The Spectrum E-Newsletter, Vol. 61 Number 9, Novermber 2016

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 U N I V E R S I T Y O F S T. L A S A L L E

VOLUME 61 NUMBER 9 • E-NEWSLETTER EDITION •

NOVEMBER 2016

Duterte urges telco giants to provide faster internet speed

BY CHARLENE MARIE D. LIM AND MARIA ANGELINE M. MAYOR

President Rodrigo Duterte has warned the leading telecommunication (TELCO) and Internet Service Providers (ISP) duopoly Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Globe Telecom that he would allow the entry of foreign competitors into the country if they fail to improve their widely-criticized internet services.

“I am quite not satisfied because of the connectivity problem. If you cannot improve on the services, that’s what I said, I would really agree to the coming in of foreign players, also with energy,” he told ABS-CBN News when asked about the deal between Globe Telecom and PLDT.

Br. Maralit discusses TES completion and delays

BY STARLENE JOY B. PORTILLO

Photo by Jhon Aldrin M. Casinas

He has reiterated his warning to the local telecommunications companies last October 7 during the National Banana Congress in Davao City that he will open the telecommunications industry to Chinese competitors if the TELCO giants would not improve their services.

“We are aligned with government efforts to improve telecom services. PLDT is, in fact, in the middle of a 3-year network investment program that is in the process of significantly improving telecom and internet services for PLDT and Smart customers and will support national TELCO CONTINUE ON PAGE 10 >>

Vice Chancellor for Administration (VCA) Br. Pedro “Dindo” Maralit FSC confirmed the fullfunctionality of the Thermal Energy Storage (TES) air conditioning system and addressed a reason behind its delay in an interview last April 19.

“If the system does not break down easily, then it could last for up to 30 years—that’s the guarantee,” Maralit said.

He also relayed that in order to declare the TES system good for operation, the administration TES CONTINUE ON PAGE 10 >>

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VOLUME 61 NUMBER 9 | NOVEMBER 2016

NEWS

DICT, Its Creation and History

BY IAN KRISTOFFER V. GA

Photo taken from www.dict.gov.ph

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the planning, development and promotion of the country’s information and communications technology (ICT) agenda in support of national development.

A preceding agency called Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) was created on January 12, 2004 by virtue of Executive Order No. 269, signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as a transitory measure to the creation of DICT. The CICT was composed of the National Computer Center (NCC), the Telecommunications Office (TELOF), and all other operating units of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) dealing with communications. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) were also attached to the CICT for policy coordination. The CICT took over the functions of the Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council (ITECC), which was subsequently abolished through Executive Order No. 334 on July 20, 2004.

However, Executive Order No. 454, that was signed on August 16, 2005 transferred the NTC back to the DOTC. According to EO 454, the transfer “will streamline bureaucracy operations.” While the reasons for the transfer were unclear, there were discussions that placing the NTC under the CICT would be a bureaucratic anomaly since it is unusual for a commission to fall under another commission.

Executive Order No. 603, signed on February 17, 2007, transferred the TELOF and all other operating units of the CICT dealing with communications back to the DOTC. According to EO 603, the transfer “is necessitated by the present demands of national development and concomitant development projects as it will streamline bureaucracy operations and effectively promote fast, efficient and reliable networks of communication system and services.” The transfer of the TELOF to the DOTC left the CICT with just two agencies—the NCC and the PhilPost.

Executive Order No. 648, signed on August 6, 2007 but published only on December 24, 2008, transferred the NTC back to the CICT. Executive Order No. 780, which was signed on January 29, 2009, transferred the TELOF and all other operating units of the DOTC dealing with communications.

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On the other hand, several bills in the Philippine Congress have been filed creating DICT, which would transform the CICT into an executive department.

In the House of Representatives, a consolidated bill, House Bill No. 4300, was approved on third and final reading on August 5, 2008 and transmitted to the Senate on August 11, 2008.

