The Work Newsletter (Vol. 69 Issue No. 3)

CCJE CALLS FOR ADMIN SUPPORT p.6

THE WORK

Photo by Audrey Del Rosario

The Official Student Publication of Tarlac State University

Vol. 69 No. 3 â– February-April 2018

CITY GYPSIES See story on p.8

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Headlines

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

Presidential spox talks on tuition-free policy ratification Addresses gov’t projects, accomplishments

By Andrea Nicole Sapnu THE SPOKESPERSON of President Rodrigo Duterte delivered a speech addressing the ratification of Republic Act 10931 or the Free Tuition Policy for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) on March 3 at Tarlac State University (TSU) Gymnasium.

Together with Commission on Higher Education Executive Director Atty. Julito Vitriolo, Sec. Harry Roque Jr. said that the funding for the Free Tuition Policy from ‘Pork Barrel’ and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) is sufficient to purge miscellaneous fees for the next academic year for SUCs. The law now covers library, computer, laboratory, school ID, athletic, admission, development, guidance, handbook, entrance, registration, medical and dental, cultural, and other similar or related fees.

Government’s on-going actions Another note that the spokesman mentioned is the signing of Republic Act 10969 which states that free irrigation shall be bestowed to farmers with no more than eight hectares of land.

“Ang patubig ay nilikha ng Panginoon. Hindi yan pagmamayari ng kahit sino. Ang karapatan na magkaroon ng patubig ay karapatang pantao,” Roque stressed.

Moreover, he remarked that the Tarlac Province, being the “heart” of Central Luzon and the main producer of rice for Metro Manila, shall benefit from this Act. Roque proceeds to conveying the upcoming plans upon discussing the program Free Lunch Aid to kindergarten and grade school students.

“Hindi ba nakakahiya na ang problema natin ay kung paano gastusin ang pangtaunang budget

University President Myrna Mallari accompanies Sec. Harry Roque as he walks to the stage during his visit and encounter with the students of Tarlac State University.

(Photo from Harry Roque Facebook page)

and yet ang mga kabataan natin ang nakakaranas ng matinding pagkagutom? Ngayon po, nalagdaan na ng Presidente ang libreng lunch para sa mga estudyante sa elementarya,” he proclaimed.

Roque also brings out the Universal Healthcare aiming to provide affordable and quality health care services that shall soon be passed by the Congress.

The spokesperson also addressed the controversial War on Drugs, and expressed that killings should only be in adherence to the law, or

consequences such as imprisonment shall be rendered to violators.

The event concluded with an open-mic question and answer wherein queries raised were with regards to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law and the unresolved land distribution issue in Hacienda Luisita.

Two professors came forward to request a building and a research facility beneficial to TSU students, where Roque assured that their demands shall be brought forth to the Congress.

TSU joins PAASA interactive forum

By Andrea Espinosa TARLAC STATE University (TSU), through the 10 student leaders

and journalists from the Supreme Student Council (SSC) and The Work, was exposed to the 9th Philippine Association of Administrators

SYNERGY. Delegates from different colleges and universities participate in a group activity during the three-day forum organized by PAASA, Inc. (A.A. Labiano)

of Student Affairs (PAASA), Inc. Interactive Youth Forum, February 1-3.

This Workshop and Professional Development Program was held at Azalea Residences, Baguio City with Dr. Gladie Natherine Cabanizas and Mr. Daniel De Guzman of the Student Development Unit who led the delegation representing the university.

The forum featured the themes “The Filipino Youth Leaders for Justice and Peace in the 21st Century” for the students and “Legal Responsibilities in Student Affairs and Services and Mental Health and the Student Affairs” for the student affairs practitioners.

The sessions tackled various topics concerning leadership, justice, and peace building through group sharing sessions as well as plenary

and round-table discussions. Also, it highlighted the “Filipino Youth Leaders as Peace Builders,” and “Legal Responsibilities in Handling Student Affairs and Services” in a series of talks from esteemed speakers.

The student delegates at the forum expressed their appreciation for cultivating their leadership skills and camaraderie, as well as renewing their concern for national issues.

“Natutunan ko na mahalaga ang role nating kabataan lalo na kapag student leader ka sa pag-promote at pagtupad ng peace and justice, ‘di lang sa eskwelahan kundi pati na rin sa bayan,” SSC Executive Assistant Nathan Co said in a statement.

The next national forum of the PAASA Inc. will be held on May 2-4 2018 in Cebu City, and will involve student affairs practitioners only.

Headlines

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

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TSU Performing Arts rocks int’l stage

By Isaih Kyle Umipig

IV of Spades (I.K. Umipig)

IV of Spades brings TSUians back to ‘70s vibes

By Jejomar Contawe AS PART of the Tarlac State University Communicators’ Guild (TSU-CG) 2nd Annual Integration Activities, IV of Spades serenaded TSUians with their funky and disco-influenced music matched with their vintage outfits on February 19 at TSU Gymnasium.

Bearing the theme “REWIND: Reimagining the Past through the Eyes of the Millennials,” the integration activities aimed at exposing the students with the upbeat music and elaborate fashion style from the 1970s era with the quartet band comprising of Unique Salonga, lead vocalist and guitarist; Blaster Silonga, lead guitarist; Badjao de Castro, drummer; and Zild Benitez, bassist and vocalist.

In an interview with Czarina Del Rosario, president of TSUCG, she stated that IV of Spades was contacted through Twitter and fortunately, they had received an immediate response from the band’s road manager for the event to be pushed through.

Furthermore, Del Rosario said that she and her colleagues did not

expect the number of attendees of the concert, ranging from 400 to 500 tickets sold among outsiders and non-Communication students.

“Nag-alangan pa kami sa bayad, pero nagulat kami na dinumog at marami pa ring taong nagbayad na that day lang. ‘Di ko alam kung paano nalaman ng iba kasi may mga taga-Angeles, Manila, Baguio… kaya I can say na sobrang successful [ng event],” she expressed.

“Spades” is the rising local band behind the chart-topping hits “Hey, Barbara,” “Where Have You Been, My Disco?” “Ilaw sa Daan,” “Mundo,” and “Sentimental.”

The concert was free for Communication Arts students, whereas 200 pesos was charged to outsiders and students from other departments.

Prior to the concert, TSUCG also spearheaded “Amazing Comm Race” during the day where various games like “Mambobola,” “Iwasan mo ang Butas,” “I-shoot mo Teh,” and “Pagulungin mo, Baby” were rendered to strengthen the sense of camaraderie among members of the guild.

‘Magwayen’ band back-toback champ in acoustic battle

By Jejomar Contawe FOR TWO consecutive years, Magwayen band outrivaled 10 other competing bands in the Aguli: Acoustic Battle as part of the annual celebration of Arts Month on February 16 in front of the Gender and Development Office.

Magwayen, comprising of Hannah Bermas, vocalist; Kael

Baldonado, keyboardist; Lloyd Tamundong, guitarist; Alfred Estabillo, bassist; and Ivan Saltarin, drummer, performed their hearts out as they serenaded the audiences with IV of Spades’ hit “Ilaw sa Daan” and their own rendition of Sugarfree’s “Tulog Na.” On behalf of the members, Baldonado expressed his gratitude and delight upon winning this year’s

TARLAC STATE University (TSU) Performing Arts Dance Troupe took home several championship trophies as they represent the Philippines in the 2018 European Artistic Dance Championships of the World Artistic Dance Federation (WADF) held in Moscow, Russia, March 8-12.

The troupe grabbed a total of seven trophies in the Choreographed Traditional Dance Category with their artistic dance performances of Amaemaeyatoc, Binasuan, Bumayah, Maglalatik, Ragragsakan, Salawahan (Creative Dance), and Tinikling.

The troupe also reaped runnerup awards in the trio performances bracket which includes Blitbilaan, Palok-Trio; Binayugan, Pasiguin, and Oasioas for duo performances; and Paso Doble, a solo performance of Krizel Queen Dungca.

With this, Philippine Embassy officers and staff welcomed them together with Prof. Marcelino P. Balanquit, head of TSU Culture and the Arts Office, and TSU Student Regent Reynamy Doria.

Balanquit received a Certificate of Appreciation for the troupe’s successful participation in the dance

championships this year from Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Jeffrey Valdez on behalf of Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta.

Hedda Andre Sanchez, member of the dance troupe, stated that they carry with them the pressure since the batch who competed in Russia last 2016 has set a standard as they successfully secured five gold trophies.

“Mahirap din pero it was all worth it kasi ‘di lang namin napantayan, nalampasan pa namin,” she furthered.

The dance troupe extends their gratitude to Prof. Balanquit for his all-out support and guidance to them.

Sanchez added that without their teamwork, they will never go home as champions.

Meanwhile, WADF aims to give non-professional dancers the chance to enhance their talents, as well as to associate them with other dance enthusiasts from the countries across the globe. Also, the troupe was invited regularly to compete in Moscow because of the performances they have showcased.

At this moment, the crew still conducts regular practices in preparation for future competitions and special invitations.

SOLID GOLD. TSU-PA Dance Troupe flaunted smiles as champions in the 2018 European Artistic Dance Championship of the World Artistic Dance Federation in Moscow. (Photo from TSU-PA Dance Troupe Facebook page)

contest for aspiring bands in the university “Nakaka-overwhelm kasi ‘di namin ine-expect na manalo ulit. At na-pressure din bago kami sumalang, kasi kami ‘yung parang defending [winner],” he stated.

According to Baldonado, Magwayen started in October 2016

as “Mocacahetits.” The quartet band then experimented on different names until they came up and settled with “Magwayen” as their official band name whenever they compete in various live band competitions.

Prior to their recent championship, Magwayen >p.4 represented the whole

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Headlines

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

University physician clears alleged clinic issues

By Andrea Espinosa

THE UNIVERSITY physician of Tarlac State University (TSU) cleared up issues of the alleged inconsistencies concerning the operating hours and the medical certificate issuance process of the clinic.

Dr. Rommel Hernandez called out the The Work to clarify some issues following the recent broadsheet release wherein a statement in the ‘Nagtatanong Lang Po’ section pointed out some particular faults of the university clinic.

The said section is a regular part of the editorial page that features overheard questions and/ or commentaries from the students regarding issues inside the university.

In an interview, Hernandez explained the specific operating schedule of the clinic, which is from Mondays to Saturdays, 7:00am to 8:30pm, with no noontime breaks. He further emphasized that the medical certificate issuance for students has

a different schedule which is from 9:00am to 11:00am, and 2:30pm to 4:00pm.

He pointed out that the processing of medical certificates only follows the said allotted time to avoid interruption and disturbance in the regular operating hours, and for them to be able to efficiently assist emergency cases that may arise.

Hernandez also discussed the importance and sensitivity of the medical certificate issuance, referring to the issue where some students complain about the long process in requesting and in the acquisition.

He answered that in cases of outof-school activities where medical certificates are required, students must only fill up a request form, indicating the important details, to formalize their activities.

Requests for medical certificates are usually approved; however, the submission of requests must be timesensitive in order for the clinic to

process the issuance in time for the said activities.

Meanwhile, at times when medical certificates are needed for other purposes such as in cases of sickness, Hernandez said that students must first undergo a consultation at the university clinic to verify their health concerns.

“All of these processes have legal purposes, and we have to conform by that,” Hernandez added.

Being a licensed physician, Hernandez highlighted that their profession prohibits them to just issue medical certificates without conducting proper consultation, as this is considered as a legal document.

Hernandez also elucidated his take regarding the lack of doctors at the satellite clinics of the Lucinda and San Isidro campuses, saying that as a matter of logistics, TSU and even other benchmarked SUCs can only afford one stay-in physician because of high professional fees.

‘Magwayen’ band wins... >from p.3 university in the Culture and the Arts Association of State Universities and Colleges in Region III (CAASUC-III) for the live band competition in October last year.

With Baldonado and Tamundong graduating this year as communication students, they said that Magwayen would continue its pursuits as an indie band, and would open its doors for new members next year.

“Willing to support pa rin kami kahit ‘di pa namin alam kung sino ‘yung pwedeng pumalit sa amin. Pero sa labas ng campus, buhay at kasama pa rin kami sa banda. At nananatili ‘yung pangarap namin para sa grupo,” Baldonado expressed.

Meanwhile, Elysian and Sherry Casks took the second and third spots, respectively, while Hooman seized the People’s Choice Award.

TSU Library increases fines for overdue books

Photo from TSU Library Facebook page

By Jejomar Contawe and Albritch Adam Labiano TARLAC STATE University (TSU) Library increased the fines for unreturned books within 24 hours from five pesos to 20 pesos.

The proposed adjustment in the overdue fees was already approved by the TSU Board of Regents (BOR) last December 2017, but it only took effect on March 5 this year.

According to Cynthia Bognot,

Library Management System (LMS) Director, it has been a long-time proposal but was only authorized when she was officially seated as the officer-in-charge.

“Halos lahat na kasi ng state universities, ‘yon na ang fines, at according doon sa mga accreditors from other schools, they [have] observed na TSU lang talaga ang may fines [for overdue books] na five pesos lang,” she asserted.

Bognot also explained that this

policy does not aim to burden the students with the augmented fines, but to instill discipline and sensitivity among students who do not return the books they borrow because of the meager five-peso charges.

“Mayroon kasing umaabot ng more than two months hindi pa rin naibabalik, kasi nga five pesos lang ‘yung penalty. Eh, limited lang ‘yung books. Paano naman ‘yung ibang hihiram?,” Ritchell Maye Colar, one of the assistants in the office, expressed.

Meanwhile, some students gave their views and reactions regarding the new policy of the library, wherein, Fritz Gerald Narciso, a student from the College of Public Administration and Governance, said he is in favor of the policy.

“Minsan kasi nawawalan ng disiplina ang mga estudyante sa [hindi] pagbabalik ng books. At kung tataasan nila ‘yung fees, magaalangan silang i-disobey ‘yung rules na binibigay ng library at magkocomply sila agad. Eh ‘yung bayad ngayon medyo mabigat na kaya magko-comply na sila,” she added.

On the other hand, a student from the College of Arts and Social Sciences said the fee was a bit high.

“Triple kasi ‘yung pagtaas. Hindi lang naman kasi ito about sa hindi pagbabalik ng students ng mga librong hinihiram nila, about din ‘to sa kung gaano kailangan ng estudyante ang librong hihiramin. Hindi ba pwedeng 20 pesos ‘yung fines pero good for one week na?,” the student expressed.

“But on the bright side, it will instill discipline among students na hindi nagbabalik agad on purpose,” she furthered.

Bognot disclosed that the students can now borrow two to three books a day without an increase in the overdue fines.

There was also an underway proposal to enhance the policy to make the 20-peso charge for overdue books good for 48 hours, and it was said solely for the benefit and convenience of the students.

The increase in the overdue fees is inclusive of all the libraries in the university including Jose V. Yap Library and San Isidro Library.

Headlines

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

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TSU represents PH in ASEAN forum their representing country’s stand and situation.

Participants had showed their inputs and proposed resolutions they have developed to the Board of Dais, who mediated the discussion. These materials were used as factors in the selection of five outstanding delegates.

Ultimately, Canlas had been chosen as one.

COEd’s John Benedict Canlas receives a certificate as he served as a guest speaker in a learning-sharing forum during the AYGF in Indonesia. (Photo from Canlas)

By Jobin Robin Martinez FOUR SELECTED Students from Tarlac State University have represented the Philippines in the recently concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Youth General Forum (AYGF) held at Yogyakarta, Indonesia, May 1-3.

John Benedict Canlas from the College of Education, Supreme Student Council Auditor Princess Dianne Mercado, and The Work correspondents Gianne Merielle Gonzales and Joan Robin Martinez have partaken the event which aims to provide a platform for youth to share ideas, good practices, and experiences among participating youth in addressing ASEAN issues.

The event covered a series of agenda which includes Group Discussions wherein participants have been divided according to the three pillars of ASEAN namely: ASEAN Political Security Community; ASEAN Economic Community, and ASEAN Socio-cultural community–and each group was tasked to identify pressing

issues and present corresponding resolutions.

The issues and resolutions were staged in a plenary session through the representatives from each group, and that Canlas, Mercado, and Martinez, as representatives, had presented the Political Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural community, respectively.

Among the delegates’ performances, Canlas was awarded and recognized as the best speaker.

Meanwhile, International Seminar was also carried out where notable speakers were from youth activists groups and officials in Indonesia and ASEAN. Another agenda is the Model United Nations (MUN), where each delegate represented a country in the United Nations (UN) for the simulation based on how the actual decision-making process is executed in the said global organization.

Revolving around the topic, “Eradicating Forced Labor and Child Labor in the Workplace”, participants were required to have read about

The Work reaps awards in 17th LHEPC

By Jejomar Contawe THE WORK, the official student publication of Tarlac State University, yielded journalistic accolades in both individual and group categories in the 17th Luzonwide Higher Education Press Conference (LHEPC), February 28 to March 2.

With the theme “#NoFilter: Averting False Media through Ethical

Journalism,” the three-day journalism event was conducted at Hotel Supreme, Baguio City in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education.

Pauline Grace Manzano, The Work’s editor in chief, said that she was satisfied with this year’s overall performance of the publication having secured 20 awards; 15 of which came from the group category while >p.6 the other five was produced

Offer as a speaker With the skills of Canlas, the English Department Student Association of the Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) invited him as a guest speaker with the topic "Pre-service English Teachers in the Philippines.”

Prof. Puthut Ardianto, member of UMY Education Department faculty and officer in-charge of the Student Affairs Office, put forth the invitation to grace a learning-sharing forum with a selected group of students studying Bachelor of Education major in English.

Prof. Ardianto also said that the goal of the session is to give the students an idea of how teacher education institutions outside of Indonesia train and educate their prospective teachers.

“UMY is a prime university in the entire Indonesia which made me doubt if there is anything I can share that is still unfamiliar with them,” Canlas stated when asked about the experience, “but we altogether realized that even though we have global standards in education there are still many differences that we have, both good and bad,” he added.

The event was themed "Enhancing Youth Role as Changemaker for ASEAN Community" which was associated with the slogan "Great Youth, Great Changemaker."

It was organized by the International Program of International Relations (IPIREL) Community of the UMY in cooperation with the International Affairs Society of Universiti Utara Malaysia.

According to the participants, the trip was served to be education and culturally enlightening. As Mercado stated: “It was a great feeling seeing the youths from different countries collaborating with each other to come up with solutions on the major problems that Nations even outside ASEAN experience. It has made me realized that as a youth of my beloved country, I am capable of changing it to a better home for my fellow citizens.”

TSU to install elevators for selected buildings; Gymnasium up for renovation By Christian Dela Pena TARLAC STATE University with the request of the College Deans, will be establishing elevators for selected buildings in the three campuses, as stated by the Infrastructure Management Office (IMO).

Engineer Mark Louie Guinto, one of the staffers of the office, said that the project is for the convenience of all students, persons with disability (PWDs) and senior citizens in the university.

He also said that it has already an allotted budget of 2.4 million and the elevators to be used will be from Thailand.

Also, Guinto said that the College of Computer Studies (CCS) and College of Education (COED) will surely have their elevators around August and

September this year, but the other buildings are still under the process of bidding.

Upgrading university gym In line with the development projects of the TSU administration, Architect Eduardo Quintero, Director of IMO also raised the preparation for the modernization of the university sports center.

The renovation will be arranged after this year’s State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUUA) where TSU will be the host of the said event.

He started with the gym’s flooring, wherein, it is to be replaced with a resin type of floor for a safer >p.7 convenience of students;

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Headlines

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

CCJE calls for admin support

By Albritch Adam Labiano WITH A record of 1, 093 expected students, the College of Criminal Justice Education (CCJE) is anticipating for support from the administration of Tarlac State University for they may not be able to accommodate all incoming freshmen this academic year.

The college is currently occupying only the first floor of the former TSU Laboratory School building where it consists merely of Crime Laboratory Room, four instructional rooms, and a faculty office.

According to Dr. Theodore Timpac, CCJE dean, he is assured that the college is fully prepared in terms of academic and discipline aspects but he emphasized that it is their major problem that they are lacking of facilities.

“It is obvious that the college cannot accommodate its students at naiintindihan naman namin ang administration and we are not expecting na [agad-agad] maibibigay [‘yung mga kailangang rooms] pero in the future perhaps maibibigay din,” he expressed.

In four years, Timpac assessed that they would be needing 14 instructional rooms with 14 full-time instructors.

“The administration and the College are working out for the instructional rooms that may be provided by the Municipality of Capas at Cristo Rey School. Let’s hope na mabibigyan tayo ng support especially top performing school tayo sa Criminology,” he furthered.

Meanwhile, with the reported number of College Admission Test-

takers in the college, BS Criminology had emerged as freshmen’s top choice among the programs offered in the university.

The Dean supposed that the reason perhaps is that the community realized that the college is offering quality education considering the fact that the Criminology Department has been a consistent top performing school in the nation in terms of Licensure Examination.

He also said that the zero collection policy offering in all State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) can also be a big factor why there is a sudden increase of CAT-takers in all the colleges. But in CCJE, Timpac stressed that only an approximate number of 400 was qualified for free tuition fee.

On the other hand, BS Accountancy had already closed its doors for the special batch of exams with 992 examinees putting them down as the second preferred course in the university. However, the College of Business and Accountancy (CBA) still have the biggest population tallying 2, 507 examinees, as of April 25.

Also, College of Education had documented 2, 139; College of Engineering and Technology with 1, 731; 828 for College of Computer Studies; College of Arts and Social Sciences with a record of 556; College of Science with 490; and College of Architecture and Fine Arts with 400 total combined regular and first batch of special exam.

