Philippine Collegian Tomo 94 Issue 17-18

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman › Biyernes 26 Mayo 2017 › Tomo 94 Blg 17-18

kulê balita

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GROUPS DECRY ‘MILITARIZATION’ OF CABINET AS THREAT TO PEASANTS, IPS

lathalain SYSTEM AT FAULT PROBING THE PHILIPPINES’ DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

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kultura

BRAND RECALL opinyon

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HUNGKAG NA KAPAYAPAAN

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EDITORYAL BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017 ISKO ON THE STREET What can you say about the looming implementation of the GE reform?

Hungkag na kapayapaan TULUYAN NANG NAHAWI ANG tabing na nagkukubli sa kamay na bakal ng administrasyong Rodrigo Duterte.

Binalot ng ligalig ang bansa nang magharap ang Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at teroristang grupong Maute sa bayan ng Marawi, Lanao del Sur. Nagresulta ito sa ilang daang kaso ng pagbabakwit—may mga natalang sugatan at napaslang sa gitna ng alitan. Ngunit sa halip na maghain ng negosasyon kasama ang rebeldeng grupo, agarang deklarasyon ng batas militar sa buong Mindanao ang naging tugon ng administrasyong Duterte.

Sa pagpapaigting ng takot at pangamba sa mga sibilyan, lumalabas na ang gobyerno ang siyang terorista ng bayan: isang balakid sa pagkamit ng seguridad at makatarungang kapayapaan sa lipunan. Ginawa nitong tungtungan ang insidente upang gawing lehitimo ang operasyon ng militar sa Mindanao, na matagal nang espasyo ng tunggalian sa pagitan ng gobyerno at mga grupong nais magkaroon ng politikal at pangekonomikong kapangyarihan sa rehiyon.

Hungkag na tugon ang Batas Militar sa ugat ng mga isyung nagreresulta sa pag-aklas ng mga grupong tulad ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front at Moro National Liberation Front, gaya ng problema sa kawalan ng lupang sakahan at karapatan sa sariling pagpapasya ng mga Moro. Sagana ang Mindanao

sa likas-yaman ngunit naghihirap ang mamamayan nito—mula sa Mindanao ang 11 sa 20 probinsyang may mataas na kaso ng kahirapan noong 2015 kung saan pinakamahirap ang Lanao del Sur, base sa tala ng Philippine Statistics Authority.

Malaon nang napatunayan sa kasaysayan na walang idinulot ang Batas Militar kundi pambubusabos sa karapatan ng mga sibilyan at matinding korupsyon sa pamamahala noong 1970s sa ilalim ni dating Pangulo Ferdinand Marcos.

Wala ring napala ang mamamayan nang ideklara ito sa Maguindanao noong panunungkulan ni dating Pangulo Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, mailap pa rin ang hustisya para sa 58 kataong pinaslang, kung saan 32 ay mga mamamahayag, noong 2006 ng angkang Ampatuan.

Kung kaya’t sa pagsasailalim ng Mindanao sa batas militar, lumilikha lamang ng patung-patong na tensyon at krisis ang pamahalaan—kung idadagdag pa ang mga naitalang kaso ng pandarahas at pamamaslang sa nagdaang apat na dekada. Simula ng operasyon ng Oplan Kapayapaan na nilalayong supilin ang rebelyon sa Pilipinas, at deklarasyon ng all-out war ng AFP kontra sa rebeldeng New People’s Army noong Pebrero, libu-libong sibilyan, katutubo, at mga magsasaka partikular sa Mindanao ang naging biktima ng sunod-sunod na pambobombang operasyon ng AFP, ayon sa tala ng grupong Karapatan.

Lumilikha lamang ng patung-patong na tensyon at krisis ang pamahalaan— kung idadagdag pa ang mga naitalang kaso ng pandarahas at pamamaslang sa nagdaang apat na dekada.

Lagi’t lagi, magpapatuloy lamang ang siklo ng karahasan kung hindi matutugunan ang ugat ng pakikibaka ng masang naapi.

Kailangang bakahin at harapin ng kasalukuyang administrasyon ang mga isyung matagal nang hinaharap ng kalakhan ng mamamayang Pilipino.

Mahalagang isantabi ng pamahalaan ang pansariling interes nito upang buong makapaglingkod sa mga maralita— makapagbigay ng abot-kayang serbisyo gaya na lamang sa edukasyon at kalusugan.

Kakambal naman nito ang pagiging alerto ng mamamayang Pilipino sa bawat palisiyang ipinatutupad ng gobyerno.

Nagbanta pa ang administrasyon na maaari nitong iangat ang deklarasyon ng batas militar sa buong bansa, kung kaya’t lalong mahalaga ang pagmamatiyag at pagtuligsa ng bawat sektor ng lipunan sa anumang porma ng pandarahas mula sa estado.

Makakamit lamang ang tunay at pangmatagalang kapayapaan kung matutugunan ang ugat ng kahirapang nagluluwal ng rebelyon at karahasan mula sa mga naghihirap na mamamayang biktima ng kapabayaan ng pamahalaan.

Pangangailangan ang pagsuporta sa usapang pangkapayapaan na naglalayong resolbahin ang mga suliranin ng bansa sa halip na muling paigtingin ang karahasan sa ilalim ng batas militar. −

Punong Patnugot Karen Ann Macalalad Kapatnugot Adrian Kenneth Gutlay Tagapamahalang Patnugot John Reczon Calay Patnugot sa Kultura Andrea Joyce Lucas Patnugot sa Lathalain Aldrin Villegas Mga Patnugot sa Grapiks Rosette Guia Abogado − Jan Andrei Cobey − Chester Higuit Tagapamahala ng Pinansiya John Daniel Boone Kawani Sheila Ann Abarra − Sanny Boy Afable − Hans Christian Marin − John Kenneth Zapata Pinansiya Amelyn Daga Tagapamahala sa Sirkulasyon Gary Gabales Sirkulasyon Amelito Jaena − Omar Omamalin 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 Telepono 981-8500 lokal 4522 Online phkule@gmail.com − www.philippinecollegian.org − fb.com/phkule − twitter.com/phkule − instagram.com/phkule − pinterest.com/phkule

As Iskolars ng bayan, we all have to be critical when it comes to the education we receive. As future leaders of our country, we have to be equipped with skills beyond our specialization. Our country needs leaders for the development of our own nation and not to serve as cogs of globalization. With the looming implementation of the GE reform, our main source of holistic education is threatened. As student-activists, we will continue to fight for the holistic education our university is known for. There is no better time to fight than now for our very right to quality and holistic education is endangered.

Zildjian Joshua Restituto BS Electrical Engineering

The GE reform was meant to help students reduce their academic load, especially in engineering and science which needs a lot of majors in their curriculum. Many students are rallying against it because it will reduce a student's appreciation of the humanities or reduce one's sense of being Filipino.

This sense of being Filipino is not in the number of GEs you take but how you learn and use these GEs that you take.

Jose Carlos Rodrigo Azcarraga BS Computer Science

Hindi katanggap-tanggap.

Karl Albright Tiston BS Chemistry

UKOL SA PABALAT Dibuho ni Guia Abogado

BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017

BALITA

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NEWS BRIEFS

UP students slam Duterte honorary degree offer −

JOHN RECZON CALAY

UP DILIMAN (UPD) STUDENTS denounced the Board of Regents’ (BOR) proposal to confer a Juris Doctor, honoris causa, to President Rodrigo Duterte on April 19.

“Honors must not be given to a president (who) declares all-out war against his people to quell their struggle for just and lasting peace, and reimposes death penalty to legitimize the killing of the poor,” Student Regent Raoul Manuel said in a statement.

As of press time, revised Philippine National Police (PNP) data showed there have been over 7,000 deaths under Duterte’s anti-Illegal drugs campaign Oplan Tokhang. Human rights group Karapatan documented 47 cases of extrajudicial killings from July 2016 to March 2017.

The UPD League of College Councils (LCC) gathered signatures to have the BOR retract the proposal. The signed statement was forwarded to the board on its April 27 meeting.

However, Duterte declined the university’s offer, saying he does not accept awards “as a matter of personal and official policy.”

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum no. 19, series of 2014 states that higher education institutions can offer an honorary doctor of laws degree to public servants and statesmen who “have contributed to international understanding, leadership, and the rule of law.”

It has been a UP tradition to confer an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to presidents, CHED and BOR Chairperson Patricia Licuanan said in reports. All presidents accepted the honorary degree except for Joseph Ejercito Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Minutes of the 1,326th BOR meeting last April 5 noted that Duterte appointees Regents Frederick Mikhail Farolan and Angelo Jimenez seconded the motion to confer the honorary degree to “certain individuals.”

Previously noted as the one who made the motion, Senator Francis Escudero’s name was removed in the revised minutes though he does not object the plan. −

Search for 35th SR begins −

KAREN ANN MACALALAD

THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE NEXT student representative to the UP Board of Regents (BOR) already began from May 6 to 23.

The Student Regent (SR) is the lone student member of the BOR which is the highest policymaking body of the university.

Other members of the BOR include the following: the Commission on Higher Education Chair, UP President, heads of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture and House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, three Malacañang appointees, Faculty Regent, Alumni Regent, and Staff Regent.

Any enrolled student who is not found guilty of grave offense may be nominated as SR by students and organizations within the UP system.

The SR nominees will undergo three stages of deliberation, with the General Assembly of Student Councils to select the top three candidates.

“The next SR must rely on the collective strength of the studentry as source of leverage in asserting our demands in the BOR, which has for so long been at odds with student interests,” current SR Raoul Manuel said.

The past academic year saw the ongoing attacks on the students’ democratic rights in UP through anti-student policies, deprivation of spaces and organization repression, in addition to the problem with the Socialized Tuition System and other school fess, Raoul said.

“The SR will deal with these alongside a new UP President and the Duterte administration which is pursuing peace talks as a platform to discuss the socio-economic demands of the Filipino people,” he added. −

CLIMATE JUSTICE Patricia Louise Pobre Filipino scientist-activist group Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (AGHAM) led the Philippines' “Global Science March” in celebration of Earth Day at Quezon City Memorial, April 22. The group calls on their concerns of improving research equipment, facilities and responsible environmental awareness for the Science and Technology (S&T) sector to the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. Both the immediate and the institutional changes needed to revitalize the S&T sector can be found in the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) of the peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines according to the group.

Farmers condemn police for 'colluding' with agribiz firm −

DYLAN REYES

AGRIBUSINESS FIRM LAPANDAY Foods Corp. connived with the Philippine National Police (PNP) after local police in Davao del Norte refused to aid the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the installation of banana farmers to a 145-hectare farm in Tagum City last April 18, a peasant leader said.

