ABLAZE 2018

ABLAZE PIONEER

14TH EDITION | MAY - JULY 2018

People of PSU UNRECOGNIZED HEROES:

PIONEER

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief ELEANA MARIE TABANG Associate Editor REGINA GRUZEI CATBAGAN Managing Editor ELYSSA GENE VASQUEZ Features Editor CHARMAINE BALISONG Sports Editor ALEXIS FERNANDEZ Writers BRITTNY LOURDE TRINIDAD TIMOTHY GEMAR FAGUT JAMAICA PEDERE DEVORAH CLAIRE USOP Contributor KATRINA ESCALONA Photojournalist SETH JAIME CABRIGAS

WORDS FROM THE EDITOR They say the best way to learn about a place is from the story of its people.

Greatest life lessons and inspirations are product of interaction among people from diverse cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds.

This edition of Ablaze is a feature of collective stories from people: students from different colleges revealed what captured the essence of Palawan State University experience, the unsung individuals of PSU community shared their years of commitment in the community, Palaweno artists expressed their struggles in the industry, and athletes introducing themselves. Ablaze your spirit! Get to know these people, get to know the world.

Chief Illustrator MILCAH LAGUMBAY

Member

Pioneer is the Official Student Publication of Palawan State University.

Its editorial office is located at 2/F, CCJE Building, Palawan State University, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan 5300

(048) 434-0283

E-mail

psu.pioneerpub@gmail.com

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Pioneer Publication

18-61

• Audi Alteram Partem* • Scarbo-rough • Catcalling : The Dance of Flattery and Insult • Where Respect is Due • Response Speech to Batch ‘18 • Breaking the Stigma

• Discover Palawan People and Places • On the rise: Rosal and Ignacio Lim, Entrepreneurs • Artists Storyline: Behind the Medium • People of PSU • Unrecognized heroes: behind the scene • Sining’s undying inspiration • Artists of PSU • Camille • Indie-vidual

EDITORIAL/OPINION

FEATURES

62-65 DEVCOMM

• The epitome of sexism • Students across the line

ON THE COVER People of PSU, p. 22 Unrecognized Heroes: Behind the scene, p. 42 Artists Storyline: Behind the Medium, p. 23

• The long wait is over, Dr. Ramon Docto is the new University President • University Registrar welcomes TOR replacements after an alumnus raised his concern online • OSAS explains System issue on delayed Admission results • Balbutan resigns as Federation Pres, Student Regent; Ibrahim to take over her post • PSU-USG conducts second SLA • Not included in free miscellaneous fees, USG to directly collect membership fee from students • PSU, UTP sign Memorandum of Understanding

76-81

SPORTS

• The game of unrecognizing the recognizable • Know thy campus MVPs

NEWS

College Editors Guild of the Philippines

Contact

04-11

12-17

Adviser RALPH PULANCO

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of Ablaze may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Editorial Board. All contributions became Pioneer property and the Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to edit all articles for publication.

contents

66-75 LITERARY

• A la Probinsya San Vicente • God Took Him Home • The Spirits of the Philippine Archipelago

MV P S

EDITORIAL | 4

5 | EDITORIAL

Audi Alteram Partem* Last May 11 marks a historic move of our Judiciary as the magistrates ruled to oust their own Chief Justice.

Constitutionally, the Chief Justice can be ousted only by impeachment and the Congress is the only impeaching body of this government.

PIONEER PUBLICATION, the official student publication of Palawan State University, dissents the decision of the Supreme Cour t granting the petition for Quo warranto, thus ousting Ma. Lourdes Sereno as the Chief Justice. We are standing with our Constitution – the supreme law of the land.

The attack on our Judiciary imperils the practice of judicial independence as it endangers the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances in our government. The appointment of Sereno was obviously invalidated by political pressure barrelling in the administration, with familiar names who also voted for the sudden burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in Libingan ng mga Bayani and Mar tial Law extension in Mindanao.

We commend the PSU Political Science Parliament in the statement they released earlier that the removal of Sereno from the high cour t is a move “of a tyrannical regime to shut off its critics and sprawl its dictatorial powers in all branches of the government”.

The fall of the pillar guarding our Constitution puts our democracy at stake. We are calling the students of this university to stay vigilant for a just implementation of our Constitution. Let us uphold that ours is not government of men, but of law.

*”Listen to the other side,” Principle of Natural Justice

OPINION | 6

CHARMAINE BALISONG Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering

Scarbo-rough Claims involving Chinese coastguards harassing the Filipino fishermen in the Panatag Shoal or Scarborough Shoal have been dismissed by the Filipino fishermen themselves. There has been an ongoing bar ter system among the two par ties where the Chinese apparently take the best among the catch of these fishermen in exchange for noodles, cigarettes, and water. There is a clear gap between the values of the products in the exchange but the fishermen are in no position to complain.

In the briefing organized by Presidential spokesman Harry Roque at the Malacanang Palace last July 11, Romel Cejuela, one of the local fishermen who are fishing in the Panatag shoal area requested the media not to sensationalize the repor ts about the incidents in the shoal fearing they would not be allowed to enter that area again.

It is no surprise that there are accounts repor ted where one fisherman expressed his thoughts that he would rather see no ships belonging to the Philippine Coastguard as to avoid any tensions with the Chinese.

Even though the parameters of the domain of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea have already been validated by the United Nations, it cannot be denied that the country still has no power over our own sovereignty. First of all, China does not recognize the arbitral cour t. It does not honor the ruling issued by the tribunal that validates the Philippines’ claims to some par ts of the West Philippine Sea. We cannot expect them to comply even though it was already validated under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

(UNCLOS).

Spending almost 11 years studying in a Filipino- Chinese school in Baguio City, this issue is not new to us students-composed of mixed nationalities mostly Korean, Filipino and Chinese. Being with them for more than a decade, I can say that the Chinese people have firm devotion to their ideals and possess admirable principles. Involved in numerous discussions, it is clear that the citizens of China, be it students or the coastguards have strong convictions of the parameters of their own domain. My then Chinese classmate explained that their territories have been included in their historical rights can be recognized in a map known as the nine-dash line where it encompasses vir tually all of West Philippine Sea. It was never discussed whether it was just a historical claim or validated by an international law but it clearly made an impact regarding their strong rejection of the ruling under the United Nations.

It is not a hopeless case; rather, an extremely difficult one. Both the Philippines and China are under the strong conviction about their own territories. However, in our case, the odds are not in our favor. We want to defend our sovereignty but we do not have that power to do so.

Like what one of the Filipino fishermen said regarding the situation, “Wala kaming magawa. Anong magagawa naming mangingisda doon, para lang kaming mga latang pinitpit.”

As for now, our fellow Filipinos have nothing to do but to settle for cigarettes and noodles in exchange for the rights that have already been ours for a long time.

JAMAICA PEDERE Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering

Catcalling : The Dance of Flattery and Insult Anyone, regardless of gender, can experience street harassment such as catcalling and wolf-whistling. Statements like, “pasabay naman cute” or “hi sexy” may sound as a compliment but it’s actually a primitive act which takes us back to those times where people is quantified as meat and that throwing lascivious comments and voluptuous appreciations are a norm.

It may be just nothing to some for these were just words, nothing physical but the subtext that these statements bring is truly worrisome—indicating power play, asser ting the catcaller’s dominance over the target. We fail to acknowledge the fact that these street harassments are sexist, crude natured, and obviously disrespectful.

What’s worse is that the society has become strangely tolerant about these acts and eventually shifting the blame to the victims.

As much as everyone can be a victim, women are more prone to these street discriminations. A survey in 2014 found out that 65% of women and 25% of men (higher for men who identify themselves as LGBT) have experienced street discrimination. And in 2016, SWS survey shows 88% of Filipino females, aged 18-24 have experienced street sexual harassment.

I too have experienced being catcalled.

Every facet of myself boils whenever I would hear such disrespectful remarks may it be intended to me or to other people. Others may have lose their sense of self with a single catcall. As a woman, I don’t feel safe roaming even familiar roads as I am threatened to experience such harassment, fearing a bunch of bums (kanto boys) or construction workers.

We deserved to wear the clothes that we want without being self-objectified or without being conscious of our own body.

I know stories of people getting harassed

with them wearing pants and shir t, so why put the context of street harassment being dependent on what people are wearing?

We should drop the victim blaming or victim shaming just because of the way one dresses but rather encourage everyone to behave their best.

Victims are placed into a decision of whether to just shrug these comments or respond. Situations after that may vary.

Whether you respond or not, some of these catcallers incite more crude remarks until the target is out of earshot. And why it has been like that? It’s because for a long period of time, they can and they can get away with it.

Bright spot would be that there are cities that took action against street discrimination, one is Quezon City’s Ordinance 2501 penalizing catcalling and harassment. December of last year, Manila City’s Ordinance 7857 penalizing catcalling and other forms of public sexual harassment has passed first reading. Fur thermore, February of 2017, Sen. Risa Hontiveros has filed Senate Bill 1326 which penalizes gender-based harassment in public places which includes whistling and catcalling.

We all wanted to roam around public places without the fear of strangers whistling and throwing inappropriate comments. But as I’ve observed, acts like those had not ceased nor was lessen in a level which can be felt by the vast majority. Perhaps it’s because people don’t even know that a SB 1326 exists. I think it’s time to hype this and make it a law. Whistling and catcalling are something that can happened to anyone and that is why knowing which we stand and knowing our rights can empower us so that if ever faced with these kind of harassment, we won’t hesitate to respond and put that catcaller into his/her place.

7 | OPINION

OPINION | 8

TIMOTHY GEMAR FAGOT Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering

Where Respect is Due Fighting for the country took a lot from this country; lacking shor t of nothing but pure faith in the future, our heroes of old held stern belief for the freedom that they were set on retrieving. With those sentiments, they bared their teeth and lost crucial battles and won many decisive ones that eventually made their way into our history books. No matter what it took from them or their loved ones, it was evident in that their effor ts held inside them,the resolve to set things right.

The youth is considered to be the hope of a country- with the proper guidance, generations HAVE been trained to be problem-solvers and responsible citizens that are willing to do their duties and responsibility for the country. In essence, we are the stewards of tomorrow- followers fit to take on the mantle of leading the population to prosperity.

Yet even with all the allure of hope and patriotism, becoming the saving grace of a fallen country is not an easy thing to do.

Here in the Philippines, age is everythingcorrecting elders is not something you would normally do, even if you are right.

The youth is suppressed in their endeavors of creating change; instead of raising leaders with initiatives, we continue to produce immature individuals focused on proving themselves in shallow ways. One such example is the attitude of some of those WHO joined the recent Sangguniang Kabataan elections. There were individuals that knew what they wanted to do, yet there WERE also some others that WERE oblivious at best at how the SK should work. In fact,some were even bold enough to gloat about being in the SK, despite not proving anything as of the present.

Another issue to point out is the blatant sexual discrimination experienced by our women and the elitism that the Philippines is adapting. Our comedy, aided by the media, has been successful in making our women the object of much scrutiny; from the way they act, the shows that we watch impact our perspectives on the matter that indicate that some forms of harassment are considered “normal” such as catcalling. Even if our afternoon shows feature women baring their skin and dancing all afternoon, we must adamantly teach our people to

respect women no matter how they may wish to dress. If we cannot even guarantee the safety and respect of our women here, how do we even know that we ourselves are safe?

The Philippines is also notorious for the crab mentality and elitism that our people embraces- we make fun of others just because they are different in some way, such as the regional accents that we hear every day. In addition to that, the way we label people from other par ts of the country as lower than us is despicable- a citizen who cannot love his fellow men is not a citizen at all.

As a nation, we need to realize that we have been so derailed from what we were supposed to be in order to change.

Our moral compasses HAVE been numbed by the feeling of being above others on the social ladder, primarily because both our culture and media FEED our egos in prioritizing ourselves in every thing. Our relationships with one another HAVE been warped from camaraderie to hate, endangering everyone in the process.

The ignorance brought about by the misguidance and disrespect on the youth of this country continues to corrupt the Philippines- instead of progressing towards a better tomorrow, we are steadily sinking to a deep hole of tyranny and misinformation, with nothing to guide us but the creator Himself. It is hard to imagine a country that cannot rely on its own youth, yet slowly, it is star ting to become a reality that we cannot avoid. Even with all of the effor ts of the great and upright people that stand with the youth, if the rest of the population stagnates in the difficult path towards the change they want to see, nothing will happen.

Indeed, the youth is the hope of a country- they deserve to respect and be respected as they transition into the leaders that we all hope them to be. We all need to reflect and see where we are currently headed. When all is said and done, it is only through the full cooperation and respect of both our leaders and their protegés that our country stands a chance at establishing a country that actually cares for its constituents

JESSETH NEZ PASAGAD

9 | OPINION

Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering

Response Speech to Batch ‘18 Honestly, it took quite a time for me to write this speech. Let’s just say that I stared at my computer screen for more than an hour only to come up with two or three sentences.

I was so overwhelmed with the thought of graduation that I was literally out of words. It wasn’t until I went to the mall that I came up with this speech.

In this beautiful city of Puer to Princesa, public utility vehicles such as jeepneys, multicabs and tricycles, or if luckier a free ride in cars from friends have always been around to bring people to wherever they want to go. For most of us, commuting will always be a par t of our everyday lives; a means of putting our day into motion. The interesting thing about commuting is how similar it is to attending college-- we all star t out with a vision and a goal in mind, a place or destination where we want to be. Yet, as time passes by, some of us get off earlier than expected, some stay longer, but ultimately, we all get off. The same goes for college.

In college, we all dream of what we want to be in the future-- a doctor, engineer, architect, psychologist, you name it. It’s someone’s dream in here. The fact that all of us went to school is a show of dedication towards realizing our own dreams. This dream is our destination, the reality that we all seek for ourselves. This is the very reason why we get up early, sleep late and even miss our meals. The choice of pursuing our degrees is the star t of our individual journeys towards this culmination.

In this multicab drive we call college, we travel with different people having different stories in life. It is the friendship and the cultural differences we shared that strengthened our passion and our purpose. In 5 years, I have met individuals who have inspired me to a greater length. I guess meeting people is a two-way process, be it our peers, professors or just random individuals in the streets, each of us is working towards our goals and through these experiences we learned to respect our individual differences as well as collaborate towards something bigger than ourselves.

Of course, like any other road trip, there are always speed bumps along the way and comfor t is oftentimes out of the context. I bet many of us wanted to give up. We wanted to pack our bags and go home. Sadly, some

chose to go back due to various reasons.

Yet, time and time again, these people managed to become greater than their problems; with grit and perseverance, these individuals were able to over turn their once miserable state into something greater than what they initially expected.

In retrospect, college gave us lessons that we acquired from various challenges.

A couple of years ago, we left our homes and dealt with the discomfor t of being away from our loved ones- yet now, here we are. From lining up for enrollment at the star t of the semester to lining up once again for clearance signing at the end of it. Indeed, it was one heck of a ride.

One impor tant take-away from commuting is that one way or another, we will always get to our destination as long as we do not lose sight of our path. Some may reach their destinations earlier, some may get lost, others slack off and sleep during the ride so they wake up confused. But, never lose hope because there will always be another ride for you.

To us, the trip that we took is almost finished-- we have made friends and lost some, discovered and forgotten experiences, yet the road still seems to stretch far beyond the horizon.

Graduating today tells me one thing-- that we have reached the end of this hurdle and it is time to set a new one. The road we traveled so far had been rough-- through our hardships we built our character, our identity, and most of all, our grit. We have transcended into a new generation that appreciates diversity. The ball has been thrown at us to transform our lives, our families, communities and humanity in general.

Before we close this chapter in our lives, it is highly impor tant to thank the people that have been with us along the way. To our families for their love, guidance and suppor t throughout the years, to our dedicated teachers for paving the way to our future, to our friends for helping us realize our goals, to our university for serving as our training ground for what lies ahead.

Also, allow me to honor the unsung heroes of us graduates: our OFW family members like my father who cannot make it today due to

work matters. Most impor tantly, we offer our deepest gratitude to our Supreme Being who is the source of our life and knowledge.

The big question for many of us now is what we plan on doing next. I say to all of you right here, whether you decide to take a break and travel, get a Masters degree or maybe pursue your dream job, never forget your purpose and your responsibility. In here we are not bred to be just students, but rather as problem solvers ready to take on the world.

We may stumble and fall, and be unsure of where we should be in life, know that deep within ourselves, there are no excuses for giving up.

We are the class of 2018 and we accept the challenge of upholding excellence for a better Philippines, ASEAN and beyond.

Thank you and see you guys in the field!

JESSETH NEZ PASAGAD IS A FORMER FEATURES EDITOR OF PIONEER PUBLICATION

OPINION | 10

JOMAR CASIMINA Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Breaking the Stigma Mental Health Bill finally passed the third and final hearing on May 2, 2017. The bill seeks to raise awareness and help people by making medication more affordable for those who are suffering from mental disorder. Mental Disorder, not just like a cold, flu or cough, is a serious illness that should be accompanied by proper treatment of mental health professionals. It affects the emotional, social, cognitive, behavior, psychological and even occupational aspect of the person. As a psychology major, it is the happiness of my hear t knowing we had taken one big step towards the implementation of it.

According to a repor t from World Health Organizations, suicide is the second leading cause of death globally among 15-29 years old. In the Philippines, the total repor ted cases of suicide as of 2012 alone reached to 2,558. Just recently, though I am really a fan, it brought me so much pain knowing that Chester Bennington a member of the band Linkin Park took his own life. We have to realize that depression is more than just feeling down, it is a serious illness, it is deadly.

We have to realize that mental health is as impor tant as our physical health.

I had also experienced to handle some clients before and I have seen how poor the condition of these mentally-challenged individual are. One was being chained and left starving, instead of bringing them to the right facilities. While financial constraints and violent behavior may contribute why they do such things, it is still considered inhumane; unjustifiable considering the culture we have—we value our family much. Yes, love, care and suppor t for example would not cure schizophrenic patients and other psychotic disorders because what they really need is proper treatment that will reduce the symptoms but these are impor tant factors as we deal with the family members who has neurodevelopmental disorder or even depression. You don’t tell them that they should just get over it because it is a hard battle they’re fighting for. They are battling to themselves; they keep chasing to have a normal life, and battling to be accepted by the society.

It is also saddening hearing people call them with degrading names like, “maluwag ang turnilyo”, “baliw”, “may sayad”, “abnormal”, “may saltik”, “engeng”, “may sapi”, “loka-loka” “nag-iinar te” and many more. If you were on their shoes, how would you feel

being called with one of that? Just like you, they also need respect, understanding and compassion. Mental disorder is no joke.

I am looking forward to the day where we can finally embrace people with mental disorder and accept them like they are also just like us—normal people. To all the parents, may you not get tired taking care of your family member who suffered from a mental illness. Brought them to the right facilities and don’t forget to visit them. Even if they don’t remember you, even if they can no longer tell how much they love you, even if you can’t understand each other anymore, even if they don’t talk to you. May you still love them with your hear t and soul, though you may find it difficult.

If you are a confidant or “someone” to someone’s life, have the awareness for you to identify the early signs. We can actually easily notice some of the changes in the functioning or behavior of the ones we love, we just ignore it because we think that “baka ar t lang yan”, or a “joke”, a “trip lang” “kulang sa pansin”, or sometimes “wala lang talaga tayong pakialam”.

Vigilance can save the life of your family, friends, and others.

You, who are reading this, celebrate your life, your existence. Instead of thinking about quitting education, be thankful you are in school. Instead of taking your own life, be thankful you are alive. Instead of hating other people, why not build a closer relationship to them? Be thankful you have a normal life. Instead of worrying about the difficulties of life, be thankful you can feel those emotions because others can no longer tell what it feels to be happy, sad and the like.

And to all of us, my piece of advice is that let’s end the stigma about mental disorder. It is not “sapi”, it is not “pag-iinar te”, and more impor tantly it is not a choice they make. And finally to all who suffer from depression, to those who attempted to kill themselves, to all the mothers and fathers, husbands, and wives, and youth—seek help. It might be the hardest thing to do but it is definitely the first step to feel better. You have act upon it now, because it will become more complicated if you will not address the problem as soon as now.

As psychology major, I cannot force you to accept them. But at least, show some respect as much you want to be respected.

NEWS | 12

13 | NEWS

THE LONG WAIT IS OVER, DR. RAMON DOCTO IS THE NEW UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT After two years of presidency vacancy, former Vice President for External Campuses Dr. Ramon Docto proceeded as the 8th President of Palawan State University.

Dr. Docto was sworn into office by CHED Commissioner Perfecto Alibin right after the 201st meeting of the Board of Regents, specially held for the election, at Park Inn in Davao City, July 6.

He was shor tlisted alongside with Dr. Patrick Regoniel and Dr. Gabilyn Orilla, through the results of the evaluation of the candidates by the PSU President Search Committee. It was only on the day of election when the head of committee, Fr. Roderick Salazar, presented the recommended list to Commissioner Alibin.

