Philippine Collegian Issue 15

TAON 91

BILANG 15

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On The Job

HUWEBES, OKTUBRE 3, 2013

The plight of the university’s student assistants Balita

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Tagged

The dangers of instituting a national ID system

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Higher Ground Kultura

Lathalain

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman

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Tagged

The dangers of instituting a national ID system

Lathalain

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BALITA

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

HUWEBES, OKTUBRE 3, 2013

Appeals vs PGH lab fees mounting UP workers to ask BOR to repeal memo at October meet Hans Christian Marin AT THE PHILIPPINE GENERAL Hospital (PGH), indigent patients currently pay up to P4,000 for laboratory tests—a fact that violates the law which mandates free medical services for the poor, according to the All-UP Workers Union (AUPWU).

Under Republic Act No. 747, indigent patients shall be absolutely free from any and all charges incurred by the hospital during their confinement and such patients shall have priority in accommodation.

More than a year into the implementation of new lab fees which were previously waived prior to a series of memoranda released by the PGH, the AUPWU are now mulling plans to directly appeal to the Board of Regents (BOR), the university’s highest decision-making body. The BOR will next meet on October 25.

“Ayon sa pakikipag-usap ko sa [AUPWU], planong mag-apela ang unyon through the new Staff Regent sa meeting ng BOR sa October,” said Jossel Ebesate, former UP Staff Regent and president of the national health group Alliance of Health Workers.

“Gusto [ng unyon] na outright na wala dapat babayaran ang mga indigent patient,” Ebesate told the Collegian.

The matter however should be studied carefully before the appeal can be discussed by the BOR, said incumbent Staff Regent Anna Ramirez.

A week ago, UP union leaders raised their concern over the anti-poor policy in a dialogue with UP President

Alfredo Pascual, PGH Director Jose Gonzales and other PGH officials. In his report to the BOR on September 30, Pascual noted that “according to PGH officials, giving automatic waiver for all the services covered by the Class

ROCK THE (LOWER) HOUSE Photo by Keithley Difuntorum

On The Job

The plight of the university’s student assistants Franz Christian Irorita Kira Chan ANNA, A BRACKET E1 STUDENT, does not have to pay tuition but still worries every day about her other daily expenses. To support herself for two years, she worked as a student assistant (SA), a job that gave her an average allowance of P180 each day—way below the P426 minimum wage in the National Capital Region.

Amid the high cost of education in UP and the spiralling costs of living, the wages of SAs have remained fixed since 2008.

Office hours The 2006 UP System Code states that “[UP] may appoint students as assistants and assign them to the various units” to develop their skills.

But not all SAs work to hone their skills. Others like Anna seek to earn extra money.

SAs may work for 60 to 120 hours a month. Graduate assistants

are currently paid P50 an hour while undergraduates earn P30 an hour.

This semester, Anna stopped working as an assistant because of the meager pay. She also stopped working as a part-time tutor. Anna does not ask for financial help from her poor parents. “Nililibre na lang ako,” says Anna, who requested anonymity.

Paltry pay “Ang isang meal sa UP, kung hindi niyo paghahatian, pinakamababa na ang P50. May dorm fees pa, may readings, may libro,” says Anna.

Like Anna, students are shouldering a bucket of bills – meals, transportation, room rentals, readings, and miscellaneous fees.

“Habang tumataas ang bayarin at nagmamahal ang basic commodities, titindi ang mga pangangailangan ng magaaral na mag-apply for student assistant program,”CharlotteFrance,USCstudent’s rights and welfare committee head, told Collegian.

D rates would burden PGH with costs that, at the moment, the hospital could not absorb.”

The solution, according to Pascual, is higher state subsidy. “We all agreed to undertake efforts to call on the

national government to increase the budget for social services such as higher education and healthcare, particularly for UP, including PGH,” he said in his report.

This year, PGH receives P2.1 billion

A group of student protesters staged a lightning rally that caught the whole Plenary Hall by surprise during the 2014 budget deliberations at the House of Representatives on September 27. The group decried their dissent against the impending budget cuts on state universities and colleges in front of the convening congress but was quickly escorted out by security officials.

The SA program is meant to entice the financially needy to earn income while studying on campus, said Aristeo Dacanay, office in charge of the Office of Scholarships and Student Services (OSSS).

Since 2005, the number of SAs has steadily declined. Based on OSSS data, as of September 30, UP Diliman (UPD) has 28 open slots for undergraduate students and 16 slots for graduate students.

“Mayroon pa rin hiwalay na usapin na hindi sapat iyong sweldo at late pa nakukuha,” France said.

“Kailangan nilang mag-apply sa labas ng pamantasan kung saan mayroon mas malaking posibilidad na makakukuha ng mas malaking sweldo.”

When the UP administration raised tuition six years ago, UP officials argued the revenue would trickle down to students. The

revenue, it seems, has eluded student assistants.

For five years now, the wages of SAs remain unchanged.

“At the end of the day, the students (and their parents) carry the burden of skyrocketing tuition costs and miscellaneous fees,” said Eduardo Gabral, national chairperson of Katipunan ng Sangguniang Mag-aaral, a UP system-wide alliance of student leaders.

Management Issues “Ang mas focus natin ay ang pagpapataas ng sweldo nila,” said France. “Batay sa naunang dialogue namin with the OVCSA, may posibilidad naman.”

