Philippine Collegian Tomo 95 Issue 06-07

Demolition in Pasig displaces 1,000 families

HUSTISYA ANG HANGGANAN

PATRICIA LOUISE A. POBRE

BEATRICE P. PUENTE AROUND 1,000 FAMILIES WERE left homeless after the Pasig City government ordered a series of demolition in Manggahan Floodway from October 18 to 20. Some affected residents have been camping out since October 25 in Mendiola near the official seat of the president.

Most of those who are camping out are members of the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) and its Pasig City local chapter Balikwas-Kadamay.

“Nandito kami sa Mendiola para manawagan na i-award na ang lupa ng Floodway [sa amin at mag-protesta laban sa] harassment na ginawa sa amin dahil pati ang aming mga karapatan ay tinapakan na,” said Weng Carlos, a Floodway resident who has been living in the area for 25 years.

Some policemen tried to take down the Mendiola camp a few days after being set. Classes already resumed on November 6 and the camp disrupts the flow of traffic in the area, according to the police, also citing as a reason the country’s hosting of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit which was held in Manila from November 12 to 14. The summit was attended by different world leaders including US President Donald Trump.

“Nasaan na ang pangako [ni Pangulong Duterte] sa amin na pagbabago na kung walang maayos na relokasyon ay walang demolisyon?” asked Rowena Villano, a ten-year resident in the Floodway area.

The Pasig City local government unit (LGU) has given out a notice of demolition beforehand. However, the residents and the LGU have not reached an agreement yet when the demolition pushed through, which then prompted the clash between the residents and the demolition team, said Gloria Arellano, chairperson of Kadamay.

The residents were heavily outnumbered by the demolition team deployed by the Pasig City administration, said Carlos, recalling another encounter on August 31. At least 30 residents were wounded for defending their homes from being demolished while a total of 41 were also arrested and held in prison for several days.

Safety concerns Environmental and safety issues are the primary reasons why the demolition pushed through, said Elsie Trinidad, spokesperson of the National Housing Authority (NHA).

A 2008 Supreme Court (SC) resolution directs the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and 13 other government agencies to rehabilitate the Manila Bay area where Manggahan Floodway is connected. The DILG, in effect, instructed LGUs to remove structures occupying the danger zones.

Though the decision was made nine years ago, the demolition only happened recently as the Pasig LGU and the residents underwent several hearings in the House of Representatives.

Pasig City’s move to demolish homes in Floodway was done in accordance to their duty which includes keeping residents safe in case a natural disaster comes, said Trinidad.

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The residents argued that they were safe in their homes. In 2006, the Manggahan Floodway was declared a potential housing site under former President Gloria Arroyo’s Proclamation 1160. However, it was later revoked when Typhoon Ondoy came in 2009.

“Grabe ‘yung naging pinsala ng Ondoy so the earlier proclamation was revoked by Executive Order 854, meaning hindi na pwedeng [gawing housing site at tirahan ang area ng Floodway],” said Trinidad.

But the Floodway area was barely flooded when Typhoon Ondoy ravaged Metro Manila, according to accounts from Arellano. In fact, people who were affected even evacuated in Floodway, Arellano added.

“Ang demolition na ‘yan ay pagpapatupad lang ng kagustuhan ng mga kapitalista. Kung saan may mga demolition na magaganap, ‘yun yung mga pagtatayuan ng mga infrastructure at commercial establishment,” said Arellano who added that the government just wants to develop the Floodway area as part of its P3.6 trillion "Build Build Build" infrastructure program.

Relocation issues Some residents have already experienced the difficult situation of living in resettlement areas so they declined the relocation sites and monetary assistance offered to them.

Most families who were previously relocated eventually came back to Floodway due to the lack of livelihood.

“Walang livelihood kasi sa relokasyon naman talaga, hindi binibigyan ng pagkakataong mabuhay [ang mga tao] at ‘di binibigyan ng maayos na serbisyo [ng gobyerno ang mga mamamayan],” said Arellano.

Two relocation sites are in Pasig City while another one is located in Tanay, Rizal which is relatively near to to Pasig, said Trinidad. A total of P20,000 will also be provided for by the Pasig LGU to those who will be relocated, she added. Aside from resettlement, another option is to avail of the P30,000 cash assistance for those who would like to go back to their province, Trinidad said.

However, many residents still refused to be relocated even to low-rise buildings located within the city. These structures are substandard and might eventually fall down due to the weak foundation, said Carlos.

“Paano ang kinabukasan ng mga anak namin kung ganito ang magiging buhay namin? Sana naman tugunan kami ng pangulo ng bansa,” Villano said, adding that neither relocation sites nor the cash incentive would solve the country’s housing problem. Even the NHA admitted that the institution alone cannot provide remedy for the perennial problem.

“There’s a disconnect between employment opportunities for them to afford decent housing. Solving the housing problem is really tied up to poverty alleviation and land use policies that would create lands in both the urban and the rural areas for housing,” said Trinidad.

Patigilin ang pamamaslang sa mga magsasaka—ito ang bitbit na panawagan ng mga magtatanghal mula sa Tanghalang Balen ning Luisita (TABLU) sa ikalawang gabi ng Lakbayan ng Magsasaka sa tapat ng Kagawaran ng Repormang Pansakahan, Oktubre 24.

Ginugunita ng pagtatanghal ang buhay ng pitong martir na magsasaka na kinitil sa Hacienda Luisita, na pagmamay-ari ng pamilya Cojuanco, noong Nobyembre 16, 2004. Kaakibat na panawagan ng TABLU ang pagpapatuloy ng paggigiit ng hustisya.

IRR draft of free tuition law full of loopholes—Kabataan RAT SAN JUAN THE IMPLEMENTING RULES AND Regulations (IRR) of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (R.A. 10931) remains pending four months after the act was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte.

However, the latest IRR draft has several contentious provisions that will possibly limit free tuition and loan coverage.

Copies of the IRR draft, last revised on October 13, were provided during a public consultation on R.A. 10931 organized by Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) on October 19.

The government should aim to increase rather than limit student population in state universities and colleges (SUCs), said Kabataan Partylist Representative Sarah Elago. “Napakamapanganib ang hinggil sa mga exemptions. Kumbaga mas nagtatalakay pa nga [ang IRR draft] sa kung sino ang hindi kasali.”

Exemptions listed in Section 6 of the IRR draft are students who hold a bachelor’s degree, meet their program’s maximum residency rule (MRR), opt out of the free education provision, or fail to comply with admission and retention policies, resulting in the student’s permanent dismissal.

Additionally, for shiftees, any semester where the student benefitted from free education will be subtracted

from the remaining expected duration of the current program the student is enrolled in. In the case of transferees, this includes any period when the student was under any governmentfunded Student Financial Assistance Program (StuFAP).

“Ang ginagawa ng Duterte admin ngayon, inaagaw nila at saka pinagkakait ang tagumpay na nakamit ng mga estudyante … Sa IRR [draft], posible nga na malimitahan, maikutan, at gamitin mismo yung batas para hindi mabigay ang libreng edukasyon,” said Elago.

The IRR draft also reveals a problematic Student Loan Program (SLP), according to Elago. Coverage of the SLP includes private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

“Kung ano mang pondo ang ilalaan diyan, magbibigay siya ng preferential [treatment], o mauuna muna yung mga naka-enroll sa private [HEIs],” she added.

According to Section 39 of the IRR draft, student prioritization for the SLP is based on the availability of alternative financing sources, cost recovery or paying capacity, acknowledgement of the private sector’s contribution to the tertiary education system, and additional incentives to highperforming or highly-abled students.

The provision also states that the

prioritization mechanism is subject to the availability of funds.

The selective loan program will prove an obstacle to financially-disadvantaged students, said Elago. “Sa laganap pa rin na kahirapan ng ating bayan, kahit libre pa ang tuition and other school fees (OSFs), mahirap pa rin sa maraming kabataan, lalo na ‘yung mula sa mga mahihirap na pamilya, ‘yung daily expenses, [katulad ng] pamasahe, pambaon,” she added.

Such loopholes will mostly affect students who rely on additional financial assistance to sustain themselves. The average living expense of UP Diliman students is estimated at P37,000 each semester based on data from the Office of Student Scholarships and Services (OSSS).

In light of the IRR draft, Student Regent Shari Oliquino has encouraged the youth to guard developments in the campaign for free education and to take an uncompromising stance against tuition, OSFs, and all forms of payment.

“Pag sinasabi nating karapatan sa edukasyon, pagtatanggal talaga siya sa lahat ng mekanismo ng paniningil sa mga estudyante,” she said.

The final version of the IRR is set to be released this month, according to UniFAST Interim Deputy Executive Director Nicki Tenazas.

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PART OF A NEGOTIATION AGREEMENT WITH UP ADMIN

Acad Union continues to demand for privileges, incentives JOSE MARTIN V. SINGH AFTER CONCLUDING THE Academic Union Month, members of the All-UP Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU) continue to demand for certain rights, privileges, and incentives, which are included in a previous negotiation agreement between the union and the UP administration.

T he doc u ment suppor t ing suc h is k now n as t he Col lec t ive Negot iat ion A g reement (CNA), wh ic h prov ides for t he concer ns of t he academ ic sta f f in t he ent i re U P s y stem, based on law a nd past ag reements, accord ing to t he c u r rent CNA ef fec t ive unt i l Ju ly 5, 2 02 0.

A l l CNAs expire a f ter f ive yea rs.

The last agreement was signed on Ju ly 6, 2015 under the administration of then U P President A lfredo Pascua l.

Its lega l effectiv it y takes place when registered under the Civ il Ser v ice Commission.

A lt hough implemented a l ready, some prov isions, espec ia l ly t he recent add it ions a nd a mend ments, have not yet mater ia l iz ed, sa id President of AU PA EU Di l ima n c hapter Perl ita R a ña.

Grievance Machinery and Side Agreements Under t he law, t he CNA benef its bot h workers a nd academ ic sta f f, who a re under t he Resea rc h, E x tension a nd Professiona l Sta f f (R EPS), sa id R a ña. “ Number one ta laga ‘yan [CNA]…

Batayan ‘yan ng k a rapatan namin,” she said. “K apag nag panawagan k ami na ipasa ‘y ung CNA, [ang] apektado

ta laga sa side namin ay y ung R EPS at ‘y ung facu lt y,” she added.

