The Manila Collegian Volume 29 Number 18

The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Manila Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 - Friday

MORE INSIDE

02 EDITORIAL Gapok 03 NEWS CHED approves more tuition hikes 08 FEATURES The Road To Nowhere 11 OPINION La Petite Mort 12 CULTURE It’s Reigning Men

02 EDITORIAL

Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 | Friday

E DI T O R - I N - C H I E F Carlo Rey Resureccion Martinez A S S O C I AT E E DI T O R F O R I N T E R N A L A F FA I R S Patrick Jacob Laxamana Liwag A S S O C I AT E E DI T O R F O R E X T E R N A L A F FA I R S Elizabeth Danielle Quiñones Fodulla M A N AG I N G E DI T O R Thalia Real Villela A S S I S TA N T M A N AG I N G E DI T O R Jennah Yelle Manato Mallari N E W S E DI T O R Aries Raphael Reyes Pascua F E AT U R E S E DI T O R Liezl Ann Dimabuyu Lansang C U LT U R E E DI T O R Jose Lorenzo Querol Lanuza G R A P H IC S E DI T O R Jose Paolo Bermudez Reyes

PAULINE SANTIAGO TIOSIN

A

NG PAGBUBUKAS NG panibagong taong akademiko ay hudyat din ng pagdagsa ng panibagong mga suliraning higit pang nagpaparupok sa sistema ng edukasyon ng mga mag-aaral ng bayan.

Sa kabila ng mga protesta, pormal nang pinasinayaan ng pamahalaan ang programang K-12, kung saan magkakaroon ang mga mag-aaral ng dagdag pang dalawang taon o senior high school bago makapagtapos ng sekondarya at makapagpatuloy sa kolehiyo. Layunin ng naturang programa na magbukas ng maagang oportunidad para sa mga mag-aaral bunga ng ipinapangako nitong maaari nang agad makapaghanap ng trabaho ang mga magsisipagtapos ng senior high school.

Ngayong pasukan ay nasilayan na ng masa ang mga unang mag-aaral na makararanas ng ipinagmamalaking K-12 curriculum ng administrasyon. Ayon kay Secretary Armin Luistro, maituturing na tagumpay ang pagpapatupad ng programa sa mga matataas na paaralan. Ipinagmalaki nitong walang malawakang problemang namataan ang gobyerno sa pagbubukas ng unang araw ng pasukan.

Subalit taliwas sa tagumpay na sinasabi ng kalihim ang tunay na nagaganap sa mga silid-aralan. Sa pagpupuri ng pamahalaan sa huwad na tagumpay ng K-12, nananatiling bula sa mata nila ang mga malawakang problemang dala ng programa.

Tinatayang halos isang milyong mga mag-aaral ang hindi na makapagpapatuloy ng pag-aaral

GAPOK

bunga ng hindi lahat ng pampublikong paaralan ay handa para sa curriculum ng K-12. Bukod pa ito sa dati nang mga suliranin na kakulangan sa pasilidad at mga guro Napipilitan ang ilang estudyante na lumipat sa mga pribadong paaralan at magbayad ng napakamahal na matrikula, o umasa sa mga vouchers na hindi naman sapat para tugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga mag-aaral.

Sa kasalukuyang estado ng programa, lalo lamang nitong pinalalala ang komersyalisasyon ng edukasyon.

Ang mga suliraning dala ng K-12 ay sapat nang dahilan upang ito’y labanan ng paparating na administrasyon, ngunit sa pagpapahayag ng pagsuporta ni

lang ng mga programang tulad nito ang pagdepende natin sa ibang bansa, imbes na pagyamanin at palakasin ang sariling industriya.

Manipestasyon ang K-12 ng muling pagyukod ng pamahalaan sa interes ng minorya at unti-unti nitong pagtalikod sa mandato nitong bigyan ang mamamayan ng angkop na basic social service tulad ng edukasyon. Kung ipagpapatuloy ang ganitong programa ay lalo lamang lalala ang nagnanaknak na estado ng edukasyon sa bansa. Magiging daan ang K-12 sa pananaig ng kawalan ng trabaho at kahirapan ng masa. Hindi nakatutulong ang mga mapagkunwaring programang tulad nito sa pagpapabuti

Sa pagpupuri ng pamahalaan sa huwad na tagumpay ng K-12, nananatiling bula sa mata nila ang mga malawakang problemang dala ng programa. incoming secretary Leonor Briones sa programa at pagkilala sa kahalagahan nito lalo na paparating na ASEAN integration, mananatili pa ring matinding dagok sa mga mag-aaral ang programang ito.

Ang pagpapatuloy ng programa ay nagbabadya ng pagpapaigting pa ng mga neoliberal na polisiya sa edukasyon ng bansa. Ang pagsandig ng programa sa mga batayan at interes ng mga kanluraning bansa ay lalo lang magpapalala sa exploitation ng mga manggagawa at maging mga propesyonal.

Kung titignan, mistulang pabrika ang K-12 ng murang lakas-panggawa – mas nakatuon ang sistema sa pagpapalaganap ng mga manggagawang pinagsisilbihan ang pangangailangan ng mga kanluraning bansa. Pinayayabong

ng estado ng edukasyon at sa pagtugon sa pangangailangan ng mga mag-aaral.

Sa huli, ang K-12 program ay isa lamang panandaliang solusyon na lalo pang magdadala ng problema paglaon.

Maihahalintulad sa marurupok na pasilyo ng silid-aralan ang estado ng edukasyon sa bansa.

Ang pagyabong ng programang tulad ng K-12 ay mas lalong sisira sa mahinang pundasyon nito. Ang tanging makapagpapatibay sa estado ng edukasyon sa Pilipinas ay ang paglaban sa mga huwad na programa at pagsulong sa pagkakaroon ng dekalidad at makamasang edukasyon.

Sapagkat ang tunay na repormang makatutulong sa pagbubuo ng bayan ay ang mga repormang nakalapat sa pangangailangan ng mayoryang masa.

N E WS COR R ESPON DEN TS Patricia Anne Lactao Guerrero Adolf Enrique Santos Gonzales Eunice Biñas Hechanova Arthur Gerald Bantilan Quirante Sofia Monique Kingking Sibulo F E AT U R E S C O R R E S P O N D E N T S Chloe Pauline Reyes Gelera Katrina Maria Limpiada Perolino Angelica Natividad Reyes C U LT U R E C O R R E S P O N D E N T S Josef Bernard Soriano De Mesa Pia Kriezl Jurado Hernandez Jamilah Paola dela Cruz Laguardia Gabrielle Marie Melad Simeon R E S I D E N T I L LU S T R AT O R S Maria Catalina Bajar Belgira Jamela Limbauan Bernas Jazmine Claire Martinez Mabansag Michael Lorenz Dumalaog Raymundo

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Solidaridad - UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations

The Cover

Illustration by Jazmine Claire Martinez Mabansag

Layout by Kyla Dominique Lacambacal Pasicolan

Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 | Friday

COLLEGE BRIEFS

CHED approves more tuition hikes

NEWS 03

Students march against TOFI ANTON GABRIEL ABUEVA LERON

The UP Manila Medicine Student Council (MSC) led a volunteer program for the Philippine General Hospital.

Dubbed Lingkod IM-pedia Part 1: Internal Medicine, with orientations held on June 23 and the actual program starting on June 26.