President Docto got the majority of the votes from seven eligible voters of the BOR after two rounds of election.

The new president initially expressed his intention last year and applied on the second call of applications for the presidency.

ONLINE ENROLLMENT In the press conference held at the PSU Hostel, July 9, the new administration announced their plans for online enrollment. This is after a representative from a local media asked how the new president will solve the issue on long enrollment lines. “[Online registration] has been in our plans for some time kaya lang it

was taking a long time for us to finally implement it. This year, undergoing ang infrastructure ng fiber optics, and then after that ay installation ng database bago ma-introduce ang aming system so finally masusubukan na natin ang online” Dr. Marilyn Pablico, the Chief Administrative Officer, explained.

Dr. Pablico also added that if it was done earlier, they are planning to test the program this first semester.

“We were planning to do it this summer, unfor tunately, nade-delay ang delivery ng equipment from the supplier.

Nag-request sila ng extension because of a mistake in the product delivered to them by a foreign supplier. Pero we expect we should be able to run the program, if not second semester, sana pagdating ng October workable na lahat para naman ma-avoid natin yung mga tinutukoy niyong long line.”

President Docto said it will be possible through the help of our graduates.

“Magagawa natin ‘yan through our IT exper ts. Most of our IT exper ts are very brilliant. Actually, dalawa na ang lumapit sa akin. Isa diyan ay sa Palawan Pawnshop, graduate ng Palawan State University ang kanilang IT exper t. Pangalawa ay sa Provincial Government, si Mark dela Cruz, sabi niya ‘yung inyong graduate ng IT ay napakinabangan namin’. Siguro it’s just tapping the right person and our graduates.”

PSU COMMUNITY As the former Vice President for External Campuses, President Docto said funding is considered as one their major problem. To solve it, he said that he will ask our legislators to sponsor laws to make the external campus a regular campus with their own budget appropriation.

“If the external campus has their own budget, they can have their own plantilla.”

Some faculty and staff from external campuses was also present in the press conference to show their suppor t.

“Siyempre galing siya sa external campuses, alam niya kung pinagdadaanan ng mga external campuses. Naniniwala po kami na may kakayanan siya, n asana maging totoo ang nabanggit niya sa press con na magkakaroon ng batas na magiging regular branches na kami ng PSU para magkaroon na kami ng sariling pondo at nang hindi na kami aasa lagi sa PSU Main, maging ang aming mga plantilla positions para sa aming faculty and staff.” Prof. Anabelle Cacayan from PSU Araceli expressed her hopes in an interview with Pioneer.

The president of Faculty Union, Ms. Janet Oab, said that it was a blessing and the prayer vigil held last month was effective.

“Based on my experience with him being my boss, I think he has the skill, potential and he deserves to be the President of Palawan State University.

NEWS | 14

15 | NEWS

University Registrar welcomes TOR replacements after an alumnus raised his concern online

Balbutan resigns as Federation Pres, Student Regent; Ibrahim to take over her post

A fresh graduate shared online his recent transaction with the University Registrar, earning reactions from the students and administrators of the university.

Jonard Narcisso Angelo, graduate of Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering, posted a photo of his newly printed Transcript of Records and called it ‘trash’ due to unintended print marks present on the paper.

“I’ve been working in creative media for some time. These print marks are totally unacceptable. Ito yung parang sample print na tinatapon sa basurahan.”

The post reached Universty Registar Carlos Alfonso Salvador and he assured on his comment that he already made a directive to his staff in order to prevent the same case from happening again.

“The reason why we have released that kind of TOR is for temporary purpose because we do believe that we can’t ask you to wait for another month since our printing machine needs maintenance check and it took longer periods to purchase the needed materials due to government regulations.”

He also said that anyone with similar concern is welcome for replacement.

Vice President of Academic Affairs and former University Registrar Dr. Eva Jimenez also commented on the post and said the transcript “should not have been released in that condition”.

OSAS explains System issue on delayed Admission results Students were dismayed after the release of results for the college and senior high school admission tests was delayed as posted on the Facebook page of the Office of Student Affairs and Services. In their original calendar, results were supposed to be posted on May 9.

OSAS explained that ‘due to technical and system issue’, students should expect to receive the results at a later time.

Dr. Grace N. Abrina, Director of OSAS, said that results were rescheduled due to the attendance of the University Office of the President Officer-in-Charge Marissa S. Pontillas in the Board of Regents meeting.

“We cannot release a document that needs her signature to confirm the results of admission test.” Dr. Abrina said.

She also added that there are still students requesting to take the test, par ticularly in CCRD campuses.

“Hindi kayang ma-sor t out kaagad dahil maraming dumagdag. We also cannot afford to see yung mga [students] coming from other places, tumawid pa ng dagat at himpapawid pa, at hindi naming mabigyan ng test.”

Maria Aurora Riceli Balbutan resigned as the President of Palawan State University Federation of Student Government Organizations (FPSU-SGO) and as Student Regent of the university. The Vice President of the federation, Jiro Yuan Ibrahim III from PSU-Brooke’s Point, will take over her post effective yesterday, May 10.

“As much as I want to serve our students and our beloved university, but the demands of time are changing for me that no longer merit my principle of quality and effective service if I remain as member of the board and president of the federation,” Balbutan said in her resignation

letter dated April 24.

In an interview of the publication with Ibrahim, he said that he was notified by Balbutan around two weeks ago.

“Actually she was emotional when she was trying to ask me kung anong opinion ko with her thought na gusto niyang mag-resign from her office, kasi talagang pinag-isipan niya nang husto,“ he said. “The fact na she is graduate na, she believe na it is against her principle to serve the students when she is no longer a student of PSU.” Ibrahim expressed his willingness to take the position.

“I told her that whatever her decision will be, I will be very glad

to accept the responsibility and at the same act for her position.”

When asked on his plans as a student leader, he said that he might focus on changing the system.

“Kung paano mas mapapabuti ang serbisyo na nabibigay sa mga students. How will be the students be able to receive better education? The quality education as the vision and mission of the PSU states, paano ba natin mabibigay ‘yon sa kanila?”

He stressed on calling for better process of the system in the university. “Yung proseso ng kung anuano mang meron tayo sa school na dapat mas mapadali,

mas mapagaan para sa mga estudyante.”

Ibrahim also added that students should receive adequate services. “Yung mga serbisyo na dapat ma-receive ng students, they need to have it. Hindi lang ‘u kumbaga parang nessecity lang basta-basta… It is something way heavier than that. Something na dapat talaga mabigay sag a estudyante.”

The federation is set to have their meeting on June 2 to decide who will be the sitting on the board as next Student Regent.

The appointed SR will serve for the unexpired term of Balbutan until September 2018.

NEWS | 16

Not included in free miscellaneous fees, USG to directly collect membership fee from students

PSU-USG CONDUCTS SECOND STUDENT LEADERS’ ASSEMBLY Student leaders of different organizations in the university attended the second Student Leaders’ Assembly hosted by the University Student Government held at the USG Conference Room today.

Academic freedom of the students regarding the collection of fees and fines of every organization, activities for the incoming Freshmen Walk, and alternative solutions for the problems faced by each organization were discussed in the assembly.

COLLECTION OF FEES According to USG President Elijah Geanga, an organization president should not be the one to decide what fees must be collected from the students, the students themselves must decide what fees they should pay.

“One organization has nothing to do with another organization.”

He also presented that any fee an organization will impose must be recognized by the whole

organization officers and members and must be presented during the general assembly for the students’ involvement and consensus before it could be included in the collection.

In line with these, the student leaders agreed that in implementing the fees, an organization must submit a copy of the attendance during the general assembly, a narrative repor t, list of fees to be imposed, minutes of the meeting and the result of bidding for transparency.

“Sa akin po, okay po ‘yung ganyan. Para mas mulat ‘yung mga members ng CHMT kung saan napupunta yung binabayaran nila. Para wala silang masabi na corrupt ‘yung leaders nila.” said Cheryl Goden, CHMT representative, when asked about her opinion regarding the decision.

The collection of Clean and Green Fee was also discussed as it was not included in last year’s collection of fees due to the irregularities the ex-administration cited in the last year’s Student Leaders Assembly and the corruption that came with it as the former student

leaders in the lower councils used the funds for purposes it was not intended for.

It was decided that if the organization collects the fee, it should be used for purposes like funding the salary of additional janitor to be hired by the college government or for the maintenance and beautification of the college.

FRESHMEN WALK ACTIVITIES To welcome freshmen and also give chance to recognize all college-based or uni-wide organizations, USG is encouraging all org to par ticipate in their club fair.

Organizations are given a chance to showcase what they can offer to the students especially to the incoming freshmen and what benefits the students can gain in joining their org.

This activity also allow the students to freely choose and join as many organizations as they want as long as they pay for its membership fee.

The 140-peso University Student Government Membership Fee is not included in the free miscellaneous fees subsidized

by Republic Act 10931 or Universal Access to Quality Ter tiary Education Act, but USG President Elijah Geanga clarified that the collection is ‘not prohibited’.

“Republic Act 10931 does not include the Student Organization Membership Fees in the prohibited collectible fees,” he said.

He also added that in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 10931, Student Government Organization Fee is not listed under the development fees which is included in miscellaneous fees.

Unlike the previous years where students pay the fee to the cashier, USG will now directly collect it in exchange of preenrolment form essential in the enrolment process.

The change is due to the decentralization of Student Government’s funds approved by the Board of Regents through Resolution No. 243.

The resolution approved the request of then Student Regent Aurora Balbutan to allow the USC, now USG, to ‘directly collect fees from the students effective 2018, the respective semestral fees, and excluding such fees from the Miscellaneous Charge/ Fees collected by the University’.

Geanga shared that he was able to meet Commission of Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Dr. Perfecto Alibin last May 15, and the commissioner said that being also the chairman of the BOR, he was familiar with the resolution.

Dr. Alibin also said that the USG ‘has all the rights to collect the said membership fee from the students since it is an independent organization and the university is not held liable for it’.

All students of the university are automatically pronounced as members of University Student Government and are required to pay the membership fee.

Photos: (L) Approved Resolution No. 243 (R) USG Pres Elijah Geanga and ex-SR Au Balbutan with CHED Commissioner Dr. Perfecto Alibin

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PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING With the desire to establish a collaboration to enhance respective scientific, technical and engineering competencies, Palawan State University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Universiti Teknologi Petronas held at PSU Hostel, May 24.

UTP is a private higher learning institution subsidized by Petroliam Nasional Berhad, commonly known as PETRONAS, a Malaysian oil and gas company.

In her message, PSU Officer-in-Charge Office of the President Prof. Marissa Pontillas took pride of the Petroleum Engineering program as one of the ‘prestigious, diverse and sought-after course’ offered in the university.

“We are one of the only two university in the Philippines offering the program, 80% of the students are coming from outside of Palawan.

That is also one reason why we really want to strengthen and fur ther improve our capability in providing BS Petroleum Engineering.”

As par t of the MoU, both universities will collaborate in areas like faculty enhancement, research and development, establishment of state-of-the-ar t lab facilities, curriculum structure and content revision and improvement, and staff and students exchange program.

“We hope that this signing of the Memorandum of Understanding would be the first step towards such productive endeavors,” the OIC said.

Present in the ceremonial signing were PSU-OIC Office of the President Prof. Marissa S. Pontillas, PSU-Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Eva M. Jimenez, PSU-Vice President for Research and Extension Dr. Patrick A. Regoniel, PSU-Dean of College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Engr. Patrick Jay Nangkil, UTP- Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Ir Dr. Mohd Shahir Liew, UTP-Vice Chancellor for Academic Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eswaran Padmanabhan, UTP-Dean of Center for Graduate Studies Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Rosdiazli Ibrahim, UTP-Director Institute of Sustainable Living Assoc. Prof. Noor Amila, and UTP-Senior Lecturer at Petroleum Engineering Depar tment Dr. Belladonna Maulinda Hidayat.

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DISCOVER PALAWAN People and Places

By BRITTNY TRINIDAD and CHARMAINE BALISONG

Oh, Palawan… every time our thoughts drift to this place, we can’t help but smile for all of the unbelievable memories and adventures we’ve experienced here. This is probably true for most of the people who’ve come to Palawan to stay for a while.

Even if our hearts didn’t originally belong here, it does now. A home away from home, with some of the most beautiful sights you will ever get to see, and some of the kindest people ever, Palawan will inevitably become very close to your heart.

This is especially true for the old souls who just want some peace and tranquility, and a deep connection with the earth and her fellow inhabitants. But also true for the people who have an insatiable thirst for adventure. Aside from the well-known places that you’ve probably already visited, here are some other places that we think travelers who are staying awhile, and even the locals, can still discover and enjoy.

89 CAFÉ On the lookout for a new café you can just sit in for hours and get lost in a book at while looking at the strangers passing by?

Then drop by to this quaint little space loved at Rizal Avenue, on the first floor of Island Stays Hotel, called 89 Café.

The sight of seemingly out-of-place picnic tables and chairs, the kinds one would expect to be set up outdoors during beautiful sunny days, simply accentuated with a transparent vase of yellow daisies make the ambience of the place all the lovelier. And the very shimmy-inducing jazz renditions of modern music played in the background transpor ts me to the time the café is named after: the end of the 80s, at the same time, the beginning of the 90s.

Their menu is composed of brunches, pastas, desser ts, and of course, drinks, including coffee. Just watch out for the time when you order their meals because brunch and dinner only become available at cer tain hours. And under the deser ts list, I highly recommend you try the Sticky Ube Pudding-- it is just so heavenly!

-- and will leave your mouth feeling orgasmic every time you take a bite.

CAFÉ OLE BAKESHOP AND COFFEE SHOP There is absolutely nothing lovelier than a café with the most vintage of vibes! Now set that vibe in a Spanish inspired place that serves the best pastries, and you have a café that not only delights your taste buds, but also makes you imagine sitting at one of those establishments set against the backdrop of Barcelona.

Order some vanilla coffee and any pastry that you’ve set your eyes on, then proceed to have a perfect day!

Café Ole is located at Maresca Bldg. 3 Valencia Street, Puer to Princesa.

KUSINA NI TITO ERNIE’S Located at Abanico Road, Brgy. San Pedro, Kusina ni Tito Ernie’s is a The cozy and peaceful ambiance of the place make it a very great study place for the people who enjoy the quiet whispers of the trees. And because right behind the restaurant is a forest, the overall presence of nature and lack of bustling city people and traffic, radiate a sense of serenity.

Their menu consists of an array of dishes, but we recommend our personal favorite will always be the Santol and Butter under the “Toast” category. And for a drink that is sure to leave a kilig feeling in your mouth, the sampalok juice is a must-try! This ingredient not only serves well in our favorite sinigang, but is also a great innovation as a drink.

Overall, I give their menu 5/5 stars for each dish has some unique twist that’ll make you feel like you’re tasting it for the first time.

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SITES TO SEE

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MT. MAGARWAK

MT. TARAW, EL NIDO Mt. Taraw-- a behemoth of a mountain-- is the highest peak of all the limestone mountains of El Nido, and has a view over-looking the tiny city, the sea beyond, and all the other mountains that surround.

If you’re and adrenaline-seeker tired of the predictability that the canopy walk has to offer, then opt for the 2-3 hour climb on Mt. Tarao instead.

The things you’ll need for this climb will be: a good pair of shoes, some snacks, water, and a good tour guide who’s bested Mt. Taraw a couple of times before(even though you won’t want to sign the dreadful weaver that comes with him, it would be the absolute safest way) because then you’ll be equipped with his knowledge of the mountain and safety gear like helmets, a harness, and gloves(these will all be very helpful even if at first you’ll find them unnecessary).

Now if an amazing view of the sunrise is what you’re looking for, try hiking toward the peak of Mt. Magarwak before dawn, and get ready to witness the most spectacular sunrise of your life!

Hire a jeep and go with a group of friends. Make sure to eat and have a lot of energy stored to conquer this mountain. And have lightweight shoes so that when the clay soil of the mountain sticks to your shoes, it will still be easy to walk if you can’t rub it off a rock just yet.

This mountain has a medium level of difficulty as some of the slopes are steep, but overall, it’s fairly easy to traverse.

SABANG Looking for a place you can spontaneously go to without all the hassle?

Then hop on a bus and enjoy the three-hour ride to Sabang! Once there, buy some coconut juice and sit and relax by the beach, under the sun.

Sabang isn’t only visited for its world-renowned Underground River, but also for its gorgeous and pristine beaches, and mysterious Elephant Cave.

With lodges that are affordable to the average traveler (or you could always opt to sleep in a tent), Sabang will be a place you will want to stay at for a while, just until the last waves of stress get lost at sea, then leave with a grateful hear t and a handful of memories.

NACPAN BEACH, EL NIDO Aside from Marimegmeg, there is Nacpan and Duli Beach(Nacpan being closer, and so the more preferrable one).

Although the sunsets are sometimes pretty at Marimegmeg, they are absolutely beautiful and stunning at Nacpan(we didn’t get to witness this firsthand though, as the weather was not too good).

The only way to get to Nacpan is probably via a van, if there’s a group of you. Or you can hire one of the tricycle drivers to take you there.

Nacpan has a twin beach; the other side being all that man can touch, and the other seeming what man can’t set foot on(it’s safer to swim on the right side).

Once you reach Nacpan, it is an absolute must that you climb the hill that you will see to your right(the hill this picture was taken on), because aside from a lovely view of the twin beaches of Nacpan, the view opposite to it is just breathtaking! The stark contrast between the serenity of Nacpan and the strong waves crashing against, ancient, giant jagged rocks just at the bottom of the hill will enthrall you. What will captivate you all the more will be the endless dark blue of the ocean and the limestone silhouettes which you can barely make out over the horizon.

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ON THE RISE

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By CHARMAINE BALISONG

Rosal and Ignacio Lim, Entrepreneurs Two siblings opening a restaurant together, now that is definitely family goals right there!

The very quirky and kind Rosal Lim, together with her athletic and multi-talented brother, Pablo are the two ingenious minds behind the culinary delight which is Kusina ni Tito Ernie’s.

The 22-year-old Rosal tells me that it was actually her kuya’s idea to open Kusina ni Tito Ernie’s a year ago and that it first star ted as a small acorn they planted when they were both about to graduate college. Fast forward to today and that acorn has grown into quite a wonder; just last February 21 was the date that marked the celebration of its first year anniversary—an unexpected thing for the siblings as they’re just so glad that it’s still up and running(they thought that they could’ve accidently set the place on fire by now).

The restaurant is named after the siblings’ father and it serves home-made food with ingredients that are sourced locally.

It was due to their father’s love for cooking that made the establishing of the restaurant so easy. Since Tito Ernie already had recipes that gave an assor tment of common dishes a twist, the menu for the restaurant was very easily created, it was like a no brainer at all! What sets them apar t, Rosal says, is the simplicity of their dishes, and at the same time, the endearing quality that their menu possesses because each of the food items on the list has a cute little story of its own as to how it was

made and given a name.

Aside from this, the menu of the restaurant isn’t just stagnant and it always keeps changing due to the philosophy of their father which is to buy ingredients which are available here[in Puer to]-- because “what’s available here will always be fresh and will always be good,” says Rosal. And because of this, the dishes they serve may depend on the season.

The siblings say that this is a great challenge because what the people want is consistency, but they assure the customers that what they serve will always be the best.

Pablo works behind the scenes, mostly in the kitchen helping to prepare the dishes, meanwhile Rosal does most of the administrative work.

Aside from the restaurant, Rosal also works in a non-profit organization just next door of the resatuarant, called “Rurungan sa Tubod”, where they teach women how to weave. They weave with cotton, pina, and abacca.

People can check it out and if they’re interested, the foundation offers weaving classes for 1-2 weeks where you have your own loom and the materials which they provide you with are yours to keep.

As to what they’re

expecting in the future, they tell me that they don’t have any plans and that they’re just rolling with the punches.

Currently, they are building very cute sheds in the outdoor vicinity, behind the restaurant, where the people may also wish to dine. They’ll probably add in fairy lights, so it is a must for arsty far ts to eat there at night with a group of friends and just enjoy the sound of crickets and the movement of the trees in the wind.

The next time you happen to strike a conversation with them, ask them about the story behind the “adventure beans” and you are sure to receive a very “awwwww”inducing story about their childhood with their four other siblings and the times they’ve spent with their dad.

ARTISTS STORYLINE: Behind the Medium

By CHARMAINE BALISONG

ELORDIE MESAC

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The new pride of the Tagbanua Tribe In November 2013, Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the island of Coron. It was then that the Tagbanua tribe proved their strategy skills when they designed an indigenous structure more resilient to typhoons than the models created by the NGOs. Now, the tribe continues to impress the rest of the world as Elordie Mesac, the new pride of the Tagbanuas, emerged out of the province of Aborlan to prove their wor th. “I’d like to relieve our culture and tradition...to share my thoughts, to set us free from all agony, to give hope to all the indigenous peoples, to awaken the sleeping thoughts and to strengthen the impor tance of everything through magnificent ar t,” he wrote in his por tfolio.

