The GUIDON - October 2021

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OCTOBER 2021 / VOL. XCII NO. 2

T H E OF F ICI A L S T U DEN T PU BL IC AT ION OF T H E AT EN E O DE M A N I L A U N I V ER SIT Y HOLD THE TRUTH TO POWER

A HELPING HAND. The Sanggunian launched their Mental Health and Academic Subsidies along with the Resource Partnership Program to address Ateneans’ concerns amidst the pandemic and online set-up. PHOTO BY BETTINA CUAN

Sanggu launches mental health, academic, and organization subsidies

BY ZOEY C. ATILLO

TO AID Loyola Schools (LS) students and organizations with their mental health and financial concerns, the Sanggunian implemented the Sanggunian Mental Health Subsidy (MHS) and strengthened the existing Sanggunian Academic Subsidy (SAS) and Research Partnership Program (RPP).

These subsidies already function as annual Sanggunian initiatives. However, former Interim Sanggunian President Jb Bejarin only introduced the Sanggunian Mental Health Fund Act of 2020 on April 15. Sanggunian Vice President TJ Alcantara clarified that they first needed to improve MHS’s coverage and simplify its processes for easier student access.

He also stated that signups for MHS will likely open in October, while School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) Representative Rika Cruz said that both SAS and RPP were already implemented on September 27.

In a previous interview with The GUIDON, Bejarin said that only a few students applied for SAS and RPP in the last AY due to a lack of awareness about the subsidies. According to John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) Representative Liezel Brito, the Sanggunian had since launched email blasts and Facebook posts to raise awareness on these subsidies. They also connected with professors and relevant organizations like the Ateneo Junior Marketing Association and the Ateneo Lex to endorse both SAS and RPP to students.

TIME FOR CHANGE. Difficulties in enlisting via AISIS have long been a recurring issue faced by students of the Loyola Schools throughout the years. PHOTO BY PAU SINGH.

STRENGTHENING STUDENT SERVICES As part of the Sanggunian’s mission to promote student wellness, Alcantara stated that Php 400,000 of the MHS’s one million-peso budget covers students’ mental health services. He added that the remaining Php 600,000 will serve as an endowment fund to be invested in a bank so its eventual interest can be utilized in the following AY. However, Alcantara noted that this initiative is still inactive as the Office of Student Activities advised them to temporarily hold off investments due to the current economic recession.

Guided by talks with the Loyola Schools Office of Guidance and Counselling (LSOGC), Alcantara said that each approved MHS applicant will receive Php 4,800 for their

prescription medicines and Php 7,000 for initial consultations.

Meanwhile, psychological counseling and psychiatric consultations that include therapy sessions each amount to Php 6,000 per student.

In implementing SAS, Cruz said that this subsidy has become more necessary to SOSE students in the pandemic due to financial constraints and the inaccessibility of the University laboratories for experiments. The subsidy only applies to seniors and super seniors completing their thesis, and provides them with financial aid for equipment and shipping costs.

Cruz also explained that SOSE received the highest SAS allocation at Php 200,000. She clarified that there is no concrete breakdown for this budget as it depends on the students’ financial needs indicated in

"While this subsidy is only open [to] seniors and superseniors, [...] sana the [freshmen] already know this [...] so they can find comfort na may [ganitong] subsidy if they’re [going to] pursue their thesis."

SANDRA LOVENIA DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OFFICE

their applications. Should there be money left over from the budget, Cruz said that she will pass a resolution to reallocate it to other SOSE projects.

With JGSOM, Brito said that RPP’s Php 256,500 budget helps

DUE TO the first semester’s online enlistment issues, several administrative offices met to revamp the system and update the enlistment and registration policies through demand-driven course planning strategies for the Loyola Schools (LS).

According to Information Technology Resource Management Office (ITRMO) Director Sandra Lovenia, the ITRMO will transfer the Ateneo Integrated Student Information System (AISIS) to a cloud-based system before the next semester. She also revealed that the ITRMO plans to replace

AISIS with a new system to address functionality issues.

In line with this, University Registrar Marlene De Leon, PhD and Office of Management Information Systems (OMIS) Director James Patrick Gregorio said that enlistment processes will likely stay online even if on-site classes return.

“Yes, if no one will contest me from the higher-ups. ‘Yun na ‘yon.

(That’s it.) Whatever we have now, we’re not gonna change it.

[Enlistment will] be fully online from here onwards,” De Leon said.

IMPROVING THE INFRASTRUCTURE With the expected changes, Ateneo Registration Committee

OPINION Chronic Pains Page 06

SPORTS

(RegCom) Public Relations Officer Lorenzo Bitong added that OMIS is in the process of debugging AISIS to prevent issues.

“With [...] thousands upon thousands of students, it’s very hard. It's even outside OMIS’ control that AISIS and the load revision site would have lags, delays, and even crashes. But [...] we can push for those concerns to be alleviated, so they are even no longer a concern to begin with," Bitong added.

Along with the said enlistment issues, Lovenia said that on-campus power interruptions in August led to server malfunctions in AISIS. RECURRING AISIS FLAWS

SANGGU LAUNCHES MENTAL › 5

WHAT’S INSIDE

Recurring AISIS flaws lead to cloud-based revamp for future online enlistments

BY ANNA PINEDA

support the goals of both accredited and non-accredited LS organizations such as the Aspiring Restaurant Entrepreneurs Association

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A shift in the culture Page 12

INQUIRY Service in arms INQ / Page 04

BEYOND LOYOLA Translucent democracy BL / Page 01

FEATURES Fear of God FTS / Page 01

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News

LS Cura Project highlighted to boost community support

BY MOIRA V. CAYABYAB

IN RESPONSE to the growing COVID-19 pandemic-related concerns of the Loyola Schools (LS) community, the Office of the Vice President for the Loyola Schools (OVPLS) gave emphasis to the services provided by the LS Covid Unified Response and Assistance (CURA) Project.

Supported by the Task Force on COVID-19 Response, the OVPLS created the project last May in collaboration with different LS offices like the Loyola Schools Office of Guidance and Counseling (LSOGC), Office for Health Services, and Office of Campus Ministry.

According to Vice President for the Loyola Schools Maria Luz Vilches, PhD, the LS Cura Project provides updated information to members of the LS community on help services available.

These channels are focused on addressing challenges related to medical, mental health, academic support, and human resources.

ORGANIZED NETWORK Besides providing information to members of the LS community, Student and Administrative Affairs Associate Dean Marie Joy Salita said that the LS Cura Project was created to effectively communicate the concerns of the LS students and employees.

According to her, the project

operates alongside the services provided by the LS One and bridges the pandemic-related concerns of the LS community towards the proper channels.

“CURA is specifically servicing the COVID-19 related needs.

[And] all the other information, communication, and student needs are responded to in the different sections of the LS One,” she said.

Salita further explained that it was necessary to have different help options available for both LS students and employees since there are different forms of support needed.

Additionally, Vilches mentioned that the LS Task Force for Covid-19 Response was created to formalize the collaboration among networks of offices, departments, and student groups that respond to the pandemic situation. In line with this, the LS CURA centralizes the network into one website and lists down the offices that employees and students may contact.

For example, spiritual-pastoral concerns are also supported by including the contact details of the Jesuits, Chaplains, and Campus Ministers. This is in addition to the involvement of other offices where academic, medical, and mental health matters can be coursed.

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT Prior to the launch of the CURA Project, LSOGC Director Gary Faustino said that there were already discussions among the University offices to look for ways to address the psychosocial concerns happening because of the ongoing pandemic.

Faustino explained that although the LSOGC continues to accommodate students for counseling, they cannot be the only office handling the LS community because of limited capacity. He added that students still carry concerns about confidentiality and worry that

CURA is specifically servicing the COVID-19 related needs. [And] all the other information, communication, and student needs are responded to in the different sections of the LS One. MARIE JOY R. SALITA ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR STUDENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

CURA PROJECT. Led by the Office of the Vice President for the Loyola Schools, CURA Project hopes to address students’ and employees’ concerns surrounding mental health, academics, and human resource support amid the pandemic. PHOTO BY EIRENNE A. LUMASANG.

what they say during counseling sessions will be shared with their families.

According to Faustino, the LSOGC keeps a strict protocol for confidentiality and will only breach protocol when a student becomes a danger to their own self or to others. However, he also acknowledged that not everyone looking to seek help would want to avail of counseling services.

He emphasized that there was a need for collaboration among the different University offices and to enable a multidisciplinary approach in helping the LS community.

“For example, you’re not spiritual and you want psychological [help]. You go to Bulatao. Or if you’re okay with psychological [approach], but you want the spiritual side, then you go to Emmaus. Or if you’re more of the social action type and you want to see it in that perspective, then you can go to the Office of Social Concern and Involvement,” Faustino said.

OTHER MEANS OF SUPPORT Despite having the LS CURA Project in place, the LSOGC has taken other measures to help the LS students. Faustino said that they have improved

their marketing arm by hosting podcasts and creating publicity materials in hopes of encouraging students to attend counseling sessions, even just to destress.

“We consider ourselves as a secondary care. Primary care would be your next friend, the person beside you, your family, and everyone else. [...] It’s more purposive. When ventilating to people doesn’t work anymore or you’re already manifesting certain behaviors that need to be addressed in a professional way, then that’s secondary care. That’s us,” Faustino said.

He also mentioned that the LSOGC is working together with the Sanggunian and other student organizations to initiate peer support group programs.

Additionally, the LSOGC has also been hosting webinars that cater to the students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Salita further encourages members of the LS community to bring up their concerns or give feedback so that the administration knows what to work on for improvement.

“We are really aware that it’s not a perfect system, there really is no perfect system. That’s why we are open to all feedback. We just want some sort of a context on the feedback students give,” Salita clarified.

EDITOR: ALLIANZA O. PESQUERA | LAYOUT ARTIST: TIFFANY CU

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THE NEW NORMAL OF ACET. In its second year of the pandemic, the Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET) remains suspended as the Office of Admission and Aid implements alternative admission systems.

PHOTO BY VIONA VILLALON

Upper batch criticizes decision to suspend ACET for a second year

BY BILLIE ASUNCION

At the end of the day, we’re all receiving the same Jesuit education, all going to the same orgs, the same student experience of being an Atenean.

KARA ANGAN SANGGUNIAN PRESIDENT

THE OFFICE of Admission and Aid (OAA) suspended the Ateneo College Entrance Test (ACET) for the second time in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similar to the previous year’s application process, acceptance into the University will be based on six other requirements, namely the applicant’s academic performance from Grades 9 to 11, Grade 11 batch ranking, personal essays, recommendation letters, extracurriculars, and disciplinary records.

Although the OAA requested academic and non-academic data, anonymous users on Ateneo Freedom Wall spoke out about the current admission process, saying that the lack of an ACET forces applicants to be “defined” by their grades.

LEARNING FROM REPETITION Though the admission process largely stayed the same, OAA Director Jose Maria Edito Tirol mentioned that there was a need to improve the system to process applications faster and release results on time in April.

Tirol said that the OAA staff had to manually encode data from Jotform last year as only around 8,000 applications were coursed through Edukasyon.ph, which automatically uploaded applicants’ data to Ateneo’s database. Because of this, the admission process will now fully take place in Edukasyon.ph to streamline the data encoding process.

“​​I think we’ll be able to remove a whole month’s work of manual encoding because everything is now under one system, which will be directly transferred to Ateneo’s system,” he said.

To further improve the process, Tirol also mentioned that the OAA has added four new members to the committee so deliberations can go faster.

Consistent with last year’s admission process, Tirol assured that applicants will be evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively.

“Grades, at the end of the day, [...] are not the end-all to acceptance to Ateneo,” he shared.

THE UPSIDE AND DOWNSIDE W hen assessing the quantitative data from the submitted high school grades and batch rank, Tirol explained that OAA uses multiple algorithms to predict how applicants would have performed in the ACET. According to him, this process includes inputting the applicants’ submitted data to generate an overall percentile, a math percentile, and an English percentile. He also noted that this is the same system that the OAA used in the previous year.

“The upside and the downside of the system we’re using is that it rewards students who do well.

If your grades in Grade 9 to 11 are high, and your rank is high, most likely your percentile will be very high,” he said.

While he acknowledged that this system rewards applicants who perform consistently throughout high school, he also noted that the lack of a standard exam like the ACET takes away other applicants’ “last chance to show what they’ve got.”

Tirol additionally clarified that the ACET’s suspension is not a matter of being cruel or thoughtless. “At the end of the day, it is a health risk that the University is not willing to take.”

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA Despite the OAA’s considerations for both quantitative and qualitative data, and the applicants’ safety, anonymous users have taken to Ateneo Freedom Wall to express their dissatisfaction with the application process.

“Do you all know how bad it feels to have to plead universities and colleges to accept your appeal for admission? [...] And here we go again, another batch of students who will go through this stupid admission process, with no other way to prove themselves except for their freaking grades,” one post stated.

Aside from criticizing the admissions process itself, another post claimed that the most recent batch of freshmen lacks morals.

“ACET could have [weeded] out these ‘impostor Ateneans,’” it read.

In response to these posts, Sanggunian President Kara

A ngan pointed out that conducting an ACET does not determine accepted applicants’ morals. Along with this, she also echoed Tirol’s sentiments, saying that the admissions process has always been “holistic” even without the ACET. Tirol also emphasized that the OAA makes sure to judge applicants’ character through their personal essays, recommendation letters, extracurriculars, and disciplinary records.

“If I were to pick between a genius who is clearly amoral, [and] a kid [whose grades are] a bit lower but shows great leadership potential and has good moral standing, I’d rather get that second kid,” he said.

Ultimately, Tirol hopes that this year’s application period sees an increase of applicants from public schools, science high schools, and schools from outside of Metro Manila to make the batches more inclusive.

A ngan encouraged this sentiment of inclusiv it y, saying that the Sanggunian is continuously working to provide students from all backgrounds “seats at the table.” “​​ S anggu is continuously building ways to meet students where they are. Especially in these times, [...] sense of community is so hard to create. There are so many underrecognized sectors in the student body that have yet to find representation,” she said.

The upside and the downside of the system we’re using is that it rewards students who do well. If your grades in Grade 9-11 are high, and your rank is high, most likely your percentile will be very high!

JOSE MARIA EDITO TIROL DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF ADMISSION AND AID

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News

PHOTO ESSAY

Students, OVPSD launch sociopolitical initiatives for 2022 polls

BY ANNA PINEDA PHOTOS BY NATE BOSANO

WITH THE nearing 2022 general elections, the Office of the Vice President for Social Development (OVPSD), Ateneans for Voter Registration (AVR), and Ateneans for 1SAMBAYAN launched several initiatives to promote voter registration and sociopolitical engagement to the Atenean community.

For example, the OVPSD endorsed the Ateneo School of Government-led survey, Pinoy Voters’ Vibe: Youth Edition to gauge the socio-political awareness of the student body. Launched last August 30, the survey asked respondents about their insights on the upcoming elections, voting preferences, and attitudes towards mis- and disinformation.

In line with the University’s social development goals, the OVPSD created the AVR in June as their student arm to closely

engage with the youth in sociopolitical initiatives. Since then, the AVR has published infographics to promote voter registration and videos to explain the voter registration process.

Moreover, the AVR conducted a webinar to discuss the importance of the youth vote and national ID acquisition. To further encourage voter registration, the AVR also established 14 community networks in areas such as Quezon City, Pampanga, and Davao City.

Transitioning to voter education initiatives, the AVR said that the structure will then expand to engage with its institutionalized local networks in the country and decentralize its committees’ efforts to link with new organizations.

Aside from University initiatives, the 1SAMBAYAN, a political coalition

determined to produce a single opposition slate for the 2022 polls, instituted studentled coalitions like Ateneans for 1SAMBAYAN to increase the sectoral youth participation in the upcoming elections. Ateneans for 1SAMBAYAN invited volunteers from all Ateneo schools to promote their goals mentioned in the #YouthAgenda2022.

On August 25, 1SAMBAYAN conveners—namely former Associate Justice Antonio Carpio (AB EC ‘70), former Senator Bam Aquino (BS ME ‘99), Dinagat Islands Governor Kaka Bag-ao, and Rae Reposar—held a roundtable discussion with student representatives from the Ateneo and De La Salle University. The coalition’s event, Dude, Pare, Change, introduced their plans for the youth’s mobilized and collective sociopolitical efforts in 2022.

The GUIDON | October 2021

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Sanggu launches mental health... and Junior Fellowship for Financial Literacy, which the School Sanggunian previously partnered with through its RPP. She also explained that JGSOM received an allocation of Php 101,500 due to the abundance of business start-up applications.

According to her, JGSOM can give a maximum financial aid of Php 14,000 per applicant.

NECESSARY STEPS AND SOLUTIONS In order to better gauge student concerns and formulate adequate mental health services, Alcantara mentioned that he consulted with stakeholders such as the LSOGC and Commission on Mental Health.

To qualify for MHS’ services, students must first gain the LSOGC’s endorsement. The student then has to answer the application form and submit their endorsement letter, medical certificate, and information disclosure consent form to receive their disbursement or reimbursement.

According to Brito, students applying for SAS and organizations applying for RPP need to present their thesis’ or project’s proposal deck and budget breakdown to a panel. Cruz explained that the panel is composed of the applicant’s respective School Sanggunian Representative, Chief of Staff, and finance head, as well as a representative of their respective dean’s office.

Brito further noted that students need to submit a copy of the Sanggunian’s code of accountability along with their receipts to be disbursed or reimbursed.

After application submissions and panel presentations, she added that the student’s application will be deliberated for around one to two weeks.

IMPROVING STUDENT WELFARE In developing MHS, Alcantara said that the Sanggunian considered the student body’s financial conditions in accessing mental health services. Since not everyone can pay for these,

he expressed that they will keep helping students receive necessary treatments to improve their conditions.

In expanding the services of SAS in SOSE, Cruz stated that they are working to extend the subsidy on lab-at-home kits that cost Php 3,000 to 4,000 each. These contain polypropylene glassware, a pH meter, weighing scale, wash bottle, and thermometer.

