The GUIDON - October 2020

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OCTOBER 2020

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THE OFFICI A L STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE ATENEO DE M A NIL A UNI V ERSIT Y DEEPER INTO THE TRUTH

VOL. XCI NO. 2

Check out Vantage Magazine vantage.theguidon.com

CODE AND RULES. Class syllabi contain resources on gender-based violence amid the new Code of Decorum and Administrative Rules on Sexual Harassment.

PHOTO BY RAYA BARREIRO

LS creates Code and Rules on sexual harassment, implements new investigative processes

BY ALLIANZA O. PESQUERA

IN AN effort to refine the University’s processes on sexual harassment, the administration released the Code of Decorum and Administrative Rules on Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Sexual Misconduct, and Inappropriate Behavior (Code and Rules) on August 29. The Code and Rules supersedes the University’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy, which was based on the AntiSexual Harassment Act of 1995.

Under the Safe Spaces Act of 2o19, the Code and Rules expands the definition of sexual harassment to include genderbased and peer-to-peer sexual harassment. It also includes other forms of sexual misconduct such as sexual assault, abuse, and exploitation, as well as voyeurism and inappropriate behavior.

After an on-campus protest in 2o19, former University President Jose Ramon T. Villarin SJ announced the creation of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Manual—an early draft of the Code and Rules.

It was meant to be released by the end of 2o19, but the COVID19 pandemic delayed the drafting process. Following this, the Code and Rules took effect on September 26.

“REVOLUTIONARY” CHANGES Beyond expanding the definition of sexual harassment, the Code and Rules outlines imposable sanctions for infractions, grievance procedures, and modes of intervention and assistance. Section 11 states that disciplinary sanctions for students can range from written reprimands for minor infractions to dismissal for major infractions.

The Code and Rules covers formal and informal reports from anonymous and identified people.

Section 29.3 defines an informal report as “a report to the Gender

SPORTS

Hub, or any person-in-authority, which does not comply with the requirements of Sections 32 to 34 of [the] Code and Rules.”

“If the information from the informal report is verifiable [...] through statements of persons who experienced sexual harassment and through witnesses, it may serve as a basis for a formal complaint,” Loyola Schools (LS) Legal Counsel Atty. Nina Patricia D. Sison-Arroyo added.

The Code and Rules also states that all University personnel and student applicants must disclose any pending or decided administrative, civil, or criminal complaints filed against them involving sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, inappropriate behavior, or analogous acts.

University personnel will also attend mandatory orientations and refresher programs on the Code and Rules, gender sensitivity, relevant laws and issuances on sexual misconduct, and other topics related to sexual harassment.

A MORE INCLUSIVE CODI The Code and Rules created the University Decorum and Investigation System, which comprises the Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI), the University Office of Decorum and Investigation (UODI), the LS Gender Hub, and the University Gender and Development Office (UGDO).

CODI investigates formal complaints, while UODI gives investigative and administrative support to CODI. The UGDO implements the Code and Rules and ensures the University’s compliance with gender and development laws and issuances. It also facilitates an audit of the University Decorum and Investigation System once every three years.

As for the LS Gender Hub, Section 23 of the Code and Rules explains

that the University President must expand their jurisdiction to serve all University units and ensure that each campus has a Gender Hub representative or satellite office.

The LS Gender Hub provides sexual harassment survivors with counseling and assistance through their Safe Spaces, Care Services, Case Companion Services, and Protection Services—all of which will continue online.

Sison-Arroyo claimed that CODI membership is more transparent now that the Code and Rules sets the composition, qualifications, and selection process for CODI members.

Sanggunian CODI Student Representative Kristelle Ventura said that past investigative bodies had no clear system, but the CODI now has members from differing backgrounds to ensure “neutrality.”

“Being able to include student representatives allows the CODI to reconcile or at least to harmonize the different perspectives present within a case, and I think that’s a revolutionary thing because you know that you are being seen,” Ventura said.

SUPERSEDING POLICIES Sison-A r royo reiterated that the Code and Rules superseded the University’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy to cover the Safe Spaces Act. Comparing criminal law to the Code and Rules, Urduja Women’s Desk Director Atty. Amparita Sta. Maria contrasted their definitions of rape. The Code and Rules defines rape as “non-consensual sexual intercourse,” and consent as an explicit “yes” that continues throughout a sexual encounter.

However, criminal law defines rape as “a man who shall have carnal knowledge of a woman” under specific circumstances such as the presence of force, intimidation, or threat. “A mere attempt to resist is not

FEATURES

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the resistance required and expected of a woman defending her virtue, honor, and chastity,” Sta. Maria said, citing the case of People v. Marquez in contrast to the Code and Rules.

Aside from categorically defining rape and consent, Sison-Arroyo claimed that the Code and Rules addresses the calls for transparency on administrative procedures.

Both parties will now be given copies of all documents that one party submits to CODI, along with resolutions, decisions, and issuances of CODI to either party.

She added that the University President must release a semiannual report on CODI cases.

“This allows for a certain degree of transparency on the CODI cases within the parameters allowable under the Data Privacy Act,” she said.

BUILDING TRUST Ventura said that she hopes the LS community will be informed about the new processes so that they can speak without fearing “the power of the perpetrator.”

“Basically, [we should practice] a culture of [being welcome], a culture of tolerance for victims, like a certain bias for victims. A culture that equates speaking up with empowerment, not embarrassment,” she said.

She added that the administration can improve the system by ensuring a faster turnaround time of cases because survivors find it difficult to recount their experiences of abuse.

Meanwhile, Sison-Arroyo hopes that the Code and Rules can end sexual harassment within the LS. “I hope that we would all have a renewed sensitivity and respect for each other, that no one will ever have to suffer any form of discrimination or abuse, and that the Code and Rules [...] will help strengthen trust and confidence in the University’s resolve to end sexual harassment, other forms of sexual misconduct, and inappropriate behavior,” Sison-Arroyo added.

BEYOND LOYOLA

Activism across an archipelago

Admin opens online college applications in lieu of suspended ACET

BY MINA MATA

IN LIGHT of the suspended Ateneo College Entrance Exam (ACET), the University administration opened online applications for AY 2o21-2o22.

Applicants may submit their applications through the Ateneo Application Hub from September 1 to December 1.

This is the first time that the University will conduct a fullyonline application process.

Follow ing the COV ID -19 pandemic, Office of Admission and Aid (OAA) Director Jose Maria Edito Tirol explained the health risks of administering the ACET on-site. “We do not want to risk the health of anyone who would have to go on campus [for the ACET],” he said.

Upon removing the ACET from the list of application requirements, Tirol stated that the Committee on Admission and Aid will now evaluate the

applicants based on high school grades, recommendation letters, extracurricular activities, disciplinar y records, and personal essays. Applicants will receive the admission decisions via email in February 2o21.

SUBMITTING REQUIREMENTS Tirol explained that the University had already launched a partly-online application process in 2o18. They partnered with Edukasyon.ph to pilot a college application portal where st udents f rom a number of Metro Manila schools can apply to the University.

Upon deciding to launch a fully online application process, Tirol said that the Edukasyon. ph portal was merely expanded to include other schools within Metro Manila. He added that the University hoped to make the portal accessible nationwide but deemed the change too sudden.

ADMIN OPENS ONLINE COLLEGE › 3

Office of Admission and Aid Director Jose Maria Edito K. Tirol discusses the online college application process for AY 2021-2022. PHOTO BY JOSHUA TAN

INQUIRY

Scaling the pyramid

OPINION

Reconnecting

2

News

Issues with online enlistment cause increased load revision requests

BY MOIRA V. CAYABYAB

THE OFFICE of the Registrar (RO) released a memo on September 1o stating that they received an all-time high of over 3,5oo load revision requests for the first semester of AY 2o2o2o21. This comes following the administration’s decision to conduct classes and registration processes fully online amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

St udents ex per ienced difficulties with enlistment due to the late release of the Course Schedule Template, which divides the number of courses per quarter for a student’s respective major program.

Ateneo Registration Committee (RegCom) Assessment Supervisor Patrick Buendia said that the delays of the Course Schedule Template significantly contributed to the sudden increase in load revision requests because students adjusted their class schedules in line with the template.

PHOTOS BY CASEY MATEO

LOAD TO REMEMBER. Last September 4, the Ateneo made load revisions online via google forms. As they transitioned from paper to online, a myriad of students sends in their load revision forms using their electric devices.

CREATION OF THE TEMPLATE Although the Course Schedule Template was only released on August 24, Associate Dean for the Core Curriculum (ADCC) Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said that there have been plans to create the template since May. He explained that the Course Schedule Template was made based on the Adaptive Design for Learning that the Ateneo de Manila Institute for the Science and Art of Learning

and Teaching developed. “It’s better that students take three or four courses [per quarter] at the maximum instead of six or seven, which is what you have during the regular semester,” Tolosa said.

He said that a template containing the quarter division of core subjects was sent to the department chairs and program directors as early as June 13. The ADCC gave the departments until June 3o to split their major courses into quarters.

By August 7, the ADCC had finalized the Course Schedule Template, which took into account the availability of instructors and the number of students in each class. The ADCC then sent the final Course Schedule Template to the school deans, department chairs, and program heads, assuming that this will be relayed to students under their respective departments.

Despite this, some students were unaware of the template.

“Now, our sense was that siguro, that was not the practice in the past, that departments will inform their students about the whole distribution of courses.

Kasi this is the first time we’re doing it,” Tolosa explained.

RegCom Public Relations Officer Austin Gonzales added that the release of the Course Schedule Template was “a bit too late.”

“We all came to the resolution that next time, for these kinds of announcements, we really do have to announce it earlier, so

Sanggu creates Freedom of Information Act to boost transparency with student body

BY JILLIAN LOPEZ

IN A bid to enhance transparency efforts, the Sanggunian Central Assembly (CA) seeks to pass the Freedom of Information Act of 2o2o, which will open official Sanggunian records and documents to the student body.

Authored by former School of Science and Engineering Representative LA Ibarrientos and Interim John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) Representative Cecilia Cancio, the Act will allow students to view and question any decision and resolution of the Sanggunian.

Although memoranda, minutes of Cabinet meetings, and official statements are regularly uploaded to the Sanggunian Gazette Website, Cancio said that the approval of the Act will grant students access to department records and expenditures.

PROCESS OF TRANSPARENCY According to Ibarrientos, the Act was created to institutionalize a formal process of requesting information from

the Sanggunian as well as penalize Sanggunian officers for noncompliance to its provisions.

“As much as we try to announce many things [to the student body], [...] there’s no formal process of requesting for any kind of transparency from Sanggu, and that’s what we’re trying to address,” he explained.

Cancio shared that the Act also aims to disclose the Sanggunian’s budget and usage of funds—a portion of which is taken from the students’ tuition fees.

“The thing is, [financial information is] not disseminated properly. How exactly do we use those funds? That’s actually one of the reasons as to why we pushed for [this Act], so that the students can know where their money is going,” she said.

In handling requests for official records, Cancio added that the process involves the liaison information officer and the transparency information officer. The chiefs-of-staff of each School Sanggunian are automatically appointed as liaison information officers, while the latter is appointed

by the vice president among members of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) Internals Division. All requests will be processed by the officers through the Sanggunian Gazette Website or the Sanggunian email, should the former be inaccessible.

“At the end of each process, even if it’s a request for a digital or hard copy, it will be recorded in the document request log to keep track of all requests of information. [...] That’s when the requestor receives the document,” Cancio said.

Ibarrientos said that general requests are processed within 14 days, while urgent requests such as those from the media will be processed within seven days. However, he emphasized that confidential records will not be released to the public.

“There are processes that are ongoing so hindi pa puwede ilabas ang records (records cannot be disclosed). For example, [...] security and emergency plans. I think it’s imperative to keep it confidential especially since it concerns the safety of members,” he said.

PHOTO BY GABRIEL J. MEDINA

DECISION AND IMPLICATIONS Interim Sanggunian President Jb Bejarin shared that the OVP first drafted the bill in December 2o19. However, Ibarrientos and former JGSOM Representative Mica Torres took custody of the bill a month later, after expressing interest.

Due to the Sanggunian’s cha nges to the Code of Legislative Procedures and Torres’ resignation on June 11 and August 9, respectively, the CA reviewed the draft again from the First Reading.

The CA passed the Act after its first and second readings in early September, but Bejarin partially vetoed it due to Section 13, which detailed the penalties incurred for violations committed by a Sanggunian officer.

Citing the 2o19 Constitution of the Undergraduate Students, he deemed this as unconstitutional. “[What’s wrong] is the power we give to the [OVP] to remove and suspend members, when the Constitution says that there’s another body in charge of that, which is the Student Judicial Court (SJC). It’s that branch of

that we can disseminate the info [clearer]. And so we can [also] answer as many inquiries as possible and not in a short time frame,” he said.

OVERLOADED SYSTEM Buendia noted that the increased amount of load revision requests resulted in an overloaded system.

University Registrar Joaquin Julian Agtarap explained that the load revision’s online system was initially not prepared to handle the high number of requests. This is also why they tried to limit the number of accepted requests per day.

He added that students also filed more requests due to the conven ience of t he on line process. “ You just have to ma ke an application online and it’s supposed to move.

That contributed significantly to the explosion of requests,” Agtarap said.

To efficiently process the numerous requests, Agtarap said that the load revision process was modified. Students can now join their Canvas classes as long as the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic A ffairs (ADA A) and RO have approved their request.

“If we had waited for the accounting of the finances of all those load revision [requests], it would probably be unfinished until October, which would defeat the purpose of load revision because the first quarter would be done,” he explained.

Sanggu that students should avail accountability from,” he said.

Following this, Cancio said that she revised the provision to clarify the SJC’s jurisdiction in imposing pena lties for Sa ngg u nia n officers and the OVP’s role in reporting cases to the SJC. Bejarin said that through t he A c t , s t ude nt s c a n demand transparency from the Sangg unian and hold its officers accountable with the information they request. “Point it out, get it investigated, [and] SJC will do the impeachment procedures,” he said.

TRANSPARENCY EFFORTS Bejarin revealed plans to form a Technical Working Group to create the Code of Communications Procedures, which will improve their communication strategy across all departments. This aims to refine the existing structure of the Sanggunian in order to “reach [their] audience more effectively and more naturally” and clarify which commission or department disseminates certain information.

He also mentioned the goal to involve the student body more closely along with strengthened transparency so that students can actively participate in the Sanggunian’s decision-making process. Emphasizing the release of files as basic transparency,

IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE NEXT SEMESTER According to Tolosa, the second semester will also be divided into quarters to ensure that students are able to learn in a “conducive way.”

He also reminded professors to be mindful of the coursework they assign to their students.

“Even [if] we have only three or four courses per quarter, the amount of assessments or requirements [should] also be consistent with the [competence] they are trying to achieve,” he said.

In regard to processing load revision requests, Agtarap said that the RO will be coordinating with the ADAA, the Information Technology Resource Management Office, the Central Accounting Office, and some department chairs to discuss how to improve or redo the load revision process. However, he also advised students to be “more circumspect” in their reasons for filing load revision requests.

“If you’re going to make a request, make sure it’s out of real necessity. Not just because you prefer this teacher over this teacher or this time slot over this time slot,” Agtarap commented.

Gonzales also encouraged the offices involved with enlistment to communicate better with their student arms to avoid delays.

“What I noticed is that offices tend to keep to themselves this online registration. They are trying to fix their problems on their own. [...] We thought that maybe it would be much smoother or more efficient if we could help each other out,” he said.

Bejarin added that there is a need for a strategy behind these efforts.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t only benefit you, me, or any single student. It benefits the community. [...] Transparency, at the end of the day, needs empowerment,” Bejarin said.

As much as we try to announce many things [to the student body], [...] there’s no formal process of requesting information from Sanggu, and that’s what we’re trying to address.

LA IBARRIENTOS FORMER SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING REPRESENTATIVE

FREEDOM AND TRANSPARENCY. The Sanggunian currently works on the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill in order to boost transparency of documents within the student body.

PHOTO BY JULIA CARPIO

EDITOR: LEIKA GOLEZ | LAYOUT ARTIST: KAITLYN W. MERCADO

PHOTO ESSAY

CASMV conducts webinar series on sexual violence and misconduct

BY BILLIE ASUNCION PHOTOS BY NATE BOSANO

IN AN effort to raise awareness on creating safe spaces amid online classes, the Sanggunian Commission on Anti-Sexual Misconduct a nd Violence (CASMV) launched the Securing Safe Spaces: CASMV Webinar Series. The four-episode series featured lawyers, psychologists, and University personnel who discussed topics related to sexual violence.

Along with discussing the various forms of sexual violence, Securing Safe Spaces was also created to inform Loyola Schools (LS) students about the Ateneo’s existing regulations for sexual misconduct case filing.

The first episode was released on September 19 and included Atty. Amparita Sta. Maria and Atty. Clara Padilla as speakers.

Sta. Maria talked about the legal definitions of sexual violence and what constitutes sexual harassment under the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, while Padilla focused on the penalties that may be imposed by the Safe Spaces Act for acts of sexual violence.

CASMV Co-Commissioner Cate Roque also stated that she hopes the episode will encourage both survivors and non-survivors to start the “hard conversations” that will bring Ateneo closer to being a safe space.

“By continuing the series, we hope to take away the stigma that is associated with experiencing sexual harassment and sexual assault, to take a closer look at the culture that has normalized these in the first place, and of course, to empower our survivors,” she said.

