October 2015 Magazine

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

OCTOBER 2015 | VOLUME 60, ISSUE #4 THESPECTRUM

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ILLUSTRATED BY KATHERINE E. CO & KEANU JOSEPH P. RAFIL 2

OCTOBER 2015

OCTOBER 2015

Editor’s Note

VOLUME 60, ISSUE #4

Naivety led me to believe that an empty space was made empty for a viable reason; that I should stand in the corner of abysmal misdirection and wait until the space is filled or wait to see it cave into an object of complete nothingness. A notion I regarded as safe and complementing at the time. Now that my intellectual reasoning and logical thinking has matured [or so I believe it to be] over time, I am left with the ever-evolving idea of a void and the instinctive desire to fill it. This is human nature reacting to incompleteness.

There is a distinctive void in all of us, calling on things, ideas and people to compensate for what built the hole in the first place. On page 10, be informed of the rapid increase of HIV/AIDS in the Philippines. On page 24, read the entertaining tale of adrenaline junkie Ivar Gugudan and his death-defying lifestyle as a local motocross rider.

Meet Jay on page 46, a grown-man collecting toys who was influenced by his wife into the hobby, an unlikely story involving action figures and Barbie dolls.

Unfulfilled agendas and unfinished goals will create a void inside of you. The void will be annoying; it will wake you up at half past 3 a.m. just to remind you of thoughts of the jump you didn’t take. The void will call on its material counterparts to fill the emptiness that it is. And the void will be a fulfilment once given what it’s due. The void is a calling for a life-changing leap.

About the Cover This cover depicts the age by which we live in. This is an age of self-absorption, but one that is scared of self-reflection. This is an age of struggling to stare right in the eye the chasms trapped within ourselves. This is an age of excess, as if feeding more with more is the antidote to emptiness. This is an age of false security.

This is an age of fear. This is the dark side of the millennials. This cover is announcing itself and saying, “enter the void”.

CONCEPT & DESIGN Jowan Dave G. Guides PHOTOGRAPHER Jhon Aldrin M. Casinas MODEL Caleb Moises Ampadu THESPECTRUM

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OCTOBER 2015

VOLUME 60, ISSUE #4

FOUNDED 1956 | A.Y. 2015-2016 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Monica Louise Trinidad M. Cueto ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jisson C. Yalong MANAGING EDITOR Daphne Tanya L. Molenaar EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR Faith Joeleene J. Lacson NEWSPAPER EDITOR Maria Angelica M. Ape MAGAZINE EDITOR RJ Nichole L. Ledesma ONLINE PUBLICATIONS EDITOR John Dale G. Gugudan PHOTOS AND VIDEOS EDITOR Jhon Aldrin M. Casinas LAYOUT AND GRAPHICS EDITOR Jowan Dave G. Guides NEWSPAPER WRITERS

Andrea Nicole C. Farol Christiana Claudia G. Gancayco Charlene Marie D. Lim Starlene Joy B. Portillo Eunice Dianne V. Tibay MAGAZINE WRITERS

Lyle John L. Balana Krimlyn Lumawag Lex Diwa P. Aloro Hezron G. Pios

ILLUSTRATORS

Martini D. Falco Keanu Joseph P. Rafil PHOTOJOURNALISTS

Ma. Henna A. Pilla Margaret E. Yusay Nicci Bernelle P. Aguilar Nichol Francis T. Anduyan Ma. Giullana G. Arriola LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC ARTISTS

Katherine E. Co Ycia Myr E. Yanson

ONLINE WRITERS

Jose Sebastian G. De Jesus Maria Angeline M. Mayor Daryl Dane G. Montehermoso FILIPINO WRITERS

WEB ADMINISTRATORS

David Willem L. Molenaar Robert H. Jerge III

Meryll B. Marfil Ma. Lore Prado

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

SPORTS WRITERS

PUBLICATION MODERATOR

Ma. Melissa E. Meciano

Gian Von J. Caberte Stephine Paul M. Dungca

Jean Lee C. Patindol

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 Student Activity Center G/F, University of St. La Salle, Lasalle Avenue, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental 6100.

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.

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TWITTER @TheSpectrumUSLS

Blitz Allow this surge of darkness to wrap itself around you. Now close your eyes.

This is only the beginning. There is no room for fear. It is only through closing your eyes, and through this darkness, that you will see.

Now open your eyes. You see you are standing at the edge of a cliff. Still there is darkness over darkness. In spite of this, you can see clearly. The black nothingness, which you feel is alive, is telling you to come and listen. It is saying everything that you were always afraid of admitting to yourself. It knows you more than you do.

It is urging you to be a little gutsier, a little bold—to toughen up.

You tinker a bit on the edge. This is the part of the story where the protagonist gets to choose which alternative path to take, as if on a crossroads. But you have already jumped before you know it.

Welcome to the Void.

The hardworking staff wouldn’t be empowered to brave through the Void if not for a few people. Thank you Ms. Jean Lee Patindol, our mother-rator and roaring goddess, for the continuous guidance; Sir Andre Tagamomilia and everyone at OSA for being patient with our persisting requests; Br. Mawell Pajarillo and Br. Dindo Maralit for their unending support for the publication; the Aguilar family for opening their doors to the team for a few arduous nights of layout sessions; and Caleb Ampadu, who graces the cover, for his time and for believing in our vision.

Contents

OCTOBER 2015

VOLUME 60, ISSUE #4

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21 The Surge

On Edge

Departures

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On the Rise: AIDS and HIV in the Philippines NEWS FEATURE

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Running with the (Dare) Devils FEATURE

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Her Name is Sam HUMAN INTEREST

Medical Marijuana: An Education DISCUSSION

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Adrenaline Junkie FEATURE

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A Howl at Dusk HUMAN INTEREST

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Love & Sex in the Post-Dating World DISCUSSION

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Heart of Steel FEATURE

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A Different Kind of High HUMAN INTEREST

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When Dorothy Strays SOCIETY

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The Graveyard Shift FEATURE

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Tamis at Pait ng Asukal HUMAN INTEREST

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A Heritage of a Generation of Disposables ENVIRONMENT

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CONTENTS

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41 46

Inside the Glass Cabinet FEATURE

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Leave the Gun, Take the Cannolis: A Glimpse of the 20th Century Mafia HISTORY

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Damian 56

Something Vulgar HISTORY Of Worlds Beyond SCIENCE

60 MADSHACK

Tales of the Dead

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Dancing by Death’s Door FEATURE

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Curtains’ Closing FEATURE

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Misterio de las Tres Marias FEATURE

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The Smiling Faces of the River FEATURE

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Delight Express FOOD

REVIEWS 70

MOVIE: Movie - Life is Beautiful Life is Beautiful

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TV/WEB SERIES: The Word of the Lourd

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BOOK: We The Living

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BLOG The Art of Manliness

Read our issues online at

ALBUM: www.issuu.com/thespectrumusls Carrie & Lowell or scan the QR code located at the back cover.

ILLUSTRATED BY JOWAN DAVE G. GUIDES

OCTOBER 2015

THE SURGE

VOLUME 60, ISSUE #4

SOCIETY + NEWS FEATURE + DISCUSSION + ENVIRONMENT

The modern man is constantly bombarded with a deluge of varying ideals that shake him out of his perceived notion of the world. It is up to him to surge or to stay put.

On the Rise: HIV and AIDS in the Philippines

Love & Sex in the Post-Dating World

The numbers are shocking and real. Are we prepared for what these digits imply?

This is a new kind of apocalypse. This time the downfall will come in the form of a series of applications.

Medical Marijuana: An Education

When Dorothy Strays

An informative piece on the wonders of the medicinal plant.

A different take on the famous novel where Dorothy takes the road less traveled—or so she thinks.

RJ Nichole L. Ledesma

Monica Louise Trinidad M. Cueto

RJ Nichole L. Ledesma

John Dale G. Gugudan

A Heritage of a Generation of Disposables Andrea Nicole C. Farol

Welcome to the age of excess where we are getting too much of what we cannot handle.

THE SURGE · NEWS FEATURE

On the Rise: AIDS and HIV in the Philippines

BY RJ NICHOLE L. LEDESMA · ILLUSTRATED BY JOWAN DAVE G. GUIDES

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veryone is a potential target.

The Philippines is still under an epidemic threat, and it is as potent as ever.

According to Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) moves at a rate of 20 new victims a day compared to the estimated 17 a day from 2014.

In May 2015, it has reached its highest prevalence rate since 1984, the year when the first cases were identified. There are 748 new cases in this year alone—a 51% increase from last year.

83% of the new cases are patients aged 15-34 years old, largely comprising of the youth. 717 of the 748 cases are males.

DOH data for HIV prevalence rates prior to the implementation of Negros Island Region (NIR) ranks Bacolod City second in Western Visayas with a total of 160 cases, just below Iloilo City with a total of 220 cases.

Since the year 1984, a total of 13,594 cases are the official figures in the country— and counting.

Official figures, meaning these are only the cases that were willingly registered in various health centers around the country.

The number of actual cases, the ones left unidentified or hidden, could possibly be a lot more.

And counting, meaning these figures will continue to rise. As of the moment, these numbers are still ticking. Right this second a new case might be springing up in a nearby city.

Being largely a Catholic country, sex

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OCTOBER 2015

The nation’s collective effort to prevent further spreading of this epidemic would remain futile if the individual himself resists.

and its dangers are often a screened-off topic and are seldom given public attention for it still rouses too much fear and discomfort. But the statistics are astounding, and the rapid growth of recent years bring forth many ominous implications. The profile of its victims also translates to a grave threat among the Filipino youth, as they are increasingly becoming susceptible as premarital sex rates skyrocket too.

A 2013 study of the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) showed one in every four Filipino youth engage in premarital sex, a large chunk being unprotected.

“There is a heightened, bolder and wider range of sexual behaviors including those that use the new high speed technology,” UPPI Dean Joy Natividad expressed in an article published by The Manila Times.

She further explains how this may be seen as a huge factor for the increased percentage of HIV cases coming from the youth, as they are exposed to more avenues for risky behaviors as reinforced by technology.

However, the same study shows that only 40 percent of these youth aged 15 to 24 are aware of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Natividad expressed alarm at this ignorance of the Filipino youth about STDS despite its looming presence.

She also urges the dire need for education regarding these matters.

One way to start this education is through the awareness of what the virus really is and isn’t.

HIV is acquired mainly from unprotected sexual contact. Secondary factors include infected intravenous materials from drug use, pregnancy and child birth, and blood transfusion and organ donation.

Being a common misconception, HIV

is not synonymous with AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV precedes AIDS, as it is a causative agent or pathogen which causes the latter. Despite numerous scientific efforts, there is no definite cure for HIV as of the moment. Unlike other viruses, the human body cannot get rid of HIV—once you have it, you have it for life.

HIV mainly attacks the body’s CD4 cells, also known as “T-cells”. If the virus is left untreated, it will destroy so much of such cells that the human body will no longer have the strength to fend off infections and diseases—and this is where the complications kick in.

With proper diagnosis and treatment, HIV’s adverse effects can be controlled. It could even stop the virus from escalating to its final stage— AIDS. Without medical assistance, AIDS patients’ life expectancy drops to three years.

The 2015 budget of DOH’s National HIV/ STI Prevention Program amounts to approximately P500 million. 60% of which will go to the treatment of patients.

The Philippines currently has 19 treatment hubs especially catering to such cases.

In Negros, the Treatment Hub is located inside the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH). They are the only treatment hub in the province, and their patients often come as far as Cebu and Iloilo City. Patients can avail free medicine at the said hub, as well as free check-ups. The treatment hub already recorded 15 deaths in this year alone.

The nation’s collective effort to prevent further spreading of this epidemic would remain futile if the individual himself resists.

The fight against HIV is a behavioral one that starts from oneself. It can only be won through awareness and prevention. S

THESPECTRUM

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THE SURGE 路 DISCUSSION

Medical Marijuana: An Education

BY MONICA LOUISE TRINIDAD M. CUETO 路 ILLUSTRATED BY MARTINI D. FALCO

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his is an article to inform and impart information about a medical wonder in the material of an illegal herb. This is neither to persuade nor to influence anything beyond the legal terms and norms of this country, but rather just to give a legitimate and concrete knowledge about a misjudged hemp plant with limitless medical potential.

OCTOBER 2015

This is also to give due justice to the scientists and the years they spent researching the therapeutic benefits of the cannabis plant. This is neither to argue nor debate on its recreational and medicinal use. This is an education of medical marijuana supported by scientific facts from extensive research, the neverending debate on its legal status in conservative nations, and the society it thrives in.

It would take 1,500 pounds of weed for a person to be fatally overdosed with marijuana, that’s around 755,987 joints in one sitting.

Welcome to the 21st century, where medical innovation redefines cultural norms thus saving lives in the process; marijuana, an illegal drug in more than a hundred countries, is involved in such innovative research but its potential as a medical marvel is hindered by its negative side-effects.

The scientific term is cannabis.

Marijuana produces two main substances, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which interacts with brain cells called cannabinoid receptors in order to release dopamine, which explains the “feel-good” and “light-headed” emotions. The plant is also known in the slang as weed, gangja, pot, grass, the reefa, the ill, the cronic and a vast number of other lingos. It is an herb used to achieve euphoria and cure rheumatism, gout, malaria, and absent-mindedness during the ancient times, with records of its recreational and medical use way back in 2737 B.C. Originating in Central Asia, its intoxicating properties were recognized but the ancient Asian healers focused more on its irreplaceable medical value rather than on its temporary sideeffects. Recently, University of Harvard researchers discovered that the cannabis plant has been scientifically proven to reduce tumor growth in cancer by 50% and the components of THC ceases the ability of the cancer to spread. According to the research article, Marijuana & Your Lungs, Harvard researchers

speculate that THC interferes with angiogenesis and vascularization, which are blood processes that promote cancer growth. And cancer is just one of them [diseases]. Cannabis has also been proven to aid in the treatment of illnesses and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, dementia, epilepsy, asthma, anorexia, Bipolar Disorder, autism, diabetes, lymphoma and the list goes on.

In 2014, there was a 25% decrease in prescription drugs overdose, based on a research conducted in States where medical marijuana was made legal. To add to the miracle of the herb, new studies prove that a significant percentage of recreational users of the plant consume less alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs than people who do not smoke/consume cannabis at all; finding out that weed is sometimes more effective and proven to be much safer than its pharmaceutical counterparts.

It would take 1,500 pounds of weed for a person to be fatally overdosed with marijuana, that’s around 755,987 joints in one sitting. Unlike prescription drugs, there have been no recorded deaths caused by weed overdose. Not one! You are more likely to be strike by lightning, die from a plane crash, or be bitten by a poisonous reptile than die from marijuana overdose. But this is not to impart something through negative influence, this is just to inform (if ever you were considering).

Marijuana has been made illegal

because of its negative effects on cognitive, emotional and psychological functions such slow reaction time, anxiety, depression, paranoia and the assumption that substances of the herb will lead to other dangerous drugs like cocaine, heroin, meth, morphine, etc.

But to eradicate the said assumption, the New York Academy of Science concluded in their 1944 research on marijuana that negative intellectual effects of the herb will not lead to morphine, heroin or cocaine addiction.

To this day, 10 countries (countries who have already legalized the medical use of weed) are fighting for international legalization; and endless debates have been made, underscoring that if used responsibly and not abusively, the plant will be used for its ultimate purpose as a medical miracle.

