The GUIDON - November–December 2014

T HE OFFICI A L S T UDEN T P UBLIC AT ION OF T HE AT ENEO DE M A NIL A UNI V ER SI T Y

VOLUME LXXXV, NO. 6 · NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014

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Ateneans rally with farmers on coco levy issue

IN UNITY. Ateneans stood shoulder to shoulder with the KILUS Magniniyog farmers to pray for justice on the coco levy issue during a vigil on November 21.

By Bianca N. Martinez and Samantha O. Subida SEVERAL ATENEAN volunteers accompanied the 71 Kilusan para sa Ugnayan ng Samahang Magniniyog (K ILUS Magniniyog) farmers to the Malacañang Palace on November 26, where the coconut farmers had a dialogue with President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III regarding the Perpetual Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund.

The trust fund aims to protect the recovered P71-billion coco levy fund, which came from shares in food and beverage company San Miguel Corporation (SMC). It was declared as a public fund by the Supreme Court (SC) on September 21, 2012.

According to a primer sent to The GUIDON by Ateneans for Agrarian Reform Movement (Afarm) Chair Ace Dela Cruz, the coconut farmers have yet to receive a single peso from the recovered money.

The coco levy were taxes collected from farmers during former President Ferdinand Marcos’ term that were invested in companies outside the The GUIDON Visit our online accounts.

coconut farming industry.

During the dialogue with the marchers, Aquino promised to issue an executive order (EO) that will allow for the utilization of P3 B worth of annual interest earnings from the coco levy fund.

Aquino also declared that he will certify as urgent a bill for the protection of the P71 B. However, in an interview with The GUIDON, Dela Cruz said that the bill for the mobilization of funds cannot take effect unless the SC issues an entry of judgment.

Dela Cruz requested that Aquino speed up the legal process and that he should not “let these farmers wait again for a long time.”

“We’re not only talking here about the 71 farmers; we are talking about the 3.5 million farmers here who have yet to utilize the recovered P71 B due to an absence of a Court-sanctioned entry of judgment,” he said.

On December 10, the SC issued a partial entry of judgment which allowed for the utilization of the P71 B. In a statement released by

MORE INSIDE Sanggunian kickstarts restructuring, redefines vision news, 2

COA establishes committees to address common org issues news, 2

Atenean businesses named winners at GSEA news, 3

PMCA highlights leadership and nation-building news, 3

8 SOSE students intern at Naist news, 4

PLDT-CTC and JGSOM buildings undergo expansion news, 4

Ateneans rally ›› 3

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Administration, union agree on new 5-year CBA

By Vince M. Estrada FOLLOWING MONTHS of negot iat ion, t he Ateneo administration and the Ateneo Employees and Workers Union (AEWU) came to terms on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on November 25, with the document pending an official signing.

The first discussion between both sides for the new CBA took place on April 28, after the previous CBA expired on March 31.

As of press time, the document is only awaiting the ratification of the general assembly of the AEWU, according to University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ. “We are hoping that the formal signing could be sometime mid-December, before the Christmas holidays,” he added.

The new CBA will last until 2019, with an option to renegotiate the agreement after three Follow us on Twitter @TheGUIDON

years, in 2017. Villarin declined to reveal specific details of the new CBA as it has yet to be signed. However, AEWU President Tobias Tano said that negotiations between the union and the administration lasted for months because both parties differed on the amount of wages and bonuses of the workers.

Tano disclosed that, under the agreed CBA, workers’ wages will have a general increase of 4% as well as a merit increase of 3%, or P50 per day, whichever is higher, to their base salaries during the first year.

In the second and third year after the CBA’s signing, workers’ wages will have a general increase of 3.5% as well as a merit increase of 3%, or P50 per day, whichever is higher, to their base salaries.

In addition to the general and merit increases on the base salaries, new workers are also guaranteed a signing bonus of P4,750.

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A general increase refers to a pre-determined percentage increase on the salaries of workers, while a merit increase refers to performance-based incentives that workers receive should they meet a certain clause in their contract.

The neg ot iat ion wa s eventually settled with the help of the Department of Labor and Employment’s National Conciliator and Mediator Board (DOLE-NCMB).

According to their official website, the DOLE-NCMB is mandated by law to resolve labor disputes through preventive mediation, conciliation and voluntary arbitration.