Aside from this, the second episode was released on September 26, which featured LS Gender Hub Case Response Coordinator Angelique Villasanta and Ateneo Bulatao Center Psychologist Avegale Acosta.

While Villasanta discussed the physical, mental, and physiological effects of sexual violence on survivors, Acosta talked about how Psychological First Aid sessions can support survivors.

Recordings of the episodes can be found on CASMV’s official Facebook page.

THE RELEVANCE OF SAFE SPACES. In its first two episodes, CASMV’s “Securing Safe Spaces” webinar series tackles the legal basis of establishing safe spaces, the effects of sexual violence, and how to provide aid and support for survivors.

Admin opens online college...

Thus, they developed their own in-house Google application portals—the Ateneo College Admissions and Ateneo Global portals—following the shift to the online application system.

Upon accessing the Ateneo Application Hub, applicants are redirected to one of the three portals based on their high school’s location. Applicants must first accomplish the application form with their personal and academic information before subm it t i n g requ i rement s through their respective portals.

Students from any of the Metro Manila schools listed in the hub must submit their requirements via the Edukasyon.ph portal. On the other hand, those applying from other Philippine schools or overseas schools must submit via the Ateneo College Admissions

portal or the Ateneo Global portal respectively. For transfer students, college application instructions will be released in November.

Applicants who are in need of financial assistance may also apply for a scholarship by submitting f inance-related documents through the Loyola Schools Application for Financial Aid form.

EVALUATING APPLICANTS Tirol explained that after the application period, applicants will be evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. He said that the OAA will calculate overall scores to rank all applicants and their submissions, regardless of the grading system of their respective high schools.

“The Loyola Schools will be using carefully designed

mathematical models that will examine the submitted grades and ranks of applicants, factoring in the characteristic grading systems of each senior high school,” he said. He also stressed that this method was crafted by “experts in the field.”

Tirol added that the committee w ill qualitatively evaluate applicants through their personal essay, recommendation letters, ex tra-curricular activ ities, and disciplinary records. “In conjunction with quantitative data, we want to see what kind of person you are beyond your grades. We look at the whole package in deliberating every student, ” he explained.

Through the new application process, Tirol said that applicants will be evaluated more quickly since checking the ACET normally

takes one month. This time, the OAA can proceed with evaluating the other requirements and begin the deliberations earlier.

CHANGING PRACTICES Before developing the online admission process, Tirol said that the OAA initially considered pushing through w ith the ACET. In this case, the ACET would have been conducted in January and the OAA would have implemented social distancing guidelines in all testing sites.

However, his office did not pursue this given the recent surge of COVID-19 cases. “It’s not worth the risk. […] [The University wants] to take care of our students first, even if [they’re] not even our students yet,” he shared.

Aside from this, he said that the OAA can now give recruitment talks to more high schools and encourage students to apply to the University. “What we’re doing is taking an obstacle into

an opportunity: Use online platforms to reach even more students and invite them to [apply to the] Ateneo,” he explained.

Despite making strides in the new application process, Tirol acknowledged that the OA A has already encountered technical glitches with the online systems. However, he assured that the OAA has resolved these problems by coordinating with the Office of Management Information Systems. He added that the Edukasyon.ph portal houses a helpline to ensure that problems on their end are addressed immediately.

“Even if [the Universit y discovers] new problems, we’re willing to adapt and to learn just to make sure that everything works well in time for the [results] in February,” he assured.

3

[The University wants] to take care of our students first, even if [they’re] not even our students yet.

JOSE MARIA EDITO K. TIROL OFFICE OF ADMISSION AND AID DIRECTOR

4

Opinion

VOLUME XCI, NO. 2 OCTOBER 2020

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY FIDESS BISNAR

Founded 1929 by Rev. Frank O’Hara, SJ First Editor-in-Chief, Manuel C. Colayco, AB ‘30

PURPOSE To serve as a record of Ateneo history in the making; to serve as an organ of journalistic expression; to serve God and country.

Danielle Margaux R. Garcia, BS CTM ‘21 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Tatiana L. Maligro, AB COM ‘22 ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Bryce R. Rubi, BS ME ‘21 MANAGING EDITOR

Carmela B. Masiglat, BFA ID ‘22 DESIGN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Leika Mae A. Golez, AB COM ‘21 NEWS EDITOR

Mercede Calista S. Crespo, AB DipIR ‘21 Gerrick Spencer C. Limsiy, BS ME ‘21 SPORTS EDITORS

Raphael Patrick C. Dela Cruz, AB LIT (ENG) ‘21 BEYOND LOYOLA EDITOR

Keziah Maru Z. Pasion, AB COM ‘22 FEATURES EDITOR

Jeanella P. Mangaluz, AB COM ‘22

Reconnecting

INQUIRY EDITOR

Andrea Mikaela B. Llanes, AB COM ‘22 Beatriz Ysabel C. Reyes, BS ME ‘22 VANTAGE MAGAZINE EDITORS

Kathleen Rae U. Yap, AB COM ‘22 BROADCAST NEWS EDITOR

Maria Victoria P. Tenido, AB IS ‘23 BROADCAST NEWS PRODUCER

Kaye Elizabeth P. Veneracion, BS ME ‘22 Raya Ashaunti H. Barreiro, BS DS ‘21 PHOTOS EDITORS

Neil Christian R. Reyes, BS CH-MSE ‘23 Tiffany Kate C. Ng, BS ME ‘22 GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITORS

Mariana D. Gardoce, AB COM ‘22 VIDEO PRODUCTION EDITOR

Beatrice R. Bacason, AB COM ‘22 VIDEO PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Bea Katrina S. Sison, BS MIS ‘21 DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT EDITOR FOR DESIGN

Davin Sean Cuaso, BS MIS ‘21 DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT EDITOR FOR TECHNOLOGY

Katrina Bernice M. Tan, AB COM ‘23 EXTERNALS MANAGER

Regina Mae C. Yu, BS ME ‘23 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

Jose Angelo A. Buenaventura, BS CTM ‘23 Enrique Benjamin B. Halili, BFA CW ‘22 SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS

Azequiel Lexander P. de Luna, BS ME ‘22 Earl Christian L. Yu, BS ME ‘22 RESEARCH MANAGERS

NEWS Allianza O. Pesquera, Billie Asuncion, Jillian Lopez, Mina Mata, Moira V. Cayabyab SPORTS Adelene Ha, Gap B. Estrella, James B. Gavina, Javier P. Mapa, Jeremy L. Chua, Joachim S. Melo, Juliana L. Ong, Kyla A. Algarra, Lei P. Macaranas, Miguel A. Dimaiwat, Neal R. Beltran, Nielbert A. Dy, Noah M. Imson, Ra Solomon, Vito Martin, Xavier C. Bautista BEYOND LOYOLA Derick M. Gabrillo, George D. Kho, Justine Ramirez, Kris M. Fetiza, Pioee B. Bassig, Troy G. Tarriela, Zachary C. Gonzales FEATURES Aisha Said, Eala Julienne P. Nolasco, Enzo Lagamon, Genesis Jacinth Tan, Jullia Chen, Liam Isaiah Lao

FROM SPORTS events, mall trips, to face-to-face classes— the COVID-19 pandemic screeched all activities to a halt.

Despite clamors for an academic freeze and stronger support for students, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and the Department of Education (DepEd) have opted for an online learning setup.

Ateneo is adapting to this new setup to the best of its abilities.

The University’s progressive efforts—mass promotion and a shortened second semester—have garnered praise on social media.

Ateneans expressed similar sentiments with the University’s gadget and pocket wi-fi lending programs, distribution of Portable Learning Packets, and Adaptive Design for Learning.

Despite these efforts, it is important to remember that the past and present learning models are far from perfect for students within and outside Ateneo. The University must collaborate with other scholarly institutions and the pertinent government agencies to address

the perennial issues within the sector as the safe reopening of schools is pursued.

CRACKS IN THE ICE Ateneo’s amiable efforts deserve due praise, but its successes should not blind Ateneans and the government alike from the University’s lapses with its own online learning systems. Despite the Ateneo’s shift to the quarterly system to lessen academic workload, subjects are accomplished at almost twice the normal rate and with tighter deadlines.

While it is clear that the University’s shift to online education is imperfect, Ateneo’s privileges can afford students more resources compared to other universities. Exorbitant tuition fees and an extensive network of donors have allowed Ateneo to accumulate valuable learning assets throughout the years. Meanwhile, other schools across the country are suffering the full brunt of the COVID-19 with education moving to a digital space.

The struggle to adapt to the online learning setup appears to be the breaking point in the country’s long-f lawed education system. It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the perennial struggle towards an accessible and high-quality education.

Students scaled mountains for physical schools then, and they do so once again for signal to attend online classes.

This inaccessibility does not end with geographic obstacles—public schools have always lacked sufficient learning materials and resources. These days, students have resorted to asking for donations under the #PisoParasaLaptop campaign on social media just to purchase gadgets for online learning.

Alleviating these lapses of the educational system have fallen on students and their families.

Therefore, CHEd and DepEd must actively reclaim the proactive role in addressing these longstanding issues as it is their duty to ensure quality education for all. Moreover, Ateneo’s very own

administration, students, and educators must demand stronger support for the educational sector from DepEd and CHEd. IN THE NAME OF MAGIS The University must not only cater to its students’ needs.

In the spirit of solidarity and service, Ateneo must advocate for programs that will ease the shift to online learning. For example, the University can work with CHEd on improving the challenges to online learning by conducting various studies that can be used as a reference for the commission’s future policies and programs. After all, online learning is a new terrain that warrants placing feasibilit y, effectiveness, and implementation under closer scrutiny.

As the country adjusts to the “new normal,” stakeholders must advocate for the safer reopening of its schools—especially since the educational system’s definition of inaccessibility has been abruptly altered. We must acknowledge, then, that

our resort to online learning is ultimately the consequence of the government’s mishandling of the pandemic. To begin alleviating the gaps in the current online education model, CHEd and DepEd can consult with schools to set proper guidelines for onsite learning.

In line with the efforts to ease the online shift, the government and academic community must remain steadfast in their commitment to end the long-running problems of inaccessibility. These include the construction of more schools in rural areas, provision of highquality learning materials, and the allocation of higher wages and subsidies for teachers.

Although everyone is still struggling to adapt to this “new normal,” the only way forward is to demand for inclusive education. It is vital for learning institutions such as the Ateneo to band together with CHEd and DepEd to uphold the Filipino student’s inherent right to quality education—within and beyond the digital sphere.

INQUIRY Denise C. Marcelo, Francis Caiga, Gerard Ignacio, Justin B. Jimenez, Russell Louis Ku, Vincent Halog VANTAGE MAGAZINE Ann Gabrielle Domingo, Arnald Paguio, Caitlin C. Young, Dani Capinding, Danielle H. Ramos, Daniela Lorenzo, Gabriel V. Saulog, Jana V. Codera, Justin Ginete, Lyrah Lapid, Natalie R. Gavino, Therese Hipol BROADCAST NEWS Joaquin Salazar, Lars Salamante, Martin Ramos, Samantha Onglatco, Teo A. Ricaforte PHOTOS Alexis Wang, Bettina Cuan, Bruce Ong, Casey Mateo, Gabriel J. Medina, Jamie Go, Jerry Feng, Julia Carpio, Nate Bosano, Paulina Singh, Soleil Nicolette, Zoey Ignacio GRAPHIC DESIGN Andy Granda, Fidess Bisnar, Frances Lopez, Geri Puno, James Elijah Yap, Janis M. Villavicencio, Jay Bustamante, Julia J. Santos, Kaitlyn W. Mercado, Kurt Tan, Mikhaella Norlin Magat, Tiffany Cu VIDEO PRODUCTION Alissa Evangelista, Angelique Bagapuro, Jaf Tumale, Therese Macasaet, Yanna Estrellado DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT Anton Benitez, Apa Cruz, Cobbie Quintos, Dani del Rio, Giddy Garcia, Harvey Sison, Jonathan Talbot, Keith Bartido, Miggy Pinaroc, Pat Ramos, Prezil Ong, Zekie Ordoveza EXTERNALS Ivan Bueno, Jorge Alfred R. Taruc, Marina Patricia Penerya, Matthew G. Yuching, Sofia Sanchez, Tricia R. Alcantara, Zheinna Lozano HUMAN RESOURCES Anicia Guanlao, Cielo Regalado, Diana Rivera, Em Enriquez, Kendji Tuazon, Margaux Arcinas, Matthew Cañete RESEARCH Joseph Garay, Justine Sarsuelo, Kiara Rodriguez, Lander Pua SOCIAL MEDIA Gia Crisologo, Abbey Palomo, Cloie Pino, Joaquin Querido

Luz R. Rimban MODERATOR

For comments, suggestions, and contributions, email:

desk@theguidon.com

BLUE JE A NS

Dealing with grief in isolation

BY SAMANTHA ONGLATCO

I WOKE up feeling like the whole world was on my shoulders. I was taught to identify my emotions to process them better, but I couldn’t tell what it was that morning.

But nowadays, my emotions are the last of my worries. My schedule is full of deadlines to meet, meetings to attend, and chores to do, so I drowned myself in work instead as I tried to rid myself of the feeling.

Later that day, as I was looking for a screenshot to send my group mates for a project, I saw a thumbnail of a video I haven’t opened since March. It was a video of my grandfather, my Angkong, as we called him, laughing when he caught me taking a video of him. I immediately burst into tears the moment I heard his

voice on tape, and that’s when I finally identified the feeling I had that morning: I missed him.

Both my grandparents passed away last March just four days apart. Ama passed away on March 1o, while Angkong passed away on March 14, a few days shy of the beginning of the quarantine restrictions in Luzon. Ama’s death, though heartbreaking, was expected.

Angkong’s was not.

I was always my Angkong’s girl.

We had a special relationship— not only was he my grandfather, but he also became one of my best friends. We talked about everything, and he knew some things I wouldn’t dare to tell anyone. My greatest fear was to live in a world without him.

The day he passed away, a part of me died too.

There is nothing poetic in dealing with grief in isolation.

I wasn’t able to see my Angkong

get cremated because it was unsafe, and we didn’t hold a funeral, either. By far, grief is the most difficult emotion I have had to process. It’s a mixture of the immense devastation, denial, longing, pain, fear, anger, and a whole lot of love with nowhere else to go.

Though I received messages of condolences and some calls from loved ones, what I needed was a hug. I needed someone to let me cry as they held me. I needed to tell someone how I had no idea how to go about my life without one of the people who loved me most. Really, all I needed then was someone to be there right next to me, but nobody could be. At a time when I needed other people close, we were forced to be in isolation for everyone’s safety.

As much as I understood, I was heartbroken to be dealing with something so tragic alone.

I remember reading a poem on grief a few years back when I was trying to understand my best friend’s sadness over the loss of her grandmother. At the time, I told her that there was no avoiding grief, so she should just let it be a part of her. So I followed my own advice. I let my grief be with me. I allowed it to let me cry until 5 AM. I allowed it to accompany me as I made banana bread. I allowed it to wash dishes with me. I allowed it to remember my Angkong in completely unrelated things, like how he looks and loves like Ri Jeong-hyeok from Crash Landing on You. Eventually, grief became my friend.

Over the last few months, I’ve received an overwhelming amount of stories of loss and sickness from distant people in my life. I remember hearing about the death of my grandpa’s sister, two of my dad’s friends,

my mom’s former officemate, my tito’s fellow doctors, and an incoming freshman in Ateneo.

Whenever I encounter all these stories of loss, my condolences mean much more than they used to. My condolences are no longer the empty niceties I used to offer to those left behind, but an assurance that their grief is understood, and the memory of the person they loved is honored.

On days like that morning, the grief feels a little heavier to carry. As I continue to process the grief I continue to feel, I pray a little harder for what I’ve longed for since March—to be able to relish in the feeling of holding each other again. I’ll probably feel like my Angkong’s here again when that day comes.

Samantha Onglatco (2 AB COM) is a Broadcast News Correspondent for The GUIDON. She may be reached at samantha.onglatco@obf.ateneo.edu.

The GUIDON | October 2020

CHALK MARKS

Don’t chase after money

BY CHARLES VINCENT CHUA

“DON’T CHASE after money,” I told my students as they were trying to guess how much salary I make in a month.

Aside from it being my way of avoiding the question, I genuinely believe that it’s that one piece of advice I want to share to graduating students. After graduating from ME in 2o11, I can still remember feeling slightly disappointed

Lenses JOSE ANGELO BUENAVENTURA

A growing fire W ITH A newspaper and magnifying glass at hand, my adolescent self eagerly ran outside of the tailor shop to make fire from the glittering sunlight. At first, my tiny hands were shaking as I held the glass to direct the sun’s heat to the paper. However, as the fire finally began to grow, not only did it create a huge smile on my face, it also evoked something special: The sound of my grandfather’s laughter.

Whenever I reminisce this day, I remember the love that my grandfather showed for my siblings and me throughout our childhood.

His grandchildren mattered to him the most, and he would do everything to make sure that by the end of the day, we felt complete.

As I continue to look back on his loving presence, I begin to realize how his joy and selflessness in my childhood reflect the person I am today, especially through the conversations I had lately with others.

Recently, I have been calling my blockmates to catch up with our lives and recall memories from our freshman year—especially since we have not seen each other for months due to the lockdown.