With a high regard for the promise of the plant, weed is not just an illegal substance “homies” are so eager to get their hands on nor is it just a plant exciting middle-aged housewives who into alternative medicine. In this age, marijuana is also music, movie, poetry and art; which is why the knowledge of it being a medical wonder is arousing nations of its potential.

So, imparting the lecture that is Medical Marijuana 101 – this is to give you an overview and summary of its authenticity and existence as a natural substance. This is to acknowledge a drug, or better yet, a medicine. S THESPECTRUM

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THE SURGE 路 DISCUSSION

Love & Sex in the Post-Dating World

BY RJ NICHOLE L. LEDESMA PHOTOGRAPHED BY JHON ALDRIN M. CASINAS

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group of men, all similarly clad in tight jeans and colored-leather jackets with slicked back hair and well-trimmed mustaches, are clumped around a corner of a bar. They come out tonight to see if their cards are lucky. They are fumbling their way into their own jackpots: a big-busted girl with grey glasses, or a curly-haired brunette with braces. They throw their aces in a wink or a free drink.

Hook-up culture has all been the same old boring script throughout the past decades, from the junkies of the 60s and the greasy pompadours of the 80s, just different hairdos and sartorial trends. Different background music playing. Different lingo. But all the same end-goal: sex and, as some would argue, a chance at a lifelong romance.

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OCTOBER 2015

It has dawned upon these bar-goers, these feverish, enraged hormonal beings of the night like a meteor upon their comfortable abodes. Online dating through social media platforms have joined in the conversation.

With the rise of the internet, this poses a drastic evolutionary step forward in this scene. It has dawned upon these bar-goers, these feverish, enraged hormonal beings of the night like a meteor upon their comfortable abodes. Online dating through social media platforms have joined in the conversation. As a result, dating, too, is globalized.

But its alpha-form as of yet, this powerful and polarizing tool which changed the way people define dating and hook-ups comes in the form of a series of applications. Not like any other social media platforms, these are made solely for that purpose: a digital reenactment of the fuss of real-life, three-dimensional dating.

All these can be done through a veil of an internet persona, and a lowered risk of painful rejections.

FREE MARKET (DATING) ECONOMY As this huge burning meteor landed on the shores of the dating scene, there has been a series of elemental shifts in perspective among its consumers. For one, there has been an illusion of proliferation that pervades the culture.

This is because choosing a potential partner has literally been reduced to a game of swiping left and right, as are the rules of the forerunner of these applications: Tinder. Left means you don’t like the person. Right means you are down to it, whatever getting down means for you. And rejection is heavily avoided as you are only notified if there is a match. Once a match is made, it depends upon you to decide if to pursue it through chat, or potentially, a meet up. It’s as simple and stress-free as that. No more dressing up for Fridays needed, just your best snaps through a good VSCO filter.

It is also a validation of one’s attractiveness -- an instant ego gratification tool. “One of my mates wakes up and swipes right 100 times every morning, then repeats that in the evening; and occasionally he has a match, and after that a couple of hours of mechanical, loveless sex. Nothing much unusual about that.

There’s a lot of fishing for meaningless sex on Tinder; it’s a hobby, like angling – a man sitting on his own in the rain waiting for a rainbow trout,” Dean Kissick said on a statement in a The Guardian article. He further argued that its “unique selling point is a parade of noncommittal sex partners to be pursued, or disregarded, by such a lackadaisical, non-committal gesture as a swipe.”

ONE NIGHT STANDARDS As proliferation is magnified and as the dating pool is farreaching and very accessible, this poses its effects, for better or for worse, on the genders.

Men, like the friend of Dean Kissick, has made dating applications a breeding ground for competition of who has f***** the most in one night, or who has baited the prettiest girl. This has an adverse effect on men’s psychology, as David Buss, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin argued on a controversial Vanity Fair article, “One dimension of this is the impact it has on men’s psychology. When there is a surplus

of women, or a perceived surplus of women, the whole mating system tends to shift towards short-term dating. Marriages become unstable. Divorces increase. Men don’t have to commit, so they pursue a short-term mating strategy. Men are making that shift, and women are forced to go along with it in order to mate at all.”

And most women feel devalued that their worth can simply be at the mercy of a man’s swiping left or right. “It’s rare for a woman of our generation to meet a man who treats her like a priority instead of an option,” wrote Erica Gordon on her column on Elite Daily. She further shared how she rues the time when both men and women actually took effort in the traditional dating game.

She even goes as far as to say that women should put off the mentality that going through as much hook-ups, as easily as they can get them, would not eventually lead them to the right man.

It would just catapult them into a larger scale of heartbreaks and confusion.

IN DEFENSE OF DATING APPLICATIONS A fourth year IDS student in the university, who will be called Chloe for confidentiality reasons, believes Tinder and such similar applications are unfairly antagonized. She, for one, has been an avid user of some of these applications.

“The reason I went on Tinder is that I don’t have a lot of time to socialize physically as I am usually busy. And in this city, I don’t find a lot of people who share the same sentiments and interests as I do,” she says. She loves the thrill of talking to complete strangers adding that “you could just forget them and you won’t have to worry about gossips.”

She further declares that “Tinder should be taken seriously.

Not everyone on Tinder are perverts.” According to her, finding your way into such applications are very much like gambling.

You’ll never know what you’re going to get once you try. She also warns the first-timers to be very cautious as well, adding that only once you have developed a knack for detecting bogus and fishy accounts that you start being bold with your decisions.

However, she still believes that traditional dating is the best way to meet new people, but this does not invalidate the merits of such dating apps. Although she prefers to remain privy about it, her now long-term relationship blossomed first through this medium.

“You can say I hit the jackpot,” she says.

The digital age will continue to welcome more technological advancements that will shake the traditional way of approaching things. This may only be the beginning. For whatever it entails, for its good and bad, one thing is a constant knowing: humans adapt fast—too quickly, in fact.

And as love and sex are increasingly commoditized and made easy, everyone should hold on to another constant: the genuineness of feeling by which we measures our humanness.

May all these applications serve us ease and purpose, but never diminish us of our soul sand of what makes us human. S THESPECTRUM

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THE SURGE 路 SOCIETY

BY JOHN DALE G. GUGUDAN

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OCTOBER 2015

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magine Dorothy as a bisexual; the good witch Glinda as the society dictating Dorothy’s path and how she should not stray— the whole story as a journey of sexuality and the implications of being in the middle. Where Dorothy is told that she’s just limited to a choice of being either gay or straight. Where Dorothy could never be both.

This is the unnerving decision society makes for the “faking-it’s” or the “confused.” Being told that they do not exist; that they tire the closed-minded in creating an independent identification for the men and women who like both men and women; that who they are is merely an experimental and transitional phase. These are the struggles in identity the world nails on the heads of the bisexuals. These are the barbed railings of the old excavated tradition in the yellow brick road.

“I’ve interviewed a lot of individuals about how invalidating it is when their own family members think they’re confused or going through a stage or in denial,” Dr. Lisa Diamond, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, said in an interview with Times. Bisexuals undergo bumpy difficulties not only in finding out who and what they are but also in seeking the acceptance and support of the people around them especially the ones who’s been watching their developing individuality up close. That they are forced to embark on a journey of exploring their sexual identity even when they know themselves better than anybody and when they do, they are given horse blinkers only to look at what is considered acceptable, denying the possibilities in the peripheral; that the other roads are hidden in a blind spot.

The discriminating outlook towards the truthful possibility of being attracted to a person of the same sex for reasons other than sex grows from ignorant myths on which this strange orientation is built. And these are the stains the people in this rising category hope to cover, or at least ignore. This is the battle they face, trying to have themselves accepted by the world while not compromising their essence. Bisexuals are driven away to conformity until the courage of proclaiming their pride of fearlessly being themselves clam up to abide the society’s sometimes unreasonable and lazy traffic rules.

The discriminating outlook towards the truthful possibility of being attracted to a person of the same sex for reasons other than sex grows from ignorant myths on which this strange orientation is built.

In a 2013 Pew Research Survey, only 28 percent of people who identified as bisexuals said they were open about it. They are an invisible majority in need of acceptance or at least a knowing. This is the horrifying situation of the world: that straights are still having petty misunderstandings toward each other. That gays have it worse. That bisexuals are presented with a barricade too steep for them to conquer.

Bisexuals also face the judgement of being promiscuous. It is one of the many misconceptions toward them that continues in provoking their unintentional dishonesty to their partners when it comes to their true identity. This is because they fear that identity of being able to love two different sexes may be mistaken for a behavior of infidelity and unfaithful actions.

In Dr. Diamond’s 10-year study, 89 percent of bisexual women were in monogamous, long-term relationships. Her research sheds light on how bisexuals tend to be more honest on how they feel towards having multiple sexual partners by negotiating open relationships with their current partners, not by sneaking around behind their partner’s backs. Society claims that staying in the yellow brick road of ease and comfort is the safe and accepted way, while deeming the alternative as dangerous and unworthy of conversation.

“I think people are born bisexual, and it’s just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of ‘Oh, I can’t.’ They say it’s taboo. It’s ingrained in our heads that it’s bad, when it’s not bad at all. It’s a very beautiful thing,” says Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong, an openly bisexual individual who was able to transcend this insecurity caused by society’s closed door on the subject. He sees the beauty in having the opportunity to exercise the freedom of seeing people beyond their bio-data.

This is where Dorothy went wrong: in being too feeble-minded to see the yellow brick road as just the only road. In hesitating the urge to turn right or left. In swallowing the good witch’s spews of ignorance. In not taking the chance to walk the path less traveled.

But the biggest lesson Dorothy learned upon reaching the Emerald City is in not taking the risk of knowing herself as she truly is, and not as she is showing to the world. S THESPECTRUM

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THE SURGE 路 ENVIRONMENT

A Heritage of a Generation of Disposables

BY ANDREA NICOLE C. FAROL PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARGARET E. YUSAY

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OCTOBER 2015

But because of the booming rate of technological advancements, we get more than what we can; and in the process, we throw more than what we can handle.

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ee that guy in front of you grinning stupidly at his iPhone 6Plus? See the kid in the corner playing Minecraft in his tab? How about that group of squealing girls dancing to the beat of SNSD’s Party blasting from their laptop? You might shrug it off – it’s just the universe welcoming you the digital age.

For most of us today, a trip to the mall with friends or family always entails a quick stop to the nearest techie and gadget shops. With our breath frosting the store’s glass, we savagely examine the beautiful speed and new applications of the latest model of phone or laptop. Our fingers hungrily explore the touch screen technology and the sheer smoothness of the device’s design. It’s like a group of hyenas ready to pounce on a gazelle.

And what more, the gazelle is continuously changing and the hyenas always want fresh meat.

Today, we are so used to the fast-paced trend of technological development that when a new model comes out after a few days of its predecessor’s debut, no one (maybe, except our oldfashioned folks) bats an eye. We want smooth, we want fast – too fast that we are already labeled as the generation of disposables.

Well, of course, this is great considering since the dawn of civilization, mankind has always strived to push the limits of his intelligence and always move forward with his innovations. But

because of the booming rate of technological advancements, we get more than what we can; and in the process, we throw more than what we can handle. And currently, we are not doing a good job in handling our electronic or e-waste.

E-waste is a term for electronic items such as batteries, computers, laptops, TVs, DVD players, cellular phones, mp3 players, etc. which are obsolete, unwanted, near or at the end of their useful life. But unlike other common wastes, e-waste is hazardous both to human health and the environment because of its components and the toxic substances it may contain. Actually, it only becomes a risk when it is improperly recycled and disposed as it can leach into soil and water.

It is estimated that global e-waste generation is growing by about 40 million tons per year (Schluep et al., 2009) but only 13% of these e-waste piles up because most people don’t know how to fix their devices and just throw them away. Also, there are little to no e-waste recyclers in countries. E-waste recycling operations have been identified in several locations in China and India.

Less-investigated locations are in the Philippines, Nigeria (in the city of Lagos), Pakistan (Karachi) and Ghana (Accra) (Ni & Zeng, 2009). The toxic footprint of e-waste needs special treatment in its disposal and recycling as most of our e-wastes end up in landfills.

THESPECTRUM

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Just some of the dangerous substances that are found in e-wastes are lead, beryllium, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.

The effects of these substances can range from skin diseases, due to exposure to arsenic, to lethal diseases such as cancer due to beryllium and various complications brought by lead poisoning. Cadmium attacks the kidneys. But they do not only affect human health but our surroundings as well. Mercury can bio-accumulate in living organisms, and subsequently, the food chain and thus cause various diseases involving the nervous system in different species.

The appropriate recycling of e-waste starts by the segregation of different electronic devices and followed by the 20

OCTOBER 2015

disassembly in order to recover materials and components which will be supplied as pure products to recycling partners.

This separation to components uses labor intensive methods which are not readily available in our country. So, most countries just ship the garbage overseas.

On this, the Filipino ignorance can be best described by the analogy of our care for the issue as parallel to our care for dead skin. Where do we throw our damaged charger, decapitated earphones and cracked cell phones? Stacked in the bottom of an old cabinet, and when the monthly cleanup comes, all mixed up together with crumpled papers and candy wrappers. Little do we know, it’ll all come back to haunt us in the form of lethal

illnesses.

If we don’t stop to take time to address this problem, we just might find ourselves knee-deep in toxic waste. Is this the legacy we want to leave for the next generation? Just because we still can’t feel the impact and intensity of the matter, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

We are looking at the future right in the eye. And we don’t have the time to not be concerned.

So the next time you start to drool for the latest gadget or give your current phone the cold shoulder, you’re not really doing anyone a favor in the big picture.

This is not a part of advancement. This is its ugly side chick. No, we are not going to leave a toxic legacy for the next age. S

OCTOBER 2015

ON EDGE

VOLUME 60, ISSUE #4

FEATURES

Avoid safety at all costs. Danger means go. There is nothing too dark and sinister for those who seek thrill in staring danger right in the eye.

Running with the (Dare) Devils

Heart of Steel

There is not a wall too steep or a rail too tricky for these group of boys who revel in hurling themselves to the feeling of momentary flight.

Age is immaterial if the grit of the spirit is immortal.

Meet Lalaine, an award-winning triathlete at 51.

Lex Diwa P. Aloro

Faith Joeleen Lacson & Andrea Nicole C. Farol

Adrenaline Junkie

The Graveyard Shift

The Gugudan brothers break their fast on the pumping adrenaline of fast dirt bike rides and midair whips.

They serve as dauntless ears and watchful eyes as the city slumbers. No creature of the night can shake them off their posts.

Hezron G. Pios

Hezron G. Pios

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JHON ALDRIN M. CASINAS 路 MODEL JOHANNA GRACE S. SEBALLOS THESPECTRUM

21

ON EDGE · FEATURE

Running with the (Dare) Devils

BY LEX DIWA P. ALORO · PHOTOGRAPHED BY NICCI BERNELLE P. AGUILAR

TAKING THE LEAP. Josh and Lawrence showcase their skills and techniques at Panaad Park and Stadium.

M

ost people would think that it’s completely insane to jump off a fifteenfoot wall or somersault from the roof of a house, but these are just some of the usual things that parkour athletes dive into – literally.

Parkour came from the French word “parcours” which means “the way through”. This adrenaline-filled pastime is a dangerous cross between gymnastics and freerunning or cross country running.

Parkour athletes are hard to come by since not everyone has the guts to stare danger right in the eye, but it just so happened that these thrill seekers are tumbling in our own neighborhood of Bacolod.

Take a plunge into the world of parkour with local daredevil, Raymund Dennis “RD” Verano and his fellow backflipping buddies in the Bacolod Parkour organization, as he gives us some insights in the life of a traceur.

