The night is heavy with thoughts—an endless cycle of academic pressure, leadership dismays, and personal dilemmas. Deadlines loom, backlogs weigh like chains, and failure feels inevitable. The air is thick with anxiety, manifesting as cold, unseen hands creeping closer, tightening their grip. The pressure builds, suffocating, pulling deeper into the darkness. But amidst the despair, there’s a flicker of hope—a reminder that the weight of the world isn’t yours to bear alone. Even in the darkest nights, there is strength in seeking help, in pushing forward, and in demanding accountability.
Foreword
“One need not be a Chamber —to be Haunted— One need not be a House— The Brain has Corridors —surpassing Material Place—
Far safer, of a Midnight Meeting External Ghost Than its interior Confronting— That Cooler Host.”
– Emily Dickinson
Growing up, the horrors that brought nightmares came in the form of Freddy Krueger, King Ramses from that one “Courage the Cowardly Dog” episode, and, in true Filipino fashion, the aswangs from “Shake, Rattle & Roll.” The one with LRT being my childhood favorite. Still shakes me, that movie. Whenever I’m in Metro Manila, I cannot ride a train without wondering what lies beyond. While terrifying to a wee child, they were fiction—monsters that did no harm beyond the limits of the television screen.
But now, these nightmares are realities.
Gone are the days when the horrors stayed unable to explicitly do harm. Because these monsters are those in power, those that get a say in matters of importance. These ever so present horrors are real; they’re happening, and no sudden spiritual intervention can stop them from haunting.
Lurking in the shadows, the monsters of today also live within us. They whisper and they hide, like a proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing. They come in the form of self-doubt, pulling us into the pits of despair in times when we’re in dire need of uplifting.
Sadly, neither mom nor dad can shield us from them.
And this foreword is not one that tells you to live with your monsters. I know I can’t. This is a simple acknowledgement of their existence because, much like the ghost in the third installation of James Wan’s “The Conjuring,” acknowledgement defeats evil. In this case, we cannot exactly defeat the evil, but we can name them, call them out, and start from there.
We are but powerless against the horrors. Cower not in their efforts to destroy what we have built. Temporal and ethereal, supernaturals or the opposite—we stand a chance. And as journalists, we are at the forefront of weakening any attempts to jeopardize the well-being of IITians.
The October-November issue of Silahis brings together stories of how people create beauty in both the mundane and the mysterious. It reeks of the rotting stench of injustice, the seldom-understood feeling of paralysis from doubt, and the awakening of what was once a mere impending doom. Enclosed is the art of pliability amidst the wicked forces of unaccountability, scarcity of resources, and so much more.
Because the only thing spookier than monsters is one that watches and lets them be.
Forelleah Esperanza
Forelleah Shen Esperanza
LITERARY EDITOR
NEWS
Influencing THE future!
MSU-IIT is 3rd best university in PH, THE reveals FEATURE
Of Ghosts and Hauntings: In the Stillness of the Night, In the Loudness of Your Mind
COLUMN
Blended Learning Woes: Overworked and Undervalued
EDITORIAL
Is EC Money Easy Money?
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6
8
9
SPORTS LEVEL UP! Titans Esports Earns Official University Status
SCI-TECH
Airborne Parabellum—Drones, Asymmetric Warfare, and the Ugly Side of Peace
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IN THIS
Influencing THE future!
MSU-IIT is 3rd best university in PH, THE reveals
Just last year, the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) was deemed “unqualified” to achieve a numerical rank in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings; today, it boasts ranking third in the country and 1501+ in the world.
THE is by far the “hardest” university ranking to qualify for, according to Chancellor Alizedney M. Ditucalan, as it assesses research-intensive universities globally, with an emphasis on the research mission. In the 2025 edition released on October 9, over 2,000 institutions from 115 countries and territories were evaluated.
MSU-IIT, falling short in the 2024 edition, debuted a numerical rank in the recent edition, being the only university outside of Manila to make it to the country’s top list and surpassing reporter status—a recognition awarded to actively participating institutions that have not yet achieved the threshold needed to be ranked.
