Burabod Volume 3 Issue 1

ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON

Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

BURABOD Opinion

Let’s not lose our vigilance, sense of justice, and common sense PAGE

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Feature

Politics and Potentials:

Culture

Choosing the Right Candidates

There’s More to Bicol

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News

Pink Movement takes shape in Bicol 05

y Illustration b l fa re & Mary Jesse Rudy G endaña Margarette B

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Opinion

Editorial

ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

The Fool’s Gold in Marcos Jr.’s Presidency

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e are getting poorer, as a nation. Marcos Jr. has a lot of promises to keep, and a lot of hype to live up to. Nevermind the observation that the more rabid apologists will rejoice at the bare minimum of government efficacy, and reality sets in for the lay Filipino (e.g. the millions of workers, and paycheck-to-paycheck breadwinners).

Don’t get me wrong, this is a narrative as old as time, but not even a generation ago, the sentiment of the Philippines getting poorer was more of a criticism of concurrent economic decisions by the helm, with the masses’ welfare at the forefront of this fear. Now? It’s a rational description based on metrics and the eye-test.

This requires a discussion from the perspective of a young adult fresh off the bloody Duterte administration into the economic down-spiral which will be handled by the Marcos administration.

To jog one’s memory, since 2016, the bloodbath included the lives of 23 journalists and media workers, 66 lawyers, 427 activists (including human rights defenders and grassroot organizers), as much as 30 000 individuals from a variety of operations, including vigilante killings, and more than 6 000 in police anti-drug operations.

Let me be clear: no amount of political bootlicking will ever convince me that these killings are valid. People can argue specifics, but one thing is constant: these lives are not mere statistics we can argue about, nor are these metrics to compare against the supposed “progress” of this country.

As the Philippines transitions to a Marcos Jr.’s presidency, the inflation rate for the bottom 30% income households increased to 5.0% as of June 2022, the headline inflation rate rising to 6.1%, and the dollar-peso exchange rate as of June 30 was at $1 = P 55.11.

With this, we come to the so-called “Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Mukha” schtick that the Marcoses used to have somehow captivated the electorate. Keep the people interested with seemingly genuine promises of grandiose changes, and they’ll look past the atrocities you or your family has committed. Hire personalities who will legitimize your campaign “for the poor”, include in your slate supposed “intellectuals” who will speak and act for you, and keep your persona as mysterious as possible – less talks, less mistakes.

After all the fanfare, the reality of the country’s economic situation rears its ugly head: outside of the rich elite, we’re just tools used by the Marcos campaign to actualize their return

to power.

With a P 12.76 trillion debt as of end-April this year, expect more radical steps by the helm with the goal of “easing up our (the taxpayers’ and their country’s) debt”. Agencies, corporations, and companies are mulling it over as we speak with heavier policies for their consumers – the lay Filipino. That is on top of the responsibility of the Filipino people and their children to pay Marcos Sr.’s debts until 2025. Independent analysts project that the peso will continue to weaken as the months go by, and the eye-test would incline one to agree, if we go by the daily groceries of the Filipino. The prices of commodities are expected to increase, from rice, to eggs, and even sugar. In fact, the De-

Kulay Rosas na Kahapon

partment of Agriculture and the Sugar Regulatory Administration argue that the country will run out of refined sugar as soon as July 29.

In all of this, there are multiple realities that one must accept. Traditional politicians (particularly that family of politicians who have raped and plundered our country for decades) will not rise to your expectations as a voter nor to their own promises – they don’t care about you. They care about their interests, and if their interests have always been to have the Filipino people forget their crimes, then that’s what’s going to happen.

They will simply fall to their lifestyles of lavishness and ineffectual grandstanding to foreigners to project the false

image of a progressive Philippines.

Yes, some will be rich and richer, but it’s probably not going to be many of the people who voted for their family’s return to power. It’s also probably not going to be the many millions like you and I, who believe that this country deserves better. Yes, there will be changes, but only until the interests of the oligarchs are met. If ever those interests also align with improving social welfare? Don’t rejoice too much – it’s their duty as public servants. In the coming months and the next few years, expect more band-aid solutions to more pressing systemic social problems, and expect the online space to be marred with “individuals” lifting this up as the Holy Grail of public service. Expect more blaming of the opposition for any mishap (they’re starting now with the Angat Buhay NGO), and worse comes to worst, more human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, students, and activists killed. It’s textbook fascism, really, tweaked to fit the Philippine rhetoric.

Of course, I want to be proven wrong. I want the Marcos Jr. presidency to prioritize the poor, keep up with the promises of P 20/kilogram of rice and other expectations, but there’s a difference between wishful thinking and logical observations.

We are getting poorer, as a nation, and it is fool’s gold to believe that Marcos Jr. is a leader this country needs.

Jomari Dolz

Masaya pa rin ako, dahil wala akong pinagsisisihan, kahit marami akong pinanghihinayangan.

Naaalala ko noong October 7, 2021 inaabangan ko ‘yong announcement ni VP Leni Robredo, naghahanda na ang lahat para sa DP Blast. Masaya—kulay pink ang facebook feed, bumuhos ang suporta. Para bang nasa ilalim ka ng cherry blossom tree, sinasalubong ang naglalagas na mga bulaklak. May liwanag nang naaaninag!

Aminado naman na magiging mahirap ang laban.

Biruin mo naman, disinformation yung makinarya nung isa.

Tayo, prinsipyo at paninindigan pa lang ang pamato. Pero hindi tayo huminto, “wala man tayo ng meron sila, meron namang TAYO na wala sila.”

Sana ngayon gets na ‘to ng iba ha. Wag nang tatanga-tanga, husto nang hamag ka.

At ayon na nga. Lawyers for Leni, Doctors for Leni, Econo-

mists for Leni. Merong Magsasaka for Leni, mga Kasambahay for Leni, OFWs for Leni. From all walks of life, propesyunal man o hindi, isa-isang tumindig para kay Leni. Meron pa ngang Magaganda at Gwapo for Leni. Pero sige, dun ako sa mga Sakto lang for Leni.

Sarap balikan, ‘no? Naaalala mo pa ba ‘yong mga caravans? Diba, dinudumog ng tao.

Wag ka, kahit walang kotse o motor, sumasama. Mayroong sakay ng mga kalabaw, may mga bangkero namang nagpaparada sa tubig, at mhie, maglalakad tayo, suportahan lang si Leni Robredo.

Tuwang-tuwa na nga tayo noon sa 15k-20k attendees sa proclamation rally sa Naga City. Aba naman, nagkaroon ng olympinks! Kabog ang Pasiglaban, na-notice pa ni Ariana EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BURABOD

Hyacinth Ashley Flores

ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - June 2022

EDITORIAL BOARD

NEWS EDITORS

Althea Mella, Danilo Olalo Jr.

Grande, wag ka. Isipin mo, akala natin yun na yung pinakamarami. Kung ‘di ako nagkakamali, 7th or 8th na lang siya sa leaderboard. Ganon! Ayaw naman kasi magpatalo ng iba.

Iba! Ang mas panalo dito, ‘yong pagkakaisa at boluntirismo.

Hungry? Hanap ka lang ng pinakamalapit na rally. Kahit magtataho at sorbetero, hindi magpapabayad. Hindi kami bayad! Hindi kami bayad! Mga artista at influencers, libre lahat! May Angel Locsin kami.

May Vice Ganda kami. Kathniel, Nadine, Maricel, Jodi Sta. Maria, search mo na lang yung iba kasi magmumukha itong nobela kapag inisa isa. Wala na kaming pake kay Toni G., may Otin G. kami.

Lahat hindi nagpatinag.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jomari Dolz

OPINION EDITOR Jezreel Icaranom

SPORTS AND CULTURE EDITORS Eman Clifford Ros, Khim Anne Gabuco

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Road repairs sa pagdarausan ng rally? Redtagging, diba Ping? Isampal ko kaya hinanda kong placard sa ‘yong mukha?

Syempre biro lang, mas radikal ang magmahal kaysa manampal. (Kahit most of the time applicable yung huli.) Walang wala yang harang niyo sa mga desidong lasinggero for Leni, may backlogs for Leni at syempre yung cancer survivors for Leni, senior citizens, at “3/4” for Leni. Sabi nga ng isang visually impaired, ang boto niya ay para sa kandidatong may vision. Sabi nga ng isang pilay, titindig siya. Against all odds, ipinapakipaglaban ang lahat, kahit Bbm fanatics.

Hanggang sa huli, kumapit. Last minute switch to Leni, last minute DP Blast, isang milyon sa Miting de Avance—

MANAGING EDITOR John Vincent Rosales

HEAD ARTISTS

Jesse Rudy Grefal, Sean Ethan Tan

ARTIST

Mary Margarette Bendaña

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para ipaglaban ang gobyernong tapat kung saan angat buhay ang lahat.

Ano man ang pinal na kalalabasan ng halalan, buong buo ang prinsipyong pinanindigan ko. Mamamatay ako nang walang pinagsisihan sa aking naging pasya. May maipagmamalaki ako—ang ilaban ang bayan ko.

Tapos na ang halalan, nakapanghihinayang lang na pinakawalan natin yung bagay na minsan lang dumaan sa isang henerasyon. Hindi pa naman tapos ang laban. Hinding hindi matatapos ang laban. Naging kulay rosas ang kahapon. At habang isinusulat ko ito, nagiging kulay rosas ang ngayon. Tara na, ipanalo pa rin na10! Ituloy na10 ang kulay rosas na bukas.

FEATURES AND LITERARY EDITOR Kianna Leigh Ebalin

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Public Relations Officer: Nadine Iara Sabio, President: Hannah Embile

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STAFFERS Samantha Coleene Cano, Kristine Angel Cerillo, Daryll dela Rosa, Edrian Divinaflor, Cassandra Marie Entico, Tirso Serrano, Geuel Quizon

BURABOD ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON

Opinion

Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

Let’s not lose our vigilance, sense of justice, and common sense

ALUMNI’S COLUMN

TIRSO SERRANO UP IBALON BATCH ‘78

THE SHOCK AND AWE OF OUR LIVES Another election cycle judiciously participated in. Another attempt to support and vote for the right candidates. Another chapter in our colorful history to look forward to with hope and optimism for the most competent, sincere and honest leaders.

But as we looked and monitored the unofficial quick counts all over media after the close of all voting centers, and then witnessed the hours and days ahead after the fateful May 9 national and local elections, millions of us got the shock of our lives. We expected some surprises here and there perhaps, but never in our wildest dreams did we imagine a bloodbath like this would happen. Not in our lifetime,

many of us, especially those nearing or spending our senior years thought. A lot of wasted votes and lost opportunities for a lot of localities and even nationwide elective posts, all over again!

Many of us recalled that upon leaving the polling places after undergoing varying levels of difficulty in finding our names in our rightful precincts and cluster groups, and as we stuck out and proudly displayed our forefingers adorned with indelible ink, we smiled at the thought that we have exercised our power to vote and to effect change for the better.

Even if, in spite of our generally upright, well-meaning and God-fearing people, we seem to have collective amnesia, and we continue to fall into the same trap of so many bunches of political opportunists, masters of deception, cruel manipulators of the hapless voting public.

Even if, for instance, the family names that have been involved in many a controversy, be it in corruption in government budget/ funds, multi-million government contracts, local illegal gambling mini-fiefdoms, criminal and plunderous cases in tax evasion, smuggling, banking and finance, you name it, many of them have done and

profited from it, seem to be the same family names that lord it over in many local communities and even in the national scene over and over again.

And even if there could be new names on the political scene, you wonder what kind of expertise and experience they could actually bring into public office, once elected, more than their business acumen in many past anomalous and financially self-rewarding transactions (i.e., jueteng, multi-million kickbacks, smuggling, tax evasion, drugs, and even human trafficking...), their propensity to be newsworthy but for the wrong reasons.. such as for even the most trivial issues of the day (i.e., showbiz, personality and sex scandals).

We vote for those that we think could be the right people to serve. Never mind if they are not winnable since they showed poorly in the surveys and would eventually be overpowered by the more popular names. We pick our choices from the rather poor and bland roster of candidates that seem to deteriorate with each passing election.

With our so-called automated elections, our country ought to have been favored or blessed with quicker election returns and faster, more accurate counting. But for many of us- alas! it

just hastened the assumption of yet another batch of poor choices of public servants, and save for a few good choices, could very well be the next round of incompetents and opportunists. And we haven’t even started discussing the allegations of massive, systematic, or electronic cheating through pre-programmed voting counting machines, SD cards, hidden servers, dubious transmission centers, and many dirty tricks pre, during, and post elections. It’s really a wonder how the few good men in government elective posts and public service could actually offset the inherent insincerity, dishonesty, and mismanagement of those that our voters at large elect into office.

THE ACCEPTANCE Let’s count our blessings and this I address mostly to my fellow Kakampinks and other belatedly enlightened citizens.

We fought for the most deserving, upright, capable and right leader and we would never regret it !

There is another day and so many chances to fight and recover from these Dark Ages. The Truth and the Good will always prevail, eventually. And the dirty tradpols and crooked opportunists with devious agenda will

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be exposed and pay for their sins against Filipinos, eventually.

I have more to say but suffice it for now that may more educated adults grow up and guide their children on what are basically right vs what is patently wrong, and not prod them to pursue materialistic and selfish endeavors embracing the onerous “he who has the gold rules” as a way of life. The important thing is that we always side with the right and pursue the good path always!Let’s keep our heads up high and keep on fighting. Gawin ang Tama!

LESSONS LEARNED AND LESSONS TO ADVOCATE Why do so many driven and adventurous personalities seem to move heaven and earth to run and win an election? Call of public service? The psychic reward of fame and admiration of many? Or maybe it’s simply because it’s the most financially rewarding occupation in the Philippines, that’s why so many are so preoccupied with running and winning a post, the higher, the more lucrative.

It’s high time that we rethink, redefine or maybe totally ban and dissolve the pork barrel system that has been plaguing our country for decades. Would >Read More | Page 4

Blogging Will Never Replace Journalism Jezreel Icaranom

Simply put: no amount of kowtowing will change this rhetoric. If you are one of those who relate to anything journalistic, you may agree with this sentiment.

