Tug-ani November-December 2020 by Tug-ani

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#LandToTheTillers

02 TUG-ANI The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Cebu

Candice Alcarez

03 03 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER OCTOBER 2020 2020

Kyle Isabelle Candice P. Francisco Alcarez

CARBON MARKET BURNS IN TIME FOR CITY HALL

DECISION ON BUSINES CENTER EXPANSION Mark Leniel Tabaranza Three stalls were totally destroyed and three others were partially damaged in a fire that broke out on Tuesday dawn at Unit 2, Carbon Public Market, Ermita, Cebu City. The first alarm was raised at 1:08 a.m. but was immediately extinguished at exactly 1:26 a.m. Four fire trucks from the Cebu City Fire Office and nine others from the barangay brigade responded to pull out the fire. The Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office narrated that the fire had started at Chona Migo’s stall which was occupied by vendors Verbina Piro, Jack Quilantang, and Judy Pila. The Bureau of Fire Protection reported that the incident caused an estimated amount of Php 144,000 worth of damages while its cause is still being investigated.

Business center expansion eyed In January this year, Mayor Edgardo Labella discussed with stall owners and vendors about the government’s plan to renovate Carbon Market, the largest and oldest farmers’ market in the province. In September last year, he already announced a partnership with SM Supermarket to fund the modernization of the market complex. Lastly, Labella assured that vendors would be prioritized once the Carbon would be fully developed and equipped with upgraded facilities. As of the moment, Cebu CFI Community Cooperative and multi-billion conglomerate Megawide Construction Corporation vie for a joint venture agreement to develop the Carbon Market into a modern market hub and mixed-use property. In October, both aspirants bared their infrastructure plans for Carbon. Megawide, for their part, proposed to transform the area from Freedom Park to the seaside area of Car-

bon into a business center with in-city hotels, restaurant hubs, parks, and a “well-designed” public market. Local cooperative CFI, in a counterproposal, pledged to maintain the “integrity and historical value” of the place, especially of the Freedom Park, and to keep the properties under the ownership of the Cebu City government with a profit-sharing mechanism in place. Other than the construction of a transportation hub, hotel, park, and market proper, CFI also added a social housing initiative for the 700 families in the area which may be displaced by the renovation. Cebu City councilor Leah Japson urged the city government to provide a fair chance for the two contenders “because [Carbon] is an important structure for the public.” She personally favored CFI’s proposal, citing that the cooperative, being founded and run by Cebuanos, would be more knowledgeable in handling Carbon’s renovation and commercialization.

MORE CITY VENDORS DISPLACED BY ROAD CLEARING OPS AMID HEALTH CRISIS Claire Angelie Gabisay Akong hangyo lang, kami pod untang mga kabos nga manindahay, piyongan nila (Our only request is for them to give us, struggling vendors, a benefit of the doubt),” said decades-long street vendor Basan Amora when inquired about the recent bout between sidewalk stall owners and government officials in Cebu City earlier this month. Following an official order from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), local government units across the country have resumed road clearing operations after a seven-month hiatus since lockdowns started in March. “Diretso ra sila’g demolish nga wala’y order o notice. Daghan sa mga paninda sa akong mga kauban ang nangawala kay wala man mi didto ug wa sad mi pasabta (They immediately proceeded to demolish with neither order nor notice. Lots of our co-vendors’ merchandise were lost since we weren’t there and they didn’t make us understand what was happening),” Amora, who is a council member and former president of the Sto. Nino Sidewalk Vendors’ Association (SNSVA), recalled how nineteen sidewalk stalls in D. Jakosalem St. have been destroyed. The ongoing road clearing operations were carried through in accordance to President Duterte’s orders to clear public roads of obstructions to ease traffic during his State of the Nation Address in July 2019. Shortly after the said SONA, Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella immediately started the city’s efforts to clear the public road of obstructions that include along-the-road parking, private utilization of public roads, and sidewalk structures such as that of vendors.