“I first started when I was in 3rd year high school, back in 2012 but I forgot the exact month,” said RD when asked about the kick-off of his parkour hobby. “I saw one of my classmates doing stunts in Lagoon and I tried doing it, too, because it looked fun.”

22

OCTOBER 2015

It’s no secret that parkour is a very dangerous sport. It is practically the supplier of bloopers around the world what with all the epic fails and hurtful falls obtained from this sport.

The sense of danger really is enticing for the likes of RD. He knows the risks of this dangerous pastime but the zeal he feels whenever he’s performing stunts fuels his thirst for wholeheartedly seeking peril.

It has been nearly three years since RD pursued the art of parkour and he has entered parkour competitions. He’s competed in various contests like the FlipFest held at SM City Bacolod, Art of Freerun at The District North Point Ayala and Kwatro Kantos III in Talisay. “It doesn’t feel like competing at all,” RD expressed, “I’m having fun and just enjoying myself.”

His love and passion for freerunning is quite obvious in the way he speaks about it. But nothing screams “I love parkour” more than the fact that even after getting injured multiple times, he still continues to engage himself in back-breaking stunts.

Certainly, where there are death-defying stunts, there will also be health hazards.

However, this never stopped RD or any of his daredevil disciples from somersaulting along with him.

It’s no secret that parkour is a very dangerous sport. It is practically the supplier of bloopers around the world what with all the epic fails and hurtful falls obtained from this sport. RD has had his fair share of downfalls ranging from minor slips to major flops. He’s experienced slamming down on his sides when he slipped in attempt of a simple stunt jump.

And there was a more serious blunder when he failed at performing a proper backflip and landed hard on the back of his neck. Indeed, it hurt but RD laughed it off saying, “That’s just how it is at times: no pain, no gain.”

You would think that after getting hurt,

RD would stay away from any dangerous stunts, but it’s not in a traceur’s mindset to quit after a couple of injuries. There are nearly ten recorded parkour deaths and hundreds of fatal injuries. These deaths include a Russian girl falling to her death after jumping off a 17-storey building and a trained freerunner, Pavel Kashin, also passed on of nearly the same predicament.

Although there are no recorded parkour deaths in the Philippines, this sport is still considered in the top ten most dangerous sports in the world. No matter how dangerous it is, traceurs and freerunners always face up to the challenge. But why do they risk it just for the sake of parkour?

“Because I love parkour. That’s just how things are if you love what you’re doing.

Even if you get hurt sometimes, you still do it because it makes you happy,” was RD’s answer.

With the way RD discusses about parkour, it seems like a very captivating sport. It’s the sport that taught him to face his innermost fears without the slightest of hesitations and the sport

that calms him down but rushes up his adrenaline flow at the same time. “It’s a wonderful exercise, too because it utilizes your entire body. And I also love how you could do stunts almost everywhere,” he added to the list of things he loved most about parkour.

Not only does this sport bear dozens of positive effects on health and fitness, it also ties an unbreakable bond between the traceurs. A strong camaraderie has budded among the members of Bacolod Parkour. They train together, compete together, and chase the tail of danger together. As the athletes thrive to be better traceurs, their friendship thrives with them. Parkour has the power to promote a sense of solidarity between strangers or even strengthen the bond of the already-friends.

The traceurs of Bacolod Parkour can always be found tumbling along the corners of Lagoon or at the more isolated stadium in Panaad. But wherever they may be, they always bring the same intensity of passion to their art. S

THESPECTRUM

23

ON EDGE 路 FEATURE

I

f you ask the folks, most of them would shake their heads from left to right in utter unison when asked to try a dangerous act such as an extreme sport. But one brave man dares to accept the challenge.

He defies the laws of physics and takes into consideration the spine-tingling idea of putting on a rigid helmet while his hands and feet are geared with safety equipments. He places his body in proper alignment in order to maintain his balance and not to fall off during the game. He starts the engine of an intimidating motocross bicycle and prepares himself as he is about to play his favorite game. And the moment his adrenaline and enthusiasm stretch at the utmost, he feels limitless and never loses focus as he propels across the challengingand death-defying obstacles.

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OCTOBER 2015

Getting back to motocross racing was considered as one of the wisest decisions he ever made in his life.

This dauntless man is named Ivar G. Gugudan, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Riverside College.

For him, he considers [motocross racing] a part of his current lifestyle. At the same time, he’s into some kind of business to cope with the huge expenses that come with the said sport. His passion for motocross racing has grown over the years and continues to do so.

A QUICK OVERVIEW To those who don’t know a thing about Motocross—it is a form of an off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits . It has evolved from motorcycle competitions in the U.K. Forbes.com cited it as one of the world’s most dangerous sports, while Health.com regarded it as one of the several sports which are linked to more than a million head and neck injuries recurring every year.

HOW IT STARTED “We are six in total. However, half of us are only interested in Motocross,” Gugudan stated on whether his siblings are also into the aforementioned sport. Ivar also mentioned that the people who greatly influenced him were his father and one of his brothers. We can say that the fondness of Motocross partially runs in their blood.

He started racing back when he was still a fresh high school graduate. However, his journey went to a temporary halt as college turned out busier for him; thus, he didn’t have any choice but to wait for the right time to compete again.

BACK ON TRACK After finishing his college degree in Nursing, he rekindled his previous passion as he began participating in production bike tracks and races.

He intently poured all his focus into the sport to gain more experience and to somehow be a motocross racing guru on his own. After a few more matches, he was able to tour around the country, engage himself in national motocross racing competitions and garner victories from some of it. But along his way to mastering motocross, he also did a difficult sacrifice just to achieve his goal—letting go of his Nursing career. Nevertheless, getting back to motocross racing was considered as one of the wisest decisions he ever made in his life.

PLAYING WITH FIRE Approximately, Ivar has joined 200 races in the entire span of his five-year career as a motocross racer.

And not everytime luck was on his side—there were certain days when it ended quite badly. “It happened May last year at Guimaras Island. My liver got hematoma and worse, almost half of it was affected by the accident. I had to stop for four months. Yet, last February 8, another accident occured.

This time, my left collarbone was broken. But I already had absolute health treatment and I feel so much better now,” Gugudan shared.

KNOCKING DOWN VOID When questioned about what makes the emptiness in him subside, he confidently answered, “Of course, [it is] joining Motocross racing competitions, whether the odds are on my side or against me. I believe the way it completes my desire for extreme things makes me love it even more. Or maybe because of the intense competitiveness of the sport itself; the adrenaline rush and the feeling of flowing when you’re in the tracks. All these combined motivates me to challenge myself to be a better player whenever I get the chance to play.”

No wonder Ivar has won multiple racing competitions and has brought him this far on such journey. All those years of hardwork with an undying and a zealous passion for motocross racing depict how persistent he truly is when it comes to his endeavors. Life may definitely be just another motocross racing track for him or for us—a series of complex obstacles, yet when passed, gives us more satisfaction knowing it is by our own efforts and determination that we are able to succeed; and if luck permits, life turns even better for us. S THESPECTRUM

25

ON EDGE · FEATURE

Heart of Steel

BY FAITH JOELEEN J. LACSON & ANDREA NICOLE C. FAROL

F

or most of us, the thoughts of our midlife years are filled with us ranting about our jobs and lives or maybe going on a vacation on sluggish days. But there always exceptions, there are fires that refuse to burn out.

There are people who know for a fact, that you don’t need to be 17 again to take a leap that will change your life.

Lalaine Arroyo Sacris is an obstetrician gynecologist at Perpetual Succour Hospital. She’s also a mother of two and a grandmother. She has a fear of deep waters. And, she’s a triathlete at 51.

Yes, you read that right. Trained for only a year, Sacris won 3rd place on her bracket. It started out as an impulsive decision upon registering on Cobra Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship., a series of long-distance triathlon races considered to be the most difficult one-day sporting event in the world, because she doesn’t swim nor bike. But, despite all her uncertainties she was firm on her decision in joining Iron Man because she wants to challenge herself and level up from being a runner, her childhood and college sport.

October 2014, 10 months before the competition, was when she first learned how to swim. She started to learn everything from the basics. In swimming, that is floating. In biking, this means putting on the balancers first.

“I had to put so much time, dedication and effort on my swim because of my fear and maybe of my age that is catching up on me,” she says.

There are times that she has to skip a swimming lesson because she has an operation. There are also a lot of possible events that could affect and delay her preparation— she might have a patient to look after, a lunch date with her husband, a baby delivery anytime of the day because the water could break soon, not to mention her morning jog the next day together with other triathletes. It was not only an extreme time management but also a battle of emotions, strength and passion. She was sure of herself on the commitment she has made.

As she prepared more for future athletic events, she started to drill herself on local triathlon competitions. Her fear of not being able to 26

OCTOBER 2015

There are people who know for a fact, that you don’t need to be 17 again to take a leap that will change your life.

finish the swim leg during Ironman increased when she got a time of 1 hour and 9 minutes in Tabuelan 111Triathlon, a long distance triathlon which showcased a 2-km Swim, 88-km Bike and a 21-km run held in Maravilla Beach, Tabuelan, Cebu.

“With all my heart, I surrendered everything to the Lord. Thy will be done,” she proudly says.

Aug. 2, 2015, the day of the competition arrived, and she felt no fear and panic. “All I know, deep in my heart and mind that God is with me, right beside me to guide and protect me all throughout the race”, Sacris said.

Everybody was hyped up with the positive vibe inside the Shangrila’s Mactan Resort ballroom where a final pre-race briefing for triathletes was held. At 6 AM, the gun signaled the participants to head for the water for a 1.9-km swim in the waters of Shangrila. The weather was humid, which was not a good thing for the participants. There was a sign of a slight chance of rain too.

And as the race commenced, it was bodies everywhere.

Everybody was trying to finish before the cut off time or they will be disqualified.

She was happy and blessed that she was one of the few swimmers who got out of the water before the cut off time. Her swim time was 1:11:18. She survived.

As of now, Sacris continues to juggle both her responsibilities and newfound love for the triathlete life. Her first victory only fueled her to continue wandering away from the stereotype of middle age life.

It was not the win, nor was it a simple wild goose chase for desperate dreams. Sacris was not merely a woman with duties living her age. Rather, she existed out of the bounds – the expectations we have for certain parts of our lives.

For there is no right time but only the right choices. And for a person with grit and the guts, there is no such thing as “too late”. S THESPECTRUM

27

ON EDGE 路 FEATURE

TH E

Graveyard Shift

BY HEZRON G. PIOS PHOTOGRAPHED BY NICCI BERNELLE P. AGUILAR

28

OCTOBER 2015

But fear is just a state of mind to some people, the ones who wary not of the dark.

T

o your left, the boisterous crowd of a hundred vendors and vehicle drivers line up at the public market. To your right, a myriad of high school and tertiary students crisscross to reach their desired destination. Then at your back, employees of all sorts course along the sidewalk; some turbulently walk, while others intentionally lag. These are just some of the elements of the street life––an avenue brimming with vibrancy and sound until it doesn’t. Until the sky smeared with sunrays dusks in total darkness. Until the white-cottony clouds turn bleak. Until the once spry air halts and falls silent, as if something horrid is concealing itself just around the corner. But fear is just a state of mind to some people, the ones who wary not of the dark. The ones who have obligations to meet and families to feed. The ones who delight at the sight of their wristwatch hitting exactly 6 o’clock p.m., once again commencing to their job.

If you think working during the daytime is tough, then wake your senses; there’s this thing called the night shift. Night shift refers to the period of time for work at night, as in a factory,

hospital or other institutions. Its purpose is to extend the operating hours since goals cannot be accomplished by an eight-hour shift.

And among these diligent people, three gutsy individuals claimed working during the night-time; their careers are apparently not to be underestimated as they are industrious, they possess a focused mind and maintain a healthy immune system to cope with the hardships of the job itself.

THE DARK KNIGHT Wrong, I don’t mean the renowned hero of Gotham city.

Instead, I’m referring to Daniel D. Altaras, Head of the Campus Internal Security of University of St. La Salle. Altaras was a Lasallian security guard from 1988 to 2000. And in a span of 12 years, he was promoted into his current position. When asked what his daily routines back then were, Mr. Daniel replied, “First, I was tasked to secure the area and perimeter of the campus.

Next, I’ll check if all the offices and classrooms are closed. Then, I must examine if there are students and staff staying overnight or doing a particular activity––and if ever there are instances, I advise them to go home if they have already reached the campus THESPECTRUM

29

BUSINESS AS USUAL. A street vendor keeps his mind awake as he mans his stand fronting Bacolod City Public Plaza.

curfew which is 10:00 p.m. After doing these, I shall continuously roam around the campus and watch out for intruders.” He even added that there was one situation by which he encountered a burglar after an event called Drum and Bugle was conducted by the Certified Physical Education (CPE) class that was held at the campus. Altaras explained that the intruder performed a forced entry at the campus canteen through borrowing an ID card from a certain Drum and Bugle choreographer.

This rendered him undetected. Altaras went to the area he thought might be the place the intruder was targeting and noticed that the mess had been done already—packed food scattering across the floor while bottles were wrecked completely. A moment later, he saw a manly figure with a large bag attached to his back hurriedly walking to the exit gate.

Altaras immediately contacted the guards stationed near the gates and told them the complexion, height, size and attire of the suspected man. When the man was asked to go to the office, Altaras interrogated him and found him guilty of his crime; stacks of various food sold at the canteen were discovered in his huge black bag. It was one of the instances that taught Altaras to be extremely vigilant during big events happening inside the school premises.

“No matter what happens as long as your faith is strong in Him, nothing bad will ever happen to you. Prayers are the best weapon against evil,” the Lasallian protector concludes.

FRAUD AND GASOLINE Lina E. Lorenzo is a single parent working as a pump attendant at Shell gasoline station near Doctors’ Hospital.

Lorenzo has been an employee for ten years in the said workplace. She shared one particular instance when she had her night-time shift as a pump attendant.

“There were two men driving a dark blue van and decided to refuel their vehicle in our station. A couple of minutes after refueling it, they paid me with two P500 bills since the total amount of their 30

OCTOBER 2015

payment was P 850. It was only moments later that I realized the bills that they’ve given me were both fake,” Lorenzo said.

Oftentimes, they cannot trace up the whereabouts of tricksters so instead of filing a case at the police station, it results to a decrease of their salary. The sternness of the costumers intimidates her a lot of times but since she got used to it, she and her fellow workers humble themselves instead.

“The father of my children and I weren’t married. But my strength and motivation to keep on moving and to be better are now my two children,” she said. “What I want my children to be in the future? I just want them to finish their studies and be able to sustain themselves because it’s not all the time I’d be there to lend them a helping hand. I also hope that they’d turn to be good citizens in the society and to be better parents to their children. But before that, I must guide them and keenly lead them to that path so they won’t turn their minds on drugs and its life-damaging potentials,” Lorenzo added. Lorenzo concluded that whatever time shift her job may be doesn’t bother her at all. She said that when you’re working during a night shift, be sure to keep your watch and stay fit as much as possible so the sleepiness of the hour doesn’t knock you down.

BALUT VENDOR Boiled peanuts and appetizing balut are the delectables that Melvin C. Gumabang sell. He is turning 19 years-old this year.

He is the breadwinner of his family. Marlon Gumabang, his father who used to be a tricycle driver, has been limp due to an accident for almost a year already. “Evelyn, my mother, left us when I was only 9 years old while my sister, Myrna, was a year old back then. I can still vividly remember how that exact moment happened: my mother packed at least four huge bags containing her clothes, then my father arrived and wondered why she was doing it and why there were people waiting for her outside.

