WORDS JAYRICK F. AGUIRRE CONCEPT & TYPOGRAPHY RUPERT PAUL M. SIMEON
EDITOR’S NOTE Growing up in a society where everything (including morals) seems to be an object of commerce is cultivating our notion that everything else comes with a price tag. Yeah! Perhaps King TANSTAAFL’s economic advisers are right to say, “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.” Because humans have stuck some indelible price tags on their foreheads, everything else is now a commodity that does not seem to come for free. Our society today is marked by the insurmountable battle against high priced (sometimes overpriced) commodities. Well, as they say, if you want to get what you want, you have to be able to afford its price, may it be in monetary form or anything else of its equivalent. When the prices are high, the stakes are higher. Be able to afford it or forever lose it. In this issue of The Spectrum Magazine, we want to unfold a new perspective of the so-called price tags. We want our dear Lasallian readers to have a good taste of the The Spectrum’s salad of unpriced stories coming from different hues of human life. Featured in this issue are stories of price tags of happiness, development and freedom. We look into the minds of the people society calls insane, and the price that they have to pay to be liberated from the benchmark of social behaviors set by society. In this issue, we take a closer glimpse at the Lasallians’ idea of happiness and the happiness that comes from a culture of FREE and freebies. Scan through and read the write ups on the oil price hike, the new array of gadgets that spells convenience and efficiency, and mining activity and the other environmental adversaries in this era of development. More stories of freedom are in this magazine issue. Break the silenced artist in you as you read how aspiring Amorsolos in the city struggle for their art’s sake. Delve into the taboo of selling your organs for profit. Happiness has its price tags, so has development and freedom. Unlock a different perspective. Read and enjoy the Price Tags issue!
ABOUT THE COVER JOY MARIE D. MARTIR ANNA KATRINA B. ALMALKI PHOTOGRAPHERS
PRABHJOT DEOL STEPHANIE ROSE CHIONG MODELS
ART ANGELO DELA CRUZ BACK COVER MODEL
MARC KEVIN R. JABAY MAKE UP ARTIST
TEREE DAISUKE M. CASTILLON CONCEPT DESIGN & COMPOSITION
JOY MARIE D. MARTIR PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
JAYRICK F. AGUIRRE EPI MA. KASSANDRA A. DAJAO RONALD M. FLORES DAZEN DAWN P. LARIZA ROSELYN M. QUIOCSON JUDY ROSE L. SAYSON RUPERT PAUL M. SIMEON
Bodies smeared with the ink of price tags, two women look out into the vast but mundane world possibilities that could be realized if the worth of happiness, development and freedom could be compensated with what we possess. They signify humanity’s outlook towards these muchcherished tenets of life, the deep-rooted and steadfast dreams that are rarely fulfilled. Before everything crumbles into worthlessness, are you willing to pay your dues?
FOUNDED 1956
VOLUME 55 | NUMBER 4 | NOVEMBER 2011 MEMBER
Alliance of Lasallian Campus Journalists and Advisers College Editors Guild of the Philippines The Spectrum is the Official Student Media Corps of the University of St. La Salle. Its editorial office is located at the USLS Coliseum Ground Floor, Lasalle Avenue, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental 6100. CONTACT NUMBER
(034) 432-1187 local 172 E-MAIL
thespectrum.usls@gmail.com
THESPECTRUM
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.
SPECTRUM BLITZ This thing that you’re holding right now is the manifestation of all the brain cells that were killed during all the overnight sessions scored by endlessly looping Taylor Swift songs (which have a cameo appearance in one of the articles) and the high-blood inducing fastfood diet composed mainly of chicken with hormones that cause gynecomastia (look that up). We don’t really know why we allowed ourselves to suffer that much but we did it anyway, for you. The Spectrum zombies would like to extend their gratitude for the people who burned up their body fat in order to help us in our endeavors for creating the best tuyo wrappers in town. To Sir Andre for amiably signing our requests, to Br. Maralit for allowing overnight article vigils. To Mr. Genn Tomas whom we unashamedly prodded on to rush the printing before the deadline. To Mr. Jackner John Borja and Mr. Raymund Trespicio for saving us whenever we had photoshoot equipment malfunction. To our parents who permitted us to join in these crackpot group of people that smelled like newspaper ink and stale Marty’s cracklings. Without them, we would have sank deeper into the mud and filth of the moneyhoarders’ circle of hell. With that, you may now start devouring the pages.
PRINTED BY
CONTENTS VOLUME 55 * NUMBER 4 * NOVEMBER 2011
6 SLANGTIONARY 1
18 THE JOB OF GETTING A JOB
7 TALK TO THE CAMERA!
20 COUNTRY BOY IN THE CITY
8 FENCES AND SAD FACES
22 DELVING INTO THE AURAL ENTERTAINMENT
10 STIFLED AND (UN)FUELED
24 HOW MUCH FOR A HUMAN SPARE PART?
12 INSANELY HAPPY
26
MOVIE REVIEW:
14 ARMIES OF FREEDOM
27
INFOGRAPHIC:
16
30 SALVAGING THE WAR-TORN DREAMS
Awkward situations, internet procrastination and sticky black adhesive from torn stickers. Never fear, these puzzling phenomena are now given their proper names. This is your urban dictionary.
The word ‘vlog’ came from the words ‘video’ and ‘weblog’. Now a popular outlet for ordinary netizens to express themselves, vlogs also became an unusual form of entertainment. *Jayrick F. Aguirre
Research reveals that delinquent behavior is exhibited more likely by adolescents who are from non-intact families. When these wayward youth go astray, a house gathers them in and leads them to a brighter future. Hear their stories. *Ronald M. Flores
Six years ago, the average price for diesel in the top three oil depots in the Philippines, is almost P10 less than it is today. Follow the journey of black gold from the depths of the Earth to the engines of our cars. *Epi Ma. Kassandra A. Dajao
Mental illnesses are biological defects in the brain and cannot be overcame through willpower or self-control. But that doesn’t stop our peculiar street folks from being happy in their own worlds. Delve into their minds here. *Epi Ma. Kassandra A. Dajao
Every November 17, students all over the world keep the fire of student activism alive by celebrating the International Students’ Day. But nowadays the placard-wielding stude is becoming rare. Find out what’s happening. *Ronald M. Flores
WHEN GOLD AND DIAMONDS ARE JUST TOO COSTLY The Philippines are among the world’s largest producers of gold, nickel, copper and chromite. But the way to that wealth may be hampered by certain issues. Read on and formulate your stand. *Coleen Edrea F. Ematong
The employment rate for July this year is 92.9 percent. This reveals that 7.1 percent of Filipinos are unemployed. Looking for work? Reading this might come handy. *Patricia Mari M. Mijares & Adely Grace V. Tomaro
Musicians, like Madonna and Billie Holiday had that notion that moving into the big city would make them famous — or at least closer to fame. Here’s a first-hand account of what it feels like to perform in the streets. *Ronald M. Flores
The first radio drama to be ever broadcasted was Gulong ng Palad in 1949. Today’s media may be dominated by internet and TV but the voices that once shook the airwaves are still here. Barely. Tune in here. *Ronald M. Flores
A healthy human being can survive with just one kidney and a liver can regenerate itself from as little as 25 percent of its original size. Which is probably why organ trafficking is so rampant. The details are here. *Jayrick F. Aguirre
THE LEGEND OF 1900
The film’s budget was $9 million and its original name was Italian: La leggenda del pianista sull’oceano. Here’s the reviewer’s take on this musical drama. *Jayrick F. Aguirre
STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MONEY
Money, money, money. Finally, here’s an infographic that would satisfy even the most dollar-eyed maniac or the virtuous numismatist.
Libya has the highest life expectancy, literacy, education standards among the countries in Africa. But it would be a bit better if war didn’t devastate some of its cities. Read about an OFW’s experiences in this country. *Epi Ma. Kassandra A. Dajao
32 SLANGTIONARY 2
A cold mouth, auditory pleasure and inability to work because of stray squiggles. Never fear, this puzzling phenomena are now given their proper names. This is your urban dictionary. Part two!
42 HEADS AND TAILS
To buy lunch or to pack lunch? That is the question. Witness the epic battle of these two kinds of lunches. Beware, sauce may be spilled. *Kamil G. Geaga & Adely Grace V. Tomaro
33 A CLOSER LOOK AT LASALLIANS’ HAPPINESS 43 THIS OR THAT? The Philippine Lasallian network is composed of 18 district schools and over 91,500 students nationwide. Here’s an inkling on what sets the Greenbloods from the rest. Clue: It’s the happiness. *Mark Harmon R. Magbanua
Random odds and ends of a common Lasallian’s preferences on similarly random things.
34 BRUSH STROKES AND SPLATTERS OF FREEDOM 44 THIS YEAR’S COOLEST INVENTIONS Making graffiti on walls has been a form of self-expression for people since the historical times. Traces of graffiti can still be seen on Egyptian temples and pyramids. Here’s one featuring artists which are much closer to home. *Dazen Dawn P. Lariza
36 FREEBIE NATION
Did you know that downloading songs for free on the internet is illegal? Have no fear though; there are a lot of other free stuff available for consumption. Why do we act this way towards freebies? *Mark Harmon R. Magbanua
Thomas Edison is the world’s most prolific inventor, producing a total of 1,093 US patents. But those were over a century ago. Here’s a repertoire of the latest cool stuff that might just be your next necessity. *Mark Harmon R. Magbanua
45 CHOMPING ON STRESS
The effects of coffee were first noticed by Ethiopian shepherds after they noticed their goats “dancing” after eating coffee berries. Coffee and other comfort munchies featured here. *Kamil G. Geaga & Adely Grace V. Tomaro
38 MADSHACK
40 FROM HALLWAYS TO RUNWAYS
The first people to use makeup were the Egyptians in 3500 BC. This wasn’t her first time to use makeup but with our creative team, a willing student gets to have a super makeover. *Jayrick F. Aguirre & Anna Katrina B. Almalki
EDITORIAL BOARD Epi Ma. Kassandra A. Dajao Editor-in-Chief Jayrick F. Aguirre Associate Editor Bea Francine M. Rodriguez Managing Editor Ronald M. Flores Magazine Editor Coleen Edrea F. Ematong Newspaper Editor Dazen Dawn P. Lariza Asst. Newspaper Editor Judy Rose L. Sayson Layout Editor Joy Marie D. Martir Photos & Graphics Editor Anna Katrina B. Almalki Asst. Photos & Graphics Editor Mira E. Murillo Publication Adviser
46 COMING HOME TO NATURE
In the Sub-Saharan Africa the most common house material is mud which is moulded and baked in the sun. But the ingenious Filipinos, modified it and made it their own. For 50 grand, you can now have a house and a darn good-looking one too. *Mark Harmon R. Magbanua
LAYOUT & GRAPHIC ARTISTS
MAGAZINE WRITERS Kamil G. Geaga Mark Harmon R. Magbanua Adely Grace V. Tomaro
NEWSPAPER WRITERS Ken Jee V. Acosta Monica Louise Trinidad M. Cueto Patricia Mari M. Mijares Carl Mark A. Pat John Dave P. Pido
Roselyn M. Quiocson Rupert Paul M. Simeon Fatima D. Rodriguez Robert Austin G. Salameda Ryan Ceazar B. Santua
PHOTOJOURNALISTS Simon O. Ballados Johanna May G. Española Faith Joeleene J. Lacson
STAFF
SLANGTIONARY
FLASH COPY
Your handy guide to the latest and most baffling word mutations.
STICKER SPIRIT
n. a layer of leftover adhesive stuck on the surfaces of things after peeling off their stickers which is seen as an unsightly brown patch. Common on price tags. Petra! Don’t put stickers on my laptop! Now it has lots of sticker spirits!
AIR FOUNTAIN
N. A BROKEN DRINKING FOUNTAIN
Guy 1: Man, I’m so thirsty! *puts foot on the step switch* *nothing goes out* Guy 2: That’s an air fountain, man.
v. the act of taking pictures of the written lessons on the blackboard or projector screen to be used as study material, usually done when one is too lazy to write notes. Imma flash-copy these stuff and study on my iPhone later.
Cyberchondriac
n. a person who uses the internet for diagnosing the “diseases” he/she might have after noticing weird symptoms in his/her body. Girl 1: Hey girl! I googled “big black bruises on leg” today and I think I might have brain cancer or something. Girl 2: You’re such a cyberchondriac.
SOAP GRAFTING
n. the act of trying to attach little pieces of soap together; this is done after the soap has been reduced to a size that is too small to use but too big to throw away My mom doesn’t like wasting money so she always does soap grafting.
HOTNESS HYPNOSIS
n. a condition when one overlooks a hot guy’s/girl’s personality flaws because they are good-looking. Bruno Mars: “Cause you’re amazing! Just the way you are!” Guy: Daaaaamn. Bruno Mars has hotness hypnosis, yo.
RETARD IN ALUMINUM FOIL
adj. used to describe a guy who is initially thought as a “knight in shining armor” but turns out to be the polar opposite Girl 1: Be careful of him. He’s a retard in aluminum foil!
SOCIAL NOTWORKING
v. an act when one surfs on social networking websites instead of working on something that he/she needs to do. Guy 1: Are you done with our Bio assignment? Guy 2: No, man. I’m socially notworking right now. Maybe I’ll do it later.
