The Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Manila Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 - Thursday
MORE INSIDE
02 EDITORIAL Truth 03 NEWS NDFP consultants temporarily released for Oslo Negotiations 08 FEATURES Crash and Burn 09 CULTURE Real Time Primetime 11 OPINION Doux Dix-Huit
02 EDITORIAL
Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 | Thursday
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
DANIELLE MONTEALEGRE RODRIGUEZ
TRUTH
T
printing press, despite the fact that it has only had a single bidder for the past few years. Thus, as of press time, the Philippine Collegian remains unable to print any issues until it goes through the unnecessary bureaucratic hindrance imposed Campus press repression is a battle upon it. that student journalists across the country has faced for decades. However, it is not just through According to the College Editors legalese and bureaucracy that Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), student journalists are impeded there have been anywhere from from performing their duties. 200 to 400 cases of campus press Sometimes, it has even escalated to freedom violations annually since force. One such instance took place 2010. These violations include in February 2016, when members indirect forms of harassment, such of Tinig ng Plaridel - UP Diliman HOSE WHO STRUGGLE TO expose realities and give a voice to the silenced are being harassed and oppressed in a desperate attempt by those in power to snuff out the truth.
pointed out by the CEGP. Some of the notable weaknesses is its lack of a penalty clause for erring school administrations, as well as its failure to make the existence of student publications mandatory for all educational institutions. The greatest, however, is the fact that it legalizes the non-mandatory collection of publication fees. In turn, it provides school administrations who wish to undermine their student publications with the means to do so.
Campus press oppression is not just an issue for student journalists, However, it is not just through legalese and but for every other student as well. bureaucracy that student journalists are impeded As the vanguards of the truth, student publications represent from performing their duties. Sometimes, it has the collective interests of all the even escalated to force. students. And if these publications are oppressed, harassed, or as imposition of unfair editorial College of Mass Communications’ otherwise mistreated, it is a massive policies or non-collection of student publication - were physically blow to the democratic rights and publication fees. However, there are barred and even verbally attacked by freedom of the entire student body. times when such violations escalate, supporters of the Liberal Party (LP) from the forced closure of the during an event organized by the The CJA may have had good publication to the filing of charges National Anti-Poverty Commission intentions, but it is clearly lacking. Thus, there is a need for stronger at the UP Bahay ng Alumni. against journalists. legislation that truly fulfills the Most recently, the regular operations Given these instances, as well as the intent of protecting campus press of the Philippine Collegian - UP many other documented cases of freedom, such as the Campus Press Diliman’s student publication - have campus press freedom violations in Freedom Bill filed by the Kabataan been hindered by the inaccessibility recent history, it seems imperative Party List. of its funds. This has allegedly that the rights and privileges of been caused by the Government campus journalists be upheld by law. More importantly however, the Procurement Reform Act of 2006 And as a matter of fact, they are, at Filipino youth must open their eyes to the abuses and injustices which allows the publication’s funds least on paper. affecting their fellow student to be treated and used as government Signed into law in 1991, Republic journalists and collectively oppose funds. Act 7079 or the Campus Journalism it. As The Manila Collegian has According to a statement released by Act (CJA) is supposedly intended asserted for the past 29 years, the UP Solidaridad, the Philippine to protect the freedom of the press, magna est veritas et prevaelebit Collegian is being required to even at the campus level. However, - the truth is mighty and it shall conduct a bidding process for its there are major flaws in the CJA, as prevail.
G R A P H IC S E DI T O R Jose Paolo Bermudez Reyes 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
O F F IC E 4th Floor Student Center Building, University of the Philippines Manila, Padre Faura St. corner Ma. Orosa St., Ermita, Manila 1000 EMAIL themanilacollegian@gmail.com W EBSITES issuu.com/manilacollegian www.facebook.com/themanilacollegian www.twitter.com/mkule themanilacollegian.tumblr.com MEMBER
College Editors Guild of the Philippines
Solidaridad - UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations
The Cover
Illustration by Jose Paolo Bermudez Reyes Layout by Kyla Dominique Lacambacal Pasicolan
NEWS 03
Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 | Thursday
COLLEGE BRIEFS
NDFP consultants temporarily released for Oslo Negotiations Permanent release of all political prisoners urged ADOLF ENRIQUE SANTOS GONZALES
The UPM College of Arts and Sciences Student Council organized BigKASan: Gabi ng Tulaan at Tugtugan last September 1. The UPM College of Public Health achieved a passing rate of 95.24%, with 20 out of 21 examinees passing the August 2016 Medicine Technology Licensure Exam.
ORGANEWS The Sigma Alpha Nu fraternity held its NUAN week last August 19-23 and the Sigma Kappa Pi fraternity held their sem-starter party on August 26 entitled Liberate at Aquasphere, Manila. On the other hand, the Sigma Delta Pi sorority held a poetry and music night entitled Pagalpas last September 2. The Manila Collegian is still accepting applicants, particularly features writers, culture writers, photojournalists, and layout artists. Interested students may download the application form from tinyurl.com/ MKule1617AppForm or get a physical copy from the office on the 4th floor of the Old NEDA Building.
Local courts granted the temporary release of 19 political prisoners listed as consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) political arm. The 19 consultants were temporarily released so they could attend the formal peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the NDFP in Oslo, Norway on August 20 – 27. While the CPP and several groups lauded the government’s move, they also urged the Duterte administration to release the estimated 550 political prisoners detained nationwide.
A dvance amidst mishaps On August 4, the Supreme Court (SC) granted provisional liberty to former Bayan Muna party list representative Saturnino Ocampo, Randall Echanni, and Vicente Ladlad. According to the court’s decision, the three were released on the basis that they will attend the GRP – NDFP peace negotiations in Norway. However, on August 5, the SC denied the request of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for the temporary release of 10 more political prisoners. The SC stated that they do not have the jurisdiction to do such as their release would be up to the discretion of the local courts. In relation to this, Anakbayan held a protest action near the SC to condemn its decision and argued that all political prisoners, some of which were NDFP consultants were, “victims of illegal arrests and trumped up criminal charges in order to unjustly keep them in jail”. After the SC’s refusal, the chairperson of the government negotiating panel, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, stated that they will ask local prosecutors to speed up the release of NDFP consultants as the government scrambles to release NDFP consultants.
Subsequently, on August 17, another 8 NDFP consultants were released. This was followed on August 19 with the release of Wilma and Benito Tiamzon, NDFP consultants charged with multiple murders during the 80s.
Act of goodwill “Nagpapasalamat kami kay President Duterte na binuksan muli ang usapang pangkapayaapaan na nakabatay sa pambansang sovereignty, karapatang panlipunan at demokrasya… Ang usaping pang kapayapaan ay tutungtong na sa tamang landas matapos ang matagal na pagka-diskaril,” Wilma stated during a press conference. Sison also thanked the president for his efforts on releasing NDFP consultants, an act that was opposed for years and the magnitude of which exceeded the past administrations’ efforts. Out of the 22 political prisoners tagged as NDFP consultants, the 19 who were released include: Ma. Concepcion Araneta-Bocala, Tirso Alcantara, Ariel Arbitrario, Kennedy Bangibang, Alex Birondo, Winona Birondo, Renante Gamara, Eddie Genelsa, Alan Jazmines, Ernesto Lorenzo, Alfredo Mapano, Ruben Saluta, Jaime Soledad, Adelberto Silva, Loida Magpatoc, Porferio Tuna Jr., Pedro Codaste, and the Tiamzon couple.
Push for permanent release Meanwhile, the CPP continues to call on the Duterte administration for the permanent release of around 550 political prisoners detained in various penitentiaries nationwide. “The release of all NDFP peace consultants will boost several-fold the confidence of the revolutionary forces in GRP President Duterte’s determination to work with the NDFP in peace negotiations,” the CPP said. Additionally, the NDFP, Karapatan, and other groups argued that its imprisoned consultants were unjustly detained due to multiple crimes that they did not commit. The NDFP also claimed that some of these political prisoners were protected by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG). Under JASIG, members of the NDFP negotiating panel may consult underground members on the peace process without them being surveilled, harassed, or imprisoned. However, on August 20, Duterte said that no more political prisoners will be released, despite the resumption of formal peace talks on that day. Furthermore, he said that the release of the 19 political prisoners was enough of a goodwill gesture to the CPP-NDFPNPA.
Martial Law victims oppose Marcos’ burial in LNMB ARTHUR GERALD BANTILAN QUIRANTE
Hundreds of protesters asserted their opposition to the recurring issue of former President Ferdinand Marcos’ burial in Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) in a rally held in Rizal Park last August 14.
