Forward - The Central Echo Magazine

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moment. moment. person aaaaperson personof person ofthe the

- Maya Angelou Angelou - Maya Angelou Angelou

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR SQUAR

E ONE It’s feeling

INSIGNIFICANT gazing out at THE VAST OCEAN. It’s surrendering control to

IT’S A DAUNTING TASK, TAKING THAT FIRST STEP FORWARD. It’s staring down a blank page, uncertain of your words.

unfamiliar terrain.

But you’ll see, after overcoming the weight of that first step, the next few paces are just within your reach. And unburdened by doubt, you’ll take that next

UNCERTAIN LEAP

step, then the next, then the next – each stride easier than the one before.

Though, don’t expect your journey to be

CRIPPLING HEIGHT.

as easy as connecting two points on a map.

You’ll face forked roads and

It’s taking an from a

detours. You’ll fall short and falter. But don’t let mistakes discourage you.

PS E T S N, HE ALL T ’VE TAKAECKWARD, YOURD AND B

E H T E N I F DE ERSONARE. P OU

A FORW

Y THAT

, ei

c

BREATHE IN THEN OUT. TAKE THAT FIRST STEP, AND TURN THE PAGE. 1

THE BONIFACIO MONUMENT This year’s cover draws inspiration from this enduring landmark. The brainchild of National Artist Guillermo Tolentino, it was first unveiled in 1929, dedicated to the memory of Andrés Bonifacio, Supremo of the Katipunan.

Standing along one of Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares, the monument has grown synonymous with the ideals of Bonifacio, freedom and a passionate love for the motherland.

Editorial Board SY 2014-2015

Initiations

SINONG SUPREMO DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE ONLY ONE KNOWN PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SUPREMO? For someone of

immense importance in Philippine history, there exists only one photo of the national hero.

BONIFACIO WAS AN ACTOR. As a member of the Samahang Dramatista ng Tundó, the Supremo got to play roles in Bernardo Carpio and Florante at Laura.

During Bonifacio’s time, an international newspaper published a photo of him with the caption “Titulado Presidente de la Republica Tagala” or “Recognized President of the Tagalog Republic.” leading some to speculate that

BONIFACIO COULD BE THE REAL FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay Editor-in-Chief

Ron Adrian Dionaldo Dazen Dawn Lariza Associate Editors

Verna Roz Taperla Managing Editor

Paul Mackey Marfil News Editor

Katrina Joyce Mabanes Jeziel Vargas Feature Editors

Micaela Allen Garcia Charles Arthel Rey Filipino Editors

Patricia Meliz Labramonte Bryan Fran Literary Editors

Chalcedon Sañor

Photography Chief

Jedrick Leighnoir Solinap Photojournalist

Michael Angelo Fandagani Allen Grace Tabi Digital Artists

Irish Paoline Jurinario Julian Paul Querubin Cartoonists

Unique Canonicato Layout Editor

Krystille Camille Bontuyan Vic Morena Vivienne Songcayawon Aimee Lou Tagaro Staff Writers

Prof. Esther Rose Romarate Prof. Rea Angelica Villeza 2

Advisers

#NoVoiceUnheard facebook.com/centralecho

www.centralecho.co m

THE

BACKDROP Shot on location at the Injap Tower Helipad, the highest point of Iloilo’s new towering fixture. Setting up a photoshoot 21 storeys off the ground, brought its own set of challenges.

The Central Echo staff members and our gracious models had to fight off sudden gusts of wind and glaring sunlight the whole day, but the end was very rewarding, as we were treated to a 360 degree view of Iloilo City and the Guimaras Island at sunset.

Unforgettable to everyone involved, especially those suffering from a fear of heights.

WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE Ms. Lea Prodigo Ms. Lilibeth Lorio Ms. Candelaria Purzuelo Mr. Jojo Purzuelo Mr. Ruperto Quitag Mr. Freddie Reteracion Mr. Diovannie Catague Ms. Ingrid Faye Astronomia CPU Teatro, Sining ATBP Makinaugalingon Printer & Bookbinder Centralian Student Body

ABOUT THE COVER MARCH TRIUMPHANT – Lady Victory leads on the dynamic youth, armed not by bolos and rifles but with today’s arsenal of free expression – the pen, the camera, and the canvas. At a new horizon, with only the sky as their limit, the youth charge on, embodying the ideals of Bonifacio and the Katipuneros.

THE CENTRAL ECHO opens its doors to new blood during the start of every school year. We need driven and motivated creatives with fresh perspectives, and crazy new ideas.

Cover Photo by

CHALCEDON SAÑOR Cover Concept and Layout by

RHICK LARS ALBAY

LIKE OUR OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE FOR UPDATES, AND WATCH OUT FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT

WE’LL BE SENDING THE CALL OUT SOON

MeMBer -

cOllege eDitOrS guilD OF tHe PHiliPPineS

3

centrallecho centra lecho the

CONTENTS Vol. CV Num. III

8 Monuments & Maladies 10 Lest We Forget 12 The TEDx Experience 14 Reimagining CPu 17 In the Aftermath of the Elections 21 An Abundance of Hashtag

Marching On Fields of Blood War in Peace

24 26 28

The Hashtag, an omnipresent symbol of social media - overused by the vain, worshipped by the Twitterati.

It’s been used to mobilize protests, to crowd source opinions world-wide, and to deliver breaking news in realtime. But it’s also induced widespread irritation and encouraged some of the most inane trends. Scattered all over this issue are some of the most socially relevant hashtags, from #SaveMaryJane to #NoVoiceUnheard let’s get them trending.

June 2015

30 What the Water Gave Us 34 Munting Hiling 39 A New Home 42 If We Lit Up the Youth 52 When Fides Runs the Race 54 Para Kanino Ka Bumabangon?

55 Pay It Forward 56 The Art of Fortune Telling 57 A Brief History of the Selfie 58 Upgraded 60 The Secret Menu 62 Hype 66 We Can Be Heroes 70 Paniplat

Onward and

Upward

Welcome to our Forward Issue

REIMAGINING CPU Setting the Blueprint For a Better Central

WALKING ON AIR With the talented

Iya Astronomia

CULTIVATING COMMUNITIES

The Lanit Relocation Site + Brgy. North Baluarte

The drummer of the Iloilo Dragon Boat team fervently keeps up the beat to keep all of the boat paddlers in sync Full tHrOttle Photo by Jedrick Leighnoir Solinap

6

7

#

Never underestimate the power of A hashtag

an aBunDance

If you’re an avid user of social networking

sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and the like, then you’ve probably understood how hashtags cold help steer the wheel that drives this ever-changing world. Looking back, we can clearly see how they have ignited several social

OF

media movements and stirred up a number of debates concerning various controversial issues.

HaSHtagS

From the shooting of an unarmed civilian to the almost undying list of Ice Bucket Challenge videos, our will to reach out and connect seemed impregnable with the aid of hashtags. But were they successful? Have they created a ripple big enough to make long term solutions? We may or may never know. But one thing is for sure—in this day and age, one simple hashtag could mean a lot.

#IceBucketChallenge It is said to be the social media movement

with the biggest real-world impact in 2014.

It all started when a golfer named Chris

Kennedy got nominated by a friend. But during

Words by Paul Mackey Marfil

#HeForShe

The fight for gender equality was punctuated

#OccupyCentral

that time, the Ice Bucket Challenge was not yet connected to any specific cause, and participants still had the freedom to select their own choice

even more when actress Emma Watson delivered

of charity. Kennedy’s friend chose a charity that

her speech on women’s rights in September 2014

benefited a child with cancer, so he eventually

gathered in the streets of Hong Kong as they

at the UN Headquarters. The speech became

opted for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

protested in unison against the decision of the

sensational, making the hashtag #HeForShe a

because one of his relatives was suffering from

Standing Committee of the National People’s

worldwide trend.

the said disease.

Last September to October, thousands

Congress to make reforms in the city’s electoral

In her message, Watson asked men from

On July 15 last year, Kennedy posted his

system—reforms that are, according to the

all around the world to also join the campaign

video on YouTube. It was the first one where the

protesters, highly restrictive.

against gender inequality—and many have

Ice Bucket Challenge and ALS finally got linked.

What’s amazing about the protest was

answered. The movement got even more

The campaign eventually spread like

wildfire, prompting even the biggest names in

Instagram to communicate and share photos

Leto, Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt,

Hollywood, sports, and politics to join.

of the demonstration. Organizers even used

Tom Hiddleston, Russel Crowe, and Harry Styles

FireChat, a messaging app that relies on

posted on Twitter their utmost support for the

#IceBucketChallenge trend raised $15.6 million

bluetooth and not on Internet connection.

campaign.

for ALS research.

Here's some of the news that got social media abuzz

widespread when male celebrities like Jared

trenDing tOPicS

the activitsts’ use of Facebook, Twitter, and

#JosieRizal New character, Josie Rizal, in the video game Tekken 7, polarizes Filipino netizens, some insulted by the use of our National Hero’s name, some poking fun at the bizarre choices in the character’s design, with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts launching a study on whether the creators of Tekken 7 are liable for devaluing our national heritage.

In less than three weeks, the

#JESUISCHARLIE # BRINGBACKOURGIRLS

#IFTHEYGUNNEDMEDOWN

#GAZAUNDERATTACK

#H E F O R S H E #SAVEMARYJANE

#ICEBUCKETCHALLENGE

#Ferguson What else can spark months of demonstration in the US? The shooting of an unarmed black teenager, of course.

When Michael Brown was shot by a white police officer last August 9, it yielded protests and national debates regarding race and police tactics.

Like Occupy Central, protesters used Social Media to plan and collect donations for their demonstrations.

Sadly, many were disappointed with the grand jury’s decision to not indict Darren Wilson, the police officer involved in the shooting.

# FERGUSON #JeSuisCharlie

But the protests endured, and many more

voices gathered to yell the truth that even “black lives matter.”

#UKRAINEUNDERATTACK

#YESALLWOMEN #OccuPYcentral

#ICANTBREATHE

People from around the world expressed their solidarity with French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo after its main office was attacked by a terrorist group just this January.

By using the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie and by changing their profile pictures with a white-on-black image of the phrase, netizens painted a vivid picture about how freedom of expression should not be constrained by terrorism, and that the power of the pen should not be severed by the pull of the trigger.

#TWITTERISBLOCKEDINTURKEY Life imitates fiction in Thailand, with the ThreeFinger Salute popularized by the Hunger Games franchise becoming the official symbol of protests against their country’s military-run government. Thai police has detained numerous activists publicly flashing the salute.

#IAmMalala #DistrictThai

At the age of 17, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism against gender discrimination in the education system of her home country Pakistan.

MOnuMentS & MalaDieS #PambansangPhotobomber #TerrorDeManila Words by Charles Arthel Rey Art by Unique Canonicato

Weighing the value of history in the wake of economic developlment Monuments are re-enactments of events that are marked in the heart of our history and in the mind of our people. They were built as symbols of gratitude to the heroes who sacrificed themselves for the sake of freedom. They remind the young and the generations to come how our forefathers fought, shed blood, and died for us to experience independence from bondage and colonialism.

The Luneta Park—the most famous shrine of the hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the very place of his execution on the 30th day of December 1896, for exposing truths about the cruelty of Spanish rule— was in this year’s major headlines.

A stand off against the building of Torre de Manila, a skyline behind the view of the famous park, captured national attention when the Order of the Knights of Rizal, a “public corporation

10

MOnuMental

46 7

Storeys

Height of Torre de Manila

Storeys

The height limit of buildings within the zone cluster where Torre de Manila is located

Laws Defied by Torre de Manila rep. act no.

4846

Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act

rep. act no.

7356

Creation of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, and instilling its role to protect and Philippine Cultural Heritage Sites

rep. act no.

10066

The National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, “An Act Providing for the Protection and Conservation of the National Cultural Heritage”

established under Republic Act 646, to propagate the teachings, life and works of Jose Rizal” tried to stop the construction of the 46-storey building, through a letter filed at the Supreme Court asking the high court to order the demolition of the building.

Torre de Manila seemed to destroy the sky view at the back of the monument, where most tourists have their photos taken. The view will affect the over-all appearance of the historical spot, and may cause the decline in the number of tourist visiting the park. Moreover, the group sees it as a “nuisance and offends the senses of the people who honor Rizal’s memory.”

The National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is aiding to stop the building of the Torre de Manila.

Others may see this as a shallow issue, but for those who were affected by Rizal’s teachings and life, on a personal level, they see this as an insult and the lowest form of historical devaluation.

This issue also involves the economic situation of the country because Torre de Manila will greatly contribute to the development of the country as it will provide jobs for the Filipinos. It will, in fact, become a monument of Philippine development—a proof that indeed the nation continues to soar higher.

Therefore, this is a battle of economic growth versus historical preservation, a debate to protect a historical monument or build a new commercial highrise, and in this battle, we can hardly take sides, knowing that both of them can still benefit the people-- a moral dilemma indeed.

It’s economic growth versus historical preservation, a debate to protect a monument or buIld a new commercial highrise

Yes, we aim for our country to develop optimally, but it should be in the manner that preserves the past, which allowed these developments to happen. It should be a balance between sustainable development and the preservation of history. After all, Jose Rizal said “He who does not know how to look back to where he came from will never get to his destination.“ Until today, the debate on whether or not to stop the construction of Torre de Manila is on-going in court. We just hope that the court, the NCCA, and the Order of the Knights of Rizal arrive at a conclusion that will be beneficial to the Philippine economy without devalueing our country’s monument honoring our national hero.

leSt We FOrget Words by Rhick Lars Albay Art by Unique Canonicato

the harrowing state of the philippine news cycle

Pemberton Incident, the untimely death of 44 Special Action Force members, the futile dialogues for the Bangsamoro Agreement. The list goes on indefinitely. What do all of these issues have in common? In not a single one of them have we achieved any semblance of a resolution.

It’s been said that the first rough draft of history is

But who is to blame? Some would say our judicial

written by journalists. This speaks true especially here

system for continuing to baffle us year in and year out in its

in the Philippines, where the opinion of the majority is

incompetence and lack of backbone. Some would say our

highly influenced by the media. We’ve all, as a country,

elected officials for prioritizing self-interest and political gain

witnessed a lot of dark chapters for the Philippines

over justice and fairness. But could we, the noble citizens of the

in these past few years, mostly through our television

Republic of the Philippines be also partly to blame?

screens, also through newspapers and social media.

The Maguindanao Massacre, corruption charges

It is claimed that Filipino people is a very forgiving race, after all we are now allies with one of our former colonizers,

against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, stacking allegations

and here incarcerated politicians found guilty of graft and

of Election fraud, Janet Napoles and her Pork Barrel

corruption still manage to get elected. But many would disagree

Scam, calls for the impeachment of P-Noy because of

and say no. We are not a race that forgives effortlessly, we are a

the Disbursement Acceleration Program scandal, the

race that very easily forgets.