The university excelled in three of the metrics: international outlook, which considers global engagement and diversity in its academic community, and the extent of collaborative research efforts with institutions worldwide; research quality, which evaluates the impact and quality of a university’s research output; and teaching, which assesses the quality of teaching and learning environments at the university.
STIVEN MERCA & KRISJE ALESANDRIA NAGAL
Chancellor Ditucalan highlighted the significance of the ranking and how it establishes a high reputation for the institution, representing a milestone worthy of celebration. He underscored that the real challenge lies in sustaining and building upon this achievement.
“What comes after that is the actual challenge—you have to be accountable to that brand of excellence. Kasi dapat our facilities are world-class, the way we teach, the way we conduct; and maintaining and improving that is a major challenge.”
Alizedney M. Ditucalan MSU-IIT Chancellor
Meanwhile, Arjie P. Castillon, the Kataas-taasang Sanggunian ng mga Magaaral (KASAMA) President, shared in an interview that this breakthrough became a constant source of inspiration for the IITians to further improve daily and to meet or even exceed the standards: “This achievement motivates us to do even better, as it reflects how our system equips us to be at par with the crème de la crème of quality education, especially as a leading institution in Mindanao.”
Along with that brand of excellence, the Chancellor hopes to increase opportunities for growth and development, including improvements in facilities, expanded research initiatives, and a stronger focus on fostering innovation and research-oriented learning within the university.
Earlier this academic year, student concerns were raised concerning the lack of laboratory facilities, learning areas, and even classroom chairs. The Chancellor responded: “With such an achievement, we hope to get more support. That’s why every time a budget hearing is conducted [in the Senate], we really make it our selling point that we are the premier university outside Manila and that we can contribute so much to nation-building.”
The Chancellor added that with greater monetary support, the university can attend to infrastructure rehabilitation, such as the construction of additional smart classrooms, student and sports hubs, and globally competitive laboratory equipment, turning MSU-IIT into an edu-tourism hotspot.
In addition to that, it is the university’s goal to reevaluate the research-incentive framework for the faculty and graduate students to publish high-quality (Q1) academic journals with proper incentives, and encourage even the undergraduate students to become research-oriented scholars, making MSUIIT a research-intensive university.
This milestone marks a turning point, showcasing the university’s unwavering dedication to excellence in research, teaching, and global collaboration. It not only elevates the institute’s reputation but also challenges it to sustain its progress, enhance facilities, and foster a research-driven culture that inspires coming generations of IITians—the influencers of the future.
DERIVING X FOR X-CELLENCE:
Two MSU-IIT Topnotchers share their success stories
The two years of the pandemic-era online learning was a formidable hurdle for Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology’s (MSU-IIT) students. Yet, the October 2024 results of the Metallurgical Engineers (MELE) and the Chemical Technicians (CTLE) Licensure Exams defied expectations. Graduates like Rondel Thesius Toreta and Raymond Ado excelled in their exams, demonstrating remarkable resilience in attaining their achievements.
From Review ‘Leader’ to Engineer: Toreta’s Blueprint for Success
Enrolling in review centers is the bread and butter for most fresh graduates. However, Toreta has a different blueprint: pray and prepare for the exam long before stepping into a review center. Amidst the demands of his thesis in June, his mind was already set for the October 2024 MELE.
Like a blessing in disguise, Toreta’s unwillingness to wait for their faculty’s review—which didn’t come—prompted him to make his own reviewers. His proactive initiative led his friends to dub him the “leader” of “their” own review center.
When one of the leading universities opened its review program in August, Toreta stressed how challenging the 15-hour-a-day online sessions were, filled with what he estimated as “60%” complex and unfamiliar materials. He added that the exam was based on the University of the Philippines’ (UP) curriculum, linking this as one of the factors behind MSU-IIT’s passing rate.
“Kaya nung na-top 4 ako, parang mixed feelings kasi maraming ‘di nakapasa. Alam niyo ‘yung feeling na
nanalo kayo pero natalo rin at the same time? Pero masaya ako kasi nadala ko yung pangalan ng [MSU-IIT] and I’m very proud of it,” Toreta shared, reflecting on how he anticipated the results and ranked fourth with an 84.10% passing rate.
When asked for his advice to future exam takers, he said, “Mag-review nang magreview. Bahala nang mahirapan sa review basta ‘di lang sa actual exam. And pray. Trust in yourself and sa lahat ng ni-review mo.”