No violation of the law
No to burial of remains
On August 4, the Supreme Court (SC) In recognizing and allowing the burial of the remains of the late president. President Duterte claimed that he is only abiding by the law. The burial of the former dictator has been tentatively set for September 18.
On the other hand, martial law victims and various groups filed a petition to the Supreme Court (SC) to issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the burial of Marcos at the LNMB.
“The law is there existing. You read it a thousand times and you still arrive at a conclusion that he is qualified. Even if he is not a hero, he was a soldier,” he said. According to the guidelines of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), former soldiers are allowed to be buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani.
In their petition, they argued that it is against the Constitution and it breaches existing laws. The petitioners stated that, if the planned burial is allowed, this would likely jeopardize their US$2 billion claim for damages against the Marcoses for their human rights violations.
“The said judgment is pending execution and the burial of Marcos in LMB could affect the already difficult search for Marcos hidden wealth and the full execution of the judgment,” said former Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares and Satur Ocampo. The petitioners also contended the legitimacy of the 1993 agreement between then President Fidel Ramos and Marcos’ family, wherein the late dictator will be buried in Ilocos Norte. In contrast to the AFP guidelines, the organizers claim that Marcos is disqualified from receiving a hero’s burial, citing a clause that states “personnel who were convicted by fine judgment of an offense involving moral turpitude” were disqualified.
04 NEWS
Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 | Thursday
Checkmate
ISKOTISTIKS
Evaluating the Student Academic Information System
EUNICE BIÑAS HECHANOVA, NIÑA KEITH MUSICO FERRANCOL, SHAILA ELIJAH PEREZ FORTAJADA, JONERIE ANN MAMAUAG PAJALLA, AND PAOLO MIKHAIL PASCUA BUTED
Following the implementation of the Student Academic Information System (SAIS) in its campus for academic year (AY) 2016-2017, the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) suffered a prolonged enrollment process starting on July 29, 2016. The eUP Project team pinpointed the breakdown to have been caused by a Denial of Service (DoS) attack on August 1, 2016, which is generated by external sources that attempt to render an online service inaccessible. As reported by Electronic Philippines Long Distance Telephone Company (ePLDT), the project’s service provider, over 34 million attacks hit SAIS servers and blocked students from the site. Subsequently, eUP Project Director Dr. Jaime Caro said that the culprit is yet to be identified.
First Move The UP administration introduced SAIS in 2014 as the centralized information system for the whole university, replacing homegrown registration systems such as the Computerized Registration System (CRS) in UP Diliman and the SystemOne in UP Los Baños. SAIS is one of the five core elements of the eUP Project spearheaded by UP President Alfredo Pascual, and was first implemented in UP Manila during the AY 2014-2015. SAIS manages students’ data starting from their undergraduate term in UP and includes their academic curriculum, advising, and tuition payment. It links with components of the eUP Project, the Financial Management Information System (FMIS), the Human Resources Information System (HRIS), Supplies, Properties, and Campus Management Information Systems (SPCMIS). and the Executive Information System (EIS) to unify bureaucratic operations in UP.
Initially, UP’s budget for the project amounted to P745 million. According to Vice President for Development (VPD) Elvira Zamora, P547 million of this budget came from amended UP funds while P198 million supplementary funds came from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Based on the previous review of the eUP project, The Philippine Collegian news writer Isabella Borlaza (2012) wrote that CRS developers and student leaders asserted that millions of money will only be wasted with the project implementation, as CRS and other existing information databases in the UP System already have eight out of 13 features which SAIS possesses. Moreover, Borlaza reported that instead of funding the eUP project, the funds meant for this flagship project of Pascual could have solved other issues faced by the university such as the lack of laboratories in UP Visayas or the unapproved construction of a library in UP Tacloban as a result of budget cut in the mentioned universities. In response, Pascual has elaborated that the project requires millions of pesos in order to replace all of UP’s various legacy systems and unify its IT networks under one program. However, the ambiguous nature of SAIS makes it difficult to customize in accordance to the university’s preferences and standards. Regardless of the proposed updates in UP’s legacy systems, the administration forwarded the eUP Project. “The work that will be involved is not easy. (eUP’s systems)
BREAKDOWN OF eUP EXPENSES FROM 2012-2015
Expenses
Amount
Infrastructure and furniture (including appliances used in eUP offices)
P 50,474,269
P 77,242,774
Technical Support Oracle-related Expenses (amount to a quarter of the eUP Project’s budget) includes the main constract between UP and ePLDT, which costs P135 million
P 179,877,044
Bandwidth throughout the UP system Modernization of IT Equipment and Hardware (highest expenditure)
TOTAL Table 1: Breakdown of eUP Expenses from 2012-2015
can already do what CRS (and other legacy systems) can do, so why bother?” claimed eUP Communications Team Leader Joy Salvio. However, instead of the initial proposed budget of P752 million, the eUP project’s expenditures increased by roughly P41 million due to Oracle-related investments. “(There are those who say) it was better to have saved this amount, but this is (peanuts) compared to our annual budget. If we save this, we are dooming the university”, Pascual remarked. He justified these fees as improvement of the institution’s information technology. In line with this, the Kabataan Partylist (KPL) urged the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education to examine the eUP Project and SAIS. KPL Representative Sarah Elago asserted that many UP constituent universities (CU have been operating information systems less expensive and more productive than SAIS.
Stalemate On the first day of registration, UPLB students could not enlist because SAIS was unable to handle the high number of students trying to access it. As per the enrollment advisory from UPLB’s registrar, the system was available from July 31 to August 2 for enrollment-related transactions but only during specific time periods. As of press time, further investigation and monitoring are still ongoing regarding the DoS attacks. The eUP Project Team apologized for failing to fix the SAIS breakdown and added that SAIS will improve with continued use and support. On August 4, the eUP Communications and Content Development Team conducted a press conference to elaborate on the matter. The enrollment interruption, according to
Professor Lorna Alcid, SAIS’ coordinator in Manila, was caused by insufficient CONTINUED ON PAGE 07
BREAKDOWN OF THE P135 MILLION CONTRACT (Primary Source: Jaime Caro, eUP Project Director) Expenses
Amount
Software licenses Human Resource Information System (HRIS)
P 9,892,314.43
Student Academic Information System (SAIS)
P 14,080,905.22
Financial Management Information System (FMIS)
P 2,520,045.13
Executive Information System (EIS)
P 4,765,308.71
Database Software
P 790,594.56
Operating Systems Software
(-)
Identity and Authentication Management Software
P 3,495,260.16
Other Software and Tools
(-)
Software Maintenance for the initial Year
P 7,819,773.91
Expenses for implementation Human Resource Information System (HRIS)
P 20,763,120.00
Student Academic Information System (SAIS)
P 23,598,400.00
P 97,087,202
Financial Management Information System (FMIS)
P 11,508,000.00
P 313,426,175
Executive Information System (EIS)
P 7,560,000.00
System integration expenses
P 718,107,464
(SOURCE: Bautista , Ronn Joshua C. & Subingsubing , Krixia Zhienelle A. (2016). System error: An investigative study on the implementation of the eUP project in the University of the Philippines. University of the Philippines, Diliman.
P 1,137,671.76
Expenditure for monthly hosting service (up to 12 months)
Training and other expenses
P 19,577,090.00 P 7,109,760.00
TOTAL
P 134,618,243.88
Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 | Thursday
Youth groups deplore extrajudicial killings
Protest action for human rights held ANTON GABRIEL ABUEVA LERON
Across numerous campuses in the Philippines, students came together last August 11 on what was dubbed the “Day of Action against Extrajudicial Killings” to protest the significant increase of street violence in the country.
United plea
In commemoration of the event, various student councils and organizations from the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) held protest actions at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Oblation Plaza. Similarly, the League of Filipino Students (LFS) headed their own candle lighting ceremony and public demonstration at Palma Hall in UP Diliman. “While we express our utmost support in President Duterte’s antidrug campaign, it should not involve summary executions. We vehemently condemn the killings,” announced LFS national spokesperson JP Rosos. Rosos worried that the poor were at the most risk in the recent crackdown on drugs and that the numerous street killings would foster fear throughout local communities. In light of the government’s war on drugs, Anakbayan national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo also asserted that even criminals still have rights. “The president’s ‘I really do not care’ attitude on the rising death toll of his
administration’s campaign against drugs is very alarming. Even crime suspects have human rights. Their right to life and due process must be respected,” Crisostomo stated. “While criminals must indeed be punished, the innocence or guilt of those accused cannot anymore be determined if they are just shot on sight.” Rather than focus their resources solely on the country’s drug problem, both Rosos and Crisostomo suggested that the administration also turn their attention to other pertinent social issues to effectively combat drugs. According to the youth leaders, changes such as genuine land reform and national industrialization are necessary since poverty and exploitation are what often turn citizens towards drug use.
