by MCGIORGE DAVID
Holy Angel University (HAU) is yet to provide completely integrated in-person classes among higher education, even though classroombased learning is now permitted two years following the pandemic’s onslaught.
Chairman Prospero De Vera III, of the Committee on Higher Education (CHED), noted on July 13, 2022, that the commission had authorized
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had at least 21,000 state forces behind him in imposing security measures for his first State of the Nation Address (SONA). Thrice bigger than the first SONA of his administration’s predecessor, which only had at least 6,000 security people on duty.
According to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Secretary-General Renato Reyes Jr, the security measures of this year’s SONA “does not make sense for one who claims to be a majority-elected president.”
Reyes also questioned why the President needed to surround himself with a significant number of state forces. He added that the cost of these “unnecessary” security measures will once more be covered by taxpayers.
universities to decide for face-to-face classes this academic year.
“Some degree programs really need a lot of face-to-face, especially skills-based programs, while other programs can be delivered via flexible learning. So we are leaving it to the universities to decide what is the appropriate mix,” says the CHED chairperson.
In consonance with its mode of learning this academic year, HAU goes
for limited in-person classes for its laboratory courses and major exams among its colleges, including the College of Criminal Justice Education and Forensics (CCJEF), School of Business and Accountancy (SBA), School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA), School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM), and School of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences (SNAMS).
Although face-to-face instruction
is permitted by CHED, it is not required for higher education institutions to fully implement in-face classes.
According to a study commissioned by Save the Children Philippines and conducted by the Psychosocial Support and Children’s Rights Resource Center (PSTCRRC), 33% of studentrespondents do not consider their home to be a conducive learning environment
when compared to their schools.
Meanwhile, the remaining 67% of the study’s respondents said that online classes are difficult for them.
Furthermore, financial difficulties, according to the study, resulted in the youth’s inability to have access to devices and options for online classes, in addition to food inadequacy.
by IZZY DAGUAYthe
After
review
young students to serve as motives for Angeleños to continue valuing education and to elevate educational projects in the city.
Pring has stated that he has found it fulfilling to be among those given citylevel recognition for his dedication and hard work and that the distribution of Medals of Excellence is a great project by the city government to acknowledge
According to Mayor Lazatin Jr.,
Godwin Pring, a recipient of the Lazatin Medal of Excellence, challenges local government units (LGUs) in Angeles City (AC) to reconsider the award’s intent in not just recognizing the most outstanding of students but in tending to the needs of the city’s educational sector.
a rigorous
of the nomination forms submitted by candidates belonging to the top 10% of Senior High graduates, valedictorian Pring was chosen by the University’s selection committee for Angeles City Mayor Carmelo G. Lazatin Jr.’s Medal of Excellence.
awarding of medals of excellence continues the legacy of his father, the late former AC Mayor and Pampanga 1st District Representative Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin, in his pursuit of recognizing academic and extracurricular excellence among
Progressive youth individuals and netizens called out the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on its recent policy of giving away 1,000-peso incentive for individuals who will report ‘undeserving’ recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, or 4Ps.
This comes after Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said that they will impose a cash bounty system to boost the delisting of ‘ineligible’ beneficiaries and ‘ensure that only eligible families’ will be part of the cash aid program.
“Ongoing ang aming paglilinis ng listahan. Siguro, after that, tapos may naririnig pa tayong mga kababayan nating nagrereklamo, ipapaumpisahan na natin ang pagbibigay ng reward na 1,000 [pesos] doon sa mga may kapitbahay o mga kakilala na hindi naman dapat na beneficiaries,” Tulfo stated.
He also added that many 4Ps recipients use their cash aid for gambling and vices.
However, critics fear that the policy might only ‘pit the poor against each other,’ as expressed by Akbayan Youth Chairperson Dr. Raymond John Naguit.
by IZA TINSAYJennelynn Sinead “Jenny” Domingo Ramp, a second-year Psychology student, took home the title Miss Philippines Earth 2022 representing Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac on August 6, 2022 at Coron, Palawan. The 19-year-old Angelite defeated 19 other contenders to take over the crown of Miss Philippines Earth from the 2021 winner, Naelah Alshorbaji.
Her pageant advocacy focuses on educating everyone about ecological sustainability, particularly the youth and
the marginalized about renewable energy and reforestation.
“During the pandemic, we learned that keeping our world clean is vital to our survival…. We should not forget to also take care of our home, the earth,” she said.
Ramp claimed in her introductory video that she has been environmentally conscious since she was a child.
“[I would be] recycling anything I found around the house, always turning off the lights, and unplugging unused appliances. I didn’t know why at such a
Holy Angel University (HAU) and SM Supermalls in Pampanga formalized an agreement on July 18, 2022, at the Peter G. Nepomuceno Building of HAU, to pioneer a partnership in providing jobs and internships for graduate and graduating students at the university.
According to the HAU Career and Placement Head Ms. Ann Marie Benette Sadorra, the memorandum of agreement (MOA) includes provisions that are first to be offered to HAU, including on-the-job training (OJT) for graduating students for SM’s industrial and operational services.
“We are the first university that SM [has opened] their doors [for] to entertain qualified OJT or internship for their operation setting, such as engineering courses, human resources, and psychology. The agreement will benefit all our graduates, those excelling students, and the graduating
students or OJTs,” Sadorra explained.
She likewise mentioned that the university is the first to be included in the SM In-Training Program, a mentorship activity for exceptional students in honing their skills in mall operations, digital commerce, and marketing, and “placing [them] in critical leadership positions.”
In addition, the MOA is also a non-expiring partnership, providing long-term and continuous job opportunities for HAU graduates in SM Supermalls.
Apart from Sadorra, the signing was also attended by HAU officerin-charge and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Al D. Biag; SM Supermalls in Pampanga Human Resource managers Nora Pural of SM City Clark, San Fernando Downtown, and Savemore Apalit; Rowena Martin of SM City Pampanga, and Annielee Lopez of SM City Telabastagan; and SM Supermalls regional recruitment officer Kat Sigua.
young age I was so conscious and aware,” Ramp explained. “But now, I see that it is because I’ve always had a heart so big for earth and nature,” she added.
She hopes that by competing in a prestigious international beauty pageant that supports environmental sustainability and awareness, she will be able to increase her influence and put her advocacy into action.
Days after her victory, Ramp paid a courtesy visit at Holy Angel University on August 11, 2022. Mr. Leopoldo Jaime
N. Valdes, Jr., HAU’s Officer-in-Charge (OIC) President, remarked how proud the community is of her accomplishment. Furthermore, he recognizes the importance of the issues and advocacies she champions for the greater good.
Ramp will compete in the upcoming Miss Earth 2022 competition, which will be held in the Philippines later of this year. She is hoping to become the fifth Filipina to win the Miss Earth title, following Karen Ibasco, Jamie Herrell, Angelia Ong, and Karla Henry.
the efforts of AC students. However, he has expressed his wish for the award to focus less on furthering political agendas of any kind – given the name associated with the medals – and to focus more on the community it should embody.
“It also must be a challenge for the government to not just recognize the dedication and excellence of students in the city but also improve the educational system na kinabibilangan ng mga estudyante,” Pring voiced.
He also advocated for cities and localities to address the needs of their local education systems more than just solely giving away medals to
outstanding Angeleños.
“Improve the schools and improve the welfare of the students, so that it would not just be only a number of excellent students na meron sa city but we can actually hone more students to be much better and more excellent,” he added.
On July 21, 2022, Pring received the Medal of Excellence, Certificate of Recognition, and cash-grant from representatives of Angeles City Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office (ACEDIPO).
The qualifying criterion for the award is as follows: 40% for outstanding performance in Mathematics, Science,
In an interview with Naguit, he said that the initiative will be ineffective due to reporters’ lack of technical capacity in determining who is and is not qualified for the program.
He also stated that giving out 1,000 pesos to informants would have a negative impact on people’s sense of community.
“It will promote a culture of othering. This policy from DSWD creates an ‘us vs. them’ mentality that will not be helpful in the future crises to come,” said Naguit.
Computer/Information Technology, and English; 25% for Organization/ Participation within the campus and outside the campus; 15% for history of leadership; 10% for campus contribution; 5% for the call of the student body; and 5% for faculty’s preference. Only two students per school administration – one each from the graduating elementary and high school batches - can become recipients of the Lazatin Medal.
Also a recipient of the Gerry Roxas Leadership Award, Pring is currently a first year B.S. Accountancy student at Holy Angel University and a writer of The Angelite.
In addition, Francisco Magno, founding director of the La Salle Institute of Governance, told Rappler in an interview that for the first post-EDSA president elected by a majority, this huge deployment looks “ironic.”
“A popular president is not supposed to worry too much about protest since the people are on his side,” Magno added.
The House of Representatives for the first time ever forbade the wearing of clothing that carries political messages to Marcos Jr’s inaugural SONA.
Congressman Raoul Manuel of the Kabataan Partylist (KPL) stated that this is the first time in recent memory that an implicit ban has been issued.
“Bawal ang protesta, bawal din ang mensahe sa damit kasi takot na takot sa art? Martial Law yaaarn?” chides Manuel.
House Secretary General Mark Llandro Mendoza was the one who issued and signed the memorandum containing the historic directive to ban political clothing.
Despite initial difficulties in ensuring the well-being of the organizers and attendees, The PANIMULA 2022 - a Freshmen Orientation and Organization Fest held in-person at Holy Angel University last July 13-15 – was dubbed a ‘resounding success’ by Erron Hernandez, President of the University Student Council (USC).
