Nostrum

ABOUT THE COVER

EDITOR'S BLOG

We are all sick and there is only one cure.

We love the virus that surrounds us.

The society we are living in now is pagued by a virus. It denies all of the remedy—surrounding and threatening our own ideals. However, this virus helps most people to sleep at night: with lies as their blankets and sins as their pillows.

It makes us follow the crooked path towards a goal we made up for ourselves. We enjoy consuming these comforting white lies we tell ourselves every single time. The whole world is dying but we still choose to seize our moments because that’s how humans work. We only care for ourselves. We divulge into the pit of endless wandering and experimenting, neglecting that there is a way to fix our ways, our minds, and our being.

The cure is the lump in our throats. That uneasy little thing that you try so hard to swallow but eventually threw up.

Some woke up from all the lies, while some died from forcing themselves and others to take it all in.

Unconventional and never simple nor pure; that’s what the cure is.

The truth is the cureall. Most of us won’t dare to heal.

We find short-time remedies to cover up the issues we have but always forget the long-lasting cure. We love to prolong the life of a lie. We dare to change the truth for the sake of our own malicious desires.

We make up stories, telling the next generation what is wrong and what is not. The superficial things that we believe in are the ones we blame for our misfortunes. We live in a world full of pastpaced things, and sometimes we just forgot how to breathe without the air of privilige we are experiencing.

We love the flu, but the time has come for the remedy.

Here is your nostrum. Here is your cure.

Editorial Board A.Y. 2017 - 2018

Editor in Chief Karl Kenneth R. Santos Associate Editor Rustom C. Mateo Managing Editor for Administration Kate Bianca C. Valencia Managing Editor for Finance Kean Michael F. Cabigao Editorial Head Sharah Marie S.D. Catiis Art Director Jhoan Rose C. Dela Cruz News Editor Den Marie Joy L. Pe Features Editor Pauline Van C. Calla Literary/Devcomm Editor Anna Mae D.C. Cruz Sports Editor Kriszha Lyn P. Dionisio Photojournalism Coordinator Patricia Mae M. Gatmaitan Graphics Coordinator JC Gabriel M. Linao Cartooning Coordinator John Clifford M. Tugade Lay-Out Coordinator Zymon Peter Q. Bergania Senior Photojournalists Aira Isabelle A. Dario Gemma S. Villafuerte Senior Artists Adrian B. Guevarra Renzo Rey M. Agustin Senior Lay-out Artist Patrick Roel D. Leuterio Staff Writers Wendy Y. Cobero Eljay M. Parallag Juliet A. Amo Kim Angelo A. Salvador Micka C. Victoriano Francesca Marie R. Rivera Danica M. Peralta Jose Enrico D. Coronel Ronie J. Derio Photojournalists John Marco B. Hilario Eunice C. Lagman Fatima Asad E. Hezeta Sam Gabriel T. De Mesa Elton John Y. Tuazon Artists Paul Albert G. Dignum Olivia T. Cabigao Lay-out Artists Dennie Grace L. Pe Adviser Ms. Mary Ylane S. Lee

OPINION

FEATURES

SPORTS

4 CS studes scolded by DOST Regional Director

28 Evil Genius

5 Gray Matter

29 Dancing along the Strings of Passion

50 Editorial Gold Gears’ Basketball Team Controversy

6 Salvaging Gemini 7 Ambivert Undine 8 Catchfly 9 Wayward 10 I’ve Conquered Uranus 11 Unusually Common 12 Uncensored 13 Erroneous Paragon 14 Dauntless Psyche

NEWS

52 Crossing Path

30 Unlatched Liberty

54 Walking through the Blizzard

31 Simula ng mga Bagong Makata

55 Komiks

34 Mission not-so-impossible

55 Fact U

36 The Lady with an Iron Fist 38 A Walk of Faith 40 Phenomenal Wonders inside the Womb 42 The Opposite Poles

SCIENCE

16 Legacy Project

43 Redesigned

17 BulSU-CS NIGQC 2017 Domination

44 Greenducation

19 E-library to start winning ground in BulSU — VPAA 20 Dario captures first at BMAP’s photo contest

ENTERTAINMENT

32 Suspiciously Delicious

15 Behind SRLC’s off-limits notice

18 CS Faculty trains for new general education

51 Kick-off

30 Anecdotes of the Wandering Mind

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46 Traceable Powers

LITERARY 48 Kiss of Judas 49 In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Cow

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DEVCOMM 22 Unintentional Lending and Backing Problem 24 Living with the Dead 26 Cultivation Crawlers

CONTENTS

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32

EDITORIAL

INSPIRING OR OFFENSIVE: CS STUDES SCOLDED BY DOST REGIONAL DIRECTOR

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our vision is now our mission. We shall lead the next generation.”

Last April 16, 2018, a convocation was conducted and hosted by the College of Science (CS). It was attended by the majority of CS students and faculty. During the flag ceremony, the guest speaker, Dr. Julius Ceasar Sicat—Regional Director of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for Central Luzon—noticed that some of the students did not participate during the singing of the National Anthem and the BulSU Hymn.

In his speech, he also mentioned that some of the faculty members are not that familiar with the pledge during the oath-taking ceremony. He questioned our ability to become a leader in the university’s growth when we can’t even memorize a song that signifies the mission and vision of our university. A lot of comparison was made.

Although his goal is to inspire us, some of our ka-CS felt offended.

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This said issue gained a lot of negative reactions, mostly from the students. Some of them said that it is insulting, and at the same time, embarrassing, that a regional director scolded them for such juvenile acts. Some defended themselves and said that although the hymn was mandatory to be taught during NSTP 2, their instructors didn’t teach them, and others didn’t spend their freshman year in BulSU. Dr. Sicat also mentioned a program or project in Central Luzon University (CLSU) where in a student organization inspected all the food stalls and establishments inside the said university. He implied that the BS Biology students at the university are deficient in acknowledging the importance of food safety and proper waste management.

Although the ones who implemented this project from CLSU are also students, some studes argue that it is not their job to ensure

the quality of food safety. In the first place, it is the responsibility of the University to maintain a sanitary and environmental-friendly campus.

The students are only agents to these changes, if implemented.

Amidst all of these, we should also remember that as a student, it is our duty to do our best to live by the vision and mission of our university for us to be able to lead, and as Dr. Sicat said, how can we do that if we don’t even participate in such small tasks?

Indeed, these new challenges presented to us by Dr. Sicat can spark either annoyance or inspiration for new projects to be implemented inside the campus. It is up to us if how we will let his words affect us.

gray matter

Voiceless Nightingales Karl Kenneth R. Santos

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he body is used by anyone, with the soul sold to the demons of humanity.

Although the National Women’s Month Celebration has ended, I still want to imbibe this piece into each and everyone’s impeccable minds.

With the exponential growth in population, many of our countrymen suffer from poverty.

In 2016, 26 million Filipinos remain poor, with about 12 million living in extreme poverty. To exterminate this agony, some of us were hanging on their fingernails to escape the teeth of famine and scantiness.

Men most likely turn out to be felons and culprits, but some females are being the woman of the streets—universally known as prostitutes, which can be defined as individuals that experience sexual relationships in exchange of money.

Expect that when the sun hides, they are like vampires who spread as a wildfire in the city lights of Pedro Gil and Tomas Morato; even in the silent nights of the province—Bocaue and Balagtas. They are waiting for their predators, serve them flawlessly, in order to get an instant cash-on-hand.

It’s my senior year in secondary when I directed a film about the hitches of society. I personally selected the viewpoint of prostitution because of its illicitness in the Philippines. During the shoot, I saw how murky the management is. I witnessed how men lustfully grasp the holy being of a woman they paid for one night. My acquitted eyes unbolted on how rigid it is to live in this domain scampered by money.

“Without poverty, do you think someone can engross in becoming a strumpet, knowing that they will be coined as promiscuous whores, call girls, or sex workers?”

Also, I experienced having a formal debate in my Logic class about prostitution and I’m apportioned to the group where arguments must be in favor of the issue. I steadfastly stated that they were only doing those unconsecrated undertakings for the reason that being practical is the new game today. Without poverty, do you think someone can engross in becoming a strumpet, knowing that they will be coined as promiscuous whores, call girls, or sex workers?

Unlawful and unethical, yes. Some of them may be forced, desperate with their forlorn being, but they don’t have a choice. All they need are loads of money to feed their families with the aim of surviving this world full of misery.

Strength is a necessity as they swallow their own vomits—performing their very best without any complains, voiceless.

And while they progressively escape the terrifying paucity, it doesn’t mean that they have conquered the reality of other consequences such as sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), involvement in third parties and illegal drugs, and irresponsible parenthood. Wretchedly, they have also lost their chastity and dignity.

To your mind who keeps on thinking that it is their choice, perhaps you are right. But stop verbalizing that they are malevolent and filthy individuals just because their whereabouts don’t fit your principles. Not all of them have identical stories, as some carried out their work with a hefty heart, while some felt zero having sex with their clienteles, but whatever perspective they’re having, all of them deserve respect. They are humans after all, and no one except Him can judge our own transgressions in life. And if you think that I’m tolerating this prohibited act, think again. Just let the law bite them and stop throwing condemnatory words and actions.

Dearest government of the Philippines, I know that you have something to offer for these ladies, so I’m hoping that the future of women in this nation will be better in the future. This won’t stop unless collective efforts with strict execution of the regulation will be done, for them to have no choice but to leave poverty and develop decorous livelihoods.

We are not born with equal life status. It’s on our hands if what path we’re going to choose to undrown ourselves from whatever challenge we’re currently facing. The diversity of our lifetime situations means that we are all different.

We should not hate people for doing things not in favor to us, because I’m sure that their decision in life has its own prior explanation.

To end my final column in this delightful publication, I will leave a message to all the women who lose hope and are having difficulties in finding their reason for living: You are special, you are the hope of this world full of desolations. Don’t let anyone, anything rip your humane dignity. Even if you fall, stand up.

Don’t let money deceive your success. Always remember that someone from above looks at you, smiling. Trust Him. With that, you will never, ever be, a voiceless nightingale of this dying, yet curative society.

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Salvaging Gemini

Doomsday Looms over Booms and Fumes Rustom C. Mateo

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e all need saving. At least in one point of our life, I guess.

The issue on whether the Rapture is true remains a debatable topic for decades.

Although not directly stated on the Holy Scriptures, the said end times prophecy has been the focal point of arguments among religions.

As someone not well-versed with Christian teachings, I may not be able to tell what this event really is. I just stumbled upon an article which says it is the idea that Jesus will return to the earth and secretly take all the believers, living or dead, with him and leave the nonbelievers suffering and face the judgment of the Father.

Also called the Second Coming of Jesus, it has become the basis of most teachings and belief of the Christian denomination.

But we’re being judged at this very moment. We’re being trialed. We’re being convicts of our own wrongdoings. Take our country for instance. Bullying in all its forms. Public humiliation. Catcalling. Every single form of trial by media or personal attack. Every single form of human rights violation. EJK. Three letters. But did it ring a bell? I’m sure it did.

3993 lives taken by “legal” police operations. 3993 lives yet to be raptured. Or at least be judged accordingly. Thousands of unaccounted lives taken by the supposed-to-be panacea to the drug trafficking problem of our country. But instead of being the cure to the long history of drug-related complications that this nation is enduring, the drug war aggravated the illness.

There’s this novel-turned-television series entitled The Leftovers which tackled the Rapture in its most ambitious way of retelling the doomsday prophecy. Exactly as the series projected, two percent of the world’s population vanished, with only traces of their belongings found. Just like how the families and friends of these vanished people in the series felt, in relation to the thousands of lives taken by the drug war, publicly known as Oplan Tokhang, the families of the lives who fell victim to the government’s drug war are all grief-stricken, mourning for the lost lives.

According to what it is universally accepted, although there is no legal definition, extrajudicial killings are considered when the death is caused by law enforcement agents not following legal rules or due judicial process. However, the current Philippine government strongly refuses that the killings are extrajudicial in nature citing that Administrative Order No. 35 defines EJK as killings where “the victim was a member of, or affiliated with an organization, to include political, environmental, agrarian, labor, or similar causes; or an advocate of above-named causes; or a media practitioner or person(s) apparently mistaken or identified to be so.”

But isn’t it plain stupid to limit the definition of extrajudicial killings to victims who are part or affiliated with a certain organization or profession when it is prima facie that these deaths are done with not even a hint of judicial process?

Nanlaban. All of them are “nanlaban” because all of them are found dead with drug paraphernalia and gun on hand.

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“Sadness is an understatement. Not even grief, sorrow, terror, despondency, melancholy or dolor can describe the feeling of having lost someone.”

It is uncharacteristic of me to put Bible verses on my writing but this one from Proverbs 21:15 got me thinking: “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” And look how reality really is despicable.

The “justice” being served brings joy to the evildoers and sadness to the people left behind. No. Sadness is an understatement. Not even grief, sorrow, terror, despondency, melancholy or dolor can describe the feeling of having lost someone.

Remember the photograph taken on 2016 showing a woman cradling her alleged drugpusher husband that almost portrayed Michelangelo’s Pieta? Whose heart won’t be torn by that single picture yet depicting an overflowing emotion that the human mind cannot even comprehend.

If what it takes for this country to be saved is a Rapture-like event, I’d gladly bow down my head and accept the faith I long discarded. But if what it takes for my beloved country to be saved is a sacrifice of innocent lives, I’ll take up arms and fight instead.

Dahil p*ta, mura ang buhay sa sarili kong bayan.

AMBIVERT UNDINE

Maniwala ka, hindi ‘ito’ totoo Kate Bianca C. Valencia

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ng ganda mo na sana kaso…”

Madalas kong marinig ang mga katagang ito mula sa bibig ng isang Pilipino na sasabihin din sa kapwa niya Pilipino.

Ngunit ano nga ba yung “kaso”? Ano nga ba yung kulang sa “ganda” ng isang tao?

Ang bawat bansa ay mayroong sariling pamantayan pagdating sa “ganda” ng isang tao.

Sa bansang America, hindi uso sa kanila ang pagpapaputi, bagkus mas gusto nilang magpatan. Sa mga bansang Korea at Japan naman ay hindi normal ang ganitong gawain sapagkat mas gusto nila ang pagkakaroon ng maputi at makinis na kutis. Madaming pamantayan ng ganda at hindi lahat ito ay magkakatugma.

Bilang Pilipino mayroon tayong mainit na bansa kung saan ang araw ay parating tirik. Dahil dito, natural na sa bansa natin ang pagkakaroon ng kayumanggi o hindi kaputian na kulay.

Ngunit kung ano pa ang normal sa ating mga Pilipino ay siya ring kakaiba para sa atin—ang pagiging Morena o Moreno, na hindi ninanais ng karamihan sa’tin. At, kung magtatanong ka kung ano ang gusto nila sa isang tao, madalas mong maririnig ang salitang “maputi” kung saan nagiging pamantayan na ito ng ganda sa atin.

Sinasabihan ka pa noong kabataan mo na wag kang magpapa-araw dahil iitim ka, at doon rin nagsimula na tumatak sayo na magiging maganda ka lamang kung maputi ka, o hindi kaya’y pipindu’t pindutin pa ang ilong mo upang tumangos, dahil “hindi raw” kagandahan ang pango. Ngunit sa paglaki mo, maaamin mo rin na hindi lahat ng kayumanggi, pango at iba pang pamantayan ng ganda ay “hindi kagandahan”.

Makikita mo sa mga telebisyon at mga billboard na ang pagiging maputi ang solusyon upang maging “maganda,” na hindi mo na kailangang magtiis sa pagiging kayumanggi na tila tinataboy kung ano ang katangian ng isang Pinoy. Nandiyan din ang mga pagpapatangos ng ilong sapagkat ang pagiging “pango” ay hindi raw maganda, at ang kalakihan daw ng katawan ay hindi kanais-nais, kaya naman naglalabas sila ng mga produktong nakatutukso upang magpapayat ang mga tao.

Aaminin ko, na maski ako’y nalinlang ng mga patalastas at minsan ko ring ginusto ang maputing balat dahil inisip ko na may mali sa kulay ko, na kung maputi lang ako, siguro’y mas magiging katanggap-tanggap ang panlabas kong anyo. Ngunit napagtanto ko na ano pang saysay ng pagpapaputi ko sa isang lugar kung saan dinisenyo ang kulay ko pantapat sa init ng araw nito? Sabi nga ng guro ko noong elementary, tama lang sa bansa natin ang kulay natin sapagkat ang melanin ay natural na pamprotekta ng balat natin sa UV rays na nakakasama sa atin.

Napagtanto ko na walang mali sa kulay ko at walang mali sa hitsura ko, na ang mali ay nasa pag-iisip na may mali rito.

Hindi sa ‘di ako sang-ayon sa mga gawaing ito na nakaugalian ng mga Pilipino, nais ko lamang ipaalam na ang pamantayan ng ganda ay hindi totoo, sapagkat wala namang perpektong tao, walang konkretong rason kung ano ang dapat na maganda at kung ano ang nararapat na

hitsura ng isang tao. Ang mga pamantayang ito ay ginawa lang rin ng mga tao, ngunit sa hindi malamang dahilan sinusunod ito ng karamihan na tila isang butong itinanim lang sa utak at biglang tumubo.

“Ang ganda mo sana kaso,” madalas ko itong marinig na para bang parating may kulang sa isang pagkatao bago maging “maganda” o “gwapo.” Hindi ba pwedeng maging maganda kahit hindi gamitan ng pamantayan? Sapagkat ang mga pamantayang ito ay kumukupas at nawawala, nagbabago sa isang iglap. Maaari tayong mamuhay ng hindi iniisip ang tingin sayo ng iba, at hangga’t alam mong wala kang inaapakang tao at tama ang ginagawa mo, hindi mo na kailangan pang mag-isip kung may mali ba sayo, sapagkat wala. Aanhin mo ang napakakinis na kutis kung ang ugali naman ng taong ito ay hindi kaaya-aya sa ibang tao? Aanhin mo ang pagiging payat kung alam mong napapabayaan mo na ang kalusugan mo?

Hindi ko pinagsisihan na minsan kong inasam ang pagkakaroon ng mala-gatas na kutis at ako’y napagod sa pagkamit nito sapagkat doon ko napagtanto na ayos naman na maging ganito ang kulay ko at hindi ko kailangan ibase sa opinyon ng iba kung paano ako dapat mabuhay.

Dito ko natutunan na mahalin ang kung anong meron ako dahil ang pagiging morena ay hindi isang pagkakamali o pagkukulang sa sarili ko.

Hindi porket hindi ka umabot sa pamantayan ng mga tao sa paligid mo ay hindi mo na rin ito pwedeng higitan.

Kagaya nga ng sinabi ni Shamcey Supsup, “The standard of beauty is not definite. We define it.”

Kaya sa susunod na pupuri ka ng isang tao, wag mo nang bawiin sa pamamagitan ng salitang “kaso” dahil lahat tayo ay may kanya-kanyang ganda at ang pisikal na kaanyuan ay hanggang sa mata lamang, ngunit ang ganda na mula sa puso ay ang siyang naaalala at tumatatak.

“Aanhin mo ang napakakinis na kutis kung ang ugali naman ng taong ito ay hindi kaaya-aya sa ibang tao? Aanhin mo ang pagiging payat kung alam mong napapabayaan mo na ang kalusugan mo?”

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catchfly

The Ten Commandments of Change Kean Michael F. Cabigao

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here are things I thought everyone should follow to implement change, for the world to become better and for the people to think better. I’ll envy those who will not be enlightened.

The environment is really in great danger as the time goes by since problems may soon arise due to human overpopulation and unlimited human needs and wants, which will further result to wastes and any other problems. This danger will affect the environment, health, and safety factors of both living and non-living things.

As what I’ve remembered, there is a catalog known for such environmental issues, “Save the Mother Nature”, but I guess people don’t understand much of that phrase as for them, the environment is existing to satisfy their life. In the end, “Save the Living and Non-Living”, should be used as it will show you enough impact that we need to do something to be good stewards of our own planet.

Change is a huge factor known in here.

Change will definitely make a difference. Based on its own definition, it is to make something different in particular. We need to do further changes in both mindset and way of life to help each and every one of us, for the next generations to have a good and better life.

“Be honest with everything. Analyze what is wrong and right. Accept what is wrong, and continuously doing what is right. Change your mindset, have new goals, and missions. Let go of your past point of views. Learn, communicate, and educate others. Believe in science and everything shown proven. Always decide for the betterment of the environment, and humanity, forget your self-interest. Accept the change. Be the face of change.”

These commandments will surely make a change as it will transform the people and the environment, from knowing the capacity of an individual to know his or her knowledge regarding environmental conservation to standing and working with dignity towards environmental protection. It is the people that needs to adjust, not the environment, because of what humans are capable to do. They are expected to have critical thinking and the ability to do decisions. We dictate what will happen to ourselves and to the impending society. We are serving for the condition of the past, present, and future.

We should all know the difference between the wrong and right actions in our environment—from throwing any kinds of waste in the seas, lakes, oceans to investing in renewable resources. Wrongdoings in the environment are considered to be harmful in the ecosystem. We should know all of it, be honest, and accept it, as it will give us deep knowledge to distinguish the consequences of doing certain actions to our surroundings.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, is one the phrases that I think will give us enough information on why we need to keep doing the things we think ethically, morally, and environmentally right. We should change things we think we’re doing right as it will be surely a huge risk to take.

And while accepting your misconducts, and analyzing right from wrong, we need to have a new further mindset with complete mission and goals towards a sustainable environment.

“We are here to be stewards, not to be passengers that demands everything we need to satisfy ourselves.”

Dear people of this planet, yes, we need to buy groceries for our everyday needs, but that doesn’t mean that we will throw wastes as much as we can because there will always be garbage trucks collecting our trashes. Politicians should not also tolerate every situation in favor of the residents just because they cost votes. Politicians itself must strictly implement everything in fairness to the people and to the environment.

Just a reminder to the people who really don’t know nothing about our environment, please do educate yourselves, the world is existing because it exists, not because it needs to feed you. We are here to be stewards, not to be passengers that demands everything we need to satisfy ourselves.

Lastly, be our own face of change. Be someone who will stand with dignity knowing that you’ve done something for the environment, as serving good in the environment is somehow same as serving the people. Giving enough priority with helping the environment surely makes a difference. And this “change” changes a lot.

From health, the mindset, the living, the people, or should I say, “It changes the environment, it changes everything”.

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Wayward

The Evil Inside You Sharah Marie S.D. Catiis

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here’s a little devil inside all of us.

Occult. Supernatural powers or practices that is often forbidden and condemned by certain religions, especially the Roman Catholics. It may come off as evil because it involves things such as witchcraft, Satanism, and tarot readings.

People, especially those who are really religious, say that these practices ruin our faith in God. Fr. Jose Syquia, Director of the Archdiocese of Manila–Office of Exorcism said that if we believe in occultism, God’s infinite love and blessings will be blocked because we are loving Him with a divided and polluted heart.

In a heartbeat, some people may say that they completely discard occultism in their lives but when you visit their houses, there are lucky charms everywhere. When someone is sick with an unexplainable disease, they will always consult the mangtatawas to see if someone is cursing them. When they want to know their futures, they will resort to tarot readings. They buy oils and handkerchiefs with bulong or prayers, with the hope that it can heal them. They do all of these things without knowing that it is a part of the occultism. Some of them are sold in front of big churches. The irony of it is just confusing.

the club room. At the end, it was revealed that Monika is the one who pushed the two of them to their own death. She messed with their programming just to be chosen by the player whom she loves. At some point Monika said, “Such a deplorable, tangled mess is already present in every single one of them. That’s why I choose not to blame myself for their actions [Sayori and Yuri killing themselves by hanging and stabbing themselves, respectively]. All I did was untie the knot.”

Just like Monika, the people who does not approve in occultism blames other people for hiding something but fails to see that they are doing worse things than the one they are criticizing. While we are too busy looking for the evil in others, we do not realize that there is one residing deep in our hearts.

Merriam Webster also defined occult as something that is hidden, a secret, forbidden practice, and something that is concealed.

All of us have something in our lives that we want to remain as an occult.

There’s this game I really like. It is Doki Doki Literature Club, a game developed by Team Salvato. It can be downloaded free from their website. At first, this game might seem cute and just like any typical visual novel, but in reality, this game explores depression, suicide, and being so driven with ambition to the point of killing someone you know.

“In our hearts, deep in our bones, there’s this little demon sitting, waiting to be called.”

This game has four characters, five if you will include yourself, and each one hides behind a façade that you will only uncover if you will look closely on the hidden signs during the gameplay. Every character is beautifully put together but the character I will be talking about is Monika.

Monika is someone who might seem as a typical high school girl. She is a former member of her school’s debate club and is now the president of the literature club. She likes playing piano, writing poems, and reading books. She is outgoing, very smart, and—spoiler alert—she knows everything, including the fact that she is only a character inside a game. Every time you try to speak with other girls inside the game, she will always interrupt.

As the game progresses, the other girls will suffer more conflicts and succumb to what the monsters in their heads are saying. Monika, being the president of the club, faked her concern for Sayori and Yuri, but she will always tell you to shrug it off while subconsciously telling you that the other girls are evil and you should love her—only her. Sayori hanged herself in her own room, and Yuri stabbed herself to death inside

We try so hard to be seen as an angel to the point that we become the demon. The hypocrisy in this word is so saddening and frustrating. We condemn other people for doing things that we may perceive as evil but in reality, we are also doing it. In our hearts, deep in our bones, there’s this little demon sitting, waiting to be called.

Don’t let him mess with our heads for it will be our downfall.

There’s a little evil inside all of us. Don’t let others untie the knot.

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i've conquered uranus

Lovism on Bondage Jhoan Rose C. Dela Cruz

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ticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me,” is a popular line from Rihanna’s song entitled “S&M” from her fifth studio album, Loud. The song contains lyrical thoughts of sadomasochism along with its music video that have bright colors and sexually suggestive activities. It literally claims the concept of BDSM. BDSM. It is an overlapping abbreviation of Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, Sadism and Masochism. Some people think that it is a rare and unusual sexual approach and also assumed that the people who practiced BDSM have psychological problems.

However, studies show that the people who are into BDSM appear to be just as psychologically healthy as the people who are into traditional sexual interests because it reduces psychological stress and anxiety. Nowadays, people on our age want to try new things that exceed our limits. Everyone has different preferences, and we want thrill on our lives—on our careers and relationships. Having a simple and contented life is very common and naïve yet it is acceptable to the public. Being different is a taboo.

Just like BDSM, you cannot stop the people with their judging eyes once you get involved with it.

Bondage and Discipline. It refers to some erotic acts that involves the training of the submissive to be more disciplined by restraining him/her by the use of ropes, handcuffs, gags, bondage cages and the like. As part of the training, the dominant corrects the behavior of the submissive for it to be more obedient with the use of physical

“You might be thinking that I have a weird taste when I say that I really love to tie someone up and commit their whole being to me.”

and psychological punishments. But in the side of the submissive the punishments like spanking or erotic humiliation will only serve as a reward for them.