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Last year, more than 700 vendors were displaced in M.L. Quezon and Osmeña boulevards, barangay Mabolo, N. Bacalso street, and other major thoroughfares. The Department of Labor and Employment has given out Php 20,000 financial assistance to some, not all, displaced vendors. Relocation efforts inadequate Despite the national mandate, Mayor Labella emphasized that the city government is still concerned with the substantial amount of vendors that will be displaced and seeks to find a “balance” between compliance and guaranteeing that the people keep their means of livelihood. In response, he directed the formation of a task force that will focus on relocating and regulating street vendors in the city while following the presidential decree. The committee is led by councilors David Tumulak and Renato Osmeña Jr in coordination with local vendor groups. Prior to this, Labella has promised to provide affected vendors in 2019 with stalls designed by world-renowned Filipino industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue—another assurance vendors have yet to take hold of. Over a month after clearing operations in late 2019, Labella eventually allowed vendors to sell again but with certain protocols such as time-sharing, limitations on stall area locations, and others. The vendors complied but, while they were still regaining lost capital, operations were shut down again because of the pandemic. Street vending amidst the pandemic Since March and into nine months now, street vendors of Cebu City have not yet been allowed to resume their

04 TUG-ANI The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Cebu

livelihood. Cebu Urban Poor Women’s League (CUPWOL) chair Bellinda Allere testified that many in her organization still have not received any allowance. Although CUPWOL submitted a list of around 300 names to the Department of Social Welfare and Development as proposed recipients of aid, they have not been accommodated yet. Allere added that this does not yet cover all of her group’s members since their search and inquiry were cut short as they were only provided two days to complete the list. As for other ambulant vendors, Allere said that they have not yet been allowed to sell again and many have asked for help to parley with officials. “Daghan pa og gapos sa lending kay mga inangkat ra man ang ila tinda. Ang uban, magdala na lang og karatula sa ilang mga baligya aron lang makabaligya (A lot of vendors rely on lending schemes since most of their merchandise were merely retailed. Others carry makeshift posters of their products so those interested can at least inquire),” Allere narrated. By the end of 2019, Cebu City earned high ratings during DILG’s validation inspection for the clearing ordinance. An elated Mayor Labella, in return, expressed gratitude toward now-struggling vendors for their cooperation in the project. Allere said that the vendors, too, yearn to “beautify” the city and be part of the government’s aesthetic initiatives. She explained, “Dili man mi mosupak pero unsaon pagpanindot ana kung ang tawo gigutom na (We wouldn’t oppose these plans, but how will we beautify the city if its people are hungry)?”

Daisy Rosos

SHORTHANDED BALIK PASADA PROGRAM MEET DISQUIET FROM TRADITIONAL JEEPNEY DRIVERS Kyle Zenith Durano

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After almost nine months of halting public transportation and jeepney operations, the Cebu City government has finally allowed about thirty percent of traditional public utility jeepneys (TPUJ) to ply the roads of Metro Cebu. As per an executive order signed in October Mayor Edgardo Labella opened 18 jeepney routes spanning ten barangays of the city after recommendations from the Cebu City Jeepney Task Force. During this “first phase” of the program, a total of 1,355 out of over 4,000 TPUJ drivers will be allowed to return to their livelihoods. Also included in the said directive were specified minimum health standards, otherwise called the “Seven Commandments for Public Transport Passengers, Drivers, and Operators,” as well as requirements to register for the limited slots in the first phase. Pre-registration began on November 5 at Plaza Sugbo and ended two weeks later.

Over 3,000 operators fear permanent displacement In an interview with Tug-ani, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide Cebu (Piston Cebu) chairperson Greg Perez stated that this new decision approved by Mayor Labella has both its pros and cons. “Positive man ang gihimo ni mayor nga paningkamot para makabalik pasada ang mga tradisyonal nato nga mga jeep dinhi sa atong syudad. Negative ani kay pipila lang ang makabalik (The mayor’s effort to bring back traditional jeepneys in our city roads is positive. The negative side, however, is that only a limited number of jeepneys are brought back),” said Perez, pertaining to over 3,000 TPUJ drivers who will still be awaiting further announcements from the city government. Earlier this year, PISTON warned that the government may be using the pandemic as a pretense to

push through with its PUV modernization program, despite the IBON Foundation publishing a study in June which concludes that open-air jeepneys are safer in terms of viral transmission compared to their enclosed, airconditioned counterparts. When asked what he would suggest to ameliorate the situation of those who cannot avail of the pre-registration, Perez demanded extended and sustained aid from the government for the remaining three-quarters of Cebu city jeepney drivers.

“Kinahanglan matabangan ang atong mga driver nga mapahilona sa trabaho kon dili gyod maka balik sa pasada (Our fellow drivers need help to settle in jobs if they will still be unable to return to the roads anytime soon),” Perez said. Mayor Edgardo Labella has already assured that the government will be assisting displaced drivers and offering them job placements.”