Antonio Tuyak, a director of the Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association, Inc. (MARBAI), slammed PNP Region 11 Director Manuel Gaerlan for failing to comply with agrarian reform Secretary Rafael Mariano’s writ of installation when allegedly 800 armed goons by Lapanday barricaded the banana plantation.

A total of 159 members of MARBAI were supposed to be installed by DAR in the disputed farm area but the lack of police assistance to ensure the safety and security of farmer-beneficiaries has pushed DAR to postpone it to April 21.

Moreover, the department’s second attempt to install the banana farmers remained futile after the Davao police learned that the security guards hired

by Lapanday were poised to fight out attempts of reclamation when a clearing operation was conducted.

In a statement released by DAR, Gaerlan and his officers invoked

technicalities and cited the lack of an operational plan despite a preinstallation meeting with local DAR officials prior to the initial activity. The police have yet to assist DAR in serving the installation order.

The 145-hectare banana plantation was previously awarded to the MARBAI members under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in 1996. It is part of the San Isidro farm area managed

by Lapanday under a compromise agreement it signed in September 2011 with the Hijo Employees Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative-1 (HEARBCO-1).

MARBAI members broke away from their mother cooperative HEARBCO-1 when it decided to end ties with Lapanday after more than a decade of Banana Sales and Marketing Agreement with the agribusiness firm who buys their produce for export.

“We were tricked into selling highgrade bananas which were poorly classified for a lower price, thus resulting to a measly P2,000 monthly income,” MARBAI President Mely Yu said. Reports

by DAR also showed that the 10-year agribusiness venture agreement has caused the farmer-beneficiaries to

accumulate a P1-billion debt to Lapanday for production costs and marketing.

Southern Mindanao farmers have gathered in Tagum City since last October to support the MARBAI farmers in their attempts to occupy their CARP-awarded lands. However, seven suffered gunshot wounds and several others were injured during multiple attacks by suspected goons of Lapanday last December when the farmers successfully repossessed the farm.

Despite a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) issued by Mariano last December 14 prohibiting the unlawful eviction of MARBAI farmers, the agrarian reform beneficiaries were again kicked out of the banana plantation by 200 reported security guards at the end of 2016.

Lapanday has since challenged the CDO before the Court of Appeals which the court denied. Mariano has also warned the agribusiness firm of contempt for defying the orders DAR has issued as final and executory.

“Lapanday’s defiance is a blatant disregard to President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to implement genuine agrarian reform in the country,” Mariano added. −

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BALITA BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017

FIGHT FOR HOME Patricia Louise Pobre Jong Monzon, 25, together with 60 Lumad settled at the Vinzons Hall Lobby, April 22, after their 2-week encampment at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) due to the ongoing all out war against indigenous communities. The group travelled from Davao City to Manila to seek aid and to call for the immediate pull out of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from their schools and homes. There have been seven documented aerial bombings, 10 undocumented bombings and 5 documented cases of military encampment in local communities and schools in Southern Mindanao according to PASAKA, Confederation of Lumad Organization in Southern Mindanao Region.

Groups decry 'militarization' of Cabinet as threat to peasants, IPs −

SEVERAL GROUPS HAVE OPPOSED the recent appointment of two military officials to executive posts following the widespread militarization of indigenous communities and unabated killings of peasants over the past years.

President Rodrigo Duterte named current Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Eduardo Año as new Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary, two days after placing ex-military chief Roy Cimatu as the Department of Environment and Resources secretary on May 8.

Año will replace acting DILG Secretary Catalino Cuy while Cimatu assumed the position of anti-mining advocate Gina Lopez whose nomination was rejected by the Commission on Appointments (CA) on May 3.

While the government pursues the peace negotiations’ resumption, there is an equal resistance from the military to turn the government’s leadership orientation against the marginalized sectors, said Joana Jaime, campaign director of national minority group KATRIBU. At least 10 military and ex-military officers hold key government positions under the Duterte administration, including AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Ricardo

Visaya as head of the National Irrigation Administration and Gen. Emmanuel Bautista as undersecretary.

Warmongers Even during his early stint as president, Duterte has been vocal in selecting military men over civilian for government posts. Military members follow orders quickly unlike civilians who are “lazy,” the president reportedly said on September 17.

But most of the appointed generals have committed cases of human rights violations against civilians, human rights group Karapatan stated. Año was allegedly involved in the abduction and disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos in 2007 and the killing spree of Lumad and illegal arrests of activists during his term as the 10th Infantry DivisionPhilippine Army commanding officer in Mindanao, Karapatan cited.

Meanwhile, Cimatu led the implementation of the counter insurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya of the Arroyo term from May to September 2002 which killed peasants, workers, and anti-mining advocates.

He also created the Task Force Lumad in 1994 to counter the Ata-Manobo’s resistance to the massive logging operations of the Alsons Company owned by the Alcantara clan in

KAREN ANN MACALALAD

Mindanao, the environment advocate Kalikasan Network stated.

“This is exactly how impunity prevails, when rights violators are accorded medals and positions, while victims and their families are left without an iota of justice,” Karapatan Secretary-General Cristina Palabay said in a statement.

“Civilian protectors” Despite the peace talks’ resumption, the AFP has failed to uphold the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) which is a key peace document signed in 1998 to protect civilian rights, according to the national minority groups.

Human rights violations have further escalated after the AFP unveiled on January 6 its counter-insurgency program Oplan Kapayapaan, which replaced the Oplan Bayanihan of the Aquino term that left 332 victims of extrajudicial killlings, Karapatan stated.

“If the AFP and State security forces under the Duterte administration will have the same framework and approach of the past regimes and with their fascist and mercenary character, the Filipino people will continue to experience unpeace in communities,” Palabay said.

As of press time, 23 national

minorities and peasants are victims of extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s watch, while 15,379 individuals were reportedly affected by the AFP’s bombing operations in the communities.

On March 31, the 28th Infantry Battalion fired at least five bombs in Brgy.

Tagbinunga in Mati, Davao Oriental resulting to the forced evacuation of 170 families including the Lumad.

A total of 24,379 were also forced to evacuate from their ancestral lands and schools due to intensified military operations. Militia are in place to counter any resistance of national minorities to logging, mining, and agribusiness operations in their ancestral domains, said Anabelle Campos, a coordinator of the Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur. Even schools have been targeted by military men who tag instructors as members of the New People’s Army, Campos added. “’Yung mga schools ay susi ng daluyan ng pagkamulat ng mga Lumad lalo na sa pagpapasya. Ang mga alternative schools ay nagtuturo sa tunay na kalagayan ng bansa,” she said.

Delaying peace With the increasing trend of political repression, sectoral groups have demanded the government to stop its all-out war and Oplan Kapayapaan.

They called for the confirmation of Judy Taguiwalo and Rafael Mariano as Social and Welfare Development secretary and Agrarian Reform secretary, respectively, believing they hold a pro-poor track record.

However, the CA has again bypassed Taguiwalo and Mariano, stating that it is yet to deliberate on a resolution filed

by Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV aiming to review the rule on secret voting. The resolution came in after the rejection of Gina Lopez’s appointment, when at least nine members have claimed to have voted in favor of Lopez even if the vote count was 16-18.

The delays in the confirmation are due to Taguiwalo’s stand against the practice of patronage pork barrel that has long been proven unconstitutional and Mariano’s plans to push for a genuine land reform, the multisectoral organization BAYAN claimed.

“Congressional posts are being used to uphold and defend ruling class interests against forces pushing for reforms in social services, land reform and the environment,” the group stated.

“Magpapatuloy tayo sa panawagan na 'wag i-install ang mga opisyal (na militar) kahit dati na silang may posisyon sa gobyerno. Lalo na ngayon ang karakter ng AFP ay anti-mamamayan at nasa frontline ng pagprotekta ng mining interests,” Jaime said. −

BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017

BALITA

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KANLUNGAN NG KULTURA Chester Higuit Inihain ng mga pambansang minorya katuwang ang Philippine Task Force for Indigenous People’s Rights ang mga suliranin ng mga katutubo at Moro hinggil sa pang-aagaw ng kanilang lupang ninuno at sa kawalan ng pampublikong serbisyo para sa kalusugan at edukasyon, ika-4 ng Mayo sa Delos Reyes Auditorium, School of Labor and Industrial Relations. Namutawi sa salaysay ng mga pambansang minorya ang malaking epekto ng pang-aangkin sa kanilang lupa sa kanilang kultura, tradisyon, kaalaman, at pamamahala sa kapaligiran.

In Defense of Dissent

Confronting the Cry for Justice of Victims of Drug-Related Killings −

ON APRIL 29, RIGHTS GROUP Hustisya organized an activity titled “Pakinggan Natin” which heard the testimonies told by the families of victims of political and drug-related killings. They held the gathering as part of the Rise Up! Campaign for Life and Rights, a network spearheaded by church people and the religious that calls to stop the killings under the Duterte government’s war on drugs.

This was the first time Hustisya hosted such activity, being an organization of victims of political repression in the form of killings, torture, militarization, among others.

Working with Selda and Desaparecidos that are groups of the same orientation, Hustisya was founded in 2006 at the height of political repression under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime.

They called to Stop the Killings in the Philippines with Karapatan that gained wide local and international support.

Hustisya has regularly led gatherings where victims and their families share testimonies and introduce their loved ones to the public so their life struggles be known and understood. It was to show that victims were killed by state forces not because they are criminals, but because they go against what seemed normal: the social injustice and class oppression that has brought millions of the Filipinos to hopelessness and despair.

But the April 29 gathering was distinct from the other Hustisya sessions, as stories about the alleged drug users and pushers, the “natokhang,” the “napagkamalan,” the “palit-ulo” were heard. Some in the audience, especially those who are

regular in gatherings like this, thought of it like one of those testimonysharing sessions. At some point, they have gotten used to these activities.

Victims and their families, however, need this—it empowers the victims and gives them the courage not just to speak, but with the idea that their struggle is not theirs alone. It is a form of therapy, to share one’s grief and realize it is the grief of a community seeking justice.

It is a journey to raising awareness, to embracing a greater struggle that is the people’s movement.

Tears flowed that afternoon.

Consistent attendees of Hustisya gatherings and their own members were in tears as the families of Tokhang victims told their stories. A mother lost her husband and son. The son, as soon as his father was shot, hugged his father and begged the killers to spare him. He was also shot dead.

The families of victims of drug-related killings who dare speak in the gathering did not take up the courage only on that day. It was a long process, according to volunteers of the Rise Up! Campaign.

They fear for their lives—they know this is not as simple as running after alleged hired killers or men in uniform even. There are druglords, drug syndicates, even military and police officers and people in government office. To escape the rule of law, they put the law in their hands to devour on the little people, the poor.

