The Varsitarian P.Y. 2015-2016 Issue 12

Volume LXXXVII, No. 12 • August 25, 2016 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF SANTO TOMAS Manila, Philippines

UST ROTC enrollment down by 80%

By THEODORE JASON K. ORTIZ and MARIA CRISANTA M. PALOMA

INVESTITURE. Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. receives the ceremonial maces during his installation as UST rector for the second time last Aug. 2.

JAMILLAH N. STA. ROSA

Rector calls for 21st-century Catholic education FATHER Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. was invested to a second fouryear term as UST Rector last Aug. 2, vowing to make Thomasian education “responsive to the 21st century.”

In his speech during his Solemn Investiture at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church, the University’s 96th Rector said sacrifices should be made for Thomasians to receive timely and innovative education rooted in Catholic teachings.

“I know that we will be able to transcend our personal or sectorial

interests and seek the good of all.

In seeking the common good, we reaffirm the significant influence of the communal dimension of Catholic schooling that makes Catholic universities different from others,” Fr. Dagohoy said.

“I’d like Thomasian education to welcome and be responsive to the 21st century. I ask for your generosity as these challenges require sacrifices,” he told administrators, faculty members, support staff and students.

Fr. Dagohoy revealed that

upon learning of his reelection, he “protested” to the Lord in prayer, given the demands of the Office of the Rector.

“He should have the stamina of a boxer, protect and serve the academic community like a policeman. He should understand and be able to read people’s emotions like a psychologist.

He must be innovative, and with superior intelligence, seek for its (University) development. With all these descriptions and expectations, who would want to be a University

president?” he said.

But the enduring Church served as a reminder to him to make “extreme sacrifices.”

“I accept the responsibilities entrusted to me and I pray that you and me may act justly, love mercifully, and together, we may work humbly with our heart,” he said.

Simple rites The veteran

University

Rector PAGE 5

Halos 8,000 na bagong Tomasino, nakilahok sa Welcome Walk BILANG simbolo ng pagsisimula ng buhay Tomasino, nagmartsa ang 7,915 na bagong magaaral ng Unibersidad sa ilalim ng makasaysayang Arch of the Centuries sa taunang Welcome Walk.

Ayon sa datos ng Office of the Registrar, 2,957 na mag-aaral ay freshmen sa kolehiyo at 4,958 naman ay mula sa bagong bukas na UST Senior High School (SHS).

Ang Graduate School ang nagtala ng pinakamalaking bilang ng freshmen na pumatak sa 1,021.

Pumangalawa ang Fakultad ng

Medisina sa bilang na 481.

Tig-460 na bagong magaaral naman ang pasok sa Fakultad ng Parmasiya at Fakultad ng Derecho Civil.

Noong umaga, nanguna ang SHS sa seremoniyal na pagtawid sa arko. Sinundan ito ng Misang pinamunuan ng Bise Rektor P. Richard Ang, O.P. sa Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Sa kaniyang homiliya, hinimok ni P. Ang ang mga mag-aaral sa SHS na sulitin ang pagkakataon bilang mga bagong Tomasino.

“Uncover, discover, and take

hold of this golden opportunity.

This campus is yours to explore and to learn from,” ani P. Ang. Mga bagong mag-aaral mula sa junior high school, mga fakultad at kolehiyo, at Graduate School naman ang tumawid sa arko pagdating ng hapon.

Sinundan ito ng Banal na Misa para sa paggunita ng kapistahan ni Santo Domingo, na pinangunahan ni Rektor P. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. Taong 2002 nang simulan ang tradisyong Welcome Walk, kung saan tumatawid sa makasaysayang arko sa harap ng

Kalye España ang mga bagong Tomasino.

Ang Arch of the Centuries ay nagsilbing lagusan ng lumang gusali ng Unibersidad sa Intramuros, Maynila (nasira noong Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig), na dinaanan ng mga bayani at santong Tomasino.

Isa-isang inilipat ang mga bato ng lagusan mula Intramuros patungo sa kasalukuyang kinatatayuan nito sa Sampaloc, hanggang pasinayaan ang arko noong 1954. HANNAH RHOCELLHYNNIA H. CRUZ at MARIA CRISANTA M. PALOMA

Nagbubunyi ang mga bagong mag-aaral ng UST Senior High School matapos pumasok sa makasaysayang Arch of the Centuries noong ika-5 ng Agosto.

ALVIN JOSEPH KASIBAN

ONLY about 200 students enrolled in the University’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) for Academic Year 2016-2017, a drastic decline from previous years because of lack of freshmen as a result of the painful K to 12 transition.

The figure represents an 80-percent drop from 1,115 cadets last year, amid efforts by the Duterte administration to make ROTC training mandatory anew to help the government’s antidrug campaign.

Col. Edgar Nigos, the UST commandant, told the Varsitarian the number of ROTC enrollees had been declining compared with the other two National Service Training Program (NSTP) components, Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) and Literacy Training Service (LTS).

Cadet Col. Karla Guste, corps commander of the UST Golden Corps of Cadets, claimed students perceived ROTC as the more strenuous NSTP program compared with CWTS and LTS. Some students also have the misimpression that there is hazing, she added.

“Honestly, it is a bit disappointing to us. For the past few years, the numbers of UST ROTC enrollees [stood at] 1,000 cadets more or less,” Guste told the Varsitarian.

“My opinion is that this is due to waning support [for] the Reservists Act (Republic Act 7077), specifically the ROTC program,” she added.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines needs four reservists for every one regular member, and UST has played a huge role in producing Army reservists for almost 80 years due to its large student population, she pointed out.

Nigos however said he expected ROTC enrollment to pick up again in the next three to four years.

“We will take it as it is. Liliit talaga ‘yung enrollees [and] wala kaming magagawa. We [also have to support] the [K-12] program of the ROTC PAGE 11

Lipa prelate doubts Vatican ruling on Marian apparitions THE ARCHBISHOP of Lipa remains a firm believer in the 1948 Marian apparitions of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace, even as he bows to the Vatican’s declaration that the supposed encounters did not have supernatural origin.

Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said that while he respects the authority of the Sacred Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), he will not stop the devotion that has spread worldwide.

“I was being asked to proclaim to everybody to stop the devotion, I will never do that. It is against my conviction. Nobody can force anyone to do anything against his or her own convictions,” Arguelles told the Varsitarian.

In a decree issued Dec. 11 2015, the full text of which was released only last June, the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog said the supposed M a r i a n apparitions at the Carmelite monastery of Lipa, Batangas in 1948 were a hoax.

For the first time, the CDF revealed that in 1951, Pope Pius XII himself confirmed definitively the lack of supernatural origin of the Lipa Lipa PAGE 10

2 News

Editors: Dayanara T. Cudal and Danielle Ann F. Gabriel

AUGUST 25, 2016

Shortage forces UST to hire new faculty THE UNIVERSITY is hiring part-time faculty members in English, accounting and information technology to fill up positions left by non-tenured faculty members as a result of the K to 12 transition.

The minimum requirements are a master’s degree and teaching experience, officials said in separate interviews.

Department of English Chairwoman Camilla Vizconde said new teachers were needed because tenured faculty members could not handle all English teaching loads.

“We decided to hire faculty members for the Department of English because there are still general English courses that are offered this school year. Some colleges also have freshmen who will still follow the same English requirements in their curriculum,” Vizconde said in an e-mail to the Varsitarian.

“Our tenured faculty members are not enough to handle all the loads. The contracts of the fixed-term [professors] have ended and some part-timers have opted to find other opportunities. This is brought about by the K to 12 transition and the changes in the general education curriculum that will be implemented in 2018,” Vizconde added.

Contracts for new English teachers however will only last for up to two semesters, she said.

“For hiring, priorities include graduate degrees, teaching experience, and availability. The interview and demonstration teaching is also considered in the hiring process. I say availability because I expect parttime faculty members only, as the contract is good for a semester or at most two semesters only,” Vizconde said.

Other colleges such as the UST-Alfredo M. Velayo College of Accountancy and the Institute of Information and Computing Sciences (IICS) are also hiring new teachers, because some faculty members have joined the corporate world.

“At least two [faculty members] filed their leave of absence because they want to try the corporate world. Siguro, they are preparing for the uncertainties of K to 12. Come Academic Year 2019-2020, there are not enough available loads for some courses. That is the time when there are no third-year students and there are no second-year students and most professional courses are in that level,” Accountancy Dean Patricia Empleo said in an interview.

The status of new hires—regular or fixed-term— depends on their qualifications and projected load of teaching units, Empleo said.

“We have projected the load of the faculty until 2021 because there will be enough load even during the transition period which is until 2021, then [applicants may be] given probationary status if they are qualified. Qualified lang sila kapag may [master’s degree in business administration]. Rule kasi ‘yun Faculty PAGE 11

Architecture halts US accreditation due to K t o 12

By KATHLEEN THERESE A. PALAPAR BECAUSE of curriculum changes required by the K to 12 educational reform, the University’s architecture program has delayed plans to be recognized by an international accrediting body based in the United States.

In an interview with the Varsitarian, outgoing Architecture Dean John Joseph Fernandez said the college had decided to hold its application with the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

“Papalit-palit ‘yung document na ipapakita namin sa kanila (NAAB). After [the K to 12 transition], we’re going to modify again the curriculum, so parang stop and wait muna kami,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez also noted the college needed to fill up new accreditation instruments as required by NAAB during is initial visit in 2012, the same year Architecture applied for accreditation.

Established in 1940, NAAB is a private accrediting body that evaluates architecture programs based on student performance and program curriculum.

A pioneer in architecture education, the UST College of Architecture prioritizes international quality assurance mechanisms over local accrediting agencies like the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (Pacucoa) and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched).

Pacucoa granted the college Level I accreditation status for a three-year period starting 2013.

In 2000, Ched declared the program a Center of Excellence.

The University is set to open its newly built laboratory facility this September.

JAMILLAH N. STA. ROSA

Accreditation stalls transfer to new central lab THE COLLEGE of Science is “not very keen” on transferring to the new Central Laboratories Building this term because of time constraints.

Science Dean John Donnie Ramos said the new building won’t be ready until September, after the accreditation visit of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (Pacucoa) that includes an inspection of facilities.

“To tell you honestly, we’re not very keen on moving also this semester, at least for the part of the College of Science. We will be undergoing Pacucoa accreditation come September. We don’t have enough time anymore to move,” Ramos said in an interview.

“After the accreditation na lang kami magta-transfer, even if [the new laboratories] will be turned over to us [in the] middle of the semester,” he added.

Construction of the new building was

Usapang Uste Ni WINONA S. SADIA NOONG 1941, ibinibida ang husay at galing ng mga Tomasino sa paggamit ng baril at riple sa isang kompetisyon ng pagbaril bilang bahagi ng pagdiriwang ng University Day o ng anibersaryo ng pagtatalaga ni Santo Papa Innocent X sa Colegio de Santo Tomas bilang isang Unibersidad.

Pinangunahan ng Department of Military Science and Tactics ang patimpalak. Ang mga alintuntunin nito ay ang sumusunod: una, kailangang nakatayo ang mamamaril; ikalawa, may karapatang mamili ang kalahok kung riple o pistol ang nais niyang gamitin; ikatlo, kailangang mataaman niya ang bull’s eye.

Limampung sentimos ang gantimpala sa mga makatatama sa bull’s eye.

Samantala, wala namang limitasiyon sa bilang o dami ng beses ng pagtatangka ng pagbaril.

Babalikatin lamang ng kalahok ang bayad sa lahat ng kaniyang magagamit na amunisiyon.

Isang Antonio Olegario ang nakapukaw sa atensiyon ng marami. Si Olegario ang hinirang na topnotcher sa nasabing patimpalak sapagkat anim na beses niyang tinamaan ang bull’s eye, gamit ang riple.

Paraan umano ng pagpapaalala ng kahalagahan ng kahusayan sa pagbaril ang ganitong uri ng patimpalak, partikular na sa mga kadete ng Unibersidad.

Isinagawa ang nasabing kompetisiyon noong ika-14 ng Nobyembre 1941.

proposed in 2014 after the UST administration’s assessment that chemicals in the Main Building laboratories have led to the deterioration of the heritage structure, Ramos explained. “[The project is] a result of the decision of the University to move all laboratories in the Main Building, which is actually a heritage site. [T]he chemicals sitting within the drainage systems of the building [might] be the cause of its deterioration,” he said.

In a previous interview with the Varsitarian, Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy O.P. said chemicals in the laboratories were harming the Main Building.

“The reason is very simple: the [Main Building] is very old. [A] laboratory that uses chemicals can actually compromise the integrity of the building,” Fr. Dagohoy said.