Dominance and Submission. These are the main roles that cleverly characterize the participants of BDSM. Dominants are simply the one who controls sexual situations where the sadists sit into. Submissives are the one being dominated, and some of them have masochistic behavior that whenever the dominants degrade or abuse them they will think of being rewarded.

I have a friend who is into it and he is the one who introduced me not only to BDSM but also to the LGBTQ+, which have shaken my gender and irrationally changed my sexual orientation. It all started with being friends with them. I enjoyed reading gay books and started watching gay porn, then I developed romantic attraction towards males and females, and I turned to be a bisexual.

He used to say that he is a sadomasochist, a combination of sadist and masochist. He loves being spanked and he even invited me to bondage him. At first I was too surprised and declined because I don’t want to be involved to such unusual activities. Since he acts masochistically when he was with me, he tried to breed me to become a sadist. I wouldn’t intentionally hurt anyone but the fantasies that he is telling me that any people would enjoy hurting others if they gave it a go have reached my limits that I started to think that seeing other people hurt excites me and makes my heart skip a beat. I also think of hurting my partner physically for my own enjoyment, which make me crazy up until now.

The immense popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey triggered a lot of curiosity about the concept of BDSM. More people are now aware of it but still, others take issue with the abusive and unhealthy relationship it portrays. Tides of people especially the Americans, 85% are involved to light BDSM. In spite of its popularity, the BDSM community considered Fifty Shades as an unpleasing representation of the community because it contains unrealistic scenes that are not accurate on what’s happening inside the community.

I have a great interest on BDSM right before Universal Studios released its sequels. You might be thinking that I have a weird taste when I say that I really love to tie someone up and commit their whole being to me. It’s a big yes, I love it. That’s torture. That’s crazy. It’s not human.

BDSM have negative effects that involve physical pain but in my defense, it improves communication and intimacy between lovers and it also builds trust.

There is a concept called ‘conscience’ that makes us human. Whenever I hurt people, I enjoyed it but conscience has been knocking at my door relentlessly and that leaves me restless. With that, I’m trying change my ways and control myself from hurting anyone and all the people who loves me and whom I love. Learning that hurting the person you love physically, sexually, and mentally won’t make you a better person. It will only lead you to endless agony.

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unusually common

Tinatagong Takot sa Likod ng Nakakatawang Mukha Den Marie Joy L. Pe

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a isang barkada, hindi na bago ang mga takot sa gagamba, ipis o palaka, takot sa dilim o takot sa mga rides ng Enchanted Kingdom. Ngunit minsan, alam mo na kung saan sila takot pero lolokohin at pagpipilitan mo pa na harapin nila ito. Tatawanan ang ginagawa nitong kakaibang hitsura, matinis na pagtili o ang mga galaw nitong tila ba’y nangangarate.

Ngunit hindi ito katatawanan. Wag mong gawing biro ang takot nila.

Ayon sa ilang pag-aaral, itinatayang isa sa loob ng 75 na tao ang nakakaranas ng panic disorder kung saan doble ng bilang ng lalaki ang mga babaeng nakakaranas nito.

Hindi biro ang takot. Hindi biro ang kaba.

Kasi sa tuwing naaalala ko kung paano ko kalabanin ang tubig sa aking paglangoy upang marating ang finish line, paluin ito para makausad ako, kung paano ko unti-unting naramdaman na sumisikip ang dibdib ko—parang wala ako sa tubig na dati’y walang kapaguran kong sinisisid.

Umahon akong naghahabol ng hininga, nanginginig ang mga binti—natakot ako.

Pinilit akong pakalmahin ng mga kaibigan ko ngunit di mabilis nawala sa akin ang kaba at ang malakas na kabog na nararamdaman ko sa aking dibdib. Sa totoo lang, nung mga oras na iyon ay gusto ko nang umuwi ngunit alam kong hindi pa pwede dahil may 100 metro pang naghihintay sa’kin upang aking languyin.

na pumalpak, o takot na di na muling makabalik pa sa dati nating kinakalagyan. Wag mong hayaang pigilan ka na lang ng mga ito ngunit gawin mo silang dahilan upang magpursigi pa sa buhay.

Ang takot ay nasa isip lamang ng tao.

Lahat tayo ay may tinatagong takot at lahat ay nabubuhay ng mayroon nito. Ngunit wag mong alagaan ang takot mo. Kung minsan natatakot tayo dahil akala natin ay hindi natin kaya, mahina tayo. Pero sa simula lang yan.

Kung di mo ulit susubukan paano mo makikita ang kagandahan na nakita o naramdaman ng iba rito—ang tanawin na matatanaw sa matataas na lugar, ang saya sa pag-aalaga ng aso, atbp.

Madali mang hanapin ang pangit sa isang bagay ngunit mas ugaliin natin na tignan ang ligayang makikita natin sa likod ng halimaw na hinahabol tayo upang tuluyang mabalot ng takot.

Lagi tayong may baong takot, ngunit sabi nga ni Nelson Mandela, “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Kaya mo yan!

Nakakapanghina. Hindi normal na mabuhay ang isang tao sa takot. Hindi ito masosolusyonan agad-agad. Kaya hindi mo kailangang itulak ang isang tao sa mga bagay na kinatatakutan nila dahil isa pa at maaaring mauwi na ito sa pagkakaroon ng phobia o phobic disorder.

Ang phobic disorder ay ang pag-iwas sa mga lugar, hayop o mga kalagayan na makakapagpaalala sa kanila ng pagkatakot nila. Hindi ito simple dahil kaakibat nito ang malaking aksyon na kailangang baguhin ng isang tao sa kanyang buhay tulad na lamang ng pagbitaw ng isang piloto sa kanyang propesyon kung natakot na siyang lumipad o ang pagkawala ng social life ng isang tao dahil sa nasangkot siya sa isang kidnapping incident.

Ngunit hindi ibig sabihin nito na hahayaan na lang natin silang mabuhay sa takot. Hindi solusyon ang iwanan sila o magtaka kung bakit iba sila mag-react sa mga sitwasyon. Imbis na tawanan natin ito ay tulungan natin silang harapin ito, na mabuo sa loob nila ang mga salitang “kaya ko ‘to”. Dahil hindi man mabilis nawala ang takot ko, naramdaman ko naman ang suporta ng mga kaibigan ko upang tulungan akong harapin ito. Marahil kung hindi ako nag-dive noon at umuwi na lamang ay maaalala ko pa rin ang pangyayaring iyon. Pero dahil sa mga katagang “nasa likod mo lang kami,” kaya nagawa kong harapin ang takot ko.

“Sa totoo lang, nung mga oras na iyon ay gusto ko nang umuwi ngunit alam kong hindi pa pwede dahil may 100 metro pang naghihintay sa’kin upang aking languyin.”

May mga panahong di natin basta-basta malalagpasan ang mga takot sa puso natin; takot na hindi maabot ang expectations ng iba, takot NOSTRUM

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uncensored

I am different, but I’m happy about it Anna Mae D.C. Cruz

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lien \ˈā-lē-ən, ˈāl-yən\ adjective : not familiar or like other things you have known : different from what you are used to : too different from something to be acceptable or suitable Do you ever feel like you do not belong?

Like there’s a thick barrier between you and other people. Like there’s a certain line you shouldn’t cross. Like you are wrapped around with your own bubble and that no one can ever understand you. Or maybe they simply do not want to understand you, because in their eyes, you’re different and that you don’t have the right to co-exist with them.

I cannot sleep at night without my favorite green-colored, glow in the dark rosary. I feel like nightmares are always out there waiting to eat me, so I just needed it for my sanity. I talk to myself most of the time. I always get paranoid whenever I am left alone in a room full of important things, I feel like if something goes missing, they will always point their fingers at me, so I always make sure to have a companion. There’s a story behind it, but I’m sorry I’m not brave enough to share it to the public.

The list of weird stuffs about me could go on, and you might be thinking that some are not that weird at all, well maybe for you. All of us have our own share of weirdness within, and that’s what makes us unique.

However, some people still don’t understand this, leading them to start picking on the people they thought is different. Bullying is still a relevant issue until now, and it will always be. A recent DepEd report says that in Filipino schools, approximately 31 bullying incidents are reported every day.

“It’s funny that we are waiting for something extraterrestrial to visit us, we got excited every time we heard news about a UFO that just had landed somewhere, [...] yet we like shaming people that is different from us.”

For my last column in this school year, I wanted to give you a piece of myself.

There are times when I feel like I want to isolate myself from other people. And to answer you why, I honestly don’t have a reason behind it. I guess that’s just one of my weirdness. Sometimes I will just stare into nothingness and start imagining myself on different situations— being the female lead in a story plot I really wanted to write but didn’t have the time and courage; dancing in the rain with my crush; solving a hardcore mathematical equation; winning a writing contest; having a photographic memory or superpowers. My imagination is a little wild, and spacing out is my talent.

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When your skin color, race, sexual orientation, preferences, or appearance are noticeably distinct from the standard, you’ll have to ready your ears from their insults. People need to understand that we are all different individuals with different beliefs and standards and we just need to respect that.

It’s funny that we are waiting for something extraterrestrial to visit us, we got excited every time we heard news about a UFO that just had landed somewhere, we read various alien conspiracy theories, a proof that we yearn for something unusual, yet we like shaming people that is different from us. The aliens that we’re longing to come had been living in this world for a long time now, waiting for acceptance.

We need to stop alienating people. We must not make them feel like they don’t belong. The most painful feeling is when you’re constantly seeking for approval but everyone keeps on rejecting you.

It’s okay to be gay, we can’t force them into something they’re not. It’s okay not to have a milky white skin, we can’t do anything about our skin color, we can’t change what’s natural.

It’s okay to believe on a different religion, as long as we act like a real human, there’s no problem at all. It’s okay to be fat, or to be super thin, our weight is just a measurement of how much we like to eat, it does not measure how good of a person we are. It’s okay not to be beautiful, just always remember that our Mother says otherwise. It’s okay.

I just want you to know that you don’t have to be sorry for being different. Cause in the end, their opinions won’t even matter. Don’t try fitting on someone else’s jeans, you have your own.

Just continue being an alien. alien \ˈā-lē-ən, ˈāl-yən\ noun : a person who is different, but is still beautiful in his own way.

Erroneous Paragon

Do what they think you can’t Pauline Van C. Calla

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dmit it or not, given this generation’s high technology way of life, imagining a day without cellular phones and even electricity feels like the end of the world. What more imagining walking with just one limb instead of a pair, and trying to eat without any fingers in your hands.

Would you even survive a day? As for me, that would put me on the edge and I can’t say if I’m brave enough to live after losing any part of my God-given body. These instances are the ones we fear that could happen if we lose focus and if an accident occur but least of our concerns, there are people who are born with genetic disorders, whose body did not develop in a way it normally should. These people face our fears since the day they are born, but they did it with grace and fierceness.

As science defines it, a genetic disorder is a disease that is caused by an abnormality in an individual’s DNA. Abnormalities can be as small as a single-base mutation in just one gene, or they can involve the addition or deletion of entire chromosomes. There are different types of genetic disorders that aren’t well-known in the society because aside from they’re rare cases; most of the people are busy posting their picture-perfect lives in the internet, rather than reading and observing other relevant things in the world. Most of the genetic disorders are inherited. While people with these cases are being bullied, it’s not their fault and not their choice to acquire such disorders but know that they are brave enough to face every day trying harder just to fit in.

According to researches, one of the most common genetic disorders is sickle cell anemia.

It is a genetic blood disorder that shortens lifespan. Ironically, the same gene that causes sickle cell anima also confers resistance to malaria; parents, each with the recessive gene have a 25% chance of having offspring with sickle cell. This is an example of an evolutionary harm-vs.-benefit trait. Despite of this disorder’s effects, Jazz musician Miles Davis was a pioneer in his field.

Davis was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia in 1961, but he is a gifted trumpet player who is synonymous with 20th century jazz. He defeated the odds in showcasing his talent despite of his disorder.

Even though it is not manifested obviously, all of us carry several genetic defects in our chromosomes due to carrying of functioning backups in the form of chromosome pairs. Thus, this adds to the probability that those genetic defects can “pair up”. These cases frequently occurred in European royal families where inbreeding is generic. King Charles II of Spain is one of the most famous examples. He suffered from several conditions and was most famous for Prognathism or “Hapsburg Jaw” or a protruding jaw. Despite of his genetic disorders, he reigned from 1665 until his death in 1700, ruling his kingdom with pride and honor. He dared to rule while accepting the truth about his disorders.

There is a saying that “Ruling is in the blood.” But truthfully, the genetic disorders occur in the DNA. This saying may or may not be true but the truth is, anyone can be a leader if only they believed and proved that they can.

Another example is President Kennedy. His case

was secretly kept during his campaign but he has Addison’s disease. It is an endocrine disorder that can have a genetic component or be the result of tuberculosis infection. But he managed his condition with drugs and daily steroid injections while having his campaign. Democratic insiders feared that if his condition came out to the public, they might see an unfit candidate to be the President of which is false. People think of those with disorders as someone who lacks something and incapable of doing what healthy people do but little do they know that those who they belittle can do greater difference than expected.

doubt that you’re enough. Those times are often in disabled people’s door but they chose to fight anyway, given their inevitable lives. Losing hope and putting yourself down can never be an answer to any type of challenge or disorder. A happy mind leads to a happy life. So stop sulking in the things you like but can’t have and those you possess but now lost. Find a way to reach your dreams by showcasing the best of your abilities because you’re only disabled if you choose to be one.

Some disorders give rise to genius minds like Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and Thomas Edison; included in the list of the famous men in the history of science. Despite of being brilliant, these men suffer Asperger’s syndrome, or a high-functioning form of autism of which is recognized as a disorder in the 1980’s. Those with this disorder may be highly intelligent, though lack in social interactive skills, giving these men more space for books and experiments. Even though claims of individuals with this syndrome are still debated as of today, the cause of the syndrome is still unknown. People think of others with disorder as misfortunate and would be luckier if they don’t exist rather than be defected.

But without these men, there will be a void that is hard to fill in the science world. They proved that disorders can be a hindrance but an asset too.

Watching people with genetic disorders make me thankful of what I have, but it also makes me shameful at times. Healthy people who are born with complete pairs of legs and arms are more often too lazy than those who struggle to walk because their legs aren’t a pair. Those who are able are not trying enough to make the best of what they have, but those who lack the so-called-standards work with their all even if others belittle or just pity them.

I pity those who can but chose not to, and admire those whom society thought they can’t but proved they can too.

This day’s society is full of people who seek perfection in every aspect. People posting edited pictures of their own just to get praises from people who ever did was judge others with their self-made standards of which they also struggle to fit in to. People change the way they are just to fit on another one’s criteria not knowing they’re becoming someone they’re not, as long as they fit in. Those with genetic disabilities but still chose to live their life without seeking pity and special treatment are the ones who deserve the spotlight. They are the manifestation of perfection beyond any standard because they lack something that can’t be remedied by photo editors or any supplement invented but they manage to live their life to the fullest of their capability.

Everyone is capable of anything if only the right thinking and determination with tons of efforts are put together. It proves that every human is equal despite of social hierarchy and disorders they possess. Belittling others can’t put you on top of anyone else but rather an act of degrading yourself. There may come a time that you don’t trust yourself anymore, that you

“Those with genetic disabilities but still chose to live their life without seeking pity and special treatment are the ones who deserve the spotlight.”

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dauntless psyche

Unsolicited Kriszha Lyn P. DIonisio

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hey say, the heart wants what it wants. But could you really have anything you want? Could you claim it and consider to be yours?

Agreeing to the Article 81 of the Civil Code of the Philippines which considers, “marriages between incestuous: brothers and sisters, full or half blood, collateral relatives by blood within fourth civil degree, are void from their performance”. People nowadays are too emotional and it seems like things have always to be at the heart—that it is the feeling to consider especially

when it comes to romance, to the point that they are actually ignoring and disregarding the law.

It is clear to everyone that the word incest is a negative word, which simply means that it is wrong and is obviously prohibited in the country.

But upon going to the web and other social media platforms, you’ll find online series, movies, stories and confessions involving this topic surprisingly. They’re proud narrating and sharing their incest story to the world. Senders of those stories somewhat asking for understanding and want their love to be accepted by the society, playing as if they are the victims. These so-called love story of theirs are being shared on the web and everyone are seeing it.

Are we being ignorant, knowing that situations involving incest are prohibited, but still doing it?

Statistics says that the cases of incest are quite increasing, without us being noticed. Try to go to the internet and search the word “incest stories” then several articles and writings will immediately pop out which actually supports that these circumstances are timely and actually growing.

“In this world where drug addicts and rapists are almost everywhere, wearing their masks and in disguise, anyone can be a victim, predominantly now that sexual harassments within the family are existing.”

Proving that it is a crime, in relation to sexual abuse where the minors or innocent kids and youths are involved, whatever sexual orientation they have, anyone can be a victim. It is said that drugs and mental health issues are the suggested main reasons. Upon searching on different references, sexual issues or associated topics to incest continues to rise, saying that justice is intractable for most of the victims.

Note that we, Filipinos, are known for being family-oriented individuals and it is truly our nation’s outrage if this ‘crime’ continues to happen. From a family-oriented perspective, the government must put serious actions and punishments regarding this issue.

In this world where drug addicts and rapists are almost everywhere, wearing their masks and in disguise, anyone can be a victim, predominantly now that sexual harassments within the family are existing.

In line with this, do victims acquire justice?

Or should I ask, are there victims crying for help and evenhandedness?

Encourage and raise awareness about this sensitive matter, for there are lots of victims out there being in prison of the truth as the so-called suspects tend to threaten them. And as for the suspects, give them serious chastisements, don’t let them had a chance to do what they did anymore. Now is the time to give more attention to this kind of crime especially that the victims are commonly minors and youths.

Protect our youths for I believe that despite of the problems that our country is facing, it is still the youths who are the future of the nation.

Don’t let any single crime escape, and don’t let every single day pass, without doing something to change the mistakes of the past.

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Photo by Eunice Lagman

NEWS FEATURE

No Outsiders Allowed Behind SRLC’s off-limits notice Micka Victoriano Tight schedules, tiring classes and frustrating paper works: a complete “stress” package for all the struggling BulSUans out there. The struggle might be real and might seem to have no end, but the heavens are so gracious that we are still given our own glimpse of hope—free time. During those hours, we tend to make the most out of everything by pushing ourselves to become the “most productive” version of ourselves. Some might spend their time making notes, reviewing, finishing plates, and doing thesis works, and if you have the money, you can spend your time by filling your tummies with great food in all the bistros, cafés and malls near the campus.

more showing their protest towards the decision of the College.

However, for those who don’t have much inside their pockets, or have deadlines to meet, you’ll probably just search for a good place to have some chitty chats with your besties or maybe rest while enjoying some music in a fresh, calm, and spacious place just like SRLC.

“Siguro para sakin tama lang na ipagbawal yung mga non-CS students dito sa SRLC since ginawa ‘tong building na ‘to para sa mga science students kasi nga puro lab[oratory] siya, tsaka para na rin maingatan yung building since nga marami na ring nagsasabi na medyo malaki yung nagastos dito. So, kung malaki yung nagastos bakit di natin ingatan, bakit di natin alagaan, imaintain yung kagandahan nung building, yung pagiging maayos, tapos yung sa CR nga diba may vandal na, so yon parang mas maganda kung ipagbabawal para ma-maintain natin yung maayos na facilities,” Angelo Agustin, BioSoc Vice President for Biology, stated.

Science Research and Learning Center (much known as SRLC) has its wide corridors and is indeed a good hang out spot surrounded with plants and trees in the corners, with cozy rest rooms both for ladies and gents that is near and accessible for everyone. It is indeed perfect for students who want to kill time while waiting for their next class, where you might want to sit for a while and enjoy the cool and shady view in front of the building. That’s why students from College of Science (CS) and other colleges would often come and sit on its corridors, hallways, and even on the stairs as they find the place relaxing. Until lately, a notice flabbergasts the students, and with much dismay bid their farewell to their favorite resting spot.

In the last months of 2017, students from other colleges were banned from using the comfort rooms (CR) and from staying on the corridors and hallways of the building, creating a commotion between the non-CS and CS students. Some are enraged by the said prohibition and answered back by writing on the notices posted at the doors of the comfort rooms. Students wrote: “Nagbabayad din kami ng tuition”, “Tuition namin pinangpagawa dito”, and a lot

“Kung BSU naman nagpagawa nito bakit hindi pwede gumamit yung mga non-CS students? Pero sa bagay, tama rin naman na di pwede gamitin ng mga non-CS students itong SRLC kasi baka makasira kami ng mga laboratory equipment dito,” a student from BSIT 3A said.

Not only the non-CS students were shocked by this sudden restraint, but also the CS students who are the primary users of the building. Some objected while some were in favor with the said order from the management.

However, Enrique Bautista, a third year student taking BS Mathematics, opposed the said order as he also uses the comfort room of SRLC and said, “Di ako pabor sa pagbabawal ng mga non-CS students sa SRLC, kasi ako nagsi-CR din naman sa ibang college so bakit natin pagbabawalan yung ibang colleges sa paggamit ng CR dun sa building natin, eh kung tayo nga gumagamit ng CR nila.”

Furthermore, the said issue was denied by the management since the order to ban nonCS students was not intended by the college. A maintenance staff revealed that the true reason behind the restriction of non-CS students in SRLC was for the maintenance of the facility and the equipment, and contrary to what the students know, it was also because by that time, the water tank leaked and the comfort rooms

were closed for repair.

“Bali ang ipinagbawal lang [ay] yung CR tsaka yung hallway para hindi tambayan. ‘Di [talaga pinagbabawal] itong buong building,” the maintenance staff said.

Due to many complaints about the misuse of the facility (especially the comfort rooms) and the disturbing noises that interrupts the classes, both students and faculty suggested to limit other colleges from using the comfort rooms and the corridors. Even the maintenance staffs emphasized that the whole building was not prohibited, only the hallways and the comfort rooms. In fact, students from other colleges were still able to use the rooms for classes and for their thesis defense.

“Hindi lang si Dean ang nag-implement pati mga estudyante [nag-request din] kasi may [mga] mawawala at masisira talaga [sa loob ng building]. Ang nag-suggest ay [yung] mga nasa faculty tsaka Dean’s [office], ngayon yung mga estudyante [ang] nagsulat nung mga notice dahil kahit sila alam nila yung mga nangyayari, pati sila di makapag-CR sa dami ng gumagamit. This month ko lang tinanggal yung notice,” the maintenance staff explained.

Fortunately, the “outsiders: off-limits” issue didn’t last long and ended this semester for the SRLC building was made available again to ALL students both CS and non-CS students. Notices were removed from the doors and everyone is now able to use the CR again. Now, all the SRLC’s loyal users can now reclaim their resting spots and enjoy their free time in the building.

“Nung nagawa na yung tangke in-open na yung mga CR tapos nung nag-start na yung classes, in-open na [rin yung SRLC] sa lahat; tinanggal na nga yung mga naka-post e. Pwera dun sa notice sa gitna. Ngayon pwede na silang mag-CR, kaya lang bawal pa rin talagang tumambay, kasi marami tayong gamit na iniingatan, isa yun sa pinaghihigpitan. Ang ano [point] rito, ang daming gamit na maaaring masira o mawala, yun yung pinag-iingatan. Hindi nagdadamot ang CS,” SRLC’s maintenance staff ended.

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NEWS FEATURE

Legacy Project: Remains of CAPERS Night 2017 Eljay Parallag CS students excitedly prepare themselves at the 2017’s CAPERS Night with a bunch of ideas starting from the theme, outfits, food, and plans to make a night worth of unforgettable memories. However, when the actual party came, most students who attended the activity have turned out to be quite disappointed as some of them described the last year’s Night as boring, unenjoyable, disappointing, and a waste of money.

“Boring, hulas, di masaya, [at] mukhang hindi pinaghandaan. Parang walang plano. Anong silbi nung napakalaki nilang hinihinging pera sa mga CS students kung ganoon naman ang naging outcome? Sobrang nakaka-disappoint kasi hindi ‘yon ang expectation ng mga estudyante. Anong nangyari? Nasaan yung natira? Bakit hindi [namin na-] feel ang Capers?” a CS student who attended the CAPERS 2017 shared.

Still, we can’t deny that the issue regarding the last Capers Night is still on fire. Despite of the issues aired, the night become successful according to the organizers and some students who enjoyed the event. But students are still wandering if there is any remaining balance from the last activity. If there is, where was it used? However, let’s explain first what a college caper is supposed to be.

“College Capers is an event for the college students—an event equivalent to the high school’s junior-senior promenade (JS Prom), a special occasion for the juniors to salute the achievements of the seniors, and the right time for the seniors to hand down the mantle of leadership to the juniors,” Prof. Yolanda C. Roberto, College Secretary, said as she also defined capers as a night of feast for the fourth year students, celebrating their last year in the university. It is a ceremony of succeeding the responsibility, knowledge and blessings of the seniors to the juniors.

Enrico Gregorio Jr., former Applied Statistics and Business Applications Board Member and alumnus of the College, said that a caper is a big break for the students.

“CS Capers is [a] big break para sa acads pati na rin sa mga sinasalihan ng mga estudyante [na org and activities]. [Isang] break para magkaroon ng social interaction between faculty and students, hindi lamang sa apat na sulok ng Federizo Hall,” Gregorio Jr. added.

Students from the Mathematics and Science Departments gathered as one for this unexceptional event. According to Prof. Roberto, two meetings were conducted by her as the College Secretary, and are attended by the third and fourth year class mayors, class advisers, CS faculty, and department and program chairs. The agenda of the first meeting includes the com16

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position of the working committees (Finance, Registration, Foods, Security, Documentation, Stage Decoration, Awards and Prizes, Program and Invitation, and Lights and Sounds), date and time of the event, the venue, theme, food, and the caper’s fee. The second meeting was meant for polishing the agenda of the first meeting.

“Naging masaya ‘yung event [capers] kahit medyo saglit lang ‘yung pagpaplano at kahit ang daming nagra-rant tungkol sa oras, sa presyo at sa theme nung mismong event. Pero in the end, natuloy pa din. Big thanks sa mga taong sumuporta sa likod ng event na ‘yon,” Gregorio stated.

With a total amount of Php332,200 collected from the third and fourth year students (Php500 per junior and Php250 per senior student), the total expenses were approximately Php241,000.

The expenses include the awards and prizes, decoration, caterer, invitation, light and sound, live band and photo booth. Prior to the activity, the assigned committee for food, together with selected students attended a food tasting. Overall, the remaining balance was approximately Php92,000. According to Prof. Roberto, the remaining balance was used for the legacy project.