The celebration of the Academic Union Month in October highlighted the ca l ls of the academic employees, especia l ly those concerning the CNA, wage rights, promotion, and reg u la rization, said R aña. The universit y-w ide campaign to f u l ly implement the CNA is in line w ith the f ive proposed side agreements and the new prov isions on the Grievance Procedure. The side agreements a re pending discussion points that were not included in the prev iously signed CNA. “[ T he side ag reements] inc lude c u r rent R EPS ’ concer ns, st udy pr iv i lege for relat ives of single a nd ma r r ied U P employees w it hout c h i ld ren up to t he t h i rd deg ree of consa ng u in it y, e x pa nsion of hea lt h a nd wel l ness benef its for U P employees, housing for ret i r ing a nd ret i red employees, a nd reg u la r iz at ion of cont rac t ua l employees,” sa id Nat iona l President of AU PA EU Ca rl R a mota.

A paid leave and an expanded, system-wide REPS development fund are also included in the side agreement.

Technical working groups comprised of union and admin representatives will also be formed and are expected to submit a preliminary report on December and a f inal recommendation on March 2018, said Ramota. “ Impor tante diyan [sa CNA] ‘y ung grievance machiner y. Sa mga susunod na buwan ta lagang ‘yan ang

PAGBUBUO NG TAHANAN

aming t ut ut uk an,” said R aña. “K asi for a long time wa lang grievance machiner y na ma linaw dito sa U P at ma rami ta laga tayong mga k asamahan na nagk ak a roon ng mga problema sa mga usapin sa gawain at sa k a rapatan,” she added.

Revisions on REPS Manual Along with the continued calls to fully implement the CNA, the union also campaigns for the approval of the revised REPS Manual, submitted on November 3, 2017 to the Vice President for Academic Affairs Maria Cynthia Bautista.

A not her u rgent ca l l for implementat ion, t he rev ised ma nua l is bolstered by a sig nat u re ca mpa ig n ca l l ing for t he U P ad m in ist rat ion, t he Boa rd of Regents ( BOR), a nd t he U P commun it y to suppor t t he speedy process. “ This year, under a new AUPAEU leadership and UP administration, we’re reviving this initiative and spearheading a system-wide campaign, together with other R EPS groups and sectors, to ensure the immediate approval of the R EPS Manual,” said Ramota.

A Manifesto of Unit y (MOU ) rega rding the R EPS Manua l is current ly being circu lated in the U P System for signat ures.

The manual can be consulted once issues arise in the workplace.

It will guide the R EPS and Human Resources off ices on their work and employment. It will also def ine who the R EPS are and what their PATRICIA LOUISE A. POBRE

Gumagawa ng maliit na bersyon ng kubo si Alvin Maas, 17, bilang bahagi ng pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng mga Katutubo sa Studfarm, UP Diliman, Oktubre 31. Nag-aaral si Maas sa Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development, Inc. (ALCADEV) at paborito niyang asignatura ang matematika at agrikultura. Pangarap niyang magserbisyo bilang guro at maibahagi sa mga kapwa katutubo ang mga natutunang aralin sa Bakwit Schools. Aniya, liban sa mga kamag-aral, ang mga aralin sa Studfarm na lamang ang nagiging tagapagpaalala sa kaniya ng kanilang buhay at pamilya sa naiwang tahanan sa Mindanao.

responsibilities are to avoid confusion and irregular practices like doing what is beyond their supposed duties, according to the MOU. The manual is intended to organize existing policies and practices governing the REPS, said Ramota.

However, the proposed REPS Manual is nothing recent to the AUPAEU. It was f irst brought to discussion in 2003. The AUPAEU and the UP administration have held several workshops and conferences since. The proposed manual ’s draft was f irst f inalized in 2015.

“Unfortunately, as in previous attempts, [the manual] was shelved under the previous administration,” said Ramota.

Current progress The revised manual will still undergo the scrutiny of off ices under the UP administration, said Ramota.

“But we’re hopeful that with a strong system-wide grassroots campaign, we can persuade the [Danilo] Concepcion administration and the BOR to prioritize it,” he said. “We’re pushing for its inclusion in the agenda of and its immediate approval in the next regular BOR meeting,” he added.

The current progress of the CNA and REPS Manual has not yet been conf irmed as it will still be referred to the Vice Presidents concerned, said Vice President for Public Affairs Jose Dalisay, Jr. in an email to the Collegian. Such information cannot be expected until the Executive Comission and President’s Advisory Council meet toward the end of the month, said Dalisay.

“All I’ve determined so far is that the REPS Manual will be reviewed very soon by a committee being organized by the Off ice of the Vice President for Academic Affairs,” he said.

55 injured, 1 arrested after violent dispersal in ASEAN protests BEATRICE P. PUENTE AT LEAST 55 PROTESTERS WERE injured while one was arrested, after progressive groups opposing US President Donald Trump’s visit clashed with the police in the series of protests from November 12 to 14. Four of the injured were hospitalized.

Neil Legaspi, a paralegal from human rights group Karapatan, was merely driving their van when he was arrested on November 12 for allegedly bumping the police barricade, based on the complaint.

He was released two days later but he will still undergo investigation. Teddy Casiño of Bayan Muna and Secretarygeneral Renato Reyes of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) were likewise charged for resisting authorities.

“Pinapakita lamang ng rehimeng Duterte ang pagiging pasista nito sa mamamayan na nagpapahayag lamang ng nagaganap na katotohanan,” said Kakay Tolentino, spokesperson of Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (Katribu), among the groups that formed the 2000-strong contingent of protesters coming from different sectors: youth, women, and workers, among others.

Protesters were dispersed using water cannons on the November 12 and 13 rallies to prevent them from reaching the US Embassy and the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit meetings were held.

To disrupt the protesters, the police even used a Long Range Acoustic Device sonic alarm which produces loud sound that could damage the hearing of individuals.

The protest actions were primarily held to condemn the intervention of the US and other countries in the affairs within the Southeast Asian region. Aside from Trump, leaders from Canada, Russia, China, Australia, India, and South

Korea were present in the summit, along with representatives from the United Nations and the European Council.

“Kahit ‘di sila taga-Asya, yung interes nila ang namamayani rito sa atin na lalong naglalagay sa atin sa dehadong posisyon at kahirapan,” said Reyes.

The militant groups also criticized ASEAN. Nothing much has changed with the state of the country despite being a member of the intergovernmental organization for five decades, according to the groups. The Philippines co-founded ASEAN in 1967, along with Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.

The policies agreed upon in ASEAN for the past 50 years only benefitted neighboring countries and left the Philippines behind, said ACT Partylist Representative Antonio L. Tinio, citing that majority of the Filipinos remain poor and without jobs. They also denounced the costly government spending for holding the summit.

The government spent a total of P15.5 billion for car services, hotels, food and even the local travel of the international leaders.

It is ironic that the administration can allocate funds to host the summit when that amount could have been used to provide basic social services like education, housing, and mass transport systems, said Joms Salvador, secretary-general of women’s rights group Gabriela.

But the government cannot provide for the Filipino people’s basic social needs so long as the Philippine economy is tied to the US, said Reyes.

"Walang mabuting maidudulot sa Pilipinas ang pagbisita ni Donald Trump.

Hangad ng mamamayang Pilipino ang tunay na kalayaan mula sa dayuhang dikta. Susi ito para matahak ng Pilipinas ang programang tunay na maglilingkod sa kanyang interes," according to BAYAN in a statement.

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DUE TO INACCESSIBILITY OF UPD FACILITIES

USC to launch org spaces campaign next sem RAT SAN JUAN AS A RESPONSE TO ISSUES ON LACK OF TAMBAYANS, high venue rentals, and stringent org recognition processes, the UP Diliman University Student Council (UPD USC) is set to launch its official campaign to review and redistribute campus spaces to student organizations next semester.

Temporarily labeled the #WeNeedSpace campaign, the UPD USC’s initiative borrows its name from the UP Manila USC’s campus-wide call for student spaces and clamor against venue rental fee increases. Recently, UPD students have also staged several protests against administrative restraints on organizations.

In the College of Mass Communication (CMC), the FacultyStudent Relations Committee (FSRC) Guidelines for CMCBased Student Organizations has recently been implemented, worsening the already rigorous process of org-recognition in the college. A total of 21 CMC-based organizations were not registered after withdrawing recognition documents in protest for the new guidelines (see related article in page 4-5).

Meanwhile, student orgs in the College of Arts and Letters (CAL) have yet to have their own tambayans more than a year after fire razed the Faculty Center, said CAL Rep. Isaac Punzalan.

“Yung iba, tumatambay sa may Vargas Museum, pero pinapaalis sila,” he added.

College administrations have imposed stricter policies on student org recognition over the past few months, according to a statement of the Rise for Education – UP Diliman (R4E-UPD), an alliance of student organizations, councils, and publications in the campus.

"Access to tambayan spaces and event venues has been reduced significantly by the continued implementation of rental fees and oppressive measures concerning the acquisition of tambayan spots,” the statement added.

The Basic Student Services (BSS) and Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW) committees started conducting an ocular inspection on the conditions and rental costs of UP Diliman facilities since midyear. Their findings are expected to be published once the data is complete, said BSS co-head Kisha Beringuela.

Other committees involved in the project are the League of College Councils (LCC) and the Committee on Orgs, Frats, and Soros (COFS). LCC will be consolidating local college councils to note all the concerns of each college, while COFS will focus on simplifying org registration process and identifying and distributing available tambayans.

A possible long-term solution is to transfer the org registration process to the students since they are mainly the affected constituents, much like in UP Los Baños (UPLB), said COFS cohead Punzalan.

“Sa UPLB, napagtagumpayan nila na USC mismo ‘yung magre-recognize ng orgs at magpapasa ng documents.

Matagal na rin siyang pinaplano sa [UP] Diliman, bagaman madaming promises na binibigay ang admin, hindi talaga siya nagma-materialize so nagkakaroon ng kawalan sa student representation,” he added.

Former LCC head Beata Carolino also proposed a student spaces initiative during the previous USC term but was not fully implemented due to time and resource constraint, said current LCC head Yael Toribio. One of the LCC’s goals is to institutionalize student representation in executive boards across colleges.

Raising awareness on these issues is a crucial step in safeguarding the students’ right to organize, according to COFS co-head Jethro Malimata. The next step is to forward position papers and a general list of demands to respective college administrations and the university administration, he added.

However, more than the USC’s initiative, it will take the student’s “uncompromised” unity to bring the desired change, said Punzalan.

“Dapat kung anong manggagaling sa students, kung ano yung tingin nating just guidelines and policies para ma-recognize ang ating mga organizations – dapat yun talaga ang tuunan ng pansin at pakinggan ng ating administration,” he said.

