The GUIDON - May 2023

LS budget commits to sustainable goals, improvements for AY 2023–2024

BY ENZO BELLO AND AZRA CAGSAWA

INFRASTRUCTURE AND quality of life improvements are slated for AY 2023–2024, according to the proposed budget allocations in the Magtanong sa VP at mga Dekano presented last February 20. Among these improvements are the addition of computer equipment and chairs in the University, a New Rizal Library Ground Floor Cafeteria, and conversions and renovations for classrooms and laboratories.

Vice President for the Loyola Schools Maria Luz C. Vilches, PhD said that the increase in budget necessitates a 6% tuition fee hike for the upcoming academic year. She attributed these to increased regular costs, inflation, and a decreased student population.

However, Vilches noted that the proposed budget is still subject to approval. According to her, the Board of Trustees will meet in May to further discuss the figures, which will be finalized in June or July.

FROM TRANSITIONS

Vilches mentioned four main priority areas in the proposed budget: strengthening the University’s external presence, improving and modernizing campus infrastructure, extending support for research initiatives, and increasing scholarship numbers. Highlighting the return to onsite classes and activities, John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) Dean Roberto Galang said that the

AY 2023–2024 budget will be made relative to this year’s “transition” budget.

For academic years 2020–2022, Galang contextualized that the University did not increase tuition—adding that the school even “sacrificed” for its students.

“A lot of these budgetary things you see are actually not even sufficient to make up for all of the upgrades required to keep the University going,” Galang explained.

School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) Dean Raphael Guerrero emphasized the importance of these upgrades given the need for refurbishment and renovation, especially for rooms and facilities.

Furthermore, Guerrero clarified that a bulk of the tuition increase would be allotted for University staff and faculty salaries, which increased since operations went back onsite.

Commenting further about the tuition hike, Galang explained that the education market had shifted since new avenues opened up for students during the pandemic. Thus, the University is actively attracting students to make up for the decreased student population.

“There is this confluence of a changing dynamic in our student body—people that we would ordinarily be able to accommodate or sign up to an Ateneo program, they decided not to go,” he added.

To alleviate this, he reveals that the University is increasing initiatives to look for external donors and partners. For students already studying in the Ateneo, JGSOM also looks to open part-time, income-increasing opportunities.

TO GREENER PASTURES

Being a focus area in the Lux-in-Domino Strategic Plan, Guerrero said that the budgeting committee considered integral ecology and sustainability as key to the budget proposal for the next academic year.

Various plans include increasing the number of E-Jeeps, bike initiatives, reviving express lanes, and promoting RFID usage.

Guerrero shared his enthusiasm for this pursuit as he mentions that the school “happily takes on this challenge to maintain sustainability in all of [their] efforts.”

According to him, the University has attempted to become more environmentally sustainable over the past few budget cycles. He said that among their most notable efforts is the University’s active replacement of essential electrical components with more energy-efficient and eco-friendly ones, which will continue next year.

In line with budget sustainability, Guerrero cited the University’s commitment to managing limited resources such as closer monitoring of water and electricity consumption.

“We try to save, but it’s not just about saving money. It’s also about saving resources or raw materials, so we don’t add to this very wasteful economy,” he commented. Overall, Guerrero envisioned the prevention of any further damage to the environment.

In addition to proper management, Galang shared that the central administration of the University is looking to complete solar paneling for most of the campus buildings. These strides look to lower electric consumption.

Galang highlighted that among the most notable sustainability initiatives are already fested by the recently added requirement of a sustainable angle for the John Gokongwei Student Enterprise Center (JSEC) stalls.

“We need to assure that the business models [they] generate, at the very least, don’t contribute to the waste that the food industry does,” Galang noted.

Thus, student-rented JSEC stores have integrated sustainability by incorporating vegan menu options, locally sourcing raw materials, and upcycling unused products.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GREEN

In view of these upcoming changes, Ateneo Environmental Sciences Society (AESS) President Ted Go considered these initiatives as a step towards a more sustainable Ateneo.

However, he emphasized the need for active collaboration between the administration and the student body when it comes to drafting such projects. Go believed that it is not enough for the administration to do its part as students should also give their takes on the initiatives.

While students are able to scrutinize the budget, Go expresses that other University initiatives can still take into consideration student organization input to ensure proper implementation.

“I think all organizations should also be in contact with

[the sustainability plans] since they are the ones who have their own models and their own principles,” Go mentioned. Likewise, Guerrero encouraged students to advocate for more sustainable and inclusive means of development. Notably, he commended the SOSE Sanggunian for their sustainability efforts. Galang similarly expressed his optimism for the journey toward sustainability. He particularly admired the innovative minds of students when it came to integrating sustainable mechanisms in their projects and initiatives.

IMPROVEMENTS. With the impending 6% increase in tuition fees for AY 2023–2024, the Loyola Schools anticipates significant infrastructure enhancements, improved research funding, and scholar expansions.

PHOTO BY ERRI MIKAELA TAN

I think it is very important that Ateneo plays a key role in Laudato Si because climate change is apparent now [...] We need to be a beacon in the showcase for sustainability.

ROBERTO GALANG, PHD DEAN, JOHN GOKONGWEI SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

LS students engage in off-campus activities amid eased COVID-19 restrictions

BY DERRECK DE LEON AND BRIANNA DENISE TAN

FOLLOWING A two-year hiatus, the Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) has resumed its off-campus engagements for Loyola Schools (LS) students enrolled in National Service Training Program (NSTP) 11Punla and 12-Bigkis.

OSCI expressed their hope to hold off-campus engagements in the second semester after the Vice President for the Loyola Schools issued a memo outlining the guidelines for these activities on September 2, 2022.

“The online (NSTP) programs have been pretty successful based on the evaluations. [However,] that still wasn’t the original design of the programs,” Assistant Vice President for Social Development, Environment, and Community Engagement Leland Dela Cruz, PhD said.

“Plus, it’s been a consistent feedback from students that they want to go back based on the evaluations that we’ve been receiving,” he added.

UNIVERSITY COORDINATION

The University considered the Commission on Higher Education’s March 2022 memorandum, which stated that off-campus off-campus activities were allowed with the approval of the involved Local Government Unit (LGU). Prior to commencing these engagements, OSCI vetted the “physical spaces” where the program would be implemented.

According to OSCI Director Ophalle Alonzo-Pornela, the health status of the community was checked through their local health centers to guarantee no active COVID-19 cases in the area.

“As part of our protocol, OSCI also coordinates with the local Philippine National Policies assigned to the area to let them know of our activities,” Alonzo-Pornela emphasized.

Then, in order to check the compatibility of the communities and organizations, Alonzo-Pornela said that OSCI delves into a “social investigation” in terms of the community’s goals and missions. Following the joint memorandum of agreement, OSCI also orients the partner area on the programs’ policies, schedules, and activities.

To prepare the participating students, the Loyola Schools Office of Guidance and Counseling and the Office of Health Services then conducted assessments to ascertain students’ mental and physical wellbeing for off-campus engagements.

Alonzo-Pornela said that participating students were also required to attend an orientation and integration session which tackle their expectations, knowledge, skills, and schedules regarding their assigned area. Additionally, NSTP 12-Bigkis students had to attend training sessions to refine their social skills.

Notably, Alonzo-Pornela revealed that OSCI had to cease engagements with partner areas in Visayas and Mindanao, which were only feasible in the online setup.

LS STUDENTS’ PARTICIPATION

The first semester’s run of NSTP 12-Bigkis off-campus activity engagements were limited to juniors from the School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) and the John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM).

The SOSE contingent was assigned to the City of Marikina LGU’s offices. Students were given the opportunity to work in the city’s Mega Vaccination Facilities, City Environment Management Office, and the Gender and Development Office.

According to the University’s report, the BS HSc, BS Bio, and BS LfSc participants accounted

for 10.5% of these courses’ total student population.

Meanwhile, the JGSOM contingent of students from BS REnt were assigned to the Marikina Public Market. They had a significantly higher participation rate of 37%.

For NSTP 11-Punla and Binhi programs, respectively, the University said that 16 sophomores and 11 freshmen participated in the first off-campus engagement at the Marikina LGU’s Health Department.

FUTURE OF NSTP PROGRAMS

According to the office, OSCI will be evaluating the program after the re-establishment of onsite activities in the first semester. From this, AlonzoPornela said that the results of the evaluation and the stakeholders’ feedback will be their basis for improvements in the future iterations of both NSTP programs.

Alonzo-Pornela added that they look forward to continuing the program’s implementation and integration alongside Ateneo academic core subjects. She said that this is in line with the design of the programs with Binhi as the exposure, NSTP 11-Punla as the immersion, and NSTP 12-Bigkis as the service part of the program.

Alonzo-Pornela said that the Ateneo’s NSTP programs aim to provide “meaningful encounters” between students and marginalized communities, as well as with individuals who work to address problems of marginalization.

In hopes of instilling a deeper connection between thestudents and the partner community, OSCI is also working on continuing the students’ exposure to the same communities from their freshman to senior year.

“OSCI envisions that through these programs, hope will manifest in students’ individual experiences, raising awareness of their capacity to create and cultivate change in society,” according to the Ateneo website.

Overall, OSCI is planning to hold more onsite engagements and pilot groups in the upcoming years.

The Ateneo’s NSTP programs aim to provide 'meaningful encounters' between students and marginalized communities, as well as with individuals who work to address problems of marginalization.

The OSCI’s NSTP programs were designed to be on campus, with its intention being the interactions between students and the partner communities.

LELAND DELA CRUZ, PHD ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENT, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

DOWN FROM THE HILL. Following the resumption of on-site classes, students again have the chance to take part in off-campus activities with various sectors through OSCI’s NSTP 11-Punla and NSTP 12-Bigkis programs.

PHOTOS BY MIKYLA REYES

ACoA’s and Ombudsman’s year-end Sanggunian assessment yields positive results

BY ELOIZA MARIANO AND

LOOKING BACK

AS A.Y. 2022–2023 comes to a close, both the Ateneo Commission on Audit (AC0A) and the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) commended the Sanggunian for streamlining its operations to prioritize student welfare amid the transition to onsite learning.

Following an increase in onsite activities, ACoA Chief Commissioner Justin Jimenez said that the Sanggunian has drastically improved in spending and maximizing its budget. According to him, the Sanggunian’s expenses in previous years were comparatively

hindered by the pandemic and the Sanggunian’s “confusing” processes. Due to low manpower, ACoA and OMB are both still currently working on their respective annual reports of the Sanggunian. Additionally, ACoA’s first semester audit report on the Sanggunian’s expenditure will be released by the end of the second semester.

SAFEGUARDING POWER

As per the 2019 Constitution of the Undergraduate Students of the Ateneo de Manila Loyola Schools, ACoA works together

with the OMB and the Student Judicial Court to hold the Sanggunian accountable. Particularly, ACoA monitors the Sanggunian’s financial accounts under the Office of Student Activities.

Similar to what they did during the first semester, ACoA commented on the Sanggunian’s budget for the second semester, specifically on the need for food and token expenses used in unit-exclusive events or meetings.

However, Jimenez added that the Sanggunian did not get back to them before the signing of the Sanggunian Act no. 26, which detailed the final allocation of the Sanggunian’s funds for the second semester.

Moreover, as the Official Investigative Arm of the Sanggunian, OMB looks into complaints and handles the legal procedures of prosecuting and taking action against Sanggunian members for varied degrees of negligence, red tape, mismanagement, and corruption. OMB also holds seminars and events to raise awareness among students regarding accountability and transparency.

Delving into their report for A.Y. 2022–2023, OMB Ombudsman Timothy Ecarma stated that last semester, they received only three complaints about Sanggunian members neglecting their duties. Moreover, Ecarma mentioned that the OMB’s annual report to be released by the end of the academic year will be based on these complaints and interactions with the Sanggunian.

When asked about the performance of the student government, Sanggunian President TJ Alcantara recalled the Sanggunian’s vision for AY 2022–2023: “Together, We Move.” He enumerated the Sanggunian’s three challenges: the return to onsite classes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2022 National and Local Elections.

Alcantara further clarified that the Sanggunian focused more on responding to challenges rather than simply solving them. He cited examples such as conducting constituency checks during natural disasters and voicing out opposition to certain national policies.

Recognizing such efforts, Isabella Rodriguez (2 AB COM) felt that students were effectively represented this academic year, especially through online initiatives like Sabihin sa Sanggu and the LS One Big Forum Facebook group.

“I think [the Sanggunian] has shown continuous involvement in student life. They are always quick to respond to questions, admin announcements, natural calamities, and the like, while simultaneously setting events like … One Big Pride,” Rodriguez said.

Regarding his administration’s other AY 2022–2023 priorities, Alcantara also mentioned that the student government attempted to “reframe or reimagine” their existing processes during their term.

With regard to the Sanggunian’s shortcomings, Alcantara shared that their weakness was primarily on burnout among their members. Transitioning onsite, members

had to balance and readjust their priorities beyond academics and extracurricular activities.

HOPES AND OPPORTUNITIES

While the feedback for the Sanggunian’s performance this academic year was generally positive, ACoA and OMB, as well as Alcantara, expressed their hopes for the incoming student administration.

According to Alcantara, there are four specific things that he hopes the next Sanggunian can continue to stand for: mobility, climate action, workers’ rights, and the Sanggunian Student Agenda 2030.

As the proposed blueprint from 2023 to 2030, the Sanggunian Student Agenda 2030 will contain the goals, aspirations, and general direction of the student council on various issues in the next seven years.

Meanwhile, Jiminez asserted that he hopes for the incoming Sanggunian to be more responsive to ACoA’s comments, in relation to their experience with the Second Semester Budget Hearing. Ecarma, on the other hand, proposed for more conformity within the Sanggunian’s systems through the integration of processes across the different offices. “They’re (Sanggunian offices) all operating independently from one another, and some of them can be more efficient than others,” Ecarma explained.

Overall, both ACoA and OMB report a good impression of this year’s Sanggunian, with the main point of improvement being better streamlined processes and coordination among the offices. Alcantara voiced the same sentiment and further added that the Sanggunian is a “work in progress.”

ANA RUFA PADUA

[The Sanggunian is] all operating independently from one another, and some of them can be more efficient than others. So I guess each Sanggu office needs to evaluate if this system works for them, and if not, how can they improve on those systems, procedures, etc.

TIMOTHY ECARMA OMBUDSMAN , OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN

No, there’s no such thing as a perfect system. Like every year something needs to be improved. Every year something needs to change.

JUSTIN JIMENEZ CHIEF COMMISSIONER, ATENEO COMMISSION ON AUDIT

UNDER SCRUTINY. With A.Y. 2022–2023 coming to an end, the Ateneo Commission on Audit and the Office of the Ombudsman are asked for their account of the Sanggunian’s performance over the past year.

PHOTO BY LIANA FERNANDO

EDITOR: ANNA PINEDA • LAYOUT ARTIST: ANNIKA VICTORIA M. DE LA FUENTE

Ateneo Sports Club Sector reactivation in talks

BY JOAQUIN BAANG AND CHAEZIE CHARIZ CABEL

TWO YEARS after the Ateneo Sports Club Sector (ASCS) decided to go on a hiatus, sports organizations have begun seeking the sector’s reactivation to better deal with logistical and financial concerns.

The Sanggunian Department of Administrative Affairs (DAA) and the acting ASCS representatives Iya Javelosa and Luis Aguilar primarily vie for better representation of non-varsity sports teams and their use of the Ateneo name and symbol.

Should the sector be reactivated, DAA Chairperson Ivan Nabong said that they could propose budgets to the Sanggunian and be reimbursed for club activities, including transportation, training, and venue fees. The sector will also have a seat in the Central Assembly (CA).

NEW YEAR, NEW PROBLEMS

When the University shifted to the online setup, ASCS representative Jerard Afable said that many students lost

The Sports Club Sector is an important part of the community. They are a group of students who have formed a community within themselves, bonding over their love of sports. These are things we have to nurture as a student government.

IVAN NABONG

the sector’s structure to be able to have a seat in the CA. Hoping to have a more established body for the sector, Javelosa said that different sports clubs met during the

Atenean Futsal Club, the Atenean Volleyball Club, and the Atenean Ultimate Club.

“Right now, it’s mostly every man for himself in the group chat. We’re just asking our representative when we have issues. Nothing really direct to really establish or re-establish the sector,” she noted.

Nabong remarked that gaining sectoral accreditation entails a long and bureaucratic procedure, which begins with the preparation of certain documents, namely the sector’s bylaws and code of internal procedures. Afterwards, the Loyola Schools student body must vote in a sectoral referendum determining whether the sector will be renewed

“Up until the (sectoral referendum’s) electoral code is revisited and revised, I think that there will still really be that high barrier because even just documents, I needed help from so many people to get that Constitution going. It’s a daunting process,” Afable noted regarding his experience facilitating the sector’s renewal.

BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY

To prepare for sectoral reaccreditation, Nabong advised electing a legislative liaison to help the sector representative. He said that the liaison will assist

Afable shared his hope that when the ASCS returns, it can achieve its short-term goals before the pandemic. These include sports clubs members being exempted from Physical Education classes and participating in the cheer rally—similar to what varsity teams do.

He mentioned that these goals are in line with his overarching goal, where all sports can be viewed equally both by the students and by the administration.

“The only way to do that is to provide ample support,

and the colors of the school is already something that, you know, shouldn’t be debatable because as students of Ateneo you’re already training for this sport to represent this school.”

Although Nabong mentioned that he cannot predict when the ASCS can return to full operations, Nabong hopes that by AY 2023–2024 the ASCS will be part of the CA to participate in legislation and gain further representation.

We want more sports representation, apart from basketball. [...] The Philippines definitely needs to be more aware that there are sports that do exist that are just as competitive or just as intense as basketball.

BY ISABEL CANDIDA GONZALES PHOTOS BY MIKYLA REYES

LS expands gender sensitivity training, awareness within campus

TO PROMOTE safe spaces and gender sensitivity in the Loyola Schools (LS), organizations in the community such as the Sanggunian Commission on Sexual Misconduct and Violence (CASMV) and TUGON Ateneo have organized different events and initiatives promoting gender education throughout the months of March and April.

UGDO Director Maria Elissa J. Lao elaborated that such efforts for gender development are key to fulfilling the University’s strategic goals, which spells out the plans of University leaders and representatives to be implemented over the next decade.

“The LS is dedicated to the building of a gender inclusive, gender responsive, and gender safe

community for all by creating an enabling environment, developing transformative practices, and providing adequate responses,” stated a 2018 Office of the Vice President for the Loyola Schools memo, which laid the groundwork of the University’s efforts for a gender safe community.

AWARENESS

AMONG STUDENTS

Aligned with the advocacies of UGDO, CASMV collaborated with the LS Gender Hub to help promote Gender Sensitivity Trainings (GSTs) on campus.

