October Issue 2 - A.Y. 2020-2021

OCTOBER 2020

VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 2

NEWS

FEATURES

Letran campuses join forces to publish Brillar: ONELETRAN Journal of multidisciplinary research

OPINION

New Manila

SPORTS

Ramirez settles in Sampaloc, joins FEU Tamaraws

We did it.

Letran holds the Grand Feast of La Naval months after its homecoming

PHOTO BY PATRICK ROMERO

BY GERTRUDE FLORENCIO AND MARK ALLAIN MANATAD MANILA, PHILIPINES - Colegio De San Juan de Letran celebrated the Grand Feast of the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila last October 11, presided by Most Rev. Honesto Flores Ongtioco, DD, bishop of the Diocese of Cubao.

The Feast Day was held at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Naval de Manila, Sto. Domingo Church, Quezon City. Due to COVID-19

restrictions, only a limited number of participants were allowed to attend.

The mass was made available for online livestreaming through the Colegio’s Facebook page.

MARIA: INA NG PAG-ASA, KAGALINGAN AT PAGKAKAISA In his homily, Most Rev. Honesto Flores Ongtioco reminded the church why the Our Lady of the Rosary, La Naval de Manila, is celebrated. “Siya ay hindi lamang ina ng Diyos. Siya ang inang ipinagkaloob sa atin,” he said.

“Sa kanya tayo’y ipinagkatiwala ni Hesus upang tayo’y gabayan, tulungan sa ating mga pangangailangan.” [She is not only the mother of God. She is the mother bestowed onto us, whom Jesus has entrusted to guide us and help us with our needs.]

He also addressed how viewers should resolve the problems that many are facing amid the health crisis by encouraging them to trust God. “Kailangan lamang maki-isa tayo sa plano ng Diyos. Kaya dito’y nakikita natin ang ating Mahal na

Ina bilang modelo kung paano tayo dapat tumugon at makiisa sa plano ng Diyos.” [We need to be united with God’s plan. With this, we see our Dear Mother as a model of how we should respond and unite with God’s plan.]

The Grand Feast of the Our Lady of the Rosary, La Naval de Manila, ended with the Solemn Dungaw to allow the devotees to venerate upon the image of Our Lady of La Naval. The Dominican church held the Dungaw for the devotees to be reminded that Our Lady of La Naval serves as a guide

and a helping hand as we face the global crisis, which has been a threat to our daily lives, healthand financialwise.

Last October 8, Thursday, the President and Rector of LetranManila and Bataan, Rev. Fr. Clarence Victor C. Marquez, O.P, also held the Eucharistic Celebration of the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, La Naval de Manila in Sto. Domingo Church and was livestreamed on the Colegio’s official Facebook page.

Letran postpones pre-planned Quadricentennial Celebration due to pandemic

BY JOANNA FLORES

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Letran postponed several activities for the 400th year grand celebration this year due to the threat of the “COVID-19” pandemic.

In an interview with The LANCE, Alumni and Public Relations Department (APRD) chairwoman Assistant Professor Jhennie CalditoVillar, MBA confirmed that the Quadricentennial Celebration should be held to a safer and healthier date in 2021. However, she shared the difficulties in adjusting the plans following the “new normal” set-up that entails being celebrated online.

“We have to revisit our plan again, considering the challenges [that] we are facing right now,” said Villar.

She added that there are a lot of

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adjustments and considerations to be undertaken.

When asked about the activities that the Letranites can anticipate, Villar emphasized that the Colegio cannot let this event pass without any celebration.

Letranites should not worry as there will be an online celebration on November 24, 2020.

“Every month, we still try to push for our initiatives to make our presence felt and our celebration meaningful,” she added.

Among the initiatives conducted are celebrating the daily mass, ¡AYUDA LETRAN!, Carillon, and Letran Quadricentennial building construction.

“We are currently preparing for La Naval this October, Colegio day in » QUADRICENTENNIAL/ PAGE 3

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NEWS

NEWS EDITOR: RONI SERRANO LAYOUT ARTIST: ELDRICK NOLASCO

Letran campuses joined forces to publish Brillar: ONELETRAN Journal of multidisciplinary research

BY ANDREA YSABEL ANDRES

THE DEPARTMENT of Research and Publication from the different Letran campuses collaborated for the pilot issue of ‘Brillar: ONELETRAN Journal of Multidisciplinary Research’ that was launched last September 28, 2020, as a gift to the Quadricentennial celebration of the Colegio.

Brillar is one of the journals in Letran’s research department which will be published every September by the research cluster of ONELETRAN: a collaborative work from all the campuses of Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

Asst. Prof. Louie Ian B. Mariano, RChE, MEN, Director of Letran Research and Publication Department, Manila and Bataan, and Editor-in-Chief of Brillar, pointed out that the compendium is an additional cluster to the research journals.

There are four journals in the Research department of Letran Manila: the Luz y a Saber, a journal that Letran employees and other institutions outside Letran can pass their research for checking and reviews published every

June and December; Antorcha, a scholarly journal for undergraduate Letranites that will be published every September and March and the Letran Business and Economics Review, an annual journal for graduate studies.

The three clusters of journals focused on Letran Manila campus while Brillar is a collaborative research output for the Letran community (which incidentally is in line with the quadricentennial celebration of the Colegio..

Brillar’s pilot issue was funded

by P-COR (Dominican Province of the Philippines - Council of Rectors) headed by the Rector and President of Letran Manila and Bataan Rev. Fr. Clarence Victor Marquez, OP, S.Th.D. Currently, there are five published articles in the pilot volume of Brillar, including: A GROUNDED THEORY MODEL FOR THE ONELETRAN SYSTEM: CHALLENGES AND LEARNINGS by Assoc. Prof. Cristina Castro-Cabral, PhD, and Rev. Fr. Clarence Victor Marquez, O.P., SThD; ONELETRAN RESEARCH CENTER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON FACULTY’S RESEARCH CAPABILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY by Edessa Flordeliz,

LSC conducts virtual celebration of World Teacher’s Day

PHOTO FROM LETRAN VIA FACEBOOK

PhD; DIMENSIONS OF SCHOOL BURNOUT AS PREDICTORS OF SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND SUICIDAL IDEATION AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS by Ciara JanicaZalameda, Jet Buenconsejo, and Kenneth Roy Aranas; MODERATING EFFECT OF GRIT TO THE IMPACT OF JOB SATISFACTION TO TURNOVER INTENTION AMONG COLEGIO DE

SAN JUAN DE LETRAN EMPLOYEES

by Alethea Patricia Del Castillo; and ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE OF ONELETRAN BASIC EDUCATION THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT INNOVATION PERSPECTIVES by Lorenzo Romabiles III, PhD. As one of the projects of the Research Department of the Colegio, Brillar is accessible to Letranites and non-Letranites for

free on their website, as well as the other journals mentioned. The project serves as a literary source for researchers, especially students who are working on their thesis.

The Letran research center has open its department for submissions of journal articles to Letran students and employees as well as outside institutions for the Luz Y Saber cluster.

Letran’s new VP for Religious Affairs aims to ‘build community’ despite health crisis

SCREENGRAB ON FACEBOOK LIVE

BY QUEENIE ROSE RAMOS

THE LETRAN Student Council (LSC) spearheaded the World Teacher’s day’s grand virtual celebration last October 9, 2020at the Colegio’s official Facebook page.

In preparation for the event, the Letran Student Council prepared different activities to acknowledge the dedication and passion of the Colegio’s educators. With the help of the Directress of Alumni and Public Relations Department Assistant Professor Jhennie Caldito-Villar, MBA, they were able to choose a concept and theme that emphasizes these educators being the modern heroes of today.

According to Judea Bernardo, Broadcasting Senator and project head, aside from giving recognition to the teachers, the celebration’s main objective was to use this time to unwind and loosen up the stress.

“We all know how exhausting these past few months in isolation were, and if we students worn out how much more our educators?

Aside from the LSC’s desire to bring back the favor to our educators for being verily dedicated and supporting to their students, we also want them to take that given day as their resting day,” the Broadcasting Senator said in an interview.

These programs include interactive virtual activities such as nominations for different categories for teachers and a grand virtual celebration hosted by the project head herself and BS Economics

student Al Raiz Tan. The celebration began with the Opening Remarks led by the vice president of Letran student council, Gio Guerrero. This was followed by a video presentation prepared by the Junior High School students from 7th grade to 10th grade, Senior high school students, and College students from CBAA, CEIT, CLAS, and COED. The video presentations include heartfelt gratitude and messages to their teachers and professors in the Basic Education Department and Collegiate Department.

In the livestreamed event, they also announced the nomination boards’ winners, which was posted on LSC’s social media accounts prior to the grand virtual event.

Ms. Kelly Marcelo won the award of “LetranArtista” for being the most artistahing professor, Mr. JK Santos won the award “Darling of the Crowd” for being the most charming professor. Mr. Ken Paul Espinosa won the award “Cheers to the Best Cheer” for making a short video of him doing the “Siempre Arriba, SiempreLetran” yell.

Furthermore, students from different programs had prepared individual intermission numbers dedicated to all the Letran educators.

“Sana nakapagpahinga sila kahit saglit during the moments of the event and we do hope that they’ve felt the students’ sincerity in making this celebration possible,” Bernardo said.

PHOTO BY REV. FR. ROMMEL OLIVAR, O.P.

BY MARK ALLAIN MANATAD

NEWLY APPOINTED Vice President for Religious Affairs, Rev. Fr. Rommel Olivar, O.P., shares the religious division’s goals in spite of distance learning and limited human movement due to the pandemic.

As the new head for Religious Affairs, Rev. Fr. Olivar directed his goals for his term in educating and forming the faith of Letranites, building a sense of community in Letran, and extending our service to partner communities.

