PLMun CJDC, RP, Pep Squad resume operation

|| Airish Jane Lizaso

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa (PLMun) Corpus Juris Debate Club, Radyo Pilimon, and PLMun Pep Squad returned to operation for the school year 2022-2023.

Corpus Juris closed due to a lack of students joining the organization around 2016-2018. Mr. Filbert Anthony Mejorada tried to restore the organization but struggled due to the pandemic and shift to virtual platforms. The re-establishment of the club resumed when the COVID-19 restrictions decreased. The organization accepts students from different programs. However, they are implementing a strict selection based on skills.

CJDC is looking forward to activities such as workshops, seminars, and training that will further sharpen their debaters’ skills. They are also eyeing the annual Tañada & Diokno Debate, a debate competition between different prestigious universities in the country.

Meanwhile, Radyo Pilimon, a student organization that aims to be the voice of students in the university, closed due to the pandemic. However, they recently returned to airing their radio broadcasts and podcasts this academic year. The organization is still open for communication students and looking forward to accepting students from different departments after they become a major organization.

Although they lack the facility and equipment, Radyo Pilimon expects to accomplish their plans like podcasts, radio drama, and news broadcasting. They currently seek support for a better recording room and equipment to perform online and live in the university.

Moreover, PLMun Pep Squad, the official varsity Pep Squad of the university, representing the school in different cheerleading contests, was closed due to the pandemic. The organization bounced back to its training and activities and is currently aiming for their growth.

The Pep Squad is currently open for students from different colleges who must be bonafide of PLMun, has passing grades, willingness to learn, and commitment to the team. The Squad aims to be one of the most competitive college squads in the south and receive recognition as one of the most promising teams in the country. <w>

Querencia

Education for all…or not

Airish Jane Lizaso || lizasoairish@gmail.com

It is ironic how the Philippine government pushes inclusive education yet denies one of the essential tools to achieve it. Are special children not included in this inclusive education they are pushing? It is an absolute contradiction to the Department of Education (DepEd) Order No.044 S. 2021.

This order commits to recognizing the rights of learners with disabilities to inclusive, equitable, relevant, and quality basic education by providing them effective and efficient educational services that will enable them to become well-rounded, and productive individuals.

On March 11, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act (RA) 11650 or “Inclusive Education Act of 2022,” which ensures the basic education rights of learners with disabilities. This requires public schools to provide differently-abled learners with “free basic and quality education.”

However, on September 19, 2022, the DepEd confirmed that the proposed budget of P532 million for special education for 2023 was not approved in the National Expenditure Program (NEP). With no budget, the fight for inclusivity will be more laborious. Thus, the passage of RA 11650 is deemed meaningless.

Based on the findings of the Development Academy of the Philippines in 2018, one out of five persons with disabilities are children aged 0-14, and 26.56% of children living with disabilities are poor. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, access to quality education for learners with special needs was already a struggle due to the lack of SpEd centers and teachers.

Vox Populi

As a future educator, it is disappointing that some students, especially the ones with special needs, would suffer because there is no budget for them. SpEd deserves the resources and funds to continue pushing through education with no boundary, like any other learners. As a struggling sector, despite having a fund for the past years, what happens now that their fund is totally cut-off?

Everyone has a right to free education, regardless of their differences. Special education or not, this is a right that everyone deserves. With the lack of facilities, equipment, and educators, along with a costly environment and needs of learners with special needs, the notion that education is for everyone is challenged.

The budget shows what the government prioritizes. This action insinuates that they do not value special education at all. The government needs to allocate a budget where it should be. Essential programs should continue to be available to everyone, regardless of any circumstances, especially in Special Education. Someone has to stand for those who cannot stand for themselves.

Everyone has a right to free education, regardless of their differences. Special education or not, this is a right that everyone deserves.

Leo Arkanghel

Gapos na Bibig, Tulak ng Dibdib

Reynan Royo || reynanroyo2001@gmail.com

“Ineng, huwag ka kasing magsuot ng ganyang klaseng damit para hindi ka mabastos” o “kasalanan mo rin kasi kaya ka ni-rape,” ang ilan sa mga katagang pikit matang nilulunok ng mga biktima ng panghahalay o sekswal na pamimilit.

