Sapientia Volume XIII, Number I

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“Stop! The ever-moving spheres of heaven!”

Change. An inevitable fact of life. A symbol of man’s constant search for perfection.

At times, we choose to remain within the bounds of our comforts. We become too afraid to explore unchartered lands.

We believe one doubtful step into the unknown could trap us.

But our world is an eternal playground to the powerful elements of change. With a snap of a finger, everything may not be what it once seemed.

Humans that we are, let us take the challenge of jumping into these unfamiliar waters, and be carried away by the rivers of change – a path that ultimately leads us to the Boundless Sea. Sapientia is the magazine of White & Blue, the official student publication of Saint Louis University.

White & Blue is a member of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines

and the National Council of Campus Journalists of the Philippines.

Printed by MJC Press Corporation,

1720 Pres. Quirino Avenue, Pandacan, Manila

Editors’note

Sapientia

volume xiii no. i

______________________________________________

Editorial Board 2009-2010

Science & Technology

I’m mobilized / 3

Hachoo! goes the FLU / 8

Bubbling the tumors cells away / 26 Life

Two souls... one destiny / 5 Ask the mind, not the brain / 9 Pinoy Bug Brother / 15

Perspective

Beyond hidden lenses / 21

CON-ASSwang, heto ang bawang! / 23 DevCom

A long road ahead / 11

A centennial of metamorphosis / 17

Presidentster / 27 People

Veiled heroes / 12

Rags are riches to Darling / 16 Literary

Communion / 29

Underneath / 29 Aedificat

Diego Silang / 30

Maryknoll Magtira Editor-in-Chief Marcel Lawrence Emil Agpasa Internal Associate Editor Joeymin Balaoag External Associate Editor Raymond Jaye Sandoval Managing Editor Eloisa Faye Simon Exchange Editor Peter Benjamin Obiano News Editor Vanessa Angelica Cawis Features Editor Joemylou Tattao Sports Editor ------------------------------------------------------------------Lovelyn Binigay

Divina Gracia Castillo April Masaybeng Kestler Bryan Mendoza Grellyn Paoad Noelle Rillon Rasha Faye Tulas Senior Staffwriters

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Hazel Luy Gian Crescini Santillan Staffwriters

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Denver Bianan Chief Layout Artist Julius Caesar Busansog Editorial Cartoonist Marc Arriane Mendiola Chief Photojournalist

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Bradley Robuza Senior Layout Artist Christian Alexis Aromin Jeff Brian Bola Aaron James Reodica Senior Cartoonists Rina Paula Burgos Maria Krisia Fae De Asis Karen Elemen Mary Claudine Muerong Jeff Marlon Zamoranos Senior Photojournalists

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Junix Jerald Delos Santos Richard Dumagas Neil Edson Torres Layout Artists Flora Mae Santos Cartoonist Jinky Grace Canlas Genett Gayas Orange Happee Omengan Michico TaĂąedo Raiza Nerissa Veridiano Photojournalists -------------------------------------------------------------------

Xenia Emperador Tristan Marc Mapanao Evelyn Yeung Editorial Consultants

------------------------------------------------------------------Marianito Meneses

Adviser

Sapientia

Science & Technology

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It only takes one determined mind and a few researchers to make things possible even for the impaired.

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image from the Internet

Sapientia

Science & Technology

by

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he clock strikes twelve, an infant is born. A minute passes, a boy is crippled. A second, a man walks again.

Technology advances at a rapid rate.

Mini “transformers” are developed for school projects; graphs and data are transmitted to architects’ and engineers’ eyeglasses; and already, robots can imitate facial expressions, creepy as they may be.

Technology exists to make our lives better, to give us comfort. A number of inventions, including wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs, are designed to help the disabled.

Here are a few of the most recent ones: Wheelchair controlled by brain waves To turn right, think right. To turn left, think left. To go forward, think forward. To stop, puff up a cheek.

Making a wheelchair move by simply thinking about it is now made possible by Japan’s BSI-TOYOTA Collaboration Center.

The Brain Machine Interface (BMI) technology uses a helmet-like device to measure brain waves in a matter of 125 milliseconds – or 125 thousandths of a second. Electrodes attached to the scalp measures localized brain activity when a user concentrates on a certain physical movement.

The signals are relayed to a brain scan electroencephalograph, or EEG, on the electronically powered wheelchair, and then analyzed through a computer program.

The system allows the user to turn left, right, and forward almost instantly after the user thinks about it. Coming to a stop, however, requires the person to puff up a cheek, activating a detector worn on the face.

Toyota said that such a system would allow the elderly and the disabled to interact with the world without having to voice out commands. “This technology is expected to be useful in the field of rehabilitation, and for physical and psychological support of wheelchair drivers.”

The new system has an accuracy rate of 95%, one of the highest in the world.

However, the technology is not yet available for commercial sale as Toyota is still developing the research.

Tracking down Alzheimer’s patients Locating wandering Alzheimer’s patients may become easier as Aetrex Worldwide, a footwear manufacturer, and GTX Corporation teamed up to develop a footwear with a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) device.

“Sixty percent of individuals afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease will be involved in a ‘critical wandering incident’ at least once during the progression of the disease – many, more

than once,” said Andrew Carl, an assistant professor at George Mason University who served as an advisor on the project. “The technology will provide the location of the individual wearing the shoes within 30 feet, anywhere on the planet.”

Carle said embedding a GPS device in a shoe was important because Alzheimer’s patients tend to remove unfamiliar objects placed on them but getting dressed is one of the last types of memory they retain.

With a “geo-fence” placed around the patient’s home, a “Google Map” alert is sent to a cellphone or computer when a programmed boundary line is crossed.

The technology will reduce the stress and anguish of family members and caretakers by allowing them to locate their loved ones with the click of a mouse.

Giving caregivers a hand Smartphones or PDAs can alert physicians and caregivers when their patients need attention.

A sensor, the size of a coin, is worn on the skin of a patient if his vital signs – temperature, heart beat and oxygen level – are being monitored. Patients whose movement is being monitored will wear the sensors on their belt or a piece of their clothing.

“The house would have a handful of sensors in various rooms, depending upon the square footage. Those sensors will communicate with the sensor on the person and with a hub, which would be connected to the Internet and communicate with a caregiver’s smartphone or PDA,” said Driss Benhaddou, one of the University of Houston researchers developing the system.

The installation of the system would not require one to be a computer techie. It uses plug-and-play technology, like plugging in a USB mouse, so that the caregivers can do it themselves.

“Our original though was that sensor networks can be applied to any type of removed health care using off-the-shelf technology, which makes it cheaper, because you don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” explained Benhaddou. It is an affordable in-home health-monitoring system.

Rasha Faye Tulas

Wheelchair-accessible escalators Using an escalator can be quite troublesome for people in wheelchairs and people who are transporting bulky loads.

An escalator designed by Jesús Sánchez, a student at the School of Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering of Terrassa (ETSEIAT) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), enables all users to be able to travel up and down escalators without any assistance.

A person in a wheelchair presses a button to make three steps of the escalator to move together and form a flat platform. It accommodates the wheelchair and allows the user to use the escalator without a problem.

Once the person leaves, the escalator converts itself back to normal.

A remote command system is designed for people who are unable to press the button, and the escalator also incorporates light and acoustic signal systems for the vision and hearing impaired.

The escalator includes a backup battery system in case a user is stuck due to a power cut.

But

wait, there’s more!

There are a lot more inventions and designs dedicated to helping the disabled.

It only takes one d e t e r m i n e d mind and a few researchers to make things possible even for the impaired.

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Sapientia Life

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eus was furious. He had crafted an almost perfect creature that threatened his god-throne. Indispensable was this human creature – for no god could attack and wound it. But in an instant fit of unthinkable outrage, Zeus sent a killing bolt of lightning that struck the human creature to its core. It was split into two unknown entities – one a man, the other a woman. From then on, it was incomplete.

From then on, it was eternally in search of its other half …. Soulmate, they call it.

Although Zeus and his many leagues of moody gods were only myths, the concept of soulmates continues to captivate the hearts of those long seeking for that great love story. Our fascination for love’s countless mysteries take its roots back into a time the ancient civilizations emerged.

To some, soulmates are but crazy fantasies of medieval romanticists desperate for true love. But obscure as it may be, this magical interplay of souls is, once and for all, a sacred and divine concept duly revered by all mystics of old. It inevitably becomes a possibility.

At first sight Many times we’ve acquainted with strangers for the first time, yet we know it’s as if we’ve known them before. Oftentimes, we feel a peculiar feeling during that first meeting, “love at first sight” so they say. What explains this instant irresistible attraction that draws two different strangers to a moment of bliss? Is it mere coincidence? Or have we awakened a latent part of the soul, long waiting for that lovely moment when it finally meets its partner soul?

The answer hides not behind any temple nor high-tech vaults. It only surfaces upon the time when we realize there are many planes of existence other than the physical earth. The answer is concealed beneath the deepest crevices of the human soul.

Before one could truly understand the nature of the sacred soulmates, he has to first grasp two very important esoteric principles: karma and reincarnation.

The Thousand Cycles Contrary to Christian teaching that man lives only once, eastern doctrines tell us that man undergoes an almost endless cycle of earthly rebirths, offering man a multitude of lifetimes (past lives). After death, the soul abandons his body and enters the spirit (astral) world. There he reflects on his previous lifetime until he is ready to move on and reincarnate again in another body. Our souls reincarnate for it to achieve selfmastery and divine perfection – things that are impossible to attain in only one given lifetime.

These sequences of incarnations could take

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thousands of years before one soul becomes perfect. One single lifetime therefore is just a blink of an eye, a tiny slice in that unfathomable Eternity.

But there is this Law that governs all life forms in the Universe – a law so cunning it follows us like a faithful tail even beyond earthly death. Karma. It knows no excuses. Christians, Moslems, agnostics, Satanists – all unconsciously submit to this Inexorable Law of Karma whether they believe it or not. Psychic prophet Edgar Cayce simply defines it as “meeting yourself.”

In this belief, man’s every action is said to harbor an equal and opposite reaction. We reap what we sow. An action will always seek forth their rightful origin in the same manner as they were unleashed. Just as how the Golden rule tells us, we meet the consequences of our every action, from the tiniest bit of deed. Whatever we do will surely be done unto us in full measure, “nothing less, nothing more.”

Karma is forever at work “to teach and aid, to give the individual a better mirror with which to see himself.” It is perfect. Ultimately, Karma interweaves the destinies of two soulmates in an intricate fashion.

An Indestructible Link “There are no accidents in the universe.”

Everything – from the tiniest of matter to the biggest of galaxies – holds a purpose. It is no accident that we’ve met all the people in our lives now. They are the people whose souls we have already met in our many past lives. This is because when someone forms relations with others, his soul creates a “karmic chain” that binds him to others. This is the reason why mystics have so long told that “we are all interconnected” in this One Universe.

A person who nurtures love towards another builds a karmic link that will bind them together to meet in future reincarnations. When hate is fostered, this hate becomes a “karmic debt” which has to be resolved and paid in a future lifetime, no matter how many lifetimes we live. For example, our parents whom we had mistreated in a given past life may be reincarnated as our abusive employers in this present life. Hence, if we do not want to meet our enemies in the next

life, we have to banish all traces of hatred we have for them to dissolve this astral bond.