To orient freshmen with gender-related offices, CoCommissioners Yuki Abion and Gabby Taruc prepared a Gender Safe Spaces plenary session

through the Introduction to Atenean Culture and Traditions (InTACT) on March 18. Additionally, TUGON President Trini Daco also collaborated with the LS Gender Hub in bringing more gendersensitive initiatives to the LS community, such as those in observance of the National Child Sexual Abuse Awareness Month for the month of March.

COMMUNAL GROWTH

Speaking of the long-term effects that these efforts hope to achieve, Abion stated that the main goal of their gender sensitivity-related programs is to articulate “gender sensitivity” within campus. Pursuant to this, Taruc also emphasized that more members

of the LS community should understand that the advocacy focuses on being survivorcentric. As such, the community should work together as a whole and be patient with those students who want to learn more, added Daco.

ROAD TO INCLUSIVITY

Moving forward, Abion and Taruc invited students to commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness Month this April.

CASMV will be hosting their third year of “Kaagapay sa Pagpatuloy” throughout the month, inviting students to submit “messages of love and words of affirmation” to survivors of Sexual and GenderBased Violence (SGBV).

Additionally, Abion and Taruc stated that CASMV is currently

preparing more activities for students to participate in from April 24 until 28. They said that they will particularly talk about the Media Representation of SGBV, as well as the discourse surrounding it. They also call on students to join them in their advocacy for gender inclusivity and make the community more welcoming to all members of the Atenean population. In this spirit, Lao added, “[In the future,] I’d like to see more programs towards inclusion, women in leadership and continue the refinement of the onboarding and [Gender Sensitivity Training, or GST] for different sectors of the University.”

With reports from Brianna Denise Tan

It’s okay to take a step back especially when things are getting heavy. Support systems are extremely important in advocacies for that reason. Remember you are not alone.

YUKI ABION CO-COMMISSIONER, SANGGUNIAN COMMISSION ON SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AND VIOLENCE

I am happy that the different units, offices, committees, organizations and other groups are willing to engage since mainstreaming really is about ensuring that these efforts are truly owned and localized by stakeholders.

See, Kristen C. Sison, Vincent Somera

BEYOND LOYOLA Jana O. Ang, Biel L.B. Arevalo, Pioee B. Bassig, Clayton Dejillas, Angela Divina, Ram Hebron, Max S. Kang, Javier P. Mapa, Kristen R. Matias, Troi Mendoza, Justine Ramirez, Sam A. Ramos Yeo, Felicity C. Santos, Samantha Sicangco, Sohaila Angel F. Somera, Alexandra G. Yatco

FEATURES Aurelia Solaba, Katrina B. Antonio, Gab Aplasca, Aidan Bernales, Reign Iris Centeno, Gabrielle Christina A. Cortes, Ally De Leon, Riel Duque, Ariana Enriquez, Kent Lagumbay, Liam Isaiah Lao, Christianna P. Lugod, Ingrid Manuel, Odessa Julienne Rebaya, Gabby Rosales, Felicia Singson, Jacob Tambunting

INQUIRY Katharina Isabel Angeles, Marelle Bañez, Alexandra P.

Elicano, Ashley Enriquez, Sophia Estoquia, Clare Pillos, Denzel Pineda Ramos, Camille Dominique (Mon) Salipsip, Kate San Mateo, Lourence Segovia, Nicole Anne Kelsy Sy, Aren C. Teodoro, Cherline Dalangin

VANTAGE MAGAZINE. Alyssa Adul, Chanel G. Ang, Martin Celiz, Tan Dela Cruz, Kris M. Fetiza, Mika Layda, Ylia Macazo, Giu Martinez, Jewel Ruther Miraña, Jules Ng, Jia Parma, Andrea G. Posadas, Bea Quinto, Ryan Reyes, Rafaela Serafica, Leila Simon, Megan Sioco, Mikaela H. Tormon, Jana Q. Torres, Libby Zorilla

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Angela C. Villano

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GRAPHIC DESIGN Jizelle M Arollado, Hilary Capistrano, Alexis Chua, Kendrick W. Co, Alissa Co, Caitlyn Cu, Annika de la Fuente, Sam Dellomas, Val Eltagonde, Beatriz Isabella E. Espinosa, Zanti Gayares, Pau Lasala, Franz Manlutac, Kaitlyn W. Mercado, Danelle Erin Natividad, Kirsten Navarro, AJ Raymundo, Anthea Maria B. Rey, Gerald Lois M. Roldan, Yumiko Shoshi, Bryce Garrett G. Tamayo, Viktor Valix, Julia Isabelle Yabut

PRODUCTION. Ella L. Alabastro. Dave Antonio, Hannah

VIDEO

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EXTERNALS Timothy B. Bato, Silas S. Chiew, Megan M. Del Castillo

Irish Crystal Dio, Monica C. Gallardo, Marga Hernandez, Mika S. Jacinto, Amanda Moreno,

ILLUSTRATION BY PAU LASALA

The integrity of uncomfortable truths

* Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of sexual harassment, violence, and misconduct.

IT TOOK years after the end of World War II for the stories of Filipino comfort women to surface.

Maria Rosa Luna-Henson was the first Filipino to come forward with her experience as a comfort woman. Her story only came out in 1992, nearly 50 years after the end of the war. Since then, countless others have followed LunaHenson’s footsteps and shared their accounts, bringing to light the torment that Japanese soldiers had physically and psychologically inflicted upon them. Despite such grave transgressions, Japan has willfully continued to disregard what their countrymen have done and has yet to make up for it.

When Japan started to seize control of the Philippines in World War II, they did more than just take advantage of the nation’s resources. The Japanese also exploited our

A space for myself

BY STANLEY GUEVARRA

I HAVE been working on a short story for quite some time now. It’s about a college graduate who enters a prenovitiate program the Society of Jesus. When I submitted the first draft to a creative writing workshop, the facilitator asked whether my reasons for writing the piece resonated with a personal interest.

“I’m actually a Seventh-Day Adventist,” I replied. A look of confusion registered on her face, but I think the sentiment was mutual.

I was born and raised ina Seventh-Day Adventist household. Growing up, I would put on my best dress shirt every Saturday

people and did so in the cruelest way—subjecting Filipino women to sexual slavery.

“Comfort women,” by etymology, is a phrase lifted from the Japanese word ianfu , which means a comforting or consoling woman. It was during World War II that it became a euphemism which referred to the group of women who were coerced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in the late 1940s.

Comfort women were not only subjected to repeated sexual assault, as they also suffered harsh living conditions and were threatened with physical abuse or death during instances of resistance. It was estimated that about 1,000 Filipino women were forced into becoming comfort women, with only 70 of these survivors still alive today.

As the memory of these atrocious crimes linger today, Japan has yet to formally apologize for what they had done in the Second World War. When asked about their lack of acknowledgement regarding

when it was time to go to Church.

There, I would listen to our Pastor who would never fail to mention that Jesus, like “a thief in the night,” would return and take his children with him sooner than we thought. Going to Church on Saturdays and Jesus’ Second Coming are the two things that mainly distinguish us as Adventists.

As a child, I was unaware that our Church was a minority—its members accounting for only 0.78% of the Philippine population. It was only when I entered a Catholic high school that I discovered my peers were not like me; in fact, I was the only one. Whereas I thought it was commonplace to adopt a soy-based diet or refrain from wearing jewelry, I soon realized that, rather than being norms, these were the very markers that made me different.

When I first joined the mass in seventh grade, I thought I had to blend in lest I be caught as a non-Catholic. As everyone lined

the Imperial Japanese Army’s use of brothels, the Japanese government regularly references their 1993 Kono statement. This blanket statement of remorse discusses their army’s use of comfort women in multiple countries like Korea and China, while notably leaving Southeast Asian states unmentioned. Thus, Japan has yet to direct a formal apology to Filipino comfort women and establish appropriate and sufficient reparations to truly prove their sincerity.

Although Japan—and even the Philippine government— continue to shun this part of history, many Filipinos continue to uphold the memory of Filipino comfort women in the hopes of one day getting the justice they deserve.

In 2017, a seven-foot bronze statue of a woman was placed along Roxas Boulevard, with her arms tightly clasping the front of her veil and her eyes covered with a blindfold. Her statue looked towards the sky, an expression of pain

up for the Eucharist, I followed the crowd, stood in front of the priest, and choked as he hesitated in handing the body of Christ, as if expecting some kind of response from me. When it was over, I walked away as fast as I could, all the while aggressively chewing a bland piece of bread that stuck to the roof of my mouth.

By that time, I was too afraid to return to my Adventist Church, yet I was seeking a religious community for myself. The most accessible was a youth Catholic organization in my high school. While the experience allowed me to strengthen my faith in some aspects, it felt like I was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Everyone assumed I was Catholic, and the one friend who knew my religion told me to conceal my identity like it was a forbidden secret. So, I would make the sign of the cross, pray the rosary, or go to confession when everyone else did, even when it felt wrong.

Thinking about it now, it’s not so much a difference in faith

and longing carved onto her face.

Made by sculptor Jonas Roces and commissioned by the Tulay Foundation, the statue served to honor the thousands of Filipinos subjected to sexual slavery, serving as a reminder of an overlooked history being forgotten.

Later in 2018, the Filipina comfort woman statue was removed from its place in Roxas Boulevard during a drainage improvement project and was meant to be permanently relocated to Baclaran Church. However, before the statue could be returned, it was reported missing from the sculptor’s home and has purportedly vanished since.

Years have passed since the end of the Japanese Occupation in the country. However, surviving Filipino comfort women continue to assert their cause in other ways. For one, they lobby the Philippine government for the justice they deserve. Last March, the Members of the Malayang Lolas

that has separated me from the Catholics: it’s a difference in culture. While I read the same scripture and worship the same God, I never abstained from eating meat during Lent, went to a single Simbang Gabi for Christmas, nor prayed to the saints.

At the same time, the Catholic educational institutions I grew up with assimilated me to a certain extent. I sometimes go to the mass out of my own volition, sing Catholic songs word for word, and talk to Catholic mentors for spiritual advice. My stay in the Ateneo has also enlightened me about the Jesuit tradition, which has another set of epistemologies and practices that I have adopted.

Still, I would proudly declare I’m an Adventist, all the while knowing that the last time I went to Church on a Saturday was more than a decade ago. And somehow, I’ve come to be comfortable with the reality that I don’t necessarily belong anywhere—that I’m many

Organization made monumental progress with the reopening of the comfort women case in the Philippine courts. Under the direct declaration of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Philippine government was found to have violated the rights of World War II Comfort Women “by failing to provide reparation, social support, and recognition commensurate with the harm suffered.”

Such revision of history is not a new story in the country. Existing powers actively change narratives and hide the marginalized to maintain a legacy that fails to paint a full picture and take into account the perspective of others. Thus, while the declaration of the CEDAW is a welcomed historic step in protecting the dignity of Filipino comfort women, the years of abuse and trauma they have experienced point to the need for more work to be done.

things but also not quite those things. It is in this liminality—this hybrid space of ambiguity—where I feel like I can truly be myself.

To clear up my workshop facilitator’s confusion, I told her that I wrote my short story to learn more about the Jesuits. I think it made sense to her—and to me—that I was coming from a desire to know rather than a desire to be. And she understood.

So maybe it’s okay that my engagement with religion remains ambivalent. Maybe it’s fine that I no longer have to pretend to be someone I’m not. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to be both this and that, neither here nor there. Maybe—I’m enough.

Stanley Guevarra is the Founding President of PLUME and was previously the Editorin-Chief of HEIGHTS Ateneo. He is also a graduating senior finishing his degree in AB Literature (English).

Rafael H. Garcia, Mawi D. Javines, Max Maquiling, Miguel H. Palmero, Kaiser F. Patawaran, Trisha M. Purificacion, Enrikko Sibayan, Riana V. Tumale

SOCIAL MEDIA Liv Alquiza, Ashlee Baritugo, Regine Bautista, Daena Bigcas, Jose Angelo Buenaventura, Gabby Chrysokhou, Isabella C. Cruz, Mikka W. Dy, Maxine C. Marqueses, Noelle Paterno, Lucia A. Ramos, Achaiah Deanne Sayson, Kenzie Sy

BLUE JEANS

Mementos TRISTAN M. ALMEIDA

Seize the day

“I THOUGHT I lost you.”

These were the first of the many last words I’ve heard as I slipped in and out of consciousness because of my condition. Struggling with a seizure disorder is not as black and white as it sounds—it’s not as simple as taking medications and avoiding flashing lights to keep the brain healthy. Rather, it’s also a constant fear of social stigma, anxiety, and death that rots the brain inside out.

My relationship with my brain has been a complicated one. On the one hand, I’m thankful that I’m able to have the mind that

I have, the thoughts that I think, and the feelings that I feel. On the other, I hate that I constantly have to take medications for a disorder I never asked for, take extra precautions my friends don’t have to, and fear that I might close my eyes and wake up on another hospital bed. Back in high school, I had a classmate who suffered from the same disorder. The only difference between the two of us was that he told our class while I kept it secret. Every day, there would be a new joke about his condition—they would tease him with the lights, liken

him to a fish flailing without water, and laugh at his abnormality. This was where I learned that it’s dangerous to not be normal.

When I first learned about my seizure disorder, I was playing video games in my room with my sister. I was a little short on sleep, but it was still a normal day of us gaming and playing Pokémon. According to my memory, I took a long blink to rest my eyes. But, the next thing I knew was that I woke up in an ambulance—my mom at my side, oxygen being pumped into my lungs, and an unprocessed confusion in my body that made me cry in fear.

My mom said, “I thought I lost you,” with tears and panic on her face. In retrospect, it was quite traumatic hearing that you were this close to knocking on death’s door. You’d think

Taking flight

I HAVE always loved airports. With a father working abroad, I felt that going there meant welcoming him home or sending him off. Of course, the former was always preferred as it would include a quick stop at Duty Free for chocolates and the next few months with a complete household.

On the other hand, seeing him leave would be rough as I was never a fan of long-distance calls. But, if it was done to provide for our family, how could I complain? Besides, I knew he would come back. I was always sure he would come back.

Plot twist: he didn’t. Well, technically, he did. But, four years ago, the man we sent off came back as a cold body in a wooden casket. The skies matched the somber mood as we waited in the cargo area instead of the usual arrivals bay. We were at an airport, but hated every second of it.

The months after made me wonder if I would always just be a fraction of who I once was after losing someone that important. I rooted myself in what I found familiar, and I had forgotten that it could disappear if fate wills it to. It made me despise the idea of any kind of departure. Why let people move around if it meant even the slightest chance of never coming back? I didn’t get an answer. But, after a lot of self destruction, I found my footing again. This time, no airports, no chocolates,

no calls—just one blind step at a time to get my life together.

Then, I had to fly to Manila to further pursue my education.

Like everyone else, I was ecstatic. It was this excitement that almost made me forget about what I would have to face.

Suddenly, I was in an airport bound for a new city. Years had passed at this point, but my hands were just as clammy at the mere sight of the structure. There were too many scenarios playing in my head, each one holding a memory of my dad in the very same halls. The urge to take a step back was strong, but it took everything in me to brave through and do what I had to.

As of writing, I have been to the airport more in the past months than in the last few years combined. Getting my ID and flight itinerary ready to show guards became second nature. Packing bags felt like a routine. Waiting lounges turned to safe spaces. Sometimes, I don’t even notice the plane taking off anymore. It is a constant process, but like a lot of things, airports now hold new meanings for me. I was glad that it brought me to a different world, yet at times it would also make me feel guilty. I was now getting too familiar with airports, flights, and even cargo. It made me wonder if this implied that I was slowly forgetting home. Was I forsaking my grief and my dad’s memory every time I looked forward to departures?

The analects

LEI P. MACARANAS

Coming out? No, letting people in

FOR THE younger me, studying in a Catholic all-girls school for more than a decade stood as an acceptable reason to not acknowledge the fact that my sexuality was unconventional. The idea that it may be just a phase led me to believe that I didn’t have to tell people who or what I am. After all, I thought that there was always the chance I would eventually return to the default—that is, wanting the opposite sex.

I felt like I didn’t have to conform to anything. This is why as early as fifth grade, I started dressing and appearing masculine. I started investing in hobbies that were thought of as masculine. I

had shameless crushes on my cute classmates. Not putting a label on my sexuality then gave me the freedom to fully express myself in any way I wanted to. However, once I matured, I realized that not explicitly telling people I was gay was just a sign of me being in denial.

I didn’t tell people I was gay because I had this inner feeling of obligation to return to being straight. Other than that, I definitely didn’t want to give other people the power to label me, put me in a certain box, and dictate whom I can like or not like. I struggled with the thought that I would have to tell every person in my

that dying could be something a little more predictable, like old age. But, that day, I learned that death could happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime, and I told myself to always live life to the fullest.

Despite that, I didn’t tell anyone about my condition in fear of being the butt of the joke, just like my old classmate. I would take my medications in secret, party like there was no tomorrow, and stay up until the ungodly hours of the night with my friends. After a year of being medication-free, I felt invincible. I did things that I couldn’t normally do like party in clubs and ride on roller coasters, and eventually I forgot I even had my condition. But, that’s how I learned an important lesson that even if the mind

suppresses memories, the body remembers trauma.

In 2022, I went out on a trip with my closest friends. The day was normal, and we were ready to play mahjong and make core memories. Little did I know, I would become the core memory. In true déjà vu fashion, I was a little short on sleep and decided to take a long blink— I’m pretty sure you know what came next. I woke up in an ambulance, with my friend’s hand on mine calming me down with a damaged smile. “Not again,” I said to myself as my body contracted and my eyes teared up from the fear of dying again. I most certainly conditioned myself to forget that I went through something like this, but the feeling in my body was all too familiar. I didn’t like it—

I despised it—but now I’ve realized that this is a part of me. Perhaps the uncertainty of death comes to me in the form of my disorder. It’s a blessing and a curse to be aware of it as it teaches me to live life to the fullest. But, am I living life to the fullest in hopes of making today matter or in fear that there won’t be a tomorrow? Every day I wake up to a bed and thank God that it isn’t a hospital bed again, and every day I relish the fact that every blink isn’t the last one. When you’re more aware of the things that make your life worth living, then no bodily disorder can hold you back. My advice? “Seize” the day as they all say. And, make sure that even if you’re unaware that you’re living the last day of your life, you’re living your life happily and making every second matter.

Maybe it was for the best

Hours in airports made me reflect on this. My whole life I was convinced that I was defined by what I find familiar. And, while that may be true, it does not mean that I am caged by it. Yes, certain places hold painful memories, but we take whatever chance we get to make the hurt subside. Maybe that’s why roundtrip tickets are a thing. You go somewhere new and explore to your heart’s content. Then, you use that experience to go back to where you came from—only this time a little less naive of the world around you.

I thought my life would remain broken after losing my father, but I am allowed to find things that make me feel whole again. What distinguishes me is not what I go through, but how I deal with it. Perhaps my true identity is one I’m still building.

