“BUT REMEMBER, JUST AS A SKILLFUL SAILOR USES THE WIND TO STEER HIS BOAT, WE TOO CAN USE OUR REJECTIONS AS THE WIND TO PUSH US FORWARD TOWARD OUR DESTINED PATH WHEN WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE SINKING, IT'S UP TO US TO CHOOSE TO BECOME OUR OWN LIFEBUOYS.”
ollowing the successful return of in-person learning, San Lorenzo Ruiz Senior High School graduates for the Academic Year 2022-2023 proudly received their batch diplomas on July 14, 2023 This year, the number of graduates has increased by 619 compared to last year, leading to a grand celebration of the ceremony at the Pasig Elementary School Gymnasium
Within the diverse array of academic strands, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand saw 95 students completing their studies In contrast, the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand accounted for 156 graduates The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) strand celebrated 117 completions, and the Home Economics (HE) strand marked an achievement with 75 graduates Moreover, the most significant number of graduates emerged from the Accountancy, Business, and Management strand, totaling 176
In the 6th Commencement Exercise with the theme "K-12 Graduates: Molded through a Resilient Educational Foundation,” Jedale Sabio, the batch highest honors, highlighted the theme of resilience and growth through his heartfelt speech that resonated with the entire graduating class He compared their academic journey to navigating stormy seas, emphasizing their challenges, from school closures to the pandemicinduced shift to blended learning Drawing inspiration from the analogy of sailors battling harsh conditions, Sabio urged his peers to view rejection as redirection and embrace the winds of change
“Consider our journey as a turbulent sea, with each of us as sailors Lahat tayo ay manlalayag sa malawak na karagatan, sumusuong sa hamon ng buhay upang makamtan at makarating sa pangarap na inaasam We encountered stormy weather in the form of rejection from universities and schools that we dreamed of being a part of, much like a sailor battling fierce winds and violent waves, seemingly lost in an endless expanse of water We clung to our boats, grappling with the onslaught of the elements It felt like defeat like our aspirations were sinking deep into the abyss. But remember, just as a skillful sailor uses the wind to steer his boat, we too can use our rejections as the wind to push us forward toward our destined path.”
In between his speech, Sabio also encouraged the graduates to praise one another for coming this far with the words, “Proud ako sa’yo, graduate na tayo ”
Fresh graduates memorialized their commencement day through photographs and a deep recollection of years spent with classmates, friends, and teachers as gates of opportunity open for each Ruizian proudly armed with courage and determination to strive for excellence, bringing the core values of San Lorenzo Ruiz Senior High School beyond the life on campus, and further the legacy of a resilient educational foundation
READ MORE EDITORIAL: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BABY-M!
FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2023
FIFA
Class of 2023 held 6th Commencement Exercises at Pasig Elementary School Gymnasium
Photo by Patricia Anne Laudencia
B A T C H 2 0 2 3 V A L E D I C T O R I A N , J E D A L E G . S A B I O
- JEDALE SABIO.
F FEATURE OPINION SPORTS NEWS
FEATURE
August was the breeze of the wind
That caressed our skin of morning hour
For a brief moment, the sun felt gentle on our eyes
And the air whispered softly to our ears
‘Twas the day we thought we would never have again;
The day when old flowers blossomed
And the trees danced differently to greet us welcome
The day of our many firsts together
We remembered how August reminded us
Of the June we once knew three summers ago; How they held the same smile, Told the same stories, and made the same promises
Fear, tremble, anxiety, and nervousnessMaybe you felt this;
The unsureness on every step we took
To get into the room we were assigned
The frantic emotion that was running around in our minds;
The judgment that we were afraid of, The stare we'd get and the faces we've known, And the look they'd give as we enter alone
It took one step to tell
That September had many songs for us to sing, Hidden places for us to land, And waiting memories for us to write
Another step and we managed to find
One another's favorite colors of the sky
A little more and we're next to October, Closer to the cloudsBut a long way still from the reach of the stars November, however, Came with rains following her trail
Every second felt like the night wanted to rebel and prevail
They wanted to run; but that didn't stop December
From wanting to sail the ocean sun
He was wild and loud and fun; He was a walking memory And a heartache to none
January knew better not to chase liquid sunsets too soon
For its tail might burn her; She sat down, eyes aboveAnd watched their yellows and orange melt away
As they give their space to our moon
If only we knew March was getting closer, How we wished we would've stayed longer And listened more to February As she read another of her love letters ‘ But summertime sadness already entered with April and May
And it extended its hand to JuneLeaving July with only the cold
And we wondered; how can something so shivering
Leave a touch of such mellow warmth?
After all, home is not just anywhere we're meant to be
Rather, it can also be found in the walls of a fourcornered room;
In the spaces of an unfinished poem
And in the silence amidst all the laughs with a friend
Home can be a single person, Home can be a place away from perfection, And home can be disguised in fifty people.