WORDS JAYRICK F. AGUIRRE GRAPHICS JUDY ROSE L. SAYSON & RUPERT PAUL M. SIMEON
FARE SNOB n. used to describe a person who purposely ignores
other passengers who try to pass their fare to Manong driver. These people usually have auditory disabilities or auditory blockages (A.K.A. earphones), but most of them are just plain snobs. ME: LIHOG BAYAD! *REACHES OUT HAND WITH SIX PESOS* PERSON BESIDE ME: *DEADMA* ME: BAYAD LIHOG! *DEADMA* ME: WHAT A FREAKIN’ FARE SNOB!
SEAT RECESSION n. a classroom phenomenon characterized by students occupying the seats of the entire back area of the room, leaving the front seats empty. Prevalent on students’ minor subjects. Teacher: Please occupy the front seats. Let’s not have seat recession here.
A crapella
v. the act of singing out loud while listening to the song in headphones; these renditions are usually horrible to listen to, hence the “CRAPella” I heard her sing Rebecca Black’s Friday a crapella. It was worse than the original.
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
7
Talk to the Camera! MEET THE CELEBRITIES OF THE CYBERSPACE WORDS JAYRICK F. AGUIRRE PHOTOS YOUTUBE.COM
Vlog (n.) A video log. A journalistic video documentation on the web of a person's life, thoughts, opinions, and interests. A vlog can be topical and timeless, instructional and entertaining. The main thread is trying to communicate on a personal level with your audience. Anyone can be a vlogger. It can be your neighbor. It can be that guy who sells waffles at the food court. It can even be your grandma. Vlogging has become very popular among many netizens since the late 2005 to early 2006.Vlogging became a very common way of venting out one’s thoughts, that an estimated 98.7 minutes of vlog footage are uploaded to Youtube every minute. Just have a camera, a microphone, some internet access, and voila. Your thoughts are now available for the entire world to ogle upon. But aside from expressing themselves, some vloggers became very famous with their online journals, some even achieving celebrity status. Here are a few notable vloggers:
1. Kevin Wu aka KevJumba Record: 2.07 million subscribers; 81 videos A naturally comedic guy, Kevin Wu posted his first video on February 5, 2007 with him cleaning and dancing in his backyard. In his later videos, he began to record videos of himself ranting about topics, ranging from racial stereotypes up to being a “mama’s boy”. The thing about Kevjumba is his monotonous voice which sounds like the opposite of his overly animated face and the unintentional humor on otherwise “serious” topics (like ranting how not nerdy he is while displaying his new “cool” calculator). Wu’s father, Papajumba (not his real name of course) had cameo appearances in several videos too, which adds to the videos’ fun factor. KevJumba is also known for his
alternate channel, the JumbaFund where each view generates an ad revenue and the proceeds go to different charity groups. Watch: I’m not Cool; An amusing roundup of stuff on why Wu doesn’t consider himself cool, starring with other Youtube celebrities
2. Mikey Bustos aka MikeyBustosVideos Record: 43, 291 subscribers; 402 videos Mikey Bustos is initially a singer, first known as a contestant in Canadian Idol. Based in Toronto, this Filipino-Canadian crooner soon became a famous vlogger after uploading his Filipino tutorial videos, the first of which was “Filipino Accent Tutorial”. Although some viewers thought the video was derogatory to the Filipino race, Bustos simply showed how proud he is of his heritage and then just vlogged about it. From that upload, several other Bustos Filipino tutorials sprang into the cyberspace, highlighting every quirky aspect of the Filipino way of life. Bustos’ videos also feature his alter ego/sidekick named Frank McCormick, his “best friend” and companion in his vlogging antics. Watch: Filipino CR Tutorial; Learn how to tell how different a Filipino bathroom is from the rest of the world’s toilets (aside from the tabo)
3. Ashley Rivera aka Ashleyslips Record: 22, 528 subscribers; 32 videos Now, at first glance Ashleyslips may be a little dwarfed by the previous channels mentioned but her wit can only be justified by watching her videos. The girl has definitely got the talent of spontaneous humor and not to
mention, the guts. The woman, behind this channel is Ashley Rivera, a 19-year old FilipinaAmerican in Las Vegas, Nevada. Owing to Rivera’s penchant for embodying her two alter egos: Petra Mahalimuyak, the crafty Filipina with the thick accent, and Tiffany Madison, the posh British friend of Petra’s, the videos are funny, in that organic, “homemade” way. Besides, Petra and Tiffany are definitely a looker for most guys. Watch: How to Act in a Horror Movie; Watch her “herr-resing, ispayn-chelling and blad-kardling” tutorial and find out why she spoke Chinese during her exorcism The power of social media nowadays is undeniably ginormous. Even as you are reading this, you probably have an account, a blog or a photo album floating somewhere in the deep vestiges of cyberspace. One thing that is an advantage of social media to vloggers, is its wide reach of audience. Post a video of yourself and you can have a potential of 1.97 billion internet users ogling at your digital journal. Plus, it would be nice to give happiness to people with just a few mouse clicks. The increasing popularity and the multiformat interface of social media became the platform for thousands of individuals who wanted themselves to be heard over the innumerable chatters over the internet. Even presidents of countries nowadays have vlogs. So, got something to say? If you want yourself to be heard, don’t grab a megaphone. Just whip out your webcam and start pouring your heart out. You’ll never know who will be listening to what you have to say. v
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
Post a video of yourself and you can have a potential of 1.97 billion internet users ogling at your digital journal.
8
PRICE TAG ON FREEDOM
FENCES AND SAD FACES
LISTEN TO THE STORIES OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE HOUSE OF HOPE. WORDS RONALD M. FLORES GRAPHICS ROBERT AUSTIN G. SALAMEDA & ROSELYN M. QUIOCSON
At a very young age, Marvin* didn’t know that stealing someone’s property is a crime. For him, as taught by his father, it is a way to survive, the only way to quash his daily hunger. Abandoned by his mother and left with a sickly father and an inexperienced older brother, he initially made a living by engaging in heavy physical work, toiling under the scorching sun as a sugarcane field worker – an odd job not befitting someone who hasn’t reached puberty yet. But upon realizing the job could not sustain his needs, he followed his father’s advice – to steal. Deprived of unconditional love, parental guidance and splendid childhood, Marvin had no choice but to muster the courage and ignore the fear and guilt every time he
performs his act of survival. After all, it seems right enough as long as it fills that growling stomach. Marvin is just one of the 3.7 million child laborers in the country and one of the more than 10,000 Filipino minors who have been involved in either minor or serious crimes, labeled as “juvenile offenders”. Either below the age of criminal liability or are tagged as youthful offenders, these kids either have suspended or pending court cases are subsequently admitted to a shelter where guidance, education, recreation and counseling are provided
through a rehabilitation program. Also, sheltering them protects these kids from hardcore criminals who ruthlessly used them as accessories to crimes.
Their Age and The Law Daniel*,20, was accused of killing when he was 16. The act was an initial attempt to defend his father against an enemy but it never crossed his mind that it would cost two lives and would be the reason of his sojourn behind the fences of a shelter, deprived of freedom. Looking back at his past, Daniel expresses his extreme regret in
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
never heeding his mother’s advice to not indulge in vices, join gangs, and for not paying respect to his father. While Daniel is confined in a shelter, lots of kids younger than he is are free and lawless in the streets, stealing things, joining in riots or becoming servants of big time crime syndicates. Whether they are just victims or not, the continuing fact is that these kids, who are supposed to be inside a classroom, learning to write the word “crime”, are already out there on the streets getting involved in it. An initiation to balm this problem is the proposal of Sen. Vicente Sotto III to amend the then passed Republic Act 9344 also known as the Juvenile Justice Act of 2006, authored by Sen. Francis Pangilinan. Being the new Dangerous Drugs board chairman, Sotto found that the law provides a wider road for drug syndicates to continue their operations, using juveniles as pushers, uninhibited by the provisions that prohibit arrest and interrogation of minors involved in drug cases. Included in the suggested amendment is the lowering of the age
PRICE TAG ON FREEDOM
9
The sweetest success we [Bahay Pag-asa] could achieve is seeing these kids not becoming hardcore criminals. limit, from 15 years old down to 11, to which a delinquent will be exempted from criminal liability.
Providing a Second Home “The sweetest success we could achieve is seeing these kids not becoming hardcore criminals,” Jennysan Lazarito, social worker from Bahay Pag-asa, said with compassion. With an almost mother-like authority in her voice, Lazarito shared that the delinquents admitted to Bahay Pag-asa came from different walks of life, each with a different upbringing; most were defiled by the “evils” in the street and most of them were part of gangs. These facts, she said, are both a challenge and a threat to all the staff of the institution. The social worker added that most of the residents upon admission have this sense of “not belonging to the shelter” and this belief that they are bigger and braver than anybody else. There was, in fact, one instance that a kid took drugs the night before his medical examination just so he won’t be admitted to the institution. The behavior of the residents towards their current situation, she said,
becomes even worse that most of them, during their first few months of stay, were painted with sad faces, totally convinced to escape the portals of the institution. “What we do [to discipline] is to punish them every time they break rules and reward them when they do good,” she added. Despite all of these, Bahay Pag-asa is more than eager to provide their 27 residents a second home where constant guidance is provided through a structured rehabilitation program, constructive processing and counseling, and more importantly give them the unconditional love which most of them weren’t able to receive from anybody their whole life. What else does Bahay Pag-asa offer to help the residents in their struggle for self-improvement? Aside from guidance, the institution also holds enriching activities such as daily mass, bible sharing, fellowship, and livelihood trainings to bring the kids closer to God and harness their capabilities by which they could utilize for living if ever they fail to finish the course they want to graduate in. But more than anything, the institution
gives substantial attention to the residents’ academic performance. Lazarito shares her joy knowing most of the residents give importance to education; proof of that is the excellence that some showcase by topping their classes. One resident, Lazarito gladly adds, is currently sailing the path to being a teacher, persevering on his freshman life here in the University. Lazarito, however, is saddened with the fact that only a few parents religiously pays visit to check on the delinquents, emphasizing the importance of their unparalleled parental guidance.
Towards a Better Life Kyle from Kyle XY said, “In life, everybody gets labels. People try to tell us who we’re meant to be. It is up to us to decide whether or not the label fits.” That’s exactly what the people in Bahay Pag-asa is trying to instill to the residents – whatever it was they did, it should never be a reason to dwell in the disturbing slum they created within themselves, the bad name they consequentially bannered on their heads and the labels that people put on them; and that their struggle
to forge a better life will eventually change how people would look at them. And all these will become stories worth sharing to those kids who experience the same struggle. The increasing number of juveniles involved in crimes equates to the rampancy of poverty, the lack government’s of attention to the youth and lack of privileges in education that they provide. The once innocent mind who’s defiled by the nagging hunger groaning on his/ her belly or by the pressing need that the instance brings him/her is still but an attention-deficient kid who needs a hand in hand supervision of his/ her parents and the government. An existing fact, too, is that it shouldn’t be forgotten that these delinquents are among the youth who are potentially the hope of the fatherland and the reward of depriving them freedom designs the path towards its fulfillment. Marvin and Daniel might now be paying the price tag on freedom by being secluded in the fences of a juvenile delinquent institution but who knows, the once sad faces might be the smiling leaders who will positively drive Filipinos towards the long-sought prosperity. v * - not their real names.
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
10
PRICE TAG ON DEVELOPMENT
STIFLED AND (UN)FUELED
THE SOARING OIL PRICE STIFLES THE ECONOMY. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH IT? WORDS EPI MA. KASSANDRA A. DAJAO GRAPHICS JOY MARIE D. MARTIR
She was standing under the canopy tent, waiting for a cab and choosing to spend more than a hundred bucks for a ride. Minutes after the sweet delight in the taxi, she realized she could have joined the jostling commuters and saved her 100 Rizal coins, a sufficient amount for her project fees and photocopying charges. She remembered how her grumpy grandfather muttered about the looming oil price hike. “Why not save my money for the rainy days? With the incessant increase in prices, grandfather says, ‘unwise spending is not wise at all’,” she silently told herself as manong taxi driver pulled the P100 bill she gripped for almost 30 seconds. And then she carefully left. On the other side of the road, along La Salle Avenue, she heard students sharing their thoughts on the additional P1 imposition on their jeepney fare. One student partially narrated her eagerness to fight back after the early Monday morning embarrassment she got from the jeepney driver. The girl on the street echoed the driver’s remarks, “Ay ‘Day
kulang man ni ‘Day piso, ‘Day.” Apart from the embarrassment, she also carried the burden of having to pay another peso coin for a jeepney ride going to La Salle. Sure, others have similar tales to tell – stories about the unstoppable soaring of oil prices and other commodities. To most people, the rise and fall
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
of the oil prices, unlike the musical notes, do not seem to make good melody. To most tax payers, the soaring oil prices is actually a reality that they want to bury forever. To most citizens, it brings about a domino effect on the economy, making the impoverished ones like them grow poorer. To countries, its effect is relative. But in no time,
PRICE TAG ON DEVELOPMENT
To most people, the rise and fall of the oil price, unlike the musical notes, do not seem to make a good melody
(hoping that the economists fail to have good predictions) that BIG day would come; it would be a war of nations and superpower allies that is neither a battle of ideology nor political power but a war waged because of the precious mineral drilled underneath the surface of the earth – OIL. Over the years, oil prices have never lifted the Philippine economy, it sky-rocket, affecting the prices of other commodities in the market. Tracing back history, two oil price shocks distressed the world economy from 1970s up to the 1980s. The first wave of the extreme oil price hike commenced after the Vietnam War. After the first two oil price shocks, global recession started. Dr. Frances Mae Llamas of the University of St. La Salle Economics Department shares that indeed the impact of the first and second oil price shocks was global though it was mostly felt in the
United States. “Usually an oil price hike is brought about by changes in demand and supply conditions as well as by the imposition of additional taxes,” she cites, adding that oil price is more likely affected by the foreign exchange. Since you are a student wanting to make the most out of your money (actually, your parents’) you would ask questions like: “What do I have to do with the wars, the oil price shocks and the shifts in demand and supply when I barely know about them?” But information about oil price hikes is written everywhere. You cannot just limit yourself to wanting to bury oil price hikes without understanding its real cause. What is the real cause? Dr. Llamas says oil prices are actually based on the world market prices which are primarily dominated by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Big capitalists dominate the pricing of oil in the world market though you can barely see them in flesh. Apart from the domination in pricing, oil price differences across countries also exist which is attributed to the differences in purchasing power parity or simply the value of currencies. The freight paid to transport barrels of oil from the producing country also accounts for the high prices of oil as it reaches, for instance, the Philippine archipelago. In short, end users of oil pay the price for the transportation of the oil barrels from the oil-producing countries. And so, because of the great differences in oil price, would a student like you want to make a stand regarding it? If there would be a call to create a team of super heroes fighting against the insurmountable prices, would you dare to join them?
