Congress approves creation of USTP’s College of Medicine
by Vic Athon T. Jaudian
The proposed establishment of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines College of Medicine has been approved by the Committee on Higher Technical Education (CHTE) of the Congress during the 18th Congressional Assembly, inching the fulfillment of free medical education in Northern Mindanao.
Accordingly, House Bill (HB) 8123 stated that establishing the College of Medicine in the USTP Cagayan De Oro City providing for its governance, is sponsored by Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative, Rufus B. Rodriguez.
This was approved last August 03, 2021, the bill focuses on the accessibility of quality education in Northern Mindanao. Essentially, the university opted to consider catering to financially challenged yet deserving students to experience this type and level of education. In addition, the approved proposal of opening the College of Medicine to students across the region leveled
up to the House of Representatives, wherein, the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines’ College of Medicine Bill or House Bill No. 9522 was also approved.
Though awaiting for senate approval, USTP has applied its requirements with the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) last year to facilitate the opening this year. Furthermore, an article from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) written by Jan Albert Araña, which was published last August 7 2021, qouted by Cong. Rufus Rodriguez, “the approval of the bill is very timely. Now, more than ever, we need more schools that will offer medical courses, College of Medicine in particular. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us so many lessons. One of them is the need to produce more doctors who are ready to serve our countrymen.”
Former Ateneo de Cagayan–Xavier University Dr. Jose P. Rizal School of Medicine Associate Dean, Dr. Mitchel Dennis B. Gonzalez, is expected to lead this newly-formed college as its dean.
09 VOLUME 38 ISSUE NO. 2 JANUARY - JULY 2022
The University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP), Cagayan de Oro Campus celebrated its first LGBTQIA+ themed concert, Take Pride Concert 2022, prompting a more diverse and socially inclusive community in progress.
Held last July 22,2022, the 400-person event was one of the Federation of Accredited Extracurricular Student Organisation (FAESO), together with Andam Higala’s projects of Take Pride with a three-month duration.
Take Pride is a celebration that gathers the LGBTQIA+ and Allies of the community. This will serve as an avenue to promulgate the presence of a gender-diverse and inclusive organization that helps especially the young queer students in the university. Activities included in this project are; Launching and Pagsabot Series 1: SOGIESC; Pagsabot Series 2: LGBTQIA+ Rights; Organization Development Training; and Pride Walk and Take Pride Concert.
Performers from the university showcased their talents at the event namely, the Playmakers, Clique Point, Sanghimig Chorale, Shania Obidos, Charry Dequinion, Bob Alberca, Sheendale Franco, and WildKard as guest performers headed by Mr. Jay Salaga.
Along side with this, the purpose of this event introduced the creation of a new student organization, officially named USTP Balangaw, that promotes gender, diversity, and social inclusion inside the university. As a soon-to-be-organization, headed by the elected officers namely Eji Quiem, Laster Reyes, and Anthon Jaudian, the President, Vice President, and Secretary respectively.
As the organization is currently on the accreditation process, the founding members hope by carrying out its programs and activities in accordance with its defined plans for A.Y. 2022-2023 to flourish and broaden its purpose to the community, in particular by contributing to the welfare of all Trailblazers inside the USTP-CdO.
PAGE DESIGN \ JAN KARL MALONE C. PAGUE
FEATURE 10
Leadership is the ability to influence others. As it is always said, there is no organization or group that can succeed without strong leadership. Needless to say, not everyone possesses this characteristic. This is because effective leadership necessitates a certain set of crucial traits. To illustrate, one student strived to go on the path of leadership while everyone else is focused on their studies. Herna Francis Mae B. Tano, a Technology Communication Management student focusing on multimedia at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) is just one of those who showed that leadership needs various qualities and is a life-long pursuit amidst challenges. Her first attempt at this journey was difficult for her, but as she worked with herself and others, she was able to overcome it. As a student leader molded by different experiences, let’s know how she walked on her way to see what she did to define and reach success in leadership.