But again, there goes the distinctiveness of the issue of drugrelated killings and political killings.

While political killings make vulnerable almost anybody who is considered by the military establishment as “enemy of the state,” what can be said as advantageous

MA. CRISTINA ANGELA GUEVARRA

is that the victims are from the organized among the masses.

Victims of extrajudicial killings come from organizations of peasants and workers, women and youth, national minorities and migrants. They are part of organized groups and communities that face challenges such as political repression comprehensively. They fully understand that there will come a time that they will face the enemy head-on, but they continue because it is the just thing to do. As one farmer and survivor in the Hacienda Luisita massacre said more than a decade ago: it is better to die fighting.

The victims of drug-related killings come from the poor and in communities all over the country. Worse, they are even maligned by society as menace.

Hence, the term “obosen” has become a household expression to eradicate anybody who’s into drugs. Why then stand for them? They are all reduced to being hardened criminals, as if none of them were victims themselves.

That afternoon, they were introduced by their families as workers, as fathers, as husbands.

Many of those killed were mistaken for somebody else, but to kill everybody— the users and pushers even—are they more criminal than a society which has reduced them to such?

Save the sick, eradicate the sickness, as the old saying goes. The point is, to address this, it will never be enough to cry out to stop the killings. Portraying them in many forms is of well-meaning, but the call to stop the killings and end the problem of illegal drugs goes beyond that. Presenting their cause means taking on the cudgels of turning a rotten society

upside down—with the wronged, the condemned, and insulted on top of those who gathered riches at their expense.

It is an imperative to organize the victims and make them understand not just of their rights, but the society as a whole. To look at it comprehensively, and answer the questions why many of the poor are poor, and why many have stood against their own even destroying lives through the use of illegal drugs—to say it awakens them from this nightmare, and teaches them they have a chance to change their accepted realities of being poor, is the point.

When it was the turn of the families of victims of political killings to speak, the families of the victims of drugrelated killings listened intently. Later in the evening, those who attended the gathering were asked to write down their calls in a piece of cardboard. It was a subversion of so-called “cardboard justice.” Families of victims of drugrelated killings wrote not just the names of their kin, but added statements like “linisin muna ang kapulisan,” and “patayin ang kawalan ng trabaho,” among others.

After having two separate crowds in the gathering, the day went to a close with families of victims of political killings, including families of desaparecidos and former political prisoners and families of victims of drug-related killings in small circles of talking, hugs, and firm handshakes. If not only because it’s already dark, they will continue on sharing their stories.

The families of Tokhang victims said thanks, and committed they can go to other activities anytime as long as time and resources permit.

They said they will join the May 1 protests, and they did, embracing issues of workers and other oppressed sectors who were among them, masses, and their communities. They also visited the camp-out of farmers in Mendiola, and in the program, spoke of the need for all the oppressed to unite, and work for justice.

No victim remains a victim for so long, as long as they are enjoined in the arduous struggle to break free from society’s ills.

Addressing and fighting for human rights in the Philippines entails not just understanding the right to life and human dignity. It is not that easy. Shouldn’t we cry for help when our rights are under attack? We should and we did, but first and foremost, the victims themselves are willing to speak and stand up. This does not happen overnight. It entails a long and tedious process of arousing and organizing.

This time, the meaning of justice transcends from the need to go after the perpetrators, to aiming a stop to all these killings, rights violations, and ultimately, class oppression, and social injustice (Second of three parts). −

Ma. Cristina Angela Guevarra is the former secretary general, and currently board member of Hustisya (Victims United for Justice) which is a national organization of victims of human rights violations, relatives, and friends of victims. She served as a news writer for the Philippine Collegian and convenor of Tanggulan Youth Network for Human Rights and Civil Liberties.

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BALITA BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017

POLICE BRIEFS −

RAT SAN JUAN

Two UP students caught vandalizing on campus AN OFFICER FROM GLOCKE SECURITY Agency caught two UP students vandalizing a wall beside Miranda Hall or the National Science Research Institute at the corner of Quirino Avenue and Velasquez Street on April 28 at around 7:45 p.m.

According to the UP Diliman Police (UPDP) report, the 4th year Molecular Biology student and 2ndyear College of Arts and Letters student spray-painted the words “DO 174 Ibasura – SPARK.” DO 174 refers to the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Department Order No. 174, which labor groups have denounced for failing to end contractualization. SPARK stands for Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan, a political youth organization of which both UP students were members.

A 15-year old senior high student from UST was apprehended along with the two suspects.

The 4th year student said the incident was part of a planned operation by SPARK to spray paint calls around campus in support for workers’ rights, in preparation for the Labor Day mobilizations which came the following Monday.

The three were immediately brought to the UP Diliman Police Headquarters.

When their lawyer arrived, the investigator reprimanded the three but allowed them to leave the station with only a warning. The 4th year student has seen their arrest as a move to encroach on activism, considering that UP is historically a politically-involved university where spray-painting is common. −

Female robbed of P10k worth of property in CP Garcia A RESIDENT OF POOK AMORSOLO was robbed of P10,000 worth of belongings along CP Garcia Avenue on April 25 at around 9:15 PM. Mary Rose Dayao, 28, was near the Math Building and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) Building when a man accompanied by one other male suddenly snatched her backpack.

The bag contained a cellphone worth P7,000, a wallet containing P3,000 in cash, several identification cards, and a pair of shoes.

The suspects fled toward Pook Daang Tubo.

Dayao then went to the nearby Barangay Public Safety Office (BPSO) of Brgy. UP Campus to seek help. In return, the BPSO called the UPDP to request police assistance. The UPDP joined the Barangay Police in pursuit of the two suspects, but they were unable to locate them.

By 11:50 PM, the backpack was recovered by a volunteer from Daang Tubo. The only remaining contents were Dayao’s pair of shoes and UP Town Center ID. CP Garcia Avenue is known as one of the hotspots for petty crime, along with Magsaysay Avenue, the University Avenue, and Ylanan Street. −

Two FA students injured in hit-and-run TWO STUDENTS FROM THE COLLEGE of Fine Arts were injured in a hit-and-run incident on April 25.

Kathleen Sareena Dagum and Gabriela Isabelle Niña Vaño were crossing a pedestrian lane on CP Garcia Avenue when they were side-swiped by a motorcycle at around 11:00 AM. The driver of the motorcycle sped toward Katipunan Avenue after hitting the victims. Dagum suffered abrasions and contusions on both feet and scratches on the left elbow, while Vaño sustained abrasions on her right knee.

Maria Patricia Tañedo was with the victims when the hit-and-run took place.

Unharmed, she was able to take note of the plate number of the motorcycle. The suspect is an unidentified male driving a black motorcycle with plate number ND65040.

According to Sgt. Roderick C. Dalit of the UPDP, the victims chose not to file a case since the X-ray conducted on Dagum showed no fracture. He explained that she said she is working on her thesis and has no time to spare to file charges. −

t

DEMOLITION JOB Patricia Louise Pobre Samahan ng Mamamayan sa Village C (SMVC) President Mylene Verzosa, 36, and acting SMVC Vice President Sally Edrada, 38, have taken notice of the forthcoming community evacuation as to three years after a sudden follow-up announcement this 2017 for Employee and Faculty Housings. Edrada was informed that Village C will be the first to topple down from the three informally settled communities around the campus to having the least populated with only 135 families. Although to Verzosa considered relocation in government housing villages in Morong, Rizal and Bistekville in Quezon City, the two housewives, along with many more individuals, fear of their children's education and livelihood once they loose beneficial connections with the UP community; one of them being Edrada's husband who works around UP Diliman as a jeepney driver earning 500 pesos per week.

#TAASKAMAO

Maroon Booters kinapos kontra Bulldogs, 1-2 −

HANS CHRISTIAN E. MARIN

NABIGONG MAIKUBRA NG UP ANG panalo sa ikahuli nitong sagupaan sa Season 79 ng University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s football, matapos silang gulantangin ng ikalimang pwesto na National University (NU) Bulldogs, 1-2, sa Moro Lorenzo Field, ika-20 ng Abril.

Naging mabagal ang unang sampung minuto ng bakbakan kung saan walang koponan ang nagtangkang makaiskor. Nagkaroon ng ilang mga tsansa ang Maroons sa mga susunod na possession ngunit nagmintis ang screamer attempt ni midfielder Roland Saavedra sa ika-14 minuto ng laban at free kick conversion nina forward Jose Miguel Clarino at Raphael Resuma sa ika-33 minuto.

Nagsagawa naman ng error sa clearance ng bola si UP goalkeeper Ace Villanueva sa ika-35 minuto na sinamantala ni NU forward Mike Arbela

at umiskor, 1-0. Nagtangka pa ulit ang UP na tumabla sa unang half ng bakbakan mula sa isang power play ni UP captain Daniel Gadia sa loob ng box sa ika-45 minutong unit ito ay nagmintis.

Bumawi ang UP sa ikalawang half kung saan inayos nila ang kanilang opensa, dahilan upang maipasok ni midfielder Sebastian Patangan ang isang mala-kidlat na in-step kick mula sa pasa ni forward Kintaro Miyagi sa ika-62 minuto at maitabla ang sagupaan, 1-1.

Matapos ang isang free kick mula kay UP full-back Julian Clarino na nadepensahan ng NU, agad namang sinamantala ng Bulldogs ang fumble upang makasagawa ng strike si forward Jacob Gomez at lumamang, 2-1 sa ika-72 minuto.

Ilang pagtatangka pa sa huling mga minuto mula sa free kick ni Clarino sa ika-82 minuto, strike ni James Condat, at isang corner play ang isinigawa ng

UP, ngunit bigo pa rin silang pasukin ang mala-lintang depensa ng Bulldogs.

“We wanted to end on a high note.

But unfortunately, there were lapses in our goalkeeping,” ani Maroons coach Anto Gonzales.

Sa kabila ng pagkatalo, mananatili pa rin sa ikalawang pwesto ang kasalukuyang kampeon na Maroons tangan ang 28 puntos upang makapasok sa Final Four habang magkakasya na lamang sa ikalimang pwesto ang Bulldogs na may 19 puntos. Tatlong puntos ang nakukuha ng mga nagwawagi sa bawat laban habang isang puntos para sa mga tabla at walang puntos sa mga matatalo. −

WWW.PHILIPPINECOLLEGIAN.ORG

BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017

BALITA

7

#VOTEWATCHUPD

ALYANSA wins 12 of 29 seats in UPD USC −

CAMILLE GUADALUPE LITA

THE UP ALYANSA NG MGA MAGaaral para sa Panlipunang Katwiran at Kaunlaran (UP ALYANSA) has secured majority of the UP Diliman University Student Council (USC) seats anew, with incumbent Business Administration Council chair Benjie Allen Aquino securing the top post on April 6.

