THE ISOTOPES ISSUE NO. 1, VOLUME 16 (September 2021-July 2022)

SEPTEMBER 2021 TO JULY 2022

ISSUE NO. 1 VOLUME 16

THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH SCHOOL PUBLICATION OF RIZAL NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL | BINANGONAN 1 | DIVISION OF RIZAL | REGION IV-A CALABARZON

EXCELLENCE EXEMPLIFIED. Renz Furio, a Grade 11 student, fills up the contact tracing form during the pilot run of in-person classes in Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) on March 21, 2022. In accordance with the guidelines set by the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Health (DOH), RNSHS also followed protocols such as usage of thermal scanners and chairs placed with 1-meter gap to practice social distancing.

Photo and Caption by Dean Pulumbarit

MORE RESILIENT THAN EVER: RNSHS now more prepared after 2 years of COVID-19 chaos

BY THERESA REVES | Continue on SCHOOL READINESS, Page 2

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wo years after the pandemic pestered the country, Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) guaranteed its readiness for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases and affirmed that it has shown “remarkable resilience” over the years of implementing Online Distance Learning (ODL) and the recently implemented limited in-person classes.

RNSHS school clubs reopen after 2 years of ODL implementation

DepEd OKs reopening of limited face-to-face classes in over 40 schools in Rizal

BY JONAN GARCIA | Continue on SCHOOL CLUBS REOPENING, Page 2

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o yield an avenue for aspiring student leaders, Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) reopened the clubbing activity for the S.Y. 2021-2022 amidst the second year of Online Distance Learning (ODL) implementation.

Clubbing is one of the events being performed annually where RiScians, especially student leaders, can bring out their interests and possibly apply it for the development of the school.

In an interview, Malena Ballon, the RNSHS Supreme Student Government (SSG) President said that the main factor they considered for the reopening was to make students adapt to the current sitution and

construct innovative ideas in conducting the clubbing.

“Prior to the planning, we believed that this would be effective and efficient to help the students cope in the online distance learning as the clubs conduct programs and activities that shall give fun and hope to the RiScian community,” Ballon stated.

This was seconded by Norma Cabael, MAPEH club adviser, who said that the reopening of the clubs provides opportunities for students to learn and find ways to help and inspire others in a creative way where they could exercise their leadership skills with honesty, optimism, and a persistent sense of responsibility.

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BY VIRGIE LERONA AND MISHCA CRUZ Continue on LIMITED FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES, Page 4

s the COVID-19 risk lowers more schools all over the Philippines are being encouraged to reopen for limited face-to-face classes including schools from Rizal province, allowing to prepare more than 40 schools that passed the safety and health protocol standards.

To ensure that everyone is safe when entering and leaving the school, the Department of

Education (DepEd) monitors that only fully vaccinated school teachers, staff, and students are allowed to attend the limited face-to-face classes.

Together with the assistance of DepEd, school and sub-office representatives prioritize the safety of each campus by conducting an in-person inspection, validating the schools’ level of readiness based on the Schools Safety Assessment Tool (SSAT).

Moreover, DepEd’s Secretary, Leonor Briones, stated the expansion of face-to-face classes, going back to normal, will not stop as long as the threat of the virus continues to decrease.

“There is no pushing back, for as long as it is not here, for as long as the danger proceeds to be milder or maybe even there is no danger at all, in the meantime, we proceed, we can not stop,” she explained in an interview.

STORIES TO BE TOLD NEWS

OPINION

FEATURE

SCIENCE

Students, parents applaud Project KABALIKAT for successful implementation

Left behind a Dilemma

Beyond Classrooms: Arlene Paralejas as Most Outstanding Secondary Teacher in Rizal

Molnupiravir and Paxlovid: Small pills, big effects

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School readiness Continued from Page 1 | BY THERESA REVES

VOLUNTEERS FOR LITERACY. Alyssa Mae Buhay ends Kabrigadang Riscian, Bayanihan sa Pagbasa sa Paaralan, Lilinang at magbabahagi ng karunungan, Kabataang tutulungan, Tatamasa ng kaalaman (KABALIKAT) Project session by logging in the attendance form. In vision of literacy and numeracy skills enhancement with the help of student volunteers, the KABALIKAT Project was launched as part of Rizal National Science High School’s Brigada Eskwela 2021.

Photo from Alyssa Buhay, Caption by Andrea Cervo

Students, parents applaud Project KABALIKAT for successful implementation BY KATHERINE LEGATUB

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tudents and parents commended Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS)’s Project KABALIKAT after the success of its implementation last year on the 13th to 24th day of September.

Project KABALIKAT, which stands for KAbrigadang RISCIAN, BAyanihan sa Pagbasa sa Paaralan, LIlinang at magbabahagi ng karunungan, KAbataang tutulungan, Tatamasa ng kaalaman, is a reading project under Brigada Pagbasa of Brigada Eskuwela ’21 that aims to extend assistance to specific pupils in improving their literacy and numeracy skills by teaching them through KABALIKAT RiSci Reading Warriors.

On its graduation day last October 2, 2021, it has shown to have gained a lot of positive remarks

through its feedback form that was presented on a Facebook live.

In an answer to one of the questions in the feedback form, two of the pupils’ parents mentioned that the experience was enjoyable for their children, as they could learn while having fun with their teachers.

In addition to that, Zofia Ellise Gonzales, a Grade 3 pupil from Libis Elementary School, the school partner of RNSHS for the project, said on the project’s graduation day that she is grateful to her student-teachers Keisha Anne Anero, Myca Pauline Gabino, and Aaron John Pacis for teaching her various literacy skills and for befriending her during the project time proper.

“Sana po marami pa po kayong maturuang mga batang katulad ko na matutong magbasa.

Maraming salamat po

muli and God bless,” she added.

Moreover, RiSci Reading Warrior Nicole Cometa said in a written interview that she has no regrets about volunteering for the project despite the fact that she faced various challenges such as technical difficulties while teaching.

Thea Louise Bautista, also a RiSci Reading Warrior, agreed that she had a great time teaching her student Jay Richie Bautista, who she mentioned was able to read a lot faster in comparison to their first meeting.

“At first, it was very hectic. I had a hard time managing all my activities and the materials needed for our lessons. Pero after like a day or two, I got the hang of it naman and I enjoyed it very much, especially knowing na I

helped someone improve their skills,” Bautista said in an interview.

Furthermore, Ma. Romina Villones claimed that she is “go na go” to volunteer again as a student-teacher once Project KABALIKAT is carried out once more.

However, according to Lorna Acain, the Brigada Eskwela ‘21 Coordinator, there may be a possibility of a comeback for the project but there is no specific date of when it will be continued again.

Project KABALIKAT was composed of 20 RiScians who voluntarily participated as part of RiSci Reading Warriors, 20 pupils from Libis Elementary School, the facilitators Theresita Celoza, Marites Dolem, and Lorna Acain, and the school principals Ma. Lourdes Arabit and Edna Villamayor.

RNSHS student leaders urged to show more involvement, strengthen commitment to initiatives BY THERESA REVES After almost two years of being inflicted by COVID-19, Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS), together with other Rizal-based schools’ student leaders were encouraged to recreate ways to show leadership and execute initiatives amid the new normal in a school-based Leadership and Training webinar held by the RNSHS Supreme Student Government (SSG).

The school’s SSG officers organized the school’s annual Leadership and Training Seminar (LTS) on November 27 with the theme “Revitalizing Leadership and Youth Involvement” which featured organization leaders from in and outside the campus.

Mark Jacinto, Curator of Online Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Youth Action Forum and speaker in the said seminar emphasized that students can still practice leadership even after the changes brought upon by the crisis.

“Leadership in times of pandemic, although a challenge, is revitalized and we are able to innovate. COVID-19 actually helped us revitalize ourselves and our community,” he explained.

Moreover, Jacinto also stated that leaders can still show more involvement even if activities and programs can only be done online.

“We can collaborate with our administration, do everything that can be done online, and since we have limitations, we can also tap people who excel in our field,” he added.

Leaders need to be clear with their initiatives As stating sentiments online become more accessible to everyone, John King Antiporda, the school’s SSG Adviser reminded the student officers to uphold the character all leaders must possess.

“Mataas kasi ang tingin sa inyo ng mga tao, and as a leader, dapat lagi rin natin ‘yong pine-preserve.

Leadership should not be just for a certificate or certain popularity that you want to gain,” Antiporda affirmed.

Moreover, Jacinto urged the participants to remember why they became leaders in the first

place and said they must display open-mindedness, accountability, consistency, and good communication skills.

“We need to be clear of what we want to happen, we need to be clear and consistent of our intentions,” he said.

In the end, he encouraged the student leaders to be more involved in their initiatives and show more passion in leading.

“Andami nating pwedeng magawa as student leaders, we can always start with the smallest and simplest steps, and be consistent with it,” Jacinto reminded.

The seminar reached 886 views on Facebook live and 135 participants in Microsoft Teams.

“

Leadership should not be just for a certificate or certain popularity that you want to gain.

John King Antiporda, RNSHS SSG Adviser

In an interview, Marc Gian Cloza, Disaster and Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) coordinator and a Senior High School (SHS) mentor in RNSHS asserted that the pandemic pushed and tested the resilience of students, teachers, and parents, which helped them cope up with the struggles brought upon by the virus.

“If we are asked if the school is prepared in the event of another COVID-19 outbreak, the response is emphatically yes… With the help of online seminars conducted by DepEd, the minds of teachers were bombarded with the technical know-how and viable teaching approaches which have helped teachers, specifically RiSci teachers,” he said. “Thus, if another COVID-19 breakout happens again, RiSci as a whole is ready to provide quality online education.”

This was seconded by Malena Ballon, RNSHS’s Supreme Student Government (SSG), who said that the school is ready to give a quality and accessible education to all its students.

“We have successfully done it, and we will just do it again. As we already experienced COVID-19 surges in the past months, we already knew the possible struggles and difficulties that the teachers, students, and parents had.

With this, it would be much less difficult for all of us to go to this modality,” Ballon stated.

Moreover, Cloza emphasized the vitality of implementing face-to-face classes in RNSHS although the pandemic is still evident, and stated that it is important, particularly for the students’ well-being

that was affected by the previous lockdown.

“Having face-to-face classes is one way to put things in equilibrium.

Students have not (only) struggled academically but spiritually and psychologically. Putting them back to school is just the first step to keeping them desensitized to all the negative effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought. Bringing back the usual routine they have had can make students healthier and brighter,” the SHS mentor said.

He also added that when students are happy with studying, teachers are inspired to work hard while teachers who are passionate in teaching lead tudents to strive more.

Furthermore, Cloza explained that compliance is a key factor towards the school’s success in coping with the pandemic and said that everyone’s participation plays a pivotal role in enhancing RiSci’s resilience and readiness.

“The efforts (health and safety regulations, school activities, and PTA support) are already in place, and the school’s potential (teachers, kids, and parents) has already been discovered. Everyone’s desire to take action is required for resiliency and readiness. Thus, one of the most important aspects of sustaining our school’s resiliency and readiness is compliance,” he cited.

RNSHS is currently implementing more ways to provide quality education and is intensifying programs such as Project Kaagapay, Gulayan sa Tahanan, and KABISIG, as well as the existing projects of WINs (Wash in Schools) of DepEd to ensure better and friendly service.

School clubs reopening Continued from Page 1 | BY JONAN GARCIA In addition, Franchesca Danelle Talavera, the Historia club student coordinator explained how being elected as an officer improved her leadership skills.

“This set-up has pushed me to go beyond my comfort zone. I continued to grow as I found ways for the impossible to be possible in the new normal. I continued to grow as I reached for the hands of our club members despite this challenging set-up,” Talavera said.

However, Mary Grace Sison, a student coordinator of Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) club explained that she is having a hard time doing her role as she is only new in clubbing and was just encouraged by her friends.

In order to overcome these difficulties, Sison said she sought advice from TLE teachers and friends for her clear direction in handling the club.

“When it comes to reaching out to others, my friends encouraged me to become more open and have the will to communicate because with the current situation, communication plays a vital part,” she added.