With the academic curriculum set for the academic year, he said that one of their goals is to observe whether the curriculum is being implemented effectively. “Kailangan natin mabuo yung adequate faith formation in the cognitive dimension ng mga kabataan natin.” [We need to develop the adequate faith formation in the cognitive dimension of our youth.]

“That’s one thing, observe the way that we are teaching handing on the knowledge of the faith here in

Letran,” He added.

As for the events the department has planned, Rev. Fr. Olivar shared that the Office of Religious affairs will continue to conduct daily masses and create a venue for sacramental activities through Facebook livestream. He also shared that student masses and student recollection will resume by October.

In addition, one of the most anticipated plans of the Religious Affairs for this year is the Quadricentennial Grand Retreat to be held virtually on December 15, where the Office invites speakers from the big leagues of the Dominican order and will include all students, faculty, employees, and alumni of Letran.

Given the county’s current situation, the Office of the Religious Affairs admitted that they are currently facing challenges in fulfilling the division’s goals and objectives with the lack of personal interaction due to the pandemic’s long-term effect.

Even so, he encouraged everyone, “Our founders tried to make a difference to those who are in need, so what about us, how can we make a difference?” Rev. Fr. Olivar asked.

The new VP for Religious Affairs also shared his excitement towards the opportunity to contribute to Dominicans’ ministry by serving the historical institution of Letran.

“It is an honor to be a part of the long white line of Dominicans who have been serving this institution for the past 400 years,” he stated.

Prior to being appointed as the Vice President for Religious Affairs, Rev. Fr. Olivar was assigned for missionary works in several parts of the Babuyan Islands, where he was responsible for the spiritual well-being of 50,000 Catholics and contributed pastoral work in the municipality of Manaoag.

He also added that it was the vow of obedience and the desire to preach and teach the Dominican values that made him look forward to his new assignment in Letran.

News

VO LU M E X L I V - I S S U E 2

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AYUDA LETRAN: A reflection of the Colegio’s role in the community

BY JOANNA FLORES AND ANDREA YSABEL ANDRES

LETRAN-MANILA launched the “¡AYUDA LETRAN!” last August to address the students’ accessibility problems relevant to the flexible learning system following the current “new normal set-up” this academic year.

In a personal interview with the Rector and President Rev. Fr. Clarence Victor Marquez, O.P, he said that the Colegio recognized not all the students have equal access to online learning.

“Some can afford it, some cannot,” said Marquez. “So, we recognize that. We came up to this idea of how we extend help.”

He further explained the project’s objective:”It’s an idea, a project of helping our students avail of devices from laptops, tablets, and even pocket Wi-Fi. So, we have made that available.”

The Department of Student Affairs (DSA) is taking the lead as they are in direct contact with college students who are the program’s initial beneficiaries.

The devices are loaned for free but under legal circumstances, they are considered property of the Colegio. He said that by the time that the students returned these devices and they are still usable, it may be loaned to other students who are in need.

“We were very conscious that we are there to help the poor. Kaya laging may segment [for] our student population na talagang nangangailangan ng

QUADRICENTENNIAL FROM PAGE 1

November, and the Grand Retreat in December,” Villar told The LANCE. The Colegio is also preparing and gearing towards the grand celebration in 2021 aside from the initiatives they have set to organize this year.

LETRAN QUADRICENTENNIAL BUILDING Due to the pandemic fears, the Letran Quadricentennial building, which is part of the plans for the impending celebration, will be delayed in terms of construction.

Villar clarified that the building is in construction stage. However, COVID-19 protocols limited the available manpower on site.

The former Blessed Antonio Varona O.P. gymnasium was demolished in April 2019 to give way to the construction of the Quadricentennial Building( set to be inaugurated soon).

THE “YEAR OF LETRAN” Last February 21, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation 908 which declared 2020 as the “Year for the Celebration of the Quadricentennial Anniversary of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran.”

The mandate recognizes “the Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s contributions to our history and nation-building, through the formation of individuals who have excelled in various fields, including national heroes, leaders, and artists, as well as through community services to the poor and needy.”

Letran’s Quadricentennial Celebration kicked off in November 2016 and is divided into four phases which covers four significant epochs in Letran’s colorful 400-year history.

All of these embodied the ideals and aspirations of the Colegio as an institution.

tulong,” [We were very conscious that we are there to help the poor. So there is always a segment [for] our student population who really needs help,] Marquez noted.

ACKNOWLEDGING ALUMNI DONORS Rev. Fr. Marquez then expressed his gratitude to the alumni and other donors who have provided the devices for the program. “Letran is [just] a conduit, we’re just an instrument for this donation to be coursed through to the people who really need them,” he said.

According to Marquez, the Letranites, and the alumni who have helped gained the idea of helping through the years of their study in Letran. “Natutunan nila ang maging mapagkawanggawa, maging matulungin sa kapwa when they are studying here in Letran,” [They have learned to become charitable and helpful to others when they are still studying here in Letran,] he shared.

The Rector also believes that the Colegio can form and give that to the present generation of the students.

“Come the time that you’ll be out in the world. You’ll always remember the very important idea of charity as an act, and Letran is there to help you,” he expressed.

When asked about the message of the “Ayuda Letran” project, Rev. Fr. Marquez said, “We should always help, and we should not stop helping and God blesses that one,” “The pandemic, pandemic or not, there’s always a reason [to do] good, and that’s a very important value that

we should inculcate in Letran and our society,” he added.

The Colegio continues to solicit donations for devices from alumni and other donors to make the program more available and accessible to the students in need.

DISTANCE LEARNING EXPERIENCES Fr. Clarence Victor Marquez O.P shared his experience and sentiments regarding Letran’s flexible learning system during this pandemic, as he has also taken teaching loads in general education subjects.

“My experience, not all of them are able to follow the synchronous class online. They have difficulties during my class,” the Rector shared.

He also stated that dealing with synchronous and asynchronous classes were difficult to deal with as a professor.

He also recognized the difficulties faced by the students and teachers, citing that even the Office of Rector is not spared from the limitations of online classes.

Two months after the opening of another academic year with the “new normal” set-up learning, the Letran Flexible Learning Program was criticized by the students mostly through the non-verified Letran Freedom Wall page on Facebook. The students’ expressed their dismay over professors and the system due to its consequent tasks per subject.

The Rector extended his concern to his students but also discussed that professors and the administration of Letran are also having its difficulties

with the situation, yet, for him, it is not a reason to give up, “I should be the last person to lose hope in Letran. Kung kayo lahat ay sabay-sabay na sumama ang loob at sabay-sabay na magkaroon ng mental health break or crisis, ako na ang huling daranas non at susuko, alang-alang sa Letran.” [I should be the last person to lose hope in Letran. If you all feel bad at the same time and have a mental health break or crisis at the same time, I will be the last to suffer and give up, for the sake of Letran.]

STUDENT BODY’S FUNCTION Fr. Marquez sees the student organizations as the avenue for the Letran community to know the students’ insights and feelings during the academic year. “I have always recognized that the success of Letran lies to their students,” the Rector stated.

“There are aspects na, the administration or even the faculty and the employees can only do so much pero the students, among themselves, can organize activities, projects and programs that could help you, well, survive this pandemic,” he said.

With the current situation, social media has been the primary platform for Letran’s student organizations, and it has become the venue where students connect with each other.

The Rector pointed out that student leaders are expected to connect with the Letranites with the purpose of goodwill.

“I trust that [the] Letran community, students especially, would have that

goodwill, and I trust that the student leaders would help us tap into that goodwill and will always come up with activities that will promote the goodwill, the good well-being of the students,” he said.

He said that the office and administration are listening to come up with plans for the benefit of all, “We are a listening community, our doing proceeds with listening.”

“We are not perfect, far from perfect, we are very honest when it comes to that one pero it cannot be taken away from us that we have that goodwill.” He added.

With the current pandemic that the whole world is facing, the Letran community continuously promotes projects and activities with its alumni and students to survive the current crisis.

As a Catholic school, Rector and President Rev. Fr. Marquez hopes embedded goodwill in every Letranite.

As he stated, “We have survived earthquakes, we have survived wars, we have survived deaths, we have survived so much destruction, we have also survived even relocation of Letran to different places. We have survived.”

Ayuda Letran does not merely address the current problems of students when it comes to online classes, for Letran, the limited sources need to be provided as it is the way of the Colegio to help its students to continue their education during this pandemic. – With reports from Melody Jade Soriano

Philippine ID system Duterte slams pre-registrations set Facebook after PH police and military on October 12

‘advocacy’ accounts shutdown

BY SOFIA MARIE ABELLON

PHOTO FROM ABS-CBN NEWS

BY PATRICIA LARA

THE PRE-REGISTRATION period for the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) started on October 12, beginning with 32 provinces.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) aims to register five million Filipinos during the pre-registration this October, prioritizing low-income households to easily aid them in opening bank accounts and receiving government assistance digitally amidst the threat of the health crisis.

According to PSA, an arrangement is currently being developed to accommodate the people set to register. They are set to determine provinces with low risks of COVID-19 cases in coordination with the InterAgency Task Force (IATF) and Local Government Units (LGUs) for possible venues of the pre-registrations.

The government agency also assured that registration protocols and social distancing measures shall be observed to minimize COVID-19 pandemic’s health risks.

Meanwhile, nationwide registrations are scheduled in 2021with a target end date of December 2022.

The main objective of the said valid proof identity is to simplify

and make every public and private transaction more accessible, including “presence less, paperless and cashless transactions.” In line with this, the said ID will provide each citizen with a unique number, in which every personal data is stored in a cloud.

The agency also explained that this project will also change how services will be delivered and accessed in the Philippines, transitioning into a digital economy.

In-house operations are conducted by the PSA employees, which will evaluate every household’s demographic data.

However, the biometric collections will be conducted at every registration facility in its different respective areas.

