The Courier Magazine A.Y. 2021-2022

THE COURIER A.Y. 2021-2022

Featuring Driving Against the Attention Arms Race: A Friendly Guide to Not Getting Devoured in the Internet Rabbit Hole (The Route of Escape from the Internet and its Infinite Time Illusion)

editorial staff AY 2021-2022

Alaina D'Cunha Frances Andrea de Martin Henrich Matthew Chua Sean Bernard Agraviador Sean Lerry Jim Claud Gabriel Omillo III Marze Ann Gutierrez Precious Therese Villora Meryl Renee Tupas Angelie Joy Bulquerin Precious Grace Calubiran Therese Roselle Vigor

Editor-In-Chief Associate Editor Associate Editor Managing Editor Feature Editor News & Sports Editor Literary Editor Online Editor Head Layout Artist Digital Artist Photojournalist Photojournalist

Nicole Razzan Galilea Everose Asidoy Francine Denisse Palomar Jacelle Anne Geonanga Yun Bayotas

Editorial Assistant Editorial Assistant Editorial Assistant Editorial Assistant Editorial Assistant

about the cover Alice once found herself catapulted into Wonderland — a place where adventure, misery, and exhilaration all awaited her at the end of a mysterious rabbit hole.

Today, life has taken us down into our own rabbit holes, left to navigate a maze of suffering and intrigue. Yet, at the end of the seemingly bottomless pit of death and despair amidst the clutches of the virus, we find the light of humanity and remember all the beauty of the world. Join us as we rediscover our own Wonderland peeking out from beneath the rubble, as we remind ourselves of the marvels of being alive, even in times of great uncertainties.

Cover page by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

editor's note Is there ever a day when we don’t hear about COVID-19? Ranging from those in the education to health to political sectors, no one has been spared from the harsh impacts of this global crisis. Even in our information resources, such as news channels, social media, or through stories of friends becoming infected, there is no escaping the virus’ presence in our lives.

Yet, as important as the news may seem, there comes a point when talking about COVID-19 becomes tiresome. Sometimes, we need a breather — to look into our social media accounts and see funny TikTok videos, memes, and new releases from our favorite OPM bands instead of just the daily number of cases, which seemingly gets worse every day.

Through this magazine, The Courier writes to remind everyone that there is still more to life than the afflictions of the pandemic; that art, expression, and simple joys are aspects of humanity that can never be dampened by all the negativity in the world.

As journalists, we must never falter in using our words to bring the sometimes harsh and harrowing truth to light — but let us never forget that we also have the power to spread happiness and positivity when all there seems to be is despair.

Remember, stars shine brightest in the darkest of places. As disastrous events continue to challenge our hopes for a better world, it becomes high time to look for the silver lining and remind ourselves that everything eventually falls into place according to the right time of the universe. In these times of trial and tribulation, among the faces of the crestfallen, let us find serenity in the world once again.

Alaina P. D’Cunha, Editor-in-Chief

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ontents c of

06 - 07

08 - 09

feature

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Study Smart, Add to Cart!

Ang Salbabida sa Markahan

Alaina D’Cunha

Yun Bayotas

10 - 11

12 - 13

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Komiks and Where to Find Them Angelie Joy Bulquerin

human interest

Genshin Impact - The Game That Made My Lockdown Period a Little Bit Bearable Jacelle Geonanga

14 - 15

16 - 19

discussion

feature

The Route of Escape from the Internet and its Infinite Time Illusion

CAS Artists Speak: Get to Know Your Favorite Artistic CASsies

Andrea de Martin Illustrations by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

Sean Lerry Jim Claud

20 - 21

feature

22

discussion

The OPM Bandsplotion: Where Are They Now?

TikTok: The (Para)Social Media Platform

Gabriel Omillo III

Francine Palomar

23 - 25

26 - 27

discussion

science & society

COVID-19: The World’s Harshest Critic

Jab-less Cure: An Israeli-Indian Effort For A Job Well Done

Sean Agraviador

Everose Asidoy

28 - 29

30 - 31

human interest

human interest

Abante Babae: Hidilyn Diaz and the Gold Medal

On the Journey of Finding Bloom within Yourself

Nicole Galilea

Sean Lerry Jim Claud

Study Smart, Add to Cart!

A Student's Guide to Shopee Sprees

by Alaina D'Cunha Unfortunate circumstances posed by the COVID19 pandemic have caused students to transform their entire households into workplaces conducive for academic undertakings. When once a sanctuary from the hectic life of a college student, bedrooms have become the new university campus for each young adult under the transition to distance learning. Academic calendars and study materials now hang on our bedroom walls alongside posters of our favorite fictional characters. Beds are now made for comfortable studying (or endless study breaks) rather than just sleeping. Class lectures have become the new mealtime TV sessions, rather than just typical Netflix shows we used to watch when we got home from school. Indeed, it is a strange time for college students across the nation.

One advantage of distance learning, however, is the amount of free time students now have to enrich their life at home. Students who once followed a mundane daily work schedule have suddenly transformed into plantitas, professional chefs, baristas, and interior designers with all the time they spend stuck at home. In light of the newfound need for home makeovers, many now turn to their digital best friend when it comes to interior decorating: Shopee! As an online shopping application that allows students to order items and have them delivered right at their doorstep at the click of a button, Shopee has become the perfect avenue for shopping sprees during the lockdowns.

While retail therapy may not always be the healthiest option for academic strife (we’re looking at you, reckless spenders!), there are indeed many helpful tools that are bound to make distance learning a lot more tolerable for the average student. Here’s a master list for everything a student may need and more to counter the throes of college life!

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Say goodbye to back aches and hello to a new and improved posture! This stand allows you to elevate your laptop to at least 7 different levels depending on your comfort, allowing you to face your screen with a straightened back and type without crouching. It’s the perfect device to help you stop breaking your back, without breaking the bank!

Faced with asynchronous class schedules and limited class interactions, keeping track of deadlines poses a great challenge to college students. A cork board hanging on top of your desk may be just the thing you need to get back on schedule. For paperless alternatives, a hanging whiteboard, felt board, or clear note board for the more aesthetic souls will work just fine!

feature What’s all work with no play? For students who like to spend their study breaks watching movies or scrolling through social media, a cell phone stand can be a helpful device to place on your study desk, to hold your phone while you sit back, relax, and let your mind rest until your next big academic task.

A cluttered desk often creates a cluttered mind. With the various school materials you may need to complete modules, it’s easy for stationery to pile up on the floors and tables of your rooms. With a swing shelf, you can easily place books, plants, or other miscellaneous items far from your desk space but still within reach, with the added bonus that it makes for pretty room décor as well! Shopee also sells drawers, shelves, and table rises, which may all be helpful for storage and decluttering.

While a bit pricier than most things on this list, a drawing tablet is the perfect solution for students who wish they could highlight pdfs or take digital notes without purchasing a tablet or iPad. A drawing tablet can be connected straight to your laptop or phone and acts as a personal notepad, allowing anything you draw or highlight to show up on your screen. Some tablets even come with handy buttons that you can configure into keyboard shortcuts!

However, we can’t deny that school is stressful, no matter the tools you have in your arsenal to make academic work bearable. When all else fails, it’s time to turn to the one secret weapon all Filipinos know and love: Vicks VapoRub or inhaler! As a remedy for migraines, a stuffed nose, body aches, joint pains, or coughs, this magical cure-all is the tired student’s staple to keep going in stressful times.

