The Collegiate Headlight Broadsheet December 2014 (Vol. 29, No. 4)

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COLLEGIATE Passivity Kills Freedom

THE

Member: College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) USeP - Campus Writers Guild (USeP - CWG)

HEADLIGHT December 2014

Vol. 39, No. 4

The Official Student Publication of the University of Southeastern Philippines - Obrero Campus

IT Building Soon to Rise by: Paul Christian Y. Eyas

The Information Technology (IT) building will soon rise in USEP at the area of the old CT laboratory and BEC Chapel. This means that the offices located nearby will be demolished as well, including the UGTO, according to the University Engineer Jeremias M. Lawas, when interviewed last December 2, 2014 about the said activity, at the College of Engineering planning office, 2nd floor.

Engineer Lawas said, “First of all, sa IT course wala jud silay building. They just occupied here with the Engineering, then they are planning to have a building…”

Furthermore he said that the construction was supposed to be somewhere in the oval but according to Architect Europa, they found out that it is not suitable

for the place. Instead they came up with the idea of constructing a five-storey building at the old CT laboratory. “And near to that is the Administration building at the same time to maximize the space.

Syempre kadtong mga space sa old building na mga eye soar na kayo tan-awun, ilisan ug bag-o na building na gwapo,” Engineer Lawas added.

Engineer Lawas further explained, “First of all, it was the IT Department Head/Dean then gi-tap lang mi to put us for that work. Actually, tapos na ang plano and soon to be implemented within this year or end week of December or first week of January. The plan was finished months ago (November)”. He further discussed, “At first we discussed with the head of IT, the

Indian Nationals flock by: Katrina O. Quizan in Davao

I

ndian nationals are wellknown by Filipinos through their money-lending businesses or often called as “56”. It is an agreement by which Indians would let their clients

A demolished old CT laboratory for the soon to rise IT building. PHOTO BY VIKKA TEVAR Dean of IC and we try to get their needs. Unsay need nila sa ilang kurso. Unsa nga facility ang ilang need then gi-apil sa plano ang ilang needs sama sa auditorium, art room, classroom and other things with the coordination of IT.” They are sure about the plan and they are sure about the demolition and when asked about what will happen to the endangered offices, Engineer Lawas said, “There are times we have to sacrifice things to gain for a greater one so that naay time sa atong life na we have to sacrifice things para muginansya ta, so sila magsakripisyo sad gamay. Tingali ginagmayng pag-antos-antos before mahuman ang building.” turn to page 6 ►

borrow money with a 20% interest rate plus an item. However, it seemed like in the past few years, Indian nationals are not up to lending businesses any longer.

malls, plazas, or even along the streets in downtown, you would probably notice a number of Indian nationals, but not the ones with pocket notebooks on their hands whom you see at public markets or at subdivisions. They come in younger bunches, and they are mostly dressed in their white, medical uniforms.

As you happen to pass along

According to the data given

“Allegations were the start of it all. And in order to put an end, the truth must be spoken.”

Of Truths and Lies

►PAGE 4

USeP Alumnus bags RM Emergent Leadership Award by: Maryan R.Te Randy Halasan, a graduate of Educational Management and Elementary Education in the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), is this year’s lone Filipino recipient of Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership.

Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is considered as the Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize. The award is given yearly to individuals or organizations that manifest selfless service as that President Ramon Magsaysay was known by the Bureau of ImmigrationsDavao student desk agent Ryan Bandigan, this year’s tally of the Indian students who are currently enrolled in Davao City ranged up to 687 and counting, much more than last year’s 334 enrollees. In an interview of the Sun.Star Davao, Bandigan said, “Kasagaran ani sa ila kay enrolled sa Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF) para

“...this is the first time in history that the newlyelected Student Regent is a student of Mabini Campus.”

For the First Time in History ►PAGE 3

for.

Halasan and other four another individuals from other Asian countries and a foundation based on Pakistan, were formally recognized as awardees last

philstar.com turn to page 6 ► mag study ug medicine human ang lain kay diri napud nagenroll para sa ilang pre-med nga education (Most of the them have enrolled in DMSF to study medicine while others have also enrolled for their pre-med education here.)”

Bandiga added that as of this turn to page 6 ►

“...the other one needs not exceeding P30 and you can eat at your stomach’s content.”

Bikings on the Street

►PAGE 16

2EDITORIAL THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

December 2014

No King’s Horses and Men T

he entire king’s horses and all the king’s men cannot put Humpty Dumpty together again – and so it was the same in the House of Representatives.

The control of information is something the elite always do, particularly in a despotic form of government. Information and knowledge, is power. If the government can control the information, they can control the people.

It was measured to seek and to promote transparency in government transactions and data that the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) was proposed. There were twenty-one senators present during the day’s session of approval and voted for the passage of Senate Bill 1733.

But no one voted against the measure’s approval.

The FOI bill is among the proposed anticorruption measures that the House of Representatives is expected to pass next year according to HR speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. It was a slap on PNoy’s face when he promised a passage of the bill during his campaign in 2010 but more than four years in his office, he never made it a priority measure in Congress. Maybe because, the bill can derive its strength from a provision which requires the public disclosure of Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) not only of national officials, but also of government leaders. Maybe because, the bill can help the people weigh the goings-on in the government. Or, maybe the bill is the real solution in the transparency and good governance in the meltdown of Philippine corruption.

After the whirlwind brought about by the bravery of Benhur Luy and other whistleblowers against the Pork Barrel Queen Janet LimNapoles, the senators pulled a trigger. It became a noise under the House when the snail’s pace approval for the FOI bill was delaying year after year after year.

Quezon City Representative Winnie Castelo said it would be better to have a separate law for the bill since it was on the no.18 in Palace’s 26 priority bills. Lawmakers, particularly those who were part of the pork barrel scam have been egging the House leadership to revisit the proposed right to reply the bill. If the senators are really willing to promote greater transparency and strengthen accountability in the government, they should pass the bill immediately without unduly restricting the autonomy of options for government action in the delivery of services to the public and in responding expeditiously to the needs of our people.

The FOI bill is another bridge and a more concrete bill to materialize things in the midst of fraud and games made by our leaders. This is a need by the people, shouting for it to be passed.

Humpty Dumpty was lucky to be fixed by the king’s horses and men. Unlike in the Philippines, there are millions of Humpty Dumpties living in the sea of poverty and crimes and there are no king’s horses and men, only corrupt officials. ■

The Collegiate Headlight

The Official Student Publication of the University of Southeastern Philippines - Obrero

S.Y. 2014-2015 Editorial Staff and Board

CARTOONISTS: Nathaniel Jan P. Vivero Norman Pamela S. Beltran Nealle Lorenz Birondo Kristian Angelo L. Peñero

PUBLISHERS: The Students of the University of Southeastern Philippines

CIRCULATION MANAGERS: Katrina O. Quizan Paul Christian Y. Eyas

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Chedelyn Gee S. Tabalba

SENIOR STAFF WRITER: Ninotchka Thessally C. Milloren

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Louie B. Bahay MANAGING EDITORS: Jeryanne Jane E. Patayon Virnabe T. Pelias

STAFF WRITERS: Maryan R. Te Francis Ian L. Lasaca Yuri B. Partol Patrick M. Ariate Jayson M. Evangelio

PHOTOJOURNALISTS: Justin Vikka A. Tevar Freya Mae P. Gregorio

LITERARY EDITOR: Sunshine C. Angcos

CARTOON EDITOR: Earl Vince Z. Enero

CONSULTANT: Prof. Susan Vincent D. Villarente

SENIOR LAY-OUT ARTIST: Jan Marcelo B. Lescain III LAY-OUT ARTISTS: Raymund A. Cabrera Mark Peruel Acha

The Visitation of Gods by: Chedelyn Gee S. Tabalba

hidden agenda to accommodate riches in foreign gold.

The Philippines is the 5th most mineralized country in the world and, in terms of defined resource, 2nd in gold and 3rd in copper.

We have the potential to develop world-class mines.

While mining has never been a driver of our development, it has also been a controversy because of its benefits to our country which have been, up to this now, are not visible and evident to the people’s needs. According to Mr. Christian Monsod in his speech at the Conference on Mining’s Impact on Philippine Economy and Ecology, “mining is a social justice issue”. He reiterated that it cannot be discussed except in the context of our country’s dismal performance in addressing mass poverty and the gross inequalities of income, wealth and political power that persist more than 25 years after the glowing promise of EDSA of a just society.

If we choose not to participate in the global supply chain for minerals – either by outright ban or a moratorium - our need for mining products will not stop. These mining activities are usually located in rural and mountainous areas and can affect farmlands, rivers and shorelines, where the poorest of the poor are located, namely, the farmers, indigenous peoples and municipal fishermen. As the cliché, “it was because of the land” started to roam around the globe and so does the worsening governance of the administration. There are many economic ways in maintaining the sturdy financial crisis of our country – one of these is the mining activities. One would not expect to see things differently after the new implementation of mining rules and regulations.

Many had become agreeable but a few saw the effects of its beautiful and attractive proposal beneath a crumpled paper of orders. Still, several had concerns as to whether these mining activities are freely explored in permission or is it just one of the administration’s

A key reform in Executive Order 79 is the increase in the government’s share of the mining income through an equitable share of funds. The new mining policy of the Aquino administration was envisioned to narrow the differences among the stakeholders. But in its earnest desire to address the needs of various interest groups, the administration is pleasing no one. Mining farms were hit by a force by the approval of new permits and the prosperous of paying higher taxes, environmentalists were disappointed that existing mining contracts will be honored and local government units are

Vol. 39, No. 4

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THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

HAGIPIS NG AGILA

RSUS Thrives Back in Congress Earlier this year, the Region-

Ungab’s re-filing of the DRSUS

XI DRSUS-Special Planning Committee conducted continuing consultations with stakeholders on the proposed creation of the Davao Regional State University.

Bill 4412, followed by Senator Ralph Recto’s filing of Senate Bill 2292 on June 26 this year.

Both the bills seek to integrate the Region’s five state colleges and university and four local colleges into a Regional State University

by: Francis Ian L. Lasaca al Development Council (RDC) bill on May 14 named as House The controversial Davao Regional State University System or DRSUS Bill emerged once again in the Congress and Senate grounds in an even greater scope circulating the entire Davao Region.

This has led to Davao City’s third district Representative Isidro

System or RSUS. Since its creation way back in 2012 and its issues that raised the awareness of the masses, the whole populace of USeP protested their movement against the implementation of DRSUS Bill of Congressman Ungab, formerly termed House Bill 5311. The administration, deans and faculty made a legal plea to exclude the University from being merged from the other three state colleges in the Region as proposed in the bill.

The Bill has also been a talk of several institutions and the SUCs in Davao Region. Supporters of the proposition defended the Bill’s vision that is to minimize duplication in the delivery of programs in the SUCs, help address their financial woes, and maximize the country’s resources.

Nevertheless, the opposition further expounded that the RSUS is clearly a betrayal to the country’s education and is detrimental in the lives and dreams of the Filipino youth.

USePians say no to amalgamation of State Universities and Colleges in Davao Region.

PHOTO BY JAN MARCELO B. LESCAIN III

Aquino Assures Mindanao of Energy Surplus in 2015 by: Yuri B. Partol Davao City - President Benigno Aquino III assured that Mindanao will no longer experience massive power outages next year and will have an energy surplus and a possible power security ahead of Luzon.

In a speech delivered by Aquino at the 2014 Philippines Development Forum on Bangsamoro at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier last November 6, 2014, the President emphasized the government’s effort to ‘’transform Mindanao from the Land of Promise to the Land of Promises Fulfilled.’’

The coming-online of the several major power plants including the 300-MW CoalFired Therma South Energy Power Plant (TSEPP) in Davao del Sur and the 200-MW Southern Mindanao Coal-Fired Power Plant (SMCFPP) in Sarangani expedites Mindanao’s power generation capacity to a full recovery, Aquino said.