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SUMA TOTAL

PAMANTASAN NG BAYAD

THE COST OF UP DILIMAN FACILITIES FOR STUDENT USE RESEARCH BY RAT SAN JUAN

THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE COMES AT A STEEP PRICE IN UP DILIMAN (UPD). Students organizations are forced to shell out funds from their own pockets to pay the high cost of venue rentals to be able to use university spaces for organizational activities.

The exorbitant rates shown below serve as evidence of the inaccessibility of UPD facilities for student use.

HIGHEST BASE RENTAL CHARGE

THE REQUIRED FEE FOR MINIMUM TIME USE

1. UP Theater Complex - University Theater - P300,000 (12 hr set-up, 3 hr show, 3 hr clean up, basic equipment) 2. UP Theater Complex - Aldaba Hall – P30,000 (3 hr set-up, 3 hr show, aircon, basic equipment) 3. GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium a. P30,000 (1st three hours, with aircon) b. P29,000 (1st three hours, without aircon) 4. National Institute of Physics – ICSI 1A+1B – P22,000 (1st four hours) 5. UPFI Film Center Cine Adarna a. P19,085 with 50% student discount applied (1st three hours) b. Default theater rental rate at P38,169 (1st three hours)

HIGHEST RENTAL RATE PER HOUR

RATE FOR VENUES WHICH DO NOT HAVE A BASE RENTAL CHARGE

1. Ang Bahay ng Alumni Luciano Salazar Hall a. P11,000/hr (more than 400 persons, with aircon) b. P9,000/hr (less than 400 persons, with aircon) c. P6,000/hr (more than 400 persons, without aircon) d. P5,000/hr (less than 400 persons, without aircon) 2. College of Mass Communication Auditorium – P1,000/hr (non-CMC accredited UP student orgs) 3. College of Engineering Auditorium – P1,000/hr (COE student org) 4. College of Engineering – P&G Room – P750/hr (COE student org) 5. College of Engineering – MH 501-503 – P750/hr (COE student org)

HIGHEST ADDITIONAL RENT PER SUCCEEDING HOUR:

RATE AFTER THE MINIMUM TIME HAS BEEN CONSUMED

1. UP Theater Complex – University Theater a. P10/000/add’l hr (show) b. P10,000/add’l hr (set-up) 2. UPFI Film Center Cine Adarna – P6,922/add’l hr 3. GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium – P5,300/add’l hr 4. UP Theater Complex – Aldaba Hall a. P5,000/add’l hr (show) b. P1,000/add’l hr (set-up) 5. Institute of Chemistry – iChem CHEMREZ Rm – P3,875/add’l hr

FREE FOR STUDENT USE 1. FA venues (FA students only) 2. Educ venues (Educ students only) 3. CMC venues (CMC-accredited student orgs only) 4. NCPAG venues (NCPAG student orgs, once per sem) 5. Vinzons Hall venues (Before 4PM, Monday-Friday)

VENUES LIMITED TO STUDENTS WITHIN COLLEGE 1. College of Science 2. School of Statistics 3. College of Business Administration 4. College of Music (Abelardo Hall Auditorium, Mini Hall) – outsiders accommodated past 5PM on weekdays or whole day on Saturdays proved that the venue is available

CASES WHERE VENUE RENTAL FEES DISRUPTED STUDENT ACTIVITIES FILM ORG LEADERS NOT ALLOWED TO ENROLL DUE TO CINE ADARNA DEBT August 2016 – Executive board members of the UP Cineastes’ Studio (UP Cineastes), a university-wide student film organization, were tagged as academic delinquents after the organization incurred debts of as much as P216,042 from renting the Cine Adarna for a week-long film screening in April 2016.

The academic delinquency status prevented the students from enrolling subjects, despite the implementation of the No Late Payment Policy.

The organization had to resort to closing its bank account and withdrawing all the cash to help pay the debt.

The affected students were only allowed to continue the enrollment process after compensating for the debts with three installments of payment.

CMC ORGS NOW PAY UP TO P1,200 FOR VENUE RENTALS

UP REP PRODUCTION CALLED OFF IN ARKI

October 2017 – Despite free venue reservation for College of Mass Communication (CMC) student organizations in the past, CMC students are now required to pay for using rooms in the college since early October.

The new charges were implemented after the organizations in the college collectively withdrew their org recognition documents on October 2. Pulling out the documents from the administration was a protest for the sudden implementation of the Faculty-Student Relations Committee (FSRC) Guidelines for CMC-Based Student Organizations, a policy that has been tagged as repressive by the college’s student council and organization leaders.

The CMC Administration, meanwhile, has stated that the newly implemented fees are based on a memorandum approved in 2005 by then UP President Emerlinda R. Roman.

The UP Repertory Company (UP-Rep), a university-wide student theatre organization, was forced to cancel their play, “Myghad, I Hate Drags!” on October 21 due to a venue rental hike in the UP College of Architecture (UPCA).

UP-Rep was unable to come up with P70,000 to rent the UPCA Ampitheatre for the show’s eight-day run as the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA) also failed to disburse the organization’s annual subsidy.

The UPCA Administration faced strong criticism following the incident and has since started reviewing the venue rental fees in the college, reassuring students that their concerns are being heard.

LEGEND * - under review ** - 10% discount upon 5th use SOURCES Local Colleges, Building Administrators, Student Councils, Student Organizations, Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts

DUE TO ACAD CALENDAR SHIFT, FREE TUITION POLICY

Student Election Code to be revised

PANININGIL AT PANGUNGULILA

PATRICIA LOUISE A. POBRE

JOSE MARTIN V. SINGH THE UNIVERSITY STUDENT Council (USC) has coordinated with the Off ice of Student Activities (OSA) to review the UP Diliman Stu-dent Election Code (SEC), as previously instructed by the Off ice of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA).

There are some provisions in the SEC which are not applicable any longer because of the academic calendar shift implemented in 2014, said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Prof. Jerwin F. Agpaoa.

The SEC serves as the off icial guidelines for the UPD USC elections, held annually in the months towards the end of the academic year. The code provides for the standards of the campaign and electoral pro-cesses as well as other procedures related to the USC elections. It was last revised in January 2010 and was approved by then UP President Emerlinda Roman.

The current USC brought up the issue on their fourth General Assembly (GA), which was held on August 28.

The council had an earlier discussion with Agpaoa about the possible revisions, in an informal meet-ing held earlier than the GA. “Every year the USC is consulted regarding the dates of the next election,” said USC Chairperson Benjie Allen D. Aquino, noting that the SEC topic “was just a ‘by-the-way’ thing.”

For this year, the USC was also asked to look for other provisions that could be amended. But there are no specif ic provisions subject for change,

except for the dates which are the most glaring, said Aquino. Consultations on the SEC are also not yet done, he said.

But aside from the dates, Agpaoa noted that the implementation of free tuition in UP may have an effect on the election code. Electors are required to be duly matriculated in the current SEC. The implementa-tion of free tuition will affect those candidates qualif ied for it, he added.

On August 3, 2017 President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (R A 10931), thus paving way for the long sought implementation of free tuition in State Universities and Colleges like UP. However, the implementing rules and regulations of the law have not been f inalized yet.

The revised SEC is originally expected to be done by November 15, but an extension is inevitable.

The deadline has been lifted because of class suspensions on ASEAN week, said Aquino, adding that a new deadline is yet to be set. However, a meeting between Agpaoa, the USC, and OSA will be held soon to discuss the SEC revisions including the new deadline for the draft of the revised SEC, said Agpaoa, who did not specify the dates.

“The amendments [to the SEC] are crucial,” he said. “If they are not implemented though, we’ll see how we can factor in the new changes in the conduct of the next USC elections,” he added.

ERRATA

THE PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN WOULD LIKE TO RECTIFY FACTUAL errors commit ted in the publication of the prev ious issues.

F i r st , i n ou r fou r t h is sue publ ishe d 18 Oc tob er 2 017, We d ne s d ay, t he accompa ny i n g t i mel i ne of t he a r t ic le ent it le d “Youth g roups condemn ha ra ssm e nt , red-tag g ing of st u de nts,” ment ione d t h at a n A F P hel icopter l a nde d i n t he M i nd a n ao St ate Un iv er sit y ma i n c a mpu s a nd t wo A F P of f icer s were c au ght t a k i n g photos of st udent s i n Atene o de Na g a on Oc tob er 5 a nd 6 , re sp e c t iv ely. T he i nc ident s b ot h h app ene d on Oc tob er 4 .

Meanwhile, the a r ticle entit led “CMC to train PN P in comm skills” incorrect ly stated that Prof. Terr y Cong juico of the Col lege of Mass Communication concea led the name of the col lege a lumnus involved in the transaction w ith the police. Prof. Cong juico, however, just did not k now the name of the person involved during the time she was inter v iewed by the w riter.

More so, in an infographic published in our specia l issue on 26 October 2017, Thursday, we erroneously said that Edua rdo Cojuangco’s fa rms in Negros have a tota l land a rea of 4, 30 0 hecta res. Cojuangco’s landholdings a re much bigger than that and has been estimated to be 5,030 hecta res in tota l. In the same infographic, we have a lso conf used the ow ners of Lapanday Food Cor porations (LFC) w ith the F loirendo Family. LFC is ow ned by the Lorenzo family. The F loirendos meanwhile a lso ow n a banana plantation in Mindanao which spans a tota l of 6,60 0 hecta res.

The publication takes f u l l accountabilit y for these honest mistakes, and more so promises to be more v igilant and adhere to even stricter journa listic g uidelines in its succeeding repor tage of issues.

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MARTES 21 NOBYEMBRE 2017

Napilitang iwan ni Ro dy Lois,53, ang p amilya sa Panab o, Davao Del Nor te up ang tumungo sa Maynila kasama ng ib a p ang mga magsasaka at igiit sa p amahalaan ng Dep ar tamento ng Rep ormang Pansakahan (DAR), ang p agp ap ab alik ng kanilang lup a na inangkin ng Tagum Agricultural Development Comp any, Inc. (TADECO). Binaklas ng p amahalaan ng TADECO ang tirahan nina Lois no ong Disyembre 18, 2016, at pinalayas sila sa sarili nilang lup a. Tumigil sa p ag-aaral ang ap at niyang mga anak dahil sa p agkawala ng kanilang kabuhayan sa p agsasaka. Pinaplano lamang umuwi ni Lois at mga kasamahang magsasaka sa Davao sakaling magb ab a na ng kautusan ang DAR na magtutulak sa TADECO na ib alik sa mga p esante ang inangkin nitong mga lup a. Kasalukuyang naghahanap ng trab aho si Lois up ang makaip on ng p amasahe sakaling maaari na silang makauwi.

