The Torch Publications Tomo LXXIV Blg 1

Sa Hukuman ng Bukirin

Ink your Pen, Serve the People!

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E D I T O RYAL

DIBUHO ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

A.Y. 2020-2021 Kyril Jon Velasquez PUNONG PATNUGOT Jersey Cacalda Kawaksing Patnugot sa Filipino Dominic Kean Calavia Kawaksing Patnugot sa Ingles Ma. Nathalie Avendaño Patnugot sa Pamamahala Justine Patricio Patnugot sa BalitA Alizsa Joy Martinez Patnugot sa Lathalain Micarl Abrantes Patnugot sa PANITIKAN Shaine Christian Ocampo Patnugot sa Pananaliksik Allyssa Marie Salvacion Puno ng Arts and Media Team Marie Aniza Adier Pauline Aguilar Jhun William Cabrezos Jose Franco Castillo Adrian Paul Cortez Andrea Crisologo Geline Despabiladeras Erica Mae Gozo Jomil Christian Liza Theodora Malvar John Mark Mampusti Faith Frances Miranda Wayne Abcde Nasayao Ariana Sofia Nedic Joseph Eli Occeño Nicole Lindsay Ramos Tresia Traqueña Gabrielle Sulit Dominick Silverio Istap Dionnelyn Layco Lois Laine Lua Art John Arguelles Abby Gail Tabernilla Eric John Dimasakat Sheena Mae Balonzo Korespondent Elvia Nicole Aguacito Quenie Asilo Ezra Galauran Carmella Larguiza Eric Dela Peña Jr. Arts and Media Team Prop. Joel Costa Malabanan Kritiko sa Filipino at Tagapayong Teknikal

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KASAPI College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) Progresibong Lupon ng mga Manunulat (PLUMA-PNU) ■ ■ ■

OPISINA Rm. 304-4, Main Bldg., Philippine Normal University

Sa Hukuman ng Bukirin

Sa mahabang kasaysayan ng pakikibaka ng uring magsasaka, buhay at dugo na ang binhing nakatanim sa mga lupaing matagal nang ipinagkakait sa kanila.

Sa ilalim ng rehimen ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, ang hanay ng magsasaka at mangagagawang bukid ang isa sa pinakamatinding dumaranas ng karahasan mula sa mga pwersa ng estado. Simula taong 2016 hanggang kasalukuyan, 277 na ang magsasakang pinatay na may kaugnayan sa usapin ng lupa ayon sa Sama-samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo (SAKA). Ilan sa mga ito ay biktima ng masaker, marahas na pag-aresto, at summary executions. Kabilang pa sa mga ito ang pagpatay sa siyam na magsasaka sa Sagay, Negros Occidental at 14 na magsasaka mula naman sa Negros Oriental na parehong ibinunga ng madugong Memorandum Order 32 sa ilalim ng Synchronized Enchanted Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO).

Bukod pa rito, pangunahing puntirya rin ng estado ang mga lidermagsasaka kagaya nina Randy Echanis at Edgardo Avelino na kabilang sa libo-libong pinatay sa ilalim ng administrasyon ni Duterte. Samantala, 90% naman sa kabuoang bilang ng higit 600 na bilanggong politikal sa bansa ay pawang mga magsasaka at mangagawang bukid na karamihan ay miyembro ng mga organisasyon na kolektibong kumikilos at nananawagan para sa karapatan sa lupa, pagkain, at kabuhayan.

Bunga ang mga pag-atakeng ito ng sunod-sunod na represibong palisiya ng pamahalaan gaya ng Executive Order 70 na nagluwal sa National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) na pinangunguhanan mismo ng Pangulo.

Kaalinsabay nito ang pagde-deploy ng libo-libong pwersa ng mga militar sa kanayunan sa bisa ng Oplan Sauron at Oplan Kapayapaan, partikular sa probinsya ng Negros, Samar, Bicol at ilang bahagi ng Gitnang Luzon.

Lahat ng ito ay mekanismo ng estado

upang panatilihin ang paghahari ng atrasado, macho-piyudal, at kolonyal na ekonomyang nagsisilbi lamang sa interes ng iilan.

Liban pa sa mga pagpatay, unti-unti ring binabansot ng pamahalaan ang kabuoang industriya ng agrikultura sa bansa. Mula taong 2017 hanggang 2019, tinatayang nasa 1.4 milyon na trabaho mula sa sektor ng agrikultura ang nawala bunsod ng kapabayaan ng pamahalaan. Sapul nang maipasa ng Kongreso at mapirmahan ng Pangulo ang Rice Liberalization Law, bumagsak ang presyo ng palay mula 10 piso hanggang 12 piso kada kilo na nagdudulot ng malaking pagkalugi sa mga lokal na magsasaka. Umaabot sa 70 hanggang 80 bilyong piso ang lugi ng sektor o 28,000 hanggang 30,000 piso kada magsasaka na lalo pang pinapalala ng kahirapang dulot ng pandemya.

Ngayong taon, patuloy pa rin ang pag-aangkat ng pamahalaan ng bigas mula sa Vietnam at iba pang karatig-bansa sa kabila ng banta ng krisis pangkalusugan at dulot nitong kagutuman. Imbes na gamitin sa pagpapayabong ng sariling industriya ng agrikultura sa bansa ang 7.45 bilyong piso na gagamitin sa pagangkat ng bigas, napupunta pa ito sa produkto ng ibang bansa. Sa pagpapatuloy ng ganitong iskema, humaharap ang 7.6 milyong pamilya sa kagutuman, ayon sa datos ng Social Weather Stations (SWS), isa sa pinakamataas na tala dahil bigo ang pagtugon ng pamahalaan sa pandemya na nagbubunsod sa patuloy na na pag-urong ng ekonomiya.

Sa usapin ng badyet, tugon ng estado ang pagpapaigting ng militarisasyon imbes na ibuhos ang pondo ng bayan sa mga pangangailangan ng mamamayan.

Patunay rito ang paglobo ng pondo ng NTF-ELCAC na binahagian ng Kongreso ng 19.1 bilyong piso para sa 2021 mula sa 622. 3 milyong pondo ngayong taon. Pinatitindi lamang ng ganitong kalagayan ang pandarahas, ilegal na pagdakip, panre-red tag,

at pagpatay sa mga magsasaka at maralitang Pilipino sa tabing ng pagsugpo sa rebolusyonaryong kilusan na bunga ng tumitiding kahirapan.

Hindi maikukubli na ang matinding panunupil ng pamahalaan laban sa mamamayan ang nagpupunla sa tumitinding pagbalikwas mula sa hanay ng masa sa pangunguna ng mga magsasaka. Ang pagwawaldas ng pamahalaan ng malaking pondo sa pagtatangkang kitilin ang rebolusyonaryong pwersa ay walang saysay kung patuloy na ipagsasawalambahala ang pangunahing pangangailangan ng mamamayan. Ang tumitiding pandarahas ng estado ay magbubunga lamang ng mas malakas at mas malawak na kilusan laban dito dahil hangga't nananatili ang istruktural na opresyon at pagkiling ng estado sa interes ng iilan, hinding-hindi maglalaho ang pakikibaka ng uring magsasaka.

Ang mga pag-atakeng ginagawa ng estado ay magpapabilis lamang ng paglago ng kilusan na maghahatid sa naghaharing uri, kabilang ang mga panginoong may lupa at pasista, patungo sa hatol ng hukuman ng masa.

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...ang matinding panunupil ng pamahalaan laban sa mamamayan ang nagpupunla sa tumitinding pagbalikwas mula sa hanay ng masa sa pangunguna ng mga magsasaka.

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WHERE WE STAND > EDITOR’S NOTE

When a crisis is at its peak, fascism intensifies to suppress every ounce of resistance against a despot. As COVID-19 menaces the most vulnerable of Filipinos, President Duterte proved himself to be worse than the unprecedented global health emergency as his brand of leadership led to thousands of lives laid waste.

The Duterte administration, in its over four years of presidency, has been consolidating political power to serve the interests of the ruling class and imperialist countries. The regime’s bloody campaigns and policies led to the unparalleled structural and direct state violence against the masses – surpassing the late dictator Marcos who was ousted by the people.

As much as we want to separate

ourselves from the aggravating situation, one cannot detach themselves from the material conditions of society.

As part of the broad array of the population belonging to the poor, the members of the publication are not exempted from the dire socioeconomic and political situation worsened by the pandemic. Many of the publication’s members, including its core leaders, have experienced distress over the past months. Other members opted to take indefinite leave to take care of their struggles and contradictions – pushing the publication to the brink of vulnerability. Undoubtedly, without a strong sense of our duty to serve, the publication and its members could have been part of the casualties of the current regime’s incompetence and frailness.

Keeping oneself sane and stable amid the pandemic is already a challenge for many of us. While facing numerous social changes at a hasty pace, the members of the publication are challenged to, at least, keep its service, especially during a time when critical journalism is most crucial and needed. For sure, the health emergency hampered

many of the publication’s projects and endeavors, especially those that are essential to the continuity of the campus press’s functions like Journalism Training Seminar and the competitive selection of new editors.

Considering the situation, the current Board of Editors (BOE), via quorum, has decided to approve a resolution that authorizes its members as holdover editors until the conduct of an editorial examination is possible. The unprecedented disruption warranted the publication to decisively put forth decisions in the aim to ensure that the press’s functions are met. With the remaining active members and editors, the publication kept its sworn commitment to serve the studentry and the community beyond with truthful and fearless reportage.

In a time when reliable information is vital, the responsibility of the press to amplify voices and give comfort to the disenfranchised becomes a paramount duty. More than that, the press has to engage and raise discussions by exposing social realities with a vision to catalyze social transformation. The Torch

believes that journalism has to arouse, organize, and mobilize people to demand justice for every farmer killed by state forces, every indigenous community deprived of the right to self-determination, and every activist silenced by the military.

The state has waged incessant attacks amid the pandemic in the pursuit to perpetuate its self-serving agenda. As people grow tired of the daily bread of incompetence, corruption, and state violence served by the Duterte administration, their yearning for justice blurs, and their hope dims even more. Upon looking at the pile of bodies, after hearing the cries of the abused, and after feeling the hunger of the poor, we ask ourselves – where do we stand in all of these?

And there can be no other answer but by the people’s side.

The Torch will continue to bear the same answer until the masses have achieved genuine liberation from oppression and violence.

After all, to write not for the people is nothing and that is where we stand.

CONTENTS > LOCAL NEWS 8

PE professor donates computers to 17 students

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PNU enrollment shifts online; first-year students made adjustments

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PNU-FR proposes MOOE reallocation as SUCs migrate online

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On failure of 2020 USC Elections: Cliffhanging #MarchBetterUSC

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USC to propose ‘Mental Healthcare Period’ to admin

> NATIONAL NEWS

> FEATURES 4

FREE SHIPPING: PNU initiatives in the New Normal

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The Good, The Bad, and the Hybrid: The Trainwreck that was #MassPromotion

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BEYOND SCREENS: Students’ solidarity for education continuity

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Tahanan ng Paglaban: Sipat sa Iba’t ibang Porma ng Pag-atake sa Maralitang Pilipino

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Diagnosis sa Tiraniya ng Administrasyong Duterte sa Sektor ng Edukasyon

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Ripping voices with a fascist fist: Narratives of Illegal arrests amid the pandemic

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CHILLING EFFECT: Duterte’s attempt to seize the Fourth Estate

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Capturing the Message of Mañanita Protest

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SONAgKAISA: Youth groups hold presscon for SONA protest-action

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Taft youth-alliance holds SOYA, vows to defend democracy

> KULTURA

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Anibersayo ng ML, ginunita; ATL inulan ng protesta

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PULSO: Sipat ng PNUans sa mga usapin sa gitna ng pandemya

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BALDE NG PASAKIT: Rebyu sa IGIB ni Joey Paras

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STANDPOINT: Ms. Rey Valmores-Salinas and the rainbow flag of the mass movement

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2. Insufficient budget increase for Basic education

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Sirang Plaka: Himig ng ekonomiya sa panahon ng pandemya

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PALABOK DE HONOR: Katipunan ng mga kinaing salita ng Pangulo

3. On Priorities and Compromise: The State’s inept planning and budgeting for Higher Education

GOING OFF THE RAILS: Budget Series

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1. Proposed Budget of the OP: First as Tragedy, Second as Farce

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4. State Universities and Colleges: Collateral of 2021 Budget Cuts Lifeline ni Teacher: Danas at kalagayan ng piling mga guro sa gitna ng pandemya

COVERT ART ● ERIC DIMASAKAT

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FE A T U R E S

Free Shipping: PNU Initiatives in the New Normal ERICA MAE GOZO

Amid the global health emergency, Philippine Normal University continuously delivers active responses to the educational challenges in the new normal. From complying promptly with the government's health protocols to responding to the stakeholders' needs, PNU has been espousing education continuity in the face of a pandemic.

Here are some of the University's initiatives during the six months under the new normal:

PNU COVID-19 Updates

ONLINE-SEMINAR WORKSHOP MARCH 31, 2020 – APRIL 3, 2020 Digital Citizenship for 21st Century Learners Switching to flexible learning and teaching takes many adjustments for everyone, especially to educators and academic workers. To enhance the capabilities of faculty members and administrative staff, PNU organized a four-day Online Seminar-Workshop on Digital Citizenship for 21st Century Learners.

The University partnered with Amicus Koi Solutions and Microsoft Philippines to make the event possible.

Moreover, the PNU-College of Flexible Learning and ePNU (CFlex), the Institute of Knowledge Management (IKM), and MISO also offered support to ensure the engagement of 144 PNU faculty members and administrative staff.

MARCH 18, 2020 Having a reliable source is the key to understand the health crisis the world is facing. To provide essential information for PNUans, PNU launched its online bulletin for COVID-19 updates.

With the Management and Information System Office's (MISO) help, PNU can reach out to its stakeholders for public advisories and accurate facts on preventing the virus's spread. The website also contains a list of helplines and government agencies' links concerning the pandemic and Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

The PNU COVID-19 website is available at https://www. pnu.edu.ph/covid-19. #PNUhope #COVIDkalangPNUanskami In the middle of a crisis that brings anxiety to many, staying connected is a must. PNU, on its Facebook page, started timely interactions through its #PNUhope #COVIDkalangPNUanskami project. It encourages the PNU community to interact virtually by answering questions like “PNUans, how do you spend your days being productive at home but at the same time safe from the possible threat of COVID-19?” PNUans expressed a variety of thoughts in the comment section.

PROJECT D.E.A.R. MARCH 23, 2020 As an active partner of the national government on combating the vast effect of the COVID-19, the PNU system initiated a donation drive called Project Disaster Emergency Assistance and Relief (DEAR), in cooperation with Community Partnership and Extension Office (CPEO).

Through the three-day donation drive, the University collected a total amount of Php 216,550 that went directly to PGH Medical Foundation, Inc., the province of Agusan Del Sur-DRRM, and the local government unit (LGU) of Alicia, Isabela. On April 8, 2020, the Project DEAR donation drive had its second wave collecting an amount of Php 328,250.00 that helped the vulnerable sectors in Barangays 777, 778, and 779, city of Manila.

PNU T.A.L.K.S. MARCH 30, 2020 While most stayed at home, the University initiated a series of webinars to make education work during the community quarantine.

PNU Teaching and Advocacy for Lifetime Knowledge and Skills (TALKS) features PNU faculty members, alumni, and students who discussed various practical topics such as Homemade Cleaners and Disinfectant, Smart Way to Get Fit amidst COVID-19, and A to E: Keeping the Mind Healthy. The episodes of the webinar are presented through Facebook live by PNU Officials.

GRAPHICS● JUSTINE PATRICIO

UNIVERSITY DONATIONS APRIL 6 - 17, 2020 PNU Initiatives In the middle of the pandemic, cooperation and volunteerism are evident among various sectors. PNU manifested the same spirit as it extends help beyond its immediate community.

Starting April 6 to April 17, 2020, the University distributed 50 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), 490 face shields, and 400 face masks to various medical institutions. Also, eight partner communities of PNU became the beneficiary of over 180 food packs and 263 packs of rice. Along with this, the University gave 15 food packs and monetary assistance to 15 students who were stranded in their dormitories.

PNU CRISIS HELPLINE APRIL 6 - 17, 2020 Due to the emerging emotional and psychological needs triggered by the global health emergency, the PNU- Office of Student Affairs and Student Services (OSASS) launched PNU Crisis Helpline to provide care for the emotional and mental well-being of PNU students.

Counselors and trained volunteers around Metro Manila and nearby provinces staffed the program. The program gives: 1.Crisis intervention for individuals who are in emotional distress.

2.Information in recognizing distress and its effects.

3.Assistance related to medical, academic, and economic concerns.

4.Referrals to trained responders for additional follow-up care and support.

According to Mrs. Merimee Tampus-Siena, PNU counselor, the service ended on September 28, but they decided to extend it from October 12 until October 31. In the proposed concept paper, OSASS coordinates with Associate Deans, Deans, Director of CPEO, physician, and nurses from the PNU clinic.

SURVEY ON ALS MAY 8, 2020 To prepare for the new normal circumstances, PNUEducational Policy Research and Development Center (PNUEPDRC) initiated an online survey to determine the PNU community’s preparedness in implementing online classes for the upcoming academic year.

Through the collected data, the University determines the necessary actions to take and creates a comprehensive plan for alternative teaching and learning modes.

FE A T UR E S VIRTUAL CAREER FAIR MARCH 11, 2020

In the middle of a crisis where economic concerns arise, OSASS launched its first virtual career fair to help graduating students and alumni for their employment.

The online career fair was conducted from May 11 to June 2020 and had 58 participating educational institutions. OSASS made it possible through the partnership with the IT company Jobs180.com, a platform for some of the University’s career programs.

LMS WEBINARS JUNE 5, 2020 & JUNE 11, 2020

Utilizing and Establishing LMS In line with its mission, PNU CFlex, with MISO’s help, conducted two webinars entitled “Utilizing the Learning Management System: A Webinar” and “Establishing a Learning Management System: A Webinar.”

The webinars were organized to assist other teacher education institutions (TEI) in coping with challenges due to the new normal.

Faculty members, officials, and administrative staff from different universities selected the participants of the webinar.

PNU ALUMNI DONATION JUNE 8, 2020

PNU Psych Alumni donate PPEs In support of the University’s wide-spread COVID-19 response, the PNU Psychology Alumni community distributed 300 PPEs to frontliners at National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), Philippine General Hospital (PGH), and Ospital ng Sampaloc.

The distribution was part of their PsychKalinga project that aims to generate PhP 150 000 worth of PPEs for the beneficiaryhospitals around Manila.

MSC FACULTY TRAINING JUNE 29 - JULY 1, 2020

Remote faculty training for MSC Intending to deliver quality education despite the health emergency, PNU College of Teacher Development (CTD) extends its hand by conducting a three-day remote faculty training program for Marinduque State College.

The training focused on assisting MSC’s preparation in blended learning set up for their academic year. It focused on the alignment of outcomes, instructional delivery for flexible/blended setting, and outcomesbased assessment that could help more than 300 faculty members of the said University.

PROJECT T.A.N.G.L.A.W. JULY 2, 2020

As PNUans face numerous challenges, especially on how to cope and afford online learning modality, the University initiated the Project Tanglaw to raise funds in support of the underprivileged students.

The donation drive aims to provide gadgets and connectivity support to ensure that no student is left behind in this time of uncertainty.

With the given criteria and requirements, OSASS starts to accept applicants from August 26 until September 15 to determine the project’s beneficiaries. On September 26, the first batch of beneficiaries was able to receive gadgets and connectivity support.

The materials were distributed personally

by PNU President Bert J. Tuga along with Dr. Lordinio A. Vergara, Vice President for University Relations and Advancement (VPURA), Mr. Alfredo T. Magat, University Student Council (USC) Chairperson, and staff volunteers from IPEHRDS.

WEBINAR ON GRHE JULY 19, 2020

Great Reset in Higher Education PNU-CFlex coordinated with MISO and organized the “Webinar on the Great Reset in Higher Education: From F2F to Remote Learning and Beyond” in preparation for the new learning modalities. The webinar was able to accommodate more than 150 participants from different state colleges and universities.

KAWAY-ARALAN JULY 31, 2020

As a response to the current educational challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, PNU announced its plan for the new normal learning approach called “Kaway-Aralan.”

This framework contains a modified curriculum, teaching-learning activities, and assessment that are student-centered.

Unlike in the usual classroom set up, the new learning modality is more self-paced.

Also, PNU-CFLeX redesigned PNU-LMS into e-PNU for the submission of academic requirements. The University provides a toolkit for each student that contains courses for the first term. This toolkit ensures a manageable learning experience for students, even without the internet. However, PNU Vice President for Academics Dr. Jennie Jocson asked for consideration for possible delay of distribution due to the limited transportation access and lack of workforce.

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SIMULATION PERIOD AUG. 27, 2020

To prepare for unforeseen circumstances this academic year, PNU conducted a two-week simulation period. Each PNU Faculties and Institutes release schedules that will guide each PNUan during the simulation process.

The class schedule is a list of various platforms options that can be utilized by the class.

MENTAL HEALTH WEBINAR SEPT. 5, 2020

Taking care of one’s mental well-being, especially in times of uncertainty, is a must.

In response to the growing need for mental health support, PNU organized a series of webinars to assist the mental concerns of the PNU community. The webinars were entitled “Mental Health Webinar for PNU Faculty, Administrators and Staff” and “Graduate Student Fellowship: Mental Health Issues and Concerns and Online Kamustahan.”

PNU TOOLKIT SEPT. 10, 2020

Addressing the call for #NoStudentLeftBehind advocacy, PNU collaborated with PHLPOST to deliver learning packages ahead of school opening.

Each course toolkits contain printed modules, a flash drive with soft copies of modules, a letter from the President, and instruction on the package’s proper disinfection. These materials enable each student to continue learning despite limited internet connectivity. PHLPOST, as the partner courier, picked up the first batch of the learning tool package last September 16; the second batch was on September 17, and the final set was on September 23.

However, numerous students from different levels are yet to receive their learning packages, weeks since the class opening.

ASTEN I-CONNECT SEPT. 25, 2020

AsTEN I-CoNNECT Webinar Series The global health crisis affects a lot of countries. In line with this, PNU launched the AsTEN I-CoNNECT Webinar Series from September to November 2020. These webinars showcase how ASEAN countries innovate their curricula amidst the pandemic.

CHED HIED BAYANIHAN PROGRAM Aug. 10, 2020 – Aug. 13, 2020 & Aug. 11, 2020 – Aug. 14, 2020

As part of PNU’s commitment to the CHED HiED Bayanihan Program, the University conducted a series of webinars entitled “Gearing Towards Remote Teaching and Learning” and “Online Training on Flexible Learning for SUCs/HEIs: Untying the Knot for Quality Education.” The participants of the webinar came from PNU and various state universities.

5 Star Rating.

Excellent Service.

Despite the challenges and limitations, the delivery of assistance from PNU is considerably fast. The package of service and excellence was well delivered, especially to its vulnerable stakeholders. However, in pursuit of providing quality education amidst the crisis, adequate government assistance is essential for PNU

to completely fulfill its mandate to serve. The worsening national situation necessitates the University to demand substantial funding for the education sector, as the National Center for Teacher Education. As a leading educational institution, PNU must take its service to a higher level by building solidarity within the education sector and champion an inclusive and quality education.

LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

GOOD, BAD, HYBRID: THE

AND THE

FEATURES

THE

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The Trainwreck that was #MassPromotion ART JOHN ARGUELLES

Inaccessibility to gadgets. Weak internet connection.

Worsening financial status. Mental health issues. Fear of not being able to comply and pass the course. These are the different problems that the PNU students face after the PNU administration rejected the students’ call for mass promotion.

Most PNUans, who are continuously suffering because of the pandemic, believe that mass promotion could have helped the most vulnerable of them. It will lessen their academic loads as they face another school year under the new normal set up – the distance learning modality. However, after numerous solidarity protests and online campaigns for mass promotion, the Board of Regents opted to implement an extension of submission of the needed requirements instead – essentially dismissing the studentry's collective demand.

Earlier this year, the Philippine Normal University-Executive (PNUExeCom) recommended ending the interrupted third term for the academic school year 2019-2020

due to the continuous spread of the pandemic.

Likewise, the Office of the Vice Presidents for Academics (OVPA) suggested four possible options the university can adopt. These options include: 1. Grades of the students will be computed covering the period before ECQ was implemented.

However, Term 3 AY. 2019-2020 will not be included in the computation of grades for honors.

2. Grades of the students will be computed covering the period before ECQ was implemented wherein 3 Term AY. 2019-2020 will be included in the computation of grades for honors.

3. Rating the students using nonnumerical grades: PASS, FAIL, or INCOMPLETE. 4.The implementation of mass promotion based on the recommendation of the University Student Council (USC) following result of their survey participated by the students.

Rather than heeding to the students’ clamor, PNU implemented a hybrid decision following the directive

of the BOR to extend the completion of third term requirements until December of 2020.

Long before the University’s decision, mass organizations and various student organizations presented a comprehensive position paper containing a detailed mass promotion proposal. The students stood firm in their belief that the University administration should have considered the struggle of the students, including the situations of different sectors in the university, in its decision.

Mass organizations also spearheaded an online petition, which reached over 2000 signatures to appeal to the members of the BOR. The petition was also followed by simultaneous online campaigns and solidarity statements.

The students highlighted numerous reasons they collected that in support of mass promotion. Among these concerns are the digital divide, students’ financial status, inclusivity and compromised learning, mental health, honor roll computation, and current status of stranded dormers.

Digital Divide

Students’ financial status

“Laganap ang kagutuman, kahirapan, takot, at pagka-aligaga sa bawat mamamayang Pilipino, at hindi rin nakakagaan ang mga naging tugon ng gobyerno sa mga ito. Kaya naman, ang pagdaragdag pa ng pangakademikong gawain sa mga pasaning mental, ekonomikal, at pang-kalusugan ay manipestasyon lamang ng patuloy na pagbalewala sa kalagayan ng bawat PNUan,” they pointed out.

Student organizations expressed their concern over the struggle of many students in terms of accessibility.

PNU Psychology and Counseling Society said, “Dahil sa pagkabagabag na maaaring idulot ng kagipitan sa magpatong-patong na proyekto, ang mga mag-aaral na nasa hirap na sitwasyon na kumonekta sa internet ay kinakailangang maghanap ng desperadong paraan upang makapagpasa sa isinaad na deadline.”

The organization added that this could cause a threat to the student’s health and security or unwanted accidents or other serious problems that might worsen the situation.

“Sa ganang amin, ang pagpapalawig ng pagkumpleto at pagsumite ng mga pang-akademikong kahingian hanggang sa katapusan ng Oktubre ng taong kasalukuyan sa pamamagitan ng ‘social media’ at ‘internet’ ay hindi nagpapakita ng pag-unawa at simpatiya,” Kabataang Urduja, explained as proceeding with online completion is lacking sympathy for the students’ struggles.

The PNU Thespian Society, in a statement, recognized that although everybody is facing the same pandemic, varying personal problems could be hindrances to learning.

“Bagaman tayo ay nasa iisang pamantasan at humaharap sa parehong krisis na pandemya; Mahalagang ilagay natin ang ating mga paa sa sitwasyon ng bawat estudyante. Dahil ang bawat isa ay nabubuhay sa iba’t ibang sitwasyon at mga pansariling problemang kinakaharap sa kanilang mga tahanan: pisikal, mental, pinansiyal, at iba pang aspeto na maaaring hindi maging angkop bilang isang mabisang lugar ng pagkatuto,” the theatrical organization of students stated.

The Alliance of Concerned TeachersEducation Students emphasized important issues a Filipino family has to face amidst the pandemic.

Also, additional academic workloads would mean disregarding the PNUANS’ condition.

GRAPHICS ● ALLYSSA MARIE SALVACION

FE A T UR E S

Exclusionary education

Inclusive learning and quality education are among the goals of PNU as the National Center for Teacher Education, and the students think that the referendum failed to adhere to the said goals.