This four-cornered room where the walls are full of laughter
Joy is inevitable; memories are held together We finally had a home we thought we'd never had Yet the room had two doorsOne to enter and one to take flight
Twelve months of exploration, discovery, and memories
This unexpected home will carry everything we've gone through
Everything will stay, encapsulated in this room Yet the door will remain open to a student Who’s longing to feel the delight once more
A home can come and go now and then Our July might've already waved us goodbye, But we will meet another August breeze once again
Collage by Samantha Mae P Malapit
t is Juana’s first-year anniversary with Bongbong, and he is expected to deliver his long, sweet message Compared to her ex-boyfriend Rody, Marcos Jr conveyed his speech in a formal and presidential manner As the President marks his one year since taking a seat in the government, so do the Filipinos who were stuck in a love-hate relationship with him Should the Filipino masses hold on despite several ‘red flags?’
Economic progress during the rough start of a pandemic-stricken Marcos Administration remains a far fetched dream for many As global inflation caused by the Ukraine-Russia war continues to infect a recovering nation, the Philippines recorded an 8 9% peak in January 2023, but just a month before his 2nd State of the Nation Address (SONA), the inflation rate in the country eases to 5 4% With a limited profit, the President must prioritize utilizing budget allocations to those sectors hit most by the pandemic, such as the education and business sectors, which in turn would advance the country’s economy in the long run
According to a 2023 survey by the Social Weather Stations, 51% of Filipinos consider themselves to be poor The national problem of rising prices, as expected, left the masses behind Implementing monetary policies, providing subsidies to the most affected, ensuring careful spending, and expanding the Administration's Kadiwa stores, pop-up shops that sell cheaper basic commodities, would aid in mitigating the impact of inflation It is because poverty is a complex issue that requires more than just clamoring 'unity' in front of the audience
Undoubtedly, inflation triggered a negative domino effect in different sectors of the country; for instance, the rising cost of students’ school expenses, the construction of school infrastructure, the scarcity of learning materials, and the low salary of educators all led to the Philippines suffering an educational crisis, which, in turn, would increase unemployment, and so on In a political analyst’s view, the administration of Marcos is a slow-moving ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ with little-to-no major achievement However, Filipinos tend to give Marcos a honeymoon period in his first year, with an 82% approval rating in a July 2023 poll by Boses
ng Bayan
Instead of the risky and controversial Maharlika Investment Fund that utilizes funds from different governmental agencies, Marcos Jr should have put the spotlight on the Department of Education’s (DepEd) review and creation of a new curriculum as his flagship program during the SONA Fixing the loopholes in a system is vital to producing globally competitive and skilled labor forces in the future Employment uncertainty remains a problem for both new graduates and the government
In the 2023 Basic Education Report (BER) by DepEd, only 10% of senior high school graduates landed a job, defeating the program’s purpose of producing job-ready Filipinos after SHS Hence, there is a clear shortcoming inside the K–12 curriculum, alongside Marcos’ appointment of Vice President Sara Duterte as the DepEd secretary, who has no background in handling an education-related office Similar to how we appoint doctors in the Department of Health (DOH) or engineers in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), why can’t we have teachers or principals for an education department?
Emphasizing the digital revolution by protecting users from text scams, Bongbong enacted Republic Act (RA) 11934, or the SIM Registration Law, which is beneficial if utilized outside political interests With financial negotiations frequently done virtually nowadays, policymakers are expected to take actions to protect their constituents On the other hand, the legislation’s usage of data is in question, as several Filipinos fear that their private information is at risk for cyberattacks and surveillance on Marcos’ critics
For instance, a Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) statement in April 2023 admitted that approximately 3,000 government firms were successfully cyber-attacked from 2020 to 2022 One mishap, and all private data would be exposed for illegal consumption
When compared to former President Duterte in approaching the geopolitical conflict in the West Philippine Sea, Marcos Jr. is no different; both play it safe There is still no progress on the 2014 Hague Tribunal ruling that favored the Philippines’ claim over the highly contested waters Beijing remains aggressive against Filipino fishermen, yet BBM and some of his predecessors are anxious about triggering Xi Jin Ping’s all-out power Expected, but there is no justification for turning a blind eye to persistent Chinese bullying The President did not even mention sovereignty over WPS in his second SONA
Again, Filipinos are in a love-hate relationship with Marcos Jr Although some projects could be seen as significant yet not so successful, there are still several gaps that need filling Let the President do his job, and let the people rate his work BBM should prove that he is different from his father Hungry stomachs, poorly educated youth, left-behind living standards, and other marginalized sectors are waiting, Mr President
I EDITORIAL
Editorial Cartoon by Karl Bunagan
By Samantha Mae P. Malapit
Afamily s whole PAG-IBIG savings and life plan invested in their home of 15 and so years–subjected to the fate of being swept under a given 40day forced evacuation without relocation plans
An OFW breadwinner grinding teeth and blood working for a family of 6 Homesick Dehumanized. Awaiting to come home–only to find your family is part of more than 700 residents at risk of being displaced.
