The Spectrum Vol. 62 No. 2 - July to August 2017

T R U T H

B E Y O N D

K N O W I N G

VOLU M E 62 N U M BE R 2 · J U LY T O AUGUST 2017

T H E O F F I C I A L S T U D E N T M E D I A C O R P S O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F S T. L A S A L L E

SPECIAL REPORT We are now back to being Region VI. Learn the implications of the NIR dissolution. read on page 7

FEATURE Find out what home tastes like as this issue’s Negros Tours takes you to Maria Kucina - Familia! read on page 6

EDITORIAL When the line becomes blurred between the truth and lies. Where do we stand? read on page 4

FILIPINO See the Filipino culture through the lenses of two foreigners. read on page 10

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE Craving for some kwek-kwek, fried isaw, fishball, etc.? But first, find out what the risks of consuming street food are! read on page 14

SIGNIFICANT BEQUEST. Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez, FSC, D. Min. gives his speech as the new Brother President and Chancellor of the University of St. La Salle.

USLS installs 12th Br. President

BY ANDREA NICOLE C. FAROL

“I can only do so much; you can help me. I believe God has brought me here.”

Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez, FSC, D. Min. was inaugurated as the 12th Brother President and Chancellor of the University of St. La Salle (USLS) during the Investiture Rites held

at the University Coliseum last Aug. 19.

He emphasized the need for tradition and transition to go together, in the sense that USLS retains its tradition of commitment to its students while improving competence in the quality of education.

Martinez also proposed the renovation of Handumanan Park

to add to its aesthetic value and convenience to students during his inaugural address.

Br. Jose Mari Jimenez, FSC, Auxiliary Visitor to Strategic Planning and District Development from the Lasallian East Asian District, gave the remarks of circumstance, discussing the history of the foundation of Lasallian Schools

in the Philippines and of USLS itself.

Jimenez pointed out the need to “continue to collaborate” and in working together for the “upliftment of the poor.”

Also gracing the event was Br. Armin Luistro, FSC who read the citation for outgoing President Br. Manuel Pajarillo, FSC. As representative of the USLS

—COURTESY OF JEFFREY LAZARO AND KATHRYN TECSON

Lasallian filmmakers represent BCD in nat’l film fest

BACOLEÑO PRIDE. Lasallian and Bacolodnon delegates are welcomed by Cinema Rehiyon organizers at the Davao International Airport.

BY KATHERINE E. CO

Three short films by La SalleBacolod Communication students were screened at the ninth Cinema Rehiyon Film Festival themed “No Walls, No Ceilings” held at Nabunturan, Compostela Valley last Aug. 22-27.

The delegates included Starlene Joy Portillo of “Rm. 221”, Moira Drew Severino of “Hilway”, and Denise Lianne Livioco of “Suba sang Malogo”, who are all graduates of the Bacolod Workshops spearheaded by the Institute of the Moving Image (IMI) last summer.

Cinema Rehiyon 9,

financed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, gathers a selected crop of independent filmmakers together every year to view films from across the country and open “creative discussion” among these practitioners in the industry.

“I’ve always dreamt of being a director and [this] felt like my first step towards it,” shared Severino, who said this was her first time to direct a film.

More than 200 delegates from different regions plus a number of guest independent directors, including Victor

Villanueva of “Patay na si Hesus” and Petersen Vargas of 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten, attended the six-day event loaded with filmathons and forums amongst fellow filmmakers.

Award-winning director of “Women of the Weeping River” Sheron Dayoc shared his thoughts on the journey of filmmaking during the first forum-workshop held on the second day: “You learn to appreciate not only your culture, but a larger culture which creates a larger consciousness.”

The film festival showcased a wide array of films, from full-length features and documentaries to short films, and also gave room for question-and-answer portions for guest directors directly after their films were played.

“I think the showcasing of various Philippine traditions and regional culture in film struck me most [about Cinema Rehiyon 9] because in a predominantly-commercialized film industry, we rarely get to see Philippines in the raw,” said Portillo, who also tried directing for the first time, after being involved in scriptwriting ever since.

She said the participants of the film exhibition were able to witness the “unfiltered side of Philippine culture,”

believing that this had led them to the understanding and appreciation of “what is being forgotten and left out.”

“Rm. 221” raked in several film and individual awards during the first Sine Inasal Awards held as part of the culmination of the IMI’s summer workshops, including Best Film and Best Director among six awards. Hilway garnered two awards at the same ceremony, while Suba sang Malogo took in several awards at the Cine Kahirup in Silay City earlier this year, including 2nd Best Picture and Best Script, alongside Best Picture Brandon which also made it to the list of screened entries in Cinema Rehiyon 9.

—NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN

Board of Trustees, Jose Ledesma III read the resolution choosing Martinez as the successor before leading the oath taking.

After Martinez’s inaugural address, Most Reverend Patricio Buzon, SDB, DD gave the apostolic blessing.

Guests from different Lasallian schools, USLS admin officers, faculty, staff, students,

and Martinez’s family and friends attended the Reception Rites and Fellowship after, held at Santuario de La Salle, where food from the Institute of Culinary Arts and local restaurants were showcased.

The University’s De La Salle Chorale, Jean Baptiste Dance Company, Vivace and Masskara PRESIDENT / PAGE 6

SPECIAL REPORT

“Mandatory” drug testing is not as mandatory as you might think it is

BY KATHERINE E. CO

In support of the government’s war against illegal drugs, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) signed a Memorandum Order in early August that now allows colleges or higher education institutions (HEIs) to implement mandatory drug testing on its students starting the next Academic Year 2018-2019. The “mandatory” drug testing is not mandatory for the institutions to enact upon its students, as they still have the final deliberation and decision on whether to implement it or not, and whether certain policies on admission and retention of students with regard to drug test results will be made and executed as well. If they do choose to implement it, then the drug testing is mandatory for students — it becomes an institutional policy. In that sense, they can also choose not to permit admission to incoming students who tested positive for illegal or dangerous drugs, and also to expel students with that same premise. In this case, students who refuse to undergo the implemented mandatory drug testing will be

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DRUG TESTING / PAGE 6

THESPECTRUM / NEWS

Lasallians join CSB’s Design Thinking bootcamp

CHED lifts ban on off-campus activities after 5 mos.

The University of St. La Salle (USLS) partnered with the College of St. Benilde (CSB) for the last leg of the Benilde Prize 3.0 Design Thinking Workshop held at Granada Eco Park last Aug. 29-31.

Headed by the Hub for Innovation for Inclusion (HiFi), the three-day event was part of the nationwide roadshow that CSB held in preparation for this year’s Benilde Prize competition, in which the winning team will be awarded Php 500,000 to fund their idea.

“Design thinking is about being human-centered. It is human-centered innovation,” explained HiFi Director Abigail Mapua - Cabanilla. “For this year, we decided we’re going to frontload; equip different students for free. [We went] around the country to teach students and faculty members human-centered design thinking so that when they come up with ideas [to submit], it will be grounded on the realities [and context] of where they are,” Cabanilla further elaborated.

Attended by students and faculty members from USLS and STI West Negros University, the bootcamp centered on the topic of “providing better access to healthier food” to the communities in Negros.

Participants were then tasked

included in the Curricular, Research, and Extension Programs of HEIs. As a result of the review, CMO No. 63, s.

2017 entitled “Policies and Guidelines on Local Off-Campus Activities” is a newly-adopted policy that covers all the conduct for off-campus activities of HEIs within the Philippines which were approved by the concerned HEI authorities.

Some of the activities mentioned in the said memorandum were educational tours/field trips, participation and/ or attendance in degree program-related events, field study/experiential learning/related learning experience, mission-based activities, conventions/ s e m i n a r s /c o n f e r e n c e s / sy mposiu m s/t ra i n i ngs and team building, volunteer work, advocacy projects and campaigns, participation in sports activities, activities initiated by recognized various student groups, inter-school competitions/ tournaments, and culture and arts performances/ competitions.

BY JOSHUA MARTIN P. GUANCO

—NICCI BERNELLE D. AGUILAR

BY JYAN MARTELLA G. OPENA

*SARMIENTO

from the DCA said that the launching of the event was primarily a platform to showcase a different art form.

“Not everybody can sing and dance but some can write beautifully and can do great in spoken word poetry. And I feel like writing, speaking, and other talents should also be celebrated. The event was a way of exploring more Lasallian talents and to further encourage Lasallians to explore their creativity,” said Quilisadio said.

Moreover, the celebration aimed to emphasize the distinctiveness of our nationality.

“Going back to our roots is very important in discovering who we are.

Celebrating Buwan ng Wika is not just merely celebrating our country and race, but it is also a way of celebrating our identity as Filipinos,” Quilisadio stated.

to brainstorm ideas to address the given problem statement.

Participants were given workshops on the basics of design thinking and its processes, and were then mentored as they gradually worked towards completing their pitch.

“This is very important because [...] the strength of La Salle - Bacolod is community engagement, but the challenge will always be what’s something new about what we’re doing,” said Br. Antolin Alcudia III, FSC regarding the relevance of the workshop. “I think this is the heart and soul of what we do; the heart and soul of being a Lasallian. It’s always being about others; [...] about sharing and bringing our giftedness to others,” added Alcudia.

As a final output, each group presented the prototypes of their ideas and explained their plans to implement their pitch.

Each of them also presented a short skit on how their idea would help address the problem of the chosen community.

“Innovation and empathy brought together can do great things for the community,” said George Ampil of Team Fourward, which won during the Bacolod leg of the workshop.

Asked how they came about their project, called “Melchora’s”, Ampil explained, “We took an empathic approach towards finding a solution using the information we found in the community. We saw that there was a difficulty with regards to feeding the children

USLS tops Neg. Occ. Schools in June NLE

CEd bags gold in Spoken Word Competition In line with the celebration of the Buwan ng Wika, the University Student Government (USG) launched its first ever spoken word poetry competition entitled Tula ng mga Tala held at the Forum last Aug. 29.

The event, organized by the USG’s Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and Department of Academic Affairs (DAA), showcased the talents of Lasallian students in the field of verbal and literary arts participated by five contestants, from one college each.

Kathleen Sarmiento of the College of Education won the competition with her piece, “Kung Maibabalik Ba, Ibabalik Pa Ba?” “This event allows the students to authentically use the Filipino language in expressing ideas, thoughts, and feelings creatively such that the students will embody the ability to be an effective communicator,” Sarmiento said, adding that the significance of this event is the revitalization of our Filipino language.

In addition, Brian dela Fuente of the College of Arts and Sciences and Messi Muñoz of the College of Engineering and Technology bagged the second and third place, respectively.

Evanne Quilisadio

ON INNOVATION. Renowned Filipino director and producer Mark Meily speaks about Internal Interview during the first day of the Benilde Prize 3.0 Design Thinking Bootcamp.

on the mothers’ end but we didn’t stop there as we felt like there was an approach that would cut across and help in more ways than one.”

Melchora’s is a project that aims to help the mothers of Brgy. Banago, the community the participants visited and interviewed, build a community of self-reliance for themselves in order to have better access to healthier food for their families while at the same time have a profitable living.

Team Fourward is receptive on submitting their project to the Benilde Prize: Innovation for Inclusion call for submissions, which opened last Sept.

4.

“Being an innovator, or if you’re pioneering an idea, you need like-minded people,” said Cabanilla. “We realize we need to build this relationships and ecosystem for the team. So we want to be able to continue the relationship. And we hope that the schools will be able to replicate that. Schools, universities are a very potent tool for raising changed agents.”

HiFi also conducted the design thinking workshop among schools across Naga, Davao, Dagupan, Lipa, Manila, Cebu, and Butuan.

The call for submissions of ideas will close next month on Oct. 6.

La Salle - Bacolod ranked number one among all Negros Occidental schools and finished second in the now dissolved Region 18, results in the Nursing Licensure Exam (NLE show.

With 34 passers out of its 35 first-time takers, USLS garnered a passing rate of 97.14% and an overall passing rate of 90.48% for the performance of both its first-timers and retakers in the June 2017 NLE held in Iloilo City.

In line with this, the University and the College of Nursing (BSN) staged an honoring and testimonial ceremony in commemoration of the board passers last July 4 at Santuario De La Salle.

Among the program’s

—COURTESY OF DR. JOCELYN MAE FLOR A. CADENA RN, MN, PHD

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) released a memorandum circular addressed to officers-incharge and presidents of all higher education institutions (HEIs) last July 26 stating that the imposition of moratorium on field trips and other similar activities covered under CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 17, series of 2012, has been nullified.

A bus accident that killed 14 students of Bestlink College of the Philippines and injured 40 others in February this year prompted CHED’s ban on all educational field trips.

The hiatus on field trips and other similar activities

by CHED was issued in Feb. 21, a day after the accident.

In a meeting dated July 18, a review of CMO No. 17, s. 2012 entitled “Policies and Guidelines on Educational Tours and Field Trips of the College and Graduate Students” was made to strengthen mechanisms that safeguard all students at all levels and faculty members in activities

BY CHRISTIANA CLAUDIA G. GANCAYCO

—NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN

BY ADRIENNE CARL S. CALVO

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

esteemed guests were President and Chancellor Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez, FSC, D. Min, BSN Dean Dr. Sheilla Trajera, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Annabelle Balor, and the family members of the new batch of registered Lasallian nurses.

Furthermore, Ma. Beatrice Higgins, who was the cum laude of the batch, delivered a speech in behalf of her fellow board passers.

“As much as we have learned in our school, there is still more to be learned outside. As we start our careers as professional nurses, we hope that we will find the zeal of service, dedication, and love for work in our hearts,” Higgins said.

In his address during the ceremony, Martinez challenged the board passers to never stop

PASSERS. The new Lasallian nurses together with the College of Nursing Faculty and the University Administrators.

searching for their true purpose as Lasallian nurses.

“My last request is for [all of] you to pay it forward. Ten to 15 years from now, figure out how [all of] you would send an aspiring nursing student to school,” Martinez requested the board

passers. “When [all of] your stories are already finished and [all of] you have already told about the mistakes and findings that [all of you] had in this school, your next story is what you are going to do to help educate the next ones.”

USG holds seminar on budget and finance

—MARTINI M. FALCO

2

MONEY MATTERS. The Budget and Finance Dept. of the University Student Government holds a seminar on handling financial affairs for student organizations.

BY ADRIENNE CARL S. CALVO

The University Student Government’s Budget and Finance (BnF) Department conducted a seminar on how to get sponsors and handle

financial affairs last Aug. 10 at the Mutien-Marie Auditorium A to help councils, clubs, and organizations prepare for activities to come, most especially the upcoming Lasallian Week 2017.

According to Secretary Andrea Obog, the seminar was held for the first time because BnF solely focused on fundraising activities and searching for sponsors for the past years.

The committee aims to promote the students’ involvement with the BnF department, not just with acquiring kiosks and getting help for fundraising.

Speakers Obog and Undersecretary Therese Ledesma also gave tips on how to approach prospect sponsors and introduced the term “mileages”, benefits that sponsors get when they give a certain amount in cash, gift certificates, or in kind (e.g. priority in announcement, streamers/ tarpaulins, promotional materials, booths, segments, and public address systems.)

Aside from the jargons and useful tips, Obog got feedback from those who attended the seminar of what benefits they acquired from the activity.

Hanz Peter Dobrea of the Junior Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers (JPICHE) said that because of the activity, he learned how to set mileages that would equally benefit his club and future sponsors.

When asked about their future plans, Obog said that the BnF department would like to continue this activity annually and focus more on getting stable sponsors that could commit long term sponsorships for the school and to also enlist more student concessionaires during events to develop and encourage student entrepreneurship.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

NEWS / THESPECTRUM

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

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CEd bet triumphs in university- Lasallian IT student wins in wide Newscasting tilt “Claim that you’ll win!” And claim it, he did.

Third year Education student Jebbs Danielle Ciocon bested 12 others in the annual University-wide Newscasting competition conducted by the Communication Society of USLS (CSU) at the Communication Studio last Aug. 10. “[All it takes is] practice and belief in yourself,” shared third-time trier Ciocon, who previously placed second runner-up when he was a freshman, and bagged fourth runner-up during his sophomore year.

Meanwhile, Jerryn Nitz Gabrielle Castillo landed first runner-up, trailed by Lance Nicoudemus Tionko, and Jeannie Fortuno as second and third runners-up, respectively.