Perhaps it’s just simply how we’ve come to adapt to the cycle our nation is stuck in, with new setbacks being dug up before we can even settle on solutions for the problems already piled in front of us. Older issues being pushed back and farther and farther away from our national consciousness, until we

12

cOunting caSualtieS

#Kentex

#Mamasapano

Workers trapped and killed during slipper factory fire in Valenzuela

44

Special Action Force commandos killed during the “misencounter”

18

MILF fighters slain, as confirmed by Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal

at least

7

The number of Civilian casualties from the Mamasapano stand-off

5

years old

Age of Sarah Panangulon, the youngest civilian casualty of the Mamasapano clash

finally reach a point wherein the Filipino people have just simply lost all their interest in the subject.

72

202php

The daily wage of Kentex’s factory workers

php 481 The minimum wage in NCR for workers in the nonagriculture sector

once an Issue Has eXhausted its airtime, It descends Into obscurity untIl very Few people are leFt to suPPort and Fight For the cause

#SaveMaryJane A summary of Mary Jane Veloso's long journey to reprieve 2010

April 18 – Mary Jane is illegally recruited by Ma. Kristina “Tintin” Sergio

April 25 – Mary Jane is apprehended at the International Airport of Indonesia with 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her possession, Mary Jane asserts that she was not aware that the drugs were in her luggage

October 4

– Mary Jane is put on trial represented by a courtappointed lawyer, with very little assistance from the Philippine government

October 11 – Mary Jane is sentenced with the death penalty

2011

August 23 – P-Noy requests for clemency in favour of Mary Jane

2013

April 15 – Mary Jane’s police friends and her fellow inmates sponsor a visit from her family. At this point, the Philippine government has yet to offer any financial assistance.

2014

December 30 – Indonesian Pres.

Joko Widodo officially rejects the request for clemency on behalf of Mary Jane.

2015

Broadcast of the Ampatuan Trials, journalist,

February 2 – Migrante, an

Maguindanao Massacre put the Philippines

activists, even concerned citizens took to social

on the map for most number of journalists

media and announced Never Forget, a call for

gunned down in their line of work, nearly

justice in the Maguindanao Massacre case.

advocacy group active in defending the rights and welfare of OFWs, offers their help to the Veloso family

It’s been more than five years since the

two years since the Pork Barrel Scam broke

Although since then still very little

headlines, and only six months since the

development has come to light, reminding the

death of Jennifer Laude, but the progress

country of the animosity we’ve gone through can

and media coverage for these national issues

spark awareness and keep the fire burning. The

has plateaued. Very soon they may lack our

Filipino people should not just forgive and forget

nation’s attention completely.

all the intrusions and crimes done against us.

It’s a proven fact that once an issue

It’s a simple call to arms, Never Forget. In

April 7 – The Veloso family holds a press conference in front of the DFA office in Manila deploring the government’s lack of action on Mary Jane’s case.

April 21 – News of Mary Jane’s impending execution spreads like wildfire on social media, #SaveMaryJane becomes a trending topic

has exhausted its airtime and has lost the

a country where state controversies dominate

interest of the people, it descends into

our new cycle daily, and justice moves at a snail’s

obscurity until very few people are left

pace, this is the easiest way we can contribute

April 27 – A petition by Change.org

to support and fight for the cause. Many

to the national cause. To never forget the 58

concerns of great importance have fallen to

slaughtered for political gain, to never forget the

this fate, gone unresolved and left to die. We

millions stolen from us by the very people we put

to save Mary Jane circulates online, becoming one ofthe fastest-growing petitions

should not let this happen again and again.

into office, to never forget the trespasses done

There’s a simple mantra we can adapt

to us by other countries, to never forget how

to undo this- Never forget. Tired of the lack

Filipino blood has been spilled so easily in the

of movement and troubled by the Supreme

name of a futile cause.

Court ruling that bans the Live Media

These two simple words, Never Forget.

April 28 – Tintin surrenders herself to police, citing death threats as the reason for seeking protection.

April 29 – Mary Jane is granted a last-minute reprieve from the firing squad around 1 a.m.

You’ve probably seen at least one or two of these videos online, some of the most influential people in the world delivering speeches aimed at a global audience, sharing valuable insights and funny anecdotes with talks that can range from Bill Gates urging on the need to reduce our Carbon Footprint, to Susan Cain sharing about the Power of Introverts, to Stephen Hawking inviting us to question the Universe. This is the vast resource that TEDTalks has become.

TEDTalks and its affiliated independent TEDx events have grown into a recognizable name, with a growing international following, videos posted on their channels garnering millions of views, TED conventions being held in different parts of the world everyday. Just this March, a TEDx event was hosted for the first time in Western Visayas, here at Iloilo.

TEDxUPV, with the theme Transition, was held at the Miag-ao Campus of the University of the Philippines and yours truly was one of the 100 chosen to take part in the esteemed event. The speakers included veteran journalist Howie Severino, Atty. Prima Quinsayas a prosecutor in the Maguindanao Massacre, One Million Lights Philippines’ Mark Lozano, and many more.

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g n i ar

s a e Id

h s ro th w

Words by Rhick Lars Albay Photos by Ruperto Quitag

The event was unique not only because of the TEDx

name, but even more so for the immersive experience.

Instead of the usual open forum after the talks, the audience were allowed to freely interact with the speakers during short intermissions, all very gamely conversing with us and entertaining our questions. You could even be lucky enough to score a one-on-one interview with some of them, if you had enough patience. And while most of my peers decided to ask the speakers for selfies, the student journalist in me sprung into action and asked these esteemed speakers some questions.

W

ell known for his eye-opening documentaries on I-Witness, Howie

Severino is one of GMA’s most notable journalists, currently serving as the Editor-inChief of GMA News Online and Vice President for Multimedia Journalism.

Many typecast today’s Selfie Generation as uninvolved and narcissistic but in his talk, Sir Howie spoke of how we have the potential to be the most empowered age group in history, with the internet and social media on our side.

He shared candidly about his experiences as a

Howie Severino

young journalist during Martial Law, and how he was once detained merely for taking pictures of a protest, encouraging us to use wisely the freedom we enjoy today.

Sir Howie cited the Million People March against the pork barrel scam and the Yellow Boat of Hope Campaign that provides bangkas to underprivileged communities, both advocacies that stemmed from online

CE: What would your advice be to aspiring writers and young journalists that look up to you?

Sir Howie: Do your best because that’s what the profession deserves.

movements and have made a great impact on society.

CE: You spoke about how today’s youth has the potential to become the greatest generation, what should be our first step to achieve this?

Sir Howie: I think the main idea is to think beyond yourself. The youth have the potential in them to either build up themselves or build a nation. Be selfless. Be Unselfie. Cultivate a brand associated with service, intellect, and curiosity.

Turn your camera and point it to the world.

15

A

tty. Quinsayas is one of the prosecutors handling the Maguindanao Massacre case, where she represents the families of 17 journalists

gunned down in the line of duty. She is an advocate against impunity and is currently the legal counsel of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists, a

Atty. Prima Jesusa Quinsayas

network of media organizations that supports the families of media murder victims.

With the harrowing state of today’s politics, it falls on the shoulders of journalists the need to inform the people, but the profession has grown more and more dangerous, and media casualties are at a troubling high.

Atty. Prima took up the responsibility of fighting for the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre immediately after the story broke headlines.

She recalls flying to Maguindanao merely days after the incident and facing the families of 17 journalists killed while in their line of duty. Atty Quinsayas admits that nearly 6 years in, a lot of the families have lost hope of ever achieving justice, but she has done her best to convince them otherwise, enduring the struggle and strain of the notorious case.

CE: What should be the next step in achieving justice in the Ampatuan Case?

Atty. Quinsayas: It should be the following of our Supreme Court’s guidelines strictly, by all involved. And though press freedom is not usually an advocacy of the youth, we need to promote it to ensure awareness among Filipinos

CE: How would you define moving forward?

Atty. Quinsayas: Moving forward is learning from the past.

Angenette Bantiles

M

s. Bantilles experienced firsthand the cruelty of Typhoon

Yolanda when it rammed through

Tacloban City in November of 2013, leaving her the lone survivor in their family of five.

Since then she has fought hard to cope with her loss and has become actively involved with different youth organizations.

Most of us have developed irritation to the phrase You Only Live Once and the hashtag YOLO, but Angenette who prefers going by Anj, admits that it has become her silent mantra and a means to handle all she’s been through. During the talk, Anj narrated in vivid detail how the faithful day of Yolanda’s landfall changed her life completely; how she lost grip of her siblings in the surge of waves, how she had to cling to a piece of wood just to stay afloat, and how she managed to lift herself from the rushing waters to the roof of a hospital that turned out to be nearly two kilometres away from her home.

Though saddened that her family was not as lucky as she was, Anj is grateful for the new life she’s been given and the support of her relatives and friends. She admits to living by “You Only live Once”, but she’s clearly proven that you can be given a second chance.

16

CE: How have you come to terms with the aftermath of Yolanda?

Anj: The experience was definitely life changing, but my relatives stepped up and supported me through it all. And I’ve learned to let go, letting go of the things I can’t control, letting go of the reins and just letting things fall into place.

g n i n i g ima

e R cPu

SETTING THE BLUEPRINT FOR A BETTER CENTRAL + University Dress Code + Infrastructure + Current Issues

in tHe DuMPS

#NoVoiceUnheard 17

Take part in Reimagining CPU, where we picture what it will be like for a student of Central Philippine University in the near future

WHat Will cPu Be liKe 50 YearS FrOM nOW?

Antonette Solinap We wont be needing our IDs coz they’ll have a scanning machine to scan us for identification

Glyn Christian Tupas May cable car na nga galibot sa cpu. Rooftop ka tga building may terminal. XD

HerrPohlenz Garbino 50 years from now? hmm.. tama gid ka taas nga tuition fee!!! JOKE! ! ! saka na gane subong,, nu pa gid bi kung 50 years later..

Chedrex Kabayao Buildings would be higher than injap tower. And UY bldg. Is already floating wherein students are using escalators above the sky. Hahahah (weird Imagination)

Dion Greg Reyes More courses offered like Architecture and Fine Arts.

Tapos a producer of more topnotchers and 100% passing in board exams. :)

but realtalk .. Hopefully 50 years from now . CPU would be a TUITION FREE SCHOOL. Hahahaha and dining hall would have a free delivery you order.

Jason Uy

Tin Victoriano 50 years from now, you can study from home, with tablets or holograms as medium of instruction, robots as teachers, we would be sitting on floating wheel chairs. Hahaha. Who knows, CPU might be a school where only machines populate, and managed by

In the future we would have already developed a type of “smart classroom” where one lecturer in a room can instruct several classrooms from far away, while making it appear as if they are physically present. This tech is already being developed, forgot what it was called.

humans....i mean robots. Lol

Anfernee Joan Ng I just hope that a transportation system is installed. o.o Like some kind of conveyor belt u see in airports. Helps a lot. :D

WHat Will centralian StuDentS Be Wearing in tHe Future?

Marvin Laraño Back to no uniform again, just “proper dress code”

Kim Apitong Depalobos Maybe the uniforms will be like in the anime.... short skirts with black leggings...hahaha

18

Hainze Betorio We’ll be wearing tight suits made out of smart materials that has the capacity to adapt from the melting heat to the freezing cold of the environment, that will also serve as our second skin.

Last year the Engineering Building was given a new floor and the Nursing Building got a much needed facelift, with the added bonus of an elevator.

What other Buildings in CPU require an overhaul?

WHat BuilDingS SHOulD Be DeVelOPeD in tHe neXt FeW ?

YearS anD HOW

Jeddy Solinap I think indi elevator need sang Eng pero escalator ... inefficient daan kun elevator especially kun damu tawo .

Agape Love Abonador

Ceaz Jarder Serilo

Modernized bldg of Roblee Science Hall nga may tinlo kag

Building for cba students! huya man kmi,

lapad nga CR. Especially sa 2nd floor (life science), tani may

kmi pd kadamo population pro ang nv bldg

enough space man para sa mga laboratory equipments like

3 lng ka floor, gna occupy pa sang college of

tingob lang gid ya sa isa ka big room ang tanan nga kinanglan

law (2nd floor), graduate studies (3rd floor)

sa lab kay ga linapta lang ya, kag separate gid nga rooms for laboratory class (glass door and tiles ang salog). Ang LDT nami

Lucky Sanders

man ya ila laboratory hw... Kbye.

Tani may campus mobile XD kalayo dan mag.lakat sa CPU and super init kis.a hahah!:P

Wesley Angelo Barayuga CR for LGBT

all is well looking to the future, but what about the issues that concern us now Nathaniel Mallorca pag saka sang tuition, magamo nga liderato, Suksuk sang gin-ot na uniform, Mo ni ang Forever sa CPU... ano pagid?

Ceanalli Martin Inocencio OA man na nga mapa PE gid every sem! Tani gin adlaw2 niyo pagid! Para mas nami. Kag mas sadya! Kay nalipay gid kami ya sa pila2 kag bayad2 ah! Oh diba guys?????

Rex Sarabia Guys may ara kita soon open forum with the admin. Kun ako sa

enforcement of the University Dress Code has become even more strict in these past few months, what will it be like a few years from now? Will the uniform be changed to something more modern?

inyo tipunon nyo mga reklamo nyo kag gisahon nyo ang admin.

Mga on or before July. Nan kay kun mag open forum wala man may ga alattend. Lets empower the studentry by spreading student activism. If we are united, the admin has no choice but to compromise.

19

Jeddy solinap the hell? ... 10.03% Tuition fee Increase :) *flips table*

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Karisse Mae Legayada

Charmane chin

Bati ko subong ang deadline sng pagpapreenlist. Tuod gid man? Until now nde man ko dyapon kasulod.

Pano na? Nano ang online enrolment nga? Kung subong ang deadline, does it mean sa CPU nlg gid kami mkapapreenlist? Pano nila nahambal nga easy kag mas madasig ang online enrolment when infact, it would take hours or days para mkasulod ka sa server. Plus, sa amon bi nga sa town pa, pasalamat na tne kami na kay pde na namon mcheck online ang grades nmon, no need na nga magpacity kag magkadto sa school kundi less gasto sa fare, pro gle imo baliskad ang natabo.

Neil Jason So ang wala kpa PE pauntatun nyu skwela?

Erika Marie B. Buyco Around 5am. Pa una2x sa relief goods. ??????

Ruben Glenn Nogodula Madredano Experience namun sa mission.. bisan ano oras ka makaabot, 5am ang iban kmi ya 6:30..... mahulat ka gyapon mag 7:30 kay dra palang ma lawagay. hahaha

Vaughn Johann Geonanga Dear CPU server, Nka bayad nku utang ko. Blocked gyapun?

Budlai gd mag move on? Pfft.

Atria Cutanda You’re saying that it is our right to have our physical examination. Tani,

Baquinquito Aria Khaelen

gaan niyo man kami sng freedom to choose whether to make use of

Guys you should check your RFs.

that right or not. Afterall, kami man gabayad. The bottomline is, mas

Especially to those who have a balance in

importante ang amun nga right to education kaysa sa right to physical

their old accounts.Cause i kinda already

examination nga nah. Even the Commission on Higher Education says

paid off my old account this morning. But

so. And the fact nga gina monopolize niyo ang pagpa PE. Ngaa dapat

i guess they didn’t clear it up. And instead

sa Mission Hospital gid? Ngaa indi pwede sa iban nga health centers

they added it to my new one.

magpasa sang specimen? Kun gusto niyo man lang nga masigurado ang health namun, allow us to do it nga mas accessible samun especially ang ara pa sa uma ga istar.

