Kapawa Online Newsletter Vol.4 No.4

THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LASALLE - SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

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VOLUME 4

ISSUE 4

JANUARY TO NOVEMBER 2019

opinion

A Monument to Remember page 3

news Duterte Appoints Espenido in BCPO page 4

featu re A Ruby in the Rough page 8

sci-tech Grocery Goes Green page 9

sports Azkals Goals Two Big Tourneys in Bacolod page 11

Photo courtesy of Panay News

SEDULOUS. Industrious tapaseros work under the scorching heat of the sun.

Negrosanons unite to slam sugar liberalization

by Nicole Kaye Lipa

Roughly 300,000 local sugarcane farmers with around 390,000 hectares of farmland will be affected after Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar considered the proposed liberalization of sugar imports in the Negros Island on Aug. 6.

S e v e r a l labor groups, stakeholders, and leaders of the province have expressed firm

opposition against the proposal due to its negative implications in the province’s economic status and the livelihood of the citizens.

“Kung muna, wala man kami may mahimo. Galing, te syempre, dako gid ni madula sa amon. [….]

Dugang ni pigado ta (If that’s the case, then we can’t do anything about it. However, of course, we will surely lose a lot. It will add up to our poverty),” said Rex Legaspi, a

sugar mill laborer in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.

Moreover, Tatak Kalamay, a movement composed of sugar industry stakeholders, called a press conference on Oct. 13 to prompt President Rodrigo Duterte in dropping the said proposal.

“The sugar industry is under siege again and we condemn in the strongest terms what we perceived as a sell-off of Philippine agriculture in general,”

a representative from Tatak Kalamay remarked.

Additionally, three labor groups, namely the General Alliance of Workers Associations (GAWA), the Philippine A g r i c u l t u r a l Commercial and Industrial Workers U n i o n - T r a d e Union Congress of the Philippines (PACIWU-TUCP), and the National Congress and Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines

Yanson family feud troubles commuters

by Lance Rafael Lazaro Thousands of passengers and employees of the Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) have raised their concerns about the inconveniences brought by the persisting disputes between two factions of the billionaire Yanson family.

The Philippine A g r i c u l t u r a l Commercial and Industrial Workers

Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (PACIWU-TUCP) staged a protest at the VTI bus terminal in Brgy.

Bata, which called out the administration to fix the issue. “ B i s a n ara sa babaw ang problema […], wala kami sweldo kung wala byahe. (Although the problem was mainly with the highranking officials, we

would still receive no However, the major pay when operations stockholders of the are suspended),” Bacolod-based VTI said Benedict Alvia, have reorganized a a bus driver, after new set of directors being asked about who, in turn, the halting of bus reelected Leo Rey operations on Aug. 7 Yanson as the firm’s Officials president on Aug. 19. of the 7,500-strong

The VTI is Mindanao Alliance of the umbrella firm Land Transport and that controls several General Workers’ bus lines nationwide, Union (MALTU) also including the Ceres gathered in the city Liner and Ceres tours to air their side on the fleet, operating 4,000 crisis surrounding the buses and 18,000 company. employees in total.

(NACUSIP), signed “The Karga-Tapas Manifesto”, a position paper that expressed defiance to the liberalization.

Furthermore, the Bacolod City Council also approved a resolution against the deregulation of the sugar industry in order to protect smalltime businesses. “ T h e liberalization on the importation of sugar would be the demise of the local sugar industry, […] resultant thereto the economic growth of Bacolod City would be greatly affected, […] thereby affecting the revenue of the City,” said Councilor Al Victor Espino, the author of the resolution.

As of the moment, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Chief Ernesto Pernia said that he wanted a comprehensive study to be conducted first before constructing a bill for the Congress about liberating sugar imports because it was not a high priority yet.

THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE - SENIOR HIGH SCHOOl volume 4 issue 4 january to november 2019

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editorial

editor’s note The only absolute in life is that there are no absolutes.

As people, we like to believe that the threads of reality are ours to weave however we like. This is why we often fail to see that reality is an entity of its own, and we are the mere catalysts.

This issue centralizes on how reality is unceasingly altering itself, for better or worse. In these pages, witness the fundamentals of our

society, embodied in the people’s activism for their own individual causes, to how the onset of technology would affect our lives.

Change is a constant—as it always is.

The world evolves and, whether we like it or not, we change along with it.

