many of these small-time drug pushers and users are in a state of poverty.

Having had no formal educa-

tion or training, many of these people let themselves be victimized by the drug trade in pursuit of some income for their subsistence. Some of these penniless folks become smalltime drug pushers. Other times, some of these poor who have jobs, experience poor-working conditions (e.g. long-haul bus or jeepney driving). These people consequently turn to drugs to keep them awake to enable them to do – and keep – their jobs. Lastly, there are persons who use illegal drugs for recreational purposes. For the poor, this means escaping from their reality. Notwithstanding the fact that the use of illegal drugs has always been wrong, these small-time drug pushers and vendors truly have very little to gain in the long run. Their consequent use of and addiction to these substances, though unlawful, is not so much a crime as it is a disease. And like all diseases, it is an issue that can’t be resolved instantly. Martin

Berberabe, the president of SEB echoed the sentiments of not just Northfield students but also of many people by saying that out of respect for human life, “killing any person, innocent or not, is not a solution to fix our country’s problem on drugs.”

Indeed, unless we find the root of the problem, drug lords and cartels can easily recruit new mules to fill in the gaps left by those who have been imprisoned or killed. There will always be another pusher to replace a pusher, just as there will be another user to replace a user. The murder of drug users and pushers before or after their surrender will not contribute to the solution. Drug users are as much victims as they are perpetrators. Some of them deserve penalties for their crimes, but all need to be rehabilitated and eventually given proper work, improving their chances of curbing their vice for good.

All-in-all, the drug problem, though significant

in its own right, is an issue reinforced by the issue of poverty.

Poverty in this country cannot be instantly alleviated, but it can be gradually diminished through various long-term solutions such as proper education.

Knowing this, senior student EJ Tucay said that there should be a balance between order and mercy.” Drug pushers, users and addicts in turn must be given proper opportunities such as through vocational training for a livelihood to re-integrate them into society. The government in turn should re-focus its efforts into finding and bringing to justice the big-time criminals of the drug trade; drug lords, cartel groups and corrupt cops and politicians. In addition, the vigilantes behind many of these killings should themselves be put to justice. All these actions are part of a long-term solution process. Indeed, it will take some time but the results will last much longer than simple wholesale slaughter.

As students of Northfield, we can contribute to the curtailing of drug abuse in this country without resorting to violence. We can do this by rejecting the use of these illegal substances as well as actively discouraging the use of drugs in our own families and communities. The issue of drugs can be further curtailed by involving oneself and peers in productive recreational activities such as sports, reading, drawing, and other hobbies.

At the end of the day, if the law enforcers themselves do not follow the rule of law, how can we differentiate them from the criminals? As Thirdy Luna of Year V put it, “people need to follow the law; this includes the drug users and those who enforce the law upon them.” As students, we are the country’s next generation of professionals and citizens. Unless we learn from these, we will likely continue to make our country more backwards than it already is.

14

THE BREW

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

CHECKMATE REMEMBERING A BELOVED KING ALDO GREGORIO

FEATURES CORRESPONDENT

y crown is called content, a crown that seldom kings enjoy.” As quoted

by Henry VI in the Shakespeare play “Henry VI”, the life of a king is summarized in a short sentence. A king is often a polarizing figure, a king either unites a nation or divides it. He is the talisman of a country; their leader, their father figure, their champion; he can shape his entire kingdom. A king’s reign is never uneventful for it is never without challenges. Some kings more than others are cursed with terrible political situations. A king who is content is rare, one who is fully satisfied with what he has. A bad king will always be greedy for more, but a good king will always think he can offer more. A king is the symbol of a nation and he shoulders the responsibility of the actions of thousands of people. It is quite evident why kings are often featured in classic literature - kings are figureheads, kings are looked up to. It is the rare honor of a king to be the sole representative of his nation in a way that no other man can fulfill.

King Bhumibol of Thailand was one such king, he was the figure of a nation, he was near-divine, he was Thailand’s talisman. As stated by the BBC, “He was the best example of a modern monarch, possessing the ability to drive a country forward.” King Bhumibol was a very important figure in recent Thai history, as he had done very much to develop his good standing with the people of Thailand. He ascended to power after his brother’s death, a troublesome time in Thailand’s history.

He had much to restore, the BBC added

M

that “he had to rebuild the prestige of the monarchy, as it had faded by the time he took office”. The king was very merciful and caring to his people, supporting the plight of the common man. Although many of the prime ministers under him had implemented strict martial rule, he managed to give the people hope. In modern times, a traditional king no longer has the power he once had, they no longer run the country, but it is up to them to inspire their country. King Bhumibol stabilized much of the political disputes that arose during his reign, he was a very good peacekeeper, using his reputation for good.

