Volume XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
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K-12 to slash P120-M on BU’s fund Mascariñas: Roadmap overlooked By Jervy Anne Romero
With the onset of K to 12 Program’s senior high school next year, an estimate of P120 million will be reduced on the fund of Bicol University (BU) for two academic years.
BU President Arnulfo Mascariñas estimated a P60 million peso decrease in budget for academic year 2015-2016. Next year, Grade 10 students would then be entering senior high school instead of going to college. This would cause a decline in the number of enrollees in BU for two academic years resulting to tuition fee loss. Mascariñas stated that his administration has not yet computed the total decline but an estimate could still be calculated by multiplying the average tuition fee and the yearly average number of freshmen students. “It’s around P30 million. This is the amount that will be lost in one semester. So that means, for two semesters, P60 million,” the president said. The amount collected from tuition fees becomes part of the university’s usable income. Twenty percent of this is allotted to the general administration while 80 percent is retained in the college.
ADD-UCATION. Students of Daraga National High School walk their way home after their morning class last October 13. The school adopts the K-12 program of DepEd which will be fully implemented next year with the onset of the senior high school. (Photo by George Gio Brondial)
Some colleges charge the cost of honoraria of the professors from this usable income. Moreover, this amount is also utilized for the purchase of equipment and maintenance of the facilities of the college.
SPECIAL REPORT Probes on Hugo, Almonacid cases cold; justice still elusive By Bryan Del Castillo and Keren Anne Bernadas
After almost nine and four years respectively since Cris Hugo and Laesybil Almonacid were slain, the authorities are still groping in the dark, insisting that the cases are already cold. The 20-year old Hugo was a national council member and regional coordinator of the League of Filipino Students in Bicol, and a graduating Journalism student in Bicol University College of Arts and Letters (CAL) when he was shot dead by unidentified gunman on March 19, 2006. Meanwhile, Almonacid was a third year Accountancy student of BU College of Business Economics and Management. She was found dead and half-naked on a grassy area a few meters from their house in Bascaran, Daraga, November 2, 2011. COLD CASES According to the data recorded by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Region V on Almonacid’s case, there were 49 possible
Hugo, Almonacid/ page 5
3 | News
sidy given by the national government to provide for its finances. GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY As one of the state universities in the
OSS clarifies glitches on CHED’s study grant By Keren Anne Bernadas
Despite of the students' disorientation and unexpected late receipts of memorandums from Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Central Office, Dr. Benjamin Nebres III, BU Office of Students Services (OSS) Scholarship and Grants-in-Aid Officer, still assured the scholars for BU CHED Tulong Dunong (TD) Scholarship Program of official support from the university. "We are keeping the BU CHED scholars. We promise that they will get their financial benefits for the whole school year." In the same way, Nebres clarified the issues for CHED Tulong Dunong (TD) Program 02 of academic year (AY) 2014-2015. The bluster of the issue sparked when the OSS put on hold the require-
10 | DevComm Hacking scheme mars MMBU ‘15
“Well, some of our colleges would be affected [by the reduction of income],” the president said. Aside from the income from tuition fees, the university also relies on the sub-
The Agta Tabangnons’ journey towards progress
country, BU receives the highest subsidy in the Bicol region according to President Mascariñas. This amount increases annually and for 2015, the university has received about P600 million. “BU belongs to the top five in terms of funding from the national government. Next year, the university will receive a P700M subsidy,” Mascariñas stated. He explained that they proposed for a subsidy request amounting to P1.6 billion last May but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) cut it off to P700 million. DBM’s allotment of fund is based on the university’s performance, instruction and faculty. “First is instruction. The number of graduates is considered here. Second is the performance in licensure examinations. Third is the faculty. We are also being compared to other universities in terms of our performance in research and extension,” he explained. Nevertheless, Mascariñas admitted that this year’s P600 million subsidy for BU is still not enough to provide for the university’s expenses. In line with this, a strategic plan was created to address the future conflicts that BU might experience
K-12 to slash/ page 4
SPECIAL REPORT Of stigma and branding: An assessment of ESGP-PA scholars’ first year in BU By Joshua Caleb Pacleta
A year after the scholarship program for less fortunate yet deserving students was implemented in Bicol University (BU) dubbed as Expanded Student Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA), hundreds of beneficiaries of the said scholarship already surpassed their first academic year in the institution.
Equal Response.Dr. Baby Boy Benjamin Nebres III of the Office of Student Services answers questions from Commission on Higher Education (CHED) beneficiaries during the first assembly of CHED scholars last June 2015 at the College of Arts Letters Amphitheatre.(Photo by Shan Gabriel Apuli)
ments for acknowledgements of the existing scholars of TD02-14-15 on the mid of July this year. DELAYED MEMO On May 20, a month after being
11| Devcomm Gender Responsive projects inked in Albay’s four towns
released by the central office, the first CHED advisory regarding the appropriation of funds that will be utilized for Tulong Dunong among
OSS clarifies/ page 21
16 | Entertainment Wet Dreams
The ESGP-PA is a scholarship program which aims to reduce the poverty incidence in the country by increasing the number of college graduates among poor families that will enable them to have gainful employments as well as to contribute to national development. Under the said program, student grantees would receive a maximum of P60 000 annually or P30 000 per semester. This budget is to be divided among 1002 BU ESGP-PA scholars, mostly
Of stigma and branding/ page 20
24 | Lampoon Etiquette for Traditional Student Politicians
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2 The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
Albay not ready for K-12, says ACT Bicol helm By Shan Gabriel Apuli
matching of competency requirements and standards so that the 12year Basic Education graduates will have the necessary skills needed to join the workforce and to match the College Readiness Standards for further education and future employment. Furthermore, Entrepreneurship will also be fostered in the enhanced curriculum, ensuring that graduates can venture into other opportunities beyond employment.
Almost 120, 000 public school teachers nationwide under the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) made their call for the dismissal of the K-12 program through black ribbon arm tying campaign last June 1.
“We launched a campaign of wearing black ribbons for we foresee that the Department of Education (DepEd) is not yet ready for the implementation of K-12 here in Albay,” Nicanor S. Sambitan, ACT Bicol Chapter President said. He insisted that the educational program is not yet prepared for its early implementation for it will only produce workers with minimum wage salary. ”They will not rise from their professions. For example, a welder cannot be elected as the president of a company. He can only be promoted to chief welder. And as a welder, you will only land in a construction company.” Sambitan explained. “We will only transport workers abroad because of that minimum wage.” The ACT president also expressed his concern about lack of school buildings. “The DepEd was given billions of pesos for the construction of many public school buildings but unfortunately, they did not construct these buildings. We don’t have enough buildings yet for the K-12 program,” he said. Aside from the shortage of classrooms, Sambitan also pointed out the growing number of enrollees in the K-12 program as another significant factor for its dismissal. “With a population of almost sixty students per class, my students don’t have chairs and they have to sit
SLOWLY BUT SURELY. The Bureau of Fire Protection officers discreetly rescue an acting-injured victim coming from the 2nd floor MP Building of Bicol University College of Arts and Letters during the Fire and Earthquake drill last August 4, 2015. Different scenarios were re-enacted to simulate a cataclysmic earthquake and was participated by various brigade, volunteer, school organizations and safety practitioners. (Photo by Jan Marie Raquion)
on a mono block,” he noted. TUNE OF CONFIDENCE On the other hand, Bebiano Sentillas, DepEd Albay Schools Division Superintendent, believes that the province is now ready for the full implementation of the program. “We are ready. The preparations actually did not start just months [ago] but years back,” Sentillas said. Addressing the issue on the growing number of students each year, Sentillas said that the enrollment number varies from school to
school. “Usually schools in urban areas have more enrollees compared to those in remote areas but that’s still one thing that the government is also looking into. We already have the figure and we will address that,” he explained. When asked about the classroom shortage in Albay, Sentillas said that they “prepared on an earlier time” and that most buildings which will be constructed for the senior high school program are two-storey. In terms of job readiness among
the students undergoing the program, Sentillas said that K-12 is an advantage because the program grants job assurance to the students. “It gives a wider opportunity as it grants the employment of the students,” he said. Based on the online K-12 manual, DepEd has entered into an agreement with business organizations, local and foreign chambers of commerce, and industries to ensure that graduates of K-12 will be considered for employment. It also said that there will be a
GROWING VENTURES Sentillas mentioned that the senior high school program has been “addressed by the DepEd in partnership with different stake holders” and they held series of advocacy campaigns to promote the full implementation of the K-12 program. Last July 14, an advocacy campaign among educators and different stakeholders from the four School Division Offices (SDOs) of the province was held in Albay Astrodome in support of DepEd’s full implementation of the senior high school program. “The parents, students, LGU’s, NGO’s, National Government Agencies like TESDA, CHED and the other counterparts like DILG and DTI are [the] key players in the full implementation of the K-12 program” the ACT president explained. The K-12 program’s senior high school will be fully implemented next year as the first batch of Grade 11 enters, affecting almost 46,624 public elementary and secondary schools nationwide. It will also create a “vacuum” effect for tertiary level due to lack of freshmen enrollees next year. (With a report from Joshua Mirabuna)
13 Bicol private schools approved for tuition fee hike By Jervy Anne Romero
Out of 107 private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Bicol, 13 were approved by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to increase tuition fees for academic year 20152016.
Divine Word College of Legazpi, Mariners’ Polytechnic Colleges Foundation (MPCF)-Legazpi and Daniel B. Peña Memorial College Foundation were the three private HEIs here in Albay which added P48.50, P44.80 and P9.38, respectively, to their tuition fees. Meanwhile, MPCF-Naga gained the highest raise in the region amounting to P87.40. Other schools were St. Peter Baptist College, Inc., Camarines Norte College, Liceo de San Jacinto, Inc., Southern Masbate Roosevelt College, La Consolacion College, University of Saint Anthony, MPCF–Baras, Ateneo de Naga University and Universidad de Sta. Isabel. For the approval of the applications, the commission adhered to CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 3, series of 2012 or the “Enhanced Policies, Guidelines and Procedures Governing Increase in Tuition and Other School Fees, Introduction of New Fees, and for Other Purposes.” Under the CMO, CHED considered the factors like the regional inflation rate, financial standing of the institution, financial capacity of the general student body, impact of calamities, quality track record of the school and the mission and vision of the institution. Meanwhile, in the region, two out of
the 15 applicants for tuition fee hike were not approved by the commission. When it comes to the applications for increase in other school fees, no institution applied in Bicol. APPLICATIONS FROM SUCS Salvador M. Mediavillo, Chief Administrative Officer of CHED Region V, stated that the list of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) that will increase their tuition and other fees this academic year has not been released as of press time. He added that no SUC in Albay applied for tuition fee increase but two community colleges sent their applications, namely Oas Community College and Polangui Community College. “There is an increase because of the teaching and non-teaching staffs’ demand for their salary increase, because 70 percent of that will go to the wages and the improvement of the school facilities,” Mediavillo explained. Mediavillo further said that the grant for tuition fee increase in SUCS would depend on the schools’ needs because these institutions are already getting subsidy from the government. When it comes to Bicol University (BU), Mediavillo disclosed that there has been an instance when the institution applied for tuition fee increase. “It’s been a long time since an application for tuition fee hike was submitted by BU. But for the past five years, maybe there has been no application since the previous CHED Chairperson appealed to the SUCs not to increase their tuition fees,” he said. He also believes that “BU won’t get a high percentage increase if it sends an application to CHED.”
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The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
MMBU 2015 marred by USC’s ‘misinterpreted hacking scheme’ By Elyssa Kristine Ella
After the “hacking” incident on the Facebook page of the University Student Council (USC), the organization ended up clearing out controversies for their promotional campaign for the Mr. and Ms. Bicol University (MMBU) 2015. As stated in the open letter released by the USC after the scheme, the purpose of the “staged hacking” was to build suspense for a teaser, provide an unconventional way of promoting MMBU and to push through with the sequel of MMBU 2013. When the video was uploaded to the site, the USC later revealed that the hacking incident was fabricated. Those who believed it to be true were either annoyed or disappointed while others commended the USC’s promotional strategy. Also, most of the BU students got dismayed and believed that the USC page already lost its credibility and must take responsibility for their “lack of deliberation”.
The incident Last September 12, 2015, the social media stirred up with different reactions after an alleged hacker claimed that he was able to hack the USC Facebook page and will be posting a video scandal from the university. On the afternoon of the same day, the page’s profile picture and cover photo were changed to black. Subsequently, posts that include the words “hacked” and “scandal” were posted. USC Chairperson and Student Regent Irene Kayle Santillan said that the idea came from their production team and the plan was to change the cover photo and profile picture of the page to black and post the word “hacked” as the status. However, it was not included in the initial plan to interact with the students’ reactions regarding the scheme. Santillan also admitted that they replied to the messages and comments in the page in order to incite interest and curiosity. She claimed that it was not the council’s intention to exaggerate the controversy.
The Open Letter In the open letter posted on the USC’s facebook page last September 13, the USC acknowledged their mistake in the open letter and apologized to the university for acting without further deliberation and causing unnecessary controversy. As instructed by the administration, the uploaded video was removed the morning after the staged hacking incident so as not to make any more negative impressions. According to Santillan, the video will not be uploaded again. Instead, the USC released another video that contained more information about the MMBU 2015 candidates and thoroughly explained what happened in the teaser and why it was portrayed that way. Although most of the negative feedbacks were asking for justification as to the council’s action, the chairperson explained that they had nothing to defend for they had not anticipated that kind of outcome. “The hacking was done in good faith. It was not our intention. It just happened. What we can only do is to apologize for what was done wrong,” Santillan explained.
CAL prof defends research study in UK By Marian Deuna and Colin Abliter
A College of Arts and Letters professor made a splash in the international research scene in the recently held 10th Arts and Society Knowledge Community 2015 International Conference last July 22 to 24 at the Imperial College Kensington Campus, London, United Kingdom.
Dr. Agnes J. Nepomuceno, presented her research entitled “The Broadcasting as a Live Art Information: The Utilization of Broadcast Technology as Teaching and Learning Pedagogy.” Nepomuceno said that her interactive research study showcased how they instruct and teach the students to prepare them for the courses that they intend to finish. The students will continue these practices through finding jobs related to their specializations. She added that the research contains the result of the classroom methods and the use of broadcast technology through BUCAL’s partnership with Radyo Veritas Legazpi. “It was ‘composedly done’ in order to share the broadcast practices that we are doing here in the Philippines. It was also an opportunity to share that our country still
Dr. Agnes J. Nepomuceno
relies much in the broadcast technology,” she said. Moreover, Nepomuceno stated that BU has been engaging into the scientific research community wherein the research output will not only benefit the university but also the entire Philippines. She also added that the university especially CAL is continuously working for and establishing an international standard and status. “It was a very good avenue to contribute to the attainment of the [new] vision. Its purpose is for BU to be put on an international spot,” she stated. The research engagement of the college according to Nepomuceno, will be a great contribution for the International Organization for Standardization accreditation in CAL’s programs especially in Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting and Journalism.
PolSci stude is Bicol’s envoy in Japan’s youth program By Gladys Ebrada
Sherry Mae Claire Romero, a fourth year Bachelor of Arts in Political Science student, represented the Bicol region in the 42nd Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP), October 27 to December 18.
ENLIGHTENED ONES. A lady uses a smartphone to access information while a beggar gains facts through a national newspaper at a restaurant along Washington Drive, Legazpi City. (Photo by Shan Gabriel Apuli)
Archi studes elect pioneer CSC officers By Rojee Peninoy
After being institutionalized last November 26, 2014, the Institute of Architecture (IA) students already elected their new set of officers for College Student Council.
During the first general assembly of the new institute held July 8 this year, Prof. Merlie Arbo, Dean of the Office of Student Services said that there would be only limited days for the campaign and election activity. The re-accreditation of candidate parties like the BU Leaders, LLR Reporma and Buklod and the application of candidacy happened July 17 and July 20, respectively. The campaign for the CSC elec-
tion took place on July 21 while the Convocation or Meeting de Abanse was conducted the following day. In July 23, the first IA CSC election was held through electronic voting. The LLR Reporma had a landslide victory with Michelle Tabilin as the President; Eubert Jalmanzar, Vice President; Alyzza Azul, Secretary; Jeizel Cone Asia, Treasurer; Dindi Ferrer, Auditor and; Sofia Bueta and Lance Laguilles as Representatives. On the other hand, James Christian Monilla of BU Leaders won as the Business Manager while Susan Bragais of BUKLOD notched Public Information Officer seat. “Through CSC we will know the exact needs of the students since they are the priority of the Institution. We
will be expecting progress in the institute in more months and years to come,” Reynaldo Nacional Jr., IA Director said. Meanwhile, aside from Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture, the IA director said that the institute aims to add new programs like BS in Regional Landscape Architecture, BS in Interior Architecture, BS in Environmental Planner, MS in Environmental Planner and MS in Disaster Science. “When we conceived Architecture to be an Institute, we also planned to have new programs but we still need to study more of these carefully,” Nacional said.
The annual program sponsored by the Japanese government gathered more than 300 youths from countries which are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan. For 40 days, they will visit the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia - four out of the 10 ASEAN countries. Romero is among the 28 delegates of the Philippines together with Ryan Bañaria, a teacher in Washington International School who was chosen as the male representative of the region. Each region in the country can only have two delegates – a male and a female. “I am looking forward to learn
the various cultures and traditions of the different participants from each ASEAN country to instill to myself the essence of the current ASEAN integration,” Romero said. Activities during their trip would include discussion on social and youth matters as well as cultural introductions. Port-of-call activities include local youth interaction, courtesy calls on dignitaries, institutional visits, community services and home stay experience. It can be noted that last year, Xyra Belen, the current CSSP-CSC President was the beneficiary of the said program. The SSEAYP aims to promote friendship and mutual understanding among the youths of the 10 Southeast Asian countries and Japan, to broaden their perspective on the world, and to strengthen their spirit of international cooperation and practical skills for international collaboration. (With a report from Ivy Cuebillas)
CE undergoes level 4 accreditation By Elyssa Kristine Ella and Jasmine Yao
The Bicol University College of Education (BUCE) underwent the final stage of accreditation of the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP) last September.
Accreditors from AACCUP evaluated the college in 10 areas including its Mission, Vision, Goals and Objectives; Faculty; Curriculum and Instruction; Student Support; Library; Research; Extension; Physi-
cal Plant and Facilities; Laboratories and; Administration. “College of Education is one of the colleges in the university which has submitted for accreditation or one of the earliest to submit the programs for accreditation,” Dr. Lorna Miña, BUCE Dean said. The levels of accreditation begin at Level I accredited status to Level IV reaccredited status with BUCE currently standing at Level III. In order to obtain the final status of accreditation, BUCE would have to meet a rating of no less than 4.5 out of 5 in the evaluation process.
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4 The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
PNoy inks Iskolar ng Bayan program
Top 10 HS grads awarded study grant in SUCs By Alyssa Joana Aro
Around 80, 000 of the country’s topperforming public high school students are now entitled of automatic admission in any State Universities and Colleges in their respective regions as President Benigno Aquino III signed into law the Iskolar ng Bayan Program, now Republic Act No. 10648.
The Iskolar ng Bayan Act of 2015 exempts the top 10 public high school graduates on taking the entrance exam in the SUC of their choice. Further, the scholar can also enjoy a full scholarship in his first year in college through the said program. This full scholarship will cover the tuition and other assessed fees for an entire academic year. No maintaining grade is required to avail the scholarship for the next semester. In Bicol University, there were 151 freshmen students who availed the said scholarship for the present academic year. According to the data of the Office of Student Services (OSS), the College of Education has the most number of scholars under the said program with 44 students followed by College of Engineering (CEng) with 36 and the College of Business Economics and Management with 19. Moreover, both the College of Science (CS) and Tabaco Campus have 16 Iskolar ng Bayan beneficiaries while the College of Agriculture and College of Social Sciences and Philosophy both
K-12 to slash/ page 1 on the onset of the senior high school. K TO 12 ROADMAP In order to study, prepare, and submit recommendatory transitional plan and strategies for this educational reform, a committee on the K to 12 Roadmap was created last May 12, 2015. The K to 12 Roadmap will determine the amount of income from tuition fees which will be lost, the number of faculty members who will be affected as well as the number of rooms which will be vacated. “It is something we should have been prepared two to three years ago. Maybe, we have overlooked it, because we have plenty of things to be done last year. But now we have to do what is to be done because it is really a requirement,” the BU president explained. This roadmap is expected to be completed on December this year. According to Dr. Helen Llenaresas, BU Vice President for Academic Affairs and chairperson of the committee, they have already started with the plans for K to 12 and its impact to BU since the term of then president Dr. Fay Lauraya. She stated that BU College of Education Integrated Laboratory School will be offering senior high school. However, Llenaresas added that the university will only be offering the academic track. Among the strands of the academic track are Business, Accountancy and Management; Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, and; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Those students who would not choose any strand in the academic track could enroll in other schools offering
have four; the College of Arts and Letters and Institute of Architecture have three; Polangui Campus and Gubat Campus have two and both College of Industrial Technology and Institute of Physical Education, Sports and Recreation have one scholar.
‘ISKOLAR NG BAYAN’ Some students did not avail the said scholarship due to lack of information about the implementation of the program and lesser time span of the scholarship grant in terms of its effectivity. Mary Faye Nabor, a first year BS
Mechanical Engineering student and the second honorable mention of Anislag National High School, said that all of the top graduates of their school did not know that Iskolar ng Bayan program will take effect this academic year. “When our teacher in high school told us about the scholarship, we were
LOOKING AHEAD. A Daraga Natonal High School student walks under broad daylight after her morning class. With the Iskolar ng Bayan Program passed into law, top ten high school honor students are now entitled of full scholarship in any State University and College of their choice within their region. (Photo by George Gio Brondial)
senior high school. When it comes to the budget which will be cut in the university’s fund, Llenaresas said that the university has options which may be done in order to gain additional income. “We will open the university for senior high school. I think DepEd will give P8000 plus for every student who will be enrolling [in senior HS] so that can be a special project of the university. We won’t earn much from this but I guess, this can augment our income,” she stated. BU has applied as a delivery institution to DepEd. If this application would be granted, the department has to pay the university on a per head basis. The VPAA also added that if the university will become a delivery institution, it “can open at least 10 classes of 50 students per class for the senior high school.” Offering certificate and diploma courses is also one of the options to gain income. “Meron din naman tayong mga ladderized programs kung saan pwede silang mag-enroll,” she said. Also included in the roadmap are the hiring plan for the university, faculty development programs, and the calendar of activities which should be undertaken on a yearly basis.
“We have faculty members who are handling GEC courses. Under the new curriculum from CHED, from a total of I think 68 units they have trimmed it down to 36 units only. So at a quick look perhaps you will conclude that there will be teachers in the university who will not be having loads by 2016, 2017 and so on,” Llenaresas explained. According to the VPAA, part-timers and faculty members on contractual and temporary bases can be terminated
Mascariñas considered the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy as the “net-gainer” because the additional general education courses would be added to this college. However, the president explained that the faculty members who will be affected can be tapped for research and write reference materials. They can also be recruited in the Open University program of BU as faculty members. In this regard, Llenaresas said that research is a function in the university and it is incumbent upon professors to conduct researches. “In the data there will be some faculty members who can conduct researches and that will become part of their load as well as extension service but we have to prepare them because in the university your research or extension activity should be recognized so you have to submit proposal,” the VPAA added. When it comes to the permanent faculty members, Llenaresas said that all of them will still be having regular load and some would even have overloads by at least six units. Permanent faculty members handling courses in the GEC can also handle professional education courses. She also added that by academic year 2016-2017, BU’s first priority would be the faculty members who have not finished their masters degree. On the second priority are those who have not finished their doctorate and on the third are those who would be retooled.
It is something we should have been prepared two to three years ago. Maybe, we have overlooked it, because we have plenty of things to be done last year.
FUTURE OF FACULTIES With DepEd’s revision of the General Education Curriculum (GEC), faculty members in BU handling courses under GEC would be affected.
at the end of the school year. “We will not have liability as far as they [part-timers] are concerned because they only have a contract in BU and those who are on a temporary status, they cannot serve the university for more than a year,” she further said. BU College of Arts and Letters (CAL) would be greatly affected by the program’s implementation since most of the GEC courses are in this college. “Right now we have 12 English subjects, two Filipino, two Literature subjects that will be dissolved in CAL,” Mascariñas said.
all motivated to be part of the top 10 graduates. But after that, we didn’t hear updates that’s why we didn’t avail the scholarship,” Nabor said. In the same vein, John Lester Hitosis, BS Geodetic Engineering student, also said that he chose not to apply for the scholarship because it only covers one academic year. He applied for other scholarships whose grants would cover his five years in college. On the other hand, Mark Joshua Mergelino, a BS Geodetic Engineering freshman student, availed the said scholarship. “The scholarship was a big help for us. It was like a graduation gift for students because it was the fruit of our hardwork in high school,” Mergelino said. Kate Nicole Berdin, a BS Biology student from CS also availed the scholarship. She said that the grant is a great motivation for the students to perform well in high school. “Iskolar ng Bayan helped a lot of students. Even though I did not have the chance to apply for DOST [Department of Science and Technology] or CHED scholarships, God has given me a better opportunity through the Iskolar ng Bayan program,” Berdin concluded. Meanwhile, the National Government has allocated P3.5 billion for scholarships in SUCs in the proposed P2.6-trillion national budget for 2015. Aside from this allotment, CHED also has a P2.2-billion budget for student financial aid.