The next General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) will convene on July 16 and 17 at University of the Philippines Los Baños to select the 34th Student Regent, the sole student representative in the Board of Regents (BOR). This year’s nominees are Raoul Manuel (UP Diliman nominee), Josiah Hiponia (UP Diliman nominee), and Omid Siahmard (UP Mindanao nominee).

The 35th KASAMA sa UP (KSUP) National Congress will be held from July 11 to 15. KASAMA sa UP is an alliance of student councils across the UP system.

ORGANEWS

Various student organizations staged a mobilization at the Department of Education (DepEd) office last June 9 to protest the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) most recent round of tuition hikes for the coming school year.

In preparation for academic year 2016-2017, CHED approved the increase in tuition and other school fees (OSFs) of 304 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) around the country.

Calling for Change These organizations called for the accountability of CHED regarding the tuition hikes and urged President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to enact necessary revisions to the current system.

“The Aquino government has always maintained that nothing can be done to stop tuition hikes and the commercialization of education. We call on President Duterte to prove Aquino wrong,” Anakbayan Secretary General Einstein Recedes stated.

According to Recedes, CHED has merely been a stamp pad for the numerous tuition increases approved by the administration in recent years.

Duterte, who has spoken out in support of K-12, wishes to address the current problem of out-of-school youth during his term. In order to end education deregulation, youth groups have also called on Duterte to junk the Education Act of 1982 which permits HEIs to designate their own tuition rates without government regulation.

“We are, to a great extent, hoping that President-elect Duterte will be one with the youth in championing the greater fight towards an educational system that is scientific, nationalist, and mass-oriented,” National Union of Students in the Philippines (NUSP) spokesperson Kevin Castro explained.

Yearly Dillema HEIs comprised 25% of the 1,207 total schools whose increases were greenlighted for the coming school year.

Out of all regions, the National Capital Region (NCR) accounted for the most schools, with 165 institutions pushing fee increases, while the Davao region marked the highest average increase at 29.57%.

CHED’s announcement arrived at the heels of numerous nationwide protests by student organizations who asserted that the yearly fee hikes are a case of gross negligence on the part of CHED and the current administration.

“This colossal deregulation of Philippine education is only indicative

of the neoliberal policies adhered and maintained by BS Aquino III and his cohorts,” continued Castro.

For the coming academic year, HEIs shall experience an average increase of Php 43.39 per unit, the highest tuition hike in 3 years. This brings the average tuition to Php 19,400 for a 30-unit semester.

Compounding on the growing tuition rates, a study by the NUSP discovered that OSFs - which ranged from Php 1,000 to Php 30,000 – averaged at Php 13,000 per semester across the included schools. Thus, the total average cost of education amassed to Php 70,000 per year.

“What intensifies the outrage of the students is the statement of Licuanan stating that their ‘approach to the issue of tuition is holistic’. There is nothing holistic about tuition and other school fees increases when school administrators fail to include the students in discussions and just conduct bogus consultations,” Castro added.

Mga isyu ng UPM SHS Koronadal, nilinaw SOFIA MONIQUE KINGKING SIBULO

The second batch of applications for the Socialized Tuition Scheme will commence on June 27-29.

The release of results is scheduled for July 4, while the appeal period is for July 4 – 8.

A campus-wide shake drill was staged on June 22. This was part of the 2016 Metro Manila shake drill, spearheaded by the Metro Manila Development Authority.

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Kaugnay ng ilang insidente sa University of the Philippines Manila School of Health Sciences Extension Campus in South Cotabato (UPM SHS ECSC) na iniulat kamakailan lamang, ay binigyan ng pansin ang pagsasa-ayos sa mga bahay kubo at abiso sa drayber.

Isyu sa dormitoryo Ibinahagi ni Normandy Carpio, direktor ng UPM SHS ECSC na kilala rin bilang SHS Koronadal, na sinisimulan nang ipaayos ang mga bahay kubo mula sa pondo ng South Cotabato provincial government.

Kung matatandaan, noong Mayo 24 ay ipina-blotter ni Lheo Saragena, instruktor ng SHS Koronadal, si Mars Gamutan na miyembro ng San Marcelino Foundation Inc., dahil sa kusang pagpapaayos ng mga sirang bubong ng bahay kubo na nagsisilbing dormitoryo ng mga mag-aaral.

Ipina-blotter umano si Gamutan dahil hindi ito sumunod sa tamang proseso at hindi nakipag-ugnayan nang maayos sa administrasyon. Dagdag pa ang pagbanggit ni Gamutan na pinahihirapan umano ng UP ang mga estudyante nito.

Ayon kay Saragena, kinausap niya si Gamutan nang mahinahon ukol sa pagpapaalam sa pagpapa-ayos ng bahay kubo ngunit hiningian lamang siya ng sulat na magpapatigil sa kanila. Hindi ito pinagbigyan ni Saragena dahil wala naman daw utos mula sa direktor. Nang sumunod na araw ay ipina-blotter na si Gamutan.

Sinubukang makakuha ng pahayag mula kay Gamutan ngunit tumanggi itong magsalita.

Matapos ang insidente ay nagpatawag ng diyalogo ang administrasyon sa mga estudyante. Dito ay iminungkahi ng mga estudyante na makipag-ayos ang administrasyon sa San Marcelino Foundation Inc.

Isyu sa trabaho Sa kaso naman ni Rey Rivera, drayber na kinomisyon ng South Cotabato provincial government at naka-job order

sa SHS Koronadal, ay nakatanggap siya ng abiso na naglalaman ng expiration of contract.

“Ang sulat na natanggap ni Rivera ay pagpapa-alala na matatapos na ang kaniyang kontrata sa trabaho sa katapusan,” pagpapaliwanag ni Carpio.

Ang sulat umano ay alam ng Human Resources Development Office ng kanilang provincial government.

Sa kabilang banda, hindi nagbigay ng pahayag si Rivera. *Kasama ang ulat ni Jonalyn Balome, Managing Editor ng Salo – ang kinikilalang student publication sa UPM SHS ECSC

04 NEWS Fabella Hospital faces demolition amid protests

Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 | Friday

Health workers slam decision of DOH EUNICE BIÑAS HECHANOVA

Several health groups led by the Save Fabella Movement (SFM) and the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) gathered in front of the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital on June 8 to stop the planned closure of the hospital set for the next day.

The Fabella Hospital, sometimes referred to as the “Paanakan ng Bayan”, has provided maternal care for 96 years and catered specially to financially deprived patients. Furthermore, the establishment receives more than 1,000 patients despite being designed for just 700-bed capacity.

Following the Department of Health (DOH) order, the healthcare facility will be moved from its current 8.4 hectare lot at the Old Bilibid Compound in Sta Cruz, Manila to the DOH compound in Quezon City. Around 1,300 patients are to be brought to the 50-bed facility located within the DOH district.

Based on DOH plans, the national maternal hospital will also be converted to a center for women’s health.

Transfer A pproved Upon the findings that half of the eight hospital buildings were unstable, the DOH implemented the halting of all activities and the vacating of patients and staff at the Fabella Hospital before June 9.

