No. 25 by The Weekly Sillimanian

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years

Towards A Progressive Campus Press | vol. LXXXVii No. 25 | Friday, FEbruaRY 26, 2016

POLITICAL PLATFORMS. Silliman University hosts the Dumaguete City Mayoral Forum as part of the “General Education Integrative Learning Lectures” last Feb. 24 at Luce Auditorium. PHOTO BY Santia Onnycha Ursabia

Buenavista, Antiquina win SUSG Elections

By Ray Chen S. Bahinting

STUDENTS UNION FOR REFORMS (SURE) party’s presidential standard bearer, Gil Buenavista and Concerted Action for the Upliftment of Student Endeavors (CAUSE) party vice presidential standard bearer, Cedrick Antiquina win in this year’s Silliman University Student Government (SUSG) elections last Feb.24. Buenavista won by 588 votes against CAUSE party’s presidential standard bearer, Maria Ina Elnar.

He got a total of 2,218 votes or 58 percent of the total voters during the Silliman University Student Government Elections for school year 2016- 2017. On the other hand, Elnar had a total of 1,630 votes or 42 percent of the total number of voters. Buenavista won in College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Education (CoE), Institute of Clinical Laboratory Sciences (ICLS), College of Mass Communication (CMC), College of Nursing (SUCN), and

College of Performing and Visual Arts (COPVA) against Elnar. Yet in the College of Computer Studies, Buenavista won by five votes, four votes in the College of Law and only two votes in the Silliman University Junior High school In his own college, College of Business Administration (CBA), Buenavista won with a margin number of votes of 425 against Elnar. However, Buenavista lost in different colleges such as Agriculture (CoA), Divinity, Medical School and School of Public Affairs and

stated that SURE party violated provisions in Article III of the SUSG COMELEC Rules and Regulations for the Conduct of SUSG Elections. CAUSE claimed that SURE party candidates like Edna Masicampo from the College of Mass Communication, Patricia Navarro from the College of Nursing, Keanu Sygaco from the Silliman University Junior High School, among others violated Article III, Section 6. This provision states that “all campaign materials must be removed by the candidates and/or political parties on or before Feb. 23, 2016.” According to CAUSE party, these candidates did not remove or change their photos wearing their party’s official ID after Feb. 22. A disqualification letter was also filed by CAUSE party against SURE party’s presidential standard bearer, Gil Buenavista.

CAUSE party claimed that Buenavista did not change his profile picture showing the official SURE party poster before Feb. 22, which is a “clear violation” on the said provision. A letter of complaint was also filed against the supporters and candidates of the SURE party like Fritz Collen Figueras, co-chairperson of the SURE party, Rep. Abigail Bernardez from the College of Computer Sciences, and among others for posting status and photos on Twitter and Instagram. CAUSE party claimed that they violated Article III, Section 2 (e) that says that posting pictures and videos online shall be done through social media websites such as Facebook and Youtube. Another complaint was also filed against SURE party supporters like Markren Alburo, Nicole Villanueva, Fritz Colleen Figueras, Courtney Colina among others and candidates like continue to page 4...

SUSG COMELEC to assess 22 complaints from CAUSE

By Ray Chen S. Bahinting and Andrea D. Lim

AS OF FEB. 24, Silliman University Student Government Commision on Elections (SUSG COMELEC) will review 22 complaints passed by Concerted Action for the Upliftment of Students’ Endeavors (CAUSE) party against Students Union for Reforms (SURE) party. Out of 22 complaints, two complaints were passed last Feb. 9, six were passed last Feb. 21, and 14 were passed last Feb. 23, a day before the SUSG elections. Most of the complaints are disqualification cases against SURE party’s candidates for college representatives. Kimberly Flores and Feliciano Mahinay II, the chairperson and vice chairperson of CAUSE party and authors of the letters of complaint,

SU holds Dumaguete mayoral candidates forum

By Rhobie A. Ruaya

MITING DE AVANCE. SURE and CAUSE party standard bearers showcase their platforms and were asked questions during the Miting de Avance last Feb. 22 at the Amphitheatre. PHOTO BY Babe Jocelie Isaga

AS PART OF the General Education Integrative Learning Lectures, Silliman University (SU) held the 2016 Dumaguete City Mayoral Candidates Forum last Feb. 24 at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium. The three candidates who participated in the forum were Mr. Mercedarius “Dindo” Generoso, Quirino “Kinix” Ramirez, and Atty. Felipe “Ipe” Antonio Remollo. continue to page 4...