“In one way or another, the workshop plus the whole

COURTESY OF COMMUNICATIONS SOCIETY USLS

competition are a great training for [the participants], if they are planning to pursue the field of broadcast media,”

stated CSU President Renzo Grijaldo.

Before the finals, an opento-all screening was done

2D Animation

last Aug. 1 and 3, after which 13 participants were invited to a newscasting workshop handled by CGI Excel Officer-in-Charge Charie Ginete-Ilon,who is also a part-time Communication Department faculty member.

“Anyone can be good at reading, but newscasting is a talent as well as a skill that must be developed, bearing in mind the thousands of audience you aim to reach,” Ilon said.

An interview portion was separately held last Aug. 8, wherein contestants were tested regarding their stand on the abolishment of the Negros Island Region. Fortuno garnered the Best Interview award.

“This event proves that [newscasting] is not only for Communication students,” claimed CSU Vice President Renzy Jay Losdoc, further stating his willingness to continue the event in succeeding years.

COURTESY OF BIGFISH INDUSTRIES

BY STARLENE JOY B. PORTILLO

PIONEERS. The four founders of BigFish Industries together with the participants of the first-ever BigFish Digital Art Contest.

BY MARIA ANGELINE M. MAYOR

Third year Lasallian Information Technology student Karen Panganiban won the 2D Animation category during the Digital Arts Contest at SM City Bacolod last Aug. 19.

Although Panganiban was said to be only a point away from her contender, she said that she did not feel any pressure as she was not expecting to win the contest.

“I only joined the contest for fun and experience,” Panganiban said.

Along with Panganiban were Nichol Francis Anduyan and Orven Jayson Balboa from BSIT3G who both competed in the 2D Art Illustration category.

The competition was part of a three-day event of BigFish Industries Corporation, a new startup company which intends to position itself as the leading Augmented Reality Developer in the country, as part of their soft launching in Bacolod City, and soon also in SM City Iloilo and SM Seaside Cebu.

Immanuel Lopez from the faculty of the College of Engineering and Technology said he

—COURTESY OF JASMINE JUNCO

USLS HM Dept. dominates regional competition

DOMINATION. Awardees flashing their diplomas and medals during the awarding ceremony of the Sabor Bisaya Food Expo and Culinary Competition at the SMX Convention Center last July 22.

BY STEPHINE PAUL M. DUNGCA

Overcoming almost 15 schools all over Western Visayas, University of St. La Salle’s Hospitality Management (HM) showcased culinary skills to bag five silvers, two bronzes, and three diplomas in the Sabor

Bisaya Food Expo and Culinary Competition themed: “Getting the Perfect Combination” at the SMX Convention Center last July 19-22.

The team of Stephine Paul Dungca, Mark Nhel Suataron, and Elijah Thomas Solis put up a Parisian-inspired proposal table set up in the Table

Setting and Floral Centerpiece Category while Christian Emerald Dela Peña displayed speed and accuracy in the Table Napkin Folding Category, all of which bagged silver.

“We leave the school every night around 10 or 11 pm so we can perfectly master what we need to do. Thank God, everything turned out to be worth it for all of us,” said faculty coach Ostein Earn Gemotea.

For the individual categories, Jasmine Junco finished silver for the Amuse Bouche, Marielle Lagotang took home bronze for the Dessert Flambe and Andrea Paula Salillas won silver for the Filipino Carver. Ashley Octavio and Rene Semiller garnered a diploma for the Wedding Cake and Flairtending categories, respectively.

“It was a matter of practice, dedication, hard work, and leaving everything to God’s guidance and mercy. Thank

you to our HM faculty and staff for coaching and directing us,” said Junco.

The duo of Neil John Cortez and Antonio Jaime Chang whipped up their own version of a classic kaldereta, bagging silver in the Klasika Culinarya, whereas the team of Jayson Patrick Petierre, Neil Evangelista, and Coleen Las Piñas turned shrimp into three bronze-worthy dishes in the highlight category, Chef Wars.

Baking team Audrey Erl Caballero, Jacqueline Marie Tabalina, and Andrea Paula Salillas brought home diplomas for the Creative Cake Decorating.

“We had a lot of trials and errors. But at the end of the day, we’re more than proud to exclaim that this is what Lasallian hospitality education and training can give and do.

Truly, we are HM proud!” said Chang.

Sabor Bisaya is a biennial regional competition organized by the Hotel and Restaurant Association of

sees the potential in the students and hopes that there will be more opportunities in the future for them to be exposed and for the University to be recognized when it comes to animation.

Meanwhile, BigFish Chief Executive Officer Paul Acha said that the company wants to scout for local talents and give them a chance to showcase their capabilities in the field of Digital Arts, the company extending their resources by opening economic opportunities, and time to train artists.

“The event was also intended to publish awareness that there is a company who is willing to pull them together as a community where they can grow and contribute their unique creations,” Acha said.

The friendly competition was open to all artists who share the same passion for Digital Arts.

Invitations were sent to schools, organizations, and individuals.

The University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos and Negros Occidental Language & Information Technology Center were also among the schools that have participated in the event.

Negros Occidental that aims to test the originality, skills, composure, professionalism, and flair of the participants.

BY VICTORIA MARIAN B. BELMIS

“We should not depend on one man; we should depend on all of us,” Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. once said.

The 34th Death Anniversary of Aquino was marked with a call for Filipinos, especially the millennials, to remember and live the heroic life of the slain icon of democracy.

In line with this, the Society for Intercultural Education, Training & Research (SIETAR) Philippines launched an event to commemorate the death anniversary of the former senator with the theme “Celebrating the Death Anniversary of Ninoy: Remembering Freedom and

Democracy” last Aug. 21 at the Ninoy Aquino Monument, Brgy. Singcang-Airport.

Leaders from different non-government organizations, civil society organizations, youth groups, and others from the province gathered and participated in the wreath laying and interfaith prayers at the shrine.

“Every Filipino, young and old, needs a day to remember the heroic life of the man worthy to be emulated by the Filipino millennials today,” SIETAR Philippines President Dr. Bernaldo Eres said.

He also pointed out that Ninoy Aquino gave up his life to fight for freedom and democracy.

The organizers expounded

—NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN

SIETAR commemorates Ninoy’s 34th death anniversary

REMEMBERING. Supporters of the late Sen. Benigno Simeon “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. offer gifts and prayers in commemoration of his 34th Death Anniversary.

that this year’s celebration was challenging because some groups wanted to destroy the legacy of Ninoy by organizing a systematic

revisionism of the Philippine history, through fake news circulating in social media.

“We were worried about the information received by

young people whose contact to social media becomes a social norm for their political beliefs,” Eres added.

Moreover, Atty. Andrea Si, one of the speaker in the event, stated that the culture of death during Marcos’ dictatorship reigns again today.

Si stressed that the public should stand up against the culture of death and defend democracy as what Aquino did during the Marcos regime.

Aquino, who was considered as an enemy of the State during the Marcos regime, was assassinated on Aug. 21, 1983 at the Manila International Airport (now the Ninoy Aquino International Airport) upon arriving from a threeyear self-exile in Boston,

Massachusetts and his death inspired the People Power Revolution which put an end to the Marcos’ regime.

“Let us be the heroes that Ninoy was,” Si urged.

Joel Tambuson, a SIETAR official, added, “Let us not wait for a lot more Kians to be killed before we wake up to the reality that this nation is in trouble, we need to do something. Now. ” To complete the ceremony, yellow balloons were released as a sign of the living memory of Ninoy.

This is the sixth year of the SIETAR to host the commemoration event.

Yearly, the Philippines observes a special non-working holiday in honor of the death of Ninoy.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

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THESPECTRUM / OPINION

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

EDITORIAL

A Song of Derision In our May-June 2016 newspaper, we debunked the concept of bias. We revealed that there is no such thing as an unbiased media, for everyone has a principle or a belief they hold on to. The Spectrum is biased, yes, and that bias is for the students.

By saying that she is not a journalist, recently appointed Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Margaux Justiniano “Mocha” Uson, who calls the media as “presstitutes”, claims that she is for the truth.

When asked about Uson’s qualifications, PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar replied that it was the President’s discretion and cited Uson’s college degree, show business career, and blogger influence. Worse, with the signing of the Interim Social Media Practitioner Accreditation, if you are 18 years old with a social media page that has at least 5,000 followers, you can apply and be accredited to cover the President.

In contrast however, Article XI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that public officers and employees must serve the public “with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency; act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives”, not to mention years spent studying journalism and the must-have experience of working in the field and in the office, which is expected of a highly regarded mediaman.

We also have tackled the issue of fake news and our vulnerability to it in our previous issue. Now, it seems that we’ve taken a step for the worse. The duties of the PCOO lie heavily on accountability and verified facts. How is someone whose page is accused of spreading propaganda and unverified news supposed to carry this job effectively? Not only is this a matter of sacrificing the veracity of information, it is also creating a warped impression of journalism in the minds of the public — blurring the lines between citizen and professional journalism.

The government claims that it is finding ways to prevent the circulation of fake news yet here it is, planting one of the roots of the problem deeper by letting it inside its halls.

PCOO is not simply a public relations office. Its duties may go well beyond than simple information dissemination. The posts they make can affect both local and foreign relations.

Juan de la Cruz does not toil just to pay taxes which will fall into the pockets of someone who got the job through “utang na loob”. Certainly, we don’t want to obtain news from people whose best credentials is his/her massive following alone. And surely, this isn’t something we could proudly explain to other countries.

Filipinos deserve better. And what we need right now is not a choirmaster leading a chorus of propaganda. What we need is someone we can truly trust with the truth.

THESPECTRUM FOUNDED 1956

facebook.com/thespectrumusls · thespectrum.usls@gmail.com VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017 Member Alliance of Lasallian Campus Journalists and Advisers and College Editors Guild of the Philippines Andrea Nicole C. Farol EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Katherine E. Co

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MANAGING EDITOR

Iris Denise N. Rivera

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR NEWSPAPER EDITOR Christiana Claudia G. Gancayco ASST. NEWSPAPER EDITOR Starlene Joy B. Portillo MAGAZINE EDITOR Chad Martin Z. Natividad ASST. MAGAZINE EDITOR Joshua Martin P. Guanco ONLINE EDITOR David Willem L. Molenaar LITERARY EDITOR Hezron G. Pios ASST. LITERARY EDITOR Lyle John L. Balana HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR Maria Angelica M. Ape ASST. HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR Ian Kristoffer V. Ga PHOTOS AND VIDEOS EDITOR Nichol Francis. T. Anduyan LAYOUT AND GRAPHICS E DITOR Jowan Dave G. Guides ASST. LAYOUT AND GRAPHICS E DITOR Glen Jed J. Descutido PHOTOJOURNALISTS

NEWSPAPER WRITER MAGAZINE WRITER

Riesa T. Rodillado

Nicci Bernelle D. Aguilar Martini M. Falco Mariano O. Javier VIDEOGRAPHER

ONLINE WRITERS

Ida Sarena M. Gabaya Charlene Marie D. Lim Maria Angeline M. Mayor

Kyle Jyrax D. Sevilla LAYOUT AND GRAPHICS ARTIST

Shara Mae L. Pelayo ILLUSTRATORS

SPORTS WRITER

Stephine Paul M. Dungca FILIPINO WRITERS

Victoria Marian B. Belmis Jyan Martella G. Opena LITERARY WRITER

Cedric Lance M. Militar Katrina Y. Nemenzo Karen D. Panganiban Seth V. Pullona WEB ADMINISTRATOR

Keanu Kent B. Gargar

Alvin Brian S. Legario

Of Monsters and Men With relatives working in law enforcement and relatives who have been scrutinized by the law, I’ve always seen the concept of criminality and justice as more than just two sides of a coin. There is no absolute good or bad side.

The reality of flaws in the system and the bone in the throat which is corruption has made heads or tails impossible.

That’s why, when my eyes feasted on the string of remarks (posted on Twitter by news sites) that the President unleashed last Aug. 30 during the 23rd anniversary celebration of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) at Taguig, I was in utter disbelief.

Along with congratulating TESDA in producing competent Filipinos for the workforce, he tackled different issues which he also mentioned in his second State of the Nation Address. But when he came to the discussion of the Revised Penal Code as means of retribution, he shifted his discussion to what he calls “the psychology of the presohan”.

Duterte claimed that the concept of making useful people out of freed convicts has been debunked. He further said that it was fruitless to turn the incarcerated to a productive citizen. The President proceeded to say that prisoners have “lost the essence, the existence of a person” and that is why they will surely return to their old ways and be happily imprisoned again. Worse, he claimed that prisoners lose their gender identity inside the cells, saying that they “acquire” homosexuality, become masochists, and “develop aberration of the mind.”

The President said he knows this, being a prosecutor for almost nine years, and claimed that because of their homosexuality and incapability, prisoners are already “monsters” in a sense.

Jargonaut Andrea Nicole C. Farol

andreanicolefarol@gmail.com

Retribution might be temptingly sweet but the awareness of the faulty justice system of the Philippines has long left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The idea that freed convicts are useless, hopeless beings is exactly the mindset we don’t want developing in the public. It provokes a superiority complex in the unconvicted and worse, in the law enforcers who monitor the inmates. It lowers the chance for freed prisoners to have a shot at being employed. How can the president say such things when he knows fully well that ours is not a flawless justice system and it doesn’t even come close to a good one, I can’t fathom. He challenged the crowd to give examples of rehabilitated ex-convicts. May I just mention Nelson Mandela, who served 27 years in prison but was an anti-apartheid revolutionary who won several accolades including the Nobel Peace Prize?

Also, violence and homosexuality are infamous as the faces of “prison culture”. Although sexual abuse is known to occur, only few jail rape cases are recorded. But to generalize that every convict becomes a homosexual is a baseless assumption. Perhaps experiences inside could cause them to develop trauma which may translate to post-prison behaviors, but this does not automatically mean they are mentally aberrant. This goes to prove, too, the lack of mental health awareness amongst the public.

The Commission on Human Rights is

mandated by the Philippine Constitution to “exercise visitorial powers over jails, prisons and detention facilities” and in the studies, a number of inmates complained of various violations such as denial of the right to counsel and to speedy trial, illegal/arbitrary arrest/detention, torture, maltreatment/physical injuries and sexual harassment/abuse against chastity.

All of this translates to one thing: we reap what we sow. Convicts are subjected to poor living conditions and treatment (or the lack of it) in prisons, as such some, if not all, develop some type of trauma/behavior. These convicts may or may not fall into the shackles of the law again. Duterte (and sooner or later, the whole lot of people who support him) finds convicts as monsters who have no hope in redeeming themselves, thus little notice or budget is given to improve their facilities. The cycle goes on. The problem is that all blame goes to the prisoners for the lack of rehabilitating treatment for them when it is also the responsibility of the authorities to help reform them during their sentence. In the end, it is their own choice, yes, but the fact that effort is given to help them in changing their lives is what is essential.

And most importantly, being convicted does not remove their rights from them.

People may attack me for “defending” criminals’ rights when one may say that in the first place, they did not respect others’ rights.

But I am not defending the criminal. I am not romanticizing the plight of a sinner. Rather, I am defending human rights. Retribution might be temptingly sweet but the awareness of the faulty justice system of the Philippines has long left a bitter taste in my mouth.

That person in the cell? He maybe an unfortunate innocent or he rightly deserves his sentence.

But there he is, still a person — a human with needs and a human that might need that second chance instead of being left there in the cells to rot.

SHS vs. College: Yes, this… Really?

Robert H. Jerge III

Adrienne Carl S. Calvo

—KEANU JOSEPH P. RAFIL

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Keanu Joseph P. Rafil PUBLICATION MODERATOR

Jean Lee C. Patindol

The Spectrum is the Official Student Media Corps of the University of St. La Salle. Its editorial office is located at the USLS Student Activity Center, La Salle Ave., Bacolod City, Negros Occidental 6100; it can be reached through the telephone number, (034) 432-1187 local 172 and e-mail address, thespectrum.usls@gmail.com. All rights reserved. No part of The Spectrum may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Media Corps. All contributions become The Spectrum property and the Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to edit all articles for publication.

