The Crusader AY Starter 2020

Inside: Finance Office Queries CDO amidst COVID-19 Healthcare Workers in the PH

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Publishers Subscribing Students of Xavier University

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Editorial Board Melvin P. Villacote Editor in Chief Abdel Rafi M. Lim Associate Editor Derrick Kean A. Auxtero Design Editor Rafhael L. Jabongga Managing Editor Nia Enrille R. Rabanes Features Editor Paula Elaine D. Francisco Photography Editor Sheil Ann Ashley P. Bruas Graphic Design & Layout Editor Sumayyah G. Caris Freehand Editor Jean Mika M. Aporillo Video Productions Director Finance Officers Sumayyah G. Caris Auditor Rafhael L. Jabongga Senior Finance Manager Reyjean Marie S. Bacud Junior Finance Manager (Trainee) Managers Edshera Mae R. Abellla Human Resource Manager Catherine Marie C. Naldoza Office Manager Karl Anton J. Noob Circulations Manager Jivi Roy D. Rizaldo Online Accounts Manager Staff Writers Danica Ela P. Armendarez (Trainee) Beth A. Nalam (Trainee) Levina Eunice O. Palarca (Trainee) Leinarra L. Tumarong (Trainee) Reina Margaret Gwynette T. Villamor (Trainee) Staff Artists Kirk Joshua D. Anor (Trainee) Caryll M. Apostol (Trainee) John Ian G. Bradshaw (Trainee) Christianne D. Cabrera (Trainee) Jhovale Ryan A. Edloy Ganges Aisatingkitju B. Jurado (Trainee) Franzel Mae G. Mendoza (Trainee) James Patrick B. Pabonita Gregory S. Pasal (Trainee) Aira May L. Plaga (Trainee) Kenneth Jhon D. Sanchez (Trainee) Louise Marie Carmel M. Solarte (Trainee) Karl Mykell M. Tabbay (Trainee) Darren Camille C. Tabanera (Trainee) Jayson Elvie G. Ty Moderator Ms. Ann Catherine T. Acenas For contributions, please address your articles and/or comments to: TheCrusader Publication Office, Rm. 302, Student Training Center (STC) Bldg, Xavier University 9000, Cagayan de Oro City

Table of Contents 1 2 4 5 6 8 9 10 12 14 15 16 18 20 21 22

Editorial Columns Graduating on the Virtual Screen Re: Finance Queries Message Unresolved 1034 and Counting: How Fares our Dear City?

The Colors of XU: A Frontliner Story Hustling through the Hassle Fr. Mars is the New XU President Exposed and Exploited: Beyond the Frontlines Women in Charge: Powering through the Pandemic Too Young to Say Yes The Philippines: A Country Worth Fighting for?

What a Distracting View Cora Contrabida: Corantine Update Comics Hohongihong

The Cover

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here’s nothing like a clean slate to inspire a fresh start. For this year, XU has had to refresh more than just the academic year—from transitioning to virtual classes to adapting to a global pandemic.

What happens when you add a new University President to the mix? Read on to know more about Fr. Mars P. Tan, S.J. and his plans to steer us through this crisis.C

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The official student publication of Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan Vol. 47 No. 1 October 2020

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EDITORIAL

Resilience Porn Addiction

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he Filipino people are residents of the frequent large-scale calamity—you name it: the off-season typhoon (and the subsequent flooding), the regular eruption of a volcano or two, the nightly series of earthquakes, and more recently, the international outbreak of a deadly disease and the disastrous response of our government following the wake of said outbreak—just a regular day in the life of the modern Filipino (But, hey! We can get through anything the world throws our way, right? We’re just so tough and resilient, no catastrophe can put us down!). Truth is, when those we look up to for aid fail us, we are left with nothing but the hope that our infamous resilience saves us. We are constantly fed images of citizens battling through torrential winds and surviving pandemics amidst poverty, and we respond with awestruck oohs and ahhs. We have grown to love—no, we are now addicted to this narrative: that people in poverty are the strongest among us, that their stories of resilience are an inspiration to all—when it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

When our own people are thrown into rock bottom, and they manage to survive the fall, we should help them climb back out, not cheer them on for how they survived. We should stop searching for silver linings when there shouldn’t be any—not everyone has the privilege of doing so. This rhetoric creates a very dangerous mindset: it romanticizes hardship and objectifies people in poverty by reducing the horrors they have gone through to inspirational stories for those who live in comfort to immerse themselves in. We have put the misfortunes of our countrymen into little boxes for us to watch and feel better of ourselves—like obsessive, pornographic viewing.

And yet, it isn’t difficult to understand how this thinking came to be. This well known resilience, or the “Filipino spirit”, can also be the rock that people hold on to as the worst things in life come knocking at their doorstep, like an anchor of strength amidst difficulty.

However, this belief ultimately does more harm than it does good, no matter how optimistic we force ourselves to be. This thinking and this news angling merely shifts the burden to the citizens by allowing the government and those reliable to deny and forfeit the protection and support they need. By doing so, we negate the need for practical and essential government plans for alleviating poverty, and in return, our focus is directed incorrectly: we uphold resiliency instead of holding governments accountable, we rely on self-sufficiency instead of questioning why those in power do nearly nothing to aid us, and we applaud the barest of all efforts as the standard has been set so low. But this isn’t how things should be. As Filipino ex-journalist Alanah Torralba once said, “Our ability to withstand adversity should not preclude us from demanding accountability.”

In the end, the resiliency we have come to know and love (albeit for the wrong reasons) isn’t resiliency at all, but abuse—we aren’t doing well in the face of tragedy and trauma, we are mere subjects to cruel treatment and excessive neglect. Those in poverty have gone through the punishments of life time and time again, and because they come out alive, their stories of tribulations are mispainted as sources of inspiration. And like any addiction, we feel the impulse to listen to these stories of poverty and cannot seem to stop—we eat it all up like spoiled, addicted gluttons and forget that things could be better—can always be better. We need to stop romanticizing and objectifying people in poverty as something beautifully inspiring, but see it for what it truly is: an injustice towards our most vulnerable.C

OPINION

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Pinkiepiee

Why you should be a feminist

hen you hear feminist, some of you may conjure an image of a horde of women marching together with their pitchforks, ready to burn the men who have wronged them at the stake. You may think: girls who wear all black, are overly independent, and incessantly preach, “men are trash”, (although this is a whole other thing to address). Feminism then, equals crazy man-hating women.

With this presumption, people are led to believe that feminism’s goal is for women to challenge men and take away their rights. Lo and behold ladies, gents, and non-binary friends—this was never true.

Consider the following: the killing of 17-yearold Kian delos Santos amidst President Rodrigo Duterte’s Drug War in 2017, along with thousands of others whose cases have not been brought justice; the attack resulting to murder of 15-yearold Fabel Pineda after reporting a case of acts of lascivousness against police officers; the rising number of human rights activists harassed and killed for mislabeling as terrorists; Duterte’s

condonation of the horrid hate crime of US soldier Joseph Pemberton against transgender women Jennifer Laude after years-long of investigation.

These are only a handful of cases of violence assisted by the norms of an existing hierarchy. What pattern do we see in crimes like these? Victims generally belong in a sector of people with the least power—the ones dismissed, discriminated, and abused. When you are a feminist, you recognize the circumstances in which there is an absence of empathy especially towards those belonging in a minority class, race, gender, or sexuality. You are able to view critically the events that unfold before you that are unfair. You become the voice that speaks those issues aloud. When your society is able to overlook even the gravest of acts, what more the minor manifestations of oppression in your daily life?

Therefore, feminism and social justice go hand in hand. If you care for your fellow humans regardless of any type of classification and aspire for a society that is rid of injustice and intolerance, then why aren’t you a feminist?C

By Nia Enrille R. Rabanes nia.rabanes@thecrusaderpublication.ph

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Dovahkiin

By Abdel Rafi M. Lim

Pizza toppings and human rights

veryone has their fair share of hoarded up thoughts and opinions (most of them unwarranted), just boiling at the back of their throats aching to be announced to an unsuspecting world. Opinions are aplenty, and will always be. It’s just that there are some that are subjectively commendable and righteous, while others are better off left unsaid. For example, when you tell me you despise lettuce, calling it “crispy water” in front of my lettuce-adoring face, I say, “You are entitled to your own opinion, and I beg to disagree.” We leave the encounter at that, although not entirely without resentment, and continue to be the mature, civil adult friends society expects us to be. However, when you casually tell me that, “All lives matter,” and that, “Same sex marriage shouldn’t be legal”, and that, “It was her fault she was raped”, and that, “We should just trust the government and stay quiet”, during a rather pleasant lunchtime, it would be most likely that my meal has been spoiled—much like my opinion of you as a person.

You simply cannot pre-package your disguised hateful and apolitical sentiments into a casual, offhand comment, pass it off as an opinion, and

expect me to be in agreement with you. “Yeah, you’re right,” I say. “The Philippines does not have the worst government—it has the worst citizens.” You nod your head slowly as if you’ve just spread the holy gospel as I proceed to stuff your mouth with crispy water. How do you expect me to maintain a facade of civility amidst your backwards thinking presence when your mind is full of “opinions” like that? See, we can agree and disagree on which pizza topping is the best but not on whether people deserve basic human rights. Let’s reserve our opinions for the frivolous things—like ice cream and cartoon channels. If you truly believe that some people don’t deserve to be treated equally because you don’t understand their hardships, then I truly believe all my respect for you has left the chat—family included. Fight me, Tita.