RNSHS currently has 9 clubs namely Future Scientists’ Club, Good Knights Club, Historia Club, Kapariz Club, Literati Club, MAPEH Club, Sipnayan Club, TLE club, Yes-O Club which are all managed by student leaders and club advisers.

RNSHS SSG exhibits RiScians’ artworks in Facebook

BY JULIA LISING AND MISHCA CRUZ

AN ARTIST’S PERSISTENCE. Angel Napay, 18, draws Sangonomiya Kokomi from Genshin Impact during her free time at home in Brgy. Mahabang Parang, Binangonan, Rizal on April 8, 2022. Aspiring to be a full-time artist in the gaming industry, she continues to create digital art to refine her drawing skills, master her observing skills, and expand her knowledge in designing art.

Photo and Caption by Aaron John Pacis

As part of the commemoration for National Arts Month, the Supreme Student Government (SSG) of Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) launched its “Likhang RiScian” in February, an online art exhibit displaying students’ different styles of art.

Likhang RiScian is an initiative open for all RiScian students from all grade levels to have their artworks featured on Facebook.

The RNSHS SSG posted their first Malikhaing RiScian entry on February 12, 2022, featuring Jen Reyes, a student from 12-Lavoisier.

According to Josh Domingo of 12-Archimedes, art gives life more color in spite of the sense of monotony and boringness inevitably present in people’s lives.

“Amidst the stress life gives me, I push through with my passion and sometimes use them as inspiration for some of my works,” Domingo said in his Malikhaing Riscian entry.

On the other hand, Leigh Paredes from 11-Einstein emphasized that art is an “underrated mechanism that ties our souls together” and it is indeed an escape from reality.

Mika Dela Cruz, a Grade 11 artist, explained that everything is connected to art in various ways and society will be a wreck without it as art is what makes her extraordinary.

“Without art, everything will be so plain and simple, with no elegance and no beauty,” she cited.

Meanwhile, Samantha Locus, another featured artist from Grade 8, said that art is significant to society as it helps people explain themselves.

Furthermore, Angel Napay from 12-Faraday defined art as a form of liberation.

“Art for me, is freedom. It’s something where I can do everything I want,” she said.

RNSHS SSG was able to feature 12 Malikhaing Riscians on Facebook that reached over 400 reactions per post.

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OVP’s Swab Cab operation reaches Antipolo, Tanay

BY JONALIZA INFANTE

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s part of the continuous fight against COVID-19 infection, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) took its Swab Cab operation in Antipolo and Tanay on January 17 and January 27, respectively.

Swab Cab is an initiative authored

by Vice President Leni Robredo to give people access to free antigen testing by going from place to place conducting the activity.

Based on the data provided by the two municipalities, the Swab Cab testing in Antipolo was able to accommodate 1000 people while the testing in Tanay accommodated 800, where 300 individuals were tested in Barangay Sampaloc and 500 in Barangay Katipunan Bayani.

The testing centers were likewise open for walk-ins and non-residents of the municipalities.

Robredo also advised citizens to follow standard procedures when going to testing facilities by bringing their vaccination cards, identification

After a long pause due to a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases, the municipal-wide bamboo tree planting under the Ynares Eco System (YES) Tree Planting Program of Governor Rebecca Ynares of Rizal successfully resumed last December 17, 2021 in Hinulugang Taktak, Antipolo City.

While adhering to basic health protocols to prioritize safety from the virus, 2000 bamboo tree seedlings were planted with the coordination of the City Council and volunteers on the said event date.

The tree planting activities were implemented as part of a bigger project— the YES to Green Program—which, according to an article from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) website, “is a flagship program of the Rizal Provincial Government that enjoins everyone to help protect and conserve Mother Earth.”.

With the help of the Rizal Provincial Government itself, thousands more of seedlings were planted and will be continuously bed out onto the different municipalities of Rizal “bilang pagpapahalaga at proteksyon sa Inang

Kalikasan”, as the official site of Rizal Provincial Government says.

In addition, the official site also highlighted the importance of this tree-planting program that was established to prepare for any unexpected natural disasters that may strike the province, as well as to provide a potential source of revenue for local residents.

“Bukod sa mas maraming oxygen na naibibigay ang mga puno ng kawayan, nakakatulong din itong patatagin ang mga lupa sa mga tabing ilog upang maiwasan ang pagguho (landslides) at sakuna,” an article from the website said.

By far, only the municipalities of Antipolo, Binangonan, Jala-jala, Taytay, Teresa, and Pililia have aligned their events in participation to the program.

Moreover, the most recent tree planting activity took place last April 18 this year in Brgy. Bagumbong in Jala-jala and the future event dates are yet to be announced.

This tree planting project dates back to September 16, 2013, when the YES to Green Program was first carried out by the local government of Rizal.

FREE ANTIGEN TESTING. Vice President Leni Robredo visits swab cab at Ynares Center in L. FREE ANTIGEN TESTING. Vice PresidentRizal Leni on Robredo visitsofSwab Cab at2022.

Ynares Center in L. Sumulong Memorial Sumulong Memorial Circle, Antipolo, the 17th January The swab cab was opened for Circle, Antipolo, Rizal on the 17th January 2022.test The kits swabfor cab was openedconfirmed for all individuals they aimmitigate to use all all individuals as they aim toofuse all 1,000 identifying casesas can help 1,000 test kits for identifying confirmed cases can help mitigate the spread and evolution of COVID-19. the spread and evolution of COVID-19.

Photo by Jay Ganzon / OVP, Caption by Jianna Amoin

Photo from Jay Ganzon/OVP, Caption by Jianna Amoin

belongings, ballpen, and by strictly following the health protocols.

During her #RizaLeni meet and greet, Robredo expressed her gratitude towards frontliners who participated in the initiative and made the event possible.

“Nagpapasalamat kami sa lahat ng partners, volunteer doctors,

Municipal-wide tree planting resumes after two-year break due to COVID

BY KATHERINE LEGATUB AND LYLE DA-ANOY

COMMUNITY UNITY. Public officials, engineers, and volunteers from different barangays attend the Municipal-wide Bamboo Planting Activity in Binangonan, Rizal on February 9, 2022. This was in line with the YES to Green Program and OPLAN Buhayin ang mga Sapa, Ilog, Lawa at Karagatan (BUSILAK) of Rizal Governor Rebecca “Nini” A. Ynares.

Photo from Pamahalaang Bayan ng Binangonan, Rizal FB Page, Caption by Laureen Dela Cruz

Non-teaching personnel receive student donations in ‘Paskuhan sa RiSci’

BY JONAN GARCIA AND JULIA LISING As the Christmas season drew nearer and nearer, non-teaching personnel from Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) took goods and donations from willing students as part of the “Paskong Riscian” initiative on December 17, 2021.

Financial support and Noche Buena packages including pasta, spaghetti packs, graham, condensed milk, and canned goods were the common donations given to the non-teaching personnel.

“I feel there is a need for our maintenance and canteen crew to have extra food that they will share together during yuletide season, so I asked the Filipino department to help me push through with the project,” she said in an interview.

Alma Abuacan, together with other Filipino teachers, explains the program’s objectives to students every year encouraging the learners to take part in the project, knowing how their donations could support the non-teaching staff.

“We explained to them how hard for these personnel to have extra money for their ‘handa’ during christmas and new year,” she added.

One of the school’s maintenance and canteen staff,

medical students, nurses, and supporters who took part in the entire operations. Hindi po natin magagawa ang ating mga ginagawa kung hindi tayo tinutulungan ng napakaraming mga grupo,” Robredo said.

In relation, frontliners also stated the strategy that the OVP

organizers really helped in the process of infection mitigation among people who were tested.

Elvira Catambay, Barangay Health Worker (BHW) of Barangay Katapinunan Bayani in Tanay said the Swab Cab operated well during its visit to the municipality as it served its purpose of giving a large number of people free antigen testing.

“Naging maayos naman ang kanilang operasyon doon sa gym. Kasama ang mga frontliners doon ay nakapag patest ang mga tao nang maayos,” she stated Catambay also added as Barangay Katipunan Bayani already has a good standing in handling the COVID-19 cases in the area, having the Swab Cab initiative made it better for faster aid against the disease.

The Swab Cab is currently set to continue to operate and will try to address the need for free COVID-19 testing for several more areas.

Vieber Pajes, received benefits from this program.

“Una sa lahat nag papa salamat ako sa ating Panginoong Hesus…

At sa mga estudyante ng aming paaralan, maraming maraming salamat po,” she cited.

Furthermore, Leah Puyot, a school canteen staff member mentioned she was grateful for the donations they have received from the students and parents even though the school is in an online distance learning setting.

Meanwhile, to gather contributions amidst the pandemic, mayors from different sections decided to collect money from their classmates through Gcash which was then used to buy groceries for the collective donation.

“After listening to the opinions, and suggestions of the officers, we decided to collect money from each student using Gcash. Then used the collected money to buy food to donate for the Paskong Riscian,” the mayor of 12 - Archimedes, Alyssa Mae Buhay, stated.

Senden home foundation Binangonan and Tahanang Balik-Alay in Taytay were also given donations through the “Paskong Riscian” and funds of the Supreme Student Government (SSG).

Teachers, students commend RNSHS’s three-week academic break

BY JONALIZA INFANTE AND LYLE DA-ANOY Amid the rising cases of COVID-19 and the prevalence of physical and mental straints among stakeholders, Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) carried out a three-week “health break” whose aim is to prioritize the well-being of the RiScian students and teachers.

The suspension of classes is based on the Department of Education’s (DepEd) approval of an academic break for two weeks which started on January 17 until January 28 of the current academic year. The school also suspended the classes from January 31 to February 5, another week allotted for the mid-year break.

Moreover, the existing mental and health conditions were assessed by the school before the cancellation of classes, with the results showing the need to conduct a health break.

In an interview, Beatrice Mae Goto, a Grade 7 student of RNSHS said attributed to the struggles she faced towards learning are the lack of time to manage activities and problems regarding mental state among others.

“The challenges I have encountered are time

management, mental health problems, not getting enough sleep, and not eating at the right time,” she stated.

Additionally, the suspension of classes through academic and health break helped the students to refresh and revitalize their minds.

Julia Alyssa Robles, a Grade 12 student, stated the three-week break given helped a lot in giving herself time to pause and breathe away from stress brought by a variety of factors caused by the pandemic.

“It gave me enough time to rest, breathe and feel myself again,” Robles said.

As the students were granted time to rest, teachers were also given a pause from their work.

“It helped me reorganize the things I needed to do for school, graduate, school, and family,” said Marc Cloza, a Grade 12 teacher.

Cloza also added that the academic and health break specifically helped to regain health in all aspects, especially physical, mental, emotional, and holding an academic break requires deep conduct of research or studies when implemented given the time

that teachers, as well as students, have already gone into online distance learning.

Meanwhile, the classes resumed on February 3, with the school calendar adjusting the classes until July 21, the last day of the school year.

“It gave me enough time to rest, breathe and feel myself again,” Robles said.

As the students were granted time to rest, teachers were also given a pause from their work.

“It helped me reorganize the things I needed to do for school, graduate, school, and family,” said Marc Cloza, a Grade 12 teacher.

Cloza also added that the academic and health break specifically helped to regain health in all aspects, especially physical, mental, emotional, and holding an academic break requires deep conduct of research or studies when implemented given the time that teachers, as well as students, have already gone into online distance learning.

Meanwhile, the classes resumed on February 3, with the school calendar adjusting the classes until July 21, the last day of the school year.

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Limited face-to-face classes Continued from Page 1 | BY VIRGIE LERONA AND MISHCA CRUZ

FOLLOWING PROTOCOLS. Faculty & staff check the students’ temperature before entering the classroom in Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) on March 21, 2022. Along with RNSHS’s pilot implementation of in-person classes, Balimbing Elementary School, Lagundi-CCL National High School, and Kasiglahan Village National High School also followed the minimum health protocols.

Photo and Caption by Dean Pulumbarit

However, the permission of parents and guardians of the students is still required in order to join the in-person resumption of classes, disallowing those who did not permit their child and opted to continue their Modular and Online Distance Learning modalities.

