Hope

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Message from the

Editor-at-Large Dear Fellow Benildeans, Can you believe it?

Vantage, the official faculty and personnel magazine of DLS-CSB–once only hoped for, is now a reality. In fact, I am presenting to you its third issue, which has the theme hope.

Hope, in general, is associated with our feelings toward the future. That is why we hope for the best, hope for someone’s favorable response and hope that someone gets well soon–we always anticipate the positive as we wade through life.

But hope is not an emotion exclusive to the future.

We as Benildeans also experience hope in the here and now. And as the featured articles in this issue of Vantage convey, hope is about all of us–students persevering to learn, teachers sharing knowledge, volunteers helping rebuild lives and each one of us marking new beginnings. In other words, hope has always been our story–the story of doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.

So this issue is a salute to us. Let us continue to be a spark of hope in our own ways and together as a community.

phOTO BY ANA ARCE, CIC-CSO

Mela Lazatin Vice Chancellor for Lasallian Mission and Student Life

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Cover Story:

rainbow Chasers

first hand: 20 5 Viewpoints: Interpreting Justice The NEW yOu in 2012 the Pink: 21 InSitting 8 Wrath of the Styrofoam all Day Can be hazardous to your health 9 The Worth of Water 10 hope: Motherhood Stories 22 a Designer’s Sketch first Person: are Not Slow; 24 Learning 12 Turtles the Essence They are hard-Workers

13 15

Conversation Piece

16

Cover Story:

of helping

Cover Story:

aLS=hope to the nth Power a Stroke of Optimism

25

Photo Essay:

26

Spice up:

27

Green Day

hopia

Extraordinary:

boy alforte

On the cover are stroke survivor Edgardo Maraya, rainbow chaser Danilo Clemente and aLS graduate and current DLS-CSb scholar Claire Pantilo.

fEbruary-MarCh 2012

STaff bOX

Editor-at-Large: Carmelita J. Lazatin Editor-in-Chief: Lormi L. rio Consultant: adie C. PeĂąa Managing Editor: Carrie M. de Guzman Production Editor: albert rJ O. Miranda

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Chief Photographer: Mike Ongchua Layout artist: ana Kristina M. arce Contributing artist: arrianne Lea b. Caringal Section Editors: Ed Lorenzo Q. Valenciano, Giselle M. Montero, Maurice D. Cordero

Staff Writers: Leo C. Cortes, Mateo r. borbon, Jr., Jeffrie atendido, Joyce Dalawampu, Thea Quintos Contributing Writers: Vincent Santos-Viola, annelvie a. Pabitu, Joselina Cruz, Vincent barcelona

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Catherine Deen Christine Iris Ilagan AdC

CCS

Leo Cortes CSA Leo C. Cortes is the Director of the Center for Social Action (CSA). He is a tennis aficionado and dreams of winning a grand slam title one day, preferably the Wimbledon, against either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal but will also accept challenges from Murray and Djokovic. He can be found every weekend in a tennis boot camp at the CCP grounds blasting opponents with his serves.

Vince Barcelona DSL-AEP

Vince Barcelona is a postmodern philosopher who believes modernist penchant for theoretics needs to be coupled with action. That is why he loves his current teaching load in Benilde as it gives him the opportunity to discuss with his students social issues and realities.

Vince is also parish choir coach, gym buff and Italian and Chinese food fanatic.

Levi Viloria Albania Joselina Cruz DSL-AEP

MCAD

CONTRIBUTORS’ PAGE Jay Tanwangco Giselle Montero SIO-ISU

SDEAS-CPD

Giselle Montero is Director for Center for Partnership and Development (CPD) of SDEAS. CPD seeks and builds partnerships for the deaf in the areas of training, employment, business opportunities and advocacy.

Giselle is also into youth advocacy and development.

Jeffrie Atendido ITD

“Jeff”, “Jepoy” or “Jeprisito” has great passion for rock music. During his college years, he rocked as lead vocalist/bassist for a music band.

He now works as a systems developer in ITD and handles Benilde’s Starcard, the College’s ID System. Thus, he is also known around as “Starcard Boy”and “Robin Padilla.”

Vince Santos Viola ABANI

Maurice Cordero CIC-MO

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The NEW YOU in 2012 TRUE LEGACY

self always struggle Working mothers like my e” with their children. The with spending “quality tim sus quantity time” is ver e concept of “quality tim ing e it, when it comes to car tricky because, let’s fac e. tim lity qua IS e for children, quantity tim n two amazing kids, Natha I am a proud mother of ers in a ush r yea new h eac (8) and Nicki (4), and fast they are growing up. deeper realization of how ge before I had kids, but ada I never understood this g I feel like they are slippin really...time flies so fast! re is no The up. p kee ’t can I through my fingers and ing but what I learned in formula for perfect parent ly commitment, a daily dai a this journey is that it is d, to just sit, listen, talk, rea decision to spend time little and n ma little my with sing, and horse around invest more of my time in woman. This 2012, I will s eit simple, communicate alb , them. These moments my unconditional love. best legacy I can leave Psalms 34 talks about the m to love and serve the my children–to teach the acy is my children and leg Lord. Indeed, my true

Even long after all the fireworks have fizzled out and revelries have died down, the spirit of New Year remains fresh because of one motivation–the constant need for self-reinvention.

Self-reinvention sparks desire in any individual to discard bad habits, discover hidden strengths and develop a new outlook in life. With self-reinvention, we are reminded that there is always room for improvement and something new to look forward to. is hearing them the greatest reward u!” and “Mom say, “Mom, I love yo in the world!” in m mo st you’re the be moments. Isn’t the most surprising rating love leb ce d expressing an ou ab t? what life is truly all

Catherine Deen Admissions Center

I WILL, I AM The new me will be bolder and more fea rless in my choices. I will be more disciplined in ter ms of my outputs–I will spend lesser time dreaming , and spend more time turning the m into reality. I will pu rsue bigger challenges to widen and deepen my approach to learning, teaching , and living. I will sm ile more, panic less. I will write more, read more. I wil l execute more and love more.

I will sing more and dance more. I will eat bette r, sleep better, and be more consistent with my yo ga practice. I will un learn the things that have lost their relevance so I co uld make room for more relevan t things. I will master the art of soaring without comp romising my roots. I will travel more, see more, spea k less, listen more, live more.

The last few years we re mostly about me fighting hard battles to strike a fine balance betwe en passions and basic needs. Th is year, I will claim ba lance.

The last few years, my mentors have invested in my dreams. This year, I will give back to the world and mentor people. I will make dreams come true for others in the same wa y people with good hearts have done for me. The las t few years were spen t trying to

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polish my fligh t–this year, I w ill fly. I will fly an d help others to fly.

Eula Villar CDA Faculty

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3Rs

Levi Viloria Albania DSL-Acade mic Extensi on Prog

ram

a

ING ALONE IV L F O R A E Y A City

pray at the day’s end so th morning, th ey are revita at the next lized with energy and better purp ose in life.

jaYsOn mirand phOTO BY ja

The year 2012 shall witness th development e new me as th advocate inte e sustainable grating the 3R recycle in all th s: reduce, re-u e aspects of m se and y life as mento husband, deve r, coach, father lopment worke , r, an d I will reduce. I citizen. view reduction proactive resp in a positive m onse when reso anner. It is a urces are scar inequitably. To ce or distributed reduce means to forego exce excessive beha sses and vior–and in my case, that mea wisely, minimizi ns ng solid waste , contributing to spending time and advocatin carbon neutra g to reduce in lity, equity towards I will reuse. I w poverty allevia ill not buy new tion. perfectly re-usa stuff when wha ble. t I have is Filmmaker An nie Leonard, th documentary rough her anim The Story of St ated uff, discusses obsolescence planned and warns us of those who com new things ev eryday–a beha pel us to buy vior that harm In the same ve s the environm in, I will advoca ent. what they are te for people to blessed with–t appreciate ime and talent gifts that we m s. These are G ust use, re-use od’s and share with I will recycle. others.

