Tinig ng Plaridel Year 30, Issue 3

Despite dissent,

BC students adapt to new thesis rule

Advanced happy bashday, graduate!

NEWS • 02

Cheers and tears at Cheerdance

FEATURES • 04

OPINION • 07

SPORTS • 08

the official student publication of the UP Diliman College of Mass Communication

Tinig ng Plaridel Year 30 Issue 3 • September 25, 2009 • tingngplaridel.net

No tambayan present for Christmas

By Alexandra Francisco

The construction of tambayans will start on December, and not finish by that month as previously announced, according to college secretary Lourdes Portus.

The College of Mass Communication (CMC) secretary said the student organizations’ long-awaited permanent tambayans would start by the end of the year, built three to six months later at the grassy area facing the Media Center.

College dean Rolando Tolentino had declared last July that the construction, which included the refurbishment of the canteen, would be

done by December, but Portus said the bidding process took time to accomplish.

“The bidding process must be completed before Dec. 31,” said CMC administrative officer Gina Villegas, adding that Sen. Edgardo Angara’s one million peso grant would expire if a contractor was not identified by then.

Despite being informed that bidding would close by November, CMC student council (CMC-SC) vice-chair Paula Lim said, “We feel positive because at least there’s progress, even if it’s at a slow

pace.”

Journalism representative Kelvin Paulino also remains positive despite minor holdups on the construction of tambayans. “Let’s just be patient and continue knocking on the doors of the administration for a prompter action,” he said.

As of press time, Villegas said the Office of the Campus Architect (OCA) is rushing the plans and estimates for the project.

Meanwhile, student organizations were given the option to use four tables and six benches near continued on page 2

A series of unfortunate events: The state of college publications in UP Diliman

By Hon Sophia Balod and Riziel Cabreros

Two pesos and fifty cents per student.

Multiplied by a thousand students, Kalasag, the official student publication of the College of Arts and Letters, gets a total of P2500 every semester. The budget is expected to cover monthly printing and coverage expenses, office equipment and internet usage.

Financial constraints and the lack of decent office are only some of the many problems that continue to disrupt the operation of many college publications today.

To cope with the meager budget, some publications, like Kalasag and Tinig ng Plaridel (TNP) of the College of Mass Communication, resort to “blood money” or taking out off the staffers’ own pockets to support their needs. Sinag of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, on the other hand, had to decrease the number of issues released to cut costs. Some

Woody Co of the UP Fighting Maroons slips past the defense of UST’s Chris Camus and Dylan Ababu. The Growling Tigers preyed on the Maroons, 95-85 during their second date at the UAAP Men’s Basketball division. (Roehl Nino Bautista)

Maroons display fighting chance in Season 72

By Kat Angco

The offices of CSSP’s Sinag is half the room size of an average AS classroom.

But they do get one, plus computers and aircon. Other publications aren’t so lucky. (Jean Natividad)

publications, like Kolektibo of the College of Social Work and Community Development, had become defunct. Some had to completely shut down.

Under the ideal setup, a college publication should be an institu-

tion equal to the student council.

In reality, however, the opposite happens—college publications are often neglected.

“It’s important to remember that just as students have the right continued on page 3

The UP Fighting Maroons ended their Season 72 campaign the same way they started it: with losses to teams many people thought they’d beat. They finished the season at last place, with three wins and 11 losses like last year. But even if they did not improve on the team standings, the boys from Diliman made the Oblation community proud by having more tight games and posting two historic wins.

“This tournament was really close, it could’ve gone either way,” said head coach Aboy Castro.

Though the season obviously didn’t go their way, it was definitely a better one for the Maroons.

“Even if we have the same number of wins, we were able to show that we were in the game, unlike

last year that we were crushed,” said forward Miggy Maniego.

The boys also showed a better understanding of their roles in the team. Arvin Braganza, Martin Reyes and Woody Co displayed the kind of leadership as this year’s team captains. Several players stepped up, among them Maniego, and guard-forward Mark Lopez.

The rookies did not disappoint as well. Mikee Reyes, Moriah Gingerich, Mark Juruena, Carlo Gomez and Alvin Padilla gave a glimpse of what is to come for this young team.

Castro and his wards lost three games in a row before breaking into the win column by giving the story of David and Goliath a fresh spin as continued on page 3

02

Tinig ng Plaridel

News

September 25, 2009

Despite dissent, BC students adapt to new thesis rule

By Ernica de Guzman and Roehl Niño Bautista

All for one, one for all.

Broadcast Communication (BC) students are adjusting to the individual thesis policy by working together on their theses.

“We try to work together by consulting each other,” said Rikka Abigail Sotto, a BC senior.

She added that she and her course mates would stay in one place while writing their thesis proposals.

Students have been vocal about their grievances on the change in policy. Not only have they been used to the production environment, they have also grown accustomed to the setup where they have to work together as a group, said Sotto.

In a group setup, Sotto explained, each member can specialize on a task that would demonstrate his or her strength. “In individual thesismaking, however, you fail to maximize the good qualities of your costudents,” she added.

From production to academic writing In an e-mail sent to seniors, the BC Department explained that the decision to revive the individual thesis policy stemmed from technological advancements.

Originally, the primary reason for enacting the partner/group policy is to cut production costs of students.

However, since editing software and equipment have become much

Tinig ng Plaridel is looking for writers, illustrators, photographers and layout artists. Submit a portfolio to the editors.

Freshies are welcome!

Numbers show dissent against draft

By Franz Jonathan de la Fuente and Katherine Elona

It’s a concrete show of dissent.

College of Mass Communication student council (CMC-SC) chair Rupert Mangilit said Sept. 17 that the increase of CMC students during the final consultation of the 2009 Student Code draft was proof of the organizations’ opposition.

“The organizations’ presence forces the administration to take concrete actions,” Mangilit said.

“The concrete show of dissent proved how disappointed orgs are with the code draft,” he added.

Compared to the prior poorly attended cluster consultations of the Code of Student Conduct, the discussion at the National Engineering Center was attended by 26 CMC representatives from the six of the recognized organizations in the college, among others.