Now that you have a list of the essentials, always remember the cardinal rule of Shopee: take advantage of the vouchers, coins, and payday or monthly sales. There are many items on the site that can help make schoolwork a breeze, and these don’t have to come at the cost of an empty wallet. Happy shopping, fellow students, and add to cart responsibly!

product photos retrieved from authorized Shopee retailers

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Ang Salbabida sa Markahan Ni: Yun Bayotas Nakagagaan sa pakiramdam kapag ating nauunawaan ang mga paksang itinuturo sa atin ng mga guro lalo na kung mabigat ang paksang tinatalakay. Kasalungat nito, nahihinaan tayo ng loob at kumpyansa sa ating sarili tuwing mayroong hindi naiintindihan na parte ng diskusyon. Binubura nito ang ating gana na matuto kaya’t isa itong suliranin para sa mga mag-aaral. Tila mayroong mga aralin ng asignatura na hindi nadadaan sa isang sesyon upang maisaulo ang mga konsepto. Dahil dito, umaasa tayo sa internet para sa mga karagdagang kaalaman o pagpapaliwanag sa gayon ay lubos na maunawaan ang mga ito.

Isa sa mga tanyag na YouTube channel ay naka-tanggap ng umaapaw na pasasalamat at papuri mula sa mga mag-aaral, kolehiyo man o hayskul, ayon sa mga komento sa bawat bidyo na kanyang ibinahagi. Ang YouTube channel na ito ay nagngangalang “The Organic Chemistry Tutor” ni Julio Gonzalez. Sa pangalan ng kanyang YouTube channel, aasahan natin na puro asignaturang kimika o chemistry ang kanyang larangan ng diskusyon datapwat hindi, kaya’t nakapagtataka sa mga karamihan na saklaw din niya ang asignaturang matematika, biyolohiya, at pisika. Pokus nito ang problem solving o pagpapaliwanag ng mga nakalilitong proseso sa partikular na paksa, na ayon sa mga komento ay isa sa kanilang mga hamon bilang mga mag-aaral. Sa kadahilanang ito, tinagurian siyang salbabida o life-saver.

Gets ko na!

Illustration by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

#SalamatTheOrganic ChemistryTutor 08

Sa pag-iral ng “The Organic Chemistry Tutor”, abot-kamay na ng mga estudyante ang kanilang hiling - ang mataas o pasadong grado sa kanikanilang kurso o lebel, lalo na sa mga asignaturang sakop ng naturang YouTube channel. Ito ay dahil sa pamamaraan ng kanyang pagtuturo, at sa tinis at linaw ng pagbigkas ng mga salita bilang mga salik sa epektibo at madaling pagkatuto ng mga estudyante sa maraming nasyon. Ukol sa mga problem solving sa asignaturang kimika, pisika, at matematika, nagbibigay siya ng maraming halimbawa upang tiyak na maintindihan ang mga konsepto. Sakop niya ang payak hanggang sa komplikadong parte ng paksa. Ang pagpapaliwanag niya sa bawat proseso ay maayos, malinaw, at masusi dahilan na magbibitiw ka ng pariralang “Gets ko na talaga!”.

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Illustration by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

Ang mga komplikadong paksa ay kanyang napapadali. Nasa akmang bagal din ang kanyang pagtuturo kaya’t hindi nahihirapan ang mga estudyante sa pagsunod. Hindi mo na kailangang tapikin ang pindutan ng CC o subtitle upang maintindihan ang bawat bigkas. Sa katunayan, maaaring sagabal ang subtitle sa mga bidyong pang-edukasyon dahil natatakpan ang mga impormasyon o detalye sa ilalim, kung meron man, at ang tutok ng mata ay nakatuon sa ibaba at palipat-lipat dahilan na maaapektuhan ang iyong pagkatuto kaya mahalaga ang linaw ng pagbigkas ng tagapagturo na ito.

Ilan sa mga komento na humakot ng sandamakmak na likes mula sa kanyang ibinahaging bidyo ay ang mga sumusunod:

“This channel is the only reason why I’m surviving college science classes with straight A’s lol thanks!”

“This video is the very meaning of not all heroes wear capes’ because this man is my hero and I appreciate the heck out of this YouTube channel. Thank you so much for all your hard work.”

Tiyak na matutulungan ka ng Youtube channel na ito sapagkat taglay nito ang mga katangian ng epektibong tagapagturo. Ito ay nakatutulong lalo na sa paraan na ang paggamit mo ng oras para sa pag-aaral ay mababawasan sa kadahilanang maiintindihan mo ng agaran ang paksang tinalakay ng nasabing Youtube channel. Sa katunayan, bibigyan ka ng “The Organic Chemistry Tutor” ng ngiti sa bawat wakas ng kanyang diskusyon at mapapa-tweet ng “Thank you, The Organic Chemistry Tutor”. Laganap na nga ang balita ang paglalarawan sa nag-iisang The Organic Chemistry Tutor bilang salbabida sa markahan. Kaya kung hanap mo ang ligtas laban sa mababang grado, narito siya upang ika’y ilayo rito.

Samakatuwid, ang napakaraming likes na natanggap ng mga komentong ito ay nangangahulugang sang-ayon ang mga manonood sa positibong inilahad na komento.

Karagdagan nito, ang pasasalamat sa YouTube channel na ito ay matatagpuan din sa Twitter.

Tugon ng isang netizen, “The Organic Chemistry Tutor on YouTube is a life-saver. Thank you for Existing.” at ng isa pang netizen at sinabing “Thank you, The Organic Chemistry!! Sandalan kapag may lesson na hindi maintindihan.” Ang mga pahayag na ito ay naglalarawan na ang Youtube channel na ito ay life-saver sa paraan na nabibigyan ng oportunidad ang mga mag-aaral na makamit ang magandang marka sa mga pagsusulitat ang mas inaasam–pasadong grado.

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Kom iks and Where To Find Them By: Angelie Joy C. Bulquerin Millions of Filipino fans were hyped by a new Korean wave “manhwa”, which made webtoons such as True Beauty, BJ Alex, and Killing Stalking successful around the world. Webtoons adapted to K-dramas have also grown immensely in their popularity — such as "My ID is Gangnam Beauty", "Itaewon Class", and "Love Alarm"

#support

s t s i t r a l a c o l

All these exceptional webtoons stirred fans’ hearts — but have you heard of a komik about a modern gay couple, where one of them is an aswang? If not, it’s time for you to visit the new digital home of komiks by Kalabaw Kolektib through Penlab (penlab.ink) and Tsambolero, a Filipino comic illustrator, and his popular work “Ang Jowa Kong Crosswise''.

“Ang Jowa Kong Crosswise” is a komik about the life and adventures of a couple, Tomas and Leo, as they come out of the closet as man and aswang. It is set in present-day Philippines and highlights LGBTQ+ characters and Filipino mythology.

“Trese” brought pride to Filipino fans around the world after its Netflix adaptation directed by Jay Oliva designated Penlab as its new home as well.

Penlab also published other works of Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo — the creators of "Trese".

10 Illustration by Kajo Baldisimo

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Philippine

Mythology-inspired

Illustration by Tsambolero

Illustration by Sampay

Another Filipino mythology-inspired komik “Katipunera Warrior” earned its praises for promoting the diversity and richness of our local cultures. The komik is about a cursed demon child set to become a Makatao — a spirit warrior — after being threatened with the destruction of her barrio.

It seems that Filipino creators had a surprise for shoujo fans as well with the release of the komik “Nagmamahal, Maria Clara”, a comic where the character of Maria Clara from Noli Me Tangere was magically transported to 21st century Manila. The comic follows Maria Clara as she makes her way into a metropolitan life, meeting new friends and even getting into showbiz.

If you’re looking for a good table set to eat your favorite snack with a love triangle on the side, “Sari-sari Story” is the perfect place for you.