KAPAWA

THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

A.Y. 2019 2020

MAPHI DANIEL T. POLVORA

KIM T. DIAZ

editor in chief

assistant editor in chief

KAREN E. PICO

JUSTIN ANDREI D. TANILON

AARON PAUL D. INFANTE

JED EMMANUEL M. REYSOMA

associate editor managing editor

MICHOLLE P. CORTEZANO news editor

BEA ROSE M. CELO feature editor

JAN KRISTOFFER J. HINOLAN sports editor

KATHLEEN JOY C. ARUTA literary editor

KIRSTIN NICOLE K. BUENO layout, graphics, and photos editor

assistant associate editor

assistant managing editor

NICOLE KAYE E. LIPA

assistant news editor

ALEIA NICHOLE M. TAYO

assistant feature editor

WILLIAM KHALID VIBAR

assistant sports editor

JOSIE ANN H. APDOL

assistant literary editor

CHARLIZE T. NICASIO

assistant layout, graphics, and photos editor

RHIZNAN FAITH D. FERNANDEZ, LPT moderator JOHN EDWARD G.ALEJANO alyssa m. rosales ANGEL M. GEROSO nonie b. gallenero jr.

GRACE KAY L. MILAN lucille marie l. magcumot RIEDEN DENIELLE N. CUADRA kayla angelique d. castillo photojournalists ANASTASIA R. ALCANTARA FEATURE WRITERS andre noel d. pandan ZOE MILABETH B. BACNUTAN ella mae c. abendan LANCE RAFAEL M. LAZARO kyna d. hosillos news writers dominic jude c. ciocon luigie t. servilla athena d. ledesma layout artist literary writers michelle c. tupas earl joshua a. estores mary andrea s. geolingo eli t. gozon jerell joshua c. planas andrea ymanulle cervales illustrators

The Road That Was Taken Why did the street vendor cross the road? Because his stall was about to be demolished.

Following President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive in his 2019 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) released Memorandum Circular 2019-121, which dictates that all public roads obstructed due to private purposes must be reclaimed for the public on a nationwide scale.

F a s t e r traffic, more road space, improvement; this was the goal. It has achieved them— for the most part.

However, is it truly progress if it fuels another complication?

This directive is pressed

upon the country during a time when it is not prepared to handle all of its implications.

Of course, Memorandum Circular 2019-121 was implemented with the betterment of the country in mind, but it turns a blind eye to another fundamental problem in our midst—poverty.

Is having clear roads more urgent a matter than helping impoverished Filipinos?

I n c l u d ed in obstructions that are to be destroyed are set-ups by street vendors selling goods near the roadside, a process referred to as road clearing. This memorandum uproots people from their livelihoods and gives them no other sources of income. Some lucky ones are provided with alter-

nate locations, but numerous others, especially those who live hand-tomouth, are given no opportunity to continue earning their sustenance.

These people have nowhere to go; we simply cannot ignore one problem in order to mend another.

Poverty is not a Gordian knot that can be cut through with one bold move. It is an intricate matter that requires us to consider all of the forms it manifests in, and deal with each of its facets accordingly.

Keeping people away from their means of subsistence is only a bandage plastered upon this bleeding gash of our society.

A solution that creates more problems than it solves is not a solution at all.

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opinion

One step forward, two steps back.

T h e Philippines is far from being the gay-friendly country it is assumed to be.

N e a r l y everyone knows what the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill includes,

so here is a list of what it does not: assigning of a newborn’s sex, undermining parental authority, and stepping on the rights of other Filipinos.

To clarify, the SOGIE Equality Bill recognizes the diversity of the sexuality spectrum.

Every one of us has a SOGIE; whether you are gay, bisexual, or straight, the bill ensures that you are protected from any form of discrimination. The bill does not cater only to a minority, but to literally everyone.

T h e P h i l i p p i n e constitution states that

‘‘

It should reclassify each employer’s category and should consider the earning and paying capabilities of every business.

no law shall be made prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

With that said, the bill does not aim to punish Christians or any other religion for expressing their beliefs inside their churches— they just have to keep it there. The bill aims to penalize discrimination at work, in public, and in documents on the basis of a person’s SOGIE.

Now, the spotlight seemed to have focused on Gretchen Diez, a transwoman. A common argument is that this bill might put the safety of biological women in

What’s the best thing to celebrate Bacolod City’s 80-year legacy with? Perhaps not fifteen meters of concrete.

The Halandumon Tower, inaugurated during the Charter Day celebration on June 18, stands imposingly in the middle of the Gatuslao– Gonzaga intersection.

W h a t ’ s more imposing is its P4.8 million cost, and not in a good way.

It’s understandable that the city’s people would want something to remember Bacolod’s rich history by, but was spending four million pesos for sixteen columns of stone the finest route to take?

To put this into perspective, some examples to look at are the public roads all over the city. In the majority of them that aren’t national roads, potholes, and other safety risks are abundant, yet it seems apparent that such matters are considered to be of less priority.

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Why should transwomen carry the weight of the problems caused by criminals?

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So G

are the deprivations—especially for small companies. One big query is the fact that it is non-classified; it means that small organizations are in the same classification as large companies, making it unfair to the former.

Giant corporations, without doubt, could easily adapt with the act. In the case of start-up companies, how could employers manage to execute a wage increase for the employees if they could not meet the minimum for themselves?

With inconsistencies like this, the order obviously still needs some revisions.