Karma gives us what we rightfully deserve, as Cayce puts it, “You can never lose anything that really belongs to you, and you cannot keep that which belongs to someone else.” A soulmate owns his other soulmate. They are destined to be owners of themselves.

This chain, this link … this is the thread that coils the destinies of two souls that used to be one. This is the ingredient for a soul mate…

Soul Mate: The Perfect Partner And so goes astrologer Linda Goodman, describing soulmate as “the other half whose aura perfectly blends with yours.” One esoteric group says soul mates are “two souls who share the same blueprint of identity.” This means that they have been created by God from the same “fiber of life” to share the same pattern of soul evolution towards perfection. Thus, every man can only have one perfect soul mate who shares with him the same soul age and soul destiny.

Since soulmates emerged from the same blueprint, a powerful primitive karmic link between them exists that compels their souls to repeatedly meet in a series of incarnations that they tend to become close with each other. With this, the karmic link gathers intense momentum, making the bond so strong they perfectly complement each other in their journey towards perfecting themselves. Until such a time they can no longer live without the other.

But a human subconsciously forms many karmic links with souls other than the soul mate.

From our parents to our enemies, the result is the birth of a “karmic bundle” that complicates the intertwining of the soulmates’ destinies.

The two souls could no longer progress unless these bundles of karma are settled. Thus, in that timeless existence in between earthly incarnations (the time after death and before the next rebirth), the soulmates decide to part ways to work their own karmic debts. At this moment, they vow to themselves to meet in a future lifetime. And when that time comes, no force in the universe could ever stop them from uniting once more.

This clearly demonstrates man’s free will as the most supreme and most inviolate of all.

The universe is bound to obey the soulmates’ will.

Reunited And then that time comes. It could be on a forest or at a solitary island, at a night club or on a sidewalk. “Once upon an instant flash of love

and wisdom,” the souls meet in one momentous attempt to recover what was once lost. There they are, in different bodies, of varying lifestyle and social status, but of the same souls. They unmistakably recognize one another from the very recesses of their being for the “soul never forgets.” In a magical instant, they know they are meant for each other, that they were once one.

Their relationship becomes total and complete at all levels of their existence. The encounter is so holy and mystical it carved an indelible impact to the great poets for thousands of years.

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“When two souls meet, the atmosphere becomes magnetically charged. The two auras merge, forming one whole.” When one has a headache, the other gets it too. This is because the link between them is immensely packed it creates a bridge between their minds where emotions or thoughts can freely cross.

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Sacred Union And when two souls finally make love, another dimension of divinity is opened. A magical moment that is hard to explain takes place. The universe literally sings with them.

This chain, this link ... this is the thread that coils the destinies of two souls that used to be one. This is the ingredient for a soumate...

Unlike the exhausting physical sex, a soulmate sex act is not only of two fleshes but a merging of two souls (the astral body) into a blessed feeling of utter oneness – this being felt to their very core. In this astral sex, the lovers experience a very extreme and indescribable ecstasy that transcends beyond space and time! It catapults them to a higher level of spiritual consciousness no ordinary man can reach. The lovemaking is not just a gratification of carnal desires, but in itself a religious worship and a mystical experience that will forever nest within the souls’ memory.

This sacred sex as portrayed in mystic Paulo Coehlo’s book Eleven Minutes has long been a Gnostic (secret) ritual performed to open a divine path to soul perfection. With this, one would know that one’s soulmate is not only a perfect partner for a tremendous love affair but also a companion in journeying towards the Ultimate Source.

Such sacred concept soulmates are. Such also is its mistaken impression to some.

It’s Complicated During that solemn episode in life with one’s soulmates, any social norm, religious custom, political differences or social convention does not and will not matter at all. No manmade law could stop them from loving all parts of their being.

Soulmates need not to be male and female, since it is not the soulmates’ physical bodies but the souls themselves who commune with each other. But due to manmade laws, many soulmates face the you-and-me-against-theworld predicament. Soulmates trapped in bodies of the same sex endure painful labels from the mainstream society. Gay and lesbian couples thus are often misunderstood.

Another age-old dilemma presents itself when a soulmate encounter happens when one or both of these soulmates are married to persons who are not their soulmates. Many soulmates meet in a given lifetime when the physical conditions are at their worst. One could already be a woman with four children, another a priest in his late forties. The result is oftentimes the theme of melodramatic novels, movies and soap operas. So if nothing could stop these souls from meeting, why do these maladies happen?

The answer is as simple as the word itself: Karma. The actions we made in our past lives begin to seek us and counter-manifest in our present lifetime. A woman still has to work out her karma with his present husband who might have been her frustrated lover in a past life, or a priest must refrain from romantic love because he had had this great obsession to romance in the past. Even our present romantic relationships are part of a Greater Scheme, for no relation is ever wasted. These and all the other intricate by

Marcel Lawrence Emil Agpasa Flora Mae Santos

illustration by

plots pay homage to Karma’s infallible nature.

Filling the Gaps Since soulmates meet at a moment of their choosing, it wouldn’t do us any good to search for our other-half. It is thus possible that you may not meet your soulmate in this lifetime.

Karma would forever remind us to work out all our insecurities with others first before we can enjoy the pleasures of a soulmate encounter, without the if’s and but’s. Two soulmates will meet when the right time comes ...

Finding one’s soulmate is in truth a search for a missing Half to form one’s Whole Self. It is one’s journey to finding Oneness with the Self and with the Creator. In the ultimate analysis, a search for a soulmate is a search for one’s own self.

At this very instant, you may be wondering who and where your soulmate is in the nook of this earth. Could he or she be on the other side of the globe patiently waiting for that irreplaceable meeting? Or could he just be anywhere around sharing jokes with you, strolling down Session Road, or eating with your favorite Cookies and Cream?

Your other half is there, somewhere.

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photography by

Marc Arriane Mendiola

Sapientia

Science & Technology accompanying her virus infection.

Yet, this not-so-fatal scenario may change if the virus will graduate to the next level-mutation.

In simple terms, the disease may evolve and become tougher and potentially deadlier.

Scientists are fast developing a vaccine for the virus, but we may have to wait for some time for its completion.

Grellyn Paoad

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pril 2009. Mexico sneezed, then the United States. A month later, the Philippines caught the cold. June 11.

Due to a newly-discovered virus, the World Health Organization raised the pandemic alert, rating it six out of a maximum six.

Being afflicted with the ‘normal’ influenza is bad enough. Perhaps even the most hardcore ‘no-classes’ fanatic would not want to spend the time cooped in bed with burning fever, coughing fits, splitting headache, kittenish strength, and foul-tasting medications. Yet, things went even more downhill when the dreaded Influenza A (H1N1) Virus makes its grand debut. How would you know if that innocent ‘ahem-ahem’ is really harmless? What if you have become one of them?

Genesis Every year, five to 15 percent of the world population or roughly three to five million people are afflicted by seasonal influenza, with a 250,000 to 500,000 death toll. This ordinary flu is caused by Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 or A(H1N1).

However, the current flu pandemic, a headlinegrabber for many weeks, is not-so-ordinary. This health threat is a new strain of the virus, something which has not previously existed in either humans or animals. The virus is formed from the fusion of four different flu viruses: North American swine influenza, North American avian influenza, human influenza and two swine influenza viruses. Bad news for us, because it means the human population has never been vaccinated or naturally immunized against it.

Worldwide Notoriety United States and Mexico are the hot spots after reports show that US recorded the highest number of A (H1N1) cases while Mexico has the highest death rate.

As of July 1, the World Health Organization reports that 77, 201 people over the world caught the flu with 332 deaths. US takes the lion’s share with 27,717 cases,

image from the Internet

while Mexico with 8,680 patient accounts for 116 deaths.

Two children in US are the first reported casualties of the disease, but apparently months before that, Mexico may have already experienced an earlier outbreak. A (H1N1) then went on a world tour, prodding different countries to plan their defense measures and combat zones. In the Philippines, as first line of defense, the Department of Health implemented the use of thermal scanners in airports to pinpoint people with elevated temperatures. In fact, a slight controversy arose when Manny Pacquiao and his contingent, after winning a boxing bout in the US, insisted to come home immediately even with the risk that they may carry the infection.

It’s bugging us Like the ordinary flu, the signs of influenza A (H1N1) include fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and runny nose, and if your unfortunate, vomiting and diarrhea. It appears to be as contagious as seasonal influenza, and is peculiarly spreading fast particularly among young people.

Owing to its newbie status, most people have no or little resistance to the illness. Yet, the virus is neither invincible nor incurable. In fact, majority of the A (H1N1) patients experience only the milder form and have recovered without antiviral treatment or medical care. Of the more serious cases which needs hospitalization, more than half of them have underlying health conditions or weak immune system.

Accordingly, a 49-year-old Filipina, the first death in the Philippines, was found to have heart and liver ailments

Health shield A (H1N1) may mutate or may die a natural death. The world, grasping its store of masks, alcohol and sanitizer, is watching how this pandemic will unfold. At the same time, scientists are working round the clock to research on the virus and find ways to fight it.

Right now, the best thing we can do is to stock up on our health. No one can go wrong with a strong resistance, sharp mind, and strong body. A shot of vitamins, an extra serving of greens, some physical work out and a healthy dose of precaution may just do the trick.

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SLU gets the flu Silang lobby reverberated with the gleeful shots and a few disappointed groans after an unexpected memorandum had announced that classes are suspended from July 8 to 20. Saint Louis University had its first officially confirmed A(H1N1) case. A week before that, rumors circulated that some Louisians are suspected to carry the virus. Anxious students who believed they got the symptoms flocked the medical clinic to get a check-up.

However, students expecting a second virusinduced holiday are in for a dissapointment. The Department of Health explicitly states that cancellation of classes will only take place for the first victim, for quarantine and disinfection purposes.

Sources: World Health Organization website Time Magazine website Google Search for A (H1N1) virus

The world, grasping its store of masks, alcohol and sanitizer, is watching how this pandemic will unfold.

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Sapientia Life

Scientists throughout the world conducted experiments since the time they first thought of people having the ability to communicate with one another using one peculiar channel―the mind. But what is telepathy? How did people start to believe in it?

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Lost in Time Throughout history there have been accounts of prophets, priests or shamans w h o

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o r c e n t u r i e s the concept of mental telepathy has remained a constant mystery to the human race.

Many believed and tried to prove its existence yet little experienced what they call the power of the mind. Like the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, the Lost City of Atlantis and the Golden City of El Dorado, the secrets of the human mind remains a puzzle to every one of us―even to the smartest Nobel Prize winners.

by

Divina Gracia Castillo

There are things in this world that science in its greatest sense could not explain, and because of this we could only rely on a Higher Being.

were able to see into the future. These accounts were gathered from ancient cultures and are even seen in the Bible itself. The ability to see into or predict the future is called precognition.

However it is very different from the ability to communicate with others using the mind which is telepathy.

The concept of telepathy is said to have originated during the 19th century. Telepathy itself is a very delicate and controversial issue within the realm of science and parapsychology.

It is believed that the first western scientific investigation on this subject started with the initial research program of the Society of Psychical Research. The term “telepathy” was first introduced in the book Phantasms of the Living in 1886. The term “telepathy” replaced the earlier term “thought transference”.

Search for Truth

After the investigations done by the Society of Psychical Research, many psychologists conducted experiments to prove the existence of telepathy. One of these many men and women was psychologist John E. Coover of Stanford University. In 1917, he conducted a series of tests using transmitting-guessing cards.