Looming danger Recent statistics prove the jump in drugrelated slayings, with over 500 being tallied since Duterte’s inauguration on June 30. In contrast, data released by the Philippine National Police (PNP) shows only 68 suspects were killed in anti-illegal drug operations from
January 1 to June 15, 2016. Additionally, human rights groups have criticized the indiscriminate nature of the killings. “Innocent people continue to be murdered. Even the youth and students became victims in this state of lawlessness and impunity,” explained Rosos. According to Rosos, this was most evident in the death of Jefferson Bunuan, a Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology student who was slain in an anti-drug operation in Sta. Ana, Manila on July 18, 2016. “This is extremely dangerous and will only encourage killings, abuse, and a culture of impunity in the PNP and the AFP which are institutions with long histories of rights violations,” Crisostomo stated. Should these summary killings continue, Crisostomo feared that it would do more harm than good since drug kingpins would soon rid of low-level dealers to ensure their own safety.
Duterte seeks return of mandatory ROTC
Youth group files House Bill for its abolition
NEWS 05 FAMOUS LAST WORDS FROM PAGE 11
I never thought I would say this but I am not longer writing just for writing’s sake. It is no longer a necessary chore or burden for me. The truth is, I am actually typing these words with the hope of inspiring people to spend some time writing for an advocacy. I am not saying that people should suddenly abandon writing fiction or anything else. All I am saying is that maybe you can consider writing about issues that people choose to ignore or are not aware of. Of course, I am well aware of the fact that to do this is quite daunting, but you have to learn to trust yourself. Yes, you might be right in saying that you are not good enough or this might not be in the cards for you. Yet, like I pointed out, maybe you need to try a couple of times so you will get better. And then try again a couple more times until you get to where you want to be. At this point, I should be talking about how I am going to miss MKule and the people I have met there. Or how much I would miss submitting my work at the last minute. Or how I badgered my friends to read my work before I submit it. But I am not going to do that because my journey as a writer is far from over. Instead, I will give you my famous (I hope) last words: Dare to write. You’ll never know where your words will carry you. This is Aria Hernandez signing off. See you on the flipside!
SOFIA MONIQUE KINGKING SIBULO
President Rodrigo Duterte announced during a recent cabinet meeting that he wants the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) be made mandatory for all college students starting next year. “It’s going to help in the building of discipline and values especially in this generation and we expect ROTC to be able to help build a sense of patriotism among the next generation,” Duterte said. Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo announced to the public that a legislative proposal to make the ROTC mandatory for both male and female students was already being drafted. On the other hand, Student Regent Raoul Danniel Manuel expressed disapproval for the Duterte’s statement. “Kung ang primary objective [ng ROTC] ay gawing mas makabayan ang mga mag-aaral, ito ay hindi sa porma ng ROTC. Kung gusto natin ng mga kabataang handang ialay ang kanilang dunong at talent sa ating bansa, makakamit lamang ito sa pagbabago mismo sa sistema ng edukasyon.”
House bill filed Kabataan Party List (KPL) representative Sarah Elago filed House Bill (HB) No. 2399, or the ROTC Abolition Act of 2016. This bill instead proposes programs for comprehensive community service, community-based health and nutrition program, community immersion, disaster preparedness, ecological services, and human rights education. “It [ROTC] became a hotbed for abuses including corruption, bribery, extortion, collection of unauthorized and excessive fees, and physical, and verbal violence. It became nothing but a burden to students. It is time that we abolish this vestige of militarism in our schools’” said Elago.
Former Cadet Officer Jeric Javier stated that he would be in favor of ROTC being mandatory, as long as certain conditions are met. “With four years of experience as part of the UP ROTC Unit... mandatory ROTC is fine if implemented the way UP ROTC (i.e., the campuses of UP that have the ROTC program) currently conducts training. [Like] fun and useful training that is not confined to ‘marching, drills, and staying under the sun’,” Javier stated.
Past victims recalled
Opposition towards the ROTC being made mandatory comes from individuals and groups concerned with the potential for abuse and harm. Back in 2001, a student from the University of Santo Tomas (UST), Mark Nelson Chua, was murdered for exposing the corruption within Currently, University of the the UST (UST) Corps. Chua’s Philippines Manila (UPM) cadets death resulted in the creation of the are integrated with the ROTC unit in National Service Training Program UP Diliman, where their training is (NSTP) through Republic Act 9163. held every Saturday. Subsequently, from 2002 onwards,
ROTC was made optional but with a quota. Other choices in the NSTP are the Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS), and Literacy Training Services (LTS). Another incident occurred in 2014 when three students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) were hazed by their senior cadet officers for not attending the briefing night. One of the victims claimed that they were smacked with a paddle, apart from other abuses. Consequently, various groups reiterated calls to permanently abolish the ROTC. “ROTC should be abolished, not made mandatory. The program has never instilled nationalism, social responsibility, or discipline. It is a training ground for fascist repression and corruption” said Anakbayan National Chairperson Vencer Crisostomo.
06 NEWS
Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 | Thursday
ITANONG KAY ISKO’T ISKA
Mga Fulung-Vulungan ng Nagjijisang
Lola Patola
HARLEY QUINN EDITION
Shurprize shurprize, mah puddingz!!!!!!!!!!!!! Guess hu iz back, back agen!!!????? Iz me, yer lably kalurkey na krazyyy, Lowla P!!!!! Hihihi. Haixt, nastressung aketch sa mga ganap ng aking dabarkads na Soweeside Skwad!!!!! Kayo buh afowz, stresh na stresh na buh yu sa dami ng class suspenshowns????? Charot!!!! Ienjoy niyow na yun habang merown pa!!! Hihi. Perow as ushual, dehins happiness ol da tym!!!! Puhrung sa pagitan lang namin ng Lolo Upo niyo!!!!!! Joker ang peg, dehins nemerng funny!!!!!! Hihihi. At shameprey, nandiyan din mga chakaritang impaktita na ka-look-alyk ni Tita Enchan-tres niyow!!!!!! Kaya itech na, i-bang bang na natin eng mga sumvhong niyow!!!!!
Suicide squad goals sumvhong numbah wan: Prof used Confuse! It was super effective! Ay ito grabitechhh!!!!!! Wiz kow tuluguh ma-getz ang mga chorvaloo ng ibang froppiez sa YuFiEm!!!!!!!!!!! Ini-spluk kasi ng aking litel birdiez na may froppy from the Department of Superman and Spiderman na nagkakalat ng lagim!!! Whoopsie daisies, not the literal kindsung of lagim, but u knowz namern wat I mean? Dis froppy daw kasi kept on making turo lessons na waley nemerng konek tu da subject!!!!! Waley 2loy malearnsung ang mga afowz kow!!!!!!!! Hinanakit pa ni apows, kebs daw umabot ng 50 golden years bago mag-Janno Gibbs ng grades itech si froppy!!!!!! Aneksung ka ner, froppy???? Huwag mong i-waiting na sugurin ka namin ng skwad kow!!!! Charot!!!!
Suicide squad goals
sumvhong numbah tu: Insect-er Things
Eeeek!!!!!!!!!! Napawhat ganern aketch ng i-expozxse ng isang afowz ko na habang
lumalafang siya ng fudlaloo ay may ka-share pala siyang insecthingy!!!!!! Sa isang fud stall inside YuFiEm daw siya madalas mag-buying ng fudz, pero #NeverAgain na siyang bibili becoz of dis!!!!!!! Oh em gee!!!!! Kadiri na kalurkey na kadiri tuluguh!!!!!!! Guaaaard!!!!!! Nido na nido ang qualitea control and Byegown!!!!!!!!!!!! Nachuringang hellth sayang-ses center ang YuFiEm, tapos may ganerng dramarama sa fudlaloo????? No no no way powhz!!!!!!. Hoe well, gogora na aketch sa susunod na kung fu f i g h t i n g ng aking squadella!!!!!! Pero huwag mag-worrying, dahil dehins k u k u p a s kailanmen eng ganditz at kinang ng inyong Lola Patola!!!!! MapaPadre Faura man o Los Angeles, California!!!!! Char!!!!!! na namern ang aketchiwang screen time sa pinilakang tabing ng Hollywood. Pero wititit, dehins kukupas ang kinang ng inyong nagjijisang superhero Lola Patola aka Harley Quinn. Kip dem sumvhongs coming, coz I will alweys lab yuuuu!!!!!!! Hihi. Pero truelaloo afowz, sumvhong lungs kayow ng sumvhong, oki???????? Boosh baboosh poor now!!!!!! Lab lab lab, XOXO
Pwede ring ipadala ang inyong mga sagot sa pamamagitan ng pag-text sa 0917 510 9496 o sa 0917 539 0612! (Pero bawal textmate!)