Ang pangangatwirang ito ang naglalagay ng gapos sa boses ng bawat biktima upang yurakan ang respeto nila sa kanilang mga sarili at gapusan ang kanilang karapatan.

Nakakadismaya ang pagdami ng parehong sekswal na pamimilit sa mga paaralan, maging ito man ay sa elementarya, sekondarya, o kolehiyo.

Lubos na nakakabahala ang ganitong uri ng lumalalang isyu sa larangan ng edukasyon, dahil lumalabag ito sa Saligang Batas 11313, na kumokondena sa sexual harassment na nangyayari sa mga institusyon katulad ng paaralan na kinasasangkutan ng estudyante, trabahador, instruktor o propesor. Sa oras na mapatunayang nagkasala ang sangkot, may karapatan ang paaralan na patalsikin ito o tanggalan siya ng diploma. Nararapat ding magtalaga sila ng tagapamahala na tatanggap ng mga reklamo ukol dito.

Hindi ma-ipapasa ang ganitong batas kung hindi dumaan sa pananaliksik sa datos ng mga kaso na nangyari sa mga paaralan. Ngunit sa kabila ng mga nagaganap na seksuwal na pamimilit sa mga paaralan, bakit mayroon pa ring nagbibingi-bingihan?

Lahat ng paaralan ay nagnanais na makapagbigay ng mataas na kalidad ng edukasyon. Ngunit ang kakulangan ng aksiyon sa nasabing insidente ay nakakasira sa kalidad na iyon. Marapat lang na itaas ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa pamamagitan ng

Phantom Professors: A Demand for Educators

Geraldine Trisha Velarde || gtgvelarde@gmail.com

It was only this semester that we first started to experience the alarming shortage of professors at our university. Students were taken aback as to why we still had no professors for most of our enrolled courses after weeks of returning to school.

This shortage directly impacts the education opportunity of students, especially those from low-income households and the like. Teachers give students the opportunity for a better future by empowering them with knowledge.

Based on the university’s philosophy, its institution is a place that values its students by providing them with quality education. Raising the university’s qualification in hiring complies with it. Moreover, the number of professors is supposed to balance with the number of students, but that is questionable.

Only when midterms were approaching did the administration finally designate teachers for every class. However, some newly-assigned professors were either unavailable or inaccessible. In some instances, professors had overlapping conflicts with their schedules of sections. Due to the shortage of teachers and staff, professors choose not to attend one or some of their assigned classes. Students miss their classes and struggle to finish the course.

The university claims to adhere to good governance and has a tagline, “Where Values Matter.” But professors are often busy attending to different matters and have to cancel classes to participate in it. Sometimes, students repeatedly tried to reach out, only to wait for further instructions or announce- ments. Students may feel anxious and unproductive toward their future.

If only they secured the number of professors for all colleges before the start of the semester, students would not have a hard time learning from one professor to another under the same course. It is indeed confusing, because professors have different ways of teaching. Students, especially working ones, were forced to adjust to these changes until the administration assigns a final professor.

Educators serve as mentors for young people and empower them through education. They help students to further their social and economic development. We cannot expect a country to develop without teachers. They prompt their students to think and express themselves.

Both students and professors are affected by this issue. Students do not get the quality education the university promises, while professors suffer from conflicts in schedule. The absence of an appropriate system, with consistent and clear-cut goals, is the core cause of the teacher shortage.

The university should value instructors and listen to students’ concerns. Otherwise, students would not get the education they all deserve if the shortage of professors continues. Hence, to encourage educators to apply and stay in the university, they should be paid fairly and on time to better assist the institution in providing quality education. <w> makataong sistema.

Bilang estudyante, malaki ang paghanga ko sa aking mga propesor at iba pang guro dahil bukod sa ating mga magulang, sila ay isa sa humuhubog sa ating nalalaman. Ngunit dahil sa umusbong na mga isyu ng panghahalay at hindi pagbibigay ng karampatang aksyon sa may sala, nababahiran ng matinding mantsa ang mga respetado at mahuhusay na mga guro.