Aquino garnered 4,143 votes against Leandro Anton Castro of Nagkakaisang Iskolar para sa Pamantasan at Sambayanan sa UP (KAISA UP) with 3,547 votes and Ben Galil Te of Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP (STAND UP) with 2,542 votes. Castro and Te are current members of the USC as heads of the Sports, Fitness, and Health Committee and Education and Research Committee, respectively.

Six of seven councilor bets of UP ALYANSA also won with Cassie Deluria and Sugar del Castillo clinching the second and third councilor seat. Five representatives from the following colleges will also serve the USC next year: College of Business Administration, College of Human Kinetics, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, School of Economics, and College of Music.

“I promise the student body that this USC will deliver, efficient, and effective.

We will listen and consult the students.

On the flip side, I hope that the students could involve themselves more and continue to hold us accountable for

LAKBAYIN AT PASANIN Christian King Saavedra

what we promised during the elections,” Aquino said.

Aquino would also push for the passage and implementation of the UP Diliman Students’ Magna Carta, Diliman Rights Watch, Duterte Watch, and Students’ Agenda, amid the fundamental differences in principles that may hinder in steering the next USC term.

As for the vice chair post, incumbent Ways and Means Committee Head Rafael Toribio of KAISA UP won the seat with 6,272 votes against Gender Committee Head Magnolia del Rosario of UP ALYANSA with 2,763 votes and Students’ Rights and Welfare Committee Head Shari Oliquino of STAND UP with 1,829 votes.

KAISA UP secured eight USC seats including the vice chairperson post, three councilors, and four college representatives.“[K]ahit hindi tayo majority, magiging vital pa rin ‘yung mga miyembro natin sa USC para maipagpatuloy ang kampanya ng KAISA UP,” Castro said.

Meanwhile, the election served as an eye-opener to STAND UP who expected that successful campaigns against human rights violations and UP Administration’s repression are enough to lead another year in the USC level, said Te. As the incumbent ruling party, STAND UP only secured a single seat in the USC councilor post along eight college representatives.

STAND UP is still willing to coordinate with a UP ALYANSA-led USC

as a convenor of the Rise for Education Alliance that calls for free and accessible education for all and Tanggulan Youth Network as campaign center for human rights and civil liberties, Te said.

Two independent councilor bets have also obtained seats in the USC. Incumbent School of Economics Student Council Chairperson Carlos Cabaero garnered the record-high 7,525 votes, surpassing last year’s 5,383 votes garnered by Ben Galil Te of STAND UP. Fourth year BA Anthropology student Paolo Iñigo Sevilla came in fourth with 3,928 votes.

A total of 11,951 out of 24,036 or 49.72 percent of the eligible voters have cast their ballots, slightly higher than the 49.13 percent recorded last year. −

COUNCILORS

First-ever Stat student to lead Collegian −

Visit this link to view the local college student councils official results

tinyurl.com/votewatchUPDresults

Nakibahagi sa libu-libong Lakbayaning mula sa Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) ng Pandi, Bulacan si Jennifer Carla Vergara, 22, upang ipanawagan sa malawakang kilos-protesta sa Araw ng Paggawa ang libreng pabahay para sa mga maralita. Sinusuportahan ni Vergara ang kaniyang dalawang anak sa pamamagitan ng paglalaba, bilang suporta rin sa asawang isang taon nang nagtatrabaho bilang kontraktwal, walang benepisyo at security of tenure.

KAREN ANN MACALALAD

COLLEGIAN KULTURA WRITER AND incoming senior Statistics student Sanny Boy Afable is the next editor-in-chief of UP Diliman’s official student publication for the academic year 2017 to 2018.

Afable bested three other contenders in the Collegian editorial examinations last April 29, scoring a total of 78.8 points against Jayson Edward San Juan, Andrea Joyce Lucas, John Daniel Boone, and Sheila Ann Abarra. Afable topped all the categories which included editorial writing, news writing, and layout.

Law student San Juan lost to Afable by 7.6 points, after placing last in the layout category. Meanwhile, English Studies student Lucas came in third with a score of 69.6, only 1.6 points lower that San Juan’s aggregate score.

Journalism student Boone placed fourth after getting 65 points, while Malikhaing Pagsulat sa Filipino student Abarra placed fifth with 64.2 points.

Law student Jose Angelo Manuel who is also a qualified contender did not push through with the examinations.

The editorial writing component comprises the bulk of the aggregate score of the examination with 70 percent, followed by news writing and layout with 20 and 10 percent, respectively.

Examinees were assigned this year to write an editorial about the topic “Reforming the Philippine Collegian.”

In his editorial titled “Bagong Paglalayag,” Afable recognized the challenges the publication is facing which include the decreasing number of student members. “Gumagaod ang Philippine Collegian sa kahingian ng panahon, kaya kailangan din nito ng mga bago at mas matibay na makinarya sa pagsuong nito sa mga bagong alon,” he wrote.

Afable also cited the rise of fake news in social media which translates to a bigger responsibility for the publication to raise the discourse. “Nananatili pa ring hamon sa Collegian ang pagtagpuin ang iba’t ibang ideolohiya sa pamantasan, at higit na maging lunsaran ng mas makabuluhang mga diskurso,” he added.

In an interview, Afable said the Collegian will stay true to its brand of critical and fearless journalism in its 95th year. “Now more than ever, it is Kulê's duty to draw the line between truth and lies at a time when their distinction is obscured,” he said.

College of Mass Communication (CMC) Dean Elena Pernia chaired this year’s Board of Judges which consists of the following: assistant professor Ryan Oliva of the College of Law and Marichu Lambino of CMC serving as faculty judges, and Journalism major Mark Kevin Reginio and Film major Patricia Ann Pamintuan as student judges. −

PAYCH

LOOKING INTO THE CALL F

HECK

FOR MINIMUM WAGE HIKE

HUWEBES 25 MAYO 2017

LATHALAIN

9

10

LATHALAIN BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017

SYSTEM AT FAULT Probing the Philippines' disaster preparedness −

ALDRIN VILLEGAS

THE CRACKS ARE ABOUT TO MOVE— the West Valley Fault (WVF) is on the verge of unleashing “the big one,” an impending earthquake expected to hit parts of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, and Metro Manila. The fault moves roughly every 400 years, and the time is ripe for another potential rupture.

Once it occurs, the effects can be more devastating in a highly urbanized and densely populated setting (see sidebar).

In a worst-case scenario, the expected 7.2 magnitude quake could cause over 37,000 fatalities, 605,000 injuries and almost P2.5 trillion in economic losses, according to reports from the Greater Metro Manila Risk Analysis Project.

An earthquake can strike without warning and wreak havoc, but the quake itself does not kill. The grounds will tremble because of the fault, but the crux of a national disaster lies in a system at fault.

earthquake, but the latter’s casualty stood at 222 lives.

Vulnerability is the human dimension of disasters. Beyond the natural causes, disasters result from compounded social, economic, and political factors that shape people’s lives, according to Asst. Prof. Victor Obedicen of UP College of Social Work and Community Development. Inequalities plague these factors, with the poor being more vulnerable in times of disaster.

“Historically, ang talagang biktima ng mga disaster ay mahihirap. Nasa danger zones sila, kulang sa resources para sa maayos na bahay, kulang sa kaalaman kasi walang access sa edukasyon,” Obedicen said. This further manifests the perennial structural and institutional problems that are yet to be addressed, he added.

Disaster preparedness is thus linked to the project of development, as problems of poverty and inequality are even more pronounced in provinces and local communities. As such, the government must recognize the varying needs of communities and validate the effectiveness of standard policies, according to Emmanuel Garcia of UP Department of Geography.

“National policies should be coupled with local initiatives to fit in the [locality’s] defined hazards. Kailangang pag-aralan ‘yung unique characteristics ng community para mailapat sa social reality,” Garcia said.

Vulnerability As a country located along the Ring of Fire, a region in the Pacific where much earthquakes, typhoons, and volcanic eruptions occur, the Philippines is under constant threat of natural disasters. What makes the expected WVF earthquake “the big one” is the country’s vulnerability— projected to be worst of all disasters in terms of damages and casualties.

The estimated 37,000 deaths are way higher than the 8,000 lives claimed by the deadliest recorded earthquake, which occurred in Mindanao in 1976.

"The big one" also projects the same 7.2 magnitude as the October 2013 Bohol

Blunders While natural disasters may strike without prejudice, the path to recovery

is much less equal. The very institutions that should provide capacities for the vulnerable sectors are likewise the ones that make them only vulnerable.

“We can’t just be battling against disasters without knowing how our history unfolded,” UP Resilience Institute Director Mahar Lagmay said. Although natural disasters frequently occur in the country, the past records of disaster preparedness and response have been dismal.

Government response in the Bohol earthquake in 2013, for example, was criticized by then Mayor Leoncio Evasco of Maribojoc town because of delayed assistance. A year after the earthquake, Evasco said the “policy side” of rehabilitation was reached but actual implementation was slow.

Three weeks after the quake, the country was lashed by super typhoon Yolanda—the strongest typhoon recorded in Philippine history. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) admitted that they were unprepared for such scale of devastation, leaving over a thousand missing and 6,340 fatalities, feared to be more.

Various groups criticized the government’s blunders in responding to the situation. According to the United Nations, thousands of families were forced to relocate to evacuation camps with many living in shanties, often without power or water. “It is a demolition, not a construction job,” CNN anchor Anderson Cooper said in his Yolanda coverage, slamming the disorganized aid operations in affected areas.

These events necessitated institutionalizing reforms in existing DRRM laws and programs such as Republic Act 10121, which shifted disaster framework from “relief and response” to “risk reduction and management.” Such programs are essential components now of city and municipality development plans, which better cope with the locality’s hazards.

However, a lot still needs to be done in terms of implementation, Lagmay said.

Development Disaster management is an integral part of development and should not be treated as a separate discipline. Communitybased DRRM should be practiced in line with development by the people, for the people, and with the people, in the form of participatory and inclusive governance.

“Ibig sabihin nito, makikipamuhay ka sa kanila—angkinin mo ang aspirations, pangarap, at pamamaraan ng pamumuhay para mainitindihan at magagap mo bakit ganito [ang sitwasyon nila],” Obedicen said.

This enables the conception of a structured approach for communities to better fit their realities, especially for the poor that almost live under permanent conditions of disaster. In order to survive this harsh reality on a daily basis, the poor must have a sense of contingency—which they do—but the government still has a lot of work to do to strengthen their capacity.

