The Pioneer Tabloid 1 (August)

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AUF Repertory celebrates Bonifacio’s 150th year

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PIONEER Bridging Gaps. Unity in Diversity. Write to Serve.

The Official Student Publication of Angeles University Foundation • Volume XLII No. 2 • August 2013

Church speaks out. Auxiliary Bishop Pablo David celebrates mass at the Holy Rosary Parish to be in opposition to the pork barrel. Photo Credit: Charlene Cayabyab

JLEA clarifies anti-smoking campaign by Jerremie Anne Lopez

STUDENTS EXPRESS their side on the implementation of “Oplan: Iwas Sigarilyo” project of the Junior Law Enforcers Association (JLEA) but all are confused with the information disseminated. According to JLEA Adviser Ar J Pangan, the said project is a way of implementing the Republic Act 9211 or Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 and it is implemented only in the College of Criminal Justice Education (CCJE) and not in the whole university yet especially to the employees. “We (JLEA) planned to implement this project in our own college first. Ang reklamo kasi dati, mga Criminology students daw ang smokers na laging nasa side gate,” Pangan said. Meanwhile, JLEA President Gringo Ace Lingat, together with his co-officers, claimed they are the ones who announced that starting on August 1, students and school officials are not allowed to smoke within 100-meter radius. Reacting to this announcement, Medical Technology student and Chemistry Society President Vienna Dianne Navarro said the inaccuracies in disseminated information caused surprise and confusion to the students. In turn, this caused the students to not take the project seriously. Moreover, Criminology student Angelu David said it should not be implemented because smoking cannot be easily removed from a person’s system. continued on page 2

Church supports pork barrel scrapping by Krishna Elaine Magdangal

THE GROWING clamor of people to scrap the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) urged the Church to make a stand during the “Million People March” on August 26. In connection to this, Bishop Pablo “Ambo” David presided a mass at Holy Rosary Parish Church in Angeles City followed by a short program. During the homily, Bishop David said one equally important issue is patronage and that money dominates principle because of the “crooked way of pork barrel (baluktot na daan ng pork barrel).” “Ito ang nakakalungkot na katotohanan na nagtulak

sa ating lumabas ng bahay at magtipon-tipon dito,” he said. Bishop David added this move is an act of solidarity that enables citizens to communicate how they feel about issues. “Your presence and effort means you are here to answer the call of action and responsible citizenship. Ito’y isang mabuting simula para sa Pilipinas,” he went on. Informal statements from the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Cardinal Antonio Luis Tagle, and Mother Mary John Mananzan, Order of St. Benedict (OSB) were delivered by members of the church shortly after the mass. The CEAP said PDAF is

“misused and abused” for the politicians’ personal gain. According to them, politics must be rooted in prudence, responsibility, transparency, and accountability. “In theory, the pork barrel is pro-poor and pro-marginalized because it is a redistribution of public money for the poor. But in reality, it is clear that some politicians are concretely doing something for their welfare,” Archbishop Villegas said in his informal statement. Cardinal Tagle dared politicians to go to the slums to see the reality in the face of the marginalized Filipinos. He threw questions like “Sino ba naman ang hindi kikilabutan?” and

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Light, motion sensors stir ‘mixed’ reactions by Gema Ocampo

INSTALLATION OF the light and motion sensors in all comfort rooms across Angeles University Foundation (AUF) campus is welcomed with different reactions from the students.

According to AUF Project Coordinator Merwin David, University President Atty. Joseph Emmanuel L. Angeles initiated the installation of the sensors in order to conserve electricity often wasted in comfort room lights. “Kung walang light and motion sensor, makikita mo yung mga toilets na nakasindi ang mga ilaw kahit hindi naman talaga dapat ito nakasindi. Sayang continued on page 3

‘Pio’Pulse:87%unawareofUSC-CBL’samendments CCDS to set up

USC to enforce awareness, ratify amended CBL by Rheinlander Musni

ALTHOUGH THE University Student Council (USC) initiated the awareness campaign on the amended Constitution and By-Laws (CBL), 87 percent of students say they are unaware of the amendments according to a university-wide survey. Out of 918 respondents composed of students from different colleges surveyed by THE PIONEER, only 119 affirmed their awareness on the amended CBL. According to USC President Mary Heliane Fabian, the College Student Council (CSC) officers were tasked with informing students per college about the amendments. The CSC will notify

their college-based officers about the changes, and the latter will disseminate information to the student body. “Every CSC was provided with awareness campaign sheets where students will sign after being informed of the amendments,” Fabian said. However, the survey revealed that a number of students were unaware of the changes considering the CSC and collegebased officers’ efforts to cascade information. To address the “unawareness” issue, Fabian said they will call for a general assembly in September with the officers where they will review the awareness campaign and

clarify concerns regarding the amendments. Furthermore, the USC will be mass producing copies of the amended CBL which will be distributed to all students to enforce awareness on the amendments. “If this move will not work, we will hold general assembly per college,” Fabian said. CBL for ratification According to Fabian, they will be starting the ratification of the CBL. A majority vote by all students in a University-wide plebiscite is needed to render any amendments or revisions valid. Under the amended CBL, continued on page 2

Sitio Pavilion co-op by Gema Ocampo

CENTER FOR Community Development Services (CCDS) is now focused on the registration of a cooperative in Sitio Pavilion by October for the co-op month. “We saw that it’s high time that we start the process of empowering them. The best vehicle is to start a co-op,” said CCDS Director Glicel Grace Tiamzon. “Although AUF is no longer around, there will still be a cooperative that will handle their projects,” she added. The role of the co-op is to finance their business because Sitio Pavilion’s number one problem is economics. “The CCDS would like to empower Sitio Pavilion continued on page 3

Proposed e-boards to be installed soon see full story on page 2


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USC NEWS THE UNIVERSITY Student CouncilCollege Student Council-The Pioneer (USC-CSC-PIO), dubbed as Aurans, kicks off this academic year with their newly implemented projects. Aside from their accomplished activities such as Welcome Freshmen, the 6th University Student Leaders’ Camp, and the first ever Triple Treat (Recruitment Fair, Sponsors’ Fair, and Green Crusade), the USC conducted the Youth Power Series with the different selected university-wide non-mandated organization officers, the AUF Integrated School Grade School and High School officers, the AUF scholars, and the first set of College Student Council Junior Officers. Also, USC in cooperation with the Center for Community Development Services (CCDS) and the Youth Community Service Club (YCSC) revived “Sagip Kapatid” to help victims of typhoon Maring. Meanwhile, the Office of Student Affairs and Financial Aid (OSAFA) and the USC maintain its tie up with the CCDS in advocating environmental campaign under the banner of the Green Crusade. Furthermore, awareness materials and strategies will be implemented with the consolidated efforts of the student government and the administration. Committed to furthering the partnerships of the student government with various youth organizations, the USC strengthened its linkage within the United Nations Youth Association of the Philippines (UNYAP) through the International Youth Day on August 14, 2013. At present, the planning on the first ever United Nations celebration in AUF is ongoing. In addition, the USC also works with the Ayala Young Leaders Alumni Association of Central Luzon as the proposal on Ulat-Mulat Caravan, a seminar-workshop on media literacy, is at hand.

Buwan ng Wika, inilunsad Tuloy pa rin sa kabila ng suliranin ni Jerremie Anne Lopez SA PAGDIRIWANG ng Buwan ng Wika ngayong Agosto, nagkaroon ng pagbabago sa mga aktibidad kumpara noong nakaraang taon ayon sa tagapamuno ng Departmento ng Filipino na si Dr. Leonora Yambao. Ayon kay Yambao, nag-isip sila ng mga aktibidad upang makuha ang interes at atensyon ng mga estudyante. “Kung noong nakaraang taon ay mayroon tayong Lutong Kapampangan, ngayon naman ay binago namin at ginawang Lutong Pilipino upang hindi malimitahan ang mga estudyante sa kanilang mga lulutuin. Ito ang pinakaunang patimpalak para sa Buwan ng Wika,” ani Yambao. Dagdag niya, binalik din ang lecture forum kung saan ang mga propesor mula sa kanilang departamento ay nagbigay ng panayam sa mga piling estudyante na naka-angkop sa tema na “Wika Natin ang Daang Matuwid.” Maliban dito, magkakaroon ng seminar ang tagapamuno ng Komisyon ng Wikang Pambansa (KWF) at nahirang na Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas na si Dr. Virgilio Almario sa huling araw ng selebrasyon. Magpapadala ng sulat ang departamento sa Kagawaran ng Edukasyon upang imbitahan ang mga guro mula sa pribado at pampublikong paaralan na dumalo sa nasabing seminar kung saan tatalakayin dito ang bagong ortograpiyang Filipino at Pilipinas na “Filipinas.” Nakasaad din sa sulat na ito na inaanyayahan ang mga magaaral para sa Lakbay Exhibit na gaganapin sa Angeles University Foundation mula ika-13 hanggang ika-20 ng Setyembre.

by Kier Ocampo

Tatak Pinoy. Ngayong taon, mga pagkaing papatok sa panlasa ng mga Pilipino ang ibinida sa selebrasyon ng Buwan ng Wika. Pinagmulan ng Larawan: MMC-PO

Mga balakid sa selebrasyon Nahirapan ang mga nagorganisa kung saan gaganapin ang mga programa para sa Buwan ng Wika. Maliban dito, nagkaroon din sila ng suliraning pinansyal at talakdaan. Ayon kay Punsalan, dahil sa

hagupit ng Bagyong Maring, kailangang ilipat ang mga aktibidad na nakatakda upang magkaroon ng sapat na panahon na makapaghanda ang mga estudyante para na rin sa kanilang midterm exams. “Dapat mayroong gaganapin na paligsahan kung saan maglalaban-laban ang mga high school students mula sa iba’t ibang eskwelahan dito sa Pampanga pero hindi na natuloy dahil kulang ang pondo,” ani Punsalan. Samantala, ayon sa pangulo ng PE Society na si Christian Nicole Estrada, ang Laro ng Lahi ng Departamento ng Pisikal na Edukasyon ay nakaugnay sa selebrasyon ng Buwan ng Wika. “Hindi natuloy ang Laro ng Lahi noong ika-15 ng Agosto dahil hindi available ‘yung Sports and Cultural Center at naging limitado rin ang preparasyon kaya inilipat ng Septyembre 2. Pero dahil nga preparation for midterm exams, naudlot ulit at ngayon, ang balak ay gawin na sa mismong PE Day sa ikatlong linggo ng Setyembre,” ani Estrada.

but all of these will be disposed after an activity,” Fabian said. The latest technology-aided communication inside the campus will flash university-wide and collegebased announcements, including mandated and non-mandated organizations’ upcoming activities. Fabian is “thankful” this idea was tapped to the fullest potential” and added that this will reinforce one of the five key areas of the USC which is communication. “We hope the information dissemination strategies will be a lot better this time and there will be no more excuses because everyone will be informed,” she declared. Meanwhile, Multi-media Center and Publications Office Director Cristina Reyes said they will be installing the media/information

boards and the creation of the audio-video materials to be flashed. On the other hand, Office of Student Affairs and Financial Aid Director Ma. Gwendelyn Oronce explained the announcements to be flashed will be governed by work instruction or standard operating procedure (SOP). She is “excited” because this project is a welcome change to the student body and it is more in line with the students’ age and generation. A total of six e-boards will be installed in the university – four in the main campus, one in the Professional Schools (PS) Building, and one in the Sports and Cultural Center (SCC).

utilization of the application and the e-mail that MISS provides. He also said that the e-mail contains drives like Word, Powerpoint, Excel and forms, calendar, and sites that will be “very useful” for the students. “When you make a project, you can post it here and share it with others. If you also give them privilege to edit, they can also edit the project you made. You can also see what and how your friends are editing on real time,” he added. Meanwhile, MISS recently conducted a survey to check if the

internet’s speed is sufficient for students accessing information. As a result, most of the 225 respondents gave a favorable response wherein they earned a satisfactory remark. Also, students can now register online to AUF Wi-Fi connection in campus areas like Quad A, Mini Fontana, and libraries. Students can access their Schoolbliz account and type the address of their devices, and they can use the internet connection the following day.

Layunin nitong ipamulat sa mga estudyante ang kultura ng bansang Pilipinas at upang idagdag ito sa asignaturang Filipino sa K-12 curriculum. Sa kabilang banda, ayon sa pangulo ng Kapisanang Itinatag sa Asignaturang Filipino (KISAF) na si Marvin Punsalan, napagdesisyunan nila at ng Departamento ng Filipino na magalis ng iilang kumpetisyon. “Inalis namin ‘yung Lakan at Lakambini dahil hawig lang din naman siya sa Mr. and Ms. University, parehas silang intercollegiate competition. Samantalang ‘yung Digital Poster Making naman, bumalik kami doon sa tradisyonal na paggamit ng oil pastel at illustration board dahil iba pa rin ang ipinapamalas na kagalingan ng estudyante sa kanilang paggawa,” ani Punsalan.

College Bites Proposed e-boards to be installed soon College of Allied Medical Professions (CAMP) CAMP held its annual leadership training on August 3-4 in Hacienda Gracia, Lubao with the theme “Soaring Beyond Boundaries.” Meanwhile, September is the CAMP month wherein they will be conducting their annual sports fest. Aside from planned open house and medical missions, CAMPers will be postponing their “SingCAMPbiyasa” or the inter-high school quiz bee because of the conflict of schedules between their sports fest and cultural. “SingCAMPbiyasa will be moved probably to next semester,” said CAMPCSC President Jansenn Ray David. College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) CAS-CSC Treasurer Ina Patrizia Esteban confirms they have two upcoming major events: CAS team building and CAS Sportsfest which will be the highlight of this semester for the college as they are expecting 100% participation from the students. According to Esteban, CSC started preparing for this event as early as July to ensure that it will be better this year and be able to leave a big impact on the students. “I think our main factor in organizing activities like this is student participation. We planned for activities which will encourage student participation,” she said. College of Business and Accountancy (CBA) “There are a lot of changes and surprises done in the general assembly and relaunching. We’re looking into adding more upcoming activities,” says CBA-CSC President Renzel Evangelista. According to Evangelista, after the successful general assembly, they are currently preparing for the upcoming CBA Sportsfest in October and currently repackaging the Mr. & Ms. CBA pageant into Ambassadors of Good Will which is more appropriate for future corporate people. “CBA-CSC is expecting 100% student participation and with the help of our CYOs and NMOs, we know it will be possible,” she declared.

by Krishna Elaine Magdangal

INSTALLATION OF new University Student Council (USC)-funded electronic boards is a new strategy aimed to save money on printouts and to answer the problem of wider information dissemination to Angeleneans. The so-called e-boards will be used to replace printouts such as tarpaulins and posters. According to USC President Mary Heliane Fabian, this project was only a “dream” and considered “ambitious” but with the support of top management, it will be achieved. “We were so ambitious to air such remark to the university president because we’ve noticed a big slice of the Student Activity Fund (SAF) goes to the printouts

MISS promotes Google Apps use by O Seong Kwon

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION Systems and Services (MISS) conducts training for Angelenean faculty and students to promote usage of Google Apps. MISS Director Ramon Santiago said the registration is until September 7 wherein the auf.edu.ph e-mail will serve as gate passes. According to Santiago, 42 members from faculty and nonteaching personnel already had their training about Google Apps which aims to promote the

AUF Repertory celebrates Bonifacio’s 150th year ON ITS ninth season, Angeles University Foundation (AUF) Repertory Theater celebrates the sesquicentennial year of Andres Bonifacio with the play “Ang Supremo at Lakambini.” Multi-awarded director Tony Mabesa has done historical plays about our national hero Jose Rizal at AUF such as “Recuerdos de Amor” and “Isang Panaginip na Fili.” For this year, he decided to do a play about Andres Bonifacio. “I’m doing this play, well the main reason is because we’re celebrating Bonifacio’s 150th year and I think Andres Bonifacio deserves to be known and appreciated by the students here at AUF,” Mabesa said. The play is about the life and heroism of Andres Bonifacio who is best known as the Supremo of the Katipunan, a peasant who led the 1896 revolution against the Spanish colonialism where he struggled for the freedom of the Filipino people. Meanwhile, Mabesa wanted older actors but it did not become possible due to the busy schedules of the faculty members who worked with him in previous productions. This served as a challenge for him because of the new actors who mostly do not have any background in acting. “Most of the students who passed the audition are acting for their first time but the presence of Sucharade Nicdao and other older actors is a big help and I know they will get better and better as the show runs,” he added. Moreover, alumni like Sucharade Nicdao joined the production and portrayed the role of Gregoria De Jesus, the great love of Andres Bonifacio. Nicdao appeared in other AUF productions and now served as the assistant director of the play. “The actors did their best para maayos ang play. Sobrang hirap kasi gumawa ng historical play, and we will give our best naman in every performance para matuwa ang mga manunuod,” she declared. The production had 18 performances which were staged at St. Cecilia’s Auditorium. The play aimed to give the audience a background on how Bonifacio became one of our country’s heroes.

‘Pio’ Pulse... from page 1

duties and responsibilities of students were stated, qualifications and disqualifications for CSC candidates were specified, and the search for CSC junior officers was included. Meanwhile, Office of Student Affairs and Financial Aid Director and USC Adviser Ma. Gwendelyn Oronce said it will be impossible to gather all AUF students in one place for the plebiscite. “Even if we want to hold a general assembly, there is no convenient venue where all students will be accommodated,” Oronce explained. The ratification campaign for the CBL will be conducted through a room-to-room process. Fabian hopes the CBL will be ratified before the semester ends.