His reputation carried him far in Thailand, as he was seen as a near-god by his subjects. The love and reverence that he received never waned throughout his reign - this is a telltale sign of a great king. He worked hard to ensure that he was not a puppet monarch, not just a symbol that people rally behind, but someone who legitimately makes a difference for his people.

King Bhumibol was a unique modern monarch, as he is one of the last ones to be viewed as divine, but also one of the only ones to have true political power in his country. Although recently his influence has waned due to his failing health, he remained strong in the hearts and minds of his people. He was the antithesis of an evil and corrupt king; he was a king who truly and wholeheartedly believed in his country.

As you can imagine, the loss of such an iconic figure is a big blow to the people of Thailand, in him they lost their national

father figure. The country mourns his death in droves, rallying up to celebrate his life and reign, in death his people have not abandoned him. However, such a peaceful and calm figure in their political system certainly will be missed, it is rare to find a man who can stop a conflict with words alone. The power vacuum left in his wake has yet to be filled, the country still unsure of the ability of the crown prince. King Bhumibol’s death shook the existence of every man, woman, and child in Thailand, a complete turn in their political machine. The crown prince Vajiralongkorn’s popularity is dwarfed by his father’s, with the crown prince splitting much of his time out of the country. The Thais are not sure of how their new crown prince can succeed such a king as before him.

The whole nation of Thailand is in tears, the floodgates opening to allow hundreds of rallies held in the honor of the late king.

The people of Thailand are distraught over losing a man this important to them, evidence that he was truly a good monarch.

This is the hallmark of a truly great king, how his country reacts to his death, if they can handle it or not. A great king often leaves behind a distraught nation in his wake, a good king ends up being depended on in ways he hasn’t realize. This is the significance of a king’s death, it’s a special event, it marks an end of an era for that nation. Over the centuries, thousands of kings have come into power and have died, yet only the good ones are celebrated after. Many terrible kings have come into power, abusive and

corrupt, their deaths were welcomed gladly.

However, when a good king dies; a power vacuum is formed and the country will not be able to fill it for some time. A bad king will be replaced immediately without even a second thought. Thailand is now at a crossroads, a very unique situation that every monarchy has to face every few decades, they now have to get used to a new sovereign.

Bhumibol’s death has left the country like a headless chicken, the Thais must find their direction and how they will go on from here.

Now unto the future turns Thailand, onto a new chapter of their history, gone now is the great and benevolent king, now time for a new one. It’s a delicate situation for them; they are now treading the edge of a knife. They are about to make decision the will affect their nation for potential decades, it’s a process familiar to any monarchy. The death of a king is a unique event, not only does a country wave goodbye to their father, but now the young can gain control and begin acting in a way that an old king simply cannot.

Appreciate what the King has left behind, and hope that Thailand can preserve this and develop it more.

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PHOTOS AND INFOGRAPHIC FROM WWW.INSIDETHEAPP.COM

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

LUCAS BONIFACIO FORTIKIDS EDITOR

P

okemon Go!, 2016’s most popular mobile game, created by the Niantic company, has taken the Philippines by storm. Let’s back track a bit on what’s been happening to Pokemon through the years.

Pokemon first came out in the year 1995 as a Nintendo video game franchise. Through the years, it became a massive franchise. Aside from the games, it became a franchise for trading card games, animated movies, toys, comics (manga) and for its famous animated television series that goes by the same name.

On September 10, 2015, Pokemon Go was announced and all the Pokemon players were in awe that their favorite Pokemon characters will be brought down to their tablet or smartphone. Social media went crazy. Hype and expectations for the game was high due to the unique concept for a mobile game at that time.

On July 6 2016, Pokemon go was released. Upon the release date, social media once again went wild and companies all over the Philippines started to sell Pokemon Go-influenced products.

Though there had been some delays prior to it’s official release here in the Philippines, people or should I say, Pokemon players,

were very excited for this game.

The augmented-reality of the game makes it a need to get out of your house and roam the beautiful world around you to see what mystical creatures you can find. There were slight changes to the new game like your persona. Instead of using the joystick or “D-pad” (If you have a DS) you walk and walk and walk until you find Pokemon.

This game also has level ranks.

Leveling up guarantees you, the player, some perks. When you reach Level 5 of the game, you get to join one of three teams, namely: Instinct, Mystic and Valor. Team Valor is the red team represented by the Fire legendary bird, Moltres. Mystic is the blue team represented by the Ice legendary bird, Articuno. Instinct is the yellow team represented by the Electric legendary bird, Zapdos.