Schedule conflicts and poor information dissemination brought on the handful and sparse attendance during the college-based consultations, students said.

Journalism Club’s Myra Cabujat said, “The consultation was scheduled during class hours, so it was inconvenient to send as many members as possible since they have classes.”

The draft of the Code of Student Conduct was presented in March 2009 after three years of review by

a committee headed by Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs Elizabeth Enriquez.

Mangilit said the release of a statement on the code isn’t enough, “This is a very important issue to the orgs. It’s a matter of continuing survival, existence even. We have to physically manifest our disgust with the code draft and its provisions.”

Majority of the CMC orgs, who were required to send five representatives to the final consultation, had opposed the Student Code draft and called to junk it.

After the cluster consultations, some controversial provisions were revised, including the mandate for one year residency in the university for would-be members. Freshmen could now join organizations after one semester in UP. But during the final consultation, the organizations and councils repeated their need for representation on the Code’s drafting committee. “(The University Council) does not have the authority or the power to include anyone else in the drafting committee,” said College of Social Work and Community Development Professor Emmanuel Luna, the chair of the university council Committee on Student Organizations, Activities, and Welfare.

cheaper, production costs have also decreased, thus nullifying the original purpose of the policy.

Also, the department stressed that previous theses concentrated on production and not on research “which is inconsistent with the University’s academic and scholarly nature.”

“Individual theses are useful to the academe because they fill the research gap. Chances of developing and updating previous studies are also higher,” Abi Moreno, another senior BC student explained.

“The new policy is more applicable to the new BC curriculum since its design is more scholarly and academic. However, it was a bit

shocking for those who follow the old curriculum which was production-based,” said BC representative Athena Chavez.

In the new curriculum implemented on the first semester of academic year 2008-2009, TV production classes have been integrated into one course. The same was done to radio production classes.

New courses such as Political Economy of Broadcasting (BC 108), Text Analysis (BC 181) and Audience Studies (BC 182) were also introduced.

Quantity affects quality?

The seniors also complain about the consultation hours since only one professor offers Introduction to

Thesis (BC199). Since the students work individually, the number of papers to be checked and graded have also increased.

“We have to compete for our professor’s consultation time,” said Moreno.

Though busy checking all the theses, Sotto said that Prof. Jun Austria helps them by solving inconsistencies in the print-out version and pdf version of the CMC Guide to Making Theses.

For example, there are differences in the rules of spacing between sub-heads, said BC senior Patricia Loren Mangune.

New journ curriculum takes effect

By Ernica de Guzman and Roehl Niño Bautista

Changes have been made and implemented to the Journalism department’s curriculum such as the addition of new classes, changes in course number, prerequisites and sequencing of subjects.

Effective this school year, new electives such as Reporting on the Environment (J112) and ComputerAssisted Reporting (J116) will be offered.

In a report drafted by former Journalism chair Professor Rachel Khan, the electives aim to “increase need for sustainable development and concern for the environment” and to “maximize the use of computer programs to analyze, enhance and graph information gathered from field reporting.”

Meanwhile, the prerequisites for

taking core journalism subjects was changed from any Communication or Komunikasyon course to any course on English grammar and any course on Philippine history.

Originally, Feature Writing (J111) can only be taken by junior and senior journalism students but the revised curriculum permits students who have taken a course on literature and humanities to enroll in the course.

Photojournalism, likewise, can now be taken with the consent of instructor or after passing News Writing (J102).

It was also suggested that Journalism Ethics be an added prerequisite for taking The Newsroom class (J121) because “journalism students need to be familiar with

the journalism ethics to understand the decision-making process in the newsroom.”

Journalism Ethics’ course number was changed from J192 to J110, which is also aligned with the college’s chosen system for the undergraduate media ethics courses (ex.: Communication 110).

Consequently, the sequencing of the Journalism courses affected – the Newsroom and Layout and Design – were moved by a semester.

Another suggested move in the sequence of the program is the interchange of a Journalism elective and college elective from the first semester of the third year to the second semester of the third year, respectively.

No tambayan ...

buildings.

Journalism Club president John Antiquerra added the open place exposed students to the rain, mosquitoes and dog stench which was rabid near the targeted construction area.

While Edmalynne Remillano of the Union of the Journalists of the Philippines’s UP chapter said they did not use the area because UJP held most of its activities in the main building.

Meanwhile, Student Alliance for the Advancement of Democratic Rights in UP CMC chair Absalom Eligio said the tables and seats in skywalk—where the organizations temporarily hung-out—were often disarranged because of college events, making the area “look like a dumpster.”

CMC-SC chair Rupert Mang-

ilit said these concerns would be brought up in the next council’s dialogue with the dean and the college secretary.

The previous tambayans were located in M207 and the rooms near the photocopying area were deconstructed in 2007 in favor of transforming them into classrooms.

Since then, organizations had clamored for new places to hang-out in to conduct their meetings and other activities.

Initially, the administration thought of buying huts as tambayans but the plan was scrapped because the permanent structures were promised to the students by the end of the year, Mangilit said.

With reports from Katherine Elona, Ernica de Guzman and Katrina Alba.

from page 1

the TV studio at the Media Center, which Portus said was not a “tambayan” but a “temporary area where they can meet.”

However, organization members said the meeting area, even if wi-fi enabled, was too far from the main

He also suggested that the Office of the Student Regent is sufficient to address, representation, and that Student Regent Charisse Bañez bring the issue of student representation to the rest of the members of the UP Board of Regents.

Tinig ng Plaridel

News/Sports

September 25, 2009

03

Mikee Reyes on target: profiling the Maroons’ power shooter

By Katrina Angco

UP Fighting Maroons rookie Mikee Reyes charges towards Micheal Luy of the NU Bulldogs as Mike Maniego looks on during the two teams’ second meeting at the UAAP Season 72 Men’s Basketball division.

(Roehl Niño Bautista)

News briefs CMC-SC printing service postponed

The CMC Student Council Chairman Rupert Mangilit said the project will push through once the two computers from the Journalism Department are transferred to the office.