However, the most well-known experiments on telepathy were those of J.B. Rhine and his colleagues at Duke University.

They started in 1927 using E S P Cards

called Zener C a r d s designed by Karl Zener; this is a set of five cards marked with distinct symbols.

During this experiment an individual will act as the “sender” and will randomly pick a card then visualize the symbol in his mind. The receiver on the other hand will attempt to determine the symbol. The results of these experiments, published in Rhine’s popular book Extra Sensory Perception, which also popularized the use of the term ESP, were astonishing.

In 1930, Pulitzer-prize winning author Upton Sinclair published his book entitled―Mental Radio. It talks about the ability of his wife to be able to replicate sketches made by him and by others even when separated by several miles. The ability of Sinclair’s wife was attributed to clairvoyance, the ability to be able to see clearly what other people do not. To most, it is best known as the third Eye. During the 1960’s parapsychologists had begn to be dissatisfied by Rhine’s experiments that they turned to free response experimental formats where the subject is not limited to a small set of responses, like guessing only five marks or images in Zener cards,

image from the Internet

but rather by determining any sort of picture, drawing, movie clip or piece of music.

The Sixth Sense

Extra sensory perception (ESP) is the use of any of the five senses except that they do not belong to the physical but to the astral planes of man. According to a book by Jaime Licauco, Understanding the Psychic Powers of Man, our physical bodies have counterparts called the astral bodies which exist in a different plane of existence or dimension. This proves that there is no need for an added sense to be psychic (because everyone is a natural psychic, only at varying degrees); all we need is our five senses.

ESP or psychic powers manifest when a person can lower his brainwaves without falling asleep. There are four brainwave patterns discovered by neurologists―Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta waves. A person who can lower his brainwave to Alpha, 7 to 14 cycles per second (cps), can see the future or the past and can also read other people’s mind. It is even possible to undergo surgery, childbirth or tooth extraction without pain and use of anesthesia if a person can even lower his brainwave pattern to Theta which is 4 to 7 cps, while telekinesis, levitation and teleportation can be achieved in the Delta level.

Welcome to Dreamland

As a result of surveys, based on spontaneous psi experiments, it was reported that more than half of these psychic experiences occurred in the dreaming state. Montaque Ullman and Stanley Krippner, researchers from the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, undertook a series of experiments to test if telepathy also occurs in the dream state.

A participant acting as the receiver will stay in an electronically shielded room and will be monitored while sleeping for brain wave patterns and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) that indicates the dream state. Another participant acting as a sender will attempt to send an image to the receiver by focusing on an image that he has randomly picked and will continuously focus on that image during his partner’s detected dream states. When the receiver is awakened he is asked of his dream during the short period of time he was sleeping, and the data gathered suggested that sometimes the sent images during his sleep was somehow incorporated into the receiver’s dream.

A Peek into the Future

What would it be like if people in the future could communicate using the mind?

No more cellular phones, telephones, e-mail, instant messaging and long letters. Would it be more convenient for us humans? Or would we find it weird like watching a sciencefiction movie? What will be a person’s reaction if given the abilities just like those of famous superheroes and supervillains? This includes the Jedi in Star Wars, Professor Snape in Harry Potter who can perform Legilimency, the handsome vampire Edward Cullen from the Twilight Saga and the Vulcans in Star Trek.

Some people who call themselves “transhumanists” believe that technologically e n a b l e d

t e l e p a t h y, c o i n e d “techlepathy”, “synthetic telepathy” or “psychotronics”, is possible in the future. Kevin Warwick from the University of Reading, based his recent research in cybernetics in developing practical and safe technology for directly connecting computers together with the human nervous system and with each other. He believes that this will become the primary form of human communication in the future and will become a primary asset to people who have low self- esteem.

Paranoia

But telepathy or its notion is similar to two psychiatric concepts which are delusions of thought removal or insertion and psychological symbiosis. These are the reasons of how people came up with the concept of telepathy. However the delusions of thought are also symptoms of psychosis and schizophrenia. These patients who suffer from this illness often claim that their thoughts are not their own and that others, like aliens, conspiring intelligence agencies and other people, are putting thoughts into their minds. Others become so obsessed with the idea of having to communicate using the mind that they tend to pretend that they have this ability, even when they do not.

A Mind-boggling Myth?

There are things in this world that science in its greatest sense could not fully explain, and because of this we could only rely on a Higher Being. Like the clichéd saying, To see is to believe, we could neither approve nor disapprove of the concept of telepathy because no

one n t h e p a s t or in the present has grasped its essence.

Yet we still hope and still believe that one day we would understand the mysteries here on earth.

Soon, no longer shall telepathy remain a fantastic myth, but a wondrous mystery.

However, looking back there are cases wherein mothers suddenly have this intuition whenever their children or spouses are in danger, people who sense a nagging feeling whenever something is wrong, others who can predict an occurrence and people who achieve positive results with being optimistic. There are also these miracles where people who have severe cases of cancer heal because they believed. Could this be proof of the powers of the human mind? Could this be telepathy? i

*** Sources: Understanding the Psychic Powers of Man by Jaime T. Licauco www.crystalinks.com yahoo.com and other related links

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Sapientia Dev.Com

T

he Baguio roadway is a common thing for travelers. Before, it had first been used by foreign settlers of Baguio – one of which were the Thomasites -- teachers who arrived in Baguio City in 1902. Since then it was widely used by station wagons, horse-driven carriages and locomotive vehicles. Now, roads in Baguio City face a multitude of vehicular traffic congestion brought by the exponential outflow of businessmen, tourists and students.

Nonetheless, the government, specifically the Department of Public Works and Highways, are desperately trying to improve our perforated paths.

Hassle Pressure – it persists to bore its way to the authorities. Jeepney drivers nag the local government to work out those rough roads. The government is forced to borrow money from giant loaning companies. Then the oil price levitates unexpectedly. Jeepney drivers soon take their tolls on the helpless passengers. Fare price increase. It seems that one street problem leads to another street problem. There seems to be no end.

Every day, the weight of problems that both drivers and pedestrians encounter becomes twice more intense. While they struggle to cope with the problems on fare rate and oil price hikes, another dilemma prods their busied city lives. The once simple ride along Camp 7 has become a tormenting journey a very boring one at that.

Usually, a Plaza-Camp 7 trek would only take about 15 minutes in the normal jeepney route, but then all of a sudden, Camp 7 passengers get puzzled by that time-consuming travel, as if the jeepneys are bound to travel to nearby La Union towns!

Project proposal It all started when DPWH came with this roadwidening project at Camp 8 National Road to solve the traffic congestion in the city. The project is aimed at cementing both sides of the Loakan Road to extend it into three lanes which should make transportation easier. The road was then half-closed for cementing and rehabilitation. After a landslide of traffic disputes, the road was finally fully opened. The Kennon Road project soon followed, wherein only one lane was subjected and closed for renovation. These two Road Constructions have been a part of a Php 60 million project of the DPWH. Commuter confessions So who’s the culprit for this daily hassle?

Road development as they say, of course. Or rather it’s the carelessly planned road face-lift. Who among these hundred commuters would still stay calm after spending a sticky morning inside a four-wheeled

by Gian Marcel

Crescini Santillan and Lawrence Emil Agpasa

vehicle jammed with more than a dozen sticky people?

What more during rush hours? One could easily say this ‘propitious’ road improvement does more bad than good.

Camp 7 residents have been the most affected by this road widening project at Camp 8. This is so because part of the project included improving the road intersection at the Milton Area - a route so navigated by jeepneys coming from other parts of Baguio City.

The result?

Traffic. Passengers and critics who lay witness to this routinary drama blames the ‘unpreparedness of the officials in implementing this road project.’ Traffic regulations are rarely followed, and road network flows become disrupted. Often as a result, traffic becomes so unbearably heavy in these areas that a man petitely walking from Baguio General Hospital could arrive at Camp 7 sooner than the jeepneys. A brisk walk could even be twice faster than the affected vehicles’ pace.

Summer 2009 proved to be an unforgettable event for the thousand students and employees who endures the trip to the city proper every day. Some drivers then are forced to find an alternative route: they detour to Loakan Road, going to Camp 8, then heading to the city proper.

Rough Road to Completion The difference in the distance travelled by these automobiles between the former and new route adds up to the series of problems. An approximately additional 4-km road thus eats up the usual gasoline budget by the jeepneys. Add that up with the additional 45-minute travel time and more than an hour’s worth of time during rush hours. It is anxious to think how much this ‘road development’ has caused the people their comforts.

What aggravates this already-serious condition is that Kennon Road has not been closed even when the road was holed and scraped for cementing. Many civilians living in the community could not help but be furious due to dust, smoke, noise and recurrent headaches brought by this relentless traffic.

The said project must have already been completed on the last week of June. But due to undisclosed problems by authorities, the project has been delayed for over a month. Noted sources say that rampant graft and corruption or political mismanagement are the main reasons for the trouble.

In fact, DPWH district engineer Ireneo Gallato and his private constructors were sued for violating Section 3e of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices Act). They were thought to have allegedly conspired with one another to get hold of DPWH’s public fund for the project, and have reused the same land fillings utilized in the earlier roadwidening project.

Boring Journey Authorities never fail to bail their promises on the completion of this controversial road project.

“Malapit nang matapos,” they assure the masses.

The traffic in Camp 8 has somehow toned down to moderate. But the problem still sticks with Camp 7 due to the ongoing (delayed) project. Piece by piece, the roads gradually show minute improvements. Soon, the dilemma shall be over and a greater path to better transporation will be realized.

The tremendous heavy traffic these projects have brought is just a clear notion of the effects of change in a city. As we advance into a more sophisticated way of living, so will intensify our demand for better things, better transportation at that. Sometimes, we have to endure these painful “carvings” because in the end it will be us who shall benefit from these. Just like every trial, every project and every issue that Baguio has gone through for a hundred years, surely we shall pass this by Let everyone see, that in every side of Baguio, ugliness in the process creates music, beauty and grandeur.

Sources: http://www.philstar.com www.dpwh.gov.ph

photo by

11

Genett Gayas

by

Hazel Luy

C

harice, Lea Salonga, Vanessa Ann Hudgens, Manny Pacquiao: the combination of these letters verbalize the names of prominent entities. The neurons of your eyes deciphering this article automatically send an instant message to your brain that establishes the notion that you know them. These are cliché names that have always received that elusive yet infinitesimal slot of your memory. These names have more or less entered your mind recurrently, hence, leaving a permanent and entrenched impression to it.

But how about Levi Celerio, Alex Tizon, Fe del Mundo, Napoleon Abueva, and Lamberto Avellana? Do these names ever ring a bell? Perhaps not; they merely form unfathomable strings of names that never seem to assemble anything cognizable for your operative mind. Basically, these names only surfaced your mind for the very first time.