As a child, he expressed his talent in ar t by doing signage in their schools and joining ar t contests. Some people could not understand his ar t during those times. “[They would tell me] Why are your drawings so dir ty?” He recalled them say. “What they wanted is plain drawing. But my teachers, they understood. I was just using shading technique.”

Mesac showed an impressive progress in ar t when he joined the Aborlan Ar ts Program founded by director Charles Wandag and U.S. Peace Corps volunteer Megan Barilla in 2000.

It was intended for out-of-school youth to help them strengthen hope by developing their talents. Though he was not an out-of-school youth himself, his passion for ar ts was his sole reason to join the program.

After graduating from the program in 2001, Mesac began developing as an ar tist.

His par ticipation in different seminars, exhibits, and workshops contributed to his ar tistic growth. From drawing and shading as a child, he became skilled in rubber cut ar t and terra cotta sculpture. Most of his works reflect the culture of his tribe. “I focus on our culture- our way of healing, rituals, customs and traditions,” he explains. “Being a native, I concentrate more on what I always see- culture and environment.”

Ar tists and gallery owners began recognizing him, encouraging him to join contests, in which most of he won including the

“Prinsesa ng Baybay...Simbolo ng Ating Kultura at Buhay” in Puer to Princesa.

But it was not always raining sunshine for the native ar tist. Because of the colonial interests of today’s generation, only a few appreciate the works of local ar tists. “Ar tworks are very hard to sell. It’s not like a kilo of rice where even the poor ones can easily buy.” Money can be an issue but not enough reason for the small ar tist to be discouraged. “Since I don’t have a studio, I just work anywhere. Maybe it’s very hard at first but since you love what you’re doing, you have to push it.”

Now, Mesac is trying to give back to the ar t community as he teaches youths who are interested in developing their talent in ar t. One of his apprentices even calls him “Master”. He still continues to represent the colorful culture of his tribe and encourages the others to do the same.

“Sure there are others who do what I do.

They do ar t but they do not know the essence of creating. They just do it.”

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EMMANUEL LUCASAN Modern day Pilosopo Tasyo

A beautiful veranda overlooking a small por tion of a forest where they should be; beautiful crafted bamboo instruments hanging on the walls and ceiling corners, some on the polished kawayan floor; Paintings perfectly placed where they seem to have stayed in decades; his mornings and noon are sounds of the high pitched fowls one in nature, such is the home of the modern day Pilosopo Tasyo, Emmanuel Lucasan.

Emmanuel Lucasan, or ‘Tatay Ems’ as called by his friends, has been the advisor of many local ar tists here in Palawan for many years.

They would usually gather at his home, most of the time in the veranda, and have a coffee or two. The ar tists would discuss anything under the sun- life, poetry, religion, history, ar ts- nothing that Tatay Ems wouldn’t know.

To most people, they would only know him as the man who makes bamboo flutes, visitors would go to his house to order flutes, to which he crafted flawlessly and beautifully.

Old instruments hang on their walls.

Instruments as old as a few decades including guitars and flutes made of bamboo crafted by the Ilonggo ar tist himself have their share of telling his story.

Tatay Ems’ skill as a musician was influenced by three factors- Hereditary, Environmental, and Divine Influence. His

forefathers were gifted musicians. “They were not merely musicians; my grandfather usually organized the orchestra. It includes saxophone, trombone, trumpet- complete instruments - clarinet, piano, violin.” The rural way of life in Himamaylan also made a great impact on cultivating the young boy’s interest in music.

“The rural way of living became a par t of my life. The singing of the birds, the cry of the roosters, and the sound of the environment entered my subconscious mind which eventually became par t of my consciousness. Every time I go down the mountains, I would cry. I would miss the life in the mountains.”

One day, the young Emmanuel went to feed the carabao and while lying on the back of the animal, he decided to make a flute out of his instincts. The flute was not in tune at first but he managed to fix it while feeding the carabao.

Musical instruments were very expensive during his times. Since he cannot afford to buy, he made his own guitar in 1986, also made of bamboo. He then star ted making flutes again.

Before he perfected his standards, he used to give the prototypes to children who are very happy to receive. Not only do his flutes vary in size but also in structures- customized according to the comfor t and efficiency for the person who would use it.

In 1994, he built his own piano which is of course, made of kawayan. Many businessminded people and local officials took interest to this unique invention offering to purchase it to which he kindly declined. Tatay Ems star ted to build his reputation as a genius to which he still carried to this day.

You can find in his notebook a rather unusual way of writing notes for his music.

As a natural- born musician, he is also a gifted writer and composer. Scribbled in his pads were the notes where you will feel the connection to your mind, then to environment, spirits, and even the Master himself. Although the scholastic way of writing music is helpful, he had a different way of expressing his music.

Indeed, Tatay Ems is one of the few remaining gems of gifted musicians. It is rare to find these days ar tists who play by their hear ts and not according to calculated rules and notes. He is a living proof that music is indeed a gift to which we should use to connect and to serve. In his humble home hang musical and ar tistic crafts that marks the quality of a genius. His instruments will tell you his story. All you have to do is to listen.

“Bakit niyo pa hihintayin ang isang ar tist na mamatay. Katulad ni Van Gogh, milyon ang halaga ng mga obra ngunit ang ar tist na gumawa, namatay na dilat ang mata.”

MARIO LUBRICO

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An Artist’s Journey towards Freedom Decades ago, a young Mario Lubrico badly wanted to have a toy car as a present. Lo and behold, at Christmas Eve inside the old car ton was the toy he asked for. The young boy was overjoyed but in the span of two days, he quickly lost interest of the toy.

He proceeded to the backyard of the house where there was plenty of mud because of the rain and there, he star ted to play, creating little figurines out of the clay. These figurines became his new toys. He did not feel contended with the human clays so he made a canine companion. Delighted with what his small hands can achieve, he star ted to create more- chickens, little houses, and neighbours for the little human figurines. Seeing his first masterpiece, a revelation dawned on him.

“That’s when I understood creation- where ar t begins. God created things because He was lonely until He kept adding more. He began creating till they grew,” Lubrico says.

“Unlike other people giving me material things, the wor th is temporary; but when you create something out of your own, it becomes so precious- you gave wor th to it. I finally understood the Creator, He is the ar tist. He is the real ar tist.”

Lubrico’s journey to find the essence of ar t did not stop there. Like many ar tists, his dedication to creation and colors was tested a couple of times. When he was in his early teens, he quickly left his passion for ar t and

pursued his interest for young love. Eventually, he realized his mistakes and attended a university in Bacolod where he took up Fine Ar ts.

It was very hard for a people like him who had a different perspective to go with the interest of the society that time. In the modern world, people view practicality and financial stability as a priority. Lubrico was not exempted among those who desired an ‘ideal life’- to get married, have children, and settle down. Following this idea, he applied for a job in Manila, working from 8 to 5. It was becoming a routine and beginning to have financial stability. But he was not happy. “People work like machines. They were all systemized in a way they were organized to do routines.”

The lost ar tist did not immediately return to his passion. He did not only leave his stable job in Manila but also his belief of the Creator.

“I went back to Bacolod and lived as a monk, where I practiced Buddhism for 6 months.”

Fate must have pushed the monks to notice his still evident interest in imagination and creation till one day; they gave him a choice to be a devotee or to go back to the material world.

Lubrico finally made a decision he did not regret. The ghost of his childhood memory where he first grasped the meaning of ar t haunted him, leaving the chase of an ‘ideal’ life in 1997.

Manila welcomed him with oppor tunities; not as one of the machines but as a freespirited ar tist. Over several months, Lubrico continued his ar tistic pursuits. From focusing on oil and acrylic paintings to engaging in terra cotta ar t.

It was 1998 when he received his first invitation to go to Palawan; in the province of San Vicente. He hesitated at first, not wanting to leave his satisfied life in Manila. He finally agreed when invited for an ar t exhibit in Puer to Princesa. Lubrico was among the hundred ar tists who were enchanted by the charm of the Kamarikutan Ar ts Gallery, calling it a ‘Paradise’. He left but after several months, he left his hometown to stay in Puer to Princesa for good.

Today, the lost ar tist was no longer lost.

Rather than talking about himself and his masterpieces, he guides aspiring ar tists with his principle of Ar t and Freedom. He may have risked his oppor tunity to have the ideal normal life that the world offered but Ar t had given him more- Freedom. One of his students was Elordie Mesac who now gives pride to his tribe being the first to make a name in the Ar t Community. . “I cannot go back inside that box. It is very hard but you have the freedom that they don’t have. They go back to their systematic jobs every day but as an ar tist, you can do whatever you wish to do because you ... You are the master of yourself.”

NONO FINEZ None can deny the fact that the society has already created a stereotype for people who chose creation as a profession- The Struggling Ar tist. The idea of becoming isolated and poor when pursuing ar ts affected the desire of aspiring ar tists to carry out their passion.

A number of successful ar tists admitted to have had second thoughts because of the “Struggling Ar tist” stereotype. But not the timid Nono Finez.

Before he established one of the most famous souvenir shops in Puer to Princesa, Finez had nothing but his skills and some beads, selling bracelets and necklaces he made in the streets. “Naglalako ako dati eh. Naglalako lang. Sa Baragatan. Sa tabi. Sa gilid gilid lang,” he humbly said.

His hard work paid off when he left selling trinkets at the sidewalk to building the Kaingud Ar ts and Crafts shop in 2002. Two years later, he was joined by his wife, Pagasa, in running the business. Over 15 years since he star ted, they still continue doing ar ts and crafts in their shop located at Rizal Avenue.

What makes Kaingud stand out is its ar tistic originality. Common souvenir shops in Puer to Princesa present almost identical products, mostly buy and sell ar tifacts.

Their shop is filled with innovative crafts which are mostly made by Finez himself.

Although he has a talent for painting, His for te focuses on mixed media, assemblage and carving. He usually uses found objects in his ar ts and loves using animal bones in assemblage. His wife, on the other hand, focuses on painting. At this time, she is now

Photos by: Inato Palawan Flickr Page

using oil and acrylic in her canvasses.

Among the most difficult problems ar tists face is the constant changing of society’s interests. Ar tists struggle to capture the society to appreciate and understand the meaning of their ar tworks. But for Finez, this is not a problem at all. “It was never a problem. Ever since 2002 until today, our works also evolve.

It changes in time,” Finez explained. You can observe that their ar tworks do not remain in their place if you come back in a few years.

“It’s more like a cycle. We will not do what we did the past year. But trends may go and still come back. Our works also goes into that cycle of constant change.”

It is not merely business for this talented ar tist. Behind these carefully crafted masterpieces is a genuine purpose. “I wanted to show what we have here in Palawan. I was born here and I want to introduce ar tworks that are authentically of Palawan.”

The timid ar tist ended with a pure and simple thought: “Generations do change and I want to show not only to my fellow Palawenos but also the tourists that we do have something different to offer.”

KAWANGIS NG TRIBU Headed by Pagasa Donato- Finez and her husband, the Kawangis ng Tribu has already gained its popularity among ar tists since it was founded in 2004. They are composed of 8-9 members in Palawan and have other members in the different par ts of the country.

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It was originally called ‘Kawangis’ meaning ‘alike or similar’ until the muse, Pagasa, decided to collaborate the music to the tribes. Since then, the group was called “Kawangis ng Tribu”.

Because of the neo-ethnic genre of music, the instruments used by the group are a concoction of different instruments from different par ts of the country including agong, babandil, gangsa from Baguio, and kumintang from Moro. Aside from the bass instruments, they also use string and bass guitar. This reflects the contemporary style of the group.

Unlike the common use of chords, the group compose their piece with the use of Notations.

Even without background in music, they were self-taught in a way that they already make their own patterns for the pieces. The only struggle was to master the music of the tribes. Nono Finez, the band leader expressed how it is very difficult to study the native music so it is very impor tant to immerse themselves with the tribes to learn and perfect it.

The group has already star ted recording last November their first album and is continuing to travel around the Philippines to perform their unique style of presenting the Philippine music.

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People of PSU

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CBA

CS

Om Goswami

19, BS Biology Major in Preparatory Medicine

Jonah Micah Marquez

19, BS in Business Administration Major in Marketing Management “High school palang, plano ko na talaga magenroll or pumasok sa PSU – nasanay kasi ako sa private school, di katulad sa public na mas maraming populasyon –para maka-experience naman ng mas maraming makilala na estudyante. Then June of 2015, I was a freshmen in PSU, Yes! Dream come true! At the same month, napanood ko ang isang organization which is the PSU Singers na nag-perform sa Freshmen Walk. They’re one of the PSU pride. Manghang-mangha ako at pinangarap ko na sana maging par t ako ng group na ‘yun.

Then nag audition ako, and yes, 3 years na akong member ng group na to! Being a student and a choir member is very hard, nandiyan yung mamimili ka kung anong uunahin mo, yung gahol ka sa oras kasi marami ka pang kailangan gawin, yung nale-late ka sa lecture niyo kasi minsan ‘di maiiwasan umabsent. Yes, minsan di ko na naipapasa ang quizzes and exams ko, at lagi kaming pinapaalalahanan ng aming choir conductor na dapat No. 1 priority ang pag-aaral. Then lately, nakikita ko yung sarili ko how to manage my time properly. It’s because of the experiences and hardships na nakasanayan mo na, at alam mo na kung paano lampasan. Last May 2017, I was blessed to be a par t, to represent our school and our country, in a competetion in Germany and Spain. Till now, di ko pa rin lubos maisip na mararanasan ko ang mga bagay na yun. Failure is not fatal, it is the courage that counts.

It was August 2017, just a regular day, as I was preparing for my lunch, my friends told me that “Om, you are going to join Mr. PSU,” and I was like “What? Why me? There are much better guys than me, just select them”. I was really surprised and shocked but then I found out that they were serious. They already gave my name for the pageant and I was not told that I’m going to join! Seeing all the other candidates of all colleges, and I felt like “I’m bad. They are much better.” During the practice, I found out that all the candidates are really enjoying the pageant and there was nothing such as competition, we are all like “besties”. We used to hang out and eat together and help each other, if someone is doing a mistake and then we just guide him. We really enjoyed the journey instead of competing for the best of who is winning and who is losing.

My advocacy was to introduce foreign students into Palawan State University so that the PSU can form foreign bridges among different countries and students from different countries can enrol in PSU because I found PSU to be really different and it has very good educational system.

I have joined 3 pageants – Mr. & Ms. PSU Ambassador and Ambassadress, Fashionista King and Queens and Mr. & Ms. PPPAHEI – and have gathered all the first places in the 3 competitions. I just joined the pageants for fun because I really want to overcome my fear of facing the crowd. Joining will help you to overcome the fear of public speaking and you can face the crowd confidently, because this is a common fear every person might have. And that is the big achievement I have received from joining these pageants. Work hard and be positive in all the situations and you will get the best result in the end.

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CEAT

Marie Leancy Dianne Nangit

19, BS in Hospitality Management

Being the class salutatorian for both elementary and high school years, as well as being a consistent Dean’s Lister in college makes it look like everything’s going well with me. But I had my own share of ordeals as well. I had a grade lower than the passing mark (75%) in elementary because I skipped a lot of class, exams, and assignments due to my illness. Sadly, some of the teachers, instead of understanding my condition, are the ones who put me down. They haven’t even motivated me to persevere and pursue my dreams.

One day, as I woke up, I realized that I needed to study well. I wouldn’t let these difficulties hinder me from having a bright future. Thus, I dedicated myself, with my experiences as inspiration, in studying and I said to myself, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13).

Years later, I was inspired by Juan Miguel Severo, a spoken word ar tist, to make my first piece of spoken poetry. I dedicated it to my Mama, and one of my college professors said it is an inspiring message and she appreciated it. Because of that I thought, “Why not ituloy ko lang ‘yung pagsusulat? Baka isang araw mapansin din. (Maybe I should continue writing. One day, my works might be acknowledged somehow.)” I wrote because I want to give voice to the words that are only in my mind. I wrote ‘coz I want to make others feel what I want to say. I wrote because I know others can relate–to my thoughts, my emotions, my experiences. And because of this professor, Ms. Olit, I learned that there are a lot of things I can do. She gave me the oppor tunity to write a song. She also had me sing the official sound track written by me and my friends for our event, the Cumbida. After the event, there was a big competition in Puer to Princesa City posted online calling all spoken poetry writers. She mentioned my name and I was shocked because she trusts me so much. Of course, I thought for a moment whether I should join because it would be my first time and I know a lot of writers were more experienced than me. My peers (we called ourselves Bristropa), encouraged me to join and so I did. Yes By God’s grace and the suppor t of the people I love, I won the competition held last February 2018 with my piece “Liham ng Pinaasa para sa mga Paasa”. After that event, my performance went viral on social media and got 64.1 thousand views on Facebook, and almost 200+ thousand views in Youtube.

I may have experienced difficult times in my life. There may have been people who have put me down in times of despair. I may not have the typical family set-up that most of my friends have. Still, I say to myself, “Accept the fact that you cannot please everyone. There will always be people who will judge you even if they don’t know what you’ve been through. Life is a game. Sometimes, you win. Other times, you won’t. Other people won’t look up to you for their own reasons. But you can always BE THE NUMBER ONE FAN OF YOURSELF. If you would not believe in yourself, you would always lose. So even when you are falling behind, persevere. Don’t give up. Have patience to finish the race you have star ted. Have courage to dream and seek what makes you truly YOU.”

Charles Joseph de Guzman 20, BS in Petroleum Engineering Success is not an overnight thing. That’s what I learned when I joined an ar tista search. I realized that you can never have the things that you want if you don’t push hard and put your hear t in it. I’ve always been a dreamer. I have lots of vision about what I want to be. But my biggest dream is to be able to make a difference in this world that settles in the ordinary. To touch a life. To heal a soul. To help someone in need of acceptance, motivation, appreciation, and love. That competition has taught me those things. It has become a platform. You see, when someone believes in you it will be easy for you to believe in others too.

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Angelica Bacosa

21, BS in Criminology

It was about two years ago when I thought about quitting life again. This world seems to be too cruel and I had so much hatred in my hear t. There were so many questions in my head and I didn’t even get a single answer. Though I felt depressed that time, I still managed to talk to an acquaintance and told him I’ll just finish the group work by myself. He disagreed and said that it was a group work and our groupmates should help, I didn’t want to argue with him, so I just went with the flow. That was the time I met his friends. We did the project for weeks and during those weeks we would often hang-out and talk.

I didn’t notice that I was becoming close to them. After months, I felt happy and I laughed genuinely again. I realized this is exactly what I need, a new group of friends- a new life. I will be forever thankful to my friends, because if it wasn’t for them I will never know how to feel life again. Kudos to all our friends who helped us move on, friends who made us what we are now.

CNHS

Bob Fernandez, Jr.

21, BS in Nursing

I was a product of a broken hear t, despair, failure and disgrace. I fell in love with someone I barely knew and focus my dreams and goals towards her, for the sake of our upcoming family in the future. But at the end, ito ako, iniwan. Masyado kasi akong nagfocus sa future, hindi ko man lang namalayan wala na pala kaming kasalukuyan. Everything went downfall. My dreams, my goals and I almost lost the purpose of living. I lost her, my life, my everything and even myself. At that time, I don’t know who I am. That’s when I decided to go somewhere else where I can find myself, here in Palawan, and continue to pursue my chosen career. I learn that in this new chapter, you will decide on your own. No matter what happens, whether you succeed or fail, it will always be WIN or WIN situation because you will always learn something from it. It’s not about what the problem is, it’s how you look at it.

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CTE

Elijah Daniel Geanga

22, Bachelor of Elementary Education

Camille Cabrestante

21, BS in in Psychology

Walang madali sa pagkakaroon ng cancer, kahit stage 1 pa lang yan or worse eh last stage na. People always ask me why it seems like I don’t consider my cancer as a problem. Simple lang, dahil sa kasabihan na “do not stress yourself over something you cannot control.” Nandiyan na yan eh, doon dapat mag-focus sa solution, sa makakapagpagaling sakin, sa chemotherapy at surgery ko. Yes, masakit sa bulsa ang naging pagpapagamot ko, pero walang wala yan sa naramdamang sakit ng magulang ko nung nagkasakit ako kahit hindi nila pinapakita sakin, alam ko, dama ko. The entire time na nagpapagaling ako at nagrerecover sa sakit ko, yung tanging iyak lang na nagawa ko eh sa tuwa. Tuwa dahil sa panahon na yun, doon ko nakita at na-appreciate yung mga taong nagmamahal sakin, marami pala. Grabeng pasasalamat ko sa pamilya at mga kaibigan ko dahil napakaganda ng suppor t system na binigay nila sa akin. Nakatulong rin sa akin syempre ang pananampalataya namin sa Diyos.