What about the Lasalians, how do they cope up with price increase? Lynn*, a Lasallian alumna, confirms she almost mastered economics as she endured the effects of the oil price hikes since college. She says, “Managing my monthly allowance was dreadful. I feel like being a victim when suddenly, the prices would increase. A peso or two price increase, back then, was already a big deal for someone like me – relying on the wage of a minimum wage earner.” She explains that to manage her finances well and to ‘make ends meet’, she decided to skip a couple of breakfast meals and rely on classmates’ notes for handouts thus, saving a few coins for the next day. Unlike Lynn, James*, another Lasallian student, has few words to say about oil price hike. James is a scion of a wealthy family. Knowing about oil price hikes is not his game. He knows computer jargons and he has a lot to say about winning war games and watching YouTube sensations. Talk about economics and he will end up sleeping. So, oil price hike is not everybody’s business like what most people think it is. For someone like James, it is not as important as his hobbies. But for the have-nots, like Lynn the frequent price hike is softly murdering their hope. The oil price hike is a lingering issue that needs more than shrugging shoulders and sarcastic statements. So, do get yourself a bicycle ride from school to your town, make sound economic choices, and enjoy a lifestyle that gets you out of the stress caused by high-priced commodities. After all, doing all of these is not that expensive. v * - not their real names.
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
11
The world has four corners and those corners represent the core meaning of life. There, I curved my initials so I would be proclaimed as the queen of the world. My long shadow during the daylight has to be worshipped like the goddess of darkness and light. Oh God! I love God! My Saviour my King. I believe in You, and that the cat meows eight times before a heavy rain comes. When is my birthday again? Wait. What about, I dance with the people over there? Party like dukes, and duchess, and mermaids, and swans, and queen bees, and oh! My son, my beloved Crispin. Come to mommy baby. PENSIVELY STARING OUT THE CITY’S HUSTLE AND BUSTLE. Dollar in her ďŹ tness attire as she answered the questions with her thoughts meandering somewhere else.
PRICE TAG ON FREEDOM
INSANELY HAPPY UNDERSTANDING THE JOURNEY OF THOSE TRAPPED IN INSANITY WORDS EPI MA. KASSANDRA A. DAJAO PHOTOS SIMON O. BALLADOS
...they probably have involuntarily emancipated themselves from the standard of human behavior set by society... Shifting of ideas and wildly winding conversations, huge eye balls that have lost their genuine spark, and clothes describing how tormented they are – the psychologicallychallenged. Talking to them is a ferris wheel ride. At some points in the conversation, they are at the highest peak of their emotions and then, after a few more questions, they lament over their lost loved ones, lost pet, and everything else. Count 15 seconds more and they would start grinning, clapping and stomping. They run to and fro the city streets. Some of them are mendicants at the same time, trailing behind shoppers in the downtown area. One of them is Dollar*. That is her immediate answer when asked of her name. She is one of the wanderers in the city streets of Bacolod. She said she’s from Banago. And her age? “Objective,” she answers with conviction. She acts like a creditor, collecting a peso payment from each driver who passes by the cathedral. Dollar sees herself as someone superior from all the rest because she gets to be “paid” by most of the jeepney drivers. She smiles whenever a peso lands on her wrinkled palms and happily says, “Lamat.” (Thank You!) She adds, “Mga friends ko na sila di ya tanan tanan (All of them are my friends).” If Dollar acts like a creditor, Magdalena* (the name she chose for herself) on the other hand, pretends to be a busy shopper going somewhere along with the Lasallian students. She carries with her what she claims a “signature” bag, water bottles, plastic bags and a notebook. She wears her favourite outfit, her knee-high pleated pale blue skirt. She has to go somewhere. That’s what she knows. Magdalena* (another person) is spotted along the shopping center. She is roaming around the sidewalks, asking for food from hawkers and begging for pennies from passersby. Unlike Dollar and the other Magdalena, she is silent and soft-spoken. The vendors think she is insane. They say, an excessive emotional outburst and too much hunger made her like that – silent most of
RISING TOWARD UNFOUNDED DESTINATION. Magdalena flustered when The Spectrum found her roaming along La Salle Avenue.
the time, often not in her own self. “Kung gina-istorya siya, kung kis-a lain man iya sabat (When talked to, her replies are sometimes illogical),” adds a peanut vendor who offers Magdalena a teaspoon of her wares. Most people like Magdalena and Dollar who talk about the sun, the rocks, the gods and create their imagined and self-defined characters are most likely schizophrenic or delusional. Ramon Lachica, Psychology professor at the University, explains that there is a huge possibility that people like the city streets wanderers are schizophrenic, which is explained in DSM-IV as a “chronic and debilitating illness characterized by perturbations in cognition, affect and behaviour.” But schizophrenia, unlike what most people think is not contagious; one may not get it by mere contact or by just an exchange of grins. Experts further say, schizophrenia results from interplaying biological disposition and environmental exposure. Theirs is not a contagious disorder; talking to them is generally safe (except when they got pieces of stones on their hands ready to be thrown at you). The two Magdalenas and Dollar are among those who are psychologically-challenged. One thing is certain about them – they need care and medical attention. Lachica says that most of the time, people experiencing psychological problems are not given the
medical attention they need, so the problem gets worse. The World Health Organization’s report on the mental health systems in the Philippines in 2007 revealed that only five percent of total government health care expenditures or approximately $10 million actually go to mental health. But how far can $10 million go? For Philippine Mental Health Association Chapter Executive Director, Rose Jessica Octaviano, although the Philippine government is supportive to mental health programs, the budget provided for the mental health services is insufficient. As reported in 2005, only five percent of the expenditures of the Department of Health goes to mental health while 95% goes to the operations, salaries and maintenance. Now, imagine the situation of those who have psychological disorder. Most of them were abandoned by their immediate families. The streets are their homes; their comfort is on the pavements. They receive insufficient amount of attention from the local government. Also, they do not feel reality as we know it. But they probably have involuntarily emancipated themselves from the standard of human behaviour set by society, have chosen to be absolutely FREE from the dictates of the defined social norms, and have drawn their dreams freely out there in their imagined wonderland while being in their delusional state. v * - not their real names.
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
13
14
PRICE TAG ON FREEDOM
ARMIES OF FREEDOM THE LIFE OF FULL-TIME STUDENTS AND PART-TIME ACTIVISTS WORDS RONALD M. FLORES GRAPHICS RYAN CEAZAR B. SANTUA
Voices fueled by the insatiable hunger for justice. Voices longing to be heard. Voices that fight for the students’ rights. Voices that care for the oppressed. Furious and bold. Fearless and young. Student activism in the country was fully ignited during the time of Martial Law. It was the time when students were very eager to liberate the country from Marcos’ tyranny and had nowhere to vent out their sentiments but on the streets. Brought about by the rampant injustice, the students’ fury and thirst for freedom was at their height that time, that even those immobilized by apathy started to get involved in protests and began to criticize the government. The critics of today’s youth, most of which were student activists during the Martial Law, say that student activism is not as dynamic today compared to the 80’s. According to them, student activism nowadays fails to address the challenges posed by the present time . But the battle of today’s breed of student activists is still ongoing and it is still early to conclude that the student activists in this
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
generation are a failure. Yes, times have changed and so did people’s perception of the rallies and protests staged by student activists. From an initiation that was considered the tomahawk of the youth, most students now see protests as plain noise. Some people even consider it as disturbances to the flow of traffic. Member of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) Pats Ombion disagreed and presented something to ponder on, saying, “Weigh this, a temporary setback on traffic or decades of hunger to be experienced by the poor...Choose one. What these activists fight for are not just their own sentiments, but also the sentiments of those who are riding in the jeepney who brand the activity as mere nuisance.” For such a long time now, the government has remained deaf on the cries of the students.
PRICE TAG ON FREEDOM
15
The battle of today’s breed of student activists is still ongoing. Megaphones seemed not to be loud enough that many have lost hopes to be heard. Matters like budget cuts and tuition increases which greatly affect many Filipino students seem to be an insignificant matter to the government nowadays. In effect, many students and even out of school youths have gone tired of joining in rallies and decided that the road ends there, but for the determined ones, the battle still continues. For a student activist filled with hatred and rage, destroying the gate of the Commission on Higher Education is not even enough in voicing out his/her sentiments. Several events like this have also occured which showed how students can be out of control when he/she feels oppressed. One example is the throwing of chairs and tables from the fifth and sixth floor of a building and their subsequent burning at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (Students wanted their school administration not to pursue the proposed tuition fee increase). Another is the pelting of green paint bombs to the car of University of the Philippines Chancellor Luis Rey Velasco. Sentiments like “students activists are unreasonable and unruly” have hovered over schools after those events took place. One PUP student voiced out in an article, “Violence will not solve any problem because it doesn’t go to the root of the matter.” PUP President Dr. Dante Guevarra also said, “Destroying school property is never the right form of expression.” But would you condemn someone if he thinks that padlocking a school gate is the only way the government will heed his/her sentiments? One cannot help but to wonder where this anger and thirst for freedom come from. As what they say having the conviction to pursue a battle does not just sprout from one’s heart without having the belief that it really is worth fighting for. Ombion said she decided to become an activist after she was able to experience the lives of the farmers in Negros and felt so much anger when she found out the injustice they were experiencing.