Another example is the Pokemon itself. Don’t you remember the old days when you just fight to level up your Pokemon? Well in this new game, you level these Pokemon up by trading a duplicate copy of it to the Professor in exchange for a candy. Some continents have exclusive Pokemon to find. The game also gives you a choice to power up your Pokemon by increasing their combat power (CP for short) or evolving them straight away to give them a huge boost to their CP. A couple more examples of said changes were the ‘Gyms’, the ‘PokeStop’ and a more recent addition to the game: the buddy

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1

Pokemon. PokeStops are locations where you may collect in-game items every five minutes. These items include Pokeballs to catch more Pokemon, Potions to heal your hurt Pokemon and eggs that hatch into new Pokemon. This place also acts as a magnet to nearvy Pokemon.

The Gyms in this game were slightly changed because of their “physical 3-D like structure”, their content and members. In the previous games, Pokemon Gyms had a leader and some members whose pokemon share a common type.

Now, it’s like a game of “Capture the Flag” wherein you have the capture the other team’s flag and you now take care of the opposing team.

Just like in the game, you capture the gyms by defeating the Pokemon defending the gym. When all the Pokemon defending the gym are defeated, the gym becomes neutral and anyone can put their Pokemon in to defend it and claim it for their team. Having Pokemon defending gyms will reward the owner with more items.

Lastly, the Niantic company has recently added a bonus feature for all Pokemon Go players: the Buddy Pokemon. Just like Ash in the Pokemon TV show, his buddy Pokemon was Pikachu. Now, the game allows you to pick a Pokemon that will always be by your side to fight and capture Pokemon. If you haven’t played this wonderful game, it’s never to late to to try experience the thrill of the Pokemon universe!

16

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

K

A MOVIE REVIEW ALVARO CORDERO JUNIOR CORRESPONDENT

GAME ZONE

PUZZLES FROM SUPERCLUB.CO.ZA & KIDSCHARTS.COM

ubo a n d t h e Tw o Strings is a very well made film. It is a movie set in Japan way back in the past. A film made by the same studio which produced the films “Coraline” and “Paranorman”, it makes use of stop-motion animation; a method of animation that uses 3D models and shot frameby-frame. The movie is probably the best animated film of this year.

The movie is about a young boy named Kubo with one eye. He is a story-teller. He spends every day telling stories about Hanzo, a samurai who was in constant battle with the Moon King. That samurai was on a quest to look for three weapons to defeat the Moon King; the sword-unbreakable, the breastplate-impenetrable, and the helmet-invulnerable.

Kubo uses a magical Shamisen (a traditional Japanese instrument) to control paper to tell his stories. When he is not telling stories, he lives alone with his mother in a cave beside a cliff near the town.

His mother is the daughter of the Moon King. His mother tells him stories every night about Hanzo, his father. He has to stay in that cave all night because if the Moon King sees him, he would come to take Kubo’s other eye. One day he ends up staying out too long because of the Obon Festival. Two twin sisters, the daughters of the Moon King, attack him.

As he was running away, his mother saves him and sends him flying away telling him to look for the three weapons. He lands somewhere in the north where he meets monkey, the talisman his mother gave him that was given life using his mother’s magic and Beetle, a samurai who was cursed with the body of a beetle. There his adventure starts to look for the three weapons to defeat the Moon King.

There are few main characters in the story. Kubo (Art Parkinson), a one-eyed boy who wears an eyepatch. He lived with his mother for all his life without knowing his own father. He enjoys life even if the

situation is dire, but when he needs to be, he would fight back. He is brave for his age. Monkey (Charlize Theron), a white monkey who acts as Kubo’s mother-figure after his mother sends him away. She loves Kubo without really showing it.

She is really good with the katana and she fights the sisters of Kubo’s mother every time they attack.

Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) is a samurai who forgot everything about his life after he was cursed to have the body of a beetle. He acts as Kubo’s father-figure during their quest. He is really good with a bow and is not too serious unlike monkey.

The twin-sisters (Rooney Mara) both act the same. They were sent by their father, the Moon King to find Kubo. Raiden the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) is the big bad of the film.

He wants to get Kubo, his grandson, to join him in his kingdom. He wants to take away Kubo’s eyes so that Kubo would never see what love is.

The movie is excellent because it teaches you a good lesson. The movie teaches us about loss, and how one can still live despite it.

Kubo lost his father and his eye when he was just a baby, courtesy of his grandfather. He goes through life everyday spreading the story of his father Hanzo to the people of the nearby town. Even though the only things he knows about his father is what his mother tells him, he uses this to cope with his loss. Beetle lost his humanity. He was cursed to live as a man-sized beetle without knowing anything about his past.

He learns that those memories don’t matter when he started making new ones with Kubo. Many other minor characters also lived through their loss as you will see in the ending.

Kubo and the Two Strings is a must-watch movie in 2016. It has beautiful animation, the story is top-notch, and the lessons you learn can be applied in real-life. It is a movie about loss and how a person was able to live through it. I rate this movie 4.5 stars.