OFFICIAL BALLOT

MARCH 6, 2015 CPU REPUBLIC ELECTIONS HOW TO VOTE 1. SHADE THE CIRCLE WHICH CORRESPONDS TO YOUR CHOSEN CANDIDATE(S).

2. USE A BALLPOINT PEN OR MARKER IN SHADING, AS PROVIDED. 3. DO NOT VOTE FOR MORE THAN WHAT IS INDICATED IN A CERTAIN OFFICE

PRESIDENT

VICE-PRESIDENT

(VOTE 1)

(VOTE 1)

This year's CPUR Elections got really heated

in tHe aFterMatH OF tHe electiOnS SENATORS (VOTE 8)

CPU had become a battleground of two opposing armies. As bombs flared and guns shot, casualties on both sides fired up like warheads detonating, and

Now we ask: what's in store for our new set of elected officials?

Words by Ron Adrian Dionaldo Photos by Chalcedon Sa単or

all the while seemingly innocent bystanders found themselves dragged into the fight. Those who were once neutrals were forced to take a side, and veterans and neophytes alike were not spared from destruction. When the smoke finally cleared, the arena revealed nary a sign of either the victors or the losers. Standing on the ruined land were the same people who had previously clashed, now working hand in hand as they aided the wounded.

21

Nobody wins and nobody loses, because in this war, all that matters is the aftermath that will ultimately follow.

Elections may be a hard, taxing, strenuous, full of controversy and tension.

However, if leaders stay true to their promises of serving the student body, then the promises should be kept whether they win or lose. Sure, the ultimatum decrees that the positions at the top are indeed official positions—granted by the majority to those deemed worthy—but at its very core, leading and serving are noble passions that require no formal titles.

Before I continue, I admit I did not vote. I personally know only two or three of the candidates from the official list. I was not physically present at CPU for the most part of the school year, and I could only

a leader true to his word and deed—no hidden agenda or vaIn desIre for fame and glory—will be looked upon with Favour Those who somehow fell short of emerging

follow the exciting and dramatic trail of the

at the top are not devoid of any victory. Leading

elections through the Internet. I do not have

and serving do not end when the precincts are

the slightest idea of who will possibly win at

closed and the scores are tallied. God’s “no” does

move the pond. The influence is inherently there.

this time of writing, and I will no longer be

not usually mean a rejection but a redirection. If

One act—like picking the trash—is all it takes.

present at school to see them work next year.

the doors of the student government cannot be

The rest will follow suit.

To put it plainly, I was not actively

moved, then perhaps there are other doors that

A leader is honest to himself, to his

involved in this year’s elections. But this I

are freely open. A true leader, after all, leads even

colleagues, and to the people he serves. An honest

do know: next year, around 13,000 students

without the titles, fame, recognition, or benefits.

leader knows he is as accountable to God as

will enter the gates of this campus, and their

But behind these words of closure and

much as he is accountable to men.

school experience here will be directly defined

comfort lies one lesson any aftermath discreetly

by the people at the helm. And so the least

imposes: the battle had laid waste to the land,

honest with passion reinforced by actual works,

that I could do is to believe that the aftermath

and therefore it is imperative for the current

the aftermath will usher to a new golden age

of this election will be positive.

leaders to prevent it from happening again.

for CPU. Sure, a future battle is inevitable, but

At its simplicity, a positive aftermath is basically one unified team of leaders. Illusions of political parties should be left behind for the bigger work ahead. Those who officially

As long as this year’s leaders stay true and

How?

the bloody war will be mitigated to a friendly

Be true and honest. That is all that matters,

competition.

because everything else will fall into place.

A leader true to his word and deed—no

Despite the controversies, pains, and scars, an aftermath need not necessarily have a negative

won are now faced with new responsibilities.

hidden agenda or vain desire for fame and

connotation. And in a Christian school like CPU,

Sure, the battles may have left scars that may

glory—will be looked upon with favour. He may

aftermaths are challenges to lead like Christ did.

never heal, but a leader knows how to control

not have his name plastered in every tarpaulin or

In the end, aftermaths are reminders that despite

his pride, yield, and work with those who

program, but the simplest and most genuine acts

the odds, we are still one student body with one

were once his contenders, now his allies.

of kindness and service will ripple outward and

blood, one purpose, and one Central Spirit.

post by post

An account of recent issues as told on Facebook

Rex Sarabia Good evening ladies and gentlemen, my bosses the

for the people. Yet at the height of finally unlocking the truth,

CPU studentry. A great crime against the studentry

material evidences that could point towards the answer were

was committed today. Earlier this day, the CPUR

taken. Significantly derailing the momentum of our crusade

President’s office was RAIDED. All the records, books and other evidences that could shed light on the allegations of

I am saddened by the thought that we have expectations

corrupt practices of the previous administration were taken by

that our officials should be the first to confront and engage

an identified malefactor.

these wrong doers in our community, yet it has been found that

I am shaken by this incident. It has been a long struggle for everyone to determine the truth in all these allegations

this man assists in the cover up of the crimes.

Dear identified official, i will not state your name. I will

of corruption so that justice could be properly served for in

afford you time to speak your side. But please, return those

behalf of the studentry. A long struggle consisting of tireless

papers by Monday as you owe allegiance to the studentry you

investigation, evidence gathering, constant follow ups and

are serving. Not to whomever is trying to hide his tracks.

plenty of strife in between. All in the pursuit of impartial justice

22

against corruption.

Mga boss ko, ano ma hambal nyo?

An account of recent issues as told on Facebook

post by post

Bryan Eric Cerebo

J.e. Salarda

PART I of V:

Mr. Bryan Cerebo Dos,

I was happy that I have already graduated

Bryan Cerebo as a

ka T shirt bidder sa isa ka bidding

in the University where I once became its

Centralian w/ an average

event? Yes or no?

CPU Republic President. I thought I was entirely

IQ, all I can say is sa 5 ka articles

5. Gin suhulan ka bala sang isa

6. Ikaw bala ang mastermind sang

free to see the world with my present job but with

sang imu online speech nga gin

MAY RAID SCANDAL kung diin

what I have heard, I need to go back and break my

basa ko, u were not able to answer

gnapasuni nga nakuha ang mga

silence. I will be a hypocrite if I say I am not hurt,

even a single allegation thrown at

papeles nga ebidensya laban sa imu?

that we are not hurt. The truth is, we are deeply hurt

you.... The corruption issues could

Yes or no?

with the things going on around.

be answered w/ a simple “yes or

I would like to reiterate that it is not my

7. Tuod bala nga nagpagwa kamu

no” but you kept on saying that the

kwarta sa gintawag nio nga Xmas

habit to join “facebook wars” or heated exchange

liquidations were already w/ certain

fasHion show sa bulan sang marso?

of words of one camp against another. I don’t

officials, take notee that liquidations

Kag tuod bala nga ang kwarta sa

facebook my problems or answer allegations

could even be manipulated... The

PASHYUN SHOW ginbayad niyo sa

through online platforms.But since the people who

questions are very comprehensible

inyu utang? Yes or no?

brand themselves as “advocates” went beyond the

to the cognition of a Grade 6 pupil.

borderline, I was urged to speak even just for once.

1. May ara bala abuse sa pag gamit

8. Tuod bala nga nagpagwa kamu kwarta para sa League of governors?

I don’t hide. I don’t have anything to hide for I

sang CPUR funds pagpa BAGUIO

Kag ang kwarta nga ini ginbayad

did nothing wrong. Aside from the fact that I am

niyo? Yes or no?

niyo sa inyo utang? Tuod pa gd bala

already working right after graduation, I don’t buy

2. Nangutang or nag loan kamu

the procedure they command us to comply with,

bala because of financiall shortages

which likely a “trial for publicity”.

kag gin gamit niyo bala ang kwarta

I want to tell you of my observation over the issues which for us, is total exaggeration. The issues of corruption, abuse of CPUR funds and

nga may promisory note kamu sa inyu ginutangan? Yes or no?

9. Tuod bala nga gingasto niyo ang

sa estudyante para matabunan ini?

kwarta sang CPUR Office supplies

Yes or no?

nga 10K? Office supplies gd lang

3. Nagbakal ka bala bag-o nga

10 K gid, anu kamu adlaw adlaw ga

other “blings” started during the CPUR campaign.

furnitures, ginbaligya ang daan kag

photocopy? Ang 10K makapakaon

It increased in degree as the days got nearing the

ginbulsa ang benta? Yes or no?

na na tani 100 ka pulubi sang

election day. This was purportedly to dislodge our

4. Ngaa na late, wala na receive

party, Koalisyon’s standard bearer Tricia Gonzalez.

sang frat ang kwarta? Kung wala

dakbanwa sang Iloilo....

I’m not in any party but I would

Their accusations were mostly against me but they

kamu gnreklamo ginbalik niyo

be at peace if u can even just give a

have insisted Tricia to answer on my behalf and the

gid man bala ang kwarta kay Ms.

yes or no answer to these allegations

CPU Republic. After Tricia lost, have you observed

harder...? Yes or no?

may it be virtually or live...

that she is now removed from the equation? Now that a new set of officers of the CPU Republic already assumed office, the pressure was shifted on the shoulders of former Prime Minister and now Vice President Dojie Gumata. They even urged Dojie to resign to his present post.

*To read the rest of the posts and express your own opinion, search In The Dumps - the Central Echo on facebook and click join

23

MARCHING ON The brave few of CPU's ROTC

Words by Vivienne Songcayawon Photo by Jedrick Leighnoir Solinap

Gone are the days when male students were

forget that it is our responsibility to serve

the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps in their first two

and protect our country. But it seems like

years in college.

most of us are cowards and have turned our

Today, everyone is given the freedom to choose

back to this call. Still, I salute the few men

from the three components of the National Service

and women who took the courage to choose

Training Program (NSTP). Among Literacy Training

ROTC.

Service (LTS), Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS)

24

As Filipino citizens, we should not

forced to undergo a two-year military training under

Early in the morning, during Saturdays,

and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), the

you’ll see the cadets forming their lines on

latter has the least number of enrollees here in CPU.

the big filed, clean cut hair for boys and

This is believed to be caused by misconceptions – that

neatly tucked hair for girls, caps on, nails

ROTC Officers are too strict (naka tiger look permi),

cut short, polished buckle belts, black socks,

that there is no room for mistakes in ROTC because

device tucked-in, shining combat boots and

every mistake corresponds to a punishment (push up

of course, a pistol belt on top of their green

or squat thrust?), and worst of all is that cadets are

fatigues, and carrying with them their

always placed under the scourging heat of the sun

wooden riffles. Missing or violating any of

(sayang ang gluta). Many are called but only few have

the above mentioned things will cause them

chosen to join.

to be sanctioned with a demerit.

“Pasulong, kad!”, commands the corps commander and there goes the battalion marching, looking good and snappy as they conquer the big field.

But wait, ROTC is not just all marching and military training, they also give focus on theories and allot time for lectures every Saturday.

Other activities of ROTC include the annual Presentation of Sponsor (POS) which creates a venue for cadet officers to socialize with their partners, Field Day which promotes teamwork and camaraderie among cadets, the Acquaintance and Christmas Parties to strengthen the bond between them and, Camp Tours which give cadets opportunities to visit the camp sites of the Philippine Army here in the province and give them first-hand experiences like actual rifle firing.

as FILIPINO CITIZENS, we sHould NEVER FORGET tHat It Is our RESPONSIBILITY

TO SERVE and Protect OUR COUNTRY

After an academic year or two semesters of being a cadet, students will be graduating from ROTC Basic Cadet Course and will be official reservists of the Philippine Army.

Despite the small number of cadets, CPU ROTC Unit is still known as one of the best in Western Visayas. For the past years, it did not fail to bring honor to CPU. Last year’s batch of cadets were held as champion during the 6th RCDG ARESCOM Regional Annual Administrative and Tactical Inspection, A.Y. 13-14.

Still continuing to retain the core values of ROTC - courage, integrity and loyalty - the goak of this year’s CPU ROTC Unit is to have more than 350 enrollees for them to be able to belong to Category A and compete during the National Annual Administrative and Tactical Inspection.

FIELDS OF B L O O D

as tHe case of tHe Fallen 44 unFolded before our very eyes, we saw a diFFerent set oF dialogues and monologues. aFter the bullets, the blames.

Remembering the fallen

Bangsamoro Basic Law. It has also led us to the

during the arrival honors is still despicable no

point of questioning the motives of the current

matter what. Ridon expressed that the absence of

administration. All these things, unfortunately,

the president “speaks volumes of the president’s

are gradually tearing this country apart, from

lack of basic respect for his servicemen.”

the deafening voices of opinions locking horns with each other, to the myriad of protests and demonstrations flooding the pavements of poorly-made streets.

The Mamasapano Clash may have only

And things got even nastier when netizens joined in.

But that was only the beginning of the president’s Calvary. As the Fallen 44 case intensified, many other cases sprouted out.

been a prelude to something worse. During

People began to blame the president for the

an inquiry at the House of Representatives,

entire mishap. Many other names were also

there were reports showing that the MILF

thrown into the cauldron, names like Napeñas,

used a ceasefire to recruit and train even more

Espina, and Purisima. There were even rumors

insurgents in anticipation that the peace talks

that the president didn’t immediately send

touched the soils of Barangay Tukanlipao that

would collapse. And where did the MILF get its

reinforcement to the SAF because he chose to

Sunday morning, three platoons of the Special

money to fund the said activities? According to

conserve the Bangsamoro Basic Law so that he

Armed Forces police squad cautiously made

some lawmakers, they may have gotten monetary

could attain a Nobel Peace Prize.

their way into an enclave where the insurgents

support from the P8.5 billion in DAP funds for

of Mamasapano, Maguindanao were believed to

the ARMM. Abakada Representative Jonathan

during the campaign period for the 2010

be in hiding. Their mission: to detain two high-

de la Cruz even opined that “the MILF was using

presidential elections, when Noynoy was happily

ranking Jemaah Islamiyah-affiliated, improvised-

government money to kill government forces.”

singing the song Estudyante Blues during one of

Words by Paul Mackey Marfil Art by Paul Christian Carbo Just before the sun’s light had barely

explosive-device experts—Zulkifli Abdhir, who

But maybe we’re just being paranoid, or

was also known as Marwan, and Abdul Basit

maybe we’re actually in real danger. Either

Usman. Shots were fired, and the man who was

way, we just don’t want to find ourselves in the

believed to be Marwan was killed. But upon

crosshairs of merciless men, be it from the rebels

hearing the staccato sound of roaring artilleries,

or from the government itself.

another group, led by Usman, attempted to

Blame game

counter. The clash endured for nine hours, from about four in the morning to just shortly after one in the afternoon. A haunting silence then

Ahhhh, I could still remember back then

their campaigns.

