No 5

112

years

Towards A Progressive Campus Press | vol. LXXXVii No. 5 | WEDNESDAY, 5 August 2015

K-12 READY. SU President Ben S. Malayang III discusses the university’s strategic measures and plans on K-12 to student leaders last July 27at the SU Boardroom. PHOTO BY Cheri Lian V. Ansale

Admin includes e-cigs under ‘No Smoking’ policy

By Paulynne Joyce R. dela Cruz

THE SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY administration clarified that the use of electronic cigarettes is included in the “No Smoking”policy of the university in an interview with the Weekly Sillimanian.

Electronic Nicotine Delivery System, commonly known as vapes, is a substitute for cigarettes. It is a batterypowered device that imitates the feeling of smoking by turning a liquid mix of substances called “E-liquid” into vapor.

According to a study by the World Health Organization, E-liquids contain less nicotine than ordinary cigarettes. “[Vapes] are included in the ‘No Smoking’ policy even if it’s not a cigarette, as long as it is [producing] smoke,” said Student Services OIC Dean Edna Gladys Calingacion.

Calingacion added that the Office of the President released a memorandum last 2008 regarding the implementation

of

the “No Smoking” Policy.

The memo says that starting summer of 2008, enrollees will sign an undertaking to “commit not to smoke in public spaces and facilities in the university, including the publicly-used toilets and rooms, and after having been warned once on a first offense, the university may require [the student] to physically leave the premises and be placed on suspension for the entire day.”

Cynthia (not her real name), a Sillimanian vape user, admitted that she also used vapes inside the campus.

“Daghan man gud nag-vapes diri.

Kita ko’g one person, I think kas-a ra to siya kay murag gibuyag siya,” said Cynthia. (“A lot of people use vapes here. I saw one person, but I think he stopped because he got scolded.”)

Calingacion said that the Office of Student Services caught a group of people smoking in front of Oriental Hall. The students were

warned that if they will be caught smoking again, they will be given a disciplinary action or suspension.

But Cynthia said that “Dili man na siya [vapes] smoke, vapor man gud na siya. Arguable siya [policy] kay wala gi-specify. Naa japon loophole.” (“Vapes produce vapor, not smoke.

The policy is arguable because it didn’t specify. There’s still a loophole.”)

Meanwhile, senior psychology major Mayvelle Ann Luib said that she was shocked when she saw students smoking near Ausejo Hall because she thought they were using cigarettes, but it turned out to be vapes.

“Para sa ako, wala ra man difference sa image sa vapes ug cigarettes,” said Luib. (“For me, there is no difference between the image of vapes and cigarettes.”)

Calingacion said that they cannot really cover the whole campus at the same time, and part of the commitment of the students is to follow university rules.~

PH’s first female pop opera group sings at Luce

By Andrea Dawn E. Boycillo

OPERA BELLES, the first pop opera girl group in the Philippines, held a concert last July 31 and Aug. 1 at the Luce Auditorium.

The singers in the musical group are Cris Go, a music major at the University of the Philippines; Lorraine Lisen, a voice major at the University of Santo Tomas; and Mariel De Leon, a professional cookery major in New Zealand who plans on having her own café.

Opera Belles is a musical group

that sings pop songs in a classical manner. Some of the songs they performed included Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” Katy Perry’s “Roar” and “Fireworks,” Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb,” Idina Menzel’s “Let it Go,” and the Visayan song, “Usahay.”

“It is our time to bridge the gap in promoting classical music to the youth and bring it with pop,” said Go. For de Leon, the group’s goal is to reach out to the youth and open their minds about classical music.

She said that they rearrange the songs to fit to their classical voices.

Lisen said they had to study “Usahay” because they did not understand Bisaya. However, she added that the melody speaks to them even if they cannot understand the song completely.

The three added that they would love to go back and perform in Dumaguete again.

Go, Lisen, and de Leon are the new batch of the Opera Belles that started last 2014. The first batch started in 2010 and was composed of singers Allison Tanner, Lara Maigue, and Jam Valdes.~

Writer shares memorable sites in Intramuros

By Jameela Antoniette I. Mendoza

AWARD-WINNING FICTION writer Peter Mayshle explained that the idealization of Intramuros’ Spanish past distorts its real image after the colonization in his “Wall of Memory” lecture last Aug. 3 at the Science Complex room 110.