JLEA clarifies... from page 1

Art by Denise Ann Loredo

On the other hand, Tourism student Lian Dela Cruz said it is proper to implement this project because the passers-by who see students smoking might think negatively of the school. Meanwhile, Pangan clarified that those 18 years old and above are allowed to smoke as long as they stay away from the university in order not to encourage smoking to minors and affect other people’s health. Moreover, he said there are marshals monitoring around the

campus especially at the side gate and those Criminology students who will be seen smoking will be reported and they will be given a verbal warning. “In September, we will already introduce this project to other colleges and we will be posting stickers which will act as reminders and hopefully by October, we will have a motorcade campaign showing that Angeles University Foundation is a smoke-free university,” he added.


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‘Papa P’ shares filmmaking experience College Bites by Darlene Amabele Salunga

ONE OF the country’s sought after actors and well-known producer Piolo Pascual is welcomed by the Angelenean faculty and students as he led a talk about filmmaking. Aside from that, Pascual shared his experiences in his internationally-acclaimed movie, “On The Job” (OTJ), an action-drama film produced by Star Cinema which qualified to the Cannes Film Festival in France. According to Pascual, OTJ is not a political film but it aims to let the people be aware of the country’s current state. “We don’t want to make a statement that you got to watch this film so you would know what is to be changed in our country, but of course, there is also a hope that people, will know

about certain things of what’s happening and hopefully, they will do something about it,” he explained. Pascual also shared that his experience in the Cannes screening process was “great.” “After the movie was shown, when they were showing the credits, a lot of people stood up and gave us a standing ovation so I felt proud not just being an actor but as a Filipino. That was, for me, a thrilling experience. And it made me proud to be a part of this film,” he stated. He added he wants the government to support the movie industry like what others are doing in some parts of the world where local films are given importance more than Hollywood films. “I would want the industry to be supported by the government. I would want the showbiz industry to thrive,” he said.

USC launches ‘JO’ search by Lilet Sicat

UNIVERSITY STUDENT Council (USC) President Mary Heliane Fabian implements this year’s “Search for the College Student Council Junior Officers (JO)” that intends to further leadership empowerment in the campus. Consequently, USC received both questionable and favorable responses from the students. According to Fabian, the concept was not accepted by some and others thought that it will be a “waste of time” because instead of having JOs,

non-mandated organizations are there to assist the council officers. “But that is why it is called leadership, we want to provide more venues to more students,” she explained. According to College of Arts and Sciences-CSC Public Relations Officer Jose Paolo Reyes, JOs serve as the 6th and 7th man in the council which makes the work faster. “Nakakatulong siya sa student body kasi pwede ng i-relay sa amin ‘yung concerns nila tapos ‘yung JOs

College of Criminal Justice Education (CCJE) According to CCJE Student Council Secretary Hazel Mabilin, the CSC plans to establish the Crime Prevention Council, a new organization which will conduct seminars and lectures regarding the precautionary measures needed to be carried out in the university. Moreover, the CCJE-CSC added an “amazing-race-like activity” for their sports fest this coming September wherein they will invite fourth year students from different high schools to join the said activity.

OTJ Actor. As one of On-the-Job’s lead stars, Piolo Pascual advocates title behind reality. Photo by Riza Marie Padilla

“There’s a message but I suppose it’s a sad reality,” he declared. “It is not trying to be different. It is not trying to stand out, but it is doing what is right and I guess, by doing that, you can already be a hero,” Pascual added.

OTJ recently bagged awards in the 17th Puchon International Film Fest in South Korea. Starring Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Joey Marquez and Joel Torre, OTJ was directed by Erik Matti.

ang mag-rerelay sa amin. They serve as inspiration to others na maging JOs next year if meron pa,” Reyes explained. Meanwhile, the search for Junior Officers officially began in July and the screening went on in early August as one of the main events organized by the USC for the first semester. John Patrick Garcia, chosen as College of Business and Accountancy JO, said he felt “very productive” because he is now a “role model” and a “leader.” “It is kind of exhausting because of our duties and responsibilities but it doesn’t matter knowing that I am

contributing something to our school and to my fellow tigers,” he stated. Also, Fabian mentioned that there will be Youth Power Series throughout the year that will train the students who have the potentials and willpower to serve their respective colleges to be the next student leaders. “This means that whenever NMO officers have their particular events, it is certain that there will be others to help them serve as the legs of the college,” she declared.

CCDS to set... from page 1 Light, motion... from page 1 residents by providing business opportunities through the co-op. Ang co-op ang magiging daan para mabigyan ng punang puhunan at Business training ang mga miyembro. Kung sa co-op uutang ng puhunan, mababa na ang fees, kumita pa ang pera nila dahil ang co-op sila rin ang may-ari.” According to Tiamzon, their monitoring is “continuous” starting from the preparation of their documents for registration in the co-op. Furthermore, August 24 marked the turn-over of both candle and polvoron businesses to community members of Sitio Pavilion who will serve as managers. Community activities for Sitio Pavilion are lined up until April 2014. The said sitio has been Angeles University Foundation’s (AUF) adopted community since 2009. As to CCDS’s relief efforts for those struck by recent calamities in Luzon, Tiamzon said they will probably concentrate on medical assistance. “Kasi marami ang relief goods pero sa medical, bihira lang or minsan wala talaga. Pero kung meron naman na willing mag-donate ng items, tumatanggap din kami,” she said. CCDS also conducts medical missions every first Saturday of the month with Return Services League of Australia (RSL) in cooperation with nursing students and faculty. In addition, CCDS also implements a project named “Trash for Cash” wherein they will be selling recyclables like papers and bottles which will happen all year round. The proceeds from the sales of the recyclable items will go to their projects and will be used as capital for business.

naman ‘yung energy na nagagamit doon tapos hindi naman talaga kailangan,” he said. Since its installation, some Angeleneans praised the innovation to the comfort rooms while others criticized it. “Kapag pumupunta kami sa CR, minsan hindi siya nagbubukas. Nakabukas lang siya tapos kapag nasa loob ka na, biglang mamamatay. Hindi na siya magbubukas ulit. Dapat yung switch na lang,” said Kyle Baldoz, a second year medical technology student. “Kung hindi nila babasahin yung nasa pinto, hindi nila malalaman,” Mirasol Pagcu, a second year IT student, answered when asked if she noticed the new sensors in the comfort rooms. The light and motion sensors really benefit the school. They do not only help the school in saving electricity but also the environment. It is also a manifestation that AUF is up-to-date in terms of technology,” said Richmond Estrada, a first year student from the College of Education. A tourism student believes that the school does benefit from

Art by Denise Ann Loredo

the comfort rooms’ innovation. “Oo, nakaka-benefit siya kasi nakakatipid ang school,” she said “Dapat ayusin kasi inconvenient sa amin,” she added about the malfunctioning sensors in the girls’ comfort rooms on the fourth floor of the Professional Schools Building. Meanwhile, David said they are planning to enclose the sensors so that students will not be able to alter the focus. “Nao-observe namin na minsan, ginagalaw ng mga students ‘yung sensor mismo. Kasi yung focus niyan dapat

steady lang. Minsan nung nag-rounds kami ng technical staff namin, nakita nila nachange na yung focus niya,” he declared. While Php101, 000 was invested in the project, the university saves roughly Php3, 000 every month with the help of the light and motion sensors. One of the school’s future plans in terms of energyconservation is the power factor recorrection. Although not yet implemented, it is one energy-saving device that can further help the efficiency of our electric supply.

to the people, especially to from page 1 the poor whose “hard-earned” money is plundered and “Paano nila nasisikmura ito?” squandered. Since the PDAF is He called to the kindness of acknowledged to be defective, the politicians’ hearts and said, it must be removed. Mananzan considered “Let us be good and be free.” According to CBCP this issue as one of the worst National Secretariat for scams since the Marcos Social Action, Justice, and regime. She commended the Peace, the P10 Billion pork “relentless heroic efforts” of barrel scam is a “big” crime the whistleblowers to tell the

truth despite the fear of the consequences of speaking up. Lastly, Bishop David cried out to fight and pray together for this is a spiritual battle. His challenge is to change the word “tiwali” to “tiwala” since it is the people’s trust that put politicians into office. “Hindi maibabalik ang tiwala hangga’t nandyan ang pork barrel,” said Bishop David.

Church supports...

College of Computer Studies (CCS) Being the defending champion in the Students’ Assembly on Information Technology Education (SAITE) is a lot of pressure, but CCS hopes to bring home awards again as they will be joining SAITE 2013 in Olongapo, according to CCS-CSC Public Relations Officer John Mari Pineda. “Our representatives are already preparing their thesis title presentation as they will be competing in a project based research proposal. We also have representatives for the IT quiz bee, CS/ IT genius challenge, enhanced digital photography, and PSITE ID lanyard design,” Pineda said. Furthermore, he said the CCS Sportsfest was moved in October because the Sports and Cultural Center is already fully booked for September. College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) The CEA-CSC breaks new grounds as they hold the first-ever themed team building and sportsfest dubbed as “Survivor Inhinyero/Arkitekto” and “Clash of the Titans” respectively. Another first for the CEA Sportsfest is the shift from inter-year level to inter-department competition, due to the former’s “ineffectiveness.” New additions to the said event are the Ultimate Quiz Bee and Variety Show. The officers realized these changes as part of their “pilot year” as the College of Engineering and Architecture. College of Education (CEd) August marked College of Education’s college month packed with new activities under the theme, “CEd goes Throwback.” According to CEd-CSC President Kenneth Alex Villanueva, the first-ever Socialization Night provided avenues for the students to get to know each other. Meanwhile, Mr. and Ms. CEd was changed into Mr. and Ms. Teacher Personality where participants wore teacher’s attires to reflect how they would look like when they become teachers. Moreover, the first-ever CEd singing contest was organized by the CEd choir. On the other hand, the Teacher’s Pen held the first-ever Journalism Quiz Bee to empower the students with the concepts of journalism. The Education Leaders for Nation-building held the first-ever CEd Inter-High Quiz Show and the second literary contest. Moreover, this year’s Sportsfest included new activities like children’s games to provide events which can make the students experience their childhood again. “We included games like touching ball, agawan ng panyo, bring me, at mga ibang larong pambata talaga,” Villanueva added. College of Nursing (CON) Majority of CON-CSC’s activities were accomplished this August. The schedules of the Buwan ng Wika activities were planned by the university and their advisers coordinated the tasks of the CSC. The inter-collegiate Lutong Pinoy contest was held on August 2. The other inter-collegiate Buwan ng Wika activities like the Pagsulat ng Tula, Pagsulat ng Sanaysasay, Talasisipan, Paggawa ng Poster, Tagisan ng Talino, and Pinoy Henyo were held on August 16 coinciding with the convocation of the nursing board exam passers.


THE PIONEER

Opinion

4 EDITORIAL The Art of Manipulation

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n July 12, 2013, the Philippine Daily Inquirer revealed an exposé involving a businesswoman named Janet LimNapoles, who was deemed to have masterminded the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, otherwise known as the Pork Barrel scam. Napoles allegedly funded the projects of her holding company, the JLN Group of Companies, which produced no visible output because they were just ‘ghost projects.’ Funds would be processed through fake foundations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), wherein her employees, and even a nanny, were named as incorporators or directors. Each foundation or NGO served as an official recipient of a particular legislator’s PDAF funds. 23 representatives and five senators were injected in the anomaly. Twelve of these legislators were identified and close to P3 billion in PDAF funds alone were exposed to the scam. Bong Revilla, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and Gregorio Honasan were the five senators who were named as participants in the scam. Upon the elevation of the issue, Napoles went into hiding, but eventually surfaced and surrendered to President Benigno Aquino III few hours after a 10-million bounty was placed on her head. It is quite surprising how a nameless businesswoman like Napoles was able to manipulate and deceive legislators and NGOs while jeopardizing public interest for her own personal gains. This is where the art of manipulation enters. Manipulation comes in many ways. Napoles may have used her ability in discourse and communication to ensnare victims into her schemes by making herself believable, which in turn brainwashed the unaware Budget Department and the off-guard NGOs. Some wile businessmen resort to these tactics in order to acquire partners or customers, which would benefit them either way. Businessmen are not the only proficient players when it comes to the art; politicians also have the innate skill of verbal deceit. September 21, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared Proclamation No. 1081 placing the entire Philippines under Martial Law in response to the rising threats of nasty, popular demonstrations, bombings, and Communist. The declaration was initially well received by some segments of people because Marcos made it look like the salve for the deteriorating public order, but hidden in it was the aim to prolong his political power through the secret alteration of the 1935 Constitution to assume total power as the Head of State and Head of Government. Another alleged claim of an effort to manipulate public intelligence was in 2006 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo placed the Philippines under State of National Emergency. This was claimed as a contributory move to PGMA’s planned constitutional reform to bestow herself the power of Prime Minister through a Charter Change. Manipulation can come from authorities who aim for either constructive conclusions or self-centered plans. In a school setting, let’s take student leaders as examples. Student leaders can use their innate ability in public discourse to fabricate information in desperate times, either as a form of red herring to escape from their inconsistencies. Members of the student body with little comprehension of this stratagem would most likely fall for it, but only if they become observant, the falseness of these statements would surface. This verbal manipulation is an insult to intelligence and a slap to the face of the truth. The power of words play a role when people use lies to flee from failures, capture difficult goals, or fortify themselves as somebody mighty. Not only it is a try to degrade one’s mental value, but it is more of a mockery of oneself, a stain to proper student leadership, and is comedy to good governance. And so to put conclusion to the previous examples, we have seen Napoles being jailed, Marcos being deposed, and Arroyo being lambasted with stockpile of court cases after her term in presidential office. Ultimately, manipulation of information done in the negative light would take its toll, and the liars would have their pants burned on fire. But manipulation done for something good is a different story. Manipulation can be compared to a puppet and his puppeteer; the puppet acts under the directions of its manipulator, which is the puppeteer, who manipulates the puppet either to get his job done and gain money for himself, or impress and make his audience happy.

THE

PIONEER

Editorial Staff 2013-2014 Rheinlander Musni, Editor-in-Chief Renz Alfonso, Associate Editor Reynaldo Donato Jr. & Kevin Quiambao, Managing Editors Darlene Amabele Salunga, News Editor Janna Dela Cruz, Features Editor Nikko Raphael Villanueva, Sports Editor Danielle Carlos, Literary Editor Neil Salonga, Head Cartoonist Riza Marie Padilla, Head Photojournalist Jonathan Belleza, Layout Artist Kane Nielsen Payumo, Circulations Manager Hee Soo Oh & Elijah Marie Vicher, Chiefs of Correspondents O Seong Kwon • Krishna Elaine Magdangal • Jerremie Anne Lopez Gema Ocampo • Kier Ocampo • Lilet Sicat News Correspondents Ma. Bernadette Castro • Leslie Gechelle Dela Cruz Daniella Pattine Dizon • Mary Heliane Fabian Kelly Stan Fausto • John Edward Mamangun Gerard Alain Nulud • King Jim Pamintuan Emmanuel Panti • Genesis Santos Gestrelle Lides Sarmiento Features Correspondents Kathleen Camille Apilado Edgar Allan Dela Cruz Rosiah Rodriguez Sports Correspondents Jerusha April Canon • Camille Eloise Eisma Frances Sharina Gonzales • Gem Alen San Pedro Maria Erika Yumul Literary Correspondents Kim Christian Cunanan • Denise Ann Loredo Danielle Paul Panique • Harriet Kim Anh Rodis Cartoonists Deanne Belle Canlas • Katherina Faye Galvan Ervie Joshua Pascual • Vince Francis Pineda Adrian Yalung Photojournalists Ms. Cristina B. Reyes Adviser

AMONG THE ranks of students are those with strong sense of judgment and justice. Whenever a teensy bit of injustice is being served on their plates, they stand up and complain for what they think they deserve. While they are exhausting all efforts to fight for what is right, there are some who lowly bow their heads and let them do the dirty work. Scaredy-cats. Chickenhearted. These idiomatic words or phrases definitively describe those coward students who bravely rant about the palpable incompetence or intolerable unprofessionalism of their professors, whether with flashy titles or in practice. But when they come vis-àvis with the so-called “inept” instructors, they instantly zip their mouths and tie their tongues, and an unbreakable silence triumphantly ensues over the intense atmosphere of the four-cornered classroom. What caused the sudden quiescence? The fear of being embarrassed or humiliated by the one you are complaining about? Where did the heart of a lion in you go? Are you a coward? When turmoil erupts

SATISFACTION IS a word that may paint thousands of pictures. As utopian as the word may be, it is one of the things that people want to achieve in their lives. There are times when you think you are satisfied, however, although this may sound very pessimistic, you will feel sooner or later that there is still something missing in you and no matter how hard you fight it, it will keep on bothering you unless you find something or someone that may fill it. Students’ satisfaction levels are so hard to reach, but they are not doing anything that may help them resolve an issue. They tend to rant only within their groups and although this may sound complicated, the act is neither wrong nor right. Complaints, if not addressed to the right person, will remain as complaints forever. The administration is not a psychic to know what you really want. Complaints may be raised anytime, but sometimes, they are unnecessary. If you want to do a vociferation about a professor who is not teaching properly, go to your college’s respective office, but if your want tirade is about the dirty restrooms which were obviously caused by the devilmay-care attitude, that’s the time you have to shut it. Here’s another example: During the onslaught of Typhoon Maring, Angeleneans were all over Twitter asking (some were