Responding to “the big one” requires a bigger perspective in understanding the multidimensionality and root of the problem. One is that the vulnerability of people in the densely populated

metropolis is linked to development issues in the provinces.

People from other regions migrate to the capital, seeking economic opportunities and social services that they may be deprived of back at home.

Some are forcibly displaced because of land eviction, land grabbing, and even political persecution like those in conflict areas, Obedicen added.

“The communities are the primary victims of disasters, but they are also the primary responders to it,” Garcia said.

We should not assume that communities start from zero, that they have no level of capacity and recourse, according to Obedicen. A bottom-up approach is thus necessary to understand how people survive despite living in dangerous zones and harsh conditions.

Beyond this, the goal of development should be to change these conditions to pave the way for resilience—free from systemic and structural inequalities that make the people vulnerable in times of disasters. After all, the people are the ones in the frontline when disaster ensues—the ones who suffer when a system is at fault, the ones who stand their ground when the cracks begin to move. −

SIDEBAR

POPULATION DENSITY IN AREAS TRAVERSED BY THE WEST VALLEY FAULT

CALOOCAN

FA U L T

Number of persons per square kilometer

3

E S T

42,268

1

W

MANILA

5

MANDALUYONG

27,010

NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

4

W E S T

20,785

RIZAL 2,439 CAVITE 2,410 LAGUNA 1,574 BULACAN 1,183

2

41,580

MAKATI

Number of persons per square kilometer

F A U LT

23,267

VA L L E Y

MALABON

VA L L E Y

28,387

MOST DENSELY POPULATED PROVINCES

Source 2015 Census of Population, Philippine Statistics Authority

Page Design and Infographics by John Reczon Calay

Illustration by Guia Abogado

BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017

KULTURA

11

SURING PANTANGHALAN

ANGRY CHRIST (UP PLAYWRIGHTS' THEATRE)

−

OBRA OBRERO

SHEILA ANN ABARRA

BINURA NG POOT AT PAKIKIPAGBUNO SA Angry Christ ang linyang tila naghahati sa sining at reyalidad.

Sa ika-25 taon ng UP Playwrights' Theatre (UPPT), hinango ni Floy Quintos ang dulang Angry Christ sa buhay ng isang Pilipinong pintor noong panahon ng Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig.

Tampok sa dula sina Nel Gomez bilang Alfonso Ossorio, Kalil Almonte bilang Anselmo, Banaue Miclat-Janssen at Stella Cañete-Mendoza bilang Ade, at iba pa. Tampok din ang mga batikang aktor na sina Ronnie Martinez at Neil Tolentino.

Mula Europa, nagbalik si Alfonso Ossorio sa bayan ng Negros para ipinta ang mural na magsisilbing altar sa sanktwaryong itinayo ng kaniyang pamilya para sa kanilang mga sakada.

Kakatwa ang mga ideya ni Ossorio para sa tradisyunal na bayan sa Negros.

Umani ng puna mula sa mga sakada ang mapangahas na mga ideya ni Ossorio para sa kaniyang obra, na tila pag-atake sa kanilang relihiyon. “The Last Judgement” ang orihinal na titulo nito, ngunit dahil kapansin-pansin ang galit sa mukha ng ipininta niyang Kristo, mas naging kilala ito bilang Angry Christ.

Kinuwestiyon ni Ossorio ang kaniyang likha gaya ng pagkwestiyon niya sa kaniyang pagkatao. Para saan ang kaniyang obra? Isang araw, sa kaniyang paglalakad, nahanap niya ang kasagutan nang makausap niya ang isang miyembro ng Hukbalahap. Mas malalim na pagtingin ang ibinilin ng Huk—tingnan ang kamay ng mga sakada, ang kanilang kalagayan.

Nagdulot ang proseso ng paglikha ng pagkagimbal at pagdududa kay Ossorio at kay Anselmo, ang binatang sakada na katuwang ng pintor. Nagduda na rin ang binata sa sariling kasarian at pananampalataya, bunga ng paghanga sa liberal na obra ng pintor.

Nagbunga ng komprontasyon sa pagitan ng pintor at inaalayan ang mga huling sandali ng pagkikinis at ang nalalapit na pagpapasilip ng

obra sa publiko. Kaninong mukha ang makikita ng mga sakada sa obra, sa kaniya o sa Diyos?

Lumabas sa mismong obra ang sagot—pagaalay sa Diyos ang pag-aalay sa mga sakada, ang mga sakada ang magliligtas sa kanilang mga sarili.

Nanlilisik ang mga mata, puno ng kalyo ang mga kamay, at nagliliyab ang puso ni Kristo sa obra ni Ossorio. Bahagyang naglalaho ang obra sa sinag ng araw at tanging mga sakadang nananalangin lamang ang natitira sa blangkong sanktwaryo.

Inialay ng pintor ang kaniyang obra at pangalan sa reyalidad ng mga sakadang dahilan ng kaniyang paglikha. Patunay na esensyal ang sining sa mga matatalas na komentaryong batay sa sitwasyong iginuguhit nito. Desisyon ang paglikha at radikal ang pagdedesisyon.

Samakatuwid, kritikal ang paglikha.

Mararamdaman ng mga manonood ang pagiging parte nila ng proseso ng paglikha dahil sila ang pinag-aalayan ng mismong dula.

Malinaw ang kalatas ng dula na nananatiling atrasado ang lipunan kung kaya isyu pa rin ang mga personal na oryentasyon gaya ng turing sa pagbabago ng kasarian.

May ilang parte na maaari pang paghusayan, gaya ng pag-arte ng pangunahing karakter. Hindi dama ang muhi ni Ossorio sa Diyos sa eksena ng komprontasyon dahil napuno lamang ito ng panaghoy—hindi naging malinaw ang pagbigkas sa mga linya.

Gayunman, mahusay ang pagkakasulat ng iskrip ng dula dahil malikhaing naisadula ang kwento gayong orihinal itong nasa porma ng talambuhay ni Ossorio. Nalampasan ng dula ang pagiging marubdob at malalim ng mga linya—maiikli lamang ang mga palitan ng linya at malinaw ang nais iparating.

Matagumpay na naipahayag ng dula ang koneksyon ng sining sa reyalidad.

Matatagpuan ang katuturan ng sining sa pamamagitan ng kritikal na pagtingin sa reyalidad na kinapapalooban ng likha at mismong manlilikha. −

Itinanghal ang dula mula ika-26 ng Abril hanggang ika-14 ng Mayo sa Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theatre.

Disenyo ng Pahina ni John Reczon Calay

Dibuho ni John Kenneth Zapata

12

26 MAYO 2017 KULTURA BIYERNES

BRAND RECAL L −

SB D. AFABLE

IISANG TATAK LANG ANG SUMISIGAW sa hili-hilerang mga t-shirt, shorts, at hoodie sa Shopping Center. Mabibili rin ang ID lanyard, ballpen, backpack, keychain, relo, sticker, pin, tasa at marami pang iba—ano pa’t ‘di malayong magbenta ng sabon o underwear? Samu’t sari at tingi-tingi, ngunit nag-iisa ang kanilang tatak: UP. Kung balwarte rin lang ng mga simbolo at branding ang pamantasan, magsisimula tayo sa SC, kung saan unang mabibili ang laksa-laksang produktong tatak UP. Animo’y isang signature brand, tinatanaw na katangi-tangi ang UP, at ikinakabit ang karangalan nito sa napakaraming bagay.

Ngunit tulad ng isang t-shirt, may presyo at hindi libre ang tatak UP— madalas pa ngang bansagang mayabang ang mga mag-aaral nito. Ito ay dahil pangarapin mang suotin, hanggang tanaw na lamang ang tatak na ito para sa mas nakararaming walang kakayahang bumili sa ipinagmamalaking tatak ng UP. Pamantasang hirang Kinikilala ang UP dahil humubog ito ng mahuhusay na pinuno, dalubhasa, at propesyonal. Ito ang “brand recall” ng UP, “matatapang, matatalino” ayon sa madalas na chant ng UP tuwing paligsahan sa UAAP. Pero totoo ba? Dahil habang ipinagmamalaki ng pamantasan ang husay at dangal nito, kaliwa’t kanan naman ang pagbibigay-pugay nito sa kapangyarihan at salapi. Kamakailan lamang, tinangkang gawaran ng Board of Regents si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ng honoris causa—ang pinakamataas na parangal na maaaring ihandog ng UP sa isang indibidwal.

Para sa mga mag-aaral ng UP, insulto sa husay at dangal ng pamantasan ang pagpaparangal sa pangulong hayagang sumasagasa sa karapatang pantao, at nagpalibing sa isang diktador na kumitil sa buhay ng magigiting na lider-estudyante ng UP noong panahon ng Batas Militar.

Ngunit hindi ito ang unang pagkakataong pinarangalan ng UP ang ilang indibidwal sa kabila ng mariing mga pagtutol. Ilang nagdaang pangulo ng bansa na rin ang tumanggap ng honoris causa sa harap ng kanilang mga kaso at paglabag sa karapatang pantao.

Pagpaparangal din sa mga negosyante ang hayagang pagyakap ng pamantasan

Page Design by John Reczon Calay

sa kanilang mga interes. Ilang gusali sa unibersidad ang ipinangalan sa malalaking kapitalista dahil sa kanilang donasyon, tulad ng pagpapalit ng pangalan ng College of Business Administration sa “Virata School of Business” at Henry Sy Hall sa bagong kampus sa Taguig.

Hinuhulma ang tatak UP para sa mga pribadong “shareholder” nito. Naging anyo ng komersyal na oryentasyon ang pagpasok ng UP Town Center at UPAyala Technohub sa mga espasyo ng unibersidad.

Dahil sa mababang suporta ng pamahalaan sa edukasyon, natutulak ang mga pamantasang lumikha ng sariling pondo, at mas pinipili ng UP na maging isang negosyo. Kasabay ito ng pagbabago ng karakter ng UP bilang pambansang pamantasan.

UP naging mahal Labis na nagbibigay-diin ang UP sa kultura, tradisyon at branding nito. Isang “inside joke” pa nga ng ilang mga propesor at mag-aaral nito ang pagtawag sa ibang pamantasan bilang “others.”

Ngunit sa totoo lang, UP ang “others” para sa mas nakararaming walang kakayahang tumuntong sa pamantasan.

Madalas pa ngang nabibigla ang ilan, tulad ng mga taxi driver, tuwing nalalamang pampubliko, at hindi isang pribadong pamantasan ang UP. ‘Di ito nakapagtataka dahil may presyo at hindi mura ang edukasyong “tatak UP.” Sa pamamagitan ng Socialized Tuition System, kakarampot na diskwento lamang ang

ibinibigay ng pamantasan sa mga magaaral nito.