UPD Chancellor Caesar Saloma said that students are encouraged to work for the university instead of working in call centers. “We

Sidebar 1: Going for greener pastures Since 2005, the number of SAs working in the university has decreased, showing that many students may have chosen instead to work for higher-paying jobs outside the university.

for its operation, or P700 million lower than UP’s proposed budget.

Every year, about 600,000 Class D patients who earn below P446 wage in the National Capital Region are admitted at the PGH, which waives payment for 192 laboratory tests for these indigent patient patients.

Two months ago, however, the PGH started billing these patients for 147 medical tests that cost between P25 and P4,000.

Common procedures with nominal Class D charges of P25 to P500, such as urinalysis and fecal analysis, belong to the 45 laboratory procedures waived by PGH. Immunohistocehmcial staining exams used for diagnosing leukemia and cancer, among others, are now charged from P1,000 to P4,000.

During the September 27 dialogue, PGH officials noted that “chargeable Class D rates” in many cases were waived if they were found to be unable to pay. The July 4 memorandum on revised laboratory rates meanwhile states that subsequent examinations may only be waived upon submission of two documents, including a “personal letter of the patient or family to the congressman of his/her place requesting for financial assistance.”

In an interview with the Collegian, AUPWU-Manila President Benjamin Santos countered the PGH administration’s claim, saying the union found instances of indigent patients who were asked to pay even for the 45 “no charge” laboratory fees.

“Hindi lamang ito usapin ng policy sa ospital at sa UP. Buong bansa, nagpapagamot sa PGH. Dapat tingnan ito ng maigi para sa mga indigent patient,” said Santos. ∞ should make timely adjustments on our rates,” said Saloma. “Dapat gawing consistent [ang wage ng SA] sa minimum wage, or inflationary, whichever is higher.”

“They render valuable services to the university, and they should be paid accordingly,” said Saloma. But before he could act on the matter, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs has to make a recommendation or endorsement for increasing SA’s pay.

Since 2005, P1.3 million of the UP budget is allocated annually for SAs. This year, only 106 of the 211 SAs receive payment directly from the UP budget. The remaining SAs are paid using each college’s lump sum funds from non-UP research groups. ∞

BALITA

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

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HUWEBES, OKTUBRE 3, 2013

According to health workers,

State neglect forces children’s hospital eviction Arra B. Francia FOR THREE DECADES, THE cash-strapped Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) has been reduced to practically begging the national government for greater subsidy to save the land it presently occupies.

As past and present administrations have failed to allot enough funds for the country’s only tertiary hospital for children, the current price to save PCMC is estimated at P1 billion.

Health workers are now demanding President Benigno Aquino to sign a presidential decree for the donation of the land technically owned by the National Housing Authority (NHA). “PCMC would not be able to raise funds for itself,” Samahan ng mga Kawani ng PCMC president Lucila Ensina told Collegian.

PCMC is facing eviction woes after NHA issued a memorandum asking the hospital to buy the remaining half of the original 6.3 ha of the land it occupies at P1.1 billion.

The other half had either been sold or donated by the government to various agencies.

“Imbes na mapagbuti ng PCMC ang serbisyo sa mga pasyente nito, babawasan pa ng gobyerno ang lupa na pwede sanang pang-expand ng services namin,” said Ensina.

Every year, PCMC serves about 60,000 patients.

Taken for granted This year, the government has allocated allotted PCMC’s

ON BOARD Reports on the September 30 BOR Meeting Gloiza Plamengco AMENDMENTS TO THE UP CODE and revisions on the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) bracketing headlined the September 30 meeting of the Board of Regents (BOR), UP’s highest policy- and decision -making body.

entire budget of P345 million for maintenance and other operating expenses. No budget was assigned for capital outlay. “’Yon ang problema ng gobyerno, dahil bagama’t may pondo na binigay sa PCMC, wala namang itinatalaga talaga para sa pagbili ng lupa mula sa NHA,” Alliance of Health Workers President Jossel Ebesate told Collegian.

In 2008, PCMC asked for an additional P200 million subsidy from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the purchase of the land from the NHA. The PCMC, however, was denied the request, according to Commission on Audit (COA) reports on PCMC’s finances.

Half of the PCMC land have already been sold to other government agencies, such as the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, which bought 2,500 square meters of the lot for over P83 million. Some were donated to the Office of the Ombudsman and Office of Tax Appeals.

For NHA, PCMC has the money for the purchase.

Based on the 2011 audit report, NHA officials told COA that the hospital has “sufficient funds to pay for the cost of the asset.”

Analysis done by Collegian on the PCMC’s finances proves otherwise.

Over the last four years, PCMC has been in the red as operational losses have increased by an annual average of P31.5 million despite hundreds of millions of state subsidy.

Milking PCMC’s eviction woes “Dito makikita ang overriding concern ng gobyerno, na ang pangunahing tunguhin nila ay pagkakakitaan ang lupa upang sipsipin ang natitirang lakas ng ating mga mamamayan imbes na magbigay ng serbisyo na mangangalaga sa mga ito,” said Ebesate.

In the past, PCMC was able to secure a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that would entitle them to

UP President Alfredo Pascual also presented the results of the UP administration-commissioned investigation on the case of UP Los Baños student Alyssa Asilo.

According to accounts by Asilo’s family, the student allegedly died because she had to wait for medical treatment at the university-run Philippine General Hospital (PGH).

Asked if the report practically absolves PGH from any liability, Student Regent Krista Melgarejo said, “Kung based lang sa report, oo.”

ward or infirmary to avoid infecting other patients. The investigation said the resident doctor on duty attended to Asilo as soon as she arrived at the PGH. In an earlier Collegian interview, Asilo’s mother Estrella said PGH doctors and staff told the family that Asilo should be confined to a private room. Her daughter was not treated earlier because the family had to raise P11,800 for downpayment.