UNION WORKERS OPPOSE

RISING TREND OF RETRENCHMENT, COMPRESSED WORK WEEK Kyle Zenith Durano Militant Cebuano workers under Alyansa sa mga Mamumuo sa Sugbo-Kilusang Mayo Uno (AMA Sugbo - KMU) knocked on the doors of the Central Visayas office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on November 24 to present concerns on employee retrenchment amid the pandemic and the introduction of a compressed work week, among others. The alliance planned to submit a list of the names of furloughed employees, drivers, and urban poor members who are in dire need of assistance from the government. Together with this list was a call to impose a moratorium on retrenchment measures on business companies. “There is still an ongoing pandemic. The economy is suffering and workers are the most affected, not only because of the retrenchment but also because of the current system that has long been oppressing the working class,” stated AMA

Sugbo-KMU chairperson Jaime Paglinawan. He added that a moratorium on the rising trend of retrenchment is the “least that DOLE can do” in order to help workers. The unionists were, however, not allowed inside. Instead, they staged a demonstration outside to display their opposition against the labor-directed House Bill No. 309, also known as the 35hour Compressed Work Week. Authored by Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, the house bill allows employers from the private sector to implement a 35-hour compressed work week scheme “upon request of its employees” or as a form of a voluntary alternative work schedule. As of November, the House approved the bill on its second reading which will be on its way to its third and final reading. AMA Sugbo - KMU presented several reasons why the alliance is against the said house bill,

believing that it “is an attack on [their] wages, on [their] working hours, and on [their] right to unionize.” The policy, according to Paglinawan, lessens work hours but keeps the same workload and meager wages that laborers endure even way before the bill’s inception. It also allows businesses to hire contractual workers instead of regularizing their employees, the former having lesser benefits and deprived of the right to security of tenure with the company they are working for. As recalled, one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s promises during his electoral campaign for the highest position in the country was putting an end to “end of contract” schemes in the country once and for all. Hopes were up until July 2019 when he vetoed the Security of Tenure bill which he previously certified as urgent.

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nOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020

Daisy Rosos

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06 TUG-ANI The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Cebu

Audrey Langcamon

07 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020

Audrey Lamgcamon

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Philippine Collegian/Lucky E.

08 TUG-ANI The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Cebu

Kyle Francisco

09 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020

Kyle Francisco

O EP W I NS I N

10 TUG-ANI The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Cebu

Audrey Langcamon

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020

Audrey Langcamon

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Broken Bamboo Clive Joshua Rebuya

THE FILIPINO IS NOT RESILIENT This was an opinion shared by Dr. Emmanuel Luna, Director of Education at the UP Resilience Institute and professor of Community Development, who stated that, “The common understanding of resiliency is to be an adaptable people, able to sway with the wind and not fall over, parang kawayan,” But Luna cautioned that, “isang elemento lang yun...ang makikita lang natin ay ang attitude, but that’s not all [resilience is]. Disaster resilience is a lot of elements.” To start, the professor pointed out that disaster resilience contains the element of socio-political environment. A factor that is shaped far before calamity strikes. “Dapat may mga tamang polisiya, governance, at sistema. A person cannot be resilient when his environment is not enabling or doesn’t mitigate risk...this is the proper environment in disaster resilience.”Luna asserted. There is also the factor of personal preparedness. “Dapat kaya mong pigilin o bawasan ang epekto ng hazards. Alam mo na may bagyo, alam mo na kung ano dapat gawin.” Knowing what to do in the face

of impending disaster is crucial and a potential life-saver. With suggestions grounded on scientific data being widely disseminated by the media, it is also part of the State’s responsibility to ensure that everyone is given the necessary information to form a plan of action. Lastly, resilience is also composed of the ability to respond and recover from calamity, the aspect typically pushed by many to be the end-all-be-all definition of resilience. But Luna emphasized that this was only the last facet of a multi-dimensional response, and that well-implemented policy would not have led to extreme disaster, “If you need to be rescued, you aren’t resilient. Getting up after being knocked down is just one facet of resilience. You shouldn’t be knocked down in the first place.” In and of itself, Luna said, adaptation after calamity is not resilience, but a coping mechanism. Despite this, the narrative of resilience as a point of national pride is still touted by many top-level officials today. It is time to put things straight and call this bastardized version of resilience for what it is – a blanket term used to justify State negligence in the form of underfunding science and ignoring proactive safety measures.

CORRUPTED GROWTH In light of the still-ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by heavy flooding in Cagayan and Isabela, Vice President Leni Robredo and other interested parties have indicated interest for a probe as to why executives ordered water from the Magat Dam to be released from its gates at the height of Typhoon Ulysses’ onslaught. If 73 lost lives are to be believed, this was the wrong call. According to Professor Luna, opening the floodgates allowed 6000 cubic meters of water to leave the dam per second, subsequently leading to the worst flooding Cagayan Valley has seen in decades.