It should reclassify each employer’s category and should consider the earning and paying capabilities of every business.

An increase in the minimum wage may be the instrument that could lift every Filipino in terms of acquiring basic commodities. Let us not allow this instrument to be another cause of the country’s downfall.

‘‘

After the inauguration of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act in 2017, the Philippines was introduced to the vast increase of commodity prices and high inflation rates that added burden in the daily lives of the Filipinos. With this, an increase in the minimum wage was issued to lessen this concern— but only for some.

On Oct. 22, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Western Visayas has issued Wage Order No. 25, a wage increase ranging from 15PHP– 30PHP to the private-sector workers in the region.

However, along with the order’s conveniences

A Monument to Remember

Wouldn’t it be better if the commemoration of Bacolod’s past was invested into something that would benefit and improve its future?

Arguably, Halandumon Tower could fit the bill; but it’s highly doubtful that a rock in the center of the road was the way to go.

‘‘

What’s more imposing is its P4.8 million cost, and not in a good way.

‘‘

Lifting to Another Downfall

where everyone attains equal treatment, now is the time to take two steps forward—and to keep going.

the drain as without the “segregation”, predators could take advantage of it.

However, this would no longer fall under the protection of the bill; it is a crime and will be penalized as such.

Why should transwomen carry the weight of the problems caused by criminals?

If we are to strive to become a country of progress

THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE - SENIOR HIGH SCHOOl volume 4 issue 4 january to november 2019

4 Photo courtesy of Philstar

news Photo by Lucille Magcumot CONTROLLED.Southbound jeepneys treading Bacolod’s streets on their new routes

Southbound jeepneys undergo new routing scheme

by Ella Mae Abendan

DEDICATED. Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido in a press conference after he was assigned to the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).b

Duterte appoints Espenido in BCPO

by Micholle Cortezano & Angel Geroso

With alleged cases of drugs highly proliferating in Bacolod, President Rodrigo Duterte assigned Police Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido as the new deputy city director for operations (DCDO) and chief of the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) on Oct. 16.

Espenido’s appointment in the city sparked the interest of many as Duterte declared to the public that the police officer is free to kill everybody.

However, he assured that his assignment would not be bloody and that he would be assigned to handle the planning and managerial tasks in the police headquarters.

Espenido also stressed that he can help Bacolod with its problem, particularly in the war against illegal drugs, and he plans to do his best to aid the community with his talent, which was given to him by God.

“I’m very happy and [grateful] that [I was assigned in] Bacolod,” Espenido added.

Although Duterte dubbed him as the cop

they fear the most, his colleagues guaranteed that he is a compassionate man.

“Being able to associate with Sir Jovie every day in the office, I can say that he’s a religious person. He’s also very generous to his staff and approachable as well,” Police Corporal Lorissa Overmyer, Espenido’s secretary, said.

When asked about her expectations for Espenido

in bringing changes to the city, Overmyer replied that he exhibits the fullest capability to achieve progress for Bacolod.

“I would like to appeal to the community to be a part of the prayer warriors to help this problem in Bacolod na mas madali matapos [para] sa kinabukasan [nila] (to end fast for their future).”

Espenido concluded.

Six hundred southbound public utility jeepneys (PUJs) were bounded to a new route as the experimental rerouting of the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) took effect on Sep. 10

The involved PUJs were those that roam Brgy. Sum-ag, Punta Taytay, Tangub, Singcang–Airport, and Magsungay–Central Market, which, under the new traffic scheme, were to turn right from Araneta Street to Gonzaga Street, then turn left to Gatuslao Street, heading to the South Capitol Road and terminal or the Vendors Plaza.

“[The pur-

pose of it is] to determine the flow of traffic and its congestion—if rerouting can cater the road load,” Police Senior Master Sergeant (PSMS) and Motorcop head, Andro Ma-apni stated.

BTAO also addressed the problems of the terminal vendors who lost customers after their removal from the sidewalks by directing jeepneys to the relocation site of the businesses, the Vendors Plaza.

The new route is to be observed for 45–60 days until an approval from the Sangguniang Panglungsod regarding its permanence arrives.

CCTV installations heighten Bacolod security

by Zoe Milabeth Bacnutan

Advancing Bacolod’s surveillance system, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) intends to install 73 high-definition closed-circuit television (CCTV) units by the end of 2019.

The Bacolod City Council have ratified the additional high-definition CCTV units of the emergency surveillance project during the third round of the regular session on Oct. 23.

“The additional CCTV [installations] will be utilizing the Special Trust Fund (STF) of the Disaster Risk and Reduction Management,” DRRMO Administration Officer Bernadeth Montelibano stated in an interview.

Moreover, the City Ordinance No. 595 or the “Bacolod City Eye in the Sky Comprehensive Closed-Circuit Television Ordinance” has aided DRRMO and other agencies, such

as the traffic division of the Bacolod City Police (BCP), in monitoring the city 24/7.