In response to this, Fabella Hospital Director Dr. Esmeraldo Ilem affirmed in a press conference on June 10 that the 1,200 workers were consulted and majority accepted the modernization THE ROAD TO NOWHERE

K-12 is designed to answer international demands by upgrading the education system to the global standards. At the same time, the aforementioned notion of the K-12 as self-sufficing in itself would only encourage more and more of the Filipino youth to most likely leave school at a younger age in order to become skilled laborers, particularly to other countries where their skills are in demand.

of the hospital through a signature campaign. He noted that while others were against the plan, other employees were unable to join due to work.

The new Fabella Hospital will have 6 floors and a capacity for over 800 beds, with the total budget amounting to P1.167 billion pesos.

During the construction of the new hospital, current patients and employees will be deployed to the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, the Fabella outpatient department (OPD) in Quezon City, the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP), and other public healthcare institutions. Consequently, the construction of the new Fabella hospital is expected to be completed by as early as May 2017.

“For employees who don’t want to be assigned in Quezon City due to distance, they can choose to be assigned to any of these hospitals until the transfer to the new building next year,” Ilem included.

The hospital management told employees that they will return to their work when the hospital construction is finished in 2017.

Proper Facilities Demanded Meanwhile, Save Fabella Movement

FROM PAGE 09

The implementation of the K-12 is a mere illusion that tricks the Filipinos to a seemingly smooth road to a bright future, distracting them of the actual regression in the country’s system as the quality of education only continues to deteriorate. The kind of education that the program provides is not one that is centered towards the nation but of a profit-seeking venture—the kind of education that Filipino people The K-12 program is seemingly es- and the youth do not need. tablished as a policy that seeks to improve the country’s educational It is only of prime importance to system. However, when critical- assert the right to a mass-oriently scrutinized, it is much like the ed, nationalistic, and scientific other programs implemented and education that is of and for the introduced by the current adminis- Filipinos. For in the struggle to tration. It relies on seemingly viable fight for the educational system premises to sell itself as something that the masses duly deserve, that would benefit the country and only collective action will serve its people. But instead, it is rotten to as the compass and the map of its core—a program hardwired to the people, guiding and gearing cater to the interests of those who the nation on the true path to profiteer, and not the people them- progress. selves.

(SFM) spokesperson Elvira Mendoza maintained that this action hindered patients from receiving appropriate health assistance and made needed equipment unavailable. She clarified that despite the urgency for the improvement of facilities, Fabella’s operations should not be stopped.

Herbert Verchez, the Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC) purchased the Old Bilibid Compound in 2007 and the company was now taking the lot for commercial use. Health groups claimed that the reinstatement of Fabella was a step towards the privatization of hospital services in the Philippines.

Concurrently, Mendoza stated that though Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) recommended the repair of the unsecure buildings, there was no need to replace the whole establishment.

“Though the Aquino government and the DOH insist that this is not privatization, we believe that these projects are definitely under the general framework of the privatization policy in the guise of modernization, and would mean more expensive, unaffordable health services for the people,” the SFM asserted.

“We are not against the development of the Fabella Hospital, what we are asking for is an on-site development so that there would be no lull in the provision of services”, Mendoza furthered.

On the other hand, Undersecretary for Health Regulation Kenneth Hartigan – Go asked the protesters to refrain from impeding the transport of equipment to the temporary hospital sites. “We don’t want to go into a more aggressive move. We can appeal to their sense of sensibility and humanitarian approach,” he said.

Support Requested According to Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) Spokesperson Sean LA PETITE MORT

Meanwhile, SFM called on Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte to put a stop to the cessation of operations of within the hospital. During his campaign, Duterte stated that he would implement the opening of hospitals for indigent patients and the provision of government-paid health services through the DOH budget, Philhealth budget, and sin tax revenues.

For the time being, health employees will be extending their two-week long protests until Duterte’s term as president formally starts on June 30.

FROM PAGE 11

And now he’s gone. Loss is a nurse in green scrubs and scuffed tennis shoes, walking towards the people seated in the antiseptic-smelling waiting room, anxious for the good news that will never come.

Loss is the calmest voice you hear, the voice reserved for hysterical parents and broken girlfriends and friends with clammy hands, telling you words like “He didn’t make it” and “severe blood loss” and the hardest part to hear, “We’re so, so sorry.”

Loss is the empty feeling that doesn’t settle anywhere in your body, but instead makes its way to the tips of your fingers, your eyesight blurring and your feet slipping on the white tiles because you no longer feel grounded.

Loss is the cold air that surrounds you when you wake up, in your mother’s couch, with plaid flannel blankets covering you from head to toe, and your mom’s voice in your ear, shakily saying, “I’m so sorry, honey.”

Loss is the person you look at in the mirror, with the fascinator precariously balanced on top of her head, and eyes so red they could pass for a recovering addict. She is you; but you are too removed to smile at her and recognize that things will no longer be the same.

Loss is this letter; this shout to the void that he’ll never hear. Loss is the ending in a story that wasn’t supposed to end so abruptly; so young.

Loss is him, slipping away, on an evening when other people celebrated life. Loss is him; his cold, lifeless body and pale dace dressed in his finest, hair pushed back, lips no longer the similar curve that’s so innate to him.

Loss is the thief that I loathe; and I’m left thinking and waiting for the next life he’ll take. Loss is his death and my happiness, taken away.

Loss is him, gone.

Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 | Friday

Mga nagsipagtapos, naglunsad ng kilos-protesta

NEWS 05

ARIES RAPHAEL REYES PASCUA

Sa pangunguna ni University Student Council (USC) Chairperson-elect Pholyn Balahadia, nagsagawa ng isang kilos-protesta o lightning rally ang ilang nagsipagtapos ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Maynila sa ika-107 na commencement exercises na ginanap sa Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Hunyo 17.

Kinondena ng mga mag-aaral ang mataas na matrikula ng unibersidad na iginigiit nilang naging dahilan ng pagpaapakamatay ni Kristel Tejada noong 2013.

bumubuwag sa pangarap ng mga Iskolar ng Bayan para sa mas magandang bukas.

Iginiit din ni Balahadia na kailangan nang itigil ang mga neoliberal na polisiya sa edukasyon, tulad ng Socialized Tuition Scheme (STS).

Idiniin din ni Balahadia ang patuloy na pagpapabaya ng gobyerno sa mga sektor tulad ng kalusugan at mga indigenous peoples.

Si Tejada ay isang mag-aaral ng BA Behavioral Sciences sa Kolehiyo ng Agham at Sining na nagpatiwakal noong Marso 2013, matapos siyang mapilitang tumigil sa pag-aaral sa pamamagitan ng Forced Leave of Absence dahil hindi nakabayad ang kanyang pamilya ng kanyang Sa pagtatapos, nangako si Balahadia matrikula. na ipagpapatuloy ang pakikibaka tungo sa abot-kaya at de-kalidad na Ayon kay Balahadia, kasabay dapat edukasyon upang bigyang hustisya si Tejada na magtatapos ng Class ang kamatayan ni Kristel Tejada. of 2016 ngayong taon, ngunit ang mapaniil na polisiya ng unibersidad Nasa 1,241 ang mga mag-aaral na ay nagtulak kay Tejada upang nagtapos ngayong taon. Isang tapusin ang kaniyang sariling buhay. gradweyt lamang ang nakakuha ng titulong summa cum laude, si Shaira Tagadan mula sa BS Biology na may Pagtigil ng Polisiya General Weighted Average (GWA) Dagdag pa ni Balahadia, ang mataas na 1.1879. Mayroon ding 30 na magna na matrikula sa state universities cum laude at 189 na cum laude. and colleges (SUCs) ang siyang PRIDE

FROM PAGE 11

as merely funny and f lirty, not to be taken seriously. Only a few can see the real person and their struggles underneath who they appear to be.