1MS
ang-ayon ka ba na ilibing si dating Pangulong Ferdinand arcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani? Bakit?
ISANG MALAKING HINDI. Dahil hindi siya deserving. Pero marami namang nandun na hindi naman deserving. Huwag na nating palalain. #NeverAgain - Ang foodie tita mo, 2013-*3***
Hindi. Walang bayaning mandarambong sa bayan. - adiksayo, 2014, CAS
Hindi. Hindi naman siya bayani eh. Dun siya dapat sa ~(Libingan ng mga Bayani). - m1720, CD
Nooo! Magiging LNMB at ni Marcos ang tawag dun!#neverforget - 2015, CAS
Hindi. alamin natin ang konteksto ng bayani - 2014-***** Hindi. Mahabang paliwanag. Basta hindi hahaha - Satsuma, 2016-45006
Syempre hindi. Hindi kailanman pwede dungisan ang LNMB, at lalong hindi dapat hayaang mawalan ng hustisya ang mga inosente at ang mga lumaban para sa bayan na namatay noong Martial law - TRIGGERED If the LMNB was pizza, and Marcos was the pineapple, then who the fuck would put Marcos in LMNB?!?! - delimed, CAS HINDI! Faulty na nga yung criteria, like may mga nakalibing dun na hindi naman dapat, e mas lalo wag na nating ifucked up, oras na malibing si marcos dun, sobrang laking mawawater down ang mga pangyayari noong administration nya - 100011 Hindi. Nagmula ang salitang bayani sa katagang “Bayan muna bago ang Sarili” ngunit sa kaso ni Marcos ay mas inuna nito ang personal na interes kaysa sa interes ng nakararami at siya rin mismo ang dahilan kung bakit hanggang sa ngayon ay hindi pa rinnatatanggap ng mga biktima ng EJKs at ng pamilya ng mga ito ng katarungang ilang dekada na nilang hinihintay. - Nozaki-kun, 2017-Gagradweyt, CAS Hindi p*ta. Kapal ng mukha amp*ta. Ano nanamang historical revisionism yung susunod? Nakakasuka lang tbh, siguro masyadong nag-fail ang edukasyon sa part na to kasi madami yung naniniwala na bayani nga si Marcos. *sighs* - HydroxyApatite, CD, 202
2KG ,
ung pokemon ka sa Pokemon o saan ka mahahanap? Bakit?
Kung ako ay isang pokemon, ako si Snorlax, sarap kaya matulog! - adiksayo, 2014, CAS Gusto kong maging si Pikachu!!! Para kahit minsan ay masabihan akong cute ako. :( - 2015, CAS Lol I know nothing of these little cute monsters. - delimed, CAS Mahahanap ako sa bahay dahil it’s my place of refuge -100011 Mew, kasi lagi lang ako sa Mew - so mo <3 HAHAHAHAHA - Nozaki-kun, 2017-Gagradweyt, CAS Sa Library ako dapat makikita para madidistract ko yung mga nag-aaral hihihi *laugh track* - HydroxyApatite, CD, 202 Sa may Manila Bay. Pag may sunset kasi, lumalabas ako para masilayan din kung gaano ako ka-attractive. - Dare me, read me, dear me sa bahay lang. taong bahay kasi ako. why not maging pokemong bahay (ew ang pangit pakinggan HAHA) - Monolid, CD, 2020
NO! Ang paglibing sa kanya ay isang patunay na hindi sensitibo at walang kaalam-alam ang mga Pilipino pagdating sa tunay na kasaysayan ng bansa. - Dare me, read me, dear me
Sa Mcdo Bocobo. Coz em an Alwaysgutom type pokemon. - Vayaughislauhb, 2014-43933
NO. NO. NO. kasi kahit sa pagiging pangulo niya, imbis na maiangat niya ang bansa sa kahirapan, lalo pa tayong nabaon sa utang. tsaka kung lahat ng nagsilbing sundalo ng bansa ililibing sa libingan ng mga bayani, marami tayong dapat ikonsiderang tao, hindi lang si Marcos. - Monolid, CD, 2020
Wala, ‘cos kinain na ko ng sistema. HAHAHA - Ang foodie tita mo, 2013-*3***
Hindi. Pollutant sa lupa e. - Vayaughislauhb, 2014-43933 HINDI!!! Nasa pangalan na nga eh... Libingan ng mga BAYANI. Marcos is anything but a hero. Hindi siya karapatdapat na bigyan ng kahit na anong uri ng karangalan dahil sa lagim na dinanas ng ating bansa at ng ating mga kapwa mamamayan sa ilalim ng kaniyang pamumuno. - sOulJAgiRL, CD
Mahahanap niyo ako sa kwarto ko... natutulog... - sOulJAgiRL, CD
Dito lang sa tabi-tabi, nagbebenta ng State U Caps. Bili na kayo for P349, yan tapos na kasi yung preselling period. Tsk tsk. - m1720, CD Sa lamesa dahil lumalafez aketch - 2014-***** Sa Up manila, sa Bacoor, or sa mga libraries, museum and shrines. - Satsuma 2016-45006
NEWS 07
Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 | Thursday
Pagpapatuloy ng usaping pangkapayapaan, iginiit ng mga estudyante PATRICIA ANNE LACTAO GUERRERO
DOUX DIX-HUIT
FROM PAGE 11
I can no longer wish acerbic platitudes towards their fates. I’ve long since learned that it’s better to live, let go and wish them well, instead of lurking around and
Sa pangunguna ng Anakbayan sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Maynila (UPM), nagsagawa ng kilosprotesta ang mga mag-aaral ng pamantasan sa harap ng Department of Justice (DOJ) upang idemanda ang agarang pagpapatuloy ng usaping pangkapayaan sa pagitan ng National Democratic waiting for the next shoe to Front of the Philippines (NDFP) at ng pamahalaan ng Pilipinas, Agosto 5. Kasabay nito, kinondena rin ng grupo ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema na huwag palayain ang 10 bilanggong politikal na itinalagang mga consultant ng NDFP.
Pagpapalaya ng mga bilanggo
tuparin ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang kaniyang pangako na pagpapalaya sa mga bilangggong politikal. “They are victims of illegal arrests and trumped up criminal charges in order to unjustly keep them in jail”.
Pagbuo ng alyansa
Alinsunod dito, binuo ng mga estudyante at guro ng pamantasan ang UP Kalinaw, isang alyansa na sumusuporta sa pagpapatuloy ng mga usaping Sa kasalukuyan, mayroong kapayapaan sa bansa. tinatayang 550 bilanggong politikal na kinabibilangan “As a national university, it is but ng mga kabataan, pesante, at appropriate that we take up the manggagawa. Labingwalo sa mga issue of peace talks. And because ito ay mga itinuturing na susing we’re coming from the SOS campaign, we know that peace tagapayo ng NDFP. talks should be based on justice,” Ayon din sa Anakbayan, ito na wika ni UP Diliman Chancellor ang tamang pahanon upang Michael Tan. “NDFP’s consultants’ release is crucial to the peace talks resumptions,” pahayag sa Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP).
CHECKMATE
data on students and the incapacity of the system to identify student information correctly. Similarly, with the exception of Diliman, the FMIS has been employed among across all of UP’s Campus Units and has been cited as a source of delays due to the redundancy of the work in the system.
Panawagan din ng alyansa kay Duterte ang agarang pagbuwag sa mga grupong paramilitar gaya ng Alamara dahil sa patuloy nitong pagkubkob sa mga komunidad ng mga Lumad sa Mindanao. Hinamon din ng grupo ang kanilang mga kapwa iskolar ng bayan na ipalaganap ang mabuting dulot ng mga usaping kapayapaan upang masolusyunan ang nagpapatuloy na armadong pakikibaka sa bansa. Dahil dito, magsasagawa ng malawakang kilos protesta ang mga kabataan, magsasaka, manggagawa at iba pang sektor ng lipunan sa Setyembre 19 hanggang 21 upang ipagpatuloy ang panawagan sa pagtatagumpay ng mga usaping pangkapayapaan.
