Today's CAROLINIAN - June 2016 Newsletter

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Photograph by Christine Suson

DUTERTE, ROBREDO WIN HOTLY CONTESTED ELECTIONS Jan Rommel Duterte Elections come and elections go, but the fever stays the same. Last May 9, all throughout the Philippines, voters excitedly trooped to their assigned precincts to vote for the nation’s next leaders. Out of the many citizens who decided to run for president or vice president during the filing of certificates of candidacy, only eleven remained by election day: Jejomar Binay, running in tandem with Gregorio Honasan II; Miriam Defensor-Santiago, choosing to run with Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; Rodrigo Duterte, teaming up with Alan Peter Cayetano; Grace Poe, running as an independent candidate with Francis Escudero; Mar Roxas, running with Leni Robredo; and Antonio Trillanes IV, running as an independent vicepresidential candidate but endorsing Poe’s presidential bid. In addition, there were 50 official senatorial candidates vying for a spot in the Senate’s Magic 12. The campaign period officially kicked off last February 9 and saw the candidates pour immense amounts of money into TV advertisements, radio jingles, and campaign posters. Early polls showed vice president Binay with a huge lead in the presidential race and Sen. Escudero leading the vice-presidential race. Both of them, however, found their ratings slowly slipping as time went on, especially after their performances in the PiliPinas Debates.

The COMELEC, for the first time in Philippine history since 1992, tapped the media to organize debates — three presidential and one vice-presidential — to help voters make informed decisions. The debates, however, featured the usual mudslinging and statistical misinformation that political events are now famous for, sprinkled with humorous one-liners and occasional romantic overtones between Mayor Duterte and Sen. Santiago. Vice President Binay’s stubborn insistence on bringing notes during the Cebu leg of the debates and Mayor Duterte’s remarks about the Pope and the rape of an Australian missionary intensified the almost reality-show feel of the 2016 elections. As the elections neared, Mayor Duterte and Sen. Marcos slowly climbed the opinion polls and defied the expectations of political analysts. Not far from Sen. Marcos and climbing just as quickly was Rep. Robredo, and a day before the elections they were in a statistical tie. In elections that have been described as “peaceful and orderly despite glitches” by the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), Mayor Duterte won the presidential race with more than 16 million votes. Rep. Robredo squeaked past Sen. Marcos to win the vice-presidential race, getting around 14 million votes. TC


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Today’s CAROLINIAN

NEWS

Team CarES Places Second in Public Policy Competition Kaye Diamos University of San Carlos’ Team Carolinian Economics Society placed second in Blueprint: Public Policy Competition in the University of the Philippines Diliman last April 24, 2016. The team of five, namely Brixie Tan, Dhanica Lim, James Venegas, Carlson Guillermo, and Bryant Gonzales, collaborated to come up with the topic for this year’s paper, “Implementation of a TwoRound Electoral System,” in relation with the theme “Changing the Rules of the Game: Paths to Philippine Democratic Maturity through Electoral Reform.” The competition is won through submission of various policy proposals from schools across the

country that may be deemed effective in addressing the different problems of the society. The UP Political Society organized the competition to emphasize the importance of the role of the youth in the policymaking process relevant to the future that is currently built for the Philippines and to prove that the youth does not only think, but they do as well. The other finalist teams were from Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, University of the Philippines who ranked first and University of Asia and the Pacific who ranked third. The University of San Carlos was the only school outside the National Capital Region chosen as one of the finalists for the said competition. TC

USC JPIA Dominates NFJPIA; Gets National Hall of Fame Bryant A. Gonzales The University of San Carlos chapter of the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants made waves in the 33rd Annual National Convention by the National Federation – JPIA held from May 1-6 at Hotel Dominique, Tagaytay City, by winning 10 competitions, Most Outstanding Local Chapter in the Philippines and the prized National Federation Hall of Fame citation. USC JPIA needed to win the Most Outstanding Local Chapter in the Philippines (MOLC) for three consecutive years to be part of the hall of fame. For USC JPIA to be awarded with the Most Outstanding Chapter in the Philippines, they had to hit the four aspects of academics, non-academics, leadership, and social responsibility through impact of project on innovations, awards and achievements garnered that year. Aside from the hall of fame achievement, the USC JPIA bested out participant - schools by winning the 7th NFJPIA Debate Cup and an extemporaneous speaking challenge. Ejay Co got the best speaker

nod for the debate cup. Among the Carolinian JPIANs who got the first place in various competitions were Mel Ebo for Campus Journalism – English editorial writing and Rhea Branzuela for Campus Journalism – Filipino investigative writing.