“Meron tayong mga kanyakanyang mga timing. ‘Di lahat ng failure is failure. Trust in the works of the Lord,”
Rondel Thesius Toreta
Top 4 of October 2024 MELE
Turning Trials to Triumphs: Ado’s Path to the Top against Academic Hurdles
For Ado to work in the laboratory, passing the CTLE and having a license is a must. To fully prepare for the board exam, Ado’s batch planned to enroll in a review center in Los Baños. However, since he no longer receives an allowance from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), financial constraints forced him to opt for an online review instead.
His decision to settle for an online review rather than a face-to-face one left him feeling isolated, relying on self-discovery and research for answers to seek clarification on topics that he didn’t understand. During the review, Ado realized that there were still a lot of lessons to be learned that they hadn’t encountered due to the online classes, especially in laboratory techniques.
However, his dedication persevered as he ranked third in the October 2024 CTLE, obtaining a 90.50% passing rate on October 16.
“Ayaw huna-hunaa nga naglisod ka sa board exam, mabagsak na dayon ka or something like that.
Remember nga naa pa kay chance because dili ra man ikaw ang naglisod, because I think tanan man pud ang naglisod,”
Raymond Ado
Top 3 of October 2024 CTLE
Moreover, Ado now awaits the oathtaking ceremony and his license as he plans to work in the field, in hopes of assisting his family financially. “Wala na man jud koy laing source of income, di’ na ko scholar, di’ ko gusto nga mapabigat pa sa family so nag-risk ko, nag-take kog risk nga mu-take karon na year sa both exams, and para makatrabaho na ko next year, hopefully.”
In a society where many believed that online learning made it easier to earn Latin honors, Toreta and Ado have proven that success is attainable even under challenging circumstances. Their stories are powerful reminders that dedication and resilience pave the way for extraordinary achievements. As they embody MSU-IIT’s mantra of “Influencing the Future,” both topnotchers inspire future generations to strive for excellence and overcome the adversities they may face in their academic journeys.
ROSCEL KENT VIOS & REIGNA GEOILLE SALUAGA
In the Stillness of the Night, In the Loudness Of Ghosts and Hauntings
PEROLINO & ALEXANDRA FAITH CABABAT
When the clock strikes 3 a.m., what haunts you?
While the world’s in deep slumber and the silence is deafening, your mind echoes thoughts. Your calm exterior when the sun’s out? Nothing but a thin veil—a mask over the storm of thoughts swirling inside your head. It’s 3 a.m. And as the world rests in solitude under the stars, your mind throws a grand masquerade of horror. Deadlines. Self-doubt. Pressure.
The stillness of the night might lull others to sleep, but it holds you captive, amplifying the noise within.
Each second is a bittersweet reminder of the pages left unwritten, the chapters unread. It builds in the silence like the hum of a distant storm, growing louder with every thought. It’s the weight of looming assignments, the constant pressure of unrealistic expectations, and the fear that the days are slipping away, leaving only unfinished tasks in their wake.
It’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” reimagined: the loudness of the 3 a.m. thoughts echoes in your mind—a cacophony of deadlines approaching, and sleepless nights spent buried in notes that never seem enough. And instead of the danger of Freddy Krueger, the monster is the quiet scream of self-doubt, the relentless drumbeat of time of the things you’ve yet to conquer, and the fear that perhaps, you never will. What should have been a still and solemn night for you is filled with pandemonium, uncertainties clouding your mind like heavy fog, thick with the weight of unspoken thoughts.
As excruciating as this fact is, it’s an experience shared by many. It’s something we’ve all likely encountered at some point, where at night, our minds often usher in a storm of thoughts, stirred by the quietude that envelops the world. As the day fades into darkness, the noise of the outside world falls silent, and in that stillness, our minds are left to wander, unanchored and free. Burdened with the weight of every task, we are left alone with the unresolved, the unanswered, and the worries that have nowhere else to go but inward.