“Actually, we call it ‘the eye in the sky’, and we prioritized it as a project that is part of the emergency surveillance system and its primary function is to give early warnings and monitoring of the hazards, incidents, crime, traffic, and calamities that occur in the city,” Montelibano stated.

The addition-

al units will cover Gonzaga Street, Paglaum– Burgos Street, Hilado Street, Mabini Street, 6th St., Alijis–Taculing Road, Circumferential Road, Araneta Avenue, Golden Field Araneta Avenue, Magsaysay Avenue, and Bacolod Government Center.

“It [the CCTV units] is now in the process of procurement and is projected to be implemented by 2020, or hopefully by the end of the year,” Montelibano concluded.

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feature

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Out of the Closets, Into the Streets

by Anastasia Alcantara Most parents want their child to grow up, study hard, and live life—all with flying colors. However, they might never expect that those colors would be tinted with rainbows.

You could find them anywhere— the kid who holds the door open for you every Monday, the teacher who always leaves you letters at the end of the semester, even that famous TV personality who never fails to make you laugh. What they all have in common is that each of them leaped out of the closet with pride on that fateful day of June 29. With their hearts on their sleeves, they attended the biggest Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+)

Photo courtesy of Jorge Gamboa

event to date in this tiny sugar town—a Pride parade.

The affair was an outcry of the youth— Tribu Duag, Humanist Alliance Philippines International (HAPI), and Rekindle. Though the first parade of colors in Bacolod was held

on December 2012, this year’s Pride was special. It centered on the 25th anniversary of the Philippines’ first Pride parade back in June 1994 and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots—the first major movement of the LGBTQ+ community

in the United States.

Even with all the progress, the community still goes through challenges—be it in the crowded premises of a mall, the four walls of a high school classroom, or even the peaceful barangay filled with smiling fac-

es. Back in June, not every passerby was happy to see all the bright colors and drag makeup. Many of them stared in disgust, and even took to the cyber world to bash the organizers.

In spite of this, the show went on, and many other citizens cheered at the sidelines—there were even accounts of jeepney drivers partying beside the parade.

In the end, the event was a beacon of hope for progress toward acceptance in the City of Smiles.

Whether the colors you sport are a monochromatic black and white or the vibrant colors of a rainbow—always take pride in all the little surprises your vessel of a soul keeps.

Tabako: The Legend of Mt. Kanlaon

by Aleia Nichole Tayo

Would you be willing to unveil an ancient folklore for a promise?

For his dying father’s wish, Aaron promised him that he would bury his ashes in Mount Kanlaon.

Little did he know that traversing across the tallest mountain in Negros would not only fulfill a promise, but also unravel a legend in Philippine mythology.

Just like Aaron, the director of one of the nominated short films for the Metro Manila Film Festival had his own promise to keep. With the plight to tell the lurking stories of Negros and the advocacy to protect the unstable environment, Director Alfredo Bayon-on—a

Photo courtesy of Director Alfredo Bayon-on

Communications student from the University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City—brought a famous legend to life with his entry, “Tabako: The Legend of Mount Kanlaon”.

The five-minute fantasy drama is based on the legend of the Kanlaon Volcano, where the Hiligaynon deity—Kanlaon—made his presence known to the people. The deity

ensured that the people’s crops flourish in exchange for their word to never plant beyond the boundary—a promise they broke.

The film added another element, which re-

volves around a hiker, Aaron, who encounters the deity and smokes tobacco with him at the peak of the mountain.

Reviving the ancient folklore born from the tongues of ancestors, the film made its way as a finalist in the Metro Manila Film Festival, which will start releasing the entries nationwide on Dec. 25, 2019 to Jan. 7, 2020.

Filipinos are one of the many peoples who engrave legends and folklores in the embers of their everyday life. In the case of Tabako, it all started with a promise, but ended with an encounter between a mortal and a deity— different in terms of their being, but similar in promise-keeping.

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PREPARED BY KYNA HOSILLOS, DOMINIC CIOCON, BEA ROSE CELO, ALEIA NICHOLE TAYO | LAYOUT BY LUIGIE SERVILLA | PHOTOS BY NONIE GALLENERO AND LUCILLE MAGCUMOT

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feature

Photo by Lucille Magcumot

A Ruby in the Rough

by Grace Milan Always the contestant and never the queen was her critics’ mantra. In adversity’s presence, she is certainly no stranger to juggling priorities, losing contests, and silencing haters in the classiest way possible.

Before this woman became the talk-of-the-town for being crowned as Miss Ruby MassKara 2019, Trecia Tuquero’s pageant dreams blossomed from a

& Kyna Hosillos predicament start.

Despite this, she persevered with sheer effort and hard work, inspiring many people in the process.

“Since I have already joined six pageants and never won the title, I wanted to have my own crown—a crown that was made by my own efforts and my hard work.” she added. In fact, her parents continue to keep the queen humble every single day.