The TSEPP which is proposed by Therma South (a subsidiary of listed Aboitiz Power Corporation) is situated

at Brgy. Binugao, Toril, Davao City and Brgy. Inawayan, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. On the other hand, the SMCFPP whose project proponent is Sarangani Energy Corporation is located at Brgy, Kamanga, Maasim, Sarangani.

According to Romeo Montenegro, Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) director of investment promotions and public affairs, there are 17 committed power projects for Mindanao Grid as of February 28, 2014. This includes six hydroelectric power plants, five biomass power plants, three coalfired power plants and three diesel or bunk-fired power plants.

The announcement of energy sufficiency in Mindanao in 2015 came in the midst of earlier forecasts of the Department of Energy that the country is expected to have power shortages with Luzon and Visayas expecting an 800-megawatt (MW) power shortage during the summer in 2015.

Earlier this year, the country experienced a series of power interruption which prompted businessmen to appeal for a fast solution. ■

Davao Region was chosen by the Commission on Higher Education as the pilot region of the Regional State University because of its advantages and

favorable conditions, and if ever the filings of Ungab and Recto will embark its way to enactment, sooner or later, all the Regions in the country will also have a RSUS on its own.

With the reincarnation of the DRSUS, its scope integrates the University of Southeastern Philippines, the Davao del Norte State College, the Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology, the Southern Philippines Agribusiness and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology as one system.

The following state and local colleges are added for amalgamation, namely: Compostela Valley State College, Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology, Governor Generoso College of Arts, Sciences and Technology, Monkayo College of Arts, Sciences and Technology, and Kolehiyo ng Pantukan.

The legislative status of Recto and Ungab’s Bills are on a pending case in the Committee since July. The RDC XI Advisory Committee also proposed further review of the said bills that shall lead to the Council’s issuance of a fresh resolution on the proposed DRSUS. ■

For the First Time in History by: Jayson Evangelio

will come, his platforms will upsurge.

History was marked as Honorable Fernan Rhean A. Ramos from Mabini Campus was elected as the new Student Regent (SR) of the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP), last December 7, 2014 at the University Social Hall.

In his statement about the expectations in his term, Hon. Ramos evidently said that he is the kind of leader who will do the best that can be done. He said, “Dili ko musanto kung kinsa ka or kung unsa ka kataas. I have that right to talk and to defend the students.”

For two years, the position has been filled by presidents from Obrero Campus. As Hon. Ramos put it, “Wala kaayo nakita ang mga external campuses unya almost two years siya na consecutive na dinhi (Obrero Campus) nag-gikan ang SR. Gusto pud naku i-prove na naa puy ikabuga ang external campuses, na naa puy voice ba.”

Hon. Ramos, together with his motivation, vented his plans through his platform that is composed of three leading goals. First, to establish democracy and to let the majority decide. He said that he will represent voices from other campuses in times of making pronouncements. “Dili ko mu-desisyon dayon na kanang sa akoa lang” he said. Second, to recognize USeP as a university that is against DRSUS. He stated that he will be the front liner against DRSUS. “In fact, sa among gibuhat didto sa Mabini, gi-declare namo na every Wednesday is our black shirt protest” he added. Lastly, to focus his lead as the Student Regent himself towards becoming the voice of the external campuses. He then added that if chances

When asked about his message to all USePians, he added, “Actually, isa lang akong masulti, we cannot acquire change without unity so kung mag kahiusa ta tanan, possible na naay change… ” A Student Regent is a tough and importance position that is considered as a volunteer work.

Its duties include overseeing the financial management of the university, managing the invest-

ments, and the property holdings, and appointing the president of the university. The duties of the SR may have missed schedule of classes and make adjustments.

That is why, the commitment and time management are indeed significant for the SR. It is very important that the regent possesses the ability of effective communication to a wide variety of people.

But then, the paramount character that the student regent must have is the willingness to allocate great expanses of time working on difficult academic and administrative matters.

Truly, this is the first time in history that the newly-elected Student Regent is a student of Mabini Campus. This is a signal for genuine change for the studentry. ■

The newly-elected Student Regent Fernan Rhean Ramos of Mabini campus smiles after the announcement of election results.

PHOTO BY JAYSON EVANGELIO

SENARYO 4 Of Lies and Truths THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

December 2014

a dummy of VP Binay’s and that

by: Jayson M. Evangelio his family has been a huge donor

A

llegations were the start of it all. And in order to put an end, the truth must

prevail.

Late October this year when Vice President Jejomar Binay, the former chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the former mayor and the so-called “Lord of Makati,” announced through the media a debate challenging Senator Antonio Trillanes IV the accusations of the questionable 350-hectare hacienda in Rosario, Batangas. A debate was supposed to prove Senator Trillanes’ accusations’ impure and a political attack. A debate is to prove VP Binay’s innocence over the issues. Filipinos anticipated to witness the two powerful politicians in their truth and lies debate.

Then if all went to completely nothing when Binay backedout three weeks before the said debate on November 27, 2014.

The 350-hectare “Hacienda Binay” The collision started when the Blue Ribbon Committee headed

by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and composed of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Aquilino Pimentel III hurled arguments against VP Binay on the questionable property in Rosario, Batangas.

According to former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, VP Binay’s former ally, Hacienda Binay is allegedly worth P1.2 billion. He further added that, the hacienda has a mansion with a British Palace garden; a pool fit for a resort; a 40-car garage and staff house; a farm of imported orchids; an air-conditioned piggery; a cock farm; a man-made lagoon; and other amenities. The hacienda is allegedly owned by Vice President Binay. However, the camp of VP Binay vehemently denied the ownership of the socalled “hacienda,” emphasizing that the property is owned by a real estate company engaged in agri-tourism business. Through his business Sunchamp Real Estate And Development Corporation, businessman Antonio Tiu has claimed ownership of a 150-hectare parcel of the property. However, whistleblowers in the probe allege Tiu as

to VP Binay’s campaign.

Binay’s spokesman, Joey Salgado, said that they have anticipated “detractors of Binay will allege in the Senate subcommittee hearing that the Vice President owns a property in Rosario, Batangas.” Salgado then added that “based on records, the lessor of the property is Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corp., operator of Sunchamp AgriTourism Park.”

Senator Trillanes said he stands by his allegations that businessman Tiu is a dummy of the Vice President. He firmly believes that Binay is the real owner of the 350-hectare land in Rosario, Batangas since Tiu has failed to prove ownership of the property.

“There are no signages for an agri-tourism park, no logos, no reception or front desk. Even the layout of the furniture is for a house. Not an agri-tourism place,” Trillanes said in an interview on Morning@ANC. He added, “When he met me pa nga, I asked him, ‘How did you manage to build such a beautiful place?’ He said he accumulated it over time.” Senator Trillanes then concluded that Tiu could not have accumulated the structures for he had just newly bought the property. Senator Trillanes hopes that Tiu would be able to verify his ownership claims.

“World Class” Makati City Parking Building In a nine-page plunder complaint filed with the Office of the Ombudsman, Lawyer Renato Bondal, the opponent of Makati Mayor Erwin Binay in the 2013 elections, and former Barangay Olympia chairman Nicolas Enciso VI accused the Binays and 21 other defendants of overpricing the construction of the New Makati City Parking Building by 300 percent or about 2-billion pesos. Bondal stated that according to the copy they obtained from a city ordinance issued in 2008, it showed that the city government allocated Php 2.7 billion for the construction of the project when it only declared Php 1.5 billion as the total cost of the project. However, records from the National Statistics Office showed that it should have only cost only Php 245 million.

ns Remembering the 23rd Blood Trails of November November 23, 2009 The massacre - Buluan Vice-Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu receives a call from wife Genalyn, saying “at least 100 armed men (are) holding her and 50 others, including 34 journalists” at a highway checkpoint while on the way to Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao. The armed men steer the convoy to Brgy. Salman, Ampatuan where they kill their hostages and proceed to dump them into mass graves.

June 10, 2010 Promises made - President-elect Benigno Aquino III tells European Union ambassadors that he will not tolerate “one entity or a group or a family (that) thinks they are above the law.” He also promises justice for the victims.

June 2, 2011 The warlord in handcuffs - Andal Ampatuan Sr. pleads not guilty to the murder charges against him.

mb.com.ph Bondal also said that with the Php 2.7 billin allocated for the project, the construction cost amounts to Php 84,000 per square meter.

“Lumalabas na ito na yata ang pinakamahal na parking building sa buong mundo,” Bondal said comparing the construction cost of other Grade A buildings in Makati such as the 46-storey Shang Grand Tower which only costs Php 2 billion amounting Php 40,000 per square meter and The Residences which only costs Php 2.8 billion amounting Php 45,000 per square meter.

On the contrary, Makati Mayor Erwin Binay, son of Vice President Binay said that Bondal should not compare the Makati Parking Building with the other establishments in the city for the form and features of the building as well as the types of soil they stand to differ.

“It is like comparing apples to oranges. Ang City Hall Building 2 ay isang dream office building.

It is of world-class quality… It is designed to withstand earthquake with certain level of intensity” Mayor Binay said.

“Nais kong linawin ang nasabing proyekto ay hindi parking building lamang. Office building ito ng Makati city hall.

May features ito ng isang green building, may atrium sa seventh floor, LED lighting, glass walls at panel, air-conditioned, may dalawang elevators, conference rooms at function rooms at iba pang facilities at amenities.

Kumpleto ang lamesa, silya at computers dito. Lahat yan kasama sa overall costs ng building.

Nakatayo ito sa malambot na lupa kaya gumamit ng matatag na pundasyon,” he added.

In a statement, VP Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado maintained that Bondals claim of overpricing in both Makati office building and Makati Science High School falls into the same category. It’s guesswork or “hulahula” that won’t pass scrutiny in a court of law.

Since the Blue Ribbon committee has not yet presented any concrete evidence about the overpriced projects, Former Manila congressman Bienvenido Abante Jr. called on senators to stop the Blue Ribbon investigation, concluding that it was being done “in aid of persecution.”

Abante pointed out that instead of investigations, the Senate should appear to significant pending procedures like those seeking to bring down the cost of electricity.

He pointed out, “Our people would be better served if senators focused on their primary purpose: the passage of laws. They are legislators, not litigators. Our country has too many problems, our citizens have too many concerns, for our senators to be spending precious time and energy on investigations.”

Allegations, accusations, complaints are arising one by one.

It is so common when the national elections are approaching. It’s a political strategic plan. The fact that 2016 elections are getting nearer, it is when this time that politicians throw intentional accusations to other politicians which are threat to the position they desire.

Both accused and the accuser have the same motives, to boost up their political ambitions. It is funny that they even use cheap commercial ads just to enhance their image to the public. Not knowing that they are only showing how aggressive they are to commit higher positions.

In the end, the simple and vague truth will never prevail until this whole event will just remain as a memory and a history.

And the people will realize that we were all fooled by the games of our own government. ■

May 2013 Election Nightmare - Six members of the Ampatuan clan win elections. While seventy-eight accused plead not guilty to the 58th murder charges.

November 23, 2014 5 Years of Waiting - “Justice delayed is justice denied. Five years after the Maguindanao Massacre, the cases are still inching through the Philippine court system and not a single person has been held to account,” said Hazel GalangFolli, Amnesty International’s Philippines Researcher.

CEGP National

Vol. 39, No. 4

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THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

BALAT LIPUNAN

A Year after the Tragedy by: Jeryanne Jane E. Patayon

T

rees as huge as the pillars of Greek temples were uprooted. The mountains that were once rich with greeneries seemed to be just mud forming a cliff. The ship that was just steadily floating in the middle of the sea joined the cars on the road. Big and beautiful houses that tend to be strongly founded and built turned to just piles of woods and bricks in a corner.

These were the things I was able to see during my vacation in my kin’s land –Tacloban City. It was on April, four months after the super-typhoon Yolanda left the place in tatters.

Three days before the actual first anniversary of the tragedy that happened in the islands of Visayas, my sister arrived from Tacloban. “Kamusta man didto te bago ka nilakaw? Ok na didtoa? ”This was my question to my sister the night of November 5.