Next, they shouted at each other while I was lulling my sister to sleep. Father wasn’t able to do anything but let mother go. After that, I’ve decided to quit school and work to sustain my family,” Melvin replied.

Ending our interview, Melvin said, “I won’t stop working because it’s the only way to feed my family, to let my sister achieve my broken dreams of going to school and to promise myself that through time, everything will be better.”

The challenges of a night-time shift aren’t all that difficult if only one knows how to endure hardships and carry the courage in them wherever they go. The dark is almost fading as the sunlight rises once again. S

OCTOBER 2015

DEPARTURES

VOLUME 60, ISSUE #4

HUMAN INTEREST

We need to be in constant movement toward something bigger than ourselves.

In these stories, we learn that the only way through is forward.

Her Name is Sam

A Different Kind of High

Christiana Claudia G. Gancayco

Krimlyn l. lumawag & Christiana Claudia G. Gancayco

This is a story of a woman who never allowed herself to be victimized by circumstance. She treads every path with grace and courage.

There is no greater calling than the path predestined

by God. It takes more than just humility and fortitude to answer the call and follow through.

A Howl at Dusk

Tamis at Pait ng Asukal

Lolo Eddie faces his twilight years alone marred by a loss—but never without company.

Kwento ng pahihirap at pagsubok sa tubuhan.

Krimlyn L. Lumawag

Jisson C. Yalong

ILLUSTRATED BY KATHERINE E. CO THESPECTRUM

31

DEPARTURES · HUMAN INTEREST

Her Name is Sam

BY CHRISTIANA CLAUDIA G. GANCAYCO · PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARGARET E. YUSAY

M

eet Samantha “Sam” Golez, 22 years of age, youngest of the three Golez siblings. Daughter of Trish Golez, the founder and principal of A Child’s Place (a pre-school located in La Salle Avenue, Bacolod City). She does clerical work and Kumon tutorial at A Child’s Place. She loves hanging out with her coworkers, Zumba classmates and just like any other ordinary young adult, she occasionally shops around malls with her best friend. And oh, she religiously watches the GMA Kalyeserye “AlDub,” as she is an ardent fan of the reel couple. She even keeps a newspaper clipping of the tandem.

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OCTOBER 2015

Sam together with her mom.

Then her heart fell for ballet, so they added the art to her routine.

She is a ballet, jazz and Zumba dancer, swimmer and marathon runner. Some of her favorite artists are Beyonce, J-lo and Pitbull. She loves singing in her room to the tunes of Beyonce’s “Love On Top”, Pitbull’s “Time of Our Lives” and J. Lo’s “Booty”.

So that is Sam. Her life routine is that of a very sociable, cordial and independent lady.

Sam has Down Syndrome.

DS is a genetic disorder that occurs when there is an extra copy of ‘Chromosome 21’, the smallest human chromosome. Typically, the disorder is associated with delays in physical growth, characteristic facial features and mild to moderate intellectual interference. Young adults with Down Syndrome usually have an Intelligence Quotient averaging 50 — which is equivalent to the mental age of an 8- or 9-year-old child. The Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines Inc. (DSAPI) revealed that one in every 800 babies is born with DS. There are around 1,875 cases of DS per year in the country in a population of about 1.5-million live births.

It is said that more than 100,000 families in the Philippines are living with a DS patient.

Nevertheless, that didn’t hinder Sam to be as sporty and active as anyone can be, and to pursue her interests.

Sam’s parents were concerned about her health, since Down Syndrome patients are prone to obesity. So they decided, along with Sam, that she must engage in cardiovascular activities. Initially, it was Jazz-dancing that Sam participated in.

“She really loves Jazz”, said Mrs. Golez.

Then her heart fell for ballet, so they added the art to her routine. She managed to continue both terpsichorean or dancing skills with ease. However, she claimed that

her grandmother became worried that she was getting slimmer. She and her mom decided to remove ballet from her routine.

What started to be brisk-walks with her mother developed into running, when a good coach, who is a Physical Therapist by profession, offered to coach Sam. “I was never, ever athletic. I’m a coach-potato!

But because of Sam, I got myself into physical activity. I am very thankful that my personal health improved out of my concern for hers,” says the mother.

The coach saw a potential for Sam to run in marathons. After some training, Sam could easily do a 5k run. In fact, she already did a lot of 5k runs in Bacolod and one in Singapore even before running was a craze.

A favorite family anecdote was about that time when Sam and her 5’11” older sister both joined a running event. They were all surprised when Sam outran her sister to the finish line. She finished the 5k run in only 47 minutes.

Two years ago, they had to blot running off the list when the running oval they used was up for renovation for a year. Sam didn’t like the idea of running on a rubberized track. And so, they decided to find another substitute for the lost sport.

Sam welcomed Zumba with so much enthusiasm. Now, she does Zumba for an hour at least three times a week. She even encourages her parents to join her.

Sam finished high school in St. Scholastica’s Academy in Eroreco.

However, her parents felt that it was not necessary for her to pursue the advance education of tertiary level. They were already content that she knew the basics in education and that’s more than enough

for her. Their goal is for her to enhance her skills and be productive with her time.

When asked whether it bothered her that her high school classmates went to college while she didn’t, she answered “A little bit. Just a little.” But she just copes with it, she said. She knows she is spending each moment worthwhile.

Now that she is a full grown lady, Sam understands that all her previous classmates may already have boyfriends.

Thinking aloud, she says she has none, but that is the least of her worries now. She approaches the matter with humor, saying that at least she has Alden in her heart (referring to actor Alden Richards of the famous AlDub couple of GMA7).

While her classmates are off to college, busily poring over advance mathematics and stressing over examinations, Sam is also investing the same effort over worksheets of the little tots in her family’s Kumon program, a tutorial center for children. She checks their papers for corrections, helps the children with their 123s, and assists the teachers with the drills and exercises for the kids.

Her genetic disorder does not restrict her from her passions. In fact, she is even more spritely and full of zest about her life.

Her self-discipline, excellence, empathy and service to others mark her character and makes her beautiful inside out.

They say that people with Down Syndrome have an extra genetic material, an extra chromosome, but with Sam, there are only extra sparkles of splendor and good-naturedness.

She is made special by her vivacity, lively attitude and vibrant smile.

She is irrefutably exceptional by her own merits. S THESPECTRUM

33

DEPARTURES 路 HUMAN INTEREST

A Howl at Dusk

BY KRIMLYN L. LUMAWAG 路 PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARGARET E. YUSAY

34

OCTOBER 2015

H

e watched as their mudkissed feet skittered through the newly-cleaned concrete ground. He did not mind the toll of cleaning the area all over again. He just went whistling with the noon breeze. Shortly after, he began sharing about Vilma’s recent birth, of how much litter she caused and how she secures the needs of her puppies.

His soggy eyes and wrinkled face defined wisdom rather than age. His fingers pointed towards Vilma, and now with a merrier tone of voice, he said, “That makes them thirteen all in all.”

Despite this warm and endearing disposition, he is a tender man still adjusting to this new way of life without his wife. What they used to work on as a couple has now become an independent task for him. But giving his dogs up to a pound or selling them for a great deal of fortune are part of his must-never-do list. He continues his usual routine in the house— waking up early in the morning to feed, and staying up late at night to finish other chores. When additional dog litter come up, he builds their houses himself. He has now become more dedicated to spending his twilight years with his pets.

THE MAN-AND-HIS-DOG HARMONY Man’s relationship with his pet is deeply personal and solitary. For a myriad of reasons, it is that connection that fuels the happy bars of the owner every day. A pet

LOVED BY MANY. With so many he took care of, Lolo Eddie makes sure that he keeps in touch with his dogs to make them feel that they are loved.

His story shows that hope for a meaningful life does not end where grief starts. It might even be the force to propel one to discover that love exists in unlikely forms as a substitute partner may sound baffling, yet according to HelpGuide.org, a non-profit guide to mental health and well-being, pets, especially dogs, are attuned to human emotions and behaviors that they can gauge into your emotional state and interpret your tone of voice, body language and gestures. Perhaps, it was that attachment to his pets that became a part of Lolo Eddie’s healing process, creating a semblance of warmth and company from his deceased wife.

DEEPLY “RUFFING” YOU In Lolo Eddie’s long years of dog erudition, he named his dogs after famous actors and actresses. Two of which were named after Vilma Santos and Nora Aunor.

The dogs were frisky and fluffy— some white, some brown colored, while others were a combination of both. The male ones have the loudest bark (so deafening that some of the neighbors were already whining about it) while the female ones preferred enjoying their beauty rest and tender massage treatments. Lolo Eddie jokingly said that incest relationships often happen in the pack and that Storm, a Siberian husky, is the core interest of the females. This is the same reason why most of the dogs have dominant features like curled ears, black or pink noses, and plump legs.

Lolo Eddie is 70 years old, yet his body structure showed that of a person in his 60’s. At such age, he can still do garden-

ing and biking. His dogs’ regular demands for feeding, walking, cleaning and playing became part of his exercise schedule and readied his body into carrying more tasks than he can ever imagine for his age. The routine is apparently tiring by the looks of it, but Lolo Eddie appeared unaffected of the work load. The Harvard Health Publications’ one year-long study found that walking dogs benefits both the animal and his owner, and such exercise mutualism holds greater consistency and no negative influence. In fact, a 20-minute long walk with your pet for five consecutive days in a week will allow you to lose 14.4 pounds in a year without having to change your diet.

For older adults, pets play an important role in easing the symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and bipolar disorder. These healthy lifestyle changes are achieved through a simple give-and-take process of an owner to his pet.

Due to the number of his dogs, budgeting became an extreme need for Lolo Eddie.

The idea of the “poor man’s dish” came to mind – a dog meal consisting of the viandof-the-day plus rice and dog food. Meals are served thrice a day and potty trainings come after to avoid the pungent smell of their urine and feces.

MEET THE OTHER PETS Farfetched as it may sound, Lolo Eddie shelters more than just one type of pet in his home. He is not planning to build an animal refugee, but perhaps, Mother Earth and Father Nature believed so much in him that circumstances come right before his eyes. Take the story of how he met his pet turtle. “He was crossing the road in front of our house,” Lolo Eddie said. He tried to look for its owner by inquiring around the neighborhood but after failing to do so, he claimed it as his own. And so he builds a new home for the turtle, through old fences and cans.

Other pets of Lolo Eddie include a toad couple and a gecko. How their owner-pet relationship came to be was as plain as his turtle’s story.

His story shows that hope for a meaningful life does not end where grief starts. It might even be the force to propel one to discover that love exists in unlikely forms – the croak of the toad, the unpredictability of the gecko, the calmness of the turtle, and the eternal youth of the dogs. S THESPECTRUM

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ON EDGE 路 FEATURE

A Different Kind of High

BY KRIMLYN L. LUMAWAG & CHRISTIANA CLAUDIA G. GANCAYCO PHOTOGRAPHED BY JHON ALDRIN M. CASINAS

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OCTOBER 2015

H

Michael has courageously emerged from the dark recesses of his addiction.

e was 12 at that time. He remembered the fierce smell coming from the adhesive rushing through his nostrils. The bizarre schemas of images, as if he was dreaming, shortly came after. It was a mixture of succulence and hallucination. It was his first dose of rugby.

“The sensation was short-lived. But I began smoking marijuana after. I became a drug addict of seven years,” Michael Angelo Revereal said.

He hurled himself into a downward spiral, reaching the far ends of a precarious undertaking— the drug scene. Aside from being an avid drug user, he also became a prominent drug pusher in their barangay.

“Back and forth, people would come to see me. Others became my dear friends.

Until one day, someone invited me to join their fraternity. I accepted the offer. Thus beginning another chapter of my dark days,” Michael continued.

He was promoted to president in the said fraternity. He spent his days picking up fights on the streets and planning on whose life to disrupt the next day.

FROM DRUGS TO DUST “But with the fake security I settled myself into, consequences soon rose. My excessive use of drugs endangered my own health. It was a mixture of paranoia, depression and stress. I wanted drugs as much as I needed air to breathe. The urge to take a dose every day became involuntary. My body grew weary.”

Late night arguments with his mother

and siblings became typical for him. He lost the love and trust of a family. As he examined his surroundings further, he found nothing but negativity that has been long manipulating his supposed-to-be peaceful life.

What he thought of as his stress reliever became one of his greatest downfalls in life.

Now, he is challenged to separate himself from such abuse through making his first attempt on confronting his brothers in the fraternity.

“I quit the fraternity, but left a heartfelt promise that I will remain as a friend to them. But what happened in the later days is completely the opposite. Gradually, they disappeared one by one. Some told me that their only motive is to buy the drugs I sell, others for the purpose of being allies during fights. I was left with nothing. I lost everything,” Michael said.

SWEEPING OFF He wandered the streets alone—alone but pacified with his decision. And when he thought he has already moved on from his vices, he again found himself mollified by drugs. It went on for another two more years until his workmate approached him and asked if he would allow a missionary to visit his house.

“At first I declined. The house is too messy to welcome visitors from the missionary,” he jokingly said.

“But they came anyway. I remember my dreadlocked hair and long bearded look while facing these individuals whom I thought at first were only to discuss unnecessary scriptures,” he added.

Michael has courageously emerged

from the dark recesses of his addiction.

Today, he is the Young Men 2nd Counselor of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, out sharing God’s Word to his people and those who commit themselves to change.

“When you carry out such purpose, you are in the process of filling in the gaps in a gradual manner,” he said. Albeit the change he has procured all throughout his tenure in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he remains feeling indebted to Him, knowing that his efforts are still not enough to make up for what he has done in his early years.

With his dreadlocked hair cut short, he now spends everyday sharing to people the story of God and how the church has saved his life from distortion.

“Success is knowing that you have shared your being to others, and is becoming one with the Lord. And how do you rekindle such love for Him? It is through teaching more generations of how beautiful life can be if peace and unity is achieved,” he said.

Michael has finally reunited and regained the trust of his mother and siblings.

He now spends most of his time joining missionaries to cater the needs of more hungry souls in dire need of salvation.

He has come to know that selfless service is akin to feeding one’s empty soul, especially if you are serving everyone and God. The Lord works in marvelous ways if only one allows Him to do so. It is a lifelong testament, a promise of new hope, and Michael goes on with his journey toward a higher calling. S

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ON EDGE · FEATURE

Tamis at Pait ng Asukal

BY JISSON C. YALONG · PHOTOGRAPHED BY NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN

H

irap. Ano ba ang salitang ito?

“Badtrip, ang liit ng allowance ko,” o di kaya “paano ako mabubuhay sa mundong ito kung 200 pesos lang ang nasa pitaka ko?”

Ito ang mga reklamong naririnig galing sa samu’t saring bunganga araw-araw. Kung susuriin ang lahat ng mananabaw na hinaing ng mga tao ngayon, malulunod ang bansa sa dami nito. Pero sa uulitin, ano ba talaga ang ibig sabihin ng hirap? at kung paano maghirap?

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OCTOBER 2015

Sadyang napakahirap ng pamumuhay ng iba na kahit ang mga babae sa kanilang pamilya ay umaambag din sa pagkakayod para sa kanilang pang araw-araw.

Para sa ibang “isang kahig, isang tuka” ang buhay, at napagkaitan ng oportunidad na mamuhay ng masagana at makakalap ng pera upang mapakain sa kanilang pamilya sa humigit-kumulang na tatlong beses bawat araw; ang perang nilulustay sa iba’t ibang bisyo at kagamhanan ng mga taong nakakataas ay mistulang ginto na sa kanila. Isang halimbawa ay ang mga taong nasa likod ng mga matatamis na pagkain na minamahal ng inyong mga dila, ang nagbibigay ng lasa sa mga mapapait ninyong kape, at ang dahilan kung bakit malinamnam ang inyong mga tsokolate – ang mga sakada.