All of these, combined with the Catholic Church’s unyielding belief in heteronormativity, maintains the culture of tolerance but prevents full acceptance.

I really think that there is so much hatred, ignorance, and prejudice in the world when it comes to gender.

But, if there’s one thing I admire most about our friends in the LGBTQIA community, it is their resilience and willingness to fight for their rights.

Not to mention the fact that there are countries which are not at all tolerant. In these places, loving someone of the same gender or wearing clothes not meant for your own gender are considered capital offenses. Those that commit them are stoned, lashed, tortured or killed, all because they are ‘different.’ It really does not make sense to me how these people are forcing the LGBTQIA to hide and pretend that they are someone else just to escape punishment and condemnation. How would it feel if you are not allowed to work just because you are a woman? Or what if you are not allowed to take care of your children because you are a man?

They also show it every day, when they are true to themselves and confidently strut on the streets, paying no heed to those who scoff at them or put them down.

They showed it best during the 2016 Metro Manila Pride. I was not able to attend it in person, but I did see the photos and videos of them waving their f lags, carrying their banners, and smiling and laughing as they marched.

The LGBTQIA community is fighting to make love win.

Can you fight for it too? Or are you too blinded by the so-called moral concept of love?

Mga larawang kuha ni Kyla Dominique Lacambacal Pasicolan

06 NEWS

Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 | Friday

Mga Fulung-Vulungan ng Nagjijisang

Lola Patola

MOCHA USON BLOG EDITION

Isang mapagpaluyang day tu yu mah afowz!!!!! Kamustasa nemern eng inyong dayz tuday????? I howp yer doing whale!!!!! As por mi, itech, nagbblogaloo na eng Lola niyow!!!!!! Ken u belieb et????? At kashing sherep ng MOCHA eng Lowla niyo sa outfitting kow tuday!!!!! Az in boom pak ganern!!!!! Hihi.

Nakow afowz, habang kayow ay nagvavacate sa ibang lufalok, o kaya ay nagshoshort cirket eng brainz sa summer clashes, may isang thinglaloo lang aketch na nilolook forwardan – eng once in a layftime inaugurashown ni Papi Du30!!!!!!! Kalurkey!!!!!!!!!

Vat opcorz, dehins kong mafoforgetting eng afowz niyow no!!!! Ano aketch, hilo????? Hihihi. Lez get loud na in hir!!!!

Uson-usong seksing sumvhong numbah wan: TamBAEyan

Sa mga older afowz, alarm kong les mis na les mis parin ng ebribadi eng long gone but knot poorgotten na Gab Caf!!!!!! Pero tnx sa butihing pusod ng ating admin (chareux!!!!), nagkaroon ng schtudent chenter kuno wid fudz en tambayans!!!!!

Pero ayon sa ilang moar innocent afowz, di daw niluh keri eng mga nagaganap sa schtudent chenter na itechiwa!!!!!

Paano buh nemern kc, eng tambayans ginagawang tamBAEyans ng ilung couplez!!!!!!

Harowterang palaka dawsung eng peg ng ilan sa mga couplez na itow!!!!????? Aba aba aba. Kayowng mga couplez, I won’t attack u na, becows u know, dat’s AD HOMINEM. U know????

Basta next tym afowz, hinay hinay lungz us sa pubic este public displace of affecshown!!!!!! Hindi na makasubo ng hotdog at sipsip ng sopas yung ibang afowz kow!!!!!!

Hihihihihi kalurkey!!!!!!!!!

Uson-usong seksing

sumvhong numbah tu: Game of Offices

lungs us???? Charot!!!!

Juzkelerd nemern!!!!!!

Nido pa buh tuluguh itech clearance na itu?????? Y Wans agen, congratumalashowns tum not jas let my dear afowz ah gradwaiting afowz na go!!!!!!! Paging Tita Chancy graduated nuh!!!!!! Pero kahit in da 8th plor!!!!! Hihihi. naglelet go na sila sa mehel na mehel nilungs YuFiEm, Ayown lungs nemern, lablee afowz. hindi naman daw sila ma-let go mah Kapit lungs po us dahil nitech!!!!! #ChangeIsComing nuh Panow buh nemern, hassle tu da tuluguh!!!! Ken yu peel mussel eng CLEARANCE na it???? Cuz I ken peel na nido ma-100% complete ng peel it!!!!! Ganern!!!!! mga afowz kow before silung Hihi. Dis iz it por now, ganap na makalaya foreve afowz! Lab lab lab en ever from YuFiEm!!!!! At lungs kayow, weather kung thinking niyow na AC yer abroad or still sa lung yan, dehins kayo!!!!!!!!! YuFiEm!!!!! Kip yer coming, Mah poor afowz nid tu sumvhongs meyk akyat baba akyat okie??? Parang CHANGE baba en go ol arownd da lung!!!!!! Charot last na!!!! Labyu, XOXO YuFiEm!!!!!!

Buti sana kung keriboom mafinish in 1 day lungs itech, but nooo!!!!!!! Eng ilang afowz kow, ilang dayz nang pacomeback ng comeback sa YuFiEm jas poor dat clearance!!!!! At eng mas malala, dehins pake eng ilung peeps sa mga offices!!!! Todo lunch break kahit na merown silung “no noon break” na sign!!!!!! Anyare powz???? Bulag

Got sumvong?

I-spluk mo na, beh!

- Lola P.

NEWS 07

Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 | Friday

ITANONG KAY ISKO’T ISKA

1

Ano ang mensahe mo sa mga Iskolar ng Bayan na nagtapos ngayong taon?

Padayon, mga Iskong nagtapos ngayong 2016! Palagiang isali ang bayan sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa. Ito na ang pagkakataon niyo! Ipamalas niyo ang inyong mga natutunan at Congrats, graduates!! Huwag po kahusayan! Unleash your powers! sana nating kalimutang pagsilbihan - #FindingMoney, CAMP, 2014-51204 ang bayan! Good luck out there!

- potterhead, CD, 2013 Congrats welcome to the world of unemployment!

Guys, bawiin niyo na ang 4-years - Littlemermaid, CAMP worth of sleepless and hungry nights habang may oras pa kayo. Sooner or Congrats to you all!!!! How to be you later, you’ll have to face the world po guys??? Hahahahuhu of boards, job applications, finding - Sam Kazuko, CD your true love, and everything else adult-y. - OrgyChembot, CN, Sabi nga ni Heneral Luna, Bayan 2015-hindiakomadedelay muna bago sarili. At pakiusap, paglingkuran nang buong puso ang PAGLINGKURAN ANG bayan kahit na ito’y puno ng mga SAMBAYANAN! - karl barks, 20xx “irregularidad.”

- codename zaido, CP 2014 STP! HST! - ligaw, 2013 sang bonggang congratulations!