The Main Building houses almost all the laboratory rooms of UST, specifically on the

second, third and fourth floors.

The new Central Laboratories Building will house the laboratories of the College of Science, College of Rehabilitation Sciences and Faculty of Pharmacy. It will also be shared with the Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences and the Laboratory Equipment and Supplies Office.

After the transfer of the laboratories, the vacated spaces in the Main Building will be converted into administrative offices, online resource units, faculty rooms and lecture halls, Ramos said.

According to a notice outside the new laboratory site, the project, which was handled

by Malate-based construction company Ironcon Builders and Development Corp., began on Sept. 21, 2015 and would be completed on Sept.

14, 2016. MARIA CRISANTA M. PALOMA and

ALHEX ADREA M. PERALTA

Asintadong Tomasino Tomasino Siya Sa tagal niya sa kaniyang propesyon, malinaw na pinapatunayan ni Antonio Say ang angking kalinangan sa larang ng optalmolohiya.

Isa si Say, dalubguro sa UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (UST-FMS), sa mga kinikilalang pinakamagaling na optalmologo sa buong bansa.

Taong 1976 nang magtapos siya ng medisina sa Unibersidad, kalaunan nanilbihan siya bilang optalmologo sa UST Hospital.

Noong 1983, nagsimula siyang magturo sa UST. Nagawa niyang pagsabayin ang pagtuturo sa Unibersidad at ang paninilbihan bilang pinuno ng UST Department of

Opthalmology at Cataract Refractive Surgery Section ng UST Eye Center.

Sa kasalukuyan, nakaluklok bilang permanenteng board examiner sa Philippine Board of Opthalmology at puno naman ng Department of Opthalmology sa Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

Matapos ang mahigit 32 taon ng pagtuturo sa UST-FMS, nagretiro na ngayong taon si Say. Tomasalitaan Kilapsaw (PNG) - hampas ng maliliit na alon mula sa pagbagsak ng anumang bagay sa tubig.

Hal.: Mula sa tabing-ilog, nakatutuwang pagmasdan ang isa-isang paghinahon ng mga kilapsaw.

Ched urged to hike faculty scholars’ stipend

By KATHRYN JEDI V. BAYLON and MIA ARRA C. CAMACHO A GROUP of teaching and nonteaching staff has appealed for a higher monthly allowance for master’s and doctorate scholars in the National Capital Region (NCR), saying the rates were “unfair and too low.”

In a meeting with Commission on Higher Education (Ched) Chairwoman Patricia Licuanan last July 13, the Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (Cotescup) called for an increase in the stipend for scholars, citing the cost of living in NCR and other highly urbanized areas.

The stipend for those who qualify for scholarships for master’s programs is P20,000 per month, and for doctorate programs, P28,000 per month. “‘Yung [P28,000] na ‘yan, okay sa ibang parte ng bansa but not in Metro Manila, they have to make it higher than that,” Cotescup lead convener Rene Tadle said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Tadle also proposed that colleges and universities be required to give teaching loads to teachers given scholarships during the K to 12 transition should Ched approve the increase Ched PAGE 5

Filipino 3

IKA-25 NG AGOSTO, 2016

Pagtatangi sa Ingles at pagmamaliit sa wika, hadlang sa intelektuwalisasiyon ng Filipino Ni JOLAU V. OCAMPO BAGUIO—Mababang pagtingin sa wikang Filipino kumpara sa Ingles ang pangunahing suliranin sa intelektuwalisasiyon ng ating sariling wika.

Ayon kay Ma. Cristina Padolina, propesor sa Centro Escolar University, mas pinahahalagahan ng karamihan ang katatasan sa wikang Ingles sapagkat, sa tingin nila, Ingles ang mas kailangan at ito ang malawakang merkado.

“Marami sa atin ay may pananaw na kailangan natin ng Ingles at Ingles lamang ang makapagdadala sa atin sa globalisasiyon… at ang competitiveness natin [ay] nakasalalay sa mahusay na paggamit ng Ingles,” aniya sa Pambansang Kongreso sa Intelektuwalisasiyon ng Wikang Filipino na idinaos sa Teachers’ Camp sa Baguio.

Sinang-ayunan ito ni Angelika Jabines, kinatawan ng Bureau of Elementary Education.

“Maraming magulang ang nangangamba na mapag-iiwanan ang kanilang anak pagdating sa wikang Ingles kung uunahin ang pagtuturo ng wikang Filipino,” pagpuna niya. “Ilan sa mga dahilan ng mga magulang sa pagpapaaral sa kanilang anak ay upang matuto ang anak ng wikang Ingles

nang sa gayo’y makapangibambansa ito,” ani Jabines, 14 taon nang guro sa unang baitang sa elementarya na nagtuturo ng agham sa wikang Filipino.

Intelektuwal na wika Ang Pambansang Kongreso sa Intelektuwalisasyon ng Wikang Filipino ay tatlong araw na pagpupulong ng mga dalubguro, guro at ibang kasapi ng sektor ng edukasiyon. Ang wasto at matalinong paggamit ng Filipino sa iba’t ibang aspekto at larang ng lipunan ang intelektuwalisasiyon ng ating wika.

Ito ang ikalawang Pambansang Kongresong isinagawa ng Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino.

Para kay Mafel Ysrael, propesor sa UST Faculty of Pharmacy, nagugulumihanan ang kapuwa guro at mag-aaral pagdating sa pagsasalin ng mga teknikal na salita sa larang ng agham at siyensiya.

“Hindi sila sanay na marinig ang mga tesis na nakasalin sa Filipino dahil karaniwan itong nasa Ingles,” ani Ysrael, na nanguna sa pagsasalin sa Filipino ng mga tesis ng mga magaaral sa kaniyang Fakultad.

Teknikalidad sa pagsasalin ang nakikitang suliranin ni Federico Monsada, isang inhinyero at pangulo ng Philippine Technological Council.

Ang ilan sa mga suliraning

inilahad ni Monsada sa kaniyang larang ang mga sumusunod: kawalan ng tuwirang salin ng mga terminolohiya o bokabularyo sa larang; ang mga gamit at pamamaraan ng teknolohiya at inhinyeriya ay nakasulat sa mga banyagang wika.

Para kina Tereso Tullao Jr., direktor ng Angelo King Institute for Economic Business and Studies sa De La Salle University, at Luis Gatmaitan, isang doktor at bantog na manunulat ng mga aklat-pambata, nakahahadlang ang sensibilidad ng mga Filipino pagdating sa paggamit ng Wikang Pambansa.

“Sa paggamit ng wikang Ingles, mistulang hinihiwalay ang Filipino at iba pang wikang lokal sa mga pangunahing kalakarang panlipunan,” ani Tullao.

“Lahat ng bagay tungkol sa sakit ng tao at sa mga nagaganap sa loob ng katawan ng tao ay itinuro sa akin sa wikang Ingles. Pagkatapos, bigla kang ihaharap sa mga pasyenteng iba ang tawag sa kanilang mga karamdaman,” ani Gatmaitan.

Dagdag ni Gatmaitan, iniiwasan ng mga Filipino ang paggamit ng mga salitang Filipino lalo na kung tumutukoy ito sa maseselang bahagi ng katawan.

“Kung gustong tukuyin ang breast mass, ang sinasabi natin ay ‘bukol sa dibdib’ gayong mas akma sana ang

Earl Francis Sumile

‘bukol sa suso,’” aniya.

Posibleng solusiyon “Sa pagtuturo ng agham, mas mabuti kung ito ay mailalapit sa araw-araw na buhay. Madali itong maisagawa kung ang mga panayam o lektura ay ginagawa sa wika na ginagamit araw-araw—ang wikang Filipino,” ani Pambansang Akademiko Fortunato Sevilla III, propesor sa Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas.

Wika PAHINA 5

Elimar Ravina

Sevilla

Padolina

Limang salitang pamamaalam

May alam sa paalam: Batid natin ang pagdating ng paglisan ng papalayong sandali At papalapit na hikbi.

May mula sa simula: Alam natin saan nauugat Ang kasaysayang mahaba— Ang pinagsamahan, karanasan na pagmumulan ng bagong kabanata.

May saya sa sayang: Naghahabol tayo sa sandaling Hindi tayo kabilang.

Nanghihinayang sa alaalang malilikha nila na walang ako.

May ngapa sa tapang: Dama natin ang bugso ng pagharap sa papasapit na umaga.

Ngunit hindi natin batid Ang daang tatahaking kasunod.

May uli sa pangungulila: Dahil paulit-ulit babalikan Ang bawat sandaling binigkas ang mga katagang: Simula, tapang, paalam at sayang.

JASPER EMMANUEL Y. ARCALAS

John Gabriel Pelias

Patnubay sa pagbabalita ng klima at panahon, inilunsad ng KWF DALUYONG bagyo. Halumigmig.

Hanging hagunot. Weder forkast.

Ilan lamang ito sa mga salitang inaasahang maririnig at mapapanood tuwing may “weather forecast” sa telebisyon at radyo, alinsunod sa inilunsad na bagong aklat ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) at Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOSTPAGASA) na Patnubay sa Weder Forkasting noong Hunyo 13.

Ang daluyong bagyo o storm surge ang hindi pangkaraniwang pagtaas ng tubig sa dalampasigan habang papalapit ang bagyo sa baybayin. Samantala, ang humidity at gale sa wikang Ingles ang halumigmig at hanging hagunot.

Weder Forkast naman ang direktang baybay ng weather forecast sa Filipino.

Maliban sa mahigit 300 na tala ng mga salita, nakalakip din sa 73-pahinang aklat ang ilang mahahalagang impormasiyon sa panahon tulad ng kung bakit umaapaw ang tubig sa ilog at saysay ng mga dike, kung bakit kailangan mag-ingat tuwing kumidkilat; impormasiyon ukol sa sukat at taas ng baha; mga pampanitikang babasahin tulad ng mga bugtong at mga mitong may kaugnayan sa klima, maging makukulay na infographic upang gawin itong magaang babasahin.

Ilan sa mga salitang matatagpuan sa patubay ang buhos

na ulan (torrential rain), hanging banayad (light wind), hanging haginit (fresh wind), hanging hagunot (gale), hanging malakas (strong wind); matinding ulan (intense rain), sukdulang hanging tuloytuloy (maximum sustained winds); pana-panahong hangin (monsoon), panaka-nakang ulan (occasional rain), pulo-pulong pag-ulan (isolated rain showers) at kalat-kalat na pagulan (scattered rain showers).

Mayroon namang mga salitang binabago lamang ang ispeling tulad ng altitud (altitude), weder (weather) at forkast (forecast), sapagkat ito na ang nakagawiang salita ng mga Filipino at hindi ito makalilikha Patnubay PAHINA 9

4 Opinion

AUGUST 25, 2016

Editorial

No to mandatory ROTC; no to state terrorism, bossism on campus WHEN President Duterte announced his intention to strengthen the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) during his first State of the Nation Address last July 25, many interpreted it as a call for the revival of the mandatory ROTC program for college students.

“The reservists will be mobilized for information campaign against drug use and the dissemination of information regarding drug rehabilitation programs being offered by the government,” President Duterte said. “Let us also strengthen our ROTC Program to instill love of country and good citizenship.”

As a result, newbie Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) are pushing for the restoration of mandatory ROTC. In addition, there’s the pending House Bill No. 2338, which seeks to make ROTC a pre-requisite for graduation in all college programs as well as vocational and technical courses.

Ched Chair Patricia Licuanan said the commission would create working group to review the existing ROTC program and recommend options to strengthen it.

Licuanan still has two years as Ched chair based on her 2014 appointment by the former Malacanang incumbent and for an educator who had come from the private education sector, she seems overeager to keep her post by sidling up to the new government, never mind basic and bottomline principles, just as she did with the previous one that pressed through with the K to 12 despite the lack of safety nets for those who would be affected by it, especially higher-education institution (HEI) teachers. So much for Licuanan’s sycophancy and lack of nobless oblige.

In any case, Duterte has all the wrong reasons for restoring mandatory ROTC. If he wanted the ROTC to help in his anti-drug information campaign, he could do that with already existing structures in the HEI’s. ROTC as it stands now is one of the three options under the National Service Training Program (NSTP) for HEI students.

Couldn’t the anti-drug campaign be disseminated and promoted not only in the optional ROTC but also in the more popular literacy and civic welfare programs?

Going by the results of the anti-drug campaign— hundreds and now thousands of alleged drug pushers killed en mass in what are suspected to be summary executions of small fry while drug lords and their protectors in the police, military and government are given official warning and even pleadings and thus the big guns are generally treated with kid gloves—then the Duterte administration does not need a mandatory ROTC to help it in its charade. Huwag naman sanang masyadong garapalan!