Cowards and Chickens “If we withdraw from writing what needs to be exposed, then we are nothing but chickens and fraud advocates of truth.” within what we consider as our second home, students proudly hoist their banners, rally in front of the iron gates, and protest for what they demand to the management. In these dark, tumultuous times, student-leaders who are elected by the student body need to break their silence and mediate the situation. With all the titles, responsibilities, and duties they claim, they should act as a liaison between the demanding students and the resilient administration. However, studentleaders are caught in the crossfire. To whom should they pledge their unwavering support? To the student body who elected them? Or to the management who holds dominant power in

the university? Siding with the student body may cause unfavorable repercussions to them, considering that the management has an absolute – more or less – power. But rallying under the skirts of the management will ignite the students to brand them as “tuta ng administrasyon.”What’s worse is that some students will cry for their resignation which, by the way, inconspicuously happened in a neighboring university. Should they shout with the students? Should they cover their ears and ignore the chaotic world? Or should they stand in the middle of the road? If they choose to be neutral, allow me to quote what I have read from another publication: “Ang

Qualitative Utterance “Complaints, if not addressed to the right person, will remain as complaints forever.” waiting, but most were asking) for a suspension. There were times when their tweets went out of the line and sounded disrespectful. AUF had not announced anything because I think they were waiting for an advisory from the Mayor’s Office, and it’s a really good move that they advised the students to just stay at home if their area is badly affected. Indeed, if classes are not suspended in your school and you really can’t go because of valid reasons, then don’t go. Stop ranting online! Moving on... What if the complaints were addressed to the right office but no solutions were provided? Now, that is undoubtedly wrong, and it may reflect badly to the organization’s image. Customer satisfaction is one of the things that must be achieved and must always be analyzed by any organization as it is very useful in managing and monitoring the way others may see it. If the administration is hearing complaints about

a professor, not just from one class but also others, they must not wait for the evaluation; rather, they must insist on investigating that professor immediately. Think about it, unhappy customers equate to negative reviews, and with the power of the Internet, these negativities may easily spread. If the students reached out to the student council who vowed to serve them for at least a year about a certain problem, it is just right to address this matter to the administration. I repeat, address the problem, not the student for complaining about the problem, as it may cause misunderstanding and confusion. “Your voice is our command,” as the student leaders say it. Is their voice really your command? Many decisions will be made throughout the year, and as a student leader, you must also understand the meaning of customer satisfaction. Make decisions wisely and listen to

nananatili sa gitna ng daan ay nasasagasaan.” Whether they take action or remain passive amidst the issue, student-journalists always keep an eye out for any developments. However, like student-leaders, they are caught in the middle. In their extensive effort to scratch the surface of the truth, intervening forces are expected to materialize and interfere in the middle of the game. There will be those who may ask, “What benefit will you gain by publishing this article? Do you want to sensationalize the issue?” Sensationalize? NO. Students need to know the issue, and those who are involved should cease from hiding behind the cloak of passivity and take necessary actions. As studentjournalists who stand as stalwarts of the truth, we must not allow anyone to mask our mouths with duct tapes or chop our dominant hands which hold the quill of revelation. If we withdraw from writing what needs to be exposed, then we are nothing but chickens and fraud advocates of truth. Be not a coward or a chicken. Break the silence. Call for action.

what they have to say. You have the right to impose anything but do not forget to live up to what they expect of you. “AUF is committed to continual improvement of all programs, structures, systems and processes to ensure that its services result in total customer care and satisfaction.” That is AUF’s quality policy. Now, reflect from it and one of these may pop up in your head: “Am I paying enough? I think what they are doing exceeds my satisfaction,” or “Where did all my money go?” To summarize things, Angeleneans must evaluate themselves first before they complain and they should never forget to respect the people that they are complaining to, whether it is outside the University. Remember, you are wearing AUF wherever you go. The Student Government and the Student Publication must never forget that they are for the students and for the administration. They must know how to balance the things they deliver from one side to the other as they serve as the rapport between the two. The administration, on the other hand, must always remember their quality policy and they must provide every possible solution to all the complaints that students may raise. If all of these are done, then all sides will be satisfied.


THE PIONEER

Opinion

Anti-WHAT? Campaign “DON’T be a MAYBE” You might have seen this cigarette advertisement in your suking tindahan. Some may notice it, but most of us probably ignore it. What got our attention is the stench of the cigarette smoke that is made by the bystanders at that store. Let’s not go far: Look around the university area. Most of the establishments allow people to smoke inside their stores. Maybe it’s a strategy for them to get more customers, but if you come to think of it, there is a big disadvantage for the non-smoking customers of those establishments. Smokers are everywhere, especially in the Philippines. We garnered the ninth spot in terms of cigarette consumption for men worldwide. An increase in the number of female smokers went up from 2006 to 2008, which put the Philippines to the 16th place on having the most female smokers in the world. According to census.gov.ph and cdc. gov, almost 17.3 million Filipinos are smokers: four out of 10 of them are students. These surveys were made in 2005 and 2009 respectively. It may be possible that if they make a new study about this issue, the results may go extremely higher than the previous ones. Also, a recent study has shown that there is a decrease in the number of male smokers but a rise in the

“If you would implement or even just say something to your subordinates, all the CORRECT information must be disseminated.” number of female smokers in our country. Why did I iterate these studies and findings here? August 1, 2013 marked the beginning of the AntiSmoking Campaign of the Junior Law Enforcers Association (JLEA) from the College of Criminal Justice Education. At first, this campaign imposes that all students, faculty members and employees are NOT allowed to smoke within the 100-meter radius of the university. I have received a text message regarding this announcement on the same day when this campaign was initiated. According to the message, violation of the said act is punishable by the school laws. My initial reaction was, “Where can students and employees smoke then?” They have not specified a place that is beyond the 100-meter radius of the university. And is this text message even real? On the same day that I have received this message, I did not see any difference. AUF students and employees still smoke within the said 100-meter

coverage of this act. I even heard someone say: “Hindi naman nila hawak choice ko, magyo-yosi ako kung gusto ko.” Since the Sin Tax Bill was passed, the prices of cigarettes and liquors have increased. It is expected that there will be a huge domino effect in terms of cigarette and liquor consumption for the Filipinos. Yes, it has lessened a small number of smokers, but when the rates went high, a demand for cheaper cigarettes was easily answered. Don’t get me wrong. This opinion is not pro or anti-smoking. All I’m saying is that if they make a campaign, or an act for this matter, people who are behind this must have provided specific and accurate information. This viral message which went all around the university was not actually correct. It was said in the message that “ALL AUF students and employees should NOT smoke within the 100-meter radius of the university and any person who violates this act will answer to the school laws” wherein this act was only

implemented for CCJE students and professors. I know that people who imposed this ordinance have good reasons for its implementation. We know the bad effects of smoking for a person’s health and the environment, too. But the wrong information that was disseminated to the students and employees brought up a sort of confusion. It might sound like I have deviated from my past opinion about change, but all I’m saying is that “Don’t be a MAYBE.” If you would implement something to your subordinates, CORRECT information must be disseminated. We do not know the root of this misinformation, but everyone should be cautious of what we tell other people. I know that this campaign does not only want good things for us, but it also wants to contribute to the betterment of the community and of the whole university. Confusion is a very dangerous thing. Misinformation may lead to the destruction of something. As for the laws and campaigns that an organization imposes, it is necessary to consider if there is really a need for these changes. If so, these campaigns should be possible for everyone to follow. That must be the aim of every campaign, to have a harmoniously united point of view in the Angelenean community.

Declining the Vogue BANDWAGON IS like music. It makes people come together. But what kind of music is it? The euphoria in my mind boosts whenever I critically ponder about the various issues of the university and entire community. As a principled studentjournalist, I always see to it that I engulf a sense of action in all my writings for the consciousness of my readers. I usually write about the thick content of silence for it may contain a concealed, imperative truth which can create insurgency. Recently, our minds and bodies were shaken due to the slam banging Million People March at Rizal Park wherein many Filipino fighters in all walks of life belched a countervailing clamor as an expression of sentiments against the trending Pork Barrel or PDAF Scam. This momentous endeavor of our wiser fellowmen is a sign that we can still unite for a fragrant change. And as I see it, it is undeniable that even the non-participants of the historical rally support it in all little ways. Yes, without a doubt, the selfish people responsible in pork barrel scam absorb our power to develop and enliven real change for our lives and country. *** Everyone wants change but not me, not all the time. It depends. You know, assorted

“You have the option to say NO. Keep in mind that not all new are good.” reasons can be revealed to elucidate why changes transpire. Change is an idea that everyone can embrace, celebrate or spit. But sometimes sketching a change on the warless pad of our lives may just be an unnecessary ornament and may just complicate and worsen lives. And yes, the occurrence of change in this chaotic society is undeniably continuous as its poignant spirit smoothly protrudes our way of living. It is crucial and inevitable. However, I would like to underscore that– for some reasons– change is not for the betterment of everyone and everything all the time; that we can choose not to follow it; we can choose to think that it does not exist at all. Apparently, there are numerous unseen and unheard factors why a lot of insurgents combat for the death of pandemic and insomniac wagon. I can straightforwardly disclose the fact that bandwagon is wide and influential and it can control majority of people. “Trending eh!” as we,

Filipinos, say. However, according to Sociology Professor Janice Morales when talking about bandwagon, people – in order to belong to a group or to be an in-group – tend to resort into groupthink. More than a personal and rationalistic choice, the individual is persuaded by the majority thus bandwagon happens. It goes against the rule of logic. It spoils our mentation to reason out, thus we just go with the flow. More so, it does not mean that if majority of people do something, you will do the same. Think and contemplate some things before you follow. I exclamatory sound out that YOU have the option to say NO. Keep in mind that not all new are good. Sometimes, we can be contented with the old because not all old are sapless. Indeed, satisfaction is different from mediocrity. Dear Angeleneans, I think it is harmless to suggest that before signing a letter, read it with comprehension. Consult

your inquisitive intellect. Before voting for someone to a position, learn a lot about him forthright. Before hating someone, ask yourself why. Before doing something, know your purpose. If you are afraid of leaving a group whose intentions and actions are wrong, then do not fear because from sun up to sun down, you are righteous because you are right. Indeed, there is always a battle between right and wrong, good and bad. There is always a battle between you and your conscience. If the vogue is wrong and hurting, then simply do not follow it. Killing it with ignorance is healthier than to be part of its wicked place. Sometimes, we can be a clean activist for the right reason and for the right intention. Better and purposeful change may occur if we refrain from singing the wrong famous chorus. It is not true that we do not have a choice. We have. Sometimes, we just do not choose to choose. Speaking with my surveillance, I strongly believe that the line “majority wins” does not win all the time. If the majority is right, then they can exemplify victory. But if not, people not part of it must fight for the right thing. I assure you, it will make better sense. Anyway, congratulations dear Filipinos, we are now awake, wiser and fiercer. Let all truth create salvation.

5 The Voice inside the Shell “Inner rebel can either make or break you, or hurt or not hurt you depending on how we utilize it.” “NO MATTER how hard you try to suppress me, I will come out eventually.” There are times that we hear “voices” within us. We know what is right but there is something that forces us to open our facebook and twitter accounts instead of researching for our homeworks, drags our feet outside of our houses instead of helping in household chores, and moves our fingertips on our cellphones’ keypads to text our friends while ignoring the need to review for tomorrow’s exams. Inner rebellion, as what they call it, comes into our minds as the dark side of our personality. It is the scream and cry in our peaceful minds. It is the roar of our soul. But if you will look closely, there is a message and a reason behind this. Oftentimes known as a self-defeating attitude is our minds way of noticing the things that we are missing. It is reminding us that we have real needs that we have to attend to. It lets us free from the bondage that we are experiencing from our daily routines. It removes us from the chains of “I-haveto-please-everyone” mindset. Sometimes, our minds create its own way to say that it needs rest from all the same everyday habit. This voice gives you the unsettling feeling because it whispers to your ear the words, “You can be more than this,” “Try this, try that.” This voice wants you to break the stereotype or status quo and to be an example to others. This innate rebellion is not always on the negative; it can also be used as an advantage. Sometimes, it is the only way to unleash our full potential and hear the voice of the unafraid from within. As a student, there are times that we refrain ourselves from doing something that we are uncertain of, but when this voice kicks in, the decision you make bends. Experiencing such follows no authority. It unlocks the inner leader in you. It gives way for your creative thoughts to be released. It makes you responsible for your own actions. It slowly defines who you are. It unleashes the willingness to take the lead in order to attain your desired goal. It can turn a tamed puppy into a giant roaring lion. Purpose is the most powerful partner of rebellion. Without it, it will turn into non-sense. Always keep in mind that you are working not only for your own good but also for others. A writer will never write an article without the desire to influence and to inform the public. Or a politician will never run for a post if he knows for himself that he does not have the will to serve his people. Rebellion and obedience are two different things. Not all those in power must be followed unless you know they are doing something beneficial to the people. We should aim to be leaders, not followers. If we will just always depend on the decision of those who are seated in office, our real needs will never get satisfied. Inner rebel must emerge in times when wrongdoing is present. This will help you voice out the change you want to see. Inner rebel can either make or break you, or hurt or not hurt you depending on how we utilize it. As a student, never be afraid to take a step forward when the situation calls for it. Learn to listen to your inner voices and distinguish what is appropriate to do. Think outside the box. Never let anyone stop you from doing what you envisioned even if it has to cross some boundaries. You should be ready with the consequences of your actions. Be ready to face the reality that some may nod and some may shake their heads in every decision you lay on the table. It is better to live a life where you take all the chances than a life full of regrets.


THE PIONEER

Opinion

6 August for the Aquinos: Coincidence or Curse? “To date, the mastermind remained undisclosed and the case is also left unclosed.” AS I keep reading historical articles and documents about Philippine politics and modern history, I came to hypothesize that the month of August is a bitter month to the Aquinos. Collectively, there were many events which unfolded in August, whether prominent or not so known to the public. Here are some of the events that contribute to my claim. On August 21, 1983, Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., considered the staunchest opposition to President Marcos, was shot dead upon his arrival from a threeyear self exile in the US while descending to the tarmac of the Manila International Airport from the plane that brought him from Taipei. Subsequently, there were investigations conducted as to determine the mastermind, but they just brought controversy than definite conclusions. According to one version, a military escort, who was a step above Aquino, was the one who shot him from an elevated position which explains the descending trajectory on the ballistics examination in Aquino’s skull. Yet, the version of the military hurls the blame on another casualty. A communist hitman under orders from Communist Chairman Rodolfo Salas, named Rolando Galman, fired the shot upon his egress from the plane staircase where Aquino and his escorts were descending. He was then shot and killed by the responding military. Conspiracy theories also surfaced which suggested that should Galman fail in assassinating Ninoy, the military escorts shall do the job and at the same time kill him. Initially basing from the first version, the Agrava Commission, led by Hon. Corazon Agrava, came to the verdict of charging 25 military personnel, several generals and colonels, and one civilian with two counts of murder. But in a sudden twist of fate, the convicts were eventually acquitted, much to the dismay of the people. This left the case unclosed. Not only was August bitter to the Aquinos, but it was also bitter to their political party. On August 21, 1971, 11 years before Ninoy’s assassination, the bombing of Plaza Miranda took place during the Liberal Party’s campaign rally. It caused nine deaths and injuries to 95 people including the LP standard-bearers present, which almost killed Senator Jovito Salonga, LP President Gerry Roxas, and Sergio Osmena Jr. as they were in front of the elevated platform, the epicenter of the explosion. The blast also inflicted serious damage to then-Mayoralty candidate Ramon Bagatsing, the longest-reigning Manila mayor to date, wherein he lost his left leg and had his arm shattered. Blames were passed to President Marcos and to the then-Communists Chairman Jose Maria Sison. But to date, the mastermind remained undisclosed and the case is also left unclosed. August was bitter especially during the presidency of Corazon Aquino, Ninoy’s widow. One of her biggest challenges was on August 28, 1987; wherein a cabal of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement, headed by then Colonel Gringo Honasan, led the most serious and fatal attempt to overthrow her Regime. Honasan and his men organized a coup d’état and seized the Malacañang Palace, Camp Aguinaldo, National Defense Headquarters, Villamor Airbase, and some broadcast stations in Manila. The coup attempt was quelled and ended in a failure, but it resulted to 53 deaths and more than 200 injuries, wherein most were civilians, including Aquino’s son, Noynoy. But it could not get any bitter for the Aquinos, and to the Philippine nation, on the first of August 2009 when Cory Aquino died of cardiorespiratory arrest brought about by the complications of colorectal cancer. On to the second generation of this famed political pedigree. Noynoy, now known as PNoy, albeit only having three years in presidential office, has already faced August bitterness. One of his first challenges is the August 23 Luneta Hostage crisis in 2010 followed by the death of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo on August 18, 2012. As for newest Aquino politician, Senator Bam bared on August 19, 2013 that he will not use his P200-million pork barrel allocation following the scam and his cousin president’s claim that he will not abolish the system amidst the controversy. Seems like his first August in senate is going good for Senator Bam. My research about this mystery surrounding the month of August and the Aquinos is still incomplete, yet, I already formulated questions. Is August a curse to the Aquinos? Or the unavoidable happenstances are reasons why there are such coincidences with the month of August? This article had no intention of daunting Aquino loyalists or doubting the Aquinos and their form of administration, but it cannot be helped but to question how a specific month can combine storms to a prominent political lineage. Or maybe in the end as it may turn out, my critical thinking is just clashing with my rationale to the point that I am being exaggerated.