Although some scholars get the kits for free, she said that these are still pricey to non-scholars given that laboratories were accessible to everyone before the pandemic.

“While this subsidy is only open [to] seniors and superseniors, [...] sana (I hope) the [freshmen] already know this [...] so they can find comfort na may [ganitong] subsidy (that there’s a subsidy like this) if they’re [going to] pursue their thesis,” said Cruz.

Before implementing the RPP, Brito explained that it was often difficult for the School

Sanggunians to meet the minimum required amount of Php 50,000 that each should allot for this subsidy. In line with this, she stated that sharing the budget with other affected School Sanggunians for intersectional organization projects is a solution for this problem.

In utilizing the RPP in JGSOM, Brito said that they were looking into the mentorship program Negosyo Abogado through which they will provide mentors to students who apply for start-ups. JGSOM is also currently in talks with the Ateneo Law School and Ateneo School of Business to partner students with experts that will guide them in the legalities and business execution. “[The Resource Partnership Program] isn’t just a project for the sake of being there, it’s a project that aims to improve the advocacies and missions that students aim to bring out for the [University and themselves],” said Brito.

This isn’t just a project for the sake of being there, it’s a project that aims to improve the advocacies and missions that students aim to bring out for the [University and themselves].

LIEZEL BRITO JOHN GOKONGWEI SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT SANGGUNIAN REPRESENTATIVE

PHOTO BY PAU SINGH

The University has already grown in numbers, and in different forms. [...]

We want to get a better system to manage the student information for Loyola Schools’ students and faculty.

SANDRA LOVENIA DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Recurring AISIS flaws...

According to her, these power outages caused fluctuations in the campus’ main and reserved sources of electricity and resulted in the delayed release of students’ preenlisted schedules.

While moving AISIS to the cloud solves its reliance on physical utilities, Lovenia said that this move is only a “shortterm solution” because the end goal is a system upgrade that better manages student information. She also said that shifting to the cloud prevents delays in accessing AISIS even during power interruptions and other technical failures.

Consequently, Lovenia said that the AISIS’ database will

be automated to promote user experience by addressing functionality and improving the interface. Nonetheless, she said that preparations and testing will be made until December so the cloud-based system is ready for the next semester.

“We can make [AISIS] more reliable if we use [cloud-based] technology. On our end, we can optimize our resources. [...] As far as functionality is concerned, there will be no change as a student,” she said.

Furthermore, Gregorio said that developments such as record-keeping platforms and transactional systems are pushing through for the next semester.

“There is a constant discussion [...] between different groups on how to improve AISIS. Not just AISIS, but all the systems. We’re going to retain initially the existing system [with] gradual enhancements,” OMIS Assistant Director Adrian Pascual added.

ADDRESSING ENLISTMENT CONCERNS Still, Isa Salazar (2 BS BIO) said that the administration should consider its students’ situations when retaining the existing system’s batch schedules and enlistment requisites. “[T]he whole process of this semester’s enlistment brought about feelings

of stress, anxiety, and confusion— even more than the usual that comes with enlistment,” she said.

She explained that even during enlistment, she and her block were not pre-enlisted for supposedly blocked subjects. This confusion was only resolved when Biology Department Undergraduate Student Coordinator Ronald Allan Cruz provided the students with block assignments per section.

Despite Cruz’s help, Salazar said that this block assignment conflicted with their pre-enlisted course in AISIS. Eventually enlisting during the Free-For-All (FFA) period, she still ended with a 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM schedule for one day of the week.

Regarding these concerns, De Leon explained that the RO only follows course schedules made by the departments, noting the possible oversights and miscommunication between offices. De Leon also emphasized the importance of the advisement period because the number of class slots offered in AISIS is demand-driven.

However, Darleane Ortega (4 BS PSY) also highlighted the struggle in confirming her slot on AISIS despite being advised months before enlistment. “Even though I was already pre-enlisted or advised for [DEV 106.1i], [...] it was also an interdisciplinary elective [and] others can take the course,” she said.

Additionally, RegCom received criticism for not accommodating Batch 1 who enlisted at 8:00 AM. Bitong revealed that RegCom will open at 8:00 AM and end at 4:00 PM for upcoming regular semesters, and go back to the 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM schedule for Intersession.

In the meantime, Gregorio clarified that the mirror website for class schedules does not reflect the exact class slots remaining because it does not have direct access to AISIS. He added that the website was made for international students who want to look at the course offerings without logging in to AISIS.

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Opinion

The GUIDON | October 2021

EDITORIAL

Chronic pains EDITORIAL CARTOON BY KYLA NICOLE VILLEGAS

IN A September 7 meeting between a group of doctors and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATFEID), Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque was caught on video berating medical professionals who were present. This led medical groups, healthcare workers, and ordinary Filipinos to demand Roque’s immediate apology and resignation for his actions.

Since the start of the pandemic, the lack of support for healthcare workers has been continuously highlighted.

However, even before the pandemic, healthcare workers have led the fight for better remuneration through the proper implementation of laws that are meant to ensure their right to appropriate compensation.

In order for the healthcare system to thrive amid the pandemic and beyond, the government must heed the calls of healthcare workers and consider their perspectives when crafting future laws and policies.

IN RETROSPECT Signed in 1992, the Magna Carta of Public Health Care Workers (RA 7305) supposedly ensures that healthcare workers are compensated with allowances such as hazard pay, longevity pay, and a higher salary grade.

However, its original intention has not been consistently fulfilled as it is unclear who should be shouldering the cost. While RA 7305 states that payment will depend on “LGU (Local Government Unit) Capacity,” a study conducted by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies reveals that there is no logic in holding LGUs responsible for funding due to the differences in budget allocation per locality.

The unequal funding and overdependence on LGUs has resulted in a gap in the benefits received by healthcare workers, resulting in discontent rather than empowerment.

To make matters worse, private health workers are not included in the scope of these laws. 2016 data by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicate that out of the almost 140,000 Filipino health professionals in the private sector, 19,501 were not regularized.

To address this issue, a Magna Carta for Private Health Care Workers (House Bill 05184) was proposed in 2019 and aimed to set the entry-level salary of private nurses at Php 30,000 per month. Authors of this bill hoped to provide similar benefits for private health workers who are not covered by RA 7305. The bill also seeked to prohibit contractualization and work overloading of healthcare workers.

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As of writing, the bill has not been passed in the lower house.

Though these laws were proposed with the goal of protecting healthcare workers, the current pandemic situation has shown that there is an urgent need to review its execution.

STUCK IN THE STATUS QUO With the aim of properly compensating healthcare workers, the Bayanihan To Heal as One Act or Bayanihan 1 and Bayanihan To Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 were successively passed by Congress in 2020. Under Bayanihan 2, healthcare workers are entitled to receive Special Risk Allowances (SRA) if they are exposed to COVID19 patients. However, stringent requirements and qualifications have hindered the distribution of these benefits to medical frontliners.

While a third version of the Bayanihan law has been passed in the lower house, it remains pending at the Senate level. Once enacted into law, Bayanihan 3 is anticipated to continue the policy of giving healthcare workers their SRAs. A m i d m a s s w a l ko u t s i n the health sector, President Rodrigo Duterte, on August 21, gave a 10-day deadline for the Department of Budget and Management and DOH to “use whatever money there is” to pay the healthcare workers their remaining allowances. This led to more frustration among healthcare workers who expressed indignation over the fact that it had to take an order from Duterte to release the funds.

As healthcare workers continue to assert their rights, there have been a number of medical workers who seek greener pastures abroad for better salaries and benefits.

In the private sector, about five to 10 percent of workers have tendered their resignation. While they are well within their rights to do so, this exodus of workers may leave the healthcare system paralyzed with potential irreversible damages.

Since healthcare workers’ welfare is also dependent on these policies, these shortcomings expose the need for better communication with medical workers and improved policy implementation.

OPEN-MINDED APPROACH Benefits and just wages for healthcare workers must be given even after the pandemic in order for the healthcare system to be ready for the next health crisis.

If the government continuously turns a blind eye to their lapses in the treatment of the country’s healthcare workers, a potential collapse of the healthcare system may happen.

Additionally, the government must be open to feedback and criticism from health workers and consult them when formulating policies related to the pandemic response. Doing so will foster a unified pandemic response that accounts for the needs of health workers, encouraging them to continue their service in the country.

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Opinion

VOLUME XCII, NO. 2 OCTOBER 2021

CHALK MARKS

Lux in domino: A valedictory address

BY JEANNE ANGELICA T. MORALES

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.

Tatiana L. Maligro, AB COM ‘22 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Andrea Mikaela B. Llanes, AB COM ‘22 ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Beatriz Ysabel C. Reyes, BS ME ‘22 MANAGING EDITOR

Neil Christian R. Reyes, BS CH-MSE ‘23

The following is an excerpt from the valedictory address of Jeanne Angelica T. Morales (AB MEC ‘21), magna cum laude and valedictorian of Ateneo de Manila University Class of 2021.

AS WE graduate today, the theme of our graduation poses a challenge for us to be that source of change in the beleaguered world in which we live. “Gawing Buo ang Bansa” (Make the country whole)—feels overwhelming, doesn’t it? It could be daunting out there for graduating students like us to be sent off with such a great

responsibility when we are still trying to learn from experience and are still discerning our life vocations. I am sure at some point you’ve asked yourselves too—how can someone like me, just me, make change happen?

I will not deny having moments of self-doubt whenever I realize how seemingly small I am, and that there’s only so much I can do as one person. For all the Marvel fans out there, it’s not like we have the infinity stones and gauntlet with us to change the world in just one snap. But even then, we don’t give up. This truth

about our limitations should not keep us from hoping. Rather, we should seek to do our best out of love for the people around us, and for the God who loved us first and whom we serve.

As Fr. Jett Villarin once beautifully stated, “Magis is a translation that while we never reach the summit, we keep on climbing. We may never reach the stars, yet we continue to look at them to guide our lives. And when we look at the stars, I hope we see God smiling at us.”

In moments when we realize how faint our spark of light is in a pitch-black room, we do not put it out and deem it useless. Rather, we use whatever little light we have to illumine our paths or pass on that same light to another and create a bigger one.

Sabi nga ni Sir Jethro Tenorio, “Nag-iisa ka lang, pero hindi ka nag-iisa.” (There’s only one of you, but you’re not alone.) You are one of a kind, and you have your own unique self, flame, and light to offer to the world. Realize as well that you are not alone. You have a community, people around

you with whom you can work in making a change, and in getting out of the dark, together. After all, we are called to both live with and for others.

Timely enough, today, we graduate close to election year— 2022. It is one opportunity for us to use the light we have within us to choose the leaders whom we could challenge and work within forging a more just and sustainable future for all Filipinos. But it does not end here. Whatever happens from then on, the mission we carry with us today remains. And going back to the great question posed before us today: What do we do now, and to what purpose do we devote our lives? I have nothing definite to say, even for myself, except—Lux in Domino. Light in the Lord, through His people.

Wherever you may find yourself, allow the Lord’s light to be present in you, and radiate it to illumine the lives of others as we journey out of this darkness together, and beyond it.

Dark as we may see the world, let us not be afraid. Let us not be afraid of journeying through

the dark with whatever light we have. We can cry, feel lost, anxious, distressed, and angry today. All of these feelings are valid, but it does not end there. Let us use these tears, dark experiences, feelings of frustration and anger, as St. Ignatius of Loyola did during his cannonball experience, to move us and fuel us to get back on our feet because we know we have something to offer to dispel the pains, sorrows, and darkness in the world we see today.

In fact, for over four years, Ateneo has helped us discover and ignite this flame within each one of us. It is now time to ask ourselves: How do we use this flame to set the world on fire?

Magkakaiba man tayo ng mga landas na tatahakin, tulungtulong pa rin nating buuin ang bansa sa pamamagitan ng dangal, integridad, katapatan, pagmamahal, at liwanag na tunay nang umiiral sa bawat isa sa atin.

(Even if we go down different paths, may we unite the country through with the dignity, integrity, honesty, love, and light that exists in each of us.)

them casually say how many of their batchmates went to the University of the Philippines (UP) or tagged along with them to Ateneo, or perhaps they themselves passed UP but preferred Ateneo. Either way, both schools seemed like such feasible prospects for them—an expectation even. Outside those circles, it was a question more of being able to pass or afford these big universities rather than a matter of preference.

Perhaps many who got into these big universities did “deserve” it out of sheer hard work and intellect—except I don’t want to entirely believe that. Will that mean that some old friends, schoolmates, and thousands of other students weren’t as hardworking and smart? This is not to put those schools on a pedestal—in fact, ”top” schools shouldn’t even be a thing—but it’d be also naïve to ignore that other employers have their favored schools. In this case, it’s undeniable that some people do have a monopoly on these big schools more than others.

I recall a class when our professor talked about how there are always vacant chairs in any section. “That chair could’ve seated one more student, and that chair, and that…” He’s right—we could’ve hypothetically filled each classroom. What ultimately kept someone from taking that seat aside from logistical reasons were the lack of resources and opportunities to do so.

“That is a very expensive chair,” he remarked. We were all sitting on very expensive chairs, not just in terms of tuition. But in reality; a life’s worth of costs that it took to sit on those chairs.

It’s not that people from exclusive schools don’t deserve their slots just because someone less fortunate did. It shouldn’t even be a debate of who’s “deserving” of slots. Isn’t it ridiculous that education is a contest for slots—so, ironically, you could better compete for the later contest for jobs?

The point for us Ateneans is to start wondering about a lot of things, like why we “men

and women for others” aren’t representative of the “others” we claim to serve. Perhaps there’s something skewed with the very system of education that brought us where we are. Many of us likely came to this school seeing it as a stepping stone to our own success, but we simply can’t graduate from here just stuck at that.

To quote Hannah Arendt: “Education is the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume responsibility for it.” On the same note, we, who were lucky enough to sit on expensive chairs, owe it to the people born with few choices to push for changes in our world—so that one day there wouldn’t be any more exclusive, expensive chairs.

DESIGN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Allianza O. Pesquera, AB COM ‘22 NEWS EDITOR

Martin Javier P. Mapa, BS ME ‘23 Joachim Miguel S. Melo, AB-MA POS ‘23 SPORTS EDITORS

Kiana Lane R. Altoveros, BS LM ‘23 BEYOND LOYOLA EDITOR

Aisha C. Said, BS LM ‘23 FEATURES EDITOR

Marina T. Mata, AB EC-H ‘23 INQUIRY EDITOR

Ann Gabrielle V. Domingo, AB COM ‘23 Daniela Ines D. Lorenzo, AB COM ‘23 VANTAGE MAGAZINE EDITORS

Samantha Dominique S. Onglatco, AB COM ‘23 BROADCAST NEWS EDITOR

Martin Angelo C. Ramos, AB COM ‘22

BLUE JEANS

A very expensive chair

BY GEORGE D. KHO

BROADCAST NEWS PRODUCER

Casey Augustine A. Saballe, BS PSY ‘23 Daryl Robyn D. Sy, AB COM ‘24 PHOTOS EDITORS

Kristine Kaitlyn Marianne W. Mercado, BS CS ‘23 Tiffany Gabrielle H. Cu, BS PSY ‘23 GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITORS

Abigail Pia M. Chua, BS CH-MSE ‘25 VIDEO PRODUCTION EDITOR

Alissa Mae Evangelista, AB COM ‘23 VIDEO PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Carmela B. Masiglat, BFA ID '22 DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT DEPUTY FOR DESIGN

Jonathan William C. Talbot, BS CS ‘22 DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT EDITOR FOR TECHNOLOGY

Ivan Lewis C. Bueno, AB EC ‘22 EXTERNALS MANAGER

Diana Patricia C. Rivera, BS CH-MSE ‘23 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

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

Azequiel Lexander P. de Luna, BS ME ‘22 Kiara Florencia D. Rodriguez, AB-MA POS ‘23 RESEARCH MANAGERS