Although her magna cum laude journey proved to be grueling, Tuquero didn’t allow her zeal for pageantry to interfere with her schooling.

“Balance is key,” she confessed, “you need to focus on your academics as well as the pageant because if you love both, you can do both.”

For Tuquero, being bold is the only statement worth making, challenging women to take the first step to loving yourself when no one else can.

“It’s not about beauty,” she explained, “the judges didn’t just look at my physical appearance, especially Gloria [Diaz],” saying that she was searching for an “X-factor” or in short, a diamond in the rough.

Looks are no longer everything; substance is now the name of the pageant game.

Maybe falling down seven times and standing up eight does have perks, yet one thing is clear—this queen is confidently be-YOUtiful with a heart.

Bright Smiles, Brighter Future

by Bea Rose Celo When locals say Booming Bacolod, several things might come to mind. Like when the streets are filled with colorful masks during October, maybe rusty vehicles carrying a truck load of sugarcane, or perhaps the smiling guises brought about by the city itself especially to the faces of the business investors.

From a rural state of simple katubuhan to an urbanized place of towering infrastructures, the City of Smiles served the economic “glow up” the Bacolodnons have been anticipating. Bring moneymaking dynamism into the conversation, it’s no surprise that the city brags being one of the most competitive Local Government Units (LGU) in the Philippines. With corporations of noteworthy names like Ayala, Seda, and Megaworld investing, opportunities seemed

to disregard the manner of knocking and just came barging in at Bacolod’s front doors.

This then enticed more businessmen and tenants to invest in the condominium market; and why wouldn’t they be? Thriving condos like Amaia tell us how to properly live the city life so. Although the condo business is still at its early stages, knowing the pace of its ascendance, it would be booming extravagantly in no time.

That’s not all that residential has to offer; there’s also a whole crowd out there interested in purchasing houses and lots. They can’t be blamed though, given the economic rise and gradual industrialization, there’s no denying that Bacolod is one for the low-key city life.

Needless to say, Bacolod City has something waiting ahead of its bright smiles and a brighter future.

A New Era of Feasts

by Rieden Cuadra

In the joyful city of Bacolod, a new era of service brings us more reasons to smile.

Back in 2017, ride-hailing applications addressed the Bacolodnon need for on-demand transportation. This year, they heard the war cries of our appetite.

GrabFood and FoodPanda stretch their hands over Bacolod City

in response to our need to feed. With their applications in place, you could turn that two-kilometer drive into a 30-minute wait.

However, 30 minutes is a couple of lifetimes when it comes to cuisine, which is why they opted for an insulation box— so your food remains exactly like it was when it left.

On top of that, their vast

range of restaurants are a positive for Bacolod’s entrepreneurship.

One could opt for the familiar food giants: Jollibee, McDonald’s, and Chowking. It’s also stacked with an array of local diners: Aida’s, Quan, and Bongbong’s—ready to give them a run for their money.

Hunger can happen to anybody at any time, which is no surprise that

both outlets feature 24-hours of service. Our nocturnal friends—the call center agents, the night-shift nurses, or the sleepless students—are all glad to have their insatiable fix when midnight strikes.

Of course, behind those nightly deliveries, there are faces.

These are the people who celebrated the debut of these new

delivery systems in the wake of Masskara. Whether they are Bacolodnons doing it for the buck or those who just enjoy navigating the city— these food services have brought smiles to them too.

Whenever you might find yourself wishing upon a star for your secret food fiesta, the answer’s in your hands—just a few taps away.

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sci - tech

Grocery Goes Green

Photo by Karen Pico

by Justin Andrei Tanilon

Grocery stores: a place for necessities, goods, and food—as well as single-use plastics.

However, one single trip to the grocery store situated along Lacson Street, Bacolod City can help save the turtles, reduce plastic usage, and pro-

mote a greener planet.

Encouraging the zero-waste lifestyle, Wala Usik: Tiangge + Kapehan becomes the first-ever green grocery in the city.

With metal and bamboo straws, vegan beauty products, and recycled apparels, the store can

be regarded as a milestone for Bacolodnons.

Zero Waste is a global movement and a sustainable way of living which aims to combat pollution.

This lifestyle helps prevent resource extraction, reduce the amount of materials sent to landfills, and minimize pollution from producing, transporting, and disposing materials.

Statistically, the Philippines contributes 48 million shopping bags to the 17 billion annual usage of the world. With their initiative of taking small steps toward a greener society, Wala Usik buys their products from

Beep! Beep! Here Comes the Modern Jeep

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Overall, the design intends to achieve an ultimate goal— public safety.

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The changes in the system taste foreign in the mouths of people who loathe progress.

The Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), launched by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in 2017, aims to phase out jeeps 15 years old and above and replace them with modernized units. This flagship program still receives public detestation from those who fail to acknowledge its potential for progress.