Mayshle’s project, entitled “Walled Memoria: Presencing Memory Sites in Intramuros, Manila,” showed how the memory of Intramuros

as “the real, concrete symbol of Spanish imperial Philippines” does not include other memories within the Walls of Intramuros.

“Presencing,” from the word “presence,” means giving emphasis.

Mayshle said that presencing helps in memorability. For him, the opposite of presencing is “absencing.”

“Absencing is happening in tandem with presencing,” said Mayshle.

In certain parts of Intramuros, Mayshle said that “we see decolonization

become an active presence.”

One of his examples that inspired him to start the project was the Memorare Manila Monument for the victims of the bombing in Intramuros during WWII. But Mayshle showed a photo where the monument cannot easily be seen because of where it was placed, which suggests that there is also the “absencing”of the monument’s memory.

The state agency Intramuros Administration (IA) manages continue to page 4...

Malayang: ‘See K-12 as a golden opportunity’

By Andrea D. Lim

SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY (SU) President Ben S. Malayang III said that the K-12 program should be seen as a golden opportunity for development of the university and not as a problem.

In his presentation of the university’s strategic measures and plans on K-12 to student leaders last July 27 at the SU Boardroom, Malayang said that the goal is not just to survive the education system changes, but also to be a better university.

“It is not until 2022 that we will have a full complement of four years

in college again. We are trying to make sure that the university won’t be dislodged by planning for 20162022, not just 2016,”Malayang said.

With the implemented K-12 program, there will be no freshmen college students next school year. In 2017, there will be no freshmen and sophomores. In 2018, there will be no sophomores and juniors, and so on till 2022.

Basing the figures on the number of enrollees last school year,Malayang said that 33 percent of college income will be lost in college enrolment in 2016. By continue to page 4...

STRAW WARS eyes support from Dgte restaurants

By Leslie J. Batallones

AFTER “DECLARING WAR” against plastic in the Silliman campus, Silliman University Student Government (SUSG) Vice President Nikko Calledo said that the “STRAW WARS” campaign aims to get support from 10 local restaurants before December 2015.

STRAW WARS Philippines is a campaign that aims to minimize the use of drinking straws and plastic coffee stirrers within Dumaguete.

Calledo said that restaurants can save more money and gain more customers if they adapt the campaign.

Once a restaurant lessens the use of straws, the Environment Committee of SG will assign the restaurant to provide drinking

straws only on selected items.

Calledo said that SU Cafeteria and Captain Ribbers are already participating in the campaign.

“We cannot fully eliminate the use of plastic, but at least we reduce the use of it through the help of these restaurants,” he said.

He added that this campaign move is cost and labor efficient for the committee.

“It won’t require us too many resources, unlike doing seminar.

We send letters to restaurants, talk to them, and accredit them once they implement the campaign,” he said.

Although a number of students in the campus are already aware of the campaign, Calledo clarified that the campaign is not about continue to page 4...

THEM THE TRIO. Singing trio “Opera Belles” entertains the crowd with pop music in opera style last July 31 at the Luce Auditorium.

PHOTO BY Cheri Lian V. Ansale

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the weekly sillimanian 5 August 2015

the weekly sillimanian 5 August 2015

The Keys to Real Peace

On Using Vapes InsideCampus

M

any smokers have been substituting cigarettes with Electronic Nicotine Delivery System, commonly known as vapes.

Vapes were first invented in China in 2003, but these started appearing in the United States around 2006. A vape is a batterypowered device that turns a liquid mix of substances called “E-liquid” into vapor so users will still feel like they are smoking. E-liquid is also normally referred to as “vape juice.”

According to Student Services OIC Dean Edna Gladys Calingacion, the Silliman University student manual is still undergoing revision, but the Office of the President released a memorandum last 2008 on the implementation of the “No Smoking” policy.

The memo states that starting summer of 2008, enrollees will sign an undertaking to “commit not to smoke in public spaces and facilities in the university, including the publicly-used toilets and rooms, and after having been warned once on a first offense, the university may require the student to physically leave the premises and be placed on suspension for the entire day.”

Despite this memorandum signing, there are Sillimanians who would smoke inside the campus. Most students interviewed by the Weekly Sillimanian (tWS) saw students using vapes from Ausejo to Oriental Hall, from the front of Luce Auditorium to dormitories.

Some are even smoking inside and outside the classrooms.