The Work’s representatives smile for the camera after receiving numerous awards in the 17th Luzonwide Higher Education Press Conference in Baguio City.

The Work reaps awards... through individual category winners.

On the other hand, the publication’s entry for the Newsletter category was disqualified because the white board paper that was used for the competition was said to be ‘glossy.’

“Nung awards’ night, nag-aabang ang The Work para sa Newsletter, tapos walang natanggap [na awards]. So, sa side ng publication, hindi tanggap kasi alam na maganda talaga ‘yung sa Newsletter entry at maraming naipanalo ‘yon noong RHEPC [Regional Higher Education Press Conference],” Manzano

>from p.5

stated.

The same disqualification case was also filed to other publications in Region III, which sufficed for Region IV-A to overthrow Central Luzon as last year’s best performing region.

Despite the disqualification, Manzano expressed her joy and accepted the case with a silver lining.

“Honored pa rin ako as EIC dahil may mga nanalo at umabot ng LHEPC na bago pa lang,” Manzano stressed.

The winners for the individual and group categories are as follows:

GROUP AWARDS

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Tabloid 4th place, News Page 3rd Best Tabloid 4th place, Sports Page 1st place, News Page 5th place, Page Design 1st place, DevComm Page Literary Folio 2nd place, Editorial and (Obra: Trese) Opinion Page 8th Best Literary Folio 2nd place, Page Design 2nd place, Page Design 5th place, Feature Page Magazine 7th place, Literary Page (Metanoia) Broadsheet 4th place, DevComm Page 9th Best Broadsheet 9th place, Feature Page

Kenneth Leo Pamlas 1st place, Editorial Cartooning (Filipino) 1st place, Literary Graphics (Filipino) 2nd Highest Pointer Joseph Carlo Pineda 4th place, Layouting Pauline Grace Manzano 6th place, Photojournalism (English)

TSU lifts cultural appreciation in PAMANA forum

By Isaih Kyle Umipig EIGHT STUDENT representatives from Supreme Student Council and The Work have raised their awareness as they attended PAMANA: A Culture Appreciation and Heritage Preservation Forum, March 17.

Held at Holy Angel University (HAU), Ayala Young Leaders Alumni Association Inc., the organizer of the event, also counted in topics like Media and Information Literacy, and Gender and Development in the discussion compared to last year’s focus on Climate Change, Human Rights, and Peace and

Conflict Transformation.

The event includes comprehensive talks where Architect Floyd S. Dizon discussed the technicalities of culture and heritage. Also, Mr. Paul John Hernandez, a heritage advocate, shared what the current generation can do to revive the overlooked parts of the Filipino history and culture.

The delegates have visited HAU’s Center for Kapampangan Studies, Pinatubo Museum, and Manansala Museum. In Angeles City Heritage District, meanwhile, they were able to see the Holy Rosary Parish, Museo Ning Angeles, and the Pamintuan

Mansion.

PAMANA is one among the three legs of Gintong Ani Talks (GAT) 2018 which aims to tackle relevant social issues and ways how the youth can contribute to these.

Jester Aries A. Sagun, PAMANA program head, stated that this activity is purposed for the young generation to value their rich culture through exposure to the histories and its connection to the present time.

Sagun furthered that everything was easily executed because of the support of HAU and Angeles City Tourism Office.

“Overall, maganda naman ang kinalabasan ng PAMANA, base din sa mga feedback sa evaluation. Nakakuha kami ng ‘Excellent’ overall ratings mula sa mga nakilahok sa PAMANA,” he added.

It is expected that the other parts of GAT 2018 such as The Millenial Project: Media and Information Literacy will be held at Nueva Ecija while the Gender and Development Forum will be at Tarlac.

Student-leaders and student journalists from the provinces in the region such as Tarlac, Pampanga, and Bulacan, have joined the said forum.

Headlines

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

STUDENT ELECTIONS 2018

STAND Party raises complaints on DQ cases

By Lorddan Faller STUDENT ALLIANCE for The Advancement of Democratic Rights (STAND) Party has drawn several grievances including their absence to the compulsory information session that resulted to disqualification.

The attendance on the said session is a newly added requirement for student-leader aspirants that were made mandatory by the Commission on Student Elections (COMSELEC).

The said activity was announced a week before the automated election through posts online and printed announcements posted on each floor of every building.

COMSELEC Chairman Bernard Ian Nieto said that the session is very essential for all candidates so that they could ask and raise all concerns that may arise in the future including their responsibility to the calendar of activities, the necessary requirements to be submitted and their involvement to the changes made for this year's election.

"Being an aspiring leader kasi dapat alam mo kung ano ang nangyayari sa election, kung paano ka mae-elect, at kung ano ba magiging concern mo sa mga dates na ibibigay namin [COMSELEC], at sa mga rules," he justified.

Meanwhile, STAND Party is making complaints regarding their

disqualification case.

Mary Joy Raon, campaign manager of STAND, said that the Constitution and By-laws of the committee were not mentioned to them, wherein, candidates or parties who were not able to attend the mandatory session or even have at least three representatives will not be recognized; therefore, they are automatically prohibited to run.

Raon also made mention of the slate of STAND in the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) who were supposed to run for the College Student Council, but they do not have representatives in the info-session; thus, they are not able to submit a Certificate of Candidacy (COC).

"For me, it was an informal announcement (na disqualified kami) kasi hindi naman isinama nu'ng nagannounce sila na kapag hindi nakapagcomply (hindi naka-attend nung session) ay hindi na pwedeng humabol," she expressed.

Raon sought help from their seniors in the Party and immediately sent a complaint letter to the Committee.

The said letter contains the demand and their reasons why they were asking for clarification of automatic disqualification of the prospective candidates.

"Wala naman kasi [Certificate of Attendance na binibigay each day] noong humabol ako last year, wala kaming

PRE-JUDGMENT. COMSELEC Chairman Bernard Ian Nieto gives his opening remarks during the convocation of the 2018 Student Elections on May 4 at TSU Heroes Park which was attended by aspiring student leaders. (N.J. Calma)

ganun," she stressed.

Oppositely, Nieto pointed out that it’s not really a disqualification because there is only of such if there is a resolution.

“Disqualification siya in a point na hindi kasi sila um-attend nung session which is one of the qualifications na hinihingi, so it is a disqualification na hindi na sila pwedeng humabol,” he clarified.

The committee responded to the letter given, but Raon did not take the reply even. It was said that she was texted many times.

The campaign manager explained that she wasn't able to get the response because she was busy then with her thesis, also, she did not even hesitate to secure it from the committee for she already knew the answer. But she clarified that she was only notified once.

STEP’s feat against the rule As a result of the issue, Striving Towards Empowerment and Progress (STEP) party, having no opposing team, passed through the battle of which they shall attain the 50 percent plus one policy that has been set by the committee. As it is stated in the regulation, each candidate must get the 50 percent of the overall votes plus one in order to be formally elected as new officers.

With the case of STEP on May 11, they had successfully overcome and surpassed the said rule.

"This year's election was a great challenge for us and that challenge is ourselves because we need to meet the rule (50% + 1) and we need to encourage students to exercise their right to vote. But at the end, we were blessed that we have accumulated almost 78% of all votes," Adrian Eliorico, newly-elected SSC president, articulated.

To complete the new members of the Council are the following: Cris Allan Agustin, Vice President; Kimberly Manansala, Senator on Records; Nathan John Russel Co, Senator on Finance; Harold Joseph Duane Hilario, Senator on Audit; Aireene Pacheco, Senator on

7

ELECTED SSC OFFICERS A.Y. 2018-2019

ADRIAN ELIORICO PRESIDENT

CRIS ALLAN AGUSTIN VICE PRESIDENT

KIMBERLY MANANSALA RECORDS

NATHAN JOHN RUSSEL CO FINANCE

HAROLD JOSEPH DUANE HILARIO AUDIT

AIREENE PACHECO PUBLIC INFO

HARVY LAGASCA WAYS & MEANS

Public Information; and Harvy Lagasca, Senator on Ways and Means.

Eliorico also gave a statement to the incident of ineligibility of STAND but he only told that they are all leaders and he assumes that they have one goal for the University and that is to serve the student body. He is hopeful that they (STAND) will help for the empowerment of students.

"Since nandyan na ‘yung mga first year, magte-train kami ng mga susunod pang mga leaders at ipa-prioritize 'yung needs ng mga irregular students by means of having orientations that will be conducted for them to tackle their problems," he added when asked about their first move right after they took their oath.

TSU to set elevators for selected buildings... >from p.5 thus, the office hopes for the 20 million scope of budget because air conditioning unit will also be set up.

“Yung bleacher’s area ay aayusin

din, lalagyan ng konting space kasi tuwing may games walang space yung mga manlalaro. Babawasan yung space sa lower part ng bleachers tapos maglalagay ng second level bleachers

pag nagawa to, makakalabas at pasok ng yung mga estudyante sa boulevard na mismo hindi na sa maliliit na gates na critical in case of emergency”, he added.

This project aims to improve the capacity of the gym so that during Intramurals, all students will be accommodated and will be given a chance to witness the celebration.

8

Development

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

KULTURA

Layag at Paglaya

Ni Andrea Espinosa

“Gustuhin man namin o hindi, ganito lang ang alam namin. Hindi rin naman namin sila masisi kung ayaw nila sa mga namamalimos, kasi alam din namin na mahirap ang buhay ng lahat ng tao.” – Nanay Cristine Sa kahabaan ng Aquino Bridge ay mayroong mga malalagong kwento ng buhay na sinasaklawan ng siksikang palengke, halimuyak ng goto at mami, at dikeng tigang ang pilapil. Maging sa masangsang na amoy ng hangin sa parte ng siyudad na ito, makikita na ang mga tao na namamalagi rito ay bumuo na ng komunidad kung saan ang mumunting kultura nila ay binubuo ng magkakaparehas na salaysay sa kabila ng kanilang pagkakaiba.

Bagama’t ang kahabaan ng ating tulay ay okupado na ng mga sari-saring kainan at mga bagong-gawang stalls at waiting sheds, mayroon pa ring mga karakter sa naratibo ng isang subculture rito, kung saan sila ay madalas na hindi pinapansin at isinasantabi lamang minsan ng mga taong nagagawi sa Aquino Bridge.

Sila ay ang mga inang balot sa matitingkad na malong, suot ang pudpod na mga gomang tsinelas, bitbit sa kaliwang bisig ang kanilang mga sanggol, habang ang kanang kamay ay nakabukas upang maghintay ng kakaunting limos mula sa mga dumadaang tao. Sila ay ang mga katutubong SamaBadjao—mga taong-dagat na sumampa sa barko at pumalaot upang lumaya mula sa terorismo sa Mindanao, at hanapin ang grasya at kapayapaang ipinangako sa kanila ng buhay dito sa siyudad.

KYAH, KYAH! PEMBARYA! Dito sa lungsod ng Tarlac, madalas makikita ang mga nanlilimos na Badjao sa mga lansangan at dyip kung saan sila ay sumasampa rin upang manghingi ng tulong sa mga pasahero. Marahil ay lagi silang nakikita sa mga dyip na papuntang Burot o kaya nama’y Capas ang ruta, dala ang kanilang mga latang tambol, sobre, at minsan ay tangan pa ang mga maliliit na kapatid.

Ang mga batang Badjao na ito ay madalas na ipagtabuyan ng mga tao sa kadahilanang sila ay makulit at kung minsan ay agresibo pa kung sila ay humingi. Sa bawat pagsabit ng mga kabataang Badjao na ito sa mga dyip, nagiging pamilyar tayo sa kanilang mga munting boses na sumasambit ng “Kyah! Pembarya!” at sa tono ng kanilang pagtapik sa mga latang tambol na nakasabit sa kanilang mga leeg. Sa plataporma ng social media, makikita na itong mga nanlilimos ay ginagawa nang katatawanan sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakalat at pagnonormalisa ng mga memes, o mga posts na ginagawa lang na katuwaan ang pamumulubi ng ating mga katutubong Badjao.

Ito man ay isang di-pormal na uri ng diskurso, ang paksa ng kanilang panlilimos ay lumalawak sa negatibong paraan—na sa halip na makatulong sa kanila ay mas lalo pang inilalayo ang mga tao sa katotohanan ng kanilang kahirapan.

URBAN NA KOMUNIDAD NG MGA BADJAO Sa kabila ng diskriminasyon sa mga pulubing Badjao, mayroon silang mga angking kwento na hindi alam ng mga taong itinuturing

lamang sila bilang mga pulubi. Sa tabi ng Uniwide Warehouse sa Brgy. San Nicolas namamalagi ang mga katutubong Badjao sa ilalim ng marahas na init ng araw. Sa lugar na ito, makikitang nakatambak ang kanilang kakaunting kagamitan habang ang mga nanlilimos na ina ay nagpapasuso ng kanilang mga anak.

Sa napakaliit at pansamantalang komunidad na ito namamalagi ang mag-iinang Badjao. Isa na rito si Nanay Felisa, 39, tubong Basilan. Tangan ni Nanay Felisa sa kanyang tabi ang dalawang-taong gulang na anak na si Patresa. Magkasama ang mag-ina na nakaupo lamang at nagmamasid sa mga paalis na dyip sa terminal, naghihintay sa mga dadaang pasahero na magbigay-limos.

Matipid sumagot si Nanay Felisa sapagkat ang kanyang Tagalog ay hindi pa gaanong matuwid. Sa kanyang tabi naman ay si Nanay Cristine, 42, na tubong Zambaoanga naman. Mahigpit ang hawak ng kanyang mga anak na si Clarisa, 6, at Manelba, 2, sa malong ng kanilang ina tuwing sila ay lalapitan ng hindi nila kakilala. Gayunpaman, bakas pa rin sa kanilang mga mukha na nais nilang ibahagi ang katotohanan ng kanilang kondisyon dito sa terminal.

Mula Zamboanga, sumakay ng barko si Nanay Cristine kasama ang iba pang mga katutubong Badjao. Ito ay dahil sa kadahilanang napakahirap daw ng pamumuhay sa probinsya lalo na’t mainit ang problema ng terorismo sa gawing kanluran ng bansa.

“Sinunog ang bahay namin doon. ‘Di na kami nakahanap ulit ng bahay kasi ‘yung asawa ko, walang trabaho, sumisisid lang sa dagat para humanap ng maibebenta,” kwento ni Nanay Cristine nang tanungin kung bakit sila tumungo sa Luzon. “Magulo doon, laging nagbabarilan,” tugon niya.

Matatandaan na ang armadong sagupaan sa Mindanao ay matagal nang isyu sa bansa. Nagdudulot ito ng takot sa mga pambansang minorya tulad na lamang ng katutubong grupo ng Sama-Badjao.

Sila ay

napipilitang umalis at mag-resettle sa ibang lugar o kaya naman ay patuloy na magtago sa mga mapaniil na terorista upang sila ay makapamuhay araw-araw.

Nasa tinatayang 100 ang Badjao na informal settlers sa kaligiran ng Uniwide, ayon sa report ng City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO). Nakapagtayo na noon ang mga Badjao ng isang tent community sa lote sa tabi ng Uniwide.

Gamit ang pinagtagpi-tagping tolda at nagamit nang mga tarpaulins, sila ay nakagawa ng kanilang mga mumunting tahanan. Ngunit dahil ito ay maituturing na ilegal, ito ay ipinaalis ng lokal na gobyerno sa kanilang mga nagdaang saturation drives. Ang mga naturang saturation drives ay ginagawa ng mga kawani ng gobyerno upang tugunan at linisin ang mga dalang kalat ng mga informal settlers.

Bagama’t palaging pinapaalis ang mga nanlilimos na Badjao mula sa kanilang pananatili sa tabi ng Uniwide at terminal, patuloy pa rin silang bumabalik dito.

“Kapag sinabing umalis kami, aalis naman kami.

Pero babalik lang din kami dito pagkatapos ng ilang linggo,” ulat ni Nanay Cristine, “Wala naman kaming ibang mapuntahan.”

PAG-ASA SA GITNA NG TERMINAL Nananatili namang buhay ang diwa ng isang ina na si Nanay Mayla, tubong Zamboanga rin, na may angking lalim ng kaisipan bagama’t hindi na nito matandaan kung ilang taon na siya.

Isa lamang si Nanay Mayla sa tinatayang 100 na informal settlers sa tabi ng terminal, subalit ang kwento ng kanyang buhay ay isang mainam na paalala sa atin na ang ating mga katutubong Badjao ay mayroon ding mga dinadalang mabibigat na pasanin sa kabila ng kanilang payak na buhay.

Mayroong tatlong anak si Nanay Mayla ngunit isa lamang ang kanyang bitbit sa kanyang mga bisig.

Ang dalawa niyang anak, gulang 7 at 4, ay iniwan niya sa kanyang mga biyenan sa Bakod Bayan sa Cabanatuan, kung saan sila ay nag-aaral kasama pa ng mga ibang Badjao na nag-resettle sa lugar na iyon.

Mula sa terminal dito sa Tarlac ay naglalakad si Nanay Mayla sa mga karatig bayan ng Gerona o Paniqui upang manlimos. Kung susuwertihin, siya ay kikita ng 50-150 piso sa isang araw. Magtatabi siya ng porsyento ng kanyang limos para pambili ng kakainin nila ng kanyang anak. Ang karamihan sa kanyang nalimos ay itatabi niya upang ipadala sa kanyang biyenan at anak sa Bakod Bayan.

Mas malaki umano ang kita ni Nanay Mayla sa pamamalimos dito sa Tarlac kaysa sa Cabanatuan, kaya naman maski gustuhin niyang manatili na lamang sa piling ng kanyang pamilya ay patuloy siyang bumabalik dito sa Tarlac. Ang asawa naman ni Nanay Mayla ay nagtitinda ng mga accessories sa mga bus sa pamamagitan ng proyekto ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) na Sustainable Livelihood Programs.

Gustuhin man daw ni Nanay Mayla na humanap ng disenteng trabaho

ay hindi nito magawa dahil hindi niya alam kung paano mag-aplay.

“Kaming mga walang pinag-aralan, nahihirapan talagang maghanap ng trabaho.

‘Di namin alam kung anong kailangan na papel, kung paano ‘yung mga sulat-sulat.

Ayaw din kaming tanggapin ng mga ibang tao,” aniya.

Kaya naman ganoon na lamang ang mithiin ni Nanay Mayla para sa kanyang mga anak. “Ang dami raw binabayaran doon sa school, ang mahal ng mga papel at gamit. Pero gusto ko talagang makatapos ang mga anak namin, para naman sana di sila matulad sa amin na ganito lang,” kwento niya, “Ang hirap nga lang talaga dahil nanlilimos lang kami. Ito lang kasi ang alam naming gawin.”

SA PERSPEKTIBO NG GOBYERNO Subalit ang usaping moralidad na sumasaklaw sa isyu ng ating pagbibigay sa mga nanlilimos ay mas malalim pa kaysa sa paliwanag na ang mga pulubi, ayon sa ating gobyerno, ay hindi raw dapat hikayatin pa na magpatuloy sa panlilimos sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay sa kanila ng barya-barya.

Batid ng CSWDO, sa pamumuno ng kanilang officer in charge na si Jimbo Soriano, na ang problema ng mendicancy o panlilimos ay isang malaking problema sa buong bansa. Ayon sa kaniya, nahihikayat ang mga katutubong Badjao na magpatuloy sa panlilimos dahil mayroong mga nagbibigay sa kanila.

Ang Anti-Mendicancy Law ng 1987 ay nabuo na layuning bawasan ang mga nanlilimos sa daan, kasama na ang mga katutubong grupo na dumadayo sa siyudad. Inaamin ng National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), ang pangunahing ahensya na namumuno sa antimendicancy programs, na nahihirapan pa rin sila sa implementasyon ng batas na ito.

Sa kanilang pagsisiyasat, batid ng NCIP at DSWD na hindi sumasapat ang kanilang tulong sa mga pulubing katutubo na nanlilimos sa lansangan. Kaya naman ninanais nilang iimplementa pa nang mas masidihi ang batas na ito. Naniniwala ang lokal na gobyerno at mga pangunahing ahensyang ito na matutugunan ang ugat ng problema ng mendicancy sa pamamagitan ng pagbabawal sa mga tao na magbigay-tulong o limos sa mga katutubong Badjao.

“Kaya mayroong mga nanlilimos ay dahil may mga nagbibigay,” paliwanag ni Soriano, “at nahihirapan kaming ipatupad ang batas na ito dahil magmumukha tayong hindi makadiyos at makatao.

I don’t blame them. Pero bago natin lutasin ang problema ng mga Badjao mendicants, unahin muna sana natin ang mga problema natin dito sa city.”

Ang NCIP, DSWD, at lokal na gobyerno ng Tarlac ay nakipagkoordina sa bayan ng Pampanga at Cabanatuan upang kunin ang mga Badjao mendicants sa Tarlac at bigyan sila ng pabahay sa mga resettlement areas dito.

Sa ngayon, ang lokal na gobyerno ng Tarlac ay nagsasagawa ng rescue operations upang protektahan umano ang mga katutubong Badjao

“Umalis kami sa Mindanao dahil umasa kaming mayroong tutulong sa amin dito. ‘Di naman kami nagpunta rito para gumawa ng masama.

Gusto lang namin ay tahimik na buhay.”

-Nanay Mayla mula sa panganib na dala ng pamamalimos sa kalsada at sa pagtatayo ng mga marurupok na imprastraktura sa tabi ng terminal.