She is seeking an independent investigation aimed at determining whether the delay in providing medical care resulted in Asilo’s death.

Asilo case Pascual’s report concluded that the Philippine General Hospital immediately gave Asilo medical assistance.

“Base sa resulta ng imbestigasyon ni Pascual, sa tingin ko hindi pa rin cleared sa liability ang PGH dahil ibang-iba ang kwento na inilapit ng pamilya ni Alyssa. Kaya kailangan pa rin ng imbestigasyon tungkol dito,” Melgarejo told Collegian.

According to the report, Asilo was initially diagnosed with tuberculosis and was not admitted to the charity

YOSHI! Photo by Kimberly Pauig

UP Code amendments Pascual recommended to the BOR his amendments of Articles 330, 430 and 431 of the UP Code. These provisions serve as basis for the “No Late Payment” and “Forced Leave of Absence” policies in UP Manila, and the “Ineligibility Management System” in UP Diliman.

Under Pascual’s recommendation, students who are unable to pay tuition and other fees “due to financial incapacity” may apply for a

a land donation. “Pero sa tuwing makakakuha na ng MOA ang PCMC, huli na dahil ibinibigay lang nila ito tuwing magbabago na naman ng administrasyon,” Ensina admitted.

Former President Joseph Estrada was impeached before the MOA took effect. Former President Gloria Arroyo failed approve the budget for the donation.

Aquino, meanwhile, has yet to make an official stance on whether

his administration is inclined to donate the land amid calls from lawmakers and health workers.

“Napakahalaga ng papel na ginagampanan ng PCMC para sa ating bansa. Sa mga ginagawang ito ng gobyerno, makikita lamang na hanggang ngayon ay napakababa pa rin ang ibinibigay na priyoridad para sa kalusugan,” said Ebesate. ∞

UP’s Joaquin Fernandez grapples with UST’s Jon Rodriguez during the men’s -66kgs gold medal match at the UAAP Season 76 Judo Championships held at the Ateneo Blue Gym on September 29. The Fighting Maroons finished second behind the Blue Eagles, with 35 points off a 10-5-8 (gold-silver-bronze) medal haul.

student loan and may not be barred from attending classes.

But these students, according to the proposal, need to settle their loan obligations before they could receive school records such as diploma.

The plan is set to undergo a series of public consultations.

Pascual’s proposal differs from the proposal earlier recommended by a review committee. Students who are unable to pay tuition are allowed to attend classes, but are barred from registering the following semester if they fail to settle their unpaid accounts, according to the committee’s proposal.

Pascual’s plan is a just temporary solution, Melgarejo said.

“Panawagan natin na i-scrap ang STFAP at kalakip rito ang panawagan na i-rollback ang tuition at maging accessible ang edukasyon sa lahat,” she explained.

Proposed STFAP revisions Pascual also proposed before the board a simplified STFAP computation.

Under the proposal, students’s background will be based on the

socioeconomic classification done by the Marketing and Opinion Research Society of the Philippines. This plan removes superfluous processes requiring students to declare “desired bracket” and special indicators like their gadget and equipment.

Pascual also wants to adjust by 30 percent the income cut-offs of Brackets B, C and D. Currently, students with annual household income of P135,000 to P250,000 are listed under Bracket D. Under Pascual’s proposal, Bracket D will range from P135,000 to P325,000.

E2 students, under Pascual’s proposal will also receive monthly allowance of P3,500 from the current P2,400.

STFAP is not the issue, Melgarejo said. “Ang mahal na tuition ng UP [ang problema ng mga estudyante], kasi wala silang pambayad at hindi ito masosolusyunan ng STFAP,” said Melgarejo.

This proposal is set for another round of public consultations. ∞

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LATHALAIN

TAGGED

The dangers of instituting a national ID system Andrea Joyce Lucas

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

WITHOUT EVER HAVING MET you, they already know who you are. Billions of transactions and exchanges both meaningful and trivial pass before their eyes and ears—from your police records and medical history to maybe even your purchases from iTunes and other online stores.

No secret is safe, and they shall use it as they see fit. A number, your number, is all they need.

The story reads like an intriguing prologue to a thriller novel; but it may soon leap from the page to real life, here in the Philippines, with the proposed national ID system looming ahead once again.

Recurrent proposal Decade after decade saw various proposals seeking to establish an ID system in the Philippines.

The first would be Marcos’s Presidential Decree No. 27, which proposed that all Filipino citizens and foreign nationals residing in the country be assigned a reference number and issued an identification card, to aid in “insuring national security and affording convenience in the transaction of official business.”

Meanwhile, during the Ramos presidency, Administrative Order No. 308 sought the establishment of a unified system of identification to efficiently facilitate “business with basic service and social security providers and other government instrumentalities.”

It was opposed by then Senator Blas Ople, who deemed it unconstitutional, saying it is a “subject that is not appropriate to be covered by an administrative order” and an act of usurping the authority of the Congress in legislation. Other critics pointed to its potential to violate rights to privacy, as the proposal does not state whether the collection of biological data is solely for identification purposes.