UNRAVELING THEIR MYSTERIES A living legend Born in Tondo, Manila, Levi Celerio (April 30, 1910 - April 2, 2002) was a prolific Filipino composer and lyricist. Mang Levi is one of the pillars of Philippine music. How many people can produce a beautiful melody out of a leaf? He is then perhaps best-known for being a leaf-player, a feat for which he was put into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Celerio was not only a master of the Tagalog language; he could also finish a song’s lyrics in an average of 20 minutes! He was the lyricist of Lucio San Pedro’s “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan,” as well as the 1963 FAMAS best movie theme song “Sapagkat Kami ay Tao Lamang.” He also wrote the lyrics of standard Tagalog songs such as “Saan Ka Man

Naroroon,” and “Gaano Kita Kamahal.” He translated the Cebuano carol “Kasadya Ning Takna-a,” whose lyrics were written to Tagalog which became known as “Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon” or “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit.” These are just some of the highlights of the 4,000 songs to his credit.

In 1997, he was named National Artist of the Philippines for Music. His citation read that his music “was a perfect embodiment of the heartfelt sentiments and valued traditions of the Filipino.”

On April 24, 1993, he received from the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Filipino, the film critics group’s highest honor, the Natatanging Gawad Urian, given every year to an individual who has done something to improve the quality of Filipino movies. Levi Celerio is eminently qualified for the honor, having written songs that often redeemed inferior movies and enhanced the virtues of superior ones. He has, in short, made movies better.

Similar to the old films that played his songs, the lyrics evoke an era that was happy, carefree, innocent and pure. Like a typical artist, he is not concerned with material wealth.

He says that though he is not wealthy, he is

happy; knowing how his songs have made life happier for many people and that even when he dies his music and works will continue to entertain future generations.

Conquering the New World Alex Tizon is a victor in what America does best - exercising press freedom. As a journalist in the “Land of the Free”, Tizon has decided to follow the lead of Ernest Hemingway whose task was “to write hard and clear about what hurts.” He is proud to say that he has full Filipino blood running in his veins.

The 43-year-old journalist was born in Manila but grew up in the United States. He assimilated well into the American culture, learned to write, and became the model of all aspiring Filipino-American journalists.

When asked how he made it big in the very competitive field of American Journalism, he had this to say: “Most big achievements happen when great effort intersects with good luck. I’ve worked hard, and I’ve been lucky, which is another way of saying that I’ve been blessed.”

Along with two colleagues, he received the coveted 1997 Pulitzer Prize in Investigative

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Sapientia People

A woman for all seasons Dr. Fe del Mundo was born in the old section of Manila known as Intramuros—the Walled City—on November 27, 1911. At the age of 94, she is still active in her practice of Pediatrics. Very few physicians live to practice their medical career for half a century, much less 70 years but this grand lady is an exception. This pediatrician, national scientist, researcher, hospital administrator and medical leader broke every record among her peers in the medical school, during her residency training, in practice and in medical politics, here and abroad.

Dr. del Mundo’s practice of Pediatrics was not confined to the hospital. It branched to the countryside years ago to serve the children of the poor while constantly sharing her

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or modern abstract, he has utilized almost all kinds of materials from hard wood to adobe, metal, stainless steel, cement, marble, bronze, iron, alabaster, coral and brass. Among the early innovations Abueva introduced in 1951 was what he referred to as “buoyant sculpture” –sculpture meant to be appreciated from the surface of a placid pool.

In the ‘80s, after more than a quarter of chiseling and hammering his creativity, Abueva put up a one-man show at the Philippine Center in New York. And three years later, he had a retrospective exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Philippine Art. Entitled “Thirty Years of Sculpture”, the exhibit unveiled Abueva’s formidable range of works in a wide variety of themes and media. The audience marveled at the competence of the man whose sculptures speak highly of Filipino ingenuity, Filipino craftsmanship and Filipino spontaneity. That Abueva is a thoughtful artist whose imagination can go berserk or whose creative juices never run dry is a fact.

Abueva’s most important contribution to Philippine art has been to produce a body of works imbued with uncommon power and ingenuity. As the leading light in contemporary Philippine sculpture, Abueva has blazed a trail that new generations of local artists have followed, explored, deviated from – all with the

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Reporting, a plum that symbolizes professional excellence in the field of Journalism. He has also received the Phoenix Award, a Penney Missouri Lifestyle Award and the Clarion Award for his numerous articles in the Seattle Times, Pacific, The Times’ Sunday magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek Magazine and CBS News.

Asked of his advice to young journalists, Tizon said: “Read, read, read. Think, think, think. Write, write, write. Go into the dark places and write about them.”

They are the talented yet the unsung; they are the epitomes of brilliance yet the neglected: they are the “veiled heroes” of our motherland.

wisdom, expertise and guidance with younger pediatricians and residents.

She graduated as the “Most Outstanding Scholar in Medicine,” a valedictorian at the University of the Philippines in 1933. She is a woman of superior intellect, a lady with many “firsts.” She is the first Filipino, and the first female at that, to be enrolled at Harvard Medical School. She is the first Filipino Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics; the first lady president of the Philippine Pediatric Society; founder and first president of the Philippine Woman’s Medical Association; the first woman to be elected president of the Philippine Medical Association in its 65-year history; the first Asian to be voted president of the Medical Woman’s International Association.

She lives by the creed, “give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.” She gave her best for the world and the best came to her without seeking.

Carved by Excellence He is a passionate sculptor, an eminent artist, a creative genius. In 1976, Napoleon Abueva was known as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture, and is the youngest Filipino to become a National Artist. Being adept in either academic representational style

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sum total of enriching the world of sculpture.

A Cordilleran phenomenon Born in the mountainous regions of Bontoc, Mountain Province, Lamberto Avellana (February 12, 1915 – April 25, 1991), was a leading Filipino film and stage director.

He was branded as “The Boy Wonder of Philippine Movies” as early as 1939. Despite considerable budgetary limitations that hampered the post-war Filipino film industry, Avellana’s films such as Anak Dalita and Badjao attained international acclaim. In 1976, Avellana was the very first National Artist of the Philippines for Film. While Avellana remains an important figure in Filipino cinema, his reputation as a film director has since been overshadowed by the next wave of Filipino film directors who emerged in the 1970s, such as Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal Being one of the few living witnesses to the growth and development of Filipino movies, Avellana moved into film at a time when the studio systems were just emerging. His first film, Sakay (1939), was a landmark in Filipino filmmaking, because it marked in the words of a film critic T.D. Agcaoili, “The introduction of a truly creative Philippine cinema, employing

organically in film some of the elements of modern stagecraft and dramaturgy that had been lacking in Philippine movies”. This movie set the tone for Avellana’s career in film that would be capped by such distinctive achievements as the Grand Prix at the Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong for Anak Dalita (1956); Best Director of Asia award in Tokyo for Badjao, among others. It was Avellana who first “discovered, exploited and enriched” the idiom of film in the country.

Avellana was also the first filmmaker to have his film Kandelerong Pilak shown at the Cannes International Film Festival. Among the films he directed for worldwide release were Sergeant Hasan (1967), Destination Vietnam (1969), and The Evil Within (1970).

BEHIND THE STAGE They are the talented yet the unsung; they are the epitomes of brilliance yet the neglected: they are the “veiled heroes” of our motherland.

The spotlight and the red carpet were never reserved for them. They are often overthrown in the backstage; curtained and thwarted by the glitzy, glittering images of those commercialized giants of the society.

These heroes are equally worthy and notable as those multifarious Filipinos who have claimed the limelight. Their success was neither dependent to serendipity nor to any aspect of fortune and luck. Rather, their driving force and fuel were the ethics of undying perseverance and divine dedication.

We are then blinded by the shimmering facet of the popular, that we tend to obliviously disregard the equal effort they exert. They, too, excel in their respective fields; thus, they, too, should be given the same glory, tribute and honor that they rightfully deserve.

SILHOUETTES IN ACTION or GLOW-IN-THE-DARK The veiled heroes are like stars. Stars are there in the day, but we never notice them.

However, stars become visible in the night sky, when they are not outshone by the sun.

They are capable of lightening up, lest the colossal public figures do not obscure and overpower them. Until that time, the heroes illuminate only in the dark. They are in dynamic action despite the cold dimness.

They do not necessitate being in the spotlight to stand out and shine. They endure to be the silent workers of our society.

HEROES INDEED Though they did not get a shot to intense global fame, they still hold the highest tradition of Filipino gallantry and valor in their particular field.

Levi Celerio, Alex Tizon, Fe del Mundo, Napoleon Abueva Lamberto Avellana: these names should, at this instant, be delivering bolts of recollection and identification in your memory. They flash at your very eyes, and you know that these are never the nobodies of the society, but the big somebodies, the bright stars, and the unconcealed heroes.

Sources: www.notablefilipinos.com www.globalpinoy.com www.ncca.gov.ph www.manunuri.com www.en.allexperts.com www.fei-alumni.com

photography by

Michico Ta単edo

Sapientia Life

skin cells of yours. As your precious cells descend down your fluffy sheets, yippee, the feast begins! And when you disturb this feast by shaking the bed forcibly, it jets off a thick cloud of dust. So you thought this cloud is a cornucopia of dead skin cells, no. They’re the droppings of your formidable pet insects – the dust mites feeding on your old skin!

by

Vanessa Angelica Cawis

T

here’s no place like home… nothing beats the comfort of lounging on your couch right in the heart of your living room or just the satisfying experience of rummaging in your kitchen...craving for that sumptuous meal and having it right at your own dining table. As the day ends, you immediately long for the luxury of a good night sleep… of course in your plush bed... silky sheets... warm blanket... and your oh-so comfy pillows. Then as you close your eyes, your mind drifts little by little on a sweet slumber through the night. As darkness sets in the house, one by one they peek through every corner. One by one, they are drawn by the pitch black silence. And one by one, they come out from every hole and figments imaginable.

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Their brown-black bodies are invisible to the darkness. Antennae shoot up and wiggle in response. Their hairy legs scurry into frenzy down to the floor, up the sink tiles and past the plates and utensils. They smell something palatable and go right to where it is. Crumbs are left behind. Such tasty treats left lying around. Others are left to search for something more. They go behind cupboards.

Travel through tables till they feel yet another

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territory. You can think you live alone but little did you know that somewhere within every household lives a lot of uninvited guests… or occupants I should say.

You wake up in the morning and feel something itchy in your arms. Seeing some red bumps you thought to strictly close the windows every afternoon. Those pesky mosquitoes. But in tiny crevices, furniture, and underneath your mattress someone thought otherwise.

They’ll just wait later till you sleep. Then they’ll have another feat.

Crawling up against your skin they start sucking till their blood-filled bodies are satisfied. Back they go to their hiding places.

Bed bugs of the night.

Yet another feast is scheduled beneath the mattresses. They’re waiting for that shedding of those thousand dead

One by one they peek through every corner. One by one, they are drawn by the pitch black silence. And one by one, they come out from every hole and figments imaginable.

thing tasty. Too bad it’s covered. More work is needed to get to that treat. Mouths wide open they start to chew on it. No problem since their mouths work for chewing. Now they feel something peaking out within their mouths’ reach. Yum. Maybe being a cockroach does have its perk.

Your heavenly boudoir You have seen them, but the question is: have you seen them all? A house is a

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Dress to Impress You jump start your morning trying to find that perfect outfit. Browsing through your hangers and folded clothes you manage to get that killer ensemble with pieces that catch your eyes. Then it’s a wrap. You gather your stuff and head out the doors. Jut in time these little white bodies wiggle their way to feast on your stuff. Yes, their favorite... clothes.

Scurrying, they find wool, feather, furs and leather. This is how they nourish themselves.

Soon they’ll be a perfect winged creature.

The lovely clothes moth as they say.