“Those who have masters or PhD but they would like to teach another course, they can be retooled if there is a need for their expertise in the university,” Llenaresas said. STUDENT ADMISSION According to Llenaresas, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) issued a memorandum stating that universities and colleges, either public or private, can still admit students who graduated prior to March 2016. “So by 2016-2017, 2017-2018, yung lahat na nag-quit, yung lahat na out-of-school youth na dapat first year [college] na, they can still enroll,” Llenaresas said. In line with this, Llenaresas issued a memorandum to the Admissions Office stating that the university must first consider the number of students who are interested to enroll in a certain course. “We cannot simply offer BUCET [BU College Entrance Test] na as in i-open natin kasi we have to consider how many are interested to enroll in one course. Kung konti lang naman, that would be very expensive for the university so may pre-registration tayo which is ongoing right now,” the VPAA explained. The pre-registration process includes getting the name of the student, the school he or she graduated from, the year of graduation, and the intended course. “Pag nakakuha tayo ng enough number then we will conduct the BUCET,” Llenaresas affirmed. (With reports from Alyssa Joana Aro, Marian Deuna, Gladys Ebrada, Mark Colin Abliter, and Rojee M. Peninoy)
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The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
BU scholars up by 12.41% By Keren Anne Bernadas
Seven hundred ninety-six Bicol University (BU) students were added to the list of scholars this semester, increasing the university's over-all number of scholarship grantees by 12.41 percent.
According to the report of the Office of Student Services (OSS), the number of grantees expanded from last semester’s 6413 to 7209 on the start of academic year 2015-2016. Dr. Baby Boy Benjamin Nebres III, OSS Scholarship and Grants-inAid Officer, expressed his optimism on the datum. "It is still good. It is healthy. Even if PDAF has been removed [among other sources] and since previous
scholars have already graduated, the university is still able to raise almost a thousand of new scholars to start the year," Nebres said. Nebres further said that the president and his committee are now making linkages to other international organizations and foundations. "We need benefactors from other non-government related organizations in case they would want to invest in our university. Besides, there are some [foundations] that are already coming over for acknowledgement. It will follow certain processes." Nebres said. THE NEED TO HEED Nebres stressed out that one of the reasons why some students are losing
their scholarship grants is the lack of diligence in submitting requirements and attending seminars conducted by the OSS. "The problem with some scholars is that they become too passive. They become disoriented of new regulations and outdated with information because they cannot get to heed announcements and activities we imposed," he said. “Not all students are given the chance so always keep in touch with our office and always follow-up updates and notices. If the opportunity comes, make the best out of it. Always show your willingness and determination to graduate in a quality education for free," Nebres advised the students.
Mascariñas: VP for Research, Dev’t to exist anew
By Alyssa Joana Aro
In order to achieve his vision for a “world-class university”, Bicol University (BU) President Dr. Arnulfo Mascariñas proposes to revive the Vice President for Research and Development (VPRD) this academic year. The VPRD shall be in charge of the research and extension of the university. “This [VPRD] is still contingent with the approval of the revised BU code. The Board of Regents still needs to deliberate with this. If the board will approve the revised BU code then we will start the creation for VPRD,” he said. Mascariñas added that he would
seek for the top researchers in the university who are deserving for the position. Meanwhile, according to the president, BU already had a VPRD from 1995 to 2003. He further said that the lack of a VPRD was a big loss to the university. “We are vying to be a world-class university yet a ‘big research university’ like BU doesn’t have one [VPRD],” Mascariñas said. Aside from the creation of a new vice president, Mascariñas also wants to copyright all of the theses published by BU. “This should be done to ensure the right of the students from the thesis they made,” he stressed.
German U offers business training to six BU units By Marian Deuna
The Leuphana University (LU) of Lüneburg, Germany in partnership with Bicol University (BU) College of Business, Economics and Management, offered Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion (STEP) course to six nonbusiness inclined colleges in BU.
BUILDING A NEW LOOK. The construction of the sports complex at Bicol University Oval starts in preparation for Palarong Pambansa 2016. The tentative date of completion will be sometime in February or March. It includes an Olympic-size swimming pool and the track oval will also be rubberized. (Photo by Jan Marie Raquion) See story on page 23
Hugo, Almonacid/ page1 suspects who underwent DNA Analysis and Polygraph tests. All members of the detachment group who settled near the house, the neighbors and all of her relatives who were present when the incident happened were among the subjected suspects. In November 2012, the Crime Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) from the laboratories of Camp Crame sent back all the results of the 49 point-ofinterests with a conclusion that all of them are negative in the examinations and series of countering. Beyond that, there were no further investigations ever pursued to close the case. Instead, Marylou Pagoronon, Chief Police Officer II of Women and Children Police Department of Philippine National Police (PNP) Daraga said that Almonacid’s case has been considered cold since 2012 as there has been no other eyewitness to support the case. She added that they already turned over the case to the NBI. "All documents of Almonacid's case have been forwarded to the NBI for its persistence. But if anyone will come to us and that can testify or lead us to some probable suspects, we will definitely reopen it [case]," Pagoronon said. On the same note, the PNP Legazpi said that it has been nearly nine years since Hugo was killed, and that they have
already passed the investigation to CIDG Legazpi. They added that the office no longer holds the case since many of them are new in practice. The Bicol Universitarian went to CIDG Legazpi, but was again pointed to other people in the office for interview. SPO2 Carlo Benavente of CIDG who was endorsed by the same agency said that he’s no longer holding the case but failed to determine who’s currently in-charge of the matter. On the other hand, in the last progress report submitted on April 28, 2008 by Special Investigator III Felix Contreras Jr. of NBI-Legazpi District Office (LEGDO), there were no witnesses that could help to pursue the perpetuator. According to Contreras Jr., only the then CSSP professor Gremil Alessandre Naz who was the company of Hugo when three bullets ended the latter’s life, was considered the most probable witness to reveal the truth. However, Naz did not relay corroboration and evidences since based on his statement, the place where it happened was too dark. The NBI issued subpoenas to Naz together with all regarded officers of the leftist movement he was affiliated with, as well as Hugo's friends in BU and the coffee vendors who were present at the time. All of them supported the inspection of the police but yielded them negative results. THE MILITARY ANGLE
In an interview between the investigator and one of the members of Hugo’s family who requested not to be identified, the latter mentioned that a year before the incident happened, Hugo's father, a former police in Sorsogon was reprimanded by an officer of higher rank. However, it was not clear if that officer was the chief commander of the province. It was said that he was warned about his child because allegedly, Hugo, on his fight for liberalism, was already in the order of battle against the military. The investigator disconfirmed any further investigations because according to him, the evidences were too general and the informant was not concrete about his speculations. "The person is not referring in particular who in the military. We did not hold any documents under the law for us to inspect anyone in the military. We could not just barge in to a certain military camp and accuse. Everything should go according to due process. He was being too general," Contreras said. ALMONACID’S CASE REVISITED Domingo Estadilla, special investigator III of NBI-V, mentioned that there was a case conference for Almonacid conducted last June this year. The conference was attended by administrators, PNP, CIDG, some members of the Local Government Unit, and the family of Almonacid. Estadilla revealed that there are new angles being considered by NBI and few
The six identified colleges were the College of Arts and Letters (CAL), College of Engineering, College of Science, College of Nursing, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, and College of Industrial Technology. With three-hour sessions weekly, STEP is a 12-week voluntary training course for Asian universities. Its target applicants are 50 graduating students from the six colleges who are interested to have basic knowledge in starting a business. Tabea Hoelger and Tabea Thiel,
suspects are being identified for further substantiation. However, "all of the added documents and evidences to fully reopen the case are not yet concrete [so as] to release in the public," he said. He further explained that before they could file a case in the fiscal’s office, they should present legal and probable causes by looking for root, legal bases and strong evidences for their new angles and suspects. ANOTHER BACKLOG OF THE POLICE, NBI "It is very hard for us to crack the case and end it there if no witnesses [are] showing up," HA Rizaldy Jaymalin, AIC of NBI-LEGDO said. Jaymalin claimed that Almonacid's case is considered temporarily closed until new leads will be obtained. Otherwise, he added that it will form part of their backlogs. "When you reach a ‘blank wall’, it's either you end up there forever or look for any other ways to go out," Jaymalin re-
two research assistants of LU, headed the discussions. “STEP is a free training for practical entrepreneurial skills to start your own business,” Hoelger said. Moreover, in order to develop the trainees’ enterprise during the training course, the students will be provided with a starting capital that has to be paid back at the end of the course. The applicants from every college will undergo draw lots so as to come up with the 50 students for the course. The results will be announced by the second week of October. The STEP was already introduced to CAL and CSSP students last August 13 and 14, respectively. Meanwhile, STEP’s first session will be on the second week of November and will end around midFebruary.
lated the status of his office regarding the case. He explained that there's nothing to operate about the case since no one is to be investigated. Meanwhile, Contreras said that they need people who can cooperate with them about Hugo’s case to fully serve the purpose of the police. "Unless there will come out new leads, brave and truthful people who can crap up the close case, we will revive the case. [We] assure that we are doing the best that we can provide. Although sadly, this still form backlog in our part," he said. Jaymalin is also calling the attention of the family of Almonacid and all Albayanos to encourage the witnesses to come out in the open and reveal the truth to the public. "Justice is not a one-hand mission. It is a culminated effort between and among us and you. If one or two heads will face no fear to testify the moment Laesybil was being sexually held against her will, we will assure captive convicted and close the case. Justice be served," Jaymalin concluded.
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Community The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
Poverty pushes some women to enter prostitution in Legazpi By Bryan Del Castillo with a report from George Gio Brondial
Behind the captivating landmarks and busy streets of the country’s second most livable city lies a perennial problem on sex-related works. Citing poverty as one of the major reasons, the commercialization of sex in Legazpi City becomes one of the most immediate options to earn for a living. Among those who are engaged in prostitution are Macky, Jade and Jessica, not their real names as they wished not to be identified. They disclosed that their parents have no idea of their current jobs. Macky, a mother of three children, admitted that she’s working as a dancer and entertainer in one of the bars in barangay Bogtong. “Sa isang buwan, dapat maka200 drinks para may P20, 000 ako pero kung less than 200 ang napainom namin sa isang buwan, meron lang kaming P15, 000,” she said. Moreover, “Jade”, a 27 year-old single mom from Cagayan De Oro, also started as an entertainer in 2013. Mainly encouraged by the income, she decided to engage on prostitution with her cousin after working as a saleslady in Tutuban for four years. “Sumama ako sa pinsan ko, mas malaki ang kita at half ng sweldo ko ay sa family ko [napupunta]. Dito kasi may pera,” she said. Along with the sex workers are those people who engage themselves in negotiations prior to a transaction. They are referred to as pimp or in vernacular terms, a bugaw. ‘BUGAW’ Emman, not his real name admitted his engagement with sex work in Albay as a pimp in what they call a “small group”. He said that he learned
HIV, AIDS cases in Albay surge amid massive awareness campaigns by Marian Deuna and Colin Abliter
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) in Albay continue to increase, according to Mike de la Rama, Albay AIDS Council (AAC) coordinator in an interview with The Bicol Universitarian.
The Department of Health (DOH) has reported 18 Albayanos diagnosed with (HIV-AIDS) from Januray to May 2015. This figure has rapidly increased compared to the combined number of victims for the past two years with 19 reported cases. Based on the data of AAC from 1998 - 2015, 270 HIV cases were recorded in the Bicol region: Camarines Sur had 95 cases; Albay had 91; Sorsogon had 32; Masbate had 25; Camarines Norte had 19 and; Catanduanes had 7. According De la Rama, the syndrome’s common modes of transmission are men having sex with men (MSM), sexual intercourse among free-
HIV, AIDS cases/ page 21
Walk the talk. Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Albay walk their protests and grievances against PNoy’s governance last September 22, 2015 in front of Camp Simeon Ola. (Photo by George Gio Brondial)
about such dealings on 2007 through his friends and classmates. Since then, Emman already resorted to this illegal action especially when he in need of budget for school purposes. “Una trip lang, pero madali ang pera kaya ginawa ko nang side line. Nakita kong maganda ang kita [kaya] tinuloy ko na hanggang ngayon pero di siya every day, ‘pag may business transaction lang,” he said. Likewise, the 34-year old pimp who wished to be aliased as Lea said that her reason for engaging herself with prostitution is poverty. She added that she has other jobs aside from sex work, but still finds prostitution as her sideline.
On the other hand, Emman’s focus as a pimp isn’t focused on Guests Relation Officers (GROs) alone but also to Freelance Sex Workers who freely go to bars to look for interested customers. According to him, “freelancers” include college students who are connected to prostitution and they come from different schools. In Albay, he cited few college institutions including premier universities to which college freelancers are enrolled. In addition, he said that almost all schools in Albay and Naga City including Catholic schools, has at least one freelancer. Transactions mostly take place when a “tropa” or clients of him ask
for younger sex workers. He disclosed that the handlers of these college freelancers are gays. Moreover, Emman said that he doesn’t work for particular clients and their possible transactions. Instead, he goes to certain bars so as to look for both customers and girls whom he called “malalandi”. “Di ako nag-wowork kung kanino. Out-sourcing lahat ang ginagawa ko. Para lang akong tindahan”, Emman stated. “Siyempre sa sex, gusto nila iba-iba,” he added. As to the GROs, he said that most of them who are here in Albay aren’t originally from the same province. Mostly, especially “high-ends”, those
Rapu-Rapu faces snags on education by Jessica Bechayda
Aside from the environmental threats caused by the continuous mining activities in the golden island of Albay, another underlying problem had also been hindering the town from upgrading its educational scheme. Rapu-Rapu Island, a thirdclass municipality, lies approximately 38 kilometers east of Legazpi City. Because of its geographical location, the island still faces problems in education in terms of basic provisions, quality instruction and academic performance. Based on the latest data of the Department of Education (DepEd) Region V, Rapu-Rapu has one community college, 36 elementary schools and eight secondary schools; seven of which are the main campus and one is an extension campus. These schools are under the direct supervision of DepEd Albay Division. Among the eight secondary schools, Rapu-Rapu National High School which is located at
who are of sophisticatedly “higher price” come from different places. On the other hand, Lea said that she did not have a customer under legal age. Mostly, she handles those who already have a family of their own and are financially needy. “Minsan, di mo sila mahahalatang prostitute. Di sila yung mga typical na prostitute na ‘andyan lang sa kalsada,” she affirmed. According to her, she and her “girls” often agree to 40/60 percentage distribution of money. Only 40% goes to her while the other 60% is allotted for the sex worker. As the mediator between the customers and the girls, Lea believes that prostitution helps both herself and the girl who engage herself in sex work. “Parang mutual. Natutulungan din nila ako ‘pag nagigipit ako. Natutulungan ko rin sila pag nagigipit din sila.” Lea also cited most sex-related negotiations and transactions take place in Redlight District, Bogtong, and Penaranda. SAFEGUARDED As a result, some of the residents in the said areas expressed their fears on the effect of the establishments to the children. “Ang mga bata, nakikita ang mga babae na lumalabas na ang ibang parte ng katawan nila,” Melinda Romero, a resident of Brgy. Bogtong said. In terms of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Lorelie Ballesteros, HEPO III of Social Hygiene Clinic (SHC) assured that there’s no need to worry about the registered sex workers. She stated that all of them regardless of which night establishments they are working are mandated by
Poverty pushes/ page 20
PDEA V files 45 ‘guilty’ drug-linked cases in Bicol by Joshua Caleb Pacleta
From January 2013 to May 2015, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region V recorded a total of 45 drug-related cases in Bicol which were found guilty.
The facade of Rapu-Rapu Central School at Rapu-Rapu, Albay. (Photo courtesy of Aquende Foundation Official Facebook Page)
the town proper has the highest ratio of teachers and students. On the other hand, Tinopan High School which was established in 2010 has the least number with only eight teaching personnel. The total ratio of teachers however, cannot accommodate the projected population of 2,000 high school students and 10,000 elementary students in the entire municipality.
FACING ADVERSITY Being situated far from the cities in Albay, Rapu-Rapu has been experiencing a monotonous way of living wherein the primary livelihood is fishing and mat weaving. From this, the aspect of qual-
Rapu-rapu faces/ page 19
Albay tops the list with 27; Camarines Norte with 10; Camarines Sur with 7 and; Catanduanes with one case. Provinces of Masbate and Sorsogon have no record. Cotton Yuson, PDEA V Public Information Officer III, said that the most confiscated drug is shabu. “In Bicol, shabu, marijuana and rugby are the most common preferred drugs,” Yuson added. Meanwhile, for the dismissed cases, Camarines Sur has eight; two from Masbate; and one from Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon. Likewise, for the acquitted cases, PDEA V recorded 18 in Albay; 15 in Camarines Norte; three in Camarines Sur and; one in Masbate and Sorsogon. In Catanduanes, there is no record for both dismissed and acquitted drug related cases.
Feature The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1
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Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
On the brink of looming economic slump
Albay Press' trudge for survival in the print media industry
By Jessica Bechayda and Arthessa Marie Ladoing with reports from Jasmine Yao, Renzle Mae Miranda, Cassandra Balala and Elyssa Kristine Ella, illustration by Edward Lustan and Nichole Baloloy
Newspapers have served as an effective debate podium for national and local issues. It also succeeded in ventilating local and investigative stories in diverse issues. However, the trend of growing number of blogs, sites and news portals on the web perils the traditional print media.
As internet become accessible to everyone, people get fresh information through their smartphones causing a decline in readership. As a result, publishers now of different newspapers have emerged to online publishing and the dailies circulating in the country have their own digital counterparts. In the Philippines, there are 28 publications that claim to have a national circulation in the country. According to the 2007 report from pressreference. com, the combined circulation of printed newspapers summed up to 4.7 million. Apart from the nationally circulated papers, there are more than 600 community newspapers all over the Philippines. In Albay, since the 1940s, the province had a roster of community newspapers that are either defined as social or business entities. All of these local print media channels are distinguished through their service, engagement and demonstration of business strategy in journalism to continually maintain the existence of Oragon Print Media. At present, Albay has six existing and accredited local newspapers namely The Mayon Times, Diyaryo Bikol, Newslink, Engkwentro, Morning View, and Bicol Weekly Digest. Each of these is fixed by date and edition and is published at regular intervals. However, all of its significance lies in its usefulness to meet ends and seek for unity in the region. Although most of the news that are published may not be of national importance, they still give a big deal on proximal information.
newspaper. “During my college days, although I was enrolled in Commerce major in Accountancy at Divine Word College of Legazpi, I started attending seminars and conventions related to newspaper business. It was also then, when I started working in a newspaper firm particularly in circulation department as well as in layouting”, Relingado shared. On the other hand, the publisher-editor of Newslink, Juan Cabigao was also the owner of a community newspaper named The Bicol Guardian but it was banned and closed during the Martial Law. “After several years, I decided to rebuild The Bicol Guardian, but my lawyer suggested to create a community newspaper with a
they are published in newspapers. Within 15 days, ordinances may be fully implemented. Moreover, it prevents cross commercialism and unfair competition among community newspapers, whose conditions were proved to be inimical to the development of a truly free and responsible press. For a local newspaper to be accredited, it must meet the requirements of the RTC. First, the paper must complete a year of circulation which falls to 52 weeks, producing 52 issues. Second, the paper must secure a Certificate of Registration from the Department of Trade and Industry and Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Mayor’s permit. Third is the proof or circulation. This may be achieved by certification from newsstands where the papers are sold. Lastly is a due process done in court. It can be observed that these local newspapers print issues with lesser number of news articles than that of the advertisements.
No matter how hard working and brave the editors and correspondents are in this job that requires tons of sweat, resiliency, bravery and burning passion, still, at the end of the day, the newspaper industry is not always about the so called “responsible journalism”, it is also about “making money.”
PASSION AND BUSINESS Most of the local newspapers' publishers asserted that they ventured on the print media trade to continue their family business, and to maintain the existence of print media industry in Albay. Dyaryo Bikol however, has taken the opposite purpose. Dyaryo Bikol is the “brainchild of passion and interest”, according to its proprietor, Marlyn Relingado. The paper started on January 26, 1998 by Relingado with her sister, Marites Nual who is now the Editor and Publisherof Dyaryo Bikol. Relingado on the other hand, is the Associate Publisher and Circulation and Advertising officer of t h e
new name and a clean record. That’s why we came up with Newslink Bicol on 1993,” Rudyard Cabigao, the current publisher-editor of Newslink said. Likewise, Leonardo Balsarza, the publiher and editor of Mayon Times, the oldest and the pioneering Albay local newspaper, said that the significant thing of putting up a newspaper business is to be able to gain income. "Dapat bago maglagay ng mga news, isipin mo muna kung magkakaroon ka ng income. Yun naman talaga importante. Kasi kung publish ka lang ng publish, tapos walang income na pumapasok, malulugi ka," Balsarza explained. ACCREDITATION, LIFEBLOOD In order to survive and continue to circulate, these local newspapers undergo accreditation every five years through the Regional Trial Court (RTC). Once the newspaper is accredited, it may join the raffling of legal and judicial notices to be distributed to local periodicals. These notices, thereof, is a source of fund to sustain the newspaper, aside from its cost in the market. Under Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1079, it is necessary to properly disseminate information contained in judicial notices, advertisements for public biddings, notices of auction sales and other similar notices required by Republic Act No. 4569. The PD 1079 aims for the better implementation of the philosophy of the abovementioned notices and announcements behind the publication. Thus, resolutions from municipalities cannot be considered effective unless
PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES Observing the investigative form of reporting, Dyaryo Bikol encountered two libel suits way back in 2002 to 2003. Those times are considered to be their biggest hit and people started to look for their newspapers on newsstands. The issue rooted on their published story about a bidding where petitioner of the libel case against them was the contractor of Department of Public Works and Highways while the other case was related to a project by the former provincial governor, Al Francis Bichara. Nevertheless, the newspaper survived these libel suits due to the lack of evidence and incompliance of documents of the petitioner. Relingado firmly believed that it was the petitioner’s way to defend his name and hide his wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Newslink don’t have any writers. Their news articles were only purchased from wire agencies like Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and Philippine News Agency (PNA). According to Cabigao, why would he hire staff writers if he could simply get the news he needs from PNA and PIA. Though he already had one writer before who recently resigned, the writer hardly wrote news stories. "Unlike buying news from wire agencies, hiring writers would mean more expenditure as it is a must for us to pay them regularly,” Cabigao further stressed. Moreover, because of the advent of technology, these local newspapers are experiencing difficulty in reaching their target market. As a result, Bicol Chronicle newspapers closed its operation in 2013 after 50 years of serving the Bicol Region. "Honestly, nung pumasok ang internet, doon na ko nag isip. Sabi ko naku, this is very fast so how can I compete with the news in the internet which is easily available?
Tapos kulang pa ko sa staff," Paulino Apo Gonzales, the publisher and editor of Bicol Chronicle stated. The NetIndex.com on 2014 revealed that the Philippines has the slowest Internet speed in Southeast Asia. However, the country has a good internet penetration at 33.6 million connected out of 92.3 million Filipinos. This only means that three out of 10 Filipinos who read the newspaper. MAKING IT POSSIBLE Despite the challenges that these newspapers are experiencing, most of them still believe that newspapers will always be the most effective tool of information dissemination regardless of the rise of social media. “Ang karahayan kaini kesa sa internet, maski ipinutos mo na ining dyaryong ini sa tinapa, pagkahali mo kan tinapa, may mahiling kang interesting topic. So naging interesado ka, mabakal kang bago. Sa internet, kapag daeng internet, dae na, tapos na iyan. Sa radio, pagkahali sa talinga, wara na iyan,” Cabigao explained. In an article written by April Anne Benjamin which was posted in Vera Files dated May 3, 2014 entitled “No death bells for print media,” Exotech Solutions CEO Mark Cu Unjieng said in the 18th National Press Forum (NPF) of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) that, “Newspaper will not die, instead it will evolve despite the dominance of online media.” On the other hand, Nonie Alvarez, Data Encoder and Machine Operator of the RTC said that local newspapers should not die because it plays a significant role in the province. "Di ko naman masasabi kung mamamatay ba ang local newspapers. We don't have the right to say it. But personally, ‘di pwedeng mawala ang mga dyaryong ito," Alvarez said. On the same breath, PPI Chairperson-President Jess Dureza also said in the 18th NPF that, “The print media is not yet dead, but it will be forever in the pre-departure area where new media technologies will constantly challenge
its existence. But it can retain its foothold as primary source of information and opinion if it continues to have veracity, independence and accountability.” Indeed, just like the international and national papers that strive hard to secure their existence in the newspaper industry, the Albay community newspapers should also do the same by publishing current, reliable, ethical, sensible, honest, unbiased and truthful articles on their editorial side and strengthening its advertising techniques and strategies on their business side. Because, no matter how hard working and brave the editors and correspondents are in this job that requires tons of sweat, resiliency, bravery and burning passion, still, at the end of the day, the newspaper industry is not always about the so called “responsible journalism”, it is also about “making money.”