Photo by John Marco Hilario

The legacy project is a project of the third and fourth year students, wherein the next batch under them will benefit from it. It is also the project agreed during the Capers Post Activity Conference. The projects include LED TV seen in the Statistics Laboratory (Stat Lab), three printers—each for Math Department, Dean’s Office, and Stat Lab—and the poster stand for the Science Department.

The 49” LED TV can be used by both Departments for thesis defenses. The allotted budget for the television was Php40,000; it includes other accessories such as cables and wiring needed for the installation of the TV. The printers and accessories cost an estimated value of Php16,000, and when the Science Department asked to have poster stands for the thesis defense of senior students, a total amount of Php22,500 was used for the stand. Using the remaining balance, other needs of the College was bought like the supplies needed for the graduation preparation. In total, an estimated amount of Php82,300 was spent for those projects. Furthermore, there is still a remaining balance of Php9, 200 which is expected to be used for this year’s upcoming Capers.

The issue regarding the last Capers Night is still unpolished. Students, especially the seniors, are expecting for a better event. Prof. Roberto is planning for an early meeting with respect to the upcoming night, while the students are expecting for a better organization to make the party successful and unforgettable.

Photo by Mae-ann Cacabilos

NEWS FEATURE

The Road First Taken: BulSU-CS NIGQC 2017 Domination

Wendy Cobero and Den Marie Joy Pe

Photo by Fatima Asad Hezeta

“Ang daming lumapit na state universities.

They were handshaking; they were hugging kasi natalo daw natin yung elite schools. Kumbaga, ang laki nung effect na BSU ang nakakuha, [isang] state university, di nila inakala [lalo na’t] first time natin sumali,” said Ms. Ernalyn Bastante as she revisited the time when they gained the title at the National Intercollegiate Genetics Quiz Contest (NIGQC) 2017.

Everyone can’t deny that they are still on cloud nine after experiencing the moment their names are suddenly called to be presented as WINNERS. Despite being newbies in the competition, three young geneticists from the College of Science managed to sit on top of the world as they emerged victorious in the 8th NIGQC. NIGQC is a competition sponsored by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Genetics Society that conducts contests every year about Genetics—the study of heredity— that is open to all undergraduate students all over the country under degree programs such as BS Biology, BS Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, BS Biochemistry, and BS Agriculture.

The QuizCon traces its roots from the Luzonwide Intercollegiate Genetics Quiz Contest first sponsored by GeneSoc in December 1998 and now celebrates its 8th edition of NIGQC where only a single team composed of three (3) undergraduate students, and a coach may represent a university, college, or institute.

NIGQC 2017 digs deeper into the forensic applications of genetics with the theme “Mapping Molecular Traces: Decoding Forensic Mysteries through Modern Genetic Breakthroughs.”

Forensic genetics is a discipline that involves the application of genetics in addressing civil cases and legal proceedings to help humanity get closer to the answers on the mysteries lying on criminal cases. Forensic became the theme because of its timely relevance to current issues in the Philippines like solving crimes and carrying out investigations regarding alleged extrajudicial killings by telling the story behind every human fingerprint which lies in every man’s DNA. Also, Ms. Bastante added that every time

NIGQC conducts a contest, it is always related to the society and how can academics or education be applied to what is currently happening in the society.

The three BS Biology students who represented the College proved that they are not just ordinary students as they show off their knowledge in forensic genetics and bested fire-eater students from 12 different universities in the competition such as Ateneo De Manila University, Ateneo De Zamboanga University, De La Salle-Lipa, Far Eastern University-Manila, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Sta. Mesa, Southern Luzon State University, University of San Agustin, University of the Philippines-Baguio, University of the Philippines-Manila, University of the Philippines-Cebu, Xavier University, Ateneo De Cagayan, and Miriam College, at Umali Auditorium, SEARCA, UP Los Banos, November 4.

The winning team is composed of Adrian Renz Pineda and Roxanne Sevilla, both from BSB 4A, and Joseph Jamon from BSB 3A, together with their coach, Ms. Ernalyn Bastante and Ms. Lourdita Bongol.

“Sa una talaga ang [ine-expect] namin [ay] either 3rd or 4th kami pero nung in-announce na, kami [ang] champion. Of course surprised, mixed emotions kasi di talaga kami makapaniwala. Sobrang saya!” said Jamon.

Pineda shared that it was an incredible opportunity and a great privilege to represent and to be a delegate of the University. When asked about what they feel during the contest, Pineda answered, “Sobrang nakaka-pressure. As in lalo na at advanced yung mga schools na kalaban namin when it comes sa genetics. Pero ayun gumana naman yung teamwork namin at nagtiwala kami sa isa’t isa, and yun naman ang importante.”

The contest has five rounds namely: the Synapsis Round, the Initiation, Elongation, and Termination rounds (collectively known as the Dogma), and the Genetic Drift Round. The team gathered a total of 199.83 points. Aside from

medals and certificates, the team was awarded Php 15,000.

After winning, their coach shared how Renz said, “Ma’am, lahat ng pinagod natin nasagot,” as they were crying out of happiness feeling how all of their hard work from the one-month preparation had all been paid off.

Their coach praised each one of them and their unique characteristics. According to Bastante, Pineda is very smart, he knows how to trust his instincts and lead the group, Sevilla is the typical genius who’s based more on books, and Jamon is fixed-minded. She praised them saying that the team had a very good combination, “Ang maganda sa kanila [ay] nakakapagcommunicate sila sa isa’t-isa [at] walang yabang talaga.”

“Sabi ko nga sa kanila, keep your feet on the ground kasi hinihintay pa tayo next year. Matindi yon, malaking pressure lalo na kay Jamon [kasi] yung dalawa graduating na [kaya] sabi ko relax lang, manalo [man o] matalo, walang kaso,” Bastante added as she looks forward to the competition and be prepared next year.

When asked of their secret in winning, Bastante answered, “Di kami nagre-review ng Sunday. They make sure they go to church. In fairness naman sa kanila, [kinukuha] ko yung holidays but not Sundays so makikita mo may focus [at] may faith. It’s a blessing talaga from the Lord: the knowledge, the experience, [and] the thrill ng contest.”

After winning the gold, it is to be expected that other universities will be waiting for the representatives of the Bulacan State University to come and defend the gold and it’ll be a great pressure for BulSU. “Lagi ko ngang sinasabi sa mga estudyante ko, ‘Go blend!’ kahit nasaan ka, blend, [dahil] kahit cum laude ka ng BSU, di ikaw ang pinakamatalino sa labas, mas madami pa,” Bastante ended.

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NEWS

No Break

CS Faculty trains for new general education

Micka Victoriano

“Trainings like this aims to bridge the gap between the current teacher’s new curriculum, new material, and new paradigm,” Dr. Cecilia N. Gascon, President of Bulacan State University (BulSU) said.

Unsated with the short semestral break, the College of Science (CS) faculty has undergone a week-long faculty training program entitled, “New General Education,” in preparation for the upcoming K-12 graduates of the succeeding academic year with Dr. Carmelita Ragasa from University of the East (UE) Manila and Mr. Reynaldo Padagas from Jose Rizal University (JRU) as the trainers for Mathematics and Science Department last January 15-19, 2018 at the Statistics Laboratory and Science Research and Learning Center (SRLC).

“We need to understand Mathematics so that we will enjoy it. You learn it because you like it,” Dr. Ragasa stated as she discussed about the root of Mathematics and its role in our mod-

ern society. On the other hand, Mr. Padagas enwrapped the whole Science faculty into poetry and music as they showcased their skills and talents in a performance. He also discussed how science and technology can be merged with music and arts that could later develop a form of teaching strategy.

GEN ED READY. Dr. Reynold C. Padagas, a trainor, leads the New General Education Courses Seminar explaining the syllabus for the week’s faculty training at SRLC’s Physics Room.

Photo by Eunice Lagman

The program was sponsored by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and has chosen BulSU as the second institution to offer the training program together with Dr. Yanga’s Colleges Inc., La Consolacion University Philippines, etc. to instruct the basic requirements of the revised general education curriculum’s implementation.

“That precisely is why we are studying this, so that every student no matter what kind, or what course they are taking, they will [also] have logic in their minds so that in any subject study they undertake, that logic is going to bring them far and wise,” Dr. Ragasa added.

MODERN MATHEMATICS. Ms. Thelma Pagtalunan, Math Department Chair, explains the essence of mathematics to the CS Math faculty.

Photo by Eunice Lagman

KNOWLEDGE SEEKERS. The UP-PSA conducted a BMW for the BS Biology studes of the Bulacan State University.

Photo by Fatima Asad Hezeta

Photo by Fatima Asad Hezeta

UP-PSA CONDUCTS BIO MODEL WORKSHOP, BIO STUDES PARTAKE

Jose Enrico Coronel and Juliet Amo

Junior BS Biology students from the College of Science (CS) attended a one-day seminar entitled “Biological Models Workshop OnThe-Go: Skills Training on Handling Laboratory Animals,” conducted by the University of the Philippines’ Physician Scientist Association (PSA) at the CS Audio Visual Room last March 10, 2018.

The workshop provided a hands-on animal handling on mouse (Mus musculus), common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), and nematode worm (Caenorhabditis elegans).

Dr. Paul Mark Medina, a Biology professor from UP Manila, stated that the main goal of the workshop is to promote different animal models for biological and biomedical research.

“Dalawang bagay yan. Yung una kasi nagtuturo kami ng mga ganitong workshop para mas 18

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maging prevalent. Para mas gagamitin talaga ang mga animal models na ito for research kasi hindi talaga [ito madalas na] ginagamit when in fact, it is a good alternative to the usual rodents na mice or rats,” Medina explained.

“Secondly, kaya kami pumupunta sa ibang schools kasi hindi naman lahat nakakapunta sa UP Manila. [Katulad ng] ibang mga estudyante at faculty na malalayo ang pinangagalingan, hindi na nakakapunta [sa amin]. Kaya kung hindi man sila [students] makapunta, pwede kami ang pumunta doon sa university nila,” Medina added as he explained the reasons on why they conduct workshop in different universities.

Meanwhile, BS Biology students shared their insights regarding the Biological Model Workshop (BMW).

“Huwag [natin] i-limit yung sarili sa mga species katulad ng halaman. Maraming pwedeng magawa kapag mga animals yung ginamit katulad ng mga mice at fruit flies,” Sherwin Silvano from BS Biology 3A said as he imparted what he has learned from the workshop.

“Sa overall workshop, pinakanagustuhan ko is the proper handling of specimen or species. Akala natin wala silang silbi kasi maliit lang sila but makakatulong pala sila sa mga malalaking [bagay] like curing diseases and antitoxins,” Ashky Pagtalunan from BS Biology 3B mentioned.

Moreover, Dr. Medina told in an interview that model organisms will teach the students to be more creative and innovative in doing their research. “Hopefully, more economical ang kanilang research to be more feasible,” Medina ended.

E-library to start winning ground in BulSU — VPAA

Den Marie Joy Pe

“Electronic and digital library will start winning ground in Bulacan State University. We are heading towards an environment which digital information may substitute much for print-based information,” Dr. Edgardo M. Santos, Vice President for Academic Affairs, said.

Along with the rapid development of information and technology, the Bulacan State University (BulSU), in partnership with Reed Steel Fabricators Inc. and Plerm Construction Joint Venture, officially broke ground on its new seven-storey E-library building structural foundation, last March 6 at 9:30 am.

“We like this institution to be relevant [...] kaya nga this e-library is not a simple e-library, this will be a state-of-the-art library where knowledge will be generated [where students and faculty] should not only be knowledge users but knowledge generators. We will never realize this vision unless we do something,” Dr. Cecilia Gascon, the University President, emphasized as she relates the vision of the institution to the importance of the library.

Newly renovated CS AVR, now accessible to students

With a 78 million-peso fund provided by BulSU, the construction of the building’s structural foundation that will replace the old College of Industrial Technology (CIT) Automotive Shop and Storage, started last February 4, 2018 and is expected to be finished by August 2, 2018.

The university’s new seven-story E-library will incorporate the latest technology by having electronic and digital features such as (1) having the provision for PWD accessible facilities, (2) provision for a fire detection and protection, (3) provision for security close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, and (4) a provision for security radio frequency identification (RFID) to monitor everyone that will pass through the entrance and exit. The building will also be equipped with elevator and centralized air conditioned system that will be supported by solar power generator panels. Furthermore, there will be water recycle harvesting system too.

The expected completion date for the said project will be on 2020.

REMINDER. Contractors of the E-library buried and set the time capsule in place during the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the upcoming seven-storey building.

Photo by Zymon Peter Bergania

LEVEL UP. Mathematics and Science Faculty attended a meeting headed by Dr. Felicidad Villavicencio, Dean of Instructions for the 2D TOS. Photo by Patricia Mae Gatmaitan

Den Marie Joy Pe

MADE AVAILABLE. The newly improved CS AVR was made available to the public after the ribbon-cutting.

Photo by Eunice Lagman

The renovated College of Science AudioVisual Room (CS AVR) has officially opened and was made ready for use after Dr. Richard Clemente, CS Dean, and University President, Dr. Cecilia Gascon, led the ribbon cutting last March 6, 2018.

Simultaneous with the ground breaking of the E-library, many newly reconstructed rooms from different colleges, including the CS AVR, were opened, blessed, and received positive comments from the students.

“Maganda siya. Para kang wala sa BulSU kapag nandoon sa loob. [...] Sobrang komportable, wag nga lang masisira agad,” Clarice Monique Espinola of BSM AS 4B shared.

Harlene Santos from BSM AS 3A also praised the room as she said, “Maganda [yung AVR], […] worth it yung paghihintay kasi mas okay siya ngayon kaysa noon.”

CS FACULTY LEADS 2D TOS AND TEST BANKING SEMINAR Francesca Marie Rivera The College of Science (CS) faculty has engaged in the 2D Table of Specifications and Test Banking Seminar as Dr. Felicidad Villavicencio, Dean of Instructions (DOI), introduced a term exam generator last February 14, 2018 at FH 111.

To help the faculty on generating exam questions, Villavicencio introduced 2D TOS, a term exam generator developed by the College of Information and Communication Technology (CICT) faculty together with the DOI staffs, which includes features such as making a random multiple choice questionnaire generated from the series of questions banked by the different faculty members who teach similar subjects.

The demonstrators admitted that the software was still not 100% ready and they are willing to accept suggestions from the faculty members so that they can improve it, assuring the faculty that it will be ready in no time.

Before the seminar ended, the faculty had the chance to ask about how the test generator works while exchanging their ideas with one another on how the newly developed test generator can make their exam making fast and efficient. “[The seminar was] highly informative, relevant and timely,” Ms. Rosario Poñado, Science Department Chair, stated when asked about the experience during the seminar.

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UNITY CODES. Mr. Dave Roxas shares his knowledge as a Junior Game Developer to the senior Computer Science students to improve their working researches.

Photo by Patrick Roel Leuterio

CODING GAME ENGINES, BSM CS LEARNS UNITY

Danica Peralta

“Ang aim nito [activity] is magkaroon ng understanding [...] para malaman din nila [students] kung ano yung tamang rules para sa kanila and kung ano yung tamang work etiquettes na kailangan nilang tandaan para kapag naghanap sila ng trabaho, hindi sila madidismaya o madali silang makakahanap,” Dave Louie Roxas, Junior Game Developer and Quality Assurance Engineer, said.

As a support of Mrs. Irish Baldevarona, College of Science (CS) Thesis Instructor, for the upcoming defense of the graduating students taking BS Mathematics with specialization in Computer Science (BSM CS), an activity entitled “Unity” was held last March 6, 2018 at the CS Library.

“Sa dami ng game engines na available, Unity is one of the most basic and one of the most complex na pwedeng aralin ng students and sobrang flexible siya na kahit bata pwedeng mag-Unity as long as marunong mag-code,” Roxas said after he explained the game engine by SNAP. Aira Isabelle Dario beams with her photoSYNTHESIS entry as she clutched first place at the said photo contest. Photo by Jay Em Reyes

showing a presentation about its background to give the students a better understanding about Unity.

Roxas also created some basic tutorials on Unity in terms of coding or basic scripting variables and functions, and enabling and disabling components, since the game engine was not totally discussed in class and students were only learning it by themselves.

The students participated well as they launched the game engine onto their laptops and followed the steps that Roxas was doing.

“Natutunan ko [kahit hindi ako gumamit ng Unity] is yung tamang way ng pagko-code; kung paano maging malinis at madaling intindihin yung code kung may babasa man. […] nagkaroon [din] kami ng background sa Unity kung sakaling yun yung gagamitin sa work and very helpful [ng tutorial na ito] lalo sa gumagamit ng Unity, and of course very inspiring,” Luz Clarita Lacap of BSM CS 4D said.

INSPIRE. Dr. Noe and Dra. Aura shares their journey on Medicine at the New Era University. Photo by Aira Isabelle Dario

Dario captures first at BMAP’s photo contest, Pineda grabs third

Francesca Marie Rivera

“Hindi [ko inaasahan na mananalo ko], kasi maraming school yung member ng BMAP. Ang akin lang, basta may mai-represent man lang yung BulSU kaya ako nagpasa,” Aira Isabelle Dario of BS Biology 3A stated as she snatched the first place on BioSummit’s PhotoSYNTHESIS, conducted by Biology Majors Alliance of the Philippines (BMAP) last March 17, 2018 at the New Era University, Quezon City.

Dario stated that she was bewildered on the result because she expected that one of the front liner universities will be the one to bag the championship award then added, “Nakakabigla kasi ine-expect kong sila yung mananalo. Nakaka-proud, worth it lahat ng ginawa ko with the help of BioSoc, CS Wizards, Bio 3A, friends ko, saka ng Spades.”

Her photo was entitled “Stomata: Portrayal in Photosynthesis” while Adrian Renz Pineda’s photo was termed as “Diaspidididae: The Trojan horse to Kingdom Plantae” which won 3rd place.

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On the other hand, several events like National Biology Cup (NBC) and Bioseminars also happened at the BMAP’s BioSummit 2018 where different fields of biology like mycology— the study of fungi, freshwater biology, and molecular biology were tackled.

Pineda, Roxanne Sevilla, and Joseph Jamon placed 8th out of 29 teams who battled at the 5th National Biology Cup. “Sa totoo lang, at first, all I want is for the BioSoc to be part of the BMAP to widen the platform of every member to grow and to learn.

Yun lang talaga, but then opportunities gradually came. […] being one of the quizzers, it is always an honor to be a delegate of BulSU. From that standpoint, I know panalo na kami knowing [that] you have BulSU next to your name. Sobrang laking privilege kasi talaga noon,” Pineda stated when he was asked of what he felt being the BulSU–Biological Society (BioSoc) President after representing the University on the 5th NBC.

Moreover, Patrice Michelle Nepomuceno, Hideo Kobayashi, and Jann Jareld Perez were the constituents of the other team who competed on NBC. “As an officer, of course, sobrang fulfilling na nakita ko na nag-enjoy at may natutunan lahat ng members namin. […] I can say na BulSU– BioSoc represented not just the org[anization], but the school, very well. I hope na maging stepping stone ito para maging bukas ang ating mga students to learn more outside of the university and these kinds of events open a lot doors of opportunities for everyone as we get to know other Bio[logy] students from different schools. All in all, successful ang ating first participation sa Biosummit,” Angelo Agustin, BioSoc Vice President for Biology, stated when he was asked about his experience during the BioSummit.

Events like Career Talks and Bio Ambassadors also ensued at the event.

CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT. Engr. Lily Amor Castro, shares her knowledge about the adverse effects of toxicants to the human health and environment.

Photo by John Marco Hilario

Photo by John Marco Hilario

Ticsay inspires AS students, bid for Part 2

Juliet Amo

ENVI SCI STUDES ENRICH UNDERSTANDING IN TOXICOLOGY COLLOQUIA

Eljay Parallag

Students taking BS Environmental Science learned more about toxicants as the Biological Society (BioSoc) conducted a seminar entitled “Unraveling the Mystery Behind the Toxicants: A Seminar in Environmental Toxicology” last March 16, 10 am at the College of Science (CS) AVR.

Furthermore, Castro also suggested that the University must hire a Pollution Control Officer (PCO) to take care of the toxic chemicals in the laboratories, especially in the science workrooms, after showing a number of people who experienced diseases through contact to inorganic contaminants.

Engr. Lily Amor Castro, an officer in Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-EMB), shared her knowledge about the effects of toxicants in health and environment as well as the Republic Act 6969 or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990, its implementing rules and regulations, hazardous waste and its characteristics, proper waste management, and a lot more.

Ms. Virginia Paitan, BioSoc Adviser, told that it was a great help for the students and professors to learn about the toxicants.

“Helpful at naging aware kami sa [mga] di namin alam. Sa loob ng laboratory, maraming toxic chemicals na hindi dapat tinatapon sa mga tubig, na kailangan din natin ng PCO na magma-manage nung mga chemicals. […] More of academe kasi tayo, hindi namin alam yung management ng waste,” Paitan stated.

BulSUOne, Stand BulSU meet, introduce SSC and LSC candidates Wendy Cobero Supporters of Bulacan State University’s election parties, BulSU One and Stand BulSU, presented their outcry at the Valencia Hall after the Kick-off Ceremony and All Candidates Meeting, headed by the University Commission of Student Elections (UCSE) last March 14, 2018.

LEAD. Student leaders from BulSUOne promote unity as their advocacy. Photo by Aira Isabelle Dario

“In everything that you do put a #extramile,” Mr. Januse Lore Ticsay, VXI Analytics Specialist, emphasized as he engaged students taking BS Mathematics with specialization in Applied Statistics (BSM AS) in their chosen degree at the seminar entitled “Statistical Tools and Software 2018” conducted by the College of Science Local Student Council (CS LSC) last March 14 at the CS AVR. As Ticsay aimed to inspire, educate, and help the students gain certainty to their course, he divided the seminar into three parts: (1) sharing his story of hardships from being an AS student up to how he came to his successful state today; (2) helping students choose their career paths by giving them list of agencies, companies, schools and other association that AS students can apply once they have graduated; and (3) introduction of different statistical tools and software.

“Very useful and informative ng seminar kasi from start to finish talagang inisa-isa ng speaker kung ano yung adventure sa [program na Applied Statistics]. Mula nung nagsisimula ka pa lang ay matutunan mo na lahat ng basic and fundamentals hanggang sa mag-level up yung degree of difficulty na maa-apply mo na yung advance statistics,” Patrick Lae Dela Cruz, a Stat student, stated as he shared his thought in the seminar.

Moreover, the College Secretary, Prof.

Yolanda Roberto, and students who participated in the said seminar requested a Part 2 since the given time wasn’t sufficient for the speaker to answer the students’ curiosity.

“Gusto ko ng mga ganitong seminar kasi bukod sa naii-inform yung mga students na dati hindi naman sikat yung course, ngayon dahil sa seminar mas nabibigyan ng malinaw na idea kung paano sila magagamit in the real world,” Dela Cruz added.

STATISTICAL APPROACH. AS students keenly pays their attention as the guest speaker, Mr. Januse Ticsay, gives a lively peek at his college life. Photo by Elton John Tuazon

After the parade of the two parties from CSSP Grounds to Valencia Hall, they formally introduced their official student candidates for 2018 election, starting from each college’s Local Student Council (LSC) up to the Supreme Student Council (SSC).

“Hinihiling ko sa bawat partido, na dalhin ang ideya at pananaw na maging objektibo, maging patas at maging tapat sa ating lahat ng ginagawa sa darating na pangangampanya,” Chair of UCSE, David Floyd Roxas, reminded.

Meanwhile, the guidelines for the student election campaign were discussed by the UCSE followed by the pledge of all the candidates for an ethical and peaceful election. The commissioners for every college were also announced.

BATTLE. Stand BulSU’s prides fight for the students’ rights and greater state subsidy. Photo by Aira Isabelle Dario

The campaign period started on March 15 and the election will be held on April 16.

REALITY. The guest speaker cites some of his experiences in the corporate world. Photo by Elton John Tuazon

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DEVCOMM

Unintentional Lending and Backer Problem Rising issue of 4Ps looking for attention Juliet Amo and Eljay Parallag

Photo by Aira Isabelle Dario

A

ccording to the 2015 report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), 1 out of 5 or an estimated 21.9 million Filipinos were suffering from poverty. Compared to the 25.2 percent in 2012 and 26.3 percent in 2009, the country’s poverty incidence declined in 2015 with 21.6 percent of the population. Five out of ten Filipinos believe that they are poor based on the survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) in the first quarter of 2017. Fifty percent of the Filipinos, represented by 11.5 million families, believe that they were poor.

The survey found that the number of believing they were poor increase to 4% compared to the 44% or an estimated 10 million Filipinos last December 2016, according to SWS. A poor person is someone whose income is sufficient to provide for his nutritional needs but falls short on enabling him to provide for his other basic necessities such as clothing, shelter, health, and education. According to the 2015 PSA report, an individual earning less than Php88,595.40 a year is considered as poor.

To address the problem in decreasing the number of the poor in the country, the government launched the Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino during the former President Gloria MacapagalArroyo’s administration. The late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago sponsored and introduced it to the 15th Senate as Senate Bill No. 92 and renamed the program together with Samantha A. Vizconde from Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino 22 NOSTRUM

to Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) last July 16, 2008.

“Yung 4Ps ay isang programa ng gobyerno na sumusuporta o tumutulong sa mga mahihirap,” Jean Rama Ambrocio, Local Link of Municipal Social Welfare and Development–Balagtas, defined what she thinks about 4Ps. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program is more than a welfare program; it is a human development measure of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18. The government patterned the conditional cash transfer (CCT) from the developing country particular to African and Latin American countries.

The program is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd), and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as partners.

The government expanded the program in December 2016 to reach 20 million Filipinos who belong in the total of 4.4 million households. The program benefits about 20% of the population. The government deployed parent leaders to help DSWD in choosing the poorest of the poor in the country that deserve to avail the benefits of the 4Ps. One of the par-

ent leaders in Balagtas, Bulacan, Evilyn FloresBabilonia, shared how they choose a beneficiary, and how to qualify as a 4Ps member.

“Ang unang proseso bago ka ma-[qualify] as 4Ps member kailangan pasok ka dun sa maraming anak. [...] tapos may tatlo kang anak na nagaaral ng elementary, kailangan talagang nakaenroll na sila. Ayun pasok ka na as 4Ps member kahit solo parent ka. Mas qualified nga yun kasi wala siyang katuwang sa patataguyod sa pangangailangan ng pamilya,” Babilonia stated.

The chosen beneficiaries must submit the following papers to qualify the membership: birth certificate of the children, marriage contract if married, and other papers such as certificates and diplomas.

Households receive cash grants if the children stay in school and get regular health checkups, have their growth monitored, and receive vaccines. Pregnant woman must get pre-natal care, with their births attended by professional health workers. Parents or guardians are required to participate in monthly communitybased Family Development Sessions (FDS) to learn about positive child discipline, disaster preparedness, and women’s rights.