Now, she is also fighting for students’ rights and welfare. “But it doesn’t stop there. We have to look at the bigger picture. The students’ struggles are only a part of the bigger struggle of the oppressed masses,” she said. As one blogger quipped “If not for the media, protests staged by student activists would not anymore be considered something worth hearing about.” Despite the lack of assurance if indeed their voices would be heard and their thirst for reform would be quenched, why are these people still eager to continue staging protests? Ombion said it is hard to march under the scorching sun but they don’t mind because they want to educate people. “What we are shouting about is not always against for those in authority, but also for the people to know the truth abouth the current situation.” The life of a student activist is never a walk in the park. Sometimes, in the middle of night, one gets to receive death threats. One never gets to walk in a street without the fear of getting abducted or getting shot. Ombion said, ”It is still continuing. The abductions, tortures and killings of student activists in many parts of the Philippines are getting worse under the current administration. The administration never even answered the issue on the two missing UP student activists. We [LFS] are enlightening everybody that this government, even the previous ones, is built to silence the truth. They use the AFP and PNP to protect their own interests but not the interest of the people. These [abductions, tortures and killings] are not risks that student activists have to take but are things that the government use to hide the obvious fact that they are afraid of what we [student activists] can do. “ It would not take a long time before only a little of these brave people will still stand against the oppression and injustice. When the authorities are full of their power and the activists are losing hope or slowly disappearing, who will fight for our rights? It should be you, us. v
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
16
PRICE TAG ON DEVELOPMENT
WHEN GOLD AND DIAMONDS ARE JUST TOO COSTLY WHAT’S IN THE WAY BETWEEN US AND OUR COUNTRY’S RICH MINING RESERVOIRS? WORDS COLEEN EDREA F. EMATONG GRAPHICS ROSELYN M. QUIOCSON
Imagine this. Tall, sturdy trees stand abreast, forming a pathway for farmers and travelers to walk on. Birds fly in flocks, deers run freely over vast meadows and untroubled fishes are visible on the crystal clear rivers. Such sceneries were common way back before all those dump trucks and shuttle cars started trampling the ground where minings sites eventually emerged. Such sceneries were common until mining operations caused hundreds of trees to be cut, rivers to be polluted and a huge number of flora and fauna to perish. Despite the skyrocketing effects mining has brought so far, it is not
considered illegal according to the Mining Act of 1995, an act containing provisions on mining. Done through extracting mineral deposits from the earth, mining is among the other industries that earn millions for minerals like nickel, zinc, asbestos, sulfur, tin and rocks like gold, diamond, ruby, aquamarine and more. Mining is one trade which involves
millions and even billions of money. Company owners throw large amounts for the materials that are vital in mining operations and also their workers. Among the things that mining companies spend for are the wages of their workers, the buying or renting of machinery, electricity, and insurance. Mining companies generate income from rocks and minerals that they excavate but
PRICE TAG ON DEVELOPMENT
they also choose which excavated materials they could make money from since they cannot just throw away millions of capital for ‘stones’ they cannot sell. Mine owners also have to figure out the length of time that would take them to dig up rocks, minerals, or gemstones because each day of operation would cost them much and they also have to analyze if the mineral resources they could derive from their mining sites would bring in enough money to cover all the costs of their operation. Mine owners say that mining is one business that the gains or profit outweigh the costs. What farmers and fisher folks have to say however is contrary to that of the mine owners. Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipina (KMP) Negros Chapter Spokesperson Greg Ratin says that the mining in the Philippines or even in Negros alone, leaves Filipinos with devastated resources and deserted areas since most mine owners in the country are foreigners and these people do not really care when waste dams collapse and damages farmers’ crops. Ratin says KMP is not totally against mining but it believes that there should be a change in the mining approach in the country. “Mining should be done in a way that the livelihood of the people should be preserved,” says Ratin. He adds that mining aggravates the effects of climate change and
contributes to a large volume of land erosion but things that are far worse than climate change and land erosion are suffered by farmers. Mine owners indirectly or at times, directly grab farmers’ lands and these farmers cannot do much to fight for the land that they have tilled for so long. The right of mine owners to own lands which they need for their mining site is also protected by the Mining Act of 1995. Moreover, Ratin says the terms and conditions under the FTAA actually protects the interests of foreign capitalists because they get to enjoy a 10-year tax holiday since they are not obliged to pay for the income, excise or even the import tax. Defenders of Mining companies say that the mining industry helps in alleviating the state of the economy by providing jobs to the people, giving out school supplies and granting scholarships but Ratin shares that a lot of mining companies even hire workers from Japan, China or whichever country the capital came from. Furthermore, he says that those who were hired as miners and workers by a particular company do not have a security of tenure since they are only hired as contractual workers and once their contract ends, they lose the job. A video presented by ABS-CBN during the No To Mining in Palawan”
17
Mining should be done in a way that the livelihood of the people should be preserved. forum in the University showed various farmers pouring out their sentiments against the mining in their place. Weliton Palite, a member of the Panglima tribe in Palawan pleads for the mine owners in their place to also think of their situation. He said, in Filipino, that they have nowhere else to get livelihood from which is why they will not give up the fight against mining no matter what happens. Pastor Job Lagrada also shared that the mine owners challenged them [anti-mining advocates] not to use cars and cellphones since these things are made of materials from mining and he challenged them back. Speaking in Filipino, Lagarda says, “I take their [mine owners] challenge but I also challenge them not to eat and we’ll see for a month who will live,” the pastor said, posing a challenge for the mine owners. Indeed, the costs of mining has been sky-high but its promise to help out in alleviating the economic condition of the country is yet to come . But then again, the question is, what shall people do when the price at stake for a little gold and diamond is just too expensive? v
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
18
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
THE JOB OF GETTING A JOB AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, ONE MORE HURDLE WILL BE IN THE WAY BEFORE YOU WILL GET YOURSELF HIRED. WORDS ADELY GRACE V. TOMARO & PATRICIA MARI M. MIJARES GRAPHICS JOY MARIE D. MARTIR & ROSELYN M. QUIOCSON
It’s 7 a.m. and you’re up with a big toothy grin. Today is the day you start looking for a job! You rummage through your cabinet and pick out an outfit that says “I’m a fresh grad, and I’m ready to be hired!” Then, while taking a bath, you practice your future speech when the president of the company congratulates you for winning the Employee of the Year Award, which is, as of the moment, a bar of soap. Over breakfast, you talk enthusiastically to your mom about the things you are going to buy with your future salary (yes, that includes that new iPad you have always wanted), totally oblivious to the fact that before getting your dream job, a few little prerequisites will get in the way of the otherwise simple task. “You’re prone to disappointments when you’re too idealistic,” Laarni Dilag, the recently appointed Asia Price Governance Owner of Procter and Gamble International Operations, says. Laarni added that before having your dream job, you must make several financial and emotional investments which go hand in hand in making your life difficult. How? Apart from the estimated fortune you are going to spend securing clearances, documents, certificates and other formalities, you will go through a roller coaster ride of frustrations,
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
disappointments, joy and relief. Nursing graduates Kate* and Cutie* are no exception. Kate, like everyone else, incurred the following expenses during her job hunting days: medical examinations (including x-ray results, drug tests, urinalysis, and dental records), police clearances (P110: local; P150: abroad). For police clearances, other than paying the said price, an National Statistics Office Birth Certificate, along with a Residence Certificate, 2x3 ID pictures and Barangay Clearances need to be presented before claiming the documents, NBI clearances (P115,
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
Work isn’t tiring when you enjoy what you do and you keep a positive attitude which makes everything easier. presented with two valid ID’s), Transcript of Record and other school documents, NSO Birth Certificate, government clearances (court clearances: P70; fiscal clearances: P50; barangay: P25), and sundry expenses: print outs, photocopies, pictures, etc. (roughly around P50). Other than the usual, expense can also arise from uncontrollable events. For example, in Laarni’s case, she bought a return airfare ticket with her own money (which is roughly close to P4,500) just so she could take the exam and the job interview. Also, Nursing batch 2009 Cum Laude, Cutie, shared that the nine months she spent as a volunteer nurse had exposed her to the exploitation of hospitals towards fresh graduate nurses. Hospitals did not give her meal and transportation allowances while she volunteered for them; nor did they pay her any salary though she had to do harder duties than the paid staff nurses. But she had to persevere in order to gain enough experience and be qualified to work abroad. So in order to support her needs, Cutie had to take on a few extra jobs. The earnings she made as a tutor to fourth grade school students was not much, but it was enough to give her three complete meals a day. She
also entered several home-owned and direct-selling sidelines to earn additional salary. She has worked as an Independent Beauty Consultant, also a dealer of Mary Kay beauty products and has become a fashion dealer of Red Logo with products ranging from cosmetics to apparel. Add to that her cellphone loading service to all networks and her baked goods for sale endeavors. Having carried all these loads, Cutie still had to fight with discouragements and frustrations as weeks turn into months. She says that challenges in finding a job can amount to a very long list. But the hardest of all is to manage the frustrations, negative thoughts that seep into your mind due to the stress and trials that come by. But Certified Public Accountant Jennifer Mae Villagante does not seem to share the same opinion. Jennifer, who graduated from the USLS with a degree in Accountancy, addresses the hardships of job application with a smile. “It wasn’t really much of a hassle for me because I already requested for a transcript of records ahead of time,” she says. When praised for being one step ahead of the rest, Mae only chuckles and does not take the
credit. “I guess it also helped that I took the board exam so it was a little bit to my advantage that by the time I was ready to get hired, most of the documents were already set,” she says. When asked if it was all worth it in the end, Mae didn’t hesitate to respond, “Work isn’t tiring when you enjoy what you do and you keep a positive attitude which makes everything easier.” According to President Noynoy’s latest State of the Nation Address (SONA), the unemployment rate is at eight percent and in April 2011, it decreased to 7.2 percent. For the approximate number of grads struggling to enter the job market, there is still hope. Some people may be lucky enough to hit it on their very first try, but to those who are not, put your best foot forward and never let your optimism wither away because the job of getting a job may be difficult but nevertheless, achievable. The next time that new iPad comes flashing into your mind, let your hallucinations be. And, hey, keep holding on to that bar of soap while you practice your Employee of the Year speech. You will never know the next time when the actual award’s going to be within your reach. v * - not their real names.
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
19
20
PRICE TAG ON DEVELOPMENT
COUNTRY B IN THE CITY
Y
FIND OUT HOW HE SOLD HIS TALENT AND HOW MUCH IT’S WORTH WORDS RONALD M. FLORES PHOTOS JUDY ROSE L. SAYSON
You have probably heard the story of Miley Cyrus, having been able to buy herself a cup of Starbucks coffee by just pretending to be a low profiled citizen, strumming the strings of her guitar and singing a bunch of popular songs in a city street corner. It was one excellent use of wit for a girl who was broke, to have in hand a well-craved brand of coffee. More than that, it was her talent that gave her the capacity to do so.
And so we thought, what price tags talents have nowadays?
Like Miley, many people around the world are earning money through their talent.And so we thought, what price tags talents have nowadays? So that’s it, that’s the role play. A broke music hippie who needs to go back to his home, Nashville. Flying back to Nashville would cost hundreds of thousands for sure and I am not expecting to raise that amount in just an hour. But let us see if people still appreciate talent and how much I would gain with this, *ahem* talent that I have.
THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN’ Swamped with three quizzes on my Role Play day and the exam week coming ahead, I was throttled yet fully ready, trying to make myself believe that I could finish the day with my dignity intact. So here I go,
all dressed up in my country boy getup, pink sunglasses, a red hat, a placard saying, “Help me go back to Nashville” and a bag of confidence to face what has to come.
TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS Even just getting out of The Spectrum office was like sacrificing my life in a war. I was worried about the reactions that I may get, knowing thousands of piercing eyes would soon stare the moment I go out. I probably recited all the prayers I have known but to no avail, I still cannot imagine myself out there doing this stuff I need to do before the day ends. “Man, get over it already!” I took a deep breath, looked up to the heavens and went out of the office. I was able to count the steps I took before it finally
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
dawned on me that I am actually doing what I have been dreading a couple of months, weeks and days ago. A couple of students walked past me and I was thankful I got no displeased reactions, just glances of apathy. Maybe the pink sunglasses was doing some magical trick, kicking all the bad vibes away so I could finish this day up with my self-esteem in normal level. First stop, Coliseum lobby. A group of cute girls caught my eyes. They didn’t look harmful so I went closer to them and uttered the speech I prepared. “A few coins for a song. Just so I could go back to my hometown Nashville.” No reply. It took them several seconds, before they digested what I said. With faces that looked like they were interested, I decided to start performing Daughtry’s Home. One girl noticed that my fingers were shivering but she knew she cannot do anything to help so she just offered me a look of pity. Then they gave me coins. Contented and
PRICE TAG ON DEVELOPMENT
happy, I said this is a good Buena mano! After I performed to another group of people who was also accommodating, I decided to just stand at the Coliseum lobby. With all my might, I tried to make my singing at its loudest. After a few minutes, I noticed nobody cared until a colleague grabbed some acquaintances to listen to me and they tossed their spare coins to my hat. And immediately after, people started flocking. Lasallians and nonLasallians took time to listen to me and gave me some of their money. A kid from the Integrated School even gave me P10, an amount which he was probably planning to buy food with but rather chose to hand it to me. Some people were dropping bills. Good lord of the rings! I could make a living out of this! After having a fill at the lobby, I decided to move on.
THE MILEY CYRUS HOAX Thanks for the tissue that a colleague offered me after seeing beads of sweat trickling down my flesh. Now with my confidence at high level, I proceeded with my role play. Next target, two girls at the
College Plaza busy with their project. I intentionally made my presence felt and a petulant stare instinctively glared at me. I was partially subdued with an occurring thought that maybe these girls will not take my speech lightly. Driving away all fears, I smiled and introduced myself , where I had come from and what I needed from them (I swear I’ve tried so hard to make my accent sound like I am from Nashville). The two looked at each other, both baffled if they should believe all the stuff I have been saying. I decided to perform Swift’s Fearless so their teenage ears would hear something relatable. One of the girls asked her friend, “Ano na nga kanta ‘Day?” (What song is that?) With a slightly disgusted look, the other girl replied, “Fearless na ni Taylor Swift.” (It’s Fearless by Taylor Swift) I was pretty sure I had messed up few of the chords while I was performing the song but I guess the inability of the two to distinguish which hit the notes and which did not made the mistakes forgivable. The two girls rummaged for coins in their bags after realizing the song is nearly done. Glad to find some, they put the coins into my hat. I flashed a smile that signified gratitude but
one of the girls bounced back a skeptical look and said, “Are you really from Nashville? That’s where Miley Cyrus grew up, right? I’m a fan of her!” Clueless how to react with what she said and with my “trying-hard” Nashville accent I replied, “Yes I am. I met her a long time ago in a studio in Nashville.” She got all giddy, knowing she met someone who has already met her idol in person. “Oh yeah! And I’ve read in a magazine that she’s small. She’s just 5’2”, isn’t she?” I was half overwhelmed and half victorious with her reaction, knowing that my role play was getting successful. Someone finally really believed that I am from Nashville and that I met her idol! A few steps away from the two, I thought my reaction to someone claiming she/he has met my idol would have been the same as that of the girl’s if I were 17.