Governance (SPAG), but only for a total of 65 votes for these colleges. He also lost in the College of Engineering and Design (CED), the home college of Elnar, 206 to 317. On the other hand, Antiquina got a total votes of 2,045 against 1,590 votes of SURE party’s vice presidential standard bearer, Charmaine Malata. Antiquina won in 12 out of 16 colleges like CoA, CAS, Divinity, CCS, CoE, CED, SUJMHS, SUCN, COPVA, and SPAG. Antiquina won in his own college,

ICLS, with a number of votes margining to 244 against Malata. Although it is the college of his opponent, Malata, Antiquina won in the College of Mass Communication, 38-33. However, he lost in CBA, SULAW, IRS, and Medical school. Meanwhile, Rosel Erames, chairperson of the SUSG COMELEC, said that the number of voters now is greater than last year. She said that the number of voters has increased to as much as 25 percent or 800 people since last election.~

BATTLE OF WITS. Law students from Silliman and UP Dilliman debate on the topic “Resolved: That foundlings be called non-natural born citizens”, during the Grand Law Debate last Feb. 19 at Luce Auditorium. PHOTO BY Babe Jocelie Isaga

SU invites UP in law debate, wins 2 awards

By Jameela I. Mendoza

THE TEAM FROM Silliman University (SU) College of Law won two awards in this year’s Grand Law Debate against the University of the Philippines (UP) team last Feb. 19 at the Luce Auditorium. This year’s debate focused on the topic “Resolved: That foundlings be declared non-natural born citizens.” Wiem Marie Bonganciso and Nubbin Paul Lagumbay from the SU debate team won “Best Rebuttal Speaker” and “Best Debater,” respectively. Meanwhile,Isabel Guidote from the UP debate team won “Best Speaker.” According to Grand Law Debate organizing committee Chairperson Krizza Batulan,the committee decided to choose a topic which both teams are not familiar with and is timely. Lagumbay said that the topic of the citizenship of foundlings

or abandoned infants in the Philippines is “of national interest” because it is connected to the case of presidential candidate Grace Poe. “I think that students should also be part of [the discussion of this topic] because it talks about our rights as citizens of this country and as such, we need also to be involved in the political process as well,” said Lagumbay. Moreover, Guidote said that the topic is important because it determines the future of our country. “These foundlings can potentially grow up to be leaders and if they are not allowed to run when they are, in fact, qualified, then our country is deprived of the opportunity to have great leaders,” said Guidote. SU took the side of the affirmative while UP was the negative. The SU team’s arguments focused on declaring foundlings as ‘stateless,’ which means foundlings continue to page 4...

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the weekly sillimanian February 26, 2016