Nakatirik man ang araw o di kaya bumubuhos ang ulan, nagtatrabaho ang mga sakada sa kahit anong sitwasyong kaharap nila. Makikita mo sila na nakabalot ang buong katawan, pero sa loob ng suot nilang baluti ay ang mga mukhang tinitiis ang nakakapasong init, ang hirap ng

pagputol ng tubo at ang bigat ng pagkarga nito mula sa taniman, paakyat sa makitid na daanang kahoy hanggang sa malaking trak na simbolo ng dugo’t pawis na binuhos sa trabahong ito.

Sadyang napakahirap ng pamumuhay ng iba na kahit ang mga babae sa kanilang pamilya ay umaambag din sa pagkakayod para sa kanilang pang araw-araw. Hindi din ito tumatanaw ng edad. May ibang bata na pinagtatrabaho upang makadagdag sa kita ng kanilang mga magulang. Imbis na paglalaro at pag-aaral ang atupagin, pagbubuhat ang inuuna dahil nasa balikat nila ang pagtataguyod ng kanilang pamilya.

May isang batang namulat din sa ganitong buhay, ngunit hindi naging sapat ang sitwasyong kanyang tinatamasa. Ito ang dahilang nangarap siya ng malaki, at nagbakasakaling magbabago din kahit papano ang kanilang pamumuhay bilang isang pamilya ng mga sakada.

Si Gng. Liza Yalong, ang ikalawang anak ng dalawang sakadang mula sa Hacienda Cataywa ng Brgy. Concepcion sa lungsod ng Talisay. Bilang isa sa mga nakakatanda sa labing isa niyang kapatid, naging responsable siya at katuwang ng kanyang mga magulang sa pamamahala sa kanilang tahanan. Mahal na mahal niya ang kanyang mga kapatid na kaya niyang mag sakripisyo upang mailagay lamang sila sa kaginhawaan.

Siyam na taong gulang siya nang nagsimulang tumulong sa pagtatrabaho sa katubohan kasama ang kanyang ama. Hindi niya ininda ang bigat at hirap na kanyang dinadanas upang makalikom ng pera para sa kanyang pamilya. “Luha, pawis at sipon ko noon ay naghahalo habang dumadaloy ito sa mukha kong punong-puno ng putik, pero hindi ako pinapabayaan ni papang dahil siya ang kumakarga ng aking natatapas sa naghihintay na malaking THESPECTRUM

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TAMIS AT PAGOD. Pasan sa kaliwang balikat ang mga tubong gapas, makikita sa mga mata ng isang sakada ang pagod at hirap ng kanilang hanapbuhay.

trak,” hinaing ni Liza.

Babae man at maliit bilang isang bata, kinaya niya ang lahat ng pagsubok na binigay sa kanya ng kapalaran. Nagsakripisyo siya para sa kanyang mga kapatid, nagtatrabaho siya sa hacienda upang makaambag sa pag-aaral nila. “Nang lumaki na ang mga kapatid ko, naging salitan ang aming pag-aaral, minsan ako ang nag-sasakada sa bukid habang sila ang nag-aaral, o di kaya’y ako naman ang papasok at sila nanaman ang aabsent upang tumulong muli kay tatay. 1st Year highschool ako noon nang naging ganito ang gawian sa pagpasok sa eskwelahan,” dagdag niya.

Kahit na ganoon na ang sitwasyon sa kanilang tahanan ay nagpursige parin siya upang makapagtapos ng pag-aaral.

“Nagmistulang sakada ang aming pamilya. Mula kay tatay hanggang sa mga kapatid ko ay naranasan na ang lupit at pagod ng pagsasakada upang makakain lamang ng tatlong beses sa isang araw. Ito ang ginawa kong inspirasyon upang gawin ang lahat ng aking makakaya para ma-iahon lamang sila” At ginawa niya iyon, hindi siya sumuko, hindi niya binitiwan ang kanyang pangako sa kanyang sarili, ngunit kahit na buong tapang niyang sinuong ang lahat, kapalaran naman ang humamon sa kanya. Isang araw habang nag-aararo ang kanyang ama sa tubohan ay bigla umanong sinungay ng dinadala niyang kalabaw.

Kahit na walang dala-dala tinakbo niya ang kaniyang tatay sa ospital. Bilang tulong, binigyan sila ng kanilang haciendero ng pera upang mabayaran ang ospital, ngunit naging mahirap ang buhay sapagkat hindi nakapagtrabaho ang kanyang ama ng ilang linggo.

Nagdesisyon si Liza na doblehin ang kayod upang makabili ng 40

OCTOBER 2015

pangkain nila araw-araw, at sa tulong ng kanyang mga kapatid ay nagawa naman nilang maitaguyod ang mga oras na iyon habang nagpapahinga ang haligi ng kanilang tahanan.

Siya ay nagsikap at nagtapos ng pag-aaral. Ngayon, kasama niya ang kanyang asawang nagsimula din sa ilalim ngunit desididong makaahon sa hirap. At sa bawat taong nagpursige sila, unti-unti nilang inangat ang antas ng kanilang pamumuhay. Sila ngayon ay may isang malaking negosyo na magkasama nilang itanatag at patuloy na tinataguyod para mapanatili nilang masagana ang pamilya. Nakapagtapos lahat ng kanyang kapatid sa tulong niya. Ang iba’y propesyonal na habang nagtatrabaho para sa kanya ang iba.

Natupad ni Liza ang kanyang pangako sa kanyang sarili na maiahon ang kanyang pamilya sa kahirapan. Para sa kanya, ang pakiramdam na ito ay parang paglalaro sa alapaap habang galak na galak na tinitignan ang bunga ng kanyang paghihirap.

“Napakagandang tignan na ang lahat ng aking mga kapatid ay masaya nang namumuhay na hindi na nagbabalat ng buto at nagsasakripisyo ng husto upang magkapera. Ito ay dahil naghirap at nagtanim kami ng pangarap, at sa tulong ng mahal na Diyos, sa wakas, nakuha na din namin ang aming aning kasaganahan,” dagdag niya.

Ang hirap ay isang malaking balakid sa buhay, ngunit kapag nalampasan ito ay mayroong naghihintay na masaganang ani sa kabilang banda. At sa pagsasakada ng asukal, na para sa iba ay mapait, mapakla at napakahirap, kung magsusumikap katulad ni Liza, mahahanap at mahahanap din ang lasang inaasam na tamis at sarap ng pagsisipag. S

Call Void COVER STORY

of the

WORDS BY RJ NICHOLE L. LEDESMA PHOTOGRAPHED BY JHON ALDRIN M. CASINAS MODEL CALEB MOISES AMPADU THESPECTRUM

41

L’appel du Vide is a French term having no direct English translation, but it is loosely translated as the “call of the void”.

It is described as that sudden jolt and urge to jump when staring below from a high place.

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THESPECTRUM

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Backtracking to a distant age in our evolutionary journey, it is believed that we used to live in trees. We mostly leapt for walking. Some historians even speculate that we have something bird-like in our ancestry line. Thus, when we are confronted with a void, there is an internal battle between that primitive compulsion and our modern rationalities.

Another explanation of “call of the void” is that our intelligence is built upon how we model alternatives in difficult situations. It is one of our coping mechanisms.

When faced with a void, we line up all the possibilities—what happens when I jump? What could be on the other side? S

THESPECTRUM

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FEATURE

Inside the Glass Cabinet

BY JOHN DALE G. GUGUDAN & MONICA LOUISE TRINIDAD M. CUETO PHOTOGRAPHED BY FAITH JOELEENE J. LACSON & JHON ALDRIN M. CASINAS

SINGLE FILE. Action figure superheroes from Marvel and Dc lined up in Jay’s glass cabinet.

B

atman was waiting by the garage door for the visitors to arrive. Superman was guarding a huge array of characters in their lifeless forms. While Wonder Woman was still inside her box slowcooking for a much awaited reveal. DC’s “Big 3” guard the humble abode of Jay a.k.a “Master” to his friends in the distinct hobby of toy collecting.

You open the door expecting to see a stereotypical Filipino living room with comfortable bamboo-made couches and possibly a coffee table in the center, instead you are welcomed by something even way better – gigantic headpieces of different predators (yes, from the movie franchise, Predator) bought locally and internationally. With their mouths wide open, perfectly architecture alien eyes and detailed saliva giving the toy an “almost dripping” effect, the predator toys are practically screaming your presence. And this is just the beginning. The entire living room is occupied, from top to bottom, neatly incased in glass cabinets, by action figures of all the Marvel and DC heroes you could possibly think of, anime heroes, and iconic movie characters like Austin Powers, Harry Potter, Captain Jack Sparrow and Darth Vader to name a few. The figures are displayed in their respective iconic scenes or trademark pose. Jay also possesses movie memorabilia ranging from 3 of Star Wars’ iconic lightsabers, including that of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and the Darth Maul’s rare double bladed lightsaber weapon, to 12 wands from the Harry Potter series, famous Elder Wand included. One 46

OCTOBER 2015

undeniably noticeable piece was this huge coffee-table-like box housing the 1989 version of the Batmobile. Jay enthusiastically opened the box, took a damp cloth and started shining the Batmobile to perfection, readying it for its photo-op. These toys, big and small, entails the short but valued stories of Jay as he continues to gather more and more to keep the child in him satisfied.

Toy collecting is a thriving interest in this man’s heart. A hobby influenced by no other than his better half – his wife, Sarah. The fondness in superhero characters has long been present in Jay’s heart, it was only until he met his wife, an avid collector of Barbie

dolls and McDonald’s Happy Meal toys that he was heavily influenced and inspired to move from collecting superhero comic books onto his now hundreds of toys of different franchises, movies and sizes.

“I started collecting superhero comic books as soon as I graduated from college and got a job, 75% of my salary devotedly went to the purchase of comic books.

Then of course after comic books you get associated with the characters in them.

The collection started with the Marvel legends line-up then to Marvel comic characters. It [action figures] was cheap back then costing an average of 350 pesos a piece so I always look forward to that.

In the end collecting simple toys evolved to collecting movie themed toys. It just keeps getting better, especially now that everything merged,” recounts Jay as

he reminisces how the museum-like living room of plastic, lead, and sheer awesomeness started.

This hobby of his continues to snowball and now requires bigger space to give justice to the intricate detail each piece exhibits.

“Its always fun to have stories to tell. Like this one [pointing to the Captain America shield].

I was interrupted by an airline employee while checking-in my baggage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, because the shield was too big for a hand-carry baggage.

I looked at her for a second or two, I didn’t feel like talking, so I casually folded the shield showing that its material is made of bendable plastic,” he gave a mischievous laugh after

Jay opens his Wonder Woman action figure which was never opened till that day.

That there is no story too little to someone who embeds them to the material representations of their happiness.

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narrating the story. To an average Joe, this is a story of a man, his hand-carry luggage and a certain plane ride. But to Jay, this is a story he can always go back to every time he stares at the captain’s shield. That there is no story too little to someone who embeds them to the material representations of their happiness. That there is no story too little to someone who knows how to value things as more than just material things.

This is not yet to mention his over 350 comic book collection safely housed in a wooden cabinet. And the fact that it is in the kitchen is not because he is ashamed of it or anything, it’s mainly just because he does not have any more space to exhibit them. The same problem got him to return his old toys back to their boxes and had it stacked in a bedroom. Containers on top of containers reached the ceiling and had him setting a new goal. “I am planning to buy a bigger house so I can have all my beloved toys displayed,” he shared.

“The hardest part I ever get to endure as a toy collector is having to screw my friends over… for toys,” he let out another fit of laughter. He lectures that most of the toys he associates himself with are extremely rare, sometimes the orders only come in two boxes or three. “When you’re in a group composed of four lads, and the toys ordered have only three stocks left, it’s all a matter of first-come, first-serve basis, but heck, if I want it, I have to have it,” Jay shares, noting that toy collecting is some serious business.

Some of Jay’s friends who are non-toy collectors, often ask him why buy childish toys instead of muscled cars, when cars are the real toys for the big boys. “If I were to sell my entire collection, that’s going to give me a total net worth that will enable me to buy more than just one vehicle. But I’d rather choose my toys over any car any day. You can’t share your car with your friends, but with toys, you always get to; and that’s the real fun in collecting toys,” Jay imparts as he settles himself on the floor, wholeheartedly decided to once and for all open a box housing Wonder Woman for almost six months. He assembles all her body parts and weapons in place, as soon as he has finished, he shouted in a child-like manner, “best day ever!”

Boys will be boys they say, but not all boys are like Jay, simple, humble, passionate, kind and generous. Jay is collecting for the sake of also sharing – the material that is the toy itself and the stories that behold it. S 48

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HISTORY

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannolis A GLIMPSE OF THE 20TH CENTURY MAFIA

BY MONICA LOUISE TRINIDAD M. CUETO · PHOTOS TAKEN FROM THE INTERNET

T

he streets were peculiarly silent at half past noon as a young gentleman stepped out of the barber shop at middle Brooklyn, with flashy Italian leather shoes shined to impeccability and an over-gelled slicked-back hairstyle to scream his intimidating persona. The young lad didn’t even get a haircut at the shop, but barber Joe did, a particularly good one right across his forehead and two extra stabs across his heart. The gent hailed for a cab, it took him 10 seconds.

An American-Italian in his mid-20’s, daper-looking in a dark striped suit jacket with a contrasting printed tie, a golden heritage ring emblazoning on his pinkie finger and a Cuban cigar resting on his lips.

“Lower Manhattan, Luigi’s Pizza Parlor,” he commands the taxi driver. And the

neighborhood was silent as the engine of the taxi gave a nervous roar.

“As far back as I could remember, I always wanted to be a gangster,” narrated Ray Liotta as he slams the compartment door of a 1968 Pontiac GP in his portrayal as New York City mobster Henry Hill in the 1990 American crime film Goodfellas, which is based on the non-fiction book by Nicholas Pileggi, Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family. Not sugar-coating it – mafias are criminals, a bunch of wiseguys making a living out of illegal agreements and transactions such as bootlegging, gambling, “protection racket” schemes, drug-trafficking, loan sharking, humantrafficking, fraud and hijacking trucks filled with newly shipped goods, to name some of their most infamous endeavors.

And who wouldn’t want to be a part of the mafia during the 50’s to the early

80’s, really? Once you are imprinted by a respectable mafia family, nobody can touch you, both in the figurative and literal sense of the statement. With an indelible reputation on the streets, VIP access to all the opulent parties, a respectable status in the city, the power to annihilate nemeses and traitors, and lest not forget, everything and anything materially-desired could be so easily acquired like daisies on the first day of spring, being a gangster was like being royalty.

It comes as no surprise as to why the average man is so highly fascinated with the stereotypical lifestyle of a mobster mastermind, being able to create both fiction and non-fiction novels and produce a variety of films like Goodfellas, The Godfather (1972), which is recognized as one of the greatest films of all time, Mean Streets (1973), Scarface (1980), THESPECTRUM

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Mafias represent ego, power and wealth – everything the common man wants to hone.

Pulp Fiction (1994), and Casino (1995), depicting the luxurious but immoral lifestyle of big-time criminals; mafias represent ego, power and wealth – everything the common man wants to hone.