As part of schools’ readiness, the National Action Plan on COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez said, “As long as the health protocols are followed, social distance spacing, and the ventilation in classrooms are fixed ahead, the classes may start in the new normal.”

On the other hand, although Briones clarified she only wishes to widen the face-to-face classes as much as possible,

she emphasized that people should not forget about the risk of the pandemic.

“We are not giving up blended learning but we are emphasizing as well the importance of face-to-face,” she added.

In line with this “progressive expansion phase” of limited face-to-face classes, the Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) originally planned to start in-person classes on March 14 but was moved to March 21, 2022, as per the Office of the Superintendent.

Furthermore, Briones believes health should be more prioritized stating, “DepEd has to take into consideration the welfare and health of our people, especially our learners.”

Health restrictions loosen as Rizal goes under Alert Level 1

BY THERESA REVES Health protocols are getting more and more lax as Malacanang authorized the province of Rizal’s transition to Alert Level 1 along with 887 cities and municipalities nationwide until the end of April.

The announcement was based upon the decreasing COVID-19 cases in the country and the ascending number of vaccination rate in the area.

Francheska Tobias, a Grade 12 student from Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS), said the government made the right decision to place Rizal under Alert Level 1 for it opens more avenues for efficient services.

“It opens opportunities for a more flexible business operation and working hours for workers, which is an advantage for the country’s economy and workforce,” she said. “Teaching services are more efficient as interactive learning is put more into practice with physical interactions.

Moreover, precautions are still practiced for the safety of everyone.”

However, Tobias also stated that placing Rizal under a lower Alert Level also affects people’s perception of the virus in a negative

manner because the risk and possible harm of COVID-19 is being neglected.

“Others overuse the sense of freedom obtained with the change which often leads to their ignorance of the existing health and safety protocols. Thus, directly affecting people’s perception towards COVID-19 that we are back to our normal state, making us more at risk of the said sickness,” she added.

This was seconded by Harriette De Leon, a student from RNSHS, and mentioned that Alert Levels ascertain the amount of caution and carefulness of individuals in their everyday lives, making people under Alert Level 1 more freer and prone to contracting the virus.

“The freer they can move, the higher the possible risk of another spike in COVID cases.

The current situation of the country implies that individuals disregard compliance to public safety health protocols solely by the belief that Alert Level 1 is considered “normal,” she explained.

She also asserted that the government can do more “effective and logical COVID response, rather than expecting people to manage the virus themselves.”

Below are some of the protocols under Alert Level 1 as released by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF): • • • •

• •

Well-fitted face masks shall be worn properly at all times, whether outdoors or in indoor private or public establishments, including in public transportation.

All private offices and workplaces, including public and private construction sites, may operate at full 100% capacity, consistent with national issuances on vaccination requirements for on-site work.

Public transportation in areas under Alert Level 1 shall be at full seating capacity and the use of acrylic and/or plastic dividers in public transportation shall not be required.

On contact tracing, the use of health declaration forms / paper-based contact tracing shall not be required for all the agencies and establishments under Alert Level 1.

On the other hand, the use of digital contact tracing such as the StaySafe.PH application is optional for all the agencies and establishments.

Individuals 18 years old and above will be required to present proof of full vaccination before participating in mass gatherings or entry into indoor establishments.

Proof of full vaccination shall be required before entry in the list of establishments identified under the principles of 3C’s strategy against COVID-19. Children ages 17 and below shall not be required to present proof of vaccination status.

FLATTENING THE CURVE. Local residents buy daily necessities in Binangonan Public Market on April 10, 2022. After the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) made Alert Level 1 effective March 1 up to the present, all establishments were allowed to operate provided that basic health protocols such as usage of face masks and social distancing are maintained.

Photo and Caption by Jinan Cortez

REACHING STANDARDS. Incoming Senior High School (SHS) students from various schools take the RiSci Admission Test (RSET) in Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) on April 1, 2022.

From the 59 examinees, the students who passed shall proceed to the face-to-face interviews as part of the screening process.

Photo and Caption by Dean Pulumbarit

‘Grades should not be the sole basis’: RNSHS executes in-person RSET following last year’s online admissions

BY THERESA REVES In order to select who will become part of the Riscian community more efficiently, Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) once again held the entrance exams for aspiring Grade 7 and Grade 11 learners on April 1 and 2, 2022, a year after a surge in COVID-19 that resulted to an online admission approach.

Due to physical restrictions brought upon by the pandemic in the previous academic year, the school had to base the applicants’ scores on their grades, a virtual interview, a live quiz in Science, Mathematics, and English, and teachers’ recommendations to rank those who will be qualified to be accepted.

However, since the province of Rizal is now under Alert Level 1, the campus was given authorization to hold the traditional Rizal Science Entrance Test (RSET)

for the school year 2022-2023 on-site, where applicants have to undergo an examination and an interview before proceeding to the enrollment process.

298 incoming Junior High School (JHS) students from different municipalities took the entrance exam where 134 qualified to proceed to the interview process and 128 were given the privilege to proceed to the enrollment phase.

For the incoming Senior High School (SHS) students, 113 students qualified for the interview and 44 were qualified to advance to the enrollment part out of 259 learners who took the test.

In an interview, Jomar Cruz, a faculty in RNSHS said that the school really prepared for the reopening of in-person entrance tests, following the protocols and guidelines set by the

authorities and added that the campus passed all the validations and evaluations conducted by the School Division’s Office personnel.

“All rooms are now conducive for learning and there is also social distancing,” he stated.

Moreover, the teacher also mentioned that it is important to hold face-to-face RSET considering the numerous students wanting to enter Risci.

“Grades should not be the sole basis. Many students are striving to pass the test and dream to be a Riscian someday,” he said. “Conducting a test is a fair approach.”

The schedule of interviews for those who were qualified for the next part of screening took place on April 22, 2022.

Further, the results of the students who qualified for enrollment shall be posted on May 16, 2022.

13

Science & Technology

The Isotopes | The Official English Publication of Rizal National Science High School Issue No. 1, Volume 16, September 2021-June 2022 Section Editor: Fidel Ceñidoza

More than 9 in 10 RiScians fully vaccinated vs COVID-19—poll

M

ore than nine out of ten students of Rizal National Science High School are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a survey by The Isotopes revealed.

Grade 10 student, Fionna Mei Cloza, thinks that everyone, including herself, has decided to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for their own safety, as well as the safety of their families and other people.

“Gusto ko rin talagang kahit little by little, bumalik sa dati [pre-pandemic] yung mga activities,” she added.

Another Grade 10 student, Alphonse Leon Manda, said he decided to get vaccinated simply

for the protection and safety of the people around him.

Furthermore, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine topped among all other brands for the brand of vaccine the majority of students received.

A total of 269 out of 493 (54.8%) vaccinated students receive the said vaccine.

Pfizer-BionNTech was followed by Moderna with 35.2% or 173 students and Oxford AstraZeneca with 3.3% or 16 students, respectively.

Manda, vaccinated with PfizerBioNTech’s vaccine, said he chose the brand based on its side results and efficacy against the virus and whether his family received the same brand.

93.0%

BY FIDEL CEÑIDOZA

Fully acV cinated

“Pfizer was an excellent choice for me because of its minimal side effects; credibility as a scientifically recommended vaccine, and it was what my parents chose too,” he added.

Cloza, who also received PfizerBioNTech, on the other hand, said she is not the one who picked the brand, but it is alright for her. However, she also wishes the efficacy rate of all COVID-19 vaccines were higher.

“In terms of factors naman, ‘yung effectivity rate sana mas mataas ganon para mas ma-ensure yung safety & health [of the people] and hindi maging prone sa virus,” Cloza noted.

1.4%

Partially acV cinated

3.5%

Plans to be acV cinated

Sourced from RISCIAN PULSE: The Isotopes 2022 General Survey

Cases drop: PH eases COVID restrictions

BY JAYDEN GATAPIA AND MICHAELA BAGTAS

F

or almost 2 years, Filipinos have followed the various restrictions and protocols in line with the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in the year 2022, Filipinos also welcome several changes in the restrictions.

It started when wearing face shields was not required anymore, and after the COVID-19 reached its peaked in the country right after the holidays, in the past weeks, health functionaries have authenticated that National Capital Region (NCR) together with other 38 areas in the Philippines are all set to go to Alert Level 1.

Furthermore, establishments and any public form of transformation services in any areas under Alert Level 1 are allowed to regulate. Similarly, in faceto-face (F2F) classes, numerous schools are preparing, and some are already conducting its pilot implementation.

“To places under Alert Level 1, the government thanks you for your cooperation and for following minimum public health standards, and for working together to increase vaccinations to get past this pandemic,” said Karlo Nograles, the acting spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte.

Changes in the quarantine period have also been implemented: five days for fully vaccinated asymptomatic individuals and close contacts, seven days for fully vaccinated asymptomatic as well as with mild COVID-19, while 10 days for asymptomatic cases that are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated.

In addition, the government declared on February 10 that fully vaccinated foreign tourists and returning Filipinos are welcomed to the country without being subjected to facility-based quarantine. Minor individuals are exempted from

A

Photo from

The Pharmaceutical Journal

Molnupiravir and Paxlovid: Small pills, big effects

BY BERNICE BONDOC

s the number of new COVID-19 cases globally still appears to be ascending each day, finding an additional line of defense is critical in flattening the curve, and the development of different medications like Molnuparivavir and Paxlovid is proving to be the solution.

Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, developed by the pharmaceutical pharmaceutical companies Merck and Pfizer, is considered the two of the first oral antiviral pills for treating mild to moderate cases of COVID-19.

Favored by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Molnupiravir exhibited an auspicious performance in its clinical trials and was discovered to reduce the risk of hospital admission or death by approximately 50 percent.

According to the WHO’s latest treatment guidelines, due to the insufficiency of safety data, the drug is recommended for patients with non-severe symptoms who are susceptible to hospitalization. This group refers to the elderly, unvaccinated people, and those who have immunodeficiencies or chronic conditions.

Based on the results of six randomized controlled trials, the four-capsule dose totaling 800 milligrams is given within five days of symptom onset and should be taken every 12 hours for five days.

On the other hand, Pfizer’s Paxlovid has shown similarities with Molnupiravir as it also prevents

vaccination requirements.

Meanwhile, all must present their negative RT-PCR results.

“We have not yet reached the endemic state. We are now at a level where we are still transitioning to our desired new normal,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Monday.

Despite all the changes in the policies, people should still keep in mind that wearing face masks, social distancing, and proper hygiene are still necessary because the pandemic is not yet over.

the same risks. However, it has shown to be more successful, at 89% efficacy in comparison to Molnupiravir’s newly analyzed 30%. Its range of users is also broader, including younger people, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

In the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently granted emergency use authorization (EUA) on the two antiviral pills.

“Masaya ko pong binabalita sa inyo na naaprubahan ang Paxlovid kahapon. EUA po ‘yun.

Dalawa na po ang oral antiviral treatment natin against COVID-19—Paxlovid and Molnupiravir,” said FDA Chief Oscar Gutierrez.

Moreover, 35 drugmakers worldwide are working together to make cheaper, more generic variations hoping to provide the treatment to 95 emergent countries—including the Philippines—and improve the attainability of the treatment. One of those variations, branded Bexovid, is the first to be approved by the FDA. “There remains a great need for a range of solutions for the pandemic,” said Ridgeback Biotherapeutics’ co-founder and CEO Wendy Holman, The country suffers from thousands of new cases daily, and aside from following the health and safety protocols, may Molnupiravir and Paxlovid and other remedies will be the keys to ending the pandemic.

DANGEROUS MUTATION: A MORE TRANSMISSIBLE OMICRON SUBVARIANT

O

ut of all the COVID-19 variants, the Omicron variant has proved the most dangerous and contagious, with a bigger and more effective chance of infecting or reinfecting humans. However, recent studies suggest a possible mutation making the virus considerably more likely to spread.