It’s a comic about friendship, love, kiligs, hugots, and a variety of real-life scenarios that many Filipinos can relate with. A similar comic “Uwian Na” follows a group of students as they venture through the most memorable page of one’s youth — high school.

This growing community of Kalabaw Kolektib (Penlab.ink) and of new generation Filipino komiks is the home of exceptional stories of classic and contemporary Filipinos — may it be superheroes, high school students, demon children, couples and even the magicallytransported ones. This community not only showcases the talents of passionate visual storytellers but also the beauty that lies deep within our culture and traditions.

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SOLA VIATOR 134 Days With Genshin Impact

“Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers’ Guild.”

Does that line ring a bell to you? If not, might as well introduce you to Genshin Impact, an action-adventure role-playing gacha game (yes, you heard me right - it’s a gacha game) that has taken the gaming world by storm since its release in September 2020. The player plays as the mysterious traveler who got separated from their sibling and is on the journey to find them by traveling across the seven nations of Teyvat.

There are currently three regions in the game, with Inazuma as the newly introduced one, and Mondstadt and Liyue as the first two.

By:

Jacelle Anne Geonanga

Some might even say that the release of Genshin during the middle of a pandemic is a “god-send”, especially during these trying times where people are forced to stay at home with no physical human interaction. As a result, many turn to different activities such as cooking, baking, gardening, and many more to help cope with the stress and mental health problems brought by a global health crisis. Gaming is no exception, and many have resorted to that specific activity to release stresses and frustrations that one may feel to combat the boredom of being stuck at home. Due to the game’s immense popularity since its release, I myself got into the hype, though I was kind of late to it, and inevitably got sucked into the fictional world of Teyvat.

I first heard of the game on Twitter, which was on fire the day a patch update went live, along with the introduction of a new playable 5-star character named Xiao. Being curious about the fuss, I decided to find out what the game is all about by checking out some videos about it. I was impressed by the visuals presented in the clips, which naturally made me want to download the game. I also remember thinking “Whoa, so this game has hot anime-style fictional characters that fight everything in their way? Count me in!”. I downloaded the game and waited for a couple of hours until finally launching it.

Since I’m a casual gamer, I actually thought it’d be like those games that you’d get tired of eventually and delete afterwards, but, oh boy — I was wrong.

I remember being amazed by the first cutscene in the game — being stopped by some unknown god, getting separated from my “twin sibling” and being

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forcibly put in the world of Teyvat. When I stepped into Mondstadt, the first of seven regions, I was immediately blown away by the stunning visuals of the overworld, the gameplay mechanics, the music that accompanies you when you explore and battle, and the story of the game. What also drew me into the game was the elemental combat system, where you could carry four characters of your choice in your party with their own respective elements — namely Pyro, Hydro, Anemo, Dendro, Electro, Cryo, and Geo — that you can switch to anytime with just a tap of a number button on your PC, or their icons on your phone screens. You can also utilize those characters for elemental reactions to easily defeat enemies; for example, if you apply the Hydro element to an enemy first then immediately attack them with a Pyro skill, you trigger the Vaporize reaction, which deals major damage to the enemy.

human interest As you progress on with the story, you also unlock three free characters — Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa — along with your self-insert, the Traveler. You also get to meet many characters that appear in the game like Kaedehara Kazuha, an Anemo character who’s a wandering samurai from the region of Inazuma. He has amazing utility skills that could help make your combat experience easier, which could benefit a lot of players. But unfortunately, his character is of high rarity — a limited five star hero — which can be incredibly difficult to obtain through the gacha system due to its low rates of getting a rare character.

The game also gives out premium game currency called “primogems” during events or after you complete major quests for you to exchange with “fates”, which can be used to pull for characters or weapons in the gacha system. Though one can be a completely free-to-play player and depend on events for primogems (like me), if one really wants a limited five star character, they can decide to spend real money just to get them within a limited time period (which to be honest, is the disadvantage of gacha gaming in general). I can’t even recall the amount of times I’ve been tempted to throw my cash on the game just to get a rare character (I think it was Zhongli, a Geo character known to have amazing defense abilities). But if you did not manage to get the five-star unit that you want, don’t fret — they will eventually come back in the form of a rerun banner, where you’ll get the chance to get them again.

Genshin Impact is one of the few games that I have thoroughly enjoyed during the lockdown period. Like many of us, it was difficult going through the long period without social interaction, which can send one’s thoughts spiraling. With the help of the game, I was able to completely distract myself from negative thoughts and turn all of that energy towards grinding essential materials for my characters. Especially during online classes, when the amount of schoolwork is too exhausting to deal with, I turn to the game to destress for a couple of hours before resuming with work. Though the RNG (random number generator) of the gacha, artifact stats, and boss drops is ridiculously bad that I could cry over it, the open-world exploration, mini-games, puzzles, and fun events make up for it, making the 134 days (yes, they have an app that could track your progress in-game!) that I spent in the game time not wasted. There is still a bunch of stuff in the game left unexplored, but as Zhongli said:

"Every journey has its final day. Don't rush.", I'll spend every second playing, taking my time and having fun until the final chapter of this game.

So far the game is still in its early stages of the story, but with the arrival of the Inazuma region, the story’s tone has gone from light-hearted to slightly darker. Each region has its own major quests that goes along with the main storyline, along with some side quests for you to gain experience points, in-game currency, and some miscellaneous stuff. The main quest for Inazuma is complete by now, so to pass the time, you could continue on with building your characters for them to become stronger such as by battling world bosses and grinding for talents, artifacts, and weapons in exchange of using ‘resin’ in domains, doing world quests, or maybe even doing Spiral Abyss which is kind of like the game’s “endgame” content. When you get tired of journeying through Teyvat alone, you can use the Co-Op system and invite some friends and even random strangers online to play with you, fight world bosses and grind in domains.

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font for subheading: Montserrat

Illustration by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

Driving Against the Attention Arms Race: A Friendly Guide to Not Getting Devoured in the Internet Rabbit Hole

The Route of Escape from the Internet and its Infinite Time Illusion

by Frances Andrea P. de Martin

There exists the truth that when we Homo sapiens move forward in time, so do our technologies. We have heard of algorithms being used in the common tongue — a word that I believe represents most of our online social media platforms’ mechanism. This is an era of the attention economy, where we become prey to our own interests. This article serves as a friendly guide to compass your path to navigating lost time in the deep abyss of the internet.

THE TRAP Just a quick discretion, I am neither some hermit detached from the internet, nor do I hold genius or immunity for fully escaping the depths of its pits.

This is an era where humanity is the most connected. The danger is that the platforms have easily permeated into our daily lives, which makes it difficult to see if we have fallen into the 14

trap. After we Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter our days away, we may find ourselves deep in dread. This can mean trouble of different sorts.

Being unable to detach ourselves when we are all actively in it is one of the cunning qualities of this technology. To some degree, it robs us of the chance to ponder on it. You might have experienced it yourself, where you are subjected to mindless scrolling on a certain platform because you know something will pop up that might interest you. Their design targets our attention, making us unable to separate from them. One little stimulation to another, and we are stuck on a hedonistic treadmill that gives us the illusion of infinite time. The real world revolves, and the human being scrolls through their devices to view realities of all sorts. Quite silly, isn’t it?

discussion

The Path To Exit Route One. The first route to rid of the curse of the illusion is to become aware that there is an illusion. Just as doctors make a diagnosis first before treating a disease, you must know that there lies peril ahead. Know your tendencies and your consumption. The question to ask is “how much time do you allocate for these virtual spaces?” You’ll have to be honest and think for yourself if the cost of that time is worth its price.