Tunay na nakakabahala ang ganitong isyu sa ating lipunan. Nararapat na gamitin natin ang ating kakayahan at boses para isiwalat ang totoong pangyayari at humingi ng agarang hustisya sa may sala.

Tungkulin ng bawat institusyon na makapaghatid ng maayos at makataong sistema upang mapigilan at tuluyang mahinto ang sekswal na pamimilit sa paaralan.

Dahil ang paaralan ang pangalawang tahanan ng mga estudyante at ang mga propersor ang tumatayo bilang pangalawa nilang magulang. Tandaan na hindi imbitasyon ang kapabayaan o kahinaan ng estudyante sa pag-aaral, upang gawan sila ng kahalayan kapalit lamang ng grado o konsiderasyon. Wala sa edad, kasarian, at kasuotan ang batayan ng kahalayan.

Ang ganitong gawain ay bunga ng masamang pagnanasa ng may sala upang pwersahin ang estudyante sa nais niya. Hindi ito ang una. At siguradong kung patuloy itong babalewalain ng mga nakatataas, hindi rin ito ang huli.

Alethia Escritora

Harap sa Nakaraan, Harap!

Jenny Gardose || jennygardose06@gmail.com

Kahit ang magandang hangarin ay posibleng magpanumbalik ng maling nakasanayan. Naging kontrobersyal ang plano ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., at Bise Presidente at Education Secretary Sara Duterte na ipatupad ang mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps o ROTC sa Senior High. Mas naging mainit pa ang usaping ito nang magbitiw ng mga salita si VP Duterte noong ika-29 ng Setyembre ukol dito. Layon umano ng ROTC ang paghubog ng disiplina at pagmamahal sa bayan ng mga sasailalim dito.

Hati ang opinyon ng taumbayan sa nais nilang isulong dahil paano nga ba hinuhulma ang pagkamakabayan? Sino ba ang dapat na humahasa sa disiplina ng kabataan? Ano ba ang dapat na paraan upang maitanim ang disiplinang ito?

Naging kaakibat na sa usaping sapilitang pagsali sa ROTC ang trahedya noong Marso 2001 nang makita ang palutang-lutang na bangkay ni Mark Chua. Pinaniniwalaang naging pugad ng abuso at korapsyon ang programa, ayon sa isiniwalat ni Chua noong Pebrero 2001.

Dahil dito, ipinasa ng Kongreso ang Saligang Batas 9163 na nagsasabing hindi na sapilitan ang ROTC sa ilalim ng National Service Training Act of 2001.

Ngunit sa kabila nito, isang estudyante na itinago sa pangalang “Sheena “ noong taong 2014. Isiniwalat niya ang pagpapahirap na ginawa sa kanila sa opisina ng ROTC bilang parusa, dahil hindi sila nakadalo sa kanilang “briefing night”.

Posibleng mayroon pang ibang insidente ang hindi nabibigyang solusyon o atensyon dahil sa takot ng ilang biktima na magsalita.

Hindi paraan ang sapilitang pagsali sa ROTC. Sa kalagayan ng ating edukasyon ngayon ay maaari lamang itong magbunga ng panibagong problema. Kung babalikan ang mga nabanggit na insidente, karapat-dapat lamang na gawing opsyonal ang programang ROTC. Ang pagtuturo ng pagmamahal sa bayan at disiplina ay dapat simulan sa pagkabata pa lamang. Hindi ba ay tinuturo rin naman ang mga ito sa paaralan kahit wala ang tulong ng programa? Talamak pa rin ang pang-aabuso sa posisyon, kaya’t paano nakasisiguro ang mga nakatataas na hindi mauulit ang insidente noon? Hindi disiplina ang maitatanim nito sa mga kabataan, kundi takot.

Mas makabubuti kung ilaan na lamang ang panahon at pondo sa mga problema na kinakaharap ng sistema ng ating edukasyon, kasama na ang espesyal na edukasyon, at kalusugan. Sapat na ang programa sa kolehiyo na may parehong layunin at epekto. Mas mainam na patatagin na lamang ng Kongreso ang National Service Training Act of 2001 upang mas maitaguyod ang layunin nito.<w>

Mas mainam na patatagin na lamang ng Kongreso ang National Service Training Act of 2001 upang mas maitaguyod ang layunin nito.