Congrats sa pagtatapos at good luck Na-survive nyo ang UP at kayo ang sa post-college life. nagwagi. Keep it up sa mga chosen - stahp, CAS, 2012 careers nyo go go go - #Lambily CD, 2014-***** Panibagong mga hamon ang haharapin niyo. Kakayanin niyo Para sa mga magmarmartsa ngayong yan tulad ng paglipas niyo sa mga taong 2016, congratulations! Para pagsubok sa pag-aaral sa UP. makapasok sa UP ay isa nang - heartheartheart 2012-35xxx malaking karangalan, at ngayong nagsipagtapos na kayo ay lalong Serve the people❤ sadyang kahanga hanga. Tunay - sorrynotDory, 2012 kayong mga Iskolar ng Bayan, ipagpatuloy niyo ang inyong mga Wag maging mayabang. Marami ka hangarin para sa ating inangbayan. pang hindi alam at matututunan. Ipagpatuloy niyo ang paglilingkod A UP diploma does not instantly sa ating bansa. SERVE THE mean excellence. It’s what you do PEOPLE! - Meredith Grey, CD with it that defines you.

- hopeful, 201* Pagsilbihan ang bayan ano pa man ang mangyari. Maging parte ng sabi nga nila welcome to the real solusyon sa problema. Huwag na world - 201*,baka-sya-yon dumagdag pa sa problema. Dangal muna bago husay. Ibigay natin anong feeling makasuot ng sablay? ang ating buong kakayahan at ibig sabihin ata niyan serve the kalinangan alang-alang sa ikabubuti people outside the university, well ng bansa dahil kung tutuusin, well, serve the people. - 2014-0**** hindi natin matutumbasan ang lahat ng ibinigay niya sa atin.

Sana hindi niyo makalimutan ang Ito lamang ang ating tanging pamantasan na humubog sa inyo. paraan para makapagbayad at Sana ibalik niyo rin yung naabot makapagpasalamat sa kanya -niyong profession sa UP in a way ang ating buong pusong serbisyo. para matulungang mabuksan ng isip - ProperNaAko, 2014-0xxxx, CD ang mga susunod na estudyante.

- dapatlang, 2013 Congratulations po. You guys continuously inspire me with your Good luck sa inyong buhay beyond never ending fb/twitter/ig posts college. Gamitin ng mabuti ang to strive harder for my goals (latin natutunan from UP. Make UP honors wooh) to make my parents proud. - asan ka behhh (and myself) proud.

- Nightwing, CD It’s okay to have your head in the clouds but keep your feet on the Serve the people. Cliché pero ground. - YOLO, 2014, CAS maraming nakakalimot sa

prinsipyo natin. Honor and Yung ka-red string excellence hanggang sa huli mga ko ❤❤ #BornForYou bes! - Wiwispray, CN HAHAHAHAHAHAHA - Sam Kazuko, CD

2K

ung ikaw si Dory, sino ang gusto mong makahanap sa’yo at bakit?

Love. Because you don’t find love, it finds you. - potterhead, CD, 2013

Family, wala akong maisip e. Haha.

Kidding aside, bc in reality, talagang pamilya namna talaga ang nandyan para sa’yo - codename zaido, CP 2014 Si Nemo - #Lambily CD, 2014-*****

Sana mahanap ako ni Sarah. Ni Kung ako si dory, gusto kong Sarah Gero-Nemo. - OrgyChembot, mahanap ako ng akong parallel self sa ibang dimension ng mundong CN, 2015-hindiakomadedelay ito, because yes I believe that we Wala. Sometimes we just need to be have our own parallel selves. Gusto ko na ikumpara nya ang kanyang alone char - karl barks, 20xx sarili sa akinat magbigay ng mga payo tungkol sa buhay. Gusto kong Sarili ko. - ligaw, 2013 sabihin nya “Daphne, I wouldnt ask for a better parallel self than you” Hanapin ko muna siya. Hehe - Meredith Grey, CD - stahp, CAS, 2012 Ang sarili ko rin. I must find myself first before anyone else finds me.

Para handa akong harapin siya na Yung taong minahal ko ng matagal darating para sa akin. pero finriendzone niya ako - ProperNaAko, 2014-0xxxx, CD unconsciously. Sana marealize niya Si Simon Cowell. Dahil magaling na mahal niya din ako. <////3 siyang makahanap ng talent at sana - sorrynotDory, 2012 matagpuan niya yung talent ko na Si Pareng Malcolm. Pls papasukin hanggang ngayon hinahanap ko pa mo na ako sa loob mo. - hopeful, 201* rin lol. - Nightwing, CD Si Marlin. OTP ko sila LOL - heartheartheart 2012-35xxx

sarili ko, kasi lost talaga ako ngayon - 201*,baka-sya-yon

Soulmate ko char para di na ko umasa pa - Wiwispray, CN

si Sasuke-ko - 2014-0**** Yung p*tang ama namin na iniwan kami. Magpadala man lang ng pera oh. P*ta. - dapatlang, 2013 Ang mga 1.0 na pinakawalan ko since nagwalwal ako. Plano ko nang magseryoso sa acads. beessss - asan ka behhh Nobody. Dory is a strong, independent female who don’t need no man. #lolthe slang - YOLO, 2014, CAS Ang aking sarili (woah deep ...like the ocean) dahil sa tingin ko kapag nahanap ko na ang aking sarili (o nahanap na ako ng aking sarili) mas makikilala ko pa ang aking pagkatao at mas mauunawaan ko pa ang desisyon ko sa buhay. *bow* - #FindingMoney, CAMP, 2014-51204 Yung drive ko magaral haha gusto ko na grumaduate pls - Littlemermaid, CAMP

Pwede ring ipadala ang inyong mga sagot sa pamamagitan ng pag-text sa 0917 510 9496 o sa 0917 539 0612!

(Pero bawal textmate!)

08 FEATURES

In a government that continues to implement educational policies which prioritize profiteering, the masses are led to tread a directionless path in search of the kind of education that they truly deserve.

Such is the situation of the people under the K-12 program, which was first introduced in 2013 as the Enhanced Basic Education Act with the premise of providing globally competitive, quality education to each and every student. This involves changes in the curriculum and structure of the country’s educational system, such as an increase in the number of years a student will spend in an educational institution as well as the opening of direct pathways for vocational and technical career opportunities.

However, despite the promise of an integrated education for the Filipinos, the K-12 program has failed and still fails to deliver the due education that the Filipinos ought to receive. Its implementation follows the same vein as the plan of action it falls under: a promising road and premise that leads to nowhere.

Twisted Routes The K-12 program takes pride in its faux promise to further hone the students’ skills for their respective career paths, but behind it is a maze that only leads to the eventual regression of the Filipino youth.

Having been passed in 2013, the K-12 program extended primary and secondary education from ten to twelve years for the alleged assurance of future employment opportunities for the youth. Under the act are six features which are supposed to highlight different aspects of Filipino life and learning. The first two include Strengthening Early

Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 | Friday

THE ROAD t Exposing the Fissures Childhood Education, learned in the formative years of kindergarten, and Making the Curriculum Relevant to Learners, with activities such as games, song and poem writing, and illustrative contests meant to educate the learner on history, culture and international issues such as climate change. Risk management and information and communication technology (ICT) are also embedded in the said level.