The most basic definition gue, isn’t blogging a form of of journalism that I can artic- journalism? ulate off the top of my head is The definition of blogging that it is an art and a science of has changed from technicalobtaining, filtering, processing ity to a more practical usage. (that includes simplification A dictionary will define “blog” and removal of unnecessary as a regularly updated page data), and ultimately present- run by an individual or a small ing any piece of information group, typically in a converfor the masses to consume. sational tone, and “to blog” is It is, by no means, a perfect to add material to update the methodology, as the mere in- blog. These days blogging is volvement of the human will mixed with video coverage, in allow for errors due to biases what we call “vlogging”. Any and prejudice. However, the true democracy where freepath to being called a journal- dom of speech is paramount ist is no easy road. Scrutiny, should allow for blogs and any loss of jobs, and being called variations to exist. to courts (may it be in front of This is particularly true a jury or through the court of with the Philippines, where a public opinion), are risks that lot of news is being consumed try to keep journalism in check through these blogs. This is and as truthful as possible. where Notice that I wrote “truthful”, and not “neutral”. I know it’s hard to understand, but But that’s the goal of journalism is not to be cold, apathetic, and where people misobjective. It is to be truthunderstand freedom ful, with a predominantly of speech. Your right to intellectual background, guided by the moral speak does not compasses of the societremove your ies that they contextualize obligation to be themselves. Ever wonder why there’s what we call featruthful. ture writing, editorial writing, and sports writing? These things are facets of the same journalistic publication, with t h i n g s get hazy. varying levels of connection Now, a blog is only meant to with the author and/or varying produce interpretations of foci of the topics they discuss. these news, but they are not, With this, some may ar- and should be not, the end-all-

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be-all of references for a media consumer.

Remember, blogs are individuals or a small group, and thus are not subject to the code of ethics that a journalist must follow. They did not undergo the same professional, academic, and even literary scrutiny that a journalist must take to even be considered an apprentice of the profession.

Should bloggers blunder, their audience will not hold them accountable, for at the end of day, these are just entertainment figures with a perversion of what journalism really is.

But aren’t opinion pieces just formalized blogs?

No. Should I openly blunder the same way some bloggers do, I run the risk of being removed from my position as an Opinion Editor. Once this piece reaches the Editor-in-Chief, I will be asked for any edits, I will be given a chance to clarify any points, clear up any biases, and may be asked to remove some sections that are unethical based on our standards.

The ultimate piece that you see in any publication has undergone intense typographical, grammatical, and content critique that any retraction post-consuming is mainly from public opinion.

A blogger can simply apologize, immediately delete the content, and outside their audience, nobody else will hold

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them accountable. You can’t just press charges against an interpretation of a news for they may argue that it falls under fair use and is a facet of freedom of speech.

But that’s where people misunderstand freedom of speech. Your right to speak does not remove your obligation to be truthful.

Many bloggers (not all, of course) purposefully introduce misinformation and disinformation in their interpretations of news, with some even blatantly fabricating false narratives. They reach for correlations that aren’t exactly there, provoke unproductive emotions in their audience, and proliferate the information divide between groups of people. They will always be considered as “trusted” individuals with a “free-thinking

@BurabodUPIbalon

mind” because nobody will put them under scrutiny, and if ever they are, they can just send their audience to conduct witch-hunts and harass their oppositions online and sometimes, in real life. It also doesn’t help that disinformation and misinformation have put presidential administrations into power.

There is honestly a lot more that we must do to combat this disease of misinformation and disinformation, and what better way to start than by introducing clear boundaries as to what is and what isn’t with regards to journalism? I reiterate, blogging will never replace journalism. Let’s leave entertainment and emotional provocations to its own devices and avoid having it mixed with truthful reporting.

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BURABOD

Opinion

>From Page 3 you have as many undeserving candidates vying for such public posts that would otherwise pay just as much as the rest of the career service employees in government agencies? Would you have as many political families swimming in oodles of ill-gotten wealth that have no other plans but to make all the available members of their families run for office to perpetuate the “proud family name?”

With the pork barrel system radically redefined or abolished completely, perhaps we’ll have only the most upright, brightest, and truly visionary candidates who have the country and its progress in mind that would be crazy enough to run. The others can stay put in the Executive branch, implement the national budget and make governance truly effective and mature. The others who used to look at government posts as the most lucrative professional career can, as my timid friend fed up with all this mess puts it, “drop dead ASAP”.

BREAKING THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF POPULISM AND DEMAGOGUERY The best leaders thrive in crises and the worst leaders in chaos.

In the whole world, populist leaders are getting more exposed for their inadequacies with each day that passes, especially during the Covid-19 crisis for more than 2 years already - all pomp, no substance, all promises, little accomplishments, entertaining, but never enlightening, deceptive, not factual - Don’t look now, but many brave citizens of the world have cited the following: Trump, Boris Johnson, Modi, Nethanyu, Maduro, Putin, and lately the leaders in Sri Lanka, and several African nations. You add to this list. And with their inadequacies, incompetence, or outright carelessness, they are even further endangering the lives of hundreds of millions of people that they govern.

So-called strongmen prefer chaos or general confusion always, as they tend to conveniently create more trouble so they can later “shoot” them, and proclaim they provided solutions themselves as troubleshooters. They are careless rabble-rousers, masters of the spin and political theatre, promising the uninitiated, the gullible with impossible dreams, forgetting that in this modern world, their speeches and behaviour are recorded and form part of history which they cannot just erase by shouting or stating another untruth the next chance they get onstage.

(And we’re not yet talking about possible evil conspiracy theories.)

Crises always tend to expose the most unprepared, unknowledgeable, unfit and even outright fake leaders and in due time, the TRUTH prevails - about their insincerity, selfishness, incompetence, ultimate private agenda, and so on and so forth. We need to reward public servants doing their sincere share, not continue to applaud arrogant power trippers who enjoy bragging, harassing, scaring or paying off critics and constituents to obey, period. We expect more from educated and supposed decent men and women. Wake up Filipinos!

We don’t want to become

ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

Presidents. We are just concerned citizens who don’t want our government funds misused, pocketed or stolen, see fellow Citizens taken for granted, jailed or slaughtered because of poverty, die with hungry stomachs.

We don’t want public servants unnecessarily contaminated, or the hapless poor take on suicide trips and tasks, no thanks to the carelessness or Heaven forbid, continuing corruption and opportunism of our so-called leaders.

We prefer our leaders to listen and seek out the best solutions from the trained, well-meaning critical best minds, (not just from “utak pulbura”, or “we-have-the-moneyand-resources-to-solve-that” wise guys whose preoccupation is to scare us or buy us off always into blind submission). We prefer leaders who can competently inspire, empower, and unite us all to weather these trying times.

We believe leaders can always reform and change for the better. If they just listen and think more, reflect and really try. And with more vigilant concerned citizens helping their leaders improve their governance, point out meritorious and productive criticism, not enabling them with blind loyalty, we shall overcome these crises, natural or man-made.

FILIPINOS NEED TO LISTEN, READ AND THINK TOO, TO COUNTER ‘HISTORICAL REVISIONISM’ With a new administration installed, there certainly are many plans and seeming reforms to make and do things better. Of course change for the better is welcome, but change for the sake of change, or in the guise of historical revisionism, or protecting false narratives and the like, are certainly not the change that we need or benefit from.

Case in point? We hear of overzealous lapdogs in the political arena to rename the foremost or international gateway from Ninoy Aquino International Airport back to its generic name or to something else., presumably to honour the present dispensation. To this, we strongly say - No to changing NAIA to any other name. Why so? It should be about principles and the true love of country! We abhor self-serving ploys of historical revisionism to hide the arro-

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declaring that I am still one of the strong believers of the 1986 EDSA People Power spirit. Why so? EDSA People Power is not just about politics nor simply of personalities. It is about us as a people. Our past, present and future.

It did not happen overnight - some say when the abuses of the late Dictator became too frequent after a couple or so years in power, and many others say the spark came after the cruel and ruthless assassination of the late Senator Ninoy Aquino at the old manila airport. And when the protest movement finally evolved into the Feb 1986 Peaceful Revolution, the world took notice of our shining moment as a people and our principled fight to change a government that had become corrupt and irrelevant through two decades of betrayal and rotten ways of government, abuse of power, plunder of the country’s resources and mockery of the ideals of justice and democracy.

For the past few years, there has been quite a reversal of people’s perceptions on EDSA 1986 PPR. But let’s make sure we are not deceived, our attention, sense of vigilance, and dignity are not stolen away from us.

Lately, I see a rising up to the challenge of concerned citizens rejecting REVISIONISM of our country’s proud history in kicking out an abusive strongman and his kind, multi-billion plunderers, abusers of human rights and our civil liberties, etc.

The messages of our silent protests that have become more and more evident on social media, in brave community circles, and in bar talk, are getting clearer to many. One such message is that a government that proclaims and extolls, though legalities and a web of falsehoods and deception, the nation’s greatest thieves, HR violators and crime collaborators, etc., as heroes and appear to take away our attention from much, much bigger and incomparable sins against the Filipino people committed by abusive regimes and their cabal, crooks in Congress and government, will have difficulty or will find it impossible to earn lasting credibility in their so-called anti-corruption campaign and gain full respect to truly unify the nation. Of course, there are some good and honest officials in government and politics. But their efforts and sincerity are overshadowed and overpowered by some self-centered and indecent false leaders.

We need to reward public servants doing REDEFINING GOOD AND their sincere share, not BAD RIGHT BEFORE OUR continue to applaud EYES? STAY VIGILANT! During the heydays of arrogant power trippers the previous regime, they who enjoy bragging, hasay about 60-70 percent of rassing, scaring or paying citizens got so fatalistic, suboff critics and servient, or resigned to daily unexplained bloodbaths, EJKs, constituents to many leaders and their lapdogs obey. gance, abuses, corruption, and plunder of abusive regimes and their opportunistic enablers!

Besides, there are so many pressing problems of the Filipinos at these trying times. Distractions from the previous and incumbent administrations’ incompetence PaMore?

And to put his argumentation into context, aging people like me may be in the minority now. But I’m proud to continue

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full of hatred with a permeating culture of death, so supportive of cursing at otherwise positions of responsibility, at high levels and so much irony observed by vigilant citizens in a double standard, yet one track mind/ single issue ways of governance.

Many asking quietly… “ANYARE”?

Are they telling us now that everything they taught us since Kindergarten like GMRC is wrong?

That since there are still

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problems in society everywhere, those who served the nation with a mistake or two should all go to jail, while the bigger offenders enjoy the full benefit of good

Sayang naman, there are also so many upright, professional and well-meaning public servants at all levels, and really worthwhile development projects ongoing and planned all over and across many sectors.

As honest, hardworking and I’m proud to upright citizens of this country, continue declaring let’s not lose our sense of Justhat I am still one of the tice, Fair Play, and Common strong believers of the 1986 Sense. Otherwise, Filipinos deserve to remain backEDSA People Power spirit.

Why so? EDSA People Power ward, much like, feudalistic or even dictatorial times. is not just about politics nor Sadly, so many of our simply of personalities. It leaders seem to be falling into the trap of political pais about us as a people. tronage once again, redefining Our past, present, and what is true, just, and noble... future. ang mali, Pilit na ginagawang tama.

In crime busting and other counsel and the laws of the anti-corruption actions, Amy I land? reiterate that we ought to start That since everybody steals with and should never proin government anyway, Filipinos mote as role models the biggest should instead admire and ex- crooks, thieves, and opportuntol the greatest Filipino thieves ists who might have gotten lucky and plunderers as role models to get off the hook, and let them (“matinik sila talaga eh”) and or their unrepentant, abusive bury them in hallowed ground, and arrogant families continue for instance? (“no problem to to enjoy their ill-gotten wealth, extoll the despicable, as we have much more bring their heirs all our trolls on social networks back to unlimited or undeserved to support us with all the fake power while we all meekly live news and we want…”), that Hon- within our measly hard-earned esty is not that all important money. among politicians, since everyHence, by continually exone throws it away, anyway? tolling the so-called “strong It is unfortunate that in leadership” and families of forthe local and international set- mer strongmen, the plunderers ting, with emerging politicians, who seem to be getting away many have taken advantage of through ill-motivated pardons the seeming inadequacy of past and devious legalities, it takes administrations to solve many little imagination to think that pressing problems satisfactorily all those anti-corruption moves in their respective countries like of incumbent or future adminpoverty, lack of infrastructure, istrations are kinda weird as poor delivery of government these are irreconcilable, and are services, and jobs, using fake more for earning pogi points. news and opportunist populist, They have spineless patronizif not feudalistic ways. ing politicians and expert spin Notwithstanding these fail- doctors who create perceptions ures and shortfalls, however, it more than reality, molding false is imperative that the citizens, narratives just to escape furespecially the youth, must un- ther damage as the brave media derstand that resorting to total and observers from the general disillusionment, disobedience, public have nonetheless tried non-conformity with solid dem- to expose those shenanigans ocratic traditions and morals in the administration’s circle and embracing instead, through of friends. But the public has a the legal maneuvers of those duty to listen and to think too, smarter than others, the bad you know. practices of the past, such as We stay silent, subservient, corruption, plunder, injustice as and overly polite for a long time, well as curtailment of civil liber- and our goodness and apathy ties - and resorting to strongman will be taken advantage of. Let’s rule, will never bring about the bring power back to the people, urgent true reforms and change We need to get into the habit of for the better, that they are be- supporting sincere, upright, and ing primed up to believe in. deserving candidates in all our elections.

TRUE INSTITUTIONAL Let’s bring back more credBUILDING THROUGH ible, deserving visionaries and UPRIGHTNESS AND public servants in government.

Let’s redefine or abolish the COMMON SENSE Let’s build on our past gains pork barrel system. Let’s work as strong people and stop being and pray for an honest-to-goodrecidivists and opportunists, ness anti-Political Dynasty Law and help each other, through and let’s pray for media to think real leaders and not fake heroes more of our beloved country as our role models. We ought to naman than their ratings/ ciridentify properly and support culation/ profits. Many in media leaders that are consistent with have glorified many as plunderthe teachings of God, respect for ers, criminals and opportunists.

Real power resides in the individuals, and justice for all, rich and poor alike. Let us not people. Apathy and support for get tired of doing good for our the wrong things will continue nation, and continue to teach, to breed abuse, and one day we reform, and lead - not kill at the are bound to realize that we’ve slightest provocation or for pur- been taken for a ride by false poses of meeting a “quota”... our hopes and false leaders.

We need a culture of upfellow countrymen, as they are rightness, God-centered lives, humans too like us.

There is so much work to and common sense, that will be done to bring us to better promote successful progressive times. But let’s stay vigilant so citizens and institutional buildthat we don’t lose track of what ing. is basically wrong and what is The views and opinions presented by fundamentally right Change Serrano in this piece are his alone. They is done for the better, not just do not reflect that of the publication’s for the sake of changing things. beliefs and stand on the issue.