JUNE 2016 | Vol. 4 No. 1

USC Warriors Under New Management Jet Mangubat The University of San Carlos Warriors’ coaching staff has hired Sacred Heart School - Ateneo de Cebu’s Rommel Rasmo, one of the most successful high school coaches in Cebu, to be their new head coach for this July’s CESAFI season. Since their first successful championship last October, the Warriors have not only lost their key players Shooster Olago, Nico Magat and Charles Pepito, but also their head coach Britt Reroma, who chose not to renew his contract with the university. The subsequent resignation of Bong Abad, interim head coach, forced Fr. Adriano Ocariza to look for another replacement, eventually settling on Rasmo. Rasmo was then the manager of three-time CESAFI Junior champions, the Magis Eagles. “It was a collective decision, one that was made by me and other stakeholders of the basketball team. We feel that we made the right choice,” said Fr. Ocariza. Rasmo did not expect the transition to the college game to be easy but promised to give his all to help the Warriors sustain their victory.

Christine Bontuyan, Rhea Branzuela, Mel Ebo, and Kristel Palma also got runner-up finishes in various Siniratura v2.0: Campus Journalism competitions.

Before joining and practicing with the team, Rasmo intends to first observe and adjust himself to the players. He will also gradually introduce his system to the team with the help of USC’s current assistants led by Abad, former pro Teroy Albarillo, Ron Vivar and Francis Auquico, who Rasmo will be bringing along with him from the Magis Eagles.

For Bret Balbuena — last year’s USC JPIA President and incumbent SSC President — the awards they raked in are a testament to the creativeness, innovativeness and the bayanihan spirit of every JPIAn.

Rasmo is also aware of the pressure that comes with the position he now has. “Of course, USC is the defending champion and people expect them to win. But even if this wasn’t USC, even if this was some other team, people can expect me to go all out.”

“We a re very proud of what we have ve accomplished this year. We had more pressure on our shoulders because we did not just had to outdo other chapters, we had to go beyond ourselves for the past years,” Balbuena added. TC

Along with many other teams, the Warriors are in the process of rebuilding since the departure of their key players from last year’s champion team. TC

Government Readies For Final Stage of K-12 Kyn Noel Pestano Parallel to the opening of school year 2016-2017, the K-12 Basic Education Program will also reach its final stage of implementation— the enrollment of senior high school students to their respective tracks. Consequently, the following are the major preparations made by the government, mainly through the Department of Education (DepEd), to accommodate this shift in our educational system. Infrastructure. For the addition of two more yearlevels, DepEd’s share in the national budget has been steadily increased, from PHP 174.75 billion in 2010 to PHP 411.905 billion in 2016 – a rise of approximately 230 percent. The bulk of this went to the construction of new classrooms and facilities throughout the country, attempting to decongest schools by having a 1:40 classroom to student ratio, and catering to the 1.2-1.6 million incoming 11th grade students this school year. This decongestion is evidenced by the decrease in the number of elementary schools which employs two-four shift systems, from 21.4 percent of those that resorted to it in 2011 to 3 percent in 2014.

Personnel. Since K-12’s implementation in 2010, more than 100,000 new teachers have been employed by DepEd. In addition to the aimed decongestion of public schools, this is also to meet the estimated number of teachers required to handle the senior high school level. For Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) however, the K-12 program will entail a massive drop in revenue proportional to the dive in enrollments, which is expected to last until 2022. This will result in retrenchments of both teaching and non-teaching personnel to mitigate losses. The government, however, is working on strategies to mitigate this problem, including a proposed PHP 9.05 billion transition fund for two of its agencies, namely: the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Curriculum. One of the core challenges in implementing K-12 is the need for major revisions in the curriculum. Under the new program, every student will now undergo 13 years of basic education, divided into four key stages: kindergarten to grade 3, grade 4 to 6, grade 7 to 10 (Junior High School) and grade

11-12 (Senior High School). Junior and senior high school in particular are the foci of these revisions. The former is further divided into two stages. Grades 7 and 8 (first stage) will cover Exploratory Technical and Livelihood Education (TLE) while grades 9 and 10 (second stage) will cover Specialized TLE. Senior high will focus more on subjects concerning the chosen “track” or program of the students. As of now, four tracks are being offered: Academic, Sports, Arts and Design, and Technical Vocational Livelihood. Despite these preparations, however, some still harbor doubts as to the capacity of the government to successfully implement the program. One such example is the Kabataan Partylist, which recently attempted to sway presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte to abolish K-12. According to them, the educational system is still too unprepared for the shift. These protests, however, have been rendered mostly moot in the face of finalizing the program this school year. TC