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
21
REALIZATIONS I cannot fully remember all those people who took time to listen to me and dropped some money into my hat but I am so thankful that wherever my temporary abode was groups of people still flocked and showed compassion. Now with P400 for an hour, I am definitely convinced that people up to this day could still appreciate talent and there is still a big chance that anybody from anywhere could make a living out of it. From a coward, I became a fulfilled country boy after that day. Very much happy, feeding street kids with the money I earned and very proud to say, “I’m not a coward of the Country!” v
22
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
DELVING INTO THE AURAL ENTERTAINMENT LISTEN AGAIN TO THE VOICES THAT ONCE ENTERTAINED THE MASSES AND THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE A LIVING THROUGH THEIR TONGUES. WORDS RONALD M. FLORES PHOTOS JUDY ROSE L. SAYSON GRAPHICS ROSELYN M. QUIOCSON
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
The more voices you are able to perform, the more money you get. He is laughing heartily as if a joke was thrown, so funny that it looked like his mouth would be ripped into pieces. Of course, laughing as hysterically as that is normal. But what if you notice that for the time being, he’s not having a comical conversation with anybody? Instinct would tell you, he is not in his right mind. But tell you what, what you’re thinking is wrong! He’s listening to a radio drama! Radio drama has been the reason of Pinoys’ laughter and tears for quite a long time. In a bigger scope, everybody in the world has, for sure, come across it in one part of their life or another. Some were and are still big fans, some are not, and some have made it their usual buddy during boring and lazy afternoons. Several genres of radio drama still exist but one thing is for sure, the entertainment it gives is a hypercarousel that one could laugh at. Radio drama started even before the discovery of wireless transmission of signal. One of the pillars in the birth of radio drama is Seneca who created sound plays instead of stage plays which were the fad during his time. The discovery of signal transmission during the twentieth century has green-lighted the widespread popularity of radio dramas throughout the world. In the Philippines, numerous radio dramas became part of every Filipino household since the 1940’s. The most remarkable of all Filipino radio dramas was Gulong ng Palad. The sweet island of Negros, too, is rich in engaging radio dramas. Included in the list are Ang Kasaysayan ni Toyang Ermitanya, Provincial Jail, Mga Misteryo sang Kabuhi and Dear Inday Ivy. Radio drama is basically a recorded acoustic performance. Since it carries no visual entity,
it solely depends on narrations, dialogues, music and sound effects in rolling up a story. A good combination of these, an awesome story and brilliant voice actors, make up a radio drama of good quality. DYEZ Aksyon Radyo, one of the most popular AM stations in the province, still jiggles up the airwaves with a roster of quality radio dramas that listeners can surely relate to and enjoy up to now. There’s this satirical-political story called Barangay 684 which probes the current state of politics in the country. Another is Badlit sa Palad which uncovers stories of human successes and tragedies. And never forgetting those hit stories that unfold tales of love and heartbreaks, Aksyon Radyo brings in to the table This is My Life and Love Story. But how can one successfully weave the strings that make up a radio drama? Ernesto Celiz, a radio drama writer, director and voice talent, is an expert on that. To create a radio drama that would easily capture the audience’s eardrums, Celiz said, one must be able to create a story that is relatable and tackles the current events that greatly affect people. Then, one must make characters and not just plain characters but remarkable ones. Celiz shares he could make a complete script in just 22 minutes when inspired but
it takes him a longer time when not. According to him, coordination among the director, technician, soundman and actors’ impassioned internalization of their characters comprise the main ingredients that spice up the drama and laughter in radio dramas. Choosing the music and sounds that suit the scenes, according to him, is also a very essential task in complementing the entirety of this aural entertainment. We’ve talked about how a radio drama is made, now let us get to know the voices behind it. As a listener, it usually makes us ponder what the faces of the voices we hear over the radio looks like and most of the time, their appearances differ from what we expect. Some are not as dainty as they sound. Despite the occasional disappointments, there is still this twisted satisfaction we get upon hearing their voices over the radio so we still end up listening to them. The price tag that a voice talent possesses, according to Celiz, depends on the number of voices they can mimic. “The more voices you are able to perform, the more money you get. “ For others, radio drama is just a form of entertainment but for Rey Kho of Brgy. Felisa, it is a living. Rey has been a voice talent for radio dramas for almost 25 years now. Even if what he earns now is
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
less than how much he did during the radio dramas heydays, Kho continues to make it his bread and butter because it is what makes him happy. He shares that it doesn’t seem like work for him anymore because he is enjoying every moment he has in the recording studio. The advent of numerous gadgets and technology has gradually buried the popularity of the entertainment that springs from radio speakers. Radio drama, considered one of it, has been slowly killed by entertainments shown on television and on the internet; people nowadays opt to indulge in the entertainment that satisfies their visual cravings. But radio drama, despite the decline of its popularity, still never fails to bring forth prolific entertainment up to now. One good thing it can do that other forms of entertainment cannot is reaching out its entertainment even to the far flung areas, places that cannot be reached by television and internet signals. Kho says that radio drama educates people. It serves as an eye opener with its lesson-filled stories and more than anything, it shares good values, something that the world badly needs to be reminded of. He added, “People need to choose the entertainment they want to listen to or watch especially the young ones.” So next time, you find yourself clueless of what to busy yourself with, get that old forgotten radio and navigate on the different stations on the AM. You might come across a radio drama that will interest you and will surely paint a smile or triggers tears on your face. v
HOW MUCH FOR A HUMAN SPARE PART? A KIDNEY, A PIECE OF LIVER AND SOME LUNG TISSUE PLEASE. WORDS JAYRICK F. AGUIRRE
GRAPHICS RUPERT PAUL M. SIMEON
Moldova, 2009 - Mikhail, a 32-year old farmer once sold his kidneys to a Turkish organ dealer about six years ago. He only agreed on the operation since he needed money to raise his family. He went to Turkey and undergone surgery right away and was given with a meager $3,000. After his kidney was taken, he was hidden in the surgeon’s private apartment for a few days and then, without painkillers and postsurgery medication, he was left in a public bus to fend for himself. Mikhail underwent extreme pain while making his way home. Now, he could only sigh in regret as he sank deeper into poverty after being rendered disabled by the surgery, losing not only a kidney but also hope for him and his family. Killing the Poor to Cure the Rich Organ Trafficking is no urban legend. It has been a long-standing issue, especially in impoverished countries. Organs such as the kidneys, liver and lungs can be given while the donor is still alive and the heart, bone, skin, cornea and valves of the blood vessels can be taken from deceased donors. There is a procedure in transplanting organs from willing donors, regulated by legal government organizations such as the National Kidney and Transplant Institute. However, illegal organ selling
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
is a prolific industry in the black market and many people, particularly from poverty-afflicted countries, are more than willing to get themselves cut and give up a piece of their flesh for as little as $1,500. The organs are then transported into paying recipients from Western Europe, Middle East and in the U.S. A legally acquired kidney can take from one up to six years of waiting before it can be legally transplanted to a patient. With over a million people dying in renal (kidney) failure
PRICE TAG ON FREEDOM
25
...many people, particularly from poverty-afflicted countries are more than willing to give up a piece of their flesh for money. worldwide every year, many patients are forced to make a crucial decision: to wait (and possibly die) for a legally acquired kidney or to immediately get a transplant from a kidney bought at the black market. In the Philippines, it is unclear how many people are known to have undergone kidney-removal operations. It is known that before 2008, organ selling was legal and according to Asia against Child Trafficking, a non-profit organization, Filipino kidneys are among the “cheapest” in the world black market, selling at $1,500 which is 20 times cheaper than those in the U.S. Foreigners also flock the country in the hopes of finding compatible (and gullible) organ donors. In the Baseco compound in Tondo, Manila, an estimated 3,000 people have sold their kidneys, which made the place earn the nickname, “One-kidney island.” It is obvious that poverty is what pushes these people into engaging in this trade. But there is an even darker, more sinister side to this atrocious industry and it is a staple in horror movies.
*** Brazil, 2006 – Joao*, a 23-year old construction worker goes into a bar, where he drowns himself in beer to forget his life’s problems. Dazed from his drunkenness, he meets a prostitute named Maria and he vaguely remembers himself being whisked into an unfamiliar warehouse where he lost all consciousness. The next morning, Joao wakes up in an unfamiliar room, immersed in a bath tub filled with ice. Pain wracked
his temples, but when he moved, an even sharper pain pierced his lower back. Getting up, he feels his back and finds a long, oblique scar, flanked with stitches and oozing red from inflammation. His head ached even more upon the horrific realization—one of his kidneys has been stolen.
The Invasion of the Organ Snatchers There have been reports of dead bodies with missing organs all over the world. Though most of these stories sound like the plot of an Eli Roth movie, there are indeed real cases of people being murdered for organ harvest. In Mozambique in Africa, there have been reports of corpses found without their viscera and unusually, also without their reproductive parts. It is hypothesized that aside from organ harvesting, these killings are also linked to ritual murder for folk medicine and witchcraft. In China, a grisly case about an international organ-trafficking ring involved in hundreds of missing “unwanted” young girls in orphanages and the government, condoning organ harvest from prisoners in death row. In Eastern Europe in 1999 after the Kosovo War, over 300 Serbian soldiers were allegedly murdered by the Kosovo Liberation Army to sell their organs. This horrific murder industry also thrives in Israel, India, Pakistan, Egypt and Moldova. It may seem unimaginable for these money-hungry and bloodthirsty criminals to exist here in Negros, but we may never know. The organ snatchers may be closer than we think.
*** Bacolod City, Philippines – Nonoy* was outside, playing near the street along with his next door playmates. All was fun and games until a tinted black van passed by, with the door slightly open. With his back to the street, Nonoy was oblivious about the approaching vehicle until a burly man came from the vehicle and grabbed him inside. His playmates could only shout and look in horror as the vehicle sped away. Inside, Nonoy was firmly held by the man as people who spoke in Tagalog seemed to examine him. They seemed to be arguing until the van stopped and they threw Nonoy into the street. Nonoy found himself in the middle of downtown Bacolod. Fortunately, he knows his way and he walked several kilometers home. When he arrived, his parents could only gasp in relief since they thought Nonoy would be killed by the abductors. It was known that those cars were organ snatching syndicates. Only one thing stopped that syndicate from deeming Nonoy as an eligible “donor” for their organ-selling business. Turns out Nonoy had asthma and his poor health made his organs unfit for transplants.
Beware of the Organ Thieves The first case of a criminal syndicate in Negros Occidental that supposedly kidnaps young children for their organs came from the town of Kabankalan, last April this year. The 15-year old boy who refused to be named, recalled his experience when he was kidnapped by a
couple purported to be involved in the organ-selling business and his escape from them. From that incident, rumors have sprang around Bacolod City, about a dead child found in a bus station with the body devoid of kidneys and eyes gouged out, with P15,000 inserted in the one of the eye sockets. The thought of having such syndicates roving around the metropolis induced parents into a heightened state of panic. Since August this year, residents in Punta Taytay and Sum-ag are clamoring over the alleged visitations of an organtrafficking syndicate in the barangay, targeting healthy young children. Clarifying the issue, Barangay Punta Taytay Kagawad, Angela Daguno said, “If indeed there are organ-trafficking groups in here [Punta Taytay], we would have done something about it. Those stories are just rumors.” There are no official police records that confirm the presence of such groups in the community but the ruckus certainly rattled the locals, prompting them to take measures, like picking up their children after school and imposing curfews. Our body is an intricate machine, made of numerous parts that all work together to keep us alive. Sometimes, these parts wear out, due to disease or relentless abuse. Good things is, these parts can be replaced — only by the body parts of other people. Our bodies now have a price tag. How much do you think you’re worth? v * - not their real names. Their stories are not from firsthand accounts and thus may not be entirely the truth.
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
26
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
What do you get when you combine a ship, a piano, and a gifted orphan? You’ll get this movie.
THE LEGEND OF 1900 WORDS JAYRICK F. AGUIRRE PHOTO FROM THE INTERNET
RATING DIRECTED BY CASTS
GIUSEPPE TORNATORE
TIM ROTH
PRUITT TAYLOR VINCE
Legend of 1900, released in 1998, is all about a pensive musician who has lived aboard the ocean liner SS Virginia throughout his life. It was loosely based on the theater monologue, Novecento written by the Italian playwright Alessandro Baricco. The film was directed by renowned Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore, which is his first film in English. The plot is presented in media res, that is, the story starts in the middle, resulting in flashbacks interwoven between the progressing story in the movie. It all starts when the depressed deuteragonist, musician Max Tooney (played by Pruitt Taylor Vince) enters an old music shop to sell his trumpet. Insisting that he should blow his instrument for the last time, he belts out a tune that reminded the music shopkeeper of an old, broken record he kept. Max knowing the tune by heart then tells 1900’s (yes, 1900 is a name and he was played by Tim Roth) story, the “amazing piano man” whose piece was on the record. It was on the first month of the 20th century, when an old coal worker from the ship’s boiler room was scavenging for stuff on the first class dining room and he found an infant stowed in a cardboard box. Taking the child to his noisy workplace, he named the child after himself, the period when he found him and the advertisement on the box that became his cradle, creating a rather hefty name that could be the bane of the workers at the National Statistics Office: Danny Boodman T.D. Lemon 1900. 1900 grew into a young boy, hiding under the ship’s machinery with his foster father until the old man died (sorry, spoilerphobics). On his father’s funeral, 1900 discovers
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
his prowess in playing the piano (and he also starts to blurt out profanities he learned from the third class immigrants). 1900 grew on to become a badass pianist and by then, he met Max. Other stuff in there would be piano duels, long talks and a girl with marshmallow lips. There you go, spoilerphobics, I will say no more. Legend of 1900 is definitely not for people who have millisecond attention spans, people who prefer Justin Bieber over Louis Armstrong, and those who easily fall asleep. Tornatore’s film is a bit heavy for an average movie-watcher (who’s already accustomed to randomly exploding helicopters and the like). The tone is somewhat somber, occasionally punctuated with amusing moments (like that rolling in the ballroom scene). It is reminiscent of a James Cameron movie (also about a ship...a leaky one) although Legend was released a year later. Latjos Koltai’s cinematography is superb, capturing stunning images here and there. The costumes look authentic. But what’s really riveting in the film is the soundtrack. I’m not really a sucker for modern, non-classical piano stuff but the film threw in some groovy jazz rifts that made me want to search and download the film’s official soundtrack as soon as I got off the couch. And one thing, if you are planning to watch this, look out for the piano duel because that one is gonna be epic. Overall, the film is good enough for a Sunday afternoon film showing. It might induce a bit of teary emotion at certain parts but if you are a music aficionado and you dig historical drama, then Legend of 1900 would be a nice treat. v
NOVEMBER 2011 WORDS JAYRICK F. AGUIRRE GRAPHICS RUPERT PAUL M. SIMEON
30
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
SALVAGING THE WAR-TORN DREAMS LIVING WITH A DREAM ALMOST THWARTED BY GUNSHOTS AND REVOLUTION WORDS EPI MA. KASSANDRA A. DAJAO PHOTOS COURTESY OF MR. ALBERT D. ARISGADO
He left his native land to realize his dream in the foreign soil. In Libya, he chose to chase after his dream which his family and friends have altogether worked hard for. Because of his dream of giving his family a good life, he flew to a land in North Africa and gambled every piece of his cards for his elusive dream. In December 11, 2010, he left his home country to chase after a dream.