An amount of 27.8 Billion was allocated for the overall budget of the said project. This fund will cover hiring enumerators who will collect census data door-to-door, procurement of gadgets for data collection, automated biometric identification system, systems integrator, and cybersecurity component.

The Philippine Identification System Act or Republic Act no. 1105 was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in August 2018 to create a single national Identification system for all Filipino citizens.

PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte questioned Facebook’s purpose of operating in the country after it removed several accounts that advocate several governmentowned programs.

“We allow you to operate here, hoping that you can help us also.

Now, if the government cannot espouse or advocate something which is good for the people, then what’s your purpose in my country?” he stated in his public address on September 29.

He then posed a vague threat towards Facebook, saying he is uncertain if there is “life after Facebook.”

Facebook corroborated last September 16 that two networks one is a China-based network while the other is linked to individuals in the Philippine army and police. Some social-media accounts infracted their community standards.

According to Facebook’s Head of Security Policy Nathaniel Gleicher, 57 Facebook accounts, 31 pages, and 20 Instagram accounts were shut down due to its “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” Those accounts and pages committed criticisms against activists, communist groups, and dissidents.

Gleicher confirmed that upon investigation, the people responsible for these pages attempted to hide their identities. Facebook was still able to track them down and saw

their association with the Philippine military and police.

Facebook mentioned that fake accounts of those networks were committed to somehow extending their influence on social media platforms.

Similarly, several accounts and pages linked to the public relations person Nic Gabunada were also removed due to the same violated policy. Gabunada also happened to be in charge of the social media campaigns of President Rodrigo Duterte back in 2016.

Subsequently, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) declared a more in-depth probe regarding those accounts’ shutdown. NPC Commissioner Raymund Liboro claimed that Facebook’s preventive measures jeopardized its users’ data and privacy.

The Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines, however, renounced their association with the purported fake social media accounts and added that militaryowned accounts are still running, and the social media giant has not shut down any of their accounts.

Facebook has been one of the social media platforms widely used in the Philippines for different purposes, such as government advocacies and pages, online business platforms, news sources, educational and school organizations platforms, and entertainment purposes.

- With reports from Philippine Daily Inquirer

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OPINION

OCTOBER 2020

EDITORIAL We did it.

“Can I still do it?”

That is the question we unconsciously ask ourselves every morning when we are either wake up to face the day or head to bed after a long day.

The impact of the pandemic is indeed a runaway train.

We were mandated to deal with the changes, protocols, adjustments and limitations, yet it happened fast. Most of us just lost track of time—even our sense of direction.

There are many ways to cope with every mental challenge that we undergo every day. Finding the correct way of dealing with our mental health requires some serious energy and persistence for it can greatly affect how one feels in the process.

In the event you feel like your efforts aren’t enough or maybe you start feeling that the supposedly 10-minute baking time for your chocolate chip cookies is taking awhile, you must remember that they are all nothing but obstacles that will soon come to an end.

For every Letranite, it is important to establish healthy coping mechanisms especially now that we are dealing with the deadlines of our online class requirements during the pandemic. If you wish to take care of your feelings without disrupting the flow of the situation or when it’s out of your control, regulating your negative emotions is one of the best methods.

This is where you take time to relax, meditate, exercise, treat yourself for a milk tea, or even walk in front of the mirror to give yourself a pep talk.

However, if you wish to change your situation and banish something that is giving you stress and making you insane, confronting the problem is another way.

Now, this is where all the to-do lists, daily reminders, and scheduling of tasks arrive. These are important, and one can even give a little twist to make the coping process funnier than expected.

When we combine these coping mechanisms, it leads to the most important statement that every individual must keep in mind: Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

We have varying personal coping skills in order to take charge of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. However, once it is settled we would be able to find that greatest feeling as if we just unlocked our shackles and freed ourselves from the warden of gloom.

Our mental health is one essential aspect of life that we must prioritize especially in the current social climate. It starts with a series of agonizing steps but when you reach to the top and finally reap the rewards you deserve, you will eventually just look back and realize you did it.

We all did it.

E D I T O R I A L B O A R D S Y. 2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSOCIATE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR MULTIMEDIA EDITOR DESIGN EDITOR

NEWS WRITERS Joanna Flores Andrea Ysabel Andres Queenie Rose Ramos Sofia Marie Abellon Patricia Lara Mark Allain Manatad SPORTS WRITERS Gabby Balco Paolo Trinidad Zenilyn Yap Romwel Anzures

MEILINDA MALACAT CHANTAL MACARAEG MELODY SORIANO RONI SERRANO JUSTIN SANTELICES MARIA SOFIA DIMACULANGAN PATRICK ROMERO ELDRICK NOLASCO

FEATURES WRITERS Georgina Santiago Liza Pore Samantha Bernardo Nicole Ante Alexi Aquilino PHOTOGRAPHERS Carl Ferrer Janea Orate Kyla Velasco Christelle Haro

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Arali Santiago

ASST. PROF. MANUEL DASIG, JR., PHD. PUBLICATION ADVISER Published monthly, THE LANCE has its office at 3F Student Center Building, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Intramuros Manila FOR COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Email us at thelance@letran.edu.ph

ARTWORK BY ELDRICK NOLASCO

“Medicine, law, business, engineering; these are noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love; these are things we stay alive for.”

Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society (1989) is one of my “comfort films” for as long as I can remember. It depicts the story of an English teacher’s (the late Robin Williams) aim to inspire his students through teaching poetry. The film does not accurately depict humanities studiesthough it synthesizes how romanticism can enlighten the pursuit of every human being’s passion whether it is an ambition or a hobby.

As I find myself staring at the screen for another online meeting, I can only fantasize about what it is like to have adventures like John Keating’s class—to carpe diem, (“Seize the day” as he would always say as he starts the class), and make my life extraordinary. On a sad note, outside the labyrinths of the Internet reality hits hard with economic, mental, and emotional crises brought upon The law is harsh but it is the law – this is what the adage “Dura Lex, Sed Lex” implies.

The law is hard to obey and observe but it remains to be the law. It is objective, and no one should be above it.

However, with all the injustices between the powerful and the powerless happening around us how can we accept this principle?

No one should stand above the law, yet in the middle of this pandemic we have encountered numerous injustices committed in front of us and proved to us that this principle is only applicable to the poor and unprivileged individuals. Meanwhile, the upper class, the rich, and the powerful have either had their own laws or were exempted from it.

Going back to the evercontroversial Metro Manila Police Chief Debold Sinas who broke the community quarantine protocols by celebrating his birthday party a.k.a “mañanita” with a plethora of guests yet was reinstated in his position

The art of arts appreciation LIMINALIST Meilinda Marie Malacat

@partyatmosbys eic.thelance@letran.edu.ph

by the pandemic.

It is, indeed, a nightmare that happens with our eyes wide open: the news of corruption, nepotism, incompetency, among othersas well as the never-ending academic tasks and activities—all while COVID-19 cases increase. One could only handle so much negative energy before we reach our limits.

Unfortunately, not all of us have the luxury to continue some hobbies and recreation— window-shopping, attending concerts and gigs, meeting up with friends, and the like especially with quarantine guidelines as a hindrance. With limited options available, many have sought beauty amidst the chaos and have succumbed to literature, arts, music, and cinema during these trying

times.

In retrospect, art has a tendency to be overlooked and underappreciated in society especially before the “new normal”. Pursuing the arts has become a privilege that made it incomprehensible and undervalued as compared to engaging in the field of science.

In fact, it is common to hear that there is “little to no money” in choosing this career.

Meanwhile, the surge of consumption is undeniable as manifested in daily conversations, viral topics, and statistics. It seems that the “quarantine months” made us realize the essence of this equally noble pursuit by means of learning a new language, learning to play a musical instrument, dancing to Tiktok trends and K-pop songs,

Dura lex, sed lex… unless?

FREE REIN Roni Mae Serrano

@srrnrnm newsed.thelance@letran.edu.ph

despite the charges pressed against him. I remember reading an article wherein former PNP (Philippine National Police) Chief Archie Gamboa said that the “mañanita” was no longer an issue. Meanwhile, amidst the community quarantine six jeepney drivers were charged with disobedience to social distancing and mass gathering for protesting their lost livelihood.

Another example is when Senator Koko Pimentel tested positive for COVID-19 and violated the quarantine protocols to visit his newborn child in the hospital. His case was not investigated until September when the Department of Justice received additional documents for investigation.Regardless,

justice delayed is justice denied. Meanwhile, a 58-yearold fish vendor was detained straightaway for 12 days for violating the ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) rules while trying to make a living for his family.

Moreover, recently injustice and harassment prevailed in Reina Mae Nasino, a former political prisoner who had lost her three-month old baby Riverwhile she was in prison.

The state initially permitted her a three-day furlough to visit her child’s wake but was reduced to two days. Eventually, she was given three hours to attend her child’s burial. The funeral procession was even taken over disrespectfully by the police.

Using dura lex sed lex as an argument only speaks

watching animé and K-drama, reading e-books or Wattpad stories, making vlogs, joining #Inktober, among others.

Personally, I am drawn into these leisure activities even before the lockdown, but I admit to having grown deeper admiration for various artworks and artists alike; I can say the same for the lot. As we reap the benefits of these newfound interests, here is to hoping that we finally get to see the arts in a different light.

In this way, we can be more appreciative of what helped us survive in days we feel like we have nothing to turn untowhich served as our outlet, our business, and even our motivation in life. In doing so, we may be able to discover more about the world, and even importantly about ourselves.

To quote Keating: “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race.”

(Dialogue by Tom Schulman, screenwriter of Dead Poets’ Society, 1999-U.S.A.) of oppression and injustice.

The law is the lawbut we must never forget that the law should be humane and just,neither should it be selective nor sets double standards.

These events should never be forgotten as these prove that the Philippine justice system is flawed; that it is only harsh to ordinary citizens while it lets the rich and the powerful free from accountability.