Feature
8 The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
In the Heart of Service
Children International’s drive for poverty alleviation and social welfare
By Keren Anne Bernadas and George Gio Brondial
The higher the occurrence of poverty in the country, the stronger the call for volunteerism is.
Bicol is one of the places in the Philippines with a large number of people living below the poverty line. To alleviate the problem, non-government organizations perform actions to address this living truth. Sheena Mae Trinidad, a 17-year old student of Bicol University College of Education, believes that bringing real and lasting changes in the lives of poor children in our country is still possible. In her 11 years of being a beneficiary of Children International Bicol Incorporated (CIBI), she said that the organization has helped her uplift not just her life but also her family. Growing up beside the sea, the thought of going to school did not anymore enter her mind due to poverty. She lives only with her mother in a very simple but insufficient life. One day, a group of volunteers and a cluster of CIBI members came to their barangay in Baybay, Legazpi City. They initiated some free seminars and workshops that provided them with different information about basic learning. There, in front of the eyes of a sixyear old child who knew life would be hard, laid hope for her future. She might not see herself in complete uniform and notebooks but she always dreamt to have one. DRIVING FORCE CIBI frontlines their mission on becoming an organization that advocates youth empowerment, develops self-reliance among Filipino youth and prepares them to become competitive adults in the next generation. Formerly named as Children Sponsorship for Community Development Incorporated (CSCDI), this international nongovernment agency desires to extend limitless help and support for children and their families in terms of their needs in physical, emotional, mental, holistic, and social aspects of living. CSCDI in Legazpi City was established on March 8, 1993. It has three other major agencies in the country which are located in Quezon City, Manila, and Tabaco City. The latter was the first agency ever opened in Asia on July 18, 1982. On its 34th year of service, CSCDI-Tabaco merged with its neighbor to lately begin with now Children International Bicol Incorporated (CIBI) to expand their service in the entire region that centers in Albay province. CIBI has five service area centers, each for the barangays Bogtong and Homapon in Legazpi City, Daraga, Barangay Fatima in Tabaco City, and Sta. Theresa in Malilipot so as to function effectively in the sustainability of the community. CIBI Field Director Gemma Goliat said in an interview with The Bicol Universitarian that they are just a large channel of help. “We cannot provide solutions to all the problems that exist in this world. But as long as the people need help, we will help to the fullest of our abilities and compassion,” she said. Goliat shared that of all, it is the heart that drives leadership and service inside a NGO. “Working in an NGO is more than just a mission. It is a lifestyle. It is not just the knowledge. It requires the heart, the commitment. It is not the salary but the
Sponsored children participate in the Children International Tutoring Program at Homapon Community Center. (Photo courtesy of CIBI)
fulfillment one gets at the end of the day,” she added. THE WORKFORCE CIBI’s main headquarters is based in USA with donors as individual sponsors to sustain the program’s financial support for the recipients. The money used for the sustenance of sponsored children comes from donations. Nevertheless, the Non-government Organization (NGO) has partnerships on some sectors of the society with the objective of spreading the spirit of volunteerism for the rest of the Filipino people. They build connections with the Depart-
ment of Health for health concerns, the Department of Social Welfare Development for child protection actions and the Department of Education for education, sports and recreation matters. Furthermore, CIBI is also co-initiating efforts with the so-called Planet Water.Org, an organization that helps build water systems in schools and community so that students from some local schools will get safe and available water stations. BENEFITS In Bicol alone, there are 33, 000 privileged children and youth beneficiaries who enjoy the sponsorship program of the organization. The ages range from three to 19 years old. Believing that efficiency should start within the family, CIBI also gives various provi-
sions to individual families of their child beneficiaries. They have almost 25, 000 sponsored families included in their statistics as of this year. A CIBI sponsored member receives chains of supports in educational assistance, health aid, training workshops and seminars for their wholesome transformation and development. For students, CIBI supplies their uniforms, allowances, transportation expenses, school supplies, tutoring, libraries and computer systems in order to guarantee the students’ excellent performances in their respective schools and colleges. Provisions are given before the start of the school year. They also ensure the health of their members through medical check-ups with regular schedule in a month, in the clinic of their nearest center. They observe fairly that students’ health affects their academic behaviors and practices. OF RULES AND QUALIFICATION As an evidence of their unconditional help, the organization applies Non-Discrimination Policy in selecting their recipients. They disregard religions, cultural beliefs, race, and sexual orientation of the beneficiaries and their families. The recipients are qualified as long as they are within and below the poverty line. They also have statistical basis and survey created by the National Economic and Development Authority. The selection process with regards to the poverty line depends on the income of the family. It should not be more than 50 dollars every month. Prospect children beneficiaries may register at ages 2-9 in the first time enrolment, encouraging the parents of these children to start early in the program for an all-inclusive development. By the time they reach 19 years old, they will have to graduate from the program. EMPOWERING THE YOUTH CIBI initiated several youth programs to help their teen recipients evaluate themselves. It helps them adapt in the fast-paced world they live in with the acquired knowledge and life skills they will learn from the workshops and seminars of the organization. Other purpose of these activities are to empower the youth and ensure their employability to be economically self-sufficient by the time they graduate from school. Some of their activities include SMASH sports event, AFLAUTOON, Youth Health Corps, Youth Leadership Trainings, STEP and among others where the organization invites and encourages their beneficiaries to be willing
participants. These activities let them experience how to become facilitators and leaders to other youth in the events. The program designs to accomplish their goals and mission where their voluntary work orbits - to mold children who are educated, healthy, empowered and eventually will be employable as they progress in the program. For the incumbent BU-University Student Council Public Information Officer (BU-USC PIO) Jaesam Bermas, his desire to become a leader ever since he was young was a little struggle until he became a sponsored beneficiary of CIBI. According to him, it was a great help for him as a leader. It taught him the different leadership skills and how to become more flexible in dealing and serving different types of people. “CIBI did not just provide me supplies for school in all the material things I need. It influenced me values as a person and a leader that I will bring wherever I go. I believe that once a CIBI beneficiary always becomes a part of it,” Bermas added. Bermas is now a 21-year old 5th Yr. Mining Engineering student of BU College of Engineering who has been a beneficiary of the organization for 15 years already.
when it comes to their skills and potentials. That is why CIBI strategically maximized scholarship opportunities for their students through their two main educational programs - the HOPE Scholarship and TVET. The HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty through Education) scholarship is an additional assistance for CIBI recipients who are currently enrolled in a certain college with a four-year course, who has already reached the age of 19 and is expected to graduate from the program. They can still continue to finish their degree without being disqualified from their scholarship. This serves as an extension of the sponsorship program. On the other hand, TVET (Technical Vocational Education Training) program is possible for CIBI beneficiaries who are still high school students and want to pursue technical and vocational courses. It can be compared to the courses offered in TESDA. After training, the students will get sure jobs in different places of the country to showcase their skills and become economically self-supporting and significant to the community. BU College of Arts and Letters alumna, Angelica Belladmna Leonor, was once a sponsored child and also a HOPE Scholarship recipient. According to her, CIBI helped her a lot in becoming a holistic individual and working in the institution was her way of giving back. GOOD, LONG AND STARTING JOURNEY Of all, CIBI always puts first the Filipino children before their name, the future of these young ones before their very lives. Thus, that’s what makes their commitment and service unique and selfless over the others. When Jaesam becomes an engineer and Sheena a teacher, both will take pride of the endeavors that they persevered. Meanwhile, Angelica along with other 20 former sponsored children extended their volunteerism and became part of the CIBI workforce. CIBI is a part of that pride and for the other 33 thousand beneficiaries out there, soon they will graduate and come out from the life they used to live. This will be a long journey to totally alleviate the poverty in the Philippines. Today is just the beginning. But it will happen, CIBI will help it happen.
HOPE AND TVET Educational interest of every student varies
(With a report from Christian Robert Roxas)
Nothing will make me quit from Unibe. I told myself that once I join this publication, I should stand for my decision. And whatever problem the publication may encounter, I should be resilient and help my co-staff overcome the problem.
John Emerson Bado January 23, 1996 - April 21, 2015
Photojournalist, The Bicol Universitarian 2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 4
Feature
The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
I thought I was dead.
have the chance. Days have passed swiftly. It has never been boring. I felt a little bit secured having a companion. I started to convince myself that I should embrace this life, no matter what lies ahead. Though I’m thinking of something. Consistent and weird nightmares have been haunting me. It was like about my unknown history – where I came from and who I really am. Knowing this, my buddy told me not to overthink things. He said I’d be ending having headaches if I overthink or force myself to remember my history.
That was until I opened my eyes back to reality. My lungs seemed to tighten as I gasped for air. It was terribly difficult for me to breathe. Then I can feel my sweat flowing freely. That was an awful dream. It seemed so real the thought made me shiver. So I closed my eyes and started to calm myself. Neglecting the growing fear, I did my best to search the place I was in. The sun shines so bright outside, illuminating the room as I started to familiarize the view. I laughed at the idea. I don’t even know how I got here in the first place. I searched the room and saw series of iron stools resting upside down the table, several sinks, a lot of I-don’t-know-what-to-call instruments and a mannequin with an exposed anatomy. I fell asleep here, inside the laboratory. Then I gazed at the glass shelves containing a variety of bones and fossils. As I looked at the items I saw my reflection. Staring at the glass, I examined and realized how pale and thin I am. I looked short, not even pretty and seemed so lifeless. After the invasion of introspection, I heard the door open and saw Mr. Kiel Mortega, the Laboratory-Aid Officer, followed by several students. Anyway there’s just a few students here, with 62 students as the pioneering batch. That’s what I know. Days after I got here, I realized that this building is a medical school, a newborn College of Medicine (CM) in Bicol University (BU) offering Doctor of Medicine in Public Administration, Major in Health and Disaster (MD-PDA). Actually, even President Benigno S. Aquino III flew his way to get here during its inauguration last May 2014, a month before its formal opening. But I wasn’t here yet that time.
RESOURCES I learned that the institution’s Board of Regents (BOR) granted the former University President, Dr. Fay Lauraya, to enter into a contract with Sci Gate Technology Corporation of Germany for the procurement of two plastinated human body specimens or their so-called cadavers. Each of these worth P2.8M. “The [cadaver] can be used for laboratory studies for five years; it is more hygienic, more economical and efficient in the long term,” Dr. Lauraya said. According to Mr. Mortega, these plastinated human body specimens were later named Henry and Glenda, in accordance with the time they arrived in BUCM. Around August last year, a seminar was held and attended by the med students. A Japanese in the name of Mr. Nagato Azuma donated more than 700 hundred books about integrative medicine, health care and other non-conventional methods of medicine to the college, which are now in the university library. Also, the college will be receiving a donation of P50, 000 each year from Mr. Azuma. It was totally nice. We’ll not starve, I guess? Just kidding.
FACILITIES The college building is quite big, having four floors. They call it the phase I. Offices are situated on the first floor particularly the office of the college’s dean, Ruben N. Caragay M.D., MPH, Ph. D. He started office last July 29, 2013. Inside this building were classrooms, mostly small ones utilized for small group discussion (SGDs). There are also laboratories used for subjects like physiology, anatomy and biochemistry. Meanwhile, the phase II refers to the community. Since their course is community-oriented, they would go on field from time to time. Lastly is the phase three. It’s still under construction, situated just behind this building. Additional laboratories and facilities will be offered there as the number of students starts to increase in years’ time. Dr. Caragay together with some of his staff went for a school caravan the other year. They visited other state universities and colleges here in Bicol, aiming to introduce BUCM, which I also heard to be the first state university medical school in the region with the MPA program. Last year after typhoon Glenda hit Bicol, damages were incurred in this place. As result, the students went on field to fulfill their curriculum. They had their community diagnosis of the typhoon’s wrath. They hopped from one evacuation center to another, one clinic to another. They may not cure diseases that time but they need to practice basic clinical concepts and to practice how to deal with victims of disasters. This place felt empty – literally until the time when I met my best buddy. Also, the thought that I met a buddy was more fascinating. I thought I’d be alone. I’m glad I wasn’t anymore. And there was a new room – so cold and comfortable. I liked the place even more. It was differently good. I was delighted of the low temperature. I can fall asleep easily and take a nap whenever I
STUDENT INVOLVEMENT AND ACTIVITIES For the last two years, the med students got involved in the BU Week. Though they were less in number, it didn’t stop them to let other Buenos feel their team and make their college proud. According to Dr. Caragay, the students facilitated a sort of exhibit to also let other students experience how to be a medical stude for a day during the BU week. And I’m certain it was a great experience. “We also had exhibits, pharmaceutical films and services featuring integrative medicine. We are not just into western medicine, but this is more on traditional or alternative type, like the Chinese traditional medicine. Maraming nagattend. Inabot nga kami hanggang hapon,” Dr. Caragay stated. These future doctors were also on full blast in line with community services. They were deployed on eight areas wherein they stayed for about a month. Some of the places where I heard they immersed in were Sorsogon, Camarines Sur, Pio Duran, Libon, Polangui, Camalig and Sto. Domingo. They were actually skilled. Also, I heard that almost 50 percent of the students were nursing graduates so they have the background and knowledge. Yet, they still underwent a basic life support system. Prior to the immersion on the eight areas, they were exposed once every week to clinics and to the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH). Dr. Caragay added that “They learned how to relate with the patients, as well as with the doctors and staffs of the hospital although they still do not know how to cure. Only those simple things, on how to interview the patient and the physical diagnosis.”
9 Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service EXPECTATIONS FOR THE NEW PRESIDENT The college was born during former President Lauraya’s last year in service. Hence, Dr. Caragay expects the next administration to continuously support the college. He’s also expecting the admin to provide them the resources and more permanent staffs. He explained, “Mahirap kasi kung every two months, nire-release sila. Minsan kasi may skills na sila tapos aalis.” As I began over thinking things, my head started to hurt so I shut my eyes closed and sent myself to sleep. Then I was again seeing a familiar dream. I saw myself lying on what I initially thought as bed, until my senses kicked in and made me feel the coldness of the operating table against my back. Beside me was a metal hospital cart with various surgical tools. I saw forceps, scalpels, masks and other tools I didn’t know existed. Not from afar I saw a sink smudged with dark streaks which I presumed to be blood. I shivered. I want to run but I felt so numb and weak to move even my finger. I was naked and realized the various wires and needles piercing into my skin. Then about four to six doctors surrounded me. One of them removed the tubes and wires connected to my body. I felt a rush of panic as they started to talk with a language I don’t even understand. But I’m certain that they’re planning something that will not entirely go in my favor. Then the other doctor held a scalpel on his hands and handed it to the other. The other grabbed a pair of dissecting scissors. This made me anxious. What are they going to do with me? I looked down and saw one of the doctors daintily peeling off my skin with the scalpel. I saw a trickle of blood ooze out as the doctor continued to gaze my skin off. I should feel pain but why am I not feeling any pain at all? What are they doing to me? The other doctor stood closer to me. I braced myself as he positioned the scalpel just inches from my face. I wanted to vanish as fast as possible, but I couldn’t. It’s nervecracking. I couldn’t take it anymore. I closed my eyes and saw nothing but darkness. Suddenly, I felt the coldness against my back. I knew I wasn’t lying on a bed. It wasn’t cottony or warm. I can hear voices. My thin body felt weak and frozen; like I was injected with galloons of anesthesia. I know I should be afraid, but I wasn’t. I tried to open my eyes, allowing myself be delighted with light. I saw the students, clad in their white and mint green clothes. I heard them discussing terms I didn’t know. They’re in a circular form and their backs are facing me. I still have questions in mind but I still cannot believe that it’s been almost a year since I’ve been here. A lot of good things had happened. It was a good start. I know that there will be a lot more things, even better to come. One of the students called the name Henry. I got curious and gazed at them eagerly. As I watched them drew apart, I saw whom they’re calling with that name. It was my best buddy. Memories came flooding back, even that dream which haunted me every time. Then I remembered the time when I looked at my reflection at the glass. That’s why I looked odd, a plastinated being. And so I realized who really I am. --G
10 Crossing borders:
DevComm Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
The Agta Tabangnons and their journey to progress By Bryan Del Castillo and Jervy Anne Romero
(DepEd) also organizes daily feeding program in the elementary school which depend on the nutritional status of the children. Moreover, though there is still no health center in the barangay, the residents could still monitor their health through medical check-ups. The health workers conduct this check-up every time they visit and provide vaccination for children and pregnant women. Additionally, the remote barangay of San Pablo now has concrete walkway. A large part of the community already has electrical connections, even those on the vicinity of the IP.
In an island of Bacacay, Albay lies a community which manifests the unique culture and lifeblood of the Filipino people. Although enslaved by poverty, the people, little by little, learn to improve their way of living through the adoption of programs offered by the government.
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), in its goal to eradicate extreme poverty in the country, has aided not only the poorest of the poor but also uplifted the indigenous people (IP) of Barangay San Pablo, Bacacay, Albay. The indigenous group identified as Agta Tabangnons is usually found in wild mountains in Bicol Peninsula especially in farflung barangays in Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte and Catanduanes. These indigenous people were provided conditional cash grants by the government since 2010. According to Efigenia Beguiras, IP representative, this is the only time that their group is being recognized in the province. “We are being invited in trainings. Our way of living did not only improve but also our means of socialization,” Beguiras said. There are three government programs being implemented in barangay San Pablo namely the Kapit-bisig Laban sa KahirapanComprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), sustainable livelihood program and the conditional cash grant. KALAHI-CIDSS’ objective is to strengthen people’s participation in community-level governance by developing their capacity to design, implement and manage development activities that reduce poverty. Meanwhile, the sustainable livelihood program aims to improve the socio-economic capacities of the 4Ps beneficiaries by facilitating their access to micro enterprise development and employment opportunities. The conditional cash grant gives assistance to beneficiaries
ROSE GEN CAPIZ of Brgy. San Pablo, Bacacay, Albay prepares the karagumoy which will be used for mat-making, one of the main sources of livelihood in the place. (Photo by Joshua Caleb Pacleta) provided that they comply with the set of conditions required by the program. These programs are being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in 98 households in the said barangay. Cash Distribution According to Nancy Belgica, parent leader of Purok 5, the mode of distribution of the cash grant was through Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). However, the ATM system was retrieved few months after its implementation when negative feedbacks from the beneficiaries arouse. “We found it difficult when the ATM system started because we don’t know how to operate ATMs. We asked help from the security guard and from there we encountered another problem. It was said that one of the guards asked 20 pesos [in exchange for the assistance]. Perhaps, that was one of the reasons why it [ATM system] was retrieved,” Belgica said. As of now, they need to go to Global Bacacay every two months to individually claim their financial grant. Belgica further stated that it’s better that way because everyone is now obliged to claim their own grant.
Faces of Perseverance. Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries listen attentively to a monthly meeting conducted by the 4Ps municipal links.
Aids and Privileges Under the conditional cash grant, beneficiaries receive financial assistance which can only be used for the health and education of their children aged 0-18. According to Jade Jean P. Uchi, DSWD representative in barangay San Pablo, the maximum beneficiary for every household is limited to three children. “These regulations, however, can be altered if and only during the interview, the housewife was pregnant for her third child while her two children were already part of the program,” Uchi explained. In order to become a 4Ps beneficiary, an applicant must submit the required forms and undergo interviews facilitated by the DSWD. Children who are in elementary receive P300.00 for education and P500.00 for health. High school recipients receive P500 both in health and education. This financial aid must only be used for health and education purposes. Recipients who would allocate these funds for other fields will be due process and intervention terminated from the program. Rose Gen Capiz, one of the IP beneficiaries of the program disclosed that their receipts are being monitored by the DSWD in order to make sure that the funds are being allocated for education and health alone. With this, she revealed that the program has been a great help to pursue the education of her children. “Before, it wasn’t easy to send my children to school. Sometimes, they have to be absent. With 4P’s, they can contin-
uously focus on their studies,” Capiz said in Bicol language. In terms of livelihood, the DSWD assists the IPs in mat-making to which the abundant supply of raw materials in the area like karagumoy is commonly
used. Most of the residents also depend on fishing and farming as their primary source of living. Community Improvement The three programs of DSWD did not only uplift these indigenous people but also aided the community of barangay San Pablo. As part of their customary activities, the programs’ beneficiaries conduct gardening and coastal cleaning activities. They are often facilitated by their respective parent leaders who regularly check their attendance. Meanwhile, Teacher Myla, who requested not to disclose her full name, also an Agta Tabangnon said that in terms of education, the teachers from grades one to six are complete in number. She further stated that the new textbooks suffice their needs as it meets a ratio of 1:1. The Department of Education
Cultural Practices Salvacion Bermunda, an IP member said that most of their cultural practices are not anymore observed. Among others is the composition of cultural songs and dance. Nevertheless, the IPs still use synthetic kitchen wares like spoon made of coconut shell. They added that they still believe in santiguar, a traditional way of curing ordinary illnesses, and fixed marriages. In as early as 14 years old, some of the IP members were already agreed by their parents to be married. The kids are also fond of being naked all day until nighttime, a cultural practice which is
still visible nowadays according to Bermunda. She further said that most of them already forget their indigenous traditions and beliefs because of the mockeries which they often encounter. “When a person knows that you’re an Agta Tabangnon, they’ll certainly tease you,” she disclosed. To Belgica, Capiz, Bermunda, Teacher Myla, and the hundreds of 4Ps beneficiaries in barangay San Pablo, the program has indeed been a great aid to slowly eradicate poverty. All they can hope now is for the program to extend its scope and be able to reach other indigenous people, so that in the next years, the goal of eradicating poverty would be attained.
DevComm
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The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
Albay nods Gender-Responsive programs in its four towns By Marian Deuna and Jasmine Yao
To continuously promote gender awareness and sensitivity among Albayanos, the Gender and Development Focal Point System – Technical Working Group (GAD FPS-TWG) of Albay approved this year’s gender-responsive programs in the four municipalities of the province.
The identified municipalities were Camalig, Guinobatan, Bacacay and Pioduran based on the level of awareness on GAD programs. “Together with the Department of Interior and Local Government, we identified that these municipalities are having inadequate awareness when it comes to GAD programs,” Albay GAD FPS-TWG Chairperson Cynthia Samalea said. Samalea explained that the committee on GAD conducted an assessment to come up with a project in the four municipalities. The project aims to orient and capacitate each municipality in terms of GAD planning and budgeting to gain responsive plans, programs and activities such as capacity building, gender and development sensitivity training, gender mainstreaming and monitoring system. With the support of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and AECID, a spanish agency for international cooperation and development, the committee is now reaching out to these municipalities by giving
EVEN-HANDED. The PCW-AECID project gender specialist from the province of Albay, Tet C. Triunfante, creates a warm and inviting atmosphere for the participants coming from various women organizations at the Liga Hall, Bacacay, Albay. The two-day GAD Focal Point System seminar happened last July 29-30, 2015. (Photo by Jan Marie Raquion)
orientation on GAD FPS-TWG systems. In year 2012, the Provincial Government of Albay (PGA) has allocated P85 million for gender-related programs. This year, the budget has increased for about 10 percent to support the additional projects. Samalea explained that the additional projects were designed for the
full implementation and localization of GAD in all local government units in the country. With this, the PCW identified Albay as one of the pilot provinces in the country in terms of localization of GAD including Saranggani, Aklan, Oriental Mindoro, Iloilo and Surigao. “The plan of PGA in terms of implementation of GAD is to capacitate
all the 15 municipalities in the province on what gender and development really is or the localization of Magna Carta for Women,” Samalea concluded. GAD FORUM IN BACACAY Meanwhile, a gender sensitivity training, human rights and women economic empowerment was held last
July 29 to 30 at the Municipality of Bacacay. The two-day sensitivity training aimed to promote and build equality for both gender by providing relevant solutions on gender inclined matters. “Before, Men usually the provider inside the family, but now because of GAD both gender gained to be equally treated,” Rosario Sibbaluca, Bacacay Municipal Women Federation president, said. The training was participated by the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Bacacay, Department of Education (DepEd) Division, different non-government organizations such as the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA), Persons with Disability (PWD), and Bacacay Women Federation. Arsenio Bibon, Municipal Planning Head and Development Coordinator of Bacacay stressed that the GAD FPS-TWG should not just end in training the municipality but the application to encourage the household level in the community. Also, Rocky Robino, a teacher in Tanagan Elementary School and GAD Focal Point Person in Bacacay East said that GAD programs were included in DepEd syllabus which is in line with the Child Protection Policy to prevent bullying. “GAD doesn’t only focus on physical violence but also in verbal violence,” he said. GAD program is not only imposing gender equality but is also composed of livelihood trainings like making karagumoy handicrafts.