A Walkthrough of her Leadership Journey
Although it was not easy to combine studies with being a leader in various fields, Tano proved that this will never be an obstacle to her success. Currently, she is the Founder and Executive Director of Andam Higala, Chief Executive Officer of WeCARE Program, Director for Events and Management for Volunteer Scholar Leaders Program (VIP), USTP Ambassador of One CDO, and Community Relations Head of Google Developer Student Clubs. Some of Tano’s stepping stones were the organizations and training she joined that molded her to become a more effective studentleader. She served as President of University City Scholars in the Academic Year (A.Y.) 2018-2020, President of Federation of Accredited Extracurricular Student Organizations (FAESO) in A.Y 2020-2021, and President of USTP Scholars Society in A.Y. 2021-2022. She joined different trainings and workshops in International Young Leaders Congress, YSEALI Camp Diversity, Ayala Young Leaders Congress, OurMINDAnowSummit 2022, VOX; Young Leaders’ Parliament 2019, Singapore Polytechnic International Student Exchange, and Oro Youth Leadership Academy. Among these, she considered her experience at Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC) in Batangas as the most unforgettable one. Aside from these matters, her journey also highlights some of her prestigious awards not just as a leader but also as a student. She was the recipient of President Ricardo E. Rotoras Outstanding Student Leadership Award at Kahamili Awards 2020, National Finalist and Georgina P. Nava Women Leadership Awardee during the Ten Accomplished
Youth Organization 2020 (TAYO 2020), champion at Global Leaders Conference, champion at Solutions Week 2021, Rank 7 in Most Outstanding Scholars of the PH, Volunteer of the Year and Exemplar Awardee during Kinanao Awards 2022, Agipo Silver Award, Best Bill during VOX: Young Leaders’ Parliament 2019, and finalist as Most Outstanding COVID-19 Volunteer. She is also expected to receive a Latin honor in the August 2022 graduation - in fact a Magna Cum Laude.
The Balance between Failures and Successes
As Ellen Degeneres said, when you take risks it is inevitable that there will be times when you will succeed and there will be times when you will not, but these are both essential tools for more effective results. “I have many challenges in my journey, however, I didn’t consider it as a failure since it all contributed to the successful milestones I accomplished,” Tano said.
Talking about challenges, she shared about the most challenging thing she experienced on her leadership journey. She said being active in the field of legislation in the year 2021 where her decision resulted in a controversial matter in the university was one of the reasons why she reached the point of asking herself if the path she was taking was the right one. “There was a time that I questioned myself about what is better —being right or being kind,” she said. At that time, her principles and decisions became a big question that even her reputation was compromised. But, she did not take those negative things because for her, the decision she made was not for herself, but for the greater good of the majority—studentry. This part redefines the student leadership and governance in the university.
Breaking the Wall
In every aspect of student life, leadership plays a vital role, especially in the stage of career development. In the modern era, students are facing many career problems, particularly in choosing between idealism and beneficial. For this reason, leadership skills are a very important tool in molding one’s confidence in accepting challenges and analyzing the career path. Tano’s journey is an example that being a student and a student-leader is not an obstacle. This is proof of how determined you are to be a more effective being not only for yourself but also for others. This is an indication that even in small things, you can influence and make a difference. For her, doing good things not for herself but for others is fulfilling. She stated, “My journey is a manifestation that leadership engagements will not hinder our academic responsibilities, instead they can help us better understand the world around us and how we can contribute to nation building.”
PAGE DESIGN \
JOHN MICHAEL B. REITA
Some people want it to happen. Some wish it would happen. Others make it happen.
FEATURE 11
Official
of
of Southern Philippines – CdO Campus
- Michael Jordan
The
Student Publication of the University
Science and Technology
In today’s generation, social media has been at peak stardom, and that popularity gave the masses the opportunity to distinguish information more efficiently. However, netizens do not have the assurance that the data they have obtained from social media is accurate or not. Disinformation, misinformation, and malicious information hold control of social media that can take advantage of people’s ignorance and lack of fact-checking.
PAGE DESIGN \ GERSON JOHN P . SALVACION FEATURE 12
Disinformation has been coined as false information with the intent to cause harm to the subject matter. A perfect example of its impact is the shooting incident in Washington D.C when a man from North Carolina wanted to save the children who were said to be trapped in a pizza shop called Comet Ping Pong. The man brought a rifle to raid the place to find the child from the so-called child sex trafficking but got arrested before he could find the children. The pizza shop owner then claims that all allegations are based on a tweet that their pizza was the base of a pedophile sex ring.
Fortunately, no one was hurt in the shooting incident. The impact of misinformation can create events where innocent people suffer and using the information to manipulate society can result in chaos.
On the other hand, misinformation is unintentional false information with no intent to cause harm to the subject matter. An example of misinformation is the activity on Twitter of the former President. Donald Trump is in his first year as president. It has been found that on January 16, 2018, over 522 tweets were on the account of the Former President. Trump was indeed misinformed. Most of it is about immigration and immigrants dealing with drugs, human trafficking, and violent crimes for their nation. Based on his tweets, he wanted to have a travel ban from certain countries for they will cause danger to the people and the country.
Such crucial actions can gradually cause a change in the environment, especially the immigrants. The false information changed the society’s perspective of the immigrants for they have been manipulated by the false tweets of the Former President. Trump.