If we let these injustices pass through us, we will merely be tolerating the state’s action of unfairness. We will become enablers of oppressors toward our fellow citizens.

How many injustices are we supposed to encounter before we fight against inequalities?

This moment should be the start especially for those who chose to stay still and not get involved with socio-political dilemmas to finally talk and act. This is the right time to urge and strive to change the system from within.

With all these injustices, there are no excuses to be politically apathetic anymore.

Opinion

VO LU M E X L I V - I S S U E 2

Among Us is a popular mobile game with one simple goal: to beat the imposter. It is a cute little game of survival in space. If you are a crewmate, you have to accomplish tasks and prove that you are not the imposter. As for the imposter, it is a little more complicated.

The imposter cannot do any tasks—they sabotage, disrupt, and kill instead.

In order for the imposter to win the game, either the imposter sabotages for an easy win or kills as many as they can while getting away with it.

Among Us is a game involving wits and problemsolving skills. Every crewmate needs an alibi to prove that they are not the imposter, lest they get ejected for a crime they did not commit.

The Philippine government is like a six-year long game of Among Us. In the beginning, everyone seemed to be doing their tasks. The imposter would sit around, pretending to stay true to their promises.

There is a saying: “You shouldn’t so casually place a politician on a pedestal because there is the danger that you will only see them on a one-dimensional level; you should be constantly scrutinizing them from a multifaceted perspective and always with an objective head.” The quote’s origin is still debated but its clear-cut message is one that has no room for further dispute.

The thing with politicians is they are actors, and they know that they have to put on a show. As thespians, they have to make certain that we, as the audience, are able to connect with their performance lest they lose any possibility of a standing ovation or better yet an encore.

To capture the audience can be done a myriad way: Want to keep it traditional?

Take the populist approach.

Feeling spicy? Make an unnecessary dramatization out of everything. Looking to go lowkey? Do absolutely nothing until the campaign for the next election starts.

Do we have to wait for the country to be completely banned from international tournaments before we learn what is going on with toxic culture among Filipino gamers?

From the harmless banters to the most affronting trash talks, gaming etiquette suddenly becomes a must.

When streamers happen to show unruly behavior in their livestreams, they automatically get hit by the consequences they have to face. The same goes for every gamer who interacts with other players in a battle arena. Of course, we are brought in by the adrenaline and filled up with the fuel to succeed. We’d be getting our hands dirty (virtually) just to gain the points and rewards.

The game plan starts so simple: it happens in either a chaotic or peaceful procedure and ends with the most glorifying taste of victory or antagonizing loss.

“Did you have fun?” It is what

PH government sus UNDER SPOTLIGHT Chantal Macaraeg

@chanporaduh assoced.thelance@letran.edu.ph

As time goes by, there is no progress in the task bar despite them “doing” their tasks.

So what does an imposter do? While the crewmates carry on with their lives, the imposter plunders and enables the worsening conditions.

They are sabotaging the lives of innocent Filipino people for their own gain.

If the imposter is feeling brave, they would “kill” a good official by cutting them off or not giving them a platform.

In their place, they would be replaced by someone who will not snitch on the imposter.

A dead body doesn’t stay hidden for long. Someone would report it, and it would begin a long trial of who did it.

Everyone would be reciting their alibis. What did they do,

what were they doing at that time, and who do they think did it? In the game, the only way you’ll figure out who is the imposter is if you caught them in the act.

In real life, you cannot just point out that someone is the imposter right away.

An ordinary citizen’s voice can be drowned out by the supporters of the majority but the imposter will not give themselves away if they do not want to lose support. Instead, they will create unnecessary noise or divert attention.

The cute little characters are milling about as they go on with their tasks. They are unaware that one of the players will end up killing them. They could be in the middle of their task when the

And… scene!

SLIGHTLY DEBATABLE Justin Santelices

@justinsntlcs featuresed.thelance@letran.edu.ph

If you somehow find yourself the center of unwanted attention for something you said, did or did not do, it is best remembered that “bad publicity is still publicity” but there is always backtracking, apologizing, and then doing it again later. The point is to make sure you are seen but that you are seen only from the good angles.

Take for example Isko Moreno, the prominent mayor of the City of Manila. From day one as newly-elected city chief executive, we have come to witness, up to now, the dramatic changes that the city has gone through along with the meteoric rise of his name: Yorme.

Certainly, there is nothing wrong with Yorme making the lives of Manila’s residents better. It is, after all, what

they deserve as taxpayers but before anyone endorses him for presidency - Remember that he is simply doing his job.

He should not be held to an unreasonably high regard for doing what he is expected to do.

Somehow, it sets the precedent that everything they do afterwards will remain on-brand. As a result, these politicians become icons and seemingly infallible ones at that. Just one or two projects later and people sing hymns of praises for days.

It is not just Isko, the same should be applied in any individual we trust to wield immense powers. Even the much-beloved Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto should not be so irresponsibly thought of as without fault or incapable of making any. The very moment

Detoxify the toxicity MORTEMUS Maria Sofia Dimaculangan

@Sofieeeed sportsed.thelance@letran.edu.ph

every gamer asks herself or himself by the time he or she switch off her or his consoles.

However, most do not even have to wait until the final minute starts counting down in order to know if they are truly enjoying the game. Beyond those who solely bring positivity to the matches, there are some who are just there to use the in-game voice or text chat negatively as they take advantage of the safety they feel behind the screen. If you do something that is not as great as someone else or you have failed an objective, prepare yourself for the blame game.

Even if you are a random

player that was placed in a certain group or you just started off as a rookie in the match, keep in mind the nastiest and most aggressive name-calling you will ever hear in your whole life. Unfortunately, this mostly happens in the Filipino setting.

Hubristic pride is what most people are unaware of to be exhibiting in these circumstances. There are a lot of famous Filipino names and to those who just connect themselves to them as they possess the same characteristic or nationality.

They unconsciously treat this as a benefitresulting in toxicity

charlatan is upon them and are helpless with trying to point out who is the imposter because the players who are alive are unable to see their chat.

It is kind of creepy how much this little game could resemble real life. We are mere crewmates in this one giant ship as we try to survive against multiple imposters.

There is no warning when they will strike. In one moment, you could be doing your task, and in the next you are dead.

If only we could vote out the imposters like we do in the game, we would have been in a better place today except the ones who are keeping the posers in are the ones who are easily swayed by strong personalities and flowery words. Eventually, we have to bedefeated once the imposter kills off the last player and wins.

There is an imposter among us. They are not dressed in cute little suits and hats. They are real people and are waiting to strike. we paint these politicians as being more than what they truly are, it is not them that we put on a precarious situation, but ourselves.

While a good project may end up being forever associated with a certain name, it is often necessary, as they say, to separate the art from the artist. That means, for example, seeing President Rodrigo Duterte for what he actually is and not through our idea of him. Yes, it unfortunately also means that he is not the best president we had just because he did things that conveniently conformed to our personal, and often limited, standards of what the “best president” is.

If they are actors working their craft, then the audience should likewise be doing its part. A good audience is one that remains critical in their critique even if the one performing should be the actor they most adore; a good audience is one that constantly examines beyond the superficial and looks at what is beneath the act; a good audience is not passive. between teammates and opponents.

Sometimes, a player just goes full tilt. Whether they did not get the specific role they want or they were not able to obtain the highest KDA (SPELL OUT) ratings, a mouthful of censored swears shall be flooding the chat box and piercing the ears of each and every player, and even those who cannot understand Filipino. That makes it even more frustrating.

As we try to understand their behaviors, it might also be the time for Filipino gamers to learn proper etiquette when it comes to playing online games. It would be nice as well to educate the young people in these situations in order to avoid disrespect in the field. When the time comes, we will not be generalized as a nation of big whiny babies anymore. Learn to shrug it off if you lose, be humble if you win, and just simply have fun.

5

Enola was right: being emotional is unnecessary THE PURPLE SEAT Melody Jade Soriano

@melodyjsoriano maned.thelance@letran.edu.ph

“You’re being emotional, it’s understandable but not necessary” - Sherlock to Enola Holmes and Enola to Sherlock It was Tuesday last week when I found out that nine New Bilibid Prison(NBP) inmates were killed in a gang riot between the Sputnik gang and Commando inside the high security facility.

I was finishing a case study on Jaybee Sebastian, former Commando gang leader and New Bilibid Prison gang operations informant who was reported to have died mid-July due to Covid-19.

While researching, I learned the nature of gang supremacy inside the overcrowded prison.

The New Bilibid Prison is home to 28,753 inmates of the 3,000 person capacity area. However, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) specified that at least a quarter of their Php 4.2B 2020 budget is for prison maintenance. As testified by Sebastian, they were asked to pay an hourly measured electricity, and that there is a lack of beds, hence they utilized vertical space and created their own businessfunded beds. The NBP became a breeding ground to at least 12 gangs who, according to Sebastian, survive and exist through their “businesses”— selling drugs and other illegal substances while inside the correctional facility.

The thing about this agonizing truth is that it stings like a tattoo gun: you signed up for the pain but it hurts more than expected. The next thing you know is you are tainted and bleeding. Similarly, it made me realize that human-induced violent deaths are happening around us.

In a supposed place of rehabilitation, prohibited drugs are being shipped and sold like hotcakesriots are started, dozens are killed, and high-profile Chinese drug lords are highly-regarded than the Filipino inmates. Those are just the things we know, and it already tainted my idea of judicial integrity, making my heart bleed with anger.

Even as a BA-Journalism student I fear that the truth would be hard to swallow and that my journalistic vocation would lead me into an abyss of emotional turmoil. Then, I think about the other side of the spectrum: oblivion. Not knowing whether you are manipulated by the higher ups is way more pathetic than emotional instability. Just like a bruised boxer, we do not have a choice but to stand up and to fight bravely for the next round of truth-seeking.