PNU Social Science Club said that the decision is not inclusive since not everyone could comply with online submission of requirements.

“Ang pag-gamit ng social media at internet bilang lunsaran ng pagtuturo, pagkatuto, at pagsumite ng mga pangakademikong kahingian ay hindi inklusibo dahil hindi niyo nasasaklaw ang pagkalahatang kalagayan ng mga estudyante.”

In an open letter addressed to those who see mass promotion as a hindrance to quality education, PNU TEKSTURA artist Mary Rose Tolentino posed a thought-provoking line, “If quality for you means endangering oneself just to go to computer shops, risking their lives for the sake of compliance, or sacrificing their budget for food for an internet connection that would not even last for a whole day, you might want to rethink your basis for quality.”

The University Student Council (PNU-USC) and Student Electoral Commission (SEC) are firm

that learning is not limited to a numerical value. “Kami ay naniniwala na hindi lamang ang nimerikal na grado ang sumatan ng pagkatuto.”

The English Club (TEC), insisted that while the need for numerical ratings is understandable, it should not be the focus during this time.

Impact to mental health The PNU Psychology and Counseling Society explained that anxiety, panic, and depression are some of the mental health disturbances students are prone to experience given the current situation.

Citing an article from the Philippine Star, the organization said, “Ang mga mag-aaral ng pamantasan ay may kaniyakaniyang isyung kinakaharap; hindi lamang sa araw-araw na pamumuhay, kundi pati na rin sa pansariling kapakanan na dulot ng kawalan ng katiyakan sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon.”

Dormers who are stranded are also vulnerable to mental health issues, Annyeong PNU added.

For PNU Katalonan, deprivation of the normal lives people used to have, and physical and mental sufferings are enough reason to push forth the approval of mass promotion.

Given all these points, student organizations’ campaign for mass promotion gained support from the current Student Regent and Chairperson of the National Union of Student Governments (PNU-NUSG) Hon. Alexis Q. Sebote.

Furthermore, the student regent argued that favoring mass promotion does

not compromise the quality of education that PNU upholds.

"Ang pagtugon ng pamantasan sa ating panawagan ay hindi pagkompromiso sa kalidad ng edukasyon na matagal na nitong ipinamamalas bagkus ay pagpapakita lamang ito ng tunay na pag-unawa at malasakit sa mga mag-aaral na pangunahing sektor nito," Sebote stated.

Continuing academic burden

The University also opened its classes on August 27 despite the University Student Council's (USC) survey on students' unreadiness.

Students’ dismay led to online outrage expressed in the hashtags #PinaasaAllOverAgain and #LigtasNaBalikEskwelaPNU, which trended on twitter.

ACT Education Students (ACT-ES) spearheaded an online protest to express their frustrations and suggestions.

"Walang internet, walang gadget, walang conducive environment for learning, walang capacity to sustain online studies, walang proper guidance in learning, wala ring mastery ng gadgets and platforms. #PinaasaAllOverAgain #LigtasNaBalikEskwelaPNU," @ jeyenkyubi tweeted.

ACT-ES demanded the government to prioritize the health sector to realize a safe school opening.

"Maisasakatuparan lamang ang tunay na ligtas na balik-eskwela kung solusyong medikal ang itutugon sa pandemya," they argued.

Despite reassuring that

7

the initial two weeks of the class resumption is only for simulation and will not affects student’s grades, PNUans continued their clamor for a safe, accessible, and inclusive education.

As of now, PNU students are already taking their first term in the new normal mode of learning. However, the last term's unfinished requirements continue to add up to their burden during the current academic year. As the student body proposes a mental health break, there is an undeniable need to lessen the students' academic tasks. It could have been avoided if the BOR followed the students' plea earlier.

The University administration has a lot to learn from this. The experience serves as profound proof of the need to prioritize the stakeholders' demands, especially the students.

As the National Center for Teacher Education (NCTE), PNU should embody the true essence of education that is beyond numerical grades. The welfare of the students and the community must remain the top priority of any educational institution. With the core values of truth, excellence, and service, the University is bound to lead the struggle for an inclusive education that is a right and not a privilege.

With the core values of truth, excellence, and service, the University is bound to lead the struggle for an inclusive education that is a right and not a privilege.

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PHOTO ● ALLEN RABIN

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PE professor donates computers to 17 students ABBY GAIL TABERNILLA

Even before the start of the academic year, many groups and private individuals have initiated donation drives to aid struggling students. One of them is Dr. Minerva Atanacio-Brillante, a Physical Education professor at Philippine Normal University Manila.

Functional gadgets and stable internet connections are necessary to accomplish online academic activities. This has become a problem for most of the underprivileged students of the university.

Upon hearing the alarming posts regarding students who are selling private photos to fund their education, Dr. Atanacio-Brillante communicated with the students and started giving out secondhand computers and free monthly data allowance to 17 students, mainly comprised of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and PE majors.

"My heart was heavy with their situations, so I communicated with some of them and offered my help," Dr. Atanacio-Brillante said.

According to the professor, student beneficiaries sent her request letters and have gone through background checks followed by interviews.

"I also do a background check from their classmates and friends.

My decision was based on their needs and how it can help them in online classes," she added.

Students with mobile phones but cannot afford to buy internet data will be given a monthly data load for three months.

The given set of computers came from Dr. Atanacio-Brilliante's former Scholars’ Nook Internet Café and PNU Business Center.

Allen Rabin, one of the beneficiaries, expressed his gratitude to Dr. Atanacio-Brillante, stating that the fully-functioning computer set will surely help him get through this academic year.

"As a beneficiary, this is very helpful for me- who don’t have enough means to join online classes, and for my siblings as well. This would also lessen the struggles of my parents in looking for ways to getting the education we need," Rabin shared.

Dr. Atanacio-Brillante also mentioned that helping other people is not new to her. "This is part of me whom most people do not know because they are blinded by what they hear, especially by being branded as one of the seven dragons of PNU," she explained.

The professor also added that she started helping people even before her social work in Baguio City and her life as a Franciscan missionary. She expressed her happiness with positive feedback from the student beneficiaries because they will be able to use the gadgets in their online activities.

The professor reminded the students to be proud of themselves, to be resilient. She urged them to cope with extreme circumstances that will lead them to become the best version of themselves.

PHOTO ● EZRA GALAURAN

PHOTO ● ALLEN RABIN

PHOTO ● MINERVA ATANACIO

PHOTO ● EZRA GALAURAN

PNU enrollment shifts online; first-year students made adjustments LOIS LAINE LUA | MICARL ABRANTES

First-year students experienced difficulties with the “new normal” enrollment as PNU offices decided to operate with alternative ways for the enrollment requirements to respond to the limitations posed by the global health crisis.

Pre-enrollment process As the community quarantine did not permit face-to-face transactions, the Office of Admissions (OA) conducted a remote interview last May. “There were big adjustments made as the pre-enrollment procedure was delivered in the face-to-face modality before the pre-COVID setting.”

Admissions Office Director Dr. Leonora P. Varela said.

The admissions cascaded the second phase for a month through either phone call or video call.

In the third phase, interview passers submitted their Physical Examination Form and scanned copies of medical test results to the University Health Services Unit (UHSU)’s email.

The Admissions Office also instructed the enrollees to submit the scanned copies of their documents online and send the original copies through a courier.

“Since everybody was affected [by] the current situation, we have given considerations to students in their submission of their original documents, [and] we extended the deadline until September 8 (for freshmen). The files for enrollment (notice of admission, promissory note, and information sheet) were also sent through email,” Dr. Varela further noted.

According to the University Registrar Office, 1021 first-year students managed to enroll for Term 1.

Student experiences Due to the new enrollment process, many applicants experienced difficulties in adjusting. Some of them sent emails directly to the involved offices for clarification on some steps of the enrollment.

“I can say that some steps in the enrollment process were confusing and need further elaboration. So, I kept on sending messages to the Office of Admissions, and I keep on asking on the Chairperson of PNU-USC Central Student Council for verification,” Bojo

G. Evangelista from I-2 said.

The passers also encountered delays in the interview schedule and announcement of interview passers.

“At the very moment of the interview process, there was a consecutive delay in the scheduled time, which lasted until the announcement of the successful interviewees,” said Shania Gallardo, from I-13.

Aside from the delay of important announcements, some students were anxious about securing their slots, as they could not submit the requirements on time.

Although some students encountered challenges in the online process, other students were able to follow the new system.

“It was very smooth. I just followed the enrollment process given by the Office of the Registrar, and they were also responsive to emails,” Khent Rolance T. Tamayo of I-1 stated.

“I had no troubles during the enrollment…,” John Benedict Villafuerte, I-9 student, affirmed.

Alternative plan for PNUAT Due to the uncertainties brought by the pandemic, the Admissions said that they are planning to migrate their procedures online.

“It will ensure that we will still be able to provide our services even without the physical attendance of applicants, students, [and] visitors.

Even though we do not eliminate the fact that everything can be back to normal, we also accept that there should always be an alternative plan,” Dr. Valera explained.

She also said that the office is preparing to administer PNUAT through an online platform if the pandemic continues.

“As an update, the office is currently proposing the details and guidelines for conducting the online admission tests,” Dr. Varela ended.

Concerned PNU offices continue to update the students through their official Facebook page and keep their lines open for inquiries.

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PNU-FR proposes MOOE reallocation as SUCs migrate online SHAINE OCAMPO | SHEENA MAE BALONZO The current Philippine Normal University- Faculty Regent (PNU-FR), Dr. Feliece Yeban, suggested the reallocation of the University’s Php 183,713,000.00 Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) to augment its support to the students, Faculty, and staff during the Academic Year 2020-2021.

Faculty Regent’s proposal The Faculty Regent explained that the MOOE is part of the budget covering the University expenses in operations and utilities such as electricity and water. However, Yeban said that the expenses for University operations, particularly the use of electricity, are now shouldered by the Faculty and staff at the work-fromhome arrangement.

“Ang ginagastusan ng pamahalaan ay ang gastos (sa utilities) ng University, pero iyon, very much reduced kasi naipasa na nga sa work-from-home eh,” the Regent said.

The Regent added that the current General Appropriations Act (GAA) must have a provision that allows State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) to reallocate their funds following their distance learning education needs.

“Dapat mailagay roon na yung PNU for instance, mga State Universities (and Colleges), lahat ng yun, pwede nilang isaayos o i-realign yung kanilang budget para iangkop doon sa pangangailangan for online (classes),” Yeban said.

Furthermore, the Regent suggested that the University should review the allocation of its funds, especially that the students are studying from their homes. She stressed the need to spend student development funds to subsidize the students’ expenses for the Internet and online resources.

“Kailangang mag-review ng mga items na pagkakagastusan. Kung ang mga items na ito ay tutugon sa pangangailangan ng both Faculty, staff, and students,” the Regent emphasized.

Current budgetary situation of SUCs A significant number of SUCs all over the Philippines are facing a budget cut in the 2021 National Expenditure Program approved by the House of Representatives.

Although numerous SUCs gained a significant budget increase, a total of 19 SUCs will experience cuts on their total budget for the next year. For instance, Rizal Technological University (RTU) will receive the highest budget cut for 2021, with nearly 60% from its 2020 budget.

The SUCs will rely on their 2021 budget to continue their operations in the new normal set up. However, budget cuts will impede their plans and measures, as four (4) SUCs will experience budget cuts in their Personnel Services, 18 SUCs will experience cuts in MOOE, and 56 SUCs will experience slash in Capital Outlay (CO), including PNU which will get a 62.55% budget slash in CO amounting to a total of PhP 104.466 million.

Furthermore, even with the increase in total budget, the SUCs still need to confront its current challenges, such as enrollment decline, lack of funds for remote teaching and learning resources, and lack of support from local government units.

Clamoring budget increase for the education sector The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives calls for Php 174, 978 billion additional funds for the education sector, which is part of the realignment of its current budget with PhP 641.5 billion.

The lawmakers said that these funds would come from the budget of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC), confidential and intelligence fund of the Office of the President, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program. Also, from lump sums of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) funding.

They explained that the proposed Php 174, 978 billion additional budget for education, would provide additional maintenance and operating funds for public elementary and secondary schools. They will also add budget to the provision of distance learning resources and internet allowance for teachers, and additional funding for SUCs to adapt to the new normal set up in education.

References: Colcol, E. (2020). House makabayan bloc solons call for P641.5-B realignments for 2021 budget. Retrieved from https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/760674/house-makabayan-bloc-solonscall-for-p641-5-b-realignments-in-2021-budget/story/ Department of Budget and Management. (2020). Philippine Normal University national expenditure program 2021. Retrieved from https://www.dbm.gov.ph/index.php/budget-documents/2021/nationalexpenditure-program-fy-2021

10 FE A T U R E S Cashier

Ronah, an incoming third-year Values Education student, has been working at a supermarket for the last 3 years. When asked about the changes that the pandemic has brought to her work, she shared how costumers usually avoid them. “As a cashier, it hurts that people see us as virus carriers, just because we meet different customers. I understand, but I hope, they will see us working for them, not only for their money because we are also humans. Despite having fear of being infected, we still go to work, to serve them. It is painful that this pandemic not only took lives but mostly the respect and values of a person for other human beings,” she said. While for precautionary measures, She also mentioned how she had to avoid children in their household. She hopes that as we fight against the pandemic, we will also fight for the love and respect for others, to remain intact.

Volunteer Firefighter

Aside from being one of the USC’s official layout artists, Adrian is also a volunteer firefighter since 2018.

When the pandemic started taking its toll, it has become part of his task to transport PUIs and COVID-19 positive patients. “Di ko ito inasahan, dahil akala ko hanggang pagiging bumbero lang aabot ang pagiging volunteer ko, at bilang isang kabataang aktibo sa pagtulong, kahit delikado, hindi na ako nagdalawang isip dahil ito ang pangangailangan ng tao ngayon, ang tumulong at matulungan,” he said in an interview.

#QuaranTeach

NICOLE LINDSAY RAMOS | DOMINIC KEAN CALAVIA

While his mother is out to work in a factory, Ben, an incoming 2nd-year student started his own #QuaranTeach project with his nieces and nephews.

“I am deeply happy na marurunong na magbasa at magsolve ang mga bata namin sa Bahay,” Ben said in an interview.

Upon initially teaching students who are in the kindergarten and elementary level with topics that he thinks they will encounter, he later on also taught Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere to those who are in Junior High. The same project that he did out of boredom made him realize that he is on the right track after all.

He said that teaching does not only help him and his family, it also became his way of giving back to the community.

Publicity Committee (Project Hero)

While some are stuck in the frontlines and others need to undergo social media detox for their mental health, many had no choice but to also turn to social media to ask for help. As the crisis worsens, many resorted to setting up fundraising projects and donation drives. Hashtags such as ‘Piso Para sa Laptop,’ became more prevalent on different social media platforms.

The hasty shift towards the new normal schemes on education can further exclude students who cannot keep up with the required means of the digitalized education. Students who cannot do living and education at the same time will be pushed to their limits.

It is no longer about having that grit if the education system itself cannot cater to those who have the least of resources.

Voluntary work is no longer new for Mary, an incoming third-year BEE student. She has witnessed how her father, a tricycle driver, does it “almost every day;” by running emergency errands. Growing up in a community rich in advocacy and through an organization, masarapMABUHAY, she got used to such work. “All of my volunteer work is done physically, but the pandemic changed the game. I even thought that I could no longer do any volunteer work, but this changed when my friend messaged me about Project HERO,” she said in an interview before giving an overview of the group, established by PNU alumni.

When she learned about the advocacy of the said project, she immediately said yes and decided to commit to it. Since then, she has been writing captions as a member of the project’s publicity committee.

Special Commissions for a Cause

When she heard of their classmate’s situation, Angela knew to herself that she should act to help him.

“As an aspiring educator and a blooming artist, I want to utilize my skills and privileges to extend a helping hand to students in greater need now that we are amid a pandemic,” she stated with regards to the reason why she has decided to open special art commissions.

Aside from their section’s donation drive, 60% of her profit from the art commission, will be donated to their classmate, who they knew will struggle to keep up with the required means of the new mode of learning.

Art for a Cause

Knowing that a lot of students are struggling financially due to the pandemic and the changes that it has brought, Ghyllann, decided to launch an art for a cause project. “I also didn't have any money with me, so I came up with the Idea of selling commissioned digital artworks,” she shared while also mentioning that she’s a freelance artist who has done commissions before, but this time, it’s not only for herself but also for her fellow PNUans.

Some of the digital arts that she can make include posters, covers, comics, logo designs, and more.

She also acknowledges her friends who helped and supported her with the publicity. Because of them, she was able to earn and donate what she considers a small amount and is still hoping to donate more.

#GetPiercedForACause by Gael

Other than being a PNUan, Gael is also a piercing artist. She gives piercing services so that she can pay bills, buy school stuff, and many more. With that, she used her skill to raise funds for other pnuans who are at risk because of the pandemic.

Gael shared her sentiments that she knows the struggle of other students despite their family background. "There are still a lot of people who need to work hard for them and their families amidst pandemic, people who cannot afford to rest because resting correlates hunger," she stated.

Gael further emphasized that the beneficiaries of her piercing with a cause are PNUans who messaged her about their situation. "I planned a donation drive to help them. One of them cannot afford food and medicine for their sick parents, while the other one decided to condone in prostitution to survive," She extended her voice to fellow pnuans explaining the importance of empathy and the purpose of every action. Meanwhile, she slams the government for its disservice to the people.

Amidst the worsening of our state negligence, Gael explained the importance of civic responsibility.

"Ang pagiging mulat, ang pakikinig, ang pagkakaroon ng malawak na pang-unawa ay ang mga pangunahing kailangan ng bayan, lalo't higit na sa ganitong sitwasyon," she ended.

Wifi para sa Kat’ha ng mga Bata

Incoming third-year BECEd student, Hannah, launched her cosmetic line, Kat’ha on the first few weeks of quarantine. When the local business grew, she took the opportunity to make it a cause. Aside from donating a portion of their profit to the Black Lives Matter movement in August, they also partnered with Project WiFi, which has a goal to provide WiFi to students that have limited access to online learning. “As an aspiring teacher and had experience working with students that have limited resources, I am passionate about this project we took part in,” she said. She added that she made sure that the charity organizations she collaborated with and donated to are trustworthy and transparent, especially with the situation going on all over the world.

Bayani1derpets: Bayanihan para sa PNUone by OBTEC I-1

When PNU-Manila announced the opening of classes, some of the students of I-1, were hesitant to pursue their studies. Since they call their sections, Onederpets, they also value the show’s famous line: "Anong kailangan? Magtulungan!" and organized fundraising called ‘Bayani1derpets: Bayanihan para sa PNUone.’ As an act of gratitude, they send e-books, wallpapers, and digital arts to those who have donated.

“We will always help each other because we believe that together, in a simple act of kindness, we can make a difference,” they said in a collective statement, also adding that no one should be left behind.

aTRES-ABANTE: Donasyon para sa Edukasyon by OBTEC I-13

They aim to raise funds to help their class through mobile loads, gadgets, and other necessary stuff needed for online learning. In return, they will give tokens to those people who gave donations.

"Ang online class ang magsisilbing paraan para sa pag-aaral namin sa gitna ng pandemya, pero hindi alam ng karamihan ay may mga mag-aaral ang walang kakayahan at maaring mahirapan sa ganitong sitwasyon," the post stated.

SOS: Singko Online Shop by OBTEC 1-5

By selling calligraphy services, photo editing, clothes, and artworks, OBTEC 1-5 was able to raise funds to help each other. The proceeds are expected to be used for the online classes of their section as some of their classmates are struggling with internet access.

#Sais Para sa 1-SAIS by OBTEC 1-6

Cellphone wallpapers? Poetry? and photo editing?

They got it all for you.

OBTEC 1-6 launched a donation drive Sais Para sa I-SAIS that will benefit selected financially unstable students from their class. The proceeds will be distributed for load allowance for class members with no internet connection. “We decided to launch this and offer our talents in exchange of 6 pesos,” they explained.

FE A T UR E S NuebHiE Para Kay bHiE by OBTEC I-9

Inspired by the #PisoParaSaLaptop donation drive on Twitter, Benedict, an incoming 1st-year student spearheaded a fund-raising project called, ‘NuebHiE Para Kay bHiE.’ In exchange of nine peso donation, students of 1-9, offer a short poem, a quick sketch, a short song cover, and a free talk to whoever donated.

“I am glad that most of us are checking and using our privilege for the betterment of our fellow PNUan,” Benedict stated, since like a domino effect, some of their fellow freshmen students, also thought of similar fundraising projects to help their classmates cope with the new normal education.

I-TENacious: Charity for Literacy

by OBTEC I-10

By conducting a poll to keep track of their classmates during online classes, students of I-10 were able to identify who among them is to be considered beneficiaries of what they consider a “small initiative.”

To make ‘I-TENacious: Charity for Literacy’ possible, the students established a group of talents as the project’s assets. “No value is too big or too small, every peso counts in this fundraising project,” they said after enumerating the form of art that they offer, in exchange for monetary donations

LOVING ISA - Sapat na by BVE II-11

Students from Bachelor in Values Education organized a donation drive for distinguished values education majors from II-11.

They explained that the amount of 11 pesos are highly appreciated because it will help their classmates with the new normal scheme of education.

"Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng nakararami na maraming mag-aaral ang kasalukuyang humaharap at haharap sa matinding pagsubok ngayong taong pampanuruan,” the group stated in an online post.

Furthermore, they said that the worsening of the health crisis makes the students’ academic life even worse.

DoSending Hope and Positivity

by OBTEC I-12

With recognition that not everyone can carry on with their studies, students from OBTEC 1-12 are among those who utilized social media to launch their donation project.

Aside from the proximity of their classmates’ homes to signal posts or towers, lack of financial resources to afford mobile load, or WiFi connection, they also acknowledged that some of them are greatly affected by the pandemic.

“Ang mga nakalap at makakalap pa naming donation ay hindi lang po magsisilbing tulong kundi mukha ng pag-asa para sa mga susunod na guro ng bayang ito. Tayo po ay mga tagapagdaloy ng kaalaman sa hinaharap kaya naman marapat lang din na dumaloy ang pag-asa at pagiging positibo sa kabila ng mga kinahaharap nating pagsubok,” Kirk, 1-12 student, said in an interview. In return, donors will receive art package as a token of appreciation.

TRESEE-LIENCY: A Donation Campaign for the Students of 1-13

To provide load allowance for their classmates in need during online classes, students of 1-13 decided to organize a fundraising project for batch Paglaom (Hope).

As a token of appreciation, they give bookmarks, vector art, literary pieces, phone wallpaper layouts, and songs to the donors. “Bilang isang kapwa mag-aaral, napakasakit isipin na kahit pilitin naming magsikhay para maisaktuparan ang aming pangarap sa kapwa't bayan, marami sa aking mga kamag-aral ay mas prayoridad ang pambili ng pagkain at iba pang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan sa panahon ngayon,” Shania, the project head, stated.

She mentioned that she took inspiration from her fellow students doing similar projects because she believes in the power of unity.

Kapwa ko, Tabang na! by OBTEC I-16

Although they have no plan to launch a similar fundraising project as their fellow freshmen, when one of them shared about his situation with regards to online classes, 1-16 discovered that many of them are financially unprepared.

“Actually, po wala pa po kaming natatanggap na donation kaya sobrang challenging po ng dadating na pasukan, para sa amin po. Kasi alam namin na maraming hindi makakasabay samin, itong interview po na 'to magiging malaking tulong po siya sa project namin…ayaw po namin na may maiwan,” Maria shares her frustration and worries during the time of the interview. Through ‘Kapwa Ko, Tabang na,’ they also promote art as they offer poems, calligraphy, illustrations, and bookmarks.

Dos at Singko: A Call for Donation

by OBTEC I-12

Supposedly, Jude should have been a second-year student this year but due to a medical reason, he was not able to study last academic year. The University Physician advised him to undergo treatment after failing in the medical exam. Despite his situation, he stays connected and became aware of how his supposed-to-be-classmates struggle to submit the remaining academic requirements online due to lack of resources.

“While I am waiting [for an] email from Admissions, nag-iisip na po ako ng something na makakatulong,” Jude shares on how he came up with “Dos at Singko”: A call for donation, to help his classmates and schoolmates. Jude also mentioned that his current section, 1-12, also accepts bond paper and/or ink, that they can donate to their chosen school and/or organization.

Kaagapay sa Bagong Normal by BME III-21

Even before the pandemic, some of the students struggle to meet the deadline for academic requirements due to the lack internet access. Before the academic year started, III-21 BME crowdsourced within their section and learned that three of them are in need of financial assistance, to afford data connection. “Our section firmly believes that no one should be left behind this academic year because of internet problems and lack of access to a functioning gadget. Inspired by another section’s donation drive, we have decided to come up with our own donation drive,” they said in a collective statement.

As the word ‘Kaagapay’ suggests, they aim to provide consistent aid to their classmates as they face the new normal. They also believe that through the initiative, they can help each other reach their academic goals while in lockdown.

#Pisoforyourthoughts by TEC-PNU

The pandemic released the inner artists in many students, which is why The English Club (TEC) spearheaded a donation drive entitled Piso for your Thoughts. This aims to help English majors who are struggling financially. As a return, TEC invited spoken word artists to perform through their FB page.

"The fund raised in this event will be converted to load and will be given to the beneficiaries weekly for their online classes," TEC explained.

TEC also first conducted a survey for fellow English majors to determine students who are in need of help.

Alagang Medyor by KADIPAN-PNU

Under distance learning, some students will be having a hard time learning, especially if learning gadgets and connectivity remain a problem. This situation pushes student leaders to help the most vulnerable students.

"Alagang Medyor: Sa tulong ng iyong ilalaan, walang maiiwan sa Bagong Kadawyan" is a fundraising activity of PNU Kapisanang Diwa at Panitik, the official Program-based Organizations of Filipino Majors in PNU. Through their Facebook page, Kadipan calls for everyone to donate any amount. "Naniniwala kaming ang maliit na halaga, kapag sama-sama ay malaki maitutulong para sa mahat nating medyor sa Filipino." the organization said.

The proceeds will be given to financially unstable Filipino Majors.

#QuaranSINING by ACES-PNU

Quaransining is an organization-led relief drive spearheaded

by Arts and Culture Education Students (ACES) under the faculty of BCAEd The Organization aims to raise funds for selected BCAEd Students who are in need of financial assistance during this pandemic. ACES also conducted several online art events to support the cause.

Project TALA by FESSA-PNU

To support Early Childhood Pre-service teachers that were greatly affected by the pandemic, the Faculty of Education Sciences Students Assembly (FESSA) launched Project TALA. FESSA President, Geraldine, shares that TALA stands for Tulong at Alalay; Lingap at Aruga.

According to her, donors may choose between two options: a. Tulong at Alalay - donate the desired amount on a one-time basis and/or a gadget. b. Lingap at Aruga, wherein sponsors are encouraged to commit in supporting a student in their needs (internet connectivity, gadgets, financial assistance) for the rest of the first term or longer, depending on the sponsor's discretion.

Also, adding that the main organizers of the project were Dr. Bartolome, Dr. Curugan, and Dr. Sabate of Faculty of Education Sciences.

GRAPHICS ● JUSTINE PATRICIO | DOMINIC KEAN CALAVIA

Pisikalinga by SAPE-PNU

"Every donation will lift a student's education" as Society for the Advancement of Physics Education (SAPE) stated in their new activity for the benefit of the Physics students.

They introduced Pisikalinga, a donation drive that will benefit PNU Physics Majors to continue their education during this quarantine.

"We are genuinely asking everyone to help us using donating any amount or any useful equipment, and sharing this project in your social media," SAPE posted on their Facebook page.

Moreover, aside from monetary donations, SAPE also accepts in-kind donations like laptops, cellphones, tablets, and scientific calculators.

SAPE is a student organization of the Faculty of Science Technology and Mathematics.