Malinformation is factual information with the intent to cause harm to the subject matter. For example, this generation who are technologically inclined with social media can already create chaos. Some experience blackmailing of sexual scandal for personal purposes. On social media platforms, some take it as humorous content to gain popularity. Some are just curious about
the viral concepts and others are willingly watching such activity. However, on one end, the victim of such malinformation could cause tremendous trauma, social anxiety, and/or depression.
This action is purposely done to destroy someone’s reputation and deliberately produce the information to abuse the information. This phenomenon can give access to the author or the creator enough power to manipulate someone or threaten someone to bend to his/her will. This could be secrets, past, and background, so keeping your privacy safe is much better.
Disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation, in general, are the different usage of information in a way to gain the power to manipulate either purposely, or unintentionally, whether to cause harm or not. Information should be produced by individuals with the capability to produce a quality of information that is beneficial for society and not for themselves only. Since disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation have been dealing damages to all social media platforms, may these incidents be our references as the result of being unaware of misused information, false information, and abusive information.
As a sum, though misinformation is an unintentional mistake it can still be taken seriously. The producer of the information is still responsible for the damage it may cause. Disinformation is an act with the intention to produce chaos, people must know how to fact-check and not believe everything they read especially on social media. Lastly, Malinformation may produce facts but if those facts are just negative, then we must know how to respect this information and not use this as a weapon to attack someone. These three phenomena can be a source of power for someone who has the desire to use the information to gain power and manipulate the netizens who are fond of social media platforms. Let us be careful about what we share, thoughtful about what we say, and knowledgeable about what we think.
Sources:
https://bit.ly/3cvcEpC https://bit.ly/3BhFDYw https://bit.ly/3OEgTwu
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Every March of the year before summer ends, we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates. They have surpassed the years of progressive learning in systematic instruction and successfully built quality mental capacity. In other words, they are academically qualified and the verdict to compare them versus the old curriculum graduates as to which is better isn’t generally applicable.
While there are numerous distinctions between the two curricula, the long-running argument about which is superior is focused on the curriculum’s educational content, learning structure, and goal-driven mindset. Although the primary objective of the basic education curriculum is still to produce students who are cognitively qualified, the criteria and factors are considered for this reason.
Passive Lectures vs. Active Learning
The teacher-student approach is one of the most notable differences between the old and new curricula. In the new curriculum, they meet the student’s demand to put more effort into the tasks, wherein they maximize the
technological perks and allow them to explore different fields. The more interesting it is for the students, the bigger the chance of achieving progressive learning.
As Albert Einstein once quoted, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” A single inflexible approach applied to each student is a system needed to fix. This refers to the old educational system as they limit the student’s ability to learn as they are striving for the same achievement however they are grounded by books and numbers as if all students have the same strength.
Product vs. Process-based
The Traditional System considers the product-based orientation more important than the other learning steps. This hinders the capability of students to explore contrasting solutions. It emphasizes the outcome more than the process of arriving at the product which is the orientation that the new curriculum is directly applying. This can be explicitly observed in investigatory projects, research, or
mathematics where the students are allowed to traverse several solutions to find “x.”
Competitiveness vs. Cooperative Strategy
The modern system is inducing students to perform group activities such as brainstorming, critical thinking, insight sharing, etc. as the strategy that is more effective in solving the problem rather than isolating oneself and foregrounding competitiveness. We have to keep in mind that companies, organizations, or clients are more attracted to prospects that collaborate instead of hiring a person who is a potential deviant.
Both graduates from the various educational systems meet the requirements to proceed to their respective fields; they are equally better at their respective rates; however, the department of education will not change the curriculum if the system is still scalable in producing quality graduates today.
Source: https://bit.ly/3S0GlPL; https://bit.ly/3RYpNYJ
PAGE DESIGN \ HANDY RICK I. TAMPON
FEATURE 14
lections are substantial to democratic governance to hear the voice of the plurality. Filipino voters get to choose who will govern them, but they do not directly know how they will be regulated afterward. Consequently, politicians are held accountable for their actions and are anticipated to introduce policies responsive to public needs and for the common good. Thus, elections should provide political education to the citizens and signify the persistence of democracy in the country.
Remarkably, during the recent elections, different regions of the Philippines participated in the unity walk for a peaceful 2022 national and local elections. To prompt an orderly, honest, and credible mid-term election, Cagayan de Oro City partook in the said walk, interfaith rally, and covenant signing on March 1 at Kiosko Kagawasan, Plaza Divisoria. Moreover, participants from local political candidates running for the 2022 elections, together with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC)Region 10, the Cagayan de Oro Police Office (COCPO), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL)-Region 10, religious leaders, Local Government Units (LGUs), and more non-partisan movements attended.