Albay’s billion-peso road project due by 2016 – DPWH V By Joshua Caleb Pacleta
The 1.262-billion road project in Albay dubbed “GuiCaDaLe” (Guinobatan-Camalig-Daraga-Legazpi) is expected to be completed by 2016 according to Lucia Castañeda, information officer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region V. So far, the DPWH has completed the 1.713-km four-lane access road that connects the Bi-
col International Airport (BIA) to the Maharlika Highway in Tabon-tabon, Daraga. Ester Vargas, DPWH Regional Planning Section chief, said that passengers going to the BIA could still use the national road in Albay but taking the GuiCaDaLe platform will be more efficient. Vargas said that it would take 17 minutes to reach the new airport from Legazpi using the existing road system, but
travel time would drop to just 6 minutes using the GuiCaDale access road via barangay Puro in Legazpi. However, Vargas stated that the said access road in Legazpi is still under construction. The GuiCaDaLe platform is a 194-km road project that traverses a plateau toward neighboring Sorsogon province. It has 16 major road sections and 12 arterial roads, according to its project brief.
The GuiCaDaLe (Guinobatan-Camalig-Daraga-Legazpi) is a 1.262 billion road platform that traverses a plateau toward neighboring Sorsogon province.The road project has 16 major road sections and 12 arterial roads. (Photo source: DPWH V)
In IPESR, two new degree programs offered this year By Jerald Talavera
Geared on providing opportunities for the institution, Bicol University - Institute of Physical Education, Sports and Recreation (BU-IPESR) offered two new major specializations last semester.
Bachelor in Physical Education School Physical Education (BPE-SPE) and Bachelor in Physical Education major in Sports and Wellness Management (BPE-SWM) were the two degree programs newly offered by IPESR last June. Based on CHED Memorandum Order No. 23, series of 2011, SPE and SWM shall “prepare the students with necessary knowledge and skills in various sports, fitness and recreational activities, expose them to business and corporate career achievement, and engage them to wellness, fitness economics and litigations.” Graduates of SPE will have an opportunity to teach Physical Education from kindergarten to secondary level, be a sports coach of any primary to tertiary athletic program, or be a department head. They can also be trained to become regional coordinators in PE and other sports programs. However, these will require the graduates to pass the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). On the other hand, the graduates of SWM are not required to take the LET. They could work as fitness and welfare supervisors, gym managers, corporate
wellness trainers, sports tourism officers, corporate human resource development officers or tournament managers once they completed the four-year program. According to Prof. Marylou Borja, IPESR Director, the institute was the first and only institution in Bicol region to offer these two major specializations. “The new programs are expected to cater the needs of the community and give more opportunities to the students who love being in this field,” she said. According to Borja, since K to 12 is being implemented, the teaching load of the instructors will be less. With this, the new programs are not only beneficial to students but also to the teaching faculties hence they will be given more opportunities to work within the university. Meanwhile, educators under the BPE program must hold a master’s degree to be able to teach. Without it, they could only be in the institute as parttime personnel. Prof. Borja stated that this rule was mandated by the Civil Service Commission of the Philippines. Before these two specializations existed, BPE is the only degree program being offered by IPESR. This allows maximum opportunity for students to pursue various combinations of courses of teaching, coaching, programming and administration. The graduates are also required to take the LET in order to practice the teaching profession. Recently, BU-IPESR offered Masters in BPE through the Graduate School of the university.
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12 The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Editorial Far-fetched
Just after Bicol University (BU) hailed on March 2015 its eight president, Dr. Arnulfo Mascarinas, a new vision has been developed - marking that the institution had certainly took on another kind of leadership. “A World-Class University producing leaders and change agents for social transformation and development” is now the track that the present admin wants to pursue.
It is not a problem if the new administration aims for the institution to be a world class university. The hitch is that, do they really know what a “world class university” is and how it should work locally and internationally? The Times Higher Education (THE), a weekly magazine in London, reporting specifically on news and issues related to tertiary education, has shed light and revealed the significant features of the average top 200 university in its World University Ranking 2014-2015. The average top 200 university in the world: Has a total annual income of $751, 139 (P34, 552, 394.00) per academic; has a student-to-staff ratio of 11.7:1; hires 20 percent of its staff from abroad; has a total research income of $229, 109 (P10, 539, 014.00) per academic; publishes 43 percent of all its research papers with at least one international co-author and; has a student body made up of 19 percent international students. Looking at the current situation of BU, it is indeed apparent that we lack high end classrooms, research and science laboratories, libraries, restrooms, and sports facilities. Furthermore, it can be noted that the student-to-staff ratio in BU is approximately 50:1 and despite the high number of enrollment turnout in the university with more 20, 000 students, their theses are still unpublished. In addition, if the administration is determined on attaining such status, it must also consider improving its service not only in the main campus but in the satellite units as well. Achieving a world-class university requires serious money according to Phil Baty, editor of the THE World University Rankings. “Significant financial resources are essential to pay the salaries required to attract and retain the leading scholars and to build the facilities needed. Second, providing an intimate and intensive teaching environment for students, where they can expect to truly engage with leading academic staff can really help. Finally, a world-class university must be genuinely international. It must be a magnet for the planet’s most talented staff and students, wherever they happen to come from; it must bring people together from a range of different cultures and backgrounds to tackle shared global challenges; and it must work and think across national borders,” he added. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that BU has been performing well on the different board exams particularly in Accountancy, Social Work, Nursing, some programs in Engineering and Education. It can be noted that recently, a BUeño notched the 10th place in the 2015 Certified Public Accountant Licensure Exam signifying that the university can be at par with the powerhouse universities in the Metro Manila. However, our institution has yet more to prove because the results that it has gained in the board exams in the recent years aren’t enough for the university to be called world-class. While acing most of the tests are just normal for UP, Ateneo, De La Salle and UST, such victories are already considered historic for us because it’s not that typical for BU to clinch the top spots in the licensure exams. BU is still far-fetched on achieving its goal to be labelled as a world-class university but that idealistic dream is not impossible to reach; perhaps it would take many decades to be realized. Should our university reach such branding and level in the future, that would not only create a pressure on the side of the administration but most importantly to the students. After all, it is us, BUeños, who can judge if our university is really world-class by the type and quality of education and service that is being offered to us.
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Mayroong tatlong klase ng mga estudyante sa ating unibersidad: Una, yung maraming alam ngunit walang pakialam; ikalawa, yung gustong makialam ngunit hindi pinakikinggan at; ikatlo, yung laging mahilig makialam ngunit wala namang alam.
Sa apat na taon kong pamamalagi sa ating “World Class University”, lagi nang bukambibig ng mga tumatakbo sa konseho ang pagsugpo sa student passivity at apathy sa pamamagitan ng paglikha ng mga programa at proyektong naglalayon na paigtingin o buhayin ang interes ng mga estudyante sa paglahok sa mga aktibidad sa ating intitusyon at palaganapin ang kanilang kaalaman sa mga isyung bumabalot hindi lamang sa unibersidad kundi maging sa komunidad. Ngunit ni isa dito’y walang pinatunguhan; nananatili pa ring pasibo ang karamihan sa mga estudyante. Paguugaling hindi naman nananalaytay sa mga dating BUeños. Nakakalungkot lamang isipin na habang binabasa ko ang mga lumang pahayagan ng Unibe, nakita at nabasa ko kung gaano na lamang kaigting ang pagnanasa ng mga estudyante noon ng BU sa pagkamit ng dekalidad na edukayon, sa paggapi ng mga bulok at paiku-ikot na sistema ng pamumuno ng mga nakalipas na administrasyon, sa paglaban sa unti-unting pagtaas ng matrikula at marami pang iba. Matagal ng kultura’t pag-uugali ng karamihan sa mga BUeños ang pagsasawalang-kibo hindi lamang sa mga aktibidad sa ating unibersidad kundi pati na rin sa mga mahahalagang isyung bumabalot dito. Tanggapin na natin ang katotohanan na mangmang ang karamihan sa atin pagdating na sa mga tunay na nangyayari sa ating unibersidad. Ang alam lang ng karamihan sa atin ay, “Nag-aaral ako sa BU”, yun lang. Ngunit ang pag-alam sa malalim na kahulugan ng pagiging tatak BUeño ay mistula pa ring suntok sa buwan. ***** Sa kabilang dako, matatandaan noong Setyembre, pinutakti ng kabi-kabilang batikos ang BU-University Student Council nang linlaling nito ang mga netizens matapos nitong ipalabas na na-hack ang kanilang opisyal na pahina sa Facebook. Umani ng simpatya at tulong ang USC subalit nang lumaon ay ibinunyag nito na parte lang pala ang “hacking scheme” sa pag-anunsyo ng Mr. and Ms. Bicol
StaedTlerTM Joshua Caleb P. Pacleta
University 2015. Idadagdag pa rito, muling nag-post ang Konseho ng isang maikling bidyo na nagpakita ng isang dalaga na tumatakbo sa loob ng unibersidad habang hinahabol ng isang lalaki na animoy mayroong masamang balak. Hindi direktang ipinakita sa bidyo ang motibo ng lalaki ngunit sa interpretasyon ng mga netizens, ito’y may kinalaman sa panggagahasa. Sinundan pa ito ng isang “makapagbagbag” damdaming status ng USC na naglayong pasalamatan ang mga taong nagpaabot ng simpatya’t tulong sa kinalauna’y ibinuyag nilang “staged hacking incident”. Matapos na makatanggap ang konseho ng mga negatibong komento, naglabas ito ng opisyal na pahayag na kinapapalooban ng paghingi nito paumanhin sa lahat ng nalilinlang ng kanilang post at inako ng buo ang responsabilidad sa naturang isyung
Mayroong tatlong klase ng mga estudyante sa ating unibersidad: Una, yung maraming alam ngunit walang pakialam; ikalawa, yung gustong makialam ngunit hindi pinakikinggan at; ikatlo, yung laging mahilig makialam ngunit wala namang alam.
kanilang nilikha. Mapapansing hindi na gaanong pinaguusapan ang isyung kinasangkutan ng ating konseho subalit, hindi pa rin natin maitatanggi na nagmarka ito ng masamang imahe sa ating unibersidad. Gayunpaman, mayroon lamang akong nais ipunto sa nabanggit na isyu. Una at alam kong alam naman ng karamihan, na hindi pinag-planuhang mabuti ng konseho ang tama at epektibong paraan ng pag-ere ng nasabing patimpalak. Oo, nilayon nilang baguhin ang nakagawiang promosyon
ng MMBU subalit hindi nila naisip ang magiging resulta nito. Bagama’t masasabi nating hindi mahulugan ng karayom ang loob ng Albay Astrodome sa mismong araw ng patimpalak, mahihinuha pa rin sa bandang huli na mali ang advertising strategy na pinili nila. Samakatwid, tama naman ang motibo ng konseho subalit pumalpak ito sa isinagawa nitong kilos Ikalawa, muli na namang napatunayan ang kapangyarihan ng social media na sa isang pindot mo lang, maaari ka nitong sirain o pasikatin, bagay na parehong natamasa ng konseho. Sa panahong yaon, hindi pinahalagahan ng mga kasalukyang opisyal ng USC ang pahinang matagal na pinagkaingatan ng mga nauna sa kanila. Magsisilbing aral hindi lamang sa USC lalo na sa mga estudyante ang responsableng paggamit ng mga account sa social media ng mga organisasyon sa ating unibersidad. Sagrado ang bawat organisasyon sa ating institusyon at responsabilidad nating pangalagaan at protektahan ang pangalan nito lalo na sa panahong ating kinapapalooban ngayon. At ikatlo, nabahiran din ng pulitika ang kapalpakan ng konseho noong panahong iyon ng mistulang kabuting nagsulputan ang mga indibidwal na nagpasaring ng mga hinaing nila sa mga opisyal ng USC. Lingid sa kaalaman ng nakararami, walo sa sampung nakaluklok ngayon sa konseho ay nanggaling sa iisang partido. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko alam kung bakit naidikit na naman ang pangalan ng mga partido na kung tutuusin, wala naman talaga itong kinalaman sa nasabing isyu. Bagkus, sinasalamin lamang nito, ang bulok at maruming sistema ng pulitika sa ating unibersidad. Bilang pinakamataas na organisasyon sa BU, tungkulin ng konseho na pangalagaan, ipaglaban at protektahan ang integridad at kapakanan hindi lamang ng mga estudyante kundi pati na rin ng sarili nitong pangalan. Mahirap ibalik ang nasirang tiwala ng mga estudyante lalo pa’t hanggang sa ngayon, malayo pa rin ang loob nila sa konseho. Masakit man tanggapin ngunit sa kasalukuyan, maaalala ang ang mga namumuno konseho dahil sa maling hakbang nito noong Setyembre. Walang ibang magagawa ang konseho kundi ang magpatuloy sa kanilang serbisyo sa mga estudyante at maging mabusisi at maingat sa mga plano at proyekto nito sa hinaharap. Bagaman ay magsisimula silang muli sa pagbuo ng kanilang integridad at pagbalik ng interes at tiwala ng mga estudyante.
nion Summation Jervy Anne M. Romero
If I could only spit for every act of poor governance in the country, I could’ve been jailed and sentenced with lifetime imprisonment. If I could only swallow this spat saliva back, I would wholeheartedly do it (without any disgust) if it would lead to transparency in the state. However, this is not so. Unfortunately, the Philippine system is not like the human saliva. (I am fervently hoping so) I heard those platforms before. I am hearing the same now so please don’t reiterate it like a broken record. The country is in need of a leader who’s brave enough to push for transparency in all forms, no matter what it takes. Personally, I am a firm believer that the “tuwid na daan” would not be achieved even for the term of two presidents. This concept would remain imaginary and unattainable unless otherwise good virtues are inculcated on the young at an early age and would remain in them until the time that they are bound to lead this country. However, the interruption of the salutatory address of Krisel Mallari by officials of Sto. Niño Parochial School in Quezon City presents two acts of misbehavior exhibited by different age groups on one side and an act of bravery on another. The interruption of the announcer during the early part of the speech is an obvious form of disrespect and violation of the child’s right to express, when in fact it was her salutatory address. After the announcer’s interruption, Mallari still proceeded but school authorities insisted for her to take a seat. Mallari’s attempt to expose what she believed as an alleged cheating in the school, which led to her proclamation as salutatorian instead of valedictorian, is inappropriate during the ceremony. Also, the speech she read was not the one approved by the authorities.
Few elite clans had infested the Philippine politics for many generations, even pitting each other in the political arena. For years, only they have enjoyed the privilege to hold public position, therefore, preventing other more deserved people to
Untamed
imprisonment for as long as six years, a fine of up to P200 000.00 or both to fixers, there are still a number of violators existing in the government. In the Anti-Red Tape Act report card survey released by the Civil Service Commission, it was cited that several respondents mentioned that they made additional payments to agencies other than those posted. These payments range from as low as P8.00 to as high as P 7 176. 50. Despite this, the commission also awarded agencies with Citizen’s Satisfaction Center — Seal of Excellence anchored on the effectiveness of the implementation of the act. With this in mind, I am still clinging onto the idea that no matter how crooked this country is now, there are still few individuals out there who have been inIt is a shame that in a culcated with good values country whose virtues when it comes to governance. The challenge now were being preserved, lies if the Filipino people the ones who should’ve would be able to see clearly who is who and which is served as role models which. fail to embody the very Transparency and good governance would definition of these take more than five or virtues. even ten years to build but if everyone would be able to stand for what is right dare such because I know everyone and just, then this country has its would say no. chance. As how 16-year old Mallari And now that the campaign stated it, “Maraming tao ang nagfor the elections is approaching, we bulag-bulagan sa isang sistemang would find it hard to explain to our marumi at kaduda-duda ngunit children why the names of the can- di ko ito tinularan. Ipinaglaban ko didates are stapled with P100 and ang sa tingin ko’y tama, nanindigan P500 bills. Furthermore, we would ako bilang isang Pilipino na palaeven find it hard to explain to our ban at may takot sa Diyos.” children years after why we would It is a shame that in a councomplain for the corruption of try whose virtues were being precandidates whose faces were once served, the ones who should’ve stapled on those bills. served as role models fail to emIf our public servants ulti- body the very definition of these mately failed in their once-fervent virtues. These officials, therefore, pursuits for good governance, so must not be the ones to guide the do the officials serving public of- young but, in this case, be guided fices. Despite the existence of the by the passion and bravery they Anti-Red Tape Act which imposes possess.
Bryan L. Del Castillo
13
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
Mallari and her family sought for the computation of grades from the school administration just for the sake of transparency, but according to them, the school kept shrugging off their requests. Whatever the reason of Sto. Niño Parochial School for not granting the family’s request is none of our business. But seriously, is this the type of value we would like to inculcate on the young? Is this the type of behavior we would be proud to show to our children? Is this the type of administration we would want our granddaughters and grandsons to take over? I would swallow a liter of spat saliva from a complete stranger if anyone would say yes to these questions. But I am only brave to
Bull’s Sheet The widespread hope for the passage of Anti-Political Dynasty Bill remains in a critical stage as its fate rests on the hands of the Congress flocked by the very families it seek to restrain. The bill, a proposed solution to end the ‘oligarchic’ political setup in the country is lying still on the lawmakers’ desks, waiting to be passed. What’s more menacing is that its otherwise harsh provisions which would inhibit the power enjoyed by the dominant political elites in the country stumbles upon the attempts from legislative body to ease it.
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Ruling out Juan Dynasties
pursue public seat. In fact, for about 52 million registered voters there are only 178 dynasties ruling 73 of the 80 provinces in the country. I commend the keen observation of those who wrote the explanatory note of the Anti-Political Dynasty bill stating that “the extended family system, an otherwise beneficial concept when applied to the social aspects of human behavior, has found its pernicious effects in the political arena where public office has become the exclusive domain of influential families and clans”. The idea leaves me wondering if members of political families in the Philippines often mistake family tree as an organizational chart. At the top of the family-tree-slashorganizational-chart is the family’s eldest politician, overlooking his descendants as they take over his previous positions in the government. His son who has already trailed several posts and is running for re-election
is the opponent of his brother who had likewise jumped from one public seat to another. Their qualified children and other close relatives are running at the same time, pursuing various elective offices both local and national, and the thread goes on. There appears to be no hope left regarding this already exhausting conversation on politics but the Anti-Political Dynasty Law. With this, the measures provided in the bill will allow only one member of political clan to hold public office which, according to Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, will adversely affect at least 150 or more than half of the 290-member House of Representatives. No wonder why the House failed to pass it before adjourning the second regular session of the 16th Congress. Nevertheless, it’s somewhat bewildering how well these related public officials are spinning the rule of law on the tip of their fingers and their cold dirty palms.
Tub-thumper Jessica B. Bechayda
Talk Sense
spend 1-4 years, 13% spend 5-10 years and 5% spend more than 10 years in mental hospitals. Some 2150% of the patients receive one or more psychosocial interventions in their last year. Mentally ill people are not supposed to be laWith this kind of mental health status that our beled as garbage of the society, because a true country has, it is really disappointing that the govintellectual knows exactly how to define both. ernment spends only five percent of the total health For almost four years of personal observation, budget on mental health and substantial portions no change happened to these individuals who com- of it are spent on the operation and maintenance of pletely lost their sanity. They were still in their same mental hospitals. area, which they considered their home, with same Ultimately, our leaders are focusing on the clothes and same state of mind. wrong priority and tend to overlook on the right In the recent State of the Nation Address of BS one. It is really infuriating that those who are seated Aquino III, he repeatedly said that our economy is and given the power to continue in providing them booming compared to the past administrations. He with equal rights are the first one on becoming uneven cited evidence to support his claim such as the equal. P64.1 billion income of our country from publicNow, I have a second-thought if the Philippines private partnerships. is still worthy to be called as a "hospitable country". I wonder if these huge earnings somehow It is undeniable that they are mentally challenged benefited some institutions which coddle persons people who seemed to be long-forgotten by the govwith mental deficiency. ernment because of the different issues that bomThroughout the development of science and bard us every day. technology, the city of They are just vicManila had already estims, perhaps of tragic tablished its own mental experiences, that haphospital in 1918, the City pened to them or those For as long as the leaders Sanitarium at San Juan del that occurred since Monte under Dr. Telesof the State don’t know infancy. They may be foro Ejercito which later how to protect and promote violent and difficult transferred to San Pedro to communicate with the common good of its Makati. but we’ll never know constituents, the country Moreover, the Philand understand their ippine Mental Health Aswill not arrive to its exact situation if we don’t sociation in Quezon City extend our hands to location, or worst, it will which has nine chapters them. Their persislose its way. dedicates its work for tence to survive despite the promotion of mental their mental incapacity health and prevention of must make us feel little. mental disorders. It is a private, non-stock, non- Their willpower in contest to fully enjoy their freeprofit and non-government organization. dom mandated by the constitution is far beyond our Despite the presence of these institutions, imagination. They may not mind our unjust treatthere is still an unprecedented increase on the men- ment because of their situation. tally ill population in the country. At present, acHowever, it is more shameful and insane that cess to mental health facilities is uneven across the we, sane people, continuously behave inappropriate Philippines, favoring only those living in or near towards them. Nevertheless, it is our right to help the the National Capital Region. members of the marginalized sector of the society There are informal links between the mental not to be left unaided. health sector and other government sectors such as The true face of a growing economy of our links with the welfare, housing, judicial, work pro- country will never be justified if there will always be visions, and education sectors. repelling ideas and unjust treatment towards these According to the World Health Organization, citizens. It will always be the root of injustice against the number of patients in mental hospitals has human dignity which can lead to another form of grown steadily. However, most of them undergone violence-the absolute domination of the sane indiinvoluntary admission, and the use of restrains or viduals among the insane. seclusion due to violent and uncontrolled behavFor as long as the leaders of the State don’t know iors. how to protect and promote the common good of its The number of days spent in mental hospitals constituents, the country will not arrive to its exact is 209. 64% of them spend less than one year, 18% location, or worst, it will lose its way. Citing the presupposed effect of the bill on them, checks and balances, therefore, allowing our nevercongressmen who belong to a political family try to ending problem on corruption. They are the topmost relax the limitations imposed by the provision in or- benefactors of their respective positions as they run der to allow more of their kith and kin to run for pub- the government like any other family-owned busilic seats. Instead of only one political dynasty member, ness. Their organizational charts slowly happen to be the Congress pursues to further smoothen the rough the government’s history, thus, seemingly dismemroad proposed by the bill by way of removing the pro- bering Juan from the society to which they must rule. I refuse to say that they are oblivious to the probhibition against succession and allowing third relative to run— an action that will surely dilute the very es- lem they wish we neglect. With them running most sence of the bill. of the country’s engines, we’re left with no choice but Should they succeed in making such amend- to cling on the wheels and vote for them. To name a ments, I fear that the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill, few, there will always be Aquino, Roxas, Marcos and Binay in front of political even if passed, will just be an accessorial techrostrums but never an nicality in making one’s ordinary Juan Dela Cruz candidacy valid and unwho cannot even step on questionable even if the the floors of Malacañang The idea leaves me truth states the contrary. Palace. Clearly, these actions are The question wondering if members only few among their whether the Anti-Politof political families numerous means to ical Dynasty Bill will be leave their surnames and passed will always be a in the Philippines often bloodline in “public” serquestion unless acted upon by a solution. Pervice, which, to my view mistake family tree as an is overly desperate and haps these families have organizational chart. selfish. the power to overrun the Assuming that government but we have by miracle, the House our right to suffrage, an would pass the bill neither with questions nor altera- absolutely greater power than theirs. May we use it tions, it will still have a hard time in the Senate which well. Only then will this political dramas end. With is also largely overrun by a number of dynasty mem- the 2016 elections coming, it’s definitely high-time bers. This time, it’ll be crazy to believe in miracles. we cure this bug-ridden country infested by powerNot only do these families monopolize the po- greedy pests who effortlessly nibble the country’s very litical strata but also hamper the economic growth of stem and foundation— the rule of law. the country. It ridicules the government’s concept of
Opinion
14 The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Post script
Arthessa Marie M. Ladoing Isang reality check: Bilang isang demokratikong bansa at isa sa mga bansang may naitalang may pinakamadaming active user sa social media, naging bahagi na ng ating kultura ang pakikipagtalastasan sa mga napapanahong isyu, mga ganap at mga pangyayari sa ating lipunan at maging sa mundo. Kamakailan lamang, sabay sa mga Hollywood film, tumabo sa takilya ang pelikulang “Heneral Luna” ni Jerrold Tarog. Rumagasa ang mga positibong komento sa istorya at cinematography ng pelikula. Ngunit ang nakaagaw ng aking pansin ay ang di lubos na pagkakilala ng ilang kabataan kay Apolinario Mabini. May ilang kabataan kasi ang nag-post sa kani-kanilang mga Facebook account at nagtatanong kung bakit daw nakaupo lamang si Mabini sa kabuuan ng pelikula. Ayon mismo kay Epi Quizon, ang aktor na gumanap na Mabini, marami ngang kabataan ang umusisa sa kanya at nagtanong. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko alam kung maiinis ako o matatawa sa pangyayaring ito. Hindi ba nila alam na ang isang Apolinario Mabini na nakaukit sa sampung pisong baryang araw-araw nating nakikita’t nahahawakan ay ang tinaguriang “dakilang paralitiko”, “utak ng rebolusyon” tungo sa pagtamo ng kasarinlan ng bansa. Nakakalungkot lang na sa mga maliliit na bagay na ito, napaghahalata na maliit ang pagpapahalaga ng ilan sa mga bagay-bagay patungkol sa pagkamakabayan. Sa kabila rin ng pagiging isang third world country at sa katotohanang mahal ang internet service sa bansa, nakakamangha na hawak natin ang titulo bilang “Social Media Capital
Randall Matthew A. Lorayes
The Philippines is said to be in a so-called ‘online boom’ which means more and more Filipinos are going online. In fact, according to Google Philippines’s country head, Ken Lignan, almost half of the total population of the Philippines have regular access to the Internet and that can be attributed to factors such as the rising middle class and more notably, the growing popularity of smartphones which allows access to mobile Internet. Smartphones have begun to dominate the local mobile phone market since the third quarter of 2014 with our country having the third largest market in Southeast Asia. It is expected these devices will be more accessible in the years to come with more options becoming available at much affordable prices. With that said, more and more people are realizing that our own country, despite having increasing number of Internet users, is among the slowest when it comes to internet access, both mobile and fixed line, not only within the ASEAN, but also the whole world with speeds only averaging to 3.6 Megabits per second or Mbps compared to our neighbors such as Indonesia with an average speed of 4.1 Mbps, or Singapore with a whopping 61 Mbps. Aside from that, our country
Usapang Trending
of the World”. Ibig-sabihin, tayo rin ang may pinakamataas na porsyentong bumubuo sa mga netizen at sa pakikipagtalastasan sa internet. Ayon sa Wave7, isang global survey ng nakaraang taon na isinagawa ng UM, IPG Media Brands, nangunguna ang mga Pinoy sa buong mundo batay sa oras na inilalaan sa social media o online. Umaabot ng 53 oras sa isang linggo ang mga Pinoy, 11 oras mahigit sa global average na 42 oras. Ipinakita rin sa survey na mahalaga ang internet sa mga Pinoy dahil sa mga sumusunod: sa karera at pinansyal na estado, pakikisama, paglilibang, pagpapahayag ng opinyon at sa impormasyon at pagiging up-to-date. Sa mga naitalang datos, ang internet ay may importanteng bahagi lalo sa buhay-kabataan bilang isang kultura. Nadadala ang mga kabataan sa kanilang pangangailangang matanggap ng lipunan sa pamamagitan ng internet. Magsisimula at matatapos ang kanilang araw kasama ang internet. Maging sa pananamit, kailangan ay may dating at pwedeng pang-OOTD. Bago naman kumain, kailangan munang kunan ng larawan at i-post sa Instagram. At maging ang bawat post ay kailangang madami ang bilang ng likes para lamang masabi sa sarili na sila’y tanggap ng lipunan at nasa pedestal. Dahil aminin man natin o hindi, ngayong kapanahunan ng makabagong teknolohiya at kasagsagan ng social media, abala ang karamihang makisabay sa diskurso ng mundo at makisalo sa sopistikadong karunungan. Ang teknolohiya at konsepto ng pakikisama at maging “in” ngayon
Technically Speaking
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
lalong-lalong na tayong mga kabataan ay unti-unting binabago ang ating mga pagpapahalaga at desisyon at maging ang ating pananaw ng pribado at pampublikong espasyo. Ito’y naging isang extension flatform na ng ating komunikasyon, ng ating interaksyon sa kaibigan, kaklase o katrabaho na halos buong araw na nating nakasama. Bukod pa rito, isa itong paaralan, aklat, at manwal ng mga
Dahil aminin man natin o hindi, ngayong kapanahunan ng makabagong teknolohiya at kasagsagan ng social media, abala ang karamihang makisabay sa diskurso ng mundo at makisalo sa sopistikadong karunungan bagong ideya, kultura at ng sopistakadong impluwensya ng mga pagpapahalagang kanluranin. Sa sobrang lawak nito, maraming nabibighani, nawiwili at nauuwi sa pagkalito sa sariling pagkakakilanlan at personalidad. At isa pa, maituturing na isang pakinabang at oportunidad ang maging matatas sa wikang Ingles. Ngunit sa ating henerasyon, palaisipan pa rin sa akin kung bakit at paanong naging ba-
Woes of the Online Filipino
also sells its internet access for a certain speed at much higher prices compared to other nations. On average, service providers charge Filipinos 1,155 pesos per Mbps a month compared to Indonesia which charges 860 pesos per Mbps a month, and Singapore asking only 134 pesos. It’s worth noting though that Singapore is a relatively small nation which means setting up the infrastructure for Internet access is much easier compared to an archipelago such as the Philippines. Nevertheless, our internet situation has become very frustrating for many Filipino netizens, myself included. I’m very sure I’m not the only one who has experienced having a very slow internet connection especially at times when we need it. Sending large files online would be a very difficult task and most often, hope that the recipient won’t get a corrupted file after spending hours watching the upload progress. Online gamers would experience laggy gameplay when the connection is unstable. Watching online videos would buffer if our internet speed is not fast enough. Maybe these are the reasons why we can’t fully adopt online apps. Our means of going online are not that reliable yet.