A recycled mat the original pr erial no longer oduct or serves resembles the original pu does not mea rpose but this n that it has le ss pu material is a pr oduct of creativ rpose or utility. The recycled ity, skill and pa meaning in th ssion. It gives e things others perceive as ju others becom nk. I will assist e “recycled” pe rs ons–young an alike who lose d old people thei the best of them r energy within the day beca use they give selves to othe rs and prepar e for rest and

I am safe refuge, where gift of a warm yself. m and free to be and wake am grateful, I e, es th For ch day. up happy ea

my Pasay ened the door to m my Christmas The moment I op this year fresh fro of rt sta e th re going to at t apartmen I knew things we in the province, t E. Torres had decided I en d sp n an tio d, ca ne va Dianne May helper had resig st y fir M e . th nt r ations Office re fo ffe at di th be a lot tudent Public wned on me S da It t. en em ac . not to get a repl ing alone again years, I will be liv on the ceiling, d an lls time in over two wa e th e mold on As I surveyed th things, and the mulated on my cu ac d ha at k, I panicked. th the dust d before the brea hin be t lef ed me: d ha o list overwhelm waste that we tions to my to-d di e of, ad os w sp ne di of to ts e Though to do, garbag ry nd lau , an . cle on a bathroom to range… It goes s to wipe and ar o excited. The als s some 300 book wa I , us eling anxio e think of But along with fe myself made m e apartment to th g judged: vin or ha en of se ct prospe , without being ely fre do n make , ca I ise make no the things that ing on my mood, nd es in pe sh de di ff ed stu sh e rearrang irror, leave unwa m e th of nt fro crazy faces in dless. ssibilities are en ken on the sink… The po . While I have ta en th ce ssed sin d to exert ha ve ha I at Months have pa th rt effo ilities, the extra neral feeling of more responsib replaced by a ge en be s ha ive rv in order to su life.

–living alone–has control over my start of this year e th at so I ed ar fe What I had rtunity for silence essing: an oppo da bl an a d be Go to of t s ou rd turned listen to the wo d an ts gh ou th can hear my

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ED, BROKEN S S E L B , N E K A T AY AND GIVEN AW

rer. I will 12 will be an explo The new me in 20 lf. out myse s what I want. discover more ab I really need versu at wh t that ou d fin ll wi I and challenges the opportunities ce lan ba d fin ll I will embrace all wi I t might struggle bu r come my way. I student, daughte y: career woman, pla I les re we ns tio in all the ro za ali ng God. These re and a youth servi an event. a by t ou brought ab The Cup of Life, 2011, I attended to d ke as re Last December nts we and other participa What retreat wherein I Lord’s Supper). he (T 0 -3 :26 26 ew tth the Ma of on ct ing refle mean st about it was the and struck me the mo , blessed, broken n) se ho (c en tak — ed cit s rd wo r fou se words and given away. rallel between the If I may draw a pa a blessing to my I am chosen to be my life, I believe people just as I er lleagues and oth co r s, nd frie , ily fam my life. I conside their presence in to be ed ss ble am blessed with am I . life as a blessing everything in my am blessed to be an community. I de nil Be part of the r. I am blessed to ate W ity of the Living r un mm Co of rt pa r studies. Togethe ce to pursue furthe be given a chan

n sings is my ow with these bles I es ng le the chal brokenness or e into m rm fo ns tra h encounter whic give vidual ready to a stronger indi e ic rv se h ug ro myself away th ent. and encouragem

n Christine Ilaga nseling Services ou C r fo r te Cen

ALL FOR LOVE This New Year is a turning poin t for me—from a past of failed relationship to falling in love with a vocation that was not really meant to be.

One would really ask, have I loved the wrong things at the wrong time?

We all find it difficult to start ane w after bad breakups, heartaches and brid ges burned. But we all must always remember that onc e we hit rock bottom, there is nowhere else to go but up. Starting a new chapter in life is quite scary, but with the guidance and support from those who care about us, we stand up and make each day pass easily. I am most thankful to those who have been always there for me, for helping me realize that I will always have another chance to light that flame within.

I have never felt so loved and accepted. So my conviction for this year is to spre ad the love–to spread that message that we are love d, for all that has been and for all that will be.

Jay Tanwangco SIO-International Stude

nts Unit

Share your viewpoints.

What makes you stay in benilde?

The most interesting stories will be printed in the next issue of Vantage.

Essays must be less than 300 words. Send them to vantage@benilde.edu.ph.

Subject line “Viewpoints,” with your name, department/unit.

ViewPoints IS ThE fOruM SECTION Of VaNTaGE WhErE MEMbErS Of ThE bENILDEaN COMMuNITy CaN VOICE OuT ThEIr OPINIONS, ThOuGhTS aND IDEaS ON a ParTICuLar TOPIC ChOSEN by VaNTaGE STaffErS.

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SECTION EDITOr:

aLbErT rJ MIraNDa, CIC-CSO

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Wrath of the Styrofoam VaNQuIShING a MaN-MaDE MONSTEr

by JEffrIE aTENDIDO, ITD

phOTO BY alBerT rj miranda, CiC-CsO

During the ancient times, humankind’s persistent search for ways to lighten the difficulties of life led them to the discovery of a sacred component called Styrene monomer, a magical, clear and oily liquid substance extracted out of petroleum oil that can be found at the bosom of Mother Earth. Their great intellect and determination led to the discovery that combining this with another component such as benzene, commonly known as coal tar, can unleash a powerful tool that will serve significant purpose in their way of life: Styrofoam. Little did they know that they were creating a beast that will eventually lead to the destruction of the planet.

Blinded by Styrofoam’s magical abilities, earthlings basked in its useful glory. But later on, they realized that the Styrofoam was slowly killing the Earth, and the once worshipped and called sacred has brought a curse to the land. Great kingdoms all over the world suffered from its wrath; kings, lords, warriors, and peasants alike did not escape from its rage. Great unprecedented floods of the dirtiest waters befell upon lands and spread diseases, causing deaths to hapless earthlings.

Until today The great elders of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, wanting nothing more of the plagues to its subjects, summoned its supreme warriors and champions to fight the cursed beast and bring to an end to the pandemonium it caused. The warriors knew that it would not be an easy task, but the thought of saving their land and future generations brought courage, strength and will to fight with all their might until to the very end.

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Now, the Styrofoam beast is no longer allowed in the kingdom’s territory.

The Alternatives Preventing Styrofoam from entering the kingdom of Benilde does not guarantee victory over the battle against this odd beast. It would just be delaying further deluges from hitting the Benildean territory. While this is a good start, the new law of the land needs not only the obedience of the loyal subjects but also their creativity in doing their share to save their motherland.

A plain act of adjusting daily habits gives the kingdom a stronger chance for survival. For instance, one can make use of ceramic mugs, reusable plastic cups or plastic-lined stainless steel containers as alternative food and beverage storage.

Another doable undertaking is to minimize ordering takeouts from food establishments. In addition, it can also benefit one’s health due to the absence of the hazardous chemicals contained in Styrofoam.

The Inevitable It is indeed a long battle.In the end, loyal Benildeans look forward to defeat this monstrosity that earthlings had brought upon themselves. They are also looking to unite with their fellow dependable Lasallians to continue the war not just for the kingdom, but for the Mother Earth. They are letting the world know that with simple yet powerful acts, significant and powerful differences in the future can be made, and thus, victory will be the inevitable.

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The Worth of Water a ChILD’S STrEaM Of ThOuGhT ON WaTEr CONSErVaTION by aNNELVIE a. PabITu, CIC-CSO

In celebration of the Lasallian Arts Month, the students of Jaime Hilario Integrated School-La Salle (JHIS-LS) came all the way from Bagac with an appeal: to preserve and conserve water. Using theater as medium, they demonstrate their artistic abilities as well as their environmental sensibilities in the stage play, Lilay.

The students of Jaime Hilario Integrated School-La Salle are stewards of the sea. After all, living in a municipality lying in the Bataan-West Philippine Sea coastline, they have a deeper understanding of just how stupendous the role of water plays in their everyday lives.

When De La Salle Brothers founded JHIS-LS in 2006, the goal was to provide education for the underprivileged children in Bagac, Bataan. Fishery has always been the main source of livelihood of the local folks that it only seems fitting for the school to focus on instilling concern for the community and the environment. This, fortunately, is an endeavor that is not lost on their pupils.

In Lilay, the audience is introduced to a town which has long been polluting and wasting their water. The residents are convinced that they will never run out of this precious supply until their dried up river proved them otherwise. And it is Lilay, with her resolute faith in the people, who finds a way to restore the town’s lost resource.