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MAIN OPINION

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When Readers Don’t Digest

Illustration by Justine Bacareza

Did the headline catch attention? Perhaps the accompanying image did? Does this situation happen as we scroll down our online feeds? Long time ago, people had to go hassling lengths just to get information that they need or just want to know. They give up money to buy newspapers, travel down to libraries to read books, tinker on their trusty radios and televisions or even wait for the word of mouth. Fast forward to the present, and information can already be obtained in the handy gadgets we hold on to almost 24 hours a day. Just a little movement of our hands and voila, it is already there, right at the tip of our fingers. As much as how information becomes readily available nowadays, it is now also easily publishable. Compared to old times when publication expenses were high, the stream of information now remains unbarred, with cost-free features brought to us by the World Wide Web. We have become instant publishers — we have become free to post whatever we want. Yet what do we do with this opportunity?

With the vast freedom we now have in obtaining and sharing information, we see an influx of varying posts especially in social media sites — from news articles, long opinionated posts, short rants and other stuff. Their numbers have grown so much that one becomes almost indistinguishable from another. Or is it? It is a beautiful chaos to see discussions happening, ideas flowing, people voicing out… just democracy in its full bloom. However, it is called chaos for a reason. How frustrating is it to see people share satirical readings and comment on them as if the article was true? How aggravating is it to read, “Biased!” from people commenting on articles from credible sources, and see the same people laud the posts from unreliable ones? How saddening is it to witness the efforts of those who took the time to copy the entirety of an article from an external link and paste it as a comment in a thread, because some could not bother themselves to click the link to read the article and just launch a reaction fest from the headline right away?

How upsetting is it to look at people bash those who express sentiments that differ from theirs — and even attack them on a personal level? How cringe-inducing is it to see people express their “opinions” on pressing issues, but when asked to defend them, all they say are words that are clearly not crafted from research and critical thinking? We are now in the age when information is served to us fast on a silver platter. This is a privilege we have to use to its potential. We should refuse to know from just the post title and proceed to read the full details behind itself. We should get to know the sources of the knowledge we are getting. We should even engage into discussions with people we do not agree with. We should not be swayed immediately from the opinions of others and gather data first before we come up with a principled stand. For once, we should know what a satire is. We should give the beautiful in “beautiful chaos” some justice. TC


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Today’s CAROLINIAN

OPINION

JUNE 2016 | Vol. 4 No. 1

K to 12 and the Point of No Return

Kerstein Kylle P. Despi

Perhaps there is no more obvious legacy of the Aquino administration than the K to 12 program. In a nutshell, the program aims to make Philippine education at par with other countries by adding two more years on basic education.

early implementers of the K to 12 program or if they graduated from the 10-year pre-college cycle before the implementation of K to 12. Essentially, a nosedive of college entrants has long been expected — even at the cusp of program’s implementation.

Set behind the backdrop of inadequacies and shortages of classrooms, school buildings, textbooks and educators are the five years since the program’s implementation. This year, K to 12 sees the last mile to its completion — the Senior High School (SHS). Universities can now only admit new freshmen students if they have graduated from

On the one hand, if done right, the program will create globally employable Filipinos and become the greatest achievement of the last administration. However, since the Philippines has the track record of a better planner than implementer, it can be assumed that concerns on the preparedness of our current educational setting,

the adverse effects on labor, the actuality of it resolving the issues it raised and the current government issues on corruption will continuously contest the many redeeming features of this educational reform. Even when K to 12 has been on the move for several years, there is still no guarantee that it will bring us a better quality of education and career preparation than the last. Despite our many doubts of its effectiveness, there really is nothing than we can do now but to try to make it work. Who knows, maybe a miracle is in its making. TC

Nobody Skips Transition The year that most private universities anxiously expected has finally come, yet this transition year does not only negatively impact university owners, but also incoming freshmen whose course choices are considerably narrowed down.

Julienne Termoso

Even before the national implementation of the K-to12 curriculum, schools that have already been practicing the extra two years of high school have already existed — international schools, to be more exact. This could only mean that their students

need not be affected by the transition. Seemingly, this is an advantage to their graduates, not until most of the sought out universities have announced that programs offered for this school year are cut down — still, an impact.

lousy businessmen will permit to happen.