Vape users inside the campus might argue that vapes will not affect their fellows because it just produce vapor and it has less or no nicotine than cigarettes. However, there is no assurance that all E-liquid or vape juice that is consumed inside the campus has no nicotine. There are various kinds of vape juice; it could be with or without nicotine.

Secondhand vapor with nicotine has the same negative effects with secondhand smoke. It is already proven that secondhand smoke causes more harm than firsthand smoke. According to Cleveland Clinic, the smoke that burns off the end of a cigarette and the smoke inhaled by the smoker, once absorbed by another person, causes the stiffening of the aorta, excess blood clotting, heart attack, and stroke.

For tWS, it is up to the student if s/he wants to use vape, but s/ he should not use it inside the campus as a form of respect to the memorandum and to others. tWS also suggests the inclusion of vapes in the provisions about smoking in the student manual to avoid technical confusion. ~

By Andrea Dawn E. Boycillo

I

editorial

sillimaniansspeak Compiled by Jessica A. Remata

“Is it okay to vape around the campus?

Why or why not?”

In my opinion, vape is not okay around campus, and should even not be allowed around campus. Vape is just an electrical cigarette or “e-cig” as some people would say. Whether it’s safe or not, or whether it’s nicotine-free or not, an “e-cig” is still a cigarette and these should not be done publicly. It plants ideas into other people that vape is good, cool, and would make one feel great. While some people would agree to that, while some users would say that the vapor feels smooth and cool to their throats, other people find that same vapor nauseous.

Ledricz Bon A. Nuevo, BS Physics –III No. It is not okay to vape around the campus because it ruins the image of the school and it is similar to tolerating the students to smoke.

Hannah S. Vincoy BS Medical Technology-II In my opinion, it is not okay/advisable to vape around the campus because vaping can lead to serious illness that can cause fatality. Doing vape can also influence the others especially those who are in the Basic Education Department (referring to those High School students). It can also ruin the University’s name and reputation. Right now, a lot of students here at Silliman already started using vape. We should start doing some actions before it can cause serious troubles to the students and the university itself.

Jarren Dehm D. Omadlao, AB Political Science – I

Next Issue’s Question:

“What does it mean to be Filipino?”

For your answers, just text the Circulation Manager (09057943107). Indicate your full name (with middle initial), course and year.

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, Nerra Bonf S. Caong, Jann Viansee O. Cardenas, Paulynne Joyce R. dela Cruz Feature Writers Nurilyn J. Elli, Shane Marie K. Canono Photojournalists Babe Jocelie B. Isaga, Lucille Jean J. Raterta, Cheri Lian V. Ansale Cartoonist Hervey Angelo F. Avenido Circulation Manager Jessica A. Remata Office Manager Andre Bonne Felipe L. Villareal Layout Artist Gloria Gem T. Lumayag Web Manager Mariana G. Varela Adviser Warlito S. Caturay Jr.

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

twsfeatures 3

Ang Tinon’an sa Modernong Kalibutan Mitumaw ang duha ka tinon’an tawgon nato sila sa ngalan nga Carlo ug Amor; gihisgutan nila ang kabahin sa modernong kalibutan ug kausbanan sa kalikopan. “Aduna na kita’y gitawag nga internet ug text diin makapahamudlay sa atoang pang adlaw-adlaw nga buluhaton, usahay dili na kinahanglan moatubang kay ipaagi nalang ang mensahe sa tawag, text, ug e-mail,” sugyot ni Amor. Si Carlo miingon, “Kaniadto hapsay ug malinawon gayud ang palibot, himsog ang kinaiyahan ug limpyo gayud ang kapanguhaan og pagkaon.”

Katingalahan kay panalagsaon ra ang nagpakabana agi’g kalainan sa kalikopan, apan sugod kaniadto ilaha gayud namatikdan ang hinay-hinay nga kausaban sa katilingban.

Balikan nato kung giunsa kita pagmatuto sa atoang magtutudlo ug ginikanan sa bata pa. Gitudloan gayod kita’g maayong pamatasan ug unsaon nato pagpalambo ang atoang pagkatawo ug pangkinabuhi.