The peculiar combination of a pandemic and technology results into readily-available saturated and unfiltered opinions and information that makes us prone to romanticizing and unhealthily lingering on information that we do not need. It pressures us when we are already in distressed.

There is polarization of people and politicization of news which breeds anger and hate towards one another. I am a victim of societal pressure to be carelessly outspoken or to cancel famous personalities whose opinions are different to that of the majority. But maybe, as an individual we should start assessing information rationally and listen to Sherlock Holmes: ”Emotions are understandable but aren’t helpful”.

It is an unpopular opinion regarding emotions for what it is: a distraction toward our goal of restoring justice and order to society. It is okay to acknowledge our feelings but the time calls for Holmes-like beings that choose to stay calm and rational in spite of the many urges to break down and resort to the tyranny of the majority.

You may not be a Holmesbut is able enough to understand that the world is imperfect(not even close to perfect) systems in need of restoration.

It starts with acknowledging the truth and our emotions while grounding our integrity as anchors of our decisions.

Anger and tyranny of the majority may lead us to viewing inmates as people of the lowest caliber; not deserving of a portion of our taxes. However, if we try to stay rationalwe might discover that some inmates are victims of circumstances and systems.

We should consider restorative justice in our judicial systems and promote human ontological dignity’ by bettering our prison systems, making it a place rehabilitation that it is supposed to be.

VIEWFINDER

MENTAL HEALTH. Letranites exhibiting representations of different mental states in the midst of crisis PHOTOS BY CARL FERRER, ARALI SANTIAGO, JANEA ORATE, KYLA VELASCO , AND CHRISTELLE HARO

Features

FEATURES

It’s that time of the month

Hayok Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story

Recognizing your mental health

7

FEATURES EDITOR: JUSTIN SANTELICES LAYOUT ARTIST: ELDRICK NOLASCO

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New Manila PHOTO BY PHILIPPINE STAR VIA FACEBOOK

PHOTO BY MANILA BULLETIN VIA FACEBOOK

PHOTO BY MARK AVERILLA

PHOTO BY PATRICK ROMERO

BY NICOLE ANTE

It started with a promise made by the popular mayor of the city of Manila: Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso. The mayor gave his word that he will transform the city to a new and better place during his term, a “Bagong Maynila”, as he would usually call it.

“We’ll show you a new era of Manila—ang Bagong Maynila,” said Domagoso, firmly believing that he will make a drastic change to the place and bring back its past glory and more. He envisioned the city of Manila as a safe place that will be clean, crime-free, without slums, and one where the residents are stable.

One of Manila’s latest projects is one that is vital to the country as it faces a pandemic. The Manila administration, led by Mayor Isko, is set to build a new hospital with better equipment and state of the art

facilities. According to an article by Manila Bulletin, the Bagong Ospital ng Maynila worth P2.3 billion will be 10-story, with a total area of 29,951 square meters and a capacity of 384 beds with 12 intensive-care units and 20 private rooms. It will also have a three-storey parking building and a helipad.

Mayor Isko did not mind the expenses because it will be beneficial to the health sector. Its creation will work to establish a better healthcare system for residents of the city and will likewise aid them in responding to future health situations like the one presented by COVID-19.

However, the focus of Isko’s administration was not on the current health crisis only. They made use of the quarantine period to renovate and beautify the Lagusnilad underpass. This well-trodden tunnel leads to the Manila City hall and is often used by people going to

Intramuros, SM City Manila, and the Manila Post Office.

NEW CITY ATTRACTIONS After the clean-up and rehabilitation efforts that started in November 2019, it was officially opened on August 24, 2020. The old and vandalized walls turned into colorful and informative murals that depicted significant points in the history of the Philippines.

In addition, it presented some of the country’s most culturally and historically-important landmarks.

The now well-lit underpass is very much a far cry from what it used to be. With its significantly cleaner flooring, use of CCTVs for a safer experience, and ceilings fitted with wood for a pleasant atmosphere, you can be sure that the trip to Manila will be memorable even if the destination was the Lagusnilad underpass alone.

“Yorme” is good not only in renovating old infrastructures but also in making a new and sustainable one. A cafe near the Bonifacio Shrine called Kapetolyo officially opened its doors on International Coffee Day amidst the pandemic all of us are going through.

The new hangout gives off a homely ambience because of its use of wood as a primary element to the whole structure. With the location being surrounded with greenery for everyone’s appreciation, it is simply difficult to ignore this coffee place’s charm.

Kapetolyo serves homegrown coffee and affordable products that will allow customers to feel right at home; it is perfect for afterschool hangouts, coffee nights, work meetings, and any occasion to be enjoyed after the pandemic.

Kapetolyo is surely a place worthy of making everyone’s bucket lists.

After having coffee, you might want to check out the rehabilitated Anda Circle. The monument now boasts a dancing fountain with brilliant multi-colored lights that will capture all passersby. A casual stroll at the circle will provide a scenic view for the eye, one that will be different from what the past Anda Circle offered.

These are only a few from the mayor’s endless list of projects to be done in order to have an improved city of Manila. Of course, without his trusted officials and the cooperation of the Manila residents, none of these will have been possible.

While the pandemic has taken its toll on us, the government officials’ responsibilities will not be set aside.

In fact, it is all the more reason for leaders to work on the improvement and betterment of the lives of everyone because they are, and will always be, the end goals.

8

FEATURES

FEATURES EDITOR: JUSTIN SANTELICES LAYOUT ARTIST: ELDRICK NOLASCO

Recognizing your mental health

BY LIZA PORE

Last October 10, countries all over the world celebrated World Mental Health Day. As part of campaign with the general goal of bringing issues on mental health to light, the day gives a chance for individuals to be made aware of mental health issues and its importance.

As human beings, mental health is an important part of life from childhood to adolescence and up to adulthood. It encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental health influences how we think, feel, and act. Despite its importance, why is it still such a controversial subject for many?

In 2017, a study conducted by Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimated that around 792 million people live with a mental health disorder. Illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are often mentioned as the prevailing diseases in adults.

Keep in mind that despite these large numbers, mental health disorders are still widely underreported, especially for nations

where information is more difficult to find. Unfortunately, there is less consideration when it comes to psychological well-being.

That’s why these conversations should happen in order for people to be made more aware of their mental health as a whole, being afforded the level of care we always give to our physical health. In this time where most of us are stuck at home, without the means to go out and distract ourselves from when everything gets a bit too overwhelming, taking care of our mental health is all too vital to keep ourselves in check.

One way of looking after our mental health state is by keeping ourselves active. According to the Mental Health Foundation, regular exercise can improve your selfesteem, and at the same time help you feel better. It doesn’t necessarily have to be doing a certain exercise routine (hello Chloe Ting!) or lifting a few weights, strolling around your area or even a quick chore session can keep you active.

Another way of taking care of your mental health better is by keeping in touch with other people. We all

Break the roles PHOTO FROM SIX DEGREES EXECUTIVE

BY SAMANTHA BERNARDO

Women play an essential role in all aspects of life, though it would somehow be stereotypical to mention certain activities that are viewed to be done only by them. Nevertheless, it is evident that women have not only the beauty, but they also have the intellect, talents, and rights.

Three women who have made their marks in the showbiz industry embody this; Julia Barretto, Catriona Gray, and Liza Soberano have each been serving looks and talents since their first day in the limelight.

However, the life of an artist is not all glitz and glamour. These women have experienced things that no woman should ever have to suffer, but they did not let these incidents take over their lives. Instead, they saw it as an opportunity to use their privilege and influence to do good.

BABY ON BOARD The Barrettos are no strangers when it comes to gossip. Recently, former broadcaster Jay Sonza mentioned Julia Barretto in one of his Facebook posts claiming that she was pregnant with Gerald Anderson’s child. Sonza went on to say that this proved that the two were not barren.

Barretto later posted on her Instagram page a picture of her toned abdomen while sporting a gray bralette and white pants. She captioned the post with “fake news” to finally silence the rumor. Fans of the actress defended her, alongside other artists like Liza Soberano, Dani Barretto, and Claudia Barretto. Followers and women’s rights advocates also urged her to file a lawsuit against Sonza for his post.

ENTERTAINMENT GONE WRONG Almost a month ago, Catriona Gray’s name was dragged when entertainment editor Janice Navida and writer Melba Llanera of Bulgar newspaper published an alleged fake topless photograph of the model. Atty. Jojie Alonso, Ms. Gray’s lawyer, confirmed that she filed a libel complaint against the two last September with the Prosecutor’s Office.

The model also asked for the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation to find the people behind the edited topless photograph.

She demanded a public apology from the publication and P10 million for damages.

THREAT THROUGH THE INTERNET Last September, Liza Soberano’s peace was disturbed when an employee of an internet service provider so casually remarked rape jokes against her on social media. A netizen saw the comment and tweeted it to warn Soberano and her manager about the threat. She did not let this incident pass and instead filed a case against the employee last September.

The telecommunication company already made a statement about the misconduct of the employee.

They posted on Facebook that they were aware of the issue and took disciplinary actions for the misdeed of the employee.

THE BIGGER PICTURE In past generations, women were only treated as housewives. They were usually looked down upon by men and were not allowed to do certain things such as getting a job and even voting.

know that one of the best feelings in the world is being able to share a laugh or a memory with our family and friends. And although we cannot do most of these things face-to-face right now, a tight hug from our loved ones or a simple video call with friends can help with managing the worries of life.

The people we surround ourselves with can make us feel valid and cared for. They can offer various perspectives to anything that’s going on inside our own heads. They can help keep us grounded and assist us with taking care of problems that may arise in our lives.

Celebrations like World Mental Health Day and Mental Health Awareness Month are fundamental to standardizing discussions on mental health issues, but this is not to say that mental health should only be brought up during a certain day or month; it has to be talked about and prioritized all year round.