This is greatly understandable as opening the usual number of courses during the transition could negatively affect revenue in the form of heavy losses. With the little number of freshmen coming, it would not be wise to allow their dispersion as it would only incur unnecessary expenses — a move that only

In the words of an incoming freshman, “What if I wanted to take Chemical Engineering at USC? Mapugos na lang ko mag-Civil Engineering ani?”

People, especially parents, have complained about how this might stray their children from paths they wanted them to take.

Maybe the only way to try and escape from this transition is not to escape at all. TC


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OPINION

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Change is Coming, and With It, Fear Upon winning the elections, Rodrigo Duterte, who will take the presidential seat this June 30, expressed his plans to extend the zero-tolerance policies against lawbreakers and criminals in Davao to the entire Philippines. This is in the hope to effectively reduce the crime rate in our nation, as well as to instill discipline among the public.

Cesar Heyrosa

However, many have been critical to the effectiveness of these policies with respect to instilling change among the citizenry. As idealists would argue, fear does not beget change. Instead, an intrapersonal desire to indeed change does.

Nonetheless, is it truly because of the desire for peace that we choose not to break the law? Or is it because of the fear of punishment? In around 1920, an infant 9 months of age referred to as “Albert B.” was the subject of an experiment on fear conditioning by John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner. First, the child was allowed to play with a white rat. However, every time Albert touched the rodent, Watson and Rayner would strike a steel bar with a hammer, and thus, with any infant’s innate sensitivity to noises, Little Albert eventually developed a fear for things resembling the animal.

Case in point, let us face it; a significant number of us Filipinos are as undisciplined as a 9-month-old infant. If used effectively, Duterte’s proposed zero-tolerance policies may become the hammer striking steel, and undisciplined and criminal behavior, the rat. We may not need capital punishment for this, but we do need fines for those cigarette butts on the ground. It should be compulsory to pick on those pickpockets. Selling illegal drugs should necessitate a longer sentence. We Filipinos have allowed ourselves to come this far in absolute lack of discipline. At this point, for change to come, fear has to do its job. TC

The Intellectual Elitist On the sixth day, God created the intellectuals and he saw that it was not just good, but rather, better than anything else in all creation. If there was a passage about creation that describes the birth of the intellectual elitist, it could have sounded more complex than that.

Miriam Burlaos

As students who are being constantly fed information through the classroom, or our smart peers, or our encounter with countless books, or our own curiosity in the internet, we have the tendency to bend toward elitism at some point. There is a chance, in one way or another, that we consider ourselves superior to others

who have less knowledge to the point that we deem their opinions questionable, inferior to our own.

negatively with an intention to either mock others or amplify ourselves more when our ideas are questioned.

One simple instance is how some of us acted in the recent national elections. We became avid supporters of some candidates and called ourselves the intelligent voters while we considered the opposing party stupid for not taking the “smart” choice. We tend to forget that people do not think alike, and just because the other person’s choice is different from our own does not mean that it is not a well-thought decision.

This is not to criticize rational thinking or the intellectuals. Intellectual shaming is just as bad, but there is more to knowledge and education than being boxed up inside our egotistic view of brilliance.

Apart from that, instead of listening, we choose to respond

Perhaps it is in accepting that we do not know everything about the world that we can value the pursuit of knowledge better, and it is in humbling ourselves that we are able to cultivate ideas, not just inside the campus walls, but also through people of different backgrounds in life. TC


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FEATURE

Today’s CAROLINIAN

JUNE 2016 | Vol. 4 No. 1

IN SIX YEARS:

The Duterte Administration Paulie Yap Illustration by Eduard Jude Jamolin

Let’s admit it, the past few months were a mess. Now, reconciliation has begun. A new administration is to come on June 30, and with the president-elect, Rodrigo Duterte, the answer to the “cry of change” may have come. Duterte has been known for his “war on crime” platform, especially his promise to make the streets safe in three to six months. Though it may seem to be the most prominent and talked about strategy, his other plans for the new administration should not be overshadowed. Law and Order Other than the basic law-and-order measures such as the 2:00 a.m. curfew for drinking in public, 10:00 p.m. curfew for minors and a ban on smoking in public, Duterte also plans to establish a proficient and effective police force. The police will be given shoot-to-kill powers against criminals and crime organizers, especially when there is violent opposition. He said, “I expect you to obey the laws so there will be no chaos. I will hit hard on drugs and I promise them (criminals) hell.”