Friends, if you think yourselves the truest of friends, you will call out these ill-formed opinions your friends might have. If it’s not worth the hassle, the remove friend button is a stress-free click away. This is just my opinion though. And with that being said, you are free to shove as much crispy water down my throat as you would like.C

abdel.lim@thecrusaderpublication.ph

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OPINION

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Gosh

Keep out of children’s reach

oes wanting to vomit count as an opinion?

Because that’s my only reaction to this Kiddy Diddler Acceptance Movement (a much more accurate name). The only thing pedophiles are good at is pissing people off with their nonsense. And then there are pedophilia apologists trying to soft-pedal the condemnation of this horrible crime and criminal ideation. Gosh, I discovered more pedophile antics aside from them wanting to be part of the LGBT community— and it just makes my blood boil.

Pedophiles actually have appropriated a term for nefarious purposes, calling themselves “MAPs” or “Minor Attracted Person”. But no, they’re child molesters (to hell with the civility—I’m going to use my term, thank you). Children shouldn’t be subjected to these deviant whims of adults. The damage that can cause them mentally and perhaps even physically, could outlive their assailants and that’s simply egregious. A child’s mind isn’t fully developed and shouldn’t be introduced to sexual practices for the pleasure of people who are deprived and would willingly rob a child of not only his innocence, but his future as well.

One of the lamest excuses that pedophilia apologists would say to force people to condone pedophiles is that “pedophilia is a mental disorder, therefore, we should excuse their behaviors because they didn’t choose to be attracted to minors.” First of all, mental disorders should never be used to excuse distasteful behaviors. I get that no one chooses to be sexually attracted to children, however, people do choose whether they act on their sexual attractions. Pedophiles know what they’re doing is wrong. They don’t molest children out in the open or in front of others because they know they’ll be charged with sexual assault. They threaten their victims by telling them to keep what they did a secret. They want pedophilia to be a sexual orientation so that they can normalize adults having sex with kids. And it’s so wrong on so many levels. Don’t give me that “they don’t act on their urges” excuse because they’re just ticking timebombs waiting to explode. These people need serious help, not a movement.C

ashley.bruas@thecrusaderpublication.ph

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LAPRAS

Talk less, smile more

ack then, I never gave much thought about politics. Whenever I get questions relating to it, all I would do is shrug and display my blaring indifference. This made me proud back then—the I-am-too-cool-to-have-a-political-stand attitude gave me life. It was as if I was making the world a better place by choosing to sit back and watch as people tore each other down for simply having different political views. In my head, I would congratulate myself for not participating in all the toxicity. I was spreading peace and positivity by keeping my mouth shut, right? I was the living embodiment of an educated and well-mannered Filipino by refusing to speak up and take sides.

Well surprise, surprise! I was wrong.

Even at this modern age, when the matter of getting your voice heard is not a question of how, but which app to use, most people still choose to be indifferent. And even when some do speak up about the injustices they see, there would always be older, “much more experienced” individuals who are quick to shut them down with their condescending tones and holier than thou

comments. The “you are too young to have an opinion,” and, “you should focus on your studies first,” cards never fail to make an appearance. It’s as if in order to air a political opinion, one must meet a certain age bracket or accumulate a certain amount of experience points for the statement to be valid. It doesn’t matter whether you have your sources checked or that your arguments are sound and logical, all they see is your naiveness and complete lack of experience.

Despite this, it is reassuring to see how more and more Filipino youth are finding the confidence to use their voice. With the alarming state of how our current administration is dealing with the pandemic—every passing day being a testament of their incompetence and irresponsibility—the more watchdogs we have, the better. The actions of our government today will greatly affect the lives that we and our children lead tomorrow, so it is only right that we never cease to stand up and make a stand. Register and vote this coming election—don’t throw away your shot.C

By Derrick Kean A. Auxtero derrick.auxtero@thecrusaderpublication.ph

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By Sheil Ann Ashley P. Bruas

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upposedly, a party was the only surprise that the XU Class of 2020 should’ve received.

Instead, they were met with an unexpected blockbuster—four years of hard work and studies encapsulated in just four hours of screen time.

Class Valedictorian Jameson Lim (BS CE '20), adds that the online 81st Commencement Exercises (CE) really caught him by surprise given how they’ve been dreaming of this moment ever since their first year. Will the virtual adaptation of the traditional graduation live up to its hype?

The free admission Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was not the only pandemic that the graduates of XU Class of 2020 witnessed. They were met with an outbreak of virtual diplomas, ceremonies, and congratulatory words from everyone who watched the live feedback from XU’s Facebook page on Sept 5. As pointed out by one of the graduates and Cum Laude Joshua Aves (BS CE '20), “One of the pros of the Virtual CE was that there was no limit to the number of loved ones who could attend the program.” As long as the audience had internet access, they would have been able to watch no matter where they are at the time of the ceremony without the fear of infection from physical contact with others.

However, akin to most book to film adaptations, most of what makes the book endearing and meaningful to its readers disappear, shoved to the B-roll. For the graduates, it was different from actually walking up the stage to receive the diploma and getting that sense of unity within their batch as five years of toil and effort came to a close. Aside from that, their graduation day is just as much as their parents’ day, so having it online significantly deflates the expectation of the parents. It was supposed to be the day that they shared their accomplishment with their children.

Preparations and the premiere “It’s an open secret, that one shouldn’t assume the certainty of graduation until all the grades are submitted and embedded into the system,“ Aves also shares. However, as soon as their grades came in, they slowly put together little plans of batch and thesis group gatherings, and plans of relocating to focus on board exams, among others.

Unfortunately, none of these preparations came through because of the onslaught of the pandemic and the immediate Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) that was imposed.

So, there they were on Sept 5, in the comforts of their own homes preparing for their virtual graduation. For those who wanted to simulate the feels of the actual graduation, they rented a cap and gown and wore it like movie stars on their premiere night. In place of the awards of Actor or Actress of the Year, they received the titles of Summa Cum Laude and Cum Laude, among others. They witnessed the ceremony much like how artists see clips of their work on the big screen.

is one, with some provisions,” Aves shares. The graduates are thankful for this compromise since this occasion wasn’t just a celebration of their success, it was a chance to highlight the sacrifices of their number one fans and probably the Best Supporting Actors/Actresses of their own movies as well—their parents and guardians. *** It’s safe to say that their graduation plans didn’t pan out quite as they expected. An entire chapter of their life came to a close without even a chance for the graduates to type in small but memorable details—filing down the aisle toward the stage, having the diploma in their hands for the first time, and seeing their parents beaming.

Yet, they remain true to their Atenean selves by looking at the bright side and turning it into an opportunity to be thankful and to rise above the occasion. This long-awaited event still had the XU Class of 2020 at the edge of their seats—physical or virtual.C

Plans for a sequel?

Being the first ever virtual graduates of XU is not exactly a feat that the graduates can be proud of. Still, it is something that they are thankful for since it shows that the XU administration truly cares about the wellbeing of their students.

“Despite everything that’s happening, they still allotted time and resources to celebrate our achievement in the best way they can,” Aves expounds.

However, they are hopeful that there will be no sequel to this blockbuster movie of a graduation. “Thanks to the petition initiated by the very proactive Co-Curricular Presidents, we were able to negotiate with the Vice President of Higher Education (VPHED) that we would be able to attend the 2021 March Graduation, if there

By Beth A. Nalam 4

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rom payments to refunds and other financial operations, the Finance Office is the only department that could cater to these concerns, making it one of the most important offices in the University. However, there has been an alarming rise of concerns regarding various fees and financial concerns, to which the Finance Office has remained unresponsive. As another quarter unfolds in the semester, the circulating controversies regarding financial dilemmas in the University have remained unsettled.

*** After many attempts to reach out to the Finance Office regarding the ongoing concerns of students and parents who have yet to fully comprehend the processes of finance matters and the inclusion of extra fees despite the lack of practical use of the resources, there has been no acknowledgement of the request. However, Central Student Government (CSG) President Matt Anderson Ondap assures that these concerns have been made known to the Higher Education Council and to XU Treasurer Lennie Ong. Faced with a significant shift in the approaches of fulfilling the XU offices’ respective duties, consideration may be placed when forwarding issues regarding their services. However, given that the scope of financial matters affects a majority of the students, simple efforts to address their queries and establish a receptive system may be enough to ease the apprehension that those affected may feel. C *Name is changed per request of anonymity Sources: https://www.xu.edu.ph/tuition-and-fees https://www.xu.edu.ph/memo/157-sy-2019-2020/4582memo-u1920-090-faqs-about-xu-flexible-learning https://www.xu.edu.ph/memo/157-sy-2019-2020/4542memo-u1920-086-school-year-2020-2021

By Danica Ela P. Armendarez & Nia Enrille R. Rabanes

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At what cost?

As much as having to attend school was a seemingly overwhelming idea for students who have yet to adjust to getting by in the middle of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the discussion on tuition fees brings them another level of uneasiness. Former University President Roberto Yap, S.J. announced the Flexible Learning arrangements for the AY 2020-2021 in Memorandum #1920-086 on May 7. Aside from presenting the academic calendar schedule, Yap assured that even when the tuition fee increase for the AY has been approved, there will be no tuition fee increase. In addition, some fees will be reduced. XU also aimed to strengthen scholarship and financial aid programs.

Despite the lowering of down payment fees and the application of discounts, the tuition for the AY still had to accommodate for laboratory fees and miscellaneous fees. While the inclusion of these fees are vital to the needs of the school, the arrangement that students cannot physically avail of a few of these services (which may include, but are not limited to, laboratory fees and exam fees), led to students raising inquiries on the justification of such fees.

The price to pay As part of the new normal college experience, many students who are to live at home this year— particularly those who are out-of-city students— will not have the opportunity to access numerous on-campus services they pay for. The same students contend that online is just not the same as face to face and that the tuition tab should reflect that. “I think the lab fees are too expensive, and some other fees that we did not even use because of the online class,” says Mei* .