NEWS Juami G. Aizpuru, Billie Asuncion, Zoey C. Atillo, Joaquin Baang, Moira V. Cayabyab, Carlo G. Gonzaga, Eloiza Mariano, Anna Pineda, Yuan Placides, Wei Tanamal SPORTS Tristan A. Abuel, Miguel Asis, Ralph Anthony Bautista, Neal R. Beltran, Augusto L. Cruz, Gap B. Estrella, Jilliana Marie Gonzales, Lei P. Macaranas, Vito Martin, Kristen R. Matias, Anton E. Mercado, Ira Nepomuceno, Juno Ileana Reyes, Juris Salvanera, Kristen C. Sison, Ra Solomon, Vincent Somera, Ray R. Vicente BEYOND LOYOLA Jana O. Ang, Biel L.B. Arevalo, Pioee B. Bassig, Francis Caiga, Angela Divina, Derick M. Gabrillo, Zachary C. Gonzales, Alexandra L. Grantoza, Ram Hebron, Max S. Kang, George D. Kho, Yves Lazaro, Justine Ramirez, Felicity C. Santos, Jerika P. Uy, Deryn Ventilacion FEATURES Katrina B. Antonio, Gab Aplasca, Aidan Reuel A. Bernales, Jullia G. Chen, Gabrielle Christina A. Cortes, Ashley Enriquez, Reign Iris Centeno, Enzo Lagamon, Liam Isaiah Lao, Christianna P. Lugod, Eala Julienne P. Nolasco, Ryan Suarez, Genesis Jacinth Tan, Jacob Tambunting INQUIRY Bianca Balobalo, Marelle Bañez, Alexandra P. Elicano, Ariana Enriquez, Gerard Ignacio, Patricia G. Policarpio, Camille Salipsip, Jude Lourence G. Segovia, Aren Teodoro, Andrea Tibayan, Lucas Tolentino, Khaela C. Vijar VANTAGE MAGAZINE Ena Algopera, Martin Celiz, Kris M. Fetiza, Therese Garcia, Natalie R. Gavino, Noelle D. Lejano, Gabrielle I. Lombos, Ylia Macazo, Giu Martinez, Jewel Ruther Miraña, Julianne Ng, Rina Julia Ortega, Jia Parma, Ryan Reyes, Rome M. Saenz, Leila Simon BROADCAST NEWS Julia Ericka C. Bayocot, Allison A. Co, Wira Dosado, Rebecca Filasol, Yanni Jose S. Francisco, Belle Gregorio, Kristen Louise Ifurung, Hannah Mantos, Samantha C. Olegario, Iana Luis Padilla, Maegan San Tian, Ria Tenido, Alia Tuprio, Kathleen U. Yap PHOTOS Stella Arenas, Nate Bosano, Bettina Cuan, Jim Dasal, Elly Kim, Eirenne A. Lumasang, Cinta Maddatu, Matthew V. Profeta, Jesh Dominic B. Quiambao, Paulina Singh, Kevin Sornet, Soliel Nicolette, Vionna Villalon, Alexis Wang GRAPHIC DESIGN Jaycob Bustamante, Sam Dellomas, Jose Emmanuel B. Laurel, Pau Lasala, Frances Lopez, Jezzyrae B. Maglente, Mello Jericho M. Malig, Franz Manlutac, Danni Natividad, Samantha Rose M. Ragaza, Chantal Ramos, Gerald Lois M. Roldan, Kurt Tan, Andie Tsai, Kyla Nicole Villegas, Julia Yabut VIDEO PRODUCTION Ella Alabastro, Hannah Arias, Jake Calingasan, Raya Ferrer Carrillo, Angelo M. Castro, Ethan Cheng, Lou Del Rosario, Fran Enriquez, Sophia Estoquia, Jeremy P. Fortaleza, Nicolah T. Gapuz, EG Golloso, Angela R. Manalastas, Marjorie Denise F. Manguiat DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT Josh de Vera, Emman Evangelista, Charm E. Naciongayo, Aidan P. Olarte, Jared U. Ong, Iya L. Perez, Julia J. Santos, Kevin A. Sibug, Katrina Bernice M. Tan EXTERNALS Tricia R. Alcantara, Silas S. Chiew, Alyanna De Leon, Irish Crystal Dio, Monica Gallardo, Cholo Hermoso, Angela T. Ibarra, Helena Lorenzo, Allyzah D. Mama, Nicole Mediavillo, Nina Sevilla HUMAN RESOURCES Tris Almedia, Justin Altubar, Julio Balagtas, Juleane B. Borres, Matthew Cañete, Anicia Guanlao, Dre Guerrero, Lexi Lagamon, Gerard Ma, Denev C. Ng, Kendji S. Tuazon, Yana Alessandra Villanueva, Regina Mae C. Yu, Libby Zorilla RESEARCH Samantha Ackary, Mark Lyster Carlota, Rafael H. Garcia, Arianne B. Mendoza, Kaiser F. Patawaran, Lander Pua, Trisha M. Purificacion, Enrikko Sibayan, Aga E. Villaroman SOCIAL MEDIA Daena Bigcas, Rei Jamola, Bea Pangandian, Noelle Paterno, Hailley Quiban, Maria Sophia Andrea E. Rosello, Kimberlynn G. Si, Althea Ramone R. Veloso, Bella Yara

Luz R. Rimban MODERATOR

For comments, suggestions, and contributions, email:

desk@theguidon.com

IT’S WEIRD when people in Ateneo ask “What high school are you from?” My response is usually, “Just somewhere in Pasay.”

Answering feels pointless since they wouldn’t know my school even if I said so, and it feels a bit shameful not to come from a big, well-known one.

Although it’s harmless, you can’t help but feel like an outsider once the topic heads into “Weh, so do you know *insert name* from AHS?” or perhaps Miriam, Xavier School, De La Salle, Immaculate Conception Academy, La Salle Greenhills, or Poveda—or whichever big

I USED to have no idea what the news was talking about.

Growing up, our humble antenna could only catch the waves of GMA, so it became my family’s main source of entertainment and information.

However, watching their flagship newscast 24 Oras only brought confusion. After all, I knew nothing about the places that they talked about in the news. I would never have traveled to Manila until I was accepted into Ateneo more than a decade later.

Thus, I never understood why networks decided it was more important for me—someone from Mindanao—to know that a mode of transportation I may never ride in my lifetime such as the MRT broke down. For a program that was meant to inform us of what’s happening nationwide, 24 Oras seemed heavily focused on just one region I had never been to. The places it featured always felt like a whole different country and it didn’t help that the reports were in a language I hardly used outside the classroom.

Fortunately, I moved to Cagayan de Oro City a few years later. Living 20 minutes away from the local ABS-CBN TV station provided clear access to localized shows such as Pamahaw Espesyal (Breakfast Special) and TV Patrol North Mindanao. News Anchor PJ Dela Pena would

school in Alabang, Makati, or Quezon City. Kulang nalang is for Ateneo’s college application forms to include a multiplechoice of those schools.

I’m not here to attack the “privileged.” Openly discussing inequity is far better than an eat-the-rich sentiment that only feels counterproductive or self-serving. Still, it stands that many Ateneo students do come from big schools in Manila. Is it surprising? Not at all, sadly because affording those schools meant affording Ateneo as well.

When talking with fellow Ateneans, it’s strange hearing

Relevé

TATIANA L. MALIGRO

Local dead air The more people know about an issue, the more willing they are to contribute to its solution. narrate stories of places that I have been to, municipalities I was familiar with, and local government officials I have seen in the flesh. Local news was delivered in a language I understood and used in my daily life. When disasters such as the 2011 Typhoon Sendong and 2017 Marawi Siege struck, local correspondents had the airtime to tell our locality’s stories to the nation.

Today, Channel 2 is dead air.

After the House’s non-renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise in 2020, the media conglomerate decided to pull the plug on its regional

network group. TV Patrol’s regional counterparts, including our very own North Mindanao, aired their final newscasts on August 28, 2020.

The shutdown of T V Patrol’s regional networks could not have come at a worse time. Just when information dissemination is most important, community journalism suffers several blows due to the pandemic.

For instance, local newspapers’ revenues are taking a huge hit, resulting in job cuts and even bankruptcy filings. Rival networks have attempted to

fill this gap through localized newscasts per island group, but I find their headlines to remain heavily based on the location of their regional broadcasting center.

If ABS-CBN’s rivals are truly hoping to bridge the disparity between Manila and provincial news programming, they must start by airing more provincial news on the primetime newscasts. By beginning to provide local communities with national airtime, response to issues such as natural calamities are more likely to become a

George D. Kho is a Political Science senior at the Ateneo de Manila University. He is also currently a Beyond Loyola staffer of The GUIDON. You can reach him at george.kho@obf.ateneo.edu.

nationwide effort. The more people know about an issue, the more willing they are to contribute to its solution.

Additionally, provincial representation must also be present in the national newscasts’ correspondents.

Whenever “national worthy” news in Mindanao makes headlines, local reporters have been often sidelined in favor of reporters based in Manila.

However, when the Manilabased journalists leave, it is these local reporters who continuously prevent crucial narratives from fading into obscurity.

Similar to institutions beyond media such as the government, locals know the longstanding issues and cultural norms of these communities and what stories deserve to be given a spotlight. After all, it’s always best to hear stories from the locals themselves.

ABS-CBN’s return remains dependent on who we put in power come May 2022. For now, I urge every Filipino to aid in communities’ fight to keep our information landscape alive through dissent and careful analysis. You may also consider supporting community journalists whose stories continue to show us that the Filipino identity is a mosaic of various experiences, religions, languages, and cultures. After all, the story of every Filipino is worth telling.

The GUIDON | October 2021

Crepuscular

KIARA FLORENCIA RODRIGUEZ

When the world is burning, stay I RECENTLY read a book that painted a bleak world.

Ever ything was curated, calculated, commodified— even humans. Valued in terms of utility, the people of this world hustle fueled by a myth.

The book—and the world it painted—was not fictional.

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy critiques the fast-paced, consumerist world which increasingly makes it difficult to lead meaningful lives. How many times have we

felt guilty for not having done anything “productive” with our day? How many times have we burnt out because we take on too much to keep up with our peers? We have been socialized into believing that efficiency is key and productivity equals value.

For systems and technology, this may be the case. However, we are not robots who merely perform tasks day in and day out at a consistently fast pace.

We are humans, frail and fallible, who no matter how

Leap of Faith

JOHNATHAN TALBOT

Stagnant athlete MY COLLEGE life is coming to a close, and I am still stuck at home with little hope of being able to return to the campus. To be a so-called student-athlete during these times without actually being an athlete is a pain that has sunk in rather deep in my final year at the Ateneo.

I’ve been an athlete almost my entire life. As a kid up until the end of my high school days, I was a football player with very high ambitions. In college, however, I shifted to the sport Track and Field because of a scholarship offer. I grew to love the sport. As with football, I also built up goals for how I wanted my seasons to play out.

My Track and Field career was very lackluster, to say the least.

The first time I actually competed for the sport was in my senior year at high school wherein I won five medals at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). But coming into college was a different story.

My first year at Ateneo, I pulled my hamstring and was not able to compete in my debut season. In my second year, I ran the 200m and finished fourth place but got cramps afterwards—rendering me unable to compete for the remainder of the UAAP. Coming into my third year, I was set and ready for my redemption UAAP season scheduled for the second semester. However, as none of us expected, COVID-19

destroyed any hopes for a Track and Field competition.

When the pandemic began, I wasn’t as worried about missing one season because I was aware that I would have two more opportunities. Now that I am in my fifth and final year—with the virus still in existence—it looks like I will not be able to get any opportunities at all.

For athletes, COVID-19 took away opportunities that exist only once in a lifetime. Hundreds of competitors dedicated themselves to be able to perform and represent their universities, yet it seems that it has gone to nought with the stagnant nature of the lockdown.

The only training that I get at the moment are very minimal synchronous online team workouts which don’t even compare to on-campus training. For me to be able to get anything adequate in terms of exercise, I am forced to do my own workouts. These routines require a form of self-discipline that isn’t usually thought of when training in a regular setting.

Personal workouts provide the benefits of still being active while at home. However, it remains underwhelming due to the fact that I am limited with space and equipment. My cardio has been on a decline because I have not been able to run for months.

This is not a situation any athlete would want to be in.

Souvenirs

DANIELA LORENZO

Clean slate BEFORE I discovered Poptropica and the other wonders of the web, I used to read the newspaper every afternoon. I used to build Lego houses and cut up magazines to make collages. I used to make popsicles and fly kites and go on bike rides. I used to carry myself with confidence and proclaim my contentment.

I used to pride myself in being unchanging, but earlier this year I looked in the mirror and realized I didn’t recognize myself.

Somewhere in the last 10 years, I had shed the relatively carefree child and become someone who couldn’t go to sleep without a 30 minute scroll through her feed.

While social media started out as a place where I could express and entertain myself, it was only recently that I realized just how much it had affected my personality, values, and lifestyle over time.

I was suddenly consumed by longing for the girl that I was—and

hard we try cannot sustain such a performance.

Several times before, I’ve tried this. But at one point or another, I found myself crashing and burning. At the end of every attempt, I was listless and unmotivated. I wanted to run away from everything.

The pandemic created an environment that made it almost effortless to disengage from the world. It is so easy to chalk up missed classes, meetings, and even deadlines to a shoddy internet connection. Limited communication channels made disappearances unnoticeable until a long period has passed. But it is exactly at times like this when it is so tempting and so easy to run away that we should stay.

Let us put aside the question of whether it is even possible to completely shut out the world.

Isn’t running away a selfish act?

Doing so may separate us from the stressful world we live in As of writing, there is still a sliver of a chance that UAAP may happen in the coming semester.

Nonetheless, I cannot lie and say that I am hopeful for a proper season because there are still no signs of any competitions in the near future.

All that I am hopeful for in terms of athletics is the possibility of competing after graduating.

Most student-athletes stop competing after varsity life because they end up moving on with their lives, and a career in sports is not something sought after. In my case, I feel as if I have undealt business. To abruptly move on from competing just doesn’t sit right with me.

In times like these, the struggles of athletes aren’t particularly looked at. My experience is just a glimpse into the crisis of being a stagnant athlete under the pandemic. Finding ways to cope can be a tough task given that there isn’t much that can replace the camaraderie, triumphs, and sorrows felt during competition.

Missing a season is equivalent to heartbreak for some.

It is important for such athletes to feel understood as they continue to endure what the pandemic has taken away from them. Many remain facing these challenges behind closed doors. This piece is for studentathletes to feel heard, especially those who are graduating or have already graduated without being able to compete for their school one last time.

To my fellow athletes, your feelings of despair and desolation as we remain in lockdown are strong and valid; they display the authentic passion for your sport and university. And to my rivals in athletics: May we meet again on the track.

so in a last-ditch effort to be my old self again, I went on a social media cleanse.

I started deleting apps, believing that each removal was a step towards regaining my inner peace. Apart from keeping up with schoolwork-related groups and posting necessary updates, I kept offline for the better part of two months.

With my newfound free time, I was able to rediscover old hobbies and try my hand at other activities I had been putting off for so long.

Best of all, I was able to enjoy being in the moment without feeling the need to post a story or tell a friend about it.

It sounds lovely, and I’ll admit that these parts were. In truth, though, I spent most of the social media cleanse having an absolutely terrible time. I spent the first few weeks racked with worry.

but it does not change anything.

The structures that we left— those that undoubtedly affect many others like us—will remain the same when we inevitably come back because there was no resistance.

In the same book, Jenny Odell introduces the concept of resisting in place; manifesting our rejection of the world’s ways in our everyday lives. Instead of giving in to the inclination to running away, I tried out this new concept. It was nothing grand.

If anything, I did it through smaller things like reading class materials slowly instead of rushing through it. I wrote down my notes by hand even when digitizing them would save me much more time. On weekdays, I cooked dishes that required more time instead of quick meals.

When the world dictated that I move quickly, I slowed down.

However, because I remained in this world, I could not remain

slow all the time. Beholden to an educational system that prioritizes quantity over quality, I am guilty of hustling through some tasks in order to comply with deadlines. At the end of the day, I remain fearful of the consequences that resistance entails. So now I find myself in a constant flux of speeding up and slowing down.

I have come to understand that it is alright. The thing about resisting in place is that it is a daily battle. It is a constant struggle against an entire reality; that in itself is tiring. Being the humans that we are, we can give in to it and slip up.

It is okay to fail to resist at times for so long as we have the will to get back up and carry on to eventually realize change.

No matter how many times we fail, running away can never be the answer to the world we find ourselves in.

Lenses

JOSE ANGELO BUENAVENTURA

A flawed network EVERY HOUR, I always end up checking Facebook.

As a social media manager, I must ensure that there is an engaging flow of content on my assigned page. Despite my best efforts, my Facebook page gets overshadowed by political propaganda.

A post glorifying the state can get more engagements than a well-researched article about their shortcomings. Moreover, users would comment the same hate or conspiracy messages towards those with dissenting opinions.

While these activities seem normal, they are according to politicians’ plans.

Dictator’s son Bongbong Marcos, for instance, requested Cambridge Analytica to rebrand his family image. President Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 campaign utilized 500 trolls to deflect criticism. To them, Facebook users are their commodities in fulfilling their insatiable need for advancement in the political hierarchy.

Despite this, the platform has been passive in combating such issues.

Whistleblower Frances Haugen claimed that Facebook has closed some of its security measures against political misinformation before the US Capitol attack. As a result, groups still have countless strategies to falsely promote the political elite.

With the oncoming Philippine elections, there needs to be more attention on this issue. If Facebook

After years of being in constant communication with others, I was crippled with fear of missing out.

Determined to see my cleanse through, I forced myself to embrace my detachment from the rest of the world. However, as soon as I got over this initial fear, I started to grow increasingly dependent on the social media break in the same way I used to depend on social media. Instead of dreading being left out, I began to dread having to return.

Throughout this two-month period, I kept waiting—waiting for my inner child to return, waiting to wake up one morning and be carefree again. Weeks passed before I finally acknowledged that though there are people who have found themselves by taking a break from social media; I probably wasn’t going to be one of them.

fails to act against its systems that fuel the country’s evolving propaganda market, then it will become a manipulative platform that prevents competent, virtuous leaders from governance.

An example is its collection of data on your accessed content.

Former Operations Manager Sandy Parakilas mentions that the site’s algorithms process this information to determine its users’ preferences. From here, Facebook utilizes their predictions to provide personalized content, inciting users to visit the platform more.

Notably, this content includes politicians. People who support a politician through their pages, groups, or posts receive homogeneous content about them in return. While this benefits Facebook due to engagements, it makes users more biased on who they support.

The algorithm then forms an echo chamber which politicians utilize for disseminating misleading content to their supporters. With this, users are more likely to share it given that it is aligned with their biases and that others are also spreading it. Thus, misinformation improves the public’s perception of a politician who may be corrupt or immoral. Preventing this means changing the algorithm.

Another system that Facebook must act upon is its human and AI content moderation. The platform contracts 15,000 moderators to

Even after I gathered the energy to return to my life as it was resumed, I continued to feel a nagging dissatisfaction with the way my cleanse panned out. In the process of trying to reclaim my old self, I had managed to stray even further from who I used to be.

After months of reflecting on the disappointment that was my social media cleanse, I’m ready to admit that it failed miserably because I did it for the wrong reasons.

I expected the social media cleanse to solve all my problems, but I know now that it can’t do that. It can only give me the time to reflect on my issues and the space to work on resolving them. Not knowing this, I spent the detox cramming my mind with books, hobbies, and conversations with family members so I didn’t have to be alone with my thoughts.

9

No matter how many times we fail, running away can never be the answer to the world we find ourselves in.

inspect reports on accounts that violate its community standards.

Due to the large number of reports it encounters daily, it has also added AI moderators as well.

These systems aren’t as effective as they seem. A Wall Street Journal report stated that many human moderators lack multilingual skills in evaluating content, while the AI is only dependent on the popularity of the post. Some violative posts are left uninspected as a result.

With this, politicians have begun treating Facebook as a site for unethical promotion. Given the platform’s flaws in moderation, they have become encouraged to monetize businesses like Twinmark Media to create fake accounts for trolling, aiding their political agenda.

