THE OFFICI A L STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE ATENEO DE M A NIL A UNI V ERSIT Y
FURTHER W ITH THE TRUTH
VOL. XC NO. 6
MARCH-APRIL 2020
LS ends semester early, cancels activities amid COVID-19 pandemic BY MINA MATA AND ALLIANZA O. PESQUERA PHOTO BY ALDO SANTIAGO
THE COV ID -19 pandemic signif icantly impacted the academic year, causing the Loyola Schools (LS) administration and students alike to work around cancelled student formation activities and organization events. To protect the wellbeing of the LS community during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Vice President for the Loyola Schools Maria Luz C. Vilches, PhD, shortened the second semester, which ended on May 8. Moreover, the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Formation also suspended all off-campus co-curricular activities until July 31. In hopes of addressing these issues, the LS administration and several student leaders have been working on possible courses of action moving forward, such as creating contingencies for e vent c a ncel lat ions, compensating the loss of funds, and modifying activities to fit the current situation. PREVENTIVE MEASURES
In light of the advisories issued by the University and by the Department of Health (DOH), several school programs have been suspended and modified to limit students’ exposure to the virus. Vilches temporarily suspended all international student mobility programs from March until December 31 due to the outbreak, thus terminating the Junior Term Abroad Fall 2020 program and other University-
related international travel. Furthermore, Associate Dean for Student Formation Leland Dela Cruz, PhD, cancelled all exposure and immersion programs such as Binhi, Punla, the Junior Engagement Program, and Praxis for the remaining academic year. In place of these, Office of Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) Director Ophalle Alzona-Pornela explained how OSCI later shared online learning materials that catered to students’ respective formation program objectives. Alternative seminars and forums where speakers could share stories about a particular sector were also in the works as a contingency measure to the spread of COVID-19, but Alzona-Pornela said that not all talks materialized once the ECQ was implemented. She also shared that OSCI consulted faculty and department members regarding how they may achieve the objectives of the formation programs in an online setting. “For next school year, [OSCI is] also exploring the possibility of online kwentuhan, discussions, or sharing with some of our partner institutions/ communities—at least for those who might have the capacity to do so,” added Alzona-Pornela. Dela Cruz also stated that after the quarantine, all on-campus activities of the student formation cluster will most likely have a limit of 100 people per venue in line with the instructions the DOH has in place against mass gatherings.
THE FALLOUT
For Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA) President Phillip V. Ventigan, many student organizations faced financial and logistical consequences due to the cancellation of their events. Ventigan stated that the suspension of classes has affected 145 organization events and activities in total. Among these, 141 were cancelled, and three were moved to online platforms. Some of these cancelled included TEDxADMU: in/Finite, Kythe Community Day, Ateneo Blue Repertory’s Season Finale, Under the Stars, and One Big Pride. Moreover, Ventigan explained that many organizations faced the financial burden of shouldering the cancellation fees and the additional compensation for their affected events. In particular, he said that theater organizations experienced “great financial losses” due to the cancellation
of their shows, which totaled to a collective loss of Php 1.1 million. To help organizations move forward, Ventigan assured that COA can offer assistance to organizations who are experiencing setbacks due to cancelled events. “We assured [the organizations] that they can always reach out to us if they need assistance of any kind for as long as they follow the general guidelines set by our government and University,” shared Ventigan. MOVING FORWARD
In light of the monetary losses many student-organizations are facing, the Sanggunian Central Assembly passed resolutions to help compensate organizations that have been financially affected by the ECQ. On April 2, the Central Assembly passed two resolutions introduced by Ventigan to shoulder project costs affected by the pandemic.
“In light of the advisories issued by the University and by the Department of Health (DOH), several school programs have been suspended and modified to limit students’ exposure to the virus.” MARIA LUZ C. VILCHES, PHD VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE LOYOLA SCHOOLS
Thus, Sanggunian Resolution No. 6 was created to establish a joint emergency fund between COA-M and Sanggunian to finance refunds, cancellation fees, and compensations for student organization projects, while Sanggunian Resolution No. 7 was created to cover “half of the total financial losses of theater organizations...amounting to Php 560,505.70.” The former resolution states that each participating representative of the Sanggunian Central Assembly must supply the funds for the joint emergency fund from their own budget. This resolution also states that the COA-M and the League of Independent Organizations representatives must mobilize the collection of funds depending on which group the recipient organization belongs to. S t u d e nt o r g a n i z a t io n s themselves have also come up with contingency plans to make up for the cancelled events. For instance, Kythe-Ateneo President Raphael Chua shared that Kythe began cancelling projects and coming up with contingencies even before any memos were released due to the organization’s direct dealings with hospitals. “Now…we are trying to come up with a concrete way we can reach out to our sector and stand with them,” explained Chua. For instance, KytheAteneo spearheaded a cash and in-kind donation drive to acquire hygiene kits and facial masks for the frontliners and pediatric
patients in their partner hospitals. Similarly, Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADs) President Jesse Cabero said that CADs conducted its events such as their Miting de Avance through online platforms to “adjust to the situation in a way that is beneficial for both the candidates and the members.” CHANGING CONTEXTS
A side from st udent organizations, the school is adjusting to the effects of COVID19 as well. Vilches revealed that the school has experienced financial drawbacks due to the administration’s decisions in handling the pandemic: “We have incurred some loss in revenue, or some deficit, because of the refunds, but we will try to recover from that loss incrementally over the years.” Dela Cruz also discussed how the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Formation is “in constant communication” with other offices so that they can determine the guidelines for student activities after the ECQ given the fast changing contexts. Vilches added that the situation is “complex” and that there are no “simplistic answers” regarding student activities and events to be held after the ECQ. “Rest assured that these issues are still being discussed on our way to finding the appropriate solutions to these...We need to be patient with many things. The path ahead is uncharted. We deal with matters one at a time,” Vilches said.
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Lack of support for varsity, sports clubs prompts drafting of Magna Carta for Student Athletes BY CHOLO HERMOSO AND PATRICIA YAP
IN AN effort to provide further suppor t for the school’s varsity teams and sports clubs, the Sanggunian released a memorandum on February 24 announcing their plans to create a Magna Carta for Student Athletes (MCSA). According to MCSA Technical Working Group (TWG) Head Jerard Afable, the charter will have four goals that will serve as a guide in crafting the Magna Carta: Promoting and protecting the rights of student-athletes, demanding full transparency from all stakeholders, ensuring a safe environment, and recognizing student-athletes’ hard work. In the Loyola Schools, there are 20 varsity teams and six sports clubs. Afable claimed that the majority of these teams have no guaranteed rights and privileges when it comes to financial support and transparency from concerned offices such as the College Athletics Office (CAO) and the Office of Student Activities (OSA). The Department of Student Rights Chair Moirah Isabelo said that the proposed charter will be a separate document from the current Magna Carta for Student Rights, which was successfully amended in 2019. This decision was made since the existing charter for student rights might not be able to encompass the specific needs of the athletes. Afable said the MCSA is targeted for release in two years as the MCSA needs to go back and forth through stakeholders and offices. The Sanggunian aims to complete the first draft by the first semester of the academic year 2020-2021. However, given the suspensions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Afable noted the possibility of pushing back their timeline. YELLOW CARDS While drafting the MCSA, Afable approached several sports teams that have encountered recurring issues with finances and transparency from offices. Sports club Ateneo Blue Raiders President Avin Chugani and varsity team Ateneo Women’s Rowing Team Captain Danielle Chua said that their teams shoulder many of their expenses. These include tournament fees, spending for uniforms and equipment, transportation expenses, airfare costs for competitions, and even
payments for using training spaces on campus. “Entering into tournaments, [some student athletes end up] using their own money [even though] they’re representing Ateneo,” Afable said. For instance, Chua said that during the Ateneo Rowing Team’s competition in Malaysia from November 5 to 9, 2019, the team had to pay for most of their expenses. The airfare price for one person on a return trip reached Php 10,000 alone. “With regards to [transportation to tournaments], we still shoulder the cost for that...There are times we end up paying around Php 30,000-40,000 just for the bus,” Chugani added. In response to this, CAO Coordinator Benjamin Afuang said that it does not have enough funds to shoulder these costs: “As much as we would want to provide them assistance for this, unfortunately [CAO] does not have the budget for international competitions.” Afable said that the budgets of varsity teams that compete in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP), like the basketball and volleyball teams, are prioritized over that of non-UA AP varsity teams, leaving the latter with little-to-no reimbursements. In line with this, Chua shared how the entire Ateneo Rowing Team and its training pool, which consisted of a rou nd 50 people, had to share the only two rowing machines available on campus. A fter sports clubs were accredited as a sector under the Sanggunian, Afable said OSA became responsible for their budget, but the CAO is still responsible for both UAAP and non-UAAP varsity teams’ budgets. Chugani said that one other issue teams have raised is transparency. Although all sports club budget proposals were approved by OSA at the start of the semester, he said that no money was given to his team. The budget proposal goes through multiple offices such as OSA, the Central Accounting Office, and Office of the Associate Dean for Student Formation, and Afable explained that the studentathletes get lost in the process and are unable to pinpoint which office
might have caused the withholding of funds. “All of our expenditures last [semester] were done thinking that we would be able to [get] reimburse[d] from the budgets,” said Chugani. OSA For mator for the Sanggunian Neil Reyes clarified that the budget proposal submitted by the Sanggunian was based on the varying requests of each nonvarsity sports club, which was later collated into one total amount approved by OSA. However, he stressed that this allocated budget is “disbursed through reimbursement as per agreement” with the concerned Sanggunian officials. “The agreed upon mode of disbursement for these funds is through reimbursement,” Reyes said. “[The budget] is not just given to [the non-varsity sports clubs].” FAIR GAME Since varsity teams are directly under the supervision of UAO, Afable said that the MCSA can be used as a document for defense in cases wherein the UAO does not “honor their word” to the athletes. As early as February 17, focus group discussions were already held with individual representatives from f ive voluntary sports teams and the MCSA Technical Working Group (TWG). Currently, the TWG is composed of Sa ngg unia n members who conduct these meetings and work directly on the MCSA. The TWG will also conduct a comparative analysis between the rights of athletes in other universities and review the Philippine Magna Carta for Student Athletes or Senate Bill No. 1194, an act that “aims to provide appropriate recognition to the rights and general welfare of student-athletes.” Once the MCSA is approved by the University President’s Council, the student-athletes will have set protocols to defend themselves against violations, a s e at at t he bud g e t table, Sanggunian student representation in the UAO, and better overall recognition and support from the University. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE With an impending charter for the MCSA, Chugani and Chua, together with other sports club
and varsity team student-athletes in the University, hope that the magna carta will resolve their long-standing issues with financial support, among others. Chugani also emphasized the need for “transparency between the offices that [student-athletes are] concerned with.” For him, it is important that they know what the budget allocation is for the team and which offices are involved in handling their money. With the MSCA , student-athletes will be given the right to know the breakdown of their budget, to have reimbursements processed within a month, and to have anything past that subject to complaint. Though the consultation and drafting process will take time, Afable reassured that current student-athletes understand and are hopeful for the future of those athletes after them. “We explained [that] the timeline [for the MCSA] is around two years pa,” he said. “There’s a general consensus [that] this will be more for the next generation of athletes than for us.”
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Entering into tournaments, [student athletes end up] using their own money [even though] they’re representing Ateneo. JERARD AFABLE MAGNA CARTA FOR STUDENT ATHLETES TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP HEAD
PHOTO BY BRUCE ONG
EDITOR: MICAH AVRY GUIAO | LAYOUT ARTIST: VIKTOR VALIX
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Sanggunian General Elections postponed, interim officers to govern until next elections BY BILLIE ASUNCION AND CHERLINE TRAJANO
FILE PHOTO BY ZOEY IGNACIO
IN RESPONSE to the cancellation of all classes, school gatherings, and events during the period of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the Ateneo Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that all Sanggunian election-related processes will be postponed until further notice. The commission also said that the next Sanggunian General Elections will be conducted early in the first semester of academic year (AY) 2020-2021 instead. However, Ateneo COMELEC Commissioner for Finance Gabriel Montoya stated that this decision is working under the assumption that the ECQ will be lifted by the start of the next AY. This has raised some questions on how the Sanggunian plans to carry out its functions as the central student council until the new officers are elected. INTERIM SANGGUNIAN Ateneo COMELEC’s memo explained that an interim student government will begin their service on May 8 up until the next
general elections. The incumbent Sanggunian Vice President and School Representatives are not set to graduate this school year. However, current Sanggunian President Quiel Quiwa is a graduating senior, which means he will need to step down from office by May 8. Quiwa stated that by the time the semester ends, he will not be allowed to hold his position as he will no longer be an official student of the University. According to Article VI, Section 2.1 of the 2019 Constitution of the Undergraduate Students of the Ateneo de Manila Loyola Schools, the rule of succession would apply in creating the interim Sanggunian. Thus, current Sanggunian Vice President Jb Bejarin will have to assume office as the Interim Sanggunian President until the next election is held. From there, Bejarin will appoint an Interim Sanggunian Vice President from the pool of School Representatives. This includes School of Social Sciences Representative Kat Moreno, School of Science and Engineering
Representative LA Ibarrientos, John Gokongwei School of Management Representative Mica Torres, and School of Humanities Representative Matt Rodriguez. Then, the School Representative who will be appointed as Interim Vice President will choose a Course Representative to fill his or her former position. Last May 11, Bejarin announced that Moreno will serve as the Interim Sangg unian Vice President. According to Bejarin, the selection process for Interim Sanggunian Vice President involved a panel interview with the four eligible candidates. The panel was open to the LS student body through a livestream last May 6. Moreno also announced on May 11 that Tristan Alcantara was chosen to fill in the position of Interim SOSS Representative. Quiwa added that other nongraduating Sanggunian officers will remain in their respective positions, and consultations with them are currently being held: “We need to know if everyone’s capable of continuing in this situation.”
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POSSIBILITIES FOR ELECTORIAL PROCESS Assuming that the ECQ will be lifted by August 2020, electoral processes, such as the Miting de Avance, will have to be adjusted in light of national COVID-19 safety protocols. Montoya said that there may be social distancing restrictions that will limit how many people can be present in the upcoming events. According to Montoya, the incoming batch of freshmen will be allowed to vote since the elections will be held in the first semester. He explained that excluding them from electoral participation would be a violation of Article II, Section 4 of the same constitution Quiwa quoted. “Every student has the right to vote members of the student body into Sanggunian through a fair and just election,” it reads. Montoya added that Ateneo COMELEC is still deliberating on their next course of action in the event that the ECQ will not be lifted by the first semester of the next academic year.
Every student has the right to vote members of the student body into Sanggunian through fair and just election.
ARTICLE II, SECTION IV CONSTITUTION OF THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE ATENEO DE MANILA LOYOLA SCHOOLS
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LSOGC highlights protocols, services that address mental health concerns BY MOIRA V. CAYABYAB
AFTER SEVER AL incidents involving mental health-related emergencies, the Loyola Schools Mental Health Coalition released a statement emphasizing the importance of seeking professional help when struggling with mental health. In response, the LS Office of Guidance and Counseling (LSOGC) and Ateneo Bulatao Center went into detail about their protocols for intervention for mental health-related emergencies and student safety.