In the Senate, a consolidated bill, Senate Bill No. 2546, was approved by the Senate Committee on Science and Technology on August 19, 2008, but had not made it past second reading by the time Congress adjourned session on February 5, 2010, which means the bill is as good as dead. It will have to be refiled in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the next Congress. With the failure of Congress to pass the DICT Bill, the legal basis of the CICT remains an executive order, which means the next President can abolish the CICT. Executive Order No. 47 was signed by President Aquino III in June 23, 2011. The order states that: “Reorganizing, renaming and transferring the Commission on Information and Communications Technology and its attached agencies to the Department of Science and Technology, directing the implementation thereof and for other purposes.” Furthermore, “the positions of Chairman and Commissioners of the CICT are hereby abolished.”

The law creating the DICT, Republic Act No. 10844 or “An Act Creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology”, was signed in May 20, 2016 by virtue of during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. The new department promotes ICT development, institutionalize e-government, and manage the country’s ICT environment.

As the law says, “The Department shall be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, and administrative entity of the Executive Branch of the government that will plan, develop, and promote the national ICT development agenda.”

The functions of the following government agencies have been abolished and absorbed by the DICT instead: Information and Communications Technology Office, NCC, National Computer Institute, TELOF, National Telecommunications Training Institute (NTTI), and all operating units of the DOTC with functions and responsibilities dealing with communications.

On the other hand, the following agencies are attached to the DICT for purposes of policy and program coordination: NTC, National Privacy Commission (NPC), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC).

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation and Communications will be renamed as DOT, as all its communications units will be transferred to the DICT. As the law requires it, a six-month transition is allowed to ensure the effective transfer of functions, assets, and personnel.

The law took effect in June 9, 2016 which marked the establishment of the DICT with Rodolfo A. Salalima as DICT secretary.

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VOLUME 61 NUMBER 9 | NOVEMBER 2016

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Cartoon by Karen D. Panganiban

The Spectrum is Biased Media The recently-concluded elections had been a tense time for the media as it brought about serious divisiveness in the public discourse. People, whose own views they felt were not represented well, accused the mediaof being biased. They demanded full objectivity, a world imagined where journalists are mere purveyors of facts, mechanically churning out data unprocessed by human senses.

But objectivity is a myth that persists, clouding the expectations of readers. This thinking breeds an illusory function of media and journalism: to project one’s own views with. With this expectation, the public seeks what they want to see.

Objectivity is a wild claim and an even wilder dream to aspire to. Even the code of ethics for journalists has no single mention of the word “objective”. Instead, “truthfulness” and “accuracy” are the words that come close to it. And objectivity does not necessarily coincide with both. Instead, to believe in absolute objectivity promotes a worldview that is passive and uncritical, denying the fact that the way we frame our stories and reports are largely dictated by our own values.

The absence of objectivity entails the presence of bias. And bias, we argue, is not only inevitable but also necessary. And bias, a healthy amount of it, and with positive motivations, is not a sign of ineffectivity for practicing journalists. Instead, their courage is measured by the quality of their biases and the way they manage it.

The public’s apprehension toward media bias, however, is valid. Media bias can be counter-intuitive. It is for a fact that major news outlets, may it be in broadsheet, online or television, more than they are truth-tellers, are profitmaking bodies. They are largely motivated by what sells and what goes viral.

Their bias slants toward the marketable. This can cause them to sensationalize and omit news bites to garner clicks. This is where the problem of mishandled bias comes in.

As for The Spectrum, we are not shy of baring ourselves to reveal our biases or our loyalties to our chosen principles: decency, democracy, the rule of law, human dignity, and providing a voice for the voiceless and the students.

With that said, we do not exist to give people what they want to hear but what we think they need to know. And we do that through the guidance of our principles.

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COLUMN

A Life Lived Through Pixels Metaphor-play RJ NICHOLE L. LEDESMA rjnicholeledesma@gmail.com

Social media, with its many variations, characterizes this generation as a visual one. Advertising and other online content are on a warfare for one’s attention, as the internet is drowned with so much images upon images.

To demand from an audience their full, undivided attention means to find a way to stand out from all the noise. Aesthetic literacy and competency, then, is a necessity.

