Philippine Collegian Tomo 95 Issue 23

OPISYAL NA LINGGUHANG PAHAYAGAN NG MGA MAG-AARAL NG UNIBERSIDAD NG PILIPINAS DILIMAN HUWEBES HULYO 5, 2018 TOMO 95 ISYU 23

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

HANJIN WORKERS DECRY WORSENING LABOR CONDITIONS 2 NEWS

TULA AT TANIKALA 6-7 KULTURA

IMPROBABLE CAUSE 12

EDITORIAL

Hanjin workers decry worsening labor conditions

BLACK FRIDAY PROTEST

SHERNIELYN CEA DELA CRUZ

JOSE MARTIN V. SINGH

WORKERS OF A SHIPPING company in Zambales lament the deteriorating working conditions and unjust policies governing their workplace in light of a scaffolding accident last May which killed two workers and injured six.

Workers of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines, together with progressive groups, held a protest in front of the company’s shipyard at Redondo Peninsula in Subic, Zambales on June 2 to demand for justice, stricter safety policies, and better working conditions.

Several other groups also staged a series of protests outside Subic to express solidarity with the Hanjin workers.

Two out of four workers were killed from falling off a scaffolding on May 12 at the company’s shipyard. Ferdinand Leuterio, 38, died due to internal organ injuries, while Valian dela Cruz, 39, also died due to a severe head injury. The said accident was attributed to the lack of safety equipment and to the unjust policies that the company continues to implement, according to workers’ alliance Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU).

As an attempt to prevent similar instances from happening in the future, solons from both chambers of the Congress approved the bicameral version of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) Bill on its final reading last May 21, which only awaits the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte before it becomes a law.

Dangerous working state A total of 40 death cases has been recorded since Hanjin, a South Koreanbased shipbuilding company, was established in the country in 2006.

However, the actual number of deaths and injuries exceed the given figures, since a lot more cases were left unrecorded, as the management keeps these incidents from being reported, said Kilos Na Manggagawa National Spokesperson Jen Pajel.

“Bukod [sa ganitong pamantayan], may banta na tatanggalan ng trabaho ang naaksidente kapag nag-file ng kaso,” she added.

Hanjin has a total of 40,000 laborers in the country, and all of them are contractual laborers. Moreover, Hanjin also engages in the practice of subcontracting, where it employs another company which hires the people who would work for the ship construction company. In this way, the subcontractor would be held liable in case any accident occurs.

One of Hanjin’s subcontractors is Binictican I-Tech Corporations. The Department of Labor and Employment ordered to halt the operations of the subcontracting agency, following the accident that happened in Hanjin’s shipyard last May. Binictican, as well as the other subcontractors of the shipyard company, covered the expenses for the damages suffered by the victims due to the mishap.

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HUWEBES 5 HULYO 2018

“Ayon sa mga manggagawa, dahil sila ay mga kontraktwal, kapag naaaksidente sila ay sa clinic ng kanilang agency sila dinadala. Ito ay taktika ng Hanjin Shipyard management para hindi maitala sa kanilang company clinic ang mga insidente. Kaya lumalabas na zero accident ang pagawaan: ang agency ang sumasagot sa gastusin sa insidente,” Pajel stated.

“Hanjin’s reliance on subcontracting is intended to decrease its liability in the event of a workplace accident, but a stronger OSH law would ensure that Hanjin is punished for its criminal negligence and mistreatment of workers,” KMU vice president Lito Ustarez said in a statement.

With the prevalence of unjust and irregular working policies, working conditions in Hanjin continue to deteriorate. Given the state they are in, laborers continue to advocate for the passage of a better workplace safety bill.

Moreover, they also call for regularization, as well as the legislation of a national minimum wage.

“Dapat mapanagot ang kumpanya sa aksidente at magkaroon ng kasong kriminal dahil sa paglabag nito sa Occupational Safety and Health na nagbunga ng pagkamatay ng mga manggagawa,” said Pajel.

Ensuring workers’ safety Existing labor laws in the country, however, are unable to penalize those who fail to meet and observe safety standards for workers. OSHS bill, on the other hand, seeks to amend the Labor Code promulgated in 1974 and imposes administrative penalties for companies that do not comply with the OSHS requirements.

“The State shall protect every worker against injury, sickness, or death through safe and healthful working conditions, thereby assuring the conservation of valuable manpower resources and the prevention of loss or damage to lives and properties,” according to the first section of the Senate version of the bill.

The most recent accident in Hanjin is believed by progressive and workers groups to have breached OSHS. “The death and injuries of [the two] Hanjin workers was a direct result of the company’s gross OSH violations, and its failure to comply with occupational safety and health standards,” Ustarez said in the same statement.

Other incidents in the past have also manifested lapses in safety and aid including a fire incident at Kentex slipper factory in Valenzuela City, which killed 72 workers in May 2015. This case, like many others, remains unresolved up to date. A total of 199 cases of workers’ death were recorded from January 2014 to October 2016, based on the data from the Department of Labor and Employment.

“We demand an immediate and thorough labor standards inspection of the whole premises of Hanjin, and fair compensation for the victims of the accident as well as all workers affected by the stop-work order,” Ustarez added.

Nagsagawa ng kultural na programa at protesta ang mga kabataan at pamilya ng mga desaparecidos laban sa diumano’y tiraniya ng administrasyong Rodrigo Duterte sa Bulwagang Palma, Hunyo 29. Sa paggunita ng komemorasyon ng ika-12 taon ng pagkawala nina Karen Empeño at Sherlyn Cadapan, pawang mga mag-aaral ng UP dinakip ng mga sundalo sa pamumuno ni Jovito Palparan, Jr, pinaigting ng mga dumalo ang panawagan para sa hustisya. Tinuligsa din nila ang paglabag sa mga karapatang-pantao sa porma ng Batas Militar, Oplan Tambay, at Human Security Act.

Stallholders Association slams slow SC recovery process J. G. LINA

CITING MISSED DEADLINES, delayed responses, and outright snubbing by the university administration, the UP Shopping Center Stallholders Association, Inc. (UP SCSAI) has expressed disappointment and frustration with the pace of the recovery efforts for the Shopping Center’s (SC) affected businesses.

Since the blaze that struck the SC last March 8, the majority of its 48 concessionaires remain camped out in the old tennis courts near the SC’s ruins where they remain subject to conditions such as scorching heat, heavy rain, the lack of electricity, and uneven f looring, said UP SCSAI president Edward Fernando.

The remaining lack of permanent spaces, on the other hand, has continued to adversely affect business for concessionaires, Fernando noted, adding that some stall owners have had to resort to cost-cutting measures such as the reduction of employee work hours or outright layoffs.

Responsibility over affected SC businesses falls within the purview of the Business Concessions Office (BCO).

The BCO, headed by Director Raquel Florendo, is mandated to manage the business concessionaires inside the university, which includes the collection of rental fees from leases.

After almost four months since the fire, the BCO has been able to offer relocation sites for over 11 concessionaires at the Lorena Barros Hall, CS Library, and the Acacia and Centennial Dormitories, said Florendo, although some areas are in need of renovation before concessionaires can move in.

Meanwhile, the office has been coordinating with the Bureau of Fire

Protection (BFP) regarding the official investigation of the fire, although it has yet to divulge the results of the inquiry as of press time.

A rocky relationship Despite the administration’s efforts, however, Fernando has remained critical of the BCO for what he perceives as neglect on their part of the SC’s stall owners. “This administration is killing us softly,” stressed Fernando. “Kung ano kami noong nasunog ‘yung SC, gano’n pa rin kami ngayon.”

Fernando, in particular, expressed frustration over the BCO after multiple initiatives by stallholders to repurpose the tennis courts stalled due to the office’s non-approval, including the construction of temporary kiosks, the asphalting of the floor, and the connection of electrical lines. The UP SCSAI submitted letters on May 3 to the BCO outlining some of their requests, including the blueprints for their planned temporary kiosks, said Fernando. We expected a response for it within 15 working days as per regulation, he added, referring to Section 5 of Republic Act 6713.

The association later sent another correspondence to the office on May 22— two days before the expected deadline— stating that the stallholders would consider their requests approved in the absence of a response from the BCO. The office, however, would later call up the UP SCSAI’s officers the following May 23, explaining that it will, instead, assume responsibility over the implementation of the UP SCSAI’s plans. As of press time, however, the BCO has yet to execute these plans. “[Ito] ba plano ng BCO? Tignan kung hanggang kailan namin kayang

maghintay?” Fernando said.