Breaking Free

WE LIVE in a world full of shackles. You go with the flow, you’re in. You go against the flow, you’re out. In this world, we have to live by the laws and aside from the laws; we also have to live by the norms that are set by our society. I find it funny that people are trying to break the rules when in fact, they are the same people who formulated the rules. Human beings search for freedom wishing to be free from all those rules that bind us without knowing that we are the ones who are putting the shackles on our own legs. It seems that people of the modern era lost their ability to decide. We always hear people say that they do certain things because others are also doing it. We can observe this kind of behavior during elections, polls, and even in our daily lives. Some people even pretend to know the latest issues, gossips, or trends just to get into the conversation. Who set these rules and standards in the first place? And why are people so scared to go against them? The reason why people are having this behavior may be because every human wants

“Who set these rules and standards in the first place? And why are people so scared to go against it?” to have the feeling of belongingness. Just like the famous saying “No man is an island,” people are afraid to be left out. However, we should realize that no two people are the same. We are all unique and special in our own ways because we were created that way. When I was young, I did not care about the fashion trend or the latest gadget. I wore the clothes that I wanted to wear and I was happy the way I was. But as I grew up, I started following other people. I found myself wearing the trendy shoes and carrying the latest phone. Whenever I go to the mall, I see different people looking all the same holding smart phones on one hand. I think that modern people failed to recognize the difference between being different and being wrong. In the past, Great scientists like Albert Einstein and Thomas

Edison either dropped out or expelled from school. Galileo’s famous heliocentric theory was against the beliefs of his time and he was sentenced to imprisonment for publishing such ideas. So many scientists and great thinkers became subjects of ridicule because their ideas were different from the generally accepted truth. But now, we see their theories in science and history books and we study their theories some of which are proved to be true. Who is to judge the rightness and wrongness of others when all of us are sinners? And how can one say that someone is wrong because he thinks differently from other people? We are all different individuals and it is a natural thing that we think differently from each other. Like what we learn from Sociology, what may be accepted by a certain society

might not be acceptable to others - like divorce and abortion. So, does that mean the culture or norms of other group are wrong just because it is different from ours? We should learn to accept the difference. Great developments come from something extraordinary. And positive changes can happen when we think out of the box. Thinking in an unusual way is not being wrong but it is being different. Our uniqueness is what makes us distinguished from others. It makes us special, and it makes us the way we are. People who do not know how to move towards change can never get up to another level just like how the stagnant water rots. We should learn to make decisions for ourselves and have the courage to try something new, to go against the flow. People who violate the law will definitely get punished but we should not be afraid to express our own ideas. We should not be forced to do things against our will. We should start this positive defiance for ourselves. And once you break your shackles, you will be breaking free.

Bring Down Seniority DOMINANCE. HIGH status in a social group. Outstanding men over submissive ones. People who cannot be moved nor be imposed with laws. They stand firm. They stand the way they want to. I man the control desk in the library almost every day. And every day, I see different faces as they pass by. Some students smile or wave their hands. But others enter hastily without swiping their identification cards. Whenever they enter the library, they need to scan their IDs, and others think of this task as a burden. Howdy to all the students who always turn the library into a canteen where they enter with food or drinks and chitchat with their friends. Strictly, we promote the library as a “quiet zone” and we have never failed to remind them by posts or signs. Even if these noisy students cannot read, it is a common knowledge that a library must maintain its silence. Most of us, if not all, went through freshmen orientation and therein, the school’s dos and don’ts were laid before our very own eyes. If we cannot recall every rule, we are always free to consult and review our student handbooks. I just shake my head

“When you are at the top, there are only two ways for you: Either you remain on the position or go all the way down.” whenever I come across other students who fail to meet the university’s rules and regulations. Proper decorum is strictly monitored, but there are a number of students who have colored hair, cheerleader skirts, etc. We are witnesses of these offenses and yet we tolerate them by remaining silent and passive. The more saddening part is that most violators are juniors and/or seniors. Seniors who have stayed in the university for four to five years are the most immovable as I have observed. They may think that they can do everything they want because they are older and they must be respected. But judging by their actions, who will respect them? Instead of being good models to their fellow students, they act as bosses – as if they own the whole university. Seniority system is the pattern they follow and they place themselves on top of

the hierarchy. For the long years they have spent here, the rules and regulations were not or may never be refreshed in their minds. As the saying goes, “You are aging backwards” which means your actions are inappropriate of your level. I was a freshman when I encountered a senior student at the library. I politely requested him to scan his ID. But he refused to do so and told me, “Why do I have to scan my ID? I was able to enter the library earlier without doing that.” I persistently demanded him to scan his ID but then, he inquired with an escalating tone, “Bakit, anong year ka na ba?” I felt too small when he uttered those piercing words. Freshmen should not be treated like little rats. They should never be discriminated. We should not lay our hands off with the matter only because the seniors are superior and they appear untouchable.

Seemingly, little voices should be heard and they should form a clearer stand. The seniors are not Gods and we do not need to bow down or kneel before them. We are no different. They are also one of us. We are all students in this university. Higher year students should not take advantage of their seniority. Power should not be abused; it should be used in the proper manner. Yes, they have stayed here longer but that fact does not make them more superior. All students must be equal and no one should degrade anyone. They have no right to dominate students beneath their level. The winds may blow differently from time to time. And when the time comes, they may have something to brag about, but until then, they do not have the right to do so. The more you uplift yourself, the more you will be pulled down. Come to think of it, it is not good to brag about anything when you have not attained any rewards or recognitions. You cannot act like a boss when you do not own a company. When you are at the top, there are only two ways for you: Either you remain on that position or go all the way down. Always remember that we must keep our feet on the ground.


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THE PIONEER

Features

7

Tanong sa Estudyante

No. You didn’t read it wrong. No. It’s not a typographical error. Yes. This is something new from The Pioneer. It’s now time for instructors and

administrators to ask students questions (as they always do in classes). Find out what our mentors have in mind and find out the response of our fellow Angeleneans.

by Leslie Gechelle dela Cruz

Bakit maraming student ang nakakalimot ng schoolbliz password, gayong every school year naman ay ginagamit ito?

Bakit

What would encourage you to organize or participate more in community service activities of the university?

napakahirap para sa mga estudyante ang sumunod sa mga patakaran ng school? Samantalang nasa orientation at handbook naman iyon.

Glicel Grace DG Tiamzon, CCDS

If only those who are in the position will serve as a role model in actively participating in the different community services. - Kat, CON Actually, we are already inspired and encouraged because the university we attend to is something to be proud of. And the fact that we have fun with classmates during the activities is already something. - Dane, CEd

Bakit maraming students ang mahilig magreview sa canteen kahit hindi na sila kumakain, tumatambay pa rin sila. Yung iba tuloy na gustong kumain, wala ng lugar.

Ricardo Bondoc, OSSS

Hindi naman mahirap. Sadyang may mga estudyanteng pasaway lang talaga. - Gene Mark Bondoc, CBA Siguro, dahil karamihan sa kanila ay nagsasawa na o kaya tinatamad. Bagamat sang-ayon ako at sumusunod sa mga patakarang ito. Di lang siguro maiwasan yung sitwasyon na kung saan di mo na mapapansin na nalalabag mo na pala ito. Kailangan lang siguro ng tamang pagpapaalala at pagbibigay-halaga. - Kevin Villanueva, CEd

What

James Dizon, MISS

proactive programs can you suggest to make your university life at AUF more meaningful?

Ma. Gwendelyn Oronce, OSAFA

Kasi malamig, may aircon. Tapos pwede pang kumain atsaka magingay. Sa library kase, bawal yun. - Ceilo, CAMP

To make our university life more meaningful, simply proactively joining and supporting the programs will do. - Bong, CAS

James Dizon, MISS Siguro sa dami ng kanilang mga account sa iba’t ibang social network, nakakalimutan na nila yung password. - Kirk Von Reyes Kase binibigay din naman ng mga prof yung mga grades kaya hindi na sila gaanong nakakacheck nung schoolbliz nila. - Basti Dizon, CCS

How

do you feel about the on-going problem faced by the nearby school (HAU)? Do you think this might affect you? Or anyone in auf?

I feel bad about what happened to HAU because the number one who’s greatly affected by it are its students. Many classes are interrupted and students find it difficult to focus on their lessons. Although we are not directly part of it, Angeleneans are in some ways affected by it and are doing what they can in their own little ways to help out or to extinguish the problem. - Marvin, CAMP

Want to give a different answer? Want to add something to the answer already given? Message us on our Facebook page (The Pioneer AUF). We want you to be heard.

SAYS

SAYS

SAYS

by John Edward Mamangun and Gerard Alain Nulud

IN THE world of the wild ones and the daredevils, which empire would rule it all: the guys’, the girls’, or the gays’?

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College is such a bizarre world Enveloped by over-the-top thoughts, antics, and personalities, you could only expect the best (or the worst) during your stay here And it seems to be fitting to put the Angelenean’s untamed side to the test to determine which gender dominates the deviance category By pulling out 30 students – 10 guys, 10 girls, and 10 gays –we will reveal the AUF’s most rebellious All of which will be coming straight from the answers and responses of the HE, the SHE, and the BEKI! Roll it! STEAL SOMETHING HE SAYS

INITIATE A PUBLIC FIGHT

“Boys kasi alam nila na mas kaya nilang gawin yun dahil mas malakas sila sa mga babae at gays.” - Jaem Vigilla, CBA

“Para sa akin mga babae. Siguro dahil na rin sa kadahilanang naiinggit sila sa kung SHE anong meron ang iba lalo na kung ito’y SAYS pagmamay-ari ng taong kinaiinisan o ayaw nila.” - Joane Clarisse Misola, CBA “Boys. Kasi usually sa mga nakakasama BEKI ko, boys kasi yung makikita mong may SAYS bisyo. Pag yung boy, lalo na pag may bisyo siya, syempre kailangan niya ng supply ng pagkakagastusan niya ng bisyo. Pag ang supply naubos, it’s either humingi, mangupit, o kumuha.” - Ninja Rain, CON DESTROY A UNIVERSITY FACILITY HE SAYS

“Para sa akin boys dahil very aggressive sila kasi. Di tulad ng girls, mostly mga mahihinhin, kung baga sa gamit mapagalaga. “ - William Rider, CAS

“Lalaki po. Marami po kasi silang ginagawang kalokohan sa school.” - KD Torres, CON

SHE SAYS

“Guys. Because sometimes yung mga barkada ‘di ba. Kapag may kasama silang BEKI gagawa ng kalokohan, mas lumalakas SAYS yung fighting spirit nila para mag-break ng rules.” - My Husband’s Lover, CAMP GO PSYCHO HE SAYS

“Girls, kase mas marunong mag-handle yung guys. Yung girls kase parang vulnerable.” - Calvin Zerlie Garcia, CEA

“I think the gays because gays are SHE seemingly out of tune at the start. Just an SAYS honest impression.”- Edlijahlou dela Cruz, CAMP “I think girls, because yung guys, bihira lang BEKI yan ma-stress when it comes to school SAYS kase parang enjoy-enjoy lang sila. Same as with, us, gays. Yung girls kase parang medyo pine-pressure yung sarili nila.”- LDP, CEd

HE SAYS

“Guys. It’s because of man’s nature to compete and to be on top of everything, EGO.” - John Kenneth Lava, CAMP

“Gays are most likely to initiate a public fight because sometimes they don’t control their feelings whenever and wherever.” - Christine Raine Estrada, CAMP

SHE SAYS

“Gays tend to start a public fight because, other people do something na hindi BEKI maganda, like judging them or making SAYS chika about them. So we tend to fight back. Wala naman taong gustong maapakan.” - Jerwin Poul Yambao, CAS ATTACK A PROFESSOR “Gays. Matatapang kasi sila. Siyempre HE kapag nakita nilang mali yung prof, talagang SAYS susugurin nila yon.” - Renly Garcia, CCS “Feel ko gays. Kase parang they are the mix of being straightforward and being expressive. They always have a say on almost everything. SHE Atsaka ‘di ba most gays kapag ayaw SAYS nila yung professor, they say something behind their backs or mock them. So siguro, lalo na kapag breaking point na nila, they could attack them.” - Chinita, CEd “For me boys kasi as what I notice mostly boys yung napapagalitan ng mga teachers BEKI SAYS dahil mas pasaway sila. So I think sila yung madalas na mag-attack ng mga prof dahil sila ang madalas napapagalitan.” - Baby Josh, CBA RUN AROUND THE SCHOOL NAKED “Guys. Parang kapag oblation run ‘di ba, halos lahat guys ang tumatakbo. Guys lang ang may lakas ng loob” - Big Mac, CCJE “Mga lalaki po. Kasi yung mga napapanuod ko sa TV, halos lalaki po yung gumagawa SHE tsaka parang ‘konti lang yung hiya nila.” SAYS - Darrell Dayrit, CCJE HE SAYS

BEKI SAYS

“Guys. Sila lang naman yung kayang gumawa nun.” - 1E, CAMP

BE A COLLEGE DROPOUT

BE SUICIDAL IN LOVE

“Guys, since they rather stick to games and girls rather than study. And even if they do try to make a comeback, they just slack off. Got nothin’ about gays. They are sort of neutral, I guess.” - Shaheed Anam Hussain, CAS “For me, it would be guys. Because guys would more likely fall to bad vices that SHE would really affect their studies until such SAYS time that they would do anomalous stuff that would lead to drop-outs. Because at this age, guys are more likely to be on the rebellion side of their lives.” - Aling Maliit, CAMP

“Lalaki. Tayong mga guys, hindi natin naeexpress ng mabuti yung emotions natin. Yung mga girls (and gays), pinapakita nila (agad) yung emotions nila. So tayo, since hindi natin na-eexpress, ginagawa na lang natin is mag-suicide.” - Patrick Charles Deang, CON

HE SAYS

BEKI SAYS

“Lalaki, marami kasi silang bisyo. And most guys kasi hindi masyadong tinetake seriously yung studies nila. Parang everything is just all fun and games.” - Daryl Layug, CEd

CONFRONT A UNIVERSITY PERSONNEL/ADMINISTRATION “Girls. Because I think girls are much more HE sensitive than others especially when SAYS it comes to cases like this.” - Jang Keon Hee, CEA “Mga babae, emotional sila eh. Talagang nilalabas nila yung mga frustrations nila.” - Yvette Joy Cayanan, CCS

SHE SAYS

“First of all, being ‘opinionated’ became a trait for gays. They always stand up for what BEKI they believe in and take the front if they SAYS believe they’re right. They’re always ready to give their piece of mind if their rights or pagka-beki are being violated or questioned.” - Chris Javier, CBA

HE SAYS

“I think guys because they are less expressive than girls. Girls tend to show more emotions and admit to themselves that they can’t. When guys have pride, they usually keep their emotions to themselves and cause them to do what they think first without thinking twice.” - Koleen Angela Mercado, CBA SHE SAYS

BEKI SAYS

“Sa nakikita ko ngayon, feeling ko babae, kase parang very vulnerable sila. Yung lalaki madaling magmove-on. Yung babae hindi eh.” - Bekilicious13, CEd

BE OSAFA’S MOST WANTED “Sa tingin ko boys eh. kasi marami silang HE ginagawang kalokohan especially yung mga SAYS crim eh. Hindi naman sa sinisiraan ko yung reputasyon ng course namin pero halos lahat matitigas ang ulo.” - Ryan Bautista, CCJE SHE SAYS

“Guys. Sa haircut pa lang, tsaka kalokohan. Malakas ang mga loob nila tsaka obvious ang mga kalokohan nila.” - Mae Ocampo, CAMP

“For me boys kasi as what I notice mostly boys yung napapagalitan ng mga teachers dahil mas pasaway sila. So I think sila yung madalas na mag-attack ng mga prof dahil sila ang madalas napapagalitan.” Baby Josh, CBA BEKI SAYS

After obtaining the opinions of a mixture of dudes, dudettes, and ‘dudings’, the kingdom of the huge brawns and wooly chests reigned as the most mischievous empire. Men, being the tough and sturdy ones, have left the impression of being the most feral. Overly worrying over troubles both petty and significant, and the tendency to show concerns and frustrations at a snap, the girls rank second. The beki community falls at the last place but their fearless character certainly gave them the edge to gain a certain level of fierceness which they are known for.

So which empire are you at, the He, She, or Beki?


THE PIONEER

Features

8

#medyobadstudent by John Edward Mamangun and Gerard Alain Nulud

Angeleneans are known for their intelligence, integrity, and innocence – or are they?!

Rules... Why restrict students from doing what they itch to do? “Break the rules. It will be fun,” your evil subconscious mind said. Everyone has his wicked side. We all possess those invisible demons that whisper to our ears, imploring us to execute mischief. May it be evil, freaky, weird, reckless or spontaneous; it comes off inevitably and unexpectedly which is completely human nature.

WHAT THEY WANT TO DO

WHAT THEY WANT TO DO

This might be the most typical of all. Aibs of BS Criminology seconded that claim. As a working student, he asserts that managing time can be a problem. Funny it may seem, Aibs thinks that cutting classes is the solution. “Pagsasabayin mo yung studies and work mo sa school. Nakakapagod tapos malayo pa ang uuwian mo and gigising ka pa ng maaga. Kaya gusto kong mag cutting para makapagreview pa ako nang maayos saka makapagpahinga ako agad sa bahay.”