Horrors of the House Now you’ve heard some of them. How many could still be lurking out at night? Yet also think of how many could still be on the look-out during the day. Some we see in the naked eye and others not at all.

Think about it. Creeped out or not, this says one thing. “Clean”. Regular house cleaning is your safest bet away from these creatures. Wipe dry anything that is wet. Take note that anything wet and moist harbors bacteria. Go through daily cleaning of your furniture, dressers, drawers and keep used clothes in a hamper. And lastly, store food in air-tight containers. Never leave them alone in the table even if it’s unopened yet.

You never want to see small bore holes in it, would you? Because you never would want to imagine what kind of creature infested on it before you do…

illustration by

Aaron James Reodica

Sapientia People

by

Noelle Grace Rillon Flora Mae Santos

illustration by

T

hey call her Darling.

She may be found along the intersection fronting Maharlika or along Tiong San Harisson from 7:00 am to 12 noon. Her voice, though not the most melodious, has a catchy loudness to it. She has the scorched skin of hardwork under the sun. Her curly unkempt hair has also turned a cool shade of golden brown.

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She does not farm, not into construction, nor is capable of fishing. So what does she do to get such tan? She sells colorful circular and square rags to our beloved motorists. This unusual job may not be providing her own office, with her own desk, and her customers do not pass the time in a waiting room.

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But her occupation is yet another proof that hope does exist. Her story is yet another cliché to appreciate what we have, even the little things like our slippers, the plants outside…

Rags’ ups and downs Her profession may not be the most respected. In fact, some motorists and passengers may find her annoying and her presence disturbing. But her career requires not the highest and longest of college degrees, just the basic virtues of courage, patience, and honesty. With anybody and everybody as her customer, it is Darling’s desperate challenge to earn from them.

One upside is that she earns up to Php 1,500 per day selling three pieces of those little

rags for Php 5. She profits Php 2 per sale, and has at least 300 customers a day! Though the circular rags are Manila-made, Darling’s family crafts the square rags. After deducting the costs to assemble and attain her products, she has P500 to P600 to spare for expenses.

Not bad right? Her livelihood is enough to support her family having a deceased husband and two sons at 21 and 23 years old. And after seven years of this morning routine, Darling has learned to love and enjoy her chore working through rain or shine. She has made lots of friends and also numerous “suki”.

hope does exist. Her story is yet another cliché to appreciate what we have, even the little things like our slippers, the plants outside, and those colorful little rags.

“Konting tiyaga lang, kahit konting kita basta masipag, asenso ka,” says Darling when asked for her message to the readers.

“Sa Php 500 na kita kadaaraw, mas maganda pa sa opisina di ba?” she laughed.

For inspiration Darling’s simple life may not be the most inspiring. After all, she has not helped charity nor contributed to the fight against smoke-belching. But her occupation is yet another proof t h a t

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Eloisa Faye Simon Neil Edson Torres photography by

by

D

ark green moss with tiny flowers – it was called “Bag-iw” though the Americans pronounced it “Bag-i-yo”. Widespread and abundant, it was considered insignificant back then. But little did they know that from its tiny flowers would flourish a city renowned as a summer oasis, a devout refuge, and a fortress of knowledge – the City of Baguio. As we count down to the city’s centennial celebration, we take one more look at everything it has been through in the past 100 years – the good times and the times of struggle: all of which contributed to the molding of our city to what it is now.

Sapientia Dev.Com

Retracing the Origin During the Spanish occupation, a chain of expeditions was made towards the mountains of Benguet: a “rancheria” which was then owned

by Mateo Carino, the wealthiest man in the said area at that time.

The spaniards tried to conquer the natives, but all their attempts failed. It was not until 1846 when Commandante de Galvey was able to establish a military stronghold in a broad area of fertile land w h i c h h e c a l l e d L a Tr i n i d a d a f t e r his wife. This continued until he was able to establish the province of Benguet. The presidentia was first established in the Guisad Va l l e y a r e a a n d l a t e r t r a n s f e r r e d to the present site of the Baguio City Hall. The Spaniards left but some significant contributions still remain to remind us of them.

One of these is the introduction of coffee which we now know as Benguet coffee.

In 1892, Domingo Sanchez, a member of the Spanish Forestry Bureau, introduced an area in Northern Luzon to an American zoological collector by the name Dean C. Worcester who, with the company of other curious Americans, then had an expedition towards the said area.

They found their way to these pinecovered hills after the Spaniards relinquished the Philippines to them for $20,000.00. The famous Kennon Road was imprinted upon the side of the mountains connecting Kafagway (old name of Baguio) to its neighboring lowlands of Pangasinan and Ilocos. It was early in 1900 when the American government was established with H. Phelps Whitmarsh appointed as the first civil governor of Benguet which was the first provincial government established in the c o u n t r y.

It was the brainchild of Worchester that transformed Kafagway into a tiny commercial hotspot. He was obsessed with the idea of having a rest house metropolis atop the mountains for the wary American soldiers. Due to its cool heights and pine-scented hills, the Americans developed this area in benefit of the U.S Armed Forces. The place was designed

by American

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architect Daniel Burnham. On September 9, 1909, Baguio was acknowledged as a chartered city and the Philippine Commission held its session at the Baden Powell Inn which still stands at the upper portion of a road now known to us as the famous Session Road.

Unlike the previous foreign visitors, the Japanese greeted B a g u i o w i t h b o m b s o n t h e 8 th o f December 1941 and forcefully occupied the city 19 days after setting up their camp at Camp J o h n H a y. T h e i t i n e r a r y o f w a r changed in September 3, 1945 w h e n G e n e r a l Ya m a s h i t a f o r m a l l y submitted to the Americans.

Baguio was immediately set for rehabilitation afterwards.

In 1946, the Philippines was granted independence and Baguio City continued living its title as the Summer Capital of the Philippines.

It was the Philippines’ top tourist destination until the earthquake on July 16, 1990 ruined almost all o f t h e c i t y. T h e k n o w n p a r a d i s e city of pines became a paradise lost as its magnificence crumbled to the ground. Despite that painful i n c i d e n t i n i t s h i s t o r y, B a g u i o d i d not linger in its ruins. In no time, the city was rebuilt and up to date, it remains.

The Beauty That It Is Occupying about 57 square kilometers and completely surrounded by the province of Benguet, which it was once a town of, Baguio City has an average temperature ranging from 1526ºC and can drop to 8ºC from the month of December through early F e b r u a r y. I t f o l l o w s t h e u s u a l seasons in the Philippines which are the dry season from the month of October to May and the wet s e a s o n f r o m J u n e t o S e p t e m b e r.

During the rainy season, Baguio receives the largest amount of rainfall in the country and gets damp and foggy due to its high altitude and forested m o u n t a i n r a n g e s . B y N o v e m b e r, sunflowers emerge from the hillsides indicating the end of the rainy season and the start of the preparations for the city’s Panagbenga flower festival where a variety of flowers is showcased.

Baguio then becomes

a t r o p i c a l h e a v e n t h r o u g h M a y.

I n D e c e m b e r a n d J a n u a r y, t h e chilly Christmas air brings out the scarves, coats and hats from the cabinets.

Baguio gained its title as the Summer Capital of the Philippines for being the seat of government in April and May and retains it seeing that its cool temperature serves as relief from the scourging heat e x p e r i e n c e d a l l o v e r t h e c o u n t r y.

There is so much more about Baguio aside from its healthful climate. It also is considered a natural garden city strewn with numerous relics that serve as reminder of Baguio’s rich heritage.

Some of these vestiges that still remain are Camp John H a y, Te a c h e r ’ s C a m p , B a g u i o C e n t r a l School, and the City Hall.

Boasting its God-given beauty and offering an escape from the stifling heat of the lowlands, the City of Pines is truly a praiseworthy destination.

Negative transformation: The indubitable truth Through the years, Baguio has undergone irrefutable alteration.

At present, the city has become home to 275,000 people which is expected to swell to more or less 300,000 in 2010. The tremendous increase in population due to the irrepressible migration from the city’s neighboring provinces has stretched the city’s infrastructure and public services to its boundaries and resulted to several socio-economic complexities including traffic congestion.

While Baguio is now considered the established center of higher education in the north, the surge in the student population in Baguio has spawned associated problems such as student congestion and the rapid depletion of the city’s natural resources.

Baguio’s overpopulation has also led to occasional disruptions in the p e a c e a n d o r d e r o f t h e l o c a l i t y.

Lowland tourists also commented on the warming of Baguio’s cold temperature which was blamed on the depletion of its forests that is said to be less dense than it was decades ago. According to the DENR, the forest area of the Cordilleras is assumed to have shrunk by 36% in

Sapientia

Dev.Com

The Imminent Future In time for the celebration o f B a g u i o ’ s c e n t e n n i a l y e a r, t h e Baguio Centennial Commission (CenteCom) aims to accomplish two important projects: the expansion of Baguio and the restoration of its centennial landmarks and icons.

As a jumpstart, officials p r o p o s e d t h e B a g u i o , L a Tr i n i d a d , Itogon, S a b l a n , Tu b a (BLIST) concept, which if finally adopted and put into action would bring about multiple advantages and benefits for the City of Baguio and the other municipalities involved in the said project. With Baguio’s persistent increase in population, the expanded BLIST project is seen to diffuse the tight congestion of people in the city; other lesser social problems m a y f o l l o w. T h i s e x p a n s i o n f o r a greater Baguio is in search for breathing space. The project may

also help boost the individual economies and commerce of the concerned municipalities with the extra income from the expected spillover of people in their areas.

With regards to the restoration of the city’s landmarks and icons, the CenteCom has authorized the establishment of the Baguio Historical and Mining Museum to showcase the city’s history including that related to its being the center of mining industry in the area. An all-inclusive city parks development plan was also made in preparation for the restoration of what used to be the beauty of the various parks in the c i t y. A p r o g r a m m e d o b e l i s k i s a l s o intended to be built at the top of the stairs of Wright Park to honor city pioneer families. Besides these, other projects are being planned which are aimed to be a c h i e v e d b y t h e 1 st o f S e p t e m b e r in time for Baguio’s centennial celebration.

The campaign for tree planting and reforestation continues to prevent the complete destruction of our forests.

T h e I n s i g n i a o f A H u n d r e d Ye a r s Though Baguio is usually represented by familiar symbols such as the pine tree, the strawberry and the s u n f l o w e r, o n i t s h u n d r e d t h y e a r, a n e w s y m b o l i s r e v e a l e d – t h e b u t t e r f l y.

The butterfly is considered a multicultural icon denoting the beauty of nature. Its striking, fragile, and multi-colored wings correlates to the current condition of the city needing cautious care for the delicate balance of nature, culture, society and progress to p r e s e r v e i t s b e a u t y. I t e m b o d i e s dynamic change that symbolizes the anticipation and vision of Baguio to transform into a city revered by others.

The insignia is divided into four p a r t s .

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the last couple of years and only less than 700,000 hectares of what used to be 1.8 million hectares remain.

The streets of the city that used to be flanked with flowers and grass now overflows with piles of unsorted garbage in plastic bags which have not been collected for w e e k s . J u s t l a s t y e a r, a l o c a l i s s u e erupted when the Irisan dumpsite closed since it could no longer hold the bulk of approximately 100 tons of daily waste. Other neighboring communities refuse to take Baguio’s litter for fear that it might pollute their watersheds a n d s o u r c e s o f d r i n k i n g w a t e r.