The Collegian attempted to contact the BCO for comment on the matter, but the office has not been responsive to our queries.

Going forward Other stallholders, on the contrary, expressed their gratitude to the BCO and their handling of the SC blaze.

“The administration has been very helpful and compassionate. [Director Florendo] said they would map new locations for affected stall owners,” said Maria Sarabia. Sarabia is the owner of Sarabia Optical which was among the concessionaires who had won in the administration’s raffle draw for the use of available spaces.

On the other hand, some businesses have been able to transfer to new spaces despite lucking out of the raffle for space, such as the State U Copy Center which now rents a garage out in Area 2. Despite the new location, however, business has been slow nonetheless due to poor publicity, said store manager Shirley Jaena.

Meanwhile, the university administration at the system level will be looking for funds to help see the construction of a new SC, said Vice President for Public Affairs Jose Dalisay, Jr., while adding that a clearer picture of the plans going forward will materialize in the future.

“We understand how much the SC means not only to the UP community, but to the many it has served throughout the years. Everybody can expect the university’s full effort and cooperation in helping the SC get back on its feet,” Dalisay said.

Checking in: UPD’s student housing in numbers MARK VERNDICK CABADING THE UNIVERSITY HAS BECOME A second home for many of its students, but it has always faced issues on student housing in the past years, and 2015 saw the peak of the problem. The shortage of dormitory slots amid the influx of freshmen, and the high cost of some housing units prompted students to stage protests and camp out in several areas in UP Diliman, including the Sunken Garden.

If the problem remains unaddressed, the incoming school year might yet again be confronted with the same problem, expecting the surge of K-12 program’s first batch of graduates. Some students have already reported failure to get dorm slots, challenging the administration to improve its dorm application process and provide adequate and affordable housing as a basic democratic right of the students.

Catching up with the demand For the next academic year, 12 dormitories will be operational.

International Center, a dormitory for international and varsity students will undergo renovation in the coming semester. Meanwhile, Molave and Yakal residence halls will only be operational on the first semester and are both scheduled for renovation on the second semester.

After the dorm application process for the first semester, the demand totaled to 3,602 students. Around 386 male students are expected to be denied of a dormitory slot even after the appeal process from July 4 to 13 due to the number of available slots.

Meanwhile, all female applicants can be accommodated by the total slots assigned to female students.

Freshmen Surge 2015 recorded the highest number of freshmen accepted to the university.

However, freshmen population dropped by more than 533 percent in the academic year 2016-2017 due to the implementation of the K-12 program. This year, the university expects around 3,935 freshmen—355 percent higher compared to the freshman enrollment rate from the previous year.

2015

2016

2017

RESIDENCE HALL

TOTAL DEMAND

1,567 1,884 1,1153 Freshies Male students Female students

ACACIA

P1,500-P3,000

CENTENNIAL

P1,500

ILANG-ILANG

P300

IPIL

P350

KALAYAAN

P500

KAMAGONG

TOTAL SLOTS

1,538

Male students

1,935

Female students

944 Freshies

MONTHLY RATE

P1,500-P3,000

KAMIA

P250-P350

MOLAVE

P250-290

SAMPAGUITA

P225

SANGGUMAY

P450

YAKAL

P250-P350

DEMANDS AND AVAILABLE DORM SLOTS FIRST SEMESTER A.Y. 2018-2019

2018

Dormitory Slots (2015 vs. 2018) Comparing the number of slots offered by the UP dormitories last 2015 with this year, there is a 208-slot difference. Two dormitories namely Yakal and Molave Residence Halls, which house around 500 students, are scheduled to be renovated this year.

3,725slots

3,517slots

2015

2018

SOURCE OFFICE OF STUDENT HOUSING

Cop shoots school employee dead over traffic dispute BEATRICE PUENTE

A TRAFFIC DISPUTE HAS COST the life of an employee of the Philippine Science High School - Eastern Visayas Campus (PSHS-EVC) after he was shot dead by a police officer in Palo, Leyte, last June 30.

Kenneth Barbasa was driving his car along the national highway in Brgy.

Guindapunan when he accidentally hit the motorcycle of Police Officer 3 Jeffy Parut, according to initial investigation.

A heated argument between the two later ensued, ending with Parut firing six gunshots in the direction of Barbasa’s vehicle as he allegedly sped away upon discovering the former was a police officer.

A bullet hit the victim directly at the back of his head, killing him. Parut is presently

facing murder charges with Barbasa’s family determined to pursue a case against the officer, according to earlier reports.

“Walang basis for him to shoot. Even if there was basis, hindi proportionate ‘yung ginamit niyang force doon sa gravity ng offense which [was] a simple traffic altercation,” said Atty. Ephraim Cortez, secretary-general of the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL).

Several individuals expressed their concern on social media regarding the killing of Barbasa who had worked as an information systems analyst in PSHSEVC for almost five years.

“This enrages us all because it's a reminder that no one is really safe anywhere. Considering that the one who

killed Sir Kenneth is someone who's supposed to be protecting the people.

This leaves a very grave wound on the Pisay community, especially on those who knew Sir Kenneth,” PSHS-EVC alumna Jessabelle Ibañez said in an online interview with the Collegian.

“Nakikita natin ang level ng impunity sa Pilipinas sa ganitong incidents dahil obviously, very confident ang police forces and even soldiers to commit crimes kasi they know for a fact na they will never be investigated and they will never be prosecuted,” Cortez stated.

However, other instances of police officers themselves perpetrating crimes have been recorded: a total of 398 such cops were fired last February as part of

an internal cleansing project of the PNP, based on data from its Public Information Office. Out of the 398, 22 were sacked for murder, while 167 were relieved for the use of illegal drugs or involvement in drugrelated activity.

“As the father of the organization, my heart bleeds when I sign dismissal orders for delinquent policemen. It’s a tough decision, but it had to be done for the sake of the organization,” former PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa said in a statement.

However, despite the PNP’s efforts, nothing has really changed as police forces remain hostile toward the people, especially on those who express dissent, Cortez stated.

“Isang pagbabago ang kinakailangan

natin at makukuha lang natin yan sa sama-samang pagkilos. Kung wala tayong aasahan sa gobyerno, sa pagkakaisa natin makukuha ang seguridad na gusto natin, at ‘yung proteksyon sa ating buhay at kalayaan,” Cortez said.

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No Strings Attached?

PROBING FOREIGN AID IN THE PHILIPPINES ALDRIN V. VILLEGAS

SUMMARY OF ODA IN THE PHILIPPINES

INFRASTRUCTURE PLAYS A crucial role in economic growth and development. The Philippines, however, has been significantly underinvesting in physical infrastructure. Infrastructure underdevelopment in the country is thus a major contributor to hampered economic growth.

In financing large-scale infrastructure projects, the Philippines heavily relies on foreign aid which, in many dimensions, is encapsulated by the Official Development Assistance (ODA). For decades now, the Philippines has been at the receiving end of foreign aid, which peaked in 1991 and amounted to one-fifth of our Gross Domestic Product. Even the ambitious P9 trillion “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program of the administration will source 25 percent of the funding from foreign aid and other external sources.

According to the latest statistics from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the total ODA portfolio as of December 2016 amounted to $15.6 billion, consisting of 66 loans ($12.21 billion) and 400 grants ($3.39 billion). Our biggest source of loans was Japan who had a 45 percent share ($5.47 billion) while the United States was the biggest source of grants with 40 percent ($1,343.73 million).

The large amounts of ODA from Japan and China as well come at a time when President Rodrigo Duterte seeks an “independent foreign policy.” Yet, he has also announced his intentions of making “new friends” like China, which has notably poured a huge amount of aid into the country, amounting to around $9 billion in 2017. These countries, which are among the top five aid donors to the Philippines, have very different policies regarding the dissemination of aid.

As most aid comes with conditions, it is important to analyze the motivation behind the assistance by donor countries as will be examined in this article.

TOTAL

$15.6B

SOURCE 2016 ODA PORTFOLIO REVIEW BY NEDA

United States The US has always had a close strategic and economic relationship with the Philippines as its former colonial power. The US development assistance to the Philippines began during the postwar period of the 1940s, wherein the Tydings Act of 1946 provided financial compensation to Filipinos for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, and public buildings. From 1946 to 1948, a total of $400 million was awarded to the Philippine Government for war damages and $120 million for the rebuilding of public works and highways.