While there are scores of stories seeking to increase awareness of environmental issues, Lilay goes against the flow by letting the kids talk. After all, kids oftentimes leave everyone thunderstruck by a show of maturity beyond their years.

Such is the case with Angelica Aquino, a grade six pupil of JHIS-LS who plays the role of the title character.

Angelica has always been fond of the theater — a passion which eventually gives birth to another kind of passion – the environment. Growing up in a coastal community, it is not surprising that Angelica has a soft spot for nature. This fondness intensified after she assumed the role of a young eco-warrior. “Ang gusto ko kay Lilay ay nakapag-message siya kahit sa ibang tao lang. At least yung mga taong nakarining ng

message niya ay maipapamahagi sa iba na ‘wag sasayangin ang tubig dahil ito ay mahalaga sa lahat,” said Angelica mulling over the impact of the play in conveying severe ecological implications.

The first time Angelica set foot in Benilde, she was awed by the change of environment – the huge number of students, the cOur modernistic structures, the methodical system.phOTO But out ofTesy all by JhI-Ls that, nothing amazed her more than the attitude of caring that she saw among the students and personnel of the College.

“Sabi ko buti pa dito nagsesegregate ang mga tao – may kanya kanyang basurahan , sa amin isang basurahan lang halo-halo pa. Parang kinukumpara ko siya, pero ang sabi ko sana pagdating ko sa min may pagbabago.” She worries that there are not enough waste management programs in their town. At the same time, she fears that people are getting less responsible in their ways of managing their finite resources and throwing their trash. For her, there is but one message that she really hopes to get across: “Wag pong sasayangin yung tubig at wag dudumihan ang kapaligiran kasi kapag dinumihan yung kapaligiran yung dinumi mo doon ay babalik rin sa’yo.”

We might have heard that reminder all too often. But it is a reminder that could not be reiterated enough if we want people to be more mindful of how much water they actually need and how much water they just waste.

Right now, there are nearly seven billion people in the world. To meet the daily drinking, sanitation and food needs of all these people, only one percent of the planet’s water remains at our disposal. Not many people may be aware of these lamenting figures. However, it is comforting to know that children like Angelica understand that water conservation is not wholly out of our depth.

PhOTO by aNNELVIE PabITu, CIC-CSO

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MOThErhOOD STOrIES by aLbErT rJ MIraNDa, CIC-CSO

To define hope can be a hopeless endeavor.

Sure, a quick Shift+F7 on MS Word will yield synonyms such as anticipation, wish and trust but one cannot expect words, or language for that matter, to fully explain a such profound idea as hope.

Sherwin Nuland, writer and surgeon, had the same thought when he meditated on the concept of hope during his 2003 TED Talk. In an attempt to characterize hope, he perused the Oxford English Dictionary where he found 14 definitions of the word. Despite the renowned dictionary’s extensiveness, he did not find one definition that “really hits you in the eye as being appropriate.” He, however, discovered that the Indo-European root of the word hope is the same with that of the word curve, which means a change in direction.

If hope implies a change in direction then motherhood perfectly embodies this suggestion. A woman’s transition to motherhood is one of the most significant changes she can go through in life—with the growth of her belly during pregnancy comes an assumption of the role as bearer of a new life.

Within the Benildean community, there are stories about hope. Three Benildean personnel—two of whom recently gave birth and one expecting to give birth soon —share their experiences on motherhood.

Life Changing “It’s a 360 degree turn for me,” remarks Mary Diane Ilagan of SDA-Digital Archive Unit, when asked about the birth of

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her firstborn, Madeleine Audrielle. “Sobrang happy. I feel so blessed because of the new addition to the family.”

Diane admits that now her world practically revolves around Madeline Audrielle. Every day after work, Diane rushes home to see her daughter. This is no wonder because for Diane, the birth of Madeline Audrielle is a miracle.

On Diane’s sixth month into the pregnancy, she started experiencing complications. Her obstetrician informed her that there is a chance of her having a miscarriage. So Diane, who has been enduring bouts of prenatal pains, had to deal with a greater ache: the possibility of losing her child.

As advised by her obstetrician, Diane took a leave from work. “It was a tough decision for me to but I didn’t want to risk the life of my baby.” The three remaining months before her expected delivery date was an ordeal. She dreaded the periodic checkups. “Ano na kaya sasabihin ng doktor? Ok na kaya? Pwede na kaya akong pumasok?” It even came to a point when she questioned God about her situation. “Bakit yung ibang taong nandyan lang sa kariton, ang dami-dami nilang anak, pinapabayaan lang pero hindi napapahamak.

Bakit sa akin na sobrang inaalagan ko, pwede pang mawala.”

Despite the challenges, Diane remained spirited thanks

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to the support of her family, friends and most especially, her husband Alvin Ilagan who also works in SDA. He became her rock during the trying times. She also turned to prayer for strength.

“Everyday, pray ako ng pray.” Prayers too, came in the form of an appeal to her daughter. “Kinakausap ko siya; wag ka munang lalabas [nang di tama sa buwan.] Mabuti naman, sa lahat ng pakiusap ko sa kanya, sumunod siya.”

Baby Madeleine No Heartbeat Shalimar Guiraldo of Center for Sports Development (CSD) felt her heart sink when the ultrasound scan indicated that the child inside her womb (her second born, Rico Anthony) had no heartbeat. “Sobrang na-stress ako nun. Ang sabi sa akin ng doktor, mag-antay pa kami ng two weeks–two weeks? Ang tagal pa nun. Pero gusto ko malaman agad. Ang daming pumapasok sa utak ko.” Shalimar then sought another ultrasound scan procedure from a different medical center. Fortunately, this time, Rico Anthony’s heartbeat registered in the ultrasound scan results.

But the anxiety of Shalimar did not end there. Before she became aware of her pregnancy, she had been taking antibiotics because she had been recuperating from a recent operation.

“Ang worry ko, may effect ba yung gamot na ininom ko?”

Her obstetrician recommended for her to undergo a 4D echo congenital scan after five to seven months. And so it seemed like an eternity of waiting again. But amid this trial, she began to trust that everything will be alright. “Lagi-lagi na lang, iniisip ko na magiging maayos ang lahat, na sana maging healthy siya.”

Thankfully, Rico Anthony was born without any health problems.

Counting Her Blessings–The Countdown Begins On April 29, 2012 Ruth de Leon Hilario of Center for Lasallian Ministry (CLM) is expected to give birth to her son Caleb Uno. Ruth was so surprised when she first found out that she is pregnant. “Napatili ako! Ginising ko talaga yung husband ko (Ed Hilario of Human Resource Management program). Tapos

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na-teary-eyed ako.” For a moment, she could not believe that she was really going to be a mother soon. Not that Ruth was panicking on how she will fare as a mother; on the contrary, she is accustomed to taking care of her nephews and nieces.

“Sanay naman ako kasi ako ang nag-alaga sa mga pamangkin ko, kaya walang problema sa pag-aalaga. Siguro ngayon mas magiging protective lang ako. Iba lang talaga kasi pag nararamdaman mong may gumagalaw sa loob ng tiyan mo.

Para kang may daga at bulati at ahas at alon.”

To say that Ruth is excited is an understatement. She cannot wait for the day when she can finally hold her son in her arms and spend quality time with him–this she regularly tells Caleb Uno: “Anak, pag lumabas ka, pipicturan kita. May mga laruan na ako (para sa iyo), may mga idea ako kung ano gagawin natin. Pag may nakita akong place na pambata, nililista ko para puntahan natin. Gusto kong ma-experience mo ang mga naeexperience ko.”

With only months remaining before the birthing day, Ruth is busy rolling out a red carpet welcome for Caleb Uno’s arrival.

“Ngayon pa lang, kahit hindi pa siya lumalabas, naka-set na yung date ng baptismal niya. Nag-cacanvas na ako ng panggive away, nakakontrata na ako ng photographer, meron na akong venue ng reception, pati yung church. Yung papers niya na lang ang kulang–siya na lang ang kulang.” For Ruth, the birth of Caleb Uno is the change that will complete her not only as a mother but as a person.

In search of what hope truly means, one might be at a loss for words. Hope, while synonymous to expectation, can take us by surprise. Just as these motherhood stories relate, it can change anyone in ways one never imagined before. Whether one is facing a crisis like Diane and Shalimar during their pregnancies, or riding on a wave of bliss like Ruth anticipating the birth of her son, hope gives birth to new possibilities.