If you have read enough fiction or non-fiction crime novels, a certain Alphonse “Scarface” Capone will not come as unrecognizable or alien. Unlike the traditional “passing down the torch” to the heirs of the mafia family business, Capone was seduced into the illegal profession by notorious Chicago crime syndicate, Johnny Torrio. At the age of 14, Capone was expelled in catholic school for assaulting his teacher, by 26, he was the boss running the Chicago Mafia. He was acceptably comparable to the fictional mafioso godfather, Vito Corleone. He was merciless; always making a point to destroy other gangs in order to increase his territory. Capone was making $ 60 million every month during the Prohibition Era (the 13-year constitutional ban of production, transportation and distribution of alcoholic beverages in the United States) from bootlegging alcohol. He infamously perpetrated the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929, a murder spree that ended the mafia careers and lives of six mob associates, overpowering the North Side Irish gang and Capone’s rival, Bugs Moran. The tactic was for Capone’s hitmen to dress up like Chicago cops and make the crime scene seem like a police raid.

If ever you were wondering, Capone was not arrested for the bloodbath event he initiated. And how could he be when he had the Chicago City Police Department, politicians, lawyers and judges under his payroll. In 1931, Capone was prosecuted for tax evasion, serving 11 years in Alcatraz. He had a net worth estimated to be $ 1.3 billion.

Being in the mafia does not limit to only the gentlemen. Meet “The Godmother,” Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco, with a total net worth of $ 2 billion from smuggling cocaine from Colombia to the United States during her peak. Blanco was making $ 80 million a month by running large narcotics operations in the U.S. during the 70’s to early 80’s. Started out as a prostitute at a young age, Blanco was recruited by the Medellin Cartel for 50

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(above) Capone family (below) Al Capone smoking his Cuban cigar.

cocaine transactions. Blanco is said to be responsible for the murders of 200 people.

Blanco died at the age of 69 after two hitmen on motorcycles gunned her down in Colombia.

And not all mobsters will pass down the crime-filled lifestyle to their progenies nor do they showcase the typical smug personality, some of them even run the country in wide-toothed grins. Father of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, former Senator Joseph Kennedy, was a low-key bootlegger, secretly associated with New York and Chicago City mobsters.

Kennedy, the father, was into the liquor business legally until the Prohibition started where he desperately felt the need to be involved in illegal endeavors such as bootlegging. But soon after liquor was made legal again, Kennedy maintained the friendship and connections with the mafia, giving suspicions that the ties helped Kennedy gain political control during elections. Kennedy had a net worth of around $ 300 million.

The Philippines even has our own version of an Al Capone. Leonardo “Nardong Putik” Manecio was a local Caviteño driver who soon became one of the most notorious gangsters our country has ever witnessed. Stories of his reckless exploits and well planned-out escapes from the crime scenes, enabled the people to regard him as some sort of folk hero, carrying with him is his famous anting-anting (talisman) believing to bring him luck during his illegal ventures. In order to evade police authorities, Manecio would submerge himself in mud paddies, using breathing tubes out of bamboo stalks, thus gaining

*Valentines day massacre

*Griselda Blanco

him his nickname. Nardong Putik escaped prison twice. He was involved in various felonies ranging from illegal possession of firearms and drugs, abductions, robberies and murder. In September 1952, Manecio and his posse was involved in the Maragondon Massacre where then Cavite City Mayor Severino Rillo was kidnapped and murdered along with the town’s police chief and several policemen. In 1971, Putik was named Cavite’s Public Enemy No. 1, ordering National Bureau of Investigation agents of his immediate capture, dead or alive. The infamous Filipino gangster died in 1971 during a highway shootout against NBI agents.

20th century mafiosos may have lived lavishly and rapaciously in a profession that requires blood to scatter on the floors of gangster abode.

With a gunshot firing at both ends of Manhattan, what the mafia fails to encompass is, power and wealth is only temporary, while reputation is everything. S THESPECTRUM

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HISTORY

Something Vulgar

BY MONICA LOUISE TRINIDAD M. CUETO · PHOTOGRAPHED BY JHON ALDRIN M. CASINAS

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A SIGN, THIS IS IT [OR NOT].

A driver behind you, riding the douchiest SUV of the millennium, honks his horn in an excessively annoying manner, he gets flashed by the finger. Your ex-lover passes by with a smug smile on his face, wanting to flirt with you for game, he gets flashed by the finger. When someone pisses you off to the point the jokes were addressed in a disgustingly offensive manner, the insensitive comedian gets flashed by the finger, and possibly a big whack right across his face. The middle finger, the bad sign and the bird flip – all refer to the infamous obscene gesture of imparting insult, in the form of showing the back of a closed fist that has only the middle finger extended upwards, mimicking the male genitalia.

Like vulgar words, this gesture is mostly imparted to express anger, irritation or just so we’d look cool; a sign language for the “F” word really. Funny, the indecent sign is often flashed without people even knowing half of what the gesture means, more so its history. So, here it is.

Aristophanes, a Greek comic playwright, was the sick mind behind the gesture, he who so-creatively discovered that our divinely-given fingers can show something so obscene and vulgar. The bad sign premiered in 423 B.C. in a play titled “The Clouds”, written by Aristophanes himself.

The scene it first appeared was when Socrates, a Greek philosopher, was presented with the middle finger by Strepsiades, a theatre actor. And even during the time, it was clear that the gesture was offensive and meant something sexual. Soon after, the play closed but the gesture remained.

Representing the phallus, the gesture is done in a manner meant to intimidate, humiliate, degrade and threaten. It embodies the saying – “actions speak louder than words”.

One of the famous vulgar occurrences in Ancient Greece involved Cynic philosopher Diogenes of Sinope, and prominent statesman and famous Greek orator Demosthenes. Diogenes was in his large jar, by which he lived in. Fans of Demosthenes were crowded outside of the inn, fondly expressing their wish to meet or catch sight of the orator. Diogenes, being the controversial figure that he was, stoically and confidently stuck out his middle finger and 52

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The gesture is done in a manner meant to intimidate, humiliate, degrade and threaten. It embodies the saying – “actions speak louder than words”.

exclaimed “this, for you (directing at Demosthenes), is the demagogue of the Athenians.”

The gesture was introduced to Americans in the late 1880’s by Italian immigrants. The first documented appearance was at a baseball game in 1886. Boston Beaneaters pitcher Old Hoss Radbourn was photographed giving the middle finger to rivals, New York Giants.

And the rest, as they say, is a long book of vulgar American history.

The gesture came a long, long way since then; it has become a figure popular at protests, rock concerts, vandalized walls, angsty high schools and testosterone-filled football games. The innovation in this gesture is that we have given malice in every sight the middle finger is placed on display, unaccompanied. Whether the gesture was planned to offend or was just plainly meant to use for decent purposes (like pointing or counting), its picture utters the words inappropriate.

We have given malicious meanings of obscenity in the form of a finger, when it was just a void for anger and hatred we cannot express freely. S

SCIENCE

Of Worlds Beyond

BY LYLE JOHN L. BALANA · PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE INTERNET

A

n old adage has always held that Earth is the only planet we’ll ever have. This statement, true to the worldbound races of yore, did not ring well to the hyperaware generation that had come to round off the fruits of a species’ evolution.

Man turned to the stars to find some kin to their world, and found one that may prove to be alike to the home they’ve known in more ways than one.

Kepler 186f was announced on April 17, 2014 to the general public after being found by the Kepler spacecraft, a space observatory launched to discover other Earth-like planets.

The discovery was a crucial step into finding other worlds like Earth, and an encouraging development for those trying to search for extraterrestrial intelligence. But the question is: can it hold life as well as our planet? After three years of analyzing relevant data, scientists give out their judgement.

An examination of its orbital parameters reveals that it orbits an M-dwarf star that is 4% as bright as the Sun. Its orbital period lasts roughly 160 days, making years in it depressingly short, but it spins around its own axis slower than our own Earth, which means it will inevitably have longer days. Its axial tilt, the same device that produces our seasons, is too small, which means that winter, summer, spring and fall events may be a bit atrophied in Kepler 186f’s theoretical civilization.

Kepler 186f’s mass is, as of this time, unknown, as transit methods only measure size.

However, it is too small to be enveloped in gas like Neptune, and a feature of terrestrial

planets close to their suns is a healthy combination of rock, iron and nickel, as seen in Mercury and Venus. Due to the combination of its sun’s low temperature and its proximity in its solar system’s habitable zone, its nearness to its star does not remove the possibility of a biotic-friendly atmosphere possessing it.

Kepler’s tidal and atmospheric traits are unknown, as it is too distant to utilize other telescopes that may reveal the state of both.

Although it may have achieved “Goldilocks” status, meaning that it has the right combination of distance and heat to feasibly contain water in liquid form, it does not mean that it will automatically gain both water and atmosphere that is sacrosanct for life. Red stars, like Kepler’s host, are notoriously active in their solar flare activity, which will scorch away all the liquid that the planet can muster.

Even if there is enough to form oceans and lakes, its proximity to its star means that it may interact with it gravitationally, producing a situation called “tidal lock” that disallows the afflicted planet from turning away from the body exerting the force, much like our moon with the Earth.

Everything that has been said is not final.

Further investigation still has to be made, more tests and models still has to be run, and more advances in our telemetry has to be founded before judgment could be passed on a planet that may never hear from us.

But what is important is that exploration has been initialized, and that the facts of the case are within reach. One world may not prove definitive, but its state as a unique can never be decreed final. The stars are wide, and the search will continue. S

Everything that has been said is not final. Further investigation still has to be made, more tests and models still has to be run, and more advances in our telemetry has to be founded before judgment could be passed on a planet that may never hear from us.

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FEATURE

The Smiling Faces of the River

BY ANDREA NICOLE C. FAROL · PHOTOS TAKEN FROM THE INTERNET

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hey come with the dawn, clicking, creaking, buzzing. No, it’s not your alarm waking you up nor is it your mom seething at your “lifeless” body so intimately glued to the bed.

These creatures are what make the wildest dreams of five-year old girls (or even 18 year old ones). No, it’s not One Direction, not even err... HashT5. These are the helpers of fisherfolk, the smiling faces of the river: the adorable Irrawaddy Dolphins.

WHAT ARE THOSE? Before the animal lovers start spazzing about these cute creatures, let’s add something to our knowledge bank.

The Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) is a rare species of oceanic dolphins primarily found in Southeast Asian estuaries, mangrove areas and even in river systems.

They are closely related to orcas. Their name originates from the Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar where they are commonly found. These dolphins sport a bulging forehead coupled with a short beak giving them their charming appearance. They grow to about 180-275 cm and colors may range from blue to grey. Bony fish, fish eggs, cephalopods and crustaceans are their main diet. They wander together in groups of no more than 10 and are rarely seen 54

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to feed or swim alone. Also, they’re dubbed as the Smiling Faces of Mekong, for they are often observed in the Mekong River in Southeast Asia.

Unlike their other cousins, these friendly creatures are known for helping fishermen to increase their catch. They assist by herding schools of fish to the net.

The men communicate with the dolphins through tapping with their wooden staffs or rustling the water. In turn, the fishermen feed them from their haul until they are full and dive away. This tradition of having man and animal working together has been handed down from generation to generation of Irrawaddy fisherfolk. These men say that their catch is tripled whenever dolphins assist them.

Irrawaddy dolphins are scattered in small populations across South and Southeast Asia. Although they are often found in coastal areas, these mammals are best known for being in river systems. They are found in the Philippines, Indonesian Borneo, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Lao PDR. THE SITCH These dolphins have been classified as vulnerable. There are thought to be only 6000 of them in the wild and in protected places. Their current population trend is decreasing. Subpopulations were initially listed as critically endangered as the dolphins ranged from 10s to 100s. But an exception to this is Bangladesh subpopulation, where there were a staggering 5800 dolphins observed. In the Philippines, about 77 dolphins are in Malampaya Sound, while up to 100 have been observed in the Makaham River in Indonesia.

The decline on the numbers of the Irrawaddy Dolphins is mainly due to the threats by humans, especially by catch

or the unintentional capture of non-target species during fishing. In the Mekong River, where there are estimated to be 125 dolphins, many die because of getting caught in gillnets. Also the degradation of their habitats has contributed to their dwindling numbers. The decrease in their prey and disposing of organic wastes in their habitat also account for the high mortality rate of the species.

HELPING THE HELPERS In response to this situation, Cambodia has already formed a Dolphin commission for the protection of the Mekong dolphins.

This commission consists of rangers who patrol the river to prevent fishing in protection zones. Also, their government has passed a law which bans gillnet fishing in the Mekong River. Seminars and outreach activities are also conducted in order to educate fisher folk of the dangers of gillnets and giving them alternative ways to improve their livelihood without harming the creatures. The Wildlife Conservation Society has also asked the Bangladesh government to establish sanctuaries for the dolphins. #WHENINMALAMPAYA Hailed as the “Last Frontier” and Fish Bowl of the Philippines, Palawan is the home to one of the critically endangered subpopulation of Irrawaddy Dolphins.

Malampaya Sound, found in the northern part of the island, is designated as a national Protected Land and Seascape.

Main source of livelihood there is smallscale fishing, as commercial fishing is disallowed, which increases the threat of dolphins dying due to bycatch. But despite the fact it is a protected area, the lack of commitment from the government and the poor support and funding to the rangers

Unlike their other cousins, these friendly creatures are known for helping fishermen to increase their catch. patrolling the area make it vulnerable to all the threats.

OF DOLPHINS AND MEN As simple citizens living miles away from these adorable dolphins, it may seem we are helpless with this problem. And the fact that we can shrug off all of this as something not of our concern is a surefire way to let this species fade into extinction.

But there is a way to show our support, and it is to increase the awareness of people about their existence. We can be responsible tourists. We have a voice to poke our authorities to stop turning a blind eye to the threat on Malampaya Sound.

For now, the Irrawaddy dolphins continue on thriving in spite of the fast-changing, technology-filled world around them. They go on clicking, creaking and buzzing. They go on in lending help to the fisherman.

They go on in the traditions of men and beast working together.

For the Smiling Faces of the River do not forget, and hopefully, so do we. S THESPECTRUM

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Damian WORDS AND CONCEPT BY JOHN DALE GUGUDAN & KEANU JOSEPH RAFIL ILLUSTRATED BY KEANU JOSEPH RAFIL & MARTINI FALCO

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This is Damian. A boy whose not so wide library of memories flashed before his eyes as he watched the raging bus hit his life away.

All was devastating until his father, a robotics technician, tinkered with his death and brought him back to life leaving him a little less human. With crude oil for blood and metal plates for muscles, Damian faces the challenges his extra 5 arms replaced – being a real boy.

to be continued...

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FOOD

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Vendors should double up the preparations and tightly secure that the food gets to be served well and nice—this will put the safety measures in an absolute clean state.

K

wek kwek, banana cue, chicken skin, balut, chicharon, taho. You name it.

These are the street food every Filipino knows and loves. They may not be as refined or as sophisticated as restaurant dishes but these avenue eatables hold a very dear spot in our hearts as well as our stomachs.

Perhaps the most common examples are the Cha Rose stalls, where a variety of ready-to-eat food are either grilled or roasted and garnished with a savory sauce.

It’s no secret that Filipinos love to eat and when it comes to our choices of food, we often take to the streets. Street food has become a part of the Filipino culture for it has inculcated camaraderie among social groups on certain regions in the Philippines. It is one of the things that completes the Philippine experience and gives us natives a pure sense of home. But what is it about street food that we love most?

The most obvious reason as to why people love street food is because of how inexpensive they are. Let’s face it, Filipinos are lovers of all things free and cheap. Why overspend on a five-course bistro meal when you can spend less than 50 pesos on fishballs and tempura? Just think, you can get four or five plates of street food for every plate of burger steak you purchase at a nearby fast food chain.