The Arroyo administration also revived the proposal through Executive O r d e r No. 420, effectively initiating the Unified ID System which aims “to reduce government red tape and enhance the integrity and reliability of

Illustration: Rosette Abogado Page design: Ashley Garcia

HUWEBES, OKTUBRE 3, 2013

government-issued identification cards in private transactions.” Amid more urgent concerns such as the Valentine’s Day bombing, a clash with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and the expansion of value-added tax, the move was met with protests. Like its predecessors, it failed to prosper.

Criticism Now, the proposal gains momentum again. Representative Al Francis Bichara of Albay has proposed House Bill 11 or the Filipino ID bill, which he said will “serve as the official identification of a Filipino citizen whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, and could be used in both public and private transactions.” It will be a “practical and doable way to facilitate and streamline government transactions,” he adds.

Acknowledging the opposition of human rights groups, he said that the ID system would protect the identity of cardholders from unwarranted and unauthorized access, since it will be of “tamperproof material.”

Criticism of the proposal, however, goes beyond concerns over tampering. Carol Araullo, chairperson of militant multisectoral alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) explains, “[We] are against a national ID system. It constitutes unnecessary invasion of privacy with great potential for abuse by those in authority.” She also expressed her apprehension about its possible use for political repression “in favor of the ruling elite.”

If the bill gets approved, P500 million will be allocated to the production of the IDs—a huge amount that could be spent instead on social services. Araullo also worries that the scheme may only be used to amass funds. With the government now facing numerous cor r uption

scandals, this fear is not without basis.

The initial issuance of the ID would be free for all registrants, but subsequent renewals will be paid for by the cardholders. And with the inefficient production and distribution of existing ID systems in the country, it is easy to see how badly the national ID will fare. Araullo argues that the government has a “notorious lack of maintenance, of system of controls”, such that it takes several months to even years to acquire an ID from the Social Security System (SSS) and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). And even then, the IDs have not always guaranteed proper access to public services.

For her part, political analyst Dr. Jean Encinas-Franco explained that an efficient setup may only be achieved if the government upholds the central tenets of good governance, which are “transparency, predictability, participation and accountability.” Unfortunately, the current bureaucracy’s adherence to these tenets is questionable. Franco has also expressed concern over the staggering cost estimate for the production of the national IDs. Tool for fascism Aside from questions over the costs and logistical considerations, a huge part of the opposition to the national ID proposal concerns its implications on human rights.

“Such a measure will aggravate the already bleak human rights situation in the country where human rights defenders and political dissenters are subjects of surveillance, threats, illegal arrests and detention, enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings,” said Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of the human rights group Karapatan.

To date, 206 cases of enforced disappearances under the Arroyo’s administration remain unresolved, with 17 new ones under the term of Benigno Aquino III. Extra-judicial killings are still rampant, with Aquino’s regime registering 142 cases. Many of the human rights violations have since been linked to the workings of the armed forces, who would be among the enforcers of the national ID policy.

“Proposals with such lame and unfounded bases open the floodgates for the wholesale violation of the people’s civil and political rights,” Karapatan adds.

In the end, the question is whether it is worth compromising human rights for a weak promise of security and efficiency of the delivery of public services. As Franco rightfully asks, “To what extent should a citizen allow the government to interfere with private affairs in exchange for his security?” ∞

KULTURA

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

Higher Ground

Barrio Isko Sipat sa mga tahana’t tindahan sa Area 2

Alan P. Tuazon “I’ve never been certain whether the moral of the Icarus story should only be, as is generally accepted, ‘don’t try to fly too high,’ or whether it might also be thought of as ‘forget the wax and feathers, and do a better job on the wings.’” - Stanley Kubrick RADIOHEAD’S MUSIC WITH ITS sweet, depressing riffs fuels my caffeine-free night at the Main Library. It is half past ten.

Students with bags stuffed with books and readings race against the ticking of the clock.

As for me, I have to earn excellent marks in my f o u r remaining exams t o

Julian Bato ISA MARAHIL SA PINAKAUNANG mga hamon sa mga bagong iskong tulad ko ang maghanap ng magiging ikalawang tahanan para sa susunod na apat o limang taon sa UP Diliman.

At kung mura at malapit na boarding house ang hanap, tiyak na kabilang sa listahan ang Area 2 na nasa loob mismo ng kampus.

Pagkaliko pa lang ng Post Office papasok sa kalye ng JP Laurel, kapansin-pansin agad ang dami ng tao na labas-pasok sa lugar na ito.

Maaliwalas ang paligid. Masaya ang kuwentuhan ng mga estudyanteng kumakain sa kabilang hanay ng mga sari-saring karinderya at tindahan.

Sa paghahanap ko ng boarding house, napansin kong simple lang ang mga kagamitan at may kaliitan ang mga apartment sa Area 2. Hindi na ito katakataka, dahil pansamantala lamang na ipinagkaloob ang mga bahay na ito sa mga guro at at iba pang mga empleyado ng UP. Sa katunayan, isang Engineering prof mula sa huli kong binisitang boarding house ang nagsabing ipanapaupa ng ilang mga may-ari ng bahay ang mga kwarto dahil hindi sapat ang sahod na galing sa pamantasan.

Naalala ko tuloy ang mga teacher

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HUWEBES, OKTUBRE 3, 2013

ko sa hayskul na nagtitinda pa ng yema at bananacue para maitawid ang mga gastusin ng kanilang mga pamilya. Tila hindi ako mapalagay noon na bago pa man ako maging ganap na isko, nakikinita ko na ang mga isyung kinakaharap ng unibersidad.