During moments when I laughed from nostalgia, I would sometimes think about how similar my grandfather’s laughter is with mine.

When I remembered his laughter from my childish antics in his shop, it reminded me of one thing we had in common: We had

Relevé TATIANA L. MALIGRO

Beyond labels WHEN I first came to Manila, I was startled to hear the Prayers of the Faithful in only English or Filipino.

You see, my Jesuit-run high school celebrated mass a little differently. While it started off like any other celebration of the eucharist, our Prayers of the Faithful were offered in a wide variety of languages. After the usual English, Filipino, and Bisaya prayers, Muslim and Lumad members of our community were also given the opportunity to offer their prayers in Arabic and Binukid, respectively.

The school also took smaller steps towards religious inclusivity.

I recall one instance when our teachers woke up at 2 AM to cook our Muslim classmates’ suhur or meal before dawn since our 3-day retreat schedule fell on the month of Ramadan.

While I remained aware of the discrimination against Muslims

when I found out that some of my batch mates working in other industries earned as much as twice the amount I made. That disappointment didn’t last long, though. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it made me realize that I couldn’t simply rely on salary to be able to save and buy the things or experiences I want.

In order to do that, I had to invest.

Even when I was still in high school, I already had an interest (and small investments) in the stock market, which I attribute to my dad’s influence. When I finally started earning my own money, I made it a point to invest most of what I saved. It didn’t matter how much I was earning, or that I was earning lesser than my peers. What a knack for laughing straight out of our guts! Even if this is just a small detail, it shows how I continue to live vicariously through his happiness. As I continued to reflect, however, I realized that he left with me a bigger value that is beyond laughter alone.

Especially with the heartto-heart conversations I had with my closest friends, there are times when it was hard to be happy. Admittedly, all of us are continuing to fight our battles in a quarantine that constantly drains our spirits. Whenever these inner conflicts become too much, the only thing to do is call out for help, and that is where this value resides.

In these desperate times, I have tried my best to connect with them. No matter how messy my days were, what always mattered to me was that they had someone who heard and understood them. These moments—called empathy—would not have happened without my grandfather.

When my siblings and I stayed in his house as kids, he always observed how enthusiastic we were as we playfully ran around his front yard. With his effort, he spent weeks preparing a gift that would make our stay around his yard more enjoyable: A swing. By the time we saw this pleasant surprise, we felt even more loved. After all, that’s what my grandfather wanted, and it is what I want for the people I continue to cherish every day.

With all the appreciation and joy that my grandfather brought upon my childhood, I still think about him. Even if we are far apart, he left me something that will never be taken away from me: A growing fire that continues to make me feel whole. For the people I know, I wish they hold on to the person who brings this fire into their hearts. beyond our high school gates, it was only when I arrived in Manila did it truly sink in that this wasn’t the norm. I would soon find out I was the only one in my classes that would start prayers with, “For the Catholics, please make the sign of the cross.” We were no longer given the assurance that students could pray to their god. Instead, Manila greeted me with the sight of people taking a hesitant step back whenever a woman wearing a hijab entered the train. I was greeted by people who would ask me if I was “warshock” or where my hijab was if they found out I was from Mindanao.

While these may be naïve remarks and habits, they unknowingly pola r ize a nd per pet uate preconceived notions towards our Moro brothers and sisters.

It’s no secret that Filipino Muslims continue to experience institutionalized discrimination.

The US State Department has noted a number of instances when Muslim women were prevented from wearing their hijab to school and work. Muslim Filipinos have even been denied housing just because of their religion. Even national media outlets continue to perpetuate bias against

matters is that I was finding other ways to make money work for me, instead of the other way around.

Early on, I already knew the difference between investing and saving. I’m actually surprised that a lot of peers my age don’t even invest their money. They just keep it in the bank in savings accounts or time deposits! They say they don’t know where and how to start. It’s a (sad) fact. This is not something that is taught within the four walls of a classroom.

Financial literacy is not that widespread, even among those who studied in so-called top universities. Learning technical finance knowledge or taking all the required electives for a finance minor doesn’t necessarily make

Boulevard RIA TENIDO

Crossing red t’s MY FATHER spent his final moments on a creaky old hospital bed. Acceptance was by no means easy, but I eventually came to terms with his passing. After all, he was already 76 years old then.

He had silently been enduring his ailment for the past decade, and it was only best for him to find peace sooner than later.

Despite that, something else kept nagging my conscience.

About two months after Papa’s passing, I found myself in the very hospital that he was confined in. My cousin knew someone who had the chart I needed for an eye exam there.

I grit my teeth. I wasn’t exactly fond of hospital visits—I was only there so I could secure my health clearance.

As I walked towards my doctor’s clinic, I noticed rows of patients lined up along the hallways. I wasn’t passing by a wide path, nor were the patients separated into wards of any sort. They were just… there.

Some patients were lying on rusty beds with thin mattresses, while some were on bamboo ones.

A few even rested on mattresses on the floor as family wearily fanned them, hoping to provide them even a sliver of added comfort. I held back from asking my cousin why the situation was so, but a part of me already had the answers that I wish weren’t true.

Hearing of hospitals exceeding capacity isn’t news here in the Philippines. A recent study shows Muslims and Mindanao in their stories by failing to contextualize the conf lict in the region.

Despite our Constitution’s promise of religious freedom and acceptance, we continue to witness these discriminatory acts because we have yet to put our prejudices behind us. We are yet to realize that these preconceived notions have made tasks like finding a job or a home unnecessarily difficult for Muslim Filipinos. This raises an important question: Is the Philippines truly accepting its minority groups or have we just learned to put on a mask of tolerance?

We need to see that stereotyping has curated a system that disadvantages Moros, but we can begin to change this by refusing to let our faith divide us. While there is a need to reform the status quo and strictly implement anti-discrimination laws, we also need to recognize that sitting by the sidelines will only allow this culture of hate to perpetrate.

By responding to these subtle acts of discrimination with resistance instead of passivity, I am hopeful that we can begin to cultivate a culture that fulfills the country’s promised religious freedom and expression.

one financially literate. To me, being financially literate means knowing how to responsibly handle your money, regardless of value.

How one manages less money now will be the same way one will manage more money later on.

We often hear of young people wanting to get good, high-paying jobs after graduation to be able to afford the latest gadgets, travel the world, or to simply save. The more money one gets, the bigger or the pricier the wants and the needs (which most of the time are wants that are justified as necessary) become. It then becomes a never-ending cycle of chasing after money. Rarely do we hear people wanting more money to have more money to that the country can only offer an average of one bed for every 1,ooo people, and even less in some municipalities. This is magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic, as more hospitals are forced to decline incoming patients due to overload.

It only gets worse as this goes with the fact that hospitals are either inaccessible or completely absent in many Philippine municipalities.

This just solidifies that most Filipinos are not getting the kind of healthcare that we deserve.

Frankly, it’s not that the Philippines cannot provide state-ofthe-art healthcare. It’s that this kind of service can usually be found only in private hospitals, and thus comes at a price too steep for most Filipinos.

Although the Universal Health Care Act was recently passed to alleviate medical expenses, I remain disturbed. Easing the financial burden of treatment is definitely a step in the right direction, but it wouldn’t mean much until people actually have enough hospitals within reach.

When we had to rush my father to the hospital, I remember that he spent a day on a bamboo bed outside a dedicated ward. Even then, we could only afford to place him into a semi-private ward. While we couldn’t send him in for private care, we could at least secure a spot for him in a public hospital.

I still think of those patients in the hallway to this day. I think of how one of them could be a father too, and how one of the kids I saw could be a pained daughter like I am. I think of how sickening it is that access to a basic human right is very much determined by how well-off you may be.

I think of them, and then I think of the patients who aren’t there because they can’t make it to the hospital at all.

Another angle RAYA BARREIRO

Filipinx pride THE NEW FOUND term Filipinx was recently defined as those “of or relating to natives or inhabitants of the Philippines,” but those living in the Philippines aggressively disagreed. With more people replacing vowels in pronouns and nationalities with the letter x, I never stopped to think of its implications until I woke up to dozens of angry paragraphs written across social media. Local netizens had their fair share of opinions against the term and the assumption that it covers all Filipino citizens.

Filipino has always been the title for citizenship, regardless of sex or gender, but the Philippine diaspora youth are working to challenge this as their counterparts have for the respective titles.

Filipinx has since become both a movement for the diaspora community and the beginning of a heated debate.

invest, whether in properties, financial assets, or even education.

Being part of the academe, I hope to be able to somehow teach financial literacy to my students even if it is not part of the curriculum. I fully support a senator’s proposal to include financial literacy in as early as high school! When I started teaching part-time three years ago, I always made it a point to encourage my students to invest, whether through the stock market or other means.

I told them that they can ask me anything about finance, even if it’s not related to what I was teaching.

However, I don’t simply tell them to invest even if they don’t understand how the investments work. Part of financial literacy is equipping

5

them with the ability to make rational and logical investment decisions—depending on their individual circumstances—risk tolerance, and return objectives.

What works for one may not necessarily work for another, due to differences in any of these factors.

Being aware that there is no one-size-fits-all investment is a good start. I’m happy to know and to have met young people who understand that inasmuch as money itself is important, it’s more important to be armed with the right mindset and attitude to be able to handle money responsibly.

Charles Vincent Chua, CFA (BS ME ‘11) is a part-time lecturer from the Finance and Accounting Department.

IT IS a bright and chilly September mor ning. The soft morning light filters in, illuminating in pastel hues the heaps of readings, half-written papers, and odd stacks of folded laundry scattered haphazardly across my room. Midterm season is creeping in, and though I have class in a few hours, I do nothing.

It can all wait, I think, turning over and going back to sleep.

Hours later, I step out of my last class for the day. It is nearly evening now. A cool breeze carries over, and a few crows caw in the treetops. Eventually, I lay in bed, sleepy and tired.

Though I haven’t accomplished everything, there is tomorrow.

I repeat this cycle over the next few days, weeks, months.

Nothing stays the same, of course—papers are written and classes are passed. However, in some way, nothing changes either.

Sometimes, we feel like nothing has to. Cycles begin anew as we depend on them to do. In their own unique ways, things are as predictable and dependable upon the next sunrise.

The ancient Egyptians believed the sun to be a symbol of renewal, making the journey across the sky and through the underworld, defeating chaos, personified as a serpent, and being reborn to begin a new day. Eternal cycles like these were known to the Greeks as Ouroboros, the symbol of a snake—a different serpent—

eating its own tail. Destruction and creation are merged into one.

Papers were written, lessons were crammed, and classes were passed. Life was as it was—as we thought it should have been—until it wasn’t. The snake bites its tail, the sun sets into the night, and suddenly, the cycle is broken.

Something ends, something begins. Now a few hundred kilometers away, I sit at my desk, cramming one of the many papers due in a few days. At home now, I hear the cacophonous calls of a flock of birds roosting in an old tree, as they usually do come dusk. My study dates have been replaced with productivity calls, and with my friends, I go over my online modules once more.

The serpent attempts to swallow the sun, and we are plunged into a generation of uncertainty. However, just as the snake nourishes itself on its own body, so does creation arise from destruction. There are a few ways in which we are powerless now, but staying passive is not one of them.

My friends and I reach out to one another, trying our best to make sure nobody is left behind. We talk about issues that matter, remind others to register as voters, and hope for the eventual return of as much of a sense of normalcy as is possible.

In the disruption, we are called to solidarity, to strengthen our ties and prepare for the times to come.

Fresh eyes allow us to see what we could not before. We cannot relive or change the past. Instead, we can only take it apart to analyze in retrospect. Things we valued— now left in the past—or social issues previously left untouched all come together to help us demand a better future. A new cycle is reborn from the remnants of the old. It should not wait.

Common arguments from both sides boil down to questions on identity, particularly in the aspects of gender expression and our colonia l roots.

Language has drastically transformed—and continues to transform—especially in the expressions of gender and identity.

Some have argued that Filipinx is unnecessary as our national language already makes use of genderless pronouns. However, language aside, our deeply Catholic society is still trying to make sense of gender fluidity. Towards the LGBTQ+ community, Philippine society is seen as tolerant, at most. The diaspora community sees Filipinx as a movement against the adherence to the binary as well as our colonial roots.

The local and the diaspora communities live completely d i f ferent contex ts w it h continuously evolving perceptions of what it means to come from the Philippines. Inevitably, how one community labels themselves is interpreted differently by the other. The diasporic argument against “Filipino” is that it carries imperialist views on gender in light of the feminine alternative “Filipina.” Local citizens believe

“Filipinx” carries the same colonial influence because of its creation within the context of Western culture. At the end of the day, both titles are rooted in the name of King Philip II, one of the first colonial names we learn when studying our national history.

What we and our diasporic counterparts have in common is the struggle with grasping national identity amidst our colonial origins.

Identity, on the personal and national level, is no longer a static concept. It has become a process that both local and diaspora communities continue to fight through.

I am in no way defending those who oppose the term nor those who impose it, but the tension caused by the disconnect on both ends gives us more reason to have this difficult conversation as civil as we can. In the process, actively recognizing our unique geographical and cultural standpoints will put our collective understanding of our shared heritage in a new, modern light. With the tension between both groups, striving for full unity at this point in the conversation feels like a long shot, but continuous understanding of each other’s contex ts might be the first step to that.

Equivocation BRYCE R. RUBI

Cycles

6

News UNSETTLING MATTERS. President Duterte granting absolute pardon to convicted US Marine Pemberton has become a great contention between the government and the LGBTQ+ community in regards to the current state of LGBTQ+ rights. PHOTO BY JIM DASAL

Atenean Voice Given the presidential pardon of Joseph Scott Pemberton, what can you say about the current state of LGBTQ+ rights in the Philippines?

Hansley Juliano Faculty Member, Political Science Department

What was clear here is that the Duterte government finds LGBTQ+ justice issues dispensable or pawnable in the scheme of international politics. However you try to spin it, it is clear [that the] diplomatic agenda under the Duterte government has zero respect or acknowledgment of global standards on human rights and identity protection.

Gwyneth Camelon President, The Ateneo Assembly

Pemberton’s murder of Jennifer Laude was a hate crime—one targeting the LGBTQ+ community—and the act of Duterte granting absolute pardon to the US convict aids in the possible escalation of similar cases in the future. [...] Duterte’s pardon not only sends the message that he found Pemberton’s murder of Jennifer Laude inconsequential, but that he was willing to let it go regardless of the offenses and the feelings of the Laude family, and all that they represented: The discriminated, the marginalized, and the victims of injustice.

Raya Ramon Former Co-commissioner, Sanggunian Commission on Gender Equality

Jennifer Laude was, first and foremost, a human like any other. Regardless of her gender identity, and Pemberton’s awareness thereof, her death by his hand still stands. [The pardon] sends the message that those who commit gender-based violence will not be held accountable, and that the lives of the LGBTQ+ are not valued. One’s gender or sexuality should never be a reason for discrimination, let alone aggression or violence, and yet, it seems that many still continue to draw a line separating the LGBTQ+ from the rest of society.

Andrei Narciso Interim Commissioner, Sanggunian Commission on Gender Equality

We must view the story of Jennifer Laude and this injustice she experienced as merely a symptom of the pervasive cancer that is the maltreatment of LGBTQ+ Filipinos in all aspects of life, be it economic, socio-political or even in healthcare. [...] As we continue to pursue justice for Jennifer, may we also remember all the unnamed members of the community who are victims of this oppressive society; for it is only when we further the human rights of all that true equality may be achieved.

Nicole Namoco Co-Commissioner, Sanggunian Commission on Mental Health

Cases such as the presidential pardon of Joseph Scott Pemberton opens our eyes to the reality that beyond the surface, the oppression, exclusion, and unequal treatment of the LGBTQ+ community still exists and is rather institutionalized in this country. Although we’ve gone a long way in terms of acceptance and love towards the community, there is much more to do—we must continue to fight on towards their human rights, protection [under] the law, and true equality.

Gabby Bernardo 2 AB POS-MPM

LGBTQ+ rights [advocates have] so much more to achieve in order to progress in our society. Undoubtedly, it has become more appealing to the people, but we have yet to change the entire atmosphere surrounding it. We need to educate the people as to why it is pertinent that it [should be] respected the same way we respect other people’s rights. It is a difficult process, but if we open ourselves more to change, we can make this a safer and better world.

Mark* 2 BS PSY

The news about the presidential pardon of Pemberton just showed that the country still has a long way to go in accepting [the] LGBTQ+ community. The government basically chose [not to] punish Pemberton for his crimes, which failed to bring justice for the victim, and [it] was seen as an act of disrespect towards the entire LGBTQ+ community. The Philippines has to collectively progress towards a more accepting state, [as] seen [through] our actions.

Noey Silva 2 BFA AM

In light of the issue regarding the president pardoning Pemberton, I think this is a clear representation of how the LGBTQ+ community is being treated here in the Philippines. He murdered a woman, referred to her as “it,” and yet, he was pardoned.

He dehumanized her. He took her life. But now, he is enjoying what he took away from Jennifer Laude. [...] To say that Jennifer Laude’s untimely death was unfair is a complete understatement. Justice has yet to be served.

Bradford Kaw 3 BS ME

As progressive as we are [to be] a nation championing for LGBTQ+ rights, instances like [Laude’s] are heartbreaking because our people faced an unjustified situation in an era where we [should be just]. But this can be used as a catalyst to inspire [change], to remind people that there is still a long way to go, [and] to bring light to people like Jennifer Laude.