TABI-TABI PO

Wella Mae Tolento || tolentowella@gmail.com

Hindi pa man kami nagsisimula ay may patutsada na sila. Wala pa mang naililimbag ay may natatamaan na. Maraming mata ang nakamatyag sa paligid at handa nilang busalan ang bibig ng pinatahimik.

Nakatatak na sa isip ko dati na kapag pinatawag ka sa opisina ay mayroon kang nalabag na batas ng paaralan dahil iyon ang pinaniniwalaan. Ipapatawag ka, pasusulatin ng apology letter at pangangakuing hindi na uulitin ang ginawa. Kaya’t malakas ang loob kong sabihin na hindi pa ako kailanman naipatawag sa opisina para sa parehong dahilan. Wala sa plano ko ang pagbisita sa opisina para roon, kahit nang magkolehiyo na. Ngunit napagtanto kong hindi lahat ng ipinapatawag sa opisina ay nagkakasala.

Minsan kailangan lang nilang ipaglaban ang pinaniniwalaan nila. At hindi kailanman naging masama ang ipaglaban ang paniniwalang mayroon ka. Lalo kung alinsunod ito sa karapatan mo o kung nakabubuti sa iba. At sa kaso ko, pareho iyong nakabubuti sa mga mag-aaral ng Pamantasan, na siyang pinaglilingkuran ng The Warden, at kaakibat ng aking karapatan bilang mamamayag.

Idineklara sa Saligang Batas 7079 na paninindigan at poprotektahan ng estado ang kalayaan sa pamamahayag sa kampus. Samakatuwid ay mayroong awtonomiya ang publikasyon sa iba’t ibang usaping kaugnay ng kanilang pamamahayag at paglilimbag.

Ilang buwan pa lang ang nakalipas mula nang maiatang sa akin ang responsibilidad bilang Punong Patnugot, ngunit parang isang taon na ang lumipas. Pati ang dating mga artikulo na hindi pa rin maalis sa isipan ng administrasyon ay ginagawang pangaral sa amin.

Malinaw na nakasaad sa ikalawang artikulo ng konstitusyon ng publikasyon na kanilang ipagtatanggol at igigiit ang karapatan at kapakanan ng bawat estudyante ng pamantasan. Kaakibat nito ang pagsisiwalat ng mga balitang maaaring sensitibo sa publiko ngunit nangangailangan ng aksiyon mula sa administrasyon.

Maaaring makiusap ang sangkot sa isyu na ipabura ang artikulong nailathala na, ngunit hindi nito maititiklop ang responsibilidad ng mga mamamahayag na estudyante sa kapwa nila mag-aaral. Hindi tuta ang publikasyon na kailangang maging sunud-sunuran lamang lalo pa kung nalalabag na ang karapatan ng mga pinaglilingkuran nila. May kalayaan silang magpasya sa mga ilalathala nilang mga artikulo.

Luchando Por

ONE AT A TIME

Angelo Cardenas || Sleepmachineofdoom@gmail.com

It is becoming more and more evident how Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa (PLMun) appears unprepared for its plan for the full implementation of face-to-face classes. The university may insist that they are ready, but the reasons are apparent. They are not.

The university is expanding its scope by launching new institutes, centers, colleges, and programs. However, University President Raymundo Arcega, CESE admitted that they did not expect the enrollees this semester to exceed their estimation. It may prove that the university is exposing itself to more people, but numerous problems also follow.

Before students enter the university, they are already greeted by the crowd, squeezing in to get to class on time. What happened in Itaewon in South Korea last October 29, 2022, proved how dangerous crowd crushes can be. Motorcycles are also squeezing in with students. It may not only lead to crowd crush, but suffocation and accidents as well. Clearly, there is poor crowd management in the area. However, students must understand that this is beyond the university’s control.

Moreover, PLMun students suffer from route conflict because of the memorandum from the Bureau of Correction (BuCor). BuCor prohibits jeepneys and tricycles from passing through the main gate. Commuters had to cut their trip to school to comply. It doubles the fare of students who are passing through the gate.