Should Facebook not concretize its content moderation systems, more politicians would become encouraged to commoditize false political information.

Realistically speaking, it may take a while for Facebook to implement the necessary changes on its content algorithm and moderation systems. With the ongoing investigation on the platform, many politicians during the elections will have much time to mislead their potential voters.

However, what is necessary is for Filipinos to include the unethical online conduct of politicians in the ongoing discourse of national leadership.

With Facebook being the popular online platform for news, we must open empathetic conversations with its users about their participation in fake news or trolling. By discussing the negative implications behind their activities, we may start small, mitigating measures against the nationwide industry of online propaganda.

In hindsight, I should have been more realistic with what I wanted to get out of this experience.

The least I could have done was to have a feasible goal and time frame in mind. Instead, I chucked all my apps out the window and hoped for the best.

Most importantly, I should have recognized that it’s not completely social media’s fault that I’ve changed; it’s also anything and everything that has happened to me in the last decade.

I hoped that removing myself from social media would bring my old self back, but it only highlighted the fact that this version of me was gone long ago.

Now that I’ve accepted the failure of my cleanse, I’ve decided that it’s also time I accept the loss of my former self, and move on to better things—both on and offline.

10

Sports BLUE EAGLE LEGACY. UAAP Season 79 Rookie of the Year Jules Samonte announces retirement from UAAP after four seasons with the Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team.

FILE PHOTOS BY BRUCE ONG AND ZOEY IGNACIO. PHOTO MANIPULATION BY DARYL D. SY.

G A L L E RY O F E AG L E S

Jules Samonte: Filling in big shoes

BY LEI P. MACARANAS

THE STAGE was set in Game 3 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Women’s Volleyball Finals between the Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team (AWVT) and the University of Santo Tomas (UST). With the Lady Eagles just one point away from reclaiming the title, all eyes were on their outside hitter Jules Samonte— who secured the championship point off the hands of two UST blockers. As the championship was secured with Samonte at the center of celebrations on the court, little did fans know that they had seen the last of Samonte in an Ateneo jersey.

After three seasons donning the Blue and White, Samonte departs with a legacy made intact by her achievements and contributions to the AWVT. She has become one of the greatest assets of the Lady Eagles with her role as a reliable scorer, emerging from a surprising performance in her rookie year to eventually become Team Captain.

RISE OF THE ROOKIE Before turning into one of the main scorers for Ateneo, Samonte went through the process of improving her skills and experience over time. She started playing volleyball with her friends for fun when she was 11 years old. After

participating in a small barangay tournament, she realized that she enjoyed the sport so much that she decided to start seriously pursuing it.

Her competitive career bloomed when she was recruited by the De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (DLSZ) for the UAAP Juniors’ Volleyball division. The young hopeful won the title in her first year in the league and was then recruited for the Palarong Pambansa team, where she collected back-to-back championships. In her senior year at DLSZ, she was awarded as both the best scorer and best blocker in the UAAP Juniors’ Division.

After her stellar run in high school, Samonte decided to take her talents to Ateneo for college.

She managed to get her big break after filling in well for Jhoana Maraguinot, made evident by her career-high 10 points over their rivals De La Salle University (DLSU) towards the end of the preliminary rounds in UAAP Season 79.

As Samonte impressed with a string of strong performances highlighted by her Player of the Game award against DLSU, the rookie began to serve as a consistent starter for the team. “My only plan was to play and do what I can. I didn’t feel any pressure because I was a rookie and no one [was] really expecting anything from me,” Samonte said.

She was awarded Season 79

Rookie of the Year after reaching the finals, which Ateneo ultimately lost against a star-studded DLSU line-up. “There were times when I wanted to quit, but my teammates and coach always said that it would be worth it in the end… We didn’t win the championship that year, but they were really pushing me to become better,” Samonte said.

Sa monte’s suppor t a nd encouragement from the Ateneo community proved effective.

The rookie became a much more consistent player in her second year, serving as a threat on offense and boosting the confidence of her teammates in the process. She was even chosen to represent the rebuilding Ateneo team in UAAP Beach Volleyball Seasons 80 and 81, alongside Bea De Leon and Ponggay Gaston. While Ateneo fell short of the Final Four in both seasons, Samonte’s time on the team was crucial to the program’s development as teammates Roma Doromal and Ponggay Gaston bagged the bronze in Season 82.

JOURNEY TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP Filling the shoes of a true veteran, Samonte focused on keeping her composure amid new challenges in her third year.

Stepping up for the team was more important than ever as they were

adjusting to the system brought by their new coach, Oliver Almadro. “[Coach Oliver] told us that everyone in the team had a role, even those who [weren’t] part of the UAAP line-up. For me, [my role] was to help the seniors, Ate Bea, Ate Maddie, and Manang Kim. I also had to be a role model for the younger ones,” Samonte shared.

As a veteran, her younger teammates looked up to her as she always prioritized volleyball training alongside her academics. She was seen as someone who would have composure during games, focusing on the team’s objectives rather than the background noise.

Being the team’s main outside hitter, Samonte contributed to the team’s success as they acquired the top spot with an 11-1 team standing in the elimination round that season.

However, they were challenged with a disappointing loss in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 81 Finals when UST swept them via 23-point and 11-point performances from Season MVP Sisi Rondina and Rookie of the Year Eya Laure, respectively.

With the championship on the line, the Lady Eagles gave their all to tie the series in a four-set thriller in Game 2. Samonte stepped up for her team with her attack points

and service aces complementing the excellent sets of Deanna Wong and the defense by Maddie Madayag, De Leon, and Ponggay Gaston.

In the third and final game of Season 81, Samonte and the rest of the Katipunan-based squad built on their momentum from Game 2 and bested UST for the UAAP crown.

The Lady Eagles’ blocking spree and dominant performance gave them a chance for a comfortable set sweep, with Samonte winning the unforgettable championship point through an off-the-block kill, 25-22.

POST-UAAP PLANS After an impressive finals performance, Samonte’s decision to end her UAAP career early came as a surprise for many because she was expected to lead her team as captain in Season 83. With the COVID-19 pandemic canceling Seasons 82 and 83, Samonte decided to bid farewell to the Ateneo Lady Eagles due to the uncertainty surrounding the league’s resumption.

After the lost eligible years in the UAAP as a result of the health crisis, Samonte believes that it would be best to move on to the next level of her volleyball career. Aiming to maximize her prime playing

years by going professional, the 22-year old has recently signed for the Perlas Spikers of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).

Currently in a training bubble in Cagayan Valley, Samonte is preparing to suit up for her first stint with Perlas in the upcoming beach volleyball season. All her attention right now is on the PVL where she plans to play for at least the next five years.

Samonte is confident that her stay in Ateneo, although cut short, will be beneficial to her journey now going into the professional scene. “I’m grateful for Ateneo because this is where I learned the importance of doing more of what you can do, always being open to growth, and being able to share that growth with others.”

From emerging as a star rookie to becoming a trusted veteran in Ateneo, Samonte has proved time and time again how reliable she is on the volleyball court for her teammates and coaches. Moving on from the UAAP with an accomplished career is a legacy left

by Samonte that is sure to have made a lasting impact for the Lady Eagles.

There were times when I wanted to quit, but my teammates and coach always said that it would be worth it in the end…

We didn’t win the championship that year, but they were really pushing me to become better.

The GUIDON | October 2021

11

SPORTS OPINION

School spirit: Hardwood to Esports

BY TRISTAN ABUEL GRAPHIC BY GERALD LOIS M. ROLDAN

“GO ATENEO, One Big Fight!” These were the words uttered by Ateneo fans during University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) events before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. In the absence of UAAP games, the local collegiate Esports scene has taken up the baton of ensuring that school spirit lives on.

Esports has replicated the energy of supporting one’s own school in traditional sports competitions. Even without knowledge of the game being played—as long as your school plays— then the support comes naturally.

GAMES: INTO THE DEEP END The Philippine collegiate Esports scene currently thrives on the following games: League of Legends, Mobile Legends Bang Bang, Call of Duty Mobile, and Valorant. The first two games are multiplayer online battle arenas wherein the main goal is to destroy the main base of the opposing team, while the latter two are firstperson shooters. Despite differences in mechanics and gameplay, all games require a team chemistry that greatly mirrors the energy and intensity usually associated with traditional team sports.

A crucial factor in the excitement surrounding Esports is how game developers are able to shift the course of the competitive scene, constantly making adjustments to gameplay to ensure healthy and flowing competition. As such, Esports teams usually employ the most effective tactic available strategy to win games wherein the team creates the best strategy in response to changes made by the game developers. The continuous tinkering of the games makes Esports interesting as teams need to adapt and strive to stay on top.

Just like traditional sports, Esports provides an avenue for students to showcase their school pride. The nature of the games and the way each team strives to be the best complements the energy when supporting one’s university. As a result, school rivalries—such as the unmistakable Ateneo and La Salle clashes—are now being translated from the hardwood floors to the virtual world.

The first two seasons of the AcadArena University Alliance Cup–Valorant saw Ateneo lose the championship to La Salle in the grand finals, while the revived rivalry resulted in Ateneo taking the National Campus Open - League of Legends championship. Watching the games and witnessing the student

banter from different schools resemble the passionate and loud cheers usually heard in arenas is what revives the spirit of competition in the virtual world.

“There’s added pressure [if you’re playing against school rivals] because a lot of people are rooting for your school to win and I think it makes it more fun,” Josh Dinio of LG Hydra said.

Despite these games reliving the vibrant history of different school rivalries and the eagerness of students to showcase their school pride, collegiate Esports would be impossible without a proper venue. The games that teams play are only part of the collegiate Esports scene, as teams will not flourish without a proper structure behind them.

Enter AcadArena.

STURDY SUPPORT STRUCTURES Different tournaments happen every year at the collegiate level, but these tournaments are usually one-time events. Founded in 2019, AcadArena is an organization that has been developing the Esports collegiate scene by providing a platform for Esports athletes to compete. Teams generally participate in at least one tournament every semester, which helps to foster healthy competition and rivalry among schools. Despite the complexity of the games, viewers were hooked on the matches as a means to support their schools. The fans are also more engaged when rival schools compete against each other across different games.

“The best part about school rivalry from traditional sports is it’s a very fun way to pitch it into [the] collegiate side [of Esports]. You immediately have that foundation. Pretend I’m from Ateneo, whenever there is Ateneo versus La Salle—even though I genuinely know [the] La Salle team is better—I can’t vote for them,” said Ateneo alumnus and AcadArena caster Dathan Rosales.

AcadArena is vital in the flourishing of campus spirit. The organization not only provides a platform for the schools to play but has also developed a sustainable model for collegiate Esports by supporting school-organizations through its alliance program. With this program, the studentrun organizations are rewarded based on their ratings. This prompts the student organizations to develop their own structure and be recognized by their own

schools. The efforts of the organization were validated when different companies and Esports teams like Globe and Bren Esports supported AcadArena.

“AcadArena is an organization that played a big role in opening up the competitive collegiate scene out there, not just in Valorant. They have tournaments in all games. Other than that, they also have scholarships,” mentioned Matthew Brillantes of LG Terra.

Besides teams duking it out in the different video games, AcadArena also found a way to keep the community engaged. Students from different schools participate when AcadArena itself promotes healthy banter among the players. This back-and-forth has also worked wonders as a weapon for different schools, evident in Ateneo fans responding to an inflammatory quote by an opposing DLSU player in the NCOLeague of Legends finals.

School spirit was also evident during the AcadArena Awards last February as fans from different schools were given the opportunity to vote for the community awards. These awards in themselves have become a matter of school pride for students throughout the world of collegiate Esports.

ESPORTS AND THE PANDEMIC Filling the void left by the cancellation of UAAP games, Esports has thrived on its virtual nature that allows players and schools from all over the Philippines to easily compete online. Testament to this growth is the inclusion of teams from outside Metro Manila, like Pampanga’s Holy Angel University and Cebu’s University of San Carlos.

As collegiate Esports booms in the country, the competitive atmosphere provided by the games and the stability of AcadArena’s league structure results in the reignition of the emotions brought about by school rivalries.The nature of the close games not only resembles the energy of traditional team sports, but brings with it Esports’ own rendition of what it means to represent your school.

Potentially a source of school pride for years to come, Philippine collegiate Esports is on the verge of a golden age in popularity.

With the foundations set, Esports is on track to becoming a huge part of school spirit, regardless of when traditional sports make an eventual comeback.

The difference [between Esports and traditional sports] comes in the medium and who is willing to embrace it because once you’ve embraced Esports to be equivalent to regular sports, they actually function the same way for everyone. Not just the teams involved but also the fanbase that is watching. I think that’s actually beautiful.

DATHAN ROSALES ACADARENA CASTER

ILLUSTRATION BY KURT TAN

JULES SAMONTE After three seasons in the UAAP, former Rookie of the Year and later Team Captain Jules Samonte finishes her career for the Blue and White with a cemented role as a vital piece of the Season 81 Championship line-up.

EDITOR: JAVIER P. MAPA AND JOACHIM S. MELO • LAYOUT ARTIST: GERALD LOIS M. ROLDAN • READ MORE AT theguidon.com

Sports

10

A shift in culture

BY JILL GONZALES AND JUNO REYES PHOTOS BY CASEY MATEO

UPON THE first lockdown implementation in March 2020, athletes have since shifted to online training, limiting their routines to the confines of their homes. This transition allowed Ateneo sports teams to cultivate mixed approaches to thrive in an unfamiliar environment.

The indefinite conditions brought by the pandemic also led to the cancellation of competitions, including the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Over a year has passed, yet the return of competitions remains uncertain—bearing weight on an athlete’s mentality and affecting their motivation to play their sport.

BEFORE THE BIG JUMP Under normal circumstances, teams could play their sport in their respective training grounds on or off-campus.

Athletes could also compete in front of a live audience, fueled by their energy to represent the Blue and White. The UAAP reminded them of the expectations they must live up to and empowered them to improve their performance by training almost daily.

Faye Dizon (3 AB IS) of the Ateneo Women’s Lawn Tennis Team (AWLTT) shared how their training was once held from Mondays to Saturdays on the in-campus tennis courts.

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were for doing tennis drills on the court, while Tuesdays and Thursdays were spent at the Blue Eagle Gym for strength and conditioning.

The taxing demands of daily training, however, did not stop the AWLTT from performing optimally as they had UAAP matches to look forward to.

T h e s e t o u r n a m e nt s encouraged a stronger dynamic for teams—building open com mun ication from their daily physical interactions. “Before, nandoon yung emotional support sa team. It’s important talaga

(Before, the team had each other’s emotional support. It’s really important),” expressed Dizon.

During on-site training, coaches could also observe their athletes’ execution of plays and movements—and the training landscape has changed. AWLTT Coach Jennifer Saret points to the differences in training intensit y bet ween online and on-site.

“The intensity [of training] just varies online compared to on-site when it comes to conditioning,” shared Saret.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced all teams to put their on-site training on hold, obligating them to adapt to virtual conventions. While some teams continue to strive for progress, others have set maintenance as their priority in the new normal.

PRESENT REALITIES The Ateneo Women’s Track and Field Team (AWTFT) currently trains together twice a week synchronously and once a week asynchronously. Coupled with this schedule are internet connectivity problems, the lack of proper equipment, and the absence of ample space to move freely. To adjust to these issues, their coach curates training routines that can be done even without equipment, ensuring that no athlete gets left behind.

Although the AWTFT is gaining ground in this setup, Team Captain Krizia Zulueta (4 AB DS) said that competition drought made the team view training as a mere requirement rather than an opportunity for improvement. “[Training is] really hard, I might say. First of all, you need the motivation to train, and— because we don’t have any more competitions or anything to look forward to—some of us would say that training is required na lang,” said Zulueta.

Additionally, Zulueta explained that the team’s current primary goal is to remain physically fit, which pushes them to continue training despite the challenges

they encounter. Pre-pandemic, the AWTFT endured strenuous practice days through their camaraderie. Now, these team ties prove to be even more crucial as their bonds play an essential role in each other’s persistence to sustain their performance.

In contrast, the Ateneo Men’s Football Team (AMFT) proceeds with training for the UAAP like normal, with a similar schedule of asynchronous and two synchronous training sessions each week. Despite the constant struggles of early-morning training, the AMFT’s strong belief that they will soon return to the UAAP’s turf enables them to power through their trials.

For AMFT Captain Jacob Liao (4 AB MEC), the sole difference between the team’s current training routine compared to that of pre-pandemic times is that they now only focus on improving individual skill and physical strength.“Right now our [training] structure is more on the physical aspect of the game... since we can’t really do anything about the tactical side of the game,” Liao stated.

Amid these trying times, Liao only deepened his awareness of his devotion to football. “For me, it’s still number one because the pandemic really made me realize how much I love the game—how much I’m willing to give for the game, so it’s still my number one priority,” shared the center back.

Meanwhile, Zulueta opts to prioritize her studies, with track and field taking the spot as her second priority. “[Academics] is really the first thing [for myself], especially now that it’s online, which is very hard as compared to before,” she said.

With this, athletes and coaches have undergone collective mindset shifts, albeit on opposing ends of the spectrum and varying from team to team. These factors paint the inevitable change in the sports community’s culture as an understandable phenomenon.

STRONG ASPIRATIONS Nonet heless, at h letes persevere for excellence in their

sports. Players and coaches alike are hopeful that normalcy would soon be restored in the world of collegiate athletics.

Saret stresses the need for her players to maintain their skills, but also instills in their minds that they can compete again.

“Mahirap i-motivate right now ‘yong parang really continue the ‘push, push, push’ kasi parang wala pa silang nakikitang if there really is UAAP or not,” expressed the former national player.

(It’s hard to motivate the athletes right now and continue the ‘push, push, push’ mentality because the return of UA AP is uncertain).

Moreover, Saret clarified that this outlook would help prepare her players to restore their regular onsite routines once the UAAP returns. Similarly, Dizon believes that the current setup should not be seen as a dead end. “Kailangan mo lang talagang isiping baka may UAAP pa, hindi naman talaga katapusan ‘to eh (You just have to think that maybe there will still be UAAP. This really isn’t the end),” stated Dizon.