Jolo Gonzales Deputy for Student Affairs, School of Social Sciences Sanggunian

There is no single biggest setback in [normalizing] LGBTQ+ rights in the country than that decision to pardon Joseph Pemberton. As an observer, you can see how this decision made the LGBTQ+ feel unsafe, that if they were murdered in their own homeland, no one would care [about] their deaths. They will just be [part] of the statistics that the Philippine National Police [releases] every time there is a news coverage related to it. That alone can make LGBTQ+ people feel unwelcome in their own backyards.

*Editor’s Note: An interviewee’s name has been changed upon their request to protect their identity.

Glimpses Ateneo develops COVID-19 surveillance tool FASSSTER

Areté hosts Magisterial Lectures amid the pandemic

In collaboration with the Department of Health and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) - Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, Ateneo de Manila University developed the Feasibility Analysis of Syndromic Surveillance Using Spatio-Temporal Epidemiological Modeler For Early Detection of Diseases (FASSSTER). A COVID-19 modeling and surveillance tool, FASSSTER aims to create “a hub for different data sources” that will help local government units understand the spread of COVID-19 in their respective regions.

The Ateneo Center for Computing Competency and Research (ACCCRe) Executive Director Maria Regina Estuar spearheaded a development team for the tool under the FASSSTER than COVID-19 Project. The team consisted of experts in disease modeling, health informatics, social computing, and health systems development.

ACCCRe formally turned FASSSTER over to the DOST on September 4. BILLIE ASUNCION

In an effort to uphold “academic continuity,” the Areté produced the Magisterial Lectures in collaboration with the Communication Department, the Loyola Schools, and the Eugenio Lopez Jr. Center for Multimedia Communication. The lectures feature notable speakers from the Ateneo faculty who tackle various topics such as global issues and philosophy. For example, former University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ discussed the “complex nature” of environmental issues in his lecture titled The Pope, The Poor, and the Planet. The lectures are open for public viewing on the official Areté YouTube Channel, while the full learning packet containing the transcription and the presentation slides is available on the official Areté website. BILLIE ASUNCION

Sanggu survey reveals students’ difficulties in online learning

Ateneo Art Gallery features renowned artists in ArtSpeak Online

On August 13, the Sanggunian published the partial results of an online survey regarding students’ experiences with online intersession classes. The survey gathered 744 responses after the Sanggunian and the Loyola Schools Quality Assurance Office first released it on July 30. The partial results revealed that the challenges students faced during online learning include a high number of requirements, underutilized methods for teaching, and confusing modules. Majority of the respondents also pointed out that asynchronous learning was effective when students were able to study at their own pace, but it was not as effective when their workload became too heavy. BILLIE ASUNCION

Amid the indefinite suspension of on-site classes, the Ateneo Art Gallery (AAG) initiated ArtSpeak Online: A series of online panel discussions, forums, and lectures that feature renowned artists such as Agnes Arellano and Poklong Anading. The five episodes cover a wide variety of topics, but they mainly focus on the speaker’s views on social issues, the speaker’s artworks, and the connection between those two subjects.

For instance, Charlie Co discussed his views on environmental issues and his artworks’ importance in his life in the September 9 episode. All talks are free of admission and the video recordings are posted on the AAG’s official Facebook page. BILLIE ASUNCION

Like us on Facebook facebook.com/TheGUIDONSports Follow the happenings in Ateneo Sports @TheGUIDONSports EDITORS: ALLY S. CRESPO AND GERRICK C. LIMSIY LAYOUT ARTIST: JAMES ELIJAH YAP

Sports

DOUBLE STANDARDS In today’s collegiate sporting world, many controversies have arisen regarding the prevalence of imports.

02

IT’S THE SCHOOL WE CHOOSE. Angelo Kouame, William Navarro, and Patrick Maagdenberg celebrate the team’s triumphs along with their fellow blue eagles as part of the band of brothers. PhOTO BY KELLY VENERACION

Far from home

BY JAMES B. GAVINA

PHOTO BY KELLY VENERACION

I saw Ateneo as the pathway to [succeed].

PATRICK MAAGDENBERG ATENEO MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM

IN 2017, the Ateneo Men’s Basketball Team (A MBT) welcomed three foreign athletes who entered the University under different circumstances. 6’10” Ivorian Center Angelo Kouame was set to fill the void left by defensive stalwart Chibueze Ikeh despite not being originally scouted by Ateneo.

Meanwhile, Greece-born William Navarro played for the San Beda Red Lions before transferring to Ateneo. Rounding out the recruits, the Blue and White brought in New Zealand’s Patrick Maagdenberg after a chance meeting with Coach Tab Baldwin.

While each athlete entered Ateneo differently, they all left home to grab an opportunity to further their basketball careers.

However, this came at the cost of leaving their friends and family back home. Combined with the rigors of academics and training, adapting to a new environment became an even tougher challenge. Despite the odds, Kouame, Navarro, and Maagdenberg all found the right balance to thrive in Loyola Heights.

JOURNEY TO THE EAGLE’S NEST Before ar r iv ing in the Philippines, Kouame was not sought after by Manila’s top universities. The Ivorian center was only able to showcase his talents to Ateneo after Kouame’s friend, Aaron Njike, introduced him to AMBT Manager Epok Quimpo.

After impressing the coaching staff in practice, Kouame was immediately recruited for his unique size, skill, and talent. Knowing that the Blue and White could provide him with more opportunities than other schools to succeed, Kouame did not hesitate to commit to Ateneo.

On the other hand, Maagdenberg’s unexpected meeting with Coach Tab landed the Kiwi a spot on the Blue Eagles’ roster. Coach Tab originally had his eyes on Edward, Maagdenberg’s younger brother, for the Under-16 Gilas Cadets.

During Edward’s first meeting

with the master tactician, the older Maagdenberg decided to tag along.

That same day, Patrick impressed Coach Tab in a scrimmage, which eventually landed him a spot on the Blue and White’s roster a few months later. For Maagdenberg, the scholarship from Ateneo opened the door to free education and quality basketball training to prepare him for a possible professional career.

“I saw Ateneo as the pathway to [succeed],” said Maagdenberg.

While Kouame and Maagdenberg were new to the Philippines, Navarro joined Ateneo after playing three years with the San Beda Red Lions. Before coming to the country, the young Navarro was already participating in competitive youth basketball in Greece.

He even earned a spot in the junior team of Panathinaikos—a Euroleague team—after a 53-point outburst playing for his hometown team of Ampelokipoi.

A young teen brimming with talent, Navarro was eventually discovered by Nardy Madrasto, a basketball fan in search of Filipino players abroad. With his help, Navarro secured a spot with San Beda. However, after three years in Mendiola, Navarro was presented with an opportunity to play for Ateneo. Unsure of his next step, Navarro looked for a “sign from God,” and it came while visiting a mall in Parañaque.

“Ang daming naka-Ateneo shirt pero wala namang game. So nagulat ako, iyon yung sign ko. (A lot of people were wearing Ateneo shirts even though there was no game.

I was pleasantly surprised, and that was my sign),” said Navarro.

Taking this as the sign he asked for and to avoid any future regrets, he joined the AMBT. ADAPTING TO A NEW CULTURE As Navarro, Maagdenberg, and Kouame found their ways to Ateneo’s hallowed halls, their arrival to the Eagle’s nest came with a few drastic adjustments on their part. For Navarro, he

first had to adapt to the preferred language in Ateneo, noting the prominence of English speakers on campus. However, despite the new environment combined with the heavier academic workload, Navarro’s work ethic shone through. The academic pressure in Ateneo was never a problem for him thanks to his hardworking nature coupled with the help of his friends, teammates, and tutors.

“Iyon yung maganda sa Ateneo, hindi sila nagpapabaya. Madaming tumutulong sa athletes (That’s what’s good about Ateneo, they don’t leave you. Many people help the athletes),” he shared.

Unlike Navarro, Maagdenberg’s adjustment to the Philippines and Ateneo was more challenging.

The culture shock was no problem since he was raised with Filipino traditions by his mother, but this did not prepare him for the country’s climate. “[The weather] takes some getting used to. [It’s] humid and hot compared to New Zealand where it’s wet and cold,” the hulking big man said. However, by being around others who shared similar experiences of being away from home, he coped better.

“The thing that really pushed me through the adversity of wanting to go home was just surrounding myself with people that were on the same journey as me,” he shared.

Another big adjustment that Ma a gdenberg ex per ienced was the heavier synchronous academic workload of Ateneo compared to universities in New Zealand. “In New Zealand, a lot of things you do in university are done online, and you don’t really consult with your professors as much as you do in the Philippines,” he shared.

To overcome this, he began surrounding himself with people he could seek help from, managing his time well, and consulting with his professors more.

Similar to Maagdenberg, Koua me had a relat ively difficult time adapting to his

new environment. Although homesickness was not an issue as he had been enrolled in boarding schools in the past, the language barrier made the transition difficult. Coming from the French-speaking country of Côte d’Ivoire, Kouame was unable to fully express himself in English.

“It was really hard for me because you can’t make friends if you don’t know how to express yourself,” said the star center.

However, throughout his time with Team Glory Be, Kouame befriended Marty Veloso, who eventually became his informal foster brother. “[The Veloso family] were there for me ever since, and I really thank them for that,” expressed Kouame.

In terms of studies, Kouame’s adjustment to Ateneo’s academic standards was also made easier after spending his senior year of high school at the Multiple Intelligence Inter nat iona l School. During that time, he would attend a full day of classes while juggling training with both Ateneo’s Team A and Team B. Despite the experience with balancing academics and athletics, Kouame took some time to readjust his priorities upon his enrollment into Ateneo. University life demanded a balance between celebrating athletic triumphs and submitting class requirements, so he made sure to focus on academics first so that he could continue playing basketball.

A BAND OF BROTHERS Looking back, Navarro, Maagdenberg, and Kouame all faced different challenges in coming to the Philippines and playing for the Blue and White.

Apart from the usual trials of a student-athlete, they endured being away from family and friends and settled down in an unfamiliar place. However, in the end, the people they met and the hard work they put in allowed them to find a home in Ateneo and a brotherhood in the AMBT.

2

Sports GALLERY OF E AGLES

In the driver’s seat

BY XAVIER C. BAUTISTA PHOTO BY KELLY VENERACION

BEHIND EVERY championship roster is a master tactician, and the Ateneo Men’s Basketball Team has found that in Head Coach Tab Baldwin. Taking under his wing a promising Ateneo core in the 79th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), Coach Tab has claimed three straight chips in his first four seasons with the Blue Eagles.

On top of his success at the collegiate level, he has secured multiple championships in the international and professional levels. From his early roots coaching in the American collegiate circuit, Coach Tab’s 37-year career has garnered him head coach and consultancy roles around the globe—preaching and instilling his love for the game.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, Coach Tab grew up in a basketball-loving household.

At an early age, Coach Tab was already exposed to the game of basketball as his father coached the local Bishop Kenny High School. Although Coach Tab never played college ball, his position as a point guard sharpened his tactical brilliance in the game.

After graduating with an accountancy degree from the University of Notre Dame, Coach Tab decided to take a shot at coaching despite his father’s objections.

His first competitive coaching stint was in the United States National Collegiate Athletic Association (US NCAA), where he coached Auburn Montgomery in Division 2 from 1983 to 1986 and the University of Central Florida in Division 1 from 1986 to 1988. However, after five years of collegiate competition in the US, Coach Tab decided to move to New Zealand.

In New Zealand, Coach Tab found success in the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZBL), where he garnered five championships and four NZBL Coach of the Year awards in 13 seasons. Aside from the NZBL, Coach Tab assumed head coaching responsibilities for the New Zealand Tall Blacks—the country’s national basketball team— from 2001 to 2006. His tactical brilliance steered the Tall Blacks to gold in the 2001 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Oceania Championship, as well as a fourth place finish in the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

As a result of his various achievements, the national government appointed him Honorary Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2003.

Apart from coaching in New Zealand, Coach Tab had stints in multiple professional leagues abroad. His career brought him to numerous countries such as Malaysia, Romania, Greece, Lebanon, Jordan, and China. One of his more notable accomplishments came with the Lebanese national team, whom he guided to the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA Asia Stanković Cup—now known as the FIBA Asia Challenge.

Coach Tab also led the Jordanian national team to a silver medal finish in the same tournament the following year.

KEEP THE WHEELS ROLLING In 2013, during his coaching stint with the NZBL’s Hawke’s Bay Hawks, Coach Tab had his first encounter with Gilas Pilipinas. During the national team’s 10-day training camp in New Zealand, Coach Tab assisted then-Gilas Head Coach Chot

Reyes in the national team’s defensive structuring while also facilitating exhibition games in preparation for Gilas’ 2013 FIBA Asia Championship campaign.

Later that year, Coach Tab officially came on board as Gilas’ consultant; then, in 2015, the veteran mentor replaced Reyes as the head coach. At the helm, Coach Tab led Gilas to a championship in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games and first runner-up finishes in both the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship and the 2015 William Jones Cup. After stepping down as the national team’s main tactician in 2016, Coach Tab currently serves as Gilas’ program director. Throughout his involvement with Gilas, he has helped the national team become more competitive in the international stage—as evidenced by the country’s sixth place ranking in Asia and 31st ranking in the 2020 FIBA Basketball World Ranking.

However, Coach Tab’s stint in the country is not limited to Gilas, as the accomplished coach has extended his influence to the local collegiate basketball scene.

BACK TO BASICS Following Ateneo’s crushing final four exit in UAAP Season 78, Coach Tab was brought on board to bring the Blue Eagles back to the promised land. Under his mentorship, Ateneo fostered a more team-based structure, as ball movement and effective communication on the f loor became prevalent. As a result, the Coach Tab-mentored Blue Eagles established a dynasty—claiming the University’s ninth, 10th, and 11th championships in the past three years.

Aside from adding trophies to the Blue Eagles’ collection,

Coach Tab placed emphasis on player development—helping talented players such as Japanese B.League-bound Thirdy Ravena and the 2019 PBA Special Draft first round selections Isaac Go and Nieto twins blossom.

Off the court, Coach Tab imparted discipline and focus as values that his Blue Eagles must carry into the classroom. “Without studies, siguro hindi naman ako makakapaglaro ng basketball kasi under Coach Tab ka, so you have to do it. Wala talagang magagawa kung hindi mag-aral (Without my studies, I would not be able to play basketball. Because under Coach Tab, you have to do it. You really do not have a choice but to study),” shared Ateneo Guard SJ Belangel.

However, it is not just Coach Tab’s rigorous system and high academic expectations that his Blue Eagles know him for, as he is oftentimes viewed as the team’s father figure. “As a third-year [player] pa lang, I treat him as a father, so I’d always look up to him.

Magaganda ang mga ginagawa niya sa amin (As a third year student, I treat him as a father, so I’d always look up to him. He does so much good for us),” said Belangel.

FUELED FOR LIFTOFF Throughout his 37-year long career, Coach Tab has moved from country to country and attained success in each team he mentored.

At every stop, the veteran mentor positively influenced everyone he has worked with by imparting his values of discipline and focus. As the future of the Blue Eagles and the Gilas Pilipinas program rests on his shoulders, the outlook of Philippine basketball remains bright with Coach Tab in the driver’s seat.

CHOOSING BLUE. Athletes from all over the country took on the opportunity to be part of the One Big Fight. FILE PHOTOS BY ZACH G. GARCIA, ALDO SANTIAGO, AND KELLY VENERACION

S P O R T S O P I N IO N

Double standards

BY JOACHIM S. MELO

THE DEBATE over foreign athletes’ place in Philippine collegiate sports has become controversial in recent years. In 2018, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rocked the local sports scene as they imposed a new rule that banned imports from the league in Season 96. A year later, 1-Pacman party-list representative Mikee Romero followed up the new restrictions by filing a bill that sought to prevent imports from playing in all collegiate leagues in the country.

Ateneo, a school long involved in the procurement of foreign talent, has continued to recruit imports from all over the world.

With many people clamoring for more restrictions on imports, the University must now choose a path: Prioritize the inclusion of all qualified student-athletes or revert back to an antiquated time when collegiate leagues were all-Filipino.

TALENT BREEDS EQUALITY In recent years, the dominance of foreign athletes in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) has not gone unnoticed. As seen in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament, imports have taken the last four Most Valuable Player awards since Season 79.

With imports dominating the collegiate basketball scene,

the NCAA and Romero brought forward cases against the participation of these athletes. One point of contention is the supposed detrimental effect of imports in the development of local players, particularly among those playing the center position in Men’s Basketball. UAAP legend Louie Alas says that as imports hoard the majority of the minutes, local big men are given less opportunities to showcase their talents in the collegiate leagues. This is an example of why certain individuals like Romero push for more limitations that largely center around providing an equal playing field for local athletes.

Despite all the arguments raised against imports, the contributions they bring to the table cannot be denied. For one, these top-notch foreign student-athletes give local players a chance to compete against the best talents from around the world, inevitably improving the level of play of local collegiate leagues. A testament to this is Atenean star Thirdy Ravena who developed his game by competing against foreign talents like De La Salle University’s Ben Mbala and University of the Philippines’ Bright Akhuetie. “[Foreign athletes] definitely played such a big part in my career and my development as a player,” stated Ravena.