In accordance with the training of staff for SAIS, partner companies of ePLDT such as IOM, Patch Solutions and Inbox provided informal training sessions. This type of instruction, however, did not aid the IT teams from preventing major glitches in the system.
As the project continues its fourth year in implementation, it has failed to deliver on the promises of efficiency and reduced manual labour. All UP Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU) President Ramon Guillermo criticized the administration for the poor implementation and burdens brought about by the eUP project.
The staff from Los Banos and Diliman’s HRD and financial offices also reported that the training is sometimes concluded in the middle of the day, and sometimes becomes ineffective when processes are taught via Powerpoint rather than a hands-on approach. This caused the project’s implementing partners to reschedule training sessions with end users, causing delays in the full implementation of eUP.
Accounting Chief Joan Mendoza stated that assigned approvers often forget to process the DVs in FMIS because of slow internet connection and having other jobs to accomplish. College units later scrapped this policy, though backlogs numbering from 50 to 100 are still reported due to slow internet speed.
“Had there been Oracle training from the start, we could have learned enough to explore the systems on our own”, narrated Jared Refamonte, a former HRIS analyst. “What was happening was that we simply relied on what our implementing partners say when developing the system”.
Since the eUP project began, UP has been adding additional bandwidth every year as part of an effort to modernize the university’s IT infrastructure; its bandwidth is now 43 times larger than it was five years ago. Diliman alone received 1/3rd of the total university bandwidth, 2,250 mb/s. Manila and Los Banos received 1,000 and 1,600 mb/s, respectively.
Concurrently, Caro dismissed the fact that the Oracle-related expenses amounted to P750 million. “They are saying that we paid Oracle 750 million. That’s a big lie. How much did we spend on Oracle software? We paid P14.1 million for SAIS license and P43.4 million for all systems’ licenses,” Caro contended.
drop. It will, and whether or not their lives become a melee is something I no longer stay awake over.
What matters is the ground I walk upon, how I carry myself, and how I treat those that care for me. What matters is the solid future I continue to build for myself. What matters, at the end of the day, is that I’ve continued to grow into a person that’s worthy enough to be called an adult, with a sensible head on her shoulders. And not all battles can be won, but at the very least, I pick mine with as little indignation as I can muster. And that I get to enjoy a slice of chocolate truffle cake with rosé. After all, I am an adult now.
Further dissection of expenses for the eUP project included over P90 million on payment for internet service and P350 million for “infrastructures” such as hardware and fiber optics. With this, Caro elaborated that with the fund of P700 million, P500 million was not even used for the entire eUP project. “This is a big university and we have to run it. The costs of running it is high. But those are expenses we have regardless whether we have eUP or not,” Caro said.
Endgame At the time of the eUP Project press conference on August 4 in UP Diliman, student groups staged a rally at the Quezon Hall to condemn the Socialized Tuition System (STS), No Late Payment Policy, and other the policies against students. Likewise, UP units in Los Baños and Visayas demanded for transparency of the financial transactions under eUP. Student Regent Raoul Manuel questioned the imposition of the eUP Project, despite insufficient student consultation. “Yung sinasabi po nating vocal minority? Ninety-one organizations sa UP Los Baños ang nagsasabi na pangit itong nangyayari and thousands of UP students have been rallying against the eUP project and the SAIS,” he said.
FROM PAGE 04
Furthermore, around the registration period, UPLB students gathered to the main library in the campus to compel the administration for a dialogue. Additional setbacks such as poor internet access slowed down bureaucratic processes since the implementation of the eUP project. The UPLB USC slammed the eUP project and deemed it as a privatization scheme. “This project under the leadership of President Alfredo E. Pascual is a clear manifestation of commercialization. We call all the students to boycott their classes and stand for a unified call to junk SAIS”, declared the council. At the present time, consultations on the planned implementation in UP Diliman are still on-going. In the UP administration’s pursuit of its dream of unifying the university through the eUP Project, it has neglected to listen to the pleas of its students and disregarded the calls for transparency. It is then left to the hands of every Iskolar ng Bayan to hold those responsible accountable, and remain true to UP’s promise of upholding honor and excellence.
08 FEATURES
Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 | Thursday
crash and burn
inefficiency out of all the core systems as system glitches during enrollment periods have been consistent since its first implementation in UP Manila back in 2014 and up to the present. Come July 2016, the casualties of an inefficient system of enrollment have further blown up, when the system prolonged the enrollment in UP Los Banos.
The Implications of the eUP Project’s Implementation across the UP System
KATRINA MARIA LIMPIADA PEROLINO AND JUSTIN DANIELLE TUMENEZ FRANCIA ILLUSTRATION BY DANIELLE MONTEALEGRE RODRIGUEZ
The promises of an “innovated” information are yet to be seen, as only a worsening case of enrollment continues to manifest for the Iskolar ng Bayan.
Collision: The Foreseen Disaster
T h e administration’s plans of a system managing the information of its constituents have only resulted to a series of wrong turns. To unite all its constituent universities through its information and communication technology (ICT) systems, the University of the Philippines’ administration have invested on the usage of expensive software outsourced from other countries. With the aim of being used across all the UP units, these are intended to replace the homegrown systems made and maintained by the university’s own faculty and students. However, several glitches and inefficiencies have been experienced by UP Manila since the implementation of the Student Academic Information System (SAIS) in 2014. This situation was further exacerbated by the recent havoc in the enlistment and enrollment process of UP Los Baños, since their own SystemOne gave way to SAIS this academic year. The overall crash only reaffirmed the true nature of the new information system — costly, but heavily inefficient. As the UP administration fails in delivering the technological changes it promised in the online system of the institution, it is the Iskolar ng Bayan who suffer the most from the repercussions of resulting letdowns.
Tailspin: The Broken Engine Rather than developing the homegrown systems of several UP units, the administration headed towards the direction of a multi-million Electronic UP (eUP) Project, which heavily depended on the private sector for implementation. The eUP was introduced as one of UP
System P resident Alfredo E. Pascual’s flagship projects, under the supposed aim of modernizing and integrating the university’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems across all constituent units (CUs), namely UP Diliman, UP Los Banos, UP Manila, UP Visayas, UP Baguio, Mindanao, UP Open University, and UP Cebu, together with the Philippine General Hospital and UP System Administration. The whole program is comprised of five core information systems to be used in all the CUs, which include the Financial Management Information System (FMIS), Human Resource Information System (HRIS), Supplies, Procurement, & Campus Management Information System (SPCMIS), Executive Information System (EIS), and lastly, the Student Academic Information System (SAIS). In 2012, the administration projected that the data management system would cost PHP 752 million, which included the expenses to be incurred from the said year until 2016. The eUP website further elaborated these expenses by stating that two-thirds of the money have so far been used to buy equipment that are vital in upgrading the IT systems of the CUs. These included the buying of software such as bandwidths and support systems, as well as the building of infrastructures that ought to strengthen the connectivity between networks. In 2012 alone, PHP 422 million were spent on purchasing the materials needed for upgrade and the retaining of staff and web developers. On the other hand, the remaining funds were to be used in continuing and maintaining the operations of the new system. The aggregate of the database management will be handled under Peoplesoft, the commercial software developed by Oracle which is an American multinational corporation. The administration claims that using such software will increase the competitiveness of information
dissemination in the university, since the software is already being used by top Asian universities including the National University of Singapore and University of Hong Kong. The university thus purchased Peoplesoft from Oracle at the hefty price of P43 million, in exchange for software implementation and licensing. On the other hand, the implementation of connectivity and project management have been placed on a bidding process, to which major telecommunications corporations have been part. Having submitted the requirements, the Electronic Philippines Long Distance Telephone Company (ePLDT) was able to enter the P134 million contract with the UP administration. Apart from securing partners for implementation, the administration also released a statement where they stated that they have “invested P204 million in the acquisition and deployment of the eUP core information systems, including salaries of home-grown talents and honoraria of internal Subject Matter Experts.” All in all, UP has already spent more than PHP 724.9 million on the project The financial expenditures and statements presented seemingly implied that the administration has been well-prepared in changing the information system in the university, but the current status of implementation in all units proves otherwise. Despite the claim that eUP will be fullyfunctional across the UP system by 2017, many CUs are still waiting for the implementation of the program, while those who are currently using it are still experiencing system glitches and failures. Only the HRIS has been fully-functioning in all the UP units, while seven out of eight are already using the FMIS and the SPCMIS. The SAIS, on the other hand, has only been implemented in four CUs, specifically in Manila, Los Banos, Cebu, and Baguio. SAIS is particularly important in handling student information, and is expected to deliver efficiency in processes such as enrolment, issuance of grades, crossregistration, shifting, and transferring. But despite its promising claims, the SAIS has shown the most inaccessibility and
The current systems were discarded in favor of a purported world-class program – one that despite all its initial promises, delivers nothing but the opposite from the efficiency that it claims. In recent events that transpired, the first day of classes in UPLB was met by around 800 students protesting against the administration and the failure of the SAIS. Due to the hassle that the system caused for thousands of enrollees, many students participated in the camp-out and boycott led by the UPLB University Student Council (UPLB USC) and the Rise for Education (R4E) Alliance, which lasted in the Student Union building from 7 PM on August 2 until the following morning. What caused the upheaval was the shutdown of the SAIS server at midnight on July 29, the second day of registration. Subsequently, after discovering that SAIS could only be accessed from within the university, about 500 students then camped out at the Physical Sciences building, from 10 PM on July 30 until 4 AM on July 31, just to secure their enlistment process. Apart from the faulty enlistment, mishaps in scholarship bracketing and payment miscalculations have also been experienced, causing the students to demand the administration to revert to SystemOne — the registration scheme that has been used by UPLB for 12 years. The hashtag #JunkSAIS trended on the social media platform Twitter, where students expressed disappointment and anger over the new system. Thus, due to the lack of access of students, the enrollment process was greatly slowed down. By the time UPLB’s classes started on August 3,only 1,548 out of around 12,500 students had been officially enrolled. Despite the reports that were filed, the eUP team has been slow in providing solutions to alleviate the problem, but has released a statement of apology for the system glitches. However, the team also released another statement, which claimed a Denial of Service (DoS) attack was the cause of the server shutdown. According to the statement, the attack produced about 4 million hits to the server in just two days, barring actual students from accessing SAIS. Only on August 12 did the number of enrollees in UPLB reach more than 12,000 — the expected student population for the year. On the other hand, according to UPLB CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 | Thursday Natapos na lahat ng telenovela sa gabi, hindi pa rin magawang patayin ang TV. Hindi dahil sa napasailalim ng mga Sang’gre ang iyong pamilya, at ‘di rin dahil may gayuma sina Iris at Basti kaya mistulang dikit pa rin ang mga mata sa telebisyong kanina pang umaga nakasindi.