It appears that even some politicians at the Senate are are frustrated with their Internet access that they have started an investigation on it. The fact that the national government is looking into this means that having Internet access is becoming a necessity alongside mobile telecommunications. I believe there is at least some acknowledgment on the
More and more people are realizing that our own country, despite having increasing number of Internet users, is among the slowest when it comes to internet access part of our government that having a decent internet access is needed. Believe it or not, we’ve taken baby steps to finally address our online concerns. Recently, a major telecommunications company offering internet access in our country has finally agreed to be part of the Philippine Open Internet Exchange otherwise
tayan ng katayuan sa buhay ang wika. Isa kang sopistikadong mamamayan kapag marunong kang mag-Ingles. Sosyal, burgis, may pinag-aralan, matalino at may class, wika nga nila. Kaya’t hindi maikakaila na mababa ang pagtingin ng isa sa sarili kapag mahina siya sa Ingles. Ang masaklap pa, nagiging isang katatawanan sa paningin ng marami. Iyon kasi ang napapanahong “standard” ng lipunan at kailangang makisabay. Bilang resulta, nakakalimutan na ng marami kung ano nga ba talaga ang wikang malapit sa ating mga puso, puson, atay, bituka, at lamang-loob sunod sa ating mother tongue. ‘Yung totoo? Walang top rating na primetime show sa telebisyon ang papatok sa masa na naka-English. Walang ring nangungunang AM sa radyo o news program ang nagbabalita tungkol sa laman loob ng bayan na nasa English at walang top FM na tatangkilikin kung ang pagkukwentuhan ay puro English. Kung baga, sa mga panahong tayo’y offline na, babalik pa rin tayo sa kung anong medyum ang ginagamit sa totoong buhay. Kung babalikan natin ang mga ganap sa di pagkilala kay Apolinario Mabini ng bagong henerasyon, ikinalungkot ito ng Pangulo (dahil kalungkot-lungkot nga naman) pagkat itinuturo naman ito sa akademya, elementarya pa lang. Wala namang masama na makiuso at makisabay sa daloy. Mahirap naman kasi ang sumalungat sa agos ng mundo. Sa pag-usad ng ating kaalaman sa ating paligid at mundong ginagalawan, nakakadismaya lang dahil may mga bagay-bagay tayong nakakalimutan at naiiwan nang di natin namamalayan. Nakakasabay nga tayong mga kabataan sa kung ano ang trending at sa diskurso ng mundo ngunit paano naman ang ating kaalaman para makisalo tayo sa diskurso ng bansa?
The Bicol Universitarian Official Student Publication of Bicol University
Editorial Board & Staff A Y. 2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6
Editor-in-Chief Joshua Caleb Pacleta Associate Editor Jervy Anne Romero Managing Editor Bryan Del Castillo Senior Editor Jessica Bechayda Arts & Graphics Editor Nichole Baloloy Online Content Editor Randall Lorayes Copy Editor Arthessa Marie Ladoing Writers Rojee Peninoy Alyssa Joana Aro Elyssa Kristine Ella Gladys Ebrada Jerald Talavera Keren Anne Bernadas Mark Colin Abliter Renzle Mae Miranda Cartoonists Alexzander Lopez Deano Christian Echague John Paul Revilla Layout Artists Cassandra Balala Edward Lustan Photojournalists George Gio Brondial Jan Marie Raquion Shan Gabriel Apuli PR Staff Christian Robert Roxas Ivy Cuebillas Jasmine Yao Joshua Mirabuna Marian De Una May Altavano Technical Adviser Prof. Felipe Jose Peralta
The Bicol Universitarian is located at the 2/F MP Bldg., Bicol University, Legazpi City
The Bicol Universitarian
Financial Statement AY 2014-2015
known as PHOpenIX which is maintained by the Advanced Science and Technology Institute under the Department of Science and Technology. What that means for us internet users is that expect that accessing government websites will be significantly faster as data would no longer need to travel outside the country and return back to load the online content. The National Telecommunications Commission has also begun testing the internet speed of major service providers in Metro Manila to determine whether these companies pare providing the speed they are advertising. Should the results of testing show that the average is below the advertised, the service provider has to inform its subscribers that it can only offer speed up to the one that appear on the result. Indeed, these are commendable first steps. However, the road to a better internet connection is still a long and bumpy one. More people are needed to show Congress and internet service providers, that we want better access to the internet. We should justify to them why having good internet is needed. Elsewhere in the world, some places such as in Silicon Valley are maximizing the internet for developing new technologies. The Philippines may be left behind in the newest technological innovations if our internet situation does not improve. We cannot fully enjoy the benefits of new media without a reliable internet access.
First Semester Cash Inflow a. Cash Remaining P147, 887.25 (2nd Sem AY 13-14) b. 1st Sem Collection P135, 983.00 AY 14-15 P283, 870.25 Total Cash Inflow Cash Outflow a. Freshmen Welcome Party b. Printing c. 2014 Staff Exam d. Office equipment, supplies & maintenance e. Lunduyan 2014 f. 2014 BU Week Coverage (Wallnews) g. 2014 LHEPC pre planning h. Editorial Board 1st General Meeting i. Transportation Expenses j. Overnight Press Works Total Cash Inflow Total Cash Outflow Remaining Balance
P745.00 P3, 137.25 P1, 000.00 P7, 220.00 P11, 000.00 P5, 000.00 P6, 000.00 P1, 500.00 P2, 000.00 P3, 250.00 P283, 870.25 P40, 852.25 P243, 018.00
Second Semester As of May 31, 2015
Cash Inflow a. Cash Remaining (1st Sem AY 14-15) b. Second Sem AY 14-15 Collection Total Cash Inflow
Cash Outflow a. First Print Issue b. Rayterista 7 c. 15th (Partial Payment) d. 14th LHEPC e. HARAPAN 2015 f. 2015 USC & CSC Election Coverage g. Office Supplies h. Printing Total Cash Inflow Total Cash Outflow Total Cash Remaining
P243, 018.00 P490, 427.00 P733, 445.00 P140, 000.00 P286, 343.00 P17, 365.00 P51, 920.00 P3, 000.00 P2, 500.00 P1, 500.00 P2, 000.00 P733, 445.00 P504, 628.00 P228, 817.00
(SGD) Joshua Caleb P. Pacleta Managing Editor, AY 14-15 (SGD) Prof. Felipe Jose Peralta Technical Adviser
Opinion
15
The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
From the Desk The Bicol Universitarian, the broadest and oldest student publication in Bicol University, unfailingly and genuinely serves the student body and the community for 45 years already. Despite the hindrances and criticisms that it faces, Unibe remains afloat in the field of campus journalism and is truthful to its commitment of upholding its prevailing mantra - fairness, accuracy and genuine student service.
We might be tagged as the poorest student publication across the nation, but this does not stop us from
further boosting the readership among the Bueños through releasing quality print issues and wallnews, continue on holding big events that aims to harness the journalistic skills of our fellow campus journalists, and pursuing to bringing home numerous awards by joining prestigious competitions in campus press. This academic year, as the second semester kicks off, we really did our best to release a 24-page newspaper – a campus paper worthy to be read. However, still because of the dire publication fee which has remained P12 for decades and the lowest pub fee in the country, the
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
newspaper you hold right now costs P18.18. Production costs, as you might probably discern, do not allow us to distribute copies in a oneis-to-one ratio. That is why we hope that you will understand if the editorial board pushes for a reasonable increase in the publication fee to widen our readership and secure an informed student body. We believe that it’s already time for The Bicol Universitarian, the mother of all publications in BU, to gain a reasonable increase in its publication fee in order to further serve its primary clients – you, our dear BUeños. Should this proposal be approved, expect that a monthly or quarterly issue of Unibe would
Filling gaps By Jervy Anne M. Romero with a report from Jasmine M. Yao
Despite Bicol University’s ambitious vision of becoming a world class university, it now bans trips and tours, which, to the proponents, were aimed at economically aiding the students. Seriously?
Last September 8, BU released a moratorium on the conduct of student field trips, study tours, exposure trips and the like. The creation of the moratorium was anchored on the economic status of students enrolled in the university wherein 60% seek scholarships or grants as well as those who submit promissory notes requesting for staggered payment of fees. Also included are the students who request to pay their tuition fees after the close of the enrollment period. On-the-job training, practicum, internship, immersion, and contest are not included in the suspension. It is true that the percentage of scholars in the university increased to 12.41 % compared to the previous semester. During the first semester of this academic year alone, the number of scholars in the university is 7209 according to the Office of Student Services (OSS). However, it can be noted that before the moratorium was released, nine officials of the Bulacan State University (BulSu) were found guilty of misconduct and neglect over the death of seven students through drowning in Madlum River, San Miguel, Bulacan during their field trip. The president, vice president for student affairs and deans were dismissed from service. The Office of the Ombudsman also cancelled their eligibility, forfeited their retirement benefits and disqualified them from holding public office. Needless to say, if any official would be found guilty against such acts, he would totally lose everything he has earned and would then start from scratch. This also holds true for his family which the official is supporting. When asked if the BulSu incident is one of the main factors for the
creation of the moratorium, Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) Helen M. Llenaresas affirmed that it was anchored on the feedbacks they received from parents and sponsors of the university. Llenaresas claims that feedbacks increased this year compared to the previous years that is why they created the moratorium. “It’s not only protecting the officials of the university, but we would also like to protect the students from unnecessary harm, accidents or whatever,” the VPAA said. Acting as second parents of almost 26 000 Bueños, I can completely understand the concern of the administration when it comes to the safety of the students. But I will never understand how the university would be able to provide for the knowledge and exposure that could’ve been attained through these trips and tours, considering our inadequate facilities. Office memorandum no, 165, s. 2015 declared that innovative learning strategies are to be encouraged in place of the suspension of the trips and tours. Still, I am again wondering how these “innovative learning strategies” could be implemented and how this suspension would help in the attainment of the university’s vision. A world class university is an institution who would be willing to open opportunities for the students for personal growth, no matter where and why. I firmly believe that in order to attain BU’s vision, the university must learn to cater the needs of every student it seeks to nurture and transform. If a student would be enclosed only on the four corners of the room, his
learnings and growth would also be limited to the very corners of the building. He is deprived of his right to experience his future field, his future work, his future being. The challenge now lies on how the respective colleges would be able to provide for the students’ needs and thereby create innovative learning strategies which we hope would be enough to fill us with the knowledge and exposure we’ve once experienced during trips and tours.
reach the hands of an approximately 20, 000 BU students. Likewise, apart from this Tabloid issue that you are holding right now, we would also release a Literary Folio titled Tamod on or before the end of November. With these, we encourage you all to unleash your poetic skills in writing, send it to us and be able to read your poems, short essays, dagli, and rawitdawit on our special issue. Again, amid these adversities, Unibe remains firm on its stand on keeping the students well informed on the underlying issues not only in the university but in the community as well. We’ll steadfastly uphold the freedom of the press in this institu-
tion, fight for the rights and welfare of the students through responsible and ethical campus journalism, persistently be the watchdog of the university administration - student, faculty, and board of regents, and above all, consistently serve as the mouthpiece of the BUeños. We are, and will always be truthful to our commitment to the students.
JOSHUA CALEB PACLETA The Bicol Universitarian Editorial Head
16 The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Ni Ishmael Pamintuan Kabanata I Panimula: Ang Pagpasa ng Korona “Hoy, Psst.” Tila may tinig ng isang babaeng humihingi ng aking atensyon. Nakatalikod ako kaya kailangan ko munang i-circumnavigate ang leeg ko partially para maanigan ang kanyang mukha. Sino kaya ang babaeng ito? Lilingon na sana ako pakaliwa nang may isa na namang tinig ang biglang bumanggit sa aking pangalan. “Hoy, Ishhh…” Na-intriga ako. Lalaki naman ang tumawag sa’kin. Teka, parang hindi nga lalaki e, dahil malayo pa lang nangangalingasaw na ang lansa niya, kumakapit pati sa kanyang mga salita. So I turned my neck 260˚ to the right. Syempre kasama na ang buong katawan ko. Sino ba sila? At nang nakaharap na ako sa kanila hindi ko naanigan ang kanilang mga mukha. “Hoy gaga, Ikaw nga!” sabay tapon ng isang bandehadong tubig sa pagmumukha ko. “Bggsshh!” Take note, sabay nilang binitiwan ang mga mapanglait na mga salitang ‘yon, tipong pang opera. “O, malinaw na ba? Andami mo pa kasing satsat dyan. Trabaho din namin yan dati. Ang magsulat ng mga makukulay na salita at mga matatamis na kataga,” sambit nung babae. Maliit lang siya. Medyo maiitim. Maganda naman. Hilatsa pa lang ng mukha tipong mataray na. Yung bunganga niya sadyang hinulma para sa pakikipagtalastasan. Ang kilay niya’y matatalim, saktong pang-talop sa balat na nakaririmarim. Higit sa lahat, hindi ko kinaya ang baywang niya, mabisang panangggalang at pangsabak sa digmaan. Tagos hanggang laman at kasukasuhan ang alindog niyang pinakatatago na natural na umuulwak sa mapupungay niyang mga mata. “At talagang pinush mo na i-define physically ang kasama ko ha? Alam mo ba na matagal ka na naming hinahanap?” sabi naman nung malansang isda ay este nung lalaki. Medyo maliit din siya. Kaunting pulgada lang naman ang lamang niya doon sa babae. Nakasalamin at medyo cute. Siya yung palihim na kumakanta ng mga tracks ni Regine Velasquez habang naliligo o kaya’y nakaupo sa kanyang trono. Ngunit sa tingin ko siya’y matalino. Nerdy at may pagka-introvert ang nilalang na ito ngunit may taglay ding kalandian. Subalit sa aking pakiwari’y nagkadaupang-palad na kaming tatlo noon pa, hindi ko lang alam kung saan at kailan. Tila ba dejavu lang ang kaganapang ito o dili kaya’y isang malaking pagpapanggap sa isang malaking konsyerto. “Ha! Huwag na tayong magpatumpik-tumpik pa! narito kami para sa isang mahalagang misyon. Kagaya nga ng sinabi namin kanina, matagal ka na naming hinahanap. Nga pala, ako si Justine Kutitob.” “Ako naman si Justine Jane Kutitob. At wala kang pakialam kung ubod ako ng ganda at kapurisawan. Kung gusto mo, gumawa ka rin ng sarili mong motto!” Si Justine Kutitob yung malansang isda na naamoy ko kanina samantalang si Justine Jane naman, as usual yung maingay. “At talagang uma-adlib ka pa ha? So eto na nga, Justine Jane, ilabas mo na,” sabi ni Justine Kutitob. Binunot ni Justine Jane ang isang mahaba, maitim at hugis talong na bagay sa kanyang bulsa. “O heto, ito na ang bolpen. Ang bolpen na gagamitin mo upang ipanday ang karunungan para sa sangkatauhan. Ang bolpen na iyan ang magsisilbing armas mo upang gapiin at tuluyang puksain ang kamangmangang patuloy na bumabalot sa sansinukob,” ani Justine Jane. “Pero bakit hugis talong?” ang mariin kong tanong. “Gaga. Choosy ka pa, walang ganito sa Hong o Divisoria. Huwag mong hamakin
Entertainment
ang bolpen na ito dahil lamang sa kanyang panlabas na anyo. Taglay nito ang isang pambihirang kapangyarihan na kayang magbigay at magdulot na kasiyahan sa sinumang makakabasa ng mga salitang maililimbag gamit nito. Kaya nga ito na, ariin mo ng ganap,” sabi ni Justine Jane. At dahil medyo nagugulumihanan pa ako sa kaganapang ito, hindi ko napansing hawak-hawak ko na pala ang bolpeng hugis talong. Sa hindi malamang rason, biglang umilaw ang bolpeng hugis talong. Pinilit ko itong itapon subalit hindi siya matanggaltanggal sa aking palad. Inihampas ko ang bolpeng hugis talong sa sahig sa pag-asang mayuyurak ko ito subalit hindi ito tumalab. Nagpupumiglas ito at mas lalong dumidikit sa aking kanang kamay. “Huwag mo nang ipagpilitang itanggi ang isang bagay na itinadhana para sa’yo. Kapag mas lalo mo itong inihahampas, mas lalo itong lalaki hanggang sa tuluyan ka na nitong lamunin,” babala ni Justine Jane. Agad namang sinegundahan ni Justine K. ang threat ni Justine Jane sabay sabing “paalala lang, ikaw at ang bolpeng iyan ay iisa na lamang. Titigas at titindig ng matayog ang bolpeng hugis talong kung ang taong nagmamayari nito ay punung-puno ng kagalakan at pagmamahal sa kanyang puso. Subalit kapag nawalan naman ng pagasa sa buhay ang may hawak nito, kusang malalanta, uuurin, at mabubulok ang bolpeng hugis talong kasama na rin ang nagmamay-ari nito.” “Mga tampalasan! Anong kalokohan ang pinagsasabi ninyo?!,” ang aking sigaw. “Walang hiya ka! Pak! Pak! Pak! (sabay sampal sa aking pisngi, tatlong beses, kaliwa, kanan, kaliwa.) Matagal ka naming hinanap. Hindi mo lang alam, marami kaming sinuong na pagsubok at paghihirap upang matagpuan lang ang susunod na tagapagpanday ng karunungan? Tapos ganito lang?!” tampururot ni Justine Jane. At kanya pang ibinulalas, “Nakikita mo ‘tong mga kamay ko? Iisang kuko na lang ang natitira dito sapagkat sa tuwing magkakamali ako ng taong pagbibigyan ng bolpeng hugis talong na ito, isa-isa ring nagsisilagasan ang mga kuko ko! At kapag naubos na lahat ng kuko ko sa kamay, kasabay na rin akong mamamatay. Kaya please, ariin mo na yang ganap, because you don’t have any choice.” “Ayoko!” aking sinambit. “Wala ka nang choice. Tama ang sinabi ni Justine Jane. Bagaman siya ay tumanggi rin nung una kong inaabot ang makapangyarihang bolpen na ‘yan. That’s what you call destiny. Sa bilyun-bilyong nilalang sa mundong ibabaw na walang ginawa kundi ang magparami ng kanilang mga lahi, ikaw ang mapalad na pinili ng bolpeng hugis talong na yan.”