This setup is not only limited to big news sites or brands. Images shape much of how we present ourselves on the web. Too much, in fact, that it compromises our self-identity to one that is contrived and performative.

The internet allows ourselves to curate our lives the way we want it to be presented to others. The problem lies when our ability to be truthful to our experiences and our real-life interactions becomes at risk of too much aestheticization.

Much of this generation is anxious about their image online— may it be on strictly curated Instagram feeds, Twitter personas and false Facebook projections. This all boils down to a shallow need to please others through the images we put out. It is also a telling that much of this generation’s concerns are rooted on external affirmation. Self-esteem is no longer self-directed but dependent on somebody else’s likes.

This is never to generalize what images do to our culture, rather it is a cautionary tale. Our image-dependency as a culture should not end with mere performance and curation. It should never be a hindrance for us to enjoy moments we experience in real life in its full sensory nature, not lived vicariously through a screen.

When we watch a gig by our favorite band, or when we witness a sweeping scenery on a hike trip, let us not give in to the pressures of excessively documenting what we see. Our lives, if we give in to this pressure of aesthetic correctness, would turn into mere pixels, not lived experiences.

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VOLUME 61 NUMBER 9 | NOVEMBER 2016

OPINION

COLUMN

Short-cuts for Everything Redumbdant DAPHNE TANYA L. MOLENAAR daphne_tanya@live.com

The internet was bound to happen, but the way people are using it— well, that was hard to guess. With the internet at its most accessible, this makes it a platform for haters in cyberspace to do all the trolling they want to. When information is asked, it is received, but when a sentiment is expressed, then the mob would love to come up with seemingly witty bouts of insults.

It feels like a big electronic game of chess with our prides on the board.

The insults are worse than real-life snickering by the sidewalk and sarcastic sneers.

Called as the Online Disinhibition Effect by psychologists, some people would self-disclose or act out more frequently or intensely online than they would actually do in person.

Psychologist John Suler mentions a few factors behind this circumstance such as anonymity, invisibility, and minimization of authority and noninteraction with each other in real time which makes it easier to take away the boundaries of normal conversation and of the self, even.

Take out the boundaries and we’re left with all the unpredictable and most brash behaviors.

But what all these trolls have in common is that they want the attention.

It is what they feed on; and through the internet, the hunger is much more extreme. To understand first the paradox between the safety behind our computer screens and the danger from what we actually see from it would help as the exaggeration of loathing would be pacified.

Put one and the other together and the culture of hate doesn’t have to keep continuing to the next. It’s all a conscious effort and sensitivity towards others instead, and to not always take it personally when it isn’t, in fact, even personal.

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COLUMN

Early Tech Early Harm Anony-mouse ROBERT H. JERGE III rhjjerge@yahoo.com

Childhood - a time for imagination, play, and curiosity. At least, that’s what it used to be, however this stage in life is being thwarted by premature exposure to smart mobile devices. Yes, these devices may be used to maintain a quick line of communication between child and parent, but should it be the center of entertainment and development for the child?

The most significant mental growth occurs in a person’s middle childhood (nine to 11 years old). This is where personality traits begin to take form, and start to paint the child’s outlook on life and their surroundings. Erik Erikson, a psychoanalyst known for his theory on psychosocial development of human beings, viewed the years between seven and 11 as a time for children to develop a “sense of industry.” This entails cooperative interaction with peers and adults, and introducing them to new social rules in which they earn social status based on their competence and performance. A child who has failed to master skills required by these rules is likely to develop what Erikson calls a “sense of inferiority,” where the child has a tendency to feel that society is too demanding. It is in this stage of development where children begin to look towards adults for formation.

Imagination is the gateway to worlds beyond. It gives us the chance to visualize extraordinary outcomes to the most ordinary situations. A child’s chance to enact roles which is not their own allows them to develop a sense of perspective. It also expands their physical, cognitive, and emotional capabilities by exposing them to a scenario they have created. These original roles can be added or adjusted upon, if someone joins them and not bound by rules they learned from reenacting scenes and situations they have experienced in a game.