Mutations are common to a virus, especially since as viruses spontaneously replicate and spread, it becomes much more dangerous and is currently happening to the Omicron variant.

The Omicron and the Delta variant were found simultaneously on a person’s body in the United Kingdom (UK). “Deltacron” is a new subvariant containing what both the variants have and is seemingly packed into one variant that can spread more viciously.

In addition, according to researchers, possible recombination of two Omicron subvariants, BA.1 and BA.2, found in the UK results named the XE—

BY JAYDEN ASTORGA the most prevalent with hundreds of genomes already sequenced.

Each one of the mutations has different or similar spike proteins depending on from what variant it mutated. So, for example, a virus mutated from the Delta variant would have a relatively similar spike protein, and these are what help scientists and doctors determine what the virus is and if it has mutated.

With all the current mutations of not just the Omicron variant but every other variant as well, especially the variants that everything started with being the SARS-COV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19, all know it will continue to mutate and become even more dangerous than ever if we don’t put a stop to it.

Furthermore, more mutations will mean that more transmission of the virus will happen, which is not what the world hopes for right now, but also this would mean that the vaccines and other types of medicine that our

great scientists and doctors from all around the globe created might not be enough or it won’t work anymore.

In the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed the country’s first case of Omicron subvariant BA.2.12 on April 26.

According to DOH, the first case was a 52-year-old Finnish woman who arrived from Finland on April 2.

She completed her seven-day isolation, recovered, was discharged, and returned to Finland on April 21.

Meanwhile, the characteristics of this Omicron subvariant are still being determined by health experts, the DOH remarked.

“Scientists are still characterizing these Omicron sublineages in terms of transmissibility and if they can cause more severe disease. Preliminary data have shown that their mutations are associated with higher transmissibility. However, there is currently no evidence that these sublineages cause more severe disease,” the DOH added.

SciTech

14

“Gulayan sa Tahanan”:

Not Everyone Has A Green Thumb

Photo and Caption by Joeriette Coquial

BY RION TORRADO

D

id you ever think that a plant would survive when in your hands? That’s what Project KABISIG, also dubbed “Gulayan sa Tahanan,” a project that encourages students to plant vegetables at home, sought to answer.

KABISIG stands for “KA-alaman sa pagtatanim ating gamitin, BI-nhi ating patubuin, palaguin sa tahanan, SIG-uradong masustansyang gulay ating aanihin.” It is a collaboration between the Araling Panlipunan, Social Science, and Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) subjects and also a part of the school’s Brigada Eskwela Project for this school year.

The program has been adopted by the school by the Department of Health. With the large number of schools joining the project, including Rizal National Science High School, it is almost unquestionable that it was a huge success.

GOING GREEN. Joeriette Coquial, 13, plants Mustard greens (Mustasa) in their home garden on Thursday, September 23, 2021. In line with the Brigada Eskwela project where each grade level has its given type of plant to grow, Coquial said that planting and growing plants are her ways of helping the environment and maintaining clean air as a student.

Sir Jason Joven, the TLE Chairman and one of the project heads, said the program was successful based on the students’ output.

“Even though only a few students were able to harvest and produce a crop, still we manage to let the students try and experience the undertaking of a plant grower,” he added.

Sir Joven also stated that the project gives the student a sense of responsibility as the plant’s fate depends on their hands, and “if they are not responsible, their plant will surely die.”

However, on one of the students’ side, things did not go as planned.

Himaya Vasquez, a student from 8-Wisdom, found it hard to take care of the bayabas that she planted as there was already an abundance of various flora in their household.

“I would say it was a bit stressful and beneficial at the same time. It helped

Binangonan E-Botika: Binangonan’s writer of recoveries

me take more responsibility for the plants around me,” Vasquez said.

Unfortunately, her plant did not last long as it died after a few days due to a lack of moisture.

Although the purpose of the project seemed to be for students to be able to sustain a plant and get any yield, this is not what Sir Joven needed. He said it is enough

Not now, maybe later: How COVID-19 lockdown adversely affected two RiScians’ productivity

BY MICHAELA BAGTAS AND BERNICE BONDOC

BY ALETHIA LUMAYOG

Gautama Buddha once said, “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”

But the real question is: Who helps people write the ending about their recovery from all kinds of diseases? For the Municipality of Binangonan, Rizal, the answer to this question is none other than Binangonan E-Botika.

As part of implementing measures to keep their local folks away from possible infections of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, more known as COVID-19, Municipal Administrator Russel Guiller Ynares, in cooperation with the Binangonan Team of Volunteers, established Binangonan E-Botika.

According to Abbi Simon Aramil, a member of the Binangonan Online Services, Binangonan E-Botika is an online service system that offers free medicines with free delivery to their constituents, particularly those who are unable to provide for themselves and the less privileged, including senior citizens, PWD’s, solo parents, and indigents.

“Its goal is to continue helping the people with the free medicine-free delivery service even if alert restrictions are already lowered,” Sir Aramil said.

To get their free medication delivered, the person requesting should send a message to the Chat Support Team on the Binangonan E-Botika Facebook page indicating the medicines they need, together with a photo of the latest doctor’s prescription showing the patient’s name and the date it was prescribed.

Sir Aramil added that the Binangonan E-Botika has helped thousands of its residents since it was established last 2020 and has continued providing its service. They are also passing reports to the DILG concerning this volunteer-driven initiative.

“We are open for communication from other LGUs should they be interested in adapting our cause. Our volunteers have increased since we started the Binangonan Online Services and many of our residents are appreciative of the said cause,” Sir Aramil said.

Indeed, individuals tend to imagine their local drugstore and the community pharmacist behind the counter when they think of pharmacies, but, with the COVID-19 pandemic just around the corner along with the heightened alert level restrictions, medication for their health is of topmost priority. Thus, it became clear that community pharmacies are more essential than ever.

Just like what Binangonan E-Botika always says, “Ano mang sulok, ano mang hirap, ano mang harang, nandito kami para sa inyo. Libreng serbisyo sa inyo, libre rin kaming tutulong sa komunidad na ito.”

that students submit pictures of what they have done and accomplished and also expects students to be obedient, do their best, and do what they were supposed to.

“I’m not insisting and expecting the student to get any yield. Not all people have a ‘Green Thumb’,” Sir Joven noted.

Cartoon by Chris Jesuitas

More than two years have passed since the declaration of lockdown in the Philippines. Since then, people’s way of living has been affected; from how they work, study, communicate and interact to their behavior, whether it is for the better or for worse.

The stress of COVID-19 and living in a global pandemic truly disrupted most people’s health routines. Some students of Rizal National Science High School (RNSHS) also struggle with how to regulate their emotions to be healthier and more productive amidst the pandemic.

Like RNSHS Grade 9 Governor Anjalique Rendon, her unhealthy habits can manifest as procrastination and cramming due to the distraction the internet provides as,

nowadays, it is a necessity to keep up with the flow of the world. There are times when she caught herself deeply engrossed while browsing the internet.

Fortunately, she shares her development of a productivity system that allows her to spend more time on her priorities.

“I set time limits on my devices to prevent me from overusing them. I also utilized a few productivity apps for seamless productivity,” Rendon said.

From another perspective, Rod Lorence Wenner, a Grade 7 student, shares the issue of his excessive use of technology back then. He spent most of his time during quarantine, scrolling through social media and playing online games.

“Instead of executing the tasks that my parents have allocated to me, I choose to do insignificant things to keep myself entertained or avoid boredom,” Wenner said.

He admits these activities have hindered his productivity and social life, but the realization has motivated him to avoid doing them.

“I am much more inclined to make myself a better version of myself every day because of motives,” he added.

During a time of slow internet and prolonged screen times, it is indeed difficult to finish requirements from school. Even participating in online distance learning sessions can be challenging, and with all those deadlines closing in alongside unavoidable distractions, the prevalence of these unhealthy habits is not surprising.

However, as mentioned by the two students, it is also not impossible to combat these weaknesses. By focusing on the positives and practicing good habits, the next school year will surely be no problem to handle, and what better way for your efforts to pay off than to become the best version of yourself.

For a healthy baby: Binangonan LGU aids nutritional needs of pregnant, lactating mothers

BY FIDEL CEÑIDOZA The local government unit (LGU) of Binangonan conducted a nutrition program prioritizing intervention and investment for the nutritional needs of pregnant and postpartum mothers affected by lockdown.

The program initially targeted 100 indigent women in Binangonan. Indigent mothers were specifically addressed to prevent child stunting in the first 1000 days—a child’s life from conception until age two.

After a month, however, the LGU expanded the program and benefited a total of 895 mothers in 24 barangays, seven on the mainland and 17 on the island last 2021.

According to Ma. Cecilia Salazar, Nurse 3 and Municipal Nutrition Action Officer of Binangonan, the main objective of this program is to increase the survival, health, and well-being of mothers and unborn children as vitamins and minerals play a significant part in all body functions.

The nutrition program strengthens the National and Local Health Nutrition Program for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, infants, and children in the first 1000 days of life under Republic Act No. 11148, also

known as the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Magnanay Act.” In the nutrition program in Barangay Batingan last year of November 21, aside from the 70 mothers that were distributed food and vitamins, there were municipal and barangay officials and health workers, and members of the Barkadahan ng Kababaihan ng Binangonan present.

“Teaching the mothers to eat healthy food and take adequate nutrition will not risk both the child and the mother herself,” Salazar said.

She added that programs like this address the issue of inadequate nutrition during these times as infants and children can be at risk for delayed cognitive and physical development leading to adverse health effects.

Meanwhile, it is “critical” that the LGU expands their response to assist in nutrition-related treatments and prioritizes mother and child care as pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood are periods of high physiological growth according to Salazar.

EXTENDED HELP. The Municipal Health Office distributes food packs and vitamins to pregnant and postpartum mothers at Batingan Covered Court on November 18, 2021. Doctors and municipal health officers contributed to the success of the nutrition program.

Photo by Pamahalaang Bayan ng Binangonan, Rizal FB page Caption by Karmella Campo

SciTech Cartoon by Nygene Mendoza

Unwelcoming Vulnerability while Ignoring Cybersecurity

BY ALETHIA LUMAYOG AND BERNICE BONDOC

O

ur day-to-day activities shifting from physical to virtual is one impactful change brought by the pandemic.

However, as cybercrimes become more common, immunity against online attacks is needed now more than ever, and Meta’s Facebook Protect is one step toward that.

Facebook Protect guards the accounts of users at high risk of being targeted by cybercriminals. According to Facebook’s Head of Security, Nathaniel Gleicher, this can be accomplished with mandatory two-factor authentication (2FA) and monitoring of accounts for additional security.

Users should never rely on any single method for comprehensive protection. According to AVG Technologies, passwords are not strong enough as hackers can use brute force attacks and password spraying—the process of trying out the most common passwords to easily crack weak passwords.

Moreover, David Deuna, a student from 11-Mendel experienced being hacked thrice on his Facebook account.

“I was logged out of my accounts, respectively. Afterward, I couldn’t get myself in with my old passwords,” he said.

After being hacked, David attempted to change his passwords through verification tests.

“Most of them failed though, due to my account credentials being changed by my respective hackers. In the end, I was unable to recover all of them,” he added.

Apart from this, David advised using different passwords for different platforms so that hackers will not have a hacking spree on a user’s account.

Furthermore, according to the National Cyber Security Centre,

COP 26 is not enough for The Philippines’ Climate Situation

BY JAYDEN GATAPIA

Cartoon by Sean Buguina

At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez mentioned “concrete” actions to express the Philippines’ initiative in fighting climate change. However, words are not enough to turn the tides of a looming climate crisis.

“We shifted from theorizing about climate change to executing practical adaptation and mitigation projects on the ground,” Dominguez said.

He was leading a 19-member delegation in COP26, which is declared to be humanity’s last opportunity to keep global temperatures at bay.

To summarize, the delegation said they wanted vulnerable countries like the Philippines to withdraw from polluting energy and assist citizens during rising sea levels, intense typhoons, and record-shattering droughts. But environmentalists say that the Glasgow summit barely followed the famous Paris 2015

No Signal

BY FIDEL CEÑIDOZA When strong cyclones hit the country, electricity and communication are two of the most negatively impacted. With poor power and telecommunication services, people suffer every time this phenomenon happens; there is a need for an alternative to collapsing lines.