“

@BurabodUPIbalon

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News ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

COLOR OF HOPE. A ‘kakampink’ holds up a placard with the words “#IpanaloNa10To” in the Leni-Kiko Grand Rally in Naga City, which was attended by an estimated population of 306,000 Kakampinks. Photo from VP Leni Robredo FB Page

Pink Movement takes shape in Bicol

Following Vice President Leni Robredo’s announcement of her presidential bid in the 2022 National Elections, volunteer-driven initiatives were conducted across the Bicol Region to rally behind fellow Bicolana and sole female candidate.

As early as Robredo’s announcement and filing of her candidacy in October 2021, local caravans were held in all six provinces namely Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon.

To officially kick off the Pink Campaign, around 15,000 supporters flocked into Plaza Quezon, Naga City for the proclamation rally of Robredo and her running mate, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan along with their senatorial slate on February 08, 2022.

VP Leni then drove from her hometown, Naga City, Camarines Sur, to adjacent Albay, specifically in Ligao, Tabaco, and Bacacay. On the way, citizens and campaign volunteers were dressed in pink–the campaign color of the opposition tandem.

According to the Office of the Vice President website, “the color pink was randomly picked by VP Leni’s supporters, and she embraced it as a sign of love, empathy, hope, and kindness.”

As election nears, a series

341,000 total attendees

Legazpi + Naga Pink Rallies of pink rallies in the Bicol region were held to continuously campaign for Robredo.

A month before the elections, volunteer group Solid Leni Bicol-Albay spearheaded the One Pink Crusade- People’s

March, Prayer Rally, and Concert on April 9, 2022 at Legazpi Boulevard and Sawangan Park.

The event, which was replete with performances from volunteer artists, was attended by at least 35,000, making it the most attended rally in the region thus far.

Three days before the elections, however, the One People’s March in Robredo’s hometown, Naga City, broke this record by gathering an estimate of 306,000 Kakampinks.

During the event, volunteers were seen setting up booths providing snacks such as lugaw, bread, juice, and biscuits.

Along the routes of the rallies, homes and establishments were seen draped in pink. People clad in pink were sighted to dance in the streets, wave pink flags, and bring homemade

placards and gifts.

Meanwhile, in Camarines Norte, another volunteer group–Kabataan Para sa Team Robredo-Pangilinan (KaTroPa)–has initiated activities throughout the campaign period, including the Pa-lugaw, wherein they distributed lugaw–which had been associated to VP Leni since her 2016 Vice Presidential race– to residents; Youth Convention in which they gathered volunteers from Youth Leaders Guild, Millennials Philippines, and Solid Leni Bicol-Cam Norte; Pulso ng Cam Norteño, in which residents from the 282 barangays of the province were surveyed on their candidate preferences; flash mobs which featured performances from local artists; First ko si Leni: Training for First-Time Voters, which sought to tackle

Kristine Cerillo and Althea Mella

relevant information on elections with first-time voters as participants; the Grand Houseto-House campaign; and the Pinknic which coincided with >Read More | Page 8

NEWS | What’s Inside?

Tabang Bulusan: UP Ibalon extends help to Mt. Bulusan eruption victims

What’s Inside?

PAGE

06

UP Ibalon alumna wins 2022 Golden Wheel Award PAGE

07 Headline 1 COVID-19 vax rate in Bicol approximated at 67.23 percent as of early June PAGE

Halalan 2022: Robredo, Lacson, Marcos, Moreno campaign in Bicol

08

Samantha Coleene Cano

As Halalan 2022 takes over the country with the presidential campaigns, rallies, and sorties of the running candidates, four of the leading presidentiables, based on the April 2022 Nationwide Survey on the May 2022 Elections of Pulse Asia Research Inc., visited the Bicol Region and held their political campaigns in its different provinces during the nationwide campaign period that officially started last February 9, 2022.

The said candidates were Vice President Leni Robredo, Senator Ping Lacson, Bongbong Marcos, and Mayor Isko Moreno.

Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Gerona Robredo was the first presidential can-

didate that came to Bicol for the campaign. As a Bicolana herself, she shared major milestones of her campaign during her visits to the region.

The first would be the proclamation rally last February 8, 2022, at Naga City, Cama-

2022 Presidential Elections

Top 3 winners in the region

1 2 3

Leni, ROBREDO 2,451,454 votes Bongbong, MARCOS 566,581 votes Manny, PACQUIAO 99,649 votes

There are 3,910,261 registered Bicolano voters for the May 2022 national elections. (pcij.org)

Camarines sur being the most vote-rich province in the region with 1,321,196 registered voters. (bicolexpress.news)

Photos by votepilipinas.com

REGION V (BICOL) VOTERS TURNOUT

Data from rappler.com

/BurabodUPIbalon

rines Sur, which was remembered as the kickoff event of her presidential campaign.

The second notable major campaign was the One People’s March and the Miting de Avance dated last May 6, 2022, when she once again visited the region, went to its different provinces on the same day, and celebrated simultaneous provincial rallies to conclude the three-month nationwide campaigning period of her presidency.

She was accompanied by her running vice president Senator Kiko Pangilinan during these events. Moreover, in between these milestones and also during her campaigning period, different local rallies were conducted across the region to support her candidacy.

Another presidential candidate who visited Bicol during the electoral campaigning pe-

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riod was Senator Panfilo “Ping” Morena Lacson Sr., accompanied by his running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III. Last March 2, 2022, they visited Daet, Camarines Norte to start their campaign within the region through a press conference in the capital and a meeting.

Lacson returned to the region for further campaigning events last April 29, 2022 such as courtesy calls and town hall meetings in Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, and Albay.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. was also one of the presidential candidates to have held their campaign in the region.

From March 4 to 6, 2022, he, accompanied by no other candidates from his electoral side, visited the regional headquarters that managed the regional campaigning events

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of their party, and attended sorties and caravans with his supporters in Sorsogon and Masbate.

The last presidential candidate to visit and campaign in Bicol was Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso. Together with his vice president and running mate Dr. Willie Ong, they held a three-day tour and campaigned across the provinces of the region.

On the first day, he visited three towns in Masbate and visited Sorsogon the next day.

On his last day of campaign in the region, he attended a sortie at Oas, Albay, participated in a motorcade at Ligao City, and visited other municipalities in the province, such as Daraga and Cruzada.

With four prominent presidential candidates visiting Bicol as part of their campaign, and the Bicolanos being known for their loyalty and strength, the region is considered a >Read More | Page 6

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News

ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

University to maintain Admissions Scoring Model

UP suspends admissions test anew In lieu of the traditional UP College Admissions Test (UPCAT), the Admissions Scoring Model was employed for first-year student admission at the University of the Philippines System for Academic Year 2022-2023.

In a memorandum dated November 18, 2021, the UP Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs announced the suspension of the UPCAT, citing the logistical challenge of administering the examination across 95 testing centers in the country amid the pandemic.

The memo also stated that the Admissions Scoring Model developed by a pool of experts and data scientists from the Office of Admission– the same model utilized in the evaluation of applicants for AY 20212022–would continue to be used with some “fine-tuning in the preprocessing and transmutation of grades that enter the model.”

For the second consecu-

APPLICATION CLAMOR. Before the pandemic, the admissions office is usually filled with students queueing for their application for the UP College Admissions Test (UPCAT).

Photo from ABS-CBN News, via Mark Demay

tive year, the applicants were evaluated through their application forms and high school grades submitted via an online portal. The University Predicted Grade (UPG) was then determined based on the composite final grades in Grades 8 to 11, along with additional requirements for specific degree programs.

Furthermore, socioeconomic and geographic factors

were taken into consideration to evaluate applicants to “implement the policy of democratic access,” the university website says.

It can be recalled that, in 2021, some applicants lamented the cancellation of UPCAT and the administration of the new evaluation process.

Currently a BS Public Health freshman at the University of the Philippines-Manila,

Clarice Jean Panday commented that the newly formulated criteria is “vague” and that the application process is still “unpolished” due to its unprecedented implementation.

“Personally, an exam would be a preferable evaluation over the current UPCA as it gives applicants certainty, to some extent, that there are tried and tested standards used to measure their capaci-

Althea Mella

ties. In the case of non-passers, it would’ve also been helpful to understand where you fell short,” she added.

Panday also mentioned that apart from the scholastic records, an interview was conducted to further evaluate their application to the said degree program.

In a 2021 interview with Rappler, UP Office of Admissions director Francisco delos Reyes meanwhile reiterated that the evaluation of applicants was not solely based on their grades but on several factors such as economic considerations.

“UP is a national university so we have to look at the different strata of our society.

As an excellence-equity admission system, 70% pagalingan, pero may 30% tayo for economic and geographic equity,” he stressed.

The university released the admission results of over 100,000 applicants for AY 20222023 on May 31, 2022.

Bicol Week 2022 highlights region’s creative culture Nadine Sabio

With the theme “Promoting Bicolano culture through our passions and creative pursuits,” this year’s Bicol week celebration led by UP Ibalon featured Bicolanos’ talents in various fields which showcase the region’s rich culture.

“As a socio-cultural organization, we wanted to highlight our own people; encompass all types of creativity the Bicolanos have to share that will inspire fellow Bicolanos,” UP Ibalon Socio-Cultural Committee Chairperson Rowenna Brusola explained in an interview.

Brusola also comment-

ed, however, that it was a challenge for them to decide what activities to include and whether to push through with the celebration as it was the first virtual Bicol Week to be held.

All activities were conducted spanning from April 18 (Monday) to 23 (Saturday) with both synchronous and asynchronous events to maintain the annual celebration.

The event kicked off with a Facebook Profile Picture Blast on Monday evening, serving as the public announcement and invitation to tune into the week-long celebration’s upcoming activities.

On Wednesday, an educational discussion about Bicol’s cultural heritage and history was conducted and live-streamed on the organization’s Facebook page with UP Diliman Asst. Professor and Saysay Bikol Convenor Javier Rugeria as the guest speaker.

He also introduced Saysay Bikol’s advocacies during his talk, along with Saysay: The Journal of Bikol History—a publication of theirs— wherein free printed copies were given out to the lucky winners of a raffle draw after the event. “[Saysay Bikol] continues to research and teach through our online posts and such, as

well as promote studying of history, especially in this time where the Philippine History subject has been removed from the high school curriculum,” Rugeria said in his talk.

A mini-game contest titled “4 Pics 1 Word: Bicol Edition” was also held Tuesday through Thursday, each day having a different category. The game categories included Bicol Dish, Bicol Festival, and Bicolano Artist.

The celebration was then concluded with an internal film viewing of the film “Donsol” on the evening of April 23.

“To everyone who partook in the celebration: Dios Maba-

Tabang Bulusan: UP Ibalon extends help to Mt. Bulusan eruption victims Nadine Sabio

LENDING HAND. UP Ibalon President Hannah Embile hands a bag of relief goods over to a resident of Barangay Sipaya, Juban, Sorsogon, in the Tabang Bulusan house-tohouse distribution last June 15. Photo from UP Ibalon FB Page

Areas in Sorsogon have been struggling to recover following Mt. Bulusan’s phreatic or steam-driven eruption last June 5.

The Bulusan volcano eruption covered nearby houses and plantations in ash, damaging essential resources and prompting residents to evacuate.

Due to this, face masks, bottled water, and hygiene kits have become the immediate needs of those affected.

Thus, to provide relief efforts to affected residents, UP Ibalon initiated the Tabang Bulusan donation drive, which began its operations the day after the

reported eruption.

UP Ibalon President Hannah Embile explained in an interview that such initiatives stem from what the university has “morally ingrained” to them as the sole regional organization of Bicolano UP Diliman students: to both strive for excellence and do in service to others.

“During times like this, we truly embody what being an Iskolar ng Bayan is—living up to the challenge of giving back to Bicolandia and partaking in nation-building,” Embile stated.

The total cash donations were used to procure the necessary items such as canned goods,

/BurabodUPIbalon

noodles, coffee, soap, and face masks. Clothes and drinking water were also received in kind.

Embile commented, however, that the whole process was not very easy as they relied on the help of only a few available member-volunteers and met rising grocery prices which influenced the allocation of the already limited budget at hand.

The food and hygiene kits were then distributed by UP Ibalon members, with the help of barangay and local government officials, to residents of Barangay Sipaya, Juban, Sorsogon last June 15.

Embile shared that during the house-to-house distribution, the accompanying barangay official said that they were still struggling to sweep ash off the roads as Mt. Bulusan continued spewing ash plumes, which became a growing concern especially among residents with weak lungs and asthma.

“It showed that there exist far more pressing, systemic, and deeply-rooted problems that donation drive initiatives, such as this, cannot address alone,” emphasized Embile.

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87

family beneficiaries from

Brgy. Sipaya, Juban, Sorsogon >From Page 5

los! May we continuously do our part in propagating the Bicol culture, para sa Bicolandia!” Brusola expressed.

PULSO NG DILIMAN

Leni-Kiko Nanguna sa isinagawang 2022 Mock Elections mula Pebrero Althea Mella 5-28.

Nanguna ang tambalang LeniKiko sa isinagawang Pulso ng Diliman: The UP DIliman 2022 Mock Elections mula Pebrero 5-28.

Nakakuha ng 95.4% ng boto sa pagka-presidente si Leni Robredo na sinundan nina Leody de Guzman na may 1.6%, Ping Lacson na may 0.7%, Isko Moreno na may 0.6%, Bongbong Marcos na may 0.5%, at Manny Pacquiao na may 0.1%.

Samantala, nakuha ni Kiko Pangilinan ang 84.4% ng mga boto sa pagka-bise presidente. Pumangalawa naman si Walden Bello na nakakuha ng 5%, na sinundan nina Doc Willie Ong na may 1.5%, Tito Sotto na may 1.1%, at Sara Duterte na may 1%.

Gumamit ng nonprobability sampling ang nasabing sarbey kung saan lumahok ang 19.94 porsyento ng mga magaral ng UP Diliman o 5,106 mula sa kabuoang populasyon na 25, 607.

powerhouse with 3.9 million registered voters, ranking 6th in the most number of voters among Philippine regions acMock Election Results cording to the Commission on Elections, that has a major efRobredo, Maria Leonor fect on the results of the 2022 “Leni” (IND) Donuy Infographic Data Source: elections.