SA KARANASAN NG MGA KATUTUBONG BADJAO “Umalis kami sa Mindanao dahil umasa kami na mayroong tutulong sa amin dito. ‘Di naman kami nagpunta rito para magnakaw o gumawa ng masama. Gusto lang namin ay tahimik na buhay. ‘Yun pala, ganito lang ang gagawin sa amin. Papalayasin kami at itatapon [ang] mga gamit namin,” naluluhang kwento ni Nanay Mayla nang tanungin ukol sa rescue operations na isinasagawa ng CSWDO, Public Order and Safety Office (POSO), at iba pang kawani.

Aalis naman ang mga katutubong Badjao kung sila man ay paaalisin, bagama’t inaamin nilang minsan, sa kanilang desperasyon, ay nakikipagbuno sila sa mga kawani ng POSO at mga barangay tanod.

Saksi rin ang isang barker ng dyip sa terminal na si Mang Mike sa rescue operations na ito.

“Nung nakaraan nga, itinago ng mga Badjao ‘yung mga natitirang gamit nila sa may talahib, e kaso noong nakita ng mga POSO at tanod, kinuha pa rin nila. ‘Di sila nagtira,” kwento nito.

Nang tanungin naman ukol sa mga probisyon ng anti-mendicancy law, sagot naman ni Nanay Cristine ay hindi naman niya masisisi ang gobyerno kung gusto nila itong ipatupad.

“Kung magbibigay ang mga tao, salamat. Kung hindi, salamat din. Naiintindihan naman namin sila.

Mahirap talaga ang buhay tapos dumadagdag pa kaming mga nanlilimos,” sabi niya. *** Hindi na lingid sa ating kaalaman na ang sarisaring karanasan ng tao ay maiuugat sa materyal na kondisyon ng lipunan. Sa lansangan man o sa mga dyip, anak man o ina, ang mga katutubong Badjao ay mayroon ding karapatang mamuhay nang maayos—dala ang kasarinlang hitik sa kultura at kapayapaan.

Photos by Audrey Del Rosario and Nica Joy Calma

10

Development

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

ETHICS

DISSECTING THE OPPRESSOR FROM PROFESSOR An in-depth analysis on faculty bullying

By Andrea Nicole Sapnu

Development

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

P

lato was a great thinker who created great thinkers.

He was first and foremost a teacher and has produced the likes of Aristotle, who had exceptional contributions to the field of logic, to metaphysics and to the arts.

This ancient Greek philosopher once said, “Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds.”

People like Gandhi and Mandela, who were great influencers of their time, are shaped within the four classroom walls, primarily. In order to inspire minds is to first have an empowered mind; the harnessing of one’s thinking relies greatly on his teachers.

In life, we come across a wide array of educators. No two teachers are unerringly alike in terms of level of thinking, nor have similar viewpoints as to which strategies can hone their students better. In fact, it is no secret that students have the tendency to establish a hierarchy among their teachers; they decide who they fancy and who goes to the far, opposite end of their list. But it is not all the time that these decisions are made out of sheer bias.

Every classroom is not guaranteed to have a high regard on ethics. Ironically, there are instances wherein the person who is expected to build up one’s morale is the very being that disintegrates it.

Faculty bullying is the continual physical or verbal threatening or exploitation done by teachers to their students. In the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, it does not exclude authorities in educational institutions. The bill mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) to provide training for teachers and guidance counselors on how to discipline misbehaving students “without resorting to corporal punishment.” However, the bill only covers teachers in the secondary and elementary levels.

Tarlac State University (TSU) currently caters students in thousands. How could one ascertain that no student in this population had gone face-toface with classroom hostility?

The preceding interviews attempt to prove that abusive teachers could still freely lurk in the shadowy corridors of higher education institutions.

Ironically, there are instances wherein the person who is expected to build up one’s morale is the very being that disintegrates it.

IT COMES IN DIFFERENT FACES According to the data provided by the TSU Peer Facilitators’ Circle, a suborganization of the Guidance Office composed of student volunteers, two out of 10 TSUians reported that they have been harassed by their professors— among this small percentage are Mark*, Rachelle*, and Sarah*.

The three emerged from the pits of their silences to speak of their faculty bullying experiences – each a unique (yet disheartening) tale of its own.

Mark* was a classic homeroom example: his name was consistently present in his professor’s gags in between discussions. From the concerned looks on his classmates’ faces that brought up this claim, there was no doubt that the jokes, most of the time, turn to the opposite direction from the professor’s original intent. Mark has self-esteem issues due to the fact that he was most often synonymized with the words ‘swine’ or ‘goliath’ and terms of the like that get uttered in lectures.

Mr. Franklin Manalo, Guidance Counselor of the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), explained that bullying occurs to students who are not good at presenting their physical selves in social situations, broadening the chances of them getting called and labeled with horrible terms.

“Humor yung intention pero hindi nila alam na hindi na tama kung minsan. Sa discussions, kadalasan nag-iinsert sila (professors) ng jokes – jokes na sa ibang tao ay nakakasakit especially kung panlalait. And worse, nasasabi pa with wrong choice of words,” the college counselor said.

Rachelle*, on the other hand, had not been tormented with harsh words towards her physical appearance. In fact, she even held the title for an organizationwide beauty pageant, year 2016.

However, based on her retelling of her personal experiences, her relationship with her professors says otherwise.

“Dumating kasi sa point na naging irregular ako tapos nasabihan ako ng prof na bobo dahil lang sa isang subject na hindi ko nakuha,” Rachelle reminisces.

As much as the chances are high for the students from her college to become irregular students, it is also common that professors establish such kind of prejudice against them, similar to what Rachelle narrated.

On the other hand, the most ironic of all cases is that of Sarah*. Who would have thought that students with excellent academic standings could also be a target of prof-bullies?

Sarah eats inarguably high expectations for breakfast, wherein in one of her first subjects of the day, she was pushed by this particular professor to her utmost limits.

“There is motivation that helps and [there is] motivation that intoxicates. Iba ‘yung way ng pagmomotivate niya sa akin kung icocompare sa ibang students na tinuturuan niya. Hindi ako pwedeng magkamali. Imbes na malift-up ka, mas lalo ka pang magkakaroon ng doubts sa sarili mo dahil napupuna niya lahat ng ginagawa mo,” Sarah voices out her dismay.

In addition, Sarah confesses that in almost every meeting with her professor, this is always the scenario (as if the professor does it on purpose). The reason behind her consequent humiliation from this professor remains a mystery to her and her classmates who were witnesses to these instances.

“Power tripping” is what guidance counselor Manalo calls the approach in which teachers or instructors take advantage of their authority to oppress their students, possibly for the reason that some teachers set their standards high and once

11

these expectations have not been met, manifestations of their disappointments are laid out upon their students.

“Dalawang bagay lang ‘yan, may tendency na mambully ang isang professor either dahil hindi niya tanggap na may weakness ‘yung isang bata or masyadong challenging sa professor ang student na iyon kaya ganoon na lamang ang pagtrato sa kaniya,” he explained.

The insights of professors on a certain student affect the viewpoint of other students upon this child since teachers or instructors are the most dominating personalities in the classroom.

DEAD END TSU Peer Facilitators’ Circle’s Mary Antonette Candela advises that students do not have any other choice but to be emotionally prepared for these situations. Most professors who often commit bullying are considered veterans in the academe, based on the reports they have been receiving from students. These teaching personnel cannot be terminated for the reason that they browbeat students.

She suggested that seminars which help students strengthen their emotions and teach them how to deal with grim situations are necessary. It is not all the time that professors could be sensitive enough to attend to the emotional needs of their students.

However, Sir Manalo advised that students must not be ashamed to voice out their distresses first to the professors who concern them before reporting to higher authorities such as their respective chairpersons or college deans.

If all else fails, he emphasized the difference one could make when he learns to empathize with a troubled colleague.

“Lahat ng tao, may kahinaan kung kaya’t marapat lang na intindihin natin ang bawat isa, sa halip na hamakin pa natin sila lalo,” Counselor Manalo concludes. *** Education is an arrow shot to the void of ignorance and it is crucial for our teachers to help us understand the best ways to hit the target. After all, behind every remarkable individual in history is a stimulating and morally straight teacher.

12

Development

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

DEMOGRAPHY

1 out of 10 Filipino young women (aged 15 to 19 y/o) is already a mother

24

babies are delivered by teenage mothers per hour

P33 billion

are lost annually in the Philippines as a result of teenage pregnancy

71% of the first premarital sex are unprotected

36.7% of Filipino youth believe early sexual encounter is acceptable in society SOURCES: Philippine Statistics Authority, United Nations Population Fund, National Youth Commission

A Teenager Without A Teenage Life

By Arsenio Santiago Jr.

Being the center of envy began rolling when she was still very young.

She had a life that most girls she knows want, and she claims she was well-cared of mainly because she swam privileged compared to the other youngsters who barely have one. She could buy all the things she wanted because material provisions were not overmuch a problem in the family.

She would point an object of her interest at the moment, and the next second she would already have it.

This was Sheila, not her real name.

She is 13, a village beauty, and an only child to a well-off family. No matter who you would ask who she is, they would always answer who she was: the perfect girl for many, the ideal girl for some.

But most people, including her then-supportive family, decided that the center of envy vanished three months ago when she came home with another heartbeat in her belly.

Once there was only one Sheila, and suddenly there are two.

FAIRYTALE RELATIONSHIP She met Mark earlier of this year. She said he was charming and handsome, like someone you would fall in love with in just one sight.

Girls and even boys want to be with him, and Sheila was one of them.

“He was my first crush,” she said. “I felt really weird

when I saw him for the first time. I thought it was unexplainable.”

Like many relationships, they both began as friends. Sheila was a Bamban born and bred, and so is Mark; hence, they go out more often with their clique as distance was not much of a problem.

However, one day, Mark decided to further and go beyond his friendship with Sheila, and Sheila responded affirmatively when he started courting.

“I think it feels like a perfect relationship,” she said, “like the fairy tales I used to watch before.”

During the early stages of their relationship, they usually went out with their circle of friends. They hang out everywhere so long as ‘we got each other.’ But as their relationship grew deeper, they began to date by themselves. Until both of them decided to go to intimate places at risky hours.

“I always asked myself if I was really ready to do it,” she recalled. “But I loved him, and I didn’t want to lose him.”

And then one night, she went home to her parents, knowing that her life will never be hers again because she already has another life inside her.

“IT WOULD BE A MISERY.” One of the most devastating

JUMP TO P.13

Perspective

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

13

Redefining Human Life:

Consciousness and breathing—neither of both makes the precise equivalent of feeling alive.

A “

Guts and Roses Andrea Nicole B. Sapnu nicolesapnu05@gmail.com Associate and Literary Editor AB English

“Our lives are matchsticks we burn for the pinnacle.”

ll we do is chase the day.

All we do is play it safe.“ When was the last time you found yourself sinking in the heart of a busy metropolis and pausing to marvel at the hues of the setting sky? When was the last time you paused for something solely for the purpose of acknowledging its existence?

When was the last time you paused?

I used to despise the frantic traffic jams until I realized that it is only in the congested highways where my co-passengers are left with no choice but to patiently wait for the clogging to dissolve.

It is no longer peculiar in moments of traffic, when you’ve made a patron of commuting out of yourself, to become a stranger’s shoulder to lean on, in the literal sense.

I lost count of the times somebody rests his head on the curvature of my neck and shoulders; some reeking of sweat and alcohol if I’m quite lucky enough. They would wake up wiping their chins with the back of their palms, checking for any trace of drool. They would apologize afterwards for straining the upper part of my chest and leave before I could tell them that I don’t mind having my sleeves wrinkled if it meant they could sneak in short naps in their busy schedule.

Sometimes, I tend to admire sleeping passengers from a distance as they snuggle in the makeshift pillow they made out of their luggage. From there, this

DEVELOPMENT

A Teenager Without a Teenage Life FROM P.12 is more alarming is that 36.7 % of Filipino youth believe that early sexual encounter is acceptable.

“If I could only go back to that moment, I would choose not to have sex,” Sheila said. “I never thought it would be a misery.”

trail of thought comes to mind; to whom or to what do we actually drain ourselves for? How rational are our motivations as to why we continually do things?

“All we do is chase the day.

All we do is play it safe.”

Our lives are matchsticks we burn for the pinnacle. We were taught that the very peak of one’s life is upon the achievement of his most paramount dreams; to earn a particular degree, to land on that specific job, to have kids and to own a car and be able to pay rent.

This is the commonly used basis of a successful life.

How do we attain this? Twelve years of basic education, four to five years in college, years of exceptional academic standings, years of unwavering toil and labor and none for anything else other than the superficial.

We like things fast-paced.

We like shortcuts and beating deadlines. We have established hatred towards the things that slow us down for fear of not being able to fulfill our plans in time. Eventually, we would tire ourselves out and wait for another day to hustle and bustle under the influence of our drives and drain the life force out of us again. Did anybody ask for this?

Whilst in the hunt for good music, I came across an Oh Wonder lyric. It is about being human: “All we do is chase the day.

All we do is play it safe.“ All we do is burn the future to keep ourselves warm, says renowned best-selling author John Green. To be human is to not be the recipient of society’s demands all of the time. To be human is to knowing

OUT OF THE TEENAGE LIFE From time to time, she would blame herself with her situation, but she was determined to go on with her life.

She could not help but compare her life before and after her pregnancy. Compared to her classmates and friends, she would not complain for the lack of material provisions.

However, things are different now. Instead of using her allowance to go out with friends, she started saving and buying things for her

when to take a break and when to take action. To be human is not to be unafraid of the melancholy of failure because human is crafted with the ability to grasp real emotions and regain himself after having been devastated by squalls came his way.

Human is so much more than its dictionary equivalence we are familiar with. What make us human are not our paychecks, let alone our productivity, rather how deeply we empathize with other human beings. At the end of the day, no matter who we are or our spot in the social hierarchy, we are just tiresome passengers in the rush hour public transportation, only dependent on the longevity of traffic to get some rest, aching for a stranger’s shoulders to place our heads on.

It seems that everything we do is for the purpose of survival; it is either keep up or get left behind.

We have so much time pining for material things, we neglect keeping in touch with distant friends and relatives. We put our physical and emotional health at the latter part of our checklists.

Merely surviving will never be at par with living. The million dollar question is, are you surviving or living? To know which, I shall test you with a series of million dollar questions: Can you recall the last time you paused to be mindful of everything other than your materialistic urges?

Can you recall the last time you took a break for your well-being?

If your answer to both questions are no’s, how is life going for you these days? Don’t you deserve a time-out?

baby.

“It’s hard,” she said, “but I have to fight not just for my future, but for the future of my baby.”

Before her pregnancy, she went with friends after school or during weekends. Now, she just stayed at home and helped her parents while waiting for her baby to be born.

“I am no longer living a ‘teenage’ life,” she said. “So I have to make mature decisions now.

I have to face the consequences of the mistake I made.”

14

Perspective

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

Intellectual Plague EDITORIAL

THE

WORK

EDITORIAL BOARD AND STAFF 2017-2018

PAULINE GRACE B. MANZANO Editor in Chief | ANDREA NICOLE B. SAPNU Associate Editor/ Literary Editor | CREISHA MAE S. DIMABAYAO Managing Editor | JOSEPH C. DE JESUS Associate Managing Editor | LORDDAN U. FALLER News Editor | JANELLE PAMELA R. DAVID Features Editor |ISAIH KYLE C. UMIPIG Development Communication Editor | RICHMON A. CAYABYAB Sports Editor | KENNETH LEO V. PAMLAS Graphics Editor | JOSEPH CARLO M. PINEDA Layout Editor | AUDREY S. DEL ROSARIO Senior Photojournalist | GABRIEL JANN S. INOCENCIO Senior Cartoonist JOAN ROBIN T. MARTINEZ, GIANNE MERIELLE P. GONZALES, ARSENIO AS. SANTIAGO, JR., JAN GUSFEL C. DUNGCA, ANDREA S. ESPINOSA, LANDER VICTOR TEJADA, JESSA A. SOMBRITO Correspondents NIKKIE JOY T. PACIFICO Cartoonist | NICA JOY CALMA Photojournalist DR. GLADIE NATHERINE G. CABANIZAS Adviser ADDRESS: 4th Floor Business Center Bldg., TSU Main Campus, Romulo Blvd., San Vicente, Tarlac City PHONE: 0949-609-6261 | EMAIL: tsu.thework @gmail.com

VISION

Tarlac State University is envisioned to be a premier University in the Asia Pacific Region.

MISSION

Tarlac State University commits to promote and sustain the offering of quality and relevant programs in higher and advanced education ensuring equitable access to education for people empowerment, professional development, and global competitiveness.

The freedom to speak is one clear evidence that we are, indeed, living in a democratic country.

However, this freedom becomes a danger when those in power to influence the public are blabbering information which are false, libelous, and tasteless.

The occurrence of these shameful displays is becoming common and, consequently, crooks the disposition of many Filipinos.

The abuse of freedom of expression is a threat to our informed democracy.

With the use of social media and other sites, the spread of news has never been faster. According to Entrepreneur Philippines, our country, currently, has 60 million internet users. This means that anything a site puts in its page is readily available to more than half of our total population.

This number is an advantage for bloggers and social media personalities who take their stand in politics, which is not the forte of most of them. What is worse is their fabrication of news, and the subjects of these news are those involved in politics. Information coming from these sources are now taken as the neobible verses of the uninformed. As a result, a great mass of people point their fingers at wrong persons.

A blunder fueled by fake news is Secretary Aguirre’s accusation against opposition lawmakers of plotting the Marawi Crisis in attempt to destabilize the government. Aguirre apparently used a photo published in a fake news blog as basis of the allegation. Aguirre, the Justice Secretary, spread fake news himself.

Another fake news case is the fabricated statements of Senator Risa Hontiveros and Bishop Socrates Villegas. Because of their previous stands against the administration, they were flung to side with the Maute Group.

What is common among these sources is their poorly-justified, one-sided reports, which could sound either too good or too bad to be true, depending on which faction the audience is siding.

The impact of fake news is the way it turns the public’s eyes away from credible sources of news, which is complemented by quick judgement by the public. On the other hand, news sources like GMA News, Inquirer.net, ABS-CBN News are deemed biased and are even accused of serving the elites, when in fact, they are the most credible for they function with transparency, integrity, and honesty, unlike blogs and pages.

Also, because of these fake news, armies of internet trolls were able to recruit new members and together, they perform their character assassinations, which is their real forte.

Should the creators of fake news be accountable for the creation and spread of fake news? The law may not yet have the claws to punish the sources of false information, for libel punishes malice, not just falsity. But fake news is the e-version of ‘budol-budol’ – the victims are fooled and induced to believe and be controlled.

Free speech requires room for good faith error.

But the creation of fake news is not an error, it is a new weapon in politics – an intellectual plague. The failure to put an end to this plague is the beginning of our misinformed democracy.

Perspective

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

15

Semicolumn Psychology:

Little factors can make huge effect. Not all people do have the same stigma and same mental strength. What we have to realize is that no one deserves to be outcasted. Everyone deserves to be understood, be loved, and feel acceptance.

I Iridescent Words Pauline Grace B. Manzano pau.manzano12@gmail.com Editor in Chief BS Civil Engineering

“If you’re tired, just rest, but don’t you ever quit.”

know that from the moment you’ve read this, your eyebrows had pointy raised and you’re already judging my column title.

Imperfection – simple word that can describe human beings, yet, it can also be an attribute through judgement of one’s mind to others. Just like my column title, surely, there are reason behind every wrong act, in every odd circumstance and in every personality or behavior that a person shows.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 800,000 people die due to suicide every year; for every suicide, there are more people attempt suicide every year. Suicide attempt is the most important risk factor in general population, according to the WHO factsheet, updated on August 2017.

Seriously, it is really difficult to understand people’s behaviors especially when they deal with lots of problem. However, it is much difficult to understand how a certain person could not give value to a survival instinct, to stay alive from an outlook of being a non-suicidal one.

Here, the story goes There are many causes why people tend to commit suicide.

There are lots of common factors that can increase the risk. Study shows that the top risk in the list is depression.

Everyone can suffer from depression. It is maybe due to a biological basis, facing bulk of problems, being alone and no one to speak to, too much stress, feeling hopeless, insecurities, etc.

Depression can warp thinking, allowing the idea to mind like “Everyone would all be better without me”, leading to a suicidal attempt.

Depression is very common to the teenagers, according to a study, because it is the time where they are facing school problems,

relationship problems, and it is the point where we try to meet the expectations from the society. I, as a student and also as a teenager, do not deny that there are certain points in my life where I can’t handle stress anymore and I’d chose to lock myself up in my room to cry. Gladly, there are people who are there to cheer me up.

October 2017, Joey De Leon, actor, gave abuzz in social media because of his lame opinion to individuals who suffer from depression. I don’t even get the points of people who consider depression as a joke. Depression is a serious case of mental illnesses and people who suffer must be supported and understood to lessen the pain it causes inside.

Words are powerful. Other people do not know that a simple word can affect one’s emotion and can lead to inevitable outcome.

Sometimes, we must learn how to think first before saying something relevant.

Stories of an end Year 2013 when the news about the two students who committed suicide over failing grades came out. Daves Beron, 22, a mechanical engineering student, and Don Benedict Pamintuan, 17, a physical therapy freshman, who both used caliber .38 and a shotgun, respectively in killing themselves because of depression due to their studies.

Another alleged suicide was Kristel Tejada, Behavioral Science student in UP-Manila, drank silver cleaner, after school administrators told her to take leave of absence from her studies for failing to pay her tuition.

This year, various news reports about a 16-year-old teenager had killed himself in Barangay Talipapa, Quezon city last October 8 abuzz the netizens in social media. Surprisingly, it was the brother of the popular actress Nadine Lustre, Isaiah, who locked himself inside the room and shot himself to death with a gun.