FILE PHOTO BY ZACH GARCIA
CLEARING THE AIR Vice President for the Loyola Schools Maria Luz C. Vilches, PhD, clarified that the LS administration has not released statements on these cases because such situations are “very delicate.” “The first priority of the administration is to respect the wishes of the family regarding disclosure or non-disclosure of information,” said Vilches. LSOGC Director Gary A. Faustino added that the LSOGC has protocols for immediate intervention when a student is a danger to themselves or to those around them. He clarified that their office gets involved when they are notified of the incident by “proper authorities:” Barangay of f icials if the emergenc y is located of f- c a mpu s a nd c a mpu s security guards if it happens within the LS. The student is then asked to stay in the LSOGC so that they are given a “safe space,” where a guidance counselor can help the student process his or her struggle. The LSOGC also informs the student’s family of the incident. Faustino encouraged students to inform authorities if ever they witness a mental health-related
emergency instead of publicizing the situation in order to avoid irresponsibly sharing the details of incidents that may potentially trigger people. “ We keep [infor mation surrounding the incidents] under wraps not because we want to keep it secret, but as a matter of respect,” Faustino remarked. “Everyone thinks ever y thing is for public consumption, but it’s not.” For cases that involve the death of a student and require further investigation, he said that these cases are kept confidential and are mostly handled by the family of the student involved. Faustino reiterated that the LSOGC is there for further assistance if certain details of the investigation require input from members of the University such as a student’s blockmates, classmates, or professors. As the school processes these events, Ateneo Peers stated that the LS community should not be “rendered frozen” by the incidents that have occurred. They encouraged members of the community to take the opportunity to lead the conver sat ion on ment a l health awareness and the protocols for handling mental health-related struggles. PERSON FOR OTHERS Aside from the LSOGC’s protocols, the University also has programs to build awareness and support for mental health. In an effort to advocate for mental health awareness, Vilches initiated the Continuing Development Program for Mentors. The program organizes monthly workshops on active listening, mental health issues, and general mindfulness for LS faculty and staff members.
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We keep [information surrounding the incidents] under wraps not because we want to keep it secret, but as a matter of respect. Everyone thinks everything is for public consumption, but it’s not.
GARY A. FAUSTINO DIRECTOR OF THE LOYOLA SCHOOLS OFFICE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING
FILE PHOTO BY IZZA ZAMORANOS
The Mental Health Coalition, which consists of Ateneo Psyche, Ateneo Peers, and the Sanggunian Commission on Mental Health, also collaborates with the LSOGC for various mental health awareness projects, such as Wellness Week and occasional forums or workshops. To address the specific mental health concerns of members of the LS community, the LSOGC also offers free basic counseling handled by registered psychologists, psychometricians, and guidance counselors. On the other hand, Ateneo Bulatao Center Executive Director Karina G. Fernandez said that the Bulatao Center is available to students and teaching personnel who need professional assessments a nd therapy sessions from registered clinical psychologists. However, the Bulatao Center charges certain fees for students and non-teaching personnel who avail of their services. “[We] hope our society can reach that point where we can openly seek counseling and psychotherapy without worrying what other people say,” said Fernandez.
The GUIDON | March-April 2020
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FILE PHOTOS BY ALEXIS WANG
LS refines Anti-Sexual Harassment Manual draft through consultations, audit feedback BY ZOEY C. ATILLO
THE UNIVERSITY administration is still in the process of revising the longoverdue Anti-Sexual Harassment Manual, a document that will replace and clarify processes for handling sexual misconduct on campus. According to Loyola Schools (LS) Legal Counsel Attorney Nina Patricia SisonArroyo, the drafting of the manual is a directive from the Office of the President in compliance with the Safe Spaces Act. In crafting the manual, the school administration is also making use of feedback from members of different units in the University and the external audit on the school’s systems and processes for handling sexual harassment cases. University President Jett Villarin, SJ, announced plans to create the manual a day after the October 15 on-campus protest that called on the school to improve its systems for processing sexual misconduct cases. Although the manual was initially set for release by the end of 2019, the third working draft is still in the works due to the delays brought about by COVID-19 pandemic. CONSIDERING STAKEHOLDER INSIGHTS The reviews on the content of the manual are being done through focus group discussions (FGDs) with student and faculty representatives from the different sectors in the University, such as Basic Education, the Professional Schools, Central Administration, the Sanggunian Commission on Anti-Sexual Misconduct and
FILE PHOTO BY JIM DASAL
Violence (CASMV), and the President’s Cluster. Sison-Arroyo added that it is up to the FGD participants to consult with their constituents and consolidate their comments for submission. She said that after comments from the FGD participants are gathered, she uses this input to create a working draft for the manual, which is then handed over to the manual’s Technical Working Group (TWG). The TWG then reviews the working draft and goes into more technical details when composing the final version of a draft. Each draft is then presented to the FGD participants, and the process repeats. In addition to this, CASMV Co- Commissioner A rianna Sunga clarified that the draft will continue to be circulated to the FGD participants and the TWG for more feedback and suggestions until it is deemed fully formed and ready for presentation. “We hope that this manual serves as the foundation for ensuring that all cases are handled properly and that justice may always be given to the survivors,” said Sunga. Though the anti-sex ual harassment manual was originally set for public release at the end of 2019, LS Legal Counsel Attorney Nina Sison-Arroyo stated that the TWG reviewed the manual’s first working draft on January 27 and the second working draft on March 2. According to Sison-Arroyo, the third working draft was supposed to have been presented to the TWG on March 13, but the meeting was
cancelled due to the constraints brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this draft is currently being reviewed by the TWG online. Given these setbacks, SisonA rroyo clarif ied that the administration is eyeing to circulate the next draft of the manual to the FGD participants by early July at the latest. With this, they are planning to have the final manual released before the August 12 deadline. EXTERNAL FEEDBACK Alongside its legal counsel, the University collaborated w ith independent auditor Jeanne Illo, PhD, who is also the Gender Equality Adviser of the Canadian Embassy in Manila and Ad hoc Gender Adviser of AusAID. Sunga mentioned that Illo is currently observing the school’s proceedings for sexual harassment cases and reviewing if these are properly conducted. Illo’s findings and recommendations for the manual were to be released this April 2020 for review among the participants of the FGDs. According to Sunga, Illo was only given the first draft of the manual and relevant documents from CASMV. These include the CASMV’s August 2017July 2019 final report on the status of sexual misconduct cases in the LS as well as their recommendations for survivor support, gender sensitivity, inter-office coordination, degree and proportionality of sanction, and transparency.
Sison-Arroyo clarified that they only provided Illo with the first draft to give her an idea of the structure of the draft. Illo will then be given the final copy of the manual to review as part of her audit report. NEED FOR FURTHER TRANSPARENCY Aside from improving the anti-sexual harassment manual, the University is also creating initiatives to talk about sexual harassment more openly. LS Gender and Development Focal Committee Chair Maria Elissa Lao, PhD, stated that the Interim Commission on Decorum and Investigation conducted their first session on Understanding Sexual Harassment and Gender Relations last December 6, 2019. She clarified that their second session was postponed due to the enhanced community quarantine. Despite the University’s efforts, Sunga points out that they can still improve on the limits when sharing information on sexual harassment cases. While she acknowledged that there are limits to sharing information on certain cases, she added that the school could consider extending the provisions in non-disclosure agreements between the investigative body and survivors. “The University should work to create a protocol for when a respondent is proven as a threat to the entire community as students may understandably feel unsafe, especially if the respondent is a professor they may have contact with,” said Sunga.
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We hope that this manual serves as the foundation for ensuring that all cases are handled properly and that justice may always be given to the survivors.
ARIANNA SUNGA CO-COMMISSIONER SANGGUNIAN COMMISSION ON ANTI-SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AND VIOLENCE
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Atenean Voice Quiel Qiwa Former President, Sanggunian ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila
“The national government’s response has been disappointing. We have always known that our country is vulnerable to these kinds of threats, especially since this administration has given little support to our public health system and workers, but the threat of this pandemic already appeared in late 2019. Our government, if only they had the foresight to take this threat seriously, had the opportunity to establish precautionary measures for international travelers, to prepare testing kits and quarantine facilities for its citizens, and to develop health care-centered solutions to the pandemic. Instead, we ended up with a military-led lockdown called an ‘Enhanced Community Quarantine,’ and even with such drastic measures already being implemented, they still want to give emergency powers to the President. We don’t need that. What we need is mass testing for COVID-19, enough support for the workers and families affected by the quarantine, and even more support for medical facilities and health workers. Enough with the attempts to gain power beyond the Constitution. The government should be able to accomplish these even without giving emergency powers to the President.”
Rhaelyne Bairan 3 BS PSY
“Our national government has failed us. With an influx of Chinese nationals, a poor healthcare system, and urban congestion, [they] somehow managed to believe that we would be fine. We responded too slowly.When we saw the rise of victims and death from other nations while our numbers remained stagnant, our national government was silent. This was supposed to be a wake-up call, to realize that something is wrong and we have to do something. Yet we waited a few more days. Before Duterte’s announcement [of an enhanced community quarantine], there weren’t any active updates on securing testing kits or structured plans in addressing these issues. Even after then, how did they secure transportation or assistance to the front liners? To doctors who risk their lives and die for their incompetence? Messy implementation has ignored the thousands of workers who rely on their jobs for a meager three meals and a roof. Those who can’t survive off an advanced 13th month pay, what then are they to become? This issue...once again highlights the vulnerability of our society. When we respond too slowly or downplay a health issue, we harm those who have [a] limited capacity to protect themselves or their families. Our government hasn’t been doing enough. As we look back and face another global pandemic, let our government be a reminder that we have to be better than this.”
Finn* 1 BS CS-DGDD
Riki G. Angeles Associate Vice President for Secretariat, Loyola Film Circle
“I personally think the response time the Philippine government had when announcing quarantine was adequate. Many countries did not have a quarantine or lockdown in a similar fashion until more cases were recorded, which is appreciated. However, the government did not have any measures in place to provide resources for the less fortunate. The announcement of the lockdown 48 hours before the lockdown allowed people to panic buy, leaving less for the rest. Public transportation being shut down during the lockdown [also] prevents health workers from moving. All the little things which can help the impoverished who are more susceptible to COVID-19 weren’t done well enough.” “The national government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic leaves much to be desired. Ideally, we should be determining as many cases as possible, isolating them, and subsequently providing [them] treatment and care while making records on patient recovery, immunity, and mortality to improve future response to the disease. While enforcing community quarantine is a step towards the right direction, it’s only part of the process. Quarantine alone cannot provide substantial impact without the enforcement of mass testing, support, and protection for the medical professionals addressing the situation. Without a plan, we fail to effectively ‘flatten the curve’ or delay the rapid spread of the disease and ensure ample time for recovery and room to develop vaccines and other preventive measures against COVID-19. Our healthcare systems need the government’s support now more than ever. The national government’s quarantine measures are also ineffective in accounting for the impact this has had on their constituents. Many Filipinos currently find themselves without work [and are] forced to rely on donations and help from the private sector because they aren’t compensated by the government or their jobs, as many of them engage in contractualized work. With a lack of support from the state and media outlets telling Filipinos to merely follow quarantine measures to avoid getting sick, it seems like the average citizen has only been given two options: To go out and catch a disease that could potentially kill them or to suffer from hunger without any source of income. It would help if the government could clearly communicate not only their actions to the people, but also their intentions, so that all of us may understand the gravity of the situation and act on it accordingly.”
Jack Rodriguez 4 BS ME
“The government is procrastinating. Pre-emptive measures could have been taken weeks in advance. It should have been as early as the first COVID-19 infection outside of China that the government developed disaster response protocols. Being restricted by time and a healthcare system that is subpar at best, our government had no choice but to declare enhanced community quarantine in an attempt to minimize movement and slow down the spread. In addition to this, there was no strategic direction from the top and Duterte left the local government units to decide what they should do. It was a solution made out of sheer desperation and people such as doctors, nurses, and poor people are bearing the brunt of their incompetence. Having seen forms circulating around Facebook asking input on the community quarantine plan, it is clear how late our government is to the party. For now, the only thing we can ask of them is transparency.”
Colleen Creencia Associate for Marketing, Ateneo Chemistry Society
“I would say that the national government was over assuring yet underprepared. They kept on promising the people that the Philippines is ready—enough testing kits, enough budget for healthcare, and a laid out plan altogether. Right from the start, the government kept ignoring the warnings of other countries on how to tackle the threats of the coronavirus. It is quite obvious that the government is underprepared. Even when President Duterte announced the lockdown of Manila, the terms of the lockdown were not defined. He put more emphasis on placing armed military personnel in the streets than any medical provision or guideline. Right now, the country is receiving test kits donations from Singapore, China, South Korea, and Japan. Health Secretary Duque said that the [persons under investigation] (PUIs) and symptomatic patients are to be prioritized in testing due to the limited number of test kits available. However, many public officials demanded to be tested in their own houses—not only themselves, but including their family members and staff. Some even want to be tested twice despite not showing symptoms nor being a PUI or [person under monitoring]. The steps the government is taking in tackling this national crisis are also leaving out the poor and the marginalized sectors, and neglecting the frontliners. With this poor management, I am afraid that the fight against COVID-19 will be longer and more disruptive than I thought.”
“What can you say about the national government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic?” Denise Marcelo 2 AB COM
“The administration seems to be completely disinterested in putting the Filipino people first. Their response has been governed by power and politics since day one. When they scoffed at suspending travel from infected regions, it became clear that they were serving China. When they demanded priority testing for asymptomatic politicians over following the mandated protocols for [persons under investigation], it became clear that the people our government is in unwavering service of, are themselves. While the poor starve and health workers actively risk their lives, the government has been slapping the red tape of bureaucracy on our local government units and the private sector’s efforts for fear of admitting their incompetence. The administration is flailing. They know it, and they can’t hide it anymore. Although it’s immensely frustrating to be a Filipino right now, I place hope in the growing number of people who have begun to speak against and stand up to the Duterte administration’s mishandling of the crisis. The collective outcry and the Congress’ subsequent rejection of the request for special emergency powers has shown me that despite the absence of checks and balances within our government, the people are now vigilant. We elected them and have the power to eject them. We will hold them accountable for their failures and crimes, and soon there will be no troll army big enough to silence the voice of a whole nation.”
Paco Blanco 1 BS LM
“While I do acknowledge that there have been shortcomings overall, I find myself having no issue for the most part with how the national government has chosen to respond to the COVID-19 crisis at hand. Having said that, I believe that there is no realistic reason to worry that such measures will segue into a state of martial law, and that anyone who peddles this belief is either mistaken or has been woefully misinformed. Mainly though, I question why our response had been so late, especially since other countries had already declared a state of emergency within their borders. Regardless, I appreciate the measures which have been taken to minimize the spread of disease via the strengthening and tight regulation of Metro Manila’s borders and to minimize civil unrest via the deployment of the military, but the overall shortage in medical supplies and manpower in these trying times can’t be stressed enough. Overall, I think it’s fair to say that we must reassess our expectations on how the quarantine will be handled. By sheer numbers alone, it wouldn’t be realistic to expect a pro-poor response wherein we will be able to treat each and every informal settler and person residing below the country’s poverty line as well as we were to address those lying in the more stable socio-economic classes—especially given the scarcity of resources, medical equipment, spacing and overall, manpower present. And while such an outcome would be ideal, it’s ultimately idealistic and as such, unrealistic— especially since the reality of the matter shows that prioritization is and always has been inevitable, and that those otherwise expendable in this sense will be deemed an acceptable loss, so long as the rest of the country will be able to push through and recover afterwards.”