Correspondingly, Duterte’s system of capital punishment does not end there. He also intends to bring back death penalty, which has been abolished in 2006. Economy Duterte stressed in his 8-Point Economic Plan that he would sustain the Philippines’ brisk growth. The macroeconomic policy will also be retained, and if ever, improved. Though he may have been drawing out angst from different corners because of his impulsive anti-establishment remarks, there remains potential in his term. With the quelling of gangs and organized crimes, foreign investors will be reassured in entering the Philippines. Furthermore, he will lift the foreign investment restrictions but will still cater to the advantage of the Filipino people. To avoid investors of being fleeced of their money, he is keen on getting rid of corruption in our country — no extortions, whatsoever. The fourth point in his agenda is for the rural areas in the country. He plans on providing support services and land tenure to small farmers. Similarly, Duterte disposed that he will scrap income tax on those earning PHP

24, 000 and less. Moreover, he plans on associating with countries like Singapore, saying, “We need to be aligned with the tax system of our ASEAN neighbors. We need to be competitive. If investors see the tax system here is too punishing, they’re not going to invest here.” Government and Peace Process in Mindanao Another agendum on his list is to suppress the ongoing conflicts in Mindanao, especially with the Communist and Islamist rebels. Other than to reform the government, his idea on federalism is also driven by his enthusiasm on the Moros in Mindanao. He is reconsidering the Basic Bangsamoro Law (BBL) to finally give the Moros the freedom they have yearned for since the 16th century. His fostered relationships with militant groups, like the New People’s Army (NPA), will also credit his process in attaining peace. These are just a few of his agenda in the upcoming administration. A part of us may say that change is coming, but we will never be sure what kind of change it is just yet. TC


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Trisha Claire Cabanlit

FEATURE

Athena Plaza

Today’s CAROLINIAN

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Holly Delica

Carolinian Excellence Tops Again Paolo Louis Manghihilot Acing licensure examinations and garnering a high passing rate is no big deal to Carolinians. When going through the top performing schools and its numbers of top-notchers, USC just cannot be missed. Of course, with the quality of education the university offers, this has already turned into a yearly celebration. Earlier last month, the USC School of Law and Governance rejoiced as two of their 62 examinees topped the Philippine Bar Examination held last year, with 52 of those who took the exam that passed. Athena Plaza garnered the second spot in the top 10, with a rating of 87.25 percent, and Jecca Jacildo placing eighth, with a rating of 85.85 percent. Other than topping the bar exam, Plaza also gave USC a number of recognitions, such as the Philip C. Jessup International National Law Moot Court Competition and ANC Square Off titles. With these recent topnotchers, USC had already produced about 20 bar top-notchers since the opening of the College of Law in 1937. Still in the same month, Niño Louis Steven Nemenzo and Rhea Leane Patalinjug proved the Carolinian excellence within

as they topped the May 2016 Civil Engineering Licensure Examinations. Nemenzo ranked fifth with a rating of 91.35 percent while Patalinjug garnered the eighth rank with a rating of 90.90 percent. These two graduated cum laude in their batch and has also aimed to top the board, which they really did. Moreover, Carolinians reigned supreme too during the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) Licensure Examination with six topnotchers and a passing rate close to 100 percent, with 43 passers out of 45 takers. Trisha Elaine Cabanlit, a magna cum laude of her batch, ranked fourth with a rating of 91.33 percent among 2,967 passers out of 6,925 examinees. Cabanlit did not expect herself on the top-notcher’s list: “I was on cloud nine. I could not believe it was actually happening, that it was possible for me to achieve such a thing,” she said. “When the results came out, I was shocked (in a good way) that I placed fourth. All I ever expected was to pass, so being in the top 10 came as a pleasant surprise to me. I then realized that the things you can achieve through God’s grace are really beyond amazing,” she added. Following Ms. Cabanlit is Ervin Michael Cavalida who got the fifth

rank with a 91.17 percent rating. Sixth in the rank is Clare Monica Pilapil who got 90.83 percent. Joshua Echivarre and Marc Raphael Ong placed ninth with a rating of 90.17 percent. Lastly, Sarah Balisacan placed tenth with a rating of 90.00 percent. Additionally, USC made it to history again as the only school with more than 20 examinees and a 100 percent passing rate in the Chemical Engineering Licensure Examination. Holly Daneille Delica garnered the second place with a rating of 84.10 percent and Keane Marc Tapangco got to sixth place with an 82.60 percent rating. Delica did not expect to rank in the examination and dedicated her success to her family. Truly, Carolinians never fail to raise the bar higher each year. With all these Carolinian achievements, it is a reminder to all students to never waiver in achieving their goals and continue to persist on whatever endeavor they wish to attain. After all, we reap what we sow. TC