According to the police reports, the siblings of Isaiah told them that they haven’t heard their brother complain about a problem he’s having. However, the family admitted that they have noticed the change in Isaiah’s attitude and demeanor; he became moody, depressed, and refuses to talk.

All of these cases was committed because of a certain cause – depression. This was not only the case of suicide because of depression. Cases increase over the years.

Small character, big purpose Way back 2013, Project Semicolon was born from a social media movement. The movement was dedicated to present hope and love to those who are struggling with depression, suicide, addiction, and self-injury; they exist to encourage, to love, and to inspire.

People have asked why they use the semicolon. Simply because, a semicolon is used to end a sentence, but chose not to. Meaning, they used the semicolon as a symbol of human to life. Lots of problem may come; it causes depression, stress and if not solved, may urge you to an end. But just like the simple punctuation mark, life does not end in just a simple sentence, you have the power to continue it. *** It is odd that we, netizens of our country, are facing and complaining about certain issues regarding the sudden killings under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte while on the other hand, there are still people who just want to end their life easily.

If you’re tired, just rest, but don’t you ever quit. This column may now end but I assure you that my story is not yet over. I’ll choose to continue to fight no matter how hard life is. All of us encounter problems in our life and it is up to us how we will deal with it. Hope is lost when life ends.

Ergo, we must know how to cherish life.

16

Perspective

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

Stripping Down the Costume of Education Education:

There must be a level of equity amidst the various differences in our respective degree programs and we should use this to improve not only ourselves, but also the internal setbacks of our education system.

A Ode to the Nameless Andrea S. Espinosa aandreaesp@gmail.com Correspondent BSBA Marketing Management

“In this system, it is difficult enough to assert the privilege to selfactualization.”

s the implementation of proper school wear inside the university gets stricter by the second, we ought to know by now the importance of uniformity and consistency.

After all, we are in an institution that promotes equity at its core values. But is the premise of equity consistent in our education system in the Philippines or does it only exist on the surface, disappearing once inside the classroom?

The disparity between degree programs is evident in every university or college in the country. Our hegemonic culture has led us to believe that arts and humanities have no solid place in a society where success is rooted from the domination of science and commerce. On some occasions, even majors within degree programs are deemed to be of second-rate to other majors, despite the same uniform that its students wear. This is a manifestation of the preconceived view that some degree programs are more superior to others, that in order to have a secured future, one must take a concrete path that is walked on by the majority.

In this system, it is difficult enough to assert the privilege to self-actualization. More often than not, students see education as a means of survival. For us, a diploma guarantees freedom from the shackles of poverty; it is also the golden ticket to almost everything we wish to venture into. While this is true, simply securing this piece of paper is not enough. Education is a work of a lifetime. It is not only bound inside the premises of the university nor inside the policies of our current educational framework. Conversely though, we still encounter people who are uncertain of the degrees they are taking up, or whose decisions are hugely based on the choices defined to them by

their parents, peers, or society itself.

In fact, according to a US study on developmental disconnect in choosing majors, an estimated 20 to 50 percent of students enter college as “undecided” and an estimated 75 percent of students change their major at least once before graduation.

Perhaps, students within and outside this recorded statistics are victimized by this lack of personal aspiration because we primarily honor the idea that we must sell ourselves to the workforce without establishing first a fundamental sense of purpose. While this is valid, given the situation that our culture is deeply embedded on the repressive dogma of academia-centric education, many individuals still fail to get hold of the passion and drive needed to fully claim the essence of education.

Why, then, is the quest for selfactualization important both in terms of the self and the academe?

The notion that college is relatively easy to pass depending on how much effort you exert is not always true. Hardwork combined with intelligence is not a cure-all solution.

The self-inflicted abandonment of personal ambition should not be normalized if we want a society that thrives on compassion instead of mediocrity. A student who wishes to truly excel in his prospective field must learn how to avoid yielding into a predigested outlook on the value of learning. We live in a third-world nation wherein we are incessantly treated as oiled machines in the labor force, instead of humans who are inherently subject to growth and self-improvement. Hence, it is our duty to divert ourselves from this neoliberal view and take ourselves out of the tedium of this culture of settling for what is already there.

This responsibility does not stop at the hands of the students. The university must refrain from selective progress and must be committed to the development of every student in every degree program whether they will or will not partake in a ranked board exam, or bring the name of the

university in topnotch places. Instead of prioritizing the implementation of superficial policies, students and educators must have a shared commitment to the belief that every student equally deserves the right to quality education with an equivalent setting of the bar. This includes the prioritization of all colleges and/or degree programs in the university’s development plans. Perhaps, once teachers stop depreciating their students to what is only prescribed in their various course syllabi, one can flourish beyond his potentialities.

Moreover, the normalized culture of meritocracy promoted by educational institutions themselves should not be taken as an unhealthy means of individualistic competition between students. Rather, it should promote a holistic improvement in terms of socio-civic aspects. We have already succumbed into ways of life that valued grades over well-being; faux-gold medals over tangible actions; and social conventions over our individual dreams. It is about time that institutions inculcate a moralized kind of learning, with consideration towards the material conditions of the outside world and with regards to promoting social involvement instead of self-serving interests.

Conforming to the words of English businessman and father of advertising, David Ogilvy, we should not “judge the value of higher education in terms of careermanship.

Judge it for what it is—a priceless opportunity to furnish your mind and enrich the quality of your life.”

We are not a commodity. We owe ourselves the right to establish our own sense of identity and purpose outside the classroom and demand for what we think is intrinsically valuable to our education. The true worth of education lies neither in the array of 1.0 to 5.0 or even in the occasional INCs and UDs, nor in the degree program printed on our diplomas; its value is found at the core of our development as individual human beings, notwithstanding our choice of career or the uniform we wear.

Perspective

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

17

She Rules Feminism:

Nobody has the right to label them as useless. Nobody is eligible to weaken the worth of our grandmothers, moms, sisters, and female friends. Nobody will ever be entitled to drag these women down just because they are women.

T Primary Colors Isaih Kyle C. Umipig lambertokatigbak@gmail.com Development Communication Editor BSEd English

“Say it louder for the ladies at the back: You can’t be silent forever.

Respond!

Resist!”

he abusive patriarchal system has long been abolished since eternity.

Patriarchy is out; women empowerment is in.

Although not overexposed, the concept of feminism has been supported not only by women but also of any sexual role in the whole spectrum. Feminism became a very prevalent notion in this befouled society. It established a strong defense against attacks concerning femininity and madeup vulnerability. Nonetheless, the statements coming from the country’s leaders are very much alarming. Totally disturbing.

Recently, President Rodrigo Duterte has once again tossed a statement divulging blatant misogyny and it is, without a doubt, disconcerting. The tirade is about the qualities of the next Ombudsman should possess.

“I want someone whose integrity people believe in. Of course, it could not be a politician, especially not a woman,” he said in an interview in Malacañang.

Aside from that, Duterte has also said that women cannot endure threat and intimidation; he instructed soldiers to shoot female New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in their private parts; and he also defended the attempt to remove the statue along the Roxas Boulevard to not insult the Japanese with the fact that it was built to portray the Filipinas who were forced to be ‘comfort women’ of the Japanese troops.

These are only some of the scenarios and if these do not stop straightaway, it is likely to last.

It is certain that these acts are so 18th century; why can’t we leave these all behind? Anyone who still has the ideology that when you are a woman, it makes you the lesser capable person, we can take you back to the eons of fossils and ruins. We are already in the 21st century, that

is, in conjunction with the fastpaced wave of innovation and technological expansion. Along with this is the tough eradication of assigning gender roles. Although skeptical in the initial part, it was pushed through by phase after phase—women effectively conquered male-dominated industries and occupations.

While it is true that women overthrew the customary gender roles, it is but a generic act to have someone who still considers that women are nothing but raw, vulnerable individuals.

Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is another personality who has been labeled as “sexist” and “basura” after his “Na-ano lang” remark to refer to single mothers during the confirmation hearing of Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo.

Sotto has netted aggressive flak from the public in social media after this insensitive comment.

Taguiwalo, a Cabinet member who was ousted by lawmakers, is a single mother of two who also happens to be a social worker and an activist. However, singleparenting does not make her a pitiable person but rather, a person to highly regard for her courage to be both a father and a mother for her children.

We were raised by our mothers.

We were shaped by them and in these very scenarios of genuine womanhood, we can tell that they are exceptionally firm and unshakable. Nobody has the right to label them as useless. Nobody is eligible to weaken the worth of our grandmothers, moms, sisters, and female friends. Nobody will ever be entitled to drag these women down just because they are women.

With conviction, I will forever look up to these strong women and this statement alone does not need any further reasons. Say it louder for the ladies at the back: You can’t forever be silent. Respond! Resist!

There are a lot of people out

there who are like these nation’s leaders and it is quite alarming that other people might also acquire these behaviors. I am worried that because of these acts of the supposed ‘role models’ of the country, the possible risks of harassments and maltreatment will elevate in number. There are some people who might blame the girls for being raped because it’s their fault, because of what they wear, and because of how they ‘behave’ around boys. There are a lot of girls who experience being catcalled in the streets and alleys every day. Many are belittled with their standing in our society because they were stereotyped with the prim-and-proper façade.

These only are sole justifications to join the movement.

Tags in social media (i.e. #BabaeAko #LalabanAko) are being used not only by women but also the common people who would like to slam the unjustifiable sexist remarks and macho-fascist behaviors of our leaders. It is about time to end the mistreatment, verbal and physical exploitation, and belittling of women. It is about time to fully practice the true essence of respect towards other people, notwithstanding his/her gender, age, and social class. Let us finally shelve the medieval culture. Let us do our parts because we are humans and we are responsible for the things around us.

If we will not continue the resistance, there is a probability that women will be persistently sheltered under the roof of fear.

These women that we consider as our mothers will never be able to perform what they used to do anymore – and we do not want that to happen.

Indeed, at this point, women already made us full of pride as they have generated a language of their own narrative—bravery amidst inequality.

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Perspective

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

An Ode to Procrastination Personality:

What does it really mean to be a procrastinator? Is it the ephemeral moments of laziness or the fleeting feeling of non-productiveness? Is it just an excuse for some people to avoid their responsibilities or maybe forget the demanding and harsh realities this world seems to offer?

I Listen to David, Goliath Janelle Pamela R. David ramonabahaghari@gmail.com Features Editor AB Psychology

“We think we have time, until we realize that we haven’t had so much.”

t took me weeks to write this down.

Don’t get me wrong—I’ve been meaning to write this column down for almost a month. I’ve brainstormed ideas and issues to write about. I had so many ideas in my mind, constructed a few sentences that could mean something and didn’t wrote them down on paper or maybe in my notes in my phone; it’s like I didn’t learn from my mistakes that I easily forget things because of my bad memory. Anyway, I still didn’t write them down and forgot about the things that I could write about. And the cycle repeats—I have ideas for weeks and I didn’t even bother to write this down, until my conscience slapped me and told me why I have the guts to neglect my responsibilities.

To be honest, I feel anxious whenever I procrastinate and don’t accomplish something that needs to be done. I tried to make a journal to actually keep track of my daily chores and monthly plans and to remember future dates. I found an online guide to make a really thorough journal—it even includes a hobby and expense tracker. I was pretty good at keeping up with things for a day or two, until I wasn’t accomplishing anything I wrote down, except a whole lot of tracked expenses on the ‘Expense Tracker’ page.

I eventually gave up on the daily journal and it became an obsolete corner of unnecessary notes and uncensored drawings.

Procrastination, once again, won.

I got into conclusion that maybe I wasn’t made for journals or daily tracking. I am a big procrastinator myself. I can easily distract myself from school works. For example, I

once had two papers and a thesis due on a Monday night and all I did on the weekend is binge-watched all the eight Harry Potter movies (I forgot how many times I’ve seen them) and slept. I started doing the paper work on a Sunday night.

Fast forward, we only got a passing grade on the paper which caused me to lose my academic standing.

Procrastination starts when we convince ourselves that we have time. We delay the things we should do because it still weeks or months away, so we consume our time with something else—maybe endless scrolling on your news feed or timeline, viewing all the Instagram stories of your followers or maybe just sitting down watching television. It can go to watching how giraffes give birth to philosophical reads on how we are just small speck of dust in the universe. If you’re a procrastinator, you have so many ways of wasting your time and distracting ourselves of what we should be doing because that is where we excel the most.

Tim Urban, a writer and a blogger, pointed out once in a TED Talk that inside the mind of a procrastinator, there is a rational decision maker who is the captain of the ship and the instant gratification monkey who steals the steering wheel from the captain, thus delaying everything that the rational decision maker tends to do, until when the ‘panic monster’ arrives. The ‘panic monster’ is the only thing that our instant gratification tendencies fears.

Those are the consequences we will face if we fail to do our work.

I’ve convinced myself that sometimes, procrastination is good. Because we have so many things to do, we sometimes actively accomplish them because we’re running out of time. That’s what an active procrastinator looks like; things should be done because we

have no choice but to do it. But most of the time, it is the beginning of the end. We consciously sacrifice the substance of what we are doing because we need to beat the deadline. We think we have time, until we realize that we haven’t had so much.

People always give us advice on how to be productive, on how to be a much better student and workers.

But they don’t teach about how to deal with the days of laziness or how to win the battle between unfinished to-do lists and the unmotivated self. Let’s face it, we have been victims, or still a victim of the great pit of procrastination.

There are lots of deadlines in this world: not only on the things we should do in school or work, but there are long term deadlines that we are not aware of. These long term deadlines can go on for a long time until we realize that we haven’t used our full potential to actually do them.

I’ve unhealthily blamed myself a lot of times for being a complete failure against the war between me and the laziness, and it is exhausting to mad against your own self. Blaming never helps. It only makes things a lot complicated. You need to get up with a positive mindset that you will get things done. Instead of punishing yourself and others about not having anything done, you can actually make up for the plenty of things you can do. Learn to enjoy everything you do. Let the delight of doing them push you and don’t let the pile of to-do list pull you down. Once you enjoy doing things, you won’t even see them as a workload.

This is an apology for all the things I abandoned, school works I neglected, texts left unread, books untouched, and people I haven’t reached out. I was really busy… procrastinating.

Let us thrive, again.

Perspective

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

19

Last Shot.jpeg Larawan: Hindi lahat ng iyong nakikita ay totoo. May pagkakataong

susubukin nito ang iyong isipan kung paano ka nga ba mag-iisip ng malalim sa kwento nito. Dahil minsan, sa buhay natin, isinasantabi na rin mismo natin ang sarili nating kwento sa paghahanap at pagtuklas sa buhay ng iba.

N Echoic Inner Voices Audrey S. Del Rosario odree.delrosario@gmail.com

Senior Photojournlist AB Psychology

“Hindi matutumbasan ng ano mang medalya at sertipiko ang mga aral na napulot ko habang tinutungo ang lakbaying ito.”

atatandaan ko pa kung paano nila nagawang sambitin ang mga salitang dumurog sa aking damdamin. Mga mukhang tila may gustong sabihin— mga matang mapagmaliit, mga salitang humihila sa’yo pababa. Hindi naging madali para sa akin na tanggapin ang lahat ng ‘yon.

Kinamuhian. Nagkaroon ng mga katanungan. Bumaba ang tingin sa sarili. Ito ang aking mga naramdaman.

Paulit-ulit na bumabagabag sa aking isipan ang mga katagang kanilang binitawan na ayaw ko na lang marinig.

Maging sa mga aksyon nila na ginagawang basehan ang aking mga gawa para maipakita ang mga pagkakamali. Wala na tayong magagawa roon. Subalit mas mainam na direktang sabihin na lamang ito sa taong may gawa bago punahin sa publiko ang kanyang mga maling nagawa.

Sa totoo lang, natatakot akong umani ng mga negatibong komento. Hindi ako sanay sa kritisismo. Hindi ako sanay na tumanggap ng mga sadyang paninira.

Takot akong mahusgahan.

Takot akong mabigo.

Takot akong magkamali.

Ngunit pinili kong magbingibingian sa mga negatibong komento at ipinikit na lamang ang aking mga mata upang ‘di na muling makita ang mga mukhang mapagkunwari; mga ngiti na may halong ngiwi at pagkatapos ay pag-uusapan ka nang hindi mo alam.

Kasabay nito ay pakiramdam

ko mula sa bulalas ng bibig ng walang sawang pangungutya.

Bagama’t masakit, ito ay aking isinapuso at nagsilbing leksyon para sa aking muling pagbangon.

Ginawa ko itong inspirasyon upang pagbutihan pa sa mga susunod na pagsubok sa aking buhay.

Marahil sa iba, ang bawat posisyong kinabibilangan ng mga miyembro sa publikasyon ay madali lamang—madali lamang na maliitin, kutyain. Madaling magbigay ng kritisismo sapagkat madali para sa kanila na maghanap ng mali at makapagbigay ng negatibong opinyon.

Sa pagiging parte ko sa publikasyon, hindi naging madali ang aking lakbayin. Doon ko naranasang kumapa sa bawat kilos na aking gagawin. Mararanasan mong paalisin ka sa‘yong posisyon habang kumukuha ng litrato. Tila sila’y natatakot sa’yo at tatanungin ka kung saan mo ito gagamitin.

O kaya’y pagsasabihan ka na ‘di sila dapat kuhanan ng litrato.

Mararanasan mong paalisin, hindi kausapin, at mapagod.

Mararanasan mong mamili lang ng isang litrato sa libong litratong nakuhanan mo.

Hindi ka naglilitrato para sa puring matatanggap ng iyong pangalan, kundi upang maibahagi mo sa nakararami ang istoryang nakalap mula sa taong iyong kinuhanan.

Kung tutuusin, ang totoong hamon ng buhay ay wala sa ganda ng anggulo, edit, filter, o kung anumang perspective ang in-apply mo sa pagkuha ng litrato, kumbaga dagdag puntos lang ‘yun. Subject at ang kwento mismo ng litratong iyong kinuhanan ang mahalaga. Hindi matutumbasan ng ano mang medalya at sertipiko ang bawat memorya ng pakikisalamuha ko sa mga taong

aking kinuhanan at ang mga aral na napulot ko habang tinutungo ang lakbaying ito.

Manalo man o matalo sa kompetisyon, ang istoryang nabuo ay magsisilbing aral.

Sabihin na nating ika’y nanalo, ngunit alam mong may bahid ng kasinungalingan ang litrato mo. O ‘di kaya’y hindi totoo ang nilalaman ng istorya nito. Balewala, hindi ba? Kaya naman ang mga taong iyong kinuhanan ay may baon na kwentong makapagpapamulat sa iyo—na ikaw, bilang photojournalist, ay magsisilbing instrumento upang ihatid sa mambabasa ang kanilang istorya.

Sa bawat taong iyong kinukuhanan ng litrato ay may kaakibat na kwento na siyang kapupulutan ng aral nang nakararami. Doon pa lamang ay wagi ka na sa tunay na kompetisyon ng buhay.

Ang mga litratong iyong nakuhanan ay maaaring mawala sa isang iglap at kumupas ngunit ang mga alaalang iyong napagdaanan, samahang nabuo, at ang karanasang naibahagi nila sa iyo ay mananatiling mga alaalang hindi mo malilimutan.

Nagpapasalamat na rin ako sa pagpuna ng aking mga kamalian, dahil nakatulong ito upang tulungan ko rin ang aking sarili na maging matatag sa anumang pagsubok na haharapin.

Lahat ng negatibong komentong natanggap ay napalitan ng positibong kinahinatnan.

Magtatapos man ang kabanata ng aking buhay bilang isang student photojournalist, subalit hindi pa ito ang huli, bagkus ito ang simula sa panibagong yugto.

Panibagong pagsubok, panibagong hamon, malayu-layo pang paglalakbay ang tatahakin ko.

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Perspective

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

Smart-shaming sa Lipunang Salat Kultura: Sa panahon ngayon, hindi na ginagawan ng pedestal ang mga marurunong. Ikinakabit na ng ibang tao ang pagiging marunong sa pagiging “bida-bida.” Ibinababa na natin ang matalinong diskusyon sa kaniyang kababawan, walang laman na mga usapan—hindi tayo umuusad kahit abotkamay na natin ang mga kailangang malaman.

M Between the Battling Odds Albritch Adam A. Labiano albritchadam.labiano@gmail.com

Correspondent BS Mechanical Engineering

“...imbis na magkaroon ng malawak na pang-unawa ay naililihis ang usapan sa pagtumbok sa sariling pagkatao.”

alaki ang kahalagahan ng edukasyon sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino. Nakadikit na sa bawat drama ng buhay ng mga Pinoy ang katagang “edukasyon lamang ang kaya naming ibigay sa inyo.”

Sa Pilipinas makikitang ang kakulangan ng mga pagkakataon ang nagtutulak sa bawat isa na magpursigi sa pag-aaral; nakakapit sa pagasang mairaraos ng edukasyon ang kanilang buhay. Ngunit sa paglipas ng panahon, tila yata ang bayang nagpapahalaga sa karunungan ay unti-unti na ring ginugupo ng bagong sakit na kung tawagin ay smartshaming.

Noong mga bata pa lamang tayo madalas tayong sabihan ng mga magulang natin na kapag alam mo ang sagot sa tanong ng titser ay ‘wag mahihiyang magtaas ng kamay para sumagot, ngunit sa panahon ngayon, tila yata nawala na ang pagkilala sa mga matatalino sa klase at itinuturing na itong kahinaan ng iba. Nakadikit na sa ngayon ang mga katagang “Edi wow” sa bawat matalinong pag-uusap.