Regarding the issue of stunted development for local big men, the

claim also holds no truth. Isaac Go serves as the primary example to refute this, as he still played a key role in Ateneo despite the presence of Angelo Kouame. In the end, he was ultimately drafted first overall in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association draft.

Considering that Ateneo admits students from all over the country, there is no doubt that local talents beyond Metro Manila have the capability to be as talented, if not more, than their foreign counterparts. Thus, preventing locals from playing top-notch international talents because of these weak arguments seems to be a sure-fire way to plateau the further development of local talent.

If Philippine collegiate leagues truly want to foster equality of play, the answer lies in engaging universities to invest more into local scouting, recruitment, and development, as the arena is no longer limited to Filipinos alone.

This is done by allowing locals to develop alongside foreigners—more of an exchange of knowledge than a domination of one over the other.

AUTHENTIC EXCELLENCE Many critics opposed to foreign athletes have argued that they are no more than mercenaries playing for a paycheck at the collegiate level. Along with their supposed high allowances comes the view that imports are taking away valuable scholarships from local talents. This has led to the belief that imports are automatically granted scholarships by universities as part of the bid to secure their commitment.

This issue of supposed partiality towards imports was addressed

by University Athletics Office Director Em Fernandez. He revealed that the University gives no consideration to nationality and ethnicity when recruiting its student-athletes. “Kukunin ba natin si Ange [Kouame] kung may mas magaling na Filipino? Siyempre, kukunin mo yung mas magaling na Filipino, hindi ba? (Would we recruit Angelo Kouame if there was a more talented Filipino? Of course, we would get the more talented Filipino. At the end of the day, we get the best possible

student-athlete. It’s not about the nationality),” Fernandez stated.

Claims suggesting that foreign student-athletes bring a hefty price for their commitment have also been refuted by Fernandez—at least in Ateneo’s context. With the interconnected world we live in today, Fernandez explained that additional expenses concerning transit and logistics are unnecessary, as the University and the student-athlete may iron out negotiations through online platforms instead of physical meetings.

Furthermore, at least in Ateneo’s case, accusations of imports serving as “mercenaries” hold no ground—for they are not automatically assured of a scholarship, nor are they exempt from the University’s rigorous admission processes. For foreigners to be admitted to the University, they must present a record of good performance on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). “The process, at the end of the day, you just have to apply to Ateneo. You don’t even have to take the ACET (Ateneo College

Entrance Test), kasi (because) they (foreign applicants) can use the SATs,” shared Fernandez.

ENSURING CONTINUED GREATNESS As Ateneo continues to be a beacon for athletic excellence, procuring the top brass of student-athlete recruits is the best way to do it. Within the walls of Ateneo, excellence, talent, and hardwork are the only considerations that should be in place; all other arguments against allowing imports to play hold no ground.

To suggest that certain student-athletes do not belong in the Ateneo or the UAAP solely because of where they come from is to suffocate growth and will ultimately lead to the stagnation of Philippine sports. Because of this, Ateneo and the UAAP now have a duty to itself, the fans, the athletes, and to collegiate sports as a whole: To continue securing the best possible talent out there, regardless of nationality. To do this is to ensure the continued development of Philippine sports.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS As students and employees grapple with the new workfrom-home environment, The GUIDON takes a closer look at the Loyola Schools’ policies and initiatives on physical and mental health during these trying times.

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ILLUSTRATION AND INFOGRAPHIC BY KURT TAN

Treading the downline As financial and job insecurity continues to persist during the COVID-19 pandemic, multi-level marketing companies are placing students at risk through the false premise of monetary gain.

BY DENISE C. MARCELO AND RUSSELL LOUIS KU

AS STUDENTS adapt to online classes, some have received messages on their social media accounts from individuals promising passive income from the confines of one’s home. These messages occasionally come from multi-level marketing companies (MLM) such as Usana Health Sciences, Inc. (USANA) and Herbalife as they have boosted recruitment efforts in hiring students to be part of their sales network.

Although operations of MLM companies are legal under Republic Act 7394 or the Consumer Act, these companies have been criticized locally and internationally for allegedly operating akin to illegal pyramid schemes. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to push many Filipinos out of work, operations like this may pose a risk to students’ careers and financial security as economic conditions remain unstable.

INNER WORKINGS Despite the flak MLM companies have received over the years, recruiters still manage to freely operate and recruit associates into their own sales network.

Marketing and Law Lecturer Atty.

Eugene Kaw attributes their continued operations to their supply of legitimate products that they can sell through networking. This contrasts typical pyramid schemes, which only require people to give money as investors without any exchange involved.

Kaw also notes that young adults engage in this scheme because of the prospect of high returns for recruiting people into their sales network. “That’s why those on top of the network or pyramid make the most money. A lot of people get enticed or encouraged by that prospect of profit because they only spend once, then they bank on their network of friends and people they know after,” he explains.

Iggy Franco, an Atenean who was nearly recruited

by USANA mentions that associates

tend to operate at a net loss unless they hire enough people to their sales network.

Aside from this, companies’ recruitment processes have strict workflow and guidelines to ensure that they can recruit new employees. Former USANA recruiter and Atenean Mark Tuason states that recruiters prospect for people who are open-minded to business. “[Recruiters] try to be as vague as possible, not bring up USANA. I wasn’t told beforehand that it was USANA,” Tuason expounds.

However, Franco notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected how associates sell their products within a given amount of time. He says that recruiters are now unable to sell products physically, pushing them to recruit online.

Franco also claimed that messages have not only been sent through social media platforms such as Facebook, but also popular video games like League of Legends. “You can see that they’re becoming more desperate because they want to maintain their job while still satisfying the MLM despite the dangerous crisis we’re having right now,” Franco adds.

POSSIBLE REPERCUSSIONS In addition to financial risks amid a pandemic, there could also be psychological and social effects on associates. The mental conditioning MLMs allegedly use to lure and keep people in the business begins on the first approach, with Tuason noting that

skilled recruiters are adept at feigning sincerity.

Similarly, Franco believes that the most successful recruiters are extremely perceptive and can easily reframe their pitch to suit the context of the individual being scouted. “They try to go for hopeful narratives yet realistic ones. They don’t want to exaggerate the benefits [of joining] but they want [you to] see it as a good opportunity,” he says.

As Tuason became more engrossed with the job, a growing sense of social alienation gnawed at him. “I realized how much time I’ve wasted, how much I’ve lost, and how many people I’ve affected in a negative way,” he recalls.

Tuason divulges that he often did his presentations

in secret since his family and friends disapproved of his involvement with USANA. This, coupled with his mounting disillusionment with the MLM model, led him to sever ties with USANA through a now-deleted Facebook post.

“Most of the time, you’re not gonna win. And if ever you do win, other people will end up losing in the process,” he says, explaining his decision to quit.

“When I made the post, people were telling me to delete [it] and [that] it [hurt] them emotionally,” he says.

He also expressed that people who come from unsupportive family backgrounds may be more prone to embracing the scheme due to the skewed sense of community within it.

Tuason recalls his fellow associates cheering him on whenever he struggled with the business.

He eventually realized that these courtesies were all part of an elaborate psychological game to keep recruiters loyal.

“They don’t care about you.

They only care about the business and how it concerns them,” Tuason shares.

COURSE OF ACTION Tuason’s experience is not isolated. The Facebook group MLM Pyramidposting is a budding community of people who have similar experiences with such schemes. Group administrators Angel Chan and Matthew Taningco stated that they were compelled to create MLM Pyramidposting as a secure space for discussion about MLMs. “We really do wanna bring in different kinds of people who were affected by MLMs,” Chan says, emphasizing the group’s willingness to accept former recruiters. There have been incidents, however, of moles from MLMs infiltrating the group to reach out to refute the allegations made about their companies to the administrators themselves.

Chan further explained that access to the group has since been restricted in order to protect the members from counterattacks from MLM affiliates. “We want to do our best to make sure that we’re not gonna have any legal suit against us for just trying to communicate and gather,” Taningco adds.

While the group’s range remains limited, others believe that it

enriches the discourse surrounding MLMs. “I think more groups like [MLM Pyramidposting] will be useful for [exposing pyramid] schemes,” Franco says, expressing that the group can help steer young individuals from committing to a predatory line of work.

Other groups catered to young adults have also taken action to prevent recruiters from expanding their network. Andrew Cua, an administrator of Facebook group Ateneo Jobs and Internships, states that instead of manually screening each job posting, they prioritize “ensuring that the right stakeholders, both recruiters and Atenean job seekers, get invited to the group.”

As graduating Ateneans seek job opportunities, the University also strives to link them with legitimate and trustworthy employers. Loyola Schools Office of Placement and Career Services (LSOPCS) Director Ronald Rodriguez remarks that companies interested in posting job openings for currently enrolled Ateneans must meet certain requirements. “We require several documents [such as] company profile [and] an SEC registration,” says Rodriguez. They also conduct additional investigations to “confirm the nature of the business, the products they offer, [and] the type of employment that they are offering to our students,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Kaw urges students to closely scrutinize the offers they receive. “Do a comprehensive and thorough background check on the company. Conduct or perform due diligence,” he advised. While individual vigilance is certainly needed, Kaw also stresses the University’s assistance in training students to be more discerning of MLMs through “continuous information campaigns.”

“Don’t be blinded by the money, by the opportunity of financial freedom. You can get that from better things than ripping people off and cheating their gullible minds of their hard-earned money,” Tuason says.

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lnquiry PHOTOS BY ALEXIS WANG INFOGRAPHIC BY ANDY GRANDA

The GUIDON | October 2020

3

Unopened doors

BY FRANCIS CAIGA AND GERARD IGNACIO INFOGRAPHIC BY ANDY GRANDA PHOTOS BY ALEXIS WANG

AT THE onset of virtual classes, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) reported that a number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will be “closing down for good” after recording low enrollment turnouts. The shift to online education posed several hurdles to HEIs, but the University continuously ventures to adapt to the situation.

The Ateneo has remained active these past few months on lockdown, adjusting and maintaining even its physical facilities.

The University now faces a new challenge: The inevitable return of on-site classes.

SUBSEQUENT PROTOCOLS Despite the campus shutdown, employees remain at work in the Loyola Schools.

According to Campus Safety and

“

Mobility Office (CSMO) Director Marcelino Mendoza, individuals who enter the campus must fill-up an online health survey form. Upon entry, private vehicles will be disinfected, while the forms will be submitted or checked online.

As an added precaution, security guards will check the temperature of individuals entering the campus. If the temperature recorded is 37.5°C, the individual will have to wait for five minutes before being checked again. It is only when the temperature recorded is below 37.5°C that the person will be allowed to enter the campus.

These protocols form part of the new Guidelines on Workplace Prevention and Control of COVID-19, which former University President Jose Ramon

Villarin, SJ signed on May 16.

CSMO Assistant Director Josephy Almosera said that both the Loyola Schools Office of Health Services and the CSMO are coordinating for the campus’ reconfiguration in line with the national protocols for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almosera says that around 400 essential employees such as security and maintenance personnel are working on campus restructuring. These employees have slowly adjusted to the new habits of the “new normal” at work, such as wearing face masks and shields. In addition, CSMO Director Marcelino Mendoza says that to reduce the workforce on campus, these employees are divided into three weekly-rotating groups: One week of work and two weeks of rest.

We want to assure you na lahat ng pinapatupad natin sa campus, kung hindi galing sa patakaran gobyerno, paniniwala namin na sa kapakanan ng karamihan.”

MARCELINO MENDOZA DIRECTOR CAMPUS SAFETY AND MOBILITY OFFICE

CHANGING LANDSCAPES Ateneo Institute of Sustainability (AIS) Director Ma. Assunta Cuyekeng asserts the importance of having stringent protocols for entering the campus. Given this, facilities that used to be congested on campus are now undergoing changes to meet the demands of the “new normal.”

According to Rizal Library Director Vernon Totanes, the New and Old Rizal Libraries will be closed to students. As high-contact facilities, these spaces will be opened slowly once the risk of contracting the virus is minimized. Totanes mentions that students will be redirected to the Matteo Ricci Study Halls since these smaller areas are easier to monitor.

Besides these changes, the libraries plan to continue the digitization of specific books and chapters as per students’ and teachers’ requests. However, this will not cause the decommission of the building.

Totanes states that “[we] have to be ready, [but] one reason why I would not give up the physical space, probably in the next 10 years, is the existing collection we have will probably take as long as 10 years to digitize fully.”

Since the dorms are also dense areas on campus, Ateneo Residence Halls Director Rene San Andres says that there will be a reduction and reconfiguration of the different bedrooms. “From the new bedroom plans, there will be a 25% reduction capacity, which will hit our revenues badly,” San Andres explains. Despite the probable financial losses, he stresses that the safety of the students will remain the top priority. San Andres states that in the event that students return onsite, besides reconfiguring facilities and cleaning thoroughly, there is only so much that they can do to prevent infection until the pandemic is resolved.

REIMAGINING SPACES Classrooms—an integral part of the campus—have also been empty for months, prompting questions on how they should now be utilized. Cuyegkeng explains some possible uses, such as allowing professors who do not have stable internet at home to use them for their online classes. She adds that there is a plan in place for blended learning but it will depend on national developments.

“

[...] We have to be ready, pero one reason why I would not give up the physical space, probably in the next ten years, is the existing collection we have will probably take as long as ten years to digitize fully.”

VERNON TOTANES DIRECTOR RIZAL LIBRARY

While uncertainty revmains, the University continues to prepare for the resumption of onsite classes. “We want to assure you na lahat ng pinapatupad natin sa campus, kung hindi galing sa patakaran gobyerno, paniniwala namin na sa kapakanan ng karamihan (We want to assure you that campus safety protocols, if not based on government guidelines, come from what we believe is the safest for all),” states Mendoza.

As the University reconfigures its facilities to ensure safety, Ateneans are left to wonder when they can head home. However, such changes may not completely eliminate the possibility of COVID-19 infection—the return of on-site classes will ultimately depend on the government’s response against the disease’s spread.

4

lnquiry

Signs and symptoms As students and employees grapple with the new work-from-home environment, The GUIDON takes a closer look at the Loyola Schools’ policies and initiatives on physical and mental health during these trying times.

BY VINCENT HALOG AND JUSTIN B. JIMENEZ

THE COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the way institutions operate. In Ateneo de Manila University’s case, stringent health protocols prohibit face-to-face classes. This led the University to maneuver online arrangements in a remote set-up where students, faculty, and non-teaching staff need to virtually relocate the campus to their own home.

Studies show, however, that this new working environment comes with serious health issues.

COVID-19 alone is already a major health burden, but scholars say that the work-from-home system also puts people at risk of suffering burnout, body aches, and mental stress.

As Ateneans await their return to Loyola Heights, it is crucial to examine the Loyola

“

Schools (LS) management’s policies crafted to address these urgent health concerns.

Now is a pressing time to look into how the Ateneo protects holistic student welfare amid the challenges posed by the pandemic.

EXISTING INTERVENTIONS In terms of physical health, Dr. Eric Anthony Cabrera of the LS Office of Health Services (OHS) says that inactivity, sleep difficulties, and eye issues pose a challenge to LS community’s well-being today. “We’re doing...a teleconsult instead of face to face [consultations],” Cabrera says. According to him, consultations with LS physicians are made via Google Meet.

He also notes that the OHS organized webinars on eye care and yoga in light of the LS’ online operations. “This quarter, we will have a webinar on fitness and on lower back

There’s so much to unpack from the experience of online learning. [There are a lot of] variables. Is it the quarantine, online learning or simply a new context?”

KARINA FERNANDEZ, PhD DIRECTOR ATENEO BULATAO CENTER

PHOTO BY SOLEIL NICOLETTE

pain and we’re planning to do more webinars for the next quarter,” Cabrera shares.

Aside from the OHS, the LS Physical Education (PE) program plays a role in securing the physical health of the LS community.

PE Program Director David Allen Puen, PhD says, “The underlying goal [of all PE classes now] is to ensure that students are constantly moving.”

Puen also points out the importance of devoting time for exercise. “We just have to be a little more creative,” he says.

Puen assures that apart from combating physical idleness, exercise helps produce endorphins that improve even one’s mental health.

This advice rings true not only to students, it applies to the University’s employees as well.

LS Human Resource Services Head Marie Milagros Tendero notes that in addition to physical health risks, the online working scheme presents a challenge to the staff’s mental health. She points out that some of the employees have already “fallen into minor depression.”

As fear, anxiety, and stress become common among LS personnel today, Tendero affirms that they continue to promote online consultations with the LS Office of Guidance and Counseling (LSOGC) and OHS. She also states that employees with clinical cases of mental health are referred to the LS’ private partners for psychiatric counseling, alongwith full subsidy from the LS. In addition to this, LSOGC Director Gary Faustino assures that they have innovated their services to the LS community.

For instance, he shares that all consultations and testing will be conducted online. Furthermore, LSOGC also launched online

multimedia projects on mental health and wellness such as the podcast series titled “Coffeesations with your Counselor.”

LAYERED OBSTACLES In a statement to The GUIDON, Faustino says that mental health concerns in the University are much more challenging to deal with now given the online setup.

“Being stuck in the home environment is likewise unnerving for many students, faculty, and other employees alike,” he says.

The LSOGC’s concerns are not an isolated case, as Ateneo Bulatao Center Director Karina Fernandez, PhD expressed the complexity of analyzing online workspace set-ups and their correlation with mental well-being.