On the other hand, some students realize that these expenses can help the University staff and maintenance, considering the extra fees as allocation for various needs of the school rather than just an added load to their pockets. “At the back of my mind of course mabalaka ko kung aha gakapadulong akong gibayad pero akoa nalang pung gina consider ang mga employees kay kabalo jud ko unsa ka lisod ang panahon karon,” expresses Cris*.

On the other hand, countless concerns from the stakeholders address the office’s poor service. “They do not respond quickly,” addresses Vic*. “Sauna pajud ni siya nga problem namo sa Finance.” Tina* also recounts her encounter with the office. “I went to the school to pay for my tuition, there I saw that there were a lot of parents waiting outside. Like really angry parents gyud sya […] Kato na time ana pud sila (parents) kay nganong wala man pud mo nanubag sa amoang mga emails and tawag?’ […] can you even imagine nanawag sila sa hotline tapos walay nanubag? They just let it ring. ”Being one of the most important departments in the University, stakeholders and constituents of the University urge the Finance Office to consider improving its slow acting processes in handling concerns.

By Danica Ela P. Armendarez & Reina Margaret Gwynette T. Villamor

Design by Sheil Ann Ashley P. Bruas

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fter having recorded the first case of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Mindanao on March 12, CDO has been classified as one of the high-risk cities of the outbreak. The Local Government Unit (LGU) has announced that CDO is under General Community Quarantine (GCQ), while the Northern Mindanao states and provinces mulled over more localized quarantines. At present, CDO has imposed health protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. But with the constant increase of the COVID-19 cases due to local transmission, the city’s initiatives for ensuring its citizens’ safety could be put into question.

The current situation Just as the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) was lifted on May 16, a portion of the community had begun to step out in public, seemingly unafraid of the virus. Stepping down from GCQ to MGCQ suggests permissive progress under the city’s response to the pandemic.

Yet, the said progress seemed to oppose the city’s current number of cases.

“We do see a number of increasing cases,” states Northern Mindanao Infectious Disease Cluster Head Dr. Ian Gonzales. “That causes a call for the LGU to go back to a more stringent Community Quarantine measure.” He emphasizes other existing factors such as, individual honesty,

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asymptomatic cases, and a family count could trigger the peculiarity of the COVID-19 virus.

The first factor relies on the individual’s honesty. Serving as the first-hand source of information for medical personnel, an individual’s honesty takes a significant part of standard procedure as they check a person’s exposure to the virus through contact tracing. “There are people who are also forthcoming regarding that, it’s been a problem with point of entries and health facilities, government hospitals had been hit and became sick [sic] because patients coming in do not disclose that they’re exposed,” says Gonzales.

An additional factor that relates to the said increase is the asymptomatic cases within the city. It was given that the majority of the different cases are Returning Overseas Filipinos (ROFs) and mostly stranded individuals from other COVID-19 hotspots, known as Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs). These people are said to be primarily asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic.

However, the city health unit has confirmed that the public should not worry about these patients as they are treated in hospitals under temporary treatment and monitoring facilities. But the said assurance should not be a basis of public safety.

“Although the latest data shows that those who are asymptomatic are 10 times less likely to be infectious, the risk is not zero. Even with the small risk, it can still propagate the pandemic,” adds Gonzales.

One misconception that the community tends to forget is the other means of the transmission of the pathogen, as most of us have the tendency to shy away from strangers but not with the people we know. “The source of infection will be your friends, not strangers […] it will be your officemates, your friends, your family, busa ayaw mo ug kumpyansa,” reminds J.R. Borja General Hospital (JRBGH) Chief Dr. Ramon Nery.

The Kagayanon’s response There has been a significant shift in the way a community adapts to the new normal. Things have changed as the national guidelines were changed.

CDO may not be the biggest city, but the current cases that the city holds are significant enough in numbers to worry the whole community.

Gonzales confirms the data derived from the LGU regarding violators in the city, which were about 400-500 a day. These said offenders tend to disobey the proper wearing of face masks and curfew. He affirms that the said number was only lesser than the expected, which means many people comply. “The majority was [sic] complying and we’re thankful for that […] but we just don’t need the majority to comply, but everyone should comply,” he reiterates.

Contact tracing has been a standardized means of collecting data from people and their exposure to the virus. As an intricate process, detecting an individual’s exposure is already a Vol. 47 No. 1 October 2020

challenge, and considering the people’s lack of effort and honesty makes it more complicated.

Nevertheless, with CDO’s utilization of technology, managing data with contact tracing has been more manageable as they launched the Higala application. The said application serves as an easier way of collecting an individual’s data during contact tracing. Besides the mobile application, the city also mandates the wearing of face shields in commercial establishments.

As the community adjusted to the new manner of living, CDO’s health unit and facilities also imposed new protocols to regulate the actions taken with this public emergency. However, medical frontliners should not be the only ones who must take action with this matter but the entire community as well. “Let us not panic. Let us face this problem objectively so that we can really lift this problem if we will act together as a team,” reminds Nery.

The city’s take With the onslaught of the pandemic, CDO is left at the hands of the city government. Its initiatives with the region’s Department of Health (DOH) have been aiding the community in the battle against COVID-19.

For one, the city has implemented the DOH’s telemedicine guideline through telekonsulta hotlines which provide free medical teleconsultations instead of physical Crusader

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consultations. Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), JRBGH, and the City Health Office, all have hotlines wherein the public can avail of teleconsultation services at no cost. This is a helpful avenue for those patients who need followups or prescriptions.

In addition, the city sees this pandemic as an opportunity to strengthen primary healthcare.

It recognizes that healthcare should not be hospital-centric as they should only be the last leg of defense, with the actual frontlines at the barangay level. With this, the City Health Office has capacitized the barangay health centers by providing them more medicine, equipment, and health workers that will aid them in simple consultations such as the common colds, coughs, and fever. This measure strengthens the barangay health centers as the preventive health care unit of the community while freeing up the hospitals for more complex cases such as COVID-19.

The city also recognizes the need for mass testing. Increased testing has always been part of the National Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat, Reintegrate (PDITR) Strategy to combat the pandemic. “We need to test so that we will find out where we are at,” says Gonzales. However it is not the panacea because testing is only part of the detection stage and it needs to be accompanied by other interventions, most especially the prevention stage. “Since the start of this pandemic, we have been encouraging the local governments to invest

(in mass testing) and we are happy that CDO is the first in the region to invest,” he adds. *** Although there is an alarming increase of COVID-19 cases due to local transmission, it is reassuring to find that the city’s initiatives are still fuelled by public concern and safety. “Just comparing between the other LGUs in the region, I would rate CDO at around seven to eight (out of ten). They’ve done more compared to others, although there is always room for improvement,” says Gonzales.

This serves as an eye-opener to the public as we are all reminded to do our part in the fight against COVID-19. Thus, we must not stop observing the imposed health protocols set by our city government. We need to have the stamina to continue observing preventive measures as well as partake in a collective adaptation—a wholeof-nation response (government, civil society, and the individual person)—towards the reality of COVID-19.

“Look at it as a marathon not as a sprint,” concludes Gonzalez.C Sources: www.facebook.com/209573565740990/ posts/3632147250150254/ www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1477731089097522 &ref=watch_permalink

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Design by Melvin P. Villacote

hite, green, blue—these are the common colors that greet us as we enter the University. We see it in the white buildings, green trees, and blue-themed Ateneo banners. Beyond that, we also see it in the security guards, the physical plant personnel, and the health personnel.

It seems almost nostalgic now, reminiscing about the campus and the people working to keep it running. It is even more surreal to imagine the work these said people are doing now that they are at the frontlines in the University’s fight against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, this pandemic is as good a time as any to tell their stories. After all, they are the pigments that make up the University’s current scenery.

The security white Manning the gates are the security guards from the Campus Safety, Security, and Information Office (CSSIO). They don the white and black uniform as they protect the community and actively respond to threats and hazards.

However, due to the pandemic, there has been a paradigm shift in their duties. “Now, they are frontliner guards who are tasked in [sic] implementing the health protocols—sanitizing our hands, scanning our body temperature, and whatever additional health protocols that are deemed necessary,” says CSSIO Chief Security Officer Col. Danillo P. Sotto.

In addition, there have also been changes in their personal lives. “Pre-pandemic, our guards, when they still have the luxury of time and chance, used to drop by at their relatives and friends after their duties, go sightseeing whenever and wherever they wanted to, spend time inside Cogon or Carmen markets. Now? As much as possible, they go straight home and perform their own

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version of enhanced personal hygiene routine to avoid being infected with the virus,” Sotto shares.

As the people in the University’s actual front lines, security guards are now implementers of the new normal in the community. They are not just tasked to protect the campus from hazards but also to execute health protocols set by authorities.

The PPO green Working the engines and gears of the campus are the personnel from the Physical Plant Office (PPO). They don the green polo shirt as they ensure that the campus is clean, functional, and attractive. However, due to the pandemic, the PPO has cut down on its workload. “We only do essential work such as repairs,” says PPO Director Engr. Fred S. Casiño Jr. This cut down is not just because of the learn-from-home mode of education set in this school year. According to Casiño, because of the reduction in enrollees, the University’s funds are limited. Thus, the PPO experiences difficulties in acquiring materials and attending to repairs.

Moreover, it has experienced laying off personnel due to the retrenchment. Despite these difficulties, the PPO soldiers on with its duties. “It’s pretty scary doing our work in this pandemic but we need to do it because we need money and we don’t want to lose our jobs. But we are hoping for the best that this pandemic will end very very soon and that everything will go back to a better kind of normal,” Casiño adds.