Grades seem to be an Angelenean’s greatest fear but IT student Juan Miguel Magdangal has a ridiculously wicked idea up his sleeve. He would like to hack the MISS SchoolBliz System and change the grades of all Angeleneans into a sharp 97. Pretty insane, right? “Feel ko kasi magaling ako nun, at para maging masaya ang lahat. Para lahat ng graduate ng AUF, summa cum laude,” JM lauded. So if you checked your SchoolBliz account and your grades just blasted into straight 97s, you know who to thank, and MISS, you know who to blame.

Cut classes

Hack and change

WHAT THEY REALLY DO

WHAT THEY REALLY DO

Oh c’mon. This is not new to anyone at all. If one can’t skip class, why not show yourself minutes before it ends? Waking up early in the morning is not easy. It is a burden. The fact that most instructors are being considerate to students arriving late is what makes us ‘chill’ and slack off.

“No eating in my class. No using of gadgets during class discussion,” said your professors on your first meeting. But roam around the classroom and you’ll spot someone sneaking food out of his bag and into his mouth. Behind him is someone using his iPad. Candy Crush, Temple Run, 4 Pics 1 Word, Zombie Tsunami, name ‘em all! We could use a little fun to prevent those shuteyes.

Filipino Time

Sneaky… sneaky…

Okay lang naman kay Ma’am na ma-late eh. Push ko na. #MedyoBadStudent

Boring discussion? Eat secretly, text sneakily. #MedyoBadStudent

WHAT THEY WANT TO DO

WHAT THEY WANT TO DO

Have you ever felt the urge to express something inside of you that you end up writing it, not on paper but on the wall? Congratulations, you just vandalized. Vandalism, as we all know, is a big no-no in the university. But if given a chance, Raffy Jay Villapaňa of BS Psychology would like to redecorate the plain classrooms with a splash of stylized writings of expressions. He thinks through this, the rooms would be “much cooler.”

Who says that only One Direction or Daniel Padilla has these zealous fangirls swooning over? Apparently, our very own Mr. President has a flattering set of girls (and guys, too) who wants to have a personal meet and greet. While, some may keep it strictly business, others wish to have a private and casual conversation with him. CEd student PinkyMe (not her real name) aspires to have a get-to-know session with the university president. Furthermore, she also yearns to hug him. Well just make sure that you sneak past JELA’s security.

Break into JELA’s office

Graffiti-fy the Classroom

WHAT THEY REALLY DO

WHAT THEY REALLY DO

Art is everywhere

Are you a regular library visitor? If yes, then you’re most likely familiar with the firm wooden desks which you can work on. Slapped on those are words, doodles, and even phone numbers penned by various students. Some desks even contain messages wherein clashing colleges trash talk one another. Are you sick of reading your textbooks and handouts? Read the vandals on the desks instead. “Hawak mo ang kinabukasan ng bayan.” Who would forget these words written above the urinals in almost every men restroom in the Professional School building? Male students taking their wee-wee break will certainly leave the restroom inspired by what they have read… or not.

No ID, prompt entry

One does not simply surpass the guards. But if there’s one thing that’s often sneaked into, it’s not JELA’s office but the guards’ lookout. Forget everything but never your ID cards. To attempt entering the school premises without this four-sided plastic while hoping to spare yourself from being accosted is tricky. The students’ simple method to get pass them is to go in quickly once the guard isn’t around or when he does not have his eyes on the entrance. Wala yung guard, walang sisita. 1… 2… 3… SUGOD! #MedyoBadStudent Art by Neil Salonga

Practicing freedom of speech? Vandalize. #MedyoBadStudent

We are humans and we make mistakes. But that does not mean that it’s fine not to be excellent. We are not an exception to becoming exceptional. As students of one of the country’s best universities, we must strive our very best to not just be a “Medyo Good Student” and certainly not a “Medyo Bad Student.” It is our obligation to carve brilliance within us since we, Angeleňeans, are worthy of being titled as “Sobrang Good Students.” Follow the rules. Be outstanding. Be an Angeleňean. #SobrangGoodStudent

vocaloid

how to be friends with

PUNKS

by Genesis Santos

by Daniella Pattine Dizon

EVEN PUNK princess Avril Lavigne knows it. “Why should I care what other people think of me? I am who I am and who I wanna be.” According to Yahoo, Punk music, and anyone who is a member of the punk counterculture, is antiestablishment and usually subscribes to left-wing political views. They are generally tolerant and openminded people, and want to change society for the better. They’re willing to question tradition, challenge other people, and fight against authority in order to achieve this. Punks don’t usually support violence, but they’re willing to support revolutionary ideas to change our society for the better. “They’re weird. I mean, why do they have to change their physical appearance if they can live a normal life?” –Irvin Tang, CON “Punks have unique styles. In terms of fashion, behavior, music taste, and a lot more. They are people with a different kind of view on things. They are weird and they really feel their music.” –Ryle Sundiam, CCS “I’ve always perceived punk only as punk fashion, and punks are people who patronize garage level rock icons in their clothing.” –Matthew Gopez, CBA Don’t be an impostor. In addition, don’t be deceiving as to telling them you know who they are and what they’re all about. Just remember that they live their lives the way they feel comfortable and you live your life the way you feel at ease as well.

Art by Kane Nielsen Payumo

Perhaps at this point in time, you already have an idea of what punks are and how they act in public. You may term them as some usually trifling gangster, hoodlum or ruffian, but deep down in their skins and bones and behind their tartan trousers and two-foot mohawk, there is more to learn about them. Get all these inside your curious heads and who knows? Maybe you’d be best buds with one. Punks loathe it when people try hard to be like them, so:

Don’t jump to settle and agree with them on everything. Ergo, ask questions and have an open mind in trying out new experiences and beliefs even if they go against your own.

Don’t hoot and scoff at their opinions and customs as much as you think it’s acceptable because every person still deserves to be respected and to be treated with dignity. In this way, you might feel comfortable exploring their punk side without judgment or clash from squares. Don’t even dare scream to their faces you like the things they like for they might conclude, it’s a complete hoax.

Don’t try to impress them by listening to a couple of emo music or buying handful of black t-shirts with band names written on them. The punk subculture isn’t about the clothes you wear or, even to a certain extent the music you listen to, it’s instead about a person’s mindset and way of life.

Initially, starting a talk with the punks is precisely challenging, albeit in the long run, being open to them is indeed very easy. So relax and be confident. Don’t be timid in starting a conversation with them. It will not make you less of a person anyway. Although you may feel wary and ashamed at first, once you have made friends with them it will all be worth it. Be who you really are because if you totally change to be their acquaintance, then living your life as a conundrum is going to be living abyss. Embrace a new world, and at least know for once what it feels like to have the odds of being into a spectacularly peculiar world.

“GEKOKUJO!” OR Revolution in Japanese happens to be a title of a Vocaloid song too. You might be asking, who’s Vocaloid? A singer? A group? A band? Wrong! It’s no human, but a voice program that could be a substitute to real singers. Where did this technology come from? No other place than the techie and quirky country, Japan. Vocaloid is a technology developed by Yamaha Corporation that allows voice synthesis by simply adding lyrics and melody. What does it mean? It means one can make songs and have it sung without having an actual singer sing, like a Singer-in-a-Box. And how does that make it possible? The singing voice comes from fragments of voices recorded from actual singers, called the Singer Library. It has an extensive voice bank consisting of male and female voices. And to add to that, Vocaloid is not only limited to the Japanese language. It recognizes English, Korean and Chinese as well. The Vocaloid revolution is slowly spreading throughout Japan and the whole world through the power of the Internet. Starting out in a video site called Nico Nico Douga, the Japanese equivalent of YouTube, it continued onto YouTube itself and onto the whole world. The most known Vocaloid was Miku Hatsune who is now also the face of Vocaloid. Compared to the ones that came before her, she was immediately favored since she became out of stock on her release date. She may not have been the first one made, but she has become the first “Virtual Idol or Diva” and earned numerous fans, most songs composed and most appearances. With its rising popularity, both Hatsune and other Vocaloids, original songs, fan-arts and music videos keep coming over the Internet.

THE VIRTUAL SINGER Vocaloid fans stock REVOLUTION up on Vocaloid dolls, posters, figures, figurines and other vocaloid-themed products. Other than the software itself, there’s a program called Miku Miku Dance wherein models of Vocaloid characters are used to make music video. It’s also a hit over YouTube. Believe it or not, Vocaloid has its own live concerts. How? Holograms and the characters projected on large screens. A PSP game called Hatsune Miku: Project Diva, 3DS game called Hatsune Miku and Future Stars: Project Mirai were also made, beat-rhythm following games featuring its famous songs. If that Photo Credit: wasn’t enough, Miku Google Images Hatsune is already in advertisements and an endorser of several brands. These brands are Yamaha, Sega, Toyota, Google, Domino’s Pizza, Japanese public transits, racing teams and so much more. She even sang the theme song and appeared in commercials of FamilyMart, the Japanese equivalent of MiniStop or 7-11.Vocaloid even made appearances in several animes, shows and games, either their songs, things inspired by it and even the Vocaloids themselves. People continue to cosplay Vocaloids, use the software to compose songs, draw fanarts, make music videos, use Vocaloid-themed products and actually pay to watch live concerts of it. The Vocaloids themselves continue to entertain the people who use them. Who would expect the sky-rocketing popularity of a Virtual Singer who is no more than a software to be this massive? With companies helping in developing and improving more Vocaloids, having a Vocaloid in every language and song genre doesn’t seem far off. With technology getting better and better, Vocaloids might just overpower human singers and bump them off the stage and spotlight one day.

Ev wh is a and tra usu the “Th no “Pu peo Ry “I’v roc Per Yo ski the


THE PIONEER

Features

LIAR LIAR

PANTS ON FIRE

READING LIST FOR THE UNCONVENTIONAL READER by King Jim Pamintuan

YOU ARE not the same person after every book. Books transform you. But there are those that do it better. Here are some that will elevate your mind from the ordinary to the eccentric:

TALENT IS OVERRATED: WHAT REALLY SEPARATES WORLD CLASS PERFORMERS FROM EVERYBODY ELSE

by Kelly Stan Fausto

Geoff Colvin

EVERYBODY LIES. Someone who says he doesn’t is obviously a liar. Truth be told, it’s not to be called life when it isn’t a life of occasional and practical lies. And the Angelenean life is not to be spared. Lies have been housed on those mischievous minds and escaped when the need for them comes. And for the first time, Angeleneans confide in all honesty, the lies they so carefully kept. Enjoy this factual account of relatable, unusual yet totally epic collection of Pinocchio moments.

LIE TRUTH

LIE TRUTH

The book shows through the analysis of superb people in several fields—such as music, arts, sports, and business—that neither talent nor practice is the determiner of excellence, but rather deliberate practice. It gives account of what super performers—Mozart, Tiger Woods, Benjamin Franklin—did in common to achieve a certain level of brilliance, and the price they had to pay.

“Sorry I’ m home late. We did a project.” “Projects aren’t fun. Friends are.”

Chantelle Grace Changcoco, an AB Communication student, wouldn’t let anything get in the way of having a good laugh with friends. “I usually lie to my parents when I come home late. I tell them that I was busy being involved in a group project, when in truth, I just went to a friend’s house to have fun.”

“Sorry I wasn’t around. I wasn’t feeling well. No, I had to attend to something. Nah, forget it.” “I’m not in the mood to walk to school.”

WRECK THIS JOURNAL Keri Smith This is not a book to read but rather a book that invites you to interact with it and, in fact, gives you ways on how to destroy it. Yes, that’s right! This book instructs you to destroy it day by day by poking holes in it, “accidentally” spilling coffee on the pages, doodling on it, writing the same word over and over. The shabbier you can make the book, the better. Often we fail to act on something due to fear that we might not get it right, that things will not turn out as perfectly as we expect. Wreck this Journal says, “Let go! Loosen up! Wreck this journal!”

There are so many awesome ways to mask that tardy you that enumerating them can make you as lazy as Paul Yumang. This student from CEd reveals “When I don’t come to school and my professors ask me why, I tell them that I have to go to Manila to fix some papers.”

LIE TRUTH

120 DAYS OF SODOM AND OTHER WRITINGS Marquis de Sade

“We are hard workers. Of course we have classes.” Fond of reading 50 Shades of Grey? It’s nothing compared to this father of Bondage, Discipline, Sadism, and Masochism (BDSM) books. 120 Days of Sodom is an influential work depicting four middle-aged libertines who enacted their fantasies with their own daughters, ugly women, and young boys and girls among others. The word “sadist”, meaning “someone who gains pleasure from causing others physical or psychological pain,” is derived from the author’s name. You might also be interested in reading Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch as a companion book. The word “masochist” is derived from Masoch.

“No classes, woohoo! No classes, boohoo!”

Jamel Payabyab from CAMP gets his own take on lying. “The biggest lie that I have ever made was when I told my mom that we have classes, when there really weren’t.” And that take hadn’t really gone well for Jamel. “But then, she decided to drive me to school and that made me confess the truth. I simply wanted to be in the company of my friends in the midst of boredom.” Criminology student Ryan Bautista gets his lucrative mind to work winding up on a rather pricelessly epic end. “I go to school even if there’s no class just so my parents would give me my allowance for that day. One day, my parents went to school to pay my tuition fees. They approached my professor, and he told them that I didn’t show up in class during that day. From that moment, they knew I lied.”

LIE TRUTH

“I’m clueless about my grades.” “Oh no! That’s one bloody schoolbliz!”

Pharmacy student Jonathan Powell reveals his trick on getting out of a painful confession of an even more painful score. “When I have failing grades, I don’t tell them to my parents. I tell them that I don’t have a clue about my grades, because I don’t want to disappoint them.” Filtering information seems to work for Angelie Hidalgo, HRM student. Blurt out all the good stuff. Leave the bad under the rock, never to be seen again. “I don’t usually tell my grades to my parents especially the failing grades. I only mention my passing grades.”

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THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG Muriel Barbery The unconventional reader will surely identify with this book’s two protagonists who do not conform to the norms of their respective social groups. Renee, a super smart concierge in a posh hotel who hides her brilliance because of her fear related to her past, and Paloma, a 12-yearold precocious kid who decides to commit suicide by the time she turns 13 because of life’s meaninglessness, will surely move the reader. The mild but potent power of the book will make the reader ponder the little pulps of happiness and meaning in life despite the apparent unpleasantness of the human condition.

THE PRINCE Niccolo Machiavelli

“Sorry I’m late. Something came up.” “What came up? Deception came up.”

Machiavelli is an advocate of realism as opposed to idealism, of seeing things objectively rather than judging their moral value. Machiavelli believes that it is sometimes expedient to act immorally if the situation calls for it. “Hence a prince...must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires,” Machiavelli wrote. The book has influenced rulers in history such as Joseph Stalin and Ferdinand Marcos. The adjective “Machiavellian” is often used to refer to people who are overtly political and manipulative. So the reader who takes this book to heart will likely imbibe that amoral spirit.

Lies about the failure to comply with the agreed schedule are the most abused. The journey to the set meeting place becomes a battle in choosing between heart-warming and flowery excuses and perfecting the execution of displaying the most believable façade to get out of trouble. The usual yet effective ones include: “I’m sorry I was late. I had to deal with some personal matters at home. I can’t tell you what those are,” delivered with puppy dog eyes.

“No chance I could get there on time. I had to fight the raging wind and flood,” reasoned out ven punk princess Avriland Lavigne on a bright sunnyknows day. it. “Why should I care what other people think of me? I am ho I am and who I wanna be.” “Blame this Punk slow music, driver and whoanyone literally stops on everyofstreet, even deserted ones, to fetch According to Yahoo, who is a member the punk counterculture, passengers. know I wouldtolove to fly political to you now,” openingtolerant your eyes after a anti-establishment andYou usually subscribes left-wing views. sent They upon are generally wonderful sleep.” d open-minded people, and want to change society for the better. They’re willing to question adition, challenge other people, and fight against authority in order to achieve this. Punks don’t It’s not but justthey’re the usual ones work. Angeleneans cantogochange from the common ually support violence, willing tothat support revolutionary ideas our society forto the most e better. outrageous. hey’re weird. IDale, mean, why do theyreveals have to change their physical they can live a asked me CCS student, his. “The funniest lie thatappearance I made wasifwhen my friends ormal life?”how –Irvin Tang, I was, andCON I told them that I’ m okay. My face was sweating and all and they wondered why. unks haveIunique styles. terms ofhot. fashion, behavior, taste,having and aalot They are ache and told them thatIn it was just But the truth ismusic that I was badmore. case of stomach ople with athat different of view are weird and they really feel their music.” – I reallykind needed to goon tothings. the CR They during that time.” yle Sundiam, CCS Goldwyn a freshman Tourism student, want to go all blushing and ve always perceived punkNatividad, only as punk fashion, and punks are peopledoes whonot patronize garage level in –Matthew front of theGopez, apple CBA of his eye. “I lied to my crush when she asked me who I was ck icons inembarrassed their clothing.” crushing I didn’t want tohave tell her thatofI what had apunks crushare on and her,how so I they mentioned a different name rhaps at this point inon. time, you already an idea act in public. instead.” ou may term them as some usually trifling gangster, hoodlum or ruffian, but deep down in their ins and bones and behind their tartan and remember two-foot mohawk, is morealways to learn about Lying is human nature.trousers But always what thethere grown-ups tell us: “Honesty is em. Get allthe these inside your curious heads and who knows? Maybe you’d be best buds with one. best policy.” Punks loathe it when people try hard to be like them, so:

HOW TO READ A BOOK Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren The title of this book might seem paradoxical. The fact that one is reading this book means that he or she already can read a book. But Adler and Van Doren say that this is not exactly true. According to them, there are four levels of reading: Elementary, Inspectional, Analytic, and Syntopical. And many do not go beyond the Elementary level if they ever read at all. The authors advise the readers to choose a reading material that is intellectually above them so they can improve their minds by meeting that of the author. Also presented in this book are distinct mindsets to adopt when reading various kinds of reading matter such as History, Natural Sciences, Imaginative Literature, Philosophy and Social Sciences. Photos Credit: Google Images

Encounters with some books bring us face to face with other aspects of ourselves. Try these and find others.

