The Varsitarian P.Y. 2016-2017 Issue 07

Volume LXXXVIIII, No. 7 • February 28, 2017 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF SANTO TOMAS Manila, Philippines

Doubts cast on return of mandatory ROTC THE PRINCIPAL of the UST Senior High School (SHS) has expressed doubt over the revival of mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program, citing the unpredictability of President Rodrigo Duterte. “[I feel] nonchalant [about the matter]. I have come to the conclusion that we have a flipflopping government so there is

always the possibility that what is declared today is scrapped tomorrow,” Pilar Romero said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Romero’s statement came after President Duterte gave a go-signal last Feb. 7 to reinstate mandatory ROTC for grades 11 and 12 in public and private schools nationwide.

Romero said she has no plans

of devising an ROTC curriculum for SHS students, adding that she sees no benefits from the compulsory training program.

“I do not believe in it so I do not see any benefits,” she said.

Cadet Col. Karla Guste, commander of the UST Golden Corps of Cadets, said the University’s Department of Military Science and Tactics

(DMST) is ready to coordinate with the senior high school should the program push through.

Guste said the curriculum and program of instruction will be crafted by the DMST but must be approved by the UST-SHS administration.

Lawyer Frederick Farolan, who ROTC PAGE 13

Mark Welson Chua

‘STOP SUMMARY KILLINGS’

By JOEL SEBASTIAN D. CRISTOBAL CATHOLICS converged at the Quirino Grandstand Parade Ground Saturday morning for “Walk for Life,” voicing their opposition against summary killings of drug suspects and the proposed revival of capital punishment in the country.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas called on the Duterte administration to uphold the “rule of law,” with the death toll in the government’s drug war reaching 7,000.

“Ang kriminal ay dapat arestuhin, kasuhan, hatulan at ikulong upang iwasto ang pagkakamali. Dapat patunayan ang pagkakasala sa korte ng batas, hindi sa batas ng bala,” Villegas said in his message to the rallyists.

Villegas urged members of the House of Representatives to “vote with conscience” on the death penalty bill.

“Nananawagan po [kami] sa mga kongregista na bumoto sa kanilang konsensya. Ang [partidong] pulitika ay pansamantala,” he said.

“We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing those who kill. It also increases the [number] of killers,” he added.

FESTIVITY. A performer dances while holding an image of the Sto. Niño during the launch of the Pistang Tomas trade fair last Feb. 13. at the Quadricentennial Park.

DEEJAE S. DUMLAO

‘Sound sexuality’ sought in HS curriculum

By THEODORE JASON PATRICK K. ORTIZ and MARIA CRISANTA M. PALOMA ADMINISTRATORS of three high schools in the University will uphold Catholic moral teachings on sexuality amid the plan of the Department of Education (DepEd) to launch a reproductive health (RH) education curriculum.

UST Senior High School (SHS) Principal Pilar Romero said the school wants to contribute to the formation of “sound sexuality” among students through subjects such as Fundamentals of Faith, Understanding Culture, Society and Politics and Hope Optimizing Physical Education. “[These subjects] will integrate formation in sound sexuality, grounded on the teachings of the Church and not simply reproductive health,” Romero said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

The subjects will also foster awareness on social, moral, political and economic issues in the country, Romero said.

SHS faculty members have been educated on the administration’s stand in line with the Catholic Church’s, and have

been urged to show this solidarity “in their words and actions within and outside the classroom,” she said.

Junior High School (JHS) Principal Marishirl Tropicales said health education must be implemented by integrating sexuality and reproductive health topics in science, health, araling panlipunan (social studies) and Christian living subjects that would also be anchored on Catholic values.

Education High School (EHS) Principal Loreto Sauz echoed Tropicales, saying the reproductive system is “already part of the science subject,” and could be integrated with health education and Christian living.

Wilberto Lumaban, supervising instructor of Christian Living Education (CLE) in EHS, said the proposed curriculum must be modified according to the principles of the University.

“Hindi naman kailangan sundin `yan — hook, line, and sinker. We have to fine-tune all of those in accordance to the Catholic principles that we are holding on to,” Lumaban said.

The integration of topics in relation to RH education is placed under the “moral

aspect” of the CLE subject, Lumaban said.

Lumaban also said EHS students were “still young” to be given concrete examples and concepts in RH education. “[B]uti kung college [students] `yan [who can] already process certain concepts and `yung nuances [ng] mga concepts na `yun [ay] madaling ipaliwanag [at] madali nilang maintindihan,” he said.

Sauz and Lumaban said the DepEd has yet to release a curriculum for RH education. Romero, however, is opposed the idea entirely.

“I do not believe in reproductive health because it tends to isolate reproduction from the totality of the human person,” Romero said.

She also stood with EHS and JHS administrators in opposing the plan of the Department of Health to distribute condoms among high school students.

Romero said the program was a “commodification of sex.”

“It is tantamount to saying [that] it is all right to have sex whatever your status may be as long as you make sure that you will not be infected or the chance of pregnancy is reduced,” Romero said.

Summary killings PAGE 14

Senior High School seeks enrollment hike to 10,000 UST SENIOR High School (SHS) is set to double its enrolment to 10,000 students with the start of Grade 12 next academic year, raising some concern over the adequacy of facilities.

SHS Faculty Club President Jonathan Geronimo called for better planning in anticipation of the increase in population of SHS students.

“Unti-unti nang nagkakaroon ng pasilidad para sa mga estudyante natin lalo na sa susunod na taon na magkakaroon na ng Grade 12, pero kailangan [pa ring] planuhin nang maayos,” Geronimo told the Varsitarian.

SHS faculty member Crizel Sicat said teachers have the option to use “alternative teaching opportunities,” which will require students to submit school work through field activities or online, because of the lack of classrooms.

The SHS nearly reached its initial target of 5,000 students, enrolling a total of 4,910 students in July 2016. For Academic Year 2017-2018, the SHS expects 10,000 students to enroll in Grades 11 and 12.

SHS Principal Pilar Romero said initial problems Enrollment PAGE 13

2 News

Editor: Alhex Adrea M. Peralta

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Civil Law eyes higher admission passing score

By CHRISTIAN DE LANO M. DEIPARINE and MARIA CRISANTA M. PALOMA THE FACULTY of Civil Law plans to require a higher admission score for law school applicants in a nationwide law school aptitude test set to be implemented this year.

The Legal Education Board announced last Dec. 29, 2016 the holding of the first Philippine Law School Admission Test (PhilSAT) on April 16 in Metro Manila, Baguio, Legazpi, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao and Cagayan de Oro City.

Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina said he was looking at requiring a score of 85 percent in the PhilSAT, instead of the prescribed passing score of 55 percent. “[F]or UST, 55 [percent] is very low, so we will impose our own standard so the student will have to get a grade of let’s say 85, for example, and then he has to pass our own examination,” Divina said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

But Divina said he was still studying whether the Civil Law admission test would still be required on top of the PhilSAT. “One option [is] if a student gets a grade of 95 [percent] in the PhilSAT then maybe we can decide to waive the other examination,” he said.

PhilSAT is a general aptitude exam “to determine who are really deserving to take up law,” Divina said.

Divina said the exam aims to improve the performance of schools in the bar examinations, and its implementation should “not be seen as an imposition.”

“I think it has its objectives that are very Civil Law PAGE 11

SOLIDARITY. A group from Ifugao and Mountain Province joins Walk for Life, a prayer rally against summary killings and the proposed revival of capital punishment at the Quirino Grandstand Parade Ground last Feb. 18.

DEEJAE S. DUMLAO

Architecture aces UST parish priest: ‘We do not discriminate’ boards for 2nd consecutive year

By HANNAH H. CRUZ and ROY ABRAHM D.R. NARRA

By MIA ARRA C. CAMACHO THE UNIVERSITY remained as the only top-performing school in the January 2017 licensure examination for architects, with three Thomasians landing in the top 10.

UST posted an 81.75-percent passing rate, with 112 Thomasians making the cut out of 137 examinees, results from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) showed.

This was lower than last year’s 86.08 percent, wherein 167 passed out of 194 examinees.

Leading the new batch of Thomasian Architecture PAGE 3

Eco-Tigers dominate Shell Eco-marathon

By THEODORE JASON PATRICK K. ORTIZ THE UST Eco-Tigers bagged five awards during the Shell Eco-marathon last Feb. 2 to 5 at Clark International Speedway, Pampanga, and are set to represent the Philippines in the 2017 Shell Eco-marathon Asia in Singapore this March.

UST competed against 24 teams in two main categories: prototype, which is a threewheeled vehicle, and urban concept, a fourwheeled vehicle.

John Paulo Diongco, team manager of the Eco-Tigers Urban concept, said they worked overnight on their vehicle to attain the best fuel efficiency.

“We made an agreement [among ourselves] that we [would not relax] until we have reached our goal, and until the competition is finished,” Diongco said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Jerome Inson, team leader of the prototype vehicle, said they learned from their mistakes last year and built a lighter vehicle, which resulted in better engine performance.

The Eco Tigers received the following awards: For prototype, the Eco-Tigers bagged Shell-Eco PAGE 5

THE PARISH priest of Santisimo Rosario in UST has clarified that he did not authorize the distribution of leaflets opposing same-sex marriage inside the University chapel, as he underscored the Catholic Church’s teaching against discrimination.

Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P. told the Varsitarian he would not tolerate the distribution of unauthorized materials but pointed out he had no control over leaflets and chain letters left inside the chapel.

“What I can say is that in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church, we do not discriminate,” Coronel said.

Coronel said he was unable to get a copy of the leaflet titled “Science Facts on Homosexual

Usapang Uste UPANG pangalagaan ang katayuan nito bilang institusiyon, ipinagbawal ng administrasiyon noong 1923 ang paggamit ng pangalan ng Unibersidad sa mga politikal na usapin at gawain sa bansa.

Pinamunuan ni Padre Serapio Tamayo, dating rektor ng Unibersidad, ang mga hakbang hinggil dito bago pormal na ipinatupad noong Agosto ng nabanggit na taon.

Layunin ng nasabing patakaran na ihiwalay ang mga indibiduwal na pananaw sa pang-Unibersidad na opinyon na may kinalaman sa mga politikal na isyu.

Sinasabing maaari itong makaapekto sa imahen noon ng Unibersidad.

Ani Tamayo, hindi maaaring pumanig ang institusiyon sa anumang panig o pangkat sa mga lokal na usaping pampolitika sapagkat mga dayuhan, at hindi mga Filipino, ang namamahala rito.

Unions,” a photo of which circulated on social media and generated criticism against UST and its alleged source, Courage Philippines, a Catholic ministry for gays.

The leaflet, which Coronel said did not bear the approval of the Archdiocese of Manila, contained a summary of a study on same-sex marriage published by American Christian group Family Research Council.

Coronel, who is also UST’s social media chief, said the parish adheres to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states that homosexuals are to be treated with “respect, compassion and sensitivity.”

He stressed that “everyone is called to holiness.”

“God loves everyone. It’s sad, even the Church is put in a bad light.

That’s why I underscore respect, compassion and sensitivity,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Courage not behind leaflets Courage Philippines, an apostolate focused on spiritual guidance for people with samesex attraction, denied printing and distributing the leaflets but said it upholds the Church’s teachings against same-sex marriage.

“Courage did not print nor distribute this material. We do not have any institutional linkage with UST for us to do so. And, we also refrain from participating in political issues as we are not a political lobby group,” Courage Philippines President Edwin Valles told the Varsitarian in an email.

He noted that the leaflet only referred people to Courage for

“pastoral care.”

But the persons behind the leaflet distribution did not inform his group.

“While we would have appreciated to be informed of such, the spirit behind the inclusion of Courage details in that pamphlet was towards pastoral care for persons with same-sex attraction who may need support,” he said.

‘Marriage between one man, one woman’ Valles emphasized that the Church “upholds and defends the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman” and “As a Catholic group, it should not come as

Discriminate PAGE 3

Paggamit ng pangalan ng Unibersidad sa politika noong circa 1920 Mahalagang pangalagaan ang imahen ng Unibersidad bilang pagbibigay-galang sa mga Dominikanong Espanyol na nagtayo at nagpanatili ng kaayusan nito, aniya.

Gayunpaman, paglilinaw ni Tamayo, malaya ang mga mag-aaral at mga miyembro ng mga fakultad na magpahayag ng kanilang mga pansariling pananaw bilang mga mamamayan, subalit hindi nila maaaring gamitin ang pangalan ng Unibersidad upang ipagtanggol ang kanikanilang mga argumento hinggil sa mga ito.

Ipinatupad ang nabanggit na hakbang upang pagtibayin ang dangal at pagkakakilanlan ng Unibersidad na pinagsisikapan pa ring panatilihin hanggang sa kasalukuyan.

Tomasino siya Patuloy na ipinamamalas ni J Carlitos G. Cruz, isang certified public accountant, ang kaniyang kalinangan sa

napiling larangan sa loob at labas ng bansa.

Taong 1981 nang magtapos siya ng kursong komersyo sa Unibersidad.

Sa kalaunan, naging auditor siya sa ilang mga lokal at internasiyonal na kumpanya ng krudo at langis.

Isa si Cruz sa mga pinarangalan sa The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni Awards noong 2016.

Bukod pa rito, kauna-unahan siyang ginawaran ng UST-AMV College of Accountancy Professional Achievement Award in Public

Accounting noong 2009.

Napabilang din siya sa College of Commerce’s Top 75 Alumni noong 2008 kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng ika-75 taon nito.

Bago pa man siya kumuha ng Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Business Usapang Uste PAHINA 11

News 3

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Church groups oppose bill lowering crime age to 9 SAYING “children are not criminals,” religious and lay organizations held a prayer march to call for an end to human trafficking as well as oppose a bill lowering the age of criminal liability to 9 years old from 15.

The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP), joined by students from UST, Siena College and Santa Catalina College marched from España Boulevard to St. Anthony of Padua Shrine in Sampaloc, Manila to mark the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking last Feb. 8.

Fr. Conegundo Garganta, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Commission on the Youth, said law enforcement should be strengthened instead of amending the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 to lower the age of criminal liability.