#TAASKAMAO

Maroons fail to clinch Final Four spot JUAN GREGORIO LINA SEASON 80 IS NOW HISTORY FOR the UP men’s basketball team after the Fighting Maroons failed to clinch a spot in the Final Four of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines’ (UA AP) men’s basketball tournament. With the elimination, UP continues a Final Four drought that dates back to 1997, but posts a win-lose 6-8 record that puts them at the top 5: its best f inish since posting the same tally in UA AP’s 2005 to 2006 season.

After blowing out the National University (NU) Bulldogs in a crucial 106-81 victory, UP’s entry into the postseason was ultimately blocked by the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws.

FEU had won its closing regular season match against Adamson’s Soaring Falcons to claim the last spot in the Final Four at 7-7. They will be joined by the squads from Adamson (9-5), De La Salle (12-2), and Ateneo (13-1) in contending for the championship.

Meanwhile, neighboring Ateneo Blue Eagles had not suffered a loss until defending champions De La Salle Green Archers upended the former’s bid for a sweep in a 79-76 thriller in the elimination round. Had Ateneo remained perfect, it would have also

allowed them to immediately proceed to the Finals.

UP’s own outing against Ateneo almost ended with the Maroons downing the then immaculate Blue Eagles. UP had lead by as much as 13 in the third quarter, but a breakdown on both ends of the f loor during the f inal frame ultimately saw the team walk away with a loss that had further jeopardized its Final Four aspirations.

Despite the Maroons early exit, however, UP’s outlook for the future remains optimistic.

"What's important right now is, we gave ourselves a chance for the playoffs, and whatever happens, I'm really proud of how they played this game," said Fighting Maroons’ Coach Bo Perasol in the post-game conference after defeating the Bulldogs.

Winning against N U was cr ucia l but the team stepped up to the plate, Perasol rema rked. Mov ing for wa rd, those that w il l stay on the squad w il l look back on these games and remember what they a re capable of, he added.

With its season now over, the Fighting Maroons will be seeing some shake-ups with its roster, as starting center Ibrahim Ouattara and bench players Rob Ricafort, Paolo Romero, and Andrew Harris are set to graduate.

Amid the losses in personnel, however, UP can look for ward to the addition of former University of Perpetual Help Altan Bright Akhuetie.

Akhuetie stands at 6 feet and 7 inches and is largely considered to be one of the best foreign studentathletes in the country. The Nigerian born center, who considered joining Ateneo and La Salle before settling on UP, is currently completing a oneyear residency requirement. With averages of 17.6 points and 12.1 rebounds in the National Collegiate Athletics Association, his debut on the hardwood next Season 81 is largely expected to elevate UP towards legitimate championship contention.

Aside from a long absence in the Final Four, UP has faced a longer drought in Finals appearances, bagging its last championship in 1986, when the Maroons stunned then t wotime champions University of the East with a now legendary team that included coach Joe Lipa, and players Benjie Paras and Eric Altamirano.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS Probing the State Support for R&D RICHARD CALAYEG CORNELIO INSIDE UP'S SPANKING NEW SCIENCE and engineering buildings, students crunch numbers, pull all-nighters, and rack their brains counting how many more lunches they would have to miss to buy consumables for their ex-periments. They often apply for research grants in high hopes, which are dashed as soon as their proposals wind up rejected. Here, where funding spells the fate of research and devel-opment (R&D), the state’s woefully inadequate support bodes bad news.

For 2017, despite a staggering P3.35trillion national budget, only P5.8 billion goes to R&D under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Our current R&D expenditure comprises only 0.1% of the country’s gross domestic product or our total value of goods and services. This fraction is a mere tenth of what the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reckons a developing country must spend for R&D. Yet, more dismaying than the state’s underinvestment in R&D is its incapacity to translate into policies our homegrown researches that are supposed to be tailored to the needs of the people.

Dodging disasters For an emerging economy like ours, investment in R&D is critical to breaking the vicious cy-cle of technological backwardness that puts us way behind economically superior, industrial-ized nations. With this end in view, DOST launched its Harmonized National R&D Agenda for the next five years, to integrate the country’s S&T endeavors for the people’s maximum benefit.

One priority area identified is disaster risk reduction (DRR), which could not be more com-pelling in a disasterprone

country like the Philippines. However, DOST’s termination of Pro-ject NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards), the flagship program on DRR, bares the state’s feeble commitment to R&D efforts in the area at the outset.

Earlier this year, DOST ceased the funding of NOAH, citing that its targeted deliverables had already been fulfilled. NOAH has since been adopted by the UP Resilience Institute, which strives to bolster at-risk communities via multidisciplinary DRR approaches.

The devastation wrought by frequent calamities in the Philippines makes the discourse on resilience more pressing than ever before. For in a context plagued by structural inequalities, economic and political capital shift the burden of risk to the poor, who are often excluded from the project of development, per the World Disasters Report 2016.

“Kasi disaster risk is an unresolved problem of development. If you develop the municipalities, then you can make the country progress without being stopped or blocked by hazards, including climate change impacts,” said UP Resilience Institute director Mahar Lagmay.

Thus, besides technology-based solutions, capacity building grounded in local conditions must be espoused. Working in this vein, UP Resilience Institute brings together all available inputs not only from S&T but also such disciplines as the humanities, to craft bottom-up in-terventions for the more vulnerable populations that live under a constant state of precarity.

Though Lagmay acknowledged the recent increase in funding for disaster research, he emphasized the need to concretize these efforts by engaging the communities in policy making and execution.

He added, “It's all in the plans. What we need, really, is to implement them well.”

Sidestepping roadblocks While the key players in disaster mitigation come from underdeveloped rural areas, urban dwellers are likewise besieged with problems of their o w n .

T h e snarled traffic a l o n g EDSA during

ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL LORENZO MARIANO PAGE DESIGN BY JOHN RECZON CALAY

rush hours belies the numerous local studies on urban transportation development available, though from which only several recommended reforms have been heeded.

For one, unavailing attempts to introduce a mass rail transit system date back to early 1970s. The failure to develop such a system may be attributed to the government’s lack of effective plans to implement the researches it has commissioned, according to a 2015 study by the UP National Center for Transportation Studies (NCTS).

At present, conflicting policies on mass transportation, compounded by the privatization of existing means like MRT, have forced informal alternatives such as jeepneys to pick up the slack. R&D efforts geared towards sustainability should then factor in the realities of small drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) instead of big businesses and elite in-terests.

For example, a transfer of technology should precede any PUV modernization program, to favor local car builders instead of foreign-owned manufacturers, according to progressive scientist group AGHAM. Also, to reduce dependence on imported oil, more renewable alter-native jeepney fuels such as coconut-methyl ester diesel must be explored, said UP NCTS Ex-tension specialist Ernesto Abaya.

More than in monetary terms, the state should hence prop R&D by pursuing programs in-formed by sound research evidence. This would give not just pedestrians and commuters their fair share of the city’s limited space, but also the low-income drivers who have served the riding public ever since the government’s inability to deliver a mass transport solution.

Floundering mechanisms Besides the paucity of research-oriented policies, inexpedient limits specified by administra-tions also exacerbate the already deplorable state of R&D. For instance, most funding agen-cies typically set a cap of only three years on research projects.

“The first year, you're just mobilizing, hiring people, procuring equipment. That takes time,” said Rachel Ravago-Gotanco of the UP Marine Science Institute.

Particularly, the tedious mechanisms of procurement prove to be a major hurdle.

“Medyo domino effect, lalo na if you are relying on key equipment to be purchased para umandar ang project,” she added.

This sort of administrative inefficiency goads scientists to work overseas, where they

are given a researchenabling environment, the security of tenure, and benefits. This augurs trouble for sectors such as agriculture where more technical manpower is needed to drive moderni-zation.

The problem of poor mechanization and low agricultural production are not divorced from issues of rural underdevelopment and the absence of genuine agrarian reform in the Philip-pines, according to independent thinktank IBON foundation. Only R&D initiatives anchored within the context of these social realities can ensure food security and local industry devel-opment.

“Research is the foundation of development in any industry,” said National Scientist Gavino Trono. He added that more research gaps can be addressed by training a new generation of researchers. It is in this regard that UP fulfills its mandate to lead in R&D in service to the people.

But though UP houses the country’s largest pool of scholars, many graduates are conscripted to careers other than R&D, where immediate payoff seldom comes by.

Beyond the need for more incentives, this is where the struggle for a mass-oriented, scientific, and nationalist ed-ucation figures, according to AGHAM. Unless the state trains its youth to contribute to na-tional industrialization, the path to economic selfsufficiency via R&D remains untraversed.

With the state’s failure to efficiently deliver resources for research, the public is doubly be-trayed. Not only are the people abandoned by a government that ought to forward their in-terests, but they are also denied their stake in the socioeconomic rewards of national R&D, which are in the first place legitimately theirs to reap.

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LAT HA LAIN

LAT HA LAIN

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MARTES 21 NOBYEMBRE 2017

CHAIN

REACTI

On Nuclear Weapons and Mass Destruction

N

MARK VERNDICK CABADING IT WAS AROUND 8:10 IN THE MORNING. The city was bustling, and people were rushing out for their daily routines. There was nothing unusual in the city except for a solitary plane that flew right above the city and dropped the ‘little boy’ on the unwary ground.

All hell broke loose. In a matter of seconds, ‘little boy’ obliterated Hiroshima—people were lying on the ground, either dead or severely wounded. The weapon of mass destruction reduced the city to rubble as the United States (US) marked their first nuclear attack in 1945.

After witnessing the horrors of the Hiroshima attack, Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS), through the United Nations (UN), called for a ban on the use of nuclear weapons. However, the UN Security Council (UNSC), the main organ of UN mandated to maintain international peace and security, is also composed of the original nuclear-weapon states (NWS): US, Russia, Great Britain, China, and France.

The opposition of the UNSC members to the total elimination of nuclear weapons resulted in disputes in establishing regulations on nuclear weapon possession. This led to a conditional agreement on the prohibition of nuclear technology for enhanced arsenals which proved to be futile as NWS continued nuclear development. Through the nuclear weapons which exhibit their capability to exercise power, NWS continued gaining leverage and exerting influence in the global sphere.