Ang tanang mga bata sa tibuok kalibutan nangita ug gugma gikan sa ilang ginikanan, pamilya, magtutudlo, ug katilingban. Ang bata malipayon nga magasunod sa mando sa ginikanan kon kini aduna’y pagbati ngadto sa

ginikanan. Ang bata nga wala makaangkon ug paghigugma gikan sa ginikanan, pamilya, magtutudlo, ug uban pa, kini nga bata matawag ug “gahian ug ulo” kay dili man matinahuron ug matumanon, magpakita nga maulawon kaayo kanunay, hilomon ug dili mokatawa. Ilabi na karon nga aduna’y Facebook ug mga dula sa kompyuter nga mokawat sa oras sa matag usa

Everyone lies. Even the smallest thing to lie about is still a lie. In the Divergent trilogy, The Amity believes that lying is necessary to maintain the peace. Lies start anger, then anger develops to a conflict, and conflict becomes a war.

So, where is peace? In this world, lies are told. Isn’t it unfair for the truth?

Yes and no. If you look into it carefully, majority of the things we see or hear are lies. Your chips, for example, is a form of lie. The packaging say that it is made from “real potatoes.” But if you look at the back, it’s not even real potatoes but “dehydrated potatoes.”

Though it’s a potato, the fact of being ‘dehydrated’ still makes it unreal.

But, let’s not focus on the potato. Lies exist in many forms. In a joke book that I read, a man died and went to heaven.

As he stood in front of St. Peter’s office, he saw a huge wall of clocks. “What are those?” asked the man. “Those are lieclocks. It ticks when a person lies,” said St. Peter in reply. The man saw the clock of Mother Theresa; it never moved.

“Very remarkable,” says the dead man.

Then, he saw the clock of Gandhi; it only moved five times. The man was astonished. “Where’s Binay’s clock?” asked the man. “His clock is in Jesus’ office. He’s using it as a ceiling fan.” If lies can only be measured as ticks and tocks of a clock, one minute is equivalent to 60 lies. How about hours of lies?

Can a measuring device change you?

It’s hard to tell if a person is lying or not. I also tell lies. But, most of those are just white lies. Lying can be creative. Creative writing majors are literally nothing compared to the great liars—politicians. Politicians can instantly write an eight-page, singlespace, back-to-back cover-up story for a certain issue or black propaganda.

Sometimes, they don’t need to write it down. The story is already in their

Pagmata sa Kamatuoran

Eugene Jamandron

kanato nga dili na mahatagan og bili ang mas importanteng buluhaton nga angay humanon, kay diha man nato dali’ng mapadayag ang gibati sa tagsa ka kasingkasing. Apan isip usa ka tinon’an nga wala’y dayan hangtod nga nahimong hamtong, nakabantay ba ka nga usahay kung mopahiyom ka sa isig ka tinon’an ug bisan sa magtutudlo wala gayud kini balos? Tungod kay wala nato kini nasinati kung unsa’y iyahang nahiaguman. Tungod kay kitang mga Pilipino maabiabihon ug matinagdanon kaayo, mabati unta sa mga langyaw (foreigner)

Beautiful Liars

The Unbalanced Sheet

Eric Gerard D. Ruiz

heads, waiting to be recited in a ‘best storyteller’ contest. Well for me, I don’t buy their stories. However, it’s quite a good literary work because the main theme will always be, “for the greater good of all.” Aside from that, the story elements are carefully placed that critical reading is needed to identify the conflict, climax, and conclusion. Yes, the government has been known as a ‘melting pot’ of liars. But, there are still officials who speak for the truth.

The Philippine government has been very dirty for a very long time. Current events happening in our government

usab sa atong isig ka Pilipino nga tinud-anay gayod ang pagtagad, wala’y sagol nga pagyaga-yaga, puti, kapihon, o tabunon man ang kolor sa panit o bisan dako o gamay ang mata, kulot o tul’id ang buhok, bisan unsa pa ang iyang katawohon (gender) siya hatagan og bili ug pakitaan og katahuran.

Ang ubang mga ginikanan nag-antos nagtrabaho sa laing nasod ug nagnegosyo aron gastohan ang anak nga nag eskwela, apan gaunsa naman?

Wala nagtinarong sa pagtoon, giusikan ang panahon ug salapi ug “gahian og ulo”. D uyog niana mawala na usab ang maayong pamatasan, pagtahud sa higala ug kalikopan, bisan asa nalamang ibutang ang mga sinalibay diin maoy maghatag og kadautan sa atong kinaiyanhong kapanguhaan.