This surge of mental activity arises from a blend of forces. The day’s pressures, once tucked away behind the demands of academia, resurface when it’s 3 a.m., when the world finally falls still. The night, with its quiet expanse, invites us to reflect, to question, to ponder the deeper currents of our lives, our studies, and the paths we’ve chosen. These thoughts, hidden in the corners of our minds, often rise from the depths at 3 a.m., waiting to be seen in the light of night. They come to life as shadows—half-formed and unsettling.
So how do we cope with this? How do we quiet the overwhelming 3 a.m. thoughts when the stillness of the night only makes them louder?
We try to bury these thoughts under layers of distraction—anything that might dull the edges of the pressure. Yet, the more we fill the silence, the more it swells, because no matter how much we drown it out, it always returns, louder than before.
Yet, in the heart of the chaos, we can seek moments of peace. We can find small ways to quiet the storm—tiny acts of rebellion against the noise: spontaneous date nights with friends, a shared cup of coffee, undestined walks at night, and sometimes, crying and cussing it out. Admittedly, these small things don’t erase the pressure, but they offer a fragile stillness that lets us breathe.
Suddenly, we begin to understand its nature: the more we fight against these thoughts, the stronger they become.
But if we allow ourselves to simply sit with them, to accept these 3 a.m. thoughts as part of the process, they lose their power over us. Maybe because the quietest moments are not those of escape, but those of acceptance.
We can hush these thoughts by creating structure, by breaking down the impossible into manageable pieces. A to-do list becomes mark is a small the overwhelming this order, rors will return, the tasks doubt, the lief that we then, lies in these 3 a.m. catalyst for that there that is another not doing
Sometimes, letting go. perfect completion that we are in these spaces the silence standing that capacity to In the defeating grow not by on, by doing so, we transform control, even voices that though the than against Much aswang in rid of the monsters means scaring
CHARLES
of Your Mind Hauntings
becomes a lifeline; each checksmall victory, a step away from overwhelming noise. But even in order, we know that these horreturn, because it’s not just that haunt us, but the selfthe fear of failure, and the bewe are not enough. The lesson, in the fact that the very act of facing a.m. thoughts is both a response to and a for it. We push forward, even as we know will always be another challenge, and along another voice in our heads telling us that we’re enough.
Sometimes, the only way we can hold ourselves is by We find moments of grace in the mess, in the imcompletion of a task, and in the acknowledgment are human and cannot do everything perfectly. It’s spaces of imperfection that we find solace—not in silence of a perfectly controlled mind, but in the underthat the noise will always be there, and so will our to live alongside it.
end, coping with these 3 a.m. horrors is not about them, but about learning to live with them. We by silencing our fears, but by facing them headdoing the work despite the haunting noise. In doing transform the chaos into something that is ours to even if just for a moment. It is in these loud inner that we find the rhythm of our own resilience, and the storm may rage, we learn to move with it, rather against it.
like when we used to avoid being taken by an in our sleep as kids, we think of ways to get monsters of adulthood, and sometimes, it scaring them away, too.
Just to be clear: we can’t impose the ‘point’ of college. But the way we see it, the years in college are often portrayed as a time of self-discovery, where you gain the knowledge and skills needed for your future. You were promised four, five, six fulfilling years when you first stepped into college. You had a lot of hopes, a lot of ambition. You were looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing new things, until all your
enthusiasm fizzled out as semesters passed and you found yourself asking, “What am I really here for?”
BEYOND THE BASICS:
reignite the spark you once had. But how can you rediscover that passion when each day feels like a marathon with no finish line?
You know you’re running, out of breath, yet you refuse to stop. You don’t even dare to look back, afraid that once you do, others will go past you, and you’ll be left behind. The grind has become a routine, and the sense of purpose that once motivated you has dissipated—but you run fast anyway.
“This is what you signed up for,” you tell yourself to endure the arduous journey. Never mind the burning sensation in your ribs or your inability to breathe properly through your nose—never mind your lack of purpose; you’re only doing what you’re expected to do.
But perhaps you missed the point. Perhaps you have to pause and realize that there’s no need to fit into the predetermined
role expected of a college student. Maybe all you need is to make your experiences your own and create something significant out of them—for yourself and for others.
Like clockwork— lifeless and passive— you only attend lectures just to check the box and submit assignments to fulfill requirements, which leaves you looking for the once-burning passion. You rack your brain for answers, attempting to
So, what is college really about for you? Are you missing the point?