Zulueta, on the other hand, expresses the AWTFT’s anticipation to return to on-site training before the current seniors graduate. As track and field is an individual and non-contact sport, the team is optimistic that it can set foot on the oval anew.

Similarly, the AMFT members foster a positive mindset that they will make their comeback on the field soon. “Right now I’d say [our motivation level] is almost the same, because ‘yon nga, we’re really hopeful that there’s gonna be UAAP next year, so right now we’re all really hungry to improve,” shared Liao.

Though the future of collegiate sports is indefinite, numerous Ateneo varsity teams continue to train despite having different goals in mind. As athletes work to both maintain and improve their capabilities, they hang onto the silver lining that onsite training and tournaments would eventua lly reemerge in the new normal.

Kailangan mo lang talagang isiping baka may UAAP pa, hindi naman talaga katapusan ‘to eh.

FAYE DIZON MEMBER, ATENEO WOMEN’S LAWN TENNIS TEAM

EDITOR: MINA MATA • LAYOUT ARTIST: KAITLYN W. MERCADO • READ MORE AT theguidon.com

SERVICE IN ARMS Service can be defined in many ways, and the ROTC program stands as one of Ateneo’s answers as to how students may serve the nation.

Inquiry

04

An education that loves

IN THE spirit of cura personalis, the Ateneo has advocated for its students to go down from the hill and immerse themselves in their community. However, while trudging down this path, the school often comes across a confusing crossroads—one that entails upholding both the needs of its increasingly progressive generation and its conservative Catholic traditions.

As the Ateneo recently commemorated the second year anniversary of the indignation protests against sexual misconduct, there is a strengthened call to examine the current state of gender sensitivity and responsiveness in the University. This likely means finding the balance between its roots in Jesuit tradition.

UNCERTAIN SPACES For students like Beatrice Cabana (3 AB IS), topics such as gender and sexuality were spoken in hushed tones growing up. Raised in a conservative religious household, she was made to believe that mere discussions on sex and sexuality were sinful. Thus, conversations on anything regarding sexuality were associated with shame and unease.

After coming of age and destigmatizing these terms, she began to harbor less prejudiced views on matters relating to gender and sexuality. Now, she stresses the need to break the “communication barrier” among the youth and their community when discussing these topics.

For Cabana, this entails having open discussions while also accommodating a person’s moral background. She recognizes that creating these “positive conversations” surrounding gender and sexuality would lead to an “open community” where people can better make sense of varying experiences and opinions.

Platforms that encourage these conversations find relevance in the Loyola Schools (LS) community, as members continue to discuss gender and sexuality on public platforms such as the ADMU Freedom Wall. According to Sanggunian Commission on Gender Equality Commissioner Althea Santos, this is because LS students feel the need to take advantage of their newfound sexual freedom, being on the brink of their adolescent years.

Unfortunately, some of these conversations may involve unpleasant experiences. Santos looks back on how students were often engaged in locker room talk, clothing-based discrimination, and misgendering while classes were held on-site.

Sexual misconduct is an equally pressing issue. According to Santos, the prevalence of University sexual misconduct cases fosters a predatory environment within the LS, which makes students feel unsafe.

According to Santos, the shift to an online set-up does not exempt students from experiencing sexual harassment cases. While students are less likely to experience physical sexual assaults, various media platforms provide an avenue for perpetrators to get sexually explicit content and materials across. In the LS, these are made evident with posts coursed through the ADMU Freedom Wall detailing the inappropriate sexual behaviours students experience during online bonding sessions.

SEXUALITY EDUCATION AT PRESENT Sexuality education (SE), whose main thrust is to lay the groundwork for healthy, responsible sexual and social behavior among adolescents, touches on matters relating to sexual misconduct. To do so, it covers an array of topics such as

BY LUCAS TOLENTINO PHOTOS BY SOLEIL NICOLETTE ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA YABUT

sexuality, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy, gender identity and roles.

The LS embeds aspects of SE with an array of formative courses in the core curriculum.

Behind this education is the Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order No. 1 Series of 2015, which mandates higher education institutions to integrate principles of gender equality in their curricula, research programs, and extension programs.

Currently leading these efforts is the Loyola Schools Gender Focal Point (LS-GFP) Committee. Amid cases of sexual misconduct in the LS, LS-GFP Committee implements “preventive mechanisms” against sexual misconduct, while other University Decorum and Investigation System offices are are tasked to investigate sexual harassment cases.

A c c o rd i n g t o L S-G F P Committee Co-Chairs Jessica

Claudio and Isabel Nazareno, the present general aim of sexuality education in the LS is to promote gender mainstreaming—an approach that considers all genders’ viewpoints—within the curriculum.

Within the LS, such topics are taught through the Introduction to Ateneo Culture and Tradition Program. The year-long program assists freshmen’s transition to the Ateneo college life, presenting them with modules on sexual boundaries and zero-tolerance policies against gender-based discrimination.

Apart from the formation program, topics centered on gender and sexuality are also touched on in Understanding the Self (SocSc 11). Here, freshmen learn to understand the relationship between “the self” and its environment.

However, according to Santos, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression-related topics in

“

What that means in terms of gender and gender equality is that Pope Francis has really encouraged people to look first at the person involved before looking at the teachings.

JAVIER GALVEZ THEOLOGY 13 CLUSTER HEAD

SocSc 11 are not standardized.

As such, only a portion of these professors take initiative to extensively discuss such topics.

With that, Claudio and Nazareno stress how the LS-GFP committee is currently formulating ways gender can be “more intentionally integrated” in Social Science courses. As such, the LS-GFP committee is assessing what gender and genderrelated topics are currently in the core curriculum and how these topics can be “ladderized” within the proper framework of their respective courses.

Furthermore, the LS-GFC committee encourages the various departments to create interdisciplinary electives on gender. In strides forward, the LS-GFP committee is also reviewing proposals to establish a minor in Gender Studies. The Department of Sociology and Anthropology has expressed its desire to head this initiative in consultation with the LS-GFP. TREADING THE LINE Catholic institutions profess that SE, compared to traditional sex education, is highly explicit.

As SE places great emphasis on healthy sexuality, it may likely introduce the language of sex and sexuality among the youth and encourage experimentation with aspects of human sexual behavior.

For Theology Professor Javier Galvez, the inclusivity of gendered topics is also seen as a “threat” to the Church’s teaching of matrimony. Thus, Galvez says theology professors “have a bit of a delicate line to tread” between complementing the progressive perceptions on gender and sexuality while staying true to the school’s Catholic roots.

These professors have turned to the Pontiff himself, who has become a proponent of “mainstream Catholicism,” an approach more toleranting

towards issues affiliated with sexuality.

“What that means in terms of gender and gender equality is that Pope Francis has really encouraged people to look first at the person involved before looking at the teachings,” says Galvez.

As such, Theology courses in the LS seek to provide clarity for students to understand the “reality over ideas”—tackling such issues not as chatechatetical debates, but as experiences and phenomena those in the community deal with. Ultimately, it equips students to ask the right questions, to seek right answers, and to essentially “theologize.”

However, attributing this method of teaching as a response to the sex and gender positive movement within the LS is an oversimplification. Instead, it is meant to engage with the “signs of the times” and to keep up with the global trend of the Church in matters concerning sex and gender equality. This ideology is echoed in Jesus Christ’s call to “love thy neighbor,” especially towards marginalized persons.

In response to grievances over dogmatic approaches on SE topics, Galvez says, “It has been a challenge when [students] come across more established mindsets, so to speak, so I think there’s just a need for levelheadedness. In some sense, we also have to allow time to play its part.”

Ultimately, it is the encouragement of dialogue from all sides that proves promising in the teaching of SE for Claudio, Nazareno, and Galvez. According to Galvez, only when the LS sees issues centered on sex, gender, and sexuality as disproportionately affecting each member of the school, can it understand the value SE aims to impart. Students then become educated with more than just words and concepts, but in a love for their community.

2

lnquiry

A seat at the table

BY KHAELA C. VIJAR PHOTOS BY STELLA ARENAS ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA YABUT

NO STAY in the Ateneo is complete without experiencing its warm and lively student organization culture. Over the course of their college lives, students join these organizations to explore long-held passions and forge life-long friendships.

The League of Independent Organizations (LIONS) houses many of these organizations.

Featuring a wide range of advocacies and interests, LIONS serves as an avenue for Ateneans to translate their passions to service.

Despite being a hub of diverse organizations, LIONS has also had its fair share of complications. For years, LIONS has struggled with decreased funding and underrepresentation in the Loyola Schools (LS).

However, LIONS’ addition to the Central Assembly (CA) as a sector on April 1, 2019, provided it a space to lobby its concerns in the Sanggunian. With greater access to support, LIONS has served as a brighter symbol of the vibrant student organization culture that the Ateneo is known for.

SELF-SUFFICIENT SYSTEM Currently, there are 31 organizations under LIONS— one of which is Project LAAN. Founded back in 2011, the organization has been the main hub of public health advocates fighting for the right to health of all Filipinos through community outreach programs and campaigns.

Project LAAN was one of the first few student organizations under LIONS. Their advocacy to promote public health literacy remains timely, especially in the

“

I think the most important thing aside from benefits is, we’re able to stay not only in communication, but we’re able to participate, we’re able to be included.

VERNON TOTANES RIZAL LIBRARY DIRECTOR

context of the current pandemic.

Prior to AY 2020-2021, Project LAAN would conduct its outreach program Tutubiyahe with its partner community in Calawis, Antipolo. However, with the shift to the online setup, Tutubiyahe was put on hold and Project LAAN focused on remotely disseminating modules instead.

Project LAAN Associate Vice President for Fieldwork Naomi Perez shares how these modules are formulated. “[We] conduct a needs assessment with the community to ensure that all the initiatives and modules are contextualized and based on what [they] really need. Contents are based on the health concerns of the community.”

However, the success of such projects did not come easy since there were still hurdles along the way, such as working around a small budget and struggling to engage with their partner community.

Project LAAN President Francis FlorCruz shares that the organization remains creative in addressing these concerns. He calls this a self-sufficient system, which is present in other LIONS organizations as well. Thus, LIONS organizations often resort to spearheading their own fundraisers to finance projects and initiatives.

LIONS coordinator Alexa Derpo shares that the existence of this self-sufficient system is rooted in LIONS’ issue of underrepresentation in the proper decision-making channels—a problem that was much more apparent prior to LIONS’ addition to the CA. Organizations struggled to bring up their concerns and lobby legislation

to the administration without a voice in the CA. “When you’re an independent organization, there’s a lot of factors that kind of work against you, but you still make it work,” she explains.

TOWARDS BETTER REPRESENTATION It was only on April 1, 2019— eight years since its inception— that LIONS was able to campaign for sectoral representation to the Sanggunian and was formalized as a sector in the CA. This recognition translated to several benefits, including representation, financial support, and logistical assistance. Ultimately, this newfound seat at the table made it easier for them to address their old concerns.

Moreover, Derpo shares that there is now a much more proactive effort on the end of the LS administration, Sanggunian, and the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to assist LIONS. For instance, LIONS is now included in conversations with the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Formation, the Sanggunian, and the OSA in the formulation of policies directed towards the sector’s development.

More importantly, its addition to the CA has also made it easier to secure funding for organizations given their access to student activities funds in coordination with the Sanggunian Department of Budget Management.

Thus, the organization has found its footing amid the struggles that once muddled the sector.

“To put it bluntly, LIONS orgs were just not prioritized [then].

We were stuck in a vicious cycle… where they expected us to function like [the Council of Organizations (COA - M)] organizations but we’re not given the same benefits as COA organizations. So, what will you expect? Now, I really do see OSA’s attempts to support LIONS,” explains Derpo.

With the seat in the CA, the resources they receive are significantly more than before—but these are still inadequate.

At the start of the AY 20212022, Derpo faced the challenge of representing the vast, diverse LIONS sector by herself and proposing their sectoral budget to the Sanggunian. While the LIONS budget resulted in a 6-figure value, there is still a struggle to divide it among the organizations under LIONS. “For the long run, I still do feel like the budget allocated to sectors is limited. We wouldn’t really expect a big budget for LIONS because we’re still treated as a sector and not like a cluster of organizations— which we really are at [our] core,” Derpo says.

Thus, the self-sufficient system of LIONS continues for a while longer.

Derpo explains, “I would be doing the [LS] admin, OSA, and the CA a disservice if I say that we’re 100% self-sufficient because, at the end of the day, we do still receive funding. […] But I feel like we’re forced to be self-sufficient for a much longer time because we just have to wait a little longer compared to COA or [the Sanggunian].”

A SPACE TO LEARN Despite these risks, LIONS exists to represent the vibrant

community in the Ateneo comprising various interests and advocacies.

OSA Coordinator for Emerging and Independent Organizations, Sir Rem Casiño, believes that joining organizations will enable students to find meaning and learn more about themselves. Other than the wide range of organizations that students can choose from, LIONS represents students’ rights to self-organization.

It also serves as a space to make mistakes, as organizations are given the freedom to test the waters. Derpo shares that there isn’t any pressure in founding your own organization just as long as you’re passionate about it.

Furthermore, its addition to the CA marks how the LS community values inclusivity and assures that these organizations are well-seen.

“I feel like one thing that also gets overlooked that’s really important with us having a seat at the table is its symbolism that we’re collaborating with all other university bodies. I think the most important thing aside from benefits is, we’re able to stay not only in communication, but we’re able to participate, we’re able to be included,” she shares.

She assures the community that LIONS is committed to serving as a safe space for students and their organizations to flourish, as shared by LIONS moderator and co-founder Harry Tomintz.“LIONS continues in some way, shape, and form. It’s the drive, the passion that brings us together, that motivates us to create it again and again, so long as students need a hand. And that’s what’s important, that we’re driven by that common desire.”

“

LIONS continues in some way, shape, and form. It’s the drive, the passion that brings us together, that motivates us to create it again and again, so long as students need a hand, and that’s what’s important; that we’re driven by that common desire.

HARRY TOMINTZ LIONS MODERATOR AND CO-FOUNDER

The GUIDON | October 2021

Keeping the roots intact

BY ALEXANDRA P. ELICANO ILLUSTRATION BY MELLO JERICHO M. MALIG

THE TRANSITION from high school to college can be both exciting and terrifying. Navigating the “TBA” class schedules, leafing through 40-page readings, and meeting classmates from different corners of the globe—all of these sudden changes can easily leave students feeling overwhelmed.

Thankfully, the Introduction to Ateneo Culture and Traditions (InTACT) program is designed to equip students with everything they need to know about the University and help them adjust to school culture.

As the current freshmen batch wait to take their first steps on Ateneo grounds, the implementation of the InTACT program in the online setting has found renewed relevance.

EXPECTATION VERSUS REALITY InTACT is part of the Loyola Schools’ Integrated Ateneo Formation (InAF) program, which aims to help students adjust academically, develop a sense of community, and be acquainted with the essence of Ignatian Spirituality.

Despite the welcoming environment the program seeks to offer, some students express that they still struggle adjusting to the University. For Joane Marie Beldua (2 AB COM), the transition to Ateneo was not only difficult academically but also socially.

Beldua shares that she suddenly felt average for the first time in her life after taking her first classes in the Ateneo, thus feeling immense pressure to perform well. At the same time, she grappled with a lingering feeling of inferiority to her classmates who came from prominent schools and used English as their primary language.

“Most people from my previous institution would say that you’re smart, too smart. You would [also] be smart-shamed for speaking in English, which is the exact opposite here in the Ateneo,” she says.

For Beldua, it seemed as though the Ateneo espoused a radically distinct culture—one she struggled easing into. It translated to increased difficulty in establishing rapport with her blockmates and finding a consistent support system in her freshman year.

Her apprehensions eased after she learned that a class she was taking—the InTACT program— was specifically designed to help freshmen like her adjust to

Ateneo culture.

However, the program fell short of her expectations. Instead of a warm welcome for the freshmen and transferees, Beldua saw the InTACT program as an “actual requirement”—very different from her expectations of a “coming home” and “something to spark her interest in the Ateneo.”

“The way it was given to us felt like a requirement because there were quizzes, there were discussion boards, and it felt like you were being graded although it wasn’t really,” she says.

While the program seeks to introduce students to University life, some believe that having a distinct culture which students must be accustomed to reinforces the University’s elitist reputation. It creates the notion that the school is simply “not for everyone.”

A WELCOMING COMMUNITY Although orientation initiatives are a staple in academic institutions, the year-long InTACT program is unique to the Ateneo. Even after its remarkably warm and lively Orientation Seminar, the University continues to facilitate students’ transition months into their new school to create a safe space where all students feel comfortable and validated.

Although there is still a lack of data on the earliest implementation of the program,

InTACT Program Coordinator Erikha Ghale Villasanta shares that the year-long subject can be traced back to around 1998 as a homeroom class under the English department. The class mainly focused on assisting students in their academics, particularly in Math and English subjects.

However, to better aid freshmen and transferees feel more at home in the Ateneo and understand what it requires from them, the InTACT program was later transformed to a standalone course. In the previous year, the program was further developed to build resilient students who can adapt to the college environment and culture even in the online setting.

Apart from assisting in students’ individual growth, the program also helps freshmen immerse themselves in their community. InTACT’s integration with InAF exemplifies how the program aims not just for academic excellence, but also the holistic formation of the students who become professionals-forand-with-others.

To ensure that these goals are met, the program has undergone several changes over the years.

According to Villasanta, one of the biggest changes in the InTACT program were the topics discussed in the course materials. The materials, which now include Mental Health and Gender Sensitivity Modules, are

developed depending on their relevance and importance to today’s youth. Moreover, topics such as the Student Handbook, grading system, and Ignatian Spirituality were retained.

According to InTACT Spokesperson LA Ibarrientos, modules that follow similar topics are clustered together. Instead of the original 12-13 modules during on-site classes, they are cut down to five to six modules with one synchronous session each. The formation programs in the InTACT program are also modified, with the Coming Home Retreat being converted to a selfpaced online program.