Lack of environmental care also directly caused this crisis. Despite Ulysses being compared to heavy-hitter Ondoy back in 2009, Luna noted that Ondoy brought the equivalent of thirty days of straight rainfall. Ulysses in contrast was far weaker, yet caused almost the same amount of devastation. To answer for this discrepancy, Luna pointed out that the floodwaters were colored brown even before it reached the Valley, which meant that loose soil caused by deforestation were picked up as far back as the Sierra Madre, effectively doubling the water volume and also causing lahar-like mud flows in certain areas. The current crisis is a man-made flood, with Professor Luna and the rest of the academe pointing an accusing finger at corporate quarries abusing local ecosystems and the government which permits them. In his recent late-night taped recordings, President Duterte has placed the blame of deforestation on the undisciplined Filipino and illegal loggers, but this is simply not the case. In fact, studies show sixty-one percent of deforestation is done legally, with corporations using permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to justify their actions. This often comes at the cost of indigenous rights, as was the case in the building of Kaliwa Dam – yet another man-made activity set to strip the Sierra Madre even barer than before. Per mandate of the Constitution, the State is charged with protecting its natural environment, but this command is casually shoved aside if it means a little bribe here and there to line executive pockets with extra cash. But environmental abuse comes at a price, and it is the people who pay with their lives and livelihood when nature strikes back. They wail in the night for help that never comes, while instigators sleep peacefully in the comfort of their home.

ROOTED CHANGE Resilience is first and foremost the ability to w ithstand calamity before it happens. Therefore,

the intentional cutting of natural and manmade protection against disaster is an abject injustice. Project NOAH, the nation’s premiere unified program on disaster mitigation, was underfunded and almost dissolved were it not for UP adopting the project last-minute. PAGASA, already suffering from antiquated equipment as is, is set to receive only a Php991 million budget this 2021. Ignoring and underfunding scientific progress costs lives. A government cannot glorify resilience while simultaneously destroying part of what makes it possible in the first place.

In light of the ongoing crisis brought by increasing climate change, typhoons like Ulysses are only going to grow stronger and more frequent. Calamities are natural, but their effects are exacerbated by the action of the human powers that be. Disaster response is a government responsibility that requires wise policy and implementation before, during, and after a crisis, yet the Filipino enjoys none of that. In the face of impending typhoons, petty politicians with hurt feelings shut down the media centers people rely on for information. When homes are flooded and people go missing, no updates are given. When the dead and dying are counted the day after, the leader we pay to help us throws a hissy fit because others are doing a better job than him. This is not resiliency; it is the deliberate manipulation of a narrative to cover up State failure.

Anil Yap

12 TUG-ANI TUG-ANI The The Official Official Student Student Publication Publication of of the the University University of of the the Philippines Philippines Cebu Cebu 06

Ineptitude and excuses do not deserve to be glorified. When Filipinos are left alone to cope every time a natural disaster strikes, when they have to rely on the generosity of the private sector because government funds disappear, when they rebuild damaged homes only for it to be flooded again the next year, that is not resilience – it is abuse.

Candice Dorothy Alcarez Lyka Jeanine Panchacala

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tolls of Trolls Katrina Isabel Najera and Robert Roy Gallardo

For all its obvious advantages, social media and the Internet in general can easily become a trap for the unwary. Peddlers of false information see these sites for business; sowing misinformation, revisionism, and political leverage among the Filipino masses. This is the online troll—the prime suspects of the spread and eventual commodification of fake news. The industry is simple enough. You have a political body recruiting people, paying them to spread their agenda online. The added anonymity of the job gives easy pay, with little to no consequences for those who are familiar with the loopholes of cyberspace. Services vary from sharing pro-government posts to defending fellow trolls. Some would have no qualms about causing chaos in every political post they find, then leaving the rest of the comment section to debate. If you are unlucky enough, you will find one in your inbox, threatening harassment or even death for daring to speak out against the people’s abusers. In the 2016 presidential elections, Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign made headlines for utilizing both paid and unpaid Facebook trolls to spread positive narratives favoring Duterte. As a result, he was hailed as the people’s favorite and champion of the poor, all while his less favorable exploits as mayor were downplayed and romanticized by his supporters. The president himself admitted this in a media conference, stating that he spent approximately Php10 million on deliberately paying trolls during his campaign. Now in his fourth year as