The province of Aurora also joined the unity walk, which commenced on February
officer Abdul Noor, is that they were supporters of political rival Pecong town Mayor Alinader Balindong, who is running against Malabang town Mayor Tomas Macapudi. Furthermore, vote-counting machines (VCMs) and ballots in several villages were destroyed by unidentified groups, the suspects slammed the VCMs on the concrete floor and tore ballots afterward.
On election day, incidents were primarily recorded in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). There were death reports of six people while dozens were additionally wounded at around 16 separate polls. Similarly, 73 election-related incidents have been recorded since the poll period kicked off on January 9, said the Philippine National Police (PNP), spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo.
Thus, the election of 2022 has made people speak decisively and vote for their candidate of choice.
Nevertheless, the real essence of an election is not to divide people but to see and hear the different views of the citizens. Also, take into consideration the statements that should be neglected and the ideas that should be the root of good discussion and examine where these suggestions collide to tackle things in a more meaningful and reasonable way. Besides, despite the adversities during the election period, people remain connected to each other, which signifies unity and cooperation among the citizens of the country.
Sources:
https://bit.ly/3zzZ0uF; https://bit.ly/3OzoxIB https://bit.ly/3BhFm7W; https://bit.ly/2FTsh7t
PAGE DESIGN \ LLANE GRACEZA B. BENTING
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The Official Student Publication of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines – CdO Campus
People are taking the path of progress as social media has proved to be an effective instrument for connection and communication. With the help of Social Media or Social Networking Sites (SNS), people can now communicate, connect, and even create a community all over the world. News, journals, blogs, vlogs, daily updates, and even ordering foods and other essential and non-essential products are now available on the network. Furthermore, social media allows people to intersect and interact with a specific context of an existing issue in a more powerful way than traditional channels such as local news, newspapers, and magazines.
PAGE DESIGN \ JOEAR T. BERDON
TECHNOLOGY 16
However, at this time, it is being utilized by others to produce offensive material or content that fuels strife and turmoil against various facets of society.
Social media is commonly used today in transmitting these data to susceptible individuals which are highly influenced by the context they read on the internet without properly investigating whether this information was fact-based or the opposite. During any conflict on the political aspect of the locality, social media is the individuals’ first virtual community to scrutinize and assess the effect of the issue on the economical, social, physical, and especially political contribution upon the citizens whether on the locality or all over the world. Individuals may gain information and knowledge on these data, however, this may lead to misunderstanding and misinterpretation, and could cause war and violence among the people.
In its most relevant sense, social media is commonly used for political manipulation –subject to personal gain. More often than not, political discourse is one of the most noted presence in various social media platforms. It practically shapes the way people – more specifically in a democratic nation to think the way a political identity wants them to think.
A propaganda to drive citizens against opponents and alter the reality of
how politics in one country influences its people and its future.
Due to the easy access to social media by people of different ages, misinformation and misinterpretation of a context are effortlessly disseminated. People are now able to believe their own truth and their own information as it is posted on social media. Continuing these practices without proper fact-checking and investigating whether this information was true, the community will continually have conflict and violence across countries.
In contrast to the existing predicament – that is violence in its broadest sense, the solution is also prompted by the evolution that social media has made over the years. Peacebuilding through social media, though deemed generic, suggests that we utilize social media to build communities, encourage public discourse, and influence the public to take on advocacies that need enforcement. Notably found in few conversations, the way social media can be used for peacebuilding can still be amplified to reach broader horizons. Through encouraging dialogues, many will be introduced to factchecking as well as taking information critically through comprehension and realization.
As much as we fear these tragedies, we need to continue to practice fact-checking the data we come across on social media because, in due time, we will sink with the boat we made with the wood we chose.
Sources:
https://bit.ly/39NBMXE https://bit.ly/3A2iRD6
17 VOLUME 38 ISSUE NO. 2 JANUARY - JULY 2022
ven during his campaign, Duterte mounted himself as one of the most internationally recognized Filipino leaders, alongside the country’s greatest dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, and the first Filipina President known for being a housewife-turned-president who restored democracy in the Philippines and fought Marcos’ tyranny, Cory Aquino. There is no doubt that the Duterte administration has been packed with criticism, outrage, and irregularity throughout the course of recent years, as media outlets all over the world zeroed in on the former president’s anti-drug campaign and his blatant and controversial statements.
Innumerable vows, 6 years after; a glimpse of his major covenants
As a nation driven for quite a long time by a liberal party, it is justifiable why Filipinos sought to choose somebody who might lift the nation and give a break from what they used to allude to as ‘dilawan.’ His victory over his close rival, Mar Roxas, who finished second in the 2016 national election, demonstrated that Filipinos are eager to experience a new administration with promises rather than continuing the culture of electing someone from the opposing party.