The President should be reminded that it was because of the same example of state terror and corruption that led to the abolition of mandatory ROTC. It should not be Editorial PAGE 11

FOUNDED JAN. 16, 1928 LORD BIEN G. LELAY Editor in Chief ANGELI MAE S. CANTILLANA Managing Editor ARIANNE F. MEREZ Associate Editor DAYANARA T. CUDAL News Editor DANIELLE ANN F. GABRIEL Assistant News Editor DELFIN RAY M. DIOQUINO Sports Editor MARY GILLAN FRANCES G. ROPERO Special Reports Editor ERIKA MARIZ S. CUNANAN Features Editor ALILIANA MARGARETTE T. UYAO Literary Editor MARIA KOREENA M. ESLAVA Patnugot ng Filipino MARIE DANIELLE L. MACALINO Witness Editor DARYL ANGELO P. BAYBADO Circle Editor RHENN ANTHONY S. TAGUIAM Online Editor ROBERTO A. VERGARA, JR. Assistant Online Editor AVA MARIANGELA C. VICTORIA Art Director BASILIO H. SEPE Photography Editor News Kathryn Jedi V. Baylon, Mia Arra C. Camacho, Clarence I. Hormachuelos, Ma. Consuelo D.P. Marquez, Roy Abrahmn D.R. Narra, Kathleen Therese A. Palapar, Maria Crisanta M. Paloma, Theodore Jason Patrick K. Ortiz, Alhex Adrea M. Peralta, Jerome P. Villanueva Sports Jan Carlo Anolin, Carlo A. Casingcasing, John Chester P. Fajardo, Philip Martin L. Matel, Randell Angelo B. Ritumalta, Ivan Ruiz L. Suing, Leif Arild F. Sykioco, Ralph Edwin U. Villanueva Special Reports Paul Xavier Jaehwa C. Bernardo, Ma. Angela Christa Coloma, John Paul P. Corpuz, Monica M. Hernandez, Neil Jayson N. Servallos Features Klimier Nicole B. Adriano, Daniella T. Cobarde, Mary Grace C. Esmaya, Alyssa Carmina A. Gonzales, Maria Corazon A. Inay, Vianca A. Ocampo Literary Paula Danika Binsol, Hannah Rhocellhynnia H. Cruz, Nikko Miguel M. Garcia, Josef Brian M. Ramil, Cedric Allen P. Sta. Cruz Filipino Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas, Jolau V. Ocampo, Bernadette A. Paminutan, Winona S. Sadia Witness John Gabriel M. Agcaoili, Joel Sebastian D. Cristobal, Jr., Christian De Lano M. Deiparine, Sigrid B. Garcia, Lea Mat P. Vicencio Science and Technology Karl Ben L. Arlegui, Dan Albert D. Besinal, Maritz L. Lubo, Mia Rosienna P. Mallari, Kimberly Joy V. Naparan, Edris Dominic C. Pua, Julius Roman M. Tolop Circle Audrie Julienne D. Bernas, Chelsey Mei Nadine B. Brazal, Amierielle Anne A. Bulan, Ma. Czarina A. Fernandez, Ethan James M. Siat Art Chinny Mae F. Basinang, Kirsten M. Jamilla, Shaina Mae L. Santander, Seldon May T. Tagao, Freya D.L.R. Torres, Iain Rafel N. Tyapon Photography Deejae S. Dumlao, Alvin Joseph Kasiban, Amparo Klarin J. Mangoroban, Miah Terrenz Provido, Maria Charisse Ann G. Refuerzo, Ma. Alyssa Adrienne T. Samonte, Jamillah N. Sta. Rosa FELIPE F. SALVOSA II Assistant Publications Adviser JOSELITO B. ZULUETA Publications Adviser

Letters/comments/suggestions/contributions are welcome in the Varsitarian. Only letters with signatures and corresponding contact details will be entertained. Original manuscript contributions must be typewritten, double-spaced, on regular bond paper, and should include a signed certification bearing the author’s name, address, year, and college. The identity of a writer may be withheld upon request. The editors will not be responsible for the loss of materials. Contributions must be sent to THE VARSITARIAN office, Rm. 105, Tan Yan Kee Student Center, University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila.

The rich, fruitful ground that is the ‘V’ SELFLESSNESS. This might have been the greatest lesson that I learned from my three years in the University’s official student publication.

People who had known me before I became part of the Varsitarian could have easily said that I was a person who had a huge ego and had so much trouble caring for others.

I was a person who was not always welcoming of other persons, who always went on his own, and who was afraid of getting out of his comfort zone.

I was like a seed that was covered with a thick hard shell—closed to possibilities and ignorant of how to grow.

When I was accepted in the “V” back in 2013, all I wanted to do was to write articles just so I could see my name in the by-line.

I have to admit that, at first, everything that I did for the V, I did for myself.

But as time went by, I realized that being given credit for what I did was not the true purpose of writing for the campus organ.

I learned to care for others more than myself. The ‘V’ taught me to break down my barriers and let other people in my life.

I realized that I was not the only one who could write well because there were a lot of better writers in the publication.

Most importantly, I have realized that I am in the V not to impress others but to serve the Thomasian community.

So then, I started to focus on my work and not myself.

I started writing not for my name to be published in the paper but to share something useful to the Thomasians.

At that point, I learned to care for others more than myself. The V taught me to break down my barriers and let other people in my life.

When I was promoted

as one of the News editors in 2014, my love for the publication grew even deeper.

Right then I knew that I need to step up and do things selflessly. I needed to lead and share my experiences to my writers in order for them to grow the same way I did.

And when I was finally promoted as the editor in chief for the P.Y. 2015-2016, I became even more selfless.

Leading the V was not an easy job, especially since I was studying law. I made several sacrifices in my studies just to fulfill my responsibilities in the publication.

This was when I knew that my love for the V was true. I

did not mind not sleeping just to finish an edition—all for the service of my fellow Thomasians. I did not mind giving second chances to my staff even if they made mistakes over and over again.

I did not mind giving most of my time for the V even if it meant that I would have less time for study.

My stay at the V was definitely challenging; it made me a much better person.

It made me stronger, more understanding, and more humble.

It made me even more ready to face tougher challenges that life has to offer.

Truly, when a seed is planted in rich soil, it will outgrow its shell no matter how hard and thick it is, and eventually spread its roots and grow into its full potential.

Undoubtedly, the V has been a rich training ground for every seed planted upon its soil. The V had created a majestic garden composed of amazing writers and professionals throughout the years.

Why leaving doesn’t mean unloving ONE OF the big misconceptions the human race still believes in is how love always means staying. People think that love is measured solely by the willingness of both parties to stay in the relationship. But time has made me realize that bidding farewell takes even more courage than staying. And only a love that is authentic can survive distance created by physical and emotional separation.

Leaving doesn’t mean unloving and I have proven this to myself with the kind of love I have for the Varsitarian.

I could have easily stayed in the “V” for another year or more. But to be honest, this option means clinging to a comfortable and unchallenging part of my life, which means I will never achieve my full potential.

As the days go by, I can feel time slowly creeping up on me, a constant reminder I have chosen to move forward now. This is also connected to having witnessed many of my peers, those who opted to work immediately after graduation unlike my choice to pursue post-graduate studies, establish themselves in their own respective fields.

While it is with a sense of

Love will remain constant, and this is the love I have for the ‘V’: constant and unchanging.

pride and happiness to watch them live their lives outside the University, I have realized I want that for myself too. But I cannot do that if I continue to reside in the safe confines of the V office. Change is likened to a revolution, a disruption of routine for a new dawn to rise.

Therefore, to start a new chapter in one’s life, another must close. And like all good things, my stay in the V nears its finale. But the agony of letting go remains the biggest trial in my two-year stay.

But before anything else, one has first to understand how deeply rooted I am in the V. It took me three tries before I was finally accepted in the publication. When the fateful phone call finally came in the summer of 2014, the tears

just washed away years of resentment and hatred for being rejected.

For the next two years, I have treated the V as my home, my source of strength, and my mere reason for existence. So to leave the V like this, I don’t even know how to begin.

In all the relationships I’ve had in my 21-year existence, I have never been the one to break up. Be it romantic quests or lost friendships, I was always the one to stay, to try to work things out and fix what’s broken.

Not necessarily because I was at fault, but I believe staying through the rough times is an indication of genuine affection.

But now, there is no other choice than to say goodbye. As I write this farewell, I can’t help but feel nostalgic about my two

years in this institution.

For some, it may just be another 24 months, but for me, it was a lifetime—a lifetime well spent. Although nostalgia may connote a negative impression, I believe it signifies the importance of having something worth remembering.

In a way, it is a gentle reminder to us all that love transcends all forms of change.

It may be forgotten but its intensity will never wither, even though man’s constructed ideology of time as a fleeting element.

Love will remain constant, and this is the love I have for the V: constant and unchanging.

If I treated V as a lover, she would be the equivalent of a crazy girlfriend; she was demanding, strict and not to mention, the jealous type. But love is love, and I found all these flaws to be the same reasons why I loved the V more.

Sadly, like all relationships, tough decisions had to be made, and mature individuals will agree with me when I say that unlike almost every sappy romantic chick flick ever created, love is not the only factor that needs to be considered. Certain Tempus PAGE 5

Opinion 5

AUGUST 25, 2016

Sweet serendipity SERENDIPITY has always been one of my favorite words.

Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it as “luck that takes form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for.

Something not looked for but, against all odds, has been found. This kind of magic strikes the inner child in me; it will at all times be a mantra of mine.

Serendipity showed itself in the form of the Varsitarian.

Despite holding more than eight decades of student journalism excellence, the publication was no more than a mere information sheet to me back then.

I saw its prestige, yes. I saw and admired the students working to release an issue every month or so. But anything beyond that, I did not bother to look.

I joined the “V” in my junior year. I kept my eyes straight at the thought that it would make a wonderful, shiny accessory to my otherwise bland resume, that it would make my writing achieve, at the very least, decency to be published.

I was not looking for anything other than validation that I can make it in the media

Rector

FROM PAGE 1 administrator requested simple investiture rites, “in keeping with the times.”

The ceremony for Fr. Dagohoy’s investiture followed the Misa de Apertura, which marked the opening of Academic Year 2016-2017.

Secretary General Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P. read the appointment decree from the Vatican’s Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education and Seminaries.

This was followed by Fr. Dagohoy’s profession of faith and oath of fidelity, in which

Ched

FROM PAGE 2 in their monthly stipends.

“K to 12 is brought upon by the government to the teachers so they must be responsible in making sure that there are corresponding safety nets. Hindi problema ng teacher ‘yun, kailangan pa nga itaas,” said Tadle, who is also an associate professor in UST. “I think the teacher should at least be able to avail [himself or herself] the scholarship and at the same time be allowed to at least take some load to compensate for the lost income,” he added.

However, Tadle said those with “fixed-term contracts” would have a problem, as staff or faculty members who fail to have their contracts renewed won’t qualify for

Wika

MULA SA PAHINA 3 Kilala si Sevilla bilang isa sa mga nangungunang dalubgurong gumagamit ng wikang Filipino sa pagtuturo ng kimika sa kolehiyo, partikular sa paaralang graduwado ng Unibersidad.

Mungkahi ni Tullao, lalo na sa kapuwa niyang dalubguro, na ilapit ang wikang Filipino sa sikmura ng mamamayan hindi lamang sa pahina ng mga akademikong saliksik at lathalain.

“Kailangan ang mga intelektuwal ng bansang ito

It was in ‘V’ that I found more about myself as much as the details of the University.

these but I found them and the ride was anything but ordinary.

Serendipity was in the experience of covering life, not just events. It was in hearing people fight for their advocacies in rallies, understanding new concepts in university forums and lectures, witnessing people cry during the papal visit, and encouraging Thomasians to practice their right to elect their representatives.

I had not been looking for it but I also found a family in the publication and friendships that I would forever treasure.

Being in the V has made me realize that good things do come at their perfect timing—be it that elusive diploma or that dream job after college. They might not manifest in the way I want them but they are the “fortunate happenstance” I have not looking for but just the same I have found.

After all, there is no easier way to tread on life but to find joy in stumbling upon possibilities and serendipities in its little corners.

The University life is fleeting and I have been very blessed to come across a serendipity as pleasant as the Varsitarian.

business and training to actually help me make it.

I did not know what I’m getting myself into.

Work in the publication was more than just training. It provided a smack-in-the-head dose of reality of what was in store for me in the actual field.

Many times, there would be no guiding hand, no baby steps and spoon-fed instructions.

Work in the publication was more than just affirmation that one could write. It made me humble to be in the midst of others who had as much passion for the written word as me.

It was in “V” that I found more about myself as much as the details of the University. It was a parallel track I had not expected when I passed my

application form two years back.