From Paper to Sound

Small Things Matter

he Concerted Action for the Upliftment of Student Endeavors (CAUSE) party filed 22 complaints against the Student Union for Reform (SURE) party in violation of some sections in Article III of the Rules and Regulations for the Feb. 24, 2016 Silliman University Student Government (SUSG) Elections. Article III of the said guidelines talks about the scopes and delimitations of campaign propagandas. CAUSE party filed complaints against SURE party pursuant to Article III Section 6 of the COMELEC Rules and Regulations. According to Article III Section 6, campaign materials must be removed on or before Feb. 23, 2016. However, SURE party wasn’t able to remove some their candidate’s profile pictures, and the SURE party posters in CAS after 12 midnight of Feb. 23. There are also complaints pursuant to Article III Sections 1 and 2 stating the violations of SURE party in publishing or distributing campaign literatures and direct or indirect solicitation of votes, and posting propaganda materials in social media sites respectively. These complaints were evidenced with screenshots of unchanged Facebook profile pictures, Twitter posts, and Instagram pictures. CAUSE party “hopes and/or prays” for the disqualification of President-elect Gil Buenavista and the other college representatives, and penalization of President Kirk Philip Emperado and the SURE party itself due to violation of Article III Section 6. Fritz Colleen Figueras, chair of SURE party, and Chesca Figueroa, College of Computer Studies representative, were said to violate Article III Sections 1 and 2. On the contrary, SURE party sent a reply asking for the credibility of the complaints filed against them. SURE party is also emphasizing the possibility of tampering the screenshots. They also imposed the right of Figueroa to freedom of speech, and her compliance in good faith in posting on social media. They also pointed out that the complaints are void for vagueness, and the harassing complaints without legal basis. The Weekly Sillimanian (tWS) believes that CAUSE party’s evidence are not fully supported by the right information needed to show concrete proof of SURE party’s negligence. Submitting letters of complaint a day before the election day even if these were written earlier may also be a part of their political strategy to ensure wins. Also, it might be harder for SUSG COMELEC to assess these complaints because there are no provisions on the number of offenses or “strikes” that will make a certain candidate disqualified. However, tWS also believes that campaign managers should be fully aware of the stipulations of COMELEC’s Rules and Regulations to ensure compliance in good faith. Rules are rules. These complaints can be future reflections of an inconsistent SUSG. As future student leaders, it is expected of them to be models to the students. Follow rules. Ignorantia legis neminem excusat. Or in plain English, ignorance of the law excuses no one.~

By Ronelyn Faith C. Vailoces

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editorial

sillimaniansspeak Compiled by Lizbeth Mae B. Andaya

“Do you think the EDSA revolution is still worth celebrating?” “I think that we should not certainly not forget what signified in the past for it glorified what we have done in the past. The certain event happened 2 decades ago and it brought out the best in Filipino spirit and showed the world how we united in adoration for their country. The revolution should not be allowed to diminish into oblivion.” Raul Eguia, Bachelor of Mass Communication I “Yes, it’s worth celebrating because it is part of Philippine history and it is known around the world as the “bloodless revolution”. It exhibited the true power of democracy. However, I think, the purpose of celebrating the revolution today, is no longer remembered.” Neil Umbac, Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering III “I believe that the EDSA revolution is still worth celebrating. It does not only stand as a demonstration of the power of the people in a democratic country but also a reminder that the people, united as a whole, have power.” TIshri Gabuya, Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology I

Next Issue’s Question:

Hey you: Some Treasured Pieces from Mentors 1. People should not expect student leaders fromn different organizations, governments, etc. to be perfect. We are in Silliman to learn and pursue excellence in whatever we do; to commit mistakes is one part of the learning process. 2. Do what is right even when no one is watching. Standing for the truth can also be uncomfortable, but it has to be done. 3. We are not meant to accept all opinions and criticisms from other people, may it be about yourself or other pressing issues. We must be filters instead of sponges. Life becomes easier when we let things in that will help us become better people instead of “soaking” ourselves to things that cripple us from growing. 4. Most of us (if not all) shed tears throughout the movie “Inside Out” because at one point, we realized we do not acknowledge feelings, especially sadness. This has always been perceived as a no-no, but the first step to determine remedy is to admit the presence of pain. 5. No to ad hominem in proving a point! 6. Ikaw bahala, whether you want love to find the door just closed or locked after knocking upon its arrival.

Editor-in-chief Andrea D. Lim Associate Editor John Rey L. Villareal News Editor Jameela Antoniette I. Mendoza Feature Editor Christian Renz M. Torres Business Manager Eric Gerard D. Ruiz News Writers Leslie J. Batallones, Rhobie A. Ruaya, Paulynne Joyce R. dela Cruz, Ray Chen S. Bahinting Feature Writers Alissa Z. Lacson, Shane Marie K. Canono, Ronelyn Faith C. Vailoces, Junelie Anthony Velonta Photojournalists Babe Jocelie B. Isaga, Cheri Lian V. Ansale, Santia Onnycha D. Ursabia Cartoonist Hervey Angelo F. Avenido Circulation Manager Lizbeth Mae B. Andaya Office Manager Angelica Mae D. Gomez Layout Artist Gloria Gem T. Lumayag Web Manager Mariana G. Varela

The Weekly Sillimanian is published every week by the students of Silliman University, with editorial and business addresses at 1/F Oriental Hall, Silliman University, Hibbard Avenue, Dumaguete City 6200, Philippines. SU PO Box 24. Telephone number (35) 422-6002 local 243. https://www.facebook.com/pages/ The-Weekly-Sillimanian-2014-2015 theweeklysillimanian1516@gmail.com Opinions expressed in the columns are those of the columnists and not of tWS or of Silliman University. Comments, questions, and suggestions are highly appreciated. All submitted manuscripts become the property of tWS. Manuscripts will be edited for brevity and clarity. Member: College Editors Guild of the Philippines

Adviser Warlito S. Caturay Jr.