What exactly was worse for me in another day full of the usual, painfully hopeless stupidity of Philippine government, their PR tactics, their ultra-lame cover-ups, their senseless denials of facts, and their Mocha Uson #OnFire (God bless Andanar on this, please…)? The threat of World War III? Nah, I’ve mentally prepared myself for that, anyway. The new embodiment of “worse” to see in my feed were posts by senior high school (SHS) and college students, pitting against each other. There were claims (obviously subjective) that SHS students had “more potential” than college students. I could only care less now who started the pretty petty war, but the fault in logic in a number of posts I’ve come across is just alarming. And why is this even worse? Because what was supposed to be just an online ruckus that stemmed from pure jealousy, hate, and pride, became an impulsive cause of an unnecessary divide between SHS and college students.

Let me try to enumerate my thoughts as logically and as reasonably as possible. One, if one was claiming that there is more potential in SHS’ batch of students, if they really can prove it’s true, then it has nothing to do with being college or being SHS. Like, come on, if the K-12 program was not implemented, their batch would still have been college students, and they’d still be called college students. What exactly is different between us? Our names, our curricula, our structure and system, and our number of years in high school. I just can’t see that difference.

Potential? Isn’t that supposed to be a person-to-person case, and not a “batch” thing?

To those behind these claims: Are you trying

Skatherin’ Around Katherine E. Co

katyuiop@gmail.com

Potential? Isn’t that supposed to be a person-to-person case, and not a “batch” thing? to say there is a genetic mutation in your batch that makes you a more advanced neo-species of students?

On whether I believe in the “globally-competitive” feature of the K-12 program or not is a different discussion, although I’d rather share now how I think it only caters to the global aspect of minimum educational attainment requirements for work. But if there truly is a difference in terms of being educationally competent or in terms of skills growth (and no, not potential), then there is no reason for those SHS students to pit themselves against us (or was that caused by how some college students claimed that SHS is not as difficult as college?) just because they’re thinking that their educational program is better and more advanced. Think that way, then, if you insist, but leave us be, with our “old” curricula.

We are all doing our own thing individually, too — how we go about our education. I guess in my case, I’m happier I got in the last batch before the K-12 was to be implemented, because I simply don’t want another two years, and I believe I’m not really missing out on major educational

benefits in terms of knowledge and skills. You don’t need to say we’re dumber because of the difference in curricula, because we’re not—or at least, you can’t generalize. Unless you really want us to believe you are a neo-species, of at which point I am particularly not convinced…

All I want to say right now is, these petty feuds didn’t have to erupt if people had been using their brains a little bit more than their feelings of hate and pride. A lot of people are just using the wrong tools. I hope I can help by saying the brain is a pretty good tool.

One more thing: I actually hoped I could have written about something more relevant than this, but this display of relatively logic-less quarrels instead of healthy discourses filled with well-analyzed thoughts and arguments alarmed me (or maybe pissed me a bit more than I liked) enough to make me attempt to save humanity by pointing this out in the most logical manner I can.

Personal biases aside, let’s just all try to accept our enforced differences in educational structure and system, and just try to focus on what our education requires of us. It is initiative and perseverance that will bring us to our goals and dreams in the end, anyway, and less about our educational attainment. Let’s all be a little kinder to society by not fueling fires with more stupidity (we’ve had enough of that). Think, know the facts, analyze, empathize (which is a little less appreciated step), know more facts, and analyze again, before throwing that first jab. We all deserve better discourses that will be more productive to our growth and society, right? I mean, I don’t want to believe this civilization has lost most of its brains at this point. (And it’s not even the apocalypse yet…)

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

OPINION / THESPECTRUM

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

Advocate What?

Anonymouse Robert H. Jerge III rhjjerge3@gmail.com

“They’d continue this wasteful bout without giving a second thought to the underprivileged…”

Lasallian Week is upon us! This means food, live music, and the selection of our Lasallian Icons. On the eve of choosing our Icons, our colleges take part in a watery bout of flying plastic, and colored water. U-Splash pits our colleges against each other for a chance to score 100 points for their college. Now, this seems like a normal activity for a typical L-Week, but not this year. This year’s quenching battle will shed some light on the dedication our potential Icons have to their environmental advocacies and to the lengths

they’ll go to protect our environment.

The contents of any well-made water balloon is water—and when you get five colleges filling up say hundreds or even thousands of these water balloons it can amount to quite a lot of water. Water is indeed the mastermind of this war, but do we have to let it drain our reserves of water? No! We are lucky enough to be on a campus that can provide us with water to hydrate us, and us spending a good few minutes pelting each other with it is just a waste. Now, imagine the example that we would set for the future generations. They’d continue this wasteful bout without giving a second thought to the underprivileged, most of whom have to labor to bring water to their families.

No water balloon fight would be complete without ammunition. Ammunition in the form of small, cheap, single-use plastic ice bags. I’m just glad we can end the fight when we run out of plastic to toss, and not when the plastic decomposes after a few centuries. But hey, that’s fine. We just pick up the plastic remains and go fill up some landfill somewhere. Any plastic that remains would stay to suffocate the patch of grass it lays upon—I’m sure that’s a big “don’t” in any attempt to preserve the environment.

Also, another practice to preserve the environment I know we’re all too familiar with is the Clean As You Go Campaign. This is the advocacy of U-Splash, to encourage the exercise of CLAY-GO. Guess cleaning up after ourselves is too difficult, now we gotta waste water, plastic, and time to encourage the use of a policy we’ve known since day one in the University.

When I came into class on my first day of school here, my classmates asked me about what I thought of La Salle. I replied, “Very green.” At the time, I was referring to the amount of trees and vegetation on campus. But as my stay here progressed, I realized that the University is keen on being as eco-friendly as possible. This love for the environment is reflected on the advocacies our Lasallian Icons have set up for themselves. This year, the mere participation in U-Splash defeats the purpose of their advocacies. If the Lasallian Icons are truly keen on pushing through with their advocacies, I’d suggest that they convince their colleges to avoid participating in the U-Splash to show their sincerity to their causes. If our Icons can’t get their colleges to follow their advocacies, how do they expect the rest of the University to do the same?

The revolution will be tweeted The University Coliseum has an 8,000 seating capacity. It is the largest indoor facility in the Negros Island. It has seen batch after batch graduate and leave the gates of the University once and for all. Just imagine: 8,000 people gathered in a place of celebration and solemnity.

Kira Miranda, spokesperson of human rights group Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas, claims that a year since our President sat in office, 13,000 extrajudicial killings have been linked to his war on drugs. That’s a little less than twice the people who can sit comfortably in the Coliseum.

If I did my maths correctly, that’s about 36 people washing the streets with blood every day for 365 days. USLS classrooms can accommodate about 40 students at a time.

“Now, now, Iris,” you might chastise, “they’re drug dealers and addicts.”

Forgive me, dear reader, for my lack of specifications, but it begs to be seen that drug dealers, addicts, and even the most notorious criminals, are still, indeed, people.

Has it hit too close to home yet? What about this? Kian Delos Santos and Carl Arnaiz are two youngsters whose brutal murders gained publicity after they were tagged “nanlaban”. However, they aren’t the only minors that have been killed by this war on drugs. At least 54 other deaths have been linked to it, some as young as four years old.

When the ratios start to sink in, so does

Like I Said Iris Denise N. Rivera

areviresinedsiri@gmail.com

When the ratios start to sink in, so does the revolt, the disgust, the fear, and the panic.

the revolt, the disgust, the fear, and the panic. After reading the paragraphs, you are ready to forget about it; ready to move on to lighter reads. You, dear reader, no longer wish to take part in the discussion because it makes you uncomfortable. You turn the newspaper to the comics section. You switch the TV channel from news to sitcoms. You scroll past the unnerving Facebook posts and take a Buzzfeed quiz. You turn the other cheek, browse some memes, and let the bad things slip from your headspace.

And you can, but know that your capability to do so is a privilege that doesn’t exist

for most of our fellow countrymen. Know that apathy and ignorance do not make you the lesser evil. Silence has only ever helped the oppressor, and right now, if you keep silent, more and more of our countrymen—civilians and drug addicts alike— are going to die.

It’s so easy to ignore what death really means when it seems so distant. I get it. We’re young college students with our whole lives ahead of us. It’s so easy to casually say “my life is over” after getting a bad grade or going through a breakup, but do you hear yourself?

Do you understand what it really means when your life is over? You can ask Kian and Carl.

I’m sure they’d take a 5.0 or a broken heart over Internet immortality every single time.

I’d like to think that this would unsettle more people and make them stand up for what’s right— that is, an end to the killings.

I’d like to think that we have the moral obligation to speak up for the 13,000 that cannot.

Your voice is necessary if we are to end the atrocities that this administration has brought upon us. There is more to this battle than retweets, hashtags, and flame wars in comment sections.

This country did not come into itself by being gentle or apathetic— hiding behind smartphones and sad Facebook reactions.

Take to the streets with us, raise your fists in the air, shout in indignation even if your voice shakes.

Who’s Watching the Watchdog?

One of the many elements that makes a story newsworthy is oddity. In a technology-driven sphere peppered by nothing more than the occasional viral post or fake news, the novelty of a story helps keep the newsmill running. A classic Journalism proverb goes: “When a dog bites a man, that’s not news. But when a man bites a dog, that is news.”

And perhaps, it is for this very reason that Radyo Mo Nationwide (RMN) Iloilo has posted on their official Facebook page, a lede in all-caps fashion: TATLO KA TAHI SA KINATAWO ANG NAANGKON SANG 19-ANYOS NGA DALAGA PAGKATAPOS NGA NAG THREESOME UPOD ANG NOBYO KAG ABYAN (A 19-year old girl obtained three stitches on her private part after a threesome with her boyfriend and another friend). As if the uppercase is not enough of a telling that the article screams unusual, it was partnered with an uncredited art illustration depicting the act. It went viral on social media, so this must be news.

The story has paved way for the emergence of more “newsworthy” sari sari store-worthy gossip stories: from a couple having a quickie in a hospital comfort room caught in the act by a security guard, to a drunk man arrested for throwing bottles and a cooking pot with rice. Each sensationalized story blurs the line between what is considered for tabloid and for the local daily (and their online extensions). Each sensationalized story stabs the already-dying credibility of journalists.

Maybe the call for novelty also justifies

why Aksyon Radyo-Bacolod and RMN Bacolod chose to publish the photos of a man — without proper censorship nor a trigger warning — who hanged himself from a tree in Brgy. Mansilingan around this time last year. Someone died, so this must be news.

Netizens, some of which parade their smartphones as if it were the only prerequisite for citizen journalism, follow the lead of what they often see on social media and online news outlets. As a result, they record everything: roadkill, suicide, public sexual misconduct, and whatever other visual retelling that might make the average Juan stop scrolling mid-meal in disgust. Each uncensored report is a violation of personal discretion, a glamorization of crime, and an insult to journalistic protocol.

And while the aforementioned blunders might seem minute in comparison to other pressing matters we face both in the national scale or the local scene, it poses a query of whether our heralds know how to present the truth, let alone the truth that actually matters for public knowledge. Yellow journalism (sensationalized and exaggerated news), alarmingly, is still a persistent existing form. What is more alarming is that with the rate by which extensions of traditional media are turning to tabloid content because of its attracted readership, the definition of news value is also shifted. I understand that with the advent of new media, traditional media is jeopardized both in

Sonorus Maxima Starlene Joy B. Portillo

starleneportillo@gmail.com

Each sensationalized story stabs the already-dying credibility of journalists. patronage and circulation, thus the need to adapt. However, adaptation should not mean a devaluing of substance, and the abandonment of our roots.

Section 11 of The Philippine Journalists’ Code of Ethics reads: “When in doubt, decency should be my watchword.” In as much as journalists have the freedom to expose and inform, we also have the burden of self-regulation. And self-regulation does not equate to self-indulgence. The test of our integrity lies not on what we do because we are allowed to, but rather on what we choose to do regardless of what we are imposed with. Although ethical decisions remain to be entirely subjective, we should remember not to stray from what a journalist has vowed to be: impartial, yet empathic; hardened, but bound by conscience.

5

WHY I NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE BOY A lot has been said and a lot has transpired since the fateful night of August 17, the night that Kian delos Santos breathed his last. According to police, delos Santos fought back against them during a drug bust operation.

Nanlaban eh.

However, witnesses and CCTV footage say otherwise. Witnesses claim to have heard the boy pleading to his captors while they instructed him to fire a gun and run. Then he was shot. The footage showed delos Santos being manhandled by men in civilian clothes moments before he was found dead. Those men were police. The painful irony of it all was that Kian wanted to be a policeman someday, said his grieving father. The boy was seventeen and he had a quiz scheduled the morning after his death. Now he is referred to in past tense.

On the same week, a pregnant woman was said to have been stabbed by a man high on drugs, killing both the woman and the child inside her. Another horrible, inexcusable murder. Now with the massive outcry of the people about the injustice of Kian’s death, there are some wondering why her death was not equally talked about. So let us talk about why.

You see, there is a difference between crime and human rights violation. Crime is an offense committed by an individual against another, while human rights

@ms_saigoncayco Christiana Claudia G. Gancayco ccgancayco@gmail.com

One death does not invalidate the other. You can simultaneously hate crime and still have respect for human dignity. violation is an abuse done by representatives of the State (people in authority, basically). The latter case was a crime while Kian’s case was an act of human rights violation. Crime happens everyday. And the police exists to quell it, not add to it. The case here, however, is that it was the protectors who have done the wrongdoing — a very grave one at that.

Kian’s case is not an isolated one. It represents thousands of others that occurred under the banner of this administration’s War on Drugs. It represents thousands of other boys, girls, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and more, who suffered the same fate as Kian did. So as you see, the outcry is not solely for a teenage boy who would not be able to take his quiz the morning after his encounter with those policemen, but rather for all the lives, especially the innocent ones, that ended in such an inhumane way. And whether or not the boy was a drug pusher or not is immaterial, because it is the lack of due process, the lack of respect for human life, and the abuse on human rights the outcry is about. What with the faulty and (monetarily) discriminating justice system we have, anyone (perhaps unless privileged) could turn to statistics by the morning.

Don’t get me wrong, both deaths are terrible beyond words. It’s just that one of them was done in the guise of stopping a death like the other, committed by the very people sworn to protect us. Come to think of it, we are roughly more than a year into this fight against illegal drugs yet all we have so far are corpse on the streets, covered with cardboard signages. If the higher-ups really want to eradicate drugs once for all, shouldn’t they be dealing with the big guns supplying the drugs?

Grab the problem by the roots, not the leaves.

Things are getting way out of hand in our land.

And it is very essential to take into consideration that what we’re losing is something that cannot be restored: life. Yes, we should abhor crime. But we should even more hate and oppose injustice and abuse of power. If people aren’t enraged by this, I think something is utterly wrong. And no, raging about the murder of Kian does not make the victims of drug-related cases any less victims. One death does not invalidate the other. You can simultaneously hate crime and still have respect for human dignity. You can simultaneously call out the injustice done to Kian and grieve about the pregnant woman.

We need to talk about the boy because he represents the face of injustice, the spree of inhumanity on the streets. We need to talk about the boy because what is happening in our society right now must stop. We need to talk about the boy so that he won’t be just a dead boy, but hopefully become the straw that would break the Camel’s back; the tipping point of our capacity for injustice. We need to talk about the boy so that no other boy — or no one else, for that matter — would lose their name to yesterday’s statistics.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

6

THESPECTRUM / FEATURE + NEWS

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

NEGROS TOURS

The Taste of Home

—NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN AND ANGELINE M. MAYOR

BY MARIA ANGELINE M. MAYOR

Romantic. Sumptuous. Homey.

These are just some of the words that a diner who has gone to Maria Kucina - Familia can say when asked about what they could think of about the place.

Just close behind the bustling street of Lacson, located along 24th St. lies a cozy little space catering its diners not only to a wide variety of menu options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but also to a tranquil ambiance that soothes their souls and which had only opened its doors last

Aug 20.

The owners Leonard and Marili Gonzaga decided to name their restaurant after the Blessed Virgin Mary’s name as a devotion to Jesus’ mother after a certain prayer of the family was answered.

Instead of demolishing what once was a home of another family, the new owners of the property chose to maintain the original structure of the house and only renovate what needs to be done.

The stones and bricks that used to be the foundations of

the previous house now serve as decorations on the wall to give off a cozy antique vibe with the help of other interior designs, like the wooden windows, ironwood doors, and other art pieces which also came from other old houses.