Being a V staffer opened my eyes to what it took to be a real Thomasian. I became aware of the ills of the student body as well as the concerns of the people running the academic institution.

I got to taste insecurity and moments of worthlessness whenever criticisms were thrown my way but I also formed a stronger personal foundation.

I was able to experience organizing extra-editorial events that tested my patience, my stress tolerance, and ability to both listen and direct others.

The realizations were quite a load for someone who was expecting to write articles at home and wait until the work was published.

I was not looking for any of

he vowed to uphold Catholic teachings as head of the Pontifical University.

Vice Rector for Religious Affairs Fr. Filemon dela Cruz, O.P. and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Clarita Carillo assisted Fr. Dagohoy in wearing the Rector’s Collar, which symbolizes the Rector’s dignity in office, the powers of the Holy See and the Philippine government, and the supreme teaching authority of the University.

University Vice Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. and Vice Rector for Research and Innovation Maribel Nonato handed two ceremonial maces to Fr. Dagohoy. The maces

symbolize the temporal academic order and spiritual order the Rector has to manifest in his office.

Fr. Dagohoy’s first term was marked by big-ticket building projects, efforts to boost the University’s international profile, and a fourth papal visit in 2015.

His reappointment came after he topped the April 25 election by the Dominican community in UST, which was affirmed by the Academic Senate and the Board of Trustees.

Before he became Rector in 2012, Fr. Dagohoy was internal auditor and director of finance and administration at UST Hospital.

Fr. Dagohoy heads the Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities and is a member of the Scientific Council of the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem.

Traditionally, UST rectors have been re-elected to a second term, such as Fr. Norberto Castillo, O.P. (1982-1986 and 1986-1990), Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. (1990-1994 and 1994-1998) and Fr. Tamerlane Lana, O.P. (1998-2002 and 2002-2006). CHRISTIAN DE

scholarships.

“They cannot avail [themselves of] the scholarship because they still have to be connected to the school and the school [needs] to recommend them.

They should be able to enjoy the scholarship even without recommendation from the school,” Tadle said.

DOLE’s Adjustment Measure Program In a separate meeting with Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III last July 19, Cotescup raised concerns caused by the K to 12 transition such as contractualization in the education sector, diminution of salary and benefits for teachers who transferred to Senior High School, and forced retirement or resignation of faculty

members in some schools.

Carmelo Marollano, DOLE Adjustment Measure Program (AMP) deputy program manager, promised to amend guidelines on stipends upon hearing Cotescup’s concerns.

“With the inputs coming from Cotescup and those who were actually retrenched, the K to 12 DOLE AMP Guidelines will surely be amended, in fact, even earlier than the scheduled revision in November,” Marollano told the Varsitarian in an e-mail.

“The K to 12 DOLE AMP Guidelines provide that the processing will only take 10 days so much so that it is hoped that when a displaced [higher education institution (HEI)] personnel applies during the first week of the month s/he should be able to receive the first tranche of financial support by the end of

the month,” he added.

The DOLE AMP serves as a safety net for displaced HEI faculty members and staff through financial support, employment facilitation and training and livelihood.

One of the measures is granting graduate scholarships to displaced faculty members.

According to Ched, only 50 percent of HEI faculty in the country hold graduate degrees as of 2015.

Ched Memorandum Order No. 03 series of 2016, or the guidelines on graduate education scholarships for faculty and staff development in the K to 12 transition period, states that the scholarship covers full tuition and fees, stipend, transportation and book allowance, funding for thesis or dissertation writing, and insurance, at rates higher than the older Ched Faculty Development Program.

na mag-usap, hindi lamang sa isang kumprensiya tulad nito ngunit sa iba’t ibang midyum tulad ng mga journal at gamit ang social media,” aniya.

Para naman kay Jabines, kailangan pang pagtibayin ang pagpapatupad ng Departamento ng Edukasyon sa Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE), na naguutos na gamitin ang inang wika sa pagtuturo ng mga estudiyante mula kinder hanggang ikatlong baitang ng elementarya.

“Ang paggamit ng mother tongue ang pinakamabisang paraan upang mailapat ng mga mag-aaral ang kanilang natutuhan sa lahat ng aralin,”

ani Jabines.

Ayon kay Pambansang Alagad ng Sining para sa FROM PAGE 4 Panitikan Virgilio Almario, dapat patuloy na linangin ang circumstances demand a greater paggamit ng inang wika sa loob sacrifice and with this, one’s ng kanikaniyang rehiyon at love is proven. pagsasalita naman ng wikang I had to leave, not because I Filipino sa labas nito. wanted to, but because the love “Kung kayo ay nasa inyong the V offers is a life-changing mga rehiyon, gamitin ninyo sa experience I wish everyone inyong pag-uusap ang inyong could have. And if I stay more regional languages sa halip than my allotted time, I would na Ingles. Gamitin ang mga be denying other potential katutubong wika at pagkaraan, staffers of her love. gamiting tulay lamang para sa Therefore the passage, pag-uusap ng mga Filipino sa “Many are called but few are iba’t ibang rehiyon ang Wikang chosen,” holds true for us Pambansa,” ani ng tapagangulo staffers, both past and present. ng Komisyon.

It is a privilege to love and

LANO M. DEIPARINE and ROY ABRAHMN D.R. NARRA with reports from MIA ARRA C. CAMACHO

Tempus

Not the end but the beginning TWO YEARS have already passed since I became a staffer of the Varsitarian and I still cannot believe that I was given that kind of opportunity.

I can probably relate my stay in the “V” with the famous line of Julius Caesar “Veni, Vidi, Vici”—“I came, I saw, I conquered.”

I had always wanted to be part of the “V” since I entered the University, and to have my name printed on its paper was my dream.

I really envied my blockmates who were already writers of the V before me, and just like them, I wanted to be part of it.

Although I was not able to pass on my first try, I was really exultant when I successfully passed during my second time trying.

When I came in, I did not know that a publication could be so welcoming, and for an introvert like me, I was really overwhelmed by how the staffers made me feel at home.

I started as a Filipino writer and experienced covering events and seminars I never imagined I would, and met famous writers I only encountered when reading books. It was at this point in my life where I knew that I really love writing and that I was on the right path.

I saw everything in the V. I had a new perspective in life because the experience was really different when one would be a part of the V. I learned how to love a publication more than I love writing.

As they coined it in the “V,” I should have belonged to the “Team Bitin” staffers who only had the chance to stay for one year. But I decided to stay for another year even though I entered

The V believed in me during the times when I did not believe in myself. It taught me to take risks, to overcome my fears, to grow and mature. law school.

I stayed for another year because I still could not leave the V—not just yet. So I took up law at the University.

The University has honed me and taught me a lot of things, and I will never regret that I enrolled in UST because I would not trade my experiences inside its four corners for anything.

People wondered how I balanced my time being an editor of the V and at the same time be a law student. I have to admit, there were times when I wanted to quit or just go home and leave everything behind. But my fellow V staffers helped me be sane all throughout.

I would not have survived my first year in law school and my last year in the V if it were not for my fellow V staffers because whenever I feel like giving up or crying, it was to them that I vented out my emotions and frustrations.

Even if I was transferred to the Features section as its editor during my last year in the V, I did not lose my momentum. To be honest, I learned more about feature writing when I was handling the Features section of the V. I conquered, not in a way that I won the battle or defeated anyone, but in a way that I was able to conquer all of my fears, doubts and insecurities. With the V, I was able to overpower my monsters.

The V believed in me during the times when I did not believe in myself. It taught me to take risks, to overcome my fears, to grow and mature.

The V did not only help me improve my skills in writing, it also taught me a lot of lessons in life. It taught me how to be strong whenever I feel weak. It taught me how to stand on my feet and be independent. It taught me how to constructively take criticisms.

Being in the V is truly the highlight of my stay in the University.

I will be forever grateful that I was able to know each and every staffer of the V. Instead of treating my leaving from the paper as an ending, I will treat it as the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

My time in the V has to end in order to give way to new writers who also want to be a part of the V. Just like me, a lot of Thomasians also have the same dream I had before—to be part of the legacy that is the Varsitarian.

serve the V and the Thomasian community, regardless of how long one stayed.

Until my dying day, being in the V, in all its majesty and splendor, will always be one of my favorite memories.

Although for now, it seems impossible to let the V go, unknowing of where to put all this love I still have, I will eventually be at peace with admiring her from afar. I will continue to support, protect, and uphold the journalistic values and prowess she instilled in me.

I am more than fortunate, to say the least, to have loved the V. In the words of the honey-loving children’s character Winnie the

Pooh, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

But leaving doesn’t mean unloving because no matter where life takes me, I will always look back at my humble beginnings in the V. Leaving might mean I will no longer be physically present in Room 105 of the Tan Yan Kee Student Center, be in with all the current staff’s inside jokes, or even understand half the jargon they’ll use, but it will never mean I will stop loving the V. Leaving doesn’t mean unloving because as I leave the V, the love I have for her will stay.

6

Editor: Erika Mariz S. Cunanan

FEATU

Brillante Mendoza sustains global reputation as foremost Filipino auteur

By ALYSSA CARMINA A. GONZALES and VIANCA A. OCAMPO A THOMASIAN director’s film about small-time drug dealers exploited by corrupt cops made waves in the 69th Cannes Film Festival in France last May. Though Brillante Mendoza did not capture the Best Director Award, Jaclyn Jose took home the Best Actress Award as the lead role in “Ma’ Rosa.”

“Thank you also to Brillante Mendoza.

I was just following whatever he tells me to do. He is such a brilliant director—a genius in the Philippines, and now, here in your country,” Jose said in her acceptance speech.

Ma’ Rosa is his fourth film to compete and gain recognition in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

In 2009, Mendoza became the first and only Filipino to receive the Best Director Award for the film “Kinatay.”

Aside from Kinatay, his film “Serbis,” which shows a family’s struggle with vices and

an underground business in a movie house, was nominated for the Golden Palm Award in 2008. “Taklub,” a film about Yolanda survivors, got the Ecumenical Jury-Prize Special Mention in 2015.

“I’m proud that others are recognizing our talent, not just here in the Philippines, but also globally. We are not only a country of domestic helpers and OFWs. We are a country of talented people and these awards validate our talent,” he said in an interview.

Ma’Rosa Mendoza said Ma’ Rosa was conceptualized four years ago, inspired by the lives of people he knew had been dealing with the drug problem.

“To set the production off, a filmmaker should be accustomed to the ‘dramaticals’ of the story to be able to input those details from the clothes to the materials and setting, to result in a seamless editing having velocity and

connection,” he said.

Ma’ Rosa hit Philippine commercial theatres last July 6 and gained outstanding reviews from the country that made the film possible.

Bringing issues into focus After earning his advertising degree in UST, he entered the entertainment scene as a production designer and art director in various advertisements and films such as “Virgin Forest” in 1985, “Salamangkero” in 1986, and “Valentina” in 1989.

After 12 years, he got the opportunity to write and direct his first film, “Masahista,” a story about a young masseur employed to give service to gay clients, in 2005.

“Since I was a kid, it was already my dream to make films. I wanted to make movies that were different from the mainstream and typical Hollywood films shown on the big

screen,” he said.

Brillante showed no rookie jitters in his first film as it won as the Best Movie in the Young Critics Circle Philippines and was recognized globally with the Golden Leopard Award in the 2005 Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland.

“Independent films are different from those in the mainstream. It’s a different world we move in because of our limitations, so we focus more on the story rather than the technology,” he said.

For the multi-awarded director, not only was it risky to make a film without any credentials; it was also difficult to produce something with a limited budget. To make up for this, he made sure to formulate strategies that would help him and his team make movies by being resourceful and creating stories of great content and significance.

“People always refer to [the issues] as the bad side of the Philippines when in fact it’s not. It’s the Philippines, and unfortunately it’s bad. That’s reality, and you have to face it no matter how painful it is,” he said.

SONA Mendoza was also tapped to direct President Rodrigo Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address last July 25. He said he took the opportunity because he shared the new administration advocacy on social issues.

The televised speech consisted of close-ups, slow transitions, slow camera panning, dim lighting and double exposures which were all unusually done in such political events.

“That’s what I do. I get them to look at it in a different perspective. In a way, it also perked up their interest to its artistic treatment and my advice to them is that they should do their own share and make it worthy,” he said.

Wanted: ‘Revolutionary’ architecture Buensalido

THIS UST graduate is looking to spark a “revolution” in local architecture.

Jason Buensalido’s eponymous firm is behind Aurora Suites and Pavillion, Luscara Clubhouse and Aqua Boracay Beach Village.