Blended Learning Woes: Overworked and Undervalued
In compliance with Memorandum No. 2024004 issued by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (OVCAA), Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) has reinstated the blended learning modality for the first semester. Part of this implementation includes two asynchronous learning weeks: Week 8 (September 30 to October 64) and Week 12 (October 28 to November 3).
During these periods, no in-person classes are held, and faculty members are expected to conduct asynchronous activities that encourage self-paced learning and collaboration. However, what should have been a well-thought-out method to provide flexibility and promote independent learning has left many students overwhelmed and questioning the implementation’s fairness.
While asynchronous learning promises flexibility, many IITians face overwhelming workloads, far exceeding typical class expectations. Instead of a manageable week, students grapple with excessive tasks, compounded by poor learning conditions, limited internet access, and household responsibilities— leading to stress and exhaustion.
Yet, interestingly, some professors and lecturers have managed to conduct these asynchronous weeks with minimal or no additional tasks, respecting students’ circumstances while staying on track with the syllabus. This raises an important question: If some faculty members can adhere to the spirit of asynchronous learning without overburdening students or falling behind, why do others impose such excessive workloads? The inconsistency points to a lack of standardized guidelines for these asynchronous weeks.
If asynchronous learning is meant to prepare students for the “evolving landscape of the future of work,” MSU-IIT must remember that students are not machines. They are human beings with limits, diverse circumstances, and a need for rest. The current approach not only contradicts the goals of blended learning but also undermines students’ well-being and ability to perform at their best.
For future asynchronous weeks, MSU-IIT must establish clear, standardized guidelines to ensure fairness and balance. Activities should be capped at a reasonable time commitment.
Moreover, the university should revisit its messaging and implementation of asynchronous learning. The focus should truly be on “self-paced learning,” allowing students the flexibility to work on tasks that complement their learning styles and circumstances, rather than bending to professors’ timelines. If MSU-IIT prides itself on being a Center of Excellence, it must treat its students with the dignity and respect they deserve. The university owes it to its students to rethink and reform how asynchronous learning weeks are implemented. After all, the realities of the professional world differ vastly for each graduate, and preparing students for success starts with recognizing their humanity.
COLUMN
PHOTO BY • ANGELO BRYAN REVELO
LORGINIA DANSIL HAWARI
ANGEL DIAZ
Recently, some executive councils (ECs) have been under fire for their budget allocations. The College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) - EC was accused of misusing funds after it was pointed out that part of the overall funds would be allocated for a so-called “team-building activity” for its members, while the College of Education (CED) - EC was also embroiled in a similar issue, where not only was a so-called “team building” included in the breakdown for the college assessment fee, but that the EC was requiring their students to purchase a college shirt, with a threat of sanctions. These incidents led some students to question whether or not such activities should be paid for by the fees of the students, whether or not it is justifiable to mandate the purchase of college merchandise, and whether these ECs are doing their job properly or just outright being corrupt, hence the posts on social media.
The ECs were quick to pronounce their defense of their binuhatan. The CSM-EC, in a statement, said that the “team-building” allocation was supposed to be for a strategic planning activity with regard to the college’s preparations for the CSM Days and PALAKASAN 2025, among other activities. They apologized for such a misunderstanding and also reasoned out that the doubling of the budget for the Lynx Music Fest was unprecedented and the venue had to be changed from the University Gymnasium, which is under renovation, to Rizal Park, and that an event held outdoors would require a higher budget due to more technical equipment, such as stage design, lights, and sound system to procure. The EC also cited that one challenge they had in the budget proposal was a lack of knowledge transfer. In an interview with Silahis, CSM Governor John Lou Caray added that these challenges were due to the fact that they found it hard to
JAEZ BENSON BEDUYA
receive documents such as passbooks from members of the former CSM-EC.