“We wanted to make it feel like a house,” the owners’ daughter, Nicole Gonzaga, said, adding that the design of the place was inspired from how the old haciendas in Negros Occidental were built.

Most of their furniture, like the wooden tables, were

customized and designed by them particularly for the restaurant to make the place feel more like a Bacolodnon’s home.

Adding to the element of homeliness is the labeling of the parts of the restaurant into names of what a typical house would be, like the salas which is the space located at the center area that connects all the other part of the restaurant, the komidor, an enclosed air-conditioned room that also serves as a function room for events, and the terasa, an open space for those who prefer to dine near the

garden embellished with environmental ornaments and a six-feet deep koi pond.

Their Chicken and Pesto Lasagne that came along with a slice of brown garlic bread is a must-try as each bite is savory of the combination of spinach and basil flavors and the chicken strips are tender and juicy.

The restaurant’s own version of their soft and sweet Bibingka is served hot and freshly baked from the oven.

Nicole suggested Maria’s Fried Chicken which is specially prepared and tastes like

it’s home-cooked. She also mentioned their Filetto Ala Maria, Callos, and Pepper Steak as some of their specialties.

The restaurant also serves lamb and steak to which Nicole suggested their Ox tongue as one of their specialties as well.

The food didn’t take a long time to be prepared and delivered, plus the crew is very welcoming and friendly.

Price-wise, the great service, and variety of good food served in Maria Kucina - Familia justifies the reasonable prices of their meals.

Fitting in a 4x4

— COURTESY OF THE HOUSE OF FRIDA

BY HEZRON G. PIOS

Polymer clay mushrooms in variants of pink, orange, green, and blue. Close-ups and magnified shots of body parts in the heat of the moment, further seizing sexiness, and physicality. Ghastly infrastructures soaked in black and white. An access to infinity yet encased in a square canvass.

Initiated by resident painter Eloise “Elwah” Gonzales, Fourplay was a pop-up group exhibit held last July 22 at the House of Frida.

“Artists were invited to stretch their visions on a small piece given a base of only 4 x 4 inches PRESIDENT / FROM PAGE 1

dancers performed to entertain the attendees.

A moment of silence was observed to pay respects to the death of Kian delos Santos, a 17-year old student who was shot by police officers conducting an anti-drug operation, whose case is the subject of national clamor and scrutiny.

IN FOCUS “As of the moment, my plans are really to know better the school community and its mission, to see what is working, and to see what can still be improved in the immediate and future period. I would like to understand how the University is able to translate the Lasallian values into the day to day learning, teaching, and operational activities. At the same time, I would like the community to know me as well, what my thoughts, ideas,

for their artworks having this challenge. This exhibition may differ among others by having their imaginations fit limitlesly on a limited canvas,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales is among the three managing persons of House of Frida along with co-founder Marianne Magalona and creative director Daryl Feril.

“Fourplay aims to cater budding artists to fully explore their niche, to be comfortable and out of their comfort zones at the same time,” Gonzales added.

Artist and filmmaker Gene Krystelle “Gkie” Erebaren

contributed photos entitled ‘gkienini’ and ‘A Sunday Kind of Love.’ Gkie shared that love bites are the most obvious manifestation of sexual activity or at least foreplay and since ‘gkienini’ is a self-portrait, the piece speaks for her belief that everyone should explore all versions of ourselves, including our sexual side. Her piece ‘A Sunday Kind of Love’ is a homage to her favorite song (of the same name) by Etta James.

“This is the emotional aspect of foreplay, which only real intimacy can draw out,” she added.

Gkie also shared to continue learning from the Greats and

and initial plans are with regards to the school.”

For Martinez, there is a need to see through different perspectives in order for him to come up with a better vision rooted on the desires of the community.

From his first months in USLS, he has come up with the goal to update, renovate, and create teaching and learning spaces in order make the University “not only a learning environment but a living environment.”

He finds that the biggest challenges he will encounter in leading is “strengthening and supporting the human resource of the University, the growing population, and the limits of the current campus, updating physical facilities, and unifying Lasallian and professional culture of all sectors.”

Using practices from previous schools he has mentored such

as maintaining quality communication in all levels, investing in human resources, planning and spending wisely and creatively, patience, discipline, compassion, and upholding Lasallian and professional culture, Martinez plans to work together with lay partners, trustees, faculty, and staff in sharing the Lasallian mission.

In terms of advocacy, Martinez expressed his desire in highlighting that continuous improvement should be our backdrop motto and to strengthen our Lasallian and professional culture in the school as our initial commitment before we even reach out to the external sector.

For Academic Year 2017-2018, Martinez strives for a better USLS with the theme of “Living Out the Lasallian Values in Our Educational Mission Today”, which he partners with the hashtag “#BuildUSLS”.

continue practicing since art is self-expression at the very least and she’s only for art having both substance and technique.

Gkie firmly believes that artists should aspire for excellence, not to be content with shallow compliments but continue being better.

“The satisfaction you’ll get from doing [art], the privilege of having a medium for expression, the opportunity to make a ripple effect to whoever will witness our artwork, and to see people getting intrigued and inspired by our artworks all at the same time are the peaks of fulfillment that we DRUG TESTING / FROM PAGE 1

sanctioned accordingly based on provisions made in the student handbook of the HEIs. But perhaps the most crucial part of the process before any HEI can conduct any mandatory drug testing, is the approval of the institutions’ administrators and students. The policy to be implemented should be approved by the Board of Trustees, Directors or Regents of the school, and should be properly consulted with the students first. On the student consultation process, the HEI shall present before the student council/government or a few selected student representatives from student organizations (in the absence of the former), the draft of the mandatory drug testing policy, and be able to arrive at a mutual agreement between the two parties before any policy shall be enacted.

Should the institution’s

aspire when doing it,” said artist Seth Pullona.

Pullona also mentioned how using a 4x4 canvas was brilliant as the idea played along with the exhibit title and theme. At first, he felt forced that the size was standardized, but seeing the products of the exhibit, the artworks fitted well and were standing out individually.

“House of Frida opened an opportunity for young Bacolodnon artists to showcase their brilliance. And the numbers of attendees during the event was a sign that not only was the show a success, but a sign that

the Bacolod art scene is alive and really immersed into art,” Pullona cited.

When asked what he would be if he recreated himself in a 4x4 canvas, Pullona answered, “I would be a vase sculpted with faces on its surface as I believe that I am diverse. I am one but with a lot of different personas, just like any other human,” he concluded.

House of Frida also hosted another group show entitled, “Architecture of Solitude” by artists Ginoe Ojoy,Jethro Lacson, Arthel Tagnipez, Eri Aikawa, and Erika Mayo last Sept. 8. The exhibit will run until Oct. 1.

Board and its students agree with the drafted policy, the drug tests will be subjected to strict implementation terms. All tests to be conducted shall be handled only by facilities, physicians, and private medical practitioners that are accredited by the Department of Health. Drug test results and other data shall also be required to be protected with utmost confidentiality.

Additionally, the HEIs are also expected to act upon its students after the drug testing through providing non-discriminatory intervention services.

However, there is a little less known provision included in the order. Aside from mandatory drug testing, Memorandum Order No. 64 also permitted college institutions to allow local government units, the Philippine National Police, or any other law enforcement agency to carry out any drug-related operation

within the school premises, provided that there is written approval and coordination with the HEIs. This policy was “in keeping with the academic freedom of the HEIs,” the order stated.

All these policies and stipulations provided in the CHED memorandum order are anchored still on the final decision of the college institutions, along with the necessary approval from its Board and its students, on whether to implement their own mandatory policies on drug testing or not.

For some, these may be part of the solution to achieve drugfree school campuses, but for others, at the same time, policies included in the memo order might pose a risk to the protection and privacy of students. It can be a tool for some, but it can also be a double-edged sword for others, if not properly implemented and handled.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

SPECIAL REPORT / THESPECTRUM

7

The 26 months of NIR

BY IRIS DENISE N. RIVERA

In 2015, former Pres. Benigno Aquino III signed Executive Order (E.O.) No. 183 joining the two provinces of Negros Occidental and Oriental to make the Negros Island Region (NIR).

Last Aug. 9, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte signed E.O. No. 38, revoking his predecessor’s E.O. No. 183, due to the lack of funds to fully establish the NIR according to Secretary of Budget and Management Peter Diokno.

WHERE IT STARTED “[The two provinces] nestle in one common island; have common fowls and beasts in the forest; share the same soil in our plains and mountains; benefit and suffer together from the rivers that snake through our

land; and our ancestors roamed the same length and breadth without complications of political, social, economic, religious and lingual obstacles.”

This was one of the arguments presented by the proponents of the House of Representatives Bill No. 1477 entitled “An Act Merging the Province of Negros Occidental and Oriental into One-island Region” back in the 1980’s.

Back then, the two provinces were the only ones in the Philippines that were situated on the same island but were not part of the same region, with Negros Occidental having its regional office in Panay, and Negros Oriental in Cebu.

However, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) turned down the proposal due to the lack of

funds to effect the merger.

In 2013, the NIR was again proposed by officials from both Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental claiming it would be beneficial for both provinces to be under the same region.

With the rise of support for the proposal, Aquino III directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government to look into the establishment of the new region. The DILG endorsed the proposal which NEDA, in turn, affirmed by presenting studies that showed the establishment of the NIR was economically viable.

ESTABLISHMENT AND DISSOLUTION The Negros provinces were officially joined into one Negros Island Region (Region XVIII) on May 29, 2015 via E.O.

No. 138. Negros Occidental was separated from Western Visayas (Region VI) and Negros Oriental from the Central Visayas Region (Region VII).

The Office of the President, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), NEDA, the DILG, and the representatives of the provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, were constituted to form a Technical Working Group that would formulate a roadmap to put in place the institutional arrangements of the NIR. The proponents of the NIR stated numerous advantages to its establishment with the first being the advantages of having a regional office within the NIR itself. Previously, residents of the provinces had to travel either by sea or air to neighboring islands,

Panay for Negros Occidental and Cebu for Negros Oriental, in order to process transactions in their regional offices.

They also claimed that the movement would result in better coordination between the two provinces in tourism, peace and order, environment, development planning, disaster management, and road infrastructure.

The proponents also envisioned an increased efficiency in the NIR’s government by boosting tourism in the region.

At the start of his term, Duterte heightened discussion on the Philippine Government’s conversion into federalism and the NIR may have had the potential to be its own federal state.

This means that the NIR would have had political, social,

and economic issues peculiar only to the region itself.

Provincial government representatives would also be able to reside in closer proximity to the people.

House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez even proposed to move some governmental offices to NIR from Metro Manila due to its strategic location in between Luzon and Mindanao, as well as its vast areas that could accommodate said offices.

However, the NIR was dissolved when Duterte signed E.O. No. 38 last August which upset its regional officials and provoked outcry from Negrenses.

At the time of its existence, the NIR was composed of 19 cities, 38 municipalities, and 1,219 barangays.

SONA 2017: From Scratch Rather than Rubble “Believe me, it is easier to build from scratch than to dismantle the rotten and rebuild upon its rubbles.”

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) “in a showcase of simplicity”, according to the Malacañang press statement, last July 24 which was attended by top politicians, foreign diplomats, and living past presidents.

Duterte spent more than two hours describing the situation of the country and discussing policy issues, emphasizing his war on drugs, taxes, and mining.

He also mentioned about, K to 12 program, federalism, the West Philippine Sea issue and the return of the Balangiga Bells and called out the local media (specifically ABS-CBN and Rappler) for being critical of his statements and policies, pointing out that local news organizations should be 100% Filipino. Achievements like the establishment of a public hotline facility were also mentioned.

Here are the highlights of this year’s SONA: 1. WAR ON DRUGS Despite criticism both from local and international human rights groups, Duterte declared that his infamous campaign against drugs will be as

“unremitting as it is unrelenting”, saying that there is “only jail or hell” as the alternatives.

First launched by the Philippine National Police (PNP) as “Project Double Barrel” and later became more known as “TokHang” which is a portmanteau of the Cebuano terms “Toktok-Hangyo” meaning “knock and plead”, the drug war has been the subject of both support and criticism from the public.

Since July 2016, over seven million houses have been visited

by Project TokHang, over one million pushers/users have surrendered and over 53,000 drug personalities have been arrested during more than 43,000 drug operations conducted as of January 2017.

What has earned the outburst of different groups is the reports of policemen resorting to extrajudicial killings and civilians committing vigilante-style killings with over 4,000 murder cases outside police operations.

Duterte said he did not have any intention to “loosen the leash in the campaign or lose the fight against illegal drugs” which he believes can “weaken the social fabric and deter foreign investments from pouring in.”

According to the President, what is needed is to educate people from all sectors because

although he values human life, he will not allow illegal drugs to ruin the youth, families and communities.

2. INSURGENCY IN MINDANAO Addressing terrorism, especially in Marawi, Duterte explained that declaring Martial Law was essential to “quell the rebellion at the least cost of lives and properties.”

He assured soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and police of his unwavering support and commitment,and promised that the defense capability of AFP will continue to strengthen.

3. NATIONAL LAND USE ACT (NALUA) In response to the demands of food security, housing, businesses and environmental conservation, Duterte appealed early in the address for the Congress to pass NALUA. NALUA, endorsed by Sen. Loren Legarda, seeks effective allocation to promote rational and sustainable management and utilization of natural resources.

4. ON THE ENVIRONMENT The President urged industrialists, investors and commercial barons to put up factories and manufacturing establishments

here in the country.

He called to stop the extraction and exportation of Philippine raw materials which is imported back at higher the price and called for exercising extreme care to the environment in doing so.

Mining operations and contractors were called out to refrain from “unbridled and irresponsible destruction” of different habitats and sources.

“I am holding all mining companies and its officials responsible for the full and quick clean-up, restoration [and] rehabilitation of all areas damaged by mining activities, and the extension of all necessary support to the communities that have suffered mining’s disastrous effects on their health, livelihood, and environment, among others,” Duterte said.

Duterte warned that he will increase taxes in mining to mining operators that will not move to restore and rehabilitate all areas damaged by mining activities.

He also pointed out the disasters that continue to hit the country such as typhoons, droughts, and the looming threat of the “Big One”, a scale-breaking earthquake that has a possibility to hit the country.

Thus, Duterte urged the Congress to craft a law that will establish a new department that will handle 21st century

conditions and provide quick disaster response and awareness.

5. DEATH PENALTY The President also urged the Congress to pass the bill reimposing capital punishment in the country due to “menace of illegal drugs, criminality, and corruption.”

He cited cases of freed convicts in the United States that are released only to repeat their crimes again and continued to explain that here in the Philippines, “it is really an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. You took a life then you must pay for life. That is the only way to [get] even.”

6. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LAW Duterte appealed for the temporary restraining order on contraceptive implants to be lifted which he said will be a waste of Php 350 million worth of taxpayers’ money.

“I am not for abortion, I am not for birth control, but I am for the freedom of the Filipino family to decide,” said the President.

7. ON CONNECTIVITY AND TRANSPORTATION Fifteen brand new RORO vessels were launched to provide major nautical routes all over the country while the ASEAN RoRo

What to know about the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program Between the drug wars, smoking ban, and everyday corruption the Duterte administration is currently handling, there are Filipinos who are not aware of the administration’s proposition to lean towards a progressive tax system in the Philippines. The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), better known as the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program aims to provide relief to the tax-paying workers in the Philippines by reducing their monthly income taxes. The catch is, prices of basic commodities will be increased.

Last May, the tax reform package by the Department of Finance has already advanced in the House of Representatives as it passed its first reading. The TRAIN will redesign the tax system in the country to make

it fairer, more efficient, and simpler. This will also help the government raise the resources that it needs to invest further in the country’s infrastructure and its people.

On the other hand, while it brings down the income tax obligation of all working individuals, it will raise the excise of fuel and sweetened beverages.

Excise tax will be added to automobiles. Cars that cost less than P600,000 will have a 3% excise tax compared to the current 2% while automobiles worth over P3.1 million will be imposed a tax of P1,468,000 plus 90% of the value in excess of P3.1 million.

Excise tax will also be added to fuel, depending on which type. The prices will vary but taxes will be charged per liter of volume capacity.