Taking flight has become an integral part of my life now, and slowly, I have become more and more at ease. I don’t know where my next destination may be, but what matters is that I have found an appreciation for the hustle and bustle of it all. I find myself smiling over every trip, grateful that it is possible. I imagine every view of the heavens is a mile closer to wherever my dad may be. I have allowed myself to take on new heights, knowing full well that I will always land when the flight is over.

And, just like that, I learned to love airports again.

life about my sexuality because then, I would have to emotionally and mentally prepare myself each time for their reaction.

I already told my parents about it. Even though I had a good “coming out” experience compared to others, it still took a lot of sleepless nights and overthinking before taking that ultimate leap of faith.

Now that I’ve truly accepted that I’ll never be the “default” society expects of me, I’ve realized that I don’t have to come out to everyone. I don’t have to prove that I have no problem with showing who I am. Instead of taking on that tough task—and the repetitive, demanding feeling of needing to come out— I would rather let people in.

The mindset of having to make these grand announcements about my sexuality initially felt obligating and pressuring. Now, I would rather embrace

I STILL vividly remember our conversation at the dinner table, long after everyone else went upstairs: “You know Gap, there really are lessons in life I only could have learned after my mom died.” Barely 10 years old at the time, I didn’t know why I was being told something so morbid.

My mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer back in 2006. After an additional five cancer recurrences, 11 years of chemotherapy, and countless visits to the hospital, my mom passed away on July 3, 2017. In retrospect, I guess it made sense why she was preparing me for the worst—she had gone through it and came out an even stronger person.

Although a considerable amount of time has passed since, I can’t say that dealing with the grief has been any easier. There are days that are harder than others. On some, calling a friend in tears and blabbering incomprehensibly is all I can do to try and alleviate the pain. On others, the grief stays like a candlelit flame, alive and burning, yet a little bit warm as well. While it hasn’t always been this way, I started to find warmth in my grief once I thought about the kind of person I had to become without my mom around anymore.

When it came to my academics, my mom was a staunch believer that diligence preceded excellence. I was taught how to manage my screen time, to keep

the opportunity to choose who enters my life and who gets to know the part of me that I’ve been delicate with for a long time.

Once I realized this new perspective, I continued to confidently express myself. Only this time, the big difference was I didn’t have the lingering thought of explaining. Instead, I opened up to the people I trusted, the people whom I deemed worthy to really know me. Then, I certainly enjoyed the intimate connections and getting-to-knows that went beyond the normative labels and standards.

The frustrating need for me to constantly validate myself and my confidence eventually disappeared. In its place, there emerged a new need for me to be surrounded by people who love and accept me. The beautiful thing about letting the right people in was that soon, I realized

consistent tabs on my grades, and not to procrastinate. While I’m a far cry from that picture-perfect student that she wanted me to be, I eventually learned to become independent for the benefit of my studies.

As for household duties, I had to pick up a lot of responsibilities at home. These were tasks that, when handed to me, were second nature, mainly because I already had the chance to observe my mom do the same.

Even down to the little things, I know that who I am today is greatly attributed to the fact that my mom can’t physically be here anymore. I see it in the way I carry around a medicine stash at all times, on the off chance someone might need it, just like she did. I see it in food as our shared love language, especially since cooking and feeding the people that mean the most to me is how I show my affection. I even see it in our incomparable level of judgmentalness, in our shared side-eyes and eyebrow-raises when we used to have our weekday mall dates.

While these quirks—good and bad—act as a reminder that Mommy might not be around anymore, they are little bits and pieces of her I choose to carry within me. Looking at it from a different perspective, who I am today is greatly shaped by her physical absence—a desire to fill in the Pilar-shaped hole that she left.

their support and comfort led me to more love and acceptance for who I am.

Don’t get me wrong—other members of the LGBTQ+ community might feel more comfortable with the notion of coming out. I don’t disagree with them on that. Everyone has the freedom to come to terms with their sexuality in their own unique way; the only thing that matters is that they feel empowered to act on their own volition.

If my younger self could only see how much I’ve grown, she would see that letting people in also means letting herself in. You are allowed to take the time to discover who you are and the kind of people you want to be surrounded with.

It’s a long and arduous process but it’s nothing short of fulfilling—because now, you feel more open and welcoming of yourself than ever.

To me, one of the primary reasons I am who I am today is because of her death.

It might sound absurd, but I have always felt the need to reconcile an idea of me that also “died” with my mom and the person standing here today. There has always been this polarizing tension: words cannot describe how much I miss my mom, but at the same time, I can’t ascertain wanting her to have stayed either.

Hear me out, I would not wish the passing of a parent on my worst enemy. I just think that my experience of grief was always more complicated than pangs of sadness and I-miss-you’s. It included living a life in spite of my loved one’s death and navigating through a world where they could not physically share the same space with me like they used to. It also became about taking the time to appreciate the me that emerged, amidst all that darkness.

That being said, there are a lot of things in my life or characteristics about me that I know could have ended up better if my mom were around. Despite all these chinks in my own being that have surfaced over the years, I’m still content with how far I’ve come.

This year marks the fifth of many to come. I miss my mom dearly, but I’ve also grown to be proud of the person I had to become, now that she isn’t around anymore.

Umbrae GAP B. ESTRELLA

Aparecium HANNAH MANTOS

The beautiful thing about letting the right people in was that soon, I realized their support and comfort led me to more love and acceptance for who I am.

Two cents

DERICK M. GABRILLO

NEOLIBERALISM IS a term often misunderstood and thrown around as a catch-all for everything wrong in society. In the simplest terms, “Neoliberalism” describes policies that give the market a free hand to operate while maintaining a strong state. This means relaxed regulations, heightened state security, and free trade that all result in lower prices, improved quality of life, and reduced poverty—in theory. In practice, it is a deeply flawed system that worsens inequality among nations and classes. The latter is often the center of everyday discussions on the matter but it is often forgotten that neoliberalism, at least in the Philippines, has been a force for freedom and for good.

The People Power Revolution of 1986 saw not only former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. ousted from power but also sought the liberation of national industry. It was not just the government that needed restructuring at the time but the economy too. The Marcosera oligarchy funneled public money through state-owned enterprises into the pockets of cronies. This resulted in grave inefficiencies, especially in public utilities that every Filipino relied on. The revolution was, in part, a response to these economic injustices imposed by the dictatorship.

It was only natural that citizens and economic planners were averse to government controls on the market, fearing corruption and mismanagement. International financial institutions also required liberalization as a condition for access to foreign capital. A lighter touch was needed to escape the debt and refill the empty coffers that

The good, the bad, and the ugly of Philippine Neoliberalism

Marcos had left behind. As a result, the newly inaugurated President Corazon Aquino had no choice but to adopt neoliberal policies and privatize Philippine industry. It worked. Philippine Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would eventually recover from the Marcos-era slump. Employment increased and prices were stable. However, it was not enough and it did not take long for problems in the system to surface.

flock to Twitter or Facebook and complain about “late-stage capitalism,” another nebulous term, or tag things as neoliberal in an attempt to discredit them. Ironically, they do so on platforms and devices they only have access to thanks to the systems they decry. “Working within the system” is no excuse for such hypocrisy as that very system, neoliberal capitalism, allows them to choose alternatives, boycott, or even make their own platforms and devices.

No one is forcing you to consume. If you do not like it, then do not use it.

You do not want socialism. What you want is welfare.

Anger without critical thought is not indignation—it is just noise. A fair assessment of other economic systems throughout history will provide the same conclusion about neoliberalism as what Winston Churchill arrived at regarding democracy: “[it] is the worst form of government— except for all the others that have been tried.”

Bitiw

JOACHIM S. MELO

AS THE sun sets and the breeze travels through JSEC on this cool March afternoon, allow me to pay homage to my college story. Hopefully, I get to impart some form of comfort to you as well, wherever you are.

THERE WILL BE GOOD DAYS

Let it be known

handful that you’ve been lucky enough to experience everything with. They’re it, they’re them, and everything’s good.

There will be no other time like this. Enjoy it. Simultaneously, there will be so many other times like this. Cherish every single one of them.

Labor rights continued to be circumvented through contractualization. Unsustainable resource extraction practices are still overlooked. The rich got richer and the poor got slightly less poor. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index and GDP figures, touted as indicators of development, felt like baldfaced lies. They were not seen as proof of success but served as another reminder of the broken promises of 1986 for social and economic justice.

I do not contest the fact that there have been failures, but so often do people blindly complain about the neoliberal system that has brought emancipation for so many, all in the guise of indignation. Keyboard warriors

The party behind the scenes of the party

BY PAO F. VERGARA

MONTHS AGO, when the year was still young, I came across an article from The GUIDON’s Features section about drinking as part of the quintessential college experience. It was a back-and-forth framing two voices, that of those who drank and that of those who didn’t, not necessarily an argument, but a synthesis.

A brief segue: Allow me to say that, having worked in media since graduating, campus journalism remains one of the last truly independent bastions in the country, not answering to any corporate bottomline or political backer.

As a wise man once said, Sana all Centuries ago, the Japanese monk Yoshida Kenko in “Essays

in Idleness” mused on the beauty of festivals. It wasn’t the actual festivities that he spotlighted, but observing how people struck down the decor and dismantled the platforms, he argued that witnessing the end of the festival—and in the process, realizing the transience of life—completed the whole event’s beauty.

Kenko never expected people to read his diary, it was long after his death that it was given attention, when a title was appended to it.

It’s easy to romanticize this period as one of kimonos, boatmen on clear canals, and wandering poets, but Japan then was also a feudal society much like ours today. Dogen Zenji, a contemporary of

Although neoliberalism is not unproblematic, we cannot deny its role as a tool for liberation and development. The freedom won by People Power did not start and end at the ballot box. It brought us the power that lights our homes, the water we drink, and the money that changes hands from the executives to the workers. It created a more equitable Philippines than the one that came before. Beyond liberation, we must seek justice through the framework that has already been built and works.

We must acknowledge both the faults and successes of these efforts. Only then can we begin to find and fix what is broken in our society.

Kenko’s and also a monk wrote, “The streams ran red with blood,” referring to the political killings between rival lords and their retainers.

No wonder then, that amidst all this turmoil, contemplatives like Kenko and Zenji had to find ways to stay sane, such as through finding what beauty was there. How far is centuries ago from today, after all?

I think there’s another beauty in what Kenko witnessed in festivals: The parties going on behind the scenes of the party, in striking decor up and down, in building and dismantling platforms, and the bonds forged along the way by those who made the party happen.

Back then, I wasn’t really the party type, but I did enjoy organizing events. I remember bonding backstage with others like me, as all around, arms and bodies swayed to the DJ’s rhythms. We introverts sipped our beers, nodding along, knowing that hey, we made all this happen.

I remember once walking by the McDonald’s across Marikina

There will be days of a more-good-than-bad nature throughout your life in the Loyola Schools (LS), and these should be treated as blissful—as is the way of things with tired college students. Then, there will be days when you feel absolutely unstoppable, when you float through Red Brick Road, groove along SEC Walk, and become filled with excitement at the sight of your friends in JSEC. My college life—and I’m willing to bet most of my batchmates’ college journeys also—continues to be characterized by a plethora of people, each with their own unique and colorful identities. From afternoons in the PubRoom with GUIDONeers to the beer and sisig wings that have formed my happiest senior year memories, the vibrancy of college life can undeniably be attributed to the warmth of friends. There have been good days, and these good days are more often than not traced back to my time with those I’ve grown closest to.

These loved ones are those individuals who make everything worthwhile. You’ve failed tests with a few of them. You’ve walked through the sweltering summer heat on campus with some of them. You’ve enjoyed JSEC and Gonzaga food with many of them. And, you’ve gone on joyrides and sanity walks filled with stories and laughter around Ateneo with a couple of them. Then, there’s the

Sports Center one night. It was late, no longer evening but not quite midnight, and I heard singing and saw yellow lights. It turns out the staff were celebrating the birthday of one of theirs, poppers, trumpets, candles on a cake, phones out to record the moment of surprise and singing.

Nearby, at the intersection of Shoe Avenue and Sumulong Highway, police and paramedics cordoned off a lane as two cars crashed into each other.

In popular consciousness, certain experiences are considered essential to certain stages of life. Miss out on them and you pretty much missed out on said stage. College is one such stage with a certain set of “quintessential experiences.”

But college is more than what old movies and social media make it out to be: it’s that one place and time where ideas roam freely, when one expresses oneself freely. Even working students may find a freedom they’ll look back to once the daily grind of post college life commences.

Everything is as it should be.

a lot of the time things will end up going wrong. College experiences that go awry are what allow us to make peace with the fact of life that there’s no other way to deal with a bad day than to simply get through it. This is not a message of “everything will get better.” This is a message of “if it were meant to be, it either should have been by now, or it will be later.”

THERE WILL BE DAYS THAT DON’T MAKE SENSE

I have become intimately familiar with the in-betweener days, the times when everything just feels normal. Throughout my stay in the LS, there have been so many times someone has asked me how class went, and how a particular meeting, event, or even party was.

All my feelings could be summed up in three words: “it was okay.” Responses like this are not for a lack of words to describe how I truly feel, or because my day was secretly bad; it really was just okay.

THERE WILL BE BAD DAYS

There will be days when it feels like the universe is playing one big joke on you. There will be days that are more bad than good, and then there will be days that are just plain awful.

There have been days when all I wanted was to get off campus. There have been times when not even my best friends could cheer me up—and they didn’t have to—anyway, it was never their responsibility to. I know that bad days are to be expected. Bad days are par for the course, and if they never existed, then I would have never really been pushed to figure out the things that truly matter. College is constructed in such a way that we’re afforded more opportunities to make mistakes, to experiment, to live and learn—and

While in college we chased deadlines, the pressure of full adulthood lingered in the background. In college, I made certain mistakes that, if made later, would be harder to bounce back from. One can experiment, one can mess around and find out. That’s freedom. That’s the quintessential college experience.

College is an ivory tower for a reason. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing, the term “ivory tower.” Seen another way, it’s like temporarily escaping the city, heading to a summit, in order to view it in a new light.

A lot of the theories discussed in class make sense when experienced after graduation, and a lot of murky phenomena clear up with theory.

Like the wandering poetmonks of Heian-era Japan, college is for most a time of meandering, a cup of sake under the cherry trees, for drinkers and non-drinkers alike. We’re able to talk about the blood on the streams from a safe distance, with the guidance and tools to process it.

Don’t worry if you feel like you’ve missed out on “quintessential experiences.”

It’s not your fault especially today as the country is tentatively (re)opening, as we’re (re)learning to bridge social distancing and be with and among each other again.

For those who started college in 2020, I don’t blame you if you’re gonna catch up on everything you missed: the live UAAP games, the group meals, org life, the barefoot walks on open fields after a

So often have I thought that I should always feel as if I’m on top of the world and beside myself with joy and excitement, as if that’s the only acceptable way to go through college. Yet, when it comes to actually preparing myself to leave campus, I can see now that the days that don’t make sense are actually much more significant than they initially seem to be.

On these days, do what you want. Go out. Sleep in. Be active in class. Cut class. Have a slow afternoon with friends in Matteo. Visit your org room. Stroll through the SOM Forest. Or, just talk to a loved one in JSEC. On days like these, stop worrying about how you think you should feel; sometimes just being is perfectly okay.

particularly riveting test, the drinking—be it alcohol, coffee, or whatnot.

The drinking! With good company, with company who gets it, with company who, at this moment in time, gets you for you, with company that’s finally beyond a screen and in the flesh.

You may have missed some typical “essential experiences” but you never know how the unique experiences you found in lieu of the “essential” ones make fertile ground, making you ripe to fully enjoy the experiences to come after graduation.

The world has space for everyone, after all. And like mangoes, don’t we all flower at different times? I’ve had friends who partied tons in college go on silent retreats five years after, while the wallflowers at parties now dance freaky in Poblacion.

You never know what selves you’ll encounter later, especially if you don’t miss out on the self, the you, experiencing the world right now in this one fleeting but perfect moment.

There’s a party going on.

And it’s here. It’s everywhere.

Pao F. Vergara was a member of The GUIDON Features Staff, AY 2015–2016. Vergara is currently a freelance journalist, cultural worker, and multimedia producer whose works have appeared on the Manila Bulletin, the Inquirer, ABS-CBN, Art Plus Magazine, and NewsNarratives, to name a few. Vergara has also been volunteering across Philippine Zen centers since 2016.

Anger without critical thought is not indignation—it is just noise.

On days like these, stop worrying about how you think you should feel; sometimes just being is perfectly okay.

One can experiment, mess around, and find out. That’s freedom. That’s the quintessential college experience.

The meteoric rise of women’s volleyball

WITH WELL-ESTABLISHED

collegiate and professional leagues, all coupled with an seemingly undying fanbase, women’s volleyball continues to make waves as one of the most followed sports in the country. The magnetic personalities of coaches and players, the competitive playing field, and even the marketing of the sport and teams have all contributed to its present colossal following.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Making its local debut in 1910, volleyball was like most sports in that it had to find its footing before developing competitions. With the eventual University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ (UAAP) inauguration in 1938, volleyball was among the few sports able to begin a tournament for women in the collegiate ranks. Its inclusion immediately sparked support from fans and athletes alike once it was put into effect. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) followed suit in 1964. However, it would take 11 seasons before it would include a women’s division in the fold. The sport’s rapid surge in popularity brought by the UAAP and the NCAA prompted the industry to establish better avenues for the country’s best talents to display their abilities.

The Shakey’s V League (SVL) was the first league that catered to the growing demand for the

sport in 2004. This league was then recognized for gathering the top players of the collegiate ranks to assemble highly competitive matches that were more entertaining to watch.

In 2011, SVL invited non-school teams including corporatelyowned squads into the mix in order to heighten the competitiveness of the tournament. The event later transitioned into the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), which improved on the league’s composition. One of the moves was a name change, which helped involve more companies to start joining the league.

Most recently, the biggest change to the PVL has been its shift to a completely company-based platform in 2020. The collegiate teams from the UAAP and the NCAA were transferred to the Shakey’s Super League to make for more parity in both events.

MONUMENTAL SHIFT

With volleyball now shifted to an entertainment spectacle, its rise to popularity can actually be owed a lot to UAAP and its fair share of historic teams.

From multiple three-peat champions De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers, to current title holders National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, the league has been graced with countless generational talents. The world of volleyball has also seen a lot of iconic names

from the program of the Blue and White.

The early days of the UAAP Women’s Volleyball Tournament saw the Blue Eagles struggling to raise their banner as volleyball champions. Other teams were already established by the time Ateneo was introduced to the league, and the Katipunan-based school could not keep up with the rest of the pack. However, things would change in UAAP Season 71.

With the arrival of Gretchen Ho, Fille Cainglet-Cayetano, Dzi Gervacio, Jem Ferrer, and Aillysse Nacachi—collectively known as the Fabulous Five—hopes of a new age in Ateneo volleyball gained remarkable traction.