Bagaman kalaunan ay nakahanap ako ng boarding house sa ibang lugar, palagi pa rin akong dinadala ng sarili kong mga paa sa Area 2 dahil sa dami ng alok nitong mga paninda: kanin at ulam, steak, barbeque, shawarma, hamburger, fruit shake, milk tea, at kahit yosi.

Alak lang yata ang hindi ipinagbibili sa mga tindahan dito.

Isa sa mga paborito kong kainan sa Area 2 ang Lutong Bahay o LB. Sa mga freshie guide, blog posts, at Overheard ko unang nalaman na masarap at mura ang mga pananghalian dito.

Itinayo noong 1979, ang LB ay naging patok sa mga estudyanteng hinahanap-hanap ang mga pagkaing lutong bahay. Ayon sa may-ari ng

LB, sinisikap nilang gawing parang bahay ang set-up ng kanilang karinderya. May mga mesa pa ngang nakaharap sa TV para maaaring manood habang kumakain ang kanilang mga kostumer.

Dahil malapit ang lugar sa mga dormitoryo sa kampus, hindi nagtagal at nagsulputan na rin ang iba pang mga kainan, gaya ng Lutong Kapitbahay, Ralzarap, at Macdoks sa JP Laurel. Katulad ng LB, ang mga ito ay dati ring garahe at sala na ginawang mga tindahan para pandagdag kita ng mga residente.

Hindi na kataka-takang sa mga susunod na taon ay lalo pang sumikat ang Area 2. Ito ang naging lapitan ng mga estudyanteng hindi pinalad makapasok sa mga dorms o kaya nama’y hindi kaya ang presyo ng mga condo units sa Katipunan o mga boarding house sa Maginhawa.

compensate for days I spent on nonacademic activities.

A quarter to eleven. Five more papers, zero progress. With my earphones on, I switch to other bands whose music rouse the same caliber of Radiohead bleakness: Nirvana, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and The Smiths.

Sugary tunes just don’t go well with the sound of doom.

Everyone however has been intruding my solitude: these past nights, ceaseless threads on UP hell week—which UP students believe to be the most vicious of exams week among all universities—in my newsfeed further hypes the semestral phenomenon, reducing non-UP students into mere spectators. Like UP education, UP hell week has turned into a bragging right.

Eleven fifteen. A girl across the table yawns.

As a non-major, I am bombarded with pressures of getting decent grades to finally get a college to adopt m e .

I guess I’m not immune t o the postmodern idea of individual success being the sole incentive for studying: that in

Sa kalaunan, bumuo ang Area 2 ng isang sariling komunidad: mga empleyadong salat sa tamang pasahod, na pansamantalang umaampon ng mga mag-aaral na kapwa salat. Ito’y isang komunidad na nagtutulungan mairaos ang bawat araw sa loob ng Unibersidad at sa lalong tumataas na presyo ng pamumuhay at pag-aaral rito. ∞

order to get a “return of investment,” you have to work within a set of rules which reduces the learning experience into a mere number at the end of each semester.

Yet I am fully aware how this dangerous idea tends to stunt learning itself. We students seek every means--such as perfect attendance--to slim our grades down to an uno. With this in mind, other activities outside the classroom including protest actions against urgent university and national issues become less of a priority.

Aside from grades, many of us also worry about more pressing matters: unpaid loans, rising cost of tuition and costs of living in the metro.

Thirty minutes to midnight. The librarian cues for us to leave.

Growing up in a society where a diploma from the premier state university seems to be the prime ticket for a bright future, I guess many of us are quite unaware that even UP graduates may find it difficult to find fulfilling jobs.

After going through countless hell weeks, we end up being each other’s competitors for employment, our chances defined by the content our resumes.

Three seconds, two seconds. I look out the window. The darkness that creeps through the whitewashed walls of the library triggers a feeling of uncertainty as we struggle against deadlines and attempt escape on flimsy wings of wax and feathers.

One. The minutes finally collapsed. The library is closing.

Hell week is coming. ∞

Illustration: Patricia Ramos Page design: Ashley Garcia

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OPINYON

The From Dante with Love Edition Hello there mga friendship! The gates of hell are open; it’s our favorite hellweek season! Sa mga di nag-aral dyan, time to beg for forgiveness from God. Me, i’ll just be here to see all the sins, from the ten circles, and more!

Treachery: There was this koya dormer who was helping the janitors water the plants in that big, flashy. dorm near C.P. Garcia when this young freshie asked him if he was maintainance and made patulong him in cleaning his room! Go naman si kuya. Only when freshie gave kuya a bongga lunch and made him kwento his life story did freshie realize koya was also a student.

Lubog sa masa si koya!

Lust: May isang trying-hard romantic who wanted to make papogi to his crush. Ayaw ni crush sa dudes with long hair so kuya made tapyas his hair with scissors. Tapyas here, tapyas there, tapyas everywhere! When kuya made tingin in the mirror to see his masterpiece, he instead saw his that hair was like my wallet---full of holes and spots, with a lot less hair! Ayan kasi!

Sloth: Another of the dormitory blues! An ate dormer who fell asleep at the dorm lobby after making kausap her friendships from outside. But when ate woke up, she was at another room! True Philippine Ghost Stories ba ito?

When ate asked her roommate what happened the previous night, ate was told that she walked up from lobby, still sleeping, and lay down in another girl’s bed! Tuloy, the other girl had to sleep in a friend’s room.

Tama na muna ang kademonyohan, I still have my personal demons to kill. Marami-raming simbahan pa ang bibisitahin ko to have my soul cleansed. Toodles!