Noelle Anne Cubacub Member Formation Committee Head, Ateneo Gabay
“Granting special powers to Duterte is not necessary to solve the COVID-19 crisis in the country because from the very start, he has the executive power to create better policies that can address the health and community needs of Filipinos. However, in this time of crisis, the national government chooses to prioritize themselves, to neglect the threatening situations of Filipinos especially those who are in the outskirts of our society, and to underestimate the capabilities of the experts who can help in reducing the number of cases in the Philippines. Truly, this national government does not serve its purpose to protect the welfare of its people because as these officials continue to pursue this emergency power in the hands of Duterte, they could not even provide any concrete plans to address this issue. They could not even tell their people the number of testing kits for the masses, and the number of protective gears for health workers who are in the frontline truly serving the Filipinos. It seems that the Duterte administration is just taking advantage of this crisis, having the avenue for usurpation of power. Indeed, emergency power is not the answer to the incompetence of the national government. The government should now focus on providing the necessary resources, especially in provinces, in order to give health solutions rather than the enforcement of military power in the enhanced community quarantine. Learn from some of the local government units which are doing way better to put the safety of its communities above all else by having concrete, relevant, and efficient plans such as the initiative to administer mass testing, to acquire equipment, and to provide the needs of health workers.”
Ambo* 1 AB COM
“I think overall, the response of the government is very poor, as is the sentiment of most activist groups. Firstly, in the health sector and budget, it clearly doesn’t have enough money for the operation. Although my mother—one of the health workers in the frontline—says that they get money when asked, their supply of masks [has] been running low, and with the recent news of VIP testing, it is clear that the health sector is lacking in funding or [is] not being given prioritization. Additionally, the allocation of budgets [has] been highly questionable, especially with the move of giving 14 [billion pesos] to the [Department] of Tourism in the midst of a worldwide pandemic highly discouraging travel. This money could have gone either to the health sector or most especially, the workers who, along with the frontliners, are most at risk during this crisis. In terms of social issues, the government has adamantly focused on militarization rather than finding a medical solution. In most of his speeches, Duterte only mentioned the military, police, and possible penalties for violations, which are vague, rather than an active plan with the health sector in mind. The execution of the lockdown merely emphasized the said militarization and social distancing, which is elitist in current form as most of the less fortunate have no choice but to go to work in order to survive, and the government has shown little to no incentive to help them with social safety nets. The politicization and favoritism doesn’t help either with Isko Moreno having no backlash from the government for his allowance of e-tricycles, while Vico Sotto is condemned for doing so with regular tricycles. The latest move of Duterte’s grant for more power merely shows his goal for attaining more control in a crisis, rather than empowering the sectors that have the most to do with the crisis.”
Jake Consing Social-Political Response Coordinator, Sanggunian ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila
“I think this government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by inaction and impersonality; inaction in that they refused to act when cases began popping up in nearby countries, and [impersonality] in that they are failing to help the most vulnerable and affected in our society with transport bans and poor distribution of resources.”
See all the responses on › theguidon.com
1
Opinion
VOLUME XC, NO. 6 MARCH-APRIL 2020
EDITORIAL CARTOON BY ROMEO DESCALSO III
Founded 1929 by Rev. Frank O’Hara, SJ First Editor-in-Chief, Manuel C. Colayco, AB ‘30
PURPOSE To serve as a record of Ateneo history in the making; to serve as an organ of journalistic expression; to serve God and country. Alithea C. Soriano, AB COM ‘20 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Margarita C. Gonzalez, BS PSY ‘20 ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jyra Zoe T. Ang, BS LM ‘20 MANAGING EDITOR
Jason T. Mariano, BS ITE ‘21 DESIGN EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Micah Avry L. Guiao, BFA CW ‘21 NEWS EDITOR
Kirby G. Jalandoni, BS ME ‘20 Joaquin Josemaria A. Santos, BS ME ‘20 SPORTS EDITORS
Danielle Margaux R. Garcia, BS CTM ‘21 BEYOND LOYOLA EDITOR
Andrea Mikaela B. Llanes, AB COM ‘22 FEATURES EDITOR
Kenneth John Tristan R. Chan, AB LIT (ENG) ‘21 INQUIRY EDITOR
Zoe Arianna T. Andin, AB IS ‘21 Annicka B. Koteh, BS ME ‘20
Lasting legacies
VANTAGE MAGAZINE EDITORS
Tatiana L. Maligro, AB COM ‘22 Patricia Anne D. Villoria, AB COM ‘21 BROADCAST NEWS EDITORS
Ana Sofia Ignacio, BS LfSci ‘21 Ronaldo Gabriel J. Santiago, BS MGT ‘20 PHOTOS EDITORS
Carmela B. Masiglat, BFA ID ‘22 Neil Christian R. Reyes, BS CH-MSE ‘23 GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITORS
Mariana D. Gardoce, AB COM ‘22 VIDEO PRODUCTION EDITOR
Beatrice R. Bacason, AB COM ‘22 VIDEO PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Frances Isabella D. Martin BFA ID ‘20 Jacob Uriel R. Quintos, BS CS ‘21 DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT DEPUTIES
John Matthew G. Yuching, AB COM ‘21 EXTERNALS MANAGER
Bianca Mae R. Aragones, BS PSY ‘20 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
Deana P. Pagtalunan, BS ME ‘20 Bryce R. Rubi, BS ME ‘21 SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS
Koji Bryant P. Baui, BS ME ‘20 Francine Jemima C. Tan, BS ME ‘20 RESEARCH MANAGERS
NEWS Billie Asuncion, Zoey C. Atillo, Moira V. Cayabyab, Franchesca Fajemolin, Leika Golez, Cholo Hermoso, Jillian Lopez, Mina Mata, Allianza O. Pesquera, Frans G. Regala, Cherline Trajano, Patricia G. Yap SPORTS Apa D. Aquino, Joseph B. Banaag, Xavier C. Bautista, Neal R. Beltran, Jeremy L. Chua, Ally S. Crespo, Jaime D. David, Selina A. de Dios, Miguel A. Dimaiwat, Nielbert A. Dy, James B. Gavina, Gio P. Guinto, Gerrick C. Limsiy, Lei P. Macaranas, Javier P. Map,a Joachim Miguel Melo, Juliana Sistine L. Ong, Miguel G. Policarpio, Ra Solomon BEYOND LOYOLA Joaquina Nadine A. Altavás, Pioee B. Bassig, Raphael C. Dela Cruz, Carlo O. Fernandez, Derick M. Gabrillo, Zachary C. Gonzales, George D. Kho, Marco C. Ocampo-Tan, Justine Ferrer Ramirez, Frances C. Roberto FEATURES Benjie Bernal, Adrian Jesper C. Cea, Russell Louis Ku, Enzo Lagamon, Angel Martinez, Eala Julienne P. Nolasco, Keziah Maru Z. Pasion, Aisha C. Said, Adrian Soriano, Genesis Jacinth Tan, Andrea Tibayan, Rence D. Tubon, Aaron D. Tolentino INQUIRY Kiana R. Altoveros, Cat Aquino, Francis Caiga, Sean D. Carballo, Ann Gabrielle Domingo, Eun Seo Ha, Gerard Ignacio, Justin B. Jimenez, Jean Mangaluz, Jay C. Munsayac, Malaika E. Paculan, Marga P. San Juan, Manolo G. Soliven VANTAGE MAGAZINE Zofia Agama, Tiffany Bernardo, Jana V. Codera, Natalie R. Gavino, Justin Ginete, Therese Hipol, Lyrah Lapid, Daniela Lorenzo, Anya Nellas, Roberto A. Orosa, Arnald Paguio, Danielle H. Ramos, Beatriz C. Reyes, Gabriel V. Saulog, Caitlin Anne Young, Nigel Yu BROADCAST NEWS Cristina Batalla, Una Garcia, Belle Gregorio, Samantha S. Onglatco, Martin C. Ramos, Teo A. Ricaforte, Joaquin Salazar, Ria Tenido, Kathleen U. Yap PHOTOS Raya Barreiro, Nate Bosano, Trina Camacho, Julia Carpio, Jim Dasal, Angel Dizon, Jerry Feng, Jamie Go, Ralph Lim, Gabriel Medina, Bruce Ong, Michael Perfecto, Marco Ricafort, Casey Mateo, Regine Salumbre, Cristina Sim, Paulina Singh, Reyneal Vargas, Kelly Veneracion, Alexis Wang, Paolo Yaptinchay, Izza Zamoranos GRAPHIC DESIGN Fidess Bisnar, Tiffany Cu, Cecilia Datiles, Romeo A. Descalso III, Alvin Dy, Tan Yu Ling Fabro, Andy Granda, Frances Lopez, Mikhaella Norlin Magat, Mika Medina, Kaitlyn Mercado, Denev C. Ng, Iverson Ong, Cara Lee Padilla, Cameron Polintan, Geri Puno, Kurt Tan, Viktor Valix VIDEO PRODUCTION Ena Algopera, Angelique Bagapuro, Louise Margaret L. Del Rosario, Fran Enriquez,Yanna Estrellado, Alissa Evangelista, Alexis Nicole N. Ferreras, Therese Macasaet, Julian Michael Maiz, Danielle Angela G. Rosales, Kristine Sinamban, Jaf Tumale, Denise Tumaliuan, Rafa Mikael D. Villon DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT Keith Bartido, Anton Gerard S. Benitez, Andrea Lauren T. Chung, Davin Sean Cuaso, Tomas Falgui III, Giddy Garcia, Kat D. Garcia, Tria Gonzales, Prezil A. Ong, Ezekiel Juanito E. Ordoveza, Miggy Pinaroc, Alannah Mitra, Bea Katrina Sison, Harvey Jay M. Sison, Jonathan Talbot EXTERNALS Tricia R. Alcantara, Tiffany C. Lao, Nikki Macaraig, Hannah Magnaye, Dominique U. Manipor, Marina Patricia B. Peneyra, Donna B. Ramirez, Sofia Sanchez, Katrina Bernice M. Tan, Jorge Alfred R. Taruc HUMAN RESOURCES Bianca Angeles, Margaux Andrea G. Arcinas, Mookie M. Borja, Emerson Enriquez, Marianne M. Goh, Anicia Guanlao, Keisha Mercado, James Vincent Natera, Cielo C. Regalado, Karl R. Salvador, Katchy G. Segui, Regina Mae C. Yu RESEARCH Cedric M. Bata, Christie A. Corpin, Azequiel P. De Luna, Gabriel Carlo T. Gamulo, Miguel H. Palmero, Kiara D. Rodriguez, Lance Y. Tiu, Earl Christian L. Yu SOCIAL MEDIA Jose Angelo Buenaventura, Gia Crisologo, Enrique B. Halili, Joaquin Querido
Luz R. Rimban MODERATOR
For comments, suggestions and contributions, email
desk@theguidon.com
FOR NEARLY a decade, Jose Ramon “Jett” T. Villarin, SJ, carried Ateneo de Manila University’s name as its President and served as the school’s voice throughout its triumphs and tribulations. With his term coming to an end, his accomplishments and shortcomings warrant a reflection on his leadership. Between his lack of transparency on sexual harassment investigations and his condemnation of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ burial in Libingan ng mga Bayani, how should the Loyola Schools (LS) community look back on his legacy? Neither the school nor Fr. Jett is perfect. In fact, there is no doubt that incoming University President, Roberto “Bobby” C. Yap, SJ, will face his fair share of trials and challenges as well. Therefore, as Fr. Jett steps down for his successor to inherit the post amid these troubling times, critical voices are needed now more than ever to highlight the follies and successes that will guide Fr. Bobby’s judgments in the future.
MISSING THE MARK During the nine years that he was University President, Fr. Jett was
placed under scrutiny for some of his responses to sensitive issues that the school has faced. In the last few years, he insufficiently addressed sexual harassment cases involving members of the LS due to gaps between his statements and the reported truth. In 2018, he organized a task force to probe disturbing events that students reported to have happened during their National Service Training Program overnight immersion, including a sexual mistreatment incident. Despite his promises to relay the task force’s findings after their investigations, he failed to issue the Ateneo community any updates as of writing. The year after, a string of sexual harassment reports against LS professors came to light and prompted an on-campus protest on October 15, 2019. In a memo released later that month, he said that no formal complaints were filed against one of the professors in question. However, several months later, a report from The GUIDON revealed that two alumni filed a formal case against the professor in 2016. According to the report, one of the survivors came forward about her experience publicly, which opened
BLUE JE A NS
The line between volunteerism and activism BY ANGELA MARIE ENCOMEDIA
IN THE Ateneo, volunteerism and activism are treated as divorced concepts. The residual effects of the organized front against inequality and oppression that flourished during Martial Law and the down from the hill movement have manifested as attendance in required immersions and registration for sector-based organizations during Rec Week. Indeed, many Ateneans would brand themselves as volunteers, but not as activists. There is a general perception of volunteerism as altruistic and generous and
activism as disruptive and violent. However, these ideas are strongly misleading. Volunteerism can be harmful, and volunteers can also be self-serving. It can nurture dependency on the community and remove the community from the development of interventions, resulting in the community’s short-term relief and long-term stagnation—or even debilitation. In the Ateneo, for instance, many organizations provide opportunities to make impoverished youth happy for a day. While this is a noble venture, it does not address the underlying circumstances at hand: What happens after that one day of
the case for review once again. Despite this, survivors and the rest of the LS community are still in the dark about when and how the administration will respond to this discrepancy with finality. The transparency and accuracy of Fr. Jett’s statements are crucial to reassuring the people he serves during critical times. In those cases, Fr. Jett should have exercised more transparency, carried out his promises, and followed them through with definitive updates for the community.
Beyond his imperfections, Fr. Jett has remained steadfast in his progressive stances on several issues past the University’s confines. Just months after his term as University President began, he set the goal to strengthen Ateneans’ holistic formation by pioneering an era of activist leadership—a striking contrast to his predecessor Bienvenido “Ben” Nebres, SJ’s nonconfrontational leadership. For example, in 2010, the Quezon City government provided zone exemptions to the SM Development
Corporation’s construction of the Blue Residences condominium. This prompted members of the Loyola Heights community—such as former Sanggunian President Drew Copuyoc—to stage a mass protest in August 2011 as the exemption could have undergone more consultation with affected communities. Fr. Jett expressed his support for this movement through a memorandum, which Copuyoc lauded as a “first for the [school administration] to release a stand on a political issue.” His response to the approval of House Bill 8858 on second reading in 2019—which initially sought to lower the criminal age of liability to nine—is another case to consider. In Fr. Jett’s statement, he asserted the University’s strong opposition to the bill, saying, “Let us spend more energy and resources on getting children educated, raised in homes of love and safety, capable of entering the workforce in adulthood.” It was his fearless willingness to confront abuses of power that catapulted the University to use their voice in the years to come— this change in direction is a positive aspect of Fr. Jett’s legacy that many
While there is much to say about Fr. Jett and his legacy as the University President, it is not enough to simply celebrate his accomplishments and blindly praise his image as the “Rock Star President.” As a community that he has led for almost a decade, we must exercise constructive criticism and critical thinking towards his actions. To see both the good and bad sides of Fr. Jett’s term is to see him fairly. Fr. Jett’s presidency is a reflection of the many great, yet imperfect, legacies that are celebrated by the public. We must examine these leaders at arm’s length, not by brushing past their stains, but by letting their shadows sit beside the candle of their legacy.
happiness in a year? Why are they unhappy in the first place? How is their poverty alleviated? Contrarily, while activism does seek to disturb the status quo, it is not monolithic by definition. In this country, it is mainstream media and the government that have portrayed activism as violent, when in fact, it is not necessarily violent—only becoming so due to police and military instigation. Especially in these past few years, when redtagging has become prevalent among universities, Ateneans are enculturated to avoid activism, lest they paint red targets on their backs. It should be noted, though, that there are other factors contributing to the widespread disenchantment towards activism—one of these being the gatekeeping of activism. Activists have, in fact, coined the term “slacktivism” to refer to actions that are discerned to be unhelpful to the cause. Indeed, activism goes beyond being the first to the picket line, entailing difficult conversations that cannot be covered by a few minutes of introduction and photo-
taking. But while it is valid and vital to confront performative activism, it should be addressed that gatekeeping has also been harmful to the very objectives of social involvement and political participation. If we keep alienating people who might care, who are left to be our allies? How will we achieve the results we need, without them? Interestingly, in the Ateneo, those engaging in community service are not the same ones taking part in mobilizations, and those arranging statements are not the same ones immersing themselves in the grassroots. While some Ateneans do practice both volunteerism and activism, they are the exception and not the norm. This disjuncture is counterproductive; social involvement projects must always be accompanied by systemic action, while activist movements must always be founded on on-the-ground relationships and experiences. Even as Ateneans organize fundraising events, there is a prominently low turnout in Gate 2.5 protests. Even as Ateneans
attend leadership seminars, there is a remarkably low murmur surrounding issues in labor, agriculture, and indigenous rights. Some are quick to plead the red-tagging rationale, feeding the fear that prevents social involvement and political participation from conjointly thriving in the University in the first place. This begs the questions: Who do we really care about? How can we care more effectively? Ideally, volunteerism and activism are married, coming hand in hand to effect genuine solutions to world problems. Without one, the other stays uncatalyzed, the process incomplete, and the goal unrealized. For as long as the Ateneo continues to perpetuate the conditions that lead to this disunion, it remains an aspiration that the line between volunteerism and activism ceases to exist. Angela Maree Encomienda is an AB social sciences major and the founder and chairperson of The Initiative PH. She may be reached at eangelamaree@ gmail.com or 09399193208.