As a last resort, Baguio dumps its trash in a commercial landfill i n C a p a s , Ta r l a c w h i c h i s m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 k i l o m e t e r s a w a y, j a n d .

This has cost the city P20 million worth of expenditures in just three months.

Another undeniable change is the alteration on the face of Baguio which has been marked with signs of the invasion of Korean nationals and establishments which also added to the already extreme p o p u l a t i o n g r o w t h i n t h e c i t y.

Each fraction composes part of the butterfly’s wings and comes i n c o l o r s o f r e d , y e l l o w, b l u e a n d green to signify the four elements of nature. Contained in each wing are figures that portray the city’s various aspects: The blue wing holds dancing figures of the citizens of Baguio: the multiethnic population where different cultures unite in harmony despite the city life. The green wing includes landmarks of Baguio such as the pine forests, Baguio Convention C e n t e r, City Hall, Baguio Cathedral, and Camp John H a y B e l l A m p h i t h e a t e r. T h e y e l l o w wing is dominated by the sunflower which signifies the Panagbenga spirit: the celebration of culture, a r t , c o m m u n i t y a n d l i f e . F i n a l l y, the red wing encloses a strawberry symbolizing Baguio as a center of commerce. Though not a native to Baguio, it was chosen to pay homage to Baguio’s neighboring towns that contributed to its development. The logo’s upward trajectory symbolizes the flight to depict thinking forward towards t h e f u t u r e o f t h e c i t y.

With the theme “Fostering a Culture of Caring”, this insignia is hoped to serve as catalyst of change for a better Baguio – a city that cares.

A s B a g u i o ’ s 1 0 0 th y e a r d a w n s upon us, we ought to realize that its past 100 years of existence is not about innumerable events in chronological order: it is about growth. We view its past as a process of progress. For it to continue into the future, we should not only believe we would see the future of a greater Baguio and watch it materialize before our very eyes. We have to make it happen. Let each one of us become a catalyst for change.

Sources: www.baguiocentennial.com Baguio Midland Courier www.g o c e n t e n n i a l . c o m

As Baguio’s 100th year dawns upon us, we ought to realize that its past 100 years of existence is not about innumerable events in chronological order: it is about growth.

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by

Raymond Jaye Sandoval

W

ithout Irene Kho’s vexing 20-second trance in live TV, Pokwang’s uncanny impersonation of Irene, and the bizarre resemblance of Kho inquiry to a baptismal right in the Senate, the Hayden KhoKatrina Halili sex scandal could not have been a laughing matter.

Funny how scandals such as that outclassed the attention Filipinos had given to a worldwide pandemic.

While the world scrambled in panic, Katrina fans busied their selves by probing for other video scandals where Kho can be uncovered. The swine flu, at its entry, went unnoticed. Like a fart in church.

So why do these digital scandals proliferate even when politicians and church ministers have warned of its damaging effects to public morals?

Easy. Because it simply fascinates people.

While most don’t tell much when asked about salacious affairs, sex ordinarily floats in people’s minds, either consciously or not, like it was a piece of chocolate they can’t poke their fingers into. Whatever the other reasons are, the issue has had much attention and coverage in the media.

Raging libidos What’s wrong with movie stars flashing every part of their supposedly well-built bodies in front of the big screen? Nothing. Or so they claim. In a nation streaming with musical pieces stuffed with suggestive song lyrics, larger-than-your-house billboards where models pose close to nude, tawdry sex scandals and free porn sites on the Net, there is no wonder why sex has become a given in premarital relationships.

The popularity of digital pornography has, in fact, gotten out of hand. Just recently, a group of high school studs from Argao, Cebu fell victims to the mad world of cyber pornography. After their class, they decided to have a wild adventure near their school. Too wild indeed that after gritting their teeth in boredom from their Bisaya classes, they had the bright idea to pair up and lay on each other. They were six in all. To make their

Sex in the city There is widespread belief that the ‘more urban’, that is, more exposed to city life, a person is, the greater chance he will end up in a sex video somewhere, or the larger tendency he’s got to be a downloader of sex scandals.

Red light districts are normally viewed by rural people to be steaming sex dens or prostitution parlors where even innocent hotdog stands become economy -class motels at night. So when scandals spread, it’s either people think of Metro Manila or nothing at all.

People must note that there are equal numbers of sex scandals in rural areas compared to cities. Urban thugs just have a way of drumming up unnoticed matters; rural kids tend to stay on the shy side when scandalous subjects come up. Perhaps this misconception roots from the fact that the provinces have less access to tools that can capture and reproduce sex videos.

Nonetheless, no matter where a guy hails from in RP, the belief that urbanity breeds sex hogs will always stay as myth.

“

“

idea brighter, they brought along a camera man with a cell phone camera in hand. Their ‘creativity’ was spilled to the public, later people called their tryst the ‘Argao scandal’.

That lewd video added to the long list of scandals produced in schools and universities in RP. Videos such as SLU scandal, UP scandal, and De la Salle scandal became instant hits in bangketas near city centers. For 20 pesos, the masses had easy access to view the bodies of wild, sweating coeds. Better yet, they had the freedom to view it on their phones, 24 hours a day. “Everybody’s into it anyway,” a curious buyer might say, adding him to the long list of pornography patrons around the world.

Concerned with the growing cases of premarital intercourse, a study from the University of the Philippines’ Population Institute this 2009 found that Filipinos as young as 15 are now freely experimenting with sex.

...In the Philippines today, sex videos such as the Kho-Halili scandal are taken as lightly as a Pokwang joke – blunt, openended, but surprisingly entertaining...

21

Behind-the-pants fantasies “Every red-blooded Filipino male dreams of being in bed with Katrina Halili,” a national newspaper said. Yes, who doesn’t want that flawless white, trim, and perfectly retokada body of hers revealed in a video, instead of being in a still shot posing for a male magazine.

This is also the case for other famous sex scandals in RP. Who doesn’t want to watch a sex video where your classmate, schoolmate, friend, or neighbor is a cast?

Watching these sex scandals carries viewers a step closer to reality, as if they were third

parties in a twosome video. That’s where true voyeurism comes out. A person might not notice it, but just by plainly watching these scandalous films, they get titillated. “What if I was that guy or girl?” a person will ask.

Yes, doing things that are taboo, as they say, is more pleasurable than carrying out normal-guy stuff.

Like that flimsy excuse of so many: mas masarap ‘pag bawal.

Stuntmen It should have been easy for ‘experienced’ showbiz personalities such as Halili or Kho to be involved in a sex scandal. Even before their sex scandal was released, 10 per cent or so of their lives were already spent modeling in front of high-definition cameras with their behinds and ding-dongs held only by thin pieces of strings. With their presumably “Belo-perfect” bodies and with a camera producing low-quality pixelated films during their sexual affair, they should have found it effortless to reveal a hundred percent of their flesh.

“Everything’s a stunt,” Irene Kho proclaimed when the media asked her to comment about her son’s sex video with Halili.

That the Kho-Halili scandal was staged to get instant fame, no one can tell. In other countries, it could have been next to impossible to do such. In 2008, the Malaysian community was outraged when hawkers spread sex videos of their 61-year-old Health Minister.

Shamed, the minister voluntarily resigned. In 1986, a high-ranking Indonesian party official was seen dancing with a local hooker. He paid dearly for his indiscretion and, like the Malaysian minister, resigned too. In Vietnam, the government could have arrested Kho and Halili for their scandalous behaviors. They could have sent them off to 18 months of sex-offender re-education.

Why? Because the Viets like to present their children with good role models, especially those seen in the mass media. They look at their movie stars as strongly influential people, capable of affecting the behaviors of their children. Unfortunately in the Philippines today, sex videos such as the Kho-Halili scandal are taken as lightly as a Pokwang joke – blunt, open-ended, but surprisingly entertaining. Who knows, a person running for office in 2010 might even find it useful to figure in a scandal to get public attention. We don’t get that kind of regulation in the media.

There’s the bite Though sex scandals have been seen to destroy lives, many of them, strangely enough, had been referred to as a “morality” tool since it cautions people of the perils of digital cameras. And as illogical and irritating it is, the propagation of those types of videos were, according to a government official, wake-up calls for legislators to draft measures to protect the children and youth for sexual exploitation, and protect public morals in cyberspace.

Sapientia

Perspective

Too late, indeed, but it’s better than none.

Among the bills waiting to be passed in Congress are the Anti-Cyber Boso Bill which proposes heavy sanctions on people caught involved in the production and distribution of sex scandals in the internet or cell phones, and the Anti-Voyeurism Act which prevents the recording and circulation of lewd videos.

Delmar Cariño, a Baguio journalist who also happens to be a lawyer, said in his article, “Today’s laws on anti-pornography are criticized for being unable to cope with the challenge posed by the proliferation of easy and cheap devices to capture sexually exploitive acts,” referring to cybersex, video sex scandals, sex messages, and sex videos disseminated through MMS. “There is a need to enact more special laws that would define and penalize cybersex, cyberporn and pornography spread on the Net through such links as YouTube,” he continued.

Maybe RP’s laws are now as inappropriate and irrational as Hayden Kho’s statement in national news: “I hope the people will condemn the sin and not the sinner.” They have no teeth suited precisely to punish sex scandals circulated through cell phones.

To imprison people involved in sex scandals one-by-one is not what is truly important; it is the word “scandal”, a marketing tool that appeals to the voyeurism that drives the porno market.

images form the Internet

illustration by

T

atlong boyfriend.

Tatlong break-up.

Boyfiend nga ba ang problema o ang girlfriend na ma-attitude?

Tatlong pangulo.

Tatlong kapalpakan.

Pangulo nga ba ang problema o ang sistemang nabubulok?

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by

Nag p a p a t a y a n na ang mga senador. D a a n - d a a n g k i l o s - p r o t e s t a na ang i n i l u n s a d n a k i n a s a n g k u t a n n g mga ma g - a a r a l , p u l u b i , n e g o s y a n t e , magnanak a w, m a t a n d a , m a d r e , g u r o at maski n a ’ n g m g a t a m b a y s a k a n t o .

Maging a n g h i n d i m a p a g k a s u n d o sundong m g a p i n u n o n g s i m b a h a n a y biglang n a g k a i s a . B i n g i n g b i n g i n a

Flora Mae Santos

Maryknoll Magtira

rin ang pader ng Malacanang sa ‘di matuldukang hiyawan ng taumbayan.

Lahat ay waring nadadaplisan ng pangamba at takot sa nanganganib na pamahalaan ng Pilipinas. Lahat ng ito, iisa ang tinuturong salarin. CONASS.

Sapientia

Perspective

Sa ilalim ni dating pangulong Fidel V. Ramos tinangka ang unang Chacha. Kasama sa mga pagbabagong nais ipasok sa Konstitusyon ay ang paglipat tungong sistemang Parliyamentaryo at ang pagpapalawig sa termino ng mga pampublikong opisyal. Ikinatuwiran ni Ramos na magdudulot ng pananagutan at pagpapatuloy ng responsabilidad ng mga opisyal ang naturang mga pagbabago sa umiiral na sistema.

Tumutol sa Cha-cha ang mga grupong relihiyoso, oposisyon, negosyante at progresibo. Ayon sa mga kritiko, walang ibang makikinabang sa panukala kundi si Ramos at iba pang nakaupo sa kanyang administrasyon.