In recent times, the provision of development aid has become an important instrument for Western states in realizing their international agenda including the cultivation of political allies, opening markets, fighting terrorism, and constructing regimes of global governance.

The US contributed $1.15 billion in 2014, the highest amount of ODA for that year, according to NEDA. Interestingly, the US has consistently invested the most in security assistance among all the donor nations. It has also focused on population programs, family health care, environmental protection, development food aid, and food security assistance. But unlike most other donor countries, the US has provided little or

nothing in the education, water, and sanitation sectors, and any part of the production sector.

US aid likewise comes with conditions which are deemed detrimental for the Philippines. Arguably the single biggest foreign influence on Philippine economic policymaking, the US government wants policies that benefit American corporate export and commercial interests as well as create the kind of free market-driven trade and investment system in the Asia-Pacific that allows it to maintain its hegemony and dominant economic position.

President Duterte, however, has openly questioned the contributions and significance of traditional aid donors, including the US. This comes after some of the country’s longstanding foreign aid donors and international development partners were alarmed because of the president’s controversial positions, rhetoric, and most especially his administration’s war on drugs that has been criticized and condemned for humanitarian reasons. US foreign aid is given only if the recipient country adheres to its “universal” values of human rights or democracy, opens its market to US goods and services, gives Washington the right to establish military bases, and meets other conditions that favor America.

Japan Japan was a recipient of international development assistance in the aftermath of World War II. In the decades of 1970s and 1980s, the country experienced unprecedented economic growth which propelled the nation to become one of the world’s largest ODA donors. During its early years as a donor country, most of Japan’s ODA was implemented in parallel to postwar settlements in the form of reparation payments to the Philippines.

Development scholars have noted the strategic geographical terms of Japan’s ODA in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, which has consistently ranked as one of the region’s top ten recipients of Japanese aid. Through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan has been extending help to the Philippines since 1974. However, it started helping the country through the Colombo Plan in 1954, which was formed originally by and for British Commonwealth nations to facilitate cooperation and assistance to developing countries.

Through the years, Japan has been providing aid to almost every sector with a focus on transport and storage infrastructure, agriculture and industrial production, energy infrastructure, water and sanitation, and increasingly, education and environmental protection. More importantly, Japan has been facilitating the creation of a production hub because economic infrastructure is a prerequisite if the Philippine labor force is to be productive when employed by Japanese firms. Such motive can be interpreted either as a welcome development or as a policy in which Japan benefited more than the recipient country.

Japan indeed has shown its ambitions to be a regional leader and its desire to garner influence as it continues to outsource production to the country. Consistent with its ODA charter, Japan’s special emphasis is in Asia as this region poses strategic linkages in its trade prospects.

TOP 10 ODA DONORS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (2016) NET DISBURSEMENTS

USD MILLIONS

UNITED STATES

18%

28,535

GERMANY

12%

19,636

EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS

11%

16,832

UNITED KINGDOM

7%

11,517

IDA* (WORLD BANK)

5%

8,105

JAPAN

4%

7,048

TURKEY

4%

6,238

FRANCE

4%

5,641

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

3%

4,171

GLOBAL FUND

2%

3,547

29%

46,433

OTHER DONORS

SOURCE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT * INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

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China Among the observed trends of ODA in the Philippines, one of the most notable is the recent surge in Chinese ODA—from virtually nothing in 2015, to a combined ODA portfolio of $11.7 billion in 2017, making it the largest ODA source for infrastructure projects as of March 2017.

This amount will be invested into 18 of the 75 identified flagship infrastructure projects.

Chinese aid is mainly directed to infrastructure, energy, mining, and agriculture in the Philippines. China has been keen to forge a development partnership with the Philippines and most of its aid could be considered as no-stringsattached assistance. However, this nostrings-attached policy is only true so far as political conditions are concerned. It must be noted that China’s assistance is mostly tied to acquiring goods and services from

the country itself, especially in the case of the concessional loans it provides.

As such, the level, forms, and priorities of foreign aid have been adjusted to China’s political and economic conditions.

Questions on Chinese ODA have been raised, asking whether the real beneficiaries are the poor countries receiving the Chinese funding or the Chinese economy itself.

Some analysts have even observed that most of the infrastructure projects funded with Chinese official aid improve access to locations where Chinese companies can produce agricultural products as well as undertake mining activities.

It is thus easy to be skeptical of China’s overseas aid as a gambit to control smaller countries. China’s concessional loans for large-scale infrastructure projects accounted for nearly 56 percent of all foreign aid dispensed from 2010 to 2012.

This indicates that most of the benefits have gone to Chinese contractors. Even analysts from the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations have called for channeling more financing to other priority needs of developing economies.

Despite these criticisms, the Philippines has been increasingly relying on Chinese ODA, with a total of $7.34 billion in loans and grants having already been committed

by China to finance primarily the Duterte administration’s ambitious infrastructure program. Despite the Philippine president’s assertion that his administration will pursue a more independent foreign policy, President Duterte at the same time wants to build closer relations with China and accept Chinese aid.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE VISITING FORCES AGREEMENT (VFA) NOVEMBER 24, 1992 - 1,416 sailors and marines depart from the Subic Bay Naval Base, signifying the first instance of the Philippines having no foreign military presence since the 16th century.

MAY 27, 1999 - The Philippines–United States (US) Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) comes into effect. Among the document's most salient provisions is its delegation of jurisdiction to the US government over American military personnel accused of committing crimes in the Philippines. An exemption, meanwhile, is made for crimes that "are of particular importance to the Philippines."

OCTOBER 10, 2000 – Bayan v. Zamora, the first of two cases challenging the constitutionality of the VFA, ends with the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the petition.

DECEMBER 4, 2006 - After a protracted and much publicized trial, American soldier Daniel Smith is found guilty of the rape of Suzette Nicolas. The incident sparks debate on the VFA and its virtual grant of immunity to visiting American troops from prosecution. The Philippine Congress later mulls over terminating the agreement, but the move fails to gain enough traction.

FEBRUARY 11, 2009 – Voting 9-4, the Supreme Court rules with finality on the constitutionality of the VFA. The decision, furthermore, orders the Secretary of Foreign Affairs “to negotiate with the US representatives for the appropriate agreement on detention facilities [for accused soldiers] under Philippine authorities…”

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN KENNETH ZAPATA ADDITIONAL RESEARCH BY JUAN GREGORIO LINA

APRIL 28, 2014 - The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is signed as a supplement to the VFA, allowing the US to station troops in the country for extended stays. The EDCA also permits US forces to construct and utilize facilities in existing Philippine bases for both nations' troops. US National Security Council's senior director, Evan Medeiros, describes the pact as "the most significant defense agreement that we have concluded with the Philippines in decades."

OCTOBER 11, 2014 - Jennifer Laude is found dead in an Olongapo motel bathroom with strangulation marks and her head buried in a toilet bowl. Visiting US soldier Scott Pemberton is later tried and ruled guilty of Laude's murder. Laude's killing again brings the EDCA to the fore, revitalizing calls for its repealment.

APRIL 2015 - Responding to heightened Chinese presence in the West Philippine Sea, the US requests for access to eight military bases, including the Subic Bay Naval Base, Clark Air Base, as well as other bases in Palawan, Luzon, and Cebu to station its troops, aircraft, and ships.

MARCH 19. 2016 – Under the auspices of EDCA, the Philippines consents to 5 locations to serve as military bases for American troops, which include Pampanga’s Basa Air Base, Palawan’s Antonio Bautista Air Base, Nueva Ecija’s Fort Magsaysay, Mactan’s Benito Ebuen Air Base, and the Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro.

BIYERNES HUWEBES 23 PEBRERO 5 HULYO2018 2018

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LAT LAT HA HA LAIN LAIN

TULA AT TANIKALA

TILA BULKANG NAG-AALBUROTO ANG SITWASYON NG MGA MANGGAGAWA SA BANSA. Kabi-kabila ang paglulunsad ng welga ng iba’t ibang unyon sa mga pagawaan at pabrika at patuloy pa rin sa paggiit sa pagpasa ng pambansang umento sa sahod ng mga manggagawa sa Kongreso. Bilyon-bilyon na ang nawawala sa mga kapitalista bunsod ng mga piketlayn, ngunit tengang-kawali pa rin sila sa mga hinaing ng mga manggagawa. Samantala, malinaw naman ang pagkiling ng Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) sa mga kapitalista.