Baby Rico

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Turtles are Not Slow; They are Hard-Workers hOW SLC TuTOrS MaKE a DIffErENCE

by VINCENT barCELONa, DSL-aEP “Sir, pwede po ba kaming magbigay ng prizes like chocolates every time one of our pupils excels in class?” one of my Literacy Training Service (LTS) students asked me in class one time.

Since I believe in positive reinforcement as a motivating drive for people, I asked the class to think of the most memorable reward that they were ever given as kids. One remembered getting a star for every perfect grade. Another remembered getting a turtle mark instead.

Pressed to elaborate what the turtle mark meant, the student said that she was a slow learner. According to her, the teacher would give her that extraordinary mark to boost her morale.

It was something to remind her that not only was she smart, she was also a hard worker. She might have been a slow learner, but because she worked the hardest, she became one of the best in her class.

My student’s answer made an unexpected impression on me. It led me to reassess our role as educators in Benilde. I say we are faced with a challenging question now: What are we doing to encourage our so-called “turtle students” to do well?

Benilde as a learner-centered institution requires its faculty to look for ways to help the students adjust to college, both in and out of the classroom. Thus, the Lasallian Mission and Student Life (LMSL), through the Department of Student Life-Academic Extension Program (DSL-AEP), provided our students with the Student Learning Center (SLC). It offers free tutorial services to students who need assistance in their academics with the help of volunteer tutors.

Two of these volunteers are Carmen Ramos and Alma Catacutan. For years now, Carmen has been teaching Math

while Alma has been handling Filipino. Both started officially as volunteer faculty for SLC in 2002.

For Alma, it all started with students from Bacolod and Davao who were having a hard time speaking in Filipino.

“When I would lecture in class, they couldn’t completely understand the topics because of the language barrier.

So what I did was to meet them in SLC where we would have extended lessons.”

But SLC back then was nowhere as spacious or conducive as SLC today.

“Back then we didn’t have an office,” Carmen described.

“We only had a corner in the LRC.” However, in spite of this setback, students would still come by, such that the tutorial sessions would sometimes last longer than their regular classes.

Alma and Carmen both have an average of four to five students in their service schedules. Tutorial strategy, according to them, is really different from their usual classroom teaching. In the review sessions, they would dive straight into the areas where their students need guidance.

“As a teacher, you also learn through your students’ individual differences. Matututo ka kung bakit hindi nila maintindihan. Here you’ll realize that learning is really a two-way process,” Carmen explained.

As for incentives of being volunteer tutors, Alma says that they don’t really think about that. “This is pure service to the College,” she said.

SLC is located at Greenway Square, beside the Taft Campus Clinic. It is presently coordinated by College Registrar Socorro Bacay. Interested faculty may go to SLC and enlist their available time for tutorial sessions.

Benilde as a learner-centered institution requires its faculty to look for ways to help the students adjust to college, both in and out of the classroom.

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frOM LEfT TO rIGhT: JEaNE PErCuuLIO, SaNDra PaLOMar, PaTrICIa PErEz EuSTaQuIO, IMhaThaI SuWaTThaNaSILP, PaO DaVID aND NIN bELTraN PhOTOS by aLbErT rJ MIraNDa, GErarD TEañO aND JuaN CarLOS SaLaMaT, EDITING by rOMEO CaTaP.

Conversation Piece MCaD SParKS CrEaTIVE EXChaNGES IN arT aND CuLTurE

by JOSELINa Cruz, MCaD WITh aLbErT rJ MIraNDa, CIC-CSO

Every art work produces conversation. There is this unavoidable dialogue that ensues between the ideas inherent in the artwork and its viewer/ public. Even if one is puzzled by the art work, this is nevertheless the start of a conversation, it is a questioning. Plato described wonder as the first step towards philosophy, towards wisdom. When a viewer asks ‘Why?’ he wonders, and unwittingly begins to converse. This is a conversation that begins when one looks at a work of art–we ask and often the answers are there. We learn to look rather than to see.

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MCAD Platforms MCAD Platforms was put in place as a mental space for the collateral activities of MCAD Museum of Contemporary Art and Design. It is simply there to deepen knowledge by the interest/s piqued by the artwork; this, most often coming from curiosity after that first conversation.

To introduce MCAD Platforms, a series of talks was held from February 28 to March 3, following the recent Fabrications exhibit. Featured in the talks were contemporary artists Patricia Eustaquio Perez and Imhathai Suwatthanasilp, philosophy professor Jeane Perculio, and tattoo artists Pao David and Nin Beltran as speakers.

Whether the topics discussed by the speakers were directly connected or tangential to the show’s concept, all discussions have provided a space in which creative exchanges were encouraged.

While most of MCAD Platform activities will be drawn from the exhibitions being produced by the museum, other activities that go beyond thoughts and ideas that emanate from these exhibitions will be pursued. MCAD Platforms would like to bring in fresh ideas, which pertain to culture and theory at large.

MCAD Platforms also targets to have activities, which partner with other cultural institutions.The museum has already been in touch with other cultural institutions like the Lopez Museum, Metropolitan Museum, Vargas Museum and Yuchengco Museum to explore how partnerships can be made.

Collaborations with key local institutions and the museum’s active participation raise MCAD’s profile as a serious site for art, and projects an image that is open to an audience wider than that of Benilde’s locale. MCAD thus transforms into a space where ideas are debated and exchanged, questioned and produced; one, which proffers both visual and intellectual challenges.

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ALS=Hope to the nth Power a SECOND ChaNCE aT EDuCaTION

by LEO COrTES, CSa

Rihanna sings about finding love in a hopeless place, but there’s also such thing as finding hope in a seemingly hopeless case.

Take the staggering number of out-of-school children and youth (OSCY) in our country today for example. We have so many OSCY, it would be difficult to find a Filipino who does not know somebody who is supposedly in school but is not. We meet them everywhere and they could be anybody – our acquaintances, friends, even family members.

als graduate and current benildean scholar claire pantilo PhOTO by MIKE ONGChua, ITD

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In the 2010 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO), 16% of the estimated 39 million Filipinos aged 6 to 24 years old are OSCY. That is roughly 6 million people. E-Net Philippines, a network of civil society organizations pushing for education reforms in our country, notes that we have such a high drop-out rate that only two-thirds of those who enter Grade 1 finish elementary, and less than half eventually graduate from high school. Which leads one to ask, whatever happened to education as a basic human right?

Hope in the midst of the high number of OSCY is in the form of an education program called the Alternative Learning System (ALS). It is the Department of Education’s informal and functional literacy program for OSCY and adults. Republic Act No. 9155, otherwise known as the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, recognizes ALS as a parallel learning system that provides a viable alternative to the existing formal educational instruction. Benilde, being in the midst of this OSCY phenomenon, started adopting the ALS program for its neighboring barangays in 2010.

Claire Pantilo, first year Human Resource Management major, is from Barangay 750. She used to be one of the millions of Filipino youth who had to quit school due to various circumstances. For her, it was the difficulty to focus again on her studies after a year’s leave from school because of family-related challenges. After a year of uncertainty about her future, she was invited by their barangay’s Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairperson to apply in the ALS program of Benilde, which she did. After some initial apprehensions, she eventually found herself enjoying the ALS sessions because of the variety of learning experiences it presented to her.

Aside from interesting and innovative teaching methods in the ALS learning sessions, she also enjoyed the field trips, exposures to various social issues and even the One La Salle Fun Run. In October 2010, she and her fellow ALS learners took the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) exams. Since she regularly attended the review sessions provided to them, Claire was confident she would pass, and she did.

Jaderian Checa, Animation freshman from Barangay 745, was among the top students of his high school, but after being transferred to another section on his third year, he started to feel isolated in his new class. His involvement as a varsity player in his school’s volleyball team further affected his dedication to his studies. Gradually, he started to feel disinterested in school until he eventually dropped out. In the

2010 APIS report, along with high cost of education, lack of interest is a commonly cited reason for OSCY who are within 13 to 17 years old.