Sa ilalim naman ng pamumuno ni Pangulong Joseph Estrada, sinubukan ding baguhin ang Konstitusyong 1987 sa prosesong tinawag na Constitutional Correction for Development o Concord.

Kaiba sa Cha-cha ni Ramos, aamyendahan lamang umano ng panukalang Concord ang ilang probisyong pang-ekonomiya ng Konstitusyon na itinuturing na sagabal sa pagpasok ng mas maraming dayuhang mamumuhunan sa bansa.

Tumutol sa Concord ang mga grupong relihiyoso, oposisyon, negosyante at progresibo. Ayon sa mga kritiko, walang ibang makikinabang sa panukala kundi si Estrada at iba pang nakaupo sa kanyang administrasyon.

Samantala sa ilalim naman ng kasalukuyang administrasyong Arroyo ipinagpatuloy ang pagtutulak sa pagbabago ng Konstitusyon sa pamamagitan naman ng CON-ASS. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, tila wala na silang balak isama ang Senado na simula’t sapul ay ‘di sang-ayon sa Chacha.

Tumutol sa CON-ASS ang mga grupong relihiyoso, oposisyon, negosyante at progresibo. Ayon sa mga kritiko, walang ibang makikinabang sa panukala kundi si Arroyo at iba pang nakaupo sa kanyang administrasyon.

Simpleng lohika.

Sinasaad ba nito na kailanman ay hindi naging makatwiran ang tatlong ulit na pagtatangka ng tatlong administrasyon na palitan ang iisang sistema?

Wala pang nakaukit sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas na ni minsan ay sumang-ayon ang sambayanang Pilipino sa pagtataguyod ng Cha-Cha. Bago pa maisatitik ang resolusyon ng CON-ASS, may dala nang placard at gulok ang mga taong naninindigan laban sa Cha-Cha. Iba’t ibang pagbabatikos ang itinapon sa CON-ASS. Hindi na halos mabilang ang mga paratang at sumpa na ipinapataw ng kung sino-sinong opisyal dito.

Isang halimbawa ay ang Privilege Speech ni Senador Mar Roxas na naganap sa loob ng Senado, kung saan pinaratangan niya bilang mga aswang ang mga senador na umaayon sa pagpapatupad ng CONASS. Marapat lamang daw na kilalanin ang CON-ASS bilang CON-ASSwang sapagkat sinisipsip daw nito nang todo ang dugo ng taumbayan. Pasadyang nagsuot si Roxas ng kuwintas na bawang upang maitaboy ang aswang na tinatawag na Constituent Assembly ni Pangulong Gloria.

“

Sa Ngalan ng Ama, ng Anak at ng CON-ASS. Amen!

Ngayon, sino ang may sabing negatibo lamang ang dulot ng CON-ASS? Sa gitna ng ganitong pagtatalo, nakatatawang isipin na ang isinusumpa nilang CON-ASS ang

kamay ng pangulo. Ihahalal ang punong ministro ng mga miyembro ng Parliyamento.

Gaya ng pangulo, may immunity from suit ang Punong Ministro at maaari lamang mapatalsik sa puwesto sa pamamagitan ng impeachment.

Pustahan, anong sagot?

Ilang administrasyon na ang nangarap ng pagbabago, at lahat sila’y bigo sa pagtataguyod ng tama, malinis at mapagkakatiwalaang sistema. Paulit-ulit ang binibigkas ng kasaysayan, hindi kaya dahil paulit-ulit din ang paggawa natin ng pagkakamali?

Nag-iiba ang pangulo. Nag-iiba din ang diskarte ng pamamalakad. Ngunit hindi matuldu-tuldukan ang dinaramdam ng bansa. Kung magluluklok man tayo ng panibagong pangulo, masosolusyunan kaya ang problemang iniinda ni Inang Bayan gayong lantarang dinidikta ng kasaysayan na sa maikling panahon, tiyak patatalsikin din siya sa kanyang trono. Magra-rally ang tao. Ipagpipilitang tanggalin siya sa pwesto.

Paulit-ulit na pangyayari. Totoo nga kaya ang hamong binitawan ni Sen. Richard Gordon na wala naman talagang mali sa pagbabago ng Konstitusyon hangga’t isinasakatuparan ito sa tamang pamamaraan.

Iniluluklok ng CON-ASS ang demokrasya sa bingit ng kapahamakan.

Mamumukhaan pa kaya natin ang tunay na mukha ng pamahalaan, gayong nangingibabaw na ang huwad na imahe ng CON-ASS sa mapagbalatkayo nitong pagkatao?

“

Bato, Bato Pik. CON-ASS na ang Pipitik!

People’s Initiative, Constitutional Convention at Constituent Assembly (CONASS). Ito ang tatlong naitakdang alternatibo upang mapalitan ang Konstitusyong 1987. Simple lamang ang punto: ang gasgas na CON-ASS ay may natatanging layuning buhayin ang Charter-Change na pinaniniwalaang magreretoke sa sistema ng ating pamahalaan.

Taya ang Lipunan, CON-ASS ang kalaban.

Dalawampu’t tatlong senador. Iisa ang paninindigan. Lahat ibinabasura ang CON-ASS, naniniwalang ito ay isang biodegradable na basurang nagpupumilit mapabilang sa Konstitusyon.

Kung sino man ang susunod na

Ilang administrasyon na ang nangarap ng pagbabago, at lahat sila’y bigo...

Paulit-ulit ang binibigkas ng kasaysayan, hindi kaya dahil paulit-ulit din ang paggawa natin ng pagkakamali?

siyang makagagawa ng isang milagrong maski ang Diyos ay hindi kayang isagawa – ang pagbuklurin ang mga nagtatalong relihiyon.

Mistulang nabendisyunang imahe ang CON-ASS at nagawa nitong pagbigkisin ang mga pinuno ng simbahan na mistula’y nakaligtaan ang relihiyon maipagdiinan lamang ang kani-kanilang pananampalataya at ideyolohiya. Nagkaisa sila sapagkat iisa ang kanilang kaaway at tutol silang lahat sa sistemang parliyamentaryo na kung saan dahil sa mga pagbabagong ipinanukala ng House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, maililipat sa isang Punong Ministro ang lahat ng kapangyarihang ehekutibo na sa kasalukuyan ay nasa

Pangulo ng Pilipinas, kahabagan nawa siya ng ating mapagpalang Panginoon dahil kauupo pa lamang niya sa kanyang puwesto, abala na sa pag-iisip ng paraan kung paano siya patatalsikin ng parehong mga taong nagluklok sa kanya sa kanyang trono.

Baguhin ang Pananaw kung nararapat. Salubungin ang pagbabago, dahil panahon na upang umukit ng panibagong kasaysayan. Kasaysayang kukopkop at mangangalinga sa ating nanlalamig na Konstitusyon.

Sources: www.cbcpnews .com www.op.gov.ph pinoyweekly.org The 1987 Philippine Constitution

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photography by

Raiza Nerissa Veridiano

Sapientia

Science & Technology

by

S

Ongoing battle The Dark Ages in medicine has been ongoing for decades as the reign of Cancer extends worldwide. While the war continues, researchers and scientists lock themselves within the four walls of their laboratories to come up with a powerful weapon against the disease that has been killing hundreds of thousands.

A cancer cell is an abnormal rapidly-dividing cell that does not perform its physiologic function but still consumes large amounts of body energy reserves. Targeting this type of cell may not spare the other healthy cells. Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy are some of the weapons developed through history. However, considering the effects of these treatment methods to normal cells, they could do more bad that good inside the immunosuppressed human body.

Thus, scientists and researchers continue with their studies until they create a weapon that kills cancer cells without backfiring.

It’s a small world A lot of questions have been raised regarding the treatment for Cancer that does not damage or kill normal cells in the body. At present, the answers seem to be found in Nanotechnology – the small world of microscopic particles that can enter and exit the body without causing detrimental effects along the way. With this reason, Nanomedicine has been quickly evolving.

Assistant Professor J. Manuel Perez and his colleagues at the University of Central Florida Nanoscience Technology Center engineered the nanoparticles to specifically target and destroy cancerous tumors. They are only part of the medical researchers who are participating in the development of

Nanomedicine worldwide.

Mechanism of Action Nanoparticles or “Nano-bubbles” have two specific purposes in the battle against Cancer: Diagnostic and Therapeutic. The “bubbles” are devised to contain a fluorescent dye and an iron oxide magnetic core. Therefore, when they are introduced into the body, the biodegradable nanoparticles specifically target the tumor and bind to them. They can be seen by optical imaging or Magnetic Resonance Imagine (MRI). With this action, doctors can diagnose the presence of Cancer in a human body.

The therapeutic action, on the other hand, is specifically explained by Professor Perez in a journal article. Using a widely used chemotherapeutic drug called Taxol, which causes damage and adverse effects to healthy cells as it goes through the body, the scientists introduced the drug into the Nanobubbles. The specially engineered nanoparticles are then modified to carry the drug through the body toward the cancer cells, thus destroying the harmful cells without harming the healthy cells.

The targeting action is caused by the attachment of a folic acid molecule into the bubbles.

This vitamin derivative is normally consumed by harmful cancer cells in high amounts, causing these cells to be attracted to the nanoparticles as they release the chemotherapeutic drug. Afterwards, the bubbles will be eliminated as body waste and the iron oxide core will be used as an essential iron component in the blood.

Nanotechnology is still at its infant stage of development. However, Nanobubbles as treatment for Cancer when perfected may soon be the greatest breakthrough, yet. As of now, we could only hope that these bubbles do not burst into nothingness.

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t e m cell research and the latest vaccines have raided the newest updates in medical technology.

New treatments and diagnostic machines and procedures are the main focus of funds in research centers around the globe. But as one searches the World Wide Web, one certain technology stands out as the newest treatment method for Cancer – Nano Bubbles.

Maria Krisia Fae de Asis

Scientists and researchers continue with their studies until they create a weapon that kills cancer cells without backfiring.

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By Lovelyn Binigay and Divina Gracia Castillo

A

nother term nears its ending, another fragment of history vanishes in the midst of time and another year begins. Behind various crises, pandemics and typhoon signals that has swept the Philippines to a downtown low, a new government is yearning for a new leader―a country with a people ready to take a stand for their rights and unite for the greater good. In the year 2010 we will once again participate and witness Filipinos, no matter how diverse they are, cast their votes and be heard.

OK, enough of that pre-election litany. We know, by all means please, that the ever-glitzy-glitzy showbiz-ly politics is once again stealing the coveted limelight.

Katrina and Hayden got the best of it; CON ASS bugged the once-cobwebbed Senate halls; now, it’s time for our dear commercial advertisers to profit from the “Presidentiables” who are so digging for that million-peso worth of public attention.

But as if TV still hasn’t taken an overdose of these political ads, another form of campaigning is beginning to invade the rowdy world of cyber space. Well, we can’t deny Facebook’s escalating fame, but Friendster still won the “secret bidding” for the Philippines exciting political elections.

Lo and behold the Presidentiables at a race in boasting their best poses, flowery blogs and their long lists of highfaluting achievements.

View my Profile “ Ganito kami sa Makati, ganito sana sa buong bayan.”

Name: Jejomar Cabauatan Binay Nickname: Jojo, Rambobito Birthdate: November 11, 1942 Age: 59 Hobbies: Wearing “I love my Hometown Makati” shirts.