“Ang krimen ay krimen ngunit mayroong mga pamantayan para tulungan natin `yung mga nalalagay sa ganong mahirap na sitwasiyon lalo na ang isang bata. Alam nating mayroong panahon kung saan hindi niya lubos na nagagamit `yung kanyang sariling isip o lakas para sa mga bagay na mayroong impluwensiya sa kaniyang gagawin o sa kaniyang pagpapasiya,” he explained.

Rallyists troop to St. Anthony of Padua Shrine from España in Sampaloc, Manila to mark the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking last Feb. 8.

Sr. Cecilia Espenilla, O.P., coordinator of Talitha Kumi Philippines, an international network of consecrated religious formed to counter human trafficking and a partner organization of AMRSP, cited the theme of the prayer march, “They are

children, not criminals.”

“We support the Church’s stand not to lower [the age of criminal liability] but to help them (children) clarify their values to make them good citizens. They are like that because it was also the fault of adults,” she said.

House Bill 002 seeks to amend the Juvenile Justice Act. The bill’s author, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, argues that criminals have been using minors as accomplices, for example, as drug couriers, to escape prosecution.

Alvarez, however,

has clarified that children convicted of crimes would be subjected to government intervention programs and won’t be mixed with adult prisoners.

Lawmakers are eyeing a compromise – setting the minimum age of criminal

Central Laboratory building to open soon

“This moratorium shall continue and remain in effect until all measures have been undertaken to effectively address the issues concerning field trips and the stringent procedures supposed to be adopted by HEIs to ensure the safety and welfare of the concerned HEI stakeholders, as embodied in the enhanced [Ched memorandum order] regarding the conduct of field trips and other related activities,” it added.

On Feb. 20, a tour bus crashed into an electric post along a curved road in Tanay, killing 15 people, most of which were students of Bestlink College of the Philippines in Novaliches, Quezon City.

A ban on educational trips was sought in Congress in 2013 after a series of accidents, but the government refused.

Better communication between Thomasians, UST offices vowed THE NEWLY APPOINTED secretary general has vowed to maintain an effective communication system with University offices and become more visible to students.

In an interview, Fr. Jesus Miranda Jr., O.P. lauded his predecessor, Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P. and other past secretaries general for establishing an effective method of disseminating information to University offices.

“We have to be thankful to Fr. Winston Cabading, O.P. and even the previous secretaries general for they have made the systems and the processes very easy,” Miranda told the Varsitarian.

“That’s why those who will become secretary

Central lab PAGE 10

SecGen PAGE 5

UST suspends off-campus activities Discriminate to amusement parks, etc.,” the UST memorandum read.

The Junior and Senior High School departments were also asked to comply even without an order from the Department of Education.

Ched on Wednesday clarified that the moratorium does not cover internship programs and local and overseas on-the-job training or practicum, as these activities are covered by separate regulations.

In its Feb. 21 order, Ched said: “In lieu of field trips or external campus activities, all HEIs should institute replacement activities that will serve the purpose intended by such off-campus activities, preserve the objectives sought to be achieved, and see to it that no student shall be negatively affected by this moratorium.”

DEIPARINE

A NEW building that will soon house teaching laboratories will be opened before the end of the academic year.

Lawrence Pangan, in-house engineer of the Facilities and Management Office, said the Central Laboratories building was scheduled to be finished by April, and would be fully operational in Academic Year 2017-2018.

The laboratories, previously housed in the Main Building, are being transferred to the new Central Lab near P. Noval Street.

The College of Rehabilitation Sciences, however, is already using the ground floor for some of its Students from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, which uses the ground f loor of the new Central Laboratory for some of its regular classes, exit the building.

JAMILLAH N. STA ROSA

THE UNIVERSITY has suspended all out-of-campus activities to comply with a government moratorium on school field trips following a bus crash in Tanay, Rizal that claimed the lives of more than a dozen students and left 40 others injured.

The Office of the Secretary General released a memorandum announcing the suspension on Feb. 22, a day after the release of the Commission on Higher Education’s (Ched) order temporarily banning field trips and educational tours in all higher education institutions (HEIs).

“The field trip or educational tour shall include any student activity away from the campus such as community engagements, medical or relief missions, retreats, visit

liability at 12 years old instead of 9.

Garganta also expressed his gratitude to government agencies helping to fight human trafficking. He said the Church should continue its role as “a mother protecting her children.”

“For the faithful who belong to the Church, [they should] make a stand [and] say no to all forms of human trafficking. Walang anumang dahilan para gumawa ang isang tao [ng aksiyon] na maging biktima niya ang kapwa niya tao para sa mga masasamang gawain,” Garganta said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Espenilla said there is much work to be done by the Church and the government to end human exploitation.

“Definitely, the Church is strong and behind the fight against human trafficking.

We have been working with them (the government), but it should not end there. We have to continue because much has to be done especially now that trafficking is now happening within families,” Espenilla said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

According to the International Justice Mission – Philippines, 80 percent of online sexual exploitation victims were children, half of them 12 years old or even younger. Twenty percent were adults. CHRISTIAN DE LANO M.

By ROY ABRAHM D.R. NARRA

Architecture

Dilettante

FROM PAGE 2

FROM PAGE 2

FROM PAGE 4

a surprise that Courage supports and defends this as well.”

“There are many means to preach and to live out this Truth.

The people behind the pamphlet opted for pamphleting. It is not the Courage way because our efforts are towards supporting persons with same-sex attraction who choose to live chaste lives faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. But both share the same spirit of witnessing to the Good News of the Church and its teachings,” he said.

“Having said that, since the details in the pamphlet are a summary of research results, citing the source/s would have made the message more credible, transparent and clearer,” he added. With reports from Joel

architects are Jaime Miguel Recto and Justin David Tan who shared the seventh place with a score of 81.10 percent.

Camile Jicelle Cuevas placed ninth with a score of 80.80 percent, along with Marvin Zandro Reabad of Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila.

Luiz Marko Silang of the University of the Philippines - Diliman topped this year’s exams with a score of 83.70 percent.

The national passing rate rose to 57.62 percent, with 919 making the cut of 1,595 examinees.

Last year’s passing rate was 55.66 percent, with 866 passing the test out of 1,556 examinees.

corruption and deliberate misinformation, at the end of the day, their loyalty is still to the public.

We can only hope that months into his new job cleaning up after one controversial statement after another, Andanar would not degenerate into a media illiterate.

As for Duterte, if he is firm on his word, as Andanar claims, that he has no plans to declare Martial Law, then he must refrain from using it as a threat.

He should not even use it as a joke, since it only risks making him—and his “mouthpiece,” (Mis) Communications Secretary Andanar—into a joke.

Sebastian D. Cristobal

4 Opinion

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Editorial

Why Valentine’s is red-letter day AMID the Duterte administration’s initiatives to distribute condoms in public schools and undermine the Supreme Court’s injunction against the contraceptive-based Reproductive Health Law of 2012 by issuing an executive order to fast-track its implementation, Catholic pro-life groups last Feb. 14 continued its annual activity of distributing candies especially to young people with messages of chastity and true love. Many members of the Thomasian community would be familiar with the campaign since it is often carried out at the Dangwa flower hub near the campus, where many UST students buy flowers to present to their girlfriends or boyfriends as an expression of the purity of their intentions. Because many of us are familiar with the Dangwa frenzy every V-Day, how we wish that pro-life groups had chosen flowers instead of candies to express the real message of Valentine’s. Flowers would have been just as sweet if not sweeter to express one’s love; to be sure, they would be calorie-free.

Just the same, we commend pro-life groups for checking misconceptions about V-Day and the state’s nefarious attempts to promote population control, social engineering and the commercial interests of manufacturers of condoms and contraceptives by capitalizing on such misconceptions. But of course, now as before, the government is saying it distributes condoms to curb HIV-Aids infections. But government has been distributing them even as HIV-Aids incidence continues to rise. Obviously they may have only abetted promiscuity and sexual recklessness. Safe sex is not the answer to HIVAids, but behavioral, nay moral, responsibility.

Rather than make V-Day an occasion to distribute condoms, government should make it an occasion for values formation. But of course, government is most bereft of moral values.

V-Day after all is part of the old Catholic calendar. It is a religious feast.

It was on that same day in 269 that St. Valentine was martyred under Emperor Claudius II for administering marriages of Christian couples and helping persecuted Christians. During that time, both acts were considered crimes. Valentine was tortured and ordered to renounce his faith.

When he refused, he was executed outside the Flaminian Gate (presently known as Porta de Popolo) in Rome.

Some details of St. Valentine’s life actually Editorial PAGE 5

FOUNDED JAN. 16, 1928 KATHRYN JEDI V. BAYLON Editor in Chief BERNADETTE A. PAMINTUAN Managing Editor

ALHEX ADREA M. PERALTA News Editor PAUL XAVIER JAEHWA C. BERNARDO Online Editor DELFIN RAY M. DIOQUINO Sports Editor LEA MAT P. VICENCIO Special Reports Editor JOHN GABRIEL M. AGCAOILI Witness Editor AMIERIELLE ANNE A. BULAN Circle Editor KIRSTEN M. JAMILLA Art Director ALVIN JOSEPH KASIBAN Chief Photographer News Mia Arra C. Camacho, Hannah Rhocellhynnia H. Cruz, Christian de Lano M. Deiparine, Roy Abrahmn D.R. Narra, Theodore Jason Patrick K. Ortiz, Maria Crisanta M. Paloma Sports Jan Carlo Anolin, Carlo A. Casingcasing, Philip Martin L. Matel, Ivan Ruiz L. Suing, Ralph Edwin U. Villanueva Special Reports Ma. Angela Christa Coloma, John Paul P. Corpuz, Ma. Consuelo D.P. Marquez, Neil Jayson N. Servallos Features Daniella T. Cobarde, Ma. Czarina A. Fernandez, Alyssa Carmina A. Gonzales Literary Nikko Miguel M. Garcia, Cedric Allen P. Sta. Cruz Filipino Jolau V. Ocampo, Winona S. Sadia Witness Joel Sebastian D. Cristobal, Sigrid B. Garcia, Kathleen Therese A. Palapar Science and Technology Karl Ben L. Arlegui, Dan Albert D. Besinal, Edris Dominic C. Pua, Julius Roman M. Tolop Circle Klimier Nicole B. Adriano, Audrie Julienne D. Bernas, Chelsey Mei Nadine B. Brazal Art Chinny Mae F. Basinang, Shaina Mae L. Santander, Seldon May T. Tagao Photography Deejae S. Dumlao, Miah Terrenz Provido, Maria Charisse Ann G. Refuerzo, Ma. Alyssa Adrienne T. Samonte, Basilio H. Sepe, 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 JOURNALISM industry may be facing its biggest enemy to date: fake news.

Everything is so available on social media that even fake news is shared there; fake accounts and websites are subscribed there.

Posts are not regulated in the Internet, meaning everyone has the right to upload whatever pleases him.

It is disturbing that the spate of fake news has turned many netizens into gullible Internet users, who share information and propaganda from unverified websites and Facebook accounts.

Perhaps, one of the people to blame is Mocha Uson. She has called the mainstream media as “presstitutes,” which she defined as “an individual reporter or news broadcaster, or a media news group, who reports to be unbiased but is in fact tailoring their news to suit someone’s goal, usually corporations big business political affiliates.”

Uson cited several news organizations for

Beware of fake news One click on the mouse could either raise the awareness of the people or make them more gullible. allegedly delivering “fake news stories” to people.

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), an organization aimed at promoting responsible journalism, urged social media users to be wary of the articles they post on their Facebook and Twitter timelines, as they may be “sharing propaganda as truth — and thus, helping to dumb down people who access the Internet and social media.”

Fortunately, the CMFR took the initiative to determine unverified websites proliferating on the Internet. CMFR has advocated the Think Before

You Click campaign as a form of warning against spreading propaganda disguised as truth.

It has listed down 13 websites, which according to the media watchdog have the distinction of producing news articles out of viral and trending posts in the Internet. The list included websites such as Pinoy Trending, Pinoy Trending News, News Trend PH, Asian Policy Press, Public Trending, FiliNews PH and Trending Viral.

But there has to be a reinforcement from the government. They could not just let the flow of information be disrupted

by some fake news. A law that would minimize the harm of unwanted social media mischiefs is what this country needs.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan has filed Senate Resolution 271 that seeks to conduct a probe on the spate of fake news and unverified information through various social media platforms, particularly Facebook.

“Facebook’s role in this digital age has become very crucial in the practice of democracy as it moved from a social networking site to a media company,” Pangilinan said in a press release. “We are hoping that Facebook would take a lead in helping the public in discerning truth from lies and fabrication that are being spread massively to influence public opinion and national discourse.”

One click on the mouse could either raise the awareness of the people or make them more gullible.

I hope that those who refuse to see the perils of spreading fake news and propaganda could finally give up their unethical use of the social media.

(Mis)Communications Secretary Martin Andanar SINCE the beginning of the Duterte administration, the news media have been subject to a negative campaign aimed at selling the “biased” and “mouthpiece” narrative.

But what’s even more disappointing were the accusations hurled at them by Communications Secretary Martin Andanar when they reported on Duterte’s pronouncements of reviving Martial Law. “Kung gusto ko at (the drug problem) will deteriorate into something really very virulent, I will declare Martial Law if I wanted to. Walang makakapigil sa akin,” the tough-talking president told businessmen in a speech at the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Incorporated last Jan. 14.

Of course, Malacañang officials were quick to defend Duterte by accusing the news media of misreporting.

Andanar, himself a former journalist but still a regular columnist for the

No matter what accusations the President or his cronies throw, the loyalty of the press is still to the public.

Philippine Daily Inquirer, even called the reporting “irresponsible.”

In an unprecedented move, members of the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC), except those from state-owned media, voiced out their dissent over Andanar’s comments.

“We are disturbed and appalled by the propensity of the officials of this administration to blame the media whenever the inflammatory statements of the President stir controversy or draw flak,” the MPC statement read.

“This trend should stop as it would not contribute to the elevation of public

discourse,” the statement added.