For a time while he was out of school, Jaderian felt that his only key to a comfortable life is to be petitioned by his grandfather so he could find work in the United States. This was until his SK Chair also invited him to join Benilde’s ALS program. Just like Claire, Jaderian also enjoyed his ALS learning sessions, completed it and eventually passed the A&E exams. He also took and passed the Benildean Entrance Exams. Barely a year since being out of school, he found himself back to formal schooling and is now aiming for a Bachelor’s Degree in Animation.

Both Claire and Jaderian are witnesses to how ALS has helped them get back on track in securing their future through education. With her newfound hope, Claire now dreams of being able to help her parents meet the needs of their family, including her siblings’ education. Jaderian also looks forward to the day that his education will pave the way for him to be able to acquire a certain degree of independence in life, like living in a house of his own and meeting other basic needs, on top of helping his family.

Being in school once again has also restored their confidence and belief in themselves, knowing that they were able to get past difficult situations such as being out of school. The adversities they experienced taught them valuable lessons in life such as mustering enough courage and faith to start again and daring to grab opportunities that come their way. As to where the stories of Claire and Jaderian will eventually lead, no one can really tell. Hopefully the lessons they are learning in school and in life will help them build their character and mold them into persons who are capable of reaching their potentials and dreams.

It is encouraging to note that more and more nongovernment organizations (NGO) and institutions such as Benilde and other La Salle schools have started implementing their own ALS programs. However, this should not mean that the government will just rely on these organizations to address the needs of the OSCY. Rather, the government should continue to lead and take on the responsibility in addressing issues of the ALS program such as insufficient budget allocation. After all, as in the case of Claire and Jaderian, the ALS program has proven that it can give a second chance at education, and perhaps even at a better life for OSCY.

As graduation gift, Vantage staffers and Help-Portrait Manila volunteers conducted free portraiture sessions to ALS students and their loved ones.

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A Stroke of Optimism fINDING a rENEWED SENSE Of COuraGE by aNNELVIE a. PabITu, CIC-CSO

stroke survivor edgardo maraya and his therapist millet bunyi PhOTO by MIKE ONGChua, ITD

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All of a sudden, the throwaway phrase “life changes in an instant” held a valid meaning for Edgardo Maraya. One minute he was in good physical shape as any man in his 40s could be, the next he is among the 486 out of 100,000 Filipinos who have suffered from stroke.

Upon hearing and reading stories told by survivors, one cannot help but notice a pattern. A day starts innocently enough. You get out of bed. You go to work. You feel that something’s amiss.

It could be a sudden weakness. A paralyzing headache. A loss of balance. But then before you know it, you are already losing consciousness. On October 13, 2010, Edgar Maraya found himself in this exact situation.

A gym assistant for the Center for Sports Development (CSD), Edgar just returned to the Taft Campus from a basketball practice in the morning of October 13. He was taking advantage of a few minutes’ rest when suddenly he was coughing out blood.

“Nagpunta agad ako sa clinic. Lunch time noon pero pinabayaan nung mga nurses yung kinakain nila kasi iba na rin yung itsura ko. Kinuha nila yung blood pressure ko. Nagulat sila kasi ang taas. Apat na beses nila inulit-ulit pero wala pa ring pagbabago.” The nurses became frantic when they could not get his blood pressure to drop from 180/140. Soon it became inevitable that Edgar be taken to the hospital right away.

“Nung sinabi ng doktor sa ospital na kailangan daw akong i-CT scan, medyo kinabahan na ako. Sabi ko nga sa sarili ko, hindi ko alam ang nangyayari pero mukhang hindi na biro.

Tapos parang nanghihina na rin talaga ako.” He was oblivious that by then, blood vessels were bursting inside his brain.

However, before he had a chance to come to grip with what was really happening, he slipped into unconsciousness.

It took him four days to return to full awareness. That was when he learned that he had a hemorrhagic stroke on the left side of his brain, rendering the right part of his body incapacitated, his face contorted, and his speech slurred.

On the mend Edgar’s philosophy since day one has always been to help himself because he believes he is the only one who can. “Kung gusto mong gumaling, tulungan mo ang iyong sarili. Kasi kahit ano’ng tulong ng doktor mo, kung ayaw mong magpatulong eh wala ring mangyayari sa ’yo.”

Possessing this outlook, he went through the painstakingly slow process to recuperation.

With the help of his rehabilitation team, Edgar focused on the most important aspect of treatment which is repetitive practice.

For months, he continuously performed balance exercises, flexibility routines, and dexterity trainings to regain muscle function and independence.

“Gusto ko talaga na mapadali yung recovery ko kaya minsan kahit tapos na yung therapy, ako na mismo ang nagpapatuloy nung mga exercises na itinuturo sa akin.” He would always request for an extension to his usual two-hour therapy in his eagerness to improve his mobility.

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As a result of this high level of commitment, Edgar’s therapists saw significant progress. In three months’ time, he no longer walked with a limp nor spoke with a slur. He still has not recovered the full function of his right hand, but with the support of his family he never loses his drive as he continues with his therapy.

But this does not mean that there are no bad days for him. In the beginning of his recovery process, Edgar admitted that he was deeply distressed by the situation.

Luckily for him, Benilde’s physical therapist Milet Bunyi was quick to call him out in his early days of self-pity.

“Yung physical therapist natin, talagang nagtiyaga.

Noong una, napapaiyak na rin ako. Hindi mo rin naman maiaalis ‘yun eh. Si Milet, laging ang salita niya, ‘Kuya Ed, wag kang mayamot. Wag kang magalit. Wag kang malungkot. Kung ganyan ka ng ganyan, ikaw rin ang kawawa.’”

Recovery is as much psychological as it is physical.

This is the idea that Milet tries hard to instill in her patients.

But with Edgar, there was not much convincing needed.

After the initial shock and grief, he made the decision to get better and fight the paralysis even if it meant fighting it one joint at a time. Milet recalls Edgar’s first month into therapy and expresses her pride in his show of determination and optimism: “Masipag talaga yang si Kuya Ed kaya rin mabilis talaga yung pag-rehabilitate niya. Dati binubuhat pa siya mula sa tricycle kasi wala siyang balance. Pero ngayon kapag nakatayo na yan hindi mo aakalain na na-stroke siya.”

Hope floats Today, Edgar continues to battle residual weakness in his right arm and hand. But being able to walk, go up and down the stairs, and even do pedal exercise on his own months into his mending process prove his tenacity to take not just steps, but strides.

He is presently working as an internal operations staff in Jaime Hilario Hall, keeping tab of the student-athletes’ performance and injury records. Students fondly refer to him as Mang Ed. “Instead na kami yung mang-inspire kay Mang Ed pagkatapos ng mga pinagdaanan niya, siya pa yung nang-iinspire sa min,” said one of the athletes who sees how he motivates everyone not to be frustrated at the faintest sign of pain.

Edgar still continues with his therapy. There are times when he would stretch his muscles a little too far or force his joints a little too much to the point that they would hurt.

But like the rest of us, Edgar makes choices every day.

And his choices do not involve crying over a single stroke of misfortune.

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Rainbows Chasers bENILDEaN VOLuNTEErS: buILDING hOMES, buILDING DrEaMS

by MaTEO r. bOrbON, Jr., ITD

one of the rainbow chasers danilo clemente PhOTO by MIKE ONGChua, ITD

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If you’re fond of rainbows, you would know that they are bands of parallel stripes that display the full spectrum of colors that make up the sun’s white light. A rainbow usually appears after rain which signifies change and an invitation for jubilation after a deluge. As a kid, you might have come across stories about a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. You probably even went on an expedition to look for the gold, only to find out that you cannot go beyond the confines of your neighborhood.

Eventually, you probably grew and wised up with the realization that chasing rainbows is an illusion, an exercise in futility.

For cynics, Gawad Kalinga (GK) is like that; an illusory movement, a castle in the sky, a foolish endeavor, a shot in the dark. But there are those who grew up and still kept their childish innocence; a belief so noble it is heroic. Examples of this lot are the Benildean volunteers who sacrificed time, talent, and resources to show to us that castles in the sky can also be built on the ground; that being foolish is sometimes being wise; that shooting blind is better than not shooting.

Deluge The dictionary definition of hope will give you something cerebral that postulates a positive state of mind. Synonyms like anticipation, looking-forward, expectation and desire will give you watered-down definitions of what volunteers in the recent GK project in Bantayan Island ,Cebu experienced.