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Project HERO #FeedPHBabies

Realizing that infants and children’s health have become more vulnerable due to recent lockdown, where “no work, no pay,” scheme has become prevalent, Project HERO, a group founded in 2019 by PNU alumni: Steffan-mae, Winnie Beth, Sharenz Risnny, and Aunell Ross, launched #FeedPHBabies.

“The campaign started when a random netizen messaged one of our founders asking for one peso to help her buy milk for her baby saying ‘Piso lang po malaking tulong na para sa anak ko,’” the founders share.

The group added that they were able to raise funds to reach more babies ages 4 to 24 months, since that encounter.

However, due to conflicts with the Philippine Milk Code, they can only give cash assistance to their beneficiaries, instead of formulated milk and/or commercialized baby food.

Bionihan by BioSoc-PNU

Bionihan is a donation-drive project of Biological Society (BioSoc). They introduced a unique donation project similar to a “bakeshop for a cause.” Fresh bake pastries are sold to raise funds for Biology Major students.

Some of their products are cookies, cinnamon rolls, puto, and cakes.

"All proceeds will be used in helping the chosen biology students who have been qualified beneficiaries," BioSoc assured.

.

Chemical Society Donation Drive

Chemical Society (ChemSoc) alumni led a donation drive for undergraduate chemistry students. The project aims to raise funds that can provide financial assistance and gadgets for students amid the implementation of distance education.

"I hope you can help us achieve to achieve our goal by donating any amount of money or old laptop/laptop/pocket or prepaid WiFi routers of your..." ChemSoc asked.

#PNUAmbagan by UNITED-PNU

To provide financial assistance to students in need regardless of faculty and year-level, USC Chairperson Alfredo Magat and his best friend, Danica, spearheaded ‘PNU Ambagan.’

The small initiative grew later on upon collaborating with Mass Organizations of the university, the UNITED-PNU was able to raise around PhP 18, 000.

“Although it has already ended, we are thankful for all those who have contributed–to our university officials, professors, alumni, classmates, and friends, maraming salamat po!” Alfredo said, extending his gratitude to those who helped.

LACaligrafia For A Cause

When Sir Cap, a PNU alumnus, noticed how PNUans resorted to online fundraising projects just so they can buy gadgets that they could use for distance learning, he decided to launch, ‘LACaligrafia For A Cause.’

“Ngayon kasi, kapag may mga libreng oras, nagkacalligraphy ako dahil parang iyon na rin ang naging takbuhan ko kapag stressed sa trabaho. At iyon nga, naisip ko na baka pwede kong ibenta virtually 'yong mga calligraphy na iyon at 'yong mga malilikom na pera ay ido-donate sa mga medyor,” he shares in an interview.

He said that the art that he enjoys making can also help the students. Although he does not expect that he will gain much from being commissioned to make customized calligraphy, still, he hopes that it can add up to what the students are doing to keep up.

#MobileClassroom by Marcel Limpios

Maricel always puts her heart in the service of the people. Being known as an activist, Maricel practices her motto to serve the people through her Mobile Classroom.

Before teaching in a private school, Teacher Maricel experienced unemployment because of the pandemic.

The struggles in the education sector pushed her to initiate her #MobileClassroom.

"Ang mobile classroom na ito ay para sa aking mga kapitbahay na nasa Kinder hanggang ikaanim na Baitang...ito ay nahahati sa 6 sessions each day," she narrated.

The project accommodated at least 8 students from her neighborhood. Teacher Maricel also provide snack for the children for free. The program would not be successful if not for her sister and friends who supported her.

On the other hand, Maricel pointed out that as the pandemic gets worse the government fails to respond accordingly. "Libo libong health workers, front liners at volunteers na ang mga nagsakripisyo ngunit mas piniling mag kibit-balikat at magbulagbulagan ng gobyerno," she exclaimed.

Teacher Maricel asked fellow Filipinos to be vigilant and critical to what is happening in our society.

The prevalence of donation drives and fundraising projects during the pandemic manifests people’s solidarity in times of crisis. However, this is also indicative of a weak state response and inadequate support from the authorities. Students and other vulnerable sectors find themselves clinging to the romanticized value of Filipino resiliency. To briefly describe the situation, unlike other countries, we have lived with it rather than through it.

On the brighter side, students and education stakeholders proved how collaboration moves mountains. Yet, the need to demand accountability from the government to advance the people’s welfare must remain a priority alongside taking collective action.

N E WS F E A TU RES

FEB

12

Feb28

Conduct of 2nd briefing led by Publicity Officer Comm. Kathrin Anne Nadua wherein they discussed the schedule, rules, and regulations of the conduct of campaign per the Election Code.

On failure of 2020 USC Elections:

Cliffhanging #MarchBetterUSC ANDREA CRISOLOGO

Given the consequent suspension of classes prompted by the outbreak of the COVID-19, the PNU-Student Electoral Commission (PNU-SEC) decided to indefinitely postpone the conduct of the PNU-University Student Council (PNU-USC) General Elections in March, considered an online election in May, and declared a failure of elections in September.

Election activities transpired from the 1st week of February until the 4th Monday of March, as indicated in the PNU-SEC’s election calendar.

Attached is the initial schedule of the 2020 General Elections, from screening, campaign period, its postponement due to LGU and national government’s class suspension, and up until the current updates of how the election will go from where it was left off.

Feb 3 — PNU-SEC conducts Briefing 1 for the aspiring Central Student Council (CSC), spearheaded by Comm. Michel Arostique.

Feb 4-7 – PNU-SEC accredits and reaccredits Political Parties.

Feb 8— PNU-SEC accredits Samahan ng mga Inklusibong Kabataang Humuhubog ng Adhikaing Naguugnay sa PNU or SIKHAY-PNU as the sole party for the PNU-USC General Education 2020.

Feb 10-14- Candidates file their Certificate of Candidacy.

Feb 17- PNU-SEC releases the names of the aspiring candidates who passed the accreditation.

Feb 19 – SEC conducts written exam as part of the screening process.

Feb 21, 22, 24, 25— Conduct of a 2-hour oral exam per candidate.

Feb 27— PNU-SEC posts the names of official candidates:

SIKHAY-PNU Chairperson: Emmanuel Vecino Vice-Chairperson: Elisha Jesu Atayde Councilors: Hannah Rose Uraning Harry Sandoval Lhynely Gift Pantig Lyka Roselle Viaje Kristine Patoc Jaypee Michael Barba Jasmin Velchez Johnel Brit Princess Nariz Jamille Aira Pascua

Among the discussed prohibitions in the briefing is receiving aid from personalities outside the university, be it money or sponsorship. Also, members of organizations within PNU are not allowed to ‘bring the name of the organization’ in pledging support for the candidates as this may cause disqualification of the said candidate/s.

MARCH Feb 29-March 10- Campaign Period.

Candidates are allowed to campaign online during weekends.

March 4 – PNU-SEC posts videos of candidates answering a variety of questions on their official Facebook page.

March 9 - Board Resolution 41 declares indefinite postponement of the PNU-ESC General Election March 10— Duterte suspends the classes in NCR until March 14 due to COVID-19 threat.

March 10— Head of the Board Canvassers, Comm. John Peter Tredes leads Briefing 3 for Board of Election Inspectors and Poll Watchers.

March 12— Initial date of the Miting de Avance. SEC cancels the event because of the week-long class suspension.

March 12— Duterte suspends classes in all levels and government work in the executive branch for one month or until April 12.

March 13— DATE OF THE ELECTION. SEC moves date to March 20 due to class suspension, but postpones indefinitely after the imposition of the Metro-wide Community Quarantine

INDEPENDENT Chairperson: Chrisitan Onera Vice-Chairperson: Jade Daniel Judar

LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

N EW S FE A T UR E S

MAR9

Board Resolution no. 41 declares indefinite postponement of the PNU-USC General Election.

In an article published in SEC’s official newsletter, Vox Populi, Comm. Chosen M. Saus cited Article 1 Section 3 of PNU-USC which states, “when for any serious cause such as violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of election paraphernalia or records, force majeure, shortening of the semester, and other analogous cases of such nature that the holding of free, orderly and honest election should become impossible, the Commission, motu proprio, or upon a verified petition by any interested party, and after due notice and hearing, whereby all interested parties are afforded equal opportunity to be heard shall postpone the election.”

AUG24

PNU-SEC conducts virtual meeting with the candidates, SIKHAY and the independents.

MAY2

MAY15

SEC conducts survey among the PNUANs in May regarding the possible conduct of an online election, however, it garnered unfavorable responses. Reyes said that they value student involvement in terms of decisionmaking.

During the meeting, USC invited the candidates to the possible conduct of online elections. Given that all other university hubs used the same platform for elections.

In case conducted, the electoral commission will adjust the procedures and guidelines so as not to violate the current election code. These adjustments, according to the SEC, are part of the matrix being developed by them and the Office of Student Affairs and Student Services (OSASS).

SEC drafts contingency plans which contain two options, campus and online election.

USC Chairperson Alfredo Magat presides a special meeting where the possibility of online elections is discussed.

25.13%

Faculty of Education Sciences (FES)

Through a Facebook post, SEC announced that the commission’s effort and suggestions for conducting an inclusive and prostudent election while keeping the election’s credibility are among the matters discussed in the virtual meeting.

Furthermore, Comm. Chosen M. Saus cited the Board Resolution No. 40, which states that all election paraphernalia— ballots, Official Canvassing Results, Statement of Votes per Precinct, Certificate of Canvass of Votes, S.O.C.E., Election Results, report form of Board of Election Inspector Copy of Election Code, Copy of 2018, PNU-USC Constitution, Minutes of Folder and Ballot Boxes— will remain effective until the conduct of the next election. The commission’s efforts are made pointless with the recent F.O.E. as all of these may not be in use as long as physical classes remain a far cry.

72.11%

36.90 %

Institute of Physical Education, Health, Recreation, Dance, and Sports (IPEHRDS)

Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences (FBESS)

Table 1

55.47%

1st-year Students

60.55%

2019 Voter Turn-out

44.32%

Faculty of Arts and Languages (FAL)

50.55%

Faculty of Science Technology and Mathematics (FSTEM)

In 2019, insufficient time caused the declaration of failure of election, according to SEC Vice-Chairperson Comm. Roan Arnega. Instead of conducting the general elections on February 28, 2020, the 4th week of February, mandated in Article 18 Section 1 of the 2018 PNU-USC Constitution, SEC scheduled it in March. The commission was firm that ample time for preparation is necessary to ensure that it would go smoothly. To add to the commission's problems, January was a month full of class

13

School of Information and Knowledge Management (SKIM)

suspensions due to the Taal eruption and PNU Summit. The reasons above resulted in the shift of the election date to March.

This year, SEC asks the students for a higher voter turnout after garnering only 51.87% turnout in 2019 (Table 1).

All set for the much-awaited election 2020, PNU-SEC launched its hashtag #MarchBetterUSC as early as February. But months have gone by due to the pandemic, and further cancellation of classes and activities persisted. Finally, after

an en banc session last Sept. 28, the electoral commission declared a failure of elections nullifying all election processes that happened during the 2020 General Elections of PNU-USC. SEC explained in a 5-page Board Resolution that aside from requiring several considerations—security of the ballots, unavailability of an online election system, and inclusivity of the platform— the conduct of an online election is not covered by the Election Code, thus would be unconstitutional.

Transitioning from traditional to alternative modalities of conducting an election is now a challenge posed upon the electoral commission. On top of it, inclusivity among the PNUANs must be ensured, for they are the voters of the next set of student leaders who will hold the highest governing positions in USC. The opening of the new academic year calls for new student leaders, but the nuts and bolts of conducting an election in the time of a pandemic remains a question in mind.

PHOTO ● EZRA GALAURAN

14 NE W S

USC to propose ‘Mental Healthcare Period’ to admin ANDREA CRISOLOGO

A month after the opening of the classes, the Philippine Normal University Student Council (PNU-USC) will push its proposal for a week-long break from synchronous and asynchronous sessions, for both the students and professors, to the PNU administration.

After conducting an ‘Online Kumustahan and Consultation’ last October 24, the students’ feedback to the implementation of Kaway-Aralan sa Bagong Kadawyan prompted the council to push for the mental health care period.

“We indeed have more flexible time at the comfort of our homes, but we all know that we vary with conduciveness of learning environment and this is just one among many factors to consider achieving success in remote learning, and that alone causes immense stress,” USC Chairperson Alfredo Magat explained.

At least 7 universities nationwide have already conducted their academic breaks like Mapua University. Meanwhile, 8 other universities announced their upcoming break including University of the Philippine’s midsemester break and Isabela State University’s semester reflection break.

According to the Chairperson, if the admin approves the proposal,

the suggested dates of the break are (a) October 29 - November 2 (Thursday - Monday), (b) November 3 - November 8 (Tuesday - Sunday), (c) October 30 - November 6 (Friday - Friday). Currently, the council is conducting an online survey before the PNU community regarding the preferred schedule.

There are a lot of factors that make online learning a struggle for the students. The Alliance of Concerned Teachers – Education Students (ACT-ES) Chairperson Mhargie Bundalian shared that her noisy learning environment causes difficulty for her to focus on academic tasks.

“Ang pangunahing problema ay ang ingay ng paligid, mahirap mag-focus kaya’t mas pinipili na magpuyat para matapos dahil hindi naman hihinto ang mga pasahan at gawain, ang mahinang internet connection at kung minsan nagkaaroon ng biglaang brown out dahil sa malakas na ulan,’’ Bundalian explained.

PNU Psychology and Counseling Society President Christopher Gascon said that the challenge for him is in communicating with his classmates as some of them have connectivity issues and limited access to internet data. He also mentioned a situation when the internet providers are down for several hours.

Gascon expressed approval for the mental healthcare period proposal while Bundalian said she understands USC’s aim for the welfare of the students amid given ‘’limited information.” ‘’Many of our students and faculty [members] experience stress due to academic work and also the adjustments they have to make because of this “bagong kadawyan” and its system. Having this mental health break will help the students and faculty because we should understand that coping up with circumstances will take time,’’ Gascon explained.

Moreover, Bundalian cited a possible downside of this proposal and said, ‘’Hindi natin maaring isantabi ang mga maaring maging epekto nito gaya ng backlog o pag-urong ng pang-akademikong kalendaryo na maaring magdulot ng stress sa mga estudyante pagkatapos ng nasabing break dahil sa tambak na gawain o pagkagahol sa oras.’’

Magat said that they have considered the students’ deadlines in setting the date.

“But of course, we have put great consideration with the set dates for this academic year, including our deadlines for academic requirements,” he explained.

The need for breaks amidst adjusting to online classes is a manifestation of the modalities’

unhealthiness. Although it may be of help, but it is of no denial that this offers temporary escape.

Aside from temporary solutions, there is a greater need to demand the state to address the education system's root problems and provide adequate support, especially in times of crisis, ACTES said in a statement.

In a Facebook post, the University of the Philippines Student Regent said, ‘’ This will be an ease, even just for a short period, for the constituency to breathe from the burnout massively experienced by so many due to the remote learning set-up.’’

“The shift to remote learning and the lack of ample state support for such has more than doubled the workload—not to mention the expenses—of already overworked public school teachers. This will likely result in a further decline in education quality and burn out among our educators,” Alliance of Concered Teachers (ACT) Secretary-General Raymond Basilio said.

With this, the ACT upholds its call for a ‘safe, accessible, and quality education’ for the welfare of millions the students, teachers, education stakeholders around the country.

LA T HA LA IN 15

Tahanan ng Paglaban: Sipat sa Iba't ibang Porma ng Pag-atake sa Maralitang Pilipino JERSEY CACALDA

Sinasabing sa tahanan matatagpuan ang tunay na kapayapaan. Ngunit, tanging ligalig at pangamba na mawalan ng tirahan ang higit na nararamdaman ng mga maralitang Pilipino dahil sa mga nagpapatuloy na ebiksyon at ilegal na demolisyon kahit pa sa gitna ng tuminding krisis dulot ng pandemya.

Birdshot

Habang nagpapatuloy ang mga ebiksyon at ilegal na demolisyon, walang tigil din ang iba't ibang bihis ng pag-atake sa mga grupong nakikipaglaban para sa karapatan sa tirahan.

Mayo 28, natagpuan ang malamig na bangkay ng Secretary General ng Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) na si Carlito Badion sa isang kalsada sa Ormoc City. Ayon sa KADAMAY, noon pa man ay nakatatanggap na ng banta sa buhay at seguridad si Badion dahil sa aktibo nitong pakikisangkot sa pagtutol laban sa mga demolisyon at pangunguna sa kampanya ng pag-okupa ng mga pampublikong pabahay sa Metro Manila at mga karatig-lugar.

Samantala, sapilitan at ilegal namang inaresto ang apat na miyembro ng KADAMAY-Pandi matapos lumahok sa SONA ng Bayan sa pamamagitan ng isang selfie protest sa loob ng kanikanilang mga bahay. Gayundin, dinakip sila Rose Fortaleza, Bea Arellano at Paz Tupaz na pawang mga lider ng mga maralita base naman sa mga gawa-gawang kaso.

Matatandaang hinuli rin ang 21

mamamayan ng Sitio San Roque matapos magprotesta bunsod ng kawalan ng natatanggap na ayuda mula sa pamahalaan.

Samantala, pwersahan namang ni-raid ng PNP ang opisina ng Pinoy Weekly at nilimas ang mga dyaryo at magazine nito habang kinumpiska naman ang pulyetong ipinamimigay ng KADAMAY. Patunay na sa isang kumpas lamang ng estado, nagagawa nitong pakilusin ang mga galamay nito upang isagawa ang mga mapaniil na hakbangin nito, masupil lamang ang mga maralitang mapangahas na lumalaban para sa kanilang karapatan at panirahan.

No Permanent Address

Sa kabila ng mandatong ibinaba ng Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) ukol sa pansamantalang pagpapahinto ng anumang aktibidad na may kinalaman sa ebiksyon, patuloy pa rin ang ragasa ng mga ilegal na demolisyon sa iba't ibang panig bansa.

Marso 12, ilegal na giniba ang mga kabahayan ng 120 na pamilya sa isang komunidad sa New Era Compound Brgy. 137 Zone 15 Protacio Pasay City. Giit ng mga residente, hindi dumaan sa tamang proseso at wala silang natanggap na anumang abiso patungkol sa nasabing demolisyon. Hanggang ngayon, nananatiling walang tugon ang baranggay at lokal na pamahalaan ng Pasay ukol sa insidenteng ito.

Gayundin, 300 pamilya naman ang nawalan ng tirahan matapos

ang demolisyon upang magbigay daan diumano sa pagpapalawak ng Philippine Railway System sa Cabuyao, Laguna.

Samantala, patuloy naman ang pananakot sa humigitkumulang 300 na residente ng Sitio Silangan, Talaba 7, Bacoor Cavite ng mga Proteger Security Agency. Nagbabala pa ang mga ito na huhulihin at kakasuhan ang sinumang magprotesta tungkol sa ilegal na demolisyon sa kanilang lugar na balak di umanong patayuan ng isang business hub.

Coming Soon

Setyembre nang maglabas ng mandato ng demolisyon ang lokal na pamahalaan ng Maynila sa dalawang tenement na pagmamay-ari ng National Housing Authority (NHA).

Tinatayang nasa 800 pamilya ang inaasahang maaapektuhan ng demolisyong ito sa ngalan ng pagpapatayo sa tinatawag nilang Tondominium.

Gayundin, higit isang libong residente ang pinangangambahang mawawalan ng tirahan sa Intramuros matapos ideklara ng korte ang isang Chinese company bilang lehitimong may-ari ng lupang kinatitirikan ng mga kabahayan sa nasabing lugar.

Sa ngayon, may walong mandato ng demolisyon ang nakabinbin sa iba't ibang panig ng bansa kabilang ang sa Tondo, Intramuros, San Roque, UP Campus, Navotas, Bacoor, at Bulacan.

inaakala ng mga naghaharing-uri na matatahimik ang mga residente sa mga isyu ng ilegal na kalakaran sa kanilang lugar.

Ang ganitong hakbangin ng mga lokal na pamahalaan ay manipestasyon na desperado nang kamkamin ng mga nasa kapangyarihan ang mga lupang ito upang mairatsada ang kanilang mga personal na agenda na lalo pang sinasamantala ngayong may pandemya. Sa pamamagitan ng karahasan, inaakala ng mga naghaharing-uri na matatahimik ang mga residente sa mga isyu ng ilegal na kalakaran sa kanilang lugar.

Ngunit, mas pinapatindi lamang nito ang kagustuhan ng mga maralitang Pilipino na makipaglaban para sa lupang kinatitirikan ng kani-kanilang mga tahanan.

Mananatiling matapang na titindig ang mga militanteng maralita sa buong bansa upang patuloy na manguna sa pakikibaka ng sektor para sa trabaho, sahod, panirahan, kabuhayan, karapatan at serbisyong panlipunan.

GRAPHICS â—? JUSTINE PATRICIO

16 L A T H A LA IN

WILLIAM

LAYOUT ● CARMELLA LARGUIZA

M CABREZOS

LA T HA LA IN 17

18

FEATURES

g n i p p i R s e c i vhoa

wit

T S I F T S I C FAS

JOSE FRANCO CASTILLO

“Only oppression should fear the full exercise of freedom” Jose Marti

As the COVID-19 havocs the country, the Duterte administration kept tangling criticism with rebellion. Silencing critics remained the government’s priority, while the pandemic fell to deaf ears. Along with the growing number of COVID-19 cases is the prevalent practice of illegal arrests nationwide. Not only were the stomachs of millions of jobless Filipinos are left neglected but so is their yowling for a nonmilitarized and pro-people solution with which the Duterte regime is unheard.

PHOTO ● EZRA GALAURAN

LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

FE A T UR E S 19 Militarized tantrums to free speech Due to the lack of proactive pandemic responses from the government’s side, criticisms from both progressive groups and citizens arose. However, all were in vain as the administration branded their cries as rebellion.

Warrantless arrests plagued his critics. One of them, Reynaldo Orcullo, 41, was arrested for the mere reason of calling Duterte “Gago” and “Buang.” Another arrest was to Ronald Mas, a teacher from Dagupan, due to his satirical hence, empty threat of providing a fifty million pesos bounty to whoever kills Duterte.

Being a one-trick phony, the government once again went with brute force instead of concrete countermeasures in addressing the pandemic. They boasted their menial feats in oppressing the marginalized while remaining a paper tiger towards international threats.

"This initial victory sends a powerful message that the seemingly absolute power of a repressive regime can be and will be challenged by even the most ordinary Filipinos such as Teacher Ronnel," ACT stated.

These repressive and punitive measures against alleged anti-

government sentiments are a blatant assault on free speech. By instilling fear among people, they are rendered silent about their circumstances and convictions, Basilio said in a statement with ABS-CBN. Backlogs of injustices Other protests meant for the expression of sorrow, grievance, and struggle for justice were also ridiculed. In Laguna, 16 union workers from Liga na Pinalakas ng Manggagawa sa Coca-Cola were arrested for being redtagged as alleged NPA members.

Iloilo also had its share with the apprehension of 42 individuals for doing an indignation protest for the killing of Jory Porquia of BAYAN Panay.

The reason for the detainment is the violation of Batas Pambansa 880, disobedience to persons in authority, Republic Act 11332, or the Law on Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases, at Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. However, this was condemned by Bayan Muna Panay and other groups for violating the rights to protests and rights to heal grievances. Piston members share the same scars as they were detained for protesting the denial of their livelihood.

“To protest because the

SIDEBAR 1 Based of the latest data of Joint Task Force COVID Shield in September 6, the country tallied a total of:

100,486

drivers are hungry and wanting to work, instead of depending on government assistance that never came, is not only legitimate, it is humane and logical. To arrest and detain them is inhumane, the height of insensitivity and a form of institutional violence,” The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) stated.

Igniting collective action Even with kindness in the cornerstone of criticism, apprehension and military harassment did not halt. In Marikina, 10 Cure COVID volunteers were arrested for helping peasant pandemic victims, albeit permitted. It is also the same case with the four members of Tulong Kabataan, who suffered detainment along with fourteen residents in Quezon City.

“Higit sa mga palabas sa telebisyon, hindi biro ang makulong na wala ka namang ginawang masama. Hindi krimen ang paggiit sa mga lehitimong panawagan na hindi natutugunan ng pamahalaan.” Anton Narciso III of College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) stated.

These atrocities amplified as military intervention became chronic. On July 27, President Duterte gave his 5th State of

the Nation Address. On the same day, 141 protesters from different progressive groups and organizations nationwide were arrested; 34 from Metro Manila and 107 outside. Quarantine regulations such as physical distancing and wearing face masks were used as a façade for restricting the protesters' rights.

State forces halted SONAGKaisa attendees in varying checkpoints. To their defense, in an article from Bulatlat, the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) implied that no individual should be arrested for not wearing facemasks, not following social distancing protocols, and violating curfew guidelines.

To the fascist president, silence is the country's long-awaited remedy. Massive efforts were driven to deprive the masses of their rights rather than provide necessary aid to them. Duterte took the pandemic not as a national debacle in need of immediate and effective countermeasures, but as a war against his countrymen. This only forces the Filipinos to shout louder and struggle against the government's militarized methods to which silence is better than a cure.

References: ACT: Arrest of teacher who threatened Duterte online 'an attack on free speech. (2020). ABS-CBN news. Retrieved from: https:// news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/13/20/act-arrest-of-teacher-whothreatened-duterte-online-an-attack-on-free-speech NEW NORMAL: ILIGAL NA PAG-ARESTO SA MGA KRITIKO. (2020). The Torch Publications. Retrieved from: https://www. facebook.com/thetorchpnu/posts/2974048029377085 Umali, J. (2020). 141 arrested during nationwide #SONA2020 protests. Bulatlat: Journal for the People. Retrieved from: https:// www.bulatlat.com/2020/07/28/141-protesters-arrested-duringnationwide-sona-protests/

arrests in relation to quarantine violations Luzon 57,253 arrests Visayas 23,891 arrests Mindanao 19,342 arrests

73,812

are already released

26,674

reached in quest proceedings before their release

1,735

remain detained in various police stations

GRAPHICS ● CARMELLA LARGUIZA

20 O P I N Y O N

hangad lang din ng mga tsuper na mabigyan ng komportableng pamumuhay ang kanilang mag-anak.

hit and run

JERSEY CACALDA cacalda.jb@pnu.edu.ph

Nananaginip ng gising, nakatulala sa hangin..

Ito ang paboritong awit na kinakanta ni Ate tuwing pinapatugtog sa cassette ang album ng Aegis na regalo sa kaniya ni Papa. Noon pa man, idol na talaga namin sa kantahan si Papa. Tulad ng kaniyang pag-awit, birit na birit din siya kung maghanapbuhay mabigyan lamang kami ng komportableng buhay.

Sa apat na dekada ni Papa bilang security guard, halos buong linggo siya kung magtrabaho. Tulad ng kahit na sinong magulang, hindi rin niya alintana ang pagod at puyat sa buong araw na pagtatrabaho.

Masasabi ko na mapalad pa rin kami dahil hindi napasama sa mga nawalan ng trabaho si Papa sa kasagsagan ng pandemya. Ibig sabihin, matiwasay pa rin kaming nakakakain tatlong beses sa isang araw.

Sa buong araw ng pagpapagal, hapunan ang pinakaimportante sapagkat dito na lamang kami nagsasama-sama. Bukod sa yugto ito ng aming kamustahan, kasalo rin namin sa hapag-kainan ang mga nagbabagang balita sa telebisyon.

Sa komportableng buhay na ito, ligalig ang tangi kong nararamdaman tuwing nakaririnig ako ng mga balitang ang mga dating tinaguriang hari ng kalsada, ngayon ay napipilitan nang mamalimos at mangalakal ng basura dahil sa kawalan ng arawang kita. Halos tatlong buwan na rin kasi magmula nang sila ay magtigil pasada. Ang iba

sa kanila, naabutan na ng lockdown sa Maynila kaya sa mga pampasaherong jeep na lang naisipang manirahan.