Habang ipinagmamalaki ng pamantasan ang kaniyang “tatak UP,” ligid pa rin ang kahulugan nito sa napakaraming kontradiksyon. Pilit na nagre-“rebrand” ang UP para sa interes ng iilan.

Makailang ulit nang binanggit ang Tatak UP sa diskusyon ng General Education (GE) reform. Para sa ilang tagapagsulong ng reporma, GE ang pundasyon ng Tatak UP, pero balintuna rito ang kanilang panukalang bawasan ang mga yunit ng GE. Porma ng rebranding ng UP ang pagreporma sa GE nito. Binalangkas noong 2001 ang umiiral na GE program sa tunguhing magpanday ng makabayan, kritikal at holistikong pundasyon ng edukasyon sa UP. Ngunit sa dagling pagrereporma ng GE kamakailan, pilit itong nililihis mula sa mga layuning ito.

Hindi itinatanggi ng nagdaang administrasyong Pascual na programang K to 12 at “internasyonalisasyon” ang pangunahing dahilan ng GE reform. Katumbas nito ang mababang suporta sa arts and

humanities ng pamantasan, tungo sa mas “teknokratik” na branding nito—isang edukasyong inilalako sa mga dayuhan at korporasyon.

Sa harap ng mga palisiyang ito, isang mito ang pagpaparilag sa UP bilang isang institusyong namumuhunan sa dangal at husay nito. Ngunit hindi sagrado ang anumang mito.

Kasabay ng pagpapanday sa mito ng “tatak UP” ang pagtaliwas at pagnanais ng malaking komunidad ng UP na baguhin ang branding ng pamantasan.

Sagisag magpakailanman Nakaharap ang Oblation sa kanluran upang magbigay-pugay sa Estados Unidos sa pagtatatag nito ng UP, na nilayong gawing instrumento ang UP para sa kolonyal na interes. Ilang dekada makalipas, pangungunahan ng lumalawak na aktibismo sa UP ang pagtutol sa mga base militar ng US. Umigting ang pagkilos ng mga kabataan noong batas militar, at naging kasama ng sambayanan ang UP sa pagpapabagsak sa rehimeng US-Marcos.

May dalawang mukha ang UP: bagaman isa itong institusyon na nilalayon ng estadong lumikha ng mga dalubhasa’t propesyunal para sa interes nito, patuloy na iginigiit ang isang UP na sumasalungat sa agos—isang UP na may potensyal na bumasag sa mga mito.

Ang kritikal at makabayang branding ng UP ay bunga ng panggigiit ng mga magaaral at ng komunidad na bumubuo nito, at hindi likas na katangian ng institusyon.

Bilang isang “ideological state apparatus,” pilit na huhubugin ng mas malalaking puwersa sa lipunan ang oryentasyon ng pamantasan para sa kanilang interes.

Inaasahan ng estado ang pagiging disente at sibil ng mga taga-UP, ngunit pilit itong hinahamon ng mga mag-aaral nito. Binansagan itong “hooligan” at “bastos” nang batuhin nito ng itlog, tapunan ng barya, o kuwestiyunin ang mga tiwali sa pamahalaan.

Ang tatak na nililikha ng maraming mag-aaral at miyembro ng UP ay hindi pagsasa-ideyal sa toreng garing na nililikha ng pamantasan, kundi mismong pagtibag sa toreng ito. Pagbubukas ito ng espasyo ng unibersidad sa mga itinuturing nitong “others.”

Minsan nang binuksan ng UP ang espasyo nito para sa mga pambansang minorya noong mga nagdaang taon, at kasama nilang nanawagan para sa hustisya at kapayapaan. Ilang mag-aaral na rin ng UP ang piniling magturo sa liblib na paaralan ng mga Lumad sa Mindanao.

Pagtupad ito sa tungkulin ng UP na maging tunay na pamantasan ng bayan—higit kaysa isang tatak na hitik sa mito, at edukasyong umiikot lamang sa kapital at tubo. −

Illustration by John Kenneth Zapata

−

SHEILA ABARRA

BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017

KULTURA 13

Na-ano lang −

MYKEL ANDRADA

Kung ikaw ay may anak Tapos wala kang asawa, Ang tawag diyan, na-ano lang.

Kung ikaw ay may anak Tapos nasundan pa ng isa, Ang tawag diyan, nagmahal lang.

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak Tapos hindi kayo pinanagutan, Ang tawag diyan, may nang-ano lang.

Empake

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak Tapos mag-isa mong itinataguyod, Ang tawag diyan, nag-move on lang.

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak Tapos hindi mo mapakain nang sapat, Ang tawag diyan, nagugutom lang.

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak Tapos hindi mo mapag-aral, Ang tawag diyan, nabobobo lang.

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak Tapos ang bubong ninyo'y ang langit, Ang tawag diyan, napalaboy lang.

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak Tapos wala kayong ilaw at kuryente, Ang tawag diyan, naputulan lang.

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak Tapos nalulong sa bisyo at droga, Ang tawag diyan, naadik lang.

−

Magsisimula ako kay Beth, at sa pinakamahabang kamay ng orasan pati sa tasang nakapatong sa lababo.

Magsisimula ako sa kumayat na laway sa kumot, sa pawisang likod sa alinsangan ng hapon, sa nangangating gilid ng suso Magsisimula ako sa sirang erkon At baku-bakong sapatos sa putol na lipstick Magsisimula ako sa nakakalat niyang liham malutong na ang ilan sa pagkakatupi at ang iba'y nakakalat sa sahig Magsisimula ako sa minarkahan kong araw sa kalendaryo

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak Tapos nawalan ka ng trabaho, Ang tawag diyan, na-endo lang.

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak Tapos biniro ka ng tito sa senado, Ang tawag diyan, nabulaga lang.

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak Tapos pinabayaan ka ng gobyerno, Ang tawag diyan, natokhang lang.

Kung ikaw ay may mga anak ng bayan Tapos ipinaglalaban mo ang karapatan, Ang tawag diyan, naninindigan lang. −

Ako, kahit hindi pansin ay naghihintay Matapos n’yang hindi umuwi Matapos ang mga nalalabing araw ng semestre Matapos ang aking pagtatapos Matapos lumabas isa-isa sa balita ang kaniyang pasmadong kamay na bumabasa sa aming door knob at buwanan lamang kung dumampi sa'king pisngi ang kaniyang paang kinulob ng mga sapatos niyang salat sa laba

Sanggol sa Krame −

JUDY TAGUIWALO

Makitid ang ating daigdig, anak.

Pinakikitid ng mga pader at alambreng tinik na nakapaligid sa atin.

Pagtiisan ang biglang kalampag ng bakal na pintong gumigising sa iyong pagkakahimbing.

Pagtiyagaan ang ilang sandaling ligaya’t aliw dulot ng ating dalaw.

Pero, pakatandaan mo, anak.

May maluwag na daigdig sa labas; gintong palay sa luntiang bukid, matatayog na puno sa bughaw na bundok, mababangong orkidyas sa birgong gubat.

Hindi ka na-ano lang −

LUCIA SILVA

SHEILA ABARRA

ang kaniyang likurang baliko sa pagtatago’t pagkakayuko ayon sa kaniyang mga kwento ang kaniyang buhok na hindi pantay ang gupit at sa ikli, ‘di na maipit Ang lahat ng ito at ang alaala ko ng natutulog na si Beth, kasa-kasama ko sa lahat ng pupuntahang tiyo o kung kaninong kamag-anak Ang lahat ng ito at ang mga larawan ni Beth, bibitbitin ko lakip sa lahat ng maririnig na kwento at pagpupugay sa gaya niyang kumakalabit ng gatilyo Ang lahat ng ito gaya ni Beth, lagi't lagi pira-pirasong isisilid sa aking bagahe pauwi. −

Hindi ka na-ano lang Ikaw ay isinilang at namuhay sa panahon ng digma Ikaw ay nabuo sa paglapat ng balat Sa malamig na sementadong sahig Sa gilid ng kinakalawang na selda Sa mainit at mapulang lupa Kung saan dumanak ang dugo ng mga kasama Hindi ka na-ano lang Ikaw ay nilikha sa mata ng sigwa Ikaw ay umusbong sa gitna ng unos Ikaw na hele ang tunog ng ulan at kidlat At ang sunod-sunod na putok ng baril Habang karga-karga ng iyong ina Siya na lumapat ang paa sa mga bangkay Siya na tumapat ang mata sa bala at bomba Hindi ka na-ano lang Ikaw ay mandirigma sa gabi Ikaw ay guro sa umaga At mapalad silang saksi sa iyong tapang at ganda Gandang hindi dala ng ginto’t pilak na korona O ng kumikinang na bestida Tapang na buhat ng tangan-tangan Na armas na iyong panangga sa pandarahas Hindi ka na-ano lang Ikaw ang haligi at ilaw Tanglaw Ikaw ang ilaw at haligi Saksi Hindi ka nakukulong sa apat na sulok ng tahanan Ang iyong lunan ay ang lansangan Ang kanayunan, ang kalungsuran Ikaw ay lumabas at umalpas Dugo at pawis mo ang siyang nagpaigting sa pag-aklas Hindi ka na-ano lang Ikaw ay nagluwal ng mga sanggol Na kalauna’y babansagang mga anak ng bayan Ang iyong bantayog ay hindi ang iyong sinapupunan Hindi ang iyong katawan, ngunit ang iyong paglaban Dahil sa hanay ng mga Paeng, Ng mga Andres at ng mga Lean, Naroon din ang mga Judy, Lorena, Maita at Oryang.

Hindi ka na-ano lang. −

Musmos ka pa, anak.

Maaga kang maisasalang sa apoy ng pagsubok.

Sunggaban ang pagkakataong ito.

Patigasin ang buto’t laman.

Patibayin ang tuhod at gulugod.

Ihanda ang sarili, anak, para sa kinabukasan. −

Disenyo ng Pahina ni John Reczon Calay

Dibuho ni Guia Abogado

14

OPINYON

BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017

Hanggang sa pamumulaklak ng sunflowers −

CHESTER HIGUIT

SABLAY.

Nalalapit na ang pagtatapos, subalit malayo pa ang tuluyan kong paglaya sa unibersidad. Noong mga nakaraang araw, patuloy akong nilulubid ng maraming pag-aagam-agam kaya naman ‘di makahakbang pasulong.

Batbat ako ng mga pangamba sa aking magiging trabaho sakaling matapos sa kolehiyo, o sakaling tuluyang makaalpas sa Kulê.