The medical blue The personnel from the Health Services Office don the blue and white uniforms as they provide annual physical and dental examinations for the University’s students, faculty, and staff. However, due to the pandemic, they have shifted to online medical and dental consultations and limited face to face consultations.

The Health Services Office also enforced a protocol wherein people must accomplish a COVID-19 health questionnaire, wear personal protective equipment (PPE), and sanitize their hands before entering for a consultation. “We are health personnel at the school level only and there are currently no local cases in the University, but we are always vigilant. That is why we follow protocol,” says Health Services Office Director Dr. Augusto C. Guitarte Jr. Moreover, the Health Services Office assisted in crafting the COVID-19 guidelines in the University in the hopes of mitigating the spread of the virus in the school community. “The kind of quarantine we are under does not matter—what matters is the behavior of the individual. This means that we should be wearing PPEs properly, observing social distancing, and as much as possible, staying at home,” Guitarte advises. *** White, green, blue—these are the colors that represent the cogs that keep our school running.

They are our frontliners who work tirelessly to aid the University in this time. Their stories remind us that, although troubled by the health and economic repercussions of COVID-19, they go above and beyond to fulfill their duties and responsibilities.C

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Not so tech-savvy The demands of the pandemic had pushed schools to continue classes through digital means.

Freshman Fidel* spends Php 99 per week for mobile data. For him, using mobile data is cheaper than paying for a monthly internet plan with poor quality service as long as the utility is limited to school-related activities.

The case is also the same for students who have unstable internet connection and fear sudden loss of internet in the middle of a quiz or sending an assignment. “Gawala-wala jud siya (internet connection) labi na if buntag [...] so wala koy choice, kailangan ko magpa-load,” Sarah* shares, explaining that she has a synchronous class in the morning that often has a graded oral recitation.

For Andrew L. Gotianun Sr. Center for Integrated Technologies (ALG-CIT) graduate Miraflor Entera, internet connection isn’t even half of the struggle. With hundreds of other students in the Philippines, she joined the #PisoParaSaLaptop campaign, a fundraiser initiated by students who cannot afford their own gadgets to utilize for online class. Entera shares, “Gusto kaayo ko makahuman sa pagskwela kay we can’t deny the

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fact nga mas nindot ang trabaho og salary sa taong makahuman og skwela.”

Mental health on the line The challenges do not stop at the lack of materials but also involve the mental health of students. Unstable internet connection and having inefficient gadgets can cause stress. We are forced to face our gadgets all day, paving the way for distractions on the internet. “Sleep deprivation caused by internet distractions challenges the immune system and brain, and affects our emotions,” XU Guidance Counselor Joey Marie Fabe-Jegonia explains. She adds that “too much exposure on [sic] the internet can cause depression.”

On top of that, learning the given topics has become trickier, which contributes to the anxiety that students won’t do as good in online classes as they did in physical classes. For Sarah, asking for help with mathematics from classmates is different through online than in person. “Makaask man gyapon ko through chat pero di gyapon ko kasabot so galisod ko gamay,” she shares.

Jegonia encourages students to incorporate into their routines the STOP method, which stands for stop, take a breath, observe, and proceed, in order to manage stress and anxiety. Little things such as eating and sleeping well, performing physical exercises, and connecting with friends can also lessen feelings of tiredness and lack of motivation. Asking teachers what they expect of you beforehand can also pave clearer paths of preparation that produce paid-off efforts. “Come up with a structure as if it’s still a face-to-face class,” Jegonia advises.

No more breaks Recently, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced that colleges and universities

are free to adjust their academic calendar—even allowing them to remove Christmas and summer breaks. CHED chairperson Prospero de Vera also agrees with universities using weekends as school days because of the flexibility of online classes.

A debate goes on to whether this move is more beneficial than damaging or vice versa.

The pandemic has caused the momentum of regular classes to fall, and removing breaks can help students slowly return to normal as another academic year comes. But online class also brings challenges and frustrations of its own for both students and teachers.

Colleges and universities should be more considerate, should acknowledge the struggles that students face, and create guidelines that are more efficient and beneficial to both students and the administration, especially in XU where the holistic growth of students is promoted as a key part of its education system.C *** Students are not disagreeing with removing breaks and asking for academic freeze just because they don’t feel like it. Before they are students, they are humans first who need to take care of their physical and mental well-being in order to do their studies well. Online classes will only be truly flexible when the needs of the students, teachers, and the administration are properly balanced through cooperation and healthy communication.C *Names are changed per request of anonymity Source: https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/9/11/CHED-Academic-calendar-adjustments-due-to-pandemic-mightremove-breaks.html?fbclid=lwAR2

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Design by Derrick Kean A. Auxtero

n March, schools abruptly switched to online platforms after the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic reached Philippine shores. Faced with new problems, students who enrolled for this school year are forced to cope with more challenges than what they are used to during face-to-face classes.

While some are privileged enough to go along smoothly with the change, some are struggling to acquire the proper tools needed to continue their education and finish on time. Those who have existing mental health problems and those who are susceptible to it, struggle to adjust and are forced to change their routines.

COVER STORY

By Melvin P. Villacote

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A change in perspectives A few months into the academic year as the University community adjusts its safety measures to combat the current health crisis, Tan assures that the administration is in the process of making sure XU is ready for the needed adjustments and innovations.

“It’s the academic aspect that needs focus this time,” says Tan. “Due to its being new and never been tried before (online learning), [...] I see the need to keep on monitoring, evaluating, and enhancing our mode of online learning.”

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Other things to look into As the current health crisis alters the current learning scenario, Tan emphasizes that it is not only the academic aspect of the University that is greatly affected by this sudden change, but services such as the Finance sector as well.

“One big challenge is the University’s financial condition which relies heavily on the enrollment

numbers every year,” expresses Tan. “We are not that financially bad this semester but there are continuing threats like a delayed collection of fees, a decline of enrollment numbers in the second semester due to the long stretch of economic downturn, and the possible online fatigue of students,” he adds.

Apart from the threats faced by University’s finances, Tan also addresses that there are obvious challenges in the areas of doing research, conducting formation programs, and engaging in social involvement activities. However, the University President is keen on maintaining stability within the systems despite the transitions.

“I take it as a big challenge to do a balancing act between keeping all our employees and ensuring the sustainability of school operations during home-based learning. Lastly, keeping our

employees safe is another big challenge given the rising COVID-19 cases,” says Tan. From here on out “Fr. Bobby Yap, my immediate predecessor, and his team have put in place the home-based mode of learning and the challenge for me now is how to improve it even better and better, which consists of regular monitoring and assessment of both the inputs and the outputs of learning and making adjustments and improvements as needed,” Tan discloses. His next plan involves preparing the University for the new normal.

“After the pandemic, things will not be the same as before the COVID-19 crisis, and we need to make sure Xavier University is ready for the needed adjustments.”

Tan plans to continue the work set forth by his predecessors, Fr. Jett Villarin, S.J. and Yap, who had laid down and started actualizing the University Development Goals, which captured the key areas of the University mission to ensure quality holistic Jesuit education for the students.

These include: discerning communities of students and personnel, a more academically competitive culture on campuses, better equipped faculty, a vibrant student life geared towards leadership and mission, stronger partnership with schools abroad especially in Asia, and more institutional engagements to care for the environment, among many others. “All these can be done if we are one and constantly focused on the mission,” Tan affirms.

Anchored to his mission With the pandemic posing a greater challenge than usual during Tan’s succession, he emphasizes that staying true to our identity as Xavier Ateneans and aligning ourselves to the Atenean values is the most important thing to bear in mind during these trying times. “My guide is still the Xavier University vision, which is to produce graduates with competence, conscience, and commitment despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic,” expresses Tan. “I hope that the challenges brought about by the crisis would even toughen our students to become competent, committed, and God-fearing,” he added.

As he takes the seat that presides over all, Tan addresses the XU community with a reminder: “First is that we keep the faith [...] in God and in ourselves that we will be able to overcome this pandemic. Second, that we continue to strive for excellence, meaning to just keep on doing the best that we can given all the limitations and restrictions imposed by this pandemic.” *** Although the onset of his term opened with an unprecedented challenge, Tan is hopeful that the pandemic will meet its end sooner or later. “We should not allow it to scare us and more so paralyze us so that we cannot study and work anymore. So, we keep the faith and continue doing our best to succeed in our studies,” he reiterates. “In times of crisis, we ask the Lord to increase our faith and remain persevering through hardship. We will overcome this crisis!”C www.thecrusaderpublication.ph 11

Photo by James Patrick B. Pabonita

13 years in service Tan has been in service to XU for 13 years now—two years as a regent teaching at the XU High School (XUHS) from 1992 to 1994, and 11 years since his second return to XU in 2009.

From 2009 to 2020, Tan was a Biology and Environmental Science professor and the director and researcher of the XU-MMC. In these same 10 years, he was also the rector of the Jesuits of CDO. Prior to his return to XU in 2009, Tan was a research associate and consultant in AdMU, specializing in environmental and marine resources.

“The first advocacy that is close to my heart is care and protection of the environment because of my exposure to environmental issues and problems and my professional training in that area,” Tan shares. This advocacy was also born from being a member of the Society of Jesus, which values “care for creation” as one of its four universal apostolic preferences. In line with being a Jesuit, Tan’s other advocacy is faith and leadership of young people. “I always believe that our future as a country depends so much on the kind of young people, the students, that will become leaders in the future.” His third advocacy is the use of technology to alleviate poverty, prompting the question of how we should use “the right application of technology to serve the needs of those most deprived in our society.”