Kids weren’t always looking down at their smart devices. The first affordable smart phones didn’t appear on shelves till the mid-2000s and even then children were burying their hands in the dirt, or their noses in books, not their eyes in a screen. Their constant exposure would lead to obesity due to lessened physical activity, as well as underdeveloped social skills resulting from lessened peer interactions. These were never issues before, children would be outside with each other, creating memories offline, and mingling with new people.

We live in a world that demands that we be connected or be left behind, but this should not pertain to children. They should be connecting with each other before they connect with the rest of the world, imagining their roles before pursuing them, and growing ever curious of their environment to make discoveries on their own.

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VOLUME 61 NUMBER 9 | NOVEMBER 2016

OPINION

COLUMN

Connect to Disconnect The-Bid DAVID WILLEM L. MOLENAAR dlmolenaar9@gmail.com

Almost, if not everyone, is connected to the internet. United Nations declared internet access to be a basic human right in 2011, arguing that disconnecting individuals from the internet was a violation of human rights and international law, therefore making internet access a basic necessity for the average human being.

There are internet services offered here that can compare with the likes of Singapore and Korea. It really depends where are you in the Philippines though. If you are located in the high-end areas of Metro Manila, then you are in luck. For a very low fee of just twenty thousand Philippine peso monthly, you can avail this service and use it for all kinds of things.

For those living outside Metro Manila, expect the worst. For one, it could as well be called as potato internet service— which means of very low quality, poor maintenance, bad wiring and cable management— and it is not cheap, at all. We are ranked 122nd on the Global Internet Map— a map that compares the average internet speeds of different countries, with war zones like Syria not far behind.

So why is the internet here in the Philippines so slow compared to a lot of countries?

Simply said, the internet providers here do not want to invest in better cables. We have been using copper wires to transfer data for about two decades, we are still living like we are in 1994. Fiber optics offers over a thousand times as much bandwidth at distances over a hundred times further. And although it comes with a price, the advantages fiber optics bring are just things you can’t seem to say no to. In the long run, fiber optics would need less maintenance because of how durable it is yielding cheaper maintenance cost.

Slow internet connection is something everyone in the Philippines can attest to. We all know how annoying it could get. And all we can do is wait. Most of the time it wouldn’t even load and we’d end up jumping over cacti and dodging birds with the little dinosaur that would pop up in Chrome browsers. This can really maximize burnout and minimize productivity.

No one knows when the Philippines would up their internet game and be on par with our neighboring countries. One thing is for sure, it’s not going to be anytime soon. So although you can get internet access anywhere in the country, you can’t really expect a good connection unless you’re in Metro Manila. Might as well disconnect and leave the country (if the internet is really that important to you).

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COLUMN

Of Go to hells and P***** - ina mo’s The Guanchism JOSHUA MARTIN P. GUANCO theguanks@gmail.com

“Why can’t we be friends,” said a good old jovial song about friendship. “Oh why can’t we be friends,” its next three lines reiterated. Yeah, why can’t we all be friends? I mean it’s easy to have friends rather than enemies, right? Well for some of you, the answer would be a resounding “yes”, but for Mr. Smack-Talker himself, Filipino Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, the answer would be a “F*** you.”

Months after he sat as the country highest government official, Duterte, as decent as he should be, started to shoot tirades against the United States and its leader, Barack Obama. And those weren’t just normal tirades. In fact, he lambasted his international critics, cursing them with the “F” word, telling Obama to “go to hell” and calling him a son of a whore.

The infinite use of curse words didn’t just stop with the US, Duterte also showed his angst against the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), all of whom are criticizing and linking him to the growing rate of extrajudicial killings in the country.

Upon hearing the denouncements, Duterte took every opportunity he had to defend himself and berate (i.e. flung f-bombs) his critics, who he claimed are nonsensical hypocrites who know nothing about the country’s current state.

Well, as human as we are, we need to protect our integrity and our public image, right?

And that’s what Duterte is doing. But the main query here is: do we have to spew out all the curse words in the world against our critics? I mean, it’s okay to curse. In fact, it’s a defense mechanism for us people, but if you’re the president of the country, the whole world is monitoring every move you make, so you should think twice before uttering ill-fated words against your critics. Besides, who would ever want to be friends with a country whose president’s temperament is as volatile as the foul statements he says?