Real Time Primetime
Reality Check sa Paandar ng mga RealiSerye
JONERIE ANN MAMAUAG PAJALLA DIBUHO NI MICHAEL LORENZ DUMALAOG RAYMUNDO AT ABIGAIL BEATRICE MALABRIGO
Pagbati pa lang ng “Hello, Philippines and Hello, World!” ay nalaman mo ang salarin. Anong hiwaga nga ba ang bumabalot sa tinaguriang ‘teleserye ng totoong buhay’? Tila ba pinahihinto ng namumuong tensyon ang mga manonood upang subaybayan ito araw-araw.
“Gaya-gaya puto maya. ‘Pag dumami, biyaya.” Wala na yatang tatalo pa sa Pilipinas sa dami ng na-franchise nitong game shows, na galing sa ibang bansa, na sa sobrang dami ay para bang nakikipagkompetisyon ang mga istasyon sa mga nangungunang fast food chains. Ang iba’y maiinit-init pang inihain, binihisan ng bagong anyo at kulay para magmukhang tunay at makamasa — “Filipino version” kumbaga.
Sa kanilang matinding kagustuhan na umalwa ang kanilang katayuan buhat ng matinding kahirapan, matindi ang kapit sa pag-asang idinudulot ng reality shows. Nakikita nila na ang pagsali sa ganitong klaseng palabas ay isang instant sure ball tungo sa kaginhawaan. Parang gulong na patuloy na pinaiikot-ikot ng reality TV ang reaksyon ng tao dulot ng mapaglarong mga pagkakataon, ipinapakita lamang nito na madaling manipulahin ang pag-iisip ng tao at paikutin ito sa apat na sulok ng telebisyon, kahit sa prenteng wala itong halong pagkukunwari at camera tricks. Hahagipin lamang ng limitadong lente ng kahit ilan mang kamera ang ma-setup sa mga pangyayari na nais nitong ipalabas (at wala rin daw itong halong “tricks”) dahil pilit na pinaghahari ang reaksyon na madaling makaagaw-pansin at makaantig-damdamin. Sinasalamin ng mga ito ang napakalaking agwat ng katayuan sa buhay ng iba’t ibang tao sa lipunan. Sa pagtitiis ng mga sumasali sa matamis na kapalarang hatid ng reality shows, at ng mga producer na mistulang
Kaya kung susuwertehin ka nga naman talaga, malamang ay hindi lang jacket o CD ang matanggap mo mula kay Papa Wil. Kung natipuhan ang mukha mo, baka may kontrata ka rin.
M
agbabalik...
May pananagutan ang mass media sa pagpepresenta ng reality shows at sa mga isyung tinatalakay kaakibat ng mga ito. Halimbawa sa kaso ni Rita Gaviola, na nakilala bilang si Badjao Girl. Sa kasalukuyang bersyon ng Pinoy Big Brother, napabalitang pinaglaruan ang kanyang underwear sa loob ng Bahay ni Kuya, saka ipinalabas ang paghingi ng paumanhin ng kapwa niya housemates.
bangan...
Malayo sa tahimik na pamumuhay, ang pagkasabik at kaba ay siyang inaabangan ng mga tagapanood. Dahil pinagkokompetensya ang mga bida sa isa’t isa upang makamit ang premyong inaasam — na makikita sa anyo ng pera, bahay at lupa, o kaya naman ay karera sa showbiz — ipinakikita ang masidihing pagnanasa ng taong umangat sa buhay.
isipan na kapag nasa industriya ka ng aliw ay madaling guminhawa ang iyong buhay.
Mas trending pa yata ang #PBB kaysa #JunkSAIS.
A
Gaya ng pagkain na madaling pagsawaan, nagbago ang konsepto ng reality TV sa Pilipinas. Kinailangan ng mga producer na maghanda ng bagong pakulong ihahain. Sa una’y nagsimula ito sa anyo ng palaro gaya ng Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Nang lumaon ay ito’y nagbagong anyo at naging challenge shows. Kabilang rito ang Survivor Philippines at Pinoy Fear Factor noon, Wowowin, at Tawag ng Tanghalan. Ang pagpasok ng mga ordinaryong tao sa kakaibang pagsubok ay kalakip ng nasasaksihang drama sa binibitawang salita ng mga kalahok.
CULTURE 09
Kung tutuusin ay dapat ding ipakita na gumawa ng karampatang aksyon ang network at MTRCB sa naturang programa, at dapat hindi lamang basta-basta pinalalampas ang ganoong klaseng sirkumstansya – kahit pa sabihing hindi na saklaw ng management ang asal ng mga kalahok.
nagpapakasasa sa biyaya ng mahigpit na pagkapit ng masa sa kanilang palabas, naipapakita ang tila desperasyon ng mga nasa ilalim ng tatsulok na umangat ang estado ng kanilang pamumuhay habang ang mga nasa tuktok naman ay naghahabi ng lubid na siyang kakapitan ng masa – na patuloy pa ring kinakapitan sa kasalukuyan.
I
pinakikilala...