“Ang mga nanay [naman ay] nasasali sa mga training na isinagagawa ng 4Ps. Halimbawa, dishwashing liquid making or candle making,” Babilonia added.

One of the chosen beneficiaries of 4Ps, Melba Franco, mother of five, shared how they were picked as a beneficiary of the said program.

“C-ni-I [Customer Intelligence] muna kami, hindi naman totally talagang alam namin na 4Ps pala yun. Kumbaga pag CI nila, in-inteview lang kami kasi madalas naman dito yung nagsi-CI. Tinitignan yung kalagayan namin [pero] hindi naman namin akalain na sini-CI na [pala] kami para sa 4Ps. [Siguro after one year] nag-meeting kami sa multi-purpose [hall] na nakuha nga kaming member ng 4Ps. After nun, pinagpasa kami ng mga birth certificate ng mga bata, certification kung saan sila nag-aaral, barangay clearance at cedula, at iba pang requirements para sa Landbank,” she narrated.

The government only chooses the deserving family to become a beneficiary, but some of the parents misunderstood the way the government chooses their program’s members. According to an anonymous mother, the government, especially the mother leaders and barangay captain, the way they pick the soon-to-be beneficiary is unfair.

“Kung sino pa nga yung may-kaya sila pa yung mga 4Ps member. May mga family member sila na nasa ibang bansa. Hindi nila pinipili ng maayos. Tapos makikita mo, nagsusugal yung mga nanay, yung mga anak laging absent sa school. Minsan palakasan, basta kamag-anak o di kaya malapit sa kapitan o mother leader(s), 4Ps member na,” she exclaimed.

Photo by Aira isabelle Dario

Photo by Fatima Asad Hezeta

“Yung mga nasa 4Ps [ay] sila yung mga nasurvey [dito sa Bulacan] noong 2009. Nag-survey o C-ni-I nila lahat ng tao sa lugar, mula doon pinasok sa computer [yung information], may computation sa computer kung magfa-fall sila under sa poorest among the poor. Doon pinili yun, hindi kami namimili basta yung mga nagsurvey o nag-CI ay pinapasa nila sa Region[al Office] at doon [na nga] pinapasok sa computer,” explained by Ambrocio.

On the other hand, another non-4Ps beneficiary shared why she was not chosen as a benefactor of the said program. “Nag-try ako magpasa ng form kaso hindi raw pwede kasi marami raw kaming gamit. Parehas kaming may trabahong mag-asawa, dalawa lang ang anak ko, [tapos] yung isa pa lang ang nag-aaral,” Sheila Grace Amo said.

However, the MSWD-Balagtas denied the allegation on how they chose the beneficiaries of 4Ps. “Sa mga nagsasabi na may kaya [yung pinipili], possible na nung nagsimula sila sa 4Ps is talagang walang-wala sila at mayroon nga kaming mga beneficiary na ganun. Alam ng parent leader yun na from the scratch talaga yung pamilyang yun. Kumbaga, noong simula hindi ganoong kaangat [sa buhay at] may five [5] years contract sila. Sa pagitan ng taon na ‘yun maaaring doon na sila lumago. Halimbawa, nagkatrabaho yung anak o nag-abroad yung asawa, hindi naman agad-agad tatanggalin dahil sa kontrata.

Hindi rin kami basta-basta nagbabase sa sinasabi o opinyon ng iba, kailangan lagi tayong may proof of document,” Ambrocio added.

The government didn’t also know that some of the 4Ps member lends their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards because of lack of money and sometimes, the delay in giving the allowance.

“Nagsasangla ako ng ATM kasi dala ng pangangailangan. Asawa ko walang trabaho, tapos minsan lang siya umuwi. Gipit na gipit lang talaga, tatlo pa anak ko, napipilitan lang din talaga magsangla,” according to an unspecified mother.

“Nagsasangla ako ng ATM kasi dala ng pangangailangan.

Asawa ko walang trabaho, tapos minsan lang siya umuwi. Gipit na gipit lang talaga, tatlo pa anak ko, napipilitan lang din talaga magsangla.”

She also added that she feared that once the officer-in-charge (OIC) find out that she lend her card, she will be terminated as a member and most of all, she must surrender her ATM card.

“Ang 4Ps ay para sa mga bata, [pero] para sa mga bata naman yung ginagawa ko. Pangkain namin sa araw-araw at pambaon nila. Ang mahalaga naman dun ay nakakapag-aral at nakakain sila,’ she explained.

Babilonia shared some instances on how and why other beneficiaries were eliminated in the program.

“Hindi tayo nagtatanggal ng member nang 4Ps, nagdadagdag pa tayo ng mga member. Ang mga matatanggal lang ay yung mga talagang pasaway, halimbawa nagiikot nakita kitang nagsusugal, warning na yun. Pero kung sa susunod na pagiikot ay nakita pa rin kitang nagsusugal doon ay matatanggal ka na, at isa pang dahilan ay kawalan ng respeto [at] hindi pag-attend sa mga meeting. Hindi na [sila] kakausapin, makikita mo na lang sa [ATM card] mo wala kang perang makukuha,” Babilonia said.

“Actually, ang unang instruction ng 4Ps [sa pagtanggal ng beneficiary] ay una warning. Kakausapin at i-consolidate sila na huminto at itigil na nila yung ginagawa nila. Pangalawa, warning ulit, pupuntahan sila sa bahay nila at kakausapin ulit na itigil na nila kasi maaaring matanggal na sila as beneficiary [ng 4Ps]. Kapag pangatlo na at hindi pa rin sila tumigil, talagang ire-report na sila sa Regional Office, gagawan ng report na ang tao na ito ay nagsasangla ng ATM [card].

Sa ngayon, hinigpitan ang pagsasangla ng ATM [card]. Hindi lang ang nagsasangla ang may kaso pati na rin ang pinagsanglaan. Kakausapin pero hanggang tatlong warning lang,” Ambrocio explained.

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Photo by Olivia Cabigao

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lthough having more than seven thousand islands, it seems that the Philippines still cannot accommodate the growing number of Filipinos under its roof. Despite the fact that the government is handling a sufficient number of housing projects, it is observed that these projects are not sufficient at all. According to Google, over 3.1 million Filipinos are homeless, which approximately, 1.2 million are children.

Due to this fact, some Filipinos, whether they like it or not, are involuntarily living even in the most dangerous areas, like public cemeteries. They live with the dead, while risking their health and waiting for unimaginable things to happen.

Mylene Amaro from Bulakan, Bulacan is among those people. According to her, she and her family are living with his husband’s relative before. But due to some family problems, unfortunate things happened so they are forced to leave the house. Living in the cemetery for almost eight years, she and her family treated the corners of it as their home.

Photo by Olivia Cabigao

“Dito po kami [...] talagang tumira kasi, wala naman po kaming titirahan kaya kung saan-saan po kami natitira. Walang pirmisan pong [tirahan]. Dati sa San Nicolas po, sa Bulakan, Bulacan,” Mylene confessed.

According to her, the only thing that is preventing them from leaving the cemetery for good, and finding a decent shelter is their unstable financial status. Added to the fact that their source of income is inside the thick walls surrounding the graveyard.

“Wala po akong trabaho, asawa ko po meron.

Nagbabakwang. [Ginagawang] banig, sombrero, basket. Ginagapas po yan sa bukid, [hinihiwa] ng lilik. Tapos hihimayin po nila kasi malalaki po yung puno niyan eh. Tapos ititira po nila yung pinakagitna, yung malambot. Ibibilad po nila ng isang linggo ‘yan sa bukid, tapos ibababa po dito, ganyan na po ‘yan [bakwang]. Dito nila [ibinababa], kasi dito umano yung kumukuha samin, dito nagpaalam,” she continued.

One of her daughter, Jeanalyn, who is also the wife of the caretaker/supulturero of the Libingang Bayan of Bulakan, Bulacan, explained briefly how these long-stemmed plants help them survive with their everyday life.

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Living with the Dead Tales of people homed in cemeteries Anna Mae Cruz 24

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“May dinatnan na po kaming nangunguha dito. Eh hanggang sa wala pong hanapbuhay, ginusto po ng tatay ko na magkaroon po ng trabaho kaya sumama po siya, tinuruan po siya. Lingguhan po [yung benta niyan] malakas po yan.

Talagang agaran lang po talagang matuyo. Yung iba po niyan tinatanim, yung iba naman po tumutubo lang. ‘Pag pinutol po yan sagad sa puno yan tapos tutubo na lang pong kusa yan. Pag malakas pong manguha, malakas ang benta. Pag mahina pong manguha, mahina rin po. Hindi po kami yung gumagawa niyan, binabyahe po ng Pampanga yan, kung saan saang probinsiya po binabyahe yan, para doon po gawin. Kumbaga po sa ano, dito lang po siya pinapatuyo,” Jeanalyn explained.

Just like her mother, she and her family had no other choice but to deal with their unlucky situation.

Photo by Olivia Cabigao

“Asawa ko po dito [Bulakan] po talaga nakatira. [Kaya hindi po kami doon nakatira kasi] magulo. E kung may malilipatan pong maganda tapos may maganda rin na trabaho, pwede po.

Anim na taon na po [kaming nakatira rito], bale dalaga pa po ako non eh, dito ko na po nakilala yung asawa ko. Dito lang po yung may maayos na pwedeng matirahan, e meron po [apartment] kaya lang po problema rin po talaga yung pera.

Wala pong permanenteng trabaho e, palipat lipat din po,” she narrated.

The cemetery’s wide and grassy yard served as a place for drying the plants. The place gave them not only shelter but also a way of living.

On the other hand, regardless of the truth that they have no other place to go, Mylene admitted that she has no intentions of living inside the cemetery for good.

“Wala, doon po kami nakatira talaga. Pagkatapos po nito, [pagbabakwang] lilipat na po kami. Malayo pa yun e, doon sa dulo [labas ng sementeryo]. [...] madali pong maghanap [ng disenteng tirahan] kaso po problema [talaga yung] pera, lalo pag wala kang hanapbuhay. E ‘yan [pagbabakwang] lang po pinagkakakitaan namin ng asawa ko,” she ended.

With their current situation, it is undeniable that they badly needed help. But according to her, they did not receive anything from the government, even once. It is somewhat alarming given that there is an existing right to housing for every citizen as declared in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as part of the right to an adequate standard of living.

“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

The authorities, on the other hand, acknowledge their shortcomings, and admitted that they do not have programs for homeless families.

“Wala. Pinapaalis lang, saka pinagsasabihan na hindi pwedeng tirahan. Sa ngayon wala pa silang [programa para sa mga nakikitira] kahit diyan sa mga private diyan na [sementeryo] wala pa.

“Hindi kagaya ng Manila nga. Dito naman kasi sa atin konti lang naman yung mga squatters na tinatawag eh, wala pa tayong squatter dito na marami, di kagaya ng Manila na talagang naghahanap sila [gobyerno] ng mapupwestuhan na pwedeng dun sila tumira, kasi sa sobrang dami ng populasyon. E dito naman satin bihira, saka humanap ka ng squatter dito satin, wala.

May nakikita ba kayong squatter? Wala. Pero nakikitira, halimbawa, bakuran nang may bakuran, nakikitira dun kumporme naman dun sa may-ari ng bakuran,” one of the public officials confessed.

Mylene also believes that they do not break any rule, and that the municipality knows about their residency. The authorities also don’t seem to mind them living inside the cemetery.

“’Di naman po [kami pinapaalis]. Eh kaya lang naman po kami nandito, eh parang [benepisyo] na rin po sa kanila kasi nagbabantay po kami ng sementeryo, para walang makapasok na mga kabataan, mga tambay, nila-lock po namin [yung gate] sa gabi. Alam naman din po sa munisipyo, kasi [hinahayaan] nga rin po nila, para maging bantay na rin kami dito. Ang pinagbabawal lang po talaga dito yung mga tambay, kapag magha-hatinggabi, kagaya kapag alas dyes kailangan sarado na po yung gate. Hanggang alas dyes lang po ang oras kasi nga kapag hindi sinara ng ganon, ginagawang tambayan, [o kaya] inuman,” Jeanalyn said.

However, contrary to what she said, the municipality of Bulakan, Bulacan denied the fact that there are people homed in their public cemetery.

“Ay hindi. Hindi sila pupwedeng tumira dun.

Hindi pwedeng tumira talaga. Pwede siguro nakikitulog lang, pero titira, hindi talaga pwede.

Papaalisin sila siyempre. [...] ang unang unang

“Di naman po [kami pinapaalis]. Eh kaya lang naman po kami nandito, eh parang [benepisyo] na rin po sa kanila kasi nagbabantay po kami ng sementeryo, para walang makapasok na mga kabataan, mga tambay, nila-lock po namin [yung gate] sa gabi.”

magagalit sa inyo dun, yung may puntod. Dito kasi sa atin, ‘di kagaya sa Manila na may mga nakatira di ba? Kasi dito sa atin wala sa atin nun, di kagaya sa Manila di ba may mga naninirahan, nakita nyo di naman napapaalis. Pero dito sa atin, wala pang batas na ganon. Di pa siya binabatas, kasi nga, napakaluluwang ng mga sementeryo satin, wala namang nakatira di ba?” the public official continued.

They said that they assigned one person to monitor the cemetery, and the people also report if ever someone tries to live inside, and as far as they’re concerned they do not receive such reports.

“Si Pabling nga yung nakatao talaga dun.

Araw araw nandun siya, kahit Sabado at Linggo.

Kasi siya nakakaalam nung mga lilibing, alam niya yun, siya nag-aayos nun, siya yung kinakausap. Ah wala, talagang wala [na nasasabi kung may nakatira sa sementeryo]. Ano nga yun e, libingang bayan nga yun e, so ang munisipyo, alam yun. Dito kasi sila nagsusumbong kung halimbawa may nakatira, pero so far, wala naman nagsasabi kung may nakatira,” he added.

Nevertheless, Pabling, the said person who monitors the cemetery, knows about Jeanalyn’s family inside.

“Wala namang nakatira dun. Mga nagbabakwang lang yun. May nakatira dun na isa, yung caretaker ko na isa, yung supulturero. Bale yun ang pinagkakatiwalaan ko. Yung mga iba dun, mga nagbabakwang, di ba may nakita kayo dun na parang mga bodega dun? Mga bakwang naman yun, binibilad nila dun sa sementeryo, [...] sa munisipyo yan eh, yung libingang bayan na ‘yan. Ako lang namamahala, yung tao naman na nakatira dun, supulturero ko yun, bale siya ang naglilibing dun, alam naman sa munisipyo na nakatira sila dun. Yun yung pinagkakatiwalaan na supulturero. […] Wala naman siyang sweldo sa munisipyo, binabayaran ko lang yun, bale akong namamahala, sumusweldo kami sa munispyo,” told Pabling.

In spite of the conflicts between their statements, it seems that there is no problem between them, as long as Jeanalyn’s family lives peacefully inside even though that the land is not their property. Moreover, the municipality allows people to sleep inside provided that they leave afterwards.

“Hindi makitira, makitulog pwede. Gusto mo magpahinga ka, andun ka. Kasi may puno doon eh. [...] Kumbaga malakas ang hangin, gusto mo magpahinga ka dun, okay lang. Pero kung sabihin mong maninirahan [kung doon ka na magstay], hindi pwede. Magpahinga ka lang kung gusto mong magphinga, katulad nagyon tag-init [...] ‘yun lang ganon lang,” the public official concluded.

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Photo by Karl Kenneth Santos

Cultivation Crawlers The leaping benefits of Vermiculture to the crawling industry of Rabbitry Karl Kenneth Santos and Micka Victoriano

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griculture and livestock innovation on process.

Zero cost and zero waste, the benefits of vermiculture—worm farming— has been crawling out fast on the internet and has attracted several farmers to try its fruiting benefits as the answer to an all-natural production of crops.

Vermiculture became popularly known for its promising effects in soil cultivation, a method of producing an organic, high-quality fertilizer from worms. It was introduced in the country by researchers from Central Luzon State University (CLSU) during 1970’s to help Filipino farmers get rid of costly inputs by introducing an alternative to commercialized fertilizers.

Photo by Karl Kenneth Santos

Mr. Artemio Veneracion Jr., owner of Aven’s Nature Farm and Rabbitry, is just one of the users of vermi (worms) who has explored the science of vermiculture and has brought organic farming into a whole new level. Ka Art was considered as one of the pioneering owners of rabbit farms in Bulacan that uses worms as a source of fertilizer. Before, he needed vermicasts (worm manure) to supply the demands of his medicinal herbs and fruit trees organically until lately, he has found a way to continuously benefit from vermicomposting by expanding its advantages through incorporating vermiculture to cuniculture—breeding and raising domestic rabbits, usually for meat or wool.

“All our plants are fruiting, green […], malaking advantage samin yun kasi nga libre lahat ng aming fertilizer [because of vermicasts]. The way I see it, [it’s] because of the rabbits. Yun yung ano [perspective] namin.” Ka Art said, as he shared his innovation in worm farming.

When asked about their developments in vermiculture, Ka Art candidly answered that the farm focuses more on rabbitry and admitted they are doing nothing on the vermi, since the rabbits are responsible for its growth and nourishment.

“Ano kasi yan eh, hindi yung vermiculture ang aming major product. Ang amin is rabbit raising so ang ginagawa lang namin, twice a year nagha-harvest kami ng vermicast. [...] So meron kami ngayon for harvest dyan and then makikita niyong may mga rabbit sa ibabaw. Sa normal [traditional way], [yung mga vermi] pinapakain yan, dinidilig, ganun. With as, totally wala kaming ginagawa run sa vermiculture namin kundi lagyan lang ng rabbit sa ibabaw. With rabbit kasi sa ibabaw ano yan eh, wala kang ginagawa sa vermiculture. So yung rabbit talaga yung nagaalaga totally dun sa vermi. Basta kami ang inaalagaan namin, yung rabbit then yung rabbit yung mag-aalaga dun sa vermi.”

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“Ang rabbit manure is the only manure na pwede mong ilagay on top of a vermibed kasi nga they call rabbit manure as a cold manure, so diretso yan.

Unlike other manure, chicken, goat, cow, or even pig, kailangan i-decompose mo muna yan bago mo i-feed sa ano [mga vermi].”

Photo by Karl Kenneth Santos

Making both organisms co-exist with each other, vermiculture and rabbitry are now intertwined on Aven Nature’s Farm, as Ka Art introduced the 3-in-1 creative set up of his vermibins.

Concrete vermibins are built around a fruit tree, and movable rabbit cages were placed on top of it. Whereas the rabbit feeds then pee down to the vermibin and the worms get supplied with rabbit manure from the cages above, then the produced vermicast from the worms directly fertilizes the tree planted at the center of the bin. This set-up promotes less work of disposing waste and a resourceful method of supplying each of the organisms’ necessities with zero cost, since wastes from the rabbit are readily available and plentiful in their farm, both worms and the plant have the sufficient and unlimited supply of nutrients.

Rabbit manure is just one of the so-called, “cold” manure, which could be eaten by the worms without undergoing laborious pre-composting process.

“Wala kaming cost dyan since kami yung nagko-consume. Plus, yung aming manure is libre yan coming from the rabbits. Ang rabbit manure is the only manure na pwede mong ilagay on top of a vermibed kasi nga they call rabbit manure as a cold manure, so diretso yan. Unlike other manure, chicken, goat, cow, or even pig, kailangan i-decompose mo muna yan bago mo i-feed sa ano [mga vermi]. Ito fresh, kakainin ng vermi yan. […] Wala naman [epekto sa isa’t isa] kasi hindi naman in contact yung vermi dun sa rabbit e. Ang distance [nung rabbit] from the vermicomposting siguro mga 40-50 centimeters, so mataas siya,” explained Ka Art. Aside from being a source of income, vermiculture served as a great opportunity for farmers like Ka Art to lessen their input resource by using “free” organic fertilizers from vermi and at the same time increase their farm yield without spending much for soil enhancers, etc. Moreover, it ecologically helps the rabbits by nourishing the soil for its food and also supports plant growth for better production.

Ka Art is an advocate of rabbit raising for meat production and has been awarded for his efforts of promoting the rabbit industry to lo-

cal farmers around Region 3. Together with his wife, he has been raising his farm with organic fertilizer and insecticides. But as soon as he discovered the potential of vermicomposting, he immediately explored on it which eventually led to positive results, moving him to apply it continuously until he could sell worms to other farmers and start earning from it.

“Vermicomposting, isa yan sa magagandang [method para gumawa ng] fertilizer. If you are doing organic agriculture, e ito yung magandang fertilizer. Kasi with vermi, pwede mong gamitin yan coming from the vermibed, diretso na sa mga halaman kasi dumaan dun yan sa digestive system ng bulate so it adds a lot of enzymes tapos pwede ka pang kumuha ng foliar fertilizer, through brewing. Ibu-brew mo yung vermi tea.

Yung vermi, ibu-brew mo siya and then you could just use that as foliar [fertilizer].”

Vermi tea, vermi meal, and vermicast, are some of the products the worms can produce, which help the local organic farms in Bulacan including Aven’s Nature Farm.

Vermi tea is a brewed organic solution from worms that is sprayed to the plants for it to flourish, same as with the vermicast which is applied as fertilizer to the soil for better fruit production. Whereas, vermi meals are worms used as aquaculture feeds. These vermi are cultured in an oxygenated and moist vermibeds.

“We started sa vermicomposting ng half kilo, siguro nung 2012. Half kilo nung vermi, nung bulate, then afterwards siguro, since nga nag-alaga na kami niyan, we have sold mga 3040 kilos of vermi. Kasi nga nagbebenta na rin kami rito ng bulate, we’re selling it for 500 [pesos] per kilo, yung bulate lang. Yung vermicast, yung mga dumi ng bulate, yun di kami nagbebenta kasi we’re using it e,” narrated Ka Art. The Provincial Government, in cooperation with the Provincial Agriculture Office, has been encouraging organic agriculture for Bulakenyos since 2012, and has established eight teaching sites for all local farmers in the province, promoting the use of vermicompost and botanical pesticides in organic farming as a part of the Food Security Month. According to Ms.

Filomena Manlapig, Provincial Agriculturist II, only few farmers are engaged in vermiculture but many municipalities in District I such as Calumpit, Paombong, Malolos, Hagonoy, and Pulilan are participating in the crawling innovation.

“Maganda naman yung pagtanggap nila [farmers] kasi nakikita nila kung ano yung benefits ng vermicast, yung produce ng vermicomposting, kasi yung vermicast yun yung pinakamagandang organic fertilizer, tapos pinapaganda pa niya yung texture ng lupa, kumbaga nakakatulong pa tayo para di masira yung environment.

Naiiwasan din yung paggamit ng commercial na fertilizer,” shared by Filomena when asked about the state of vermiculture in the province.

The Republic Act 10068, known as the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, was created to promote sanitary food, and clean and healthy environment. With this national law, there is an implementation for vermicomposting facilities.

In the province, an improved number of farmers are adopting the innovation.

As for vermiculture and rabbit enthusiasts like Ka Art, it is essential that the two are incorporated for less slip-ups and improved culture of worms. It can be a better way of producing livestock and materials for communities in Bulacan.

“Ako ang nakikita ko lang dyan, people who are in rabbitry, talagang dapat incorporated yung vermiculture. Kasi nga alam naman natin na ang pagve-vermiculture, mahirap din na trabaho yan because aside from the vermiculture, dapat meron silang composting pit dahil most of the materials na ipapakain sa rabbit hindi naman pwedeng diretsong ilagay dun sa vermi.

Dahil kapag nag-init yung materials for feeding sa vermi, aalis yung mga vermi. So dapat yan, mga siguro 70-80% decomposed bago mo siya ilagay dun sa vermipit. With rabbit, wala kang problemang ganun. Hindi mo siya [vermi] dapat alagaan kasi nga yung rabbit iihi, so yun yung pandilig sa vermibed. Dudumi siya, so yun yung pagkain ng mga vermi. So mas mabilis dumami ang vermi with this kind of set-up,” he concluded.

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FEATURE

Evil Genius

The Man-made Devastation of Humanity Wendy Cobero

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nnovation of nanotechnology gives us a glimpse to the trajectory of the world that has never been seen. Revolutionary inventions are reshaping humanity, little by little, making the impossible possible. These creative creations are a product of programmed electronic devices instructed and operated by natural human intelligence yielding to machines commanded to think like a human; the so-called artificial intelligence (AI).

“What’s going to happen is robots will be able to do everything better than us. I mean all of us,” said the founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, who is also a de facto leading voice about robotics and machine learning.

From your phone connecting on the internet, there’s a presence of AI. We may be unaware but it is around us, enwrapping every one of us; AI exists at this very moment. As smartphones literally became smart by auto-correcting words and detecting fingerprints while Google Search auto-completes your sentences when searching, just like the recommended videos and advertising product in YouTube and Netflix plus the virtual personal assistance of Siri, Cortana and Google Assistant but we can’t forget the throwback memories of Facebook and its suggestion in tagging people automatically—all these becomes feasible, thanks to AI. It’s time to know how smart AI is and its effects in our society today.

Machine Brain Bested Human Brainpower Likewise, AI is said to be a blessing and a curse. Blessing as it turns certain situation comfortable and easy, improving our daily life by freeing us in troublesome instances. One basic example is the calculator, which is a great blessing in disguise, helping each of us to solve various complex problems. But on the other side of the coin, we are losing our mathematical problem-solving ability. When humans become more dependent on technology, humans start failing to hold his skills resulting for the computerized AIs to dominate human jobs and resources. The unintentional capture of a single negativity of the pleasing picture will raise a domino effect which lifts up the entire one.

Games are part of our life, we are fighting to win and, of course, to learn from our lost battles.

To empower our skills and memory, we practice and study a lot of tactics and techniques. Whereas for machines, chips are just integrated to establish their memory resulting them to triumph even in some mind-blowing games.

Last March 2016, AlphaGo developed by Google Deep Mind won $1 million in defeating grandmaster Lee Sedol in Go tournament. This scenario isn’t new as Deep Blue, an IBM supercomputer also reigned as the first computer 28

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“Over the next couple of decades, AI [Artificial Intelligence] is going to destroy many jobs, but this is a good thing.” chess-playing system world champion beating Gary Kasparov way back 1997. Undoubtedly, computer programs become so much smarter than humans seemingly in all aspect. Another story where machine won over human power is when Watson, a question answering computer system named after IBM’s first CEO, Thomas J. Watson, competed on the US quiz show Jeopardy! against legendary champions and victoriously snatched the first place prize last 2011.

It is normal to play games with a human but would you still want to defend your crown if you know that your opponent is a machine? Would you want to integrate a chip on your mind for a fair battle? We can’t deny that machine integrated with algorithms runs unstoppable so don’t be surprised if one day these machines will win not just over human but reign over the world.