Albert Dela Cruz Arisgado worked as an English teacher in the University of St. La Salle for two years. He waited for years for an opportunity to teach abroad until three overseas job offers came – one in Kazakhstan, another in Saudi Arabia and another in Libya. Wanting to give the best treat to his family, he chose the job in Libya for the excellent benefits and salaries offered. He recalls, An hour before boarding inside the plane heading to Libya, I sent my loved ones text messages, promising them of a good story as I journey away from home. I think I never failed them with that. As I had my first foot on the Libyan ground, that was when my life turned to another chapter. I was very aware of why I came to Libya: to teach minds, touch hearts, and to transform lives as an English teacher. I was sure of that. Unknowingly, God has prepared a new syllabus for me to attend to. All the while he thought he was ready for his mission in Libya. But he never knew that on the night
of February 19, there would be a turnabout in his life. He shares, “In my thousand thoughts, I never dreamed of becoming cast in a fully-packed action film for I hated war movies. I battered the gate of heaven with my complaints but no matter how hard I did it, I just couldn’t move it. I cried so hard for my shattered dream because of this crisis. I pitied my family with whom I left my financial obligations. I worried a lot about so many things which only centered on ‘ME’. I used to be so preoccupied with amassing wealth.” Like any other person trapped in war, he felt helpless for he was pressed in the revolution in Misurata. He admits he was about to reach the end of his rope but he continued holding on tightly. Unswerving faith and prayers became his weapons for the battle he never dreamt for himself. He says, “I prayed hard and asked for divine guidance. The answer was very clear: God wanted to use me and the life that He has given me in tending to
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
our suffering brothers here. I decided to stay here because I want my life to be meaningful. I want to really exist as what God has wanted me to. My fervent prayers allowed me to see what’s really important: family, friends, freedom. He let me realize the importance of my existence: to serve HIM in the faces of the suffering and of those in need. “ Albert is not a nurse; his vocation is teaching. But he allowed himself to be an instrument of God for another worthy mission. He says, “ I responded to God’s calling that is to extend other people’s lives by offering myself in a voluntary service at Al Hekma Hospital. “Despite my incapacity for not getting a formal training as a nurse, it’s truly a joy to see relief in the faces of my patients after I cleaned them and changed their diapers after defecation, gave them compress when their temperature’s high, massaged them to alleviate pain, and cared for them after coming from the operating room,” he says. Albert
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
While volunteering at the hospital, he feels that pierce in his heart as patients suffer in pain because of gunshots or post-explosions.
says, before he went to Libya, he could not stand seeing blood dripping from a man’s body or watching an open wound. Now, at least he has mustered the courage to withstand those hospital sights. While volunteering at the hospital, he feels that pierce in his heart as patients suffer in pain because of gunshots or post-explosions. “My fear of our situation here was even blinded by the pity I feel seeing the victims helpless as they shake and moan in intense pain. My heart bleeds watching children struggle between life and death.” Albert knows that he is playing a minor role in the volunteer work that he is doing now. But he believes that God wants him to create an impact on the lives of people he is serving. Albert fought a different battle in Libya. Out of his Libyan war experience, he learned that no matter how well people landscape their path in their journey through life, it is always God’s will that shall be done. He adds, “Things in life aren’t
random and they don’t just happen by accident. There is a wonderful plan at work that runs more deeply than I ever know. God’s force flows through life, affecting my personal destiny and the destiny of the people whose lives I’ve touched.” As freedom becomes visible in war-torn cities in Libya, a Filipino English teacher finds his way to make his life more meaningful. “Every day while staying here in Libya there is a contribution to the accounts of my life’s story. I am uncertain about how my story would end. One thing I am very sure of is that on the pages of the book of my life in Libya is written my great experience… an experience that has truly changed my life,” he concludes. Some people may say he struggled too much for his dreams. For this man however, his dreams of working abroad to salvage the poverty of the family is worth the price of an experience he would dare to face again all for the love of his family. v
STANDING AMIDST A CHAOTIC CITY’S RUBLE. Albert in hi volunteer’s uniform temporarily leaves his teaching profession to lend a hand to the wounded Libyan citizens.
31
SLANGTIONARY II
Your handy guide to the latest and most baffling word mutations. Only that its Part II!
Mouthfreeze
n. a phenomenon which happens when you eat a mint candy or chewable and then you drink a cold beverage.
TEACHER DISS
v. the act of purposely not looking at the teacher when he/she asks a question so that you won’t be the one chosen to answer it. Particularly handy when you don’t know the answer to the query. Teacher: Quit teacher-dissing! I’m still choosing, people. Now, where’s that class list?
*eating Mentos then drinking water* Guy 1: Owwww. Mouthfreeze.
Mirrorage
BrainTV
n. a brain phenomenon that manifests itself when you’re sad or depressed and you imagine yourself in a music video… with special effects. Can become more vivid when you’re listening to your iPod with headphones on.
Guy 1: Look at that girl in the jeep, she probably has BrainTV on.
n. a phenomenon explaining why you look so much better in front of the mirror than in your pictures. Mirrors that have this ability are usually found in bedrooms, CRs and on some shiny mall surfaces. Girl: Someone has to invent a mirror with a camera. I mean, I can’t keep on having these mirrorages with this face!
Mini Heart Attack
n. an expression that connotes a moderately shocking thing.
PAPERCUE
Girl 1: Hey, did you know that Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez broke up? Girl 2: OMG, mini-heart attack!
n. used to describe newly-photocopied paper that is still warm to the touch Girl 1: Here’s your photocopied handouts for the Kreb’s Cycle. Girl 2: Mmmmmm. Papercue! *rubs paper on cheeks*
Bumpologizing
n. having someone bump into you and you’re the one who apologizes. Guy 1: *bumps on a girl while absent reading on a handout while walking* Girl 2: Ayy. Sorry. Guy 1: *poker face* (Whiteboard Squiggle Compulsive Disorder)
n. a condition characterized by the inability to concentrate on the lesson because the whiteboard has the ink marks and patches that the eraser have failed to erase. Girl 1: I can’t concentrate Ma’am. I have WSCD. That’s why I got low scores in your quizzes.
n. a phenomenon characterized by sudden darkness and heat brought about by power fluctuations. Induces cheers and whoops in the hope of finally having a reason to end the class early. *blackout* Girl 1: Yeah! Midclass darkness! Guy 1: Yeah! Midclass darkness! *lights on* Guy 1: *poker face*
n. the activity that your earphones do when you stuff them inside your bag and the next time you get them out, they’re a tangled mess of plastic cords.
Guy 1: May I borrow your earphones? Guy 2: *gets earphones* Daaaaamn. My earphones went wrestling again. Wait a sec while I untangle this.
WSCD
Midclass Darkness
Earphone Wrestling
EARGASM n. 1. A heightened feeling of pleasure when you’re listening to good music on your headphones. Usually induces banging and bobbing heads, energetic fingers and humming. 2. A heightened feeling of pleasure when you’re cleaning your ears and the cotton buds are rubbing the skin inside it. Felt by only a small number of people. Guy 1: Dude, listen to this, it’s pure eargasm. Guy 2: Wait a sec, dude I’m eargasming here with my cotton buds.
Absent Reading
v. reading for the sake of looking like you’re actually reading something; absent reading usually requires re-reading because you did not really understand what you have read in the first place. Prevalent when your parents are watching you or if you are studying while being distracted.
Guy 1: Hey, I wanna play ‘Friday’ on loudspeaker. Is it OK? Girl 1: No. Don’t make me absent read this, I have to ace our exam later. WORDS JAYRICK F. AGUIRRE GRAPHICS JUDY ROSE L. SAYSON & RUPERT PAUL M. SIMEON
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
33
A CLOSER LOOK AT
LASALLIANS’ HAPPINESS THE REASONS WHY THE GREENBLOODS ALWAYS SEEM TO BE IN CLOUD 9. WORDS MARK HARMON R. MAGBANUA GRAPHICS JOY MARIE D. MARTIR
A scene from The Hot Tub Time Machine depicts a girl wearing an 80’s outfit trying to get a hold of a cold refreshment from what seems to be a malfunctioning vending machine. Irritated by her failure to possess a drink, she kicks the contraption and screams out, “Stupid thing! Why won’t you work?” The old man beside her or “The Tubber”, as he was known in the movie, immediately noticed the little incident. He approached the girl and said, “Lady, maybe what you’re looking for is not in there.” *points to girl’s heart* “It’s in here.” Quite a memorable scene from a film filled with obscene humor and uttering of the “F” word. But even movie lines like these can make an impact on an individual in more ways than one. Happiness is achievable by anybody with a decent mind and heart. And it is during times when the school workload overflows and the harshness of reality becomes too much to handle that people seek the one thing that erases all the bad vibes and transforms them into positive energy: happiness. So what really makes Lasallians happy? Out of 30 students interviewed, eight Lasallians say that friends put a smile on their faces and make everything worthwhile. “There’s just something in those crazy guys that I find unique.” Jobert, a second year Nursing student explains. Angelica, a first year AB Communications student, meanwhile, explains with a grin “I can always be myself when I’m around them,” adding that her friends accept who she really is and that manages to make her day all the time.
Other students, on the other hand, put a premium on money and material things as their bases for happiness. Francis*, a first year Biology student values money because for him, it “talks.” “I don’t really believe in the cliche that ‘money can’t buy happiness.’ Give me some of that paper and watch my smile grow,” he says. It is an undeniable fact that the University is home to some devout individuals who find time for God despite their full course load. Natz*, a first year Psychology student, expounds, “My day is not complete if I don’t spend some quality time alone with Him.” She further explains, “I’ve been doing this for quite some time now, and it makes me really happy and complete.” Getting good marks in quizzes, projects, and other school works is another factor affecting the happiness of some Lasallians. A trio of Biology students all share a mutual feeling when they say, “Our parents pay so much money to send us to college. It’s only right that we perform at our best.” Chuck, one of
the members of the triad, adds, “I get that sense of accomplishment and feeling of pride whenever I get a good score. Hard work really pays off and that brings my spirits up.” With all these different reasons behind the smiles, the grins, and the laughters, one cannot help but ask: Do Lasallians really understand happiness? When prompted to define happiness, Biology students Anne* and Robert* say, “Happiness is doing what you love and being able to smile without hassles.” The best way to show the world that you are happy, according to them, is to smile. PJ*, a Management Accounting student, defines happiness as “that feeling of contentment after fulfilling a task.” The duties and responsibilities, the likes of the USG officers are doing, are the perfect examples of tasks which bring joy to some Lasallians. Cindy Rosario, one of the Guidance Councilors in the University, believes that happiness is a product of choice. “If people choose to be happy so shall they be,” she explains. In one
Happiness is achievable by anybody with a decent mind and heart. way or the other, Lasallians are happy individuals who value the little things that make up life. Rosario adds, “La Salle has given me and other people the opportunities to enjoy and make the most of life.” Happiness varies among different people, but the idea of it is basically the same. It is all about doing what one loves and what puts a smile on his/her face with the least amount of effort possible. It is also worth remembering that real happiness lies in the hands of the individual himself. Like what Bob Marley always expresses in his songs, true happiness is a state of mind. v * - not their real names.
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
BRUSH STROKES AND SPLATTERS OF FREEDOM THE MESSAGES BEHIND EVERY LINE, COLOR AND FORM PAINTED ON THE CONCRETE WALLS WORDS DAZEN DAWN P. LARIZA PHOTOS SIMON O. BALLADOS
DAUBING THE GRAY WALLS WITH COLOR. A Dolocab Crew artist crouches down as he paints the details on their mural along La Salle Avenue.
PRICE TAG ON FREEDOM
Appreciation and good reviews are worth more than the money they get
STREET ARTISTS AT WORK. The painter checks his work as their artworks starts to come to life.