Super Typhoon Odette made multiple landfalls just before Christmas last 2020, and it primarily affected Southeastern Philippines, including areas in Visayas and Mindanao. Due to the heavy rainfall, floods and landslides occurred, causing power and communication loss.

As a result, people affected by the outage found it impossible to reach their

even if login credentials have been leaked or stolen, 2FA makes these credentials useless without approval at the second factor.

This requires users to use a text message to confirm that it’s them attempting to log in to their account.

Meanwhile, according to a report published by The Philippine Star, Filipino journalist Anthony Esguera experienced being hacked on his Facebook account despite having 2FA, backup codes, and Facebook Protect.

Additionally, 2FA requires a one-time code (OTP) sent via SMS to pass the log-in stage. Once a user signs up for OTP verification and their device isn’t available, it may cause the user to be locked out of their account.

However, if users keep ignoring its purpose, they would be making themselves an easy target for cybercriminals.

Facebook’s cybersecurity may not be perfect, but it is already doing its part to ensure the safety of its users at high risks. Adding to mind that almost everything is done online, it isn’t a waste to get on that extra level of safety.

agreement; it was just a rehash of what has already been agreed upon, as climate activist Yeb Sano put it on Twitter.

Typhoon Odette is a strong reminder that extreme weather events are a clear and present danger to the lives of all Filipinos. The most vulnerable sectors of the society like the elderly, indigenous people, local communities, and PWDs are severely affected.

Every year, the prospect of Filipino resilience is repeated almost to the point of romanticization, while the upper echelons of the government only provide band-aid solutions that do not address the long-term situation of the country, despite the efforts of activists and civil societies.

Environmental laws that do claim to provide significant action are already in place but are useless due to corruption.

The Philippines is at the forefront of South East Asia’s (SEA) share of annual natural disasters.

Between 1958 and 2014, it experienced a 0.62°C increase in yearly average mean temperature, and the rate of change, as with most nations, is increasing over time, which means deadlier typhoons and climate phenomena. Coupled with more intense droughts and observed sea-level rise, the Philippines should be leading SEA countries and island nations in the fight against climate change.

Unfortunately, the country is not even close.

The world economy’s obsession with infinite growth has taken its toll on the finite world. The Philippines is a developing country— it is easy to call for fewer carbon emissions, but hard to do it in practice without

families; calling for help became difficult as well. Hence, this causes anxiety for both sides.

Restoration of power and communication in affected areas took days—some even months. And until now, there are still areas in the Visayas that do not have electricity. This disruption had an impact on certain firms. Indeed, the lack of power greatly affected hospital operations, especially during this pandemic.

From living on Talim Island, Welch Allyn Vocal from 10-Humility also experiences power and communication disruptions whenever there is a typhoon.

Disconnection is always one of her concerns, especially in this time of online distance learning.

“Panghihinayang din dahil siguradong madaming info [information] ang hindi mo mapapakinggan; iba rin kasi kapag

15 ENIPAS was Actually Better

BY RION TORRADO The Republic Act 11038, also known as the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area Systems (ENIPAS) Act of 2018, was a substantial upgrade of the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems (NIPAS) Act of 1992, having more coverage than its predecessor.

The Philippines is one of the 17 megadiverse countries. It means that the country holds a large portion of the Earth’s biodiversity; in fact, it contains two-thirds of the Earth’s biodiversity and 70% of the world’s plants and animal species thanks to its geographical isolation and other factors.

As early as 1991, the government has been establishing laws to protect the country’s biodiversity. The NIPAS Act seemed effective, being in action for 26 years before ENIPAS took its place.

Some might ask, ‘Why establish a new law that does almost the same thing as the previous law?’ The hole goes deeper than it seems.

From reading the official release, one can immediately notice the recurrent use of the word ‘amended’ in the titles of the sections.

That’s the real reason behind this law; editing the NIPAS Act to fit current circumstances.

Easy enough, right? Wrong.

A vital part of the act is in Section 4. Section 4, a.1. states that aside from the area already protected by other acts, the following areas are established as protected areas.

The act puts 94 new areas from Luzon to Mindanao under protection, including the Tanon Strait Protected Seascape, one of the largest marine protected areas in the country, three Ramsar sites, namely: the Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park in Metro Manila, the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Palawan, and the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Agusan del Sur. Several popular tourist spots in the country are now protected as national parks, including the Hinulugang Taktak in Rizal, Mt. Mayon in Albay, and Chocolate Hills in Bohol, among many. Internationally-renowned areas are also under protection, namely the Association of Southeast Nations Heritage Sites Mount Timpoong-Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin and Mount Iglit-Baco in Mindoro, and Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary in Tawi-Tawi.

However, why is this important? The country is one of the 17 megadiverse countries. As Sen. Cynthia Villar said in a press release, this feat is a source of pride and joy for us Filipinos. It is just right that we take actions to protect the thing that sets us apart from other countries.

The government was right; the NIPAS Act was just not good enough. It did work, but something was missing—and ENIPAS had it.

sacrificing something significant. For that, people are in a dire predicament.

Many individuals do not have the luxury of time, nor the comfort of sustainability. Individual actions do help, but the most powerful plans are in the hands of governments and corporations, and their promises are not enough to get the people out of a crisis. When promises like those seen in COP26 are kept, people will see progress in the changing climate— enough for a livable future.

naririnig mismo mula sa teacher ‘yung mga pinag-aaralan,” Vocal said.

She added the government should take steps to reach out to areas that experience frequent power interruptions to conceptualize possible alternatives that can be considered sustainable.

The Department of Energy (DOE) and Manila Electric Company, more commonly known as MERALCO, said that they are considering underground power lines in replacement of overhead power lines as an answer to typhoon resiliency.

“The short answer is put it underground.

But the question is how much will it cost and who will pay for it? You cannot do it in one year or even five years. You got to have a long-term plan, 10 years, 15 years,” MERALCO CEO Manny V. Pangilinan said in an interview with One News.

Meanwhile, after visiting areas hit by Odette, Presidential Aspirant and Vice

President Leni Robredo said on a Twitter post, that if elected president, they would make electricity and communication lines underground, especially in typhoon-prone areas.

“We have, on average, 20 typhoons a year...It is better that we spend now and make them underground instead of spending money every time the posts fall down,” Robredo wrote.

Even before Odette, many bills in Congress were filed mandating power and communication providers to change lines underground. However, the bills are still pending.

Shifting from overhead electrical and communication lines to underground should be done as possible. Spending a large sum of money on something productive is preferable to changing poles every time a cyclone strikes and causes a power outage.

SciTech

16

DR. HEART: Forming Solutions through Innovations

BY ALETHIA LUMAYOG

G

iven that patients with Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) are more likely to progress to severe COVID-19, a group of Grade 12 RiSians developed a medical innovation to prevent the continuous rise of people affected by CVDs worldwide.

CVD is one of the groups that is most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in 2021 as the European Society of Cardiology released studies stating that patients with CVD are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection.

Val Eltagonde, Harriette De Leon, and Franchesca Talavera, researchers from 12-Edison, represented the Division of Rizal at the 2021 Online Regional Festival of Talents and won Best STEMazing For Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics with their device DR. HEART or Databased Rate of Heart Electrocardiograph Analyzer Real-time Tracker.

According to Eltagonde, DR. HEART is a low-cost mini-electrocardiogram that

Our eye in space: James Webb Telescope launches to space for discovery

can measure, track, and analyze patient electrocardiographs (ECG).

“The emergence of the pandemic also highlights DR. HEART as it can reduce hospital visits since it is portable and can send updates to physicians,” he added.

Based on their STEMazing video winning entry, DR. HEART’s hardware section includes an Arduino nano that serves as the device’s controller, heart rate monitor sensor gravity that measures electrical activity in the heart, SIM800L GSM Module that automatically sends messages for the device, and KH6 plastic casing that encloses DR. HEART. Furthermore, they also developed a software called Heart Rate Monitoring And Analysis System that can read, analyze, and record ECG data.

Compared to commercially available ECG tests, DR. HEART is composed of convenient materials that provide accessible healthcare for all.

Talavera shared that ECG tests cost thousands in the hospital, while their device cost only P3,000.

First successful pig-to-human heart transplant: Is it a solution for organ shortage?

BY MICHAELA BAGTAS

BY JAYDEN ASTORGA The universe is a truly wondrous place as it still has many mysteries to be uncovered.

Recently, a telescope called the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been sent to space to extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope, bringing with it longer wavelength coverage and greatly improved sensitivity.

The JWST is a technologically advanced mechanism launched to space on December 25 last year. It is extremely heavy as it weighs approximately 6,200 kilograms. As hefty as it is, it is also costly as it uses beryllium and gold as the coat and mirrors of the telescope.

Moreover, the JWST can withstand exceedingly cold temperatures (-187.78°C), and its orbit is 1.5 million kilometers away from the earth, which is significantly far away when looking at it.

Some of its principal purposes are to find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe—or after the Big Bang had happened—and peer through the dusty clouds to see stars composing planetary systems and alignments.

Another one of its purposes is to aid in differentiating and characterizing the atmospheres of some exoplanets; this process is called spectroscopy which splits light into different wavelengths, making it easy for scientists and astrologists to determine the elemental makeup of a certain distant object.

As of now, there are currently over 1,500 magnificent pictures taken by the telescope, including stars, planets, and our galaxy. Surely enough, in the forthcoming months, this number will grow larger.

Furthermore, the observatory of the JWST is already seeing 13.6 billion light-years away, which means they can see planets and some universes from 13.6 billion years ago or approximately 100 to 250 million years after the Big Bang.

With all these highly advanced attachments, we will be seeing space from a whole new perspective. Not only does this mean we can clear established theories, but it also signifies that we are gaining more insight into our universe.

“Healthcare today is a privilege, and that’s not how it should be. It should always be a right and not a privilege,” she added.

Meanwhile, for De Leon, the development of DR. HEART became very challenging due to the construction of hardware and software sections.

“We needed to make the most out of the small plastic casing for its components and at the same time struggle with programming the device itself. Thankfully, with the help of our mentor, Sir Marlon Sta. Catalina, we were able to resolve these problems smoothly,” she added.

Susceptibility of patients with CVDs to the COVID-19 infection is not the last impact that can be brought by the pandemic, thus, solutions for diseases are crucial for achieving meaningful primary care.

For the RiScian community who are aspiring in developing these solutions, the group shared that research is where they should welcome challenges and failures altogether, they just need to remember to ask the world their questions and let the process of finding answers consume them.

MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH. Surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center transplants a genetically altered pig heart into a 57-year-old patient. Although technical and ethical obstacles remain, the surgeons hope the advancement will enable them to give more people animal organs.

Photo by University of Maryland School of Medicine Caption by Jianna Amoin

With almost 60 years of ongoing experimentation, the transfer of organs from other species to human patients, or Xenotransplantation, was performed successfully at The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) together with The University of Maryland Center (UMMC) on January 27 and David Bennett became the first person to receive the pig’s heart.

According to UMMC, the operation is the only choice for survival for the 57-year-old handyman, Bennett, who was going through terminal heart disease and is said to be unqualified for a usual transplant.

The majority of attempts in Xenotransplantation failed due to the refusal of the patient’s body to the foreign organ.

For that reason, the UMMC surgeons and scientists modified the animal to detach the pig genes that cause the hyper-fast

rejection and append human genes so that the human body would accept it.

Thus, the same thing happened when a pig’s kidney was triumphantly attached for three days to a brain-dead patient in a hospital in New York, the success of the surgery was only the goal, but the Medical professionals aspired to save a life.

There are a lot of ethical considerations that need to be clarified, yet the operation itself gained authorization from the Food and Drug Administration enabling the use of experimental treatments in case it is the last option.

In the case of Bennett, he had terminal heart disease, and he experienced hospitalization for a few months. With no certainty that the operation would go well, he consented to the transplant.