One does not need a crash course on media literacy to say that the President’s words were far from misinterpreted.

Videos of the speech, made available online, showed that quotes used in the news reports were the exact words used by Duterte.

The reports were merely narrations of the speech and did not even offer analyses or commentaries.

How could there be a different meaning to these pronouncements?

An MPC reporter once

said one of the downsides of covering Duterte was the ambiguity of his language and speech.

In such cases, MPC reporters would always seek for clarifications from Duterte’s spokesmen, Andanar included.

Nonetheless, reporters must always pay attention to whatever the President has to say for potential policy pronouncements.

It is alarming that journalists are attacked simply because their readers—some of which are paid trolls—and now even government officials find their critical stance of the President unfavorable.

Despite being an underpaid and thankless profession, journalism is vital in facilitating democratic discussion and keeping a check on those in power.

Even if the President and his cronies continue to accuse the press of

Dilettante PAGE 3

Opinion 5

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

No to Nickelodeon park in Palawan IT WAS almost a year ago since I last set foot in Palawan. Like every other tourist who has been a witness to its indubitable beauty, I promised myself to go back and once again admire its islands just as they were—untouched and unpiloted by hungry firms waiting for windfall profits.

A month ago, Coral World Park Undersea Resorts Inc. and Viacom International Media Networks, the owner of Nickelodeon, an American television network that created popular TV cartoons like SpongeBob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer, announced their plan of building an underwater theme park and resort on the country’s world-renowned marine ecosystem.

The theme park, which is expected to open in 2020, was said to be the world’s first undersea attraction to be built in Asia and will

Editorial FROM PAGE 4 vary from one story to another.

One common Church chronicle depicts him as a former bishop who went under house arrest with Judge Asterius. The judge challenged the validity of his faith and Christianity by asking him to restore the sight of his blind daughter.

Miraculously, Valentine succeeded after placing his hands over the child’s eyes.

The judge then converted to Christianity and freed all Christian prisoners.

Unfortunately, Valentine was arrested under Claudius for secretly bestowing the sacrament of matrimony allegedly to keep husbands from becoming soldiers for the empire and going off to war.

And that is why the color motif of V-Day is red: red to represent a martyr’s death; red to represent a saint’s ultimate sacrifice to rescue others from the horrors and bloodshed of war. War’s

Shell-Eco FROM PAGE 2 first place in the Prototype Diesel Engine Category and clinched the second spot in the Prototype Internal Combustion Engine Category.

For the urban concept, UST clinched the first spot

SecGen FROM PAGE 3 general in the near future, they will find the job less cumbersome because the predecessors made their job in making the process very efficient,” he added.

Miranda’s appointment by Rector Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P. took effect at the start of 2017. His term will last for two and a half years.

Social media and smartphones have made communication processes more systematized, Miranda noted.

“There are some little things I have in mind … I would ask people on how to improve

be part of a 400-hectare undersea development in Coron, Palawan.

The announcement immediately drew flak from environmentalists.

The Department of Natural and Environmental Resources also expressed disapproval and said it would not let the theme park push through.

Coral World Park Undersea Resorts Inc. then clarified that the underwater theme park would be built on land.

Even though developers claim that the theme park will

advocate ocean protection and coral reef conservation, there is still no assurance that the biodiversity in Palawan would remain unspoiled given that restaurants and lounges “20 feet below sea level with vivid views of the world beneath the ocean” are being eyed.

I do not see why there is a need to build an attraction that might cause irreversible damage to Palawan. Palawan itself is a paradise long enjoyed and admired by the world without man-made

playgrounds. The theme park might even hinder future generations to admire one of the most beautiful gifts of nature.

While a Nick-inspired theme park might get people excited about the Philippines, Palawan’s sumptuous beaches and islands will remain irreplaceable.

Palawan has already made a name for itself and it does not need to be dubbed as the new “Bikini Bottom” for it to be famous.

It would not be dubbed as the country’s “last frontier” for nothing. Its coastlines and forests are some of the oldest in Southeast Asia.

Two places in Palawan are likewise Unesco World Heritage Sites: the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. It would be a shame if the world would trade Palawan’s natural beauty for an amusement park.

motif is likewise scarlet.

So V-Day also drives home the point: Make love, not war. Applied to the present national situation: Make love, not (drug) wars—or extra-judicial killings.

Today, we must not forget to see Valentine’s Day as a commemoration of the life of the patron saint of love, young people and happy marriages. It was on the 14th of February that the crimson hue transforms from symbolizing earthly passion to representing martyrdom as the greatest form of love. Red became neither just a color of bravery nor sensuality, but sainthood and living by the example of Christ.

Valentine’s Day is not only a reminder to manifest love through lavish presents, fine dining and romantic poetry, but also to relish the gift of family and close friends.

V-Day is not about lust and sex, motels and condoms, as the rather hopelessly dense-brained Esperanza Cabral thought of it when she started practice of distributing condoms

every V-day when she was health chief. V-Day is not a day for sex education, but moral education. The state makes a self-serving move when it distributes condoms for free to young people and when it requires mandatory sex education in the curriculum. It is selfserving because the state is giving itself the excuse to use taxpayers’ money to buy the condoms (overpriced and laden with kickbacks) and burden the curriculum with subjects that would require instructionals and textbooks (also overpriced and laden with kickbacks).

To be sure, sex education of the young should be left to their parents. The state says parents are too embarrassed or awkward to discuss sensitive matters about sex with their kids.

But does the state have the proper moral sensitivity— and moral formation—to discuss them? If one goes by the poor record of the public education system, with its record of incompetence and corruption, then the state should contracept itself to extinction.

The Catholic Church is pro-life and pro-family. It is only fitting that as a moral institution, the Church fights forces condoning premarital sex and sexual promiscuity, distributing condoms, contraceptives and even abortifacients, disregarding parents in the sexual rearing of their kids (a form of social engineering much like Plato’s Republic), carrying out extra-judicial killings and attempting to restore the death penalty. Such acts come from the forces of death. Such acts cultivate the culture of death. In the face of all this, the Church upholds life, family and love.

True love requires us to make sacrifices. In this case, we are summoned to embody the virtues of purity and chastity. Under the veil and beauty of the sacrament so loved by St. Valentine, let us be blessed by the true grace of martyrdom as citizens of a nation that must provide charity and compassion to those in need, especially the poor victims of genocidal drug wars and draconian social engineering.

in the Urban Concept Diesel Engine Category, second place in the Urban Concept Internal Combustion Engine Category and first place in the Driver’s World Cup Challenge Qualifying Round.

The teams are composed of mechanical and electrical engineering students.

For the prototype team, the members are Dannie Baluyot, Marrion Marteja,

Jerome Inson, Haziel Sigua, Janier Roberto, Joseph Bambalan, Tristan Mercado and Melinda Virata.

The urban concept team members are John Paulo Diongco, Allen Yap, Matthew Manimtim, Michaela Lee, Jose Ignacio, Souichi Takahama, Aaron Espinosa, Mia Reyes and Ronald Vargas Jr. “We know we are going there (Singapore) prepared.

We are prepared for any breakdowns or problems that [might happen].

We’re hoping for the best but expecting the worst,” Diongco said.

Shell Eco-Marathon is sponsored by Dutch oil company Shell, challenging student teams from around the world “to design, build and drive the most energyefficient car” by consuming the least amount of fuel.

more the services for the whole university and the whole student body of UST,” he said.

asked you to do this, you have to do it because that is your contribution to your academic apostolate,” he said.

Ecclesiastical Faculties.

Prior to his appointment, Miranda served as regent of the College of Education and Education High School from 2013 to 2016.

He obtained his bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1995 at Philippine Dominican Center of Institutional Studies, and his bachelor in sacred theology with Latin honors in 1998 at the UST Ecclesiastical Faculties. He earned his licentiate in 2000.

In the same year, Miranda obtained his master’s degree in theology at UST Graduate School, graduating summa cum laude.

He received his doctorate in educational leadership and management from De La Salle University in 2009 with high distinction.

It would be a shame if the world would trade Palawan’s natural beauty for an amusement park.

‘Be ready for the work’ Miranda admitted he was at first hesitant to accept the Rector’s appointment, because his predecessors were more “techsavvy.”

“The Rector simply assured me that you don’t have to be [tech-savvy]. All you have to do is [perform] the functions of the secretary general and there are many of them,” he said.

He said his membership in the Dominican Order motivates him to face whatever responsibility comes.

“After all, you gave yourself to the order. You’re here to help in the ministry. When the superior

Talk to students Miranda said he aims to change the notion that the role of a secretary general is just to announce class suspensions.

“When they ask something, raise a query or ask a favor or what, look into it because I know we are here for that. I’m doing many things but we should have time for [the students]. We should have [a talk between] the students and heads of organizations,” he said.

Aside from being the secretary general, Miranda is also an editor for Philippiniana Sacra, the official scholarly journal of the

Duterte vs the Church NOT EVEN the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos clashed head on with the Catholic Church.

Even before he entered the presidential race last year, coming late into the fray apparently to spare himself a grilling, Rodrigo Duterte had already started to pounce on the oldest institution in the world.

After winning the presidency, Duterte called the bishops “sons of whores” and warned them not to mess with him. Following the outcry of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on the rising number of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) which has already resulted in more than 7,000 deaths, Duterte called for a showdown with the Church, saying the bishops had no moral ascendancy.

But Duterte’s tirades did not stop there. He then went after Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani. He accused him of supporting two wives, and castigated the prelate for being profiled in the book “Altar of Secrets: Sex, Politics, and Money in the Philippine Catholic Church,” an investigative report on the local Church official’s alleged corruption and abuses.

This is not the first time that a president took on the Catholic Church. Former President Benigno Aquino III also criticized the Filipino Church officials in front of Pope Francis during the Holy Father’s visit at Malacañang Palace in 2014. He accused the local bishops of allegedly putting up with the purported abuses of the administration of his predecessor,

The public should realize that the President attacks the Church to shift people’s attention away from his administration’s lapses, such as graft and corruption.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Duterte’s verbal abuse is part of his ideological war of attrition with the Church being waged especially in the social media where his trolls and fanatics repeat his abuse and spread his lies.

Filipinos should now realize the President’s megalomania. Tolerating no opposition to his genocidal drug wars, he has dared take on the Church which is a pillar of human rights as historically shown by the Church’s historic opposition against despotism.

The public should also realize that the President attacks the Church to shift people’s attention away from his administration’s lapses, such as graft and corruption and even assassinations and kidnap-forransom of the Philippine National Police.

Former CBCP’s Commission on Family and Life executive secretary Fr. Melvin Castro told the Varsitarian that Duterte’s rants serve as “smokescreen” for issues hurled against him, such as the EJKs and the scandalous “Tokhang-for-ransom” and immigration extortion.

But Church officials should know when and how to respond to Duterte’s attacks. They should not go down to his level. Bacani’s riposte for example might have backfired since Duterte’s trolls in the social media capitalized on it to raise again the tired issue of the Church’s alleged riches.

Moreover, the Church has a lot of house-cleaning to do since it is evident that some sectors of the clergy and religious either agree with Duterte’s draconian measures to check the drug menace or are afraid to oppose him.

While the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines has condemned the Penny and Dime PAGE 14

Ebarle FROM PAGE 7 magenta, purple and yellow.

On planning the color schemes for her work, Ebarle said she used an “instinctive hand” on every painting.

“I try my best to have a plan or a sketch before I paint but everything just loses its importance once I start,” she said. “Spontaneously, I just choose the most fitting colors I see.”

Ebarle has been holding “Hibla” exhibits since 2008.

She was the president of the Philippine Art Educators

Association and has given art appreciation classes to thousands of public school teachers.

She was also named as one of the “100 Women Artists” during the the National Committee on the Centennial of the Feminist Movement in the Philippines.

She had solo shows in Singapore and New York at the Asian Civilizations Museum in 2011 and the Philippine Center in New York in 2013.

Ebarle is taking up Master of Arts in Women and Development at the University of the Philippines.

AUDRIE JULIENNE D. BERNAS

6 Sci-Tech

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Bokashi, new compost method, urged REDEFINING the solid waste management in the middle of business and residential outskirts of the country is an emerging trend through the Bokashi composting method, a microbiological composting technology.

Neil Ian Lumanlan, a biological sciences professor at the College of Science and an environmental advocate, is one of the practitioners of the alternative composting technique in the country.

“Improper waste management is an inefficient use of resources, wherefore Bokashi composting

technology is our quantum leap to utilize food and other organic wastes in farming, livestock and freshwater aquaculture,” he told the Varsitarian.

The concept of this method is to prevent disease-causing microbes, which usually manifest a putrid odor, and to accelerate degradation process in biodegradable wastes from households and industrialized districts.

It is commonly used among agricultural sectors as fertilizer to plants instead of putting waste into landfills. The method emits

volatile organic compounds out of its remains such as carbon dioxide and methane, which are primary sources of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, acidification of oceans and loss of biodiversity.

Bokashi is a Japanese terminology, which connotes to a “fermented organic matter.” It was discovered by Teruo Higa, an agricultural researcher who pioneered on the better approach for sustainable farming in his country.

The method introduces microorganism such as lactic

acid bacteria to organic wastes to ferment the compost materials.

“They undergo biological process of breaking down waste and produces organic acids in preventing acidophobic organisms that thrives in higher pH levels and let acidophiles to do the pickling,” he said.

Similar to pickled fruits or vegetables, the mechanism of the composting technology has a nonfoul emitting odor that makes up a cleaner air and as a food for soil farming.

Bokashi composting technology and farming are

particular in practice among nongovernment organizations such as Mother Earth Foundation in Quezon City.

In May 2014, The Cravings Group collaborated with The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart to relaunch a flagship on The Bokashi Project. The advocacy also reached some poor and rural communities like those in Hacienda Luisita, Corazon de Jesus in San Juan, Damayan Lagi in New Manila, Quirino province and Las Piñas City. KARL BEN ARLEGUI and JULIUS ROMAN M. TOLOP

Lawmaker wants mental health awareness in school curriculum A SENATOR has called for mental health education in schools to raise awareness and end the stigma suffered by people with mental illnesses.