According to Fernandez, “There’s so much to unpack from the experience of online learning. [There are a lot of] variables. Is it the quarantine, online learning or simply a new context?”

Both Faustino and Fernandez have also remarked that their offices faced various technological limitations because of the online setup. Fernandez cites the difficulty in reading and analyzing nonverbals, such as fidgeting and body language of their clients in online setups. Additionally, Faustino notes that there has been less privacy for their clients at present as compared to physically going to the guidance office. “When your service has always been about physical presence and a certain degree of intimacy, working from home and using the internet as your medium of communication totally changes the playing field,” he explains.

Furthermore, in the Sanggunian Commission of Mental Health’s (CMH) focus group discussions with various students, they found that some students are unaware of

the various services that the LSOGC provides. According to CMH Co-Commissioner Nicole Namoco, “We realized that some students don’t even know that they have an assigned counselor in the LSOGC. I think shedding light on the different mental health services either within or outside the university is something we can work on.”

Physical health programs are no exception to such obstacles.

OHS Director Dr. Henrietta Dela Cruz explains that doctors have to examine their patients through telemedicine as compared to physical check-ups. She notes how doctors might have to ask patients for a photograph of their throat, for instance, in order to proceed with a more accurate diagnosis.

RENEWED VITALITY In light of these limitations, Faustino emphasized the importance of examining one’s current physical and emotional state, especially with the ongoing pandemic. “Without paying attention to your well-being, whether physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, you are bound to get sick. To remain productive in this world and fulfill the mission by which God has called us to, we have to be fit for the fight,” he says.

Furthermore, CMH Co-commissioner Katrina Uy also stressed the value of dialogue with the LS administration in order to best adapt to the present context of both students and staff. “Right now we’re all adjusting, and it’s important to have collective communication with the administration and the faculty,” she says.

As Ateneo adjusts to an online environment, the University’s health-related services are no exception to this transition.

Although there are still issues and concerns with this new

setup, access to these services and communication with these offices are at the forefront of maintaining Ateneans’ physical and mental wellness.

“

Without paying attention to your wellbeing, whether physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, you are bound to get sick. To remain productive in this world and fulfill the mission by which God has called us to, we have to be fit for the fight.”

GARY FAUSTINO DIRECTOR LOYOLA SCHOOLS OFFICE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

See more of Beyond Loyola using your smartphone Scan with any QR code reader or download the code scanner Mobi Scan.

EDITOR: RAPHAEL C. DELA CRUZ LAYOUT ARTIST: TIFFANY CU

Beyond Loyola

COMPELLED TO LEARN As schools shift to online education, countless students are compelled to push through despite logistical and personal struggles—lest they are left behind.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAMAHAN NG PROGRESIBONG KABATAAN, FROILAN GALLARDO, AND GINO LOPEZ (PAGHIMUTAD NEGROS) GRAPHIC BY JAYCOB BUSTAMANTE

Activism across an archipelago

BY JUSTINE RAMIREZ AND DERICK M. GABRILLO

ON JUNE 12, activists condemned the recently-passed Anti-Terrorism Law in protest mañanitas —the largest being the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Grand Mañanita. The event was heavily covered by the media and hailed “peaceful and orderly” by the Philippine National Police (PNP). However, reports of the harassment and arrest of protesters outside the National Capital Region (NCR) stayed far from the public eye.

Many provincial activists have noticed law enforcement and national news outlets showing favor towards activists in NCR and seemingly neglecting those from elsewhere. Although this disparity seems to fragment the nation-wide struggle for democracy, rights defenders nationwide continue to hope for a resistance against tyranny that knows no borders.

DISTANT REALITIES The fragmentation between the so-called “Metro” and “provinces” has been said to persist because of differences in population size, relative urbanity, and the presence of national government offices. From such variations in context arise power dynamics that influence a national actor’s actions in certain areas.

Activists Rosa* and Jay*, from Negros and Cagayan de Oro (CDO) respectively, share that the biggest threat to activists outside NCR is heightened harassment from state forces. Jay reported that PNP officers once disrupted a rally in CDO and took protesters’ identification cards, while Rosa said that almost every protest she has gone to in Negros ended with threats of arrest.

Although the risks mentioned

by Jay and Rosa are deemed commonplace among provincial activists, those from NCR appear to be spared from them. Rosa, who now studies in the Ateneo, feels that academic institutions in Manila protect activists while typically less politically-oriented schools in the province do not.“Whenever I go to protests in Manila, I don’t feel any sort of fear. Especially when [they’re] in Ateneo,” she said.

Aside from active suppression of dissent, Jay attributed a lacking sense of solidarity within his community as a hindrance to its politicization. He noted that cultural norms affect even the concerned citizens’ preference for parliament discussions and aversion to mobilization. On the other hand, Rosa associated the centralization of most major organizations in NCR with the low concern for political affairs elsewhere. She added that the small activist communities in different regions provide less space for organizations, while making for clear targets in the eyes of state forces.

As such, small neighborhoods may lead unwanted visitors to activists’ doors. Rosa shared that protestors in Negros routinely detour when returning from rallies to throw off trailing police. In Jay’s case, home itself can be unsafe for activists being stigmatized by relatives, often due to a perceived association of political organizations with militant groups. With danger currently accompanying activists wherever they go, Rosa longs for a time when political participation would not involve such trauma.

BUILDING BRIDGES Activists’ recurring feelings of powerlessness in their localities eventually led to a rise of organizations that served as networks among different regions. Such groups are usually based in NCR and have chapters around the country. As a member of such an organization, Jay remarked that the level of coordination between chapters and headquarters still leads to inconsistencies in their movement. John Lazaro from the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan, another similar network, helped shed light on collaborations in the small but growing world of Filipino student activists—from the end of an NCRbased organiser.

Lazaro mentioned that, to a degree, the mostly middle-class background of student activists allows them to socialize and participate in projects through social media. He noted that this online

community sees its membership limited to the privileged, adding that its activities are restricted to quick campaigns as unstable internet hinders the thorough coordination that long-term projects require.

The coordination and expansion of a network begin in the capital. Yet, even after an organization expands throughout the country, Lazaro mentioned that the resulting chapters still struggle to mobilize due to their small membership and lack of experience, further reinforced by most major projects being located in Metro Manila.

Lazaro divulged that most progressive organizations’ focus on tackling national issues neglects the region-specific concerns experienced on a community-level. In addition, regional activists effectively mitigate this issue through their close engagement with grassroots initiatives and members of the local working class.

Faced with a nationwide attack on human rights, Lazaro envisioned the traditionally-centralized struggle for resistance evolving into an interconnected effort among all regions. “Because there is a struggle everywhere...we need to build links that allow us to work democratically,” he said.

BURDENS OF PROOF Part of what links regional activists to a national front is the recognition of issues from their areas as being national concerns.

Instead, Jay, Rosa, and their peers feel that national media outlets are silent about attacks on provincial dissenters, but are quick to cover similar cases in NCR. Sharing the same sentiment as other regional activists, Rosa recalled how her close encounter with arrest in Negros went unreported. “If that happened in Ateneo, everyone would be talking about it,” she said.

Though regretful of nationwide news’ Metro-centric tendencies, ABS-CBN Correspondent Chiara Zambrano believes the reporting of stories beyond NCR is more due to circumstance than preference.

Zambrano explained that the newsdesk decides which stories—

among a heap of daily submissions by reporters—get to air on national television. “Mahirap kasi kung sabihin [na gustong] ma-national ang isang news...it’s not [the stakeholders’] choice, neither is it [the reporter’s] (It’s hard to want for a piece of news to become national. It’s not the stakeholders’ choice, neither is it the reporter’s),” she said.

Reporting nationally, Zambrano remarked, is a balance of covering as much ground as possible within a finite amount of space.

This involves discerning whether a story is impactful enough for national concern.

Covering the 2007 protest march of farmers from Sumilao, Bukidnon to Manila was one of Zambrano’s experiences in trying to find a regional event compelling enough for national news. “Meron talagang ma-gimmick lang…some of those are really staged (Some events are really just gimmicks.

Some of those are really staged),” Zambrano revealed, adding that she was usually averse to reporting on such events.

She then highlighted how the Sumilao farmers’ persistent walking despite the initially low media attention made their protest fascinating. “They don’t seem to care if [cameras follow] them or not. ‘What do they really want?’... That was my curiosity, that’s why I went to them. Inabutan ko sila nasa Butuan na,” she said.

In acknowledging the many stories of provincial activists that have yet to be heard, Zambrano stressed that any present lack of attention toward a cause does not diminish its value.

She believes that if activists utilized the media elements reporters need for nationallevel pitches—and if reporters collaborated with activists to understand what needs of theirs must be communicated—more underrepresented stories can be told. *Editor’s Note: The inter vie wees’ names have been changed in order to protect their identit y and privacy.

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Beyond Loyola

Compelled to learn

BY GEORGE D. KHO AND PIOEE B. BASSIG

The waiting game

BY GEORGE D. KHO AND PIOEE B. BASSIG

AS FAMILIES’ sources of income took major blows during the COVID-19 pandemic, education has been put on hold for many young Filipinos. The surge of unenrolled students this year for basic education alone amounted to over 7 million students, revealing the cracks behind an inequitable educational system. Students left behind this year may later resume their education only to find an imbalanced playing field where economic recovery will be a steeper climb.

A one-year absence from school spells long-term losses for unenrolled students, especially college students who are expected to become breadwinners. “Household heads who have a college education [have] a 25% greater chance of moving up the socioeconomic ladder,” Ateneo Economics Chair Philip Arnold Tuaño said.

Tuaño added that a one-year delay means a much later graduation, and a later time that children could start working and helping their families. The education delay, along with the worsened inequality from the economic recession brought by COVID-19, only adds uncertainty to these families’ futures. To make up for lost learning time, Tuaño posits that many unenrolled college students will look for work to allay financial bleeding in the household.

Earning income will then become more imperative for students who cannot afford online learning as the return to face-toface classes is contingent on the discovery of a vaccine.

However, Tuaño points out that options are meager for unenrolled college students as

they only qualify for high school graduate jobs. These consist of formal jobs in sales, service work, and manual labor in factories, as well as informal work in wet or dry markets, trading, or freelance jobs. Still, the labor market is especially vulnerable due to unstable employment and the workforce’s reduced capacity in the face of a public health crisis and economic recession.

Tuaño mentioned that more alternative learning modes may help those who have stopped their studies, such as open universities where students can earn college degrees at their own pace and time. Another issue Tuaño points to is the decreasing state support for the education sector in the last decade which has put the Philippines behind in enrollment and graduation rates among other Asian countries.

Aside from investing more in education, Tuaño also noted the need for long-term social service provisions for lower-income Filipinos who bear the brunt of economic crises. Meanwhile, the Philippine Business for Education said that lifting the blanket ban on face-to-face class and giving local education officials room to decide may help lighten these strains on other parts of the country.

Ultimately, the COVID19 pandemic’s effects on the countless students who were left behind go beyond mere academic delays. Aside from making up for subjects, they will also have to catch up to unseen economic losses—from lost potential income to family financial security—that are results of their lost years in school.

Students left behind this year may later resume their education only to find an imbalanced playing field where lost gains will make it difficult to mitigate the recession’s consequences.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY GERI PUNO

PHOTOS BY ZOEY IGNACIO

AS CLASSES across the country commence, students and teachers alike face the logistical and personal difficulties of distance learning.

Meanwhile, others remain unenrolled due to financial and resource constraints amid the pandemic.

Despite this, the Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) pushed through with the academic year 2020-2021 and rejected calls for an academic freeze, stating that they have been preparing to ensure that education is delivered through various modalities.

Although the Alternative Learning System grants out-of-school youths the opportunity to pursue learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, students’ collective struggle to adjust to online learning reveals that access to education remains well beyond arm’s reach.

difficult for students grasping lessons on their own, especially since it is challenging to interact with professors due to limited synchronous classes, internet connection, and gadgets. Additionally, they also stressed that unconducive studying environments in their homes, occasional disturbances from relatives, and coinciding daily house chores affect their studies.

Amid such issues with online learning, DepEd and CHEd continue to reiterate that they are pushing for “flexible” and “blended” modes of learning that utilize self-paced modules to limit students’ online screen time. However, shortages in module materials and constant technical issues in the online setup continue to challenge these assurances—painting uncertainty for the school year ahead.

CLASS STRUGGLES The first few weeks of the academic year bore witness to students wading through the various struggles that beset online education. Unstable internet, lacking gadgets, and difficult self-paced learning confronted students who fear being left behind.

For instance, University of San Agustin Iloilo medical laboratory science major Wesley Dauban has been taking online classes through mobile. For Dauban, this drastically affects his ability to focus on his education. “[Limited] lang din ang features ng phone unlike [a] laptop or any other device na suitable talaga for online class (A phone only has limited features unlike a laptop or any other device that is suitable for online class),” Dauban said.

Dauban also pointed to his unstable connection, noting that he relies on prepaid mobile data since his hometown in Palawan lacks access to internet service providers.

Another case to consider is Cavite State University - Carmona marketing major Rica Turay, who resorted to online selling to meet their family’s basic needs after her father lost his job. Like Dauban, Turay also relies on—and must earn income for—mobile data for online classes.

“Kami nalang dalawa ng ate ko yung nagpupursige mag-online selling para may pang araw-araw (It is just me and my sister persevering with online selling to earn for our everyday needs),” she added. Turay also noted that she has to share mobile data and one donated laptop with three other siblings.

In addition, Turay and Dauban mentioned how learning has been

LEFT BEHIND While many students struggle with online learning, others such as Jeremy Tangpuz have been forced to sit out the academic year. A mechanical engineering student at Adamson University (AdU), Tangpuz anticipated that the psychological tolls and financial cost of online learning would compound his existing burdens.

Instead, he chose to focus on making a living and helping his mother run their small eatery.

For students like Tangpuz, formal education may be put on hold indefinitely, as the reopening of schools largely hinges on the discovery of a vaccine. Tangpuz is proof against CHEd’s claim that flexible learning “ensures the continuity of inclusive and accessible education.” He noted that AdU did not even offer him options beyond online learning.

CHEd’s passive role in preventing the loss of years’ worth of learning has only aggravated these issues. Aside from deferring decision-making to higher learning institutions altogether, CHEd sidestepped criticisms by disregarding the varying capabilities and resources of universities. “We are ready because our top universities have been doing flexible learning even before COVID,” CHEd Chairman Prospero De Vera III asserted.

As the school year marches on with little consideration for Tangpuz and millions of other unenrolled students, the Filipino youth potentially face losses— both academic and economic.

In the meantime, students like Tangpuz are left to weather the consequences of a year without formal schooling—with a recession looming large, no less.

HELD HOSTAGE Like students, educators had limited choices heading into the academic year. Initially, Jo-Ann Rae Macarandan—a Junior High School mathematics teacher at San Beda University Rizal—perceived an academic freeze as imperative to the current context. She questioned her future in teaching as the premature birth of her son last April meant that she could barely prepare for online classes.

“Numerous times, I told my husband na, ‘Ayaw ko na, ayaw ko na ata magturo (I don’t want to teach anymore),’ because I don’t know what to do and I’m not prepared,” Macarandan said.

Still, she needed to earn a living, especially since her son’s hospital bill was costly.

Despite teaching six classes and over 200 students and often

without knowing when she can finally rest, Macarandan does not lose sight of her privilege. “[...] Administrators, they are just keen [on] telling us na we are very blessed that we still have work, so we go about the things that we need to do.”

For both students and educators alike, learning has been reduced to an act of survival— a burdened effort to prevent being left behind amid these turbulent times. As both DepEd’s and CHEd’s efforts remain severely lacking, the public is again left no other recourse than to keep pressuring its leaders to make learning more accessible.

However, if the past is any indication, then public servants may have scarce compa ssion to spa re for t h is vulnerable sector.

The GUIDON | October 2020

Living playthings

We are not advocating for them because they’re weak, but [because] they deserve to be viewed and treated and respected and loved as all human beings should.

BY KRIS M. FETIZA

ILLUSTRATION BY DENEV C. NG THE PHILIPPINES is the global epicenter for livestreamed child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) in the world—the lack of a law encompassing all activities of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) exacerbates its case.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CSEM has only worsened as multiple Filipinos from Caloocan and Cebu were recently found guilty for livestreaming child sexual abuse to foreign nationals.

Today, OSEC remains a borderless crime shared between the privacy of two homes: That of the trafficked and of the consumer. To combat instances of OSEC, transnational collaboration is needed to rescue survivors and keep the public vigilant against OSEC’s pedophilic nature.

PICTURES FOR PESOS OSEC is a family-based crime where traffickers are often the children’s own relatives. Child Protec-

tion Officer of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Niño Lasin noted that the Philippines is an OSEC hotspot because high English literacy rates make it easy to communicate with foreign nationals: The usual customers. He also listed poverty, and smartphone and internet accessibility as factors that push families to resort to selling CSEM. Local law enforcement such as the Philippine National Police Women and Child Protection Center’s (PNP-WCPC) often collaborate with international counterparts to address OSEC as a transnational issue. Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division Chief Sheila Portento stated that perpetrators are identified through proactive online investigation, as well as referrals from foreign law enforcement and partner agencies.

Local law enforcement also works with local and international civil society groups such as the

SaferKidsPH consortium and International Justice Mission (IJM).