7. Try to not wear earphones while walking around the campus. Hear the presence of the birds flocking either in the sky or surrounding acacia trees. You will miss this someday, maybe on the sight of office walls and on the echoes of your boss’ orders. 8. We have the right to question various systems in the university,

Bringing Dead Lines to Life Andrea D. Lim

city, and the country. To do so does not mean to antagonize people in the position. Rather, we want to help in the process of improvement. 9. Even if Philippine politics looks dirty, still exercise your right of suffrage. Even if you keep on seeing student government leaders throwing plastic bottles on canals inside the campus, not participating on assemblies, overpowering each other, having petty fights, and not being accountable to their wrongdoings, do not resolve to being apolitical. 10. Believe in the power of genuine kindness. People who offer this

may not be able to assure a sunny weather all the time, but they give you an umbrella, nonetheless. 11. The best way to confront vexations of the spirit is to “kill” the people responsible with kindness and professionalism. 12. Do not view your problems as inferior to others’. The king’s tears weigh the same as the peasant’s in the Father’s eyes. 13. Put down that highlighter and tuck your handouts inside your bag, then go outside and have fun with friends. College life is not all about perfect exam scores and high QPA-s. Do not forget to build memories with the people around you. 14. Your comfort zone will never be your home. Dream big and take risks. Note: The columnist who will graduate soon wrote this list with random points while she is on her way back to Dumaguete from a contest last month. This is her way of thanking the mentors who made her stay in Silliman more bearable and worthwhile. Without these mentors, giving up and destroying herself would have beene easy. They know who they are.~

Take a Walk

“Do you think that the PiliPinas Debates 2016 was effective on informing the Filipino citizens about their presidential candidates? Why or why not? For your answers, just text the Circulation Manager (09068874424). Indicate your full name (with middle initial), course and year.

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It was around 5:00 a.m. when I decided to take a walk to the beach. With all the events happening in my life, it was pretty hard to think with a clear head. The homework and projects have been making me busier than usual and the extracurricular activities have also been slowly getting a tight grip on my head which resulted in some sort of troubling burn-out. The walk was beautifully refreshing. People would wave and say, “Good morning!” and I would respond with a smile and a nod as I continued walking to my destination. Flowers that grew on the sidewalk would sway and bow gently as the morning breeze passed by and birds would start singing as if thanking the world for giving them another day to survive. The

sweet smell of the early morning breeze drifted around me while the sight of smoke rose from the dirty kitchens where breakfast was being prepared. After admiring the scenery, I had finally arrived at the beach. I vividly

The Frustrated Ghost Gloria Gem T. Lumayag

remember the soft colors of the sunrise reflecting the silver waters of the sea and the salty aroma that settled around the place. The beach at that time was certainly a small haven for me. It took my thoughts far away as if I had never

experienced a problem in my life. In these stressful and troubling times, it would be perfect if we take a break and just take a walk. Everything is so busy and instant nowadays that we forget to slow down and connect with ourselves and the environment. Sometimes, all we need is a walk, we never know when new thoughts and ideas can spring up. It would also be beneficial if everyone, from politicians to teachers to ordinary people, took a walk around the city just to admire the urban scenery and then maybe they could come up with ideas and solutions to making it a better place. Don’t pressure yourself in the midst of all the troubles in the world. Just breathe in and out, and take a walk.~