Ask yourself: if you were a foreign investor who have plans on setting up a business in the Philippines, would you still continue with your plan even though the country you are about to establish your business on has a president who spews out lava on every critic he has?

He isn’t the mayor of Davao City anymore. He is the country’s leader; his audience is everyone in the world. If only Duterte knew that he is now the president of the Philippines, because it seems like he doesn’t.

On the brighter side, the tough-talking president claimed that he talked to God and vowed to Him that he will never curse again. Hopefully it’s the real deal, because if it’s not, we better expect a “p***** - ina mo,” in the near future. And by “in the near future”, it’s the next presidential press conference.

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NEWS

TELCO CONTINUE FROM PAGE 1 >>

development initiatives,” Ramon Isberto, PLDT and Smart Communications Public Affairs Group Head, said.

Meanwhile, Globe Telecom said that it has been investing heavily in much needed internet infrastructure to make internet services easily accessible either through mobile or wireline.

Globe Telecom added that it is supported by heavy investments over the years to make sure the Philippines is at par with other countries in terms of technology use.

“In terms of competition, Globe has long been a challenger brand having a long history of competing with a larger and more dominant market player. We welcome competition in a level playing field and under an environment that is supportive of business,” Yoly Crisanto, Globe Telecom Communications Head, said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

In a statement from Super Radyo dzBB, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar revealed the Duterte administration’s three-pronged plan to improve TELCO services in the country.

“The solution given by the [Department of Information and Communication] Secretary Rudy Salalima is either the government will put up its own telco or the government will supplement those places which has weak or no presence at all of cell sites or fiber optics . And third, is to really find someone to bid-out for the third player and allow it [into the industry] so that the competition will be more vibrant,” said Andanar.

In an internet speed test run by OOKLA Speedtest in 2015, the Philippines was ranked second to the lowest in terms of internet speed in Asia— a 3.64 Megabits per second (Mbps), versus the global average internet speed of 24.2 Mbps— lagging behind its other fellow third-world countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, and Myanmar which have a 9.04 Mbps, 6.68 Mbps, and 6.54 Mbps internet speed, respectively.

Ironically, the country’s internet service is one of the most expensive in the world with an average fee of $18.18 (Php 880) per month which is more than thrice the amount of the global average cost of $5.21 (Php 252).

In an interview with CNN Philippines last May 22, Duterte said that opening the country for competition among local and foreign TELCO companies would cut down prices and enhance services.

However, he did not give a concrete plan on how he would implement this idea as the Philippine Constitution limits foreigners to own a company to 40% shares.

Under Article 7 of the 1987 Constitution, foreign investors are prohibited to own more than 40 percent of real properties and businesses, while they are totally restricted to exploit natural resources and own any company in the media industry.

As of 2015, there are about 47.13 million internet users comprising 43% of the total population which is 101 million. Statistics also show that Filipinos spend an average of 5.2 hours on the desktop and 3.2 hours on their mobile devices.

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TES CONTINUE FROM PAGE 1 >>

and the Engineering Services had to perform a final commissioning which lasted from January 26 - February 4 of this year.

“I arrived here (in USLS) last April 2015 and in a way, I inherited this three yearsdelayed project. It took us about nine months to analyze why it wasn’t running properly and got it figured out. By early February, we had it 100% functioning,” Maralit explained, adding based from his personal analysis that legal issues concerning a previous alumnus engineer he refused to name contributed to the delay in the TES completion.

“Just so you know, I am a very blunt person --- he (the engineer) is trying to make more money out of the school’s expense,” Maralit stated.

Consuming 40% less electricity and providing cooler temperature than normal air conditioning units, the TES system makes use of fan cool units (FCUs) that are connected to piping lines, making passage for evaporated cold water coming from ice stored in three tank chillers overnight.

Furthermore, it has motion sensors that enable the unit to automatically turn on within 10 seconds of detecting body temperature and turns off when a room is vacated, thus being an efficient cost-saver.