“Ang pag-aartista ay pantasya ng masa. Marami ang gustong magpabida.” Malakas ang hatak ng mga reality show sa ordinaryong Pilipino, partikular na sa mga taong kabilang sa laylayan ng lipunan. Nabubuhayan ang loob nila at nabibigyan ng pag-asang umangat ang katayuan sa buhay sa posibilidad na makilala sila ng milyong katao at pangaraping sila ang sunod na gawing idolo, inspirasyon na sundin ang yapak niya. Ito ang batayan ng makailang-ulit nang inilunsad na mga Search-for-the-NextSuperstar na pakontes gaya ng Star Circle Quest at Starstruck. Pinipili at susubukang hasain ng mga ito ang kakayanan ng mga karaniwang tao na kinakitaan ng potensyal na maging artista. Sa pamamagitan ng mga mall audition, nahahatak ang masa sa ningning ng bituing kanilang pwedeng makamit kung papalaring makapasok at manalo. Kapag reach mo na ang stardom level, ikaw naman ang pasasalihin sa mga reality show na panay artista lang ang pinapaglaro tulad ng Minute to Win It o yung katatapos lang na Lip Sync Battle Philippines. Tipid sa network dahil hindi na nga gaanong kalaki ang halagang ilulustay, hatak pa sa ratings dahil kilala na ang manlalaro. Ipararating muna ang
charity case na dahilan ng paglahok habang wala pang project na binibigay, para na rin hindi mawala sa limelight. Kapag na-keep up mo na ang kasikatan, maaari ka namang bumida sa ‘kuwento ng tunay na buhay’. Kapansin-pansing itinatampok sa Maaalala Mo Kaya at Magpakailanman ang pagganap ng mga artista bilang mga ordinaryong tao batay sa kuwento ng masalimuot na buhay ng mga nagpadala ng personal nilang istorya. Suwerte kung ang kuwento bilang dating namumulubi na kinakitaan ng potensyal kaya pinasikat ang itanghal sa susunod na episode. Dagdag exposure. Kung ano na nga ang ipinapahayag ng mass media ay agad nang papansinin ng tao, paano pa kaya kung may kinalaman pa sa artista? Ang sinasabing “Celebrity Worship Syndrome” ay pagkahumaling ng tao sa maliliit na detalye ng sinomang sikat, madalas pa nga’y kahit personal nilang buhay ay kinakalkal. Kaya hindi dapat maging kataka-taka kung bakit may balitang showbiz. Pinalalakas nito ang nosyon na ang turing sa’yo kapag sikat ka na ay parang sa diyos — kinikilala ka na’t kinahahangaan ng mga taong makikilala mo pa lang. Maiiuugat itong sakit sa kasaysayan kung saan ipinalaganap ng mga Amerikano ang konsepto ng “showbiz” sa Pilipinas. Natatamasa lamang noon ng mga nasa gitnang-uri ng lipunan paitaas ang pribilehiyong makatanghal sa radyo, TV, o pelikula. Mayayamang pamilya lang kasi ang nakakabili ng equipment at film kung kaya’t madadalian din sila kung kapwa mayaman din ang hikayating umarte. Dahil nga karamihan sa mga Pilipino noong panahong iyon ang hindi nakapagtapos o hindi man lang nakatuntong ng paaralan, naikintal sa
Higit pa rito, ang pagsali ni Gaviola sa PBB ay maaari ngang pagpapatupad sa pangarap niya, ngunit salamin ito sa malawakang kawalan ng masa sa pagkamit ng basic social services. Sa lansangan man “na-discover” si Badjao Girl, mas makabubuti marahil kung abot-kaya ang edukasyong sana ay tinatamasa hindi lang niya kundi ng milyon pang iba. Kalakasan ng mass media na gawing glamoroso ang materyal na kanilang pinapakita, kahit pa man ito’y mga ordinaryong problema na nakikita natin sa pang-araw-araw nating buhay. Nagiging magaan tuloy sa paningin ang dapat sana’y isang malaking problema na kinakailangan ng agaran at pangmatagalang solusyon. Kung gaano kadaling magtanggal ng kurdon sa saksakan ay ganun na rin tuloy kadali sa mga taong mang-itsapwera ng isyu. Bagaman halaw sa tunay na mga pangyayari ang ipinapakita ng mga reality show, nakakangambang isipin na minamanipula ng ganitong mga palabas ang isang mundong hinango man sa nakagawian ay malayo pa rin sa katotohanan, o kung hindi man malayo ay para bang lihis sa mismong katotohanan: na mas mahalaga pang dapat pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga elementong nakapaloob lamang sa palabas imbis sa tunay na pinagdadaanan ng masa. Ang huwad na gantimpalang inihahandog ng mga realiserye ang siyang lalong nagpamanhid sa kamalayan na 15 minutes of fame ang makapagsasalba sa abang kalagayan. Pinaiigting lamang nito ang mabagsik na siklo ng panandaliang pagtugon sa suliranin ng indibidwal at nababalewala ang sistematikong butas ng lipunan. Hindi lang sa remote may kontrol ng masa. Ang kasaysayan ay hindi lamang ibinabalita, ngunit inuukit din. Ang realidad ay historikal at kailanma’y hindi mababatay sa kathang-isip na uri ng kapalaran.
10 GRAPHICS
Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 | Thursday of its quality. With the initial critique of other members of the academe, the eUP team claimed that within the five years of implementation, the costs of maintenance and implementation will not exceed the proposed financial proposal. Along with that, they claimed that as they collaborate with the telecommunication magnate ePLDT, there would still be remaining funds that could be allowed for further maintenance. However, the current situation shows that despite P724.9 million already having been spent for the project, the administration is yet to release a list of total expenses incurred. This implies that expenses are most likely to exceed the allotted budget, come its full implementation. Undoubtedly, all of the claims were merely well-made platitudes in a long list of promises that are yet to be delivered.
DIBUHO NI JAZMINE CLAIRE MARTINEZ MABANSAG
CRASH AND BURN FROM PAGE 08 student publication Perspective, students sought to establish a dialogue with UPLB Chancellor Fernando Jr. but were unable to do so due to his supposed unavailability. They have also tried to speak with UP Assistant Vice President and eUP Project Director Jaime Caro, but despite his availability, no dialogue was held. The most that the students were able to do was to talk to University Registrar Myrna Carandang, who stated that such problems will be relayed to the administration. Despite the students demanding the administration to clear the issue up by initiating talks, they remained deaf to the calls and plights of their constituents. The issues that plague the SAIS are certainly known to the administration. Yet, the response that is being instilled is that of resilience — a stance in which the students are left to cope while the academe are asked to wait for further updates on the badly needed repairs. Not only is access to the online system an issue, but so is the incompetence behind the process of enlistment caused by the SAIS — from the simple dilemma of adding subjects experienced by other CUs such as UP Manila, to the massive system crash that has been experienced by students of UPLB. Despite the consistency in the internal glitches that were experienced by UP Manila (the first UP unit where SAIS was implemented), the f lawed system is still continually being forced on the remaining constituent units, leaving more students and members of the academe to suffer the consequences. In reality, enrolments are delayed, schedules changed, and classes are put on hold, all while the administration continues to usher shortterm and temporary solutions in order to save face. With the lack of trust in the usage of homegrown systems that actually functioned better than the present one, the administration proves to be unmoved by the concerns of the students and the faculty. Moreover, it has proven itself blind to the resonating issues that plague the current system.
Aftermath: The Devastating Wreckage
Signos
CONTRAST
Kyla Dominique Lacambacal Pasicolan With the aim of innovating an integral aspect of the university, the administration has only drove its information system further towards total wreckage. Among the criticisms that have f locked the changing of the current information systems is the blatant lack of disregard to the locally-developed interfaces that were used by respective CUs. Prior the implementation of SAIS, the Computerized Registration System (CRS) has been widely used in five units, namely Diliman, Manila, Visayas, Baguio, and Cebu. On the other hand, MyPortal has been used by UP Open University, Computerized Student Records System (CSRS) in UP Mindanao, and SystemOne in UPLB. All of the said systems were developed by local IT experts and students from the university, and have been tailor-fit to the needs of each respective campus. All of these have also been generating their own computer registration and automation system. But rather than opening the prospect of integrating these systems, the administration has resorted in implementing a one-size-fits-all system that it deemed appropriate and useful for all campuses. In June 2011, eight members of the Diliman CRS team, which was composed of faculty and student computer programmers, crafted and submitted a three-year plan to further develop
the CRS, the total cost of which only amounted to PHP 18 million. Despite being initially approved, the proposal was stopped when the implementation plan of eUP was introduced, with President Pascual defending the administration’s decision by stating that “it doesn’t make sense anymore for [UP] to develop its own software for a process that is being done by thousands of other entities”. Furthermore, the president stated that rather than being unique from others in terms of its information system, the university had to adapt to the best practice. However, a large gap between the expenses sought to improve the current homegrown systems and the availing of a new commercial software is evident. For instance, only PHP 2.7 million is needed to maintain the CRS annually — a far cry from the cost of the Oracle software, which cost PHP 43 million. Moreover, while the university continues to spend millions on Oracle, the former CRS has been reduced to a retail product as it will be deployed to other universities such as the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila for a fee. The fact that continuous spending on an information system that does not yield any successful results, and that a local system that can actually be developed has been commodified, only echoes the enduring commercialization of education and related processes under it even at the expense of the deterioration
The implementation of the SAIS in the four CUs only serves as a reminder that the system, while erroneous, continues to be forced upon the whole constituency. This serves as a reminder that the administration pays no mind to the concerns, complaints and cries of the majority and instead continues on the path they ignorantly believe to be right. In the light of the system failures that have been experienced by the four CUs, the administration has opted to keep mum. And as seen in its actual implementation, the administration’s eUP project is far from the desired outcome of a seamless enlistment system and database—a mile away from the homegrown systems that were bred from the intelligence of UP students. The issue that lies behind the implementation of the five-year eUP project is that of the commercialization of education — prevalent in the theme of providing a highly-paid service for the university that bears no real benefits or progress. Instead, this paid utility that seeks its funds from the people’s taxes is a crippling, debilitating program that further hampered bureaucratic processes in the university. Furthermore, the partnerships sought out by the current administration not only provided access for private companies to the network of UP CUs, but to more financial burdens that further heightened the already exorbitant fees paid by students. In the end, the project proved to be no more than a tangible attempt by the current administration to milk more money from education, instead of improving the present quality of it. Apart from being one with the masses in the struggle for their right to education, the Iskolars ng Bayan must also remain driven in pursuing the genuine changes and improvements in the quality that the university offers – one that benefits the university and all its constituents. The Iskolar ng Bayan, amidst the existence of the system that gravely damage the excellence that the premiere university is known for and lives up to, must remain persistent in their fight for higher quality education.