TIPPING THE SCALES
Ateneans will remember him for. Manifestations of this success are seen in the student-led movements against issues such as the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ burial at Libingan ng mga Bayani in 2016, the extrajudicial killings during President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, and the recent ABS-CBN shutdown.
REMEMBERING THE LEGACIES
2
Opinion News
Histogram JASON MARIANO
Suspended animation IS THIS The Bad Place? When we look back on the revelry for the new decade last December 31, 2019, it seems as if it’s an outright screenshot of a post on Images That Precede Unfortunate Events. We are living in an unprecedented time—a crisis—one that will definitely be remembered in the history books. Our lives have been permanently disrupted, because this pandemic has revealed the faults of what was once “normal,” and how we cannot go back. Work mindsets like the “daily grind” have been rendered irrelevant by a global economy coming to a grinding halt. If you’re someone who has gotten used to measuring self-worth with work, it’s easy to hate yourself. The pressure is all the heavier on a generation whose main tools are a smart device and an Internet connection. Scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, and
CHALK MARKS
Blurred lines BY MAXINE A. BUENAVENTURA
LAST JANUARY, Netflix released the final episodes of Bojack Horseman. I found myself binge watching the series the same night it was released, eager to see how the series would end. In one episode titled “Good Damage,” Diane is desperate to finish the memoir she dreamt of publishing. It’s a memoir centered on her damage, a compound of tightlyknit and distressing clump of tendrils that she ached to validate. Living in Boston with her new partner, Diane is
Petrichor BEA MARTIN
The cost of caring MOST OF us can agree that the year 2020 has been one of mayhem so far. In a span of three months, numerous issues have come up—the devastating Australian wildfires, the Iran-US conflict, and the COVID-19 outbreak, just to name a few. We are often bombarded with these issues in our day-to-day lives, more so with the presence of social media. And because of this, a pressure to keep up with the news, especially regarding these relevant issues, arises. The news has been an important avenue for anyone and everyone to be informed of events (be it local or international), stories, trends, and much more. Aside from that, the news also has the ability to shape people’s perceptions when it comes to economic, social, and political matters; it is essential in shaping the nation, since individual knowledge and perception have the power to affect a group as a whole. New media has made it easier to access and share news and information online. As someone who has the privilege to be part of an institution such as Ateneo, my social circle consists of people who regularly keep themselves up to date with economic, political, and social issues. I often try to keep up with relevant issues through the news that my friends share or through my own research. I have personally found that this experience can be an overwhelming one, not just in terms of the amount of information you stumble upon, but also the pressure that comes
Twitter can easily push you into a vicious cycle of self-doubt, guilt, and shame. It’s as if you have to get something done or you will have just wasted so much time. Us students spend much of the day locked in our rooms thinking of what to do next or wondering if we should do anything at all. This situation comes from a very privileged position, and is in no way as dire and unjust as those who live in the margins of society. However, we cannot forget the mental toll that self-isolation can have on people. When you’re alone stuck with your thoughts, it can get ugly. Young people who don’t have a job outside of extra-curriculars now have an abundance of “free time.” This, however, presents a dilemma: Do we “maximize” time by checking off the many projects that we’ve put on hold or do we use this lull to focus on rest and recovery? I think the answer relies on a two-fold mindset. First, the choice must, in the most Atenean way possible, be both. In a time with so much uncertainty, it would be unfair to force ourselves to focus on one or the other. Inspiration will come in waves. Some days you feel like you’re on top of everything— then there are days when you can’t
even get yourself to think straight. We need to accept that. Second, for this to work, you need to be comfortable with doing nothing—a concept that has become foreign to a world that was locked in hyperspace. We must learn how to stop and idly pass the time. Feel what is present. Let your thoughts linger. Sometimes, accepting the state of limbo can help the mind naturally move on to what you can do next at your current capacity—be it an online course or a new Netflix binge. Today’s reality can easily feel like The Darkest Timeline. With no clear end in sight, thinking too far ahead just feels like lying to yourself. Productivity is a great goal to have and can help us maintain some sense of normalcy, but there are also times when stress, anxiety, and isolation get the better of you. Now is not the time to pressure ourselves into achieving something new. It’s okay to not be productive. Allow yourself to breathe— especially when merely being able to work is a privilege. Our primary goal should be to make it out of this pandemic alive, not burnt out. We spend most of our days living in our heads—we owe it to ourselves to make it a nice place to be in.
arguably in the best state of mind that the viewer has seen her in since the show began in 2014. After distancing herself from the toxic hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, it only makes sense that the writing should finish itself. Only, it doesn’t. The writing process stays jumbled and fuzzy. Her trauma seems too far deep, too tucked away to salvage. She blames the fuzziness on her medication and stops taking it for a night, desperate to get her masterpiece out. The plan goes as well as it sounds: Diane suffers the consequences in the form of withdrawals, a deep pit she was desperate to climb out of, and the hollow realization that the years she spent in misery were for naught. “Good Damage” stuck with me for
more reasons than I was comfortable accepting. In the first semester of senior year, I enlisted into a creative nonfiction class. Come the first or second lecture, I learned that aspects of the craft varied little from fiction. It still called for narrative structure and its elements. The genre still needed characters, setting, conflict, resolution—familiar terms I learned during my elementary lessons. What stood out was the necessity for self-reflection. I wasn’t writing about imaginary worlds and imaginary lives this time. Instead, nonfiction called for a much-ignored retreat into the self–and retreat I did. The longer the semester went, the more I found myself digging deep into my psyche and facing certain experiences and memories I deprived
with keeping updated on everything that is happening around the world. I first heard of the term “compassion fatigue” on the show Patriot Act by Hasan Minhaj. With the constant onslaught of news and information, particularly tragic ones, we become prone to mental exhaustion brought about by the pressure to be aware of every single issue that pervades our life. Eventually, our ability to empathize deteriorates. We become unable to dedicate our mental energies to even the things that matter most. Minhaj likens this phenomenon to having several tabs open on our mental browser, which is on the verge of crashing. The solution to compassion fatigue, according to Minhaj, is to “just pick a couple of things to not care about, for your sanity.” Doing this doesn’t mean that we should remain completely apathetic to other issues, or as Minhaj says: “I’m not saying shut down your browser – just close down a couple of tabs.” For example, you could assign yourself to care more about gender issues, public health, and local politics, but this doesn’t mean you neglect other things like mental health issues or environmental sustainability. You will be more involved with the issues that matter to you, but you can still be involved in other issues in smaller ways such as reducing your consumption of single-use plastics, or by making sure you’re there for a friend struggling with mental health problems. It’s difficult for us to keep up to date and care about each and every issue out there. However, it is still important for us to concern ourselves with issues beyond our own and lend ourselves to care and fight for the things that matter. Along the way, we must also remember that caring has its limits and that we must also look after our own mental welfare so that we may continue to contribute to these causes.
Footprint DANIELLE R. GARCIA
Tipping the scales I SEE the world through a lens that is unique to my person. My biases on social issues are a product of twenty years’ worth of learning from a diverse set of peers and authority figures, my exposure to a myriad of articles, and finally, experience. Every waking moment consists of a distinct online routine on my phone: Check The Economist Espresso app to find out recent updates on the global agenda. Open CNN or Al Jazeera next if I want to find out more. If I have time to spare, visit The Washington Post or The Guardian and compare and contrast all the outlets’ methods of reporting. I ask myself: What do each of them report, and what do some choose not to? It may be emotionally taxing for some to read articles first thing in the morning, but I enjoy it. Otherwise, the fear of missing out ensues. When I revisit my news browsing habits, I realize that most of the international news outlets that I prefer to check lean towards leftcenter on the political spectrum. This exposure makes me prone to perceiving realities subjectively. How I can mitigate this, I can’t say for sure, but I attempt to read articles by right-center outlets such as The Wall Street Journal for views I may have missed out on. This question then comes to mind: How do we reconcile news outlets’ different leanings on the spectrum with heated debates on media neutrality? Let’s begin by
I, LIKE many seniors, had my last semester of college all planned out. It was about making the most of the little time we had left: Taking longer walks around campus, enjoying spontaneous nights with friends, and savoring the small moments instead of rushing to the next school requirement. As cliché as it sounds, I wanted to end college by making memories to last a lifetime. The last month has proven to be memorable, but for different reasons. The abrupt end to the semester has left us graduating seniors spending our last month in college locked in our homes. Alongside this came the cancellation of countless events, tournaments, and get-togethers— the things that define the college experience for many. College, in its Zoom-filled form, is far from the same. And before you bring out the
pitchforks, I want to emphasize that these cancellations are obviously for the better. Staying at home flattens the curve, keeping us, and everyone we come in contact with, out of hospitals that are already struggling to keep up with the fast-spreading virus. The suspension of the semester and all activities is undeniably necessary amid the pandemic. At the same time, it’s also important to allow ourselves to mourn when these seemingly unimportant things are called off. You can care about the life-altering, big-picture effects of COVID-19 and also be down in the dumps when significant moments are cut short. For us graduating seniors, a big part of this sadness comes from the fact that we can no longer end college on our own terms—or at the very least, in the manner that we had expected. There will be no send-offs, no blue roses to be given, and no Pabaon speeches to be heard. A few months ago, it was unfathomable to think that something as significant as our college graduation would be cancelled. Now? It’s a very—and perhaps the most—likely outcome. For a while, there was the possibility that if things got better, we could have returned to school with a week’s worth of regular classes left.
All those treasured “lasts”—the last study session, last late night along Katip, last listen of the 10-minute bell —were still on the table. In a world that seemed to get crazier by the day, a little taste of normalcy is all we could have hoped for. But as the weeks progressed, it quickly became apparent that our final college days were to unfold in front of a laptop screen. We didn’t know it at the time, but Monday, March 9, would be our last day on campus as college students. It’s impossible to process these complicated feelings in the midst of all that is going on. Perhaps when things settle down, we can finally step back and try to make sense of the sadness, nostalgia, and anger that many of us feel. But right now, maybe all we can do is savor the company of our schoolmates in the few weeks we can still call them as such, even in the little ways possible For as much as college was about the campus, org events, and classes, it is the people— many of whom may drift away from us once “real life” begins–who truly characterize the college experience. College didn’t end the way we thought it would, but at least, for the last time in our lives, we’re going through these tough times together.
myself of confronting. They were too painful, too raw, and too much to handle at any given point in time. After a few months of introspection, I arrived at a funny truth: That the most painful memories seemed the easiest to immerse into. All I avoided came back rushing into the light. Certain memories and experiences were brought into the surface, begging to be given the attention I deprived them of. The best way to give them attention, I thought, was to mold them into something beautiful—essays dedicated to pain, to the experience of pain. Essays I actually wanted to write so that I could wallow. But it had its consequences: The more I looked into my damage instead of actually confronting it, the more
the writing ran flat. One week I wrote a creative high as I tackled my bodily insecurities with a sincerity I hadn’t felt in months. On the next, I could barely get a word out about something that left its mark years back. There was no sincerity in the latter—just hurt, just ache, just festering. I used to think that the pain validates itself as long as it’s made beautiful. The experience of pain, I believed, becomes more forgiving as long as it could be transformed into something memorable. Does any damage become “good” in light of its reshaping? Is any damage worth the wallow, or is it better to let it come, stay, and go? Is damage worth writing about in the first place if it keeps us from confronting it fully? A bigger truth reveals itself: There is no deeper
meaning to the damage we take. Some of it is meant to teach a lesson. Some of it is only meant to hurt. There is no such thing as “good” damage; damage is damage, one no more special than the other. At the end of the episode, Diane agrees to work on another project instead of her memoir. It’s not a total happy ending, given that her memoir was her be-all and end-all, but it’s a start in distancing herself from the damage she received throughout the years. What makes us who we are, after all, is not the damage we take, but who we choose to become in the aftermath. Maxine A. Buenaventura (AB LIT-ENG ‘19) was The GUIDON’s Human Resources Manager for AY 2017-2018 and AY 2018-2019. She may be reached at maxinebuena@gmail.com.
Setting sun KIRBY G. JALANDONI
Making sense of the imperfect ending
tracing our steps back home: The Philippine political landscape is alive and kicking, but the foundation of every election season is personality politics. Candidates compete to get featured in the bulk of local news outlets’ coverage, yet they are not urged enough to follow through with their plans. W hile it is ever y news outlet’s mandate to provide full coverage of what transpires in elections, what do we make of information merely laid out for us? I say that we need more honest and assertive local news outlets— they shouldn’t shy away from taking informed stances on the competence of our electoral candidates. In doing so, candidates are urged not only to take their platforms with utmost seriousness, but also to take the nation’s interests to heart. This, too, helps Filipino citizens make more platform-based voting decisions instead of choices founded on whose name makes the most rounds within community discourse. To put this into perspective, in January, the Editorial Board of The New York Times endorsed Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar separate from the Opinion section, providing critiques on their competence as potential future leaders of the country. Still, the Times remains reputable worldwide, and US citizens are engaged voters. Who’s to say the Philippine media can’t critique candidates the way The New York Times does? This is not to endorse slanted reporting, but there is a way for news outlets to anchor their principles with fact-based reportage. All it takes is a revisiting of core values. If the media constrains itself to relaying facts without adding social commentary that encourages people to speak up, won’t it only fulfill half its duty to inform the public?