Nuclear Footprints The world witnessed the long-term effects of the nuclear attacks to Japan—from national healing to post-world war economic restoration.

This encouraged NWS to establish treaties on weapon regulation. However, the influence of NWS over UN made the enforcement of treaties ineffective with the lack of penalties for NWS. To prevent the same aftermath, NNWS initiated campaigns to eliminate nuclear weapons. But NWS opposed the elimination of nuclear weapons and pushed instead for the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). Under the NPT ratified in 1970, nations excluding the original NWS are prohibited from pursuing nuclear programs. Instead of prohibition, NWS pledged to pursue complete disarmament and to provide nuclear technology for NNWS. Almost 50 years after the establishment of NPT, the NWS remain in possession of their nuclear weapons.

With the absence of any penal clause in the NPT for disregarding nuclear disarmament commitments, the NWS could continue possessing nuclear weapons without being sanctioned for their inaction. Meanwhile, NNWS which are in non-compliance to the treaty were penalized through suspension of assistance and return of materials.

The goal of a nuclear-free world is far from accomplished, especially with the NPT unable to deter states like North Korea from possessing nuclear weapons. On January 2003,

LAT HA LAIN

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North Korea, originally an NPT state party, announced its withdrawal from the NPT and started testing nuclear devices. With a state of war existing between North Korea and South Korea with China and US as their respective allies, the military exercises of US around the Korean peninsula threatened North Korea.

"Above all else, North Korea's nuclear program is about security—it is, by their estimation, the only reliable guarantee of the country's basic sovereignty, of the Communist regime's control, and of the rule of Kim Jongun” Prof. John Delury of the Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies said in an interview with BBC. Through nuclear weapon possession, North Korea employs the ‘mutually assured destruction (MAD)’ strategy. It ensures that “whoever shoots first, dies second.” Yet, regardless of who initiates the first attack, the citizens will always be at the losing end.

Inevitable Fusion The recent nuclear activities of North Korea increased concerns over the risk of another nuclear war. This resulted in further campaigns, but the nuclear situation remains the same.

The most recent initiative against nuclear weapons was headed by the New Agenda Coalition (NAC), a ministerial-level group of NNWS operating within the framework of building international consensus to make progress on nuclear disarmament.

NAC’s brainchild, the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), prohibits a full range of nuclear-weapon-related activities such as development and use of nuclear weapons. Since the treaty opened for signature and ratification on September 20, 2017, 53 countries including the Philippines have already signed it.

The swift progress of the ratification of TPNW has two implications, according to UP Department of Political Science Associate Professor Herman Joseph Kraft.

He observed that majority of the signatories of the treaty, like the Philippines, are NNWS and developing countries—the usual casualties of war. NNWS recognize their vulnerability to nuclear weapons. As such, TPNW can

potentially eliminate the global security threat from nuclear attacks.

Second, TPNW Parties are expecting to demonize nuclear weapons to the level of biological and chemical attacks through establishing the treaty.

“As of now, we fear a nuclear war, but the attitude of people is not the same with chemical and biological weapons,” Prof. Kraft said. The Treaty is expected to serve as an instrument to convince the world that nuclear weapons are just as harmful and threatening.

Reverse Fission NNWS recognize the threat of nuclear weapons to international security. However, if there are no effective conditions that would enforce the total disarmament by NWS, nuclear weapons won’t cease to exist—along with the possibility of a nuclear war.

Even with the TPNW, the possibility of a nuclear war is not diminished—especially with the non-participation of NWS on negotiations for the treaty.

N WS and great powers US, Britain, and France reasoned out that it would be irrational to ban nuclear weapons. They see this as being v ulnerable to attacks by North Korea.

Contrary to obligation of NWS in the NPT, US invested billions on their arsenals.

According to Colorado College Department of Economics Professor William Weida, US allocates too much resources to nuclear weapons regardless of the degree of threat from hostile states. This made US capable of attacking any country.

Second next to Russia with the most number of nuclear weapons, US possess around 4,018 active and inactive nuclear warheads. Theoretically, any first-strike nuclear attack can be survived by the US, enough for it to retaliate to an a t t a c k e r.

If US deploys a nuclear attack to its most serious threat, North Korea, the foreseen outcome would have serious negative implications not only on North Korea’s economy, but on the global economy as well.

With most national economies today dependent on infrastructures, a nuclear attack would incapacitate an urban area with its valuable facilities wiped out, according to international organization Article 36. The longer-term consequences of a nuclear detonation and post-attack costs would place a heavy burden on public f inances, with a highly uncertain prospect for economic recovery.

Direct actions by NNWS such as implementation of security policies independent of other states could possibly urge NWS to pursue total disarmament.

NNWS must pursue international solidarity and recognize the “real enemy”—nations that justify nuclear weapons and are ready to annihilate others they consider a threat.

Initiatives such as TPNW are vital in advancing towards a nuclear-free world. But the non-participation and non-compliance of NWS will make such efforts futile. The world should already have learned from post-world war Japan—an image of devastated economy and national identity. Nations, especially nuclear-weapon states, should recognize the need for nuclear disarmament in the pursuit of just and lasting international peace and security.

ILLUSTRATION BY GUIA ABOGADO PAGE DESIGN BY JOHN RECZON CALAY

TA L A SALI WAAN Millennials at

wika ng pagbalikwas

MARVIN JOSEPH E. ANG

"MGA ERP! WHAT'S UP? PARA SA MGA lodi na hindi pa nag-nerdi, share ko sa inyo itong petmalung lamu namin ni girly. Werpaful waffle at pancakes na super rapsa! Enka na yota, mga repa!!”

Ganito ang klase ng mga post na nagkalat sa Facebook page na “What’s your ulam, pare?” na mistulang talasalitaan ng isang bagong slang.

Ang salitang pre/pare ay nagiging “erp,” ang ulam ay nagiging “lamu,” ang kain/kaen ay nagiging “enka,” at marami pang iba.

Marami ang nag-aakalang bago ang mga salitang ito. Hanggang sa nalaman nila na ang mga nakasanayang salita tulad ng astig ay binaliktad na tigas, ang yosi ay binaliktad na sigarilyo. Bitbit ng muling umusbong na “word games” ang mahabang kasaysayan nito, mula pa noong panahon ng himagsikan hanggang sa mga sikat na awiting “Nosi Balasi” ni Sampaguita at “Bogchi Hokbu” ng Eraserheads.

Ngunit ano ang implikasyon ng biglang pagsikat ng mga word game na ito sa internet?

Ano ang ambag nito sa pagpapaunlad ng diskurso ng wika sa Pilipinas?

Tadbalik Word games ang tawag sa malikhaing pagpapalit o pagbabago sa mga letra o pantig ng isang salita.

K a ra n iwa n, pinagbabalibaliktad

DIBUHO NI FERNANDO MONTEJO DISENYO NG PAHINA NI JOHN RECZON CALAY

ang posisyon ng mga pantig upang baguhin ang anyo ng salita, ngunit nananatili ang kahulugan. Halimbawa, ang “hindi ” ay nagiging “dehins,” ang “talo” naman ay nagiging “olats.”

Unang nak ila la ang mga word games na ito bilang A rgot, o mga sa litang sadyang iniba ang baybay o pagbigk as upang itago ang t unay na k ahu lugan.

Bilang isang espesya lisadong uri ng w ik a, k a raniwan itong ginagamit ng mga isinasantabing gr upo sa lipunan upang lumik ha ng isang “ in-group,” na siyang lunsa ran ng mak abu luhang ugnayan ng mga miyembro nito.

I la n sa ha l imbawa ng A rgot ay a ng mga “s wa rdspea k ” na k a launa’y na k i la la bi la ng sa l ita ng bek imon. Da h i l sa pat u loy na d isk r im inas yon at k a ra hasa n laba n sa k a n i la , g ina m it ng i la ng m iyembro ng LGBT a ng w i k a ng bek imon upa ng pagisa h in a ng k a n i la ng g r upo at ig i it a ng k a n i la ng luga r sa l ipuna n. Sa k asay saya n ng Pi l ipinas, t uw i ra n itong g ina m it upa ng bu ma l i k was.

Nagsimulang gamitin ang tinatawag na “Baliktad Tagalog” sa Pilipinas noong ika-19 na siglo. Pinagbabali-baliktad ng mga katipunero ang ilang salita o bigkas sa kanilang lihim na pagkilos laban sa gobyernong Espanyol.

I t o n g paraan din ang ginamit ng pambansang bayani na si Marcelo H. Del Pilar, o mas kilala bilang “Plaridel,” sa kaniyang sagisagpanulat para sa La Solidaridad.

Muling lumitaw ang word games sa pagpasok ng impluwensya ng kulturang hippie noong 1960s hanggang 1970s.

Pag-usbong ito ng kilusang “counterculture,” na pinangunahan ng mga

kabataang sumalungat sa namamayaning kultura at kaayusan ng lipunan.

Sa panahong ito sumulpot ang salitang “ jeproks,” binaliktad na salitang “project,” at pinasikat ng awiting “Laki sa Layaw” ni Mike Hanopol. Tumutukoy ito sa residential area sa Quezon City na karaniwang tinitirhan ng pamilyang mayayaman. Tinatawag na “ jeproks” ang sinumang umaastang mayaman.

May potensyal ang mga word games upang sumalungat at tumunggali, katulad ng malikhaing paggamit ng mga kabataan noon sa wika. Ngunit nalalayo ito sa kasalukuyan, kung saan internet ang palaruan ng mga millennial na gumagamit ng word games.

"Millennialism" Patuloy na nagbabago at magbabago ang wika. Ngunit ang pagkakaiba ng mga indibidwal o grupong gumagamit nito ang nagbubukas sa mga panibagong paraan upang paglaruan ang wika.

Da h i l sa inter net una ng lu maga nap a ng mga sa l ita ng ito, nabubu ra a ng layong mag tago o magl i h im na mababa k as sa dat ing mga u r i ng A rgot. Ayon k ay Prop. Vincent Ch r istopher Sa nt iago ng Depa r ta mento ng Ling g w ist i k s, “ Sa platapor ma ng bi r t wa l, h ind i na u muubra 'y ung mga t rad is y una l na nos yon ng “ ing roup/out-g roup” da h i l napa k a-f lu id ng mga ug naya n at napa k abi l is ng pa l ita n ng impor mas yon.”

Kaya’t kung ang layunin ay sumaliwa, hindi maituturing na isang uri ng Argot ang mga sumisikat na word games ngayon.