Also known as e-jeepneys, one notable feature is their increased height, which makes it easier to board or exit the vehicle and stand in the aisle. Also, the concept was prudently designed to provide comfortable seats and ramps for better accessibility.

Far from what

is familiar, these jeeps are also fitted with an automated fare collection system using a card reader and free Wi-Fi. However, another prominent feature would be its electric engine.

Unlike the old diesel-powered units, these jeeps emit less exhaust which makes them more environment-friendly. Aside from the convenience they could provide, these jeeps may potentially lessen our country’s air pollution.

Overall, the design intends to achieve an ultimate goal—public safety. With its Global Positioning System (GPS), accurate

speed limiter, and multiple functioning cameras, this goal will be ensured.

Undoubtedly, these jeeps are safer than the ones people are accustomed to.

Requiring a hefty for salient features, the modern jeeps’ costs range from 1.4–2.2 million pesos. But with the safety and comfort that these vehicles would bring to Filipino commuters, it is no doubt that in the long run, this will become a milestone worth investing in.

The Philippines has been waiting for a change. Now that it is here, it is time to embrace it.

environment-friendly sources, sells locally grown goods, and requires customers to bring their own containers whenever they visit the store.

“The rampant use of plastic has been the wake-up call for us to open this store and start this business,” stated Ida Vecino,

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the store’s manager.

The movements’ core idea of reducing waste encourages the people to go green and decrease their carbon footprint.

Even if Wala Usik is just one of the stores in Lacson Street, it still gives people one thing they are unconsciously losing—hope.

Unsought Resurrection

by Karen Pico

Photo courtesy of Rappler

What happens in the past is best left in the past, and polio is no exception.

After 19 years of peace from the poliovirus, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Oct. 28 that its third case was found in a 4-year-old girl from Maguindanao.

The Philippines has been free from poliomyelitis infantile paralysis since 2000, yet the government’s decision of slashing the healthcare budget, mistrust of Filipinos in vaccinations, and poor sanitary practices in general had helped pull the disease out from its long-time grave.

Polio is a highly contagious disease; it has no cure.

The poliovirus raids the setting silently, beginning its journey in the feces of the infected and heading toward the water supply. Though the transmissions are

rare, coughs and sneezes are to be avoided.

Ninety-five percent of the infected display no symptoms; if there were any, it would be similar to flu’s: fever, headache, etc. Without apparent warning, the disease could lead its host to suffocation, paralysis, or death.

Though lethal, polio can be prevented through what has been safe and effective for decades: vaccination.

Accordingly, the DOH began their catch-up polio vaccination campaign for children 5 years old and under on Oct. 14 in Metro Manila and Mindanao. They have also partnered up with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to vaccinate 1.8 million children across the country.

Polio has been eradicated in the past; it can be done again by collectively killing the resurrected.

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news

Negrosanons act on climate change

by John Edward Alejano and Jed Emmanuel Reysoma In response to cli- start conversations as ince on Sep. 24 at the mate change as a a call for the full im- St. La Salle Coliseum. global concern, envi- plementation of the Inspired with ronmental activists City Ordinance No. the statement of Greta from different sec- 502 or the Plastic Bag Thunberg, a Swedish tors in Negros Occi- Regulation Ordinance teenage environmendental joined forces and a passage of the tal activist whose camto spread awareness Renewable Energy & paign has gained interregarding the issue Coal-Free Ordinance national recognition, through rallies and in Negros Occidental. the forum was named seminars this 2019. “ E n v i r o n - “House is on Fire:

First off, mental issues are The Climate Change the Youth for Cli- not household con- Emergency Forum”, mate Hope (Y4CH), versations. We need in which a message a Bacolod-based en- to mainstream the of declaration was vironmental youth discussion on the delivered by bishops coalition, tied with climate catastrophe Patricio Buzon, Louie thousands of people if we want to start Galbines, and Gerarworldwide as they turning the gears do Alminaza from the protested against and spur our leaders dioceses of Bacolod, climate change on towards drastic and Kabankalan, and San May 24 at the Ba- immediate climate Carlos, respectively. colod public plaza. action,” said Krishna “With this

On the same Ariola, lead convener alarming data, we day, the organization of Y4CH and Youth are one with Pope also conducted an in- Strike for Climate Francis in declarteractive social event, Philippines (YS4C). ing that our delib“Istorya Klima”, that Moreover, the erations must go addressed climate leaders of the Catholic beyond mere exploissues with the use church in Negros Oc- rations of what can of different media, cidental spearheaded be done, and should particularly art, mu- a declaration of climate concentrate on what sic, and storytelling. emergency that gath- needs to be done,

The entire ered over 5,000 stu- starting today,” the program aimed to dents across the prov- declaration read.

USLS hosts SANAYGURO ‘19

by Nicole Kaye Lipa To establish a common understanding in the language of the arts, Special Program in the Arts (SPA) educators gathered for the “SANAYGURO: National Teachers’ Training on Arts and Culture”, organized by the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCCA), on Oct. 20–26 at the University of St. La Salle (USLS), Bacolod City.