There is a need to speak up about it just as there is a need for each of us to take the initiative and start with making a promise to ourselves to look after our well-being.

PHOTO FROM MENTALHEALTH.ORG

It’s that time of the month

PHOTO FROM BOSTON GLOBE

They were viewed as submissive and obedient, as if they were slaves.

However, that is not the case anymore nor should it ever have been.

Women are equal to men. They are allowed to attend college just as men are allowed to. They are able to vote and are free to apply to any job they desire even if it apparently should only be “for men”. They are not the “weak” ones they have been believed to be.

The aforementioned women did not only stand their ground but they also exercised their rights as women and as human beings. They did not let these harassers get away with their irresponsible actions nor should anyone let any one individual get away with theirs.

Even though Barretto, Gray, and Soberano are celebrities who feel “hard to reach”, they are still human beings much like us. Regardless of their standing, they have the right to ask what is due them when their rights as a person are ignored and violated.

These incidents also highlight the problems that remain prevalent due to social media. While it is easier to say and do things on the internet, it is still the duty of each individual to be responsible with their online interactions just as it is the responsibility of each one of us to actively oppose what is not right, in the same way that these women did.

The decision of these three women to use their status to combat what is wrong and to effectuate positive societal change is a decision that is worth emulating. For the longest time women have been put down and disregarded, it is high time that they receive the barest level of decency that they have always deserved not just as women, but as human beings.

PHOTO FROM PATONE COLOR INSTITUTE

BY GEORGINA SANTIAGO

The secret is out. No more hiding, no more drug exchange-like interactions, and especially no more questions like “Does it hurt?” left unanswered. With Pantone’s new color called Period, maybe the taboo on talking about women’s menstrual cycle can finally stop.

The first things we learn as a child are the seven colors of the rainbow.

Eventually, we learn that colors can represent things like emotions, people, and even events. Pantone took that up a notch when they released Period.

Who is Pantone anyway? Pantone is a company that specializes in identifying various colors and shades. They assist with color matching and identification of the precise color that people are looking for. If you ever come to experience that you want to describe something but you can’t seem to do it, maybe Pantone can do it for you.

It has become some sort of tradition for people to wait for Pantone’s next big color launch where the color they release is used to promote something, to represent some kind of trend, or to spread awareness for an important cause.

One of the colors that Pantone released this year is the color Period.

Not the period that you see at the end of the sentence, but the period that is every woman’s most dreaded week of every month. This subject of a girl’s menstrual cycle is like a trade secret which is why some are often

in the dark as to how women “take care of it” or “how does it feel” in general.

More than this, the topic has always been mired with undue stigma.

Even when it is just an ordinary biological occurrence, menstruation has long been considered a taboo in the Philippines resulting in the general lack of knowledge about it and the unfortunate spread of misinformation surrounding it.

Pantone works to combat this by encouraging and embracing the curiosities that both men and women hold instead of unnecessarily suppressing them.

The vice president of Pantone Color Institute, Laurie Pressman, described this new color as “confident red” to motivate positive conversations and discussions about the mysterious, and normal, world of menstruation.

Efforts like Pantone’s Period are necessary to pave the way for a society that does not disregard an important matter and one that welcomes conversations about it. As Pressman put it, the goal of Period was “to urge everyone, regardless of gender, to feel comfortable to talk spontaneously and openly about this pure and natural bodily function.”

Besides the newly launched color, Pantone also previously released colors like Love Symbol #2 to honor the late musician Prince, and Gen-Z Yellow that was considered a trend back in 2017 when famous models Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and others started incorporating this shade of yellow to their wardrobe.

Features

VO LU M E X L I V - I S S U E 2

9

Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story

BY ALEXI AQUILINO

The Philippines is known for a lot of things: gorgeous tourist spots, the rich culture, and its people who have been recognized and praised for being naturally optimistic, resilient, and gifted beings—and although those aspects are already fantastic as they are, who’s to say we don’t have more that can bring our country on other’s radars?

Perhaps with ‘Hayop ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story’, an original Filipino cartoon adult comedy movie that will premiere this October 29, 2020 on Netflix, independent animated film making will be another addition to the list of things our country is acclaimed for.

The movie centers around Nimfa Dimaano (Angelica Panganiban), a perfume sales kitty, caught in an unexpected love triangle between her mongrel janitor boyfriend, Roger (Robin Padilla), and a bourgeoisie business dog, Iñigo Villanueva (Sam Milby), who allures her through his high societal living.

THE PRODUCTION ‘Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story’ is directed by Avid Liongoren and written by Manny Angeles and Paulle Olivenza. It is produced by Rocketsheep Studio, Spring Films, and Piolo Pascual, who also voices a character in the film.

PHOTO FROM CLICKTHECITY

Despite the lack of animated films in Philippine mainstream media, their team decided to push through with the project because of their advocacy of bringing local animated films to the public for their appreciation and for the presence of unknown Filipino animators to be brought to light.

In an exclusive interview with The LANCE, when asked how it is any different from directing a live action film, Liongoren claimed that making

animated movies is “like crossing an ocean on an old timey ship, it takes so long & you really can’t see where you are going until it is very close”.

Nonetheless, no matter how long it may have taken them to reach the destination and how maddening the process might have been, the moment they finally complete their project “almost always makes it all feel worth it”, as the director puts it.

It took three years for the film to be fully developed and according to

Liongoren, finding funding was the hardest aspect in making it happen.

UPCOMING RELEASE The whole journey of creating a film is already hard as it is, but garnering an audience to watch it afterwards is even more troublesome than making the film itself, the director expressed. He went on to say that this was the “harshest lesson” he learned in his life as an independent filmmaker when they

had to distribute their previous film with minimal resources.

That is why having ‘Hayop Ka!’ premiere on Netflix gives him the ease of knowing that the film will be easily and widely available to the public, being that it is unmistakably one of the most prominent streaming services to date.

Apart from the good vibes that this movie will bring, what will its release mean for the local animation community? Well, it can serve as an opening and an encouragement to both existing and aspiring local animated filmmakers.

The makers of this film, after all, advocate local animation production and likewise hope that studios will continue to produce local animated films and series even if ‘Hayop Ka!’ is not wellreceived. If the film does end up doing well, Liongoren hopes that it would result in more local production which would equate to more work for animators.

After ‘Hayop Ka!’, they already have something else in store.

Liongoren says that the team is in pre-production for an adaptation of ‘Zsazsa Zaturnnah Vs. The Amazonistas of Planet X’, a graphic novel by graphic designer and illustrator Carlo Vergara. They are also developing ‘Light Lost’ based on the graphic novels of Rob Cham, a comic book creator and illustrator.

A fang-tastic night: your must-see horror films

PHOTOS BY IMDB, FILM AFFINITY, FANDANGONOW, AND POSTERSPY

BY LIZA PORE

The month of October has finally arrived, and everyone knows what that means: Halloween! From sharing spooky stories with friends, to dressing up in costumes of our desired characters, Halloween season is one holiday-philes favor the most.

But with a pandemic happening, it seems like our trick-or-treating and Halloween party plans have come to a halt but fear not! We can still celebrate the holiday with a good ‘ol binge of hair-raising, spine-tingling array of films that will surely get ourselves in the horror mood.

THE THING (1982) Starting off with one of the classics directed by horror legend John Carpenter, ‘The Thing’ brings a frozen atmosphere to the sci-fi horror genre. When an American scientific expedition in Antarctica is interrupted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of

its victims, their suspicion between each other becomes a recipe for disaster.

‘The Thing’ is the pinnacle of 80’s practical effects, with its various kill counts by the humanturned-parasitic creatures as the movie unfolds. This cult classic is set to make the audience steeped in paranoia and will make you question: what is the thing?

FUNNY GAMES (1997) You’ve probably heard of the 2007 American replica-remake of Michael Haneke’s film of the same name, but the 1997 Austrian psychological thriller brings truth or dare in a more brutal manner.

The story follows a family held hostage by two psychotic youngsters, planning a series of sadistic games in their vacation home. What makes the cult-shocker different is how the two men (Peter & Paul) consistently break the fourth wall, even going so far as asking the viewers if they should continue on or end the film.

The entire tone of the movie gives a verisimilitude look, making the happenings in it much more terrifying for the audience. ‘Funny Games’ is very much a ‘first watch’ experience kind of horror film, so for first time viewers, it might blow you away (no pun intended… maybe.)

SUSPIRIA (2018) A coven of witches running a prestigious dance company— not at all horrifying, right? Luca Guadagnino’s homage to the 1977 ‘Suspiria’ introduces the new horror generation to the twisted witchcraft themes of the original. Set in Berlin of the same year, Susie Bannion (played

by Dakota Johnson) auditions for the Markos Dance Academy, quickly gaining attention from the head matrons.

This supernatural horror film shows that the genre is more than just generalized jumpscares and unnecessary sexualization of women’s bodies. Instead, its dour and radically feminine approach

adds to why horror films can be a masterpiece AND a progressive one at that.

THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019) Two guys stuck on a remote island for a month. Or is it two days? Five weeks? Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) utters in the film.

This 2019 mystery-horror, directed

by Robert Eggers, will surely want you watching this one with someone else.

With the entirety of the film shot in black and white, ‘The Lighthouse’ gives a chilling tension to scary movie lovers as the story follows two ‘wickies’, Wake and Ephraim Winslow (portrayed by Robert Pattinson) guarding a lighthouse.

Set in the late-Victorian timeline, this period piece exhibits the island’s peculiarities along with its horrendous climate, a questionable seagull, and a lighthouse full of mysteries.

The back-and-forth dialogues between Dafoe and Pattinson emphasize how the two

lightkeepers just slowly lose their sanity and drift into madness.

READY OR NOT (2019) Now for a much lighter film (if you can even say that in the horror league), ‘Ready or Not’ brings a more comedic tinge to the horror category.