Dahil social net working sites tulad ng Facebook ang pinag-iinugang batis ng mga salitang ito, “Imbis na maglihim, parang mas inclusive pa nga tuloy ang epekto dahil basta't nasa social media ka...masasabing parte ka na ng grupo,” ani Santiago.

Kung g ina m it ng mga k abataa ng h ippie a ng mga word ga mes sa pag sa l iwa , paa no na ma n g inaga m it ng k asa lu k uya ng m i l lenn ia l a ng word ga mes na ito? Kung susu r i in a ng pag ga m it n ito sa Facebook , l im itado la ma ng ito sa k at uwaa n, u la m o pagk a ing n i l it rat u ha n; o d i k aya na ma’y k at uwaa n la ma ng pat ungkol sa mga “ lod i ” at “wer pa f u l ” na mga a r t ista o sinu ma ng in i idolo.

Isang platapormang namumuhunan sa ugnayan at komunikasyon ang social media. Kahingian nitong hindi lamang

dapat sumabay sa uso— kailangang lumikha ng bago at naiibang “trend ” gaya ng memes at word games sa internet na sinusunod para matawag na “in” hanggang sa gamitin ito ng lahat. Kung kaya, kahit malawakan ang paggamit ng mga bagong salita, lumalabnaw ang potensiyal nitong maging makabuluhan at mulat.

Wasbalik Ang pag-usbong ng panibagong k lase ng word games ay patunay na ang wika ay buháy at búhay dahil nililikha mula sa ugnayan at pakikisalamuha ng tao, na siya namang tumutugon batay sa lagay ng lipunang kaniyang ginagalawan.

Sa paglipas ng panahon, makikita kung paano ginamit ang wika bilang sandata ng pagbalikwas sa namamayaning kaayusan.

At dala ng impluwensya ng internet, mas malawak ang kakayahan ng mga kabataan na mag-isip labas sa nakasanayan, tulad ng mismong wika.

Subalit sa ngayon, ginagamit ng merkado ang kakayahan ng mga kabataan na mangahas at mag-isip ng mga bagong ideya, at binuo ang konsepto ng “millennial ” pangunahin para sa pagkonsumo at kita. Halimbawa nito ay ang paggamit ng ideya ng “cool ” na kung dati ’y nangangahulugang sumalungat sa awtoridad, ngayo’y ginagamit na lamang ito bilang fashion style.

Ngunit sa kabila nito, mahalagang mabatid na malaki ang posibilidad na magamit ang wika sa mas makabuluhang paraan, ng kasalukuyang mga kabataan.

Makikita ito sa mga nakakaaaliw ngunit matatalas na panawagan sa mga plakard, na bitbit ng maraming kabataan sa mga protesta, tulad ng pagkilos laban sa pasismo noong Setyembre 21 sa Luneta.

Kung nagawa ng mga kabataang lumikha at magpauso ng panibagong word games, hindi lamang mga pantig ang maaaring baliktarin ng kanilang pagkilos—maging ang maraming kontradiksyon sa lipunan.

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KUL TU RA

MARIE CAROLAINE FAMERO BAGAMAN SANLIBONG MILYA ANG layo ng UP mula sa kanilang pinanggalingan, isang tahanan ang binuo ng mga iskolar ng bayan mula sa Rehiyon X II o SOCCSKSARGEN. Isang instrumento ang organisasyon nilang UP SOCCSKSARGEN o UP SOX upang pag yamanin at ibahagi ang kanilang nakagisnang kultura at kamalayan.

Kung kaliwa’t kanang gusali, polusyon at mabigat na daloy ng trapiko ang “yaman” ng Maynila, sagana naman ang SOCCSKSARGEN sa tunay na mga likas na yaman. Kilala itong pinagkukunan ng pangunahing pananim tulad ng palay at mais. Kada araw, higit dalawampu’t dalawang metrikong tonelada rin ang nakukuhang tuna sa mga baybayin ng General Santos—ang tuna capital ng bansa.

Kasama ang GenSan, binubuo ang Rehiyon X II ng South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, at Siy udad ng Cotabato. Magkakaiba man sila ng kasaysayan at pangkat-etnikong pinagmulan, nananatiling pantay ang pagsisikap ng miyembro ng UP SOX na panatilihin ang kulturang pamana ng kani-kanilang mga ninuno, ayon kay K iarra Hurtado, taga-pangulo ng organisasyon.

Tulad ng iba pang bahagi ng bansa, hindi ganoon kaunlad ang rehiyon.

Patunay dito ang mga magsasakang dinahas ng kapulisan sa K idapawan at ang tunggaliang bumabalot sa ibang bahagi ng rehiyon tulad sa Cotabato.

Isa ito sa mga dahilan kung bak it karamihan sa kanilang miyembro ay lubhang tutok sa pag-aaral, ayon kay Hurtado. “Dito lang kami (sa Maynila)

naging pamilyar sa ibang mga porma ng pagtitipon tulad ng bar-hopping.”

Bagaman malayo sa nakagisnan, nagsisilbing sandalan ng mga miyembro ang mga “regional organizations” tulad ng UP SOX. Ayon sa tumatayong tagapayo na si Prop. Russell Palmejar, pananabik at lumbay sa malayong k inalak han ang tanging nagtulak sa kanila upang itayo ang organisasyon noong 20 07. Sa katunayan, ang kanilang kauna-unahang tambayan ay sa isang k iosk lamang sa labas ng dormitor yo ng Ipil.

Ang kanilang mga aplikante ay dumadaan sa tipikal na proseso— signature sheets, tambay hours, f inal inter view, at f inal rites, ngunit magaan ang proseso sapagkat ang tanging nais ay magsilbing pangalawang tahanan.

K ilala ang mga samahang pangrehiyon ng unibersidad sa pagpapahayag ng kultural at sosyo-pulitikal na kamalayan. Sa puntong ito, aminado ang UP SOX na marami pa itong nais makamit para mas mapalaganap ang diwa ng rehiyon sa unibersidad. Bitbit din nila ang matagal nang hangarin na magkaroon ng A lternative Classroom Learning Experience o ACLE. “ That’s our plan sa executive committee namin; next sem, more on this objective y ung focus,” ani Hurtado.

Sa kabila nito, tutok naman ang organisasyon sa ilang mga proyekto para sa kinakatawang rehiyon. Isa sa mga paraan nila ay ang Quizmas—isang paligsahang sumusubok sa talas ng isip at kahusayan sa larangan ng sining ng mga mag-aaral sa Rehiyon XII.

Mayroon din silang taunang outreach program na nagsisilbing instrumento upang maabot ang mga salat sa tulong ng pamahalaan, partikular na ang mga kapwa nila kabataan.

Sa nagdaang k risis sa lungsod ng Marawi, maagap din silang tumugon sa pamamagitan ng isang donation drive para sa mga biktima. “Kapag naman may nang yari sa kahit saang sulok ng Mindanao, as an organization from Mindanao, we always tr y our best to reach out,” paliwanag ni Hurtado.

Sa pagpapatuloy ng mga tunggalian at k risis sa bawat rehiyon, higit na kailangan ang pagmumulat at pagk ilos ng mga organisasyong pang-rehiyon tulad ng UP SOX. Iba’t iba man ang pinagmulan, hamon sa bawat isang tanggapin ang diwa ng pagkakaisa.

O L N TU I D U T AT I P N A L A A K M O , N N I A N M KA O A Y A AR L A P M SHEILA ABARRA

PARANG BUGTONG KUNG ITURING ang “noong bata mahirap patulugin, ngayong tumanda mahirap gisingin.” At ang sagot sa bugtong na ito ay madalas na kinakalimutang alamin, hanggang sa umabot na sa puntong nagkaroon na ng organisasyon sa UP laan para sa pagtulog.

Nito lamang Agosto, nagkalat sa social media ang mga publicity materials ng UP Sleep (UsleeP) isang katatatag lamang na organisasyon sa UP. May layon itong magtaguyod ng mga tamang gawi sa pagtulog para sa mga estudyante, miyembro man o hindi, ayon kay Percy Tolentino, UsleeP Prime Minister.

Aminado si Tolentino na alam nilang tinuring silang biro ng karamihan ngunit seryoso sila sa pagtukoy at pagbabahagi ng mahusay na kondisyon sa pagtulog sa pamamagitan ng pagtatayo ng mga pasilidad pantulog sa loob ng unibersidad.

Para maging miyembro ng UP Sleep, kailangan mabuno ang kanilang application process: pagdalo sa mga pulong, gawain sa komite, at isang online na kampanya

KUL TU RA

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MARTES 21 NOBYEMBRE 2017

tungkol sa tulog. Nagkaroon na sila ng serye ng mga miting, at ang selfies sa social media ng mga aplikante ay patunay ng seryosong pagpapahalaga ng organisasyon sa tamang “ritwal” bago matulog.

Maaaring simulan ang diskusyon tungkol sa tulog sa siyensiya nito. Ang konsepto ng internal clock ay ang kaakuhan ng katawang magdesisyong umidlip o tuluyang makatulog. Nadiskubre ng tatlong Amerikanong physiologist na sina Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash at Michael Young, ang mga “master genes” na kumokontrol sa ritmo ng katawan ng tao.

Malimit na naririnig, kung hindi mismong sinasabi, ang mga ekspresyong gaya ng pagkasira ng body clock dulot ng pagpupuyat. Kung gayon, ang pag-igting ng pangangailangan ng tulog ay dapat magsilbing alarm clock sa lahat. Kailangang alamin kung bakit gustong-gusto ng mga tao sa panahong ito ang tulog.

Pito hanggang siyam na oras na pagtulog sa gabi ang kinakailangan ayon sa mga datos ukol sa pagtulog. Kabilang ang Pilipinas sa limang bansang may pinakakakaunting oras ng patulog na umabot lamang sa anim na oras at 22 minuto.

Gayundin, “maturity” ang tinitingnang kakabit ng pagkahumaling sa pagtulog.

Patunay na alam mong matagal ka nang nabubuhay sa mundo kapag tila ekspresyon mo na ang pagrereklamo hinggil sa pagod.

Gayunman, gaano man natin kailangan ng pahinga, maraming salik ang lalong pinalalaganap ng modernong mundo.

?

G

Sa panahong dumarami ang mga dahilan upang manatiling gising—nariyan ang social media, Netflix at iba pang modernong inobasyon—ang pagkahumaling sa pagtulog ay sanhi ng pangangailangan dito.