Initiated by the Office of Student Affairs and through the coordination of the Guidance, the Institute for Christian Formation and Social Integration (ICFSI), and Marketing offices, the USC and its partners among the college student councils, organizations, and publications organized the event meant to introduce first year students to the university guidelines in ‘blended learning’ setups and to fully engage them in the HAU community.
According to the USC President, the various organizations within the university that ‘have been negatively affected by the online set up with their membership and general engagement’— were able to report positive progress with freshmen recruitment.
Mrs. Iris Castro, head of the Office of Student Affairs, shared the same sentiment in terms of PANIMULA’s success.
“Seeing our new students faces that were so happy when they come to campus (after 2 years of no faceto-face orientation), para sa akin isa nang malaking tagumpay. The basic information which they need to know lalo na yung about sa kanilang academic life, karagdagan ‘yon sa tagumpay ng activity,” she stated.
Progressive organizations and alliances such as the Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Nagkaisa, Youth Advocates for Climate Action in the Philippines (YACAP), Anakbayan, Panday Sining, and more call for the condemnation on the recent series of labor advocate and activist disappearances – most notably the missing cases of Elizabeth “Loi” Magbanua, Alipio “Ador” Juat, Elgene Mungcal, and Ma. Elena “Cha” Pampoza.
Members of KMU, Magbanua and
Juat were last seen together on May 3, 2022 at Barangay Punturin, Valenzuela for a meeting with other labor organizers. Juat was able to contact his eldest daughter via phone call to inform her that armed men who claimed to be members of the Philippine Navy forced him and Magbanua in separate vehicles on the night of their disappearance and that he is being at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. Magbanua’s whereabouts are currently unknown.
Mungcal of the Gabriela Women’s Partylist and Pampoza of Anakpawis were also reported missing 2 months
later; CCTV footage revealed that they were last seen at Moncada’s Winfare Supermarket in Tarlac City on July 3, 2022. As of writing, their whereabouts still remain unknown.
On July 13, 2022 the families of the missing organizers were accompanied by GWP and KMU in filing a formal complaint before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). The state rights watchdog said that they would send a representative to Camp Aguinaldo in order to investigate the disappearances.
Camp Aguinaldo’s front gates were then stormed by human rights
advocates and activist organizations last July 22, 2022 to call for the immediate release of Magbanua, Juat, Mungcal and Pampoza and to protest against the enforced disappearances and arrests of labor workers and progressives.
The four organizers’ families also call for the abolition of Executive Order No. 70 which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) – an agency known for tagging progressives and critics as communist rebels or terrorists.
The city government, and Angeles City Traffic Development Office (ACTDO) ordered the banning of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) from major roads in the city which started on July 10, 2022 to ease traffic conditions and lessen road vehicles.
This movement was in accordance with the recent Ordinance no. 609 Series of 2021, Article III Public Transportation Sec. 43, which states that PUJs whose routes are outside the city are prohibited to enter main roads from 7am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday.
Some of the outside city limit jeepneys that are under the regulation are the Angeles to San Fernando, Angeles
to Porac, Angeles to Magalang/Arayat, and Angeles to Mabalacat/Tarlac, where they were given new drop-off points during the ban: SM Telabastagan for southbound PUJs, Bayanihan Park or the SM Clark Public Transport Terminal for northbound PUJs, Marquee Mall Public Transport Common Terminal for eastbound PUJs, and finally, the location beside Sandra Mall for westbound PUJs.
With that, several commuters from other localities whose destinations are inside the city are having a hard time complying with the recent order, including students studying at Holy Angel University (HAU).
“Nahihirapan ako kasi kailangan ko pa bumaba ulit ng jeep tapos
magbabayad ka na naman ulit,” said a HAU student residing in San Fernando who requested anonymity.
She stated that she goes every morning to HAU for her duties inside the university. Because of the city ordinance, she now pays more than her usual fare in which she claimed is affecting her daily budget.
“Naapektuhan din work ni daddy ko,” she added, mentioning that her father is a jeepney driver.
In how long the ordinance will take place is indefinite, as ACTDO did not stated it in their announcement on Facebook last June 20, nor will there be any amendments after the results of the said ban are visibly seen.
The School of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences (SNAMS) had its face-to-face Clinical Graduation last June 7, 2022, at Holy Angel University. The departments of Nursing, Medical Technology (MedTech), and Radiologic Technology (RadTech) attended a mass in the University Chapel before proceeding to Peter G. Nepomuceno (PGN) auditorium for the commencement exercise.
Class Lualu of the Nursing Department, Class Kairos of the RadTech department, and Class Hiraya of the MedTech department together with their companions were welcomed and congratulated by Mr. Leopoldo Jaime N. Valdes, the Office-in-Charge President, whereas resiliency and hard work were highlighted on his message for the Graduates and their parents. Phoenixes were also recognized and given a special award for their outstanding work. The following are the awardees and their respective awards: Best Thesis Award (Nursing):
“ASSOCIATION OF NURSING STUDENTS’ SELF-REGULATION AND ONLINE LEARNING SELFEFFICACY” by Joergianna Marie V. Silang, Monica L. Borja, Steffanie A. Serrano, and Ericka C. Munsayac
As of the end of April this year, the national government’s outstanding debt has reached a new record high of P12.76 trillion, according to data released by the Treasury on June 2, 2022, the government’s liabilities are inching closer to the P13-trillion threshold, climbing over 0.7% month-over-month.
Of the outstanding debt, 70% was derived from local borrowings, while 30% from overseas creditors.
The accumulation of the debt was largely attributable to the issuing of government securities and a weak peso in April. Debts have risen by 8.8 percent, or P1.03 trillion, since the beginning of the year.
Domestic borrowings reached P8.93 trillion, an increase of 0.8% from the levels at the end of March. This included the utilization of domestic financing of P66.3 billion.
In the same month, external debt increased by 0.4% due mostly to P28.56 billion in extra loans and the depreciation of the peso, which cost P31.5 billion.
The increase in government debt is not the only concern. It has been reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday, August 5, that the country’s inflation rate in July surged from 6.1% to 6.4% as the cost of food, particularly seafood, meat, sugar, and non-alcoholic beverages rose.
The last time the Consumer Price Index (CPI) went above 6% was in November of 2018. Wherein inflation peaked in September and October at 6.9%, following a financial crisis that resulted in a $7 trillion loss on the stock markets.
It is stated by the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General Undersecretary-Dennis S. Mapa that “inflation has not even yet hit its high,” in a news conference held last July. As price increases have been discovered in nine of thirteen regions, ground-level indicators and statistics suggest that the CPI is expected to increase further. It is uncommon, he stated, for all regions to be on the rise at the same time.
“We continue to witness pricing
by IZA TINSAYhikes,” Mapa told reporters. He added the monthly increase in pricing from January to June is “very steep” in practically all regions.
“Based on our monitoring, we anticipate that these prices, especially food prices, will continue to rise,” said Mapa.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) only predicts an average inflation rate of five percent for this year.
PSA has observed that the upward trend of inflation in NCR for the month of June 2022 was mostly attributable to the higher annual increase in the food and non-alcoholic beverages index at 6.1% in June 2022, up from 4.6% the previous month.
The chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., Michael Ricafort, predicted that inflation would reach a yearly high of about 6% in July-October and then begin to fall in November-December if no unexpected shocks occur.
by BRIENNE DAVID
The cost of rice will significantly drop to P20 per kilo by the year 2023 according to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
However, farmers will then be facing an unsustainable income as the price of production cost of palay rose from P11.50 prior to the dispute between Ukraine and Russia to P14.80 per kilo. This is brought by the rise in the cost of fertilizers and fuel as mentioned by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar. Oppositely, Dar revealed that the low rice cost is currently unattainable.
“Now, ang farmgate price natin naman, ‘yung bibilhin mo ng palay, at 14 percent moisture content, ay P19 ang present na farmgate price,” Dar stated in an interview with dzMM TeleRadyo.
He continued, “So if we look at it, if we can do P20 a kilo of rice, with this data, it’s not yet possible.”
Contrary to Dar, DAR Secretary Bernie Cruz strategized a plan in attaining the P20 per kilo of rice cost based on President Marcos Jr.’s goal of lowering rice cost. Cruz stated the target would be feasible through the division’s mega farm project.
Dar mentioned that the only plausible and possible way to turn rice cost to P20 per kilo is for the government to buy rice directly from the farmers. Although, it would cost the government roughly P123 million.
Best Thesis Award (RadTech): “Lived Experiences of Radiologic Techonology Students in Online Learning During Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic” by Kristian Carlo V. Soriano, Mohammad D. Catacutan and Rodelyn Roque
Best Thesis Award (MedTech): “College Students Awareness on the Transmission, Signs and Symptoms, Prevention, and Attitude Towards COVID-19 in a Private Higher Education Institution in Pampanga” by Ideline Joyce D. Lalic, Aina Joy C. Mueden, Arrion Joshua G. Santos, and Pamela D. Dabu
Gold Medal in Clinical Education (Nursing): Joergianna Marie V. Silang, (Radtech): Rianne C. Dacillo, (MedTech): Marry Ann A. Diwa
Silver Medal in Clinical Education (Nursing): Gabriel M. Togonon, RadTech): Davilo S. Renton, (MedTech): Jinky Grace S. Paule
“Nagtataka ako na kaya nila agad… Ako the only way to have that ay i-subsidize mo. Bilhin mo ang rice at ibenta mo ng P20. Kung kaya nila ay it will take a lot of money,” Dar stated.