Duterte vowed to bring a new change in three to six months by reducing crime, corruption, and illegal drugs, but he, like previous presidents, failed to deliver. The negative impact of his anti-drug campaign was overwhelming, as things were not put in place, and an increasing number of people were killed on a daily basis as a result of drug-related causes. According to a report released from inquirer.net on March 30, 2022, the total number of drug suspects killed as of February this year has reached 6, 235. Because of the massive killings that have exposed flaws in the power granted to the Philippine National Police in leading the anti-drug campaign, the staggering impact of the aforementioned brutal initiative has left many Filipinos dumbfounded and scared.
To recall Duterte’s remarks during the annual police gathering held at Quezon City on August 17, 2016, he said,“I will kill you. I will take the law into my hands … forget about the laws of men, forget about the laws of international law whatever.” People were not oblivious in regards to the way that Extrajudicial Killing (EJK) existed and Human Rights (HR) were abused during his residency, but the call to end EJK and follow due process in the war on drugs fell on deaf ears because the government insisted that such claims about EJK were false and that the administration always seeks to uphold the rule of law. In a broader sense, the presence of the drug war exacerbated extrajudicial killings, as the people killed were not only drug addict suspects, but also civilians and leftists as well.
Meanwhile, the existence of freedom of expression has been tested for quite some time during his presidency, as the number of multiple attacks on the press has increased at an alarming rate. These atrocities violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and guarantees the rights and freedom of all human beings.
Six years into his presidency, the issue of crime, illegal drugs, and corruption remains one of our country’s major issues that must be addressed immediately, contradicting his vow to eliminate the aforementioned issues.
Dismayed, Discouraged, and Saddened (DDS)
2020 has been a difficult year for the world as many countries announced a national lockdown and a travel ban, particularly for China, due to the threat posed by COVID-19; however, the Philippines had a different narrative.
The Philippines reported its first death case in February 2020, and Duterte’s failure to respond quickly after stating that declaring a travel ban in and out of China may hurt their feelings while assuring the people that there is nothing to worry about infuriated the public. He moved slowly to implement travel restrictions even when many Philippine legislators pushed for it. With the former president’s weak response to Chinese naval incursions in the South China Sea, the public’s already disheartened heart has been fueled, and the perception that Duterte is too soft for China has been stoked.
Our country had one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the region, with the highest fatality rates, exposing the fragility of our public health system. The increasing number of people becoming infected on a daily basis, despite the strict implementation of safety and health protocols, demonstrated the government’s lack of response. With the alarming statistics, people urged the Department of Health to conduct mass testing before the Philippines became one of Asia’s most dangerous hotspots. Meanwhile, the issue of vaccine negligence was a hot topic, with Senator Ping Lacson criticizing Secretary Duque for dropping the ball on the Pfizer vax deal. The government could have secured the delivery of the aforementioned vaccine if it weren’t for Duque’s lack of urgency after failing to complete the necessary paperwork.
People urged the Duterte administration to prioritize the pandemic, pointing out that the government spent millions on the project while paying little attention to the families in need of cash assistance through the government’s initiative. More specifically, funds for the Manila Bay should have been reduced, cut, and reallocated to address the pandemic’s deteriorating effects.
Despite his poor performance, it is remarkable that people still chose to ignore him and turned a blind eye for six years. Criticizing the government for failings while supporting its efforts and initiatives is not the same as being overly enthusiastic. Yes, the Philippines has experienced new governance under Duterte, and Filipinos have been anticipating this change for many years, but one should never repeat the same mistakes. Be wary of the actions of our government while remaining true to our beliefs and principles.
Sources: https://bit.ly/3Q8qugR; https://bit.ly/3buJJBQ https://on.cfr.org/3Jq84Fq; https://bit.ly/3BAc3NZ https://bit.ly/3bpdvIq; https://reut.rs/3vVh6VN https://bit.ly/3Qhf5Lj; https://bit.ly/2LwurcV
Disclaimer:ThepositionsoftheEditorialBoardandStaffdonotnecessarily reflecttheviews,comments,opinions,andartworkofthewriters/artists. SPACE REACT 18 E
Six years ago, millions of Filipinos hoped for change and reformation in the Philippines. Six years ago, the country got what it wished for as it elected its first Mindanaoan and oldest president yet. Former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte, dubbed as the “Philippine Strongman”, won the hearts and votes of about 39% registered voters or approximately 16 million Filipinos in the Philippines during 2016, due to his populist and nationalist approach as a leader. His firm and controversial stance in tackling crime and corruption often made it to the headlines, therefore earning him foreign recognition and the opportunity to be likened to other global strongmen and decisive leaders, such as the USA’s Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. As a new era of the Philippines dawns under newly-elected President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., is the Duterte administration legacy an amelioratory and glorious feat to anticipate, or a handicap to be dealt with?