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1

SCIENCE

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

S ’ E R U T A N OSS ER REEF L ARRI B T A E R NG G

I Y D E TH

S

cientists have dis- ing is affecting 95% of the covered die-off Great Barrier Reef. Most in the world’s recently, we have learned largest reef; the Great that 35% of corals in the Barrier Reef, prompting central and northern parts the Australian govern- have already been killed.

Bleaching occurs ment to issue its highest when the warm ocean response level (level-three water stresses corals to response). This level-three the point that they expel response refers to the the tiny algae, known increase in surveying of the massive Great as zooxanthellae, which Barrier Reef system. normally live inside their However, to fully under- tissues. The algae provide stand the gravity of the the corals with most of situation, one must first their food, as well as their have an idea of what color. If the heat stress is the Great Barrier Reef is. lessened soon enough, The Great Barrier the corals can recover. If Reef, off the coast of not, the organisms will die.

According to sciQueensland in northentists, the worst coral eastern Australia, is the bleaching in more than 15 largest living thing on years has hit Lizard Island earth, and is even visible off far north Queensland, from outer space. The 2300 kilometer-long prompting fears about ecosystem is comprised northern parts of the of thousands of reefs Great Barrier Reef. Majorand hundreds of islands ity of Lizard Island’s reef made of over 600 types flat surrounding the island of hard and soft coral. showed signs of bleaching.

The corals in the It is home to countless remote far north of the species of colorful fish, reef experienced extrememollusks, and starfish, ly hot and still conditions plus turtles, dolphins, and sharks. Serving as last summer, and were a popular diving and effectively bathed in warm tourist destination, the water for months, creating reef contributes more heat stress that the corals than 3 billion dollars could no longer cope with.

Over the last year, annually to the counabout 12% of the world’s try’s economy. Its area reefs have been bleached, is 344,400 kilometers. due to El Nino and climate According to the change.

Scientists have Australian Broadcastpredicted that half of ing Corporation (ABC), these reefs (more than 5% death among the organisms that build the reef’s of reefs) could disappear structure is most likely forever. The warming of linked to the rising tem- ocean water is expectTHE NATION WEBSITE ed FROM to continue through perature in the HEADER ocean.PHOTO the year, leading to what The rising temperature m a y b e t h e l o n g est of the ocean causes coral global coral bleaching bleaching. This bleach-

event in world history.

However, majority of the reef still remains intact since heavy rains and cloud cover have helped cool much of the area. The Australian and Queensland governments released the first Reef 2050 Plan annual report, showing the 2 billion investment towards the improving of the reef’s health for future generations. The plan accomplished 29 of its intended actions, though it notes that the recovery process needs to be accelerated if they want to continue to be successful.

Scientists have been increasingly concerned about the reef’s future, since more of the gas is dissolving in the ocean as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rises. This refers to the lowering of the pH level of the water (rise in acidity), which can make it harder for reef building organisms to construct their hard skeleton. Reefs are also threatened by the nutrient runoffs from farms, lawns, and industrial chemicals, as well as overfishing of the wildlife that lives in the Great Barrier Reef.

Scientists are hoping that what’s left of the reef can bounce back. However, there is normally a 10-year recovery period, thus making this die-off a very severe blow to the reef.

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INFOGRAPHICS BY THEAGE.COM.AU

UIAT SYQ AZI ESPONDEN CORR

The clownfish is one of the iconic fishes found in the Great Barrier Reef.

19

SCIENCE

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL THE AGE OF VIRTUAL REALITY ALFONSO SYQUIA SCIENCE EDITOR

INFOGRAPHIC BY BBVA INNOVATION CENTER

T

hroughout human history, the world has witnessed the creation of different inventions and innovations. One such innovation is virtual reality, or VR for short. Though it is said to have come to people’s attention since the late 1980s, it has continuously improved throughout the years. To further delve into this topic, one must have a glimpse at what is virtual reality.

Virtual reality is relatively self-explanatory. It refers to the emulation of reality which can be explored and interacted by users through certain devices. Though its development may have started a long time ago, VR continues to play an important and major role in the development of related technologies and other devices.

With the development of VR, the invention and development of certain devices has also been constantly increasing. With this, the creation and development of different applications has also been increasing to further support virtual reality emulation.

For example, Facebook, a widely-used social media outlet, acquired Oculus, a company which specialized in virtual reality and technology, back in 2014 for a whopping price of $2 billion. In their F8 conference which was held last April, they revealed their first social VR experience which allows users to do numerous things such as taking virtual selfies, and drawing interactive accessories to customize their created avatars.