Maroons ... they stunned the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles, 58-68.

The renewed spirit of the Maroons was evident in the way they played their succeeding games, but it wasn’t until the start of the second round of eliminations when they took home win number two.

They avenged the NU Bulldogs, who routed them on opening weekend.

The Diliman squad kept their Final Four hopes alive and made history once more when they churned out a five point victory against the DLSU Green Archers. This momentous win earned them the nickname “Giant Slayers.”

“It made things harder for us- we didn’t have the chance to surprise our opponents anymore,” says Castro, after being labeled as “Giant Slayers.” Indeed, no other UAAP giant faced the Maroons in less than impeccable battle gear.

The UP Fighting Maroons’ victory over the DLSU Green Archers couldn’t be sweeter for anyone else than rookie Mikee Reyes. Aside from posting a career high of 25 points, the best output of any freshman player this season, he also got to accomplish his personal mission: to outdo the Archers.

“I really wanted to beat La Salle,” said Reyes, who went to La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) for high school. His desire did not go unsatisfied, as he led the Maroons in giving the Archers their fourth consecutive loss in Season 72, registering six assists and five rebounds on top of shooting 50 percent from the field and the perimeter.

The 5’9 point guard played for the LSGH Junior Blazers. But instead of choosing Taft as his home in the college league, he decided to bring his magic to Diliman.

UP’s underdog status in the UAAP enticed Reyes to suit up for the Maroons. “I think I wanted the challenge because UP hasn’t won anything,” he said. Undeniably, he took this challenge head on and made his mark as a playmaker that also provides his team with offense.

“He’s our energy player,” said men’s basketball team head coach Aboy Castro. He likens Reyes to PBA player Jimmy Alapag, who is known to be a speedy point guard as well as good perimeter shooter.

The Sports Science major was exposed by his parents to basketball at an early age. “When I was a baby, my crib even had a [basketball] hoop in-

A series ...

Reyes’ friend and siblings pose right before the first round UPAdU game. Together with Reyes’ mom, they have been consistently present in the Maroons’ games (Roehl Niño Bautista)

side,” he shared.

He started attending basketball camps while he was in prep at the Ateneo. His father, a former San Beda Red Lion, is highly influential in his athletic career. “He gives me tips and tells me which things I have to improve on,” he said.

The women in Reyes’s life are also all very supportive of his basketball career. His mom and four sisters are always present in his games to act as his own cheering squad, complete with # 9 Reyes jerseys. His girlfriend, on the other hand, doesn’t just provide him with inspiration, but also helps him deal with the demands of life as a student-athlete.

Like most college ballers, Reyes aspires to join the professional ranks in the future. But for now, he is focused on bringing back the basketball glory to UP. “The future is very bright for us,” he said. Reyes believes that the team has enough talent and with hard work, soon, they will get to the promised land.

from page 1

Cine Plaridel extended

The deadline for the Cine Plaridel short video competition has been extended to December to accomodate new entries.

It’s part of the CMC-SC’s activities for September’s Mass Media Awareness Month.

from page 1

Of their 11 defeats, there were a couple of games which could’ve brought them nearer to the Final Four. They “could’ve and should’ve won” their outings against the AdU Falcons and the UE Red Warriors in the first round, said Castro. The Falcons snatched the win away from them during the final minute of regulation, while the Warriors did so in overtime.

“We just couldn’t finish as well as we would’ve wanted,” admitted Castro. But, he added, “there are a lot of lessons learned.”

For now, a quarterfinals appearance remains elusive for the Fighting Maroons. They’ve proven that they have the talent, but the poise needed in playing in really close games is something the team still needs to develop. “If we learn how to do that over the next 12 months, then we’ll get to where we want to be,” concludes Castro.

to self-governance, they also have the right to be informed on crucial issues both within and outside the university,” Larissa Suarez, consulgeneral of Solidaridad, an alliance of campus publications in UP Diliman, says.

Ideally, college publications and the student council should have an equal share in the student fund, according to Suarez. However, not all councils have been supportive of their college publication.

Guilder of the College of Business Administration does not receive any fund from the council or the students. They fund their issues through marketing, solicitation and donations from the alumni.

In the case of Sinag and Kalasag, in order to request for a bigger budget, they have to conduct a referendum or amend the publication’s charter which will both take a long and tedious process. TNP, on the contrary, had been successful in lobbying for an additional budget with the help of the dean and the student council.

Aside from the dwindling fund of college publications, the lack of press office and equipment has also affected its operations. Out of the eight college publications interviewed, only Sinag and Scientia of the College of Science have their own press office and computer.

The rest have to rely on each staffer’s resources for the presswork.

“For our story conference, we meet anywhere possible. But we really have a hard time writing our articles since we don’t have any computers to work with,” Roehl Bautista, associate editor of TNP, says.

In terms of membership, Guilder, Kalasag, Sinag and TNP all said they are understaffed. Lack of interest among their respective student populations is cited as the main reason behind it. “Call for writers are usually ignored,” said Jei Ente, editor-in-chief of Sinag.

The same reason applies to the difficulty in establishing a student publication at the CSWCD and College of Home Economics.

With respect to the current staff, academics is a major consideration.

“The college pub,” Ente says, “has always been the mistress of our staffers’ academic priorities.” That kind of prioritization affects the staffers’ promptness in meeting deadlines, she says.

The restrictions in finance and equipment, along with membership and commitment issues, are all factors to the irregularity or failure of print releases. This, in turn, affects the readership and reception of the publication’s audience.

“We have a hard time establishing the name of the publication since students only see the publication twice or thrice a sem. Even the website, which contains more updates, gets ignored,” Bautista said.

Scientia, conversely, receives a positive feedback from the students.

“We are actually surprised that the magazine has gained a following even from students outside the college,” EIC Carlo Castillo said.

Since most problems of student publications are similar across the UP system, Solidaridad joins major alliances in UP to raise these concerns to the Board of Regent and other university officials, such as the UP Diliman Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs. Press workshops and forums are also held to increase the level of skills and media awareness among student journalists.