‘Yung tipong maayos naman kayong nag-uusap ngunit nang may nasabi kang taliwas sa kanyang pagkakaintindi sa mga bagay-bagay ay kakantihin ka na nito. Nawawala sa linya ng matalinong diskusyon ang mga tao dahil imbis na magkaroon ng malawak na pang-unawa ay naililihis ang usapan sa pagtumbok sa sariling pagkatao. Malamang sa malamang ay igigiit pa nito ang mga salitang “Edi ikaw

na ang magaling” na para bang mali ang mga sinasabi mo, na kasalanan mong marunong ka dahil nag-aaral ka sa araw-araw.

Ngunit sa huli, responsibilidad naman talaga nating mapalawak ang isipan hindi lamang para sa sarili ngunit para makapagbigay din ng aral sa iba.

“Ikaw na kasi ang matalino at ako na ang bobo.” Sa pananaw ng iba, magmumukhang biktima ang siyang nang-insulto habang ang isa nama’y magiging kontrabida dahil lamang sa pagbibigay ng pagpuna o rekomendasyon.

Kasalanan bang maging magaling at kamalian ba nilang magkulang?

Hindi, hindi kailanman naging mali ang maging matalino sa klase dahil wala ka naman doong kasalanan, ginagawa mo lang ang sa tingin mong nararapat na magpalawak ng isipan. Hindi rin naman siguro kasalanang magkulang dahil minsan may mga bagay talagang ginagawa naman natin ang ating buong makakaya ngunit may mga pagkakataong kinakapos. Ang mali doon ay ang pagse-settle na okay lang ang maging mangmang habang ibinababa ang iba.

Ang smart-shaming ay isang uri ng pagkitil sa pagpapalawak ng kaisipan, dahil imbis na magsipag sa paglinang ng karunungan, matatakot na ang isang tao na magpalawak ng kaalaman.

Nagkakaroon ng inferiority complex ang iba sa takot na mamata ng iba sa kadahilanang alam niya ang mga bagay-bagay na hindi alam ng iba na sa huli’y mananahimik na lamang para hindi maging tampulan ng tukso.

Sa panahon ngayon, napakadali na lang kumuha ng mga impormasyon na makakatulong sa atin na bigyang linaw ang kada sinasabi ng iba.

Accessible na ang ang internet sa bawat tao dahil sa paglabas ng mga gadgets ngunit siguro’y ang kahinaan lamang dito ay ang hindi wastong paggamit. Mas pinipili nating apihin ang iba dahil sa kanilang mga kalakasan kaysa magbasa nang magbasa para hindi mapag-iwanan.

Sa panahong ito kung kailan sinusubukang lipulin ang matalinong pagpapasya mas dapat nating isaalang-alang ang kahalagahan ng pagyakap sa karunungan. Bilang mga indibidwal na may kanyakanyang ‘thinking capacity,’ kailangan nating tumindig sa mga pinanghahawakang opinion at paniniwala, hindi lamang dahil sa parte ka ng grupo ay ganoon na rin dapat ang iyong paninindigan, h’wag tayong maging parte ng bandwagon opinion.

Sa huli, kung hindi natin magagamot ang lumalalang sakit na ito ng lipunan baka gumising na lamang tayo isang araw na nalulunod sa epekto nito sa atin.

Kung gugustuhin nating umunlad, marapat lamang na bigyang pagpapahalaga ang edukasyon at matalinong opinyon nang hindi nang-aapi ng ibang tao dahil lamang sa kanyang kalakasan.

Iwasan ang ‘crab mentality’ dahil walang patutunguhan ang paghila ng iba paibaba kung ito ay isang paglugmok lamang.

Walang bayan kung walang mga mamamayan, ang sakit ng isa ay sakit ng lahat kahit ito’y katiting lamang. Ang mga matatalinong mamamayan ay magiging kagamitan ng industriyalisasyon.

Nasa bawat mamamayan pa rin nakasalalay ang pag-unlad ng bansa.

Stop smart-shaming, stop crab-mentality.

Perspective

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

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Relationship Goals Status:

The road to a lasting relationship is a journey marred with copious obstacles. Our generation that has been built from convenience, have birthed the fear – a driving force that could make or break a relationship.

B Bedtime Stories Joan Robin T. Martinez jrtmartinez@gmail.com Correspondent AB English

“It may have begun with the idea of falling in love. I don’t believe in love at first sight.”

eing in a relationship for more than two years, I’ve been asked, a number of times, the formula for making it quite this long.

In this time and age where things are all too becoming convenient – in ways that access to communication are instant, travels are faster, and everything is literally within reach from our fingertips; it is quite ironic that this is also the age where relationships are considered to be abrupt, ephemeral even. Relationships that lasted enough to reach a ripe old age is already an achievement enough to be considered a milestone.

The irony lies with the technological advancements making connections fairly easy and brittle considering the convenience that technology has made living our lives with.

Like any other person in a relationship, I hold many fears.

The fear of being left alone, the fear of being left behind.

Believe it or not I also have the fear of leaving, like how I feel fear in coping with an ugly aftermath. I fear the changes life in and out of a relationship, and the list of these fears could go on and on and on. Like anyone else, within or outside the context of an intimate relationship, there are so much fear I could conjure in a span of a heartbeat given the trigger of paranoia.

It wouldn’t be too surprising that we could come up with an extensive list when it comes to our fears on breaking up. Technology has made it possible to access the variety of scenarios of breaking up – we have compiled an extensive account of experiences through literature and mass media had given a hand in sensationalizing the various forms of romance. A demographic study by Jeofrey Abalos, which examined the trends of union dissolution in the Philippines, has revealed

the rate had been increasing over time; though this may not have any relevance to pre-marital relationships but it would certainly give an idea on what relationships of this era has to say. The culture of hugot, which could also be associated as a reaction from either the unrequited sensibilities or deep-seated experiences, has already permeated our consciousness that even the littlest things suddenly have meanings – the art and craft of “hugot,” it seemed is some kind of a coping mechanism that pulls out frustrations and bitterness to laugh at somehow reducing its negative implications. As time progressed and the stories evolved in pursuit of a new plot, society has begun to explore some unspeakable areas of the relationship that are considered an out of the norm, even at some point immoral.

Nowadays, even mistresses were provided the voice to speak out and their actions justified.

It’s probably one reason why we envy our grandparents for holding on to their relationship for that long.

Our generation are all too becoming open with the ways of the western traditions that we are starting to patronize concepts that show the reality of such relationships. We’ve been bound with the Maria Clara ideology for so long that it is perhaps the time that we accept women who’ve had affairs on equal footing with the marital men who cheated on their wives; that we don’t look at these women in distaste when we assume that men, of equal footing, must be excused for exercising what had been their nature – for simply being men. It wasn’t merely the affairs or the context of cheating, it’s when the others and mistresses were being looked at as human beings instead of immoral souls they are once painted as that we are becoming more open with what used to be unspeakable. We are progressing, our minds are progressing towards maturity and at the same time, we are growing paranoid and the

paranoia drives the relationship to its abrupt end.

Being open to the new ideas is not necessarily a bad thing.

Paranoia is not necessarily the sole cause of all breakups, albeit it being a factor for some. Today’s youth may not differ from the youth of the past generations and the faces of relationships may not have changed much with the advancing years. My grandparents’ stories didn’t change much from my parent’s just as my own story didn’t differ. It all started the same: we fell in love.

It may have begun with the idea of falling in love. I don’t believe in love at first sight. What I know was, my man was definitely out of the radar of my ideals.

He was far from it. I absolutely did not envision my future being towered by a guy almost a foot taller, nor younger, than me. In fact, a few days before we met I was so determined to grow old alone that I wasn’t even fishing for eligible bachelors who might have attracted my attention.

I’d cut through the chase of the cheesy interactions, the bottom line was: we didn’t have anything in common. Not with the taste of music, movies, interests, even our upbringing is different. And despite the differences, we somehow made it work.

I wouldn’t count on two years being a long time, though by society’s standards this is becoming an achievement. I’ve known couples break even after a lifetime of togetherness, not even by the streak of paranoia. Fears are rational. Fears are what drive basically everything in life, but the pursuit of something bigger, better, outweighs the possible cost of a huge emotional investment.

What makes things last anyway?

Our answers would always differ. For me, it’s with living every moment.

Carpe Diem.

References: https://www.demographicresearch.org/volumes/vol36/50/36-50.pdf http://www.m2social.net/ blog/2017/5/23/is-hugot-culture-ending

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Features

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

A Healing within Restriction

CONQUERING SIKWAKO FALLS IN JEANS:

By Lander Victor Tejada Photos by Audrey Del Rosario

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scapade is one sure way to recompense one’s hardwork and often times, a reconciliation with the nature is the best option to mend our brain damaged by the all-nighters we pulled off. Some of us might have visions of the wilderness, and those who love waters might have dreams of water rushing down from rocks. However, in thinking of where to make an escapade, we end up stressing ourselves more because of time and financial constraints.

Sometimes, the adrenaline just rushes within you and you just want to get on your feet and go to an adventure without the right gear. If you are one of us, just go get on your jeans and read on. Sta. Rosa, Bamban, Tarlac has a bit of surprise.

THE QUEST “What makes a desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well,” said the Little Prince.

Of course, Bamban is not arid. Bamban is one of the greenest towns you can find in Tarlac. But behind those green trees and big rocks of Sta. Rosa, you’ll find the Sikwako Falls, one of the tourist spots of Bamban Eco-Trails.

The journey to Sikwako is not a ride on Aladdin’s magic carpet, however. After a highway trip to Bamban, you’ll ride a tricycle towards it. Due to the absence of pavement and the difficult terrain of the location, questions of whether the tricycle wheels are square or heptagon may arise. Let’s just assume it’s a horse-back ride (look on the brighter side).

Along the ride, you’ll find our fellow Aetas playing outside their homes. The tour guide, in fact, is an Aeta. Once he is found,

the walking will begin.

Bamban has been a home to many Aetas in Tarlac for many years. Most of them are from Pampanga and were forced to make their living here after the devastating eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Although they have learned to settle like common people in Tarlac, some of them did not deviate from their traditional way of living – living as forest spirits.

Most of the quest will be spent walking.

But in this place, walking is not the boring.

At the first leg of the walking, a river will be crossed. Here, you’ll find more Aetas, traditionally washing their clothes. The river is crystal clear and clean. You’ll see your toes burying their way under the sand.

Walking deep into the woods is like a therapy to the mind. Giving the trees a gaze and hearing the gushing river will serve as early rewards. At one point, you’ll go through a bed of leaves, literally. Although the solid

ground is deep beneath, the foot-friendly carpet of drying plants gives a safe passage.

The river crossings, however, are for the adventurous. All it takes is a misstep and your head will make a toast with some partying rocks. At this place, the limitations of jeans will take its toll. Taking big steps, landing on the right rock and keeping the balance can be a struggle. But with perseverance, any trekker can make it, just like me. In this place, your feet will be your eyes.

The color of the river changes. In some parts, it’s clear, and in others, it’s bluer than aqua. The rocks are second to none – some of them stand as if misplaced and some of them stand as if placed by a deity. There is also a point where rocks fool. They disguise as a bungalow from afar.

The walk is too long and the need for something to munch could come. The nature JUMP TO P.32

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

SIKWAKO FALLS STARTER PACK

P600 - PAMASAHE PAPUNTA AT PABALIK MULA TARLAC CITY P500 - ENVIRONMENTAL FEE

Features

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SETYEMBRE NI NI MARCOS MARCOS

Lathalain

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Ni Andrea S. Espinosa

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agpatuloy ang karaniwang agos ng buhay sa sari-sariling kabahayan ng mga Pilipino. Ang iba naman ay marahil nasa labas—sa kanilang kaukulang mga trabaho maaring pauwi pa lamang, o di kaya nama’y nasa gitna ng lansangan—walang kamalayan sa matikas na boses na bumibida sa loob ng mala-kahong hugis ng black-and-white na telebisyon at sa mga mumunting transistor radio.

Ito ay taong 1972. Isang payapang gabi ang bumati sa ika-23 ng Setyembre, bagamat ay makulimlim ang atmospera sa dakong bahagi ng Palasyo ng Malacañan at Ilog Pasig. Dalawang araw na mula noong lagdaan ng Pangulo ang kanyang Proclamation No. 1081, o ang Martial Law, na naging hudyat ng pagsisimula ng kanyang dalawampu’t isang taong pamumuno, at ang pagwawakas ng pambansang demokrasya sa ilalim ng kanyang bakal na kamay.

Noon pa lamang ay mababakas na ang dikotomiya sa pagitan ng mga pro-Marcos at anti-Marcos. Maraming uri ng diskurso na ang naganap, mababaw man o malalim ang pagsuri; mga pag-aalsang lantaran o underground; mga opinyong pasakali at mapangahas. Ngunit lahat ng ito ay pumapaloob sa naratibo ng isang diktador. Isang pinuno na minsan ay inihalal ng masang Pilipino bilang ama ng bayan.

Masisilip mula sa napakaraming lente ang paksa ng Batas Militar. Bagamat iisang nasyon, ang bawat Pilipino ay may kani-kaniyang karanasan o opinyon kung tatanungin tungkol kay Marcos at sa kanyang dalawang dekadang diktadurya. Maging sa panahon ngayon, apatnapu’t limang taon na ang nakalipas mula noong pumailalim ang Pilipinas sa Batas Militar, ay bukas pa rin ang diskusyon ukol sa pamumuno ni Marcos.

At ngayon, sa ikasandaang taong anibersaryo ng kapanganakan ni Ferdinand E. Marcos, ang hustisya at katotohanan ay tila nasa dapit-hapon pa lamang ng pagsilang.

SETYEMBRE 21, 1972 Sa gawing Timog ng bansa ay umiigting ang tensyon sa pagitan ng mga Kristiyano at Muslim na nag-aagawan sa lupa. Sa mga kabundukan naman ay mas lumalakas ang hukbo ng mga komunistang rebolusyonaryo na nagnanais tutulan ang opresyon ng gobyerno sa masang-api. Maging sa mga pamantasan, umuusbong din ang

puwersa ng kolektibong aksyon mula sa mga iskolar na nag-rarally para sa panlipunang reporma.

Ilan lamang ito sa mga itinalang elemento na nag-udyok umano kay Marcos upang magdeklara ng Batas Militar, o ang “kapangyarihan ng estado na ipinatutupad ng pamahalaan kapag hindi na nito magampananan ang pamamahala gamit ang sibilyan nitong kapangyarihan.”

Hindi na lingid sa ating kaalaman na binigyang katwiran ito ni Marcos sa rasong ito raw ay makapagsusulong ng ekonomiya ng bansa, maging ng pagpapabuti ng mga pang-militar na polisiya.

Subalit hindi lamang nagtapos rito ang saklaw ng epekto ng Batas Militar. Bagama’t lumago ang pamumuhay ng kanyang mga kaalyado at cronies sa mga sumunod na taon ay kabi-kabilang human rights violations naman ang tumambad sa mga nagtangkang labanan si Marcos. Kasama na rito ang pag-aresto sa mga aktibista nang walang ipinapakitang warrant; summary executions o pag-sasalvage nang walang hatol ng batas; at enforced disappearances o mas kilala sa terminong desaparecidos, na siyang pagdukot sa mga indibidwal sa oposisyon na kailanman ay hindi na nakita pa. Sa ulat ng historyador na si Alfred McCoy, naitatalang 3,257 ang extrajudicial killings ng militar mula 1975-1985, 35,000 na kaso ng torture, at 70,000 ilegal na pagkakakulong.

Naitala rin ng ibang human rights groups ang mahigit sa 700 na desaparecidos na hindi na nalaman pa kung ang mga ito ay buhay pa o pawang mga bangkay na.

Ito ay ang mga kaso sa Batas Militar ni Marcos na manipestasyon ng kanyang autokratikal na pagkapangulo, na malinaw na lihis sa kamay ng katarungan, kalayaan, at demokrasya.

At umusbong man ang pang-ekonomikong kaunlaran sa loob ng bansa sa pamamagitan ng maunald na kalakaran at pagkatatag ng mga imprastrakturang binayaran ng buwis ng bayan—iniwan naman sa atin ni Marcos ang nakakaparalisang de-interes na utang mula sa mga dayuhang bangko at gobyerno.

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Ang kasaysayan lamang ang makapagdidikta kung ano ang hatol ng masang Pilipino kay Marcos.

SETYEMBRE 28, 1989 Nagtapos ang buhay ni Marcos sa isang kama sa isang ospital sa Honolulu, Hawaii sa dayuhang lupa ng Estados Unidos, kung saan naging mailap ang kapatawaran ng kapalaran.

Pagkaraan ng kanyang dalawampu’t isang taong diktadurya, at tatlong taong pagkakatapon sa Amerika pagkatapos mapatalsik sa Palasyo, nagtapos ang buhay ni Ferdinand E. Marcos sa gulang na 72.

Sa ikot ng kapalaran ay hindi natupad ang huling kahilingan ni Marcos na mailibing sa kanyang mahal na bansang Pilipinas, sa tabi ng kanyang yumaong ina. Ang kahilingang ito ay tinaggihan ng kanyang kahalili at dating pangulo na si Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, ang maybahay ng dating senador na si Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. na napaslang sa kasagsagan ng kanyang oposisyon kay Marcos.

Sa kanyang pagkamatay ay halo-halo ang naging reaksyon ng taumbayan. Mayroong mga nakidalamhati at nagdasal para sa kanyang kapayapaan. Mayroon din namang mga taong hindi pa rin napapatawad ang hungkag niyang pamumuno, bagkus ay sinalubong ang kanyang pagyao nang walang pakikiramay.

SETYEMBRE 11, 2017 Lumipas ang dalawang dekada ng kanyang kamatayan; sa matingkad na kulay at matinis na tunog ng mga makabagong flatscreen TVs ay inibrodkast ang mga balita JUMP TO P.32

Photos from Google

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Lathalain

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PAGBISITA SA IBA’T IBANG KOREAN RESTAURANTS SA TARLAC Nina Janelle Pamela David at Jan Gusfel Dungca

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ng pagtangkilik at pagsunod sa uso ay kasama na sa kultura nating mga Pilipino.

Bilang isang arikipelagong sanay sa pananakop ng mga banyaga, likas na sa atin ang pagiging adaptibo sa mga pagbabago sa ating kultura at maging na rin sa impluwensya ng ibang bansa.

Ang impluwensiya ng banyaga ay makikita sa bawat aspeto ng pamumuhay natin maging man sa mga maliliit na bagay katulad ng panonood at pagtangkilik natin sa mga panooring pelikula at telebisyon na mula sa ibang

JJ’S KOREAN BARBEQUE RESTAURANT Mashisoyo Meter: 4/5

Matatagpuan sa San Nicolas, Tarlac City ang munting restaurant na bagama’t maliit ang espasyong maaaring maakomoda ng mga customers ay bumawi naman ang JJ Korean Restaurant sa kanilang samgyupsal dish dahil sa mas mababang halaga kumpara sa ibang samgyupsal restaurant dito sa Tarlac. Dito, maaari mo nang matikman ang tatlong klase ng meat sa iisang presyo lamang kasama ang sampu hanggang labindalawang side dishes na maaari niyo nang

bansa. Isang halimbawa na lamang ang pagkahilig natin sa panood ng mga Koreanovela at patuloy na humihikayat ng mas marami pang mga manonood.

Sa patuloy na pagsikat ng mga panooring ito ay kasabay ng pag-usbong ng iba’t ibang restaurant na hango sa mga pagkaing Korean na naitatampok sa mga palabas. Hindi nagpapahuli ang Tarlac sa pagkakaroon ng mga Korean restaurants sa iba’t ibang sulok ng lalawigan.

Aming sinadya ang iba’t ibang Korean restaurants sa lalawigan upang tikman at i-rate ang mga tampok na pagkaing Koryano partikular na ang samgyupsal.

Aming kinilatis ang pagkakaiba ng bawat isa sa bawat restaurant kasama na ang ambience ng bawat lugar at mga kasamang pakulo at dagdag na mga side dishes nito gamit ang Mashisoyo meter, o delicious meter sa wikang Ingles.

pagsaluhan. Angat din sa lasa ang meat at side dishes na inihahain ng JJ Korean Barbeque Restaurant. Tampok din dito ang Korean barbeques at noodles na pwedeng pagsaluhan ng bawat isa.

JUMONG KOREAN RESTAURANT Mashisoyo Meter: 3/5

Makikita ang Jumong Korean Restaurant sa San Sebastian. Ito ang kauna-unahang Korean restaurant sa siyudad ng Tarlac. Sa labas pa lamang ng restaurant ay makikita ang mga bintanang hango sa sinaunang bahay ng mga hapon. Pagpasok sa loob ay makikita sa dingding ang iba’t ibang Chinese at Korean letters na

Lathalain

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

dumadagdag sa Korean ambience ng restaurant na ito.

Tampok ang eat-all-you-can na samgyupsal rito at hinahayaan nilang mamili ang kanilang mga customer ng iba’t ibang uri ng pork na ihahain sa kanila. Katulad ng tipikal na samgyupsal dish sa Korea ay mayroon din silang siyam hanggang sampung side dishes.

Mayroon din silang ibang pagkaing itinatampok katulad ng mga ramen at iba pang noodle soups. Malimit na concern ng mga customers ay ang serbisyo ngunit pambawi naman ang kanilang samgyupsal.

PIGHOUSE KOREAN RESTAURANT

Ang hilig nating mga Pilipino na kumain at sumubok ng sarisaring pagkain at makisalamuha sa iba’t ibang kultura ay siya ring dahilan kung bakit tayo nahihilig sa mga pagkaing dayuhan sa atin.

Mashisoyo Meter: 3.5/5

Matatagpuan sa San Rafael, Tarlac City, isa ang Pighouse Korean Restaurant sa mga bagong bukas na Korean restaurants dito sa Tarlac.