Farmers and agriculture, in general, continue to experience difficulties as the food system is thoroughly weakened both by the COVID-19 pandemic and the UkraineRussia war.
“Providing cheap food and fighting inflation through imports is a short-term solution. Producing our own food requirements, although a much longer process, will be more sustainable for our people. We appeal for a level playing field from government,” the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) president Danilo Fausto stressed last May 2022.
Agri groups, such as PCAFI and the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) appealed last May 2022 that the new administration must support local farmers amidst the emerging food crisis—magnifying that the Marcos administration must allot a higher amount of budget for the DA to provide an adequate wage for farmers.
Bronze Medal in Clinical Education: (Nursing): Danielle Joy S. Tiamson, (RadTech): Kristian Carlo V. Soriano, (MedTech): Esmeralda D. Canlas
Student Leadership Award (Nursing): Gabriel M. Togonon, (RadTech): Mohammad D. Catacutan, (MedTech): Michal G. Villanueva
Exemplary Student Leadership Award: Mohammad G. Catacutan Testimonial speeches were given by the mothers of Leadership awardees, Gabriel M. Togonon and Michal G. Villanueva, it was emphasized in the speech how determined and resilient the students are. A video tribute was also prepared for the graduates of different departments. The students gave their parents roses while serenading them with the song “MAPA” to give thanks and appreciate the love and support during the student journey.
shepherdship
The College Student Council-School of Engineering and Architecture (CSC-SEA) wrapped up its SEA Bridging Program 2022 for Engi neering and Architecture freshmen on July 6, 2022.
The SEA bridging program started on June 15, 2022, and the classes were conducted both online and on-campus. Hannah Betinna Miranda, the CSCSEA Chairperson, said that this serves as a reviewer and kick-starter for in coming freshmen by offering various classes related to their programs. This also aimed to help the students from non-STEM strands who chose to take engineering or architecture programs in college.
The Engineering classes were composed of lessons in Algebra, Trigo nometry, and Analytic. Miranda stated that through this program, the students will be refreshed on the fundamental mathematical topics that are continu ously being applied in higher engineer ing courses.
“With the shift to the K-12 cur
riculum, the engineering programs were adjusted from a 5-year course to a 4-year course. Some of the general engineering topics that were taught during 1st-year college before were distributed to Senior High School,” said Miranda.
As per the Architecture classes, a manual sketching activity and drafting classes were held at Holy Angel Uni versity’s Epiphany and Archbishop Pedro Santos (APS) Building, respec tively. Miranda explained that this is a starter for students to sharpen and improve their skills with the real-time comments of professors on their work.
The United Architects of the Phil ippines Student Auxiliary- Holy Angel University (UAPSA-HAU) played also a role in this program by assisting, pro viding consultation, and sharing their personal experiences as upperclass men with the freshmen.
“This program not only helped them prepare for class but also served as a peer-to-peer gathering that will sharpen their communication skills for the upcoming limited in-person
classes,” said Ayessa Marie Agustin, the UAPSA-HAU President.
The Bridging Program ended with recognition to students who excelled in the activities as well as giving of raffles and giveaways.
Miranda said the CSC-SEA has started to plan out the academic year filled with academic and non-academic
activities, especially with the gradual transition to a hybrid learning setup.
“Alongside with the held program, our goal is not only to provide such events but also to make different medi
Rev. Fr. Torrecarion stated that he is thankful for his new assignment and aims to bring the HAU community ‘closer to God.’
“This assignment as the new university chaplain makes me feel even more grateful to Him for giving me the opportunity to serve my ‘first love,’ the Catholic school. I pray that in this new pastoral assignment, I can help continue HAU’s spiritual practices in nurturing the faith-life of the university community,” he said.
Although fresh from his position, Rev. Fr. Torrecarion stated that he is already “in the process of listening” to know more about the university and craft possible projects to implement.
“I would like to get to know the community well first so that I will have a deeper understanding of the faith-life of the university community which I will be dealing and living with for the next three years,” he noted.
In addition, Rev. Fr. Torrecarion guaranteed that his chaplaincy will be founded on the “journey towards the path of holiness.”
Meanwhile, the Institute of Christian Formation and Social Integration (ICFSI) and the Campus Ministry Office (CMO), headed by Ms. Norilyn Pineda, assure support for the new chaplain.
Pineda also expects that under the chaplaincy of Torrecarion, more “listening sessions and dialogue are to be slated” for the psychological and spiritual wellbeing of students.
“The Campus Ministry Office aims at making pastoral services such as confession, counseling, and other services more available,” said Pineda. “The reason why the chaplain plans for more listening sessions is to improve its services and programs for the members of the HAU community, especially the students,” she added.
Apart from being the chaplain, Rev. Fr. Torrecarion will also lead the ICFSI, CMO, and University Pastoral Council as spiritual heads of the offices.
by BRIENNE DAVID
Holy Angel University (HAU) is recommended for recertification on ISO 9001:2015 as announced via its official Facebook page on July 18, 2022.
In April 2019, HAU was first recognized for attaining a rare ISO 9001:2015 certification for the entirety of its units and departments, both in academic programs and support ser vices from basic education to higher education.
The ISO 9001 is an international criterion for a Quality Management System (QMS) that multiple organiza
tions utilize to exemplify their abilities to consistently provide products and services that reach the customer and regulatory requirements continuously. Moreover, it is said that there are nu merous documents in the family of ISO 9000 standards, but ISO 9001 remains the sole standard that requires certifi cation. Additionally, ISO 9001:2015 is the latest version of ISO 9001.
HAU was able to submit all ac ademic and non-academic units for the ISO certification to perceive if the University excelled the criterion of the certification back in 2018. Now, the University declares that it repeatedly
accomplished the standards of the ISO certification this 2022, which ensured the certification’s standard of continu ously improving performance.
The ISO certification is on the trail of various international and na tional accreditations and certifications covering significant awards to stan dards, namely the Accreditation Com mission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA US-based), the Philippine Quality Award (PQA), and the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IAC BE), and the Global Performance Ex cellence Award (GPEA).
Representing the Philippines alongside 59 other delegates, Holy Angel University’s own France Nikko “Nyx” Nasal returns home as a bronze medalist after taking part in the 25th World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) held last July 22 to July 31.
Nasal was among the 60 official delegates of the Philippines for the international competition program held at Anaheim, California, USA for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic 2 and a half years back. Facing representatives from over 70 countries, Team Philippines has successfully garnered a total of 265 medals .
In an interview with The Angelite, Nasal had stated that his journey as a singer first started with his grade school choir days. After joining a band in junior high, he started seriously considering pursuing his hobby as a full-time career.
In 2019, he began professional training with the Center for Pop Music Philippines (CPMP) and eventually became an artist of a music-only livestreaming platform called Sessions Live the following year. Frequent mentions of WCOPA from CPMP colleagues and co-artists of Sessions Live – some of which are alumni of the performing arts championships –sparked Nasal’s interest in securing a slot.
After going through a series of auditions and interviews that, according to Nasal, seek not only talent but good attitudes and behaviors, he became part of Team Philippine’s Top 60 out of 6,000 auditionees nationwide.
Nasal and his fellow delegates attended bootcamps spearheaded by Team Philippines headed by national director Gerry Mercado to prepare them against the scrutiny of more than 100 Hollywood professionals serving
as judges in 6 different categories: dancing, singing, modeling, acting, instrumentals, and variety arts.
Competing in 5 singing subcategories – rock, R&B, country, world (Original Pilipino Music), and broadway-themed group productions, Nasal started intensively preparing himself physically, mentally, and spiritually 3 months prior to the competition. His hard work paid off when he won bronze for the Senior Solo Vocals and Group Production categories.
“I felt joy and honor because I know that I have represented my country very well. My WCOPA journey helped me so much in terms of growth and gaining new knowledge, friends, and experiences,” expressed Nasal.
Currently a senior of HAU’s BA Communications program, Nasal plans on furthering his performing arts career through focusing on different projects, guestings, and live festivals and through promoting his events on his social media platforms; he can be found on Instagram and Twitter under the handle @nyxnasal.
by KHRISEANNE SALVADORMr. Juan Carlo Muñoz, RCrim., Ms. Cyla Mendoza, and Ms. Shaina Parilla of the College of Criminal Justice Education and Forensics (CCJEF) reigned in two out of three categories with their coach Mr. Eduard M. Dimalanta in the first Professional Criminologist Association of the Philippines (PCAP) Region 3 Intercrim Pistol Shootfest at OneHit Shooting Range, Bamban, Tarlac in commemoration of the 124th Philippine Independence day on July 12, 2022.
In the lady shooter category, the current second-year Criminology students Mendoza banked the Champion title while Parilla secured first place. In the faculty shooter category, Muñoz bags the Champion title. The tournament has three stages, each worth 15 points.
“I only had one day of practice, and I told myself not to feel under pressure… made a choice to come up with a specific performance in mind, to create concentration techniques, and to concentrate on performance rather than
outcomes.”, shared Mendoza.
She emphasized that the toughest part of the training is the emotional aspect where dealing with disappointment, excitement, and pressure happen simultaneously.
Mendoza also mentioned that she had to make adjustments to prepare for the competition.
“One thing I sacrificed was my time for everything throughout my preparation, and as a result, I was able to concentrate only on how I would be supposed to make it,” said Mendoza.
This is the first shootout competition Mendoza joined and she is grateful for her chance to compete in an inter-crim competition
“It was an honor to me to represent my school, Holy Angel University, and proud to say I’m a CCJEF Student,” Mendoza exclaimed,
Mr. Kim Edilbert Vergara, Mr. Ariel Mico Chan, Ms. Aina Simbillo, and Ms. Annaemielyn Bayon also participated in the event.