GK is a movement that uplifts the plight of the poor by providing them with a basic need: shelter. Initially, volunteers build houses in a safe environment which are turned over to the indigent. Recipients are then taught and encouraged to be self-sufficient, and later on, volunteers enhance the personal and communal spirit so that as one cohesive community, the recipients are able to live with dignity.

Chasers and Builders This group of volunteers, a mix of students and personnel from the different offices and schools in Benilde, were clueless on what lay before them when they started with their week-long visit in Cebu. Braving the unknown, they shoved their personal comforts aside and hunkered down to chase their rainbow. With different intentions, backgrounds and capacities, they journeyed to the site where a pampered soul would not dare go. They

labored in the burning sun, shedding sweat while increasing fulfillment, mixing dirt and separating assumption, losing inhibition and gaining friends. And at the end of each day, they would go through an uncomfortable ride to an oasis, the pleasure of which only a fellow traveler would understand.

Throughout the week, the concept of humility, perseverance, tenacity, and wisdom were forged in them.

And at the end of the build, they came out transformed, knowledgeable, experienced, and blessed. They’ve built a home. Not a house but a church, an edifice where the religion of equality is practiced, the morality of goodness is a reality, and the culture of generosity and respect is the norm.

At the End of the Rainbow Like explorers, they were under the assumption that they would find new places. Instead, they discovered the strength within them. Unlike conquerors, the experience conquered their hearts instead. As students, they were taught life-changing lessons no school or teacher could.

As managers and personnel, they were given training no corporate experience can match.

Hope, to these Benildean volunteers, is a tangible experience, a song personified, a love quantified, and a dream realized. What started out as a course requirement, an immersion project, a personal retreat or an adherence to an agreement all turned out to be a realization of hope, which at first was but a tenuous tenet. This is their experience in turning a concept into an artifact and making hope a reality. After all, it takes a village to raise a child, and nobody wants a hopeless village.

The Rainbow Chasers Len Adolfo, Registrar’s Office Adamson Alambra, Finance Division Gilbert Marcelo, Department of Student Life Neilvin Navarrte, Academic Extension Office Lord Pomperada, Alumnus Danilo Clemente, Office of Student Behavior Rozinie Doles, Finance Division Jojette Lopez, Registrar’s Office Benildean volunteers in action building homes at the GK project sites in Cebu, Bukidnon, Zamboanga and Sorsogon.

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Interpreting Justice

Photos courtesy of jun celada, anc and sdeas

Every Monday to Thursday at 12pm, a four-member team the Deaf consultant ensures that the signing is understood leaves the College and heads for the ABS-CBN compound. The and provides on-site feedback to the interpreters. The hearing group is made up of two interpreters, a Deaf consultant and a coordinator works with the technical staff and ensures that the hearing coordinator. They have to be there at 1pm to get ready for needs of the team are met. With the hearings dragging on, makeup and prepare with the technical requirements before the it is slowly taking a toll on the interpreting team. Some of the Chief Justice Corona Impeachment trial starts. interpreters are starting to exhibit muscle pain, and the Deaf and In early January of this year, the ABS-CBN News Channel hearing volunteers’ work backlogs are starting to pile up. But the (ANC) met with SDEAS to discuss the possibility of having commitment to provide access to the Deaf community continues, interpreters over the live coverage and the effort is well-lauded and supported of the impeachment trial. Despite by the community.

The Filipino Sign Language Learning the demanding schedule and the The Filipino Sign Language Learning Program looks forward to starting foreseen legal gobbledygook, Program looks forward to starting the the Interpreting Program in the hope SDEAS agreed. It is, after all, an Interpreting Program in the hope of having opportunity to make a national event of having more people learn Filipino more people learn Filipino Sign Language accessible to the Deaf.

Sign Language (FSL) and increase the (FSL) and increase the number of able The first days of trial were filled interpreters to make media accessibility number of able interpreters to make with legal-speak. How do you sign to the Deaf more feasible. With the pretext media accessibility to the Deaf “I object,” subpoena duces tecum, of the Corona trial, the Deaf community is more feasible. culpable violation of the constitution, keeping their fingers crossed for all regular or Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN)? Latin TV news to one day include an interpreter inset. words were a much bigger challenge. Finger-spelling was not The impeachment trial of Chief Justice Corona, whatever the enough. The group had to wade through legal dictionaries, outcome may be, is an exercise of our country’s rule of justice. exhaust the meaning of the legalese and translate it into a visual For the Deaf, having the access to the whole proceedings is a language. For example, “I object” has five signed versions right accorded. Access to information for the Deaf, especially and the group, with a Deaf representative, had to agree on an those of national significance is being lobbied via House Bill 4121 acceptable and ergonomic sign.

(HB 4121) which encourages TV stations to provide captioning Especially tough is interpreting for the personalities who or inset interpreting for local news. HB 4121 was authored by make up the trial. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s extensive Congressmen Teddy Casino and Neri Colmenares and is widely vocabulary, passionate orations and blustering bravado are supported by the Deaf community. draining for interpreters to match. Lapses from the defense and prosecution teams that lead to guffaws can get frustrating to For the Deaf who missed some of the court proceedings, a interpret with a straight face. weekly summary is being provided via http://www.deaf-e-news.

The interpreters are assigned 20 to 30-minute shifts while blogspot.com/.

First Hand GIVES ThE rEaDErS a CLOSEr LOOK aT ThE uNIQuE CuLTurE aND Way Of LIfE Of ThE DEaf COMMuNITy.

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Sitting All Day Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

by VINCENT SaNTOS-VIOLa, abaNI STuDENT You may have noticed that you spend a great deal of time sitting down, whether working at the office, commuting your way somewhere or surfing on the internet at home. Like anything in excess, sitting for long periods of time can cause great harm to you as it may trigger damage to internal organs inside your body. Luckily,there are ways to counteract the negative effects that sitting all day has on your body. But first, let’s have a look at some of the negative effects that long periods of immobility has on the body.

The Many Harmful Effects of Sitting You may not realize it immediately; while you may feel more relaxed in a seated position, sitting for too long will leave you even more stressed out. This is because sitting is an inherently passive activity, regardless of other activities you perform when seated.

It can also significantly weaken your joints and muscles. When you sit down, your joints will be bent to meet the contours of the object you are sitting on, whether it be a chair, couch or stool.

Keeping your joints bent also requires the muscles to compress, and will weaken them if you maintain the same position for too long.

It’s not just sitting down that causes these negative effects; the way you sit also contributes greatly to the deterioration of your health. Improper sitting can eventually lead to the development of poor posture.

An Hour A Day Keeps the Doctor Away The human body, with its many joints and muscles, is designed to move around freely. While it may be easier to sit down instead of flail around freely and vigorously, normal exercise and stretching are essential to your overall health and wellness. It’s also no secret that exercise has many more benefits to your daily life when done regularly.

Moderate activity can be good enough to alleviate minor bouts of stress. You won’t need an expensive gym membership to reap the benefits of exercise; simply remembering to stretch out in the office, or even taking a slightly longer walking route, can do wonders on the body.

A working lifestyle might not allow for much time at the gym either. It is not necessarily substitute for exercise, but taking a few minutes off between paperwork and work sessions can be beneficial to your health. That’s not to say you should walk out of your work station every ten minutes to stretch out, but you should definitely take the time to limber up.

When you do get time for a complete workout, balanced training can be key to stabilizing your joints and muscles for everyday activities. Exercises promote flexibility and can improve

your range of motion, which can help you move around easier after a long session on a computer chair.

Also, remember to maintain a straight posture, with your arms bent at a 90-degree angle with the keyboard, and with your feet flat on the ground. If sitting comfortably is not an easy task to do, then try to make your general work area more ergonomic instead of wrestling with an uncomfortable computer chair.

It goes without saying that life at the workplace can sometimes force an extended stay in front of the computer, but it’s up to you to make sure that sitting for too long won’t take its toll on your health and your performance at work.

More Facts about Sitting Exercising, standing up, and even chewing your food are more likely to burn energy, according to a study published by the New York Times in 2010. And when you burn energy, the stress you experience when working in a seated position will start to fade away. Lesser amounts of stress will allow you to work more efficiently.