They were bound by chains of laws and restrictions, kept caged by the fear of being misjudged and misunderstood, locked up in walls of doubt and insecurities…that is, before they met art. For years, art has been known for giving artists their right to freedom of expression. From the likes of Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Amorsolo to the very controversial works of Mideo Cruz, artists were free to express what they felt through their works. But as Cruz’s works stirred millions to disgust, many were led to question this right. Should art simply be the goody-two-shoes version of reality that receives appreciation from the rich and sophisticated snobs because it shows the better side of them? Or should art be the untouched version of the truth that exposes the corrupt and unjust practices that people seem to hide behind a façade of lies? All the world is a canvas and that includes every nook and cranny found in the city. Although many people believe that splattering paint on other people’s blank walls is considered vandalism, Weni Tolentino and Dice of the Dolocab Crew (DC) believe it is how they express their freedom of expression. Walking out the first gate you would see the once blank wall filled with colors and cartoon caricatures and if you know the story behind the graffiti, vandalism is not what the crew intended. Believe it or not, they have actually asked permission before they made their first stroke. Although their works are free of charge, there are limits to this said freedom. Weni who is a Criminology student at the West Negros University is often misjudged and criticized by other people because of what he does. He shares, “Damu gahambal nga ‘Criminology ka pero ga-grafiti ka’, ginahambalan ko lang sila nga depende lang na sa trip ya.” (A lot of people say that you study Criminology but you do graffiti,
I just tell them that it depends on what you feel like doing.) There were even times when they made the mistake of asking permission from one of the helpers of the house instead of the owner. They made a deal with the owner to allow them to take a picture of the graffiti before they repainted the wall because they use their works as designs for the shirts they sell. The camera, however, broke down and when they returned the next day, the wall had been repainted. Although it was a great loss for them, they took it as a challenge and one thing they learned out of the experience is to think first before doing something. Weni says, “Amu na ang hobby, damu ginasacrifice.” (That’s what a hobby is, it involves a lot of sacrifice.) The same freedom to paint on walls was also given to Peter James Fantinalgo, an installation artist, back when he was a kid. He, however, took art more seriously and decided to take Fine Arts as a course in college. “We [siblings] started scribbling before we could write our names and I made my first oil painting when I was a second year high school student.” Peter said there were a lot of sacrifices he had to do for the sake of art. One of which is leaving Roxas City, his hometown, to pursue his art career in Bacolod. Peter also had to sacrifice his own money for art materials instead of buying what most people would want to have. “Someone else would spend his/her money on clothes, shoes, computer games, sports equipment, etcetera, but if you’re an artist you have to spend your money on your materials first as well as to rent a place to be your studio,” he shares.
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
Meanwhile, the president of the Arts Association of Bacolod (AAB) Sony Golez had to put art aside for her family’s sake at one point of her life. Time became a luxury and she had to think of her priorities first. Sony says, “As a person you are responsible to yourself, your family, your community, and your church.” Sony teaches visual arts to fourth year students at Doña Montserrat and although she wanted to teach it for free, the school gives her a salary. She, however, gives that salary back through buying materials for her students while half of the salary is given as petty cash to the AAB which she said was the reason behind her success. She says, “No artist could ever be successful without a support group.” During the mid-80’s while everyone was shouting against Marcos, she and other artists were fighting for their rights against the leftist art that some artists were trying to suggest.“They insisted that art had to be like this [leftist] but we had different statements. We were against manipulation because our freedom was not the same as their freedom,” she says. Sony, Weni, and Peter may have different views and styles on their works but they all believe in one thing: Appreciation and good reviews are worth more than the money they get. Sony says, “Money can only last for a day, whereas, good reviews last a long time.” Those artists thoughts were imprisoned before they found an outlet to express their feelings and when they found the voice to have their opinions heard, people took notice on their works. Some understood their works, while others misjudged them, but it is their freedom that they value more than anyone else’s opinions. They have paid a huge price for the freedom they have and although this freedom is not completely absolute, they continue on fighting to keep it. Like most things though, freedom requires responsibility. As the saying goes, “Freedom is doing what you want to do while true freedom is doing what you ought to do”. Freedom has a price. Would you pay for it or would you rather stay imprisoned? v
35
36
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
FREEBIE NATION A TREATISE ON THE FILIPINOS’ OBSESSION ON STUFF THAT IS FREE WORDS MARK HARMON R. MAGBANUA GRAPHICS FATIMA D. RODRIGUEZ & JUDY ROSE L. SAYSON
Imagine a situation like this: On one side of the block, there is a rockfest going on, blasting tunes loud enough to send someone into coma. Just around the corner of the same block, there is an ongoing brawl between Anderson Silva and Manny Pacquiao, both fighters going at each other relentlessly. And at the end of the street, an eat-all-you-can buffet just started and myriads of viand are being served and a mountain of rice has been cooked, all to feed and satisfy a legion of invited townsfolk, and all for the price of none. Sure enough, one would be hardpressed as to which event to attend. As much as Filipinos love the sound of music, the thrill of fighting and the taste of good food, the love for free things will always have its place in the heart of every noypi. It is very evident in our society that the ability to resist freebies is dead and gone. And with good reason. Why pay when you can get it for free? Renowned blogger Mickey Bustos once quoted in his videos that “we Filipinos have mastered the art of free. Filipinos seem to have an uncanny sixth sense for things that are free.” There will be no mountain too high and no river too deep for a Filipino in the pursuit of a freebie. “Life really then becomes interesting when there are free stuff involved,” Bustos quotes. Classic example that costless things are just irresistable:
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
Two friends are engaging in excited chitchat. Boy 1: “Bro, I’m famished. Let’s get something to eat.” Boy 2: “Oh dude I can’t, I still have this research paper I’m working on and it’s due in 10 minutes.” Boy 1: “Libre ta ka.” Boy 2: “You know what? This can wait. Lakat ta.” From free shampoo to free magazines on airplanes, from free condoms to free hugs, as long
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
as it is free, Filipinos are willing to accept them with open arms. Ever wondered why the lines at Free Taste stations are so unbelievably long? With a little bit of ingenuity and diligence to go back time and again, that “free taste” could become “free meal” in an instant. A free jeepney ride home is also a treat. It is hard to find but not entirely impossible. It could either be that the jeepney driver’s too busy to notice you have not paid your fare or you are just plain evil, and either way, it is exciting because it’s free. And why spend over a hundred bucks to watch a movie when the same blockbuster is available on the internet in high definition and it’s absolutely free? And admit it, your heart leaps with joy when someone hands you a free piece of delicious candy. At a restaurant, when another person pays for the huge amounts of food about to be consumed, it automatically tastes 100 percent better, all because it is free of charge. Angelho*, a Lasallian and a self-proclaimed freebie junkie, feels totally satisfied and complete when he avails of things totally devoid of price tags. “With all the free stuff I bagged, it’s now easier for me to focus on the things that I really need,” he says, explaining his addiction to freebies. His record includes free noodles, free ketchup samplers, free dogtags, a free real dog, and free Wi-Fi. A date with his girlfriend, he adds, is probably one thing that never goes for free. Chad, a first year Psychology student, shares the same sentiments. “Freebies are proof that life still has surprises up its sleeve and it makes things really exciting,” he says. He finds it impossible to resist free stuff. Even the simplest things, if for free, become valuable and treasured. “I once received a free windshield clean-up for my car, I know it isn’t too much, but hey, it’s for free.” Indeed, the best things in life are free. The Filipino people have taken that cliche much too seriously. But it is not because we are cheap and we have no class, but it is because we are clever and resourceful. Opportunistic and practical too. Joselito Diaz, one of the Guidance Counselor in the University, says that “the fact that Filipinos are
practical when it comes to freebies gives justice to the other fact that Filipinos are equally resilient in times of economic recession.” The addiction of the Filipino people to these freebies are all for reasons of practicality. “There is nothing wrong with availing free stuff. The resourcefulness of Filipinos is one admirable trait that is very uniquely ours,” Diaz adds. Imagine the money one could save by availing of the freebies such as the free hotel shampoo. The P70 which should supposedly be used to buy a bottle of hair soap can now be turned into emergency moolah if ever a sticky situation arises in a dance club. The P1 saved by asking a friend for a piece of candy instead of actually buying one can be used to produce a machine copy of the braincracking Biology lecture notes. The P6 spared if the driver decides to give a free ride because it is his birthday can now buy you a token at World of Fun and you would still have enough money to buy that piece of candy you have been dreaming about. Freebies. Proof that one moment of happiness will always lead to another. v
* - not their real names.
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
Filipinos seem to have an uncanny sixth sense for things that are free.
37
FROM HALLWAYS TO RUNWAYS
WHAT CAN LITTLE MAKEUP, SOME NICE DRESSES AND A TEAM OF EXPERTS DO TO A PLAIN JANE? MAGIC
BEFORE
WORDS JAYRICK F. AGUIRRE & ANNA KATRINA B. ALMALKI PHOTOS TEREE DAISUKE M. CASTILLON
Fashion is not something that exists only in dresses. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; and fashion has something to do with people’s ideas, the way they live, and on what is happening. - Coco Chanel Fashion may seem like a shallow, gratuitous obsession over vanity and outward appearance. But fashion is not merely the way we present ourselves to the world. Our clothes, shoes, accessories and makeup represent a figment of our soul, a form of self-expression that is pure and unique. Each of us has distinct tastes when it comes to what we wear, ranging from the overly shabby to the impeccably chic. But there are a lot of genres to choose from and each of them has their own signature look that defines them from the rest. The Philippines may be far from the fashion capitals of Paris and Milan, but Filipinos definitely do not want to be left out when the trends change. We are yet to establish a modern Filipino brand of fashion but right now, we are only able to imitate the fashion presented in media all over the world. But trends, as what the fashionistas say, is like a disc that keeps on rolling and repeating. The trend that we used to love yesterday can be the
sought-after style of today. Nowadays, no one is as discriminating and expressive with fashion than a teenager. In the University, we are only allowed once a week to wear whatever we like so Wednesdays are like catwalk days. It is a time to strut your stuff and of course, flaunt your own style. But if others think of Wednesdays as a freedom day to indulge in their catwalk fantasies,we must also remember that half of the society thinks the other way around. Not everyone appreciates a flamboyant Oscar dela Renta dress or kohlrimmed eyes when these trends are brought to school. Not everyone is inclined in fashion and its trends. Some of us go for comfort rather than style while some people even think that wearing a plain shirt and denim is fashionable enough. But with the way fashion transforms people, it is never a crime to tinker with one’s looks. A little bit of makeup, some nice dresses, some eye-catching
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
accessories and a creative team of stylists can definitely transform a plain-looking subject into someone that looks like she just stepped out of a designer’s runway show. For this issue, we decided to conduct an ambush makeover that will somehow change the fashion style of one lucky girl on campus. Her name is Christine Marie Mereria from the College of Arts and Sciences. We met with Lasallian students, Marc Kevin Jabay, the makeup artist and Teree Daisuke
PRICE TAG ON DEVELOPMENT
DURING
AFTER
Wednesdays are like catwalk days. It is a time to strut your stuff and flaunt your own style.
Castillon as stylist to create a look that would suit Christine. Since floral and earthy colors are in this season, we decided to dress her up as a boho-chic, reminiscent of the styles of Sienna Miller and Vanessa Anne Hudgens. From makeup and hair to clothes and accessories, all were inspired by bohemians and hippies. We also tried the more contemporary loose-fitting blouse paired with a Fedora hat and black shorts. To complete the makeover, our makeup artist and stylist transformed into
fashion gurus and gave her tips on makeup looks and on how to improve her fashion sense. Coco Chanel, the renowned French designer once uttered words that would someday be the most famous fashion-related adage for years to come. “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.� Indeed, those Fendi bags and Dior dresses may be expensive but your style will always be priceless and will continue to define you as long as you exist with clothes upon your back. v
STYLIST TEREE DAISUKE M. CASTILLON MAKE UP MARC KEVIN R. JABAY
41
42
PRICE TAG ON DEVELOPMENT
THIS YEAR’S COOLEST
INVENTIONS
HAVE A LOOK AT FOUR COOL INVENTIONS DESIGNED FOR YOUR GRATUITOUS PLEASURE OF NOT HAVING TO DO ANYTHING. WORDS MARK HARMON R. MAGBANUA PHOTOS FROM THE INTERNET
GOOGLE PRIUS Google does everything for people. Help them in the middle of a heart transplant, provide directions to the nearest 7/11, give instructions on how to become the next Chuck Norris, and now with the Google Prius, drive their car. Toyota’s collaboration with the search engine giant has brought forth an object of lust and adoration. Google’s new technology enables the car to drive itself with the help of an in-car computer. With a tech toy like this, you could technically say, “I’m so awesome that my car moves on its own.”
PIZZA SCISSOR CUTTER There’s no such thing as “the perfect slice” of pizza. One either gets a misshapen excuse of a pizza slice or an oversized serving of delicious goodness. Here’s a neat gizmo that will make all your “pizza-slicing” dilemmas go away. With this cutter, you are assured of 100% fine slices every single time. Pizza sold separately though.
MEDICAL MIRROR Just how many things can your mirror show you? Okay, your hair looks mediocre, a new zit just appeared right in the middle of your forehead, and morning glory is still visible, sitting on your moisturized eyes. But engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a new use for mirrors, aside from showing us just how visually appealing we are. Meet the Medical Mirror, a device which records the little light fluctuations reflected on your skin whenever your heart beats and translates it to a heart rate reading. Blood absorbs light and it travels through your blood vessels so when more of it goes through your blood stream, less light hitting your skin is reflected. Attached behind the mirror are a series of webcams, which pick up the light reflections, wired to a laptop. As of now, it is still not commercially available, but with more people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, its introduction to the medical world is inevitable. With this mirror, you don’t only get to see what’s on the outside, you get to know your real identity. After all, it’s not just how you look on the outside.
STRADDLING BUS Imagine a bus, four metres high with two levels, travelling at high speeds alongside cars on a busy highway. This is the Straddling Bus, a proposition by Chinese engineers to lessen traffic jams and save on building a real subway. The bus can accommodate 1500 passengers at a single time, while cars lower than two meters can pass underneath it. With a maximum speed of 60 mph, it’s also enviromentally friendly, thanks to the solar energy powering it. Expect it to hit the commercial scene by year’s end.