“It was either die or do this transplant. I want to live. I know it’s a shot in the dark, but it’s my last choice,” he said.

After the surgery, UMMC functionaries stated that the pig heart did not receive any instantaneous rejection from the body and is operating as the heart of a human.

But, about 2 months after the surgery, the recipient of the pig heart died; the death was unsettled if the patient rejected the foreign organ.

“There was no obvious cause identified at the time of his death,” a hospital spokeswoman said.

“We are devastated by the loss of Mr. Bennett. He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end. We extend our sincerest condolences to his family,” stated Dr. Bartley P. Griffith at the University of Maryland Medical Center, who transplanted the heart into Bennett.

The heart transplant made a tremendous impact in Science; it gave everyone hope and courage to believe even when there is no guarantee that it would work. Although the patient died, the story is not over; this is the beginning of hope and a new dimension of discoveries in the field of Science.

‘Ating Ilahad, Imyunidad’: RiSci’s video on PisayCom

BY JAYDEN GATAPIA Students of Rizal National Science High School participated in the PisayCom National Science Communication Competition last November 2021 with an informative entry in the Short Video Instructional category.

Coached by Sir Robert John, the video features Grade 12 students Malena Ballon, Val Eltagonde, and Aaron Pacis, conveying the importance and function of the human immune system. The video goes into detail about the body’s immune response to viruses and antigens in the event of infection and explains how the body creates immunity and how vaccines apply to this concept.

“With the advent of different communicable diseases in this time like SARS-CoV-2, it is of great importance that people get a better understanding of how our body fights against viruses and develops immunity,” Ballon said in an online interview with The Isotopes.

Phagocytes, as explained in the video, are cells that protect the body by ingesting harmful foreign particles, bacteria, and dead or dying cells. Subsequently, the dendritic cells obtain information from the virus and, in turn, allow the lymphocytes to create antibodies necessary for immunity.

“As early as a child, it is crucial to understand these concepts. With this, the video will serve as a useful resource that can be used as supplemental material by science teachers in their classroom and publication material to be watched by the public and minorities,” Ballon stated.

The Philippines currently face vaccine hesitancy and a persistent anti-vax hurdle. The number of people in Asia getting vaccinated has been rising, but progress may be slowed down by the continuing presence of social media hoaxes and disinformation that make it harder to combat hesitancy.

Ballon remarked that dissemination of proper information in this day is significant when people are endlessly scrolling and active on the internet, where fake news and misconceptions exist.

“All people can post what they want whether it is fake or real and unfortunately, some people believe the fake ones.

And that is because they are not educated enough about the concepts that are spreading online,” she added.

Indeed, anti-vax rhetoric may cause people to distrust the field of medicine with vaccines. As of March 2022, COVID-19 infections are decreasing in the Philippines, but the pandemic is far from over. Time and time again, doctors and history show us that immunity through vaccination is the most effective way to combat widespread disease.

Meanwhile, Ballon’s team won first place in the contest out of 15 finalists.

The Philippine Science High School System launched PisayCom and has garnered over 580 submitted entries, 700 student participants, and 196 participating schools.

Categories range from feature writing to video making.

17 Sports

The Isotopes | The Official English Publication of Rizal National Science High School Issue No. 1, Volume 16, September 2021-July 2022 Section Editor: Bervin Ocampo

Safety under Alert Level 2

BY JONAH VELASCO

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s the effect of the pandemic stunted, the restriction from the government eases.

After a year and a half, two of the most favorite contact sports of the Filipino people, Basketball and Volleyball, can now be played in areas under alert level 1 and 2, including Rizal Province.

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) stated that they will allow contact sports again which was suspended since March of 2020 due to high COVID-19 cases in the country. They also announced that they will “loosen” restrictions in general.

The revised guidelines from the IATF pointed that indoor activities should only be filled up to 50% capacity for fully vaccinated/unvaccinated and underage people. 70% is the maximum capacity for outdoor events.

These changes were confirmed by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Epimaco V. Densing III. Densing also said in an interview with Malayang Mamayan (DZMM Teleradyo), “Contact sports are allowed because we’re now going to loosen restrictions under Alert Level 2. We’re confident that allowing contact sports won’t have a major effect because the important thing here is the vaccine. Once we’re vaccinated, we’re creating a herd immunity and when we have more vaccinated individuals than unvaccinated ones, then the spread will be very minimal.”

Many athletes in Rizal National Science High School are affected by this eased up restriction. Allyson Moral, an athlete of the RNSHS Volleyball Team, agreed to the return of contact sports under alert levels 1 and 2.

“Yes, considering the situation right now where people are going to malls or gatherings. I agree that contact sports can return but of course they should observe proper health protocols and safety measures,” Moral said.

When asked what will this eased protocol do to the players or athletes that haven’t played their own respective sports since the start of the pandemic, Moral stated that the return of contact sports will make the athletes feel excitement and happiness they felt before.

“Like reigniting the passion that was stopped due the pandemic,” Moral said.

It was hard for athletes to stop playing but they need to abide by health and safety protocols. After months of not playing contact sports, the ease of quarantine restrictions will surely help those athletes to regain their shape that they lost in the pandemic.

Playing contact sports is one of the most fun ways to exercise your body.

It is also a good chance for you to interact with other people. Athletes hope that this is a step closer in returning to their routines before the pandemic.

Safety over Quantity

BY LORD MINA

Cartoon by Nygene Mendoza

Cartoon by Chris Jesuitas

A

s the alert levels in each region drop, the likelihood of the typical events returning rises. Contact sports are one of the most popular activities in the community, and if they were to return, certain restrictions would be imposed on the public, like the mandatory vaccine as a requirement for contact sports.

Carl Jacob F. Mateo, a vaccinated Rizal National Science High School grade 12 student and former football club captain, is asked about his thoughts on the vaccine as a mandatory requirement for contact sports.

Mateo stated that he is willing to participate in a contact sport as long as it is an official match and health regulations are followed.

“I would decline it if it did not meet my criteria because I believe we can do better than participate in any activity that endangers the safety of other players, especially when it does not follow the IATF guidelines,” he added.

Mateo then gave his reasons for why he opted for the vaccine as a mandatory requirement for contact sports.

“Contact sport is primarily a sport in which you make contact with other players and people the majority of the time; the more times you make contact with other people, the more times you are exposed to the harmful pathogens and viruses that the person may have depending on their health status, especially in this pandemic” Mateo is then asked what the benefits and downsides would be if the vaccine became

The Big Four: Gaining the Upper Hand

E

mmanuel Closas Jr. from the Art Capital of the Philippines, Angono, Rizal, captured third place in the Visually Impaired Chess Online Tournament organized by the Philippine Sport Commission-Pilipinas Para Games Online Chess Tournament (PSC-PPG) on Sunday, November 21, 2021.

Blindfold chess is a thing, but being able to play chess in spite of being visually impaired is something else.

Players use a special chess board. The black and white chess pieces are also differentiated by special squares built on the pieces for the players to identify them accurately. Gifted players can perhaps reach the level of a grandmaster when trained.

The bronze medalist was commended for his remarkable achievement. Mayor Jeri Mae Calderon of Angono applauded him for finishing as the second-runner up, despite being completely blind. “Congratulations to Emmanuel Closas Jr., our kababayan, for his second runner-up finish!” said Calderon.His victory added radiance to the municipality’s Higantes Festival, as per the celebration of the feast of St. Clement, the patron of fishermen.

On the other hand, Geronimo Torres seized the gold medal along with Mark Christian Evangelista, while Kenneth Namisato bagged silver. The first three winners received certificates along with the cash prize.

Both blind chess players, Torres and Evangelista, finished with perfect scores, serving as the winners of the 2021 PSC-PPG.

a mandatory requirement before participating in any contact sports.

For Mateo, players who set a good example will boost the number of individuals who want to follow suit and get vaccinated. Once the supporters of the athletes start witnessing people who are being vaccinated, they will realize that it is in their best interests to get vaccinated.

Moreover, it would increase resilience against infections since everyone is vaccinated, thus preventing the spread and infection rate of any COVID-19 variant that enters the area, and certain requirements would also be placed on the audience.

On the other hand, Mateo stated there were still downsides of requiring vaccination to athletes. People would be hesitant to take the vaccine because they would feel forced to get vaccinated against their will, despite the fact that there is no legal statute requiring everyone to be vaccinated and it would take a long time for unvaccinated people to become immunized.

In addition, people will be less interested in participating in or even watching any sporting event, let alone contact sports, if they believe something is wrong and that some people are imposing it on them against their will.

Lastly, he concluded, “When it comes to everyone’s safety, there is no exception”.

Getting vaccinated now is necessary if athletes are interested in participating in any contact sports. To prevent further spread of the virus, one must cooperate to ensure the safety of everyone.

BY GUIA YAMSUAN

Torres demanded his win against Gerald Faustino in the sixth and final round, leaving him with no spot to rule the B1-Men’s category, using his move to pin the bishop, displaying hopelessness for Faustino, causing him to lose.

In addition, Evangelista surpassed a 16-man field involving higher-rated Abraham Peligro, with a chess rating of 1750, who remained unbeaten in five rounds to lead the B2-Men’s class of the national competition for disabled people.

Registered para-athletes were grouped by PPG in partnership with the Philippine Paralympic Committee and the Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists.

The PSC-PPG offers a chance for people with disabilities to be able to take part in sports like para-chess, goal ball, para-swimming, para-table tennis, wheelchair basketball, para-athletics, and many more.

Sander Severino, the first Filipino world chess champion on a wheelchair, came from the para-chess program and won the online 2020 International Physically Disabled Chess Association tournament.

Taking home the team bronze in the recently held 4th World Chess Championship, among others.

The success of the country’s para pawn pushers on the international stage inspired the three-day event.

“We are here to empower the para athletes, promoting their rights to participate and compete,” stated the multi-tasking organizer and tournament director, National Master James Infiesto.

PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez was acknowledged for making the success of the para games for amateur grassroots talents across the country possible.

“The project is a continued effort to address the country’s need for a comprehensive grassroots sports development program for para-athletes and to continuously harness their full potential.”

Arnold Agustin, PSC Oversight Commissioner for para-athletes, proclaimed that their objective is to invariably utilize the athletes’ potential.

EYES ON THE PRIZE. Emmanuel Closas Jr. plays in the Visually Impaired Chess Online Tournament of the Philippine Sports Commission on November 21, 2021.

The tournament was virtually done through Tornelo Platform where Closas brought home the bronze medal to Angono, Rizal.

Photo from Amormio Vitor Caption by Andrea Cervo

Sports

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GO FOR GOLD. Ateneo de Manila University remained undefeated after conquering a tough National University team, 74-64, in the UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on April 5, 2022. After a year and a half, courts and gyms are slowly reopening with strict adherence to the Inter-Agency Task Force’s (IATF) health protocols.

Photo from The UAAP Facebook page Caption by Karmella Campo

Spectators now allowed to fill up courts, gyms, stadium

BY BERVIN OCAMPO The courts are open.

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fter a year and a half of having empty courts, gyms, stadiums, they are now slowly being filled up by players, coaches, and fans across the Philippines with strict implementation of health protocols based on the Inter-Agency Task Force’s guidelines and the alert level of the given province.

Two of the biggest Collegiate tournaments in the Philippines, University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and Philippines National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), opened their respective seasons on May 26, 2022.

UAAP, which has been on hiatus for 2 years, has opened their season 84 to fans with a limited

capacity at Mall of Asia starting last April 5.

The league will only open lowerbox, upper box, and general admission for the fans.

The league will feature men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, cheerdance, men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball, men’s beach volleyball, co-ed poomsae, and men’s and women’s chess tournaments.

On the other hand, NCAA will start their season at La Salle Green Hills Gym and has a theme of “Stronger Together. Buo ang Puso”. The schedule of the event has a five-day game days week which is Tuesday-Wednesday and Friday-Sunday.

The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) opened its 2022 PVL Open Conference last March 16, 2022 and lasted until April 9, 2022. The event allowed spectators to watch the quarter finals to finals.