Ako ang nakikita Ako ang nasisisi Ako ang laging may kasalanan

A QUASI-METAPHOR But what if the encounter in Mamasapano

“So kasalanan ko na naman?”

was just a faint metaphor of what’s actually

As the case of the Fallen 44 unfolded before

happening in our country? Maybe the real

followed the encounter. And after four hours

our very eyes, we saw that a different, more

problem here is how we settle our differences,

of stillness, men from the Armed Forces of the

Shakespearean set of dialogues and monologues

how greed and lust for power can drive this

Philippines arrived at the scene, only to see a

were coming about. After the bullets, the blames.

country towards an abysmal downfall, and how

grotesque picture painted with the blood of men,

Upon hearing the news that the president

pride and nonchalance can rip us all apart. The

lying cold and lifeless amidst stalks of corn.

didn’t show up during the arrival honors for the

44 men who have fought in Mamasapano have

THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL

slain SAF commandos, many were outraged.

fought a good fight, and with their display of

And the fact that he was at a car inauguration

bravery, they deserve our respects. Maybe we

in Laguna at that same time made things even

are all just like them, fighting our own little yet

yields many questions. It opens doors to many

worse. To soften things up a bit, the Palace

significant battles for this country. We don’t

possibilities, both malicious and benign. It tickles

articulated that the president did not “skip” the

have to die like them, but we can have our own

our minds with an irritating itch that would

arrival honors because he was already scheduled

sacrifices. The 44 SAF commandos are gone, but

eventually persuade us to further scrutinize the

on that day to attend the inauguration of a

their names are forever etched in the annals of

hand that rocks the cradle of this country—the

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Plant. They also

Philippine history.

government.

added that the president would visit the wake of

The death of the 44 SAF commandos

We may have lost only a few lives, but like an open wound, it is prone to infection. The demise of these 44 men has fanned the flames that would eventually heat up doubts and fears over the

the slain commandos, and that he would lead the necrological service.

But according to Kabataan party-list Representative Terry Ridon, the absence of PNoy

In the end, maybe our country is like that cornfield where the SAF commandos were killed, and we’re given the choice to either stain it with more blood, or to revive it and nurture it.

War in

Peace How Bangsamoro hangs at the mercy of a single thread Words by Ron Adrian Dionaldo Art by Rhick Lars Albay

Miriam Coronel-Ferrer to clean up as they do

hearing of the BBL, stating that “We cannot, in

disintegrating, not to mention the burden of a

conscience, proceed with these hearings while

possible ouster on their shoulders.

a cloud of serious doubt hangs over the security

In 2012, when the Bangsamoro Framework

cannot be legislated under the threat of such

the anticipation that perhaps peace will finally

extreme violence.” of a single thread, threatening to fall off the edge

The Ceasefire Agreement that started in 1997

and into the abyss. Now both the Philippine

and all the failed and abolished agreements in

Government and MILF are challenged to

between were finally being put into a possible

continue to strive for this agreement with

and realistic document that could pave the way

unrelenting patience and mutual trust. Only

for peace in Mindanao. It was dubbed as P-Noy’s

then can they preserve the balance.

“legacy” project, expected to be implemented

freely respected. It is an insistent clamour to live

before the end of his term. structure of the Bangsamoro, while its

different times. But to the Bangsamoro people,

annexes lay down arrangements on power and

this struggle has dragged on for far too long.

wealth, as well as transitional mechanisms.

It took seventeen long years of tedious

Bangsamoro will enjoy an autonomous status

and erratic peace negotiations between the

although the Philippine Government will still

Philippine government and the Moro Islamic

have its reserved national power. The substate

Liberation Front (MILF) to draft and almost

will be given liberty to generate its own

complete the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),

revenue, hold its own election, and administer

a framework document that, along with its

the Shari’ah law for Muslims. It is envisioned

annexes, will constitute the comprehensive

to be geographically larger than the ARMM. To top it all, a third-party international

political substate to replace the Autonomous

body will monitor the implementation

Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which

and a transitional committee will oversee

was dubbed by the President himself as a “failed

normalization.

experiment.”

However, this much awaited “peace” that our brothers in Mindanao were eagerly anticipating was shaken by the violent massacre

Despite this setback, the Bangsamoro Law paved the way forward to the road to peace. If

The BBL defines the powers and

struggle fought and won by different nations at

agreement. Bangsamoro will be considered a

Yes, the law presently hangs at the balance

will prevail where its predecessors have failed.

liberty, where lands, customs, and religions are without the threat of war or oppression. It is a

situation in the South. A peace agreement

was taking its first steps, everyone was eager with triumph. There was hope that Bangsamoro

Peace, ironically, is a struggle. It is a cry for

No wonder Senator Marcos postponed the

their best to save 17 years of hard work from

In short, the Law provides the resolution

It Has taken

17 long years of tedious and erratic negotiations to draft tHe

bangsamoro basic law

that will finally close the gap between the Muslim states and the rest of the nation.

But now, with a dark cloud threatening to

it fails, at least peace was given a chance. If it succeeds, then the whole nation will roar to the

of the 44 Special Armed Forces at Mamasapano,

collapse from the sky, this hope was shaken, and

chorus of cheers and freedom. Regardless of

Maguindanao.

Bangsamoro was put to question and scrutiny.

the outcome, Bangsamoro will become a step

Will it solve this peace dilemma, or will it meet

stone of future agreements that will gradually

of the BBL was suspended, and Senators

the same fate of failure like all the other previous

unify and improve the country’s current divide.

Cayetano and Ejercito publicly withdrew as

agreements?

Bangsamoro will become a precedence of peace

In a span of a few hours, the public hearing

authors of the law. The Philippine National

For one, did either party fail to honor their

talks with the other remaining rebel groups,

Police and the MILF negotiators under

side of the agreement during the Mamasapano

until the islands of this nation become one in its

Mohagher Iqbal are struggling to put the pieces

clash? Why did the Philippine Government

entirety and culture.

together trying to figure out where exactly

execute an operation into hostile ground when,

The road to peace is never easy. It looks

everything went wrong. The President is under

amidst the ceasefire, the chance of a gun battle is

bleak, dangerous, and at times hopeless.

fire, and both the Houses of the Congress

close to inevitable? On the other hand, why was

Roadblocks and detours are expected, and

are at their heels holding together a country

Malaysian bomb expert and terrorist Marwan

certain sacrifices should be made. But as long as

threatening to fall apart from the South.

enjoying sanctuary in MILF territory in the first

there is a desire for peace, as long as the struggle

Meanwhile, Mindanao continues to bleed while

place? Now the media has named MILF and

is fought, as long as passion burns and trust is

the rest of the populace cry for justice for the

the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a

maintained, then the road of peace, no matter

fallen 44. This bloody mess has been left to

splinter group of the MILF itself, the suspects of

how difficult and less travelled, will endure to

peace negotiators Teresita Quintos-Deles and

the ambush.

go on.

29

e h t t a h W

e v a G

30

r e t a W

s U

How our country has always been at the mercy of the sea Words and Photos by Rhick Lars Albay In Visayan Mythology, Magwayen the formidable goddess of the waters and seas was also the deity of death and the underworld. Calm, vast and tranquil, but with the potential to raise violent hurricanes and cause widespread havoc when angered. She represented not only a caring mother, provider of plentiful harvests at sea and nurturer of livelihood and nourishment, but also a bringer of destruction, levelling villages to the ground with her waves and storms, swallowing whole towns with her floods.

Often pictured as a beautiful woman in a gown that flows like streams and adorned with an elaborate crown of gold and jewels, Magwayen was also believed to be the ferrywoman of the dead, guiding souls to the watery depths of the ancient Visayan hell. She was both loved and feared, worshipped for her care and benevolence, feared for her ruthlessness and power.

Magwayen’s rivers and shores allowed our ancestors to thrive and build growing communities and Barangays but with a snap of her fingers she could easily take it all away. This is a lesson we learned the hard way nearly two years ago, Yolanda ramming through our eastern coasts, the Filipino people unprepared for the calamities that were upon us.

31

As connections were gradually being rebuilt in the days after that unfortunate November day, and as news and communications started to trickle into the media, we found ourselves a nation united in awe. Shocked by the images flashed on our screens and saddened by the stories we heard and read about. Orphans roaming around in search of their families, body

our country is blessed wItH tHe generosity oF the sea, from our ancestors to today, we continue to reap tHe bounty of the ocean

bags lining the streets, a mother and child who hid inside a refrigerator thinking they’d be safe

The first step in the right direction is always

there found dead, mass graves, rampant looting,

education. Lack of disaster preparedness and

endless wreckage and chaos.

awareness is one of the reasons why typhoon after

You’d think a country that faces more than

typhoon continues to bring the Filipino people

twenty typhoons every year would be more or

to their knees. Citizens need to be properly

less used to these disasters, but used to it, we are

oriented on the steps that need to be undertaken

not. Every new hurricane still manages to catch

prior to storm signals, the kits and supplies that

should also be an integral part of our education

us unguarded. Sendong, Milenyo, Frank, the

need to be stored for emergencies, and how to

system. If taught at a young age the struggles

list goes on and on, each new typhoon serving

safely transfer to the mandatory evacuation

we’ll face with our climate growing more

a hard blow to the spirit of the Filipino people.

sites. The efficient dissemination of information

and more unpredictable, a new generation of

Thousands of casualties each year, but instead

and announcements could prevent hundreds of

environmentally-aware individuals could lead

of building better awareness among citizens and

deaths caused by ignorance and negligence. The

the way to preventing even more damage to our

owning up to their mistakes, politicians take to

internet has proven its worth in this area and text

eco-system.

pointing fingers after every national calamity,

messaging and local community disaster teams

not wanting to be weighed down by the blame

hold plenty of potential.

for masses of deaths and millions in property destroyed.

A stockpile of necessary relief goods should

Climate Change adaptation and mitigation

Lastly, we all need to have a hand in caring for our environment. At this point, every little contribution counts in stopping climate change.

be ready round the clock for easy distribution to

Recycle, conserve electricity, develop new and

the people in need. In past disasters, such cases

innovative ways to reduce the strain we put on

longest coastlines in the world, the ocean is a

have been reported wherein dehydration and

our earth. Pledge to help spread the need to

great source of our people’s livelihood and many

starvation in secluded areas after typhoons were

combat pollution, participate in restoring our

of our economy’s driving products are from the

the causes of death, and not the storm itself.

coastlines, and discourage actions that have

The Philippine archipelago has one of the

sea, tourism in our country is bolstered mainly

And most importantly, our national

damaging consequences to our environment.

by our numerous beaches. But we sit at a very

government needs to strengthen its resolve

precarious area, at the vanguard of the Pacific

and plan of action for calamities expected or

The Philippines is blessed with the

Ocean where most hurricanes originate and gain

not. Government channels have proven to be

generosity of the sea, we are the Pearl of the

momentum, our islands always in the path of

again and again slow and ineffective in times of

Orient, once called the land of the golden sunset,

storms and typhoons. Studies have shown that

emergency, a lack of coordination, coupled with

and our waters provide us with commerce,

we may not be among the top contributors to

party line conflicts and political favors being put

tourism, livelihood, and nourishment. From

climate change in the world, but we are one of

in to play, bring disaster relief operations to a

our ancestors to today, we continue to reap the

the most susceptible to its harmful effects. The

screeching halt. These trying times should not

bounty of the ocean. It is important we keep in

Super Typhoon used to be a rare occurrence, now

be viewed as a means to gain campaign leverage,

mind to take care of her, our waters, as she has

we are subjected to major Tropical Cyclone Alerts

instead it should foster unity and camaraderie in

done for us for all these years, because when

annually.

the service of the Filipino people.

angered, she can very easily take it all back.

32

33

Munting Hil ing

34

“ate, ate, gusto ko maging isang teacher paglaki ko”

Words by Micaela Allen Garcia Photos by Jedrick Leighnoir Solinap Unique Canonicato “Ate, Ate, gusto ko maging isang teacher paglaki ko,” ani ng isang batang musmos kasabay ang kaniyang munting paghila sa aking damit.

Bakas ang ngiti sa mga labi ng mga kabataan kung makakakita sila ng mga ‘di pangkaraniwang tao sa kanilang lugar. Mga nakabihis pormal na malayo sa kanilang pananamit ang pag-akala nila sa amin na mga guro ang naging hangad din nila sa kinabukasan. Ang sabik na minsan na karamihan sa kanila’y nag-aasam din na magkaroon ng kaaya-ayang damit na maipagmalaki nila sana tuwing papasok sa eswela o ‘di kaya’y makikipagkita sa mga kalaro sa kapitbahay habang suot iyon. Ang sabik sana na minsan mo lamang masusulyapan sa arawaraw na paglakbay ng panahon.

35

kakapusan. Ito ang matIndIng salita na maaari lamang makapaglalarawan sa sitwasyon ng mga nakatIra sa brgy. north baluarte akong tuwa ang dala nito sa magulang ngunit

magulang. Hiling niya sana na marining

na maaari lamang makapaglalarawan sa

ng maitanong ko kung saan ang kanyang ina,

siya ng gobyerno na marami pa sana siyang

sitwasyon ng mga nakatira sa Brgy. North

simangot ang aking nasalamuha. Napagtanto

kasamang mga kabataan na makararanas ng

Baluarte kung saan maraming pangarap ang

ko nang ituro niya ang kanyang daliri sa

sagana ng edukasyon. Subalit habang paulit-

unti-unti nang naglalaho dahil nga sa salitang

direksyon kasalungat sa akin. Alas kuwatro pa

ulit niyang nakikita ang ina na nakapuwesto

kakapusan. Mahigit isang libo katao ang

lamang ng hapon at tila bakas din sa mukha

sa mesaing iyon, nabubura ang kagandahan at

naninirahan sa lugar at nakagugulat malaman

at katawan ng nanay ang kaniyang pagiging

kaliwanagan ng kaniyang ambisyon.

na kalahati ng populasyon ay mga kabataang

sugalera sa isang mesa malapit sa lugar na

edad 0 hanggang 16 anyos; kalahati ng

pinagtitipunan naming mga kabataan. Kita

kabataang nakasaksi sa kanilang sitwasyon,

populasyon na makakapaglunas ng problema

sa mukha ng paslit ang hiya na pagsusugal

“Sisisihin tayo ng gobyerno at ng ating pamilya

sana ng kasalukuyan.

ang mas inaatupag ng kaniyang ina kaysa na

na wala tayong marangal na trabaho na kung

salubungin siya na may halong yakap.

tutuusin sila ang mga nagdadamot sa amin

Kakapusan. Ito ang matinding salita

Nakagiginhawang isipin na may mga responsable pang mga magulang ngayon kahit

“ate, ate, paglaki ko, ako naman ang tutulong sa mga bata katulad ng ginagawa mo”

Ang tamis ng pakiramdam na sa

Sabi ng isang representative sa aming mga

nito.” Tunay na makahulugan ang mga salitang

iilan na lamang ang kusang nagpapadala

murang edad pa lamang ay nakakaintindi

ibinitiwan niya na kailanman nagbibigay

sa kanilang mga anak sa paaralan. Pero

na ang mga batang katulad ni Jascel sa mga

punto sa karamutan at korapsyon ng ating

nakalulungkot isipin na ang interes ng mga

problemang nagiging ugat ng kasiraan ng

bansa. Hindi man lahat ng nakatatanggap ng

magulang na ito sa pagpapadala sa kanilang

mga pangarap nila. ‘Di naman karamihan

edukasyon na dapat sana’y para sa lahat, pero

mga anak sa paaralan ay limitado. Limitado

ang nakakapaghanapbuhay sa mga taong

ang pag-asa na ipinapakita ng mga kabataan

kung saan hanggang elementarya o minsan sa

nakatira sa lugar. Yung iba’y nangingisda,

katulad ng munting hiling ni Jascel ang

hayskul lang makatapos ay ayos na.

nagiging kargador at karaniwan sa mga babae

siyang magiging lagusan patungo sa aming

ay nagtitinda ng kung anu-ano. Hindi sapat

pakikipaglaban para sa kanilang kinabukasan.