The expulsion of energy is also important for another thing: weight loss. As you stay practically immobile, the stored fat that is supposed to be used for strenuous activities gets stockpiled in certain parts of your body. Body parts such as the stomach and thighs will begin to take on fats that may also restrict your ability to move around properly.

Another series of studies shown during the Second International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health held in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2008 revealed even more harmful effects of sitting down. Negative effects on cholesterol levels and metabolism rate are caused by long periods of inactivity, and may lead to diseases in some cases. Moderate exercise also proved to be insufficient to combat these effects.

Poor posture can cause negative effects it has on a person’s health. It can lead to spinal curvature, which may even degrade into full-on kyphosis (a condition of over-curvature of the back). It can also constrict your blood vessels and lungs, keeping valuable blood and oxygen from circulating around your body.

Sources: Medical Billing and Coding, http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/sitting-kills/ Judson, O., “Stand Up While You Read This!”, The New York Times, http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/ 02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/ G. Healy, MPH, D. Dunstan, PHD, J. Salmon, PHD, E. Cerin, PHD, J. Shaw, MD, P. Zimmet, MD2 and N. Owen, PHD, Breaks in Sedentary Time, http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/4/661.abstract? utm_source=Lifehacker+Newsletter&utm_campaign=0e9f6286d0-UA-142218-1&utm_medium=email University of Missouri-Columbia. “Sitting May Increase Risk Of Disease.” ScienceDaily, <http:// www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/ 071119130734.htm> 19 Nov. 2007.

in tHe Pink hIGhLIGhTS ThE IMPOrTaNCE Of GETTING IN GOOD ShaPE TO IMPrOVE ThE WOrK-LIfE Of bENILDEaN faCuLTy aND PErSONNEL.

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PICTurING ThE CrEaTIVE PrOCESS Of ID faCuLTy PaTrICK SuNICO by aNNELVIE a. PabITu, CIC-CSO In an alternate universe, Patrick Sunico would have been an engineer.

But visual art has a way of drafting itself into his craft that it could only seem providential when he wound up becoming an industrial designer instead.

Sunico started out as an Engineering student of De La Salle University-Manila. What he thought as a design application degree turned out to be a heavily theoretical one, building on extensive mathematical proficiency and research-oriented methods. There really was nothing wrong with the course, except he preferred designing practical handiworks to obsessing over exhaustive theories.

It was by sheer coincidence when one day he passed

by Benilde and found himself admiring an exhibit on model construction. This incident and an illuminating chat with then Dean Rosemarie Bautista finally convinced him to transfer and take Industrial Design. Upon graduating, he worked in the export industry for three years then took further education, earning a Master of Industrial Design degree from the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Now, several years later, he is back in Benilde as a teacher sharing the blessings of education and expertise he has acquired here and abroad.

Good design is honest. For Sunico, this is a principle that he subscribes to as a designer and a teacher. “A design is honest in such a way that it is not misleading. It does not hide any defects,” he elaborates, adding that his design style is “simple but effective.”

The same style is evident in his most recent collaboration with fellow SDA faculty and students for the last two Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD) Exhibits held in Tagaytay and DLSU Dasmarinas. To bolster interaction among the De La Salle Brothers in East Asia, SDA designed and mounted two of the exhibits through various displays of videos and

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photographs of Lasallians from all walks of life.

“It took us months to finish. There was a lot to consider: logistics, materials, system design and then printing.

But the finished work, as we hoped for, was simple and straightforward. It was effective too as it served the primary purpose of the event, allowing the delegates to strike up conversations,” Sunico relates.

Sunico’s creative process is a discovery of many concepts that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but functionally satisfying too. “As designers, we are free to create things. But this comes with responsibility. For instance, in environmental design, you do not just build something because it is beautiful. You build something because it would benefit people and present solutions to ecological problems,” he reasons.

When it comes to inspiration, Sunico does not have to look far. He feels that nature provides us with the best designs that we could only mimic. It could be as grand as the natural landscapes he sees when traveling abroad or as simple as an ecosystem in a fish pond he sees on his way to work. “Inspiration is everywhere. You just have to go out of your room and explore. There are many ways to tickle your imagination but you have to feed it with experiences first.”

In all his years of work in the industry, Sunico has done a number of projects for premium organizations – from fastfood chains to children’s foundations to coffee companies. However, there is still one ideal project that he aspires to carry out: a full-scale aircraft. He is a selfconfessed enthusiast of this kind of invention that the perfect workplace for him would be inside an aircraft hanger. “It’s the space. It is close to the outdoors with high ceiling, but with the protection from elements like rain.

Simply being in a large space like that can generate ideas instantly,” he muses.

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“INSPIraTION IS EVEryWhErE. yOu JuST haVE TO GO OuT Of yOur rOOM aND EXPLOrE.”

“No frills, simple but effective – this is my style.”

Even as a kid, Sunico has had a lot of exposure and training in design. His father is an established gunsmith and firearms designer himself. So in a line of work wherein a solitary mistake can cost lives, his father has taught Sunico to pay attention to every finest detail and practice analytical thinking in his works. These are the same traits that Sunico tries to imbue to his students. To him, teaching design is like bridging the gap between science and art. The approach is scientific but the output is artistic. On the whole, he sees design as a way of life – the way one sees, interacts and uses things in his or her daily life. “Almost everything we see around us has been designed by man or our Creator.

Design as a language tool is probably the best medium one can use because a good design is universal.”

At present, Sunico teaches thesis subjects in the Industrial Design Department. He has been with the College since 2002 and throughout the years, he has never imagined himself in an alternate universe where he is anything but a designer.

One of his memorable projects is Seattle’s Best coffee mug design produced by the thousands and made available in all outlets around the world.

Photo and IMaGES courtESy of Patr P Ick SunIco

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Learning the Essence of Helping I realized that as formators, this calling we embrace bears a heavier and fixed responsibility.

It is more than just following what our Job Description states and doing what our boss dictates, or even how our payroll motivates. By Maurice Cordero, CIC-MO When I started working in the College, I was guided to believe that education should be made available to everyone – having faith in the potential of every person as we value his or her individuality. The College offers many scholarship and grant programs for deserving students. This is Benilde’s commitment to make education accessible even to the financially marginalized.

But as I look around me, I learned how the walls separating the privileged from the financially marginalized become more palpable. Many of us say that we now live in an equal world but in reality, I feel that we may only have managed to subconsciously deny certain realities and become immune to the problems and contradictions right in front of us. We only choose what we want to see.

Often, we say we help the poor by providing financial assistance through scholarships and grants. We use the mathematics of money and business as the gauge of our efforts.

We use scholarship statistics to uplift the image of the College. It is often announced and celebrated that it almost makes us think that it’s the summation of the truth.

But I got to thinking – is the end point for us to say we helped the scholars? What can I do if I am not at all directly involved with the grants program of the College? Also, being “poor” does not necessarily refer to one’s financial condition. It can be being poor in morals, values, spirituality or even faith.

I realized that as formators, this calling we embrace bears a heavier and fixed responsibility. It is more than just following what our Job Description states and doing what our boss dictates, or even how our payroll motivates. Sometimes, we tend to focus too much on what we are assigned to do and overlook the bigger picture.

One of the best things about being a member of the Benildean community is getting to know our College’s scholars. I make it a point to get a few scholars involved in what I do at work. After all, one of my unit’s major goals is to help promote One La Salle Scholarship through fundraising activities such as merchandise selling and giving scholars an opportunity to contribute to these goals adds another layer of significance.

I discovered that most scholars diligently come to school to attend their classes despite the unfavorable living conditions at home. I personally learned that some of them even literally walk miles from home to school and back, at times during inclement weather. Some of them regularly skip meals because their families can’t afford giving them an allowance. These scholars have gained my utmost respect and admiration because despite all these negative conditions, they chose to fight for their right to education and to keep on going. We are privileged to have these

scholars with us, for they know the value of education and they should inspire us to reflect on what we should value.

It dawned on me that helping should not merely be an act but it should be a lifestyle where numerical measurements or indicators are the least revelatory. Helping must be fashioned from sincerity and consistency in each and every action that we do.

For instance, knowing that the College is a non-profit organization, where its excess funds may possibly be used for scholarship programs or any of its other important programs, would I still rather make use of our office’s entire budget just because it is available and approved (and we were able to justify the need for it last school year) even if the project may not be of great impact to the success of our program? Will I request for the most expensive merchandise as token to our guests just because the recipient is a very important person? Would I agree to promote technological updates in our facilities and equipment even if it may not be necessary or beneficial at the moment? Do I prefer to offer an expensive cup of coffee to our visitors than the cheaper instant 3-in-1 mix because I care more about making an impression?