During the week-long training, SANAYGURO facilitated workshops in Creative Writing and Arts & Festival Management along with Dance, Drama, Media, Music, and Visual arts.

“Madami akong natutunan at na-motivate ako upang [gamitin] ang mga iyon […] sa aking pagtuturo. Bagamat malayo, worth it naman (I learned a

lot and I’m motivated to incorporate them in my teachings.

Even though it was far, it was worth it),” said Renato Dumaya, a participant from Galvan National High School, Nueva Ecija.

School principals and SPA coordinators also attended the Arts & Festival Management Workshop along with the said training.

“My experience led me to rare opportunities of […] getting involved […] and be part of a growing family of the proponents of Sining at Kultura in our country,” said Ryshle Gantalao from Jimalalud National High School, Negros Oriental.

Prior to this, the same training exclusive to firsttime participants was also conducted at the same venue on May 20–24.

USLS Maskara Theatre Ensemble invades CCP

by Lance Rafael Lazaro & Athena Ledesma

The Maskara Theatre Ensemble (MTE) of the University of St. La Salle (USLS) flaunted their talents in the “MIPAM x CREATE PH” and “Perlas ng Silangan” on Sep. 19–21 and Oct. 10, respectively, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex, Pasay City.

The MTE performed one of its adapted plays, “Sailor Moon”, along with other local and Asian performances in music, dance, and theater during the show, prepared by the Manila International

Photo courtesy of The Spectrum

DAZZLING. Maskara Theatre Ensemble glimmers green and white during their performances at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex.

Performing Arts Market (MIPAM) and CREATE Philippines.

“Getting a chance to go to the CCP is a Filipino cultural artist’s dream. [….] We are glad that

we are bringing the Negros and Lasallian theater scene at their limelight,” said Archel Barayoga, the media coordinator of the MTE.

Moreover, the

ensemble highlighted the cultural expressions and traditions of Visayas as one of the featured performing groups in the collaborative dance drama, entitled “Perlas ng Si-

langan”, in commemoration of the CCP’s 50th anniversary.

“I’m very proud because we are one of the few who used our own dialect (Hiligaynon) in performing a play that [amazed some of the audiences of the show],” expressed the ensemble’s Public Information Officer (PIO) Michelle Alcayde.

The performances were also carried out for the students and the local communities to experience live cultural engagements at the theater.

THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE - SENIOR HIGH SCHOOl volume 4 issue 4 january to november 2019

Photo courtesy of Business World

PERSISTENT. The Azkals strive to score a goal for their country.

Azkals goals two big tourneys in Bacolod

by Jed Emmanuel Reysoma

games held in the City of Smiles, Bacolod City.

The second round of the qualifiers for Group A kicked off with a jam-packed crowd in the Panaad Park and Football Stadium where the Azkals tasted its first defeat against the 9th seeded team in

Bacolod team plays on homecourt in MPBL

by Aaron Paul Infante

The Bacolod Master’s basketball team brought the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) to their hometown.

Two sets of MPBL Lakan Season games filled the St. La Salle Coliseum with Bacolodnon basketball fans, as the Bacolod Master Sardines faced their opponents in their home games on Sep. 21 and Oct. 17, respectively.

In their inaugural home game, the Bacolod Master Sardines denied the winless SOCCKSARGEN Marlins-Armor On their first victory after emerging from deep waters with an 89—80 win record at the sound of the final buzzer.

However, the Bacolod team fell short in their battle against Cebu City Sharks, 80— 84, crashing their hopes

to notch a back-to-back homecourt triumph.

On the other hand, the first set of games also included a war between Davao Occidental Tigers and Basilan Steel Jumbo Plastic, 76— 71; additionally, the Pampanga Giant Lanterns executed a dominating victory, 76—69, over the Bacoor City Strikers in the following set.

“The experience of [being] able to watch a live basketball game is remarkable, I can see the players very well and how the mechanics of the game works,” Joshua Yee, an audience from Brgy. Estefania, shared.

In attendance during the matches were founder Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, along with his wife, Jinkee Pacquiao, Mayor Evelio Leonardia, and Congressman Greg Gasataya.

Asia, Iraq, on Sep. 5.

Although the Azkals scored an early first goal via Javier Patino in the sixth minute, the Iraqis immediately got the goal back eight minutes later as Omar Al Soma managed to tie the game.

Team Iraq’s Khaleb Mobayed lifted his team with a 2–1 advantage at the end of the 1st half with his share of a goal at 30’.

The Philippine team trailed behind in the second half as two

players from Iraq scored two consecutive goals courtesy of Firas Al-Khatib and Al Soma in the 48’ and 55’, respectively.