Nabanggaan ko ang isang batang babaeng pangalan niya’y si Jascel. Isang paslit

ang kita ng bawat pamilya kaya ang iba’y

“Ate, Ate, paglaki ko, ako naman ang

na kagagaling lamang ng eskwela suot ang

nalululong sa sugal at malala pa yung iba,

tutulong sa mga bata katulad ng ginagawa mo.”

punit-punit at gusot na gusot na uniporme.

naeengganyo na rin sa pagbebenta ng droga.

Hindi ako nagdalawang isip na tanungin siya

Kaawa-awa ang mga batang sana’y pag-asa ng

kung kamusta naman ang kaniyang pag-aaral.

bayan subalit isang paraan na rin sila bilang

Ginantihan niya ako ng ngiting hanggang

bugaw sa masasamang bisyo.

tenga at sinabing mabuti naman kasama ang

Napag-alaman ko na isa si Jascel

pag-alsa ng kanang kamay upang ipakita sa

sa sampung bata na naghahangad na

aking mukha ang tatlong bituing istamp sa

makapagtapos ng pag-aaral upang

mga nito. Bakas sa mukha ng munting bulilit

makapagtrabaho raw siya nang marangal

ang saya na siya’y pinarangalan sa klase. Tiyak

at hindi maitulad ang kaniyang sarili sa

36

a neW HOMe The Many Colors of the Lanit Relocation Center Words by Rhick Lars Albay Photos by Chalcedon Sa単or

39

It’s a striking view from a distance, clean rows of brightly colored houses in alternating pastel hues, standing proud against the rice paddies that surround it. Up close you see how each house has a unique character of its own, with differently decorated porches, some with small gardens and patches of grass, others with picket fences and screen doors, there are even a few Sari-sari Stores and signs for businesses and livelihood: tailors, repairmen, food vendors. This fledgling new community has been named the Iloilo River Plains Subdivision and it houses Ilonggo families who used to be informal settlers around our city.

In the past few years, we’ve seen the flourish and development of the Iloilo River, the introduction of the Iloilo River Esplanade - a park that runs along the length of the river, the construction of new ports and an effort to improve the ones we already have, a continuing endeavour to halt pollution, and most notably the removal of shanty houses and informal settlements that have clustered on different areas near the riverbanks of our city.

Jojie Depita and her family of eight used to live at San Jose, Molo near the Old City Slaughterhouse and across the newly built Iloilo Medical City. There she and her husband, a laborer, struggled to find means to provide for their large family in a cramped and narrow house, raised out of the river’s grimy waters only by stilts. Manang Jojie and her family was first faced with the need to relocate in 2012 when it was announced that their humble dwelling was scheduled to be demolished. She had always feared that this day would come and try as they could, their meagre resources couldn’t survive the blow of losing a home.

Luckily, they we’re given a chance to start anew, to be a recipient of the city’s newest housing project that catered to those displaced by the development of the Iloilo River. They were one of nearly a thousand other families given this new opportunity.

40

Her famIly was First Faced wItH tHe need to relocate wHen It was announced tHat their humble dwelling was scHeduled to be demolished

Though it’s been nearly two years since they transferred, Manang Jojie admits that each new day is still an adjustment process. Far from the bustle of the city and fare being expensive, her family and most other residents are wary of travelling from their community. This is why Jojie has decided to just watch over her children while her husband earns a living as a carpenter in the city. Many others report a difficulty in finding livelihood so far from Iloilo’s business hubs. The closest public school is in the next town, requiring children to travel by tricycle, but in most cases to walk, nearly a kilometre just to attend their classes during weekdays. For a time people feared using their areas’ deep well water supply, as it was reported to be contaminated.

But most of these concerns have now been answered. An elementary school right at the center of the village is nearing completion, the community’s wells have been confirmed to be clean and safe for use, and a jeepney route that passes through the Lanit Relocation site is being pushed forward by the City Hall.

Standing on 5.6 hectares of government owned land, the Lanit Relocation site is the fruit of the synergized efforts of several public offices, among them the National Housing Authority, the Iloilo City Hall, and the office of Senator Franklin Drilon. Built near the Iloilo Floodway and along the city’s new circumferential road, the area is serene and calm, but with signs of a promising future in the horizon. With new establishments planned and a booming new subdivision in the works, the area has the potential to become a thriving hub of activity.

Lanit continues to flourish in all its bright color, the mere sight of it is enough to inspire the curiosity of any passer-by, and the families that call this their new home, nearly a thousand strong, make the village radiate even brighter.

41

if we

LittheUp Youth

42

Words by Rhick Lars Albay & Verna Roz Taperla Photos by Chalcedon Sa単or

r Blazing the trail fo the Filipino Youth

43

44

Fuel to Fire There are three necessary components to start a fire – heat, oxygen, and fuel.

A material, if exposed close enough to a source of heat, especially if there is fuel to serve as a catalyst, will undergo a chemical reaction called combustion. The sustained visible portion of this chain reaction is called the flame.

Altogether, this burning substance would then be able in itself, to release heat, light, and even have the potential to cause other combustible material in proximity to erupt into flames.

The youth is a good example of a highly combustible material, but of course not in the

hope and change can be lIkened to a growing Fire – fIrst a Feeble spark, next a Flickering Flame, tHen a mighty blaze

literal sense. We all have the potential to ignite a spark within us, to light a fire against adversity,

The Sangguniang Kabataan, the institution

to blaze a trail towards empowerment. But some

that is supposed to stand for and represent the

of us lack fuel – a drive to make a change, some

youth in the Local, even National government,

lack heat – an urgent calling, and the harsh

has instead become the breeding ground for

reality is that most of our country’s young lack

teenaged traditional politicians and the offspring

oxygen – the bare necessities to survive.

of political dynasties – their projects mostly

weak. We’ve been sidelined and relegated to the

Blaze the Trail The collective fire of the Filipino youth is

limited to Pageants and Pa-liga, doing very little

outskirts of nation building for so long that it

are vital to start a fire. How can you light up the

to uplift the current state of unawareness and

almost seems like we’ve all but lost the potential

youth when even just its components are so hard

uninvolvement of the youth.

to be the hope of our fatherland.

Heat, oxygen, and fuel - all three elements

achieve?

With the current harrowing state of our

Rizal once compared our freedom to

nation, the youth are supposed to be the beacon

fire, saying “The divine flame of thought is

of hope, a sign that there is progress to come,

inextinguishable in the Filipino people.” We

promising individuals that can lead us out of

have somewhat proven our hero’s words true -

this economic rut that the Philippines has been

as a nation, overcoming years of struggle and

populations in Southeast Asia, a large majority

suffering for a very long time. But how can the

emerging even stronger from the ashes every

of our country’s citizens falling between the ages

youth fulfil that promise when even they can

time. But the fire that burns within us all has

5 to 24 years old, our national median age being

barely scrape by. The poverty incidence in the

been stifled by decades of corruption, oppression,

23 – a significantly lower value as compared to

Youth sector is 20.9% and the value is increasing

and poverty.

that of other developing Asian countries, with

yearly. In Children the percentage is even higher

Singapore at 41 years, and Thailand at 33 years.

at 34.1%.

Sparks and Embers The Philippines has one of the youngest

This has been equated as a major economic

Education, a right of all Filipino citizens

It’s in times like this, one should remember – a light that goes out can be rekindled by a spark from another person. Much like how a single

advantage moving forward, with a growing

as mandated by the 1987 Constitution, has

burning candle can spread embers like wildfire

young labor force, the Philippines has great

become a privilege. Marred by corruption,

if given a chance, even a lone youth can make

potential for economic growth and development.

commercialization and an underfunded

a difference in this world, advocating greater

Rizal’s famous words – “the youth is the hope of

Department of Education, many are deprived of

progress, urging his peers stand for their rights,

the fatherland” – seems almost like a prophesy

the right to enrol and learn. The international

blazing a trail for generations to come.

waiting to be fulfilled, except that the latest

UNESCO standard is that atleast 6% of a

statistics point the other direction. An increased

country’s Gross Domestic Product should be

the youth, watchful of the elements that are

unemployment rate for fresh graduates has been

allotted for Education. The Philippines fall short

being forged together to raise them. At first, with

reported for 2015, and a significant rise in the

of this, at 2.9%, barely amounting to half of what

great care, like shielding a candle’s flame with

incidence of poverty in our country leads you to

is ideal to subsidize public education for all.

one’s hand to protect it from the occasional gust

One should be vigilant when lighting up

It’s estimated that 1 in every 8 Filipino

of wind, but then gradually fanning the flames

youth is deprived of schooling. With 36.23% of

encouraging them spread. After all, the youth

half of the Philippine population, labelled the

Filipino’s aged 6 to 24 declaring themselves as out

is the hope that will bring light to the world,

hope our country and the supposed driving force

of school youth, most citing insufficient family

holding our country’s greatest potential to achieve

that will lead our nation forward, we have very

income as a barrier to education. It’s not difficult

its goals. It’s high time we take matters into our

little say in the affairs and endeavours of our

to deduce why the power of the Filipino youth

own hands and begin the change ourselves.

country. Our politicians have done very little to

remains largely untapped, when even their basic

represent the youth sector in the government,

right to education is denied.

question if we truly are progressing.

Though we, the youth, make up more than

with a select few lobbying for bills that truly

How can the youth spark change when they

Hope and change can be likened to a growing fire – first a feeble spark, next a flickering flame, then a mighty blaze, ever increasing

benefit us students and the underprivileged out

are weighed down by poverty, a lack of education,

intensity and power as more feed the flame. Let’s

of school youth.

and a lack of involvement?

light up the youth and start the chain reaction.

45

BeHinD tHe curtainS Words by Paul Mackey Marfil

UNVEILING THE STORIES OF TEATRO, SINING, ATBP For most of us, performing onstage is one of the most difficult things to do. But for

ithem is the Dance Fashion, a movement presentation which emphasizes the importance of reuse, reduce, and recycle.

But of course, the group isn’t only

some, it is their passion, their dream, their

bound within the perimeters of Central. It

ambition; the members of Teatro, Sining,

has had several collaborations with other

Atbp. are only some of the many who have

theatrical guilds like the Little Theatre

opted for the latter.

of the University of San Agustin. Its

It all started way back in April 1997

members were even invited by a national

when CPU acting president Juanito M.

theatre association to perform in one of

Acanto asked Mrs. Regina Ilagan-Pagunsan

its events.

to form a theatre guild that would promote

Like every other organization,

cultural awareness both inside and outside

Teatro, Sining, Atbp. also believes that

the university. This eventually led to the

moving forward is a key necessity for

birth of the CPU Theatre Guild. Auditions

a group’s success. When asked about

and screenings were then held to determine

what forward means, Cris Barredo, a

the members of the group, which was later

member of the group, said, “Forward

on renamed as Teatro, Sining, Atbp.

is moving ahead with faith in God and

Other than the organization’s aim

the perseverance to succeed without

to hone talents, it also strives to create

forgetting the path taken, the individuals

awareness among students regarding the

that help in small or big ways, and those

myriad of issues that plague the present

who lift you whenever you fall.”

generation. And of course, they usually do

You might see Teatro, Sining, Atbp.

this through creative, artistic, and aesthetic

as an organization that only performs

ways.

onstage. But their will and determination

The theatrical group also wants to

to use the arts to persuade us to make a

involve students in the different genres of

stand against pressing issues is a tell-tale

art, introducing them to the beauty and the

sign that the group is also triumphant

wonders of the craft and allowing them to be

in performing on a bigger, more crucial

trained in the different aspects of life.

stage—life.

The organization usually holds

After all, as what Shakespeare had

auditions every first semester for those who

said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the

are willing to join the group. And to hone

men and women merely players.”

its members’ skills, various workshops and trainings are being made.

46

Teatro, Sining, Atbp. carries out several programs every year. One of

47

Iya talks balancing the pressures of the stage and school, as well as her drive to walk on air 48

on

Pointe Words by Dazen Dawn Lariza

Although it was a struggle to Hair tied up in a tight bun, clad

balance these three important areas

in tights and a frilly skirt that dances

in her life, Iya kept moving forward

with her every pirouette and jette.

despite the obstacles she faced in

Toes on pointe, ready for the next

order to reach her dreams and make

dance routine.

her parents proud.

Yes. Ingrid Faye Astronomia

“Every challenge I experienced

(also known as Iya) is known for her

with my academics, every injury I

ballet numbers during various school

had during ballet rehearsals, and

events and her reign as Miss Central

every obstacle I faced in leading a

Philippine University Republic 2014-

student body kept moving forward,”

2015. But this dainty ballerina is more

she said, adding, “whenever I

than just a pretty face or a performer

thought of wanting to give up, I

on center stage.

always went back to the reason why

This Bachelor in Medical Laboratory Sciences (BMLS) fresh

I started doing all these.”

She says that as a CPU

graduate is also a leader, having

graduate, having been in CPU since

served as the College of Arts and

kindergarten, she has always been

Sciences Council Governor for the

taught to face the pressures of life

School Year 2013-2014. She was the

with grace and to carry the values

last BMLS student to serve as CAS

that Centralian education has

governor because the following school

instilled in her as she moves along

year BMLS was transferred to the

the horizon of life.

College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences (CNAHS).

“As a young girl I was trained to juggle school, ballet, and being

Now on a new chapter as a BMLS graduate, Iya continues to move forward with her dreams one step at a time, on pointe.

a student leader. All these three mattered even if I had to give up one to compensate the other two at certain times,” Iya said.

49

Light up the youth Start n i a ch n o ti c rea the

50

Photography

CHALCEDON SAﾃ前R JEDRICK LEIGHNOIR SOLINAP

Art Direction LEA PRODIGO

Models

INGRID FAYE ASTRONOMIA LOUVELLE GONZALES ARLEYSE ANN FERRER MA. JOLYN EMPEDRADO CRIS BARREDO JOCYL ANN BACHOCO

51

and when the moment comes that you should stumble and fall, the cheers will only get described as a wheel, a party, a circus. If you look at it, life can be described as almost anything imaginable. In fact, one illustration even had its roots founded Biblically.

Life is a race.

Cliché as it may sound, there is nothing else as apt as this definition.

Whether we look at it spiritually or not, life is indeed a race. However, this

competition. Your life and everything within it is not a death-or-life struggle to win first prize.

If that is so, why do we run? The Christian life teaches us that there is more to running the race than just plain winning.

WE RUN BECAUSE WE HAVE WITNESSES The book of Hebrews state that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. A race will have an audience watching and cheering, and life’s race is no different than that.

Every day, all our words and actions are being observed by people. We may not know it, but we influence people with whatever we do. A shy smile, a simple greeting—every act of kindness or word of encouragement sends cheers into the crowd. On the contrary, a lazy or spiteful runner will only get boos.