Mechanical Brain in Human-like Figure They said robots are about to be human, from its physical appearance that can do facial expressions up to community membership registration, as Sophia became the first robot who grants citizenship in Saudi Arabia, we could say that robots are now considered human. It makes people wonder if there’s a possibility that this Sophia can fall in love and build a family. Barely, fiction movies are turning to be a non-fiction these days.

Robots could now imitate not just simple human actions but even its skills and talent.

Google taught AI to bake cookies. While in Japan, robots are taught how to dance. But who could dance without music? The robot named Shimon composed and performed its 30-second piece of original music. They don’t just follow the rhythm, they can make one.

In the field of medicine, an interactive toy called My Special Aflac Duck was created for the children who are diagnosed with cancer; it provides comfort to the children who undergo treatment and therapy. Machine intelligence is widely spread in pharmaceutical task, robots are capable to perform surgeries and recently, an AI algorithm was generated to diagnose pneumonia, it was called CheXNet. Robots are continuously hooked onto it; the great evidence is

Xiaoyi, a Chinese robot who passed the National Medical Licensing Examination (NMLE) with flying colors.

Dawn of the AI AI isn’t just made for helping humans with their intelligence problems but also for their loneliness. There are newly created “Realbots” or “Realdolls” that have AI intelligence with customizable features, voice, personality and even sex drive. According to CNET, these realbots are

by Ayss Creation, a company famous for creating sex toys. But the aim of this creation isn’t just to sleep with the robots but also to get to know them by talking to them and even fall in love with them. These robots looks human-like but AI made possible that they act and think in a humane manner.

The rising power of artificial intelligence drives itself crazy as it navigates vehicles without human input—self-driving cars. It became possible, of course, through the engineer and programmer who made it. But actually, it didn’t follow the instruction provided by its creator. It relies to the algorithm that teaches itself to drive by sensing its environment.

“Over the next couple of decades AI is going to destroy many jobs, but this is a good thing,” Miller said. Automatic cars could replace driver, truck drivers for example but it could open a large positive impact in society such as it would cut delivery cost which makes products and goods less expensive. It could also increase safety resulting to reduced traffics.

Machine Apocalypse In Hollywood films and science fiction novels, AI is almost always conceptualized as the antagonist who’ll soon take and rule the world.

Perhaps we are brainwashed by The Terminator (1984) which gives us this kind of thinking. But seriously, AI could lead us to danger just like what you’ve watched in movies. A number of robotics experts predict that the advancement of AI could give a way to AI war and could cause World War III. In the same manner, criminals could use AI techniques to hack people’s privacy and in making fake news or even fake porn.

“We need to make sure that the machine is being trained in the neutral way, or beneficial way, that will result in non-biased behaviors,” said Arvin Yason, Managing Director of Accenture Technology in the Philippines.

Truly, the programmed machines are not dangerous; it is in the programmer who makes the devices a dangerous one. Humanoid-robots might be smarter than humans but they couldn’t beat us. Remember that intelligence is only one factor in progress and others include creativity, empathy, passion and love. Machines can only rule the world if their creators will let them.

A

ng] dami nang nauusong kanta samantalang yung mga folk songs natatabunan na,” Andrew Cendric Peñaflor, President of BulSU Rondalla, gloomily said as a realization that the age of pop and electronic dance music rapidly overtakes today’s generation while cultural music is slowly being forgotten.

Everyone can’t deny that most Filipinos have lost their sense of nationalism as they follow other countries’ culture—imitating Koreans’ songs, foods, even fashion—and slowly losing interest in their own culture. But this fact doesn’t stop other people who are passionate in loving Filipino culture, just like the members of cultural groups in Bulacan State University. It is time to meet those who deserve the spotlight.

Strings Attached Most of the students in the university might have heard of BulSU Rondalla. Even though the spotlight was not that bright on them, their passion still burns every time they perform. During the colonization of the Spaniards, Rondalla was introduced to the Philippines as a part of Spanish East Indies. Out of Filipinos’ love for music, it was traditionally adapted in the country until it became a part of the traditional music culture.

Today, Rondalla is an ensemble of stringed instruments that are played with a plectrum or pick.

To keep this culture alive, Mr. Reynan Jancent Estrella, former member of Symphonic Band, revived the BulSU Rondalla in 2011 and still supports the group by performing with them as the conductor. “[Tumutugtog kami] para ma-maintain yung folk songs at di mamatay yung mga lumang tugtog ng Pilipino. Dahil talaga sa passion namin sa pagtugtog kaya namin ‘to ginagawa,” John Paulo Agustin, auditor of BulSU Rondalla, said.

BulSU Rondalla consists of string instruments such as bandurria, octavina, gitara, and bajo de arco wherein they play different genres such as folk, classical, slow rock, and modern.

“Hindi siya katulad ng ibang grupo na may specific na tinutugtog. Pwede siyang pangkalahatang genre,” Peñaflor explained.

In today’s generation, the only way to encourage others is to inspire them through performances, and BulSU Rondalla’s music can truly tell you more about their passion more than words can tell. “Tumutugtog kami ng mga bago na kanta para hindi ipasikat yung kanta, [kundi] para iangat yung Rondalla, na may ganito pa palang grupo, hindi katulad ng iba. At saka, hindi kami tumutugtog para sumikat. Tumutugtog

kami para magturo sa ibang tao, to educate.” Peñaflor and Roque, President and Vice President of BulSU Rondalla, concluded.

Unspoken Language In terms of passion and determination of reviving the downgrade of Filipinos’ rich culture, BulSU Lahing Kayumanggi, for over 30 years, continues to perform the wealth of cultural heritage that includes diverse collection of traditional dances; Filipino folk dances.

Folk dance, generally, is a type of dance that is vernacular, usually recreational, expression of a past or present culture. Its uniqueness from the modern dance is traditional dance originating among the common people of a nation or region. Meanwhile, modern dance is basically a mix between jazz style dancing and ballet. It helps you become more flexible and ties in different steps.

Thanks to those who still support the rich diverse culture of the Philippines, for there are still folk-dance groups who still exist and are continuously reviving the almost dead Filipino folk dances due to the age of modernism.

The Lahing Kayumanggi of BulSU was founded by Ms. Jovita E. Menesses, adviser of the said group, which consist of 28 members.

Also, they proudly present the Philippine culture as they participate in the cultural exchange performance held in Vietnam last August 2017.

This helps to maintain the culture of the country as they perform Philippine folk dances such as tinikling, binasuan and pandanggo sa ilaw.

fore they went on their knees for praising other countries’ culture. If you look into it, a culture is more fascinating because of the people who still preserve and practice them, and Filipino culture is much beautiful if only the people will appreciate its beauty. Like the members of cultural groups, people of today’s generation can dare to revive the culture that is dying faster than expected.

“Nakakalungkot isipin na nawawala na [sa mga Pilipino] ang pagtangkilik [sa folk dances] kasi dapat kahit na modern time na, nabibigyan pa din ‘yun ng pansin kasi parte pa rin ‘yun ng kultura ng Pilipinas.”

Photo by Zymon Peter Bergania

“Nakakalungkot isipin na nawawala na [sa mga Pilipino] ang pagtangkilik [sa folk dances] kasi dapat kahit na modern time na, nabibigyan pa din ‘yun ng pansin kasi parte pa rin ‘yun ng kultura ng Pilipinas pero hangga’t may mga folk dancers na nagtatatag ng grupo kagaya na lang ng Lahing Kayumanggi, siguro hindi pa din mawawala yung pagmamahal sa kultura,” Rosa Mistica Magtuba, President of Lahing Kayumanggi, stated.

A Matter of Appreciation Turning back in one’s culture is like turning back on what your ancestors fought and lived for. Looking at the culture of other countries, it’ll make you realize that it is what makes them unique. The Philippines has so much more than sisig, adobo, and other delicacies. People might think that a culture is dying, but as long as there are people who still know and preserve it, its life will prolong.

Photo by Zymon Peter Bergania

There is a famous saying that, “love yourself before loving others” and it can also mean that Filipinos should love their own culture be-

FEATURE

Dancing along the Strings of Passion Performing the long-forgotten Philippine folk songs and folk dances Wendy Cobero NOSTRUM

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BOOK REVIEW

Anecdotes of The Wandering Mind Peksman (Mamatay Ka Man) Nagsisinungaling Ako (At Iba Pang Kwentong Kasinungalingan na ‘di Dapat Paniwalaan) Sharah Marie Catiis

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ukas trabaho na muna. Saka na siguro ang iba pa.”

This book is Eros Atalia’s second published work, and his first book under Visprint, Inc. The book is divided into two parts: the first one is the anecdotes and the second one is the flash fictions and/or short stories, or as we call it in Filipino, dagli.

In the first part, we follow the journey of the narrator who is finding a job. His thoughts are scrambled and can be hard for an average reader to make sense of. He talks about random things such as the food at the karinderyas, his addiction to coffee, the religion of his parents, and how the world can be better if superheroes would really help us. It’s so random and out of the blue, it may come off as nonsensical.

Behind all of these, the narrator’s thoughts tell us that in order to pay our debt to our parents, we must let go of all our childish pride and our personal ambitions. Because that is what

they did for us and that’s what we should do in return. The first part also tells us the struggle of a fresh graduate who is full of idealism to fit in the corporate world.

The second part focuses on seven short stories that depict the Filipino way of life. Ang Paglunok, Buhay Burgis ng Isang Anak Pawis, Hindi Lamang sa TInapay Nabubuhay ang Tao, Ripol Epek, Biyernes-a-Trese, Ang Umari sa Puso ni Simang Aswang, and Si Intoy Syokoy ng Kalye Marino all have hidden messages you can decode by understanding the deeper meaning of the selections.

This book is really a must-read for us, the young-adults, because this clearly tells us what to expect after graduation. It teaches us that sometimes, we must succumb to adulthood and try to live for other people’s sake—because we will never be the person we are today if other people didn’t sacrifice for our ambitions—while never losing our own inner sparkle.

MOVIE REVIEW

Unlatched Liberty: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten Juliet Amo and Eljay Paralag

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t is hard to tell the world about your true identity especially in a conservative country. For a person who dared to reveal his/her true color, people judge him/her in a negative and hurtful way. The acceptance they’ve been seeking will be hard to reach. Before, it takes time for a person to be accepted by the society.

For a country like Philippines, where some of people are conservative, it is truly hard to get the support of your chosen track. It is great to see how Filipinos react on the changes offered by the modernization. The reality surrounding today’s society urged many to defy the norms and awaken their sleeping identities.

With a mixture of love, friendship, death, and coming-of-age, 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten, produced by Cinema One Originals, became more interesting to the viewers. Directed by Petersen Vargas and written by Jason Paul Laxamana, they created a motion picture with themes that will make you feel a lot of emotions. It is amazing to see that Philippine cinema is taking baby steps for having LGBT films as a norm, especially with a younger generation as their audience.

The story portrays the feeling of a person who awakes his sleeping identity even in a scratchy way.

The film introduces Felix Salonga (played 30 NOSTRUM

by Khalil Ramos), an exemplary student. In Felix’s eyes, no one is worth befriending and no one is interesting enough to pay attention to.

But change has come when Snyder brothers, Magnus (Ethan Salvador) and Maxim (Jameson Blake), transferred to their school. The brothers formed a relationship with Felix, and things started to change. The brothers asked Felix’s help in school assignments and gave money as a payment, until friendship blossomed between Felix and Magnus.

The film has a great cinematography and fresh-mellow beats. The shots gave an impact to the story. Every scene looks like a painting and it is truly stunning. The music also reflects the visuals of the story.

Beside the technicalities, the film showed the story in a different way. The film does not have tons of dialogue when characters appear to the screen. The film tells its story through actions and how the characters react to the situation. While watching the film, you will never expect the plot twist. It is as if you were riding in a roller coaster of emotions.

2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten is a dark story with great cinematography and harmony. The film told the story through images—smiles, glances, and even their smallest actions. It is one of the indie films you will never forget.

Photo by Zymon Peter Bergania

ALBUM REVIEW

Simula ng mga Bagong Makata: Munimuni Pauline Van Calla

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arahil ang bandang “Munimuni” ay makabago sa pandinig, sa kadahilanang ang kanilang bituin ay hindi pa gaanong nagniningning. Ngunit ang husay ng bandang ito ay hindi maitatanggi.

Ang banda ay binubuo nila Adj Jia, TJ de Ocampo, John Owen Castro, Red Calayan at Jolo Ferrer na nagsimula sa isang proyekto sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman at di naglaon ay tuluyang sinulong ang kanilang musika. Habang nakasakay raw sa jeep ay naisip ni TJ ang salitang “munimuni” habang s’ya mismo ay nagninilay sa mga pangyayari sa kanyang buhay, na naging sanhi ng pangalan ng kanilang banda.

Ang pinagkaiba ng bandang ito sa ibang indie Original Philippine Music (OPM) artists ay ang kanilang genre na kung tawagin ay “makata pop”, kung saan ang bawat liriko ay isinulat ng patula at binigyang buhay gamit ang musika at himig nila. Ayon sa mga miyembro, mas nais nilang isulat ang kanilang mga awitin sa Filipino upang mas tumagos sa damdamin ng mga kababayang makakarinig nito at bigyang buhay ang kagandahan ng tulang Filipino. Ang kanilang mga awitin ay tunay na naglalarawan ng pamumuhay ng mga Pilipino, sa tunog pa lang ng musika nito.

Mga Katha Ang album na “Simula” ay naglalaman ng mga kantang isinulat mismo ng mga miyembro ng banda. Isa na rito ang kantang “Bukang-Liwayway”, na tila madadala ka sa isang lugar kung saan ang kalikasan ay mistulang nakikipag-usap at may sariling buhay. Hindi man tulad ng mga makabagong kanta na sikat sa kabataan ngayon, ito ay hahagod at kakalma sa isang nababagabag na damdamin.

Mapapakinggan din dito ang “Tanikala”, na may lirikong nakakapagpatibok ng damdamin, kung saan ang harana at paghanga ay isinulat na isang tula at inawit ng buong puso. Hindi rin dapat palampasin ang “Sa Pag-alala” at sa “Hindi Pag-alala”. Ang mga awit na ito ay guguhit sa puso ng mga makakarinig. Hindi nga naman lahat ng pag-ibig ay walang hanggan at hindi lahat ng ito ay matamis. Ang bawat kataga sa mga awiting ito ay may pait at sakit na madadama na lalong naipamalas sa pamamagitan ng malikhaing pagsulat nito at nakakaantig na musika.

Kung sinseridad lang ang pag-uusapan, ang awiting “Sa’yo”, ang magpapatunay nito. Mula sa musika hanggang sa paraan ng pag-awit ng bawat lirikong nagsasambit ng pagmamahal at pait, habang unti-unting nanghihina at nawawala ang taong iyong minamahal. Kung masaya at kakaiba naman ang hanap ng pandinig, ang “Bakunawa” ang awiting makakabuo ng malungkot na araw. Bukod sa liriko at musikang masigla na ginamitan ng plawta, ay naipakita ng banda ang kanilang nais ipahayag ng may kasamang damdamin.

Ang huling iba sa lahat ay ang “Marilag.” Ito ay may bakas ng pagka-Pilipino hindi lamang sa tunog nito, ngunit maging sa liriko. Ang pagkatao bilang isang Pilipino ang mistulang nakakalimutan ng karamihan sa kabataan ngayon. Isa na ang OPM sa mga gawang Pinoy na naiiwan at naipagpapalit na mismo ng mga Pilipino dahil sa kanilang pagkamulat sa mga gawang banyaga.

Marahil nauso at sobrang sikat na nga ng mga musikang banyaga, ngunit lahat ng kasikatang iyon ay dulot din mismo ng kanilang mga mamamayan. Ang musikang Pilipino ay tunay na makabuluhan at dapat ipagmalaki, kung ang mamamayan mismo ang tatangkilik dito, bukas marahil ay alam na rin ito ng buong mundo.

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Photo by Zymon Peter Bergania

FEATURE

Suspiciously Delicious Meeting Aphrodite’s Aphrodisiacs Pauline Van Calla and Anna Mae Cruz 32 NOSTRUM

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reat food is like great sex. The more you have the more you want.” — Gael Greene

They say “the way to someone’s heart is through the stomach” but little do people know, there are foods that can also add heat to the burning passion of love that can even reach the hills. Thinking of ways how to make a hot night even hotter? Want to turn sexy times more pleasurable? Don’t have the drive to do it with your partner? Aphrodisiac foods will save the day.

Foods that can make your body tingle and your inner light kindle.

Love drugs or aphrodisiacs are foods known to increase libido and sexual desires when eaten.

Its name is derived from the Greek word aphrodisiakon meaning sexual, or from aphrodisios pertaining to Aphrodite. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of sexual love, was “born” when she rose from the sea, and so seafoods have been deemed aphrodisiacs. The different understandings of the phenomena exist, maybe derived from folklore, mythology, superstitions, and logical reasoning. Be ready to meet these aphrodisiacs and gasp with pleasure, as the curtains unfold after turning the lights off within the succeeding paragraphs.

The late Manuel Vázquez Montalbán wrote in his book Immoral Recipes, “No one has ever succeeded at seduction by means of food alone.”

Though this may be true, at the very least, using foods to set up the mood isn’t that bad.

Innocent No More There are tons of aphrodisiac foods that are common in the backyard or even in the market place. The all-time favourite Banana made the list. It contains the chemicals essential in increasing the libido and resembles the male sex organ. Research tells that the smell of banana bread increases women’s arousal by an average of 12 percent, which is not that bad.

Another are Watermelons that commonly fills the markets during summer. According to the discovery of Texas A&M University’s Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center, it contains enzymes that increase libido and relax the blood vessels in the groin. Experts dubbed it as the new Viagra. It also has citrulline—an amino acid good for cardiovascular system that helps relax the blood vessels and increases sex drive.

The First Time Dr. Nalini Chilkov stated that, “Love foods that stimulate desire are prized in cultures worldwide. These foods have circulatory, relaxant and muscles strengthening effects, or visual, tactile or sensory impact that stimulates the psyche. The brain, after all is the largest sexual organ in the body.” Psychologists say that the effects are somewhat psychological. If it is already programmed to someone’s mind that he will be aroused after eating aphrodisiacs, then the occurrence is called psychological programming.

History proclaims that Filipinos got this addiction from the Chinese people. However, when the country is under the colonization of the Spaniards, the use of aphrodisiacs is prohibited due to the belief that it is violating the laws of God. During those times, it is a taboo to touch someone’s body or to think maliciously of others. After more than 300 years, Americans came and love drugs became the talk of the town.

Hush, and eat According to Vogue Magazine, rare, bizarre ingredients have taken positions within aphrodisiacs including oysters or bird’s nest soup, piranhas, and sparrow tongues. The yujo or socalled brothel workers of feudal Japan swore by a tincture of eels, lotus root, and charred newt.

There’s no detailed explanation as to how these foods made their way to people’s appetite but different stories exists.

Based on legends, the ancient Aztec ruler Montezuma devoured more than 50 cups of chocolate before indulging the ladies; Casanova famously seduced a virgin by slipping a raw oyster into her mouth. It’s also the matter of luxury—ingredients like truffles, foie grass, caviar, bone marrow, and champagne are also seductive in their own way.

Many aphrodisiacs have been banned before including herbs and spices like basil, mint, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, pepper, saffron, and vanilla during medieval times for being often used in making love potions. Then the muhtasib of Seville tried to prohibit the sale of aphrodisiacs within the proximity of mosques, for the fear of corrupting the morals of good Muslims who went there.

“Research tells that the smell of banana bread increases women’s arousal by an average of 12 percent, which is not that bad.”

If you want it smaller, Avocado is the one.

It’s Europeans’ favorite according to a recent report. Its ancient Aztec’s nickname was “ahuacati” meaning testicle because of its shape. It also contains vitamin E which is an essential in maintaining energy levels and youthful vigor, good for healthy but active lifestyle.

A study conducted by Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh says that pomegranate juice increase testosterone levels and is a potent natural aphrodisiac. Who doesn’t like refreshment after working out?

There’s Chocolate for Valentines, peace offering, and for the sweet tooth. Who would say no to chocolates (aside from the allergic people)? According to history, the Aztecs used to ingest cocoa to stimulate desire. Chocolates also contain arousal-boosting chemicals—tryptophan (building block of serotonin—the feelgood chemical) and phenylethylamine (related to amphetamine). This is definitely the love food for kids and why not for adults playing as kids?

To those who have cocoa allergies, Vanilla’s the key. Since 18th century it’s known to increase male potency. According to a survey by The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, it is rated as euphoric and sensual by men.

Others like it simple but tasty, it’s a classic.

Relax and Flex Not everyone has a sweet tooth but there’s no need to fret because there are alternative aph-

rodisiacs too. It includes Ginger root, it’s being used in India as treatment for impotence. Based on history, Confucius is said to be using it as an additive to every meal.

Pumpkin is not only for Halloween, it can also be for every night if you’re energetic enough to do some modified exercise. Like oysters, they are also high in zinc. The scent of pumpkin pie increases blood flow in men and amorous desire in women, according to a study by The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. It also has vitamin B, E, C, K, and D which is known as libido vitamins.

What’s hotter than pepper? Chili pepper will definitely make a hot night. Hot, as in literally hot. It contains capsaicin, a chemical that generates the heat and is testosterone boosting and increases libido. Take hot in, steam it out with working out.

Garlic that adds flavour to the meals contains allicin that increases blood flow to sexual organs. However, it’s not for those who are not patient enough, because it takes approximately a month to take effect.

Basil also made it to the list. It’s used by women to attract men by rubbing it on their skin. Its aroma is the one responsible for your partner’s arousal. In Roman times, basil is considered as a symbol of love. Smells good, feels good.

A Taste to be Dazed We conducted an experiment with teenagers not far from 20 years of age, letting them eat aphrodisiacs namely; Watermelons, Bananas and Chocolates. After couple of minutes observing, an interview was conducted given their knowledge about the effects of the foods they ate.

Most of their answers concluded that maybe the effects of aphrodisiacs depend on the people who ate them. Most of their feelings after digesting the foods include energy boost and feeling happier or rather, jolly. Those emotions failed to take them somewhere darker deep down.

According to Minnie; not her true name, “Nahyper ako. Feeling ko hindi naman ako gan’to ka-hyper kung iba yung kinain ko eh. Pero wala na ‘kong ibang nararamdaman.” Another interviewee a.k.a. Luts said, “Nakakadagdag ng energy. Kanina pagod na ko pero nagka-energy na ‘ko ulit. Yun lang naman.”

With the question as to what food would they prefer during an intimate moment, Chocolates definitely took the spotlight. According to JC, “Gusto ko yung chocolates kasi ano, sweet kasi, tsaka masarap. Nakakadagdag pa ng energy kasi sugar.” The famous question “Sex or Chocolates?” after all doesn’t matter if both are available at the same time.

A unique answer came from Momo, “Ako gusto ko yung watermelon. Ang sarap kasi. Tapos ano, wet.” Truly, everyone has a different taste even when it comes to these aphrodisiacs.

Aside from the fact that these foods are aphrodisiacs, it’s undeniable that they are also oozing with nutrients and minerals that are good for the body. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone. So a fit and sexy life is within grasp with these awesome foods and their effects. Although the effect of some is still not proven, there’s no harm in trying. After all, aphrodisiacs aren’t the only way to light an inner candle, as long as love is there, passion burns and then everything will follow.

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FEATURE

Mission not-so-impossible Defying all odds until graduation Anna Mae Cruz

C

heat. /CHēt/ verb gerund or present participle: cheating : act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.

Inspired by real-life events, Bad Genius, a Thai heist thriller film became the talk of the town for weeks, securing the number one spot on Thailand’s 2017 list of high-grossing films.

Photo by Eunice Lagman

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Portraying the life of high school students devising techniques to cheat on exams, anyone can’t deny the fact that they can somehow relate with the characters. Almost everyone cheats, be it a simple 10-item quiz or a 100-item final examination on a major subject.

According to a report by Rutgers University professor, Donald McCabe, for The Center for Academic Integrity in June 2005, 70% of public high school students admit to serious test cheating, and 60% say they have plagiarized papers.

Only 50% of private school students however, admit to this.

It is somehow very alarming, given the fact that the students become creative in designing new cheating tactics in order to gain good grades. But how can we blame them if the society shapes them to become like that, in this world full of parents pressuring their child to attain good grades, making them believe that straight A’s will give them a VIP access to highpaying jobs. But then, no matter what excuse we say, cheating is still wrong. Period.

Lynn: Helping with cheating “I even told her that, I want to have a bestie like you.” - Pat “I’ve seen you have lots of friends.” - Lynn “You’re right, but no one lends me their eraser during exams.” - Pat Who wouldn’t want a friend like Lynn, right? After all, that’s what friends are for. Helping each other’s back. College life can be really stressing and sometimes we need our friends to cheer us up. Students do a lot of wicked methods like sending pictures of answers through ShareIt; exchanging papers while in an ongoing examination; writing the answers on a tissue paper; sticking reviewers on IDs, calculators or even handkerchiefs; doing sign languages only he and his friend could understand; and the list could go on, in order to get away with the all-nighters thinking this is the easy way out. But then, when the prize of helping a friend is a grade of zero on a long examination, think again.

visation lang naman yun, inaral ko rin naman yung paper after. [Kaya] siya gumawa, kasi in-offer din naman niya kasi madali lang daw gumawa nun. So ayun, pabor naman sa’min kasi nga madaming school works, tapos magbabayad lang kami kasi wala [nga] kaming ginawa. Tapos no’n, bago namin i-submit yung paper, binasa naman namin yun, pinag-aralan namin. Para noong defense namin, makasagot kami,” El stated.

crimes just to get what they want. Little did they know that, in the end, good grades won’t define them, it is the things they do in the process that would.

For El, cheating only took place when he and his groupmates payed for the effort of their leader in making the research paper. But he’s not ashamed to admit that when an opportunity like that knocks on his door once again, he would gladly grab it. He also thinks that it’s just fair, because thinking about it, it’s their leader who

Almost everyone cheats, it’s an open secret.

Because why not? We pacify our guilt by thinking that if everyone does it, why wouldn’t we?

For John, a future food scientist, copying his friend’s assignment ten minutes before the bell rings is the real life saver.

Like Lynn, he needs to face the consequences of his actions. The score he got on the long examination created a huge effect on his final grade. But still, nothing makes him happier than seeing his friends passing their exams. Anyway, it’s hard to celebrate for a perfect score if you’re the only one celebrating. As a friend, we always want what’s the best for them, but is cheating the only choice? Apparently, it’s not, but it seems to be the easier option.

“[…] kung yung cheating naman e, combined effort, there is nothing wrong as long as hindi kayo nahuhuli and you are both fine with it.”

“Nakakatamad, madaming school works.