Pulso ng Diliman Halalan 2022 became a Pho 4670/5106 Votes critical issue for the Filipinos and has trended in social mePangilinan, Francis “Kiko” (LP) dia since 2020. With a more than 10 million increase in the number of registered vot4328/5106 Votes ers from the 2016 elections, the over 67.5 million Filipinos, most especially the youth that made the significant difference in the total number of voters, have the power to decide the future leaders and the future, itself, of the people in the country.

95.4%

84.4%

@BurabodUPIbalon

Photo: Rizal Provincial Government/ Team Leni Robredo

BURABOD ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON

News

Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

Holy Week 2022 in Bicol brings back some traditions previously under COVID-19 pandemic restrictions

7

Danilo Olalo Jr.

After two years of restricted movement due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this year’s Holy Week celebration in Bicol gradually brought back some annual traditions practiced by churches and communities throughout the ages.

Foot processions, Visita Iglesia, face-to-face Catholic mass, Stations of the Cross (or Via Crucis), Passion Play to name a few, were already done by some churches and places due to the lessened restrictions brought about by a lesser number of new daily COVID-19 cases in the region.

Certain modifications varying from one church to another happened, but the celebration was less strict as compared to the previous two years.

In the entire province of Camarines Sur, Most Rev. Rolando J. Tria Tirona, OCD, D.D., Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Caceres, signed the Circular No. 0008 s. 2022, which allowed churches under its jurisdiction to conduct foot processions and other activities.

Still, Fr. Luisito Occiano, Caceres Commission on Communications Director of the same archdiocese, advised the churches to seek the permission of the involved agencies and offices first before holding activities for the Holy Week 2022.

Local Philippine National Police (PNP) units and other involved authorities had ensured security and safety in the respective municipalities and cities to where they are assigned.

Spearheaded by the mem-

bers of Confradia de San Jose in Lagonoy, Camarines Sur, its annual Via Crucis was held on April 12, 2022, Holy Tuesday.

A seven-meter long cross, which is made of bamboo and weighs an estimated 100 kilograms, was carried by the constituents of Barangay San Jose as they took a two-kilometer walk. Arriving at the peak of Sitio Canomoy, Barangay San Isidro Norte of the same town, they conducted a ceremony and left the cross at that spot.

According to them, when the next Holy Week celebration begins, the cross will be removed from that area and be replaced by a new one.

In Calabanga, Camarines Sur, the ritual of bathing the Amang Hinulid on April 13, Holy Wednesday, garnered an immense crowd coming from different places inside and outside the Bicol region. These devotees, having various stories to tell, witnessed the annual ceremony of changing the statue’s clothes and cleaning the area where the statue is placed.

During the succeeding day, Maundy Thursday, the notable Alay Lakad was held, featuring myriad devotees who walked towards the chapel to get closer to Amang Hinulid and say their prayers. Unlike what was traditionally done during the pre-pandemic years, there is

A WALK BY FAITH. Statue of St. Peter was seen carried by the devotees outside the

Naga Metropolitan Cathedral during the Good Friday Procession on April 15, 2022. Photo from Archdiocese of Caceres FB Page

no long queue this year as the chapel did not open its doors, and the devotees prayed to Amang Hinulid from a distance. Though the number of attendees was lesser compared to that of the pre-pandemic years, there is still an influx of crowd due to less strict protocols.

Feyn Isabel Celso, a devotee who participated in the Alay Lakad, said that devotees in front who already finished praying and paying respects were asked by some barangay tanods of Sta. Salud, Calabanga to give way to others to prevent congestion and overcrowding.

According to France Rose Reganit, another devotee, she was glad that the said tradition, despite some changes and restrictions, was allowed again after two years of stoppage.

“Para sako, [dawa] dae man siya arog kang dati, ayos lang kasi at least pinayagan na

ulit na magkaigwang activities na arog kayan. Besides, si pagtubod mo man giraray ang mangingibabaw kasi in the first place, ginigibo mo ‘yan bako lang as [a] Catholic or makalayas ka sana pero bilang pagsasakripisyo mo man. Saka aram mo kung para sain o para ki isay ang ginigibo mo (For me, [although] it was not the same as before, it is still fine at least it was allowed to have such activities again. Besides, your faith still prevails because in the first place, you are doing it not only because you are [a] Catholic or you just want to go outside but also due to your intention to sacrifice. Also, you are aware as to where or to whom you are doing it for),” she stated.

The Stations of the Cross in Barangay Canarom, Daraga, Albay highlights the lifesize statues painted in white to symbolize cleanliness of conscience while commemorat-

UP to transition to blended learning for AY 2022-2023

PURE FATE. UP

Ibalon alumna Dr. Josephine Robredo-Bundoc explains how she was led to rehabilitation medicine despite originally wanting to be a family physician in an interview with CNN Philippines.

Kristine Cerillo

After two years in a distant learning setup due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of the Philippines (UP) announced that it would be shifting to blended learning starting the academic year 2022-2023.

This was in consonance with the recently circulated Memorandum No. 2022-88 by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (OVPAA).

As stated in the memorandum, merging virtual, face-toface, and experiential learning “is also among the best practices for motivating students and challenging them to engage with the subject matter, develop critical skills, and learn meaningfully.”

UP recognized the blended learning approach as “the ideal learning delivery mode for the post-pandemic era.”

The university presented three models it will adopt upon implementing the blended learning setup.

Under the first model, classes will retain the system adopted in the past two years, which is a full online learning setting.

The second model, termed blended “block learning,” integrates virtual studying and “intensive” face-to-face classes.

“For example, in a laboratory class with geographically dispersed students, in-person

ROOM FOR LEARNING. 2nd year students of BS Geodetic Engineering taking up

midyear classes attend an in-person GNSS seminar on July 27, 2022 at the UP National Engineering Center. The speaker is Dr. Dinesh Manandhar, an associate professor at University of Tokyo. Photo by Dr. Rosalie Reyes.

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sessions in the laboratory can be blocked and scheduled at a particular point in the semester, and online learning takes place in the periods before and after the blocked f2f sessions,” as described in the memo.

On the other hand, the third model or classic blended learning rotates physical classes with the asynchronous mode of learning.

In this setup, students may study the material at home and then participate in group tasks and supervised practice in actual classes.

As per the memo, all three blended learning models can be used under Alert Levels 1 to 5. Physical classes are only permitted under Alert Levels 1 to 3 and necessitate complete vaccination and a health protocol-compliant classroom refit.

OVPAA encouraged UP faculty to consider which activities are best-handled faceto-face and online, as well as which online tasks should be accomplished synchronously and asynchronously.

With these guidelines in mind, it is up to the respective institutes, colleges, and departments as to which learning delivery mode they will opt for in the coming school year.

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ing the hardships, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There was little to no signal transmission from telecommunication companies, so the devotees had time to focus, pray, reflect, and repent.

To celebrate Easter Sunday and to spend time with each other, aside from attending the Holy mass, families and friends went to beaches and resorts on April 17.

Meanwhile, presidential aspirant and incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo, together with her daughters, partook in the Good Friday Procession in Naga City, Camarines Sur last April 15.

Furthermore, given the lesser restrictions and requirements for traveling, passengers going outside and other places in Bicol flocked to seaports, airports, and bus terminals in the region before and after the Holy Week.

Photo from CNN Philippines

UP Ibalon alumna wins 2022 Golden Wheel Award Kristine Cerillo UP Ibalon alumna Dr. Josephine Robredo-Bundoc has taken home recognition from the 2022 Rotary Golden Wheel Awards ceremony on Saturday, March 12, in Quezon City, Philippines.

The Golden Wheel Trophy is given to distinguished individuals who have "dedicated to their work and practice their vocations with passion, excellence, and service." Bundoc was nominated by the Rotary Club of Biak na Bato to be one of this year's recipients of the award for her works in Fighting Diseases.

The award was presented

by District Governor Edgardo N. Ayento, with Awards Chair Past District Governor Samuel Pagdilao Jr., District Governor Elect Florian Enriquez, and Awards Night Chair Past President Jose V. Mejia.

Bundoc was accompanied onstage by Paglaya Antalion, life-changing President.

In 2020, Bundoc had won other awards including the

@BurabodUPIbalon

Outstanding Professional of the Year Award by the Profession Regulation Commission, Excellence and Service to Humanity Award by the Rotary International, and twice, Physicians for Peace USA Award.

Bundoc, a PhilHealth consultant and project leader of the UNICEF Children with Disabilities in cooperation with Physicians for Peace, is an alumna of the University of the Philippines Ibalon (UP Ibalon), an organization of Bicolano students in UP Diliman.

During her years as an Ibalonian, Bundoc was already an active volunteer for humanitarian projects such as spearheading health screening and conducting a wheelchair and limb prosthetics project in Naga City.

8 COVID-19 vax rate in Bicol approximated at 67.23 percent as of early June BURABOD

News

ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

Danilo Olalo Jr.

Approximately 67.23 percent or 3.3 million of the total population of 5,040,943 Bicolanos received a full dose of COVID-19 vaccines as of June 3, according to the

Vax Watch

Department of Health’s Center for Health Development (DOHCHD) in the Bicol region.

Thus, Bicol is close to attaining the targeted vaccination rate, which is 70 percent of the total population, to achieve

herd immunity.

Nonetheless, Region 5 still records the fourth lowest vaccination rate among the regions of the country. It is followed by Region 4-B or MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marin-

INJECTED PROTECTION. A nurse from DOH Albay administers a boy’s second vaccine dose in a Vaccination Program at the Albay Astrodome. Photo from Philippine News Agency

duque, Romblon, Palawan) whose fully vaccinated individuals are estimated at 1.75 million or 67.13 percent, Region 12 or SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos) with 2.5 million or 62 percent, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with 1.1 million or 31.7 percent.

Moreover, it was estimated that only 10 percent of the population received the booster shot. Comparing it to the number of fully vaccinated, it is a huge drop.

Therefore, DOH strengthens the call to the public to receive booster shots because the efficacy of first and second doses wane down over time.

Furthermore, individuals who do not yet get a single dose are encouraged to get vacci-

nated for protection against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) of DOH is currently considering the possibility of inoculating children aged 5 years old and below to complete the immunization coverage of the COVID-19 vaccines. VEP regards certain factors such as safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity of vaccines before administering them to the said sector. It is still a plan, so DOH has not yet released an official announcement regarding the matter.

As of June 13, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the total number of cases in the region has reached 59,143.

The number of recoveries and deaths are 56,207, and 2,594, respectively, bringing the number of active cases at 342.

Russia-Ukraine War: Four months into the invasion Cassandra Entico

Over four months have passed since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Death toll has risen to over 47,000 individuals and an estimate of at least 15 million are displaced.

Several countries have imposed strict sanctions on Russia since the start of the invasion. These sanctions include “a ban on the export of dual-use goods (items with both civilian and military purpose), a ban on all Russian flights from some countries, an import ban on Russian gold, an export ban of luxury goods to Russia, and higher tax on some Russian imports.”

Moreover, Russia’s invasion is causing ripple effects on the refugee crisis, global economy, and global relationships. For instance, disruption

to the flow of goods such as wheat, barley, corn, etc.—of which Ukraine and Russia are key exporters—are driving food and gas prices up particularly in African and Middle Eastern countries.

Such disruption is not limited to food and economy but also on geopolitics, energy, and security. Countries are being forced to take sides in one way or another, and some have also escalated their military spending or have reassessed their defenses.

Here is a summary of the past four months of the invasion: Feb 24 to Mar 24 Russia had captured Berdyansk. However, it failed to advance to its initial target in the north around Kyiv,

ESCAPE. A militia member assists a family as they flee across a devastated bridge in the borders of Kyiv, Russia on March 02, 2022 following artillery onslaughts amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Photo from ABC News, via Mary Kekatos

>From Page 5

VP Leni’s birthday celebration, featuring gimmicks from volunteers.

In an interview with Burabod, KaTroPa-Camarines Norte Public Relations Head Rafael Ace Ubana shared that the initial 25-member group grew to have over 300 youth volunteers by the end of the campaign period.

17-year old Ubana–who is yet to become an eligible voter– said that the enthusiasm and volunteerism of fellow Cam Norteños compelled him to participate in the campaign. “‘Yung makita mo ‘yung drive, ‘yung passion ng ibang

tao to put themselves sa kampanya na wala ka namang makukuhang pera, sa kanila ka na lang huhugot ng inspiration,” he added.

Fellow volunteer and firsttime voter Jann Angela Sarcon also shared how the campaign gave her hope in seeing systemic changes for the betterment of Filipinos.

“Bihira lang tayo makakita ng candidate na walang pinipiling pagsilbihan…sa kanya (Robredo) ko nakita ‘yung hope na there is still a chance na magkaroon ng change sa system natin,” Sarcon mentioned.

History was also made as prominent local political ri-

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Chernhiv, and Kharkiv. It then shifted its focus on the “complete liberation” of the Donbas region (broadly referring to Ukraine’s eastern regions Donetsk and Luhansk).

Mar 25 to Apr 24 Evidence of horrific murders emerged after the Russians pulled out of Kyiv. Dozens of civilians “shot in the head with their wrists tied behind their back” and numerous mass graves were discovered in the town of Bucha.

Apr 25 to May 24 In early May, Ukraine had successfully launched a counter offensive in Kharkiv. It had also hurled counter offensives in other parts of the country, but the situation was unclear then. Russia took control of most of the two important cities in the south of Ukraine Mariupol and Kherson.

May 25 to Jun 24 Russia continued its capture of smaller towns in the Donbas region while Ukraine saw some wins in its counter offensive in the south region.

However, Russia’s capture of Sievierodonetsk brought it closer to having complete control of the Luhansk region.

At the latest, Russia has captured the whole Luhansk region after it took control of Lysychansk, “the last major vals in the region unified to back the Robredo presidential bid namely gubernatorial candidates Alfrancis Bichara and Noel Rosal of Albay, and Luigi Villafuerte and Rolando Andaya of Camarines Sur, along with all 11 mayors of Catanduanes and 15 mayors of Albay among others.

Meanwhile, in a joint statement dated April 11, 2022, Bicolano student formations expressed their support for the Robredo-Pangilinan run. Signatories included Association of Civil Engineering Students, AUL (UST-Legazpi) Psychology Society, BU Symbiosis, Buklod BU, Psychological Society

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Ukrainian-controlled holdout in the region.” With Russia’s goal of “complete liberation” of the Donbas, the UK Ministry

of Defence predicts Russia’s focus to switch on capturing the region of Donetsk.