OPINION 11
Volume 29 Number 23 September 8, 2016 | Thursday
DESTRUCTED DISTRACTIONS
Katrina Maria Limpiada Perolino
A lot of things change when you turn eighteen.
every action has a consequence, and not every consequence can be smoothed out with a few whines to your parents.
The most noticeable difference is, of course, your age. The minute addition of a single digit to the Adulthood, as I’ve learned, is about former seventeen symbolises a relationships. rather impactful change; but for People are fickle ; we choose purely practical reasons, it’s not to put our heart in the hands something to ponder over. Truthfully, turning eighteen isn’t something to go crazy about. Turning eighteen doesn’t guarantee that you’ll instantly mature overnight and become an adult as soon as you blow out the candles; turning eighteen doesn’t mean that life will deal you a difficult hand of cards and you can be expected to swiftly deal your own. The subtlety of change from being a minor to what the law deems an adult is a cross to bear — suddenly it’s a world of unaccompanied bureaucratic adventures and the impending doom of being arrested after a few shots of hard liquor — delivering the realisation that
BIYAHE
LABAS NA
Isang buwan bago ang nakatakdang pag-alis, hindi na ako mapakali sa sobrang excitement dahil bagong adventure na naman ito. Tatlong linggo lang naman sa labas ng bansa. Tatlong linggo lang naman hindi kasama ang pamilya’t kaibigan. Tatlong linggo lang naman na matutulog sa higaan na paibaiba. Tatlong linggo lang naman na walang kanin at tatlong linggo lang naman na ibang hangin at oras kaysa nakasanayan. Sa pagtawid ko sa kalahati ng mundo lulan ng sasakyang panghimpapawid, kasama ang mga hindi kilalang tao, ako’y lubos na natuwa; iba ang paligid, iba ang kasama. Lumapag ang eroplano, hindi ko na alam ang oras, hindi rin sigurado sa pagkain, iba na rin ang salita at ang daan na tatahakin. Hangang-hanga ako sa kanilang maluwag na kalsada
at sistematikong transportasyon. Ayos din dahil kahit magwagayway ng gadyet ay walang aagaw. Nahirapan lang ako maghanap ng pulubi, tatlo o apat lang. Kaya lalo pa akong natuwa.
Maraming nangyayari sa bawat hakbang. Ang mga dating estranghero ay kaibigan na. Kasamang tumawa at mamangha sa paligid na minsan lang masilayan. Dahil isang dayo, hindi naiwasang hindi maligaw.
Ako’y naging dayuhan at inampon ng isang pamilyang lokal, tinanggap na Naglakad ng milya-milya para animo’y sariling anak. matulog sa damuhan sa ilalim ng mga bituin. Alas otso na ng gabi ay Makalipas ang isang linggo, ibang maliwanag pa rin. Pag sapit naman lalawigan naman ang pinuntahan. ng madaling araw sobrang lamig Ito na ang dahilan ng aking paglisan. dahil sa hamog at sa ika-walo ng Andaming tao, iba’t ibang lahi ang umaga ang matinding sikat naman nakasasabay at nakasasalubong. ng araw.
Umulan man o umaraw, patuloy lang ang paglakbay. Maraming nangyayari sa bawat hakbang.
Famous Last Words Aria Hernandez
FAMOUS LAST WORDS Psychology books and sociology articles will tell you that this is not the case, that there will always be There comes a time when you have an imbalance to the yin and yang no choice but to write. you painfully tried to achieve.
And yet, I declare with gusto that relationships are a lot less complicated — we make it more complex by holding on to memories of another and expect the same and people no longer there. The treatment we give to them. initial lancing pain of betrayal or sadness will hurt like an open Aside from the usual schtick, wound, but as your body heals, the biggest lesson I’ve learned you’ll eventually learn to toughen throughout my three weeks of adult up and take that pain as a wake-up legitimacy is that relationships are a call, a reminder to avoid choosing lot less complicated than I initially people who don’t reciprocate the time and feelings you spent on perceived. them. I’ve come to realise that people change friendships and leave I’ve had my fair share of lost when distances sever ties, but investments and promises of that doesn’t always have to be the catching up that get blown away by case. Sometimes, what started a the wind, and I can only wish that as connection could be the very thing I progress with my life, those people that ends it. People are fickle; we that I let into my life find people choose to put our heart in the that they deem worthy to let into hands of another and expect the theirs — and that they’re happy. same treatment we give to them. CONTINUED ON PAGE 07
Sofia Monique Kingking Sibulo Pinaghandaan kong mabuti ang pag-alis kong ito. Marami akong pinagdaanan, pinaki-usapan, at pinanghinayangan para maisakatuparan ito. May mga iniwan, pero pinangakuan ng pagbalik.
DOUX DIX-HUIT
Ayan na, magsasalita na siya, huling misa na ng Santo Papa para sa pagdiriwang na ito. Marami siyang sinabi pero ang pinakatumatak sa akin ay ang tanong na “anong klase Kaliwa’t kanan ang batian. ng kasiyahan ang pipiliin mo, Kaniya-kaniyang sigaw ng bayang kasiyahan sa loob ng bahay, pinanggalingan. Ang sarap isagot maglaro sa tapat ng kompyuter, ng “Philippines!” kasama ang makipagtawanan buong malaking ngiti at sasabayan pa nang magdamag, kumain ng masasarap pagwagayway ng watawat. na pagkain o masaya ka dahil lumabas ka sa kinasanayan mo, Lahat ay bago sa aking paningin at nagsakripisyo ka para sa iba, at pandinig. Umulan man o umaraw, sumama ka laban ng mga tao lalo patuloy lang ang paglakbay. na ang mga naaapi?”
I admit, I never thought I would get this far. I never really had the confidence to turn my words into something more. In fact, I used to consider my skills as merely one of the tools that I needed to write convincing essays and whatnot for my general education classes. I did not think that writing was and is much more than that. I am quite grateful that I learned this the hard way. In the past year, I have written a number of opinion pieces for my column in The Manila Collegian (MKule). At first, I was hesitant because my predecessors were very talented writers who could weave words like no other. It was mindboggling to see that someone like me was even considered to write for Mkule. I honestly felt like fate was playing a joke on me. In fact, if you had told me last year that I would be writing for this publication, I would have laughed at you. I would have asked you to find someone else to talk to after giving you a one peso coin. I know, it is quite weird that I am writing about this when I have already spent a year writing about my personal thoughts and beliefs on paper. But believe me when I say that these musings are worth mentioning. Why? I wanted to point out that, sometimes, it is not right to jump into conclusions or to sell yourself short. You never really know if you can succeed or fail unless you try... again and again. If I had not tried writing for MKule, I would have not realized that a writer does not merely need talent and ink; a writer actually needs to think, and not just write whatever comes into mind. If there is anything I have realized while writing for MKule, it is the fact that writing is hard. Not because I cannot write but because I wanted my pieces to count. I almost lost my mind trying to understand and analyze issues that are not my own. It was like stepping out of my comfort zone and facing the demons I never even thought were present. Writing for MKule has truly been a revelation. I really admire people who dare to write, to fight for the rights of others, and to be different. The year I spent writing for MKule made me realize how important the struggles of the common tao who barely have the means to survive each day. It showed me that things are not what they seem or as the media projects it. Mkule also urged me to see things with a critical eye and to be more observant of what is going on in society. CONTINUED ON PAGE 05