[Saka] may ganoong option, so grab it. Impro-

Bank: Cheating is a choice “Take or cheat an exam?” - Bank “To me the word cheat means that one person loses something. But we will get money, and the others will get good scores. Win-win. Bank, we both are losers, you know. We’re not born winners like Grace and Pat. We must try harder to get what’s ours. Look, what happened?” - Lynn

“True. But don’t you see even if you don’t cheat, life cheats you anyway.” - Lynn

Pat: Money can’t buy happiness, but can buy grades

Meet El, not his real name, a 20-year-old College of Science student. El admits that using money to obtain grades that he doesn’t deserve is wrong, but it’s not like he have a choice.

John knows that his friend understands him, so it never crossed his mind that maybe his friend thinks he only befriended him for cheating. Familiar with the concept of give and take, students know how to apply it very well.

“My friend copies me, so I’ll copy him too,” they thought.

“It’s not the same. You cheated. I was just unlucky.” - Bank

Just like our fellow ka-CS, we value our friends to the point of doing bad things for them.

However, by doing this, we’re teaching them to be lazy and to always depend on us. But who are we to judge? Admit it or not, we commit cheating even once in our life. But when cheating becomes a habit, that’s where the problem starts.

It’s not like paying for grades is brand new, but others can’t help but to raise their eyebrows whenever they heard of one. It’s true that money makes the world go round.

“Alam mo yun? Yung feeling na nakakalimot ka na may assignment pala then nung nasa school ka palang gumawa. E ‘di ka pa tapos gumawa tapos ten minutes na lang class n’yo na, ayun dun ako nangongopya,” shared John.

“Nakakahiya kasi. Siya gumawa nung assignment nya, then ako kokopya lang e pinaghirapan niya yun,” he continued.

“Oo, basta hindi madalas [yung pangongopya.] Parte ‘yun ng student life, pero ‘di dapat tino-tolerate,” he ended.

“Smart people like you don’t understand.

Thickheads like me, all want good grades. I know that we aren’t tight, but if you agree, I’ll pay you 3K per subject.” - Pat

“If I had a brain half your size, I wouldn’t have done something as stupid as this!” - Grace

However, John honestly admits that he doesn’t even feel a single ounce of conscience whenever he copies his friend’s homeworks. Although, he feels shy thinking that he copied the assignment his friend worked hard for, in a blink of an eye.

The same goes for a twenty-year-old, Mathematics major student. He lent his answers to his friends, with nothing but a good intention, because he only wanted them to pass. He doesn’t know it was wrong until he got a dose of his own medicine.

“Oo naman, yes, [nag-cheat na ako.] I even tried to hide answers sa bracelet, ball pen, etc. nung UP [University of the Philippines] days ko, pero nawala kasi honor and excellence daw. Oo [nagpakopya na ako], sinagutan ko yung [long examination] sa isang subject, tapos na-zero ako, lahat kami zero [kasi nahuli],” he confessed.

Grace: Give and take

suggested the idea while they only agreed. They also studied the paper afterwards. However, El still thinks negative of cheating on some ways.

“May times na mali ang cheating, especially kung alam mong pinaghirapan ng taong kinopyahan mo yung exam or yung work na ginawa niya tapos wala pang consent yung pangongopya mo.

Pero kung yung cheating naman e, combined effort, there is nothing wrong as long as hindi kayo nahuhuli and you are both fine with it,” he concluded.

Most students think that grades are the only thing that matter, especially when it’s the season of viewing portals and distribution of Certificate of Grades (COGs), so they’ll choose to commit

“Ayaw ko mag-cheat kasi ayaw ko mahuli.

Saka ang paniniwala ko kasi sa exam, bawal mangopya o magpakopya kasi talo ka talaga (kahit sino ka man sa dalawang side. Saka kaya rin di ako nangongopya kasi ayokong magpakopya.

‘Di talaga ko comfortable na kinokopyahan ako,” Maria, not her real name, a 3rd year Computer Science student narrated.

Maria shared that preferring not to cheat is her way of punishing herself for not doing her best, and for being lazy instead of reviewing.

“Saka mas importante sa akin yung natutunan ko yung nagamit ko kaysa kumuha lang ako ng sagot sa iba,” she ended.

Someone can always say no to cheating, don’t give an excuse that you only did that since you don’t have a choice, because you have. You just chose to close your eyes. Some do it just to pass, some do it for their friends, and some do it just for fun, but whatever reason you may have, always remember that cheating can never be right.

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FEATURE

The Lady with an Iron Fist

Steel-hard legacy of Miriam, rust-free to Filipinos Jose Enrico Coronel 36 NOSTRUM

I

f jungles have lions, the Philippines has Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

In this day full of controversies everywhere—drugs, extrajudicial killings, corruption, and other national and geopolitical problems, a leader should initiate a move to halt these blood-and-thunder barbarities. Now that the iron lady is gone, the government has turned into a circus without the grandmaster once again. We are in desperate need of a leader. Not just a leader but a formidable, tough and fierce leader—a rare breed of politician who will defy the unjust chains of government. We have seen her on television, heard over the radio, bluntly criticizing the wrongdoings of the corrupt: the twisted truths and ironed lies.

Amidst of her absence, we can’t deny that she left a mark inside us, and that mark will never remain rust-free to all of us.

Stainless Steel Known as the Dragon Lady, the Tiger Lady and most popularly, The Iron Lady of Asia, Santiago is known for her aggressive but accurate accusations about government scandals like graft and corruption. She knows no face when it comes to the law; be it a gentle worm squirming quick to hide beneath the earth or a crocodile hunting for maimed preys. It’s either you break her or she will break you into shambles while you get lost in thought with her barrage of sarcastic but bold remarks. “I eat death threats for breakfast,” she once said in an interview.

In the midst of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, we could recall that former Senate leader Juan Ponce Enrile blasted her with ad hominem, teasing that she almost failed her bar exam subjects. “Now I know why she nearly flunked her bar examination. A parrot can memorize legal principles but it cannot apply them.” He also stressed the confusion Santiago is undergoing regarding the basics of due process. “You hear first before you condemn.”

Meanwhile, Santiago retaliated. Hell-bent as always and fiery, she told the media that Enrile spearheaded the 10-billion pork barrel scam, where funds are used as cash gifts. Janet LimNapoles, (also known as PDAF scam queen) was inquired to reveal the fiasco that happened. “I invoke my rights against self- incrimination,” she kept on repeating. However, Miriam warned her as it may pose a great danger to her life.

Alongside Enrile were Sexy and Pogi who were also involved in the pork barrel scam. Miriam identified them as Senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada.

The Tiger Lady also incriminated the Senate leader to hold full responsibility for the violence under Martial Law regime and for owning properties in the form of gambling establishment and smuggling area in Cagayan. She also called him as “psychopathic hyper-sexualized serial womanizer,” spitting out that he is philandering with different women. Together with the two, Enrile was successfully detained but a year later was released due to old age and poor health, as ordered by the Supreme Court.

The above issues only show the partial side of Miriam’s undeniably remarkable intelligence in dealing with political blights. It’s not all about brain and mouth but also about a heart that speaks for a million Filipinos. In short, she thinks for the macrocosm of the nation while microscopically scrutinizing the very roots of economic and societal cancers.

In all seriousness, behind darting harsh words to harum-scarum officials, she has become the first Asian (the first Filipino) to preside as judge of the International Criminal Court.

She has also passed significant laws including Reproductive Health Act of 2012, Cybercrime Act of 2012, Sin Tax Law and Magna Carta for Women to name a few. “When cigarettes and liquor are cheap, more people will use them. The Philippines already has one of the lowest prices of cigarettes and alcohol in Southeast Asia.

That’s why for every hour, 10 Filipinos die from tobacco use. Smoking causes 240 deaths every single day,” Defensor justified the importance of Sin Tax Law to allay smoking and liquor in the country.

Furthermore, Miriam supports gender equality, recapitulating in her previous talks that women’s rights should be solidified through her proposed bills. Consequently, Jeszelle Jene Galvan from BSM BA 2A stated her side with regards to the aforementioned topic. “Well, I observed one thing, feminist kasi yang si madam, but she managed not to complicate feminism and chivalry. Unlike other women in politics, sa kanya ang simple lang. Her way of thinking is like, we should have equal rights and [opportunities]. Pero wag mong kakalimutan na babae ang nanay mo, sa babae ka nanggaling, babae ako, dapat mo akong i-recognize, therefore matuto kang gumalang. That is simple. She left making it clear to me and others, na we are women who wanted equality but it doesn’t mean na equal kayo ay papayag kang bastusin ka na ng mga lalaki. And I think that is where her courage and demeanor is coming from whenever may senate hearing sila. Others might think it’s just bravery. But I’m thinking it’s more than that.”

Furthermore, she didn’t stop her advocacy of educating people in all walks of life especially the youth which has a soft spot in her heart. “My emphasis will be on the youth, the young people of this country. I’ve always loved the young people, and I will never fail them in the next six years,” she said during the presidential debate.

Unfortunately, the saying third time’s a charm was overrated this time as she loses her presidential bid to Duterte last 2016.

Besides being a stateswoman, debater, advocate and political genius, she is also a writer by heart. She released two books, “Stupid is Forever” and its sequel “Stupid is Forevermore” which reached local bookstores and e-book sites to become a major hit specifically to youth. I recollected some moments when I read the first book electronically. It was teeming with her insights concerning crooked politicians, national dilemmas, etc. It was like an all-spice: a tempest of earnest thoughts while savoring a torrential rain of jokes.

“The only word that goes toe to toe with the name Miriam Defensor-Santiago is the word ‘dauntless’. With a blade tongue and a thundering mind to back it up, she instills ground-shaking reasoning and thoughts that I will always look up to.”

More Than a President A line has an end and so is a circle. The sun will never wend again from east to west as Santiago met her twilight point on 29th of September 2016, after a long-fought battle from lung cancer at the age of 71.

As a result of her untimely demise, supporters across the country were saddened as they lost not just a piece of gem, but an elusive, irreplaceable gold. Her luster was unmatchable, indeed.

“The only word that goes toe to toe with the name Miriam Defensor-Santiago is the word ‘dauntless’. With a blade tongue and a thundering mind to back it up, she instills ground-shaking reasoning and thoughts that I will always look up to. The fact that there is a woman like her in the government makes you feel like there is still hope amidst the pang of our society. After the news of her passing, sadness is but a swift emotion as to a person with a strong afterglow that shines long after the source has passed out,” John Xavier Cardenas from BS Biology 3B recalled what he loved about the late senator.

Arjude Fronda from BSM CS 2A expressed the strength of Santiago’s legacy, “Para sakin yung pagiging palaban nya. Saka walang inaatrasan, may prinsipyo at isang magaling na senador. Magaling din siya magpayo [lalo na sa mga kabataan]. He also added how her pick-up lines impacted him. “Saka yung mga hugot niya ang galing tatamaan at tatamaan ka talaga.”

Even a teacher like Mrs. Marybeth Gregorio of Sta. Monica National High school shared her succinct sentiment, “Yung qualities ni Miriam bilang mambabatas yun ang mas tumatak sa akin plus matalino, matapang, at may prinsipyo siya.”

In this world full of fakes, deceptions and misconceptions, injustice will still prevail. Especially when a plant of subtle growth has perished, it will happen even the wind veers. She died battling these barricades hindering the roads to a progressive nation. Politicians (like her) who stick with their principles than overindulging in their own interest are even harder to find than a needle in a haystack. Inspiring fellows is just a small part of her legacy in line with her monumental laws being implemented and “idiots” as what she called, being enlightened.

“Needless to say, most of us students and millennials hoped that she tops the election last 2016. She topped campus surveys. Slowly, the young are being awakened of the county’s condition. As we come of age, so does our awareness that we need an actual leader; a dedicated one, a person who has been offering her life for the country. That’s why we believed in her. We saw hope in her. We believed that change can actually happen in the Philippines. She fought for the nation,” Margot Mendoza, a BS Biology student and also a BioSoc officer, stated.

She might be arrogant at speaking in straight-to-the-point manner, no wonder some loathes her but, more importantly, that exceeds the number of people that love her. The cheesy jokes and voluble mouth are some of the things that we would miss about her.

Most significantly, her crusade for the greater good of majority sparked a much-needed improvement of the country towards an equal and equitable society. Her legacy would transpire as a sine qua non for everyone to contribute even the smallest but most productive deed possible.

She is the president we never had. The Philippines will never be the same again without her.

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Photo by Aira Isabelle Dario

FEATURE

A Walk of Faith Witnessing the bloody penance at Kapitangan, Paombong, Bulacan Pauline Van Calla and Anna Mae Cruz

H

oly Week is the time of the year when people strengthen their faith in God through praying and traditional act of penance or even fasting. This is also the time of the year when students await for a break from school works and a time for vacation to those who can afford it. It is a sacred time which everyone knows of, but its significance is not that burned on everyone’s mind.

Crucifixion is an annual spectacle in the Philippines. This tradition first bloomed in Pampanga. Folks in the nearby province of Bulacan have also adopted the bloody exhibition of penance of which the Roman Catholic church has repeatedly said that, flagellation and being nailed to the cross are not the way to salvation.

Kapitangan, a barangay in Paombong at the province of Bulacan where one of the bloodiest Senakulo, or public reenactments of the Passion during Holy Week, occurs particularly on Good Fridays and is particularly known nationwide.

The residents of the area have long claimed that the ancient local image of the Sto. Cristo, or Crucified Christ, has miraculous healing power and during Holy Wednesday each year, the image is bathed in oil, and that oil is distributed free to pilgrims to bring healing power to those in need. These information knocked on the curious minds of the members of the CS Wizards, College of Science student publication in Bulacan State University, City of Malolos.

Believing what your eyes perceives Aira Isabelle Dario, Gemma Villafuerte, Adrian Guevarra, Olivia Cabigao and I (Pauline Van Calla) grabbed the chance to experience a Good Friday at Kapitangan, Paombong, Bulacan. In every destination, the journey to it adds spice to the experience. Everyone’s excited 38 NOSTRUM

and curious of watching the crucifixion for the first time. The journey starts around 8:00 am, as we gathered in front of Paombong’s Municipal Hall. It’s still early so everyone decided to offer a sacrifice by walking until we reach our destination. According to Google’s navigation, the distance from our meeting place to our end point is almost two kilometers and an hour of walk.

Adrian said, “Ang kadalasan ko lang ginagawa tuwing semana santa eh nasa bahay lang ako at naglilinis ng bahay and family bonding na rin.”

“Pumupunta talaga kaming Kapitangan every year. Tradition na ng pamilya yun. Yun nga lang, Maundy Thursday kami pumupunta kasi dagsa ang tao ‘pag Good Friday kasi nga yung pagpapako sa krus dinadayo,” Olivia stated.

All of us are guilty of watching the crucifixion for the first time. “First time kong manood ng pagpapako sa krus. Usually, nasa bahay lang with family o kaya Visita Iglesia. Tuwing Tuesday at Friday sumasama sa prusisyon,” Aira said.

Gemma on the other hand said, “Para maiba naman. And ngayon lang din nagka-chance na may kasamang mga kaibigan na pupunta.”

It is said that time flies when you have company, it’s true because we walked half the distance for 30 minutes without even noticing it.

It’s the traffic that reminded us that we’re almost there and the sight of men covered in their own blood as they walk the streets to execute their act of penitent. We walked side by side with the penitents and seeing too much blood send my pulse in the sky as it sends my other companions running to escape the bloody scene. Aira, on the other hand, did her best to keep her composure and get a clear shot of the scene.

Our journey was quite long and the stalls on the narrow streets made it harder to reach

our destination. It’s also a tradition in the Philippines to have stalls of many kinds in places where festivities occur because many people gather there. We went early to avoid the brimming people all over the place— local and tourist, penitents, devotees, pilgrims, and bystanders anxiously making their way for the start of the crucifixions. Luckily, the people managing the crowd let us in front of the stage to witness and capture the sacred act.

For by grace, have been saved through faith It’s around 10 am and not so long enough before the first penitent to be crucified arrived.

In front was a built-in stage where men dressed as Jews like the ones who tortured Jesus, stood because they will crucify the penitents and assist them off the scene after. Children are ushered down the stage and at the other end of the barricade because the scene won’t be wholesome for them. The names of the penitents crucified were kept confidential by the people involved.

There are paramedics on the area and people in uniforms keeping the peace in the crowd.

It takes place outside the Kapitangan’s Santo Kristo Catholic chapel of which is the home of miraculous Santo Kristo crucifix, where number of believers are witnessed since the act began in 1977. The first man came into view walking barefoot under the hot sun, wearing a robe and a crown of thorns. He carried a cross on his shoulder while other penitents walk alongside whipping their backs with a whip made of sticks. He was ushered above the stage by the men and prepared him for a couple of minutes. The “Calvary” as what they call the platform aside the chapel is where the penitents are nailed to a 12-foot-high wooden cross, imitating Jesus. Unlike the actual crucifixion, they had support for their feet and ties on both arms for support.

The penitent then took his place on the cross and got tied, men holding him for support as they disinfect their nails and hammers with the use of alcohols. With a signal, the men raised the nails and hammers clashing them to make a sound, while they imitate the Jews who tortured Jesus. The penitent silently prays as he awaits to be crucified. As the crowd went silent, waiting for the bloody act, Aira, who’s taking the photos of the scene, suddenly let Gemma take her place because of the overwhelming scene before us.

“Teka, hindi ko kaya, Gemma ikaw muna,” Aira confessed as Gemma took the camera just in time for the man to be crucified. His face is masked in pain as the nails pierced his skin and through his flesh. I watched carefully while covering my ears because I’m afraid to hear if he’s going to scream in pain, but he didn’t. The crowd let out a startled gasp as the sound of steel from the nails and hammer echoed in the air. It was breath-taking. For over a minute after singing “Ama Namin”, there’s another command to take the nails off the man and then he was carried to a stretcher and out of the scene.

A little boy carried by his dad standing behind us went pale, so the concerned citizens ushered them out of the area. Suddenly the crowd dissipates, not long before another set of people made up the crowd once more. The second penitent came, the same manner the first one did. But he’s wearing a wig just like a Nazarene and a maroon colored cloth to cover half of his body. He stationed himself in the cross, different from the first penitent’s action. And this time, Aira decided to cover the act while all of us watched intently.

The men imitating the Jews are also replaced and so as their props—nails and hammers of which was also disinfected with alcohol in front of the crowd. With a command, the man was crucified in his hands and feet. It is visible that his wounds are deeper than the first penitent and instead of singing, the men in front prayed “Ama Namin” and “Aba Ginoong Maria” before the command was made to remove the nails. To everyone’s horror, the main pulling of the nail on the penitent’s right hand seems to struggle.

Multiple attempts were made but fail until there’s dripping blood on his palm and finally the nail’s removed. The stretcher was nowhere to be found so the man was carried by other men as he collapsed; the crowd gasped sympathizing the penitent’s visible pain.

tent’s act, and I realized that the men who seem like his “crew” were the same people as the first penitent’s. We’re amazed to see his right hand’s wound without a drop of blood. But one of the men in uniforms told us, “Magaling lang yung nagpapako.” So we let the thought go.

God’s temple and God’s spirit I asked my mates on what they think are the penitent’s reason to crucify themselves. Aira answered, “Sa tingin ko ginagawa lang nila yun para pagbayaran nila yung mga kasalanan na nagawa nila. Di ko alam kung tama o mali yung ginagawa nila, ang akin lang eh, baka may mangyari dun sa taong papakuin at mamatay pero sa tingin ko ay part na rin iyon ng tradition tuwing semana santa.”

Olivia said, “For me di naman na nila kailangang gawin yan. Ang dating kasi sakin parang na-misinterpret lang yung message sa bible na mag-sacrifice ka para sa Lord hanggang sa naging tradisyon na. Sabi nila para daw magbawas ng kasalanan and yun nga sakripisyo nila yun.

Siguro parang peace offering kasi makasalanan sila ganon.”

“Namatay si Jesus sa cross to pay the price of our own sins kaya di na kailangang gawin pa yon. Wala namang masama sa paggugunita ng Passion of Christ pero hindi na kailangang gayahin pa yung ginawa nya para lang mapatawad ka sa mga kasalanan mo.”

The third penitent came after a few minutes and what happened resembles the first peni-

“Hindi ako sang-ayon. Namatay si Jesus sa cross to pay the price of our own sins kaya di na kailangang gawin pa yon. Wala namang masama sa paggugunita ng Passion of Christ pero hindi na kailangang gayahin pa yung ginawa nya [Jesus Christ] para lang mapatawad ka sa mga kasalanan mo. And besides, templo ng Diyos ang katawan natin, pahiram lang din Niya ang buhay natin kaya hindi tama na sinasaktan natin ang ating mga sarili,” she strongly added.

As the heat, tiredness, and hunger hit us, we decided to witness the fourth penitent and go home after the act. To our surprise, the penitent becoming clear to our view was a woman.

She marched through the crown with a cross, wearing a crown of thorns and women dressed like Virgin Mary was beside her. This made the crowd surprised and made them silent to carefully watch the act. With a signal, she was crucified and they gulped as if they feel her pain. In a brief moment, another signal was given to take off the nails and the penitent fade out of view carried in a stretcher. The place became deserted after the woman’s crucifixion so we decided to make our way back after the people are out of the streets.

While walking back; the same way we came, we encounter the last penitent waking while carrying a cross. He has a Nazarene wig and looks like he’s on twenties. He seemed young and that surprises us, even the other people who saw him. As we rode our way back where we met early in the morning, the experience we’ve had are burned in the back of our minds. According to Gemma, “Tingin ko nagpapapako sila kasi iniisip nila na pag ginawa nila yun, mawawala na rin yung kasalanan nila.”

“Pero di ako sang-ayon dun kasi wala namang nakasulat sa bible na gawin natin ung pinagdaanan ni Christ kasi siya na yung gumawa nun para sa’tin,” she ended.

Holy Week may be the time to atone for our sins and sacrifice some luxury as an act of penance. Maybe the traditional crucifixion is an act that enables the people to remember what Jesus Christ has done for us. But being a penitent with an intention to cleanse oneself is rather selfish, much more if you keep on doing sins repeatedly, knowing that you can compensate for them during the Holy Week, will never be appropriate.

People have different views as to how this time of the year should be spent, but as long as everyone keep themselves away from danger and not harm another soul will be good for keeping the Holy Week’s spirit alive.

Photo by Aira Isabelle Dario

Photo by Gemma Villafuerte

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FEATURE

Phenomenal Wonders inside the Womb A Groundbreaking Approach on Life Extension Micka Victoriano and Francesca Marie Rivera

w

e cannot solve a problem by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” — Albert Einstein

As the technology evolves, more innovative procedures continue to rise which boosts the possibility of creating new ways to extend people’s lives. According to the dictionary, extension is a word which describes the act of increasing or prolonging something. It can be applied in various things through a series of different ways. But in terms of life, can manipulation of cells be accepted as a way of prolonging it? Let’s find out.

Cell Battery Imagine having defective or without energy source. Like how can a phone function without its battery or how can your cell function without mitochondria. Mitochondria, the most popular cell organelle, also known as the powerhouse of the cell, is one of the most important organelle because it powers the cell so without them, people will have a hard time on functioning properly.

Moreover, two types of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) are present on cells and these are Nuclear DNA (nDNA) and Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) which are found on the nucleus and mitochondria of the cells, respectively. Nuclear DNA contains the genetic material that are passed by the parents to their offspring, but in terms of Mitochondrial DNA, the one that is passed from one generation to another, is originated from the mother. So if the mother’s mtDNA is defective, her future offspring will be greatly affected by it, so in order to solve this problem, several researchers and doctors studied the possible solution to this and they come up with Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy, also known as Triple Parent Baby method.

Back Up, Back Up! According to United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy suggests that women with mtDNA mutations can undergo a process of their choosing to make their offspring free of any mitochondrial defects in the future. One of the options is the Maternal Spindle Transfer wherein the laboratory uses unfertilized eggs, in which they will get the spindles on the intending mother’s egg. Then, they will remove the spindles on the donor’s egg so that the spindles from the intending mother’s egg will be transferred to the donor’s egg which will now be fertilized by the intending father’s sperm. Thus, it will create an nDNA which came from the intending parents, but with a healthy mitochondrial DNA from the donor’s egg.

On the other hand, the method called Pronuclear Transfer is another type of mitochondrial transfer method but, the difference from 40 NOSTRUM

the other method mentioned above is that this one uses early embryos. In this process, both the intending mother’s egg and the donor’s egg will undergo fertilization and when it reach the early embryonic stage it will form a pronucleus which will now then be removed from the donor’s egg and will be replaced with the intending mother’s egg thus, it will still create an nDNA coming from both of the intending parents and a mitochondrial DNA from the donor’s egg.

Peculiar Children Faulty mitochondrial DNA can result to rare disorders which can heavily affect the newborn if not prevented. On some other countries where abortion is allowed, they have an option wherein if they found out that the child is carrying a faulty mitochondrial disorder, they are permitted to abort the pregnancy so that both the unborn child and the mother will not suffer anymore. Some of the mitochondrial disorders that are occurring are as follows.

Pearson’s Disorder, a disorder present on infants wherein based on various researches is defined as a rare mitochondrial disease caused by an extreme rearrangements of mitochondrial DNA which leads to mitochondrial respiratory chain defects. In this disorder, mtDNA will be passed on the offspring via cytoplasm and heteroplasmy or the presence of both normal and damaged copies in a single cell as well caused by the random distribution during cell division. Symptoms of the said defect are the early growth failure with signs similar to sideroblastic anemia, lactic acidosis, and exocrine pancreatic failure.

Furthermore, the other type of mitochondrial related disorder is the brain disorder called Leigh syndrome which usually appears on the early childhood stage or during the infancy period. Children with this kind of disorder can manifest the symptoms like vomiting, seizures, developmental delays, muscle weakness, and difficulty in terms of movements.

An Ethical Battle Based on Loike and Reame’s article, a report from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy or the triple parent baby method can be considered ethical, if male embryos will be used more rather than the female embryos with mitochondrial diseases because, after all, scientists may “play God” and abuse their power.

Different concerns were raised due to consequences of “three-parent” children. Many suggested that mitochondrial donation must be regulated like how normal organ donations are processed because just like any other organs, the recipient must be the one who is responsible on

the organ and the donor has no right or responsibility on any disorders or defects on the organ donated which carries an ethical and legal considerations. On the present time, United Kingdom is the only country who approves this three parent baby method.

From disposable to a “healthful” waste

Recently, a new trend has emerged through social media sites, featuring the umbilical cord (a usual medical waste disposed after birth) as a holistic source of healthy stem cells.

Before, umbilical cords are treated as a disposable waste and were usually kept by mothers as a remembrance of their child’s birth. Today, it could now be donated, collected, or even eaten.

In fact, recipes having placenta as the main ingredient have been circulating the internet and mothers would love to try and take home their placenta. However, there are no studies proving the benefits of “placental eating” to health. On the other hand, the donation and collection of it became a promising method of extending life.