Last October during the Oculus Connect developer conference,

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The PlayStation VR of Sony Electornics is one of the most famous virtual relaity consoles available in the market today.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg displayed a new version of the company’s social VR prototype, which featured new avatars, and videospheres. Furthermore, he also showcased the ability to make video calls from the real world into the virtual world via Facebook Messenger. Facebook Social VR Product Manager Mike Booth, on the other hand, explored the experiments that led to the impressive experience which was showcased during the event.

When asked regarding the launch of the social VR, Booth was quoted saying that it would be out “as soon as possible”. When asked about the specific date, he mentioned “when it’s done”.

However, there are still many more companies that are trying to make their mark in the world of virtual reality. Google, for example, released Google Cardboard, which is a cheaper alternative as compared to other companies. This is due to the fact that it uses a simple self-assembly headset made from cardboard and a pair of lenses.

Coupled with a phone that has VR support, this serves as an adequate alternative that effectively fulfils its purpose. However, it has a downside: a lack of physical inputs. This lack of physical inputs only enables the device to provide a basic experience for the user.

Another powerhouse in the world of virtual reality is Samsung, which introduced their very own Samsung Gear VR.

Since this device does not have a display of its own, it relies on the display of a Samsung smartphone which supports the program.

However, it also has several features such as a simple, one-button interface, and a range of additional sensors and a dedicated trackpad, allowing users to interact with the virtual world. Thought to be standing at a price range between the Google Cardboard and the Oculus VR, this device also serves as a good entry point for those who want a taste of what VR can offer.

As we can see, the world of virtual reality is ever growing, continuing to improve in certain aspects. Over the years, we have also seen numerous innovations which have played an important role in its development. Currently, virtual reality continues to help in numerous applications such as architecture, sports, medicine, arts, and entertainment. In terms of gaming, virtual reality games have become popular with children and adults, continuing to push the boundaries of gaming technology.

Virtual Reality has great potential in becoming a very successful innovation that may help people in different fields of work.

Furthermore, it may also continue to provide entertainment to countless users throughout the world. With the development and creation of certain devices, we are slowly but surely discovering new things – many of which will benefit our day to day lives.

S H U T T E R S PA C E

OF FATHERS &SONS PHOTOS BY MR. ROMMEL TRINIDAD

CELEBRATING THE JOYS OF FATHERHOOD. There is a prevailing misconception that the only role of a father in a family is to be a mere provider. Most of the time, people think that child-rearing is a task reserved for mothers. Studies, however, have shown that fathers whose presence is felt at home and who spend quality time with their children contribute a lot in the overall well-being of their children.

SPORTS

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

Waltzing THE DREAM HOW A NORTHFIELD MARINER EMBRACED DANCESPORT ANDREI CHIO PHOTOJOURALIST

“

In the case of Dancesport, it's something that I really love which is why despite having a busy schedule, I try to dance my way.

N

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREI CHIO

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1

ot all athletes kick or toss balls, run around fields, or swim their way into the finish line. Some simply waltz around, dancing their way to the top.

Dance forms such as the ballet, hip-hop and street dance have been prominent in the dancing scene. These are the forms that typically enter people's minds when they hear the word "dance" due to popular demand. I believe, however, that Dancesport deserves a fair share in the spotlight.

Unlike other dances or sports which have a single identity, one of the things that make Dancesport unique is how it is both a sport and an art at the same.

Also known as competitive ballroom dancing, Dancesport is composed of two dance categories; Latin and Standard.

L a t i n c o n t a i n s f i ve dances; the Cha Cha, Samba, Rhumba, Jive and the Paso Doble, while the Modern Standard Discipline consists of the Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot , Viennese Waltz and the Quickstep.

As a student who competes under the Modern Standard Discipline in Dancesport and have previously been into street dance, I know how the two differ in terms of training. For one, Dancesport really requires a lot of discipline not only in dancing, but in health and lifestyle as well.

Keeping a healthy lifestyle and spending hours of practice are the key to success. Although practice is a common key to success in every other dance ( or even in any sport or art) I believe ballroom dancing holds one of the highest difficulty in performing.

The dance requires a lot of techniques and at the same time, there are many things you have to keep in mind while dancing. As you perform your dance, you are not only focusing on perfecting your every step, but also making sure that your posture, frame, timing, and even floor direction. Thinking of your routine is challenging enough, all the more when you need to keep a lot of things in mind.

Maintaining everything at once is such a big challenge, and almost nearly impossible due to the intense difficulty.

However, thanks to muscle memory, these elements have become more doable.

As you practice the said elements, your body will slowly get used to it that you'll eventually stop having to remind yourself about it every so often. It will all become part of your system, something innate in your body.

Aside from the dance itself, another challenge I face is balancing my school life with my dancing life. Although I do admit that it is quite difficult, it's all about time management. Just like everything that we want to do in our lives, time management is the key.

Whenever I have breaks, I try to finish all my homework and study in advance. When at home, as much as I can, I practice my routines.