Small business will be heavily affected on the excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. All

DISCUSSION. Participants coming from particular groups and cooperatives gathered for a forum on Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion at the Captain’s Cove, Bacolod Pavillon last Aug. 3.

types of drinks ranging from carbonated drinks to coffee, will be added an excise tax of P10 per liter. Exemptions from the tax are the following: milk, infant formula, 100% natural fruit and vegetable juices, ground coffees, and unsweetened tea.

The main point of the tax reform’s agenda in providing a bigger pay for working Filipinos is to increase their spending

power. Although the House of Representatives approved the tax reform package, the Senate is unlikely to pass it as they believe this is will affect the poor. Sen. Joel Villanueva said that it [TRAIN] should have to make some modifications to improve it further and ensure it is not anti-poor otherwise the poverty-stricken Filipinos will mostly become poorer.

8. ON HEALTH CARE Duterte also boasted of the strengthening of the No Balance Billing Policy which gives Filipinos equitable access to quality and affordable health services by expanding health insurance coverage and benefits.

Executive Order No. 26 has also been signed, imposing a ban on smoking in public places.

“We want to minimize access to tobacco products, and provide a more supportive environment for those who are attempting to quit tobacco use,” said Duterte.

9. ON TAXES He also called for the Senate to support his Comprehensive Tax Reform in full, which he describes as the first step towards more equitable taxes to fund better services for the people, and declared that the Department of Finance and Bureau of Internal Revenue is strengthening and running after tax evaders.

PCOO’s Interim Policy: What is at stake?

—NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN

BY MARIA ANGELICA M. APE

Shipping Route was opened, connecting the ports of Davao and General Santos, Philippines to Bitung, Indonesia.

The President also reported that ports of Iloilo, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga were modernized and that there shall be complete strategic road and bridge projects including road widening.

—JOWAN DAVE G. GUIDES

BY ANDREA NICOLE C. FAROL

BY IAN KRISTOFFER V. GA

“You cannot gauge a person by his number of followers,” said Communication Department Chair Hannah Mariveles regarding the Department Order (D.O.) No. 15 entitled ‘’Interim Social Media Practitioner Accreditation” signed by Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Martin Andanar last Aug. 8.

The D.O. reads that the interim social media practitioner accreditation was established “in the interest of recognizing emerging communication platforms and harnessing the full potential of social media tools in pursuit of the PCOO’s mandate to engage the citizenry in order to enrich the quality of discourse on matters of national governance.”

It also says that the accreditation shall be

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

PCOO / PAGE 11

USLS CELEBRATES ITS 65TH HANDUMANAN WEEK

BY JYAN MARTELLA G. OPENA

The University of St. La Salle (USLS) was once again filled with green and white pride as it celebrated its 65th anniversary last July 3-7.

With the theme: “Hearts Ablaze”, this year’s Handumanan Week paid tribute to the institutional founders and alumni through an array of activities.

“One of the differences in this year’s celebration is the change in the modification of the theme in terms of what we want to highlight for the particular year. This year, our theme is “Hearts Ablaze”. In other words, we would want to see this fire of passion continually burning, the passion ablaze,” Vice Chancellor for Mission and Development (VCMD) Geoffrey Bob Bergante stated.

The week-long celebration

kicked off with the traditional Handumanan Mass held at the Montelibano Chapel and the procession of the image of St. John Baptist de La Salle to the Office of the President and Chancellor.

To foster environmental stewardship, a campus-wide tree planting and tree care activity was culminated and the planting of the 65th endemic tree that represents the 65 years since the University’s foundation.

President and Chancellor Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez, FSC, D. Min opened the event with a speech that emphasized on the accomplishments and humble beginnings of the University.

In line with the opening of Handuman Week, the Lasallian Exhibit also opened at Museo Negrense featuring the portraits, stories and the histories of the Brother President and

Chancellors, the Institutions of La Salle Bacolod, and the campus.

Adding more jive and rhythm to the week-long celebration, Lasallian students, faculty, and staff participated in the Zumba Party during the Bayle Fit de La Salle.

Moreover, the CBA Council headed the first ever “Green Bingo for a Cause” at the University Coliseum that was participated by an estimate of 750 participants from the students, faculty, and staff.

The Brother’s House, Honoring and Testimonial Rites of the Nursing Licensure Exam passers, and Liyab: Praise and Worship were also held on the second day.

Additionally, the Institute for Lasallian Animation and Formation, under the Office of the VCMD, initiated the “Recharge of the Green Brigade”,

a biking event, routing from the Coliseum to the Bahay Pag-asa Youth Center in Brgy. Granada.

The Lasallian Brothers together with the Integrated School students joined in recreational games in the “Play with the Brothers” event held at the Dizon Covered Court.

Members of the USLS faculty who have spent at least 10 years in the University and helped mold and signify the University’s role in producing quality education were recognized and honored during the Service Awards Rites held at Santuario De La Salle.

The anniversary would not have been complete without the athletic competitions. The courts were overwhelmed with loud cheers and friendly banters as each team went all-out to grab the winning titles during the USLS Beach Volleyball Tournament and Volleyball

Exhibition game for both men and women, Brothers’ Cup Swimming Tournament, and Ladies Football Invitational Game.

Additionally, a campus-wide bulletin board contest was held to showcase the artistic abilities of Lasallians, which was then followed by a Clean-Up Drive conducted as well around the campus.

The final day of the celebration involved the students, faculty, and staff celebrating the Mass of the Holy Spirit at the Coliseum, subsequently followed by the Honoring Rites: Golden Jubilarians of 1967, campus-wide Agape Lunch by the various clubs and organizations, and the Fellowship Games.

USLS ended its 65th birthday anniversary by celebrating the annual Berde Bash themed “Hail to the Loyals,” which culminated this year’s Handumanan

Week.

“I think that the University community, as Lasallians, we need to remember, owe, and cherish our roots and founders. We owe it to them, the early brothers, the mentors, the staff, and all those who have been a part in the growth of the University. So, it’s really a call to mind who and what we are and how things started for University of St. La Salle. We need to remind ourselves to look back not just for the sake of looking back but to remember the important intentions, values, and virtues that we need to instill to our students.

Celebrating Handumanan Week allows us to be reminded of our mission and the main reason why we are here,” Bergante added.

Cheers to more blazing years of Animo spirit. Animo Lasalle!

—NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN, ARIANA INEZ CHUA, NICCI BERNELLE D. AGUILAR, MARTINI M. FALCO, MARIANO O. JAVIER

CLUB FAIR 2017: WRITTEN IN THE STARS

BY VICTORIA MARIAN B. BELMIS

With the theme “Concordia: Written in the Stars”, 22 clubs from the different colleges in the University came together as one Lasallian community in this year’s Club Fair last July 24-27.

The four-day event kicked off with an opening program held in front of the USLS Coliseum Lobby which was then followed by dance performances from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Business and Accountancy (CBA), College of Education (CEd), and the College of Engineering and Technology (CET) for the Mob

Dance wherein CEd dominated.

The Club Fair’s first day was capped by an Open Mic where Lasallians had the opportunity to showcase their musical prowess.

“The students are enjoying the Club Fair even though the weather was hot,” Marketer’s Union President, Sophia Lorraine Larroder said when asked by the emcees during the Open Mic how the Club Fair was.

On day two, teamwork prevailed as 34 club representatives survived the hurdles of the Amazing Race while later that afternoon, 22 icons from different clubs flaunted their

wits filling the Coliseum Lobby with whoops and hoots.

Coming from the Lasallian Society of Hospitality Managers (LSHM), Hazel Moronaga was hailed as this year’s Club Icon.

Furthermore, on the third day, seven club representatives rendered masterpieces in line with the Club Fair’s theme wherein Karl James Arriesgado of the Association of Synergized Secondary Education Teachers bagged his back-to-back win while Team Bangs of the Galaxy dominated the Executive Challenge.

Office for Lasallian Animation and Formation (OLAF) Director Br. Antolin

“Butch” Alcudia III, Office for Student Affairs Director Andre Tagamolila and USG Vice President Mycka Navarro, explored and judged the club booths prepared by the university clubs and organizations at the USLS Parking Lot on the last day of the club fair.

The Intellectually Diversified Students (IDS) notched the first place as Best Booth, followed by the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (JPIA) and LSHM who placed second and third, respectively.

“It was our first victory ever, and to be honest it was really a glorious moment. I even cried a

little, because at least with my last year here in La Salle, I was able to leave a small historic win for the lower year of IDS students to be more inspired and keep going,” said Vanessa Chan, IDS President.

After that, Rift Off, a prompt acapella competition, was held at the Coliseum Lobby where Nikka Arnado, Keith Desphy, Haylanee Azagra, Louis David Tocoyo, Alexa Agabon, and Henry Solivio of Team B&W emerged as victors against Team Sixth Harmony, Team Chuchu Acapella and Team Prano.

The Club Fair ended with the five colleges revealing

their respective Lasallian Icons during the culminating program entitled: Ephemeris: The Stars of Each Planet, wherein Katrina Nemenzo and Astrolave Vista of CAS were hailed as winners for the Production Number followed by May Canellada and Erlfred Florete of CEd and Klaire Anne Libre and Ric Christian Mijares of CBA as first and second runners-up, respectively.

This is the second year of the Lasallian Icon, and the pageant night is set this September 15 as part of the Lasallian Week celebration.

—NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN, ARIANA INEZ CHUA, NICCI BERNELLE D. AGUILAR, MARTINI M. FALCO, MARIANO O. JAVIER

10

THESPECTRUM / FILIPINO

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

- SHARA MAE L. PELAYO

Banyagang sipi ang Pula at Bughaw NI JYAN MARTELLA G. OPENA

Mula sa isla ng Batanes hanggang sa kaibuturan ng Sulu, ang Pilipinas ay masagana sa samu’t-saring kultura, sining, tradisyon, at pasalitang wika na siyang ipinamana pa ng ating mga ninuno. Ang mga Pilipino ay kilala sa buong mundo dahil sa mga kapansin-pansin at nangingibabaw na katangian mula sa kanilang mga matatamis na ngiti at bukal na kalooban. Nagbabago man sa paglipas ng panahon ay patuloy pa ring kinikilala at tinitingala.

Mahigit kumulang 170 na lengwahe ang kinikilalang ginagamit sa Pilipinas at halos karamihan dito ay hango sa mga lengwaheng MayoPolynysean. Ang Pilipinas bilang isang bansang katingan ng samu’t-saring kulturang nagmula sa mga mananakop ay siyang naging tulay sa pagkakilala ng kultura at wikang Filipino.

Bilang paggunita sa Buwan ng Wika, tampok sa lathalaing ito ang dalawa sa mga dayuhang Lasalyano at ang kulturang Pilipino na umungos at tumatak sa kanila.

Ayon sa datus ng Philippine Statistics Authority sa taong 2010, tinatayang nasa 200,000 ang mga naninirahang dayuhan sa ating bansa na siyang bumubuo sa 20% porsyento ng ating kasalukuyang populasyon. Ang pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Wika tuwing Agosto ay hindi lamang nasusukat sa pagbibihis ng baro’t saya, pagtatalumpati, sabayang pagbigkas, sa mga katutubong awit at mga sayaw, kundi naririyan din ang pagbibigay-pugay at pagkilala sa ating kulturang Pilipino.

Ang isang expatriate o mas kilala bilang “expat” ay isang tao na pansamantala o permanenteng naninirahan, bilang isang imigrante, sa ibang bansa maliban sa kinalakihan o pinanggalingang bansa.

Ngayon, inyong tunghayan ang pagsasalaysay ng dalawang dayuhang kasalukuyang nanatili sa Unibersidad: sina Miko Fujiwara kalahating Pilipino at Hapon, at ang dating tagapangulo ng La Salle Vivace Strings na si David Strong - isang Amerikano.

Magkapareho silang hindi isinilang sa Perlas ng Silangan at magkaiba man ng pinangalingan, mas pinili ng dalawa na manatili sa bansang dayuhan.

Nakipagpanayam si Miko Fujiwara na kasalukuyang nasa ika-apat na taon sa kursong Edukasyon at limang taon nang naninirahan sa bansa. Taong 2012 nang unang tumapak si Fujiwara sa Pilipinas upang ipagpatuloy ang kanyang pag-aaral sa kolehiyo kasama ang dalawang nakakabatang kapatid.

Ayon sa kanya, hindi naging madali ang pananatili sa Pilipinas sapagkat may mga pagkakaiba sa kultura ang bansang Hapon at ang Pinas.

Ganunpaman, masaya daw siya na sa Pilipinas siya nanirahan sapagkat napukaw ang kanyang pagiging Pilipino.

Karamihan sa mga dayuhang dumadalo sa pagtitipon ng mga Pilipino ay maaring makapagpatotoo na likas ang pagiging magiliw at palakaibigan ng ating lahi. Isa din si Fujiwara sa mga dayuhang m a k ap a gb i b i gay-k at w i r a n sa katangiang ito. Habang siya ay nanatili sa Pilipinas, nasaksihan niyang likas ito sa kanyang mga malalapit

na kaibigan, kapamilya, at kakilalang Pinoy.

Sa kabilang banda, ipinanganak naman at lumaki sa Kanlurang dako ng daigdig si David Strong na halos siyam na taon nang naninirahan sa bansa. Tubong Amerika ang buo niyang angkan na puro guro at mga taga-plano ng negosyo. Bago lumipat sa Pilipinas, nakapagtapos si Strong ng Performance Music at naging matagumpay sa kanyang karera bilang isang musikero at tagapagtugtog ng violin at viola. Ayon kay Strong, naging madali sa kanya ang pakikipag-usap sa mga Pilipino sapakat likas sa mga Pilipino ang pagiging mahusay sa wikang Ingles ngunit kakaunti lamang ang alam niyang mga salitang Filipino o Hiligaynon.

Iilan sa kanyang nabanggit ay “Magandang umaga” at “Salamat po,” at “Lugar lang” kung siya’y bababa sa pampasaherong dyip o taxi at “Duwa ka kape” kapag nasa restawran o kapehan. Madali rin daw makibagay ang mga Pilipino sa iba’t-ibang lahi, kultura, at sitwasyon na sa kanyang palagay ay nangigibaw sa iba pang mga lahing Asyano.

Ilang beses na bang nagulat ang mga dayuhan sa kakayahan ng mga Pilipinong maging positibo pagkatapos ng unos ng bagyo? Bukod sa mga larawan ng mga unos at dagok, lubos na ikinagulat at kinahumalingan ng mga dayuhan ang mga larawan ng mga batang masayang lumalangoy sa baha o mga tao sa mga evacuation center na nakangiti at kumakaway sa mga kamera. Ilang beses nagtanong si Strong kung paano nagagawa ng mga Pilipinong ngumiti sa gitna ng mga dagok at hirap; sa mga panahong butas ang

- NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN

bulsa at mahapdi ang bituka.

Simple lang ang kinakapitan at pinanghahawakan ng mga Pilipino: positibong diwa at mukha ng pag-asa nakahiga man sa salapi o dukha.

Bukod dito, hindi rin naiwasang banggitin ni Fujiwara na malaking tulong ang kulturang Pilipino upang maimulat ang kahalagahan ng isang pamilya sa kanya.

Wika niya, sabay-sabay silang kumakain sa hapag-kainan ng kanyang mag-anak, nagmamano sa mga nakakatanda na nagpapakita ng paggalang, at pagbebeso sa mga kakilala at pamilya na sa kanyang palagay ay hindi gaanong pinahahalagahan sa kinalakihang lugar.

Kagaya ni Miko, labis-labis din ang paghanga ni Strong sa mga manggagawang Pilipino sa kabila ng hindi kataasang sahod at hirap ng pinapasukang trabaho.

Kilala rin tayong mga Pilipino sa pagiging mapagpasalamat, malakas ang loob,

madiskarte at higit sa lahat, malaki ang pananalig sa Diyos.

Ayon kay Strong, “The things that drive us as human beings—Filipinos are very good at it.” Bakas sa mga Pilipino ang pagiging mapagpasalamat gaano man ito kalaki o kaliit.

Isa rin tayong lahi ng mapagmalasakit na mamamayan na handang magbigay at umambag ng tulong sa kapwa kahit may mga pagkakataong tayo ay walang-wala rin. Diskarte at tibay ng loob din ang puhunan ng mga Pilipinong nakikipag-sapalaran at nagbabatak ng buto sa ibayong dagat.