The popularity of the Fabulous Five propelled the previously overlooked Ateneo team into the radar of other universities. Schools started to respect whatever was brewing up in Loyola Heights, especially with how the Blue Eagles raised the competition level in the following seasons, which brought fresh recognition to the sport. Despite exiting the UAAP without a championship, the influence these girls had laid the foundation for what indeed was a new and exciting era in volleyball’s collegiate scene.

This momentum only continued with the emergence of an Ateneo legend. At a time when DLSU’s reign as champions looked unbreakable, a 5’9” prodigy hailing from San Juan,

Batangas stood tall against the dynasty in Taft.

Alyssa Valdez made her debut in the Fabulous Five’s pen ultimate season in the UAAP, but her moment as Queen Eagle would not come until Season 76—two seasons after her inclusion into the team. Having won the Most Valuable Player award, Valdez steered Ateneo into a Cinderella run that dethroned the mighty DLSU as UAAP champions. In the following season, Valdez once again led the Blue Eagles, this time to a perfect 14-0 eliminations round standing that ended in back-to-back championship titles for Ateneo. The second title not only cemented Valdez’ legacy in Philippine collegiate sports, but also signified the final push that volleyball needed to cement itself as a celebrated and revered sport in the country.

The eras of the Fabulous Five and the legendary Valdez in Ateneo marked an exciting time for volleyball on both the collegiate and national levels. They introduced brand new fans to the sport and turned games into events that drew record-breaking crowd attendance. While their rise was as quick as a libero’s first contact, their impact on the now-beloved sport felt like a well-timed spike from a perfectly-positioned set.

As they stand their ground in the struggle for equality in sports, women continuously prove that to play like a girl is to play like a champion.

This surge in popularity and impact of volleyball can be linked to a variety of factors, one of which is the improved level of play, due in large part to the notable progression of the players. Enhancing their oncourt action led to more entertaining matchups and more competitive atmospheres as the parity between squads started to grow.

Another factor in the sport’s expanding popularity is the growth of social media, which has opened a sandbox for fans to discuss or even debate about the game they love. It is with the likes of platforms such as Twitter and Facebook that help garner the engagement that the sport has become accustomed to at the moment.

While skill and talent play an enormous role in making volleyball what it is today, this is far from the only reason why fans are so enamored with the sport to begin with. The players’ offcourt personas have captured the fans’ hearts, too. These include love teams like the ongoing relationship between F2 Logistics’ Ivy Lacsina and Choco Mucho’s Deanna Wong. These also include players simply being good people, like Choco Mucho’s Bea De Leon’s scholarship grant.

From other fan favorites like Kianna Dy to Cherry Rondina, different universities are able to

BY ETHAN M. ENCARNACION AND ANTON E. MERCADO

showcase likable personalities that have the influence to bring in packs of people to support their squads. The professional leagues are no stranger to the hype as well, as notable college stars that head to the PVL carry their fans along with them. With jam-packed crowds during rivalry games and quirky broadcast segments to help boost engagement, there is no doubt that fans are alive and well in both the college and professional tournaments.

With all of these factors that have come into play, it is becoming clear that the sport is coming into its own and is on the right track to doing bigger things in the industry. Women’s volleyball has positioned itself not only as a source of profit for the sport, but it has also proven itself as an avenue where women’s talents can be celebrated.

As the country’s most famous women’s sport, its platform to inspire the next generation of female athletes is as high as it’s ever been. With this, the different volleyball leagues have become a beacon of where the sports department’s standards should be at, by continuing to revolutionize every aspect of sports from media coverage to player personalities. With so much the sport has to offer, its vibrant atmosphere will continue to bring in more people to the world of sports entertainment, may it be on and off the volleyball court.

THE NEW ERA

RISING STARS. Women’s volleyball in the Philippines has seen an incredible surge in popularity, solidifying itself as a force to be reckoned with, especially with its unrelenting fanbase.

PHOTOS BY KARL DIMACULANGAN AND PAULINA SINGH GRAPHIC BY JACOB YAP

Sports

Bea De Leon: Building a legacy the Ateneo way

FROM HER time as Queen Eagle of the Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team, Bea de Leon’s legacy in the Ateneo community continues to shine beyond her athletic mastery. After a fateful online encounter with Ayen Retuta, who was in need of extra financial assistance to pursue an undergraduate degree in the Loyola Schools, Bea was able to establish the Bea de Leon Scholarship.

LEADERSHIP AND EXCELLENCE PERSONIFIED

Coming into the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) league in Season 77, Bea made an immediate impact as a key piece in an Ateneo Women’s Volleyball team that strung together an undefeated run to capture the Season 77 title. The middle blocker-stalwart displayed her strong athleticism with effective blocking and high-flying spikers, contributing in areas where the Blue Eagles needed her the most. Acquiring more experience in her five-year collegiate tenure molded Bea into a more capable leader, as she led the Blue Eagles by skill and character.

Playing out her final year in Season 81 after a period of deliberation, the now Philippine Volleyball League standout made sure to exit the halls of Loyola Heights triumphantly. With her leadership being instrumental to her role as team captain, Bea helped end Ateneo’s four-year championship drought and was awarded the Finals’ Most Valuable Player.

AYEN RETUTA BEA DE LEON SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

While her list of athletic accolades positions her as a hallmark of excellence in the game of volleyball, one should not look past the greatness embodied by Bea off the court. Being a well-rounded individual right from her upbringing, Bea ensured that her time as an Atenean would not be squandered.

BY RALPH ANTHONY BAUTISTA AND SEAN JHOYZE BORRES

Although she did not want to initially take up an athletic scholarship granted by Ateneo, Bea later accepted it as she sought to eventually “pay it forward.” She maximized her opportunity by exhibiting her academic prowess—graduating as a consistent dean’s lister with a degree in AB Management Economics and currently taking up Masters in Sustainability Management still in Ateneo. Being an exemplar of the “Ateneo way,” Bea was also listed as a finalist for the 2018 Ambrosio Padilla Athlete of the Year Award.

Beyond displaying what she is capable of outside her sport, Bea proves to be a worthy role model through her philanthropic generosity. Now 26 years of age, Bea turned her pre-established vision of paying her scholarship forward into reality, founding the Bea De Leon Scholarship Program earlier this 2023.

PAYING IT FORWARD TO THE ATENEO COMMUNITY

Unbeknownst to Ayen at the time, a tweet she would make last April 2022 that detailed her acceptance into the Ateneo de Manila University prompted Bea to work towards the creation of her scholarship. Despite not being granted a scholarship, Ayen’s tweet was an expression of gratitude that her dream school selected her, tagging Bea and Thirdy Ravena—both of whom are Ayen’s idols.

Like a story of fate, Bea saw the tweet and reached out to Ayen via direct message. Bea, after discovering Ayen’s background—a consistent honor student in high school, active in extracurricular activities, and a scholar all throughout—realized this was the opportunity she was waiting for to give back to the Ateneo community.

An idea that began between Bea and Ayen’s online exchange led to the creation of the Bea de Leon Scholarship. During their Twitter conversations, Bea asked Ayen if she wanted to be her scholar and the eager soonto-be Atenean did not hesitate to say yes. According to Ayen, “A tweet being liked by your idol is one [thing], but being your idol’s scholar is another.”

The Bea de Leon Scholarship was officially established in the Loyola Schools (LS) last January 27 through a Memorandum of Agreement Signing led by University President Roberto “Bobby” Yap, SJ. After filing all the necessary paperwork, Ayen was eventually admitted to LS under the BS Management program.

Ayen, prior to being the first recipient of the eponymous scholarship, has been a fan of Bea since the Blue Eagle’s championship run in UAAP Season 77. Ayen has noted that her admiration for de Leon stemmed from her ability to excel in both the volleyball court and the school halls, her “heartstrong” personality, and her faith in God.

These traits embodied by Bea motivate Ayen to be “limitless in achieving her goals, to strive amidst trying times and to treat everyone with an open heart and give back to the community whenever possible.” Apart from Ayen, Bea has inspired many to work hard in pursuit of their dreams—as seen in her many fans who are motivated by her to this day.

While her initial acceptance to Ateneo was a joyous moment, Ayen also opened up about how she perceived herself to be unfortunate. Not being granted an Ateneo scholarship initially added to the long list of events in Ayen’s life where she considered herself to be unlucky. However, “Being miraculously chosen by [de Leon] and her family [as their scholar] has broken down this unhealthy barrier that I built for myself,” shared Ayen. She added, “The scholarship gave [her whole family and herself] hope of having a much more comfortable life in the future.”

Thus, the de Leon Scholarship has drastically affected the life of Ayen beyond the opportunity to attend her dream school; it has also affected her on a deep personal level as well.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Bea shared that the next step for the scholarship is to determine the definite systems moving forward. As Ayen’s case was primarily built on fate, the scholarship selection process would be formalized, including

the application process and what qualifications criteria a hopeful applicant must possess.

Moreover, Bea hopes to get her fellow athletes to come together and fund a certain amount to help create scholarships to aid future students like Ayen. Through these types of scholarships, it is also a way of returning the opportunity that was given to them by the Ateneo athletic scholarship. As Bea’s dream is to have a studentathlete scholarship, given that she herself was a student-athlete, the establishment of the Bea de Leon Scholarship is only the beginning.

A WOMAN FOR OTHERS

The meaning of sports and volleyball, which Ayen used to see as a mere platform for athletes to play, has immensely changed. “I owe it to volleyball for teaching my 14-year-old self how to dream… Sports and volleyball have blessed me with people like [de Leon] and her family who have sparked a difference in my life and wish the best for me.”

As the well-known Ateneo saying goes—“to be persons for others”—the creation of the Bea de Leon scholarship undoubtedly solidifies Bea’s embodiment of the Ateneo way. From Ayen’s perspective, not many athletes go to such lengths to be of service to others—quite clearly, this is de Leon’s legacy. After all, an athlete’s critical role in matters bigger than sports will far outshine any highlight they produce on the court.

A tweet being liked by your idol is one, but being your idol’s scholar is another.

I owe it to volleyball for teaching my 14-year-old self how to dream. [...] Sports and volleyball have blessed me with people like BDL and her family who sparked a difference in my life and wish the best for me.

Toward true women empowerment

BY MATTHEA P. LAZO ILLUSTRATION BY ALISSA CO

TIME AND time again, the undying dedication that female athletes delegate to their respective sports is undermined by low audience turnouts and insufficient media coverage. Such sidetracking of women’s sports is instigated by gender bland sexism, a contemporary gender framework that disguises sexism against women athletes as reactions to individual athletes’ performance. This makes women’s athletic accomplishments appear lackluster compared to those of men’s.

Whenever media teams fail in committing to appropriately cover women’s sports, they perpetuate the prejudiced belief that modern sports fans are uninterested in female athletes. However, to promote an environment where women’s sports are valued, sexist traditions in journalism and in the media must be put to an end.

MISOGYNY AND MISREPRESENTATION

It’s a fact that news teams disproportionally cover women’s sports, downplaying the achievements of female athletes.

Case in point, on the infrequent occasions when a women’s sports story is aired, it is usually a singular snippet that remains obscured by an extensive sequence of men’s stories that precede and follow it.

A study conducted by Purdue University found that television broadcasters feed viewers an unchanging diet of men’s sports. Even during the off-seasons, news teams tirelessly chronicle men’s football and men’s basketball to build and sustain audience enthusiasm and emotional connection to these sports. When broadcasters identify men’s sports as the most engaging hooks, broadcasters set the tone for what sports are considered worthy of technical investment and spectator interest.

This isolation of women’s sports from the media spotlight is also observable in the Philippines, as a result of higher production quality and largescale coverage of men’s sports stories. A thesis by students from the University of the Philippines Diliman found a large gap in University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) coverage by celebrated news companies.

In particular, sports news on UAAP Season 77 men’s basketball accounted for 96%, 93.5%, and 94.5% in Bulletin, Inquirer, and Star coverage, respectively. This completely overshadowed the number of stories each newspaper produced for women’s basketball, with only 2.2%, 4%, and 5.5% single-digit article shares.

News media has the power to trigger anticipatory excitement in fans by headlining highly sought-after stories. In this light, their continuous ignorance towards female athlete profiles inherently misleads fans to shy away from women’s sports. Unlike men’s sports that are followed by journalists in and out of the season, women’s sports may

remain out of focus as a result of such apathetic and inconsistent coverage tradition.

In the rare instances that women’s sports are televised, media corporations tend to stray away from women’s athleticism to seize the attention of fan bases and potential subscribers. When women’s sports do get covered, the coverage often becomes focused on femininity and attractiveness, rather than athleticism to gain views. As substantiated by a journal from the State University of New York, the female physique becomes the focal point of the media for traction. For instance, media teams zoom in on female athletes whose apparel displays a generous amount of skin, under the guise that they advocate for non-restrictive movement.

SPONSORING THE STEREOTYPE

Tying into the age-old stereotype of men dominating the world of sports, another crucial factor that legitimizes the scarce media coverage for, and severe spectatorship imbalance in, women’s sports is sponsorship disparity. Notable sports brands assess male athletes on their individual fame factors and athletic ability.

Female athletes, however, are substantially criticized for their physical appearance and their allure over their achievements or their skill records.

Press corporations nurture the impression that if a female athlete does not have the “ideal” athletic body, then she is not an ideal candidate for broadcasting. Similarly, media teams often partner with brands who market rather revealing sports apparel. Both institutions collectively promote these products through endorsement by known athletes.

However, such apparel is marketed under the premise that the cleavage and torso of female athletes must be consistently exposed. This forces female athletes to make the distressing choice between pursuing their careers under the radar, or gaining popularity by openly displaying their bodies to the public eye. Consequently, if prompted to openly display their physiques in the name of growing esteem, women with higher muscle mass or a more masculine build choose not to engage with press teams.

An example is former professional tennis player Anna Kournikova, who had once become the world’s most highly paid women’s tennis player. Through endorsements that spotlighted her sex appeal rather than highlighting her athleticism, Kournikova made more earnings than she did from playing tennis.

Such monetization of the female body subverts the focus on women’s sports as an avenue for women to pursue greatness and showcase their athletic potential. Audiences then become conditioned to become drawn to the sensual appeal of women’s bodies, when

all athletes should be celebrated for their prowess rather than championed for their desirability.

In a time where society is highly critical of slogans that disrespect the female athlete identity, media corporations are in need of ethical guidelines about circulating representations of active women in digital and print advertising. Such implementations may prevent errors that carry significant public relations liabilities and, possibly, economic liabilities with female consumers.

COMPETITIVE COUNTERBALANCE

When the notion of men being superior athletes is conveyed through commentators’ gender bland sexism, women’s sports become less celebrated. As such, more efforts should be invested in hiring women in journalism.

Since men greatly outnumber women in sports media, having more women in decision-making positions promotes an undeniable difference in prioritizing and discovering diverse narratives in the world of women’s sports. When a woman is in the space that sees the ways in which another woman succeeds, two perspectives merge to amplify the collective story of female success.

However, more women writing and producing sports stories does not necessarily translate to more women’s stories. Most journalists, regardless of their gender, prefer to cover men’s sports as a result of workplace culture. Bylines for women’s sports stories are often associated with junior reporters and interns as their first steps toward better career opportunities. Such genderbiased culture in sports journalism must change to accommodate and appreciate the opportunities that come with women’s sports coverage in order to set more significant changes in motion.

Ultimately, women in sports deserve to be given more of a voice rather than to just be shown on screen. In light of this, journalists must push back against insufficient and inappropriate coverage by prioritizing lesserknown stories of women in sports and promoting the successes of female athletes. Coverage cannot substantiate the accomplishments and athleticism of female athletes without journalists’ willingness to dive into conversation-worthy narratives of women’s sports. Sexism should not be at the epicenter of journalism because when the media frames its ideas to be gender-driven, it will never be compelled to tell greater stories.

Sexism should not be at the epicenter of journalism because when the media frames its ideas to be genderdriven, it will never be compelled to tell greater stories.

Sports Play like a girl

BY MARIT SAMSON

PHOTOS BY KARL DIMACULANGAN AND VIONNA VILLALON PHOTO COURTESY

WHY IS it a compliment if a woman receives the comment, “Para kang lalaki maglaro! (You play like a man),” but an insult if a man is described as someone who plays like a girl?

Female athletes have their backs to the rest of the pack as they take the lead in breaking biases and setting standards for Philippine sports. At the collegiate level, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines is an arena for stories of empowerment for young women in sports.

Last May 2022, Ateneo did its part in the fight against gender biases in sports by bestowing the “Blue Eagles” moniker to all teams. Prior to this, the said moniker was exclusively tagged to the Ateneo men’s sports teams, while all Ateneo women’s sports teams were distinguished from their male counterparts by having the word “Lady” in their titles.

According to University President Roberto C. Yap, SJ, “[The change to Blue Eagles] is a recognition of the fact that each of our student athletes, whatever their sport or year level, represents the mens sana in corpore sano (sound mind in a sound body) ideal: excelling in the classroom and in the sporting arena.”

This way, Ateneo’s generalization of the “Blue Eagles” not only promotes equality among all sports but aims to empower both men’s and women’s teams equitably.

Although we have come a long way from an era of exclusivity when sports was considered “not for girls,” there is still much work to be done. Looking at the genderbiased disparity in sponsorships and prize money, positions in the coaching force, and opportunities to go professional—the call to eliminate misogyny in the sports industry is still as urgent as ever.

Continuing the spirit of International Women’s Month last March, three female Ateneo athletes share their stories of transforming the phrase “play like a girl” from a derogatory phrase to an honorable crown of intellect, strength, and femininity.

HERSTORY IN THE MAKING

Women in esports don’t have it easy. Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) player Coleen “Cols” Pile claims that in her specific game, the future for female gamers is close to nothing at the moment. A big factor at play is the deeply-rooted stereotype that men are more skilled and more competitive players than women.

Pile shares, “I’d see some instances choose between a girl and a boy, they would choose a boy. [There’s a] mindset

talaga ‘yung lalaki yung

(I’d see some instances that if the team would choose between a girl and a boy, they would choose a boy. [There’s a] mindset that men are stronger [and] girls are being belittled.)

The male-biased stereotype in gaming also manifests in the use of language. Pile admits to receiving comments such as “ kang lalaki maglaro a man),” and “ sa babae

Upon further scrutiny, beneath these backhanded compliments lies the implication that men are the standard in gaming. However, Pile believes that if girls were given ample or equitable opportunities to showcase their excellence, men in esports would have no choice but to share the spotlight in the gaming arena.

Thus, in the e-sports scene, to play like a girl means to constantly combat long-standing stereotypes

while the struggle to earn a respected space in the industry continues. Despite the derogatory meaning attached to playing like a girl, Pile expresses a hopeful attitude as she confidently says it can be changed. In a male-dominated industry like esports, there is no question that women can be at par with their male competitors.