Isip usa ka tinon-an sama nila ni Amor ug Carlo nga nagpakabana sa kausbanan, aduna kita’y katungdanan, dili sumbanan ang dako o gamay nga nabuhat, lakip na niini ang pagpakita og maayong pamatasan sulod sa pamilya, tunghaan, ug isig kahigala ug pag atiman sa kinaiyahan diin ato’ng igasa alang sa mga umalabot nga henerasyon bisan pa nga anaa na kita sa modernong kalibutan.~

are unveiling as the elections approach; for example, Binay’s hidden wealth and the 242 bank accounts are now being revealed. The cycle is repeating over and over again. Liars hide the truth to the unknowing. What could be the possible effect for this? Lies will accumulate and the truth will be hidden under those patches of lies. Though I’m stressing out the liars in our government, regular people also say lies. They probably lie to hide their ignominy. But if an individual is a fighter of the truth, why do some people need to lie about their stories?

In the end, only an idiot will believe those stories. A wise and intelligent person, with all his/her fair judgment, can distinguish a real story and a patched up one. After all, liars just hide the truth like patches sewed on a cloth. The thread will loosen up after quite some time, and the truth shall be revealed again.

There’s a saying in Filipino that goes like this, “Galit ang magnanakaw sa kapwa niya magnanakaw.” The same principle applies in lying. If you’re a great liar or if you could pull the greatest lie that has ever been told, you can fool idiots. But, you can never deceive another liar who is probably better at lying. You can never deceive yourself and you can never deceive God. Though you fooled some people by saying lies, your conscience will hunt you down and your soul will burn in hell!~

admit: before going to sleep I lock the door to make sure I’m safe when I’m not awake. My assurance of no one breaking in my place lies on the lock of my doorknob.

Before going to sleep, once the door is locked I am at peace.

With societal problems such as crime rates, poverty, and unemployment increasing, every day I become more afraid of what is to come. Others too may fear about what might happen to them – fear of getting involved in the destructions of their city, losing their jobs, or having no more food on the table.

With fear comes worry and how much hassle it is to worry every day about what may happen in life.

Some people put their assurances of survival in different things: money, family relatives, friends, boyfriends or girlfriends.

All these are temporary.

A Sunday school lesson I encountered as a child was Joshua’s story on his battle with

By Michiko Je M. Bito-on

T

Jericho. After the death of Moses, God chose Joshua to be the leader of the Israelites. They were to conquer the land of Canaan.

Joshua felt unqualified for the job. He thought that he could not be like Moses. But God told him to continue and he obeyed.

God had strange plans for the battle of Jericho; some of which Joshua did not understand. God instructed Joshua to have his armed men march around the city once each day, for six days. The priests were to carry the Ark of the Covenant, blowing trumpets, but the soldiers were to keep silent.

On the seventh day, all marched around the walls of Jericho seven times. Joshua relayed God’s order that every living thing in the city must be destroyed, except Rahab and her family.

At Joshua’s command, the men gave a great shout, and Jericho’s walls fell down. The Israelite army rushed in and conquered the city. They had succeeded.

Joshua’s story made me wonder how he was able to deal

with everything on his plate.

One morning, I read in Our Daily Bread (1997), that there are three keys to real peace: •Fret not – because God loves me. (1 John 4:16) The Bible says God loves everyone – not just the rich, the white, the intelligent, but everyone. Because He loves every person, “He will never leave them nor forsake them”.

Before conquering Jericho, Joshua sent two spies to sneak into the walls of the city. The spies met Rahab, a prostitute, and they were aided by her. Because Rahab trusted God; she hid them from the king’s soldiers when word spread that spies were there. In the end, amidst Rahab’s prostitution, God spared her and her family when the Israelites conquered the land. This shows that there are no “unlovable” people on God’s list.

•Faint not – because God holds me. (Psalm 139:10) No one can see God, but He sees all. Joshua felt unqualified for the task of taking over as leader, but God promised to be with

him every step of the way— just as he had been for Moses.

Joshua saw that God, as a guide, was a good thing. This same God is here today; watching, protecting and guiding all he loves. Because of this, no one has to be a coward when facing the day. The Lord is a shield.

•Fear not – because God keeps me. (Psalm 121:5) The perfect antidote for fear is trusting God. The Lord has control of everyone’s lives. He is the Keeper of all.

Joshua was afraid because they were outnumbered by the king’s men. But because God told him to carry on, he did so. God said to Joshua, “Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ( Joshua 1:9) God kept Joshua throughout his journey.