Taliwas sa ibang Korean restaurants, may modernong ambience ang Pighouse at hindi masyadong Korean ang dating nito.

Ito ang pinakamalaking Korean restaurant na aming napuntahan na tampok sa mga malalaking pamilya at barkada upang magsalu-salo.

Malawak ang espasyo ng restaurant na ito kaya kung minsan ay kailangan mong sumigaw nang kaunti upang marinig ka ng mga servers. Maaari ka ring mamili kung anong combo ang iyong

pipiliin maging pork o chicken samgyupsal man. Mayroong anim hanggang pitong side dishes na kasama sa bawat samgyupsal na inyong pagsasaluhan.

Isang pakulo ng restaurant na ito ay ang photobooth corner na mayroong Korean clothing na maaaring isuot ng mga customers upang magpalitrato.

ROSHINI’S FOOD CORNER Mashisoyo Meter: 4/5

Taliwas sa mga ibang Korean restaurants na matatagpuan sa mga sulok ng Tarlac City, ang Roshini’s

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Photos from theasian.asia

Food Corner ay matatagpuan sa timog na parte ng Tarlac--sa Concepcion. Ang pagkabuo ng Roshini’s Food Corner ay mula sa pansariling karanasan ng may-ari nito.

Bagama’t malayo ang Korean restaurant na ito at mahigit isang oras ang biyahe ay sulit naman dahil sa maaliwalas na ambience ng restaurant na ito. May kaliitan ang espayong pwedeng kainan ngunit ‘di alintana ito dahil naghihintay naman sa’yo ang masarap na samgyupsal kasama ang pito hanggang sampung side dishes na may unlimited squid at unlimited chicken fillet.

Nagtatampok rin sila ng iba pang surprise freebies katulad ng libreng kimbob at sushi. ***** Hindi maipagkakaila na ang hilig nating mga Pilipino na kumain at sumubok ng sari saring pagkain at makisalamuha sa iba’t ibang kultura ay siya ring dahilan kung bakit tayo nahihilig sa mga pagkaing dayuhan sa atin. Sa patuloy na pag-usbong ng iba’t ibang uri ng pagkain ay hindi sana natin makalimutan ang pagmamahal sa mga pagkaing ating kinagisnan at kinalakihan kasabay ng ating pagtangkilik sa mga pagbabagong darating.

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Features

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

THE STREETS’ FEMME FATALES The Lady Warriors Riders’ Club Text and photos by Andrea Nicole Sapnu

Despite the Filipina being confined by double standards, she remains unfazed.

Over the years, women have been rebelling against the gender stereotypes in both political and social aspects.

The movement for equality amongst the sexes has brought about changes in the roles of men and women in society. In the progression of time, women slowly unraveled from the diminishing chains of restriction towards liberation.

The light at the end of the tunnel came in the form of new opportunities and a brand new set of choices for women, be it from clothing to career paths. They have sealed their spots in business, sports and basically fields known to be male dominated, blurring the line that distinguishes the function of the sexual categories.

However in the Philippine setting, women are still expected to perform duties assigned to them by the norms, for it is traditionally accepted that the female must be a homemaker as the male works for the family.

Taga Tarlac Ka Kung, a Facebook page that features local talents and sites, introduced Lady Warriors Riders’ Club to the public as the first allfemale riders’ club in Tarlac.

As much as these women maintain a firm grip on their clutches, they uphold gentleness in service for their townsfolk. Gear up, buckle up and prepare to be head over wheels as their journeys unfold before us!

Features

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

BEYOND THE BORDERS OF ‘PRETTY’ Riders’ clubs have established an overall upright reputation as the persons that compose these groups are always on-the-go during fiestas and barangay events, particularly heading motorcades and marches. Since RCs are comprised mostly of males, there comes the generalization that such organizations are exclusive only to the masculinity.

It was only on the 7th of July, year 2017 when the image of the male dominion on the motorbikes is distorted by 13 individuals of the opposite sex, led by 26-year old Jinky ‘Chi Chi’ Parado.

“Hindi ako nagdalawang isip na bumuo ng grupo dahil alam kong kung ano ang kaya ng mga kalalakihan, kaya rin natin.” the club founder elaborated.

[I came up with the idea to form a female group of riders because I firmly believe that what men can execute, so can us, women.]

Even though the lady rider’s club has a small-scale of proud members, it continues to grow as they appear in different events around Tarlac.

At first glance, the common man may render these females soft and subtle from their tinted lips and the spectra of colors popping from their eyelids.

The very moment they unmount their vehicles’ stands is when the metamorphosis takes place; from fragile butterflies into bursts of intense, blazing flames.

These daring women are descents of Tarlac and Pampanga, from different walks (strolls, rather) of life. The diversity is brought about by the ease of the rites in becoming an official lady rider; it should only take a driver’s license, complete gear inclusive of a helmet, jacket, a pair of rubber shoes, and pants, three meetings attended and a series of rides with the entire flock.

According to Ms. Chi, it is essential that women must understand the language of the road to establish a sense of confidence within them.

Also, she points that women are no exception to the rules, thus LWRC mandates that new members shall comply with their requirements first before setting off.

“Hindi namin ginagamit ang pagiging babae namin para makalusot. Kaya naming patunayan na kahit babae kami, mayroon kaming disiplina” [Being a woman should never be made as an excuse. We can prove that we are instilled with discipline as an all-female riders group.]

OF SUBSTANCE AND PURPOSE One prime advocacy of the lady riders is to spread the virtue of charity. Since the founding date of their alliance, these women never ceased to lend helping hands to the needy by means of programs that the riders themselves had organized.

These outreach programs are fueled by financial means coming from their own pockets and of the sponsors’ who always give nods of approval during

As much as these women maintain a firm grip on their clutches, they uphold gentleness in service for their townsfolk.

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charitable activities of the club.

Marking their first event was the ‘Charity Ride’ that stretched from Metro Town Mall area, toward F. Tanedo Street and San Vicente as the endpoint. To Ms. Chi, this event is very close to her heart as it was planned beforehand by her co-members as a surprise on her birthday on the 13th of August, 2017. Along the route, they stop by every street child and beggar to hand clothes and goods.

Their second and most recent charity event took place at the St. Joseph SPED Center, or which Ms. Chi refers to as ‘Paraiso sa gitna ng bukid’ as the institution homes its little angels at the heart of the fields of San Jose, Tarlac City.

The lady riders arranged a short program at the center’s gymnasium whereas they provided lunch, and supplies of groceries after a series of song and dance performances that got the children up their feet, at par with the enthusiasm showcased before them by their motorbikeriding ‘titas’ and ‘ates’.

Kindness has always been a familiar friend to Ms. Chi and the girls. In fact, the founder herself had come face to face with intense situations yet still managed to pull these off with grace and the driving force to help; such as the time when she had executed a rescue in a road accident in the middle of the night.

“Galing akong Pampanga nang makita kong may dalawang tao sa gitna ng kalsada na nagwawave ng kamay, meaning humihingi sila ng tulong. Hindi ko pumasok sa isip ko na modus operandi lang nila ito since 10:30 na ito ng gabi.” Ms. Chi reminisces. “Nakasakay ang dalawa sa single na motor nang maaksidente at napag-alaman kong durog na yung kaliwang paa ng babae. Habang hinihintay ko ang ibang riders, ako ang nagcocontrol ng traffic at nagrerescue para maiwasan ang congestion.”

Days after the incident, Ms. Chi received a positive message stating that the rescued is finally in good condition despite her injured limbs.

The message LWRC wants to convey to its future members is that helping is neither a choice nor an option, rather, a priority. After all, generosity is first and foremost the very foundation of this alliance.

ON WOMEN EMPOWERMENT In a nutshell, Ms. Chi envisions that LWRC shall spur tough and compassionate women, no matter the age and social status. The lady riders have their doors open for females who want to take part in this legacy they have commenced.

“Sana marami pa kaming matulungan, at sana marami pang kababaihan na may kagustuhang tumulong ang sumali sa amin.”

As they are called the ‘Warriors’, these women have indeed proven themselves they are.

“Bumagyo man,” Ms. Chi words it out, “Umaraw man o umulan, wala kaming aatrasan.”

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Features

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

OF QUALITY AND SOPHISTICATION

Jack Meets Kaldi

By Janelle Pamela David

Photos by Isaih Kyle Umipig

“

We offer nothing else but quality.”

GRACE OCAMPO Manager, Jack Meets Kaldi

F

inding passion in things we do is hard to find. It requires a lot of effort, time, knowledge, and even money. But when people are passionate about the things they do, they find magic in doing them. They enjoy the process and do everything they can to improve the continuous process of evolving—always onto something new and better. Combining passion with the love of coffee is what Jack Meets Kaldi is all about.

PLANTING DEVOTION Paying tribute to history is an essential part of understanding the past of something and allows us to further fathom the future.

Jack Meets Kaldi pays a deep respect on understanding the rich and loaded history of coffee. The café’s name, as a matter of fact, came from the legendary story of Kaldi, the goatherd who discovered coffee in Ethiopia and from the name of the owner’s father, Jack, who is described as a ‘jack of all trades,’

reflecting what this café is all about—where the connoisseur and coffee meets.

As you enter the café, a quintessential interior design will welcome you as you will observe posters and paintings of the Beatles, a band which is still named as the greatest band of all time even they were only around until the 1970s reflects the café’s timelessness. Books and memoirs are displayed in the corner which adds to the overall classical aesthetic of the café. The café is a three-story building and every floor is made up of different stories.

HARVESTING HARDWORK The café is not only a place to drink specialty coffee and dine, but also offers seminars and workshops in their coffee laboratory and school not only for baristas and coffee enthusiasts but also for everyone who is interested in knowing all about coffee.

They offer short courses on general knowledge about coffee and also conducts consultations to anyone who wishes to open up their own café.

Jack Meets Kaldi is the first full-pledge specialty coffee café in the Philippines and is one of the pioneers in making specialty coffee known here in the Philippines which brings pride to the province of Tarlac, since they originated here, Jack Meets Kaldi is also a mother company of specialty coffee. Even though the specialty coffee’s booming phase is in the nation’s capital, Manila, Jack Meets Kaldi started in its hometown to serve the people in its province first and makes its own name in the coffee industry in the country.

REDEFINING FOOD AND COFFEE As you ascend from the first to second floor, you can perceive paintings that depicts the history of coffee—from the Ethopia legend to present phase. Jack Meets Kaldi deviates from the normal, commercialized coffee almost the majority knows. This café offers authentic Arabica coffee from different countries and only serves the quality coffee they can offer. They roast and brew their own coffee from their own laboratory and equipment and brewed by skilled and knowledgeable baristas. The baristas also compete in national brewing contests around Philippines along with different baristas to showcase and enhance their talents in coffee brewing.

Jack Meets Kaldi also serves gourmet food—of the highest quality and flavor, prepared well and presented

in an artful manner.

Everything they serve for their customers are made from scratch.

They also serve best crafted beers from the local brewing station, The Laughing Cow, also from Tarlac and serve hand-crafted artisanal ice creams from Carmen’s Best.

IN BREWING SUCCESS “We offer nothing else but quality,” Manager Grace Ocampo articulates. Jack Meets Kaldi dedicates a lot on expanding and nurturing the specialty coffee not only here in Tarlac but in the entire Philippines, for it has only begun and will go on further on a long journey towards specialty coffee. Jack Meets Kaldi aims to not only provide specialty coffee but also to familiarized people towards it.

If you want a sophisticated and different experience on coffee, if you want to move away from the blended and commercialized coffee others offer, Jack Meets Kaldi only awaits to be discovered. Even though there is a lot of coffee shops around, meeting the real and authentic is the best experience.

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Features

Conquering Sikwako...

FROM P.22

provides – there is a tree along the journey that has fruits like saresa.

Its nectar can temporarily quench thirst (you should not rely on this of you want to reach home alive).

The nature’s arms hug the place. After walking through mild currents, the stunning view where the river is calm and the tall rocks at the river banks are covered with grass heals exhausted eyes. The nature, herself, tells that you must rest and pat dry your jeans at that point.

THE LITTLE SURPRISE Because of the lengthy walk, keeping track of the journey’s progress is challenging, and out of nowhere, the Sikwako Falls will reveal itself. It’s a series of falls,

100 Setyembre ni...

FROM P.25

ukol sa ikasandaang anibersaryo ng kaarawan ni Marcos. Ito ang unang beses na magkakaroon ng malakihang selebrasyon ang pamilya Marcos, alinsunod ng pagkakahimlay ng labi ng diktador sa Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (LNMB), ayon sa utos ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte noong Nobyembre ng 2016.

Sinalubong ito ng malalaking protesta mula sa mga naging biktima ng Batas Militar, kasama ng mga human rights groups tulad ng Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacañang (CARMMA) na lumalaban para sa katarungang ilang dekada na nilang isinisigaw.

Umani rin ito ng magkahalong reaksyon mula sa mga Pilipino. Ayon sa isang survey ng Social Weather

Photo from Google

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

resembling a stair, and you can choose a spot to stay. The running waters, along with the breeze that comes with it, will surely take any worries about school works away.

The place gives an experience of the nature’s genuine love for peace and beauty.

The sensation of water caressing your body is surely intoxicating. Anyone, even in jeans, wouldn’t be able to resist a single splash. And the view above is even more relaxing. The canopy is too forgiving to give some shades and to also let you see the sky. The stones and rocks are smoothened by the nature for anyone to sit on while allowing any length of leg to reach the gushing waters. The place is generous.

Just like any other water forms, Sikwako Falls turns any set

of foods into a sumptuous lunch, giving you a space to adjust if you’re on a tight budget. The banana leaves make any viand look appetizing, even those you see in your nightmares (obviously an exaggeration).

As you lie down on the shallow waters, time seems to stop. It’s like the nature’s way of saying “You made it here, now you may relax for some time.” It’s all worth it.

Stations (SWS), 50% mula sa 1,800 na respondents ang sang-ayon sa kanyang pagpapalibing sa LNMB, samantalang ang kalahati ay hindi pa rin tanggap ang naging desisyon ni Pangulong Duterte.

Ang mga salik na ito ay nagpapakita lamang ng lubos na pagkakaiba-iba ng ating pananaw kay Marcos. Sa plataporma ng social media tulad ng Facebook at Twitter ay makikita ang samu’t saring komentaryo ng mga netizens sa nag-iinit na isyu ng pagkakalibing ni Marcos sa LNMB. Sumikat ang mga hashtags tulad ng #MarcosNotAHero at ang mga birtwal na kilusan tulad ng Anti-Marcos Social Club.

Marahil ay may mga minsan ding nakisali o kaya’y nakasaksi tayo ng maiinit na sagutan at diskusyon sa mga comment sections. Sa likod ng ating mga computer screens at smartphones, ay malayang naihahayag ng taumbayan ang kanilang mga

opiniyon; taliwas sa sitwasyon noong panahon ng Batas Militar kung saan ang bawat pasaring laban sa gobyerno ay gagawaran ng parusa.

Ang estado ng reputasyon ni Marcos sa kontemporaryong lipunan ay lumalagpas pa sa usapin ng etika at pulitika. Datapwa’t ito rin ay isyu ng historical revisionism, kung saan ang mismong mga libro natin ay hindi malalim ang pagsusuri sa katotohanan ng Batas Militar. Mayroon ding mga pekeng news sites/blogs na pumupuri sa pangalan ni Marcos at nagpapakalat ng mga dimakatotohanang posts na mainam na sandata sa kanilang panlilinlang sa masang Pilipino. At higit sa lahat, pumapaloob dito ang ginagawang rehabilitasyon ng gobyerno sa pangalang Marcos, tulad na lamang ng kanyang pagpapalibing sa LNMB at ng pagdedeklara ng special holiday sa probinsya ng Ilocos para sa paggunita ng kanyang kaarawan.

The Magic of Sikwako The magic of Sikwako Falls is not only in the falls itself. Some of it is in the walking, which can also stand on its own. On the journey back, the beauty of the woods and the sound of the river bid their farewell saying that we do not only come for the falls but also for them.

The perils of going to Sikwako

Falls is also like the nature’s way of saying it is beautiful not because it wants to attract tourists – it is beautiful, period. That makes it more appealing for adventurous tourists. The experience it offers is hard to refuse.

It cannot be denied that living in a world where things come and go without leaving a mark is a tremendous stress to our deteriorating brains, and the search for remedies is often neglected. But we should remember that no matter how far we have gone through, still, the most effective cure we can get is the nature’s elegance. In days when the going gets tough, places like Sikwako Falls are waiting to isolate anyone from stress, even if you are in jeans, which is very restrictive. Nature’s ways are the most efficient.

Apatnapu’t limang Setyembre na rin ang nagdaan mula noong pumailalim ang ating bayan sa Batas Militar. Apatnapu’t limang taon na ang ginugol ng sambayanan upang maliwanagan sa marka nito sa kasaysayan. Sa pagbabago ng ating mga henerasyon ay wala pa ring konkretong hustisya sa mga biktima nito; ang mga utang ng ating bansa ay patuloy pa rin nating binabayaran gamit ang ating buwis; at sariwa pa rin ang pangungulila ng mga kaanak ng desaparecidos. Sa mga nakalap na diaries ni Marcos ay makikita ang kanyang katanungan sa sarili: sino siya sa ating kasaysayan, isa ba siyang pinunong nagbigay ilaw sa mapanglaw na bansa o isang mahinang diktador?

Ang kasaysayan lamang ang makapagdidikta kung ano ang hatol ng masang Pilipino kay Marcos. Sa bawat pagpapalit natin ng ating mga kalendaryo sa bahay ay lalo tayong nalalayo sa taong 1972, at ang agos ng ating mga buhay ay nagpapatuloy. Subalit ang oras din naman ay may kaakibat na pag-usbong ng kamalayan—at maging sa kasalukuyang henerasyon ng flat-screen TVs, Facebook, at demokrasya, ang katotohanan ay di malayong marating.

Literary

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

Word Play Joan Robin T. Martinez

smooth talk deigned normalcy

Playground Andrea Nicole B. Sapnu

As soon as the clouds Form a seamless cloak of gray, Only footprints stay.

until You came I babbled.

Life Cycle Joan Robin T. Martinez

Approximately 9 months 39 weeks 273 days to a lifespan of 60 to 70 Half a life time

in school work ultimate goal: to procreate Savor the bed scene Your love will birth The next you.

Graphics by Gabriel Jann Inocencio

Immaculate Joseph Carlo M. Pineda

I am a child of a flawless family I was born an angel—divine I grew bigger when I consumed all miseries I grew independent when you let go of me would I grow a sinner now that I am free?

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34

Sports

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

SPORTS EDITORIAL

W

Balancing Act

ith new capabilities come new challenges. This is the reality that everybody faces; even more so in sports.

This point becomes apparent with the introduction of the biometric authentication system in monitoring the athletes’ daily training program with greater accuracy.

This allows the University’s Sports Development Unit (SDU) to monitor not only the daily logs and trainings of the athletes participating in the yearly extramural events, but also challenges the athletes in other aspects of their development.

This new addition to the University Dugout gives more emphasis on the value of training time and acclimatization of athletes in their various sporting events but could also further develop courtesy in the athletes with regards to following call times to avoid deductions in their allowances.

Stricter call times mean earlier starts in events which could mean more time to work on team chemistry, drills, and workouts for further physical improvements among other priorities of a student-athlete.

Stricter schedules could also push athletes to focus further and go harder in training in a set schedule while also giving time for their academics, something that this year’s extramurals gave more emphasis on with a nofailing grade requirement among other stipulations.

As with any innovation, a few things could be noticed with the new Biometric system implementation. A thing to be considered is the additional pressure put on the shoulders of the student athletes alongside the challenges they have to face in their daily lives as students, and as

the University’s cream of the crop. Being able to balance academic duties, trainings, and other requirements is no easy feat. The addition of a biometric system keeping the schedules of these student-athletes in check could prove to be very difficult for the students to cope with.

But with any challenge put in front of any individual, the solution to this trial is proper time management. Allotting appropriate time and being able to prioritize certain tasks to finish could be the key to the success of this new endeavor of the University’s SDMO and the athletes that it handles. Training student-athletes in proper time management would help immensely in honing their discipline and skills to balance their academic requirements along with their competitive training; something that has become even more important with the new rules set by the officials of this year’s extramurals.

This added task could also cause an additional burden to studentathletes already struggling to manage their time with sports and academics. Another factor that could affect their performance. But with any situation, certain benefits and drawbacks should always be expected.

One must always remember that no system is ever devoid of flaws of any kind.

A sort of balancing act becomes apparent for the University’s students-athletes as another factor is added to their situation. But as with any other challenge put in front of them, this can be resolved with a little time management and a lot of dedication. Although things are always easier said than done.

Sports

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

35

What matters Social: As mere spectators in games, we tend to keep an eye at the

surface such as how a basketball player dribble the ball, how a team establishes their game plan, how referees call the violators, and whatnot.

These scenarios, however, shell more of what our eyes can’t see.

I Of poets and comets Jejomar Contawe jejomarcontawe@gmail.com

Correspondent AB Communication

“More than the championships, medals and trophies, it’s the camaraderie that had been built among the athletes that matters most.”

t was six AM when I arrived at TSU. Adam, my supposed companion to look after the games today at the Tarlac Recreational Park, had yet to arrive. He probably is still in a state of utter slumber, possibly with drool in each sides of his face that only indicates how sleep was a stupendous pleasure to him as a constantly sleepdeprived engineering student.

The Intramurals week was a welldeserved, calculus-free break.