I wouldn’t be here in this world now without them. Kahit hindi ko na nagagawa yung mga dati kong gawain, tulad ng pagsasayaw at pagsali sa mga contests, ayos lang. Ang mahalaga sakin ngayon ay buhay ako, mahal ko ang buhay ko, at kasama ko ang mga mahal ko sa buhay na nagbibigay sakin ng dahilan upang lumaban at tuparin ang aking mga pangarap.

FOLLOW HER STORY ON PAGE 56

Being an Ambassador of International Goodwill, I am actively and proudly shares with other nations the culture, traditions, values and education of the Philippines. For instance, I taught English and the Philippine History in an International Buddhist Education Center in Myanmar for almost a month. It is also the same reason why I studied Bachelor of Elementary Education for I have discovered my passion for teaching. I also attended various intercultural and leadership trainings locally and internationally.

Traveling enables you to learn new languages; explore and discover cultural differences and similarities, learn various histories of different cultures; and gain independence. It can enrich your life by exposing you to experiences you are not normally exposed to at home. There will be challenges that may come in many forms such as communicating in languages other than English, closely missing your flights, long bumpy bus rides, dealing with intense hagglers and struggling to acclimate between various climates. It is a test of one’s will, patience, and for titude that will make you stronger and strive harder.

As I cross the border of my comfor t zone, I had the oppor tunity to meet and connect with people from different par ts of the world. I even got the chance to hangout and tag along with the people I just met on the plane, bus, train, or in por ts. Some of these people still stay in touch and I can consider them as a friend for a lifetime from a distant par t of the world.

Traveling across countries and stepping out of your comfor t zone will enable you to see the world in a different perspective. It will somehow change you in a way you’d never expect or imagine. The world is huge to just stay in a single corner. Explore and understand other cultures, places, peoples and traditions. Through travel, we will be able to discover the meaning and purpose of life as we produce our own definition. The more we travel, the more we see. The more we see, the more we grow. The more we grow, the more we evolve as human beings. One of the things that I learned in my journey is that we may identify ourselves by nation, race, or religion but we are all human and we are globally connected to one other no matter how or what the differences are. We all work hard for the common good. We strive for the best from within ourselves, which keeps peace and humanity alive. Life is an adventure. Dream. Explore. Discover. Life is shor t and the world is wide. Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.

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UNRECOGNIZED

HEROES:

43 | FEATURES

By JOYCE ANNE FABRICANTE

A

s we are in the 21st century where our heroes are celebrities, sports stars, and politicians, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge the true unsung heroes - the heroes that deserve our praise but they rarely get it.

In our stay in this University, we have been served indirectly by these non-teaching individuals and utility members. Sometimes, we are the reason why their working hours are extended. Although they are not faculty members or professors, they are serving us and our school for so many years. With dedication, they continue to do their works without any complaints.

As they sweep the floor, there are also sad memories and stories that they want to remove deep down inside their heart. In every piece of paper you get from the manipulator of a Xerox machine, he is also giving his full service in exchange of small amount of money. And as the keen observant looking over on our institution, she also looking for brighter future not just only for her family but also for our University.

Without them, our lives in Palawan State University wouldn’t run very smoothly, and wouldn’t keep us protected and safe. Our University would not be completely unique without their humility, diligence, generosity and incomparable way of giving their services.

They had contributed a lot of good deeds, they endured pains, they gave their more than hundred percent effort, and they made us happy. And yet, we forget to acknowledge their sacrifices.

We need to recognized these heroes, not to pity them, but for us to be inspired to their stories and to be aware that we should not do things that will double their job and treat them nicely. Their sense of humility and humanity must be serve as a lesson to all of us. They deserve recognition, even though they didn’t ask for it.

Kudos to the unsung heroes of Palawan State University!

ROTHEL PANGANIBAN

Janitors. Do students care enough to thank these people for putting up the plastics and papers that they carelessly toss on the ground? Do students appreciate their hardwork? Scrubbing toilets, mopping and sweeping floors, putting up the trash, cleaning the college building, removing dust, or even scraping off gum under the desks are not that facile as you think.

Those are the typical but challenging day of work of our humble workers.

Most of the people think that the janitors are only removing and cleaning up the mess but basically, they making sure that the classrooms are well organized and clean for a student to be able to learn in a safe and pleasurable environment.

Janitor’s life is more than it meets the eye.

Specifically, one janitor by the name of Mr. Rothel Panganiban take this role not just to his mind but also to his hear t. He is one of the janitors who do his job with no complaints. Mr. Panganiban is 48 years old and has been the janitor at the College of Hospitality Management and Tourism. He live in PSU compound for so many years and give his service wholehear tedly in this University.

As he is adjusting to his fifteenth year at Palawan State University, he reflects on the great changes that he saw in the PSU throughout the years. He witnessed the progress of our University and the continues growing population of the students. “Nagbago na ‘yong mga building, nagdami na,” Mr. Panganiban said. His diligence and dedication to his work helps the PSU immensely and in return, it became his source of income that suppor ts the needs of his family.

Just like the other workers, there are reasons behind his forbearance and his braveness to do his daily job. Those pains that caused by bending spine and knees repetitively when cleaning and collecting the garbage of the College building, those sweats that leaks all over his body, those dust that he absorbed and those trash that has unpleasant smell are just a mere trifle to him when it comes to his inspirations. He strongly dedicating all of these patience and hardwork just for his loving and suppor tive family. He isn’t only an admirable janitor but then, most of the time he is a great and courageous father.

As a result of his undying determination, his two children successfully graduated in their respective courses. His son graduated with a course of BS in Petroleum Engineering and his daughter completed her study with a course of BS in Education.

His loyalty, energy and enthusiasm for achieving his tasks everyday was seen on his effor t. From giving us a comfor t to simply making our surroundings not just beautiful but also spotlessly clean. Those commendable deeds are wor th to be appreciated.

As a token of gratitude, students must understand, respect and be thankful to our magnificent and reliable janitors.

Fur thermore, since there are a lot of facilities that was built in the University, the number of humble and persistent utilities increased. Mr. Panganiban said, “Maraming mga nagpasok, mga bago, nadagdagan dahil sa maraming mga facilities.” And it is one of what we need to be grateful of.

FEATURES | 44 Utility workers make our school day lighter by providing their exceptional services but unfor tunately, they are often overlooked. Some people not appreciate how much simpler utility workers make life. Although their job may seem easy, but it is far from it. It is more than simply cleaning and fixing things. Utility workers are what keep our university pristine, up-to-date and ready for hundreds, thousands of students everyday.

People may think that the job of utility workers focuses only on endless cleaning and sanitizing facilities but, they are actually flexible. They also fixing wires, making sure that everything is functioning properly and problem-free.

However, Mr. Luceno Palangan is an example of hard working and trustwor thy utility worker of Palawan State University. He is 48 years of age and currently live in PSU compound. Mr. Palangan continue to serve our university for eight years and he was assigned to do his job at Performing Ar ts Center where the events are usually held.

Sweeping the withered leaves that fell on the ground, mopping the dir ty footprints on the floor, fixing wires, arranging hundred of chairs when there are events and trimming or cutting the grass. Those are some responsibilities that Mr. Palangan ought to be done. Apar t from it, he is also accountable on

ELMER FORTES

VICENTE cleaning the outside area of the PAC when there’s no event. “’Pag wala kami event, dito kami sa labas, kung saan saan kami naglilinis, naga-grasscutter buong compound,” he said.

His job required a lot of manual labor and hard work, which deserves to be commended.

Dedication, perseverance and positive attitude are what Mr. Palangan gained during his daily task.

That’s why, he was able to do his work successfully despite of its difficulty.

He has shown unflinching determination throughout the years of his service. The undying love the he always give to his family and the things that he needs to provide for his four children are the reason why he consistently give his best as a valiant utility worker. “Kailangan naming magsipag kasi kawawa naman ang mga anak namin kung mawawalan kami ng trabaho,” Mr. Palangan said.

Aside from being a skillful utility worker, he is also responsible in the things that has been left inside the PAC. “Kasi minsan may maiwan na mga gamit, katulad ‘yong cellphone, ‘pag kami makadampot, itago lang namin tapos ‘pag may maghanap, ibalik din namin ‘yan,” he said. This scenario proves that he is undeniably an applaudable and trustwor thy utility worker.

Another man who is willing to do everything and give his immeasurable love just for his family. He’s always ready to face and fight the hardships that he might encounter in his daily work. Despite of his age and the years that he spent in serving the University, he didn’t lose determination. That’s how Mr. Elmer For tes take his role as a father and a strong utility worker.

His job requires a large collection of abilities that enables him to fix and clean almost anything. He has a responsibility of coming early in the morning to secure if everything is clean and well organized. Mr. For tes is 62 years old and live in Barangay Santa Monica with his loving family.

He also have five children and amazingly, four of them successfully finished their studies. While the youngest is still studying in College taking up a course of Information Technology.

Mr. For tes stayed motivated regardless of his repetitive work as he maintain the cleanliness of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

He spent his twenty years in giving his all out service to our University. After all, he didn’t think of the pains that he felt during his daily work just for the sake of his loved ones. The salary that he will get is such a huge help for him to suppor t his family especially his youngest child. “Gusto ko lang makapagtapos ng pag-aaral ang mga

45 | FEATURE

IDUSORA

LUCENO PALANGAN

Kindhear ted, trustwor thy, helpful and has a optimistic personality. Those are the great qualities that you’ll see in this veritably committed employee of Palawan State University. You may not know his name, but for sure you already became his customer. He is known for photocopying your impor tant papers and all. He’s none other than, Mr. Vicente Idusora.

Mr. Idusora is 58 years old and live in Barangay Santa Monica. He worked in PSU for 18 years and conferring his full blast service to our University especially to all of the students. He occupying the space below the stairs of College of Nursing and Health Sciences since this is where he doest his business. He always show his outstanding characteristics as he do his job everyday.

By operating this kind of business, the financial assistance need by his family was being provided.

In his five children, three of them are studying. His faithfulness with his family and God is his powerful weapon in facing his challenges in life. He is always inspired by his loved ones. And also, he is grateful to God for always giving us another chance to live. “Always ‘yon si Lord. Araw-araw dapat pasalamatan natin siya, kasi siya ang nagbigay sa atin ng buhay,” he gladly said.

As he serves PSU for a long time, he had encountered various situations wherein

anak ko, “ Mr. For tes sincerely said.

He is an incredibly role model exemplar for the students and for other workers not only because of his age but also of his honesty and loyalty to his job. Aside from it, he is absolutely strong knowing that his job frequently doing bending, walking, pushing and lifting all day.

He make sure that he always provide his vital function to us.

Utility workers like Mr. For tes are really impor tant as they secure our safety. Without them, we would probably be sick more often, less productive, have more accidents and generally be surrounded by a constant build up of grime.

So at the end of the day, we must value every little thing that our utility workers did.

They are one of the workers who needs to be acknowledged because they are not just doing their job as it is. Cleaning what needs to be cleaned, fixing, maintaining orderliness and making us happy are not that easy.

We don’t need to take a sweep with a utility broom, all we need to do is to appreciate and be thankful as they give their hundred percent energy in keeping our University free from nasty environment.

ANONY MOUS

his customers are arguing. “Mga bata na mga estudyante na makukulit, minsan nagaaway dahil nag-uunahan kung sinong gustong magpaphotocopy. Nag-uunahan sila kasi dapat pila ‘yong iba, sumisingit,” he said.

There are students and faculties who salutes him for being a flexible and benevolent worker.

Sometimes, some teachers left their things to Mr. Idusora and asked him to keep it for a while. Well, it’s funny how they say this, but he is also became their baggage counter. Another good deeds that he did is when he helped the students who don’t have enough money to pay their photocopied paper. Instead of asking for their payment, he just decided to give it for free.

Fur thermore, he had also returned a lot of valuable things that had been left by the owners without giving it a second thought. So through this kind actions, his genuine identity was seen. Most of the people he helped was touched by his honesty.

That’s why, Mr. Idusora really deserves to be thank for.

He is the one who proves that kindness never stops, it sprouts. He didn’t hesitate to help other people who is in need. “Nageenjoy naman ako minsan dahil nakakatulong ako sa mga estudyante,” he said. His job is his key to spread the language of goodwill in our University.

A keen observant and assiduous employee. That’s how we describe this hardworking worker of Palawan State University. She had a lot of experiences all throughout the years of her service. She helps our University and the students for seventeen years up until now. However, as a sign of respect, her name and some of her personal information was kept in private. Although she refused to be named but then, she told half of her story inside the campus.

She is a kind of a worker who is very humble and genuine. Her only inspiration in life is her suppor tive and tenderhear ted family. The reason why she consistently working very hard is for her 11 year old child who currently studying.

Since then, she really enjoy her job as she inculcated a lot of learnings to the students. “So, masarap kasing ano eh, ‘yong ishare mo ‘yong experience mo sa kanila, ‘yong learnings na natutunan mo sa work, ishashare mo ‘yong knowledge mo sa kanila,” she said.

Way back on the times the she star ted working in the PSU, she reminisced what she saw before and how our University looked like. “Konti lang ‘yong mga buildings, tsaka

‘yong mga empleyado konti lang, ngayon sobrang dami na halos hindi na namin kilala ‘yong isa’t isa,” she recounted.

She encountered different experiences in seventeen years of her service, “Experiences, so marami kang makikita ditong, masasalubong na mga experiences,” she said. “Syempre ah income mas malaki ang pasweldo dito sa PSU, mas marami kang makikitang, makaka-encounter na maraming estudyante, guest lahat lahat dito na,” she added.

Her dedication to her work and the way she love and value it are the reason why she is still in her job. Considering the years she have spent in the university, she gave her opinion about the question, what makes PSU unique - “Unique siya kasi in the sense na, mas malaki ang sweldo dito compare sa ibang establishments and then ‘mas ano siya, pang-world class ‘yong mga estudyante dito e.”

Somehow, we cannot deny the fact that the workers like her are one of the reason why PSU unique. Through their effor ts, love and care to our University and the students, the blessings are continually bestowed and the success are easily aimed.

FEATURES | 46

ining’s Undying Inspiration

By ELYSSA GENE VASQUEZ

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veryone from Palawan State University have known Sining Palawan Dance Troupe as a center of eminent folk dancers who have long been showcasing Palawan’s culture.

This well-known dance troupe has been lauded, not only inside the university, but also by the local government of Palawan, all other folkloric dance troupes and organizations allover the Philippines, and on other countries. Sining Palawan has its mission to express talent, expose culture, explore tradition, and experience learning through folk dances and music and through excellence paved its way to its glorious achievements. With all these distinctions about the dance troupe’s achievements there is one man that deserves the honor for being the person behind Sining Palawan Dance Troupe’s successful journey to excellence. This man was Sining Palawan Dance Troupe’s spearheading father, Dr. John Christian S. Jaridn – Sining Palawan’s Artistic Director.

Dr. Jardin was an acreditor, the president of the Philippine Folk Dance Society (PFDS) Palawan chapter, a researcher who was able to present one of his many researches in Singapore, a newly appointed director of PSU’s Social and Cultural Affairs Office (SCAO) and a newly elected board member of the Philippine Folk Dance Society on national basis. He was born on October 7, 1982 on the culture-loving province of Nueva Ecija, and graduated on Philippine Normal University major in Social Sciences. As a fresh graduate, Dr. Jardin started his teaching career here in Palawan on 2003 as he found an opening in Palawan State University. He was assigned at College of Arts and Humanities, and sometimes at the College of Teacher’s Education, and he imparted knowledge as he taught social science subjects and other related subjects such as research and history.

Dr. Jardin was also part of Philippine Normal University’s dance troupe, the Kislap Sining Dance Troupe. He’s one of the few people in their university whose course was not closely related to dancing, yet his love and passion in culture and dance had to be showcased to inspire.

Soon as he was known as a member of Kislap Sining, Dr. Jardin was also tasked to handle the PSU dance troupe along with his co-teacher, Ms. Janice Olasiman - Decorion.

Later, when Ms. Janice had settled down and returned to Cavite, Dr. Jardin took full leadership on Sining Palawan.

Since 2003, Dr. Jardin advocated the revitalization of the PSU dance troupe as it takes the name Sining Palawan which literally means, Palawan Arts upholds its vision as University Ambassadors for cultural development through quality folk dance performance. Under Dr. Jardin’s effective leadership and outstanding management, Sining Palawan Dance Troupe progressed through series of changes and hardships before it achieved its world-class artistry that made it soon considered as one of the cultural arms of the Palawan State University, and widely known as “Palawan’s Premiere University-based Dance Troupe.”

Before achieving its today’s status, Sining Palawan started small. Ms. Luigi Lauron-Marco, one of the pioneering members of Sining Palawan Dance Troupe and Dr. Jardin’s close friend and assistant, stated in an interview with the Pioneer, “Actually meron nang PSU dance troupe dati, ang humahawak nun sila Mam Magapan, sila Mam Reyes, sila Mam Puno. And then nung pumasok si Sir Jardin, sila na yung humawak ni Mam Janice, dun na nabuo yung Sining Palawan Dance Troupe. Nag start kami sa wala, as in from scratch talaga. Yung mga costumes wala pa rin nun masyado, sa PSU Manalo pa kami nagrerehearse, wala pa kaming rehearsal hall, wala kaming office.” Ms. Luigi also

said that they during those times, they don’t even have karaoke and cassette to use that they have to borrow from other people and offices, until such time came when Dr. Jardin would use his own money to buy one.

Dr. Jardin was known to be strict during practice, and his discipline and determination caused his dancers to unleash their full potentials and made way to Sining Palawan’s perfection.

“Talagang strict, malupit talaga siya magturo,” Ms. Luigi emphasized, “Si sir kasi mayron siyang gusto imaintain na standards. So kung di siya nag strikto, mahirap mamaintain yung standard na gusto niya maabot... The fact na pinapansin ka niya, pinapagalitan ka niya, kinocorrect ka niya, ibig sabihin concern siya sayo.”

Aside from being the dance troupe’s leader and director, Dr. Jardin was also the Sining Palawan dancers’ second father. He taught other things life aside from dancing. “Being in the group is like having a second family talaga, and parang si sir ang tumatayong tatay at nanay namin sa group. Sa dance troupe kasi just like a family, hindi lang naman ang matututunan mo ay ang pagsasayaw.

Marami kang bagay na matututunan, like discipline, time management, leadership, management, paano ka makisama, yung mga ganung klase. So di lang pagsasayaw ang tinuturo niya sa amin,” It is no doubt that Dr. Jardin not only made Sining Palawan a competent dance troupe, but also a family of dancers who have the heart for the group, as he shared his passion on their hearts, too.

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switch places to take care of Dr. Jardin until lately his mother came.

Every dance troupe director has their dream for their dance troupe. And as for Sining Palawan whose world-class excellence was feared by its competitions and lauded internationally, Dr. Jardin, who was its father that is outstandingly capable on delivering the high-standard quality performance, achieved a handful of dreams, both of his dreams and of his dancers’. One of his dreams was for Sining Palawan was to perform on the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Back then, Sining Palawan have performed

outside the CCP for the Fiesta Filipina on 2012, and on Pasinaya wherein different dance troupes all over the country performs all throughout the day. Sining Palawan have performed in Pasinaya for two years last 2015 and 2016, but not on CCP’s main theater. However, when Sining Palawan was finally invited to perform on CCP’s main theater just this March 8, Dr. Jardin did everything to make this opportunity and dream possible. “Any performer ang pinaka dream talaga is makapagperform ka sa CCP, at alam kong dream niya yun.

Ilang beses na kami nakapagperform sa CCP pero hindi sa main theater.. Ang nagpeperform lang sa main theater ay ang mga resident performers lang nila.” Ms. Luigi continued, “Pero last March nainvite kami to perform sa main theater kaya kahit walang funds talaga na makukunan, talagang ginawan ng paraan ni sir na maipush na makapagperform kami sa main theater - kasi yun yung talagang dream niya.”

Because of Dr. Jardin’s determination, Sining Palawan was able to perform Tagbanua Suite for Indak Pilipinas Folkloric Dance Festival and Conference at CCP’s main theater, together with the well-known folkloric dance groups such as Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Bayanihan, Philippine Barangay Folk Dance Troupe, and the PNU’s Kislap Sining Dance Troupe where Dr. Jardin graduated.

Dr. Jardin was a strong man, even as he fought against cancer during the past months when he was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes of lymphoma.

“Nakita ko si sir simula umpisa nung nahihirapan na siya. Nararamdaman ko na unti-unti nagiging irritable na siya, yung gusto na niya lang umuwi, I think nahirapan na siya huminga nun.” He was hospitalized at Adventist Hospital, and because his family was at Nueva Ecija, Sining Palawan stood as his family here as Ms. Luigi and Cassius Calan would

To financially help for his hospitalization, Ms. Luigi sought help from PSU’s alumni and former members of the dance troupe.