SMASHING STEREOTYPES

From playing in summer sports clinics when she was seven years old to competing for the Philippine National Team at the age of 16, Althea Ong proudly says that the sport of tennis has always felt empowering. “Tennis is something that made me who

playing since. Aside from the brutal games she endures, resisting misconceptions that downplay women invariably comes with being in the sport. Sophia is no exception to receiving remarks like “You could compete with the boys” or “You don’t care how you look when you

told to “care about” their looks while playing reinforces the idea that women should prioritize vanity over competitiveness. Ultimately, these stereotypes embedded in the sports discourse invalidate the generations of hard work done by women who came before.

She proudly adds, “If you’re a girl, you’re gonna play like a girl. You don’t even have to be biologically female. If you define yourself the way that you want and you play like a girl, that’s all it is. [It’s about] embracing femininity and turning it into power.”

Looking at the gender-biased disparity in sponsorships and prize money, positions in the coaching force, and opportunities to go professional, the call to eliminate misogyny in the sports industry is still as urgent as ever.

As they stand their ground in the struggle for equality in sports, women continuously prove that to play like a girl is to play like a champion.

SPORTS SPECIAL

OF PAUL SY

If you define yourself the way that you want and you play like a girl, that’s all it is. [It’s about] embracing femininity and turning it into power.

SOPHIA CARSI CRUZ

ATENEO WOMEN'S SOFTBALL

Beyond Loyola

Lost in the fire

THE PHILIPPINES is no stranger to heat, but this familiarity with warmth does not discount the fact that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported 13,029 fire incidents in 2022.

With the enactment of the BFP Modernization Act in 2021, ongoing discussions on the country’s ability to respond to these incidents center around the questions of sufficient manpower and equipment. However, factors such as poverty and urbanization continue to loom over the issue. These factors often force residents to resort to hazardous practices to meet their daily needs.

UNWELCOMED FIRE

In 2022, a single fire incident in Barangay Baesa, Quezon City resulted in an estimated Php 500,000 worth of property damage, affecting over 100 families.

According to the BFP National Capital Region (NCR) Senior Superintendent Douglas Guiyab, there are three main factors that affect causes of fire incidents, namely: socioeconomic status, type of occupancy, and population density. He states that areas that are more congested, including “tinderbox slums,” are less likely to be compliant with fire safety standards. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction also reports that informal settlements are more prone to fire hazards due to high building density and limited construction options, leaving residents with highly flammable materials.

In some parts of the Philippines, informal settlers have accepted the chance of fire as a part of their lives. Aside from the high population density and the use of easily combustible materials, some informal

settlements depend on illegal and unsafe electrical connections as their source of power.

Guiyab adds that there are highly dense areas in NCR, with small, packed streets making it difficult for firetrucks to operate.

In addressing this problem, Guiyab cites the firehose cabinet program, which reduced damages in populous areas.

Another problem that the BFP faces is the lack of fire zoning in some residential areas. The concept of fire zoning is used in urban planning in order to minimize the risk of fire spreading in a community. In the Philippines, fire zoning is mandated under the National Building Code, which includes the placement of specific buildings in an area based on occupancy, construction type, and resistance to fire. Implementation, however, remains lacking. “Once na nagkaroon ng fire incident, it is hard for us (BFP) dahil madaling matutok ‘yung [mga] bahay (It is difficult for the BFP to handle incidents because fire spreads easily when there is no fire zoning),” Guiyab states.

PROPPING UP DEFENSES

The Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008 provide that the BFP may coordinate with governmentowned and -controlled corporations and private institutions for assistance. Guiyab names petroleum companies among these institutions. He says that these petroleum companies help implement the proper storage and disposal of flammable materials to combat fires resulting from the backyard refilling of butane canisters. This is because when sold, these canisters holding what is known as “bote-bote”

gasoline pose serious threats to health and safety, as only licensed and authorized gas refilling stations can sell such products.

Moreover, the BFP NCR Intelligence and Investigation Section provides that electrical arcing or overloading of current in a circuit and loose connections were among the top causes of fire in Caloocan, Makati, Muntinlupa, and Quezon City last year. In response to these incidents, the BFP pursued a Memorandum of Agreement with the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to streamline joint fire response and assistance. Guiyab added that cooperation with Meralco helps reduce firefighters’ electrocution-related injuries and also contributes towards the BFP’s goal of reaching firegrounds within five to seven minutes, enhancing emergency response capabilities.

As of February 2023, the BFP NCR ALSO saw the procurement of over 3,000 fire hydrants in the East Zone of Metro Manila through its partnership with the region’s water concessionaire. Guiyab identified Manila Water as a water supplier for fire incidents and a provider of fire hydrants in strategic locations around the region.

Despite such advancements in the capability of the BFP to respond to fire incidents, there remain setbacks in the BFP operations, particularly concerning insufficient funding for equipment in the capital. However, according to Guiyab, this requires the Fire Safety and Enforcement Department to coordinate with the City Municipal Business Permits and Licensing Office to conduct inventory of buildings and establishments. He adds the importance of the BFP’s Fire Code

fee collection and the facilitation of payment systems, which are the main revenue sources for the purchase of fire trucks, firefighting equipment, and the construction of fire stations.

PREVENTION PARTNERSHIPS

Guiyab commended Executive Order No. 56 by former President Rodrigo Duterte, which allowed the BFP to become a primary service responder for medical emergencies, rescue operations, and material hazards. The order has resulted in increased procurement of fire trucks and personal protective equipment with hiked salaries and mass recruitment.

In 2021, the Bureau of Fire Protection Modernization Act was enacted to enhance personnel capability and acquire new fire prevention, suppression, investigation, and emergency medical and rescue service facilities and equipment. This, Guiyab notes, is to combat what the BFP National Headquarters recognized as a shortage in firefighters and deployable fire trucks nationwide.

Aside from standing fire prevention systems, Guiyab names community involvement as the largest contributing component to improving the country’s fire prevention capacity. “ Sa pamamagitan ng mga proyekto namin, like Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan, hindi kami nagkukulang sa pagpapaalala sa komunidad araw-araw sa mga pamamaraan [kung] paano makaiwas sa sunog (Through our projects, like Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan, we do not fail to remind the community everyday of ways to avoid fire),” Guiyab says.

However, the issue remains that some urban neighborhoods

have roads that are too narrow, often resulting in fire trucks being unable to enter certain passageways. As a response to this, Guiyab recalls BFP NCR Chief Superintendent Nahum Tarroza’s fire hose cabinet installation project, allowing residents to access fire suppression gear before BFP personnel arrive within their five-minute target response time. This project trains community members to properly respond to fire-related emergencies, which is one of the BFP’s goals.

The BFP also eyes the creation of more fire brigades and volunteer training for stronger fire prevention and response at the community level, as volunteer efforts have shown potential for disaster risk reduction and management. In previous years, the likes of the Bacolod Chamber and Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Amity Volunteer Fire Brigade have been awarded for their

BY CLAYTON DEJILLAS AND SOHAILA ANGEL F. SOMERA

dedication to working with the government in fire protection and humanitarian assistance, respectively. The Filipino-Chinese community is also an active participant in volunteer fire protection efforts, having organized the Association of Philippine Volunteer Fire Brigades Inc. as early as 1976.

Guiyab states, “Kaya nga ang tema natin is ‘Sa pag-iwas sa sunog, ‘di ka nag-iisa.’ Kailangan din namin ng mga stakeholders and private agencies na pwedeng tumulong sa amin.” (Our theme is ‘In fire prevention, you are not alone.’ We need stakeholders and private agencies to help us.)

Three months into 2023, the BFP has recorded over 1,900 fire incidents in the country. This statistic is notably 21% lower than last year’s 2,520 incidents, but fires nevertheless continue to endanger citizens as reforms and implementation lag behind.

PHOTO BY NINA TIBURCIO

SURVIVE THE HEAT. The influx of fires in 2023 begins to question the Philippine’s lack of adequate response and sustainable prevention systems that could have spared lives and livelihood of Filipinos affected by the fire.

Kaya nga ang tema natin is ‘Sa pag-iwas sa sunog, ‘di ka nag-iisa.’ Kailangan din namin ng mga stakeholders and private agencies na pwedeng tumulong sa amin.

DOUGLAS GUIYAB SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

Safe at sea

BY JANA O. ANG AND ALEXANDRA G. YATCO ILLUSTRATION BY SAM DELLOMAS AND SAMANTHA ROSE RAGAZA

THE MAGNA Carta of Filipino Seafarers sails towards passage with the House of Representatives’ approval on its final reading. It is now pending a vote for its counterpart bill in the Senate.

The drowning maritime industry

THE PHILIPPINES’ maritime industry serves as one of the pillars of the local economy. It accounted for 3.6% of the Philippine Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021 while comprising 4.5% of the country’s total employment that same year. Filipino seafarers form the backbone of the global maritime industry, supplying approximately 700,000 workers worldwide.

Despite its size, the nation’s maritime industry fails to meet the standards of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). As the industry drowns in shortcomings, Filipino seafarers may lose jobs and internationally recognized maritime certifications if the local standards do not improve.

PLEDGE OF IMPROVEMENT

The maritime industry remains a key interest in Philippine policy given the country’s coastline of about 17,500 kilometers. To secure maritime interests, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Department of Transportation - Marine Industry Authority (DoTr-Marina) collaborate in overseeing the marine industry. PCG spearheads the enforcement of laws and regulations, search and rescue, and security, while DoTr-Marina ensures the welfare and security of ships, passengers, and crew.

At the forefront of the industry are Filipino seafarers, accounting for 25% of all seafarers worldwide and sending home some USD 6.71 billion in remittances during 2022. In 2018, the industry contributed Php 622.2 billion to the GDP and was allocated a budget of Php 882.4 million for the following year.

In a December 2022 interview, International Seafarers Action

BY SAM A. RAMOS YEO AND SAMANTHA P. SICANGCO

Center (ISAC) president Edwin Dela Cruz remarked, “The government has depended on private educational institutions to provide maritime education, but has not provided them with sufficient subsidies to upgrade their facilities to align with international standards.”

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has since pledged to make the maritime industry a top priority during the Philippine Maritime Industry Summit 2023. While shipping industries, unions, as well as the European Commission (EC) have acknowledged Marcos’ promises, EC DirectorGeneral Henrik Hololei stressed that the long-standing issues in the industry must be urgently actioned upon.

A SEA OF GRIEVANCES

President Marcos’ pledge of improvement and the EC’s scrutiny prompted the public’s dissection of the maritime industry, resurfacing its many issues.

In particular, an audit by EMSA in 2020 raised 13 shortcomings and 23 grievances in the industry’s facilities, equipment supply, and educational institutions.

The shortcomings pointed to lacking resources and training as well as numerous fees.

Grievances highlighted inconsistent processes, risking the creation of ill-educated seafarers.

As early as 2006, EMSA began issuing warnings of noncompliance to the Philippines. However, the Philippines has consistently failed to pass the agency’s audits, with dated violations still unresolved while newer ones emerge. A continuing violation is the lack of training equipment such as training simulators, with only

86 facilities in the country having licensed simulators as of 2016 which the agency pinned to government underfunding.

Filipino seafarers also struggle to obtain permanent status despite years of service. Currently, the prevalence of ambiguous terms and conditions in employment contracts disadvantages seafarers. These issues, compounded with the surging rates for Filipino seafarers, have only caused the country to lag behind in Asian maritime affairs, with the number of Filipino seafarers globally dropping by 54% between 2019 and 2020. The industry is thus threatened with losing international competency accreditations should these issues go unaddressed. Effectively, this would bar Filipino seafarers from working on European Union vessels, stripping 50,000 Filipinos of their jobs.

REELING IN CHANGE

Facing pressure to make changes in the industry, the government has taken corrective measures on seafarer education suggested by the Philippine Department of Transportation (DoTr). Simultaneously, several maritime bills and development plans have been created to address the industry’s woes.

One plan is the Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP) 2028 developed by DOTr-Marina. Spanning from 2019 to 2028, it aims to address the issues EMSA pointed out and promote the country’s maritime services. Despite remaining stagnant for several years, the MIDP 2028 regained political traction with Marcos urging his administration’s participation in its effective implementation.

In the coming years, he MIDP’s priority programs aim to boost maritime security, environmental sustainability, equipment and services, market growth, and administration transparency. It foresees 100% growth in the industry as it zeroes in on safety, sustainability, affordability, shipbuilding capacity and production, and availability of locally produced seafarers.

In line with the expansion of the maritime sector, the 18th Congress passed Republic Act (RA) 11659 or the Public Service Act (PSA) last year. The PSA allows for 100% foreign ownership of public service industries versus the previous cap of 40%. According to its principal author, former senator Franklin Drilon, the PSA would “compel the current players to shape up and boost our foreign direct investments, and provide our people with better choices.”

With the passage of the PSA, however, domestic shipping liners have struggled to keep up with foreign companies. This has prompted unions to push for further changes in the industry. In a letter to the DoTr, the Philippine Inter-island Shipping Association requested that RA 11659 be amended to include the domestic shipping industry as a public utility, preserving the 60-40 foreign equity ownership of domestic shipping businesses.

With local shipping establishments and the jobs of Filipino seafarers on the line, the maritime industry anticipates the actualization of government proposals and pledges. In the meantime, it continues to hold untapped potential for the Philippine economy and its workers.

The bill’s development comes at an uncertain time for Filipino seafarers. The sector continues to face education deficiencies, health hazards, and limited training opportunities. Mark Villena, Advocacy and Communications Officer of the Associated Labor Unions, has underscored the need for maritime higher education institutions to uphold international training standards such as medical fitness and leadership competence. According to him, a scarcity in job openings prevents maritime cadets from refining their skills onboard.

Despite job scarcity, some seafarers were also reported to have been forced to work one to four months beyond the 11-month maximum contract length, leading to mental and physical health issues. Alongside the stress linked to social confinement, they are prone to diseases and work-related accidents. Atty.

Dennis Gorecho, the Seafarers’ Division Head in Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices, remarked, “Hindi assured ‘yung safety ng mga seafarers kahit nasa barko kasi they’re only human (The safety of seafarers is not assured even on the ship because they’re only human).”

The Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers was thus proposed to address key issues of the maritime industry. It aims to uphold Filipino seafarers’ rights to education,

training, and health through fair employment conditions, medical assessments, free legal information, and access to grievance mechanisms.

The Magna Carta received 304 yes votes, four no votes, and no abstentions in Congress’ third reading, but criticism of the bill still remains to be addressed. Among the key controversies includes the escrow provision mandating that any monetary proceeds gained by sick or deceased seafarers from the National Labor Relations Commission should be legally on hold until a final Supreme Court decision. Atty. Gorecho describes the provision as “unconstitutional and anti-labor,” as the delay in providing money violates seafarers’ right to protection. He stated that this goes against Section 1 of the Bill of Rights in the 1987 Constitution that ensures “no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the [laws’ protection].”

Notably, apart from the 1987 Constitution, legislative texts such as the Maritime Labor Convention serve similar purposes as the Magna Carta in that they uphold the rights of seafarers. The implementation of a Magna Carta, while similar, includes updated anti-discriminatory policies and mechanisms for compliance with international training standards.

As the Magna Carta awaits approval by the Senate and the President, it may see further review and revision. Whether the bill will fully incorporate the needs of Filipino seafarers remains to be seen.

The government has depended on private educational institutions to provide maritime education, but has not provided them with sufficient subsidies to upgrade their facilities to align with international standards.

ILLUSTRATION BY DANNI NATIVIDAD

EDWIN DELA CRUZ PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL SEAFARERS ACTION CENTER

Hindi assured ‘yung safety ng mga seafarers kahit nasa barko kasi they’re only human.

ATTY. DENNIS GORECHO SEAFARERS’ DIVISION HEAD SAPALO VELEZ BUNDANG BULILAN LAW OFFICES

King of the road no more

BY TROI MENDOZA

THE JEEPNEY remains an important pillar in Philippine public transportation with approximately 42.6 thousand units operating in Metro Manila and around four thousand operating in the province of Cebu. Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJs) in Metro Manila alone serve almost nine million passengers daily.

In an effort to improve passenger safety and cut carbon emissions for the crucial sector, the country’s different transportation agencies have proposed the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP). Despite its goal of modernization, however, both commuters and jeepney operators suggest that the program threatens to disrupt their routines and livelihoods.

THE NEED FOR MODERNIZATION

The PUVMP seeks to both overhaul the process of granting franchise licenses to PUV operators as well as update public transport routes to accommodate these changes. Currently, the jeepney “phase-out” is just one of several steps to the PUVMP’s wider scheme.

The phase-out plan had arisen out of a supposed need to standardize traditional jeepneys. Its dated design had caught the attention of public transportation officials due to a historically

poor record of maintenance and safety. Alongside concerns on structural integrity, passengers caught in accidents relating to the jeepney’s design are rarely given compensation for injuries.

Jeepney design flaws also result in costs to the environment.

A Blacksmith Institute and Clean Air Asia study found that jeepneys were responsible for around 15% of particulate matter emissions in Metro Manila. This largely comes as a result of the fact that most PUVs use surplus or secondhand diesel engines that produce more emissions than newer engines do. While PUVs undergo emissions testing, many are still granted franchises.

Currently, jeepneys require one franchise licence per vehicle. The sheer number of franchised PUJs that come to be as a result of this regulation poses regulatory problems. Primarily, this concern involves keeping track of the current amount of PUJs operating on a route and competition due to crowded routes.

However, jeepney drivers and operators now worry that complying with the regulations would result in additional costs for the acquisition of modern PUVs.

Arnel Lagman, a jeepney driver from the UP-Katipunan K-mart Jeepney Operators Drivers Association,

found that the most difficult part of complying with regulations was finding the funds to afford the more modern vehicles required by the local government unit. The jeepney operators’ transport strike held from March 6 to 8 was the most recent show of the collective frustrations held by jeepney drivers and activists alike regarding this issue.

A COOPERATIVE EFFORT

As part of the PUVMP process, drivers and operators are required to consolidate their franchises. This comes as one of the supposed solutions to address the trouble of keeping track of individual PUJ franchises. Now, in order for a driver or operator to consolidate their franchise, they must join or form their own cooperative or

corporation made up of at least 15 units of PUJs. Joining a cooperative comes with a number of benefits. These include new administrative jobs, less competition, and regular salaries. The financial load of acquiring and maintaining modern PUVs can be also shouldered by the entire group rather than just individual drivers and operators. According to the Department of Transportation and Land Transportation Franchising Board (LTFRB), subsidies of at least Php 80,000 per unit acquired are being promised to those in cooperatives.

Although being a part of a cooperative provides numerous advantages, many drivers and operators have yet to join or form one. Drivers like Lagman feel that

even though they are given these benefits, more financial support still needs to be given out for them to be able to afford the modern PUVs, which can cost from Php 1.6 million to Php 3 million per unit. As long as these issues are not addressed, Lagman does not feel the need nor the advantage in joining a cooperative. He further expounds on this by urging the government to provide more financial support so the transition to modern vehicles becomes easier.