Panacea MARGARITA C. GONZALEZ
Watering roots IT’S NO secret that in the past years, mental health has been at the forefront of discussions on wellbeing. As more people begin to realize the need to advocate for mental health, attention should also turn towards the lack of access to mental healthcare and to factors that can aggravate one’s mental state. Mental health conditions are not a personal failing, and their prevalence can also be addressed by challenging systematic problems within the mental health care sector and in Philippine society. Though the Mental Health Act was signed in June 2018 to increase access to mental health services and education, there have been criticisms about its uneven, lagging implementation across local government units. As it stands, the law still has a lot of ground to cover. In the Philippines, a country with more than 100 million citizens, there are only around 600 psychiatrists, professionals that are licensed to prescribe medication for people with mental health conditions. There are only two tertiary care hospitals in the country that exclusively cater to mental health concerns. And to make matters worse, services like therapy are often out of reach for Filipinos with low incomes, with consultations with psychologists priced as high as Php 2,000 in many private hospitals and clinics. Though the governmentrun National Center for Mental
Health also offers consultations with psychologists, these still come at the price of Php 400. All these conditions are exacerbated by persistent problems in society. An article entitled “Mental health, poverty and development” published in the Journal of Public Mental Health summarized a number of studies that proved that poverty is correlated to higher risks for mental health conditions. Advocacy groups like the Canadian Mental Health Association also assert that the loss of income, education, and housing can further worsen one’s mental health. If we are to address threats to mental wellbeing, we need to build a better world. As we support mental healthcare and its practitioners, let us not forget that systematic inequality hinders access to these services and weighs heavily on a person’s mental state. For now, we can continue to push for better implementation of the Mental Health Care Act, advocate for awareness about the cause, and assist disadvantaged communities through volunteer efforts, donations, and avenues w it h i n ou r ow n c a reer s . Uplifting mental healthcare is still a matter of eliminating the stigma against it, which remains prevalent in the country to this day. However, we must also call the government to improve its healthcare systems and address the needs of the marginalized. As long as those in power fail to prioritize and act upon issues like inequality and the lack of access to mental healthcare, vulnerable persons will continue to suffer the consequences. We must demand that these c i rc u m st a nces ch a n ge a nd work towards changing them ou rselves. A f ter a ll, access to both mental and physical healthcare is a human right.
EDITORS: KIRBY G. JALANDONI AND JOAQUIN A. SANTOS | LAYOUT ARTIST: KURT TAN BIGGER THAN SPORTS
Sports
In light of the official cancellation of UAAP Season 82, the response of the UAAP board and its impact on athletes provided a harsh but necessary learning experience for future seasons.
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The forgotten national sport BY XAVIER C. BAUTISTA AND MIGUEL A. DIMAIWAT
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEO LOPEZ
THE ART form known as arnis—also referred to as eskrima or kali—has been at the core of Philippine heritage for centuries. Although unofficially recorded, the origins of arnis date back to the period before the arrival of the Spanish in the Philippines when locals used sticks and bladed weapons in hand-to-hand combat. Eventually, arnis became a fixture in the Filipino martial arts industry and a staple in the realm of Philippine sports. Over the years, arnisadors from all over the country have expressed their commitment to help the martial art and sport thrive locally. However, despite f inally receiving formal recognition as the Philippines’ national martial art and sport in 2009, arnis is still often overshadowed by more popular sports in the country. While it does not boast the same prestige other sports enjoy, one of its most decorated programs calls Katipunan its home—the Ateneo Arnis Team. Since 1995, the Ateneo Arnis Team has experienced remarkable success driven by members who share passion and dedication to the art of arnis. Nearly 25 years since its establishment, the team has bagged an estimated total of 800 medals across local and international competitions. UNBREAKABLE COMMITMENT Under the tutelage of Head Coach Ryan Gialogo, the program is led by a true master. Although this is his first official year as head coach, the blue-blooded arnisador has proven his loyalty throughout the years. “Matagal na talaga. Since 1995 tapos nandito pa rin ako. It’s just really ‘yung passion at gustong tumulong sa team (It’s been a long time. I’ve been here since 1995. It’s really just my passion and desire to help the team),” he says.
Gialogo’s 4 2-man roster nurtures a special bond. Every member asserts themselves towards attaining one similar objective: To grow and emerge victorious. Because arnis matches are contested both individually and in pairs, Men’s Team Captain Iggy Bunag and Women’s Team Captain Alexis Ferreras make sure their teams take responsibility for each member’s development. “We are bonded together as a unit, like a team should be,” says Ferreras. The Women’s Team Captain reiterated that the bond they have goes deeper than simply being teammates: “If one person may be straying, someone will be there to help pick up the pace and get them back on track. We support each other in a way that a team should.” LESSONS ON LESSONS Beyond having a support system, each athlete has to make a personal commitment to continuously improve. One value that the team tries to uphold in particular is discipline, something Gialogo identifies as a necessary component in their success: “Importante ang discipline sa lahat ng bagay. Fortunately enough, madaling kausapin ang team and sumusunod sila (Discipline in all aspects is important. Fortunately enough, the team is easy to talk to, and they are obedient).” Ateneo Arnis alumni and Philippine National Arnis Team member Jordan Cruz confidently attests to the guidance they received while representing the Blue and White. “All the training and discipline that we were taught carry over into the national team. Dedicating all that time and effort was really a fruitful experience,” says Cruz. Within the current team, Bunag recognizes the potential they have
to take the program to new heights and wants them to stay rooted in their genuine appreciation for the art: “I hope for them to grow to love arnis first in order to fully commit themselves for what is to come.” GROWING THE GAME Although arnis was already recognized as the country’s national sport, it has yet to make its official debut in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). The campaign received a big boost after former UAAP President Nilo Ocampo announced that UAAP Season 81 would feature arnis as an exhibition sport. However, participation was sparse from other schools, prompting another trial run slated for Season 82. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 outbreak forced the UAAP board to cancel the remainder of the season, thus delaying a potential landmark year for arnis yet again. In spite of this, athletes remain hopeful for a robust league in the future. Current roster member and silver medalist in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games Jude Rodriguez serves in the UAAP Arnis secretariat pool and cites the efforts being made to grow the sport. “What we’re doing right now is reaching out to more schools [to establish their own arnis program],” says Rodriguez. Gialogo stresses that apart from looking forward to the longawaited arrival of arnis in the UAAP, he wants to acknowledge what Ateneo Arnis has already accomplished. “I’m happy for the athletes, ‘yung mga students. The fact is our students have gone toeto-toe with professionals, at proud talaga kami doon (I’m happy for the athletes, my students. The fact is our students have gone toe-to-
toe with professionals, and we’re proud of that),” says Gialogo. He also maintains that having a positive outlook for the future and applying the lessons he aims to instill is crucial for their development, regardless of arnis’ fate as a collegiate sport. “Ang palagi kong sinasabi sa kanila is the three Ps: Preserve, promote and propagate. Pagkatapos ng lahat, ‘yan ang end goal (I always remind them about the three Ps: Preserve, promote and propagate. After all, that is the end goal),” he states. Although the sport’s current state leaves a lot of room for growth in terms of public support, the Ateneo Arnis Team continues to hope that arnis’ entry into the UAAP will finally provide it with the recognition it rightfully deserves. In the meantime, the team will continue letting their successes speak louder than words.
I’m happy for the athletes... The fact is, our students have gone toe-to-toe with professionals, at proud talaga kami doon (I’m happy for the athletes...The fact is our students have gone toe-to-toe with professionals, and we’re proud of that). RYAN GIALOGO ATENEO ARNIS TEAM HEAD COACH
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Sports
Ateneo Sports
Watchlist Undefeated: Shaira Rivera BY RA SOLOMON
DESPITE FALLING short of a finals bid in Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the future of the Ateneo Women’s Tennis Team remains bright because of Shaira Rivera. The former Palarong Pambansa champion romped her way through last season, showcasing her mastery en route to an immaculate 9-0 slate in the tourney. The fact that she did not drop a single game in those nine matches earned her the coveted Rookie of the Year plum.
Ever since her final four run last season, Rivera has honed her skills even further. Last August, she trained in Amsterdam, which was followed by a stint in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in December of that year. Rivera then put her skills to the test in the sport’s premier competition, f lying to New Zealand last February to compete in the Fed Cup—the “world cup” of women’s tennis. Rivera garnered a runner-up finish in the prestigious tournament.
On February 29, Rivera was ranked sixth in the Philippine women’s singles rankings, underscoring her stature as one of the best players in the country. Despite the cancellation of UAAP Season 82, Rivera remains hungrier than ever to continue her development and eventually e a r n t he A tene o L a d y Eagles their first UAAP lawn tennis gold.
PHOTO BY JIM DASAL
PHOTO BY REYNEAL VARGAS
PHOTO BY JASON MARIANO
Life without Jarvey BY JAVIER P. MAPA
DESPITE THE premature conclusion to Season 82, the two games played by the Ateneo Men’s Football Team (AMFT) in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) marked the start of Ateneo’s post-Jarvey Gayoso era. As the team’s primary goal scorer over the past four seasons, Gayoso’s departure for the professional ranks has left the team with a gaping void. However, a number of returning veterans look to fill this scoring
hole. After a stellar rookie season, Luca Alleje, with his dangerous eye for goals, looks set to be the team’s starting striker in the near future. Returning attacking midfielder Jimi Haosen also adds another dimension to the offense with his pace and direct style of play. The squad’s attack seems ready for the long-term as well, with Jabez Setters, Jojo Fuentes, Paco Mathay, and Sky Guerrero providing options on the attack. Most of these players can be slotted
anywhere on offense, providing the coaches with a variety of choices depending on the game plan. With an abundance of talent at their disposal, the team will surely experiment with different tactical approaches with this young squad. It is never easy to replicate the production of a guy like Gayoso, one of the most prolific footballers in UAAP history, but the AMFT still looks to be dangerous with the ball on their feet. PHOTO BY ALDO SANTIAGO
The TheGUIDON GUIDON || March-April March-April2020 2020
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PHOTO BY JOSHUA TAN
GALLERY OF EAGLES
JOLO VICEO:
A fencing underdog turned champion BY LEI P. MACARANAS
JOLO VICEO was not always found on the piste. Like many young athletes, he tried his hand at other athletic activities during his formative years before committing to a single sport. Viceo first played football, but eventually stopped because of his short stature. At ten years old, he switched to fencing as an extracurricular activity. Initially, he decided to stick with the sport because he wanted the loyalty award during graduation rites. But soon enough, his love for fencing grew beyond the promise of accolades. Viceo quickly emerged as one of the standout fencers in his age group. The exceptional flexibility and balance that came with his height—which was a weakness for him in football—became one of his best assets in the world of fencing. He eventually aspired to handle the blade not only for Ateneo, where he spent his grade school and high school years, but also for the country.
PHOTO BY NATE BOSANO
TURNING POINT Before his national team aspirations came struggles. Viceo had always aspired to become a specialist in the foil category, one of the three disciplines in fencing along with saber and épée. However, his development stagnated and it began reflecting on his performance, which concerned his coaches. To compensate for these difficulties, he was offered the option to transfer to saber—a much less competitive category. Viceo came close to starting from scratch, but he believed in his abilities and ultimately decided to stay in foil. His decision paid dividends. The Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Tournament in 2017 proved to be the turning point for Viceo as he defeated the University of the East’s (UE) Sammuel Tranquilan—one of the best fencers in the country. The victory put a spotlight on his true potential in the foil category.
Even with his success in the tournament, Viceo still felt that there was room to grow. He sat down with his parents to discuss how he needed to refine his fencing skills. After researching fencing clubs in the United States, where the best fencers hone their talents, he stumbled upon one in San Francisco where his idol Geoffrey Tourette of the United States National Team attended. Viceo trained there vigorously for two whole months in 2017. “There are a lot of styles of fencing in the [United States],” Viceo says. “[The experience] taught me how to adjust quickly and decisively.” FIRST GOLD Viceo’s experience with training overseas proved vital. By 2019, Viceo, then a college sophomore in Ateneo, attained a pair of notable achievements. He was called to represent the country in the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and was named team captain of the Ateneo Men’s Fencing Team for Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). In the SEA Games, Viceo was a key member of the Men’s Team Foil squad, a group that took home a bronze medal. But right after his SEA Games bout, Viceo experienced an unbearable pain in his left foot caused by a wart. He decided to have the wart removed because of the possibility that it would get infected. Viceo continued to heal from this injury and trained two to three times a day. Unfortunately, he suffered another setback: Six days before the UAAP Season 82 Men’s Fencing Tournament, he hit his toenail while running up the stairs. “I was very nervous [for] my operation because there was the possibility of me not playing [in UAAP Season 82],” he says. Despite his injury and lack of conditioning, the team captain emerged victorious in the Men’s Individual Foil category, capturing the first gold medal of his collegiate career. His
individual victory ended up being Ateneo’s sole gold that season, helping the team achieve a second-place finish. The fact that his gold came against UE’s Tranquilan, his longtime competitor who used to dominate over Viceo in high school, made the victory sweeter. But what made the win truly special was how it underscored his growth—both inside and outside the piste. “I have come far from where I was before. When I was young, I wasn’t the best player. I was the fat kid back then, but fencing taught me hard work and showed me the culture of competitiveness,” Viceo shares. The former fencing underdog has crossed a lot off his long list of goals. Nevertheless, he remains hungry and is looking to continue his streak of growth. Moving forward, Viceo has set his sights on three main goals: Win a UAAP championship for Ateneo, notch a gold in the next SEA Games, and reach the number one spot in the national fencing rankings. Given how much Viceo has grown over the years—from a struggling athlete to one of the best fencers in the country— these goals are not as lofty as they may seem.
When I was young, I wasn’t the best player. I was the fat kid back then, but fencing taught me hard work and showed me the culture of competitiveness. JOLO VICEO ATENEO MEN’S FENCING TEAM CAPTAIN
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Sports
OPINION
Bigger than sports BY SELINA A. DE DIOS AND VITO MARTIN ILLUSTRATION BY FIDESS BISNAR
ON MARCH 14, 2020, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) board released a memo outlining their decision to suspend the remainder of UAAP Season 82 in light of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines. The memo said that if the government declares that classes and mass gatherings may safely resume by April 15, 2020, alternative formats will be explored to continue games after May 1, 2020. However, after President Rodrigo Duterte announced that the quarantine would be extended until April 30, 2020,
the UAAP board had no choice but to cancel the tournament altogether. While the cancellation was ultimately necessary, the narratives, moments, and journeys the athletes were looking forward to were reduced to collateral damage. This was a sacrifice worth making given what was at stake in terms of public health, but the UAAP board’s lack of decisiveness at the onset of the outbreak complicated a no-brainer decision, allowing the hopes of athletes to grow momentarily only to be squashed. BITTER ENDING The period between the season’s suspension and official
cancellation exacerbated an already hectic schedule given the calendar shifts that made way for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in December 2019. As such, the athletes’ precise physical and mental preparations, and the high levels of stress that came with their efforts, became difficult to manage. For Track and Field athlete Mat teo Cr isostomo, t he cancellation punctuated a year full of confusion. His team’s competition was rescheduled five times before the outbreak of COVID-19 and the March 14 suspension would have marked the sixth, forcing yet another grueling readjustment of a delicate training plan. “It was really frustrating,” he shares. “But I was able to come to terms with the fact that there are bigger things in life than my sport.”