It was only on November 17 when PLMun, along with Muntinlupa National High School (MNHS) and Itaas Elementary School (IES), could hope for a shorter route and fewer transportation expenses. It was after Acting Chief Director Gregorio Catapang Jr. allowed the demolition of the road barrier in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) roads. It surely lessened the complaints of PLMun students to the university administration.

However, because the current population of the university exceeded the estimation of the administration, having no proper canteen inside the premises is becoming a problem too. Students had to go to “Korokan,” where many eateries are situated, or to Katarungan Village to buy lunch and snacks. Every break seems like a competition seeing how fast students, employees, professors, and residents need to queue in the stores and eat.

Nakakabahala dahil ayaw kong isipin na maaari nilang salain ang ililimbag na mga artikulo dahil sa pasimpleng mga pakiusap na burahin ito o silipin bago mailimbag. Ilang ulit nilang ipinaiintindi sa amin na maaaring makasira sa paaralan ang ilang artikulong ililimbag namin, ngunit nais ko ring maintindihan nila na karapatan din ng mga estudyante ang makialam sa mga isyung iyon dahil kasama sila sa maaapektuhan.

Hindi ang mga gusali ang paaralan, kundi ang mga estudyante. Hindi ang gusali ang kailangan ng masusing alaga, kundi ang mga bumubuo rito.

Ang panaka-nakang pagsilip sa aming ginagawa ay para na ring babala sa papel namin bilang mamamahayag sa kampus. Ngunit kahit ipatawag pa ako ng paulit-ulit sa opisina, hindi pa rin ako magsasawang ipaintindi ang layunin ng publikasyon. Dahil kung sa paglilimbag pa lamang ay may dagok na kaming kinakaharap, paano pa makakaabot sa mga estudyante ang buong katotohanan?

Hindi maaaring gamitin ang pagbabawas o panggigipit sa pondong nakalaan sa publikasyon o pagiging estudyante nila sa ilalim ng pamumuno ng administrasyon upang mapaganda ang imahe ng sangkot sa isyung tinalakay sa artikulo.

Talamak na ang pagkalat ng mga pekeng balita ngayon, maging ang mga tungkol sa pamantasan. Mainam nang manggaling sa opisyal na publikasyon nito ang katotohanan. Iyong hindi sinala o pinili, bagkus pinaglaanan ng panahon upang malaman at maisulat sa maayos na paraan.

Masarap punuin ng mga balitang papuri sa paaralan ang dyaryo ng publikasyon, ngunit hindi lamang iyon ang layunin namin. Ang The Warden ay isang maka-estudyanteng publikasyon. Kaya susulat at maninindigan ako para sa mga estudyante ng Pamantasan. Para sa pagmulat nila. Dahil kung kasalanan ang pagpikit kapag mulat ka na, kasalanan din ang pagsala ng katotohanan para sa sariling kapakanan.

Furthermore, students notice lack of facilities and equipment at the university. There are not enough rooms for some colleges like the College of Criminal Justice (CCJ). There are reports that they sometimes have to organize the room by themselves before classes start so everyone could have a chair to sit on.

With the number of freshmen and old students this semester, are classrooms enough to implement full face-to-face classes? Learning in this kind of environment may be detrimental to students. It may compromise their learning comfort and knowledge acquisition.

During the onsite midterm examination on October 24 to 29, the university seems to have tested the face-to-face classes. In the end, many students were frustrated because of the poor crowd control, the long line in the tricycle terminal, and the long wait for their exam papers. If they conduct a full face-to-face setup, there may be another situation like this, where printing machines could malfunction again. Before implementing something, they have to guarantee that all the facilities, equipment, and workforce are readily available.

The administration of PLMun is working hard to prepare the university for its transition as soon as possible. But with these problems, their plan to implement full face-to-face learning may still be far off. A gradual implementation of face-to-face would be understandable and better for the students and the university.

A learning institution should not be used as a laboratory for an unsettled plan. It may lead to a more serious harm to more than ten thousand students of PLMun, depending on them for their future.

They have a good plan for the betterment of the university and its students, but concerns are arising as they advance to it. PLMun should not be in a hurry. They must solve these problems one at a time and then continue the university’s journey toward its vision.

PLMun promises a quality education for all. To do that, the system and management of the mentioned reasons need more refinement to provide quality education and experience.