The firm has also triumphed in several competitions in and out of the country including the Department of Education’s Millennium Schools and the University of the Philippines and La Farge’s “Ang Pinakamagandang Bahay sa Balat Ng Lupa” in 2008.

These designs are all featured in Buensalido’s book, “Random Responses,” which featured over 150 plans and blueprints of the firm’s past and future projects.

For Buensalido, a 2005 graduate,

architecture should be an offspring of responses to climate, budget, material availability and aesthetics that fit in the country.

Last April, Buensalido’s firm launched “Project: Smart Home,” a townhouse designed for reducing flooding problems in areas near Marikina.

The design lifts the main house in stilts just like how the native bahay kubos were built, saving the entire structure from being submerged in floodwater. Its features also include regenerative amphibious floating terraces that can detach from the house so that families can row to the nearest evacuation centers in case of emergency.

“Architecture is able to cause positive change, it’s a source of a real solution. Imagine the number of people, families, and lives that will be improved because of that simple architectural solution,” he said.

Convincing clients to approve their ideas for the projects has always been the challenge for Buensalido Architects since the initial reaction of clients is to resent something new or to stay away from things that have never been done before.

“Architecture here is always an imitation after an imitation. Clients would always think, why would I spend 30 million for my house that you’re just going to experiment with? I’d rather have something that my neighbor has done,” said Buensalido.

Buensalido has also ventured in art scene, recently having his first art exhibit at the Vinyl on Vinyl Gallery titled “Confluences” last March 31.

The exhibit featured a series of steel sculptures of architectural planes that go into one another.

Like architecture, Buensalido said that art was in a sense, creating something out of nothing and both are means of expression. According to him, the main similarity between the two fields is it both require coming up with concrete ways to aid the society while meeting demands from clients.

“Art questions while architecture questions and proposes a solution. If you look at art, it’s a critique of society while with architecture, it’s a critique and a solution,” he said.

‘No hurry’ Buensalido finished his masters degree in entrepreneurship in the Ateneo de Manila University in 2014. He also obtained certificates for finishing architectural courses from the Architectural Association Global School in Singapore in 2010.

He urged young professionals to resist the temptation of wanting everything to be instant and to realize the value of hard work, to be patient in starting from the bottom.

“You need to know your core values, your core beliefs, your core morals, and these will serve as your compass. Never allow external factors

to dampen your desire to change the world,” he said.

Buensalido also encouraged students to be creative, not only in the field of art and architecture, but also in other fields and professions.

“We believe in contextual architecture, meaning that architecture speaks of the place, the people and the culture. Your expression, in any field, must be a real manifestation of who you are and what you believe in,” Buensalido said.

Buensalido+Architects’ “Project: Smart Home” and “A

URES

7

AUGUST 25, 2016

Brillante Mendoza stands in front of his awards.

Ang Pinakamagandang Bahay sa Balat ng Lupa.”

Photos from BUENSALIDO+ARCHITECTS’ WEBSITE

ALYSSA ADRIENNE T. SAMONTE

Food Technology graduate ventures into 'whoopie pie' business

Stanley Tan inside his pastry shop.

AS FUNNY as a “whoopie pie” may sound, bringing these whimsy treats to the country was no easy feat that a Thomasian dared to explore.

Stanley Tan, who graduated with a degree in Food Technology in 2005, crafted the My Cookie Lab, a pastry shop specializing on creating whoopie pies or two cookies stacked with creamy fillings in between.

After learning how to create whoopies in an American cookie shop in Taiwan, Tan brought the foreign treat home to the Philippines.

“We have a strict quality control on our process and we don’t substitute our ingredients with lesser quality ones,” Tan said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Three years have passed since Tan first brought the whoopie home and there are now over 30 flavors to choose from—a wide array from the original six. Some of their popular creations are the Dark Vader whoopie pie, the Cookies and Cream whoopie pie, the S’mores whoopie pie, the Zhao pie, the Red Velvet crinkles, the Green Tea Almond crinkles and the Coco Choco.

He started out by selling his goods at food bazaars in malls and through online selling. The Food Technology major also sell whoopies by supplying to milk tea and cookie shops around Metro Manila.

Like other entrepreneurs, Tan had a rocky and problematic start which he solved with mere hardwork, dedication,

MARIA CHARISSE ANNE F. REFUERZO

and deligence.

One of the solutions he came up Pie PAGE 9

8 Literary

Editor: Aliliana Margarette T. Uyao

AUGUST 25, 2016

The boy who cried moon

By HANNAH RHOCELLHYNNIA CRUZ and CEDRIC ALLEN P. STA. CRUZ

I WAS dreaming of haunted churches and falling angels until the Moon woke me up, its cascading light smoothing over the gloss of the maps and posters taped on my wall.

Outside the glass doors leading to the balcony, the ledge glistened while the mahogany angels sculpted by my late father stood guard on both sides, their trumpets raised to the Moon as if welcoming it, or rather, Her. “Gabriel. Come here, Gabriel,” the Moon’s soft voice drawled seductively.

I sat upright on my bed, panting and bathed in cold sweat. I took a wary glance at the Moon from the windows and to my relief, the clouds were obscuring Her. She was a sliver of brightness peeking maliciously through the shadowy fingers of the night.

“Gabriel,” she whispered again.

The voice was still hushed and sweet but I knew—if I took a long while and tried to disobey Her—She would send the stars to haunt me.

I glanced at the digital clock on my nightstand and it blinked a quarter before three. This was bad. The sun was still hours from waking. I had to hide myself and fend off the Moon and the stars alone.

Nobody else could hear or see them. Nobody would believe me.

It was three summers ago—I remember well—when the Moon first sang my name. It sounded like a lullaby, the stars humming in chorus.

Every night, I would perch on the ledge of the balcony, mesmerized by their enchantment, while the

inhabitants of Aurora village dozed off in their detached terraced homes, oblivious.

On the evenings the Moon was hiding, I could not sleep. I learned to pick up my brush and my easel and I would paint Her—sometimes as a beautiful young goddess, sometimes as a hunter playing a flute—until I collapsed into the dawn, stains of white, silver and black on my hands and clothes.

Unfortunately, my body was too frail to keep up so I was hospitalized for quite a while and—oh how I suffered not to heed the summons of the Moon! My mother would force pills—to counter what the doctors referred to as my insomnia or “chronic night sleeplessness”—into me just so I would sleep. On worse nights, they had to inject me with those powerful potions and I would wake up in the morning crying for I missed the Moon and the stars.

After a few months of struggle, I could almost sleep normally again, and soon I was brought back home.

I was feeling better and for a week, I did not hear the chants of the Moon or the stars. They were just watching me quietly as I dreamed.

However, the peaceful nights did not last very long. One night, the Moon began calling me again and I went out to the balcony, and told her to let me go. I did not want to get sick again and worry my mother or my older brother, Rafael.

The Moon was enraged! She claimed that I belong to her and the living nightmare began. Her lullaby turned into a piercing cacophony of screams and teeth-chattering scratching of violin strings, and the

Autopilot WE INTERSPERSE ourselves to same scenes— a dull ceiling to welcome the eyes, bland breakfast to pass through the stomach, noxious odors—perfumes of the streets, along with other subtleties between broken traffic lights, dirty street children and rules of the city.

When night comes, we tread the same dangerous streets, hear the same news, ride the same trains, feel the same hunger, and sleep in the same measly bed. Both tired, passive to address the horror of being trapped in working class limbo, pawns to life while our souls stagnantly wait for saving grace.

JOSEF BRIAN M. RAMIL

stars would curse and spit white fire from the heavens. I would fall asleep with my pillows pressed to my ears and my sheets splotched with snot and tears.

There was a night my mother went to the hermana mayor’s house to discuss the line-up for the Santacruzan next month. The stars were running after me. I barged in on Rafael’s room, which reeked of burnt leaves and rubber from the pipe he had been smoking. He cursed at me at first until I told him what was happening. He accompanied me back to my room, and stayed with me until morning, saying that he saw angels dancing in the smoke that evening. We kept it a secret.

My living nightmares worsened and mother found out, dismissing them as my “tantrums” but she eventually decided to bring me to the local psychiatrist at my brother’s insistence.

At the clinic, the psychiatrist asked me a lot of questions, as my mother recounted my sleeplessness, my inability to recall parts of recent incidents, my agitated gait, how I “spaced out” often, and my “hallucinations” about the Moon and stars.

He seemed to cue on my anxiety as he turned to my mother. He broke the news to her that I was showing manifestations of schizophrenia, pointing to the complicated word flashed in red, bold letters listed on a chart of known mental illnesses, saying then that there is no cure for this kind of condition, but therapy and rehabilitation could be considered.

The rest was a blur until I recalled my mother dragging

me away from the stark white clinic and lashing out at the psychiatrist, fiercely objecting to the verdict on her son being “disjoint from reality.”

Nevertheless, I was homeschooled after, which did not bother me much. In the last few months, the long, far side wall of my room was filled with paintings, and they stared back at me like a surreal mosaic of the real and the unreal conjured from the beauty and darkness inside my head.

Faint rays of moonlight shone on them: one featured two-headed seraphim falling from the moon, silver wolves howling beneath them; and another a midair battle between one-winged angels and many-headed monsters, their swords and spears flashing against a crimson sky, among many others obscured in the shadows.

Now, I felt dread clinging to my bones and the panicked butterflies swarming wildly at the pit of my stomach. The Moon would catch me if I did not hurry!

I shoved all the canvases aside, and took the little jar of black acrylic paint among the chaos of colors. I dipped my largest brush in it and began spreading black all over my skin and my white pajamas, trying to blend with the darkness.

“Gabriel, where are you?” the Moon called out, louder this time.

I was about to run to the door when I caught a glimpse of the mirror opposite the window and saw Her—full and bright, beaming at me. Suddenly, the voice grew more thunderous and I heard the cackling of a thousand stars coming from the window. They told me it was only a matter of time before they

come for me.

I collapsed on the floor, trying to block out the noise by covering my ears, but it reverberated in my head like an orchestra of howling creatures.

I watched in horror as the shadows began to dance over the patch of moonlight adjacent to the glass doors and windows.

I desperately wanted to close my eyes but I was afraid that if I did, the darkness would swallow me. I transfixed my eyes on the neon red lines flashing on the clock, praying desperately for dawn to come and save me from this nightmare.

I lost sense of what was happening to me until I heard the door bang open and then my mother and Rafael rushed to my side. It was only then that I realized I was screaming my lungs out. Several voices were screeching, hissing, speaking to me all at the same time. They were all demanding answers!

“They’re coming! They will descend from the sky and take me!

Go away! Leave me alone!” I yelled hysterically, flailing my arms and body as if possessed by some malevolent force. “No! I don’t want to!”

Suddenly, the lights in my room were tuned on, momentarily blinding me as the voices died down a little, and extinguishing some of the shadows although a few remained.

“Gabriel, darling,” my mother said and I flinched at her touch because just then, the Moon echoed her voice.

“Why are you coated in black–what is this? Paint?”

The stars snickered, and I felt naked and vulnerable.

“Oh mama, help me hide please!

I’m begging you!” I cried desperately, dipping my fingers into the jar of black paint and frantically reapplying them on my skin where the black disguise was already peeling off. “The Moon!

She was calling me!”

“What are you, a little kid? Stop doing that! You’re seventeen for goodness’ sake!”

Rafael sat beside me, rubbing my back and whispering “Shhh, it’s all right,” over and over.

“Brother, they’re hiding in the shadows! You have to—” Then my mother’s hand hit me like an unforgiving strike of lightning.

I dropped the paint jar and it shattered, thin shards of glass popping on the cold marble floor.

“Wake up, will you!” she screamed. “It’s all in your head!”

I heard the Moon giggle until the red fingers of the dawn took Her away.

First encounter I SHIVERED, unused to being met by rows and rows of zipped black bags, a crowded waiting room of unsuspecting patients finished with their waiting.

The metal of the scalpel was cold against my fingertips.

I took a breath, and finding it hard and unrelenting, threw my weight against my hands; I was unsurprised by the snap, the sound of metal against bone, the scent of formalin wafted up to greet me, stinging my eyes.

His hands were worn, fingers blackened with age and use and his palms were thick, as if they had once held more than a day’s worth of hardship, sores weeping and skin burning in the scorching heat of summer.

“Save lives,” they said.

“Breathe life,” they said.

I pulled off my gloves, wiped the sweat off my brow and thought “Honor life,” instead.

PAULA DANIKA BINSOL

Coordinator: Rhenn Anthony S. Taguiam

Sci-Tech 9

AUGUST 25, 2016

Does Pokémon GO abet mobile game addiction?

By EDRIS DOMINIC C. PUA WHAT STARTED as video game designer Satoshi Tajiri’s fascination for insect-collecting in 1995 is now the second-most popular video game franchise worldwide, next to Nintendo’s Mario franchise.