Key in KULE <space> MESSAGE <space> STUDENT NUMBER <required> NAME and COURSE (optional) and send to

0935 541 0512 0908 180 1076 Non-UP students must indicate any school, organization or sectoral affliation.

HUWEBES, OKTUBRE 3, 2013

TEXTBACK

EKSENANG PEYUPS

Next week’s questions 1. Ano ang isasagot mo sa tweet ni Bianca Gonzales?

2. Anong plano mo sa bakasyon?

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

CONTACT US! Write to us via snail mail or submit a soft copy to Rm. 401, Vinzons Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City. Email us pkule1314@gmail.com. Save Word attachments in Rich Text Format, with INBOX, NEWSCAN or CONTRIB in the subject. Always include your full name, address and contact details.

Sa tingin mo, ano ang dapat ginawa ni Noynoy upang mapigilan ang giyera sa Zamboanga?

Ang dapat gawin ni P-Noy para matigil na ang giyera sa Zamboanga ay gawing HUMAN SHIELD ang sarili niya. BWAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA! Yun lang. LOL 2011 xxxxx Tarantado kasi si Ramos noong pumayag siya sa peace agreement nila ni Misuari, biruin moyun, binigyan niya nang partition ang mga rebelde.

Walang bayag. Tapos ngayon si Noynoy imbes na tapusin niya once and for all ang mga rebeldeng to, nag peace agreement ulit via partition. Kung gigiyera ka, tapusin mo. Di ako magtataka kung mauulit to sa mga susunod na administrations. Inaalagaan nila ang MNLF para maging political scapegoat at diversion nila. Isip isp din pag may time. 2004-59164 Ano ang kasalukuyang hell week song mo? Bakit?

Give Your Heart a Break by Demi Lovato. Grabidad, kahit nagsisimula palang ‘yung hell week, gusto nang mag-break ng buong puso’t kaluluwa ko sa stress! -201370182 Scientian, BS FT Hell week song: I Don’t Care by Iconopop (sp?) 2012-24549 ang hell week song ko ay “bumalik ka na sa akin” by silent sanctuary dahil kakayanin natin lalo ang hellweek na ito kung tayo parin. miss nap o kita C ng CHE. 2011-792xx –ptots Ang hell week song ko ay “Kaba”. Di makatulog sa gabi sa kaiisip. Sa diwa ko’y ikaw ang laging panaginip. Oh bakit ba “hell week” ang laging laman ng isip ko?... Waaah! Nakakakaba ang mga exam at papers. :( God bpess us! :) 20**-37**3 “Dehado”.dehado kung dehado, para sa’n pa’ng mga galos mo kung titiklop ka lang... 201009706 rb cfa Hell week ba kamo? Edi “what the hell” ni avril! Haha, #corny. 201*-**6** Pogs BsGE :3 yung theme song ko e Umaasa by 6cyclemind. “Umaasa kahit na wala ng pag-asa!!” Haha. 2011-09*** I did my best (but I guess my best wasn’t good enough) 2012-10587 :)) Give Your Heart a Break by Demi Lovato. Grabidad, kahit nagsisimula palang ‘yung hell week gusto nang mag-break ng buong puso’t kaluluwa ko sa stress! - 201370182 Scientian, BS FT Di lang ikaw by Juris. Para s mga nh2rpang gaya ko ito lang ang masasabi ko. Di lang ikaw... JPE 2008-22215 MS Chem.

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Attention Health and Wellness Enthusiasts!

Craving for healthy food to keep you fit? Aspiring to do your bit for the environment and the farmers?

You can do this and more! Drop by the Organic Food Festival on October 4, Friday, at CSWCD Lobby, UP Diliman! Fresh organic vegetables and fruits will be available, as well as colored organic rice!

Lecture sessions on important issues about organic agriculture are also open to everyone.

See you there!

The UP Pre-Medical Honor Society presents ZUMBA Ditch the workout, Join the Partywith Zin Natalia Uy-Chan College of Human Kinetics Gym October 20, 2013 - 4:00 – 5:00 PM - Registration starts at 3:00PM 200PHP For inquiries, you may contact Pat Garcia, 09173270706 A fundraiser for the free clinics of PMHS Kanino ka kakampi?

AGAWAN BASE Agaw Eksena Edition Handog sa inyo ng UP Theatre Council Friday, October four Three o’clock pm Faculty Center, Waiting Shed UP Grail Don’t be afraid of the dark!

Confront your fears in a screening of Peur(s) Du Noir, the award-winning anthology of short animated films from some of the most visually inspiring graphic artists the world over. Come to CAL 312 at 6pm on October 4, if you dare!

OPINYON

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

7

HUWEBES, OKTUBRE 3, 2013

Isla ng ligalig Mary Joy Capistrano

“SAVE THE BEST FOR THE LAST,” ang drama ng pagbisita namin sa Masinloc, Zambales nitong nakaraang Linggo.

Kahit ilang mga komunidad na rin ang nabisita ko ngayong semestre, hindi pa rin nawawala ang pananabik ko sa tuwing magbi-biyahe kami.

Lagi’t laging naisasantabi ang pagod.

Saglit na pakikipamuhay ang pakay namin sa pagbisita sa Masinloc, kung saan may itinatayong planta ng uling, na alternatibo umanong pagmumulan ng kuryente para sa lugar.

Mula sa malayo, tanaw na agad ang malaking planta—tila isang hingateng stick-o na itinayo sa gilid ng dagat.