president, the trolling industry continues to thrive, spreading havoc among social media users. Like grunts doing the scrub work for their royals, government-paid trolls scale work from coddling the president for his subpar achievements to defending his more problematic outbursts as mere lapses in eloquence. Oftentimes, you’ll find them mooning about how tired and down-to-earth their Tatay is, while ignoring the rising death toll brought upon by his failure to handle both the War on Drugs and the COVID-19 pandemic. To this day, media bodies that publish critical views and progressive groups that express dissent on the current administration are met with coordinated attacks by trolls. Facebook has recently shut down at least 155 accounts and 11 pages linked to Duterte and his protege, Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio. Cited with “coordinated inauthentic behavior”, the deactivated accounts presented a trail of active disinformation articles along with contents of support for the current president, and Sara’s possible stint as a 2022 presidential candidate. Yet even this condemning evidence was downplayed by the administration, going so far as to label them advocacy groups and blame Facebook for an attack on free speech. As it is, trolls are busy not just shaping mindsets of future events, but also of revising the past

kings , queens , and trolls The extent of troll manipulation can even be seen in the return of the Marcos clan into the national government body—a consequence of the historical revisionism surrounding the Marcoses, and the legacy of human rights violations they left behind. Despite public outcry, dictator Ferdinand Marcos was eventually buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani just months after President Duterte took his oath of Office. Protests mobilized nationwide to show their dissent,, martial law survivors and activists questioned Marcos’s hero status, given the

number of human rights violations that happened under his dictatorship. In spite of it all, trolls were hard at work in flipping the narrative on its head. False stories of how Martial Law signified the “golden age” of the country spread on Facebook, making truth subjective and making people doubt the nation’s history. In his efforts to further “rebrand” the Marcos family image on social media, Bongbong Marcos, son of the dictator, filed a request to Cambridge Analytica to revise the history surrounding his

family. Through this blatant attempt at data and information manipulation, it is clear that the clan is far from done in trying to erase their sins, in hopes of reclaiming their former glory. With Imee Marcos in the Senate, Bongbong’s undying protest for vice presidency, and the dictator buried as a hero with a legislated holiday dedicated to him, the Marcoses are slowly yet steadily rewriting history, making a mockery out of the stories endowed in the blood of Filipinos—and they have the trolls to thank for it.

solving the troll ’ s riddles As the Philippines moves forward in the Age of Information, there remains the issue of privilege. The internet, for all its worth, is not without its dangers. The platform meant to educate the masses and level the playing field for all has been twisted into a breeding ground for misinformation, bringing about chaos and division among the Filipinos. The trolling industry has truly capitalized on the confusion surrounding the country’s political scene, to the detriment of all. Unfortunately, the responsibility of fact checking weighs heavily on each netizen, especially when some haven’t the liberty or resources to correct any false narratives picked up from trolls and other unreliable news sources. Such issues are systemic, brought upon by the institutions that rely on disinformation and decades of revisionism to retain their power over the masses. The troll industry is merely one tool of such institutions—but the damage it has caused will likely persist in succeeding administrations. The tolls of the trolling industry amount to more than just a few tone-deaf comments on our Facebook feeds. Whether we realize it or not, even a few ignorant statements can go on to shape people’s views, sowing discord and dichotomy that could last generations. The past will be buried under one false narrative after another, unless we proactively take measures to continuously push for the truth in this age of disinformation, educate those who we can, and starve the trolls we find. Dominic Ricardo

13 OCTOBER NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020 07 2020

Candice Dorothy Alcarez Lyka Jeanine Panchacala

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AS THE YOUNG RUN Samantha Adriana Amatong and Lara Jianni Batulan Thai college freshman Apinya* takes a deep breath. A placard in hand, hair up to battle the humidity of a crowd, she walks, becoming one with the mob of Thais marching together, each with their own placards. I should just be adjusting to college life right now, she thinks, “but I have to fight for my future”. Apinya is here, demanding to be treated as a free citizen alongside half a million fellow compatriots as the online world watches them raise clenched fists in the name of democracy. Since March of this year, Thais have been in the global spotlight, being at war in their own country. While their king, Maha Vajiralongkorn, spends the pandemic splurging royal wealth in Bavaria and taking personal control of military operations in Bangkok, millions of his subjects live in abject poverty. povert

Ruled by a monarch that they fund, and falling under a government that does nothing to benefit the people,

pro-democracy activists saw this as a chance to speak up and declare that enough was enough. The Thai people continue to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who has been touted as a repetitive and non-visionary statesman, enabler of the Thai royals, and commander over strict military rule in a country where voices of dissension are continually silenced. Since the protests first started, vocal critics of Thailand’s hybrid government have been arrested or gone missing, leading to international questioning over human rights violations. Much like other continuing protests worldwide, this young revolution does not only call for better governance but the need for systemic reform—a full democracy—made from scratch.