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Binay was the outstanding mayor in Makati that was once subjected to suspension because of the unpaid taxes that froze the bank that had held the funds of city. He was also at the forefront during the “Gloria Resign” rallies. Beyond this entire problem that he had faced he was able to stand and stay as a mayor until this point of time. Binay believes if he could make Makati as productive as it is now, well then so could he do the same for the Philippines. “ Magandang Gabi Bayan. Pag-ibig ang kasagutan.”

Name: Manuel Leuterio De Castro, Jr. Nickname: Noli, Kabayan Birth date: July 6, 1949 Age: 59 Hobbies: Loitering in Malacanang, Hanging out with Mrs. President Now holding the second highest position (and often most questioned) in office, De Castro started as one of the most popular personalities in radio and television and as a reporter before he took the next step of being a senator in 2001. His most famous show, TV Patrol, “Magandang Gabi Bayan.” For this, he

was also considered as the voice of the masses. There are minimal issues that have stuck with his persona: the latest is about the house demolitions whose owners live near the railway and the rally that soon followed it. Oftentimes, folks say Kabayan failed to do his task as VP as his bill-passing went unnoticed.

“Pink na bakod, pati banyo pink din” Name: Bayani Flores Fernando Nickname: BF Birth date: July 25, 1946 Age: 62 Hobbies: Busy regulating Manila traffic, supporting SLU College of Nursing Bayani Fernando’s father was considered as the poorest Mayor of Marikina, a complete difference to his son who is marked as the richest Mayor of the city. He established the pink fence, pink comfort rooms around Manila – a move that garnered outrageous comments from pedestrians. He had faced issues regarding the continuous clearing operations in Manila. He was also the luckiest person to have the first hand to watch every film that will hit the cinemas.

Sapientia People

N ame: Ma nuel Ar anet a Roxas, I I N ickname: Ma r B irth date : May 13 , 19 57 A ge: 51 H obbies: Pe dicab dr iv ing, Wear ing ‘bawang ’ g arla nd s o n plenar y s es s ions , w et ma rke t-sh op pin g.

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Mar Roxas b e c a m e p o p u l a r, after running for se n a t o r i n 2003, as Mr. Palengke . H e i s a grandson of the late P h i l i p p i n e Presid ent Manuel Roxas.

He worked as an in v e s t m e n t banker in New York f o r s e v e n years before retur n i n g t o the Philippines and e n t e r i n g politics.

He is currently engaged to b roa dcaster Kor ina Sanchez; their upcoming marria ge has been f u l l o f speculation from man y c r i t i c s , but he belied these cla i m s w i t h a spicy counterstatem e n t .

“Sa sipag at t i y a g a , at sa sarili kong p e r a , nakap agpabahay ak o n g m g a k a p w a ko mahihir ap at m ga O FW sa M i ddl e E ast. ” N ame: Manue l Villar N ickname: Ma nn y B irth date : Decemb er 13, 1949 A ge: 57 Hobbies: Giving dole-outs, commercia l ad s o n TV,

Doing

Being a long-standing entrepreneur, Villar was the unbea t a b l e S e n a t e g u y in term s o f a ssets a nd r ic hes . A m ult i-

t h e P h i l i p p i n e s w i t h a l a ndslide election count. “Erap para sa mahirap” was e v e r y F i l i p i n o ’s b l a b b e r then, until he g o t c a u g h t o n a p l u n d e r and gambling w h i r l w i n d i s s u e t h a t c a used his post.

H e w a s i m p e a c h e d , s e ntenced to life i m p r i s o n m e n t , h o u s e arrested, then p a r d o n e d b y h i s e x - V P - t u rn e d - Pr e si d e n t colleague, Arroyo.

billionaire that he was, he rooted from t h e s l u m s o f To n d o , c a r r y i n g w i t h h i m his famous S&T signature. He became senator during the 2001 elections and soon the Senate President in 2006.

As one of his ads said, he had been philanthrophizing his “kapwa mahihirap” ev en bef o r e h e l a n d e d o n t h e H o u s e .

“

“Hindi ko gina g a m i t s i K o r i n a , mahal kaming nagsama―limang tao n … Tulad ng sa bi m o m ga kr i t i ko ko ang nagsasabi n o o n . S o i n g g i t lan g sila .”

“ Wa l a n g k a p a - k a p a t i d , w a l a n g kam a k a ma g - a n a k , walang kaikai bi gan . ” “ L e t ’s f o r g e t t h e p a s t ”

Uncanny how reputable “leaders” go crazy with such fetish for the people’s precious votes.

Nam e: J o s e p h M a r c e l o E j e r c i t o Es t r ada Nic k nam e : E R A P Bir t h dat e : A p r i l 1 9 , 1 9 3 7 Age: 72 Hobbies : L e g a l g a m b l i n g , w a t c h i n g n e w s dur ing ho u s e a r r e s t , s t a y i n g c o n f i d e n t

Among the Presidentiables, perhaps, Erap was the most controversial.

From ruling the movies to being a mayor o f f a m e d S a n J u a n C i t y, E r a p w a l k e d t h e easy way to becoming the President of

I t ’s C o mp l i c a t e d We ’ v e j u s t p e e k e d i n to th e n o ts o - p r i v a t e l i v e s o f f i v e p residentiables.

Ye t , t h e r e a r e s t i l l t h e o t hers who would s t o p a t n o t h i n g to replace A r r o y o i n h e r long-seated t h r o n e . L i k e t he five, they n e e d a n a r m ’s reach for that t a n t a l i z i n g p u b lic eye. They a r e : S e n a t o r C hiz Es c ude r o, w h o s e p o l i t i c a l activism drills t o t h e b o n e s ; Eddie Pa nlilio, w h o s e r e l i g i o u s past boiled the S e n a t e t o a h o t se a t; Gilbert Te o d o ro, J r . , whose letters o f h i s s u r n a m e could spare u s f r o m n a t u r al calamities; a n d R i c h a rd G or don, whose t o u r i s t - a t t r a c t i n g skills goes unparalleled.

W i t h t h e 2010 elections d r a w i n g n e a r u s , w e are at risk of w i t n e s s i n g y e t a n o t h e r entertaining c i r c u s o f o u t r a g e o u s d i s play of abilities f r o m o u r d e a r P r e s i d e ntiables. Who k n o w s ? O n e m a y s h o w u p sw a l l o w i n g s w o r d s o r b l u r t i n g f i r e in the ads.

O t h e r s m a y j u s t f l o o d every piece of p u b l i c w a l l , p o s t o r j u s t about any clear s p a c e w i t h t h e i r s m i l i n g faces. Uncanny h o w r e p u t a b l e “ l e a d e r s ” go crazy with s u c h f e t i s h f o r t h e p e o ple’s precious v o t e s . S o o n , a d v e r t i s e m ent companies a n d p r i n t i n g p r e s s e s w ould reach this i m p e n d i n g e c o n o m i c p a r ad i se .

B e f o r e e a c h w a ll around us b e c o m e s a l i v i n g F r i e n d s ter profile page f o r o n e o f t h e s e P r e s i d ent wannabes, l e t u s f i r s t o f a l l s e t a s i d e our ill notion r e g a r d i n g t h e e l ections. “Wala d i n l a n g m a n g y a ya r i ” “ D a g d a g b a w a s p a r i n ” “ Magulo” should t h u s b e a b a n d o n e d.

2010 elections may again b e a t r i s k f o r a “mano-mano” m a y h e m , b u t i t s v i si o n o f sh a p i n g a n a t i o n ’s f u t u r e remains. Our d u t y a s t r u e - b l o o ded Juans at t h i s t i m e r e m a i n s inviolate―to v o t e r i g h t . A n d i n voting right, s o m e h o w w e c o u l d bring change.

A n d c h a n g e i s w h at w e n e e d .

Sources: www.yahoo.com and other related links

illustration by

Julius Busansog

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Sapientia Literary

Communion by

Marcel Lawrence Emil Agpasa

Forever shall life become more dazzling with her, he thought.

He mustered all his courage and finally, three words erupted from his mouth like the seeping of a fountain amidst a jungle. The night was cold yet promising.

But this fragile, beautiful girl in her sweet smile replied to him the bitterest words he had ever heard.

“Look at the moon, her scars, her pale face,” she murmured to the winds. “Ever since, I have vowed to love its owner.”

It pained him to accept this, this fate more throbbing than the embers kissing his feet. She reassured him with her smile, her hair dancing away from his filthy cheeks. His love, hidden for a hundred and forty-three cycles of the moon, now revealed, and now over, too.

For him, nothing is most fitting but the love of a girl she has known for so long a time. He crumpled the tiny love letter resting from his hands, the red ribbons turned to chains. He tore it with the force of regret stemming from his clammy hands. He threw the pieces onto the raging bonfire beside him, his lifeless heart consumed in flames of his emotion.

“I’ll be waiting.” The rustle of leaves deafened his soul, the crunches of rocks and sand hardened his being, but the whispers of the cold wind kept ringing in him. A promise of a lifetime.

Twenty years of never knowing and only existing… going by… gone…

Her habit concealed the once tempting hair. A blue gown wrapped her frail body. She sung those sacred songs chanted by the holy saints of old.

Then she soaked in the line of those forever in love of serenity. . She was three people away from him.

by

Summer Solstice

Hiding, lurking… crawling in a burrow dark Grasping… for breath of fresh above Unclosing, revealing… an eye of useless blind Seeking, looking… for that one light tiny out into the open, into that meadow hilly beyond the evergreen paradise Seeking, seeking… forever searching –

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“

Underneath

Closer… closer… Fate was about to mend the past, to heal the wounds of sorrowful parting, and to create a moment that was theirs only to share. She parted her lips. He raised the body…

And then their eyes met and locked. His cheeks, now clean yet rough in grain, carved by times of melancholy… her tranquil beauty stealing a look from behind her veil. A love reunited by a love for the ultimate, and by a promise that defied a million seconds of lost memories.

She smiled. And so be it. “Amen.”

Closer… closer… Fate was about to mend the past, to heal the wounds of sorrowful parting, and to create a moment that was theirs only to share...

T

he name Diego Silang left an indelible mark in the mind of every Filipino, a man who lived a life of dignity and who postered desire in bringing freedom to his countrymen.

Born on December 16, 1730, this brave Ilocano experienced working as a helper for Fr. Cortes Y. Crisolo, Parish Priest of Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. Later, this work introduced to him the painful realities and ignited in him the sense of rebellion against the Spaniards.

Instead of living a life full of futility, this man valiantly plotted an uprising to fiercely fight the Spanish forces. His revolt stemmed from the Spanish Taxation System and abuses. He later conspired with the British Forces to overthrow this colonizer and to free his country from being stranded in the mud flats of an obsolete ideology of oppression.

But like other man in our history who showed gallantly, he died early in the treacherous hands of his friends Miguel Vicos and Pedro Becbec.

He was 33.

His courageous act to surpass the challenges of his time embodies the strength of the stand-still edifice of this school of thought that was named after him – a building that houses nearly one-third of the University’s population and home to major functional offices. The name Diego Silang in the building’s façade symbolizes his will to debacle the steadfast in order to spare his country from the raging fire of oppression. In the end, this man will always be a leader, a hero and a Filipino… by

April Masaybeng Kestler Bryan Mendoza

and

photo by

Rina Paula Burgos

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