Directors Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who are also cocreators of the filmmaking collective Radio Silence, bring gore with a touch of silly banter on a wedding night that turns bloody.

As Alex Le Domas returns home to marry Grace in their family home, an unusual matrimonial ritual awaits the two. An evening of a twisted hide-and-seek game, multiple body counts, and hilarious out of place one-liners, ‘Ready or Not’ will have you rooting for one of this generation’s “final girls”.

Even if our holiday plans aren’t like the old, it’s definitely a time to plan a few movie nights to watch some of the best Halloween movies!

What are your favorite spooky ones?

10

OPINION

VO LU M E X L I V - I S S U E 2

Knights Speak In light of the health crisis the world is experiencing, what are some coping mechanisms that aid you to manage your cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial stress as a student/professor?

ARTWORK BY KUNO CREATIVE

Ken Anthony Kasahara, Third Year, BSBA Accountancy With the recently held midterm examinations, I relaxed by playing the guitar and taking longer breaks than before. As we all know, we are in the process of adopting to the “new normal” system that creates new challenges in terms of academics and serves as a catalyst for mental health problems. As a coping mechanism, I engage myself in hobbies such as cooking, playing instruments, playing games, and other things that would help ease my mind and destress me..

I do not fully stress myself in my studies. I also take breaks when I feel tired. For me, it is just a matter of time management and prioritization of the things you want to accomplish because, at the end of the day, I will not compromise my health over my studies.

John Ernest Matthew C. David, Accountancy Senator, Letran Student Council

Jericho Q. Zafra, Third Year, AB Journalism As a student and a writer, being empathetically surrounded by people who work with you not as their competitor but as a human-talisman in reaching a certain goal in the academe is obstinately a circle of colleagues you have to be surrounded of. Converged with the fact as the first batch of the new education curriculum and further, the batch who acquired this present health climate all in the same era has challenged me emotionally and academically. Yet, grasping and employing the social idea of “kapwa-tao” as a means to extend your presence meant so much these days; it helped me throughout the course of the quarantine period to be seen, connected, heard, and appreciated - and reciprocated that compassion to those who drowned themselves, and to those who succumbed their interest at most things due to lack of emotional support.

Juan Gabriel Balcos, First Year, AB Journalism

At first, it was tough to cope up with stress. Then, online classes commenced which added to my stress. Adjusting to this ‘new normal’ setup is very challenging. I tried many things to cope with my stress, but nothing happened—all of that change when I found my support group. We created a safe space, where we talked about a lot of stuff, watch movies, play games, and planning future trips when this pandemic is over. You don’t need to face your stress alone; know that there are people out there dealing with the same thing. Don’t forget to check on your friends. Keep safe, Letranites!

One of my coping mechanisms to manage my stress is binge-watching movies and vlogs.

It is a massive help for me to ease stress, especially now that we have a pandemic. Another thing is writing notes regarding how and what I feel. It makes me feel relieved and calm whenever I express my feelings through writing right after an exhausting and stressful day. Lastly is playing musical instruments; specifically, guitar and ukulele, since music can positively change my mood.

Actually, the situation we are facing right now takes a lot of adjustment. Hindi madali [It is not simple] but step-by-step, [with] me being so extroverted. Then suddenly, the world needs to shift everything online, and for me, it’s not that easy. Exhausting. But we need to continue our life and find other things and other ways to gain energy every day. I love talking to people personally, joking around, and socializing most of the time but due to the pandemic ‘personally’ became ‘virtually.’ I continue socializing even virtually and even make jokes with the people I’m comfortable doing so given that socializing is my stress reliever. I also do things I love like playing guitar, watching documentaries, editing something, and spending some time with my family. These are the things that I do to manage my stress right now.

As a student and a member of several student organizations in Letran, workloads are not easy to handle, especially when we are in the middle of a virtual set-up. Last October 15, I became independent as my parents and siblings moved out of the house to settle in another town, and the adjustment stage became hard for me. Distress is coming out of hand; academics, organization workloads, household chores, everything became hard for me, and these factors stress me out.

But, I told myself that I should be strong enough to handle the situation especially distresses from these factors. I cope in a way that I made sure that I am getting enough rest from time to time, I plot my workloads per day, so that I could finish them on time without messing with my schedule, I make sure that I am getting enough nutrients that I needed to have the energy for by eating healthy foods. Finally, I make sure that when things are getting out of hand, I tend to seek others’ help or at least vent out your feelings with other people like friends and family. And whenever I feel like I’m going to cry, I let all tears flow. Crying because of stress is okay. In fact, it makes us feel relieved after we vent out all of the stresses that we had. But of course, these things on how we are going to cope with our stressors will never be successful without our actions.

Let me remind you that for us to cope [with the situation] we also need to recognize [what] we feel and think critically on how we will act, especially in times of these wherein all of our emotions are flocking.

Lora Mei Santiago, Third Year AB Advertising

Toni Dones, First Year, BA-Journalism

One of my coping mechanisms to manage stress is binge-watching movies and vlogs. It is a massive help for me to ease stress especially now that we are in a pandemic. Another thing is journal writing; it makes me feel relieved and calm whenever I express my feelings through writing right after an exhausting and stressful day. Lastly is playing musical instruments; specifically, guitar and ukulele, since music can positively change my mood.

ARTWORK BY SCOTT MENCHIN

Johannah B. Pimentel, Secretary, Letran Student Council

“For every Letranite, it is important to establish healthy coping mechanisms. We all have our own personal coping skills to take charge of our thoughts, feelings, and actions.”

Sports

OCTOBER 2020

11

Inside the mind of Coach Bonnie Tan

BY ZENYLIN YAP

Team play is considered successful if on-court communication between coaches and players becomes the primary factor on influencing the whole structure of the team—a fuel for a fully ignited in-game performance.

For the NCAA Season 95 winning coach, Bonnie Tan, who is also the Head Coach of Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights (Defending champion of NCAA Season 95) it’s all or nothing for the inside-the-head gambling.

After the former Knights head coach Jeff Napa’s contract ended, the birth of new Knights armour was formed last January 22, 2019 as Tan made a warmup entrance, offering Letran Knights no other choice but to completely dump the ‘underdog’ tag.

Garnering a 14-6 cushion for the season, the Knights claimed their 18th NCAA Championship title for men’s basketball last November 19, 2019 inside the huge court of Mall of Asia Arena. Along with them is the mind behind the prideful victory who

also defended his strategies to other coaches in a technical mind game.

“A coach is someone who guides, teaches and motivates each player to help develop and achieve their maximum potential as an individual and as a team.” For Coach Bonnie, this is one of the essential of boosting a team’s performance Being a concrete foundation to his team, he firmly sticks with his ways by “studying the character and skill of each player entails a different approach”, which made the Knights get inside the zone.

However, it’s not always the life of ease in every aspect of managing a basketball team as a head coach.

Bonnie Tan also shared his rough seas in handling the ball as his difficulties revolve around failing to execute their game plan.

Following the successful season, Tan expressed his takeaways upon being the team’s sturdy trunk. “You have to acknowledge all the people involved in making the team what it is.,” he said.

It’s a give and take for the whole

Letran Basketball Team as players also acknowledged the gears Coach Bonnie have to start their team’s engine cogs.

Succeeding from the previous NCAA season made a renowned chapter for the Letran Knights, creating a mark on history. Now that a new journey kicks off, Coach Bonnie’s mindful plays are not always on the same patterns as the new roster of top-tier ballers head out to the battle to do his strategic ways.

“If you want to get into or do something, you have to always do your best, so you’ll have no regrets whatever the outcome may be,” said Tan. New insights unlocked by getting a glimpse inside the mind of Letran Knights wisest team player, as Coach Bonnie propelled his team’s foundation secured and guarded more than ever.

“Trust and believe that we will continue to work hard to achieve our ultimate goal, to WIN the Championship.” Closing the interview with Letran’s motivational catchphrase, “Do not fear, only believe - Mark 5:36.”

FILE PHOTO

LeBron and the Lakers PBA Bubble: PBA Philippine Cup resumes, former Knights ready for battle reclaim NBA Glory; Miami Heat, a worthy opponent

FILE PHOTOS

BY ROMWEL ANZURES

The PBA is back. After 7 months of home workouts and other alternatives, the Philippine Basketball Association returned to play last October 11. 2020.

The said play date featured Talk ‘n Text beating Alaska, 100-95 in the first game, as well as Ginebra winning against NLEX 102-92, with former Letran Knight Jerrick Balanza making his debut for the Kings.

Balanza only saw a few minutes on the court during his debut, but it was a good start for the former Letran star’s pro career.

Two former Knights also made their debuts during TerraFirma Dyip’s opening game. Bonbon

Batiller and Christian Balagasay joined ex-Letran Star JP Calvo in the Dyip’s campaign this 2020 Philippine Cup The speedy Calvo expressed his thoughts on the PBA Bubble, saying that it is indeed a different experience especially that they strictly need to follow safety protocols, but understands that it is for the greater good. “Mag tiwala kay Lord na matapos na ang pandemic na’to.”, closing his earlier statements.

Bong Quinto, who is now playing for Meralco, also shared his experiences in their early moments in the bubble. “Sa ngayon okay naman yung experience ko dito.

Hindi naman na siya bago sa akin

kasi medyo sanay naman ako na malayo sa pamilya dahil sa Letran nag dorm naman ako.”

In addition, the only difference now is that he needs to sacrifice more for he can’t go home to see his family. He also gave his appreciation to the Letran community for their continuous support not only to him, but to all the former Knights who are in the bubble. Citing that they would not be where they are right now if it weren’t for Letran. “Lagi kong ipag mamalaki na LETRANISTA AKO”.

Other Knights who are currently in the bubble are Alaska’s Kevin Racal, Meralco’s Raymond Almazan and Brian Faundo, NLEX’s Kevin Alas, Phoenix’s RJ Jazul and Rain or Shine’s Rey Nambatac.

coach and guide my former players.”