It’s not your fault. I’d have to say, it is the nature of these technologies to make us enamored in them. But, you must know how deeply you’ve sunk in the mud so you can take measures to rise from it.

Route Three. There is some work to be done within ourselves that can help us practice restraint. The most important of them all, is to make sure that you have mandatory periods of time where you detoxify yourself of the dopamine and stimulation that the internet provides.

Instead of going back to your screen, consider doing an activity that will require your full attention and focus. You may exercise, take a walk, do some chores, and many others. Make sure to keep a consistent pattern of this behavior so you may internally cultivate that there are activities you can do.

Route Two. Play the reverse card of access. You can tweak your environment and make your devices more difficult and inconvenient to get to, so while you find yourself running to the internet once more, you can ponder on it, and hopefully stop. Take note of the tools where you need to be online, such as your smartphone, laptop, PC, tablet, and many others. Consider unplugging the devices that need to be plugged in to function when you don’t need to use them. You may also ask help from another person to keep your gadgets away from you, while you take some time off of them. Need to sleep soon? Make sure to turn off your Wi-Fi router so even if you are tempted to look at your phone, you’ll be repelled from going online because of the trouble of turning it on again.

The internet can be anything you want it to be.

Being online and participating in the worlds within it is not bad. As social creatures, it is only natural for us to want to be connected with one another.

We’ve done so much work to make that possible, bridging more gaps as time flies by. The path to exit can be taken in any way possible, maybe even more than the limits of this composition.

Each of our circumstances may differ and this is not a “one-size fits all” solution. The technology capitalizes on our attention, and we become prey to it. The feeling that we have infinite time is the illusion we have to conquer, because we really don’t. You are the captain of your ship, and your destination is your responsibility, but make sure that as you ride the waves, you don’t sink in it.

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Illustration by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

Illustration by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

CAS Artists Speak: Get to Know Your Favorite Artistic CASsies

by Sean Lerry Jim V. Claud As the world goes into combat with an invisible enemy, many people are challenged on a daily basis to deal with the nuisance of a quarantined life. Numerous students have adapted countless hobbies.

Some discovered they liked plants and now refer to themselves as “plantitas” or “plantitos”, others have become content creators, and many more dwell to relish introspection.

Art was constant. With the advent of increasing social media usage, artists harnessed it to gather more prospective audiences. These three artists engaged with the public and gained attention due to their talent, skills, uniqueness, and grit. Each of them has their own art style, medium, and stories that can inspire budding local artists. Let’s get to know them!

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know the artist Get to

CHARLES ANDRADE Which current art world trends are you following?

“Honestly, I am not following any art world trends at the moment. I am a person who, if I find something that astounds and mesmerizes me as an artist, would want to try and make art out of it.”

How do you seek opportunities in the world of art?

Social Media Art Accounts: FB: Charles Studios/@charlesandreii IG: itscharlesandrade

“With my talents in art, especially in graphics, I have the opportunity to make a profit out of it. I have designed a few logos and my clients were satisfied with them. Currently, I am building my art portfolio using my social media accounts in hopes that I could garner more clients and show the works that I have created.”

Pronouns: He/Him Artists you look up to: @j.draw @oliussart @la__aura @bearbrikjia @heyheyandre_art

Art style: Space-theme in gradient bright colors Flat designs

Media: Traditional Art (Color pencil) Digital Art and Graphic design What is art for you?

“For me, art is an avenue of creativity and imagination where one is free to express themselves and transform into works of art. Art is a constant exploration towards achieving artistic inclination.”

How did you develop your art style and craftsmanship?

“I have always admired other artists’ works which became my inspiration in building my art style. There is no shame in getting art references as long as it hones one’s skills and talents. As I said, art is a constant exploration towards achieving artistic inclination.”

Art by CHARLES ANDRADE

What is your advice to someone who wants to try doing art?

“At first, it [may not] turn out the way that you expected, but do not be discouraged by that because you have the opportunity to learn and discover, and that is the start of something new.”

How has being an artist helped you through college life?

“I have always admired other artists’ works which became my inspiration in building my art style. There is no shame in getting art references as long as it hones one’s skills and talents. As I said, art is a constant exploration towards achieving artistic inclination.”

Art by CHARLES ANDRADE

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know the artist Get to

SNOW OBERES aka SNOW ROMANOVA

How did you craftsmanship?

develop

your

art

style

and

“I am still going through a lot of changes and developments with my art style, and I am constantly trying out new things and studying so I can figure out which makes me comfortable. Speed, aesthetic, and clarity of the detail is what I focus on most of the time.”

How has being an artist helped you through college life?

Social Media Art Accounts: IG: instagram.com/snwromanova TWITTER: twitter.com/snwromanova Pronouns: They/Them Artists you look up to: Srro_yo Artgerm Bwusagi Pigeon82 abysstea

Media: Digital and Traditional Art Art style: Anime and Semi realistic anime

What is art for you?

“It is something I can use not only to express myself and my feelings, but also to have fun and relax and make content that both I and people with the same interest as I do can find enjoyable. Art doesn't always need to have a meaning. It can be stupid, vague, senseless, even just flat out funny.”

“Doing freelance art has not only helped me gain income to assist my family and buy things I want, it also helped me feel a sense of purpose and belonging, especially when people interact with my artworks online.

It makes me feel like I actually made an impact [on] people, even if just for a few minutes. When I am stressed with my classes, art is my comfort. I draw my comfort fictional characters in different concepts that I want, and that makes me happy. Having a name in in social media, even just a bit, also helped me get discovered by different groups and companies that would hire me for a job in the future.”

Art by SNOW OBERES

Which current art world trends are you following?

“I mostly just draw things from whatever thing I currently hyperfixate on, like Genshin Impact, anime, and Chinese novels at the moment. I like to get involved in creating short comics from these things for people to read and share.”

How do you seek opportunities in the world of art?

“Just put yourself out there for exposure. Marketing yourself as an artist is really difficult, especially if there are thousands of other people that do the same thing as you do. Building a name for yourself is difficult too. I just draw, do my best in that drawing, and hope it works out.”

What is your advice to someone who wants to try doing art?

Art by SNOW OBERES

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“If you really want to do it, there's no one stopping you really. Every great thing starts from being interested in something. It doesn't matter what your reason is; for money, to amuse yourself, to fight for social inequality through visual media, or you just straight up want to draw characters you're attracted to— just do it.”

feature

know the artist Get to

RONALD “RILEY” SARMIENTO II

How did you craftsmanship?

develop

your

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style

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“I developed my art style by experimenting with various subjects and techniques and selecting the elements that I find appealing and enjoyable to work with. Also, I get ideas from the internet and from surreal images that appear in my dreams.”

How has being an artist helped you through college life?

Social Media Art Accounts: FB: Art of Dos IG: @art.of.dos DEVIANT ART: artworksbyrnz

Media: Watercolor, Colored Pencils, and Graphite

Pronouns: He/Him Artists you look up to: Salvador Dali, Agnes Cecile, and Hieu Nguyen (Kelogsloops)

Art style: Surrealism and Realism

What is art for you?

“It has helped me especially in maintaining my sanity.

Pressure from schoolwork and problems outside of school have taken a toll on my mental health, especially during these trying times; however, doing art seems to provide a safe haven for my weary bones and serves as a breather while also inspiring my audience. Aside from that, I've been taking commissions for a while now, and the money has helped me buy things I need without having to ask my parents for money.”

Which current art world trends are you following?