Despite all his troubles, Joshua was at peace because he relied on God. He did not fret, faint, and fear because he knew God was with him.

After reading these three keys, I got reminded that I

should not panic because I have a God stronger than any other force. As a Christian, I believe that He is the only permanent answer to living a life peaceably.

The keys exist because of Him. As a student, my fear is getting low grades. To take away that fear, I study two weeks before an exam. I sometimes rely on my own knowledge. But then I realized that depending on my own wisdom did not make me succeed. Just like how I lock that door to assure my safety at night, that must be how I live my life putting my assurance on God. I must live my life confident that God is guarding me.

The three keys to real peace can open our prison of worry, discouragement, and trouble.

Because God is with us every time of our lives, there is no need to fret, to faint, and to fear. That’s the beauty of having an Almighty God – He is the Author of our lives, and you do not have to worry because He is in control.~

Corporation is the oldest and biggest operating nickel mine in the Philippines. It is the leading producer of saprolite and limonite ores which are then converted into raw materials for many of our electronic, medical and industrial needs. Many of the everyday items we know of

Philippine stock exchange as the best performing mining stock.

More than being “able to buck the trend and perform strongly even as miners around the globe are languishing due to falling metal prices,” it has been able to comply with strict standards set by the local government of Palawan

contain nickel because of its corrosion resistance, strength and functionality under high and low temperatures. It also contains special magnetic properties.

Abiding by Law RTMC does not chemically process ores in the areas where its operations are being conducted.

It extracts and then ships them off to the corporation’s partner businesses in China and Japan.

In 2014, it has been cited by the

and those of national government agencies such as the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

“Palawan is very unique because you have to get a special clearance from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development and you can only mine at a certain place,” Nadres continued, “we are only allowed to mine 17-25 hectares per year.”

The type of mining done

by RTMC is open-pit mining

wherein only 20 meters below the earth’s surface is being excavated.

Blasting is only conducted once the immediate community is notified. Power supplied to the mine comes from a 2 megawatt plant owned by the company in addition to coal imported from Indonesia due to its low carbon dioxide byproduct.

Corporate-Social Responsibility More than 1,000 employees are currently working for RTMC, including many indigenous people. In order to protect their welfare, they have been provided with the necessary safety equipment and social services. A primary care hospital, access to proper sanitation, a La Salle-managed school complete with a state of the art computer laboratory and recreational facilities have been put up within the mining community.

The company set aside a Social Development Management Program fund of Php 27.24 million for these purposes.

RTMC also provides housing to employees and scholarships for their children. In its 2014 Sustainability Report, it has produced 90 scholars.

Life after Mining “The company is a very transparent. We don’t deny that mining has an effect on

the physical environment,” said Nadres. She added that soil erosion, water quality degradation and vegetation and land disturbance happen with mining.

Anarea of the Rio Tuba mining site has been declared “mined out” and is currently being rehabilitated after 40 years. As a countermeasure, they have employed means to recover its forest cover. To regain the nutrients lost in the soil, they have made use of organic fertilizer to provide sustenance to plants.

Wetlands have been established to remove metals in water. Large endemic trees have also been planted. Two years after RTMC’s rehabilitation efforts, 60 species of invertebrates, 35 birds and 6 mammals have been spotted reoccupying the rehabilitated area.

From the educational lecture conducted by RTMC, Jessah Milvar, a senior SU Mass Communication student shared her learnings: “So I generalized that what they [mining companies] do is disturb Mother Nature for profit. But when I knew about Nickel Asia, I realized that not all mining co mpanies are bad.

There are responsible miners.

What Sir JB Baylon of Nickel Asia said was true: importante jud ang mining. Who would want to live in the Stone Age? Nobody.

It’s good that there’s mining in Rio Tuba because it helps the locals. Also they paid back Mother Nature thru reforestation and planting more crops to benefit the community.”~

Life after Mining

aking a five-hour drive to Rio Tuba from Puerto Princesa, one could see the scenery barely changing.

The mountains spread across the horizon and the trees create a natural canopy above the road, creating shade for travelers and work animals alike. As the Philippines’ “Last Biodiversity Frontier,” Puerto Princesa still hosts more than 50% of its natural forest cover. It was declared as a Biosphere Reserve

by UNESCO in 1990 because of its biodiversity richness and unique indigenous cultures.