IJM Manila Field Office Director Rey Bicol stated that they provide training for law enforcement, aftercare, and prosecution partners as “we need a global response by governments, civil society, and industry to end OSEC.” As members of the SaferKidsPH consortium, PNP-WCPC, IJM, and UNICEF coordinate awareness campaigns to inform the public about the realities of OSEC. DESPERATION DURING LOCKDOWN Since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown began, OSEC cases rose by 264%. “The operation of money remittance centers were never interrupted during [the pandemic, so] the payments being channeled for procurement of CSEM or for [live streaming continuously] poured in,” Portento stated. Both Portento and Lasin said that the

pandemic has caused an increase of cases due to idle CSEM consumers and the financial struggle caused by the lockdown.

More than a health crisis, the pandemic is also a socio-economic crisis that has affected the livelihoods of Filipinos. “They were already poor before the lockdown.

Just imagine losing your livelihood during the lockdown...they resorted to [OSEC], they resorted to easy money, they resorted to what could be done and that’s to sell their children online,” Lasin said.

Nevertheless, Bicol emphasized that efforts to fight OSEC push on as he commended the PNPWCPC and National Bureau of Investigation to rescue more than 80 victims since the lockdown began. “This ability to adapt, by employing technology-based innovations, has never been more important with the [COVID-19] pandemic creating a perfect storm for increases in OSEC,” he said.

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RECOVERING CHILDHOOD As the fight against OSEC continues, aftercare providers make sure that the rescued children are not left behind. Bicol mentioned that since each survivor has unique trauma, psychosocial recovery must be individualized.

Survivors may feel a loss of control due to their previously uncontrollable circumstances.

TUGON Ateneo Research and Development Director Isabela Aguirre listed different behavioral effects of sexual abuse such as touch aversion.

However, she insists the need for people to commend the behavioral changes the children display during recovery. “I think we need to go back to commend children in themselves for actually partaking in [recovery, and] being able to practice their autonomy after having control seemingly taken away from them for so long.”

Aguirre stressed that recovery should be focused on empowering

ISABELLA AGUIRRE DIRECTOR TUGON ATENEO RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

their autonomy, as the children are not charity cases. “We are not advocating for them because they’re weak, but [because] they deserve to be viewed and treated and respected and loved as all human beings should,” she said.

Moving past the charity narrative is crucial as defining children by their abuse ignores the fundamental humanity that could never be taken from them; they deserve a childhood free from abuse and exploitation. As long as impoverished families resort to abusing their own in front of a camera, and pedophiles continue to consume their content, the fight against online child sexual exploitation remains far from over. *Editor’s Note: To learn more about child online protection and hotlines for reporting online child sexual abuse, you may visit saferkidsph. org and childprotectionnetwork.org.

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Beyond Loyola He further explained that the word kahirapan is more descriptive of the Filipino conceptualization of poverty, where the poor views the experience thereof parallel to the difficulty of life. Poverty then is not just confined to levels of income, but also to people’s living conditions.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has also advanced the discussion on redefining and creating a broader meaning for poverty through its attempt to create a global multidimensional poverty index (MPI) in 2018. The UNDP asserts the need for nonmonetary metrics to understand differences in other aspects of human development and the processes that lead to them.

ILLUSTRATION BY JAYCOB BUSTAMANTE

The invisible poor

BY TROY G. TARRIELA

IN 2019, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) faced mixed reactions over the Php 10,481 poverty threshold used in its triennial poverty statistics. Since then, poverty measurement has become a topic of discussion both in civil society and the academe as economists and politicians have deemed these figures outdated and unrealistic.

More than just obscure statistics, poverty measurement has substantial implications for society; it could mean the difference between who receives government support and who does not. Thus, its definition and measurement is also a moral decision that may affect how the country approaches development and who gets left behind.

DISPUTED FIGURES Politicians have compared the poverty threshold to that of a prisoner’s life. Former senatorial candidate of the Katipunan ng Kamalayang Kayumanggi party Ding Generoso said, “Sa totoo lang, mahigit 20 milyong Pilipino ang bilanggo ng kahirapan; para na ring nakakulong (In truth, over 20 million Filipinos are imprisoned by poverty; it’s as if they are actually imprisoned).” He further explained that the figure is lower than the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s Php 60 daily food budget for inmates.

In defense, officials pointed out that the poverty threshold is well above the international metric for absolute poverty. However, economists from the World Bank (WB) stressed the need

to redefine this. WB Chief Economist for the East Asia and Pacific Region Andrew Mason asserted, “A poverty line that is too low can lead to an inaccurate assessment of an individual’s ability to function in society in a socially acceptable manner.”

Similarly, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies pointed out that poverty can only be eradicated if its numbers are accurate. The institute has in turn called for the review of the PSA’s poverty measurement system and the national poverty threshold methodology through a recent study. Furthermore, the study questioned the usefulness of the current approach for setting the poverty threshold given that the Philippines has risen to a lowermiddle income status.

QUANTIFYING WELL-BEING Beyond debates on poverty measurement, former President of the Philippine Statistical Association Jose Albert, PhD asserted that one out of five or approximately 21% of Filipinos are from families with incomes below Php 10,000 per month.

This statistic not only reveals the inadequacy of the current poverty measurement, it also gives way to a discussion on the reality that a fifth of Filipinos face.

Meanwhile, Development Studies Professor Leland Dela Cruz, PhD emphasized the hu ma n ex per ience behind poverty in the Philippines. “For most Filipinos, poverty is not a concept but is something that is lived…people live through the multidimensionality of poverty.”

PROGRESS IN DEVELOPMENT With heightening calls for a broader meaning of poverty, the need for refined metrics is aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the looming economic recession. This has led experts to recognize the economic insecurities the population confronts.

While the poor are burdened with the possibility of being trapped in poverty, individuals who are above the poverty threshold remain vulnerable.

Thus, the definition and measurement of poverty is also a moral decision that affects how the country approaches development and who gets left behind.

The presidential arsenal

BY ZACHARY C. GONZALES ILLUSTRATION BY JANIS VILLAVICENCIO

ON OCTOBER 25, 2007, incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo infamously granted her ousted predecessor Joseph Estrada executive clemency, pardoning him of his plunder verdict and penalty of life imprisonment.

13 years later, another grant of executive clemency garnered controversy after President Rodrigo Duterte pardoned United States Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, who murdered transgender woman Jennifer Laude.

Executive clemency is a powerful presidential power that should not be underestimated, as are other powers afforded to the president. The ability to circumvent the entire judicial process via executive clemencies—or enforce constitutional and statutory powers via executive orders—is remarkable as it is formidable.

This explainer hopes to impart an understanding of these powers by explaining their quirks, limits, and use over the years.

AT THE READY The presidential office is armed with an array of powers, endowing the president with the means to enforce the will of the Constitution and their administration as they see fit. Briefly enumerated below are some of the more notable presidential powers.

The first notable presidential power is the pardoning power or executive clemency. This is a unique fail-safe that enables the president to grant certain individuals relief from the harsher repercussions of the law, or to correct mistakes in administered justice. There are five varieties of this power: Reprieves, commutations, remit fines and forfeitures, amnesties, and absolute and conditional pardons.

The pardon controversially bestowed to former President Estrada and murderer Pemberton were absolute pardons, effectively absolving the penalties accrued from their crimes. Inversely, the presidential Christmas tradition of pardoning inmates often comes in the form of conditional pardons with rules that should not be broken, or commutations that relegate penalties to less lengthy and severe forms.

Meanwhile, the executive power is arguably the most direct and visible of all the president’s powers.

It describes the powers exercised by the president as the head of the executive branch—controlling the executive departments as well as reconfiguring and appointing its respective officials.

A notable example of this was when incumbent President Manuel Roxas established the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1946.

Roxas also exercised the power to restructure the government the following year by establishing the Philippine Constabulary and abolishing the Bureau of Aeronautics, among others.

Ordinance power, on the other hand, is the more familiar and publicized presidential power that allows the president to further smoothen and simplify the administration’s activities via executive issuances. These issuances may take the form of executive orders, administrative orders, proclamations, memorandum orders and circulars, and general or special orders.

Examples of this power are rather abundant. In 2006, following claims of a possible coup, incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo placed the country in a state of national emergency through Proclamation No. 1017.

The issuance was followed by General Orders No. 5, No. 6, and Administrative Order No. 143, mobilizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to keep the peace and quell treasonous forces.

Lastly, military power—perhaps the most infamous due to their penchant to be misused—are the powers vested to the president per their capacity as the country’s Commander-in-Chief. It allows

the president to mobilize military and police forces when needed, suspend the writ of habeas corpus, as well as enforce martial law come extreme cases of invasion, rebellion, or public safety intervention.

A dark example etched grudgingly within the country’s history is incumbent Presidenvt-turned-dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law in 1972, paving the way for 14 years of authoritarian rule. Duterte, following the wake of the 2017 Marawi siege, also declared Martial Law in the entirety of Mindanao in a bid to maintain peace and security in the region.

TRIGGER DISCIPLINE Although there is a plethora of other powers not mentioned in this article—such as diplomatic power and veto power—they all possess varying degrees of weight and potency similar to those powers mentioned before.

For instance, lawmakers were quick to lambast Duterte’s startling decision to pardon Pemberton. Although the president has the constitutional prerogative to grant pardons, Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit cautioned the president to exercise this power with due consideration to the victims and their situations.

Ultimately, if the Philippine government hopes to remain faithful to its commitment to the sustainable development goals and its ambition to end poverty, it may need to adopt a non-monetary approach to define the poverty threshold. Nevertheless, there is a silver lining: The PSA has taken initial steps to better capture the aspects of poverty with the launch of the national MPI in 2018.

With this, the agency continues to recognize that there is an increasing necessity to revamp the poverty threshold.

Dela Cr u z st ates t h at ultimately, “data is data and politics is politics; whether or not politicians will utilize the data is another question entirely.” Yet, with the PSA’s move to redefine and recompute the poverty threshold, it seems that the conversation on poverty statistics is shifting towards a more inclusive understanding of the multidimensional aspects thereof. Looking towards the future, the decisions government will make on the 2021 poverty statistics may prove to be a critical juncture for Philippine development and perhaps even the first steps towards a more equitable society.

The alarm brought by the seemingly unbridled use of presidential powers should not end at pardons but also extend to the others as well. The president’s arsenal is stocked with formidable armaments—armaments, however, that are only as potent so long as the other branches and the public permit them to be.

With that, educating oneself about the extent and implications of presidential powers is important. This should just be enough to detect an exploitat ion of president ia l powers and challenge its usage when the time comes.

Features

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EDITOR: KEZIAH MARU Z. PASION LAYOUT ARTIST: JULIA J. SANTOS

ALL ROADS LEAD BACK HOME The music plays a little quieter along Katipunan Extension, though that doesn’t mean it is silent.

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Quiet farewells: Funerary during the pandemic

BY EALA JULIENNE P. NOLASCO AND ENZO LAGAMON ILLUSTRATIONS BY FRANCES LOPEZ

In a socially-distanced reality where death counts continue to rise while wakes and vigils are heavily restricted, Filipinos are forced to whisper painful and quiet farewells to their deceased loved ones in the safety of their homes.

S O CI A L G AT H E R I NG S , fa mily, a nd trad ition a re important facets of the Filipino life. As quarantine measures stretch on in response to increasing COVID-19 cases, these facets are not spared from drastic losses and changes.

Although people have found innovative ways to celebrate life through online means, there is a deafening silence on how Filipinos now mourn and grieve.

In stark contrast to week-long wakes and padasals that were commonplace pre-pandemic, the funerary halls today only echo from the emptiness. Despite changes in tradition, the COVID-19 crisis has proven that the Filipinos’ grief and mourning carry on. Two frontliners and two grieving students attest to this, sharing their encounters with death this quarantine.

DEATH IN THE NEW ABNORMAL It begins with the last beep of the holter monitor. Tears and denial follow as family members f lock the halls of the hospital.

The doctors and nurses bid their condolences, and the bereaved family mourns by the bedside.

The bleak hours of the vigil are only made bearable by the company of family and friends.

Traditionally, Filipinos hold wakes in either the home of the deceased or in a funeral parlor.

Regardless of the place, people come with food, f lowers, or abuloy to offer. Every night is marked by the arrival of the priest for the vigil.

The second part of mourning beg ins w ith the bu r ia l day procession. The f u nera l reception’s walls suffocate as the family’s goodbyes and tears muddle with the priest’s final prayers. The mourning does not end with the burial, but a new chapter of hope opens as friends and family help carr y the pain.

None of these ceremonies are possible in the COVID19 pandemic, and healthcare workers bear the new protocols in socially-distanced mourning.

For the past seven years that Sydney Marie Ponce has worked as a nurse at Amante Hospital in San Pedro, Laguna, she did not expect that witnessing deaths could get any more heartbreaking.

Ponce recalls that the relatives of the patients pronounced dead did not have to fear staying by their loved one’s side to mourn.

Now, patients classif ied as persons under investigation or COV ID -19 positive a re immediately placed in a cadaver bag while awaiting cremation.

On the other hand, for deaths unrelated to COVID-19, the relatives are given the chance to see the cadaver and decide on the burial process given that the service provider has a proper legal sanitation permit. However, for deceased patients whose confirmatory tests are not yet released, Amante Hospital insists on immediate cremation.

Proving C OV I D -19 ’s pervasiveness in the country, similar strict protocols are observed in Initao, Misamis Oriental. Jane*, a healthcare worker in the municipality shares that isolation is among the most important protocols to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“Kung mag-positive, amo sila i-separate. Naay separate holding area for them. Walay contact with others (If they test positive, we separate them. There is a separate holding area for them.

And there is absolutely no contact with others),” she shares.

If a COVID-19 patient in Initao passes away, no vigils are allowed to take place. Jane explains that patients need to be buried or cremated within 12 hours of the patient’s death because the virus

the health care department are mentally breaking seeing this kind of situation.”

As the COVID-19 death toll rises, we often forget that the numbers mean more than

‘‘

Imagine the pain [the bereaved] are feeling because of their loss. They beg to see the patient’s body one last time but it is not allowed...we in the health care department are mentally breaking seeing this kind of situation.

SYDNEY MARIE PONCE NURSE AMANTE HOSPITAL

can still transfer to another host.

However, immediate burials may only take place provided that anti-congregation rules and social distancing protocols are duly observed.

The pain of implementing strict safety protocols to the grieving family, then, rests on our health workers. For them, the challenge is not so much the grueling work hours and routine, but bearing the news of strictly distanced mourning.

Ponce reminds, “Imagine the pain [the bereaved] are feeling because of their loss. They beg to see the patient’s body one last time but it is not allowed...we in

mortality; they are a testament to the pain of a quiet farewell that the bereaved always carry.

QUARANTINED MOURNING A witness to the altered grieving process of this pandemic, Myara Poliarco (3 AB DipIR) shares her experience of losing her grandfather to COVID-19. Tatay, her grandfather, was rushed to the hospital at dawn on March 22.

A few minutes before his death, the hospital staff informed the family that resuscitation would not be helpful as it could damage his internal organs.

Although her family agreed not to resuscitate him anymore,

Polia rco sha res how t he anticipation of his death did not make it any less crushing. She recounts, “Kung gaano kalakas ‘yung pagdasal at pag-iyak namin sa bahay—when we heard na wala na si Tatay—ganoon din ka lakas ‘yung silence (The volume of our prayers and cries in the house were as loud as our silence when we heard that Tatay was gone).”

Fully aware of the strict protocols regarding COVID-19 deaths, the most that Poliarco’s family hoped for was to see his cadaver. “We had to beg the hospital to release the body...but since it was COVID then, wala na kaming choice but to have him cremated,” Poliarco recalls.

The silver lining for Poliarco was controlling some terms of Tatay’s cremation. She laments, however, that these protocols only favor a few. “Yung iba, hirap sila kasi...ilalagay lang sa plastic bag yung ashes….[you are paying] your final respects at ilagay mo lang sa plastic (The others are having a difficult time because you’re paying your final respects, but the protocol is to just put the ashes in a plastic bag).”

As per quarantine regulations in Metro Manila, no vigils were allowed for the family. Instead, Poliarco shares how the most they could do was pray with each other.

For Serge Cua, a political sc ience ju n ior f rom t he University of San Carlos in Cebu, being allowed to have small

wakes and burials still worsens the pain caused by loss.

Surmounting two encounters with death in this pandemic, Cua shares losing his grandmother, Mommylo, first. He recalls having an intimate vigil for her that lasted three days before her burial.

However, having barely recovered from one loss, Cua shares having to confront another. “On the day of her burial, we left lolo at home because senior citizens aren’t allowed to go out. When we came back home hoping to recover from an emotionally draining day, lolo left us without even saying a proper goodbye,” he says.

Cua’s family had to go through t he ordea l of a socia llydistanced, one-day vigil and burial again, this time for his lolo.

Though grateful for at least being able to hold a mass before bidding their final farewell, Cua still believes that the new protocols come at the cost of properly paced emotional healing.

CARRYING THE PAIN W it h prolon ged soc ia l restrictions, it becomes easy to forget that tragic stories lie beneath the growing statistics.

Jane and Ponce have shown how their hearts break at the frontlines for the loss of families in this quarantined reality.

It is when one experiences death firsthand that the statistics become testament to pain.

Poliarco and Cua challenge us to remember that there is no point mov ing for ward if we only keep ourselves safe and forget the love and sorrow behind the rising death count.