Negotiating the CBA

Upon the expiration of the old CBA, a panel of 10 administration officers and 14 AEWU members met for initial negotiations.

Administration, union ›› 5

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Sanggunian kickstarts restructuring, redefines vision

By Jin U. Lampasa THE SANGGUNIAN concretized its plans for an organizational restructuring and agreed upon a new vision for the student government in a meeting with its Top 54 officers on October 21.

As stated in the minutes of the meeting, the Sanggunian officers ag reed upon this vision: “The Sanggunian drives to redefine student activism by providing avenues for interdisciplinary collaborations towards advocating causes for nation-building and student development.”

Howe ver, Sa ng g u n ia n S e c r e t a r y- G ener a l Polo Martinez stressed that the version is only temporary and that the Sanggunian has not yet arrived at a consensus to use it.

“That was merely an idea brought up by some of our officers.

The final decision would be to the discretion of our promotions committee chair,” said Martinez.

Martinez said that the plan to redefine the Sanggunian’s vision stems from the need to

restructure roles and rebrand the student government.

He added that the need for restructuring roles and rebra ndi ng subsequent ly arises from the “apparent inadequacy” of the Sanggunian as a student government.

According to School of Social Sciences (SOSS) SecretaryTreasurer Mikee Defensor, the Top 54 meeting was meant to solidify the direction that Sanggunian is heading for this year.

“The changes to be made this year will be the main base or thrust of the Sanggunian in the coming years,” she said.

Defensor added that the first semester was a research phase, and that the Top 54 meeting was meant to create concrete plans and goals to be implemented this second semester.

School of Sciences and Engineering 2nd Year Executive Officer Ma. Carmela Vinzon said that the Sanggunian’s objective this year is to lay the foundation for an eventual “full restructuring.”

The Top 54 meeting was held on the third and last

day of the Office of Student Activities (OSA)-organized Student Leaders’ Evaluation Seminar (Evsem), with OSA Director Chris Castillo and representatives from the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo in attendance.

The first two days of the Evsem were allotted for teambuilding workshops, with the last day saved for separate meetings for the two groups.

Committee system

The meeting was also an avenue for the establishment of a committee-based working system in the Sanggunian.

The six new committees are Constitutional Review, Financial Transparency, Advocacies, Student Rights, Basic Services and Public Relations.

Vinzon explained that while the Sanggunian already has auxiliary and standing committees in place, the new committees will tackle the key priority areas that the officers determined.

According to Martinez, work is equally delegated and operations are centralized through

the committee system.

As transcribed in the minutes, Sanggunian Vice President Ryan Yu explained that the committees will serve as an ad hoc solution to facilitate the process of constitutional review.

He added that the committees will also be a contingency system in case some Sanggunian positions are vacant next school year.

The implementation of the committee system provoked varied responses from the attendees.

According to the minutes, Defensor said that the committee system proposal would be too redundant, arguing that the system would only add more layers to the bureaucracy.

Moreover, SOSS 3rd Year Central Board (CB) Representative Alexandra Mai Reasonda said that the constitutional review should be prioritized.

Martinez explained that the CB took a top-down approach to facilitating the discussion, while at the same time, ensuring that there was sufficient consensus building.

“I do not think that there was any completely adverse

opinion toward the committee system. There were perhaps very pertinent questions raised but none left unanswered and everyone eventually agreed to the committee system,” he said.

Martinez stated that the committees will be composed of members from different Sanggunian branches, such as the CB, School Boards and departments.

Future implications

Defensor said that the Sanggunian has already set a general timetable for the plans and projects of the different committees for the second semester.

“Given that [not much work was done in the first semester], the Sanggunian is more pressured to really work in the second semester, since almost everything will be done in the remaining— more or less—four months of the school year,” she said.

Moreover, Vinzon declared that the student body can expect more focus and a more streamlined process on the Sanggunian’s part.

“It would not be a 360 degree

turn because one semester is not enough to solve all the problems piled up from the past years, but we are definitely taking the biggest step we can to make this semester a good one for the Sanggunian,” she stated.