In a conference at the Albertus Magnus Auditorium last Feb. 18, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said a mental health curriculum in schools would be required under the proposed Mental Health Act. “Once enacted into law, we will integrate mental health services into the public health system.

The curricula in our schools will also include mental health as a topic to be better understood,” Hontiveros said.

“Our schools should not only be institutions of learning but also places to nurture sound mental health,” she said.

The chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Health also said mental health services in schools should be improved amid the growing number of youths lost to suicide.

“Unfortunately, most

schools are not equipped to handle the mental health of their students,” Hontiveros said. “Schools must be safe spaces. Young people who are learning more about themselves and the world spend a big chunk of their lives in universities and colleges.”

Hontiveros added that young people should discuss mental health on social media.

“If social media can help shape social movements and create positive change, it can surely help us raise awareness on mental health and fight the stigma surrounding mental illness,” she said.

Suicide prevention Marc Reyes, who teaches psychology at the College of Science, called for a serious national discussion on suicide prevention.

“We always refuse to talk about suicide but we need to, because suicide prevention in the Philippines is a mental

health issue,” Reyes said.

Reyes said data on suicide was minimal.

Most cases are unreported because of the stigma associated with suicidal behavior, he said.

“It is good that the millennials are now looking into areas of prevention and awareness towards suicide behavior,” he added.

A 2014 global report by the World Health Organization found that depression is the most common cause of illness and disability for those in the 10 to 19-year old age bracket, while suicide is the second leading causes of death globally among people aged 15 to 29 years old.

The conference, “Open Minds: Integrating Mental Health to Schools,” was organized by the UST Central Student Council, the UST Simbahayan Community Development Office and Youth for Mental Health. KARL BEN L. ARLEGUI and NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS

Senator Risa Hontiveros at the sidelines of a conference on mental health at the Albertus Mangus Auditorium.

MA. ALYSSA ADRIENNE T. SAMONTE

Environmental scientist Jorge Emmanuel talks about the environmental and health hazards of incineration. DEEJAE S. DUMLAO

‘Embrace zero-waste lifestyle’ AN INDONESIAN environmentalist has urged young people to go beyond social media in campaigning against environmental destruction.

“We are millennials who talk so much on social media but it’s not enough. We have to show our real action,” Rahyang Nusantara, executive director of Gerakan Indonesia Diet Kantong Plastik, said in a forum at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex Auditorium last Jan. 26.

Gerakan Indonesia Diet Kantong Plastik, or the Indonesia Movement Plastic Bag Diet, is an association promoting the “responsible and environmentally harmless” use of plastic bags.

Nusantara called on students to reflect on the role they can play to achieve “zero waste” by recycling plastic materials.

Jorge Emmanuel, environmental

scientist and professor at Siliman University, warned against the negative effects of waste incineration.

“When you incinerate, you produce a toxic material … dioxins,” Emmanuel said.

Dioxins, formed when garbage is burned, emit a high-cancer dose factor, he said.

“We created a society where we learn to extract, produce and consume; leading to wastes that poisons our air, surface, water, soil, homes and body,” Emmanuel said.

The event was part of the Zero Waste Festival organized by the Mother Earth Foundation and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. It was coorganized by the UST Sociological Society. DAN ALBERT D. BESINAL and EDRIS DOMINIC C. PUA

Editor: Amierielle Anne A. Bulan

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Conductor Ranera changes tune; plays euphonium for a change FOR THE first time in seven years, UST Symphony Orchestra conductor played his instrument of choice, the euphonium, in “All About that Bass: #NoTreble,” a concert by Conservatory of Music students, last Feb. 7.

Herminigildo Ranera, professor at the Conservatory, showcased his ageless talent in playing the euphonium, a valve instrument resembling a tuba that produces a sweet-sounding bass.

Ranera said he was taught by his father to play the bass instrument when he was seven.

“One of the reasons why I agreed to play onstage after seven years is because this was a student’s initiative,” he said. “I really support and admire their perseverance.”

Ranera gave a rendition of songwriter Kevin Kadish and singer Meghan Trainor’s “All About that Bass,” the concert’s titular song.

Students from the symphonic instrumental performance department (string, percussion, woodwind and brass) prepared a repertoire emphasizing the bass clef, the sound one octave lower than written.

Their opening performance was German film composer Klaus Badelt’s “Pirates of the Carribean.”

Soulful tonal bass clef range followed as the bassoon department performed Stevie Wonder’s 1976 classic, “Isn’t She Lovely?”

Arranged by the orchestra’s principal cellist Glenn Aquias, “Tahimik na Lugar” brought the Valentine’s vibe on stage with a medley of original songs written

by Silent Sanctuary such as “Ikaw Lamang” and “Kundiman.”

They also played “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” by Randy Newman with an arrangement for trombones and tube, and “Mancini Medley,” a playful piano forte piece with a strong and sudden soft tempo.

“The repertoire consisted of songs that complemented the deep sound of bass of each instrumental family,” orchestral conducting student Jedrick Itugot said. “The main purpose of this concert is to highlight the unity of different departments.”

Ranera graduated from the Conservatory of Music, majoring in Trombone and Theory.

Some of his mentors in conducting were Bernardino Custodo, Duilio Dubrin and Redentor Romero.

A multi-awarded conductor, Ranera won in the National Competition for Young Artist for three consecutive years in the 1980’s. KLIMIER NICOLE B. ADRIANO

Circle 7

Ebarle’s ‘Hibla 9’ combines ethnic motifs, abstraction, figuration PHOTO BY JAMILLAH N. STA. ROSA

JANE Arietta Ebarle melds anew Philippine traditional weaving motifs and modern abstraction but with hints of feminine figuration in her new Hibla series at the Alliance Francaise Total Gallery in Makati.

The exhibit, running until March 3, features Ebarle’s “Babaeng Hibla,” a collection of four paintings of women figures formed by interweaving thread-like geometric patterns.

Twenty other abstractexpressionist works of Ebarle are also displayed.

An Advertising Arts alumna from the old College of Architecture and Fine Arts, Ebarle is known for interpreting on canvases ethnic textiles of traditional weaving communities such as the Tausugs, Manobos, Maranaos and Kalingas. She began her series in 2008.

Ebarle told the Varsitarian how she got into ethnic abstract expressionism.

“I tried a lot of genres,” she said. “I tried still life, I tried figurative paintings, I

tried different techniques. But this one just came out very naturally.”

For this edition, she appropriated “Hibla” motifs and combined it with Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt’s technique of depicting the female figure through abstraction.

Klimt’s famous paintings titled “The Kiss,” “Hope II” and “Two Women Friends” all represent a female body decorated with abstract patterns in goldand pink-like hues.

“Babaeng Hibla 5,” a 36 x 48 acrylic on canvas painting, shows a woman’s bare back covered in a yellow shoal with dotted holes. She wears a blue skirt designed with moss green circles covered with light green, yellow and pink intervening lines.

“The ethnic icon of ‘Hibla’ is still there.” said Ebarle. “The paintings still symbolize our icons from our cultural side but only dipped in Gustav Klimt’s style.”

Ebarle also shows some of her old abstract paintings. Her “Isang Yardang Hibla 9” depicts lines and patterns blanketing the black background in different colors—from burnt oranges to carmine reds, cobalt blues, raw siennas, pink, aubergine, Ebarle PAGE 5

“Babaeng Hibla 6” by Ebarle

Play inspired by Sugarfree songs tells of love’s woes

By CHELSEY MEI NADINE B. BRAZAL

PHILOSOPHY alumna Mariane Abuan gives a raw depiction of infidelity and young love in Sa Wakas: A Pinoy Rock Musical, a play she co-wrote with artist Andrei Pamintuan that ran last February at PowerMac Center Spotlight in Makati.

The musical featured songs by the defunct rock band Sugarfree written by its lead vocalist, Ebe Dancel.

A former fellow of the UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies, Abuan said she was a fan of Sugarfree and the play she wrote had been inspired by the band’s 2003 album.

“It felt very fulfilling to interpret the work of someone you admire so much,” Abuan said. “Also part of the idea of writing the musical was because of the Filipino’s inclination to karaoke and jukebox singing.”

The musical revolves around the freelance photographer Topper, alternately played by Victor Robinson and UST Conservatory of Music alumnus Pepe Herrera.

Topper has been cheating on his longtime girlfriend Lexi (Caisa Borromeo and

Cara Barredo) with boss and eccentric magazine editor Gabbi (Maronne Cruz and Justine Peña), risking relationship for the sake of career.

The story was presented in reverse chronology, opening with the bitter breakup of Topper and Lexi.

Each scene was portrayed with a fitting Sugarfree song arranged with counterpoint melodies by musical director Ejay Yatco.

The cast’s vocals blended well with the live band. As in Greek drama, a chorus guided the audience into the action of the play and even commented on the story. The chorus was composed of actor Hans Dimayuga and the threemember Chuwariwaps.

Highlight of the production was Topper and Lexi’s duet of Dancel’s “Bawat Daan”—a performance evincing regret and sadness for their failed relationship.

Dreamy lighting by Miggy Panganiban emphasized the play’s nostalgic element.

Overall, Sa Wakas was an impressive musical portaying love’s bittersweetness rendered in songs that the audience could easily relate with.

PHOTOS BY MIAH TERRENZ PROVIDO

8

Editor: John Gabriel M. Agcaoili

WITN

Pope Francis vs ‘Dubia’ Cardinals

UST, CBCP Theologians weigh in on Amoris Laetitia

By SIGRID D. GARCIA DESPITE drawing criticism from a number of cardinals, an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis on divorce, abortion, same-sex marriage and family is still aligned with the teachings of the Church, according to priests interviewed by the Varsitarian.

Fr. Jaime Achacoso, executive secretary of the Canon Law Society of the Philippines, said the Pope’s statements, especially in his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia or “The Joy of Love,” could be misinterpreted if not read and studied thoroughly.

“Each chapter was a wonderful presentation of orthodox doctrine, with the Pope’s own twist borne out of his intensely pastoral approach — always reaching out to the peripheries with mercy and

compassion,” he said.

Last September, four cardinals of the Church — Italian Carlo Caffarra, American Raymond Burke, and Germans Walter Brandmüller and Joachim Meisner — raised concerns to the Holy Father through “dubia” or “doubts,” asking for an explanation on Amoris Laetitia’s contents that seemingly allow the divorced and remarried to receive the Holy Communion under certain circumstances.

“I think we should give more room for the Holy Spirit to blow where he wants and give the Holy Father to express traditional doctrine in ways that can open up hardened hearts,” Achacoso said.

He said the exhortation emphasized pastoral discernment or the ability for

pastors to provide spiritual guidance for the faithful. “[Pope Francis is] inviting the pastors of souls to discern each case and give the adequate pastoral response, and not just to lump all divorced and remarried persons together under the label of sinners and refuse them Holy Communion,” Achacoso said.

Achacoso said a “prayerful and reflective study” was needed to understand the document.

“Only in the crucible of spiritual direction, which in turn is preceded by and followed in a prayerful dialogue with God can a pastor really know the situation of a soul. A priest must know a penitent (or any soul) the way the Good Shepherd looks at that soul,” he said.

Faculty of Sacred Theology Dean Fr. Rodel Aligan, O.P. said the apostolic exhortation

is inclined toward the Church’s “principle of graduality,” which emphasizes the person’s gradual approach towards Christ regardless of his or her situation.

Aligan said the Church as a “proactive” institution is tasked to offer guidance for families, educate the faithful and offer alternatives fit for the situation at hand.

“The year of mercy last year was the year of trying to place ourselves in their situation. Kasi ganun naman ang mercy, you place yourself in the situation of others, you feel as they did and knowing what they want, you address their problem,” he said.

Fr. Melvin Castro, spiritual director of Pro-Life Philippines, defended Pope Francis’ stance, saying the Holy Father only

wanted to “extend the mercy of God.” Castro, former executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Commission of Family and Life, said Pope Francis did not rely solely on general principles of marriage, but wanted to “show mercy, understanding and accompaniment.”

However, he said the case of the four cardinals was understandable. “Doctrine is doctrine. Ang mahalaga lang is how to apply [Amoris Laetitia] without compromising the Church doctrine,” Castro said.

Amoris Laetitia was released in April last year following the Ordinary and Extraordinary Synods of Bishops on family and marriage in 2014 and 2015.

Death penalty killed innocent heroes, says CBCP chief THE HEAD of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has condemned anew the proposed revival of capital punishment in the country, arguing that the death penalty had killed “sinless and heroic” lives.

“Jesus Christ, Dr. Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio are all victims of death penalty, and they are all innocent,” CBCP President and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas told an Inquirer Multimedia forum last Feb. 13.

Villegas responded to the ex-Catholic Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s invocation of the Bible to defend capital punishment in a Jan. 23 privilege speech.

“When Christ died on the cross, he accepted death so there may be no more deaths like that. Yet the dyings [and] killings continue,” Villegas said.

Villegas also clarified that the CBCP

did not make any reference to the Duterte administration in the recent pastoral letter read in all Catholic churches last Feb. 5.

“We did not make any reference to Malacañang. We did not make reference to the President because we wanted to treat the issue of killings as a moral issue,” he said.

The CBCP president said “the drug problem in the country is only a symptom of a deeper problem, which is poverty.”

“The biggest problem of the Philippines is still poverty. If you look at the drug problem all by itself, we might not be able to solve it,” he said.

Villegas lauded the government’s campaign to eradicate illegal drugs but maintained that killings won’t resolve it.

“Killing will just create a culture of revenge, a culture of disregard of rights for human beings,” he said. JOEL SEBASTIAN D. CRISTOBAL JR.

CBCP President and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas at the Inquirer Multimedia forum last Feb. 13.

PHOTO COURTESY OF INQUIRER.NET

NESS 9 A tale of two former drug users-turned-priests FEBRUARY 28, 2017

By JOEL SEBASTIAN D. CRISTOBAL FLAVIE Villanueva abused drugs since he was 12 years old. He also became involved in the drug business. He had a life full of vices.