Unless the issues raised are addressed, college publications will continue to operate on meager funds and release issues on irregular basis.

As echoed by Solidaridad, the purpose of a college paper will not be served and the students may face the risk of losing yet another venue for expression of students’ voice and empowerment of students’ rights.

(Balod and Cabreros are both editors of Tinig ng Plaridel.)

04

Tinig ng Plaridel

Features

September 25, 2009

Advanced happy bash-day, graduate!

By Krishna Belle Meniado

next sem again!”

The highlight of this all, of course, is the graduation pictorial nobody’s ready to have. Which you are still forced to undergo… on the very day you grew a shiny, fat pimple on your pretty nose as your eye bags become baggier enough to fit a friend.

Then the anticipated day finally arrives. Everything is set but you are again obsessed. This time, with yourself and whatever it is you’re wearing makes you look fat. And while you entertain visitors, you endure your parents gushing over how “grown-up” their “baby” already is. Not to mention your grannies start chewing off the ears of anyone who would care to listen about every adorable (embarrassing) and mighty (lousy) things their “darling apo” has done.

Now if you ever manage to survive that, you get to blow your cake while people chant sweet greetings.

Nostalgia starts attacking but you try hard not to ruin the happy moment by tearing up. You wouldn’t exactly want to be remembered as the crybaby in future gatherings, would you? Remember, whatever happens that day can mark you for a lifetime.

The morning after comes next.

It would probably be the first break of day in your life when you would start believing that endings are beginnings waiting to happen and that “Age doesn’t matter” is a lie.

You’re maybe wondering how I know all these. I’ll only be graduating this October, you know, that

10 Things to do for your Upcoming Bash-day 1.

2.

3.

The issue on tax on text gives the students from the College of Mass Communication (CMC) an extra load they can’t afford.

“These are hard times,” said journalism student Jorica Pamintuan, “Putting a tax on text defeats the purpose of creating a cheaper way to communicate. It’s unfair to tax something like texting, because it’s an important form of everyday communication.”

On Sept. 8, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 6625, which shall impose a five-centavo tax on every text, picture, or audio message sent by mobile phone users. This was a consolidation of previous bills filed by Ilocos Rep. Eric Singson and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez.

With 20-billion additional reve-

During enrollment, remember to check YES in that part of the Form5 where it asks “Graduting this term?”

To be 100% sure you’ve completed the subjects required to graduate, have your course checklist evaluated.

4.

Then, get and fill out the application form for graduation.

5.

6.

8.

9.

Be updated with the announcements of the graduation committee.

Show up for the yearbook pictorial and stop worrying about your messy hair, eye bags and pimples. Make-up and Photoshop exist.

7.

Enjoy the rest of your college days to the fullest. But not so much that you mess up in your classes.

Do not mess up with your thesis AT ALL.

Tell your parents and everybody else concerned.

Expect that they will be genuinely happy for you. In three ways which are: “Congratulations!”, “Thank God!” and “Fiiiiinally!”

10.

Keep your fingers and toes crossed and pray everything will perfectly fall into place!

and also celebrating my 20th birthday. My only wish is that may the Lord God continue to bless me (and

Text taxed

By Cherrie Ongteco and Marc Cayabyab

Do good in your pre-thesis class to ensure your spot in next sem’s thesis class.

nue projected from the five-centavo tax, this revenue measure aims to ease the budget deficit of the government.

In addition to the burden of tax, telecommunication firms like Globe and Smart may remove services like unlimited texting, which are more practical ways of communication for CMC students, broadcast communication senior Rochelle Porras said.

Without these services, it would be harder and more expensive for students to disseminate information, organize and invite people to events, among others.

Micha Monna Reyes, President of the UP Public Relations and Advertising Society who sends a maximum of 200 texts a day, said she will think about the value of her text before she sends it.

If that would be the case, she said, “I will exhaust all 160 characters of a text message.”

you all) up to that most-awaited day so I can get to enjoy a double celebration.

One vote ...

Rachel Miranda

Graduating is like having a birthday party.

Everyone is psyched-- you, the family and friends, the invited and sometimes, even the uninvited. All of you just couldn’t wait for that wonderful day to arrive.

Until you realize that it is, after all, a birthday bash you’re throwing. You start to become frantic, gathering stuff needed for the party of the year. You develop momentary anal-retentiveness by being obsessed in checking and rechecking if the DJ indeed confirmed; if the menu doesn’t have chicken in it as you are allergic; if you have tweeted and sent out invites to your BFFs on Twitter and Facebook ; and if your calendar is right and it’s really your birthday on that date.

Exactly like undergoing the process of graduating. Before it, you never knew it was possible to need so many things for only one day.

First, the course checklist that becomes your best friend. You skim it a hundred times over to see if you overlooked taking up an English course, which can possibly become the bane of your postponed graduation.

Second, you turn weak-kneed filling out the application for graduation form. Why? Don’t forget, the unexpected loves to surprise.

Many things can still happen in a semester, especially with your thesis. And speaking of thesis crisis, also spelled as H-A-R-D-C-O-R-EW-O-R-K, the trick in it is you just have to remember you know what you’re doing or else it’s “See ya

from page 5

websites readily provide, political sites can also be a good venue for information dissemination and promotions.

“Political sites are tools that can be used by the critical public for comparison and contrast of different politicians – on what they’ve done and what they can do,” she added.

Cheaper venue Investing on the Internet is a gold mine for politicians compared to traditional advertising on print, television or radio. To own an official site, the politician ontly needs to buy a domain (estimated around $35 to $70 a year) and webhosting. Of course, a good web team would also be an imperative.

“These sites serve as cheaper venues for different politicians’ propaganda and ‘pakulo,’ in addition or in substitution to their mainstream media and traditional campaigns,” the web writer said.

Because political sites are commercial in nature, the government does not fund them. They are fruits of the politician’s own initiative to publicize his or herself online.

“For the ‘really rich’ politicians, they pay for site maintenance through their own money. Oth-

ers are funded by their parties and non-government organizations. Business firms and tycoons also sponsor the sites,” she added.