Azkals’ Mike Ott scored their second goal at 83’ but found himself too late as Mahmoud Al Mawas of Iraq stretched his team’s lead, 5–2, two minutes before the final whistle, drawing first blood.

Failing to defend their land on the first try, Team Azkals was challenged by an even tougher team in the face of the world’s

68th team, China, where they accomplished a better finish, ending the match, 0–0, on Oct. 15 at the same venue.

“We had a longer camp […] so that gives us more time to have more input, rebuild the morale, and put in some things we worked out,” Azkals captain Stephan Schrock commented in a prematch press conference.

Team Azkals is currently ranked 3rd in Group A, and still has two more home games in Bacolod in 2020.

the all the burdens of academic life, but it somehow contributes to the pressure having requirements, which, more often than not, are not relevant to the subject itself.

in PE; some teachers integrate these apps into their classes.

Albeit, PE has changed to adapt to the continuously evolving requirements of the educational system, yet it still adds to the burden of the students and has a myriad of redundancies.

Nothing is constant in this world but change, and since PE has already evolved with the passing of the years we can only hope that it gets better.

Not-so-physical education

It is easy for people to say “nothing is constant in this world but change”, yet refuse to accept change when it comes.

Physical Education (PE) has changed through the years but its relevance comes into question.

The words “Physical Education” bring back memories of exercise routines and sporting events, but the PE curriculum for senior high school has extended to lectures on health-related concepts—making it PEH. That’s right, lectures in PE—as counter-intuitive as it may sound.

PE used to be a student’s refuge from

‘‘

This renders a few topics redundant and others utterly useless.

‘‘

Looking to earn a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup, the Philippines national football team tries to overpower other countries in the Group A of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Asian Football Confederation (AFC) second round with home

Now, with the dawn of smartphones and the onset of the information age, countless questions can be answered with a touch of a finger. This renders a few topics redundant and others utterly useless. Apps can now partially substitute for discussions

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sports

SJI captures inaugural PVL Youth Festival crown

by Jan Kristoffer Hinolan St. John’s Institute (SJI) Team A toppled Efigenio Enrica Lizares Memorial School (EELMS) of Talisay City to clinch the title of the first Premiere Volleyball League (PVL) Youth Festival held at St. John’s Institute in Bacolod City, Oct. 6.

Ma-ao Elementary School from Bago City emerged as the third-best team in the 16-team tournament after a victory against Pulupandan.

M a l o t Lozada, PVL Youth Festival director said that they mod-

ified that games since each squad was required to bring seven players in the a oneday competition.

St. John’s Institute (SJI) Team B, Trinity Christian School (TCS), Livingstones International School (LIS), Asuncion L. Lizares Elementary School (ALES) and La Carlota City, and two teams from Calvary School 2, Bago City, University of St. La Salle (USLS), and Bacolod TayTung High School (BTTHS) also participated in the tournament.

“This is in the effort of grow-

Photo courtesy of Panay News

CHAMPIONS. The Saint John’s Institute Team A poses with the PVL Youth Festival trophy.

ing the local talent for volleyball and create an avenue for more opportunities for the young through playing sports. We want to replicate this and create more opportunity for grassroots volleyball to

grow even more,” remarked Bea Tan, organizer and founder of GRID Athletic Sports in an interview with ABS-CBN Sports and Action.

The Youth Festival is the first girls 12-under

competition and a provincial wide effort of PVL in partnership with which aims to give more opportunity for the aspiring young volleyball players to experience playing competitive games.

‘Pacman Village’ soon to rise in Bacolod

Photo courtesy of Sunstar

PROMISING. Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao smiles in a press conference with the Bacolod City mayor and vice-mayor.

by William Khalid Vibar After a decorated stint in boxing and a steady political career, Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao now plans

to develop real estate in Bacolod City to aid the less-fortunate and the homeless.

The socalled “Pacman Village” will be a free housing proj-

ect aimed to benefit the marginalized in the City of Smiles— especially those seen sleeping on the streets at night.

In a press conference, Pacquiao

elaborated that this project should stand as an example for the rich men and women of the Philippines who continue to fail in helping their impoverished countrymen.

Although no specific location has yet been mentioned, Pacquiao has met with Bacolod City Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia during his visit on the third week of October—inquiring about the price of land in Bacolod for the soon-to-be-developed housing project.

The proposed “Pacman Village” in Bacolod will not be the first of its kind. Pacquiao has already developed similar housing proj-

ects in Saranggani, Cavite, as well as other places in the country, and is simply intending to extend his generosity to the Bacolodnons.

According to Pacquiao, he wants to help the poor because he has also experienced sleeping on the streets— starving and hungry.

More than 200 houses were built in the “Pacman Village” in Barangay Tango, in Glan, Saranggani in 2012. Pacquiao spent his boyhood years here and it continues to serve as the new home of his relatives as well as other families in the area.

THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. LA SALLE - SENIOR HIGH SCHOOl volume 4 issue 4 january to november 2019