But after spending half of his life in the dark side, Villanueva decided to stop himself from a downward spiral.

Determined to change his life, he left his corporate job and joined a Catholic lay organization called “The Philippine Lay Mission Program.”

But Villanueva never expected that he would enter a seminary.

Now a priest for more than a decade since his ordination, Fr. Villanueva of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) said taking religious vows was contrary to his life expectations.

“It was [clear] that I was not tailored for the priesthood because I was living in sex, drugs and rock-and-roll life,” he told the Varsitarian in an interview.

Villanueva, head of the SVD Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, said his lay missionary activities in Mindoro, Bicol and Davao made him consider the life of priesthood.

The priest pointed to “spiritual intervention” as the reason behind his

recovery from drug addiction.

“I started with cigarettes, then alcohol, then marijuana when I was in Grade 6,” he said.

“It would perhaps be an [interaction] of factors, but I would attribute it to God. No drug [rehabilitating or recovering] person would admit that he did it by himself or herself without grace,” he added.

Changed life Another former drug-using priest, Fr. Roberto “Bobby” de la Cruz, started taking drugs when he was in first-year high school.

He said he first took methamphetamines back in 1985.

A UST tourism alumnus, de la Cruz said he eventually became a drug addict shortly after his first try of shabu. His addiction led him to street fights and rehabilitation centers.

He thought drugs were going to be his life.

“Natapos ako sa programa pero pabalikbalik ako. Hanggang dumating [sa] point na resignation na `yung stand ko. Akala ko `yung mga droga magpapasaya sa akin. Pero at the end of the day, paikot-ikot ako at lalong lumungkot buhay ko,” de la Cruz told the Varsitarian.

“Drug businesses are lucrative. I was also a hindrance to my family for more than 10 years with my addiction,” recalled the

Fr. Bobby Villanueva with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle

Radio Veritas host.

Now the head of the Restorative Justice Ministry of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, de la Cruz recalled that his drug addictions led him to family estrangement.

“Nahiwalay na ako sa pamilya. Hindi na ako nakakaharap sa kanila. Wala akong magawa. Addicted ako at wala akong nakikitang pag-asa na mabago pa `yung buhay – na hanggang dun na lang ako,” the priest said.

Shortly after his separation from his family, de la Cruz was caught by the police and was sent to jail for dealing drugs. He thought his life was over.

But his deliverance from drugs came.

After he was released, he attended Masses and group counseling at St. Paul Parish in Quezon City in 1994.

“Nasa labas lang ako ng kulungan, ayun mayroong evangelization without expecting anything. Hindi ko kilala `yung Diyos talaga [dati]. Hindi ko alam na ganun siya – mahabagin ang kaniyang pagmamahal,” the priest said.

De la Cruz said the mercy of God, through evangelization, cured his addiction from prohibited drugs.

“When I was evangelized, my body didn’t need to be detoxified. We didn’t need

Fr. Flavie Villanueva SVD

any doctor,” he claimed.

The Thomasian alumnus is an active volunteer for “Sanlakbay Para sa Pagbabagong Buhay,” a Church-based rehabilitation program established on Oct. 23, 2016 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila.

Worse than Martial Law Fr. Villanueva criticized President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign that killed over 7,000 alleged drug suspects, saying it was worse than Martial Law. “I denounce the [method] that they are using. I even met victims who are not really users. There is a quota in place on pressuring the police to kill,” he said.

Villanueva admitted that he voted for the former Davao mayor in the May 2016 elections, adding that the country needed Duterte’s political will. However, the priest expressed his dismay over the “flawed” justice system of the country.

He also said the drug war is anti-poor, citing reports that 90 percent of the drug suspects killed came from the lower income classes.

“Due process is for those who can afford and can influence but for the poor, the outcast, the marginalized, the voiceless, due process is a cardboard after a bullet,” he said.

SCREENGRAB FROM YOUTUBE

Is salvation outside the Catholic Church possible?

By KATHLEEN THERESE A. PALAPAR MORE THAN a decade after its publication, the controversial Vatican document Dominus Iesus continues to earn the ire of some Christian and nonChristian denominations for its position that the Catholic Church is the absolute source of salvation.

Published by the Congregation for the Doctrine and Faith (CDF) on Aug. 6, 2000, Dominus Iesus, signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, deemed Protestant churches and other Christian sects as not in possession of the fullness of Christ’s salvation.

Benedict XVI defended the document in a 2015 interview with the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, saying the churches founded by men do not guarantee eternal life.

“The faith community does not create itself. The Church is not self-made; she is created by God and she is continuously formed by him,” the Pope Emeritus said.

However, salvation outside the Church is still possible, as declared by the Second Vatican Council, he said.

Dominus Iesus a ‘clarification’ For Faculty of Sacred Theology Dean Fr. Rodel Aligan O.P., the document is simply an assertion of

long-standing Catholic doctrine.

The Dominican priest said the document did not contain derogatory statements as it only sought to distinguish the Catholic Church from other Christian groups.

“Dominus Iesus is simply a reaction to the opinions of many that all churches are the same. It was issued as a clarification. Its intention is not to demean, but rather, to set things right,” he told the Varsitarian in an

Santisimo Rosario Parish

interview.

“The Church does not want to quarrel with anyone because its purpose is to draw everybody to [it].” he added.

Aligan said the defects meant by the Vatican document were the refusal of some Christian sects to believe in the essentials of the Catholic Church such as the divinity of Christ and the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“There are churches who do not believe in the sacraments. Ito `yung mga tinatawag nating defects, which are essentials of a Church,” Aligan said.

While there are Christians who do not believe in the fullness of salvation in the Catholic Church, Aligan said they may still be considered part of the Church as they teach certain truths similar to Catholic teachings.

“The Church acknowledges interreligious dialogue even with Dominus Iesus,” Aligan said.

To attain salvation, Aligan said the Catholic faithful must have faith and access to Christ through the sacraments of the Church.

“Holiness is an effect simply of justification. In the Catholic Church, holiness is part of the process of sanctification,” he said.

Fr. Luis Supan, the executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Doctrine and Faith, defended the document, saying the Church is absolutely necessary for salvation.

“The Lord Jesus Christ founded only one Church, and that Church received from him

Dominus Iesus PAGE 10

10 Features

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Journalism alumna makes filmfest history

By DANIELLA T. COBARDE and ALYSSA CARMINA D. GONZALES WHAT began as a simple trip to Hong Kong led to a Thomasian filmmaker’s milestone opus in the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

“Sunday Beauty Queen,” directed by journalism alumna Baby Ruth Villarama, marked the first time a documentary was included in the MMFF and even win the Best Picture award.

The documentary, shot over a four-year period, chronicled the lives of Filipino nannies in Hong Kong who organized beauty pageants on Sundays to entertain and raise funds for their fellow Filipinos. “[The film] reflects the Filipino value of resilience and the spirit of strength despite any struggle that they’re going through and when I talk about struggle, the struggle that’s even beyond our own struggles,” Villarama told the Varsitarian.

Though the film dealt with the harsh labor conditions abroad, Villarama made sure that the characters in her documentary were able to empower viewers.

“You don’t want your characters to be victims. They’re already victims when you look at it because they work in a system so wrong,” she said.

“For me, I want that to translate to my audience. That’s what we need – to be entertained in an inspiring and engaging way,” she added.

Serendipities The film’s sudden development,

Villarama

“serendipity” as what Villarama calls it, was inspired the first time she attended a Hong Kong film market in 2011 with the intent to promote independent films to global festivals.

As they did their courtesy call to the Philippine consulate, they were invited to do research on a “peculiar beauty pageant” that the Filipinos hold annually.

“We had our own OFW experience [and] was immersed to the lives of our kababayans in Hong Kong,” Villarama said.

Having been fascinated with the diversity of cultures shown in documentaries at a young age, Villarama knew from the start that she would pursue a degree that would hone her skills behind the scenes.

“I know from the start that I want to be a story teller. I just couldn’t define what kind, but definitely, documentary is really one of the things I want to concentrate on because not many people are into it,” she said.

Villarama is glad her team is changing the game of the annual festival.

Aside from Best Picture, “Sunday Beauty Queen” also won the Best Editing and Festival’s Children’s Choice awards.

“We didn’t really scheme ourselves to be part of it,” she said.

“It had something to do with timing, serendipity and a lot of passion and commitment to get to the end point of the story.”

Philosophy alumnus is PH consul to Brunei

By MA. CZARINA A. FERNANDEZ SERVICE is a calling for Thomasian alumnus Melvin Almonguera, who has found fulfilment in helping Filipino workers abroad.

Almonguera, who graduated from the UST Faculty of Philosophy, takes on the dual task of being second secretary and consul at the Philippine Embassy in Brunei Darussalam.

His job as second secretary entails assisting the ambassador to enhance bilateral relations between the Philippines and Brunei particularly in political cooperation and trade. As consul, Almonguera is tasked to aid OFWs in need.

“I issue visas to those who wish to visit our country and I also assist in catering to the needs of the Filipinos in Brunei. I sign notaries, act as civil registrar and even solemnize marriages between Filipino nationals,” Almonguera told the Varsitarian in an email.

“I provide assistance to Filipinos in distress, particularly those with legal predicaments. We assist them appropriately and we even provide lawyers to those who are facing serious charges,” he said.

Almonguera earned his degree in classical philosophy and licentiate in philosophy, magna cum laude and summa cum laude, respectively, from UST in 1999. In 2004, he graduated cum laude with a master’s degree in philosophy from the UST Graduate School.

Central lab FROM PAGE 3

regular classes.

“For sure na `yan this year, April. Next school year magagamit na talaga [ng] buo [`yung building] kasi ililipat na lahat [ng facilities this semester],” Pangan said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Pangan said the building would accommodate almost all laboratories used by different colleges in the University, and would also be shared with the Research Center for Natural

Almonguera worked as a teacher for a decade before he was thrust into public service.

At the suggestion of a friend, he took and passed the Foreign Service officer examination in 2008, which he prepared for on his own.

“While on self-review for the different stages of the examination, I learned more on diplomacy and consular affairs, which encouraged me further to pass the examination,” he said.

Experience, values Almonguera began working at the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2009 and began to be deployed abroad not long after.

Among these assignments were South Korea during its military standoff with North Korea in Yeonpyeong Island in November 2010; Libya during the African country’s civil war in February 2011; and Afghanistan during the 2014 deployment ban “It was a learning experience to be part of a massive but coordinated government operation to secure the safety of OFWs in Libya,” he recounted.

Now, Almonguera and his family are based in Brunei. Almongera said the UST Central Seminary instilled in him the values that drive him to be in public service.

“In performing our tasks we should not aspire for personal fame. The aim should be the promotion of the country’s interests,” he said. “The spotlight should be directed at the Philippines and the Filipino.”

and Applied Sciences and the Laboratory Equipment and Supplies Office (Leso).

Laboratories from the Faculty of Pharmacy will occupy the second to third floors, while some spaces in the fourth floor will be shared with the College of Science.

Science laboratories will occupy the fifth to seventh floors.

Parts of the seventh floor are allotted to research centers. The auditorium and Leso will be on the eighth floor.

The new laboratory building is parallel to the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex and adjacent with the facilities management building.

The transfer of the laboratories is meant to preserve the structure

of the Main Building, an 89-year old National Cultural Treasure.

Pangan said the chemicals in the laboratories were damaging the Main Building’s foundations, hence the need for the new Central Lab. In a previous report by the Varsitarian, Science Dean John Donnie Ramos said the vacated spaces in the Main Building would be converted into administrative offices, online resource units, lecture halls and faculty rooms.

Construction of the new building, handled by Malate-based construction company IronCon Builders and Development Corp., began on Sept. 21, 2015. MIA ARRA C. CAMACHO and THEODORE JASON PATRICK K. ORTIZ

Almonguera

Dominus Iesus FROM PAGE 9

the command, ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved – he who does not believe will be condemned,’” Supan told the Varsitarian in an interview.

“It simply describes how things are. It is not telling the Protestant communities that they are of no value, but quite the contrary,” he said.

Supan said the word “defects” mentioned in the document was

not an insult to Christian groups but an articulation of “a necessary element that is lacking.”

“The tragedy suffered by the Protestants was the loss of the valid Episcopate. Consequently, they had no valid priesthood; and without the priesthood, there is no Eucharist,” he said. Supan was referring to the validity of the Catholic priesthood through the laying on of hands in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, an element that is lacking in other churches.

The CBCP official added that “faith is not a matter of competition as a baptized Lutheran, Episcopalian, Methodist or Baptist is called to a closer participation in the life of the Catholic Church.”

Filipino 11

IKA-28 NG PEBRERO, 2017

Mga Patnubay ni Inay Ni JOLAU V. OCAMPO “MAGHABULAN kayo ngunit huwag kayong tatakbo!” sabi sa akin ng aking nanay noong gusto kong makipaglaro sa aking mga kaibigan sa tapat ng aming bahay. Malumanay ang kaniyang mukha subalit may diin ang kaniyang tono na bahagyang nagpahilakbot sa aking inosenteng kamalayan.

Marahil, narinig na ng maraming bata ang linyang ito noong mga panahong nagkikita-kita sila ng kanilang mga kalaro sa gitna ng kalsada upang maglaro ng tayatayaan, langit-lupa, ice-ice water at kung ano-ano pa na may kasamang takbuhan.

Hindi pa sila naguguluhan sa mensahe nito noon sapagkat sabik silang lumabas ng bahay at tumakbo. Bagaman nakalilito ang paalala, batid nila ang mensaheng “magingat.”

Gayunpaman, hindi maitatatwang mas madali namang unawain ang pahayag na ito kaysa sa sinasabi ng kanilang mga crush na “gusto kita.”

Maraming kabataan ang abala sa pagiisip tungkol sa kanilang mga crush o hinahangaan sa pinaka-inosenteng paraan, iniibig nang palihim at marami pang iba.

Epekto ito ng mga namumuo ngunit hindi maipaliwanag na damdamin sa pagitan ng dalawang bagong “nag-iibigan.”