PRICE TAG ON HAPPINESS
43
CHOMPING ON STRESS FIND OUT HOW FOOD CAN TEMPORARILY SWEEP YOU AWAY FROM THE RIGORS OF WORK.
WORDS ADELY GRACE V. TOMARO & KAMIL G. GEAGA GRAPHICS FATIMA D. RODRIGUEZ
After a semester full of mind-wracking problems, endless homeworks and torturous projects, nobody deserves a break more than the students. This break gives them ample time to recharge exhausted brain cells and mend disappointed hearts brought about by the stresses of school. But good times come to an end when the hustle and bustle of the next semester comes knocking at the door. For the lucky few, excelling can be a breeze, but for the majority of mundane students, getting through the battlefield known as education there is only one shield that prevents them from going insane and it is called food. Comfort food as defined by Julie McGalliard, the developer of the website Always in the Kitchen, is the human equivalent of squirrels scuttling into their burrows with cheeks full of acorns. In other words, these are treats you turn to when you are feeling sad, unwell or depressed.
CHOCOLATE Whether it is white, black or brown, chocolate is undeniably the mother of all comfort food because it contains a myriad of substances that generally uplift one’s spirits. It is the little piece of heaven that explodes in your mouth as you take that first bite which leaves the tongue tingling, and you, aching for more. It contains serotonin, the moodelevating hormone, and endorphin, a morphine-like drug that makes you feel like you are floating on cloud 9. It also acts as an energy booster.
CANDIES Ever wanted to have superpowers? You don’t need to be born
with it, get bitten by spiders or even to fall into a vat of chemical X. The only plausible solution is to look for a power-up, like Popeye’s spinach. However the modern man can be turned into a superhero not with Popeye’s spinach but simply with a piece of candy. How is this possible? Candy contains glucose which rejuvenates the body cells after consumption and then fuels the body with powerful stamina. It may not give you super strength like Superman, but it certainly gives you an energy-boost to stay awake during those extremely boring classes.
ICE CREAM When girls go through bad breakups, they either listen to Taylor Swift on full volume or eat ice cream, sobbing their heart out until they feel better. Indeed, ice cream can lighten one’s mood as confirmed by the tests conducted by the neuroscientists at the Institute of Psychiatry in London. It brings up the ‘happy
Comfort food is the human equivalent of squirrels scuttling in their burrows with cheeks full of acorns. zone’ (orbitofrontal cortex) in the brain the same way Taylor Swift’s lyrics empowers the heart.
OTHER COMFORT FOOD Alyssa Flores would spend around P2– P5 per sachet of coffee because she believes drinking coffee relieves stress, which is true because according to Allison Aubrey of NPR.org, coffee is a moodenhancing drug that reduces the stress level and boosts energy. On the other hand, Johanna Semblante, an Engineering student, prefers French fries as her comfort food and would gladly spend P45 – P 60 to consume its potato goodness. French fries induce the body’s production of oxytocin, the ‘cuddle hormone’, which produces a warm bubbly feeling of love in the
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
inside. Indeed, comfort food has succeeded in temporarily detaching the human mind from the problems existing in reality, but for Joy Gaduyon, head of the University’s Job Placement Office, comfort food should never be used as a coping mechanism for stress and depression. Much like drugs, addiction to sweets and coffee can cause physical and emotional imbalance. When depressed and feeling down, be in the company of friends that can cheer you up and not in a dark room, stuffing yourself with kitkats. So, the next time you receive disappointments in life and decide to eat your sorrows away, remember to keep it in stride. Don’t overindulge in your favorite treats. Just enjoy it and before long, you are given that push to take on life’s dilemmas. v
44
HEADS&TAILS WORDS ADELY GRACE V. TOMARO & KAMIL G. GEAGA PHOTOS ANNA KATRINA B. ALMALKI
You are in the middle of a nap in class when your stomach starts to rumble. After a few minutes the bell rings and it’s time for lunch — yay! With half your classes over for the day, you deserve a chance to kick back, relax and enjoy the company of good friends over a tasty meal. But a thought suddenly occurs to you— what exactly is on the menu? Lunch To Go
The Home Cooked Advantage
The best thing about buying lunch in school is that it is served hot. As Kiara Legaspi, a BS Psychology student, puts it, food is yummier when it’s hot. Indeed, warm food is more appetizing. The vibrant hues of the fresh food and the newly-cooked aroma wafting through your nose makes you drool over its deliciousness. Without you noticing it, the distress from the previous class had disappeared as you give a loud belch, signifying thanks to the Lord. Allergies have never been a problem. By simply asking the store what ingredients they have used in creating that concoction it could easily be avoided. Being ignorant is the crime here. It is quite exhausting going from one building to the other to attend classes. It is even more annoying to lug around a bag full of heavy books and materials needed for class. So imagine adding a couple of pounds to that load which consists ofes a lunch box and eating utensils. Not only are you tired of walking but also have to exert effort in toting the load around. Buying lunch means not having to carry this excess baggage saving your shoulders and arms from the strain. Fixing the meal for the day is quite a hassle says Giullana Arriola, a LIACOM student. The person has to wake up a little bit early to prepare the food. Precious hours or minutes of sleep are taken away when it is one of the basic needs of a student to function well in school. The commonly said excuse to not buying lunch is that it costs a lot of money. But this is not true. A meal can cost P 18 and make you feel like you have eaten a three-course meal. Buying lunch in school gets one to experience a food adventure. With a number of menus plastered on the food court’s wall, one can choose from different meals to have for the different days of the week. One can even choose to eat from the different cuisines around the world such as Filipino, American, Italian, Mexican and many more. One can even get to taste food that your home will never prepare. So when it comes to lunch, you should not think twice about it. Buying lunch is the preferred way to go. It lets you experience food you have not tasted before, lessens the weight lugged around and makes your life happier. v
Yes, buying lunch is more convenient— a more convenient way of stacking up on junk food, that is. When choosing what to eat for lunch, making the healthy choice is really important. Why? Because eating healthy food comes with pro-health advantages such as having the energy to do other stuff, like play outdoor games, babble on EPIP or run a marathon without getting exhausted. Veggies and fruits, moreover, help the immune system develop a firewall against diseases protecting the body from illnesses. But since the majority of fast food joints dominating cafeterias rarely concern themselves with health awareness, some students recommend bringing packed lunch instead. Other than the pro-health advantages, there are several other benefits you can gain in bringing packed lunch rather than buying. For one thing, students with allergic reactions to unfamiliar food can be avoided. Grace, an Accountancy student, knows well how packed lunch can be a major lifesaver. To avoid incidents like accidentally buying food that could trigger allergies, she suggests that students who are sensitive to specific food should go for packed lunches prepared at home so they’ll be provided them with a meal that surely wouldn’t cause them discomfort. Also, bringing packed lunch is a great way to save up some money. People like first year Biology student, Charmaine, agree that the allowance not spent on buying food during school days can be invested in barkada trips, new clothes or even some new gadgets. Finally, packed lunch gives you that Lutong Bahay feeling. Translation: nothing tastes better than a good home-cooked meal. Fast food stores may provide convenience and variety of choice, but to taste Grandma’s sweet pork adobo after a hard day in class is worth more than any 39-ers. You can opt to bring packed lunch or not—it’s really up to you. But bear in mind the risks of eating processed food every day during break time, then imagine yourself 20 years later, nursing a coke, unhealthy and bedridden. Yeah, it’s not a pretty picture. v
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
THIS OR THAT?
A COMPENDIUM OF TWO-TAILED QUERIES ABOUT COMPLETELY RANDOM STUFF AND THE OPTIONS THAT WEIGH MORE AMONG LASALLIANS To read or not to read? The Spectrum conducted a survey on 100 random Lasallians about pairs of random things and asked them which one they would prefer if ever a problem of choosing one would arise within the span of their human lives. Figures indicate the number of Lasallians out of 100 that chose that one, making it some kind of an approximation. But you probably knew that. SURVEY MAGAZINE WRITERS GRAPHICS ROSELYN M. QUIOCSON & RUPERT PAUL M. SIMEON
66 LASALLIANS
DOUGIE
34
LASALLIANS
JER K 75
BOXER OR BRIEFS
LASALLIANS
66
58
34
LASALLIANS
LASALLIANS
LASALLIANS
YES OR NO
42
LASALLIANS
44
56 LASALLIANS
25
LASALLIANS
LASALLIANS
7:30 am 7:30 pm 33 67
LASALLIANS
HEARTBREAKER OR HEARTBROKEN
LASALLIANS
66 LASALLIANS
34
LASALLIANS
SMELLY ARMPIT OR SMELLY FEET
8
LASALLIANS
92
LASALLIANS
92
LASALLIANS
8
LASALLIANS
SUGAR
OR SPICE
O H G COMIN
OME TO NATURE MEET THE MUDHOUSE, THE NEXT STEP IN MAN’S FORAY TO A GREENER WORLD WORDS MARK HARMON R. MAGBANUA PHOTOS JOHANNA MAY G. ESPAÑOLA
48
PRICE TAG ON DEVELOPMENT
What could P50,000 get you? “A whole semester in college!” A diligent student would say. A six-month supply of Nutella for your morning sandwiches perhaps. Or maybe a one-way ticket to Spain for the World Youth Day. It could also get you a glimpse of Louis Vuitton’s new lineup for fashion week. Or a strand of Justin Bieber’s hair. The overly-sophisticated aristocrats of the human population might indulge themselves with worldy luxuries when given the means and resources. They would rather enjoy life while they still can and that includes utter disregard for the welfare of others. But there is still a bunch of people who will choose to spend the P50,000 on something totally unexpected. The people behind the KaiGeLyn Mud House in Nature’s Village in Talisay City are individuals who are willing to invest for a cause. Kaila Ledesma, the designer of the mud house, worked hand in hand with Gener Paduga, bamboo expert and the framework provider, and Lynn Moltzau, a Norwegian native who was also the consultant for the whole project. Making up the house are rice husks and straws for the interior part and bamboo poles for the foundation of the entire structure. Shattered bottles of wine and softdrinks give the house a classy tone and natural lighting. The mud,
which serves as strong walls, was taken from the backyard of Nature’s Park and with some professional help, the mud house is expected to have a lifespan of at least 100 years. An amazing statistic for a house literally born from muck and dirt. “Compared to regular concrete houses dominating our society, the mud house has a lot of advantages, such as affordability and ecofriendliness, which makes it unique,” Mae Rose Veraye, the sales executive of Nature’s Village explained. The project costs more or less P25,000 without the bathroom. With all the furniture, decorations, and utilities in place, the total price tag of the house may reach up to P50,000. Even the simplest and most bland houses today won’t cost less than a few hundred thousand pesos. For almost only one-fourth the cost of a regular-sized house, one gets all the comforts and functionalities of the average urban-dweller while being close to Mother Nature. Environmentally speaking, the mud house gets a thumbs-up for its all-natural build. The materials used for the construction of the mud house were all taken from the resources God has willingly given to mankind. From the mud down to the bamboo poles, the house exudes an
aroma which is undeniably nature at its finest. Definitely another addition to the ever-growing list of nature’s usefulness. The house also has a special ventilation system because of the materials that compose it. When the sun toasts the ground with extreme heat, the interior of the house is filled with cool air which is in direct contrast to the outside environment. Likewise, when torrential storms rain down, a warm sensation envelops the interior. This is also due to natural ventilation, where pressure differences during the day causes the hot air to leave through the roof and it is replaced by the cool air from the outside. The KaiGeLyn Mud House, with its environmentally-friendly and welcoming design, inspired a whole new trend in Negros Occidental. Similar houses started popping up in Escalante City and a chapel in Silay City. In fact, it has managed to create ripples big enough to stand out in the ocean of mass media that Rated K, the premiere TV show hosted by Korina Sanchez, featured it earlier this year. From an entrepreneur’s point of view, this whole concept of the mud house is perfectly suitable in the Philippine environment. Illac Diaz, an economist and businessman
THE SPECTRUM | NOVEMBER 2011
by profession, finds the technology to be fast, efficient, affordable, and environmentally friendly. He says that “the country’s severe deforestation is a factor affecting the suitability of building more concrete houses.” He also mentions that the mud house is an “uncommon solution to a common problem.” Overall, the mud house is a great alternative to concrete houses mainly because of economical reasons. These houses are great for places with a high population density, since affordable homes are a welcoming sign of improvement in highly congested cities. Middle income earners and low wage workers can benefit the most from this because of its cheap cost. In a world where money dictates almost everything, it is important to have a durable and cost-efficient human habitat. Just imagine, a Gawad Kalinga house costs P60,000/unit while the mud house only costs P50,000. Look at all the money you could save. Henry Sy, the richest man in the Philippines, has $7.2 billion in his assets. That would equate to more than 6 million mud houses! Imagine all the homeless people that could be sheltered if only Sy would donate all his hard earned money to charity. Could this be the house that will shelter the Third World? Could this be the answer to the housing problems of the country? Only time will tell, but the future is indeed looking bright. Or in the mud house’s case, it’s looking brown. v
WORDS RUPERT PAUL M. SIMEON PHOTO ANNA KATRINA B. ALMALKI STYLIST TEREE DAISUKE M. CASTILLON MAKE UP ARTIST MARC KEVIN R. JABAY EDITING &COMPOSITION JOY MARIE D. MARTIR