For several decades, mining expansion and urbanization have caused longstanding debates regarding their effect on Palawan’s environment. Various advocacy groups have launched anti-mining advocacies to stop the operation of many plants, regardless of the permits and protocols being observed by these companies.

“There’s a science behind mining. “Hindi na man pwedeng mina ka ng mina,” said Esan Nadres, a community relations officer of the Rio Tuba Mining Corporation (RTMC).

The company hosted the Environmental Journalism-107 class of Silliman University’s College of Mass Communication and several student-leaders of Ateneo de Zamboanga last July 24-26. The aim of the fieldtrip was to cultivate an understanding of sustainable and responsible mining.

RTMC under Nickel Asia

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the weekly sillimanian 5 August 2015

THE SIZE OF YOUR HEART. Beauty pageants are usually known to be the battle of beauty, intelligence, talent and all those elaborate and glamorous costumes worn by the candidates. Criticisms of this kind of pageant do arouse. Thus, it is inevitable that alternative contests would arise.

Miss Navajo Nation Instead of the swimsuits and perfect make over, Miss Navajo Nation contestants compete primarily in culturally significant categories focused on skills and knowledge that a Navajo woman should possess such as a clear understanding of the Nation, creation mythology, and the ability to butcher and cook a sheep. Miss Navajo Nation demonstrates inner beauty, cultural knowledge, respect for history, and traditional skills.

Miss Amazing.

Before joining, girls with disabilities must donate five canned goods, which will then be donated to a local homeless shelter or food pantry as a charity work. The Miss Amazing candidates are required to participate in the skill areas that include the interview, introduction, evening wear, and talent showcase. Boys with disabilities can also be part of the pageant through the escort program that allows them to escort the candidates in the evening wear portion.

Miss Indian World The Miss Indian World (MIW) Pageant is the largest and most prestigious cultural pageant that searches for the native woman who best represents her culture.

Each MIW contestant will compete uniquely in the areas of public speaking, personal interview, traditional presentation, dance, and essay. Unlike beauty pageants, MIW candidates do not compete for bikini portion but on cultural knowledge.

Compiled by: Nurilyn J. Elli via http://www.btchflcks.com/2014/01/miss-navajo-a-different-kind-of-beauty-pageant.html#.Vbx7xrUfD9J; http://mic.com/articles/98936/6-reasons-the-miss-indian-world-pageant-is-way-more-badass-than-miss-america

eFFORT NANG EFFORT

roundup STRAW WARS..

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banning straws completely, because there are medical conditions and certain drinks like shakes and frappes that require using straws.

“We’re trying to redefine the anti-plastic campaign. STRAW WARS aims to eliminate unnecessary plastics and single-use plastics that we use in an average of 10 to 15 minutes,” he added.

Calledo suggested students to bring their own tumbler or cups because a straw itself is not safe and clean.

“A straw has toxic chemicals; it’s not a sanitary alternative. The good Write shares..

and sanitary alternative is to bring your own bottle,” he pointed out.

The poster of the campaign stated that “over 500 million straws are produced every day globally” and “most of these straws end up in our ocean and kill at least 1 million seabirds, and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles.”

Calledo’s advocacy won him a place in the Sea and Earth Advocates (SEA) Camp last summer. At the camp, the U.S. Embassy offered a grant of Php10,000 to keep his project going. ~

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the restoration and promotion of Intramuros. As IA continues to promote the idealization of Spanish colonial rule in Intramuros, this presencing overlaps with the absence of other memories about Intramuros after Spain.

“I understand the necessity of a unified national memory, commodified as attractively as possible to benefit economic goals of tourism, but this idealized representation represents a troubling distortion,” said Mayshle.

The distortion cuts out other important stories part of the national history.

Mayshle added that the idealization of the Spanish past without full representation also desensitizes the trauma that Filipino and Chinese communities faced under Spanish rule.

“The IA’s emphasis on an idealized Spanish past represents a notion of a metaphorical wall of memory

that originates from the Spanish colonial imagination,” said Mayshle.

Public memory is the public’s unified idea of what Intramuros represents. It is instilled using overdetermination, which Mayshle defined as an “invisible web of meaning formed by state institutions.”

Mayshle quoted author Michael Geisler about overdetermination being effective because “each of these institutions echoes what each of the others say.”