No retreat, no surrender As Thailand grappled to build its democracy, other Asian neighbors saw this as a chance to defend theirs as well. Dissenting in a similar fashion, Indonesia has its fair share of criticism against their government’s proposed “omnibus law,” a bill that would abate environmental policies and ridding of national minimum wages for regional-set limits, raising a potential mark of nature and worker abuse. The protests have seen the attendance of students, workers, and even conservative Islamic groups, emphasizing this bill’s significant effects on locals. Across the months of protests against the brute of the police forces, nearly 6,000 protesters and activists have been tear-gassed, water-cannoned, and arrested. Tuning in north, images on the internet of brutal Hong Kong protests continue to surface, as the people of the formerly semi-autonomous state rally against what is now dubbed as the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement. The Hong Kongers march against the Chinese authoritarian government which has greatly threatened their autonomy. In hopes of a proper and renewed democracy, several vocal personalities and numerous activists have, once again, been beaten up or gone missing. As of today, the extradition bill has since been aborted, but all opposition members of Hong Kong’s legislative body have been removed from their position, and the people are still in search of their full democracy. So, as Asia is set ablaze from the passion of wanting more, the Philippines is no exception to the fiery face of protests.

On Philippine soil Under the heat of global rallies, a similar situation has presented itself on our own shores, and dissent has captured national attention. In light of a politically-polarized context, the Philippines took its chance to voice out their concerns about societal issues. Being one of the countries with skyrocketing cases for COVID-19, it is no surprise to each individual that holding the government accountable for its lack of rational responses for the pandemic is only righteous. In light of this and other atrocities, Filipino students, from the country's largest and premier universities, led on-the-ground and online protests, criticizing the government for its lack of competence in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic especially with the pushing through of classes. The protests also called for a national academic freeze because of the ineffectiveness and exclusiveness of remote and online learning. Unfortunately, this only led to spark up another dissent on one of the country’s most controversial laws passed yet, the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020, which allows the decriminalization of red-tagging and authorization of arrests based solely on suspicion. The law illegalizes voicing out against the administration, and essentially strips activism down to just a crime, conceptually limiting the Constitutional right of free speech. In a culture where protests are antagonized, not only by those elected into office but also by the general public, the voices of the oppressed continue to be unheard.

Our echoing voices Protests exist because when governing bodies turn a blind eye to injustice, what better way to ring their senses than to deafen them with the voice of the people? With the continued oppression of the current powers, countries are no stranger to protests and demonstrations, history unfolds itself in the present, and the world sees the youth at the forefront once more. The youth of today are now standing up, may it be through physical demonstrations or online activism; they are the arbiters of modern information dissemination. Constantly seeing the world as it collapses around them and being blessed with the gift of near-limitless information, their eyes have been opened - and rightly so. They see patterns of history being repeated in the present, so they act now in the knowledge that the future is at stake.

Jennifer Regidor

TUG-ANIThe The Official Student Publication the University the Philippines Cebu 1406TUG-ANI Official Student Publication ofof the University ofof the Philippines Cebu

Back in Bangkok, the protest is still long and a tad frustrating, but when the tired college protester Apinya, and everyone else, decide that they’re done for the night, they each hold up three of their fingers in a salute, touch them to their lips, and wave them in the air as if to say, “Hope still lingers in the breeze. This is a mere scent of democracy—of liberty. So until we savor the full taste of freedom on our tongues, this fight is only beginning.”

Candice Dorothy Alcarez Hazel Arong

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Unsafe and No Sound

Rainbow Circus

Samantha Adriana Amatong

Nervous heartbeats and sweaty palms - this would be the general physical reaction of those who are genuinely criticizing the people in power with the best of April Grace their abilities in hopes that theLazarito voices of those who are unheard be clear. But along with the Filipino’s ability to criticize is the consequence of non-believers and the words of assumptions that lead to nothing but their own blood stained on authoritative hands.