“I am fascinated with the beauty of human faces and I incorporate it with things that can be found in nature, specifically flora and fauna. I like to put meanings in my work, which is why surrealism is the best way to describe my foremost style. When my mind is stuck and I can't come up with new ideas, I cling to realism, copying the subject's exact features.”

How do you seek opportunities in the world of art?

“Art has been my tool for self-expression, especially for thoughts and images that I am unable to express verbally. Doing art has also helped me in coping with stress and is one of the reasons I continue to strive. We have art in order to not die from the truth and without its existence, life would mean nothing.”

“My creative prowess and curiosity have led me to be a part of amazing organizations, one of which is the Pinturista Group of Artists, which has been active in showcasing its members' masterpieces and promoting various forms of art. I've been participating in art exhibits and accepting art commissions online, and I'm grateful because my passion has allowed me to earn money for personal expenses and to upgrade my art materials.”

What is your advice to someone who wants to try doing art?

“Just simply try, enjoy, and always practice. I started with no knowledge and had never attended an art school, but with my perseverance and desire to learn, I was able to see progress and improve myself. That's something I'm still doing. Simply maintain a thirst for knowledge.

Art by RONALD “RILEY” SARMIENTO II

The WVSU College of Arts and Sciences is flooding with artists that express themselves in a myriad of distinctive ways. Do you want yourself or your friend to get featured in the next issue of our magazine? Don’t hesitate to send us a message on our Facebook page or DM the closest staffer that you can find. Don’t miss your chance to showcase your talents to the world.

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The 1990’s to the early 2000’s witnessed the rise of OPM Bands which paved the way for the present bands we are currently witnessing. This decade was considered by many as the golden era of the OPM bands. The musical climate in the country was blooming, since live shows were all over the place. The underground rock scene was vibrant. Musical venues such as Club Dredd and Mayric’s were one of the only few venues where local bands got to play their own material, which was then heavily influenced by alternative rock, punk rock, and grunge.

To satisfy your throwback feels, here are some classic OPM bands that deserve a spot on your ultimate throwback playlist:

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career, E-heads gave us hits including the iconic Ang Huling El Bimbo and Magasin which skyrocketed the band’s success and whose music video bagged the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards ‘International Viewer’s Choice Awards for Asia’, With a Smile, Fruitcake, and many others. The band broke up in 2002, but the commercial success of Eraserheads will always be credited for paving the way for other aspiring bands to perform and showcase their artistry.

Rivermaya 994-pr Sinong di mababaliw sa RIvermaya? Considered as part of the top twenty-five best-selling artists in Philippine history, Rivermaya cemented its status as one of the pioneers of the country’s alternative rock explosion. The original lineup consisted of Nathan Azarcon on bass, Mark Escueta on drums, Perfecto de Castro on lead guitar, Rico Blanco on keyboard, and Bamboo Mañalac on vocals. The band spawned several hits such as the iconic 214, Himala, Awit ng Kabataan, and many more. The band has undergone several lineup changes starting from the departure of Bamboo and De Castro. The band’s keyboardist Rico Blanco took on the role of primary vocalist along with their new guitarist Mike Elgar. The band’s new lineup propelled them further into mainstream popularity with monster hits including You’ll Be Safe Here, Liwanag sa Dilim, Umaaraw, Umuulan, along with other singles and albums, garnering international success. Despite Blanco’s departure from the group in 2007, the band is still active in touring and creating new music.

3-pr 199 Parokya ni Edgar Hoy hoy, buloy, naalala mo pa ba? Of course! How could we forget the so-called “Pambansang Banda ng Pilipinas”? The lineup consists of Chito Miranda on vocals, Gab Chee Kee on rhythm guitar, Buwi Meneses on bass, Darius Semaña on lead guitar, Dindin Moreno on drums, and Vinci Montaner on backing vocals. The band’s name origin was a subject of debate among fans until Miranda stated in 2013 that the name was stuck with them as a joke, as a reply to his teacher’s question of where Crisostomo Ibarra received his education.

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Eraserheads 2 200Gusto mo bang sumama? Sumama na sa Eraserheads!

The band is composed of Ely Buendia on guitar/vocals, Raimund Marasigan on drums/vocals, Buddy Zabala on bass/vocals, and Marcus Adoro on lead guitar/vocals, and is hailed by many as the “The Beatles of the Philippines” as they were credited for spearheading the 90’s band invasion.

Their debut album Ultraelectromagneticpop! gave us hits such as Ligaya, Toyang, Shirley, and the controversial Pare Ko which was then nearly censored by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry due to Tagalog profanity since the swearing heard in the track was a taboo in the music industry back then. In the span of their illustrious

by Gabriel Omillio III

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It’s an early morning. As the school bus impatiently waits outside your house, you take your time watching the Myx Daily Top 10 Chart, searching for new tunes to groove to. As you finish watching, you pen some new tracks to be burned into your personalized CD later. The days pass by with you tuning in to your favorite television shows and radio guesting to catch your favorite band performing live. Who could forget those intimate guitar jamming sessions you had with your classmates when the teachers were not around? These OPM bands created tunes and melodies that captivated our hearts and minds back then.

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Cueshé esent Sound familiar? Formed in Cebu, Philippines, the band currently consists of Ruben Caballero on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Jovan Mabini on lead guitar and backing vocals, Fritz Labrado on bass guitar, and Cesar delos Santos on drums. The band name is a portmanteau of Cue from a popular Filipino delicacy banana cue and shé as reference to their former female vocalist who left in 2001. The band produced hit singles including Stay, Sorry, Ulan, 24 Hours, and a double platinum album Half Empty, Half Full in 2005, garnering numerous accolades within a span of a year. The group is considered to be one of the pioneers of the “Pogi Rock” movement, describing OPM bands with goodlooking frontmen.

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000-pr Urbandub Dubbed as the “Giant Sound of the South”, Urbandub became the first indie band in the country to release albums nationwide with the aid of a major label company. The group consists of Gabby Alipe on vocals and rhythm guitar, John Dinopol on lead guitar and backing vocals, Lalay Lim-Geronimo on bass and backing vocals, and Janjan Mendoza on drums. Like all bands, Urbandub had a rough start, lacking the support they needed to release their material. Following the critical success of their single Soul Searching, the band’s popularity skyrocketed, and they ruled the top of the music charts. Some of Urbandub’s notable hit songs include Alert the Armory, First of Summer, The Fight is Over, A Call to Arms, Guillotine, Evidence, and many more. The band had its farewell concert entitled “Endless” on May 9, 2015. Fortunately, the band continues to perform today.

Neocolours 1987-1 Pop-rock band Neocolours with members Jimmy Antiporada on keyboards, Ito Rapadas on vocals, Marvin Querido as the second keyboardist, Josel Jimenez on guitars, Paku Herrera on bass, and Nino Regalado on drums burst through the pop music scene in the late 80s, back when the scene was dominated by solo singers, thus helping the country to transition into a new era known as the 90s band explosion. Some of their iconic hits include Tuloy Pa Rin, Maybe, Kasalanan ko ba, Hold on, and Say You’ll never go. Their songs have been considered cult classics and have been covered numerous times by various artists and used for numerous commercials, movies, and television themes, cementing the band’s status as a relevant 80s act. After the exit of its founding members, the band slowly dipped into retirement in 1994. Today, the members are pursuing different musical paths, occasionally reuniting to perform for their loyal fans.

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Kamikazee sent re Onstage presence? Guitar playing? Lyricism?