The CED-EC, on the other hand, also defended their binuhatan. Similar to the CSM-EC’s situation, their so-called “teambuilding” budget was also supposed to be that of a leadership training activity. In an exclusive interview, CED Governor Christian Lachica said that the EC had organized two leadership training activities—one for the EC officers and another that could be attended by all CED students. According to Lachica, the former was paid for by the EC officers’ personal funds, while the latter was funded by the assessment fee. He also added that these parts of the breakdown of the fee were discussed and agreed upon during the college’s general assembly, where no one among the student body objected. Regarding the issue of the mandatory purchase of the CED shirt, Lachica explained that the shirts were part of an income-generating project (IGP) of the CED-EC to fund some equipment for the college, that they would act as a sort of uniform on college cleanup days and college events, and that the EC would make sure that students have a flexible amount of time to save up money to purchase the shirts.
However, a few points remain unjustified, and a number of questions seem to still demand answers. It seems as though all of these issues regarding EC funds stem from what these ECs implicitly perceive as a lack of confidence
from the student body. Because one might wonder how the CSM-EC had no smooth transfer of information from one batch to another, or how the breakdown of the CED assessment fee received no constructive feedback, let alone an objection, from the student body at the general assembly… Doesn’t requiring the students to purchase the CED shirts defeat the purpose of it being an IGP? It also doesn’t help that the offices of the university administration, such as the OSDS, which suggested that the CSMEC not hold a referendum, fail to fulfill their duty in ensuring that there is transparency and an adequate transfer of knowledge so that the student body is not left guessing with regards to what exactly happened with their money in the hands of the ECs.
Silahis has held this view in many editorial pieces and lampoons in the past that public office is a public trust. Part of that mantra involves transparency with how student governments handle money, especially considering the fact that the money they handle comes from the student body, similar to how taxes remitted to the government come from the people. With every passing generation of youth comes new hopes for governance that is more pro-people and less corrupt. But lest shall those principles not only be imposed on the ones sitting at Malacañang or Batasan, but also on those in our ECs and university administrations.
LE EL UP V
Titans Esports earns Official University Status
When one talks about sports, physical attributes like speed, agility, and athleticism come to mind. In esports, or electronic sports, the focus shifts away from physical exertion and toward skills like hand speed, accuracy, strategic thinking, and mental fortitude under pressure.
and recognition by the university, and now, every time we participate in professional tournaments, we can officially bring the name of MSU-IIT.”
process. That’s it, just follow the steps.”
Esports teams in universities often started unacknowledged, as esports are rarely introduced in colleges. The Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSUIIT) Titans Esports (MTE) was no exception.
But not anymore.
After three years and countless battles in the field, MTE unlocked a new milestone: official recognition as a university-based organization by the Office of Student Development Services (OSDS) on October 16, 2024.
MTE, one of Mindanao’s powerhouses in esports, has conquered tournaments such as the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Games, AcadArena Alliance Games, the Philippine Collegiate Championship, and other local competitions.
Since its foundation in 2021, the organization’s lack of accreditation had not hindered its desire to compete in local and national tournaments. MTE achieved impressive feats in Call of Duty: Mobile (COD:M), Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), Dota 2, and Valorant without being accredited.
The former CEO and alumnus of MTE, Julius Anthony Magallon, shared his experiences and struggles MTE faced before the accreditation: “For almost three years, we had a hard time adjusting our CBL, our CBL [which is] different from other organizations here in MSU-IIT. We’re following a corporate-style CBL for our officers, but the positions and their functions were still the same, only the terms used were different.”
As the pinnacle of the esports empire at MSU-IIT, Elumba shared his thoughts about the planned expansion of the MTE: “Probably one of the long-term plans I’ve thought about is that it’s not just going to be about competitive scenes we usually participate in, such as Valorant, COD:M, [and] MLBB. It’s not always going to be about competitive or pro tournament stuff, but we also need to be more open to other video games that are still relevant to this date and that we are seeking to represent.”
With the university rebranding its sports teams from Titans to Cats, he expressed his ideas about the rebranding of their esports team: “If there’s a room to choose, we’ll just stay as Titans Esports rather than rebrand to Cats Esports since we registered ourselves as the Titans Esports in the first place.”
“But if it is mandated that we must rebrand ourselves as Cats Esports, then that’s the time that we will rename ourselves as the Cats Esports,” he stated further.