Your life has influenced people more than you can imagine, and running the race has never been this critical. Danielle Laporte, a motivational speaker, once said, “Consider that you radiate. At all times. Consider that what you’re feeling right now is rippling outward into a field of is-ness that anyone can dip their oar into. You are felt. You are heard. You are seen. If you were not here, the world would be different. Because of your presence, the

52

up and run again.

a game, a highway,

race is not a mere

universe is expanding.”

louder. The watchers believe that you can stand

WE RUN BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE CHAINS Have you ever joined a marathon while wearing a backpack or carrying a water bottle.

The added weight slows you down. Hebrews, again, was clear on that. “Let us throw off everything that hinders.”

If your race seems so difficult, perhaps there are burdens still to be laid down. Sin that easily entangles. Worries that slowly sap your energy.

What is it that hinders your race? It might be challenging to let go…grudges, insecurities, fears, fatal flaws…but if we hold on to these things, then the finish line will only move farther away. Heed apostle Paul’s words: “Forget what lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead.” Only when we take off our chains will we be able to enjoy the race.

WE RUN BECAUSE WE DEFINE OUR GOAL Our finish line is eternity. That is the main reason why we run life’s race. To win an imperishable crown.

Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, said that “Our life here on earth is but a blink of an eye, but its consequences will last forever.”

Wherever we start, whatever route we take, we finish at the same point. The eternal difference, therefore, is what we did along the way. Did we run with integrity or did we cheat? Did we try to pull back other runners or did we help them? Did we have fun or did we complain all the way? We will win life’s race not because of how fast we ran, but by how we run.

Remember that nothing else will matter, because our race defines eternity.

While you run this life’s spiritual race, consider the people watching, consider your chains, consider the goal. So run like one who will obtain the prize—not for fame or glory, but for faith and God, so that when you stand at journey’s end, you can tell yourself, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Rome. Paris. London.

Hawaii. Philippines. These are just some of the places that we only dream of going.

The wanderlust in us itches to board the next flight to anywhere so we could just travel.

Words by Ron Adrian Dionaldo

Life has been

DeStinatiOnS

Words by Ron Adrian Dionaldo

WHen FiDeS runS tHe race

The audience watches you race, but what do you hear in the benches? Run like Christ,

Well, life is a lot like traveling. Instead of the usual plane tickets and bus fare we have our dreams that allow us to go to our destinations and instead of airplanes, trains and cars we have our choices to take us there. So simply put, if dreams and aspirations are the monetary value needed to travel and our choices are our mode of transportation then we have to be very careful or else we might end up in the wrong

destination.

Right now we all have packed our bags and ready to board the next train towards our goals. But do we really get on the right train? I mean there are a lot of trains and what if there would be a mix-up along the way? You see the trains in our life only go in two directions, one towards the North and the other towards the South. The trains going North are called Diligence, Honesty, Compassion, Integrity, Obedience and Hardwork. These trains take you North, to the good life that awaits you. Their first stop is the College Diploma Station. Then next would be is your future self, 20 years from now probably you would be a Registered Nurse, Certified Public Accountant, a Licensed Civil Engineer or a full-fledged Teacher. The third stop is a happy and successful life.

The trains that go South are called Vices, Lies, Distractions, Procrastination, Drugs and Disregard for life. They take you to the graveyard of all the broken hopes and dreams.

They take you to Miseryville and Sad Town, the community where everybody feels useless and unfulfilled.

liFe is a lot like traveling, tHougH Instead of airplanes, trains and cars, it’s our choices tHat take us to our destination

eSSaYS

Now let’s get to know the passengers of the Northbound and Southbound trains, shall we?

First off the Northbound, they are the kind of people who see the glass half full instead of half empty. They are very optimistic. They are smart people but no, not to be confused with nerds who are socially impaired. They are smart because mainly they are street-wise and study their lessons for the finals. They are the people with big hearts who would give as much as they could. They are the listeners, they listen not to what people command them to do rather they listen to their advices and discern which should be applied.

Lastly, they are the happy people. The ones who have no room for hate in their hearts and have the widest smiles and the loudest laugh.

Then we have the Southbound people. Don’t generalize, they are not the ones who smoke weed and drink on a daily basis although some of them do. You see some are in the closet. They are the procrastinators, the judgmental, arrogant, vain and conceited people. The ones who harbor hate deep in the blood filled pits of their hearts. The unforgiving and uncompassionate people.The ones who don’t care about anything anymore.

The people who shout into the world “It’s my life. my choices.” They will yell “Shut up” at you for meddling with their lives.

All of them riding different trains on to their separate ways.

But at the end of the railroad, when life comes to a sudden halt you’ll find yourself going towards either one of the two destinations, Heaven or Hell.

Now that’s why I said be careful of your choices you might end up with the wrong destination. But I also forgot to mention one special train that leads you to that everlasting paradise at the end of the railroad. This train is called Jesus Christ and only this train is bound for Heaven. Obedience, honesty, integrity will only take you to North not Heaven and all the Southbound trains lead you further away.

So what train are you going to board today?

Remember choose wisely, life isn’t an infinite railway you know.

53

Dugo't pawis, buwis buhay

Para KaninO Ka BuMaBangOn? Words by Micaella Allen Garcia

likod nito kung bakit tayo one of a kind.

Nagdodonate tayo ng dugo para

Alas kuwatro pa lamang ng umaga dagsaan na ang mga tao sa port upang

nagbibigay ng ekstrang income sa charity

makabenta ng isda. Sa kaparehong oras

para sa mga walang-wala, naglalaan ng

din naririnig mo na ang torotot ni manang

panahon sa mga taong akala nila’y kawalan

na nagtitinda ng pandesal. Langhap na rin

na ang pag-asa sa mundo, at naninilbihan

ang sarap ng kape na handa ng ating mga

tayo upang mapasagana lamang ang

lolo’t lola sa bahay. Ilang mga estudyante

buhay ng ibang tao. Hindi lang ito ang

na rin ang himbing pa sanang tulog ngunit

mga nagagawa ng ating kapwa para sa

binubulabog na ng tunog ng alarm clock,

kanilang kapwa. Iilan lamang ito sa mga

sinyales na ‘gising na at maghanda ka na para

nagpapasaludo sa atin mismo.

sa eskuwela’. Ilang manggagawa na rin sa

Dugo’t pawis, buwis buhay,

kani-kanilang opisina ang puyat sa overtime

sandamakmak na laway ang ginagamit para

pero kahit apat na oras lang ang tulog, gising

lamang maihayag sa lahat na handang-

na gising na para sa kanilang morning shift

handa sila sa mga panibagong hamon ng

upang makaserbisyo lamang sa publiko. Mga

kasalukuyan. Bawat isa’y kumokondisyon

manggagawa sa plaza, maglalako sa sidewalk,

para salubungin ang bagong hatid ng araw.

mananahi ng damit at may-ari ng tiyangge,

Para kanino ka bumabangon?

matang-mata na upang makapuwesto at

Isang pamilyar na linya na narinig na

hindi ang pagiging masipag, masigasig o maagap sa trabaHo ang nagIgIng dahilan kung bakit tayo umuusad

magbukas ng sariling paninda.Higit sa

natin noon sa isang patalastas sa telebisyon.

lahat ang mga ina ng karamihan, handa ng

Para kanino ka ba bumabangon? Itanong

maghain ng almusal, magplantsa ng mga

man natin ito sa mga kabataan ngayon

uniporme ng mga anak,maglaba, gumawa

malamang isasagot nila’y, para kay mama at

ng gawaing bahay at maghanda ng damit

papa. Itanong man ito sa mga manggagawa

kaunti, inaabuso na an gating pagkabuti,

nasusuoting ng kanilang mister para sa

ng isang kumpanya, ‘Ito’y para sa aking

payat na payat na tayo sa kakatrabaho,

trabaho.

pamilya na umaasang magkaroon ng

“PARA SA PAMILYA” pa rin ang kanilang

magandang buhay’. Itanong man ito sa

igaganting mga kataga sa lahat ng mga

ganyang katangi-an kaya hindi tayo

mga kumakayod sa daan para makabenta,

suliraning ito. Ang pagiging “selfless”

maiitsapuwera ng ibang bansa. Pero alam ng

malamang isasagot nila’y,’para sa anak kong

natin ang siyang nagwawagayway ng ating

karamihan na hindi ang pagiging masipag,

may sakit at nasa hospital na nag-aagaw

bandera para maipagsigawan nating lahat

masigasig o maagap sa trabaho ang nagiging

buhay’. Para kanino ang lahat ng ito na

na tayo ay hindi kaapi-api at tayo’y dapat

dahilan kung bakit tayo umuusad dito sa

kailangan kang gumising at salubungin ang

bigyang halaga.

Pilipinas pati na sa mga banyaga. Ito’y sa

buhay?

Tipikal sa ating mga Pilipino ang

54

makatulong sa mga nag-aagaw buhay,

dahilan na ang lahat ng sakripisyo na inaalay

Bilib na bilib sa atin ang ibang bansa

natin para kanino ang pangunahing rason sa

na sa halip na tayo ay kumikita lamang ng

Nasakop man tayo noon dahil sa ating mabuting ugali, naabuso rin tayo dahil hindi natin makayang nahihirapan

PaY it FOrWarD Words by Jeziel Vargas

ang ating mga pamilya, nasaktan tayo sa mga malupit na salita na nagdudulot sa atin ng sugat sa puso bitiw ng ibang

restore your faith in humanity

the same to make the world a better place. It was an assignment his Social studies teacher

makapangyarihan, pero hindi tayo nakalimot na may bukas pang dadating

deeds to three people and telling them to do

Try to imagine yourself stuck in a freak

gave him. In the middle of the movie the

kasama ang Diyos, para sa mga tao, para

car accident. You were bleeding profusely.

boy almost gave up on his concept because

sa mga bagay na ang buhay na ito ay hindi

Panic, fear coursing through your veins and

it all seemed to be a failed experiment.

kailanman bagay na sumuko.

you don’t know whether someone will come

Unknowingly, the effects of his actions have

to your rescue. Then comes a stranger, a

caused a ripple effect all the way across

na ang halos karamihan ng bagay dito sa

Good Samaritan who helps you. He takes you

America.

mundo. Mga gamit, mga imprastraktura,

to the nearest hospital and a few hours later

ang klima, ang panahon, istilo at kung anu-

you recover. You thank him for saving your

we are we live our lives selfishly. We are self-

ano pa, lahat ng ito’y mabilis ng nagbabago.

life and you ask him “However can I repay

centered human beings. All we think is about

Ang kasaysayan ay unti-unti ng naglalaho

you?” The stranger replies “Pay it forward.”

ourselves. We do things usually for what we

Nasa kasalukuyan na tayo, nag-iba

at nalilimutan. Pero ang buhay kung saan

Pay it forward. Simple enough right?

Whether we admit it or not, human as

could gain not so that we could help others.

natin ito inaalay sa kabila ng kung ano man

The concept of the whole pay it forward

But what if this concept could revolutionize

ang dulot nito sa atin, ang siyang kailanman

business is if someone shows you an act of

the way we think and live? What if like that

nananalaytay sa ating mga dugo.

kindness, as a sign of gratitude you don’t pay

innocent boy in the movie, what if we too

him back. Instead you do good deeds to three

would start our own Pay it forward chain?

mga ito sa bawat pagmulat ng ating mga

other people. Then you tell them to do the

It’s not that hard. We see many people who

mata. Hindi man natin alam o di tayo

same to three other people who need help

need our help everyday. We are just playing

nakakasiguro kung ano ang nasa hinaharap.

the most. It will create a Domino effect. The

blind and deaf to their needs; a classmate

Napagtanto man natin na darating ang

more people will be involved the bigger the

who needs help with her homework, an

araw na posibleng wala ng matitira sa atin.

effects would be. Come to think of it, it may

elderly carrying heavy loads or our parents

Pero ang importante lamang na ang buhay

cause the reinvention of a nation, probably

who try so hard to send us to school. We have

na mayroon tayo ay hindi natin inaangking

even the whole world. So who really started

a lot of opportunities to help everyday we

pansarili lamang kundi taos-puso nating

the whole “Pay it forward” thing anyway?

just don’t take the chance because we are too

Paulit-ulit lamang na nangyayari ang

ibinabahagi ito sa katuparan ng mga

Although the concept is relatively old

tired to go out of our ways.

Why don’t we start now? Put down

pangarap at kinabukasan ng ating pamilya,

the phrase itself may have been coined by

kaibigan, kapwa, at ng iba pa.

Lily Hardy Hammond in her 1916 book

the magazine and look around you. Is there

In the Garden of Delight. The concept is

someone you see who needs help? Maybe

o “PARA SA WALA” ang lagda nitong

also illustrated in the movie Pay it Forward

it is a mundane task but if you help him or

kuwento kundi “PARA KAY” o “PARA

which is based on a novel of the same title by

her maybe it can be the start of the Pay It

KINA” ang diwa ng istoryang ito.

Catherine Ryan Hyde. The story is about a

Forward chain. That or you just gained a new

boy who has conceived the idea of doing good

friend.

Hindi “PARA SA AKIN LAMANG”

Para kanino ka kaya bumabangon?

55

t r a e H t e n u t OF FOring tell

fortunetelling and others such as tarot cards, horoscopes, palm readings, and séances, etc., are based on the concept that there’s no way to contact gods, spirits, or deceased loved ones that can give us advice and guidance. Others may see fortune telling as bogus

the future is in the palm of your hands Words by Katrina Mabanes Art by Allen Tabi If you were given a book with your entire

and mere intelligent guessing which are quite her father’s side is inclined to alternative healing.

She, however, doesn’t want to have anything to do with alternative healing but she sees herself to be good at fortune telling.

When Tita Wilma was asked what made her pursue fortune telling, she said it was because of the sound of cards flipping. She wasn’t really

life, from your birth to death, written on it, will

interested in playing cards because she thought

you read it? Why or why not?

people who play cards are gamblers and she

She sits across her customer- feeling her

didn’t like that. She, herself, didn’t also believe

vibration, reading her future. She tells her to

in her abilities until it became so apparent not

shuffle the cards on the table seven times. The

just to herself but also to her family. At first, she

customer did as she was told. And then the

denied everything she had foreseen and thought

customer is told to divide the cards into three

of them as mere coincidences until they all piled

parts and place them back on the table upside

up and she realized it’s undeniable anymore- she

down. Again, she did as told.

has the gift of fortune telling.

She flips the cards one by one. “Inday,

Fortune telling is the practice of seeing

hinayhinay kaw sa paghigugma. Kay kun indi, katatlo ka gid nga beses maduluan sang pangasawon.” (Miss, take time with your romance. Or else,

future events. Some are born with it and others

you’ll lose thrice your groom-to-be.)

and prepare for their future. Others seek help

After hearing a terrifying fortune, she bids the fortune teller goodbye and chooses to move forward no matter ‘what’ lies ahead.

Whatever she says, scary or not, Tita Wilma*

gain this ability through studying. This has been widely used to help people solve their problems in order to prevent the misfortunes seen by the fortune teller.

Yet according to Leviticus 20:27, “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer

is often visited by those who want to take a sneak

shall surely be put to death. They shall be

peek on their future. She says she has this gift

stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon

since she was on her fifth grade. The family on

them.” These verses tell us that practices of

56

obvious to happen.