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Today’s CAROLINIAN

FEATURE

JUNE 2016 | Vol. 4 No. 1

GIANTS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO Paolo Perez

Photograph by Angelo Nico Daroy The waters of the Philippines snake between her islands, nourish her people and sustain rich ecosystems. Our coral reefs are held to the highest esteem among biologists and divers alike, with the Verde Island Passage in Anilao being eyed as the single most diverse stretch of ocean in the world, easily beating out Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Still, when we celebrate the wealth of our seas, we constantly overlook a group of creatures who, by all means, should be impossible to miss.

One of the only obvious cultural references to the presence of whales in our country lies in Pamilacan Island’s name, and it’s a dark one: the pamilac was the islanders’ weapon of choice in spearing not only Bryde’s whales, but also manta rays, dolphins and whale sharks. Whaling, once upon a time looked at as a brave sport where boys set out wielding harpoons and oars and returned as men hauling home the carcasses of their quarry, has, needless to say, lost much of its glamor in recent years.

In no small part due to the seeminglycontradictory balance of their sheer size and natural elegance, whales have graced the cultures of just about every nation with access to the sea. Inuit totems, the writings of Aristotle and Pliny the Elder, and Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick speak of our deeply-intertwined history with them. Philippine culture, however, possesses a curious lack of importance towards the giants.

However, it seems that this year’s massive upswing in blue whale sightings will finally change that. With multiple sightings of blues in four different locations across Visayas in just two months, our appreciation for them has bloomed more than ever. Heavier than the biggest dinosaurs and capable of breaking the hundred mark in both years and feet, simply seeing the arc of a blue whale’s back as it cuts through the water is a sight to behold. Their tongues alone weigh as much as an African elephant; their hearts are the mass of a small car. Their brains are just as complex — whales seem to regard divers with restrained caution and, after some time, even curiosity.

An internet search for where to snorkel with whales or go whale watching in the Philippines will almost exclusively produce results for Oslob’s famous whale shark tours. Close, but absolutely no cigar — whale sharks are the world’s largest fish, a somewhat less impressive title than “largest animal to ever exist”, and the whale shark “encounters” inch ever-closer to commonplace and choreographed than wild and wonderful.

Considering their completely unrivaled size, it seems almost miraculous that the blue whale and its relatives have evolved to feed on some of the smallest creatures on the food chain.

Preferring krill and small fish over anything else, they are outright unable to swallow anything larger than a beach ball. However, they need literal tons of food every day. The grooves on their throat expand like a frog’s to swallow entire swarms of prey, and the baleen that replaces their teeth forces water out like an enormous colander. In the face of such an odd dietary arrangement, the whales have certainly made the best of it. Certainly this is for the best; imagining a 100-foot-long animal willing to snack on people is a much less pretty picture. We may have arrived too late to see the jungles of the Carboniferous or the wild, reptilian landscapes of the Jurassic. We may have arrived too late to explore the galaxy and touch the stars. However, sharing our planet — and our country — with the largest creatures ever to call it home? We have arrived just in time for that. TC


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VOX POPULI

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What is your reaction about the results of the election? Amidst the numerous black propagandas that were thrown from one candidate to another, making the Filipinos extra careful in choosing their candidates, the 2016 national election has indeed served its purpose — to become the avenue of change and listen to the voice of the Filipino people. As we venture out for another six years of “change”, here are what our fellow Carolinians have to say about the election results. “Although I am disappointed that my candidate for the presidential elections did not win, I hold no ill-will for the victor of the presidential race, Hon. Rodrigo Duterte. I strongly believe that under his leadership and hopefully his chosen cabinet our country will finally see the cancers of our society diminished or even vanquished. However, I am bittersweet with the results of the senatorial bid because even though some veteran senators and outstanding public servants made it in, there were elected that are questionable at best. Overall, I can say that this year’s elections could have been better, some better candidates could have been chosen instead, but at least it wasn’t disastrous.” - Will Lois Perez, BS ENTREP 3 “Expected but disappointing. I hope Leni would be diplomatic enough for the both of them. Duterte needs to realize that he is setting a standard for the behavior of his citizens. And the people need to realize that change must not just come from him alone. “ - Janzyl Go, BSBA MKTG MGT3 “Regardless of who I voted for, whether or not they got the position, I am pleased that this year’s election is less of a hassle than the previous years. Although political analysts stated that there were flaws in the count but I believe change has already happened. People are more aware (thanks to social media and easy access to the internet); therefore they’re more cautious than ever. I congratulate the leaders of our nation and will continue to support them for the benefit of the people and our country. I believe camaraderie and diversity go hand and hand. Seeing the results and hearing the masses and their rants, I myself believe that I have a role to play in my society. I thought about acting responsible as well. The pressure is not only on our nation’s political leaders but also on us.” - Faith Ericka Martha Veloro, BFA-AA4