Bagama’t nakatanggap na ng tulong pinansyal ang iilan, hindi naman lahat ng mga apektadong drayber ng pampublikong sasakyan ay naambunan ng ayuda. Kung nakatanggap man, palaisipan pa ring maituturing kung paano nila mapagkakasya ang ayuda sa loob ng higit 100 araw na wala silang kinikita kahit singkong-duling.

Sa tala ng IBON Foundation, halos Php 78,000 na ang nawalang kita ng isang pampaseherong jeep na bumabyahe nang anim na beses sa isang lingo. Katumbas ito ng Php 26,000 kada buwan sa ilalim ng tatlong buwang nakapasailalim sa travel ban ang mga pampublikong jeep. Malinaw na hangga’t nananatiling nakatigil pasada ang mga tsuper, patuloy na lumolobo ang halaga ng arawang kita na tiyak na magagamit sana sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na gastusin.

Kapansin-pansin na nanatili pa ring maluwag ang mga kalsada gayong nasa ilalim na ng GCQ ang Metro Manila. Ito ay dahil tanging ang mga modernong jeep at tradisyunal na jeep na pagmamay-ari ng mga korporasyon at kooperatiba lamang ang maaaring magbalik-kalsada. Malaking dagok ito sa kalakhan ng mga pumasadang jeep sapagkat marami sa mga ito ang nananatiling nasa anyong tradisyunal.

Suntok sa buwan pa kung saan huhuthutin ng mga ordinaryong tsuper ang milyon-milyong halaga ng pagpapagawa ng modernong jeep, maging ang mga kinakailangan sa proseso ng pagbuo ng kooperatiba.

Bukod pa, kahit na payagang muli ang pagpasada ng mga jeep, hindi pa rin ligtas ang mga tsuper sa pagsagasa ng modernization program kung walang ilalatag na kongkreto at malinaw na plano ang administrasyon para sa

mga naghahanapbuhay gamit ang pampublikong mga sasakyan.

Dahil dito, hindi ko masisi ang mga drayber ng jeep sa paglulunsad ng kaliwa’t kanang kilos-protesta upang ilahad ang hirap ng kanilang sitwasyon. Matapos na banggain ang lehitimong kabuhayan ng mga tsuper, tila tinakbuhan pa ng gobyerno ang responsibilidad nitong pagsilbihan ang pinakanangangailangan.

Pinapatunayan lamang ng mga panggigipit na ito na hindi ang kapakanan ng mga ordinaryong Pilipino ang prayoridad ng gobyerno kundi ang siguraduhing magkakamal ng malaking kita ang banyaga at pribadong kumpanya na siyang pagkukuhanan ng mga modernong jeepney.

Mula nang tutulan at mapatigil ng malawak na alyansa ng mga jeepney drayber ang pagraratsada ng pahirap na modernization program sa transportasyon, natutunan na ng Pangulo na hindi palaging magtatagumpay ang anti-mamamayang mga palisiya.

Ngayong nakahanap ang Pangulo ng bagong pagkakataon bunsod ng pandemya, hindi na kagulat-gulat ang pagbigwas ng pangulo pabalik sa mga naninindigang tsuper. Patunay dito ang pagkaka-aresto ng anim na tsuper mula sa Piston matapos nilang magsagawa ng mapayapang protesta sa pagbabakasakaling mapankinggan ng gobyerno ang kanilang panawagan para sa kabuhayan.

Tulad ng pangarap ni Papa, hangad lang din ng mga tsuper na mabigyan ng komportableng pamumuhay ang kanilang mag-anak. Sa kabila ng kagustuhan na magkayod-kalabaw, mananatiling nasasagasaan ang karapatang mabuhay ng mga tsuper kung patuloy silang naka-preno mula sa pagtatrabaho dahil sa mga balakid na dala ng gobyerno.

OPIN YON 21

kayod sahod PHOTO ● JASON MANASALA

Ang kapabayaan ng gobyerno ang nagtulak sa mga unibersidad na magsagawa ng desentralisadong pagtugon sa hamon na ipagpatuloy ang edukasyon sa gitna ng pandemya.

Bunsod nito, nagsanga-sanga ang suliranin ng sektor, dahilan upang tuluyang mailantad ang kabulukan ng sistemang pang-edukasyon sa bansa bunsod ng neoliberal na sistema.

Mula rito, hindi naman tuluyang ipinagkibit-balikat ng Lupon ng mga Rehente ng Pamantasang Normal ng Pilipinas ang hinaing ng mga magaaral. Bagamat hindi nito dininig ang ilang panawagan gaya ng mass promotion na nakapagpagaan sana sa kalagayan ng mag-aaral na patuloy na iniinda ang pang-akademikong gawain mula sa nakaraang taon, hayag naman ang paggawa nito ng ilang paraan katulad ng pamamahagi ng learning toolkits at pagbibigay ng devices upang maipagpatuloy ng ilan ang pagaaral sa bagong kadawyan.

Nakatulong din naman sa mga mag-aaral ang pagpapatupad ng mas maluwag na deadlines sa pagitan ng guro at estudyante, pagkokonsidera ng mga posibleng pagliban sa klase dahil sa aberya sa koneksyon, at maging ang pagtatakda ng limitadong oras para sa synchronous classes na malaking tulong upang mabawasan ang bigat—sa aspetong mental at pinansyal—buhat ng transisyong ito.

Napagtagumpayan ang mga ito sa tulong ng aktibong pagpapanawagan ng masang mag-aaral at pag-tugon ng administrasyon ng Pamantasan sa kabila ng mga hamon ng panahon.

Subalit, hindi sapat ang mga pansamantalang tugon na ito sapagkat hindi nito inuugat ang kahirapan ng kaguruan at mga mag-aaral. Hindi rin nito isinasama sa kampanya ang mga manggagawa’t empleyado para isulong ang karapatan ng lahat para sa ligtas na pagbabalik sa mga paaralan,

lampas sa komunidad ng Pamantasan.

Sa kabuuan, dumudulo pa rin ang mga hamong kinakaharap sa sistematikong paggamit ng estado sa pandemya para pagsilbihan ang pansarili nitong interes at tuluyang mamayani ang kultura ng impyunidad sa bansa.

Bilang Pambansang Sentro ng Edukasyong Pangguro sa bansa, malaking hamon sa administrasyon ng pamantasan na makiisa sa laban ng malawak na sektor ng edukasyon at hindi ito mapako sa pagbibigay ng pansamantalang tugon. Ang pagkakapakong ito at ang pagpili na manahimik sa gitna ng kakulangan ang dahilan ng mabagal na pag-usad ng malawak na panawagan para mapaglaanan ng sapat na pondo ang sektor ng edukasyon. Mahalagang nakasandig ang Pamantasan sa pangangalaga sa interes ng bawat sektor na bumubuo rito upang tunay itong sumulong. Gayundin, hindi maaaring ihiwalay ng mga rehente ang sarili nito sa laban ng mga estudyante at gurong nakikibaka para sa makalidad, siyentipiko, at makamasang edukasyon sapagkat pangunahing esensya ng Pamantasan ang pagpanday sa kinabukasan ng edukasyon ng buong bansa.

Hindi nito maaaring ihiwalay ang sarili nito sa patuloy na pagsilang ng militansya sa Inang Pamantasan dulot ng patuloy na represyon sa hanay ng mamamahayag, pagpatay sa mga magsasaka, pananamantala sa mga manggagawa, pang-aabuso sa kababaihan, pagpapalayas sa mga katutubo at iba pang isyung panlipunan sapagkat mawawalan ng silbi ang edukasyon kung ito ay bulag at nagpapahintulot ng opresyon at pasismo.

Isang hamon sa administrasyon ng pamantasan na pangunahing magbigay-tindig, makiisa’t makisangkot sa maraming sosyo-

politikal na suliranin. Nakasalalay ang kapakanan ng mga sektor na bumubuo sa komunidad ng PNU na bulnerableng pinupuruhan ng mga neoliberal na palisiya. Tungkulin ng Pamantasan na kumotra sa agos ng namamayaning mga burukrata-edukador, kasapakat ang pasista, mamamatay-tao at mandarambong na rehimen.

Higit sa tagumpay nitong makalikha ng mahuhusay na guro at responsableng mamamayan, marapat din na ang Pamantasan ay maging isang institusyon na nangangalaga sa makatuwirang paglaban ng nasasakupan nito. Sa panahon ng ligalig, ang pagtindig at pagkilos ang pangunahing sangkap sa pagwasak ng lumang istrukturang umaabuso sa mamamayan. Tunguhin sana ng Pamantasan ang mapanghamong landas upang maging ganap itong lunduyan ng kritikal na pagkilos at mapagpalayang mga kaisipan.

Tulad ng nakapiring na timbangang simbolo ng hustisya, inukit ang Inang Pamantasan sa wangis ng kababaihan— hindi dapat nagpapalupig, tumitindig, pumoprotekta at nakikibaka sa ngalan ng mga anak, mamamayan, at bayang pinagsisilbihan nito.

tunguhin sana ng Pamantasan ang mapanghamong landas upang maging ganap itong lunduyan ng kritikal na pagkilos at mapagpalayang mga kaisipan.

sa wangis ng hustisya at militansya GELINE DESPABILADERAS

22 F E A T U R E S

NICOLE LINDS

LAYOUT ● CARMELLA LARGUIZA

SAY RAMOS

FE A T UR E S 23

24 F E A T U R E S

Rey Valmores-Salinas is the National Spokesperson of Bahaghari, a National Democratic Alliance of Militant and anti-imperialist mass organizations, communities, and unions of the LGBTQ+ in the Philippines. The organization took inspiration from the murder of Jennifer Laude, a transwoman who was killed by a US marine. The socio-political situation provoked the activists' desire to fight against transphobia, homophobia, and imperialism.

Aside from being a full-time LGBTQIA+ activist, Ms. Rey graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of the Philippines Diliman and is currently working in the Ateneo School of medicine and public health, wherein she is the youngest member of the team. She is a transwoman and a full-time political organizer who continue to fight for women and LGBTQIA+ rights.

Ms. Rey is part of the PRIDE 20 who were illegally arrested during their march for Pride month and Anti-Terrorism Bill.

1. What made you choose this path of representing the LGBTQ+ community and fighting for your rights and freedom?

As a transgender woman, I understand that my very existence is political. Growing up, I experienced persistent bullying and alienation at school from peers and severe physical and emotional violence at home from my family. It was when I joined Bahaghari that I dared to fight so that no other queer child would have to go through the things I did and to help build a world where everyone’s potential is fully and entirely realized— regardless of gender.

2. How important is it to have a national democratic LGBTQIA+ Organization? How is it different from other LGBTQIA+ organizations?

National democratic organizations, at the fundamental level, seek to address the 3 root problems in Philippine society, namely: (1) feudalism; (2) bureaucrat-capitalism; and (3) imperialism. What is unique about Bahaghari is that our analysis of the LGBTQ+ struggle always takes these, and the rest of the material conditions of the Philippines, into account. What exactly are these 3 problems, and why are they related to our struggle as LGBTQ+?

Feudalism, a system where there is a ruling minority of lords, and a vast majority of oppressed serfs, is deeply reminiscent of what we see in the countryside, except in the Philippines, we have hacienderos and peasants. It is also in a feudal system where patriarchy is ingrained, a backward culture that has concrete consequences of not only the erasure of our diverse identities as LGBTQ+ in lieu of a strict gender binary but also of institutionalized violence that kills the LGBTQ+ every day.

Bureaucrat-capitalism is essentially turning politics into business. Everything is privatized: from healthcare to education, to basic utilities. Why is this relevant for the LGBTQ+? Because a concrete consequence of this is how legislators railroad policies that ensure their pockets get filled, and completely deprioritize laws such as the SOGIE Equality Bill, which they completely disregard and tag as irrelevant or even heinous (which goes back to the patriarchal and exclusionary culture borne out of feudalism as well).

Imperialism is the final stage of capitalism, in which superpower nations begin to intervene with other, smaller countries politically, economically, culturally, and militarily. Imperialism is why the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States was created, and why consequently, hundreds of US soldiers are still on Philippine soil. Joseph Scott Pemberton was simply one of the many US marines docked in the Philippines. He murdered our trans woman sister Jennifer Laude and invoked the VFA to muscle himself into a protected facility at Camp Aguinaldo where only Americans and select Philippine officials may enter. Ultimately, he was granted absolute pardon by President Duterte, who saw to it to kneel to US interests and set Pemberton free.

LGBTQ+ organizations must espouse a political line that encompasses these 3 root problems if we are to create meaningful liberation for all members of the LGBTQ+. Furthermore, it is also necessary for the LGBTQ+ to assert and embed ourselves in the mass movement; who else would stand for a culture that truly accepts and values the diversity of humanity's sexual orientations, gender identities, expressions, and sexual characteristics, but the LGBTQ+? In other words, we have a critical role in the cultural revolution.

3. What particular missteps of the LGBTQIA+ members do you find most problematic? How should we correct it?

The most immediate misstep that comes to mind is the reduction of our community’s problems to identity politics. It is not enough that we have LGBTQ+ persons in positions of power; we must liberate every single member of the LGBTQ+, from all walks of life. This includes farmers, workers, national minorities, and all other oppressed sectors in which we can find members of our community.

Another, related issue is sectoralism. It is restricting one’s activism to the sector one belongs to. While it is critical that we address discrimination and all other LGBTQ+-specific issues, it is also important for us to recognize that we do not possess a rainbow shield that renders us immune from all other struggles faced by the rest of society. The LGBTQ+ also go hungry from food insecurity.

The LGBTQ+ also suffer from the lack of mass testing, contact tracing, and isolation, which has dragged out the COVID-19 pandemic for so long in the country. The LGBTQ+ also fall prey to state fascism, to the longest and harshest military lockdown of the world, and to the de facto Martial Law imposed by Duterte’s administration today.

ADRIAN

4. What is the current situation of the LGBTQIA+ community under the Duterte Administration?

At the very beginning, Duterte has expressed support for Anti-Discrimination legislation, and yet even 4 years into his regime, we have seen no real progress for the SOGIE Equality Bill. Filipinos, including the LGBTQ+, have sunk deeper and deeper into poverty. In fact, during the lockdown where about 45% of the workforce is now unemployed, many of those hit the hardest are the LGBTQ+, from LGBTQ+ workers in the BPO industry and more who experienced mass layoffs, LGBTQ+ parlorists who are either unemployed or underemployed, even our drag queens who have lost a massive chunk of their spaces for performance.

In the early stages of Duterte’s regime, among the victims of the War on Drugs are members of the LGBTQ+. This continues into Duterte’s imposition of Executive Order 70, which has led to the state-sponsored killing of Ryan Hubilla, a 22-year-old LGBTQ+ activist and high school student in Sorsogon. In the advent of COVID-19, where Duterte eagerly pushed a military lockdown, we have seen countless human rights violations by state forces against the LGBTQ+. In Pandacaqui,

PAU

FE A T UR E S

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Pampanga, the barangay captain forced 2 queer youth quarantine violators to kiss each other on camera, and perform a sexy dance for a child. In Zamboanga, trans woman detainees were forcibly shaved by the police in order to humiliate them. In Marikina, an LGBTQ+ prisoner was raped by 76 men under the direct supervision of the chief of police.

As the government railroaded the Anti-Terrorism Bill, Bahaghari organized a Pride March in direct protest. During the Pride March in Mendiola, 20 of us were illegally and violently arrested, which earned us the name Pride 20. In our 5-day detention, we experienced immense discrimination, starvation, torture, and sexual harassment. We even witnessed acts of lasciviousness, where a police officer masturbated while guarding us.

Most recently, President Duterte granted an absolute pardon for Joseph Scott Pemberton, who murdered our trans woman sister Jennifer Laude in 2014. Even after 6 years of struggle for Jennifer, Duterte cruelly denied her of justice.

5. What does the presidential pardon of Pemberton tell us about the government’s treatment toward the LGBTQIA+ community?

Duterte’s absolute pardon of Pemberton tells us that the LGBTQ+ are second-class citizens in our own home, especially when our rights begin to contradict the interests of imperialist powers.

6. What can you say about the progress of the SOGIE bill in Congress?

If I’m not mistaken, the SOGIE Equality Bill is, by far, the bill that has been languishing for the longest time in Congress, having been persistently refiled and scrapped over and over for over 20 years already. The Senate President himself, Tito Sotto, has vowed to block the SOGIE Equality Bill through all means possible.

This doesn’t mean that it is impossible to achieve a national SOGIE-based AntiDiscrimination Law for the country. What it simply means is that we should not be placing all hopes on forging political alliances with people on top; we should, as well, build a strong mass movement aiming to pressure government into action. This is the idea behind Bahaghari’s #AchibDisBill campaign, a mass campaign aiming to mobilize working-class, youth, and urban-poor LGBTQ+, essentially the broad mass of LGBTQ+ whom we never see or ever hear from.

7. What can you say about Imee Marcos who brands herself as a champion of the LGBTQIA+ rights?

Imee Marcos is a perfect example of politicians who seek to use the LGBTQ+ struggle to advance their own political interests. During the election season, Imee proclaimed: “Iboto ang tunay na bakla sa Senado!” (“Vote a true queer individual into the Senate!”). She was referring, of course, to herself, as she courted the LGBTQ+ community and aimed to seize our votes. However, once Imee had been elected, she filed her own, incredibly watered-down version of the Anti-Discrimination Bill, and also stood against the idea of marriage equality.

Imee and her family support Duterte’s bloody regime, supports Martial Law in Mindanao and all of Duterte’s fascist policies, and is currently spending enormous amounts of money to institutionalize historical revisionism regarding the impact of Ferdinand Marcos’ Martial Rule. Who are the people killed by these policies? The poor. Including the poorest and most marginalized members of the LGBTQ+.

Imee Marcos is no champion of LGBTQ+ rights. She is nothing more than a corrupt, opportunistic fascist aiming to co-opt the LGBTQ+ struggle for her own ends.

8. How important is it to build a multi-sectoral alliance?

What is the role of the LGBTQIA+ community in the Filipino mass movement?

A INE LU

OIS LA TEZ | L UL COR

I believe that at the heart of every activist is empathy. Empathy by itself should be a strong drive for LGBTQ+ activites to recognize oppression happening to others, and to link arms with and fight alongside other oppressed peoples. But even beyond this, it is a reality that the LGBTQ+ community cuts across all sectors: we are farmers, workers, women, youth, national minorities, and more too. None of us are free until all of us are free. And that alone tells us that LGBTQ+ issues are people’s issues, and people’s issues are LGBTQ+ issues.

In the mass movement, I believe the LGBTQ+ also have a critical role in the cultural revolution, in forging a world where no child would ever be othered and harmed for being queer, a world where love knows no bounds of gender, a world where we celebrate the diversity of human sexual orientations, gender identities, expressions, and sexual characteristics.

No one else would vanguard this cultural shift but the LGBTQ+ embedded in the mass movement.

9. What is your message to the people who are championing the rights of the Filipino people and LGBTQIA+ community?

We are at a critical moment in Philippine history, as we see how the events of 1972 are fast approaching once again. ABS-CBN has been shut down. Martial rule in the form of the Terror Law is taking shape. There are curfews, broad militarization, and now, a law that legitimizes terrorism of the state. The Terror Law is, in fact, worse than an actual imposition of Martial Law. Now there is a council of appointed military men from the AFP and the PNP, a kangaroo court, a literal military junta, declaring who is and who isn’t a terrorist, who gets jailed without warrant, who becomes desaparecidos, who gets tortured, who dies. The fundamental human rights, and the democracy of the Filipino people, are at stake. That is how historic this battle is.

But as we have also learned from history, we have the power to shape society to the will of the masses. We took down Marcos. We took down Erap. We can take down a fascist dictator once again.

GRAPHICS ● WAYNE ABCDE NASAYAO | ALLYSSA MARIE SALVACION

26 LA T H A LA I N Kasabay ng pabago-bagong kumpas ng mga alituntunin ng Inter-Agency Task Force, tila sirang plaka rin ang kanilang pagdadahilan na buksan ang ekonomiya sa kabila ng kawalang sapat na aksyon ng pamahalaan sa pagsirit ng kaso ng COVID-19.

Pilipinas ang naitalang may pinakamahabang lockdown sa buong mundo dahil sa papalit-palit na restriksyong ipinatupad ng lokal at pambansang

“Ispageting pababa, pababa nang pababa, ispageting pataas, pataas nang pataas” Patuloy ang pagsadsad ng pambansang ekonomiya na masasalamin sa mababang Gross Domestic Product (GDP) na pinatindi pa ng pagkabaon ng bansa sa utang. Ayon nga sa Japan Center for Economic Research (JCER), tinatayang bubulusokpaibaba ang GDP ng bansa sa 7.7% sa ikatlong bahagi ng taon.

Bagamat mas mababa ito sa naunang inaasahang pagbagsak, ito pa rin ang magiging pinakamababang GDP growth sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas mula noong economic recession sa panahon ng rehimeng Marcos.

Kasabay nito, pataas naman ang pag-utang natin sa mga pandaigdigang organisasyon. Ayon nga sa Bureau of Treasury, sa pagtatapos ng buwan ng Agosto, lumobo ang ating utang sa higit 9.6 trilyong piso. Sa kabila ng pagluluwag ng mga restriksyon at pagbubukas ng ilang mga negosyo, hindi pa rin nito maisasalba ang bansa sa pagkakalugmok sa krisis na magdudulot ng matinding epekto sa mamamayan, partikular sa pinakamahihirap.

Patunay na wala sa tamang direksyon ang mga palisiyang ipinapatupad ng pamahalaan na karamihan ay nagsisilbi lamang sa interes ng iilan.

pamahalaan mula Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) hanggang General Community Quarantine (GCQ).

Subalit, napatunayan na hindi sapat ang lockdown kung hindi agresibong tutugon ang pamahalaan gamit ang solusyong medikal. Ipinakita ito ng patuloy na paglobo ng mga kaso na nagpopostibo sa sakit kasabay ng pagdausdos ng ekonomiya ng bansa.

Malinaw na ipinakita ng krisis pangkalusugan ang pangangailangan sa sentralisado, makamasa, at aktibong pagtugon sa mga suliranin sa kumpas ng pamahalaang tunay na may malasakit sa pinakabulnerableng mga miyembro ng lipunan.

“Napakaraming kasambahay dito sa amin ngunit bakit tila walang natira?”

Isa sa mga malakihang epekto ng pandemya ang pagkawala ng milyon-milyong trabaho at ang pagsasara ng libo-libong mga negosyo. Sa datos ng Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, umabot na sa 39.5% o 23.7 milyong mga Pilipino ang walang trabaho. Mas mababa man ito sa mga datos noong Hulyo, nananatili pa ring nasa mataas na lebel ang kawalan ng trabaho sa Pilipinas. Sa katunayan, 39 na porsiyento o 9.243 milyong Pilipino ang nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa COVID-19 labas pa ang mga trabahong nakapailalim sa informal sector na nawala o tumigil dahil sa krisis pangkalusugan.

Wala pa man ang pandemya, hindi pa rin nasosolusyonan ng pamahalaan ang isyu patungkol sa trabaho partikular sa kontraktwalisasyon at ang kakarampot na sahod para sa mga minimum wage earners. Sa sariling bakuran mismo ng gobyerno, mayroong 96,000 kontraktwal na mga empleyado at libo-libong mga bakanteng pwesto na dapat punan. Dagdag pa rito ang pagkawala ng trabaho sa gitna ng pandemya bunsod ng pagsasara ng ABS-CBN na tinatayang may 11 000 apektadong manggagawa. Wala pa ring malinaw na tugon ang pamahalaan sa mga tsuper ng pampublikong mga sasakyan, partikular ng dyip, na magpahanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin pinapayagang pumasada nang walang pahintulot mula sa Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board.

Mahirap na ngang humanap ng mapagkukunan ng kita bago pa ang pandemya, mas lalo pa itong naging mahirap dahil sa pangmatagalang pagsasara ng mga negosyo at establisyimento bunsod ng kawalan ng konkretong aksyon ng gobyerno.

TIAN LIZA

JOMIL CHRIS

LA T HA LA IN

27

“Kaya’t ibigay niyo na ang aming Christmas bonus” Kung magpapatuloy ang militaristikong pagtugon ng pamahalaan sa pandemya imbes na unahing tugunan ang pangangalilangan ng mamamayan sa pamamagitan ng solusyong medikal, mananatiling limitado ang galaw ng ekonomiya. Sa ganitong lagay, pangmatagalang pagdurusa ang sasapitin ng pinakabulnerableng mamamayan ng bansa. Lalo ring aasa ang mamamayan sa ayuda at pinansyal na tulong mula sa pamahalaan na bukod sa mabagal ang pamamahagi ay hindi rin sumasapat sa pangaraw-araw na gastos.

Ayon sa International Monetary Fund (IMF) Policy Responses to COVID-19 tracker, ang ating fiscal policy sa pagtugon sa COVID-19 ay umaabot lamang ng 3.1% ng ating GDP, pinakamaliit ito sa buong Timog-Silangang Asya at kahit na naisabatas na ang Bayanihan to Recover As One Act (Bayanihan 2), kaunti lamang ang magiging pagtaas sa bahagdan ng ating pinansyal na pagresponde sa pandemya.

Kaunti rin ang nakalaan na pang-ayuda sa mga micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Nakasaad sa Bayanihan 2 na maglalaan ang gobyerno ng 10 bilyong piso upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng 50 000 MSMEs ngunit aminado rin ang Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) na hindi nito matutulungan ang lahat ng negosyo kaya kahit na mayroong nakalaang pondo pang-ayuda, hindi pa rin mapipigilan ng gobyerno ang ilan pang pagsasara ng mga MSMEs ngayong panahon ng pandemya. Baka nga madagdagan pa ito lalo na’t naghahanap pa ng paraan ang gobyerno upang tulungan ang mga MSMEs na bigyan ng 13th month pay ang mga manggagawa.

“Kayo po na nakaupo, subukan niyo namang tumayo” Napatunayan ng pandemya ang kahinaan ng mga pang-ekonomiyang polisiya ng gobyerno na nakakaling sa pangungutang at iresponsableng paggamit ng pondo ng mamamayan. Kung tunay ang pagnanais ng pamahalaan na solusyonan ang krisis, dapat nitong suportahan ang maliliit na negosyo, partikular na ang mga lokal na negosyong pinakatumutugon sa mga pangangailangan. Nararapat na pagtuunan ng pansin ang sektor ng agrikultura na dumaranas ng pagkalugi bunsod ng Rice Liberalization Law. Unahing solusyonan ng pamahalaan ang pagkalat ng sakit sa pamamagitan ng pagsuporta sa sektor pangkalusugan. Hayaan na rin dapat ang pagpasada ng mga dyip sa kalsada upang sila rin ay kumita sa kabila ng pandemya at mapadali ang pagbiyahe ng mga manggagawa. Ayon nga sa Second Opinion, isang inisyatibo ng grupo ng mga doktor sa Pilipinas, wala pang naiprepresentang siyentipikong ebidensya ang IATF sa desisyong hindi payagan ang pagpasada ng mga dyip.

Malinaw na ipinakita ng krisis pangkalusugan ang pangangailangan sa sentralisado, makamasa, at aktibong pagtugon sa mga suliranin sa kumpas ng pamahalaang tunay na may malasakit sa pinakabulnerableng mga miyembro ng lipunan. Sa huli, hangad ng mamamayan ang pamahalaang may pagkilala sa kanilang pangangailangan at handang protektahan ang himig ng masang umaawit para sa mas maunlad na kinabukasan.

Mga Sanggunian: Bureau of The Treasury. (2020). National Government Debt Recorded at P9,615 Billion as of end-August 2020. In Bureau of The Treasury. Bureau of The Treasury. https://www.treasury.gov.ph/?p=37069 Cruz, M. (2019, November 23). ‘Regularize all contractuals in government.’