So the things that I see through the X-ray glass that penetrate into your soul cannot be seen through the physical, societal mirror that you look into.”These are the favorite lines of sophomore BS MT student Julianne Grace Montes’ from her poem that won 1 st place during the Poetry Slam Competition last Feb. 18. She wrote A Description of Insecure, a poem that aims to let someone look into himself as how she looks at him, filled with goodness and brilliance, obliterating the anxieties brought by the society’s standard and the way he perceives himself. Julianne defined poetry as “writing creatively, freeing what you want from your heart and just making beautiful things out of your hand and your head.” Silliman University’s first ever Poetry Slam is a competitive art of performance poetry that encourages the students to let their emotions and ideas about love, gender equality, patriotism, devotion, and a variety of topics be heard by the Sillimanians. Poetry slam is revealing and daring. As one of the Filipino performance poet Kooky Tuason said, “It’s like standing naked in front of everyone.” Each performer reveals a part of themselves to the crowd with the use of

By Alissa Z. Lacson

words, rhythm and expressions. And because poetry slam demands to be spoken out loud and be heard, it influences people, which do not only make it as a form of expression but also

an avenue to convince people to believe in a certain claim. To pour one’s emotions through words is creativity; to perform it to the crowd is courage. In his poem Infection of the Society, BSED-MAPEH II Juan Arsenio Adana—and the second placer for this year’s slam poetry—voiced out his empathy for the LGBTQ. He said, “How can you accept them [LGBTQ] without accepting who they gotta be, what they gotta do.” He was inspired to write this kind of poem after witnessing an incident of gay students who were scolded by school

personnel because of taking pictures and laughing out loud. He also pointed out how poetry has been a great help for him. “Poetry is my life saver. I have undergone depression just like the

youth or the ordinary student and somehow I lessen the weight in

Love Your Own

ut of the 100 million population and the updated 7,500 islands, there are approximately 175 distinct languages and dialects in our country. Back where I’m from, I spoke one—Hiligaynon. Although it’s the mother language of Bacolod, it wasn’t actually my first language as English was the common language of my parents aside from Ta g a l o g , thus my household language. M o re o ve r, the school where I spent most of my growing y e a r s actually had a “No Speaking in Dialect” policy. Isn’t it ironic that we go to school to learn yet they don’t teach you to learn your mother language? Well, I’m glad the K+12 educational system made it a point to teach in mother tongue throughout grade school. But as I grew up, I learned how to speak Hiligaynon. The way I expressed myself in dialect just felt like there

was more emotion and depth to everything I spoke. There were so many words that I just couldn’t simply explain in English; Ka nami gid ya! felt better to say than “It’s nice” or Hay, ambot ah (Oh, well) perfectly portrayed that feeling of frustration. Even palangga ta guid ka bala just felt so much more affectionate than

“I love you so much.” The tone of my mother language is beautiful to hear too; it’s soft and in tune with your emotions. Sadya guid ya mag Ilonggo (It’s so fun to speak Ilonggo). Then, I decided to move to Dumaguete for college, a town with unfamiliar faces and with a dialect different from mine. It was

challenging. Back in first year, I constantly had to rely on two of my classmates to translate everything for me. Hiligaynon and Visayan might be similiar but I just couldn’t get through with people. Even when I spoke English, my classmates would “nosebleed” at my phrases and the cashiers, pedicab drivers, and guards would misunderstand me. Thank God, dili ko kasabot was the first Visayan phrase I knew. Still, I had to deal with classmates not wanting to talk to me or even sit beside me simply because I couldn’t speak their language. In fact, I missed one practice for Speech Choir back in first year because I thought “karon na ta practice” meant “let’s just practice later.” I also had a pedicab experience where the driver brought me to the wrong place because I couldn’t understand literally every word he was saying. Innocently, I thought he was just taking a different route home. It drove me crazy. I had to force myself to speak the dialect if I wanted to belong and make memories in this town. It’s been four years since I first moved and spoke Visayan. Although

my heart through poetry,” he said. Poetry Slam started when Marc Kelly Smith, a Chicago poet wanted to introduce a different kind of poetry that is not too structured and too academic. In

that still continues until now. The poem about unrequited love, 9 Years by Aliyah Marie Millares (BMC-III,) won 3 rd place. Among the entries that made it to the performance