Benefit of turning a Blind-eye: Realizing the Changes that Came
In his six years of office, Duterte has signed 175 executive orders into law which focused on granting reforms in the country’s economy, agriculture and education sectors, peace and security, and type of government system, to name a few. Perhaps one of his most visible and distinguished accomplishments is infrastructure development with the infamous Build! Build! Build! Project, which he claims is not just a superficial program for tourism and commercialization, but more importantly, a project motivated for economic benefits and sustainability. This monumental program was set up to attract foreign investments, ease urban situations, and provide more jobs for Filipinos. The Build! Build! Build! Project, although controversial due to doubts on ramped up infrastructure spending and being a tremendously ambitious initiative, has in fact, employed 6.5 million Filipino workers, proved to be a sustainable solution for the regional/countryside development of the Philippines, and is expected to play a key role in the country’s recovery from the economic recession brought on by the pandemic.
Moreover, he reformed the Philippines Tax System with the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law. Its main beneficiaries are the poorest income-earners and even extending to the middle-class earners, whereby those with an annual taxable income below PHP 250,000 will pay 0% personal income tax. However, although this law started off as a pro-poor and pro-development initiative, the cost-push inflation made it seem anti-poor by the time it was running. For instance, the increased excise tax rates on all petroleum products have consequently rippled to an increase in their prices, and this has caused an increase in the prices of the products and services that utilize petroleum as an input. The public was quick to denounce this law but failed to consider that external factors played a major role in the inflation, such that the world price of crude oil has risen considerably from its year-ago level and particularly at a fast rate in the last quarter of 2018.
The Duterte administration has also emphasized amendments in the agriculture sector with the signing of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) to liberalize rice trading, standardize the provision of fund assistance to farmers, and achieve global competence. In its first three years of implementation, from 2019 to 2021, a total of P46.6 billion was earned from rice imports. Through the Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund (RCEF), P10-billion of this collected tax from rice imports is used annually for programs for mechanization, seed development, extension services, and even access to training. The excess of the rice import fund then directly provided fund assistance to the farmers via Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA).
Another of his most notable orders was the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which provided free tuition and exemption from other fees to underprivileged Filipino students at state universities and colleges (SUCs). According to a report from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) last May 2021, around 1.6 million students have benefited from the program, as per records from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Furthermore, to demonstrate his commitment to eradicating corruption in the Philippine government, he signed the first ever Freedom of Information (FOI) program encompassing all Executive Branch offices. The order urged each office to disclose public records, contracts, transactions, and the like. This law also led to the creation of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission.
The part of his campaign that gained him massive support and anticipation was his resolve on community insurgency. Truly, his embodiment of a machismo president left a legacy where national peace and reconciliation were realized. After almost two decades of peace negotiations, the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) was finally passed and ratified. The BOL aided in the subjugation of insurgency groups by granting the Bangsamoro an autonomous region, paving the way for more peaceful negotiations rather than the use of violent and physical means.
Democratic through and through Looking past colossal hatred, unending criticism, and international opposition, Duterte’s domestic approval rating remained relatively high from 2016 to 2022. In fact, the former president got unprecedentedly high ratings, which is the highest in Philippine history. According to a recent Pulse Asia report in June this year, Duterte ended his administration with an 87% approval rate, which also ranks top among the four presidents of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and the nine “global” leaders of major world powers. Though he failed to fulfill some of his promises of change and even went too far in using his authority to achieve a goal, he was entitled to, he did stand his ground and remained the strong and firm figure of a leader he emulated ever since the 2016 election campaigns, all of which despite the difficulties he faced due to old age and health, and considering the emergence of the pandemic.
Undoubtedly, Duterte’s ways and means of governance are most often questionable and downright inhumane and cruel. Yet at the end of the day, in a democratic country, it’s the people’s voice and power that get to choose the governing bodies and the officials they put in position. Duterte, as controversial as he is, was the majority of the citizens’ choice, and they have stood by this choice till the end of his administration.
Sources: https://bit.ly/3PQGMu6; https://bit.ly/3OHl4Yt
As the country transitions to a new regime under president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., both the honors and the horrors brought upon by the Duterte administration serve a vital role in the realization and assessment of where the Philippines stands from here on out. Brian Vallejo’s “A Tragic Error in PRD’s Administration” aims to enliven all the overlooked atrocities of the administration, which have seemingly become closed cases and merely fever dreams despite the numbers that prove them horrendous and fraudulent. And while we do not tolerate and strongly condone all violations and abuses of power during his presidency, as in Eriel Indira R. Albarece’s “The Duterte Legacy: Honor amid Horrors,” we do not deny and ignore the progression and reformation in the Philippines during his term. After all, it’s the majority of the country who decided to put him to power and who supported him to remain in power despite all the news of contraventions and misconducts.