At the end of the day, we will always be faced with challenges and difficulties.

But if we are truly passionate about something, we will always make time for it. In the case of Dancesport, it's something that I really love which is why despite having a busy schedule, I try to dance my way.

22 SPORTS

JULY 2016 - NOVEMBER 2016

Anchor sinks Vinta in 2016 Northfield Inter-house Sportsfest SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Anchor outplayed Vinta, 260-170, in the 2016 Sportsfest held last July 6 at the Amoranto Sports Complex, taking the early lead in this year's battle of the houses and securing their position as the event’s defending champion.

The annual Sportsfest is where the school’s houses compete for the first time in the academic year through a variety of sports competitions.

This year is no different as the defending champion Anchor competed against Vinta in six different kinds of events: Ultimate Frisbee, Baton Relay, Obstacle Course, Sack Racing, Flag Football, and Sprint Relay.

The event kicked off with Vinta at the lead but

the Anchor fought back, eventually making a great lead for the house. From that moment on, nothing stopped the Anchor from retaining the lead. In the end, the house of Anchor won by a huge margin against the house of Vinta.

"It was a very big win for the house of Anchor against Vinta. The thing that really separated both houses was the efficiency of the high school students that represented the Anchor house. They were more participative and way more competitive than the high school students of Vinta; the grade school students of both houses were equal because both of them were way more competitive," said Mr. Quito Limbo, the school’s Sports Coordinator.

Mr. Limbo also pointed out that the Sportsfest is not

all about playing sports. Sports makes students learn how to develop their discipline, their time management; it also determines how you are as an athlete – that you must know your capabilities. The students can also learn from their mistakes that they had made in the past and improve them for the future. It also helps a student become a team player by showing his efficiency on the ground. Sports can also teach us how to respect one another because people who play without respect would end up in a bad chemistry in the team one is playing for.

All-in-all, this first major inter-house event of the school year turned to be victory for the house of Anchor.But, with more inter-house competitions coming soon, we might find Vinta bouncing back.

PHOTO BY KEVIN ABELLAR

ANTON PEZA

SPOTLIGHT

JULIO BALAGTAS

SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Hidilyn Diaz, a 25- year old from Zamboanga City, finally ended the Philippines’ Olympic medal drought by bringing home the silver for the women’s 53-kg weightlifting category, finishing with a powerful lift of 200 kilograms in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

This year is Diaz’s third time to compete in the Olympics. She was the youngest competitor in the women’s 58-kg category in the 2008 Summer Olympics. She has achieved a lot in world of weightlifting with awards in different competitions such as the 2007 SEA Games and the 2006 Asian Games.

Diaz’s silver medal is not only the first one the Philippines has won, since Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco captured the silver medal for boxing in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, but her win also marks the first time a woman from the Philippines has ever won an Olympic medal.

Before the start of the event, the battle was initially thought to be only between Chinese-Taipei’s Hsu ShuChing and China’s Li Yajun with the rest of

Hidilyn Diaz’s victory in the 2016 Rio Olympics women’s weightlifting category is the first for a Filipina Olympian.

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the competitors seen to be vying for just third place; making Diaz’s silver medal quite a shock to many people.

Through the snatch portion, everything was still going as people expected it, with Hsu Shu-Ching and Li Yajun leading the way with lifts of 101-kgs and 100-kgs.

Diaz, however, refused to give up and decided to give it her all and make up ground in the clean and jerk portion.

She delivered and lifted an impressive 111-kgs on her first attempt, that lift forced her fellow competitor, Yoon Jin Hee from Korea, to also lift 111-kgs; Yoon was eventually able to clear 111-kgs.

Diaz wasn’t done however; she was able to lift an even better 112-kgs to finally secure the bronze medal.

Although she already had the bronze medal in the bag, Diaz still was capable of achieving more. Shu-Ching was able put up a lift of 112-kgs on only her first

attempt which made her the frontrunner and gave her the best chance of bringing home the gold medal. The pressure was now on Li to pull off an even greater score, she attempted to lift a staggering 123- kgs. Ultimately, the pressure and the weight seemed too much for Li as she was not able to complete any of her attempts.

But to the joy of the Filipinos, this now meant that Diaz had won the silver and Yoon winning the bronze.

Diaz was ecstatic and filled with joy, she then searched and called for her coach and other delegation officials.

After snatching the silver medal, Diaz did the right thing and stayed humble and grounded in victory in saying “Naramdaman ko ang presence ni God kanina nung bumubuhat ako (I felt the presence of God while I was lifting a while ago).”

She went on saying that she was at first, only expecting to win the bronze medal, and that she was shocked when she found out that Li received a zero on her lift. This truly is an amazing moment, not only for Diaz, but for all of her supporters and her fellow Filipinos.