These programs aim to help students discover themselves and the world around them.

“I think that the program is important because it gives [the freshmen] people who can help them in their time of need, whom they can approach whenever problems come up, and when the world is too heavy around them,” Ibarriento says.

For example, although students may struggle to connect with their blockmates, the program provides “definite

support systems” through the homeroom advisers and student facilitators (SFs).

In guiding students through these tumultuous times, Villasanta compares the InTACT program to Waze, a GPS application for drivers.

“After you’re already familiar with [all of these University processes, we let you] go forth.

You can do it. But no worries, if you think that there are still moments when you’re still lost, we’re still there for you. Andito lang kami. Buksan mo lang yung Waze app, gagabayan ka pa rin namin (We are here. Open the Waze app, and we will still guide you),” she explains.

HELPING HAND To help new students better navigate the University, Beldua suggests better ways to establish rapport between homeroom advisers, SFs, and the blocks themselves. “[The program] needs to establish bonding sessions [...] para sabay-sabay silang [the students] maiimmerse sa InTACT program (so they are immersed in the InTACT program at the

3

same time),” she states.

Beldua also emphasizes the necessity of more engaging discussions instead of lecturebased ones to motivate class participation. In continuously devising ways to best connect with the students, Ibarrientos hopes that freshmen and transfer students like Beldua continue to offer feedback for the program’s improvement.

Similarly, InTACT Student Facilitator Operations Officer Bianca Antonette Parasremains steadfast in her commitment to the program. “[We’re] not doing this to be popular. [We’re] doing it because it’s in service. So, [we’re] doing the best [we] can.”

Villasanta echoes this sentiment: “We try to learn from this batch then we adapt now. [...] But more so lang, kahit hindi kami ‘yung teacher niyo sa acads, at least natutulungan pa rin namin kayo (But more so, even though we are not your teachers in academics, at least we can still help you) in any capacity we can.”

With reports from Paolo Buenaseda

“

Para kaming Waze kasi we’re directing students to the places that they need to go.

But at the same time, we allow them after. [...]

But no worries, if you think that there are still moments when you’re still lost, we’re still there for you. Andito lang kami. Buksan mo lang yung Waze App, gagabayan ka pa rin namin.

ERIKHA GHALE VILLASANTA INTACT PROGRAM COORDINATOR

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lnquiry

Service in arms

BY GERARD IGNACIO PHOTOS BY EIRENNE A. LUMASANG

SERVICE IS often stereotyped as going on outreaches and providing relief goods to marginalized communities.

However, the meaning of service has since evolved to keep up with the current national context. Today, there are other ways that students may provide service for their community through programs set by their schools.

One of these is the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program under the National Service Training Program (NSTP). Through this program, college students are able to deepen their knowledge on the military’s d i f fe r e n t p r o c e s s e s a n d routines. By instilling a sense of discipline and nationalism in students on the tertiary level, the program also teaches them on the “vital role” of the youth in nation-building.

Although designed to instill a sense of service and nationalism among students, the ROTC program remains a wild card as it attempts to translate its goals in the online setting and the fraught political climate.

READING INTO ROTC The rationale of the ROTC program can be found in Republic Act No. 7077 or the Citizen Armed Force or Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Reservist Act of 1991. This allows the country to expand the regular military force with the “well-disciplined” Citizen Armed Force, alternatively known as the Reserve Force, of the AFP “in the event of war, invasion or rebellion.”

Pursuant to the Act, colleges and universities are required to have an established Reserved Officers’ Training unit. Until 2001, all tertiary level students were mandated to undergo the basic ROTC program “for the purpose of producing enlisted and officer reservists.”

Meanwhile, the advanced program was left voluntary.

Graduates of the ROTC program are then able to

serve as members of the AFP. Ateneo de Manila University cadets, in particular, become part of the Philippine Air Force’s Reserve Force after graduating the program.

Recognizing the responsibility of all citizens to defend the c o u nt r y ’s s e c u r i t y — b o t h through military and civil means—the ROTC program was integrated in Republic Act No. 9163 or the NSTP Act in 2001.

Following reports of corruption in the program, the Act made the program entirely optional and voluntary in colleges and universities.

In the Ateneo, the ROTC program is divided into two parts: Air Science 1 and Air Science 2, which each span one semester. Under Air Science 1, cadets are briefed on the purpose of the ROTC program and the military laws in the Philippines. On the other hand, Air Science 2 focuses on the application of the lessons from Air Science 1. Thus, cadets undergo drills and

ceremonies as done in the Philippine Air Force.

Given such activities, the ROTC program usually piques the interest of those who are interested in the military.

However, the majority of people tend to gloss over the fact that this program also teaches life skills that cadets can use outside of the military.

PERSONAL AMMUNITION The notion of service is embedded in the Ateneo’s Ignatian value of cura personalis, which talks about caring for the whole person.

In the spirit of cura personalis, Citizen Military Training Coordinator Noelle R. Flores says that the ROTC program also emphasizes the formation of the entire self, contrary to popular opinion that it is only about military training.

Throughout the course of the program, cadets are taught a wide range of topics such as gender sensitivity.

Thus, for C/CPT JAEANE SHANE V SANTOS 2Cl, the program was a way for her to discover and cultivate a greater sense of service and responsibility. According to her, “The [cadet officers] teach cadets about the military.

They’re exemplifying this

character that they have a great sense of service. I want to be like that as well.”

Extending the notion of cura personalis beyond the self, Flores also believes that the program can shape students to be good citizens through its emphasis on service for the nation.

According to C/LTC MARIELLE G MONTERO 1Cl, the ‘service’ aspect of the program is taught in a way that the students learn to serve while also keeping the aspect of Ignatian formation.

Thus, students are taught topics such as heraldic code, disaster literacy, and civil military operations.

Despite the alignment of the program with such spiritual ideals, the ROTC has also faced its fair share of controversial issues due to the current political context.

RETALIATING RUMORS To date, the ROTC program remains mired in issues of militarization. Amid the fraught sociopolitical climate, netizens have slammed the program for making “people more subservient to the government,” instead of teaching them discipline and nationalism as stipulated in the law.

In response, Cadet Corps Commander Montero says that

each and every one of the officers does have their own beliefs and opinions. However, they remain neutral as officers within the context of the ROTC program.

According to C/CPT LANCE JOHANN O BELLAS 2Cl, “In the modern political context, there are no fears of militarization because overall, the people who are teaching you are still students with the same mindset as you.”

Furthermore, Flores states, “We intentionally parang avoid talking about or voicing our opinions because it can be taken against ROTC. Baka ibang context ang interpretation, or sa ibang tao iba yung basa nila (The interpretation may have a different context, or different people may have different readings). We try to remain apolitical. We also make sure we have these checks and balances among us.”

Regardless of the sociopolitical context, Flores assures that their mission has never changed. They will continue to remain aligned with the goals stated in the National Defense Act, as well as the NSTP Act. Thus, cadets learn to take on the idea of cura personalis, and widen its context to not just persons for self-and-others, but for everyone in the nation.

“

In the modern political context, there are no fears of militarization because overall, the people who are teaching you are still students with the same mindset as you.

VERNON TOTANES RIZAL LIBRARY DIRECTOR MARCHING TOWARDS ONLINE. Amidst controversies of allegedly exposing students to corruption, the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program emphasizes its role to the LS by instilling the spirit of cura personalis and its relevance in today’s context as it transitions to an online setting.

EXCLUSIVE HERD IMMUNITY Poor international coordination and vaccine inequity continue to hinder global efforts for herd immunity. This threatens to prolong the pandemic with emergent COVID-19 variants.

EDITOR: KIANA R. ALTOVEROS • LAYOUT ARTIST: TIFFANY CU • READ MORE AT theguidon.com

Beyond Loyola

04

Transluscent democracy

BY GEORGE D. KHO AND DERYN VENTILACION ILLUSTRATION BY SAM DELLOMAS

SINCE 2018, the extent of President Rodrigo Duterte’s wealth has remained a secret to the public—breaking an annual tradition for Philippine presidents since 1989. Though the 1987 Constitution tries to ensure accountability by requiring public officials to submit a statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN), recent requests for the president’s SALN have been denied by the Ombudsman. These were due to newer regulations that limit who can request the SALN of public officials.

These restrictions come at a time when the government insists on non-cooperation with the International Criminal Court investigation and officials are prevented from testifying in a corruption probe. Thus, the issue of transparency must not only tackle public access to tools that hold officials accountable but also question how public servants and institutions treat the pursuit for truth in the country.

AN INSTRUMENT OF TRANSPARENCY One of the primary ways that government officials maintain public accountability is through the filing and disclosure of their SALNs. This document is an annual declaration of all the wealth that public officials—from elected politicians, government employees, to uniformed personnel—must submit as mandated by Article XI, Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution.

This document, among other things, aids citizens and investigators in identifying wealth discrepancies and analyzing whether certain officials have been misdeclaring their assets.

Wealth with unaccounted origins can be deemed as “ill-gotten” and may be confiscated in favor of the government. As such, this function of the SALN has helped investigators in the past prosecute officials who were engaged in illegal activities, such as former President Joseph Estrada’s 2007 plunder verdict.

It appears like this administration is allergic when it comes to disclosing certain information relating to matters of public concern.

ATTY. DINO DE LEON REQUESTED FOR DUTERTE'S SALN IN SEPTEMBER

Various laws—from R.A. 6713, Executive Order (EO) No. 2, s. 2016, to the Constitution— require the publication of SALNs for public access. However, the recent Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 1, s. 2020 from Ombudsman Samuel Martires narrowed the criteria on who can access such information.

This directive allows for the SALN’s disclosure on only three occasions: If the official or their authorized representative requests for it, if a court legally requests it for a pending case, or if the Ombudsman's Field Investigation Office requires it for fact-finding purposes.

Otherwise, members of the public must get the consent of the said public official in order to get a copy of their SALN. PUBLICLY UNAVAILABLE The new and narrowed protocols arranged by the Ombudsman office have been criticized for preventing the public from accessing the SALN’s of their officials, especially those in high office. Atty. Dino de Leon, one of the lawyers who requested for Duterte’s SALN, stated that the criteria for who can access SALNs make it almost impossible for the public to acquire these and scrutinize public officials.

“If [they’re] hiding something, obviously they will not give that written authorization,” he said.

“And it no longer appears to be... an information that the public is entitled to if we need the consent of the declarant himself.”

De Leon also highlighted how the administration has lacked transparency in other areas.

These include the nondisclosure of Duterte’s health status as well as the barring of cabinet members from attending the recent senate probes into the Pharmally Pharmaceutical anomalies. Duterte also barred

cabinet members from publicly discussing the West Philippine Sea dispute when 200 Chinese vessels entered the territory.

“It appea rs l i ke t h i s administration is allergic when it comes to disclosing certain information relating to matters of public concern,” de Leon said, pointing to the lack of the culture of transparency within the Duterte Administration.

HISTORY OF MISUSE Despite rising concerns over non-transparency, the Ombudsman has defended the restrictions of MC no. 1—stating that the SALN has been misused before to smear government officials. Former Ateneo School of Government Dean Atty.

Tony La Viña posited that discrepancies in the SALN are not absolute proof of corruption but only suggest a lack of transparency and grounds for investigation. Even then, late submissions or spikes in wealth can be explained and forgiven with justifiable reasons.

“I think that [the] mistake in our country has been to just consider any kind of f law [in the SALN] as proof that you are corrupt… We just want to make conclusions right away,” said La Viña. He further cited the cases of both former Chief Justices Renato Corona and Maria Lourds Sereno as instances where the issue of the SALN was politicized and proved a pivotal aspect in both justices’ impeachments.

Despite acknowledging the need for stringent SALN policies that prevent its weaponization, La Viña still believed that the new guidelines were an overreach.

“It bends too much backward to protect government officials,” criticized La Viña.

Instead, he advocated for a middle-ground where media,

The Ombudsman is actually committing a betrayal of public trust.

ATTY. DINO DE LEON REQUESTED FOR DUTERTE'S SALN IN SEPTEMBER legislators, and prosecutors can examine SALNs as opposed to freely granting access to anyone who may misuse the SALN for political purposes.

In pursuing these amendments, La Viña said that only the Ombudsman has the power to correct its implementing rules and regulations. However, de Leon and a group of lawyers are planning to take MC No. 1, s. 2020 to the regular or Supreme Court in the hope of having it declared null and void.

BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC TRUST Before MC No. 1, s. 2020, the public did not have to go to extreme lengths to procure an official’s SALN as the Freedom of Information Order encouraged its public scrutiny. When Duterte signed EO No. 2, s. 2016, the move signaled a hopeful future for transparency as it requires the full disclosure of many public documents.

However, de Leon stated that the administration's continued refusal to release Duterte’s SALN exposes their aversion to releasing information for public interest. This sentiment comes after many failed attempts from de Leon and the Philippine Center

for Investigative Journalism to access the President’s SALN. De Leon also partly blames the Office Ombudsman for this failure in transparency. The unnecessary requirements in the Ombudsman’s new guidelines go against the very essence of freedom of information, making it virtually impossible to scrutinize officials’ wealth.

“The Ombudsman is actually committing a betrayal of public trust,” commented de Leon.

Fu r t her more, de L eon remarked how the SALN debacle is also an election issue since it impedes the public’s ability to make informed voting decisions.

“The sovereign people can only act accordingly if they are equipped with the proper information,” discussed de Leon.

Ultimately, curbing freedom of information and disregarding pa st ef for t s to uphold government accountability makes transparency a grave issue under the Duterte administration.

Despite promises of fighting corruption, the administration’s track record of denying transparency and withholding SALNs falls short in their duty of maintaining a transparent and accountable government.

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Beyond Loyola

Lesson learned

Retrofitting face-to-face education

BY FRANCIS CAIGA AND JERIKA P. UY

BY MAX S. KANG AND FELICITY C. SANTOS ILLUSTRATION BY JAYCOB BUSTAMANTE

THE ONLINE setup has taken a toll on the well-being of students and teachers alike, posing a threat to the quality of education as the pandemic wears on. In recognition of this issue, countries around the world have been working to reopen physical classes while keeping COVID-19 cases under control.

While nearly every country has undertaken full or partial reopening of campuses, the Philippines has retained its online setup for a second academic year. President Rodrigo Duterte approved the limited reopening of 120 schools on September 20, and the pilot run will begin on November 15.

In a webinar on September 8, UNICEF Philippines Chief of Education Isy Faingold emphasized, “We have to [resume face-to-face classes] gradually, on a voluntary basis, learning from the experiences [of] other countries but adapting [these] to the experience [of] the Philippines.”

To ensure the well-being of teaching and non-teaching personnel, UNICEF suggested taking precautions similar to those implemented in schools of Laos and Indonesia. In Laos, the Ministry of Education and Sports required all employees of general education institutions be fully vaccinated. A rapid vaccination rollout implementation in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, has also minimized cases in the city. Usual health protocols such as physical distancing and mask-wearing are observed nationwide.

Aside from health and vaccine-related interventions, Faingold also highlighted the importance of strategically reopening low-risk areas first.

Vietnam, for instance, has

turned to a phased approach by slowly transitioning older students from a hybrid (i.e. mix of online and faceto-face learning) to a full face-to-face setup, before moving onto the younger students. Class shifts and reduced learning hours were also enforced to minimize contact among students. Alternatively, Singapore has implemented the concept of classroom bubbles, which limit infectionrelated closures to specific classrooms instead of the whole school.

In contrast, the Philippines still remains unclear on what guidelines will be enforced upon the pilot run for physical classes. Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones stated last September 20 that teaching personnel do not have to be vaccinated, only to be retracted by DepEd Planning Service Director Roger Masapol a few days later. DepEd also clarified that regular testing will not be implemented, deviating from the World Health Organization’s recommendation of early detection through upscaled testing.

As such, the same sense of urgency and attention to scientific studies must be evident as there is much at stake for the Filipino studentry. “Distance learning is not a replacement for in-person classes, and without urgent action, the learning crisis could turn into a learning catastrophe,” UNICEF Philippines emphasized.

Editor’s Note: The Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has since permitted the limited reopening of on-site classes for all college programs in localities under Alert Level 2.

We have to [resume face-to-face classes] gradually, on a voluntary basis, learning from the experiences from other countries but adapting to the experience from the Philippines.

ISY FAINGOLD CHIEF OF EDUCATION, UNICEF PHILIPPINES

ON-SITE CLASSES will resume in 90 private and public schools on November 15 as of writing, following the approval of the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Education’s (DepEd) Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2021-01. This development ensued as calls to hold on-site classes heightened and the Philippines remained as the only Asian country that had yet to fully reopen schools prior to the approval of the JMC. Though the program is exclusive to minimal risk areas, relatively high COVID-19 active case counts and a slow nationwide vaccination program might complicate the pilot reopening. However, Higher Education Institutions such as the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) could serve as a model for K-12 schools, given the institution’s longstanding success in avoiding community transmissions.

While the financial gap between these institutions could make a comparison inadequate, K-12 schools can still make use of ASMPH’s lessons as they fine-tune their processes, which are far from perfect amid the pandemic.

A COMPLETE OVERHAUL As guided by JMC No. 202101, DepEd’s pilot program is underpinned by the framework of “shared responsibility” wherein all stakeholders collectively coordinate for the participants’ safety. As part of this commitment, only students that have full parental consent and vaccinated teachers will be allowed to participate.

Taking this similar framework, ASMPH’s face-to-face program participants are now fully vaccinated, ASMPH Dean Cenon Alfonso stated. Nonetheless, holistic institutional overhauls must also be pursued. Hence, the participants of ASMPH’s Sequential Limited Class Exposure (SLICE) and Clinical Access Rotations enjoy shuttle services as part of an open-bubble system aimed at reducing exposure to the outside environment. DepEd’s guidelines, in contrast, allow participants to use either public or private transportation. This does not mean, however, that

public transportation should not be used—the caveat is that contact tracing will be harder.