Fire hits UP Diliman residential area; 8 dead, 3 injured Althea Mella

AFTERMATH. Residents carry the body of one of eight victims who perished in the

fire at UP Village A in Diliman, Quezon City. Photo from ABS-CBN News, via Mark Demayo

At least eight residents were killed and three more were injured in a fire that ravaged 80 homes and displaced 250 families in Village A, Barangay UP Campus on May 2, 2022.

According to DZBB Super Radyo, six of the casualties were found in the same room, while the two others were an elderly and a minor.

The fire erupted at 5:20 a.m. and reached a second alarm at 5:38 a.m., having spread among houses made of light materials.

An hour later, the fire was placed under control and declared out at 7 a.m.

Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire, but the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) says it reportedly started from the second floor of a resident’s bedroom.

The damage is estimated to be around P150,000. of Youthful Courageous and Healthy Enablers, Students’ Organization for Meteorology, UP Bugkos, UP Harong, UP Ibalon, UST-Legazpi Supreme, Student Council, UST-Legazpi CHS Student Council, Young Philosopher’s Society, Atelier Bicol University, BU Leaders: League of Democrats, BU CSSP - College of Student Council, Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers - BU Student Chapter, Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers - BU Student Unit, and UPLB Masbateños. #PinkWednesday also took social media by storm– TRoPang Angat supporters wear

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their political color pink on Wednesdays, and mass groups changed their profiles to pink.

During the earlier days of her campaign, Robredo stated that the campaign and election period would be difficult given that her opponents have the upper hand in machinery and resources.

“Pero kung ang tao mismo iyong gagalaw, para sa akin, no amount of resources, no amount of machinery, no amount of preparation iyong tatalo sa lakas ng taumbayan.

So, kung ito ay ma-sustain natin until election time, mayroon tayong laban,” she said.

BURABOD ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON

Literary

Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

Fought Kianna Leigh Ebalin

With the proudest smile I can fall to the ground because I know I did my best With my hand on my heart I can close my eyes knowing that I did it right I’ll always fight for you and nothing else matters I may be the most hated, but for me, you’re still the one most loved What’s the use of giving up when I know you will soon rise above?

You’ll never see me turning back nor pretend to be a fool that covers his eyes away from what should be seen.

In my mind there’s only one I think of and that, with no doubt, is you.

With the proudest smile I can fall to the ground because I know I did my best With my hand on my heart I can close my eyes knowing that I did it right I’ll always fight for you and nothing else matters I closed my eyes, and I remained the happiest because I remembered that yours was the last hand I held.

I left, but I hope that you would soon have the same smile as I had.

Blood-stained Prose Hyacinth Ashley Flores

Oh, to live for the hope of it all.

There is something both riveting and depressing about our tale—how beautifully love was etched onto our skin and into our souls, seeping stardust into our veins as gently and gracefully as autumn leaves settle. There was profound love, boundless as it was, ripping through all adversaries, scintillating against pitch blackness.

Heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul, it birthed a scintilla and then enlivened a brilliant, cerise blaze destined to graze the stars. It was a bond that seemed ineffable— an all-consuming wildfire altering our fates, billowing and rippling, only to falter and implode, leaving nothing but mere smidgens and embers of what was once the most magnificent glow.

You spoke to me the way poetry did—in splendid collocations and fervent verses that sang to me in the most soulful euphony.

There was music in the way we inscribed our story—of the days brimming with love, jubilant cheers for a better home, and unified shouts for a brighter future. Songs of hope were our battle cry, and our chants pierced through the usual city uproar. Didn’t it seem so picturesque—the way neon pink banners glazed the skies, blushing ribbons adorned the streets, and roads were brimful of pink mosaic? I ponder at the way we were utterly pastel—pink roses, flags, banners, t-shirts, umbrellas, and even roofs and walls of buildings and houses.

It was both unbelievable

and cathartic: fighting for an ineffable love—a love so great it traversed across social boundaries, a love that inspired, and a love that continually overflows. The sun and stars bowed down for the way our streets were tickled pink. Our sanguine rallies were our lifeline, where people from across all walks of life would coalesce for one aspiration: a clean, honest, and compassionate government.

Sure, we loved the whims and pipe dreams of a perfect nation, but we knew the closest thing to that is giving the right leaders their podium. It was a wild, magnificent time. Mt. Mayon greeted our halcyon rallies in clear twilight skies, signalling how pure our intentions were.

We hiked along sun-blanched p a t h s a n d

“

I marvel at how dauntless we were—so unsure of our fates, but never skeptical of what we were fighting for.

roselined parks, holding placards that amplified both our willingness to take a stand and our hope to finally turn the tables.

Everything spoke of love, everything gleamed with hope.

We brought out the good in every beating heart—gave our efforts in paint strokes, poured our souls in parades, and gushed our time over house-to-house campaigns.

We walked miles with each other, standing side by side in marches, disregarding how taxing it should feel, for all we ever knew was how fulfilling it felt. The exhaustion was never

a hindrance, because we knew it was worth it. Or was it?

I marvel at how dauntless we were—so unsure of our fates, but never skeptical of what we were fighting for. It was heart and soul and hope; it was everything we had and everything we were willing to lose. And we were almost there.

The gleaming, idyllic future we have always hoped for was within our reach, inching closer as the days of May wither. It was right there, and all we needed to do was take one risk.

But maybe we dove in too quickly. Maybe we fell before we could even learn how to jump. Or maybe that was just you—because I gambled everything—all I needed was for you to leap, too.

Ours was a dwindling prose. We had the highest of highs, only to meet a grim halt.

I was incredibly auspicious, believing that the ninth of May was the plot twist we long deserved. But that forsaken Monday took away that gleaming ray of hope, ripped and slashed it until it was nothing but a small remnant of a powerful movement, a wildly incredible era in our history.

You gave me hope, or perhaps I just read too much into things. Perhaps I was too engrossed by how dauntless we were during the Philippine Revolution, or how we memorialized the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue with our People Power Revolution to overthrow an abominable dictator [funny how we blatantly gave the crown and scepter to his bloodline yet again]. It is both disheartening and yet wonderfully insulting how we seem to forget—or maybe neglect—how scathing we should be for all the atrocities we experienced. Isn’t it such a shame to watch how utterly crippled our mindset is: to raze a dictator’s reign with blood and life, only to give the same dominion to his progeny?

We have breathed through different narratives—tales of love, pain, and quite a lot of truculence. We have seen and felt almost everything, but we

A Teenage Love Story Jomari Dolz

He writes her poetries but free of romance, where love hides between lines of rages —a voice penned down without butterflies, for anger and love are a collocation of power.

The euphony of his serenades waves flags.

They sound wrath, a melodious revolution against bloodbath; a written fight-song, sparked from the blood of a bird bereft of freedom.

For consolation, he sends her blue-inked love letters inside a white envelope stained with his own blood that spoke volumes of heroism, of nationalism, crumpling Romeo and Juliet’s great love story.

But there’s another fake lover who’s a murderer of poets, who ashes stories to gloss over smoke and mirrors, just another misogynistic machismo-dictator —the antagonist to an ideal, longed fairy-tale narrative. never seem to learn from all of these, for we keep reverting to the same vicious circle we have always been in. What’s even more painful is that these weren’t the cards we were dealt with. These are the cards we chose to play—this is the game you chose to play.

We have fought time and time again to direct our plot, but I cannot seem to fathom how odious our next six years will be. Perhaps it will be starshines and moonbeams for some, but I am certain it will be a nightmare for many—it already is.

We have contended—or maybe I was the only one who did. Pilipinas, napakahirap mong mahalin. It is no question: my love for you remains unfaltering, but I seem to be continually scarred by the fates you choose. And perhaps this is martyrdom, but on a tattered soul and threadbare heart, I will still continue to fight for you—but I hope you fight for me, too.

illustration by Kianna Leigh Ebalin

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9

@BurabodUPIbalon

Khim Anne Gabuco

In the land of Tiwi, where beaches sparkle under the sun and hot springs comfort cold souls, there lives a girl.

She has the gift of beautiful tunes and melodies and a voice so beautiful and enchanting.

Music flows through her veins, and her lyrics pour like moon water.

She is Jhasmine Villanueva, and her name shines brighter and brighter as she rises towards the pedestal of the Bicol music industry as Albay’s very own “dwta.”

Now an incoming 4thyear Music Business student at Meridian International College, Jhasmine’s unique way of storytelling through her exquisite music has captured the hearts of many.

Photo by CitruSnap, via Jc Inocian

Santigwar, one of Jhasmine’s songs written in the Bikol language, has already been featured on many Bicol media platforms.

It has been played over the radio and performed at grand events in Bicol. Many already know dwta’s Santigwar lyrics by heart and soul.

Aside from the meaningful and heartfelt lyrics inspired by Filipino and Bicol folklore, Jhasmine utilizes indigenous musical instruments adding to the rich sounds of her songs— making her stage name “dwta” perfect for the brand she portrays.

But, who is this Bicolana “dwta” singer, and what is so special about her music?

Where it all began Jhasmine Villanueva’s passion for singing and songwriting is like a discovery journey. Her first love is dancing, and she is once part of a dance group during her high school years.

The turning point happened during her Senior High School year when someone invited her to join a songwriting workshop while she was jamming with some friends at an event.

She has never written a song before when she joined “The Dawani Project.” But, this workshop had paved the

way for her many firsts in the field of music—like her very first song, Naglaho, in which the lyrics are interwoven phrases and verses from poems.

From then on, her passion for music burned like flames. With the inspiration, motivation, and help of her mentors and fellow artists, she discovered the wonderful talent that she holds.

Never did she know that bigger things are waiting for her. And everything changed after that.

The making of dwta’s enchanting music She began making her name in the Bicol music niche as Jhasmine Villanueva. In many busking and jamming sessions with local music artists in Bicol, she is always introduced by her name, Jhasmine Villanueva.

Until one day, her marvelous, remarkable talent is discovered by a big and known music label, Sony Music.

And that is when she became “dwta”—a combination of “diwa” and “tala”, and pronounced as “diwata”—three b e a u t i f u l F i l i p i n o words to perfectly describe her and her music; enchanting, b ew i t c h i n g , glowing.

F r o m u s i n g indigenous m u s i c a l instruments to narrating tales of love, hope, and folklore through exceptional lyrics, everything about dwta’s musicality portrays one-of-akind Filipino music.

Her unique style of making music makes her stand out in the music industry of Bicol. Using Filipino indigenous musical instruments such as kubing, hegelung, and gongs, anyone who listens to dwta’s songs will always feel the ethereal, mystifying Filipino vibes.

Moreover, dwta knows how to translate feelings into words. She tells stories and raises social awareness through her lyrics. Her songs always touch hearts and souls because they are carefully weaved from her experience. She always gives a part of herself in every lyric she makes.

suddenly felt ill after cleaning their backyard or visiting an unknown place, they may be nasino, and a santigwar should be done to release the misfortune.

Dwta has excellently featured this Bicol folklore in her song. Written in the Bikol language, “Santigwar” is about these mysteries and enchantments, especially when it comes to the enchanting feeling of a person who is in love and wants to confess this feeling to their lover.

Another song that dwta made a hit is Panganoron, an ethereal Bikol song about unconditional love, for better or for worse. It is inspired by the love story of one of Bicol’s famous tales, the legend of Mt. Mayon. The song title itself is Panganoron, who loved Daragang Magayon until the very end. The myth tells that Daragang Magayon became Mt. Mayon, while the clouds embracing the volcano is Panganoron. Dwta even named “Panganoron” her favorite song as of this moment.

An Satuyang Istorya is another melancholic song of dwta originally written for a song competition.

Inspired by dwta’s personal experience, this song is about a blossoming love and a sudden goodbye, of admiration and longing for a person who left the picture.

With dwta’s amazing talent in music, all her songs are relatable and worth to be appreciated. Moreover, these songs are written with a piece of her soul and of untold tales and mysteries through words and melodies.

Towards glimmering fairy lights Bicol is home to talented, amazing people. From music, arts, poetry, leadership, and everything under the sun, you can find a Bicolano excelling.

There is always a Bicolano who is best in something.

But such talents and gifts don’t happen overnight.

Especially in the music >Read More | Page 13

Cul

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ANG OPISYAL NA PAHA

Volume 3 Issue 1 | F

There’s Mo

Every first day of classes in every subject, we always have to introduce ourselves. My classmates always came from different parts of the Philippines. And of course, me, who came from the beautiful land of Bicolandia.

And when I say I come from Bicol, they will automatically respond with, “Wow, the land where Mt. Mayon is.” “Wow, the spicy Bicol Express.”

But the thing is, there’s always more to Bicol— not just the food and the volcano. The culture, the love, the people, and even the unfortunate events.

From the tiniest speck of dust to the heaviest raindrops of typhoons--Bicol has it all.

Festivals and pilgrimages Bicol is home to many festive events and pilgrimage sites in the country. From religious to non-religious festivals, there is always a celebration and special occasion to commemorate something.

The largest Marian festival in Asia is in Naga City, the heart of the Bicol Peninsula. Celebrated annually every third Sunday of September, this festival is to honor the feast day of the Patroness of the Bicol Region, Our Lady of Penafrancia.

We have the Vinzons Church in Camarines Norte, one of the oldest churches in the Philippines.

In Camarines Sur, there is the Mary Magdalene Parish Church in Bula, and Albay has the Saint Gregory the Great Parish in Tiwi. Sorsogon has

the famous Our Lady of District, Catanduanes has of Calolbon, and Masbat Pilgrimage Church.

Calamities and tragedie With Bicol’s geograph eruptions already became One of the most de history of Bicol was the 18 The town of Cagsawa was 1000 people. The famous remaining part of the ch tragic event.

Just this 2020, amidst Bicol experienced the par typhoons. On Novemb rampaged the lands of Bi people, and affected milli That same month, Ba catastrophic casualties i many infrastructures, crop The typhoons, volcan of calamities made the braver. Although we take standing up from these Bicolanos will be glad to that can immediately re events like this--to lessen t

Santigwar: Seeing beyond what “Mari na mapasantigwar kita,” a catchy line from Bicolana singer-songwriter, dwta’s (pronounced as Diwata) song, “Santigwar,” means to entice the personna and the lover to go and participate in a “santigwar.” One too many listeners have scratched their heads on the meaning of the word, but not for Bicolanos.

For locals, this line along with the entirety of the song hits through the heart. In Bicol,

the word santigwar is a diagnostic ritual where in a faith healer or albularyo uses a plate and a candle to determine whether a supernatural being has toyed itself with a person.

After reciting some chants, healers interpret from the candle drops what kind of malady or supernatural being fell upon the patient. The faith healer can then diagnose and find a respective treatment to appease any being that may have been aggravated by the patient.