Peter Mayshle won a Philippine Free Press Literary award, a Farrar Award in playwriting, and two Hopwood awards. His works were published in the Philippines, the U.S., Canada, and England. Mayshle is working as an assistant professor of Writing and Rhetoric at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.~

Quote of the week

“Ang tunay na pag-ibig sa bayan ay nasa pawis ng gawa.”

- Onofre Pagsanghan

Malayang ‘See.. from page 1 2017, 53 percent of income will be lost.

The university prepared a threepronged strategy on current education reforms. This aims for “a stronger and better Silliman” not just for K-12, but also in the face of Outcomes-Based Higher Education, and ASEAN integration once college is restored by 2022.

First part: Improve faculty and offerings Malayang said that other universities are looking at these years as opportunities to lessen the number of teachers, but the administration plans to use the time for faculty to get PhDs and master degrees and for more techvocational and certificate programs.

“Right now, we have a total of 14 percent of our total faculty who are PhD holders. We would like it to reach at least 30-50 percent by 2022,” Malayang said.

Second part: Strengthen fiscal and financials Malayang stressed that the offerings, including laboratories and field trips, cannot be supported properly if there is not enough money.

“Fiscals and financials will only be meaningful if it helps faculty, offerings, and develop facilities. Facilities have to be functional,” Malayang added.

Silliman’s market plan is for senior high school students to be treated as the way freshmen college are treated.

“In high school, you are in a section with the same courses. We will not do that for senior high school.

They may get units. They will not be going around wearing their high school uniforms,” Malayang said.

Third part: Expanding facilities and friendships The university needs incomegenerating facilities to avoid higher

tuition. Malayang said that the tuition will not increase because of K-12.

“When we might have fiscals and financials that are healthy, the third component of this strategy is that we must have friends who are ready to partner and help us with the facilities,” Malayang said.

Rentals, leasing, among other alternative income-generating programs are also undertaken. Portal East, together with Portal West, is one of the examples of buildings that would soon generate income together.

Vice President for Academic Affairs Betsy Joy Tan is assigned to the first part, Vice President for Finance and Administration Cleonico Y. Fontelo to the second part, and Vice President for Development Jane Annette Belarmino on the third part of the strategy.

The presentation was first presented to the Silliman faculty and staff.~

the poem but the speaker is not always the poet,” Tan said.

He said that subjects of poetry are difficult to understand, the procedure of poetry is not straightforward, and poets may be using a persona.

He added that the identifiable audience of the poem, summarizing the events, understanding the kind and structure of imagery used, explaining the symbols, and pointing out devices used by the poet can also help in understanding poetry.

“The [symbols and figures of speech]

are very important. It’s good to understand the symbols and what they mean because sometimes the symbols carry the meaning,” Tan said.

Tan added that finding the tone of the poem is the most difficult part or aspect of understanding poetry.

The speaker’s speaking tone is an attitude, and the poem’s content can clarify an attitude to readers.

He also pointed out that even if all of these devices can be used by a poet all at once in a poem, studying them can aid in understanding poetry better. ~

New member of Tiempo Center lectures on poetry

By Jann Viansee O. Cardenas

ANTHONY TAN, a poet and the new writing associate of the Edilberto and Edith Tiempo Creative Writing Center, shared the keys to understanding poetry last Aug. 3 at the Science Complex room 110.

In his lecture entitled “What to Look for in Poetry,” Tan said that one should know that there is always a speaker in the poem aside from the author who wrote the poem to understand a poem better.

“The poet, of course, wrote

ERRATA

RAIN OR SHINE. The Miss Silliman Press Launch was moved from the Silliman Amphitheater to the second floor of Oriental Hall due to the heavy rain last August 3. PHOTO BY Babe Jocelie B. Isaga

In the July 22 issue, the feature “It’s All Greek to Me,” Guillo Ceasar Servando died of initiation rites from the Tau Gamma Phi, not Alpha Kappa Rho. Source:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/615653/cops-eye-11fraternity-men-as-suspects-in-servando-fatal-hazing In the July 29 issue, the news article “Two injured Sillimanians claim ‘being ignored’ at SUMC” was written by Andrea Dawn Boycillo and Babe Jocelie Isaga. The news article “Admin, BOT to discuss solar energy project fund” was written by Leslie Batallones.

Congratulations to

Hannah S. Vincoy BSMT-II for answering the “Bring Me” riddle.

Answer: Barbecue Stick