Hindi na rin nawala sa listahan ang mga merienda at lutong Pinoy na kanilang kinaibigan. Iilan dito ay sinigang, sisig, adobo, liempo, manok, nilagang karne, at kinilaw.

Isang hindi makakalimutang karanasan para sa dalawa ang paninirahan sa

Pilipinas. Hindi lamang namulat ang kanilang kamalayan sa kulturang Pilipino, kundi sa paglipas ng panahon ay tuluyan na nilang minahal at kinilala ang pagiging isang tunay na Pilipino.

Dalawa lamang sina Miko at Strong sa mga dayuhang piniling manatili at manirahan sa Pilipinas.

Dalawa lamang sila sa mga dayuhang napamahal sa kulturang hiram sa kanilang pinanggalingan. Bilang isang kapuluan ng mahigit 100 milyong Pilipino, ito na ang tawag sa atin. Oras na upang tayo ay magmalasakit sa ating wika at kultura bilang isang hayag na pamana.

Ika nga sa isang akda ng kilalang manunulat na si Bob Ong, “Pilipino ako, sapat nang dahilan `yon para mahalin ko ang Pilipinas.” Ating ipakita ang pagiging Pilipino sa isip, salita, at gawa.

Mga agang d g a r a K n a m Kaala NA RISTIA O, CH G. PIOS L IL T R N B. PO T HEZRO A E JOY RLEN ANCAYCO A T S IL .G NI . RAF DIA G PH. P CLAU JOSE U N I KEA HO N DIBU

#1 Humigit kumulang 16 milyong piraso ng pilak (P16, 422) ang naitambak sa Caballo Bay na karatig-isla ng Corregidor noong 1942. Sadyang tinangka raw ito ng mga Pilipino’t Amerikanong opisyal upang mailayo ang Philippine National Treasury mula sa mga Hapon. Maliban sa pilak, ang kabang-yaman ay naglalaman din ng 70 milyong pisong papel at 269 piraso ng ginto. Sa huli, natuklasan ito ng mga Hapon at siyang nag-utos sa mga Pilipino’t Amerikanong preso ng gyera na isisid ang pera sa dagat. Umabot sa P250,000 ang nakuha ng mga Hapon habang may nainakaw naman ang ilang Amerikano na P30,000-60,000.

#2

#3

Noong 2002, naitala ang pinakamalaking pares ng sapatos na nagmula sa Marikina City.

Ang wingtips nito ay may sukat na 17.4 talampakan o 5.3 metrong haba, 7.9 talampakan o 2.4 metrong lapad at halos 6.6 talampakan o dalawang metrong taas. Ang pangkalahatang gastos ay nagkakahalaga ng 2 milyong piso.

Ang mga Ingles na salitang “boonies” at “boondocks” ay hango sa Tagalog na katagang bundok o mountain. Naisama ito sa pang-Amerikanong bernakular noong 1940s marahil na rin sa mga dayuhang sundalong nakahimpil sa Pilipinas habang nasa Ikalawang Digmaan.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

UNIVERSITY / THESPECTRUM

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

COLLEGE BEATS

COLLEGE OF NURSING

BY RIESA T. RODILLADO

11

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ACCOUNTANCY

BY STEPHINE PAUL M. DUNGCA

The College of Nursing (BSN) welcomed the months of June and July with a plethora of events that the whole College participated in.

BSN led off July with a Testimonial Rites to acknowledge the board passers of the June 2017 Nursing Licensure Exam along with their alumni and faculty.

“Our council has been planning out certain activities and had been choosing battles that would create an even greater impact with what we have,” BSN Secretary Corrine Lingco said.

Such activities held were Project Fruit Ninjas and Project H2O, where the former promoted the Nutrition Month as they went around the campus, giving out apples and oranges to people seen eating non-nutritious food, while the latter initiated the distribution of devices converting floodwater to potable water to communities in Bago City facing water potency problems.

Moreover, BSN participated in an off-campus cheering competition called Lakad Lung on July 29 which was spearheaded by Ruby Nolido-Pedroza, MD, President of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) Negros Chapter where they took home P15,000 for winning both first and second place.

In partnership with the College of Business and Accountancy, BSN also conducted an outreach program last Aug. 5 at the Home for the Aged and also at Silay City with the Alliance of Tourism Leaders and Associates Society (ATLAS) on Aug. 19.

Furthermore, the College attended the Benilde Prize Workshop last Aug. 29-31 wherein the participants went to communities and formulated solutions for their problems.

“The College of Nursing, being only [a population of] 111 this year, aims to do their best despite the odds,” Lingco said, noting what strong will and dedication could do even with such little manpower.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

BY MARIA ANGELINE M. MAYOR

The College of Engineering and Technology (CET) continued to aim higher as the months of July and August came jampacked with activities and events to showcase their skills and capabilities.

With the theme “NEXUS: Connecting the Tigers’ Supremacy”, the CET celebrated their annual Orange Week last July 3 - 7 at the University Library Lobby and Covered Court.

According to CET Governor Jose Marty Yanson, the purpose of the activity was to showcase and maximize the skills and talents of CET students to the whole Lasallian community.

Club Expo, CET Challenge, Batch Icon, CET Wars, and E-Squad Battle were some of the main activities the College had prepared for Orange Week.

For the month of August, the Council held the annual Tigers’ League, an interbarkada game promoting awareness on physical fitness while at the same time serving as an opportunity for the College to scout possible athletes for the upcoming Animolympics.

Some of the games, which are still on-going, include basketball, billiards, and badminton.

Meanwhile, Team ChupaCHIPS from the Computer Hardware Interfacing and Programming Society bagged the championship award during the Interbarkada Futsal game last Aug. 6, while Team IECEP from the Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines and Team Himaya followed as first and second

PCOO / FROM PAGE 7

issued to a Filipino citizen who is at least 18 years of age and has at least 5,000 followers on any social media platform. Those who wish to apply may do so at the Social Media Office (SMO) headed

by PCOO Asec. Mocha Uson.

Three days after the completion of requirements, the SMO will then review and consider the applications.

However, under the D.O. Section 6, accreditation given to a social media practitioner may be withdrawn, cancelled, or suspended due to abuse of rights and privileges extended by PCOO and improper use.

Social media practitioners would be assigned on a per event basis only, unless specified by the PCOO, as stated in the D.O. In addition, the accreditation would also be subjected to clearance from the Presidential Security Group.

Meanwhile, Mariveles

expressed her dissent that one does not become a Malacañang reporter overnight.

“The Malacañang beat is a plum position given to senior reporters who already have considerable experience covering the lesser beats,” she explained.

Mariveles further emphasized that an accrediting body with no credibility having such power to select the roster of social media practitioners is just untoward.

Taking Stephenie Meyer and Mark Twain, both highly-acclaimed authors of their time, as an analogy, she compared that people nowadays, millennials especially, can identify more with Meyer than with Twain. However, it does not mean that the former is a better writer than the latter.

For Mariveles, this similarly goes out to journalism, where the biggest names in journalism such as Malou Mangahas and Ed Lingao are

runners-up, respectively.

Team Alliance emerged victorious last Sept. 3 in the Interbarkada Frisbee with Levi Duran and Rais Irel Auero taking home the Most Valuable Player and Most Defensive Player titles, respectively.

In the Interbarkada Beach Volleyball , Adrienne Carl Calvo and Nichol Jundana also bagged the Championship award on the same day.

Now on its fourth year, CET’s annual leadership training camp named Orange Cubs also took place last Aug. 13, as a new set of CET students completed the Orange Cubs Batch 4.

Yanson said that this year’s theme of Orange Cubs, “Kusog: Discovering Your Own Adamantium”, is aligned with CET’s platform “Intensify.”

Aside from preparing for the activities during the Lasallian Week, CET will be having their annual “E-lugo Mo Part 5” which is their version of Bingo, and “E-lympian: Battle of the Best” which is their version of quiz bee for CET students.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

BY IDA SARENA M. GABAYA

From the start of July, the College of Arts and Sciences’ (CAS) calendar was already loaded with activities lined up for the entire month. The CAS Council, together with the CAS faculty members, spearheaded “Christmas in July”, a gift-giving activity last July 7.

CAS Vice-Governor Joevel Bartolome shared that at first, the Council had a hard time finding volunteers because there weren’t enough juniors and seniors college students.

“This is CAS’ lowest point in terms of population. But we’re really happy that the clubs are very supportive and active,” said Bartolome.

“It was very challenging, because there are always going to be problems that we won’t be able to foresee. But with the help of the Council, everything is still going under control” said CAS Governor Martina Gindap.

The Green Lions showcased their talents during the Mob Dance in which they placed first runner-up, and also emerged overall champion in the Lasallian Icon pre-pageant night last July 27 at the USLS Coliseum. Where they revealed second year AB Psychology student Astrolave Vista and fourth year BS Psychology student Katrina Nemenzo as the Lasallian Icons for the CAS during their production number dressed as “Nomads of Saturn.”

They are now currently focusing on promoting the advocacy of the Icons: “Suffocating in Plastic”.

For the month of August, the CAS Council organized the official CAS Acquaintance Party at Granada Eco-Park on Aug. 5 with the theme “CASADYAHAN: Foam CAS, with love, mga dear.”

Besides non-academic activities, the CAS Council also facilitated outreach programs with the grade six students of Banago Elementary School.

Meanwhile, CAS is gearing to prepare for all the activities in store this school year, inspired by the cooperation shown by all of the colleges during the Handumanan Week and Club Fair.

“We are planning more activities for our fellow CAS students that can hone them holistically, so we are hoping for their participation and willingness for the activities and programs to come,” said Bartolome.

lesser known to many while Mocha Uson garners the larger following.

“We cannot gauge quality on numbers alone; it has to be backed up by a good track record,” Mariveles stated.

She added that one of the most important things a journalist must bear in mind is the Philippine Journalist’s Code of Ethics.

“I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. I recognize the duty to air the other side and to correct substantive errors promptly,” the first provision reads.

She questioned whether Uson is faring well or not by that provision as Uson does not even consider the sides of Antonio Trillanes, Leila de Lima, nor the victims of Oplan Tokhang in her news coverage, adding that fairness and accuracy, among others, are not in place.

“Ethical practice is the best weapon of a journalist,” Mariveles said.

Another thing she is concerned with is that the policy is “free for all”, encompassing bloggers whereas most journalists undergo four years of schooling, series of trainings and constant practice, and exposure to the news in order to become full-fledged ones.

As she put it, “Being a journalist is a lifelong training experience.”

She stressed that they are never faultless in the field, thus shedding the light to the question on what more to expect from non-journalists.

“Journalism is more than just writing and expressing yourself,” Mariveles said as she compared journalism from blogging where the latter is subjective.

She believes that the bigger the sphere of influence, the more dangerous a person becomes, especially when that person is not responsible in the disclosure

With their “Twelvolution” tagline, the College of Business and Accountancy (CBA) has revolutionized for a strong start.

For the months of July to August, the CBA council and its Sports committee prepared for their 12th Animolympics title through this year’s Champion’s League wherein the Juniors are leading by 427 points as of Aug. 2, against the Seniors’ 398 points.

“CBA promises only one thing: we’re all in it to win it. We’re here to show what being a champion truly is. But more than just geared towards winning, we are here to bring out the best in every yellow-shielded champion,” said CBA Governor Patrick Millares.

Furthermore, CBA Vice Governor Charlene Rio and the council’s Human Resources committee started the CBA Eagles V3.0 recruitment, leading to the CBA Eagles Camp this September, which will aim to develop and hone the potential student leaders of the CBA. “For those months, we have been doing our best to provide quality activities and to improve student participation.

It has been very stressful for the College, but seeing things go well motivated us,” said Rio. The college also prepared their bets for this year’s Lasallian Icons: Ric Christian Mijares of COMT 4C and Klaire Anne Libre of COTM 3A, advocates for the “Restoration of Natural Habitat through Corporate Social Responsibility”, as they set as examples of what beauty and brains mean and also to serve with a heart.

“From CBA’s initiated Green Bingo, the college’s success during the Club Fair and up to having participants joining the Larong Pinoy, CBA is ready to face the challenges of the upcoming months,” concluded Rio.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

BY VICTORIA MARIAN B. BELMIS

The College of Education (CEd) pulled off various outreach programs and continued to transcend in different events and activities from July to August.

The CEd Council conducted its third Future Lasallian Educators’ Leadership Caravan (FLELC) at the Fr. Gratian Murray Integrated School, Brgy. Alangilan last July 29-30.

FLELC is a leadership training program for high school and elementary students, CEd Treasurer Joemarie Ticar explained.

The CEd Dragons continued to transcend as they were hailed champion for Club Fair 2017’s Mob Dance and first runner-up for the Lasallian Icon Production Number.

Moreover, Ticar stated that the Young Educators Society (YES) and Association of Synergized Secondary Education Teachers (ASSET) had a successful Club Fair since YES won second Best Booth Presenter while ASSET placed second and third as Most Engaging and Creative Booth, respectively.

In addition, ASSET topped the Mural Painting competition and notched third place in the Club Icon.

Kathlyn Sarmiento of CEd emerged as victor in the first inter-college Spoken Word Poetry competition.

Meanwhile, Social Studies majors were delegates in the 7th Asosasyon ng mga Dalubhasang may Hilig at Interes sa Kasaysayan, Inc. Regional Conference on History and Culture at Roxas City, Capiz last Aug.17-20.

In line with the celebration of Buwan ng Wika, on Aug. 30-31, a two-day booth on Batang 90’s memories was organized by the CEd with the theme “Hinampang: Game of All Ages.”

Furthermore, a Certificate of Accreditation was awarded to CEd from the Future Educators’ Confederation of Negros last Aug. 5 at the La Consolacion College-Bacolod.

of information.

“Press freedom is always anchored on the people’s right to know,” she conveyed.

She thinks that the policy is like a double-edged sword as there’s a semblance of democracy and progress, “democratizing” journalism at that.

What bothers her even more is while mainstream media is vilified, trust in it is degraded, paving the way for information to be controlled.

“One of the best ways to control the people is to control the media and control information,” she added.

According to Mariveles, such policy is a calculating move on the PCOO’s part even though the accreditation goes against the Philippine Constitution under the Section 4 of the Bill of Rights which states, “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government

for redress of governance.”

She said that people should start questioning this because it is improbable that other forms of freedom will be robbed from them.

However, for her, the root cause why media is corrupted is because media men are overworked and underpaid. In response to that, she addressed that existing journalists must undergo the necessary training and receive just compensation.

Looking ahead, she fears that the long term effect is very troubling. ‘’Give it three years and we’ll have a nation of zombies […] or it’s going to divide the nation into zombies and insurrectionists,” she added, saying she foresees major media outlets being shut down and news being filtered to serve ill purposes.

The interim policy is allotted six months for a “test run” to be monitored by Uson and at the end of this period, the policy will be reviewed and, if needed, revised.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

12

THESPECTRUM / REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEW

BOOK REVIEW

Kita Kita

The Hobbit

BY MARIA ANGELICA M. APE

BY ALVIN BRIAN S. LEGARIO

In a hole under the ground, there lived a human. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole filled with unorganized books cluttering on the floor and an oozy smell of pizza and beer, nor yet a droll devoid of books, hole absent of wifi — it was a human hole, and that means comfort. Sometimes.

But occasionally like any 19 year-old (29 in Hobbit), this human went out and searched for a new book to fuel his imagination.

He went on an adventure to search for the one book to rule them all. From the concrete jungle of the city malls, to the volcanic wastelands where his friends lived, he traversed near and far, overcame every obstacle placed before him, and then, he found it. When he first laid eyes on The Hobbit, it drew him, it called him, it became his… precious. He took it back to his human hole and read it, over and over again. Never to be seen again… until dinner.

The Hobbit is a tale of adventure and fantasy all tied up with character development that gives each character justice, and a simple yet faultless plot: retake the dwarves’ homeland from the deadly, gold-thirsty dragon Smaug. Similar to Tolkien’s other works his writing style is present, in which even though his novel’s pacing is

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

predictable, you still do not lose interest due to the fact that each dialogue releases an important piece of not only the plot but also a piece of the Lord of the Rings universe.

When I first read The Hobbit, like a college student who’s been away from home far too long first smells their mom’s cooking when they enter the door, I felt at home.