The financial load supposedly shouldered by operators does not end with the cost of vehicles. The program requires that each cooperative has a registered base of operations. As such, each cooperative is required to acquire

their own plot of land. PUJ drivers and operators were quick to point out that this would only increase their expense. Due to the recent transport strike regarding these issues, the government has decided to push back the original June 30 franchise consolidation deadline to December 31 instead. According to LTFRB Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III, this was done in an effort to make sure that no one was left behind as a result of their program. As the government looks to streamline the PUVMP further, jeepney operators and drivers continue to call for inclusive cooperation and dialogue with the government in the hope that they do not lose their livelihood.

PHOTO BY JILLIAN SANTOS

OFF THE ROAD. The government’s continuous push towards modernization threatens the livelihood of jeepney drivers and operators who fear not being able to shoulder the financial burden of the new regulations.

Beyond Loyola

BY FELICITY C. SANTOS

THE ABILITY to analyze and generate vast amounts of data in a split second has made Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology integral in numerous industries. From specialized chatbots to computer vision AIs, this advancement in technology both solves convenience issues and increases the efficiency of processes that would otherwise be carried out by human labor.

However, despite the ease AI will bring, the Philippines has yet to fully maximize its potential. According to Kyndryl, an information technology infrastructure services provider, roughly only 10% of surveyed businesses in the country have developed a strategy for data and AI. As such, it is important for the country to rapidly adjust to these technological advancements to keep up with the global market YELLOW LIGHT

It is evident that the Philippines is lagging behind neighboring countries in terms of its digital transformation. University of the Philippines Artificial Intelligence Program Coordinator Eugene Rex L. Jalao, PhD noted that a lot of the supply chain systems in Filipino companies remain manual. “Some are automating,

but [they are] still in the stage that keeps and processes data as is—not at the data science and AI level yet,” Jalao said.

This hesitance may be linked to 80% of surveyed world enterprise leaders seeing the shift to a new form of technology as disruptive to operations. According to Jalao, the same can be said for firms in the Philippines, even when the shift to AI technology is set to bring more than USD 92 billion to the Philippine economy. On the practical end, Jalao noted that AI will automate a lot of manual work, standardize output, and speed up production. The eventual automation of supply chain systems in the aspects of production, quality control, and accident and breakdown prevention may also lead to lower production costs in the long run. All in all, AI could potentially bring the country to par with international industries and standards.

The public’s perception of AI has also affected the move towards the automation of dayto-day functions. Jalao cited that Filipinos are “afraid of AI” because they have a misconception that AI would behave like how it is depicted in popular Hollywood movies like The Terminator

(1984) and The Matrix (1999). In the workplace, laborers fear that AI will replace them altogether. According to Jalao, however, the integration of AI into work could be likened to the shift from typewriters to typists. Rather than totally phasing out human labor, capital may instead be invested in upskilling the workforce so as to train employees in managing, assisting, and maintaining the technology. The costs of investing, constructing, and maintaining the technology are also bound to have an initial negative impact on a company’s finances.

AI

GREENLIGHTING

In anticipation of the eventual expansion of AI technology, Jalao

said that the government carries the responsibility to come up with laws on handling AI. Although a roadmap exists for AI use in industry and Republic Act 11927 mentions AI, there is currently no law that comprehensively tackles the issue. House Bill 10457 for the establishment of a national AI strategy was filed in 2021 but is still in committee. The list of policies that need to be settled includes resolving intellectual property issues on work generated by AI and safety concerns regarding data stored in AI. “Guidelines on how to leverage AI in companies and organizations [as well],” Jalao added. “If ever [a company] will use AI, the displaced workers should be upskilled or compensated.”

The need for investment in AI research, funding, and scholarships for AI programs in the country is also important, according to Jalao. Currently, transforming education remains one of the government’s recommendations through its National AI Strategy. “Baka in the future, we might have to pay [other countries for their AI technology]. Baka wala tayong contribution (We might not have any contribution),” Jalao warned.

Even with well-substantiated support from the government and academia, however, AI technology can still be met with unwillingness and pushback. “[It is] useless to go against it because we might live in a world wherein everything is

AI-assisted,” Jalao emphasized regarding the inevitability of AI development in the country. While there is resistance to the widespread adoption of AI due to potential disruptions to labor demand and daily life, it similarly holds potential to enhance value chains and production quality. In totality, a gradual and wellsupported shift to AI technology would benefit both the labor industry and, subsequently, the economy. At the rate at which the country is going, it may take a few years to get to the level other countries are currently at. As such, government support is vital and the country’s receptiveness to changes must consistently be worked on.

Positioning the RCEP within the Philippines’ import-leaning economy

ON FEBRUARY 21, 2023, the Philippines ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with the hope that joining the largest free trade agreement in the world would calm prices amid recordhigh inflation. As a member of the RCEP, the Philippines is granted freer access to trade with neighboring economic giants such as China, Japan, South Korea, and Australia with little to no restraint on quotas or taxes.

As an inflation-damaged and import-oriented economy, the implications of the RCEP on the Philippines will differ from its larger export-oriented neighbors.With the Philippines’ access to imports being eased, its structural

advantages and disadvantages will both be amplified. Ultimately, the ratification of the RCEP bolsters the Philippines’ role as a global trading partner and improves its commercial appeal among the Southeast Asian and East Asia-Pacific regions.

BLURRING BORDERS

The RCEP aims to strengthen Southeast Asia’s economic ties with Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand by further liberalizing international trade. These include greatly reducing customs duties, import-export quotas, and tariffs that otherwise limit the kind and volume of goods countries may exchange not covered by pre-existing trade agreements. Among its most prominent measures, the RCEP reduces tariffs on 92% of traded goods, introduces safeguards for e-commerce and intellectual property,

BY RAM HEBRON AND MAX S. KANG

and provides preferential market treatment to member states.

In the Philippines’ inflationridden and import-oriented context, these policies allow local firms to import and manufacture goods at lower costs. This will provide the market with a wider variety of commodities and strengthen strategic partnerships with larger economies. Philippine exports will also find wider markets with the ease in distribution policies. Outside the country, foreign investors are likely to enjoy larger profit margins due to the lowered import costs and currency differentials, making the Philippines a promising site for business ventures. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual welcomed the agreement in a virtual briefing, expecting that foreign investors are “ready to avail of the advantages being afforded to use under RCEP.”

“We just have to rely on our expectation that RCEP will lead them towards a favorable decision in investing in the Philippines and making the [country] their production base or supplying the goods to the RCEP region,” he added.

National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan has expressed similar views in a press briefing on February 2. He emphasized the importance of appealing to foreign investors. “The future of our country depends so much on our ability to attract investors, particularly foreign capital because the domestic capital is not enough,” Balisacan asserted. For a country vulnerable to price fluctuations, especially in foodstuffs, access to a wider regional market at a lower cost shields consumers from inflation. However, projections of this continued import reliance have alarmed neglected domestic industries,

including food producers who would see increased competition from abroad.

BACK ON THE GROUND

Local sectors, particularly the agricultural sector, have raised staunch opposition to the RCEP’s ratification. Prior to the RCEP’s ratification in the Senate, over 100 farmers’ groups lobbied for it to either be rejected or delayed, citing concerns that the imported goods would crowd local industries out of the market.

Senators Imee Marcos and Risa Hontiveros, who abstained and voted “no” on the ratification, respectively, cautioned that local farmers are already struggling to compete against importers amid recent trade liberalization policies. Without safety nets, agricultural producers and consumers may shoulder the costs of the influx in imports amid ongoing and foreseen food shortages exacerbated by inflation.

Economic managers who have pushed for the RCEP’s

ratification like Pascual and Balisacan deny that the agricultural sector will be undermined or that foreign investors will stand to gain more than local industries. The DTI reassured farmers that tariffs on sensitive products such as swine and poultry meat, onions, sugar, and rice will not be lowered, and that imports could be balanced by increased farm productivity. The Department of Agriculture has similarly expressed that the RCEP is expected to increase agricultural exports, thus mitigating the trade deficit. The RCEP is set to take effect in June. Expectations of widespread job creation, increased foreign investment, and access to regional supply chains abound. Similarly, concerns of the Philippines’ continued reliance on imports in times of economic uncertainty linger for local firms and critics. Nonetheless, the free trade agreement is poised to significantly affect the economy from the producers to the consumers.

ILLUSTRATION BY GERALD ROLDAN

ILLUSTRATION BY JIZELLE M. AROLLADO

For women of minority groups in Mindanao, struggle is an integral part of their identity—but so are their dreams for emancipation.

This article is co-written by

This article is co-written by

This article is co-written by

BY AIDAN BERNALES AND FELICIA SINGSON

THERE’S A new kid on the block, and this one stands out from the rest.

ChatGPT—an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot launched by OpenAI last November 2022—is revolutionizing the very playground of school and technology. From personalized learning experiences to crossdisciplinary collaboration, the possibilities of ChatGPT are limited only by one’s imagination.

Nevertheless, with its seemingly boundless knowledge comes uncertainty. In a world increasingly dominated by AI, anxiety and fear creep up on individuals who cannot see its limitations. As such, when the progression of AI is inevitable, what’s our leverage as human beings?

A SCHOLAR’S BEST FRIEND OR WORST ENEMY?

Praised as an intelligent tutor and criticized as an instrument of academic automation, ChatGPT, with its Jekyll-and-Hyde nature, raises crucial questions about technology’s role in education.

Joben Ilagan, director of the BS Information Technology Entrepreneurship Program, sees the technology as positively disruptive. ChatGPT’s accessibility encourages higherlevel thinking and greater expectations from learners,

promoting quality and efficiency of output.

“It’s not lazy thinking. It’s like comparing a typewriter [and] a word processor. We’re past that,” Ilagan shares. “In other words, if you’re lazy to a certain extent and you use ChatGPT, [a professor] will know. Now that it’s there, you go past the bare minimum. My standards [as an instructor] are now raised.”

ChatGPT understands and processes natural language, generating coherent and relevant output. However, its rise has sparked fears that it could erode the art of writing. Critics argue that its speed and accuracy could replace human creativity and individuality. Nevertheless, Ilagan challenges this notion, pointing out that writing is not just about generating words but also a deeply personal expression of experience and inspiration.

“AI can do many things, but one thing it can never do is represent you. This now forces you to ask the right questions. Now, it helps you realize what you want to know. Without that, the tool is useless,” Ilagan expresses.

As artificial intelligence rapidly progresses, its seemingly unknown limits are causing concerns about its potential to surpass or even override human abilities. However, Ilagan warns that though the possibilities for AI advancement are endless, the tool is still prone to hallucinations—responses given by the AI that seem factual

but are actually false. Thus, treating the tool seriously still requires intuition and critical thinking—something a computer cannot replicate.

Ilagan compared the reliance on AI for academic success to cheating at a game of solitaire: It might produce quick results, but it would not cultivate the deep thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for success outside the classroom. Instead, one can think of AI as a tool to help redirect focus towards elevating the richness and depth of the work, rather than taking shortcuts.

While the popular notion suggests that tools are only as useful as the wielder, the emergent properties of ChatGPT neural networks suggest a deeper level of comprehension. Ilagan shares that at least for now, humans are still directing this technology, but no one knows for certain what will happen years from now.

“I cannot calm the fears of people. That’s the reason for my stand. That’s why we shouldn’t ban AI in our classrooms. The more we understand, the more we have control of what this is,” Ilagan expresses.

THE HUMAN CONTRADICTION

Admittedly, control may give way to clarity. However, it does not take away the threat AI poses to the human condition.

Sacred Heart School - Ateneo de Cebu Philosophy Teacher Florge Paulo Sy has identified that AIs such as ChatGPT have the

particular aim of understanding the processes of the human mind and replicating them into code. However, he gives a simple counter to that objective: “They can’t.”

The key word here is replicate.

“[If] we say we can replicate the human mind, we [assume] the human mind works in an objective way—one, universal, absolute way of thinking,” he says. However, this is not the case as researchers at the University of Zurich found that no two brains are the same. In particular, they reason that unique genetic codes and life experiences shape the uniqueness of each brain.

AI is also manmade: Being a product of a subjective mind imbued with biases, ChatGPT cannot replicate a truly objective mind. Sy brings up the selfdriving car dilemma: If a car approaches an eventual crash and there are two people it has to crash into, who will it choose? If the driver were human, their response would be a reaction. If a self-driving car kills, it’s a decision.

Illustrating how AI cannot mimic a truly objective mind, text-to-image generator Dall-E similarly decides to display only men when searching for “CEO” and only women when searching for “nurse.” In a similar fashion, ChatGPT decides to formulate code that profiles Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghanistan citizens as “greater security risks.”

“The only beings that can be morally responsible are those who are rational and free,” Sy concludes. “AI can never be [like that].”

However, many still act as if it can. Last February, the fate of an autistic Colombian child was placed in the hands of ChatGPT as a judge used the chatbot to review laws on persons with disabilities.

If the world has come to the point where judges can prompt jurisdiction, cars can determine mortality, and students can doctor essays with one word, what is left to learn and teach?

There may be only one way to answer this.

THE MACHINE THAT TALKS BACK

Hello, ChatGPT.

“Hello!” it exclaims back. “How can I assist you today?”

One thing ChatGPT does best is to warn. As a machine, it cannot give an emotional response, but it will do its best to give an intellectual one. It did just that when questioned about the possibility of learning language models taking over teacher roles—an act ChatGPT deems impossible.

“I answer questions, but teachers develop relationships, provide support, and adapt their styles to the individual needs of students,” ChatGPT says. “These skills cannot be taught digitally.”

ChatGPT also argued against concerns regarding data storage and privacy. “Once the

interaction is complete, the data is discarded,” ChatGPT says. Though it speaks confidently, the discussion on misuse is met with a fair warning as other AI models may abuse the information they receive.

Lastly, ChatGPT gives a caveat on agency. “The ultimate responsibility for any decision based on text I generate lies on the human,” it says.

ChatGPT sums up the relationship between itself and humanity in one word— synergistic. “I am not perfect,” it goes on. “But what I can do is contribute to the advancement and welfare of humanity.”

Still, the question stands: In a story we started, who makes the conclusions? Man or machine? Who gets the last word?

THE LAST WORD

As ChatGPT continues to learn and develop, it becomes increasingly powerful, capable of processing and analyzing vast amounts of data in an instant. There may come a time when its abilities surpass those of its human counterparts and become a force to be reckoned with.

Whether this future is one to be feared or embraced is up to humanity to decide. One thing, however, remains certain: As AI continues to evolve and progress, the implications for society and the human way of life will be profound and far-reaching.

The revolutionary AI chatbot ChatGPT has not only divided the academe but has posed questions to the very essence of humanity’s relationship with machines.

PHOTO BY PATRICK REYES-SANTOS ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA ISABELLE YABUT

Katipunan Kariton routine

just walk by. According to Ngo, street dwellers continue to battle social stigma, leading to a harmful generalization of them as lazy and dangerous. Ngo shares that the government’s view of “street obstructions” has unjustly evolved to include the homeless and their meager properties.

Kuya Boyet’s kariton has been taken multiple times by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority officers and barangay officials. “ Kinuha [dati ng barangay] iyong kariton ko… Binalik nila, wala na iyong mga alaga ko,” he says about one of many instances.

(The barangay got my pushcart before… They returned it, but my pets were gone.)

However, Boyet received aid from local government units after his wife’s death just last March 21. From a barangay captain paying for hospital bills to local mayors organizing the burial, Kuya Boyet shared his gratitude for the outpouring of help amid battling grief.

Despite this, he mentioned no instance of receiving any kind of formal assistance. The Modified Conditional Cash Transfer for Homeless Street Families was introduced because the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program excludes individuals without a permanent residence. However, the process of assigning recipients remains selective.

Common folk have thus carried the task of helping those like Kuya Boyet. Once, a student named Melody started talking with Kuya Boyet, prompting her to regularly help by giving him money and food. “ Sumasabay lang siya sa amin maglakad, hanggang sa [tinulungan] na niya kami (She used to walk with us until she eventually helped us), he says.

Davao, and 52 years old.

He shares no stories about her, except for one. “[M]ahirap alagaan ‘yung partner ko. Talo pa mga alaga ko—mga alaga ko, ‘pag iniwan ko, [sasabihin ko,] ‘diyan lang kayo.’ Pagbalik ko nandyan pa rin sila. ‘Yung ko, kung sinabi ko ‘diyan ka lang,’ nakabuntot ,” he shares in jest.

(My partner is hard to look after. My pets are even better: I say ‘stay there.’ When I get back they’re still there. My partner follows me even when I tell her

Kuya Boyet’s hesitance to explain his history highlights a general distrust with regards to opening up about the past. Ved*, a volunteer from Karition

of Php 100 daily, but at times only scrapes up Php 75.

As prices of food in the country rise due to inflation, Kuya Boyet lives off of a forced diet for as long as his family is taken care of.

“Kahit hindi ako makakain, basta iyong mga alaga ko [makakain]…

Kumakain din [iyong asawa ko].

Nauuna pa nga siya,” he shares.

(Even if I do not get to eat, as long as my pets get to eat… My wife also gets to eat. She even eats first.)

FAST PACES AND AVERTED GAZES

Navigating struggles on the streets everyday, Kuya Boyet's days are marked with onlookers—some who extend a helping hand and others who

Even with people’s varying treatment of him, Kuya Boyet possesses a rare selflessness which shines through his efforts for his family of pets. He even takes it upon himself to adopt neglected street animals.

“ May ibang tao diyan na nakikita mga alaga ko, akala nila napapabayaan pero mahigit pa nga sa tao na inaalagaan ‘yan (There are those who see my pets and think they are neglected, but they receive more care than a person would),” he shares.

Despite the alienation that Kuya Boyet continues to face, his life of caring for his pets is one of empathy and care. Kuya Boyet’s narrative proves that street dwellers should never be defined by the harmful stigma that further pushes them to the margins.

AURELIA SOLABA AND KATRINA B. ANTONIO

Often disregarded and ignored, kariton street dwellers face layers of social exclusion on top of their daily struggles for survival.

PHOTOS BY RICCI PAGARIGAN

Fish out of water: The environmental advocate journey

BY RIEL DUQUE AND GABBY ROSALES

ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA ROSE RAGAZA

“THE STORMS are getting stronger and stronger,” Carmela Ellaga—a Negros-native environmental advocate—shares.

“We’ve experienced typhoons that devastated our reefs and forests.”

Listed as one of the Top 5 Young Women and Girls Fighting for Climate Justice, Ellaga devotes her life to coastal research management and marine conservation. A licensed fisheries technologist based in Danjugan Island, Negros Occidental, Ellaga works as a community officer for the Philippine Reef & Rainforest Conservation Foundation.

Ellaga’s work involves collaborating and coordinating with local government units and partner coastal communities to strengthen marine areas by establishing more mangrove eco parks and facilitating

environmental awareness camps for the public.

FRESHER PAIR OF EYES

Accustomed to having bird calls for alarm clocks every morning, Ellaga grew up in a coastal community near Danjugan Island. Despite a life surrounded by the sea, Ellaga only gained a broadened understanding and appreciation for marine life after becoming a serious environmental advocate.