Mag-aapat na taon na akong sumisipat at gumuguhit ng larawan ng mga manggagawa. Laman ng bawat dibuho at larawan ang pare-pareho at paulit-ulit na pananamantala bagama’t iba’t ibang mukha: mula sa uniporme ng kontraktwal na guwardiya ng UP, sa palad ng mga kargador sa Navotas na sinasahuran nang mababa depende sa bilang ng nabubuhat, hanggang sa magulang ng mga manggagawang nasawi sa Kentex.

Masalimuot ang usapin ng hustisya sa mga pagawaan. Umagos na ang dugo ng mga biktima ng panggigipit at kontraktwalisasyon, subalit wala pa ring nanagot sa batas. Wala ring pagkatuto sa Kentex at naganap pa ang sunog sa HTI. Pinaslang ang mga manggagawa dahil sa pagnanasang makapagkamal ng mas malaking kita.

Nakadidismaya naman na ang inaasahang tulong mula sa pamahalaan

ay hindi maipagkaloob sa mga manggagawa. Itinuturing na pribilehiyo ng pamahalaan ang pag-aaral sa kolehiyo, samantalang hindi nito maitaas ang pasahod sa mga trabahong binibigay lamang sa mga nakapagtapos ng high school. Ginigipit ng mga namumuhunan ang sweldo ng mga manggagawa at pinapaburan ito ng pamahalaan.

Sa National Capital Region, umaabot lamang sa P481 ang minimum wage samantalang nasa P1,088 ang family living wage kada araw. Kapos na kapos kaya naman nagdodoble kayod sa dalawa o higit pang trabaho.

Ang mga naratibong ito ang hindi kayang bitawan ng aking kamera at ng aking pangguhit. Bilang isang alagad ng sining, nangangamba akong sakaling makakuha na ng diploma, mapapadpad lamang ako sa mga kumpanyang mapansamantala hanggang sa ang mga linyang iguguhit ko’y itutuon na lang sa salapi; ang lente ng kamera ko’y ilalaan na lamang sa mga produkto, mula sa pampakinang ng buhok, hanggang sa pampakinis ng sapatos na marahil ay likha ng kontraktwal na paggawa.

Maaari ring mapadpad ako sa ibang bansa para sa mas mataas na kita.

Ito’y hanggang sa mabura ang imahe ng Pilipinas sa aking mga dibuho, at kumupas ang matitingkad na larawan ng mga maralitang kapwa ko namomromblema sa sweldo at kontrata.

Nangangamba akong sakaling makakuha na ng diploma, mapapadpad lamang ako sa mga kumpanyang mapansamantala hanggang sa ang mga linyang iguguhit koy itutuon na lang sa salapi.

Hindi pamilyar na tanawin ang bukas, at natatakot akong mapadpad sa trabahong malayo sa mga naumpisahan ko sa pamantasan. Nais kong ipagpatuloy ang mga nasimulan sa Kulê, subalit nakadisenyo ang lipunan na itulak ang tulad kong magsilbi sa mga negosyo.

Noong nakaraang lingo, nakatanggap ako ng tumataginting na singko dahil sa kawalan ko ng interes sa asignaturang nakatuon sa pagsisilbi sa mga kompanya at pagpapalaki ng kita.

Nakaririmarim, lalo na kapag binabalikan ko ang sunog sa Kentex at HTI, ang panggigipit sa sahod, at ang pagbabaliwala sa ambag ng mga manggagawa sa negosyo.

Nais kong gumuhit ng mga dibuho liban sa hinihingi ng kapital, nais kong kumuha ng larawan liban sa mga produkto, nais kong mag-ambag sa pagdidisenyo ng isang lipunang nakatuon sa pagpapaunlad ng mamamayan, at hindi sa salapi ng iilan.

Hindi na ako makasasablay ngayong Hunyo, subalit sinisikap ko pa ring ipagpapatuloy ang nakagawian.

Hanggang sa pamumukadkad ng sunflowers kung kailan isa sana ako sa mga magmamartsa sa Quezon Hall, matutuwa akong alalahaning na-delay ako dahil sa pagrerebelde sa asignaturang nakasandig sa interes ng kapital. −

Anatomiya ng paglimot −

SHEILA ABARRA

HINDI ITO ANG FACULTY CENTER

sa aking alaala.

Isang malaking bundok na ngayon ng pinaghalong pira-pirasong konkreto, kahoy, at papel ang dating tahanan ng mahuhusay na artista, manunulat at kritiko.

Awtomatikong papasok sa’king isipan kung paano nilamon ng apoy noong ika-1 ng Abril ang gusaling iyon.

Mainit at nakapapaso pa rin sa dibdib dahil kung may gusali mang nakasaksi sa first at tanga moments ko, FC ‘yun.

Hindi rin naman siguro ako iba sa lahat ng freshies bilang dumaraan naman ang lahat ng UP students dito at sa AS. Kasunod ng mismong trahedya ang dalamhati at pagbabalik-tanaw.

Namahay sa FC hindi lamang ang mga kakatwang elemento (kwento-kwento ang engkanto sa punong-kahoy sa gitna ng gusali) kundi maging mga estudyanteng nahikayat sa sining dahil sa GE courses.

Sinasalamin ng trahedya ang reporma sa kurikulum kung saan babawasan ang yunit ng GE sa lahat ng UP units. Tahanan ng GE ang FC at kapwa itong ginigipit ng UP—marahil ikatlong yugto ng paglimot.

Pagkatapos ng lahat ng forum ukol dito, dumating na sa ikaapat na yugto ang UP. Sinimulang gibain ang gusali noong ika-27 ng Marso—mag-iisang

Nakalulungkot isiping kaiba sa buhay ng tao kung ituring ng unibersidad ang mga gusaling nagsilbing kaluluwa nito.

taon matapos ang sunog. Kinakain na ng limot at abo ang natirang haligi ng gusali at hindi napigilan ng propesor kong mamuhi sa hindi man lamang pag-iiwan sa tarangkahan ng gusali bilang paggalang at pagbibigay-pugay sa mga natitirang alaala.

Hindi pa kumpirmado ngunit laman na ng bali-balita ang pagtatayo ng “Faculty Commons” sa naabong FC—handa na ngang lumimot ng UP. Nakalulungkot isiping kaiba sa buhay ng tao kung ituring ng unibersidad ang mga gusaling nagsilbing kaluluwa nito. Masalimuot, nakagigimbal, gigibain na lamang pala ng UP pagdating ng panahon ang mga matatandang gusaling kumanlong sa linangan ng iba’t ibang larangan.

Kung maghuhukay ng alaala, freshie pa lamang ako nang ilabas ng Commission on Higher Education ang CHED Memorandum 20 na naglalayong bawasan ang yunit ng GE sa kolehiyo mula 63 o 51 patungong 36. Binigo agad ako ng UP—kung mawawala ang Filipino sa kurikulum, paano na ang mga gaya kong nangangarap maging manunulat? Paano na ang mga propesor na tagapagtaguyod ng wika’t pagkamakabayan?

Tunay na dapat magtayo ng panibago kung tuluyan nang natupok ngunit hindi maaaring ipagpaliban ang pagpapabaya sa gusali. Nasunog

ang FC dahil sa kawalan ng kaukulang suporta ng administrasyon para masiguro ang kaligtasan nito.

Sa kabila ng mga tuluyang paglimot, hindi lamang sa orihinal na karakter ng FC kundi maging sa dahilan kung bakit ito nasunog, marapat na manindigan tayo upang muling ipaalala ang daan tungo sa tamang landas—huwag limutin ang karangalan ng FC at kapabayaan ng administrasyon dito.

Nananatiling matatag ang bawat propesor, kawani, manggagawa at estudyanteng sumusuporta sa FC. Sa kabila ng paglilipat sa maliliit na kwarto sa isang bahagi ng Acacia Residence Hall, nag-uumapaw pa rin ang kagustuhan ng mga propesor na maituro at mapayabong ang lisya ng GE couses sa bawat iskolar ng bayan.

Ganito ang ipinapaalala ng bawat paglimot—muling iipunin ang abo at ipupunlang gaya ng lahat ng pagsisimulang nasaksihan ng FC; sampu ng mga diwata, ni Magdangal at lahat ng nangangarap maging alagad ng sining at panitikan.

Tunay na pagmamahal sa bayan ang susi sa pag-unlad—mababasa ito sa bawat aklat at maikukwento ng mga dingding ng naupos na gusali. At ito ang dapat manatili sa anumang bagong istrukturang itatayo. −

LAKBAYDIWA E U L A CA B I L I N G

Fill in the blanks SA TOTOO LANG, PARA AKONG nag-eexam sa klase sa tuwing nagsusulat ako

sa espasyong ito ng Kulê—tila ito ‘yung fill in the blanks na parteng kailangan kong punan ng mga salita kada isyu, siyempre dapat may katuturan at may mapupulot naman ang mambabasa.

Pero aywan ko ba, gaya nga ng nangyayari sa akin tuwing eksam, palya at halos rant ko sa buhay ang isinusulat ko rito. Sabihin man ng mga senior ko sa Kulê na I can be anything sa mga ipinapasa kong kolum, kung naabutan ko ang mga nakatatandang manunulat sa Kulê ay ito marahil ang maririnig ko sa kanila: walang class, walang sophistication, walang anything ang kolum ko.

Mahal ko ang pagsusulat—mahal ko ang Kulê—pero habang tumatagal ay nararamdaman kong hindi talaga ako binasbasan upang makalikha ng magandang akda. Wala pa ata akong sinulat na maipagmamalaki ko sa Kulê. ‘Yung tumatatak sa mambabasa. ‘Yung mapapapakshet ka pagkabasa ng unang linya pa lang.

Habang tumatagal, tila nagiging platonic na ang relasyon ko sa mga salita—‘yung pakiramdam na ng pagsulat eh parang paginom ng beer na walang yelo, pagkain ng tapsi na walang itlog o pagsayaw ng el bimbo nang walang kang ka-el bimbo.

Hindi ko na rin maintindihan ang sarili ko paminsan-minsan, hindi ko mahanap ang kuwentong nais kong ikuwento sa kabila ng napakaraming puwedeng isulat tungkol sa mga kaganapan sa bansa. Nariyan ang sigalot sa Mindanao, ang patuloy na pang-aapi sa mga magsasaka at manggagawa, usapin ng libreng edukasyon, ang “giyera kontra droga” ng pangulo. Nariyan din ang ibang ordinaryong kuwento na nariyan lang arawaraw pero hindi napapansin, gaya na lamang ng kuwento ni Manong Guard na bumabati sa akin palagi kapag aakyat ako sa Vinzons 401. “Ngunit heto ako’t napag-iwananan ng panahon—nasa gitna ng nagkabuhol-buhol kong emosyon na ‘di ko matantya kung malulusutan ko pa.