Men’s Football Team’s Jimi Haosen missed out on last year’s championship due to academic and personal reasons, so Season 82 was a big chance for him to bolster their title defense: “It was supposed to be my comeback season, but that’s nothing compared to the safety of my teammates and everyone.” At the heart of the issue is a lack of proactive communication from the UAAP. Crisostomo and Haosen’s comments show that even the athletes themselves, who have so much invested in the season, understand that cancelling the games is the right move. If the UAAP established a dialogue for the athletes to make this clear, they could have avoided the emotional and physical toll of dragging out their decision. Granted there were probably legal and financial implications preventing the board from acting decisively,
but communicating these issues to the athletes and even to the public would have at least provided more clarity instead of adding to the uncertainty. A LEARNING EXPERIENCE Ultimately, dragging out the fate of the UAAP season may have done more harm than good. Leaving the possibility of a continued season up in the air for the past month left many athletes feeling anxious about their and questioning the relevance of holding games given the national situation. However, to be fair, the unpredictability of the virus left the UAAP board with no choice but to respond one day at a time. It would be unfair to fault them entirely for the steps they took and the decisions they made. The better question to ask now is what should be done in the future. It’s exactly these kinds of
grave situations that we should be able to look to the UAAP for a clear, decisive plan that protects the best interests of the athletes and fans. Contingency plans for different public emergencies have to be created and practiced for implementation. Changes to standard protocol must also be considered in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, especially those pertaining to the level of access and interaction b e t ween at h le tes , f a n s , and media. Simply put, the UAAP cannot be caught in a vague middle ground again. The decisions leading up to the cancellation of the season were part of a learning experience, and if the time comes where the lives of the athletes and all those around the game are at stake again, it is the UAAP’s duty to be ready.
...and if the time comes where the lives of the athletes and all those around the game are at stake again, it is the UAAP’s duty to be ready.
EDITOR: DANIELLE R. GARCIA | LAYOUT ARTIST: TIFFANY CU
Beyond Loyola
PAYING IN SCALES, SHELLS, AND FEATHERS
The Philippines’ biodiversity makes it a hotspot for illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia at the expense of its endemic species which are now threatened with extinction.
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ILLUSTRATION BY CECILIA DATILES
The power play pandemic BY RAPHAEL C. DELA CRUZ AND DERICK M. GABRILLO
THE PHILIPPINES recorded its first locally transmitted case of COVID-19 last March 6. Since then, authorities have set stringent measures to reduce infections. On March 14, Malacañang released a memorandum placing Metro Manila under an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). Two days later, the ECQ was expanded to cover the rest of Luzon. Though quarantines are being enforced, Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire says cases of the virus may climb to 75,000 by June if not curbed. The task of the frontliners— nurses, security personnel, and public servants—in containing the pandemic has been made harder by a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and testing kits for the virus. This came even as the DOH budget rose by nearly Php 7 billion. Stocks of PPEs and testing kits in the country have since been augmented by local and foreign donations. However, the government’s responses to the health crisis were met with public confusion. Netizens cited the disorganized nature of the official dispatches on the imposition of curfews, as well as out-of-touch leadership. To manage the national health emergency, President Rodrigo Duterte enacted Executive Order No. 168—forming the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Philippines (IATF). While the IATF works to curb the spread of COVID-19, its sudden creation begs the need for a permanent, central authority to combat global health threats. POLITICAL TUG OF WAR Despite intentions to assure the public, the wave of press conferences in the first week of the ECQ stoked public confusion due to seemingly uncoordinated statements from the national government. For example, on March 14 , the Metro Manila Council passed a resolution to enact a curfew in the metro, later clarifying that no curfews can be enforced without ordinances from local government
units (LGU). In response, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año urged LGUs to defer to the DILG and DOH for the imposition of the ECQ. This lack of clarity set the tone for the government response to COVID19, leading to disjointed efforts against the pandemic. During an address to the nation on March 19, Duterte slammed LGUs for allegedly exceeding their authority with regard to quarantine policy. Duterte’s call against non-compliant LGUs followed Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto’s appeal to exempt tricycles from the ban on public utility vehicles. The appeal was made to help provide transportation for essential workers and those in need of urgent medical care. Two weeks after Duterte singled out allegedly non-compliant LGUs, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) sent Mayor Sotto a letter asking him to explain a possible violation of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or R.A. 11469, which grants Duterte sweeping powers to combat COVID-19. In Sotto’s defense, citizens cited Article 3 Section 22 of the 1987 Constitution, which states that no one can be held liable for an act that is deemed illegal by the law prior to its enactment. In another briefing held on March 19, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles noted that LGUs must consult the DOH before acquiring, distributing, and using testing kits for the virus. Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro objected to the directive four days after Nograles' statement, imploring the DOH to be more “proactive” by mass testing to identify the sick. Despite similar pleas from other public officials and scientists, Vergeire asserted that there is no need for
mass testing. By April 4, the IATF announced plans to begin mass testing on April 14. In a Laging Handa press briefing for updates on the COVID19 pandemic, Año cited issues in communication with LGUs, leading to the impediment of the f low of all types of cargo. He added, “Malinaw naman iyong mga ibinigay nating guidelines, dapat ay susundin ito ng ating mga LGUs (The guidelines we gave were clear, they should be followed by our LGUs).” Aside from tensions between the administration and LGUs, there also seems to be rising conflict within the national government as well. The NBI, for in-
stance, also recently launched a probe against Vice President Leni Robredo. The investigation was prompted by Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Commissioner Manuelito Luna, who said Robredo’s efforts to aid frontliners “compete with, or [are] calculated to undermine national government efforts in this time of public health emergency and calamity.” Duterte later defended Robredo's actions in an address and fired Luna. The spotlight that the Office of the President has placed, not just on LGUs, but also on Robredo brings to light the lack of trust and communication between
To address supply issues and public health crises as a whole, Albay Representative Joey Salceda proposed House Bill 6096 to establish a local Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
different government offices during this pandemic. CENTRALIZED PROGRAM To address supply issues and public health crises as a whole, Albay Representative Joey Salceda proposed House Bill 6096 to establish a local Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The proposed agency will be organized similarly to its counterpart in the United States of America (USA). It will also perform the role of “developing and applying communicable disease control and prevention initiatives.” Aside from this, CDC’s objective is to assess and aid LGUs in “preventing the emergence and transmission of communicable diseases.” In line with this, the new agency would be tasked to streamline and standardize the responses of LGUs—an issue that IATF and the Office of the President have struggled with amid the pandemic. Aiming to strengthen the bonds between the national government and LGUs as well as to prepare the state for health emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak, the proposal details the establishment of a Health Emergency Coordination Council (HECC) within the new CDC. Thus, HECC shall coordinate the response of the national government in times of health emergencies. Alongside the HECC, managing pandemics would fall under the National Health Emergency Response Unit (NHERU), which will act as the “frontline force in ground and surveillance operations of the CDC.” This means it will serve as the first response unit during a public health emergency and verify reports of infectious diseases. House Bill 6096 also emphasizes the creation of a Sudden Onset
Health Emergency Management Plan, which will act as a framework that the government will follow in light of any public health emergency. In line with this, the bill also calls for the formation of the Sudden Onset Health Hazards and Emergencies Management Service to oversee the NHERU during a health crisis with the main function of collaborating with CDC’s operations in public health emergencies. With the strife between LGUs and the national government in combating the pandemic, the introduction of a CDC may greatly aid in the fight against communicable diseases such as COVID-19. POTENTIAL PREPAREDNESS Countries like South Korea, having identified similar gaps, established agencies akin to that of the USA's CDC. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), for instance, has led largely successful initiatives—like mass testing and travel restrictions—to contain the virus. The agency also assigned hospitals dedicated to treating COVID-19 patients to further isolate the sick. KCDC initiatives effectively “flattened the curve” or slowed the rate of infection. These steps have been hailed as an example to follow. Korean officials and foreign experts pin the country’s successful response on clear communication of guidelines and protocols with the public, mass testing in lieu of public quarantine, and experience in dealing with outbreaks such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus. The KCDC’s swift, effective, and clear promulgation of protocols and guidelines for the government and its citizens greatly contrasts the Philippines’ disjointed approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 cases surge, the IATF has increasingly taken on new roles in the management of the health crisis. However, without a central authority to combat infectious diseases such as COVID-19, it is unclear whether improvements in fighting future pandemics will take place.
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Beyond Loyola
Bare-minimum governance BY PIOEE B. BASSIG AND GEORGE D. KHO
PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte lauded Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno last September for clearing a few streets in Manila. Similar remarks from citizens have also met Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto for his progressive overhaul projects in Pasig such as Universal Health Care and Ugnayan sa Pasig (Connecting with Pasig). However, such deeds are only imperative of their duties as public servants. This adulation for good governance hints at the nation’s desensitization to the country’s state of
politics. Various malpractices have shaped not only Philippine political history, but also people’s expectations of their public servants—to the extent that the bare-minimum has become the ideal. INGRAINED PRAXIS The key hallmark of Filipino politics is its patronage culture. Ateneo School of Government (ASOG) Consultant Benjamin Barretto explained that connections, dependence, and binding ties play huge roles for both politicians and citizens.
People can’t choose alternatives if they don't know what they look like. HANSLEY JULIANO LECTURER POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
Becoming a mayor BY CARLO O. FERNANDEZ
MAYORS IN the Philippines are the managers of their cities, and their response to a crisis directly determines institutions’ and establishments’ course of action. For example, in his first 100 days as Pasig City Mayor, Vico Sotto was able to raise the city’s health care budget for 2020 to Php 772.7 million which is now being used to handle the coronavirus pandemic. Thus, mayors are crucial to providing direction to local governments, and much thought must be put into whom one should elect into the position. According to Republic Act (R A) No. 6644, a person is qualified to run as mayor if they are both a Filipino citizen and a registered voter in the intended election area. A candidate must then be at least 21 years of age with residency in the area for at least one year at the time of the filing of candidacy. Furthermore, the candidate must be fully literate in Filipino, English, or any other local language or dialect. Being elected mayor demands more than the aforementioned qua li f icat ions. In Met ro Manila, mayors’ campaign expenses amount to hundreds of thousands of pesos due to costs being proportional to the number of voters in the area. Despite this, the price per voter was raised to a maximum of Php 30 per voter from the previous Php 3 in 2018 to address the 1,629 overspending cases that resulted in disqualification of candidates in 2016. This money was spent in an attempt to increase the popularity of a candidate. With millions of pesos to spend, the list of
strategies to win votes ranges from outreach programs and celebrity endorsement to votebuying and bribery. A journal published in South East Asia Research entitled “Political dynasties in the Philippines: Persistent patterns, perennial problems” found that the millions of pesos in many Philippine mayors’ accumulated wealth comes from one of the following: Profit, plunder, political dynasty, or even a combination of the three. Mayors with the financial and political support of a political dynasty are more than capable of paying off campaign expenses and navigating the political atmosphere. By not being part of an influential and affluent family, a candidate's ability to win is greatly reduced. The ordinary electoral opponent is not just one individual, but a family worth millions of pesos who has held power for some time. Solidifying their place in government through strong family ties, political dynasties have ef fectively removed any competition from local government positions. The lack of competition among mayors with concrete platform-based campaigns hinders changes in cities that face long-running issues—creating a vicious cycle characterized by nepotism and bureaucracy. A mayoral candidate’s fulfillment of the qualifications mandated in RA No. 6644 proves to be the simplest part—the biggest challenge lies in promoting integrity, transparency, and good governance.
Barretto discussed how Philippine politics is “very personalistic,” pertaining to how political and personal relations are closely associated. “You vote for the [candidate] you know, you vote for [their] family…sometimes you vote for [connections],” he said. Politicians’ personal gestures, such as going to baptisms or attending funerals, all play a huge role in affecting patronage. More explicit malpractices that help secure political influence include vote-buying and placing campaign posters in public spaces like light posts, sidewalks, and polling stations, among other prohibited places. Patronage politics also seeps into basic government provisions, as explained by Political Science Department Lecturer Hansley Juliano who has worked with local government units (LGUs). Services and benefits such as pensions and scholarships, meant to be freely accessible, are often given on request and at the discretion of politicians, breeding a sense of utang ng loob or indebtedness. “Isama mo pa ‘yung mga discretionary projects ng mga konsehal mo (Factor in your councilors’ discretionary projects),” Juliano stated, citing bonuses like free parlors, funerals, and job fairs, among others. “All of [these operate] on the [expectation] na if you are a dignitary in the city, you have to be a patron of something,” he added. Overfunded projects—from infrastructure to public services—are also part of a politician’s playing cards, according to Juliano. Leftover funds from projects, valuing in millions of pesos, are spent as honorarium for project members or budget for events such as Christmas parties for a patron’s
staff. All these add to sustaining a politician’s ties and reputation. UNCHECKED, UNBALANCED Many of these malpractices help politicians win over voters and maintain power, enabling them to further pursue their agendas while avoiding accountability for their misdeeds—a key reason why politics remains a “family business.” Barreto stresses the dilemma in creating a political dynasty law. According to ASOG paper “From Fat to Obese: Political Dynasties after the 2019 Midterm Elections,” about two-thirds of local lawmakers belong to these dynasties. Politica l cla ns a llow patronage politics to persist, as families sustain their power partly by employing the same personalistic practices. Thus, the burden is on LGUs to institutionalize social services to offset citizens’ dependence on politicians. As many services still rely on politicians’ whims, voter behavior does not change, Juliano points out. Other accountability measures for politicians fall short, too. Juliano expounded on this by saying that the Commission on Audit, along with other organizations that serve as watchdogs, lack manpower. “Madalas hindi rin mabilis ang labas ng reports. So may mga… programs na makakalusot at... mababadyetan kasi hindi nai-report agad ang anomalies (Often, reports are not released quickly. So there are programs left unchecked and given budgets as anomalies are not reported at once),” he adds. Gaps in accountability allow politicians to illicitly amass more capital, which is crucial for re-election. Juliano noted that when incumbents a re
So long as public servants use their posts to further personal stakes and stay in power, good or even bare-minimum governance will always seem like heroes work. strong, there is usually a “demotivated opposition.” “People can’t choose alternatives if they don't know what they look like,” Juliano emphasized. Thus, the cycle of the elite preserving their power continues. Political malpractices impair good governance in the country to this day, and challenging these requires deep systemic reforms. So long as public servants use their posts to further personal stakes and stay in power, good or even bare-minimum governance will always seem like heroes work.