Kinkiilig sila sa mga yakap na kanilang natatanggap mula sa kanilang “sinisinta,” subalit alam nilang panandalian lamang ang mga ito sapagkat niyayapos din naman ng niya ang iba niyang kaibigan.

Sa katagalan, kapag nalaman nilang hindi magkapareho ang tingin nila sa isa’t isa na kapatid o kaibigan lamang pala nag turing sa kanila, magiging sanhi ito ng pagkalumbay. Maliban sa mga pasimpleng hinahangaan, mayroon pang ibang tao na masasabi nating mas nakalilito pa pagdating sa pagpaparamdam ng kanilang pagmamahal―ang ating mga magulang.

Balik sa pakikipaglaro noong kabataan…

Kung nadapa ang mga bata at nagkasugat dahil sa hindi pag-iingat sa kanilang pakikipaglaro, pagagalitan sila ng kanilang mga magulang. Malamang, sigawan pa sila nang mayroong kaakibat na palo sa puwet. Maaari nating masabi na bugso ng damdamin ang kanilang pagbubuhat ng kamay o pagtataas ng boses dahil sadyang nakadidismaya para sa isang ama o ina ang mga anak na hindi sumusunod sa mga ibinibigay nilang payo o babala.

Nagbabakasakali ang mga magulang na susundin na sila ng kanilang mga anak sa susunod, hindi dahil ayaw nilang masugatan muli ang kanilang mga anak, kundi dahil ayaw nilang magalit muli sa mga ito. Sabihin man ng mga magulang na, “Sige tumakbo ka pa!” alam na nilang hindi na ito gagawin ng kanilang mga anak dahil nasugatan at nasaktan na sila.

Inaasahan na ng mga magulang na magkakaroon ng oras na magkakamali o papalpak ang kanilang mga anak. Kasabay

nito ang pag-asang magtatanda na ang mga ito. Pansinin kapag umaakyat ang mga bata sa hagdan. Uunahin ng mga magulang na magbabala sa posibilidad ng pagkahulog.

Magpapayo silang mag-ingat ang kanilang mga anak.

Gayunpaman, hindi tama ang ating mga magulang sa lahat ng pagkakataon. Nagkakamali rin sila subalit pag-iintindi nating mga anak ang kaakibat nito. Magkaiba na tayo ng kinagisnang panahon, ideolohiya, pamumuhay, pag-uugali ng mga tao sa ating paligid at marami pang iba.

Pansinin ang mga nabanggit na halimbawa. Puro mga pangyayari noong bata pa tayo, kasama ng ating mga magulang dahil hanggang ngayon, ginagabayan pa rin nila tayo. Palagi nila tayong pinag-iingat, pinaghihinay-hinay sa pagtakbo sa ating buhay habang inaabangan tayong magkamali dahil nariyan sila upang gumabay.

Sa paggunita sa buwan ng pag-ibig, maliban sa ating mga kani-kaniyang sinisinta, huwag nating isiping nagkukulang ang ating mga magulang sa pagsasabi ng, “Mahal kita.”

Ang dalawang salitang ito ang implikasiyon ng walang katapusan at paulit-ulit na

pangaral nila mula noong nakikipag-tayaan pa tayo sa ating mga kalaro hanggang ngayon na nakikipaghabulan na tayo sa laro ng tunay na buhay.

Pag-ibig sa mga mata ng makata Nina JOLAU V. OCAMPO at WINONA S. SADIA PATULOY na nagkakaiba-iba ang mga pananaw, opinyon at saloobin hinggil sa usapin ng pag-ibig.

Marahil, simula pa noong una itong maramdaman at iparamdam, hindi humihinto ang pagsibol ng mga akda, tula, katha at iba pang sulatin tungkol dito. Bagaman marami nang makabagong lathalain ngayon tungkol sa pag-ibig, hindi nito matatabunan ang mga klasikong tula ng mga makatang minsan ding umibig.

Para kay Joselito Delos Reyes, manunulat at dalubguro sa Unibersidad, natatangi ang tulang “Masarap Isiping [Sa Kaibigang Madre]” ni Padre Albert Alejo, SJ sapagkat ipinahahayag nito ang hangganan ng isang pag-iibigan.

Dahil mga ordinaryong taong umiibig din ang mga nagsisilbi sa Simbahan, umiikot ang tula sa paghihinuha ng dalawang magkaibigang pari at madre ukol sa kanilang bokasiyon bilang mga

taong-simbahan.

“Subalit ang lalong kahangahanga lang talaga, mahal ko, Ay kung paanong—sa paglayo kong ito ng misyon—Iyon bang pinag-usapan na natin noon?— Tikom-bibig tayong tumatango habang kumakaway, sapagkat ‘Di ba, noon pa ma’y malinaw naman sa atin ang lahat?”

Ipinahahayag ni Alejo sa kaniyang tula ang kahalagahan ng pagiging tapat ng tao sa kaniyang piniling ibigin at pagsilbihan, sa kapuwa man niya o sa kaniyang debosiyon, ani Delos Reyes.

“Kinikilala niya na siya (pari) ay nakaabito pa rin [at] nasa simbahan pa rin. Sa kabila ng lahat, tao pa rin siya. Tao muna siya bago pari,” dagdag pa niya.

Piniling talakayin ni Alejo ang pag-ibig sa pamamagitan ng mga taong-simbahan upang ipakitang may kakayahan din silang umibig at mabigo. Bukod pa rito, nararanasan

din nila ang mga pagbabawal sa pagibig, naisulat man o hindi.

“Masarap paglaruan ‘yung what if. Pero pagkatapos ng lahat ng laro ng what if, bumabalik tayo sa pagiging ‘tayo.’ At iyon ang nagpapaganda sa buhay natin,” aniya.

Itinuturing naman ni Chuckberry Pascual, dalubguro ng panitikan sa Unibersidad, ang “Kung Ibig Mo Akong Makilala” ni Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo bilang mahusay na paglalarawan ng isang tunay at hindi pangkaraniwang pagibig.

“Tungkol ito sa higit pa sa pisikal na atraksiyon at sa pagkakaroon ng totoong koneksiyon sa isa’t isa,” ani Pascual.

Dagdag pa niya, malalim na pagkakaintindihan sa pagitan ng dalawang tao ang ibig maranasan ng persona sa tula—taliwas sa ibang pag-iibigan na nasusukat lamang sa panlabas na kaanyuan.

“Kung ibig mo akong kilalanin, sisirin mo ako hanggang buto, liparin mo ako hanggang utak, umilanlang ka hanggang kaluluwa– hubad ako roon: mula ulo hanggang paa.”

Pinili naman ni Ralph Galan, makata at dalubguro sa Unibersidad, ang “Between-Living” ni Edith L. Tiempo at “Obsession” ni Ma. Fatima V. Lim bilang kaniyang mga paboritong tulang pagibig. Inilalarawan sa mga ito ang kalagayan ng isang taong umiibig habang hinihintay niya ang pagbabalik ng kaniyang minamahal.

Sa “Between-Living,” inihahain ni Tiempo ang realidad ng pag-ibig sa isang taong mahilig sa paglalakbay.

Tatlo lang ang maaaring kalabasan kung magmamahal ka ng ganitong uri ng tao: na malapit na siyang dumating, na malayo pa siya, at na hindi na siya darating, ani Galan.

Ayon sa huling saknong ng tula: “And thus we care,

And thus we live Not for the end (Since that is not unknown), It is the wait, creative Life and love in full; Unfinished, uncertain, unknown, Yet mocking the known end That comes sooner, Later, or not at all.”

Ngunit ayon sa mensahe ng tula, hindi naman iyon (pagdating) ang mahalaga. Mas mahalaga ang pagitan ng pag-alis at pagbalik kaniyang iniibig—na dapat gamitin ang oras na ito ng paghihintay sa pagiging mas malikhain, dagdag pa ni Galan.

Magandang pagkakataon daw ang paghihintay upang magsanay ang isang umiibig sa kaniyang mga hilig na gawain, aniya.

Samantala, ipinapakita naman sa “Obsession” ang kawalan ng kasiguraduhan sa tuwing umiibig ang isang tao.

“The persona compares herself to a thin-stemmed flower of tenacious roots. When one is in love, one is entering to a territory that is unknown, probably fraught with dangers and darkness. But then, her love, [since] she’s obsessed with this love, is something that spills over the edge of the cliff,” paliwanag Galan.

Sa unang saknong ng tula, inilalarawan ang kapangyarihan ng pag-ibig na may kakayahang pasukin ang naturang teritoryo.

“He has taken hold.

And I am a thin-stemmed flower Of tenacious roots Pushing through darkness And boulders.

My love, growing profusely, Spills over The edge Of a cliff.”

Ginamit din bilang metapora sa tula ang panahon, kung saan inilarawan ng persona ang kaniyang iniibig bilang pinagmumulan ng init sa gitna ng malamig na panahon.

“Kapag umiibig ang isang tao, nadarama niya ang parehong init at lamig,” ani Galan.

Usapang Uste MULA SA PAHINA 2 School sa Estados Unidos noong 2007, dumalo si Cruz sa Advanced International Program in Oil and Gas Management sa University of Texas at Dallas. Nakamit din niya ang titulong Outstanding Alumni in Public Practice noong 1991.

Sa kasalukuyan, bahagi si Cruz ng ilang mga organisasyon tulad ng Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants, PhilippinesThailand Business Council, GermanPhilippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Board of Trustees of the Petroleum Association of the Philippines. Nagsisilbi rin siya bilang board member ng Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice. WINONA S. SADIA

Tomasalitaan: Sabang (png) – Kpm; krosing o interseksiyon.

Hal.: Sa sabang kung saan maraming daan na mapagpipilian, pipiliin ko pa rin ang daan pabalik sa iyo.

Mga Sanggunian: The Outstanding Thomasian Alumni Awards 2016 The Varsitarian Tomo VI Blg. 4, Agosto 1, 1933; 1933-1940, p.33

Civil Law FROM PAGE 2

noble, and it should not be seen as an imposition [but] a basis for law schools to determine who are qualified to go to law school,” he said.

Divina said it would still be up to law schools to prescribe their own standards for admission. The PhilSAT will be rolled out in 2017 and 2018.

“I think for this year it’s only a dry run, [but] next year it will be compulsory. If you don’t get 55 [percent] then you won’t get into law school,” he added.

12 Literary

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Aguila’s ‘Carnival of Hate’

‘Powerful fiction’ of transgression & scandal

By CEDRIC ALLEN P. STA. CRUZ and NIKKO MIGUEL M. GARCIA LITERATURE professor Augusto Aguila ventures into dark territory in his latest short story collection that tackles sexual transgressions and academic scandals.

Carnival of Hate: Stories (UST Publishing House, 2016) consists of eight short stories that deal with topics “not usually seen in Philippine fiction,” as Ralph Galan, assistant director of the Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (CCWLS), points out in the blurb.

Perhaps representative of the collection is “The Whole New Nameless Thing,” about closet-gay Keith who has had a one-night stand with Nina and in the aftermath, has a conversation with an owl-shaped clock on the wall, Mr. Owl, and a pink rectangle on the curtains, Ms. Rectangle.

The two inanimate objects, and the three’s deepening exchange, both serve as metaphor for Keith’s guilty conscience and the naked truth of this sexuality.

The collection’s title story, “Carnival of Hate,” is a re-imagination of “Inferno,” the first part of the classic Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Here, “Dante” that would travel Hell is instead Dickson, a gluttonous vice president of a company who has recently died from bangungot. A Virgil resembling the Australian actor Eric Bana ushers him into the netherworld.

What mostly serve as impetus of the narrative are not heavy descriptions of Hell but rather the titillating dialogue between Dickson and Virgil.

“F A B” deals with the life of James Valderama, an honor student whose family has joined the nouveau riche through the efforts of his father, a celebrity lawyer.

The story revolves around James’s membership in Valkyrie, a fraternity in his university, as he has been recruited by its mysterious leader named Tyler.

Because of their high living, Valkyrie members indulge in sex and drugs, and “F A B,” as the title implies, is a social critique of the lifestyle of the fab and the nefarious.

“The Shop” involves a probinsiyana who seeks greener pastures in Manila. Lina, a 19-year-old girl from Mantoc, finds employment in a shop that sells sex toys named Private Heaven (“PH”) in Malate.

Although Lina, dubbed “Zoe the school girl,” initially has a fine run at PH, she soon becomes bound to her tragic fate because she works in a

Dearest DEAREST Princess, I write to you now from Sin City, which speaks to me in psychedelic and pulsating hues. The forest of neon─ the restlessness and freedom from inhibition─ is a philosophical quandary for the wandering spirit and a gallery of the best and likely the worst that humanity has to offer.

“Topless cowgirls. Call now.” You can imagine what I did next.

I went out for ice cream with my dad and threw a coin at a miniature Venice canal. Still, kudos to the Devil for coating the highway to hell with the enlivening scent of chocolate crepes and fine whisky.

The Nevada wind was an ever-present companion. Never have I felt such a chill, one that mimicked the sensation of fingernails running across your arm and that dove deep into your bones. It followed me everywhere and worsened when I remembered you were halfway across the world.

I feel alone in a city of strangers that felt so familiar. I was a convict of a living suburbia. However, I felt free, even for a glittering, neon-lit moment, under the desert moon. Still, the occasional “kumusta?” as I passed by glowing waterworks, to me at least, were verbal echoes of home, of fellow countrymen who find shelter in a land not their own.

As I write this, I remember the little Filipino girl who was begging her mother for a picture with a dancing snowman in front of the hotel. She got her wish, while her father reluctantly clutched his wallet. They strolled off into the crowd, the girl hopping alongside her parents, her aunt, and what I assumed to be seven or so cousins.

It reminds me that, among the melting pot of races that rub shoulders in this country, there was still “Filipino-ness” shining against the background─ family, togetherness and optimism in a time when borders are almost non-existent. The city was their metaphor and it is as unyielding as ever.

Regardless, I wondered how different this trip might have been had you been with me, had I had a hand to hold through the cold. I am half-way around the world now and for reasons I cannot explain, the world is bigger and smaller at the same time. I feel unstable without you.