Photo Credit: facebook.com/Booty Boyz

NO SHAME TO SHAKE by Emmanuel Panti HAVE YOU ever heard of the Booty Boyz? Formerly known as the Wang Sisters, the group made quite an impact after uploading their dance video in Youtube doing the widely known “booty shake.” This triple threat dance group includes Reyn Del Rosario and two of his childhood friends, Joseph Martinez and Loui Vituala. Reyn, Loui and Joseph are somehow in touch with their feminine personality, if you know what I mean. Trust me when I say that these three individuals put dancing into a whole new level. Booty Boyz gained popularity and amazed thousands of people in a span of less than two minutes. How? We all know that safety is an important thing to consider regarding dancing. It’s not that they could dislocate their behinds with all the shaking. The issue was more on the effects of gravity and heights too. Because instead of dancing in a wide and open area, they decided to go all the way up a neighbor’s roof to record a short dance clip. With very limited space to move, one wrong step will send them crushing down yet another neighbor’s roof and would probably break every bone in their body. To stay unique in the dancing industry, performers all around the world

use their outfits as their trademarks. Who can forget the Jabbawockeez wearing that white mask every time they perform, and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson and his white glove worn on his right hand? But with no budget allotted for wardrobe as cool and mysterious as those, Reyn, Loui and Josh simply relied on their resourcefulness and creativity by using whatever available inside their closets. The Wang sisters dance in very distinct fashion selection which is composed of boxer shorts, cut up tank tops and knee-high socks. The group is very honest and passionate on how they pursue the art of dance. “We are not professional, but we are striving to be,” as stated in their newly put up Facebook page “Booty Boyz.” Paolo Reyes, a third year nursing student, believes that “Dancing is a way to express oneself. Kahit na hindi ako kasing galing ng iba, basta alam ko na nabibigyan ko ng hustisya ang salitang pagsasayaw.” Dancing is not about how good you are. People dance because they choose to. They dance because they love to. Through dancing, people are connected to each other no matter what age, gender or style you have.


THE PIONEER

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mo ring maging “Teacher’s Pet.” Yung tipong kinagagaanan ng bakit pinagarap loob ni Ma’am o Ser; pinapansin kahit pa sa labas ng classroom o kaya’y kapag nakikiusap para ipa-move ang quiz, report o presentation at di ka pinakikinggan kung minsan pa nga ay dakilang textmate niya kapag may mga announcements. kaya ng feeling di ba? Yun bang malayo kang mapag-initan o magisa pet ng Sarap at inspirado magpasikat sa klase. Ngunit madalas, ang mga ganitong klase ng ay siyang mahirap abutin at nananatili nalang pangarap forever. Yung teacher pangarap “elusive dream” ang peg. Marahil, gaya ko ay naisip nyo na ring itanong sa mga sarili kung paano ba nagkakaroon ng teacher’s pet o kaya’y kung mo? inyong may criteria bang sinusunod ang mga guro sa kanilang pagpili o kaya kung BILANG ISANG mag-aaral, hindi mo maitatanggi na minsan sa buhay mo ay

ni Gestrelle Lides Sarmiento bakit hindi ka nagiging qualified sa titulong ito. Bakit nga kaya hindi ikaw ang Guhit ni Neil Salonga pet ng teacher mo? “Siguro hindi ako paborito ng teacher ko dahil masyado akong matanong sa mga lessons.” - PJ Dizon, CAMP “Di ako paborito ng prof ko dahil di ako gaanong matalino, kaya di niya ako napapansin.” - Kate Sunga, CON “Siguro dahil sa ugali ko, at hindi paggawa sa mga responsibilities ko as students.” - Adrian Sanchez, CEA

ISA KANG MEGAPHONE! Madaldal at maingay

PARA KANG SI GONG PAGONG! Medyo may pagka-slow

“Pweding maging factor yung parati akong bagsak sa quiz.” - Valerie Ann, CAMP

“Ayaw siguro ng isang teacher ang student dahil siya ay maingay at pasaway.” - Hiltone Garcia, CON Ito yung tipo ng estudyante na nakikipagsabayan at nakikiduet sa prof habang siya ay nag-didiscuss. At madalas, mas modulated pa ang beautiful voice niya sa boses ng teacher kaya tuloy siya ay nagiging sanhi ng interruption ng klase. Kung character mo ito, huwag ka nang magtaka kung bakit di ka bet ng iyong guro. Isa kang malaking hadlang sa misyon niya na magbahagi ng impormasyon.

IDOL MO SI SLEEPING BEAUTY! Tulug-tulugan at walang kibo sa klase “Minsan ayaw ng guro yung student kasi inactive sa klase niya at may ibang ginagawa sa oras ng klase.” - Mark Dennis Tinio, CCS Siya ang dakilang mag-aaral na sobrang behave sa klase na halos hindi na gumagalaw sa kanyang upuan. Ito yung medyo “shy type” na tao, di nagsasalita at napapanis ang laway sa bawat sabjek, never naisip na kumustahin si teacher. Minsan siya din yung forever and ever no reaction na soul dahil mahimbing ang pagtulog sa desk at ine-enjoy ang libreng aircon.

MAHILIG SA DISAPPEARING ACT!

Absent nang absent, never been present

“Nahihirapan ako makasunod sa mga lessons”. - Justin Paul Donado, CON Ispesyal na atensyon ang panawagan ng mga batang ito. Siya yung medyo nangugulit kay Mam o Ser na ulit-ulitin yung lesson, medyo bagalan ang pagsasalita at kung minsan may special request pa na dalian ang quiz o exam. Minsan, ang mga mabababa niyang mga grado ang nagiging hadlang upang siya ay mapansin at mapuri.

PARA KANG IBONG MATAYOG ANG LIPAD! Mayabang at nagmamagaling

Ayaw na ayaw ng isang prof ang isang estudyanteng mataas ang tingin sa sarili, yun bang tipong masyadong mabigat ang paa para mahila sa lupa. O kaya yung puro salita at di nakikitaan ng gawa. Ito yung tipo ng estudyante na feeling genius, pasikat pero wala namang binatbat. Kaya nga nag-aaral para matuto di ba? Okey lang naman magbahagi ng “stock knowledge” ngunit siguraduhing di ka nakakainsulto. Kung nararamdaman mong ito ang nagiging hadlang sa malayong loob ng prof mo sayo, panahon na para magbago ka.

MAGICIAN KA NA, DOKTOR KA PA! Mahilig mangopya at magtaktika para pumasa

“Ayaw ako ng teacher ko kasi lagi akong nag-aabsent.” - Reynaldo Joaquin, CEd Ang estudyanteng ito ay yung di makamove-on sa spirit ng bakasyon, parating wala sa klase na parang multo na bigla nalang susulpot o maglalaho sa oras na gusto niya. Siya yung parang lalagnatin pag nakatapak sa classroom dahil di sanay sa klima ng atmosphere doon.

Madiskarte-ito ang perpektong salita para sa estudyanteng ito. Kaya niyang makalusot sa anumang butas ng karayom para lang pumasa. Iba’t ibang techniques ang ginagamit para wag lang maboplaks sa test. Kahit hindi pa natatanggap ang diploma, nakikita na sa estudyanteng ito ang galing at potensyal na maging doktor. Isama pa ang sideline nang mabibilis na kamay at nakakabulag na ilusyon.

Oh ano? Natuklasan mo na ba ang magic ba’t di ka type ng professor mo? Sa totoo lang di naman talaga mahalaga kung maging paborito ka ng titser o prof mo, higit na mas importante na magampanan mo ang mga tungkulin at responsibilidad mo bilang mag-aaral.

PROTESTING BEHIND THE DIGITAL SCREEN

Photo Credit: Google Images

by Ma. Bernadette Castro

FROM THE moment we were told that we are standing on a democratic country, everyone acquired the right to voice out what they feel, think, and know. But how that right is enjoyed separates the previous generation from the current one. It is not much of the rallies with all the shouting, intense emotions, hungry stomachs, and wooden boards with red painted letters and exclamation points anymore. It is very much modern now. Voicing out in this generation is simply done through online protesting. Fellow netizens, we enjoy the privilege of establishing easier ways of expressing our thoughts only given to us by the Internet. By just typing, clicking or merely finger tapping, it’s very easy for people to see right through us. With the things one posts, tweets and sends, readers can get the idea of what the person behind the gadget feels. Who will forget the explosive issues brought about by the birth of the Cyber Crime law? It sparked unity among netizens that they had to call the day Black Tuesday. Many online protesters went black by changing their colorful profile and cover photos into plain black ones, with captions such as “No to Cyber Crime Law” or “RIP Freedom.” Others expressed their resistance through posting a status sporting a black horizontal bar followed by the text: “[status update blocked.](by RA. 1075).” Such a simple thing to do, right? But notice how such an effortless thing amplified the opinion of a concerned citizen. Anonymous Philippines, a group of hactivists (hackers + activists) gave the government the headaches when they hacked into their websites to show their disdain to the said law. The group’s way of protesting include publicizing incredibly infamous memes about government issues to present their complaints and protests against the government in the most humorous yet the most effective way they can think of. Although belonging to the generation of

computers, Angeleneans seem to have a contrasting stand regarding the idea of online protesting. Let us reveal one side of the coin. Christian Earvin Yabut, a CEA student explains “Using the internet as a medium to protest is the best way to exploit its use since it is accessible to all. With this, more people will be able to read each other’s opinions making it as a nexus for a more productive conversation.” While CAMP student Faith Adriano says “Through online protesting, technology serves its purpose by providing as the freedom of expression. The use of media for protesting can be an effective way to stand up for something that you think could be worth fighting for.” Now, let’s flip the coin. “For me, I’m not for online protesting for it becomes a sign that you don’t have the courage to talk to or confront the person or anything you’re up against,” Mark Pangilinan, CBA student, countered. “Online protesting is informative for others, but only to a certain point. Freedom of expression is abused especially by those who use anonymity to lambast whatever side they’re against. It destroys human unity more than it builds it up which makes me stay away from it.” James Michael Hernandez, CAMP student, asserts. Anonymous Philippines and other netizen protesters hacked, typed, clicked and even hashtagged their way to success as the government consequently suspended the law to review it further. This shows that the modern way of protesting can be equally resonant with the usual rallies to inflict change. As Anonymous Philippines supporter #pR.is0n3r says, “Technology changes so fast, you must keep up with it. Do not pass up the chance or opportunity to learn something. Be creative. Explore.” The question is, will be this be the last step to innovative protests or would there be new ways to address uproars in the future?

THE NEWEST

PEN REVO

by Mary Heliane Fabian RECENTLY, I’VE been bothered by a number of trending photos of the now famous writers. And guess what? They didn’t have to brace the pen with huge brains and extra leaps of badges just to create the Noli Me Tangerelike or El Filibusterismo-like narratives. They did, absolutely, hold the quill with enough dose of fierce that can draw the insides of the human heart… and poof! They gained a broader range of audience. Yes, this lineage is crazed by the simple yet bull’s eye writings of the consistent rising Filipino advocates like Ramon Bautista, Stanley Chi, and Marcelo Santos III. It takes a different lens to understand what is meant behind and beyond every word penned by the trio. To take a zoom on each craft, here are some of the most celebrated highlights.

Sir RB’s Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo? The pop tales of being friendzoned were followed by another big gulp of the crowd after the release and the consequent filming of the book, “Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo.” It explains the reasons why most of us, if not all, can’t win the heart of the person we labeled “one and only.” Dubbed as the “Internet Superstar” by his followers on Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook, Ramon Bautista wrote this piece with the blend of humor and fact. The self-proclaimed Luiz Manzano lookalike says there are a number of probable reasons why we can’t be with the person we always dream of being with. Yet, it seems like no matter how the merlin of advices stone us with all possibilities, we can’t help but disagree and go along with our fantasies. But as they say, it takes an expert to find out the unknown. These are some of the “maybes” why the star of our day and night dreams can’t be with us – at least for now. 1. Panget ka. 2. ‘Di kayo match sa horoscope. 3. Wala ka sa radar a.k.a. hindi ka niya napapansin. Eyebrows will surely be raised after reading his guesses, yeah? Hang on, these aren’t meant to dehumanize the kind of characters and values of young people. These are actually wakening bells that can give the readers “that’s not true” attitude and, soon, get up and get through the questions and doubts that were once imposed to oneself. So, the next time someone asks you “bakit hindi ka crush ng crush mo?” Raise the other eyebrow, chin up, and flaunt the “that’s not true attitude.”

Chi’s Suplado Tips Check out the latest snooty moves of the gentlemen around you. The young man standing next to you might just be the newest savvy of the sweeping Suplado Tips. Stanley Chi, oftentimes associated with Sir RB, is a Chinese-Filipino cartoonist and graphics master. His comical parodies of the facades of every day continue to wow even the non-readers of yesterday to grab a book and sit until it’s done. This partner in time of Sir RB intends to hue the unfair realities with a sense of mockery that, somehow, summons tongue-in-cheek assertiveness among people who are in the worst phase of scenes. To give a taste, the following are some of Stanley’s Suplado Tips: STANLEY’S SUPLADO TIP 15: “Kapag may nagpa-picture sayo... pumayag ka, pero wag kang titingin sa camera para isipin ng tao STOLEN SHOT!” STANLEY’S SUPLADO TIP 21: “Kung hindi ka niya type, wag mong kulitin... matutuwa pa siya sayo.” STANLEY’S SUPLADO TIP 26: “Kung nahuli ka ng syota mo na may kasamang ibang babae, sabihin mo... SINO KA? SINO AKO? NASAAN AKO? DI KO KAYO KILALA! Sabay alis.” (Umakting ka na may amnesia ka!) STANLEY’S SUPLADO TIP 80: “Kung may inuutos sayo ang boss mo pero kaya naman niyang gawin yun, hiritan mo ng, ‘Ano na lang mangyayari sayo kung wala ako?’ STANLEY’S SUPLADO TIP 97: “Huwag kang makipag-plastikan kahit kanino, kung asar ka sa kakilala mo, ipakita mo! There is a very fine line between sarcasm and being real. As for Stanley, to take the heftiest things lightly is the outlook that he wants to leave on the psyche of his audience. So, do you want to be the next soop-la-dow?

Marcelo’s Para sa Hopeless Romantic This story is not so far-off. It presents the twisted anecdotes of five people who apparently can’t beg destiny to side on the curves of their romantic pursuits. The young blogger, Marcelo Santos III, who’s in his early 20s, is another mounting star of the new media that caters the deep-seated emotions of the people. Later, he had his online write-ups booked which made him more popular among young readers. According to him, as stated in his blog, he takes his own bullied and heartbreaking experiences as his inspiration for writing. Para Sa Hopeless Romantic ascertains that unclouded romance will surely find its way to everybody and, therefore, people do not need to force the turn up of things. Marcelo accounts the following love tidbits in his book: • Sa buhay, may isang umaasang babalikan, isang naghahangad na mahalin, isang natatakot umibig muli, isang nagsusumikap na makalimot at isang nag-aasam ng maligayang pag-iibigan. • Sa pag-ibig, may mga naghihintay at may mga naghahanap. Sa isang oras mong paghihintay ng mamahalin mo, isang oras din ng pagkakataong mahanap ang nasasayang mo. • Ang utak madaling turuan ng paniniwalaan. Pero ang puso, mahirap diktahan ng mararamdaman. The author’s tinge of youth emphasizes the drift on controlling the kind of love tale that the young generation wishes to have. His writing style remains touched with innocence and placidity while still extending a hand to young and old alike. The trio may not be like Rizal who died to leave a mark of revolution, but their pen revo is definitely a testimony of what it takes to live a lighter and a better life.

Photos Credit: Google Images


THE PIONEER

DevCom

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People march towards end of PH corruption by Elijah Marie Vicher

Pork Protest. Filipinos march together in Luneta calling for the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), also known as pork barrel. Photo Credit: Google Images and Rappler.com

CORRUPTION HAS been on the air for decades, but mouths have been zipped for a long time. Corrupt officials get richer while many Filipino families try to budget their few pennies on their palms. Today, our brethren have opened their eyes to see the truth and they have decided to leave their homes and take a step. Social Media has contributed in converging people all over the country. Concerned netizens initiated a rally with no official leader or any organizational affiliations.