Kahit ang batas paggawa ng Pilipinas, walang pangil para sa mga lumalabag sa probisyon hinggil sa kontraktwalisasyon. Manapa, ginagamit itong butas ng mga kapitalista upang patuloy na pagsamantalahan ang mga manggagawa, partikular sa mga “labor-only” contractuals.

Nakikiisa ang Philippine Collegian sa mga manggagawang patuloy na nagwewelga at naggigiit sa kanilang karapatan sa mas nakabubuhay na suweldo.

Patuloy na nagkakasa ng welga sa mga sumusunod na mga kumpanya at pabrika: • • • • • • • • • • • •

NutriAsia (Marilao, Bulacan) Hanjin Shipyard (Subic, Zambales) AlbertSmith (Valenzuela City) Pearl Island (Valenzuela City) Megasoft (Valenzuela City) Slord Devt. Corp. (Navotas City) PUP, Sta. Mesa (Manila) Manila Harbor Center (Manila) Pepsi Cola (Muntinlupa City) Sumifru Philippines (Compostela Valley) Shin Sun Tropical Fruits (Compostela Valley) Freshmax Pty. Ltd. (Compostela Valley)

Paunawa ALLAN POPA

Pinalilitaw ng welga ang puwersa ng paggawa na nagpapatakbo sa araw-araw na pilit ikinukubli ng kintab at ilusyon ng pag-unlad.

Hindi mapipigil ang pag-aklas.

Pinalilitaw ng welga ang mga bitak sa inaakalang kaayusan ng lipunan.

Hindi maayos ang lipunan kaya't may welga.

Kaya't may tigil-pasada.

Hindi ito pagtigil upang mamahinga.

Hindi tayo mga makinang manlalamig sa dilim ng pabrika.

Dapat tayong matigilan upang makita ang kamalian.

KUL TU RA

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HUWEBES 5 HULYO 2018

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Coca Cola (Cavite & Davao City) Nexperia (Laguna) Magnolia (Cavite) Honda Parts (Laguna) Monde Nissin (Laguna) PLLC (Cebu) SMT (Laguna) PLDT (Metro Manila) Middleby (Laguna) Jollibee (Paranaque City) Alaska Milk (Laguna) CoreAsia (Valenzuela City)

Komyut SHEILA ABARRA

sabi mo maikli lamang ang mga panaginip at hindi lalampas sa sampung minuto kaya sabi ko, gaano karaming panaginip ang kailangan mo sa byahe mo araw-araw mong bitbit ang pampaa mong may mataas na takong at unipormeng bawal magusot habang nakamungot kang nagbibilang ng minuto habang binibilang ko ang sinasabi mong panaginip nakakainip kaya niyaya na lang kitang magising at aaminin ko na madalas pa rin akong gumigising sa gitna ng gabi na mainit ang aking mata at palad na pinanday maghapon sa bawat pabrika, nasaan ka sa aking paggising mamayang madaling-araw baka gusto mong sabihing sisikat pa ang araw sa silangan at nang hindi ko na hilinging humaba ang panaginip ko tungkol sa mga kagaya mong araw-araw ninanakaw sa akin, sa bawat umaga, kada papasok sa trabaho.

deliryong rabis TILDE ACUÑA

Kaming mga manggagawa MARISSA MOMO*

ginagatungan ng kulog ang kaba ng mga asong nagpapakasasa sa sariling suka, tinotoyo ang mga utak: kumukulo ang mga dugo: uumusok ang mga ilong: nagpapawis nang malamig: naglalaway nang timba-timba: naiihi nang mainit: nagtatae nang maligamgam: haluhalong sarsa,

nauulol lalo nang makarinig ng katuwiran mula sa mga palamuning pulgas kung ituring, pumapalakpak ang mga pumapalag na kulisap, tila sunud sunod na patak ng ulan sa bubong ang ugong, nagpapanting

muli ang mga tainga ng magkakabarkadang nagpipigil ng luha, naniningkit

ang mga matang nanlilisik upang kumbinsihin ang isa’t isa: lobo tayo, hindi tuta

lumilipad ang isip,

puspos ng masamang hangin,

umaastang mga panginoon

ang mga utot na nakapaloob sa makukulay na goma, nagpapakitang gilas, nagpapasiklab ng kidlat pero hindi makapagpa-kulog, uliran

ang tigreng papel ng asong lobo, natutuliro ang mga kulisap ngunit umaangkop:

nag-aanyong surot

lupa

Dati-rati kami ay simpleng manggagawa lamang.

Manggagawang hangad ay trabaho lamang...

Trabaho...bahay...trabaho Sobrang maamo.

Sunud-sunuran sa amo.

Takot na pagkatanggal sa trabaho ay matamo.

Dumating na nausog kami sa dakong unahan.

Mga supporters ay nagdagsahan Nagkaroon ng tulakan...

Dahil sa pagkuha ng video ng aming kasamahan

Ngunit aming napagtanto... napagtanto na na mali ito.

Mali dahil sa sobrang pagkamaamo.

Batak sa trabaho.

Mga amo'y sinasamantala ito.

Utos doon, utos dito Ngunit tamang sahod at benepisyo'y pinagkait nito.

At minsan pa'y nakupitan pa nito.

Pulis ay nakipag pukpukan sa armas niyang hawak, kasabay ng shield na panangga kaya bato'y nagliparan...

Kaming mga manggagawa Sa NutriAsia ay nagkaisa Para matigil na ang pagsasamantala.

Nagkaisa, nagsama-sama boses lang ang sandata...

Ngunit amo namin ay mayaman.

Ginamit ang yaman...

Kahit kapulisan ay nasuhulan Dinagdagan pa ng mga gwardyang naglalakihan.

Mga eskirol ay nagdatingan.

Ano ang aming laban?

Sinadya nilang kami ay kakaunti lamang.

Kami ay kanilang pinalibutan.

Kasagsagan ng matinding ulan.

Kahit kami ay nakadapa at walang laban.

Nanginginig sa lamig sa tindi ng ulan.

Para ipagtanggol ang natitira naming karapatan...

Kami pinaghihila at kung mahila ang aking mga kasamahan, kanilang ihahagis sa kapulisan at pupusasan...

Marami sa aming kasamahan ang duguan, sugatan at puno ng pasa sa katawan.

Kahit ang sigaw ay "Sir di' kami lalaban" Kami ba ay kriminal...?

Mali ba ang ipaglaban ang Natitira naming karapatan...?

Karapatan na nayurakan..

Pero, para sa amin, ito ay hindi mali.

Hindi mali na ipaglaban...

Ipaglaban ang karapatan. at magising sa katotohanan...

Kaya aking Panawagan, Manggagawa tayo ay lalaban! * Si Ate Momo ay manggagawa mula sa NutriAsia

Ang Tinig Nami'y Marami at Iisa MARK ANGELES

Ayaw niyang magbilang ng poste Yanong may kusang palo Nagkamuwang ako nang maaga Masuwerte nga raw kami’t Hindi pinupulot sa basura Ang lamang-tiyan Wala namang ibang mapagpipilian Kundi ang talagang magkasilbi Kung hindi ay mamamatay ka Nang dilat nang dahil sa gutom Tandang-tanda ko pa ang pila Hindi siya nakapagtiis na makauwi Sinabi ko agad sa text ang balita Tanggap na raw kami sa trabaho Nahiritan pa akong manlibre Naghanap ka pa ng mauutangan Panlakad ng birth certificate at NBI Kailangan kasi ng pruwebang Hindi ka menor de-edad O sinampahan ng kasong kriminal Mag-iisang buwan na nga’y Hindi pa pumipirma ng kontrata Ikaw pa ang nahiyang magtanong Hintayin mo ang limang buwan Makikita ring napasubo’t Nakipagkasundo sa demonyo Ng Hanjin at NutriAsia Ng Middleby at Magnolia Ng Shin Sun at Pepsi Cola Nilalakad mo ang pabrika Para ipitin ang laman ng bulsa Nakakatulog ako sa biyahe’t Lumalampas sa bababaan Sa sobrang pagod Minsan sa sobrang pagod Halos hindi na makilala ang sarili` Pero narito ako’t nagpapatuloy Hindi pinapanawan ng pag-asa May ginawa ka pa nga raw awit Para sa dalawang buntis Na nakulong sa nasunog na Kentex Nalibing sa bodega ng Hoc Lim May ginawa akong awit Habang nagpapalipas ng gabi Sa loob ng piketlayn May ginawa kaming awit Sa pananagumpay ng mga unyon At paglaya ng sambayanan

MESÁNDEL VIRTUSIO ARGUELLES

ang kumayod sa lupa nakapag-iimpok ng dumi sa ilalim ng mga kukong humahagod nang humahagod sa leeg hanggang mapagmapa sa balat ang sariling lupa

DIBUHO NI JOHN KENNETH ZAPATA DISENYO NG PAHINA NI RICHARD CORNELIO

Loitering with Intent* RICHARD CALAYEG CORNELIO

SOMEWHERE, BETWEEN LIFE out in the streets and one more death inside a detention cell, is a metropolis of straggly slums and swanky subdivisions.