Most of the equipment used for the TES system were bought from Carrier Hawaii, a distributor and seller of air conditioning products and systems that has its own team of engineers helping out in the project as consultants, in accordance with Engineering Services Head Director Ronaldo Uy. “The Vice President from Carrier Hawaii personally came for the final commissioning and we checked through the systems, discussing probable issues,” Maralit said.

Maralit claimed that the TES system is safe, seeing as it is not a high-powered machine and instead, uses low-voltage electricity.

Moreover, he stated that the completion of the TES installments in the Solomon (S), Cody (C) and Wester (W) buildings is only the first phase of a bigger project, which includes the TES system adaptation of the Mutien Marie (MM) and Benilde (B) buildings as well as the air conditioning of the university Coliseum.

Maralit expressed that although five more ice tanks can be accommodated, the expansion phases of the project might need “to take the backseat” because the administration is currently prioritizing the need for space and classrooms with the arrival of 3,600 Liceo de La Salle Senior High School students as estimated by Maralit and the return of the College of Medicine back on the main campus.

“In the meantime, the remaining buildings will have to make do with the simpler air conditioning system,” he concluded.

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VOLUME 61 NUMBER 9 | NOVEMBER 2016

FEATURE

The Aspects to Consider Before You ENTERnet

BY DANIELLE EMMIE L. VILLAERA

In the modern day, the usage of social media has come to the point in which the constant use of it in a dayto-day basis is a normal occurrence. According to a survey done by the Pew Research Center last March 17, 2015 through April 12, 2015, 72% of the online adults are avid Facebook users, and that 70% of them log in daily while 43% does so several times a day. A comprehensive study published by We Are Social, a global conversation agency, last January 2016 states that out of the 101.47 million Filipinos, 48 million of them are active social media users averaging a daily use of five hours in the internet via personal computer Illustration by Keanu Joseph P. Rafil or tablet. It is also said that 46% of the Filipino netizens use the internet everyday, and that the leading social platform used is Facebook and followed by Facebook Messenger.

The dilemma that we’re stuck in is that all of us have the luxury to easily participate in the means of giving and receiving information. The consumption and production of content may come from vast varieties of audiences— from diverse to dispersed individuals.

As the netizens hastily participate in the exchange, the alarming rate of miscalculation, which leads to misinformation, is quick to arrive at the mass’ newsfeed.

In choosing the sources of information, it’s important to take in consideration the relevance, credibility, and the quality of the information, keeping in mind that it should be factual and research-based rather it being opinionated or anecdotal.

There are several sources of information such as journal articles, books, newspapers, and government publications. A combination of different sources would be helpful, enabling you to compare data from one to the other and gaining different points of references.

Credibility also plays a big role in selecting the proper sources of information on social media. Netizens should hone their ability when it comes to evaluating the credibility of the sources. Is the information scholarly? What is the author’s intention? Is the author objective? Or is his piece injected with subjectivity? Sure, relevant data may present itself to you, but the reliability of the source should be taken imperatively, too.

The last aspect to consider is the quality of the information received. The measurement of the value of the information received often varies from one person to the other, but it all boils down to the accuracy of the information, the completeness of it, the reputation and the verifiability of the author.

At the end of the day, though sources of information pile up from one to the other, burying facts with biases, possessing the awareness of selecting the proper sources of information on social media makes all the difference in the world. Tempting as it may be to just accept the information found with open arms, evaluating sources is an important skill not only to be used for scholarly researches, but also an effective skill in handling life.

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Only Someone Awesome Can Read This Article

BY CHAD MARTIN Z. NATIVIDAD

That TV commercial you’ve watched , that radio advertisement you’ve heard, that leaflet or poster you’ve read, the headline of this article, and that friend who makes sensationalized claims about the end of the world are probably forms of the same thing you witness but you don’t realize everyday: propaganda.

Propagandas are ideas or statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a cause, a political leader, a government, etc.