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
“Wala ka nang magagawa. Ikaw na ang itinalagang papalit sa akin. Ikaw na ang ika-45 na tagapagmana ng mahiwagang bolpen na hugis talong. Babala, asawa ni Babalu, huwag mong gamitin sa mali ang bolpen na yan. Kaakibat nito ang responsabilidad na kailangan mong gampanan oras na mahanap mo ang isang lugar kung saan maibabahagi mo ang iyong karunungan at kadalisayan bilang isang… manunulat,” ayon kay Justine Jane. “Ginampanan ni Justine Jane ang kanyang tungkulin bilang isang magaling kong successor. At ngayon, ikaw naman. Alam naming kakayanin mo ang bawat hamong darating sa’yo. Ang payo ko lang, kahit anong unos at paghihirap ang iyong daranasin, higpitan mo lang ang iyong pagkakahawak sa bolpeng hugis talong. Sumabay ka lang sa bawat indayog at ritmo ng buhay. Humayo ka at magpaka-dakila. Tapos na ang misa. Ay este hanggang dito na lamang kami,” ani Justine Kutitob. “Gudlak. Tumungo ka sa Unibersidad ng Bikol at doon ka na mag-enroll. Hanapin mo ang The Bicol Universitarian. Kapag hindi mo ito mahanap pagpatak ng ala una ng hapon, Hunyo 8, mamamatay ka. Take note, mamamatay ka! Hangad ko ang iyong tagumpay Issssshhhhh…” *** Kabanata II Ang Paglalakbay Krrrrriiiiinnnnnggggg!!!!! Sigaw ng aking laspag na alarm clock. Alas otso na pala ng umaga. Ang haba ng tulog ko. At sa ‘di maipaliwanag na pagkakataon, sariwang-sariwa pa rin sa aking isipan ang mga pangyayari sa aking panaginip. “Aba teka! Panaginip lang pala ang yaon! Akala ko ‘real na real’ na ika nga ni Kendra!” Salamat sa Poong Maykapal. Nakakahindik at nakababahala ang mga pangyayari sa aking panaginip. Halos nagmamantika na ang aking buong katawan sa naka-aalarmang nightmare na yaon. Bangungot na ayaw ko nang sariwain pa sa aking isipan. Nagtampisaw muna ako sa aking maliit na banyo bago ako nag-almusal. Habang nasa kubeta ako, pinagmuni-munihan ko ang mga nangyari sa aking panaginip. Gusto ko na nga sana itong kalimutan agad-agad subalit hindi ko kinakaya. Pilit itong sumasagi sa aking isipan. Dahil sino ba naman ang iisipin ko kundi ang sarili ko? Palibahasa’t mag-isa lamang ako sa buhay, ako na rin ang nagluto ng pang-umagahan ko. Oo, magisa lang ako sa paglalakbay dito sa mundong ibabaw. Hindi ko alam kung inabandona o patay na ang mga magulang ko. Wala, wala akong alam ‘pag tungkol na sa aking pagkakakilanlan. Subalit hindi ko na ito masyadong dinaramdam. Ganito na ang sistema ng buhay ko sa nagdaang 17 taon at bata pa lamang ako, gamay ko na ang pakikipag-sapalaran sa lipunang aking kinagagalawan. Ayon nga sa Abandoned Children’s Fund, mayroong humigit kumulang 20 milyong bata sa buong mundo ang walang tahanan at ulilang lubos. Ayon naman sa Council for the Welfare of the Children, noong 2011, mayroong 3, 000 inabandonang mga bata sa Pilipinas at kasama na ako sa datos na ito. Masalimuot man ang mga numerong aking nabanggit, hindi natin maipagkakaila na ito talaga ang katotohanan. Kaya’t mapalad ang mga batang mayroong mga magulang at kapatid na magaalaga at magkakalinga sa kanila. Mapalad silang lubos. Aba! Husto na, heto na naman ako. Nagdadrama. Ayoko ng ganitong mga topic sa buhay ko. Nakakabanas. Nakakalungkot. Subalit kailangan kong magpakatatag at mag-ipon ng tone-toneladang tiyaga sapagkat magbubukas na naman ang pasukan! Enrolment na naman. Nasa kolehiyo na ko. Buti nga’t nakapag-ipon ako ng P10 libong piso para sa aking matrikula. Katas ng pagbu-booking ko gabi-gabi… Joke lang, ang perang ito’y galing sa isang buwan na pagbubuno ko ng pagbebenta ng kung anu-ano (maliban siyempre sa katawan ko). Sa kabilang dako, iniisip ko kung saan
Ito na ang bolpen. Ang bolpen na gagamitin mo upang ipanday ang karunungan para sa sangkatauhan. Ang bolpen na iyan ang magsisilbing armas mo upang gapiin at tuluyang puksain ang kamangmangang patuloy na bumabalot sa sansinukob. “ S a una’y mahihirapan ka sa paggamit niyan. Hindi siya madaling paamuhin. Umuungol din siya paminsan-minsan. Nagbubuga ng iba’t ibang likido kapag nasa rurok na ng katigasan. Huwag ring masyadong mahigpit ang pagkakakahawak dito dahil kakagatin ka nito. Gentle and subtle lang palagi ang peg kapag ito’y hawak mo. Pwede mong himas-himasin at kapag wala ng tinta, huwag mong itapat sa kandila o pitik-pitikin. Ang dapat mo lang gawin, pigain ito taas-baba upang lumabas ang pagkaitim-itim na tinta.” “Ayoko nga! Panaginip lang ‘to! Hindi ito totoo!”
ako mag-eenrol. Gusto ko ng unibersidad na may mababang singil sa tuition at may mataas na kalidad sa pagt u t u r o. Medyo sawa na kasi ako dito sa Maynila. Sawa na ako sa traffic, makapal na usok, at syempre, kung dito ako magko-kolehiyo, hindi na kakayanin ng budget ko. Naku naman. Tsk. Gusto ko talagang makapagtapos ng pagaaral. Gusto kong magkaroon ng direksyon ang buhay ko. Gusto kong… hanapin ang… pamilya ko… Habang nasa kalagitnaan ako ng pag diDeep Thought, napatingin ako sa isang misteryosong bagay na medyo nakausli sa bag ko – maitim at mahaba. Pinagmasdan ko ito ng mataimtim at pinaglaanan ng matatalim na tingin. Wala naman akong gamit na ganito at bakit nasa bag ko? Ano kaya ang misteryosong bagay na ito? Amputek, kinakabahan ako! Pero isa lamang ang dapat kong gawin – ang buksan ang bag ko nang sa gayon ay malantad na nang tuluyan ang mahaba at maitim na bagay nay un. Ito na… this is it… parang yung 10-second-build-up ng emosyon sa mga horror movies. Yung tipong nasa madilim akong kwarto tas iti-twist ko yung door knob para makita yung aswang… “HA!” aking sigaw habang full force at walang kaabog-abog sa pag-unzip ng bag ko. “Ha?” Bolpen? Nakakahindik naman. Weird. Mahawakan nga. Nang hinawakan ko yung bolpen, napansin ko na parang hugis talong ito. Weird talaga as in. Hindi siya yung pangkaraniwang bolpen gaya ng HBW na mabibili mo lang sa mga suking tindahan. Medyo angat naman siya sa Parker Pens. Parang napaka-espesyal nito. Ineeksamina ko ang seven inches na bolpen ng biglang… Lumiwanag ito! Lumiwanag ng Lumiwanag. Nakakasilaw! Hindi na kinakaya ng mata ko! Unti-unti itong lu-
miliwanag sa buong kwarto hanggang sa wala na akong makita. Sumigaw ako ng pagkalakas-lakas subalit sa tingin ko naka-mute ang buong kwarto. Hindi ko na alam. Napaka-supernatural naman nito. Lord, kinukuha niyo na ba ako? “Wag kang assuming, nagsisimula pa lang tayo,” sabi ng isang misteryosong boses. Tooooooot… Iminuklat ko ang aking mga mata, slowly... Bumungad sa akin ang umaalingasaw na amoy ng ihi at malalagkit na puting likido sa sahig. Pagtingin ko sa baba ay mas lalo akong nagulat sa repleksyon ng aking mukha mula sa bowl. Teka nassan ba ako? kanina nasa kwarto pa lang ako. Sh*t anong kababalaghan ito? …Ang ingay sa labas. anong lugar ba ito? lalabas na sana ako sa banyo ng tila may bumulong sa akin at sinabing, “Tumungo ka sa Unibersidad ng Bikol at doon ka na magenroll. Hanapin mo ang The Bicol Universitarian. Kapag hindi mo ito mahanap pagpatak ng ala una ng hapon, Hunyo 8, mamamatay ka.” Muli kong naalala ang mga katagang sinambit sa inaakala kong panaginip. Hunyo 8 ngayon. 12:30 PM. Tatlumpung minuto na lang bago mag-ala una. Dali-dali akong lumabas ng CR sabay tanong sa sinumang makita palabas kung saan ang silid na ito. Hanggang sa dinala ako ng aking mga paa sa harap ng isang ordinaryong pintuang na may nakapaskil na Unibe at hugis kamay. Pagbukas ko ng pinto, nagulat ako nang bumungad sa akin ang payat ngunit gwapong lalaking nakasalamin. “Oh ikaw!,” nasambit niya na may halong gulat. “Ha?” aking nasambit. Inabot niya sa akin ang naihulog kong hugis talong na bolpen habang hinahanap ko ang opisina na ito. Inilapit niya ang talong na bolpen sa kanyang mga mata at binasa ang mga pangalang nakaukit dito. “Issssssssssssshmael Pamintuan, tingnan nga natin kung ano ang kaya mong ibigay.”
Literary
17
The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
Mestisa Ni John Paul Revilla
Halos maubos na ang bagong biling kojic soap, para makudkod lang ang kasingit-singitang bahagi ng kanyang katawan. Pagkabanlaw, pinunasan nya ang bawat hibla ng tubig na nakapatong sa kanyang balat at sunod ay nilagyan niya ng lotion (na may pinakamataas na daw na kalidad ng SPF) ang kanyang mala-pangholliwood na kutis dahil sa sobrang kaputian nito. Pakabihis, hinila niya ang twalyang nakapulupot sa kanyang ulo, parang nagingintab na araw ang kanyang dilaw na buhok na hawig sa kulay ng kay Marilyn Monroe, habang walang tigil niyang sinusuklay ito sa harap ng may kalumaan nyang salamin. Nilapat din niya ang lipstick para mas lalong tumingkad ang kanyang mga labi na para bang kay Angelina Jolie ang dating. Mula sa kaliwa niyang bahagi, binunot niya mula sa aparador ang isang maliit na lalagyan para kunin ang contact lens na bughaw at itinapal sa mapupungay niyang mga mata. At kinalabit niya ang door knob at unti-unti nitong binukNi Arthessa Marie Ladoing san ang nakakabinging ragitnit ng pinto at tuluyan niyang By Elyssa Kristine Ella nadama ang hangin at alinsangan ng panlabas na paligid, Kung sakaling ako’y mawawala, habang gumigewang-gewang ang kanyang mga baywang at Mababatid mo kaya? Early starts the day of the Filipino people ipinamamalas ang kanyang mala-banyagang kagandahan. Sakaling mayroon mang mapaparam, As the sun rises from its slumber in the east Napapanganga ang lahat ng nakakakitang mga kalalakiMayroon ka kayang pakialam? The rooster crows and the coffee pots shriek han sa kanya. Mapabata man, binata o matanda; halos The children wake as the flags are drawn di maputol ang laway na nakabitin sa naguguluhang Hindi ko alam, ni di ko masabi ng diretsahan Our symbol of red, white and blue is shown bibig. Lalo na ang mga tambay na nag-iinuman sa Wari ko’y di mo pa rin nga ako kilala. Outside, the bikers pedal as the streetlights dim tabi ng tindahan na tila nakakatunaw ang tingin Sa itinagal ba naman ng nilagi mo sa’king tirahan, mula sa nag-aalab na mga mata. The sun has risen and the day closes in. Malimit, sa ibang wika pa matatas ang iyong dila. Ngunit tila nag-iba ang kanyang timpla ng sumigaw ang isa sa mga lasinggero. Imperishable is the strength Kasabay ng iyong paglaki mula sa kamusmusan “Hoy, Inday Pango ang bango mo naman of the Filipino people Kinalimutan mga istorya ng maliliit na kabayanihan; ngayon ahhh!!! Haha!!!” For extraordinary people live extraordinary lives Nagsarili, nagkulong sa sariling mundo Napahinto siya at lumiko pabalik sa And greatness begets greater deeds alike Puso at pagmamalasakit sa kapwa’y tila isinarado kanilang bahay na nakaIn calamity, we fight with a strength like no other yuko ang ulo. Our faith can never fade nor will it ever wither
Vale of Valor
Against the unlawful and vile we must stand Thus we keep safe our motherland.
Mighty is the spirit of the Filipino people Scattered amidst our history are the cruelties of the past Clinging to our characters like leaches on a riverbank Graft and corruption do line our lives with scars But the harder we fall, the higher we get back up For courage is not measured by the wrongs we have done But by the trials we conquer a nd the tragedies we overcome Beautiful is the country of the Filipino people A treasure that lies upon the south-eastern sea With its 7,100 islands rich in wonder and biodiversity A culture and history that echoes through time Filled with the lives of our heroes and the heroes of our lives A nation full of hope and strength and valor Is what makes our country and its people worth dying for.
Pag-asang hilaw…
Di man lulong sa bisyo, sa mga bagay-bagay ay nawili Dahil ang sabi’y puti ang dapat na kulay at di kayumanggi Sariling tatak tuluyang hinubad ng marami Makasabay lamang sa pedestal at maitangi
Kabataan nga naman babad sa sosyal medya Ayun pinagpipiyesta kultura’t wika ng iba Di rin nakapagtataka, kung di mo malaman ang aking pagkawala Pagkat ang kamatayan ko ay pagkabuhay ng inyong hiram at bagong kultura Sabi ni Rizal, kayo, ikaw daw ang pag-asa Ngunit paano? Patay ang iyong diwang makabayan at makamasa. Nasa tamang landasin ka pa kaya? Ikaw ang makakapagsabi Kaya’t kasaysayan at mga pangaral ‘wag mo sanang isangtabi. Di masama na makasabay sa daloy ng buhay Ngunit pagmamahal sa aki’y wag hayaang mamatay. Dahil sa huli, laman ng iyong puso pa din ang huhusga Kung kabataang Pinoy pa rin ba? O di kaya inaasahang pag-asa ay tuluyang nahilaw na?
Debuho ni John Paul Revilla
students’ Lounge
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The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
A Side-note How well do you know the university? For starters, answering that question should be a breeze since we can easily consult the student handbook. But what if I met you at the grocery store and asked you all sorts of questions about the uni, can you give me an answer? I suppose not. And if you’re thinking about asking me the same question, don’t. I can’t give you one either. I mean no harm; it’s an honest question I want answered. I’ll gladly admit that I have nothing to offer on the university’s history, but I can list a few things I know about its community. However, I’ll ask you to stand by me until I type in the very last period of this article. I might get a few norms wrong. I won’t be preaching about how we should all act like we deserve it, nor will I sing you praises on how important and lucky you are since you get to hang out with your friends on the super expensive pillars. I’ll lay it out for you, and tell you what I see in its raw and uncoated form. Here’s the university to you, from the perspective of a passive-aggressive journalism senior.
Is respect still an issue? Yes, it is. And it’s gone much worse. Apart from the usual teacher-student and studentto-student classifications, can’t we just all be on human-to-human appreciation? I see a few of our uniformed gatekeepers s el e c t i ng
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
see adults in their midlife-crisis moments, using their age as swords to cut down the younger audience’s throats. It’s an endless loop of all things we shouldn’t do. I don’t want to add more. Why do we have to pretend? I guess we’re that difficult to discipline. I hope you did not fail to notice that the people above us coaxes us into playing nice for a week so the university gets an award. I mean, can’t we give our comfort rooms a good scrubbing everyday? Does everyone know how to flush? Can’t professors actually teach everyday, because it’s their job? Can’t we strictly wear our uniforms for four days each week, for the rest of the school year? All those question marks followed by more questions. I’m not taking this thing lightly, I’m just using universal adjectives for everyone to understand. Thank science for technology. We can now reach people, read announcements, and broadcast messages without having to move an inch. I’m glad the new batch of leaders used technology to their advantage. Since technology is something that gradually took over our lives, most interactions now happen behind screens—computer screens, mobile screens, whatever. Surveying social media is as easy as buying suka at toyo from your suking tindahan. As for the millen-
A person who really goes to this university knows his identity, his goal and how to achieve it. Also, he knows all the shortcuts and has selfies with the man who talks backwards. which of us is worthy of hassle, with the basis of our skin-deep genetic makeup. I see labeled students, using what they hold as excuses. I see more students, holding onto their chosen courses as if it were crowns, looking down on the others and identifying them useless. I
nial-infested online diary, um, website, isn’t it just absurd that students are more active there? Moreover, if a certain page would be apply as a professor, I bet he’d be a favorite since a lot of students prefer reciting to him. And because of a hefty amount of thumbs up, a variety of editions tried to vie for its audience. You can recite tales of horror to one version, you can share your nasty revelations towards your teachers, and hunt for the next school cutie. For a short while, it was amusing. Informative, even. Until things went from disappointing to sickening after all sorts of love stories flew in like we eat and breathe romance. Healthy, isn’t it? Turning to a stroll on memory lane, remember the godforsaken hundred-year-old tree? Well, after it was uprooted a year ago, thanks to a typhoon. It’s still there, chopped to pieces and rotting. I think we all cried out hearts out, expressing grievances on the day we learned it was no longer there to protect us from shade during group rehearsals and um, dates. It’s been fourteen months and nothing. Maybe if we continue t o
turn a blind eye, it’ll go away right? Like magic, poof. Then again, I don’t want to be rude but I can’t help myself: Nem? I’m sorry this didn’t meet your standards. I’m sure you have a lot of positives stashed there somewhere to throw at me, in case you see me walking around the campus. I may not have put every single complaint known at uni, but all of us are set apart by differences of friends, dialects, eating habits, religion and level of gullibility. What offends you might not apply to me, and vice versa. You may finish reading this and say, “Oo nga,” and for that, thank you for making me believe that I’m not just seeing ghosts. Before you look for that last period, trust me when I say this: a person who really goes to this university knows his identity, his goal and how to achieve it. Also, he knows all the shortcuts and has selfies with the man who talks backwards. Hannah Almira Lopez AB Journalism IV
This space is open for complaints, concerns and grievances. Submit your articles at www.facebook.com/UnibeWallnews or e-mail us at unibe.online@gmail.com. Please don’t forget to identify your name.
Are we there yet? “Today is the beginning of a new generation. Bicol University: A world class quality management organization”. This was said by Dr. Fay Lauraya, the former president of the university during the bestowal of one of the most prestigious awards given to institutions, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification. Five years has passed since this recognition to the premier state university bearing the name of the region which is home to students who continuously excel in their field. Bicol University, being ISO certified is an honor dedicated to its clientele, the students which benefit them of commendable identification coming from an institution with international benchmark. As one of the university’s clientele, I was fortunate to have witnessed the preparations and developments made in BU throughout my four years as its student. I commend the previous administration for its effort in translating plans into reality. It cannot be denied that these projects such as the completion of the main gate and landmark, Bicol University Pillars and Torch, the making of the College of Medicine and many others will greatly benefit both students and employees. Projects made in and outside the por-
tals of the institution are guided by its vision, mission, objectives and quality policies. Clientele satisfaction is an important aim of the institution and the systems therein. However, for every system, the level of satisfaction varies from one client to another.
ing wisely for the forthcoming election, one shouldn’t be content with title, credentials, and aesthetics but also have an in depth grasp of its reality. What is the reality seen and experienced by the clientele of the institution? “World class” is a defining label that demands a lot to truly satisfy its clients. Therefore issues and concerns shouldn’t be obstructed by superficial, temporary solutions and the education provided should never be manipulated by politics. Politics should never overrule quality education in the first place. Through issues and solution based perspective, here are things to ponder on. Do we truly live up to the “world class” status of this institution? Why do many students experience delays in every enrolment period brought by the instability of the system to be online? How come a particular office that should foremost define clientele satisfaction unable to branch out in every Bicol University Campus, even for just the enrolment period? How come in a particular college, it is already a branding that students frequently experience waiting for nothing in a class because of the unpredictable attendance of some professors? Why is another particular institute being left almost in ruins without enough facili-
“World class” is a defining label that demands a lot to truly satisfy its clients. Therefore issues and concerns shouldn’t be obstructed by superficial, temporary solutions and the education provided should never be manipulated by politics. There is no perfect system thus, it is necessary to continually bridge gaps and address needs within the time element. In retrospect, while it is already identified that the university is “world class”, there are still many improvements to work on with the basics. Just like vot-
ties that will further hone its already very active students? And why is it that students are asked to contribute some apparatus as projects and requirements per block though there is already an existence of the athletic and cultural fees, physical development fee and SCUAA fee inclusive in the total miscellaneous fee? Is the population of enrolees multiplied to these fees involved still not enough to cover these facilities costs? More so, why is it that the ratio of canteen areas and the number of customers being catered to are not in proportion? Why is it that the same applies to the ratio of functioning and hygienic restrooms? Why are our libraries not updated with recent books and reading materials? Why was the centennial tree’s lumber parts distributed without utilizing the brilliance of architecture students and the student council to mobilize in making a project out of its parts that will serve a useful facility and even a landmark? How come students still pay twenty pesos to know and have a copy of their general weighted average? Why are some buildings and classrooms unchecked of their strength to withstand potential calamities like earthquakes? Why is the dress code
being in a formal institution not respected in some colleges during wash days? Why is there a decline in student activism and action such as simply writing down their comments and suggestions instead of remaining silent? Why do we prepare and improve facilities only on events and in the presence of auditing? Shouldn’t we be striving for excellence in a daily manner? May these questions be a reminder that the welfare of the institution should be a concern of everyone. While there may be new projects to be made, the basic foundations should still be maintained and improved. Efficiency and sustainability are important factors to be considered in every plan and project in this institution. As one of the clientele, I hope that these questions based on observation of the reality within Bicol University, will be addressed and given solutions. Students as the primary clientele are key players in the development of the academe. It is therefore a challenge not only to the present administration and offices but to the students as well to maintain the milestone that BU has achieved and continuously live up the “world class” standing of this university. Jedd M. Niñofranco, BS Social Work IV Editor-in-Chief, CASSIPI
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The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
PH Solon bolsters Filipino heroism in CS By Keren Anne Bernadas
Bringing the first e-Hangouts with Senator Bam Aquino, Team Bam launched their pilot kick-off national online dialogue series at the Bicol University (BU) College of Science Function Hall, August 27.
The online dialogue covered topics on heroism and leadership among late political heroes in the Philippines. Aquino emphasized the selfless and servant leadership that his uncle, Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino II, imposed and exemplified in his term as a senator during Martial Law. "We have seen how Tito Ninoy fought for true peace and democracy for the Filipinos under one dictator, not just by words but also by spirit. We have seen by flesh that even if he knew he was about to die, he all the more sought that Filipinos were worth dying for. We have seen that in a hero like him," Aquino said. Participants from the Bicol region were BU students, members of Koalisyon ng Mamayan para sa Reporma (Kompre) and Pinoy Power Volunteers for Reform-Bicol, as well as students from Ateneo de Davao University who partook through a live video conference. As a highlight of the event, participants watched the documentary "The Last Journey of Ninoy" directed by Jun Reyes. Furthermore, Aquino encouraged all the participants to awaken their spirits of nationalism so as to appreciate the
Rapu-rapu faces/ page 6 ity education became the backseat of the island. Lauro Millano, former RapuRapu municipal head stated that there are several school buildings which are already dilapidated but are still being used by the students. “May pinapaabot naman na tulong ang DepEd pero hindi pa rin yun sapat. Yung damage ng Typhoon Glenda last year, hindi pa rin naaayos hanggang ngayon. Mahirap kasi ipenetrate ang isla (Rapu-Rapu) kaya natatagalan ang pag-repair. Yung procurement processing kasi is done in the DepEd central office kaya natatagalan,” Millano added. Moreover, the insufficient number of teachers and the high number of students resulted to overloaded teaching loads and the handling of different subjects which do not correspond to the teacher’s expertise. Cynthia Carmen, a Filipino teacher in Tinopan High School said that she is teaching multiple subjects as well as her co-teachers. “I am handling MAPEH, Mathematics and ESP (Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao) subjects aside from Filipino (her major in college). Kadalasan absent ako buong week kasi kailangan ko mag-attend ng mga seminars sa city lalo na’t Sports Coordinator and Disaster Risk Reduction Management head ako. Di ko na masyadong natuturuan ang mga estudyante ko,” Carmen admitted. Carmen added that to be able to reach the school, she needs to walk several kilometers and travel on the seas despite the big waves. In the same breath, Mario Dongaran, Binosawan Elementary School Principal shared the same experience. “For five years, naranasan kong
people who influenced them greatly and those that changed their lives for the better. Aquino also tackled in an open forum the different social matters that his platforms are highly in line with. Among those are the free wifi bill and the bill of salary increase for local
nurses. The senator also led the launching of two “negosyo centers” in Legazpi City in the afternoon. The said project was in partnership with Department of Trade and Industry. "One of the attainments among my platforms are the establishments
of the 83rd and 84th Negosyo Centers throughout the Philippines. The centers built up in Legazpi will support and enhance those people who have small enterprises and businesses in order to sustain their living," Aquino said.
Honing Heroes. Sen. Paulo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino convenes Bicol University (BU) and Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) students during a simultaneous video conference dubbed as e-HANGOUTS last August 27, 2015. It aims to awaken the spirit of nationalism among the youth by commemorating the heroism of the late Sen. Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino II. (Photo by Randall Matthew Lorayes)
mag-handle ng multi-grade with more than 60 pupils. Mahirap kasi malayo ang residence ko sa school kulang na kulang ang libro para sa mga bata, yung isang room dinidivide ko sa dalawang klase kasi kulang din ng rooms. Mahirap. Nakakapagod pero fulfilling kapag yung mga estudyante mo may natutunan sayo,” Dongaran said. As to handling multi-grade for elementary and multi-subjects for secondary, each school administration in Rapu-Rapu sends their teachers to trainings and seminars on curriculum enrichment so as to allow them to be well equipped on the subject content they’re going to handle.