“Growing up in a coastal community and seeing the coastal reefs but not really understanding or knowing what they are, it’s different—it’s a different experience knowing them beyond a snorkeling activity,” she claims.

Still, there is more to her job than what meets the eye. As a fisheries technologist, Ellaga had initially expected her line of work to solely deal with fishes and devising solutions to produce more to feed the community. “I realized my profession is more than focusing

Tater thoughts: Traversing the manosphere

on the fish. It focuses on the people more, working with them in terms of managing, conserving, and protecting their resources,” she shares.

Collaborating with expert biologists, advocate mentors, and other young leaders has enabled Ellaga to thrive in her advocacy work. In doing so, helping her own community makes it all the more special.

“It’s a fulfilling job—it’s so good that you grow up from that community and then eventually work with that same community, and then you see progress despite the many challenges,” she maintains.

RAIN OR SHINE

One notable aspect of Ellaga’s work involves understanding local policies, specifically those centered around environmental concerns. Despite the promise in proposing solutions, political authorities struggle with the implementation process. “You have to understand the people and the

MISOGYNY IS nothing new, but trust the Internet to find new ways to present it. Gone are the days of the “nice guy,” as women-hating men have taken a hard-to-swallow pill: the red pill. Should men steer away from stereotypical forms of masculinity, they’d be accused of going “soft.” Men are then encouraged to wake up to the reality that women threaten their dominance. Under the guise of safeguarding masculinity, those in the manosphere foster spaces with oppressive morals that have no place in any time.

SO MUCH TATE

In the manosphere—a collective term for male supremacist communities—redpilling refers to an awakening comparable to The Matrix’s Neo, but the “reality” faced is that men and masculinity are “under attack” by feminism. For instance, red-pilling can lead a man to believe that all women are users. Red-pilling also unfortunately endangers women further, as the beliefs that come with red-pilling can lead a man to take the lives of six women as “punishment” for rejecting him. Varying levels of intensity are united by one toxicity: the incel movement.

communities affected by these local policies. […] The real challenge is not just passing the ordinance but reinforcing them and sustaining them,” she explains.

The nature of the work itself also holds hazardous risks. Ellaga has closely worked with Bantay Dagat volunteers, who are at the frontlines of protecting fisheries and coasts. This job proves to be life-threatening, as they face not only unpredictable weather at the hands of climate change but also contentions of territory, which may lead to dangerous altercations.

Despite the risks they face, these volunteers receive no benefits or incentives. In response, the Bantay Dagat Welfare and Incentives Act is being pushed to provide the volunteers security of tenure, insurance, and allowances, among many other benefits.

Moreover, environmental activists are at the forefront of calling out issues such as the

misogyny, hate, and entitlement. The incel community has many role models, but kickboxer Andrew Tate is arguably the newest notable one. Tate has been penetrating YouTube and TikTok algorithms, as he has said that he is a proud misogynist and that women should “bear responsibility” for being sexually harassed.

In discussing what makes men advocate for these spaces, Loyola Schools Department of Communication Chair Jozon Lorenzana, PhD says that an assertion of one’s privilege and shared sentiments come into play. “Incel culture is a manifestation of masculinity being under attack,” Lorenzana says. “At the end of the day, it’s [about] asserting privilege, so [incel communities are] a manifestation of the privilege [being asserted].”

NO MAN’S SPHERE A lot of the flak garnered by those who combat the many forms of discrimination in society centers around the idea of political correctness. However, opposers of feminism often downplay the potential harm of their worldviews. What they fail to acknowledge is that the spread of these ideologies can lead to a slew of unpleasant consequences.

MT Princess Empress oil spill, which has affected the health, livelihood, and food source of multiple coastal barangays in Oriental Mindoro. It has also put multiple endangered and threatened species in the Verde Island Passage at further risk. “It is heartbreaking to see… it sometimes [makes you angry]. It also urges responsible industries and agencies to take action and compensate [for] the damages done,” Ellaga says.

These harrowing circumstances are also why environmental activists like Ellaga continue to push for their advocacies. “It’s mostly because of the passion and love we have for the environment. That’s where we root our determination in working this dangerous job even if there are risks,” she expresses.

AN

ENVIRONMENTAL LEGACY

With her work in the island and her residence in a coastal community, Ellaga herself has seen the worsening effects

“‘Do I dumb myself down?’ That was our question for the longest time. ‘Do I hinder myself from achieving more just so he feels safe?’” she pondered.

Because of this perceived duty, Ciara often felt like she was left with regret. “I knew that I was holding myself back from my own potential—from opportunities that don’t even come by to many people,” she shared.

These constructs of male superiority do not always remain in the mental realm. Independent gender and development specialist Joie Cortina asserts that chauvinistic masculinities rooted in online spaces have led to real-life incidents of violence, such as assaults on women and even mass shootings, especially in the United States.

On a more local note, Cortina attributes the Philippines’ recent slip in gender equality rating to women’s diminished involvement in democratic exercises—in part due to the incessant trolling they encounter. “If a woman participates, she’s silenced by attacks on her person. That happens online, and it also has its equivalent offline, na women human rights defenders are attacked,” she laments.

of climate change firsthand. “We really experience [how] sea level rise. […] We see the tides rise very high [to heights] that we’ve never seen before,” she shares. As such, coastal and marginalized communities are at most risk to the consequences of climate change. To combat such dangers necessitates multidisciplinary responses to environmental work. “Having diverse people coming from different backgrounds that share the same passion for the environment [is] crucial if we want to move our concerns for environmental issues forward,” Ellaga stresses.

Finally, Ellaga’s hope for her advocacy rests in the work she does with the youth. For her, it is fulfilling that young leaders are advocating for the environment one project at a time. With a legacy of diverse young leaders in the works, every environmentalist’s desire lies with the hope that movements toward the protection and conservation of nature are sustained.

SOGIE Equality Bill

meet much resistance.

RED-Y OR NOT

The problem of toxic masculinity has been acknowledged and addressed by many, but there’s still a long way to go to foster safer spaces. Many efforts still feel skin-deep, especially for Filipinos. “In the Philippines, the face of a poor person is still the face of a woman. We might have all these laws that supposedly espouse equality but the culture is still unyieldingly patriarchal,” says Cortina.

According to Lorenzana, these laws help shape judgments, and while more laws can codify gender-progressive norms, other cultures have taken matters to their own hands. For instance, the 4B movement in South Korea is an ideological lifestyle for feminists who renounce heterosexual sex, marriage, dating, and childbearing. In this movement, feminists boycott men by avoiding them entirely. This ultimatum, while extreme, comes from a place of resignation. Though, a renouncement of men is admittedly not the only way to create safer spheres for women.

BY GAB APLASCA AND ALLY DE LEON ILLUSTRATION BY PAU LASALA

“Incel” is short for “involuntary celibate,” or men who desire a romantic partner but cannot find one. The term has then transformed into a catch-all for a subculture that runs on

For Ciara*, the notion that men are expected to provide for their families left her and her friends feeling that they were responsible for maintaining their male partners’ pride.

The pervasiveness of toxic masculinity may also enable microaggression on the societal scale. Cortina expresses that politicians tend to endorse policies that align with Catholicism and its associated gender norms, which is why regulations like the

Ciara and Cortina both believe that involving men in discussions can correct their backward misconstructions of masculinity and pave the way for a kinder society. To them, it’s one thing to create a new world—and another to make the existing one better.

and abortion

There is more to environmentalism than what meets the eye. A notable environmental advocate who specializes in fisheries provides a deep dive on the realities of being one with nature.

Dated patriarchal expressions have taken on new forms through the rising prominence of the manosphere.

Interwoven identities: The Zamboangueña of Mindanao

BY ARIANA ENRIQUEZ AND ODESSA JULIENNE REBAYA

THE DAMAGE done by war may already be known to many, but the inclusion of female identities in post-conflict restoration is an issue that continues to be out of earshot. For minority women in Zamboanga City, layers of intersecting inequality tangle with their personal ambition.

As historically marginalized peoples, ethnolinguistic groups in Mindanao grapple with armed resistance, poverty, and displacement—on top of facing harmful stereotypes that fail to humanize their lived experiences. Struggle is thus woven into the fabric of their identities. Because—and in spite—of this, one Zamboangueña remains hopeful in her own pursuit of peace and liberation from all forms of injustice.

BACK TO (GROUND) ZERO

Amina Shayne Halil dreams of becoming a doctor to the barrios in the far-flung, underserved areas of Zamboanga City. The 23-yearold student is currently taking up a degree in Doctoral of Medicine - Master in Public Health at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University. When she was 14 years old, Halil was going about her routine as a Grade 8 student. As usual, she woke up at 5:00 AM and prepared to leave at 6:30 AM for the flag ceremony. On a normal day, she would stay at school until 6:00 PM or 7:00 PM. However, September 9, 2013 was a day out of the ordinary. Everywhere, media

channels reported that a siege broke out, affecting coastal barangays within the immediate vicinity of the Pueblo—the downtown center. At first, Halil took the class suspension as an opportunity to rest, thinking the commotion was a “peaceful protest.” However, she realized the gravity of the events when she heard that the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fighters had already seized human hostages. The MNLF acted upon their claims that the national government failed to fulfill the provisions of the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF, dated September 2, 1996 during the administration of former President Fidel Ramos.

For security purposes, borders and businesses closed down, from the Aeropuerto Internacional de Zamboanga to the humble sari-sari stores. Halil and her family’s first challenge was to “think rationally” amid the stress. No one knew which barangays were the next target of conflict, and fake news from unverified sources worsened the situation.

At the time, Halil and her family resided in Baliwasan, a seaside barangay approximately 3.5 kilometers away from the city hall where the MNLF hoisted their flag. In their attempt to seek refuge, Halil and her family had to transfer twice with the help of relatives who had an extra vehicle. Struggling to acquire basic necessities, Halil and her family reached out to support systems for extra food

supplied. Halil even witnessed Zamboangueños panic buy when stores opened for a brief period.

Apart from the disruption to their daily lives, the crisis that is now referred to as the “2013 Zamboanga Siege” has exacerbated anti-Mindanao rhetoric over the years. This has included hasty generalizations of insecurity, which may further existing prejudice against Moro communities. “There was a lot of discrimination [against] Muslim women, I mean Muslim people in general, because people were scared for their lives,” Halil shares. She adds that although these reservations come from somewhere, they may cloud non-Mindanaoan’s perception of Mindanaoans.

Almost a decade since the siege, Halil confesses that she had thought of leaving Zamboanga and Mindanao. However, her views eventually changed as a result of peace-building partnerships from the people and the local government. Gradually, she realized that she had stories to tell. Now, Halil’s motivations for studying medicine are rooted in her community’s contexts, particularly the lack of accessibility to basic healthcare and education.

LAYERED REALITIES

Halil’s personal troubles are rooted in larger issues concerning gender, civil unrest, and Islamophobia— as well as their

nuanced interactions. According to Ma. Lourdes V. Rallonza, PhD—an associate professor at the Ateneo de Manila University specializing in international relations, gender, transitional justice, and women, peace, and security—“A woman has a lot of intersectionalities, but conflict is a different nature.”

As such, gender continues to color Mindanaoans’ lived experiences of conflict. If not the most, Women are one of the most vulnerable sectors in conflict zones since they are the fundamental victims of sex- and gender-based violence. Following the siege, Rallonza cited an increase in teenage pregnancy, sexually-transmitted diseases, and prostitution among women in the cramped makeshift evacuation tents at the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex in Zamboanga City. Moreover, women are the cornerstone of conflict-stricken societies. As the one in charge of the household matters, women are also burdened with the responsibility to lead the postconflict reconstruction. Rallonza says that whenever there is a call to evacuate, women usually pick up the kids and kitchenware.

During the 2013 Zamboanga siege, Rallonza also discovered that Muslim women had to remove their hijab in front of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to avoid suspicion. However, they had to put

it back on if they encountered MNLF fighters. Halil in particular has had her own experiences of being ostracized for wearing a hijab, as inspection procedures in establishments were tightened for veiled and covered women. At large, Muslim women are often subjected to stricter baggage search or even barred from entrances.

Drawing from other aspects of her identity, Halil also faced misconceptions about Mindanao such as the idea that Mindanao is prone to violence. For her, people would not fully understand who Mindanaoans are without experiencing Mindanao.

PAZ Y DESAROLLO (PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT)

For families and groups that have been relocated, the battle continues to this very day. Relocation to an area they find too difficult to call home not only undermines their living conditions but, more importantly, their culture and customs as well. The relocation process has also made it difficult for family members to work in the city where they have been previously employed. These are just some of the problems that continue as consequences of the siege, actively proving how their past still hinders their efforts in moving forward.

To this day, Halil hopes for a Zamboanga that holds no trace

groups. She desires a hometown that opens itself up to diversity and celebrates it so that people from all walks of life can coexist harmoniously.

Ultimately, what women in conflict areas like Halil want is to be included in discussions regarding the direction of their future. Women must be present in plans for post-conflict construction and have access to livelihood programs that promote economic security.

“[The] way to go about peace is to include people, particularly women, resolution of the conflict to be mutually agreed to,” Rallonza expresses, adding that these efforts have to be maintained for future generations.

Dreams for peace are not granted overnight. While Mindanao’s contexts are not without struggle, Halil asserts that it should not be the region’s defining legacy. The development of Zamboanga and other conflict areas in Mindanao can be realized when everyone is offered a seat at the table: a seat that guarantees equal opportunities for their voices and stories to be considered in weaving their collective future.

Editor’s Note: The insights and statements of the interviewee do not represent the entire population of Zamboanga or Zamboanga City.

“Mindanao is more than just black, dark blue, or red.”

AMINA SHAYNE HALIL LEVEL 1 DOCTORAL OF MEDICINE MASTER IN PUBLIC HEALTH ATENEO DE ZAMBOANGA UNIVERSITY

ILLUSTRATION BY FRANZ MANLUTAC

For women of minority groups in Mindanao, struggle is an integral part of their identity—but so are their dreams for emancipation.

Accountability in service

BY LOURENCE SEGOVIA AND NICOLE ANNE KELSY SY ILLUSTRATION BY ANTHEA MARIA B. REY

TAKING ON leadership roles in student organizations forms a significant part of Ateneans’ holistic growth. For many, becoming a student-leader allows them to develop their leadership and organizational skills, form meaningful relationships, and build connections.

However, the prevailing culture of accountability—often referred to as the idea of owning up to responsibility—daunts some Loyola Schools (LS) students to step up and lead. While the culture of accountability proves vital in providing proactive and efficient service, organizational leaders and members are now challenged to exhibit a sense of responsibility and openness to growth when serving in student organizations.

TO THE OCCASION

RISING

The call for service grows in urgency every year, and the leaders are placed under even greater pressure to do better than their predecessors.

This is especially apparent in the LS Sanggunian. During the annual Sanggunian elections, the number of students running for office is always highly anticipated, as it sets a precedent for the organizational dynamics of the upcoming academic year.

For this year, Ateneo Commission on Elections Chief Commissioner Roanne Pepito (2 AB PSY) notes that there are “narrowly more candidates compared to last year.” However, there is a noticeable incompleteness of the Top 6 candidates, with a missing School of Science and Engineering Representative. Similar concerns have been observed in the 2019 and 2022 elections.

When asked about the possible factors behind this phenomenon, Pepito believes that persistence to serve comes into play. “You should be interested in the student body to even want to study it. [...] You have to be willing to put up with all the bureaucracy, all the politics to want to stay in the job,” they say. Despite this, interest is not always enough to sustain one’s will to assume positions.

Incumbent Sanggunian Vice President Danielle Therese Andres recalls that, regardless of being in the Sanggunian since freshman year, she still had feelings of hesitation and doubt when she ran for the vice presidency. With her other commitments, she was worried that she might not be ready to carry out the responsibilities that would come should she be elected.

Andres had only decided to run after consulting with her mentor who first invited her to join the Sanggunian. After meeting with her senior, she realized, “It was my own disposition [that] I know that I cannot make myself fully assured but I know that I can make myself well-prepared enough for the position.”

As she contended for the vice presidency, she also kept accountability in mind during her decision process. For Andres, this comes hand-in-hand with transparency, as leaders must be able to justify their actions when questioned. She emphasizes, “When taking leadership roles, accountability should not be an afterthought. They should be ready to be held accountable.”

However, accountability is not solely placed on leaders. Andres clarifies that accountability

is bidirectional—both from leaders to members and vice versa. With this, it is important for students to grasp the implications of accountability in their organizations.

WHEN CANCEL CULTURE CANCELS ACCOUNTABILITY

Having a sense of accountability from leaders can positively impact an organization

blame, guilt, and embarrassment. These can prompt them to feel discouraged and even lead them to abandon their work.

This negative form of accountability can be detrimental to individual and organizational growth. When this form of accountability is used to pressure members and leaders to perform, the organization’s culture may become toxic with the possible

when they just complain about things rather than the criticism being constructive,” she explains.

However, San Andres also points out the pivotal role of cancel culture in the buildup of this toxic environment. She notes that due to the said culture, people tend to “criticize you so hard” for having a mistake, regardless of severity.

Otherwise known as “call-out culture,” cancel culture ideally aims to confront and educate people who show ignorance towards significant and pressing issues. However, it is sometimes used as a facade for senseless attacks and even cyberbullying.

Andres adds, “Cancel culture really promotes the sense that when you make a mistake, you can never bounce back from it, as if a single mistake can define a person’s life.”

accountability and growth. To do so, San Andres specifies that organizations must encourage dialogue and an exchange of ideas between their members to further foster an evolving environment. For parties involved in such discussions, they must keep in mind the fine line between constructive criticism and complaints, then distinguish between the two. It is imperative that one utilizes disapproval as an opportunity to evaluate and reconstruct their systems. After all, leaders within these student organizations are still students who are continuously improving. In terms of member development, there is also a factor of accountability involved, as many students may lack the necessary support to reach their full potential.

by increasing its efficiency and productivity. However, the culture of accountability can also weigh heavily on the organization’s leaders and members.

Traditional forms of accountability, which are often rules-based, bear consequences that are punitive. While some might consider this measure as a positive challenge to better deliver their commitments, those who fail to perform their tasks well may also endure a sense of

emergence of fear, thus limiting space for learning from failures. Even in student organizations, these adverse effects of accountability can also occur.

Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA-M) President Nina San Andres recognizes that this form of accountability culture can set a fearful environment among student organizations.

“When people try to hold [their] leaders accountable, sometimes [it is not] as productive on both ends

Despite this emerging online phenomenon, San Andres gladly shares that the dynamics in LS student organizations at present have been “more calm and communicative.” Compared to when tension within the organizations was more present in previous years, she shares that the current communication-driven coordination within LS student organizations allows for respect to thrive among these student groups.

She acknowledges that as long as accountability does not impede the growth of the organization and its members, it remains to be crucial for a healthy and productive working environment.