Kamikazee has it all! The band consists of Jay Contreras on vocals, Jomal Linao on lead guitar and backing vocals, Led Tuyay on rhythm guitar, Puto Astete on bass, and Bords Burdeos on drums. Categorized as a mixture of pop-punk and hardcore punk, the band gave us awesome childhood anthems, namely their most popular single Narda which was later used for GMA Network’s primetime show ‘Darna’. Other notable singles from the band include Martyr Nyebera (as spoof of a Filipino balladeer Martin Nievera), Chiksilog, Halik, Huling Sayaw, and many others. The band took a oneyear hiatus in 2016 and then made a comeback in 2017, actively touring and creating new music.

songs from “song hits”. Hale is indeed one of the bands that molded and defined our generation.

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Hale With vocalist/guitarist Champ Lui Pio, bassist Sheldon Gellada, guitarist Roll Martinez, violinist Chino David (formerly of Silent Sanctuary), and drummer Omnie Saroca, the band captivated our hearts with rock ballads like The Day You Said Goodnight, Kung Wala Ka, Kahit Pa, Blue Sky, and many more hits which made us rock out with our trusty air guitars and air drums. The band serves us with pure nostalgia and takes us back to times when we tried to pick up the guitar and learn their

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Starting out as regular performers on Club Dredd, Parokya slowly gained popularity during the height of the 90s rock explosion, and finally signed under Universal Records. The band, known for their original rock novelty songs and satirical covers from foreign and local acts produced many hit songs including Buloy, Halaga, The Ordertaker (a mashup of Chop Suey and Toxicity by System of a Down), Harana, Mr. Suave, and many more. To this day, the band remains active in touring, performing, and creating music.

discussion

TikTok: The (Para)Social Media Platform by Francine Palomar Consider the following: 30-second skits referencing obscure memes; spontaneously filmed videos of reallife mishaps, complete with a shot of schadenfreude; agitated mini-rants delivered by some teen in a blanket cocoon; one-man reenactments of what went down at a local McDonald’s earlier that day.

If you’ve ever been on TikTok for a grand total of about 10 minutes, chances are you will have already seen (or scrolled past) these types of videos. In fact, it’s virtually impossible to steer clear of the everpresent genre that many content creators call “relatable content” on TikTok. While many of us GenZ’s are familiar with this particular tone and flavor of original content from other platforms such as YouTube and the long-gone Vine, TikTok takes the game a step further by presenting the challenge to an entirely new player: celebrities.

Now, you might be wondering why, or how, celebrities would be even remotely interested in yet another deceptively shallow app when Instagram already exists. The thing is, contrary to outsiders’ beliefs, TikTok is more than just a platform for silly little dance trends and thirst traps. Wade through the waters of your For You Page (or FYP, for short) for just a few minutes, and you’ll see that in actuality, TikTok is a digital melting pot that celebrates relatability and forms bonds through all that is average and mundane.

Juxtapose that with Instagram, aka the platform of perfection, sophistication, and careful curation, and you’re one step closer to the answer.

It all circles back to us: the viewers, the audience, the fans.

If you think about it, relatability breeds familiarity breeds likeability. With TikTok effectively acting as the foil to Instagram, this presents celebrities with a shot at further capturing the hearts of the masses through a wholly different approach, one that they probably can’t afford to pull off during a red carpet event. By exposing their most candid sides and giving us piecemeal glimpses of all the unglamorous bits, they make the distance between us, the average person, and them, the untouchable public figures, suddenly seem a little closer.

Although it is true that most celebrities do already have their own little flocks of dedicated fans, even without stripping away that veneer of picture-perfect flawlessness, the pros outweigh the very few cons; endearing new and old fans to you will always be a win, and what better way to do so than by inviting them into your world, even if it’s through 1-minute clips?

Parasocial relationships — a term that might be familiar to you if you are anywhere near any fandom — have been around for years. But current circumstances have forced us to latch onto whatever connection we can find, whether it be a chance connection on Omegle or a one-way friendship with A-listers, Olympic athletes, and renowned authors (and Hank Green). The way TikTok works makes it a near-natural interaction between the celebrity and the non-celebrity. For example, creators can reply to comments or even whip up a TikTok in response to one. If that wasn’t enough, the ‘stitch’ and ‘duet’ features take it several steps further.

All things considered, it’s a relatively low-risk, mediumeffort type activity with potentially high rewards on both ends. This way, we trade a little bit of our attention for crumbs of intimacy to nibble on, while also feeding into the comforting thought that our favorite stars might not be so out-of-reach. The humanization and humbling of these world-famous public figures through a seemingly ‘basic’ and superficial social media platform is something that no one really saw coming, but is a welcome development all the same.

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Illustration by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

discussion Sean Lerry Jim Claud

COVID-19

The World's Harshest Critic

by Sean Bernard Agraviador It has been a year and a half since the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic. It was March 11 of 2020 when the words of the WHO Director-General’s opening remarks “rung the alarm bell loud and clear” for every country to remain vigilant and responsive in the wake of this new pandemic. A year and a half later, traces of COVID-19 have graced every continent, even Antarctica, and those who have been spared thus far are just small archipelagic nations. The statements made by the WHO Director-General were eerily accurate in predicting the factors that would have stemmed the tide and flattened the curve. These factors primarily concerned public health but, of course, in this civilized world, there are near-infinite elements that can culminate in the success of a country in a post-pandemic era. There are both economic and political responses that take equal precedence along with a well-funded and organized health response.

Meeting the demands of a good pandemic response is certainly a challenge for some countries, but over the year it has become apparent that providing that response was not a matter of capability, but one of will. Today, we celebrate the countries that have committed to a strong pandemic response, not only in terms of public health but also in mitigating economic turbulence piloted by strong political leadership.

Public Health Response A lot has changed since the beginning of the pandemic. Lockdowns have come and gone and come again, curves have risen and flattened, and the virus has mutated time and time again. Most of the world by now has implemented some sort of contingency plan but it is no secret that other countries are enjoying a kind of remission from COVID-19 cases.

These countries stand out because they focused on preparedness, prioritized detection, reduced transmission, and most importantly, they have innovated and learned from history.

Consider Taiwan, a country that is only 160km from the coast of China and has a sizable population of citizens living and working there. Although they were expected to be hit the hardest, they managed to stave off the initial impact of the pandemic and only recently experienced their first serious wave of infection during May 2021. The resilience of this small island nation was due in part to their past experience with the SARS pandemic, so they were diligent and cautious to the alarm bells rung by China and the World Health Organization. Additionally, Taiwan had decided to forgo a full national lockdown and focused on aggressive contact-tracing through mobile sim tracking to ensure that quarantine protocols were being followed by everyone. By sacrificing privacy,

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they had not only saved the lives of their citizens but also maintained economic integrity.

In a similar way, South Korea avoided a health scare during the early days of the pandemic by leveraging its technological advancements to set up the same system to track its citizens as well. Aside from aggressive testing, South Korea was a key player in the export of medical supplies and production of COVID-19 testing kits for shipment while the country’s own cases remained at less than 100 cases.

Outside of China, the first country to contract the disease was Thailand on January 13, 2020. However, Thailand is a nation that has shown great developmental success, and over the past 4 decades of its economic growth, they have invested heavily into their health sector. Most, if not all, of their citizens are covered by health insurance and have improved access to healthcare services. By the end of July 2020, 78% of Thailand’s provinces were capable of producing their own test kits to diagnose COVID-19.

Additionally, a part of their health care policy includes the maintenance and expansion of the Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) established in 1977. Today, this organization manages 1.04 million volunteers who perform surveys, collect data, hold public awareness campaigns, etc. As the COVID-19 pandemic developed, each VHV evolved from local health workers to frontliners battling the pandemic. Make no mistake though, the Thai people are no newbies when it comes to health crises, having had their fair share of epidemics in the past. Thailand’s efforts have culminated into one of the most robust pandemic responses despite being hit the earliest. After their first wave, Thailand went on to have no locally reported cases for 100 days between May and September 2020.