Denoting his paramount delight, Napa couldn’t help but to look forward on coaching his former NU players amid the rough challenges waiting for him. His awaited homecoming grandeur will bound to influence the Bulldog’s play to the next season of UAAP, which id another thing to look forward to with NU’s new play techniques.

In spite of the clear skies on Napa’s situation, he recalled tough and fleeting moments of him being the Knight’s Head Coach way back 2016 to 2018 where he said, “Ang dami ko natutunan nung nagstay ako sa Letran.”

The sturdy and man-to-man battles of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the stay inside Letran Knights Dominican-

centered court taught him few points.

He learned not only as a head coach, but as well as fostering camaraderie and realizing the factor where the continuity of the tradition can be the primary element of a winning culture.

Moving to the last phase of the said interview, Napa left a heartfelt message to Letran Knights and to the whole Letran Community that warmly served as his home for the past two years.

“Thank you Letran. I am forever grateful and proud. Do not fear, only believe. Arriba!”

An exclamatory statement “I’m back!” to the NU Bulldogs as a gosignal that Coach Jeff Napa is set to claim a new tourney on the vast courts of the UAAP dome. Whether to dominate the upcoming season is yet to be determined.

Previous Letran Head Coach Jeff Napa settles with NU

BY ZENILYN YAP

Dé·jà vu it is for Letran’s former Head Coach and North Port Batang Pier’s Assistant Coach Jeff Napa as last October 9, 2020. the National University notably appointed him as the NU Bulldog’s newest mind player, succeeding Goldwyn Monterverde’s place.

The identical set-up occurred last 2005 when Napa played his role as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs; from years 2011 to 2011, bull-dozing three UAAP Junior titles for the Bullpups made him an effective behind-thescenes weapon for each games of his alma mater In his latest and official interview with The LANCE, Napa expressed his happiness on the role, “Sobrang happy ko. I am looking forward to

PHOTO FROM THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (NBA)

BY ROMWEL ANZURES

LEGACY LEFT - With Los Angeles Lakers finally achieving that championship after a decade of a dry spell, they were brought to the Promised land as the fanbase hoped for Lebron James to do so. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat definitely showed exuberance and proved themselves worthy despite the loss.

The Lakers showcased their dominance from the beginning as they started out the series 2-0, living up to the expectations as the favorites to win. Miami showed signs of life and skill, balled out and made the series 3-2, yet the favor was still in Los Angeles.

It took legendary performances from Heat Star Jimmy Butler, who put up 26.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 9.8 assists to match-up with the stars of LA. Butler even had two historical triple-doubles in Games 3 and 5 just to get two wins for Miami, but Lebron James and Anthony Davis proved to be too much.

The former Heat Legend and now, Lakers’ new glimmer of hope, King James won another NBA Championship and Finals MVP, both being his fourth, averaging 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.2 steals. The Brow, on the other hand, showed no signs of pressure, putting up 25.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.0 blocks, in his firstever finals appearance.

“We’ve got more work to do…”

Lebron told Davis during their locker room celebration, as reported by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, giving Laker fans a perspective on what the thoughts of the Dynamic Duo are after their first title together.

NOT UNDERDOGS From sweeping the Pacers, upsetting the Bucks, and taking care of the Celtics, the Miami Heat really proved themselves to be the best team that should be representing the Eastern Conference.

“I just don’t think that we’re underdogs, I don’t. So what, nobody picked us to be here? That’s OK.” Butler said in a report by ESPN. They clearly showed that they aren’t pushovers, with Butler, rookies Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn, and sharpshooter Duncan Robinson showcasing their skills in the biggest stage of professional basketball.

Although down to two starters for most of the series, with all-around big man Bam Adebayo and veteran guard Goran Dragic being hindered with injuries, the team still showed their culture, grit, and discipline.

The Heat’s run may have come up short, but they symbolized persistence and all the right things.

They focused on their goal, and whether or not they would win, they took pride, and stood strong.

This is the Heat’s sixth finals appearance, having won three times. The Lakers, on the other hand, have 32 finals appearances; the latest ones being their 17th.

Sports The Lance

Ramirez settles in Sampaloc, joins FEU Tamaraws

BY GABBY BALCOS

The Far Eastern University Tamaraws have officially landed former Letran Squire Joshua Ramirez.

Olsen Racela, head coach of the Tamaraws, broke the news to Tiebreaker Times. This comes almost exactly a month since Ramirez who first committed to La Salle announced that he is in

search of a new team.

Around this time last year, the 6-foot-4 guard-forward gave Letran Knights coach Bonnie Tan his word that he will suit up as he ends his tenure in the junior’s division. Though back in February, things changed and the former Gilas U18 cadet was asked to look for other options.

By February, Ramirez announced his intentions to play for the De La

Salle Green Archers. However, in early September, with some new pick-ups in the Archers’ stacking roster, he once again opted out of his prior pronouncement and started searching for a new home.

In an interview with Tiebreaker Times, Racela clarified that FEU first spoke to the DLSU management regarding the Ramirez sweepstakes.

“Ayaw naman namin na may maaapakan

kami, so we cleared everything with the coaches of La Salle, and he did not enroll naman sa kanila making him eligible for season 83.”, the Tamaraws head coach stated.

He also mentioned that the reason they recruited Ramirez was because of his shooting prowess as the 20-year old has also given off the same vibe as Kenneth Tuffin and Rey Bienes, who both will be

PHOTO BY ANGELA DAVOCOL

playing their last year in Season 83.

In his last season with the Squires in season 95 of the NCAA, Ramirez averaged 13 points and 5 rebounds in 27 minutes per outing.

The blue-chip recruit and the rest of the Tamaraws are hoping to begin their campaign in Season 83 by January next year if things go well as planned.

Raymond Reyes: an The job is finished: the Lakers’ athlete’s role model journey to the NBA title

PHOTO FROM THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (NBA)

BY PAOLO TRINIDAD LAYOUT BY ANGELICA DIXIMO

BY PAOLO TRINIDAD

Last October 13, the Letran community was shocked after the official page of Letran posted about the sudden passing of former Letran basketball player, Raymond Reyes.

“Yung pagmamahal niya sa Letran, sobra.” stated Odick Reyes, the brother of the late Letran Knight star.

Raymond Reyes is a former Letran Page and Letran Squire back in the 80s. He brought the Squires to the NCAA finals for three straight years and won a title during his final year in 1986, where he also served as the captain of the team.

After his playing years, Raymond became a part of the coaching staff for both the Letran Squires and the Letran Knights in 1987-‘91, giving Letran again a championship each for the two teams.

Reyes, who graduated grade school in ’82 and high school in ’86, was not just an outstanding athlete, but an outstanding student as well.

He received a loyalty award, athletics award, and also represented Letran in the World Scout Jamboree.

“He is in the top section and always has good grades even when playing for the Squires. He is a role model for the athletes,” said his brother, who was also a former assistant coach of the Letran Squires.

Reyes did not stop giving titles to his alma mater. He was the one responsible for bringing Jerrick Balanza and Tommy Olivario to Letran, who also gave the Letran championships back in 2015 and 2019.

“Rest in peace coach Mond. Thank you sa pagdala sa akin sa Letran.

Kung hindi dahil s’ayo wala ako dito sa pangarap ko. Maraming, maraming salamat.” said by the former Letran Knight, Jerrick Balanza, in his Facebook post.

Looking at the posts and the number of people that he helped, one thing is clear: Raymond Reyes is truly an inspiration to all student athletes.

The Los Angeles Lakers were once again the NBA champions after beating the Miami Heat with 10693 in Game 6 of the NBA finals last Sunday, October 11, in Ohio. This is the Lakers first title in ten years.

TEN YEAR DROUGHT The last time the Lakers made it to the finals and won a championship was way back in 2010, when they finished the series against their archrivals the Boston Celtics in a do-or-die game 7 in the NBA finals. With a score of 83-79, Kobe led the squad and won his fifth title and his second finals MVP. The Lakers acquired good pieces through the years like all-stars Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, and Nick Young, as well as promising young players like D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson.

The following seasons have been a downfall for the franchise after being in an unfamiliar place and missing the playoffs for six consecutive seasons.

This is the longest playoff drought the franchise has been in throughout

their history.

Kobe Bryant had also retired during this stretch. He had his final season in 2016 after playing 20 years with the Lakers.

NEW CHAPTER Last year was a bittersweet season for the Lakers after they signed superstar forward Lebron James.

Unfortunately, their season became a struggle after a lot of players were missing games due to injuries and bad chemistry. After that, they traded their key pieces Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first round picks for Pelicans all-star Anthony Davis, a great young player to pair with the aging Lebron.

The Lakers also added Dwight Howard, Danny Green, Markieff Morris and other good pieces to add to the Lakers experienced roster.

This season has been a success for the Lakers, clinching the first seed in a tough Western conference and being back to the NBA finals after a decade.

FOR KOBE Last January, one of the best ever to

play for the franchise, Kobe Bryant, passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, together with his daughter Gianna and 7 other people.

The sudden death of the Laker legend shocked the whole world.

This was also a sad moment for the franchise and their fan base. Bryant and James were good friends while Anthony Davis is one of Bryant’s protégés.

After his death, Lebron and the Lakers vowed to play the rest of the season in his honor; throughout the season, players of the team wore Kobe shoes, Kobe patches, and the occasional “Mamba jerseys”. They even broke their huddles chanting “1-2-3-Mamba!” which was Kobe’s on-court nickname.

Lakers backed up their words by finally making it back to the finals, first time ever since Kobe Bryant led the squad in 2010. The Lakers finished their post-season run with the record of 16-5 and were once again the world champion of Basketball.

This is the Lakers 17th title, tied with Celtics for the most championships in NBA history.