Strong is the irony of being stuck poor in this city choked with highways going everywhere else. Here, where life could be as marginalized as those few square meters that hold your feet, your claim to public city spaces may be sacrificed at the altar of maintaining peace and order.

Since President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to rid the streets of loiterers on June 13, nearly 21,000 individuals have been rounded up by the police in usually urban poor neighborhoods.

Among them, Genesis “Tisoy” Agoncillo, 22, was picked up halfnaked by the police near his home in Novaliches, Quezon City. Four days later, he was found swollen and beaten to death in jail, bearing bruises on the head, neck, chest, and torso.

Where Tisoy came from, loitering is less a shadier business than an everyday affair, a tradition passed down through generations reared at the knee of street-corner talkers and idlers. They hang out just several feet away from hawkers running sidewalk sales out of cardboard boxes and bums digging through the dumpster. More than just pleasure-seeking, loitering allows for publicly visible dissent against the politics of urban safety and crime reduction, which are, at

present, largely predicated on the exclusion of marginal citizens.

Dwellers and Drifters The administration’s Oplan Tambay gains currency from the construction of antagonism between “decent” and “disreputable” folk, the virtuous versus the disorderly, and the former’s collective sentiments of anxiety.

Among many Filipino urban communities, there is a shared fear of and contempt for the “tambay,” the lower-class drifter seen “standing by” or loafing about otherwise bustling streets. Commonly male and youngish, he is seen whiling hours away in the company of other suspect bodies: the inebriates, prostitutes, deadbeats, urchins, toughs, and peddlers. He either works menial jobs, say, as a porter, stevedore, or tricycle driver, or cadges meals at the nearby sari-sari store. He is loud, unruly, and prone to bad loans, catcalls and skirmishes.

The tambay is as much a product of flimsy stereotypes as an embodiment of the general public’s legitimate fears based on experience, reinforced by reports of petty thievery, drug trade, and sexual assault on the streets.

Such moral panic and misgivings that a loiterer elicits underpin his stigmatization, says American philosopher Martha Nussbaum.

The presence of the tambay is thus seen as either mere nuisance or a threat to safety. This everyday anxiety has resonated with the larger segment of the population that believes itself to be respectable and is now given the confidence to pinpoint and shame the disreputable other through the government’s anti-loitering sweeps and a host of other ordinances, from frisks and mass searches to curfews and misdemeanor arrests.

Yet, the fear of the tambay can devolve into an irrational bias, which disregards the complex ways wherein criminality stems from structures of power across classes. In a city tiered by socio-economic hierarchies, the tambay can claim no farther than the street he lurks in and exercises power no greater than the protection and privilege that the state accords to him.

Prisons and Primrose Paths The tambay not only has limited claim on, but also conditional access to, public space. The tendency to write him off is evident in the city’s geography, where gated communities and glassedin malls now abound.

Barriers exist to sequester the relatively secure from the economically precarious citizens, who soon become part of what Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman termed “surplus populations.”

These comprise byproducts of modernity, and its mechanisms of globalization and order-building, such as the tambay.

He is thus reviled. His presence is deemed undesirable precisely because he stands out like a sore thumb in the global city that is all straight lines and shiny surfaces. His aimless, errant, and often capricious itinerary challenges the lockstep routes and movements that define interactions in the global chain of production. In his defiant performance of non-productivity, he refuses the market cycle of production and consumption.

Unlike the Parisian figure of the flaneur, for example, the tambay is a flawed consumer. The flaneur fritters away time by shopping and lingering in coffee shops, though he might be just a few paychecks ahead of prowling the tambay’s streets. In this sense, following Bauman’s logic, the tambay functions as an object of resentment onto whom the insecurities of the “productive” yet threatened citizens may be projected.

According to Bauman, the second function of surplus citizens is to lend the policing state a semblance of legitimacy. In the case of Duterte’s Oplan Tambay, the tambay is made into a target of surveillance, scorn, and state violence, to disguise the government’s failure in addressing the roots of poverty and criminality.

Felons and Floaters The Oplan Tambay is indeed no less than an aggressive and arbitrary implementation of vague ordinances that reduce criminal justice to a matter of picking up what the state sees as litter: discardable and disgusting.

Despite their tendency to abuse power and rely on mere suspicion, police officers are made arbiters of what constitutes felony and innocent

DIBUHO NI JOHN KENNETH ZAPATA DISENYO NG PAHINA NI MARK VERNDICK CABADING

KUL TU RA

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HUWEBES 5 HULYO 2018

loitering. Such order-maintenance policy constricts spaces for dissent and enactments of people’s democratic agency. It serves only to facilitate the flow of market forces with the aid of state actors like the police, whose recourse to violence is normalized in the pursuit of maximum profit.

This punitive model of law enforcement leaves systems of social injustice intact in its failure to recognize and safeguard the people’s fundamental right to enter the public sphere, imagine better conditions in their lifetime, and aspire for a more inclusive citizenship. Rather than curb criminality, rehabilitate offenders, and encourage law abidance, this method also does little more than victimize low-income citizens who would otherwise not mill around the streets had they been employed or given ample access to basic social services.

For there should exist in a metropolis of straggly slums and swanky subdivisions a landscape where life out in the streets ceases to be purposeless for the poor, but one primed for processions, parades, and protests. * Apologies to Adam Rapp References: Bauman, Z. (2013). Wasted lives: Modernity and its outcasts. John Wiley & Sons.

Harcourt, B. E. (2009). Illusion of order: The false promise of broken windows policing. Harvard University Press.

Nussbaum, M. C. (2009). Hiding from humanity: Disgust, shame, and the law. Princeton University Press.

BANYUHAY SHEILA ABARRA

Pag nagtagpo ang palad sa palad, huwag mong bitiwan ang pinanghawakan kong salita—mula sayong malaalkitrang buhok, na hinilang parang sa inaaliping hayop, pagkat hayop sa tuwing sasalatin ko ang 'yong balingkinitang katawang tila kay daling isinalya sa may kasilyas—napaparam ang bawat a na kwento, tungkol sa'yo. Kaya sinimulan kong magtanong kung bakit noong bata pa'y ganito: ilahad mong buo sa akin ang gulo ng 'yong mundo, pagkatao; nagkataong magtagpo ang palad, ngunit Mahal, hindi tayo pinalad pagkat mag-aapat na taon na ang nakaraan ay wala pa ring hustisya at patawarin mo ako kung bakit nakikita ko sa hubog ng iyong katawan ang katawan ng bawat pinaslang, ginahasa, hayaan mong tanganin ko ang palad mo at itaas sa bawat nangungutya, pagkat sabi nga ng bawat kwento ng pag-ibig, laging madugo, masakit, makitid ang pag-iisip nila pagdating sa atin—ngayon ang buwan, at sana'y dumating ang araw na para sa atin ang lahat ng araw at wala nang pinipiling buwan para sa ating ipinaglalaban.

NAGKULAY BAHAGHARI ANG mga lansangan ng Marikina at iba pang bahagi ng bansa sa pagdiriwang ng taunang Pride March. Subalit kasabay ng makukulay na kasuotan at watawat, naghuhumiyaw sa martsa ang mga plakard laban sa kontraktwalisasyon at iba pang mga isyu. Marami ang nagtanong, paano mapagtatagpo ang mga panawagan, ang makulay na martsa, at ang dagundong ng protesta?

Para kay Gio Potes, sa kaniyang maikling pelikulang “Sunugin ang Aparador,” magkakabigkis ang isyu ng uri, paggawa, at kasarian. Masining na tinalakay ng pelikula ang tunay na kalagayan ng mga baklang nasa laylayan; malayo sa mapagbiro, masaya, at maingay na kadalasang representasyon sa kanila sa midya.