With 122 games under its slate, Pokémon is the hottest mobile game today.

Entire evenings have been spent tucked under sheets with players “becoming the very best” in their cause to train their Pokémon, or Pocket Monsters. However, when “Pokémon GO” was launched last month, it seems that Pokémon was still ready to break trends.

Pokémon GO is built on Niantic Labs’ “real world gaming platform” which makes use of real locations to encourage players to explore the real world in search for Pokémon.

The game allows players to find and catch more than a hundred species of Pokémon as they explore their surroundings.

Unfortunately, the game’s popularity has earned criticism that Pokémon, like any other video game franchise, can cause addiction and even offer new means to promote inaction and laziness. After all, who would bother to go outside if they can save the world from their mobile phones?

Breaking trends​ Concerns about video game addiction have been the subject of several studies for years.

Daria Kruss and Mark Griffiths from Nottingham Trent University suggest that excessive online gaming may lead to symptoms commonly exhibited by substance abusers such as salience, mood modification, craving and tolerance.

However, the arrival of Pokémon GO in iOS and Android devices seems to have broken this trend. A lot of Pokémon GO players actually claim to have been more motivated to go outside and interact with others. Some players even claim that the game helped them deal with anxiety and depression. “[Pokémon GO] is entertaining because it is a creative way to be active.

I have been a fan of Pokémon since the original Gameboy games,” Michael Villarica, an American citizen based in Long Island, told the Varsitarian in an online interview. “I am playing the games again and watching the original show [because of Pokémon GO.]” He added that the game is promoting the importance of staying fit and active, having experienced the effect firsthand. “For the past few days, I’ll randomly go skating to try and find some Pokémon.”

Unfortunately, reports have also surfaced of acts of trespassing, the sudden rise of mugging and cases of accidents involving the game. Reports such as people falling off cliffs, being involved in shootouts and even causing a stampede has been alluded to what seems to be an ‘addiction’ to Pokémon GO. This is despite the fact that the game is still under limited release and

much of the cases have surfaced from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and in some parts of Europe and Asia.

However, despite impressions associating Pokémon GO and other video games to “addiction,” studies believe the terminology is simply an overreaction.

Bandwagon effect “Bandwagoning” is a phenomenon in which people do something primarily because other people are doing it.

Economist Harvey Leibenstein states in his study that “bandwagoning” represents the desire of people to purchase a commodity in order to get into the “swim of things,” to conform with the people they wish to be associated with, or to be fashionable.

It is possible that people play Pokémon GO because of the pressure to conform to society’s trends as studies also suggest that the degree of immersive experience is closely related to how engaging people find videogames.

In a study conducted by gaming researcher Richard Wood from Nottingham Trent University, there is currently no such clinical criteria for something to be considered as video game “addiction” that has been accepted by any organization responsible for defining mental disorders.

Joe Ahn and George Randall from Clemson University in the United States also observed in a study that many

people use video games not because they are “addicted,” but because it is the only comfortable social medium for them. This might mean “addicted” gamers are simply following trends, or even simply coping up with anxiety issues.

Pamela Rutledge, director of California’s Media Psychology Research Center, said in an article that Pokémon GO is appealing because it blends game experience with physical activity and real socialization.

“Pokémon GO allows you to bring fantasy into your own life but within your own control,” Rutledge said.

“I did not feel addicted, but I could see why someone could be. It is gratifying to catch Pokémon. The goal of catching them all is also very appealing,” Villarica, who echoed Rutledge, said.

Sigrid Cruz, a Thomasian who spent her vacation in the United States and had the chance to play the game, said that people in the United States have pulled over in highways just to catch Pokémon.

“I felt worried because it was pure chaos. There are also more accidents, because people become frustrated or angry due to the traffic jams.” Cruz said. “People walk around cities and neighborhoods even until early morning or late at night in some pretty somber places and it’s just not safe.”

Regardless, Pokémon GO may have its merits, especially in treating issues related to anxiety and depression.

Psychologist John Grohol told

PsychCentral that PokemonGO and its encouragement to get people moving is beneficial to mental health especially because walking has been a proven method of dealing with anxiety and depression.

“One of the features of this game is allowing you to actually challenge one of the major complaints about gaming: that it’s sedentary and isolating,” Rutledge said.

The avatar of a Pokémon trainer, as seen in the mobile game, and a Pokéball.

Module seeks to foster ‘environmental literacy’

By KARL BEN L. ARLEGUI AN INCREASING number of students are having difficulty appreciating and studying nature, according to a UST research on “environmental literacy.”

This phenomenon was first described by nature journalist Richard Louv as “nature-deficit disorder,” which, he described in his book “The Last Child in the Woods,” as the “disconnection of humans, especially the children, to nature.”

Professor Moises Garcia, Ph.D. and his wife Maria Cobar-Garcia, Ph.D. of the College of Science sought to resolve this problem by creating a module to help students celebrate and understand nature which could be added to the new K to 12 curriculum.

The Garcias’ module will first focus on the biodiversity and conservation of tropical rainforests due to their abundance in tropical areas and encompasses almost all if not all of environmental problems.

“The rainforests are important since they get the most energy from the sun and they offer the best conditions for plant growth,” he explained.

He added that students might have a hard time comprehending topics on science and technology due to a lack of exposure.

“Everything that is not visible, is very difficult to comprehend” he said, adding that concepts in science such as thermodynamics, nutrient cycles and energy flow are not directly visible to the naked eye and therefore makes them harder to understand.

Learning by exploration The Garcias’ study was in line with the National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008, which sought to educate and influence citizens to take care of the environment.

Their initial research, is geared toward improving a student’s capacity to love nature through exposure both inside and outside the classroom.

The Garcias’ found out that students inclined to learn inside the classroom are developed through different kinds of tests.

“Not only knowledge but also competency is gained,” he said, stressing that students gained a will to act to the problem by simply avoiding the use of straw and pet bottles. “Those small

Pie

Patnubay

with is utilizing the benefits of promoting his craft through social media, a platform that plays a crucial work for startup entrepreneurs.

“It is very important that you have a passion in what you do and to always think that someone up there is looking after you,” he said. “My advice is to continue learning. Try to have a very diverse palate also. Keep experimenting on different flavors and cuisines.”

For Tan, he may had long years before carving his name in food and entrepreneurship scene, but these long years meant ensuring quality service and bringing satistaction to customers.

“I wanted to make sure our product, process and manpower was ready. I didn’t want to rush something and make a substandard product.”

The My Cookie Lab branch found in Banawe street in Quezon City is the first testament to the Tan’s journey to success.

ng anumang pagkalito kung gagamitin.

Nilalayon ng patnubay na madaling maipaunawa sa mga Filipino ang mga abisong pampanahon, partikular ang mga teknikal na terminolohiyang meteorohikal upang maibsan ang pagkalito ng publiko tuwing panahon ng kalamidad.

Bunsod din ito ng hagupit ng Bagyong Yolanda na kumitil sa maraming buhay noong 2013, ayon kay Benjamin Mendillo Jr., pinuno ng Sangay ng Salin ng KWF. “Napaka-unfortunate [na] kailangan munang magkaroon ng matinding sakuna, [tulad ng Bagyong] Yolanda [upang] magising ang bayan. Sinabi ni [Pangulong Aquino] na kailangan ang ating mga weder forkast ay dapat naiintindihan,” paliwanag ni Mendillo.

Matatandaan na bago tumama sa kalupaan ang

FROM PAGE 7

MULA SA PAHINA 3

Bagyong Yolanda, naglabas na ng serye ng mga abiso ang DOST-PAGASA na nagsasaad ng kinakailangang paghahanda at paglikas sanhi ng paparating na malalaki at malalakas na daluyong bagyo.

Gayunpaman, hindi naintindihan ng mga apektadong residente ang terminong storm surge na ginamit sa mga nasabing abiso. Ito ang sinasabing ugat ng pagkasawi ng libulibong Filipino at pagkasira ng milyun-milyong ari-arian sa Visayas.

Inamin naman ng DOSTPAGASA ang pagkukulang sa komunikasiyon, lalo na sa pagpapa-unawa sa mga apektadong residente kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng storm surge na lubhang hindi pangkaraniwan sa mga mamamayan.

“Nag-storm surge warning na pero marami pa ring nasa laot, nagsu-swimming; marami pa ring nagingisda.

‘Di nila alintana ang storm surge,” ani Mendillo. “Bakit?

Dahil hindi nila alam kung ano

efforts create a big change.”

Students inclined to leave the classroom are shown to have developed stronger beliefs and a more positive attitude towards conservation.

“It is more on the emotion, the love and act for nature is developed,” he said.

Garcia added this might be due to exposure to nature which can help students empathize with concerns related with the environment.

In other countries such as Japan and Germany, schools allot time to make sure students get to travel outside.

The couple is preparing for the next phase of their research, which focuses on evaluating the environmental literacy of elementary and high school teachers.

Battling apathy with awareness Researcher David Allred of Sonoma State University California argued that humans are patterned to live outdoors based on its historical background as a species.

Urbanization and technological evolution are strong factors that have caused people to stay indoors and may have been producing a generation of adults that are apathetic towards ang storm surge. By the term and by its definition, hindi nila naiintindihan dahil nga ito ay nasa banyagang wika.”

“Kapag ginamit na ito (mga abisong isinalin sa Filipino) nang paunti-unti ng mga tao, maiintindihan nila na may mga implikasiyon ang hindi pagsunod dito,” dagdag niya. “Kapag Filipino, mas nanunuot, mas naiintindihan nila. Ito, daluyong-bagyo, hindi lamang storm surge.

Mas nakagigimbal kaya mas angkop talaga.”

Proseso ng pagsasalin Nagsimula ang aklat bilang isang talaan ng mga salita na kalaunan ay naging patnubay na naglalaman ng mga mahahalagang impormasiyon hinggil sa KLIMA na “makatutulong sa mga mambabasa upang makaiwas sa masasamang panahon,” ayon kay Brenda Jean Postrero, patnugot ng patnubay.

Inabot ng mahigit isang taon ang pagbuo sa nasabing libro sapagkat dumaan ito

nature.

Allred cited environmentalist Patricia Zaradic who coined the term “videophilia,” or a person’s tendency to focus on sedentary activities involving electronic media, which may lead one to neglect nature.

This can be remedied by focusing on direct and indirect natural experience and lessening vicarious experiences.

Direct experience toward nature involves physical contact with a free environment such as forests and wilderness, which he associated with the environment man has been exposed before settling in villages and cities. Meanwhile indirect natural experiences are contact inside controlled environments like zoos and farms.

Vicarious natural experiences are nonphysical contact with nature through media such as magazines or the internet. However, this can help manifest “symptoms” of “natural deficit disorder” which are emotional disorders, disciplinary problems, and depression due to a lack of exposure to natural means of relaxation.

“In short, the manicured grass of the soccer field is no substitute in terms of developmental stimulation from a random patch of wilderness,” he said.

sa mabusising proseso.

Isinaliksik ng Sangay sa Pagsasalin ng komisyon na may siyam na tagasalin ang lahat ng materyales at kagamitan ng DOST-PAGASA tulad ng mga poster at aklat na kailangang isalin sa wikang Filipino.

Itinala ng sangay ang mga salitang meteorohikal at isinalin, hindi lamang sa wikang Filipino kundi maging sa iba’t ibang wika mula sa mga rehiyon ng bansa tulong ng samu’t saring diksyonaryo.

Ayon kay Mendillo, naging prayoridad din nila ang pagsasalin sa mga termonolohiya sa wika ng mga rehiyong pinakamadalas tamaan ng bagyo at kalamidad.

Pagkatapos maisalin ang lahat ng mga terminolohiyang meteorohikal, inilapit ng sangay ang tala sa mga weather forecast ng DOSTPA G A S A — p a n g l o k a l o pangehiyonal—upang matukoy kung ginagamit nila ang mga sinaling salita sa kanilang trabaho at mga abiso.

Sa katunayan,

nagkaroon ng mahigit apat na konsultasiyon sa pagitan ng DOST-PAGASA at KWF upang masusing siyasatin ng mga eksperto ang mga pakahulugan at pagsasalin sa mga terminolohiyang meteorohikal, partikular na ang mga salitang masyadong teknikal.

“Lahat ng hepe ng bawat depertamento [ng DOST] ay pinaupo namin upang tingnan ang mga salin sa Filipino. Kapuwa sila rin ay nagtatalo kung ano ang tiyak na kahulugan [na dapat gamitin],” paliwanag ni Mendillo. “Sila na mismo ang nagmungkahi kung ano ang magiging tiyak na kahulugan nito sapagkat ayaw nilang magpalabas ng isang aklat na isinalin lang at hindi magiging batayang aklat.”