“Dili pa. Arangan na gud pero

dili jud ingon nga ayos na. Wala pa gani nag-open ang Gaisano Capital, tapos katong barko sa kalsada gisugdan pa lang ug hiwa-hiwa kay di man to makaya ihawa diretso gikan sa kalsada, pati ang simbahan ug airport kay under repair gihapon.” As she told me this, I thought of the time and its passing. It has been a year and still the government has not fulfilled its duty. Then I asked again if the giving off of relief is still going on, she told me, “Dili na kaayo, mga pabalay na lang kasagaran. Pero ang Tzu Chi (referring to a Buddhist Foundation originally from Taiwan) maghatag daw ug tinag15k tinag-pamilya sa November 8.” With this conversation, I thought of what happened, from the deaths of thousand people, from the economic downfall of the city, the devastation felt, from the government’s inutile issues to the people and the future of this country.

November 8, 2013 when super typhoon Yolanda (International name Haiyan), the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded, hit the islands of Visayas particularly on Samar and Leyte. After a year, the destruction is still evident in Tacloban City. To commemorate the anniversary, thousands of residents who have lost most of their loved ones and properties have taken part in a memorial walk, released white balloons in the air and lit candles in mass graves. The crowds also trudged along the city while sirens sounded and bell rang as if it was the night when the storm came with death on its blow. Protests against the government were also all over the streets, some groups even burned an effigy of the President in the middle of Tacloban.

more than 14.5 million people were affected by the storm in six regions and in 44 provinces and four million people still remain homeless. However, President Benigno Aquino III has denied the slow progress of rebuilding and the allegations that he was lacking in perseverance with the reconstruction progress and building more efficient and permanent shelters for the victims. In his defense from all things thrown at him, he said, “…the sad reality is the scope of work you need to do can really not be done overnight.” With this, a leader of survivors’ group People Surge said, “We have felt a year’s worth of the government’s vicious abandonment, corruption, deceit and repression and have seen a year’s worth of news and studies that confirms this situation.”

It has been a year and most of the people are still living in shanties and tents. In the record,

Meanwhile, President Aquino in his visit to Samar on the 21st of November revealed his plan in relocating Tacloban’s airport away from the coastline and building more than 200,000 permanent homes to resettle displaced families. In his speech he said that the government estimates its need to almost 170 billion pesos just to reconstruct the community. Along with his plans he declares that all these procedures are not for politics’ sake.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said 30 percent of the 25,000 projects for the comprehensive Yolanda rehabilitation plan will be finished by the end of 2014 and added that half of these projects will be undertaken next year, while the remaining will be done in 2016.

Nevertheless, most of the people

Davao, Samal Push Infra Projects by: Patrick M. Ariate

T

he Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Davao Region completed 73.37 percent of infrastructure projects this year. DPWH Regional Director Mariano Alquiza said that the completed projects were from the P7.7 billion allotted budget for infrastructure development.

According to Alquiza, the total allocated budget for the whole region this year is P9.5 billion.

Of the 25 projects, 4 have already been finished, 20 are still ongoing while another one has yet to be started. Two of the completed projects included Mintal (Davao-Bukidnon road) Bago Oshiro-Bago Gallera (old Davao-Cotabato road) leading to the University of the Philippines

in Mintal and the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) Circumferential Road (east side) in Babak-Peñaplata, Davao del Norte.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte pushed for a light rail transit (LRT) system. He said that by 2020, the city experience heavy traffic congestion with the number of vehicles expected to increase dramatically. He added that a train system is better than a bus system because it has only one machine. It could lessen air pollution and convey many passengers with only one line. The Korean Engineering Construction (KEC), a Korean firm that has been tapped to conduct a project study for an LRT system in Davao City, was suggested by Duterte to make an elevated railroad since

the city is prone to floods.

KEC Overseas Manager Dae Kwon Jung noted that Davao City’s population is growing and may even reach 10 million by 2040. Thus, he added that could be “one of the terribly trafficked cities.” Jung recommended a monorail type of LRT, with a capacity of 5,000 to 20,000 in an hour while running at 70 kph.

KEC said that with the projected increase in traffic activities in Davao City at a constant growth rate of 2.88 percent from 2007 to 2011, traffic congestion is sure to happen. Davao City will need a transportation system that is efficient, environment-friendly, and one that can accommodate the increasing number of passengers.

Two LRT routes were presented by KEC, specifically from the Davao Gulf and Country Club in Toril to the Francisco Bangoy International Airport.

Both routes will pass through different proposed stations, with

the first one having a length of 13 kilometers while the second being 17 kilometers. A memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signedlast June between Mayor Duterte and the officials of the KEC headed

by Professor Chae II Kwon, chief researcher of the Transportation Study Group of Seoul National University in Davao City last June. Duterte went to South Korea last October 30 to have talks with the KEC regarding the project.

Last September of this year, KEC started its feasibility study on the traffic volume and alignment of the city. The said study will run until March 2015.

A bridge connecting Davao City and IGaCoS is finally going to be realized. Chief Executive Officer Faisal Kasim of the MCC Capital Projects (MCCCP) Ltd. of UK, the financial institution that will invest on the bridge project, said in a conference that the construction will immediately start after completing the

from Tacloban, would say that they no longer hope for promises such as these. Even when I asked my sister about this, she answered me, “May pa man gani ang tagagawas kay dako pag natabang.

Katong pagkahuman jud gani sa bagyo, kung wala ang mga gipang-looting, dili jud sakto ang relief sa DSWD…” Undoubtedly, it is obvious that international communities had given more help than our very own government. It is also appreciated that though some are still enduring Yolanda’s aggravated poverty, there had been some who already rose from a year ago’s tragedy, as international aid agencies have thrust hundreds of millions of dollars into the region.

The United States, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom and the neighboring countries in Asia are still dedicated to support the country with its need to recover from last year’s catastrophe.

Now, people are not anymore believing on Government’s promises since it shows no interest of giving immediate help.

So like the trees that were once shaved by the storms rage grew new, fresh, greener leaves after a year, people are also progressively recovering not by the false-hopes given by the government but with their own courage to rise after the tragedy. As a survivor said in an interview, “hindi na kami umaasa, kung tutulong ang gobyerno, sana noon pa...” If the government is truly concerned with the states clamor, they should not persevere the cries turning already into hushes but act along with their words.

Source: BBC News & GMA Articles feasibility study that would take about three months. Kasim added that the bridge would cost around 120 million dollars and MCCCP would extend the financial assistance to IGaCoS in terms of a no-interest loan payable in 30 years. A leeway of five years will be given to IGaCoS from the completion of the project to start paying the loan.

For commercial pursuits, Kasim said that they are eyeing a hotel investment as well as the establishment of a convention center in the island. IGaCoS Administrator Cleto Gales Jr. quickly added that even with the influx of development that may be brought about by the bridge construction, they are committed to preserving a big portion of the island. Gales said that only 20 percent of the island can be developed and 80 percent will remain as it is. The city has also established 15 Marine Protected Areas that are prohibited to any

6BALITA LIPUNAN THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

The Visitation...

Indians flock...

hurting from the provision that says local laws should be aligned with national laws on mining.

Why increase the income when in fact, the communities living in these lands are the priority in the unrestricted of funds?

year, 227 have filed for conversion from tourist visas to student visas, 398 have filed for extensions while 62 were granted the special study permit. This could explain the growing population of Indian immigrants in the city.

◄from page 1

Piya Macliing Malayao, spokesperson of the Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP), said the protest actions “contain the wrath of the people for the killings, displacements, and loss of land and life due to mining interests.”

Malayao quoted the Mines and Geosciences Bureau data which showed that mining tenements cover more than 311,000 hectares in Mindanao, with an estimated $313 billion-worth of mineral wealth. Most of these mining agreements and permits are in Lumad ancestral territories.

“All the backslapping about how truly “safer” our rural areas is now than it was six years ago is meaningless. While the government focuses on the riches the foreign investors – witness the 15 US military aides who visited our country in guarding the trial exploration of lands in some parts of Benguet and Davao Oriental – is increasingly evident, while the notion of poverty is still under water; the graft and corruption is still on its 500th games in court and the endless drama of political invasion is worsening. Still, mining activities are not viable for the less fortunate and the needy.

That’s where PNoy comes in.

He has now permitted the world’s productive mining companies in exploring the countries natural resources while having to count

the money he has on his forehead. This is not black market nor underground economy. This is coalition of interests against the poor. This is about the analogy of promoting both small and large scale mining in our country but not having the correct pair of analogy. No matter what one says that “yes to responsible mining”, the act of eradicating the poor living in potential mining sites are not responsible in the common ground. It is thinking about the profit and the profit alone – regardless, of the people struggling to maintain its culture and traditions.

The growth in the shadow-mining sector means social stability could be at risk. The growth in the mining sector means we now know less, not more, about what will happen for the next generation of the lands that our indigenous peoples continued to protect and this will be another hide-outs of capitalists in the course of our history; it will be another venue for digging more, caring less for the nature.

In the last several years that have been felt like an unending chronicles of horror, the 19th anniversary of the passage of Republic Act (RA) 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 is a reminder that it is not just beneficial and economical to some but it will become a barrier of upright living. Someday, the visitation of the gods in our country will be followed for the next days and weeks, and people will take sledgehammers to this barrier, breaking it into pieces of history.

■

Davao, Samal...

kind of development. Gales added that if the city will not preserve its natural endowments, then it will no longer deserve being named an “Island Garden City”.

Former IGaCoS Mayor Rogelio Antalan, whose administration the bridge received proposal, hopes the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) will issue an order for ships passing in front of the island diverge passage at the back portion. Antalan suggests a construction of a bridge with at least 25 meter-distance from the water level. Meanwhile,

◄from page 5 the Local Government Units (LGU) of Davao City and IGaCoS hope the aforementioned projects as cost-efficient since these will run billions of pesos.

These projects will hopefully link up and provide tremendous trade returns and prospects for the two cities.

For Duterte, he did not say that he is not in favor of the project but for him, Samal Island would lose its essence as an island if a bridge will be made. ■

sullydish.wordpress.com

Irin (not her real name), a third year Medical student at the Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF), explained to an interview why she had chosen to study medicine in Davao rather than in India or some other countries.

“The main reason is India has limited number of medical schools, so if we like to study in India we should score above 90% in the high school or premed courses. I just scored 88%.

We can enter college with 88% though, but we have to pay them millions to get into med school.”

Irin said.

While the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) in India has a cutoff of 200, they should also have a good background on their grades during high school.

“My parents can’t afford that, I didn’t score well and my family have that much to provide, in that situation one of my family friend told us about DMSF, so I just came here, but this is a nice place and people are nice”.

In a separate interview with Jeffrey (not his real name), also a student of DMSF taking-up his post-graduate course in medicine, he said that it is hard for them to take up medical courses in India.

“The education is good in India, but only 5% can avail medical chances in a year... it’s our second chance to study medicine,” said Jeffrey. But aside from the education problems in India, Jeffrey has some other reasons in studying in Davao.

“Actually before me, many Indians already come here

December 2014

◄from page 1

to study ... so I feel safe and better for abroad studies, and Davao is a safe place. DMSF is also good. They make us study experimentally more than theories. And in other countries, educational language is on local languages. Here it’s English. In China we need to learn Chinese for a one whole year, and it adds up additional year.”

Jeffrey also said that the high cutoff of the NMAT in India is somehow good.

“NMAT is good way to select students, really.” added Jeffery.

However, the quality education in the city is not deprived by the lower NMAT cutoffs compared to India.

With the advantages that the city offers in terms of education, the BI-Davao is expecting more students to drive in the city.

However, on an interview of the Sun.Star-Davao on BI-Davao alien control officer Eddie Delima, he said that there was nothing wrong about the growing population of the Indian nationals.

“If Koreans consider Baguio City as the center for their education in the Philippines, then the Indians chose Davao City to be the center of education for medicine. And that is good because due to their arrival here, some businesses open up while it also helps in our tourism. It is also good to point out that the Indian students have no immigration issues here since they are wellbehaved,” Delima said.