Treachery in gimmickry?

Despite the growing accusations of early political campaigning, political sites and other social networking sites have maintained a relatively clean slate.

Games, prizes and other gimmicks may lure the audience in, but they don’t really have bearing in the coming elections, according to Khan.

“Only about 11 percent of the population goes online, and how many of those actually bother to look at those politicians’ sites? Of course, 11 percent of 90 million is a lot of people, but it’s not enough,” Khan said.

“I don’t see anything wrong with it, as long as internet users are not being forced to vote for the candidates by visiting their websites,” Khan added.

In the case of Juan Tejano, a “BF” game player, he said playing the game won’t necessarily affect his vote. “I think it’s just a creative way of promoting himself. I guess I learned something from it: I can now tell what the tasks of the MMDA chairman are,” he said.

Tinig ng Plaridel

Features

September 25, 2009

05

One vote request from Mr. Politicko Now you can pretend to be a street officer without leaving the comfort of your house. All you need to do is log on to Bayani Fernando’s official site, sign up for the game and start manning the streets. If you’re lucky enough, Fernando might even reward you with a new laptop.

The “BF” game is the latest feature on Fernando’s political website. To earn points, players are required to follow street rules and traffic regulations. As the player scores higher, Fernando’s image pops out on the screen bearing values-laden messages.

Fernando, the chairman of Metro Manila Development Authority, is also incidentally running for president in the 2010 elections. He is only one of the many politicians using online gimmicks to connect with Filipinos, especially the youth.

Other politicians have come up with creative ways of catching the public’s attention such as free concert tickets and JobFinders. Gilbert Teodoro’s website contains a

Frederick Precillas

By Hon Sophia Balod and Nikki Palacios

Philippine map with plans for each region. Manny Villar, on the other hand, offers help for Overseas Working Filipinos (OFWs) and housing-related problems.

Politicians have also been actively promoting their updates through social networking sites such as Facebook, Friendster, Multiply and YouTube.

“The Internet is one of the most, if not the most powerful tool for information and entertainment widely used by the youth. This group comprises the biggest chunk of this country’s voting populace so politicians have been also investing much on them,” a web writer for a politician’s site, who asked to remain anonymous due to contractual

issues, says.

OFWs are also among the target audiences of political sites.

“It’s the only way to really reach Filipinos who are working abroad.

Politicians include them in their campaign strategy because there are about eight million of them, and they’re all potential voters,” online journalism professor Rachel Khan

says.

Likewise, political sites can also be very useful for journalists and bloggers scrounging for stories in the web. “They relay information from the site to larger and wider groups of audiences,” the web writer explains.

These sites, along with social networking sites, are only among the most popular fads on the web today. And they works to the advantage of the politician.

Early campaign tricks Unlike in the radio or television, a politician using the Internet could monitor the site’s visitors through the number of hits and comments.

For instance, Facebook fan pages can give a politician a hint of the social strata where his or her supporters belong to.

“Politicians owning the site get demographic profiles and the collective feedback by groups of people. In some, if not in most cases, the site contents also get to condition people’s minds (i.e. name recall) subliminally, making ways of excuse for early campaign accusations,” the web writer said.

Aside from name recall that the continued on page 4

By Cherrie Ongteco

To our generation, the “L” sign is for losers.

To those who flashed the same “L” sign in the streets in 1986, it stood for “laban,” which signified the Filipinos’ fight against the tyrannical Marcos regime.

Since grade school, we have known Corazon “Cory” Aquino as the first lady president from our HEKASI textbooks and social sciences class. They see her as the symbol of Philippine democracy.

I woke up the morning of Aug. 1 to my mother shockingly telling me that Cory had passed away. I wasn’t that surprised, since there had been reports about her illness worsening in previous days.

I didn’t fully understand then why my mom and many others were deeply saddened by the news.

But after the following days of unrelenting coverage, I began to understand why.

Every hour, television networks aired commercials paying tribute to her and flashed reports updating the people visiting her remains in La Salle Greenhills and later at the Manila Cathedral. Newspapers turned down their usual banner colors in honor of her signature color yellow. Social networking sites were flooded with status updates

and posts like “Thank you Tita Cory” and the like.

The question that came into my mind was not whether she was a “good” president compared to others, but what was it really like during those times?

Through columns, articles, other write-ups and commentaries, the media enriched the Cory coverage with their own experience during Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino’s death and the EDSA revolution.

And in turn, they also imparted to our generation what it was like.

Also, the values of democracy, as experienced by our parents during martial law was passed down to our and even younger generation.

Parents who went to the wake or watched the telecast of the burial at home, explained to their children, as young as five years old, the legacy that Cory has impressed during the dark days of martial law.

Like in a classroom setting, the media served as their visual aid and the text, the experiences of parents and of the people.

Déjà vu of 1983 In an Inquirer article dated Aug. 4, a day before her burial, the media referred to the outpouring of love from the people, similar to what they had experienced 26 years ago, when Ninoy. died. Two million people marched the streets and withstood the long hours of Ninoy’s

funeral cortege.

This is not the only instance that the media paralleled her demise to that of Ninoy’s.

The atmosphere of Philippine politics during the Marcos regime has been likened to the Arroyo administration. And the Filipinos’ fight for true reform and change in those days continue to be ours in the present.

The reaction of the people, however, this time were not out of anger or frustration, but were of love and hope for our country.

Another difference is that, Ninoy’s 14-hour funeral procession was followed by two million Filipinos. But Cory’s nine hour burial procession was followed by countless number of people—those physically marching on the streets and those viewing the live telecast on TV and feeds through the internet or radio.

Despite heavy rains, through its stand still coverage, the media allowed Filipinos to witness her burial at the comfort of their homes.

After seeing this chapter in history, the death of a former president, we too now belong to the group who flashes the “L” sign for “laban.” After knowing what it stood for and meant, we put the “L” sign away from our foreheads and out into the air, as a prayer of hope and continuous fight for change.