The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) faculty and staff conducted a Lunch for a Cause on June 30, 2022, at Holy Angel University’s Cafe Juan as part of their annually held outreach activity.
As the restrictions caused by the pandemic come to ease, the activity was held for the first time after two years.
The SHTM faculty and staff themselves are the ones fully involved throughout the process of the activity. This includes the planning, purchasing, marketing, ticket-selling, cooking, dining set-up, serving, and washing of dishes.
Dr. Tyron W. Yap, the SHTM dean, said that outreach activities are regularly being conducted outside of the university. But the said activity aims to reach out internally to the SHTM family who needs assistance, especially in the financial aspect. A current SHTM student and SHTM alumni who need financial assistance for their medical needs were the beneficiaries who received the proceeds from the activity
“Doing the activity itself is more meaningful kapag pinaghirapan,” said Yap.
Yap believes this initiative is aligned to HAU’s core values especially, compassion. He also emphasized that their relationship with the students is not restricted within the classroom.
“’Di naman ganu’n kalaking pera ang na-raise... but they know na galing ‘yun sa faculty na nakasama nila in the past at naging teacher nila, mas naging meaningful sa kanila dahil pinaghirapan,” he added.
The SHTM department was able to raise 15,000 pesos from the 100 HAU employees who bought tickets to dinein and received 5,000 pesos from an anonymous donor.
Yap considers this activity and the faculty being “in action” in the kitchen a rare moment for them since the past two years have been in the online learning set-up. He also looks forward to more alike activities where the SHTM students can also be involved once the situation allows.
Movement, art, writing, and oth er forms of protests, critics and reports against the administra tion can perceive this as Filipino journalists having a “free press’’ but what happens after these are the problem.
The Third Quarter 2021 Social Weather Survey found that 45% of Filipinos say it is dangerous to publish things critical of the admin istration even if it is the truth and 19% disagree.
Under the Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, 22 lives of journalists and media workers were lost and countless of libel charges, red-tagging, harass ment and threat incidents trans pired. Rappler and Maria Ressa face legal challenges, ABS-CBN was shut down, barring a journalist from media coverage and the list goes on. This proves that the press which continues to be the driver of resis tance is where impunity persists at the same time. Despite Duterte signing a law and declaring August 30 as National Press Freedom Day, this shall not undervalue and disre gard the atrocities and impunity to the press.
Whereas, the current admin istration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. poses the same climate to the press. Notwithstanding the fact that he had selective media engagements during the campaign period where he only attended to and entertained the programs organized by person alities who are not biased against him. From then until now, he heav ily relies on social media platforms and trusts vloggers over journalists which makes disinformation and historical revisionism spread ram pantly. This undermines the public’s confidence and trust in democracy, the press itself and its credibility to serve the truth.
If the Duterte administration regards press freedom as “vital in nation’s vibrant democracy,” and something that the Marcos admin istration “recognizes and respects,” then, it must stop viewing the press as a threat. Politically and ill-moti vated charges and decisions against the press must not be condoned and welcomed in any way to protect the erring administration. Let the press perform its duty to criticize and expose abuses and injustices to hold the public authorities account able. After all, these are not mere criticisms but critical reporting for transparency and a call for a just and good governance carried out with utmost integrity.
With this, we insist the gov ernment build a safe environment and system of information that is free from intimidation and attacks which is conducive for a free press and well-informed citizenry who makes democratic decisions and ac tions based on truth.
We hope that the National Press Freedom Day will not be re membered every year as an irony of the current state of press and media on the ground. Nevertheless, press freedom is not a one-day recogni tion and provision of value because ultimately, it is not a one-day fight.
nly a day left before the deadline for our written outputs for this tabloid, including this column, I still have no topic in mind to discuss. Then, I asked myself, “kailangan bang may opinion ako?”-- but I am just referring to having an opinion article and not the opinion we know in general. This ques tion made me ask if it is necessary for people to have opinions (not the article) on things. Voila! I now have a topic for my column.
To answer the question, yes, it is necessary for us to have an opinion be cause we need and have the capacity to assess and know what is good, what is right, and what is not.
But for someone to have an opinion does not always mean being outspoken, having an article just like this or a viral tweet, answering Facebook’s What’s on
your mind?, being invited for an inter view, and suchlike.
An opinion is initially constructed silently inside of us and is reflected in our lives in different ways, maybe even without noticing it. Having an opinion can come in forms such as feeling a sudden emotion when you hear or see a situation whether good or unfortunate. Why? There is a chance your opinion does or doesn’t align with it that’s why you reacted like that.
You are either quick to decide or need a few days or weeks to do so. Why? You might already have a firm opinion and stance on it so it is easier for you to decide or the other way around which demands more time to think about it.
Having said these, the necessity of having an opinion comes from the point that it makes us a thinking and feeling human. And as thinking and feeling hu mans, it is crucial that we have and un derstand the reasons behind the opinions we hold. We must take time to dive deep
er into them to see how based in truth and reality they are. Learning and listen ing from other people and doing research can help us to develop our opinions even more to make them solid and defendable. We don’t want to just fight for truth but fight from truth.
Opinion makes us critical and dis cerning. Opinion allows for accountabil ity. It is not a mere response to another’s point of view or a situation, but rather, it is an avenue to criticize and to challenge.
An opinion can never be a fact but it can be reinforced with facts to stand yourself in truth. Give people reasons to criticize your opinion but never for the reason that you have an opinion.
Of course, this article would not be complete without: “Just respect my opin ion.” Charot!
lection seasons were something that I always caught myself think ing about as a child. My young, inexpe rienced mind is therefore constantly as tounded by how politicians can interact with total strangers and persuade them to believe in themselves.
The recent presidential election was indeed a thriller of its own. The nation’s election has been a source of amusement and excitement for many, from disputes and shortfalls to mis information and candidates who have been convicted of crimes. But for some people, it goes against how the nation’s history would endure.
The various scandals that were re ported, including the technical issues
with multiple vote-counting equipment at polling sites while refusing to ex tend the voting deadline that prevented some Filipinos from casting their bal lots, showed how poorly COMELEC handled this year’s elections.
The Commission also seems to have ignored the use of false informa tion and propaganda by politicians in their election campaigns. Vote buying and other illegal methods of campaign ing were not taken seriously because of the lack of consequences for offenders.
COMELEC’s principal source of funding comes from the general popu lation. Because of the widespread fail ure of individuals in charge of advanc ing the cause for the national elections,
we are left with no choice but to call for accountability.
In order to protect the welfare of our nation, we must speak out against the COMELEC’s blatant disregard for the rule of law. Hence, we must rec ognize that they were complicit with someone who was desperately trying to
change history by using false informa tion to somehow clear their name once they stopped upholding responsibility.
With what the mismanaged elec tions resulted into, we must now, more than ever, evaluate every piece of in formation we take in critically, whether it comes from the internet or the real world for us to preserve our democracy.
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An opinion is initially constructed silently inside of us and is reflected in our lives in different ways, maybe even without noticing it.
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In order to protect the welfare of our nation, we must speak out against the COMELEC’s blatant disregard for the rule of law.
s a fresh high school graduate, be fore going into college and before taking my long-awaited graduation pic ture, I’ve made the conscious decision of cutting my then long and dyed bright pink hair for two reasons. First is because I’ve gotten sick of the constant hair fall from all the bleach jobs I’ve gotten and second is because I knew I had to follow haircut policies in my next school.
Well it wasn’t much of an issue for me personally as it was “just hair” but in all honesty it took me one step back from the confidence–especially, in my gender expression–I had when it was longer and screaming pink. Well it may be okay for me now but for a lot of students especially those who are part of the LGBTQIA+ face a lot of struggles when abiding to strict policies like haircuts and dress codes and with that struggle is oftentimes have un derlying connotations of discrimination to one’s self identity and expression.
Oftentimes the target of the said discrimination, transpeople are the ones who always have to compromise their own expression for the sake of abiding to these policies. In one of several recent in stances, four graduating senior high trans students were featured in a viral tweet by Miss Trans Global 2020 and activist Mela Habijan.
In the said post Habijan shared the creative graduation photoshoot she gifted to the four transwomen. As they weren’t allowed to attend their graduation cere mony, because they were required to cut their hair and were prohibited from wear ing dresses. Their decision of not pushing
through with attending their own gradu ation saddened Habijan, giving them the said photoshoot as a way to express them selves as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Furthermore, Habijan also made her own best efforts to try to talk to the Department of Education regarding this.
safe place for students? Simply put, a stu dent should feel safe and at ease regardless of their gender identity when they are in school or wherever.
This shouldn’t be such an issue as none of these policies actually affect a student’s academic performance, but in contrast forcing these policies can affect a student’s self-esteem causing them to lose confidence and doubt their identity. Our policies should be those who help students be more comfortable, not the opposite.
If it still needs a viral post for a school’s admin to give the inclusivity that the LGBTQIA+ students simply ask for, is a school truly then a childfriendly space especially when a school is deemed to be a safe place for students?
Habijan’s post made waves in social media, ultimately reaching the students’ school administration and making them allow the students to attend their gradu ation march. With these heteronormative policies instilled by school administra tions it truly raises the questions the inclu sivity that even certain schools promote.