“Nakakatouch din kasi ang dami talagang mga former members ng dance troupe and mga alumni na pumupunta doon at umaabot ng tulong nila which is sobrang malaking tulong.” Later, Sining Palawan have collaborated with PSU Singers and the University Student Council and performed a benefit concert called Handog which was dedicated to Dr. Jardin. Handog was held at the PSU Gymnasium last August 2, and at Capitol Victoriano J. Rodriguez (VJR) Hall last August 4. The money allocated from the concert was used to pay hospitalization bills so that Dr. Jardin could get out of the hospital.

Before his hospitalization, Dr. Jardin was newly appointed as the SCAO director and newly elected as PFDS board member, “I remember sinabi niya sakin nung nasa Dumaguete kami, naooverwhelm daw siya sa mga bagay na naaachieve niya or nabibigay sakanya .. Kaya lang natatakot din daw siya para sa sarili niya kasi may nararamdaman na siya. May (2017) pa lang yun. Hindi niya pinaparamdam pero alam ko, nahihirapan siya.” And even when he was struggling in the hospital, he would think about others, most especially Sining Palawan. “May mga time nasa ospital siya,..

Lagi niya paring tinatanong ‘Oh, kamusta rehearsal niyo?’ ‘Kamusta yung mga bata?’

That was June, and iniisip niya pa rin ano yung icocontest namin.. Kahit nandun na siya sa ospital, kahit di na siya okay, iniisip niya pa rin yung grupo, iniisip niya yung dance troupe. So struggle, struggle talaga.

As in, ang layo-layo niya sa itsura niya

nung mga time na naga struggle siya kesa nung dati na maaliwalas yung itsura niya.

So nararamdaman kong struggle siya pero nararamdaman ko ring lumalaban siya.”

Sir Jardin’s life have been an inspiration to every person he have been with, especially with Sining Palawan. “Pag si sir kasi nagsalita, kahit minsan galit siya or kapag minotivate ka niya, talagang tumatagos sa puso.. Si sir is a very inspirational na tao.” Ms. Luigi continued, “Sabi niya, ‘Gusto ko maalala ako ng mga estudyante ko na someone na nag inspire sa kanila..’ And I’m sure naman na maraming nainspire si sir.. Nararamdaman ko na ung mga estdyante niya ay sobrang mahal siya.” And even when his journey have ended the past August 10, yet if one word would describe how he would be remembered, that Sir Jardin would forever be a living inspiration.

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Allyza Marie Lebantino 20, BSCE incoming 5th year

How old were you when you started and what sparked your interest in music?

I first star ted singing when I was five. Me and my sister used to watch a lot of Bratz and Barbie films tapos sinasabayan namin yung mga kanta doon from then on narealize ko I want to be like them. I want to sing. I guess that’s what really sparked my interest in music.

ARTISTS OF PSU

Favorite song that you have written/covered?

Drive away is my favorite song that we’ve written so far because I love the theme of the song it gives you that “chill” vibe.

How do you get inspiration and what’s one of the best places that being a musician has taken you?

What is the story behind your name “Two Times Gravity”?

I watch a lot of movies. I listen to a lot of songs with different genres. I thinks that’s where I get inspiration.

Two times gravity is actually a formula in engineering. Two stands for the two of us and times gravity stands for our course because we’re both taking up civil engineering.

Any advice you want to give to aspiring musicians in your age?

As an engineering student, how do you balance your academic requirements in between gigs?

You just need to learn how to manage your time properly. For example, weekends na lang ang tugtog or it depends sa free day sa school kasi syempre mas priority pa rin ang studies.

What are your plans in the future?

Maybe I’ll sing pa rin naman but I’ll pursue my degree first. Hindi naman nawawala ang music.

How would you describe turning a passion into a career?

It takes a lot of motivation and hard work. It’s not like in just one snap you’re already there. If you love what you’re doing you really need to work hard for it. It may sound cliché but practice really makes one perfect.

Who are some musicians that you look up to?

Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, The Civil Wars, Alex and Sierra, Mree, Moira Dela Torre What other passions do you have aside from music?

I also like ar t, fashion, make up, and vlogging.

Do you have original songs?

Yes we do have original songs. Yung first na nasulat namin is a tagalog song. It’s called “Hanggang Sa Susunod” and the other one is english naman called “Drive Away”

Today, the music industry is flooded by musicians with different styles. The only advice that I could give you is to ask yourself, “what makes you unique?”

IG and twiter: imallyzamarie Facebook: Allyza Lenbantino / Two Times Gravity

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Miko Paulo Tiotangco

53 | FEATURES What other passions do you have aside from photography?

Well, aside from photography, I star ted hitting the gym and striving to gain some weight since May 2018.

20, 5th Year - Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering

There are many photographers out there, what separates you from the rest?

How old were you when you started and what sparked your interest in photography?

My editing style, and being a conceptual photographer.

I star ted when i was 19. Me and girlfriend used to take photos using an iPhone to capture our moments.

Everything star ted when i randomly clicked a travel video on Youtube and i was inspired by them taking photos and videos while travelling and having fun at the same time.

As an engineering student, how do you balance your passion in photography and your academic requirements?

Before photography came into my life, I was a casual DoTA player who plays not only for fun, but also for a little money. I used to play bet games, tournaments online, and tournaments locally. My regular school schedule that time was 9-5pm and whenever I got home, after doing some school works, I’ll play for about 2-4 hours.

Until photography came into my life and I realized that managing

time is hard. You have to sacrifice something to do something. Even I played DoTA for about half of my life, realizing that it will give nothing good to me, I decided to replace playing by learning skills in editing while I don’t have a camera yet. I spent about a month learning and practicing every night, gaining knowledge, learning new skills so that when I buy a camera, I am ready.

I can say that time is everything, time that passed by will never go back again. So spend your time wisely and use it for things that will advance your overall purpose in life. I always finish my homeworks, do some chores, and whenever I’m free; I shoot, edit or learn a new skill.

What do you love most about photography?

Por traits What are some of your best experiences in photographing people?

Capturing their moments and emotions during the shoot, and after editing the photo. Seeing the look on their faces whenever they saw their own por trait and giving me a positive feedback is the most satisfying par t for me. Their positive feedbacks motivates me to shoot more.

What are your plans in the future? Do you consider being a full-time photographer?

Right now, I’m planning to make a youtube channel, I just finished shooting and editing 1 vlog, but never got the courage to post it. Yes. When I finally got everything settled, I’m planning to make taking photos/videos as one of my businesses.

How would you describe turning a passion into a career?

It might be easy to say, but in reality, it’s not. Before you turn your passion into career, you have to work hard, you have to strive harder than you’ve ever did. You have to get out of your comfor t zone and push yourself to the limit.

You don’t want a 9-5 job?

You want to be a full time singer?

Then show them, show them what you’ve got, learn from your failures and let them turn into success. Practice more than the best singer in your town has ever practiced and always remember to keep moving forward. Don’t let failures hinder you from doing what you want.

Who are some photographers that you look up to?

Brandon Woelfel and Alex Miller

How would you describe your style of photography?

I would describe them as creative, since a lot of my photos have concepts and a lot of them requires photographer-model cooperation especially the levitations.

How do you get inspiration for a shoot and what’s one of the best places that being a photographer has taken you?

Well editing is life for me, that’s why what excites and inspires me to shoot is to think that “when this photo shoot end, I’ll edit my favorite photo and my model will be happy.” Honestly, since I got my camera, I’ve never been out of town for a while. I’ll just look for a place where the models dress is complimentary to the background to give her emphasis.

Favorite photo you took?

1-19-2018 Photo of Yna Ventura throwing her hat.

I love the outfit, the cloud formation, and the composition when I shot it. It just all makes sense, the lighting, her emotions, her movement, her hair, the hat and waters motion, and the way I edited the colors.

Any advice you want to give to aspiring photographers in your age?

- know your gears - Use manual mode - To get saturated photos, shoot before dusk - keep shooting and creating - Practice often, learn your softwares - Dont have a model? Bring out your mom - Focus on area of photography you like the most and practice it by shooting on a daily basis.

- Try to shoot something u didn’t tried before - Don’t make excuses from your mistakes, learn from them - Don’t be afraid to share online to get some positive feedbacks that’ll boost your confidence IG: miko_tiotangco Facebook: Miko Tiotangco

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Art Jayson Obligado

21, 3rd Year Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Financial Management How old were you when you started and what sparked your interest in painting?

Nag-star t noong 1st year high school ako, noong pumasok ako sa PNS-SPA. Pero hindi kami nag-star t sa painting agad, basic forms of ar ts muna. Noong third year ako, bago ko natutunan mag-paint using acrylics.

As a student, how do you balance your passion in painting and your academic requirements?

Dito ako pinakamahina. Weakness ko talaga yung time management.

Since high school, hanggang ngayon issue ko pa rin ‘to. Ako yung pinakamabagal sa aming mga ar tist noong high school. Lagi ring late yung plates ko dati sa arki. Hindi ko alam pero sa totoo lang mas ganado akong gumawa kapag malapit na yung deadline. Nagrereview ako sa cab before exam at gagawin ko lang yung commission ar twork kapag malapit na yung pinag-usapan. Hindi ko alam kung hanggang saan ko ‘to dadalhin. Okay naman ako sa acads at passion ko sa ar t, pero alam kong mas tataas yung chance ko sa acads at value ng ar twork ko kung naha-handle ko sana nang tama yung oras.

What do you love most about painting?

Pinakagusto ko na par t ay yung pagde-details, kapag malapit na sa katotohanan yung final output. Halimbawa sa charcoal painting, tuwing maglalagay na ako ng highlights and so on and so for th.

What are some of your best experiences in painting people?

Kapag satisfied yung mga client ko from commission ar twork. Wor th it yung effor t at doon ko kadalasan nakukuha yung referrals.

What are your plans in the future? Do you consider being a full-time painter?

Sadly, hindi. Hindi ko talaga kino-consider ang pagiging full time painter. Hobby, maybe.

How would you describe turning a passion into a career?

Hindi siguro ito yung top passion ko. Sa tingin ko, yun na rin yung dahilan kaya ako lumipat ng course from arki. Mas maganda sana kung passion-related yung course na pipiliin natin sa college.

Who are some painters that you look up to?

Si Sir Scytrix G. Evasco from Guhit Pinas. Napaka-pro niya sa iba’tibang medium. Gustong-gusto ko kung paano niya i-por tray yung mga ar twork niya sa kaniyang style.

How would you describe your style of painting?

Hilig ko gawing subject ang body figure. Saka ko na lang kadalasan nilalagyan ng ar t genre katulad ng impressionism. I’m into body figures, mostly women.

How do you get inspiration for a painting?

Napakamapili ko pagdating sa inspiration. Kadalasan, nakadepende yung outcome sa environment kung saan ginawa yung ar twork. Mas inspired ako kapag malapit ako sa nature habang gumagawa.

Any advice you want to give to aspiring painters in your age?

Para sa mga ar tist, mas okay kung nagkakaroon kayo ng time kahit konti para gumawa ng kahit anong ar t. Mahirap mawala sa momentum. Mahirap mangapa kapag napahinga ka nang matagal.

Yung inspirasyon nasa paligid lang yan – pwedeng bagay o tao, pero madalas cash.

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“Buhok lang naman mawawala sa’kin.

Gagaling naman ako”

Camille Katrina Escalona

H

er stomach protruded visibly even underneath her loose cotton shir t.

She was with her mother, of whom, her mom’s friends insist, she was a carbon copy.

At eighteen, she too stood at five foot three. And along with the same warm honey complexion, she also took after her mother’s thick, wavy, jet-­ black hair. Only, she wore hers not in a bun, but loosely, falling about her shoulders. Camille pulled the clinic door open and let her mother walk in first. They didn’t have an appointment, they told the lady behind the desk. But was an ultrasound scan possible for a walk‑in patient?

June “Anak, this is why I keep telling you to wake up an hour before we have to leave,” her dad stood by her open bedroom door already toying impatiently with the car keys. “Pa, relax.” She slid a psychology book into her handbag and smiled his way. “We’re going to get there.” He turned around and went

out to star t the car. There was no arguing with his daughter, at least not with this one. She was their constant, unflustered ray of sunshine—both at times when they needed one and, well, on mornings like this. “The traffic here is getting ridiculous.” Her father pressed down on the brake pedal. It wasn’t always like this in Puer to Princesa. Just a decade ago, an average car ride within the city proper would have taken seven minutes, give or take. But with all the recent expansions in eco-tourism and with more people discovering the province as a beach lover’s gem, its capital has seen a lot of change in such little time. The worsening traffic was one and the locals abhorred it. “Pa,” Camille turned to her father from the passenger seat. “We are going to get there.” “Yes, late.” He muttered. “Well I guess it’s a good thing that PSU isn’t packing up and going anywhere then.” She laughed at her dad’s impatience and scanned the radio for an upbeat song. “You worry too much.” “Will you be home for dinner tonight?” he asked, slowly releasing the

car brakes. “Yeah,” she said still switching stations.

“Oh, it’s my free day tomorrow. Mom wanted us to head out to do the groceries. Can you drive us?”

“She talked to me about it already. There’s just a game on TV I want to catch. We can leave after.”

He looked at her skeptically. The cars ahead had stopped again. “Tomorrow’s a holiday?” Camille laughed. “Pa, no. Free day.” She grinned even wider as she stressed the word ‘free’. “I don’t have class on Wednesdays. You know this.” “Ah, right, right. I keep forgetting you had those in university.” Camille loved university so far. Then again, she always did seem to find something in everything to love. And being her lively, perpetually positive self, people always gravitated towards her. Puer to’s city proper was fairly small and she liked that that meant she knew a lot of the people in it. She remained close to her high school friends. And even her grade school friends, she still made time to see. Now, some few weeks into her second year in university, she was happy to already have a solid cluster of

college friends. As they were driving up to the school gates, Camille turned down the radio.

“Oh my,” she said. “Oh my, my, my...” The car slowed down and then stopped. “Camille, what now? You left something. I knew it. I knew it.” Dad scratched his brow. “I tell you every night, ‘wake up early’, I tell you…” “Oh my,” she cut him midsentence. “It’s still here dad. The school didn’t leave me!” His brows met in confusion and then relaxed when he picked up on her mockery. He couldn’t help a smile. “Very funny.” Before he could pull the car aside, Camille was already reaching towards the backseat for her backpack and opening the car door. “Thanks Dad! I’ll see you at dinner.” He watched her walk away, her thick black hair following her head as she turned to meet his eyes one more time. Now she was projecting facial panic and mouthing don’t leave me. This time he caught the joke immediately and smiled before she looked away. He couldn’t imagine his daughter unnerved for being alone. Funny. “Cams,” her mother shook her shoulder lightly the next morning. “Cams, anak, wake up. We’re leaving soon.” She rolled onto her back, her eyes still closed. “But dad has a game still.”

“It’s almost over. I checked.” Mom had learned to makesense of numbers, words, and symbols on the TV screen for all kinds of spor ts—mostly to find out how much longer until the end of a match which also told her how much longer before her husband was mentally present enough to be spoken to again. She patted her daughter’s arm a few times before straightening up and heading for the door. “You can star t getting dressed already. Breakfast’s on the table whenever you’re done.” Dressing up, Camille took out a few shir ts to try. But as she was about to pull on her first one, she noticed an oddity to her figure. She stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself a while. She turned to one side and then the other. Why was her stomach bloated? It was no tiny bulge either.

To her, she looked pregnant. She hadn’t had anything to eat yet. Did anything happen in her sleep? She pulled her bedroom door slightly open and slid her face through the opening. “Ma?” She called. Mom was in the kitchen drying plates. “Are you ready to leave, anak? Have something to eat first.”

“No, uh,” she wasn’t sure of what to say.

She wasn’t even sure what the problem was. “Could you help me choose an outfit?”

Mom sat at the foot of her bed. “Ma, does anything look different to you?” “Anak, you look the same as when I woke you up a half hour ago.” Camille cinched her shir t from the back with her hand. “What about now?”

Mom narrowed her eyes, then stood up and turned Camille towards the mirror. “Your stomach. What happened?” “I don’t know.

I woke up like this. It doesn’t look normal, does it?” She raised her shir t halfway. If not for her daughter’s levelheadedness, she might have lied. “Not quite,” her eyes were fixated on her daughter’s reflection. “Let’s see. Let’s observe it, okay? It could be nothing.” Camille nodded at the mirror. “Let’s give it a week.

If it still doesn’t seem fine by then, we see a doctor.”

July By the Wednesday that followed, mother and daughter stood in front of the mirror just the same. “If anything, I think it’s gotten bigger,” Mom said cinching around her daughter’s blouse. Camille saw it too. Mom didn’t know what to say next. Motherhood didn’t exactly come with a handbook. And a chapter on general words of reassurance would have been helpful right about then.

Camille didn’t know what to tell Mom either.

Did she need to know about the pulsation she’d felt some days ago from within the bump? There was a twitching from what felt like a vain, as if something wanted to flow through but couldn’t—like the words in her throat right now. She opened her mouth, barely getting a sound out when her Mom beat her to it. “It’s going to be okay.” That same morning, they decided it was time they got it checked. But where exactly did people go for something like this? What was this even in the first place? “What is it?” From behind the wheel, Dad asked what they both were thinking. “We’re really not sure,” Mom answered. Camille caught her dad’s troubled expression on the rearview mirror.

She decided to downplay the situation. No one else seemed like they were going to.

Besides, she found no use in worrying over something that might not even be wor th the concern. “Pa…” She leaned forward for a whisper. “I think I’m pregnant.” Mom cackled in the passenger’s seat. They first decided to get an opinion at the Provincial Hospital, but as they were driving up to it, Mom noticed a small Ob-­‐‑gyn clinic across the street.

“Maybe we can get it checked over there,” she said pointing with her lips. It was smaller, less intimidating than a hospital. It would make Camille less nervous, she told herself.

But frankly, her hear t was the one pounding when she saw the stark white façade of the hospital she’d never had to check her youngest into. When they walked into the small clinic to inquire while Dad was parking the car outside, the middle-aged woman behind the desk assured them that the doctor would be able to see them for an ultrasound scan. Mom’s hear t began to pound again. It must have changed her bearing because as they sat down to wait, Camille felt the need to take her hand. Dr. de Asis sat them down when the results were ready. “Camille, the expansion of your stomach is being caused by a twenty-one by seventeen growth in your ovaries, and this… this is a considerable size,” his face remained serious as he reached across his desk for a pad and pen. “I’ll be referring you to Dr. Torres and I suggest you see her today.” He began scribbling down on his pad. “Her clinic should be open for another two hours this morning and then again after lunch. It’s just along San Pedro.” He plucked the sheet off the pad and handed it to Mom whose face mirrored Dr. de Asis’. To Camille, they looked like they were talking through their eyes. They glanced at each other every now and then, with the same unease, without conversing with words. Dad stood behind Mom’s seat, silent, arms folded across his chest. Camille was itching to lighten the mood as she responded to Dr. de Asis’ questions

57 | FEATURES

FEATURES | 58 and asked a few of her own, but it felt like even a smile was inappropriate for the situation. At least, that’s what they made her feel. When they returned to the car, the air still felt heavy. “A cyst inside me, huh,” she began. “Can you imagine?

Gross.” She pulled a comical face but they looked more concerned than amused.

“Anak, message your Ate. I told her we were seeing the doctor this morning.

Please keep her updated,” Mom said, half-looking over her shoulder. : Ate, we just came from the OB for an ultrasound scan. He said I have a big cyst in my ovaries, that’s why my tummy’s big. We’re going to a clinic in San Pedro now to see another doctor. Will text you later with updates. (Also, Mom and Dad are taking it way too seriously, SOS) Camille had only one sister who was two years older and in university in a province an hour-long flight away. Akin only when it came to music and not much else, their relationship was OK. It had always been just OK. For all Camille’s extroversion, Anthea was shy and reserved. So they did get along, and they did fight a little. But Camille took their small fights to mean that they weren’t close enough to have any bigger ones.

“Hi, yes, come in,” said a pleasant looking woman at the door of the address they had followed from Dr. de Asis. She gestured for them to enter and greeted each of them. She had shor t black hair, tan skin, and looked to be about for ty.

“I just got off the phone with Dr. de Asis.

He already briefed me about your scan today and told me to expect a visit.”

Her clinic was bright. Natural light shone through glass windows. It smelled of rubbing alcohol and potted plants were on every corner and smaller ones were on her desk and coffee table. “You must be Camille,” she drew her hand out of her white coat pocket and introduced herself.

Finally, Camille thought, someone smiling.