PHOTO FROM qzprod.files.wordpress.com

Diaz captures first Philippine Caught in the UEFA fever Olympic medal in 20 years

JAY KISON

SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

T

he UEFA European Championship (also known as EURO) is one of the world’s most prestigious competitions for men’s football. It is held every four years with the top twenty-four senior men’s national teams in Europe competing against each other. The winning team of this competition is to be crowned as the continental champion of Europe for that certain year. Because of the prestige of this competition and the “hype” it brings to a big portion of the world, it is no wonder that this is the second most watched football competition in the world, next to the FIFA World Cup. This year’s UEFA European Championship (EURO 2016) truly brought the excitement to all football fans around the world because, as always, it featured only the finest players the world has to offer, such as Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid; Germany’s Manuel Neuer of FC Bayern Munich; Wales’s Gareth Bale of Real Madrid; Poland’s Robert Lewandoski of FC Bayern Munich; France’s Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid; and Spain’s Andres Iniesta of FC Barcelona.

In the group stage of the competition, Gareth Bale was considered the “driving force” of Wales by scoring an impressive three goals, giving his country an explosive debut in the UEFA European Championship.

According to the Welsh people, “being in the tournament was already worth celebrating,” but because of their national team’s performance in the group stage, they were able to set their standards even higher by reaching the round of sixteen knockout phase, and eventually reaching the semi-finals of the competition before losing to EURO 2016 champion, Portugal.

Iceland also showcased a surprisingly impressive performance in the group stage by making it to the final sixteen of the competition and also making it to the quarterfinals.

When it came to the final eight, only Poland, Portugal, Wales, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, and Belgium remained.

Portugal beat Poland with a 3-5 penalty shootout after 1-1 result courtesy of Sanches for Portugal and Lewandoski for Poland.

Wa l e s , h o w e v e r, stunned the Belgian people by beating them 3-1 with goals from Williams, Robs o n - K a n u , a n d Vo ke s .

Current World Cup winner Germany beat Italy

with a 6-5 penalty shootout after a 1-1 result from Özil (Germany) and Bonucci (Italy). Host country, France also progressed to the semifinals by beating Belgium 5-2 with goals scored by Giroud, Pogba, Payet, and Griezmann.

With only four teams left in the competition namely, Portugal, France, Wales, and Germany, the tournament was coming close to its end. Meanwhile, the suspense-filled waiting for who will emerge as champion kept everyone on tenterhooks.

Portugal, with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, ended Wales’s impressive run by beating them 2-0. Surprisingly, France, with both goals provided by Antoine Griezmann, also beat the current World Cup champions Germany 2-0, thus facing Portugal in the finals.

Portugal, without the aid of its injured team captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, beat France 1-0 thanks to a miraculous goal from Eder on the 109th minute, making them the EURO 2016 champions.

Antoine Griezmann, h oweve r, r e c e i ve d t h e Player of the Tournament award scoring 6 goals — the most in the tournament.

And so, after one month of grueling competition and an outpouring of blood, sweat, and tears, all teams will go back to their homelands knowing that they fought a good fight.

VIRTUS IN VERITATE

SPORTS 23

VOLUME 5 NO. 1

IN DEFENSE OF

e-SPORTS

KING VS KING RONALDO

ANTON PEZA

SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

O

than him, even in situations where he has a more decent shooting angle, he will still pass the ball to the player for a chance to score.

As many people know Messi capabilities are out of this world, his ability to dribble the ball in a very accurate form even if being defended. Millions of people have praised Messi because of his dribbling skills, even the coaches of other teams have also praised him. Messi is also a gifted playmaker as he can vision in a flash which player is the best to pass to.

Messi has more awards than Ronaldo earning 8 personal awards, and 28 team awards, while his rival earned 7 personal awards, and 26 team awards.

Now, let’s consider Cristiano Ronaldo.

As we know Ronaldo and Messi are both spectacular when the ball is on their feet, but the main thing that separates both of them is Ronaldo's strength and Heading ability. We know that Messi can do many things with the

ball, but he just can't match Ronaldo physically.

One of the factors that separate Ronaldo from Messi is his International success.

After winning the Euro 2016 last July, it proves that Ronaldo has a more consistent record than Messi, because Messi is yet to win an International award in his senior career.

By now people who love soccer should actually now that Ronaldo is the more prolific scorer overall comparing to Messi. We know that Messi is one of the best in the world in terms of scoring goals, but we all know that Ronaldo is better, due to his efficiency when shooting the ball.

Ronaldo has scored a total of 560 goals in all competitions comparing to Messi's 523.

Overall, they are excellent in their own ways. Messi is the more efficient player due to his vision, playmaking and his being a team player.

