Hear One’s Powerful Voice.

•Eira Jhane D. Ferraro

ka nagpapalda?” and dizziness because of the extreme temperatures, and not just that, having to wear a stuffy uniform in a compact classroom with 48 other people with just a fan as our source of cool air definitely did not help with the heat. I’m weak to heat, so it definitely affected my overall school performance. Not being in the right state of mind because of the dizziness and headaches definitely hit my outputs. However, in order to get good grades, I’m doing my best to listen, learn, and pass my activities on time despite this hot temperature we are experiencing,” stated a student who also experienced the hassle that the mismatch caused.

Despite the fact that students undergo this hardship, isn’t it alarming that they are putting their health on the line just to achieve a good grade and academic validation?

“Sobrang hirap dahil bilang ina, sobra akong nagaalala sa mangyayari sa mga anak ko ngayong sobrang init sa la- bas pero kinakailangan nilang pumasok. Kapag ba naheatstroke mga anak ko may magagawa ba ang DepEd?” said Arlene M. Basa, a parent whose top priority is her child’s health. Isn’t she right, though? Will DepEd even bat an eyelid when something happens to students? Well yeah, DepEd took action when it was literally too late; it’s like they are living one week behind normal Filipinos.

Not only students but also teachers suffer from the desert-like temperature we are experiencing. It’s no easy task to keep the children motivated and attentive; adding the additional burden of hot weather makes their work more challenging. It would be like expecting a basketball player to dunk while wearing heavy weights. Although it’s not impossible, it certainly makes the work more difficult.

Some say it’s only “kaartehan,” but was it really just “kaartehan” or did people just get used to regular classes where summer is typically a time for students to recharge and relax before the next academic year? But now attending classes during this time is mandatory, and it can make you feel like you never really got a break. Instead of posting beach photos to flex on social media, students post their rants about how their classroom and hell are almost alike. We can’t deny the fact that studying while the weather is as hot as Dingdong Dantes really sucks. t was late at night. I was using my cellphone and was ready to tap that Facebook icon. As soon as I opened it, I only got to see those agitating comments discriminating against women and the LGBTQIA+ community regarding gender-neutral uniforms here in the Philippines. They are not even our own parents to pay for our tuition, so why bother and interfere with our chosen clothes?

Higher-ups were not affected by the mismatch, which is why it is no surprise that they are not overly concerned about it. I hope one day they realize how crucial the mismatch is to us “people” and finally take effective action. Because we are not heat-resistant stainless steel, but humans.

Comprehension is what we Filipinos lack. Some tend to say, “Hindi ba lalaki ka, bakit

Or it goes, “Hindi ba babae ka, bakit ka nagsusuot ng uniporme ng panlalaki?” That’s just some nonsense questions I’ve been hearing all the time; it was quite disappointing, but I was not surprised. It’s just sad that when we consider our country a lovely home, we still experience discrimination when choosing clothes in our daily lives. Can’t we just express our identity as human beings and have peace?

Time flies so fast that DepEd now allows students to freely express their gender in schools. The DepEd Order No. 2 s. 2017, or Gender-Responsive Basic Education Policy, promotes the protection of learners to avoid violence related to gender in all forms of abuse and discrimination.

As a student and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I was hungry for this. I know that the discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, non-binary, and trans students inside and outside the school is much worse than a cat’s scratch. It is much worse that these students have to hide their true selves and experience bullying. Allowing them to dress in a way that expresses how they see themselves will help them a lot, and they will no longer be afraid of being judged. Not only will they feel comfortable, but it will also boost their self-esteem and confidence.

As a woman too, I stand with Senate Bill No. 1986, or the

Pants for Her Act, that Senator Rafael “Raffy” Tulfo proposed. No one knows the struggles of being a woman in society. Imagine wearing a skirt on a hot summer day. Can you feel that sweat on your legs already? What about harassment? Some of us can vividly remember the haunting memories of being scalded for our skirt lengths; you can easily feel those eyes staring at you even if you’re 5 kilometers away from them. Catcall here, catcall there, literally catcall everywhere—really, what’s wrong with these people? With this bill, women’s rights will no longer be violated. If you’re not comfortable with your skirt, feel free to choose trousers or the best of your clothes.

We should normalize the idea of wearing gen- der-neutral uniforms in all schools, whether private or public. Let us give students the freedom to choose what to wear, do not cover those ears of yours, and hear their powerful voices. Provide them with an equitable educational environment and let them express who they are as people.

I’m hoping that we Filipinos will accept this with wholehearted love and souls. If it were to be implemented, the youth’s voices would sound so happy and lively that we would have to cover our ears our entire lives. No one can decide for you but your own precious self. Don’t listen to others; just be who you are.

• Jamela D. Larze

Bakit gusto mong malaman?

Kating kati ka na ba?” Is it not possible that I just don’t want to be ignorant like your child, who got pregnant at the age of 17, and you call it a blessing?

Imagine how knowledgeable children would be in the Philippines if we never constructed a powerful stigma surrounding sex education. Adults consider it risky due to the fact that they think that when a young person is persistent in learning about sex and its possible effects, they may see a person who is “kating-kati,” or someone who can’t wait until they are old enough to participate in sexual activities, when in fact it is the complete opposite. Young learners only want to learn in order to prevent themselves from making mistakes.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), in 2023, there were 1,292 reportedly confirmed cases of

HIV-positive individuals, and one in three births (36 percent) in the Philippines is either unwanted (16 percent) or mistimed (20 percent).

If only the government can take a firm action about it and break the chain, Filipino children might be saved. If they can only intensify the implementation of Republic Act 10354 or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, Filipino children will be educated. Though at the end of the day, any law will stay useless forever if they don’t put in enough effort to make the community understand the importance of implementing sex education in schools.

I think everyone can agree that sex education is really important to educate the youth on the possible outcomes that sex can produce, just like pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

But don’t you think how ironic it is that a country that has a high pregnancy rate continuously neglects the importance of sex education?

Although a lot of the blame is to be put on the government, we cannot ignore the fact that the people in our country are also part of the problem. Sex education is something that people in our country consider bizarre and somewhat dangerous due to the religious nature of our nation, which makes people scared that it will somehow introduce sex to the youth. It’s not every day we get the chance to learn about sex, its dangers, and the beauty that comes with it. Every single day we live, we encounter someone below the age of eighteen who talks about sex so daringly as if it’s a part of their life and makes a parody out of it.

This is an active warning to the government to finally intensify sex education in our school’s curriculum to prevent teenage pregnancy and the spread of other dangerous diseases like aids and STDs.