When I came to the office, there are maybe two or three people who are still quite sound asleep. Wow. Buti ka pa fresh, I heard someone said, pertaining to my deciding to go home than to sleep in the office, to which I responded with a meager smile. It wasn’t true, though: I took a bath eight hours ago.

By the time Adam arrived, we went straight toward the shuttle waiting area. In less than thirty minutes, we arrived at TRP just in time for the battles among Firefox teams to commence.

Adam and I had an agreement that he would make the entire write-up in the Football games and I with the remaining races in various track events for the culmination day. I left him in the bleachers and headed towards the facilitators of the event just beside the tracking area. The sun was scorching heat, but I could only care less.

And then the playoffs began.

I found watching Athletic games live to be pleasanter than any televised tournaments, at least at that time of the day. The medium-height lad from the CBA Tigers especially astounded me as he dashed way ahead of his competitors in the 5K Marathon, his stamina and tremendous speed hardly manifesting any sign of physical exhaustion. Pangnational player na ito, one of the facilitator happily commented.

The mid-morning sun became all the more ruthless. I felt its kiss to

be no longer as tolerable an hour or so earlier. Sweat started building up generously beneath my sweatshirt.

But the amount of perspiration that exuded in me was no match to the amount of sweat that the athletes had been discharging. The thought made me stay to watch up close the live, intense sports action.

Out of the blue, Ate Audrey materialized and we decided to transfer towards the high jumping area for her to capture some photographs. The event was perfect: She captured marvelous pictures that would surely end up in the front page of today’s games. The athlete from the newly spawned college CCJE Gray Bulldogs, came off triumphant with his nearly spotless performance as he soared all the way to 1.63 meters high. It wasn’t that unexpected: The man was a SCUAA player, is all.

As the games continued, some players have signaled exhaustion and collapsed by the time they reached the finish line, while there are some who lost their energy and fizzled out beforehand. Their teammates and friends alike, heartwarmingly, were quick to accommodate and cheer them up as their co-athlete was on the verge of tears out of dismay and frustration. Okay lang ‘yan, par, they would say, tapping the sweatsoaked back of their pal.

The CBA Tigers and the COEd Eagles went neck and neck at the final Relay games. Athletes and spectators alike hovered down the tracking area to witness up close the adrenaline rush that was conspicuous as the teams fought with indomitable speed that only showed their enthusiasm and hunger to bring home the bacon not for themselves, but for the glory and supremacy of their college when it comes to palakasan.

As the game neared its culmination, the athletes and supporters cheered for their college and for the athletes representing them. The atmosphere, needless to say, was broken with ecstatic commotion. The Golden Eagles,

in the end, procured four golds in both Men and Women’s Relay. The overall gold medal tally, on the other hand, favored the Tigers as they remained on top of the hierarchy in the Athletics field with the Golden Eagles finishing off second, and the promising Gray Bulldogs coming off as third.

We went back at the The Work office tired, but also fulfilled. It was an experience, and my mind teemed with thoughts and realizations elicited from the sports events that I had just beheld: More than the championships, medals and trophies, it’s the camaraderie that had been built among the athletes that matters most. Witnessing them shake hands, and the brotherly hugs and slaps in the butt from two uniformed players of contrasting colors, made me realize that it is the overall experience that would render the participants happily nostalgic in the near future as they look back, and that it is not the medals and trophies that they would mostly remember, but how they acquired them, who helped and cheered them in the way, and the people with whom they shared the journey. And theirs, anyway, is a journey that is no piece of cake blood and sweat and academic sacrifices had been discharged from the months of exhausting trainings and preparations, all for the benefit of the college whose flag they staunchly wave for the spectators to marvel at. Notably, next year was most anticipated: TSU will host the SUC III Olympics. *** Hala, sunog na yung ilong mo, Jejo, ate Pau noticed, giggling. I was able to laugh it off, realizing that my face and my hands were the most affected from the sun’s hours of exposure. Nandoon lang siya sa gilid Tita, attentive sa games, Andrea cheerily interjected, non-verbatim. I immediately checked my nose to see whether the degree of its burntness was serious enough for me to panic.

But in the end, I know that the burn does not matter at all.

36

Sports Feature

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

By Andrea Espinosa

Interview by Lorddan Faller

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

C

indy Acosta, BS Criminology student, has always had the blood of an athlete and the passion of a leader.

This year, running both the oval tracks and the newlyestablished College of Criminal Justice Education, she is twice as fierce in passing on the baton of motivation to her fellow athletes and constituents.

Your story as an athlete?

“Since elementary pa lang tumatakbo na ako. Dapat sana ngayong year na ‘to, hindi na ako maglalaro. I was planning not to play for SCUAA this year kasi nga 4th year na ako at mahirap lalo na’t may academics.

Kung magkaroon man ng singko, sayang, kasi may pag-asa akong makakuha sana ng Latin honors. 60/40 lang ang chance ko na maglaro, pero tinuloy ko na. I started running when I was in the sixth grade. This academic year, I was already planning on taking a break from SCUAA since I am now in my 4th year in college and I need to focus on my academics.

If I ever get a grade of 5.0, my hardwork would be wasted as I currently have a standing that would pass for the Latin honors. I only had a 60/40 chance of playing, but I decided to go on and pursue athletics.”

Memorable moments in sports?

“Siguro ‘yung tuwing may training for competitions. Sa umpisa, parang di niyo kilala ng co-athletes mo ‘yung isa’t isa pero kapag training na, makikita mo talaga na ivinavalue nila ang laro hindi lang for themselves, kundi para sa buong team. So ‘yun siguro ang pinaka-memorable; ‘yung bawat training sessions namin at saka ‘yung achievements ng isa’t isa na nawiwitness namin.”

How is your relationship with your coathletes?

“Noon, parang bittersweet. Si ate kasi, dapat kasama pa namin siya. Kaso dahil maaga ang graduation, di ko na siya nakasama. So as a result, parang sa akin napunta ‘yung pressure.

Kasi dati, ang female athletes sa TSU ay laging anim. Ngayon lima na lang kami. Kahit isa lang ang nawala, medyo may sad moments pa rin

Sports Feature kasi kumonti kami ngayon. Pero okay naman.

Alam naming kailangan talagang i-fill ‘yung kulang. Kailangan mas mag-strive.”

What drove you to run for a CSC position?

“Mahal ko ang Crim. Second year pa lang kasi, officer na ako sa organization namin.

Lately din, nagkaka-problema kasi ang Crim department. Gusto kong ipakita na hindi lang kami ganito sa Crim, na laging ang impression sa mga estudyante dito ay mayabang.

Kasi when it comes to teamwork, unity, and cooperation, lahat sila ay mahusay. At ang gusto ko ay makita pa ng ibang colleges na kahit maliit ang CCJE, masaya kami at hindi kami magulo nagkakagulo. Nagtutulungan kami para madevelop kami at magkaroon ng improvement ang college namin.

Marami ring nagagawa ang Crim para as TSU at para sa amin ay malaking bagay lahat ng ‘yun. Pero dito sa TSU, parang wala lang ang mga ginagawa namin. Kaya ang aim ko ay mas marecognize pa kami ng university.”

How do you balance sports, academics, and your work in CSC? “Actually, di ko rin alam. Tanong ko rin ‘yan lagi sa sarili ko. Kahit noong vice-president at president pa lang sa organization ay subsob na ako sa mga gawain. Tapos mag-tetraining pa ako ng gabi after school. Tapos uuwi. Ilang oras akong mag-aaral. Nakakatulong talaga sa akin ang advance reading. May times na lagi ko nang dala-dala ang mga handouts ko para ‘yung oras ay di masayang. Sa council, dahil nangangapa pa rin kami, nireremind ko rin ang mga kasama ko na maging organisado sa mga tasks. Nakakatulong din na laging i-update ang isa’t isa kung ano na ang development sa mga tasks na inaatas namin sa sarili namin. At ang pinaka-importante, ‘yung faith talaga.”

What keeps you going when life gets too difficult to handle?

“Prayer. Lagi akong nag-prepray talaga.

Every day lagi akong naiiyak dahil sa mga pressure sa buhay pero lagi kong kinakausap si Lord. And I find the time to pray sa Cathedral.

Kahit gabihin na ako basta makadaan lang ako sa Cathedral. Kinakausap ko rin ang mga kaibigan ko. Inaalam ko kung ano ba ng perspective nila pagdating sa akin o sa mga problema ko. Kahit na alam ko na ang gagawin, pinapaalam ko pa rin sa kanila dahil nakakatulong talaga ang advice ng ibang tao.”

What/who is your inspiration in life?

“Si God. Lahat ng ginagawa ko ay para sa kanya kahit nahihirapan na ako. Tulad noong time na nag-tetraining kami, gusto ko na talagang tumigil noon dahil parang ‘di ko na kaya. Ang bigat sa pakiramdam na makitang may mga handouts ka pa at papers habang nag-tetrain ka. Pero ang sinasabi ko talaga sa sarili ko ay para ito kay Lord. Kaya nakakaya ko.

Siyempre inspiration ko rin ang family ko. Kung may mga pagkakamali ako, sinusubukan kong itama. Ayoko silang madisappoint sa akin.”

37

What happens in the everyday life of a student-athlete/student-leader?

“Nagigising ako ng 3:30AM. Tatakbo ako for an hour. Tapos at 5AM dapat nagpeprepare na ako for my 7AM class. Kung may exam kami, gagamitin ko ang free time ko para mag-review. Lagi rin ako sa council office dahil parang tirahan ko na ‘to. Tapos training sa hapon. Pag-uwi ko mag-rereview ako hanggang 11. Ang tulog ko ay 3-4 hours lang.”

Any setbacks in your life as a studentathlete?

“Noong nagkaroon ako ng grade na lower than 2.0, ang sabi sa akin ay i-give up ko na lang daw ang pagiging athlete ko dahil hindi ko rin naman daw ito maapply kapag nagtrabaho na ako in the future. Pero ang sabi ko, hindi pwede. Choice ko ito at kailangan kong panindigan ito.”

What are some of the sports-related issues that the university needs to address?

“Sa ibang schools kasi, mayroon silang sarili nilang oval within their premises o kaya naman ay sa kanila talaga at secured ‘yung training nila. ‘Yung sa atin, doon pa tayo sa San Isidro Sports Complex. Minsan, ginagabi kami doon at hindi safe para sa atheletes.”

Issues inside the CCJE that needs to be addressed by the university?

“Siguro ‘yung sa building namin. Ang sabi kasi sa amin noon, sa CCJE na ang building ng dating laboratory school. Pero ‘yung second floor, kinuha ng Chem department ng COS. Ngayon, apat na classrooms lang ang ginagamit namin. Next academic year, dadami na ang mga enrollees from K12 at in demand pa ang Criminology program. Kung dadating na ang mga freshmen na ineexpect na umabot ng 6-10 sections, saan namin sila dadalhin?”

Goals for the upcoming games?

“As much as possible, makakuha ng gold.

Aim din naming female athletes na di kami maalis sa top 3.”

Goals for CCJE? “Mas madevelop pa ang unity. Kahit maliit kami, gusto kong makita sa amin ang tipo ng good governance. At sana, maappreciate pa ng school ang achievements namin kahit maliit na college lang kami.”

Which is better? To be a student-athlete or a student-leader?

“Both. Kasi sa pagiging athlete at leader, parehas na nandoon ang discipline. Parehas na sinusubok ka ng trials at challenges.

Minsan sabay-sabay pa, kasama ang acads.

Mayroong din teamwork sa dalawang ‘yan. Sa council at sa athletics team, mas mag-wowork kayo kung ililift at imomotivate niyo ang isa’t isa. Naniniwala ako na itong pinasok ko, makakatulong sa development ko as a person, both at this time and in the future.”

38

Sports Feature

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR

WEET THE NEW SWEET EW S HE N T SPORT SCIENCE SCIENCE SPORT

By Lander Victor Tejada

T

hough seemingly barbaric and violent, boxing requires a skillful craft that involves tactics and strategy, just like chess.

The art behind – the fluidity, the timing, and the balance between hitting and not getting hit – makes it the hardest and one of the most exciting sport in the world. Boxing is even referred as “Sweet Science.”

But boxing has made its stay on the pedestal for too long, and it may not be the hardest sport anymore.

Coming from the Land of the Rising Sun, and now invading United States, American Ninja Warrior is about to kick stools out of the way and be the new sweet science sport.

INFAMOUS HISTORY American Ninja Warrior originated from Japan and is originally named Sasuke. It was first aired in September 27, 1997, and still airs at present. In Sasuke, 100 players attempt to finish a four-staged obstacle course. Of 34 competitions aired, the course was only completed five times (this means that there were 3,395 failed attempts).

Due to the rising interest and number of viewers around the world, versions of the game were created.

And of course, the most well-known spin-off is the American Ninja Warrior.

Out of 3,500 players, only two competitors scored a total victory in ANW.

PLANET’S TOUGHEST Anyone who is physically fit can play the sport. In American Ninja Warrior, there are courses for youngsters and adults. And if you want to push it to the next level, go on amateur tryouts and race against athletes on 3 full-sized obstacles and get the chance to be on the show (you must be 18 years old or above).

However, becoming a true Ninja Warrior is nothing as easy as burnt pie. Courses on the show are far harder than qualifying courses. The final course in American Ninja Warrior, the Mount Midoriyama is known for toppling thousands of athletes (even experienced climbers). It has four stages of increasing difficulty that will surely leave anyone’s four limbs soring.

Mount Midoriyama’s first stage tests competitors’ agility and speed.

This stage features the “Propeller Bar” and the “Warped Wall” together with six other obstacle courses. Should they complete this stage within two minutes and thirty seconds, they will proceed to the second stage.

The second stage tests competitors’ upper body strength. This stage is known for its arm-straining “Salmon Ladder”, where competitors climb as if swimming upstream. This stage, with its five obstacle courses, brings so much stress to the arms and hips that after it, stretching would hurt. The competitors must finish this stage within four minutes to go to the next stage.

The third stage tests grip and

endurance. The most grueling part of this stage is the “Ultimate Cliffhanger” where competitors climb sideways to the next ramp, and there’s little room for good grip. Along with seven other courses, this stage has become the usual ending of most of the seasons of American Ninja Warrior, despite of the absence of time limit.

The fourth stage is the Mount Midoriyama itself, a 75-foot rope climb. Only season 7 aired an episode with this stage. Competitors need to get to the top of Mount Midoriyama within 30 seconds to achieve “Total Victory.” Only two competitors were able to press the Total Victory Button: Geoff Britten (29.65 seconds) and Isaac Caldiero (26.14 seconds). And since Caldiero made it faster, he won the 1-million-dollar prize pool. Mount Midoriyama remained unconquered since that season.

SWEET SCIENCE If in boxing, boxers find the perfect balance between hitting and not getting hit, Ninja Warriors, on the other hand, find the perfect timing between holding and releasing.

The sport is not all speed, not all power, not all endurance, and not all flexibility. It’s all about playing the sport as the most well-rounded human on the planet armed with strong muscles, tolerant lungs, quick mind and a determined heart. Though not as complicated as chess, American Ninja Warrior is harder than basketball and far more difficult than fishing.

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

PHILIPPINE NINJA WARRIOR? Philippines is a home of extremely tolerant and enduring athletes. And since we excel in boxing, which was long considered the toughest sport, Philippine Ninja Warrior can be a place where many athletes could flock to be a new star. Just imagine in three years, Manny Pacquiao could be back and kicking stools out of his way to be a star again.

American Ninja Warrior is a new ground that could inspire our sports industry to open a new league for Filipinos, athlete or not. American Ninja Warrior survivors Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero are both rock climbers. Who knows, our rock climbers and tribesmen could also excel in such a terrific sport?

With fun yet vigorous gameplay, American Ninja Warrior has become one of the most exciting and most anticipated sports in United States and other countries. Once the sport reaches the Philippines, certainly, Mount Midoyirama will become a warm up course.

Sports Feature 39

Philippines is a home of extremely tolerant and enduring athletes.

Philippine Ninja Warrior can be a place where many athletes could flock to be a new star.

Photos from Wall Street Journal, Variety

40 Sports

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

Eagles hailed Queens of Diamond

By Janelle Pamela David COLLEGE OF Education (COED) Lady Eagles dove and snatched the championship crown from the defending champions from College of Criminal Justice Education (CCJE) Lady Bulldogs as they won against the Bulldogs, 12 runs over eight, on the last leg of the Softball tournament, April 12, at Tarlac Recreational Park.

The Lady Eagles started the game with authority as they pushed the Lady Bulldogs with early strikeouts which led to six runs for the Eagles and two runs for the Bulldogs. The Eagles tried to capitalize on their advantage but faced early strikeouts which allowed the bulldogs to catch up with a score of four runs to the seven of the Eagles. The third inning showed the Eagles seal the fate of the Bulldogs with a final score of 12-8 over the CCJE batters.

Meanwhile, newly-fused College of Engineering and Technology (CET) Lady Sharks snatched third place as they won against the reigning overall champions, College of Business and Accountancy (CBA) Lady Tigers in an upset match, eight runs over three.

LONGTIME RIVAL. Securing their third title this year, the CBA Green Tigers once again faced their longtime opponents Maroon Sharks during the Football championship match at Tarlac Recreational Park. (A. Del Rosario)

Tigers mark 3-year football supremacy

By Albritch Adam Labiano THE GREEN wall still stands as the College of Business and Accountancy managed to defend their two-year football title against their upgraded rivals, the College of Engineering and Technology, scoring 1-0 in the championship game at Tarlac Recreational Park.

Green Tigers remained undefeated in the football field after crumpling the Maroon Sharks’ objective to bring back the championship in their name, after Tiger Marco Villa Agustin kicks off their

winning score on the 41st minute of the game. Tight offense-defense strategy has been exhibited by the two teams during the match, leaving the first half with a number of goal attempts.

Angel Simbol, coach of the Green Tigers, said that he was expecting that CET will give CBA an intense match, though he is more confident this year because of their game philosophy that has been established in the earlier games before the championship match.

“Sabi ko sa kanila pupukpok talaga ‘yung engineering ng first 10 to 15 minutes tapos mapapagod sila kasi nabasa talaga

nila ‘yung strength kasi namin is in the central midfield tapos naglagay sila ng mga tao do’n para mas tie fall ‘yung mga central midfielder namin tapos nung napagod na sila, nawala na. So nung na-open up na ‘yung game, na-control namin,” he added about the result of the first half.

In a goal for the bronze medal, Golden Eagles and Gray Bulldogs strike back to establish their own name in the field. Bulldogs, however, tore the Eagles in its final bout, leaving the game with a victory from the newly-formed team scoring 5-1.

Tiger Squad roars for grand slam reign Sharks, Eagles take one...

By Isaih Kyle Umipig THE COLLEGE of Business and Accountancy (CBA) Pep Squad drove the crowd wild while cunningly defending the Cheerleading championship crown for the fourth time with a total score of 365 points against the College of Education (COEd) Pep Squad’s 358 points.

Although having a shaky buildup towards their goal due to scheduling issues in terms of practices, the Green Tigers pounced and overcame the challenge.

Louis Alfred Visaya, the pep squad’s trainer stated the difficulties especially with academic requirements and working their way around a tight schedule which was resolved by having Saturday and Monday training sessions.

“This week, talagang tutukan.

Kumbaga, tutok na tutok talaga ‘yong practice namin. Magmula 7:30 [ng umaga] hanggang 7 pm, [minsan] hanggang 8 pm, nagpa-practice

The CBA Green Tigers showed early domination in the 2018 Intramurals after claiming their fourth title in the cheerleading competition. (N.J. Calma)

talaga kami,” Visaya furthered.

Grabbing a four-peat championship was no easy task. But even more pressure is put on to the incoming cheerers who will have to defend the crown for another year.

When asked about their winning formula, Visaya stated, “Dedication, hardwork, teamwork, puso – ‘yon.

Lagi naman kasing kasama ‘yon e, saka tiwala kay God. Number 1 ‘yon.

Kasi Siya talaga ang magpapanalo sa iyo.”

Hot on the heels of the Tiger Squad is the College of Education Golden Eagles Followed by the force of the Red Hawks with a score of 324 points. Meanwhile, the Maroon Sharks bagged the first spot in the group stunts bracket while the COEd and CCS squads placed second and third respectively.

>from p.44 the Sharks. But the unrelenting offense of the CET team prevailed as they sunk the final goal of the tournament in the dying moments of the allotted overtime.

Meanwhile, the fearsome force of the female Eagles prevailed over the intense defenses of the Sharks as they won the women’s division in a dominant 2-0 finish against their maroon adversaries. Goals from Antalan and Palada sealed the fate of the Sharks as Yumul from CET acquired a yellow card in the finals.

Last year’s finals competitor, College of Business and Accountancy was a no show during the finals as they dropped to the third spot after facing off against the Golden Eagles for the cross-over while the CET faced off against the Red Hawks and the Black Stallions in their brackets to qualify for the finals.

Sports

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

Tigers take 24 golds, defend swimming title

By Gianne Merielle Gonzales

AFTER BAGGING 24 golds, the College of Business and Accountancy (CBA) now holds a three-year watertight defense of the podium after outpacing the Blue Dolphins and the Red Hawks with seven and six gold medals respectively.

The pointing system caused some apprehension in the Tiger’s ranks, but the green squad managed to push through the waves. “[Pinaka]-kinakabahan namin ngayon

Tigers dominate in Karate-do

By Creisha Mae Dimabayao CBA GREEN Tigers made a powerful comeback as they collected a combined total of 14 medals for Men’s and women's division, hailing them the “king and queen” of the tournament after placing on the second spot on both category last year.