Manila Standard. https://www.manilastandard.net/news/national/310857/regularize-all-contractuals-in-government-.html De Vera, B. (2020, October 9). PH economic contraction seen slower in Q3.

INQUIRER.Net.https://business.inquirer.net/309121/ph-economic-contractionseen-slower-in-q3 Gonzales, A. L. (2020, September 29). P10B from Bayanihan 2 to help 50,000 MSMEs. The Manila Times. https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/09/29/business/ business-top/p10b-from-bayanihan-2-to-help-50000-msmes/773463/ IBON Media and Communications. (2020, July 29). PH ‘stimulus’ smallest in region. IBON Foundation. https://www.ibon.org/ph-stimulus-smallest-in-region/ Lalu, G. P. (2020, October 5). Adult unemployment rate slightly eases, but remains very high — SWS. INQUIRER.Net. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1344017/ adult-unemployment-rate-slightly-eases-but-remains-very-high-sws Sabillo, K. (2020, August 5). Jeepney a safe transportation option during the pandemic, doctors say. ABS-CBN News. https://news.abs-cbn.com/ news/08/05/20/jeepney-a-safe-transportation-option-during-the-pandemicdoctors-say

GRAPHICS ● JUSTINE PATRICIO LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

28 LA T H A LA IN

palabok de honor Katipunan ng mga kinaing salita ng Pangulo DOMINICK SILVERIO

Sa kabila ng bigong pagtugon ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa mga suliraning kaakibat ng pandemya, nakakuha pa rin ang Pangulo ng 91% tiwala at performance ayon sa pinakahuling sarbey na isinagawa ng Pulse Asia. Para sa maraming kritiko, tila palaisipan ang mataas na markang nakuha ni Duterte. Mahihinuhang

mabisa pa rin ang mga pakulo ng Pangulo gaya ng pabago-bagong mga pahayag na nagagamit bilang diskarte upang pagtakpan ang pinakamahahalagang usapin sa ilalim ng kanyang pamumuno.

Sa nakalipas na higit na apat na taong panunungkulan, nakaipon na ang masa ng mga salita at katapangang binabali sa oras ng

KAMAY NA BAKAL

Pahayag ng Pangulo patungkol sa walang habas na pagbali ng mismong hepe ng polisya sa mga regulasyon upang pigilan ang pagkalat ng sakit.

Abril 1, 2020 “My orders to the police and military … if there is trouble or the situation arises where your life is on the line, shoot them dead, Understand? Dead.

I’ll send you to the grave. … Don’t test the government.”

Hulyo 21, 2020 “There is no other way that we can prevent [Covid-19] from transferring from one person to the other, unless we obey,” Duterte said. “You want [Covid-19] slow down or stop? Wear a mask or do not go out of the house if you do not want to wear mask. ‘Yun lang. At saka ‘yung social distancing (That’s it. And observe social distancing).”

Bakas sa mga unang pahayag ng Pangulo ang katapangan sa pagpapahayag patungkol sa mahigpit na alituntunin para sa Community Quarantine, upang mapigilan ang paglaganap ng COVID-19. Mariin din ang kanyang paghiyakat sa masa na sumunod at magk-isa. Sa kabilang banda, siya mismo ang lumambot at naging maluwag noong minsan ay lumabag sa mismong mga alituntunin ang nagpapatupad nito.

Bigyang pansin ang pagpabor at pagtatanggol ng Pangulo sa kanyang mga tauhan.

Mayo 21 2020 “He is a good officer, he’s an honest one, and hindi niya kasalanan kung may — may magharana sa kanya sa birthday niya,” “Marami ‘yan silang…

They are all competent. But you know seniority. It is his time to be there and I do not believe in just firing him because kinantahan siya ng ‘Happy Birthday,’” at “Pinag-aralan ko ‘yung merits at saka demerits, eh kailangan ko ‘yung tao. Mas kailangan ko iyong tao dito sa trabaho niya.”

ANG UTANG NG PILIPINAS AT NAKAWAN SA KABAN NG BAYAN

Agosto 3, 2020 “Ngayon, magsabi kayo i-lockdown mo na ang Maynila, ang ibang lugar, the entire Philippines para talaga wala nang mahawa. Wala ka nang mahduterteawaan, wala ka nang mahawa. Problem is wala na tayong pera. I cannot give food anymore and money to people.”

Oktubre 19 2020 “Walang patawad. I do not forgive cases ng corruption. Walang areglo.

Wala lahat. No quarters given, no quarters asked kagaya din sa droga, walang pabor dito.” at “The highest interest of the country...and the welfare of the people are really the paramount concern...Kung may patayan diyan, you can hold me responsible for anything, any death that has occurred in the execution of the drug war.”

Makailang ulit na sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte ang kakulangan sa pinansyal na pondo ng bansa at ang kaniyang pagkamuhi hingil sa korapsyon sa loob mismo ng gobyerno. Ilang beses rin siyang nagbanta ng hindi pagkilala sa kahit na sino basta mapatutunayang tiwali ay hindi patatawarin. Ngunit sa kabilang banda ay ang pagpapabaya at pagsasalimot sa korapsyon sa PhilHealth na kung saan hanggang ngayon ay mabagal ang proseso upang panagutin ng mga tiwali.

Suriin kung paano biglang naiba ang pihit ng mga pahayag ng Pangulo.

pansariling pangangailangan.

Ilang pagbabanta sa katiwalian at ilang pagtatago sa katiwalian ng mga kaalyado. Ilang pananakot at ilang pagtatakip sa baho ng mga kaalyado, samahan pa ng harapang pagpabor sa Tsina at pagtatwa naman sa soberanya.

Patunay ang mga ito na ang bagsik ng salita ng Pangulo at para lamang

Agosto 10 2020 “Huwag kayong magkakamali.

Itong PhilHealth, sabi ko: Yayariin ko kayo. Maniwala kayo, Yung mga inosente naman, wala kayong dapat iano… Tahimik lang kayo at continue working.” At “All must be prosecuted and jailed.”

Agosto 21 2020 “At this time, I do not have the evidence or proof, so I am not in a position to say that there’s government men involved …(But) I am inclined to believe that I have to do something about it next week. I’m making the announcement that I may be reshuffling the PhilHealth.”

SA BANTA NG COVID-19

Enero 30 2020 “Not yet at this time, it could include China, but at this time I’m not for it. It would not be fair.”

Pebrero 3 2020 “China has been kind to us, we can only also show the same favor to them. Stop this xenophobia thing.”

“They are blaming the Chinese that (the virus) came from China, but it could always incubate in some other place, it is not the fault of anybody.

Not the Chinese, not the Filipino, no one.”

Pebrero 3 2020 “Tayo ang ano — tayo ang the most resilient. Palagay ko hindi aabot dito ‘yan. Kagaya ng SARS. SARS midway just disappeared. It came suddenly and disappeared suddenly. Ganun ‘yang mga contagion ‘yan eh.”

sa itinuturing niyang kaaway ng kanyang administrasyon.

Sa panahon ng pandemya, makikita ang lalong paggamit ng Pangulo ang kanyang taktika sa retorika. Nakatala sa ibaba ang ilan sa harap - harapang pagbabali ng salita at pagkabig ni Duterte sa sarili niyang mga salita.

idiot na coronavirus na ito, hinanap ko gusto ko sampalin ang g*go.”

Mayo 5 2020 “So kung ganoon, ‘wag ka sanang mamatay hanggang January. Hintayin mo ‘yung vaccine. ‘Pag tinawag ka ng kamatayan, sabihin mo p— ina ka umalis ka diyan, may hinihintay ako na vaccine. Hindi ko pa panahon mamatay,” Sa mga unang buwan ng taon na sinabayan ng pagputok ng COVID-19 ay buo ang kumpiyansa ng Pangulo sa kakayahan ng kaniyang gobyerno. Sinabi rin niya na huwag maging eksaherado sa banta ng sakit at tigilan ang Xenophobic na mentalidad laban sa Tsina. Hindi niya dininig ang suhestiyong isara ang bansa pansamantala at sinabing hindi ito patas para sa kaibigang bansa. Nariyang minura niya ang virus at gusto niyang sampalin bilang papagpakita ng hindi niya pagkatinag sa pandemyang kinakaharap ng bansa. Ngunit noong lumobo na ang bilang ng nagkakasakit ay bumiglang pihit si Pangulong Duterte na noon pa man raw ay sinabihan na niya tayong maging handa at pinaalalahanan niya ang mamamayan noon pa man.

Tingnan ang pabalikwas na pahayag ng Pangulo.

Abril 6 2020 “Itong COVID na ito, ito talaga ‘yung tunay na at the start sinabi ko sa inyo bantay kayo dito, bantay tayo, talagang yayariin tayo nitong COVID na ‘to. It might not really cripple a country but it will of course, you know, cause a sadness and fear kung paano tayo makaraos dito.”

Pebrero 10 2020 “We are prepared to handle this public health emergency in case the worst scenario happens. Kung hindi natin kaya ang p*tang i*ang

GRAPHICS ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

LA T HA LA IN 29

ANG PANGULO AT ANG DIYOS

Hulyo 21 2020 “Marunong ang Diyos. Alam niya, hindi niya tayo pababayaan especially Pilipinas kasi Kristiyano tayo.

Magsakripisyo lang tayo konti,”at “Tutal ang ating idol nagsakripisyo man din, pinag hampas-hampas, pinako pa sa krus. Tayo, pasimbasimba lang.Luhod luhod ka lang diyan.

Dedicate it to the Lord that you also suffer for the country.”

Sa kaniyang talumpati ngayong taon ay pinalakas niya ang loob ng bawat Pilipino sa gitna ng pandemya at nanawagang patuloy na manalig sa Diyos. Hinikayat niyang magtiis ang lahat at kilalanin ang pandemya bilang pagsubok at sakripisyo. Subalit hindi malilimot ang kanyang lapastangang pahayag patungkol sa Diyos noong 2018 kung saan inulan ng batikos ang kanyang pahayag.

Hunyo 23 2018 “Who is this stupid God? Estupido talaga itong p***** i** kung ganun. You created some --- something perfect and then you think of an event that would tempt and destroy the quality of your work.” .

IKA-LIMANG UTOS

Oktubre 6 2020 “Maraming sinasabi ‘Rule of law, hindi ka naman sumusunod. Marami kang pinapatay.’ Wala ho akong pinatay na tao. Never, never. Magtanong ka sa pulis dito sa Pilipinas.”

niya. “Rambol dito, rambo—at the age of 16, may pinatay na ako. Tao talaga. Rambol. Saksak. Noong 16 years old iyon, nagkatinginan lang. Eh lalo na ako ngayong presidente na ako. You fuck with my countrymen, ‘di kita papalusutin. Bahala na kayong human rights.”

Oktubre 19 2020 “Pero huwag niyo ako bintangan sa patayan na di mo alam sino pumatay.”

Parehas na araw noong Oktubre 2020

Ngayong taon ay mariing tinatanggi ng Pangulong Duterte ang kaniyang partisipasyon sa kabilaang mga patayaan sa loob ng bansa. Pero tatlong taon ang nakaraan noong siya mismo ay buong tapang niyang ikinwento sa bansa kung paano siya humanap ng papatayin at kawalang takot na makulong dahil dito.

Balikan ang pahayag na ito noong 2017 Nobyembre 9 2017 “But in Davao I used to do it personally. Just to show to the guys that, if I can do it why can’t you?

And I go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around and I would just patrol the streets and looking for trouble also. Talagang naghanap ako ng engkwentro para makapatay,” at “Putang ina, ‘pag ginawa mo sa Pilipino iyan, hihiritan kita. Kulong? Ay sus. Kulong, eh noong teenager ako pasok-labaspasok ako sa kulungan,” dagdag

Pinupunlaan ng Pangulo ang tumitinding dibisyon ng masa sa usapin ng politika na nagdudulot ng pagtatalo... upang itanim ang kaniyang kahalagahan at ikatakot ng mamamayan ang kanyang pagbibitiw.

LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

Oktubre 19, 2020 “Kung may patayan diyan, you can hold me responsible for anything, any death that has occurred in the execution of the drug war.”

MAG-RESIGN NA AKO

Higit sa lahat, pinaka hindi malilimutan ng mamamayan ang kasaysayan ng retorika ng Pangulo patungkol sa kanyang pagbitaw sa pwesto. “I want to Resign” at “Gusto ko na magresign” ang ilan sa maraming pahayag ng Pangulo na gumawa ng kontrobersiya ngunit kalianman ay hindi tinupad.

Sapul nang mailuklok sa pwesto, makailang ulit nang ginamit ng Pangulo ang pahayag sa pagbibitiw upang malayo ang mamamayan sa mga usaping nararapat na pinaguusapan.

Dibisyon. Ito ang tunay na motibo ni Pangulong Duterte sa likod ng mga salita at pahayag na naitala. Pinupunlaan ng Pangulo ang tumitinding dibisyon ng masa sa usapin ng politika na nagdudulot ng pagtatalo, isang panlilinlang upang itanim ang kaniyang kahalagahan at ikatakot ng mamamayan ang kanyang pagbibitiw.

Binabalot din ng takot ang tatak ng kanyang pamamahala.

Makikita rin sa ilang pahayag ang pagbabanta ng pagbitiw bilang instrumento ng pangangako na sigurado siya sa isang bagay, gumagawa siya ng ilusyong handa siyang itaya ang posisyon niya upang patunayan ang sarili.

Ginagamit niya itong baraha upang umapela ng awa, na siya ay huwaran at napapagod na

Matatandaan ang ilan sa mga rason sa likod ng pahayag na ito.

Nariyan ang pagbitiw kung sakaling hindi mapuksa ang problema sa droga sa loob ng 3 o 6 na buwan; kung pipirma ng petition ang mga kababaihan matapos nitong halikan ang isang Pinay OFW sa Korea na may asawa; kung nanaisin ng militar; kung papalitan siya sa pwesto ni Bongbong Marcos.

Bababa rin umano siya sa pwesto kung magiging House Speaker ang anak niya; kung mapapatunayang sangkot ang anak niya sa transaksyon ng droga sa Davao; dahil umano ay napapagod na siya; pagnanais na bumaba dahil sa hindi maresolbang korapsyon sa pamahalaan; agad na pagbaba niya pwesto kung mapapatunayang may Diyos; at kung mapapatunayang sangkot siya sa pagpapatalsik sa noo’y Punong Mahistrado Maria Lourdes Sereno.

upang maimbalido ang kritisismo, at maihilis ang pokus ng mamamayan sa tunay na usapin.

Isang huwad na pagpapanggap lamang ang lahat ng pahayag ni Pangulong Duterte na ang tanging prayoridad niya ay ang kaayusan at kapakanan ng Pilipino sapagkat tanging personal na interes lamang niya at ng kaniyang pamahalaan ang lagi’t laging pinoprotektahan.

Kaya’t kasabay ng sama - samang paglaban sa kinahaharap na pandemya, kinakailangan ang agarang paglaban sa pinunong diktador, pasista, at walang isang salita. Marapat na maipakita sa masa ang mapangmanipulang mga taktika na ito na pumipigil sa masa na mag-alsa at patalsikin ang rehimeng kailanman ay hindi naging maka-masa.

28

pulso:

Sipat ng PNUans sa mga usapin sa gitna ng pandemya

@hermiafungeacockinea

Higit pitong buwan na mula nang nagsimula ang community quarantine dahil sa banta ng COVID-19 sa ating bansa.

Nilantad nito ang mga problema at kapabayaan ng estado sa mga batayang pangangailan ng sambayanan habang nagpapatuloy ang korapsyon sa iba't ibang ahensya ng gobyerno.

1. Ano sa palagay mo ang pinakamalaking epekto ng korapsyon sa PhilHealth ngayong nagpapatuloy ang pandemya?

@V

“Ang hiningi namin seryosong gobyerno, hindi gobyernong sineseryoso ang "health is wealth" :(( Hindi lamang ito simpleng pagnanakaw, sapagkat ang perang ninakaw ay nakalaan sa health care, kung kaya't ito ay paglabag din sa karapatang pangkalusugan.

Samakatuwid, sa kalagitnaan ng isang pandemya na kumitil na ng maraming buhay kung saan ang pondo nito ay pinaka kinakailangan, maituturing nadin itong paglabag din sa karapatan sa buhay.”

Beata @Pandandan

“Mabigat na pasanin ito para manggagawa at mahihirap. Imbes na may magagamit ang mas maraming mamamayan para sa panahon ng problemang medikal, pwedeng mabawasan o mas higit pa, mawalan sila ng suportang pinansyal dahil ang pondong para sa kanila ay napunta na sa bulsa ng mga buwaya.”

Kaya naman, pinulsuhan ng publikasyon ang pananaw ng mga PNUans sa iba’t ibang mga isyu gaya ng korapsyon sa PhilHealth, ang kontrobesyal na mañanita, mga ilegal na pag-aresto, at ang pagtatanggal ng Facebook sa mga troll account na napagalamang kinokontrol ng mga indibidwal mula sa Sandatahang

2. Para sa iyo, ano ang sinasalamin ng terminong “mañanita” at mga ilegal na pag-aresto ngayong panahon ng pandemya?

@Junie_Boy

“Para sa akin, ang sinasalamin ng “mañanita” at mga ilegal na pag aresto ay ang labis na pag abuso ng mga kapulisan sa kanilang kapangyarihan.”

@PengeMSG

“Ito ay sumasalamin sa “double standard” ng ating gobyerno; kapag hindi sila o ang mga kaalyado nila ang gumawa ng mali, hindi aarestuhin at papatawarin pa ng pangulo; pero kapag simpleng mamamayan ang gumawa ng mali, aarestuhin agad, ipapahiya pa o paparusahan at ipapakita pa ang bidyo sa social media.”

Lakas ng Pillipinas at Tsina.

Kinuha rin ng publikasyon ang kanilang pagtingin sa #wag_ kalimutan challenge, pati na rin ang pagtambak ng dolomite sand sa pampang ng Manila Bay. Gamit ang sarbey na isinagawa online, narito ang saloobin ng mga PNUan sa mga isyung itinampok sa isinagawang PULSO.

3. Ano ang masasabi mo tungkol sa pagtatanggal ng Facebook sa mga troll accounts at pages na napagalamang kinokontrol ng ilang grupo at indibidwal mula AFP/PNP at China?

Jose Mellenio Agra | III-9 @dr_Strange

“Isang Malaki at napaka-gandang hakbang ang ginawa ng pamunuan ng Facebook ang pagtanggal sa mga troll accounts at pages na nagpapakalat ng mga fake news at maling propaganda ng gobyerno.

Dahil dito, mababawasan ang mga naniniwala sa mga maling impormasyon na ipinapakalat ng mga bayarang trolls sa mga tao sa loob ng social media.”

@GrandLine

“It’s a stupid move. Not even a long-term solution. Even my new fb account for school was suspended because I was suspicious daw. I think they’re just lazy to investigate deeper.”

@Microsoft_Exhale @ninjago23 “Walang pagka-iba sa EJK at sa mga pagpatay noong panahon ng Martial Law. Pagpapakita pa rin ng pag-abuso ng kapangyarihan at tiwala ng masa ang nagiging kalabasan.

Bagsak sa preso ang inosente, akyat sa pwesto ang maysala. Also, search for “mañanita” on Urban Dictionary.”

“Masasabi kong tama lamang ang ginawang ito ng Facebook dahil pinaninidigan nito ang kanilang polisiya patungkol sa paggamit ng kanilang services.”

GRAPHICS ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

31

4. Sa pagkalat ng #wag_ kalimutan_challenge, ano sa palagay mo ang sinasabi nito ukol sa paggamit ng social media ngayon?

@asdfghjkl

“Isang paraan kung saan ang mga tao ay unti-unting minumulat ng ilang kapwa nila ukol sa mga isyung panlipunan at suliraning kinakaharap ng ating bansa. Napakalaking epekto nito kung mababasa mo ito sa social media at maalarama ka sa kung ano ba talaga ang nais nitong ipabatid.”

5. Ano ang iyong pananaw sa pagtambak ng dolomite sand sa pampang ng Manila Bay?

Jeverlyn Seguin | BVE II-11 @kakariktan

“Ang pagtambak ng dolomite sand sa pampang ng Manila bay, ay mahahalintulad sa pagtatakip ng gobyerno sa mga butas at kakulangan nila para sa mga tao Patuloy nilang inililihis ang atensyon ng sambayanan at nagpapakita ng huwad na kagandahan para lamang masabing mayroon silang magandang. ginagawa, na kung titignan ay para lamang basurang nilagyan ng pabango, na kahit anong buhos mo, aalingasaw pa rin ang tunay na baho.”

@JpVillanueva22

“Simply as wag kalimutan ang mga kapalpakan at kawalanghiyaan ng gobyerno. Laging itatak sa puso’t isip ang pangyiyurak na ginagawa nila sa sambayanang pilipino.”

Jorg Andreia Prudente | III-10 @jorgandreia

“Sinasabi nito na hindi lamang nakakahon ang paggamit ng social media sa pagpost ng picture o pakikipagusap sa mga kaibigan, kung hindi para rin madaming maabot ang mga isyung hindi dapat kalimutan at palagi tayong mapaalalahanan nito.”

@awts_the_turtle

“Mapangmulat. Bagamat pabiro ang mga ganitong uso ay may tinatagong politikal na kahulugan na maaaring makapanggising sa kamalayan ng mga mambabasa kahit sa maiikling anyo ng mga salita lamang.”

Marc | BSSE III-9 @maktub012

“This a clear manifestation that Science and Research in the country are not greatly considered by the government. Pinapakita pa nila na mas magaling sila kaysa sa mga verified scientific data and researches just for them to justify their agenda.

Kaya hindi lang tayo huli sa pagunlad, ang mga proyektong katulad nito ay hindi nagtatagal at mas lalo lang magbibigay ng perwisyo sa lahat.”

@jakethedog

“Hindi makatuwiran ang ibinigay na rason kung bakit inuna pa iyon sa gitna ng pandemya. Napakalaki ng budget na sana ay inilaan na lang muna sa tunay na pangangailangan ng masa. Ayuda para sa mahihirap at tamang pasahod para sa frontliners.

Ang order ay kongkretong plano mula sa mapahalaan, bakit white sand ang inihain? Hindi namin ito kailangan.”

Villanueva @thisitjeth

Let me answer in the three words; Amazingly, utterly, stupid! Yun na yun!

Ipinakikita ng PULSO ang saloobin ng mga PNUans sa mga usapin sa labas ng kanilang tahanan at ng Pamantasan.

Patunay na maalam at aktibong nakikisangkot ang mga mag-aaral sa mga isyung panlipunan na hinaharap ng bayan. Ang kabuoang resulta ng PULSO ay malinaw na pagpapahiwatig ng kritikal na pag-iisip na mahalagang sangkap sa pagbuo ng lipunang may pagpapahalaga sa demokrasya at batayang karapatan ng mamamayan.

Ngayong panahon ng pandemya, lalong mahalaga ang boses ng mga kabataan pagdating sa mga suliranin ng bayan dahil nakasalalay ang kinabukasan ng susunod na henerasyon sa bawat hakbang ng pamahalaan at tugon ng mamamayan dito.

Sa kabilang banda, ihinayag din ng PULSO ang napakaraming hamon na sama-samang kakaharapin ng mga kabataan. Ngunit, mahihinuha rin mula rito ang paghahangad ng mga guro ng bayan ng lipunang malaya sa korapsyon, opresyon, at pasismo.

Sa paghahangad na ito magsisimulang isakatuparan ng masa ang kahingian ng panahon na sama-samang pagkilos tungo sa ganap na pagbabagong panlipunan.

LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

32 N E WS

Capturing the Message of Mañanita Protest NICOLE LINDSAY RAMOS

Not even the rain nor social media attacks from trolls and the intimidating military presence stopped the protest organized by the people yesterday in celebration of 122nd Independence day at the University of the Philippines - Diliman.

Unlike the NCRPO Head Sinas’ birthday celebration that inspired yesterday’s Grand Mañanita, protesters with face masks and even party hats on, observed physical distancing, as they call to junk the Anti-Terror Bill and oppose the intrusion of China in the Philippine waters.

To live up to this year’s theme, creative attendees made placards in the form of take-out boxes and brought other Pinoy party-essentials, including a karaoke machine and party foods. Although the protesters were encouraged to wear red and black, some dressed up in costumes, including Mae Paner also known as Juana Change, an artist and activist, who took this perfect opportunity to dress up and channel Sinas.

Meanwhile Aling Marie, a sarisari store owner and a new internet sensation who went viral for her words about fanatics and traditional politicians, expressed her disapproval on the Anti-Terror Bill and repeated her iconic line: “Hindi nga kasi ako dilaw. Hindi ako puti at hindi ako pula.

Kayumanggi ako. Kayumanggi ang kulay ng Pilipino.” What made a simple sari-sari store owner’s voice relevant is how she reminds the people that, after all, we share the same race.

“Hangga’t may katuwiran, ikaw ay lumaban,” she urged.

Earlier that day, Atty. Neri Colmenares pointed out that the government shouldn’t make a fool out of people, for there is already an

existing draconian terror bill, which is the Human Security Act. He negated the government’s excuse that the bill was made for terrorists and not for people who are critical of the government.

Furthermore, Bahaghari representative, Rey Salinas, enumerated some of the implications of the bill while also mentioning that real acts of terrorism are those that were experienced and being experienced by the LGBTQ community under the hands of a bigot authority.

“Alam natin kung sino ang tunay na terorista pero mga kasama tayo ay nasa isang makasaysayang yugto ng Pilipinas at ng buong mundo. Sa mata ng mga may kapangyarihan, tayo lamang ay mga bangkay at ang huling pako sa ating mga kabaong ay ang terror bill na nais wakasin ang ating mga batayang Karapatan pantao ngunit inaalalala natin na ang tunay na may kapangyarihan ay hindi ang mga nakaupo sa Malacañang. Ang tunay na mga makapangyarihan, ay tayong lahat na nandirito ay sambayanang Pilipino, na dumadagsa upang tuligsain ang isang pasista,” she added.

Similar to the lyrics of the song ‘Bayan Ko,’ which was sang at the end of the ‘mañanita’: “Ibon mang may layang lumipad, kulungin mo at umiiyak, bayan pa kayang sakdaldilag, ang ‘di magnasang makaalpas,” as Filipinos prove that now, more than ever, dissent is necessary.

From paid trolls to illegal arrests, the regime will use everything that is placed in its arsenal to quash the growing dissent of the masses.

However, like fire, the movement of the people against tyranny will spread ferociously.

PHOTOS ● EZRA GALAURAN

Like fire, the movement of the people against tyranny will spread ferociously.

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LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

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SONAgKAISA: Youth groups hold presscon for SONA protest-action KYRIL JON VELASQUEZ

Tama na! Sobra na! #WakaSONA! Through an online press conference, various youth groups including national democratic organizations, cultural groups, university councils, and student publications expressed their reasons as to why the youth must join the broad protest-action simultaneous with the President’s fourth State of the Nation Adress on July 27.

The press conference hosted by Rise for Education - UP Diliman kicked off with a solidarity message from opposition senator Kiko Pangilinan who reminisced the history of youth resistance during the Philippine revolution. Pangilinan reminded that the youth is the spark of change as he encouraged the youth to unite in the fight against injustices.

The youth groups condemned the government’s anti-people policies particularly, the recently signed AntiTerrorism Law. According to Kabataan Representative and One Young World Politician of the Year Sarah Elago, AntiTerror Law should be junked.

“Dapat na nating ibasura ang AntiTerror Law. Labanan ang mga banta, paninira, pananakot, at mga gawagawang kaso. Tama na ang panggigiit, tama na ang pang-aabuso,” Elago stated.

Millenials.ph’s Jhayee Ilao also said that Anti-Terror Law is inhumane while UP-Diliman USC Chair Sean Thakur stated that the enactment of the law is a traitorous act against the people.

Meanwhile, Kyle Ching To of Cagayan Valley Youth argued that the law was passed to silence the growing dissent of the people.