They can come in multiple forms, sometimes of the same context. Below are seven of the most commonly used methods of propaganda: ​TRANSFER Transfer carries the authority, sanction, and prestige of something respected and revered over to something else in order to make the latter acceptable; or it carries authority, sanction, and disapproval to cause us to reject and disapprove something the propagandist would have us reject and disapprove. Ever read a quote of a cartoon character online being credited under the name of a president? ​PLAIN FOLKS Plain Folks is the method by which a speaker attempts to convince his audience that he and his ideas are good because they are “of the people,” the “plain folks.” Listen to what a politician says as he runs for office and you’d likely find a couple of these. ​BANDWAGON Bandwagon has, as its theme, “Everybody— at least all of us —is doing it”; with it, the propagandist attempts to convince us that all members of a group to which we belong are accepting his program and that we must therefore follow our crowd and “jump on the bandwagon.” That TV commercial about that cleaning product everyone uses, exaggerated to the point you’d feel it could even wash away that embarrassing thing you did in high schools, is an example of this type of propaganda.

GLITTERING GENERALITY Glittering Generality— associating something with a “virtue word” —is used to make us accept and approve the thing without examining the evidence. “Things go better with (soft drink, juice, tea or beer of your choice).”

But propaganda is not limited to the examples above. Sometimes they can be for a good cause while sometimes they could be selfish. In the end, it’s all about being responsible in checking your sources, not promoting propaganda yourself, and being careful not to order that new product online just because your favorite TV show character fancies it (Stares at a friend or at one’s reflection).

Prepared by Ida Sarena Gabaya • Infographics by Shara Mae L. Pelayo

SPORTS

VOLUME 61 NUMBER 9 | NOVEMBER 2016

USLS misses out on UNIGAMES, launches HAIL

BY GIAN VON J. CABERTE

The University of St. La Salle missed out on the recently concluded 21st Philippine University Games (UNIGAMES) which was held on October 23-30 and was hosted by Foundation University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental as USLS makes changes in its varsity sports program.

UNIGAMES was initiated by Br. Rolando Dizon, FSC who was then-president of USLS back in 1996 and has since then become the country’s official tertiary games.

The 1st UNIGAMES was hosted by the University of St. La Salle although some succeeding editions have also been hosted by Dumaguete City’s Foundation University, Silliman University and Iloilo’s Central Philippine University.

Thirty-six colleges and universities out of 60 member schools from all over the country participated in this year’s edition which is lesser a number compared to last year’s 40.

Meanwhile, USLS launched HAIL, a program designed to aid in the holistic development of students through sports that starts from the grassroots level and seamlessly transitions into the collegiate level, in order to improve curricular and co-curricular performances.

“We wanted to look inwards and reflect on our own varsity sports program,” said USLS Vice Chancellor for Mission and Development Hector Gloria Jr. “We wanted to see how we can maximize our resources,” he added.

The said program is an integrated and progressive response to the University of St. La Salle’s (USLS) Varsity Sports Program and is built on the Lasallian core values of Faith, Zeal of Service, and Communion in Mission, according to USLS Vice Chancellor for Mission and Development Hector Gloria Jr. According to Gloria, HAIL is composed of various programs and activities that will assist in the growth and development of athletes and enthusiasts alike. Namely, these programs are The Grassroots Program, The Stingers Squad, Club La Salle, House of Solomon, La Salle Brother’s Cup, and League La Salle, a league which consists of La Salle schools from all over the world.

“HAIL advocates the development of life attitudes and skills. It’s not just about sports; sports is merely just a tool,” said Gloria According to him, education does not happen in the classrooms alone; it is not purely academic.

He stated that education can also be found in the field, in the court, in the swimming pool, and even creatively in the arts.

“It is not about academic, non-academic; smart, non-smart. Education happens everywhere.

That’s why the entire campus should be used as a teaching tool,” said Gloria.

The implementation of the program presents the challenge of adapting to new rules and guidelines and requires the undivided attention of the athletes, coaches, and the administrators..

“We’re preparing them for life and equipping them with the skills necessary for facing contemporary realities and the challenges of living in the 21st century,” said Gloria.

HAIL transitions and propels USLS into the 21st century Varsity Sports Programming, continuously developing young people in skill, academics, and most importantly, attitude.