ILLUSTRATION BY CECILIA DATILES
The GUIDON | March-April 2020
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GRAPHIC BY ANDY GRANDA
Paying in scales, shells, and feathers BY JASEY C. CRUZ AND CARLO O. FERNANDEZ
THE ILLEGAL Philippine wildlife trafficking industry is worth an estimate of Php 50 billion a year, becoming a driving force of trade in Southeast Asia. Due to the country’s strategic location and geographical history, it is home to species of plants and animals often targeted by illegal poachers. The lack of penalties and the increasing demand for exotic animal products such as food, ornaments, and traditional Chinese medicine ingredients allow for poaching practices to thrive in the local economy. C o n s e q u e n t l y, s e v e r a l endemic species are now at risk of extinction, threatening biodiversity and ecological stability in the Philippines. If the loss of
these species persists, it may devastate the ecosystem and the cultural heritage of this country. BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT The Philippines is a major biodiversity hotspot due to its position within the Coral Triangle— an area with around 600 species of reef building coral—and the diversity of endemic species in its numerous islands. Palawan Island, home to its own array of f lora and fauna, is a hotspot for trade. Its unique geographical and historical narrative of being formerly connected to Borneo gave rise to the various species endemic to the area. Species endemic to Palawan, such as the blue-naped parrot,
Palawan hill myna, box turtle, and Palawan forest turtle are sold as pets. Meanwhile, the hawksbill turtle is captured for its meat, shell, and carapace, and the Palawan pangolin is harvested so that its shell can be used for traditional Chinese medicine. Due to overhunting, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has already listed the Palawan pangolin, hawksbill turtle, and Palawan forest turtle as critically endangered. The removal of endemic species that play a key role in food webs and nutrient cycles causes the island's ecosystem to suffer a gradual and steady decline. For example, without h aw k sbi l l t u r t le s , c or a l s
will decline and be unable to compete for space and nutrients due to the resulting population boom of sponges, the natural prey of turtles. EXPLOITED FOR MONEY The market for products of exotic species is inf luenced by desire and tradition—the rarer the species, the higher the price. Many poachers and smugglers from poorer communities hunt these animals using methods passed down from generations. The increasing popularity of certain exotic animals paved the way for more innovative smuggling strategies such as handoffs in open water and stuffing vans with wildlife. These poor trans-
portation conditions result in many animal casualties often caused by stress, dehydration, and starvation. Poaching can also be driven by misinformation, as seen in the 2011 tuko (gecko) craze, where geckos were sought out because of false rumors about how their gall bladders can cure diseases. Policies like the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001 aim to protect endemic species from the abuses linked to the illegal wildlife trade. However, its sanctions are insufficient in discouraging traders—as evidenced by poor conviction rates. Ateneo de Manila University Biology Department Assistant Professor
Ronald Cruz pointed out that corruption and poverty are the main driving forces of the illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia. Practices such as bribery, patronage, permit abuse, and the overall lack of environmental education allows the proliferation of illegal wildlife trade. Cruz recommended these measures to put an end to illegal wildlife trafficking: Strictly enforcing wildlife laws, disincentivizing the illegal trade, providing alternative livelihoods for poachers, and breaking the chain of trade from poachers to middlemen. These are all steps that must be taken to protect endemic species and preserve the country's vital ecosystems.
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Beyond Loyola
End endo BY JASEY C. CRUZ AND RAPHAEL C. DELA CRUZ ILLUSTRATION BY MIKA MEDINA
GRAPHIC BY CAMERON POLINTAN
Tag, you're it BY ZACHARY C. GONZALES AND JUSTINE RAMIREZ
W HILE THE Depa r tment of Labor a nd Employment (DOLE) has failed to provide data on the number of contractual workers in the country, an estimate from the International Labor Organization has set the number between seven to 10 million Filipinos. Contractual laborers often remain employed under the “5-5-5 scheme,” a fixed-term five-month contract that deprives them of the benef its of regular employees under the Labor Code of the Philippines—social sec u r it y, pa id leave a nd overtime, and the rights to collective bargaining.
Yet, a new law may not be necessar y to end contractualization. Under A r ticle 106 of the Labor Code of the Philippines, the Secretar y of Labor and Employment has the authorit y to restrict or prohibit all forms of contractual labor for the protection of the rights of workers. “Even without the prohibition in the rules, if the Department of Labor will only enforce what is stated in Article 106, then you are removing the incentive for employers to engage contractors,” Ateneo de Manila Law School labor law professor Attorney Marlon Manuel explained.
“If the Department of Labor will only enforce what is stated in Article 106 [of the Labor Code], then you are removing the incentive for employers to engage contractors.”
A LEAKED Philippine National Police (PNP) memorandum dated January 31 revealed that police officers were given orders to update their list of Muslim students in high schools, colleges, and universities in an effort to reach out to Muslim youths and build counter-terrorist efforts in the National Capital Region, among other things. The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) secured this memorandum last February 20 from the Timoteo Paez Integrated School in Manila. Although the PNP’s directive has been recalled, the damage had already been done. The directive has earned the ire of notable Muslim lawmakers, who slammed the PNP for the supposed typecasting of Muslims as terrorists. The profiling and tagging of individuals who are perceived as threats to national security based solely on prejudice has been a recurring theme among a number of Philippine state forces. With the looming unease from the vague provisions and potentials for abuse of the recently passed Senate Bill 1083 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, such issues are in need of critical revisitation.
GET THE MEMO In response to the memorandum, ACT lambasted the PNP for its blatant islamophobia. ACT Secretar y- General Raymond Basilio claimed that there is no one face to a “security threat”—to profile an individual using notions tied to their identity is nothing short of discrimination. To Basilio, this v iolation of privacy—independent of its outcomes—is enough to make students feel unsafe in what is supposed to be their second home. “[Sa] eskwelahan dapat...malaya yung bata na nakakapag-aral… Kaya with the presence of the profiling being carried out by armed personnel, tingin ko all aspects…noong purpose ng eskwelahan ay mava-violate nila (In school, students should be free to study. So with the presence of the profiling being carried out by armed personnel, I think all aspects of the purpose of a school will be violated),” he said. It is ev ident that biases against religious minorities in the Philippines exist, and this is no doubt a reality that Muslim students face in varying forms. For Khadija*, a Muslim student from the Ateneo, the directive
Despite this, DOLE amended the Labor Code by issuing Depar tment Order ( DO) 18 -A in 2011, which stated that contracting is allowed for “the promotion of employment.” This contrasts the directive of the Labor Code to limit contracting to protect the rights of workers. DOLE ag a in a mended the Labor Code in 2017 through DO 174 , revising the conditions for legitimate contracting or subcontracting stipulated in DO 18-A. Manuel emphasized that DOLE’s adherence to the original spirit of the Labor Code is indispensable in ending contractualization. “Those v iolations, unless checked or discovered by the enforcement mechanisms w ill go unpunished and will continue perpetually,” he says.
KHADIJA* A MUSLIM STUDENT FROM THE ATENEO
only confirmed her and her family’s suspicions of islamaphobia within the government. “I think that [the directive] makes it easier for people to harass us and be more apprehensive of us which [shouldn’t be] the goal at all,” Khadija said.
ATTORNEY MARLON MANUEL LABOR LAW PROFESSOR ATENEO DE MANILA LAW SCHOOL
In protest of these cond it ion s, t he labor sec tor lobbied for a policy change. Ma ny had hoped t hat t he Secu r it y of Tenu re (SOT ) Bill would f ulf ill President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign promise to end contractual labor. The House of Representatives’ version of t he SOT Bill wou ld a lso have brought an end to fixed-term employ ment like the 5- 5- 5 scheme, overturning a 1990 Supreme Court decision that r uled that employers have the right to terminate employees once their contract is expired, regardless of their regular status. However, the President vetoed the bill in 2019 due to pressures from the business sector. This fur thered the labor sector’s dissatisfaction with the current administration.
“An unprovoked attack on one of us is an unprovoked attack on all of us. Muslim solidarity is important and is one of the key tenants of our faith, and this is the time to fallback on that…[This] unprovoked attack is fueled by ignorance and Islam is the antithesis to ignorance.”
PHOTO BY PAULINA SINGH
SOUND THE ALARM Though the alarming move to profile Muslim students in Metro Manila has been recalled, a more national and potentially discriminatory policy is in the works. The Anti-Terrorism Bill aims to broaden the definition of “terrorism” from the country’s Human Security Act of 2007. Following existing indicators, such as inciting disorder, the new bill lists the “threat to commit any of the acts listed above” as the makings of a terrorist. Those convicted of terrorism will be detained under regulations that have also been broadly modified to temper human rights safeguards. Like many of the countr y’s concerned citizens, Basilio believes such vague provisions can be abused by those who seek to quell political opposition. In his words, the bill “[weaponizes] the law…against those perceived enemies, not of the state, but enemies of the ruling party.” A nother concer n Basilio raised is the criminalization of
appearing as a threat to political stability. He surmised that students, wary of the threats that surround them, will likely withhold or curate their expression of views. The fear of being named a terrorist may greatly damage the value of critical thinking and academic freedom in schools. To Muslim students who would have been subjected to prof iling, K hadija offers a message of cou rage a nd support: “An unprovoked attack on one of us is an unprovoked attack on all of us. Muslim solidarity is important and is one of the key tenants of our faith, and this is the time to fallback on that…[This] unprovoked attack is fueled by ignorance and Islam is the antithesis to ignorance.” Indeed, as Basilio and Khadija have reiterated, it is dismaying that discrimination still exists towa rds t he loca l Muslim sector—who by all means are Filipinos in their own right. And as those in power continue to questionably crack down on “threats” to national security, coupled with recent measures that embolden these suppressions, one can only wonder who the real national security threat is. *Editor’s note: The name of the interviewee was changed to protect their identity and privacy.
EDITOR: ANDREA MIKAELA LLANES | LAYOUT ARTIST: ROMEO A. DESCALSO III TO APPRAISE THE DOUBLE-EDGED: DEEPFAKES IN MODERN MEDIA
Features
As deepfakes challenge society’s perceptions of the truth, audiences must learn to be more responsible with consuming all sorts of media.
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ILLUSTRATION BY MIKHAELLA NORLIN MAGAT
Pretty in pink? With smaller features and a softer touch, these dainty pink products cost you more than you’d imagine. BY EALA JULIENNE P. NOLASCO AND GENESIS JACINTH TAN AN ARRAY of pink products will greet you in the toiletries aisle— pink toothbrushes, razors, cotton buds, tissue packs, and lotions. These smaller items always seem to strike a contrast with the exact same products of a more “masculine” branding nearby. Moving to the checkout counter with your pink toiletries, a pink Kinder Joy chocolate with a proud “for girls” label sits on a shelf near the cashier. Beside it is a blue one labelled “for boys.” Somewhere, a little boy hesitates to reach for the pink version, conditioned to think that labels are meant to restrict his choices. Advertised with labels that promise the products will better suit your female body, these smaller pink products actually cost more than their “masculine” counterparts. These slight price surges demonstrate the practice known as the pink tax, a traditional gender-based pricing that makes products intended for women cost more. Pink tax is not a formal taxation, but its roots lie in marketing and the cultural constructions of womanhood. PACKAGED FEMININITY Pink tax ensures that being a female in this society will entail a lot of costs. In an experiment conducted by Mic Senior Correspondent Elizabeth Plank, it was estimated that in her lifetime, a woman in the United States spends USD 100,000 on products affected by pink ta x. The most inev itable additional cost women have to pay per month are sanitary napkins. A woman spends USD 4,752 or Php 237,600 on sanitary napkins alone in a span of 33 years, the average
timeframe in which a woman remains fertile. Reproductive Health and Gender Advocates Movement Chair Joie Cortina shares that although pink tax is not a formal taxation system, it is a pervasive cultural practice towards product pricing that shapes the economy. “Femininity becomes a project that requires all these resources,” Cortina notes. Cortina emphasizes the apparent disparity by comparing the hypothetical situation of two fresh graduates, saying that to land a job, a woman will have to invest more on her grooming than her male counterpart. “That same amount that would go to pink tax, her male counterpart can put into savings,” she says. She adds that some products’ features promise attainment of an impossible standard of female beauty. “This problematic logic is apparent in this thinking: ‘So what if a razor that happens to be pink is significantly more expensive than the blue one? We are happy to get the pink one because it has this moisturizing aloe strip. Same goes with the pink deodorant that promises whiter underarms and freedom from chicken skin.’ A proper woman can’t have dry skin or dark pits,” Cortina notes. The daunting reality is that purchasing products that enforce unattainable standards of femininity is advertised as supporting female empowerment. “While oppressive, some women consider this a locus of power. ‘I can buy this. I am, therefore, powerful,’” Cortina says. Yet, even more daunting, this notion of empowerment strengthens the burden that weighs down many
financially challenged women in society. How can the consumption of products intended for women be for female empowerment when millions of other women are financially incapable of doing so? BIGGER PUDDLES OF PINK A lthough the effects of this phenomenon are felt by women, pink tax can be a worse enemy to consumers of all kinds when analyzed from a marketing perspective. The market continues to tailor their prices to consumer behaviors for the sake of profit. For example, Fourth Wall Global managing partner Dae Lee says that if people are willing to pay more for a product they believe is more prestigious, markets raise the value of that product. Consumers prefer a more expensive product because they think it is of higher quality, fits their aesthetic, holds a symbolic meaning, or aligns with trends—like white being a consistently popular car color because of Apple’s iPhone colors. “They put the cost into the consumers,” Lee says, adding that the marketing world is a place that is prone to unfair treatment of its consumers. He says that the way consumers behave allows marketers to continue this profiting mechanism because “behavior-wise, the funny thing is, [both] men and women buy the premium perceived value[s].” Lee advises consumers to step back and consider: “When you think about it, is there really [a] pink tax? Yes, maybe, but in the bigger picture…markets need to be really honest with the products [and] not use behavior to change pricing.”
While consumers are being read like open books, markets adjust accordingly and strategically in order to profit. Without realizing this, people’s values and relationships affect their spending behaviors. To this, Cortina reminds that “the performance of economic gender scripts, as all other domains of our gendered existence, recapitulate oppressions.” BEFORE CHECKING OUT Although removing pink tax would be ideal, the responsibility of reducing the effects of pink tax does not only depend on the honesty of markets. Markets, in the end, still respond to consumer behaviors. Of course, individuals can still change their purchasing habits to avoid the effects of pink tax. For products that are similar in quality, women could opt to buy the “male” or gender-neutral item instead. Another solution is to choose companies with fairer pricing and boycott those that do exhibit pink tax.
While consumer behavior is integral, the rationale behind product pricing is also rooted in culture. To remedy this, policy changes can lead to better cultural understandings of gender and purchasing values. “Through education, we can shift values and create an environment where individuals are more empowered agents as they perform their gender—even in the economic realm,” Cortina adds. Attempts to ease the tension of gendered-economics are being implemented through policies such as the Department of Education administrative order for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) for K-12 students. According to Cortina, the CSE underscores the importance of “shifting away from capitalistpatriarchal ‘values,’ to truly gender-transformative ways of thinking, relating, and doing.” Cortina believes that this can be accomplished by integrating CSE elements in the basic education curriculum. With educational
changes operating in the background, age-appropriate learning programs and materials on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights may give students a better grasp of gender equality in day to day events. However, policy changes can only do so much. At the end of the day, lasting change rests on the consumer who can consider an important question from Cortina: “[Is this purchase] truly acting on empowered economic agency or [does it] just [ strengthen a] system that features a marriage of capitalist and patriarchal values?” The pink tax is more than just a marketing tactic that affects numbers on price tags. It is an example of how the market continues to take advantage of consumer behaviors—which are affected by the societal expectations on women to fit an ideal. However, consumers must remove the rosecolored lenses and see the pink flags more clearly.
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When you think about it, is there really [a] pink tax? Yes, maybe, but in the bigger picture...markets need to be really honest with the products—not use behavior to change pricing.” DAE LEE MANAGING PARTNER AT FOURTH WALL GLOBAL
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Features 1
PHOTO ESSAY
A thousand words: Crises through the lens of Basilio Sepe BY ENZO LAGAMON, BENJIE BERNAL AND ADRIAN JESPER CEA
TO MAKE sense of the world, people oftentimes turn to story-telling. Some can tell truths through news reports, literature, and song lyrics, but what happens when words seem to fail? This is when we turn to the visual arts; an admission that some stories cannot be done justice within the confines of language. Basilio Sepe—a freelance photojournalist based in Manila who covers national and regional concerns— says that there is art in telling stories through images. In an attempt to contribute to expanding the national awareness on crises through visual consciousness, Sepe shares three of his photos and the narratives behind each one.