Ngunit kahit papaano, may isang bagay na malinaw sa akin: iyon ay ang hindi pagbitiw at patuloy na pagkapit. Siguro, marahil, isa lamang itong yugto sa pagiging isang manunulat—mapapagod ako sa isang banda ngunit paglao’y mahahanap mo ulit ang inspirasyon para magpatuloy sa paglalakbay kahit hindi ako nakatitiyak sa aking destinasyon. Makakaramdam ako ng labis na pangamba at pagkabalisa bunsod ng ibang problemang pasan ko—ngunit lahat ito ay panandalian lamang at lilipas din.

O kaya’y marahil, siguro, isa lamang din ang linggong ito sa mga linggong lutang ako’t pagal ang utak para mag-isip ng kung ano man. −

BIYERNES 26 MAYO 2017

OPINYON 15

New demo order threatens fishing community in Cavite NEWS RELEASE FROM PAMBANSANG LAKAS NG KILUSANG MAMAMALAKAYA NG PILIPINAS (PAMALAKAYA-PILIPINAS), 22 MAY 2017

THE PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE CIVILIANS of Marawi City who have been largely affected by the firefight that ensued between government troops and the Maute group yesterday, May 24. The said tension led to the forcible evacuation of thousands from their communities—some have been reportedly killed and injured during the clash.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines claims that the tension in Marawi is already under control, but this is contradicted by President Rodrigo Duterte's swift declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao. The Collegian firmly believes that this response from the government is rather uncalled for, and will only aggravate the ongoing tension.

History constantly reminds us of the widespread political repression and human rights violations following the declaration of Martial Law in 1972.

We are once again called to be all the more vigilant, while we continue to resist all forms of violence and terrorism. Let us join the candle-lighting activity later at 5 PM, AS Lobby, for the Marawi civillians and all victims of aggression and war. − #StandWithMarawi #PrayForMarawi

Tentative drop-off points for donations are situated at the following areas: Kabataan Partylist (KPL) National Headquarters CASSC Office, College of Arts and Sciences, UP Manila Office of the Student Regent, Vinzons Hall, UP Diliman Room 19E, One Burgundy Residences, Katipunan Avenue UPLB USC Office, Room 10, Student Union Building, UP Los Baños For more details, you may contact the following: Adrian Puse (KPL) - 0916 226 6436 Pat Cierva (UPM) - 0935 295 0875 Lee Jann Abes (UPM) - 0916 722 0210 Sam Vizcarra (UPD) - 0917 542 0918 Marvin Santiago - 0917 794 3055 Mackie Valenzuela (UPLB) - 0905 208 4934

MARAGONDON, CAVITE — THE FISHERFOLK GROUP Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas) decries the recent demolition order served by the Naic Regional Trial Court (RTC) through the residents of Brgy. Patungan, Maragondon Cavite on May 12. Brgy. Patungan or Sta. Mercedes is a 602-hectare fishing community in Maragondon and is a home to more than 300 fisherfolk and peasant families. It is being claimed by the Maria Theresa Virata (MTV) Realty Corp.

Patungan has been sold by the MTV Realty Corp. to Manila Southcoast Development Corp. (MSDC), a developing firm owned by business tycoon Henry Sy who is about to convert Patungan into an eco-tourism hub or extension of his private beach resorts in the adjacent Hacienda Looc in Nasugbu, Batangas.

PAMALAKAYA recalled the first attempt of demolition on August last year that turned violent when around 800 combined elements of Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Air Force (PAF) and Virata’s private security guards surrounded and harassed the community to execute the demolition. The demolition failed through

the strong resistance of the residents who defended their community and houses.

According to Dole Tambungon, a fisherman from Patungan and Spokesperson of PAMALAKAYA in Southern Tagalog, even they have frustrated the demolition attempt, private security guards and numerous police and military elements remain near their community. Tambungon said their presence creates fear and intimidation to the residents.

“If the demolition will proceed, it will displace hundreds of fishing families not only from our homes but also from our livelihood. Our forefathers have been living here for centuries; we will not let any private developing firm to suddenly take what is rightfully and morally ours,” Tambungon said in a statement.

PAMALAKAYA said they will continue to oppose any reclamation and conversion projects that destroy the marine environment and moreover, the socio-economic rights and welfare of the fisherfolk. −

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN!

CONTACT US!

Ratziel A. San Juan

Email us at phkule@gmail.com

News Writer

Lucia Ann M. Silva Features Writer

WANTED: NEW KULÊ BEDSPACER WALANG DOWNPAYMENT. WALANG DEPOSIT. HUSAY, ANGAS, AT LAKAS NG LOOB LANG ANG KAILANGAN! Maging bahagi ng nagpapatuloy na tradisyon ng kritikal na pamamahayag. Sumali sa Kulê!

Save Word attachment in Rich Text Format with INBOX, NEWSCAN, or CONTRIB in the subject.

Always include your full name, address, and contact details.

Magdala ng dalawang bluebook, panulat, at portfolio ng mga gawa (para sa grapix). Akyat na sa Vinzons 401!

FOR CASH DONATIONS: Account Name: College Editors Guild of the Philippines Bank: Philippine Postal Savings Bank Account Number: 0001-003036-211

SIPAT Sa Gitna ng Tunggalian

#SR2017 SEARCH FOR THE 35TH UP STUDENT REGENT

44TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF STUDENT COUNCILS

CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES MAY 26, Friday

LAST DAY OF COLLEGE DELIBERATIONS

College student councils must form College Committees (CC), which may include non-student council members, to screen their nominees. They may forward a maximum of 2 nominees.

MAY 27, Saturday

SUBMISSION OF CC NOMINEES TO THE USC

CC’s must forward all documents, endorsement forms, and a written report of the search process to the university student council (USC).

JUNE 13, Tuesday

LAST DAY OF UNIVERSITY DELIBERATIONS

The USC of the autonomous unit must form a University Committee (UC), which may include non-student council members, to screen their nominees. They can forward a maximum of 2 names to the OSR.

JUNE 14, Wednesday

SUBMISSION OF UC NOMINEES TO THE OSR

UC’s must forward all documents, endorsement forms, and a written report of the search process to the OSR. Reference: Memorandum No. RDAM 2017-06

−

CHESTER HIGUIT

UNIVERSITY THEATER, UP DILIMAN 27 OKTUBRE 2016

L U N D U YA N NG LIGALIG −

CHESTER HIGUIT

Nasa gitna ng krisis ang sambayanang manggagawa at maralita buhat ng mga palisiya ng pamahalaan at pananamantala ng mga namumuhunang patuloy na inuuna ang pagpapalaki ng kapital. Mula sa mga kapamilya ng mga manggagawa ng Kentex hanggang sa mga maralitang manggagawa na omokupa ng pabahay sa Pandi, Bulacan, nagsama sama ang mga manggagawa para sa iisang layuning itaas ang pamumuhay ng mga manggagawang Pilipino.

UMABOT SA 35,000 ANG makasaysayang mobilisasyon ng mga manggagawa at maralita sa Mendiola, Manila sa pagdiriwang ng Pandaigdigang Araw ng Paggawa ngayong 2017. Tumuntong naman sa halos 100,000 ang kabuuang bilang ng mga manggagawa sa buong bansa na nakibahagi ng nanawagan sa mas mataas na pasahod, regular na trabaho at pambansang indutriyalisasyon.

Kasalukuyang umaabot lamang sa P454 - P491 ang minimum na pasahod kada araw sa mga manggagawa sa National Capital Region. Kulang na kulang ito sa P1,119 na antas ng nakabubuhay na sahod sa pamilyang may anim na miyembro sa NCR, ayon sa Kilusang Mayo Uno. Mas mababa naman ang sahod na binibigay sa mga manggagawa sa ibang rehiyon dahil sa polisiya ng pamahalaan. Sa Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao umaabot lamang sa P265 ang pasahod kada araw, P235 sa Region IV-B , at P256 lamang sa Region VI ayon sa datos ng Department of Labor and Employment, 2016.

Ginigipit pa sa kawalan ng benepisyo ang mga manggagawang pinaiikot ng mga kompanya sa paulitulit na kontrata at hindi ginagawang regular. Nawawalan ng 13th month pay, separation pay, hazard pay, security of tenure at pagtaas ng sahod base sa tagal ng serbisyo sa kompanya, ang mga kontraktwal na mga manggawa kumpara sa mga regular na nakatatanggap din ng rice allowance, bonus, company outing at health insurance.

Isinalegal at pinalaganap ng pamahalaan ang trabahong kontraktwal nang ipatupad nito ang Herrera Law noong Marso, 1989, na naging instrumento upang ipasailalim ang mga manggagawa sa kontrata na hindi lalampas sa

anim na buwan, ayon sa Kilusang Mayo Uno. Sa kasalukuyan, bagaman nagkaroon din ng pangako si Pang.

Rogdigo Duterte na tutuldukan na niya ang kontraktwalisasyon, tanging pagpapababa lamang ng Department Order 174 ang nagawa ng pamahalaan na nireregularisa lamang ang pangongotrata ng mga kompanya.

Pinapabayaan pa ang mga manggagawang magtrabaho sa mga pabrikang delikado at hindi nasisigurong ligtas. Taong 2015 nang mahigit sa 70 buhay ang kinitil ng kapabayaan ng namumuhunang may-ari ng pabrika ng Kentex sa Valenzuela. Sinundan pa ito ng sunog sa House Technology Industries (HTI) sa Cavite Export Processing Zone noong Pebrero na kumitil sa 3 manggagawa at nag-iwan ng mahigit 100 sugatan.

Buhat ng kahirapan sa pagraos man lamang sa arawang gastusin, hirap sa pag-iipon ang mga maralita lalo na para sa kanilang seguridad at tirahan. Kaya naman nang malaman ng Kadamay ang nakatiwangwang na mga pabahay sa Pandi,Bulacan, nagdisisyon ang mga maralita na okupahin ang mga ito. Nakibahagi sila sa mobillisasyon upang mapansin ng pamahalaan ang bilang ng mga maralitang tagalungsod na walang sariling tirahan at lubos na nangangailangan ng permanenteng matutuluyan.

May kapangyarihang taglay ang bilang at ito ang pangunahing pinanghahawakan ng mga manggagawa at maralita. Bagaman patuloy silang ginagapos ng pananamantala ng mga may kapangyarihan at nagmamay-ari ng kapital, lumilikha sila ng mga mobilisasyon, at samasamang pagkilos upang gapiin ang anumang anyo ng pang-aapi at pananamantala.