You are “the gravity that ballasts me in space,” wrote Angela Manalang-Gloria. That you were even if that space is a tumultuous and anxiety-ridden college life, punctuated by periods of near alcohol poisoning. I wonder then, which among us is carefully-kept royalty?

For you were always the one riding to the rescue in a white horse (actually, usually just a rusty tricycle) with a cup of coffee in your hand, beating back “the dragon,” or more specifically my frustrating pleas for one more bottle.

I wonder how I should write to you after this. I never quite

place of transgression and risk.

Aguila exposes conflicts among members of the academe in two different stories. “The Contest” tracks the unraveling of professional relationships between teachers following an oversight in a literary contest, resulting in bitter division and disarray.

In “Smokescreen,” Aguila tells the story of a flamboyant faculty member named Richard Teodoro “Ricketts” Revelacion who receives the ire of his colleagues for his “sharp tongue and street humor” and for commanding his colleagues to do things for him.

Tragedy as fact of human life is framed in “A Condition of Worship,” as the protagonist named Jerry longs for the affections of the much younger Justin. His expectations are raised following a visit from a voluptuous saint named Saint Voodah who prophesizes that a sign will appear in the volleyball game where Justin is a player.

Jerry is soon distraught when the sign from Saint Voodah ultimately works against his desire.

A similar situation occurs in “The Prankster” as teenager Toby is ever eager to play pranks on the elderly by announcing that he is “The Son of Satan.” However, he must face the consequences of his own actions as a shadowy figure enters his life.

Carnival of Hate has been lauded by New York-based writer Tim Tomlinson who compares Aguila’s stories to celebrated works such as Lino Brocka’s film “Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag (Manila in the Claws of Light), Donna Tartt’s novel “The Secret History” and Thomas Mann’s novella “Death in Venice.”

Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, CCWLS director, describes Aguila as a writer who is “able to face the monster without flinching […] determined to stare it down,” and his collection is a “powerful fiction” that exists in the “dusty corners of the world.”

Princess imagined that the world was in a wrong way until very recently, as I stand on that exciting yet terrifying demarcation of youngster and adult.

When I was ten, I waited every Saturday morning for my favorite cartoons. The next day, I was scrolling through the pages of internet classifieds to get my bearing in this hyper-competitive workplace of ours, slumping and slouching in front of a glaring monitor as “the man” trumpets along: “more green means more smiles.”

Suddenly I am alone now as I face the expectations of an imposing and at times vindictive world. Get a degree. Find a job.

Settle down. Have a family. Life in this new age comes prepackaged with outfits we are expected to wear and faces we are all expected to put on.

I suddenly feel like the one to be rescued, like the one stuck in a tower. And you are the one in shining “armor”─ that iconic shawl, those wide glasses and that pile of books that is always tucked along your right arm. You are my better and I am the supposed rescuer you never needed. I think it’s about time to do away with the damsel in distress in image, or even the princess get up all together.

Perhaps this city might be a fitting metaphor─ bright, optimistic and comfortable in the arid and chilling winds of the desert, maintaining its inner unyielding nature. No more knights, towers and dragons, only the myths and legends you will carve for yourself.

To this workplace of ours, we are the gears that grind into the midnight hours. Turn, get rusty, unscrewed, replaced.

To our parents, we are the dreams that never will be; the stars formed from the nebulae of lost dreams.

These are our crosses, and the long, cemented road to Calvary, our lives. But I admire you for bearing one cross too many and still making the same journey.

I remember when, those many nights ago, I found myself stranded on an island of my own making, with the very shores themselves riled up and treacherous; the currents lunged for the shore, the tempest of my dread.

Yet it was you who calmed them, you who parted the nimbus curtain and drew me back to a more calm once more.

I was not aware from birth that your kingdom was in peril and when I did you were already soldiering on, fighting the good fight.

I never had to save you from the dragon. I doubt I ever will.

Special Reports 13

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Editor: Lea Mat P. Vicencio

Senior High School seeks enrollment hike to 10,000 FROM PAGE 1 in the program were handled effectively with the help of the UST administration.

“We are efficiently and effectively managing the current [problems] because we have been trained to do so and we have the support of the University administration,” Romero said in an email.

‘Satellite enrollment’ proposed Geronimo said one way to ease the classroom shortage is for the SHS to implement a “satellite enrollment system,” in which Grade 12 students take classes in colleges whose programs are related to their respective strands.

“Ang mga Grade 12 students ay puwedeng [magaral] na doon sa mga kolehiyo nila para mas maexpose na sila sa mga disciplines nila at ma-integrate sa courses na gusto nila para sa kolehiyo,” Geronimo explained.

With the expected surge in enrollees next academic year, Sicat said the SHS administration would have to hire more faculty members for the equal distribution of teaching units.

Rene Luis Tadle, head of Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines and former vice president of the UST Faculty Union, said the first year of the K to 12 basic education reform program was not properly executed because of the lack of resources and preparation.

“The whole purpose of the objective of K to 12 appears to be defeated because of lack of teachers, lack of facilities etc. If this is happening to UST how much more in other [institutions]?” he said.

Tadle was part of the group of teachers and parents that petitioned the Supreme Court to put the K to 12 program on hold. The high tribunal denied their request for a temporary restraining order in March 2016. MA. CONSUELO D.P. MARQUEZ and NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS

Senior High School students stand outside the Buenaventura G. Paredes, O.P (BGPOP) Building.

JAMILLAH N. STA ROSA

Anti-discrimination bill may breach religious freedom, a CBCP lawyer says A LAWYER for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) wants amendments to an “antidiscrimination” bill, warning that the measure could infringe upon religious freedom.

CBCP legal counsel Jo Imbong said

several provisions in the bill, which seeks protections for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT), were “disturbing” and “unconstitutional,” citing areas that might trample upon religious convictions. “[We will support the bill] as long as a bill like that will respect religious f r e e d o m , parents’ rights, employers’ rights, privacy rights and it will not punish people who will act according to the teachings of their faith. The Church will be very careful in

reading that bill,” Imbong said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Imbong said there should be clear language against the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, noting that the proposed antidiscrimination bill deems as discrimination the denial of application for licenses on the basis of gender identity.

Article 1, Section 1 of the Family Code of the Philippines states that marriage is a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life.

The CBCP in principle is against discrimination of homosexuals, as stated in the Catechism of the

Catholic Church.

“Persons with homosexual orientation are sons and daughters of God; no less than any of us is. Discrimination against them is contrary to the Gospel spirit. Verbal and physical violence against them is an offense against the good Lord Himself,” LingayenDagupan Archbishop and CBCP President Socrates Villegas said in an article published by CBCP News.

First proposed in 2000 by former Akbayan partylist Rep. Etta Rosales and the late Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, the bill sanctions people who discriminate against members of minority groups.

Imprisonment, community service and attending human rights seminars are among

sanctions that could be imposed on violators.

Takahiro Aman, cofounder of the Philippine Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Bar Association, countered Imbong’s statements, saying the bill should be looked at from a secular standpoint, citing institutionalized discrimination in schools, workplaces and legal affairs.

“We are looking at this from a secular point of view; and this is why the LGBT community is pushing for this bill because everyone, regardless of race, gender and religion, is entitled to equality,” Aman said in an interview.

The bill calls for gender desks in police stations to address abuse

No change three decades after EDSA Revolution — lawmaker NOT MUCH has changed in the government 31 years after the People Power Revolution that ousted the dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan, one of the rebel leaders behind the overthrow of Marcos, lamented partisan politics and corruption that continue to plague the government.

“The system [of governance in the Philippines], which requires re-engineering and needed fundamental changes, was maintained. Only the people seated in office are changed,” Honasan said in a lecture last Feb. 14.

“We risked our lives for reforms [during the EDSA revolution]. The system did not change after all,” he added.

Evelyn Songco, former director of the UST Office for Student Affairs, said public officials do not value the significance of the

EDSA revolution.

“We should always be vigilant of our freedom. We should not allow that our freedom be compromised,” said Songco, who taught history in UST at the time of the uprising.

“Compromising our freedom may not only come in terms of dictatorship, but abuse of our freedom can come even in different forms, like when our political leaders do not do what they are supposed to do,” she said.

Archie Resos, who teaches history at the Faculty of Arts and Letters, presented a lecture on the diplomatic relations between the United States and the Philippines prior to the EDSA revolution.

The lecture, titled “Edsa People Power: Telling the Other Side of the Story,” was the fifth part of the “The KASAYSAYan Lectures” organized the UST History Society. MA. ANGELA Sen. Gregorio Honasan speaking at the fifth part of the KASAYSAYan Lectures organized CHRISTA COLOMA

by the UST History Society last Feb. 14.

and discrimination cases against the LGBT community.

Proponents say it does not cover religious vocations, particularly gender-specific vocations, and does not seek to have same-sex marriage legalized.

Chances boosted Despite criticism on the bill, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is optimistic the long-pending antidiscrimination bill would finally be inked under the Duterte administration.

“During the last [State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte] made a lot of categorical statements Bill PAGE14

ROTC FROM PAGE 1 heads the University of the Philippines’ ROTC alumni association, said the implementation of the program may vary depending on discussions between the Department of Education, Department of National Defense and Commission on Higher Education.

“One of the possible scenarios is that the basic ROTC training will be conducted on the senior high school students, while the advanced officers’ and leadership training will be conducted in the tertiary level,” Farolan said in a phone interview.

This academic year, only about 200 students enrolled in the University’s ROTC program due to lack of freshmen as a result of the K to 12 transition.

Congress abolished mandatory ROTC following the death of Thomasian Mark Welson Chua, who exposed anomalies in the UST-ROTC program in 2001 through the Varsitarian.

The passage of the National Service Training Program Act of 2001 made ROTC an optional one-year program. Students were also given the choice to enroll in either the Civic Welfare Training Service and Literacy Training Service.

NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS

14 Limelight

Art Director: Kirsten M. Jamilla

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

BUHAY USTEDYANTE BY CHINNY MAE F. BASINANG

TOMALINO BY SHAINA MAE L. SANTANDER

BUHAY TOMASINO BY JUAN MIGUEL M. SORIANO

Penny and Dime

a welcome relief and a morale booster for many of us horrified and anxious by the genocide going on in our midst. CBCP President and LingayenDagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas has done an inspiring job of consolidating the CBCP to voice out its opinion and condemnation strongly.

The Catholic Church since she is founded by Jesus Christ is perfect, but its shepherds are not.

Some of her bishops and priests commit acts that are an embarrassment to the Church and traumatizing to the Filipino faithful. But we should remember that they were put there by God, who alone can judge them. Their

mistakes and atrocious acts do not justify Duterte’s attacks on the Church.

The people always forget easily but at the end of the day, the Church will be there to comfort them in times of distress. People should look at the Church with a broader lens: warts and all, the Church has been a positive force in

FROM PAGE 16

If the Golden Booters just finished one notch higher than the Green Booters, UST could have secured the overall crown.

However, the following year, the Softbelles could not save UST once more as the race was decided by the results of the men’s football tournament. The Golden Booters settled for fourth place (eight points) while the Green Booters landed third (10 points).

By the numbers At the conclusion of Season 78, UST and La Salle scored 125 and 129 points, respectively, in the second semester.

Assuming that both schools score the same number of second semester points this year, UST could

protect its lead in the general championship race as its 11-point first semester lead will give it a seven-point advantage at the end of the year.

The Golden Tigresses, Tiger Spikers, Golden Sox, Lady Booters and Female Woodpushers and Female Tennisters, who contributed just 30 points combined in 2016 compared to the 51-point production of the Female and Male Tracksters and Male and Female Fencers last year,

will have to improve in their respective standings to bolster UST’s case for the overall crown.

The Softbelles, Male Woodpushers and Female Tennisters, who all finished second last season for a combined 36 points, will need to up the ante to give UST just enough breathing room in case some of its teams struggle along the season.

UST is still the most successful school in the UAAP with 40 overall titles.

Summary killings

an interview.

The chairman of CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on the Laity slammed lawmakers for proposing House Bill 02, which lowers age criminal liability from 15 years old to nine years old.

Pabillo criticized Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez for proposing amendments in the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (Republic Act 9344).

“Sa halip na-irehabilitate [niyo] ang mga bata, isasama pa sa kulungan. Iyon po ay hindi tama. You represent us, not those who are in the top,” he said.

Kalookan Bishop Virgilio David lambasted President Duterte’s “all-out-war” against the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf and Communist rebels, calling it as “anti-life” in his speech during the event.

“Nakakapagod na ang mga giyera. Ang mga tagaMindanao, ayaw nila ng giyera. Ang mga mamamayang Pilipino, gusto na rin mapigil ang gera sa mga komunista,” he said.

He urged the government to resume the peace talks

with the Communist Party of the Philippines, following Duterte’s lift of the unilateral ceasefire with the Reds last Feb. 3.

Tracksters

FROM PAGE 5 EJK’s as early as August 2016, many in the diocesan clergy has remained mum until quite lately. Thus, the January 20 pastoral letter condemning the drug killings has been

Overall title

FROM PAGE 1

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle reminded the faithful to act with “non-violence” amid the prevailing “culture of violence.”

“Kapansin-pansin ang paglaganap kultura ng karahasan. Ito ay tintumbasan ng ‘active non-violence,’” Tagle said, addressing protesters from Catholic institutions and laity groups.

“Mercy and unity can resolve the issues of pornography, unemployment, hunger, prostitution, drug addiction, and climate change in the country. Lakas, hindi dahas,” he added.

Catholic prelacy speaking out Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said he was impressed with the attendance in the prayer rally.

“The faithful at last are speaking out. The faithful now want their voice to be heard,” Pabillo told the Varsitarian in

Perspective of the laity Niel Evangelista, a student from the UST College of Education, urged fellow Catholic students to protest the killings not only in prayer rallies.

“I think we can [always] do more, this is just the start. Pero kung titigil lang tayo dito, wala rin tayong mapapala,” Evangelista said in an interview.

Evangelista said the Church has the right to interfere and condemn the extrajudicial killings, proposed death penalty and the lowering of the age of liability.

“We should be bothered when the Church no longer contradicts,” Evangelista said.