The third feature, Building Proficiency, is concerned with kindergarten to third grade levels, and provides the option of using the Mother Tongue as the medium of language in instruction. Coming fourth includes Ensuring Integrated and Seamless Learning, which consists of gradual progression in instruction and learning. Meanwhile the fifth feature, Gearing Up for the Future, ensures that each student is ready for the college tier and, if applicable, livelihood through vocational career opportunities. This feature directly collaborates with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and is primarily concerned with what will occur after the student finishes Senior High School. Lastly, Nurturing the Holistically Developed Filipino promises that every graduate will be knowledgeable in information, media and technology, learning and innovation, life, career and communication skills.

Altogether, the K-12 curriculum seems to deliver an educational program that centers on the improvement of the Filipino youth. However, the cracks in its roadmap appear as one takes a closer look at the implications of its implementation.

The K-12 curriculum does not only aim to increase

CHLOE PAULINE REYES GELERA AND KATRINA MARIA LIMPIADA PEROLINO ILLUSTRATION BY ABIGAIL BEATRICE MALABRIGO AND JOSE PAOLO BERMUDEZ REYES

senior high school for 2016 will be forced to enroll in private schools due to the lack of public schools and facilities.

In turn, this dependence on private institutions not only proves the lack of preparation that the government has done for their policy—it has also showed how the state has abandoned its mandate on providing free, accessible, and quality basic education to the people, despite it being promulgated by the Constitution. Thus, the hope of achieving education has not come any closer to the people—rather, the policy’s implementation has distanced education even further from the masses.

the time spent in school by students, but rather, reforms the curriculum and syllabus of the educational program completely. Adding two more years entails shifting the focus on preparing students for opportunities primarily in the vocational and technical fields but at the expense of narrowing and filtering down the opportunity for learning other bodies of knowledge.

By prioritizing the specialization of courses, the K-12 also undermines the opportunities for broader learning through general education, focusing more on honing individuals who will become desirable assets in the labor market. While the emphasis of such policy rests on producing graduates who could compete with employment overseas, the quality of education itself in the Philippines is being overlooked and compromised. Thus, it is clear the problem of the curriculum and its implementation is rooted from its core: the desire to market education instead of providing it.

Such neglect has been reflected in the actual implementation of the K-12, where the administration has continued to forgo the provision of proper materials, venues, and budget for education. For instance, a portion of the 1.1 million students expected to enter

Wrong Turn On the other hand, the K-12 curriculum has seemingly opened more career opportunities to those in the teaching profession, with the initial promise of hiring more instructors from different regions of the country. But in truth, teachers have continuously suffered low wages and threats of unemployment. It is estimated that 100,000 teachers and employees in colleges will lose their jobs with the implementation of K-12. Additionally, the learning and instructional material provided by the government for the schools are dismal, as reported by many teachers, and are not enough to cope with the demand and influx of students.

The evident lack of resources needed to uphold quality education while public institutions continue to struggle accommodating students only constitutes to more enrollees with no rooms to study in, poorly-compensated instructors to learn from, and no materials to peruse. With the bill assuring the availability of education through multiple private institutions, education is not only being stamped with a price, but a high one as well.

Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 | Friday

o nowhere of the K-12 Curriculum The bill has also made way for the proliferation of paid institutions providing for the K-12 program that the Filipinos are subjected to—institutions that serve as an alternative to the public schools all over the country, who are urgently needing ample state subsidization. Dubbed as Affordable Private Education Centers (APEC), these institutions provide the premise of privatization of education: the provision of education to the Filipino youth, at a cost that cannot be afforded by the average Filipino household, despite the initial purview of being affordable.

Philippines. What only follows is that marketed education is close to becoming a threatening reality—an education that undermines quality and values towards the youth or the country.

Commercialization of education continues to be a threat, as the government willingly depends on these centers owned by one of the biggest capitalist venture corporations of the country — the Ayala Corporation. On paper, it seems as if the company looks forward to nothing but providing technological access and electronic instructional materials to the Filipino youth, but the devil is in the details. In fact, Ayala Corporation chair and chief executive officer Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala himself stated that these centers ought to center on embedding employable skills to its students, one of which is English proficiency, in line with the demand for the service sector in the

With the government having set its mind to sell education and encourage the action of milking it for profit, it has effectively put a price on one of the most essential basic social services, neglecting the rights of its people in the process. Such situation is continuously embedding paid education as a norm for Filipinos, and promoting the idea that education is less of a right and more of a privilege—a thought that should not be encouraged at all.

college graduates. As the price of education continues to rise, along with the state-encouraged privatization and commercialization of such basic social services, students are hindered from their right to education.

Additionally, with the notion of the K-12 program being sufficient and the need for tertiary education now being unnecessary, the educational system now veers towards producing cheap and flexible labor. This goal has pushed forward the consistently deteriorating overall quality of education in the country.

The current state of education in the country not only burdens a Filipino in the current time—in the long run, it binds him or her to a life of service to a country that is not his or her own. Furthermore, it confines people into serving their sole purpose – their specialization – as dictated by an education that does not fully seek to educate genuinely, but to reduce people as assets in the labor market.

In the end, the K-12 program enacted purportedly for the sake of having a globally competitive educational system has only proven to be a trap to the masses, subjecting them to their eventual commodification as laborers.

Dead End The promises that the K-12 offered are nothing but façades, hiding the state of decay in the country’s educational system—a system that only leads a path to a dead end.

In its implementation, the K-12 has paved a road towards further commercialization of education, being the main rationale of the increase in tuition and other fees in schools. For instance, the Commission on Higher Education

FEATURES 09

The full implementation of the K-12 program is a manifestation of the now outgoing Aquino regime’s apathy towards its constituents. With its neoliberal and colonial nature, it aims to produce a huge supply of skilled laborers instead of actually providing an effective education system. Additionally, it propagates a colonial mindset as it aligns the country’s education system with that of first world countries. The K-12 curriculum focuses on technical and vocational classes instead of the comprehensive core classes. It does not include Filipino courses in college as well, and thus, will deprive the youth of a nationalistic, scientific and mass-oriented education. approved tuition increases in more than 300 schools in the country, hiking the rates to between P80,000 to P100, 000 per year. Worse, alongside the rising costs in tuition and other fees are the state’s implementation of budget cuts in state universities and colleges, which are being groomed to become self-sufficing through privatization and commercialization.

The bigger picture of the educational problem in the country rests on the lack of conducive learning institutions per se, and the government continues to fail in addressing the root of the predicament. For instance, the policy has been pushed through, despite the obvious lack of proper facilities, classrooms, and public schools which are supposed to cater to a significant number of students the K-12 has affected. According to the Department of Education’s K-12 Ready report, only 3,839 of the 7,976 or only 48% of public high schools nationwide have submitted proposals to implement senior high school next year.

This contributed to the drastic fall in the number of enrollees whose curriculum already follows the new policy.

Such decrease in the number of enrollees only exacerbate the already dire situation of the out-of-school-youth in the country. According to data gathered by IBON, half of the youth population aged 11-15 are out of school where those aged 15-24 make up most number of unemployed high school or

As stated in the K-12 primer, one of the objectives of adding two years is for the youth to graduate at the age of 18 — the minimum age for entering into legitimate labor contracts. Two years will be added to high school to put emphasis on technical or vocational training, which match the needs of foreign corporations.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

10 GRAPHICS

Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 | Friday

INSIDE THE DEN

FROM PAGE 09

DIBUHO NI JAMELA LIMBAUAN BERNAS

Signos

DIBUHO NI LIZETTE JOAN CAMPAÑA DALUZ

IT’S REIGNING MEN The capitalist society can embrace the idea of gender equality, but not class equality.