Mas mabilis ang daloy ng kapital sa bawat segundo ng pananatiling gising.

Kitang-kita ang dikotomiya sa mismong bahay—hindi na kailangan ng iyong lola ang alarm clock dahil awtomatiko siyang nagigising pagsikat ng araw, o bago pa nga sumikat kung minsan. Mistulang hindi na akma ang pag-ikot ng mundo sa modernong pamumuhay.

Maituturing na isang pampublikong problema sa kalusugan ang tulog, at ngayong lubog na ang kasalukuyang lipunan sa ganitong pamumuhay, mahigpit nga naman na pangangailangan ang maayos na pamamaraan sa pagtulog.

Sa ngayon, ayon kay Tolentino, bagaman nagpaparami pa ng miyembro bilang bagong organisasyon, marami nang unibersidad at kolehiyo ang gusto ring gumawa ng sariling sleeping org sa kanilang mga eskwelahan.

Bilang itinuturing na hell week ang bawat linggong pamamalagi sa UP at iba pang unibersidad, isang malaking hamon ang pagbibigay-atensyon sa sapat na pagtulog. Maaaring simulan ng mga isko at iska sa maayos na pamamaraan ng pagtulog dahil sabi nga ni Tolentino, “UP Students ang pag-asa ng ating kinabukasan, pinakamahusay na tiyakin na lumaki tayo ng maayos.”

DIBUHO NI CHESTER HIGUIT DISENYO NG PAHINA NI JOHN RECZON CALAY

B U WA N AT BARIL* SHEILA ABARRA

Matapos ang deka-dekadang kawalan ng hustisya para sa kanilang mga sakada, magsasaka at lahat ng api, hindi pa rin nagwawakas pagkat paulit-ulit lamang ang pandarahas.

GUSTO NIYANG KUKUSIN ANG mga mata pag naaalala ang gabing 'yon. Baka kasi namalikmata lang.

Kung nakakarinig o nakakakita ang buwan, hindi na mahalaga sa kaniya. Basta naroon ang buwan, kung wala sa likod ng mga ulap tuwing umaga, maliwanag ito pag gabi—lagi’t laging saksi.

Babae raw ang buwan, kagaya niya, ng kaniyang ina, at ng lahat ng babaeng natitisod niya sa araw-araw. Sa lahat ng “Ka” na kinakabitan ng “Hustisya para kay” sa unahan, si Ka Ric ang inabot niya, Ka Roman naman ang sa kaniyang ina, at marami pang Ka sa lahat ng babaeng sakada. Ilang Ka na kaya ang nasaksihan ng buwan?

Kinakabahan siya pag may hindi siya nalalaman na nalalaman ng buwan. Ito ang tunay na katatakutan para sa kaniya dahil gaya ng alaala, ang mga bagay na hindi natin nalalaman ang kukulbit sa atin sa gabi. Kaya minabuti niyang maghanap nang maghanap, magpatalun-talon man siya ng panahon.

Binungkal na niya noon pa sa k wento ng kaniyang ina kung bak it ba sila nagbubungkal ng lupang hindi mapasakanila. Babae raw. Binigay raw ni Heneral Luna kay Ysidra K hohuangk ho na naging Cojuangco dulot ng hispanisasyon, ang kayamanan ng rebolusyon. Ang labong pak inggan, ang donasyon ng mga

Pilipino noon para sa armas ang tinutukoy na “ kayamanan.”

Ito ‘yung pinambili sa asyenda, sabi ng kaniyang ina, na sinabi ng kaniyang lola at ng kanunununuan niya. Minsan napapanaginipan niya ito, literal siyang hangin dahil hindi siya parte ng pelikula. Pero naroon ang mga pangunahing karakter, at laksa-laksang babaeng sakada, kadalasang nasa loob ng tahanan, itinatago ng kani-kaniyang asawa.

Sa panaginip niya, umaga noon, makapal ang ulap na nakaharang sa buwan, higit na kasiya-siya para sa kaniya nang sa gayon, mahigitan niya ang buwan sa pagkakataong ito. At hindi siya nagkamali, ika13 anibersaryo iyon ng malagim na masaker sa asyenda. Hinablot ng mga armadong pulis si Ka Pong. At naroon ang buwan.

Naroon ang kaniyang ina, ang kaniyang lola, ang kaniyang kanunununuan. Matapos ang dekadekadang kawalan ng hustisya para sa kanilang mga sakada, magsasaka at lahat ng api, hindi pa rin nagwawakas pagkat paulit-ulit lamang ang pandarahas. Siya ang buwan, ang kaniyang ina, ang lahat ng sakada.

Wala na ang kaba, hindi siya nananaginip, patunay na batid na niya ang katotohanan sa likod ng bawat pag-aalsa’t paglaban. Ang mga tunay na katatakutan na kumukulbit sa kaniya sa gabi ay nasa kaniya nang harapan.

Gusto niyang kukusin ang mga mata pag naaalala yon. Dahil hindi lamang siya namalikmata.

Nakakarinig at nakakakita siya, gaya ng buwan, tuwing umaga man kahit nasa likod ng ulap, at lalo na kung gabi at maliwanag.

Babae siya, kagaya ng buwan, saksi, kung kaya tatandaan niya ang lahat ng “Ka” na kinakabitan ng “Hustisya para kay” sa unahan.

Kung minsan nalulungkot siya sa katahimikan ng gabi kaya hindi siya mananatili. Ang buwan, gaya ng gabi ay mag-aarmas, maghahanda para sa kinabukasan at sa mga susunod pang laban. * pasintabi kay Chris Millado

95

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

SANNY BOY AFABLE

PUNONG PATNUGOT

ALDRIN VILLEGAS

KAPATNUGOT

SHEILA ANN ABARRA

TAGAPAMAHALANG PATNUGOT

JOHN DANIEL BOONE

PATNUGOT SA BALITA

ROSETTE ABOGADO JAN ANDREI COBEY ADRIAN KENNETH GUTLAY CHESTER HIGUIT

PATNUGOT SA GRAPIX

CAMILLE JOYCE LITA

TAGAPAMAHALA NG PINANSIYA

JOHN RECZON CALAY JOHN KENNETH ZAPATA

KAWANI

AMELYN DAGA

PINANSIYA

GARY GABALES

DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH A journalist, for he earns less than enough. He could not buy you fancy dresses and treat you to f ine restaurants. He would work and write and work and write but never will be paid a lot.

If your idea of love means extravagance—drink champagne, travel the world, play golf, or dance in a ball—then a journalist should not be your t y pe. He will never have the economic capacit y to fuel such ideas from the pett y bourgeoisie.

Don’t fall in love with a journalist, for he might never have the time—for you and for your “relationship.” He’s committed to beating deadlines. Don’t fall in love with a journalist; he will not have the time to take you to dates and all. He will be busy exposing the government, pleasing his editors, and writing about people’s woes.

Don’t fall in love with a journalist because he will surely make you jealous. He will not reply to your messages right away because he is busy talk ing to others—hungr y street children, old cigarette vendors, and hardearning jeepney drivers.

It is not you who is his f irst love, after all, because it was

them all along. It is seldom he will get inspiration from you; it is the people which motivates him to continue. So unless you can endure this agony, then don’t fall in love with a journalist. He will never have the time to put you as his priorit y because he busies himself helping improve the societ y.

Don’t fa l l in love w it h a jou r na l ist, a nd please never fa l l into t he t rap. T hey say “ jou r na l ists w i l l on ly brea k t he new s but never someone’s hea r t.”

Absu rd! A jou r na l ist w i l l brea k you r hea r t a nd c r ush it into pieces a nd t hen st ick t hem whole aga in toget her l i ke a comple x jig saw puzz le.

It will be his way of knowing you right down to your ver y core.

He would want to explore what’s inside you and know each f iber of your soul: learn what you want and what you need and be able to dance to the rhy thm of your heartbeat. He is keen to details and patterns. After some time, he will predict what you will do without the need for you to speak.

Don’t fa l l in love w ith a journa list because he does ever y thing fast. He va lues his time and of others so much, and your “ love” may not ever last.

Now he is here and in a minute he w il l be r unning again. He takes his rests in t wo-minute breaks and sleeps w ith his mind ha lf-awake. He keeps a pen and a journa l on his bedside, in case random ideas k ick in at night.

Don’t fa l l in love w ith a journa list, whose hea r t cannot be mended any longer and is in eterna l pain. He has hea rd the ha rdest and most bit ter stories of the oppressed and of the ma rgina lized. A nd he k nows what he w rites about them can only do so much.

On top of that, his mind is familiar to the everyday struggles of the masses. He will never entertain your random petty nonsense. If your idea of love is centered on the self, then please just give it to someone else.

TAGAPAMAHALA SA SIRKULASYON

AMELITO JAENA OMAR OMMAMALIN

DON'T FA L L I N L O V E WITH A JOURNALIST JOHN DANIEL F. BOONE

SIRKULASYON

TRINIDAD GABALES GINA VILLAS

KATUWANG NA KAWANI

KASAPI UP SYSTEMWIDE ALLIANCE OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS AND WRITERS’ ORGANIZATIONS (UP SOLIDARIDAD)

COLLEGE EDITORS GUILD OF THE PHILIPPINES (CEGP) PAMUHATAN SILID 401 BULWAGANG VINZONS, UNIBERSIDAD NG PILIPINAS, DILIMAN, LUNGSOD QUEZON 1101 TELEFAX 981-8500 LOKAL 4522

It is not you who is his first love, after all, because it was them all along.

ONLINE phkule@gmail.com www.philippinecollegian.org fb.com/phkule twitter.com/phkule instagram.com/phkule issuu.com/philippinecollegian pinterest.com/phkule

      

UKOL SA PABALAT DISENYO NI GUIA ABOGADO

MARTES 21 NOBYEMBRE 2017

13

O PIN YON

MELTING POINT

WARREN RAGASA

GRANDE!

THERE IS ONE CONFESSION I HAVE TO MAKE: never had I been to a place called Starbucks.

But it was until Elle asked me last Saturday. Elle is one of my classmates in a GE class. Like your loud younger sister, she loves to wear the weirdest color combinations.

Weird things fascinate her, she said. That must be why one time, she brought in class a dried bullfrog made into a coin purse, much to the fright of everyone. And that must also be why she befriended me, the awkward guy who territorialized the leftmost seat at the back.

“You know what, you remind me of my older brother.”

My reply was a blank stare. The coffee shop definitely wasn’t my suggestion. It was Elle who insisted to do our class report in there, noting how libraries were especially busy during the hell weeks, and that—of all other places cool, hipster, and weird—it is Starbucks Katipunan that is her favorite study place.