While Ronaldo is the more complete player with better shooting efficiency, strength, and international success.

INFORGRAPH BY ONEFOOTBALL

ver the years, Barcelona's Superstar Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo have been the most popular in the soccer world. Fans all over the world keep asking Messi or Ronaldo. Some would say Messi, while some would say Ronaldo. Now we are going to give three reasons why each player is better than the other one.

Let’s start with Lionel Messi.

Many people think that Messi is a selfish player than Ronaldo, and always wants to score, but that's not correct.

Messi is the less selfish one, because Ronaldo tends to shoot the ball in bad angles, and always wants the credit, but that's the opposite for Messi. Messi is a true team player who always passes the ball to the player who has a better angle to shoot

MESSI

The battle between these two football kings is not only contained in Europe. It also has cut through the rest of the world.

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JOAQUIN DE DIOS SPORTS EDITOR

E

-sports are electronic games or ‘video g a m e s ’ t h a t a re made into sports competitions. Having already been established as an official sport, many have rejected the idea that video games can be sports because it lacks “physical activity” dismissing them with the phrase, “it’s just a game”.

But before we can decipher whether eSports can be really considered a true sport, we have to know what it really takes for an activity to be considered a sport.

Although there are no set qualifications needed for an activity to be considered a sport there are different characteristics that many sports have that we can identify.

When it comes to most of the sports we’ve come to know, many make use of a ball, judges, uniforms, and certain degrees of training.

There are also set time periods incorporated into the mechanics. For instance, some sports need to score the most points within a certain time period or whoever finishes a task in a certain amount of time wins.

Every sport also has a set of rules that players need to follow and may also have judges or referees to enforce the rules.

When it comes to athletes or professionals that play sports, many have special gear that help them in the environment of the sports they play. An example is how football and baseball players need cleats to be able to run more easily on the grass fields or how fencers wear masks to protect their bodies.

Other than gear, there’s also equipment that goes with the sports like bats, swords, hockey sticks, etc.

Most if not all sports have supporters; their fan-base.

Fans contribute funding for these sports so that they can be showcased in stadiums

and also televised for millions to see.

Any sport may also have its own leagues like its majors, minors, high school, college, etc.

So with all these common characteristics sports possess, we can plug-in the characteristics of eSports to the characteristics of actual sports.

E-Sports has its own set rules. Let’s take DOTA 2 for example; the rules are that whoever is able to destroy the other team’s ancient first wins. Or in CS:GO, whose rules are whoever wipes out the other team first wins.

E-Sports also has it’s own special gear and equipment. Most important of all is the computer. Following that is the trackpad, mouse, keyboard, headset, etc.

E-Sports is also showcased in many stadiums and have millions of fans all over the world who help fund its many tournaments so that they can watch the best of the best players play. In DotA’s internationals 6, fans all over the world contributed to get the prizepool into $20,770,460!

Despite these many qualifications, many people still deny eSports as real sports because they don’t think the people who play it aren’t real athletes because they’re just “nerds in front of computers” that don’t need training to be a professional gamer or that they’re “lazy, fat and aren’t in good shape.”

“Much like professional athletes, gamers spend large amounts of time developing new skills that will help them compete in their games. The core rules of a game don’t change often, but the dynamics change often as new characters and environments are added, or old ones are ‘balanced’ “Out of game, players are constantly going through different scenarios that may come up in a game and calculating their reactions. Preparations can only take you so far, gamers also need to have very fast reaction times and a brain that can keep up with

the pace of the action,” said FactMyth.com.

As stated before, professional gamers need to have “good reaction times” and “a brain that can keep up with the pace of the action” and that can only be accomplished by a healthy body.

Much like “physical” athletes, gamers need a healthy lifestyle to be able to perform their best when they play.

Team Liquid, a professional eSports team has recently hired Robert Yip. A psychologist with a background in coaching sports, physical training and a master’s degree to help the team with things like eating healthier, sleeping enough and also doing things like yoga and physio therapy.

Th e s e p e o p l e d o n ’ t accept it as a sport because other than the previously mentioned facts, it’s “just a game” and this is one of the lousiest excuses anyone can ever give. I agree that eSports are just games but, so is any other sport. Football is just a bunch of people chasing a ball up and down a field and occasionally kicking the ball into a net. Volleyball is just an exaggerated version of “don’t let the balloon touch the floor”.

In a nutshell, every sort of sport is just a game. games loved by people all over the world. These games only turned into sports after the many people saw how entertaining it is to watch talented people compete in the games that they love.

It’s been a tradition since the Mayan empire and these forms of entertainment have been evolving as our culture progresses. We are at the time of technology. Technology has been such a big factor in this generation that visually everything is being incorporated with it. And video games have been a part of it. Why can’t we just move on from the past and just accept this new form of entertainment?

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