Sa kasalukuyan, layon ng KWF na maipalaganap ang paggamit ng patnubay, ngunit nasa kamay pa rin ng DOSTPAGASA ang pagpapatupad nito. JASPER EMMANUEL Y. ARCALAS at BERNADETTE A. PAMINTUAN

10 Limelight

Art Director: Ava Mariangela C. Victoria

AUGUST 25, 2016

BUHAY USTEDYANTE BY CHINNY MAE F. BASINANG

BEN N’ VIDES BY KIRSTEN M. JAMILLA

USTIPS BY FREYA D.L.R. TORRES MAMI-MISS KO ‘YUNG KOMIKS, MARK!

Lipa FROM PAGE 1 apparitions, following a Vatican probe.

It ordered that “any and all commissions studying the question of the alleged supernatural phenomenon of the alleged apparitions in the Carmel of Lipa be immediately disbanded.”

The decree was signed by Cardinal Gerhard Müller and his secretary, Archbishop Luis Ladaria.

‘Unfair’ Arguelles, who received the ruling in May, said he only publicized the conclusion of the CDF ruling last May 31 because the first two pages were “unfair.” Other dioceses later released the full text.

First, the decree attributed a moral defect to the Carmelite prioress who is dead and no longer able to defend herself, he said.

Second, it appeared that the commission of six Filipino bishops that declared the Lipa apparitions nonsupernatural in 1951 was used to make the prior rejection of the Vatican more acceptable to Filipinos, he added.

Third, Arguelles said the CDF was unfair to him. The prelate said he sought access to the Vatican archives in 2009 but was denied. Thus, he did not know of Pope Pius XII’s supposed decision when he approved and declared the apparitions “worthy of belief” in September 2015.

Arguelles said the

SANDALI LANG TAYONG NASA KOMIKS. SANA HINDI NILA MALIMUTAN ‘YUNG MGA PINAGSASABI NATIN SA KANILA.

only directives from the Vatican prior to the latest CDF decree was to stop investigations on the apparitions.

The CDF itself admitted to the communications snafu in its Dec. 11, 2015 decree, saying the papal nuncio at the time preferred to course the 1951 decision through the special commission of six bishops, whose pronouncements made it appear that the Vatican had yet to make a final ruling.

‘No real documents’ Arguelles also said he doubted whether Pope Pius XII really made a definitive ruling on the Lipa apparitions.

“It is really strange that they (Vatican) have claimed that the Holy Father (Pius XII) had made a declaration but we do not have any real documents from the Holy Father. The six bishops [in the commission] were used by the Holy See in order for their decision to be more easily acceptable to the Filipino people,” Arguelles said.

“They did not give any proof or written definition [from the Pope.]

Normally, when the Holy Father makes a definitive stand on matters, he publishes it in an apostolic exhortation.

We have to find out if this is really a [legitimate] decree,” he added.

Deception?

Documents showed that the supposed apparitions started on Sept. 12, 1948 in Lipa’s Carmelite monastery. A postulant, Sr. Teresa Castillo, also known as “Teresita,” was praying in the garden when the vines began to shake.

She heard the voice of the Blessed Mother, telling her to return to the same spot where the vines shook, for the next 15 days.

W h e n Castillo returned, the Blessed Mother appeared to her on a cloud, wearing an immaculate white robe with a golden rosary on her hand. Castillo

was instructed to encourage the people to pray the rosary.

The Blessed Mother’s last appearance was supposedly on Nov. 12, 1948, when she showered rose petals from heaven, containing images of Jesus, Mary and the saints.

She revealed herself as the “Mary Mediatrix of All Grace” and revealed four “secrets” about Castillo, China, the world and the Blessed Mother herself.

The CDF, formerly the Holy Office of the Inquisition, explained at length why the 1948 apparitions in Lipa lacked supernatural origin, unearthing the findings of an investigation it conducted from 1949 to 1951.

The five-page decree pointed to the written admission by Mother Mary Cecilia of Jesus, prioress of the Carmelite monastery, to “deception” during the supposed apparitions to Castillo.

The prioress supposedly disowned claims that she also heard voices from the Blessed Mother, saying that she instead got “written notes.” She also supposedly admitted to having “manipulated the rose petals” showered at the monastery, to make it appear there were sacred images embedded in them.

The Carmelite sisters were ordered to burn rose stems without petals and to “tell the same story to experts sent by the Vatican,” the decree bared.

The CDF noted that there were “special feelings” and “preferential attitude” between the prioress and Castillo, and questioned why a number of supposed messages from the Blessed Mother concerned relations between the two.

It also said Castillo was under the influence of pain medication.

Propellers But for Arguelles, the “apparitions in Lipa have something supernatural.”

“How can the sisters invent those petals and place nice engravings in those petals of the faces of the Blessed Mother?” he asked.

On accusations that the Carmelite sisters used blowers

Archbishop Arguelles

A rose petal showing images of the Child Jesus and Mary said to have been showered at the Lipa Carmelite Monastery in 1948. Photo courtesy of LIPA TOURISM AND MUSEUM COUNCIL

NG

ALAM MO, OKAY LANG NA ‘DI TAYO SUMIKAT MASYADO...

to shower the rose petals, Arguelles said: “You know in Lipa, in 1948, they hardly had any electricity.”

“And to throw petals one kilometer away from the Carmel when propellers didn’t exist in that place at that time in Lipa. And if ever there was, before you can get the petals, they have already been destroyed.”

Arguelles hinted that prejudice could have played a role in how the Vatican dealt with the Lipa apparitions in 1951.

“It is because we are not Italians.

We are not Europeans. But they are deciding in Rome here anything about in the Philippines,” he said.

Not the end Society of the Divine Word priest Fr. Bel San Luis, a Manila Bulletin columnist, believes there is still hope for Lipa devotees.

“To my mind, it means that there was no sufficient and convincing evidence to support the claim of the reported miracles. But if God and the Blessed Mother willed the miracles to happen, then they will happen,” San Luis said.

H e cited the apparitions at the grotto in Lourdes, France, w h e r e Church leaders

...ANG IMPORTANTE AY MABUTI ANG NAGING IMPLUWENSIYA NATIN SA MGA TOMASINO!

at first did not believe the story of Bernadette Soubirous who was thought to be mentally deranged.

Several miracles have been attributted to Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace, such as healings of the sick and conversions through “faithful intercessions.”

Maria Rosa, a member of the Missionary Catechists of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus, said the CDF’s decision won’t lessen her devotion to the Blessed Mother.

“Para sa akin, she is truly a mother, kasi andiyan siya palagi.

Kung kailangan ko ng guidance, ng prayers para sa aking misyon, sa aking pagtuturo at sa lahat ng aking gawain, andiyan siya,” Rosa said in a phone interview.

CBCP not expected to appeal Arguelles said he did not expect the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines to appeal the Vatican decision.

And he does not mind being called a fanatic for insisting on a strong Marian devotion.

“I am fanatic and I will not be ashamed of that. I think we need a Blessed Mother now.

There are forces trying to diminish the role of the Blessed Mother in our today’s troubled world.”

GABRIEL M. AGCAOILI, JOEL SEBASTIAN D. CRISTOBAL and CHRISTIAN DE LANO M. DEIPARINE

Editor: Delfin Ray M. Dioquino

AUGUST 25, 2016

Sports 11

Veteran Tiger Paddlers seek end to drought

By JAN CARLO ANOLIN THE VETERAN trio of Norielle Pantoja, Alberto Bazar and Gil Ablanque, who won the title in 2012, is seeking to end the Tiger Paddlers’ three-year title drought in their last UAAP year.

“Sa training wala naman nang dapat i-adjust pa. Kailangan na lang talaga namin ay ‘yung tapang namin sa laro. Mahirap na makita naman na kaya naman namin ‘yung kalaban pero natatalo pa rin kami,” team captain Pantoja told the Varsitarian.

Bazar said they have developed through the years and have become solid as ever.

“Mahirap ‘yung mga times na tingin mo, ‘di ka na nag-i-improve.

Kailangan mo talaga magtiyaga para mag-improve pa. Tsaka, ‘yung mga nakakalaban mong malalakas, syempre kailangan mong makasabay [sa kanila,]” said Bazar.

Being only exposed to the competitive scene once he suited up for the Paddlers, Bazar quickly made an impression after winning Rookie

of the Year honors in 2012. He was honed by a Japanese-instructor named Osamu Tanaka since the age of nine and Bazar never realized he could make a name for himself out of a hobby.

Among the three veterans, Ablanque is considered the most experienced paddler since he has been playing table tennis starting second grade.

“Sa physical na training mahirap ‘yun kasi ibubuhos mo lahat, buong puso mo para lang mag-champion.

Goal talaga namin ay mag-champion.

Mas masakit naman pagdating sa laro, talo ka na nga, ‘di ka pa nagchampion,” the former three-time Palarong Pambansa gold medalist said.

The last time the Tiger Paddlers won the gold was in Seasons 73 to 75.

UST struggled last year against threetime defending champion De La Salle University. They settled with a silver.

Through the entire UAAP playing years, Pantoja and Bazar both captured a gold, silver, and bronze while Ablanque has two golds, one silver and a bronze.

Bazar, Pantoja and Ablanque.

High hopes from new Tiger bigman from Ghana

By IVAN RUIZ L. SUING AFTER three years of playing for the reserve team, William Afoakwah will finally get to show his game.

The 6’6” Afoakwah will take over scoring machine Karim Abdul’s responsibilities as the Tigers’ new bigman this Season 79.

“I just wanna get over there and give what I can [to the team].

As coach told me, ‘Just trust your teammates and everything is going to be fine,’” Afoakwah told the Varsitarian.

The Ghanian center has been training with the Tigers since 2012 after he left De La Salle University.

Afoakwah possesses quickness and athleticism, which will be useful against other bigmen like FEU’s Prince Orizu and Ateneo’s Chibueze Ikeh. But he also needs to improve his shooting and other fundamentals.

Humble beginnings Afoakwah’s mother introduced him to basketball, accompanying him in his games

Medals FROM PAGE 12

was then enticed to follow his brother’s footsteps at the ripe age of 16, an age in which heavy training required for conditioning might already be difficult for a teenager’s body.

Ramil, already a wellknown marathoner in Mindanao, trained Elbrin three times a day as his first coach. The intense training sessions had already taken a toll on Elbrin’s right knee but it did not stop him from pursuing the path his brother

Editorial

FROM PAGE 4

forgotten that the ROTC became an avenue for irregularities, including hazing, physical abuse, extortions and corruption. These unsconscionable practices led to the killing of UST ROTC cadet Mark Welson Chua in 2001. It was Chua who filed a complaint with the Department of Defense over irregularities in the ROTC; his complaint was reported by the Varsitarian and opened a can of worms in the festering program.

Shortly afterward, Chua’s body was found floating on the Pasig River—his head wrapped with a

and training sessions.

“My mom was a fan of Michael Jordan, so my mom brought me to [Africa] Basketball Academy and I started playing basketball,” Afoakwah said.

The kid from Ghana found his first home in Taft with the Green Archers.

“It was tough. I didn’t know anything [back then], can’t even speak Tagalog [while I was here in the Philippines,]” he said.

During his stay in La Salle, he was just participating

in the La Salle’s basketball practices without even thinking he would make it in the roster.

Since Afoakwah will be playing under UST coach Boy Sablan’s run and gun system, he has to develop his stamina, said UST conditioning coach John Aquino “Sanay siya sa slow.

He gets away with his size and strength.

I’m trying to give him explosive drills na would help him to become quicker [and] tougher,” Aquino said.

Faculty

ROTC

ng lahat ng [higher educational institutions],” she said.

In IICS, some faculty members were not allowed to teach by the companies they work for because of changes in their workloads, IICS Director Alex Santos said in an e-mail. “[We need more instructors because] IICS was tasked to handle the general computer courses in some of the faculties and colleges,” Santos said.

The Department of English has eight part-time and full time teachers. IICS has interviewed applicants to fill up vacancies, while Accountancy is still searching for new professors.

government,” Nigos said.

FROM PAGE 2

Senior high Vizconde also said some English teachers might move to the newly opened UST Senior High School next school year, aggravating the shortage.

“These teaching loads plus the research loads have kept all these teachers from going to the senior high school,” she said. MA. Afoakwah

FROM PAGE 1

Intelligence network Nigos said the UST ROTC program was prepared for the decline in enrollees, adding that the small number of cadets would allow a more comprehensive training.

He reminded Thomasians that the ROTC program was not “merely a marching group,” but an organized “Student Intelligence Network” composed of military police, medics, civil-military operations and cadet officers.