Storytelling through dwta’s words and tunes Santigwar has been one of dwta’s songs that gain popularity in all ages. The song title, Santigwar, is a Bicol culture and tradition where Bicolanos seek a parasantigwar to know the cause of their illness. This is like a medical check-up, but more on the belief that their diseases came from encounters with supernatural forces and elements such as tawong-lipod, nuno sa punso, or sino. When Bicolanos

What is santigwar?

The Philippines has long been known for believing superstitious beliefs and the existence of other creatures outside the human realm. Our ancestors were attached to nature, for the most part, and believed that there were spirits and other otherworldly souls wandering around it, so much so, their society revolved around a group of people who are experts in thee supernatural: the “babaylans”. A nature walk for us, Filipinos did not only mean camping but is also a chance to reconnect with them. Unfortunately, it is a popular belief within smaller barrios that they too, might get disturbed and thus get back at us.

Ever heard of the phrase “tabi tabi po” often said when wandering in the wilderness? Natives specifically say this to excuse themselves from passing by the possible homes of the above mentioned creatures. Not doing so is believed to bother the entities.

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@BurabodUPIbalon

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11

AYAGAN NG UP IBALON

February - July 2022

Illustration by Jesse Rudy Grefal & Mary Margarette Bendaña

Beyond Sili and Mayon

Geuel Treasure Quizon

When going to Bicol, one quickly thinks of common tourist spots like that of Mayon Volcano and Cagsawa Ruins in Albay or the food that is as rich as the region’s culture, the sili ice cream, and the famed bicol express. But who loves the common, anyway? While they do capture Bicol’s ambience and taste, they cannot encapsulate its totality without the region’s underrated dish–the pancit bato.

Hailing from a municipality of Bato in the province of Camarines Sur, pancit bato resembles pancit canton with albeit a beautiful texture and smoky taste. Locals have it sold for as low as 15 pesos per bowl along with vegetable shanghai or commonly known as lumpiang ubod or combined with the famous Filipino dish, pork’s blood or dinuguan. With that and a bottle of Coke, a perfect Bicolano merienda is served.

Smoked noodle process If not in bigger celebrations like town fiestas and birthday parties, the pancit bato is commonly found along the streets for travelers and jeepney drivers to eat before going back on the road. We can jokingly say that the street’s smoke has given the smoky taste of the dish but that would be a stretch. The secret of this taste and texture comes from the making the noodles itself.

These bright yellow noodles are made of wheat flour and are sun dried. To speed up the drying process, it is placed over firewood which intertwines the wheat with the smoke from the fire giving it the smoky aroma it has been known for. Over the years, the noodles evolved into three sizes; small, medium and large which varies depending on the width of each strand.

Public and supermarkets come filled with stacks of these as hurrying mothers look for an easy-to-cook meal for family and guests or a local karinderya vendor restocks for an afternoon meal to serve customers. We can safely say that it is an essential in the market yet has failed to capture tourist attention despite its high demand–something that needs to change.

ore to Bicol

Khim Anne Gabuco

f Annunciation in Bacon faster and stronger. s the Our Lady of Sorrows te has the Lady of Rocks The People in Bicol Every Filipino knows who Catriona Gray is, the exquisite Miss Universe 2018. Everyone knows es former Vice President Leni Robredo, who recently hy, typhoons and volcanic launched Angat Buhay Foundation which aims to e a part of Bicolano’s life. be the largest volunteer network in the country. destructive events in the Four National Artists in the country are 814 eruption of Mt. Mayon. Bicolanos. We have Lino Brocka from Sorsogon, s buried, killing more than the National Artist for Film and Broadcast in 1997. s Cagsawa ruins were the Ramon Obusan from Legazpi is the National Artist hurch that withstand this for Dance in 2006. The National Artist for Cinema in 2009 is Manuel Urbano from Daet. And Larry Alcala t the COVID-19 pandemic, from Daraga is the National Artist for Visual Arts in rade of the two strongest 2018. ber 1, Bagyong Rolly Actually, even simple Bicolanos are great and icol and took the life of 17 grand in their own way. We have Bicolano farmers ions of Bicolano families. who will gladly offer you sacks of rice after a good agyong Ulysses brought harvest and Bicolano fishermen who will teach in Bicolandia, damaging you how to assemble nets. Bicolano neighbors ps, and homes. will always give you their viands and invite you to nic eruptions, and all sorts special occasions, no matter how simple. We can hearts of each Bicolano even teach you how to cook the cuisines we love. e pride in our resiliency, I look forward to that day, when I introduce se catastrophes is hard. myself in front of the class and say I am from Bicol, have a good government everyone will see that Bicol has more than the espond and prepares for Mayon and Bicol Express--we have a rich culture, the casualties, to stand up the happiest laughers, the strongest hearts.

Guisado and Sinabawan There are many ways to cook pancit bato, but there are two popular methods of cooking it.

The first method is guisado (sauteed) and the second is “sinabawan” or with soup. Ideally, it is cooked with “sahog” which are meat and vegetables, with the mear varying from pork to chicken to seafood. In the end, the dish can be prepared on any budget, and even then the signature taste of the dish emanates from it.

Pancit Bato Guisado is a staple in Bicolano restaurants often paired with empanada and a cold glass of soft drink or juice. In here, ground pork is sauteed with mixed vegetables and seasoned with soy sauce, pepper, salt, oyster sauce and more to taste. This combination of ingredients are added to the noodles and served with sliced calamansi best squeezed over the dish for added flavor.

Each resto often adds their own “sahog” to it to juice out the umami such as chorizo, a sweeter sister of longganisa, and even meat or squid balls. This allows Bicolanos a chance to experiment with its cuisine in a way that would escalate its taste and texture but not lose its original flavor at all.

The other traditional method of cooking pancit bato would be “sinabawan”. Rooting from the word “sabaw” which means soup, this kind has more soup than that of Guisado and is the type commonly served along streets as mentioned in earlier paragraphs. The same “sahog” such as ground pork and thinly sliced mixed vegetables are added to the noodles, the only addition would be water and more soy sauce for color. With this mixed with dinuguan, anyone can savor the richness of the meat even within the noodles themselves and anyone could taste Bicol more than Mayon’s common portrayal.

Beyond the perfect cone Beyond the perfect cone of Mayon Volcano and abundance of coconut milk and siling labuyo in its dishes, one of Bicol’s most underrated cuisine rests on smoked wheat noodles over firewood.

Due to its easy recipe, locals are able to explore the world of flavor giving the region its identity in one small plate or bowl. A staple merienda for travelers and food for festivities, the pancit bato takes us into Bicol’s richness of food culture–an adventure with every mouthful.

A Tale in an Obscured Bicol Village

back to ancient times, it is no wonder that we have the best One thing I will forever legends out there. treasure as a child is that I From legends of grew up with lots of tales geographical formations and stories around me. to tales about miracles of Bicol is home to many patron saints, we have all folklores and myths. With stories that are perfect our rich culture and tradition around a bonfire on a cold, dreamy night.

Of course, I have my favorites. When I first heard Geuel Treasure Quizon this story, everything felt surreal. I could still perfectly problems with someone’s health and life is then associated with disturbing remember the feeling of pirits. By then, shaken families rush to the nearest albularyos to diagnose the awe and amazement of an d person and possible find treatments to cast negative creatures away through innocent child who would tigwar. believe everything an elder tells them. rituals Until now, this other regions, they have their own version of santigwar. Pagtatawas, or the use story is still vivid s in a tagalog divination ritual where an albularyo uses alum to attempt to in my mind. I se a variety of health conditions with causes that cannot be ascertained by don’t know n medicine. They can either be rubbed over a patient first, or the healer if someone n incantation before burning it and its remains placed in a plate or paper, has already hey make their diagnosis. written her albularyos resort to pusle diagnosis, hilot or a form of massage t h i s ish, and incantations to diagnose any patient needing their abilities tale in erning the supernatural and their effects on people for angering or books or ng them. papers, but I he need? want to The act of santigwar keeps the pulse of Bicolano culture alive in w r i t e ne’s blood. While many turned skeptical about its benefits, it does t h e m essarily mean that the belief system is erased. Having such beliefs in my down from generation to generation keeps communities together words. ows diverse regions such as Bicol with its six provinces, to have a A n d that is >Read More | Page 12 when I am Photo by dtwa, via Elyandre Dagli Khim Anne Gabuco

t eyes see

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confident this tale will not be forgotten nor lost in the sands of time.

I live in a rural barangay here in Legazpi. It is a small place of simple and kind farmers. We grow different crops from palay, kamote, and all types of vegetables. Even our family owns a farm and I get to experience the beauty of rice fields overlooking Mt. Mayon.

Because our barangay is a barangay of farmers, it is no wonder that our patron saint is none other than San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers and agriculture.

Since then, our barangay celebrates the feast day of San Isidro every May 15th of the year and has been one of the events that every household prepares for.

It became a tradition and culture in our place to have a prusisyon and grand fiesta for San Isidro.

The people in our place, especially the elders, always see to it that they have an offering, be it kilograms of newly-harvested rice or vegetables or suman or pinoso, to San Isidro every fiesta. Before, I didn’t >Read More | Page 12

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Feature

ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

Politics and Potentials:

Choosing the Right Candidates

Kianna Leigh Ebalin Photo by Reuters

In a country that practices democracy, it is important that we, as citizens, are knowledgeable on choosing the right people to lead us into progression as a whole. By choosing capable leaders, we are effectively able to practice our right to vote.

Here are some factors to consider in choosing political candidates:

Platform. First, the candidate has to have plans for programs they want to implement if they win the position. They should also know about the responsibilities of their chosen position and what duties they have to fulfill. Their takes on existing societal issues should also be considered. If they are part of a political party, we should check what the party’s goals are and what they have in store for the people.

Personality. It is important to take note of how they act and what they are personally interested in. Public servants are supposed to be public-friendly, and this can be observed during their campaign period where they have to interact with people who will potentially vote for them in the future. What are their personal beliefs that may affect their leadership?

What do they prioritize as a leader?

People’s trust. In working to lead a group, community, or a nation of people, it should be ensured that trust between the leader and the people exists. It should be certain that the candidate is capable enough of handling the responsibilities of their desired position, and this can be proven by their solid educational background and past experiences. Having the trust of people includes the leader being open with the truth and not having to lie. This also includes not having a known criminal record or liabilities that have yet to be addressed.

Additionally, in today’s dealing with politicians, time where misinformation because whoever we choose and disinformation are will heavily influence our rampant, it is important future as a country. for us as voters to evaluate First, we should check the every statement encountered source of said information about the candidates and and evaluate its credibility. judge whether it is true or Is it an individual or an not. We should be wary of association who claimed it? seeing “fake news” online and Are they professional? Do outside. Skepticism should be they know what they are practiced, especially when talking about? What are they

Photo by Asia Times

Photo by PhilStar, via Geremy Pintolo

Photo by Rappler

Photo by Business World

primarily known for? For this, information about candidates from verified journalists and official documents should be trusted. It is best to avoid bloggers and nonprofessional sources, as the claims from these can be influenced by personal bias.

Next, we should read the contents of the information and determine the context if

A Tale in an Obscured Bicol Village

possible. What tone is used?

Is it stated to inform or is it satirical? Does it contain extreme statements that warn readers of something?

When was it stated? What was currently happening when they stated it? For claims, we should do factchecks by going back to our credible sources and see if what they know

matches what is being said in the information being evaluated.

By casting our votes to the right people, we are able to encourage positive change to the country we live in, especially now that we are about to choose among potential leaders from the small-scale to the national level.

>From Page 11

understand why the people around me were so eager to do such things. Is it because they are religious? Is it because it has already become a tradition?

I found the answers to my questions during a night with my When they went to the chapel to check if there were any damages family under the stars. I could still remember the smell of smoke and or losses, everyone was shocked at what they had witnessed. barbecue and the coldness of the breeze.

The floors of our chapel were clean. Everything was clean, from San Isidro did miracles for the people in my barangay. the walls to the ceilings. Nothing was damaged outside and inside.

It happened during the night of a strong storm. I did not personally But there was something very odd that made the people cry and experience it, but my grandparents’ grandparents did, just like every sing songs of worship. other tale.

The statue of San Isidro was filled with mud. His cloak, feet, and The people in my barangay were busy during that day. A simple some parts of his body, are all covered with dirt. The shovel that he and normal day for farmers. The chapel is quiet, and the statue of holds is dirty with mud and rocks.

San Isidro stood calmly on the altars. Everyone is busy minding their That’s when the people realized that the strange man who trod own business. the roads of our barangay with a shovel last night was wearing the Rain poured in the afternoon. Heavy rains. The people in my same clothes and holding the same shovel as that of San Isidro’s. barangay had no choice but to stay inside their homes and wait until The people also learned that there was heavy flooding in our the rain subsided. But it seems like the rain had no intention of nearby barangays and many houses were destroyed. But our barangay stopping. was safe and free from any casualties.

Then suddenly, a strange man with long curly brown hair It was a miracle for the people of our barangay. San Isidro appeared out of nowhere. He was carrying a shovel while traversing protected them from the flood and shoved the waters away from our our roads. The people who saw him told the man to stay inside his families. San Isidro protected his people. house because it was dangerous in the open. Lightning lighted up the From then on, the people always pay respect and homage to our skies, thunder roared horrendously. Some even invited the man into patron saint. Novenas were always conducted, and everyone always their homes for shelter. did their part in the fiesta. Every child, adult, and elderly is grateful But the man just smiled at my people. He kept going back and for the miracle that San Isidro has done for them. forth in the rain with his shovel. He walked down the roads, then Until now, before an endeavor is made, the people ask for San disappeared. He would come back, then disappear again. The man Isidro’s help and guidance. Even I asked him to help me win a national could not be stopped even by the most frightening thunderclaps. competition when I was a kid.

That whole night, the rain did not stop. The howling of winds This tale will always be my childhood favorite. It reminds me of became louder, swaying every tree, breaking every branch. Each family my innocence and my belief that everything can be made possible in my barangay huddled together in their houses with candlelight, with miracles and strong faith. Sometimes, this tale will suddenly praying for their safety. It was scary. The storm shook up their souls disappear in my mind, and I am glad that I am here to write it down for hours and hours. so that I’ll remember the sweet scent of sampaguita in our garden. I Until the morning came. am always transported in time.