For Tita Wilma, it depends upon the person which side to choose. According to her, if you stand by God and choose to help others, then it is good. She said that majority of her sightings are about relationship issues of an individual with his or her partner. “Basta ang importante nakabulig

ako.” But if you use such skill in a way that might hurt others, then you might be on the other side.

And there is also one thing she stresses,

“Importante gid ang prayer.” She claims that her ability is a gift from God. She does not do any rituals or energy channeling before reading someone’s future. When asked from where she takes her strength, she knowingly nodded and pointed above.

To believe or not to believe- the choice is yours. “Si God lang man gihapon ang makahambal

kung ano gid man.” Whatever the choice you make, it is still important to rely on your own skills and abilities, effort, and your dedication.

After all, you are always going to be the master of your fate and the captain of your soul. The future is always going to be uncertain and every decision we make has little or lots of risks on it. But one thing is for sure: Trust God and everything will be all right.

*Name changed

a BrieF HiStOrY OF tHe

an evolution of vanity through pictures Words by Almina Marie Gange Verna Roz Taperla

SelFie

by Robert Cornelius, an amateur

and attachingie’s or some kind of vowelin the

chemist and photographer in

end. So, words like ‘tradeperson’, ‘barbecue’, and

Philadelphia. He took a picture of

‘Australian’ transformed into ‘tradie’, ‘barbie’, and

himself outside their family store,

‘Aussie’.

which was only possible after tiring preparations

The etymology of ‘selfie’ takes us back to

and scientific procedures. Whether or not

a guy named Nathan Hope. In 2002, Hopey

it is a selfie is debatable though, since some

(yes, he’s Australian) publicized the word ‘selfie’

professional photographers believe that Robert

because of an online conversation he’s had with

humanity. After all, humans regard themselves as

Cornelius had an assistant to help him make the

an anon in Dr. Karl Self-Serve Science Forum

a masterpiece of the Creator – they just couldn’t

actual exposure. Still, Cornelius’ photo with the

on the ABC. To satisfy the curiosity of some, the

get enough of themselves they might as well turn

tousled-hair look pretty much like the modern

phrase that it was first used in was, “And sorry

into flowers. Nowadays, this deadly sin has gotten

just-woke-up-and-I’m-in-front-of-our-house

about the focus, it was a selfie.”

a firmer hold on the souls of humans. And thanks

selfie, and therefore might as well count as one.

Vanity always has a strong grip on

to the advent of technology, it has crept its way

Cornelius’ method of taking photographs

However, it was not until 2004 when the #Selfie was used in Flickr. Jennifer Lee in 2011

into the lenses of the camera, and since then has

back then was exhausting and needed a lot of

then propagated the popularity of the hashtag in

lured humans into taking – yes, you guessed it – a

commitment, which not many modern humans

Instagram along with a picture of her loving her

selfie.

are fond of, and so photography developed

Anthro sweater. Because of the viral tendencies of

and became more advanced and convenient as

#Selfie and the fast-paced world of the internet,

befitting modern humans, however, even back

the years progressed. Polaroids and standard

the use of the word ‘selfie’ boosted up to an

when there were still no cameras, selfies already

cameras came into the picture and made photo-

astonishing 17,000% in 2012. By that time, selfie

abounded. At first, they were called self-portraits

developing easier. Now even ordinary people can

has taken the center stage and even the Oxford

in oil, watercolor, pencil, ink, and any other

capture moments and other interesting subjects

English Dictionary acknowledged it enough to

plausible medium. Of course, you must know

– like their faces. However, it was not until the

bestow upon it the title ‘Word of the Year’ and

how to paint in order to do so, which means only

existence of cameras in cellular phones that self-

officially added it in the list of scrabble-possible

those who were gifted with the talent to capture

photographs were finally perfected. Even Sharp

English words in 2013.

the beauty of nature found in the human face

in Japan created their camera-embedded phones

were lucky enough to satisfy their vanity. Some

in 2000 with tiny mirror-like panels beside the

thanks to social media,vanity, and the endless

of the famous painters who have done these so-

lens, so that maybe self-photographers could

human desire for attention and expression.

called antique selfies are Parmigianino, an Italian

position themselves better within the frame.

There are even inventions like the ‘selfie-sticks’

It might seem like a modern activity

painter in the 1500s and is regarded as the first

Because of the awesomeness of the human

Presently, selfies have continuously evolved

or ‘selfie-monopods’ to make easier the taking of

person to do a selfie; Rembrandt, who made a

mind, we obviously know already that technology

pictures at an arm’s length. It has also already

duck-face sketch of himself in 1630; Vincent

played a vital role in the existence of self-

inspired artists to make songs about it!

Van Gogh, who even made a colorful portrait

photography,but how about the origin of the

of himself sans an ear; and Frida Kahlo, the

word ‘selfie’? Did it just pop out of the mouth of

in the past few years, and there are still more

Original Queen of Selfies.

the first person in the middle of nowhere? The

Instagram-worthy stuff about it, but first – let me

answer mates: Australia, and the language of

take a selfie.

The first self-portrait photograph, however, was said to have been taken way back in 1839

The selfie has immensely captured humanity

its people that has a habit of shortening words

57

F O W IE NS V R E V IO AN ONNOVAT I

D E D A R G P U Nineties

The future looks so bright you just gotta wear your google shades

kids remember the brick game, and yet those born only less than two decades later remember the touch screen. When you think that the latest possible innovation has just been discovered, a new one sprouts

Eye Tribe If looks could kill, then this is that technology.

Who needs a touch screen when you can simply control your phone with your eyes?

Eye Tribe has created a system where users can

unexpectedly somewhere else. From 3D printing to

select an app or move the cursor with only their gaze.

Google glasses, our current era of technology rapidly

One popular feature is playing games, especially the

ushers to even greater glories, the succeeding years have

classic Fruit Ninja, allowing you to slice with only your

already unveiled a new breed of gadgets and ideas that

eyes. Though not new, future applications will obviously

are sure to keep your mouth gaping. Jaw, meet floor!

be too cool to miss.

The Mall of the World A climate controlled city. We’ve seen it in

Google Lunar XPrize Imagine a 30 million-dollar competition to

movies—a large transparent dome covering an

land a privately funded robot on the moon. Yes,

entire futuristic-looking metropolis. Forget the

it’s a literal space race with Google Lunar XPrize,

scary plotline, as this architectural dare has a

initiating the largest international lunar battle

hopefully happy ending.

among private teams to attempt a moon landing,

The Mall of the World will be Dubai’s latest ambitious feat of engineering. The complex will cover 48 million square feet and contain the

travel 500 meters with photos and data, and return to Earth safe and sound.

The success will usher a new era of space

world’s largest shopping mall and indoor park, as

exploration after the last manned moon mission

well as countless hotels and districts, one of which

way back in 1972. And the $30M cash prize is a

recreates the world’s most famous landmarks.

deliberate limit so that future moon explorations

The city will be enclosed in a glass dome to control its temperature, making it a year-round

will be cost-efficient.

As of June 2014, only 18 out of 30 initial

favorite destination. There is no official timetable

teams remain in the competition. With the cash

yet, so while investors meet and plan to construct

prize expiring on December 2015, the teams are

the Mall of the World, we can satisfy ourselves

rushing with tests and simulations to beat the

with our very own Mall of Asia. Not quite close

deadline. Those who prefer to remain in Earth’s

enough, but hey, it’s something.

safety, meanwhile, can sit back, watch the race, and probably wait for a space hotel to open in the

Smart Objects Smart phones, smart watches, smart packaging, smart glasses. There’s even a smart tissue box. With AI becoming more popular,

WHat’S aPP Your smartphone can be for more than just selfies and facebook, here's a few apps to help you get organized

Evernote Evernote is one of the most versatile free apps, enabling you to organize your notes, and great for short voice memos, reminders, and simple doodles.

Enable sync and Evernote lets you access your data from any device including your laptop.

any.do There’s nothing more effective than the good old to-do list, Organize your tasks into groups like Assignments, Errands, as well as the time you need to complete them. The sleek and simple layout is easy to navigate. There’s nothing like the feeling of striking off a task off your to-do list

near future.

Virtual Gaming Razer’s Project Fiona had its spotlight, but

scientists are planning on more smart ideas like

now gaming is donning a new face, literally. The

an actual smart environment or automated home.

upcoming Oculus Rift is a virtual reality display

The possibilities are endless.Now you can move

mounted on your head, allowing you to completely

ala-Tony Stark and blurt out “JARVIS, where are

mentally dive into the game world with 360°

my clothes?” without looking crazy. If only they

viewing angle at high resolution. Couple this with

can find a way to make actual humans smarter,

third-party motion controllers like the Virtualizer

though…

treadmill, Control VR gloves, Leap Motion, or the PrioVR suit, and real-time gaming will change forever. Imagine playing a first-person shooter or a stealth game like a boss. Nothing else would be sweeter.

THE

Spend too much time on the Internet and you’ll dig out some pretty delicious bundles of Food Hacks on food blogs and websites.

Some require the cooperation of the fastfood staff in preparing, but usually preparing these need a bit of discretion and covert ninja moves.Worry not, though, for these Food Hacks that we’ve tried are safe enough to be edible. Now, rediscover the scrumptious finds we’ve seen.

Words by Verna Roz Taperla Photos by Chalcedon Sañor

Land, Sea & Air Burger with Fries What to order: One solo order each of Filet-o-Fish, Regular Burger and Chicken Fillet.

How to prepare: First, take your Regular McDonald’s Burger, scrape off the pickles because its overpowering aroma could drown out the other meats’ flavors, but if you love

The Upsized McLunch For lunch, you might decide on McDonald’s, however, you might change your

pickles, then leave it as is. After that, take your Filet-o-Fish, give away the buns to your friends or random-next-table neighbor, and stack the fillet above the burger patty. Finally, put in there your Chicken Fillet and top it with a handful of fries.

This McDonald’s food hack from Huffpost.com is surely a satisfying full meal. The

mind from ordering the usual stuff to ordering

three kinds of meat will let you experience the culinary awesomeness the land, the sea and

the following monstrous and high-calorie

the air have to offer, hence, the name (well, chickens are not actually creatures of the air, but

table-top creations.

for the name’s sake). It could also be personalized and can be topped with other favorites, like potato fries, and maybe even pasta!

60

The Twisted KFC Merienda It’s time for merienda, and you and your friends just happen to be in the mall. Why not go to KFC and enjoy some new ways of eating the usual side dishes? Yes, side dishes.

The Main Side Dish What to order: Order two servings of mashed potato, one serving of shredded corn (but you could just buy this outside if KFC

How to prepare: Put in first a layer of mashed potato on a bowl, stack in the fun shots, and top with corn and gravy.

Who doesn’t love chicken? With this food hack creation, you could even enjoy it with another greattasting mush of carbohydrates. The savory goodness of the KFC fun shots compliment well with the comparatively bland mashed potatoes, and the gravy and corn just tie up the meal together. Shovel away and let the eyes of other diners dart your bowl of deliciousness with envy and

doesn’t have any), KFC Fun Shots or Flavored

curiosity.

Shots or Whatever-You-Call-It Shots, and lots

The French Fry Garden

of gravy which you could just get from the almighty gravy dispenser.

What to order: Order some fries of any serving size, depending on your French fry mood, a serving of coleslaw, and corn.

How to prepare: The choice is yours when it comes to putting together this dish. You could pile the ingredients together or make a dip out of the coleslaw.

Now this is really a fresh twist to your usual KFC menu. The fastfood taste from the French fries just go away when they are smothered with the coleslaw and corn.

It almost gives off the gastronomic illusion that you are eating something healthy like a green salad.

The Nutella How to order: Order any size of Café Misto with a pump of hazelnut, a pump of chocolate, and a drizzle of caramel on top. The barista

Neapolitan Shake How to order:

The Cosmic Starbucks Chill-Out Ah yes. A good cup of coffee after a

might tell you that the caramel will sink to the

Order any size

bottom of the cup, but go along with it anyway

rewarding day is definitely comforting. If you

of Strawberries &

and say that you won’t mind.

want to have your fill of caffeine at Starbucks,

Cream Frappe with

then try out these three refreshing drinks that

vanilla bean powder

Buzzfeed taught us.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Nutella in a steamy cup is served. With its nutty and

(or vanilla essence) and a

chocolatey taste, you’d actually think that you

pump of mocha.

are drinking the most coveted sweet spread

Satisfy your Neapolitan

there is. Sip more of this coffee and experience

Shake craving with this

what it’s like being on fluffy clouds. All Nutella

Starbucks version of the rainbow-filled drink.

lovers and will-be lovers should try this.

The luscious taste of strawberries with vanilla and mocha seem to transform into colors bursting in your mouth. You might even transform into Nyan Cat and fly through the star-filled universe and leave a rainbow trail. I

It sure is fun to experience preparing or ordering these food hacks, but it’s still better if you try to make creative combos yourself. Open up your mind and appetite to more choices that you could create, and don’t let the limited menu of the now convenient fastfood restaurants hinder your culinary innovations.

hope you know I’m kidding about the last part.

Blueberry Cheesecake How to order: Any size of iced White Chocolate Mocha with a pump of raspberry.

The first sip may leave a bitter after taste, however, if you continue on enjoying the drink, you’ll find that the bitterness is replaced by a tandem of sweet and berry taste. Even if it’s actually raspberry that has been pumped in the drink and there is no actual cream cheese in the recipe, the taste is peculiarly similar to blueberry cheesecake. Alas! It is a magical drink that teases your taste buds.

61

HYPE

CE Weighs in on the latest releases

1000 Forms of Fear

by Sia Review by Rhick Lars Albay Sia’s been gradually building a following these past few years, penning hits like Diamonds for Rihanna and appearing as a featured artist in numerous Top 10 songs.

In 1000 Forms of Fear, her first solo venture since 2010,

62

Sia reveals that she may be slowly becoming a recognizable

How to get away with Murder Review by Rhick Lars Albay

crime thriller and legal drama, with an assortment of complex unpredictable characters. Taking top bill is Oscar-winner Viola Davis who plays the unflinching

ghost Stories by coldPlay Review by Patricia Labramonte In this spiritually driven

lawyer Annalise Keating, a flawed

album, the British rock band,

Shows time and time again - It all

anti-hero who herself has not

Coldplay, once again proved

starts with an unsolved crime. But

always fully complied with the law.

how music could portray such

How to Get Away with Murder

Accompanying her are the Keating

strong sentiments. Ghost Stories

turns this repetitive plotline on

Five, the best students from her

revolves around two major themes,

its heels, proving episode after

Criminal Law class who she has

mentioned by lead singer Chris

episode that you have yet to see

enlisted to work in her firm, and

Martin. It explores the idea of

anything like it and that it’s an

her assistants Frank Delfino

past actions, the effects that they

unpredictable thrill of a ride.

(Charlie Weber) and Bonnie

can have on your future and one’s

Winterbottom (Liza Weil).

capacity for Unconditional Love.