1990,he founded the National Poetry Slam, a competition

night are the poems made by Theresa Isabel Amante (BS MT I,) Leslie Batallones (BMC IV,) Phil Edgar Contreras (Doctor of Medicine II,) Tiara Faye Schuck (BS MT,) Davies Davad (BS ACCY I,) and Darlene Tubil (BSCE I.) Valerie D urias (AB Creative Writing II), the organizer for the slam poetr y event, said she believes that this is also a way for Sillimanians to express themselves through wordplay, unleashing the potential poet of ever y student. “Poetr y is a basic form of self-expression,” she said.~

A Path to the Future, Robotics

By Junelie Anthony Velonta

here does the future of humanity lie? Some say that humanity must move ever on and on to achieve knowledge and a sense of perfection. Some tell of the future where we are powered by nothing but free will and, with it, the consequences. However, some see the future where technology flourishes: a future with robots. A dream they once were, a reality they are now. Spanning from the wonders of ancient civilizations to the latest breakthroughs and innovations, robots have been an object of sensation for the past generations. They have surpassed fiction and are even used extensively in the manufacturing industry. Their relevance and usefulness to human life is immeasurable, as is their complexity and intricacy and the way to study and create them is aptly named: Robotics. The term robot has first been used by Czech writer Karel Čapek, thus making the word of Czech origin. In the modern world, the term robot and robotics are widely used and known and, just lately, have been put into awareness of the Negrenses through the effort of the I still can’t speak it consistently, I’m glad I’ve shared connections and memories with everyone I know here. I miss speaking Hiligaynon all the time and I literally get all giddy when I meet someone who can speak with me in my mother language. But I’ve also learned to love Visayan. I enjoy speaking it as well. I’m glad that out of the many languages in this island, I’ve

Philippine Institute of Computer Engineering Students (PHICES). “The idea was from Professor Diputado when he was still in UP,” said Marc Cabilan, head of PHICES. This annual event which has been around for six years is the pioneering robotics exhibit and competition in the whole of Negros Oriental. It aims to reach out to the community on the existence and use of robotics in our lives. It reaches out to the crowd through an exhibit of various automata made using a wide array of materials: from pre-existing kits to raw materials turned to masterpieces. The event was participated by multiple bodies from within and outside Silliman, including AMA, Asian College and University of San Carlos. A race between robots was later held in the second half of the said event which attracted a more than sizeable crowd of both young and young-at-hearts. Cabilan adds that robotics has become the trend right now when it comes to industry and its usefulness is ever growing, everyone should be made aware of it. Held last February 22 in Robinson’s Dumaguete, this breakthrough event will be a gateway to a progressive future through robotics.~ already learned three — Hiligaynon, Visayan, and Tagalog. And I can’t wait to learn to love so much more languages and dialects in our beloved country. Last Feb. 21 was International Mother Language Day and it’s great how there are celebrations such as that to remind us to appreciate our dialect, our culture, our own.~

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the weekly sillimanian February 26, 2016

FIGHT FOR PEACE. People Power 1 is the symbol of faith and unity of the Filipino people. In remembrance of the historical revolution, here are some happenings of violent revolutions from different countries that strongly fought for human rights and peace: Egyptian Revolution On January 25, 2011, antigovernment protests have begun across Egypt. Thousands of activists have showed their anger due to poverty and repression. The protests became more intense as many people have joined in, but it closed when Mubarak’s 30-year rule ended.

Ukrainian Revolution “Revolution of Dignity,” as Ukrainian citizens call it, happened on November 21, 2013. The protest movement started when people in Ukraine learned that the signing of the European Union Association Agreement was delayed by President Yanukovych.

Compiled by: Shane Marie K. Canono via Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/egypt-revolution-anniversary-40-powerful-photos-25-january-2011-arab-spring-protests-1539544

