The Spectrum Volume 62. No. 7 (E-Newsletter)

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT MEDIA CORPS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

E-MAIL thespectrum.usls@gmail.com FACEBOOK facebook.com/thespectrumusls ISSUU issuu.com/thespectrumusls

USLS installs 12th Br. President

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

BY ANDREA NICOLE C. FAROL

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

Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez, FSC, D. Min. was inaugurated as the 12th Brother President and Chancellor of the University of St. La Salle (USLS) during the Investiture Rites held at the University Coliseum last Aug. 19.

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

Martinez also proposed the

renovation of Handumanan Park to add to its aesthetic value and convenience to students during his inaugural address.

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

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

Also gracing the event was Br. Armin Luistro, FSC who read the citation for outgoing President

—PHOTO BY NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN

Br. Manuel Pajarillo, FSC. As representative of the USLS Board of Trustees, Jose Ledesma III read the resolution choosing Martinez as the successor before leading the oath taking.

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

Guests from different Lasallian schools, USLS admin officers, faculty, staff, students, and Martinez’s family and friends attended the Reception Rites and Fellowship after, held at Santuario de La Salle, where food from the Institute of Culinary Arts and local restaurants were PRESIDENT / PAGE 6

SPECIAL REPORT Got 5,000 followers? You might just be hired with PCOO’s newest policy.

Read on page 4

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

Read on page 2

FILIPINO See the Filipino culture through the lenses of two foreigners.

Read on page 6

UNIVERSITY See what Lasallians have to say on the proposed extension of Martial Law Read on page 7

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THESPECTRUM / OPINION

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

THESPECTRUM FOU N DE D 1956

facebook.com/thespectrumusls thespectrum.usls@gmail.com VOLUME 62 NUMBER 7 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017 Member Alliance of Lasallian Campus Journalists, Advisers and College Editors Guild of the Philippines Andrea Nicole C. Farol EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Katherine E. Co ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Robert H. Jerge III MANAGING EDITOR

Iris Denise N. Rivera EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR NEWSPAPER EDITOR Christiana Claudia G. Gancayco ASST. NEWSPAPER EDITOR Starlene Joy B. Portillo MAGAZINE EDITOR Chad Martin Z. Natividad ASST. MAGAZINE EDITOR Joshua Martin P. Guanco ONLINE EDITOR David Willem L. Molenaar LITERARY EDITOR Hezron G. Pios

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

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

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

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

mediaman.

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

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

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

Juan de la Cruz does not toil just to pay taxes which will fall into the pockets of someone who got the job through “utang na loob”.

Certainly, we don’t want to obtain news from people whose best credentials is his/her massive following alone. And surely, this isn’t something we could proudly explain to other countries.

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

ASST. LITERARY EDITOR Lyle John L. Balana HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR Maria Angelica M. Ape ASST. HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR Ian Kristoffer V. Ga PHOTOS AND VIDEOS EDITOR Nichol Francis. T. Anduyan LAYOUT AND GRAPHICS E DITOR Jowan Dave G. Guides ASST. LAYOUT AND GRAPHICS E DITOR Glen Jed J. Descutido NEWSPAPER WRITER

Adrienne Carl S. Calvo MAGAZINE WRITER

Riesa T. Rodillado ONLINE WRITERS

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

Stephine Paul M. Dungca FILIPINO WRITERS

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

Alvin Brian S. Legario

PHOTOJOURNALISTS

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

Kyle Jyrax D. Sevilla LAYOUT AND GRAPHICS ARTIST

Shara Mae L. Pelayo ILLUSTRATORS

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

Keanu Kent B. Gargar EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Keanu Joseph P. Rafil PUBLICATION MODERATOR

Jean Lee C. Patindol

The Spectrum is the Official Student Media Corps of the University of St. La Salle. Its editorial office is located at the USLS Student Activity Center, La Salle Ave., Bacolod City, Negros Occidental 6100; it can be reached through the telephone number, (034) 4321187 local 172 and e-mail address, thespectrum. usls@gmail.com. All rights reserved. No part of The Spectrum may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Media Corps.

All contributions become The Spectrum property and the Editor-in-Chief reserves the right to edit all articles for publication.

OPINION / THESPECTRUM

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

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Who’s Watching the Watchdog?

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

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

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

Sonorus Maxima Starlene Joy B. Portillo starleneportillo@gmail.com

Each sensationalized story stabs the already-dying credibility of journalists. credibility of journalists.