Dr. Torres wasted no time in explaining the situation. “Camille, dear, your ovarian growth has reached a size that requires immediate operation,” she said. “And what I want to do, before we run the risk of it rupturing internally, which could be very dangerous, is to check you into a hospital as soon as tomorrow, run a few tests and when ready, perform the operation.” It was so much information so quickly. Tests. Operation. What about her classes? How long would this take? Camille looked at her parents to find them also trying to grapple with the instantaneous plan just laid out before them. Mom was nodding for a while, likely trying to catch up and mentally connect the pieces of the plan, before she began asking Dr. Torres her questions and pointing out her hesitations. By lunchtime, they had finished their unplanned meeting and

59 | FEATURES had everything ironed out. “Tomorrow, Ma’am, Adventist Hospital. I’ll see you there,” Dr. Torres told Mom, walking them out. She turned to Camille before saying goodbye. “Don’t worry, dear.

Everything will be okay.” Camille found herself realizing that that was perhaps the first time in a long time she needed to hear it. She repeated it to herself on the car ride home before relaying the plan to her sister. Everything will be okay.

The following day marked the first day Camille was ever checked into a hospital.

She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so nervous for anything. What were they going to do? What was I going to do? Was it going to be painful? How high is my tolerance for pain? Injecting her IV line alone took a good fifteen minutes.

She couldn’t help retracting her arm at the last second as she saw the needle nearing her skin. She laughed every time and got everyone laughing too. When she finally decided to look away, she had to look back to find out it had already been done. The days leading up to her operation were made up of a series of tests and medications. Often she felt vulnerable, tired and in pain. But on the day of her operation, she savored the amount of love that came into her hospital room. Relatives, godparents, friends—they all entered in large groups, uttering words of reassurance and well wishes. She was in a hospital room, lying in bed, hours away from surgery, but all she felt then was good. : Cams, I know the surgery’s today and I just want you to know that I’m praying for you all the way from here.

I know everything will go well so don’t worry about anything. Ate is with you in spirit! Text me after the procedure and tell me all about it. Love you!

After reading her sister’s message, a choir group entered the crowded room to sing her a song before she was to be transferred to the operating room. “Go ahead,” she said grinning. When it seems that you prayed ‘til your strength is all gone, And your tears fall like raindrops all the day long… Camille’s grin began to change into a polite smile as the song progressed. Its tone was so melancholic that anxiety began to well up in her. She thanked the choir for their song but as they closed the door behind them, she turned to her friends who recognized she was about to cry. “What was that?”

A friend who was quick on her toes asked rhetorically. She wasn’t going to have Camille nervous and crying right as she was going to be taken away for an operation. Another friend caught on. “Cams, I think this hospital’s on a budget. Didn’t you know? That was your anesthesia already!” They all began to laugh. Another friend joined in. “I was so

close to requesting some Beyoncé.” “I wanted Green Day!” When the nurses came in to take her, they wheeled away an eighteen-year old girl in hysterics as her friends called out random band names and singers behind her. When Camille woke up from surgery, it was around midnight and she was back in her hospital room.

She panicked a little as she lay there in the dark, realizing she couldn’t move half her body.

For two days, she could not move anything from her stomach down to her toes. When she was finally able to carry out minimal movements, she was discharged from the hospital. Being home after the operation grew difficult for Camille. She still couldn’t move properly. Mom had to help her around the house. Even standing up was difficult to do on her own. And for someone who enjoyed being active and doing things alone, she felt her life had been turned upside down. Little by little, one long day after the other, the sorrow to which she used to be such a stranger began to creep in.

One night, she couldn’t help it. Everyone’s little ray of s u n s hi n e cr ied her self t o

sleep.

T h e first thing Camille did the next day was get back into character. She w a s

never one to wallow in misery and she didn’t want to star t now. School, moving about, and independence were already crossed off the list but what else did she miss from before the operation that had her feeling as low as she did last night?

At the memory of the last few minutes approaching the operation, it didn’t take long for it to click. That morning Camille sent messages to her friends and when afternoon came, their living room was filled with teens in peach uniforms, talking over each other, trying to keep their friend up-todate. Camille felt invigorated sitting among them. Even Mom who passed by several times saw it. She glowed. It woke something up in her that took a back seat on the immediate days after the operation.

It was her yearning for connection. And now, she was reassured of those connections. That night, everyone’s little ray of sunshine dimmed down peacefully into bed. A week into recovery and letting her operation wound heal, Camille found herself becoming weaker and weaker.

She felt her life was playing seesaw on a playground with fate opposite her.

Up, down, up, down, up. Now she was back down.

Her body began to ache all over.

Her muscles throbbed and her physique became a dragging weight, too heavy and too tired to even lift itself. High fevers came and went. And a good night’s sleep seemed out of reach as her beaten body woke to pain every few hours or so into the night. When she woke up one morning and heaved blood, she was back in the hospital with Dr. Torres.

Upon checking her blood, they learned her platelet count had plunged. She had dengue. For the second time that month, Camille was checked into the same hospital. And throughout the course of her week there, they decided it

was time she dropped her classes for the semester. The finality of it all saddened her. She didn’t enjoy the idea of being set back in school and she would have pushed herself a little more could she have. But as life would have it, her body was at a loss. Her platelet count dropped to a low of ten, she bled from everywhere possible, save her eyes and ears, and rashes covered her skin. Her body continued to throb. And again that month, she lay in a hospital bed, feeling vulnerable as ever. Every time she felt the struggle, the pain beginning to take over, she closed her eyes and prayed.

August After her stretch with dengue, she’d gone home to recover for a week before she had to step back into the hospital that she felt she had, by then, seen too much of.

When she returned to discuss test results with Dr. Peralta, Mom and Dad were by her side and, as always, were more disconcer ted than she was. “Ma, relax,” she teased as they entered his office. “We don’t want you fainting or anything. We’ve spent too much time here already. They might just star t giving us coupons.” Mom always wondered where Camille got her prevailing sense of humor and ability to see the good in and over everything. She always secretly hoped they were from her, but that morning in Dr. Peralta’s clinic, she couldn’t seem to find either in her. She was a nervous mess but she couldn’t show her daughter that. She looked over at her husband who was excellent at keeping a stoic façade. His hands were in his front pockets, he nodded at the Doctor’s words and he kept a half smile that didn’t scream warm and approachable but not distant and unconcerned either. “So based on the results,” Dr. Peralta shuffled the papers in his hands. He spoke slower and calmer than usual. “Camille, you have stage one ovarian cancer.” The only sound after that was Dr. Peralta setting down the papers.

Mom was silent. Dad was silent. When Dr. Peralta cut the silence, explaining the cancer and its treatment, Camille saw both her parents tearing up. It was that sight and not the news that got to her. “It’s best we star t her chemotherapy tomorrow, ma’am, sir,” he told Mom and Dad. Dad nodded. Mom remained quiet. “I’m sorry,” Dr. Peralta tried to console his patient’s overwhelmed mother. “I can only imagine how you must feel. I have a daughter too.”

Now he too looked as close to tears as both parents were. Dr. Peralta turned to Camille. “You’re so young, hija. I’m sorry you have to go through this at your age.”

To his surprise, his patient was unshaken.

“Oh, that’s alright.” Camille smiled. “I’m only going to lose my hair—I don’t mind.

I’ll get better.” He’s never met a patient so sanguine and self-assured. He couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, you will.” During that meeting with Dr. Peralta, while Mom and Dad heard ‘cancer’, Camille heard ‘stage 1’.

And while they pictured chemotherapy as their youngest daughter slowly losing her strength and her thick, curly, jet-black hair, Camille saw healing and recovery. On the car ride home, she updated her sister. : Hi Ate! We just came from the hospital (again). Dr. Peralta said I had stage 1 ovarian cancer and that I’ll be star ting my chemotherapy tomorrow. I’ll only need 4 cycles, one every three weeks. Can you imagine the luck of us finding out so early on? Anyway, how’s everything there?

Three hundred miles away, Anthea had read her sister’s text as soon as it arrived.

She just didn’t reply as quickly. Instead, she lay in bed in her dorm room for a good half hour and cried for her little sister. The following day, Camille came in for her first chemotherapy session and she didn’t know what to expect. They hooked her onto an IV line through which the medicine was to pass and it took around eight hours for it to finish. It wasn’t all too bad, she thought.

The only side effect that manifested was a constant lethargy and she could handle that. About a month since leaving school, Camille had formed a new daily routine that included early mornings, time in the garden, a lot of books and movies, and naps. She learned to embrace the tranquility of her new life.

September On her second chemo cycle, the medicine’s more dramatic side effects began. She was brushing her hair the first time it star ted noticeably falling out. She was overcome by a brief shock more than by anything else. But then the sight of the brush reminded her of combing a dog’s coat—when you can cover an entirely new dog with the amount of fur that went along with the brush. She laughed to herself at the thought of covering somebody else’s head with her fallen hair. Showers, however, became long and tedious. Hair would fall and cling to her wet skin. Rinsing it all off proved difficult when more hair fell just as she thought she was about to finish washing everything off. It’s star ting, she told herself. But there was no misery. She knew that August morning in Dr. Peralta’s office what was to come with her cancer.

She had braced herself then and she was ready now.

October Her full head of hair, halfway into therapy, had thinned by a lot. Her scalp showed from underneath, like that of a toddler’s. She wore colorful knit caps to protect it from the sun, not because she was ashamed. By now, she had built a constant back-and-for th with her sister, telling her about chemo sessions, side effects, books and movies. She’d spoken more to her these past few weeks than her sister’s entire previous semester away.

FEATURES | 60

61 | FEATURES

By TIMOTHY GEMAR FAGUT

: Hi Ate! I’m okay today. A lot of my hair has fallen out, but I still have enough to shampoo!

Haha. I have another chemo cycle tomorrow and then after that, just one more. I’m really excited to finish soon. I might just be able to make it for next semester’s enrollment. What about you? Also, have you seen any good movies recently? Please suggest some to me. I’ll probably need them these next couple of days.

Every time Anthea read her sister’s messages, a cocktail of emotions always took over. Knowing what her little sister had to go through troubled her.

But knowing how she handled it constantly amazed her. The thing was that Anthea felt so helpless being so far away, but she knew her sister wasn’t one to need or ask for much help anyway. So instead, she did what she could. She made up for lost time. The days that followed her third chemo cycle was painful, to say the least. Being on the verge of completely losing her hair didn’t the least bit bother Camille.

But now, she felt the toll the medications began to take on her body. She barely did anything but her body felt as fatigued as though her days were filled with the most strenuous activities. She napped for hours on end and the exhaustion the meds brought didn’t allow her to keep awake for very long. She then began to lose her appetite due to nausea.

She never vomited but the feeling of having to was there and it lingered. She grew queasy even at the sight of food. Fruits remained the only thing she could stomach and all this, she struggled with for a week. Mom and Dad always weakened at the sight of the chemo’s side effects on their daughter.

But Camille powered through and they followed suit. On days where the effects took it easy on her, she found therapy in being in their backyard. She went outdoors and watered her plants. She waited for her flowers to bloom. Life called for a change of pace and she slowed down with it. Friends and family would constantly ask her about her cancer and how she was feeling. Oddly enough, they would be the ones who ended up crying and Camille, the one comfor ting. Her loved ones found it difficult to see her in pain but the fact of the matter was, save for chemotherapy’s physically draining side effects, Camille was happy. She remained happy.

When friends of her closer circle cried in front of her, she responded with laughter. “Why are you crying?” She laughed and teased. And to whatever their response was, she assured them, “I’m going to get better!” The day of her last cycle came around towards the end of the month. After feeling the pain increase after every other session in the past, she prepared herself for the worst. Throughout the following week, she watched as the rest of her hair fell out. Her body pains heightened to excruciating levels. Several times, she woke up in the middle of the night to intense headaches and stomach pains.

The first time this happened, she was near tears in discomfor t. She didn’t bother waking Mom and Dad. She didn’t like the idea of sharing with others the weight of her pain. So she closed her eyes and prayed herself to sleep. And this was how she got through what everyone hoped would be her last week under chemotherapy pains. All she had to do now was wait.

November While waiting to undergo another series of cytology tests, Camille inched herself back into the life an ovarian cyst had interrupted four months prior. She star ted seeing her friends again but this time, no longer as patient and they, her visitors. It was during an afternoon spent with her college friends that she realized how soundly things fell into place.

So when she arrived home that day, she brought it up with her parents at the dinner table.

“Ma, Pa, I was with the girls today.” “Right, we know. You asked permission.” Mom smiled. “We were all catching up and they were telling me the things I missed in school.” She paused. “And then they were telling me about enrollment for this second semester—it’s ongoing now. I guess I was hoping I could go back to school.” Mom looked up from her plate and exchanged glances with Dad. “But we haven’t done your tests yet and we’re not sure what the results will be.” Mom said, although she sounded to be considering the idea. “It might be too late if I wait for the tests. Please, Ma? Doesn’t the timing seem perfect to you? My last cycle ended just when enrollment began.” She turned to her father. “Pa?” “Frankly, I don’t see why not,” he said nonchalantly and returned to por tioning his food.

At that, Camille beamed and glanced at mom for reassurance. Mom smiled. She fished out her phone from her pocket and held it below the table edge. : Ate guess what! I’M GOING BACK TO SCHOOL!!!

She returned to school and was embraced by people who made her feel like she never left. She jumped into old routines but now, with a special appreciation for the small things. The first time they conducted an experiment in zoology class, she and her friends took photos of themselves in full lab gear.

Her friends chose which ones to upload online. She messaged her sister after class.

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: I had to wear a facemask today. But this time I wasn’t in the hospital. I was in class.

And for the nth time, from three hundred miles away, Anthea cried for her little sister, but no longer painful tears. Before the month ended, Camille and her parents sat in Dr. Peralta’s office, waiting as the doctor apologized for the delay and sat behind his desk.

“So after all the tests, the CAT scan, the CA 125, the CBC…” Mom fidgeted in her seat as he enumerated the tests on what felt like the world’s longest list. “Camille,” the doctor took a breath.

“Congratulations.” Camille grinned. “It’s a boy!”

She exclaimed. Mom, Dad, and Dr. Peralta laughed with tear-filled eyes. “The chemo was successful,” he said. “You survived the cancer.” His smile stretched wide and he took a finger to the corner of his eye.

Mom took her daughter’s hand as Dr. Peralta went on to explain the duration and intervals between succeeding tests for monitoring purposes. Camille leaned towards her father. “I told you so,” she whispered. She did, he thought. She never felt defeated; she never wallowed in self-pity throughout this whole journey because she knew. Camille knew she was going to get better. And she did.

SHOW 5 MORE

Recurring Dream

The Filipino people has always been a country of smiles, tradition, and culture- evident in the festivities of our people, we are a nation that is in tune with our roots. With that in mind, it is not surprising that our own musicians embody the environment we live in.

Have you heard of the song “Kathang Isip” by Ben&Ben, or Quest’s new single “Tagay”? If so, then chances are, you’ve already listened to indie music. In fact, it’s almost impossible not to listen to them, due to the fact that the indie scene in the Philippines is becoming feverish to its listeners because of ar tists like Ben&Ben, Quest, Reese Lansangan, the Ransom Collective, High Hello, and many more.

The thing with indie music being explosive right now is not just the musicality that the ar tists bring, it is the distinguishable individuality of each and every ar tist in it. For example, Shantidope is like a protegè for Gloc 9, with his take on social commentary about the Philippines in “Materyal”, Fern.’s intimate take on falling in love in the song “Wanna Dance With You”, and even the witty way Reese Lansangan teaches us about grammar in “Grammar Nazi”.

In addition to that, each and every one of us should listen to indie music and suppor t the indie scene because it is a formidable force in creating awareness for the generations to come.

Indie ar tists have shown us the hope that is slowly fading in the other facets of the Philippines- it may not be in the form of rallies, strikes, or other forms of public demonstration, but still, these ar tists are fighting to show us the reality that we live in, one song at a time. They have become quite the unsung heroes of this generation, because of the increasing ignorance of our people today towards the dangerous society we continue to nur ture and live in. Without the continuous effor ts of these individuals, we may as well be completely lost in the path towards realization and growth.

Music will always be a major par t of our lives- from the nursery rhymes our parents made us listen to before, to the songs we jam to every now and then, it is music that continues to give color to our every moment.

Promote music, promote the Filipino indie scene.

DEVCOMM | 62

63 | DEVCOMM

THE EPIT ME OF SEXISM

By REGINA GRUZEI CATBAGAN

A man is always expected to cour t women, while Women must not give in easily to a man, homosexual people are commonly classified as oppor tunistic to their same sex although there is a common misconception that only women suffer from gender inequality yet It is no secret that everyone, wether you’re a man, a woman or even a par t of the LGBT community experienced sexual related prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination. Sexism is an everyday problem and it happens everywhere. It is also triggered by several social norms and beliefs that are continuously practiced by the people.

“big and strong” their brothers are growing.

When it comes to their attitudes, things commonly described about the sweetness and politeness of daughters, while sons are proudly described as boisterous instead.

On the other hand it was observed on a research that little boys who cry gets accommodated slowly than girls. Since boys are conditioned to reject anything feminine within themselves such as emotions and frailty.

Religion Religion is also one of the roots of sexism. Some of the major male dominated monotheistic religions are Judaism, Christianity and Islam have had a profound effect on women’s lives until now. Women are classified as 2nd class status, Infact in the bible some women’s role were established as whore/ temptress, servant, filthy everytime they have menstruation and foot washer. Although due difficulty of recruiting enough men to fulfill the role of clergy, some religions have surrendered to pressure from religious women who want to become priests, but their attitudes to women still prevent many women from having their freedom to choose.

The lgbt community are the ones who suffers awfully from religious discrimination since some of the bodies and doctrines of the world’s largest religions views them negatively.

From silent discouragement, prohibiting samesex sexual activities, to continuously opposing social acceptance of LGBT identities, or worse, execution of people engaging in homosexual acts. Due to the negative response lgbt people get from religious sectors, some of them are much more likely to have no religious affiliation.

The formation of young sexist At an early age, the molding of sexism star ts, Whether in school or in the toy shop, sexist assumptions about boys and girls can have a long-lasting effect on children. young people might be deeply influenced by the gender stereotypes are forced upon. Little girls were meant to get compliments about their softness and looks, while people brags on how

Homosexual hate is also learned by kids through their environment, from parents who object to seeing expressions of affection between two people of the same gender. due to influence kids who show signs of homosexuality suffers from physical and mental abuse, while other kids developed fear of being called gay or lesbian.

Politics and justice Recently while sunday shopping ban is being discussed 2 republican law makers from the USA stated “making him breakfast, bringing it to him in bed, and then after you’re done with that, go take your kids for a walk.” a bold statement of stereotyping and gender superiority. Unfor tunately sexist leaders also exist in our own country infact our president is even critized as one due to his malicious comments about women. As we all know politicians are meant to govern cer tain place and people, every word that they say can influence the people around them. With that kind of statement people might think that it is right descriminate the opposite sex.

When it comes to the cour t, it is observed that there are more laws intended for women protection than men, some crime doesnt even have male equivalent of anything that a man can lie about a woman that can ruin her life, reputation, and career as dramatically as a woman’s false cry of abuse or rape. when a man and a woman commit the same crime, the man will most times receive a harsher sentence and be assumed the initiator even if the man and woman were par tners in crime.

Meanwhile, hate crimes involving lgbt people have a slower claim for justice than straight people.

Workplace stereotyping Jobs are a huge par t of our society and it is also very prone to sexual discrimination where it can be observed that, Men are expected to occupy the most dangerous and/ or lowest paying jobs and positions such as waste collection, roofing and construction, truck driving, mining, firefighting or being affiliated to the armed forces. though majority of women make less than men on the job; men are expected to relocate more often, work longer hours, and to keep a smaller cut of their paycheques for themselves than women, due to socially decided por tions of obligations.

Gender Pedjudice, stereotyping and discrimination is abundant, but it doesnt mean that people should adapt it, we have our own brains to think and comprehend the morality surrounding us. Let us always keep in mind that Wether we like it or not, we cant force our beliefs to everyone since people have their unique point of view, and the least we could do is to respect it.

By ELEANA MARIE TABANG

65 | DEVCOMM

STUDENTS ACROSS THE LINE

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Two years ago, a business process outsourcing (BPO) company opened in Puer to Princesa City giving work oppor tunities for non-graduates with acquired number of units. Hannah, Jehu and Joe were students of Palawan State University who opt to stop their pursuit in the academe in order to star t earning.

College scholarships With our present economy making college education a privilege, various local and private organization offers college scholarships whilst in response students must meet the requirements. Yet, sometimes meeting the standard is not enough.

Hannah, a mass communication student, was a city scholar before academic stress took its toll on the second semester of her third year making her lose on track. “Third year was a very crucial stage of college life. Susubukin ka talaga bago makatungtong ng four th year.”

At the same time, her mom lose her job making it harder for their family. She didn’t even have enough money to go to school.