J.R.R. was a pioneer in the fantasy genre and just like other little boys, he opened my eyes to worlds beyond our terrestrial rock we call home. Worlds which were only an arm’s reach away, and can simply be visited within a flick of the wrist.

Three movies do not give justice to this literary piece of art who has but are not limited to these laurels, nominated for the Carnegie Medal and, awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction.

Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the ray, and Thorin Oakenshield himself has given me inspiration to break the connections that link me to the Earthly limitations that could never be broken without imagination. (Tolkien isn’t the only one who knows how to rhyme) This book is just the beginning of your journey into middle-earth, and underneath it a whole universe awaits, in the Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion.

Kita Kita is not the typical prince-charming-meets-damsel-in-distress formula most romance films use. It is also not the archetypal plot where one

falls in love with their pretty-faced counterparts.

Kita Kita is Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s masterpiece. Also written by Bernardo, the film strays away from the stereotypical rom-coms. It focuses on the blossoming relationship of Tonyo and Lea, played by Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy Marquez. The film introduces Lea, a tourist guide in scenic Sapporo, Japan who suffers from temporary blindness and comes across the company of Tonyo, whom she later falls in love with.

Aside from the unusual tandem, the film deviated from having its accompanying musical score as its title — unlike most Filipino romantic comedies. KZ Tandingan’s rendition of the Air Supply hit “Two Less

Lonely People in the World” left audience in tears as the song enters perfectly during a scene.

Although stemmed from a simple plot, gives the audience the satisfaction at the end. The storytelling was executed creatively that even though the film changed points of view, it was surprisingly pulled off and was not confusing. Both de Rossi and Marquez’ execution of their roles were natural and raw, giving the film a more true-to-life vibe.

Breaking away from the praises and raves the film received, it was also criticized that it justifies stalking. A blind woman fell in love with the guy next door (literally.) A columnist pointed out that Lea’s disability “makes her not only economically but also physically and

sexually vulnerable”.

The film shows how love can transform anyone if they can truly show who they really are. Kita Kita also proves that Filipino rom-coms are not always a miss. It gives Filipino movie enthusiasts hope that because of Bernardo’s creation, more movie genres will be explored and can be pulled-off

by Filipino filmmakers.

Kita Kita surpassed Heneral Luna and was ranked as the top grossing indie movie of all time hitting the P300 million mark only on its third week of showing. The film was shot with a P10 million budget.

Bernardo’s works also include the local indie film scene top bets: Anita’s Last Cha-Cha, Lorna, Little, Cuchera, and Nono.

ALBUM REVIEW

The War by EXO

BY RIESA T. RODILLADO

Grab your headphones and put it on as you groove to the upbeat rhythm and vibrant vocals in EXO’s summer comeback!

The nine-member K-Pop boy group is back with their fourth studio album entitled The War, which, as per usual, took South Korea and the rest of the world by storm. This album broke records and swept charts as it officially gave EXO the title ‘Quadruple Million Seller’ as they surpassed one million physical sales in just a span of 24 days, consecutively following their three previous albums which were million-sellers as well. It also became the first album by a K-Pop group to

simultaneously top the charts in 30 countries on worldwide album charts.

The digital and physical album was released on July 18 and 19, respectively, which included a total of nine tracks, all of which are challenging diverse music genres. The title track ‘Ko Ko Bop’ garnered massive popularity as its unique

mix of reggae and Electronic Dance Music became the source of the viral dance trend “Ko Ko Bop Challenge” which made headlines internationally and further popularized by renowned Filipino comedian Vice Ganda as well.

If you’re looking for a ride in a rollercoaster of emotions, this album should definitely be added to your ‘to-download list’. It takes you from a generic pop song with a tinge of EDM, to a modern feel-good song that gives you an impression of the ‘90s, to an R&B ballad you’d probably listen to on the bus ride home. The title track, however, underwhelmed majority of the fans because expectations from the album teasers were not met.

It’s pretty clear for fans that EXO’s albums always contain diverse contents. This time, EXO went the extra mile and challenged for a reggae and EDM mix. The music video also changed as their previous ones were filmed in studios and were darker in nature. This time however, majority of the music video was shot in an open area, possibly near forest grounds giving a bright tropical effect that matched their song genre.

Overall, this album is worth listening to and mostly those who do are prompted to look forward on how it will fare at the year-end awards and their next comebacks as their drastic style and genre transition signifies their ability to perform a diverse showcase of talent.

PLAY REVIEW

Batang Pro

— COURTESY OF JAN JEUSH A. ARIES

BY IDA SARENA M. GABAYA

- NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN

Bienvenido Noriega’s Batang Pro is a Filipino play that tackles child prostitution and abuse.

It was first shown in 1990, but was restaged last July 26-28 at the Gallaga Theater. The story represents a controversial topic that is still relevant even at present, there are still kids that go into child prostitution because of the rampant poverty in the Philippines. It was produced by the Masskara Theater Ensemble (MTE) starring senior high students from Liceo de La Salle under the direction of MTE member Melessa Rollepa.

The play revolves around

the lives of three adolescents: 16 year-old Ricky (Rojen De Luna), 14 year-old Milet (Apple Ablanque), and 12 year-old Nado (Rally Geocadin). In order to put money on the table, these kids venture to prostitution for easy money.

Milet and Ricky are used to the hustle because it is the life they grew up in, being the breadwinners of their family.

Meanwhile, Nado was sold by his father to Mr. Gelber, an abusive German employer. He endures the beatings of his employer because he has no means to survive by himself, but eventually he seeks the help of his friends.

The story was originally

set in the slums of Manila but since MTE decided to translate the script to Hiligaynon it had to adjust to a Negros setting.

For the production design, due to budget constraints the cast had to utilize moving around two white blocks. Although they didn’t have an actual set to serve as a backdrop, they made it up for costume design and props. The wardrobe of the three characters was appropriate and consistent all through the play.

This modern tragedy portray the harsh realities of poverty, friendship, and transition to adulthood. All three characters; Milet, Ricky, and Nado are just some of victims

of the corrupted system of society. Although they have lived a difficult life they still try their best to make the most of everything.

Noriega’s storytelling balances humor and tragedy in a way that the audience does not feel too depressed over an already depressing story. Batang Pro was given the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Full-length Play in Filipino in 1983. It was later adapted into film in 1999 by Lito Casaje. The lines are witty and oftentimes satirical — and together with the strong delivery and performance by the actors, it all blends into the scenes quite perfectly.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

LEISURE / THESPECTRUM

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

13

CROSSWORD PUZZLE #8

“A TRIP TO HEAVEN”

—SETH V. PULLONA

“BUSY”

Check your knowledge our heritage as Filipinos in this commemorative crossword puzzle!.

—KATRINA Y. NEMENZO

“HIRAP PALA AH”

ACROSS

DOWN

3. Famous Filipino mermaid 6. The river along Malacañang Palace’ 8. The megastar’s nickname, ‘Ate _________’ 9.’Sitsiritsit, alibangbang, __________ at salagubang’ 10. Refers to ‘sister-in-law’ 12. Eighth vegetable mentioned in ‘Bahay Kubo’

1. A variant of Taglish 2. King of the Philippine roads 4. Stew characterized by its sour and savoury taste most often associated with tamarind 5. The ‘L’ in Manuel L. Quezon 7. Other term for ‘Baybayin’ which is the ancient writing system of the Philippines 11. Filipino comic book character famous for his snakes

SUDOKU #8

—KAREN A. PANGANIBAN

“DIET NGA BA?”

—CEDRIC LANCE M. MILITAR

SOLUTION FOR CROSSWORD #7:

SOLUTION FOR SUDOKU #7:

WIKATIONARY HERE’S A QUICK CHEAT SHEET IF THE FILIPINO LANGUAGE STILL CONFUSES YOU AT TIMES.

Kung vs. Kapag • kung is used if you are unsure while • kapag is used if you are sure Example: “Matatanggap mo ba ang katotohanan kung si ate Shawie ang the last airbender?”

“Pumunta ka kay kuya Wil kapag gusto mo ng dyaket at paybtawsan.

Nang vs. Ng • nang is used instead of noong, para, and upang, to connect a pang-abay (adverb), and to connect two repeating verbs.

• ng is used to point out an object and to express ownership.

Example: “Nang ma in love ako sa’yo ‘kala ko’y pag-ibig mo ay tunay” “So don’t be mad so don’t be sad; lahat ng kabulukan mo’y ilalahad.”

Din vs. Rin / Daw vs. Raw / Doon vs. Roon • din/daw/doon is used when the preceding word ends with a consonant (except for letter w and y).

• rin/raw/roon when the preceding words ends with a vowel or w and y.

Example: “Ikaw pa rin ang hanap ng pusang ligaw.”

“Bimby, amoy ulam daw si mama mo?”

PREPARED BY JOSHUA MARTIN P. GUANCO ILLUSTRATED BY SETH V PULLONA

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

14

THESPECTRUM / HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Total Solar Eclipse 2017: The Dark Side Of The Sun

—SETH V. PULLONA

BY RIESA T. RODILLADO

Cosmic matters have always been a staple object of interest for humankind. Thus, all observable astronomical occurrences are always watched out for. Last Aug. 21, the world came together to witness one of the most anticipated celestial occasions—the total solar eclipse. But what makes this phenomenon so special?

A total eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth and completely covers the sun for around two minutes. For the said span of time, areas where the eclipse is most prominent will be experiencing sudden darkness and temperature change. It has also been observed that animals exhibit behavioral changes during this phenomenon.

Sounds common? Read on.

Total solar eclipses may be visible at certain parts of the planet once every 18 months, but they are not always viewable to the public as they might only cover areas around bodies of water. Moreover, calculations have already identified the dates where the three celestial bodies will again align perfectly and cast a grand celestial display to areas where people can actually see them. This makes the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse special,

especially to the United States (US)— it took 38 long years for it to happen again. If the idea hasn’t sunk in, just imagine that the babies born during the previous total solar eclipse, had to wait three decades and 8 years (probably got married, had kids, and got a PhD) before they could witness the phenomenon again (not that they really were able to see it before— they were just infants after all). And what made it extra special, earning the Great American Eclipse title, is the fact that it’s the first coast-to-coast eclipse to occur after 99 long years.

The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse was mainly observed in the US, but through the advancement of technology, the rest of the world was able to share the experience through live coverages by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as well as major news programs. Traveling is also a lot easier these days; therefore, tourists flocking to the eclipse areas wasn’t really a surprise. For a rare occurrence like this, one can’t really blame them, not even Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler who performed her 1983 hit ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ at The Royal Caribbean’s Total Eclipse cruise—not when a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon occurs.

Organic wares for a greener world

BY MARIA ANGELICA M. APE & IDA SARENA M. GABAYA

Numbers will remain numbers unless people do something about it. Despite the rapid increase of pollution, two locals decided to step up and make a change.

Environmental advocates Kathleen Salimbagat and Dave Albao started HAMSA Earth-Conscious Collections— making stainless straws locally available in Bacolod City. HAMSA Earth-Conscious Collections aims to promote products to lessen everyday waste.

“One of the most common

waste we generate everyday is single-use plastic straws that could impact the marine environment, kill wildlife, and break down into microplastics that can be ingested by animals and humans,” Albao, one of the curators, said.

Products include cloth pads and liners for periods, metal and bamboo straws, and wooden toothbrushes.

Albao and Salimbagat are both passionate enough to provide alternatives to single-use and disposable items like plastic straws. HAMSA calls the items it promotes as “lifestyle changers” because it will engage the public into

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

Realizations of Someone Who Made a Facebook Account at Age 12 It was her first time to ever own a social media account. The girl just had her parents’ approval to make a Facebook account.

At 12, she was staring giddily at her computer, excited for the fun things she could do online with her friends.

She filled up the empty sign up form with all honesty. She had just learned about the “fakers” and “trolls” online, so she said to herself that she wanted to be as honest as possible. She put in her home address and all the numbers she can get reached out to: her mobile number, her landline number, and ‘in case of emergencies’, her parents’ numbers.

She used a decent photo from sixth grade graduation as her first-ever profile picture. She was satisfied that she was about to join the rest of the world. Before rejoicing that she was officially part of the Facebook community, something popped out on her screen. It was the terms and conditions license agreement. She tried scrolling down as fast as she could just to tick off the “I agree” box. ‘‘Who reads those things anyway?’’ she thought. A few clicks later, she was already adding friends of friends of friends and exchanging messages with a crush or two. A few years later, she had fallen under the trap of online hackers, getting locked out of her own account, and sending random people rude messages.

Later she realized that half of her friends list aren’t even her friends in real life. She was posting private stuff online for her ‘friends’ to know, but out of the 2,056 friends she has on Facebook, how many of them does she actually know in real life? While Facebook is branded as a platform to connect to the world, that shouldn’t be the case.

While social media sites offer privacy

Miswa for the soul Maria Angelica M. Ape

mangelicaape@gmail.com

Don’t just add someone as a friend because they wanted to add you or you’ve encountered that person at least three times that week.

tools to help its users limit who can see the things they share, it is very important to know what and when to post updates about one’s personal life. Once private information is being put publicly, it will be easier for hackers to obtain information, thus easier hacking possibilities. It’s a no-brainer that personal information such as birthdays, current location, and personal email accounts should remain private or visible to only your friends. You don’t have put out your information to people whom you have never met before in real life.

Social media users would justify their act of updating frequently online as they are able to share momentous milestones for their “friends.” Let’s face it, posting your daily whereabouts is not really worth considering as something pivotal. Sometimes the post can be taken out of context or misinterpreted.

Posting multiple updates would come off as redundant and would even reflect

a sense of loneliness or need for attention.

It is always better to omit information about yourself rather than include it on your social media. Just because there is an option to include your current city doesn’t mean you have to. As a compromise, why not opt to include a generalized version of that information or no information at all?

For example, Negros Occidental is more general rather than Block 8, Lot 9 of your subdivision. It still gives some information, but makes it a little more difficult to figure out where you live.

Most of the people I know on Facebook add friends of friends of friends. Don’t just add someone as a friend because they wanted to add you or you’ve encountered that person at least three times that week.

That’s why the “decline” button was created in the first place, and people should be able to use it. If someone adds you, and you’re unsure of who they are, you can always add them, then unfriend, unfollow, if you realize they’re a stranger.

With technology greatly improving and innovating by the minute, everyone should be responsible enough to use it.

The people who can access the wonder tool that is the internet is getting younger and younger. We should be educated enough to use this technology in a creative, positive, innovative manner to help combat the downside of the internet. This might not change the world, but maybe, in some small way, make the internet a better experience for everyone.

That girl who made her Facebook account when she was 12 had changed accounts at least five times. That girl, who now knows better, learned that she should be careful of every site she signs up for. That girl now has only 102 Facebook friends and likes it that way.

A warning on the peril of street foods

—KYLE JYRAX SEVILLA

On a normal school setting, students can be seen lined up outside the campus gates waiting for freshly cooked kwek-kwek (egg balls) and dipping their hot isaw (chicken or pig intestines) and betamax or dugo (pork blood) into homemade special concocted sauces. These are just some of the best-sellers any street food vendor has to offer.

Filipinos, along with other Asian countries like China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Taiwan, etc., have developed taste buds with a natural inclination for exotic but delectable street food.

Filipinos have grown accustomed to the authentic taste of deep-fried, barbecue-marinated, sweet, spicy, and sour snacks being offered in

different streets of the metro and provinces.

It’s a simple process — the student takes a stick of whatever he or she wants, pays, and leaves. It’s a cheap and tasty fix for the hungry Lasallian after classes or in-between breaks.

However, as all good things are, consuming street food comes with consequences to a person’s health.

Most food safety hazards are not visible to the naked eye and may also be odorless and tasteless. As such, a onetime ingestion of contaminated street food may potentially cause harm to the consumer.

The preparatory practices of each street vendor is beyond us, but their personal hygiene practices can be seen by just about anyone with a quick once-over on whether they’ve trimmed their nails and covered their

hair. The unsanitary measures upon preparation of the local delicacies like storage in old plasticware and deep-frying in used oil, can cause the meat to be a breeding ground for bacteria and microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, that can affect a person’s system later on.

Medical experts who have continued to become advocates of sanitary food preparation are always in doubt of these Filipino favorites, despite Filipinos wanting to savor every spice and flavor that these original Filipino street delicacies have to offer.