If it still needs a viral post for a school’s admin to give the inclusivity that the LGBTQIA+ students simply ask for, is a school truly then a child-friendly space especially when a school is deemed to be a
Recently, in better news, the De partment of Education implemented the Gender Responsive Basic Education Pol icy. Which aims to protect students from discrimination, gender-related violence, abuse, exploitation, and bullying. Further more it promotes gender parity and prior itizing gender inclusivity when it comes to their policies, programs, projects and activities.
This mandate has been long needed as let’s be honest, this long-running issue of discrimination gender identity and ex pression in the school setting has done a lot of damage to LGBTQIA+ youth. Being forced into two boxes for so long when in fact the spectrum is so wide.
As a matter of fact, these simple things that our queerfolk need to constant ly fight for in order to get should just be handed to them. Furthermore, as we still walk through this constantly progressing society, it is common decency to respect one’s identity. Your sexuality, gender identity or expression shouldn’t be a hin drance to what kind of rights you get. We are all equal, no one is a cut above the rest.
hen it comes to Philippine sports, a particular game is considered one of the top fan favorites of all time, the men’s basketball. From the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) which is now 47 years old this year, down to Gilas Pilipinas’ stints in the world stage, it is rare for a match to not be televised in local networks such as the ABS-CBN Sports + Action before or TV5. Therefore, almost all Filipinos know the local and national basketball team’s players and perfor mances in their respective leagues.
had won all the 10 gold medals for the past SEA Games that had softball in the events? They had also qualified for the World Cup in 2017 and other worldclass tournaments. Their coach, Randy Dizer, told GMA News Online that even though they had bagged several awards, sadly, the support they gain is not enough. This is evident because in all their title wins, their games are hardly to ever be live on television or even the internet. The audience even knows more about the final scores in Gilas’ matches, praising them though they seldomly win a medal in interna tional leagues.
For over 2 years, both lecture and laboratory classes were held online which became a challenge to teachers and students. Our government has announced recently about going back to full force face-to-face classes but due to the non-stop COVID 19 cases, lectures are still being held online while laboratory courses are required to be made in a limited face-to-face set-up considering the Health and Safety Protocols. With an unpromising future, the college has been setting the academic plans to be flexible for both online and limited face-to-face classes and also in making sure to provide the best quality education to the students despite the blended learning setup. Hoping and praying that for the next semester, we could have a full force face-to-face classes.
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As it stands, coping means coming to terms (may or may not be to some degree) with what the university presented to us, but in my experience, the students were unwillingly pushing through the struggles with their bandaid solutions to the neoliberal approaches affecting them. It is not justifiable in any way, that a student should succumb to unfair policies that hinder their learning as some of the “policies” were not even executed properly.
The setup requires careful scheduling of both online and in-person classes while giving emphasis to safety procedures. Since there will be days when they are expected to attend inperson sessions, both the students and the teachers must take this into consideration while adjusting their daily schedules. However, it appears that due to its flexibility, hybrid learning will be more useful.
For example, when I was a freshman, we were promised to utilize the software for our laboratory activities. Funny thing is that, even now that I am currently a senior, I am still waiting for the day that I will be able to use the specialized software for my program in one of our laboratories. Even in the online mode of learning, we were expecting to use and learn from the software given to us but the license for the program was only active for a few weeks in the whole semester before reactivation, our instructors then resorted to the use of 3rd party applications instead of the paid software that we should be using for the semester.
Previously, I was a consistent academic scholar of our department by qualifying to the upper 1% so paying my tuition was somehow troublefree back then. However, when the pandemic hit all of us, things changed. The tuition increase has left students and most especially, our parents concerned since there are also a few parents who have lost their jobs. It is truly heartbreaking to witness students from my batch not able to enroll due to financial difficulties in our terminal year. And in terms of how I am able to cope up with this challenge, considering also the fact that my siblings as well are now college students from the other university, my parents pay their fees first then my tuition will be paid during the final term to balance our finances. Besides, my parents also save money in advance for my entrance fee for me to be able to enroll during the first day of enrollment and to get my desired block schedule. Further, I also get through with the help of my acquired scholarships. Anyhow, it’s really saddening to see others struggle with the tuition increase. How about the others who were not able to carry on because of this? I still believe that education in the first place, is a right and should be accessible for all
But have you ever heard that their national counterparts, the Gilas Pilipi nas Women’s Team, won a gold med al in the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games)? How about the recent historic moment of the Philippine Women’s National Football Team, Fil ipinas, where they captured the first AFF women’s crown? If these did not catch the Filipinos’ attention after their recent podium finishes, what less spot light can other Filipina athletes receive?
This is because when there are games of men’s basketball, there are also important matches for some Fili pinas athletes. But instead of televising the games of these athletes dominating in different world leagues, the coun try’s local networks choose to air the more rated sport, just like how one PBA game went live instead of the champi onship match between the Philippines and Thailand in the women’s football.
When there is a basketball game live on television, it is expected that there will be a jampacked arena of fans, several sportscasters, analysts, ath lete-celebrities, and more. Broadcast ing networks also conducts interviews, shows, and television guesting with the players and coaches in this overrated sport. As a result, Filipino fans became more hooked and familiar with the men’s basketball teams that they forgot to explore more talented athletes be yond the basketball court, particularly, female outstanding players or teams.
One group of these athletes ban nering their women pride is the Blu Girls, the Philippine Women’s National Softball Team. Did you know that they
With that, the whole country should back up these national Filipina athletes the same way, or even more, it supports mainstreamed sports teams. The government should also cater what they need and give them the spotlight they deserve for the people to get to know these female players who excel in world leagues while wearing red, white, and blue. The Filipinas, Blu Girls, Gilas Women’s, and all other Filipina athletes banners the Philippine flag in international stages, showing that Filipinos can go head-to-head with all other world-class talents. They de serve more by providing them the sup port they need such as financial aids or telecasting their games on television.
But aside from the support from the government, we should also pay at tention to these underrated sports teams for they bring glory to our country, and one thing that we Filipinos can do is by watching their games instead of gluing our eyes on men’s basketball players.
We can always watch local television shows or games because they occur each time to time. There are at least two cups in the PBA every year, and college basketball tournaments also happen an nually, but a historic match by a wom en’s national team in sports comes once in a lifetime for them.
A simple cheer, praise, or a mes sage of appreciation from a single fan may be small, but if combined with oth ers, we can create a powerful support system for these women. Together, we should rewrite the history of Philippine sports, turning it to herstory story.
If it still needs a viral post for a school’s admin to give the inclusivity that the LGBTQIA+ students simply ask for, is a school truly then a childfriendly space especially when a school is deemed to be a safe place for students?
The Angelite is accepting letters to the editor, hatemail, honest-to-goodness critiques, indignant rebuttals, love notes, and whathave-you. Send them to The Angelite email at theangelite1937@gmail.com or send a message on facebook.com/theangelite Unsigned and anonymous letters will not be accepted. However, names can be withheld upon request.
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“TERESITA O. CRUZ Faculty – Psychology Department School of Arts & Sciences KERJY YABUT 4th Year, BS Psychology CAMILLE PERALTA 4th year, SHTM MS. JANA JOYCE COLIAN
Engineering student, brings home a silver medal from the 31st South East Asian (SEA) Games League of Legends E-sports category held last May 2022 in Vietnam. He won alongside his team, including Andre Dominique Soriano, David Emmanuel Tapang, Jan Edward Hortizuela, Jan Raphael Retance, and their coach, Mr. Van Matthew Alfonso, a Holy Angel University (HAU) alumnus with a BS Computer Science degree.
Much like other gamers out there, he wasn’t shielded from his parents’ nags for playing too much video games, “Nung una lagi ako napapagalitan kasi siympre iba ang generation nila noon, minamaliit at hindi nila gets ang gaming noon, pero tamang explanation lang sakanila at pag intindi, naging supportive din sila sakin,” said Canlas.
He tackled a very common issue about the generation gap and how older generations think gaming is useless and would bring no good but he is also one to prove them wrong after claiming the silver victory.
Canlas said he started gaming when he was just 9 years old, “I think Pokemon Ruby pa ang una ko na nilaro that time”.
He now plays Hunt Showdown, Valorant, and Wildrift in addition to League of Legends. Aside from gaming, he also likes playing basketball and going to coffee shops in his spare time.
TRAINING
Training is such an essential part of achieving success in whatever sport there is, E-sports is no exemption.
Most sports require physical and mental training and often try to enhance endurance, flexibility, balance, and other skill-related components of fitness. However, when it comes to e-sports, it’s a different training experience.
A lot of mental preparation
the training of E-sports athletes but this does not mean that they should neglect their physical health. They also have to keep their health in check to avoid any effects of too much radiation and strain.
During training, Canlas stated that he had quite a difficult time juggling studies and when asked what he had to give up to earn the success he has now.
“Wala naman ako ginive up, siguro nabawasan lang time management ko,” he answered.
He also mentioned that the hardest part of the training is the stress and pressure, after all, he’s bearing the Philippine flag to international competitions.
Feeling pressured before a big game like one in South East Asian Games is an expected feeling but how a person deals with it affects the results, needless to say, Canlas handled it very well.
After much training and mouse clicks, the day has come to put all those skills and strategies to use on the big day.
Stepping on the big stage bearing your country’s name and flag must have been a dream but would surely be nerve-wracking.
Canlas shared that he felt very pressured during the event, ”Pressured, at the same time happy kasi makakalaban mo mga idols mo sa ibang bansa.”
He was very excited to play against his idols from the other countries as it was like stepping up to the level of those he only looked up to before.
To all aspiring competitive gamers out there, “Grind lang nang grind hanggang maachieve ang pangarap,” said Canlas.