In Jehu’s case, one thing led to another. He had to undergo through a surgery on his third year while taking Information Technology. It was enrolment period of the second semester, and his doctor advised him to rest for a while.

Even though he was a DOST scholar, his circumstance made it harder for his family to cope up financially. “The only choice I had that time was to work. Nagkasabay kasi kami ng kapatid kong mag-college. Makakabawi lang kami financially kung tutulong ako.”

Joe, also belonged in a private company sponsored scholarship before life hit hard on him. At 17, he realized he needed to help his family in shouldering expenses. He needed to stop on the first semester of his second year in Bachelor in Secondary Education.

Job opportunities and adjustments With college drop-outs and unemployment rate increasing dramatically in the nationwide scale, the opening of a contact center for business process outsourcing (BPO) company here in Palawan offered oppor tunities even for undergraduates like Hannah, Jehu and Joe. “Marami namang job oppor tunities ang mga IT, kahit undergrad, di nga lang stable.

Kalimitan project-based jobs lang. Sa par t ko di ako gaano nahirapan mag-freelance. Kaso, di nga lang stable ang pay,” Jehu shares, he works as a Real-time anaylist assigned in Manila, “Syempre hindi ako grad kaya nagahente muna, tapos nung ma-regularized na, nag-aoly na ako for a post na magagamit ang skillset ko.”

“Looking at the big picture, sobrang konti ng oppor tinities even for graduates dito sa Palawan. What more for undergrads? Kaya yung iba nangingibang bayan pa para lang makapag-work and makatulong sa pamilya e.” Joe said. “But as for me, if you are willing to work in a different environment and time, working at a contact center wouldn’t really hur t that much.”

He is now employed as a Learning Specialist, “Kung masalimuot ang buhay mo sa paaralan, mas masalimuot sa labas. Hindi mo maiiintidihan ang mga ganap kasi parang bago ka sa environment eh.”

Hannah shared that she spent two weeks

locked in her room before deciding to finally look for a job. She said she really did not expect to star t working at a young age of 18. “Yung iba kasi par t lime par t time lang, ito may piniramahan na akong contract.”

For her, time management was a vital skill required in her job. She realized upon employment that she does not own her time anymore, especially while working in an industry that requires her night hours. Instead of going out, she saves her precious time to sleep in order to go in her duty. “Harsh ang mundo sa labas, business is business. Hindi uso ang excuse letter kapag nagkasakit” There are times that she also misses sleeping at night. “Naiinggit ako sa mga taong nagpe-prepare na pumasok habang patulog palang ako.”

In college education Ter tiary education is mandated to train students in facing the realities after years of spending inside the classroom, but some students need to the face it earlier. It takes a tough hear t to decide and accept that you need to stop pursuing college in order to earn and help your family.

“Actually, lahat ng skills ko, well kung skills man na matatawag, di ko natutunan sa classroom,” Jehu said. “Sa classroom kasi, yung fundamentals lang ang itinuturo, di naman sya applicable sa environment ko as an IT. More on background and theories lang ang napulot

ko sa curriculum, the rest, self-discovery na.”

He said that even while studying college, his experiences outside, the trials and errors, and tons of real life immersion shaped his knowledge more than the classroom did.

“As an IT student kasi, ako, saka yung mga kasabay ko, we realized na hindi realtime ang itinuturo sa amin. Outdated na siya.

Nag-i-invest kami ng time sa mga bagay na di naman naming na-a-apply. Nag-a-aral kami ng mga extinct nang programming skills when in fact, web-based applicatons na ang need sa market. Useless effor t. So yun, we go to school for formality na lang, pero we learn on our own.”

Jehu still considers going back to school, but he doesn’t think it’s practical to go back in the ter tiary education system of our country especially he now acts as the breadwinner of his family. Joe also plans to go back this second semester as a working student.

For Hannah, who’s now back in school, earning money doesn’t mean you will lose interest in finishing college, “I need to go back since my college won’t be offering my course anymore next year. So kung ‘di ako bumalik baka back to zero ako” She believes that working in the BPO industry is not a lifetime commitment. There are other fields to explore on, and when time comes for her to pursue her dream job, a degree will always help her take one step ahead.

LITERARY | 66

67 | LITERARY

A la Probinsya San Vicente Of humble spirit you threw your richest waves The sun seems pleased to be in grandeur sight As he sleeps at dawn, at dusk, he spreads his rays What proof you are that God don’t play the dice You took my feet to walk on softer sand A place that seems like never-ending land Look, your trees stood proud in uniform line But bows their head to Him that made them fine You took it far, my friend, and so unfair When you made me feel the sweetness of young affair The magic of San Vicente! I’ll always tell it true I left with a mind enchanted, my heart still calling you How silly I’ve been to think you’re as same as them Offers nothing but fame, ‘til your people called me then T’was their genuine smiles and love of purest form That made me forever call you my second home

CharmaineB

God Took Him Home Last Christmas, I remember, I went out to pray In church where the sound of bells ring and play But Soon as I start to enter inside Walked out an orphan, and stared at the sky “I wish I may, I wish I might Grant the wish I wish tonight” Said a short prayer, and then he smiled “ I wish to go home this Christmas night” I sat beside him and asked if he could If he could he can come home with me for good His cold hands took mine and sang in a tune “Thank you dear lady, but I’ll be home soon.

In my home, I remember it’s big and so wide The floor were so gold and curtains so white I wish to go back and hear my mama sing” Then sang a familiar lullaby dream Oh what a dream this little boy had Still, I told him of a warm bed and bath The poor little orphan did not seem to care So I gave him my coat and just blessed him there The whispers of neighbors woke me up next day There at the corner, the little boy lay “The cold must’ve got the poor thing,” they say God indeed took him home on Christmas day

Mythology is a reflection of the beliefs of a group of people. It may come in the form of stories of beautiful goddesses, cruel monsters or brave heroes. Those stories bring to life the culture, language, religion and way of life of the people that tell them. The Philippines is rich in these stories, having tapestry of people to draw them from. There are more than 180 ethnolinguistic groups stretching over the archipelago, each with their own stories to tell. Cuyonon is a Philippine language spoken on the coast of Palawan.

There are many stories still left to find in the Archipelago we call home, stories of wonder and magic inter twined with stories of blood and horror. The Spirits of the Philippine Archipelago is a series dedicated to analyzing the mythical creatures of the Philippines, giving readers a glimpse into the wonder and horror into what we call halimaw, aswang, busaw, multo and many more.

All myths featured were written and owned by The Spirits of the Philippines Archipelago.

READ MORE OF THEIR WORKS HERE: HTTP://PHSPIRITS,COM

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69 | LITERARY

Mangalok nga Aligpotagan

B

eken maraet nga nars si Clarissa, sa kamatodan ngani tana pa ang mas agaprosigir sa ospital nga dia, apang indi enged madora ang mga aniani.

Moro’ na, ang tanang pasyinti nga ingeepetan na agakarapatay obos. Kaleba, beken da dato anang kasalanan, piro mi maibara lamang baya nga natatabo.

Alimbawa ren lamang si Mr Pasamba. Ordinariong appendicitis da lamang dato. Maayad ang ingboat nga opirasion poira lamang sa maiteng impiksion nga maririmidioan pa andan i’ antibayotiks. Sa mga agdarasong dominggo, indi na ren nasarangan ang mga komplikasion nga risolta i’ ang impiksion, nga mamang agbogto sa anang kaboi.

Nababati ni Clarissa ang mga aniani sa anang likod.

“Wi, tana ang agboat i’ dan.” “Ingtawagan nandang lagi ang morgue datong masapoan nanda nga tana ang magaawid sa pasyinti.” “Bagong bikitima ni Clarissa nga ingsompa.” Piro ara naiwan si Clarissa. Naelaman na nga basta akakeb tana lamang ig boboaten na’ mayad anang obra ara tana ren i’ problima.

Mas pang agrake ang aniani sa natabo ki Mrs Bengzon.

Karwa tana ren nadiagnose ig maroya ren tenged sa mga ara polos nga mga treatment. Isarang timprano, nakita tanang patay den sa anang katri sa ospital. Si Clarissa ang akadiskobri sa natabo.

The whispering multiplied when something happened to Mrs Bengzon. She had been misdiagnosed twice and was weak from all the unnecessary treatments. She was found dead one morning in her hospital bed. Clarissa was the one who found her.

There was never any evidence of foul play, at least none that an autopsy could find. Clarissa was never held liable for any of the deaths of the patients under her care, and why should she? She was just always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So Clarissa went on with her work, ignoring all the whispers. As long as she did her job, she wouldn’t have a problem.

That is, until the small incident with Ms. Villamor. Clarissa wasn’t careful and another nurse caught her in her true form, over the soon to be deceased form of her patient.

Clarissa panicked and subdued the other nurse.

Animan agpadayon den lamang obra si Clarissa, ingpabayan na ren ang mga aniani tenged kanana. Basta boboaten na anang obra, ara tana’ problima.

She didn’t know how she was going to be able to explain two victims, but then she had an idea.

Indi na maelaman kong marasano iiksplikar kong ayamo mi darwang biktima, apang mi golping agsot nga idiya sa anang barot.

Agboat-boat i’ iksina si Clarissa, “Aroy, agbegat ingan ang leba i’ ang nars datong i-euthanise na si Ms Villamor.

Ang nars ana, agpaneget.” Ingpametang na ang tanang imo-imo nga mga ibidinsia sa logar, ig ingparetan tana ra i’ ang ospital.

Written by Karl Gaverza Cuyonon Translation provided by Ryan D. Ibañez and Elyn Grace Bagalay Copyright © Karl Gaverza Translation Copyright © Ryan D. Ibañez and Elyn Grace Bagalay Inspired by the Aswang na Gala myths from Eastern Visayas Aswang na Gala illustration by Lou Pineda IG: https://www.instagram.com/blacknivalis

Clarissa could hear the whispering behind her back.

“She’s the one that did it.” “They called the morgue once they knew it was her.” “Another victim of Clarissa the cursed.” Yet Clarissa was unscathed. She knew that as long as she kept her head down and did her job correctly she wouldn’t have a problem.

Ara enged ibidinsia i’ foul play, ara makita ang autopsy.

Ara ra ibasola si Clarissa tenged sa pagkamatay i’ anang mga pasyinti, ayamo manda? Akaton da lamang nga doto tana sa maling logar ig sa maling oras.

Lamang, mi natabong insidinti ki Ms Villamor. Ara iaamblig si Clarissa animan nadakep tana i’ ang isarang nars sa anang matod nga porma, nga akasampaw sa anang tagomatayen deng pasyinti. Akaignek si Clarissa ig ingsopil na ang nars.

Aswang na Gala

C

larissa wasn’t a bad nurse, in fact she tried harder than anyone in the hospital, but whispers won’t fade away. You see, every patient under her care eventually expired. Maybe it’s not entirely her fault, but there was always just something that went wrong.

Clarissa nga Ingsompa den ang anang bansag. Mi mistirio pa rang agakapolit sa kamatayen i’ anang mga pasyinti piro kamalasan da lamang sigoro dato.

Maayad tana nga klasi’ nars. Ingboboat na’ mayad anang obra. Dato lamang ang dapat nga maelaman i’ ang ospital.

Clarissa put on a show, “How terrible, the nurse felt so guilty euthanizing Ms. Villamor that she took her own life.”

She had put all the necessary evidence in its place, and it didn’t take too long before the hospital believed her story.

So Clarissa the cursed followed through on her name, the patients she had still had mysterious circumstances attached to their deaths but that was just bad luck.

She was a good nurse. She did her job well. That’s all the hospital needed to know.

LITERARY | 70

71 | LITERARY

Magindara

I

ngsasampok i’ ang daloyon ang olo ‘ang manigpangisda. Agakapaykapay tana apang indi enged agpadaeg ang bagio kanana. Rinibo-ribo ang orang agararamatak sa kadagatan nga ara’ kor ti ni anio, apang naelaman nang magapoas da dia. Tana ara nanda idaran digi agod malemes lamang ig magasarig tana kananda tegka sa teregkan anang kaboi.

Nademdeman na ang loa sa mata ‘ang anang ina datong pilakan na ang rosario. Ingaadlekan manda ang anang ina para kanana apang mas mi labet tana sa kalag i’ anang bata. Ang manigpangisda bata i’ anang ama ig agapadayon pa ra sa pagparet sa mga laging kinaogalian ay ang tobig dian sa anang dogo.

Agpakiloy anang ina nga magsarig sa anang manonobos, andang manonobos. Ingpakolay tana anang ina nga demdemen ang manonobos nga dato sa gegma ig sanag, apang ara tana ipamati kanana. Indi enged mamaramadan anang ina ang kaboi sa laod, ang mga manigbantay nga agprotiktar kananda.

“Mangalok ‘ang Dagat” –dato maman andang tawag kananda. Ingkakatikati kono i’ ang mga diwata ang mga manigpangisda paagi sa andang mga kansion. Malemes ngani ang mga manigpangisda sanda kono kakaenen den.

Nabebereng tana kong ayamo boi pa ra ang botig nga dato ig ingpaparetan pa ra ‘ang matamang tao. Naelaman i’ ang mga manigpangisda nga ang mga istoriang dato mara sa trapo nga agaponas sa dinagon dong paggalang ig pagdayaw sa mga diwata.

Ara tana ra maboboat. Ingoman den i’ ang mga dagon kong kino magadarangep ang mga tao sa oras andang kaministiran. Ara reng mga alad sa dagat ig mga pangadi sa mga daloyon. Tana ren lamang ang nasala. Ang kaoriang bata i’ ang tagomatayen deng tinooan.

Magindara

Written by Karl Gaverza Cuyonon Translation provided by Ryan D. Ibañez and Elyn Grace Bagalay Copyright © Karl Gaverza Translation Copyright © Ryan D. Ibañez and Elyn Grace Bagalay Inspired by the Magindara entry in Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. Nasayao 2010.

Magindara Illustration by emirajuju IG: https://www.instagram.com/emirajuju/ Watercolor by Mykie Concepcion Tumblr: http://mykieconcepcion.tumblr.com/

Ingroroyan den ang betken i’ ang manigpangisda.

Magaampo ron ang anang lawas sa ara’ tadeng nga pagtampek i’ ang daloyong ig oran. Ingisip na anang ina ig agpanindegan tana sa anang pagtoo. Aganiani ang anang mga bibig i’ oring pangadi bago agtagbeng anang olo sa daloyong:

Ang tobig ang akeng gabayan paoli Magasarig ako kanindo O mga diwata i’ ang dagat ig bagio Ang delem mamaimong sanag Ang mga daloyong magalinaw Magaimbeng ako sa dagat ig magaayad ang tanan-tanan.

T

he waves crush over the fisherman’s head. He flayed his hands but the storm will not let up.

Thousands upon thousands of rain poured onto the shapeless ocean, but he know that this too shall pass. They did not bring him here to drown and he will trust them until the end of his life.

He remembers the tears in his mother’s eyes when he tossed her rosary. His mother was indeed scared for him, but she’s more concerned for her son’s soul. The fisherman was his father’s son and carried on believing in the old ways because the water was in his blood.

His mother begged him to trust his saviour, their saviour. She had raised him to remember that saviour in love and light, but he couldn’t listen to her. His mother could never understand the life at sea, the guardians that protected them.

“Mangalok ‘ang Dagat” –that’s what they called them.

They say that the spirits lured fishermen into the water with their songs. Once the fishermen were drowned they will then eat them. It still surprised him how long that lie had lasted and how many people still believed in it. The fishermen knew those stories are like rags that wiped the centuries of respect and admiration of the spirits.

There was nothing he could do though. The years had changed who people turned to in their times of need.

There were no more offerings by the sea, or prayers to the waves. He was the only one left. The last son of a dying belief.

The fisherman’s arms are getting weak now. His body is finally surrendering to the endless onslaught of the waves and the rain. He thinks back to his mother and stays firm in his conviction. His lips whisper one final prayer before his head goes beneath the waves:

The water is my life-saver as I go home.

I will trust in you Oh spirits of sea and storm The darkness will turn into light The waves will calm I will be with the sea and everything will be alright.

LITERARY | 72

73 | LITERARY

Laqui

K

akonkon i’ kambing o isarang kambing nga kakonkon i’ tao. Ara tana ingboat kondi agpamadlek sa mga tao sa Bicol paagi sa anang oyeng makaradlek. Ang korimaw nga dia ingtatawag nga Laqui.

One day, a young girl happened to come across the laqui. It tried to scare her away with its ugly face, but the girl just laughed.

“Ara ako iaadleki kanimo!” makon ang bata. “Way, imong oyen pakadlaw!”

“I am not afraid of you!” said the girl. “I think your face looks funny!”

Indi maelaman i’ ang laqui kong anonong boboaten, ara tana pa kabagat i’ tao nga ara iaadleki sa anang oyen.

Ingpanolayan ig ingadlek-adlek na pa ra ang bata apang agasabat lamang ang bata i’…

The laqui didn’t know what to do, it had never come across a human that was not afraid of its face. The laqui tried as hard as he could to scare the little girl but only got her words as a reply.

Indi pa ra maelaman i’ ang laqui kong anonong boboaten. Agisip tana i’ pamaagi agod maadlekan ang bata.

SCREEEEEEEE! SCREEEEEEEEE! Agsiagit i’ patorobabaw ang laqui. Ang tonog i’ dato aganingal sa bilog nga kageban. Ingsagiap i’ ang laqui ang bata, apang ingetekan tana datong masapoan nang doto pa ra nged ang bata.

“Aroy! Ang ka rimo ra imong bosis.” Ingpatererekan i’ ang bata ang laqui.

Agngereb ang laqui. Saken mi pamaagi nga aadlekan ang batang dia. Animan agboat tana i’ plano.

Nakita ‘ang laki ang maiteng kalipatpat nga agaoni sa anang katepad na pono, ingbe’ras na ang langgam ig ingpakita sa bata.

“Ang ka tinlong langgam!” Agyemyem ang bata.

Golping ingremekremek i’ ang laqui ang langgam sa anang siki, agporasik ang dogo sa oyen i’ ang batang babai.

AHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHH! Agbatikal ang ogiaw i’ ang pobring bata sa mga pono ig akaina’loy sa kalipay ang laqui. Dali-dali agdalagan ang bata nga agaogiaw paraye.

Ingnisnis i’ ang laqui ang anang siki sa pono ig agngirit.

Written by Karl Gaverza Cuyonon Translation provided by Ryan D. Ibañez and Elyn Grace Bagalay Copyright © Karl Gaverza Translation Copyright © Ryan D. Ibañez and Elyn Grace Bagalay Inspired by the Laqui description in Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. Nasayao 2010.

Laqui Illustration by Sofia Marie Cuar to FB: Lavieja IG: www.instagram.com/laviejar t

Laqui.

Isarang adlaw, mi isarang batang babai ang akabagat sa laqui. Ingsamitan nang panolayan ang bata por midio sa anang marimong oyen, tay agkadlaw lamang ang bata.

“Imong oyen pakadlaw ingan-ingan!” siagit i’ ang batang babai.

Laqui

T

here was once a man that looked like a goat, or a goat that looked like a man. It spent its days trying to scare the people of Bicol through its frightening face. This creature was called the

Beken lamang isara ang pamaagi sa pagpanolay sa mga tao.

“Your face is so funny!” the little girl squealed.

The laqui still didn’t know what to do. It star ted to think about what it could to scare the little girl.

SCREEEEEEEE! SCREEEEEEEEE! The laqui let out a high pitched scream. Its shrill sound echoed throughout the forest. The laqui turned to the little girl, but was disappointed to find that she was still there.

“Your voice isn’t very nice.” The little girl stared at the laqui.

The laqui grunted, surely there must be a way to scare off the little girl. So it hatched a plan.

There was a small songbird chirping in a tree nearby, the laqui grabbed the creature and showed it to the girl.

“What a cute little bird!” The girl smiled.

Without warning the laqui crushed the tiny bird in its hooves, blood from the creature splattered all over the little girl’s face.

AHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHH! The screams of the girl ricocheted amongst the trees and the laqui let out a sigh of relief. The girl ran away, screaming as she went.

The laqui rubbed his bloody hooves against the bark of a tree and smiled.

There was more than one way to scare a human.

LITERARY | 74

75 | LITERARY

Babaylan

“I

ngaadlekan ako.”

“Ayaw ikaadlek, bata. Ang bet i’ ang mga diwata maman ang matotoman.”

“Anono ang matatabo kanaken?”

“Magapakon kitang darwa sa pono ‘ang Baliti ig doto ta ka ren sasalan. Magagorang kaw sa idalem ‘ang pono ig dadaraen kaw sa mga langit ig sa kaidaleman.”

“Ayamo kabay?”

“Agod mabata ka i’ oman.”

“Dato kabay masarakit?”