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

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

And while the aforementioned blunders

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

However, adaptation should not mean a devaluing of substance, and the abandonment of our roots.

Section 11 of The Philippine Journalists’ Code of Ethics reads: “When in doubt, decency should be my watchword.” In as much as journalists have the freedom to expose and inform, we also have the burden of self-regulation. And self-regulation does not equate to self-indulgence.

The test of our integrity lies not on what we do because we are allowed to, but rather on what we choose to do regardless of what we are imposed with. Although ethical decisions remain to be entirely subjective, we should remember not to stray from what a journalist has vowed to be: impartial, yet empathic; hardened, but bound by conscience.

Connect to Disconnect

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

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

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

The-Bid David Willem L. Molenaar dmolenaar9@gmail.com

Slow internet connection is something everyone in the Philippines can attest to... And all we can do is wait. countries, with war zones like Syria not far behind.

So why is the internet here in the Philippines so slow compared to a lot of countries? Simply said, the internet providers here do not want to invest in better cables.

We have been using copper wires to transfer data for about two decades, we are still living like we are in 1994. Fiber optics offers over a thousand times as much bandwidth at

distances over a hundred times further. And although it comes with a price, the advantages fiber optics bring are just things you can’t seem to say no to. In the long run, fiber optics would need less maintenance because of how durable it is yielding cheaper maintenance cost.

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

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

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THESPECTRUM / SPECIAL REPORT

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

PCOO’s Interim Policy: What is at stake?

BY IAN KRISTOFFER V. GA

“You cannot gauge a person by his number of followers,” said Communication Department Chair Hannah Mariveles regarding the Department Order (D.O.) No. 15 entitled ‘’Interim Social Media Practitioner Accreditation” signed

by Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Martin Andanar last Aug. 8.

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

It also says that the accreditation shall be issued to a Filipino citizen who is at least 18 years of age and has at least 5,000 followers on any social media platform. Those who wish to apply may do so at the Social Media Office (SMO) headed by PCOO Asec. Mocha Uson. Three days after the completion of requirements, the SMO will then review and consider the applications.

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

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

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

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

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

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

For Mariveles, this similarly goes out to journalism, where the biggest names in journalism such as Malou Mangahas and Ed Lingao are lesser known to many while Mocha Uson garners the larger following.

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

—JOWAN DAVE G. GUIDES

Mariveles stated.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

NEWS / THESPECTRUM

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—COURTESY OF JEFFREY LAZARO

Lasallian filmmakers represent BCD in nat’l film fest

BY CHRISTIANA CLAUDIA G. GANCAYCO

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

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

Cinema Rehiyon 9, financed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, gathers a selected crop of independent filmmakers together every year to view films from across the country and open “creative discussion” among these practitioners in the industry.

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

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

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

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

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

The film festival showcased a wide array of films, from full-length features and documentaries to short films, and also gave room for

question-and-answer portions for guest directors directly after their films were played.

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

She said the participants of the film exhibition were able to witness the “unfiltered side of Philippine culture,” believing that this had led them to the understanding and appreciation of “what is being forgotten and left out.”

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

Lasallians join CSB’s Design Thinking bootcamp

BY CHRISTIANA CLAUDIA G. GANCAYCO

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

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

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

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

Participants were then tasked to brainstorm ideas to address the given problem statement.

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

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

As a final output, each group presented the prototypes of their ideas and explained their plans to implement their pitch. Each of them also presented a short skit on how their idea would help address the problem of the chosen community.

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

Asked how they came about their project, called “Melchora’s”, Ampil explained, “We took an empathic approach towards finding

a solution using the information we found in the community. We saw that there was a difficulty with regards to feeding the children on the mothers’ end but we didn’t stop there as we felt like there was an approach that would cut across and help in more ways than one.”

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

Team Fourward is receptive on submitting their project to the Benilde Prize: Innovation for Inclusion call for submissions, which opened last Sept. 4.

“Being an innovator, or if you’re pioneering an idea, you need like-minded people,” said Cabanilla. “We realize we need to build this relationships and ecosystem for the team.

So we want to be able to continue the relationship. And we hope that the schools will be able to replicate that. Schools, universities are a very potent tool for raising changed agents.”

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

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

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THESPECTRUM / FILIPINO

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

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

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

Nagbabago man sa paglipas ng panahon ay patuloy pa ring kinikilala at tinitingala.