Davao City is well-known for its friendly and safe environment.

Aside from offering great opportunities, the system had attracted foreigners and tourists.

Moreover, the growing population of Indian nationals had proved a good relationship between the India and the Philippines. ■

USeP Alumnus...

◄from page 1

August 31, 2014 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

According to Ramon Magsaysay Foundation, Halasan received the award for his exemplary contribution in nurturing his Matigsalug students and community situated in a remote village in Davao City through providing them quality education and sustainable livelihoods.

Furthermore, Halasan was cited for going beyond the call of duty to his students at the Pegalongan Elementary School by serving as a bridge between the community and the government agencies. Through it, he has aided

the indigenous tribe overcome its isolation, helplessness and poverty.

Published reports said that Halasan was also an advocate of food security. He said that he is also focusing on agriculture because if he will only focus on education, children will still go hungry.

In an interview after the announcement that he was recognized by RMAF as one of its awardees, “no one got rich out of teaching; it’s your legacy that matters,” he said. ■

IT Building... ◄from page 1

Engineer Lawas then elaborated the building cost and how will it be constructed. He stated, “There is what we call the phase to phase step of schedule of work. Phase 1 will be the construction of foundation to the 2nd floor. So it would take one year or shall we say, less than a year. Then another bidding for phase 2 so it would take us, I think, 2 years to finish to complete the whole building. As of now, we are starting to demolish the old building of the CT laboratory and also the FSU, the chapel and the nearby offices will be demolished also, including ROTC and UGTO. As of now, first phase costs more or less Php 25,000. So if that is 5 storey, 25 times 5, that is more or less Php 125,000. Kay Php 25,000 is just for phase 1 but for phase 2, basig musaka ang mga presyo sa mga materyales so basig ang mga expectations mutaas. Ato lang at least i-approximate lang.”

On the other hand, Mr. Leonieljun Aresco, OCSC President, said, “Okay man sa ako ang construction for the betterment basta naa jud kabalhinan ang mabakabakan ug office.”

Meanwhile, according to Ma’am Tamara Cher Mercado, IC Dean, she said that the demolition of the buildings from the IL to ROTC will be the place for the Administration building.

The demolition of such buildings will eventually happen yet it will take time to materialize. About the relocation, she said she could not tell because it is up to the Administration but she assured that there will be a place for relocation.

At the end, Engineer Lawas assured that the University, the faculty, and the students will benefit from the project. He said, “Puhon kung mahuman na pud dako jud ang gain and more space because more offices will be created. If we have to demolish, sacrifice those things to replace that with the bigger buildings. Mao na nga we have to, sometimes, sacrifice something to gain for bigger things.”

He added, “Complete facilities, luag-luag na mga classrooms ug maybe ang mga estudyante dili na magguot sa classrooms. Sometimes kung daghan ang estudyante nga gamay ug classroom, ipugos na ang 60 kabuok isulod sa isa ka classroom. So kung daghan ang classroom, maybe maa pektuhan ang learning. Conducive kaayo kay dili naman mag ilog ang mga estudyante.” He also guaranteed that no class will be disturbed in the area. ■

Vol. 39, No. 4

Digong for President?

SENARYO

by: Paul Christian Y. Eyas

Digong as a Leader An extraordinary student of Philippine politics, he has never left the public office since being appointed OIC Vice Mayor of Davao City in 1988 and didn’t lost in two re-elections until he stepped down in 1998 due to term limits. Moreover, he became the House of Representative member in the same year. But he came back to defeat his protégé Benjamin C. de Guzman in the 2001 mayoral posts. Then he ended his three consecutive 3-year term before settling for the vice mayoral post in 2010 with his daughter Sarah Duterte-Carpio as the mayor of that time. He ran again recently and is currently the mayor of Davao City.

Duterte has been a veteran of his career as a man in politics. Yet, it was said that it isn’t all about what he experienced in politics but what his people experienced during his leadership. He was often called as the “Man of the masses”. To eradicate crimes in the city, he projects an image as an “iron fist”. Thus, people are afraid of doing crimes openly.

Additionally, being comfortable with military and rebel groups, he has been the only mayor to pay visit to communist camps.

He goes after drug addicts and smuggling syndicate and he makes his people abide by rules such as no firecrackers particularly during Christmas and New Year, no smoking, no over speeding and no liquor sales beyond 2:00 am.

What is ColHead?

Where does your PhP 55.00 go? by: Anneliese O. Lomboy

Thousands of people came at Rizal Park, Davao City last March 29, 2014 while holding up banners and tarpaulins to rally in support for the “Duterte for President” movement. There were music from the 80s, free porridge, and distributed shirts.

Some found it controversial when the mass took turns praising Duterte and his leadership.

This paints the reality that Filipinos crave for a leader who can bring the country to betterment. Corruption, graft, and plunder in the government existed and continues to exist at the present. The sad fact is that, it has become a cycle. In the status quo, no significant change happens, only the change in administration.

The anti-government often asked, “Aren’t we tired of choosing the same old individuals and falling for oldest trick that are present during the Philippine election?”

Somehow that question said to have pushed the people of Davao City to hunt for “the one” in a very long time who would fit to be the ideal president. And now, in mass hysteria, “the one” has been said to be found in the persona of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte.

7

THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

“I

t’s our duty to turn your 55php into something more than worthwhile.

And it’s not an easy task.”

The “Iron Fist” Mayor of Davao City. newsdesk.asia The Start of the movement

last resort to stop the movement.

It was Mar Masanguid, barangay captain, was said to be the leader of the PILIPINAS 2016 Duterte Movement. He started the campaign last February of this year. It was participated by at least 100 Davao City Village captains as they collected almost 4 million signatures in the city and neighboring towns. Masanguid also said that the signatures prove that people want Mayor Duterte to give it a try. There were also town mayors committing to support the movement.

On the other hand, Masanguid thought of Duterte as an ironfisted leader with a heart and as someone who commands strong presence in and out of government. Moreover, he added, “If we will compare Duterte and Davao City to the other cities and leaders in our country, he is the only politician who was able to fully implement the anti-smoking campaign and the firecracker ban. He will further improve discipline in the city through the anti-spitting ordinance, speed limit and the anti-discrimination ordinance.” He also stated that although issues exist in the Davao city, these were minimized compared to other cities in the country.

Undoubtedly, it wasn’t and it isn’t a wonder if how Duterte became a prospect. But will he accept the proposal of the people?

The Prospect’s response In recognizing the shouts of the people, Duterte replied, “You must be crazy. I said I am not interested to be president. I am not qualified to be president. I cannot dream of what I cannot be but I can only aspire for what I can be”. Furthermore, he added that it would be a wrong move to give him more power for he will personally lead the revolution against his government. He also revealed that the past administration had asked him to lead DILG but he declined the offer because he might end up shutting down government business.

While Mar Masanguid is busy campaigning to convince Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run as Presidential candidate, it was reported that he has already threatened quitting politics in 2016 if the people will continue to push his candidacy as president, but it didn’t stop his supporters at all. Masanguid said that they are not worried about the threats made by Duterte because they only wanted to prove to him that the “people’s clamor” for him to run is legitimate and they are not doing anything wrong. They are even willing to line up facing a firing squad in front of the city hall if the mayor will push his said threat of shooting them as a

Meanwhile, critics and human rights groups don’t agree with Duterte for implementing rules at the expense of basic rights.

He has been accused of directing the vigilante-style killing of suspected criminals also known as the “Davao Death Squad”.

The People’s Expectations Having known and supported for “the one”, still we cannot evade the fact that there are people who say that he is not the one and he is not a good leader.

For his personality in being in the authority is similar to former President Ferdinand Marcos’ personality. Also, they have said that People power revolution would emerge if ever Duterte runs and wins for President. But as they say, it is hard to end the talk and no one knows what will happen next. If people are to go back from the start, it can be concluded that in every National Election in the Philippines, Filipinos tend to vote and choose who is famous and would not care looking at the capacity of the candidate. As quoted, people should always seek what these politicians are made of. However, it is not too late to hope for the ideal president. Duterte may have declined the proposal but he did not decline to the people. There is still time. ■

Each student from the eight colleges of our university is entitled with the right and privilege to receive whatever investment they have allotted for tertiary education, may it be in financial form such as the tuition and miscellaneous fees. From these investments, maintenance and facility improvements are expected to be tangibly seen in quality and quantity. And as a part of the student organizations needing a fee from the student’s pocket every semester, The Collegiate Headlight continually seeks to innovate and utilize every possible way to serve our purpose. On the outset, what is a student publication by the way?

A student publication is an essential component for an institution to be recognized as a “university”. Its main role is to become the ears, eyes and voice of the students as it was granted with autonomy by the school administration. Unlike in a private constitution where articles and issues are filtered first before the release, USeP publications, just as how State University publications should be, are free to express whatever the students need to know and speak upon. Aside from its duty of being a channel of information through releasing issues in different forms (magazine, tabloid, broadsheet, literary folio and special issues), a school publication encompasses this plain façade through taking the responsibility of igniting the students’ awareness and involvement regarding the concerns being hailed.

In a whole school year, The Collegiate Headlight releases at least four of the forms mentioned above. Each issue costs at least 18php to 28php per copy depending on the type and number of release. Usually, we are catering 3,500 to 4,000 students in every release and 1,500 (for special issues like intramural coverage) since it is impossible to supply almost 8,000 copies for each student in this campus with the deemed four times releasing every school year. With a single student’s fee of 55php per semester, stretching out the budget to suffice the whole USeP studentry’s needs is also a core focus of the publication’s management without compromising the quality expected by the continually modernizing society. Facility continuance and enhancements are also grabbing much allocation for the staff cannot work without the need equipments – a conducive workplace, technological

tools and other materials. Aside from that, we are not limiting the horizon of reaching out our colleagues through ink and paper; it is also the publication’s duty to spearhead student activities such as forums and literary stimulated events. Much effort and funds are required by the process before every story is brought out; from news-sniffing, data gathering, attending essential forums, interviews and up to the story-structuring. Still, it is a tougher job to quiet down some people’s queries and false-accusations regarding Colhead’s management. We value and respect that each individual has the unbound right to exercise his/her freedom of expression since the publication itself is pushing towards achieving such cause. But it is not tolerable for them to come up with a judgment according to mere hearsays without first proving or confronting the concerned people. To question something or someone is a wise step in demystifying matters, while to conclude without doing such is parallel to imprudence.

We voluntarily chose to be a part of this student-driven organization. And no matter what happens, we ought to stand on our publisher’s side; we ought to write every article as biased for the truth and the USePians’ welfare; we ought to rise and prove whatever we have avowed long before the doors of activism welcomed us. Along with our responsibilities in keeping our academic records stainless, which has been the primary reason why we are all here in this learning institution, an inevitable duty to serve our coFilipino youth sank within each of our individualism. This duty has little evolved into a passion which fuels s to satisfy our being as vital citizens of this country, stripping off every exhaustion caused by such heavy responsibility. Every USePian possesses the potential to be a catalyst of good change, yet only few chooses to convert such potential into kinetic one and cause a great transformation in our society at the verge of youth.

At the end, it is not just the editorial board and staff who are considered fundamental in keeping up this school publication, it is still the students, our publishers, who are gripping the strength of student power and activism. ■

LARAWANG BUHAY photos by: Justin Vikka A. Tevar words by: Virnabe T. Pelias Paul Christian Y. Eyas

Poverty & misery...

Will the cycle change?

Or will we change the cycle?

Our life is a never-ending history.

What happens today will happen tomorrow...

10TINIG-ISKOLAR THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

December 2014

Sleeping Pills

Pinto Views

Chedelyn Gee S. Tabalba

O

ne engineering student who operated the internet café just finished sipping his coffee, stretching his arms to unlock the veins of tiredness in his body. The effect of that last cup of coffee I drank a few hours ago is already wearing off. I tried to sit and concentrate on the area that I was working and…thump!

I suddenly dropped my eyes and fell into a deep slumber. These are just few of the signs that you and I lack of sleep – and this is a compliment.