“I said you remind me of my older brother,” Elle stressed. “Like him, you always seem to look at things with curiosity.”

“Uh huh,” I replied. Elle should have guessed by then that I had never been to Starbucks. “Where is he now?”

Karapatan hits Duterte's looming crackdown of progressive groups, trumped up charges vs activists

“Having pot session with God,” she said, grinning.

Elle already ordered her coffee—Caramel Frapuccino.

I was sorry for her family’s lost, but she patted me on my shoulder, signalling me to choose my drink.

I have been invited several times by a few friends “to do acads” in a coffee shop, and I have been to a few, less popular stores. Almost half of my P200 baon everyday goes to my commuting, the remaining definitely not enough for the luxury of a drink. Fortunately, my colleagues in the Collegian survive their presswork nights with cheap 3-in-1 sachets of coffee (and they know each brand and flavor one by one.)

Coffee shops have become an important cultural and social symbol among the middle-class. Many UP students in particular fill every coffee shop during their midterms and finals. There are now small debates online on whether students should be studying for hours at coffee shops, when these are intended to be “social spaces.” But who and what define the “social” in these social spaces?

The bigger questions in my mind were: how different is a latte from a macchiato? Is espresso cold or hot?

“Uh…Mocha.”

“What particular Mocha drink, sir?”

“Hm…uh…Mo..Caffe Mocha!”

Ellie annoys me—from her noisy bangles to her weird giggling. But there must be something defining and interesting in her that has made me say yes to her requests.

I ordered a grande, and bought a “social space” for P160. I was about to take a sip from my first Starbucks coffee when Elle looked at me straight in the eyes.

“I like you,” she said in the calmest way possible.

Blank stare.

“I said I like you.”

Gulp.

I wasn’t sure if it was the coffee or what she said that made me stay awake the whole night.

But sure as hell I was just stirring my Caffe Mocha that Saturday afternoon, inside an awkward social space only made legitimate by this cup of expensive coffee.

PASAKIT AT PASAKA

CHESTER HIGUIT

KARAPATAN PRESS RELEASE, 20 NOVEMBER 2017 "IN THE MIND OF FASCISTS LIKE DUTERTE, ANY AND ALL FORMS OF JUST and legitimate opposition to his anti-people policies are all spun like the wildest conspiracy theories. His threat to crack down on Bayan and other progressive groups, with the twisted logic that they are an anathema to development and are conspiring with the Communist Party of the Philippines, is a tired and unoriginal repetition of the same plot weaved by known fascists like Marcos. Using the same pretext and adapting tricks from the same playbook of fascists, such moves will possibly be appropriated to justify nationwide martial law and intensified repression against the Filipino people,” stated Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay in reaction to Duterte’s statement last Saturday, November 18.

Karapatan said that all this is unsurprising, especially after US President Donald Trump’s visit, Duterte is now shamelessly parroting US declarations and is even planning to list the New People’s Army as a terrorist group. “Duterte’s cozy relationship with the US and his contempt for just and lasting peace drive such statements, for he very well knows that issues concerning international humanitarian law can be addressed in peace process. As Duterte cements his ‘friendship’ with the US, he has also openly declared himself a puppet who favors militarism and interventionist policies,” Palabay said.

The Karapatan leader said that “progressive groups like Bayan have long fought for the basic political and economic rights of the people. Protests and dissent are in fact helpful in pushing for reforms and changes in Philippine society.” She added that “Duterte himself is to be blamed for the economic programs that further increase unemployment and under-employment, and landlessness of farmers; He is to blame for his war on drugs, a program that diminishes human dignity and disregards the social and economic causes of the illegal drug trade. Ultimately, it is his policies and the over-all direction of his regime that further justify the need for protest and resistance.”

Duterte also said on Saturday that he won’t recognize the offense of rebellion in charging alleged members of the NPA. Instead, criminal charges, which are not bailable, will be filed against them.

“Duterte and all the previous administrations have long been in the business of filing trumped up criminal charges against those whom they allege as armed rebels.

However, all they have accomplished is the unjust arrest and detention of activists and ordinary folks who have been subjected to torture and other forms of violations on their right to due process and to a fair trial. This is the reason why almost 98% of political prisoners are charged with common crimes,” Palabay commented.

Karapatan cited the October 19 illegal arrest and detention of Jeremy Ang, a senior consultant of a non-government organization Assert Socio Economic Initiatives Network of the Philippines (Ascent) and his staff Rita C. Espinoza in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). Ascent is a non-government organization advocating for the defense of socio-economic initiatives of the people. Ascent and its network of NGOs have pushed with their advocacy amid the series of attacks against their work by alleged state security forces.

“The same trumped up charges against Ang were brought against Lumad farmers Joshua, Randy and Jonathan Guyo, all members of the NAMASUN-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas in Carage region. Jonathan is also a Karapatan paralegal. The Duterte government rehashes absurd criminal charges against persons whom the state considers its enemies. Especially with the Inter-Agency Committee on Legal Action (IACLA), the crackdown on leaders and members of legal progressive organizations is only bound to intensify,” Palabay concluded.

COM MUN ITY

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MARTES 21 NOBYEMBRE 2017

TARLAC

MARSO 2017

STATUS QUOTES  Adam David /swiminititi

Sa mga lilipad raw sa ibang bansa pag naging senadora si Uson: kasama kayo sa problema.

10:20 PM - NOV 10 2017

nini martini

@cybersoybean



 Bibs

Pope Francis

@biboyped

@Pontifex

Poverty is not an accident.

It has causes that must be recognized and removed for the good of so many of our brothers and sisters.

3:03 PM - NOV 12 2017



what imperialism looks like: when foreign leaders are allowed a space for their voice on your soil before your people are allowed to express dissent.

11:09 PM - NOV 6 2017

May nagcomment sa statement ng Gabriela Women’s Party Re: RCEP. Sabi nya “so ekonomista na din pala ang gabriela?”

ME: oh boy! wala ng mas magaling na ekonomista sa isang Nanay na kailangang pagkasyahin ang kakarampot na kita para mabuhay ang buong pamilya.

10:04 AM - NOV 13 2017

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

HANAPIN AT BILUGAN ANG WALONG BAGAY NA NAIIBA SA DALAWANG DIBUHO.

DIBUHO NI JOHN KENNETH ZAPATA DISENYO NG PAHINA NI JOHN RECZON CALAY

GUSTO MO BA NG DIFFERENCE?

AKYAT LANG SA ROOM 401 NG VINZONS HALL! MAGDALA NG DALAWANG BLUEBOOK, BALLPEN, AT PORTFOLIO (PARA SA GRAPIX) AT LUMIKHA NG DIFFERENCE! MARTES 21 NOBYEMBRE 2017

15

GRA PIX

LANDSCAPE OF D E S PA I R

,,

The wounds are still fresh, but Marawi is facing yet another war.

AFTER FIVE MONTHS OF WAR, Marawi is left desolate: its people driven to despair, and their city governed by ghosts. Yet this miserable landscape did not emerge on its own. Religious and socioeconomic conflict transformed Marawi into a battlefield, but government troops guaranteed its utter destruction.

Duterte himself admitted it: there were no winners in this war. Weeks since the Islamic City was liberated from the Maute terrorists, evacuees return to a city reduced to ashes and under the shadow of martial law. The fivemonth firefight and unhampered aerial bombings from the military claimed the lives of 47 civilians, 165 soldiers and 962 militants, displacing nearly half a million people all the while.

What comes in the aftermath of war is the challenge to rise from the rubble.

Greater attention should be given to the relief efforts, which include decent shelter and psychosocial needs of the victims. A rehabilitation program, on the other hand, must restore and improve the livelihood of the people, most of which are agriculture-oriented.

And yet we must be wary, for no one is ever more thrilled to “rebuild” Marawi than those who feed upon this landscape of despair. Even while it was still razing Marawi to the ground, the Duterte administration had the audacity to express its interest in transforming the city into a world-class tourism hub. There are now proposals to construct a waterfront and tourism centers, or to leave the ruins as memorial sites.

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

EDITORIAL Meanwhile, the vultures have already swooped down on Marawi. Both the World Bank (WB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have promised to secure the country’s foreign loans to rehabilitate the city, which the government pegs at P50 billion. But it is a longstanding strategy of WB-ADB to offer “aid” and technical assistance to the country on the condition of structural policy changes, such as privatization of basic social services.

Both institutions join the popular call to end armed insurgencies in Mindanao, and yet they were also the giant financers of foreign-owned projects that led to the massive plunder of mineral reserves in the region through the Mining Act of 1995.

This only resulted in displacement and hunger of Mindanaoans and has fanned the flames of existing conflicts.

But such is the envisioned future of Marawi: a commercial pivot to the resourcerich region of Mindanao. The motives of United States’ military intervention in Marawi is clear: to pave way for foreign investments, while also reinforcing our military dependence on the US, crucial at a time when China strengthens its ties with Southeast Asian states.

There is no surprise hence that a terrorist group found its base in the country’s poorest province. As long as economic conditions continue to disillusion the population, and that the powerful revel in public fear, more people will be pushed to take up arms and resort to violence. Any rehabilitation strategy in Marawi should aim to address the roots of the conflict and pursue just and lasting peace.

But the Duterte administration instead puts its faith on corporate interests, allowing itself to repeat the blunders and ineptness of the past administration in restoring communities affected by supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013. Four years hence, only 12 percent or 26,526 houses out of the target 205,128 were awarded to typhoon survivors in Visayas. Rather than rebuilding public hospitals and schools, the government favored land use conversion for tourism, malls and other big businesses, according to research group IBON. The government pits the two rehabilitation efforts against each other, while it boasts of its P850 billion budget for big infrastructure projects, majority of which is only for the expansion of road networks and highways. Recovery of Yolanda-stricken communities remains bleak under Duterte, with P5 billion worth of unused funds to be realigned for recovery efforts in Marawi.

More so, Duterte’s heavy priority on infrastructure and tourism in postconflict Marawi towers over this landscape of despair, ultimately proclaiming the government’s shameless betrayal of Marawi and its people. Duterte’s idea of “rehabilitation and development” is again revealed—centered on towering infrastructure and the flow of capital, while ignoring both the immediate and long-term needs of the Filipino people.

The wounds are still fresh, but Marawi is facing yet another war. While big businesses and the US have the upper hand in this, they should expect to meet the people’s resistance.