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

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

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

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

Ngayon, inyong tunghayan ang pagsasalaysay ng dalawang dayuhang kasalukuyang nanatili sa Unibersidad: sina Miko Fujiwara - kalahating Pilipino at Hapon, at ang dating tagapangulo ng La Salle Vivace Strings na si David Strong - isang Amerikano. Magkapareho silang hindi isinilang sa Perlas ng Silangan at magkaiba man ng pinangalingan, mas pinili ng dalawa na manatili sa bansang dayuhan.

Nakipagpanayam si Miko Fujiwara na kasalukuyang nasa ika-apat na taon sa kursong Edukasyon at limang taon nang naninirahan sa bansa. Taong 2012 nang unang tumapak si Fujiwara sa Pilipinas upang ipagpatuloy ang kanyang pag-aaral sa kolehiyo kasama ang dalawang nakakabatang kapatid. Ayon sa kanya, hindi naging madali ang pananatili sa Pilipinas sapagkat may mga pagkakaiba sa kultura ang bansang Hapon at ang Pinas. Ganunpaman, masaya daw siya na sa Pilipinas siya nanirahan sapagkat napukaw ang kanyang pagiging Pilipino.

Karamihan sa mga dayuhang dumadalo sa pagtitipon ng mga Pilipino ay maaring makapagpatotoo na likas ang pagiging magiliw at palakaibigan ng ating lahi. Isa din si Fujiwara sa mga dayuhang makapagbibigay-katwiran sa katangiang ito. Habang siya ay nanatili sa Pilipinas, nasaksihan niyang likas ito sa kanyang mga malalapit na kaibigan, kapamilya, at kakilalang Pinoy.

Sa kabilang banda, ipinanganak naman at lumaki sa Kanlurang dako ng daigdig si David Strong na halos siyam na taon nang naninirahan sa bansa. Tubong Amerika ang buo niyang angkan na puro guro at mga taga-plano ng negosyo. Bago lumipat sa Pilipinas, nakapagtapos si Strong ng Performance Music at naging matagumpay sa kanyang karera bilang isang musikero at tagapagtugtog ng violin at viola. Ayon kay Strong, naging madali sa kanya ang pakikipag-usap sa mga Pilipino sapakat likas sa mga Pilipino ang pagiging mahusay sa wikang Ingles ngunit kakaunti lamang ang alam niyang mga salitang Filipino o Hiligaynon. Iilan sa kanyang nabanggit ay “Magandang umaga” at “Salamat po,” at “Lugar lang” kung siya’y bababa sa pampasaherong dyip o taxi at “Duwa ka kape” kapag nasa restawran o kapehan. Madali rin daw makibagay ang mga Pilipino sa iba’tibang lahi, kultura, at sitwasyon na sa kanyang palagay ay nangigibaw sa

-NICHOL FRANCIS T. ANDUYAN

iba pang mga lahing Asyano.

Ilang beses na bang nagulat ang mga dayuhan sa kakayahan ng mga Pilipinong maging positibo pagkatapos ng unos ng bagyo? Bukod sa mga larawan ng mga unos at dagok, lubos na ikinagulat at kinahumalingan ng mga dayuhan ang mga larawan ng mga batang masayang lumalangoy sa baha o mga tao sa mga evacuation center na nakangiti at kumakaway sa mga kamera. Ilang beses nagtanong si Strong kung paano nagagawa ng mga Pilipinong ngumiti sa gitna ng mga dagok at hirap; sa mga panahong butas ang bulsa at mahapdi ang bituka. Simple lang ang kinakapitan at pinanghahawakan ng mga Pilipino: positibong diwa at mukha ng pag-asa nakahiga man sa salapi o dukha.

Bukod dito, hindi rin naiwasang banggitin ni Fujiwara na malaking tulong ang kulturang Pilipino upang maimulat ang kahalagahan ng isang pamilya sa kanya. Wika niya, sabay-sabay silang kumakain sa hapag-kainan ng kanyang mag-anak, nagmamano sa mga nakakatanda na nagpapakita ng paggalang, at pagbebeso sa mga kakilala at pamilya na sa kanyang palagay ay hindi gaanong pinahahalagahan sa kinalakihang lugar.

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

Kilala rin tayong mga Pilipino sa pagiging mapagpasalamat, malakas ang loob, madiskarte at higit sa lahat, malaki ang pananalig sa Diyos.