LOADING… An equally gay mood embraces The Collegiate Headlight office tonight. All are typing in their computers like wild beasts, ready to eat the monitor. The colleague beside me is stretching while glancing at a particularly black draft flashing on computer screen. One of the editors is lying on the floor with a tarpaulin as bed sheet, muttering “i want to sleep, i want to sleep”. Not far from me, a silent layout artist is knocking the table with his hand, calming himself while waiting for articles to turn up. In the receiving area, someone is moving

on the wooden, creaking bench, settling herself to sleep. These are soldiers, ready for battle but inside, they’re dead to the world.

After hours and days of facing the monitor screen, a new breed of publication has come to life: wanting to sleep – incessantly.

While I’m waiting to outnumber the days, which I realized later on, is impossible, I realized that life has five main facts. These are birth, food, sleep, love and death.

Among these, only sleep has the most voices of struggle in each individual. It has the most number of eye bags, hanging beneath those tired eyes. It has the power to make you overthink, over-react, overdue, over-stress, overlap and so on. It has the most cases of wet beds and the no.1 escape-goat for most students like you who do not want to attend and cut classes because you’d rather sleep. But haven’t you thought that without sleep, we could do twice as much, live twice as long, and achieve twice more?

I’ve read in one of the malodorous comfort rooms in the university that sleep is the greatest defect of humankind. It consumes us with our dreams that we wish will happen the next day. It leads us to our sexual fantasies that sometimes, make us wonder how it feels like. It motivates us to close our eyes and just spend time

imagining the things that you wanted to do but you’ve never done – your regrets. Maybe the vandal said “defect” because half of our lives is wasted on sleep.

Imagine how much time do we spend hours of sleeping and yet we have not even accomplished one thing. Imagine how we are so eager to sleep but yet, we haven’t even finished reading a one-paragraph essay. Imagine that you are sleeping because you are wondering did you’ve ever slept last night. Truly, we become the twins of our own misery business because of sleeping. Somehow, it becomes our mirror as to how we address the greater responsibility in the society. It becomes the bridge to the things I’ve never discovered that exist. That is to stay awake. With people staying awake all the time, more periods will be spent on important exploration and the best creations.

One of our professors once said that we will only stop sleeping when we die. It becomes my yardstick in accomplishing my role as a student. As long as I breathe the deepest air of solitude and adequacy, I will not sleep until my knowledge will combine with the necessary privilege to write, to speak, to influence, to motivate, to lure the darkest possibilities and to protect the realm of sleeplessness. As long as I can do things that are different from

others, I will not sleep into superficiality of life nor will I step into a catastrophe of decisions.

This has become my weakness – to sleep and to wake up without recognizing the truth from lie; the genuine from the illusion.

I believe that sleeping will make us immobile to the countless possibilities of change. It will hinder us from managing our time in its utmost requirement. It can even deceive us to the time given to us and paralyze our system. In general, most healthy adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night. However, some individuals are able to function without sleepiness or drowsiness after as little as six hours of sleep.

Others can’t perform at their peak unless they’ve slept ten hours. It is no wonder that we really need sleep as much as we don’t want to. It is already a part of human existence; a part of every bones that bring life to the fragile.

LOADING… It has been four years since I did not sleep unfittingly. It was not because of the projects and reports I had. It is my duty as a student to obey our professors and perform well in class. It was not because of my night-outs. It was part of my social bustle as a person. I need it after a week’s hard work. It was not because of surfing the net and posting status

on my Facebook account. The social media became my outlet on impelling activism on others aside from texting. It was because I became a part of the family of The Collegiate Headlight. This is not a nuisance to everyone that being a student-journalist is hard because you tend to lack sleep.

No. There were times I did not sleep because of writing an article to make you realize the truth out of it. There were times I lack sleep because we were covering a big event to make you witness the motionless and stagnant gesture in the university. There were a lot of times I became sleepy because of editing articles that will make you understand that being a student-journalist is not a position to flaunt and boast. It is more than a name to tag – a tag which means sacrifice. Being a student-journalist is a way of life. This will not end until graduation or even after marriage and I wish I could go on working for days, without ever batting an eyelash. But little time has left and all good things must come to an end. After years of not sleeping, you have to reconsider yourself. I believe with the publication as my second home, this has been a sleepless journey towards a free society: without restrictions, without restraints and without limits. All you can do is sleep easily. ■

“You may call me V” reader. But what subject should I give life to?

Open Secret

I

Virnabe T. Pelias

n the midst of courting and exchanging of sweet words between Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senator Antonio Trillanes to impress the general public, I have been contemplating about what I would write for you to read. It was not made easy by the fact that this is the last. Then I decided to ask, “To whom should I write for?” It left me speechless because I’m not sure if I’m writing for you or I’m writing because I have to.

As I have so many thoughts in mind as to how I’m going to fill the pages funded by you and your parents, I wanted to write about how college life have been but for me that would be vanity; an irony of me as a writer. Writers are not supposed to tell you what to do because they are meant to tell you what exists. However, socio-political issues would bore you and Charles Bukowski would be mad at me and ask, “So you want to be a writer?” I know I should let my words depict the freedom of my thoughts. In that way, I might find hope of connecting with you as a

Then I realized, I should just tell you the truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with the Philippines as a country.

There really is, not because we as a publication kept saying that in our releases, but because that is the truth. The saddest part of that truth is that it has become a tradition. It has been a tradition that poverty remains and corruption exists. In the aftermath of the Pork Barrel Scam involving renowned government officials, we got nothing; not even answers to the pressing questions that have been silenced by time.

A colleague in the publication once said that, “It would take a revolution to change a tradition.”

So it might take a revolution to change corruption, poverty, injustice and all the things that got out of Pandora ’s Box; the things that plague the current system of the Philippine government. Who should be blamed? The government officials? Partly. But in the movie V for Vendetta, it was said that the most responsible will really be held accountable but, “… truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.”

There is a truth to the statement. I am guilty because I have

not done anything. The same reality probably applies to you. But you might ask, as I have, how will revolution be possible in this generation? World War is old-school as today is the battle of economic power. Also, People power revolution might, as of this moment, not be effective and feasible. But the universal truth is, options do exist. Solutions to problems exist.

First, we need to be aware of the real problems in the past and in the present.

The real problem is, we do not have our own stand. We remain passive because that is our comfort zone. In silence we thought we are safe and sound. But we are not. We will never be safe in the midst of chaos. There is nowhere to run but to face the fact that life is difficult and we are knee-deep in poverty because officials like Estrada, Revilla, Enrile, Arroyo and others who are evidently guilty remains in power. Moreover, employees of the government such as those involved in the Rice Hoarding issue with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the incompetence of government departments add up to the anarchy.

At first, the idea of getting these people out of their air-conditioned life is too ambitious for me. I was skeptic about change just like the other millions of the

population. But I took a stand. I made a choice to believe. It was one moment thathelped me realized that it is not really impossible. It was the moment that I met him and his ideals. He was the perfect example of a revolutionist. He was a glimpse of many possibilities in a human person.

He is my favorite activist. He is V.

conquest except for his own. That is the kind of revolution that I wanted to take. I choose to be like Rizal. I choose to be an activist in my own way. I am V because I believe in a free country. I wanted to continue writing until my words are as free as a bird. I will never harm a soul but rather uplift them and give them hope.

He made me believe that anything could be possible if you know what you are doing. Thus, education is the key to unlock all the possibilities. Many people believe that the circle of life in the Philippines will never change, so did I; but not anymore. I believe that this is the beginning of an end. The idea of being an activist never stills in me until I was already facing my last year in the publication.

In Pandora’s Box, hope remains in the box because we need first to be aware and to believe that it exist before we open to release it to the society.

I have never looked at activism as negative. In fact, I have always admired the courage and principles in being an activist. But I wanted to find my own definition of activism. I wanted to reiterate that activists are not terrorists.

They fought for a cause and not to cause chaos. Sadly, the society looks at them in reverse. I have a high regard for Andres Bonifacio’s identity and principles as a revolutionist but I believe that Jose Rizal’s blood runs through my veins. He is the Philippine’s V. No blood has been shed in his

The bottom line is, it is ideas that will start a revolution. As reiterated in the movie V for Vendetta, “…Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. There is an idea… and ideas are bulletproof.” This can be found through extensive reading that will result to education. There is nothing wrong with reading books about love written by young Filipino authors, but there is really something wrong if it’s the only thing that you’ve ever loved reading.

For in education, in reading and in hoping, we might find the life that we deserved. This is the beginning of an end but it is just an end and not “the end”. It is just word-different but it is with an entirely different meaning. It does not mean stop. It means change. ■

Vol. 39, No. 4

TINIG-ISKOLAR Death Note

Fathom and half Sunshine C. Angcos

L

iving is the most frightening fact in life.

Nothing is certain and no one is well-informed. Every breath could mean one’s last, every sleep could mean one’s deathbed and every morning could mean one’s yesterday.

There can only be one life, a life that is both a blessing and a curse.

As the saying goes, you only have to live it once but with courage of a lion or a tiger. However, life may have its moments but still, it has purpose. There will always be a reason to live, and that is to die.

From the very first touch until the very last breath, we are designed to go back to ashes and to take the last dance to dust.

The thought of dying has been an unpleasant fact throughout the years. Philosophers during the ancient times have different speculations about why humans die. Some assumptions conveyed the idea that man has to die because the soul has to be separated from the body. The body where the soul housed is considered to be a disruption of the soul’s objective to be alone.

Scientifically speaking, death is described as a permanent cessation of all vital functions,

11

THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

it may be natural or diseasestricken death. The common thought of these concepts gives an impression that it is the soul which gives life to mankind.

However, this notion of death is not yet proven and still enduring heated arguments from different sectors of the society.

can live and prosper on earth but he can never proclaim possession.

The thing about death is more complex than the thing about life because life is just a temporary period of one’s time while death is eternal. Indeed, the thought that man has to own things on earth is simply a fallacy.

Who is man, by the way, and why should he die? The answer to this question lies on the very core of life, existence. It is gradually evident that existence and death are linked in a sense that one cannot live without the other.

Further, this thought is markedly related to the philosophy of beingin-time and being-at-an-end.

According to Heidegger, which I reflected to have the most sense among all views about death, as long as man is in the world, he is a “not-yet”. He is not whole. When one dies, it means completion – an accomplishment of duty towards self-fulfillment. Thus, the fact that I am still breathing is only a reminder that I am nothing.

It is not relevant to fear death.

It cannot be denied that we live in a world where existence is only a passing actuality. Why people continue to reject the idea of themselves dying is still a mystery to me. Perhaps, they crave for more than what is necessary. Undeniably, to desire for worldly materials is to long for suffering. One suffers because of the undying search for worldly pleasures and madness. Greed made them yearn for what is immoral and sinful. Death, for these people, is the only entity that severs them from wanting anything that the world can offer.

The mentality to possess the world strikes them in full weight.

Hence, they incessantly seek for the never-ending-satisfaction of life and in return, they will only create a hole that aches to be filled but will never be.

The question about why man has to live is only a transitory point of the question about the existence of death. People who wants to live eternally is like a fool waiting for world peace.

Eventually, it is vaguely stated that we live just to achieve death.

Unfair as it may seem, but that’s the way life is. As a matter of fact, living for another more years is just prolonging one’s agony. The world is not for a man to own. He

Further, no one will be enough to satisfy the fulfillment of death if it’s a work of evil. Those deaths triggered by murder and tragedy are just indications of the nonexistence of truth, justice and equality. The only thing we can do is to continuously count

the crime caused by tyranny – a destruction of the nature of death.

In due course, the demise of children who died of hunger and poverty, the death of women who died of violence and the heinous death of people who cried for freedom and change will just remain a number. A number that has no name. Millions of these deaths will continue to be just a mere data on a piece of paper and a miserable history that people will commemorate years from the present.

Series of these conscious deaths will be subjected to the faultiness of man’s capability to challenge death. The arrogance of being made death possible for mankind. As man continues to live egotistically, he involuntarily drives himself to the torment of falling into nothingness.