July, bringing a major revamp in the learning arrangements as the first semester of AY 20202021 ran fully online. With this major change, Tan considers it urgent to primarily shift its focus on the academic aspect of the University at this time. “I believe we can still improve on the lesson contents, its delivery in the virtual classroom, the connectivity technology, the preparation and class performances of our students, and the support from the parents and other family members.”

Design by Melvin P. Villacote

hen the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic struck, the once bustling hallways of the University had suddenly become lifeless and empty. Chatter and laughter had disappeared from what once were lively spots of the school, and classroom seats have remained unoccupied for months. But one seat remains inhabited—the biggest seat in the University, upon which resides its new successor.

As XU faces the paradigm shift brought about by the current pandemic, the University also opened the new academic year with a new leader.

Both an environmentalist and a Jesuit priest, former XU McKeough Marine Center (XU-MMC) Director Fr. Mars P. Tan, S.J. assumed office as the new President of XU on Aug 1, making him the institution’s 15th president. Tan holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of Notre Dame Australia, a master’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, a master’s degree in Theology from Ateneo de Manila (AdMU) Loyola School of Theology, and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU).

By Abdel Rafi M. Lim & Beth A. Nalam

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o this day, news of their heroism still incites a wave of inspiration within many souls.

The sanitary practices that saved soldiers in the Crimean wars are still in use, years after they introduced them. At the scourge of deadly diseases and in the dawn of epidemics, they’ve always been there to care for those who needed their healing touch. They—our nurses, advocates, and teachers for health—have always been at the frontlines, constantly defying conventions and limits just to put people back on their feet.

Yet, in the Philippines, thousands of nurses come home from work tired to the bone, and for what? A measly salary barely covering expenses on the daily, split-second contracts, and a government that hardly sees the value in their art and profession. Nurses and caregivers—can they sit safely with their back to the world?

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Going, going... home?

Recently, nurses were driven into a corner as a sort of payback to the Philippines when in fact, nobody even pays attention to their professional needs. “Everyone has the right to choose where one prefers to work,” states XU’s College of Nursing Instructor Dr. Ivy R. Go in response to the new resolution by Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). It imposed a temporary ban on the deployment of 14 medical categories, including nurses. Although Go isn’t directly affected, she has seen her co-nurses get stuck like chess pieces, unable to create their next move due to the government’s imposed checkmate.

For one, an XU alumna Donita Deang (BSN ’11) who is currently working in the United Kingdom (UK) as a nurse, also expresses her sentiments that this decision was “very unjust when no fair choices are made available to them (Philippine nurses) in our country.” To add, Deang shares the sad reality of most healthcare workers in the Philippines— the grueling demand in a constantly understaffed workplace, supposed 8-hour shifts that stretch to 12-hours, and being undervalued and underpaid despite their noble profession. “Healthcare was never a priority in the Philippines,” she adds, and it’s no wonder why Filipinos would rather work in foreign countries just to achieve their dream lives.

Imagine choosing a medical profession that you love where you can be of service to others, where you are nurtured as a worker, where equal opportunities are present, plus the security of tenure exists. That’s exactly the problem: Filipinos can only imagine, since the existing working conditions in our country is a harsh, cold slap of reality. News of friends settling for short-term contracts and receiving delayed salary (often not even getting what was promised) has made medical workers like Deang and Go yearn for change.

28 days paid annual leave, six months paid maternity leave, free healthcare and training, a good pension scheme, and support for career progression—these are among the many benefits that Filipino nurses like Deang receive in the UK. Filipinos are not exactly asking the same

from the government, although the inclusion of these benefits and provisions should have been the standard. To be treated with respect and value like in other countries, substantial leave credits, better pay and working conditions, longterm employment contract—these would be the hypothetical cherries on top that Go believes would make Filipino workers stay.

*** Celebrated constantly as heroes, our healthcare workers won’t live off applause and praise for dinner. There hasn’t been a time in history when their services are not in demand, when their life-changing skills are never needed.

“It is really a very noble profession,” Danos remarks. He says frontliners work almost as if they were disciples of God, never thinking of the prospects that come with serving. “What matters most is that we were able to touch lives, protect and save them,” he says. Why then, are these angels of mercy the subject of decades worth of exploitation, when their very life’s work exposes themselves to the deadliness of the world? What then, becomes of them beyond the frontlines?C

Sources: https://www.facebook.com/ahwphils/ photos/a.1588813818098947/2578600722453580/ https://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/ allowances/hazard.htm https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/ downloads/2020/03mar/20200323-AO-26-RRD.pdf https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1112250

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Design by Derrick Kean A. Auxtero

Who cares for the caregivers?

Everyday is a dance with death for workers in the medical field. Lauded as the most essential members in the world of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), they are also one of the most overworked and undervalued. They dive headfirst to possibly fatal workplaces with nothing but an oath to serve and a profession to uphold. But are these workers being compensated appropriately for the work they’re doing, especially since their own lives and that of their families are on the line?

As a response, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Administrative Order No. 26 in March, granting “hazard pay to government personnel who physically report for work during the period of an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) relative to the COVID-19 outbreak.” Hazard pay, as defined by the United Nations (UN), is a form of “compensation granted to staff members who have been requested to remain and report for work in duty stations where very hazardous conditions [...] had taken place,” and according to this order, the amount should not exceed Php 500 a day per person.

However, several healthcare workers and organizations such as the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) have voiced that the COVID-19 hazard pay is an affront to public health workers for several reasons: it is not an added benefit with the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers; its payment is computed based on number of days not by the number of hours, resulting in an unequal total amount between nurses and office personnel; the funding is charged from the hospital’s approved budget for 2020 and is not an additional fund, therefore qualified personnel may not even receive the full Php 500 a day due to governmental budget cuts; and workers are only qualified to receive the pay if their area is under ECQ specifically, and will no longer be paid when downgraded to General Community Quarantine (GCQ).

Moreover, XU College of Nursing Instructor Jethro Noel Chu Danos M.A.N believes that “no amount will equate the risk.” He recounts a story of a nurse who died due to COVID-19 and who only received Php 60 a day as her hazard pay.

“That [sic] is very frustrating that a fallen hero’s life [sic] worth 60 pesos per day,” Danos shares.

“Like an ordinary meal order.” He reveals that it has been always heartbreaking to see his co-nurses die without even receiving the promised hazard pay.

“In the midst of a pandemic and health crisis, where health workers are being put at the forefront of the battle against an unseen and deadly disease, the DOH (Department of Health) and the Duterte administration have even managed to deceive, divide, and insult health workers,” proclaims AHW national president Robert Mendoza in a statement dated June 5. “We call on our fellow health workers to unite, expose and denounce the COVID-19 hazard pay and let us call for an equal and significant amount of hazard pay for all health workers both in public and private hospitals and other health facilities,” Mendoza finishes.

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Design by Darren Camille R. Tabanera

s it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope, it’s time to look down from the sky and towards the real heroes of the Filipino people: the modern day Darnas who brave the nation’s tragedies and punch their way towards progress. From the influences of social media to the inner workings of the Philippine democracy, these women bring their own unique talents to the table—all to ease the worries and concerns following the wake of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. And as a tribute to these powerful women, the Xavier University-Central Student Government Office (XU-CSG) founded the Darna Movement during a Facebook Live on Aug 29, an initiative with the sole mission of “recognizing women’s roles and contributions to the different sectors in the Philippines.”

Inspired by the superhero Filipina icon Darna, her age-long legacy has now come full circle in the Darnas of today.

Equipped with only a camera and the power of social media behind her, Singer and Youtuber Janina Vela Punzalan, a.k.a Trendy Darna, advocates for awareness and kindness amidst our current struggle.

“There is so much power in awareness,” Punzalan states. “If ignorance is a distorted view of reality, then the cure for that is to see—so I want to take away any excuses for people not to see.”

And as much as it’s nice to be remembered for her tagline of having perfectly even eyeliner, she wants her audience’s takeaway to be much more than that. “I want to be remembered even more so for being a little kinder [...] for opening people’s minds, bringing education, bringing truthful, substantial, credible information to my subscribers because I want to add value to their lives.”

There are no truer heroes in the world of COVID-19 than the healthcare workers who get up everyday to charge head-on into the frontlines. Dr. Jennifer Advincula, a.k.a Frontliner Darna, represents the entire workforce who tirelessly dedicates their lives and their wellbeing to make those of others better. She acknowledges that the work they do is of great weight, however the assistance they need are in short supply.

“We are the frontliners, we are the first defense against this COVID-19 [...] The first thing we should do to [sic] them is to value our healthcare workers, we must be grateful sa kanila.” Moreover, she urges the distribution of hazard pay, free transportation, food allowances, and dedicated quarantining areas for all healthcare workers.

Psychologist and mental health advocate Riyan Portuguez represents an entire generation against the battle of lockdown induced stress as the Millennial Darna. She describes the pandemic not only as an epidemiological crisis, but a psychological one as well—and Portuguez is one of the brave few holding the vanguard against this war on mental health.

“Ang trabaho namin dito ay matulungan yung mga individual na matulungan nila ang kanilang sarili [...] ang role namin as mental health professionals is to help everyone survive.”

She advises those trying to cope during the pandemic to take mental health breaks and to focus on things that we can control: ourselves, our behaviors, and our thoughts. “Be realistic,” she imparts. “Accept your limitations.”