At one point, he was also one who only dreamt of doing something big with his love for gaming but he persevered and never gave up. He can now proudly display a SEA Games Silver Medal which he
This also serves as a call to other gamers to continue grinding and keep on doing what makes you happy as what makes you happy will bring you to your highest of high successes.
Times have changed, sports are not only physical and mental, there are now digital sports.
Gaming used to be underestimated and ignored, some traditional people still consider this a useless path but more and more people are already changing their minds and embracing this sport.
Gone are the days when gaming was looked down upon because now there are people who have careers because of online games.
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To all aspiring competitive gamers out there, “Grind lang nang grind hanggang ma-achieve ang pangarap,” said Canlas.
People can even play to earn money on games like Axie Infinity, Decentraland, Alien Worlds, and many more. A lot of gamers are also streamers who earn by playing games and streaming them so other people can watch.
What used to be just a little dream for most gamers is now a big reality and it surely changes the way we view games, from “Ugh, games.” to “Wow! So cool!”.
“BEEEEEP” go the cars and “HOOONK” go the horns, censoring the multitude of curses that can be heard from both drivers and pedestrians alike. Tires swerve as they try to make room for even the tiniest space that leads them towards their destination while whistles of traffic enforcers add tilting notes to the cacophonous metro tune.
Everyone’s annoyed, hungry, and most likely running late, so they start making calls for excuses or prayers for hope that they won’t miss their appoint ments. It’s only just the start of a Monday and yet everyone looks like they’ve aged 7 years in less than 7 hours.
Traffic jams, sweltering heat, and wrinkled frowns. Just a typical Monday for the Filipinos at the very peak of rush hour – and the ever so sweet and beloved sound of the country’s long on-going mass transporta tion crisis.
Many would associ ate a variety of derogatory adjectives and descriptors in countless languages to the state of mass transpor tation in the Philip
pines and yet they would all unanimously agree that such a nasty plethora of in sults wouldn’t be enough to illustrate just how much of a pain it is for Filipinos. What is rather surprising though, in retrospect, is how we have trained our selves to simply live with it. The dysfunctional system has become so prominent throughout the day-to-day lives of many that a Philip pines without an absolute mess of a transportation system seems too wild for the imagination to cook up.
That doesn’t mean that the Filipinos find them selves perfectly content with it though – much less those whose lives rely on public transportation, no matter how chaotic and unpredictable it can be. Nor can we be guilt free if we choose to be complacent in the matters of our mass transportation system –what with its continued and rapidly accelerating collapse.
To prove that our transportation systems are breaking apart at the seams, we must look at the factors cata lyzing
its demise, the first of them being unemployment. Let’s travel back to the first year of the COVID-19 pandem ic to illustrate this further: when quarantine restric tions were being modi fied, flipped, and played with at a whim, people started gradually welcom ing themselves back to the commuting lifestyle in or der to more efficiently to their needs and livelihoods. This didn’t bode well for the commuters because not only was the capacity in many public utility vehicles (PUVs) halved due to social distancing measures, but there was also a noticeable decrease in the number of PUVs available.
The decrease can be at tributed to the substantial increase in the country’s unemployment rate from 5.1% in 2019 to 8.5% at the end of 2020. At the height of the pandemic, 7.3 mil lion Filipinos were jobless – including over 100,000 mass transportation opera tors. The railroading of the Public Utility Vehicle Mod ernization Program which phased out traditional and outdated PUVs
during the very start of the pandemic added insult to injury for many jeepney drivers nationwide as they found themselves cut off from their livelihoods without prior consultations amid a health crisis.
According to the UP School of Urban and Regional Planning, 70% of Filipinos rely on public transportation, using up only 22% of road space; the other 78% is occupied by private vehicles.
This meant commuters struggled as they scram bled to hitch a ride on the few number of jeepneys and trikes left; the then-50% ca pacity limit also meant hard ship ahead for drivers try ing to cope with their less than meagre earnings. Though gone now are the days of social dis tancing measures in PUVs, the senti ment remains all the same 2 years later. Socio-eco nomic circum stances keep turning out for the worse for com muters and oper ators alike as un employment
rates still continue to soar at 2.93 million. With less PUVs and drivers at hand for com muters and less people to ca ter to, the economics of pub lic transport is jeopardized and so are the livelihoods of those that depend on it.
Traffic jams, sweltering heat, and wrinkled frowns. Just a typical Monday for the Filipinos at the very peak of rush hour – and the ever so sweet and beloved sound of the country’s long on-going mass transportation crisis.
But one might think, “Wouldn’t fewer jeepneys and tricycles on our streets result in fewer traffic jams?” and they wouldn’t be the only ones. Govern ment officials also share the sentiment that mass transportation hold ups are big factors to the abysmal traffic con gestion issues in the country and that re ducing the number of PUVs would pave the way for man ageable and bearable traffic, right? Well, data suggests otherwise.
Accord
ing to the UP School of Urban and Regional Plan ning, 70% of Filipinos rely on public transportation, using up only 22% of road space; the other 78% is occupied by private vehi cles. EDSA, a highway no torious for its disastrous traffic, holds a maximum volume of 6,800 vehicles per hour and yet only 3.5% consists of jeepneys and buses while 66% is made of private vehicles. Never theless, most government projects ignore the call for mass transportation im provement in favor of in frastructures that benefit private individuals and corporations alongside private modes of trans portation.
To put into perspective, P2.8 trillion were allocat ed from 2010 to 2021 for widening, construction, and maintenance of roads more suited for private motor vehicles while only P40 billion were used to cater to walking, cycling, and the mass transpor tation system – and even then the budget is being left to waste due to improper project
implementation, poor ur ban planning, faulty traf fic fixtures, and lacklustre traffic management ac companied with vehicu lar and route restrictions aimed mostly at PUVs de spite them being in the minority compared to pri vate ones.
This brings us back to the very first paragraph: a description of a mun dane Monday morning for many Filipinos in the cities. But what that para graph neglected to men tion was the state of the more than 9 million be draggled and hurried commuters as they pray that divine will or sheer luck will grace them with a ride to their destination on time. Providing access to education, livelihood, and more, mass transportation has become a grave ne cessity and yet it remains consistent in being one of the most ignored sectors to date.
With former presiden tial spokesperson Pane lo denying the existence of a mass transportation
crisis and even the for mer president Duterte himself claiming that the government has “taken away the misery of public commuting,” the chances of changes occurring to its current system can be perceived as quite low es pecially if the same senti ment is maintained by our newly instituted batch of government officials. But for the sake of the masses that rely on jeepneys, pedi cabs, transits, and more to get by in such a demand ing environment, the many issues surround ing the mass transporta tion system in the coun try need to be addressed. Otherwise, no longer will our commuters navigate long pauses in the streets waiting for the next free seat – they’ll be navigat ing standstills for eternity or more.
As LGBTQIA+ representation continues to grow in the mainstream media, stories told through films are all about how the community has been struggling to be themselves in school and at home, and how some even have internalized homophobia upon learning their true identity.
Here are some recommendations for you to check out and feel the spirit of pride month. The list features four films that capture the battles our siblings went and still go through to this day.
Kicking off the list is Billie and Emma directed by Samantha Lee, a queer Asian director. Set in the mid-90s, Billie and Emma conveys the story of a typical tomboy lesbian, Billie Santos (portrayed by Zar Donato), from Manila who was sent away by their parents to live with their aunt, who also happens to be their religion teacher in an allgirls Catholic school, in the province after finding out they have a girlfriend. They isolate themself trying their best to just get through the final year of high school.
On the contrary, Emma Cagandahan (portrayed by Gabby Padilla) is an achiever and the top student in St. Isidro’s conservative all-girls Catholic school run by nuns. She is motivated to maintain her high grades
and her extra-curricular activities in hopes that the school will endorse her to one of the schools she applied to in Manila for a scholarship. This is her plan to hopefully pull herself and her mom out of poverty.
They both try hard to steer away from each other and mind their own businesses but faith has a way of playing them as they become partners in a project where they have to take care of an egg. They became close and eventually fell in love but things got a bit tangled when Emma learns she is pregnant with her boyfriend’s child.
Quite literally, the film is about a boy, Dominic Cruz (portrayed by Adrian Lindayag) who sought the help of a fortune teller to read the future of his love life. The fortune teller leads him to a schoolmate at an all-boys Catholic school during an optional school retreat, Journey with the Lord.
Luke Armada (portrayed by Keann Johnson) joined the Journey of the Lord retreat to ease the pain of his 3-year relationship heartbreak with his girlfriend. A relationship is formed between Dominic and Luke during the retreat but Luke insists he isn’t gay.
Both films capture how conservative and traditional thinking clashes with modern and open Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) concepts, and teenage pregnancy.
Ramon Estrella (portrayed by Eddie Garcia) is an old retired politician who decided to come out to his children so he could live with his “best friend”, Fredo (portrayed by Tony Mabesa), who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. As Fredo’s lover, Ramon wants to personally care for him until his last breath. This decision, however, caused problems within the family.
This film shows that no matter how old we are, we cannot hide who we really are. It goes to reveal how hard it is to hide our identity. It also tackles the effect it has on other people around you if you suppress it long enough, his wife and children, in this case. Ramon’s character displayed braveness to face what consequences coming out may throw at him. He was ready to fight for his love, a little too late though.
Adam (portrayed by Gold Azeron), was brought up like a typical young boy, nothing extraordinary. His world was rocked when he first experienced his first menstruation. Following this, he learned that he has both female and male genitals.