Rapu-Rapu schools administration had already negotiated with ALECO even before it was not transferred to APEC but they have not receive any positive response from the electrical company yet. “Ang mga estudyante kasi sa isla mga pursigido talaga lalo na’t alam nila yung sitwasyon ng pamilya nila. Hindi big deal sa kanila ang kawalan ng computer kasi nasanay sila sa traditional way ng pagtuturo,” Dongaran stated. Despite of the performance of the students, the domestic and
School. Tatlong beses lang ang pasok sa isang week. Kaya ngayon graduating na ako.” Jay-R Vergara, a 2013 BUCET passer, chose to enroll in RapuRapu Community College but later dropped-out from school. “Kailangan ko kasi mag give way para sa iba kong kapatid na nag-aaral din. Mahirap kasi ang buhay sa isla. Kailangan mong makipagsapalaran.”
CALL FOR EXCELLENCE With the difficulties arising in the educational setting in Rapu-Rapu, the municipality is still producing thousands of graduates every year. May pinapaabot naman na Diana Dyna Dy, a STUDENTS’ graduating student from tulong ang DepEd pero hindi PERFORMANCE Bicol University College pa rin yun sapat. Yung damage When asked about the of Education and the only ng Typhoon Glenda last year, academic performance and Department of Science behavior of students in the and Technology (DOST) hindi pa rin naaayos hanggang island, Millano said, “Bescholarship grantee in her ngayon. Mahirap kasi ipenetrate have at tahimik kasi ang batch expressed her gratiang isla (Rapu-Rapu) kaya estudyante sa isla. Maayos tude to her Alma Mater, natatagalan ang pag-repair. yung environment nila Villahermosa National kasi hindi maingay kagaya High School in Rapusa mga urban places. Kaso Rapu, Albay. syempre, hindi masyado ganun ka- economic issues present and the “Maganda naman talaga ang lawak ang nakukuhang learnings geographical location of the is- quality of education sa isla. Magagng mga estudyante kasi walang in- land caused them to stop going to aling ang teachers pero syempre ternet access. Mahina sa research.” school. hindi maiiwasan yung kakulangan In terms of provision of the Novelyn Legson, 15 years old sa ibang aspeto kagaya ng libro at technological equipment in school, and the eldest among seven sib- computers,” she said. he expressed that majority of sec- lings in the family dropped-out “Pero thankful pa din ako na ondary schools have more than 10 from school because of financial sa isla ako nag-graduate. Walang set of computers. matter. halong pagsisisi. Kasi doon ako “Ang problema kasi namin ta“Di ko na natapos yung third unang natuto at nagpanday ng laga sa Rapu-Rapu ay yung supply year [high school] ko sa isla kasi ‘di diwa,” Dy shared. ng kuryente. Hindi nagagamit ang naman kaya ni mama na gastusan mga computer kasi hindi kaya ng yung pag-aaral ko, kaya lang gusto (With reports from Jasmine generator lang. Hindi reliable kasi ko kasi talaga makatapos kaya puYao and Alexzander Lopez) 4 pm to 12 am lang ang kuryente sa munta ako dito sa tita ko sa Maisla. Uwian na yan ng estudyante.” nila. Nag-enroll ako sa Open High
IMO airs BU mail usage among studes By Christian Robert Roxas and Keren Anne Bernadas
In order to foster innovation in information and technology, the Bicol University Information Management Office (BU-IMO) encourages the BUeños to use the email addresses already set for them by the office.
The email accounts are part of the educational email system dubbed as “Bicol University Mail”. The user may login via Gmail, Google’s email service in order to access the accounts. In contrast to standard Gmail accounts whose storage space is limited to 15 gigabytes, the BU mail accounts offer unlimited storage space. Its users could store emails and files through Google Drive. Prof. Laarni D. Pancho, Director of IMO, encouraged the students to use their email accounts because it will not just help them with their studies but will also aid the university in general. Pancho also stated that Google Company promised to help the university in terms of infrastructure and Wi-Fi connections if 100 percent of BU students use their respective email accounts. BU previously announced its partnership with Pixsell Asia for the deployment and training of Google Apps for Education as part of the 45th founding anniversary celebration of the university.
CS Dean: Lack of modern labs, tools trigger Chem’s low board passing rate By Elyssa Kristine Ella
In order to address the low board exam passing rate of the BS Chemistry program, Dr. Lucy Estioko, College of Science (CS) Dean together with the faculty and members of the campus, aims for a modernization of its laboratories and provide sufficient equipment for the students of the said program. “It is one of my plans to reiterate [the situation] to the president,” Estioko said. The dean added that she has already appealed to the BU administration about the purchase of lacking equipment but the request was denied due to insufficient funds. It can be noted that in the 2012 Chemist board exams, the passing rate of the BS Chemistry was 28.33% while in 2013, it escalated to 57.14%. Last year, its overall performance was recorded at 38.89%. Only in 2013 did the program only surpassed the national passing rate which, according Estioko, was a result of the implementation of the diagnostic exam and in-house reviews administered to graduating students. Other areas of the program that are open for improvement include faculty qualification and competency, and modernization of infrastructure. As of now, the main objective of the department is to raise the quality of education offered by BS Chemistry program so as to heighten the passing rate of the students and maintain good results. (With a report from Jasmine Yao)
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20 The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
In CAL, National music workshop held Camp drives for Bicolano song writers’ involvement By Marian Deuna and Mark Colin Abliter
Aiming to encourage creative Bicolano singer-songwriters to join the music camp, Elements, a national-songwriting workshop was held at the College of Arts and Letters Amphitheater last July 15.
The sixth year of Elements showcased the expertise of well-renowned Philippine music mentors like Ryan Cayabyab, Ebe Dancel, and Joey Ayala. “We’re here to invite more Bicolanos to join the camp. We believe that creative songwriters are today’s storytellers in the form of
music, who could be great contributors in the nation’s music industry as well as around the world,” Cayabyab said. The guest mentors Twinky Lagdameo, Ito Lopa, Liz Lorenzo and Jan Aldrin Belisario, a participant of the national Elements camp last 2014, also expressed their thoughts about the Philippine culture and contemporary music The Elements camp will get 60 singer-songwriters throughout the country to be guided by 24 top Filipino songwriting mentors in a five-day workshop in Dumaguete City come November 15-19. Moreover, Cayabyab said that
7101 Music Nation established the annual workshop due to its aim of promoting creative singersongwriters in the country. He also stated that the Original Philippine Music (OPM) “needs to adapt with the modern changes in the music industry”. Application for the national elements camp started last July 1 and ended on August 31. The selection process will be through online application and live auditions. Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and his working team composed of distinguished singer-songwriters will handle the said selection process.
Sharing the beat. Renowned music mentors (from left) Ryan Cayabyab, Ebe Dancel, and Joey Ayala share their insights about Original Pilipino Music (OPM) to the participants of Elements, a national singing-songwriting workshop last July 15, 2015 in BU College of Arts and Letters Amphitheatre. Sixty singer-songwriters will get a chance to be mentored by the top song-writing mentors in the country. (Photo by Shan Gabriel Apuli)
Poverty pushes/ page 6 the City Health Council to have their regular checkups in a weekly basis. “As of now, walang HIV positive na GRO. Consistent sila na nagsusubmit for HIV Anti-body test,” she affirmed. Their records state that from January 5 to February 27 this year, there were 128 GROs who consulted their clinic for their checkups. According to Ballesteros, the SHC has functions that aim to address the prevention of STI in the City. Aside from conducting voluntary HIV anti-body test with registered sex workers four times in a month, it also has the duty to counsel the clinic’s clients and provide education and information dissemination activities on the promotion of reproductive health, and control of STI/HIV/AIDS. The Legazpi City STI-HIVAIDS Prevention and Control Ordinance of 2014 states that legal entertainment establishments’ operators, managers, and employees in the city are mandated to comply with the rules and regulations which include attending semi-annual seminars on STI/HIV/AIDS prevention. Moreover, Ballesteros said that they issue entertainment permits or “yellow cards” to GROs in the city provided that the GROs would attend to medical and laboratory exam administered by the council. Ballesteros also denied that Legazpi City has high inci-
dence of prostitution and sex tourism. DARK PACTS Meanwhile, given that Emman is working for a small group, he’s already introduced to many secret deals in the controversial industry. Among his knowledge is the involvement of both local and national politicians in the
Kasi kung lahat ng Pilipino ay may magandang pamumuhay o kabuhayan, sana walang taong nasasadlak sa ganyang trabaho. same business, mainly as customers. He revealed that many public officials were his clients and the service price ranges from P1, 500 to P50, 000. He even narrated one incident wherein a politician from Manila whom he called ‘undersecretary’ asked for three girls to be with him in his stay in Albay. The payment costs P60, 000 from where his kickback worth P10, 000 for each girl came from.
“Kaya marami ang na-eenganyo na pumasok maging high-end ‘poker’ dahil sa instant money”, he added. However, he hesitated to name any politician who are engaged in prostitution, not even those whom he already had a transaction with. Emman also admitted that the sex business in Albay to which he is involved also helps him with his own personal business on CCTV, and other I.T. products. For instance, he offers building owners CCTV connections and items for an expensive amount, inclusive to that charge is a girl sex worker. “Yung negosyo ko parang suhol,” he said. He added that up until today, he’s still engaged to the same dealings especially when there are possible “business transactions”. Meanwhile, Lea also asserted that the people involved in sex work always have a chance to change themselves. “Di habangbuhay may magkakagusto sa kanila. ‘Di habangbuhay may bibili sa kanila,” she said. Further, Lea admitted that prostitution is immoral and a sin asked to look at the act in another aspect. She said that they only turn to sex work because of poverty and that they only want to give their families a good life. “Kasi kung lahat ng Pilipino ay may magandang pamumuhay o kabuhayan, sana walang taong nasasadlak sa ganyang trabaho,” she concluded.
Of stigma and branding/ page 1 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries. This number has decreased a bit compared to 1011 from the second semester of academic year 2014 - 2015. PROBLEMS FACED On its first year of implementation, the BU Project Management Office (PMO) which oversees the operation and implementation of the scholarship grant for the school faced glitches and difficulties. The PMO is composed of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) as the chair, Guidance Counselor, ESGP-PA Coordinator and a Project Technical Staff as the members. “Academically, the problem is that some of them [ESGP-PA scholars] do not attend classes regularly but that conflict is being taken care of by the technical staff. So far, none is dismissed due to poor grades. Some dropped out due to personal reasons,” Prof. Merlie Arbo, Office of the Students Services Dean and one of the Project Technical Staff of the program said. Arbo said that there were two ESGP-PA scholars who did not pass the course particularly in Entrepreneurship that has the Basic Accounting subject. There were also cases wherein some scholars got pregnant which caused them to stop in their studies. “Mayroong nabuntis galing sa CIT (College of Industrial Technology) na nanganak na at sa PC (Polangui Campus) but they are coming [back] to school,” Arbo said. According to Dr. Helen Llenaresas, BU VPAA, few scholars dropped out because the money that is being given to them as scholars is not yet enough. When it comes to the disbursement aspect, Llenaresas said, “They had a problem because they [scholars] failed to submit right away the requirements. Otherwise, if they were able to submit right away they will automatically get the amount.” “At first, the Commission on Higher Education was not able to download the money allotted for the scholars so we even made use of our (BU’s) savings first but it was replenished when the money came,” Llenaresas further said. A few students according to Llenaresas did not return to BU after the P3000 initial cash was given to them. Meanwhile, some scholars who were not named by Llenaresas already got married. ESGP-PA SCHOLAR Michael De La Torre, a 20 yearold first year Entrepreneurship student, shared his experiences of being an ESGP-PA scholar. De La Torre is a former Sangguniang Kabataan kagawad of Brgy. Libot, Camalig, Albay When asked if the financial benefit that he gets in the scholarship is enough to finance his studies, De La Torre said, “Sabi po ni VPAA Llenaresas, walang perang sobra so nasa saamin na lang kung paano namin ito iba-budget.” On his first year as a BUeño, he stated that it was hard for him to pass his exams and to fulfill his responsibilities as one of the leaders in his block. When it comes to the stipend that is being given to him as an ESGP-PA scholar, he said that his parents are in full support to him. “Ang sabi nila, diyan lang yan sa’yo [na pera]. Para sa pag-aaral mo yan anak, hindi yan para sa amin.” ACADEMIC, CO-CURRICULAR PERFORMANCE “I’m happy to inform that some of
the ESGP-PA scholars are doing well in extra-curricular activities. Some of them have joined the student government, they ran for the office and some won. In PC, one ESGPPA scholar won as representative,” Arbo said. There were ESGP-PA students who also shined in CBEM’s (College of Business Economics and Management) recognition program last semester of academic year 2014-2015. They were Baby Jane Mirandilla, Joan Mirandilla, Jay R Bien, Angeline Labao, and Bernadette Barcelon with 1.624, 1.436, 1.533, 1.705, and 1.564 General Weighted Average, respectively. On the other hand, De La Torre said that students in his block, mostly ESGP-PA scholars, were also doing well in class and are participative when it comes to the events being organized in BU. De La Torre ran for Public Information Officer in their organization in Entrepreneurship but failed to win. ON STIGMA Some ESGPPA scholars experienced branding from other students because most of them did not pass the BUCET according to De La Torre. “Sabi nga nila, huwag ka nang papatol sa mga taong hindi naman sa iyo nakakatulong. I don’t care basta ipagpapatuloy ko ang pag-aaral ko para pagdating ng araw may maipapakita ako sa kanila.” De La Torre shared an experience of his classmate on the labeling that they receive as 4Ps scholars. “Nag-practice sa pep squad, sinabihan yung kaklase ko na ‘ay wag kayong makisalamuha sa Block C (De La Torres’ block) kasi mga 4Ps yan. Mga mahihirap yan, mga patay-gutom yan.” On the other hand, Arbo said that “the stigma of being an ESGP-PA scholar is already being removed little by little”. “At first, yes, but after the first semester, parang nawala na rin yun. They were accepted as ordinary students, free from the branding as ESGPPA scholars.” THE CHALLENGE “Sana gawin natin yung part natin not just as grantees but as students [of BU].Kasi kapag sinabing BU, it’s excellence. Sana magpatuloy lang tayo sa pag-aaral. Sabi ngani [ni] Ma’am Mata, ‘Huwag magpapabuntis at huwag mangbubuntis,” De La Torre said. “Yung tulong [ESGP-PA scholarship] is the opportunity na makapagaral kasi marami talagang hindi kayang makapag-kolehiyo. Sa block nga namin sabi ko, magtulong-tulungan na lang tayo kasi wala naman ditong first honor o mga ranking,” he further said. Meanwhile, Arbo said, “We would expect them to finish [their studies]. Yan naman ang challenge sa kanila. Yung sa first batch, I’m happy na may ga-graduate na (from the ESGP-PA) one from CSSP, Sociology ang course niya and one from Education. They’re doing good naman so I’m expecting them to finish the course.” “Yung ESGP-PA ang pinakamagandang opurtunidad para sa mga mahihirap at nangangarap na estudyante. Sana sa mga nakakatanggap ng benepisyo, pahalagahan natin ito kasi ito lang yung tulay kung saan tayo mapupunta. Bigyan natin ito ng importansya at sana maging humble pa rin tayo kapag nakatapos na tayo ng pag-aaral. Kasi alam natin na marami pa rin ang nangangailangan ng tulong na mga estudyanteng gustong makapag-aral,” De La Torre said. “Kapag natapos natin yung apat na taon sana magkaroon pa rin tayo ng value sa ating sociodad,” he concluded.
News
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The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
Two buildings to rise in CIT By Rojee Peninoy with a report from Nichole Baloloy
To provide facilities for researches and enhance commercialization opportunities for small medium enterprises, two new buildings are both under construction at the College of Industrial Technology (CIT).
The Regional Multi-Tech Laboratory Building and Food Innovation and Commercialization Center (FICC) will serve as the facilities for new equipment and machines that will be provided by the Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI). The officials of the university with former President Dr. Fay Lea Patria M. Lauraya led the groundbreaking ceremony of the two new buildings last September 25, 2014. MULTI-TECH LABORATORY According to Dr. Jonathan Arroco, BUCIT Dean, the Multi-Tech Building will be a house for multiple technology equipment. Its construction started last December 29, 2014. “The building will be a laboratory with shared services which can be availed by manufacturers such as handicrafts, furniture and other products,” said Arroco. The DOST-ITDI with the Department of Trade and Industry will provide the budget for the construction of the said building which costs P60 million. Multi-Tech Building’s phase 1 (the first floor) was completed last August 7 and was allotted with P16, 019,475 budget. Arroco added that they are proposing to seek assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency
OSS clarifies/ page 1 State Universities and Colleges (SUC) for this academic year arrived late on the desk of Bicol University president's office. (BU). Under the Commission en banc Resolution No. 202-2015 dated April 27, a memorandum from CHED central office was sent a day after, stating that BU in particular, is advised to implement the TD Program using the funds of the said scholarship called as the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of this fiscal year (FY) through Republic Act No. 10651. Only that it was received by BU 23 days late. In June, following the said memorandum, BU together with its committee for students services, then created a new scholarship program named BU CHED TD Program that will provide assistance for the students for the whole school year only. It still abides on the existing CHED Student Financial Assistance Program (StuFAP) guidelines and should be with effect to the university's institutional mandates, policies and processes. The 1000 slots of the said program were given and now filled by students from different colleges of BU. P6000 will be provided to each student every semester. Correspondingly, the scholars should maintain the qualifications to avail the benefits. DELAY TRIGGERED DISPUTE
(JICA) volunteers and form partnership with Honda or other companies. “The building is not yet operational but once it’s completed, we would like to conduct a soft launching and testing of the new equipments from DOST,” Arroco stated. “This kind of building serves not only the students. It would cater services from agencies outside BU and it would promote the technology as well as the university itself,” he added. FICC On the other hand, the FICC aims to enhance the product innovation and commercialization opportunities for small medium enterprises
and farmer producers. Arch. Leo Del Rosario, Planning and Design Head of Physical Development and Management Office (PDMO), said that the center will serve as an incubation area that will create and test products using the latest technology. “The center can also link the small medium enterprise with an array of services and resources in order to make them more effective, productive and profited,” Del Rosario added. Five equipments from DOST will be provided to FICC such as Freeze Drier, Spray Drier, Vacuum Frier, Retort and Vacuum Packaging. A P5 million budget will also be allotted to the university in order
to purchase other food processing equipment to fill in the building. “We will be able to produce Bicol products alternative to what exists but at the same time we can also have a competitive edge to food industry,” the BUCIT dean explained. He also added that the building is not primarily for students. It would also cater enterprises of food processing firms but students can use the facility for research. Meanwhile, the building which is presently under construction was allotted with Php40M. Del Rosario said that FICC will be adopting rain water technology or collection. “Since the building is no ordinary building, it needs a higher water requirement and we know the problem in the supply of our water in the university. We are also using solar lighting and the use of LED. Along-
Destructive Innovation. The P 40M construction of Food Innovation and Commercialization Center (FICC) in Bicol University College of Industrial Technology continues. A 1980’s canteen was demolished in order to give way for the building. (Photo by Shan Gabriel Apuli)
However, while BU pursues to give quality and free education to poor yet deserving students on the time BUCHED Scholarship was implemented, the CHED central office delivered anew on June 8, a memorandum to CHED regional offices in order to address some irregularities and inconsistencies regarding their first advisory about the allotment of funds for TD Programs AYs 2014-2015 and 20152016. But it was received by BU on July 6, another month late. CHED central office verifies that based on the appropriation of the funds for CHED and the SUC as per RA 10651, the said GAA of FY 2015 are intended to support the ongoing grantees of TD 02-14-15. When there are still available funds, then that’s the only time that the BU-CHED scholars will be considered. "We [scholarship committee] do not want to sacrifice our service to the students but the late arrival of communications from CHED regional office are causing us and the students too much of thinking [as to how to solve the problem]," Nebres said. Nebres clarified that if they continue acknowledging grantees for TD 02-14-15 and retain the same number of scholars, the university might run out of finances and eventually would not cater the assistance for all scholars of both programs. On the other hand, Salvador Mediavillo, Chief Administrative Officer of CHED Region V denied that the fault is on them.
"We do not know why [late arrival of the memo]. The day we got the memo, we sent it directly to BU," he said in response to the allegations. Since the authority and the implementation have already been turned over to BU, Mediavillo said that they will no longer interfere in the facilitation with the SUC's power unless it is mandated by the higher office. PACT SOUGHT Last July 30, Nebres talked with the CHED central office coordinators and asked for all possible solutions to end the matter as soon as possible. A list of official scholars that are acknowledged for TD02-14-15 was given to Nebres as a form of response. Out of 2,673 scholars of the said scholarship last semester, about 1,200 students were chosen to continue the benefits. The rest were not qualified because they lacked requirements from the previous AYs or their source of funding came from the unconstitutional PDAF. TD02-14-15 NOW SCRAP Nebres emphasized that the grant will only be possible for the first semester of the current school year due to insufficient funds. Still, he said that they should be thankful of the chance to continue their studies. "We do not guarantee you [TD0214-15 scholars] full-year scholarship since CHED has been inconsistent with their announcements. We have
exerted all our efforts to seek resources for you but of no avail," he explained. "I felt so much disappointed. Our family is facing financial problem. My sister is also a college student of this university. If ever I won't be able to make it till next sem, I might stop from schooling," dismayed Merjalyn Jadie, a BS Social Work sophomore. Meanwhile, Nebres informed the present BU CHED scholars that their
HIV, AIDS/ page 6 lance and registered sex workers, blood transfusion, needle-inflicted infection and mother-to-child transmission. He asserted that majority of the recorded cases are diagnosed among males and that MSM is the major cause of the virus. De la Rama further stated that since 1998, the youngest diagnosed of the person with HIV/AIDS was that of a 19 year-old. He also affirmed that “most college and high school students in Albay are ‘engaged’ in HIV-AIDS”. However, because of the confidentiality of the matter, he refused to name the schools where these students belong. COMBATING HIV, AIDS The DOH Infectious Disease Cluster head, Dr. Jannish AlcalaArellano, said that they are conducting campaigns and activities which aim to spreading awareness and combating the
side the introduction of technology in FICC, we will also showcase green building technology,” Rosario stated. However, problems were encountered during the construction of the FICC. “The FICC’s construction should have started simultaneously with the Multi-Tech Building but it was discovered that the soil where it was constructed has been settling. So we conducted tests on the soil and the construction must adjust to it,” Arroco said. WASTED Meanwhile, the former canteen of CIT, a room constructed during the 1980s, was repaired for the accreditation in 2013. However, it was demolished when the FICC’s construction started. The cost for the repair of the building which was only used for two semesters amounted to P193, 500. Arroco, who was the former assistant dean during the repair of the canteen, said that he tried to explain to the former dean of CIT, Prof. Erlinda Relucio that in a matter of time there will be a new building to rise in the area so he insisted to evaluate the situation critically. Still, the final decision was from Relucio and that was to continue the repairs of the room. “I don’t put the blame to the former dean, but I am just giving the reasons. Of course, the decision of the dean was based on his perception to the improvement and benefit of CIT since we really lack facilities in our college and we need those facilities for our accreditations,” Arroco explained. The CIT dean clarified that the building which dates back to the Marcos’ era needed to be demolished based on their consultation with the City Engineering Office. Moreover, since the soil in the area is settling, it was deemed dangerous to use the room as a facility. scholarship is only good for the entire school year. "Unless there is new appropriation of funds or GAA next academic year, the program will still continue. What you may do is to pray and study well. You may also look for all possible scholarships outside BU. Determination will not fail you," Nebres advised to the scholars.
said virus. “We conduct school-based information and education and the Social Hygiene Clinic (SHC) have their advocacy activities for entertainment establishments,” she said. There are three SHCs in the province, each in the cities of Legazpi and Tabaco, and another in Daraga. These agencies aim to spread policies and measures for the prevention and control of HIV-AIDS and sexually-transmitted infections. A budget amounting to about P2.4 million was allocated for these campaigns and activities. Meanwhile, De la Rama advised the public not to engage in injecting drugs and taking excessive alcohol to prevent being infected by the virus. Knowing even better their respective partners would also help in its prevention. “Prevention is better than medication because treatment is much expensive compared to prevention,” he concluded.
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Satellites The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1 June-October 2015
Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
Court’s rule on CAF land rift still on stall By Arthessa Marie Ladoing with reports from Jasmine Yao and Elyssa Kristine Ella
Bicol University (BU) is still waiting for the supposed September 2012 court decision on the case of land ownership at the College of Agriculture and Forestry (CAF).