Accordingly, living is a deception, a trick made to misguide sorrows from the joys of life. The more man breathes, the more he is wasted. He will never become assertively mindful of himself as a spirit and as a being. Thus, to exist is to despair.

Yes, it is a bliss to die and to finally come across with the fullness of being but to die for nothing is like dying for the foolishness of mankind. It is not men who will dictate your death, it is not men who will cure your despair and it is not men who will thrust you to meet your end. It is your responsibility, the obligation

to confront the purpose of being.

It is true that to own everything that lies on earth is never a satisfaction. It will only guarantee hunger to want for more. What is a material on hand is not an object to submit to fulfillment, it is only a passing pleasure, an empty one, but to die is a meaningful inclination towards the fullness of life. It is not the being who dies, it is the man in flesh, and the flesh belongs to the world. Thus, the compliance of life is not to love the world but to love what will come out from it.

Living is like getting yourself ready from the slash of a doubleedged sword. It is a process of learning how to die. It is directly injected to our body like a creeping poison. Death comes when it is time, that is the customary truth but violation of this point arises from man’s incapability to maintain motivation, then it should always be a note to people that the way to pursue the fullness of life is to seek for its death. This directs that I should never fear death for I know that the more I live, the more I die. The only contentment is not to wait for the right time but to live by it and for it because time is neither coming nor going. It will always stay here on earth from your first cry until your last sigh.

Thus, live and let die. ■

Cliché Between the Lines

Jeryanne Jane E. Patayon

I

saw children lying on the ground of their made-up mattresses using trash newspapers as I was on my way home.

The jeepney drove by the Agdao flyover. It was almost twelve midnight and only few cars passed by the road with their headlights that reflected the scene under the infrastructure. I thought of capturing that moment. I suddenly remember what our senior told us when we were still new to the publication. The words echoed in my mind. ‘It was not to take shots of cliché. It is not worth publishing anymore.’ For the reason that students are too much fed up with photos that are almost just the same. As the jeepney went faster and the lights from each post faded in and out of the way, my thoughts started to clear up something in my mind.

Cliché. A word for “overused” (statement particularly), “gasgas na”, “paulit-ulit na lang”, “nakakasawa” etc,.

Just like what I saw that inspired me to write this article, homeless children, lying on the pavement, cold, probably hungry and mostly scared. And the never justified death cases, the never solved crimes, the never answered queries and the never ending chain of corruption and political-economic warfare.

These are all clichés. The thing with these clichés is that they simply reflect the reality of life.

That history always repeats itself. To say that people are too much of these things, it seems to me it is not. These are more than merely clichés. In our society, it is much evident that even the word cliché is too cliché for a poverty describe.

Poverty remains a critical social problem that needs to be addressed. Since 2006, it has been recorded by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that the poverty rate of the Philippines remains increasing each year. Unemployment, rapid population growth and other factors are causes of poverty, making our country still sunken in terms of economic growth. Each year, reports of the increase of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the economic quality of our country. Yes, generally speaking

our country may be raising in terms of economy but the society only carries the companies that only include the upper class. The poor are totally out of context in this basis. That’s why the cliché goes on, “the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer.”

As I go over my thoughts about how can a certain country be equal in terms of living, I remember Karl Marx’s theory on socialism that says, there is only one way to eliminate the classes of society and it is by means of a struggle of both proletariat (the workers) and bourgeoisie (the producers). The idea suggests that the world would be communist and it is just impossible. But one thing I do agree about his philosophy is that people should be aware of the equality. If we want a better life, then we must establish a sense of consciousness.

Oscar Wilde said in one of his essays about socialism, “they (government) try to solve the problem of poverty, for instance, by keeping the poor alive; or by amusing the poor. But this is not a solution: it is an aggravation of the difficulty.” Truly, in the Philippines, our government is only trying to give band-aid solutions

to the problems arising each year.

And sadly, the poor will indeed be shortly happy for a temporary resolution and then again clamor if the problem spring again.

I’ve gone over reading voluntary poverty also in some books I can no longer remember. However, the sense of it remained.

It says that some people volunteered to remain poor by letting the government neglects us. If the government fails to do its duty, then we as its people should take actions. As I have watched a revolutionary movie entitled V for Vendetta, it suggests that people should not be afraid of their government but the government should be afraid of their people. Thus, we don’t have to hush down all our cries and keep suffering from our complaints.

The government is not made to manipulate but to protect the people. We are not paying taxes just to let them sit in their golden throne, to keep travelling, to deliver their speech of deceits and to leave their people hanging around. If we want ourselves out of the quicksand of poverty, then we should not wait for the inutile government. We should get ourselves out of it. In order to do so, first step is to break the cliché of passivity.

Furthermore, we are always hoping for a change, letting the lesser evil to take charge of the power. Only to find out there is no lesser evil. Even if it is less, it is still evil. Reality speaks for itself that though we say change is the only constant thing in this world, still nothing changes. It has always been the same thing.

Clichés are representation of the fact that things don’t really change at all.

Let us look at the things now.

Election is fast approaching and politicians will lie again to promise. The Americans are taking over the country again just like what happened decades ago; the records and files of murder and other criminal cases are still not yet resolved; rural needs of support are not yet given up to now; the hungry are now famished for truth and justice, for the real change to take action and for the cycle to be broken.

Thousands of years ago, we have been barred and the cliché goes, up until now we are still locked upon our own hypocrisy and ignorance. Now tell me, would you be tired of hearing, seeing and feeling all these clichés? ■

12TINIG-ISKOLAR THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

December 2014

A Writer’s Epilogue

Melancholic Thought Louie B. Bahay

O

nce in your life you have that struggle when you can hardly start doing something or you cannot easily end something you have started doing. There is also a point when other people push you to do things you don’t like doing. This is like writing.

I’ve been writing since second year high school. Even if I’ve been writing since then, I still have my struggles in writing.

Sometimes I have difficulty on how should I start my sentence, a time where finishing that first sentence is like winning a sweepstake. There is also a time where I can hardly end my writing piece.

That feeling is either a happy ending or an end of the world. But the worse thing about writing is when you are being forced to write.

That happened to me sometime in high school when our teacher at the same time the publication adviser pushed me to write for the publication’s sake. However, I do not consider it as genuine

writing at all since, as far as honesty is concerned, writing in a high school publication was more like satisfying my own self. I was no different to my classmates who cheat during exam and skip classes. Like them, I also cheated, I cheated my reader. The only difference there was is the fact that I was a member of the publication.

No more, no less. Even in my first year in college was like a hangover of my pseudo-writing carrier from high school. It even continued after being accepted as a staff of the university’s official student publication, The Collegiate Headlight. I never knew that passivity kills freedom. I never knew that kind of principle exists in this university. But it wasn’t any longer as I chose to stay in the publication throughout these years.

During these years, little by little, I started to figure out why I continued writing.

I continued writing because I have yet to fulfill my study as a writer. That duty is finishing a book. A book where you are my story, you are my character, you are my plot. Like a book, I have not easily understood your story.

Like a book, you show different kind of plots and characters. Even there are differences, like a book, you share a common mood. And that mood is your passivity.

Passivity is when you choose not to involve yourself in any activities in school. Passivity is

when you see your teacher being so late in your everyday class yet you choose not to care. Passivity is when your teacher gives you a questionable failing grade yet you choose not to stand up on your right. Passivity is when you see trashes on the sidewalk yet you do not pick them up. Passivity is when you are talking mostly about the recent happenings in the telenovelas instead of talking about the progress of the pork barrel scam. Passivity is when you are defending your favorite celebrities while they are being booed and slammed of their relationship controversies over defending the victims of the Maguindanao massacre that until now gained no justice. Passivity is when you choose to thrash your publication releases instead of reading and keeping them. Passivity is when you know the truth but you believe in the lie. And the list goes on. This whole space is not even enough to contain the passivity that the society is feeding you with.

You are maybe in a thought of questioning The Collegiate Headlight of the heavy topics inside every release. You are maybe tired of reading societal issues again and again. You are maybe suggesting your publication to only release issues with updates of your favorite celebrities, movies, books, or whatever inside.

You are maybe tagging the people

“The Legend of the Vendor who set himself on Fire” by: Virnabe T. Pelias

“I

t was not a dream. It was not an illusion.

Millions of young Arabs really did take to the streets demanding liberty, and dignity, and justice…It wasn’t a mirage.

We really do exist” said by the Arab Spring activist and writer Iyad el-Baghdadi during the Oslo Freedom Forum last October 2014. He was called in to talk about why he still believed in change that the “Arab Spring” could bring into Arabian nations.

It all started in the morning of December 17, 2010 when the breadwinner Mohammed Bouazizi, 26 years of age, while selling apples and oranges in a push cart was supposedly been slapped and insulted by a female police officer named Faida Hamdi. It was said that she confiscated his goods and scale because he does not have a permit to sell. She was also accused of spitting in Bouazizi’s face and insulting his dead father. After the humiliation, he tried to complain in the provincial headquarters but

to no avail because they refused to entertain him. Out of frustration and shame, without running to his family, Bouazizi returned and placed himself in front of the building, poured the fuel over his body and set himself on fire.

It was said that people tried to save him with a fire extinguisher but it was empty. The police were called for rescue but only the ambulance arrived.

The spark that Mohammed Bouazizi started has led to the 20th century version of people power revolution. The name “Arab Spring” was coined after the famed season of new beginnings; when the uprising in Arabian Nations started after the now-famed “martyr” for many Arabian nations. As they fight for freedom against the authoritarian leadership of their government, most of them are hoping for democracy. Although it is larger compared to the Philippines’ 1986 People Power Revolution that happened in the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), in principles, there is no difference.

We could see a glimpse of the Philippines’ people power in the

aspect of the government when then President Ferdinand Marcos ruled for almost 20 years before he was ousted from office.

However, contrary to the EDSA Revolution, there were innocent lives lost during the civil uprisings especially in Syria whose own people, even children, were killed. It was journalist Marie Colvin who reported in BBC news that she has watched a little baby die during her coverage in the City of Holms, Syria; unknown to her that it would also be her last. Their stories, though considered small and not the most significant, makes up the large mosaic of the Arabian Springs.

Thus established the main difference between EDSA and the Arabian Springs, there were death and destructions on their way to freedom.

On the other hand, in Tunisia, after the ousting of then-President Zine el-Albidine Bel Ali on January 2011 despite his effort of fixing his image after visiting Bouazizi in the hospital, the idea of the revolution spread like fire on their neighbor countries. In comparison, the 30-year rule of

inside the publication as activists.

I want to give back to you the rhetorical thought. The publication exists because it pledged to serve you, to publish topics that you seem to ignore, to release societal problems that will educate you. You are maybe tired of reading yet your publication, over the years, has not, does not and will not get tired of serving you. Your publication publishes not what you want but what you need. Yes, the members of the publication are activists because we choose to be. We choose to be active than passive.

You may never know this but the members of the publication get hurt every time we see our release scattering elsewhere. I personally get hurt as it is not easy writing articles. It is not easy undergoing your article in edition with full of red marks indicating a revision, a series and tiresome revision only to find out that the students you are serving for are not interested in your release. It is not an easy task publishing a worthy-reading issue. I get hurt because I am not doing this for my own. That’s what meant by being a member of your publication. I write for service. I write for you.

Do not get me wrong. I am not writing this out of hatred of passivity. In fact, I am writing this because I was once like you, passive. I even objected that passivity

former President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt ended on February 11, 2011 due to pressures from international exposure of people rallying for his resignation not just on the streets but also in social media. Adding to the feat of the uprising is the refusal of the military to hurt the civilians.

However, it seems futile when the 2012 elected President Mohamed Morsi claimed unlimited powers to “protect” the nation and to have legislative powers without judiciary interference or scrutiny.

These have led to the second revolution that had overthrown Morsi out of office.

In the midst of the violent and non-violent protests and demonstrations in Bahrain, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan and other Arab countries, death toll continues to rise as military force in these countries remains unshaken.