As Director J.E. Tiglao’s debut, Metamorphosis is the first Filipino-produced film about an intersex character as part of the 15th Cinema One Originals Film Festival.
Metamorphosis rose to fame and was able to make it to several film festivals both locally and internationally. Tiglao was awarded best director in 2019 for the said film but like any other film uncommon to the eyes of the masses, Metamorphosis, due to its daring scenes was deemed “not suitable
for public exhibition” by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). Tiglao, however, stood firm and insisted that his film is a depiction of real people and it aims to de-stigmatize the unorthodox anatomy of intersex people.
The film industry is such a huge medium to depict reality. Although we cannot deny that it was not utilized to its limits before. It’s only now that we can see films about the realities of being part of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s liberating that these stories are now being shared through films, shows, art, songs, etc., as our society is slowly becoming more accepting, it is now not as taboo as it was before.
The Philippines, being a Catholic-dominated country, was very conservative even to the contents of the laws, but over the years, activists alongside the LGBTQ+ community have been fighting for equal rights. Though there is little progress on these laws, it’s refreshing to see there’s hope to someday attain equality.
“Lahat ng tao may sikreto, pero hindi lahat ng sikreto masama.”
Neutral clothes, baggy pants, and white shoes— wear these and you are ready to go out, bearing that ‘aesthetic’ aura as you walk down the streets. But your ‘aesthetic and chic’ card is not complete without one important staple—a tote bag, which has breezed through society as the new ‘fashion norm,’ thanks to its versatility and aesthetics.
For one, using a tote bag is really accessible and light to use. Imagine, with a tote bag, you can carry all the essentials that you could name, all in a welltailored, canvas-made, and hand-carried storage. This is the very reason why the bag got its name: coined from the word ‘tote,’ which means “to be carried by hand,” tote bags fulfill their purpose of giving convenience to users of all ages.
Tote bags have also penetrated their craze among youngsters, especially students. As quoted by Nicole Sugay, a college student at Holy Angel University, tote bags are “convenient, spacious, durable, and easy-to-use,” fit for their errands and ‘vagabonding’ out on the roads.
Aside from its use, many teenagers also use tote bags as they are reachable by the purse, costing just around a hundred pesos at their cheapest. As shared by Trisha Narciso, a college student at the same university as Sugay, she uses tote bags as
“it is more accessible than the other bags, has more space, and it’s much more affordable than any other bag.”
Tote bag enthusiasts also cite one important quality as to why they use the accessory: its appearance, which adds an ‘aesthetic’ touch to one’s overall outfit. Just sling a tote bag on your shoulders and you will be a surefire chic or fashionista in an instant. The simplicity of tote bags allows one to have a ‘minimalist’ spice by being an easy add-on for outfit mix-and-matching.
When asked about the aesthetics of tote bags, Malthine Valiente, an HAU college student, answered, “I use tote bags to complement my minimalist fashion statement. This is a representation of my reserved personality—that can still be appealing in a way. In the same sense, tote bags have risen in popularity—because of their simple yet striking appeal.”
Tote bags have indeed taken their shot at blasting their popularity among individuals, and then quickly became the ‘fashion norm’ of today’s generation. Wherever and whenever you go, tote bags have become the common sightings among people riding the aesthetic trend; in short, tote bags have become the standard.
But as much as it changed the way people ‘prettify’ themselves, it also served as a foundation for clothing stereotypes. One
of these is for those who are ‘fit’ to wear tote bags and their partner minimalist clothing. This is particularly true on Tiktok, a video sharing platform, where users often discriminate against those who post their ‘aesthetic’ outfits, especially when they are people of color, by saying “dugyot” and the like.
The tote bag craze also led to outfit discrimination for those who are not embracing the ‘minimalist’ styling. Those dressed in streetwear, hipster and colorful clothing, and other more unconventional outfits are frequently labeled as jeje, a derogatory term applied to people who do not conform to current societal trends and standards.
Drawing from that, the tote bag rise could be said to have created a fashion ‘yin-yang,’ deciding what is trendy to outdated, chic to unfashionable, and aesthetic to grotesque—a polarizing style that decolorizes inclusion and mix in fashion. However, it should be noted that the idea of “What fits does not always fit” also applies to fashion style. Meaning, what is fashionable for you may not always be eyepleasing for everyone, so no prejudice or any type of discrimination should be imposed on someone who dresses differently, because at the end of the day, it is the diversity of fashion that provides color and enchantment
to our day-to-day lives.
Tote bags and their partnered clothing styles are beautiful testaments to how our generation adapts to different and new fashion choices. It provided people an affordable, easy-to-grab and to-wear accessory that blends well with whoever a person is and whatever they are wearing, truly making one ‘aesthetic.’ However, it should not be used to tyrannize what is fashionable and browbeat those who dress differently.
To wear a tote bag or not, to ride the ‘aesthetic’ wave or be simple, to embrace minimalism or embrace all colors, as long as you wear confidence and selfesteem, with whatever your style is, you are sure to be chic.
Tyrants walk among our streets bare-faced, unafraid, intentions unmasked. They strut and glide, eyes filled with pride as they smirk and glower at the working class. The masses beg for alms and sing them psalms anything to be worth their rulers’ while. The despots hear their cries, see their bloodshot eyes and yet they demand a smile.
They sit comfortably in their million-dollar thrones while the people they serve starve and become thin bones.
In their very homes, be it a roof or a mat they sleep with the rats while the kings grow fat.
The royals sleep on cloths brought from wealth amassed from their employer’s very wallets just to be called “worldclass”.
And they sleep soundly, happily, and well for all complaints shall be dispelled.
Muted microphones can do no harm. Duct-taped mouths won’t incite alarm. Hope-carrying activists will be disarmed through force and fear and the sharpest of firearms.
One shot would shut one with such strife for a month, minute, moment, or even for life. Considered inhuman, you are stripped of all rights:
treated no mercy and sympathy, all bark and bite, forcibly dragged off the floor with all the men’s might forbidden from hugs or mere seconds to bid your goodbyes to your family and friends, dead or alive. You’ll be saying farewell despite having done no crime.
Meanwhile, termites now reside in the white palace filling the rooms and filling their glasses with wine so divine, a drink makes one forget the cries of the wrecked and the state’s wracking debt.
But we are still sent outside and to the beaches, and told to enjoy the king’s good blessings of pure white sand above polluted land using progression as a distraction from seeing what we’re lacking.
And they showcase the remnants of fleeting happy faces to put themselves in the public’s good graces. They make symbols out of grimaces to show our resiliency and romanticize mediocrity to escape accountability.
Have we really grown accustomed to the bitter taste of blood
From biting our tongues for way too long?
Don’t our cheeks ache from forcing grins?
Don’t our throats hurt from singing songs? They give us scraps and they expect praises And complaining of malaise will brain you as hostile.
We starve and hunger, our cries have grown louder and yet they demand more smiles?
Perhaps someday, we shall march on our streets bare faced, unafraid, with our unmasked anger. No need to hide, we’ll strut and glide as we smirk and glower at our once-oppressors.
The kings will beg for alms and sing us psalms, anything to be worth our mercy’s while And when we hear their cries and see their bloodshot eyes, then perhaps, we’ll show them our smiles.
Sacrifices are made for those who can endure However, how can a child So little, a mind yet to mold Be a victim of their parents’ unfinished predicaments
How can children be the bearers of the cyclical hurt
As parents unapologetically inflict more until they are silenced
How are parents able to stomach the excruciating pain
Their children undergo, and pretend it’s within normality
To be a parent is to be a good one It is a lifelong subject to be taught to oneself To never bring children sorrow nor torment Never children being the collateral damage
Sacrifices are for those who chose to bear the weight Of conscious responsibilities to be filled Not passing them to children who know nothing of these
It is a constant reminder that they are parents
Parents that need to be parents for their children
Waking up happy and light a minute later, struggling to finish a task after an hour, laughing with a friend before the day ends, overthinking about a certain thing
you badly wants to heal wanting to be normal yet you don’t know how realizing maybe getting better isn’t possible
there are days that feels so heavy without knowing the reason why and crying is the only choice you have but it feels weak and pathetic to have tears falling down until today i’m still battling with my emotions trying to fill the room of darkness with light trying to cut the endless cycle trying to live despite of all the voices saying i should leave
by Kyra Villena GOLD by Sophia Rose P. SuarezWalking towards a new door, I just kept my eyes on the floor, But then it caught a glimpse of gold, And my cards couldn’t anymore be fold.
It took courage for a bold move, Lucky that it somehow groove, In slowly trying to reach for the top, I find it difficult to keep up.
For others also try to compete, And here I am with two left feet, To win can cost me a high price, Because of her who caught my eyes.
But even if I can’t shine like a star, It’s fine to just admire her from afar, For she is gold, Someone I wish someday I can hold.
Is it your first time entering the gates of Holy Angel University ever since the dawn of the pandemic? You may have heard of its state-of-the-art facilities, but surely you don’t know all of the hidden gems the university has to offer: be it a facility that may pique your interests, academic or not.
Holy Angel University is a world of its own. Here are the must-see areas of the university that you may want to visit during your next scheduled f2f classes!
Located in front of the University Library’s building is the university’s magical fountain that can detect the presence of guests of national or international origins! The fountain’s operations have been a long-standing gag amongst the HAU community and will continue for the following years to come!
You won’t learn anything on an empty stomach. Try the burgers, rice meals, and snacks at this canteen, and rest assured you’ll be fit for the day!
The theater is a venue for various events organized by HAU, but perhaps its most sought event is the graduation, that is why students refer to this area as “the final floor to unlock”!