Una naming binisita ang Barangay Bani, ang lugar na pagtatayuan ng planta at direktang naapektuhan nito. Ngunit kapalit ng masamang epekto ng planta ang P39 milyong buwis na natatanggap ng barangay taon-taon.

Batay sa salaysay ng ilang mga residente, hindi umano nila pansin noong una ang masamang dulot ng planta, at tanging murang bayarin sa kuryente lamang ang nais nila.

Gayunman, sa paglipas ng mga araw, linggo at taon, unti-unting lumitaw ang masamang epekto nito—paglabo

ng tubig dagat, kaunting huli na isda at nabawasan maging ang ani ng mangga.

Dagdag pa rito ang higit na napamahal na konsumo nila ng kuryente. Napadalas rin ang “fish kill” sa kanilang lugar kaya nawalan ng hanapbuhay ang ilang mga mangingisda, katulad ni Mang Robert na hanapbuhay ang pagkuha ng semilya ng bangus.

Matapos ang pakikipanayam sa mga residente at kagawad ng barangay, tumuloy kami sa karatig barangay at dumiretso sa isla ng San Salvador. Higit 30 minuto ang naging biyahe namin sa bangka bago kami sinalubong ng puting buhangin sa pampang.

Tahimik sa isla, tanging hampas ng alon at pagaspas ng dahon ng mga puno ang maririnig, samantalang sa ‘di kalayuan matatanaw ang isang bulto ng mga bahay. Tumuloy kami sa bahay ni Nanay Edna at sa ilang mga kamag-anak niya rin sa isla.

Inaliw kami ng samu’t saring kwento ng mga residente— pamumuhay, pamilya, pag-ibig, at higit sa lahat, ang usapan tungkol sa planta at ang epekto nito sa kanilang pamumuhay.

Malayo man sa mismong planta ang isla, nababahala ang mga residente

Tahimik sa isla, tanging hampas ng alon at pagaspas ng dahon ng mga puno ang maririnig.

na mawala ang nakasanayang tahimik na pamumuhay, malinis at malinaw na tubig, ang masaganang pangingisda—‘yung tipong magtapon ka lang ng lambat kahit saan at hindi ka uuwing bigo.

Sa maghapon naming pananatili sa isla, may nakilala rin akong mga bata. Ilang beses kong ni-recite ang mga pangalan nila—Jian Carlo, Milkqueen, Angela, Vaness, Clarisse, Jean Majoy, Jovan, Jomarie at Wendy—mga musmos na maaaring mawalan ng magandang kinabukasan sakaling tuluyang sirain ng planta ang masaganang kalikasan.

Bago magdapit-hapon, nilisan namin ang isla dahil mahaba pa ang biyahe namin pabalik ng Maynila.

Ngunit bukod sa paglilibot sa komunidad at pakikipanayam sa ilang mga residente, nagawa rin naming lumangoy sa dagat—ilang oras na pagtatampisaw at saglit na paglimot sa buhay acads.

Huling pagbisita namin sa komunidad ngayong semestre ang pagpunta sa Zambales, pero hindi maitatanggi ang kasiyahan ng bawat isa—simpleng pamumuhay, bagong kakilala at masaganang kwento ng karanasan na kapupulutan ng aral ng bawat isa. ∞

Regularities Delfin Mercado THE OFFICE DESK IS WIDE and comfortable; the post-its and pencils neatly stacked in the far side near the wall. The office clock hanged perilously directly above my table. I could watch it tick away every paid second.

The rigors of office work has finally settled in. Every day, I wake up, choose another variant of the monotonous pinstriped buttondowns that I wear for work (by now I’ve amassed a veritable wardrobe, enough to last for a month), struggle in the morning train, brew a fresh pot of coffee, then finally settle down in the plush swivel chair to pore into the mountain of paperwork and silently type premade replies to dozens upon dozens of queries.

I clock out by 7 PM, and let myself be carried home by the rushing crowd—just another tired soul heaving back to bed after a day’s work.

Most days are regular and uneventful. The most exciting part is lunch break, the only time I get to choose—between a bland vegetable

It is surprising how things change, yet stay the same

stir fry and a lump of deep-fried whatnot. I used to be dazzled by the cityscape. Now the lights of the highrise buildings seemed lackluster and uninviting. I seldom go out, preferring the quiet atmosphere of my rented room to the noise and confusion of the city.

When I left UP, I left behind the spontaneity and uncertainty that defined college life. No more nocturnal nightcaps, no more allnighters, no more unexpected dinners and detours. I willingly swapped the carefree happy-golucky lifestyle for the uneventful life of the white collar employee. It was a decision that most would resent, but I relished it.

For in regularity lies security.

And security wards off uncertainties.

I was tired of uncertainties of the adventurous yet irregular lifestyle of our youth. I was tired of always worrying for tomorrow, for food and rent money, for everything.

I thought living a regular life with a regular job would make the uncertainties go away. It did, for a

time, yet new problems surfaced, albeit at a more regular interval.

Yesterday, I broke from the regular rituals and took a day off. I walked aimlessly around the city, searching for old hole-in-the-wall coffee shops that I once frequented.

The purposeless drifting led me to UP Diliman, to Vinzons Hall, to the Collegian office. There, I greeted old and new faces, and browsed old copies of the Collegian. I leafed through old issues where my name was once plastered in the front page, and chuckled at the naïveté of my writing. It is surprising how things change, yet stay the same.

For a fleeting moment, I suddenly felt the urge to enroll in UP for another course, perhaps a masters’ degree. For a split second, I yearned for spontaneity and uncertainty.

But the urge subsided abruptly.