Youth representatives also slammed the government for its inept planning and response against the worsening COVID-19 situation in the country.

Jandeil Roperos from National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) insisted that free mass testing and substantial medical response is the way to solve the health crisis yet the government instead prioritizes installing repressive policies. “Mas inuna pa ang ATL, pagpapasara sa ABS-CBN, at Lumad bombings,” she said.

Numerous youth leaders also hit DepEd and CHEd for insisting on the class opening in August. According to them, the government did not provide a concrete solution for the affected students as 7 million students are still unenrolled for the coming academic year.

Philippine Normal University University Student Council representative Angel Cebreros shared their stand on the opening of classes.

“Kaisa ang PNU-USC sa panawagan ng bawat estudyante na ‘wag ipilit ang pagbubukas ng mga paaralan at unibersidad sa darating na Agosto dahil malalagay lamang sa alanganin ang buhay ng mga estudyante gayundin hindi praktikal sa kasalikuyang kalagayan ng ating bansa na magpatuloy pa sa klase online man o face to face,” she affirmed.

Student journalists also lamented the government’s attack against press freedom from ABS-CBN shutdown to the red-tagging and censorship of media personnel.

Regina Tolentino of College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), on the other hand, reminded that the

primary role of journalists is to tell the situation of the people. “Kakabit ng pagiging mamamahayag ang ihayag ang katotohanang nararanasan ng mamamayan,” she expressed.

The groups stood firmly on their call to the government to prioritize the needs of the people.

According to Keren Mae Galing of PNU - Student Electoral Commission, the entity advocates participatory government. “naniniwala kami na ang kapangyarihan ay lagi dapat manahan sa taumbayan at hindi sa kamay lamang ng iilan na patuloy na pinaiiral ang kanilang mga pansariling interes,” she said.

For Juma Formadero of KISLAP, it is necessary for artists and cultural workers to push back. “Artists are called upon to stand up against injustices. An attack against one of us is an attack to us all, it’s time for artists to fight back,” he clamored.

Raoul Manuel of Youth Act Now Against Tyranny ended the press conference with an invitation to the youth to join the multi-sectoral protest of the people on the day of the state address.

Taft youth-alliance holds SOYA, vows to defend democracy SHEENA MAE BALONZO | DOMINIC KEAN CALAVIA

One Taft Against Fascism and Tyranny (1TAFT) conducted its first State of the Youth Address (SOYA) to expose the sectoral issues and local situations of universities along Taft Avenue, Sunday, January 26.

SOYA is a conference of students and youth sector that aims to discuss various sectoral issues and conditions comprehensively.

According to One Taft, the pandemic’s impact created problems and issues in different sectors.

Marginalized and least privileged people are amongst them. “While we trudge through a very difficult mode of education no one asked and was prepared for, we are also being robbed of our basic right to call for substantive reform,” the group stated.

De LaSalle Senior High School (DLSU-SHS) representative Franz Beltran highlighted the state of Basic Education. She explained that the youth are not ready for this upcoming back-to-school. He said that there are

issues about distance learning that the Department of Education promotes.

“No Internet, no devices, no gadgets,” Beltran enumerated. He also discussed how the system of education has become more unreliable and that there should be a concrete economic and health support for teachers and students.

ACT - Education Students PNU (ACT-ES) Chairperson Marhgie Bundalian emphasized that education is a right and not a privilege. “Face to face classes pa rin ang mainam at upang masagawa ito kailangan ng gobyerno na pagtuunan at gawing priyoridad ang pandemya sa bansa,” she argued.

Furthermore, the College of St. Benilde Central Student Government (CSB-CSG) President, Jason Anchores, gave his insight on the state of Tertiary Education and the role that the youth plays today. He claimed that AntiTerrorism Law is not beneficial to everyone. Anchores lamented that the

administration failed to address health and education issues but thoroughly urged the military-way of governance.

“Youth is the nation’s future and it is our role to participate in nation-building," he added.

Meanwhile, Althea Mico of GABRIELA Youth – PNU and Trisha Ann Tarun of GABRIELA Youth- UPM stressed that the government’s misogyny and macho-feudal character continues to perpetrate harassment of women and children.

Anakbayan - PNU Chairperson, Patricia Driz disclosed several attacks on Press Freedom enumerating the closure of ABS-CBN, thousands of workers losing their jobs, the arrest of Maria Ressa, and the rise of trolls and fake accounts attacking student journalists and writers.

Various youth groups also slammed the government’s oppressive and anti-people policies highlighting the recently signed Anti-Terrorism Law. “Bago pa man ang pandemya,

naramdaman na natin ang tindi ng militar na pamamahala. Hindi Pilipino ang prayoridad ng gobyerno, kundi ang kapangyarihan,” Frederick Delos Santos, Adamson University Student Government (ADU-SG) Representative stated.

Moreover, the groups also decried the state forces' recent attacks on indigenous communities and environmental advocates to make way for the administration's flagship project - the Build, Build, Build Program.

“We are again called by these trying times to exercise our democratic rights and express our solidarity with the Filipino people under clear threat by current political developments," they concluded. *One Taft is a recently formed youth-alliance network of students and student-leaders across Taft Avenue in Manila. The alliance advocates active political participation of the youth and promotes the protection of people's democratic rights.

KUHA ● DOMINIC KEAN CALAVIA

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E D IT OR YA L

35

SILANG MGA PAPEL NA TIGRE T

akot ang administrasyon sa tumitinding galit ng sambayanan dahil sa mga kapalpakang ginawa nito sa mga nagdaang taon, kaya pananakot naman ang kanilang ginagamit upang mapatahimik at mapasunod ang masang bumabalikwas.

Bago pa man maupo sa pwesto si Pangulong Duterte, malinaw ang pangako niya sa kampanya na babaguhin niya ang baluktot na sistema ng gobyerno. Sa isang simpleng salita, nahamig niya ang 16 na milyong Pilipino na umaasang makakamit na ng bansa ang tunay na pagbabago.Ngunit, simula nang mamuno si Duterte, tanging pamamasista at karahasan dulot ng kabi-kabilang “giyera” ang inihatid nang kanyang administrasyon. Nariyan ang giyera kontra droga, giyera laban sa terorismo, at ngayo’y giyera laban sa pandemya. Sa lahat ng mga giyerang ito, walang naipanalo ang gobyerno. Ngayong ikaapat na taon na niya sa pwesto, patuloy na humahaba ang listahan ng mga hagupit nang bitbit niyang pagbabago upang lalong pahirapan ang sambayanang Pilipino.

Pangunahin sa listahan ang walang habas na pagkitil ng buhay ng mga inosente dahil sa inilunsad nitong War on Drugs. Humigit-kumulang 27,000 ang mga pinatay nang hindi dumaan sa due process dahil sa kampanya ng pamahalaan kontra droga. Sa kabila nito, bigo naman ang mga kinauukulan sa pagsupil ng iligal na droga. Malinaw na hindi pagpatay ang sagot sa lumalalang problemang ito ng lipunan sapagkat tanging mahihirap at ordinaryong Pilipino lamang ang karaniwang biktima ng palisiya ng estado.

Sa kabilang banda, nariyan rin ang pahirap na TRAIN Law na pinakete ng administrasyon bilang solusyon upang mawala ang income tax ng mga taong kumikita ng PHP 250,000 pababa kada taon. Ngunit, isang taktika lamang ito ng administrasyon upang linlangin ang mga Pilipino sapagkat, bagamat nawala ang income tax ay nalipat naman ito sa presyo ng mga pangunahing mga

bilihin ng ordinaryong Pilipino. Imbes na guminhawa, nilagay lamang ng administrasyon sa isang mahirap na posisyon ang mga mamamayan nito dahil lumolobo ang presyo ng mga bilihin habang nananatiling kakarampot ang kinikita ng mga manggagawa.

Habang patuloy na pinapahirapan ng administrasyon ang mga Pilipino, pilit na pinaniniwala na ang sambayanan sa balat-kayong programa na Build, Build, Build, ang magiging solusyon ‘di umano upang maiangat ang ekonomya ng bansa. Ngunit ang pagratsada ng programang ito ay nangangahulugang pagpapalayas ng mga katutubo sa kanilang lupang ninuno at pag-utang ng napakalaking halaga mula sa ibang bansa na pinangungunahan ng Tsina.

Matatandaang kaliwa’t kanan ang pagkilos ng pambansang minorya at iba pang mga kaalyadong grupo upang kondenahin ang pagpapatayo ng Clark Green City at Kaliwa Dam dahil sa nangyayaring militarisasyon sa mga lupang ninuno ng mga Aeta at Dumagat. Ngunit bingi ang pangulo sa hinaing ng mga katutubo dahil patuloy ang mga proyekto sa kabila ng mga protestang inilunsad. Patunay ito na pinaglilingkuran ng pangulo ang interes ng iilan at hindi ang kapakanan ng nakararami.

Bukod sa mga anti-mamamayang polisiyang ipinapatupad, napakaraming pangako rin ang nailista sa tubig.

Ipinangako niya na wawakasan niya ang kontraktwalisasyon sa bansa.

Ang kanyang ipinagmamalaking EO 51 s. 2018 ay isa lamang paraan upang isalba ang kanyang sarili sa pangakong nabigong matupad dahil walang bisa ang naturang ordinansa upang wakasan ang kontraktwalisasyon. Sa loob ng apat na taon, patuloy niyang sinasabing kaisa siya sa mga manggagawa, ngunit hanggang ngayon ay walang konkretong plano ang administrasyon sa problema ng kontraktwalisasyon.

Kaya naman patuloy ang paniningil ng mga manggagawa sa pangakong seguridad sa trabaho kasama ang nakabubuhay na sweldo at benepisyo.

Idagdag pa sa mga pangakong

GRAPHICS ● SHAINE OCAMPO | JUSTINE PATRICIO

napako ang usaping pangkapayapaan.

Sa unang taon ni Duterte, ipinagpatuloy ang usaping pangkapayapaan at pinalaya ang mga bilanggong politikal ngunit nang magtagal ay binawi niya rin ito at naglunsad ng “All Out War” laban sa CPP-NPA-NDFP. Sa pagtigil ng usaping pangkapayapaan, lalong tumindi ang kanyang pamamasista nang kanyang pirmahan ang EO 70 na aniya isang kontra-insurhensiyang programa na pangungunahan ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC).

Sa ilalim ng ordinansang ito, talamak ang red-tagging sa mga progresibong organisasyon at mga ordinaryong mamamayan. Nariyan ang pagsasapubliko ng listahan ng mga unibersidad na pinaghihinalaang pugad ng mga komunista. Gayundin, nagkaroon ng malawakang crackdown sa mga opisina ng mga progresibong organisasyon kung saan naging lantad sa publiko ang pagtatanim ng mga ebidensya sa mismong araw ng inspeksyon. Pinapakita lamang ng mga aksyon na ito na walang pagnanais ang pangulo na masolusyonan ang daing ng masa at desperado ang pangulo na pasunurin ang mga Pilipino dahil sa tumitinding galit at paniningil nito sa kanyang mga pangako.

Habang tumatagal, pinapakita ng administrasyong ito na hindi sila kaiba sa nagdaang mga administrasyon.

Tulad nila, nakasalalay sa pamamasista ang kanilang kapangyarihan upang mapasunod ang mamamayan. Sa pagdami ng mga taong sumasama sa hanay ng mga lumalaban, tumitindi ang kanilang pananakot upang supilin ang lumalakas ng tinig ng masa.

Ngayong ikaapat na taon ng rehimen ni Duterte, muli na namang naghasik ng takot sa mamamayan nang maipasa ang Anti-Terror Law. Bibigyan ng lubos na kapangyarihan ang administrasyon pati ang kasapakat na militar at kapulisan upang supilin ang mga kritiko at ordinaryong Pilipino na sasalungat at magsisiwalat ng mga kapalpakan ng gobyerno. Pinakete ang batas upang masabing terorista

ang sinumang sasalungat gobyerno.

Alam ng administrasyong ito na nauubos na ang kanilang oras kaya ginagamit nila ang oportunidad na hatid ng COVID-19 upang mangyari ang pag-amyenda sa konstitusyon.

Gagamitin na ng administrasyong ito ang huling bala ng pamamasista upang iratsada ang pagkakaroon ng Cha-Cha sa termino ng pangulo. Alam niyang hindi na gumagana ang kanyang mga panloloko kaya kalituhan at takot ang huling alas ni Duterte upang mabuwag ang nagkakaisang mamamayan laban sa kanyang pamumuno.

Lingid sa kanyang kaalaman, ang kanyang tumitinding tiraniya ang nagiging numero unong dahilan upang lumabas sa lansangan ang ordinaryong mga Pilipino at igiit ang kanilang mga karapatan.

Pinatunayan at patuloy na pinatutunayan ng kasaysayan na hindi kailanman magtatagumpay ang isang administrasyong gumagamit ng diktadurya at dahas. Dahil sa likod ng paninindak at karahasan, nagtatago ang kaduwagan ng pamahalaan sa nagkakaisang sambayanan.

Editoryal ng The Torch Publications para sa 2020 SONA ng Pangulo.

‘‘

Alam niyang hindi na gumagana ang kanyang mga panloloko kaya kalituhan at takot ang huling alas ni Duterte upang mabuwag ang nagkakaisang mamamayan laban sa kanyang pamumuno.

LAYOUT ● CARMELLA LARGUIZA

38 F E A T U R E S

GOING OFF THE RAILS: BUDGET SERIES

Proposed Budget of the OP: First as Tragedy, Second as Farce Geline Despabiladeras | Lois Laine Lua | William Cabrezos

On September 14, the House of Representatives discussed the proposed 2021 budget for the Office of the President. The hearing conducted for the proposed budget was unusual as it took almost two hours before it was approved compared to the previous hearings that only took ten minutes or less.

Excessive budget on the Office of the President

Furthermore, the proposed budget is drawn to controversy and attracted a lot of critics, as the Office of the President has the biggest allocation for intelligence and confidential funds and had a large cut-off for other government agencies. In addition to that, critics also pointed out that this huge amount of money can be used for the greater good if it is allocated on employment and health-related issues as we are facing the pandemic.

Type of Fund

Confidential Expenses

2018

2019

2020

2021

Php 1.25 B

Php 1.25 B

Php 2.25 B

Php 2.25 B

The Office of the President (OP) continuously Intelligence Php 1.25 B Php 1.25 B Php 2.25 B Php 2.25 B receives an enormous budget as the House of Expenses Representatives agrees to an amount of Php8.238 billion budget for 2021. The Php2.25 billion is Php 2.5 B Php 2.5 B Php 4.5 B Php 4.5 B TOTAL allocated for confidential funds with the same amount for intelligence funds with a total of 55% percent of the total OP’s budget. The remaining Php3.73 billion is reserved for extraordinary, miscellaneous, travel, and other expenses.

In January 2020, OP’s budget is reported to amount budget as they claim that this can be used for COVID-19 response, but to Php8.21 billion, which is 21 percent higher than its 2019 budget. The this attracts speculations as the confidential funds do not require them Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said that the confidential to disclose the breakdown of the expenses. and intelligence funds under the office of the president were used The Duterte administration also got the highest fund allocation for to propel the key policies including the war against drugs. The OP’s intelligence and confidential funds in comparison with the previous request for a huge amount for confidential and intelligence funds does administrations with an average of 700 million funding - an exponential not only show their refusal to fund vulnerable sectors, this also manifests increase to a fund that will not undergo strict auditing and is open for the state’s bigger allocation to support policies that violate civil and corruption. political rights. This proves that the OP constantly asks for an excessive

LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

FE A T UR E S 21 Contradictions and Inconsistencies in the Budget Philosophy

Php

Proposed Budget for the Office of thre President

8.238B

55%

allocated for intelligence and confidence funds

45%

If we look at the proposed 2021 budget, despite experiencing the worst health crisis and economic decline in Philippine history, the national government prioritizes infrastructure, debt, and militarization over health and other social services, agriculture, and industry. But if we also examine the Budget Philosophy of the President’s Budget Message for 2021 entitled “Reset, Rebound, and Recover: Investing for Resiliency and Sustainability”, the statements are contradictory and inconsistent with the anchored proposed national budget.

In the budget philosophy stated for the “Support for a Strong Recovery”, the President claimed that the proposed budget for 2021 will continue to be “inclusive — for all sectors and all strata of society, across all islands — for each and every Filipino and his family.” However, if we compare the proposed budget for 2021 and the budget in 2020, there’s a 7.12 percent increase in the budget for National Defense and a large cut-off for General Public Services. Furthermore, there is a 19.49 percent increase for Debt Servicing while there is only an 8 percent increase for Social Services, considering that millions of Filipinos are in dire need for government support amid the pandemic.

Moreover, there are inconsistencies in the statements given in the “Providing Recovery and Rehabilitation” part of the budget philosophy. It is stated that we learned from the experiences of our COVID-19 mitigating programs in the first half of 2020 under the Bayanihan I Law on “how to respond, what to avoid, and how to improve targeting and distributing mechanisms.” This includes the upgrade of our health care systems and our disaster response mechanisms. But as the budget documents show, in the proposed Php4.5 trillion national budget for 2021, the Philippine

National Police under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will receive the biggest allocation for intelligence funds after the Office of the President, at Php806 million. Instead of resorting to militaristic actions by allocating a huge amount of budget to irrelevant agencies in health and disaster response, we can make use of the intelligence and confidential funds of worth Php4.5 billion to actual recovery programs, such as yielding face masks, face shields, PPE sets, salary increase for nurses, building classrooms, distributing laptops for students and teachers, test kits, SAPs, annual stipends for students and internet connection subscription for at least 187,500 families.

Resolving Contradictions

Because the budget allocation prioritizes militaristic measures, budget increase in infrastructure, and debt service over health and other social services, agriculture, and industry— it clearly shows that this accumulation of wealth is tantamount to the accumulation of power— borrowing its way to fascism. This incompetence has been killing people way longer and faster than COVID-19.

As can be noted, these desperate steps taken by the Duterte Administration show their greed to sustain their power, as shortcomings tend to reveal to the public because of the pandemic. The more it clings with its contradictions, the further it unveils its corruption to the masses, which explains why it prioritizes militarism over the appeal of the different sectors of society. Instead of taking the situation for granted, organizing the masses will accomplish our call for the government to provide real and sufficient support in health and social services, to heal the economic and social impacts of the pandemic.

extraordinary, miscellaneous, travel and other expenses

GRAPHICS ● ALLYSSA MARIE SALVACION

KUHA ● WAYNE ABCDE NASAYAO

40 B A LIT A

Anibersayo ng ML, ginunita; ATL inulan ng protesta ELVIA NICOLE AGUACITO

Sama-samang nagmartsa ang iba’t ibang sektor sa isinagawang malawakang kilos-protesta sa UP Diliman bilang paggunita sa ika-48 anibersaryo ng Batas Militar sa ilalim ng diktadurya ni Marcos at pagtutol sa tahasang pamamaslang sa mga kritiko ng estado.

Tampok ang mga panawagang “Serbisyo hindi Pasismo,” “Marcos-Duterte: Walang Pinag-iba”, at “Martial Law noon, Terror Law ngayon”, inihalintulad ng mga nagprotesta ang karanasan ng mga biktima ng Batas Militar ni Marcos sa kasalukuyang dinaranas ng mga kritiko ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na sinundan ng pagsasabatas ng Terror Law. PHOTOS ● WAYNE ABCDE NASAYAO

Marcos 2.0

Ayon kay Neri Colmenares ng Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), walang pinagiba ang rehimeng Marcos sa kasalukuyang administrasyong Duterte na parehong gumamit ng dahas sa panunungkulan.

“Panahon ni Marcos ang pagpatay ang tawag doon ay salvaging, panahon ni duterte EJK, pero libo-libo pa rin ang namamatay kahit anong tawag nila; Pagpaslang sa mga suspect sa droga, pagpaslang ng mga aktibista,” giit ni Colmenares.

Para naman kay, Kenneth Guda, punong patnugot ng Pinoy Weekly, ang pagsupil ng rehimeng Duterte sa kalayaan ng pamamahayag ay walang pinagkaiba noong panahon ng Batas Militar.

“Bago pa man idineklara ang batas militar, ipinasara na ni Marcos ang independent at critical press, kinulong ang kritikal na mga boses sa media, inagaw ang ABS-CBN, tinatakot at pinagbantaan ang lahat ng natitira pang media institutions,” ani Guda.

Dagdag pa rito, naniniwala si Angelo Suarez ng Justice For Echaniz, Justice For All Movement, na nananatili ang kaluluwa ni Marcos dahil sa patuloy na panunupil ng rehimeng Duterte sa mga magsasaka sa kanayunan.

Isang buwan mula nang maisabatas ang AntiTerror Law, pinaslang ang lider ng magsasaka na si Randall Echanis ng pwersa ng kapulisan sa kanyang pamamahay sa Quezon City, ayon sa dating Kongresista, Ariel Casilao ng Anakpawis.

Sa datos ng Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), umabot na sa 265 ang lahat ng kaso ng pamamaslang na may kinalaman sa alitan sa lupa habang nasa 274 ang bilang ng magsasakang pinaslang sa ilalim ng rehimeng Duterte.

“Nakapagpatalsik nga tayo ng diktador sa Malacañang, nananatili pa rin ang diktadurya, nananatili ang batas militar, nananatili ang martial law sa kanayunan. Hindi lamang ito bumalik, hindi ito nawala,” dagdag ni Suarez.

Kaugnay nito, ayon naman kay Rose Hayahay ng Save Our Schools Network, walang pinagkaiba ang Batas Militar ni Marcos noong ideklara ni Duterte ang Batas Militar sa Mindanao na ipinatupad sa kabila ng pag-atake ng grupong Maute sa Marawi taong 2017.

“Tahasang sinusupil ang aming mga karapatan, tahasang pinapasok ng dambuhalang plantasyon ng mga minahan ang aming lupang ninuno. 548 na po na kaso ng paglabag sa aming mga karapatan; may pambobomba, pamamaslang, tagging, at marami pa pong iba,” dagdag ni Hayahay.

Paliwanag ni Mimi Domingo ng Kadamay, hindi man ito pormal na dineklara ni Duterte, tila mayroong Batas Militar sa sektor ng maralita dahil sa sunod-sunod na pagpatay.

Tinatayang nasa 20,000 na ang naitalang

pamamaslang na bunga ng giyera kontra droga ni Duterte, ayon sa IBON Foundation.

“Mas minabuti pa nilang paggastusan ang dolomite sa Manila Bay kaysa pakainin ang nagugutom na mga maralitang sektor mas gusto pa nilang bigyan ng pondo ang mga sundalo, ang mga pulis, na walang ginagawa kung hindi ang pamamasista sa aming hanay,” dagdag pa ni Domingo.

Legasiya ni Duterte

Pagdidiin ni Jigs Clamor, miyembro ng Karapatan, takot ang administrasyong Duterte sa mga katulad ni Zara Alvarez, kaya ang tugon ng gobyerno ay pagsupil at pagsampa ng mga gawa-gawang kaso laban sa mga kritiko nito.

Inilahad din ni Clamor na may 646 na ang bilanggong pulitikal sa bansa simula noong maluklok si pangulong Duterte, 413 naman ang inaresto at nananatiling nakakulong.

“Inuna pa ni Pangulong Duterte na gawaran ng absolute pardon ang isang sundalong Amerikano na si Pemberton kaysa ang mga ordinaryong mga misyonero o mga bilanggong Pilipino, lalong lalo na 'yung mga political prisoners,” ani Clamor.

Iginiit din ni Sarah Elago ng Kabataan Partylist, na ang tunay na legasiya ng kasalukuyang rehimen ay napunta lamang sa tinatagong pondo na umaabot sa 12 bilyon mula 2016-2020 kung saan ito ay nakakatakas sa pagbabantay ng publiko.

“Ang araw na ito ay ang araw kung saan tayo ay nananawagan at lumalaban para sa pananagutan sa pagbulusok ng ekonomiya, sa laganap na kawalan ng trabaho, sa kawalan ng ayuda, sa kapabayaan, sa kaliwa’t kanan na paglabag sa mga karapatang pantao, sa mga pamamaslang. Kailangan natin na patuloy na panagutin ang rehimeng Duterte,” pagtindig ni Elago.

Pagpapatalsik kay Duterte

Sa pagtatapos ng programa, pinangunahan ng Panday Sining ang pagsunog sa effigy na pinamagatang “Duterte Virus,” sumisimbolo ito sa tahasang pamamasismo at kapabayaan ni Duterte bilang tunay na sakit ng bayan, ayon sa mga nag-kilos protesta. Ginamit na pangtupok ng mga nagprotesta ang tinawag nilang “Ouster Vaccine” na kumakatawan naman sa kolektibong tunguhin na patalsikin ang rehimeng Duterte.

Sa huli, nanindigan ang mga progresibong sektor na dapat nang wakasan ang pang-aabuso, pagpapahirap, at diktadurya ng kasalukuyang rehimen. Ipinapaalala din nila sa publiko na manatiling nakakaling ang alyansa sa batayang sektor dahil ang kaligtasan ng mamamayan ay nakasandig lamang sa batayang alyansa ng manggagawa at magsasaka.

E D IT OR YA L

41

Hanggang sa Hukay Editoryal ng The Torch Publications para sa Kaarawan ni Marcos

Hindi maikakailang desperado na ang pamilya Marcos na linisin ang pangalan ng diktador, pasista, at magnanakaw na si Ferdinand Marcos upang tuluyang ipalimot sa mamamayan ang karumaldumal na mga kasalanan ng kanilang pamilya laban sa masang Pilipino.

Inaprubahan ng kamara, Setyembre 7, ang House Bill 7137 o “President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Day” na naglalayong gawing nonworking holiday ang September 11, araw ng kapanganakan ng diktador, sa probinsya ng Ilocos Norte.

Malinaw na isa nanaman itong malaking hakbang ng administrasyong Duterte upang walang habas na burahin ang malagim na kasaysayan ng mamamayan sa ilalim ng diktadurya ni Marcos.

Matatandaan na nauna nang binigyan ng pahintulot ng Pangulo ang pagpapalibing ng diktador sa Libingan ng mga Bayani sa kabila ng masidhing pagtutol ng maraming sektor lalo na ng mga martir at biktima ng Batas Militar.

Kagaya ng inaasahan, walang habas na niyurakan ng administrasyon ang danas ng mga biktima ng karahasan upang pagsilbihan ang tuloytuloy na pagbabalik ng pamilya Marcos sa kapangyarihan.

Mayorya sa mga naturingang representate ng mamamayan sa kongreso ang nagdesisyon

na muling ipagkait ang hustisya at ipagsawalambahala ang mga biktima ng pagpatay, desaparasidos, karahasan, at korapsyon sa ilalim ng paghahari ng pamilya Marcos.

Hindi maikakailang nananatiling makapangyarihan ang pamilya Marcos dahil nagagawa nitong pasunurin ang Kongreso at ang Pangulo mismo sa kumpas ng kanilang impluwensya.

Sa pagsasabatas ng House Bill 7137, pinanigang muli ng mga representante at ng pamahalaan ang mapagsamantalang pamilya Marcos imbes na ang interes ng mamamayang hanggang ngayon ay nagdurusa sa mga kasalanan ng diktador.

Kabalintunaang maituturing na sa kabila ng hatol ng korte at higit sa lahat ng mamamayan, pinili pa rin ng pamahalaan na kontrahin ang agos ng prinsipyong itinatakda ng batas at Konstitusyon na pangangalaga sa karapatang pantao.

Imbes na isulong ng pamahalaan ang mga batas na nagmamandato ng ikabubuti ng mamamayan, ginagamit pa ang mga ito upang pagsilbihan ang kanya-kanyang interes at makakuha ng ganansya mula rito. Mula sa direktang pagtalikod sa Konstitusyon hanggang sa pagraratsada ng mga batas na walang mabuting idinudulot sa masa, hindi maikakailang paulit-ulit na pinagtataksilan ng pamahalaan ang sambayanan.