Spectators need to present their vaccination card before entering the arena. 9 teams competed in the 2022 PVL Open Conference.

Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) started its 2021-2022 PBA Governors Cup last December 8, 2021. Quezon City has allowed the organization to have spectators with strict implementation of health protocols. Moreover, the IATF allowed the league to recruit imports from other countries to play in this season.

From national to local, the government permitted people to play in indoor and outdoor gyms with only 50% and 70% respectively should be allowed to play in the courts and gyms. However, competitions like Inter-Baranggay and others are still required to get permits from the Local Government Unit (LGU).

RiScians showcase skills in E-ntramurals despite challenges, hardships Continued from Page 20 | BY BERVIN OCAMPO Alagad ni Nj of Grade 10 swept the entire tournament and defeated Team Sikret of Grade 9 by a margin of 13-6 to claim the title of 2022 RNSHS E-ntramurals Valorant champion last March 4 - 7, 2022. Dlwlrma was the MVP of the game tallying 20-14-4 KDA and an econ rating of 104.

In the other tournament, Greek Myth of Grade 11 was named as the 2022 RNSHS E-ntramurals Mobile Legends: Bang Bang champion after defeating Blacklist in ur Area of Grade of 10 in series score of 3-1 last February 18 - 24, 2022.

In the battle of wit, Kurt Paul Dimabuyu of 12-Lavoisier proved that he is the ruler of Chess in RNSHS after cornering the king of Mark Joseph Barbosa of 10-Fortitude in a heart-pounding Chess match.

Fortissimum of Grade 8 conquered the more experienced Lethargics of grade 10 after dominating the three round Finals game last February 23-25 in 2022 RNSHS E-ntramurals CODM. Batch 21, current grade 10 students, dominated the tournament with 1 gold from Valorant tournament and 3 silvers from Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Chess, and Call of Duty mobile tournament.

Breaking Gender Stereotypes in PH Sports

BY BERVIN OCAMPO A Filipina weightlifter, boxer, and basketball player, as well as a Filipino gymnast and two volleyball players, etched their names in the history books as they broke gender stereotype boundaries in their respective tournaments in the past 10 months of 2021.

Hidilyn Diaz, a silver medalist in Rio 2016, a gold medalist at 2018 Asian Games, a gold medalist at the SEA Games 2019 and finally the coveted medal for all, a Gold Medal in Tokyo 2020.

She captured the first Olympic gold medal for the Philippines dramatically as she edged Liao Qiuyun of China by a point of 224–223 kg in the stereotypically masculine sport of weightlifting.

The golden girl forged an Olympic record of 127-kg in jerk and a total of 224 kg in the 55 kg women’s division in weightlifting.

A few days later, Nesthy Petecio, a female boxer, ended the Philippines’ 25-year Olympic medal drought in boxing as she settled for a silver medal after bowing to hometown-bet Sene Irie with a score of 28-29, 28-29, 28-29, 28-29, 27-30. Petecio, who dedicated her medal to her

country, coaches, and LGBTQ+ community, made history as the first Filipina to win a medal in the field of Olympic boxing.

Meanwhile, 23-year old Jack Animam played an explosive debut performance in the First Women’s Basketball League of Serbia as she tallied 20 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, two blocks,and an assist to upend Proleter 023 in a nail-biting 78-77 victory.

Animam was also a gold medalist for the Philippines Women’s Basketball in the Southeast Asian Games, both in 5x5 and 3x3. She played some time in Taiwan, where she would go on to win the championship.

After a frustrating Olympics performance, Carlos Edriel Yulo regained his confidence after he triumphed in men’s vault and parallel bars at the 2021 FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, capturing the gold medal and silver medal at Kitakyushu City Gymnasium in Japan.

Due to a hefty penalty from his stumble, Yulo failed to defend his title in floor exercise.

Determined, this does not stop the 21 year old gymnast from

redeeming himself in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo, who were once dominators of the UAAP Men’s Volleyball scene and are now recognized as aces of Philippine volleyball, started their respective campaignsin Japan’s V. League last October.

Bryan Bagunas, now one of Oita Miyoshi’s open hitters, scored a game-high 22 points, coming from 17 attacks, four blocks, and an ace, en route to defeating the Osaka Sakai Blazers with a score of 25-19, 25-20, 21-25, and 28-26 to open their campaign on a high note.

On the other hand, Marck Esjepo of FC Tokyo produced 12 points scattered from 10 attacks and 2 aces in a losing effort against the defending champion Suntory Sunbird in a nerve-wracking 5 setter match, scoring 24-26, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21, and 11-15.

The Filipino athletes proved that sports have no gender and opened the possibility that athletes could strive for greatness in sports, unaffected by society’s gender standards and defying expectations.

GROUNDBREAKING. The National Academy of Sports (NAS), Department of Education (DepEd), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) unveils the ceremonial marker and architectural renders of the NAS recent developments at the New Clark City, Tarlac on October 9, 2021. The DepEd anticipated this project to pave the way for student-athletes in making their dreams a reality and develop more future world-class Filipino athletes.

Photo from the Department of Education (DepEd), Caption by Karmella Campo

DepEd, PSC launch National Academy of Sports to hone Filipino student-athletes

BY FELICITTI STA. CATALINA The long wait is over.

NEW CLARK CITY, PHILIPPINES — More than a year after President Duterte signed Republic Act 11470 on June 9, 2020, initiating the construction of NAS, the Department of Education and Philippine Sports Commission continue to eye on developing student-athletes as national assets, orienting the first batch of learners while aiming for the building’s completion in 2022.

The National Academy of Sports (NAS) is the country’s brightest hope to raise world-class athletes locally farmed from the grassroots level. This is a result of the university’s ongoing efforts to win more international titles, in addition to advising students on how to pursue their passions.

On September 13, the school reinforced the fresh first-batch learners carrying their aspirations and engaging in a specialized sports-oriented education curriculum.

“This momentous and historic event marks the beginning of showcasing not just a physical structure, but an institution dedicated to the educational advancement and development of our future world-class student-athletes through high-quality sports programs, training, and experience,” NAS Executive Director Joy Reyes said.

To accomplish this, the NAS Administration Building, Academic

Building, and multi-purpose gym will be completed by February 2022.

Additionally, it is stated that in the future, it will construct additional school buildings, gymnasiums, an auditorium, basketball and volleyball courts, and training areas for table tennis, martial arts, gymnastics, and weightlifting.

Apart from these, the newly established heart of Philippine Sports is divided into three primary divisions to serve its student-athletes: sports science, support services, and academics. These divisions serve as the foundation for the institution’s overall operations.

“This school year, the primary mode of instruction will be online remote learning, supplemented by digitized modules. Additionally, we will be offering synchronous and asynchronous classes, as well as sports training, to our pioneering batch.” NAS Deputy Executive Director Emil Arroyo explained the situation in light of the threats posed by the COVID-19 virus.

The lingering has been put to an end gradually and step by step, but not the dreams and shining rays of hope of the National Academy of Sports,which includes the Department of Education, the Philippine Sports Commission, and its world-class student-athletes, to extract the best possible representation of the Philippine flag worldwide.

Sports

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Axie: Entertainment to Earnings

BY BERVIN OCAMPO AND LORD MINA

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rom reality to virtual. By the use of your phone and internet, earning money is now possible within the realm of technology. Stereotyping that electronic games are for entertainment only, but now technology can help us to earn money with a simple tap on your phone. As the COVID-19 continued to strike in our daily lives, people from different parts of the Philippines discovered a new way to ease the effect brought by this pandemic financially— playing Axie Infinity.

Axie Infinity, play-to-earn, is collecting, breeding, raising, battling, and trading creatures called “axies.’

The game required a strategic mastery in both trading and battling, as you need to earn tokens known as “Smooth Love Potion tokens or SLPs” by defeating other players or accomplishing daily requirements.

After earning SLPs, you can now trade it to Binance as an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency. Axie Infinity has also helped numerous people, including a failed businessman turned into a profiting businessman with with a stable income, from a typical gamer to a gamer who earns while still pursuing their hobbies and interests, and lastly those students who struggle

to meet one’s and their families’ necessities.

Students can now play and earn money through Axie by forming their own teams or serving as scholars for a specific manager or squad.

Alliah Nopueto, a student from RiSci, has been playing Axie Infinity since August 16, 2021 and described her experience in playing Axie was like riding a roller coaster ride since sometimes it’s fun to play but it’s often stressful. Spending 2-3 hours of her day grinding, she recalled that playing the play-to-earn game affected her daily routine, especially now that she had online classes. Waking up at 3 in the morning, just to complete the target value of SLP and daily requirements.

“Depende po kasi yan sa value ng SLP e, last month to this month nagrange lang sa 2-5PHP per SLP kaya every 2 weeks sinasahod ko po mga ₱6,000-₱8,000,” when asked about her income in the game. But looking at the bright side, all of the determination and hard work will pay off.

The grade 12 student mentioned that she is grateful for her income as it helps them in their daily expenses in the house. Also, she stated that it helps their family in paying grocery, bills, internet,

GAME NOT OVER. Randy Pulumbarit plays Axie Infinity with his desktop setup on November 16, 2021. A token-based online video game launched in 2018, Axie listed the Philippines as the top country with the most players.

Photo and Caption by Dean Pulumbarit

electricity, and water. Nopueto shared some tips for aspiring students who want to play Axie Infinity, “Kabisaduhin na agad lahat ng axie cards at skills, classes, buffs and debuffs. manuod rin sa Youtube ng mga battlelog ng iba’tibang axie team—then wag masyadong pa-playsafe sa paglalaro, part naman ng pagiging player ang matalo kaya huwag matakot sa pagbaba ng MMR.”

Even the pandemic could not hinder our creativity, determination, and hard work in achieving our goals in life. With the simple tapping of your phone, you can now earn money while sitting in your favorite chair. Sports are now evolving in the era of technology, and with this innovation, it opens opportunities to turn our skills into money.

First E-sports Degree in the Philippines

BY SHENVY ROBLES AND AIREEN LIMBAG

WILL TO WIN. Greek Myth, Grade 11 E-sports Team, bags first place in the Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health (MAPEH) club Mobile Legends Tournament on February 24, 2022. The MAPEH club’s ‘E-ntramurals’ is a digital adaptation of the school’s traditional pre-pandemic intramurals whereas the program aims to practice cooperation and sportsmanship of the students in the online gaming industry.

Photo by RNSHS MAPEH Club Facebook Page, Caption by Andrea Cervo

Minari’s vast tanking experience leads Greek Myth to victory

BY JULIANA GUEVARRA Johnrenn Karl Olorvida, also known for his Mobile Legends (ML) in the game name “Minari”, is the first and last to claim the MVP Title for his team in the sequence of matches in the ML Tournament during the E-ntramurals 2022 hosted by the MAPEH Club of Rizal National Science High School.

Olorvida has been playing for four years now and started his ML journey when he was in Grade 9. He began by watching his classmates play during their free time and it caught his interest, which sparked his desire to participate in the game.

Beginning as a marksman, he transitioned to tank heroes as his playing momentum grew as a result of the pandemic. In an interview, Minari stated that he now has 3000 matches of tank heroes and that a thousand of them came from playing with his favorite pick, Khufra.

“My win rate back then was so low, like 50%, but since practice makes perfect, I kept practicing until I mastered it.” he said Olorvida proves how much he has mastered the use of Khufra’s skills when he uses this hero in the championship match of their team, Greek Myth, against Blacklist in Your Area, scoring 14:5 in the tank main player ended up with 5 kills, 7 assists, and 0 deaths, allowing him to bag the MVP award.

He also shared a couple of awards he has received throughout his ML career.

Starting with a rise to Top 1 Khufra in Rizal, Tigreal, Top 6 Hylos, and Top 9 Atlas, Olorvida describes this as an “unbelievable experience” as he looks back to his early days in the realm of ML.

Despite showing mastery in play, Minari also made it clear that he does not always win his matches.

“You must accept that you can’t win all the time. We all make mistakes and lose every day. For example, yesterday I experienced a winning streak and lose streak at the same time. Yes, I am disappointed, but I take my losses as a motivation to strive hard because all pro players experience losing,” Olorvida said.