Binuksan ang pelikula ng langitngit ng paulit-ulit na bukas-sarang pintuan ng aparador. Ngunit imbis na mga damit at hanger na nakasampay, sumambulat ang kuwento ng dalawang baklang kapwa biktima ng kani-kanilang pinagdaraanang karahasan sa loob ng pamilya, trabaho, hanggang sa lipunang kanilang ginagalawan. Silang dalawa, sa loob ng kwartong tila aparador sa liit, sinusubukang lunasan ang kani-kanilang mga problema.

Patong-patong ang karahasang dinaranas ng mga miyembro ng LGBT. Bukod sa iba’t ibang negatibong konotasyong ikinakabit sa kaniya, pinagsasamantalahan din pati ang kaniyang kakayahan para sa kakarampot na sahod. Ito ang kalagayan ng isa sa mga tauhan na manggagawa sa isang pabrika ng tsinelas. Bukod sa walang benepisyo, kasalanan din ang sila’y maaksidente

habang nagtatrabaho, at hindi sagutin ng pabrika ang pagpapagamot sa kanila.

Katulad niya, biktima rin ng karahasan ang isa pang tauhan sa pelikula; ngunit hindi sa pabrika, kundi sa loob mismo ng kanilang tahanan. Araw-araw siyang nilalatigo ng masasakit na salita – demonyo, baboy, walang hiya. Para sa kaniya at marami pang katulad niya, simbolo ang tahanan ng panlalait at ulitulit na pandaraot sa kaniyang pagkatao.

Sing-dilim ng loob ng isang saradong aparador ang kabuuan ng pelikula, animo’y repleksyon ng patuloy na pagkabulid ng mamamayan sa lumalalang kahirapan at karahasan. At kahit magbukas ng ilaw, o di kaya’y mangahas na lumabas ng aparador, ang mundo’y tila isang walang hanggang aparador. Kung kaya’t napatanong na lamang sila, “ano kayang use ng coming out kung paglabas mo, may closet pa rin?”

Kaya’t bitbit na mensahe ng pelikula ang pagsunog sa aparador – ang tuluyang pagwaksi sa pagkakahon sa mga karapatan ng mga manggagawa’t bakla. Mapagtatanto din nilang sila ang agrabyado sa “digmaan” ng nagtutunggaling uri, kung kaya’t naging madali para sa kanilang dalawa ang iwan ang kanilang kinamulatang karahasan at lumaban.

Katulad ng pelikula, walang maliwanag na mundong nag-aantay para sa mga LGBT kung mauupo lamang siya at mananahimik. Dahil ang tanging paraan upang makahulagpos sa mapangaping sistema ay kung makikihanay siya kasama ng sambayanan at tulungtulong, sama-sama nilang palalayain ang bayan.

Pagladlad at Paglantad REBYU: Sunugin ang aparador (2018) ni Gio Potes MARVIN ANG

DIBUHO NI JOHN KENNETH ZAPATA DISENYO NG PAHINA NI RICHARD C. CORNELIO

HUWEBES 05 HULYO 2018

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KUL TU RA

I K AW N A P A N G AT L O MARK VERNDICK CABADING

Gusto ko lang namang mahawakan ang kamay mo nang hindi tayo pinagtitinginan sa kanto.

Higit sa lahat, gusto kong makilala ng lahat kung sino ka at kung ano tayo para sa isa’t-isa.

HINDI KO LUBOS AKALAING aabot ako sa ganitong punto.

Matagal ko ring kinintal sa isip kong tatanda na lang akong mag-isa, magpupursigi upang yumaman, at tutulong na lang sa mga magulang ko’t kapatid.

Matagal ko ring pinaniwala ang sarili kong masaya ako kahit ano man ang mangyari. Ngunit dala ng bawat pagkakataong nakikita kita at nakakasama, napagtanto kong may higit pa akong kagustuhan.

Gusto kong makasama ka araw-araw, makatabi sa pagtulog, at bumungad sa’yo sa bawat umagang darating. Gusto ko lang namang mahawakan ang kamay mo nang hindi tayo pinagtitinginan sa kanto. Higit sa lahat, gusto kong makilala ng lahat kung sino ka at kung ano tayo para sa isa’t-isa.

Gaya ng maraming magkasintahan, gusto ko lang namang maging ligal tayo sa paningin ng pamahalaan. Kaya nang maging usap-usapan ang pagkakaroon ng same-sex marriage sa bansa nito lamang Hunyo, hindi ko maipagkakaila na nabuhayan ako ng loob at pag-asa.

Noong una naming napagusapan ni Mama kung ano ang plano natin sa hinaharap, wala akong masagot kundi, “Wala, magpapadala na lang kami sa agos.” Nais ko sanang sabihin na

gusto kong ikasal tayo kaya lang napigilan ako ng katotohanang hindi tanggap ng karamihan sa lipunan ang mga gaya natin.

Alam kong tanggap ni Mama ano man ang gusto ko. Pero, ang pag-amin sa kanya ay pagpapaasa sa sarili na baka bukas ay pwede na tayong maikasal. Maliban sa batas, ano pa ba ang pipigil sa akin kung ligal na tayo sa mga magulang natin?

Hindi rin natin ito madalas pag-usapan. Hindi ko alam kung dahil sa takot o dahil sa salimuot na dala ng katotohanang marami pa tayong babakahin bago natin marating ang ganoong klaseng buhay. Hindi tayo bulag o bingi sa katotohanang marami ang hindi pa rin sang-ayon sa ating ipinaglalaban. Ayon nga sa sarbey ng Social Weather Stations, dalawa lamang sa sampung Pilipino ang sumasangayon sa pagkakaroon ng samesex marriage sa bansa.

Simula pa lang naman, alam na natin na maraming tutol gawa ng mga paniniwala ng kani-kanilang relihiyon. Pilit naman itong pinabibigat ng pagkakaroon ng pangulong pabago-bago ng isip hinggil sa same-sex marriage. Kaya naman naiintindihan ko ang takot mo.

Naiintindihan kong mahirap lumaban sa isang lipunang mapaniil. Naiintindihan kong

mahirap manindigan sa kabila ng pangungutya at kritisismo.

Sa bawat pagkakataong pinanghihinaan ako ng loob, ikaw at ikaw na lang ang aking binabalikan. Para kahit anong mangyari, maaalala ko kung bakit nga ba ako nanindigan sa simula pa lang. Inaalala ko na lang na ramdam ko sa bawat yakap mo ang kagustuhang matanggap sa mata ng batas kundi man ng lipunan. Inaalala ko na lang na hindi lang ito para sa akin at sa’yo kundi para sa mga kagaya natin ngayon at sa mga susunod pang henerasyon.

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PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

SANNY BOY AFABLE

PUNONG PATNUGOT

ALDRIN VILLEGAS

KAPATNUGOT

SHEILA ANN ABARRA

TAGAPAMAHALANG PATNUGOT

JOHN DANIEL BOONE

PATNUGOT SA BALITA

ROSETTE ABOGADO ADRIAN KENNETH GUTLAY

PATNUGOT SA GRAPIX

JOHN KENNETH ZAPATA

KAWANI

AMELYN DAGA

PINANSIYA

GARY GABALES

TAGAPAMAHALA SA SIRKULASYON

SALAMAT SA PLDT, MAHINA ang internet—hindi ko kaagad nasagot yung titser ko nung hayskul na kuda nang kuda sa Facebook tungkol sa isyung ‘God is stupid’ ni Lord Digong.

Siguradong masasabihan ko siya ng mga malaman at direktang argumento na labag sa turo ng kaniyang sabjek na Values.

Tama raw si ‘Tay Diggs, ano nga ba ‘yung kasalanang mana kung nag-sex lang ang mga magulang ko? Saka, bastos naman daw ang mga pari. Dapat daw talaga, mayor ang nauna kay Sister Hamill at palayasin na ‘yung pakialamerang Sister Fox. Sobra naman daw ako, wala naman daw konteksto ang mga nabanggit, kahit ipakita ko pa sa kaniya ang paulit-ulit na bidyo ng pagmumura at panghahalik ng balahurang pangulo. Ang paglikha ng ganitong bersyon ng katotohanang pabor sa interes ng pangulo ay maihahalintulad sa pagkakabuo ng relihiyon.

Gaya ng iba’t ibang teorya sa ano mang larangan, nilikha ang relihiyon upang magbigaypaliwanag sa mga bagay na walang materyal na batayan.

Ngunit lantad ang mga batayan sa kasamaan ng pangulo at ng kaniyang panunungkulan.