The people of my barangay went outside to see what the storm There are still many stories out there like ours in obscure places had left. The trees were already uprooted. There were some damaged in Bicol. Each barangay has its own story to tell. And I hope everyone houses. But none were hurt. Everyone was safe, everyone was alive. remembers these tales even when miracles don’t happen as often as It was a moment of relief. before.

Santigwar: Seeing beyond what eyes see common ground despite differences.

More than uniting the region itself, santigwar’s similarities with other Filipino rituals from other regions gives the same common ground between them.

Relationships are created and kept through the years with such rituals existing in all communities. Moreover, the identity the ritual gives is essential in keeping the

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>From Page 10

name and brand of areas alive.

The belief in the supernatural is ingrained in the Filipino culture even before the Spaniards came to these islands, and that belief still continues to this day. Sometimes, in the end, faith is all we have. So, again quoting the song in the beginning, tara, pasantigwar kita?

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BURABOD ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON

Feature

Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

More Than Just Four Walls and a Roof

The Golden Gays celebrate Kate Marquez’s birthday last August 19, 2018 at Welcome Plaza, Libertad, Pasay Manila. Photo by The Golden Gays

It was a hot Saturday afternoon when I accompanied my mother to her hairdresser in Barangay Polvorista in my hometown of Sorsogon City.

I remember overhearing the conversation between the two, which had something to do with land and plans for a shelter. A few weeks later, I saw a familiar name on the local news. Zaldy Jebulan is my mother’s hairdresser, and they had big plans.

The land that they owned was apparently some 1,500 square meters large, located in the same barangay where we live in. It had just been donated to the provincial government of Sorsogon and would soon host a shelter for homeless members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community that will be named the Home for Homeless Gays. Aside from serving as a home, the multi-function building will also function as a livelihood training center, providing its inhabitants a source of livelihood.

While undeniably a great step towards a rightful cause, the project reminds us that much remains to be done for true acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. One does not need to look far to understand why.

Roman Catholicism and homophobia in the country Sorsogon lies at the southernly tip of the Bicol peninsula. Besides their love for sili and gata, Bicolanos are also a very religious folk.

Like the rest of the country, Bicol is dominated by Roman Catholicism. At the geographic heart of the region, the city of Naga is home to the shrine

of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, one of the largest Marian pilgrimage sites in Asia and is one of the country’s most popular images of devotion.

The values and teachings of Roman Catholicism are deeply entrenched within Filipino culture, which comes as no surprise after 333 years of Spanish colonial rule. The Catholic Church has long considered homosexuality taboo, stemming from the writings of Paul the Apostle and the teachings of the Church Fathers.

Despite this, a 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center found the Philippines to be the most gay-friendly country in Asia, where 73% of its population declared that “society should accept homosexuality”. The country stands out from most of its neighbors in the Asia-Pacific region, such as that of China, Indonesia, and Malaysia, where the general population is not as accepting.

Digging deeper, however, reveals an interesting phenomenon. It appears that while most Filipinos tolerate homosexuals in their society, they were not as accepting of homosexuality when it came to their own moral beliefs. A survey by the same group in the following year found that 65% of Filipino respondents considered homosexuality to be immoral—no doubt a manifestation of the country’s Christian traditions.

Homosexuality and homelessness While homosexuality in the country has never been outlawed, no law exists against discrimination on the basis of gender. Arguably the most infamous gender-based hate crime was that of the

Of Melodies, Stars, and Enchantment— Bicol’s Very Own Musical Muse >From Page 10

niche of Bicol, it takes perseverance, grit, and hard work to perfectly discover a unique trademark and style of lyrics and melodies.

With such, Jhasmine Villanueva, Bicol’s very own “dwta”, has a message for her fellow aspiring Bicolano musicians and artists.

“Just keep creating, magsulat ka lang nang magsulat, kung ano man ang ginagawa mo, dahil darating

ka rin sa point na mararating mo rin ang gusto mo…and of course, keep your fire burning.”

Indeed, you don’t have to ask the ancient gods and deities to give you a gift or a blessing, because you already have it in you. All you need to do is to discover the talent and passion you hold.

And Jhasmine Villanueva, and many more Bicolano artists, have proven this over and over again.

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murder of transgender woman Jennifer Laude in 2014 by a US Marine. He was granted an absolute pardon in 2020 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte, who was known to use homophobic insults against political enemies.

Because of the discrimination that they face, members of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly the youth, face disownment from conservative families. A study conducted by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago found that LGBTQ+ youth in the US had a 120% higher risk of being homeless than their heterosexual peers.

Moreover, LGBTQ+ members are more likely to face sexual harassment, stigmatization, and abuse in homeless shelters due to their gender. As a result, they are expelled either voluntarily or involuntarily.

The Golden Gays While the creation of a homeless shelter in Sorsogon that is exclusive to LGBTQ+ members is a novelty to many, especially in the Catholic Philippines, it is not the first of its kind.

During the mid-1970s, former Pasay City councilor,

LGBTQ+ rights activist, and columnist Justo Justo founded the Home for the Golden Gays. Originally based in Justo’s house in Pasay, the organization provides support and care for elderly members of the LGBTQ+ community.

However, after Justo’s death in 2012, the remaining members of the group were evicted by his family.

Nowadays, the lolas, as they like to call themselves, participate in drag shows and engage in odd jobs to make ends meet. Those without families rent a small lodge together, while others have returned to surviving relatives. With the money that they earn, they hope to one day build a new permanent home for themselves.

Being a governmentsponsored project, the planned Home for Homeless Gays relies on the support of the local governance as well as that of the local population for it to sustain its constituents.

With Francis Escudero’s return to the Senate after serving his term as governor of Sorsogon Province, it remains to be seen whether his successors will continue to bolster his “dream project”.

A greater acceptance In his senatorial campaign, Escudero promised to enact homeless shelters for LGBTQ+ members for every local government unit (LGU) across the country, using his gubernatorial project as a launching platform. Funding for the shelters would be supervised by LGUs and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

While a step in the right direction for the integration of LGBTQ+ members in local society, it still does not address the root of the issue. The

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establishment of a nationwide system of homeless shelters for LGBTQ+ members will not lead to a significant shift in the population’s views on matters concerning morality and homosexuality.

The country’s enduring view of homophobia is not easy to eradicate. Despite the modern Catholic Church’s more progressive stance on the matter, with Pope Francis adopting a more conciliatory tone toward LGBTQ+ people than that of his predecessors, and local youth activism, members of the gay community are far from being truly equal to their straight counterparts.

A transformation of religious teachings regarding homosexuality, which applies not only to the Roman Catholic church, but to all extant religions in the world, must take place for any meaningful progress can be made in the fight for gay rights.

Zaldy Jebulan’s generosity stands out in a time of doubt and uncertainty, where many have been left to fend for themselves in order to survive.

However, we should not rely on Good Samaritans like them to provide where we have fallen short. It is our job, as a collective people, to ensure that every person, regardless of gender or sexual preference, be accepted not only into a house with four walls and a roof, but to a greater home we call society.

What Lies at the End of the Rainbow

Kianna Leigh Ebalin

Photo by Metro Manila Pride

It’s June, and the surroundings are full of color. There are images of rainbows posted on glass walls and printed on signages. A digital billboard displays the message “Be who you are.”

What do these mean?

The sixth month of the year is considered the Pride Month, where the impact of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender etc.) community, to the world and its history, is celebrated.

This is the same month in 1969 when gay rights and liberation were protested and demanded at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, USA. This was because this gay bar was raided by police without authoritarian permission, and crossdressing individuals were arrested. This ignited a movement that made people fight for their rights under six days of protests and violence.

This motivated more LGBT rights movements to change the country’s unfair treatment to the community.

The rainbow flag, first created in 1977, symbolizes pride and power for and of the community. The colors red, blue, orange, yellow, green, indigo, blue, and violet represent life, healing, sunlight, nature, art, harmony, and spirit, respectively.

Until today, the LGBT community is still discriminated against and looked down upon, especially in our country. Anything men do that is commonly associated with women and femininity would cause people to call said man “bakla” or “bayot” in a mocking way. This also occurs in women, when those that are dressed in masculine ways would be called “tomboy”.

Gay people are called slurs, and there are parents who disown or beat up their children only because they are homosexual. Transgender people like singer Jake Zyrus are also ridiculed.

Worst cases can involve murder, like the case of Jennifer Laude.

Fortunately, there are efforts being made in order to eliminate such gender–based inequality, and one of them is the SOGIE Equality Bill. This is also known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill. It was proposed by the Congress in 2000, initially filed by the late Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Akbayan Partylist Representative Etta Rosales, who are both advocates for human rights.

Currently, Sen. Risa Hontiveros is bringing it back. The bill penalizes those that discriminate or marginalize in the basis of age, sex, gender, social status, and beliefs.

Pride Month exists to celebrate the LGBT community, to acknowledge who they are, to acknowledge the battles they fought for against a society that divides gender into two conventions. At the end of the rainbow are thousands and millions of people changing history and leading the world towards equality and harmony.

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Sports

ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

Matapos ang 36 taon: Naibalik na sa UP ang kampeonato!

Tinuldukan na ng UP Fighting Maroons ang mahigit tatlong dekada nitong pagkauhaw sa UAAP men’s basketball championship title matapos nitong payukuin ang Ateneo Blue Eagles sa katatapos lang na do-or-die UAAP Season 84 Finals Match, 7269, sa Mall of Asia Arena.

36 YEARS IN THE MAKING. Ending their 36-year title drought, UP Fighting Maroons celebrate their historic championship in the UAAP Season 84 basketball tournament as they toppled the Blue Eagles in the championship match on May 13, 2022 at the Mall of Asia Arena, 72-69. Photo by The Manila Times, via J. Gerard Seguia

Filipinas, nakamit ang unang ginto ng PH sa Int’l football Eman Clifford Ros

Umukit ng kasaysayan ang Filipinas, dating Malditas, matapos nitong masungkit ang pinakaunang gintong medalya ng Pilipinas sa isang international football tournament.

Sa unang bahagi ng taong 2022, matatandaang ipinamalas na ng Philippine women’s football team ang kanilang kagalingan nang mag-qualify ang koponan sa 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, na siyang pinakauna sa kasaysayan ng Philippine football sa men, women, o youth level.

Dinomina ng Filipinas ang

finals match kontra Thailand sa iskor na 3-0 upang maiuwi nila ang titulo ng 2022 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship, nitong Hulyo 17 sa Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila.

Kasabay ng pagpatak ng mahinang ambon sa stadium ay siya namang pagpapaulan ng maingay na suporta mula sa 8,257 na football fans na siya namang nagbigay ng enerhiya sa players.

Sa pagsisimula ng finals match, kaagad na umiskor sa ikapitong minuto ang Filipinas midfielder na si Jessica Cowart mula sa corner kick ni team captain

Mula Nasaksiyan niya ang pagtalunton ng mga bola sa magkabilang panig ng basketball court sa mga nagdaang season ng University Athletic Association of the Philippines o UAAP, ang primyadong pampalakasang paligsahan. Hindi na estranghero sa kaniya maging ang istilo ng laro ng mga paborito niyang atleta. Isa siya sa mga humihiyaw sa tuwing pumupuntos ang mga ito.

Ngunit isa rin siya sa nalulungkot sa tuwing nagtatapos ang bawat season na hindi nagkakampyeon ang koponang pinapalakpakan niya.

Kung ibang manonood ito, marahil hindi tatagal ang pagsuporta sa isang kuponang humigit tatlo’t kalahating dekada nang hindi nakararanas ng kampyonato.

Ngunit ibahin mo si Katrina Aira Catimpo, nagtapos ng Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering sa University of the Philippines Diliman. Taong 2012 nang makilala niya ang UP Fighting Maroons, kung kalian hindi pa siya ganap na magaaral ng unibersidad; naimbitahan siya ng kaniyang tatay na manood ng laro ng UP laban sa Ateneo. Doon niya unang nakita ang determinasyon ng mga wmanlalaro—ang pagkauhaw ng mga ito. Humanga at nahumaling.

‘Superfan’ na nga kung ituring ang sarili.

Magpa-picture at magpapirma ng replica jerseys?

Tahnai Annis.

Sinundan ito ng isa pang goal mula kay Katrina Guillou sa tapat ng Thai goal sa 6-yard box sa ika-20 minuto ng laro.

Ipinako naman ng Filipinas forward Sarina Bolden ang pagkapanalo ng Filipinas, matapos nitong ipasok ang isang header mula sa corner kick ni Fil-Norwegian Sara Eggesvik, ilang sandali bago ang final whistle ng aksyon.

Si Bolden, 26 taong gulang na Filipino-American, ang top scorer matapos nitong umiskor ng kabuuang walong goals sa dalawang linggong paligsahan.

Pinakawalan ni Maroon guard JD Cagulangan ang isang buzzer-beater stepback three para selyuhan ang panalo ng UP sa overtime sa harap ng 15,132 fans.

Matatandaan na noong 1986, kasabay pa ng pagpatalsik sa naunang presidenteng Marcos, huling nag-champion ang UP sa likod nina Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc at Eric Altamirano sa ilalim ni coach Joe Lipa.

Katulad ng naunang dalawang laro ng best-ofthree Finals series ay naging dikdikan ang laban ng defending champs Ateneo at second-seed na UP, ngunit mapapansin ang dalang kumpiyansa ng Fighting Maroons para umabante nang aabot sa siyam na puntos, 31-22 sa 3:22 minuto ng second quarter.

Nagpatuloy ang sagupaan hanggang sa fourth quarter kung saan nagkaroon late 9-0 run ang Blue Eagles para agawin ang 59-56 abante sa huling 56.7 segundo ng ikaapat na quarter, mula sa asintadong tres ni Gian Mamuyac at mahigpit na depensa ni Ateneo center Ange Kouame

na nagtala ng 3 blocks sa buong laro kasama ang 12 puntos at 14 rebounds.

Tinabla naman ng isang long-three ni UP shooter Cj Cansino ang laro, 5959, para puwersahin ang overtime. Nagtala ng apat na three-pointer si Cansino sa kanyang kabuuang 14 points sa loob lamang ng 12 minuto.

Sa extra period ay nagpakitang-gilas ng playmaking skills si Cagulangan na umiskor at assist sa huling sampung puntos ng UP kasama ang pasa kay Malick Diouf para sa isang slam-dunk na tumabla 69-all sa natitirang 39.7 segundo ng laro.

Pinangunahan ng 27 puntos ni SJ Belangel ang Ateneo ngunit hindi ito naging sapat para pigilan ang karibal na koponan sa Katipunan.