MIting de avance

roundup

SUSG COMELEC.. from page 1 Yasmeen Junaid from the College of Law for putting up Facebook profile picture with the words “No Color But Red.” CAUSE party stated in the complaint that “although such is not considered an ‘official slogan’ of the [SURE] party, the same is still relatable to them.” On the other hand, Fritz Colleen Figueras, the co-chairperson of SURE party, wrote a letter to the COMELEC to answer the complaints by the CAUSE party. In the letter, Figueras said that the complaint against Buenavista and other candidates and supporters of SURE party for allegedly violating Article III Section 6 of the rule is “void for vagueness.” Figueras explained that if the said midnight of Feb. 22 is to be considered as the deadline, both parties must have violated,since the online propaganda were removed on the midnight of Feb.23,2016. Figueras also questioned the credibility of the evidence presented. She said that although it is true that the date and time was indicated, such is not an assurance that it was the real date and time that the photo was taken. SU invites.. from page 1 would neither be natural-born or naturalized citizens, until the citizenship of birth parents are determined. However, the UP team argued that declaring foundlings as nonnatural born citizens would create a third category of citizenship, which would be ‘unconstitutional.’ The UP team also said that a declaration would only ‘burden’ a foundling that is likely to be a naturalborn citizen since only 1 out of 1,357 foundlings in the Philippines from 2010 to 2014 has a foreign parent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. To counter the argument, the SU team said that citizenship cannot be based on possibility. Batulan said that SU law students from the higher years chose to invite UP even before the debate was organized.

Tunisian Revolution The protests of Tunisian people against corruption, poverty, and political repression caused the downfall of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali from power in January 2011. The protest movement was known as “Jasmine Revolution” and it gave motivation and inspiration to other several protests throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

She added that there is a possibility of tampering or adjusting the date and time and not reflecting the real information. On the issue of using Twitter and Instagram, Figueras said that Article III section 2 does not pertain to Facebook and Youtube only. Figueras also questions the clarity of the said provision. Moreover,Figuerasexplainedthereason behind the “No Color But Red” photo. According to her, “the photo is not within the meaning of the “propaganda” and “campaign” because it does not reflect the party’s platform which is actually “KAMO, KAMI, KITA RA GIHAPON ANG SUSG.” She said that the “No green,no blue,just red... No bias... For Unity” is only part of the personal statement of Gil Buenavista. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is set to release the final decision today. *** The Weekly Sillimanian will post the final decision on its official page as an update to this article.~

“[Law students from the higher years] decided na it should be UP this year because it has been a long time since UP came to Silliman, so we invited them and fortunately, they accepted so we’re really thankful to the UP team,” Batulan added. The SU team was composed of Julius Anthony Ragay (necessity speaker), Veronica Louise Mandi (beneficiality speaker), Nubbin Paul Lagumbay (practicability speaker), Wiem Marie Bonganciso rebuttal speaker), and Christal Faith Javier (team manager). Meanwhile, the UP team included Anna Isabel Rodriguez (necessity speaker), Isabel Guidote (beneficiality speaker), Miguel Sevilla (practicability speaker), Marijo Angela Conejero (rebuttal speaker), and Enrico Edmundo Castelo II (team manager).~

SU holds.. from page 1 The event was in coordination with the SU Alumni and External affairs and SU School of Public Affairs and Governance. Another candidate vying to be successor of Mayor Manuel Teves Sagarbarria is Vice-Mayor Woodrow Maquiling Sr. who was unable to attend the forum. Generoso shared during his speech that it took him a long time to decide to run for mayor. During his speech, he had three main platforms. He emphasized that one of the problems the city is having is congestion. “Karon, kailangan najud atong syudad i-expand. I do not need another master plan, so the number one sa akong platform if I were to become mayor is to open up the areas na posible ma-ablihan nato para muexpand ang atong syudad,” he said. His second platform is to clean and revamp the Banica River. He said that the river “has been the life” of Dumaguete City because of its abundance of water. His last platform was to provide free housing for the people living in the squatter areas, and he said that the

government must look after the poor. Generoso was a student from 1969-1975 and a former teacher from 1977-1978 in SU. Ramirez said that the first problem of the city is corruption, and one way to avoid this is to give competitive salary. “Daghan man kwarta ang gobyerno, mao’y nakadaot sa atong gobyerno kay ug budget gani para sa kaayuhan sa tawo, wala’y budget. Pero sa corruption, unlimited ang budget,” he said. Of his 22 list of platforms, his advocacies included making Dumaguete pollution-free, rescuing and giving special care for stray dogs and cats, and placing comfort rooms at the Boulevard. Ramirez said that if he were elected, he would “collect all the platforms and ideas of his co-candidates to make Dumaguete City super wow.” The last candidate to talk was former City Mayor Atty. Remollo who said that being mayor for him is no longer an ambition, but it’s more of a burden. He said that he realized that he was not contented on just helping the people in authority in the past but he must do the job himself and that now, he is ready