A celebrated national figure and a welcome family name, the Vice President of the Philippines herself, Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, made time amidst her busy executive schedule to discuss the real issues threatening the country and her plans to solve them. “Papaano ba natin ire-resolve ito?” she asks. “Sa akin, dapat i-focus natin ‘yung problema kung saan nagsimula.” The trick is not to balance the damage on the economy and health, but to strike at the heart of the problem. “Pag inayos natin ‘yung health, pag inayos natin ‘yung virus, [...] pag inasikaso natin ito, ‘yung pag asikaso sa economy follows, kasi magkakabit nga lahat.” And to the youth, whom she believes to be the promise of the country, she says, “There is so much that you can do [...] ‘Yung sinasabi nilang that, ‘the future is yours,’ mali ‘yun eh—’yung ngayon yung nasa inyo na.”

Darna has been reincarnated on-screen for the whole country to look up to time and time again. But when real threats jump out of the comic pages to threaten the land, what’s the need for a mystical warrioress when we have real formidable, capable, and empowered women to man the frontlines? It’s all the hero business minus the special effects—no stone swallowing needed.C

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By Leinarra L. Tumarong

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t has been more than two years since the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippines petitioned the campaign #ENDChildRape over social media. It was a knock on the impenetrable doors of the Senate of the Philippines that echoed through its halls and landed, only recently, in the ears of the legislative branch.

Tagged to have the lowest age of consent globally, the Philippines is now at stake with a sexual consent age of 12 years old—a significant contrast to a country which prides itself on the prowess of the youth.

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Misconception “Not all who indulge in sex with a younger person is considered a paedophile. Hindi lahat,” said Jegonia, explaining the difference between sex offenders and pedophiles.

Paedophilia, considered a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, is a

consistent attraction of a person, at least 16 years of age, to children younger than 13. Noting that the perpetrator should be at least 5 years older.

While sex offenders do not have a consistent sexual attraction to younger children but may still prey on them.

Which means a 20-year-old woman having sexual relations with a 15-year-old boy does not necessarily prosecute the woman for pedophilia.

However, the first verdict, then, resides with the parents of the minor whether they wish to sue the woman. *** Robbing justice from the victims for years now, child molesters are lounging comfortably with this undeserved privilege, manipulating unwarranted rights as they topple the innocence of children. While carefully treading the consent age higher to 18 years old to protect minors from exploitation, the government should also consider drawing precautionary measures to regard youth’s right to sexual exploration.

With the uproar of humanitarians and various organizations, voices had been heard after years of unsettling effects caused by this low consent age. As of Oct 1, it is with great expectations that the Senate of the Philippines has finally approved the bill to raise the sexual consent age from 12 to 16. With this recent development, the Filipino people can hope that this is the start for the implementation of better protocols to protect Filipino children at all costs.C Sources: https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawmakers-mull-overages-minimum-age-sexual-consent https://www.rappler.com/nation/senate-panel-approvesbills-raising-age-sexual-consent-16-years-old https://pcw.gov.ph/republic-act-8353-the-anti-rape-lawof-1997/

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Design by Jayson Elvie G. Ty

Children are children It is ironic how the government prohibits kids under 18 to watch films containing violence and drugs in theaters, but would trust mere 12-yearolds to approve sexual endeavours by themselves.

Consents ought to line up with developmental benchmarks such as the age of which children could go into consensual sex and hold property rights. Yet the government either mixed up these standards, or they might have envisioned a fully matured cognitive development to be fully in place in prepubescent Filipino children without piloting a more effective sex education. Regarding the benchmark, XU Guidance Counselor Joey Marie Fabe-Jegonia disputed that at 12, no child is biologically mature enough to support their decisions. She added, “A 12 years [sic] old is somebody who can process information, but it is more egocentric [...] that is why they make wrong decisions. Because when they process, it is more [about] ‘what can I get from this?’—more into rewards.”

Having in mind that we are yet to accomplish a much more essential sex education program, how would these children be expected to be capable of giving consents to things they literally have no idea about in the first place?

Age does matter Adolescence is known as the age transition, it is the early age of exploration—and significantly, with over hundreds of studies published by professionals—the most patronized generation for exploitation.

These studies may have not reached the database of the House yet, since Section 2 Article 266-A of RA 8353 defines rape as: When a man performs any sexual penetration with force, threat or intimidation to a woman under 12 years of age.

This left more minors between the ages of 12-18 vulnerable to malicious intentions from perpetrators. Adding to this is the alarming sense of precaution non-existing to the government; which never accounted for prepubescent ages (ages 10-13) as the most critical transition. Not only that this age bracket of sexual consent is inauspicious, but it might also even aid pedophiles to substantiate grooming. Which means, granted they’ve already gained access to their victims they picked first-hand, they might coerce these prepubescents to allow this perpetration.

As vulnerable as these children get, even the law is currently siding with these molesters.

According to Chief Public Attorney Persida Acosta in a Rappler article, 80% of the rape cases reported were tough to convict in courts as most victims were below 18. Hence, by raising the age to 16, or best, 18, statutory rapes would therefore criminalize more suspects hiding behind this consent age.

By Leinarra L. Tumarong & Levina Eunice O. Palarca

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n a Sept 19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Philippines Situation Report, the World Health Organization (WHO) states, “At national level, the Philippines remains in Stage 2, localized community transmission with some geographic areas showing higher transmission intensity and indications of widespread community transmission.” As of Oct 14, the total number of confirmed cases had already reached 344,713 and the latest four-week moving average of 16,021 cases as of Sept 24. Several businesses were forced to shut down while many people had also lost their jobs temporarily and permanently due to the pandemic.

It has certainly caught the world by surprise and, different countries regardless of economic status, weren’t able to prepare for the pandemic’s impacts on the economy—adding another problem that the government should focus on mitigating before it spirals out of control.

Recently, the beautification of Manila Bay has been very much publicized as the government boasts its white sand beach plans, diverting from a problem that needs an urgent and immediate solution. Meanwhile, the project does not directly impact the economy with its expensive funding.

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The Manila Way It was a piece of daunting news to the Philippines as the President’s spokesperson Harry

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Roque announced that the government can no longer allocate enough money to supply to the ayudas for the hungry and pandemic-stricken Filipinos. Confused, Filipinos had no other choice but to retaliate to the absurdity of this statement.

That sprung from the call of medical workers to raise the General Community Quarantine (GCQ) to Enhance Community quarantine (ECQ) in the northern part of the country as they could no longer accommodate the rising patients. This contradiction became more pronounced when the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) began their anomalous solution to revive a shoreline of Manila, which boasts itself for its breathtaking sunsets. A program was launched by DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu to rehabilitate Manila Bay with a Php 389M budget.

The project proposed was one of the Beach Nourishment Projects of DENR. Promised to rebuild the healthy environment around the bay, the notorious strict-implementer department had stretched itself to pay a Dolomite Excavation in Alcoy, Cebu. Not only did they attract tourist attention in this project, but they also collected opposition from the government sectors to nongovernment organizations.

Source of outsource A study conducted by the University of the Philippines (UP) on Jan 2019, called, “Manila Bay Ecology and Associated Invasive Species”, stated that the 150-year urbanization of the City of Manila has resulted in detrimental environmental change—most significantly to Manila Bay, which worsened because of the inadvertent urban development that rooted from poor governance of the National Capital Region (NCR).

This poor governance catalyzed the exportation of dolomite sand from Visayas to Luzon. XU McKeough Marine Center (XU-MMC) Marine biologist Maria Jordana Olano notes that the sole exportation of dolomite sand from Alcoy, Cebu is already questionable. Any project that includes outsourcing of materials should first consider whether the source is within the vicinity.

And in the long run, anything unnatural may result in more harm than good.

“It’s such a band-aid-solution with a harmful effect on human life and marine life. And aside from that, if you try to see the point of it, they want it for beautification purposes without really fixing the solution first. Na taas kaayo ang bacteria in Manila Bay and they want people and children

and activities nearby,” Olano says. She further explains that because of the trash and sewage influx, oxygen levels lowered while nitrate content rose to make it harder for the fishes to thrive.

In essence, dumping dolomite sand does not guarantee better water conditions, but would rather worsen its sedimentation. Looking into the nature of the dolomite as provided by a safety report from Lehigh Hanson Inc.’s, a supplier of building materials and aggregates, even though dolomite is not acutely toxic, the particles still contain crystalline silica which may cause prolonged health effects, or worse, cancer. With this information, it became more apparent that the project, with their sole aim of restoring the water quality of Manila Bay, has been off focus. *** It’s not that the efforts of DENR had thrown a large sum of money to waste. If situated on better time and arrangement, this program would not pose such a threatening tone as it does at present.

Efforts will be much appreciated if the programs implemented were in line with serving Filipinos in need. It is essential to focus on much more practical approaches to meet the ends of hungry Filipinos needs.

Additionally, the project, which is to promote better mental health for the people of Manila and the Filipino people is beyond the vision of DENR, which primarily protects and conserves the environment and natural resources for present and future generations.

The greater power of improving our situation lies within our government—to address the domino effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Questionable beautification projects can come later.C Sources: Vallejo, Benjamin & Aloy, Alexander & Ocampo, Melody & Conejar-Espedido, Jeniffer & Manubag, Leanna. (2019).

Manila Bay Ecology and Associated Invasive Species: Coasts in Crisis. 10.1007/978-3-319-91382-7_5. https://www.who.int/philippines/internal-publicationsdetail/covid-19-in-the-philippines-situation-report-53 https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/11/president-signs-intolaw-bayanihan-2/ https://www.doh.gov.ph/2019-nCov https://www.lehighhanson.com/docs/default-source/ safety-data-sheets/sds-dolomite.pdf?sfvrsn=66124d22_4

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Design by Darren Camille R. Tabanera

Socioeconomic status In late March, lockdowns were slowly implemented in different areas of the Philippines.

The protocol had affected many private sectors, of which food services, transportation, and construction were the most affected. This lack of socioeconomic activity had led to a consecutive decrease in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for two quarters, making the Philippines officially fall under a recession.