These questions come to my mind when I reflect on my involvement in coming up with ways, no matter how seemingly small, to support the College’s goal of providing accessible education to students. With all the complex things at work, our decisions are supposed to be elevated to the most rational, conscious level. I realized that one may not need to be directly involved in soliciting donations for scholarship from organizations to say one is helping.

Sadly what we say are not always what we do, and the truth is, people around us know how to read our intentions based on our actions. Perhaps, it is necessary to put a little more awareness and sensitivity to the way we deal with things inside and outside work, especially because we are surrounded by students.

Being Benildean formators, we have to be mindful of how we can help the scholars, and that does not even mean shelling out our own money. Our own actions, may they be grand or diminutive will inadvertently have an effect to the learning of our students, scholars and paying alike.

In the end, helping the scholars does seem more like a mutually beneficial relationship. While we do our best to hone them to become the next generation’s leaders, we should take this opportunity to learn from them as well the real definition and essence of helping.

First Person fEaTurES INSIGhTfuL PErSONaL ESSayS frOM bENILDEaN faCuLTy aND PErSONNEL. SharE yOur STOry TO VaNTaGE@bENILDE.EDu.Ph. arTICLES arE EVaLuaTED baSED ON rEaDabILITy, SOuNDNESS Of CONTENT, TIMELINESS aND INTErEST TO Our rEaDErS.

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PHOTOS BY Gerard Tea単O Tea単O, aY aYaa CarinGal, JC Sala SalaM MaT and ana ar arC Ce

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Hopia Hopiang di mabili, may amag sa tabi!

This, to the tune of the operatic aria Donna e Mobile, was a favorite ditty many years ago when Erap, Manny Pacquiao and Mommy Dionisia jokes were not yet in vogue.

Hopia is a snack that many of us Pinoys are familiar with.

In fact, it is not unthinkable that many would have fond memories of this Chinese-inspired pastry. As our world improved and developed, the lowly hopia has followed suit.

From its humble beginnings as bean-filled pastry originally introduced by Fujianese immigrants during the start of the American civil occupation, hopias of today are export quality snacks that warm the hearts and bellies of Pinoys in Filipino communities overseas. And it has maintained its status as the default snack for many of us back home.

The two most famous hopia flavors are hopiang munggo and hopiang baboy, with hopiang hapon trailing as a third favorite. But in the recent years, a wide array of hopia fillings has come up to challenge the favorites. The ube, pandan, mochaccino, langka and macapuno are just some of the contemporary hopia flavors that favor the more adventurous tasters. The top makers today are Eng Bee Tin, Polland, Salazar and Vienna although we should not discount our barangay bakery-in-the-corner.

My own memories of hopia would, most probably, take a similar strain with many hopia aficionados. Back when life was more genteel, I would go to my father’s cinema house after my last class for the day with two pieces of hopia and a bottle of cola. It did not matter that I would watch the same portion of the movie and then leave it unfinished because of my daily 6pm curfew. That was a daily ritual, so my affinity with the hopia was established early on.

When I grew older, that affinity did not falter a bit. The snack pair fared quite well with me and my schoolmates during our glorious college years. While waiting for Holy Mass to start, or practicing with the Glee club, or passing the time between classes, hopia and soft drinks were ever present to fill our grumbling bellies. Later on I started working for a living as a computer operator back when computers were as large as commercial laundry machines. At break time, my officemates and I would troop to the cafeteria for snacks. And the ubiquitous hopia and soft drink combo was a constant favorite. The cafeteria – a hole in the wall really – had a little techie touch to it: an oven toaster. Then, warmed hopia and a bottle of cold soda was a kingly snack for minimum wage earners like me. Until I joined the hotel sector where I was introduced to upscale snacks and meals, hopia and soft drink were delegated to be some of my comfort foods.

I would venture to say that many hopia lovers would have a fond memory, a story of this quintessential Filipino snack.

The staying power of hopia is assured along with other Pinoy favorites such as the kakanin. As far as I go, a pair of hopiang baboy fresh from the oven toaster paired with its perfect mate, a cola drink brimming with ice cubes, may yet be the Pinoy comfort snack for the ages yet to come.

Proje

PhOTO by aLbErT rJ MIraNDa, CIC-CSO

HOPIANG BABOY Dough crust 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar ¼ cup pork lard, refrigerated ½ cup water 1 tsp food color either red or yellow Blend flour and sugar and cut in lard. Add water and food color gradually. Form into dough like ball and refrigerate for one hour.

Filling 1 ½ cups sugar ½ tsp vinegar 2 cups pork fat diced 2 cups kundol ½ cup vegetable oil 1 cup third class flour Marinate pork fat in sugar. Mix fat, sugared melon or kundol, and oil and boil over slow fire until thick. Add flour when the filling is almost cooked. Fill the crust and press flat. Brush top with egg wash and bake in pre-heated oven at 400° F for 20 minutes. www.pinoybisnes.com/food-business/how-to-make-hopia

sPice UP fEaTurES fOOD WrITE-uPS, TrIVIa, hELPfuL TIPS aND rECIPES PrEParED by Our ShrIM faCuLTy aND PErSONNEL.

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SECTION EDITOr:

ED VaLENCIaNO, ShrIM 4/3/2012 5:29:09 AM

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ask for ort prayer to utine sh a y sa I , Everyday bit of spice to my ro a ut guidance andbest thing that I miss abo g in e h rm T o . transf at work challenge of Benilde is the dents into becoming privileged stuonsive citizens. socially resp

boy alforte

Former Community Development Project Officer, Center for Social Action (CSA) and current NGO project coordinator

I was a Community Development Project Officer under the Partnership and Community Extension Program of the Center for Social Action (CSA). I focused on developing community programs and activities for the neighbouring barangays of the College through our Kapitbahayan Program. These included implementing the ALS Program, organizing the eco-livelihood project, facilitating collaborative activities of various DLS-CSB units with the partner barangays and promoting cooperation with barangay officials and communities.

I became part of the Benildean community when, in 2008, I was contracted to work for the phasing-out program of Benilde’s community extension projects in Lumban, Laguna. The Lumban exit program nurtured the community’s resolve to continue their established capacities and develop their skills. This led to the crafting of the huge installation embroidery artwork at the SDA foyer.

Community development is challenging work. Before Benilde, I focused on rural areas. Working in an urban community and with the College as the proponent is certainly an added challenge. CSA is like Benilde’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm, and my first challenge was how to effectively erase perception from the neighboring barangays on Benilde as a rich benefactor and suppress dole-out relationships.

Levelling off and truly understanding the dynamics of urban community is the key to designing effective community programs. From these, we crafted the Kapitbahayan program that harnesses Benilde’s academic capacities to provide community-based education programs, wherein ALS is the pilot project. Through the ALS Program, the Benildean-Lasallian mission was concretized. And the barangays are now beginning to treat Benilde as their “kapitbahay.”

Today, I’m back to rural work with an NGO as project coordinator for their Sustainable Agriculture Project which promotes organic farming.

In rural work, one must work, live, eat and enjoy life with the farmers. My time off from work is well spent with my family in Manila.

My work essentials include objectively understanding the situations at hand, drawing proactive actions based on actual capacities and setting attainable goals.

Doing things extraordinarily well fulfills me at work.

I know I did my work well if the output was in line with the project’s goal and the participants learned something from it.

extra/ordinary PuTS ThE SPOTLIGhT ON bENILDEaN PErSONNEL aS ThEy SharE ThE WayS ThEy LIVE uP TO ThE COLLEGE’S aDaGE: “DOING OrDINary ThINGS EXTraOrDINarILy WELL.” Vantage_vol 1_no 3_Feb-Mar_FINAL 04 03 2012.indd 27

INTErVIEW by

CarrIE DE GuzMaN, CIC-CSO 4/3/2012 5:29:10 AM

SPARK OF HOPE A sky lantern rises to the sky because of the fire inside it.

Like sky lanterns, we have a spark in us. No matter how harsh the winds of fate, we will soar in life as long as we keep the flame burning.

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