It all started on Facebook when a concerned taxpayer posted her grievances regarding the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel. Although she did not want to take credit for the movement, Peachy Rallonza-Bretaña initiated the “Million People March to Luneta.” The momentous march was joined by concerned citizens on August 26 (National Heroes’ Day) at Rizal Park. The main purpose of the movement was to voice out the public’s

sentiments and to probe and prosecute those who will be found guilty of scamming taxpayers’ money through the P10-billion pork barrel scam. This crusade which started in Manila spread across different areas of the country and other parts of the United States, namely New York, Washington D.C., Honolulu, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The movement was approved by former President and now Mayor of Manila, Joseph Ejercito Estrada. He

Sagip Kapatid advocates selflessness in its mission by Emmanuel Panti

EVERY YEAR, calamities come and go, bringing devastation and suffering to Filipinos. Some of these catastrophes are detected ahead of time while some are unexpected. This year, we have to face the restless typhoon Maring and the relentless Habagat or the southwest monsoon which brought heavy rain showers that continuously flooded most areas in our country. After almost a week, typhoon Maring was nowhere to be found or detected in the radar, but the distress of our kababayans is still intact. People who are largely affected had to evacuate and leave everything behind. With lack of basic human needs, how will these people survive the aftermath? Angeles University Foundation’s (AUF) Sagip Kapatid aims to provide relief, resources, and other essentials to victims and help them get back on their feet. “During the disaster, binibigyan natin sila ng konting ginhawa,” said Center for Community Development Services (CCDS) Director Glicel Grace De Guzman-Tiamzon. Sagip Kapatid can be traced all the way back to 1995 when they launched a medical mission for the victims of the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo Eruption. Medical, surgical, and dental missions were initiated to ease their pain inside and out. In 2009, when Ondoy and Pedring struck our nation, Sagip Kapatid was able to extend a helping hand to affected towns in Pampanga and San Manuel in Pangasinan. Through the years of service, Sagip Kapatid already reached out to 7,800 people.

Helping hands. The Center for Community Development Services (CCDS) reaches out to our kababayans who need immediate relief. Photo Credit: CCDS

CCDS will cooperate with Social Action Center of Pampanga (SACOP), a non-governmental organization that was founded to perform and organize social programs and mission for the sake of the people in Pampanga. The Office of University Relations (OUR), Center for Christian Formation (CCF), Office of Student Affairs and Financial Aid (OSAFA), Youth Community Service Club (YCSC), and the University Student Council (USC) will support and take part in the fulfillment of Sagip Kapatid and ensure full support of every student and faculty member for the developmental program dedicated to the victims of Maring. San Fernando, Minalin and

Sto. Tomas were greatly affected by the typhoon. Streets and houses were drowned in abovethe-knee water level which imposed problems to citizens and townspeople. With the crisis left by Maring, victims had hard time getting food supplies and other daily needs. According to Tiamzon, immediate relief shall be provided to every family to satisfy their daily necessities. Tiamzon stated that Sagip Kapatid will also offer medical assistance to victims for better development. Angeleneans can promote the true value of selflessness through Sagip Kapatid. This community extension project serves as a message for everyone that help is on its way.

said that even if the protesters did not apply for a permit, he will allow the movement to proceed as long as the rally will be peaceful. PNoy has abruptly changed his stand on the abolition of pork barrel. On August 19, he said NO to the abolition, but on August 23, he announced that the system should be abolished. However, People’s Movement in Quezon Against Corruption (PMQAC) Spokesperson Jansepth Geronimo claimed in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Aquino’s

pork abolition is deceptive and that people are demanding for the real abolition. This big step of concerned citizens will mark the history as they take full courage to voice out their stand. The time has come that Filipinos show that they are really worth fighting for and their rights should not be concealed in a box but should be acted upon. Hopefully, this action will be the start of putting an end to our country’s corruption series.

Central Luzon to experience ‘hotter’ future — PAGASA by John Edward Mamangun

CENTRAL LUZON, known for its majestic, fertile plains and crowned as the “Rice Basket of the Philippines,” is composed of seven provinces, 14 cities, and 116 towns. By year 2020, the region will face a probable consequence, and one thing is for sure: it will not be “cool.” In a Philippine Daily Inquirer article, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) projected a “steaming” future for the region’s provinces. Hilton Hernando, head of Pampanga River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Center, said that Aurora, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija’s mean temperature rise from December 2019 to February 2020 is estimated at 0.9 degree Celsius; Bataan, Pampanga, and Zambales at 1 degree; and Tarlac at 1.1 degrees. Such increments can exceed the baseline temperature recorded in 1971. Furthermore, it will take an impact on the health of humans and animals, especially those who cannot endure hotter temperatures. If you think that the intense heat would only be the lone problem, think again. During a disaster risk reduction and management consultation organized by Humanitarian Response Consortium, Hernando stressed that the 1-degree Celsius increase is more than enough to enhance typhoons which develop in Central Luzon’s eastern seaboard, alerting village leaders of respective provinces. Thus, if not prevented, the region might experience more than the usual amount of rainfalls and might be submerged into deeper floods. Also, in the symposium, participating village leaders listed several disaster-related

issues in their municipalities and these will be included in the study being done by the National Water Resources Board and Japan International Cooperation Agency, as told by National Economic and Development Authority senior economist, Marissa Aquino. Recently, Central Luzon has experienced torrential rainfalls and severe flashfloods caused by the ferocious tropical storm Maring. According to the latest report of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the death toll rose to six. Furthermore, Pampanga was declared under “state of calamity” after the dike in Minalin collapsed, causing flood on low-lying areas. This has not been the first time Central Luzon experienced a deadly flood. In September 1972, before then-President Marcos declared Martial Law, floodwaters brought by both Pampanga and Agno Rivers drowned most of Central Luzon. This is popularly known as the Great Flood of 1972. This might have been global warming taking a toll on us. Aren’t we bothered? We are very fortunate enough to be blessed with a very beautiful region, and now we are put to test on how we can actually do something to protect and serve it. We are boundless, we are limitless, and we have all the means to change this alarming future of our region. As we advocate toward the safety and preservation of our dear Central Luzon, let us hope that we would hold hands together in solving a seemingly unanswerable problem. After all, Juan Dela Cruz is known for its tradition of bayanihan, remember?


THE PIONEER

12 The Art of Hypocrisy “We are the fourth estate. Rebels to the government we may be, heroes to the people we shall be.” AND THEN on January 17, 1973, Mr. Marcos went on television and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, my countrymen, there is now a new constitution.” But how can we have a new constitution? There was no plebiscite. You know that the law says, before you can have a new constitution, you must present it to the Filipino people, and the Filipino people must in a secret ballot, write yes or no. What happened? – Ninoy Aquino To publicly defy and question the unconstitutionality of the Marcos regime is indeed a work of a brave hero. More often than not, heroes secretly attack; shouting curses to other people while in shadows for fear of condemnation. But Ninoy Aquino was different. Despite the vulnerability of wrath from the government, he did what then was ought to be done; defiance for what is duly. However, in his insubordination came death. But with his battle, it was revealed that the government whom the people so trusted to keep the laws had themselves violated it. With his battle, the hypocrites were unmasked. But 30 years later, the battle seemed to have been shot dead with him. And so Ninoy asked, “What happened?” The dictatorship of Marcos was highlighted by the declaration of the Martial Law. In this age, laws were given out to Juan dela Cruz for him to follow and honor; no questions. Follow and honor, he obeyed, but not so much as what the government did. Inside the trusted Malacañang Palace, conspiracy happened. Those who were supposed to legislate and execute the laws have forgotten the sworn oath. Hence, the Edsa Revolution. But a bygone time that is, people have moved on. But the country has not. In today’s age, the issue of injustices in our country has never seemed to deflate. Every now and then, there would always be news about authorities who violate the laws. From Corona to Napoles, the list goes on. Why did it never stop? Were our heroes’ battles for democracy put in vain? I hope not. And so Ninoy’s battle against Marcos continues in the lives of journalists and the hypocrites: Ninoy wanting to reveal the truth; Marcos wanting to conceal it. The Philippines is known to be the second most dangerous country for journalists. If a journalist would want to publicize something against the government, the punishment is fatal. One word of defiance can result to one shot of a gun. And what’s worse is that a death can remain a secret forever, concealed together with the unspoken conspiracies and buried hidden by the hypocrites. The country mourns, while hypocrisy lingers. How ironic it is that our country is democratic yet one journalist cannot even reveal the truth without impending danger. In the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, it is stated in Article III, Bill of Rights that no law shall be passed to abridge “the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press...” which asserts security for journalists against censures, but never a shield for gunshots. Many journalists have been killed for wanting to reveal the truth that has been hidden to the people, but never did we Filipinos know who killed who. The hypocrites shall remain undetermined by many unless conscience takes over. So for the pretenders: let time reveal your true nature. Is the pen really mightier than the sword? Can a journalist be free from the hook of death by those seated in power? We can never be sure, but what’s certain is that we are trusted and so the power is ours. Yes, a stroke of a pen can plot our death but it can also write history. There will be a “Marcos” who will dishonor a law but there’s us too. A brave-hearted “Ninoy,” who will be able to trigger sparks of revolt for democracy; one who can unmask a saint to a sinner. Do not be mistaken for we are not enemies of the government but we are here not to indulge conspiracies but to serve the nation. We are the fourth estate. Rebels to the government we may be, heroes to the people we shall be. Let Ninoy Aquino live.

Exam Tips by Harriet Kim Anh Rodis

Literary MARTYRS ARE MARTYRS

Poison I.D.

-Camille Eloise Eisma-

by Frances Sharina Gonzales Like a fierce dragon, soaring above the skies Bellowing the fire spurting on its mouth Adverting the focus of its slithering eyes In unleashing the unfathomable doubt Flying without flapping makes no sense at all When you don’t even set your second step Lend the people bunches of guts and glory Show them the world of immortality Facing their fighting spirit themselves Breaking the chains, unlocking the cuffs Hang them up, aim for the zip line Remember... a dragon... Always goes for the kill.

Wondering whether the legendary National Hero, Rizal, exists in our time Without doubt, he would be viewed a “public enemy” for speaking the truth like it’s a crime.

Martyrs are martyrs, elements of time and space may gradually differ However, for eternity martyrdom is constant as evil revolves, could nothing end this bitter reality? Supposing Bonifacio, initiator of the Philippine armed revolution, is still alive Assuredly, “rebel” he would be called. Martyrs are martyrs, elements of time and space may gradually differ However, for eternity martyrdom is constant as evil revolves, could nothing end this bitter reality?

Frondeur’s Message to Society by Jerusha April Canon

I would have agreed to jump off a skyscraper if you wanted me to. I only lived for you, alone. I changed who I was for you. I lost weight, put a ton of make up on and wore the latest fashion trends. I partied and started drinking, smoking and taking drugs. I may have slept around a bit, you know, just so you would, maybe, get jealous and notice me. But all you ever did was mock me. You ridiculed the life I lived – even if you lived the same one. You scoffed at my unhealthy habits when you, yourself, said that it would make “anyone” look cool. You called me names and criticized me. But today, I am a victim no more. I will not succumb to your demands. I refuse to live my life, the way I did, for your approval. I refuse to follow what you preach because it’s never for my best interest but only, for yours. And from here on out, I refuse to let you control my life.

Taking in consideration the GOMBURZA, blood sacrifice for spark of rebellion, are in our current era With firm guarantee, their fates due to solid dignity are fastened with persecution

Martyrs are martyrs, elements of time and space may gradually differ However, for eternity martyrdom is constant as evil revolves, could nothing end this bitter reality?

R

Wake up! Wake up! Oh pleas lake of blood that is shed Wickedness is progressively p End the martyr-like approach Claim the God-given privilege

COMICS

Payong by Danielle Paul Panique


THE PIONEER

Literary

13 Ing Diretsung Dila ng Frances Sharina Gonzales

Titulo

Ot eku mo sumulat kamistilan ning tubung pibatan ku? Kaku ne man ini, alang aliwang babandi Umanib ka sa kanila Ing masakit kasi alang maka-intindi sa paniniwalang uunlad ka. Kareng nanu mang pamanyabyan ku, Sinunod ang kanilang yapak antimo ngeni at ika’y umangat sa iyong akala. Sinulat ku mu uling buri kung abalu yu Tumapak ka sa gintong pain Malagad namu ing pamanyulat king ngunit unti-unti kang linulubog. Kapampangang amanu Mayari ne ing poesiya kung ini, tandanan mu Sa adhikaing matibay ng pundasyon King mipmung katapatan, sa pagtayo ng rebolusyon! bagkus igulisak mu Sa gitna ng nakabibinging katahimikan, “Pilipinu kung tutu, bumulwak ang dugong dumanak! Kapampangan ku!” Nalilito ka sa mga pangyayari, ngayon sa kasalukuyan; ni Frances Sharina Gonzales

Delubyong balat sa tinalupan, hinaharap at nakaraan Pagkayurak ng katauhan, kaguluhan ng sansinukuban Sumuko ka hindi dahil sa takot kundi ng yamot Paulit-ulit na lang ang paghampas ng alon Ng dugong inalay para sa pagtayo ng banderang Pupugayan ng sinumang titingala sa iyong kagitingan.

WITH LIFE TO SERVE by Maria Erika Yumul

Rising from slumber by Camille Eloise Eisma

se, get up from your deep sleep! Remember the overflowing d…the cruel harassments of those innocent consciences! prevailing! Alas, what future lies ahead? Stop this nonsense. h, take action! Strive to the freedom that is rightfully yours! e that no man can hinder. Wake up! Wake up! Oh please, get up from your deep sleep!

Anguish has been faced Wicked hands we have overcome We have loved and lost; We have fought the best fight But still, tears crawl with the rain falling from a storm Hearts crush with the sand that’s strongly grasped Cries echo with the roar of thunder Another has breathed his last and left valor behind Let not bloodshed be the measure of courage Let no life leave his legacy slowly forgotten Every soul deserves a chance to serve And a chance to live it for every generation to embrace Let’s end the loss and the sadness Our treasures should be kept for everyone to see Let every breath be a voice for a cause Let every man live the life of what he has fought for!

ALLEY

Kamusta Crush Mo? by Neil Salonga

Illustrations by Harriet Kim Anh Rodis


THE PIONEER

14

Sports

SPORTS EDITORIAL Muñoz to battle Bisping in England

Pacman’s Game, Nearly Over

IT HAS been months since Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao fell asleep on that ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The match with his bitter rival Juan Manuel Marquez was the fourth installment in what was considered as a series of epic bouts. If Pacquiao won that fight, that would be the nail in the coffin. Unfortunately, he did not. He was caught napping when he attempted to score one last punch which could have been a great comeback down to the ring canvas. For the first time since he was 16 years old, he got knocked-out again. Everyone was shocked, as if they were seeing a tremendous warrior being engulfed in a pool of shame. And his fall happened after a controversial defeat in the hands of Timothy Bradley. This year, the Fighting Pride of the Philippines will be facing Brandon Rios, a stellar-record boxer who is seven years younger than him. A win for Pacquiao will catapult him towards another title contention and a possible bout with Floyd “Money” Mayweather. But a loss will surely pull him down the rankings and give him an impending retirement. After this fight—win or lose, he must stop. Face it. Pacquiao’s dominant rule in the world of boxing is starting to slip away from his grasp. The People’s Champ is aging, and in this sport, having fresh legs is a must. There is no problem with his cardio but the power behind his punches is fading. He is also losing his aggressiveness. He is known to be a follow-up guy whenever he hits his opponents hard. However, in his previous fights, he seemed to stop after launching a series of punches, thus preventing him from unleashing his vicious left hand. It appeared as if he is waiting for a picture perfect moment to put that left hook in, but gets so busy setting it up and becomes stuck in the process. Another factor is his political commitment. Before he entered the chaotic world of the Congress, he had ample time to train. Now, his focus is not only on boxing, but also on his people’s dilemmas that he aims to solve. No one would want to see him get beat up so bad that he needs to be on a stretcher to get out of the arena. Is he after the money? He is one of the wealthiest men in the sports world and in the country. Fame, honor, or glory? With everything he had achieved, he already established his name and his legacy. What he needs to do now is to focus on his new found love which is serving the people by being a politician. He has done his part as a boxing champion. Now, it is time to serve only one master instead of two.

Pinoy Evil Knievil. A daring ligiron racer braves his way down a rocky hill feeding his adrenaline rush while entertaining the crowd. Photo Credit: Inquirer.net

by Nikko Raphael Villanueva

One-Man Wrecking Crew. Filipino middleweight contender Mark Muñoz (right) slugs his way to victory against Tim Boetsch (left) in the co-main event of UFC 162. Photo Credit: Google Images

AFTER A successful comeback against Tim Boetsch in July, The Filipino Wrecking Machine Mark Muñoz is set to return to the octagon this October against Michael “The Count” Bisping. UFC Fight Night 30 will highlight a clash between two of the top championship contenders in the middleweight division. It will be a favorable environment for Bisping since the event will take place on the Phones 4U Arena in Manchester, England. “First and foremost, I’m thrilled to be back in England. It has been three long years since I

last fought at home in front of the people who’ve supported me in my entire career,” Bisping said. According to telegraph. co, Bisping was challenged by Muñoz. He wanted to face the best possible opponent and he got what he wanted. “I respect Mark as an opponent and, on a personal level, he’s one of the nicest men you will ever meet, but he’s getting beat. I’m sending the British fans home very happy,” he added. On the other hand, Muñoz is focused on getting back to the title contention by beating the

hometown favorite. “I know Bisping has never lost in England – but he’s about to! I truly believe I will silence the crowd in Manchester. I’ve already fought in the UK, when I beat Chris Leben two years ago, so I’m familiar with the jet-lag, the time change, and everything else, so don’t feel I’m at any disadvantage.” Muñoz sees this as a crucial match for both him and Bisping. The winner of this fight will have a big chance of landing a title shot against either the defending champion Chris Weidman or the no. 1 contender Anderson Silva.