Martinez said that there will be more meetings and logistical planning during this semester. “[The series of meetings] are in preparation for the constitutional amendment and overall rebranding. Moreover, the [Top 54] meeting was meant to issue the directive of the Sanggunian in the coming semester and the coming years,” he explained.

Martinez also noted that if everything proceeds according to plan, there should be no reason for the Sangg unian to not be able to fulfill its objectives.

“Ag a in, t he com m it tee system will be institutionalized to facilitate the restructuring.

It may seem way complicated and esoteric on paper, but it actually will help make the process way simpler and concise,” he added.

COA establishes committees to address common org issues

By Carlos L. Arcenas DURING ITS State of the Council Address (SOCA) on November 12, the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo (COA) announced the formation of seven committees that will help solve and alleviate common management and development issues faced by student organizations.

The new committees are focused on serving areas ranging from managing internal affairs, to facilitating partnerships between Ateneo organizations and parties outside of the university.

“In line with [COA’s] key areas of excellence, community and nation-building, [the COA Central Board (CB) is] working to help build a stage where the organizations will perform and excel,” said COA President Karlo Abadines during the SOCA. The new committees are as follows: The Committee on Administrative Relations (CAR), the Committee on Community Building (CCB), the Committee on Partnership (CP), the Transition and Organization Change Committee (Torch), the Nation-building and Advocacy Committee (NBA), the Support and Formation Committee (SFC), and the Processes, Systems and Structure Committee (PSS).

Rationale According to Abadines, the seven committees were created in light of the concerns raised by student organization presidents during COA’s meeting on October 21.

The meeting was held on the last and third day of the Office of Student Activities (OSA)organized Student Leaders’ Evaluation Seminar, with OSA Director Chris Castillo and the Sanggunian also in attendance.

The first two days were allotted for team-building workshops while the third day was given for COA and the Sanggunian to have breakout sessions with their respective officers.

During the SOCA, COA Inter-Cultural Relations Cluster Secretary-Treasurer Ryan Symaco said the concerns included coordinating with OSA and the Office of Administrative Services

(OAS), adhering to organization core competencies, and dealing with stereotypes on organizations and entire clusters.

In the same council address, Sector-Based Cluster SecretaryTreasurer Erin Feliciano said that the concerns raised by the organizations are gaps that prevent them from moving “from their present state to their ideal state.”

Feliciano said that it is in the ideal state where organizations fully work and satisfy their main missions and visions.

She further stated that the seven committees were established to directly tackle the problems and present solutions in order to help “lift COA’s organizations up to their ideal state.”

Committees in detail Each of the seven committees target specific areas and will directly work with organizations to address these problems.

A primer distributed by the COA during the SOCA further elaborated on the specific purpose of the new committees.

The CAR, Torch, PSS and SFC are targeted towards dealing with the internal affairs of each organization.

The primer stated that CAR aims to use COA’s position as the main conduit between student organizations and the Loyola Schools administration to facilitate ef f icient communication and to act as mediator between both parties.

According to Feliciano, the CAR was the committee requested t he most by organization presidents at the meeting, noting that “issues in dealing with bureaucracy” in terms of transactions with OSA and OAS were the most pressing.

In addition, Torch is concerned with internal change issues of organizations, such as transitioning between incumbent and incoming presidents, change and risk management, and member involvement and assessment.

According to Feliciano, Torch’s mission of better facilitating transitions is important over the upcoming semester due to the impending calendar change and the challenges it poses on

transitioning organization officers.

Moreover, the PSS will assess, evaluate and reorganize the internal systems and structures of organizations; the PSS will also offer strategies and solutions to internal problems faced by the organizations.

As for the SFC, it will focus on developing an organization’s members and will offer financial support to help bolster projects.

The final three committees, the CCB, CP and NBA, are directed towards addressing external gaps.

The CCB will work on breaking organization and cluster stereotypes through interorganization social activities to help build awareness and to forge stronger bonds between the organizations.

Similarly, the CP will bridge organizations with other COA organizations and non-Atenean groups to create sustainable partnerships.

Finally, the NBA will focus on encouraging awareness of national issues by offering opportunities for organizations to engage in nation-building efforts.

As of press time, the committees are staffed by COA CB members; however, COA is accepting student organization officers to contribute to each committee, regardless of their organization’s specific cluster.