Ani Cagulangan na umiskor ng game-winning triple, “Ang sabi ni Coach kunin ko na, edi kinuha ko na. Sobrang laki ng tiwala sa’kin ni Coach, sabi niya sa’kin ‘wag kang bibitaw.”

Hinirang na UAAP Finals MVP si Diouf sa pangunguna sa opensa at depensa ng Fighting Maroons, 17 puntos, 9 na rebound, tatlong steal, at isang block.

“Grabe yung sakripisyo ng team. To be able to endure that situation at that age is a tremendous sacrifice for me. I’m really proud of what we achieved,” wika naman ni Coach Goldwin Monteverde na naging matagumpay sa kanyang unang taon sa UP.

#AtinTo Tungong #AtinNa

Check. Manood ng mga practice game ng team? Check. I-follow at magkaroon ng interactions sa social media? Check. Magpadala ng pagkain? Check na check! Humantong na nga siya sa punto na nakikilala na siya ng mga manlalaro at sa tuwing magkakasalubong sa campus, hindi mawawala na makipag hi-hello o makipag-apir. Superfan na ba? Sa tingin ko’y check na check na check!

Ngunit sulit ba na sumuporta kung hindi naman nakukuha ang giliw sa pagkapanalo ng paborito?

“What if manalo? What if manalo?”

Ito na ang mantra ni Katrina sa halos ilang taong panonood ng UAAP Men’s Basketball. Mahalaga sa kaniya bilang fan na makadalo, hindi para makita ang iniidolo kundi upang ipakita sa mga idolo na may naniniwala sa kanila. Sa kabila ng agawan sa tiket, hindi niya palalagpasin ang pagkakataong makapanood ng laro ng paborito niyang team. Isang beses nga pagkatapos na pagkatapos ng kaniyang Board Examination, Mall of Asia Arena agad ang tinunton niya upang mapanood ang team.

Bilang masugid na tagasuporta ng UP Fighting Maroons, bitbit niya ang pangarap na masungkit na ng kuponan ang kampiyonato.

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Katulad niya, marami na ang naghihintay. Bago nga ang laro, tanong ng mamamahayag na si Edson Guido sa isang tweet kung panahon na nga ba para tuldukan ang 36 na taong tagtuyot.

At pagkatapos nga ng napakahabang panahon, naging kampyeon nang muli ang UP Figthing Maroons nang payukuin nito ang Ateneo Blue Eagles sa door-die UAAP Season 84 finals match noong ika-13 ng Mayo sa iskor na 72-69. Isang makasaysayang pangyayari para sa buong komunidad ng UP at maging sa larangan ng pampalakasan. Taong 1986 pa sapagkat ang huling championship ng kuponan kaya pigil-hininga sa naging bakbakan dahil determinadong depensahan ng Ateneo Blue Eagles ang kampyonato.

Walan nang mas tatamis pa dahil sa wakas, maipagmamalaki na ni Katrina na champion na ang mga paborito niya. Walang pagsisisi sa ibinuhos na oras at suporta. Aniya, “mas masarap ang victory ngayon dahil naging part ka ng process.”

Batid niya na hindi rin naging madali para sa mga manlalaro na masungkit ito lalo na’t kabi-kabila ang mga isyu at pagsubok. Gayundin sa mga katuwang sa pagbuo ng lupon ng mga magagaling na basketbolista. Tiyak

burabod.upibalon

Eman Clifford Ros

Jomari Dolz

walang kapagurang pagsasanay ang binagtas ng mga manlalaro, walang katapusang hamon sa coach at lahat ng mga tagapangasiwa, at ang napakabigat na gampaning ibalik sa luntian at pula ang matagal nang inaasam na kampyenato.

Ayon nga sa twitter-user na si Paul Jake, “UP ends Ateneo’s 39game winning streak!” Hindi biro na buwagin ang napakatatag na puwersang binuo ng Ateneo. “UP DID IT. UP FINALLY DID IT,” ika nga ni Naveen Ganglani sa kaniya namang tweet. Pahayag naman ni Katrina, “Glad to have supported UP from 0-14 seaons to CHAMPIONS!!!

What a journey!”

Datapwat nakamit na angginto’t kaluwalhatian, hindi dito magtatapos ang laban. Patuloy namang bumubuhos ang suporta’t lumalaki ang fanbase. Malaking bagay ito para sa kumpiyansa ng mga manlalaro. Katulad ni Katrina, tuloy ang pagsuporta at tuloy ang lagging panawagan para sa sapat na ponding pinansyal para sa ating student-athletes. Hirit niya nga, “sana madefend [ang championship.]

At least 3-peat.”

Hindi bibitaw dahil atin na ang panalo. Patuloy na paliliyabin ang sigang naging saksi ng bawat sigaw ng “Atin ‘to!”

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Sports BURABOD

ANG OPISYAL NA PAHAYAGAN NG UP IBALON Volume 3 Issue 1 | February - July 2022

PH gymnastics, dancesport team humakot ng ginto sa 31st SEA Games Humakot ng pinagsamang 12 gintong medalya ang Pilipinas sa gymnastics at dancesport events ng 31st Southeast Asian Games sa Hanoi, Vietnam.

Pinangunahan ni twotime world champ Carlos Yulo ang gold medal haul ng bansa matapos nitong magtala ng limang unang gantimpala sa men’s events na dinagdagan pa ng dalawa ng women’s team para sa kabuuang pitong gintong medalya sa gymnastics.

Kaagad na nagpakitang gilas ang 22-taong gulang na Pinoy Olympian sa unang araw ng gymnastics para makuha ang tatlong ginto sa individual all-around, floor exercise, at still rings.

Strong finish ang pinamalas ni Yulo nang maipanalo pa nito ang dalawa pang event na men’s vault at horizontal bar sa huling araw ng gymnastics.

Hindi rin nagpahuli sa women’s gymnastics si Aleah Finnegan nang masungkit niya ang ginto sa vault at sa women’s team all-around kasama sina Chiara Andrew,

Charlie Manzano, Lucia Gutierrez, Kursten Lopez, at Cristina Loberanes.

Tinapatan naman ng dancesport team ang kanilang record noong nakaraang edisyong ng palaro kung saan matatandaang nakuha nito ang pinakamaraming gintong medalya para sa bansa noong 2019 na 10 mula sa 12 events.

Nangibabaw sa dancefloor ang pares nina Sean Aranar at Ana Nualla upang madepensahan ang kanilang titulo sa five dance standard kasama na ang naunang panalo nila sa individual dance na tango at Viennese waltz.

Dinagdagan pa ito ng isang ginto ng tubong-Bicol na si Mary Joy Renigen kasama si Mark Jayson Gayon sa slow fox trot at silver sa waltz at quickstep.

Naagaw naman ng host country Vietnam ang trono ng Pilipinas sa Latin

Eman Clifford Ros

American discipline matapos nitong pagharian halos lahat maliban sa cha-cha-cha kung saan pumalag ang tandem nina Michael A n g e l o Marquez at Stephanie Sabalo na umindak para sa isang gintong medalya.

Dalawang silver medal pa ang binulsa ng tambalang Marquez-Sabalo mula sa five-dance latin at jive, habang pinainit naman nina Wilbert Aunzo at Pearl Marie Caneda ang dancefloor para makuha ang pilak sa samba at dalawang tanso sa rumba at paso doble.

Sa pagtatapos ng 31st SEA Games ay nakuha ng Pilipinas ang ikaapat na pwesto sa overall medal tally: 52 gintong medalya, 70 na pilak, at 104 na tanso.

Ateneo Blue Eagles clinches its first win against the FEU Lady Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 84 women’s volleyball tournament on May 12, 2022 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City. Photo by Tiebreaker Times

Pagbabalik ng UAAP, tuloy na tuloy na Eman Clifford Ros

Matapos ang dalawang taong pahinga, opisyal nang magbabalik-aksyon bukas, Marso 26, ang University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) sa Mall of Asia Arena.

Nauna nang inanunsiyo ni UAAP President Emmanuel Calanog na limitado lang ang bilang ng events na aabangan ngayong Season 84. Kabilang dito ang men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, cheerdance, women’s 3x3 basketball, men’s beach volleyball, poomsae, at chess.

Hindi katulad ng nakasanayan, ang opening ceremony ay idadaos sa pamamagitan ng isang pre-recorded video na kaagad namang susundan ng mga nakatakdang laro ng men’s basketball.

Dahil sa mga ipinatupad na health protocols, mananatili

sa bubble set-up ang mga student-athlete.

Ayon kay UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rebo Saguisag, fully-vaccinated na ang lahat ng mga manlalaro, dagdag pa rito ang pagsasailalim nila sa RT-PCR test kada 14 na araw at antigen test bago ang laro.

Sa ngayon, hindi papayagan ang fans at lilimitahan ang midya sa venue. Paglilinaw naman ni Calanog na pinaplano ng UAAP board of directors na magpapasok ng mga manonood pagkatapos ng first round ng men’s basketball kung ito’y aaprubhan ng mga kinauukulang ahensiya nng gobyerno.

“We’re working on having spectators back by the second round. We will be talking with our partner MOA Arena on how to go about it,” wika ni Calanog sa press conference noong

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Miyerkulas sa TV5 studios.

Ang Season 84 ay may temang, “Fully Alive, Champions for Life” na siyang pinili ng host na De La Salle University.

Pagkatapos ng edisyong ito, plano rin ng UAAP Board na magtanghal ng Overall Champion kahit na lubhang mas konti sa kinaugaliang 28 events ang paglalabanan ng kasaling walong unibersidad.

Sa Sabado, alas-4 sa hapon, balak simulan ng UP Fighting Maroons ang kanilang kampanya ng isang panalo mula sa dating kampeon na Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Mapapanood ang mga laro ng Season 84 sa nilipatan nitong TV channels na One Sports at ang bagong UAAP Varsity Channel. Ito ay matapos na tanggalan ng prankisa noong 2020 ang dati nitong media partner na ABS-CBN.

burabod.upibalon

VIGOR AND GOLD. Mark Jayson Corales Gayon and Mary Joy Guiao Renigen

dominate the dancefloor of the slow foxtrot dancesport event at the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam on May 16, 2022 as they compete to bring home the gold for the Philippines. Photo by The Manila Times, via Nhac Nguyen

May lugar ba si Juana sa palaruan?

Abante, Babae Edrian Divinaflor

Ilang dekada nang kilala ang Pilipinas sa larangan ng isports matapos ang pamamayagpag ng ilang mga atleta tulad nina Manny Pacquiao, Onyok Velasco, Paeng Nepomuceno, at Efren Reyes. Kung mapapansin, karamihan sa mga tanyag na atletang-Pinoy noon ay mga lalaki. Bagaman may mangilanngilan ding kababaihan tulad ni Lydia de Vega na kinilala noon sa larangan ng pagtakbo, tila ilang dekada pa ring iginapang ng mga tulad niya ang paghahanap ng lugar sa larangan ng isports sa bansa.

Subalit sa dekadang nagdaan, nakita natin kung paano pumosisyon ang mga babaeng atleta sa palaruan dito sa Pilipinas. Hindi na tayo lalayo pa, nariyan si Hidilyn Diaz, isang Pilipina at ang unang kababayang nag-uwi ng gintong medalya sa Olympics para sa Pilipinas. Matapos ang ilang subok sa kategorya ng weightlifting, naiuwi ni Diaz ang inaasam niyang kampeonato. Ang kaniyang tagumpay ay ipinagbunyi ng buong bansa, lalong-lalo na ng mga kababaihan. Nagsilbi itong inspirasyon para sa lahat ng babae sa bansa, at naging susi upang magsulong ng pagsasakapangyarihan sa kababaihan.

Maraming pinagdaanang pagsubok ang mga tulad ni Diaz na nag-asam na magbigay ng orgulyo para Pilipinas. Dito sa atin, mas binibigyang-pansin ang mga lalaking manlalaro at mas pinahahalagahan ang mga isport na itinuturing na ‘panlalaki’ tulad ng basketbol. Isang manipestasyon nito ay ang sandamakmak na mga liga sa mga barangay kung saan tanging mga binatilyo lamang ang nabibigyan ng pagkakataong magpakitang-gilas. Todo abang nga rin ang maraming Pinoy sa tuwing may kompetisyon sa basketbol mula sa lokal hanggang sa pandaigdigang lebel.

Matagal nang hinaharap ng kababaihan ang samot-saring mga panghuhusga, pagdududa, at pangmamaliit hindi lamang sa isports kundi pati na rin sa lipunan. Subalit sa kasalukuyan, malinaw na malinaw kung paano nila pangunahan ang isports sa buong bansa. Kung iisiping mabuti, simula’t simula pa lamang, mayroon naman na talagang lugar ang kababaihan sa palaruan subalit ipinagkakait ito ng lipunan sa kanila. Kaya ngayon, nakikita natin kung paano kalampagin ni Juana ang mundo ng larong pampalakasan. Tunay ngang nayanig ang sangkalawakan.

Sa nakaraang 2018 Asian Games, 12 sa 18 medalya ang nasungkit ng mga babaeng atleta. Sa katunayan, nagmula rin sa kanila ang apat na ginto ng Pilipinas. Maliban naman sa unang ginto ni Diaz, nasungkit din ni Nesthy Petecio ang isang pilak noong 2020 Tokyo Olympics sa boksing, isang larong kilala na dinodomina ng mga kalalakihan. Ibig sabihin, dalawa mula sa apat na medalyang naiuwi ng Pinas noong nakaraang Olympics ay mula sa mga babae. Dahil dito, mas tiningala ang kanilang pangkat, isang bagay na matagal na nilang dapat na natanggap.

Ang pangunguna ng mga Pilipina sa isports sa bansa ay isang patunay ng kanilang lakas at husay bilang isang atleta.

Binuwag nila ang dambuhalang pader na naghihiwalay sa babae at lalaki, at pinatunayan nilang ang kanilang galaw ay hindi lamang basta galaw ng isang babae, kundi galaw ng isang kampeon.

Walang lugar sa ating lipunan ang kawalan ng respeto, pagbibitaw ng mga seksist na mga komento, at ang patuloy na pagbababa sa mga kababaihan. May medalya man o wala, karapat-dapat sila sa pagkilalang ibinibigay natin sa kalalakihan.

Malayo pa ang lakbayin upang ganap na magkaroon ng pagkakapantay-pantay sa mga lalaki at babae sa ating lipunan.

Subalit sa ngayon, masasabi nating malayo na ang narating ng mga Pilipina sa larangan ng isport sa Pilipinas. Abante, babae!

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