PAGE DESIGN \ GERSON JOHN P. SALVACION & NEON MARTIN A. ABUYO
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The Official Student Publication of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines – CdO Campus
pholding their competence, discipline, and commitment, Filipino athletes brought again pride and honor to the country by representing the 31st SEA GAMES 2021 held in Hanoi, Vietnam on May 12-23, 2022. The pandemic didn’t stop the Philippines as the country still managed to achieve awards by placing 4th and garnered 52 gold, 70 silver, and 105 bronze medals. Meanwhile, Indonesia is currently in third place with 69 gold medals, 91 silver medals, and 81 bronze medals, and Thailand finished second with 92 gold, 103 silver, and 136. Lastly, with 446 medals, Vietnam dominated the competition. Nevertheless, the Philippines still performed and achieved “record-breaking feats” bagging a total of 227 medals.
Transcend amidst Drop-off
In the year 2019 30th SEA GAMES, the Philippines got the title of the overall championship with a record-breaking 149 golds, 117 silver, and 119 bronze with a total of 385 medals. This year, however, the country wound up fourth in the medals race and lost the overall championship. Regardless of the dropping-off in ranking championship awards, the Filipino athletes continue to transcend and still bagged numerous medals. Carlos Yulo, the world gymnastic champion harvested 5 golds and 2 silver medals; Rubilen Amit was a double gold medalist in women’s 10 ball single, and Hidalyn Diaz retains her title in ruling the women’s 55kg event with 3 gold medals.
Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham Tolentino stressed how Filipino athletes show resiliency when going through challenges such as many restrictions in training due to health protocols. Throughout the competition, Filipino athletes proved that they still performed better and delivered impressive finishes and record-breaking achievements.
Defending Fairness
Filipinos are known for fighting for their rights and being fair in every situation. 51 gold medals for Team Philippines may have been achieved. However, the Muaythai Association of the Philippines (MAP) fought for another one and it was evident how the Philippines proved that it is not all about the hometown when Phillip Deploma Delarmino nearly lost gold in the men’s 57 kg featherweight to Nguyen Doan Long, the son of Vietnam’s sports minister. MAP Secretary General Pearl Managuelod protested the result where the judges controversially favored Delarmino’s opponent with a 2-1 final score. Eventually, the judges overturned their decision to favor Delarmino after watching the video and deliberating the results for three hours.
This was the MAP’s second effective protest after Islay Erika Bomogao and Rhichein Yosorez won gold in an all-female Waikru Mai Muay competition on May 17. The duo initially took home the silver medal. However, after discovering an error in the former gold medalist Vietnam’s score, the Philippine Muay Thai team filed a protest as they were recording the match as the basis for their protest. It was also the first Muay Thai gold medal won by the country.
“Not on our watch, Vietnam. Not on our watch. Para sa bayan. Para sa atletang Pilipino,” Managuelod posted on her Facebook account after successfully defending the two gold medals for the Philippines.
Triumph after Long Haul
After the tough grind from the preparation and training, until the competition, the Philippine Team is well-deserved to receive incentives from the government.
At the Malacañang Palace, President Duterte led the recognition ceremony on May 31, 2022, and delivered a speech expressing his gratitude and appreciation to Filipino athletes for their tedious preparations and dedication to excel in regional multisports events. During the program, 178 medalists were awarded together with Rubilen Amit, which won two gold medals in billiard (9 and 10 balls women); Nathaniel Perez, which won the silver medal in fencing (Foil Individual Men); and Janelle Mae Frayna, which won the bronze medal in chess (Women’s Individual Blitz). The winners received a cash bonanza which had incentives worth P300,000 for gold medalists, P150,000 for silver medalists, and P60,000 for bronze medalists which were provided by the law under the Republic Act 10699. Carlos Yulo, a bemedalled Filipino athlete expected to receive. more than 1.6 million cash incentives after collecting 5 golds and 2 silver medals. Almost P35 million cash incentives were awarded to medal-winning competitors and a total of P52 million cash incentives were awarded to the medalists including those given to the coaches.
Furthermore, Duterte encouraged the PSC and other sports bodies to continue extending full assistance to Filipino athletes to keep them motivated to bring our country an image to the entire world.
***
To top it off, the 541 Filipino athletes were still proud and mighty as they haul numerous medals. Despite training limitations brought on by health protocols and victories in appeals against scoring errors, they fought valiantly. This exemplifies the athletes’ proficiency, focus, dedication, and fortitude amidst the pandemic.