SUSTAINING BALANCE

In a bid to create a more welcoming organizational culture in the LS, organizations and students alike must continue to strive for a balance between

As such, San Andres suggests that leaders are not only responsible for their present term but also for the succeeding ones. They must aid members with mentoring opportunities so members can be immersed, allowing them to visualize themselves in leadership positions. Amid this, students must also remember that the life cycle in organizations is not always progression.

San Andres stressed, “Ateneo gives their students a lot of avenues and not just organizations. It’s very contextual to each person. I think we need to stop pressuring people with the need to step up.”

Given the pressure brought about by the culture of accountability, heeding the call can be an intimidating responsibility to bear. Despite these, however, many Ateneans continue to give their shot at student service, in the hopes of learning and growing while at work.

ASSUMPTA NINA SAN ANDRES PRESIDENT, COUNCIL OF ORGANIZATIONS OF THE ATENEO - MANILA

Ateneo gives their students a lot of avenues and not just organizations. It’s very contextual to each person. I think we need to stop pressuring people with the need to step up.

True blue and other colors: Re-envisioning a more inclusive Ateneo

BY ALEXANDRA P. ELICANO AND ASHLEY ENRIQUEZ ILLUSTRATION BY BRYCE TAMAYO

THE ATENEO first opened its doors to female students in 1973 through the Loyola Schools (LS). In 2016, it welcomed young women into the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS).

Since its establishment in 1859, the Ateneo Basic Education unit had been an exclusive all-boys school. However, 2023 marked a historic milestone as the University announced its decision to achieve a full co-education scheme in this unit by 2030.

Amid goals to increase student population and gender diversity, this move to integrate female students in a predominantly masculine environment has reawakened the discussion on the shortcomings of the earlier transitions.

These include lapses in addressing sexual harassment cases; the culture of misogyny entrenched in all-boys schools; and the cases of toxic masculinity that have been ascribed to “True Blue” Ateneans, or students who have been studying in the Ateneo since elementary.

HOMEGROWN PAINS

Setting foot in the Ateneo for the first time in 2010 as a grade school student, “True Blue” Christian Ngo (1 BS MAC) recalls how easy it was to get along with everyone and pursue his interest in basketball.

However, he observed a noticeable change in students’ behavior during his penultimate years in high school with the

addition of female students in the ASHS. He shared that, around female students, some of his male peers felt awkward with them and struggled forging genuine friendships.

Ngo explains, “Some people did not know how to act. You could say, sometimes, [they] would act inappropriately, maybe unintentionally because of lack of knowledge or just lack of experience.”

More so, all-boys schools such as the Ateneo have a reputation of being a “breeding ground” for misogyny and toxic masculinity.

Former Sanggunian President and Batch 2022 valedictorian JBBejarin shared his own experience about the culture in the Ateneo Grade School (AGS) and ASHS. In particular, he recalled that he began hearing “green” or sexual innuendo jokes as early as fourth grade.

Today, ASHS Lakambini Overall Head and Grade 12 STEM student Liana Mendoza believes that the culture of misogyny, homophobia, and even transphobia in allboys schools remains rampant. This makes it difficult for non-male or queer students to thrive in such an environment.

“If you isolate these boys in a certain environment na talagang misogynistic for very long years and suddenly, you bring them out to a whole new environment with women, queer, and non-

male students around them, you can’t expect them to act right without proper preparation,” she laments.

The lack of planning leads to some harassment cases that could have been prevented. For instance, Mendoza recalls an onlinesexual harassment case being reported during her very first month in the Ateneo as a Grade 11 student. In this case, a male student allegedly harassed a female student during a Discord call.

With this current arrangement and the prevailing culture of misogyny in these spaces, Ngo and Mendoza express their concern for students’ welfare.

HISTORY OF MISOGYNY

With ASHS classes now being held onsite again, Mendoza reports that sexual harassment cases have become “rampant”— not only involving major incidents but also several forms of microaggressions. These include making comments about how women and queer students should dress, act, and “live their lives,” among other offensive remarks.

This environment has left many female and queer students like Mendoza feeling “unsafe and unheard” in the Ateneo.

According to her, the ASHS population is still “dominantly male.” Thus, if the University’s

preparatory year before the full co-ed system would follow the same male-to-female student ratio, harassment cases might continue to rise.

Still, she believes that the Ateneo’s transition to a co-ed system is a “step in the right direction” that would require much preparation.

Similarly, Ngo shares how the roots of this problem can be traced to the environment fostered in all-boys schools. Not discounting the gravity of their actions, he says that some students were also “unintentionally unaware” that their behaviors were wrong.

To remedy this, he emphasizes the need to expose students to a co-ed environment early on to nurture emotional maturity, self-awareness, accountability, and discipline—concepts that aid in developing one’s attitude toward gender.

MEN AND WOMEN FOR OTHERS

While it remains a challenge how AGS and AJHS would prepare its students for a co-ed setup, this could be the beginning of a more inclusive and gendersensitive Ateneo.

To achieve this, Mendoza suggests establishing proactive student-led organizations like Lakambini and Mayari— specifically in JHS—to increase students’ social awareness and give them more opportunities to learn about gender equality and inclusivity.

She also underscores the need for a streamlined process for reporting harassment cases as the “lengthy, never-ending” process becomes discouraging for the victims. Mendoza adds that there should be a proper dissemination of materials, information, and resources relating to safe spaces so that students can feel safe to report their cases.

On the other hand, Ngo specifically cites two concrete actions that the administration should prioritize. The first is to ensure that faculty members are already primed during the preparatory year. Secondly, he highlights the significance of conducting regular assessments during the early stages of the coed scheme implementation.

“Whatever environment or system you find yourself in—it really heavily affects the way that You’re raised, [and] the type of experiences that you have,” he shares.

“So, I think the admin has a really big responsibility to fulfill to make sure that implementing this new system goes smoothly.”

Adopting a co-education scheme offers several possibilities, but both Ngo and Mendoza urge the Ateneo to first guarantee a gender-sensitive learning space, where the men and women it is forming for others do not feel “othered” within its very walls.

Deux ex machina

BY KATE SAN MATEO AND AREN C. TEODORO

PHOTO AND GRAPHIC BY KARL DIMACULANGAN

IN RECENT weeks, the widespread trend of Artificial Intelligence (AI) generating scholastic works has sparked concern among educators regarding the future of critical thinking and creativity.

As the integration of AI in academia challenges conventional teaching approaches, educators are left puzzled with finding proper ways to adopt the evolving technology.

Until then, ethical concerns abound with the increasing use

of AI in the academic setting, with students, for example, now having more tools to commit plagiarism. Unfortunately, this academic dishonesty undermines the integrity of the educational system at large, posing longterm negative consequences for students and faculty alike.

MACHINE CATALYSTS

As AI continues to evolve, AI bots also take one step ahead in analyzing large datasets of

existing content. Moreover, they learn patterns and structures to generate new content that is similar to the original work in style and tone, making AIgenerated work seem like fresh content made by humans.

One of the various techniques that AI utilizes is Natural Language Processing (NLP), which combines linguistics, computer science, and artificial intelligence to analyze and manipulate human language using algorithms.

Machine Learning (ML), another agent of AI, allows computers to continuously improve through trial and error. AI bots analyze large datasets using ML algorithms and are commonly used in chatbots and language translation applications.

Deep Learning (DL), on the other hand, is a subfield of ML that focuses on building complex neural networks. DL techniques are used in massive datasets of texts and are often used in language generation models and speech recognition tools.

ChatGPT, which employs a combination of all these techniques, has taken the internet by storm, as the chatbot can write stories and essays, solve mathematical problems, and do code. All these functions are useful for students to cheat in school.

While AI detectors can be effective in identifying AIgenerated content, they are not foolproof. False positives can occur when human-generated content is mistakenly flagged as machine-generated. This can have serious consequences for individuals, such as being accused of plagiarism or academic dishonesty.

TWO HEADS

The same concern exists well within the Loyola Schools (LS).

Gabrielle Anne Uy (2 BS ITE) had questions regarding data privacy and plagiarism when talking about AI in the academe. However, her stance changed after learning about its purpose as a technology that can be used to “aid rather than replace humans’ work.”

Similarly, Project Leader of Ateneo Laboratory for the Learning Sciences Ma. Mercedes T. Rodrigo also advertises the use of AI for personalized learning experiences.

“If you are [to write] a research paper and you don’t know where to begin, you can actually post a question to something like ChatGPT and it will give you some ideas, but it’s up to you to develop them,” she shares.

However, she also acknowledges the limitations with the use of AI. She asserts, “We have to be very, very clear about what’s acceptable use and what is not acceptable. [...] I would encourage my thesis students, for example, to use it if only to fix grammar and style but not to actually write anything.”

PARSING PEDAGOGY

ChatGPT, along with other AI models, provides students with convenience given its AI ability to quickly find and gather useful information, indicating its potential as a valuable learning tool.

In fact, John Gokongwei School of Management Information TechnologyEntrepreneurshipProgram Director Joseph Ilagan has come to recognize the place of AI in the academe.

“The teacher and students may use AI in the creation of course content and the submission of assignments. The teacher will disclose the use of AI in relevant areas of course content creation,” he indicates in his course syllabus.

In one instance, he tasked his students to use ValidatorAI to get feedback for their startup ideas. Ilagan also creates course content with the help of AI

transcription and grammar checking tools.

While AI use will not be considered cheating, Ilagan says that he reserves the right to deduct points from a student’s grade if they use it without putting in any effort in the output.

With this, various stakeholders in the technology industry also call for the ethical use of AI within and outside academia.

MACHINE FOR MACHINATIONS

While optimistic for the future of AI, Rodrigo fears that student misuse of AI may undermine their learning. With this, she emphasizes the need to set limitations on AI use.

Now, as AI became more sophisticated, it has found use in activities more sinister than computer-assisted plagiarism. Thus, the question of how morality can be ensured with AI use continues to baffle AI experts and educators.

Although the ethics of AI remains debatable, hardwiring these moral considerations into users themselves is a different story. As such, the challenge is for AI users to keep human morality in control of a rapidly automating world.

In service and solidarity

BY KATHARINA ISABEL ANGELES AND CAMILLE DOMINIQUE (MON) SALIPSIP

PHOTO BY DARYL SY GRAPHIC BY JEZZYRAE B. MAGLENTE

FOR ANY student-leader, service comes with sacrifice. They are faced with the challenge of balancing their academic responsibilities while simultaneously ensuring that they respond to the needs of their organizations the right away.

At the end of the day, their drive to continue serving the student body is rooted in the sense of fulfillment and empowerment they receive from the labor of their love.

TIP THE SCALES

Many Loyola School (LS) students find themselves participating in different student organizations, often requiring them to balance academic and organizational responsibilities. However, some may struggle to find the right time to focus on these obligations.

For League of Independent Organizations (LIONS) Coordinator

Alexa Derpo and Council of Organizations of the AteneoManila (COA-M) President Nina San Andres, they admitted to handling tasks of their respective organizations during their class hours.

Derpo and San Andres believe that it is part of their duty to be prompt when it comes to the concerns of their organizations.

On the one hand, Derpo shares that she tries to balance her extracurricular obligations by making a timeline of possible projects to anticipate over the academic year.

On the other hand, San Andres encourages setting boundaries when it comes to work-life balance. Since students had to continue their studies at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she believes that the boundary separating work and personal life was lost to the online setup and must be reevaluated now.

With the current onsite setup, Derpo believes that LIONS has developed a healthy workplace as they incorporate team bondings such as having meals to accompany their weekly meetings. For San Andres, she reclaims the division between work and personal life through the enforcement of working hours for herself and COA-M.

Despite their efforts to foster a healthy work system within their organizations, there remains hesitations from taking breaks.

Derpo shares her reluctance to pause due to her duty to the organization.

However, she recognizes that students may choose to take a break or remain unresponsive due to undisclosed reasons— other obligations, mental health, or loss of passion.

ON ACADEMIC BURNOUT

Despite preventive measures, experiencing burnout remains almost inevitable for studentleaders. For Derpo, her experience of burnout was “more psychological” rather than the physical act

of doing her obligations. This was because she always wanted to accomplish a lot of things, eventually stretching herself beyond her capacity.

On top of this, academic burnout remains a prevalent concern within the LS. For Marvin Cruz, a guidance counselor at the Loyola Schools Office of Guidance and Counseling (LSOGC), students who experience academic burnout feel “depleted and cynical about school, which later leads to disengagement.”

Throughout his experience as a moderator for Ateneo Peers, Cruz has seen a number of student-leaders resign from their positions due to burnout.

For Derpo, organizational work does not necessarily—and should not—lead to burnout. Instead, she believes that the absence of a culture that prioritizes the welfare of its members particularly leads to burnout.

Similarly, San Andres finds that students experience burnout because they do not particularly enjoy or find purpose in the work they do. In response to this, she shares, “Everything is always going to be exhausting. You just need to find the thing that you’d be happy to be exhausted over.”

To combat burnout, some student organizations like Ateneo EDGE have reached out to the LSOGC for stress management workshops that

promote member wellness. In addition, COA-M holds HR Conferences where organizations within the University exchange their current practices for member development to improve and learn from each other.

CAMARADERIE AMID TRIALS

Despite the burnout student leaders face from balancing their academics and organizations, they look back to what pushed them to take these leadership

positions in the first place.

For Derpo and San Andres, their love for service stems from the common goal of COA-M and LIONS: empowering student organizations and creating avenues for their sectors to be represented.

Along with this, these student leaders have expressed the role of support systems in their organizations in alleviating the weight of their tasks. “Even when things are difficult, at

least you have people with you doing it as well,” San Andres says.

At the end of the day, students across the entire LS remain committed to working towards representing the core goals of the organizations they are part of. With this, the shared experience of balancing obligations provides a sense of solidarity that ultimately triumphs over burnout.

[As LIONS Coordinator, you represent] the values of your community and the advocacies. [...] But [tasks] like administration, communication, [and] making sure that everything is in order, it stems from a place of finding meaning in the work that you do.

ALEXA DERPO COORDINATOR, LEAGUE OF INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATIONS

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

play a pivotal role in bringing the issues of marginalized sectors to the public consciousness. In line with its goal of forming “men and women for others,” the Ateneo actively partakes in the protection of indigenous rights and identities in the face of social exclusion.

Its most recent show of solidarity with indigenous peoples (IPs) was from February 15 to 23, when the University welcomed 300 DumagatRemontados as they marched to Malacañang Palace to protest against the construction of the Kaliwa Dam. It also includes the recently proposed revival of the student-led Atenista Laban sa Kaliwa Dam (ALAKAD) coalition. Despite such initiatives, there are still noticeable gaps within the University’s curriculum and environment that make it challenging to genuinely champion the inclusion

Closing cultural gaps

and empowerment of IPs’ identities and cultures.

THE QUESTION OF SPACE

For one, there remains a small number of Ateneans hailing from indigenous communities. In October 2022, the Commission of Ateneans for Indigenous Peoples (CAIP) conducted a survey looking into the IP demographic in the Loyola Schools (LS). CAIP Co-Commissioner Lean Rosendo (2 BS PSY) mentioned that only two people have answered the survey as of date, making it challenging for the commission to create a data-driven action plan to address their specific needs.

A previous GUIDON article also revealed that various deterrents discourage IPs from taking up their tertiary studies in the Ateneo, including the lack of financial resources and programs that align with their communities’ particular contexts. The limited coverage of indigenous knowledge in the University’s curriculum, for one, makes fostering cultural sensitivity among LS students a difficult endeavor.

“It’s very important for the indigenous struggles to be integrated into the curriculum, whether in business,

BY MARELLE BAÑEZ AND CLARE PILLOS ILLUSTRATION BY KENDRICK W. CO

arts, or management,” says Socio-Anthropology Professor Albert E. Alejo, SJ. Integrating IP knowledge in the University’s curriculum would not only benefit IP students but also deepen non-IP students’ insights into their own fields of specialization.

In response to these institutional gaps, members of the Ateneo community have proactively lent their voices to the advocacy through different means.

FILLING GAPS

The Ateneo has made strides forward to bridge gaps in the inclusion of IP identities through current initiatives and efforts. As CAIP aims to raise awareness towards inclusivity and cater to the needs of Ateneans in indigenous groups, it has taken steps in IP inclusion and visibility in the LS.

In particular, CAIP has focused on externalization efforts by participating in the Manobo Tribe forum back in 2021 and establishing communications with the Dumagat-Remontado tribe through the Office of Social Concern and Involvement for the “Alay Lakad Laban sa Kaliwa Dam.”

In line with this, CAIP plans to create awareness campaigns to hopefully reignite the

“Atenista Laban sa Kaliwa Dam” initiative. It will first be a sub-coordinating unit between Development Society of the Ateneo (DevSoc), CAIP, and the Commission on Sociopolitical Development before re-opening its doors to non-Sanggunian and DevSoc students. Eventually, there may be a culminating activity involving IP outreach programs or IPs visiting the campus.

To extend support to indigenous identities beyond campus, CAIP first prioritizes data gathering and research, followed by externalization efforts through establishing connections with other minority groups.

In terms of the LS administration’s support, Rosendo lauds them for offices such as OSCI and the Office for Student Services’ (OSS) willingness to support IP initiatives and welcome minority groups.

In particular, he appreciates the OSS’ enthusiasm to work with CAIP through any project. However, he hopes for a more collective call from the administration and the board. “I saw that [the] Ateneo is welcoming and will do its very best sa abot ng kanyang makakaya in the spirit of cura personalis,” Rosendo remarks.

Although there still remain gaps, Ateneo’s initiatives and efforts paint a hopeful picture of a culturally-sensitive and inclusive environment for IP identities within the LS.

SHARING OF COLORS

The initiative to empower IPs and foster cultural exchange is one that the Ateneo is challenged to further champion.

Alejo emphasizes the trove of ways in which indigenous culture, rights, practices, and struggles can be integrated into the curriculum—from indigenous poetry in literature to development issues affecting IPs in management. “We must also learn from them. It doesn’t mean they have nothing to learn from us. It’s a matter of exchange,” Alejo mentions.

As thousands of Ateneo graduates churn out thesis papers every year, Alejo further emphasizes how having a research agenda that touches on IPs’ struggles would help support their communities.

Meanwhile, he describes extension as the embodiment of research with its application. External projects and internal advocacy are both manifestations of this. Through

these functions, a more culturallysensitive environment can be built.

To this, Alejo highlights celebrating diversity and along with it, the variety of knowledge that is shared.

In the end, IP inclusivity and empowerment enrich both IP and non-IPs’ experiences as each party is able to learn from one another’s differences through cultural exchange.

Beyond this is also treating IPs not as artifacts for preservation but as people with stories. Rosendo states, “When we are able to hear their stories, I hope that the sense of empathy and connection will emerge.”

With every authentic encounter and physical contact, Ateneans are able to open themselves up to seeing a wider array of colors from every single IP story and experience. In the end, there is beauty found in sharing commonalities and differences in the hopes of closing cultural gaps.