Christian Angel Perez

What “L” stands for

06

Tinig ng Plaridel

Opinion

September 25, 2009

Rachel Miranda

Voter’s registration:

Benjamin Franklin was correct

Don’t believe the marketing hype: one vote doesn’t mean anything, and rightfully so. torists. Such is the nature of our freedoms.

Or maybe I don’t mean freedom. Maybe the word I’m supposed to use is “privilege”.

Maybe what I’ve been meaning to say that it’s in the nature of our privilege that we can be bystanders to our own citizenship.

We can say that elections are pointless only because we can have them. We can deny that government policies affect us, since they’re policies that don’t hurt us. We ask why we should participate in elections when government has done nothing for its people. We can ignore our right to vote because not having it is unthinkable.

Don’t believe the marketing hype: one vote doesn’t mean anything, and rightfully so.

Elections aren’t about you. They aren’t about me. They aren’t about the the only mammary enhancement to be headline news either.

Every Filipino citizen, aged 18 or older, who can provide proof of residence in a certain district, faces next year the ignoble opportunity to be a nonentity. As far as choices go, this is way below People’s Choice. Or Taster’s Choice. Or the Teens Choice Awards, even.

So, yeah, take your hard-earned freedom to not participate in a decision that will affect your job opportunities, your university budget, your daily commute, your shopping spree to celebrate summer.

The folk troubadour J. Joplin had it wrong: freedom’s just another word for everything left to lose.

Vinnie Pacleb

The annoying thing about freedom of choice is that people are at liberty to do whatever they want (within certain legal boundaries) despite the crushing disapproval of some yahoo that’s been given a few inches in a newspaper’s opinion section.

Choice’s certainly at play when it comes to the decision of voting in the 2010 elections.

It isn’t even the part where you’re hunched over a blank ballot in a sweaty classroom -it’s the part where you wake up in the morning and wonder, “Should I even vote?”

Suffrage isn’t essential to oneself; it’s not skin or lungs or a ribcage. Rather, it can be viewed as one of life’s little inoculations -painful, periodic, and unfortunately, you will be an idiot not to do it while you still don’t have TB. The wonder of living in a democratic society is the ability to pretend that that democracy is something that happens to other people.

We can go about our lives, letting somebody who we didn’t choose to make decisions for us, then complain when they do things we didn’t elect them to do, mostly because we didn’t elect them.

It isn’t even as if the government has done anything for us. They’re just there to provide us with road signs and U-turn slots, which we have the freedom to ignore, unless we’re mo-

Editorial

Unmasking the puppeteer As early as now, Filipinos already have a glimpse of the 2010 elections.

Even after Senators Panfilo Lacson and Mar Roxas backed out from the presidential race, the list remains long, with Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. as the latest addition. Like a festive circus, it could be entertaining but could be confusing at its worst.

Entering the game of politics is like entering a colorful festival. Every little thing amuses you, just like how “presidentiables” lure you in with their sweet talk. The challenge there is to sort out what’s real from what’s not.

The election period has begun, and the media are once again being utilized for indirect campaigning. Advertisements, some disguised as “infomercials”, start to flood radio and television. Politicians strategically position themselves to create a strong impression on the Internet generation. Aside from advertising through traditional media, online presence is established by putting up websites, creating personal and group accounts in social networking sites, and even creating online games emerged as new practices for

Tinig ng Plaridel Hon Sophia Balod, Editor-in-Chief Roehl Niño Bautista, Associate Editor Riziel Ann Cabreros, Managing Editor Maria Katrina Elaine Alba, News Editor Cherrie Anne Ongteco, Features Editor Rachel Miranda, Graphics & Design Editor e-mail: tinigngplaridel@gmail.com website: http://tinigngplaridel.net

politicians.

That is why targeting the youth is logical. Half of the voting population is below 35 years old, or those who “have little or no consciousness of the country’s political history,” according to Malou Mangahas of Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism.

Reporting on election-related events should not be limited to what the candi-

Events will remain as events without sufficient context. dates said or did, nor to the rankings in the latest presidential surveys. Media, instead, should go beyond reactionary reporting and provide the backbone of a wise vote.

Events will remain as events without sufficient context. The media should explore possible traces of corruption, conflict of interest situations, economic interests, and political history. But to achieve this, the reporters should learn to ask the right questions, especially those pertaining to the candidates’ plans of action or platforms.

At the end of the day, the voting population and the youth in particular will rely heavily on what they see or hear from the media about the “presidentiables” and the candidates in general. Media will be their ulterior idiot’s guide to elections.

But this does not necessarily mean that all the credit and blame go to media. The youth should also shoulder some responsibilty. As responsible citizens, they should, in turn, do their part in this democratic endeavor. They should utilize the Internet as much as politicians use it to encourage youth participation in the elections. Political profiles are all over the Internet. Hopefully, the youth would not only take the initiative to look into them, but also take the chance to assess the candidates.

Unless the voters practice their right to vote and realize the consequences of their actions; unless the population is informed at best; and unless the media remain faithful to the truth, the poor majority of this country will remain at the mercy of the operators of the circus, like dolls controlled by puppeteers— weak and voiceless.

the official student publication of the University of the Philippines-Diliman College of Mass Communication Staff Members Maria Ernica de Guzman, Franz Jonathan de la Fuente, Jenin Velasquez, Katherine Elona, Alexandra Francisco, Kat Angco, Barry Cyrus Viloria

Contributors Jean Natividad, Cielo Marjorie Goño, Vinnie Pacleb, Nikki Palacios, Marc Cayabyab, Krishna Belle Meniado, Paula Garcia, Monica Joy Cantillero, Christian Angel Perez, Frederick Precillas, Michelle Cristine Miranda

Tinig ng Plaridel is a member of the UP System-wide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations (SOLIDARIDAD) and the College Editors Guild of the Philippines. It is also an academic partner of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR).