Bukod sa mabagal na internet, walang pasasalamat sa walang patawad na panggigipit ng PLDT sa kanilang mga manggagawa;

O PIN YON

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HUWEBES 5 HULYO 2018

sampu ng lahat ng ganid na kumpanya at korporasyon na dahilan ng humigit-kumulang 27 na welga ngayon.

Gayundin, ang pandarahas at patuloy na pangangamkam ng mga lupa ng mga makapangyarihang pamilya at nagtataasang presyo ng bilihin ay malinaw na paliwanag upang mag-aklas ang mga mamamayan.

Isang kahangalan ang isiping hangal ang mga tagasunod ng pangulo sa kabila ng mga hinog na kondisyong ito; gayundin ang pagtingin sa pangulo bilang siraulo.

Ginagawang hangal ng pangulo ang kaniyang mga tagasunod.

Ito ang pangunahing layon— popularisahin ang kaisipang tagilid sa tamang kritisismo sa gobyerno at papaniwalain ang mga mamamayan sa mga huwad na bagay. Ito ang isa sa mga katangian ng fake news o disinformation na nakabatay sa maalwang posibilidad ng bawat kalagayan ng lahat ng uri ng mamamayan.

Tila mga panatiko—manalig sa Panginoong Duterte, maligtas sa apoy ng droga, hanguin ang kaluluwa mula sa lantay mga katawan ng inosenteng mamamayan lalong lalo na’ng mahihirap na ‘di nabibigyan ng tulong at awa.

Kung Diyos ang pangulo, at ang pangulo ay ang Diyos, sunugin ang lahat ng mga nagdi-diyos-diyosan at suriin pang mabuti ang lipunan.

Makinig sa hinaing ng mga kapwaPilipinong magsasaka, sumama at malinawan sa pinapanawagan ng mga nagwewelgang manggagawa.

Nasa kanilang mga palad na pinanday ng dispalinghadong makina, minamad sa putik, ang mga batayan at paliwanag. Higitan ang bulag na pananampalataya sa estadong nagrerebisa ng kasaysayan at lumilikha ng gawagawang naratibo.

Ang mga api ng ating bayan, sambahin ang kanilang laban, sundin ang kanilang tinatahak, saan man sa lupa o sa langit; iadya sa lahat ng mapagsamantala.

AMELITO JAENA OMAR OMAMALIN

SIRKULASYON

A N G S A L I TA NG DUTS SHEILA ABARRA

TRINIDAD GABALES GINA VILLAS

KATUWANG NA KAWANI

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

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

Tila mga panatiko— manalig sa Panginoong Duterte, maligtas sa apoy ng droga, hanguin ang kaluluwa mula sa lantay mga katawan ng inosenteng mamamayan lalong lalo na’ng mahihirap na ‘ di nabibigyan ng tulong at awa.

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

DIBUHO NI JOHN KENNETH ZAPATA

Para sa mga nagsipagtapos sa pamantasan ng bayan

Manifesto of Unity for a Just and Inclusive Philippine Collegian Editorial Examination League of College Councils 2018-2019 THE UP DILIMAN LEAGUE OF COLLEGE COUNCILS IS UNITED in calling for a just and inclusive editorial examination for the Philippine Collegian.

The Philippine Collegian has been a pillar for press freedom and student activism. It serves as the official student publication of the University of the Philippines- Diliman, upholding academic freedom, voicing the opinions of the Iskolars ng Bayan, and giving importance to the sectors in need of most attention, the marginalized, oppressed, and powerless. Our history as a nation proves how important institutions such as the Philippine Collegian is in preserving journalistic integrity and fighting against systemic oppression.

The role of the student publication in the bastion of student activism is essential in our role as pag-asa ng bayan. It is of prime importance that we select an editor-in-chief possessing honor and excellence, equipped with the tools needed for exposing the harsh realities of our nation. The integrity of the institution should be upheld by a person most deserving of the position.

Last May 5, two students who were well-qualified for the position were barred from taking the examination solely because of their standing. This false disqualification shows that there is inconsistency in the process, as previous years have allowed students to take the examination despite their graduating status because of pursuit of further studies. The irregularity of the process shows that the disqualification is nothing but a big anomaly in the selection. This kind of repression should and will never be tolerated as opportunities to create and take part on positive societal change should never be restricted to those who are willing and are genuinely qualified.

The League of College Councils demands for another examination, including all aspirants to give equal chances in serving the student publication, the university, and the nation. We also call for the reconstituting of the Board of Judges as students should be able to select their own editor-in-chief and not rely solely on administrative appointees. We deem the whole process and results of the last examination as null and void and encourage the current appointee SJ San Juan to stand with us in our call for a just and inclusive editorial examination.

Let us uphold honor and excellence and let us protect the integrity of an inclusive and just selection process for the Philippine Collegian.

SIGNATORIES: Kisha Marielle C. Beringuela League of College Councils Jessiah Jules Jarlego UP AIT Student Council Martin Y. Abad Santos UP Diliman Architecture Student Council Carissa Lim UP Business Administration Council (BAC) Karl Louie L. Revilla UP Diliman College of Arts and Letters Student Council John Paulo S. Cruz UPD College of Education Student Council Sophia Monique Alhambra UP College of Fine Arts Student Council

Beia N. Eugenio UP College of Music Student Council Christian Gio R. Senarlo CSSP Student Council David Vincent L Romero UP College of Science Student Council Mara Shyn M. Valdeabella UP CSWCD Student Council Ralph Justine Baguinon Engineering Student Council University of the Philippines, Diliman Shyler Alaine R. Delos Santos UP NCPAG Student Council Kevin Michael Y. Lobo UP School of Economics Student Council

Maria Celine G. Sandil UP CHE Student Council

Alexis S. Bahatan UP School of Library and Information Studies Student Council

Veronica Rafael UP CHK Student Council

Kate M. Malda UP School of Statistics Student Council

MAPULANG BATI ANG PINAPAABOT

ng Kabataang Makabayan sa lahat ng bagong tapos na Iskolar ng Bayan.

Ang ating paglisan sa pamantasan ay siya namang pagsanib natin sa mas malawak na mamamayang Pilipino – sa mga kababayan natin na binabayo ng mga pahirap at pasistang patakaran ng rehimeng US-Duterte.

Sa pagtahak natin sa panibagong yugto ng ating buhay, tiyak na mas marami tayong masasaksihan na pagsasamantala at pang-aapi. Sasalubong sa atin ang isang lipunang butbot ng maraming krisis. Patuloy ang pagkamit ng rehimen sa neoliberal na dogma na nagpapalala lamang ng kahirapan, kawalan ng trabaho, mababang sahod, at kagutuman ng mamamayang Pilipino.

Dahil hindi na makapamuno sa dating kaparaanan si Duterte (panlilinlang at pagsisiga-sigaan), sunod-sunod naman ang pagpapakawala nito ng mabagsik na mga atake sa mamamayan. Tuloytuloy ang pamamaslang, pagdukot, at pananakot sa kalunsuran at kanayunan.

Pagtapak sa karapatang pantao at pagtatag ng diktadurya ang kanyang sagot sa panawagan ng mamamayan para sa pagbabago.

Ngunit tulad ng ating pagtatapos, darating din ang ganitong mapagsamantala at mapang-aping sistema sa pagwawakas – tulad ng lahat ng bagay na may katapusan. Umuusbong at lumalakas ngayon ang mga panawagan hindi lamang para singilin at palitan ang rehimen kung hindi ang mismong pagsusulong ng panlipunang pagbabago na magwawakas sa isang sistemang nagaanak ng isang pasista-diktador, pahirap, at tuta ng dayuhang mga lider.

Nasa kalagitnaan tayo ngayon ng isang panahon ng radikal na pagpili.

Nasa panahon tayo na ang mga lumang katotohanan at lumang mga istruktura na nagpapasahol ng ating kalagayang panlipunan ay target ng mga rebolusyonaryong pagkilos ng mamamayan.

Papanig ba tayo sa rebolusyonaryong pagbabagong wawakas sa pagsasamantala at pang-aapi o papanig tayo sa kasalukuyang kaayusang nagpapahirap sa sambayanan. Ito ang dalawang nagtutunggaling landas na nakahain sa atin ngayon. Ang hindi pagpili ay natural na pagpanig lamang sa lumang kaayusan na siyang salarin sa ating paghihirap.

Tayo ay mga kabataan na may krusyal

na papel para sa pagbabago. Hindi makakasulong ang ating bansa – o kahit anong bansa – kung hindi patuloy na nagigiit ang mga kabataang progresibo at militante ng pagbabago. Ang isang mundo kung saan ang kabataan ay kimi at walang pakialam ay magbibigay lamang sa lahat ng kawalang katarungan at pagsasamantala.