According to Economics Department Chairperson Jhon Louie Sabal, “One of the reasons our economy can bounce back is because of government intervention.” Our economy is the combination of private and government sectors.

Sabal further explains that when the economy falls due to the inability of the private sector to perform, it is up to the government to fix it, thus they play a very important role in this economic crisis. On Sept 11, Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte. The new law provides Php 165.5B expected to fund, “several government programs such as improvement of health care resources, cash-for-work program, agriculture support, assistance to industries affected by the pandemic, and procurement of coronavirus vaccines.”

The problem with this economic crisis is that it is only a side-effect to the main problem at hand: the COVID-19 health crisis. If the health crisis is not solved, it may be more difficult to mend the economy. According to Sabal, “There is a big chance that our economy can recover because we have good fundamentals as a country. It means our economy has a strong foundation […] in terms of the right equipment, naa ta, wala lang na maximize sa government ug tarong.”

Sabal also adds that the ideal course of action would be to mitigate the virus by spending more on improving the healthcare system and providing efficient contact tracing. If the number of cases is not controlled, the lockdown will extend and so will the recession of our economy.

The number of cases peaked on July 27 and not until recently did the number of new cases start to decrease, five months into the lockdown— indicating that the actions taken against the pandemic have had slow results.

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Vol. 47 No. 1 October 2020

C

learly, things are going in a frightening direction,” United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Mary Lawlor comments in light of the human rights situation in the Philippines.

With the massive number of casualties of President Rodrigo Duterte’s War on Drugs and the alarming rate of human rights violations and human rights activist killings—there is no way to dismiss the staggering state of the value of human rights in the country.

Despite this, there is not enough conviction from the side of the current administration to address such problems. Duterte even goes as far as rejecting the resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council to report on the issues highlighted.

How will human rights defenders fare against this kind of governance?

Reckless branding A number of reasons may steer the people from the course of what activism truly is. XU Center for Legal Assistance (XUCLA) Director and College of Law Professor Atty. Ernesto B. Neri expounds on the belief of the authority and general public alike: that human rights are synonymous with armed struggle. On the contrary, Neri describes that activists “act as the mouth pieces that amplify certain viewpoints, [...] play a role in accounting those in power, [...] are organizers.” He elaborates

Crusader

The

Safeguarding With the unfortunate reality of these risks as an extension of what having to fight for human rights entails, there may be routes taken to ensure one’s protection. This may be through legal means, in which the acquisition of evidence as documentation is a highly valuable component.

Three laws under the Philippine Constitution may be applied: The writ of habeas corpus, wherein you may file a report on unlawful detention; the writ of habeas data, wherein you may petition for agencies and the government to destroy data that may threaten your security; and the writ of amparo, which is the preferred remedy for the aforementioned concerns, as it recognizes the violations made to life, liberty, and security by anyone, even public officials. Another alternative may be through meta legal means. Under this option, one may join a support group to gain a

sense of security within a community, and one may explore sanctuary areas in the church and other organizations in more dire circumstances.

In addition to the ways in which people can seek protection, Neri asks, “Does that really help?”

The constitution is explicit with its goal to keep the society at peace and its citizens safe. However, evident in the growing number of cases of human rights violations, those who wish to disregard such laws simply choose to do so. He emphasizes the eradication of an existing culture as most vital.

“For you to really protect yourself in the long term, you have to attack the whole culture of impunity, and that takes a long time. It takes a change of leadership, it takes organizing, it takes laws as well, and accountability measures.” *** Countless lives are at the mercy of the leaders of this country. Especially with it being a supposedly democratic state, its people’s judgement on the matters that greatly affect them should come as a valuable point for consideration.

For a constitution brimming with laws that protect human rights, how has it come to a point where the country’s cases of human rights violations have become so alarming that international institutions find the need to intervene? And what happens to those whose intention is to protect these rights?

They are shunned and branded as enemies of the very country they are advocating for.

Despite all the risks human rights activists face, we see them put up a strong front even in the last few years where their pursuits have been truly challenged. It may not seem like victory is to be had with the administration still adamant at the severity of the human rights situation, but human rights activists have not faltered in moving forward with their battle—the Philippines is, after all, a country made up of its people.C Sources: https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/08/18/two-morephilippine-activists-murdered https://www.philstar.com/ headlines/2020/08/18/2036201/zara-alvarez-our-13thrights-worker-killed-under-duterte-admin-karapatan https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/ philippines-rights-06172019094216.html https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/asia-and-thepacific/philippines/report-philippines/ https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1325163/chr-89-humanrights-defenders-killed-from-2017-to-2019 https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/21/20/chr-dutertepandemic-stall-probe-into-slay-of-89-activists-rightsdefenders https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/03/08/philippinesterrorist-petition-virtual-hit-list https://rappler.com/nation/doj-terror-tag-listcommunists-january-2019 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1325148/ndfps-echanistortured-to-death-says-chr

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Terror by the number Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Philippines commissioner Leah Armamento states in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel streamed on Aug 20, that a total of 89 human rights defenders have been killed from 2017-2019, while the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) reported a total of 248 from 2015-2019 in their annual report in June.

The constituents of CHR intend to investigate these cases, but find many difficulties in conducting them due to the constraints presented by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the order of Duterte to withhold police reports on such incidents.

With the CHR’s endeavor to complete their task still underway, the emergence of the news regarding the killings of two more human rights defenders on Aug 10 and 17 have stirred a different level of distress towards various human rights organizations. Members of their respective groups mourned over the deaths of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randall Echanis and human rights group Karapatan legal worker Zara Alvarez.

Echanis and Alvarez, despite owing their allegiance to legal organizations, have been subjected to the practice of red-tagging: political harassment and labeling as communists or terrorists by citizens and authorities. Both their names have also been in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) list of terrorists before they trimmed it down from 656 to 8 according to an amended petition filed on Jan 3 .

on the power of the collective in order to affect change—something that cannot be achieved as seen in movements around the world and in history. “If dili organized ang tao. Activists play a vital role in communicating and organizing.”

Since activists speak the truth, they may challenge the people in power, causing these people to retaliate through deriding them and painting them as destabilizers.

To depict these individuals as destabilizers poses a great danger for them. Lawlor states that activists are “targeted in all sorts of ways—from being abused on social media to being criminalised [...], and, as you know in The Philippines, even killed.”

Neri stresses the gravity of the all too-common practice of red-tagging in the country. People are believed to assume that when you are out on the streets in any sort of political protest, you are immediately branded as a rebel. “Dili ni siya joke kay red-tagging is an accusation that you are a criminal. It transforms your status as a civilian to a combatant,” he adds.

It has come at an unprecedented time for the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 to replace the Human Security Act of 2007 which encompassed the provisions for how the state shall address crimes of terrorism in the country. Neri briefly enumerates the problematic aspects of the new law: a broadened definition of terrorism whereas any act with the intention to cause bodily harm is punishable; a condition of intimidating the government as enough motive to be branded a terrorist, which may include joining political rallies; and the possibility of arrest without warrant for mere suspicion of being a terrorist.

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and in spite of the overwhelming opposition to the bill, Duterte signed it to law on July 3.

As a response to the likeability of the adoption of the new law having an influence on the cases of Echanis and Alvarez, Lawlor comments, “While every killing of an HRD is different, we know too that inciting a generally hostile context against HRDs is a dangerous and reckless thing to do.”

Illustration by Edshera Mae R. Abella

F

or now… ah… is… eh… o.” Sorry for the distorted noise, that’s just my classmate.

She’s reporting a very important topic for our online class but we can’t understand her. All thanks to the pandemic, we are now limiting our contact with the outside world and are better off at home, safe. Our daily routines have changed, and almost everything we used to do is now being done at home, even learning! How fun is that?

No more classes on the 5th floor, no more dress codes to violate on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and guess what? You could even take your test in your pajamas! But wait, the fun doesn’t stop there.

You will also be enjoying loads of work from topics that were never even discussed! And as if that’s not enough, you will also be experiencing lag and disconnects from time to time, because come on, #EducationInTheNewNormal, right?

I’ve been itching to graduate—that’s why I can’t let this academic year pass. And to tell you honestly, my subjects this sem sound promising.

Although I prefer face-to-face classes, I’ve managed to compromise since there isn’t much of a choice. Actually, I just finished a synchronous meeting online for my majors and instead of getting excited from the new lessons I could’ve learned, I got another activity, along with three other requirements that are, of course, due tomorrow.

You would say, “Cora, it’s school, this is what we do, requirements! mura man ka ug just now.”

Yes, just now ra jud ko in doing non-stop activities of topics I know nothing about. What quality of learning am I getting from linked OooTube videos and powerpoints with words as alien as the experiments from Area 51? What are we trying to achieve here? That I am a student who must be capable of managing my time in doing these schoolworks—that are either copy-pasted or rephrased—since I’m not doing anything else given our current situation? Being at home all the time does not mean I don’t have other responsibilities.

So why is my YeeLurn notifying me with loads of activities as if it’s my only priority. I can’t even enjoy a normal day because of the anxiety this setup is giving me—like I’m not allowed to relax because I’m staying in the comfort of my home.

Ang order ko, Quality Learning, bakit ako bibigyan ng sandamakmak na activities at OooTube videos (It’s funny because I used to enjoy OooTube for free, now they come with my semesteral fees?)