“I’m contented, and I am really happy that Duterte won.” - Angel Altejar, BS Arch 4 “I think it’s pretty good that Duterte won, because I was really rooting for him to win because he is strong and he has this ironman type of attitude. I think it’s good to have that kind of president, at least now.” - Adie Bautista, BS ICT 2 “I was pleased that Mar Roxas, Binay and Grace Poe accepted their defeat peacefully. We the future Carolinian nurses also expect that the new leaders of our society will improve our government hospital facilities and systems. Hopefully with the new administration, the newly elected president will approve the comprehensive nursing law which will improve quality health care and provide minimum base salary to our nurses.” - Brianne Borling, eBSN3 “I think that this was relatively the best election so far, because in my observation, people are more politically involved this year. From the people I overhear in jeepneys to the people I discuss issues with on social media; I observed that social participation has significantly increased this year. So even if I’m not exactly a fan of every single person that won this election, the fact that lots of people have poured so much of themselves into this already means a lot. That encourages and excites me to cooperate with whoever majority placed in office. All this drive for change keeps me optimistic about our future.” - Isabella Villarojo, AB POSC-IRFS-ECON 2 “I’m actually quite dismayed for some of the results but there’s nothing much I can do about it. If they are whom the Filipinos trusted to lead then so be it. I just hope that the elected candidates will do their jobs accordingly and justly because the fate of our nation in the next six years to come is in their hands.” - AB-POSC-IRFS-ECON


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Today’s CAROLINIAN

LITERARY

JUNE 2016 | Vol. 4 No. 1

Primo amore Written by Mikhailah Rañada

I know he plays his music too loud I know he’s annoying in the mornings I know his temper can attract a crowd I know he’s overprotective of his belongings I know he makes noises when he chews I know all about his less sober doings I know he loves to make jokes and amuse I know he’s a singer and a dancer I know he hates underhanded verbal abuse I know he is an incomparable lover I’ve always known he loved me I knew since long before I can remember I didn’t know his loud music sang that he was empty I didn’t know his temper fired because he was dissatisfied I didn’t know he drunk-jived because it buried the agony I didn’t know he smiled to hide how his humor has died I didn’t know he sang to get through his body’s pain I didn’t know our relationship’s gap has become this wide I didn’t know he loved me so much he bore the ache for my gain I didn’t know he suffered on his own for fear of being a burden I didn’t know he was racked with sobs while I danced in his rain I didn’t know his ghosts were heavy behind their cheerful curtain I didn’t know he was carrying my load along with his I didn’t know his mind was weak and his heart felt beaten He didn’t know I’d care if something was amiss He didn’t know he could maim my being upon leaving He didn’t know how awful it was to realize that ignorance is bliss We both knew he was my beginning I didn’t know I would be his end He knew he had to give up — the torment was winning I knew too late that he left me with naught but the tale of his legend I know now, with him, I foolishly went out of line I know now it took great strength for him to pretend I know now he is the jewel I robbed of shine I used to know “first love never dies” Nothing is more untrue, for death took mine.


LITERARY

http://todayscarolinian.net

Today’s CAROLINIAN

Numbers Written by Sofia Isabel Tajos

One.

Seven.

I try to count how many times my heart will beat until it gives up and stops — stops beating for something I am now unsure of having.

I try to erase the truth of your passing by writing storybooks with happier endings. If I tuck this prayer in a story I couldcolor, maybe God will try and read it.

Two.

Eight.

I try to count the number of daysI have lived without your heartbeat, but I still refuse to believe that some days I am only looking at your ghost and not the flesh that made it.

I used to think that if I ignored something long enough, itwill cease to exist. I refused to attend your funeral. I never acknowledged the replies I didn’t get from you. Your death has not yet ceased to exist but I will try harder to ignore it — please wait.

Three.

Nine.