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MASKING VICTIMS, KILLING STORIES: WAR ON DRUGS
[Photo] PHOTOS COURTESY OF BASILIO SEPE
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“[This picture] was one of the scariest moments I’ve seen while documenting the drug war because that was the first time I saw a person,” Sepe says. “His head was wrapped in tape and the policemen or [Scene of the Crime Operatives] were removing the tape carefully.” Sepe shares that he started documenting ex trajudicial killings as early as college; his first encounter with the phenomenon was the death of Michael Siaron, whose photographs would later be well known because of its similarity with Michaelangelo’s famous sculpture Pieta. “From that
moment on, I decided to keep on shooting and keep on documenting [extrajudicial killings],” Sepe says. Going back to the photo, Sepe mentions that it was actually not his first subject of the night. Upon arriving at the scene, he and other photojournalists were directed to one body only to coincidentally find another victim hidden from view—the victim captured in his photo. Despite weariness from the nightly coverages and gruesome scenes, he persisted for the sake of being able to cover what many have turned their heads away from.
“Nag-lie low na yung issue ngayon, hindi na masyadong nakukunan (The issue has died down, no one is taking photos of it anymore),” he laments. He shares how he watched the convoy of photojournalists diminish slowly in numbers with the remaining cameramen earning the title of “nightcrawlers.” With a death toll of over thousands of people and less coverage than when it first started, the nationwide War on Drugs remains immortalized in the photos of journalists like Sepe who braved the phenomenon nightly.
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AMONG THE ASHES: TAAL VOLCANO ERUPTION
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This picture Sepe took on Volcano Island, in the middle of Taal Lake, reveals that what was once a picturesque landscape of trees and foliage is now a desert of ash. The foreboding plume of smoke from the crater reminds Sepe of how close he was to danger: “Nakakatakot syempre. If something happens, wala na kami. Kasi kapag sumabog iyan, di kami makakaalis kaagad (Of course, it was scary. If something happens, we’re gone. If it erupts, we can’t leave immediately).”
It was initially a surge of passion that led Sepe to document the Taal Volcano eruption last January. “Inaasikaso ko yung [Bureau of Internal Revenue documents] ko nung time na iyon. So hanggang sa nakita ko yung tweet…[I thought] ‘Uy malaki to, kailangan ready ako to go there’ (I was handling my [Bureau of Internal R e ve nue] d o c u m e nt s a t that time, u ntil I saw a t weet …[ I t hou g ht] ‘ T h is is big, I need to be ready to go there’),” Sepe recounts.
Determined to capture the eruption’s aftermath, Sepe would later go back to the island several times while taking the necessary precautions. What he uncovered was the whole scope of the aftermath: He witnessed the hardships of the residents returning to the island, animal rescuers venturing into the fray, and his fellow photojournalists sharing the same goal of documenting the catastrophe. In the end, their photos, when burned into our minds, tell a story of death and destruction, but also of nationhood and compassion.
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A CALL TO SOLIDARITY: COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly altered the lives of many, forcing most citizens into solitude. This is more apparent in Manila City, the nation’s capital, where residents were some of the first to experience lockdown under the enhanced community quarantine. “No one has seen Manila like this,” Sepe says. “Because of the pandemic, everyone’s just at home, which ma kes the streets, [and]
everything outside, look lonely —sad and lonely.” Sepe stumbled upon this scene of a fire truck disinfecting the streets just outside his house. With the firemen barely visible on top of the truck, the photo effectively portrays the serenity and emptiness of the urban jungle. “There’s beauty [to] it, but at the same time, malulungkot ka nalang (you’d feel sad), because you’re going to think about the firemen
[and] the policemen you’re taking pictures of,” Sepe adds. He shares that he hopes his photos of empty streets can prompt viewers to afford more concern for some of the more unrecognized frontliners who must brave the risk of infection to get by in their dayto-day lives. He hopes people can start asking “Can they still keep up with what's happening? Can they still do their jobs properly?”
With each click of the shutter, the photojournalist immortalizes a story in its raw form. The job has its perils. Still, Sepe deems his role as his calling. It is with this mindset that he continues to have his gear packed in his room, allowing him to rush outside for another assignment—another story to tell. When asked about the messages he intends to convey through his photos, Sepe remarks: “Sometimes I just want them to see. That’s what we do as photojournalists. We tell the truth.”
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He hopes people can start asking “Can they still keep up with what's happening? Can they still do their jobs properly?"
The GUIDON | March - April 2020
To appraise the double-edged: Deepfakes in modern media
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As deepfakes challenge society’s perceptions of the truth, audiences must learn to be more responsible with consuming all sorts of media content.
BY KEZIAH MARU Z. PASION AND LAURENCE JUSTINE D. TUBON
ILLUSTRATION BY KAITLYN MERCADO AS TECHNOLOGY progresses, developments beyond imagination begin to surface. Such is the case with deepfake technology, a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that makes it possible to alter a person’s appearance in a video or image. While there is potential for much boon in the usage of deepfake for health care and visual storytelling purposes, among many others, the bane is not one to be taken lightly as deepfakes can make fabricating fake news much easier. With some praising the technology and others claiming deepfake is where the truth goes to die, a data analyst and a visual effects specialist unpack both the innocuous and malicious implications of the new technology. THE REALM OF DEEPFAKES The term “deepfake” is a combination of the words “deep learning” and “fake.” Data analyst and founder of applied analytics consultancy group Cirrolytix
Dominic Ligot explains that deep learning is a subset of machine learning which “allows computer systems to make predictions, classify objects, and generate synthetic information that resembles the original data learned.” Visual effects specialist Adrian Arcega adds that deepfake technology’s main purpose is to make it possible for computers to “process someone’s likeness and [place] it onto another person’s.” Arcega has independently worked with deepfake technology and has since applied his research on media projects such as Truefaith’s music video Uwian Na (2018), where deepfake technology is used to bring showbiz personality Lourdes Carvajal back to life. Ligot adds that deepfake “accomplishes what traditional computer-generated images are used for.” The main difference, he says, is that deepfake technology is cheaper and faster because the
algorithms make new media with little to no human intervention. However, Arcega points out some limitations in the technology, such as the 256x256 pixel limit for face processing. “In other words, it works for low-resolution video, but is a far cry from being effective in high-definition film,” he explains. Despite deepfake technology’s limitations, Arcega believes that deepfakes may pave the way for major changes in the entertainment industry, claiming that actors might just become another element in the canvas of video and film. Because actors’ schedules are often erratic, Arcega says that deepfakes can replace stars in short scenes when they are unavailable. He further asserts that the industry may have to “redefine the concept of actors” amid developing issues of value and market importance. From the point of view of a visual effects practitioner, Arcega also expresses his delight with face
replacement technology being more affordable compared to the early 2000s. Previously, only bigtime companies like Industrial Light & Magic could utilize deepfake technology. As the power to create deepfakes becomes more accessible, the possibilities of the software continue to be boundless. “Technology has always been a double-edged sword,” Arcega says. “It is no different with anything in the adult video industry, which tends to be on the forefront of internet technologies... [I]deally, [deepfakes] should be used for frivolous or entertainment matters—such as film, TV, the occasionally fun app.” However, Arcega recognizes that if deepfake technology were to fall in the wrong hands, then much could be done to abuse it. WHAT IS REAL AND WHAT IS NOT The technology of deepfake is undeniably innovative and
intriguing, but its ability to blur the line between real and fake instills a very valid fear of identity theft and other illegal activities. These possibilities pose potential risks for political f ig ures—as they could be intentionally misquoted by generating fake faces and voices. Aside from this, Arcega notes that deepfakes could also be misused to impersonate entertainment professionals without their consent. One such example that Arcega cites is how deepfake technology’s popularity stems from its usage in pornographic videaos where celebrity’s faces are superimposed on the body of a porn actress. “This has its own set of issues in terms of violating a person's agency for use in someone's pleasure,” he says. Arcega adds that the possible misuse of deepfakes also carries “implications on issues of truth,” referring to the easier propagation
of fake news with deepfakes as a tool. All things considered, Arcega asserts that whether deepfakes are good or bad is best determined by how it is used. Ligot adds that as we appreciate these technological developments, it is imperative to also ensure the prevention of cybercrime through strong data privacy measures. “The deep learning process, which powers deepfakes, can help society with many challenges, but the shocking power of these algorithms need to be tempered with rules [and] guidelines to prevent misuse,” Ligot says. “We also have to learn to be responsible and discerning with our applications,” Arcega says. “We don't [want to] hinder or censor technological development, but we sure have to be mindful and conscientious.”
and go, but the impact an icon has on us could transcend time, space, and logic, making them seem subconsciously immortal. Therapist and grief counselor Jill Gross says it best: "They're never supposed to die, and they're
always 25 in our heads. When they die, a little part of us dies too—our innocence dies with them." During times like these, it's best to just be there for one another. We are all tied together by the universal experience of grief, heartbreak,
and admiration for someone who we once thought was larger than life. Acknowledge that the pain is there; it hurts, and it will linger. Seek assistance, if need be. You'll be surprised at how many outstretched hands are there once you look.
To grieve the death of a star BY ANGEL MARTINEZ | ILLUSTRATIONS BY DENEV NG
KOBE BRYANT'S death last January put the world in a state of overwhelming grief. Anecdotes from fans poured in, sharing how they embedded his games into their daily routines. This was also the case during
the sudden passing of Michael Jackson, Cory Monteith, and Robin Williams, among many others. Unaffected outsiders could be quick to judge and ask, "How could they mourn for someone who wasn't a part of
their everyday lives?" But they all were, in more ways than one. It's normal for us to grieve because these stars have technically "been there with us" during the highlights of our lives. Friends and lovers could come
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Features PHOTO BY JULIA CARPIO
Locally tuned Foreign guitar producers have made the instrument more accessible to Filipinos, but this development comes with strings attached —especially for local guitar makers. BY AARON D. TOLENTINO THOUGH THE city’s noise often drowns out the instrument’s rich tone, guitars and their vendors remain a familiar sound and sight along Manila’s streets. However, despite a rich history and culture of sourcing guitars from homegrown luthiers, the local guitar-making industry still requires muchneeded support as foreign guitar producers begin to dominate the scene. STRIKING CHORDS Along with the organ, flute, and harp, the guitar was brought to the Philippines by the Spanish in the 1500s to accompany liturgical Church hymns. Despite being
a foreign instrument, Filipinos welcomed the guitar with open arms, quickly learning guitar tunes and melodies in their free time. Eventually, Filipinos would use the guitar as accompaniment for love songs; some examples would be the kundiman and the balitaw, classic folk songs originating from Mindanao and Visayas, respectively. The Philippines would later develop a guitar-making industry of its own to cater to the nation’s affinity for the instrument, even hailing Cebu City as the local guitar capital. It has been said that the Spanish friars originally trained Cebuanos to
produce guitars so that local musicians wouldn’t have to send instruments abroad for repairs. A member of the Gitara ni Juan project—an initiative that hopes to revive the declining industry of Filipino guitar-making— Crisron Lucas shares that the quality of locally made guitars depends on various aspects of the instrument. “Most Filipinos love a bright and clear guitar sound coming from a classical guitar. A louder sound is also preferred,” he shares. When it comes to visuals, Lucas adds that Filipino guitarists “love a light-colored soundboard and a dense and dark fretboard.”
Fluid language With the widening recognition of the singular “they,” the pronoun manages to break current grammar conventions and the constructs surrounding gender. BY RUSSELL LOUIS KU IN MANY languages, using gendered pronouns has become the norm when identifying oneself. For people who are gender nonconforming, especially those who struggle to embrace their identity, the singular “they” has provided a gender-neutral alternative in place of pronouns such as “he” or “she.” However, despite MerriamWebster’s recognition of the singular they as their word of the year in 2019, the pronoun continues to be trivialized more than ever.
With lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues at the forefront of mainstream discourse, genderneutral language has become a powerful tool in providing awareness on gender fluidity and empowering those who don’t identify within the gender binary. THEIR SINGULAR HISTORY Although the singular they has become synonymous with expressing gender neutrality, the pronoun’s history dates back to as early as 1375 and was notably used by prominent authors such
as William Shakespeare and Jane Austen. University of Michigan Linguistics professor Daniel Davis, PhD, states that despite its established usage, 17th-century grammarians opposed the use of the singular they because it broke the rule that plural pronouns— which “they” is conventionally classified as—should only be used for plural nouns. With this grammatical convention followed to this day, it remains difficult for the singular they to be widely accepted in the academe. English Department professor Isabel Martin, PhD, says
Ho we ve r, de s pite t he Philippines’ history of producing guitars that are loved by the local market, competition from more efficient guitar producers in China and the United States now pose a threat to the cherished industry. PULLING STRINGS Local luthiers are faced with the challenge of staying afloat as bigger, more well-equipped companies continue to massproduce guitars. Lucas shares that without sufficient skills, tools, and resources, local luthiers may create guitars with manufacturing inconsistencies or poor sound quality and playability, making their products less competitive in the market. This is the primary issue that he, and the Gitara ni Juan team, aims to address.
that this can also be observed in the Philippines where “there is a tendency…to be too focused on grammatical accuracy.” Davis adds that the English language system requires people to put extra emphasis on gendered programs, thus resulting in “[policing] the cultural spaces created by the language, even more than the language itself requires.” In addition, the usage of the singular they continues to be stigmatized despite how it serves as an avenue to signify one’s own non-conformity to the gender binary. Graduate student Roman*, who identifies themselves using the pronouns they and them, has witnessed how the use of gender-neutral language can be invalidated on social media: “A lot of people online tend to cyberbully celebrities and persons who come out to use they/them pronouns, arguing that it’s something
Gitara ni Juan hopes to develop a standardized guitar making process that uses Philippine woods for local luthiers to follow. To craft this model, the project's team conducted research by visiting luthiers throughout the country. This allowed the team to see firsthand the issues local luthiers face on a daily basis. Lucas’ study found that a major problem for guitar makers today is their inability to attract younger craftsmen. One of their young luthier consultants, for instance, opted to leave the industry and work as a waiter instead after the failure of his grandfather’s instrument-making business. So far, some local guitar makers have already started to experiment with Gitara ni Juan’s technology.
people do for attention, or that they are narcissists [who] enjoy interrupting other people to tell them how to correctly use their pronouns.” These prejudices, whether in the academe or in social settings, point to a need to reevaluate how ridiculing gender-neutral language could constrain other’s gender expression. BREAKING THE BINARY Oftentimes, the contempt attached to gender expression can be traced to how society reacts to those who identify with they/them. Roman cites some examples, saying that those who are gender non-conforming face “social exclusion, bullying, [and] erasure [that]...forces them to perform gender anxiously.” Despite the discrimination against those who are gender nonconforming, Roman still believes that gender-neutral pronouns
In pa r tnership w ith the Department of Science and Technology, Gitara ni Juan is now getting ready to transfer their knowledge to the industry with a Dumaguete-based guitar company as its official “technology adopter.” The future for local guitar makers may appear dim. However, Lucas sees potential in domestic demand as most Filipinos own more than one guitar. Beyond this, the industry’s survival may depend on something more fundamental: Its cultural roots. As Lucas puts it, “We only need to push people and make them aware of our Filipino culture. Guitar playing is a part of the Filipino culture.”
enable those who use the singular they to have better claim over their identity. Camp Queer member Luther Aquino also argues that genderneutral language disrupts the existing order of things by surpassing “socially constructed performances of gender.” “It is so important for LGBTQ+ people to have the language to talk to themselves, and amongst themselves, in a way that is cognizant of their experiences and in a way that is hopeful for a better future,” Aquino says. As the gender non-conforming continue to navigate the intricacies of language and identity, the rest of society is then called to afford more empathy to those who proudly identify as they/them. *Editor’s Note: The name of the interviewee has been changed at their request in order to protect their identity and privacy.
ILLUSTRATION BY DENEV NG