I cannot give up the rigors of my stable life. I cannot risk the regularity of the scheme of things.

Already, I realized, I was trapped in a web that I weaved for myself. ∞

Accelerated Downfall A SOLID FOUNDATION IS KEY to structural integrity. It is thus inevitable for a regime founded on deceit to tremble at the slightest jolt and ultimately be demolished once the falsehoods on which it is built upon have been exposed.

Like a structure built on unstable foundations, the Aquino administration is now being rocked with one scandal after another—small cracks joining together in an intricate web that now threatens to wreck the entire regime.

From the pork barrel scam, which ignited large-scale protests throughout the country, the turn of events has now led to the Palace’s very gates, with the exposition of the nebulous Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and the alleged use of billions of funds for political patronage and manipulation.

The DAP revelation is the result of warring factions. With Malacañang unrelenting in its tactical offensive against its political foes, the maligned opposition retaliated.

In a privilege speech, Senator Jinggoy Estrada revealed that the Aquino administration distributed copious amounts of public funds as incentives for legislators for to ensure the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012.

Former Senator Joker Arroyo was quick to confirm Estrada’s allegations, saying the DAP is not the well-meaning economic stimulus that Aquino says it is, but rather it was used by the

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PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN 2013 - 2014

Punong Patnugot Julian Inah Anunciacion Kapatnugot Victor Gregor Limon Patnugot sa Balita Keith Richard Mariano Patnugot sa Grapiks Ysa Calinawan Tagapamahala ng Pinansiya Gloiza Rufina Plamenco Panauhing Patnugot Piya Constantino Margaret Yarcia

Karl Aquino Palace to influence the results of the Corona trial.

Crafted by the Aquino administration in 2011, the DAP was supposed to “fast-track disbursements and push economic growth in light of the global slowdown and the onslaught of recent calamities.” To finance the DAP, the Department and Budget and Management (DBM) pulled funds from various sources and realigned these to priority projects that included public

EDITOR’S PICK

The Philippine Collegian republishes distinguished photographs from its past issues that captured its YEARS tradition of critical and fearless journalism.

Hundreds of UP students protested in front of Malcolm Hall on February 22, 2009 in support of the Jun Lozada’s whistleblowing on the NBN ZTE scandal which tagged former President Gloria Arroyo as mastermind. Much like today’s pork barrel scam under President Benigno Aquino, various organizations hold protest actions against corruption, this time along the Ayala business district.

PAGSUPORTA KAY LOZADA

Photo by Om Narayan A. Velasco February 22, 2009

works, agriculture, housing, and healthcare.

The DAP experiment went on silently, left unchecked until the program recently came under fire for being linked to Corona’s impeachment. It is only now that the Filipino people begins to discover the depth of deception connected with the said scheme.

The Aquino administration justified the existence of the DAP through Article VI Section 2(5) of the 1987 Constitution and the Administrative Code, which empower the President to use the government’s savings for several purposes—a provision subject to the DBM’s liberal interpretation.

According to the DBM itself, some P8 billion of the 2011 DAP was sourced from either “unreleased appropriations for discontinued or slow-moving projects” or “realigned budgetary items in favor of fast-disbursing projects.” This means that DBM considered the budget set aside

by Congress through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for specific programs as “savings,” even if the fiscal year was not yet over.

Such a manipulation of funds constitute violations not only of the GAA, but also the constitutional power of the purse granted only to the Congress. By withholding amounts allocated originally for specific items that passed the scrutiny of both houses, the Executive abused its authority to shore up billions of pesos under its own disposal. As of October 1, the funds used for DAP has reached P137.3 billion.

With this revelation, calls for Aquino’s resignation now resonate in every corner of the country. Cracks in the Aquino administration’s ‘tuwid na daan’ cornerstone now threaten to topple the regime.

Renowned for his publicity team’s ability to make quick spins to save face, Aquino’s spinmeisters tried every trick in the book to divert the onslaught of criticism.

First, Aquino’s lackeys tried to appeal to emotions, saying that social services benefitted from the DAP. In fact, UP was able to receive an additional P1.3 billion under the DAP in January 2012, the bulk of which was used to augment funds for capital outlay.

Yet such an argument barely holds water. If Aquino were sincere about prioritizing social services like education, he need not divert funds to a nebulous funding scheme, and should instead allot funds directly to public schools, hospitals, and basic services.

Desperate for a scapegoat, the Aquino administration has now reverted to blaming the issue at hand to his predecessor, Gloria Arroyo, even if such a move is devoid of any logic.

Instead of accelerating economic growth, the DAP is now accelerating the regime’s downfall.

With the recent revelations exposing more of Aquino’s devious tricks and political manoeuvres, it takes only a few more blows for the regime’s wieldy foundation to finally crumble. ∞

Mga Kawani Mary Joy Capistrano Ashley Marie Garcia Kimberly Ann Pauig Jiru Nikko Rada Emmanuel Jerome Tagaro Pinansiya Amelyn Daga Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon Paul John Alix Sirkulasyon Gary Gabales Amelito Jaena Glenario Ommamalim Mga Katuwang na Kawani Trinidad Gabales Gina Villas Kasapi UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations (Solidaridad) College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) Pamuhatan Silid 401 Bulwagang Vinzons, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman, Lungsod Quezon Telefax 981-8500 lokal 4522 Online pkule1314@gmail.com www.philippinecollegian.org fb.com/philippinecollegian twitter.com/kule1314 Ukol sa pabalat Dibuho ni Rosette Abogado