How can they Focusing all attention on the movie, Dodong smile when Aling wondered how Vice Ganda’s character continued to RED -TAGGING ANTI-TERROR LAW Susan, the pious possess the courage to fight for his dream despite the tita down the insults thrown at him. Why was he painted as someone One of effectsThe of character the continuous slamming towards the The passing of the controversial Anti Terror Bill continues to be a relevant issue strong andthe fearless? is fun and lovable, of journalists street, condemns incompetence of the red-tagging. wrong they with redin the country especially regarding red-tagging. As more and more journalists, while Dodong sawgovernment himself asis meek, weak, What and is definitely the way tagging is assuming without proof that people organizations so identified are students, lawyers, and activists get red-tagged and killed by unknown gunmen for unlikable. After seeing several movies with theor gay dress? How can already involved in illegal withand communists. on Human voicing out their opinions against government decisions or even helping those who possessing theactivities exact traits upbringing The Commission protagonist one be confident Rights (CHR) has warned Dodong about the severehelp implications of red-tagging on the are oppressed by the government, Filipiinos can’t help but ask themselves if this is as Praybeyt Benjamin, couldn’t but with their skin safety of human rights defenders, are in the context of the democracy they deserve - if this is the democracy they have learned to fight for question the validity of his own adding identity.that Am“these I the attacks when the increasing of reported extrajudicial areas alongside the in the first place. Because they cannot fight when such laws keep them shackled in problem? numbers Am I the only one who’s having thiskillings kind of in rural bystanders at intensified counterinsurgency program of the government.” suffering. Because right and wrong is ushered into silence. Because with just a few life? the sari-sari words on late-night television, the people have become the enemy. store holler as This has also become one of the major reasons why a lot of fellowmen are Popular media often uses the LGBTQIA+ members they pass? concerned about the law that has taken effect by the 18th of July last year. as token wacky side characters promising jokes and How can they gags, and comic reliefs to an otherwise somber become brave, teleserye IDYA drama. These characters become the OTHER MEDIA COMPAN IES ALTERM when – in sunshine personality of fun, wit, and chika. Producers childhood –fear hide the blanket representation In relation to press freedom, Presidential This behind was exemplified on a ofDecember 1, 2020while state hearing, when another independent media company was instilled by simultaneously ensuring characters conform Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy persists has once again faced the that wrath of state still forces. The to ongoing red-tagging of Altermidya journalists for months their own families? the ideals of a heteronormative society to maintain and even linked by the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) with and appeal to mainstream taste. Through this evidences puts these journalists at the risk of being anprofit underground Communist organization without strong portrayals add insult to injury, both false representation, the industry theof tellingThese harassed, arrested, or even harmed commodifies at the expense the truth. This is seen by them as a sign of increasing the stigma surrounding the LGBTQIA+ LGBTQIA+ community, painting hyperinflated images intimidation - that once the truth is heard by those who chose to be deaf, these people in power would be put community while decreasing that especially do not conflict with the traditional mindsets withoutthe issues down with how government is handling of our country right now. the awareness of how

these people are coping with a society that doesn’t glancing at the ugly and heartbreaking reality these understand struggle. A society opens its people face every AlterMidya said itday. will pursue legal action against those who have beentheir red-tagging them after thethat executive doors for awithout brand providing and slamming director of the government’s anti-communist task force accused them, proof, itofwhen beingreality part ofhits too close to home. The real experiences ofofthese people are hidden the propaganda machinery the Communist Party ofinthe Philippines. their past. Why are they hidden? Because a Wenothing are but thetheauthors ofthisthese grotesque judgemental society antagonists in their stories. As journalists, theyare arethe compelled to always tell the truth and truth. With responsibility are farwith fromthetheattacks sunshine and atroses narratives; circus hiding who takes at Their hand lives but along aimed their we reputation, they arethe constantly behindpride masksinof the depict on television. How canallit they be anything butuphold the freedom foolishness of dictating standards upon bravery. Fear is nothing when want is to of expression and press freedom - nothow onlyone opposite? should act and live their lives. forcomplete themselves but for the nation.

with her relentless red-tagging even in the middle of a calamity. This time, she red-tagged the news agency CNN Philippines without basis. Badoy also tagged the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), an organization of campus journalists, in her claim.

By putting people in boxes that we ourselves painted, we make clowns out of us all.

Also, the shutdown of one of the country’s biggest media outlets had stricken Filipino’s access to information. A lot of journalists were forced out of their jobs in the middle of a pandemic, and people were declined the right to transparency. This, being a prime example of how the government can shoot valid opinions down, even when it comes at the cost of dissolving their own accords.

U P-DND ACCORD January 18, 2021, would have been one normal day if it weren’t for the news that hit UP students right in the face. The Department of National Defense (DND) has unilaterally terminated the 1989 UP-DND Accord.