"Kung tutuusin, at peace ka na rito, in-improve mo na bahay mo. 'Yung mga matatanda nga rito inubos ang kanilang lumpsum at retirement money para ipagawa bahay nila (Consider this, you are at peace, your home is improved. People here already used their lump-sum and retirement money to build their house)," expressed one of the residents in the vigil protest against the demolition of Viva Homes Subdivision
The "Villar-naires" strike again with yet another land to infest with artificial-looking lined homes and overpriced rustic coffee shops to construct the commercialized Vista City and extended University of the Philippines Dasmariñas campus in Dasmariñas City, Cavite, where, once built, would be the first Technopreneurship school to exist in the Philippines.
TITANIC EXPLORATION GONE WRONG: THE OCEANGATE TRAGEDY
By Leila Nicole Sena
ceanGate Expeditions which was founded by Stockton Rush, met a tragedy after the attempted exploration with guests around the famous wrecked Titanic Ship The submersible contains five people inside the ship: the pilot, Stockton Rush and four billionaires such as Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman, who was only 19 years old when the tragedy took place
Before the tragedy, the OceanGate opened a trip to the legendary Titanic shipwreck 500-foot deep down that lasted for eight days and seven nights on a pill-shaped submersible–particularly the Titan, which was also formerly called Cyclops 2–costing $250,000 (₱139 million) a ticket per passenger onboard.
The passengers were given a waiver indicating that the deepsea expedition had only a 14% chance of success. Despite the possible consequences, the passengers read and signed the disclaimer for any risk the trip holds, even to the extent of death
“I hereby assume full responsibility for the risk of my bodily injury, disability, death, and property damage due to the negligence of any Released Party while involved in the Expedition. I hereby assume full responsibility for any and all risks of property damage, injury, disability, or death ” – Statements from the waiver’s consent of OceanGate Expeditions
Sunday, June 18, 2023, at exactly 9:45 am ET (9:45 p.m. PhT), the surface vessel lost communicationwiththeTitansubmersible.
Thursday, June 22, the coast guard found a debris field near the Titanic. The parts were confirmed to be from the Titan, concluding the death of the five peopleonboard.
The deeper one goes, the more extreme the pressure environment underwater can become; a likely cause of the implosion can be a rupture on the sub that would have immediately compressed the hull's exterior metallic walls and crushed the submersible–all in only just milliseconds, the Titan submersible imploded The US Coast Guard stated in a report of the OceanGate tragedy
Image by OceanGate
O
SCIENCEFEATURE
FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2023
By Rasheed Quilala
“I’LL REMEMBER THIS MOMENT FOREVER, FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, I’M SO HAPPY TO BE A PART OF IT,”
Sarina Bolden makes history after she led the Philippines to their first-ever victory as they outmatched New Zealand with a stunning 1-0 win at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 on July 25.
The Philippines gained the upper hand to a winning position with the help of Bolden, as she scored the only goal of the game at the 24th-minute mark It was also the first goal of the Philippines in the FIFA World Cup
Olivia Mcdaniel, the team’s goalkeeper, had several crucial saves to end the game with a clean sheet against New Zealand. Mcdaniel also received the Woman of the Match Award due to her elite skills during the match.
At the 64th-minute mark, Jacqui Hand almost served New Zealand their first goal to tie the game Unfortunately, the shot was ruled as an offside after the referees reviewed it
“I’ll remember this moment forever, for the rest of my life, I’m so happy to be a part of it,” Bolden said after the match.
“I mean, I truly think I felt our fans were so much louder, that’s all I heard,” said McDaniel after the match on the fans at the Wellington Stadium and around the globe that supported the players of the Philippines.
“This must be a special moment in (Philippine football history), the biggest win in any team sport,” Alen Stajcic, an Australian coach of the Philippines, commented.
“It’s so heartbreaking for everyone in this team We played to win and it didn’t go our way,” New Zealand’s Czech coach Jitka Klimkova said
It was a historic day for the Philippines, their display of remarkable skills proved to the world that they can compete internationally. Their next match against Norway is scheduled for June 30, 2023.
OLIVIA MCDANIEL
SARINA BOLDEN
CUP
Image by FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD
Editors: Shaniah Thiffany I Picar Samantha Mae P Malapit Patricia Anne Laudencia Venice May A Abrece Rasheed Alfonso G Quilala Airen Belarde Tabique Irish Natagoc Layout Artists: Kelly Dominique Gonzales Irish Nicole F Martinez The Official School Publication of San Lorenzo Ruiz Senior High School School Paper Advisers: Famela Solomon Jamela Diamante Documenters: Samantha Mae P Malapit Kelly Dominique P Gonzales Patricia Anne Laudencia