Plus the side dishes, the crowing of Manong Lodi’s rooster, and Aling Bebang’s balcony construction. What? Don’t look at me like that,

20

I’m just stating facts. In the first place, I wouldn’t even be complaining if I was getting the right quality of education that I deserve. I understand the inconveniences we are experiencing during these trying times, but I am also hoping that you wouldn’t forget that I chose to continue this school year because I trusted this institution. Now, you’re looking away? You really don’t like hearing concerns, huh? Whatever, I expected this response after the, “How was your first day of school?” post was deleted. Oop, ignore that I mentioned that (like the way our concerns were ignored).

It’s not just me who’s having a hard time but my instructors as well—some of us are not privileged enough to remain comfortable despite the sudden change of our education system, and many of us rely on the school’s facilities and technologies like computers, printers,. etc—and that is what this institution has to understand: that

now we are left on our own, making the most of what we have. And above all that, we pay the price of not getting quality education. It seems like selfstudying these activities are the only way the word “student” is being justified. It’s like doing but not learning, complying but not growing.

Don’t you dare pull the Magis card on me and insist that I should do more than what’s expected.

Oh to hold our heads high with the Atenean pride coated in blue and white but hide our lack of response and empathy… Hahaha. “Men and Women for others”—how deep. Oh well, time to go back to my requirements, they’re seloso pa naman. They don’t like it when I entertain other priorities.

“Good luck, Cora. I hope you make it this year.” Of course I’ll make it—to another course, that is.C

Vol. 47 No. 1 October 2020

Crucrew Meeting ni Greg ft. Ganges aira

jayson

darren

catherine

jivi

james

ashley

greg

kurt

mykell

rafha

derrick

KURISCOPE

(26)

christianne

melvin

ganges

louise

kenneth

pao

franzel

karl

happy

edsheera

ni kurt ft. happy

caryll

edloy

Hello! mga ka-mags, new normal ta karun nia nasad ang panibagong mahiwagang bolang krystal ni Gwapito na si Kurt ft. Ate Happy. Labaw nag pandemic karun kaboring ba sa balay. So, naa ra ang magpawala sa imung kaboredom and It’s time na mga ka-Atenista na makabalo ka sa imung kapalaran.

jean

Aquarius (#Priorities) Ka-mags! stop procrastinating! Kabalo ko daghan kag buhaton, unya? Selpona raka dera? Imung priority dzaii magbuhat ug assignment? Dapat priority jud nah para way bagsak. di ka anang manila bay na nauna pa gastuhan kaysa mass testing? Dba priorities..ana jud.

Lucky Color: Neon Black Lucky Number: 96

john ian

kurt

ed

Aries (In love ba teh!)

The next two weeks will be a very pleasurable experience for you. It iswritten in the stars, dear. You are destined to be together and — ay, is this for Aries? Sorry, “better luck next time” nalang.

Lucky Color: Mint Black Lucky number: 0.005 Cancer (My inner unknown me?)

OMG dzai/dzong muniwang naka sa year na 20..20…20.. taysa kay di maklaro sa akong bolang krystal, mao ra jud akong gakakita dzai/dzong, basta kay muniwang na ka dili lang ta sure..

Lucky Color: Creamy Black Lucky Number: 2020 Capricorn (Fighting!)

Unsa ka-mags? gamay imung mga score sa online class? as if dako imung score atung face to face chaarr, ka-mags! Atung fighting spirit dera! gakakita nako hayag imung future pareha aning kahayag sa akong bolang krystal!

Lucky Color: Neon White Lucky Number: 0.001

ed

Gemini (PLDT pa more) Beshy imung future wife/husband naa rana sa imung gilid gilid.

“Asa na gilid?”, wait, naglag akong bolang krystal, ugh PLDT! Onsanamanehhh.

Lucky Color: Red Yellow Lucky Number: 66.67 Leo (Perpekto) Char classmate, grabe bay perpek kayo sa online quiz ug mga essay, unsay secret sis? Copy-paste? Ay dili diay bright ta bright, sure ko madean list na jud ka! Pero di ta sure kung magpadean list karun online class. Sayanga di ka kaexperience sa feeling na dean list.

Lucky Color: Brownies Lucky Number: 99.9

zel

Libra (Quarountine) ka-mags. Kumusta man atung bilbil dera, gakakita nako sa bolang krystal murag gakaexpand na atung kalawasan dera noh? Pero atleast lami guro inyung sud.an, lami kayo ikaon, kaon- tulog ana ra gud ang quarantine life.

Lucky Color: Pure Gold Lucky Number: 69 Pisces (kasumo sa Sana-all) Dzai undangi na nang kakasana-all nimo na sana-all nag glow up sa quarantine. Kagwapa/gwapo ra nimo ka-mags, dili lang kah kabalo amping. tan.aw tan.aw lang sad dera youtube unsaon pagskincare ug drink your water..ikaw na sumpay.

Lucky Color: Orange Violet Lucky Number: 2.99 Taurus (Movie Series) Ka-mags pila na salida nahuman nimo sa netflix? nahuman na k-drama, kay daghan daw kag natu.an about life, unya sa online class? unsa imung natun-an kay sa akong bolang krystal kay wala koy makita.

Lucky Color: Light Gray Lucky Number: 123 Virgo (Lucky Swimsuit) Pagsuot ug polka-dot na bikini pagtulog nimo dzaii. Kay nganu?

Wala lang uto-uto sad ka charr. Basin diay pagmata nimo naa naka sa gilid dagat, kabalo ko gimingaw ka ligo Kapila na ka days way ligo..ayaw nag kaulaw. aminiiin Lucky Color: Yellowish Lucky Number: 870000 Sagittarius (Unsay love life!)

Sa love life? Kung makabalikan bamo sa imung ex? Hmm loading kaayo ning mahiwagang krystal basta mga lovelife storyahan…

Taysa beh *A few moments later* kapoy kaayo hulat, move on nalang teh uy!

Lucky Color: White Orange Lucky Number: 3545 Scorpio (Unsay love life) Dzaii kabalo ko gakasuya ka nang magsana-all ra sa fb kay naa dayun magpadeliver ug pagkaon or flower sa ilang balay, postpost dayun na tungod sa sana-all niya. Try na pud dera dzaaii pabebe pa jud basin diay nay manuktok unya Cepalco man diay.

Sana-all inaupdate.

Lucky Color: White Orange Lucky Number: 3678

Crusader

The

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HOHONGIHONG AKO LANG ATA MAYGALIT SA GOBYERNO..

bai nasubmit nako wa pako nakainterview sako answers!!

MAKE SOME NOISE PHILHEALTH!!

AKO LANG ATA MAY PINAKAGWAPO NA BOYFRIEND SA PINAS

HAKDOG

ONLINE CLASSES O REQUIREMENT CLASSES?

SANAOL IOS 14

SKKRRTTT..

2ND QUARTER? MORE LIKE 2ND STRESSER

NGANU TIG GOOGLE MEET NAMU KAY AYHA MAGSABA ANG MGA IRO?

“AY SORRY CLASS WRONG PICTURE”

MUGAWAS KO KAY NAGCRAVE KO BAHALA NA NANG COVID DERA

online classes na gane gadawlims lang gyapun?

SANAOL PRIORITY ANG MANILA BAY?

aysa hinay ang net lage paggoole meeting pero pag mag among us grabe ka paspas?!

SUNDAY NA DIAY KARUN DALIA RA SA PANAHON

NIBUROT NA AKONG MGA BILBIL READY NAKO SA PASKO

WINDOW SHOPPING LANG SA ZALORA

GAMAY NALANG MU FLY HIGH NA GYUD NI SI WIFI

MAYPAG MAGPUYO MO SA INYUHANG BALAY

KABIBO BA SA COVID, BIBO SAD ANG PRIORITIES SA GOV’T

bruh right minus wrong man diay, ako score kay 0.50 aaah

GRABE KA NA TALAGA 2020

MAG-2ND QUARTER NALANG WALA GIHAPON KOY NATUN-AN

2ND QUARTER HERE WE GO!!

whuy, di unta magbrown out while nag-exam bah..

MAKAMINGAW NANG PANAOG KA Emergency SA MAGIS NYA KALIT NAG-ANGELUS

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING...

KANUS-A PA KAHA KO REPLYAN SA ASSESSMENT?

ONLINE CLASS NA GALI...

LATE RA GIHAPON

NI HAPPY, IGIT, ED, KURT, ZEL, GREG

oNLINE CLASS WHO?

AKO LANG NATU-AN KAY PAGPASA SA ASSIGNMENT BEFORE 11:59 pm

NAKAKALULA PO YUNG REQUIREMENTS ONLINE KABIBO BA SA MANILA BAY KABIBO PUD SA COVID

AKO LANG ATA PINAKAGWAPO SA PINAS

ma-Youtuber man sab ta ani sa sege pa upload ni sir oI

CHARAN GYUD TA ANING ONLINE EXAM

SEGE RAMAN KAG TULOGA AHH GRABE DILI MAN TA MAKACOPY-PASTE ANI SA ELEARN

SANAOL NAGGLOW UP SA QUARANTINE

MAKAMINGAW ANG IRING SA MAGIS

SANAOL NAMISS

SHOPEE DELIVERY...

COVID MEANS NO ALLOWANCE, KALOKA

“pls turn on your camera so that i can see you, i’ve forgotten your faces kasE”

IKAW NA LANG AKONG KALIPAY

FOOD PANDA!!

#CANCELKOREA

EACH A PRANKK

MUSTA NA KAYA AKONG MGA CLASSMATE KAYAHAY BAH SA 2ND QUARTER GAMAY NALANG ANG SUBJECTS

VACCINE, KANUS-A KAYA MUABOT?

gamay ra daw malearn sa online classes as if dako ug scores adtong face-toface

“how am i doing? poorly. not good. very bad, thank you very much”

BOUNCE BACK SA LAZADA! hala ngano correct minus wrong? ibentot ra unta to nako nah