Sources: https://bit.ly/3vfIRrL; https://bit.ly/3cGo4XP; https://bit.ly/3zawJJu; https://bit. ly/3Pw3Gai; https://bit.ly/3PRMQm3; https://bit.ly/3PTfuDh; https://bit.ly/3Bw0tmP
21 VOLUME 38 ISSUE NO. 2 JANUARY - JULY 2022
U
For the last three decades, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has remained in making every Filipinos enthusiasm in basketball alive. To mention, PBA has twelve franchised teams and considered as the world's second oldest basketball league. Due to Filipino’s obsession with basketball, it has built a heartfelt attachment to them, which also saddens them when they knew that one of the greatest teams in PBA, Alaska Aces has now left the arena of basketball.
A Milestone in the Court
After a storied 35-year run, the Alaska Aces, the second-most successful team in PBA, has announced its departure from the league. Under the ownership of Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) which is popular in the production of dairy products in the Philippines, the Alaska Aces has been a professional basketball team in the PBA since 1986.
As Magnolia franchise temporarily left before the 1986 PBA season began, Alaska was admitted as the sixth team in the league with its team named the Bruise Brothers. The team reverted back to the its name as the Alaska Airforce in 1988. The arrival of Tim Cone, recruited in 1989 was the biggest decision that the team has ever made as this has started the Alaska’s dominance in the court, which followed the team’s new moniker in 1991, Alaska Milkmen. Subsequently, they advanced to the finals of the Third Conference, but failed against a young Purefoods team.
Winning three conferences in a row namely, the All Filipino, Commissioners, and Governor's conference in the PBA will be one of the hardest achievements to ever be attained by a team. In fact, it needs to reach the so the grand slam to be able to realized it. Yet, Alaska Milkmen did the impossible as they were hailed as the third team to achieve the said slam. In 1996, Coach Cone and company snatched the three conferences led by Jojo Lastimosa and Johnny Abarrientos, defeating Purefoods, Shell, and the crowd's favorite, Ginebra Gin Kings.
In the succeeding game in 2000, Alaska defeated Purefoods to secure their 10th PBA championship. In 2001, the team changes its moniker for the third time as part of the league's move to strengthen its marketing. Alaska then adopted a new moniker which was the Alaska Aces. Even though Coach Tim Cone departed from the team, the Aces were able to achieved 4 more PBA titles starring Dondon Hontiveros, JV Casio, Sonny Thoss, and “The Beast” Calvin Abueva.
The Final Buzzer
The legacy of Alaska Aces marks the history of Philippine Basketball. The Aces gave more competence and excitement not only for the league and the players, but also for the fans. However, everything came to an end for the Aces. Everyone is shocked as Alaska team owner Fred Uytengsu said in an interview with Spin.ph, “We thought long and hard before making this final decision. However, we believe that this will allow us to focus our resources on providing affordable nutrition for Filipino families.” Due to the pandemic, the team suffers from a financial crisis as the league is locked out during the said cause. "When we started the franchise back in 1986, we believed that sports marketing was a very useful and important tool to help build the brand of Alaska," he said. "I believe it's been a very successful tool for us. Everywhere I go, people ask about Alaska, and they ask me about the basketball team," he added.
On March 19, 2022, the Alaska Aces played its last game against NLEX Road Warriors. The league played a tribute video before PBA commissioner Willie Marcial pressed the final buzzer for Alaska, with confetti showering the players and a huge chunk of Alaska supporters who are wearing red shirts while standing in applause, marking the end of the Aces' run after winning 14 titles in 35 seasons.
Square One
“When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive”. After making a purchase of the Alaska Aces franchise, internet service provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is now officially the newest member of the Philippine Basketball Association. “Converge is extremely proud to be associated with the PBA, a pillar and institution in Philippine sports with a long and storied history. We are excited to commence our journey in building a track record and legacy of competitiveness, innovation, character, discipline, devotion, and sportsmanship worthy of the support and respect of PBA fans,” Converge owner, Mr. Dennis Anthony Uy said during a press conference. The Alaska Aces' staff and players will remain and now work for Converge FiberXers. ***
Despite leaving the name it has established under Alaska Aces, they will go down in history as one of the best and most popular PBA teams. As its tagline "Wala paring tatalo sa Alaska" became an iconic and a symbol of how the team always wants to win, not only for the game but also for the fans of Philippine Basketball. They might have left but they will surely be remembered, and that their legacy will live for years.
Sources:
bitly.ws/taWU; bitly.ws/taWv; bitly.ws/taWG
PAGE DESIGN \ MIKHAIL CHRISTIAN B. GALLANA