Unfortunately, as the people have let their guard down over the following year, a second wave has come by way of Thai workers illegally entering the country without adhering to proper quarantine protocols, leading to tens of thousands of cases per day as of late.

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As the pandemic continues to rage on, formerly successful countries may become complacent and face another wave. In some cases, countries that faced initial success, like South Korea, have even opted to not prioritize vaccination due to the high demand and lack of supply earlier in the year and decided that their resources were better spent on other measures. This decision could be disastrous if quarantine protocols are not kept up to par since their initial response, possibly undoing all the efforts made in the early days of the pandemic — a phenomenon that is now being experienced by Thailand.

Economic Response The COVID-19 pandemic is slated to cause the worst economic recession since World War II and the highest peak in unemployment since 1965. After living through a pandemic, it would be a shame if the decade to follow was spent living through an overinflated economy with a decline in global trade leading to higher rates of unemployment throughout the world.

Not only do the leaders of a country need to prioritize concerns of public health, they must also keep a close eye on social instability caused by remission in their respective economies.

Most countries have devoted a considerable part of their annual GDP to the pandemic response in the form of a sizable government stimulus targeted towards small-medium-sized businesses and households.

Singapore, for example, committed up to 20% of its GDP and massive spending towards the pandemic response thanks to its deep national reserve.

Countries such as Taiwan and South Korea did not impose a full national lockdown for a prolonged period of time, but instead hedged their bets on aggressive healthcare countermeasures to keep their businesses operating. These countries also imposed bans on exporting essential products such as masks, fever thermometers, and alcohol to keep the supply high for the inevitable rise in demand.

Illustration by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

discussion On the other hand, New Zealand immediately imposed a level 4 national lockdown upon confirming their first cases of COVID-19, restricting its citizens to interact only with persons within their household, and closed domestic and international travel to the country. This lockdown had lasted several weeks to ensure the virus was eradicated before easing the restrictions was even considered. It is clear that this strict strategy was the most effective, as New Zealand faces one of the lowest rates of infection among the industrialized giants.

Countries such as South Korea, Thailand, and New Zealand that weathered the initial storm so well may deem that ordering vaccines is not an efficient use of resources at this time. However, they must be wary that the virus is still mutating. The economic savings they have made now may very well be their Achilles’ heel in the future.

"This pandemic ruthlessly weeds out weak leaders" Political Response One deciding factor in lifting a country up and improving every facet of life is dictated by its political leadership. We can clearly see now that it is not purely economic or public health facilities that determine the future well-being of a nation undergoing a pandemic.

Take the United States of America, for example, whose citizens have politicized a serious matter of public health which was only exasperated by their political leaders, compromising not only their health but that of their fellow citizens. On the other hand, there are countries like Greece, which had just climbed out of a serious recession in 2019 only for a pandemic to hit at the same time. However, despite all this,

Greece had a swift and effective pandemic response since its first reported case by implementing regional lockdowns in afflicted areas. Furthermore, they created separate health facilities for the numerous refugee camps they host to reduce transmission and maintain some access for everyone. The Greek leaders' unity and authority took care not only of their own citizens, but also of the refugees born from the border crisis it shared with Turkey.

Other countries allowed science and evidence to guide their way through the storm. For example, Taiwan’s centralized response was led by their vice president, who is conveniently an epidemiologist.

Both New Zealand and Australia had showed their deference towards their scientists in forming policies where, historically, the latter’s prime minister belonged to a party that often took an abrasive approach towards scientists.

It is clear that leadership is the most critical factor that will dictate the success of a country throughout a pandemic. The leaders who could inspire their citizens despite their political or socioeconomic differences, who could unite them together to face a common threat, and who could convince them to commit and make the appropriate sacrifices, while supporting them through and through had paved the way in returning to a normal way of life. Finally, the leaders who heeded the warnings and relied on scientists and research to guide their pandemic response are the ones who have fared the best. Genuine political leaders are important for the growth and prosperity of a nation, and the current pandemic is the most ruthless judge in weeding out the weak leaders from strong and reliable candidates.

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Jab-less Cure: An Israeli-Indian Effort For A Job Well Done

by Everose M. Asidoy A steadfast quest for an elixir that could resurrect mankind from the pavements of isolation reached its climax. Once again, the scientific realm is rebooting the power button, restoring the light amidst the days of doom.

365 Days and Counting After a year of uncertainty, the key to reviving the lifeline of “normalcy” is finally here.

Although it might take several years before we dive into a world where the word “COVID-19” is no longer a death sentence, one country is making remarkable strides in the field of science and technology.

Venturing into a spin-off cure for several types of coronavirus variants could hamper the efficacy of the vaccines due to its evolving wrath. The Israeli Pharmaceutical, Oramed, in collaboration with India-based biotechnology firm, Premas Biotech, produced Oravax, an oral vaccine that was made possible by leveraging Oramed’s protein oral delivery (POD) in order to activate the Virus-like Particle vaccine technology (VLP) that could penetrate through the three protein layers of the Sars-CoV-2- Virus as opposed to the current ‘toptier’ vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna that only targets the spike protein. The development of this collaborative project highlights the feasibility of Oramed’s specialization, their delivery system, and Prema Biotech’s D-Crypt that could sustain proteins in a capsule.

The ‘Big-Bang’ Theory With their previous systematic medical production, Oramed’s CEO Nadav Kidron theorized the integration of their protein oral delivery system as a cure — a feat that was made possible with the help of their scientific advisory board, consisting of Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Avram Hershk and Premas Biotech’s D-Crypt System. They created Oravax Medical Inc., which developed a capsule that activates both systemic immunity through Immunoglobulin G (IgG), the most common

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Illustration by: Precious Grace G. Calubiran

antibody in blood and bodily fluids that protects against viral infections, and Immunoglobulin A (IgA) which protects the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts against infection, thus combating the unseen adversity.

“An oral COVID-19 vaccine that harnesses and combines the true potential of the two platforms, Premas’ D-Crypt™ technology platform with Oramed’s world-leading oral protein delivery platform POD®, is an excellent example of a true collaboration that can rapidly advance into late-stage clinical trials.

Oramed’s experience and success in conducting Phase 2 and 3 oral protein trials positions our program very favorably in the race to find an effective oral COVID-19 vaccine that can be administered by anyone anywhere. We are looking forward to sharing clinical data soon,” said Premas Biotech Co-Founder and Managing Director Dr. Prabuddha Kundu.

science & society

Vaccine Functionality a History in the Making Most of the vaccines are freezer-dependent and temperature-sensitive; hence, it might take a while for the vaccine roll-out. To evoke an immune response, the company designed artificial coronavirus-like particles to mimic the three key structures of the pathogen: the spike protein, the envelope protein, and the membrane protein. This will then target multiple parts of the virus in order to work well despite the multiple variants. Furthermore, the capsule is designed to have a highly protective coating that makes it slow to degrade, which allows it to survive the highly acidic gut. The protein-based VLP of the capsule targets the spike, membrane, and envelope proteins of the coronavirus making it easier to replicate and produce antibodies necessary for the individual’s immune response to the pathogen.

The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back Amplifying factual and scientific-based evidence to end a global turmoil may seem like a small step, but with the expanding circle and collaborative efforts of the world’s brightest minds, this imaginative idea is now a dream come true for humanity. It serves as a time capsule for people’s ticking clocks, especially for those who live in a country where the competence of handling such a tremendous health crisis is nonexistent.