With memories of their loved ones still safely with them, however, Poliarco and Cua share their dreams and aspirations: To be able to hug someone again, to do things with renewed vigor and enthusiasm, and to move-armed with the lessons of this pandemic into a better tomorrow. *Editor’s Note: The interviewee’s name has been withheld upon her request in order to protect her identity and privacy.

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Features

All roads lead back home More than a bar, Route 196 was a home to musicians and fans alike. In the wake of its closing, we look back on the marks it has made and the torches it has passed.

BY LIAM ISAIAH LAO

THEY SAY that along Katipunan Extension, one could hear the faint sound of music reverberate throughout the highway in the wee hours of the night. Today, the music plays a little quieter, though that does not mean it is silent.

In 2007, a resto-bar named Inihaw Republic rebranded and became what is now known as an invaluable piece of live music history. Route— as its regulars call it—has housed some of the biggest artists to date, such as Itchyworms, Sugarfree, IV of Spades, and Ben&Ben. What started as a resto-bar along Katipunan Avenue eventually turned into a training ground for artists, and a home for the local music scene.

As the COVID-19 pandemic took its toll, Route 196 permanently closed its doors on August 23.

The difficult decision was made remotely in the course of a few days, after several video calls and careful deliberation by the owners.

“We [wanted] to stop the bleeding,” says co-owner Kelvin Yu. In the wake of its closing, Route 196 was mourned by artists and fans alike.

For many, they don’t just tell stories of Route—they tell stories of home.

A CERTAIN ROMANCE For Anzo Pineda, vocalist and bassist of punk band Tokyo Escape, a part of the music scene has died with Route’s closing. The moments he spent there helped shape the musician he is today.

He looks back on when he and his friends would fantasize about performing in Route. “[Route] just had this mystique around it…

Somebody would just bring up a [random] chord progression and say, ‘Oh dude, imagine we play that at Route and everyone just starts jumping.’ It’s that kind of thing.”

In 2019, Pineda and his band finally fulfilled this dream and stepped onto the Route stage as performers. He recalls how a peculiar ad on Facebook caught the band’s attention. “It was by a weird [production company]—I think it was Chocolatey Productions or something like that. [It said] ‘No pay, just sign up and play.’ So we [said, ‘Fuck it,’ and] signed up.”

At 2 AM on a weekday, Tokyo Escape performed their second gig at Route with 16 people in attendance. What ensued was, according to Pineda, “the gig life at its purest form.”

The crowd thinned as the night went on. By the time they were

onstage, only three or four other bands stayed. However, this did not deter Pineda and his band, as the artists they once watched were the same ones cheering them on.

“Looking back, that’s where I learned the [concept of] ‘We’re musicians. We stick together.’ It was just one gig, but that was all I needed. It’s such a blessing, it helped us grow up as musicians,” he says.

Getting the chance to perform at Route was not as simple for others.

Aspiring solo musician and singersongwriter Jakey Campos describes performing there as his end goal.

“Ever since [I watched my first gig], it’s been my dream to perform in Route 196…and seeing it close down really tore me apart.”

Campos had only gone to Route as a fan. Back then, he would chase gigs despite a busy schedule and the distance from his home to Katipunan. Despite the roadblocks, Campos decided that it would be worth it if Route gave him an unforgettable first live show experience. From then on, the venue became his escape—a place where he feels that his time is always well spent. Although he could never stay for an entire show, Campos tried to stay for as long as possible. “I feel kinda empty

Confined in dark spaces

BY JULLIA CHEN PHOTO BY BETTINA CUAN

Amid their battle against heightened feelings of fear and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, people suffering from mental illnesses long for support and understanding from their communities.

AS THE country’s COVID-19 crisis plunges deeper into dire status, it is no mystery that the general public frets more and more about their safety. Threats imposed by the outbreak draw people nearer to their stress tolerance as not only physical health but also mental and emotional wellness are left at risk.

While the ongoing quarantine warrants protection from the pandemic’s perils, it does not shield people suffering from mental illnesses against the triggers that plague their sanity.

INTERNAL BATTLE Pushing through the agony induced by clinical depression has been difficult for Ken*. The severity of his condition drastically escalated when the pandemic befell the country, especially when he and three other family members tested positive for COVID-19.

Despite their full recovery, his symptoms of depression continue to trouble him. “Yung mental health status ko nung ECQ, it progressively became worse (My mental health status progressively

became worse during the ECQ),” he recounts.

For example, his general loss of interest substantially decreased his productivity. “Bumalik yung sintomas nung kasagsagan ng busy season [sa trabaho] (The symptoms resurfaced during the peak of busy season at work),” he explains.

To keep his symptoms at bay, Ken veers away from his stressors such as exposure to bad news on television, and gravitates towards comedy series and movies as a distraction.

PHOTO BY JIM DASAL ILLUSTRATION BY FIDESS BISNAR

knowing I wasn’t able to go as much as I wanted to,” he admits.

For Campos, Route 196’s legacy will always motivate him to be a better artist. “That ideal dream of me playing my own music there in Route 196 may not happen for a while, but it can happen in other ways and I feel like that’s what’s keeping me going right now.”

While Route motivates and forms new musicians, it was also a home to many veteran artists.

Singer-songwriter Johnoy Danao had seen Route throughout its lifetime in Katipunan—he had been playing at the venue since the previous owner, JP Balboa, first asked him to perform 10 years ago. “[Route gave me a] second chance at music, [at] creating music,” he shares. “Parang naging bahay ko siya for 10 years, from my first solo album hanggang ngayon (It’s as if it became my home for 10 years, from my first solo album until now).”

Many memorable moments in Danao’s career happened in Route: From launching his first solo album Dapithapon, to seeing Ben&Ben perform their first live gig after helping them produce their first album. For the singer-songwriter, Route was a place for firsts and second chances.

Danao regrets Route’s closure, as it still had the potential to develop many more artists. He shares that, at Route, renowned and idolized artists would be the ones to cheer the newer bands on. “They’ve given a lot of opportunities para sa mga banda.

They’ve given a space for bands and artists to just do their thing.”

M ina* sha res sim ila r experiences with Ken as she struggles with the same mental illness. In her case, the ongoing crisis has given rise to new sets of fears. “We worry about our family that’s not here. We worry about our family that’s currently on lockdown. Frustrations pile up,” she says.

A m id h e r d e s p on d e nt condition, Mina relieves stress by finding refuge in hobbies and activities she enjoys. “Feel ko kasi when you’re inside, you have nothing else to focus on but your problems. That’s why I try to distract myself through art, with memes.”

Although coping strategies prov ide tempora r y relief, these do not render long-term remedy. Mood disorders like clinical depression necessitate professional help to allay the symptoms detrimental to overall well-being.

This innovation, albeit nifty, has its downsides as online consultations cost more than onsite ones. “Normally yung binabayad ko sa psychiatrist ko [ay] Php 1,000 per session, pero yung sa online twice na (I normally pay Php 1,000 to my psychiatrist per session, but online sessions are twice the fee),” Ken attests.

Meanwhile, some cases call for more lenient measures. Robyn*, who was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder explains that her required biweekly therapist appointments were eventually reduced to monthly visits until she no longer needed them.

She employs her therapist’s recommendations, like meditation and mindfulness, whenever she experiences breakdowns or anxiety attacks. Regularly performing these supplementary exercises makes it easier for her to cope, even with less visits to her therapist. “Once you start doing it and applying it in your everyday life it becomes less of a burden; it becomes more natural,” Robyn explains.

Treatments for va r y ing degrees of mental illnesses are non-linear; what works for some may not work for others.

Although professional help is within reach to some, there are still societal misconceptions on mental health that keep them from being understood.

TRAILING THROUGH THE DARKNESS There is no quick fix when treating mental illnesses, as patients have to go through months or even years of therapy and medication. However, consultations have transitioned online to accommodate concerns during quarantine.

Ken shares that he is still able to consult his psychiatrist via the electronic p r e s c r ip t i o n a p p l i c a t i o n Philippine Pha r maceutica l D i r e c t o r y fo r P a t i e n t s .

PAYING IT FORWARD The impact Route would make on the local music scene was the last thing on the owners’ minds, according to Route 196 co-owner and Itchyworms bassist Kelvin Yu. Shocked at the public response towards Route’s closure, Yu shares, “Para sa amin, it was as simple as paying it forward, and apparently we made an impact.”

Those paying it for ward included Yu and his partners Jugs, Ted, Saul, Waco, and Nicole, who have been running the bar since the first owners turned it over to them in the mid-2010s.

Yu attributes the venue’s success partially to the staff—who have worked for Route 196 since day one—and to the chemistr y between the business partners.

“It was fun kasi lahat kaming partners, we were friends…

Everyone was there not to make

A GLIMMER OF HOPE Diminishing symptoms of mental illnesses is far from being

money, but to pay it forward to the [music] scene, to have fun,” he shares.

Throughout its tenure, Route 196 was a crucial bridge between generations of artists and fans. Its success traces back to owners who continue to pay it forward, keeping the atmosphere of support and openness alive within Route’s walls.

If Route should ever open its doors again, Yu says, “Never say never, but siguro we’ll let the younger groups run it. We can pass the torch on to them when the time comes.”

Route’s reopening is always welcomed by the music scene, no matter when it might re-emerge.

Music is intergenerational—and Route facilitated its exchange.

New musicians had taken the stage inspired by the generation before them, while their idols stood by and supported them from the sidelines.

The music scene is a family built on support, and Route was their home.

With live shows put on hold, musicians are trying to keep the music playing from the safety of their own homes. For now, the spirit of Route 196 will always remain. Despite its closure, Route will live on in the artists it once housed and the culture it has helped shape. a lost cause as patients manage to find even the faintest hint of hope to keep them going. Nonetheless, there are persistent gaps that impede their recovery process.

For instance, the stigma against mental health continues to surface and invalidate the suffering of these patients.

Ken divulges that sharing his sentiments with his family can be rather uncomfortable. “Sa pamilya ko—gusto kasi [nilang paniwalaan] na nasa isip lang daw yun (My family wants to believe that it’s all in my head),” he recounts.

Ps ycholog y Depa r t ment professor JR Ilagan explains that a reliable support system is crucial for people who are suffering from mental illnesses. “We’re living in a stressful context. So, especially for people who are suffering from [a] certain mental illness, really what’s necessary is some kind of support from family,” he says.

Downplaying the severity of mental illnesses as a lack of resilience and emotional strength only adds layers to the struggles of those suffering from them. When feelings of fear and anxiety have already been exacerbated by the prolonged crisis and people are rendered vulnerable, there is greater need for effective modes of support from the community. *Editor’s Note: The interviewees’ names have been withheld at their request in order to protect their identity and privacy.

The GUIDON | October 2020

In fear, in shadows WRITTEN BY GENESIS JACINTH TAN COMIC BY MIKHAELLA NORLIN MAGAT

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Features

Until we meet again While quarantine protocols pose a challenge to maintaining relationships, they also provide an opportunity to innovate how we bond and appreciate what was once normal.

W E ARE living in strange times, with people trying to maintain their usual lives but confined in their own homes.

With the Philippines’ lockdown continuously extended, this quarantine has changed how people interact in day-to-day life. Now, we keep six feet apart and see each other through a digital screen—no more chance encounters with strangers, and definitely none of those habitual greeting hugs.

Aside from heading out for necessities, choosing to go out is now taken with caution, but where does the face-to-face time spent with loved ones fit in the spectrum of “quarantine essentials”?

DISTANT LOVERS In the multitude of ways one can show love, many would consider quality time to be

‘‘

Iba pa rin yung feeling na may physical presence. You get to talk. You get to see her entirely: You get to see her smile, her eyes, her face, anytime you wanted.

LORENZO FALLARCUNA 3 BS AMF

important in a relationship. It keeps people updated with each other’s lives and it assures their partner of the relationship’s value. With that said, it’s no wonder many couples make time to be with one another despite busy schedules— being together and learning about each other’s day become custom to the relationship. Today, however, those instances of normalcy feel ethereal.

For Lorenzo Fallarcuna (3 BS AMF), the ways he would normally spend time with his girlfriend aren’t possible during quarantine. Things that felt routine—study dates, escorting her back home, taking the train together, or enjoying dinner with her family—all seem like moments from a distant past.

“Iba pa rin yung feeling na may physical presence (Physical presence still feels different).

You get to talk. You get to see her entirely: You get to see her smile, her eyes, her face, anytime you wanted,” Fallarcuna emphasizes.

While quality time continues to be sought out for, its form has changed. Study dates in Katipunan cafes became video calls and movie nights became Netf lix parties. Things are not the same, but the commitment to engage in activities together as a couple is vital. For example, Fallarcuna and his girlfriend wou ld pla n out week ly de votions toget her, wh ich allowed for helpful heart-toheart conversations.

A nother Atenean couple, Universit y Dor m residents Maeca Pansensoy (3 BS MGT-H) and Matthew Du (3 BS ME) returned to their respective homes outside of Metro Manila as the school yea r shif ted online. “ We both feel sad

BY AISHA C. SAID AND GENESIS JACINTH TAN PHOTO BY PAULINA SINGH ILLUSTRATION BY KAITLYN MERCADO

[about not being able to meet], and we sometimes complain [that stay ing at home] feels like an unnecessary sacrifice because we see everyone else going out,” Pansensoy says. As dormers, they were “used to spending every waking moment together,” to the point that something doesn’t feel right when they’re apart.

It is not just the yearning for the other’s presence that can be unbearable—distance can also leave one worried for the emotional well-being of their significant other. Fallarcuna says distancing leaves him less options to care for his girlfriend. “I’m just sad and scared, [because with] physical [affection], it’s easy to show your efforts to someone by giving her time, holding her hand,” Fallarcuna laments. “Nakakatakot lang na (It’s scary) she might feel unattended.”

While technology has provided ways for people to stay connected, questions of “until when” remain. Connected online but disconnected from each other’s realities, lovers are left desiring for a fateful reunion more than ever.

KEEPING TOUCH At a time of crisis, yearning for the physical norm is far from strange. Cherie Alfiler, a sociology professor at Ateneo de Manila emphasizes that we are “embedded in the social settings.” When collective habitual experiences done in close contact are abruptly taken away, it is only natural to react in sadness, frustration, or forfeit.

This phenomenon extends to relationships beyond romance.

Alfiler explains that for the youth,

the yearning for outside contact is more than an impulse to loiter.

As a result of the quarantine, their support groups became immediately absent as schools closed down. “It’s not just their romantic partners, but [they also] no longer see their friends. And it contributes to the feeling of loss,” she adds. This sheds light on why the absence of closure before the isolation has led to greater unease.

Liezl R illera-Astudillo, a Psychology professor from De La Salle University reinforces that proximity has always been a crucial aspect to developing dee p er con nec t ion s . “ I n communication, nonverba l messages and touch seem to strengthen the message conveyed. [It] also builds on supportive and cooperative relationships,” she furthers.

Fortunately, with online platforms that seamlessly connect us with our peers, feelings of disconnect and remoteness are relieved for the moment. In fact, Pansensoy and Du have made the online experience a medium to grow closer than ever. “If I have online tournaments, he would watch over Zoom. In turn, I would also play games with him and his friends…we try to involve each other with what we do,” Pansensoy reveals.

Similarly, Fallarcuna makes sure to preserve much of his shared habits with his girlfriend from before the quarantine as a form of keeping touch. This may be through online devotions and prayers together, or baking and sending brownies to each other.

Even moments of compromise

in schedules are welcome to the couple, as what matters most is that the other would never feel untended. “She’d be available online when I need her and I’ll be available anytime she needs me,” Fallarcuna mentions.

If there is anything to learn from the eventful seven months of social isolation, Alfiler says that “it would be the value of communication.” Near or far, virtual or physical, we are at the disposal of the changing and volatile world. Therefore, she emphasizes human creativity amid demotivating times; we find means to compensate and adapt through love felt and given online. She remarks, “Although there’s no real substitute to physical touch, it is the safest at the moment,” and for now, this will do.

WARMTH IN THE UNCERTAIN Today’s reality is distant from what used to be normal and routine. Days are taken with a tenfold of precaution and nights may be restless from qualms of the future. It is challenging for every person, but still, we continue to persevere in spite of.

With a firm grasp of a hopeful future, Pansensoy and Du move forward regardless of mishaps and bad days in the relationship.

Revealing how they breezed through half a year apart, Pansensoy and Du both express that the anticipation to see and be with each other again rids them of unnecessarily prolonging their couple quarrels.

In efforts to be on the same page with each other, Fallarcuna and his girlfriend have a concept of love in seasons, where he suggests that relationships pass through “predictable patterns of interaction: Spring, summer, fall,

and winter.” He says that they are currently in winter as days may seem slow and monotonous, but it is precisely in these moments that they can lean on each other for comfort.

Even when voices are now hea rd f rom spea kers a nd smiles are exchanged through monitors, there is still comfort in knowing this time shall pass.

“We both know this situation is very uncertain and it’s not under our control,” Fallarcuna adds.

The yea r ning for closecontact with each other is one that humanity can hold onto, as it fuels collective hope for the better days yet to come. Until the time when street pavements, classrooms, and park benches are warm and filled once more, patience enveloped w ithin homes shall suffice for now.

When the day finally arrives, certainly, life and hugs would never be taken for granted again.

‘‘

Even with the absence of physical touch, we have platforms to substitute.

CHERIE ALFILER SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR