theWORK
MEMBER: COLLEGE EDIT0RS GUILD OF THE PHILIPPINES
VOLUME 72 / Special Issue
The Official Student Publication of Tarlac State University
/theworktsu
Death Marks
Cover design by Pauline Grace Manzano
HEADLINES
/P. 2
The battle against the pandemic has marked the start of a bloodbath for those who have played gods. He with his lackeys who have stomped on the lands made for the people and cloaked the reeking scent of all the bodies skewed to an endless toil is the true horrors buried beneath the virus. What brings more terror than a solitary confinement is death brought by the ruling class.
FEATURES
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DEVCOM
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TSUians far from ‘enjoying’ online classes
Human Life Support
New Frame, Old Stories
Out of 609 respondents, 527 students claimed that they do not enjoy classes online.
Frontliners face the daily frustrations brought by the terrors of the gov’t’s pandemic response.
Plight of the vulnerable sectors who are far from recovery during a pandemic
2 NEWS Mallari confident on shift to ‘new normal’, addresses students, faculty concerns BY PAMELA ROSE G. REYES
TARLAC STATE University (TSU) is ready to push through for flexible learning even with the coronavirus outbreak, university president Myrna Q. Mallari said. In a phone call interview, Mallari affirmed that all were caught in surprise by COVID-19, but the university has already started to prepare for an online platform even before the pandemic. “I’m happy na mas prepared pa tayo sa ibang schools because we have the platform. Meron tayo sa TSU [noong] 2017 and 2018 pa ng mga systems na kailangan natin for online instructions and now nagamit na natin. Kaya I know, I’m confident that we are ready,” she stated. Despite the school’s eagerness, students and some faculty members continue experience issues as they adjust on the new mode of learning and teaching. University officials, deans, and directors held a meeting on August 20 to discuss how to address the concerns of students and faculty members by conducting a survey regarding TSU’s flexible learning guidelines to be rendered out by the third week of classes. Mallari conveyed that the purpose of the survey is to know what is happening on the students’ end for them to help. “It’s because we care for our students. Gusto naming malaman pa’no sila ma-reach out at paano
PERSUASIVE. Tarlac State University (TSU) President Myrna Q. Mallari convinces top officials and college deans in a meeting last August that TSU is ready for flexible learning. (Photo from TSU-Office of Public Affairs)
sila tulungan. Tayo ready, kaya inaaddress natin ang readiness ng mga estudyante.” LGUs’ assistance Based on the university’s initial assessment before the enrollment, more than 90% of the students can access Microsoft Teams while only 6-9% have no connectivity at all as per the calls for help of the admins to local government units (LGUs). President Mallari acknowledged the positive response and actions taken by the
LGUs of Tarlac, such as putting up connectivity in barangay halls and basketball courts and distribution of gadgets, to give access to students with limited resources. The municipalities of Anao, Pura, Victoria, Bamban, Concepcion, Capas, and the city of Tarlac have already taken initiatives to assist. However, the university is still waiting for the reply of other LGUs until the following week. Scholarship Program On the same day, Mallari
worked on a meeting with Gokongwei Brothers foundation to discuss the process and availability for student scholarships. “Naiyak ako during our meeting with Gokongwei Brothers Foundation kasi ang mga schools na pinipili ay ine-evaluate pa nila. Tayo ay hindi inevaluate, pinili ang TSU because we are highly recommended by the URC company of Region III. I felt that’s a blessing for TSU,” she expressed. Mallari also requested for cash assistance, gadget, and connectivity for the | to p.4
Tech problems worry faculty, students’ online learning BY JEHIEL R. ASIO
AS A result of the public health restrictions on COVID-19, Tarlac State University (TSU) has moved to host its classes online as students and professors cite internet connectivity and digitalization as major problems in conducting online classes.
As the shift to flexible learning started on August 10, teachers deliver lessons through video conferences and modules using Microsoft Teams. Many students are still worried, expressed through their calls for help on social media, that they are being left behind as the internet, learning
materials, and technology they can utilize are limited. Adrian Catigay, a firstyear civil engineering student, lamented that he always had a hard time understanding and answering his exams as his gadget keeps crashing and an unstable internet connection sometimes hinders him in
submitting his requirements on time. “I took my quiz on chemistry then suddenly my laptop crashed while I [was] taking my exam. Sadly, I don’t have enough time left to read the question[s] carefully. Luckily I have a very considerate prof that time,” he said. | to p.4
VOLUME 72 The Work Special Issue /theworktsu
NO TRIBUTES TO DANDING;
Peasants seek justice for coco fund scam victims BY JOSEPH BENEDICT A. CINCO
FARMERS GROUP Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) along with activists nationwide expressed their displeasure while the country mourned the passing of business tycoon and former Marcos crony Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. Cojuangco Jr. passed away on June 2 at the age of 85. The San Miguel Corporation, in which he was a chairman-emeritus, issued a statement the next morning to confirm the news. KMP released its statement saying that it refuses to condole with Cojuangco Jr.’s death due to the latter’s involvement in the Coco Levy Fund scam during the Marcos regime. “Patay na si Danding Cojuangco Jr., hindi pa naibabalik sa mga magsasaka ng niyog ang pondo ng Coco Levy na dinambong
ng mga promotor ng Coco Levy fund scam,” KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos added. The group called for the unremitted funds to be returned to its rightful beneficiaries, while urging the public to reminisce about the controversy that left coconut farmers impoverished for decades. Danding and other Marcos cronies allegedly used almost 105-billion pesos worth of illgotten wealth to acquire trading firms, oil mils, the United Coconut Planters Bank, and shares of stocks from the San Miguel Corporation. The ill-gotten wealth is claimed to have originated from the Coco Levy Trust Fund, an accumulation of taxes levied upon local coconut farmers during the Marcos regime that was intended to accelerate the development of the local Coconut industry. The Supreme Court in 2012
TIRELESS PURSUIT. Militant groups relentlessly seek the government’s promise of finally distributing the ill-gotten Coco Levy Fund to its rightful recipients, the Coconut farmers. (Photo from Rappler)
affirmed a 2004 Sandiganbayan ruling that declared a 24% block of sequestered shares in San Miguel Corporation as a public fund and must only benefit the coconut industry. Two years ago, the Sandiganbayan ordered the turnover of the missing funds to the government but the two proposed laws that would have aided the distribution of the funds to the coconut farmers were vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte last year due to lack of “safeguards”.
Meanwhile, activists aired their sentiments on social media about Cojuangco Jr.’s death. Journalist Tonyo Cruz lamented the “PR” eulogies and tributes given by the media for Cojuangco Jr. He then stressed on the mass media’s critical role against the rise of historical revisionism. “The refusal to go to the source and contextualize his ‘wealth’ and ‘influence’ is emblematic of the mass media’s role in the rise of historical revisionism,” Cruz added.
TSU alum faces internet backlash over grad post BY CRYSTAL GAYLE O. ROSETE
A FRESH graduate of AB Communication at Tarlac State University (TSU), Jejomar Contawe, decried cyberbullying and red tagging attacks
against him after he went viral for posting his critical remarks on the government on Facebook on August 25. The post, accompanied with a creative
graduation shot of Contawe holding a placard saying: “Iskolar ng Filipino taxpayers, hindi ng f***ing government,” circulated across social networking sites and made over 77,000 reactions and 29,000 shares on Facebook alone. The online petition “Make Jejomar Contawe reimburse all expenses paid by the government for his education,” reached more than 41,000 out of 50,000 target signatories. Contawe’s satirical comments firmly remarked that the youth’s right to quality education is not indebted to the government but to the Filipino taxpayers–as what he quoted,“Iskolar ng Bayan,” ascribes. “No battalion of anti-wokes, no implementation of terror laws, and definitely no millions of both paid and unpaid trolls could discourage us from this outspokenness against injustices,” he added.
ISKOLAR NG BAYAN. Jejomar Contawe, an AB Communication graduate, poses for his graduation photo while holding a whiteboard that flashes his viral satirical statement.
(Photo courtesy of Jejomar Contawe)
Contawe also emphasized what and who the people must defend: the Philippine Constitution, human rights, God who President Rodrigo Duterte “unapologetically blasphemed”, and how the administration’s failures prompted scholars like him to express their dissent. Following a huge backlash that he received from netizens, Contawe posted another statement last August 29 with attached photos of him being cyber-bullied and red tagged by government apologists. Contawe apologized for those who were offended by his viral comments but reiterated that people should realize that criticizing the government is a right granted by the Philippine Constitution. “Whatever we think of activists and the purposefully evercomplaining ‘wokes’, criticizing our government, be it protesting in the streets or on social media, is a legitimate exercise of democratic | to p.6 freedom,” he said.
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NEWS
VOLUME 72 THE WORK SPECIAL ISSUE
Mallari confident on shift to ‘new normal’... from p.2 | selected students that would be in the program.
Student regent involvement When asked about the involvement of student regent in the held discussion, she specified that as of that moment, they have no role because election for student representatives is not yet conducted. “Wala pa kayong official [student] representative because their term ended at wala sa provision ng batas. Ang nasa provision ng batas, you should be elected,” Mallari said. The election will most likely be in early September as Mallari said. This means that until then, student regent will not partake on any decision making of the university. On self-learning module, Mallari urged the students who picked the SLM method to be online at least thrice a week to get the files they need for their corresponding classes. “Yung talagang walang connectivity – pero I hope everybody will have – hindi naman ibig sabihin ng [selflearning] module eh ihahatid mo ‘yung module, ‘yung estudyante kailangan i-download din niya.”
“Ngayon yung mga talagang walang-wala, pwedeng bigyan ng printed materials pero ive verify pa namin ‘yun kaya ginagamit natin yung LGU, sila ang magdidistribute, kung sakali,” Mallari furthered. On academic freeze “Kung ayaw nilang mag-aral, ‘wag silang mag-enroll, mag-drop muna,” President Mallari stated her sentiments concerning the demands of the students for an academic freeze. “Huwag nilang idamay yung mga estudyanteng very eager na mag-aral. They are enjoying the online instruction, I’m a witness to that. So, kung sila ayaw nilang mag-aral, gusto nila ng academic freeze, ‘wag nilang guluhin ‘yung mga gustong magaral,” she added. She also questioned the students running for Supreme Student Council (SSC) who promote academic freeze. “Gusto mong tumakbo ng SSC tapos inaadvocate mo academic freeze? Why will you freeze learning? Why will you freeze the ambitions or the dreams of the students? Kung ayaw niyang mag aral, bakit siya tatakbo ng SSC? Sinong iru-rule mo kung walang estudyante?” These remarks were
contradicted by the student poll conducted by The Work (see page 5) saying that the students are nowhere near enjoying online classes and are still struggling from the academic loads. “It’s not about learning anymore, but it’s about passing requirements,” a student expressed. Meanwhile, Mallari also attended faculty concerns. The university bought 200 units of laptop that has yet to be delivered and given to the selected faculty members and deans. The campus is also open to professors who do not have internet connectivity at home. #TSUCanDoBetter Mallari’s remarks on academic freeze drew flak from TSUians and netizens across social media for they said it was “insenstive.” Moreover, the hashtag #TSUCanDoBetter was tweeted more than 1,700 times after student activists initiated a Twitter rally last August 26. “And as long as we aren’t free from what keeps this broken system, the least I can do is offer my shoulders to those who aren’t as capable as me.” Zeth Abalos, an AB Communication graduate, said further in his tweet.
Tech difficulties woes faculty, students’... As slow internet connection and tech issues hamper online classes, students also raised concerns about expensive internet connectivity which greatly affects the reduced
from p.2 |
income of households. “Pinaghahatian naming magkakapitbahay ‘yung WiFi pati sa bayarin. Kaya sa panahong ito ay working student ako. Hindi madali dahil sobrang daming
REJECTED PROPOSAL. Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Erwin Lacanlale asserted that TSU is in an uncompromising position to accept the CHED’s “No Break” suggestion. (Photo from TSU Office of Public Affairs)
kailangang gawin sa online class at nasa trabaho ako. Kung titigil naman ako sa trabaho, baka wala akong pambayad sa hatian sa WiFi at natatakot na tuluyang huminto sa pag-aaral.” Mary Antalan, a third year Communication Arts student expressed. Other students whose family income is only sufficient for their basic needs seek solution from the administration and other stakeholders to help them manage the demands of online education. Additional internet fees for research and other requirements brought students extra burden despite struggling financially amidst the global pandemic. The nationwide online learning also hurls teachers into the new setup as they struggled to facilitate classes whenever internet connectivity is throttled. According to Prof. Jazzel Manabat from the College of Arts and Social Sciences faculty, the primary struggle teachers
TSU alum faces internet... *** Contawe, an award-winning campus journalist himself, shared his sentiments in an interview about how being a trending figure on social media is life changing. “Posting that commentary was a calculated risk. Pero kahit gano’n, overwhelming pa rin sa akin–mas lalo ang naging backlash at criticisms,” said Contawe in an interview. Despite the insults, accusations, and even threats that involved his family, Contawe stated that he has no regrets for what he did as it inspired people to speak up more against state injustice, even the apolitical ones. “Eventually mas nangibabaw sa akin yung thought na, even ‘yung mga hindi naman talaga politically outspoken sa social media, they participated sa discourse because of that post. ‘Yun din naman ang goal ng activism: to convince others na magsalita rin laban sa mga nangyayaring inhustisya sa bansa,” he ended. from p.3 |
like her have been dealing with in online classes is internet connectivity. “I opted to hold my classes in TSU since connectivity is better in TSU than the one we have at home. When I hold my classes in TSU through university facilities, I think I can reach my students better since ‘lag” problems are minimized,” she stated. Manabat also said that it is important to practice leniency with the students with the new mode of teaching. “We are all struggling in this new mode of learning but if we help and understand each other, we can get through these tough times,” she furthered. It is said that Microsoft Teams’ (video calls and meetings) standard quality (total includes downloads and uploads) consumes a total of 2.7 GB using video and audio, and 90 MB for audio-only, burdening students and teachers with fees that can go as high as Php 100 a week to attend 5-8 hours of class a day.
NEWS
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Poll: TSUians far from ‘enjoying’ online classes BY JOSEPH BENEDICT A. CINCO AND IVAN P. DATU
MOST TSUians are not “enjoying” online classes, according to the results of the online poll conducted by The Work on September 3-9, 2020. The Work and the Student Councils (SC) of each college used Google Forms to hear the sentiments of the students about their online classes as well as their experiences from the new setup. 86.5% or 527 of the 609 participants said that they do not enjoy online classes while the other 13.5% said otherwise. The responses contradicted the remarks University President Dr. Myrna Q. Mallari made in addressing faculty and student concerns on flexible learning earlier this semester. Mallari infamously told students who were unable to continue the semester to forego enrollment and ‘drop-out’ a few days after she met with university officials in August. “Huwag nilang idamay ‘yung mga estudyanteng very eager na magaral. They are enjoying the online instruction, I’m a witness to that,” Mallari added.
academic load this semester will take a huge toll on their health. “Mostly I enjoy [online classes], but the workload is too much to handle. Also, some professors are demanding attendance,” a senior Public Administration student specified. Meanwhile, students who voted “No” expressed their struggles in studying, submission of requirements, stress, and even “depression.” A College of Teacher Education (CTE) student spoke of how compliance with the subject requirements could determine their performance in class. “Their [students’] only mindset is to submit requirements which are the very sad reality now. When the professors are asking if we understand the lesson, none have the courage to ask even if they did not, fearing to be embarrassed by the prof or literally fearing the prof,” the student described. A first-year student from the College of Architecture and Fine Arts (CAFA) added, “for me, it’s not about learning anymore but it’s about passing requirements. It’s draining our energy.”
‘It’s draining our energy’ TSUians who enjoy their online classes reasoned it as a challenge because of how the ‘new normal’ setting enabled themselves to adapt at their own convenient time. However, some of the students who enjoy online learning are worried about how the heavier
Still lagging Most of the respondents view Microsoft Teams, TSU’s virtual platform for online classes along with Microsoft Office 360, as a convenient and student-friendly application. “It is convenient since we have this app that has many features. We can
almost pass all our requirements here. Assignments, Activities, etc.,” a Public Administration student remarked. However, respondents who
527 out of 609 responded that they do not enjoy their classes online struggled to use the platform lamented its tendency to consume huge amount of data which causes its inefficiency. Adding that this semester, 70% of the respondents use mobile phones while 43% rely on mobile data to cope up with their online classes. “Magastos para sa mga nagloload, mabilis maubos ang data/ MB lalo na kapag video call, mabagal din mag-send or submit ng mga schoolwork,” a Criminology student expressed. Furthermore, 54% of the respondents claimed to have experienced difficulties completing and sending their requirements on time. A third year CTE student described the struggle as problematic, especially when mobile phones are used to comply with the
daily requirements. “So, in some cases, I will just send my requirements to my friends saying, “pa edit friend bago ko i-send sa MS teams,” the junior student added. “There was a time me and my classmates were sending/passing our activities/quizzes, but due to weak connectivity, we ran out of time and our works weren’t accepted,” a College of Science (COS) student shared. On academic freeze The poll also included questions on where TSUians stand on the issue about academic freeze, wherein 79% of the respondents said that they remain in favor while 12% said otherwise. A neophyte student from CAFA mentioned how connectivity issues and technical difficulties on learning platforms have affected both his mental and emotional health. “Even though I have the means and privilege to continue the online class, it is tolling in my mental and emotional health whenever there is no signal or if the MS Teams app is lagging and crashing while the professor is having a lecture,” said the first-year student. Meanwhile, those who oppose the clamor for an academic freeze insisted that they do not want to risk prolonging their studies in the university by implementing it. A COS student further stated, “Para sa akin, kung gusto talaga na mag-aral, go lang. Kahit na anong platform pa yan, kasi kung di talaga kaya ang online class, ‘wag na ipilit.”
TSU assures student breaks despite CHED exec’s proposal BY IVAN P. DATU
TARLAC STATE University’s (TSU) admin assures students with Christmas/Semestral breaks, saying that they have already adjusted the academic calendar before the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED’s) “No Student Breaks” suggestion. Under the supervision of Dr. Myrna Q. Mallari, President of TSU, and Dr. Erwin P. Lacanlale, Vice-president on Academic Affairs, TSU Admin emphasized that the university has already adjusted the academic calendar both for the first semester and first trimester of the present academic year on July 10, 2020. “The start and end of classes were already adjusted by the Admission and Registration Office
following the 18-week duration of a regular semester which includes a Christmas/Semestral break,” they furthered. In an interview last September 11, Prospero De Vera, chairperson of CHED, said that the students are given breaks on the second week of December because they have to go home. But given the situation, students will not have to travel because they are already with their families. “Yung (The) Christmas break after the second week of December, you put a Christmas break because students have to go home, they’re not going home. They’re already at home,” De Vera reasoned. Additionally, he suggested that universities and colleges which have concerns about
summer breaks to remove it from their academic calendar and have two consecutive semesters in one school year. However, after the chairperson’s statement was published by CNN Philippines, it has garnered intense backlash from college students who argued that they have other responsibilities aside from school. They have also captioned the news with the icon of Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) and used its “I’m not a robot” line to express their dismay. Candidates for TSU Supreme Student Council (TSU-SSC) presidency, Adrian Tabag and Justine Garcia, gave their stand on the issue stressing their
disapproval because they believe that students should be given time to rest with the activities given to them and should not be put into the pressure of meeting educational demands. Tabag mentioned that “The commission should focus on taking actions on the online class struggles of our students, teachers, and staff instead of blurting out statements that are blatantly antipoor and anti-students.” Along the same line, Garcia expressed that with the power given to universities and colleges to change their academic calendars, he believes “the administration always balances the consequences of every action and decision that they do, not only for the teachers, but most especially for the TSUians.”
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CARTOON | EDUARDO LAXAMANA JR.
VISION
MISSION
Tarlac State University is envisioned to be a premier University in the Asia Pacific Region.
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.
VOLUME 72 The Work Special Issue /theworktsu
ON CAMPUS
Digitally Divided he impact of the disruption in our education systems caused by the COVID-19 crisis has been particularly detrimental for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The paradigm shift and the premature developments within the education sector have only exacerbated pre-existing education disparities by increasing inequalities and reducing the opportunities for many of the vulnerable students to continue their education under the new normal. When classes resumed at online learning spaces as the continuity policy of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the burden of grappling with how to approach the next phase was left on the shoulders of parents and teachers who were already at immense trial due to complicated social and economic situation. Tarlac State University (TSU) was the first school in the region that resumed classes in August despite the growing concerns that many of its students who were especially hit by the crisis would not have the resources for online learning. The primary platform for instruction is Microsoft Teams, which is also challenging especially for those whose internet connectivity is limited. Students who do not have internet connectivity are most affected not only because of expensive mobile load but because households are already lacking of their basic needs due to interruptions in livelihoods and yet they would have to reassess their budget to prioritize access to education over other basic needs. For instance, an ordinary family with at least two children going through online classes using mobile data has to allot a large portion of their [reduced] budget for education needs despite unsteady income. Although the survey that TSU conducted showed that 90% of the students have access to the internet and devices for online learning, there have been cries for help expressed during the first week of classes. Among the major concerns that were raised on social media include the widening inequalities and exclusivity of online education, especially that this interruption in education poses a disproportionately negative impact on the most vulnerable students, those for whom the conditions for ensuring continuity of learning at home are limited. How the students will manage the demands and how to help them from being left behind remain an open question. An overarching factor that determines the margin of inequality among students is the support they receive — as household income is reduced, whatever assistance that comes in means light in a dark moment. But even the local government units themselves have been selective to the assistance they have provided, which has been only for the students in their list while many from the same situation remain uncertain at a time of crisis. Aside from digitalization, connectivity, and gadget
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problems, the public worry that the quality of education will drop because students are new to the set-up and a lot of teachers are not used to conducting classes through video conferences and virtual delivery of lessons. Also, some courses and subject matters are tricky and too technical to be taught on-screen, which adds to the challenges that teachers and students need to address. Moreover, complaints about abuse and harassment from students streamed on social media in the first few weeks of classes. Misunderstanding due to the noises from the background, unstable connection, and impatience were the common problems encountered in virtual classrooms. The crisis does not only teach us to be practical and realistic but also to be compassionate, and this cannot be separated from the imperative of leaving no one behind. The current setup also presented teachers their biggest challenge yet: how to conduct classes and keep the students motivated in the midst of a stilluncontained pandemic. It is a daunting task that required physical and mental preparation from both parties because it is an untried and unrewarding learning modality. With the absence of internet connectivity, class sessions often get disrupted by weak or poor signals especially in remote areas for both students and teachers which also presents huge barriers for teaching and learning. In addition, the platform being used during class discussions and the home environment they are in also present certain mishaps that remain unresolved even today. These struggles that the pandemic posed have only added to the troubles they have to go through to do their job, aside from the lack of support, poor equipment and working conditions, heavy workload, long hours, and measly pay. As we move forward, it is crucial that we understand how students and teachers have experienced this unprecedented period of remote learning and social isolation because these will spark solutions to the biggest challenge that the education sector has faced in history. Education is not only a basic human right but an enabling one that creates a direct impact on the realization of other human rights and which also serves as a driver of change. To compromise it, and let one from the group not have his or her right due to some policies that we made, is gross neglect to the productive, inclusive, and peaceful societies that we are building. Now that we know that education systems in the Philippines have a tendency to be anti-poor, it becomes an obligation to everyone to suppress all factors that preserve inequalities. Institutions and other learning spaces are the safe ground where students expect to learn how to unshackle themselves from psychological, social, and economic distress, and not to become captive of such a system. It is the only safeguard that protects the youth, and everyone deserves better.
Now that we know that education systems in the Philippines have a tendency to be antipoor, it becomes an obligation to everyone to suppress all factors that preserve inequalities.
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EDITORIAL
VOLUME 72 THE WORK SPECIAL ISSUE
NATION
Compensated Corrupts races of the deep-rooted, cyclical corruption problem and bad governance in the country have been obvious with the 14-billion alleged fraudulent activities in PhilHealth. Enough to cause a public outrage. Since people are now more immersed on social media, their voices of dissent are echoing in bold hashtags and comments. However, in a country where rulers are blinded by greed and power, it is even easier for them to turn a blind eye. This kind of ruthless, conscienceless misconduct breeds bigger problems at the expense of the Filipino people. But the more outraging part of every corruption scandal is the state settling with an inefficient system in completing the investigation as soon as possible and in making the guilty parties pay to the fullest extent of the law. Questionable funding and overpricing of projects are the recent signs of corruption in PhilHealth. Among the anomalous spendings that were exposed in the Senate hearing in August were some illegal or invalid releases of funds from March to June 2020 through Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) and an overpricing of several pieces of Information Communication Technology (ICT) equipment. The IRM, implemented to provide aid to an eligible Health Facility hit by a fortuitous event like a disaster or pandemic, is alleged as one of the fraudulent schemes which the executives have used to fatten their pockets with 14 billion of people’s money. Some institutions that are non-COVID-19 facilities received huge funding and payments faster than usual. There must have been irresistible greed from the perpetrators of this corruption to take advantage of the sorry state of the country to siphon a huge fraction of public resources away from developmental spending for the ordinary Filipinos, especially COVID-19 patients who rely on statefunded services for their health needs at a time of crisis. Meanwhile, the report also showed an unspecified number of laptops worth more than P119 million, 43 unspecified ICT resources worth P40 million, and three unnamed projects for P98 million. The simplest example of how PhilHealth exaggerated the figures in its ICT project proposals would be the Adobe Master collection software worth P21 million, which should have been 168,000
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only based on the Information Systems Strategic Plan (ISSP) approved by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). This is not new. There have been anomalies in PhilHealth since before, which means that the promise of good governance has never been fulfilled. In 2015, fake and bloated claims of health benefits amounting to P2 billion have triggered the Senate blue ribbon committee to investigate a reported cataract surgery scam in various hospitals. In 2016, PhilHealth started approving payments for ghost dialysis of patients who already died, apparently not checking if the claims were valid. In 2017, PhilHealth was reported to have paid P10 billion for the hospitalization of more than 700,000 patients treated for community-acquired pneumonia, which was manipulated because the country should have declared an outbreak if the numbers were true. In 2018, more than P600,000 of government funds was spent for the hotel-stays and travel of former PhilHealth interim president Celestina Ma. June de la Serna, who said the expenses were “necessary” for her work. In 2019, the owner of the dialysis center tagged with the ghost dialysis scam which started in 2016 was arrested for 17 counts of estafa. The depth and extent of corruption are hard to ascertain, but only if the nation’s leaders would allow such a crime to succeed. Corruption exists because oftentimes it is tolerated; those who are involved in it oftentimes make themselves above the law. Filipinos pay their PhilHealth contribution responsibly for it is their only safeguard to their health, but the corporation cannot even maintain transparency. Billions of funds have been corrupted throughout the years, and as long as the state turns a blind eye to the burden it causes to the health services for the Filipinos, it will never attain its goal to give universal health care. Without even saying it, many health facilities still struggle to provide for the needs of the people, primarily due to the disproportionate distribution of funds and corruption of resources. Available funds are stolen instead of being transferred to other expenditures that are necessary to cover the basic health needs of all the citizens. These have occurred while there are Filipino families who
Due to the dysfunctional systems within government offices and its partner institutions, we are to carry the problems left by some officials who do not care who suffers because of their greed and tyranny.
VOLUME 72 THE WORK SPECIAL ISSUE
EDITORIAL
CARTOON | CEE JAY C. FUERTES
endure not seeking medical help due to a default stigma that going to hospitals entails expenses. If only the early signs of corruption in PhilHealth were probed for greater detail, the people behind it would not have more chances of stealing bigger amounts. The country is sick with ineffective leadership. People are exhausted and sick with bad, conscienceless leaders. And there is nothing more sickening than stealing money allotted for the medication of needy Filipinos. PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales and other executives will face graft, malversation of public funds, dishonesty, and grave misconduct, according to the
Department of Justice (DOJ). Although solving the case is still far from the general expectation when we consider the glaring injustice in the country and the real situation at the bottom that health workers, health facilities, and the Filipino people have been experiencing since then, it would be a pivotal step towards having lesser evil in the corporation. We should have learned a lot from the many corruption cases we have had in the past. Let us finally guarantee that wheelchair drama would not deceive the public anymore and no criminal would have a graceful exit. To let the real criminals get away with this is a gross miscarriage of justice.
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EDITORIAL
VOLUME 72 THE WORK SPECIAL ISSUE
CARTOON | EDUARDO LAXAMANA Jr.
NATION
Mental Reboot ngulfed in the live wires of online learning brought about by the pandemic and low digitalization, it has taken a disturbingly massive toll on the mental well-being of students, made worse by the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) chairperson that suggested to scrape summer and Christmas breaks of students off the academic calendar. CHED Chairperson Prospero de Vera said that the students are given breaks on the second week of December because they have to go home, but in the situation of flexible learning, they will not have to travel because they
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are already with their families. If that is not outrageous enough, he also mentioned to eliminate weekends off for students. Semestral and Christmas breaks are necessary to the students’ physical, emotional, and mental well-being. If CHED will encourage universities and colleges to strip this off from the learners, then they might as well implement face-to-face learning amidst this pandemic because the audacity to remove the time to distress and free one’s mind from workloads and modules is of equal value as to being infected by a fatal virus. Online learning has already taken its toll on the mental
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health of students. There have been myriad reports from media outlets saying that students and teachers have committed suicide due to the demands of flexible learning. Bear in mind that as we encourage everyone to partake and be elastic in the sphere of education, sometimes, there could only be so much flexibility in learning that even a bow that is designed to bend starts to become brittle and eventually, break. And with a broken instrument, you will not determine how far, accurate, and precise an arrow could be fired at. You see, the importance of maintaining the saneness of the mental faculty lies on our own different pace of coping that could only be served through time, and not by a lesson-ridden and draining– physically, emotionally, and mentally– consecutive semesters. With the insensible suggestion of chairperson de Vera, universities and colleges in the nation should not resort to what he had advised in thinking that it will ease and compensate from the lost months of the previous school year in the absorption of knowledge. Just like how the devices that we use in online learning crash when they have been overused, so does the mind and body of a person shuts down when deprived of the awaited rest of semestral and Christmas breaks, and on the weekends, as well. Do not let the issue of these breaks position learners and teachers alike to reach their mental breaking points. In line with this, the administration of Tarlac State University (TSU) has given its statement saying that they have already adjusted their academic calendar through the Admission and Registration Office following the 18-week duration of a regular semester which includes a Christmas and Semestral break. Now, more than ever, the agencies of education should show leniency and begin to nurture the mental health of students brought by the terrors of the coronavirus pandemic and the accumulated high-
stress level of the digitally divided learning and help in replenishing the mind through actions that will give the students a chance to breathe from the suffocating deadlines to refocus their lenses and not the other way around. Has the pillar of this country’s educational system collapsed that they cannot even think of a suggestion that is rational and would not jeopardize their students? It is dreadful enough that a survey cited by the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) postulating around 44,000 students may not have enrolled this school year because of the demands of learning through the screens, they also had to advise universities and colleges to remove the only time that students could use to eliminate excess emotional and mental baggage from their minds. It is without saying that psychological stability is just as significant as intellectual advancement. Students and teachers should demand actions that would secure the nourishment of their mental health in the battle of online learning along with the virus. And CHED should heed the calls by providing concrete plans that encapsulate the physical, emotional, and mental health of the people that they serve. It cannot be stressed enough that it is high time for the commission to see that the consequences of continuing the lessons amidst this worldwide medical dilemma have already taken its massively fatal toll on students and teachers, and the least that they could do is to provide them a safe space to breathe by taking a time off from the energy-reaping online classes. Ultimately, let us urge the government and CHED to stop dodging the clamor of students and teachers alike, and start addressing these pressing educational issues targeting mental health in hopes that there will be no more lives to be paid as a toll because of underprepared educational management.
Sometimes, there could only be so much flexibility in learning that even a bow that is designed to bend starts to become brittle and eventually breaks.
theWORK
The Official Student Publication of Tarlac State University
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EDITORIAL BOARD AND STAFF A.Y. 2020-2021 Editor in Chief MARY KLAUDINE L. PAZ | Associate Editor in Chief JERICO T. MANALO | Managing Editor CAITLIN JOYCE C. GALANZA | Associate Managing Editor IVAN P. DATU | News & Opinion Editor PAMELA ROSE G. REYES | Development Communication Editor EUGENE QUIAZON | Features Editor CRYSTAL GAYLE O. ROSETE | Sports Editors JEHIEL R. ASIO, JOSEPH BENEDICT A. CINCO | Layout Editor RALPH C. PAJARILLO | Graphics Editor EDILBERT O. ALICANTE II | Senior Photojournalist SHIEKKA MARIE S. CRUZ Correspondents MARAJIAH GRACE A. DIZON, IRA V. MALLARI, PRINCESS JOY C. GABAY, KEN RENDELL S. NOOL, MARAH T. DUNGCA, SANDRA LOUISSE Q. VIVAS, DARREN D. BLANCHE | Graphic Artists RYAN MIGUEL O. NOCELO, EDUARDO LAXAMANA JR. | Layout Artists ADRIEL KRISTINE P. RAMOS, CLARENCE T. MAMUCOD | Cartoonist CEE JAY C. FUERTES | Social Media Correspondent CARL MICHAEL GIAN S. BATUL | Adviser DR. GLADIE NATHERINE G. CABANIZAS
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OPINION
Manila Bay Rehabilitation With the unprioritized battle against the global health crisis, the public is more prone to anxieties and vulnerabilities. This means that painting a small portion of Manila Bay white will never be enough to preserve their sanity especially when officials themselves relentlessly leave its people to wallow in poverty and uncertainty.
s one famous song suggests, certain things look beautiful in white. This particular song, which is usually played during the celebration of the union of two hearts, is an absolute tearjerker, evoking sympathy or sentimentality. This is because of the notion that white is actually considered to be a color of perfection. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation such as light, goodness, purity, safety, and cleanliness. However, as the singer of the song reiterates the beauty of a subject in white, also known as the absence of color, the Filipino people also cry but not out of sympathy, beauty, or sentimentality. Instead, they cry out of despair at the sight of the hazardous crushed dolomite on Manila Bay which is part of the beautification project of the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) that was launched last year.
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Little White Lies Aside from the proposed improvement of the quality of waters and the relocation of the informal settlers, the agency suddenly imposed and remained hell-bent on an ill-thought waste of money project just to cover the bay’s filthy shores with dolomite, which is the synthetic white sand. At present, the crushed dolomite is spread
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MORPHING METAPHORS
90,000 Pounds Beauty Mary Klaudine L. Paz
Editor in Chief | AB Communication
over a 500-meter strip of the shore, concealing the murky appearance of the bay from its time-accumulated grime. According to reports, it is apparent that the project is not only a waste of time and resources, but also lacked and skipped going through the necessary environmental and biological impact studies. In a 2012 safety data report by Texas distributor and builder Lehigh Hanson Inc., Dolomite contains varying levels of crystalline silica and high amount of heavy metals such as aluminum, lead, and mercury which would further contribute to the pollution and acidity of the Manila Bay and additionally cause damage to our respiratory system. With its loss of biodiversity and its degradation of habitats being blatantly disregarded by the administration, its air and its shores will remain polluted. The million peso makeover will just inevitably become a band-aid solution and not a genuine strategy for rehabilitation, especially when it is addressed to pose greater risks not only for the environment but also on the biological health of the public. Even though allegedly, only P28 million was spent on the dolomite rocks, it is still part of a larger project that can be safely put off till after the pandemic. The used funds could have been utilized to keep the healthcare system from falling onto the brink. Now, while we continue to suffer from the looming threat of the virus and the hands of the government’s incompetence, we also experience how they distort their priorities at a time when other compelling concerns demand more focused attention. Mental Maneuvers At a time where there are more urgent spending needs amidst the pandemic, such as muchneeded healthcare facilities and equipment, educational modules for distance learning, and financial and economic aid, the government decides to flush the people’s pesos
into the bay of decay. However, presidential spokesman Harry Roque uttered that the cosmetic project might help ease the public’s anxieties and improve people’s mental health during the current global health crisis. This appalling statement further proves the government can spend for the upkeep and protection of something as trivial and superficial as pulverized rocks when the country’s mental healthcare system evidently continues to suffer from severe underfunding. For years, events and advocacies relating to suicide prevention are reduced to checking on your friends and loved ones, but never resorting to seeking the proper provision of universal health care, accessible mental health services,
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As if in selfdefense and on people’s side, nature fights back and crashes its waters onto the bay’s shore to wipe away these rocks’ little white lies. and peer support programs that can ultimately provide enough treatment and improve their mental conditions. Just recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) revealed in an article that there has been a significant increase in monthly hotline calls regarding depression, with numbers rising
from 80 calls pre-lockdown to nearly 400. In addition to this, the second leading cause of fatalities is also claimed to be related to mental health. These numbers illustrate the need for more facilities, professionals, and above all, competent government officials who actually think logically about the people’s needs. Mental health has been going downhill even before the beginning of the pandemic. With the unprioritized battle against the global health crisis, the public is more prone to anxieties and vulnerabilities. This means that painting a small portion of Manila Bay white will never be enough to preserve their sanity especially when officials themselves relentlessly leave its people to wallow in poverty and uncertainty. Little White Light Despite the growing clamor of the public for various urgent demands such as mass testing, the safe reopening of schools and workplaces, provision of additional quarantine facilities, and hazard pay for the medical frontline workers, the government continues to turn a blind eye because of its hunger for validation and, of course, to quicken its anti-people passages. Bur clearly aware of this, our bodies of water will not bury their heads in the sand. Not long after the bay was first opened to the public, we have witnessed how the dumped dolomite is slowly being carried away by the ebb and flow of the tide. As if in self-defense and on people’s side, nature fights back and crashes its waters onto the bay’s shore to wipe away these rocks’ little white lies. I believe that even nature proves that rebellion is justified. So at this point, maybe the only time I’ll ever see the beauty in white is when the Filipino people finally mobilize and collectively wear it to celebrate, but never mourn for, the death of the tyrannical and fascist regime and the end of an era of being wrongfully criminalized.
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Suicide Due to the pandemic, face-to-face instruction is not yet advisable to conduct until now that is why online classes and distance learning are christened as “best” alternative solutions to continuously acquire knowledge. It is saddening that because of this sudden decision, the transition from traditional learning to modern instruction is resulting to the killings of dreams, literally.
ix years ago, while I was having a lecture session about news writing which was related to poll making and survey questioning, my coach in journalism once told us that numbers do not lie. I was very confused back then, trying hard to digest what he really wanted to say to us but days have passed and I cannot still understand that line. Until one time, while having a field work, I realized that he was right as figures are indeed speaking for the truth. Take this for example: seven months since the start of lockdown (i.e. from March up to October), our country already recorded more than 300,000 cases, “securing” the last spot in the list of Top 20 countries with most number of COVID-19 cases worldwide. Unfortunately, until now, that figure doesn’t stop from rising day after day. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) then reported a 10 percent unemployment rate or around 4.6 million Filipinos aged 15 and above who are out of work as of July this year. Although lower than the record high 17.7 percent reported last April, it is still higher
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CUTS AND SCRAPES
Last Warning Jerico T. Manalo
Associate Editor in Chief | BS Accountancy
than the 5.4 percent level last year. Also, according to the latest survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS), three out of 10 Filipinos have experienced “involuntary hunger” or hunger brought by scarcity on food for the past three months. More than 5 million families said that they are experiencing “moderate hunger” while another more than 2 million families are enduring “severe hunger” or lacking food to eat most of the days. Numbers say it all! It is so undeniable to say that the Philippines is still in the great battle against the invisible enemy which attacked our borderline last January 30. And now that we are in the last quarter of the year, it is still vague if we can survive this 2020’s most trending yet most depressing game of life. Yes, a survival game. Most of the COVID-19 patients are fighting against isolation and discrimination aside from fever, cough, colds, difficulty in breathing, losing their sense of taste and other health condition. Those breadwinners of their families are already physically and emotionally tired from searching for a job especially now that there are a lot of restrictions. Our heroes in white and other frontliners are already exhausted from fighting the virus, fighting for their rights and fighting against bad governance. More so, a lot of businesses were forced to shut down their operations as they cannot afford to pay more obligations. This is a clear illustration that pandemic really affected everyone regardless of social standing. We are all overblown. Yet, there’s still this issue that most of the time is the talk of the town for weeks but still remain unresolved. I am talking about education. Since schools and other educational facilities cannot conduct face-to-face instruction, the “best” alternative solutions they provided for us to acquire knowledge while in a state of
calamity is to conduct online classes and distance learning. Despite the opening of classes being moved on October 5 as announced by the Department of Education, some private institutions and universities (because they are not under DepEd) pursued to start classes in accordance with their normal academic calendar. And it is saddening that because of this sudden decision, the transition from traditional learning to modern instruction is resulting to the killings of dreams, literally. Last October 7, the post regarding the suicide incident of a 16-year-old male from South Cotabato garnered thousands of reaction and shares on social media, and the suspected reason
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Living a life is better rather than not to do. behind his death is that “his teacher did not accept his late handed modules.” It can be recalled that the Bicol Region recorded its first education-related struggle that led to suicide last June 16 of this year and jumped into three, after another two incidents happened last August 15 and September 12, and these were said to have rooted from financial difficulties, unstable network connectivity in the area, and the lack of technology resources. But it doesn’t stop from there. If we are going to look at it from a different angle, these are not isolated cases but are direct results of our broken education system.
They said that education is for all, yet until now, many cannot afford it because it remained exclusive and highly commercialized. That is why the call for academic freeze this past few months was not just a normal rant for me but an evidence that there is something wrong in the system. People are requesting for this so that no one will be left behind, and it is not a crab-mentally thing that stops those who afford to learn. Again, what is happening is not inclusive. If you agree to continue this kind of setup, it seems like you are just okay that many people are struggling. That’s not normal, and will never be a part of the so-called “new normal.” So before ending this, I want to leave a message. To the parents, be firm and more open to your children. Since you are in your home most of the time, it would be nice if you are talking with the other members of the family oftentimes to know how they feel and to strengthen your relationships with them. To the teachers, I know that you are also suffering but I am still asking for consideration. Lend at least 5-10 minutes of your class for “kumustuhan” and motivational part and when giving an activity or quiz, please be cautious about the deadline. If not, at least entertain those who faced difficulties. It’s just a suggestion, after all. To students like me, I know it’s hard but please, be patient. Even though not all the time we are being heard, at least remember that you are not fighting alone. Be loud but be sensitive also. You are doing great. And to whom it may concern, living a life is better rather than not to do. Please do not add yourself to the list of people who chose to end their life to attain peace. We are going to achieve what we want in life. Bear in mind that one is more than zero and you are more than nothing. Take this as my advice and my last warning.
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HEALTH
Human Life Support BY JEHIEL R. ASIO & IRA V. MALLARI
train comes in a relentless wave of nexts.” The weight of risk is allconsuming. Dealing with the exhaustion in and out of the hospital scenes with all the acts that demonstrates “saving life is what matters most,” it is all about putting their lives on the line for the people. This is the story of our frontline workers.
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implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine on March 16, Dianne faced the daily tremendous turmoil–living with the risk of contracting the virus as she worked at the COVID-19 referral center and largest government-owned hospital in the country for months. Days spent on her previous working days are days of fear as the formidable job she used to love had brought her to see the situations that she had never seen. She lived with the day-today frustration brought by the
pandemic and come up with an effective plan to save more lives. Dianne, together with other medical front-liners have been commended for their unending sacrifice for their family and country. Behind their masks is their exceptional bravery in the name of duty to treat the sickest. Intubating patients, administering CPR, and witnessing the battle of the stricken, their work that comes with patience, passion, and faith is also seen to contribute to uplift the spirit of the weak.
challenging not just because of dealing with her 12-hour shift but also, she feared that she might acquire the virus and her twoyear-old baby might get infected. As of September 17, PNP tallied a total of 5,285 cases and has been reported with 16 deaths. With this record, Gumilab makes sure that she carefully observes safety protocols as she is vulnerable to the virus. After her long tiring work, she must resist herself before she
More than the recognition it brings, the stories of bravery that everyone will remember is a push for a constant service for the people.
Avenue of Hope and Deliverance Regardless of the worries and cries, there has never been such proudest time than to be a frontliner amidst a global pandemic. Dianne de Castro, a nurse at the Philippine General Hospital for four years. Upon the
terrors of uncertainty about the government’s pandemic response and the insufficient supply of PPEs for the front liners. With their lives on the line, all at once, she felt like “they are being neglected by the government.” It came one time, she admitted that the hospital staff had to reuse her N95 mask just to be able to go to work since they primarily rely on donations of PPEs. The negligence and feeling of being marginalized are experienced. For months of running her 8-10 working hours shift, Dianne was filled with dread– not just to contract the deadly virus from her patients, but to also anticipate an excruciating workload because many of her colleagues have resigned. Dianne appealed to the government to prioritize this
Together Above the Distance Across the globe, frontline warriors are known as the first line of defense against the fastspreading disease, these warriors are in thick of the battle–on their face masks and PPEs, they also geared themselves with fearlessness bound by the strong call of duty. Police Corporal Florence Gumilab, a checkpoint frontliner in Bayombong, Nueva Ecija and a lactating mother. She was assigned to leave Manila and move to the said town, even if it means that she’ll be away with her husband who is a cop in Quezon City. Behind the tough order was her strong sense of duty as a policewoman. Juggling the role of being a front-liner and a mother was
could touch and kiss her baby as she needs to bathe, disinfect her uniform, and wait for almost an hour. Bounded by her strong faith, she consistently devoted her prayer to not contract the virus and affect her family. Gumilab and other nonmedical front-
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They are the heroes, doing all their might to keep our country on its feet, together with those who are quietly working and placing their lives on the front line.
Local’s Voices and its people fed, clean and guarded.
liners may not wear medical scrubs, but they are also one of the many faces of our modern heroes in this pandemic; they are the ones who deliver the food, the ones who guard and clean the offices and hospitals, the ones who collects and garbage, and the ones who drive the other frontliners to their homes safely. Amid the bleak news about the global pandemic that terrifies the people, it is undoubtedly the proudest moment today to be called a front-liner fighting a global pandemic. More than the recognition it brings, the stories of bravery that everyone will remember is a push for a constant service for the people Remember the Unsung Names It is cognizant that medical workers and other forces are central to dealing with the pandemic that’s circulating. Their hard work and commitment are highly valued as they strongly work on the front line. They are the heroes, doing all their might to keep our country on its feet, but there are also those who are quietly working and placing their lives on the front line. Wearing their masks and bravery , it is also important to remember that there are other heroes, less heralded heroes, who are also keeping the health facilities, and those who are keeping our country
To be lauded as the modern heroes of their own country sounds fulfilling, but there lies more than just the recognition and gratitude–their own narratives of unending sacrifices and hardships for the most vulnerable. The heroes we have today are different from the heroes we once knew. From the global crisis we are experiencing, there has been a shift to those who we admire and look up to. These people are our modern shields and armors, heroes who should be appreciated.
Thank you very much, frontline workers. Our country and the people will always remember your sacrifices for everyone. Cesario, farmer. Thank you for your warrior hearts. Thank you for everything you’re doing. Know that you are greatly appreciated. Milaflor, teacher COVID-19 is very difficult to survive but because of our frontliners we are assured that this virus will be beaten. Ferdinand, PUV driver Thank You for your life and sacrifices. many lives are saved through you. Pedro, church leader Your service is priceless. We are forever grateful for your sacrifices to keep this country safe. God Bless your brave souls. Augusto, senior citizen You made a big contribution for the future of our children. We are thankful to all of you. Milagros, parent Your passion and commitment uplift our hope for a better tomorrow. Lia Jemimah, student
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ON HISTORY
Blood y Regi m e
BY MARAJIAH GRACE R. DIZON & PRINCESS JOY C. GABAY
hen greed comes to power, the president that once vowed to serve becomes an unpardonably shameless plunderer, murderer, and tyrant. The price that his bloodstained hands have to pay isn’t just the debt it left behind, but how the colors of red wouldn’t come off—not on his deathbed, and even more so, on his undeserving grave.
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RED FLAGS A red flag means danger, and Marcos wore it as a cap; like a trojan horse disguised as an ally, they ended bomb threats with a more terrifying solution—the declaration of martial law. Who wouldn’t remember? After entrusting the highest position, Marcos dared to forget his limitation. He, who should have been obedient with the law, robbed us of our rights, democracy, and freedom. He, who should have been the father of our country, showed no remorse for becoming a thick-faced traitor—brazen to think that we are in a schizophrenic world to call him a hero. No, we will never forget. Not when we have the conscience to keep the unrevised history where truth
lies far from delusional apologists. The numbers of those molested, murdered, and oppressed under his betrayal will not just vanish like Yamashita’s treasures. Yes, we will always remember that Marcos, if anything, was but a plaster saint. That those infrastructures were built as camouflage for his huge debt and economic recession. That women walking alone at night weren’t safe from sexual offenders in patrolling uniforms. That the grievances of the families of those who were missing, threatened, killed, and tortured, were mocked by his forgotten timeline. That Martial Law was neither just a joke nor a simple mistake that we should condone and misremember—it is an insult and trauma that scare us for life until death. We will never forgive for there is nothing to exonerate. We ought not to tolerate any unjust and abusive actions, for the enablers of that shameless murderer, plunderer, and tyrant are shameless murderers, plunderers, and tyrants themselves. A red flag means revolution, and so Filipino People did. Marcos did not stop clinging in his filthy throne, but neither did our countrymen stop fighting for what is right, for what must be done, and who must be overthrown. RED-TAGGED Marcos saw that the power of media could throw his greed and wickedness to hell; the very reason that on September 22, a
day after he declared martial law, he instructed military to take over all the assets of leading media and broadcasting companies nationwide—those he thought wouldn’t be submissive and blind of how bloody would the nation be in his autocratic hands. Censorship and silencing of the media was so literal that he called on his precious military and police officers to arrest journalists who bravely wrote against him for public awareness. But Marcos didn’t succeed completely. Journalists were enraged and silence was never their option. They defied media blackout by going underground, working in the dark for the light of tomorrow. Alternative press or the so-called ‘mosquito press’ established community papers wherein journalists, with the presence of both women and youth, have published articles to organize movement and resist the fascist regime by exposing their filthy anomalies. Their further fight against disinformation brought by Marcos bureaucracy led the lives of journalists to harassment and premature death. As journalists write as a bullet to shoot and oust Marcos, the latter had maneuvered a real gun and shot them dead in return. Jacobo Amatong was one of those who should not be forgotten. He exposed military involvement in illegal gambling and
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extortion. He also wrote cases of summary executions and military bombings of communities. In September 1984, while on a supposed fact-finding mission to document reports of military abuses in Zamboanga del Norte, Amatong was ambushed by military men. He was afraid of awakened people; the latter is growing critical, so he had to cut it off. Marcos was alarmed that communist groups were wracking his plans to torment the nation for more years. He said that the communist groups pushed him for the proclamation of martial law; that this was the only way to not inflict students
But Marcos forcibly associated these bold young activists with terrorist groups; that the need to eliminate the kind would be optimistic to the country’s security. But what does it take to be a rebel to Marcos as he constantly linked activism to rebellion? The dictator presumes that writers, journalists and activists were a complete threat to the nation—or to him. Does that mean that a pen and a paper and a raging heart thirsty for freedom could cut his throat? Marcos has exaggerated his narratives with activists and blamed them for the brutality he owns and continues to foster
missing. To whom the victims will tend to with a four decade of seeking justice was still in a little progress? But when the bloody and autocratic hand in the flesh of the current administration maneuvers a replica of impunity; justice will continue to struggle in quicksand. The justice as shallow as the mythology of the hypocrites was the one they fed. The off-spring of the late dictator couldn’t take that there was a dark history that their father was accountable for; that they wanted a law that could revise school textbooks to add new narratives
When the bloody and autocratic hand in the flesh of the current administration maneuvers a replica of impunity; justice will continue to struggle in quicksand. with rebellion and to stop the continuous recruitment of New People’s Army (NPA). However, statistically, there were less than 2000 NPA in the 1970s. How can these numbers be a threat to a president who boastfully laments his abilities to discipline people. The vision we die to look for is a country that is progressive, values life and democracy; these could be seen today if the natural born leaders and protectors of the flag didn’t perish in the grail of brutality and death. To slam an abusive government was never a criminal act that we should avoid anyhow. Youth-leaders have affirmed that the administration was afraid of the youth taking part in the revolution as it contradicts their plan to sway the young minds with lies and promises.
along with his military. REDHANDED One of the false narratives that is outraging today was that Filipinos were more disciplined and organized with Marcos and Martial Law. But it was more of the fear than governance that curtails some citizens to be submissive and cooperative to what the President ails. This is the fact: dreadful consequences await people that actively engaged themselves in a call for resistance and democracy. Law enforcers, the military and police officers, ironically behind the lawless and inhumane operation of arrest, torture, rape, and killings. To why we continue to present these factualstatistics: 70, 000 was jailed without due process; about 35, 000 was tortured on such ways the soul would be traumatized; 3,257 was killed after a torture; 737 went
of lies. And yet the law to hold Marcoses accountable for their human rights violation, corruption and greed to power was obviously put in a discreet place to be forgotten. *** Martial Law left all of us with the colors of red in our hands—for Marcos it is a stain, for us it is resistance. The cries of truth were not held and conferred to malign the dictator. It was him that stained his body with bloody red and rust; putting himself in a nightmare that will continue to horror him for the pleas he refuses to listen. His lies and false narratives were flowers we knew that were a showoff to forget the thousands of bodies on ground—he failed because we remember.
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POLITCS
EMERGENCY
POWERS A RUNDOWN OF THE DUTERTE GOVERNMENT PANDEMIC RESPONSE
BY PAMELA ROSE G. REYES AND MARAJIAH GRACE R. DIZON
momentary stillness along the often-busy streets and bleak alleys may bring comfort and serenity to some of us but what’s deafening about it is when the silence deafens the calls of the masses fettered in fears of demise, and when the underlying issues of hunger and poverty were quickly stifled by a familiar enemy– coronavirus.
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The coronavirus, now called COVID-19, is a highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which has sent shockwaves not just in the Philippines but the whole world. The outbreak was first detected in the mainland of Wuhan, Hubei, China on December 2019 by the consumption of exotic animals such as bats. Alongside the paramount dangers brought by the plague, it has also come to challenge each government’s competence in a state of a global emergency. The pandemic revealed the ineptitude of a preying government and the corruption held in plain sight. As the virus continues to plunder thousands of lives, the
brokenness of the system is far from resolving the problem due to the lack of concrete plans. Throughout President Rodrigo Duterte’s 4 years in the palace, a series of alarming narratives have been heard as the ‘change’ he has promised remains elusive. Now that a new phase of the crisis has entered, this has enabled him to centralize and consolidate power for him and his cronies’ hidden agendas more than public health. ‘It’s corona time’ Earlier this year, January 30, the first case of the novel coronavirus in the Philippines was recorded – a 38-yearold female Chinese national. While the neighboring countries take extra precautions to prevent this widespread disease, the Philippine administration turned to underestimate the virus as they catalyze the movement to remain calm and not to panic as the government is allegedly on top of the situation. A month later, the blatant leader Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of public health emergency in faint echo as the unfolding COVID -19 cases loom in numbers, so immense that it has soon forced the president to show off his implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the entire island of Luzon as early as March 16 to lessen the spread of the virus.
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The lockdown, ordered for all citizens, set the template for what became the manifestation of workfrom-home – exempting frontline professionals – curfews, penalties for guideline violations, and a population descending into starvation until at least May 15. Yet another seven months later, the attempts of the Duterte regime to stir preventive measures has brought a sense of direction to further burden the public without addressing the major crisis at bay: ensuring public health and safety. #SolusyongMedikalHindiMilitar The arrival of the global crisis affirms an issue of health crisis yet Duterte mystifies the emerging icy war in a militaristic fashion. Since the onset of the nationwide lockdown, he has put thousands of soldiers and police in charge as a weapon, performing a bloodshed battle against the virus instead of seeking the advancement for healthcare workers as an antidote to counteract the increasing numbers of infected. He has accused the pasaway citizens, who would die of starvation once they do not make a way to go out, for ensuing problems – ordering the military to meet them in hostility and ‘shoot them dead’. He also wreaked havoc by threatening the public that he would impose
martial law due to the notion of an unsubstantiated pursuit of rebel groups as dangers to the government’s efforts, without admitting any lapses in his management. Deployment of the military reveals the staggering incompetence of those in power with a pinhole effect in eliminating the virus itself. At a time when the world is reckoning with the fusion of terror and panic, progressive groups and citizens call for #SolusyongMedikalHindiMilitar for adequate medical support, accessible and inclusive healthcare for all, supervision of massive testing and sterilization, and not men armed with guns pointing at different directions. It is a call to give immediate economic aid to the poor and displaced, those who are not able to adapt work from home and especially those with no home; what they need is enough food and shelter, no shadows and fines cast across those who cannot comply. It is a call for informed rule and accountability, where health professionals and scientists must take charge to determine a plan of actions in the contemporary struggles and not cohesion built from outrage and rife with terror. But the government red-handedly uses the pandemic as an advantage for flexing their authoritarian muscles that spells danger for the Philippines and its citizens.
Special Powers The pandemic did not only put lives at risk, it has let the regime corrupt the public heart. March 25 was when President Duterte inked the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act of 2020 that grants him to exert 30 special powers to address the coronavirus disease. As the law only takes effect in 3 months, Duterte signed in a measure called Bayanihan 2 Law for the extension of his special powers that will last until the 19th day of December. As cases of the disease leaped over thousands, Duterte has realigned government budgets for handling the coronavirus crisis. However, out of the presumed P165.5 billion pandemic response fund, P140 billion was provided since the rest would be used as a ‘standby fund’.
cases continues to rise, passing the 300,000th mark despite the efforts of our healthcare workers, unsupported by the administration. This impact would leave a detrimental scar for economic growth and would lay our suffering on a pedestal. Although the law may have purposely good intentions, the peril to abuse these absolute controls can break the trance of collective needs that should be prioritized first. Selective arrests When boasting about false achievement bites back, the mark of
Although the law may have purposely good intentions, the peril to
On a larger scale, the president embellished a record of up to P13.7T debt until his last year in the office that caused an alarm for the people, especially since a vaccine remains non-existent and the number of
abuse these absolute controls can break the trance of collective needs that should be prioritized first.
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true incompetence will be seen. In early February, Duterte did not listen to public hysteria claiming that there is nothing to worry about. But just a month later, still, without imposing a travel ban that could have been a preventative measure, our country was already battling an imperceptible fatal virus. A little later in May, a month and a half after the lockdown and community quarantine, the dissatisfaction of Filipinos was visible through protests and online outcry. Since not everyone benefited from April’s first wave of financial aid, citizens, especially the marginalized sectors, the daily income earners, the recently jobless parents with empty stomachs to feed, are asking for assistance and relief goods. Though scared because of Duterte’s “shoot them dead” order for those who will cause ‘trouble’ and defy the lockdown, unprivileged people couldn’t just stay at home and watch their families die not with the virus, but because of starvation. In contrast to public threat and punishment for those who will disregard the protocols, it is not a surprise how Duterte pardons and favors police Major General Debold Sinas and everyone who attended his Mañanita. After violating the quarantine rules on mass gathering, wearing face masks, and social distancing, the President still defended the General saying that he does not believe in firing and that the celebration wasn’t Sinas’ fault. The public outrage was rooted by
the fact that our government put chosen people above the law when not a single one should be; the public restlessness grew because a month and a half were already spent in quarantine, yet there are still no concrete plans to give but biased decisions and incompetence. ABS-CBN shutdown In the midst of the crisis wherein news is essential for dissemination of information and timely updates, a cease and desist order was issued to ABS-CBN. The media giant is known for its fierce coverage of the administration’s extrajudicial killings and its innocent victims. Even Duterte himself claims that the network is biased against him and has already warned them last year about the renewal of their franchise. Although the palace affirms that the issue is a mere coincidence with Duterte’s claims, a lot of people say that the renewal became political. Anti-Terror Law At a time when the world was reckoning with the savaging fusion of panic and terror, Anti-Terrorism Bill has conceivably lapsed into law - a draconian bill that suppresses the Filipino people’s freedom of expression – in the middle of an epidemic. The time where this has been signed into law shows the Duterte administration uses the virus to fast-track its anti-people policies. The government authorizes law enforcers
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to criminalize individuals suspected as “terrorists” with warrantless arrest, detention without charges for 14 up to 24 days, wiretap and ban them from traveling, just by incitement of terror. Late-night shows with Duterte As the head of the nation, people are solely depending on Duterte’s announcement regarding new protocols and updates in quarantine measures, but the President preferred late-night shows. Keeping people awake during sleeping hours by addressing the nation late is not only detrimental to one’s overall health, but also badly affects business operations and essential plans. Many remained disappointed with the president’s infamous consistency – giving last-minute quarantine directives, and out of track phrases that are hard to decipher. Meanwhile, on his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte spent more time dissing and threatening oligarchs than discussing details of the country’s pandemic recovery map. Almost as if much expected, the president still has not given the public the concrete plans to resolve this health crisis. Four months barred from trying times, he thanked the front liners for risking their lives and depended on his hope for the availability of vaccines. As per usual, he mentioned the Philippine Sea as a helpless case against China, and that the friendship he built with them guaranteed prioritization of COVID-19 vaccines. Like any other SONA, this gathered
mixed reactions from netizens. Healthcare system Blowing up COVID cases popped healthcare workers’ strength to push through without time out. Doctors and medical professionals asked the government for reviving strict lockdown in Metro Manila to minimize social contact that causes the fast spread of the virus. After all, our modern heroes are just humans who experience anxiety and exhaust like any of us. This time out also seeks to reassess and re-calibrate the country’s response to the pandemic. Heath experts need time to strategize the fight against the deadly virus and refrain from the collapse of our healthcare system. On the other trembling and tired hand, some medical workers are planning to move overseas. There is no one to blame for their understandable decision when not enough compensation and support is given to help them save other people’s lives without bringing death to their doorstep. Yet, the government imposed a travel ban for them reiterating their sense of nationalism. *** Coronavirus is one of the main dangers of the world from its untold and silent harm. But a government who utilizes this as their myriad play is the greatest danger there is. The end would come with a rapture from the natural world but from the failure of the regime to fulfill its duties to the nation and to its citizens.
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EDUCATION
SCENE TO SCREEN Unheard Voices Hiding in Plain Sight BY CRYSTAL GAYLE O. ROSETE
et us not paint struggles and pain as beautiful. In retrospect, the more a positive light shines on it, the less we see the things that need real attention. Now that we are facing the new normal mode of learning because of the pandemic, students, especially the ones who came from underprivileged families, have suffered direly from the digital divide. When we romanticize the struggle of these people, we fail to remember that no person deserves to have to work tirelessly, earn money to sustain the expensive cost of internet connection, and even risk going outside where a signal is available. We fail to recognize that people on a larger scale should not normally hustle to survive.
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“This is taking too long to respond” The coronavirus pandemic has turned the spotlight on how systemically ill the education sector is. This “distance learning” exposes how making education accessible to all is too distant to meet its demands. And obviously, “one size fits all” will just make the stark divide evident between those who can afford, and those who cannot. During this digital era, many Filipinos still do not have access to a computer or the internet. Citing data from the National Telecommunications Commission, it shows that as of December 2019, only 67% of the Philippine population have access to the internet. The longest lockdown implemented in the country has affected household incomes of families, especially the most vulnerable sectors of society. Some would rather
WIRE GRAPHICS
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find means to pay bills which have piled up during the lockdown– and has made education less of a priority. The government’s unpreparedness to provide inclusive education and inefficiency in addressing this COVID-19 crisis, made the Filipino people suffer more as it further widened the gap between students and the education they deserve. Access to technology needed for distance learning is just part of a bigger problem and yet, even President Rodrigo Duterte himself admitted that the country is not ready for the distance learning approach. I am not a robot Since Tarlac State University has opened classes as early as August 11, tons of unrecorded stories are just hiding in plain sight behind the muted microphones and turned off cameras. “Two months, and I am still coping up. Merely looking at the monitor makes me sleepy all the time. It is hard to interact with the professor and also with the class because sometimes network connection is poor. I’m behind so many topics on different subjects that are still unclear to me,” said KM, a student from College of Business and Accountancy. While distance learning has to be self-paced, to some extent, keeping students motivated enough is another issue. The truth in the practices of learning and teaching are impacted by a lot of factors. Home environments may not be as conducive to learning for an estimated 6.5 million children–no adequate space at home, no private space to do homework, or even an abusive home environment for children (COCOPEA, 2020). “There's a lot of activities and assignments din na after 12 hours na nakababad ka sa gadget ay kailangan pang tapusin. Napapabayan
na namin yung physical and mental health namin for the sake of our grades at dahil na rin sa ayaw namin maiwan pa,” said Les from College of Engineering and Technology. It is clearly evident that the students cry for an education that gives hope to the society and not specifically targeting the students’ mental health and incapability to keep up with a fast-paced world due to poverty, given the circumstances we face now. As we move towards teaching the young with different learning speeds, moods, and needs, the variables increase, and the potential for failure also looms larger. Proceed Calls for academic freeze were also raised for the past months due to the numerous dropouts this school year–that is, undeniably, worsened by financial loss during the lockdown. However, this proposition has long-term effects associated with massive unemployment, learning loss, and impedes government’s accountability to combat this crisis efficiently. The distance learning approach is not easy, but it is also important to find ways for education to continue instead of the risky gamble of setting back developing minds until we are ready.
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Unless the state opens doors towards a resolved health crisis, inclusive and quality education, and clean governance, the stark gap will surely widen as this pandemic persists. “It’s still not safe to go outside because the number of active cases increase daily, but I needed to go to my part-time job. It is the only way I can afford the cost of online classes,” shared Jean, a third year working student from College of Teacher Education. Distance learning should only be used as a stopgap measure, and the government should be working towards normalization. This is not our new normal and we should not accept that it is– because the only normal that we should look
Distance learning should only be used as a stopgap measure, and the government should be working towards normalization. This is not our new normal and we should not accept that it is.
forward to is a quality education that is inclusive for all Filipinos. *** As the government is busy scheduling a flattened curve, altering a natural environment for public's mental health, and shutting down operation of giant companies—it is time we think twice on how long we must face the worsening COVID-19 situation when our neighboring countries are recovering.
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When we see or hear of how hard people have to work to make ends meet, it is time we ask ourselves what caused them to be in this position and what can you do to help one person less suffer. The answer is simple, exercise your rights. Those voices are made to amplify calls for accountability and change until every Filipino is given the quality education and life they deserve. It is time we stop normalizing that this is all our country will ever be.
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TSUians on Online Classes: Based on my perspective, it is tough to make adjustments in this mode of classes. Honestly speaking, hindi naman kasi lahat ng professors are considerate when it comes to the internet connection. There's a lot of activities and assignments din na after 12 hours na nakababad ka sa gadget ay kailangan mong tapusin. Napapabayan na namin yung physical and mental health namin for the sake of our grades and dahil na din sa ayaw namin maiwan pa. -Les, CET
The current mode of classes is exhausting due to piles of workloads to be done. Discussions are not engaging because of the one-way conversation; students are only listeners, presenters are speakers. The lessons with solving are a bit hard to understand especially for the higher mathematics and engineering subjects. Internet connectivity is not always good, that’s why I barely understand other topics and lessons. -JM, CET
It is very costly and inefficient because of internet data requirement for attending classes and uncertainties on the mode of discussion, respectively. -AD, CTE
I am still coping up. Merely Looking at the monitor makes me sleepy all the time. It is hard to interact with the professor and also with the class because sometimes network connection is poor. I have left so many topics on different discussions that are still unclear to me. -KM, CBA
My experience on this new mode of learning is quite unsatisfactory. It is incomparable to the face-to-face type of classes. -PA, CET
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It is difficult because I do not have a stable internet connection and proper gadget that will suffice this new mode of class. -RD, CASS
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NATION
TRACKING THE RAIL OF
FASCISM TRACING
BY JOSEPH BENEDICT A. CINCO AND IVAN P. DATU
he Duterte Administration made the Filipinos its shackled passengers, on board a train that is fueled by authoritarianism and fascism as it traverses from a global health crisis. Instead of steering the Filipinos towards an inclusive and progressive recovery, the administration changed tracks by weaponizing the COVID-19 pandemic to silence its superficial threats. Leaving behind are trails of possible human rights violations, and an act of legislation that further increased the concerning, deafening silence from the vox populi.
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ABUSES
DURING
STATION 1: DURA LEX, SED LEX Since January, policymakers were reminded of how dangerous the Coronavirus is to the youth, and underprivileged citizens of a densely populated country. However, it made the people spend their days of uncertainty under the world’s longest and stringent lockdown, inside their congested makeshift homes like canned sardines. The high prioritization on mass arrests rather than nationwide mass testing led to more than 100,000 Filipinos detained for breaking health and quarantine protocols. Some of these arrests were unjust to the underprivileged. For instance, the detention of a 69-year-old street dweller for sleeping outside on curfew hours. Likewise, the arrest of 21 Sitio San Roque, Quezon City residents for protesting the lack of government relief, which preceded President Duterte’s infamous “shoot to kill” statement on national TV. The poor were more than vulnerable to the imposition of Dura Lex, Sed Lex by the same officials that gave leniency and compassion to quarantine violators such as Koko, Debold, and Mocha. STATION 2: EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS Even a health crisis that transcends global boundaries is not enough to spare someone from being a victim of extrajudicial killings, let alone from a deadly virus. The stay-at-home orders failed to eliminate the risk
A
PANDEMIC
of being gunned down by unidentified vigilantes as the administration’s notorious war on illegal drugs continued. More than 10,000 arrests on 5,840 anti-drug operations were reported from March 31 to May 31, seizing more than Php. 730 Million worth of illegal drugs, but it also left 67 casualties. Vera Files, an independent fact-checking site, reported 42 state-sponsored casualties from March 15 to May 5. While the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) received 69 allegations of extrajudicial killings. Carlos Conde, Asia Division researcher for Human Rights Watch (HRW), said that drug war casualties increased up to 50% between April to July 2020 compared to the previous fourmonth period. There were 155 reported deaths within the April to July time frame, surprisingly higher than the 103 Filipinos who had died at the hands of unidentified hitmen from December 2019 to March 2020. Perhaps the intrigue around the government’s anti-drug campaign, as reported by Rappler, is their failure to clear even a single barangay of illegal drugs during the lockdown. As of this writing, 18,582 barangays nationwide remained to be free from illegal drugs, with 15,388 communities left. Aside from the Coronavirus, these extrajudicial incidents deprived the Filipinos, eager to take the risk of gathering basic needs outside to feed their families, from overcoming uncertainty. STATION 3: TERROR LAW Once the Anti-Terrorism Bill
was signed into law, activists sensed that their mouthpiece for equal treatment and civil rights is being gagged by the state. With all the bills that should be made and passed to greater serve the masses particularly during the pandemic, the government fixated their lenses in gagging the mouths of the people who oppose them and amplify the cries of the unheard. The amendments for the outdated provisions of the Human Security Act of 2007 are disguised for the state to maintain its stranglehold on those who resist the injustices that they perform. Delineating vague and unconstitutional provisions, it clearly illustrates a warrant for legalizing red-tagging and other injustices performed in front of the crying masses. Thirty four petitioners have urged the Supreme Court to junk a law that legalizes detention in the absence of a warrant and based on suspicion. But the verdict from the highest court remains to be heard, giving the government an opportunity to petition for a dismissal. If petitions against the law were to be junked, the abusive nature of the powers that be will only result in overwhelming exploitation of the marginalized, leaving more trails of oppression and marginalization. STATION 4: VOX POPULI When a train approaches, it can be heard from miles away with its steam-powered whistle. Just like the vox populi—voice of the people. These are words that strike like arrows and pierce right through the chest of the Duterte administration.
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With all the bills that should be made and passed to greater serve the masses particularly during the pandemic, the government fixated their lenses in gagging the mouths of the people who oppose them. As the government bleeds from these words, they are deliberately silencing the dissents that people screech from the top of their lungs to maneuver their way out of the pit of clamor. And by doing so, they have severed the tongues of media groups that safeguard the checks and balances meant for the actions of the people in power. The flow of information in the country went from the green, red, and blue trifecta to total darkness as ABS-CBN shuts off its lights because the government denied its franchise renewal. As the leading media giant in the country, it has made its fair share in exposing the underhand exploits of the administration. Adding to the variety of exploits, the pool of independent media and progressive publications have been openly attacked by uniformed personnel through the confiscation of their published materials claiming that it seeks to soil the government’s image. The chilling effect continued to be served through the subpoenas issued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as they summon dissenters for their critical posts online. The summoning of the dissenters to the courts by the NBI postulates to the public that they are clearly criminalizing dissents from critics of the current administration, thereby curtailing the vox populi. ***
As shackled passengers inside a train that travels on terrifying tracks, we must be the ones who shall derail the trails that encapsulate the abuses done by the government amid this pandemic. In our act to do so, we must remain vigilant by the swift and crippling maneuvers of the administration to stray us from our course of action, sliding its way from the concretely effective plans and solutions that the people clamor. Let us build a station that does not give impunity to the rich and powerful, but a recognition and aid to the true people that fuels the progress of the country– farmers, fisherfolks, jeepney drivers, factory workers, and everyone who pays their taxes only to be put into the pockets of the corrupts. With collective voices and efforts, we should dismantle
the tracks of this train to free us from the chains that kept us locked within its cars, and mobilize ourselves into creating a new railroad that favors the oppressed and marginalized whom they gravely position in a spot that suffocates them with the deadly clutches of the administration.
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BY MARAJIAH GRACE R. DIZON
t’s another night of required overtime, my body’s aching for a third cup of coffee, but another shot of caffeine could be damaging. I can’t risk that. Ten minutes before the clock hit nine p.m., I decided to help my co-nurses with their rounds to check our patients. As per the new normal, these white halls are never empty with people like me in strange white suits. Third floor, Room XX3, it’s not yet time to enter the room but there’s Jaime. She’s 28, currently engaged, and a covid-19 positive patient. She got it from a friend who recently visited the country before the travel ban was imposed. Her fiancé is also doing home quarantine, so they haven’t seen each other for quite some time now. She worries about what would it be like tomorrow; she wishes it would still come for her. I can sense how hard everything is for Jaimie— especially for not seeing your source of strength in such weakening moments— but she remains a tough one. Some nights she’s losing it, but every day she’s getting better at surviving. Room XX5, a ward, there’s Cath, Korin, and Andeng— none of them are positive from the virus but are all dengue-related patients. Cath has been here for 2 weeks now, and she’s scheduled to be discharged tomorrow. Surprisingly, or rather understandably, she’s not quite happy about it. Not all good news can brighten your entirety, some dark reality couldn’t just be overshadowed; she fears the truth that their poverty, and how this crisis will worsen it, is more fatal than the virus; classes will start soon, but she’d rather spend her laundrywoman mother’s hard-earned 50 pesos for a kilo of rice and 2 medium eggs than use it for data subscription. If only minors like her could work, she would. Not everyone is riding this sea of problems in yacht and jetski,
i
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you know? Somewhere out there, there are other countless ones like Cath; struggling, resisting, drowning. Similarly, Korin knows she’s lucky enough not to catch the terrifying virus, but is still frightened of its adverse effect— the café she’s working at would permanently close next week. For some, it’s just an unfortunate circumstance; for breadwinners like her, it’s being helplessly swallowed in a quicksand— no matter what move she makes, she loses. Even in sickness, and lying on a hospital bed for days, she seems restless. She wants to leave this hospital as soon as she can, and desperately find ways, whatever it is, to make sure her family won’t crumble in starvation. No one wants that, but who would help who? On the other hand, if you won’t get to know them thoroughly, you can say that Andeng is the luckiest among the three. I don’t know if lucky is the right term, but you’ll think life isn’t as bad for her. Her parents have stable jobs, and she’s got home to return to. But what happens behind closed doors? The pandemic will require her to lock herself at home, even if the home isn’t home anymore. She’d rather stay here and eat tasteless food than being fed with verbal and physical abuse. I know because she told me so. I know because I noticed her eyes, and deep down I saw bruises. She has them on her
GRAPHICS BY RYAN MIGUEL NOCELO
skin; shaped like the abusive hands of those who should have been taking care of her. She has marks on her soul, of the faces and words of the people she loves yet despise the most. She has them. And I won’t allow her to keep having them. I closed the door after checking their conditions. They’re getting better physically, but humans struggle skin deep. I’ll make sure that the three of them will get the help they need. Before they leave here, my support will remain in them. They’ll make it. They deserve to make it. If only I have the money and power, I’d use it to help more people; if only those who have money and power does what they were ought to do, we could have been reaching more. I then moved to the next room, then the other. One patient is dehydrated because when the government implied strict travel restrictions, he had to pedal 150km to go back home. Then, another four devastated patients were confirmed positive from the virus, two of which was a pregnant mother and her baby who passed away yesterday. The night went on like that, and my shift finally ended. Before I went home, I made sure I sanitized myself. The current fear of every frontliner is bringing home an unwanted guest. We can risk ourselves, but not our family and other patients. I unlocked the door of our apartment and saw balloons decorated in the living room. Right, it’s my birthday. Then, I noticed Carlo sleeping soundly on the sofa, while our daughter is comfortably sleeping on his lap. They must have waited, but this is the earliest I could
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head home. Somehow, in their little unconscious way, they make my worries and tiredness vanish. I feel relieved, hopeful, and even more alive now. I hope it’s like this for all of us. I kissed their foreheads and told them to eat the cake with me. They woke up with bright smiles, glad that I’m finally home. Before eating, they sang a birthday song, lit the candle then asked me to blow it, and before I did, I first made a wish… In my mind, I said, “I wish that all those who are wishing in good faith will be heard and granted”. My wish goes for every patient who is bravely fighting for their lives; for every struggling parent who lost their job and are still tirelessly seeking; for every oppressed farmer who is selling their crops at surplus; for every student who will be left behind this academic year. My wish goes for every insulted and belittled scientist despite their huge contributions to our nation; for all healthcare workers who are unprioritized in such a hazardous environment; for all of us who are wishing for this pandemic to end. I wished a lot, and hoped for everything that we deserve, like concrete plans, solutions, and remedies for their negligence—I could only hope for more because we deserve better. My birthday ended like that. No other visitors or special mañanita, because even if I am considered as a modern hero, I know I must not violate the protocols. I am grateful enough for my family. I am grateful enough for all the patients who shared their stories. And my heart aches for all of them. My wish will always go for them. Eyes shut, but my mind is still awake. Only those who have closed their eyes from the truth could afford to sleep well. The stories here are the untold stories of thousands of Filipinos. This is our reality. Tomorrow I’ll open my eyes, so I wonder… have you opened yours?
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by Eugene Quiazon & Ken Rendell Nool BY EUGENE QUIAZON & KEN RENDELL S. NOOL
oing through new norms as a ramification of the COVID-19 pandemic is exacting a huge toll on vulnerable sectors by bringing unprecedented strain to social and economic life. The unreadiness of our communities to operationalize continuity policies has intersected with long-standing issues and preexisting conditions triggered by some manifestly unsuccessful sectoral approaches in recent years. Aside from this, it appears that our traditional resilience mechanisms can no longer pacify the impact of this pandemic, and that rebuilding our system starts with making our platforms just, inclusive, and citizen-centered.