Besides mobility considerations, classroom setups have also drastically changed. In SLICE, on-site classes are focused on laboratory and practical exercises initially conducted semestrally but are compressed into two to three-week-long periods. The classrooms are designed to only accommodate up to 10% of their actual capacity given the volatile COVID-19 alert levels; from a classroom of 30, only 5-8 students are allowed.

On the other hand, DepEd will limit classrooms to 12-20 learners depending on the year level. These face-to-face classes will also be implemented to help students in reviewing lessons that require teachers’ direct intervention in contrast to lessons that are skill-based.

Apart from curricular and structural distinctions, ASMPH aimed to alleviate the financial burden on students should they contract COVID-19 by providing them medical insurance on top of PhilHealth. Alfonso also shared that they use an online contact tracing application to efficiently submit documents required by national agencies such as the DOH and the Commission on Higher Education. Meanwhile, DepEd schools will not offer added insurance and will still rely on log sheets and paper documentation.

However, it must be noted that ASMPH’s adjustments a nd f u nd i ng h ave been facilitated by the school ’s private stakeholders, Alfonso said. Conversely, the DepEd’s program is limited by its financial and technical capacity similar to the DOH, which have had auditing problems amid the pandemic.

WEIGHING THE EXPERIENCES These institutional measures make face-to-face classes possible, thereby allowing students to reap their benefits, according to ASMPH Year Level 6 Executive Officer Karl Carandang and Student Council President Shalom Hernandez. “Last year, we had to do physical exams on our own family members. So

We are very fortunate that our faculty is very nimble because without the faculty I don’t think we can move—the administration is inutile.

CENON R. ALFONSO DEAN, ASMPH you’re not entirely sure if what you're doing is right. When you’re in face-to-face [classes], you get feedback as soon as you do it.

So the learning process is really better,” Hernandez stressed.

Nonetheless, the heav y preparations which ASMPH students must adhere to for their safety have also made education more costly. With medical clearances, vaccinations, quarantine periods, and infection control training, on-site classes are different from the pre-pandemic counterpart, the students said.

As a scholar, Hernandez mentioned the financial help of the shuttle system and the council’s Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction subsidy program.

Despite these, students from the provinces still face logistical and financial challenges that the school cannot shoulder at this time, such as accommodation.

There is also the prevailing risk of safety as breakthrough cases are still possible, Carandang said. This possibility coupled with the complex logistics makes implementing a similar program more difficult for schools with a bigger population.

To aid larger educational institutions, Alfonso suggested creating blocks of 1,000-2,000 students to be overseen by assistant deans and a separate operational team. However important clustering students may be, Alfonso still stressed the role of the faculty in

all these adjustments. “We are very fortunate that our faculty is very nimble because without the faculty, I don’t think we can move—the [ASMPH] administration is inutile,” he said.

FRAUGHT WITH UNCERTAINTIES Given the number of stakeholders involved, there are infinitely many things to consider in terms of education in the new normal. Despite the attempts of the Philippine education system to adapt to the online setup, Hernandez expressed that it only goes so far when it benefits the select few. “For now, the least are left behind. I think, just with anything in this pandemic, it's not new. It's just more seen—it now affects more people.”

As such, reopening efforts have intensified in order to address this issue, but notwithstanding criticisms. After all, the pilot program alone requires funds that the public education system already lacks. Before anything, conducting DepEd’s pilot program with great rigor will be necessary not only for the safety of our students— but for their future as well.

Editor’s Note: The Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has since permitted the limited reopening of on-site classes for all college programs in localities under Alert Level 2.

ILLUSTRATION BY JAYCOB BUSTAMANTE

The GUIDON | October 2021

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Beyond Loyola

Exclusive herd immunity

BY DERICK M. GABRILLO ILLUSTRATION BY TIFFANY CU

DESPITE BOASTING among the highest vaccination rates, Europe and North America entered their third wave of coronavirus cases in July. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pinned the surge on the Delta variant—a highly infectious variant of COVID-19 first identified in India.

The rise in infections in those regions coincided with a global uptick in cases.

For some developing countries, this same surge saw record rates of infection. Tedros cited inequitable vaccine distribution as a key factor in the disparity of COVID-related illness between the developing and developed world. Access to COVID-19 vaccines has also been impeded by bottlenecks in the global supply chain and large dose allocations to high-income countries (HICs).

PAID PRIORITY Global efforts to distribute vaccines through COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX)

has drawn flak for allocating jabs proportional to the population, without accounting for the vaccinated. This arrangement favors countries that funded research for and procured doses of COVID-19 vaccines early in the pandemic as they received a greater share of doses compared to the local unvaccinated population.

The greater financial capacity of HICs to procure vaccines, couples with COVAX arrangements, allowed HICs to stockpile doses that would otherwise be sent to low- and middle-income countries.

Responding to criticism of its regulations, COVAX has since changed its distribution policy to only cover the least vaccinated states. This is one of the steps taken by international groups to mitigate issues plaguing the supply chain.

Seeking to provide solutions for these, the World Trade Organization (WTO) published a list of chokepoints in vaccine distribution. Among the bottle-

necks found by the WTO were inefficiencies in the manufacturing, regulatory approval, and distribution stages of the life-saving shots. Different regulatory requirements, border controls, and trade barriers were among the reasons cited by the WTO for the delays along critical points of the supply chain. These issues were pinned on a lack of international coordination—resulting in lagged and uneven roll-outs that created pockets of immunity but left the developing world exposed to the virus.

PETRI DISH POPULATIONS A large segment of the population in developing countries remains vulnerable to infection due to delays in vaccine administration. The lack of access to doses and struggling healthcare systems created ripe conditions for the emergence of more transmissible COVID-19 variants in developing countries. Additionally, new strains of the coronavirus can also raise the threshold for herd

immunity as breakthrough infections increase.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Dr. Rhona Bergantin of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases noted that “...if our hospitals will be inundated with all these patients, our capacity to treat these patients will also suffer...”

Managing patient surges has been a pervasive issue in less vaccinated areas, allowing variants to spread quicker. The Delta variant that started a global wave of infections overran hospitals in India—allowing its spread elsewhere.

The mutations that emerged in India allowed the new strain to break through and cause third wave infections that swept Europe and North America despite high vaccination rates.

Tedros had earlier warned that “inequitable vaccine distribution means that we have allowed COVID-19 to continue spreading, increasing the chances of a

variant emerging that renders vaccines less effective.”

In the same thread, he called for increased coordination and fair vaccine distribution to address the unique challenges of an international pandemic response.

PANDEMIC PROPOSALS AND PROGRAMS Answering the call for a coordinated effort to end the pandemic, the United States hosted the Global COVID-19 Summit—attended by delegates from 69 other countries and numerous organizations—that outlined common goals and commitments for the international community. Discussions ranged from inoculation targets and financing to combating the spread of disinformation, but no binding agreement was reached. As world leaders struggle to create a unified course of action, medical professionals scramble to protect long-neglected areas before the disease can take hold.

In the Philippines, poor infrastructure in remote areas still impedes rural vaccinations.

While Metro Manila expects to achieve herd immunity by the end of 2021, this goal remains elusive for some provinces. Years of neglect for geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, ill-equipped facilities, and tough terrain have left healthcare workers stretched thin due to understaffing in these communities—some only reachable by foot or boat.

Although these areas are remote, the case of India illustrates the need for inclusive immunization. Ending the threat of COVID-19 requires a coordinated global push for herd immunityWithout international unity, gaps in vaccination—if neglected—risk the rise of a resurgent virus.

“Inequitable vaccination is a threat to all nations, not only those with the fewest vaccines,” Tedros emphasized.

Stalled at a crossroads

BY PIOEE B. BASSIG AS THE COVID-19 pandemic surged, scores of jeepney drivers were displaced from their jobs and forced to ask for alms on the streets. Today, the sector is not much better off despite the national government’s recent service contracting program. The program was meant to curb the competition for passengers and overcrowding rampant under the boundary system.

However, the policy was marred by questionable decisions made by the implementing agency, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Its fraught implementation not only spells economic distress for jeepney drivers but points to leadership that routinely understates the importance of equitable mobility.

HITTING RED LIGHTS Access to the service contracting program has been severely constrained. Move As One Coalition Sectoral Convener Hyacenth Bendaña noted that the LTFRB aimed to enroll only 60,000 of the more than 160,000 jeepney drivers nationwide. As of June 2021, only 11,346 are active under the program.

The rest who hope to get in must wade through red tape.

Bendaña stressed that many drivers are not in a position to comply with the LTFRB’s many requirements. For instance, Bendaña’s father shares a franchise with nine other drivers, as they had to split the cost of Php 400,000— even if a franchise is supposed to be free. However, only one of the 10 can use the franchise to be eligible for contracting.

With only a minority in service contracting, most drivers had to continue under the boundary system. This dynamic led to friction among transport workers. “Kasi siyempre, bakit [pa] kumukuha ng passengers ‘yung nasa service contracting, eh regardless naman kung may pasahero or wala, may kita pa rin sila? (Why are those under service contracting still taking passengers when they are already guaranteed pay?)”

Bendaña explained.

The LTFRB’s Libreng Sakay (free ride) program further disadvantaged drivers under the boundary system because they had to compete with a service offered for free, she added.

Even with the new system in place, jeepney drivers under service contracting also felt the adverse

impacts of a mismanaged program.

Bendaña noted that drivers had to adjust from earning daily through passenger fares in the boundary system to getting paid weekly for every kilometer traveled. However, many went without pay from December 2020 to April 2021, only to receive incomplete sums as low as Php 12 for four months’ work.

Though transport cooperatives momentarily shouldered some drivers’ income, Bendaña noted that many are yet to be paid their dues.

MISUNDERSTOOD MOBILITY The gaps in service contracting are indicative of an agency resistant to the voices of the transport sector. Bendaña said that the Move As One Coalition and transport worker community, who have long been fighting for the program, were excluded from the implementation process. The result was a policy whose benefits were drastically limited.

Initially, advocates designed a policy meant to curb the COVID-19 spike in three hotspots: Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Davao. However, the Php 5.58 billion budget under the Bayanihan to Recover As One act was applied to the whole nation.

BEHIND THE WHEEL. After more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers continue to struggle given the changes that the lockdown has brought upon their livelihood. PUJ drivers continue to protest due to their persistent difficulties with the newly implemented service contracting program (SCP).

PHOTOS BY JERRY FENG AND VIONNA VILLALON. PHOTO MANIPULATION BY VIONNA VILLALON.

The LTFRB also failed to engage local government units and opted to implement the program on their own, Bendaña said. She noted that the LTFRB hastened the program’s rollout after being flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) for slow disbursement. However, the rollout system remains to be disorganized with more than half of the Php 5.58 billion fund still undisbursed as of September.

Relaunched in the same month, the program also has a Php 3-billion budget under the 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA) set to expire in December.

In response to the slow payout, LTFRB Chair Martin Delgra asserted that there was no lapse

in the program’s management, saying that the delay was a matter of banking processes. He also clarified that the agency has released not Php 59 million—per COA’s report—but Php 1.5 billion or 26.6% of the fund. The rest was returned to the Treasury. It remains to be seen if the LTFRB can promptly disburse the Php 3 billion fund under the GAA. With service contracting’s relaunch, Delgra has emphasized that expediting payouts relies on drivers having a Landbank account.

As Bendaña explained, service contracting was meant to be the first step in a “just transition” to jeepney modernization. With little support for modernization to begin with, Bendaña lamented

that the lapses in service contracting fueled drivers’ distrust in the government. Some doubt service contracting altogether.

Nonetheless, Bendaña remains hopeful as many in the sector see no better alternative.

Ultimately, service contracting is only one part of the larger causes of mobility and spatial justice. There is a need for Filipinos—those in power and on the ground—to reckon with the hefty costs of a car-centric culture that harms everyone.

“Space is a finite resource. We can’t build expressways and roads forever; we can’t just have cars forever,” Bendaña asserted.

“Otherwise, by 2030, we will not have the cities we want.”

ALTERING THE FASHION PARADIGM Two sustainable fashion entrepreneurs show what it’s like navigating an industry that is ironically slow in adopting change.

EDITOR: AISHA C. SAID • LAYOUT ARTIST: KURT TAN AND KAITLYN W. MERCADO • READ MORE AT theguidon.com

Features

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Fear of God Beyond goodness and salvation, Catholicism is also linked to fear as Filipino religious horror paints a ghastly portrait of religion and our colonial past.

BY LIAM ISAIAH LAO AND CHRISTIANNA P. LUGOD ILLUSTRATION BY KURT TAN

IN THE Christian context, fearing God tends to mean being in awe of an all powerful being.

But when awe and respect turn into terror and dread, something wicked must be afoot.

Religious horror is a horror film subgenre largely premised on religious fear or lack thereof, as it depicts possessions, exorcisms, and malevolent forces beyond understanding.

These film narratives often center around Christianity and its signifiers for good and evil. Satan often acts as the object of fear, taking over the bodies and minds of innocent characters, whereas Christianity is portrayed as the salvific force through incantations and holy water.

Rega rd less of whet her Christianity saves the day in the end, religious horror continues to associate fear with faith.

Filipino horror cinema remains no different, with local horror films such as Seklusyon (2016) featuring historical religious elements which reflect the country’s religious background.

Despite the Filipinos’ longstanding relationship with Catholicism, films and stories seem to blur the line between fear and worship. The frequent appearances of familiar religious imagery and figures throughout local horror cinema points to an essential dimension of Filipino horror.

THEOPHOBIA Even in the earliest days of Philippine cinema, Filipino horror thrived in the form of films such as Ang Aswang (1933), one of the earliest “talkies” or films with sound shot and produced in the Philippines. Since then, the subgenre flourished with films like Pa-Siyam (2004) and Eerie (2019), with both films featuring Christian elements unique to the Philippines. Pa-Siyam is centered on the Filipino tradition of the nine days of prayer after a funeral, whereas Eerie is set in an all-girls, private Catholic school run by Catholic nuns. The prominent appearances of these elements can be traced back to film theorist Robin Wood’s concept of the return of the repressed.

“Return of the repressed talks about how horror films become vehicles for talking about what we collectively choose to not talk about—the unspeakables of our societies,” explains Gershom Chua, Communication professor specializing in Film Studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. He elaborates that horror films become safe venues

for confronting the repressed objects of fear in society. This partly accounts for the genre’s appeal in the Philippines, as they portray certain religious realities and anxieties Filipinos experience.

Moreover, Chua shares that the appeal is also due to the films’ proximity to the Filipino experience. “[Filipino horror films] hit different [because] you don't really have to go too far in terms of cultural imagination to try to conjure in your mind the horrific. The horrific is already within you—within your culture, within your people, within your experience,” he points out.

In traditional Filipino folklore, the horrific had always been depicted as a tangible horror that can be defeated through physical means.

Chua states that these tangible evils—while still prominently featured in contemporary narratives—are now defeated in a different manner with the advent of Christianity.

“The pre-colonial self was suddenly resituated and recast as the source of evil. The horrific aspects are cast as actual body and material evils, pero yung paraan natin ng pag-save sa sarili natin (but the ways of saving ourselves) [are] very internal and very faith-based,” shares Chua.

As religious horror maintains a large presence in Filipino cinema and folklore, Chua believes that filmmakers should continue producing films of this subgenre to further establish its presence and definition. Given that horror films feature more fantastical,

ot her world ly elements, he also hopes that filmmakers adapt a more critical approach and utilize the storytelling possibilities available to them to confront religious institutional issues.

As the future of the sub genre continues to develop in Philippine cinema with emerging knowledge and practices, Chua also prompts a look back into the factors which made Filipino religious horror the way it is today.

SCARY AS HELL The religious horror genre finds its roots in the Philippine’s colonial-evangelical history, as Chua mentions. During the precolonial period, as Spanish conquistadores alighted on Philippine shores, they brought with them official Catholicism—a faith defined by commandments and doctrines.

At the time, Filipinos subscribed to folk mythology, a belief system characterized by corporeal and lived spirituality.

Chua notes that the corporeality of folk mythology is exemplified by the bodily representations of mythological creatures such as the chain smoking kapre, visceraeating manananggal, and other aswang forms.

When official Catholicism was introduced to Filipinos, it did not eradicate existing folk mythology; rather, it began to coexist with it. This coexistence endures to this day as folk religion.

Similarly, author and theologian Antonio D. Sison names this uniquely Filipino Catholic profile in his journal article Afflictive apparitions: the folk Catholic imaginary in Philippine cinema.

Sison discusses that, at the cusp of colonization, Filipinos embraced a “double belongingness” to formal Catholicism and folk religion.

Similarly, Arturo Borja, SJ, School Chaplain of Xavier School San Juan, echoes the view on double belongingness to an extent, citing a present “mishmash of religion and folk belief.” However, he believes that the Catholic faith’s involvement in what he refers to as the “diabolical entities” of folk mythology is more corrective than derivative. He shares that the Church serves not to create evil but “to make the faithful, the believers, become aware of the presence of the evil one.”

Ultimately, Borja notes that the clergy’s role is to encourage believers of spirits to also believe in God or to even grow more in their love for God. He clarifies, however, that priests have individual ways of helping people with different problems and backgrounds.

With regard to the religious depictions featured in this genre, Borja hopes that filmmakers make the necessary consultations with clergical individuals and institutions. Accommodating the clergical perspective, as Borja emphasizes, is for filmmakers to be discreet and aware of their films’ representations of belief and their effect on audiences.

CRUX OF THE MATTER The enduring appeal of the religious horror subgenre to audiences and filmmakers alike is largely because of its ability to become a vessel for exploring and scrutinizing a society’s definition of fear. The genre’s sustained relevance is a response to the question of why rituals gone wrong, nuns with vengeances, and aswangs with appetites continue to frighten Filipinos.

Ultimately, an understanding of the Philippines’ colonial-Catholic past can enhance one’s viewing experience of the religious horror genre. This historical cognizance makes viewers more sensitive to the allegories the genre reveals about Filipinos—a people whose theological merits and traditional myth exist side by side.