Upon receiving official recognition, Lemuel Matthew Elumba, from the College of Engineering (COE) and the current chief executive officer (CEO) of MTE, expressed his thoughts on the achievement: “We now have the legitimacy
“So, the key steps are to just follow the due process as much as possible and, of course, listen, because we do not dictate the mandate, we’re just gonna follow it, so whatever protocols the OSDS will provide, we’re just gonna follow. Usually, the accreditation process, it’s not just about forming a group of people; it’s about what people do not see, or what the general does not see—the papers or documents behind in forming the organization, that’s the thing that will be left out, the need to
With its accolades finally acknowledged, MTE has now leveled up and seeks to buff even further. Its grind to greatness proved that MSU-IIT is not only a hub of academic intellect but also a titan in a world where fate lies at its fingertips.
XAVIER CHRISTIAN TORION & CHRISTIAN HAROLD REDONDO
Airborne Parabellum Airborne Parabellum
Drones, Asymmetric Warfare, and the Ugly Side of Peace
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
When we think of drones, we usually picture small, nimble craft used to shoot various events. Sometimes, we think of rather expensive toys that hobbyists race with. But like most disruptive technologies, drones are no exception to the idea of weaponization. The last decade has provided us with context to conclude that drones have extensive military applications, from reconnaissance to offensive action.
The age of combat drones that the sci-fi classics of our childhood warned us about is upon us.
The world remains stunned by the valiant defense that Ukraine has maintained since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Eyes are also peeled at the conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah that started this year, as well as Iran’s strikes against the former. Another conflict closer to home, the civil war in Myanmar, has been raging since the Tatmadaw (Burmese military) coup in 2021. These conflicts have two things in common: the use of drones in combat and the doctrine of asymmetric warfare.
Asymmetric warfare is best described by invoking the image of David and Goliath. It is the doctrine of using inexpensive and rudimentary weapons, along with tactics befitting them, to defeat militarily superior adversaries. Think of drones and similar technologies as David’s slingshot— delivering critical blows at a rate that can
be sustained while inflicting massive losses, incomparable to the low cost of the attack. Now, what do these drones do exactly, and how are they used on the battlefield?
Aerial drones are limited by operational range—how far they can go—and payload— how much they can carry. Various types of drones are used for specific purposes. The Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone has a range of 300 kilometers and a payload of 150 kilograms, allowing it to carry weapons to defeat tanks and armored vehicles, as well as perform reconnaissance. The Iranian Shahed-136 is a type of ‘loitering munition’ or kamikaze drone, which uses its immense range of 2,500 kilometers to slam itself into targets deep in enemy territory, carrying 50 kilograms of high explosives. Smaller commercial drones, such as the DJI Mavic and first-person view (FPV) drones, repurposed for military use with their short ranges of 5-15 kilometers and payloads of just around a kilogram, are employed by ground troops to drop grenades and explosives into enemy troops and, if they’re lucky, tanks and transport vehicles.
The Philippines, with the presence of external threats to its sovereignty, ought to look at the potential of drones and asymmetric warfare to serve as deterrence. The Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology’s (MSU-IIT) Robotics Instrumentation and Control Engineering (RICE) Laboratory has been working on projects towards this goal. Among its other projects with civilian applications are prototypes of fixed-wing aerial drones and
naval drones designed for defense purposes. Focal person of RICE, Dr. Sherwin Guirnaldo, highlighted the alignment of these goals with the newly passed Self-Reliant Defense Posture Law, which aims to promote the development of local defense industries and technologies in the context of emerging external security threats.
Although the academe, universities like MSU-IIT among them, has long been working together with the Armed Forces, this has so far been limited to peacebuilding and civilmilitary affairs. Guirnaldo stressed that there is little precedent for collaboration between the academe and the military with regards to development of defense technologies. This is further compounded by the fact that the local defense industry is virtually nonexistent as of the moment, greatly limiting the opportunities to explore this possibility. The Philippine Navy and Army seem to agree on this, having expressed interest in RICE’s projects through technical support.
Peace is a two-faced coin. Peaceful coexistence, in reality, is backed by deterrence. And those at a disadvantage will always seek to exhaust every means available to ensure their security, so long as those with martial superiority continue to threaten them. Drones are but one of those paradigms that countries like ours can resort to, should the worst come to pass. War is a terrible thing, but preparing for it is part of what constitutes peace.