Sinasamantala ng pamilya Marcos ang paghahari ng kauri nilang pasista at diktador sa Malacañang na siyang kanilang pangunahing instrumento upang bansutin ang pagbalikwas ng mamamayang Pilipino laban sa awtokrasya. Kaya naman, inaasahang hindi matatapos dito ang mga hakbang na gagawin ng pamilya at ng kasapakat nitong gobyerno upang maisakatuparan ang kanilang mas pinatinding pananamantala at kapit sa kapangyarihan.

Subalit, subukan man ng pamilya

Marcos na hukayin ang nabubulok na diktadurya mula sa pagkakalibing kasama ang libo-libong bangkay ng mga biktima na patuloy na humihingi ng hustisya, hinding hindi magbabago ang kasaysayan hangga’t mayroong mga lumalaban upang supilin ang kahit anumang pagtatangka laban sa katotohanan. Ang masugid na pagsasalin ng mga tunay na danas, pagpapayabong ng kultura ng pakikibaka, at ang sama-sama at militanteng pagtunggali sa mga nais magbaluktot ng kasaysayan ang susi upang maiwaksi ng bayan ang tunay na mga sakit nito sa lipunan.

Sa tunggalian sa pagitan ng mapagsamantalang uri at mamamayang binubusabos, hinding-hindi magagapi ang laban ng para sa hustisya at katotohanan dahil isinulat na sa kasaysayan ng mga piniling bumalikwas ang pagtatanggol para dito hanggang sa hukay.

GRAPHICS ● ALLYSSA MARIE SALVACION

42 F E A T U R E S

GOING OFF THE RAILS 2

Insufficient budget increase for Basic education ADRIAN PAUL CORTEZ | ART JOHN ARGUELLES | MA. NATHALIE AVENDAĂ‘O

Despite the increase of the allocated budget for the Basic education sector from PhP 518 Billion in 2020 to PhP 568 Billion for 2021 NEP, the meager increase remains insufficient and insubstantial given that the pandemic affected the education sector in an unprecedented rate.

This year, the P518 Billion budget did not directly support the urgent needs of the Basic education sector upon facing the challenges brought by the immense health crisis. This is why providing a substantial increase in the education sector would be a logical move by the government. However, despite the current situation, basic education will receive a paltry increase.

Worse than that, the budget allotment for some disaster preparedness and health-related programs that are primarily needed this pandemic will experience a deduction from a small percent to a total cut or zero budget starting next year if the 2021 NEP will be approved.

Misalignment of funds from other school services Unlike the insubstantial increase in the funding of Basic Education, there is a recognizable cut in different school services.

Since Face-to-face education may not be possible in the foreseeable future, it will cause a PhP 5.36 million budget cut in several programs of the education department.

The budget for additional classrooms, armchairs, functional clinics, and other school facilities, as proposed by the Duterte administration, will suffer an immense funding deduction.

Also, the School-Based Feeding

Program will experience a 500 million budget cut amidst the prevalence of malnutrition and the rise of the unemployment rate in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the budget allocated to the School Dental Health Care Program will receive no budget this year.

The budget deduction in these programs is questionable enough, but where will this deducted budget be spent if the students are studying from home is another question. Since the meager funding increase in curricular programs and strategy development will not suffice the challenge of creating a better curriculum that fits the current situation. Then, cutting off P5.069 million in the Basic Education

curriculum will only worsen the situation and hinder the education sector to develop a responsive and disruption proof education program.

MISALIGNMENT OF FUNDS IN OTHER SCHOOL SERVICES 0 Budget

5.36M Budget Cut

500M Budget Cut

5.069M Budget Cut

270M Meager Increase

19.597M Budget Cut

in School Dental Health Care Program

in Basic Education Curriculum

in Basic Education Facilities

in Curricular Programs, Learning Management Models, Standards, and Strategy Development

in School-based Feeding Program

in Early Language Literacy and Numeracy

GRAPHICS â—? JUSTINE PATRICIO

FE A T UR E S

UNBALANCED INCREASE IN DEPED OFFICES

43

0 Budget

Office of the Secretary

from 107M

Php 518,184,708,000*

Php 568,013,018,000**

for special education

National Book Development Board Php 57, 724,000

Php 46,096,000

0 Budget

National Council for Children’s Television Php 12,829,000

from 900M

Php 17,076,000 Philippine High School for the Arts

for World Teachers’ Day Incentice Benefits

Php 101,166,000

Php 92,186,000 National Museum Php 433,078,000

Php 432,442,000 Early Childhood Care and Development Council Php 63,683,000

Php 59,041,000 *2020 GAA **2021 NEP

Budget Increase

Zero Budget Budget cuts in different programs are not surprising since there are programs that will receive no budget at all. The fact that the management of special education is already a struggle considering the lack of facilities and experts for this matter, what more to expect if its 2020 Budget of PhP 107 million will entirely cut down to zero as stated in NEP for 2021. Furthermore, while teachers carry the burden of additional bills for working at home due to the pandemic, and the excessive workloads, World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefits is also one of the programs that will receive a zero budget allotment next year.

EXcessive funding for central offices The transition from traditional learning into distance learning remains as one of the struggles of the education sector. Despite this, the proposed budget for 2021 fails to allocate adequate funding for the essential areas, particularly to the office of the National Book Development Board that will experience a cut roughly around 15% or PhP 11,628,000 from its current budget. Moreover, the other offices under DepEd might also experience 10% to 15% budget cuts. Conspicuously, the Office LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

Budget Decrease

of the Secretary will experience an increase amounting to PHP 49,828,310,000 from its current funding.

As the Office of the Secretary expects to receive a lump sum of budget increase, programs for a significant rate of private school teachers who are experiencing job displacements and salary reductions are yet to be discussed.

Moreover, as of the latest report by DepEd, there are already around 750 private schools that will suspend their operations for the academic year 2021-2022 that will affect 3,233 teachers and 40,345 students.

With a humongous crisis at hand, it is necessary to allocate a large amount of the 2021 budget for the Basic Education sector in creating a curriculum design that will fit in the new set up of learning, production of teaching and learning materials, and for assuring the safety of all the academic workers. Programs that will provide concrete solutions to the current problems in the education sector due to the pandemic must undergo an increase in its funding just like the central office. More than ever, there is a need for the people’s funds to go directly to programs that will benefit them yet the government opts to prioritize less important matters.

In connection to this, the teachers' call for a substantial salary increase will still take long before being approved, but the cumulative workload worsened by the new-normal mode of education will continue.

It is about time to provide the necessary needs of the teachers, for they are the backbone of the academe, and they must receive the support they can get to continually deliver quality education amidst the pandemic.

44 L A T H A LA IN Sa kabila ng kaliwa’t kanang panawagan para sa dekalidad na edukasyon at ligtas na balik eskwela, nananatiling walang kongkretong plano ang pamahalaan para sa sektor ng edukasyon. Sa halip na ipagkaloob ang 1.1 trilyong piso na pondong hinihingi ng Department of Education (DepEd) upang masustentuhan ang distance learning, 564 bilyong piso lamang ang ipinagkaloob sa ahensya sa 2021 National Budget. Bunsod nito malaki ang pangamba na magkaroon ng paghahati sa gagamiting module ng mga magaaral sa ikatlo at ika-apat na markahan.

Tanging siyam na bilyong piso lamang ang nakalaang pondo para sa computerization program, malayo sa 30 bilyong pisong kinakailangan para mabigyan ng laptop at gamit sa pagtuturo ang mga guro. Nabawasan din ng 10 bilyong pisong pondo, mula 34 bilyon naging 24 bilyon, ang Education Service Contracting - programa ng pamahalaan na tulungan ang mga mag-aaral mula pampublikong paaralan na pumasok sa mga pribadong paaralan. Malaking dagok ang kaltas na ito sa mga pribadong paaralan lalo na at 50% lamang ng mag-aaral mula sa nakaraang taon ang kasalukuyang nakaenrol sa kanila. Wala ring tulong na matatanggap mula DepEd ang mga guro ng pribadong paaralan na nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pandemya. Hanggang sa ngayon ay walang ring pondong nakalaan ang ahensya para sa mga guro at kawani nitong maaaring magkaroon ng COVID-19 bunsod ng kanilang trabaho.

Ano ang pinakamalaking hamon bilang guro upang maisakatuparaan ang pagpapatuloy ng dekalidad na edukasyon?

FY: Hindi tayo pwedeng business as usual, teaching as usual.

Kinakailang ang edukasyon kasi ay tumutugon sa ano yung demand ng lipunan.

So, sa tanong na kalidad kailangan magbago rin mismo ang konsepto ng kalidad na edukasyong makatao, edukasyon na nagbibigay inspirasyon na yung life sa panahon ng COVID is still worth living. Hindi ito panahon ng pagkaniya-kaniya, pero panahon ito ng pagrespeto sa kaniya-kaniyang dinadala. ‘Yun ang esensya sa akin ng kalidad.

So, kinakailangan nakaugat siya sa karanasan ng bata.

Doon magsisimula ang guro para habang dinidiskubre ang

MA. NATHALIE AVENDAÑO

Lifeline ni

Teacher:

Danas at kalagayan ng piling mga guro sa gitna ng pandemya Iba’t iba man ang sitwasyong tinitindigan ng mga kawani ng edukasyon at mga guro, iisang lubid lang ang kanilang kinakapitan. Ang pisi na kalauna’y bibigay kung madaragdagan pa ang kanilang pasanin at mananatiling nakabinbin ang mga tulong na mag-aangat sa kanila mula sa pagkakahulog sa bangin ng pandemya.

Upang mas maunawaan ang kalagayan ng sector ng edukasyon, minarapat ng publikasyon na kapanayamin ang piling mga guro sa iba’t ibat antas kabilang sina Dr. Feliece Yeban, isang faculty regent at guro ng Agham Panlipunan sa Pamantasang Normal ng Pilipinas (PNU), si Ruby Ana Bernardo, guro ng sekondarya sa Sta Lucia High

School, at si Denielle Mahinay Galo, bagong guro sa FEU Roosevelt Rodriguez.

kaalaman yung mga estudyante sila din nakikilala na nila yung nangyayari, yung sarili nila nalalagayan nila ng pangalan yung nararanasan nila as they generate knowledge sa subject matter.

panahon ng pandemic. Kung maghahanap naman ng mga librong maaaring gamitin, kadalasang kailangang bayaran o kunin sa malayong lugar kung kayat naiipit sa iilan lamang ang resources ng isang guro.

natin ng mahabang pasensya, pag-ako ng responsibilidad, pagpapakumbaba, walang sisihan kailangan may openness.

RAB: Una, kinakailangan talaga ng bagong skills itong new normal set up na ito kaya kailangang mag-aral uli. Ikalawa, yung usapin na ng mga rekurso. Pangatlo, mahirap yung pangangalap ng modules kasi wala pang available mula sa central office. Pang-apat ay yung kawalan ng access ng mga bata sa koneksyon, literal na walang gadgets at pang-internet.

Panglima, kakaibang adjustment kasi kailangan mong turuan muna yung bata to navigate the platform.

Paano mo natutugunan/ tinutugunan ang iyong suliranin bilang guro?

DMG: Ang kawalan ng internet at resources ng mga guro sa

FY: So, openness, communication tsaka risk-taking, mag-experiment ka. Tama o mali, trial and error, hindi ka dapat matakot ngayon magkamali. Kaya kailangan lumubog, lumubog ka sa sitwasyon, lumubog ka sa buhay ng iba para nang sa gayon ay nararamdaman mo at naiisip mo may maibabagahi kang insight.

Itong bagong kadawyan March 15 lang mula nang mag-quarantine so kaya ano ito hit and miss so kailagan

Dr. Feliece Yeban – FY Ruby Anna Bernardo – RAB Denielle Mahinay Galo – DMG

RAB: Tulong-tulong sa paaralan pero syempre effective pa rin yung nagrerehistro tayo in all forms para sa panawagan ng tulong at proteksyon at syempre gawing ligtas at dekalidad ang edukasyon sa pagbabalik-eskwela bilang ako ay kabahagi ng unyon.

DMG: Inilalapat ko sa konteksto ang pinaguusapan upang umayon sa kinakailangan na kaalaman.

Sa perspektiba ng isang guro, paano binago ng pandemyang ito ang konsepto ng edukasyon?

RAB: Talagang pinatingkad ng pandemyang ito yung matagal nang problema sa sistema ng edukasyon - kung paano ito matagal nang pinagkaitan

LA T HA LA IN Bakit kailangan ipagpatuloy pa rin ang taong panuruan 2020-21 sa kabila ng suliraning kinahaharap ng bansa dulot ng pandemya, partikular sa sektor ng edukasyon?

RAB: Sa pamamagitan ng edukasyon, kakayaning maarmasan ang mga kabataan at mamamayan ng kakayahang unawain ang kasalukuyang kalagayan ng bansa, at kumilos at tumulong sa pagresolba ng krisis.

DMG: Hindi sapat na isakatuparan lamang ang pagpapauloy ng taong pampanuruan ngayon.

Kailangang matugunan din ng estado ang pangangailangan ng mga nasa pribadong sektor.

Gaano kahanda ang sektor ng edukasyon sa pagbubukas ng taong panuruan?

FY: Hindi pwedeng perfect muna ang system bago mo itest. Pwede kasi yung system dine- develop mo as you experience it. Hindi ko naman pinapakawalan din ang DepEd kasi it could have done better but they have the most difficult job at this time.

ng pondo para sa health and sanitation facilities, sa bilang ng health personnel tulad ng nars at doktor, sa mga benepisyong pangkalusugan para sa aming mga guro tulad ng sick leave, hazard pay at sa medical check and free treatment.

DMG: Naging sobrang hirap lalo ang pagpapanatili ng kaalaman.

Binigyang daan ng online classes ang madami pang distraksyon kung kayat napakahirap matiyak kung nananatiling may interes pa ang bata sa pinagaaralan nito.

Ano ang mga paghahandang ginagawa mo para sa taong panuruan 2020-21 sa kabila ng mga pangyayari sa bansa?

RAB: Nagsanay sa mga webinars para matututo ng iba’t ibang platforms, naghanda sa pamamagitan ng pagbili gamit ang sariling bulsang pera para sa mga rekurso, ni-revisit yung mga learning materials at sa bahay medyo mahirap kasi kailangan talaga naming magset-up ng learning area.

DMG: Mula Abril pa lamang ay nag-uumpisa ba silang gumawa ng lesson plan at modules dahil tiniyak ng paaralan na mayroong sapat na gagamitin at dadaan sa masusing pagtitiyak ang mga gagamitin.

RAB: Hindi totoo ang pahayag ng DepEd na tagumpay ang balik-eskwela. Hindi pa talaga handa e pero nairaos dahil sa pagpupursige ng mga guro na maipaabot ang edukasyon sa ating kabataang-estudyante.

Itinaya talaga ng guro lahat ng meron siya mula oras hanggang rekurso kahit buhay para rito.

DMG: Kung susumahin mula 1 hanggang 10, asa 5 lamang ang kahandaan ng sektor ng edukasyon dahil ang pinakasumasalo sa pagkukulang ay mga guro mismo. Lalong lalo na sa pagsasaimprinta ng modules at paghahatid nito, sinasalo ito ng mga guro.

Pabor ka ba sa panawagang academic freeze? Bakit? O bakit hindi?

RAB: Hindi talaga academic freeze ang gusto natin dahil naniniwala tayo na ang edukasyon ay batayang karapatan na dapat matamasa ng mamamayan sa anumang kalagayan. Ang pag-urong naman sa petsa ng pagbubukas ng klase ay bunsod ng malalang kapabayaan at kapalpakan ng gobyernong Duterte na kontrolin ang pandemya, tugunan ang tumitinding krisis sa kabuhayan at ihanda ang paghahatid ng ligtas, abot-kamay at de-kalidad na edukasyon sa gitna ng pademya.

DMG: Oo, tutugon ito sa kahingian ng mga estudyante at ilang guro ngunit paano naman ang mga gurong kung walang pasok ay wala ding sahod?

Kinakailangan na ang solusyon ay tumutugon hindj lamang sa isa kundi sa lahat. Kinakailangan na ang solusyon ay tumutugon hindj lamang sa isa kundi sa lahat.

Sapat ba ng suporta mula sa administrayon upang mapunan ang pangangailangan sa biglaang pagpapalit mula sa tradisyunal sa birtwal na pagaaral?

FY: The government could be better. Kasi may gap doon sa mga policies. Pero marami tayong mga batas at patakaran na sumasagka para sumulpot ang mga bagong policies na more responsive.

Pero sa akin tyagain natin paulitulit nating sabihin sa kanila yung nakikita natin sa ground para eventually magsink-in sa kanila. Kinakailangan lang nating iparating sa kanila nang paulit-ulit, ‘wag tayong magsawa, maging makulit tayo.

RAB: Hinding hindi ito sapat.

Sa kalagayang sa gitna ng pandemya, kinaltasan ng 21 billyon ang badyet ng DepEd sa gitna ng taon. P4 bilyon lamang ang ibinigay sa edukasyon sa Bayanihan 2 mula sa hiling na P65 bilyon ng DepEd na kailangan para sa distance learning.

45

Ano ang iyong panawagan sa administrasyong Duterte?

FY: Actually, yung civil service kailangan panawagan din.

Kailangan ng massive review kung paaano gagawin ang public servant na trabaho so labas pa si Pres. Duterte doon kasi autonomous and Civil Service. Do we consider this online, or just education, we have to rethink, reinvent Philippine education.

Tingin ko din ang kailangan ng pangulo is to initiate yung rethinking ng budget structure.

Kasi yung pagbabago, hindi mo siya magagawa kung walang pera.

RAB: Pondohan ang lahat ng pangangailangan para sa pagpapatuloy ng edukasyon sa gitna ng pandemya at magagawa ito sa pamamagitan ng pagrechannel ng pondo para sa 2021 sa batayang serbisyo. Nanawagan din tayo sa kagyat na pagsugpo sa pandemyang ito.

DMG: Maging hamon sa kanila na sa oras na mawala ang pandemyang ito, milyong milyong Pilipino ang sisingil sa kanila.

DMG: Hindi. Kung titingnan, maaring matuloy ang ligtas na balik eskwela kung tinututukan at tinutugunan ng administrasyon ang pandemya.

Ano ang mga kagyat na pangangailangan mo bilang guro upang makatugon sa bagong kadawyan?

FY: Kinakailangan na mayroong number one, connectivity support para sa mga faculty and staff hindi lang faculty pati staff kasi sila rin nagwo-work from home.

Kailangan naming ng mga tools, kaialangan ng mga bagong patakaran online.

RAB: Bilang guro, kinakailangan suportahan ang pangangailangan sa eskwela tulad laptop, gadget at internet at ganun din ang pagbibigay proteksyon sa usapin ng kalusugan.

DMG: Sa kasalukuyan, internet ang pangunahing pangangailangan ng mga guro upang matugunan niya ang kasalukuyang hamon ng online classes.

Patuloy na nagbabago ang sistema ng edukasyon, kung kaya nangangahulugan ito na patuloy rin dapat ang pagaangkop na ginagawa. Hindi sapat ang pagpupursige ng mga kawani, guro at mga magaaral para maisakatuparan ang kalidad na edukasyon sa gitna ng pandemya kung patuloy na bingi at bulag ang administrasyon sa panawagan ng sektor ng edukasyon.

Hindi sapat na hagisan lamang ang mga kawani at guro ng lubid upang makaahon sa nakaambang bangin dulot ng pandemya.

Kailangan pa rin ng kamay na hahatak sa lubid upang maiahon ang mga guro sa nagbabadyang pagkahulog. Hanggat hindi naisasalba ang mga guro at kawani, tuloy ang gagawing panawaga't pangangalampag sa administrasyong bulag at bingi sa panaghoy ng sektor.

LAYOUT â—? JUSTINE PATRICIO

46 F E A T U R E S

GOING OFF THE RAILS 3

On Priorities and Compromise: The State’s inept planning and budgeting for Higher Education ANDREA CRISOLOGO | JOSEPH ELI OCCENO | QUENIE ASILO

After six months of battling the pandemic, the education sector remains one of the most affected by the health crisis and yet the government’s response in helping it is budget cuts and misaligned budget allocation.

Both public and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are facing a multitude of challenges ranging from school closures to the exacerbation of disparities among learners in terms of connectivity. This situation necessitates the government not only to prioritize the funding of the education sector but to make sure that these funds are strategically distributed.

Ill-conceived budgeting for scholarship grants As the education sector strives to migrate to the blended, distance learning modalities for the opening of the academic year 2020-2021, a sufficient budget allotment could have been of great help for the tertiary students in pursuing their education while grappling with the dreadful impacts of the pandemic. However, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) suffered a 22.22% depletion in 2020 from its 2019 funds, amounting from Php 52.435 billion to Php 47.906.

For 2021, a P50.928-billion budget is allocated to CHED. Although an increase of merely 5.77% is seen, it’s not enough to support CHED in providing more scholarships to students. In fact, Chairperson Prospero de Vera III said as early as May that CHED will not accept new merit government scholars for the academic year 2020-2021 due to the budget realignment for the fight against COVID-19. In a statement, de Vera explained that it is part of their belt-tightening measures after the total halt of the initially labeled ‘for later release’ portion of the Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act (UniFAST) fund. “Ang mapopondohan namin doon sa natitirang pera ay ‘yung continuing lang. Kasi kung tatanggap kami ng bago... tapos hindi mabibigyan ‘yung continuing,” he said.

Despite the increase in the commission’s 2021 fund, the budget in the provision of assistance, incentives, scholarship, and grants through student financial assistance programs dropped by 59.94% from PPhp 3,786,929,000 in 2020 to Php 1,516,929,000 in 2021. There is also a whopping 80.87% cut in the budget allotted for scholarship merits to

ILL-CONCEIVED BUDGETING FOR SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS

-59.94%

-80.87%

-50.00% 2021 NEP

faculty members and HEI administration, from Php 1,854,939,000 in 2020 to mere Php 354,939,000. Should this be funded well, programs intended for the upskilling of the academic personnel could be implemented.

Furthermore, the subsidy for tuition of medical students in state universities and colleges will be crippled by 50%, from Php 167,000,000 peso to Php 83,500,000 while Senate Bill No. 1520 or ‘’Doktor para sa bayan act,” which aims to support financially-challenged aspiring physicians, is yet to become a law. It is further worsened by the lack of budget for the scholarship of medical students in the academic year 2021-2022. This prompted Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago and Northern Samar 1st District Rep. Paul Daza’s call to restore the cuts. “No less than the DOH and the IATF projected this year we would have a shortage of 4000 doctors. Very critical that we maintain the funding, the subsidy for medical students in the SUCs,” Daza said. Not to mention that failure to abide by the program’s mandatory return service ‘’for every year the scholars received cash grants from the government’’ will require them to pay the scholarship’s full cost.

2020 GAA

CONTINUED NEGLECT OF STUDENT WELFARE Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education

+13.41%

PhP 38,982,019,000*

PhP 44,210,919,000**

Support for Student Affairs

-9.41% PhP 18,043,000

PhP 16,345,000

*2020 GAA **2021 NEP

Budget Increase Budget Decrease

LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

FE A T UR E S

UNDERSUPPORTED WORKFORCE

Administration and Support Personnel

-51.31%

2020 GAA: PhP 7,498,000

2021 NEP: PhP 3,651,000

Formulation of Higher Education Plans, Directions, Priorities, and Policies

34.95%

2020 GAA: PhP 28,783,000

2021 NEP: PhP 38,843,000

Financial Assistance for Post-Graduate Students

30,000%

2020 GAA: PhP 5,000,000

2021 NEP: PhP 1,505,000,000 Budget Increase

Budget Decrease

“

CHED needs to refocus its priority to the workers who are one of the primary victims of this health crisis. Therefore, the government has to heed to the call of the academic workers and grant them sufficient financial support they need.”

Budget misappropriation: A negligence of duty

Budget realignment could have been a good move if the people’s hard-earned money is allotted to projects that truly benefit the majority, most especially at a time of crisis. To be able to cope with “new normal’’ in distance learning, the education sector requires plans to, at the very least, ensure that scholarships are well-funded, the students’ welfare remains a top priority, and the workforce in the field are well provided for.

While the Higher Education Institutions have to suffer

insufficient and poorly-managed budget allocation, other agencies such as the PNP (Php 190.5 billion), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Php 203.2 billion), and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (Php 19.1 billion), have had their funding shamelessly inflated.

Furthermore, under the Accelerated Recovery and Investments Stimulus for the Economy of the Philippines (ARISE Philippines), the administration had revealed their intent to build more infrastructure projects and would allocate Php 650 billion for the next three years while the

47

Continued neglect of student welfare Having received Php 44.2 billion for its operations, UniFAST had indeed been given the lion's share of CHED's 2021 proposed budget og PHp 50.9 billion. While this is all well and good, it should be kept in mind that enrollment in higher education has increased as graduates of the K-12 Program entered higher education and the total enrollment in both public and private higher education institutions has reached 3.4 million. Furthermore, according to Rep. Elago, 19 SUCs have had their budgets cut in their 2021 allocation, 18 have cuts in their Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE), and 56 are in danger of having their capital outlay reduced. Meanwhile, 40 private colleges have already ceased operations this year as CHED faces numerous challenges such as capacity building for faculty members, connectivity issues and preparation for potential limited face to face classes in January 2021, according to Chairperson de Vera III. There has also been a significant cut on the already dismal funding for student affairs and services whose previous funding of Php 18,043,000 in 2020 had been further reduced to Php 16,345,000 for the 2021 NEP. The budget was to ensure that higher education institutions help students attain holistic development and that academic support services relating to student welfare, and student development are properly implemented. Further reduction of its funding just shows the gross negligence for the students’ welfare in the midst of the pandemic especially when there have been recent reports of attacks on the student sector.

Moreover, CHED had seen fit to discontinue the establishment of e-library facilities in SUCs. This had been part of CHED’s previous efforts to contribute to boost the funds for state-led initiatives

in responding to the pandemic through the reallocation of Php 15 billion from programs they described as ‘slow-moving’ and ‘difficult to implement’. However, now that we have begun our transition to blended learning, the lack of e-library facilities will put a strain on both the students who have to struggle with online classes, and SUCs who already have their budgets further reduced.

subsidy for students and even COVID-19 Testing were only given Php 42 billion and Php 10 billion respectively. This just shows that Duterte and his cohorts are out of touch with the pandemic and the problems that the people are facing.

This gross misappropriation of funds simply demonstrates the negligence for the education sector, leaving many students behind and the bulk of the education sector’s workforce unsupported as the administration opted to focus its efforts in frivolous endeavors instead of ramping up the HEI’s preparation in the new

normal. If we are to get through the pandemic as a nation, it is important to formulate concrete plans of development that ensure that the needs of every sector are appropriately addressed. This ultimately calls for a redistribution of funds to the education sector by reinstating funds to SUCs, proper budgeting of scholarship programs, and ample support for the workforce.

Under-supported workforce

Aside from the students, other sectors will also be affected once the 2021 NEP is approved. The Budget for the Administration and Support Personnel will face a Php 3.847 million budget cut, which might add to the already cumulative problem of unemployment since the pandemic started. While we recognize the budget increase given to the Formulation of Higher education plans, directions, priorities and policies, this should strengthen the education plans and policies that should support the students not only financially but in creating permissive policies that will help students in adjusting to the “new normal.”

Surprisingly, there will be a tremendous increase of 30, 000% in Financial Assistance for Postgraduates Students from PhP 5, 000 000 in 2020 GAA to PhP 1, 505, 000, 000 2021 NEP. This exponential increase will surely help the post-graduate students that will be accommodated by the program.

On the other hand, while a large number of personnel in HEIs experience job disruptions, salary reductions, and displacements left and right, CHED needs to refocus its priority to the workers who are one of the primary victims of this health crisis. Therefore, the government has to heed to the call of the academic workers and grant them sufficient financial support they need.