“Indi… ko ron mademdeman. Dinagon den da ang aglelebas datong ingboat ko dia. Indi kaw agadlek, ipapakita nanda kanimo ang isarang bagong kalibotan.”

“Animan gali kalelepad kaw?”

“Een, bata. Dato ig matama pang mga betang.

Nasegkadan ko ron ang kadadalemen i’ ang dagat ig akaseled ako ron sa lawas ‘ang tao. Nakaampang ko ron ang mga diwata digi ig sa loyong kalibotan. Akapakon ako ron sa mga logar nga indi enged ikitaen i’ tao. Ig dadi ingpipilayan ako ron.”

“Digi kita ren.”

Babaylan

“Pagpamati sa mga diwata. Sanda ang magagia kanimo tolad ang ingboat nandang paggia kanaken.”

“Makikita ta ka pa kabay?”

“Indi ta maelaman ang bet i’ ang mga diwata. Ta! Ako maalin den, bata. Bala ka ren lamang sa mga tao.”

“Adios, lola.”

Written by Karl Gaverza Cuyonon Translation provided by Ryan D. Ibañez and Elyn Grace Bagalay Copyright © Karl Gaverza Translation Copyright © Ryan D. Ibañez and Elyn Grace Bagalay Inspired by the Baylan initiation ritual as described in The Soul Book. Demetrio & Cordero-Fernando 1991.

Babaylan Illustration by emirajuju IG: https://www.instagram.com/emirajuju/ Watercolor by Catherine Chiu FB: Wildling Child IG: https://www.instagram.com/wildlingchild/

Ingbayo i’ ang angin ang batang babai maintras akagorang tana sa idalem ‘ang baliti. Aglelebas ang mga adlaw nga naimong mga dominggo apang ara tana enged ikaliek. Naelaman i’ ang mga taong agaaragi nga indi sanda dapat agpasamber sa anang biahi. Agmora ang kasasanagen pagkatapos i’ ang kaoriang gabi, agtindeg tana ig aganiani i’ pasalamat sa mga diwata.

Naboskad anang mga mata nga dadi kakikita ren sa tinagong kalibotan nga agaeleb sa anang kaboi kanodaya.

Ara tana ingirit.

Mi katengdanan tana reng dapat boaten.

“I

am afraid.”

“Do not be afraid, child. The will of the spirits will prevail.”

“What will happen to me?”

“We will go to the Balete tree and I will leave you there.

You will sit underneath the tree and you’ll be taken to the heavens and into the deep.”

“Why?” “So you will be born again.”

“Is it painful?”

“I don’t remember. It has been years since I’ve done this.

Do not be scared, they will show you a new world.”

“That’s the reason why you can fly?”

“Yes, child. That and a lot of things more. I’ve dived into the depths of the sea and entered human body. I have spoken to the spirits in this world and the next. I have been to places that no man will ever see. And now I am tired.”

“We are here.”

“Listen to the spirits. They will guide you like how they have guided me.”

“Will I ever see you again?”

“We don’t know the will of the spirits. So, I will go now, child. I will leave the people to you.”

“Goodbye, lola.”

The girl was pounded by the wind as she sat beneath the Balete. Days have passed and turned into weeks but she didn’t move. The people passing by knew that they shouldn’t interfere in her journey. The morning has broken after the last night, she stood up and whispered her gratitude to the spirits.

Her eyes were open and now she can see the hidden world that surrounds her past life. She didn’t smile.

She has a duty to fulfill now.

SPORTS | 76

77 | SPORTS

EDITORIAL

THE GAME OF UNRECOGNIZING THE RECOGNIZABLE Philippines is a home of aspiring athletes and every year lots of spor ts events are happening all over the world and we always had the chance to show our skills, enthusiasm, and love for spor ts.

We also always had the oppor tunity to stand in the middle of the podium and let our flag be raised as high as how high can it go as we bagged gold medals back to our country, making every Filipinos proud, but, there’s a but.

Just in the recently-concluded Palarong Pambansa held at Vigan, Ilocos Sur, two new juniors mark were made. But these was wasted as the national federation of track and field didn’t recognize it for a reason of having no official from the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) was involved with the officiating. This act is a clear indicator of negligence. How can an official be absent during a competition that can lead to the invalidity of the result of the game? Or if not absent, how come there’s no official assigned to that game?

The thought of being unrecognized after what you’ve done is actually bothersome. What more if it truly happens? This incidence is merely not a joke. Our athletes who always strive hard didn’t just represent their respective schools, teams, and hometowns but also the country. Although this is just a country-wide spor ts competition, there, is where our national players came from. They were also once a Palarong Pambansa delegates.

This year’s Palarong Pambansa new records are no doubt and deserve a recognition. Veruel Verdadero, the Calabarzon gem dazzled as he overwrote the 38-year-old record set by Julio Bayaban of 10.69 seconds in 1979 after logging 10.55 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the Quirino Stadium.

Also, there was another gem that was lost because of the unmindful acts of those who’s concerned.

There was Eliza Cuyom, the Southern tagalog bet who shattered the 15 seconds record of Julie Rose Forbes when she clocked 14.50 seconds in the 100-meter girls hurdles. And Ann Katherine Quitoy of Western Visayas who heaved the spear to as far as 45.72 m to erase Rosie Villarioto’s 1998 mark of 44.54 m.

Imagine that outstanding results being wasted. With these, we can truly say that we are wor thy of golds and a lot of golds during international competitions only if athletes like them were given an appreciable amount of recognition and a chance to compete and be par t of a professional league.

And in connection to the recent situation, we cannot point out our fingers to our players nor say something to them whenever we lost a game. Because it wasn’t their fault anymore it was those officials who are being forgetful and neglectful of their duties. Why? Because the country’s spor ts performances do not just rely on the athlete’s ability but also on the capability of the officials to choose and recognize who’s to be picked or who performed or can perform the best.

It was always a dream of every spor ts enthusiasts and of every Filipinos to have a group of remarkable delegates to represent our country in all international spor ts competitions. Because after all, athletes are all capable of doing great. It was just a matter of time before all of them are recognized as the best. And it was also just a matter of proper validation of the outcome of the game, doing each par ts, duties and responsibilities, for athletes, coaches and officials.

Let the wor thy players be appreciated, after all it’s both a gain for both sides.

KNOW THY

CAMPUS

MV P S

By ALEXIS FERNANDEZ

Intrams is getting exciting whenever they enter the field or cour t. They can make the crowd go mad and cheers.

They can steal everyone’s attention and so make the gals giggle. They can make their coaches tense. They can definitely left you in awe with their powerful kicks and 3-point ringless shoots. And you’ll gonna miss the halves of your college-intrams-life if you’d never know them. So meet and get to know thy campus MVPs.

WARNING: THESE GUYS ARE DANGEROUS. SAFETY FIRST.

Pizza or Pasta? Both.

Gabriel Zenarosa Lacsamana

BS in Electrical Engineering, 5th Year

Long hair or Short hair? Long hair.

With bangs or without? Bangs. Hindi Dora bangs.

Superpower that you want: Power to make her comeback again.

Char. Hahaha. Can predict future? Ewan.

Haha. Can predict future.

If you could go back in time, how far would you go?

I’ll go back to the time where I had my biggest regret. Para maiayos ko.

“If you didn’t know him, you’ll definitely got the “silent-type guy” as a first impression on him.

But don’t get mistaken, I’m tellin’ you, he’s not.

He’s the opposite one. “ Age: 20 Birthday: July 8, 1997 Birthplace: Puerto Princesa City Zodiac Sign: Cancer. Pero di ng lipunan.

Hobbies: Wala. Laro lang ng football paghapon.

Height: 5’8.5” 3 things you can’t live without: Money, Food & Family Favorite Food: Anything. Lahat ng may gata.

Favorite Number: 8 Favorite Subject: Aroyyy. Hahaha. Electrical Circuits. Hahahaha Favorite Football Team: FC Barcelona Favorite Music Artist/s: Anyone that catches my music taste.

Favorite Song: Wala ako maisip eh. Nadarang na lang.

Favorite Music Genre: Reggae?

Favorite TV Show: Wowowin. Char. Wala di ako palanuod.

Favorite Movie: Wala ako maisip. Haha. Avengers na lang.

Favorite Drink: Water.

Favorite Book: None. Di rin palabasa.

Childhood Ambition: Maging sundalo.

Celebrity Crush: Nancy (Momoland). Hahaha.

Greatest Achievement: 3peat champion in STRASUC. Most Embarrassing Moment: Since malabo mata ko. Yung sinasagot ko yung akala ko na ako na yung kausap nila.

Most Favorite Body Part: Lips kasi palangiti.

FB, Twitter or Insta: FB. Nasa FB na lahat eh.

Weird Beliefs: Bawal humiga kapag basa ang buhok kasi nakakabuang daw.

Motto/Quote in Life: Always live life to the fullest.

Singing or Dancing? None.

If you were going to have your last meal ever, what would be on the table?

Lahat ng paborito kong pagkain tapos kasama ko mga mahal ko sa buhay.

Do you have a girlfriend?

Hahaha. Wala na.

How can you describe Football?

Football? Siya yung stress reliever ko. Siya yung passion ko as of now.

When did you start playing?

Una kong natry nung Grade 3 ako. Pero nagstart ko siyang icareer nung Grade 6 ako.

When you were starting out, what was the biggest goal you set for yourself?

Siyempre bata pa. Makalaro sa professional league.

How did you get your start?

Di ko alam ee. Basta nagstart ako. Tapos yun. Tuloy-tuloy na. Minotivate ko sarili ko.

Did someone introduce to you the game? Oww. Meron. Kuya ko.

So he became your mentor?

Medyo? Hindi niya ako minentor talaga.

Parang ginaya ko lang siya. Tapos yun.

Were you always into football? Oo. A piece of advice for those who aspires to become a part of your team or for those aspiring football players.

Gamitin ang football para sa pag-aaral.

Pero free tuition na eh. Kaya ipagpatuloy lang nila pangarap nila. Pero di ko sila ineencourage na maging football player talaga. Magkaroon pa rin sila dapat ng ibang profession aside from being an athlete.

What do you think is the most important thing you’ve learned in your journey as an athlete?

Siyempre teamwork. Tapos always accept defeat with dignity.

Pizza or Pasta? I love both Chocolate or Milk? Milk

Victor John Adelantar

BS in Petroleum Engineering, 5th Year

Long hair or Short hair? Long hair Straight or Curly? Curly With bangs or without? I don’t really mind either.

Superpower that you want: Mind reading If you could go back in time, how far would you go?

If I could go back in time, I would relive my high school days. I had so much fun back then with my peeps.

“Tall. Dark and Handsome. What an ideal characteristics you’re looking for a guy!

He got it all fella. Plus if you think he didn’t know how to smile, I’m tellin’ you, he knows.”

Age: 20

Favorite Drink: Water

Birthday: July 11

Favorite Book: The Alchemist – Paolo Coelho

Birthplace: Bacolod City

Childhood Ambition: To be a football player.

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Celebrity Crush: Hayley Williams

Hobbies: Taking naps.

Greatest Achievement: Being able to live far away from home, on my own.

Height: 5’10” 3 things you can’t live without: Naps, Food, More naps Favorite Food: Anything Italian Favorite Number: 17 Favorite Color: Sunset Orange Favorite Football Team: Borrussia Dortmund (Germany) Favorite Music Artist/s: Paramore, Panic! At the disco Favorite Song: Science & Faith – The Script

Most Embarrassing Moment: I’d rather not say.

Most Favorite Body Part: The mouth. Especially when someone smiles, that is attractive.

FB, Twitter or Insta: I feel that people using Twitter are much more honest and true.

Weird Beliefs: I have this weird belief that when I’m alone and sitting on a desk, I always feel like somebody is behind my back. So I always put my back against a wall just to be sure.

Favorite Music Genre: Alternative Band Music

Motto/Quote in Life: In everything you do, you have to put in your time.

Favorite TV Show: Peaky Blinders

Singing or Dancing? Singing

If you were going to have your last meal ever, what would be on the table?

Maybe I would eat something I’m really allergic to just to know the taste before I go.

Do you have a girlfriend? Yes, I’m working it.

How can you describe Football?

It is a big part of who I have become.

I played the game for a very long time that if you take football out of my life it would be like taking a piece of my identity.

When you were starting out, what was the biggest goal you set for yourself?

I really enjoyed playing football, so the only goal I had then was to be a part of the varsity so that I could play against different teams.

Were you always into football? How did you get your start?

Since gradeschool, I had a neighbor who was playing for the national team.

I looked up to him, he was only 4 years older than me. That was one of my earliest motivation to play.

A piece of advice for those who aspires to become a part of your team or for those aspiring football players: It’s never gonna be easy and it was never meant to be. You’re gonna get tired af, you’re gonna feel your legs are soft noodles especially during endurance training. But all those leg cramps and all the body pains will be worth it when you are there, on the pitch, playing with your team.

Can you share with us anything about your journey/experiences being an athlete?

You get to spend time meeting a lot of interesting people who has the same passion as you do. You get to travel and visit various wonderful places. Eat all you can food haha. And the best things are FREE. May pocket money ka pa.

Horoscope March 21-April 19

Aries

May strong personality ang Aries, kasinlakas ng determinasyon sa buhay. May pagkabibo ka sa gawa kaya hindi nakapagtataka kung bakit bukambibig ka ng lahat. Bawasan ang sobrang pagkain dahil maaari itong maging banta sa kalusugan, gayon din ang arte na walang maalala pagkatapos ng walwalan.

Siguraduhing mag-aahit ka sa katapusan para mas tumalab ang swerte. Ihinto ang panloloko para umasenso.

LUCKY COLOR: KULAY NG IYONG BUDHI LUCKY NUMBER: UTANG MONG WALA KA NANG PLANONG BAYARAN

April 20-May 20

SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 22

Libra

Naniniwala kang meron kang fashion taste kaya minsan naiirita friends mo sa baduy mong style. Hindi mo rin kayang gumawa ng sarili mong desisyon kaya napapahamak ka ng mga friends mong marunong daw pero ka-same feathers mo din. Medyo pashowbiz kaya lagi mong iniisip kung anong iniisip ng iba sayo kahit wala naman talaga silang care sa existence mo. Kahit lasingin ang Libra, kaya nilang tukuyin ang pinagkaiba ng Cloud9 at Snickers maliban sa presyo (talent ba o skill yan, walang nakaaalam...)

Lucky number: Ilang ballpen ang nawala mo this sem? imultiply sa dalawa.

LUCKY COLOR: Dilaw, ka-DDS

Taurus

Isa kang malaking emosyon na naging tao. Ngayon masaya ka, mamaya panay naman ang patugtog mo ng senti at suicidal songs. Medyo environmentalist ka kaya minsan ka lang maligo para makatipid ng tubig.

Gusto mo yung mga happy movies kung saan lahat ng characters ay magiging masaya sa dulo (kahit yung mga extra gusto mo may happily ever after din). Mahilig kang ipsychoanalyze ang mga kaibigan mo pero wala ka naman talagang masyadong experience sa buhay, kumbaga char char lang.

LUCKY COLOR: Mantsa sa t-shirt mo

OCTOBER 23-nOVEMBER 21

Scorpio

Kailangang makinig sa iba at bawasan ang pagsasalita ng isang Scorpio. Ingatan ang sikmura dahil ito ang mas tatamaan ng sakit sa taong ito kaya huwag kumain ng isaw kapag new moon. Hindi mabilis makalimot ang isang Scorpio. Ang lucky number mo ay kung ilan ang mabibilugan sa classcard. Mayen, magiging compatible kayo ng kakilala mong Cancer sa lugar na pinanggalingan mo, siguraduhin lang na hindi dinaya ang mga bilog na prutas noong New Year para gumana ang swerte.

LUCKY COLOR: Hair color mo

May 21-June 20

Gemini

Progresibo ka at mahilig lumabas, kung naging ride ka, siguradong isa ka sa pinakasikat na ride sa Funland (kung natuloy lang sana to nung intrams).

Lagi kang nakikipagaway at pumapatol sa mga bata, literal na away man o love life (lalo na kung Libra ang mga ito…ew, pedophile). Nilalagyan mo ng vandals ang bahay mo kasi feeling mo natuluan ka ng dugo ni Leonardo d’ Vinci sa past life mo. Karamihan ng Gemini ay ambidextrous kaya malaki ang posibilidad na kaya mong mangulangot ng sabay.

LUCKY COLOR: Chat color nyo ng crush mo

June 21 - July 22

December 22-January 19

Capricorn

Malaki ang posibilidad na maisakripisyo ng isang Capricorn ang iba para sa kanyang pangarap. Mataas ang porsyento na tambak ang drunk na tweets ng mga iiwan ngayong taon. Huwag ipagsawalang bahala ang kalusugan, huwag idahilan ang lamig ng panahon para ipagpabukas ang pag-ehersisyo. Mayen, araw-arawin ang pagligo para makamtan ang buenas sa buong taon. Magsuot ng polka dots sa katapusan at kinsenas ng buwan.

LUCKY COLOR: Kulay ng damit mo nong pasukan LUCKY NUMBER: Edad ni Enrile divided by birthday mo

Leo

Kaya mong nakawin ang tsitsiryang kinakain ng crush mo, makuha lang ang atensyon nya. Si Ghengkis Khan ay Leo, ganun din si Barney the Dinosaur, di nagtataka kung bakit kailangan mo lagi ng physical affection. Ang ibang Leo ay nagsasabing Homosexual sila kahit na hindi para magkaroon ng kaunting shock value at kulay ang buhay. Takot ang mga Leo sa pagiging humble kung kaya si Buddha ay Aries at si Jesus ay Capricorn. Maging mapanuri at iwasang maging asal leon, hindi hygenic ang pag-ihi sa mga puno at pader.

LUCKY COLOR: Tinta ng ballpen mo LUCKY NUMBER: Number ng episode ng Ang Probinsyano

August 23-September 22

Sagittarius

Cancer

Masyadong emosyonal ang mga Cancer, madali silang masaktan sa mga salita kaya pumili ng magandang timing sa paniningil. Mayen, magiging marupok ka sa pag-ibig pero ‘wag mong gawing excuse ang zodiac sign mo. Huwag umangkas sa motor, hindi gagana ang swerte lalo na kapag hindi mo sagot ang gasolina. Iwasan ang matatamis at nanlalamig, ikasasama ‘yan ng kalusugan ng isang Cancer. Mas magiging compatible kayo ng kapitbahay mong Pisces at Scorpio kaya magluto ka ng dinuguan tuwing Huwebes.

LUCKY COLOR: Paboritong kulay ng ex mo LUCKY NUMBER: Kung ilang beses kang pinaasa

July 23 - August 22

November 22-December 21

Gusto mo laging malaman ang kaganapan sa buhay ng lahat ng humihinga sa galaxy, pero hindi ka magaabala na alamin kung okay pa buhay mo dahil half doppleganger ka ni Tito Boy (medyo tsismoso ka lang). Kahit na feeling mong kailangan mong iligtas ang lahat, alam mong deep inside na di mo kailangan ng social interaction kaya minsan ka lang lumabas ng bahay. Wala kang future sa sports kasi kailangan mong magpahinga every 15 minutes tuwing pinapalinis ka ng nanay mo. LUCKY COLOR: kulay ng kotse ng prof mo

Virgo

Masyadong malilinis ang mga Virgo kaya mag-ingat sa mga kasama sa bahay. Bawasan mastress sa sarili. Subukan mag-exercise at sumama sa Oplan Balik AlIndog sa Brgy. Hall. Mayen, babalikan ka nang pinaasa mong Libra kaya magtago kapag kabilugan ng buwan.

Mumultuhin ka ng alaala nya at magsisisi ka sa Valentines. Mababawi lang ang sumpa kapag nagbayad ka na ng utang mo. Magsuot ng stripes na polo at dilaw na short sa ikatlong Miyerkules ng buwan.

JANUARY 20-FEBRUARY 18

Aquarius

Magiging determinado ang isang Aquarius sa taon na ito. Huwag pagdudahan ang sariling kakayahan. Magiging compatible kayo ng seat mate mong Capricorn kung 0.3 ang gamit nyang ink. Bawasan mastress para maggo, glow and grow ang taon. Mayen, magsuot ng kulay pula sa finals.

Lucky number: 4-2+bilang ng damit mong may polka dots LUCKY COLOR: #FFFFFF

FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 20

Pisces

Madalas magkamali ang mga Pisces, at ayaw nilang pinaguusapan ito.

Mahilig kang tumawa kaya hindi nagtataka friends mo pag nakikita ka nilang tinatawanan yung mga batang natitisod sa kalye. Gustong gusto mong magdiscuss ng conspiracy para sabihing matalino, pero lagi kang takot matawag ni Prof. tuwing recitation (puro burit kasi, di nagrereview).

LUCKY COLOR: Pinagsama-samang ROYGBIV LUCKY NUMBER: barya sa wallet mo plus points sa huling quiz mo

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