Nigos said the military reserve training program would be able to help the President’s anti-drug campaign, because reservists could be tapped for either civic or defense services.

proposal but said colleges and universities should prohibit abusive behavior among cadets.

“We support mandatory ROTC as long as appropriate implementation will be observed. Also, if mandated, UST ROTC must ensure that issues of corruption and abuse will not be tolerated,” said Guste.

ROTC has been an optional one-year program for 15 years, with the passage of the NSTP Act of 2001 that gave university students other choices: CWTS and LTS. Congress abolished mandatory ROTC following the death of Thomasian Mark Welson Chua, who exposed corruption in the UST ROTC program in January 2001 through a Varsitarian special report.

Guste referred to the incident as part of the “dark history of ROTC,” saying it “should not be neglected nor should [it] be a hindrance for ROTC to be mandated.”

“I think we need to use [the incident] as a reminder [to] all institutions and organizations that in order to prevent abuse of power and authority, proper guidance and support from higher administration should be received,” she said.

CONSUELO D.P. MARQUEZ and ROY ABRAHMN D.R. NARRA

No abuse, corruption In his first State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte called for a strengthened ROTC program “to instill love of country and good citizenship,” and urged reservists to help his anti-drug campaign.

Guste agreed with Duterte’s him sustain his nutrition.

“Noong walang-wala talaga ako, sabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘Gusto ko na umuwi.’ Gutom na gutom ako, wala naman akong pera.

Isa rin ‘yun sa nakakatulong sa akin, ‘yungmga fun run.

Kasicompetition din yun eh, kaya ang pressure sa pakikipaglaban, nawawala.”

Now a member of the national training pool, the 22-year-old no longer have to join fun runs in the weekends as he receives additional support from the national government, which in turn he uses to aid his jobless mother back in Alubijid.

Laure

President Duterte must realize that the ROTC program is not the only avenue to foster nationalism, patriotism and good citizenship.

The kind of military training, which historically has fostered the culture of “political patronage, violence, sexism and machismo,” as one lawmaker puts it, does not cultivate love of nation and service to others; it engenders twisted, even murderous, values as shown by the hateful history of the ROTC. To revive compulsory ROTC would restore one dark legacy of Ferdinand Marcos’s martial law—state bossism and terrorism on campus.

UAAP

took. “’Pag alas-dose ng tanghali, ‘yun ang pinakamahirap.

Tumatakbo kami minsan 21-kilometers at 10-kilometers.

Sobrang init. Kaya minsan, gusto ko nang uminom ng tubig. Pero ‘pag madami naman ang nainom mo, sasakit ang tiyan mo. Kaya minsan, umiiyak ako. Pero nagtuloy-tuloy na lang ako.”

Eventually, his hard work paid off as he saw action in the 2011 Palarong Pambansa held in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte where he was discovered and recruited by Arellano University coach Butchoy del

Rosario.

Manila-bound As Neri played his final year of high school for the Arellano Chiefs, he broke the NCAA junior’s record in the 800-meter dash.

Although he was already committed to join FEU for college where he was set to join South East Asian Games medalist Christopher Ulboc, he had a change of heart to don the black and gold. It was his girlfriend and teammate, Jessah Mae Fernandez, who ultimately convinced him to instead go to

España. “[S]abi niya dito na lang ako sa UST kasi maganda ang benefits. Minsan sa Arellano kasi walang pagkain at mga vitamins ganoon. Pero sumusuporta sila sa athlete, ‘di katulad nang sa UST maganda ang pag-suporta nila sa mga athlete.”

While he has enjoyed a lot of success representing the University and the country for four years, Neri still had to endure life’s hardships as his monthly athlete stipend failed to support him. This forced him to run three times a week in fun runs in an attempt to win prizes to help

silver packaging tape, his hands tied with shoestring and his legs bound by a packaging tape.

The perpetrators? His fellow ROTC cadet officers who were sons of officers from the police and military. His killers have been convicted in absentia; they’re still on the loose a dozen years after their sentencing. One could only wonder why the police, military and the defense establishment have not brought them to justice up to now!

The 2001 incident sparked campus unrest and caused colleges and universities to push for the abolition of the mandatory ROTC. It was in fact UST—via its rector at that time,

Fr. Tamerlane Lana, OP—that initially called for the abolition of compulsory ROTC and rallied the University Belt consortium in calling on Congress to act. As a result, Republic Act No. 9163, otherwise known as the National Service Training Program Act of 2001, was passed, which made ROTC an optional one-year program.

We had thought that the move to restore mandatory ROTC had something to do with the need to strengthen external defense as a result of Chinese bullying and territorial aggressiveness in the West Philippine Sea. But Duterte and his pretender foreign secretary,

Perfecto Yasay, are known to kowtow to Beijing.

In any case, Duterte and his lackeys in Congress and sycophants in Ched should be reminded that even as an optional program, ROTC has added tens of thousands to the reservist pool of the armed forces; there are enough warm and young bodies to conscript in case of a sudden war with the nation’s enemies.

But that of course is merely false comfort when one considers that reservists may have been poorly trained and lacked discipline.

Look at the road-rage incident that resulted in the killing in Quiapo of an unarmed biker in cold blood by an army reservist!

FROM PAGE 12 open hitter said.“Saka sa akin naman, alam ko namang mas magaling talaga siya sakin.”

Eya remains positive that staying longer in the juniors’ league would help her improve her game even more.

“Dadalhin ko ‘yung experience and natutunan ko every game.”

“Dito kasi iba ‘yung culture ng pinaglalaruan and ibang klaseng level ‘yung laro every game,” she said.

FROM PAGE 12 setup, because that’s our advocacy—‘Olympianism’ and ‘amateurism.’ We have a complete program, we engage in all sports programs of the UAAP.” For Kinjho Sueko, UAAP Season 78 gold medalist and Lady Judoka captain, UST embodies the mantra “where champions in life are born.” “‘Di kami nagre-recruit ng magaling. Kami ang gumagawa ng magagaling. Open lagi [kami] sa mga willing matuto,” Sueko said.

Sports

AUGUST 25, 2016

The highs and lows of 2007-2008— the last time UST hosted the UAAP

By JOHN CHESTER P. FAJARDO, RANDELL ANGELO B. RITUMALTA and LEIF ARILD F. SYKIOCO THE LAST time UST hosted the UAAP nine years ago, it medalled in 23 out of 28 events—nine golds, seven silvers and a bronze. Not to mention, capturing the general championship.

But it was a season also remembered for its defeats: the Growling Tigers lost the men’s basketball title, the women’s volleyball team and the Salinggawi Dance Troupe their respective crowns as well.

“It’s very memorable at the same time forgettable because of its impact on the community,” recalled Anthony Divinagracia, a former Varsitarian sports writer and later editor.

Bumpy ride The Growling Tigers’ title defense suffered a blow before it could even start when a week before the tournament they lost reigning Finals MVP Jojo Duncil over a controversy surrounding his age. Duncil later opted to turn pro.

Since then, it’s been a bumpy ride for UST, which hosts this year’s UAAP Season 79.

After the record-setting 333 total points in Season 71, UST fell short of a 16th straight general title to De La Salle University in Season 75.

UST reclaimed the title in Season 77, thanks to the late-season heroics of the Tiger Softbelles which gave the University a slim three-point lead over rivals La Salle.

New hope But the triumphs were short-lived. Last season, the Archers secured the crown by two points, 282-280, after the Lady Archers defeated the Lady Eagles in the women’s volleyball tournament.

UST’s UAAP hosting might just be what it needs to revitalize its competitiveness.

While other universities are arguably spending more to bolster their teams, UST prefers to develop its own talents, Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. said in a previous interview.

‘Amateurism’ “Our sports programs are still okay, because we have a different strategy, and other universities have different strategies,” he said. “For example, we have a complete UAAP PAGE 11

Despite absorbing their third straight loss, the UST Golden Tigresses’s V-League campaign remains alive but they need to win back-to-back games to barge into the playoffs. ALYSSA ADRIENNE T. SAMONTE

Softbelles stay sharp, focused in US, Canada stints

By RALPH EDWIN U. VILLANUEVA THE PHILIPPINE softball team, backed by three UST players, finished at 16th out of 31 participants in the World Women’s Softball Championship in Surrey, Canada last July 15 to 24.

It was a feat in itself since the Blu Girls were in the so-called “Group of Death,” along with top-tier teams from Australia, China and eventual champion the United States of America. The team included Tiger Softbelles

Mary Celestine Palma, Mary Luisse Garde and Ann Antolihao.

The Blu Girls barged into the championship round after squeaking past the Czech Republic and pulling off a convincing win against Pakistan in the first round.

But they had a forgettable stint with two wins and seven losses in the World Cup of Softball XI held in Oklahoma City, USA last July 5 to 10.

“Nandoon na ‘yung tapang, na kahit papaano nakaya kong ilaban doon sa ibang bansa,” Antolihao said.

“Pakiramdam ko nag-mature na ‘yung pag-iisip ko and pagkilos ko lalo na ‘pag nasa training na,” said Garde. “Since world’s best sila, magandang exposure ‘yun para sa amin, kasi hindi naman sila ‘yung team na basta basta lang.”

The trio is viewed as the team’s core this coming season and they are looking to carry the momentum from last year when they hammered out probably the biggest upset in collegiate softball history—snapping the 73-game winning streak of then five-time defending champions Adamson University.

Laure’s winning presence Ex-farmer now harvests medals brushes off on Tigresses

By PHILIP MARTIN L. MATEL

By CARLO A.CASINGCASING

Laure

THE UST Golden Tigresses will have to wait longer before juniors standout Eya Laure could join them in the UAAP. The reigning juniors MVP showed no rookie jitters in her Shakey’s V-League debut, dropping 17 points as UST routed San Beda College. She also had a gamehigh 18 markers in UST’s win over NCAA champs College of St. Benilde.

But Eya will still play for the junior’s squad in the upcoming UAAP season.

The high school prodigy, who was supposed to suit up for the Tigresses next year, will have to wait two more years due to the K to 12 implementation.

UST head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes Jr. considers Eya as the “missing link” in the Tigresses’ bid to recapture the UAAP title. They last entered the Final Four four

years ago.

“Sana magsasama-sama na ‘yung products ng [UST High School.] Ito ‘yung sinasabi ko dati na in two years’ time, buhay na dapat ‘yung team, pero ngayon, maghihintay pa tayo ng two or three years pa,” Reyes said.

Reyes also believes that Eya could rekindle the fire for the Tigresses but clearly, the odds are not in España’s favor.

“Hindi naman sa nakasama pero na-delay ako dahil sa K to 12,” Eya told the Varsitarian. “Kung puwede lang sana na college na ako maglaro ngayong season kaso nga lang naiwan ako,” she added.

EJ Laure acknowledged that she would eventually be compared with her younger sister.

“Okay lang ako macompare sa kaniya kasi kapatid ko naman siya,” the 5-foot-9 Laure PAGE 11

IF SOMEONE were to tell a young Elbren Neri that he would someday be a decorated runner for the UST Tracksters, he would not have believed him.

The 20-year-old Neri has seen success both in the local and international scene, having won five medals in three ASEAN University Games.

He first bagged bronze in the 800-meter dash in Laos in 2012, followed by a second- and a thirdplace finish in 800-meter and 1500-meter runs, respectively, in Indonesia in 2014.

Last July in Singapore, the fifth-year Trackster finally broke through as he tallied a gold medal in the 800-meter event and settled for silver in the 1500m, yielding to fellow Filipino Jomar Angus.

Neri had to surpass life’s hurdles to success—imposing different challenges starting with the death of his father.

“Bata pa lang ako, nagsasaka na ako. Nagtratrabaho kami sa kapitbahay namin para kumita, magkaroon lang ng pambili ng bigas,” Neri told the Varsitarian.

Neri had no choice but to

work before and after school to come up with money for their daily sustenance while living in the hardscrabble municipality of Alubijid in Misamis Oriental.

Even though the income was not enough for a decent meal, it was enough for them to eat bananas three times a day to survive.

The then-elementary pupil Elbren and his older brother, Ramil, used to lean on their mother for inspiration while they made charcoal out of coconut shells.

“Sabi ng nanay ko, ‘Okay lang ‘yan, tiyaga muna kayo dito. May awa naman ang Diyos.’ Grabe ‘yun.

Susugat talaga ang mga kamay ko. ‘Pag naiisip ko ‘yung mga nangyari sa akin, naiiyak na lang ako.”

Envy to glory In high school, Elbren used to see his brother go home with medals, trophies and cash prizes won from running competitions held in the different parts of

Mindanao.

The Education

major

Medals PAGE 11

Neri