It was the Tunisian Republic who has survived the journey towards democracy because most of their men in the military forces probably wanted the change as well. Although they face problems now that they are having the transition towards democracy, the Tunisian republic celebrated as Islamists’ leader Rachid Ghannouchi said on a speech once, “We are celebrating

is all about a matter of preference.

My search for explanation to this objection proved me wrong. Because those who insist that passivity is a matter of preference are those who do not know what really matters. I am not writing this because I hate you, either. I am writing this because I still have the hope in me that one day I will come back again to this school with tangible changes, changes in the building (which I believe it is starting) and mostly, changes in the students.

Honestly speaking, I struggled to start this piece. And I even struggled to end this as I have more to say and I have more to share. This might be my last published piece in your publication but this doesn’t mean I will stop writing. And this doesn’t mean an ending of service of your publication.

I am a writer. I will continue to be. And this is not an epilogue. ■

“...those who insist that passivity is a matter of preference are those who do not know what really matters.”

freedom!,,.We democracy!”

are

celebrating

The freedom that Tunisia celebrates could be credited to one man who set himself ablaze literally so as to start the fire that lies within his fellowmen.

The movie director Mohammed Zran, plans to create a film about Bouazizi. He said “For me he’s more important than Mandela or Gandhi or Martin [Luther] King [Jr]. Really. Because with his act we are seeing, watching everywhere revolution... and it’s coming from this little town.”

The man never died in the sense of it. He has left a legacy. As his mother put it, “He lives on, his name lives on. I am proud of what happened in Tunis, I am proud that he is known throughout the Arab world.”

It was a single spark that started the revolution. It was death of a simple man, who was only trying to earn a living, that has made the people angry. But why do we really have to wait for someone to die before we call for a change?

Iyad el-Baghdadi closed his speech with a speech for his son, “Ismael: I say this as a father. I’d rather see you die young than grow up to be a coward.” ■

Vol. 39, No. 4

BALAT-LIPUNAN

The Youth in the Margins by: Sunshine C. Angcos Infants, during the period from about six months to two years of age, begin to look for familiar figures as bases of their growth.

These familiar figures will lead them to growth and development, not just on their own society but also, to the world where reality is cruel. They will eventually carry the child learnings from their own experiences and hence, creating a vital factor to the child’s progress in education. What the children recognize in their environment is what they imitate. What they do is a reflection of what they see.

In the child’s growth, touch is the most important thing in the world. Thus, a child must possess a close-knit foundation where a family forms a child into a moral being.

1

Further, family is the central component of a society. Lives that were reared around a family should be nurtured and protected to guide and guard them towards lifetime success. A man cannot do without a fostering family, able to care and to keep him in safety.

Consequently, family is composed of parents. They are the foundations that keep the home solid and strong in the midst of turmoil. Fathers prepare the goods and mothers manage the goods.

It is in their dance that a child is conceived. Therefore, they should master the movements that best fit each need their children yearn.

Parentages set forth a child into

the race of life and thus, preparing them to complete the track and to discover their greatest potentials. Negligence to do so, will direct the child’s best interest to his/her worst ill-being. Hence, the child will develop a comfort in an environment of people doing the same misbehavior since they consider it a home that feels right to belong. The deprivation caused by the parents’ inadequacies solidifies their hunger for attention. It can be associated with the desire to fit in in a crowd that can mistakenly fulfill their longing for a family. Accordingly, the need to satisfy the group’s intention to harm certain group of people is much more intense as the parents’ abandonment grows. The worst case of this issue is not the delinquencies itself but the age of the youngsters involved in these transgressions. Henceforth, it can be concluded that as they years passed by, the age of the teenagers engaging in terrible criminalities is getting progressively younger.

“W

e were not told we have Ebola until late in our treatment. We were very sick and suffering from heat in different conditions, and we will never forget that we saw 2 of our uncles succumb to Ebola in front of our eyes... Nine in our family had the virus in total, three of us survived.’’- This testimony of the two Ebola survivors was featured on Newsday on the BBC World Service earlier in July. The two who opted not to be named because of stigma and fear became Informal Ebola Ambassadors working with different community groups.

Their experience which prompted sympathetic reactions from readers and viewers of the news however, is not far from the experiences of the people of the West African Region particularly in the severely affected countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. What’s worse is that more and more families and individuals

gage in crimes involving theft or larceny, inhaling solvents, possession of drugs and harassments.

Additionally, the most horrible crime they can do in their age is murder which involves killings through knives or worst, guns.

These murderers commonly aged 16 years old and below.

In Davao City, recorded incident on juvenile murder stepped on a “serious stage” when a 14-year old Grade Six student stabbed a 16-year old second year high school student to death inside the premises of Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Senior Central Elementary School. According to reports, the Grade Six student only defended himself when the victim tried to harm him in the same way. Another case is documented outside Porras Elementary School when a 13-year old also stabbed a

Juvenile delinquency is the term used to coin the customary committing of criminal acts or offenses by a young person, especially one below the age at which ordinary criminal prosecution is possible. According to the Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD), 20,000 children are arrested due to juvenile delinquencies every year and these cases are even growing incessantly year by year. Usually, these minorities are likely to en-

Slow Response to Fast-spreading Ebola by: Yuri B. Partol

13

THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

share the same story as the plague persists.

By the end of March, 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that there had been 112 cases and 70 deaths reported due to Ebola virus disease overall. By the end of April, the numbers grew to 239 cases and 160 deaths. The numbers continued to increase and even swollen as little help was given mostly only done by the Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) and local health teams. By the end of June, 779 cases and 481 deaths were reported; 1,603 cases and 887 deaths by the end of July; 3,707 cases and 1,808 deaths by the end of August; 7,492 cases and 3,439 deaths by the end of September and 13,540 cases and 4,941 deaths by the end of October. By the 26th of November, the WHO recorded 15,935 cases and 5,689 deaths.

What can be associated with this significant jump on the number of cases and deaths

boy, of the same age as his, with a 9-inch long knife for nine times.

Since the two suspects are minors, no cases can be filed against them for the 2006 Juvenile Justice Law of the Philippines stated that the law only gives criminal liability on children aged 15 years old and the child’s sentence will be suspended not until he/she reached 18. Eventually, both children, as specified in the preceding sentence, were considered to be Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL).

Providing these conflicts in punishing CICL, House Justice Committee Chairman of Iloilo, Rep. Neil Tupas, proposed an amendment pertaining to the lowering of minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) from 15 to 13 years old. According to him, 13-year old children now are way more mature in intellectual, physical and emotional aspect

than those of 1932. This proposal pointed out that children who committed heinous crimes should be castigated and imprisoned if proven guilty. The fact that criminals now are becoming younger, law relating to this should be fortified. The government should not just let those young criminals to take advantage of the law’s privileges, especially those who offended the law of the country and the law of God. Thus, subjecting them to penalty will decrease the criminality in the Philippines and in return, dropping the increasing number of juvenile delinquents in the country.

On the other hand, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Juvenile Justice Welfare Council (JJWC) objected the proposed law by Tupas because of turn to page 14 ►

Children cross the pedestrian with the green light on.

PHOTO BY VIKKA TEVAR reported is the slow response of the International Community.

Reports have it that ‘’of the G20, the United States, Britain and the European Union have shouldered most responsibility. Despite urgent calls for assistance, Argentina, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have made no contribution at all, while Brazil, India, Mexico, Russia and France should be doing more.’’

Although the WHO reported on October 29 that the rate of infections in Liberia has slowed (due in part to changes in cultural mortuary practices), it warns, however, that the crisis is far from over and there were ‘’steep increases’’ in Sierra Leone.

The World Bank has warned that if Ebola spreads to neighboring countries, the economic cost could be between $27 billion to $32 billion by the end of next year.

The WB announced that Liberian economy already declined by $113 million while Sierra Leone shed $95 million and Guinea lost $120 million. Overall, the International Monetary Fund revised its forecast of West African economic growth from 5.5% to 5%. Earlier in August, Sierra Leone’s Agricultural Minister Joseph Sam Sesay told the BBC ‘’the economy has been deflated by 30% because of Ebola.’’ With borders closed

and farmers staying away from farms, trade and agriculture as well as mining and tourism would severely be affected, reports said.

The sluggish International response can be traced back from some significant dates and events.

On March 18, 2014, Guinean health officials announced the outbreak of a mysterious hemorrhagic fever “which strikes like lightning.” 35 cases are reported, and at least 23 people died. On June 21, 2014, MSF declared the second wave of the outbreak ‘’totally out of control’’ and called for massive resources.

However, despite urgent calls, limited help has arrived. They later compared the EVD epidemic to ‘’wartime’’ and estimates that it will take approximately six months to bring under control.

On September 17, 2014, Australia donated 7 million Australian Dollars to the British government, the WHO and MSF for the purpose of aiding the countries affected by the EVD outbreak. MSF declined the offer, stating that military and medical help was more crucial to their effort than financial support.

On October 18, 2014, seven months after the first outbreak of EVD, the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council approved resolutions creating the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency

Response (UNMEER), the first time in history the UN has created a mission for a health emergency.

On October 13, France pledged to build several treatment centers in Guinea while also announcing that flights from affected countries may be barred from arrival in France in the near future. ‘’If, in some period between this timeline of events the International Community has extended its effort, the spread of Ebola could not be as critical as it is now,’’ health professionals and scientists say. ‘’Since the spread of EVD is linked with the lack of treatment centers, lack of medical kits and equipment, insufficient number of medical personnel, inefficient military support and the lack of awareness of the disease by most of the people, this should be some things that the International Community has looked into, some things that they missed,’’ critics have it.

Now that the EVD has drastically affected the West African Region, the call for a speedy, wide-range response as well as the search for international cooperation should wake the seemingly sleeping global community to extend their hands to troubled West Africa and do further research for possible safe vaccine and cure. ■

14SENARYO THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

USeP tops list on Board Exams by: Katrina O. Quizan

The University of Southeastern Philippines, known by its quality education, has again gained honor for producing another set of topnotchers in the different fields of education.

The College of Education has upheld their title as a center of excellence as 3 graduates made their way to the top on the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) 2014. Bayani Niñel Escoton, a BEED graduate of Tagum campus has scored a percentage of 89.20 putting him in the second (2nd) slot on the list. Rossinni Gecale Jubail, also a BEED graduate of Obrero campus has scored 87.40% and the tenth (10th) on the list, while Luwalhati Millana Nasol, a BSED graduate also from Obrero campus placed seventh (7th) on the list with a score of 88.80%.

In the overall tally of the top universities, USeP-Tagum placed ninth (9th) in the August 2014 Licensure Examination for Teachers in the elementary level with a score of 85.58% On the other hand, the College of Engineering has once again dominated the list of the August 2014 Geodetic Engineer Licensure Examination as Kenneth Canillo Alba placed second (2nd) with a score of 88.60% while Gershon Cliny Niones Zeta with a score of 84.60% and Raymund Delos Arcos Cabrela with a score of 84.20% on the ninth (9th) and tenth (10th) spots, respectively. ■

The Youth... the reason that decreasing the MACR is regressive, not just on the child’s state but also to the society. In addition, implementing the amendment might only supplement problems rather than solutions since it only suggests failure in guarding their safety.

A government shall protect children’s rights, not to bully them by showing them that they are the worst kinds of rascals in the country. In fact, they even suggested increase in MACR. The point of this proposition implicates that when children are detained in the very young age, there is a big possibility that they will suffer abuse from the hard-bitten criminals inside the prison cells.

Aside from these reasons, DSWD and JJWC indicated the fact that children commit crimes for a reason. A reason that is rooted from their backgrounds and hence, we cannot really blame their dispositions. Psychologically, these youngsters experienced the cruelty of life in their

December 2014

Fear Today, Silenced Tomorrow by: Ninotchka Milloren Power, a five-lettered word that cannot be present without an agenda, is the most growing concern in the modern civilization. With that point given, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or more commonly known as ISIS, is a religious group in a pursuit of upholding traditional principles and having a common belief for the entire Islamic community, and maybe even for the entire world.