Ayon kay Strong, “The things that drive us as human beings—Filipinos are very good at it.” Bakas sa mga Pilipino ang pagiging mapagpasalamat gaano man ito kalaki o kaliit. Isa rin tayong lahi ng mapagmalasakit na mamamayan na handang magbigay at umambag ng tulong sa kapwa kahit may mga pagkakataong tayo ay walang-wala rin. Diskarte at tibay ng loob din ang puhunan ng mga Pilipinong nakikipag-sapalaran at nagbabatak ng buto sa ibayong dagat.

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

Isang hindi makakalimutang karanasan para sa dalawa ang paninirahan sa Pilipinas. Hindi lamang namulat ang kanilang kamalayan sa kulturang Pilipino, kundi sa paglipas ng panahon ay tuluyan na nilang minahal at kinilala ang pagiging isang tunay na Pilipino.

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

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

UNIVERSITY / THESPECTRUM

JULY TO AUGUST 2017

7

LASALLIANS SPEAK Do you agree with House Speaker Alvarez’s proposal that extending martial law in Mindanao until 2022 will stop the uprising of terrorism and insurgency in the island?

“Yes, I agree with Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s decision to extend martial law since it is where the government will do their part as the servant of the people.”

—Harold Geriane - BEPE3

“If the war in Mindanao will be resolved by the end of the year or sooner, there is really no need for Martial Law to be extended.”

—Sonny Jr. P. Ramos - ABPO4

“I agree if it is for the betterment of the people living in Mindanao, as long as there are no negative effects within the community.”

—Aviry C. Sarrosa - COMK4

PRESIDENT / FROM PAGE 6

showcased.

The University’s De La Salle Chorale, Jean Baptiste Dance Company, Vivace and Masskara dancers performed to entertain the attendees.

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

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

teaching, and operational activities. At the same time, I would like the community to know me as well, what my thoughts, ideas, and initial plans are with regards to the school.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

E-MAIL thespectrum.usls@gmail.com FACEBOOK facebook.com/thespectrumusls ISSUU issuu.com/thespectrumusls VOLUME 62 NUMBER 2 · JULY TO AUGUST 2017

BY IAN KRISTOFFER V. GA

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

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

“We may not be able to make it to the top, but we learned a lot and

will use these lessons in our training to become stronger players,” said Sy. Amidst not qualifying for the top spots, the Sy-Villanueva duo gave Perlas Spikers’ Charo Soriano and Bea Tan (former Ateneo De Manila University Lady Eagles and third-place finishers) a hardfought match with 19-21 and 20-22.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to play more of their legs in the future,” said Sy. The Parcia-Marcelino duo spiked their way to a win against a University of San Jose- Recoletos team in the Men’s Division.

BVR’s Cebu leg is the seventh this year and is the final stop before the 2017 BVR National

COURTESY OF RALPH SAVIILLANO

USLS competes in BVR Cebu leg

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

Championships that happened later in July wherein Tagum PNP’s PO1s Karen Quilario and

Lourdilyn Catubag took home the title at the Anguib Beach in Cagayan.

TIMEOUT

Filipino glory bears Lasallian pride

BY STEPHINE PAUL M. DUNGCA

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

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

Bacolod City native Joshua Dutosme and Escalante City pride Nessi Ramos signed as new midfielders for CeresNegros FC during the transfer window to replace Simone Rota, Jorrel Aristorenas, and Jason de Jong, who transferred to Davao Aguilas.

In an article written by Adrian Stewart Co, Ceres Negros team manager Joshua Dinsay said, “Joshua and

*(L-R) Dutosme, Ramos PHOTO COURTESY OF CERES NEGROS FC

Nessi are good additions to the squad. Both are veterans from the University of St. La Salle and their experiences are useful for the team.”

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

Last 2016, both represented the Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association (NOPSSCEA) as part of USLS-Ceres during their fifth crown battle in the regional Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) Meet Collegiate Championship.

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

These Lasallian rising stars showed athletic potential at a very young age. Dutosme (who started playing at age eleven) has collected achievements which include multiple championships during the NOPSSCEA and even bagged the Most Valuable Player award during the national PRISAA 2016.

Ramos (who started playing at age seven) has won NOPSSCEA and PRISAA championships as well and was awarded Best Defender during the Smart Cup 2016.

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

The two veteran greenblooded alumni will miss their first Philippine Football League as they will be part of Ceres’

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

Ceres-Negros FC will go head-to-head with Tajikistan in the two leg interzonal playoffs semi-finals. In an article

by Henry Doble, the winner will go against the second leg winner of the two-leg semis match between Bengaluru FC of India and 4.25 Sports Club of the People’s Republic of Korea.

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