It’s a cliché recycled by TV

The first scene sets the stage for the entire series, our unlikely

Early on, their campus is

As for Chris Martin, “The idea

protagonists, a motley crew of

rocked by the disappearance

of Ghost Stories, for me, was “how

Law Students, in the middle of

of sorority girl Lila Stangard,

do you let the things that happen to

nowhere, arguing about how

unbeknownst to Annalise and

you in the past – your ghosts – how

they’re going to dispose of the dead

her associates, this will lead them

do you let them affect your present

body lying at their feet. Michaela

down a winding road of struggles

and your future?”.

Pratt (Aja Naomi King) and

and secrecy, all the while revisiting

Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee) both

the pasts they’ve all done their best

visibly on edge, are fidgeting and

to bury.

stammering. Wes Gibbins (Alfred

HTGAWM has proven to

Enoch) is surprisingly calm given

be a groundbreaking new series,

their circumstance and Laurel

offering fresh perspectives into the

Castillo (Karla Souza) is running

crime thriller genre, and shocking

possible outcomes in her head.

audiences with hair-raising

What do the four have in

reveals episode after episode.

common? They’re all taking

It’s unparalleled in its unique

the same Criminal Law class

storytelling, each new episode

at Middleton University under

though answering questions

the ruthless high profile defence

and gradually completing the

attorney, Annalise Keating (Viola

puzzle that is How to Get Away

Davis), who endearingly calls her

with Murder, opens even more

subject (you guessed it) How to

unfamiliar doors and mystery. You

Get Away with Murder.

won’t stop until you’ve watched the

HTGAWM is a fast-paced

entire first season.

name, but her artistry and unique

“Place your past into a book, Burn

voice remains untarnished.

the pages, let ‘em go”, all this

Opening with the soaring

building up to grand notes of the

Chandelier, the album is a moving

album’s last song Dressed in Black,

glance at Sia’s own struggle with

where she envisions her downfall.

fame, self-doubt, and loss. 1000

Sia continues to stun with her

Forms of Fear is, song after song,

poetic lyrics and unmatched voice,

an exploration of the different faces

enchanting us with standouts like

of panic and depression everyone

Fire Meets Gasoline where she

can feel from day to day.

likens love to being burnt alive,

In the her hit single

and the upbeat Free the Animal

Chandelier speaks of a night

singing of twisted ways she’ll

of drinks descending into self-

express herself to her better half.

destruction, in Fair Game she

All in all filled to the brim

likens her relationship to a fist

with genuine emotion, 1000 Forms

fight. Singing of pent up emotions

of Fear sets new ground for Sia’s

in Burn the Pages, Sia invites

meteoric rise.

And Ghost Stories was born,

Whiplash Review by Rhick Lars Albay An artist’s passion can be a

with its longing lyrics, unruffled and true sensations, it simply depicts how people feel in our chaotic world today. For a moment there, while listening to the album, you could float in your own world of stillness, shooting stars and affection lingering all together. Just your very own piece of paradise, this record will take you beyond reality and existence, which will likely be remembered as something transitional and noted that while being undoubtedly dense; it feels like a prologue to something better, something that one would always long for, a yearning for the truth, and a sound that one would always sink their soul into. And if that’s not something to adore, then I don’t know what is. For Ghost Stories track lists will always be considered as magic to the ears.

hurling chairs and instruments at students he no longer sees fit to join his band.

Nonetheless, Neiman

very volatile emotion, it can both

wishes for nothing more than the

build them up and break them

approval of Fletcher and to claim

down, it can lead to greatness and

core drummer seat in the band.

prestige or heartbreaking downfall.

Leading up to their National Jazz

In Whiplash, Andrew

Competition, he faces Fletcher’s

Neiman, played by Miles Teller,

unrealistic expectations head-

is a talented drummer on his

on, bringing him to the brink of

freshmen year at the Shaffer

anguish, stress eating him up from

Conservatory of New York, and

the inside, his fingers literally

Terence Fletcher, the scowling

bleeding and overburdened.

J.K. Simmons, is his overbearing

J.K. Simmons is masterful

mentor. Fletcher renowned as the

in his portrayal of the destructive

conductor of the top studio band

Fletcher, showing a hard-edged

in the Conservatory, walks in on

and severe mentor with some

Neiman while he’s practising his

underlying insecurity just bubbling

drums alone after class. Seeing

beneath his surface. While Miles

Neiman’s potential, he enlists him

Teller is surprisingly adept as

to join his jazz group. But what at

the naive Neiman, taking on his

first seemed events too good to be

character’s passion and drive, often

true for Neiman, turn into a trying

bordering on compulsiveness and

ordeal that tests him to his limits.

obsession.

Fletcher proves to be an

Whiplash is an exhilarating

abusive teacher, pushing his

film from start to finish, with the

students to their breaking point all

dynamic of the young Miles Teller

for his own pursuit for perfection.

and J.K. Simmons pushing you on

He repeatedly insults his band

till the uncompromising finale. It

members, destroying their egos,

explores deeply an artist’s fervor

subjecting them to demanding

for his craft, making viewers ask

rehearsal schedules, hurting them

themselves – What am I truly

both physically and psychologically,

willing to put up with to achieve

even going as far as violently

success?

63

A 133-page book of Miriam

aimed at politicians and her

Defensor-Santiago’s sarcastic

enemies to cheesy pick-up lines

remarks, pick-up lines, jokes,

you could use to woo the girl of

speeches (and a copy of her

your dreams.

resume) and caricatures from the

The best part about this book

countries best young illustrators

is that it is not fiction so you can

such as CJ de Silva-Ong, Manix

actually skip pages whenever you

Abrera, Elberto Or, Rob Cham

feel like it or take a really, really,

and the likes, Stupid is Forever is

really long break (say a month)

sure to entertain your boring day.

and not feel like you’re missing out

And no. It does not include sparkly

on anything. Trust me, this book

vampires or a certain Mr. Someone

proves that size doesn’t matter as

by Miriam Defensor Santiago

who has sado-masochistic

it is sure to entertain you on your

tendencies.

short trips to the loo or a boat ride

Review by Dazen Lariza

six sections (Wicked, Asukal

“Kung asukal ka, ako naman ay sago. Wala akong kwenta kung wala ang tamis mo.”

Ka, Ako ay Sago, Death threats

soon. These babies are already

for Breakfast, Out-of-Notebook

running out of stock so be sure to

Experience, The Worst Thing

grab a copy while they’re around.

Stupid is Forever

Yes. Tita Miriam’s witty lines and comebacks are back and they’re just getting better.

The book is divided into

About Being Married, Miriam on

to who knows where.

And you better grab a copy

This just goes to show that

Miriam) of her witty lines which

even our country’s politics has a

range from sarcastic remarks

funny side.

american Beauty/ american Psycho

by Fall Out Boy Review by Rhick Lars Albay Fall Out Boy’s follow-up to the success of Save Rock and Roll has them up at arms and ready to conquer the airwaves.

AB/AP is the band’s latest assault at Contemporary Rock, taking on a more modern sound, with soaring baselines and genrefusing productions, while hinting at sampling as Fall Out Boy’s new staple. Always the mainstream’s misfits, FOB’s new album expands on their previous material and takes them to new heights.

colorless tsukuru tazaki and his Years of Pilgrimage

by Haruki Murakami Review by Paul Marfil If you’re looking for a good read that would take you on an emotional journey through both the

Top tracks include the band’s first single from the album

Centuries with its brooding edgy

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

by Florence + the machine

tone that builds up to a stadium anthem chorus, and Fourth of July sampling indie artist Son Lux to achieve a pulsating anti-love song about old scars.

But by a landslide the best track from AB/AP is the electrifying

Uma Thurman, an ode to the Quentin Tarantino muse, evidently inspired by her roles as the vengeful bride of the Kill Bill volumes and

Fast Tracks Delilah

The transcendent Florence +

Here are the standout tracks from some of the newest albums

The story revolves around a

single, is quickly becoming a fanfavorite.

What starts as just Florence Welch’s haunting vocals against a swells to the thunderous chorus -

Fiction. Unexpectedly sampling the

“I never knew I was a dancer, till

Munsters theme song, the song is

Delilah showed me how” – soft piano

catchy and infinitely danceable.

notes giving way to stomping drums,

Fall Out Boy seems to be

Florence’s calm voice steadily soaring

gradually moving away from their

louder and higher, culminating to a

Punk Rock roots, but it’s a welcome

refrain that will compel fans to dance

change in the guise of American

like there’s no one looking.

Beauty / American Psycho.

Florence + the Machine proves that they are unparalleled when it comes to otherworldly music.

methodical and poetical manner,

1989 by Taylor Swift

interlacing metaphysical and

i Know Places

existential thoughts in way that would keep readers questioning

Oddly deep and haunting, I Know Places is a track you wouldn’t

life and all the pain and wonders it brings.

expect from this pop princess. In

Reading on, you might slowly

toned down whispers, Swift sings

feel very attached to Tsukuru. His

“They got their cages, they got their

grief slowly becomes your grief.

boxes, and guns” reaching a high as

His happiness slowly becomes your

she sings “I know places we won’t be

happiness. His fears slowly become

found, and they’ll be chasing their tails

your fears.

tryin’ to track us down”. It’s moving

Along the way, you might

and eerie at the same time.

Bordering near alternative rock,

I Know Places sounds like it could

realism are being intertwined. But

easily be added to the The Hunger

since this is a Murakami novel,

single character, Tsukuru Tazaki.

expect some classical and jazz

Tazaki, who was deeply wounded

music being played, and a lot of

by his past, sets on an emotional

food preparation scenes.

journey to understand the truths

new LP, and Delilah, their latest

minimalist production, gradually

the alluring Mia Wallace in Pulp

real and the surreal, then this book read about weird dream sequences, by world-renowned novelist Haruki where bits of erotica and magical Murakami might be a good pick.

the Machine returns with an ethereal

Games soundtrack, with themes of oppression and secret sanctuaries in play. This just proves that Taylor Swift isn’t all bitter break-ups and star-

The main piece of music that

crossed lovers.

that were kept from him during his is being mentioned many times in adolescent years. His pilgrimage the novel is Franz Liszt’s Le Mal would eventually lead him to

Du Pays, a classical piano piece

discover the true reasons why he

that somehow reflects Tsukuru’s

was suddenly abandoned by his

the Pinkprint by nicki minaj Pills n Potions Dropping ill bombs

From the artist who’s more

feeling of abandonment and friends when they were still in their incompleteness. youth, and why he was experiencing All in all, Murakami crafts a

“But I still don’t wish death

popularly known for her over the

on ‘em, I just reflect on

top get-ups and overtly sexual songs,

such vividly surreal dreams.

beautifully written prose that delves

‘em”, over a clean 808 beat,

comes this stripped down and honest

deep into the fragile hearts of

and singing the dreamy

track. In Pills N Potions, Nicki raps

people. But you have to be warned,

hook - “I get high off your

about mending relationships and the

and ostracism, the book is also

for the ending of the story might

memory” - Pills N Potions

pitfalls of fame, showing that she can

praised for its beautifully written

surprise you with a terrifyingly

shows that there’s more to

be equal parts singer and MC, her

prose. Murakami’s writing style is

beautiful truth about the harsh

Nicki Minaj than just the

vocals unexpected untainted by auto

tantalizing; he weaves words in a

reality of life.

wigs and boot

tune.

But other than the Kafkaesque elements of isolation

THE PEOPLE POWER MONUMENT Built on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, the very same highway that became the stage for one of the Philippines’ proudest moments, the People Power Monument commemorates the 1986 EDSA Revolution that triumphantly toppled the dictatorial regime of Marcos.

This masterpiece by sculptor Eduardo Castrillo powerfully evokes the power of the masses, how in each and every one of us Filipinos is the potential to spark change, uphold our freedom, and strengthen our democracy.

“amerIcans lIke to tHInk we taught tHe fIlIPInos democracy. well, tonIgHt they are teaching the world” world - Bob Simon, CBS Anchorman, during their live coverage of the People Power Movement of 1986

ca He

We can an be Heroes eroes

Vic Aimee

Kat

Mina

Unique

Ron Keysi

Patricia

aY 2014-2015

editorial Board

Pao

Rhick Dazen

Verna

Ma’am Esther

Maf Ma’am Rea Cheat Sheet

From left to right – (First Row) Mariano Ponce, Francisco Balagtas, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H.

Jeddy

Mikie

Viv

Del Pilar, Josefa Llaness Escoda, Gabriela Silang,

Paul

Tandang Sora & Marcela Agoncillo (2nd Row) Emilio

Charles

Jacinto, Teresa Magbanua, Jacinto Zamora, Graciano López

Jaena

Agoncillo,

(3rd

Cory

Row) Julian Felipe, Teodoro

Aquino,

Lapu-Lapu,

Gregoria

De

Jesus, Gregorio Del Pilar, Jose Rizal, Ninoy Aquino

PaniPlat

An aircraft cuts through the azure sky, leaving behind a trail of white smoke lineS in tHe SKY Photo by Chalcedon Sa単or

A child playfully skims across the tiled floors of the Alumni Promenade Concert Park, somehow oblivious to the rising tension in the area a SHaDe OF innOcence Photo by Chalcedon Sa単or

A mother guides her child as they tread the grounds of a strawberry farm in Benguet HuMBle StePS Photo by Rhick Lars Albay

Catholics gather outside a church as they await for the priest to pass by and sprinkle holy water on their palm fronds tHe cOuntenance OF FaitH Photo by Chalcedon Sa単or

71

IN MEMORIAM

II have

REV. DR.

respect for the past,

Dad was a good teacher. I should know because I was EDWIN I. LARIZA but I'alsom one of his most pasaway and palaligoy students. He

moment.

1954 - 2015 person of the aa person

Padayon. It means to move forward and continue on. A legacy which my father, the late Edwin I. Lariza, has left behind to the people who knew him and who had been close to his heart. I’m going to say this really cliché line to which, I guess, everyone would agree to. My Dad was a great man and it is a privilege for me to tell everyone how great he was as my father.

Dad was my superhero. He may not have super powers but he did all he could to fight for the rights of the repressed. He fought cancer and leukemia with a smile on his face and managed to make everyone believe that he was fine even when he was not. He handled all the pain of needles and tubes and his body giving up on him just to assure everyone that he was going to be ok.

He was that strong.

PADAYON, his legacy will LIVE ON in the people he touched.

Illustration by Verna Roz Taperla

72

taught me lessons that one cannot learn in the classroom.

He taught me how to see the goodness in other people and to keep serving them without asking for anything in return. He taught me to appreciate every moment and record it so I would have something to look at when I needed to recall memories. He taught me how to be a good daughter andAngelou a good Christian. He was the one who - Maya Angelou taught me that religion doesn’t matter as long as you worship and serve the same God and that religion cannot save you, your faith in God will. He taught me to respect both Catholics and Baptists and count them as one Christian body in communion with Jesus Christ.

Even in his deathbed I knew he was praying that God would lead me to the right people and the right friends who’d be there to comfort me and keep my path straight when he left. He wanted me to feel loved even when he was no longer there to give that love.

Out of all the Dads in the world, God gave me the best and I will forever be grateful. I may not be the perfect daughter but to him I will always be the best. I did not lose a Dad. I gained a guardian who will always watch over me. He may no longer be with us but his legacy will live for others to remember: PADAYON. Padayon because it will live on even when he would no longer be alive to witness it.

Words by Dazen Dawn Lariza

onward upward and