He also added that these losses are what motivate us to grow as players.

Olorvida’s primary purpose in joining the MAPEH E-ntramurals is to showcase talent and overcome the difficulty that students encounter when it comes to joining school-related activities.

“I also wanted to join since I thought it can improve my sportsmanship, social engagement, and social skills development since we are in a pandemic and we cannot afford to socialize outside,” Olorvida said.

Lastly, he sees this as the perfect opportunity to create a bond between him and his teammates.

All of them wanted to test whether they had the skills to win and compete against other equally competitive players and not settle for rank and classic games.

And in spite of practicing multiple times, he hinted that he still follows his parents’ wish to limit the use of cellphones during school days.

According to the young MVP, it is important that people at an early age know how to discipline themselves and listen to their elderly.

The Lyceum of the Philippines University, Manila Campus, has launched its Bachelor of Science in E-sports program. The four-year program has two tracks: Game Design and Development and E-sports Management.

A two-year program leading to an associate in esports and game design is also available at the university.

Game Design and Development focuses on the fundamental concepts, principles, and techniques of design and development based on esports knowledge. This course aims to increase knowledge and understanding of esports through the use of game design theories and game programming. The program allows students to improve their creativity and inventiveness in game design and development.

E-sports Management introduces students to the fundamental concepts of esports management and teaches them management and organization, planning and team management, and business skills.

The program also teaches students how to develop business plans and organize events utilizing online streaming, marketing, and advertising.

In an online post, Tryke Gutierrez, the gaming agency’s chief executive officer said, “The goal has always been to create more opportunities for gamers in Asia.

If this curriculum gets approved, we won’t just be providing post-career opportunities for gaming, but we will have a new generation of graduates ready to work in the esports industry”. Many people got influenced and motivated to this degree and to pursue their goals in Sports.

It was a dream come true for online gamers as esports made its debut in international sporting events like the Southeast Asian Games last year. Our country is already one step closer to the biggest achievement in our esports history.

Gutierrez reminded future students that the program will not be as easy as a simple hobby. “I also want to take this time to personally ask all the future enrollees to please take every subject seriously and learn whatever you can learn from the experts of the industry. We’ll do our best to push this industry forward, but we need more help.

Study hard, train hard. We need you.

See you in 4 years!,” Gutierrez said.

Be a Sport to E-Volution BY FELICITTI STA. CATALINA As time flies, resources advance—such as technology; new generations are formed—such as the youth of today. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee imparted its support to the opening of the Olympic Virtual Series or the participation of e-sports in the Olympics. This sparked debate, however, if e-sports and Olympics are ought to complement. Still, one thing’s for sure: We are in no place to reject the demands of the current generation and the call of evolution.

Following IOC’s statement, OVS will “mobilize virtual sport, e-sports, and gaming enthusiasts all around the world to reach new Olympic audiences.” Apart from that, it pledged to uplift “the development of physical and non-physical forms of sports”.

This is, without setting aside the fact that electronic games also help, besides leisure, in developing cognitive abilities, coordination, attention,

socialization, self-esteem, and many more.

Despite the aforementioned, some strongly believe that for something to be called a sport, there must be an involvement in the physical component, according to the article from “The Conversation”. But still, the essence of sports that promote sportsmanship and camaraderie will continue to thrive despite the lack of physical presence, but rather more on the act of the mind.

For instance, the pandemic has paved the way for new opportunities in the discovery of esports. From roughly 2.5 billion gamers around the world back in 2019, it rose to 3 billion in a matter of two years under the cage of COVID-19.

In schools, the accustomed intramurals became e-ntramurals, consisting of competing players in e-sports.

Through its successes, this proved, even in a partial way, how e-sports in the Olympics are a must-have.

“Because not everyone is gifted in physical sports, this is a fantastic approach to incorporate e-sports or online gaming into the Olympics,” said Julianne Cae Cajayon, a Grade 8 student who clinched the gold in the 2022 Rizal National Science High School E-ntamurals Call of Duty Tournament, together with her team Fortissimum, last February 25. “To those who disagree, I would not push them to agree; instead, I would like them to understand that this is something to be proud of,” she added.

Mobile Legends, Call of Duty, Valorant, and Genshin Impact. These are just some of the representations of the cosmos of electronic sports.

Who would have realized that the games once created for entertainment would have a chance to ignite the torch in the Olympics? And since the world progresses, sports shouldn’t be left behind.

Hence, e-sports—together with its aspirants—deserve to ace.

The Official English Publication of Rizal National Science High School Binangonan 1 | Division of Rizal | Region IV-A CALABARZON SEPT 2021 - JUNE 2022 | ISSUE NO. 1 VOLUME 16

RISCIANS SHOWCASE SKILLS IN E-NTRAMURALS DESPITE CHALLENGES, HARDSHIPS

BY BERVIN OCAMPO

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izal National Science High School — Fast clicking of the mouse and cellphone. Wild tapping of keyboard keys.

Aware eyes and ears. And above all, the competitiveness and laughter that fills the four corners of the room.

Despite the pandemic and online set-up, the 2022 E-ntramurals, an event that showcases the talents and skills of Riscians in the gaming industry, had successfully pushed through amidst the challenges and hardship. The event was conducted in Rizal National Science High School, hosted by the MAPEH Club last February 17 to March 11, 2022.

The 2022 RNSHS E-ntramurals was composed of 5 games: Mobile Legends, Valorant, Call of Duty Mobile (CODM), Chess, and Checkers. Each batch was allowed to form 2 teams per game and 5 - 12 students per grade level.

The event was live-streamed on Facebook and the format of the games were 1-time elimination, meaning a team is eliminated from their respective tournament with one lost game. However, some of the games were not released on Facebook due to technical difficulties.

The E-ntramurals was held every Thursday and Friday since students had classes from Monday to Friday morning.

Continue on Page 18

Greek Myth defeats nine other teams to win the 2022 RNSHS MLBB E-ntramurals

BY LORD MINA AND GUIA YAMSUAN

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iving up to its name, Greek Myth, the 2022 MLBB E-ntramurals champion, showcased their Greek-like ability, myth-like strength, and one-of-a-kind chemistry as they conquered nine other teams in the tournament.

Greek Myth is made up of six 11th grade students: Brian Lanot, Sean Munzon, Germain Grande, Maria Rica Velasquez, John Christopher Cayanan, and Johnrenn Karl Olorvida.

According to them, their team was formed when it was announced that there would be another E-ntramurals for Mobile Legends. Cayanan and Munzon were champions in Mobile Legends during the Intramurals last S.Y. 2018–2019, and they decided they want to participate and win again.

The journey of Greek Myth is a roller coaster ride.

In their first match, they met the Artisans of War, a team of grade 12 students. They stated that they viewed them as their biggest opponent because their draft was not followed throughout the match,

resulting in a head-to-head match. They won and held with a score of 20:19.

In the semi-finals, with a best of three match system, they competed with Jungle Bites, who are also grade 12 students, to earn a spot in the finals with a match score of 17:5 in game 1 and 33:20 in game 2, gaining a 2-0 lead for a spot in the finals.

Finally, Greek Myth faced Blacklist in ur Area, grade 10 students, in the finals with a best of five match system. Greek Myth lost their first game, but they proved that they could lift their team as they fought for the championship by winning Games 2, 3, and 4 with an outstanding performance and a match score of 16:7, 6:15, and 14:5 to secure a 3-0 lead and be crowned as this year’s MLBB E-ntramurals victors.

Greek Myth’s objective-based strategy, diverse hero pool, and their individual strengths combined are genuinely extraordinary, making them a terrifying squad that will leave no one alive to tell the tale of their greatness.

Fortissimum, Alagad ni Nj pins down other teams in the Finals of CODM, Valorant

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BY JULIANA GUEVARRA, JONAH VELASCO AND SHENVY ROBLES

he championship title came its way to the Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) team Fortissimum and Valorant team Alagad ni Nj of Grade 10 after winning all of their games throughout the E-ntramurals season of Rizal National Science High School, courtesy of the MAPEH Club, last February 23–March 11, 2022.

Fortissimum headed onto bagging the championship title after shooting down the hope of Lethargics of grade 10 hope in winning the championship in the three round finals game.

On the other hand, Alagad ni Nj of Grade 10 swept all of their opponents and conquered Team Sikret of Grade 9 by a margin of 13-6 to claim the title of E-ntramurals Valorant champion last March 4 - 7, 2022.

Fortissimum’s outstanding win streak started when they defeated EBTB in Game 2 of the best-of-three elimination round. The triumph towards the upper bracket was quickly followed by another victorious sweep out against Rari’s Disciples in the semifinals of the entire play, scoring 3-0 respectively.

Tristan “FTM Enriquez” Enriquez from Grade 8-Politeness clinched the MVP title twice, in the Hardpoint match with a score of 24/10/7-KDA and in the Domination match with 4505 points.

Fortissimum experienced many difficulties while playing CODM. According to Enriquez, “We encountered struggles mostly versus Rari’s Disciples because in the first half–but after the first half, our mics worked again and then we made a comeback.”

These setbacks caused by unprecedented technical difficulties did not stop the team from giving a strong finish to the 3-Day CODM League.

Karl Cyril “FTM Malabriga’’ Malabriga of Grade 8-Modesty led the team enroute to victory when he finished the final Search and Destroy match with a 5/0/0 Kill/Plant/Defuse which contributed to the 6:5 lead against Lethargics.

In the other tournament, Dlwlrma was the MVP of the final game of Valorant, tallying 20-14-4 KDA and an econ rating of 104.

When asked about the most important lesson they learned from participating in the games, Malabriga answered, “You need to have confidence to win and talk about what you will do to avoid errors in the game. Teamwork wins games.”

Cartoon by Sean Buguina, Chris Jesuitas, and Heart Tongohan

2022 RNSHS E-ntramurals: Dimabuyu Captures Gold in Chess Tournament

BY FELICITTI STA. CATALINA AND AIREEN LIMBAG 85 moves towards champ

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izal National Science High School — With eight chess pieces that showcased mastery, Kurt Dimabuyu of 12-Lavoisier has been crowned as the king after a crucial move of the king from G1 to G2, paving his way to gold at the 2022 RNSHS E-ntramurals Chess Tournament last February 17.

Mark Barbosa of 10-Fortitude and Andrei Malbog of 7-Unity, on the other hand, settled for silver and bronze, respectively.

The tourney ran smoothly from games one to four as Malbog, Barbosa, Dimabuyu, and Danica Dolor (7-Faith) accordingly prevailed over Juan Dela Cruz (8-Politeness), Aljean De Guzman (12-Edison), Kim Magan (11-Einstein), and Aireen Limbag (7-Hope).

Subsequently, the match took on the next level as the four dominators from the preceding one faced each other.

In an ultimatum, Barbosa and Dimabuyu advanced to the finals, while the runner-ups, Malbog and Dolor, will compete for the third.

Over a virtual board, the bronze match had been sat on board. The two freshmen of RiSci, Malbog (White) and Dolor (Black), exhibited their unsubduable spirit as they checked each other’s king in the pivotal points of the match.

Nonetheless, Malbog, through his hook on the rook from E7 to E8, — bagged the bronze medal.

In no time following the bronze match, the much-awaited game for the gold was held. During the climacteric stage of the battle of the chess pieces, Barbosa (Black) armored the Queen, whereas Dimabuyu (White) buckled the King.

The Black’s Queen moved from E3 to E4.

Thereafter, the White’s King moved to G1, originating at G2.

Along with the final moments, Barbosa moved his queen, starting from E4 to B1, in the hope of a triumph.

However, as the King of Dimabuyu shifted from G1 to G2, the tournament has been marked to a conclusion, bringing Kurt Dimabuyu of 12-Lavoisier to the anticipated gold after an 85-move competition.

“I was very nervous during the whole tournament, to the point where I could hear my heartbeat because my opponents were very sharp and solid with their openings,” Dimabuyu stated. Still, he added that he was able to attain the victory by patiently playing and applying tactics, along with basic fundamentals, every step of the way.