Take the flight of stairs leading to the PGN basement and you’ll find another canteen containing a plethora of stalls and tables big enough for you and your friends to dine and lounge!
The building that started it all. You can check out the history of the university upon entering its grandiose columns and learn more about Kapampangan culture through its ethnographic museum.
Enliven your free time by enhancing your inner bookworm! The library consists of journals, periodicals, academic references, multimedia, etc. You can get an eye-shut for a moment as well, just be sure to wake up on time or you’ll miss your next class.
Its striking architecture and location make it hard for you to miss it! It houses interesting spiritual artifacts and can be a haven if you want to take a load off.
If sports and/or arts are to your liking, you might want to see what the gymnasium has to offer! Its spacious interior and seatings provide visitors with the best experience when witnessing a game, a performance, or your crush participating in either of those; don’t worry, we get you.
Equip yourselves with the necessary materials you’ll need to survive your classes! Not only that, but you can also marvel at the unique mural located at the front!
Nothing beats ending the day knowing that you’ve done something productive, so how about a majestic exit as you make your way out of the campus? Strut your way back home with the intricate statues applauding you for your work! Be sure to watch out for that logo in the middle; word has it that those who step on it graduate late. No harm in not believing in it, but it wouldn’t hurt to follow suit!
Balak ng Malacañang na bumuo ng factchecking team kontra disinformation.
— Fact checking team o history distortion team?
PBBM, wala pang appointed DOH secretary sa gitna ng pandemic.
— Mauuna pa ata yung next vlog niya. Click the notification bell para ma-inform agad kayo.
Philippine debt is now at 12.89 trillion pesos.
— Hindi lang pala sa likas na yaman mayaman ang pilipinas, sa utang din.
PBBM nanonood ng laro ng Gilas Pilipinas laban sa Saudi Arabia
— Naks naman, puso! Ay hindi pala. Unity! Pagkaka-isa!
Inflation rate, pumapalo na sa 6.3%
— Tapos na ba ang pag-eedit ng vlog? Bansa mo naman.
Bawang at sibuyas kinukulang na ang supply at saka mayro’n pa...
— labanos, mustasa, kamatis, at luya sa paligid-ligid ay puno ng linga.
PH, Indonesia sign agreements on economic cooperation.
— Sa mga ka-group ko dyan, keep naman tayo sa cooperation oh.
Ang Malacañang Palace ay opisyal na tirahan at pangunahing lugar ng trabaho ng pangulo.
— Ay weh? Akala ko PBB house na ngayon eh. Kailan ang elimination night?
NCR, magkakaroon ng cable car bilang solusyon sa lumalalang traffic?
— I get it but the point is… pwede bang ayusin muna ang public transportation natin? Wag naman mang-iwan sa ere oh este sa lupa.
Janella Salvador inulan ng pangbabash dahil sa linya niya sa ‘Darna’ na may patama sa gobyerno na hanggang ngayon wala pa rin mga plano.
— Triggered yarn? Baka pati script revisionism gusto niyo na rin i-pursue ha
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll in the lives of every student at Holy Angel University (HAU), including sus pending their face-to-face classes, inside or outside school events, competitions, and physical sports festivals, but that does not stop the HAU Valiant Esports in their campaign as they bagged several awards in AcadArena’s June to July es ports events.
The Valiant Esports, now an officially recognized organization of the university under the Office of Student Affairs, cap tured the 2nd place in the Mobile Legends event while they were the champions in the Valorant category in the AcadArena’s June Aces league. After a month, the Wild Rift team also won its 3-peat title in the Alliance Games on July 24, along with the 3rd over all champions trophy in the said season.
In an interview with The Angelite, “Shino,” a member of the Wild Rift Varsi ty, expressed his emotions regarding their recent victory.
“Sobrang saya naman namin noong nagchampion kami kahit hindi kami nag
by SOPHIA ROSE SUAREZpapractice due to technical difficulties sa aming bootcamp,” said Shino.
Aside from him, other players from different varsity teams also shared their gratitude to the fans of Valiant Esports.
“The support we gained every game was really admirable. From posting our game schedules and results, to having Val iant supporters watch our game and ex press positive comments are some requisite support that we’ve gladly received,” uttered “BoyApoy,” Valiant Call of Duty: Mobile Varsity member.
For “Towp,” a Valiant League of Leg ends Varisty member, it is motivating for them to compete when representing the university when fans support them.
“We for sure will make it up for you guys, make sure to keep in touch with and support us till the end,” also stated “Kael,” Valiant Valorant Varsity member.
Meanwhile, “Jiyo,” Varsity Manage ment Executive of Valiant Esports, shared his insights regarding the negative support they also gain, stating that there are com petitive fans in the collegiate scene.
“Sa mga pangbabash nila, mas lalo kaming ginaganahan, kumbaga, prove the haters that they are wrong. Basically naman, sobrang nakaka-boost talaga ng morale pag pure positive support ang na tatangap,” said Jiyo.
Valiant Esports was founded last 2020 by Jan Robert Alvarez under the League of Students for Excellence, with its first name of Valiant Esports Club.
“We went through a lot before getting here. It was formed because of our found er’s love and passion for gaming and we aim to spread that into the whole universi ty as well. Of course, we don’t just focus on gaming itself but we also offer scholar ships for those who are passionate. It is a wonderful ride and I hope that the whole university would see and appreciate our organization,” said “Schisa,” President of Valiant Esports.
The Valiant Esports recently opened their doors to HAU students who are aspir ing to be varsity players of HAU, posting their registration form via their Facebook page from July 27 to August 3.
by SOPHIA ROSE SUAREZAfter securing a World Cup spot at the start of the year, Philippine Women’s National Football Team, now known as Filipinas, kept the fire burning as they defeated the Thailand War Elephants, 3-0, in the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship on Sunday evening, July 17, 2022, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
The lady footballers’ back-to-back goals in the first 20 minutes, along with a finisher in the last moments of the game, gifted the Philippines its firstever title in the regional championship.
Fil-Americans Jessika Cowart and Tahnai Annis gave a boosted start for the Filipinas in the ball game, with Cowart heading the ball past Thailand goalkeeper Chotmanee Thongmongkol, off a corner assist from Annis in the 7-minute mark of the game.
The War Elephants displayed good defense following Philippines’ first goal, but Katrina Guillou managed to kick her way from close range in the 20th minute, handing the red shirts a 2-0 lead and sending the crowd of 8,
257 football fans roaring in the stadium.
In the second half, Thailand took control to minimize the damage brought to them by the Filipinas. An exchange of goal attempts and defensive stops from both sides stimulated a thrilling atmosphere, making the match anyone’s ball game.
But coming into the last minutes, league top-scorer Sarina Bolden scored her eighth goal in the tournament by a header, capping off the evening with the Filipina footballers making another history, or should we say ‘herstory’, for the country.
Coming off from a semifinal win after dethroning the defending champion Vietnam, Coach Alen Stajcic’s squad also completed a payback against Thailand who defeated them in their first meeting in the Group A match.
The Filipinas savored their historic victory in front of the Filipino fans moments after the game as they now eye for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
After two years of the pandemic, the most prestigious collegiate tournaments in the country returned to action as two unbeaten teams in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) were hailed as the new volleyball queens, the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (CSB) Lady Blazers.
For the first time in 65 years, the Lady Bulldogs are back on top of league as they dominated over the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers, 25-15, 25-15, 25-22, in the Game Two of bestof-three final series of UAAP Season 84 women’s volleyball on Tuesday night, June 21, 2022, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Combined efforts from the team’s super rookies had given them an edge towards the volleyball title with league’s Best Opposite Hitter, Alyssa Solomon, dropping 18 markers in total from 15 attacks and three blocks, Rookie of the Year-Most Valuable Play (MVP) Michaela Belen with 16 points built on 13
attacks
by SOPHIA ROSE SUAREZCoach Karl Dimaculangan’s squad quickly rallied their way at the start of the game, preventing the Lady Spikers to reach the 16-point mark in the first two sets. Eventually, La Salle fought back in the third period until the teams reached a deadlock of 20-20.
Erin Pangilinan and Ivy Lacsina delivered crucial points to give them an inch closer to the crown as back-to-back crucial errors from the green shirts gave the Lady Bulldogs their championship point, 24-22. La Salle tried their best to stay in the game, saving two match points, but Thea Gagate’s last service went wide that gave NU’s third UAAP volleyball title with a clean 16-0 record.
A month after NU’s historic win, the NCAA had also crowned their new volleyball champions of Season 97 as the Lady Blazers dethroned the Arellano University Lady Chiefs, with a 26-24, 25-12, 25-9 victory in Game Two of the championship series on Friday night, July 22, 2022, at FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
It was a neck and neck battle in the first set as long rallies and an exchange of attacks from both squads resulted to 2424 tie game, until a kill block from the CSB squad and an unforced error on the other side of the court ended the extended period.
After the first set, the Lady Blazers finished the succeeding two sets immediately, with the Lady Chiefs only gaining 12 points in the second period while 9 in the third, giving Coach Jerry Yee’s team a complete 11-0 sweep of the season and CSB’s second NCAA volley crown.
Season MVP Mycah Go and Finals MVP Gayle Pascual led the way for the Lady Blazers, with Go scoring 8 points along with a title-clinching service ace, and Pascual with 14 markers from 10 attacks, three blocks and a service ace.
Immediately after these leagues, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) is now preparing for Asian Women’s Volleyball Cup to be held in the country in August as players from these collegiate tournaments bannered the 22-woman pool.