Nervous heartbeats and sweaty palms - as much as this would become our natural physical reaction to the fear of speaking up, we inhale and feel the air fill our lungs. We feel the ache inside our bones for those who were wrongfully killed and arrested. We feel the pressure of what comes next after we hit that ‘post’ button. We feel the rhythm of that beating heart inside our chests and all we need is a pen to string words together to make talking lights the matchstick. The flame crept on every possible.

WHEN FIRE BURNS AT THE STAKE

The removal of said agreement only gives the state forces chances of abusing student protestors, student journalists, and Christine Jewel Moranoof the university being critical students with their false assumption He a “melting pot” of recruitment for the NPA This gives the state forces a lot of reasons to put us in silence - threatening violence plank like a thief lurking behind shadows. Surrounded Fearing for high ourstood livesthemay just to prove their point.This disrupts the peaceful environment by the crowd with fists raised mannot who be easy. the university has created for those who are unable to the fire. The But started only so noise understood came is he losing our freedom . speak up for themselves, for the ones from who those who echo his name, kneeling before his are part of the minority. The removal of And it’s isa his choice we always have to make - for stature. Their chaos lullaby. the said accord removes all that the ourselves and for the little girls and boys who dream university stands for. of nothing but peace by those whorang promised The witch on the stake cackled. Her laugh in a to giveA woman must gape on this man’s touch, not wrestle it to them. chorus. Startled, he casts a gibberish rage the mob and wound his fragile skin. He pampers the dainty;

He whimpers when her voice is louder than his.

swooned over, like tasting honey from his lips. Her pitch crawled into his skin, gripping on his limbs and puppeteering him to move. The strongman stumbled and wept over his scratched knees. Blood of unnamed others spilled on his hands. Before him were planks of a thousand bodies- decaying, drowning, and in despair - but he did not shiver.

those whose eyes soften at his gaze. Her song must lull him to sleep, cradling him on a storm unbothered, not chant his crimes before him. Can’t you see he is misunderstood?

Just like any ordinary brute, he is her weakness. His machismo, fibs, and manhood are unscathed by tears. He is unmoved by a son who weeps before his mother’s grave and chains a mother who wails before a 12-inch casket. Yet he quivered when she cursed before him! That poor man, whose virile ego worsens at the sight of a damsel who does not kneel. He cowers when she clenches her fist to fight. It was never his fault that he cannot toy her for pleasure. He is not to blame that her presence stirs a snicker from the crowd. She cannot even smile for him! So he did as a strongman would: burn her at the stake. As the witch squeals his name louder, he covers both ears. He sprinted, passing by stumped corpses as if dilly-dallying on the meadow.

Dominic Ricardo

15 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020 07 OCTOBER 2020

“These women,” he stuttered as the flame rattled, “...are witches!” He moved farther away, “Look! Look at how they don’t burn on this one!” Her gaze traveled onto his, a smirk creeps up her

Lyka Jeanine Panchacala Candice Dorothy Alcarez

F E A T U R E

16 06 TUG-ANI The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Cebu

Candice Dorothy Alcarez

03 17

A T

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER OCTOBER 2020 2020

Kyle Isabelle Candice P. Francisco Alcarez

A TT U U R R EE FF EE A

06 TUG-ANI The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Cebu 18

Candice Dorothy Candice Alcarez

C U R R EE F EU AL TT U

Dominic Ricardo

Jennifer Regidor

07 19

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER OCTOBER 2020 2020

Candice Dorothy HazelAlcarez Arong

December Bang Kathryn Nicole Pareja

| #EndImpunity

There I walked, in the middle of the waking hours and the cold December breath. “Kumukuti-kutitap, bumubusi-busilak, Ganyan ang indak ng mga bom-..,” these are muffled songs I hear from the distance. My friends! Those are my friends I hear. The rattling and rustling of thin steel, tansan we’ve gathered over the past week, has always sounded so festive. A sound, a house after Aling Tonya’s loathe the most. Its fences root in weak soil, standing tall, showing but a mere mirage. Out of the corners of my callouses and the short strokes of my lips creak Christmas hums. But there I walked with my rattling and rustling repurposed soda bottle caps on one hand and my mom’s embrace on the other for my fear of the waking hours resembles that same horror of what the sundown holds. As I draw nearer, “Kumukuti-kutitap, bumubusi-busilak, Ganyan ang indak ng mga bom-..,” BANG! The loud noise echoes in our neighborhood. My friends! Those are my friends I hear! Out of the corners of my callouses and the short strokes of my lips creaks the dread that I might be next. And there I walked. In the middle of rushing help and the cold dead’s breath.

OPISYAL NGA MANTALAAN SA MGA TINUN-AN SA UNIBERSIDAD SA PILIPINAS SA SUGBO