With the theme “Care, protection and defense of all human life from conception to natural death,” the “Walk of Life” was organized by the CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Laity and its lay arm, the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas.

FROM PAGE 16

14.47-second performance in 2014.

Female Trackster Luz Delfin also entered the record books with a 41.88-meter performance in the women’s hammer throw event.

Surpassing the previous record of 4,507 points, Sarah Dequinan capped the women’s team dominant run with a brand new UAAP record of 5,094 points in women’s heptathlon — a display that ranks fourth

Bill FROM PAGE 13 highlighting his concern for the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable sectors of the society,” CHR spokeswoman Jacqueline de Guia said in an interview.

A survey by the Pew Research Center in 2013

history and humanity. It is best to always remember the positive contributions of the Church to Philippine history.

If it is any indication, Duterte’s decision to allow the burial in the Libingan ng Mga Bayani to Marcos, who was ousted in 1986 by the Edsa Revolt that resulted from the dramatic

Tigresses

call of Cardinal Jaime Sin, should indicate he has numbered himself on the side of murderous despotism. Definitely all of us conscientious Filipinos should expect the Church to continue being a positive force in our history by leading the nation against all forms of despotism, then as now.

is still not playing at a hundred percent following an injury that sidelined her for a year, is averaging just 3.4 points.

Tiebreaker Times volleyball beat reporter Migs Flores said no one has fully embraced the role of the leader inside and outside the court.

“Now is the time for the

veterans to step up especially thatRondina and Meneses have been in the program for quite some time. In terms of leadership, both on and off the court, I have not seen someone to really take the role as the leader of the team,” Flores told the Varsitarian.

The Tigresses, who are currently at sixth place as of press time, will face Final Four contenders NU and FEU before the first rounds ends and they need to start winning now if they do not want to go on an early vacation for the fifth straight year.

all-time among Filipina heptathletes.

With this record, Dequinan joined the great Elma Muros-Pasadas, who holds the national record of 5,346 points, her coach Narcissa Atienza (5,285 points), and former SEA Games heptathlon champion Nene Gamo-Pellosis (5,125 points) as the only Filipinas who breached the 5000-point mark.

Judy Almasa, also broke the UAAP women’s heptathlon record by garnering 4,840 points for silver.

Louielyn Pamatian was hailed Most Valuable Player in the women’s division

after collecting gold medals in the 4x400-meter relay and the 800 and 1500-meter run. She added silver in the 400-meter sprint.

“I did not expect that I would get the MVP award because I have a lot of opponents who were strong,” Pamatian said. “[But] I expected that we will get the championship since each of us contributed points and we were not careless in our respective events.”

FEU remains the winningest team in UAAP athletics history with 49 titles under its belt while UST now has 15 championships overall.

found that 73 percent of Filipinos thought society should accept homosexuality, while 26 percent believed otherwise.

In the same survey, the Philippines was hailed as one of the “most gayfriendly” countries in the world.

De Guia said having a sponsor and an advocate in Congress would advance

the passage of the bill.

The first House hearing on the bill was held on Oct. 16, 2016. One of the House versions, House Bill 51, was filed by Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao. The Senate counterpart, Senate Bill 935, was filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros. MA. ANGELA

FROM PAGE 15

CHRISTA COLOMA and JOHN PAUL P. CORPUZ

Editor: Delfin Ray M. Dioquino

Sports 15

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Fencers secure podium finishes in UAAP

By PHILIP MARTIN L. MATEL CONTRIBUTING to the University’s general championship bid prevailed to be the motivation behind the UST Fencers win.

UST ended the UAAP Season 79 fencing tournament with three golds, three silvers and three bronzes as the University of the East (UE) won its 10th title in a row in the women’s division and fifth straight in the men’s division at the Quadricentennial Pavilion from Feb. 8 to 11.

The Male Fencers settled for second place anew with two gold, two silver and two bronze medals, while the women’s squad slid one place lower from their second-place finish last year with a gold, silver and bronze.

Male Fencers team captain Noelito Jose nabbed gold in the men’s individual epee before anchoring the men’s epee team comprised of Jose Bernardino Arribas, Michael Duterte and Dennis Gascon in a nail-biting 45-44 comeback win over UE in the championship game.

Female Fencers team captain Maylene Pailma duplicated her gold medal-finish from last year over rival Allein Cortey of UE. But Pailma could not bring her success in the women’s sabre team event as she and teammates Janna Dalmacio, Cherie Mañago and Fhaym Sarrondo yielded to the Lady Warriors in the title match.

Pailma, who has already exhausted

her UAAP playing years, originally wanted to forego this season in preparation for next year but had a change of heart to give the University more leverage in the general championship race.

“Since we knew the competition will be held in UST, my coach and I decided that I will be competing because if I do not, we will fall to fifth place and I cannot let that happen to our team,” Pailma told the Varsitarian.

Angelo Ramos bagged silver in men’s individual sabre and contributed in the Male

Fencers’ silver-medal finish in the team category alongside Matthew Domantay, Mark Joseph Echaves and Bonn Pascual.

Dennis Gascon secured a bronze in the men’s individual epee,w while UST’s women’s epee and men’s foil team both chipped in another pair of bronze medals.

“We just did our part in retaining the gold for the individual and team epee events to meet our goals of finishing at the podium,” Jose said.

UST’s junior squads failed to win a gold in the four-day tourney but clinched five silver and eight bronze medals.

With the loss of Pailma and Dino Arribas, the Fencers will try to bank in on Jose and their young core in hopes of ending the Warriors’ reign next season.

UST’s fencing teams secured podium finishes anew in this year’s UAAP fencing tourney.

MARIA CHARISSE ANN G. REFUERZO

Leadership woes hound Golden Tigresses

By CARLO A. CASINGCASING LEADERSHIP remains to be the missing key for the Golden Tigresses’ goal of ending a four-year Final Four drought.

From team captains Pam Lastimosa (Season 77), EJ Laure (Season 78) and Cherry Ann Rondina (Season 79), the Tigresses have yet to find their on-court leader after losing three of their first five outings this season.

Head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes Jr. said lack of leadership paired with petty lapses were the reasons why they faltered against Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University and University of the

Philippines.

“There are games that we had our chances to win but we got no leader inside the court. My assessment is that skills-wise, we are at the same level against the top teams but we lack that leader who could be our go-to-guy,” Reyes said. “Individually, we are strong. But the problem is no one really takes charge to give commands inside the court, no one has that leadership trait to assert herself and lead the squad just yet.”

On paper, the Tigresses have one of the most solid lineups in the UAAP. Lastimosa is a former Most Improved Player in the Shakey’s V-League, while Laure is a former UAAP Rookie of the Year. Rondina is a two-time Most Valuable Player in UAAP beach volleyball, while fellow veteran Ria

Meneses has won the Best Blocker award in 2015.

However, the Tigresses still have not duplicated the same success they had recently when they placed fourth in the 13th Shakey’s V-League Reinforced Conference, which was dominated by the top pro teams in the country.

The Tigresses may have won two games but those came at the expense of the league’s winless teams, Adamson University and University of the East.

Laure and Rondina are averaging 13.2 and 11.8 points, respectively, but their individual success have not really translated to the team’s standings. Lastimosa, who Tigresses PAGE 14

UST group eyes first UAAP street dance title

Prime Dance Group

Head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes Jr.

By IVAN RUIZ L. SUING SEVERAL dancers from different dance crews joined forces in hopes of giving UST its first UAAP street dance competition title.

Prime, formerly known as UST Hype, started as a fusion of Flux and Project Pax, the winner and first runnerup teams, respectively, in the intercollegiate dance contest “Hype.”

Now, it was more diverse with members from various college dance troupes around UST such as Watah, Arki Dancetroupe, Casa Footwork and Archetypes and professional street dance groups UPeepz, A-Team, Alliance and Legit Status.

“We recruited some Thomasian dancers who are still enrolled in the University to formally put up the team for UAAP,” Prime team captain Meeko Evangelista said. “I think it is an advantage that we are experienced dancers individually.”

Prime will benefit from the international championship experiences of A-Team and UPeepz that both won gold in the Hip Hop International MegaCrew Division in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

Heading into the UAAP street dance championships, the group is looking to sustain the momentum from its first-placefinish in the NCR qualifiers of the National Dance Competition last Jan. 28 that propelled them to the national finals on March 10.

Despite winning third in the UAAP street dance last year, UST’s first podium-finish since the event started in 2011, the dance troupe is still unsure of representing the University this season.

Evangelista said they still have not received word from the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics on donning the University colors.

“The decision on who will represent UST is out of our hands but we really wish it would be us since we want to improve from last year’s performance,” Evangelista added.

Prime was advised to join IPEA’s “Step-Up” dance contest last November, wherein the winner gains an opportunity to represent the University in the UAAP. The group won gold in the said contest.

“To be recognized as the University’s official street dance team is our main goal. As for becoming an organization, we might need some advice on that.”

Sports

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Female Tracksters bag three titles

By JAN CARLO ANOLIN THE UST Female Tracksters emerged as champions for the third straight year, while the Male Tracksters remained second anew at the UAAP Season 79 athletics tournament at the Philsports Arena last Feb. 8 to 12.

UST successfully defended its title in the women’s division with 490 points behind a 30 medal haul (11-11-8 goldsilverbronze), leaving F a r E a s t e r n University (401 points) and the

University of the Philippines (165 points) at second and third place, respectively.

Head coach Emmanuel Calipes lauded his wards’ impressive performance despite some key losses from their previous roster.

“This group is much closer than before. Although some players left, I said, ‘We need to step up.’ I am happy because of the women’s dominance,” Calipes told the Varsitarian.

The Female Tracksters ruled the 4x1000-meter relay, 200, 400, 1500 and 10000-meter run, hammer throw, long jump, pole vault and heptathlon events.

Tamaraws, the seven-time defending champions.

UST’s 244 points in the men’s division courtesy of its 16 medals (4-5-7 gold-silver-bronze tally) was enough to secure second place against third placers De La Salle University with 243 points.

The Tamaraws m a d e a statement with 404 points.

Dynasty The Male Tracksters once again failed to dethrone the reigning FEU Charging

Despite the absence of perennial gold medalist Elbren Neri, the Male Tracksters pocketed four gold medals in the pole vault, 110-meter hurdle, 1000 and 5000-meter walk events courtesy of EJ Obiena and Lambert Padua.

Calipes said the Male Tracksters performed well but lacked manpower.

“If you look at the other teams, they were complete. We even lost our best player (Neri) and that is a big deal,” Calipes added.

M a l e Tracksters p a r a d e d only 16 players, m i s s i n g four potential slots for the whole team.

Neri, who holds the record in the 1,500-meter run from last season,

The UST Female Tracksters hurdled their way to 30 medals for their third straight UAAP championship.

UST extends lead in UAAP title race

By RANDELL ANGELO B. RITUMALTA ARMED with a 29-point lead at the end of the UAAP athletics and fencing tournaments, UST is on track to dethrone De La Salle University for the UAAP general championship.

UST now has 210 points while La Salle trails with 181.

UST lost the title by two points last year.

But this season appears to be a different story as UST has more leverage following an 11-point advantage going into the second semester.

And with the athletics and fencing teams pushing that lead to 29 points, the University has a better chance of preventing another second semester collapse.

Matthew Li, a Tiebreaker Times reporter who covers most UAAP events, said it will come down the wire for both schools.

“Same as two years ago, it will be neckand-neck. Most likely, it will go down to softball and men’s volleyball.

Doon magkakatalo kasi sa men’s volleyball, medyo alanganin ‘yung both teams and every win matters there,” Li said. “In softball, UST has a bigger chance than La Salle so that will pull them up.”

In 2015, UST was on the verge of allowing La Salle nab its third straight general championship but the Tiger Softbelles went on a magical run to give the University a 283280 lead.

Overall title PAGE 14

decided to forego this season to focus on the national team and the Southeast Asian Games.

Making new records Obiena set a new record of 14.39 seconds in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, trouncing his Tracksters PAGE 14

JAMILLAH N. STA ROSA

Arnis aficionado now top RP fencer

By RALPH EDWIN U. VILLANUEVA UST fencing team captain Noelito Jose has already earned five golds, two silver and a bronze medal in his three-year UAAP career.

But unknown to many, he took a less conventional route to the top.

Before being named as the number one epee fencer in the country, Jose was once an arnis player representing the Children of Mary Immaculate College in Valenzuela.

Hoping to enroll in UST as a scholar, the 19-year-old had to set arnis aside for fencing, a discipline h e was not familiar with. “[The athletic moderator] asked me if I wanted to try fencing first for the scholarship, and once arnis becomes [an official UAAP sport], they will bring me back there,” the Sports and Wellness Management student told the Varsitarian. “I did not know [the UAAP] did not have arnis.

Maybe it was pure luck, maybe it was fate, but I became stronger due to my perseverance.”

Jose, whose five siblings also play arnis for their respective schools,

hoped to keep the family tradition.

But to excel in fencing, he was told by the UST head coach Arman Beltran to leave arnis.

Ever since he focused on the sport in 2013, he was able to climb up the ranks to qualify for the national team in 2014.

It was also in 2014 that he was listed as the top epee fencer in the country.

“I did not anticipate to be this strong, I just put my effort and work into practice. Even though I was a neophyte [back then], I played with members of the national team,” J o s e said. “I really pushed myself to strive hard because I want to be as strong as them or even stronger.”

Jose wants to play on the Olympic stage, a goal he set with his father.

“There was no national team player for arnis back then, and it was my family’s dream [to have one of us in the national team].

That’s why I persevered when I learned that there is a national team for fencing.

You just have to rank up and compete, a n d [Beltran] really had patience with me. He asked me if I wanted to become part of the national team and I said yes, so we both worked really hard to be there,” Jose added.

Beltran commended his ward’s unparalleled grit, saying that Jose’s dream of competing in the SEA Games and even in the Olympics is not a long shot for his prodigy.

“He wants to be an Olympiad.

Especially after he won over a Thai Olympiad in the South East Asian Fencing Championship, it really is possible,” he said.

Jose