However, quantity isn’t always better than quality, and inexpensiveness is not the only thing that makes street foods a hit.

Food carts and street food vendors are practically everywhere. They can be seen near schools, plazas or parks, and there are even mobile food carts that roam around the streets of town. And when

you’re walking down the sidewalk lined up with dozens of food carts and stalls, it’s hard to resist buying them especially when you’re surrounded with the mouthwatering smell of these deep-fried delicacies. The fact that you can just run up to a nearby stall and order your food, avoiding the sometimes unnecessary effort of going out to the local diner.

Another pro for street foods is that they’re quick to grab. Unlike fancy diners and restaurants, these food carts can dish out many servings in just a couple of minutes. You can get irritated with the painful wait of restaurant dishes and at times, the food isn’t worth it. But with these quickly prepared street food that only need to be fried for a minute or two, the wait is hardly noticeable. We just can’t help but dive into the tasty world of street food.

Also, one can assure his safety because the food is literally cooked upon his sight, thus he can observe whether the cook actually does the deed of cooking right or otherwise. Through this process, the consumer will get pretty much comfortable with the quality of the product that he/she intends to purchase and will later eat.

Moreover, interacting with complete strangers is also tackled when going for a streed food adventure. Obviously, you need to speak and listen to the person whom you’re specifically buying the street food from, so it’s a big no-no if one doesn’t simply know how to communicate physically-well and verbally-wise. Interestingly, good communication is an essential factor for better self-awareness and connection with other people.

You may ask, what’s the point of these still present street food? The point is that it contributes to the local economy itself.

Small businesses build a country’s economy; when you lend money to the man selling balut and mani, you are actually supporting his family and providing income for those people who would otherwise be unemployed. That’s some act of heroism there, you know.

However, indulging yourself in street food has its limitations, too. Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy MD, DOH has expressed that we must be very cautious in buying street food because these kind of foods are openly exposed to all different disease-carriers such as flies which carry germs and bacteria with them.

In addition, the Department of Health emphasized that during hot and humid seasons, the rapid increase rate of diarrhea victims is due to the rationale that germs become more attracted to nearby food sources.

Not only the consumers should be wary of this situation, but also the vendors and producers. Vendors should double up the preparations and tightly secure that the food gets to be served well and nice—this will put the safety measures in an absolute clean state.

Selling and buying street food changes lives. It begets food culture and diversity—a life in technicolor. It has bonded with the dynamic society that is of the Philippines. It plays a minor role in the facets of economy, yet when left unattended, may cause some major equilibrium conflicts. The bamboo sticks, a pair of sweet and spicy sauce and all forms and shapes of raw meat and uncooked ambrosia, aren’t enough to depict the beauty that fills our hungry stomachs every single time before, during and after a tiring activity. S THESPECTRUM

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madshack 2015

These are the remaining snapshots of the stubborn but valiant beings who willingly hurled themselves into the infamous Void. They have been unheard of ever since, but their display of bravery rendered them immortal to the common man.

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CONCEPT & WORDS BY RJ NICHOLE L. LEDESMA PHOTOGRAPHED BY JHON ALDRIN M. CASINAS & MARGARET E. YUSAY

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OCTOBER 2015

VOLUME 60, ISSUE #4

TALES OF THE DEAD FEATURES

Fear and death comes in many forms—and so does transcendance.

Dancing by Death’s Door

Curtains’ Closing

Flirting with danger behind the shadows because you can’t stand the light.

Lights off. The show is over. It’s time to leave— but you don’t want to.

Katherine E. Co & Starlene Joy B. Portillo

Krimlyn L. Lumawag

Misterio de las Tres Marias

Christiania Claudia Gancayco & Maria Angelica M. Ape

Two of our writers try to unearth the mysteries of this infamous landmark through first-hand accounts.

ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN DALE G. GUGUDAN THESPECTRUM

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TALES OF THE DEAD · FEATURE

Dancing by Death’s Door

BY KATHERINE E. CO & STARLENE JOY B. PORTILLO · ILLUSTRATED BY YCIA MYR E. YANSON

H

er fingers flirtatiously graze back and forth across the length of the pristine sharp blade, as if skimming through a patch of lengthy grass and her blood, the morning dew. A punch at the wall wasn’t enough, banging her head repeatedly felt better. She grabs a handful of her hair, wanting to get rid of something buried deep beneath her scalp. She claws at her skin, the red marks etched constantly reminding her that she can never escape from the horrors of her own skin. She might not be dead, but the numbness make it seem like she is.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury or NSSI has been defined by the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) as “the deliberate, self-inflicted destruction of body tissue resulting in immediate damage, without suicidal intent and for purposes not socially sanctioned”.

Although the portion of the greater community with a great lack of awareness on this phenomenon (possibly due to no direct and/ or influential encounter with the act) may consider it unusual, statistics show that the lifetime prevalence of NSSI is estimated to vary between 7.5% to 8% for preadolescents, increasing to between 12% and 23% for adolescents. NSSI is usually characterized by intentional methods of self-inflicted

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Consequently, this phenomenon is becoming too precarious and palpable not to notice, and too relevant to be uneducated about its existence and relative causalities.

damage to induce bleeding, bruising or pain performed with a knowledge of the absence of their lethal potential, expected only to procure minor or moderate physical injuries.

Freshman Alexandra* says that her first attempt at self-mutilation started on her first year of high school, caused initially by stress and personal frustrations but was later on pursued out of habit. And although she has contemplated and attempted suicide, fear seeped in, stopping her from ending her life for good and settling for self-harm instead. “I guess mutilating myself made me gain a semblance of numbness, a semblance of death,” she said. Starting out with blunt scissors which later on evolved to rusting cutters aiming to give her tetanus, Alexandra purposefully did it as an act of rebellion against her parents. As time went on with her doing it for gratification, she has learned to experiment with lighted matches pressed against freshly-cut wounds. The razor was her main instrument--- extremity, frequency and depth of cuts depended on how frustrated she felt. Her regular range was two slashes on the wrist at minimum and the worst being indefinite, but enough to make blood bleed heavily up until her mid-arm. “It might be disturbing and morbid, but I really do get a sense of satisfaction and relief after seeing blood or bruises on my skin. Feeling physical pain is like numbing your emotional, mental and psychological distress,” Alexandra added.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, NSSI may be caused and associated with the following: (1) Negative feelings or thoughts, such as depression, anxiety, tension, anger, generalized distress, or self-criticism, occurring in the period immediately prior to the self-injurious act; (2) prior to engaging in the act, a period of preoccupation with the intended behavior that is difficult to resist; (3) the urge to engage in self-injury occurs frequently, although it might not be acted upon; and (4) the activity is engaged in with a purpose; this might be relief from a negative feeling/cognitive

state or interpersonal difficulty or induction of a positive feeling state. The patient anticipates these will occur either during or immediately following the self-injury. In reference to a study by Lloyd-Richardson and his team on 633 adolescents, the most common reasons for NSSI were ‘to try to get a reaction from someone’, ‘to get control of a situation’, and ‘to stop bad feelings’.

“Mine started way back in 5th grade, but it used to be just for show for my classmates,” Accountancy student Echo* confessed. What started out as problematic pretense ended up as a coping mechanism to depression, the pressures of school, demands of society and parental expectations.

Aside from the obvious danger of physical harm, NSSI transcends its borders by inducing suicidal ideation or suicidal thoughts. Although it is fundamentally non-suicidal, an empirical study headed by Amy Brausch and Peter Gutierrez reaped a conclusion that adolescents who perform NSSI and have attempted suicide happen to have the highest levels of suicidal ideation, in comparison to adolescents who perform NSSI only and to those who have primarily no history of NSSI and suicide attempts. This lights a red signal as global suicide rates have increased 60% in the past 45 years. According to the most recent data gathered by the World Health Organization, the Philippines garnered 2.9% suicidal rate per 100,000 people a year. That being said, suicide is the second leading global cause of death. Moreover, NSSI, just like any other conceivable and executable thing in the planet, may have addictive characteristics and might turn into a habit that would be hard to discontinue. Similar researches have also found out that self-injurers typically report engagement in other risky behaviours, such as uncontrollable alcohol or drug use, reckless driving, or risky sexual behaviours, as rooted to another study by Wiebe that proved that individuals with low self-control are

more likely to seek out experiences that involve a level of risk or excitement. On the other hand, a case study conducted

by Sheila Marshall, Lauree Tilton and Hakan Stattin stated that adolescents inclined to NSSI are able to alleviate their depressive symptoms. It is a powerful reinforcing mechanism seeing as the effects are immediate. Following NSSI, high arousal negative affect-states such as feeling overwhelmed begins to decrease whereas low arousal positiveaffect states like calmness and relief steadily increases. Up to date, few psychotherapeutic treatments have been made specifically for NSSI and none of these are designed for the therapy among adolescents, which ironically is the age group wherein NSSI is most prevalent.

NSSI, so to say, is not that unusual anymore, and will get out of hand if there will be no preventive measures and psychotherapeutic interventions to be advanced and taken in the fastprogressing pace of risky adolescent behaviors. Consequently, this phenomenon is becoming too precarious and palpable not to notice, and too relevant to be uneducated about its existence and relative causalities. This is a call for everybody’s engagement in its prevention and cure by just starting out healthy and realistic relationships with friends and family, by being more open-minded and sensitive in talking about personal difficulties, and knowing when it is appropriate to bring matters to professional care. And through further consultation, contributions can be made in the advancement of new or existing research in the field of prevention and treatment of NSSI. Tears have dried, blood has been shed.

She cleans up after the ruins of yet another storm. Save for the well-hidden scars, people are left with nothing to notice. She is yet to face another ordinary day ahead in her constant loop of coping, seeming to come out of the aftermath unscathed. But we now know better. S THESPECTRUM

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TALES OF THE DEAD · FEATURE

Curtains’ Closing

BY KRIMLYN L. LUMAWAG · ILLUSTRATED BY KEANU JOSEPH P. RAFIL

I

t is like the denouement of a drama rendition and watching the curtains’ ends meet.

It can be that succumbing feeling you get after, or perhaps, that halted anticipation of happiness. It is that aftermath of the finale, an ending that left your heart in stitches. It is that twisted one amongst your beautiful emotions –grief.

The causes may be betrayal, death, failure or abandonment, and sometimes the occurrence of such events happen in a blink of an eye; the pain glaciating your gale of tears.

Though human beings react or behave differently towards sad events, there is a certain loss-and-redemption process which is tied in a five-stage thread that was first proposed by Elisabeth KublerRoss in her 1969 book “On Death and Dying”.

DENIAL AND ISOLATION: TO INSIST AND TO RESIST To deny a person’s death while facing his or her coffin. To insist against the reality despite having personally witnessed your other half’s infidelity. According to PsychCentral.com, an acclaimed online mental health resource by The New York Times, such reaction is normal when rationalizing overwhelming situations. It is a defense mechanism that buffers the immediate shock— but such is temporary. In this stage, avoidance may be of one the responses of a grieving soul due to the feeling of confusion, fear and numbness.

The mental struggles depend on one’s relationship with the person who has left or died.

“When I entered the ICU room and heard the white noise of the heart rate monitor, I fell into my knees. I couldn’t take the fact that she is already gone,” Charisse Erinn Flores, a third year Political Science student, shared about her mother’s death due to ovarian and colon cancer.

This is the first wave of grief.

ANGER: TO WITHDRAW AND TO CAST The intensity of denial and isolation is heartwrenching, and the worst part of it is unconsciously submitting yourself to the second stage. Consider yourself a balloon potbellied by helium, hoisted up into oblivion, alone and struggling. Then suddenly you find yourself swerving into different angles, your contours holed. The feeling of your inside boiling, like Pompeii in burning inferno, that is anger. This is your retaliation to bafflement and unacceptance, your symptom of uneasiness and not knowing what to do next. You are upset of the situation and have the urge to alleviate that feeling. You cast this anger to objects, to other people (even your closest) or to the deceased itself. Sometimes, you end up hating yourself for having no person to blame to.

You get easily frustrated and irritated with your surroundings. You develop anxiety.

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BARGAINING: TO RETHINK AND TO REMEMBER And with anxiety comes the ‘ifs’ and ‘only ifs’ –reoccurring regrets. To think that you could have done something for that matter, that you would have been able to postpone or delay the happening of the situation or hold on to that opportunity, which is now a grasp of air in your hands. You withdraw that feeling through telling your story over and over again to different people, seeking comfort from them. Helplessness and vulnerability envelope you, leaving you out searching for answers and meaning as to why it happened to you.

“Five long years of courtship and she told me to just give up the fight. Stop. Leave. Move on. She had three months to ready herself while I, on the other hand, was busy making plans for her, for us, which apparently, are mere dreams of mine now,” Jin*, an Electronics and Communications Engineering student shared, after his recently postponed courtship.

DEPRESSION: TO ENSCONCE AND TO MOVE FORWARD PsychCentral.com cuts this stage into two parts: the reaction to practical implications and the private goodbyes. The first one focuses on self-evaluation or questioning, like “what events have I missed to attend to in my course of mourning?” or “who will assist me in the preparations for the post-burial gathering?” The second part gives the person the time to meditate on things and to personally say his or her goodbyes to the dead or to whoever caused him or her such resentment and pain. The person’s body will continue to show lack of energy. According to Dr. Christina Hibbert, author of the Amazon’s Bestseller This is How We Grow, depression is not a mental illness but a natural response to a loss.

It should be noted as well that what the person experiences is not a clinical depression, which means that emotions exhibited through bereavement and mourning are a need for the purpose of healing.

ACCEPTANCE: TO RENEW This is not about telling the whole world that you have completely forgotten of yesterday. It is most certainly not about showing off your new partner, bragging that you easily found a new replacement for your crooked ex either. This calls for something better and you call it self-renewal. In this stage, you release that unreasonable and poor soul you have long buried inside your heart and let the good one in. You are bound for moving on, and what makes your next travelling unique is that you are carrying another baggage with you: your memories with that person and the lessons you have learned. Never resent over or condemn a person, for in every farewell is a sweeter hello.

“Right now, I am still in the process of moving on thoroughly, and I just figured out there is actually no moving on to the feeling, unless you accept the truth and help yourself to get up. This experience will always be my motivation to move forward because I know even if she is no longer physically here, I believe she is somewhere, feeling proud of me,” Charisse Erinn said about the changes in her life brought about by her mother’s death.

Apparently, a human’s heart does not live long enough to just settle itself into that feeling of fear, bereavement and angst.

What you have lost in yesterday, you make up for by celebrating your tomorrows. Yes, it may be painful-to-death by now, but that struggle of yours would soon find its way out of your emotional cocoon. S THESPECTRUM

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TALES OF THE DEAD 路 FEATURE

Misterio de las Tres Marias

BY CHRISTIANIA CLAUDIA GANCAYCO & MARIA ANGELICA M. APE PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARGARET E. YUSAY

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I

They also claimed to occasionally see a lady in white sitting by the trees. These residences living around the Artipulo have already gotten got used to it over the years.

t was 2:00 am on a Saturday night.

A teenage boy was driving after a night out with his barkada. The lack of street lamps and the buzz of the alcohol makes it harder for him to see where he is going. Cruising down the famous Artipulo street, his friends joked to honk the horn three times when they pass by. He jokingly bantered not to honk. The boy thought they had escaped the legendary “Tres Marias” road but suddenly, a dead end appeared.