LEA CASTRO

p ni ti k n+

ang pagtahi ng watawat ng bagong pilipinas

48

Bahay Tubo

Tunggali

liTRATO

Bahay tubo, hindi munti Mga nakaw doon ay sari-sari!

Nanlimas ng bilyon, mayamang lupa’y kinahon Pinatag, kinuha’t inangkin!

Pumiglas ika’y kulong, mangatwiran siyang mali Atsaka meron pang malalang parusa Tao’y ginutom, kulang ay pinagkasya Kaya’t buong paligid bumabalikwas na.

Libu-libo na ang kinitil Palisiya’y nananatiling inutil Pumipiglas, gustong kumalas ngunit walang lakas Tulong ang hiling ngunit tao’y dinaan sa dahas.

“Inspeksyon lang po kung lahat ay nakasuot ng face mask at face shield!” Sigaw ng pulis na pumasok sa bus habang tinitingnan ang bawat pasahero.

Napahinto ito sa isang lalaki na may nakataling panyo sa mukha.

“Bakit hindi ka naka-face mask?

Hindi pwede ang panyo!”

Napukaw ang atensyon ng mga pasahero sa umaalingawngaw na boses ng pulis.

“Pasensya na po, hindi po kasi ako nakabili ng face mask. Maayos ko naman pong suot ang pan-“ Hindi na natapos ang paliwanag ng lalaki dahil kinaladkad na siya ng pulis palabas.

“Grabe naman ang trato sa lalaki.” Bulong ng isang pasahero na nakakunot ang noo.

Isang pasahero ang agad na naglabas ng cellphone at itinapat sa bintana ng bus upang kuhanan ito ng litrato.

Ngunit hindi litrato ng lalaking kinaladkad ang kinunan ng pasahero kun’di litrato ng isang grupo ng mga pulis na nagtatawanan habang ang isa ay nagbubuga ng usok mula sa kanyang sigarilyo.

ART JOHN ARGUELLES

ideas are bulletproof

SHEENA MAE BALONZO

Tulong! Sigaw ng masa Brrt brrt! Sagot ng buwaya Hanggang kailan magtitiis Atensyon hanggang ngayon ay nalilihis.

Aktibisita ang tinuring na kalaban Solusyong medikal hindi pinagtuunan Hindi sana mamimili ng kahahantungan Sa pagitan ng buhay at kayamanan.

ZEKEDELIA

Ilang buwan tayo ay nakakulong Nasayang, hindi pinakinggan mga sumbong Pagod na kami sa mga solusyong panandalian Kaligtasan bakit nasa kamay lamang ng iilan?

Puso ng madla ang umaalulong Tulong ang kailangan at hindi kulong Corona nga lang ba ang kalaban Mga nasa taas ng tatsulok, hanggang kailan maghahariharian?

CARMELLA LARGUIZA

49

MALASMOISINALANGKANGMAHIRAP OLID, EVERLINDA J Sa patalim kumapit kaya’t kamatayan ang nakamit.

Sa halip na bigyan ng saklolo, ipinagbili ito.

NIKKO SAMSON

Ang Quarantine JOSE FRANCO CASTILLO

Barya’t Sobre “Nay, ECQ na sa susunod na Linggo.” “‘Di bale ‘Nak, maghapong pumasada si Tatay para may kaunting pera tayo.”

“Mom, ECQ na next week!”

“No worries ‘Nak, may emergency funds tayo at may work from home naman.”

Edukasyong “para sa lahat” “‘Nay, kailangan ko na po ng phone para sa online class namin.”

“Magtipid muna tayo sa ngayon, bawal pang pumasada si tatay e.”

“Mom, Dad, need ko ng updated na laptop para sa online class.”

“Go ‘Nak, sabihin mo na lang kay Daddy mo yung specs.”

“Ma, Pa, ubos na po yung load ko para sa online class.”

“Pasensya na ‘Nak, naibili ko na ng bigas yung natitirang pera.”

“Mom, yung wifi signal kanina pa nagloloko!”

“Ha? Sige, itatawag ko agad sa tech support. Magpaload ka na lang muna.”

Hamon at hinagpis “Nay wala na ring pagkain, ubos na rin po miski yung mga ayudang delata.” “‘Nak, kaunting tiis na lang ha. Lumabas na sina tatay at ang grupo niya para manlimos.”

“Ma, walong oras na klase?

Sobra naman ata ‘to!”

“Sorry ‘Nak, kailangan mo munang magtiis sa ganyang set up.”

“Tay! Ano hong nangyari? Bakit ngayon lang kayo? ‘Di po ba nila kayo sinaktan?” “‘Nak, pasensya na talaga hinuli kami e, “social gathering” daw ang dahilan.”

Nang marinig ko ang unang pagiyak ng sanggol, nabatid kong umiiyak ito dahil isinilang siya sa lupaing pasismo ang naghahari.

LAYA(G) JOSHUA BELTRAN Sa kasalukuyan patuloy na naglalayag ang kalayaan gamit ang sagwan na pamana ng digmaan sakay sa bangkang minsa’y inagaw ng dayuhan sumasayaw ang alon sa naramdamang kasarinlan sa gitna ng laot may banta ng sigalot kapitan pala ay tuta sa mga pasahero’y banta pinagsagwan ang walang alam binusalan ang may pakialam nawindang ang lahat sa kung saan papunta tanaw sa malayo ang ang isla ng Tsina “Hindi maaari!” sigaw ng bayang nag-aalsa naglalayag tayo para sa patuloy na paglaya hindi para kusang lumapit sa tanikala

“Ma, ang hirap naman! Ni isa,walang pumapasok sa isip ko!”

“E ‘Nak, wala tayong magagawa.

Ganito talaga sa new normal.”

Tahanan “Teka po! Wag ngayon, pakiusap. Magbabayad naman po kami. “‘Nay, ‘Tay, paano na tayo nito?

Saan tayo matutulog?

“Nagbayad lang pala ako ng matrikula para magpasa’t sumagot!”

“Manhid na manhid na ang ulo ko, gusto ko nang matulog.”

“Tanging saplot at banig na lang ang aming pananggalang.”

“Hindi na namin kaya!

Mamamatay kami sa yakap ng kalsada.”

“Buong magdamag akong nakakumot at nakaharap sa laptop.”

“Hindi ko na kaya, mamamatay ako sa loob ng kwarto na ‘to!”

“Sana matapos na‘tong quarantine…”

CLIFORD MAGLELONG

50 F E A T U R E S

GOING OFF THE RAILS 4

State Universities and Colleges: Collateral of 2021 Budget Cuts DOMINIC KEAN CALAVIA | ERICA MAE GOZO | JOMIL CHRISTIAN LIZA

Same with the Basic Education sector, numerous State Universities and Colleges will also suffer from huge budget slashes despite the challenges brought by the education’s migration to flexible learning modality.

As we can see from the government’s budget appropriation, the education sector is not its top priority. The budget proposal for 2021 manifests the militaristic inclination of the state at the expense of people’s right to education and basic social services.

Top 10 Budget Cuts in State Universities and Colleges The National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2021 manifests unbalanced appropriation of the budget for State Universities and Colleges (SUCS) across the Philippines. While there are significant increases in numerous SUCs, massive budget cuts will also be experienced by many state universities. The top 3 budget cuts are from state universities in Luzon, giving priority to universities in the Visayas and Mindanao with the most percentage of budget increases. Rizal Technological University (RTU) got the highest budget cut of more than half percent, reducing its budget to only around PhP 600 million from PhP 1.4 billion. Meanwhile, Bulacan State University’s budget was cut by half, leaving only Php 1.1 billion from its approved budget of PhP 2.3 billion this year. Meanwhile, the Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology had the highest budget increase, almost doubling their budget to Php 284 million from its budget last year amounting to Php 128 million.

The budget of three other universities namely: Camiguin Polytechnic State College, the University of Southeastern Philippines, and Cebu Normal University all increased by more than 100%.

Breakdown of deficient budget in SUCs Budget slashes will, one way or another, affect and impede the plans of universities considering the challenges to adapt to the current situation. Under the budget allocated for Personnel Services, four SUCs will experience budget cuts. Northern Ilo-ilo State University suffers the highest slash with 62.86% equating to GRAPHICS ● FREEPIK

169.9 million. Likewise, Central Philippines State University will receive a 39.47% slash which equates to PhP 46.32 million.

The budget decreases also affect the Maintenance and other Operating expenses (MOOE) of universities and colleges. MOOE includes workforce, employees, and personnel services. Out of 115 SUCs, 18 of them are affected by a budget decrease under MOOE while military agencies receive tremendous increases. MSU-Iligan State University got the highest cut of 76.25% or PhP 202.33 million budget cut in MOOE. Moving on to Capital Outlay (CO), 56 SUCs will receive a budget cut. The ongoing infrastructure projects and university assets may be affected based on the budget of the CO. In short, the development projects of the universities are at risk. The slash on CO is a huge disadvantage especially that flexible learning requires improvement of educational services. Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural college is in an adverse situation because they have had no CO budget for two years. Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College loses a hundred percent capital outlay or PhP 15 million. There are SUCs that will suffer in the loss of billions in the budget. The University of the Philippines System has an 81.84% loss or PhP 2.161 billion in total while Mindanao State Universities will face a 93.50% budget cut or PhP 1.116 billion loss and Bulacan State University with 80.97% budget cut or PhP 1.337 billon.

The state should provide a greater avenue to sufficiently augment the HEIs’ and their services. The move for a better budget subsidy should be prioritized as all stakeholders may suffer from bad allocation of budget.

Top 10 Budget Cuts in State Universities and Colleges

-58.04%

Php 1,409,728,000 Php 591,522,000

-49.17%

Php 2,302,592,000 Php 1,170,342,000

-30.02%

Php 679,524,000 Php 475,555,000

-21.96%

Php 446,680,000 Php 348,507,000 2020 GAA

-43.91%

Php 1,707,795,000 Php 957,922,000

-28.24%

Php 350,311,000 Php 251,366,000

-20.22%

Php 4,118,992,000 Php 3,286,231,000

-39.67%

Php 286,082,000 Php 172,580,000

-26.73%

Php 492,827,000 Php 361,076,000

-19.24%

Php 482,582,000 Php 389,734,000

2021 NEP

LAYOUT ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

51

Breakdown of deficient budget in SUCs PERSONNEL SERVICES (PS) Northern Iloilo State University

MAINTENANCE AND OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES (MOOE)

-62.86%

CAPITAL OUTLAY (CO) Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College

ZERO Capital Outlay for 2 Years

MSU - Iligan Institute of Technology

Php 169.9M

-76.25%

Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College

Php 202.33M

Iloilo Science and Technology University

-100.00% Php 15M

-59.67%

Iloilo Science and Technology University

Php 213.7M

-67.37%

Mindanao State Univeristy

-93.50%

Php 94.677M

Php 1.116B

MSU - Iligan Institute of Technology

-58.27%

Northern Iloilo State University

Rizal Technological University

-15.60%

Php 397.89M Central Philippines State Philippines

-39.47%

Php 46.32M

Php 5.356M

-91.14%

Bulacan Agricultural State University

Western Mindanao State University

Php 931.42M

-10.00%

-86.03%

Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College

University of the Philippines System

Php 4.998M

Php 18.468M

-9.98%

-81.84%

Php 1.228M

Budget cuts amid the education sector's shortcomings Given the budget increases and budget cuts among SUCs in the proposed 2021 budget allocation, the higher education sector still needs to confront the challenges in delivering quality education in the new normal set up.

According to the report of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC), there are an estimated over 44, 000 students who will not enroll for this academic year because of several reasons like lack of resources, fear, and economic hardships. Also, private HEIs suffer from a rapid drop in enrollment rate because of students switching from private to the public that leads to the closure of several institutions. It is also the primary reason why teachers and staff from private HEIs received no payment for months while over

3, 207 SUC staff experienced displacement from their jobs.

Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) also struggle from lack of facilities especially that 31 LUCs cannot be utilized because these are being used as quarantine facilities. Faculties followed health protocols such as social distancing which is why they cannot accommodate the usual number of staff. Furthermore, SUCs need additional 1,911 computer laboratories to improve their ICT readiness in the new normal.

Regardless of these situations, 56 SUCs will have cuts on their capital outlay on their 2021 budget allocation. Also, Private HEIs, LUCs, and SUCs face difficulty due to the slow internet and availability for both students and faculties.

There is also a lack of gadgets, lack of Learning Management System (LMS), lack of funds for printing resources for remote teaching and learning, and lack of support from local government

Php 2.161B

units. However, the state gave these situations less priority as reflected in the proposed 2021 national budget where 19 SUCs receive slashes in their total budget HEIs’ clamor for substantial support As one of the most affected sectors by the pandemic, the higher education sector calls for support from the government in dealing with the issues that crucially affect its stakeholders.

Private HEIs demand salary assistance for teachers and staff, expansion of subsidy programs for students, and funding support for the supply of technology and internet connection.

LUCs, on the other hand, seek support for their plans to build separate facilities to supplement the areas used for isolation.

According to the Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ALCU), LUCs are given less

priority compared to SUCs. This is why they are requesting for additional financial support from the government. SUCs also request for support from LGUs and Congressional leaders in preparing, coping, and recovering from the pandemic. Moreover, the higher education sector requests for an inclusive, developmental, and less regulatory policy in adapting to flexible learning options.

With these enormous issues at hand, the higher education sector is in urgent need of government support to limit the short-term and long-term effects of the pandemic as soon as possible.

The government must allocate a substantial amount of budget to aid private HEIs, LUCs, and SUCs. This will help them to continue their operation and provide quality education among their students and economic support for their staff.

CHALLENGES OF THE EDUCATION SECTOR IN THE NEW NORMAL 44,069 students

3,200+ SUC Staff

31 LUCs

1,911 Computer Labs

will not enrol this academic year

were used as quarantine facilities

experienced job displacement since the pandemic started

are needed to ensure ICT readiness

52 OPINY ON

MAIBA, TAYA! ERICA MAE GOZO | gozo.ems@pnu.edu.ph

GRAPHICS ● JUSTINE PATRICIO

Burutin! Burutin!

Iyan ang laging kantyaw sa akin ng mga kalaro ko bago sila kumaripas ng takbo papalayo. Wala naman akong magawa kundi ang habulin sila dahil ako na naman ang naiba.

Bibilisan ang pagtakbo basta mahabol lang sila. Pero tila ba ako’y pinagkakaisahan para ako lang ang maging taya. Kahit hapo na at pikon sa ginagawa nila, pigil ang pag-iyak dahil mas lalo akong pagtatawanan.

Ganyan ang senaryo noong bata pa ako habang naglalaro. Dahil ako ang laging iba, ako ang laging taya.

Dahil sa ako ang taya, ako ang laging binuburot ng aking mga kasama.

Akala ko sa laro lang nangyayari ang mga bagay na ‘yon. Ngunit sa mga naririnig ko sa balita ngayon, tila ba nasa isang laro ang estado na kung sino ang naiba ang pananaw, siyang taya at siyang puntirya.

Inalala ko ang ilang buwan na pagkaburot sa ating bansa. Kasabay ng paglobo ng kaso ng COVID-19, kabikabilang kritisismo ang natanggap ng kasalukuyang administrasyon dulot ng kapabayaan at kakulangan sa aksyon sa pagharap sa pangkalusugang krisis. Kaya naman kaliwa’t kanang kilos-protesta at relief operations ang isinagawa ng iba’t ibang grupo na ang karamihan ay nauwi sa iligal na pagaresto sa mga kasapi nito.

Pagkaalarma naman ang naging epekto nang lumaganap ang mga fake social media accounts, red tagging at death threats na mga aktibista,

kritiko, human rights advocates, propesor, at mga estudyanteng kasapi sa pangmasang organisasyon ang karaniwang biktima.

Manipestasyon ang mga kaganapang ito ng panibagong pananakot at pambubusal sa mga kritikong naniningil sa mga kakulangan ng gobyerno imbis na tugunan ang mga hinaing ng publiko.

Bukod pa sa mamamayan ng bansa, desperado ring ginagamit ng administrasyon ang buong lakas ng estado upang supilin ang media na may malaking gampanin sa gitna ng pandemya. Patunay rito ang pagpapasara at patuloy na pagkakait ng franchise renewal sa ABS-CBN na pinakamalaking media network sa bansa kabilang din ang paghatol ng guilty kina Rappler CEO Maria Ressa at former research-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr. sa kasong cyberlibel.

Pinapakita lamang sa mga panggigipit na ito ang desperasyon ng pamahalaan para takutin at patahimikan ang media upang mapagtakpan ang kanilang mga kakulangan sa sambayanan. Higit pa rito, nagpapatunay ito sa patuloy na pagbabanta ng estado sa kalayaang mamahayag sa ating bansa.

Bagamat may pangkalusugang krisis na kinakaharap, tila ba hindi kapakanan ng mamamayan ang prayoridad ng administrasyon nang niratsada at inuna nito ang pagsasabatas ng Anti-Terrorism Law na pinapangambahang aabusuhin ng estado upang supilin hindi ang terorismo kundi ang mga kritiko at

sumasalungat dito. Nagpapatunay ang hakbanging ito sa mas tumitindig represyon at atake ng estado sa batayang karapatan ng mamamayang Pilipino.

Habang humaharap ang masa sa mga suliraning pinasa ng pamahalaan, sinamantala ng administrasyon ang pagkakataong gamitin ang diktadura upang mas lalong gipitin ang sambayanan, higit ang mamamayang sumasalungat sa pamamagitan ng mga anti-mamamayang palisiya nito.

Hindi maikakailang sa gitna ng matinding krisis pangkalusugan at pang-ekonomya, nakakikita pa ng oportunidad ang mga nasa kapangyarihan upang samantalahin ang pagkakataon kung saan pinakabulnerable ang mamamayan.

Patunay na walang pagpapahalaga sa buhay ng maliliit na mamamayan ang minoryang nananamantala.

Sa muling pagbalot ng nakababahalang takot dulot ng kabi-kabilang pananamantala at karahasan, hindi kaduwagan ang tatapos sa pambuburot sa masa kundi ang katapangan ng sambayanang lumalaban ng sama-sama.

O P I NY O N

Higit sa Pagkatuto DOMINIC KEAN CALAVIA | calavia.dkn@pnu.edu.ph When you are young, they assume you know nothing - Cardigan, Taylor Swift, 2020 Dahil matalinhaga ang lirisismo ni Taylor bilang manunulat ng awitin, maaari itong sipatin sa iba’t ibang konteksto. Kung ilalapat sa sosyo-politikal na pagtanaw ang nabanggit na kataga sa itaas, mahihinuha ang maling pagtingin na walang alam ang kabataan sa mga isyung panlipunan. Salungat ito sa katotohananan dahil ang kabataan ay may sapat na kakayahan sa matalas sa pagsusuri sa konkretong kalagayan ng mamamayan.

Bilang mga kabataang pagasa ng bayan, itinatak sa atin ang kahalagahan ng edukasyon.

Subalit, hindi dapat natatapos sa edukasyon, pagtatrabaho, at paghahangad ng komportableng buhay ang pagiging isang responsableng mamamayan.

Bagkus, habang bata pa, hinuhubog na dapat ang kanilang kakayahan sa mas mataas na lebel ng paglilingkod sa bayan.

Sa panahon kung saan lantaran ang panunupil ng estado, matindi ang pangangailangan para sa pagtindig at paglaban kontra sa mga inhustisya. Sa nalalaging dalawang taon ni Pang. Duterte sa pwesto, lalong tumitindi ang paggimbal ng samu’t saring antimamamayang palisiya na matinding nakaaapekto sa sektor ng kabataan.

Ilan dito ay ang pagsasawalang bahala sa panawagan para sa ligtas na balik-eskwela. Ang kalagayan ng mayorya ng mamamayan ay patuloy na naghihirap dahil hindi pa rin sapat ang ayuda at walang kongkretong plano ang gobyerno upang tulungan ang laksa-laksang manggagawang apektado ng pandemya.

Isinantabi rin ang panawagan para sa solusyong medikal dahil hindi pa rin binibigyang aksyon ang mass testing at agresibong contact tracing. Kasabay ng pagsasawalambahala sa krisis na dala ng pandemya, patuloy rin na panggigipit sa karapatang pantao mula sa pagpasa ng AntiT e r r o r i s m Law,

kaliwa’t kanang represyon, at sunud-sunod na pagpatay sa mga lider-aktibista.

Kaya naman mas lalong pinagtitibay ng National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) ang panawagan para sa sektor ng edukasyon. “Bigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga estuyanteng makapagpatuloy sa pag-aaral at tiyakin ang ligtas na pagbubukas ng mga paaralan, “ panawagan nila.

Dahil dito, higit na kailangan ang pakikiisa ng mga liderstudyante bilang tagatambol ng mga panawagan ng malawak na hanay ng mamamayan. Maaaring maging batayan ang pulitikal na kamalayan ng mga kabataang may lider ng kani-kaniyang mga organisasyon upang makabuo ng mainam at komprehensibong mga pagkilos upang maisakatuparan ang tungkulin nila bilang isa sa mga pangunahing pwersa ng pagbabago.

Bukod pa rito, maaaring mapagisa at pagtagpuin ang tunguhin ng iba’t ibang organisasyon at ang nagkakaisang panawagan. Gawing bentahe ang piling larangang tulad ng sa paglika, pagsulat at paganyo. Maaari ding isaalang-alang ang kakayahan ng social media sa pagtatampok ng mga panawagan.

Malaking bagay ito sa paghubog ng pampublikong opinyon ng mga makababasa nito.

Subalit, sa konteksto ng kalagayan sa loob ng pamantasan ngayon, hindi madaling mapakilos ang lahat. Kaya naman, kinakailangan ng masusing plano sa pagpapatupad ng mga programang sumasagot sa mga isyung panlipunan. Isa ito sa mga proseso sa paghubog ng pampultikang kamalayan ng mga kabataang magaaral sa pakikiisa sa mas malawak na pagkilos at panawagan. Lason na maituturing ang edukasyong hinubog tayo para sa sariling interes.

Kaya naman, makatuwiran na basagin ang anumang dulot ng neoliberal na edukasyon upang iangkla ito sa tunay na pangangailangan ng masa.

Sa kasalukuyang uri ng sistemang pang-edukasyon,

direkta ang pag-atake ng estado sa mga kabataan sa pamamagitan ng patuloy na red-tagging at opresyon sa iba’t ibang organisayon na kritikal sa administrasyon - patunay na ang kalagayan sa loob ng pamantasan ay salamin ng mas malaking isyu sa labas nito.

Kaya naman, mainam na gamitin ang lakas at panahon upang suriing maiigi ang materyal na kondisyon ng mamamayan at gumawa ng mga epektibong mga hakbang upang iangat ang antas ng kanilang kalagayan. Layunin ng kabataang mga mag-aaral na mas pataasin ang diskurso at palalimin ang pagsuri sa lahat bagay. Nararapat na sama-samang tuldukan ang pagkakakahon mula sa edukasyong humuhulma sa mga kabataan upang maging alipin ng mapagsamantalang uri.

Ang lumalakas na pagkilos ng mga kabataan kontra inhustisya ay patunay na hindi kailanman naging batayan ang edad upang aktibong makisangkot sa sibil at politikal na mga gawain. Sa katunayan, ang pagiging mapanuri at kritikal sa pagsipat sa mga isyu ang isa sa mga mahahalagang hakbang sa pag-abot ng lipunang sumasandig sa karapatan ng bawat isa.

Bagaman may kaniya-kaniya tayong bilis at bagal sa pagunlad bilang ito ay proseso, nararapat na magpatuloy lamang sa pagsulong. *Bahagi ng pakikiisa ng The Torch sa pagdiriwang ng Pandaigdigang Araw ng mga Kabataan.

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54 K U LT U R A

Nakagawian na ng mga Pilipino ang magbabad sa telebisyon upang libangin ang mga sarili sa panonood ng mga teleserye kahit pa tila sikolo at paulit-ulit na ang banghay ng mga ito. Subalit, bago ka pa man magising sa katotohanang "Double dead" o botcha na ang naturang mga teleserye, mas masakit pa sa sampal ng kontrabida ang reyalidad na istandardisado ang pamantayan sa paggawa ng teleserye o pelikula sa dominanteng midya dahil ang kumita ng malaki ang pangunahing tunguhin ng mga ito.

Kaya naman, sakit na ng mga palabas na ito ang pagroromantisa sa kahirapan. Gasgas na ang mga tagpong pangaalipusta ng babaeng nakasuot ng alahas samantalang nagtitiis lamang sa hapis at pasakit ang mahirap na karakter sa palabas. Tunay ngang dayukdok ang papel ng mahihirap sa mga teleseryeng iyong napapanood.

Kabaliktaran ng tipikal na

ang kani-kaniyang karakter sa

pagkamkam ng kinauukulan sa

teleserye, walang kahit anong

pelikula bitbit ang bayolente

perang hindi kanila, naipakita

idyoma ang makakukubli sa

at marahas na katotohanan ng

ni Paras ang kalagayan ng mga

tunay na karanasan, naratibo

pagiging mahirap. Mahusay na

Pilipino na nasa sa laylayan.

at kalagayan ng mahihirap sa

isiniwalat ang lantarang paggamit

pelikulang likha ni Joey Paras

ng dahas kung saan ang mga

pelikula ang naihalintulad ko sa

na "IGIB", isang maikling pelikula

nasa kapangyarihan, harap-

kasalukuyang isyu ng bansa.

na bumabaluktot sa bulok na

harapan ang ginawagawang mga

Ang kawalan ng awa ni Dagul

banghay ng mga soap opera o

panloloko at panggigipit sa mas

sa kaniyang ina na si Josa na

pelikula. Hinango niya ang tema

nakabababa sa kanila.

nag iigib at binabayaran ng

nito sa kwento ng kahirapan at

Mapapansing kakaiba ang

55

Marami sa mga tagpo sa

limang piso upang maitawid ng

hinimay ang suliranin ng bida sa

tirada ng drama na ginamit ni

isa pang araw ang kaniyang

perspektibo ng isang matandang

Paras sa pelikulang ito. Isinelyo

buhay ay sumasalamin kung

babaeng maralita.

niya ang bawat eksena sa

paano tratuhin ng gobyerno

kadalasang buhay ng isang

ang mga healthworkers. Ang

naipahatid ng pelikula ang

taong salat upang maipakita ang

lantarang panloloko at paggamit

maraming mensahe gamit ang

suliraning panlipunan. Magmula

ng boyfriend ni Dagul sa kaniya

mga tagpo, lugar, at bagay na

sa pangigipit ng may-ari ng bahay

ay tila katulad ng pagnanakaw

nagrerepresenta sa maraming

sa mga nangungupahan, pag-

ng mga nakaupong opisyal sa

suliranin, ganoon din kahusay

iigib ng tubig na may kakarampot

Philhealth.

na ginampanan ng mga aktor

na bayad at sa walang awang

Kung gaano kahusay

KULT UR A

Samantala, ang pambubugbog ng ina sa batang may kapansanan na walang kalabanlaban ay

walang kasiguraduhan ang bawat bukas ng mga karakter.

May iniiwang tanong ang

repleksyon ng pang-aabuso ng

pelikula at ang malupit na

kapangyarihan ng mga pulis sa

reyalidad na ipinapakita nito.

gitna ng pandemya, at marami

Tulad ng tubig sa gripo na may

pang iba.

kontrol ka sa daloy nito, nasa

Sa tila walang hanggang

saiyo kung mag papaagos ka

kontradiksyon na kinakaharap

sa tuluyang panggigipit ng

ng mga karakter ng pelikula na

mga sakim na tao sa gobyerno

detalyadong naipakita sa pag-

o papatayin mo ang gripo

iigib ni Josa para sa iba’t ibang

sapagkat napansin mong

bahay at pamilya, galit at poot ng

sobra na at umaapaw na ang

mga karakter ang nangingibabaw

kalapastanganang pangigipit sa

na emosyon sa pelikula. Sa

mga maralita.

kinasasadlakang sitwasyon, tila