Philippine U11 Football Team trains in UK by Nikko Raphael Villanueva

PHILIPPINE FOOTBALL Federation (PFF), the British Council, and the British Embassy team up in a project to send the National U11 Football Team in a three-week education and sports training program. The program is held in Loughborough University in Leicestershire, England. The university is renowned for its elite sports education programs. Players were produced from

the PFF’s Kasibulan Grassroots Development Program which was held in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Tarlac. The program is sponsored by the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and supported by the Asian Football Development Project. The goal of PFF in setting this plan is to prepare a team that will attempt to qualify for the U17 FIFA World Cup in 2019. The kids left on August 22, 2103 and are set to return in the middle of September. Their head coach is

Aeyh Fabroada, a former player for the Loyola Meralco Sparks of the United Football League (UFL). According to Bob Guerrero of Yahoo Sports, the team will not only have the privilege to train but will also watch two high-class football games. The first game will be the match-up between West Bromwich Albion and Swansea in the Barclays Premier League while the second game will be the England-Moldova FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifier on September 6 in Wembley Stadium.

Nicky Dumait at ng isponsor na Lipay at Kalibutan Community ang tagumpay na natamo ng paligsahan kaya’t ngayon ay layon nilang gawin ito taun-taon at magimbita ng mga kalahok mula sa iba’t ibang isla ng bansa. Hango sa salitang Bisaya na nangangahulugang “to roll,” ang ligiron ay kahoy na kariton na may apat na gulong at may kawayan na upuan na nagsisilbi nitong balangkas. Ito ay disensyo na kahalintulad ng isang ordinaryong scooter ngunit ang ligiron ay sasakyan na gawa sa mahogany, kawayan, at iba pang matatag na kahoy at gomang mula sa mga gamit na gulong, pako, at wood glue upang mapanatili ito sa kanyang lugar. Wala rin itong preno kung kaya’t paa lamang ang kanilang ginagamit upang pahintuin ang sasakyan at panatilihin ang balanse nito.

Ang mga Ifugao ay sanay na sa paggamit ng ganitong uri ng yaring-kamay na bisikleta upang makatipid sa oras at lakas. Sa iilang rehiyon ng Bohol at Cebu, iba’t-ibang disenyo rin ng mga ligiron ang kanilang ginagawa. Ang sasakay ay uupo at ilulugar ang kanyang mga paa sa pundasyon ng sasakyan at paaandarin ito gamit ang hawakan. Kadalasan, sa taas ng burol malimit na inuumpisahan ang bawat karera, dahil ang pwersa pababa lamang ang nagpapanatili sa paggulong ng ligiron. Karamihan sa mga nagkakarera ay hindi nagsusuot ng proteksyon sa ulo at katawan kung hindi pawang jacket lamang at pantalon na nagpapahirap pa sa laro. Wala pa naman malalang aksidente na naiulat at pawang mga maliliit na sugat o minor injuries lamang.

Palumba, Paambak sa Ligiron by Rosiah Rodriguez

KUNG INAAKALA ninyo na walang sariling bersyon ng X-Games ang Pilipinas kung saan ang mga motorsiklo ay nagkakarera sa malubak na daan, aba’y nagkakamali kayo. Ang ating mga kapatid na Ifugao ay nakatuklas ng paraan upang mapantayan ang “adrenaline rush” na dala ng mga motocross bikes sa pamamagitan lamang ng iilang pirasong kahoy at iba pang recyclable na materyales. Itinuturing na isa sa mga pinakamasidhing laro sa bansa ayon sa Markmaranga.com ang ligiron. Ngunit kamakailan lamang nang maisipan ng mga tagaNegros na bumuo ng isang karera na naging pinakasasabikang parte ng kanilang Imbayah Festival. Naganap noong ika-9 ng Hunyo 2013 ang tinatawag nilang “Palumba, Paambak sa Ligiron.” Nakita ng tagapamahalang si


THE PIONEER

Sports

Tracy McGrady: A Journeyman’s Trip by Nikko Raphael Villanueva

ALL GOOD things must come to an end. That is why Tracy McGrady, famously known for the monicker T-Mac, announced his retirement from the National Basketball Association (NBA) at the age of 34. The seven-time all-star, who played 16 seasons for seven different teams, shared on ESPN’s First Take that it is his time to walk away from playing basketball. “It’s been 16 years playing the game I love. I’ve had a great run but it’s time for it to come to an end,” McGrady said. Before saying goodbye to T-Mac, let’s take a quick look on his professional playing career. McGrady was drafted by the Toronto Raptors. He had the chance to team up with his cousin, Vince Carter. After being an explosive scorer with Toronto, he signed with the Orlando Magic. There he cemented an image of being a human highlight reel with his fancy plays and slams. In 2004, McGrady got traded to the Houston Rockets, a move that launched his career to super stardom. Together with 7’6 center, Yao Ming, the duo propelled the Rockets to three playoff appearances in 2005, 2007, and 2008. But injuries pestered both superstars, derailing what could

Gilas raises Filipino pride by Edgar Allan Dela Cruz

Goodbye T-Mac. One of the greatest players who was not able to win himself a ring finally retires from the NBA. Photo Credit: Google Images

have been a reign of dominance for them. McGrady returned in 2010 signing with the New York Knicks and performed fairly well. In the same year, he joined the Detroit Pistons but was not that efficient as the team failed to reach the playoffs. Trying to revive his career, McGrady stayed in China to play for the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He had MVP-like numbers and became an all-star. But the Eagles ended the season with the worst record, winning only eight of their 32 games. On April 16, 2013, NBA fans were ecstatic as the San Antonio

Spurs signed McGrady before the elimination round ended. This move was to strengthen the Spurs’ bench as the playoffs began. McGrady played garbage minutes in two playoff games including his first ever Finals appearance. And on August 26, 2013, he finally bade farewell to the NBA and to his professional playing career. Besides being a seven-time allstar, McGrady was awarded the Most Improved Player in the year 2001. He also became the scoring champion for 2003 and 2004. In the peak of his career, he was one of the representatives for the USA Men’s Basketball Team in the FIBA Americas Championship 2003.

La Salle supporter ‘insultingly’ thanks Perasol by Nikko Raphael Villanueva

IN AN elimination game that featured the greatest rivalry in the UAAP. The De La Salle Green Archers backed up by Jeron Teng defeated the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 66-64. Teng was able to hit a clutch basket to secure them a victory and to derail the Eagles’ fivegame winning streak. But this was not the major issue. As the game ended and the teams were proceeding to their respective dug-outs, Ateneo Head Coach Bo Perasol tried to confront an avid La Salle fan who shouted at him in the stands. According to Yahoo Sports, witnesses saw Perasol trying to climb over the steel barrier to address the alleged heckler. Security personnel were there to restrain Ateneo’s head coach. Perasol defended his stand on the issue. “Hindi ko nagustuhan ‘yung pumunta pa siya mismo sa gilid tapos inabangan ako. Tinawag niya akong ‘Perasol!’ tapos may mga sinabi na siyang hindi magagandang bagay,” he said. Frustrations started to build up after Ryan Buenafe of Ateneo didn’t get the foul call that the Eagles wanted

15

Frustrations of a Coach. After suffering Ateneo’s first defeat in five games, Head Coach Bo Perasol (checkered polo) tried to reach for a La Salle fan who insulted him after the game. Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports

from the refs. This made Perasol furious and he even confronted the referee because of the non-call. Due to continuous complaints, a technical foul was given to Ateneo. This rewarded La Salle a chance at two free-throws which extended the lead 63-59 going into the final minute. With only 1.9 seconds remaining, Teng hit the crucial floater that defeated their rivals.

“Hindi naman kasi kailangan ng ganun pa. Talo na nga tapos pagsasabihan mo pa ng hindi magaganda. Foul ‘yun at hindi nakakatuwa,” Perasol added in an interview. Twitter reports also showed that the alleged La Salle fan expressed his gratitude for Perasol and the technical foul that rewarded La Salle two extra points in the payoff period.

Blurring the defense. FIBA Asia’s best point guard, Jayson “The Blur” Castro eludes the defense of Chinese Taipei shooter Lin Chih-Chieh for an easy lay-up. Photo Credit: Google Images

MALACAÑANG PALACE congratulates Gilas Pilipinas for a job well done, winning the silver medal in the recent FIBA Asia Championship. Despite being outsized, the team showed a game full of heart for the nation. Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the victory of the country’s national basketball team is the culmination of years of hard work, belief, and perseverance from the players, their families, coaching staff, and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP). He said in his statement that the nation urged the team forward, and with consummate puso, the team laid everything on the line for flag and country. Lacierda also added that Gilas Pilipinas has shown the world that no one can outsize the heart of the Filipino. “May their performance inspire every Filipino to relentlessly pursue excellence, no matter what field they find themselves in so that, together, we may fulfill our shared aspiration of a Philippine nation greater than ever before,” Lacierda stated. Because of their silver medal finish, the Philippines earned a ticket to the FIBA Basketball World Cup which will be held next year in Spain.

PH under...

from page 16

kempo and traditional boat race, while tennis and gymnastics are excluded from the list. Beach volleyball and dance sports were eliminated because of the concern that the uniforms could be deemed too revealing for Burmese women.

Nat’l boxers... from page 16 boxers and coaches were assembled in the ABAP gym at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila. According to Inquirer.net, they packed relief goods containing rice, canned goods, noodles, biscuits, and sandwiches. The group visited Brgy. Zapote in Bacoor, Cavite where Mayor Strike Revilla joined them in distributing the goods to hundreds of families who experienced the damaging force of the typhoon. “We are one of the hardest hits. ABAP is the first private group to give assistance to us,” Revilla stated. Boxers such as London Olympian Mark Barriga, world junior bronze medalist Jade Bornea, women’s champion Josie Gabuco, world junior

champion Eumir Felix Marcial, and recent China Open winner Nesthy Petecio were just some of the sluggers present at the relief operations.

Fast and...

from page 16

representing three member clubs: UP Floorball Club, UMak Floorball Club, and UA & P Floorball Club. Each team will play two league matches against other teams every season. The team with the highest score at the end of the season will be the League Champion. Floorball is a safe and low-cost alternative for hockey. The best thing about it is that it can be played anywhere. So, if you are looking for a fun, quick, and active sport, grab a stick and try playing floorball.

Extending a hand. Association of Boxing Alliance in the Philippines (ABAP) joins relief operations in “Tulong Kapatid” initiated by Manny V. Pangilinan. Photo Credit: ABAP


THE PIONEER

Sports

16

A Spike of Life

PH under 200 players for SEA Games

by Edgar Allan Dela Cruz

The Spiker. Pingul showcases his athletic prowess as he jumps and attacks with a full-force spike. Photo by Riza Marie Padilla

Fast and Furious by Hee Soo Oh

WE OFTEN see people playing outdoor sports like basketball, volleyball, soccer, and badminton. This may be a normal thing for a country with great love for sports. However, we rarely see someone playing hockey. It may be because our environment is not suitable to play such sport. But what if there is a safer and easier way to play this rare sport? The Game Floorball is a fast-paced indoor sport played with plastic sticks and a ball. It started in Gothenburg, Sweden in the 1970’s. The game was first played as a fun activity in schools. The game is similar to hockey. It was introduced in the Philippines in 2008 by home school group Kreative Kids together with Athletes in Action. A Scandinavian missionary introduced the game and the International Floorball Federation (IFF) supplied the equipment. Floorball is now fast spreading in the country. According to Floorball Philippines, there is a club and P.E. class in the University of the Philippines (UP) while the

HARDWORKING AND always motivated to be one of the best. This is how Christian Austria Pingul of the College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) describes himself. Pingul considers volleyball as one of the main reasons that keep him alive. When asked why he entered the Great Danes varsity program, he answered, “I wanted to share my skills, and at the same time, to develop my talent. Since I was in elementary, volleyball became a part of me. I can’t even imagine myself not playing it.” He started his career when he was in sixth grade. He is grateful that he was given the opportunity to show his talent and skills to be part of the volleyball team. “My God-given talent was recognized by our head coach in volleyball back from AUF-IS. At first, it was just a hobby. But now, it became a passion.” As a Civil Engineering 3 student, he is aware of the struggle that a varsity student faces. “We all know naman na hindi ganoon kadali ang

engineering courses, kaya sobrang thankful ako na nandiyan ang mga kaibigan ko para tulungan ako kapag may hindi ako naiintindihan or mga activities o lectures na wala ako. Ganyan kami sa grupo namin, tulungan lang,” he added. Throughout his stint as a volleyball player, he experienced an injury but kept his composure and faced it. “My hand got injured once, and I wasn’t able to study and write well because of the pain, although it was tolerable. But that’s just a minor case,” Pingul said. Because of the scholarship granted to him, he wants to return the favor by proudly representing the university in outside competitions. “It’s the least I can do, and I get to meet other players with the same passion and self discipline,” he said. This spiker teaches us that injuries must be taken as a motivation or a lesson – a “push” that will help us look beyond our limits, achieve our goals and give back to the people who helped us come this far.

University of Makati formed its own varsity team. Floorball Philippines, Inc. was officially registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines as a non-profit organization on April 4, 2011. On May 8, 2011, they were officially recognized by the IFF as the 53rd member country. The Rules A match consists of two teams with six players each, including the goalies. However, the goalie can be substituted for an additional player and the game can still be played with a minimum of four players. The game takes place in a 40m x 20m rink which is Sticks and Ball. Floorball is one of the fastest growing sports in the bordered by 50 cm boards with world. Here a player tries to surpass two defenders to score a goal. rounded corners and 160cm x Photo Credit: Google Images are not allowed to hit, lift, or a face-off or free hit when the 115cm goals. The regular game time is hold the opponent’s stick. A play is stopped. If a tie occurs, composed of three 20-minute minor infraction results in a the first team to score wins the periods with 10-minute free hit, where a two-minute match. intervals wherein the teams will penalty will be given for a major Philippine Floorball League be changing courts. Each team infraction. The player’s sticks The first ever Philippine is given a 30-second timeout must be below the waist level at Floorball League (PFL) started all times. per game. on June 29, 2013. The games The players are not allowed The objective of floorball are held every Saturday at is to make goals by hitting the to touch the ball with their the Celebrity Sports Plaza in ball using the stick. The team hands except for the goalie. Quezon City or at the UP CHK with most goals at the end of They cannot also kick the ball to Gym, Diliman. The participants their teammates or hit the ball regulation wins the game. in the league are six teams The ball cannot be played with their head. continued on page 15 Each game restarts with above knee level and the players

Sports Buff Beat

by Rosiah Rodriguez

PHILIPPINE CHEF de mission Jeff Tamayo said we should expect no more than 200 Filipino athletes in this year’s Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Burma. After the strict screening by the top officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the number of delegates in the final list could even decrease. “Out of 200 entries, only 90 individual athletes passed the criteria,” Tamayo said after Olympic Chief Jose Cojuangco Jr. scrutinized the line-up during the POC executive board meeting. Philippines joined the SEA Games in 1977. Since then, this could be the country’s smallest delegation. Only 200 made it over 300 athletes sent by 28 national sports associations (NSA) who were set to participate on December 11 to 22. Half the number of these athletes are playing team sports. “It’s now up to the NSAs to do everything for the athletes. They have three months to convince the POC and the PSC that their athletes really deserve to be in the SEA Games,” Tamayo explained. Unlike in the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia, Myanmar will host only 33 sports including athletics, aquatics, archery, badminton, basketball, billiard and snooker, boxing, canoeing, cycling, football, golf, hockey, judo, karate, rowing, yachting, sepak takraw, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wushu, tennis, chess, bodybuilding, petanque, continued on page 15

Nat’l boxers, coaches aid Maring victims in Cavite by Nikko Raphael Villanueva LAST AUGUST, typhoon Maring together with the southwest monsoon devastated the country. A lot of Filipinos were once again caught offguard and were sent to evacuation centers because of the heavy rains and floods that the calamity brought. That is why Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP), chair of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP), called out for the organization to extend their helping hand through the “Tulong Kapatid” program together with TV5. On August 21, 2013, Pinoy

by Hee Soo Oh

DO YOU think Gilas Pilipinas will get to the Top 3 in the 2014 FIBA World Cup? “Yes, because they are very dedicated and they are using their hearts to play for our country. It doesn’t matter how good the player is. What matters the most is his passion to win the game.” - Jamie Lee Dizon (ABCOMM3, CAS)

“Not sure. Maybe if training is too ‘strict’ for them.” - Ian Narciso (BSCE3, CEA)

“Yes, dahil nandoon ang mga magagaling na basketball players.”

- John Carlo Garcia (BEEd3, CEd)

“No, kasi hindi pa nila kayang mapantayan yung mga kalaban nila. Malayo ang agwat nila pagdating sa training at height.”

“Yes, because they deserve it.” - Princess Shannen (BSHRM3, CBA)

Ragoteo

- Christian John Baluyut (BSMA3, CBA)

“Yes. I believe in the skills of our fellow Filipinos.” - Ricajoy Montero (BSMT1, CAMP)

“Yes. The team is composed of great basketball players. They just need a lot of time for training. Go, Gilas!” Mark Louden (ABCOMM3, CAS)

continued on page 15

Marquez

“Yes, because they have great teamwork and most of them are shooters.” - Eunice Mandap (CRIM1, CCJE)

“Yes, because Gilas Pilipinas has shown their perseverance during the FIBA Asia Championship.”

- Patrick Janapin (BSMT1, CAMP)

“Yes. They have the skills and determination to rise to the top. A little more training and guidance could help, but I believe in what they can do.”

- Lois Danielle Gamboa (BSMT1, CAMP)

These are the thoughts of our fellow Angeleneans about the fortune of our Gilas squad as they face bigger and tougher teams in the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Keep the adrenaline rush pumping and stay tune for the next Sports Buff Beat!


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