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AGRICULTURE Transforming agriculture during this pandemic is essential not only because of its connection to food security but also for poverty reduction. A report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in 2018 showed that the highest poverty incidence, or the proportion of Filipinos whose incomes are insufficient to meet their basic needs, was among farmers (31.6 percent) and fisherfolks (36.9 percent). Due to the effect of rice liberalization signed into law in 2019, the experience of local farmers has worsened and their profit declined, which made them one of the most vulnerable at this time of crisis. “Yung kinita namin nung huling anihan, ipinambayad lang sa utang sa DBP. Tabla lagi ang laban sa pagsasaka, minsan nga ay lugi pa,” said Pascual Sotto, 42, a farmer in Tarlac City. “Piso lang ang itinaas ng presyo ng palay nung August kaya hindi rin kami makapag-ipon,” he said. When COVID-19 hit, farmers have been the key workers that made sure that the society will not run short of available rice and other goods for the coming months. Lockdown in the cities has prompted people to look back to farms, where tilling of soil and a farmer’s caring hands are at all times an index of food security. “Hindi man infected yung bukirin, pero gaya ng mga negosyo, malaki ang epekto nito [pandemic] sa amin, sa ating lahat,” he said. Like other agricultural households, Pascual and his family also rely on a non-farm source of income to supplement their earnings from
These issues are deeply rooted in the old scenarios that we are forced to endure up to this new setup. farming. His two sisters work in the city but when businesses were placed under government-imposed lockdown, their incomes reduced that they have to improvised to survive. They utilized the available area in their backyard to grow vegetables to sell in the neighborhood as an alternative income while waiting for their palay to be ready for a harvest. “Yung ayuda para sa mga farmers, ginamit namin para makaraos kami habang lockdown, pero hindi nun na-solve yung matagal nang problema,” he said. Even before COVID-19 hit, there were signs of unease among farmers, expressed through their collective call for fair trade of palay, a proportionate share of support, and protection. Instability among farmers was dragged down by many factors, but two stand out: (1) high expenditures during pre-production despite such promising programs and support system, and (2) failure of the sector to diversify its programs to reach out to the farmers at the rock bottom, or those who have been for a long time living in the margin of subsidence.
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While the Department of Agriculture (DA) says that support for the farmers and fisherfolks is there, many still cry help for a more “proportionate support” and a pro-farmer system in the local market. In April 2020, the DA rolled out ALPAS COVID-19 program and an upscaled KADIWA ni Ani at Kita platform. These were based on survival principle and were funded with P8.5 Billion budget. What is not yet clear are the policies for the new normal and post-pandemic contexts. “Mababa ang presyo ng palay, pero mataas ang presyo ng bigas. Kailangan itaas ang presyo ng palay at ibaba naman yung sa bigas,” Pascual said. “Kung itataas din yung presyo ng bigas, tayo naman ang mahihirapan habang ang mga negosyante naman ay malaki ang kita.” The role of agriculture in the fight against COVID-19 is just as crucial as the role of the health sector. Improving local production will prevent hunger and the availability of nutritious produce at affordable prices will cure malnutrition. In 2019, the percentage of food-insecure households hiked to 64.1% from its 53.9% in 2018, based on the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) of the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI). “Nagtatabi kami ng ilang cavan din hanggang sa susunod na pag-ani. Tapos ngayon tumaas pa yung mga bilihin, kailangan talaga mag-doble kayod,” Pascual said. While technological agriculture is being promoted throughout the country, Pascual said they are still traditional. “Isang hektarya lang naman yung lupa namin, kaya pa naman nang manual,” he said. They are now preparing to plant for the next season. Farmers have been struggling since then. Notwithstanding the importance of agriculture in our economy, ingenuine policies have been targeted to the local farmers. As long we turn a blind eye to the pain of the farmers who are suffering under these approaches, we will never attain a true development.
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36.9% fisherfolks or the proportion of Filipinos whose incomes are insufficient to meet their basic needs, was among farmers and fisherfolks.
TRANSPORTATION “Nakalahati yung kita namin ngayon, tapos alternate pa yung paglabas namin,” said Efren Barbasa, 64, one of the oldest drivers in Tarlac Public Transportation Terminal. He compared the new normal situation to a foggy road — dangerous, uncertain, and a near stop to their livelihood. “Mabigat ang kabuhayan ngayon, kahit sinong magsabi. Pero mas kawawa yung mga walang sariling jeep, yung mga nagba-boundary lang,” he said. Drivers, who are also dealing with high exposure to the virus, are experiencing income losses due to the complications the pandemic caused to transportation services. Although Efren received a total of 13,000 in the last week of September from the LTFRB as its COVID-19 aid to drivers, he said he was not spared from the burden the pandemic had caused. “Yung ayuda nitong huli na lang dumating, hindi pa lahat ng drivers nabigyan,” he said. There were a lot among Efren’s fellow drivers who did not receive assistance from LTFRB. “Anim na buwan hindi kami nakapamasada, tapos ngayon naman, kahit marami-rami na yung mga pasahero, hindi pa rin namin nakukuha yung
VOLUME 72 THE WORK SPECIAL ISSUE
A report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in 2018 showed that the highest poverty incidence,
31.6% farmers
dating kita,” he said. He also worryingly talked about heightening competition between the iconic Jeepneys and modern vehicles like Vans and Buses, wherein he recognizes his status at a total disadvantage. “Dati aabot isang libo ang kita ko maghapon, ngayon 500 na lang. Sa akin pa itong sasakyan na gamit ko. Karamihan sa mga kasamahan ko dito nagba-boundary lang, kaya doble kayod talaga,” he said. Meanwhile, Efren said all jeepneys in the terminal follow safety protocols. “Pag-uwi disinfect kaagad. May pang-spray ako sa bahay, tapos ang inilalagay ko ay Zonrox,” he said. In compliance with social distancing regulations, plastic barriers were installed therefore reducing the capacity of the vehicles. He added that they also keep an organized record of the information of the passengers to help in contract tracing. However, the biggest challenge to them is the issue on jeepney phaseout, which the government has discouragingly re-opened in June despite other urgent matters. “Paano? Magkano lang ang kita ng mga drivers.
Hindi naman namin kayang hulugan yun kaya wala rin, sa huli, hihilain lang din nila yung unit,” Efren said. Manny Taban, 41, a jeepney driver for 20 years, said that their iconic jeepneys are proven better than the electronic ones when it comes to heavy and long provincial ride. “Karga namin puro mabibigat at malalaki tulad ng bigas at abono. Mas malakas pa rin humila itong mga traditional lalo na dito sa San Jose, pataas ang daan,” he said. The jeepney modernization project is due to finish by the end of this year, but the government has not yet made any announcement about deadline extension. Instead of reminding drivers about the threat to their livelihood while they are still recovering from the damages of the pandemic, the focus should be on maximizing the role of transpor-
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64.1%53.9% from
In 2019, the percentage of food-insecure households hiked to 64.1% from its 53.9% in 2018, based on the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) of the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI).
tation to the recovery of local economies by safely bridging workers to industries and helping other sectors return to their transactions. “Mas kailangan ng tao ngayon ang maayos na pamumuno. At sana magtiwala sila sa mga jeepney,” Manny said. ONLINE BUSINESSES Even as individuals who have been laid off from work have somehow found ways to survive through the rise of online marketplaces, the pandemic still poses significant problems especially to informal operators and to those who live in urban poor communities. Roselyn Rivera, 22, a resident of Barangay Aguso, Tarlac City, took advantage of the digital boom to put up her own UkayUkay (secondhand products) business for an additional income while taking care of her child. “Dati meron akong maliit na sari-sari store, pero ngayon online selling nalang,” she said.
She entered online selling with a story similar to the struggles of many when COVID-19 hit the country: necessities increased and income halted. However, she said that online selling of products with unstable demand like clothes and stuff could hardly become a permanent source of income, despite the convenience of digital transactions and the availability of free platforms like Facebook and Instagram. “Marami kasing nag-online selling na rin nung dumating yung pandemic, kaya tiyaga-tiyaga muna ako para sa anak ko,” she said. “Hindi tulad ng pagkain like ulam or miryenda na kailangan talaga ng kahit sino, yung benta kasi sa Ukay-Ukay depende sa kung ilan lang yung magkaka-gusto ko sa paninda mo, sabi nga nila ‘non-essential’ kasi,” she added. Although digital transaction promotes social distancing, Roselyn said when delivering an order, she is worried that she might be exposed to an infected customer. “Hindi ko kilala ang lahat ng nagiging customer ko, kaya nakakatakot pa rin, lalo na may anak ako,” she said.
Adapting to the digital economy will benefit a lot of informal operators in many ways, but it comes with its own challenges. Just recently, reports about scams and identity theft have been circulating where online selling businesses are at greater risk. It is also not strange to us that internet connectivity in the Philippines is unsatisfactory expensive and slow, and online entrepreneurs are left to endure this burden while competing with established businesses. This effort of informal operators to recover from the damages caused by the pandemic should be accompanied with support from various stakeholders by simply opening opportunities to ensure that vulnerable individuals would have an option for a decent work and social protection. *** One overarching story of this pandemic is the twin imperatives of saving lives and saving livelihood. Recovery is like a muscle that needs to be exercised and not just a plan to be rolled out. Starting the transformation at the bottom would spark a dynamic development that will reflect up to the umbrella sectors.
theWORK
The Official Student Publication of Tarlac State University
NATION
Heartbreaking Anniversary MARCH
was the date Filipinos marked their calendars as day one of what continues to be the world’s longest and stringent lockdown. One year has been removed but most Filipinos remain confined, limited, and stifled in fear. Amidst the transcending multi-sectoral implications caused by COVID-19, public skepticism never spared the Duterte administration from its draconian, self-serving actions that have furthered the ineffectiveness of the national government’s pandemic response. Policies that are both legislative and administrative natures, respectively, were alleged as egotistic and iron-fisted. Moreover, they also proved to have lacked the foresight and sense of urgency required contain and eliminate the contagious disease. As early actions and statements became reactive rather than proactive, the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act of 2020 was passed as an urgent bill to realign government functions directly to the health crisis. Unfortunately, it only served its purpose as a band-aid that promised additional long-term financial debt.
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Moreover, bad policy ideas such as Senator Bong Go’s Balik Probinsya program, and other cookie-cutting, one size fits all policies made the defective public health system almost helpless in facing the unenviable challenge of accommodating patients with positive cases. Simultaneous mass testing, mandatory use of face masks, and vaccination procurements were considered better when late rather than never. Thus, the less privileged and immobilized Filipinos went hungry and struggling with distance learning for months. Within one year, the Philippines was unenviably ahead of its ASEAN neighbors in total COVID-19 cases, with more than 12,500 Filipinos and counting died in isolation, while the national economy suffered its biggest contraction since World War II. Setting aside corruption-laden, political issues that have already surround the government and elected officials, the global health crisis gave more than enough reasons for the people to demand for competent governance. Not surprisingly, Duterte’s administration did not heed to the vox populi and instead went as far as politicking, detaining, abusing, and red-tagging critical Filipinos with a terror-law that legalizes the latter to subdue a superficial enemy of the state. However, despite the
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bravado, the machismo, and other patriarchal metaphors that fittingly describes the current administration, the government, its constituents, and stakeholders remain hopeless in containing the lurking, invisible enemy.
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To see the good within incompetent governance but not within the wisdom and reason of critical voices, is both obsolete and oblivious.
The country recently saw a sudden, rapid increase in active cases, mostly confirmed around its ground zero—Metro Manila. Filipinos also saw confusion on how the vaccination process are being administered. Duterte’s administration swiftly re-enforced community quarantine measures within and around the National Capital Region. Unfortunately, extending community quarantines are becoming quite endless, with no sensible plans that are being comprehended at this point. The narrative among positive Filipinos is to see the good in everything, particularly in the national government’s COVID-19 response. But to see the good within incompetent governance, but not within the wisdom and reason of critical voices is both obsolete and oblivious.
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