This medical grandeur proves that mankind could unlock limitless possibilities. It is not rocket science yet; just like Bezo’s “The New Shepard”, there will be billions involved. Restoring life through this IsraeliIndian effort to attain major scientific prowess is indeed a job well done, not only for them, but for the human race and the future endeavors that lie ahead.

Simplifying Logistics for Infinite Potentialities With the worldwide vaccine shortage, administering it orally would be a game changer particularly for developing countries as it requires minimal effort, especially with regards to transportation. Furthermore, in the preclinical studies, it was found that the triple protein layer serves as an advantage in terms of its efficacy to the new variant, especially Delta.

Gearing up in preparation for their clinical trials for local and, later on, international volunteers, the study protocol has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv and is now pending the approval of Israel’s Ministry of Health. This standalone vaccine is foreseen to trigger the expansion of vaccination roll outs, especially for countries who struggle with healthcare access.

Photo by: Precious Grace G. Calubiran

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Abante Babae: Hidilyn Diaz and the Gold Medal

by Nicole Razzan Galilea

Gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines reacts after winning women's 55kg weightlifting.

REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

2021, a year that is far from perfect — a year full of rotating ECQs, MECQs and GCQs, of doubts and uncertainties. Yet in the midst of all this darkness, the light came from an empowered woman.

Babae, Filipina bags the first Olympic gold medal for the Philippines. Hidilyn Diaz overcame everything that was meant to destroy her.

Achieving the Olympic gold medal for the Philippines was elusive for a sports-mad country, but after 97 years, history was made.

The Olympics was first halted due to this life changing pandemic, COVID 19. The sports industry was shut down and athletes stopped their preparations. But after a year of slowly learning to adapt and live with the virus, the 2020 summer Olympics was held in Tokyo. This year’s Olympics was far from ordinary, as it became a special one not just for the participants, but also 28

for the viewers. The stadiums, arenas, and courts that were once filled with blaring and highspirited fans were now empty. The opening ceremony was limited only to the olympians and their coaches. We could say that this is the new normal.

19 Filipino athletes were qualified to join this prestigious event. With little to no support at all, these athletes took part and gave it a shot in securing a medal. But one name emerged victorious: Hidilyn Diaz, the golden girl, the queen of weightlifting.

Hidilyn Diaz is a four-time Olympian who debuted at the age of 17. The first time she set foot in this respected competition was during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She finished last and her name wasn’t even famous in her very own country. At the 2012 London Olympics, she failed to finish the event due to injury. But it was during

human interest the 2015 Rio Olympics where Hidilyn first made her name known. She won silver in the 53kg category and became the first ever Filipina to receive this award. Her name became the epitome of a powerful woman. But she didn’t stop there; she continued to train in inordinate amounts of sweat, tears, and sacrifices. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was the peak of the mountain, and she’s just getting started.

Her preparation to the top was never easy.

Hidilyn was once tagged as a victim of the infamous "red-tagging", assumed to be a member of a group involved in the destabilization of the government. Her silver medal and the honor she brought to our country was not considered as a ticket to escape this kind of mistreatment. It caused her mental health to destabilize, making her question if she could continue her weightlifting journey. .

From one stumbling block to another, Diaz also faced a crisis in the aspect of financial support. But this powerful lady never backed down; instead, she personally knocked on peoples’ backs and asked for support. Luckily, as they say, behind every successful woman is a tribe who has her back. Private people and groups came as a blessing, which served as her fuel in moving forward.

“It’s unbelievable,” she said, caressing the gold medal hanging on her neck. “I expected to win, but when you hold this already, it’s like, wow, I never thought this would happen today.”

The journey of Hidilyn is and will continue to be an inspiration, especially to Filipino women.

Hidilyn taught us that strong is beautiful.

Strong is Gold. Amongst all the doubts, she broke the stereotype that men equate power.

Women are already strong, and it is time to change how the world perceives that strength.

Babae ka, hindi babae lang.

a b B ae e t n ba

#A

Nothing is stronger than a broken woman who rebuilt herself. From the streets of Zamboanga to Tokyo, from using tin cans as weights to lifting 127 kilograms of barbel, she did it. She made history.

“I expected to win, but when you hold this already, it’s like, wow, I never thought this would happen today.”

Amidst the serious faces of her competitors in the arena, Hidilyn was all smiles as she lifted the barbel that came to spell triumph not just for her but for her countrymen as well.

Illustration by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

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On the Journey of Finding Bloom within Yourself A Love Letter

by Sean Lerry Jim Claud

You grew up wanting to be someone’s favorite.

Maybe even on the top of their list where a person can remember you every time they see something beautiful. Just like how the stars that twinkle at night remind them of your smile and as the sun drowns on the horizon they think of your embrace. A soul that longed to belong in a good place. However, you gave up looking for it and thought that this world had no space for you.

There were so many paths to take. A river with numerous diverging tributaries for which you followed the currents and carefully picked a way to turn. You realized that there’s no going back; only one choice existed in a million future possibilities. That really scared you for quite some time. Mornings felt heavy as you wondered how the day would go. As it transitioned to nighttime, you questioned your daily decisions and halted normal mental processes. In the end, you slept with worries that flooded your dreams.

All you ever wanted was to have a person to be called the one. The one who could have kept your pain from reaching the crevices of your soul. The one who could have eased the tension of your muscles each time panic overrode your mind.

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Illustration by: Angelie Joy Bulquerin

The one who could have understood the way you felt just by looking at your eyes and holding your hand.

You did find that person, almost.

It was hope for a hopelessly hopeful heart. Like diva worship, you adulated them as they came knocking on your dusty door. That thirst for adoration and inclination has led you to an allegiance towards an ounce of appreciation.

They gave you what you wanted and a little bit of what you needed at that moment.

Each time that you were human by making feather-headed mistakes, they alienated you from their field of experience. You kept wondering for hours and days what you did wrong. Did I give inadequate explanations? It was not like you committed a crime so serious that even your closest friends would abandon you. But they didn’t. All you did was you forgot important dates; you punished yourself enough for not remembering the day that you met each other.

human interest This went on for about a year until at some point things turned sour like a raw roselle calyx.

Do you still remember how they called you useless? Brainless? Someone who is not loved by your parents? An elephant-sized weirdo who cannot defend yourself? Ingenuous for not being able to show your true colors?

They also called you a cheater. You did try to defend yourself from an incredulous barrage of accusations. But your heart became enervated for the multiple times that you attempted to delineate their narrative. It was not enough.

This was the perfect time to walk away. You felt your neck lose its rigidity as you broke free from the bounds of uncertainty. The shackles on your wrists were torn apart as your eyes unfastened themselves from the clips of injustice.

They told their own version of the chronicles where you became the villain of the tale.

Unbothered, as you turned out to be, just let this slide off the surface of your barrier. You lost your care and cast away your fears of being left stranded on an island.

Damn, it was a peaceful paradise for yourself.

Unambiguously, you never needed anyone but yourself. An irrevocable and permanent cognizance marked the connectomes of your brain. When you depended on someone else’s affirmation as the basis of your worth, you became amaurotic of the reality that the entire situation presented. Please, do not let it happen again, and learn to be able to look at yourself as an individual who is more than capable of conquering the challenges that this world commences.

Photos by: Sean Lerry Jim Claud

Look at the mirror and beam at your reflection.

That person has blossomed into an unrecognizable face, a visage of a victor. The moment that you stomped on the shallow tidal waters and thought of a great future, you already won. All these resplendent sceneries may remind you that everything that your eyes can reach is a place to bloom.

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"Down the rabbit hole we fall, but into a new world at the end of it all."