Makatarungan ang magrebolusyon!

Huwag natin hayaan na tayo ay gamitin ng iilang naghaharing Panginoong May Lupa, Malalaking Burgesya Komprador, at Imperyalistang Dayuhan bilang instrumento ng patuloy na inhustisyang panlipunan sa bansa.

Kaya naman, sa paglisan natin sa ating pamantasan, hindi lang tayo basta na lamang magiging bahagi ng mas malawak na mamamayan kung hindi kinakailangan din na sumanib tayo sa kanilang pakikibaka, lalo na ang mga pakikibaka ng mayorya sa sambayanang Pilipino – ang mga manggagawa at magsasaka. Pumunta tayo sa mga paggawaan, mga maralitang komunidad, at mga sakahan kung saan hindi lang tayo magsisilbi sa pangangailangan ng masa kundi magiging bahagi din sa pakikipaglaban para sa kanilang pangangailangan.

Maging inspirasyon natin sina Wendell Gumban, Myra Algarme, atbp na naging bahagi ng laban ng mga manggagawa at magsasaka. Pinili nila na ialay ang kanilang talino at galing para sa rebolusyong magpapalaya sa lahat ng api at pinagsasamantalahang uri sa lipunang Pilipino. Kailanman ay hindi sila makakalimutan ng masang kalahok nila sa pakikibaka.

Ang Kabataang Makabayan (KM), ay isang lihim na pambansa-demokratikong organisasyon ng mga kabataang mula sa iba’t ibang uri at sumusuporta sa armadong rebolusyon sa kanayunan bilang pangunahing porma ng pakikibaka para sa panlipunang pagbabago. Ang programa ng KM na ginigiit kasama ang iba pang demokratikong uri sa lipunan ay: Sa larangan ng pulitika, baguhiun ang katangian ng kasalukuyang estado na nagsisilbi lamang sa iilan at dayuhan.

Pabagsakin ang nabubulok na paghahari nila at itayo ang demokratikong gobyerno ng mamamayan.

Sa larangan ng ekonomya ay ang pagtatag ng pambansang insdustriyalisasyon na hindi umaasa sa dayuhang monopolyo at nakabatay sa

Jason S. Jarabejo UP College of Mass Communication Student Council



Adam Ang

@daybergent

Sabi nila, "pwede naman gawin 'yan sa ibang araw, 'wag naman ngayong Pride!" Hunny, no.

We don't separate the calls of the oppressed in an event such as Pride March. Gurl, haven't u seen a fellow LGBT+ that has been laid off from work, an urban poor, or a peasant?



Chai Fonacier @rrrabidcat

When you complain about protesters being palamunin, walang ginawa, reklamo ng reklamo, you are most likely among the ones who know zilch about the entire concept of protest, know nothing about how rallies are only part of of protest.



End State Fascism!

rebolusyong agraryo. Tanaw natin ang isang makatarungan at masaganang lipunan.

Sa larangan ng kultura, ginigiit natin ang isang pambansa, siyentipiko, pangmasang kultura.

Sa larangan ng kagalingan panlipunan, hangad natin ang pagpapahusay sa kalagayan sa paggawa at pamumuhay ng masang Pilipino.

Sa larangan ng pambansang seguridad, nais natin wakasan ang pagsandig sa dayuhang mga base militar at pagdidikta.

Nais natin itatag ang isang soberanong demokratikong kapangyarihan ng mamamayan.

Sa larangan ng patakarang panlabas, hangad natin ang isang malayang nagsasariling pakikipagrelasyon at kalakalan na gumagalang sa ating pambansang soberanya at teritoryal na integridad. Alisin ang lahat ang kontrol sa atin ng dayuhan.

Magiging makabuluhan at makapangyarihan ang pagbabagong tinutulak nating mga kabataan kung tayo ay tutungo at sasanib sa pakikibaka ng masang manggagawa at magsasaka. Ito ang tunay na diwa ng paglingkuran ang sambayanan.

Pag-alabin natin sa ating puso at kaisipan ang hindi pa nakakamit na adhikain ng ating bansa at ng masa.

Pagsumikapan natin na makabawi sa mga kabiguan ng nakaraan at maghanda tayo para sa tagumpay ng hinaharap. Bagaman nagtapos na tayo, hindi pa natatapos ang ating pagiging iskolar ng bayan – kabataan na kabahagi ng pakikibaka ng sambayanan.

Ika nga, “tanging sa militanteng pakikibaka lamang lilitaw ang pinakamahusay sa kabataan. Tanging sa pakikibaka lamang patuloy na mapapanariwa ang panlabang pwersa ng walang hanggang pagdaloy ng bagong dugo.”

Kabataan, tumungo sa mga pabrika at sakahan, sumanib sa Rebolusyon!

Tumungo sa kanayunan, lumahok sa armadong pakikibaka, sumapi sa Bagong Hukbong Bayan!

Maria Laya Guerrero Tagapagsalita Kabataang Makabayan

STATUS QUOTES

@patrickjosefdc

Bilis makapick-up ng media sa nangyaring brawl sa FIBA pero pagdating don sa matinding clamor ng mga workers for regularization sa PLDT, wala. Nauna pang napick-up yung statement ng PLDT mismo kaysa sa mobilizations at hinaing ng mga trabahador. #PLDTWorkersProtest

HUWEBES 5 HULYO 2018

11

COM MUN ITY

IMPROBABLE C AU S E

,,

Straight out of Marcos’ playbook, Duterte floats the idea of a communist threat to give excessive and unbridled powers to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, in order to declare a nationwide Martial Law and later on change the Constitution.

NO TERRORIST HAS KILLED 20,000 individuals, dropped 356,000 bombs, and forcibly evacuated 430,000 civilians all in a span of two years but only Rodrigo Duterte’s government.

With the likely passing of proposed amendments to Republic Act 9372 or the Human Security Act (HSA) of 2007, this whole terror could become an official policy.

Ten years since the law was implemented, the HSA has only created greater fear among the people. Supported by the US government, the law vaguely defined terrorism as any punishable crime “sowing and creating a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace.”

What constitutes fear and panic is up to the state’s discretion—leading to persistent red-tagging and the arrest of hundreds of civilians especially critical of the government’s policies.

At the onset, the law already fails to differentiate between national liberation forces and actual terrorist groups. Even Rep. Gary Alejano, one of the proponents of the amendments, admitted in a resolution that the law failed to deter terrorism.

But instead of repealing the law, Duterte’s ilk in Congress moves to further muddle the def inition of terrorism by making “probable cause” a “reasonable ground of suspicion,” such that even strikes

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN 95

EDITORIAL and other forms of dissent may qualify as terrorist threats.

Moreover, the consolidated draft of the amendments seeks to strip away constitutionally protected rights from suspected “terrorists”— now a blanket term for perceived enemies of Duterte. Under the bill, mere suspicion is enough to surveil an individual without being informed.

Meanwhile, HSA’s critical provisions on the rights of detained persons against threat, intimidation, and torture will be removed, as well as penalties for authorities who violate basic civil and political rights of individuals.

Reminiscent of the horrors of Martial Law, these dangerous provisions will only legitimize the harassment of hundreds of human rights defenders, church servants, farmers, and other progressive individuals, who are among the 657 personalities earlier tagged as terrorists by the Department of Justice.

The proposals to amend the HSA came amid Duterte’s decision to cancel the peace talks between the Left and the Philippine government. Straight out of Marcos’ playbook, Duterte f loats the idea of a communist threat to give excessive and unbridled powers to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, in order to declare a nationwide Martial Law and later on change the Constitution.

But even without a formal declaration, the HSA if amended, together with existing counterinsurgency programs, is already tantamount to a de facto martial rule—intensifying and normalizing the militarization of indigenous and rural communities especially in Mindanao, where Martial Law is going on. This already allows for more intense plunder of resources by giant corporations and nations like the United States.

Clearly, all prospects for peace are bleak under a regime that has no regard for civilian and political rights, and remains subservient to the US. Now that Duterte exhausts every means to fully realize his dictatorship, we must rally efforts to repeal the law and thwart plans to legislate the HSA amendments— just as how public outcry and moves by the progressive bloc in Congress in the past managed to remove more questionable provisions from the anti-terror bill and ensure safeguards against official abuse.

For in the face of wanton terror from the very government tasked to protect us, there is no better recourse than to show resistance.