Capitalists launch ‘concerned’ policies promoting gender equality in the workplace, say, seminars on sexual harassment. Female workers will then feel safe and thus increase productivity all the while the people they’re working for mask their desire to secure profit. Capitalism mocked the cause that feminism fought for when it used gender equality as a way to keep its capital.

LET LOVE IN

Patrick Jacob Laxamana Liwag

The deceiving movement that is ‘bourgeois feminism’ paved the way for women to feel “empowered” without analyzing that people remain divided by social hierarchy.

Capitalism, for its own gains, promotes pro-people campaigns to ‘dismantle’ the patriarchal society, without acknowledging that the root of such is class inequality. To destroy patriarchy, the masses must first eradicate its root, and this can only be done when they struggle for class equality.

Machismo may have been bred in the mind of man due to several factors, but it thrives

FROM PAGE 12 in our culture due to the patriarchy brought about by the persisting semi-colonial and semi-feudal society we live in. As long as the masses continue to struggle against this society without destroying class inequality, machismo will still demand itself within our culture and engrave itself within society.

From domestic violence to hate crimes, we are constantly reminded of the grim reality of living in a patriarchal society.

Man is not superior over others because he is equal as every human being. After all, it is not gender that separates us from one another; rather, it is the opportunities that come with it.

Aiming only for gender equality disregards class struggle. For us to be free from the shackles of patriarchy, we should aim to struggle for class equality.

Only then will we ensure women’s and LGBTs’ return to society’s mode of production, and finally shatter feudalism, capitalism, and the patriarchal society.

OPINION 11

Volume 29 Number 19 July 1, 2016 | Friday

DESTRUCTED DISTRACTIONS

Katrina Maria Limpiada Perolino Loss.

It’s jarring, a phone call in the middle of the night that has you rushing to put on the first things you grab just so you could run to the hospital for one last talk, hug, breath. It’s expected, a oneweek break in a relationship that turned into a month, two, then three, to a hiatus that eventually ended it as bluntly as possible. It’s shocking, a lost phone in the middle of your travel route to the place you call home after a long day.

It’s a bleak day in the middle of May when you decided to end it between us.

It’s a normal day when you called to say that it no longer felt like before—that we were better off looking for people to fill the void we used to occupy in each other’s lives.

Losing you was difficult; broken headphones and cut wires that saved me from destroying myself. Memories of you and I, immortalized in Polaroids, are now gone from my wall, my wallet, the back pocket of my favorite stonewashed jeans.

But they still exist, and they have the power to kill me, with any trigger: a song,

LA PETITE MORT

a joke, a meadow in the back woods of your house where we used to lie down and forget the rest of the world.

imagine not seeing his smile again and wonder why he used to pick girls that drove all of his friends away.

Losing you was difficult; but I’d take it any day than losing someone who protected my heart from you. Loss is a thief in the night, but unafraid to take when it’s daylight.

I can’t imagine not being with him— because he loved me more than you ever did.

It is unafraid. I wish I were, too.

Losing you was difficult; but I’d take it any day than losing someone who protected my heart from you.

Because I can’t imagine a world where I’ll live alone—completely alone—as a broken shell of the girl I used to be. I can’t imagine visits to the hilltop cemetery and tearing up over gravestones and numbing the pain away with the scotch he used to drink.

I can’t imagine waking up to no dent on my pillow, or a coffee thrust in my hand before I walk to my next class. I can’t

ANACHRONISMS

Anton Gabriel Abueva Leron

“Those who would give up essential keep immigrants from entering the liberty, to purchase a little temporary country. safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Much like the Brexit, experts dismissed Trump as a nuisance Last week, the United Kingdom candidate, but the massive support (UK) shocked the world by passing he garnered proved that his message a referendum that sought the of exclusivism resonated with the country’s exit from the European For a society to function Union (EU). Analysts believe that this snap decision stemmed properly, the welfare of from the citizens’ unwillingness every constituent must be to accommodate the multitude of protected regardless of Middle Eastern citizens seeking creed or race. asylum in countries throughout the EU. populace. In light of all this one So far, the UK has experienced severe must wonder, has the modern world backlash from the resolution in grown so disillusioned of charity terms of economic and civil unrest. and selflessness that we allow Nevertheless, the repercussions xenophobia to dictate the direction of the referendum could be far of our society? greater than mere monetary losses.

Their decision could set a chilling Rather than denote the moral precedent for how the world deals deterioration of society, I think this with immigrants and refugees. mentality is rooted in very real parts of our development. From an early This year has thus far been marked age we are taught the dangers of and defined by the idea of cultural trusting strangers. We are trained to isolation. Across the Atlantic, United believe that unfamiliar people are States Republican nominee Donald ready to take advantage of us, and Trump has hinged his presidential that only those we share a common bid on his promise of building a heritage with have our best interests wall across the Mexican border to at heart. For many of us, we tend to

He loved me when I wore a tattered shirt and wrinkled pajamas and opened the door with puffy eyes and a blotchy face, he loved me when I stayed at the kiddie pool because I didn’t know how to swim, he loved me when I was being an impatient student and kept flubbing up; he loved me best when I didn’t have control over anything else, because he saw the person that I was before your love destroyed me.

He loved me best because he didn’t jump at the thought of having a relationship with me, nor did he completely reject me. He loved me best because we had the kind of love that all people should share and have: the kind of love that doesn’t believe in boundaries and timelines and ethics codes.

He loved me; he just did.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 04

TWO STEPS BACK carry this mentality long into our adulthood.

Unfortunately, a mindset of preemptive fear stifles the true aim of society.

People tend to forget that exclusivism is opposed to what has made societal living so successful. For a society to function properly, the welfare of every constituent must be protected regardless of creed or race. Though this equal protection, innovation and creativity are able to flourish freely within the community. Should the type of mentality promoted by the UK’s decision be enforced, other countries could very well use it as an excuse for bigotry and unjust exclusion.

Famous Last Words Aria Hernandez PRIDE Isn’t it funny how hate and ignorance can make you commit evil deeds?

I was at home that day, aimlessly scrolling on Facebook and Twitter while listening to music as I so often do, when the first reports started showing up on my feed.

There had been a shooting at a gay bar in Orlando, Florida, and dozens of people were believed to have been killed.

At first, the number of casualties couldn’t be confirmed, but eventually they released the final numbers – 50 dead, 53 injured.

One man, armed with highpowered weapons and carrying a lot of ammunition, was able to do this much damage in a matter of minutes. I did not want to believe it.

But when they released the names and photos of the 50 dead, I knew that I had no choice.

It was haunting, to say the least, seeing how many young lives were ended in an instant because of the shooter’s twisted thinking. I am not a member of the LGBTQIA community, but I have supported them. Of course, this wasn’t always the case. When I was younger, I was used to the idea of boys being with girls – period. I believed that pants and toy cars were for boys, while the dresses and dolls were for girls.

But then I grew up. I became more open-minded and I came to understand that love is love and that it simply cannot be limited by gender. It is so much more than that. It really pained me to witness other people who continue to condemn and prevent the LGBTQIA from exercising their rights. How can you not afford them the same rights that other people enjoy just because of their gender? It does not make sense.