Tinig ng Plaridel

Opinion

Roehl Nino Bautista

September 25, 2009

07

Rachel Miranda

Student code: no consolation prize

Last September 17, news broke that UP- bringing ballots depending on the student Alpha Sigma Fraternity held mock elections population of that college (like 100 for CHK from Sept. 8 to 15. Chiz Escudero, garnering and 250 for CSSP). As some participants 690 votes out of 3156 cast, won in the said said, they were just approached and asked to poll. Reports also said that participants from vote--sounds like an amateur survey in the 18 colleges took part in the activity by ticking pretext of mock elections. the name of their choice of president on the Mock elections may try to gauge UP stugiven sample ballot should the elections be dents’ pulse come 2010 presidential elections, done on that day. but the goal of any mock election should be That’s what the reports said, which prob- to prepare participants for the real elections. ably surprised students not so much on the The activity should serve as practice for votresults but more on the reason that mock ers in the undergraduate community to deelections happened without us knowing it. cide whom to vote for, and to give them a Then there’s UST with a survey on the char- feel of voting in a precinct, just in case they acteristics students weren’t included in are looking for in a The survey isn’t scientific at all. the 11,025 participresidential aspirant, No background, no framework, pants in the student and who they think referendum or the just raw data. would possess these 10,024 voters in the traits (which resulted USC elections, two in Chiz Escudero winning again), but that is of the official activities in the university last another story. year.

The mock election results stirred interest This doesn’t mean that the efforts of the on its reliability and credibility. How was the fraternity are in vain.But there is room for voting done? How did the 3156 voters knew improvement. This is, after all, the first run of that mock elections were in place? What is what they say will be a series of mock electhe bearing of the results on the upcoming tions. Perhaps, there isn’t any need to go to 2010 elections, if any? every college, asking people present to vote.

Some things are clear though: the activ- Just say that there are mock elections, and ity wasn’t publicized and there weren’t any that voting precincts are stationed here and voting precincts. If there were stations in col- there. Voting is a right as it is an obligation, leges or if students knew that mock elections and mock elections can gauge something would be done, maybe more than 3156 would more relevant than who tops the survey. The have voted. The survey isn’t scientific at all. willingness of the students to participate in No background, no framework, just raw data, the elections might be a good angle to study as organizers said. Organizers said that they instead. teamed up and trooped to different colleges, Send comments to rhoel.nino@gmail.com

I’m always a bit grumpy when people talk a great diversity of viewpoints in campus, it about the “youth vote” or the “OFW vote” or makes for a mess when it comes to the Venn the “women vote”. They feel like marketing diagram slice where all the circles overlap. trickery to me, seemingly innocuous catch- Given this school’s democratic ideals, the phrases that are dangerously deceitful in rep- will of those in the majority must prevail, but etition. They’re oversimplifications with all those on the fringes still have a right not just the presumption of a spam e-mail for Cialis. to be heard, but to be listened to.

They fool the unwitting into presuming a Despite the support and contributions that unity of thought among members of the ad- can be provided by concerned parties, for one jective that, unless someone’s got a portable person to ultimately wear all the faces of the hive mind tucked away somewhere, doesn’t UP student community while in situ may be actually exist. more akin to the burden of Sisyphus than a Last week, I atDionysian revel. It’s tended the final The letter of the code is flawed, even more crushing consultation for the but its spirit and the students’ when one is remind2009 Draft Code for ed that the current intentions aren’t mutually Student Conduct. student code (circa exclusive.

Certainly most of the the 1980’s) was first student-leaders presimplemented in the ent there wanted to scrap the draft code and Diliman campus before diffusing throughout install a student in the drafting committee to all the autonomous units. help draft a new one. However, representaYet for its weaknesses, there is no denytives from some college councils said they’d ing that there ought to be a representative of rather revise what’s already been done. This the students in the formation of policy that dissent among the ranks proved that there’s affects it. Students aren’t felons chomping at some truth to what a drafting committee the bit for a crack at the Revised Penal Code member said: even if students had a repre- -- the analogy is both logically flawed and insentative within the committee, there’d be no sulting beyond measure. That the administraguarantee of said student’s “representative” tor who made said analogy intended it as a nature. (Least of all because there are those joke makes it even more so, because it’s also who’d rather not have a student representa- patronizing. tive present at all.)

Rather, much like how the laws of the naThese events both reminded me that rep- tion are crafted by people who make deciresentation by resemblance, while certainly sions based on (theoretically) the interests a marvelous ideal, isn’t a cakewalk. UP of the constituents who chose them, the rules students come from widely disparate back- that govern a lot of UP student life should grounds and sectors. While this allows for have more than just a token input from those who will be most affected by it. The letter of the code is flawed, but its spirit and the students’ intentions aren’t mutually exclusive.

We’ve come not to sabotage this document, but to improve it.

I don’t suppose that I would agree with this student representative (if or when one will be chosen) on every issue -- that’s both impossible and creepy. He or she may have provisions put in the code that I like, dislike, or not have an opinion on either way.

But the collective choice would at the very least reflect the confidence of the students of this university in the representative’s ability to decide what’s good for them. That’s a small something that not even the most wellmeaning university official, regardless of how much “student cred” they flash, can offer.

Send comments to rbmiranda@up.edu.ph

How to survive by persuasion

By Paula Joan Garcia

After four years of academic media training, we, graduating students, will be left to fend for ourselves as we face imminent death through competition in the mass media environment. A free-for-all media industry, increasing number of freelance bloggers, low employment and scarce resources are all manifestations of Darwin’s survival of the fittest. Choosing the right track in media, whether freelancing or monthly salary-based pay, the road turns into one bumpy journey.

As our mentors have taught us, timeliness

Composite image by Ronin Bautista. Images taken from Wikimedia,Starsinamillion.blogspot.com, and Time Magazine.

Presented without comment

Mock, what?

is key and with the 2010 election almost in full swing, and politicians looking for the best writers they can get, it is not to boast to say that we are preferred, if not fully qualified for that— political public relations (PR).

Political PR is a lucrative life for journalists. Its main goal is to use media to reach out to the public in the hope of garnering the public’s good graces through promises of policies on reform and development.