The question is: is this a call for a change, or simply another religious institution gone morally wrong?

Just imagine: ISIS takes the matters into their own hands, not civilly though, but rather, in the name of jihad, which means “holy war”. This concept supports their claim to a united religious community. When necessary, they can do all things to protect their faith and belief, and to protect their Allah. ISIS, as of today, is supporting violence as a means for their cause to be accomplished.

When it comes to politics, ISIS has their own system. They have their religious-political leader called a “caliphate”, which means the successor of Muhammad, or “ruler by order of God.” ISIS’s caliphate is Abu-Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Under his supervision, the group has become known for having more economic backing more than Al Qaeda; another group in Islam that supports jihad for a cause, and the group which ISIS itself sprang from. Under Al-Baghdadi is an executive level team which consists of an advisor and one deputy for each of Iraq and Syria. They also have an eight-man cabinet and a military council that consists of at most 13

men. Aside from that, the group also has professional and skilled military officers in their ranks.

Albeit ISIS have parts of dictatorial issues, it does have a strong and stable hierarchy. Due to this, the movement of the group is even more appealing to the Islamic community, thus gaining more followers and converts.

Another point to ponder is that some of their followers are known to be non-Muslims and are coming from Western lands, say for example from the United States and Canada. This does not mean that there are only men who wish to join, but women of different religions choose to be a part of this group, converting and moving from the comfort of their homes to Iraq and Syria. Not only that, recruits are ranging from ages 15 to 20, and are either high school or college students.

These new recruits are known to be old friends, or somehow connected, with people who are linked to either Al Qaeda or ISIS. Some others are new to the concept of any religion, and are easily persuaded to convert on becoming a Muslim and to join ISIS. Since this is not of the norm, questions as to how this came to be are expressed. Living in a highly modern world, they are well-known to the power that the media holds. Supported by the media company Al Hayat Media Center, which was established just this May, their videos and footages are better than the ones of the old days where only a man speaking to the camera is shown. Now, there is the chance to show footage of beheading and all kinds of torture, and broadcast it to the online world without hesthat all of us should not neglect.

◄from page 13 Specifically, what drove these young state and it is indeed, affected the product of their future.

The more they are integrated with the foulest society, the more they become aware of their shortfalls and as a result, it will give them an excuse to do wrong. Now, their sufferings have become their sanctuary. In this viewpoint, these government organizations prevented the MACR to be decreased because children will not become an adult if committed serious crimes. They are supposed to be in their families’ care, not in prison. Moreover, these minorities might be recruited by gangs or selfish bunch of hooligans that “hired” them to rob and steal and in return, give them a small amount of money. Hence, whatever they are now is not merely their fault.

Both parties have a side to claim. What they believe constitute to the progress of the country, morally and economically.

However, one thing is to be noticed on these points – something

minors into committing crimes was not their miserable upbringings, nor their “big bosses”, it is poverty in flesh and blood. The want to survive the unkindness of life provoked them to do what is moralistically wrong. In delving deep, insufficiency to provide the poor the necessities they need such as job and many things that constitute it put their situation in wretch. Naturally, a hungry stomach is a hungry being.

The question on who is to blame simply shows that the government, the family and the juvenile itself are just pointing fingers with each other. Who answers who cannot be determined.

Ironically, all of them shared the same degree of fault. The government, as the core of the country, lacks the responsibility to give assistance to those Filipino who are wallowed with poverty. Their priority is not the Filipino people but their own interests which will not be accomplished without using the helpless condition of the Filipinos, especially those

sullydish.wordpress.com itation. When it comes to newspapers and magazines, other than the normal reports about them, there is Dabiq, a magazine that publishes propagandist articles and reports to promote the glory of the Islamic State.

In social networking terms, ISIS programmed a Twitter app to further support and expand their cause. Its purpose is to spread information online about their grounds and their doings, and allows them to tweet from another person’s account. More and more people could be swayed through this type of dispersion of information.

Also, ISIS have their own ways of encouraging women to join them. One is emphasizing the benefit of “sexual comfort roles” within the group, and the promise of a loyal and devout husband.

ISIS even has marriage centers in Syria to consummate such marriages. The group gives their best regards and gifts, and allow the newly wed couples a chance to take a honeymoon, but only who are still so young to handle themselves. What a pity they call themselves “government” when they can’t even govern themselves from wanting the country’s money. The wounds the government inflected to the welfare of the Filipino youth continue to swell as they remain to take advantage of the people’s ignorance.

No wonder we become poorer.

Having a deceptive government and ignorant constituents are enough to muddle us to the end.

On the other hand, the family, particularly the parents, is the one that should primarily prevent their children from the cruelty of the world, not to consequently shove them to do crimes by neglecting their existence. A child will evidently grow into goodness if raised with the same manner.

Thus, a child will not be swayed with the evils of the society if he/she has strong foundation within the root of his/her family.

It should be constantly reminded that the way they care for their children is a replication of their love. It is definitely discouraged to let children be trapped in the

within their territory of domain.

Power is only a matter of insight. It cannot exist without a cause, a goal. ISIS portrays their power through fear. There are only two ingredients for such; the first one being fame – to advertise yourself for the entire humanity to see. Having done with the business of creating a reputation, here comes the second and last ingredient, the followers: those who believe in everything a man or a group stands for and would do anything to defend it.

Having already accomplished both, ISIS is only another form of government waiting to pounce and striving to rule. Its sovereignty comes from the fear that it emanates from their support and use of violence in order to create and produce a community united in faith. If that doesn’t sound like a dictatorship, then there’s definitely something wrong.

If ISIS does succeed in their goal, there would be nothing left to feel but fear. ■ idea that they are unloved because what makes them feel important is the parents’ affection. If a child committed a crime, the parents similarly committed the same by letting their child to do so. However, the last choice will always lies on the child’s hand. A family will only guide. In the end, it is the child’s decisions that count.

Regardless of the age, criminals are criminals. They are held liable to whatever they do. If they stumble, then it is because they keep themselves from seeing the right trail. Though today, it is common to see youngsters stealing their way to survival, it did not determine that they are purely bad in nature. They may look strong but they are actually vulnerable.

That’s why, violence is never an answer to violence. What a child needs is security not punishment.

What security requires is a family not a posse. What a juvenile delinquent needs is education, not the prison. ■ Attachment Theory formulated by John Bowlby 1

Vol. 39, No. 4

Fakulti

15

THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

by Birondo Girl

ART-TIKULO #FeelingPretty

by Tony Sparks

Mantax ni Kim

ni T.boy

May the gods be ever in our favor by Enerology

Estoryang Besh by Pamskie

FEATURE 1 6 T THE COLLEGIATE HEADLIGHT

his is not about sitting and adoring the interiors and wide array of delectable and eye popping dishes of the luxury buffet Vikings. But you’ve read it right. It’s bikings, but totally not Vikings.

But if there’s one common thing among them that would be serving different delicacies, an entirely different kind of delicacies. One needs an almost thousand peso in order to dine in while the other one needs not exceeding P30 and you can eat at your stomach’s content.

Whenever we are pest with heavy traffic during rush hours, above knee level of floods after heavy rain downpour and a difficulty of getting a cab or a jeepney going home, you have that feeling of eating something because hunger strikes more than the traffics do. And since dining in a fast food chain requires a great effort and patience (because you have to line up) and a bigger amount of money, we end up looking on the sidewalk and have our hungry stomach filled with street foods.

Street foods are everywhere.

That’s one of the reasons why it is the most saleable food for pedestrians. They are available around terminals, malls, and most especially schools and universities. In Davao alone, once you get out of the mall from shopping, you see street foods. Every time you’re at the public vehicles’ waiting for a perfect timing going home, you end up buying street food for a light dinner. Every time a student gets out from their school gate, they are always welcome by street food outside.

Seeing significant numbers of street food vendors selling different kind of street recipes-from the orange coated quail boiled eggs and chicken entrails and a lot more of chicken-related-recipes with respective names you don’t know and where-and-howon-earth-they-get-that-from outside the school’s main gate is like being in a Vikings localized and cheap and unhealthy version. I never knew street vendors also study the Economic’s Law of Supply and Demand. Because after students are no longer passing by at the main gate after the road and drainage construction started, they pushed their carts away and migrated to the area where there

are great demands. Truly, they have their bikings started to feel the demands at Gate 4.

December 2014

BIKINGS

Unhealthy as they are, students are still patronizing street foods. The fact that it’s cheap and they can save a lot of money, time and effort, being unhealthy is no longer on their minds. Street food has become a replacement of the normal meals that people, especially students, usually eat. Since street food vendors specially flock themselves during dinner time, students almost always take street foods as alternative dinner.

on the

STREET by: Louie B. Bahay photos by: Vikka A. Tevar

dents love street food as much as they love taking selfies. One student said: “I love street foods. By buying them, I no longer have to cook food for myself.

Of course, I have to control myself from eating street foods.

The fact still remains that they are, indeed, unhealthy.”

Street Food Delicacies Street foods have their varieties. Common of these that people usually love to have are kwekkwek, isaw paired with rice, fish balls especially on a five-peso for seven pieces, balut, Betamax, adidas (not the shoe brand, but still talks about feet, I mean chicken feet), atay for a liver lover.

O t h er street food delicacies include maruya, turon, pancake and banana que (for those who are extremely hungry, try to eat all at the same time), kikiam, mais, green mango with bagoong, papaya with suka and pinya with asin (for those who have extra stomach load).

Of course, all above are incomplete without drinks. Like them, you have different kinds of drinks to choose from. Common street drinks includes buko juice (with refill, not just once but twice), and sago and gulaman (refreshingly cold drink for those who are in dire need of thirst quenching drink).

An inevitable fact is that stu-

Street foods: on safety In Senegal, 200 people died following food intoxication after eating street foods. At one time, cholera outbreak happened in India and was attributed to sugarcane juice peddled by the sidewalks. In Metro Manila, there was once a surge in gastrointestinal diseases, which were caused mainly by eating dirty sidewalk foods.

formaldehyde (a preservative) in the imported frozen squids. The contaminated calamares caused the adverse effects in the woman’s body that circulated through her blood.

Back in 2012, Dietmar Speckmaier, food safety consultant of Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM) claimed that the street food samples taken from vendors in Davao City contained salmonella and E. coli bacteria based on the initial results of the study with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Salmonella can be acquired through contaminated food, poor hygiene, feces, or uncooked food. The bacteria can survive many weeks and months in optimum conditions and cause diseases like typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever or other food-borne illnesses. It further showed that food samples taken from various streets in the city did not pass quality standards. At least 40 food samples of street food items like kwek-kwek, fishballs, juices and ice cream were examined by the team for a study that started in November 2011. The team surveyed 120 street food vendors in areas near the schools in San Pedro, Bankerohan and Bolton streets. These resulted to Davao City as one of the four identified areas in the country where food sold on the street is not safe to eat.

In the same year, the World Health Organizations (WHO) released a statement. It said “with the increasing pace of globalization and tourism, the safety of street food has become one of the major concerns of public health, and a focus for governments and scientists to raise public awareness.

Eating street foods may be cheap, but there are also dangers that can cause health problems. There was this case of a woman in her forties who suffered vomiting, scarred skin and muscle pains after eating calamares. A series of laboratory tests conducted by the Bureau of Food and Drugs found out that there was a huge amount of formalin, a form of

The Food and Nutrition Institute, a partner agency of DOST, warned the public that street food stalls do no pass the same process as certified food establishments.

Although the institute is not discouraging street vendors from selling their products, it suggested that vendors undergo training in food handling to ensure safety.

This year’s theme:

The deadline of submission will be on January 30, 2015.

DISTRANGKA (v.) ~

to unlock the mystery behind the passivity.

Eating street food is more than just a convenient food source. In the country like the Philippines, street food has become part of the landscape of our culture and tradition. ■

Kindly include your course, year, and contact number in your literary pieces.

Prizes await for outstanding literary works and art pieces.

Create. Inspire. Awaken.