That is why it is no surprise that the recent Orlando shooting appalled and disturbed me. But I can only imagine the effect it had on the LGBTQIA community across the world. If a tragedy such as this could take place in the “greatest country in the world”, what more in other countries, especially our own? There really is no telling what might happen tomorrow or the next few days until such culture exists in society.

Even with the number of gays and lesbians in our society, most Filipinos are not yet fully accepting of them; they are merely tolerant.

In fact, some of them consider the LGBTQIA community beneath the straight men and women in society. Thus, coming out remains a burden for many people, and same-sex marriage is a long way from becoming a reality.

Cultural differences should never be a basis for turning people away.

If we allow such primal distinctions to control our society’s decision making, then any progress we have achieved is merely skin-deep. In life, there are always those who get the short end of the stick. The What is more is that children who world isn’t fair, but we can be. are ‘different’ from their peers are

still mocked and bullied. Many teleseryes and films still depict gays CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

What man wants become rules.

You’re gay if you disobey. If a woman’s not a housewife, she’s a prostitute. Whistle her over and offer a ride. You just won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

This oppression did not just stem from the often subtle but sometimes explicit conditioning provided by the patriarchy. Rather, it is preserved by societal wrongdoings encouraged by a semi-feudal, semi-colonial, and capitalist culture—fitting only to accommodate what it wants to be the superior sex.

Boys Will Be Boys

If in dire need of reaffirming masculinity, media reminds the question “are you man enough?”

Mainstream media successfully caters to the needs of a man’s sensitive ego, which in turn became one of the pillars of machismo that permeates until today. Scrolling one’s news feed will lead you to a rabbit hole of photos and videos urging that “real men do this”. Clicking the remote exposes one to ads modeled by stimulating, almost pornographic, images of a woman.

As this culture continues, boys get the wrong idea of becoming men. For instance, a boy is not a man if he hasn’t had his first romantic kiss nor asked a girl out. Worst of all, a boy can only assert his manhood if he has taken a girl’s virginity. This ‘first come, first serve’ basis plants the idea that men are inherently entitled to women. Conversely, we are guilty of expecting women to act “pure” when we call them sluts for dating a lot or enjoying sex, when in fact, sex is as normal as eating.

The media toys with the idea of romance wherein women are seen as love interests, pressuring them into beautifying themselves for men’s sake for they can only be worthy if they are in the arms of men. Society’s script dictates ladies into submission. Eyebrows raise when girls dominate. When men don’t like the way they act, women are objectified. Meaning, once a woman fails to occupy her role as tool for man’s pleasure, violence takes place as easily as throwing a broken phone in frustration.

victims are seen as those who are ‘asking for it’. Machismo blinds society into treating violence against women as isolated cases, rather than an epidemic of crime.

Victim-blaming tolerates sexism. “Boys will be boys” sugarcoats liability with naiveté, allowing men to do things as they please, like expecting thanks and compliments when sending out unsolicited d*ck pics. Catcalling becomes a way to pamper a man’s self-image, asserting his superiority over his peers.

This neutralization causes recipients to feel embarrassed. They would normally keep it to themselves to protect everyone’s reputation, which justifies incivility.

Misconceptions from religion turn to be a factor in discriminations against LGBTs. “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” and adhering to the teachings of “Christianity” became the homophobes’ way to justify their acts.

Just as when gender fluidity is finally being accepted, countless homophobes announce that the sanctity of marriage is bastardized or that population may cease to thrive when all people turn gay in the future. They condemn people who sin against faith, not knowing that the purpose of religion is to promote peace. Usually, they bully gay people because straight men are afraid of being called faggots themselves.

With values such as force and might branded in boys’ minds as early as childhood; observed in one-upping behavior, playing numb, and practicing how to land punches or withstand pain; hypermasculinity becomes inevitably enforced. Men are restricted on who they want to be, influencing others to become aggressive against those who deviate from what is “normal” instead of actualizing human decency. But then, not all straight men are homophobes.

roots from sexism. By being overly conscious of their masculinity, they make their discomfort known to non-heterosexuals. Prejudice won’t let them see these people as human beings. Latent homosexuality states that one’s homosexuality is repressed by being violent against gay people. Whether homophobes hide the fact that they might also be gay, judging them for denying their true sexuality must come with an understanding—they’re compelled to assault ‘outsiders’ because men are expected to be manly.

Clichéd male attributes such as being violent or rebellious to the point of coming off as rude, disrespectful and risk-prone creates a dangerous mentality in which others think these are normal. Claiming this behavior as part of human nature—that men are naughty or that only anger is allowed—disposes any person’s capacity to change for the better. These characteristics did not pop out from nowhere. Stereotypes are shaped, conditioned, and learned.

It’s a Man’s World All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy—or rather an aggressive one.

Our long affair with feudalism influenced us to behave ourselves accordingly. History taught us from when the first conquerors stepped on land and dictated the social divide between men and women, we have unconsciously subjugated ourselves to work not only within the confines of our status but also under the age-old ideology of men being superior.

roles all must adhere to. The qualities of men—such as being strong, reticent, and tough—and the ideal Maria Clara archetype for women may have been the spark of patriarchy. Men and women are pressured to present themselves according to what is morally ‘right’. As these standards became ingrained within tradition, machismo fueled repression.

Power relation among genders was not always the case in our history. In the pre-colonial era, women were highly regarded as carriers of life—as craftsmen, as mothers, and as priestesses bridging mortals to gods. But as Western powers came, not only were lands occupied but native minds as well. Frailocracy and benevolent assimilation made our predecessors lose their identity as they adapt a male-centric society, subsequently downplaying the role of women in society.

As societies transition from one form to another, so does the forms of oppression of women. Oppression evolved into a more sophisticated form as the masses were exposed to the current society that is semi-feudal and semi-colonial.

The machismo embedded in the current society humiliates men when a woman succeeds, because tradition dictates that women belong to households.

Macho complex is one of the factors why there are gender differences when it comes to work—jobs still regarded as masculine and feminine (breadwinner husbands and homemaker wives), and wage inequality exists regardless if both land the same career.

Viewpoints brought by a long exposure to feudal society taught the masses of restrictive gender

Although women have more freedom than before due to rights won by feminist movements, the masses’ continuing struggle against the current society is exacerbated by capitalism. It accommodated a system which promotes gender inequality, so as to ensure their dominion over their wealth.

Discrimination against LGBTs

Like playing a losing game, double standards further polish men’s dominance.

For instance, we praise a man who gets laid. A woman who does the same is shamed. We limit women their freedom to decide however they please. A woman can only earn respect if she accommodates men.

Otherwise, she’ll get harassed.

Women who aren’t ladylike are called out by elders. On the other hand, women who are ‘too pure for this world’ are often the ones victimized.

We warrant a woman’s bruises when we ask her what she said that made him angry. We add insult to injury in cases of sexual abuse by nitpicking the tiniest of details—how short their dresses were, how many drinks they had, or which people they were with. As men are shown provocative material, rape

Struggle for Gender and Class Equality NEIL JOSHUA SUYAT, AGATHA HAZEL ANDRES RABINO AND JOSEF BERNARD SORIANO DE MESA ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL LORENZ DUMALAOG RAYMUNDO

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