Stem cells are immature, differentiating cells, meaning it could develop into a variety of blood cell types including RBCs and lymphoid lineage cells. This creates a regenerating effect to the tissues and organs. They are widely used in anti-aging therapies, and as a renewable source for cell replacement. Influential personas such as Hollywood stars and politicians undergo stem cell therapy to look good and to enhance their health after going under the knives. This therapy ensures higher transplant success and survival and could also treat lists of diseases. Even though it is a costly treatment limited to rich people, the efficiency of the stem cell therapy is indeed guaranteed. However, the stem cells used during the usual stem cell therapy were extracted from donor animals like fetal sheep, which requires abortion of the specimens. That’s why it is termed “unethically disturbing” by animal propagandist.

A Cord to Extending Life Other than the fetal sheep, there are other potential sources of these powerful stem cells discovered as mentioned earlier. The umbilical cord is the structure that connects the mother to her baby during pregnancy. It is where the mother’s and the baby’s blood meet, which structurally serves the function of supplying nutrients for the baby. During pregnancy, the umbilical cord acts as “life-support” system to the fetus as it provides all the necessities of the child, but after its birth, the cord is detached from the mother’s womb and remains in the baby’s button, which is then removed by the doctors. The life support function of the cord naturally ends there, or so they thought.

Recently, a new discovery flabbergasts the medical world, as researchers from US successfully found a way of extending the fetal cord’s “life-support” function up to the baby’s adulthood. How? Researchers discovered that the umbilical cord is a potential source of hematopoietic progenitor and hematopoietic stem cell (HSCs), a blood-forming cell found in human blood and bone marrow that develops into different cell types and could fit into any vital need of the body. These could be found beneath the umbilical tissues and extracted cord blood. It could be used for cell replacement, and for treating genetic disorders that requires transplants like leukemia. Cord blood stem cells have been proven to have a long history of life-saving potential and have been continually used to treat various life-threatening diseases.

it is a once in a life time opportunity to grab.

And with the help of these “Biobanks” and their comprehensive banking services, stem cell therapy and other treatment advantages can now be achieved by ordinary people by just turning their baby’s med waste into umbilical/placental stem cells. A non-sacrificial, resourceful method of ensuring one’s life that has made this “afterbirths” too precious to be thrown away.

If you want to grow, you must accept the fact that change is constant and in order to survive, you must know how to adapt. If you want to improve, be sure that you are ready to accept the present and upcoming innovations because a same kind of thinking will not get you to anywhere.

Power of Placenta Other than the cord, human placenta has also taken its part of providing its fair share of stem cells. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from placental tissue can also differentiate into multiple cell types including muscle cells, bone cells, fat cells and cartilage cells. Compared to the cord blood, placental blood contains much more stem cells that it became the expanding and rising area of today’s stem cell research. Aside from the blood, placental tissue also contains a type of stem cell that miraculously opened the door for regenerative medicine, a promising medical field that aims to make tissue repair, organ replacement and treatment for certain diseases possible. Diseases like spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, cancers, etc. are targeted for further studies.

Biobanking: Saving up for future health Health is wealth, as the old saying goes.

Health is something to be treasured and to invest with people’s money. Through banks and health insurances, families live with great relief knowing that they’re financially secured. In this modern day, banking isn’t limited for wealth alone. Now, people could invest for their future health opportunities and be “healthfully” secured through biobanking.

Biobanking also known as the cord blood banking is a revolutionary move in the field of medicine and the new advancement in the stem cell research. This was pioneered in the US by certain cord blood banks and has grown quickly in the last two decades. In this banking service, the umbilical cord which connects the mother to its baby during pregnancy are donated and collected by the cord blood banks for extraction and preservation of the cord blood. Cord blood is believed to have a life-saving potential together with the placental blood. This is to ensure the child’s future medical needs by extending the use of umbilical cord and placenta up to their adulthood.

“Recently, a new discovery flabbergasts the medical world, as researchers from US successfully found a way of extending the fetal cord’s “life-support” function up to the baby’s adulthood.”

LifeBankUS, one of the pioneering stem cell banking company in the United States has been providing services for mothers that are willing to collect and donate their “afterbirths”. They offer complete cord blood and placental banking, storing up their babies’ stem cells for todays and future therapies of the child. The use of the baby stem cells isn’t limited for the baby, it could also be used by other family relatives of the donor. In this process, doctors and nurses will package the cord and the entire placenta and will send it to the bank well preserved. Laboratory technicians will then collect the cord and placental blood for the client’s future use.

Who wouldn’t want to give their child multiple life-saving benefits as they age? For parents, NOSTRUM

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ayang naman [na tomboy siya], maganda pa naman.”

“Huy, bakla. Hahaha.”

“What a waste, pogi pa naman. Pogi din pala ang hanap.”

These are the usual impressions we commonly hear and mention when we knew someone belongs to the third sex. Most of us take it only as a joke and with sarcasm disregarding his/her feelings whether he/she might got offended or not with these not-so-hurtful words.

Gender—the state of being male or female.

Each of everyone has this mentality that man is really for woman, that there only exist two genders. If you’re a man you must like a woman and vice versa. But as time goes by, emotion changes as well as personality. A man falls on another man as woman fall in love with another woman, a man or woman might fall for a man or a woman, that both will do, some undergo sex change for the desired gender, and all these cases fall on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Community.

The group of LGBT is accepted by the society but not quite, yet campus is the best setting for this notion especially for the youths and students as it is where the foundation for personal and social growth is laid. We spoke to some members of the LGBT Community in the College of Science (CS) and let us hear their stories.

Stepping out of the box “Sa una mahirap, pero nasasanay naman.

Second year high school nung nalaman ko na ganun ako.” Shesam, from BSM AS who identifies himself as bisexual, talked about getting “out” and the struggles of being an LGBT.

Though some students like Shesam seem to experience little discrimination after getting out, there are those who had a tough time telling their gender orientation.

“Grade 5 or 6 nung nalaman ko. Pero high school ko na naipaalam. Una muna [na nakaalam] ay yung kaibigan ko. Hindi kasi maiiwasan na magkwento. Sa kanila ko muna sinabi.

Saka ko lang sinabi sa family ko.”

Czarina, also from BSM AS, revealed that her friends are the first to know her being a part of LGBT. It is of course because of the fact that fear exists when telling your family a personal issue like this.

According to Prof. Estrella Lanas, an instructor in Developmental and Social Psychology, and Gender and Development Coordinator of the College of Social Science and Philosophy

“Wala namang mali sa pagiging totoo sa sarili natin. Huwag matakot na ipakita ang sarili natin sa iba. Hangga’t alam natin na tama tayo, na wala tayong tinatapakan na ibang tao.”

(CSSP), our family plays a very big role when it comes to the gender identity crisis people experience during their childhood. Also, one big contributor to the misconception among LGBT is the lack of information and guidance about sexuality and sexual development.

Discrimination [may or may not] exist Discrimination on LGBT comes in colors.

Some of students who were interviewed see no discrimination, but some said there is.

“Parang wala naman, […] okay lang [sa kanila] kung ano yung nakikita nila,” Jo of BSM CS explained regarding the acceptance of her classmates towards her being a lesbian.

But some seem only to dismiss the fact that discrimination exists.

MJ of BS Biology, and a proud LGBT, speaks in behalf of those who experience misjudgment: “Yes. Meron [discrimination]. Pero sakin wala naman kasi lumalaban ako. Pero sa iba, based sa nakikita ko, ginagamit ng iba yung kasarian ng isa. Halimbawa kung bakla tatawagin na bakla at syempre nakakababa ng self-esteem yun. Yung iba kayang i-take yun kasi totoo naman, pero meron din naman kasing hindi.”

Prof. Lanas narrated a story about a gay student from a satellite campus who was scolded by the administration after writing an appeal letter to allow his long hair and was forced to have a haircut to comply with the regulation regarding haircut among male students. This, in fact, however minimal, may seem prove that discrimination exists in the campus. Pros and cons “Mas nae-enhance namin ang talents namin [bilang gays] sa pagsasayaw. Saka sa karamihan, ang mindset nila sa LGBT, kapag ganito ka, madali kang makapalagayan ng loob kasi madaldal ka at masaya ka kasama,” Ash from BS Biology

FEATURE

The Opposite Poles From the Multicolored World of the LGBT Rustom Mateo and Kriszha Lyn Dionisio 42

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pointed out that it is actually an advantage for her being a member of the LGBT. MJ even jokingly expressed that it is beneficial in the College to be an LGBT, “Mas malaya ka. Yung nae-express mo ang sarili mo, like ako nae-express ko through lipstick.”

With that, Joan of BSM AS agreed that the freedom to express one’s self fully is a pro enjoyed by almost all members of the LGBT especially inside the College.

However, there exists a dark side in this freedom that the LGBT is enjoying.

“Yung iba parang lumalayo sakin,” Jo of BSM CS grunted about people’s prejudgment on her being a lesbian.

Relationship goals Prof Lanas stated that LGBT relationships defy the norm of what we consider a “family”.

According to her, in the very sense of the word “family”, is the man, the woman, and the children. But the society now considers the LGBT relationships as families but the Philippine law does not recognize them as such.

Moreover, she stressed out that a legal bond is how the LGBT will be considered as families.

However, that will never, in any sense, make them less human, incapable of love and happiness.

On being bold, happy, and proud “Wala namang mali sa pagiging totoo sa sarili natin. Huwag matakot na ipakita ang sarili natin sa iba. Hangga’t alam natin na tama tayo, na wala tayong tinatapakan na ibang tao,” Ash of BS Bio gave an impression that there is no wall among the genders, be it for the men, the women, or those who traverse the path between.

Czarina addressed the acceptance of the society regarding the existence of the third sex, “Siguro [matatanngap nila]. Kasi kahit di naman nanganganak yung [LGBT] couples, lumalaganap pa rin. Saka paano nila di tatanggapin kung nakakasalamuha na nila?”

Those who were bold enough to tell their tales speak only of one thing: Be proud of being YOU. However complicated issue on the LGBT community may be, we can’t prevent ourselves in believing that there exist only two social roles: the masculine roles and the feminine roles. It is high time that we take everyone into consideration, and accept that change is inevitable. We just have to take things with a grain of salt, slowly, gradually, and with an open mind.

SCIENCE

Redesigned Unravelling greatness behind adaptation of insects Pauline Van Calla and Kate Bianca Valencia

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ife is neither static nor unchanging.

With no individuality, there can be no change, no adaptation and, in an inherently changing world, any species unable to adapt is also doomed.”- Jean M. Auel Change is inevitable. Toddlers became adults and seeds became trees. Time passes and the world changes. Adaptation is the only way to keep on living and keep anything from breaking before change happens. An adaptation is the adjustment to the environment so that an organism can fit in better with greater chance of living.

The one who fails to adapt, fails to survive.

There are animals with heavy fur coats that are adaptive for cold environments or those with webbed feet, best for living in the waters. Little do people know; just like how little these creatures are, insects can also adapt to their environment. It’s time to care to know how and why.

Minute Warriors Adaptation is not easy, especially to some species that’s why they became extinct. Some changes were not natural, and some were out of the list because of human dwellings too. Have you noticed the roaches walking inside your house, or sometimes, flying? These species have been surviving because they have been around for 300 million years where they even survived the mass extinction of dinosaurs.

These ancient insects—cockroaches—don’t have a problem because they are omnivores; they eat whatever they can even though humans are trying to kill them. According to researches, unless they have good reason for not eating something like the sugar traps that are supposed to poison them, they will consume glue, leather, or even soap just to survive.

They also do not need to eat as often as humans do. Some can last for a month without food, and some can last for a week without water. And when you try to hit these roaches with your slippers, you might not succeed for they have the ability to run fast. Most cases of cities that have been affected by roach infestation are because they reproduce quickly. This insect is oviparous, in which they lay eggs and let it grow outside the mother’s body. They also avoid potential predators because they are night owls.

They avoid light and do their foraging and feeding at night.

Mouth to Mouth Insect species are smaller in size compared to mammals, but that doesn’t affect the fact that they are numerous when it comes to population, and more diverse than other organisms. Insects have characteristics that made them survive.

One factor is because they have many different types of mouthparts. Their mouthparts are

“Have you noticed the roaches walking inside your house, or sometimes, flying? These species have been surviving because they have been around for 300 million years where they even survived the mass extinction of dinosaurs.” adapted to help them eat their favorite foods. Insects don’t have the same mouthparts so they eat different things, also making them unique and diverse. Each type of mouthpart has the same parts but they are just accustomed to do different things.

The most basic type of mouthpart an insect can have are called chewing mouthparts. These are found on insects that eat plants and sometimes other animals. Insects chew their food opposite to humans because they chew side to side, rather than up and down. Cockroaches, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and caterpillars all have chewing mouthparts. The ones responsible for the little holes in the plant’s leaves are these chewing insects.

Some insects have sponging mouthparts.

Their mouthparts are adapted to sponge up food, like those of houseflies. They have nothing to chew, so they have to spit up on their food to dissolve it before they can sponge it up. So imagine a fly that lands on a sandwich, when someone ate that, he is also eating the fly’s spit.

Insects that like to drink nectar from plants have long, like a flexible straw, and can be stuck deep into flowers. It is called lapping mouthparts. These mouthparts help them drink the sweet nectar from flowers which have the same pieces that chewing mouthparts have, but they are just put together differently. Butterfly mouthparts are so long that they keep them rolled up under their head until they are ready to eat.

Other insects like mosquitoes and stink bugs have sucking mouthparts that have the same parts such as chewing mouthparts. They are just adapted for lapping the juices of plants or blood. They are made like a sword or straw

that insects stick into a plant and slurp all the juices. Other insects stick their mouthparts into animals or other insects and suck blood.

Modified to Live Insects can camouflage. Others can look like their environment so they won’t be seen by predators such as birds and lizards. Some insects look like sticks, leaves, and thorns. This type of adaptation help insects survive by blending in with the surroundings so they won’t be eaten or be seen hiding. Stink bugs have the same green color with the leaves they like to eat, while Walking sticks look just like sticks or leaves.

Insects’ antennae can adapt to their environment. Those possessing large eyes do not need extra help for seeing and therefore have short antennae, while those with long antennae probably have tiny eyes. Insects that live in dark places probably have small eyes because their surroundings are dark and eyes aren’t a must.

Probably, they also have long antennae to help them get around in the dark. For an instance, dragonflies have huge eyes and microscopic antennae.

Insects can have adapted feet and legs, given the fact that there are different types of insect legs for jumping, digging, running, and swimming. These adaptations help them survive in the environment that they dwell in. Notice that grasshoppers have long, strong hind legs that help them jump. This adaptation helps them get away from predators, and jump over tall grasses.

Select with Intellect “One general law, leading to the advancement of all organic beings, namely, multiply, vary, let the strongest live and the weakest die.”

– Charles Darwin Darwin’s book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859 caused quite a stir. It showed evidence to support evolution and natural selection, of which has accumulated over time, letting science accept evolution as a fact and that natural selection explains very well how adaptive evolution takes place. It’s important because of the central idea, stemming from Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace that explains design in nature. It is a process that is responsible for the evolution of adaptations of organisms to their environment.

Survival is the one that drives organisms to change and fit with their environment, enabling life to be easier and longer. Just like the insects, humans change their ways of life to be able to live, leading to new discoveries and abundant knowledge. Change is a good thing if it is for the greater good, but even change has its limits and it’s better to make the best of what’s available now, than look for change with uncertainty.

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Photo Contributed by Greenducation Network

SCIENCE

Greenducation: Catalyzing the Filipino youth sector through Environmental Edification Karl Kenneth Santos and John Clifford Tugade

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ducation is vital and a powerful foundation for one’s personal development. It is a strong building block to construct a better community, promoting a maintainable, equitable, and healthy environment which is essential for people to live. In the past where environmental sciences are not engrained to the majority of Filipinos, there’s an absence in awareness on how to righteously manage the surroundings, making it besmirched and unsustainable.

With the concrete effects of erroneous practices such as improper waste disposal, wildlife hunting, irresponsible ecotourism, and overuse of nonrenewable resources, many have made their eyes open in environmental protection and management. To achieve this, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), specifically the Environmental Management Bureau–Environmental Education and Information Division (EMB–EEID), created a national program that will empower the youth sector through environmental education, which is acknowledged as “Greenducation” during the Philippine Environment Month last June 7, 2017.

Greenducation is the amalgamation of ‘green’ which means environment, and ‘education,’ the process or method of teaching knowledge, thus it is the process of sharing information about the environment. This program targets the youth since they need to be educated and learn more about environmental awareness in order to realize its worth and consequences.

“The Greenducation is a flagship youth program of EMB, which aims to empower Filipino 44

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youth through Environmental Education and Green Networking,” introduced by Mr. Vermon Timbas, an Environmental Specialist II of EMB–Central Office. It is acquainted with the abilities of the youth in nation building through environmental protection and management by the virtue of Republic Act No. 9512 also known as the National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008.

Since EMB-EEID is implementing youth programs even before, the Division Chief and OIC-Director of DENR–Climate Change Service, Ms. Elenida Basug, stated that their findings show that there is already a high awareness level in the youth when it comes to environmental protection and environmental related issues, finding the signal that they need to focus on action-based activities and collaboration.

“With the Greenducation program, we will be more engaging with the youth, we will reach out to them since we want them to feel that they matter, that they are part of our concerns and we want them to realize that they are part of the solution in attaining greener and healthier environment. [We will] empower them with environmental education and use that to make a difference in their organization and in their community,” Basug added when asked why did she approved the program.

Greenducation will strengthen partnership with the youth sector through implementing DENR-EMB mandates to catalyze environmental education in the Philippines. As per Timbas, environmental and youth advocate, there are certain goals to achieve with this program.

GOAL 1. To inspire various youth leaders, to be empowered and informed on the various environmental programs of the EMB, including its initiatives on clean air, clean water, and solid waste management.

As of now, there are more than 1000 members who are part of the Greenducation Network Facebook group which is made to encourage the environmental advocates to share their advocacies and to work for a collaboration.

“Further, last February 24, 2018; we have launched the 30 EMB Youth Greenducators who will be part of the planning and implementation of the EMB Youth Programs. These diverse young environmental advocates will volunteer for the ‘Greenducation: Educating through GREENer actions’ for one year, as they promote environmental stewardship and sustainable development,” Timbas narrated.

Those young Greenducators came from various places but they have the same reason to be part of the program: for the betterment of our environment.

“As one of the selected Greenducators and with our on-going environmental projects for the Philippines, I believe that the youth, transcending to limitless boundaries and the foundation of our future generation, will inspire fellow students and the community in preserving our environment and biodiversity,” Dave Louie Ang, Chairperson of Greenducation from the University of the Philippines–Diliman, stated as he shares his advocacy on wildlife conservation.

Furthermore, Janssen Andrew Calvelo, a Greenducator from Environmental Counselors Inc., tells his vision on the program while promoting environmental stewardship, climate change adaptation, environmental planning, and pollution control.

“I foresee that our activities under the Greenducation program would increase youth participation and environmental awareness. I believe that this would catalyze the environmental movement in the Philippines geared towards a culture of environmental stewardship.”

Photo Contributed by Greenducation Network

GOAL 2. To create a strong network of youth leaders dedicated to environmental stewardship and will be part of the youth programs of EMB Central Office and Regional Offices Early this year, there are identified projects and activities inclined for Greenducation program.

“There will be an upcycling workshop, where we are going to upcycle [the] Top 5 solid wastes in the Philippines. The purpose of this activity is for the youth to know that they can convert their trash into something usable. This can also be a good livelihood program. There will be a series of Greenducation mini-interactive seminars, which we will educate the students on environmental issues and they will learn how to live sustainably. We also have online campaign that will encourage social media participation from the youth on various environmental campaigns,” enumerated by Timbas.

Photo Contributed by Greenducation Network

Photo Contributed by Greenducation Network

Photo Contributed by Greenducation Network

“With the Greenducation program, we will be more engaging with the youth, we will reach out to them since we want them to feel that they matter, that they are part of our concerns and we want them to realize that they are part of the solution in attaining greener and healthier environment.”

Today, they are finalizing the program committees to be organized by students and young professionals, with different time and location.

Establishing a branding first and creating projects that will introduce Greenducation is their plan. Once the brand has established, targeting environmental education through school and social media is next.

When asked about the future plans on the said program, Timbas shared that the Greenducation Network is now extended to the Central Luzon (Region 3) and the EMB Region 3–Environmental Education and Information Section will handle the youth programs and activities.

GOAL 3. To link the youth with the local and international organizations that the youth can collaborate with their advocacies “One third of the Philippine population is the youth sector; it means that the youth will be the builders of the nation. […] Most probably youth leaders will become policy makers and developers, by educating them with quality education (SDG [Sustainable Development Goal] 4) and empowering them to do climate actions (SDG 13), there is a high possibility that it will improve the Filipino quality of life for present and future generation,” Basug elaborated.

The program is still growing and still in its humble beginning. However, youth sectors of the Philippines created a positive impact, getting supports from environmental advocates by continuous innovative methods for promoting environmental education in the country.

“High awareness of the Filipino youth in the challenges that we are facing today by amplifying on-going campaigns and existing environmental efforts that they can support in order to change the narrative,” stated by Eidyl Khate Nolasco, a barangay kagawad from Malabon City, when asked about his visualization in the Greenducation program. He also shared his advocacy in Zero Waste Cities, and better implementation of RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) in every community.

Moreover, while promoting to help establish and strengthen a broad-based community of leaders committed to understanding, appreciating, and protecting the environment, April Sarah Peoor, a member of UP Mountaineers, foresees the program as a helpful tool for Filipino society active and committed to protecting the environment.

“I’ve always believed that any step to the right direction how little it maybe will make a great impact to our future. I am happy to be a Greenducator and feel empowered to share and to talk to like-minded people loving the environment. I’ve already learned so much at the launch and I’m expecting a whole lot more great successes to all next activities of the group,” Peoor added.

Every part of the Greenducation has their own vision on the said program, contributing their own thoughts and actions and sharing to the community for the awareness and knowledge of every people to stand on their own rights for their advocacies. It is not impossible that sooner or later, more individuals from the youth sector will be a part of this environmental revolution and express their passion and intellectual abilities to educate more people, going green for the environment.

As Richard Rogers say, “The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved.”

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SCIENCE

Traceable Powers Transforming the future of the Philippines thru Renewables Eunice Lagman and Kean Michael Cabigao

“With the population continuously rising, the Philippines needed to invest in more energy to produce more goods, or even support the daily energy cost demand of industries and homes.�

Photo by Zymon Peter Bergania

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believe that human overpopulation is the fundamental problem on Earth today. We humans have become a disease, the Humanpox.” – David Foreman, the co-founder of Earth First.

From this statement, overpopulation has never really been a great thing. Overpopulation occurs when the human population exceeds the carrying capacity—the maximum population size that the environment can sustain. And this overpopulation may introduce different problems such as degradation of the environment and depletion of natural resources.

The earth can only produce such numbers of food, water, and other needs of humans, but severe scarcity is being felt all throughout the world due to this rise in population numbers.

While on the other hand, due to the continuous rise of population, rising amount of energy is also needed to support the people. Usage of non-renewable energy such as coal, oil, and natural gas also continue to rise because of the increasing number of vehicles brought about by the fast urbanization as years pass by. Increased number of vehicles and industrialization greatly affect the quality of air in which rising amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions lead to global warming. These problems gave an idea why renewables are a much more usable energy that can help a community rise into success. Philippines Now and Then The Philippines already comprises 1.4% of the total world population as per the Worldometers—an independent company having a goal of making world statistics available—while ranking 13 in the list of countries by population.

It also has a 1.6% annual change in population numbers. With the population continuously rising, the Philippines needed to invest in more energy to produce more goods, or even support the daily energy cost demand of industries and homes.

As early as the 1950s, the Philippines was greatly in need of energy. As Americans introduced industrialization and oil economy, the economy depends on the production, sale, and use of petroleum. Energy crisis emerged in the Philippines circa 1970s as the government made sudden decisions to help the country overcome this problem. This led to the creation of Ministry of Energy, now known as the Department of Energy (DOE), who ensures the improvement of the quality of life of the Filipino people by giving sustainable, stable, secured, sufficient, accessible and reasonably-priced energy. Lately, Renewable Energy Coalition was proposed to promote the usage of renewable energies. In line with this, the increasing population, together with the economy, have enough support energy without harming the environment.

Beat the Heat The intense heat being experienced in the Philippines as the time goes by, due to climate change and global warming, can be used as an advantage to produce enough electricity to cool down ourselves with electric fans while also supporting our way to reduce carbon emissions by burning of fossil fuels and natural gas. This conversion of electricity from the sun into electrical current is called solar energy. With the usage of such panels, radiation of the sun is converted into electricity in a somehow related concept to Albert Einstein’s Theory of Photoelectric Effect. These solar energy panels could sustain and store great amounts of energy.

Tidal Waves for Efficiency Water has always been a part of the Filipino lives because the Philippines is mainly composed of bodies of water. These bodies of water can be associated with waves, tides and others that can cause production of a sustainable energy source known as the ocean energy. This is a great opportunity for our country to use the waves as an alternative energy source.

However, wave power plants must be equipped for creating a sensible measure of energy in light breezes and small waves similarly as in stormy weather and rough oceans or seas and they should likewise have the capacity to deal with the physical strain the ocean or sea expose them to, and should minimally affect animals and vegetation. Based on the article from Power Philippines, H&WB Asia Pacific and Sabella were chosen by the Philippine National Oil Company–Renewables Corp (PNOC-RC) to build the first ocean tidal power plant in the Philippines and this is situated between Matnog, Sorsogon and Capul and Dalupiri in Northern Samar. The two organizations said that the plant, which will give energy to the Sorsogon Electric Cooperative I and II, is a piece of a guarantee to seek after sustainable power source in the nation. This project will use the country’s powerful flow of water in good use.

Power for Hydropower Somehow related to ocean energy, hydropower or hydroelectric is the term used as an energy resulted by flowing water or fast falling water. In the Philippines, many reservoirs were used as hydroelectric dams to collect enough energy that can support massive land areas. This continuing investment of renewable energy may me more improved, as rainwater harvesting, can also be used as a technique to have an own support of energy when needed. This type of energy heavily relies on the water cycle, in which the Philippines have a great advantage as it only have two seasons, the wet and the dry season.

Aside from being a fuel source, hydropower also supports management of floods, irrigations, and water supply.

Breezing Energy Advances made in power generation technologies and their developing economic practicality are emerging another climate of hope and modifying how the world adjusts its environmental obligations with its energy needs.

Numerous nations are changing to a renewable power source to control the greenhouse gases.

As these countries figure out which energy courses to take, one source seeing a silent rise is the offshore wind. The utilization of the wind as an energy source is expanding around the world.