Dr. Antonio Comia, a gastroenterologist from University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital lists acute food poisoning, amoebiasis, typhoid fever, and Hepatitis A

as some of the more common illnesses that may arise after ingesting contaminated street food.

A study conducted by the World Health Organization notes that consumers of street food have been reported to suffer from other food-borne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. This can cause damages to a person’s liver, stomach, colon, heart, and even joints.

As unbelievable as it sounds, a quick breakdown of common Filipino favorites can help one check what he or she is putting into his or her system by knowing the potential risks he or she might be able to obtain later on.

A popular Hiligaynon saying is “basta higko, namit” (if it’s dirty, then it’s delicious) but it’s highly unlikely that a stick of five-peso isaw is worth the gastrointestinal infection.

switching to reusable items in daily life.

HAMSA’s first batch of stainless straws sold out in the first week and exceeded the advocacy’s initial targets.

Six months after being

established, another partner, Angel Rodriguez, joined HAMSA and the collections now promote cloth menstrual pads and liners for women, cloth wipes and facial rounds, cloth diapers, and bamboo

toothbrushes.

Through HAMSA EarthConscious Collective’s efforts, Bacolod joins other nations in using organic utensils to help promote a greener earth.

“HAMSA’s ultimate goal of

‘Earth-consciousness’ is to help us reduce our impact on the planet and thus, its inhabitants, while exploring more alternatives that will reduce plastic waste, and advocating for these lifestyle changers,” Albao added.

BY MARIA ANGELICA M. APE & IRIS DENISE N. RIVERA

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE / THESPECTRUM

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

Debunking Myths about Bird Flu

To Smoke or Not to Smoke?

BY MARIA ANGELICA M. APE

BY IAN KRISTOFFER V. GA

If there is another thing Filipinos are wary of aside from the political situation in the Philippines, it would be the impending threats to human health, where they seem to have become hypochondriacs in an instant.

A recent avian flu outbreak in Pampanga, sparked fear among Filipinos causing them to avert from consumption of poultry.

Around 600,000 birds have been exterminated to prevent further infection among poultry animals since Aug. 10, a day after the virus was confirmed by the authorities.

Results from test samples that were sent to Australia confirm that the H5N6 bird flu virus is a strain that can be transmitted to humans.

Department of Agriculture officials assured that the strain is slow to spread and causes few deaths adding that since H5N6 started in 2014, there have only been 20 deaths reported worldwide.

Dr. Rhodora Cruz of the Department of Health (DOH) clarified that the H5N6 virus that hit Pampanga is different from the H5N1 virus that struck Asia and Africa and killed people a few years back. She added that the strain, though

not necessarily weaker than H5N1, is not highly pathogenic.

Cruz stated that the new H5N6 virus may have originated from China, but initially came in the Philippines. The case in Pampanga has been listed as “stage one” or “animal to animal transmission.”

Although the virus has been contained, the DOH continues its close monitoring and observation of the virus because it can be contracted by humans through droplet transmission or when a human comes in direct contact with flu droplets from an affected animal.

The possibilities about this virus are endless, but people’s fear could be effaced by debunking myths that surround this threat to one’s health, and to mankind in general.

Here are five myths about the virus and its truths:

H5, whereas H7 infections are rare for humans, but can occur for persons who have direct contact with infected birds. To date, there are at least three H9 infections confirmed for humans.

Myth # 1: All bird flu viruses are the same.

The three avian influenza subtypes—H5, H7, and H9— vary in several ways and each has potentially nine different subtypes. The H5 and H7 viruses can be considered both as low or high pathogenic strains while the H9 virus is documented only as a low pathogenic one. Humans can contract all three but the severity differs in each strain.

Humans are more vulnerable to

Myth # 3: People can contract the bird flu by eating poultry and eggs.

Poultry and poultry products are safe for consumption once they are properly cooked and handled during food preparation. The virus only enters the body through the respiratory system. Even Pres.

Rodrigo Duterte led a chicken boodle fight in San Fernando, Pampanga to show that it really is safe to eat amid the bird flu

Myth # 2: Bird flu viruses are highly contagious toward humans.

Poultry, especially in the Philippines, is a growing industry, but human cases of bird flu here still remain rare.

Since 2003, an estimated 600 people have been infected with avian virus. Human-tohuman spread of bird flu occurs only in isolated cases. Even if it is difficult for the virus to penetrate human cells, there is a possibility of antigenic shifts that could mark the start of a pandemic if not mitigated properly.

outbreak in the province.

Myth # 4: The same tests to diagnose the human flu are used to diagnose the bird flu.

Although patients with the bird flu will be positive for human influenza A routine tests, such tests are not specific for the avian virus. Furthermore, a specific diagnosis for a bird flu virus requires specialized tests.

Myth # 5: Without being vaccinated, there is no way to prevent bird flu.

One concrete prevention measure during a bird flu outbreak is to avoid contact with sick poultry originating from countries with the virus. Other measures include destroying flocks as soon as a sick bird is identified and vaccinate the healthy ones.

The frequency of avian influenza outbreaks in the past several years signifies that the viruses are mutating to create new strains and the lethality it brings is concerning. However, as compared with the human strains of the flu virus that kill thousands around the world each year, the bird flu is a minor threat. Scientists all over the world are devoted to studying potential bird flu pandemic and God forbids, when it happens, they are making preparations to protect the public.

Before the implementation of the smoking ban in the Philippines, the University Courtyard was once the turf of smokers and vapers. From a distance, it looked like it was ready for Halloween—with a smoke machine already creating an ambience. Post-smoking ban implementation, the University Courtyard looks dry and barren that only regular customers go to eat there.

According to the 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Adult Tobacco Survey, it has been reported that around 15.9 million Filipinos aged 15 years and above smoke tobacco. The growing number of tobacco consumers encouraged the Congress to pass Republic Act (RA) No. 10351, commonly known as the “Sin Tax Law,” which aims to restructure the existing taxes imposed on alcohol and tobacco products in 2012.

RA 10643 or “The Graphic Health Warnings Law”, which was signed into law in July 2014, and requires cigarette manufacturers to put graphic pictures of the effects of continued smoking, such as gangrene, mouth cancer, and the likes, on their packaging.

On July 23, President Rodrigo Duterte implemented Executive Order (EO) 26 or the Nationwide Ban on Smoking. Under the EO, smoking is prohibited in public and private transportation utilities, schools, and food establishments.

Waiting shed areas, streets, and walkways are also covered by the ban. The ban shall be applied to every person under the country’s territorial jurisdiction, may he/she be a resident or not.

Also under the EO, individuals caught violating

the smoking ban will face fines ranging from P500 to P10,000, depending on the number of offenses.

Meanwhile, establishments violating the same may be fined P5,000 or imprisoned for not more than 30 days.

The purchase and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to and by minors and in certain places visited regularly by minors is prohibited. Those who will violate the provisions on providing tobacco products to minors may be fined P5,000, face imprisonment of up to 30 days, or revocation of business licenses and permits.

Vaping, on the other hand, since gaining popularity, is not included in the EO. The WHO said close exposure to vaping among people who have recently quit smoking or vaping might trigger them to return to smoking. They also reported that children might perceive it as smoking.

According to the Philippine News Agency, the Food and Drug Administration has issued an advisory saying vapes and e-cigarettes are “not proven nicotine replacement therapy” and that their contents are similar to regular cigarettes in June.

Health Secretary Dr. Paulyn Ubial said that [vaping] contains the 7,000 dangerous chemicals that are found in cigarettes. She also reiterated that even if vapes and e-cigarettes have less of these chemicals, they are still not safe to use.

The smoking ban, or EO No. 26, signed by Duterte on May 16, aims to establish “smoke-free environments in public and enclosed places.” This was also carried over from when Duterte was still mayor in Davao where he first implemented a ban on smoking during his term.

Look What Kindness Made You Do

The recent music video of the then country, now pop singer Taylor Swift entitled, “Look What You Made Me Do” has spurred the interest and curiosity of people inside and outside social media. The video has smashed VEVO records, for one, and continues to do so in just a sweep.

It is the most viewed video on Youtube within 24 hours after its release. It portrays a sense of breaking free from what is conventional - from what an artist ‘’should be” in the public eye. It throws shades onto people who, in one way or the other, vilified her in the past.

Maybe, at some point, you were just as close to Taylor Swift in backfiring to your haters or enemies. You had your fair share, I guess, but had to stretch what little patience is left with you and believed it was the last straw.

Your feelings got bruised and because of this, there’s now an unbalanced situation where you have negativity in you and you want to get it out. You said you wouldn’t stoop below that person’s level nor come lashing out on him/ her. The most productive response would be to think that the person was just having a rough day or just pissed off at that time. However, the common thing for someone to say is, “F$%# ^&^, !#$^*^&+” or something of that sort. This is the cycle of hatred; the cycle that breeds resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness.

The world we’re thriving is not always a happiness-granting factory nor does it reciprocate the amount of kindness you give right there and then. There’s the world we

Sober-lesque Ian Kristoffer V. Ga

iankristofferga@gmail.com

The world we’re thriving in is not always a happiness-granting factory nor does it reciprocate the amount of kindness you give right there and then. would like to live in and then there’s the world we’ve got.

Just look at the news that basically is into the spreading of hate, may it be in religious or political views or whatsoever. It’s a natural instinct for anger and hatred to ensue when faced with derogatory statements from another person. And when we do, we enter a vicious cycle, where anger and hatred beget more of the same.

A friend of mine was once pitted into entering this cycle when she was utterly at a loss after her haters began spreading rumors, but the mature lady that she is did not give an eye for an eye nor a tooth for a tooth.

Mustering enough courage, she confronted

15

them in the most diplomatic way she can, disregarding the persecutions and attacks against her. Hence, rumors do not define a person squarely. One’s response to it does.

Waleed Aly, an Australian news anchor, presented how we can get away with it, explaining it in simple yet impactful words.“I’m talking about assuming the best in people, showing others radical generosity in the face of their hostility, even when it hurts,” Aly said.

Now, come to think of it. When hate comes at our doorstep, getting the best of us, we have to bear in mind that those who are angered are likely afraid. Instead of shoving down our own beliefs and sentiments down their throats, it would be ideal that we try to resolve the hate by listening intently and understanding them. Even Anne Frank, with all the hardships she had experienced and later on, death from the Nazis said and I quote, “Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.”

Non-complementary behavior may be detrimental to us in a way. Christopher Hopwood, a psychologist at Eastern Michigan University, stressed that always being warm to a cold person can make someone a pushover. Here, you could appear insincere or pathetic, which would continue to foster distrust and hostility.

Now, come to think of it. When hate comes at our doorstep, getting the best of us, we have

to bear in mind that those who are angered are likely afraid. Instead of shoving down our own beliefs and sentiments down their throats, it would be ideal that we try to resolve the hate by listening intently and understanding them.

Even Anne Frank, with all the hardships she experienced and later on, death from the Nazis, said and I quote, “Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.”

Also, only heaven can tell people go through something. It’s a matter of settling differences and refusing to compromise what we hold is true although we are caught off guard. When worse escalates to worst and there’s no recourse, it’s best to just leave company peacefully. There is karma for a reason. Just by doing so, you just did your part in making this world seen less harsh than it really is. Maybe we do not want more shady music video or lyrics. For all we know, both sides are just missing the essence of dialogue and understanding, not hitting the real issue head-on. Why throw shade when we can just show little acts of kindness?

Kindness is never costly, or it may not cost anything at all. For some, little acts of kindness mean nothing, but it surely glues almost everything. If you radiate positive energy, give kind words, and wear a smile, you will seriously make someone’s day as well as your own. I still believe that kindness is pervading in all cultures; that drowning in kindness would be a nice way to drown. Hopefully, we, as humans, find ways to do this.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE · USLS STUDENT ACTIVITY CENTER, LA SALLE AVE., BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL 6100 · VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

T R U T H

B E Y O N D

K N O W I N G

VOLU M E 62 N U M BE R 2 · J U LY T O AUGUST 2017

NEAR-SPRAWL. Edbert Jason Estevez on his attempt to dig during a Beach Volleyball event at the Sandbox last July 5 as part of the third day celebration of Handumanan Week .

—ARIANA INEZ L. CHUA

The University of St. La Salle’s top spikers heated up the sands of Moalboal’s Baskadu White Beach after contending against 27 teams in the Beach Volleyball Republic (BVR) Nationwide Tour 2017 Cebu leg last June 30-July 1.

Rosel Sy, Julyna Villanueva, Herold Parcia, and Christian

Marcelino battled it out against veteran and young players coming from the Far Eastern University, National University, Dipolog, Bacolod, and Iloilo City among which some have competed for the Philippine National Team.

“We may not be able to make it to the top, but we learned a lot and will use these lessons in our training to become stronger players,” said Sy.

Amidst not qualifying for the top spots, the Sy-Villanueva duo gave Perlas Spikers’ Charo Soriano and Bea Tan (former Ateneo De Manila University Lady Eagles and third-place finishers) a hard-fought match with 19-21 and 20-22.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to play more of their legs in the future,” said Sy. The Parcia-Marcelino duo

spiked their way to a win against a University of San Jose- Recoletos team in the Men’s Division.

BVR’s Cebu leg is the seventh this year and is the final stop before the 2017 BVR National Championships that happened later in July wherein Tagum PNP’s PO1s Karen Quilario and Lourdilyn Catubag took home the title at the Anguib Beach in Cagayan.

* (L-R) Marcelino, Parcia, Coach Jonmar Aguillon, Coach Ralph Savillano,Villanueva, Sy

TIMEOUT

Filipino glory bears Lasallian pride COURTESY OF CERES NEGROS FC FACEBOOK PAGE

BY STEPHINE PAUL M. DUNGCA

COURTESY OF RALPH SAVIILLANO

USLS competes in BVR Cebu leg

*(L-R) Dutosme, Ramos

BY STEPHINE PAUL M. DUNGCA

The yellow and black colors of an internationally renowned football club now have the shades of green and white, together with the Lasallian spirit, playing and winning for the country’s glory.

Ceres-Negros Football Club (FC) strengthened its roster after signing two Negrosanon prodigies hailing from football-powerhouse and multiple-time champion University of St. La Salle (USLS).

Bacolod City native Joshua Dutosme and Escalante City pride Nessi Ramos signed as new midfielders for Ceres-Negros

FC during the transfer window to replace Simone Rota, Jorrel Aristorenas, and Jason de Jong, who transferred to Davao Aguilas.

In an article written by Adrian Stewart Co, Ceres Negros team manager Joshua Dinsay said, “Joshua and Nessi are good additions to the squad. Both are veterans from the University of St. La Salle and their experiences are useful for the team.”

Both Marketing Management graduates have been carrying USLS’s pride and honor since their playing years in the University.

Last 2016, both represented the Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association

(NOPSSCEA) as part of USLSCeres during their fifth crown battle in the regional Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) Meet Collegiate Championship.

Dutosme built his legacy as the former captain ball of the Stinger’s football team whereas Ramos, a former Young Azkal, was team captain of the Negros Occidental Football Association.

These Lasallian rising stars showed athletic potential at a very young age.

Dutosme (who started playing at age eleven) has collected achievements which include multiple championships during the NOPSSCEA and even bagged the Most Valuable Player award during the national PRISAA 2016. Ramos (who started playing at age seven) has won NOPSSCEA and PRISAA championships as well and was awarded Best Defender during the Smart Cup 2016.

“It’s a dream come true to be a part of the Ceres-Negros FC because I grew up idolizing some of their players and now they are my teammates already,” said Dutosme.

The two veteran greenblooded alumni will miss their

first Philippine Football League as they will be part of Ceres’ campaign for the 2017 Asian Football Confederation Cup. “My coaches and teammates in college have played a great part in what I have become, together with my passion for the sport that molded me to be a disciplined athlete with the heart of winning,” answered Dutosme when asked how his college football experience influenced him to become who and where he is now.

Ceres-Negros FC will go head-to-head with Tajikistan in the two leg interzonal playoffs semi-finals. In an article by Henry Doble, the winner will go against the second leg winner of the two-leg semis match between Bengaluru FC of India and 4.25 Sports Club of the People’s Republic of Korea.

Carrying with them the excellence of a true Lasallian, Dutosme and Ramos are set to make a name for themselves not only as Negrense pride but as Philippine football’s future.