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Features

From cultural waves to ripples of change K-pop fan-led humanitarian initiatives show the community’s power of inspiring togetherness and sustaining hope.

BY JULLIA G. CHEN AND RYAN SUAREZ ILLUSTRATION BY KAITLYN W. MERCADO

NOTHING CAN soften the impact of the Korean Wave and emerging Korean Pop (K-pop) groups. These bubbly ensembles of talented artists have cultivated larger and more solid fandoms globally, thus fostering strengthened communities.

The enhanced solidarity of K-pop fandoms has allowed supporters to channel their passion and interests into charitable initiatives. Prompted by recent crises such as the pandemic and numerous typhoons, fandoms in the Philippines have teamed up to serve fellow Filipinos. Amid the country’s dire state, K-pop fandoms have been able to bolster their unity in pursuit of a common goal.

MOVED BY MELODIES Music moves listeners in profound ways. In the case of Ashley Cruz and Ysa Reyes, ARMY organizers of Project 0613 PH, the songs and live performances of K-pop group BTS have pulled them deep into the fandom.

Apart from appreciating the band’s music, Cruz and Reyes share that they are also enamored with the personalities of the members off-stage.

“As I get to know them, [I admire them more] not as celebrities but as humans because they are true to themselves and they show the human side of being a celebrity,” Cruz shares.

This common fondness for K-pop ties fans with like-minded people. Cruz recognizes the opportunity to connect with people who share the same interests and advocacies as an upside of being immersed in K-pop fandom culture.

Patricia Rillo (4 AB Dip IR), an NCTzen and organizer of DREAM is Still Going On (DISGO), shares similar sentiments as she feels that being part of a K-pop fandom has given her a sense of belongingness. “[Being part of the fandom] made me reach out and connect to people

who understood me somehow,” she describes.

While supporting K-pop groups can be a generally blissful experience, fans still face unpleasant exchanges with non-fans. For instance, Cruz encounters numerous misconceptions surrounding K-pop fan culture from peers who overemph a si ze t he language barrier and say that the idols all look alike. Reyes explains that most of these stereotypes stem from prejudice and discrimination. “[These stereotypes are] always rooted in xenophobia. They don’t take these things seriously [because] they look at it as frivolous.

There’s a bit of homophobia there as well,” she elucidates.

Similarly, K-pop has been considered a shallow novelty by non-fans. Cruz divulges that this perception is reflective of our patriarchal system, where women-centered interests are belittled and ridiculed.

Reyes further shares that male-dominated spaces such as sports communities do not receive the same amount of discouragement and derision that K-pop fans experience.

Another infamous impression of K-pop fans is their inclination to fan wars or feuds among K-pop fandoms. Rillo attests that fan wars have exacerbated recently as compared to before. Cruz finds this culture appalling and unnecessary. “Music should be a unifying bond for people, [but why has it become] divisive?” she laments.

Hence, as part of their goal to unify people through music, Cruz and Reyes have decided to initiate a project that is inspired by the values and advocacies BTS upholds.

‘‘

Our goal is honestly just to be able to harness our capacity for good, and affect change as much as possible, in our own way.

ASHLEY CRUZ PROJECT 0613 PH

MORE THAN MUSIC Built around the collective desire to help, Project 0613 PH started out with the onset of the McDonald’s BTS Meal in the Philippines last June.

“One night, one [of us, from our friend group of eight], si Kea, she mentioned in our chat, ‘Guys, pamigay kaya tayo ng BTS Meal sa frontliners! (‘Guys, maybe we should give BTS Meals to the frontliners!’)”

Cruz shares, adding how her tweet about this initiative unexpectedly went viral.

To consolidate more support, they launched AnpanMEAL Drive as their first event. With organizations Lawyers for Doctors and Kanlungan sa Er-Ma, they were able to give BTS Meals to 320 frontliners and 200 street children.

The momentum and traction they gained from the AnpanMEAL Drive led them to do more. Since June,

the group has been able to deliver supplies for the displaced evacuees of the Taal Volcano unrest (Life Goes On Taal) and raise awareness for voter registration and vaccination.

Currently, they are raising funds for a long-term reforestation program Build the Soop to provide livelihoods for Aeta farmers. “Our goal is honestly just to be able to harness our capacity for good, and affect change as much as possible, in our own way,” Reyes emphasizes.

For Rillo, DISGO bloomed from a midnight thought to celebrate NCT Dream’s fifth anniversar y. “Our goal talaga for DISGO was not just to promote NCT

Dream, but to promote taking action, involving yourself in the community, and reaching out to the children,” she expresses.

Coordinating with Save the Children Philippines for the fundraiser beneficiaries, Rillo and her two friends succeeded by setting up Twitter events and an online fair featuring fanmade merchandise businesses.

What touched the hearts of Rillo and her team was the supportive fan community that backed their fundraising efforts and made their experience fulfilling. She recalled that many buyers chose to donate more on top of the price of the fan-made merchandise. For Rillo, it was “really like a dream come true.”

Despite coming from different fandoms, organizers of both projects shared a common goal in maximizing their efforts for societal change. They also expressed their desire to extend the message of the K-pop group that they support.

These common advocacies have motivated project teams and fan communities to come together.

“Human rights, equality, [and] kindness—our actions are a reflection of what [BTS stands] for. So as fans, since we support

them and we support what they do, we also support what they believe in. If we could do these things on our own, then why not?” Cruz says.

CHANGE GOES ON With the growing prevalence of K-pop-themed humanitarian efforts, the global effect of the Korean Wave has transcended the sphere of entertainment.

United by music and advocacy, fans realize their strength in numbers and their ability to craft change together. Project 0613 PH and DISGO remain a testament to the positive impact that fans can pose on society.

The narratives of K-pop f a n-le d i n it i at ive s a nd advocacies promote the ability of any united community to foster positive change. Proving pre-existing stereotypes wrong, they continue to use their platforms to organize, inform, and actively participate in social development. In a time of crisis and government negligence, the evolving togetherness of K-pop fans imparts how collective mobilization could lead us closer to a hopeful future.

The GUIDON | October 2021

Don’t be spooked: Adulting the holidays Costumes have come a long way from being an excuse for children to live their favorite characters for a day, to becoming adults’ portals to live in their sexual fantasies.

BY EALA JULIENNE P. NOLASCO ILLUSTRATION BY MELLO JERICHO M. MALIG

TRICK OR treating during Halloween is a convenient excuse for children and kids at heart alike to dress up as another character.

However, when you’re decades older than kids, house hopping for candy might not be the best way to experience the magic of costumes.

The good news is that the allure of costumes and dressing up does not wear off when you grow out of childhood Halloween trick or treating; it might just take a new face in the bedroom through roleplaying (RP).

DRESSING UP AND DRESSING DOWN: THE COSTUME Halloween’s transformation began from its Celtic pagan roots to the American adaptation of the Scottish tradition. This reveals one important element about the holiday: The power of costumes for anonymity, creativity, and magic.

Once a means to blend in with wandering spirits, costumes have become an excuse to impersonate frightening and fun characters that may or may not reveal a “special version of oneself.”

Regardless of their purpose, costumes have the power to connect people to realms outside the present—be it with monsters, superhero characters, and other fantasies alike. Given this ability to stir creativity, it is no surprise that

costumes remain relevant beyond childhood trick or treating.

Outside the seasonal tradition, costumes may play an integral part in strengthening people’s relationships with themselves and their partners. Trisha O’Bannon, co-founder of alternative sex education platform Now Open PH, compares how Halloween creativity can be translated to body and mind synergy in the bedroom.

“When you dress up for Halloween, you’re adopting the aesthetics of the character. When you roleplay, you’re taking on much more than that… costumes and props really help set the scene,” they add.

Professional voice actor, visual artist, and “virtual daddy,” VexingLex* adds a caveat to fixating on costumes in RP. “[RP] is often more reliant on performance and believability, rather than simply looking the part,” he warns.

GETTING IN CHARACTER At its core, roleplaying begins with imaginations and fantasies.

As with any role playing activity, sexual roleplaying requires action by imbibing the character of the fantasy and acting it out with one’s partner for sexual gratification.

Playing the part can involve costumes and other kinks. But as VexingLex and O’Bannon share, more than enlivening these

fantasies, RP requires both parties consenting to engage in it.

Discussing sexual fantasies and one’s intent to explore them with one’s partner may be nervewracking, as sex remains a taboo topic in most Filipino households.

However, fostering healthy and open discussions about it is integral to embracing selfautonomy, developing respect, and understanding consent in the bedroom. VexingLex emphasizes that it’s not about being extremely kinky or sexually progressive as other countries, but outgrowing the moral shame that surrounds RP. When asked about their roleplaying journey, VexingLex shares that his childhood Halloween experience influenced it to a degree as he realized that the kink community is much into “monsters, the supernatural… involving people like vampires [and] werewolves.”

On the other hand, O’Bannon recalls their first experience with RP was through “sexting.”

However, rea l i zi ng t h at roleplaying requires a lot of energy and effort, they choose to engage in it less often.

Similarly, VexingLex shares his most memorable yet exhausting RP experience involved fear play and stalkers. He recounts following

his client around, putting in extra effort to leave clues and constantly texting them to simulate the “stalker” role. These reinforce the work that goes behind the act.

Resources and literaturerelated RP ideas abound online, however RP is far from being a regular part of a conversation in the Philippines. Giving both adamant and curious readers a taste of RP’s promises in hopes of enticing them enough to continue the research, O’Bannon shares how they enjoy Divine-Carnal, Master-Slave, and HandmaidCommander, which is based on the book The Handmaid’s Tale with an added layer of spanking.

For VexingLex, his personal favorites are Daddy Dom-Boy and Pet Play. Not to be confused with Age Play, Daddy Dom-Boy involves one person authoritatively giving orders to the “boy” who submits.

With the same element of power play, Pet Play involves a disciplinal “Handler” who trains and feeds the “Pet.” However, there remains no absolute manual to get into RP. While grasping the logic behind roleplaying is important, embodying the character is another adventure altogether.

Ultimately, the only non-negotiable rules which both VexingLex and O’Bannon stress is consent and communication.

EMPOWERED BONDS As someone who naturally enjoys performing, VexingLex shares that RP reinforced his path to self-empowerment. This led him to engage in his sexuality, leverage his talents and interests, and financially sustain himself.

“While vanilla sex work is good and it’s the backbone of the entire business, kinky sex play is a massive, untapped enterprise,” he points out.

O’Bannon adds that RPing has helped them understand

themselves better. It offered them an avenue to be more intimate with their partner, as honesty and vulnerability “can create really powerful bonds.”

Though RPing has its pros, it’s not for everyone. “Kink is not a requirement. If you and your partner have fun with just missionary and oral sex, then that’s it,” VexingLex emphasizes.

Nonetheless, the conversation about sex and roleplaying needs to continue as misinformation only blankets people in fear and shame, potentially leading to misinformed decisions.

Shrugging off the stigma on these taboos, O’Bannon keeps going because “[they’re] happy and [their] partners are happy.

That’s what matters to [them].”

Beyond sexual adventure and creativity, VexingLex reminds that roleplaying is both a journey and a responsibility. He advises curious users to research, never assume people’s gender, and communicate with their partners.

‘‘

O’Bannon clarifies that RP sometimes has no template, and it requires building the roles from the ground-up by trusting one’s gut and keeping an open mind.

“Sometimes, that means picking a character who has a storyline or power dynamic that [you] want to explore… you'll fail sometimes, but you'll learn from it and create more satisfying experiences the next time around,” they impart.

When the streets are empty, the treats have been looted out by the kids, and the costumes are kept back in the closet, the magic doesn’t wear off. The trick is to keep the magic going by using your imagination and sharing it with someone else—dressed up or dressed down.

Editor's Note: The interviewee's real name has been withheld to protect his identity and privacy.

When you dress up for Halloween, you’re adopting the aesthetics of the character. When you roleplay, you’re taking on much more than that… costumes and props really help set the scene.

TRISHA O’BANNON CO-FOUNDER, NOW OPEN PH

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Features

Altering the fashion paradigm Despite the current state of the fashion industry, two sustainability-centered fashion entrepreneurs take the necessary step towards a better culture.

BY JACOB TAMBUNTING PHOTOS BY ALEXIS WANG

IN A world ruled by consumerism, steadfast values and lifestyles have become a chase-worthy ideal. As recent generations manifest a change in demographic behavior, more sustainability-based fashion ventures pave the way for better consumerism and choices. This rise in interest has grown apparent as consumers recognize the true cost of the clothes they wear.

For decades, fast fashion companies have dominated the industry and continued to cause perverse consequences globally.

Producing close to 100 billion pieces of garments every year, these businesses have taken a toll on communities through ravaging local resources, enough for many to reevaluate their support and participation in the cycle.

With the goal of addressing t h e s e c lo t h i n g-nu a n c e d environmental and ethical issues, concerned advocates and entrepreneurs introduce a new approach to apparel manufacturing and recognize the cha llenges that the industry confronts.

THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY Among display shelves of top clothing brands are an array of garments weaved with synthetic fibers called polyester.

This, among many other lowcost and versatile fabrics used in fast fashion, significantly pollutes nearby oceans and rivers. Besides spreading toxic wastewater and harmful plastic micro-fibers, it takes an average of 3,000 liters of fresh water to produce a single shirt. If the level of mass production continues at this rate, the industry would be responsible for a 50% increase in carbon emissions for the next decade.

T hus, these f irm-induced environmental repercussions have become difficult for many to ignore.

Beyond these companies’ environmental impacts, their ethical decision-making in productions a lso rema ins questionable. A f fording little to no workers’ rights to outsourced labor in foreign countries, the fast fashion industry has been complicit into the normalization of severe maltreatment and unjust compensation in said nations.

Recognizing a need to bring these issues to light, local student organizations partake in initiating collective action to educate and empower advocates passionate about the issue.

Student organization FASH Founder Mia Azurin (4 BS COMTECH) made this decision when reflecting on her role as a thrift shopper. Through further research on the industry, she recognized that there is much more that could be done in numbers, prompting her to “form a community.”

In pursuit of creating this community, Azurin and the rest of FASH’s co-founders faced many obstacles including difficulty recruiting members.

However, after a successful recruitment period in the first semester of 2021, she believes that their collective vision became more concrete.

Azurin notes how instilling their organization’s three key values of consciousness, community, and proactiveness empower people through their projects and initiatives. “My sustainable fashion journey felt very personal. Being surrounded by the community makes you learn more and create a greater impact,” she remarks.

As advocates continue to shed light on the industry’s harmful practices, the allure of sustainable fashion become mainstream consumer conversations. This has motivated budding entrepreneurs to explore the opportunity of

‘‘

We get to appreciate the products made around us because we know where they come from ALEX NATIVIDAD NATIV WEAR PH FOUNDER AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER

manufacturing quality pieces with fabric and production sustainability at the forefront of their businesses.

SOWING THE NEEDLE The courage to enter the sustainability niche market is not as simple as watching an inspirational documentary and dropping everything. Founder and creative director of Nativ Wear PH Alex Natividad took a leap of faith in the sustainable fashion space as a consumer who hoped to purchase and deserve better product options.

At the peak of the Bali bag trend in 2019, Natividad found in her research to own one that many of these bags were mass-produced not in Bali but in China. She then recognized the opportunity for an

accessory business after realizing the raw materials were available in the Philippines. Natividad points out, “Why hassle in finding a Bali bag made abroad when there are local materials that would make an even better product?”

Prompted by this, she began working on her business from the ground-up, sourcing suppliers and materials that align with her vision of creating naturallymade accessories.

On a different route, fashion designer Camille Villanueva entered the sustainability space to ensure livelihood for her employees during the pandemic.

“We all didn’t know what would happen next. We just focused

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My sustainable fashion journey felt very personal.

Being surrounded by the community makes you learn more and create a greater impact.

MIA AZURIN FASH CO-FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR

on all our efforts to help our sastres, cutters and weaving communities,” she expounds.

Under the suggestion of her master cutter, Villanueva reluctantly decided to produce face masks. After a few batches, her collaborator Luis Espiritu proposed she integrate handwoven Philippine textile to her designs. The successful performance of these masks in the market led to the creation of their brand CAMLU. Regardless of how the entrepreneurs set foot in the sustainability market, significant challenges await those who enter the space.

Prioritizing sustainability, Natividad recognizes the need for fair worker compensation, as this helps determine the retail prices for her pieces. “We don’t change our price point because we don’t want to bargain with our suppliers… we recognize it is also their livelihood,” she shares.

Thus, Nativ Wear PH continues to use the natural dyes and quality materials at the core of their brand’s integrity.

Beyond the need to be sustainable, the pandemic has caused further obstacles in production. Villanueva explained that further lockdowns have led them to be creative with their product designs to express gratitude for their consistent and loyal customers amid the circumstances. “We are grateful that our clients are understanding and appreciate the work we do. We have been happy to inspire a lot of people,” she remarks.

Although navigating the industry may feel like threading a needle, Natividad notes that having a growth mindset is key to doing their best work as

it encourages openness to the learning process. Ultimately, this willingness to learn through successes and mistakes shows that, beyond altruism, they move forward along the journey.

TIE ALL LOOSE ENDS While the future of the fashion industry is unclear, people who continue to advocate for its positive reformation find solace through communal hope.

Natividad hopes that the sustainable mindset people have adopted endures post-pandemic.

“We get to appreciate the products made around us because we know where they come from,” she explains, referencing how her network with other local small businesses have built a sense of community through supporting each other.

The emphasis on awareness is shared by Azurin who believes that knowing how products are made is the first step. “Sustainability starts from being more mindful of our own consumption habits and looking at how we buy and how it affects people in the supply chain,” she points out.

Beyond the roles of consumers, there is a necessity to recognize the role that companies and institutions play in fast fashion.

Azurin hopes that the root causes of the issue are addressed through “radical” institutional changes.

The systemic problem that underlines the issues of fast fashion is exactly why the option for local and sustainable brands is integral for currentday customers. Whether big or small, an entrepreneur’s pursuit to form a more mindful culture around the things one wears will continue to both influence and inspire a community to do the same.