Many residents within the area have declined for an interview about the Tres Marias. They would refer older people instead but local resident Violetta Vicentino said that she has been interviewed about the legendary trees for many times already. Born in the 1940s, she said that the Urban Legend about the trees already existed even way before she was born.

Haunting stories had been handed down from one generation to another.

Located in Barangay Bubog, Silay (also known as Artipulo) the family who owned the lot where the trees were planted are originally from Kanlaon and that they owned a vacation house in Artipulo. Stories said the owner of the lot, Sota (who was rumored to be an enkanto) raped three sisters and killed them. The three trees are said to be a representation of the three siblings and their spirits who are still within the area.

Violetta and her friends made the trees a hangout spot with friends when she was a kid. She said many candles were hung around the tree as a sign of offerings from the mass. She claimed that there had been many attempts made to take the trees down. The first attempt, a guy tried to axe the shortest tree. Then he suddenly heard someone whisper by his ear, making him stop. He immediately felt ill that he fell to the ground. So he stopped his attempt at taking the tree down. He was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately, he didn’t make it. Another attempt was when the lot was supposedly to be cleared for a construction. One worker started to chainsaw the shortest tree. By morning, there was no mark of the chainsaw on the tree. And so, his boss took it upon himself to finish the job. In the middle of doing so,

he fell and died.

As she grew old, Violetta stopped hanging out by the trees because she said she started feeling uneasy whenever she as around them.

One of the most famous stories that involved the Tres Marias tree that even caught the attention of local AM station Bombo Radyo where someone from the village bought 12 Mercedes Benzes and paid with cash. The cars were delivered in the lot. The drivers that delivered the cars said that they delivered it to a very huge mansion but when they got out of the gates, they were shocked to find themselves in the middle of the field where they lost their way and was no longer able to see the mansion.

Another famous accident was when a funeral car passed by Artipulo and the driver didn’t beep his horn three times. The driver later woke up, thinking he slept or was knocked out, and found himself in the middle of the street. He wasn’t wounded or anything but he soon found out that the corpse, which was supposedly resting inside a coffin in the back of the car, was lying in the middle of the street. Violetta said that lot of people really came by Artipulo that day to see what occurred.

Violetta said that fancy cars driven by a

guy wearing barong and black hat with his face half white and half black, sometimes enters the place leading to the vacant lot.

Those cars no longer reemerge.

The tricycle drivers of Barangay Bubog, whose station is relatively in front the famous trees, claim that sometimes Ceres buses would stop right in front of the vacant lot in the middle of the night so they would get a possible passenger. They see the people inside the bus shuffling to let someone through. However, when the bus moves on, there isn’t anyone around.

They also claimed to occasionally see a lady in white sitting by the trees. These residences living around the Artipulo have already gotten got used to it over the years, they said.

They added that there had already been too many accidents in front of the lot that people are already suspicious.

Many claimed that they were just driving and suddenly they would see a wall or something that would block their view and would make them swerve, thus the accident. And so, the Urban Legend dictates that one must honk the horns of their car three times when driving by the trees. True enough, we heard many cars honk their horns as they passed by Artipulo. S

HONK 3 TIMES. Few meters away from the highway, these mystical trees give you the chill when you already know the story behind it.

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REVIEWS

VOLUME 60, ISSUE #4

MOVIE + SERIES + ALBUM + BOOK + BLOG

MOVIE

Life Is Beautiful

BY MARIA ANGELICA M. APE

4/5

“Buongiorno, principessa!” (“Good Morning, princess!”)

A dramedy set in the backdrop of 1939 Italy, Life is Beautiful (La vita è bella) is about a Jewish bookstore owner turned waiter, Guido, played by Roberto Benigni (who also co-wrote and directed the film), his courtship with Dora, and his relationship with son Joshua when they were deported to a concentration camp during World War II. The first half of the film focuses on Guido’s romance with Dora (played by his off-screen wife, Nicoletta Braschi), and their bond with their son Joshua (Giorgio Cantarini). A Chaplin-style slapstick was incorporated during the first part of the movie. The characters were introduced 70

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TV/WEB SERIES in a way that the audience builds an attachment towards them. The second half of the movie became heavy as the mood of the film suddenly shifts its tone: from light and happy to a heart-breaking and melancholic mood. Benigni and Braschi’s pairing is perfect. Their tandem’s chemistry made it harder to believe their characters’ isolation from each other in the second half of the movie.

As the second part of the film kicks in, Guido and Joshua, who were Jews, were sent to a concentration camp—Dora follows them out of love for her family.

Inside the camp, Guido tries to lighten up the mood by tricking his naive and innocent boy that everything is a game and Life is Beautiful became a success that the film managed to bag several awards including the Grand Prize of the Jury during the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Original Dramatic Score, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Picture and Best Director during the 1999 Academy Awards among others.

The scoring for the film worked to say the least. It made the light parts lighter, and the heavy parts heavier.

Although half of the film was set in a heavy tone, Life is Beautiful became one of the most successful foreign films because of its beautiful combination of drama and comedy. In the film, the humor was funny and clever but dark and tragic at the same time. The film was heavily criticized by many for poking fun at the Holocaust by approaching its larger themes through comedy.

The movie was actually about a father’s love for family evident in the way he exhausted all means to protect his son and wife. The film wasn’t an accurate representation of life during the holocaust but it was convincingly made.

The movie is a great watch for anyone of all ages.

Word of the Lourd

BY KATHERINE E. CO

4.5/5

Administering a fantastic play of words, the series’ title is already the foreshadowing of a serious but hilarious show. What exactly is it really about, though?

The Word of the Lourd is a short TV series that airs on TV5’s news channel Aksyon TV 41 (formerly on TV 5) daily and at the same time uploaded on Youtube as a web series by TV5’s official evening news channel that is a fundamentally informative 2 to 5-minute segment that features a range of social and political issues that are embedded in the Filipino community delivered with creative style, rhetorical thinking and great deadpan humor. Both hosted and written by the “Lourd”, this segment stands out considerably among its fellow TV5 programs.

The identity of the very persona behind

ALBUM

Carrie & Lowell

by Sufjan Stevens this series would best explain how and why this TV show came to be. He is none other than Lourd de Veyra, literally the “Lourd” of the series. A short background of his life and career would tell us that he has been a journalist, poet, broadcaster and activist prior to the creation of the series, which would also best describe his critical and creative thinking embodied in the issues he wishes to humorously expose in the show.

A BS Journalism graduate at University of Santo Tomas (UST), he also plays as a lead vocalist in a Filipino jazz rock indie band called Radioactive Sago Project whose songs play different tunes about politics, drugs, alcohol, and a lot of other issues faced in the society nowadays. What’s even more amazing about the guy? He has also been a recipient of the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature, not just once, but thrice.

Not only has the series been a wonderful advocate of societal activism, it has also been (and continually is) a great entertainer to an integral target audience, the mass Filipino community, as it is spoken in the Filipino language and is constantly using the insights, ideas and participation of all kinds of social classes in performing its segment. We might regularly see de Veyra roaming the random streets of Manila, skimming public vicinities, riding jeepneys and acquiring neighborhood response, exposing every bit of the congruity and incongruity of the Filipino society here and there, gaining the attention, respect and the credit for a wonderful learning experience of viewers from various stages of life - a considerable lot in the span of 5 minutes or so.

The issues exposed in the series usually range from informal street behaviors of Filipinos (which we can totally relate with), the questionable use of slang words in modern times, historical relations to current events, hot trends like Dubsmash, Miriam Santiago and the rest of political controversies, environmental issues, and the list of the overwhelming matters of the society goes on as long as the wise and creative mind continues to see and question the world around him.

WOTL definitely is something worth an individual’s time, especially to a Filipino; it feeds us a load of information, cultivates a socially-aware mind, a thirst for truth, a desire for societal participation and a satisfying laugh.

BY RJ NICHOLE L. LEDESMA

5/5

In Sufjan Steven’s decade-long career, he has encompassed a great deal of thematic concerns in his song-writing: epic odes to Michigan and Illinois, cosmic ponderings on Chinese Zodiac signs, spiritual quests, and the Bible. He is known for his sprawling and larger-than-life autobiographical lyric narratives dashed with American fables, mythological references and Biblical imagery. He is, after all, not just known for his swooning, baby-faced singing persona, but also ultimately hailed as one of this generation’s best lyricists.

One that which recalls another writer that awed a generation of readers, Joan Didion, on her opus The Year of Magical Thinking, Stevens also took to writing the painful process of overcoming grief. And he has not only done it with grace and caution, but with soaring rawness and honesty. The product of this is his 7th studio album named after her mother and stepfather, Carrie & Lowell.

“With this record, I needed to extract myself out of this environment of makebelieve. It’s something that was necessary for me to do in the wake of my mother’s death,” Stevens admitted in a Pitchfork interview. He said that with this record, he strayed away from all the grandiose and experimental storytelling he has been known for. This resulted to a bare and minimalist direction both in the album’s sound and lyrics.

Sufjan proves that less is indeed more, if only driven by a gut-wrenching truthfulness to experience. With virtually

no drums, just fleshed-out acoustics and his airy voice, it is a huge departure from his last effort The Age of Adz (2010) which bordered on the electronic and ambient. Most tracks on this album are often accompanied by choir-like organs and washed-out synths. The compelling lyrics about death, forgiveness and his hometown, Oregon, are sung with touching intensity, along with background harmonies that lift Sufjan’s words even higher.

The album begins with the line “spirit of my silence I can hear you / but I’m afraid to be near you” on the track Death with Dignity as if summoning his Muse: to brave through the process of turning bereavement into art.

On the second track entitled Should’ve Known Better, he explicitly recalls a painful childhood memory: “When I was three, maybe four / she left us at that video store” of which he refers to his mother leaving him and his siblings for she was suffering from alcoholism and schizophrenia, and as she felt she is no longer capable of taking care of them.

Keeping up with relationships has also been harder for Sufjan, and is evoked vividly in the lines “You checked your texts while I masturbated / Manelich, I feel so used” on the third track All of Me Wants All of You. The song describes his becoming too attached to people as a form of filling a void for loss.

Sufjan also beautifully enraptures the feelings of emptiness, isolation and loss coated with Biblical allusion (With blood on my sleeve / Delilah, avenge my grief / How? God of Elijah) on Drawn to Blood.

“F*** me I’m falling apart,” he sings with boy-like frailty, as if almost on the verge of tears, on the track No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross. In the song’s mininarrative, he recalls his downward spiral toward vices and self-destruction after the eve of his mother’s passing. He also boldly references his slow descent to drug abuse. (“Inhaling its fire / I’m chasing the dragon”) A testament of a great artist lies on the boldness in which he bares his soul to his audience. With this magnificent album, Stevens has done just as that. He reminds us that death spares no one, and often the road to coping is a long and difficult one.

But through his art form, he has turned it into something tragically beautiful.

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BOOK

We the Living

by Ayn Rand

BY CHRISTIANA CLAUDIA G. GANCAYCO

3.5/5 Set back in the 1920s Russian Revolution, We the Living is a novel of Man against State. As the author Ayn Rand fiercely emphasized, “It is not a story about politics”. More than that, it is a novel that tells of what those red Soviet banners and slogans do to people, and how the people lived — or rather chose to live — under its shadows.

We the Living is Ayn Rand’s debut work, although it is not as famous and widely reviewed as her other works that came after it. Nevertheless, the reviews and reactions that the novel received are debatably positive.

Rand created unique, strong and interesting characters perfectly suited for the highs and lows of the novel. The story revolves around three distinct figures: Kira Argounova – defiant in spirit, rebellious in her convictions and who dearly clings to her ideals (no matter how seemingly improbable) at a time of poverty and Communism. Then there’s Leo Kovalensky – an attractive aristocrat with a free spirit whom Kira met in a chance encounter, and it was love at first sight for her. Finally, there’s Andrei Taganov – a Communist soldier, with a glance as cold as the Siberian wind, rigid in his decisions, stoic in his stance and loveless – that is, before he met Kira whom he shares the same ideals with.

Yes, the story mainly evolves between 72

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the love triangle of the three. However, theirs is not a typical triad love story. Rand hid values, morals and strong statements in their story. Rand’s allegorical writing smoothly covered the blatant distaste and rebuke of the plot towards Communism.

It is amazing how she could romanticize political and destitute situations; how she could skillfully make the readers fall in love with the same scene that bears her utter disgust in Communism.

The writing is severely raw, realistic and straightforward, not caring to sugarcoat ghastly details of the plot.

All in all, the novel is a stark reminder that some things are simply not meant to be; that things can’t always go our way.

But just as what Kira showed in the novel, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to be done about the things we desire. There is a choice: a choice that Kira bravely made despite the norms of the world telling her not to.

Ayn Rand carefully assorted how it was to live life and how not to. The novel magnified the fact that there is a fine line between living and merely existing.

I believe Andre and Kira realized that in the end.

BLOG

The Art of Manliness

BY HEZRON G. PIOS

3/5

How does one define true manliness? Is it through the abundant cognizance of sex, of having an extensive knowledge about the latest sports car, or is it unlocking the keys of getting a six-pack abs in not less than two weeks? If you prefer otherwise, then welcome to the blog of The Art of Manliness.

The Art of Manliness (AoM), founded by Brett McKay and powered by WordPress, is a lifestyle blog purposely exclusive to men of varying age brackets to attain its ultimate goal of “encouraging readers to be better husbands, fathers, brothers, citizens—a new generation of great men.” AoM has grown into the largest independent men’s interest magazine on the web as of today, according to the

blog itself. The blog suddenly took off new heights which made McKay bring in his wife, Kate McKay for assistance. The said blog features A Man’s Life—a section that speaks about lessons on manliness, etiquette, manhood and virtue, personal development and manvotionals. Other sections include Dress and Grooming, Health & Sports, Manly Skills, Money & Career, Relationships and Family, Shop, Archives et al.

However, not all the perspectives of people intersect at a common point; there are those who would rather disagree on the objective of the blog. People [or other bloggers] claim that AoM lacks credibility—pointing out that the blog’s visions imply that only a man can offer an advice on how to be a man, that there is a lack of suffering: no pain, anguish, conflicts and controversies, and that there are no things that provide essence to what makes men who they are.

McKay is hopeful that despite how the “media tends to focus on the negative aspects of young men because it makes for a great story and gets people’s attention.”

But in the few years of him running AoM and interacting with thousands of men across the globe, he has found that “the vast majority of them wanting to improve themselves as men and make a meaningful contribution to society.”

Additionally, many of the present men are shirking responsibility and growing up.

They are losing confidence, skills, focus and virtues inch by inch that past men had embodied. Some movements like the Feminism movement did significant things, however it somehow caused confusion to men about their role and are no longer proud of the virtues of manliness. One could infer that the rationale behind this male malaise ranges from the cultural to the technological, yet The Art of Manliness seeks to fill this void and offer alternatives such as handling fatherhood, friendship and marriage, survival and tactical skills, fitness and sports, and even good literature and entertainment collections, which is to say that The Art of Manliness doesn’t only focus on a single angle, but on the different facets of manhood. You might call that a win-win situation already.

This blog is not misogynistic for it solely wants to re-instill the qualities that were once openly embraced and praised as admirable traits in men: a strong work ethic, love, self-respect, devotion to duty, honor, courage, and dignity. Increasing a movement with the intention of helping men master the art of manliness is an honorable thing to do especially for today’s generation. Nefarious traits should be dissolved even as early as childhood so that the society might once again breed better individuals and a better future.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARGARET E. YUSAY MODEL MARIA ANGELICA M. APE THESPECTRUM

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