for printing as part of his work. His t-shirts are made to order for Php 400 each. Guasa said that the whole experience of creating his exhibition was fun and frustrating. “You get to explore a lot of things in yourself and your techniques,” he added. Meanwhile, Ramsid Winston Labe’s “Hazards and Harmony” had seven sculptures made out of ball pens and five paintings on canvas. The exhibit was Labe’s third exhibition. He was part of the longest mural of the “Life of Jose Rizal” last December in Dapitan where only three artists in the country were chosen to participate. Labe used ball pens to create new forms inspired by his fascination with “Mecha” from “Gundam” and other science fiction cartoons. The ball pens used in his works came from discarded pens collected in place of money in exchange for art workshops he conducted in Negros and Lapu-Lapu, Cebu. Labe said that making the sculptures is his way of giving throwaway objects new significance, “as if they come from a world beyond our own time and place, a world with strange and wonderful new methods

of use, exchange and value.” The third project in the exhibit is “Zone” by Vina Paullete Tejano, which was inspired by her meditation. She said that she does lines to channel her anger because of her tendency to hurt people. Tejano mainly worked on painting on katcha cloth and said that with the help of her teachers, she was introduced to artists with whom she can connect her works. Tejano has more than 20 works. Some of her work took her three weeks to finish and some took two months due to her Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a hand and arm condition that causes numbness, tingling, weakness, and other symptoms due to a compressed nerve. Tejano said that without the mistakes, her work will not be what it would be now. She said that she “embraces the missteps,” which make her work unique. “I don’t think I can describe the whole experience because there are times that I’m up and sometimes down and there are times that I get frustrated,” Tejano said. The exhibit will be open until Feb. 26.~

serve “Lupad Dumaguete.” Atty. Remollo’s platform called “Lupad Dumaguete” stands for Livable and Cultured Community (L), Urban Revitalization inclusive of all barangays (U), Professionalism in government service and good governance (P), Abundance of food, clothing, and adequate shelter for the poor (A), and Devotion to God and dedication to community and country (D). “We don’t need to walk, run; we have to fly because naulahi na ta sa Pilipinas,” he said. He said that because of the enactment Negros Island Region, all regional offices should be in Dumaguete City and that will be the Government Center which he called a “one stop shop.” He ended his speech emphasizing that “Lupad Dumaguete is not just for the voters of Dumaguete City, but it is for all people in the world who wants to see the city progress.” The panel of reactors of the forum was composed of Asst. Prof. Jan Antoni Credo, Edward Du, Contessa Lastimoso, Leo Mamicpic, and Dr. Vicente Sinco.~

SU Painting majors display second batch of projects

By Rhobie A. Ruaya

MACHINES AND STYLE. The Philippine Institute of Computer Engineers (PhICES) holds its 6th invitational Robotics competition last Feb. 22 at Robinson’s Place Dumaguete. PHOTO BY Santia Onnycha Ursabia

GUNDAMS OUT OF BALLPENS. Seniors from the College of Performing and Visual Arts display their masterpiece in the “Senior Thesis Exhibit” last Feb. 19 at SU Hall. PHOTO BY Babe Jocelie Isaga

SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY (SU) Fine Arts major in painting students presented the second batch of projects for their Senior Thesis Exhibition that officially opened last Feb. 19 at the Silliman Hall. The first batch of the Thesis Exhibition opened last Feb 5. The second batch of exhibits features works done by Jed Canaan, Ramsid Labe, and Vina Paullete Tejano. The first batch was done by Hands de Barras, Ramon Adonis Catacutan, and Dolly Jane Sordilla. Jed Canaan Guasa said that his exhibition entitled “Comic Delirium” was inspired by Franz Kafka’s book called Metamorphosis. Guasa said that the imagery of his exhibition was taken from old time cartoons that could be fun on a superficial level. He added that his paintings serve as a “window to a world of the unconscious” where illnesses are actually living, breathing creatures. The process of Guasa’s paintings took him three weeks. One of his works called “Sweet faces” is composed of 52 different characters made of home-made clay. Guasa also included silk screen