Wind energy is an imperative non-fossil option to supplement fossils such as coal, petroleum gas, oil, and nuclear fuels for the generation of power. Many parts of the world including our country greatly experience a high annual incidence of wind energy.

Based on a report from SunStar Davao with former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, the Philippines is currently the biggest and fastest-developing maker of electricity from wind power among the 10 nations having a place in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He added, “Our wind farms now have an aggregate installed capacity of almost 400 megawatts (MW)–far more than our neighbors–and we expect this number to quadruple to 1,600 MWs

in two to three years.” The formation of the Philippines as a mountainous archipelago gives the country a plenty of potential wind farms. These collections of wind turbines only use very little area that allow more available lands that can be used for agriculture and other purposes.

According to a study, the nation’s “best annual wind resources” are in Batanes territory, the north and northwest shore of Luzon, the upper east and east-bound shorelines of Luzon and Samar, the southeast coast of Mindanao, and the straits among Mindoro and Luzon, Mindoro and Panay, and Panay and Negros. As of now, the 150-MW wind farm located in Burgos, Ilocos Norte is crowned as the largest wind farm in Southeast Asia. The former senator also recognized the Renewable Energy Law for accelerating the examination and progress of the country’s “green” energy assets.

Wasting Energies Our country has supplies of biomass assets such as agricultural crop deposits, animal wastes, municipal wastes, aquatic biomass and others. Biomass energy assumes a key part in the country’s energy supply. According to a review of BioEnergy Consult on the biomass energy potential in the Philippines, about 30% of the energy for the 80 million individuals living in the Philippines originates from biomass, for the most part, utilized for family cooking by the rural poor. Biomass energy application represents around 15% of the essential energy use in the Philippines. The assets accessible in the Philippines can create biomass projects with a potential limit of more than 200 MW. Based on an article from Renewable Energy Philippines, Negros Occidental has recently created a new sustainable power source using the ethanol fuel extracted from sweet sorghum juice to offer a source of earning and energy to the locality. Another potential biofuel plant that is expected to be created is located in Mindanao.

One such project includes the building and upkeep of a plasma gasification plant, an undertaking if pushed, will have the capacity to change over both urban and industrial solid waste into energy for the said area.

Biomass is a natural sustainable power source that incorporates materials, for example, agribusiness and timberland deposits, energy products, and algae. Researchers are still finding new, more effective approaches to change over biomass into biofuels that can replace ordinary fuels like gas, diesel, and jet fuel. Bioenergy is regularly thought to be environmental-friendly that, in principle, the CO2 discharged when plants and trees are burned is balanced out by the CO2 consumed by the new ones planted to displace those collected.

All for One The Philippines is such a rich country when it comes to natural resources. With all these resources in our country, the creation of renewable energy is achievable. It just simply needs the cooperation of every citizen of the country to make the impossible possible. From the past issues and problems of the Philippines, it can be used as a key for us to succeed. These renewable resources can be much known to be cheaper and environment friendly which is good for both living and non-living factors in this planet.

And with this overpopulation being faced by the people, these renewables can be used by the country to grow and develop economically and environmentally.

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Bruises

Polishion

korning unicorn

Stupidity

White cloth Wrapped around His body Thorns around His head Bruises and scars all over Through Him We are saved Through Him We can live

The model changed his style He was famous He was an artist Shifting to other career He waves his hands, Curved his lips Spreading thousands While on the truck Under the sunlight.

Chrysanthemum

Pawlitical

2U Another story to be told, Another body turns out cold – Now’s laying down gently, While someone’s lying fluently Around his love ones, Chanting words all at once Another story has been told, Another case will be left unfold.

Frost Mourn

Klipings It was paradise.

Sweet, little paradise of never-ending joys and cotton candies where I buried my kitties.

They’ll enter heaven soon where the overlooking is great where dogs can be called in just a flick of a finger.

They’ll enter heaven soon, if it exists, together with my kitties.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Paradise, at last.

neoj A rushing flak avalanche The mob racing in the winter Like snow leopards chasing a sleet Polar bears discountenancing them The insinuating howls The condoning of apple polishers Who only dwell beneath shadows As night swallows their ego A hailstorm makes more pelf Than a dawn-long hunt of wolves Each drop a drastic change Each speck on the wrong tongues Each icy stare shows no pity The predatory chuckles wafting Clearing the snow caps That are as white as their teeth The mountain blows a wintry whisper Its jaw shaking, saying Burgundy can’t do justice Ersatz service snowing the truth Bamboozling the even-blinded eyes From a lavish alp.

Rags to riches ala King Do you remember the days we’ve been eating salt with rice?

Do you remember going to school without a penny on our pockets?

Do you remember going into slums just to get junks to sell?

Do you remember babysitting our neighbors in exchange of a meal?

It’s all just memories now.

I am the mayor now.

Making us beyond low.

And our money grows Without doing any I promise you After this term We will be richer than them 48

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Queue korning unicorn

A long queue Sweat can be seen through their faces Tight grip on their ropes Silently whispering their hopes Blood on their hands Tears on their eyes While wiping something Precious That might save their lives

Kiss of Judas

Kesh

You are my friend my very best I believed in you.

I shouldn’t.

You broke my trust, and I broke your heart.

I’m sorry.

It’s a rule for bestfriends not to fall in love.

But you kissed me.

Traitor.

The Creed ala King

I believe not in dad The father of all Creator of my siblings and nieces And not in his friends, Who he cared for so much And his patron Who was conceived by Lust And born of Greed We suffered under them, me, my mother and sisters, was molested, raped and locked inside our rooms.

Our brothers descended to the land of the dead before us.

Stabbed, tortured and killed by them.

On the third day, They open the door again, Showing our bodies lying down the floor lifeless We ascended to a better place watching them looking like hell.

We believe in God, his people and his saints.

The forgiveness of our sins Our resurrection and a new life everlasting.

Amen.

Our Father

3 o’clock Habit

Tila

Padre Salvi

I kneel and pray every Sunday In front of the altar, where you stand.

And you brush my hair, while you close your eyes, I cry.

And you bless me with your holy water.

Indeed, you are the father not only of this church but also of my son.

May He forgive our sins.

I kneel before the greatest patron that I adore. Sang praises of love that I learned from her. There’s no guarantee that I will go to heaven after I die but if heaven is real, this must be it.

Every day, at 3 o’clock. Inside the bedroom, I lock myself together with my saint, and indulged in my newly found religion.

Puzzle Pieces TrackerJacker

Holy Rosary Mars The green-colored rosary that you blessed is my favorite.

I bring it to bed, every night.

It’s glow in the dark, shining bright.

I hold unto it, whenever my fear tries to eat me, they’re coming for me lusting for my soul digging my hole.

Every night, bad spirits visit me.

And tonight, I willingly agreed.

The rosary fitted my neck perfectly.

In the ceiling, it was beautiful, as it glowed for the last time.

The last supper Jillian This is my last, I look into the table where someone was served.

I drink his blood the thickness filled my throat it’s sweet.

I taste his flesh, I chewed on his meat.

I indulge myself, for I know, this is my last.

And tomorrow, I’ll be the one lying on the table.

I was looking for something in the attic, a perfect fit for my puzzle. To complete the set with everything it needed. Colors and shapes, but somehow, something is off, the puzzle won’t be complete without the right shape on the center. So I tried to mix and match, and there you are, shiny and attractive, the same shape but a little bit different. I tried to fit you, but fitting you just destroyed everything.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Cow Klipings He was looking at me, with his sweet, squinty eyes, as he pressed his fingers and made a cross on my forehead.

“Be gentle, please,” I whispered while I took another shot of whisky and endured another set of humiliation from kinky men eagerly grabbing my breasts.

And there he was. With his squinty, hungry eyes. Pressing his fingers not on my forehead but on the pride and sanctity I thought my body holds.

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49

SPORTS EDITORIAL

Unsealed Victory: Gold Gears’ Basketball Team Controversy

“Winners never quit and quitters never win,” an old saying in sportsmanship but renewed by this situation—losing even though you never quit. It is a dream to reign as a champion, to steal and seal the crown. We are fighting the war to win, but is it possible to lose the war without fighting?

Last year, December 18-22, different state universities and colleges around Region III shot out a clash in different sports category in State University and Colleges (SUC-III) Olympics hosted by Bulacan State University (BulSU). But the court comes off fiery when BulSU Golden Gears dominated the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) in men’s basketball finals at Malolos Sports and Convention Center.

The victory of BulSU Gold Gears against NEUST Phoenix gained a lot of dispute as 50 NOSTRUM

BulSU secured the title via default. The heading committee decided to default the game as Phoenix came off late resulting them to object and throw complaints like the correct schedule was not deployed to them properly.

We cannot disregard the fact that the committee had their fair share of lapses during the dissemination of the rules because they failed to remind the NEUST that the championship round will be conducted after the battle for third place. After all, BulSU players have nothing to do about the miscalculation. NEUST players knew that the game was a successive one so if they really want to play, they should’ve arrived early prior to the announced time by the committee.

These allegations about the game will surely catalyze negative expressions from others. It is necessary that the rules and regulations must be

clearly disseminated on both teams so that conflicts and misunderstandings will be avoided.

For BulSU Gold Gears, of course they are ecstatic because for the fourth time, they bagged the championship award but for the NEUST Phoenix, we cannot escape the element that they will assume that the game was biased because it was a home court game.

It is justifiable that the NEUST must be given a chance to play the said championship game despite being late because BulSU Gold Gears are ready to battle against them regardless of the time issue.

But now, the fire that blazed between two teams is gone, as some of the players of NEUST plays with BulSU in one team in the national competition.

SPORTS FEATURE

Kick-off: Awakening the Philippines’ Long-Forgotten Sport Wendy Cobero, Danica Peralta, and Micka Victoriano

S

eeing how cheerful Pinoys are when the Gilas Pilipinas clashes with other countries in basketball, or when Many Pacquiao comes on the ring with a knockout in boxing—Filipinos are so loud and proud. Even in the games that are now up into stardom such as football and rugby, Pinoy fans are on the uprising too.

Not just because Filipinos love it but because sports already became an essential part of their everyday lives. But how about the sport that the Pinoy once loved? The game Filipinos once acknowledged as the country’s national sport—sipa.

Played along the streets and roadsides for ages, sipa has been existent ever since the childhood of now-called fathers. But sipa is more than just a street game, for it was once on top of all the sports, even ball games, Filipinos have ever played. Sipa is a traditional sport in the Philippines that once reigned as the national sport of the country.

Just One Glance to Sipa Even in sports, Filipinos are engaged to play the games of other countries. In tournaments, be it local or international, we are tied up to play Indonesia’s sepak takraw or Malaysia’s sepak raga rather than our very own sipa. The concept of sipa is also the same as the aforementioned foreign sports, which is to keep the ball or “pato” in the air as long as the player can, without using any other body part aside from head, arms and legs. However, the only difference is that it has a street or “washer” version that doesn’t use a net.

Moreover, sipa consists of eight players divided into two teams in a standardized game but could also be played with two players or even a single player in a game. In a formal game the scoring is the same with volleyball which are composed of sets, while in usual street plays the player with the highest count of kicks with the

“[…] sipa is non-violent, everyone can enjoy playing either solo or coop play. Unlike arnis that requires intense physical strength and aggression and may sometimes lead to violence and even death.”

pato wins. The concept is the same with both versions of the game where the ball or pato is passed to the opponent by kicking it. The opponent will take possession of the pato if the former player failed to keep the pato alive, and the players will take turns until one player or team makes the highest score. The pato is made from torn-colored plastics attached to a bottle cap or lock washer in street games but during formal games, a ball made of rattan strips is used. This brings out the “artsy” side of Filipinos.

Today, sipa is said to exist more of a children’s game rather than a sporting event as it wasn’t considered as a sports by the majority anymore; that’s why it was lined along with other traditional Filipino native games like patintero, luksong baka, tumbang preso, and agawang sulok which are played on the streets as well. This has brought up the congress’ decision of replacing it with other sports considering it as a mere street game than a formal sport.

Moribund State of Sipa Many Filipinos argued what should be the Philippine National Sport with majority voting for sipa as deserving of the title. However there were arguments that sipa doesn’t justify the title.

It is said that sipa is not a sport like sepak takraw, despite the similarities in the rules and concept of the game. Others voted for arnis as a replacement for sipa. Citizens argue that arnis, known as “pure Filipino martial arts” suits the title more than sipa that was declared as the “Philippine National and Traditional native sport” because of its popularity in the past. Plus, the fact that it is now rarely played and has no national value, arnis sure fits the spot.

Taking off the Spotlight Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo approved the Republic Act 9850–an act declaring arnis as the National Martial Art and Sport of the Philippines on December 11, 2009 with many people reacting negatively about the said approval.

Kick Start App In this modern period, technologies are now in our hand. Through our fingertips, we can restore and revive the vanishing value of sipa as it is now available on your smartphones–the first Filipino-themed Street Game. This game is created by Pinoys for Pinoys. The highly talented Filipino game developers, Team Butchukoy, wanted to contribute something valuable for the country so they created and developed it to be appreciated and to introduce internationally how beautiful the sports of Filipinos are through mobile games. The team believes that exchanging ideas and cultures with other nations give us better understanding and appreciation of one another.

The inspiration here is not just to develop a mobile game but to prove and inspire other Filipinos that even with limited resources and know-how, one can create something if you put your heart and soul to it. No matter how small one can make a difference. This is really born out of passion to create a landmark Filipino game in the apps world.

Sipa is Not Dead Even though arnis is considered as the Philippine National Sport today, there are still Filipinos out there, especially on provinces, who are not yet influenced by the sport in mobile devices. “Nako, sipa? Palagi naming nilalaro yan noon. Yung sipa, kadalasan tansan na binutasan sa gitna saka tinalian ng straw na panali para may palawit saka papaangatin gamit ang paa.

Kung bata pa ko, nilalaro ko yan ngayon. Mga bata kasi ngayon puro gadgets na,” said by Arlene Peralta, a housewife as she reminisced her old days.

By this legislation, the value of sipa continued to decline from the most known and played to obsolete and rarely played game today. Real quick, the golden days of sipa has ended and the arnis started to shine. Although they always say that sipa is the Filipino version of sepak takraw, but originally speaking, they may have the same mechanics but still different in terms of their origin.

“For me, sipa is a game and a sport by its nature, mas kilala ko pa nga ang sipa kaysa arnis eh. Saka, sipa is non-violent, everyone can enjoy playing either solo or coop play. Unlike arnis that requires intense physical strength and aggression and may sometimes lead to violence and even death. For it being replaced by arnis naman as the national sport is very unfavorable, even though arnis reflects the historical background of the development of the martial arts in the country, the mere fact that arnis is not recognized by most Filipinos contradicts the logic of declaring arnis as a national sport,” said Willard Uy, a student who had always played sipa during his childhood.

Subconsciously, there are still many Filipinos who are used to citing sipa as the Philippine National Sport. But now it’s not. Why? Aside from the declaration and arguments that sipa is not a sport but rather a game, the appreciation of Filipinos to sipa is continually kicking off outside the net. We don’t even know how to play sipa so how could we embrace it?

Sipa is not dead. There may have been a lot of changes in the street games played by Filipinos but there will always be children holding a piece of tingga (lead) to be made into a pato and kick the original Filipino sport into its revival.

You’ll never know, but there may be hidden alleys out there where the rebirth of the greatest street game awaits.

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SPORTS FEATURE

Crossing Path When a woman breaks the stereotypes in sports Kriszha Lyn Dionisio

M

ahirap maglaro ng sports na nakasanayan natin dati na panlalaki lang.”

hindi nila halos binibigyang atensyon ang mga babae, sinasabi kasi nila na mahina daw, pabebe, kulang sa lakas.”

Historically, women were taught to be prim and proper. Sweat, mud, and exhausting sports are not for them. Most of the sports back then were made for men. Women’s sports was household chores and caring for the children. It is the universal truth.

There are still misconceptions that women’s sports aren’t as entertaining, skilled, physical, or competitive as men’s are because as of today, women are still not given the same opportunities as men, and it does not seem like their accomplishments are viewed as being as impressive as men’s are.

Now that gender equality and stereotyping became a controversial issue faced by every woman, the sports industry is one of those who suffers the most. In the midst of this, some women decide to break through it.

Bernadette “Badeth” Villlanueva, a Golden Gear athlete from the College of Science shared her story of being an athlete who preferred to play sports usually played by men.

Passion vs. Genes Badeth was an athletics player who usually joins running/sprint and track and field competitions. Knowing that women’s bodies are different from men’s, it is much harder for women to do trainings and practices for certain reasons.

“Ang hirap tumakbo ng may dalaw ka. Every month ganun [yung] sitwasyon. Ang daming nararanasan ng babae tuwing magkakadalaw, isama mo pa yung upper body ng babae pag tumatakbo. Jogging pa nga lang ang hirap na nun e,” Badeth shares.

Having a muscular body may also be one of the struggles women face. The ideal type of body for women is soft, thin, and well, feminine. Being exposed to different sports and physical activities, obviously could make the muscles toned, and as for women’s, others might give negative feedbacks about the built of their muscles.

“Oo, mas mahirap pag nilalaro ng babae ang sports na panlalaki. Mas malakas sila sa atin dahil sa genes nila, dahil masculine sila. But at least kaya ng babae laruin din ang panlalaki na sports.

At least we tried, and we played.”

A Woman in a Man’s World Stereotyping still exists particularly in physical activities and sports. People always equate women to weakness. Expectation in femininity often results in women being limited of their capabilities especially masculine activities.

Being one of the few girls that were given the opportunity to play a sport that was meant for boys, Badeth still feels that there are people who disregard her talent because of her gender.

“Sa arnis naman kung aalamin mo, halos lalaki ang mga nagiging masters. Ang baba kasi ng tingin sa mga babae pagdating sa physical sport, 52 NOSTRUM

Despite all of these, Badeth still loves and is proud to play men’s sports, “Gusto ko kasi talaga na mga laro yung macha-challenge ako. Yung tipong pagtapos ng laro ko bugbog katawan ko pero masaya ako. Yung tipong lulupasay ka sa daan o sa court pagtapos ng laro mo. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam na, ‘Yes! Nagawa ko! Natapos ko! Nanalo ko!’ Tapos yung mga kakilala mo na lalaki hahanga sa iyo kasi ako na babae, kaya ko maglaro ng sport na panlalaki.”

Breaking Through Hard work leads to success. As we work hard and be patient, all of these will pay off just like what popular female athletes around the globe have gone through. They are able to break free of stereotyping and showed the world what women are capable of.

“May utak at diskarte rin naman ang mga babae. Kaya naman naming pumalo, humampas o sumigaw nang malakas. Lalaki lang ba yung pwede maglaro ng basketball? Kaya naman ng babae ah. May panlaban na nga ang BulSU at nagcha-champion pa. Lalaki lang ba ang pwede sa futsal? Napatunayan din ng BulSU athletes na kaya nila makipagkumpitensya sa Nationals, champion pa! Lalaki lang ba ang pwede magathletics? Sanay naman tumakbo ang mga babae ah, kaya nila tumalon at kaya rin nila magbuhat at bumato ng equipments.”

And despite all the doubts and judgments, women are able to succeed in their chosen sports and make history.

“Ang sarap kaya sa pakiramdam na isa kang babae pero naglalaro ka ng sport na pangmalakasan, yung sakitan, yung madidisiplina ka. Sa arnis kasi natutunan ko na yung disiplina sa iba lalo na sa sarili mo,” said Badeth.

The Race is Still On Even though women can now play sports designed for men, we can’t deny the fact that the run towards the goal of equality in sports is still on-going.

Women have proven and continues to prove that they have a place in sports and their paths can cross, all pointing to the same direction— victory.

Photo by Jc Gabriel Linao

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SPORTS FEATURE

Walking through the Blizzards The Iceberg to the Titanic of Filipinos in Winter Olympics Juliet Amo and Kim Angelo Salvador

T

he Philippines is a land that is near the equator. So, it is given that the country has only two seasons: summer and rainy season, typical of a tropical country. But even if the Philippines is a tropical country, that isn’t an excuse in participating in any contest or event outside the country, and the Winter Olympics is never an exception.

Even if the country does not experience winter, the Philippines still participates in such event. Through its resiliency and competitiveness, Filipinos’ success rate are not to be compromised. Since 1972, the Philippines has been sending representatives to the Winter Olympics.

Here are the six brave Olympians who represented the country in the said Olympics.

It’s Payback Time: Juan Cipriano and Ben Nanasca Ben Nanasca and Juan Cipriano are the first Filipinos to represent the Philippines in Alpine Skiing in the Winter Olympics in 1972 held at Sapporo, Japan. Because of the hardship their family experienced, their families have no choice but to put them into adoption.

Cipriano and Nanasca were adopted by a Swiss parent when they are only 16 and 14 years old and brought them to Andorra to reside. They spent their days in Andorra skiing and the next few years, they lived in Spain, France, and Switzerland and became good skiers that got the attention of the Swiss government. They became a part of a development group and were sponsored by the Swiss government. Through their day to day training, they were suggested to qualify in Winter Olympics to represent the Philippines. Nanasca finished his grand slalom 42nd out of 73 participants while Juan Cipriano did not finished the race as he does not qualify in the first race of giant slalom.

The Lawyer Olympian: Raymond L. Ocampo Jr. Mr. Ocampo is an avid athlete who competed in the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Canada in the Men’s single luge event.

His participation in the Winter Olympics almost put in an uncertainty as the Philippine Olympic Committee requires him to have a Philippine passport, but after a few discussion about his dual citizenship, he was then allowed to represent the country and finished 35th out of 38 representatives. In 2010 he served as an honorary captain of the US Olympic Luge Team that competed in Vancouver, Canada.

The full-blooded Filipino born in New York: Michael Teruel Being born in New York means you are an American by birth. But that did not stop Teruel 54

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to represent the Philippines in the Alpine skiing in Winter Olympics 1988 and 1992. Teruel’s parents are naturalized American citizens but full-blooded Filipinos. That fact gives Teruel a chance to compete because of his dual citizenship. He qualified in the 1988 Winter Olympics but did not compete because of unknown reasons. He participated at the 1989 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships and the 1990 Asian Winter Games. At the 1989 World Ski Championship in Vail, Colorado he ranked 28 out of 32 competitors. He finished 15th and 11th in the giant slalom and slalom events respectively at the 1990 Asian Winter Games. After such achievements he, again, qualified for the Winter Olympics 1992 in Albertville, France. He finished 71st in giant slalom and 49th in slalom.

The Flag Bearer: Asa Miller Asa Bisquera Miller, a Filipino-American alpine skier, represented Philippines in the 2018 Winter Olympics held at Pyeongchang, South Korea. Born on June 14, 2000 in Portland, Oregon in the United States, the 17-year-old skier competed in the said Olympic, went to the event without any financial support from the government. In his early age, his father was his influencer. He was trained in the Mt. Hood, Oregon where he had been competing for the past nine years. Miller realized in 2016 that he can compete in an Olympic since he had a dual citizenship. Last February 2018, together with Michael Christian Martinez, they’ve competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Miller was also the country’s flag bearer, both in opening and closing ceremony. He concluded the event 2:49.95, ranking 70th out of 110 participants.

The Filipino Pride: Michael Christian Martinez One of the popular Filipinos who compete in the Winter Olympics is Michael Christian Martinez. Martinez is a pure Filipino figure skater who always represents the Philippines in figure skating and he always guarantee to make the country proud in every fight. Martinez is the 2015 Asian figure skating champion and a twotime Triglav trophy champion and also won ISU challenger series silver medal at the 2014 Warsaw Cup. Martinez first joined in the 2014 Winter Olympics and he was the lone representative of the Philippines in figure skating. But before Martinez became a successful figure skater, he experienced ups and down in life.

Back in 2009, he took a two month rest from practice after a skating blade cut his thigh.

Then, Martinez tore two ligaments in his ankle and later a medial ligament in his knee. In 2013, he took a two-month leave on his training to recover from a fractured ankle. And early in 2014 he was treated for an inflamed knee. Obviously, figure skating isn’t for the frail or faint-hearted.

“Obviously, figure skating isn’t for the frail or faint-hearted. It requires as much physical conditioning, discipline, and training as basketball or football requires.”

It requires as much physical conditioning, discipline, and training as basketball or football requires.

In 2018 competition, Martinez only has 16 days of practice because he didn’t know that he qualified in the 2018 Winter Olympics. He was in Los Angeles California when he discovered that he will compete in the said event. For a normal figure skater, it will take a month to perfect triple jump aspect and in short time he lost 7 kilograms for him to perfect the performance.

He made the country proud when he ended the fight with a clean performance of Vanessa Mae’s Emerald Tiger. In the end of 2018 Winter Olympics, Martinez failed to advance to the free skate round after his loss finishing 28th out of 30 participants. But even if he failed to win, he gained and earned praise from other competitors including the gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu from Japan because of his two and a half week effort.

Martinez may be slender and lean but don’t let his looks fool you. He wouldn’t be able to execute all those spins, twists, turns and the dreaded triple axel if his body wasn’t in shape and his mind wasn’t in focus. Martinez is so determined that a few accidents or struggles didn’t break him down instead made those experiences his lesson to be a greater figure skater.

Filipinos are known for its resiliency making us very well known in the world. Winter Olympics is just another challenge the Philippines is facing right now, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t succeed in the near future. These Filipinos, natural born or half-blooded, showed us that we can excel in things we are used to do.

All it takes is courage and a burning passion.

KOMIKS Nah, bulls, together with the other cows, are color-blind to red. In this way, the bull is likely maddened not by the muleta’s color, but rather by the cape’s movement as the bullfighter whips it around. In help of this is the way that a bull charges the bullfighter’s capote—with equal rage. So, it’s okay to wear red while watching bullfight, just don’t make fun of them. LOL.

GOLDFISH SPLIT MEMORY, DEBUNKED

MANMONKEY AFFAIR

fact u

RED X BULL

Almost all people know that Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) came from the monkey and can be passed commonly thru sexual intercourse. It probably jumped to humans through hunting of monkeys for bush meat food, which led to blood-toblood contact and not by human having sex with monkey. NO. Disgusting.

SHAVE IT DOWN “I don’t shave eh, it will grow thicker kase. . .”

Goldfish has a very good memory for a fish (even Dory from Finding Nemo helps to dispel this myth by recalling her past).

They can be trained to respond various ways to certain colors of light, different kinds of music, avoiding predators and other sensory cues. Furthermore, it is recommended to make your fish tanks more complicated for them to be more interested.

No, it won’t. It is a common misconception about shaving.

Shaving facial or body hair gives the hair a blunt tip. The tip might feel coarse or “hairy” for a time as it grows out. During this phase, the hair might be more noticeable and perhaps appear darker or thicker—but it’s not. If sudden growth of hair in any part of your body appeared, call your doctor.

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CS Wizards Magazine 2018