But aside from sociability, there is a need for basic interviewing and writing skills developed over years of writing and re-writing red-inked articles, intensive researching, asking the right questions, and establishing good connections.

Our role as professional PR reporters is to write our articles in the most balanced way possible. Policies made by politicians must

be checked. We must remember that we remain faithful to our role as gatekeepers that will work towards the higher good.

Choosing this track, indeed, is not as easy as it seems. Survival is tied up with threats, and threats mask themselves in the form of temptations. Temptation comes where money is plenty and intellectuals are few. Although there are higher chances that PR practitioners will receive fat paychecks from politicians, we must be very wary of balancing report than attaining a personal gain.

So, if in the end, our journey as journalists would veer toward a life in the political public relations we must survive as professionals taught by the academe.

Send comments to paulajoangarcia@ gmail.com

Visit us @

http://www.tinigngplaridel.net for more news, features and photos For comments, inquiries and suggestions, email tinigngplaridel@gmail. com or text 0927-3315688.

08

Tinig ng Plaridel

Sports

September 25, 2009

In focus: Cheers and tears at the cheerdance competition

By Roehl Niño Bautista and Jean Rey Natividad

The UP Pep Squad may have failed to defend their championship crown, but the Iskos and Iskas all clad in white during the UAAP cheerdance competition were definitely proud with the UP-based theme of the Diliman performers.

This year’s competition was memorable in more ways: The Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion finally broke into the top 3, the FEU Pep Squad won the championship for the first time in many years, and the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe got booted of the top 3 for the first time.

Tinig ng Plaridel was on scene during the cheerdance competition to capture not only the performers full of energy, but also what most people wouldn’t see on television: the crowd brimming with school pride and the drama behind the scenes.

More photos are available at tinigngplaridel.net

Roehl Niño Bautista

Roehl Niño Bautista

Jean Rey Natividad

Alexandra Francisco

Where’s the crowd?

The Fighting Maroons’ win against the Blue Eagles on June 26 caught Ateneo and the country by surprise. The top dog got beaten by the bottom-dwellers of the food chain with a 10point lead. So on September 26, they came in full battle gear with their biggest weapon of all—the Atenean crowd.

Prof. Tessa Jazmines of the journalism department said “In any fight, someone cheering you on makes you feel stronger.” She said the huge Atenean crowd, filling about 70 percent of Araneta, affected the psyche of the players.

Imagine a wall of blue shirts booing you while you make that invaluable free throw. You miss and the Araneta booms with “Go, Ateneo!” To say that it is distracting is an understatement. But more than it affected the UP players, the Atenean crowd has been one of the team’s strongest motivations.

Roehl Niño Bautista

“You do not want to be humiliated (in front of the crowd),” said Jazmines about how the Blue Eagles might feel having the biggest crowd among the UAAP teams. For Ateneo, high expectations, plus a strong team, merit equally high results.

The expectations are obviously not as high in UP. Without the support of the UP community, the UP Fighting Maroons are already disadvantaged against the Blue Eagles and the Green Archers, whose supporters alone can fill the Araneta Coliseum. In a study conducted

by Jazmines’ students Andrae Banaag, Alexandra Francisco, Hazel Ayne Garcia, Cho Lukban and Janet Tan, UP students cited these reasons for not com-

Jean Rey Natividad (Counter clockwise from top) 1) Hail the Oblation! The UP Pep Squad pays tribute to the university’s famous symbol as they include the trademark Oblation-pose during their UAAP Season 72 Cheerdance Competition routine.

2) UP students show some school spirit right outside the Araneta Coliseum. Earlier that week, the first batch of tickets were sold out after an hour of selling. Fans who didn’t get tickets had to line up early in the morning to get the remaining tickets.

3) “UP is way beyond the Gold standard.” A witty hits like this one are staple parts of the cheerdance competition. Each school would have statements - either boasting of school pride or bashing of other teams - printed on banners and unfurled before the competition starts as the crowd playfully jeers on one another.

4) UP Pep Squad members console one another after losing to Ateneo and FEU. The team settled for 3rd place as FEU and Ateneo took the no. 1 and 2 spots respectively.

5) The lone Tiger walks. A Yellow Jacket assists UST’s varsity mascot off the court. For the first time, the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe’s didn’t make it to the top 3.

6) A member of the Blue Babble Battalion hold up the 1st runner-up trophy with pride. This is the first time that their team broke the top 3 since the competition started.

7) FEU Pep Squad members cry with joy after the 2nd runner-up and 1st runner-up has been called. The UP and Ateneo crowd then started cheering for FEU who eventually bagged the top spot.

Jean Rey Natividad Roehl Niño Bautista

ing to UP games: being too busy, not knowing where the next game will be, not having money to buy tickets (a UP classic reason) and not having a sense of “school spirit.”

One answer sticks out, the mother of all reasons: the Fighting Maroons rarely win.

Even if the Maroons were the only team to beat both the Blue Eagles and the Green Archers this season, even if it was the only team to break Ateneo’s still flawless winning streak, it does not change the fact that the Maroons leave Season 72 with only 3 wins.

The Maroons are still at the bottom of the food chain. “Everyone loves a winner,” Jazmines always tells her Public Relations class.

Speech Com-

munication major Ernest Evasco said “Maybe if we actually have a good winning record/streak in the games, people would actually, seriously care to watch. Aside from that, go for PE requirements and the (Pep) Squad.” Maybe there arefans out there who would go out of there way to buy tickets and support the team out of sheer school spirit, but the small turnout of UP students in the games prove that Evasco was dead on for most of the UP community.

Jazmines called it “the psychology of reward.” Cheerdance tickets sell like pancakes at UP because the UP Pep Squad “rewards” the fans with championships. She said the win against Ateneo boosted the UP community’s interest in the team. Had they continued to win, the crowd would have grown with each game.

In any fight, someone cheering you on makes you feel stronger. At least, it gives you that extra kick. Jazmines admitted that a big crowd does not guarantee victory, but it surely increases the chances for a win. In turn, a win motivates fans to continue their support.

Illustration: Michelle & Rachel Miranda