I pore over every word you have said, desperately trying to warp and twist and distort them until I find the goodbye I deserve — the goodbye I did not get from you.

They saythe pain won’t stop; that I can onlylearn to live with it.

Four. I try to count the seconds, the minutes, the hours, until I will see you again. Five. I count and count and count but the numbers mean nothing because all I am aware of are the tears that blur this truth. Six. I try to hold on to the numbers I have grown to live with. They are the only things that make sense to me now.

Ten. But the truth will always kill you, and I can never learn to live with that. Eleven. I count the number of times I have failed youand swear to make it up to you– someday. I let the truth crash down on me;I let it sink me underwater. I wonder why I still struggle to breathewhen for the past few months I have only ever drowned. Twe— I stop counting. You are not coming back.

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Today’s CAROLINIAN

JUNE 2016 | Vol. 4 No. 1


COMICS

http://todayscarolinian.net

Today’s CAROLINIAN

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DAYS WITH DANI Illustration by Geralden Morre

DAN SABAW by Shari Illustration by Shari Llamis

MEAN, MEDIAN, RANGE ni ZACH

Illustration by Zach Borromeo

HOROSCOPE Aries

Cancer

Libra

Capricorn

Mangayog number si crush nimo in the form of a yellow paper with the heading: “NAME, E-MAIL AD, CELLPHONE #” #blessed

Swerta ka today kay magkatupad mo sa imong crush. Yes, katong tawhana nga imong gi gukod-gukod ug tan-aw pag first sem last year mutupad nimo sa imong next class. Finally! Makadiscover na jud ka nga baho iyang ilok.

Magbuwag na imong crush ug iyang uyab dayon mag public proposal siya nimo sa soccer field. Iyang mga amigo magdala ug tarpaulin na naa imong pp sa fb ug ang words nga “Will you be mine?” Pero mata na kay ni-ring na ang bell. Humanag lecture imong teacher.

Dude, stop making tambay in Rosedale bro. Kayasa bai go to class and stop making kwento about your crazy night at Distil!

Color: Taya orange

Color: Poste sa Bunzel mustard

Color: Kopiko brown

Color: Bra sa Truimph beige

Taurus

Leo

Ang kagwapa nimo karong adlawa magkaparehas sa flower crown filter sa Snapchat. Congrats! Inig ugma, pariha na sa sungayan nga filter. Congrats gihapon!

This month maka realize ka nga ganahan na jud ka makigbuwag niya. Haha pero atik ra kay di diay mo uyab. Color: G-Tech black

Scorpio Ma late kas imong klase ugma sa buntag kay walay shuttle. Ngilngig man gud ka kay bisag sa Bunzel ra imong klase, magshuttle gihapon ka. Kamusta ju’ng joyride nimo sa TC.

Aquarius You will fly high today! Enjoy the view from up there kay gibiyaan ka sa ere sa imong ka text for 10 months. Color: Barney purple

Color: Ceres Liner yellow Color: Any color sa Instagram logo

Gemini

Virgo

Saggitarius

Pisces

Ayaw na lagi sig pangayo og French fries sa imong mga migo og miga kay makadala jud nag dimalas sa imong adlaw. Don’t be that person.

Pahugason kas imong mama ug plato nya magpalusot dayon ka. “Magtuon pa ko, Ma! Naa koy test ugma.” Asa ko tuo. Wa pa gani nisud inyong maestra.

Ang imong future parehas kahayag sa imong agtang on a sunny day! If dili hayag imong agtang on a sunny day, panguyab nalang ug dato daan. Para sure.

Magkasugat mo ni crush sa gawas sa inyong classroom ugma, dayon mulingi siya nimo. Pero ayaw sad ug assume na ikaw iyang gitan-aw, te. Imo man gud miga gwapa kaayo so sorry nalang. Move on na tayo.

Color: Potato Corner green

Color: Kalimutaw white

Color: Microsoft Word blue Color: Assumption red


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Today’s CAROLINIAN

JUNE 2016 | Vol. 4 No. 1

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Photographed by June Kirslie Escudero

“It’s not what you do but that kind of job you do that makes the difference.” - Ben Carson


Today’s CAROLINIAN Calling all Carolinian spoken word and music performers! It's two nights of entertainment and inspiration through words and music on July 9 and 23. Sign up now!

http://todayscarolinian.net

Presented by The Walk, Cebu Literary Festival, East West Cafe, Little Boy Productions and Ooomph Radio.

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Today’s CAROLINIAN

JUNE 2016 | Vol. 4 No. 1


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