Three years have passed since the university filed an Ejectment Case against the alleged informal settlers in CAF - Mauraro Campus, yet the case is still left undecided. According to previous reports, the last hearing was conducted sometime in May 2012 and it is now for the court to decide which party will be recognized legally. Atty. Norly Reyes, the Legal officer of the university said that the case is still pending in court. “We could not give further details about the case kasi pwede naman kaming makasuhan niyan,” he said. On the other hand, Dr. Marissa Estrella, BUCAF Former Dean said, “kasi sa mga ganyan, hindi naman pwede magfollow-up sa judge. Well supported yun (by the new administration) kaya lang, talagang matagal umusad and kaso.” However, Atty. Reyes expressed his personal hopes for the university to win the case. TEMPORARY SOLUTION The university initiated a Compromise Agreement approved by the Municipal Trial Court of Guinobatan last April 27, 2012. Stated in the agreement is the uni-
versity’s allocation of home lot areas for those houses situated in the vicinity of the campus. Also included in the agreement is the Home Lot Rental Contract. It is valid for a period of ten years and renewable for another ten years. Residents shall be given a year moratorium on payment while BU shall provide them access roads
at the relocation site. Estrella said that the university is too generous in giving them provisions through the agreement. “Maximum tolerance na yun on the part of BU. Kasi dapat naman na maintindihan nila that the university provides for educational purposes of the future of the students. Nagpirma na sila at nabigyan na din ng
notices,” she stated.
PRESIDENT'S VIEW BU President Arnulfo M. Mascariñas said that the university already took the legal actions but refused to give further details due to confidentiality of the pending case. Meanwhile, when asked if there is
LOADS OF HOPE. A man hefts his sack of trash at a dumpsite in Bascaran, Daraga, Albay, September 30, 2015. Collecting reusable waste materials provides help for their basic needs in life. (Photo by Jan Marie Raquion)
BUPC pioneers online printing of COR By Arthessa Marie Ladoing
As part of boosting its Online Electronic Registration (E-Reg), Bicol University Polangui Campus (BUPC) tested the first online printing of Certificate of Registration (COR) in Bicol University during the enrollment for academic year 20152016. Guillermo Red, developer of the Online E-Reg and Information Management Office Head said that the registration system was already implemented way back in 2011. However, it is only the students from the Computer Engineering Studies Department (CESD) of BUPC who got the hold of printing their own CORs without the intervention of the BUPC administration. The campus aimed for a total online printing but due to service provider problems, IMO decided to enclose first the printing within the campus. Red said that even the other departments can implement the online printing of CORs. He further stated that evaluation and reviews are still to be considered to prepare the system in catering all the departments next semester. BUPC Dean Arnulfo P. Malinis said that CESD students were into technology and had a back-
ground about it so the COR printing became easy. “Another thing that we look forward to is the online payment of the students. We are moving towards making all transactions online. Yung babalik na lang sa campus ay yung kulang ang pambayad,” Malinis stated. The Online E-Reg’s main features are the department module, cashiering and registering module. The department module handles the subjects and assessment of students as well as the fees. Payments are handled with the cashiering module while the registering module is about the grades and the students’ academic standing. ‘SMOOTH-FLOW’ ENROLMENT According to BUPC CSC President Jhonny Pet Topasi, regular students were given a two-day schedule of enrollment. The students are required to secure a medical certificate at the campus clinic and settle fees at NSTP office, Inditers Office and CSC office before they can proceed at their respective departments. The enrolment process has
two steps and handled with the department module and the cashiering module of the Online EReg. “The students do enroll within the department. The student will not leave the department without a COR. Under the department, he will be evaluated whether or not he has a failing grade and next is the assessment of fees followed by the printing of
neering student said. CAMPUS’ LOCAL SYSTEM In the previous news report by The Bicol Universitarian, University Registrar, Sophia A. Romero said that she is determined for the full implementation of Online EReg in Bicol University but it was not clear if the E-Reg that she was referring to is the one that is being implemented in BUPC. “We always look into how to attach the system in case that the university implement the E-Reg. Kung di siya maiaatach kahit online reporting system lang mai-attach through online. So we have a separate system but we have one system with the university on online reporting,” Malinis said. Meanwhile, the BUPC Dean disclosed that they are trying to pilot the same system of enrolment to Guinobatan and Tabaco Campus since they are also separate units. He said that they could link a string and the three units can have a common reporting system. The report is then to be passed to the university registrar and then the registrar’s office will just enter the reports on their system.
Another thing that we look forward to is the online payment of the students. We are moving towards making all transactions online. COR,” according to Red. “Mas madali kasi pati sa Information Communication Technology room pwede na magpaprint ng COR ang mga CESD students gamit yung account sa pag-access ng net,”Gerald Allison Rico, a 4th year Computer Engi-
also a land conflict in the main campus, Mascariñas said that there is, and referred to the back portion of the university’s main campus in IPESR. The president also disclosed that one of their first step is to secure all the legal instruments of land ownership of BU. “Because baka before we know it, paggising natin isang araw, puno na ng settlers itong BU,” he added. Based on Mascariñas’s vision and plan, they are going to put up Student Union building which is already included in the shortlist of Department of Budget and Management for next year. The planned building will be allotted for all the University-Based Organizations as well as the Office of Student Services. “We also want to build men’s dormitory and food court services,” Mascariñas added. In case the settlers refused to vacate the area, the president said that they will have to take legal actions. On the other side, settlers residing near the university grandstand refused to give statement on the land issue. When asked how long they’re residing in the the area, a settler who requested not to be named said, “Talagang matagal na kami dito nakatira, hindi pa ito BU at wala pa itong mga bahay na yan, kami lang talaga [ang nakatira dito].” Despite the claim, the settlers didn’t show any proof or certification such as land title during the interview.
Storm surge readiness cited in GC, TC By May Altavano
Aimed at increasing consciousness and readiness in case of natural calamities, the Bicol University Human Resource Management (BU-HRM) conducted a one-day seminar anchored on the theme “Awareness and Preparedness on Storm Surge” in Gubat Campus (GC) and Tabaco Campus (TC), August 5 and 7 respectively.
The invited speakers were Lilian M. Guillermo of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Cedric C. Daep of Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, and Jimmy Barrameda of the Bureau of Fire Protection. Guillermo tackled the topic on hazard information while Daep discussed on storm surge awareness and preparedness. Barrameda on the other hand, shared his expertise on the necessary preparations in case of fire and earthquakes. Actual demonstrations were also executed during the seminar which includes packing of necessary belongings in a plastic especially during emergency occurrences like floods. According to Johan Rio, BU-HRM Admin Aide VI, they are planning to conduct such seminar in all the colleges of the university within this year. However, he added that the plans in conducting the seminar to all BU campuses are still being finalized by the HRM Officers.
Sports The Bicol Universitarian Vol. XLIII Issue 1
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Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service
BU to hold Palaro events; construction starts October By Jerald Talavera
In preparation for the Palarong Pambansa 2016, the Provincial Government of Albay has already started the construction of new sports facilities as well as the rehabilitation of those existing at Bicol University (BU) on the first week of October 2015.
Palarong Pambansa is an annual event of the Department of Education which gathers the best student athletes from elementary and secondary schools across the country. This is Albay’s second time to be the venue for the games after 63 years. Supposedly, the construction would have started on the conduct of the university’s 46th founding anniversary last September 21-25. However, in the Board Meeting between BU and the provincial government, the university requested to move the start of construction at least a week after the celebration of the annual event in order for the existing facilities to be used. According to Provincial Sports Coordinator Roderik Mendoza, formerly, the venue for the event was planned to be sited at Albay Sports Complex at Guinobatan, Albay. Since Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PhilVolcs) declared that the place is at risk of lahar flow from Mount Mayon, the national government decided to choose BU since it is far from the hazard zone. “The Provincial Government also agreed that BU will be the main
ATTACK VS. DEFENSE. Anthony Sulpico of Bicol University College of Industrial Technology (BUCIT) fires a slice kick against Heinz Wilbert Bino of BU Polangui Campus in a Takraw match during the third day of BU Week. BUCIT wins the game. (Photo by George Gio Brondial)
venue because of its accessibility and centralized location, not only for the use of players from different regions for next year’s event but also for the students and other people who want to use the facilities after the Palaro,” Mendoza said. With this, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the provincial government and BU about the overall construction and rehabilitation of the facilities, which includes
the deals for its use, maintenance, and other related concerns. “The funding for the project will come from the provincial government of Albay under Governor Joey Sarte Salceda. The allotted fund for the construction is estimated to reach P350 million. This amount shall be used in the overall rehabilitation and construction that will be made within the university”, Mendoza stated.
REHABILITATION AND CONSTRUCTION The facilities which will be rehabilitated are the BU grandstand which will be expanded to 8 lanes, the university swimming pool which will become an olympic-sized, and the oval which will be rubberized. Meanwhile, the construction of a 10-lane Olympic-sized swimming pool, preparation pool, lighting towers, and bleachers are expected to be
completed on a span of one year, before the event took place come April 15, 2016. Also, an electrical powerhouse will be constructed to supply the four lighting towers that will cover the entire oval. “These changes within the university could cause a great impact not only for the school but throughout the province. Since Albay will be having good facilities, we could start training young athletes and students in different fields of sports,” Mendoza claimed. As to the maintenance of the facilities after the event, he said that it was indicated in the MOA that the province and the university are accountable for half of the total expenses. “We shall send a representative every time there is maintenance, thus, BU should also have a representative. When it comes to funding, both [BU and provincial government] will also be sharing on it,” he explained. According to Dr. Celerino Palacio, BU Sports Coordinator, the university in cooperation with the provincial government, is also preparing for the next year’s event. “If the new grandstand is already completed, its capacity can hold about 60, 000 people. We are expecting to have 80, 000 to 100, 000 participants, so we really need time to prepare for this big event”, Palacio said. He also mentioned that the facilities are intended to become a tourist sports complex. After the event, students from the university and other people may use the facilities for free.
CENG stuns IPESR, 25-23, 25-21, 25 -17 By Jerald Talavera
Using its destructive offense and mighty defense, Bicol University College of Engineering (CENG) overpowered Bicol University Institute of Physical Education, Sports and Recreation (IPESR), 25-23, 25-21, 2517, on a five set game for Volleyball (Men) Championship match held at BU grounds last September 22 on the second day of 46th Founding Anniversary Celebration of the University.
Executing its forceful spike, CEng started strong in the first play as Kenneth Diaz and Reeve Del Ayre took held the attack and led the score to post 9-6. IPESR did not allow the domination of the opposing side as they answer with an overhead blocks by Mark Nolledo and John Potestad who controls the rivalry being set by the CEngians, 14-15. Amidst the rain and shine momentum, better floor defense was generated by the leading team on the mid of the clash. Christian Cervantes together with Nolledo bequeathed their placing techniques that continued the run against the other league. IPESR tried to control the domination as Danilo Vergara and Ralph Malto built their two handed blocks but was not enough to hold the gap, 21-18. On the last moment of the first set, the rivalry ignited more as the two camps released its kills and deep digs in order to have an advantage for the coming sets. The fight was so tough that pushed the scores into a deadlock, 23-23. In order to secure an advantage, Diaz bestowed its powerful spike that made its enemy fall on a score of 23-25, in favor of the CEngians. On the second set of the game, the clash heated up more as Kenneth Diaz re-
leased his devastating kills while Nolledo answered with his booming shots that resulted the score to post on a deadlock for four times, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9. In the middle play, CEng established a big lead of 8 points, 21-13, as Feb Meulio performed a sharp backline shots and IPESR had its service errors. Because of the scenario, Coach Patrick James Atun of IPESR was prompted to call for a time out to give a concreted plan of a better execu-
tion.
The domination of the leading team in the last momentum was not able to be controlled by the opposing team as Danilo Vergara released his hook shots that weaken IPESR’s defense. IPESR tried to cope up with the situation but did not reach the standard set up by CENG. The set ended to a score of 21-24. CEng was like a roaring lion on the closing momentum of the first part of ri-
valry, as it showered booming shots with the help of Malto who pumped his blazing kills that caused a continuous melt down of their opponent, 15-8. In order to chase the bigger lead, IPESR started to heat up as Edrian Marquez and Alexander Bazar released their side to side wallops but did not trigger to broke CEng’s domination, 15-21. On the ending part of the game, the exchange linger until Diaz found a hole on
IPESR defense, as he released his hairpin shot that opened the gate for a bigger lead of 8, 23-15. IPESR was not able renew its force on the last momentum as CEng being led by Diaz delivered his blazing kills that totally broke IPESRs defense. The other team was trying to cope with the growing lead but do not conform to the set standard of the dominating group. The clash ended with a score of 25-17, and gave CENG their championship title.
Younghusband brothers train football players in Legazpi By Jan Marie Raquion
In order to harness the football skills of the young Albayanos, Phil and James Younghusband, founders of The Younghusband Football Academy (TYFA), trained the participants in a two-day soccer clinic held at the Bicol University Grounds, August 29-30.
DEADLY SPIKE. Reeve Del Ayre of Bicol University College of Engineering full-forcingly spikes the ball against the double block defense of the Institute of Physical Education, Sports and Recreation team during the championship match for men’s volley last September 22. (Photo by George Gio Brondial)
The two-day soccer football clinic was organized by the City Mayor’s Office together with councilor Gregorio Fernando Imperial and was participated by the students coming from the different schools. The participants paid a registration fee of P2, 500 for the whole day event. The TYFA conducts trainings that aim to optimize and transcend people who want to learn and be well trained in playing football. “It was fine, the turn out of the event was actually good, hopefully we can do it again next year,” Councilor Gregorio Fernando Imperial said.
ni Bitter Ocampo BABALA (Asawa ni Babalu): Kung feeling mo ikaw ‘to, wag mo nang tangkain pang basahin ang buong nilalaman ng artikulong ito. Masasaktan ka lang. Kadalasan sa buhay, kapag gusto mo pa ring magpatuloy sa isang sitwasyon na sa huli alam mong masasaktan ka, mapagtatanto mo na sana --- hindi ko na lang ito ginawa. Nariyan sila lagi. Laman ng News Feeds mo sa Facebook. Yung mga organismong walang ginawa kundi magpost ng magpost ng mga kaeklatan nila sa mga social media sites at umaaani ng daan-daang auto likes. Yung mga estudyante na walang ginawa kundi ang umeksana kahit hindi naman kinakailangan ang presensya nila. Yung mga self-proclaimed-student-leaders kahit wala namang kayang patunayan ay talaga namang tatakbo sa konseho para lang ma-feel yung moment na nasa tarpaulin ang mga pagmumukha nila. At ngayon, upang mas lumawak ang ating kaalaman at pagintindi sa mga kapwa natin estudyante na dumaranas ng ganitong mentalidad, ating hihimayhimayin ang mga tuntunin para sa mga Student TraPos (Traditional Politicians). Sumasali ka sa maraming Student Orgs Alalahanin mo, tatakbo ka sa eleksyon. So kailangan mo ng maraming credentials para maraming ka ring mailagay sa tarpaulin ng partido niyo. Mas effective kung sisimulan mo ang pagsali sa mga orgs kung freshman ka pa lang – para mas lalo mong mahasa ang sungay mo, ay este ang abilidad mo sa “shtedent ledershep”. And make sure, yung sasalihan mong mga org ay kilala para may maipagmalaki ka sa mga estudyante (kahit wala ka namang nagawa). Tiis gutom ka lagi araw-araw kapag nagsisimula ka sa mga orgs. Uutusan ka lagi at uuwi kadalasan ng hating gabi. Dadaan ang mga araw na tatanungin mo ang sarili mo, “Dito ba ang sulok kong takda?” Pero syempre, you possess the most vital characteristic na matatagpuan lang sa mga Student TraPo – ang pagiging Position Seeker. Hipokrito ka kung sasabihin mong, “Hindi po kailangan na mataas ang posisyon mo para masabing may nagawa ka blah blah blah…” Pweh! Lahat ng ito ay plinano mo upang sa gayon ay magpakasasa ka sa mga benefits na matatamasa mo should you be on the top of the org. Always wear a Plastik Smile Student TraPo ka, so you should always smile – in the hallway, cafeteria, classroom, grounds, students’ lounge, in the offices, sa kalsada, hanggang sa paguwi mo. Dalhin mo yang kaplastikan mo araw-araw dahil kapag oras na dumating na ang eleksyon, you will always be remembered as the pathetic loser na walang ginawa kundi makipag-plastikan sa mga estudyante maigapang lang ang kanilang mga boto. Bahaha! But, but, but, if in case manalo ka, aba! Magbunyi ang tartar mo! Dahil may ipa-pang braces ka na, katas ng pangungurakot mo sa kaban ng org! hahaha. Meron pa ngang iba dyan na talagang nagpapabrace kahit nagkakanda-hirap-hirap na sa buhay, maipagmayabang lang ang mga bakod nila sa ngipin. At nakuha pang mag-post sa FB ng, “Don’t let the world change your smile, but let your smile change the world. #Braces #HirapKumain #TheFeels #SoupLangEveryday”. Punyemas. Knowledge in debate is a plus; good grammar is a must Because you know, haharap ka sa publiko at kailangan mo ng matinding bala na pang laban mo sa mga nambabatikos sa’yo. It’s a plus factor kung marunong ka sa debate at mas gaganda pa ang arguments at rebuttals mo kung maayos ang English o Filipino grammar mo. Pero what if hindi ka marunong sa debate at semplang ka rin sa grammar? Well, Uli na girl. Adun na kay mama mo. Mag-iskwila ka na sana.
na’to para masabi lang na student leader ako. I am here for pure, honest and genuine student service! Kayo po, mga minamahal kong mga kapwa estudyante, ang tunay na namumuno sa Konseho. You deserve platforms! You deserve change! You deserve the best! Hindi po tayo aasenso kung mananatili tayo sa bulok na sistema. So dito na po papasok ang plataporma ko na blah blah blah… hahaha! Meanwhile, mahilig kang ring manira ng kapwa mo TraPo at pati na rin ng ibang partido. Nakikita mo lagi ang kakulangan at fault ng iba but deep in your heart, alam mong marami ka ring pagkukulang. Marumi ka maglaro dahil ginusto mo to e. Hindi ka mananalo sa eleksyon kung hindi ka tataya (ng malaki). Politics is a dirty game so you chose to be dirty. Ano daw? Mahaha! Kunwari solid kayo sa partido but the reality is, nagpa-plastikan lang naman talaga kayo Kunwari beso-beso, hug-hug at bonding-bonding; ngunit sa likod ng mga nakaka-inlove na approach niyo sa bawat isa, nagtatago ang mga dila niyo na hinulma sa dila ng ahas. Sssssss. Kapag wala na si kapartido A, viola! Tsismisan kayo to the max. Lahat kayo nagsisiraan. Andyan nang pagtsismisan niyo si certain officer na wala namang ginagawa kundi ang umupo sa opisina. O si attitude officer na nung mga unang linggo pa lang sa posisyon, akala mo sugo ng kalangitan sa sobrang kabaitan pero ng dumaan na ang mga buwan, mahabaging bathala, kampon pala siya ni Satanas! Haha. Seriously, hindi biro ang papasukin mong journey. Dapat matatag ka dahil haharap ka sa mga estudyante na walang ginawa kundi sukatin at husgahan ang iyong ledershep skells base sa husay mo sa Subject-Verb agreement. Hahaha! Hindi ka papakabog sa mga events Isa ka ngang trapo, so dapat, nasa spotlight ka parati. Hindi ka sanay na nasa gilid lang, tinatawag kung kailan lang kailangan, at uutusan lagi kahit halatang lupaypay na. You always seek and crave for that precious and historic moment in your life wherein it’s just you, the universe and the microphone. You always want to be heard because you firmly believe that your statements are of great help to the community, to the academe and to the whole student body. Life Changing. Yung tipong banas na banas na ang audience sa kapapakinig ng mga litanya mo at inside their heads, hinahampas ka na nila sa pader at minamartilyo hanggang sa mayurak at mapino ang ulo mo. Another thing is tuwing may pageant. Yan na. Todo pustura ka. Tiis ganda ka kahit na naliligo ka na sarili mong pawis at pumuputok na ang varicose veins mo dahil sa ultra-mega-six-inch-killer-heels mo. Habang yung mga nakatataas sa’yo, ayun panuodnood lang. Sa kabilang dako, syempre kapag pageant night, may mga artistang judges so ang battle cry mo, “Wala pong didikit o magpapa-picture sa mga judges [kami munang organizers].” Hahaha. Tapos wapakels kang magpost kinaumagahan ng pictures niyo ng mga celebrities kahit naaagnas na ang foundation mo sa mukha at super beast mode ka na. You ain’t click “Add Friend” unless ka level mo o mas angat sa’yo You value those people who have positions and names in the society/university. You unfriend those Jeje friends in FB dur-
ing your high schools days. Iba na ang level mo ngayon so namimili ka na rin ng mga iaaccept at ififriend mo sa mga social media networks. But of course it’s a case to case basis. Minsan ikaw na mismo ang nagpapakababa at accept ng accept, add ng add ng mga estudyante na hindi mo naman kilala. Bakit? siyempre eleksyon na! Kailangan mong maging “inclusive” dahil mantra mo ang “Moving as one to be one.” Tapos pag nanalo ka ia-unfriend mo yung mga estudyanteng bumoto sa’yo. Kupal mo.
You voraciously consume the social media to air your senseless sentiments May say ka palagi sa mga issues within or outside the bounds of the university. Blow by blow ka kung maka-share at maka-status ng mga balita in the global, national, and local scheme. Because you are a know-it-all bacterium. After mo ilahad yung problema at sitwasyon, gagawa ka na ngayon ng world class thesis statement mo. At pag nagbukang-liwayway na, mageexpect ka na maraming magla-like ng senseless statuses mo but you found na meron namang naglike at nagcomment sa mga hi-
naing mo kahit papaano --- Yun nga lang, mga kapartido mo pa. hahaha. Marami kang plataporma (na hindi natutupad) Idealistic ka sa mga plataporma mo. You want to effect change but you don’t have the ability and capacity to execute such. Pero todo bigay ka pa rin dahil sa tingin mo, ito ang makakabuti sa mga estudyante. Yung mga platforms mo na pinaglumaan na ng panahon katulad ng “More informed student body through effective information dissemination”, “Clean and Green Program” at kung anu-ano pang mga plataporma na nag-disperse na at sa huli’y hindi naramdaman ng mga estudyante. You put your ass on the front seat Dahil pag may seminar o events man, lagi ka dapat makita sa front seats. Dapat may baon ka ring tissue, hindi para sa pwet mo, kundi pamahid sa maalikabok na upuan. You’re a sucker for fame. Hindi mo deserve na umupo sa hagdanan neither tumayo ng mahabang oras hanggang matapos ang program. Kung wala ng upuan sa venue, makiusap ka na lang sa mga punong abala ng event na gawin kang organizer. By that, hindi mo mararamdaman ang pagod, may Certificate of Recognition ka pa as an Organizer, o di ba? You’re done with “Ledershep Kowts”; but you’re not yet through with politicking Ledershep quotes are too mediocre. High school SSG officers lang ang gumagamit niyan. If you want to level up your speaking abilities you should use the Student TraPo Jargons like: Student TraPo: Hindi po ako nandito para magpasikat. Hindi po ako nandito sa harapan ninyo para batikusin ang ibang partido. Hindi rin po ako tumatakbo sa eleksyon
Veteran ka na sa Meeting De AvanCe Veteran in a sense na nakaka-ilang ulit ka nang Meeting de Avance pero hindi ka pa rin nanalo sa eleksyon. There is something wrong ata sa pacing mo sa iyong kampanya. Siguro naging bad ka sa mga students ilang buwan bago mag eleksyon o kung makatingin ka sa kanila during normal days, parang ikaw na yung naghaharing-uri sa unibersidad. Hindi ka na kasi ma-reach. Bear in mind na ang isang student trapo, malapit pa rin sa mga tao. Kahit na ang tingin mo sa bawat estudyante ay, “Errrrr… Ka level ko ba ‘to?” dapat maging consistent ka pa rin sa pagpapakitang tao mo so as to secure your good image to the public. Yung ibang TraPo, maraming back subjects at lubhang nanganganib ang diploma Ito na yata ang isa sa mga pinakamalupit na consequences ng pagiging Traditional Student Politician. Habang todo bigay ka sa iyong kaduda-dudang serbisyo sa mga estudyante, mas napapalayo ka naman sa pagkamit ng diploma na iyong pinakamimithi. Alalahanin mo na estudyante ka pa rin at ang iyong main purpose sa pagpasok sa unibersidad ay ang makagraduate. Kaya nga nauuna ang salitang “student” sa phrase na “Student TraPo” dahil mas prayoridad mo pa rin na tapusin ang kursong kinuha mo. Pero kung ayaw mo, bahala ka, baka magaya ka sa ibang Student Trapo dyan na naka on-hold pa rin ang kanilang Transcript of Record. Ikaw rin. Bahahaha!
Hindi naman masama ang pagiging Traditional Student Politican (insert sarcasm). Normal na ito sa mga unibersidad maging sa ating bansa. Ang pagiging TraPo ay hindi naa-achieve sa maikling panahon lang. It takes time. At sa sobrang passionate mo sa student politics, mamamalayan mo na lang isang araw na taglay mo na pala ang mga characteristics ng isang Student TraPo. Sabay tanong sa sarili mo, “Ako ba talaga ‘to?”