The team's victory was highlighted with seven gold medals bagged by Jedd Arcos in Individual Kata and +84kg event, Steven Oda in -75kg event, and Synchronize Kata Event in men's division; Winvel Fermin in -50kg event, Synchronize Kata, and Team Kumite Event in women's division.

COEd Golden Eagles and CCJE Gray Bulldogs both snagged a total of five gold medals, however, the Golden Eagles reaped four silver, and six bronze medals while Gray Bulldogs garnered eight silver and two bronze medals.

Moreover, in men's division, the gold medalists were Carlo Gamulo in -55kg event and Franklin Agustin in -60kg event from COED, and CCJE’s Dominador Sicat in -67kg event, who also bagged silver medal in Individual Kata Event, and Jesli Manalili in -84kg event. CCJE’s Team Kumite also bagged a gold medal.

The silver medalists were Joseph Mallari in -55kg event and JR Villanueva in -60kg event from CCJE; COED's Synchronize Kata and Jerico Dela Cruz in -67kg event and Emil Natividad in -75kg event from COED. Arnel Cortez in -84kg event of Green Tigers and CBA Team Kumite.

The bronze medals went to COED’s Kenneth Heres in -55kg event, Clinton Chavez in -60kg event and COED's Team Kumite; CCJE’s Synchronize Kata and Jerome Orines in -67kg event, and lastly CBA’s Michael Corpuz in -75kg event and Laurenz Milla in -84kg event.

In women's division, gold

is ‘yung gold tally dahil nagchange ang system natin kung paano kinukuha ‘yung overall champion. Mas nagbu-boost ‘yung eager[ness] ng players natin na makuha ‘yung first spot dahil nga may pinanghahawakan na sila which is the gold medals,” Almira Lavitoria, governor of CBA Student Council, said.

Taking four golds while beating Firefox athletes, Louella Cabalu humbly shared her grateful victory.

“Thanks to the [heavenly] father and [heavenly] mother. Kahit ‘di ko masyado

natutukan ‘yung team and ‘di ako masyadong nakapag-training, binigyan pa rin nila ako ng chance makakuha ng gold,” she said.

Another swimmer making waves in the swimming bout is Marissa Urbina who also grabbed four golds for this year’s Intramurals.

“It is so easy to be on the top but it’s difficult to stay on the top,” Cristy Bildan, one of the Tiger’s swimming coaches, stated when asked about the reason for the Tiger’s three-year win streak in an interview with The Work.

Sharks return to Sepak supremacy Sharks’ system to cancel out Eagles’ Jedd Nunag somersaults and to give them an edge on the first set of the said regu, pushing the Eagles on the verge of their downfall.

With defeat approaching his squad, Nunag urged his teammates to stop the bleeding. They led the second set but the Sharks’ Raybenny Ordonez receives an airborne attack Sharks were quick to from Eagles’ Jedd Nunag and successfully returns the ball. (I.K. Umipig) pick up the pace as they chased the Eagles, tying the score 19-19.

By Oliver John Tabaquero At the last moments of the match, EAGLES MAY feed on fish but the errors coupled with a smart defensive maneuver from Ordoñez led the Sharks are no prey.

The reinforcements coming from Eagles’ to their demise allowing the the ranks of the Blue Lions proved Sharks to hoist the sepak takraw to be effective as the CET Maroon championship after two years of defeat.

When asked about the future of Sharks regained the championship in the Sepak Takraw at the expense of the the team, Tabios said that he believes in his teammates to continue their COEd Golden Eagles, 2-0.

“Magandang regalo sa aming winning ways despite six members gagraduate,” CET takraw chief Ralph graduating this semester.

“Maghahanap sila. MagpapatryJohn Tabios expressed, seeing their victory as a fitting souvenir before out sila ulit. Si Marwin Pagarigan ‘yung papalit sa donning the TSU lambal.

The graduating captain led his ‘kin,” the captain Pagarigan Sharks on the initial rallies of the said. match, orchestrating timely attacks plays a tekong to seep into the voids of the Eagles’ position and is defense to allow them to seize the first currently on his third year under regu.

Continuing the winning pace on the Mechanical the second regu, Raybenny Ordoñez E n g i n e e r i n g added defensive tweaks into the program. medalists were COEd’s Nita Rica Puno in Individual Kata and -61kg event and Eunice Deonoso in +68kg event and CCJE’s Sherie Valdez in -55kg event and Lovely Balagso in -68kg event, who also snatched the silver medal in Individual Kata Event.

Silver medalists were CCJE’s Danica Castro in -55kg event and

41

BASEBALL

Resisting late inning pressure…

Bulldogs strike gold from Sharks

By Andrea Espinosa THE CCJE Gray Bulldogs set their name in gold on the baseball field, claiming sole supremacy inside the diamond with a score of 3-2 against the CET Maroon Sharks, April 13, at Tarlac Recreational Park.

The five-inning championship game blasted off with a hopeful start for the Sharks, scoring one run on the plate at the beginning half of the first inning.

In an aggressive attempt to outslug the Sharks, the Bulldogs succeeded in scoring a run, resulting in a 1-1 score between the two competing teams.

The match further intensified when the Sharks scored another point on the fourth inning, ending the round with 2-1 in their favor.

Remaining undeterred, the Bulldogs batted their shot at victory on the fifth inning with two consecutive runs, culminating in a 3-2 golden triumph in their favor after the Sharks failed to catch up until the end of the last inning.

The Bulldogs went home carrying 11 gold medals for the baseball tournament.

“Hindi namin in-expect na mananalo kami against CET dahil ang galing ng pitcher nila, so ginawa lang talaga namin ang best na makakaya ng skills namin. Nagpapasalamat ako sa teammates ko,” Gray Bulldogs’ baseball captain Jomari Samson said in an interview.

Meanwhile, the former backto-back champions COEd Golden Eagles soared as high as ever against the CBA Green Tigers in their threeinning quest for this year’s bronze, stepping up to the plate with a notable score of 12-1.

Edrose Sabado in -61kg event An Eagles’ batter hits the ball during a baseball match atTarlac and CCJE's Recreational Park. (A. Del Rosario) Synchronize Kata and Team Kumite Event; COEd's by COEd’s Team Kumite, Synchronize Charmaine Zaman in -68kg event and Kata and Alliah Suba in -55kg CBA Green Tigers' Princess Ramirez in event and CBA’s Anjielyn Dayan in -50kg event.

Individual Kata and Lobely Caputol in The bronze medals were secured -50kg event.

42

Sports

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

(A. Del Rosario)

Eagles make 3-peat supremacy in volleyball tourney

By Arsenio Santiago Jr. THE COLLEGE of Education’s (COEd) men’s and women’s volleyball team proved their dominance as they completed a back-to-back championships, April 14, at TSU Gymnasium.

UNBLEMISHED ELIMINATIONS Unleashing an early onslaught against their competitors, top seeded Golden Eagles swept the eliminations to remain undefeated as they enter the semi-final round.

COEd’s men’s and women’s team staged a furious 4-0 and 3-0 win-loss record, respectively, as they submerged the Maroon Sharks in the semi-final cross overs.

WOMEN’S DIVISION Lady Golden Eagles faced Blue Dolphins in a neck-to-neck battle, clinching a victorious 25-16, 15-25, 25-22, 18-25, 15-10 stretch.

Unstoppable Janelle Manalo of Blue Dolphins led her team with her ferocious attacks and consistent services to force the Eagles in a thrilling

five-setter championship game.

However, Golden Eagle’s defense and offense wise Jessa Atencio outsmarted the wit of Dolphins with her well calculated top spins and placement shots that helped her team to pull off a 15-10 finish in the fifth set.

“Sabi ko talaga sa kanila kapit lang, enjoy lang. Alam ko pinaghirapan namin to eh. Lagi ko talaga silang nireremind na amin ‘tong game na ‘to,” Jessa Atencio, ace player of the Golden Eagles, said. Atencio was expected to lead her team after her successful National SCUAA stint.

MEN’S DIVISION Coming from an early deficit, COEd’s men’s team completed a victorious 23-25, 25-16, 25-15, 2523 comeback against the CBA Green Tigers.

Crashing every opponent ahead, Eagles started the tournament strong, sweeping every game in straight sets.

It was only the College of Engineering and Technology that forced them in a three-set stretch in the semi-finals cross overs.

Facing Green Tigers in the finals was never an easy job for the Eagles because of their power spikers like Allyson Marimla and Gerald Cudal, helped by their established defense led by the National SCUAA gold medalist recruit Michael Angelo Dela Cruz.

Tigers established a 5-1 run in set 4, narrowing Eagle’s six-point lead to a thrilling 24-23. Jann Darel Sapad punched the golden ticket for the Golden Eagles’ return to the top spot after burying an opposite crosscourt attack that sealed the fate of the Tigers with a score of 25-23.

“Ang mind set ko talaga tuwing papalo ako is dapat puntos siya, hindi dapat mablock or macheckball basta puntos talaga, and number one talaga yung team work, tapos yung communication. Natalo kami ng first set kasi narattle kami pero ayun, sabi ko bawi lang, enjoy lang,” Sapad explained after playing his last Intramurals match in the university.

CBA stays on top with 5 golds in Chess tournament

By Joan Robin Martinez and Lander Tejada THE GREEN Tigers roared through the boards in men’s division and secured board one in women’s division to take home five golds in the 2018 Intramurals chess tournament held at Tarlac State University Alumni Center.

IMMOVABLE OBJECTS The Green Tigers held their posts in men’s division from Day 1 to Day 3 and crushed their tailing foes, College of Education Golden Eagles and College of Engineering and Technology (CET) Maroon Sharks.

In board one, Jacob Sta. Ana halted the unstoppable, Noel De Leon of Golden Eagles and Joydie Cajuguiran of Maroon Sharks.

Consequently, Sta. Ana bagged the gold and left the silver and bronze to De Leon and Cajuguiran respectively.

The Tigers’ rookie, Mark Dizon, emerged as board two’s alpha while Kelvin Salisi of CET Sharks and Jun Cristobal of College of Science White Wolves battled for the silver in a clincher blitz game. Cristobal

blundered his bishop in the endgame and settled for the bronze.

Charles Joshua Toledano detached his reverse gear and won all his games, securing the gold in board three for the Tigers. Antonio Pidlaoan, Jr. of Maroon Sharks tailed behind for the silver while Addy Gutierrez of College of Computer Studies (CCS) Hawks bagged the bronze.

The veteran Alfredo Manuel took the gold in board four and Eljhon Rigor of CCS Hawks and Eagles’ John Kenly Yumul won the silver and bronze respectively.

UNSTOPPABLE FORCES The Golden Eagles soared at women’s division bagging two gold medals. Back-to-back from last year’s best of boards, Maureen Joy Sagabaen and Angela Marie Macabanti received the award for boards two and three respectively.

Eagles have also been awarded silver for board one player Allysa Claire Soriano, and bronze for board four Elaine May Bendanillo.

The Tigers took one gold for board one player Melissa Ruth

Carreon and three silver medals for Rochelle Guieb, Camille Pastor, and Calyndel Quibuyen for boards two, three, and four, respectively.

Further, Maroon Sharks placed gold at board four with player Ma. Cheska Fernandez and two bronzes for board one Clarisse Liscano and

board two Rachelle Gabini. College of Arts and Social Science player for board three Frances Czarina Gonzales was also awarded bronze.

After winning gold in board one, Sta. Ana and Carreon will play in this year’s State Universities and Colleges Olympics.

Eagles, Tigers, Stallions claim tennis... >from p.44 for the third spot of the singles, along with Miguel Santino Fernando and Erick John Sibal of the Green Tigers for the doubles category.

For the women’s division, Lady Stallions and Tigresses smashed their way to the top as they outplayed their opponents in the singles and doubles category.

Tigers’ Carole Ann Domingo and Stallions’ Rhea Mae Espiritu and Angela Beatrice Malonzo clinched the gold in the women’s division of the championship game.

Domingo delivered multiple staggering shots which fazed fellow Tigress opponent Olive Chichioco from Singles ‘B’, and concluded the match with the score of of 8-4.

Meanwhile, CAFA bets Espiritu and Malonzo embraced victory as they finished off as champions despite COEd’s Rachelle Gundayao and Alyza Ortiz’ blocking their path towards the gold. The fiery finals ended with the score of 8-5.

Falling in for the third place is Malonzo of the Stallions for the singles, and Kristiana Joy Pagaduan and Czarina Guzman of the Maroon Sharks.

Sports 43

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2018

BASKETBALL

Tigers grab gold against Hawks, 70-63

Basketball final match between CCS Red Hawks and CBA Green Tigers (A. Del Rosario)

By Jessa Sombrito

Pooling out for golds...

Tigers beat men’s defending champs in 9-ball shoot out

By Pauline Grace Manzano THE GREEN Tigers forged their campaign in earning gold medals as they dominated the men’s division’s nine-ball action at Salvador Billiards Hall.

The tandem of John Rupert Liwanag and Julius Castro from the College of Business and Accountancy bagged the title against last year’s defending champion Maroon Sharks in men’s doubles.

Liwanag and Castro overpowered the crucial race in the men’s doubles, 5-2; also, Castro clinched the gold in men’s singles category despite of a breath-taking game against Don Jose Perez of College of Public Administration and Governance, 5-2.

Although Perez became a threat after making consecutive golden breaks in the semis against John Joshua Salas of the College of

Computer Studies, Castro managed to subdue consecutive runs to earn his points fast.

The CCS Red Hawks earned the bronze medal both in singles and doubles category while the CPAG Blue Jaguars clinched the silver medal in singles category.

WOMEN’S DIVISION Mishelle Shane Aquino of the College of Education proved herself again in the women’s singles championship as she scored a golden break potting a nine-ball in a decision rack versus Jenski Jerlin Dizon of CBA, 4-1.

Aquino together with Eira Gozum of the Eagles also dominated the women’s doubles category as they won against the Tigresses, 4-2.

Tigers’ Dizon and Ronalyn Monte sealed both silver and bronze medals in singles category respectively.

THE COLLEGE of Business and Accountancy Green Tigers dominated the men’s basketball final match against College of Computer Studies Red Hawks with a strong seven-point lead, 70-63, on April 14 at Tarlac State University Gymnasium.

Tigers went for gold when they did not let the Hawks have the advantage for the entire game. Renz Capulong scored 26 points for the entire quarters of the championship match while Jeffrey Pamintuan scored a strong 29 points and made the game alive for the Hawks and making him the highest scorer of the league.

Dean Reigner Arciaga of Tigers said they struggled when it comes to defense especially to the Hawks’ star player, Pamintuan.

“Mahirap siyang pigilan talaga e.

Hindi namin siya [Pamintuan] kaya

nang one-on-one kasi iba siya. Papagurin namin siya para ‘yung pagod namin [Caponpon at Arciaga], magkahiwalay.”

During the third quarter, Hawks scored a 4-0 run and slimmed the lead down to two points but the Tigers gave full focus on their defense to avoid Pamintuan and the Hawks from scoring.

According to Capulong, they managed to maintain their lead against the Hawks through stronger defense and teamwork.

This is the Tigers’ third championship win after defeating College of Education Golden Eagle during last year’s league. Capulong said that they will try to get the crown next year and be the champion again.

Moreover, the College of Criminal Justice Education Gray Bulldogs won women’s basketball title for this year’s Intramurals against the College of Engineering and Technology Maroon Sharks with a strong 12-point lead, 37-25.

Tigers reign supreme in closest... >from p.44 Computer Studies Red Hawks showed their power in the final game of the five-day battle for supremacy while amassing a total of eight golds.

Bagging three, two, and a single medal respectively, the Black Stallions the White Wolves, and the Blue Jaguars showed their unwavering fighting spirit in facing off against the larger teams. Although bagging only a handful of golds, their efforts persisted and pushed them through to the end

of the games.

But after the gloves are hung and when the dust settles at the end, one victor still remains. The Green Wall, although shaken by the Golden Eagles, still stands. And the power of the Green Tigers still prevailed.

Sharks rule in Standard Dance tilt; Eagles secure top rank in Latin category

By Lorddan Faller

FROM LAST year’s non-placer, College of Engineering and Technology Maroon Sharks ultimately clinched the modern standard title from the defending champions, the College of Education Golden Eagles during the dancesport competition at the TSU Gymnasium.

Showing the power of grace, Sharks’ Mark Celvin Garcia and Hedda Andre Sanchez took the award for best in Tango and leveled with the College of Arts and Social Sciences Blue Dolphins in the Quick-step category.

“Ang saya lang kasi finally,

nakapag-contribute kami sa college namin, sa sariling sikap at sa tulungan namin ng partner ko,” Sanchez expressed in an interview with The Work.

Dolphins likewise brought home the award for best in Waltz.

On the other hand, Eagles’ Gia Danielle Yalung and Ian Carlo Panzo had successfully defended their title in Latin America category after showcasing a jaw-dropping upbeat groove on the dance floor. This bagged them the award for best in Jive and Rumba while College of Business and Accountancy Green Tigers secured the award for best in Cha-cha.

“Second time na namin ‘to kaya

pressured, masaya at exciting kaya sulit lahat ng pagod namin,” Yalung stated when asked about their feelings toward their victory.

Moreover, Yalung expressed content in doing their best when asked about losing the Standard Category title. “Okay lang ‘yon. Ginawa naman namin ‘yung best namin para makuha ‘yon, unfortunately, ‘di tayo pinalad.

Kapag gusto naman ng Panginoon, ibibigay niya”.

The Dolphins were hailed 2nd runner-up followed by Eagles as 3rd runner-up in the overall ranking of Standard bracket. While the Tigers and Sharks took the 2nd and 3rd runner-up places respectively.

Sharks’ Sanchez and Garcia (top) and Eagles’ Panzo and Yalung (bottom) during the dancesport competition at TSU Gymnasium. (I.K. Umipig)

Sports

FEATURE

THE WORK VOL. 69 NO. 3

2018 S INTRAMP A C E R

Cindy Acosta: On the Tracks of Leadership > Follow story on p.36

By Andrea Nicole Sapnu

The colleges’ MVPs together with Dr. Myrna Mallari light the torches during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Intramurals.

(I.K. Umipig)

Tigers reign supreme in closest Intrams battle yet

Bulldogs take 4th in inaugural run THE GOLD medal tally system for the annual Intramurals has given the games its closest result as the College of Business and Accountancy Green Tigers trumped the College of Education Golden Eagles by a mere three gold medals. This was a far cry from last year’s 452-409 point endgame where the Tigers outmatched their winged competitors in a convincing

manner.

Although this year’s gold medal tally was earth-shattering in its departure from the norm, this was not the only significant change in the university’s playing field. The inception of the College of Criminal Justice Education (CCJE) Gray Bulldogs from the Criminology Department of the College of Arts and Social Sciences has

Sharks, Eagles take one a piece in Futsal finals

By Richmon Cayabyab

WHAT’S

INSIDE

THE FINALS for this year’s futsal tournament was all gold and maroon as the College of Engineering and Technology (CET) Maroon Sharks took the prize for the men’s category while the College of Education (COEd) Golden Eagles raided the women’s division against their maroon counterparts.

The heated finals between the Sharks and the Eagles at the Tarlac State University Gymnasium on April 14 went to the full 30 minutes and drew a total of six fouls and a yellow card as no team succumbed to the other. The strength of the Eagles’ futsal club proved to be a challenge as Agustin from the black and gold jerseys cracked the maroon defense and drilled a goal through >p.40

Bulldogs strike 41 gold from Sharks

Eagles, Tigers, Stallions claim Lawn Tennis championship

By Richmon Cayabyab

produced a new competitor fighting for supremacy; a dark horse among the ranks of the renowned squads.

This was proven after the Bulldogs showed strong performances in athletics, baseball, and football among others. A strong performance ending with a thundering conclusion as they passed the Blue Dolphins and landed on the fourth place with 23 golds under their belt just under the College of Engineering and Technology Maroon Sharks with 30 top spots.

With the Sharks bleeding blue from the Lions within their veins, the Maroon Sharks showed their combined might as they topped the football and sepak takraw tournaments along with wins from dancesport and baseball.

Even after being separated from the Bulldogs, the Blue Dolphins still managed to secure the fifth spot in the rankings with solid performances in athletics and dancesport and managed to take home 17 medals in the end.

With the strength of Jeffrey Pamintuan pushing their basketball squad to the end against the Green Tigers, the College of >p.43

Sharks return to 41 Sepak supremacy

Opinion: 35 What Matters

After a smashing series of games, the tennis court named its victors during the lawn tennis championship tournament of the 2018 Intramurals, carrying the colors gold, green and black.

The champions emerged from the College of Education (COEd), College of Business and Accountancy (CBA), and College of Architecture and Fine Arts (CAFA).

Fostering the throne for another year, COEd Golden Eagles harbored champions during the lawn tennis men’s division in both singles and doubles category. The victors include John Matthew Desiderio, Kevin Patrick David, and John Ril Gannaban.

Desiderio clinched his fourth gold in lawn tennis singles after a recently concluded match against College of Engineering and Technology (CET) Maroon Shark’s Ian Cedrick Dela Cruz. This regional SCUAA silver medalist swept the CET bet with the score of 8-3, prolonging his consecutive streak of wins.

David and Gannaban rose above their competitors in a close match during the doubles category, finishing with the score of 8-3 against Clark Ian Nacionales and Spencer Libatique of CET. As the College of Computer Studies Red Hawks and College of Arts and Social Sciences Blue Dolphins are not represented in the lawn tennis brackets, advancing to the championship is made swift for Eagles and Sharks despite competitive attempts of the CBA Green Tigers to nab the crown.

David, one of the players of lawn t e n n i s doubles, >p.42 filled in

Matthew Desiderio of COEd Eagles strikes the ball in a lawn tennis match during the Intramurals.

(I.K. Umipig)