ESTABLISHING SYSTEMS. The new committees of the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo are meant to help organizations reach their optimum potential by addressing common management and development concerns.

PHOTOS BY TYNIE ASPREC

News

The GUIDON November-December 2014

Atenean businesses named winners at GSEA

PMCA highlights leadership and nation-building

By Joff D. Bantayan

INNOVATION. Seeing how election campaign posters are not removed properly, Venyre Corporation developed an environmentaly-friendly adhesive residue remover.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENISE TAN

By Katrina M. Bonillo TWO ATENEAN-RAN businesses earned top prizes at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) Local Competition held on November 8 at the F1 Hotel Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Life sciences senior Leo Lofranco and computer science junior Life Lofranco were awarded first place for their peer-to-peer package delivery website, Muber.

Venyre Corporation, composed of management of applied chemistry seniors Corrine Cheng, Rissa Colayco, Michelle Fong, Eugene Palao, Lavi Subang, Denise Tan and Meryl Uy, placed third for their adhesive removal solution, Takeoff Multi-Surface Residue Remover.

The GSEA is the premier international competition for undergraduates who aspire to venture into entrepreneurship, with over 1,700 student entrepreneurs from across 20 countries contesting for the top prize.

GSEA is a program of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a global network of business owners that aims to establish ties with fellow members for greater business success.

To be eligible for the

GSEA, participants have to be undergraduates of a college and have been profitably operating their own business for at least six months by the time of the Global Competition.

The Local Competition’s top three finalists received cash prizes and were given a spot at the Venture Capital Event on December 6, where they pitched their projects to a panel of potential investors.

These finalists will also be advancing to the Regional Competition to be held in Manila from January 23 to 25, 2015, where they will be competing against one another to represent the Philippines in the Global Competition, which is set for April 15 to 17, 2015 in Washington D.C. Muber Founded by Leo Lofranco with his long-time friend Francis Plaza, Muber is an online platform that enlists travelers overseas to deliver shopping requests faster.

Event ua lly, Lof ra nco’s brother, Life, took an interest in the project and decided to become part of Muber as well.

Francis Plaza, who is currently a Computer Science Department lecturer in the Ateneo, did not join the Muber team in GSEA

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because he is no longer a student. “[Muber crowdsources] travelers, and then we get the shopping requests from [the] Philippines, and these travelers from [the] US (United States) to [the] Philippines fulfill the shopping requests,” said Leo Lofranco.

Leo Lofranco explained that Muber was conceptualized in April 2013 while he was traveling to Cambridge for a study grant and met with Plaza, who was then a senior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The idea was inspired by their family and friends who would ask them to buy things from the US, like gadgets or clothing, to bring back to the Philippines.

The small project then branched out to a wider audience, with a “hundred signups” within five months, said Leo Lofranco.

To ensure that enough travelers are available to cater to requests, Muber partnered up with Mango Tours, a travel consolidator of FilipinoAmericans in the U.S. As of now, the team is focused on establishing Muber in the Philippine commerce scene by increasing transactions with Atenean businesses ›› 5

THE ATENEO Assembly called the youth to speak up and contribute to the betterment of the nation through one of its flagship projects, the Philippine Model Cong ress: Ateneo (PMCA), held at Escaler Hall on November 22 to 23.

The PMCA is a two-day conference that allowed aspiring youth leaders to learn more about national issues the country is currently facing and to discuss what needs to be done to address these problems through a simulated congressional setting.

PMCA Project Head Madeleine Ong said that the conference seeks to encourage the youth to be involved in the country’s pursuit for inclusive development.

The PMCA is patterned after the Philippine Model Congress (PMC), an annual yearly conference that selects high school and college students from all over the country to simulate congressional debates, engage in workshops and learn from guest speakers at the Philippine Senate building.

“The PMCA, as the Ateneo chapter of the annual PMC, ultimately tries to enlighten the future leaders of the nation about the sociopolitical issues of today,” Ong said.

The Ateneo A ssembly President Pauline Carillo aired similar sentiments, saying that the youth has a role to play in “demanding institutional reform and deepening democracy.”

Furthermore, Carillo stressed that the youth of today often avoid or dissociate themselves from politics due to the various controversies, injustices and issues of corruption it entails.

In light of this, she added that the PMCA tries to help the youth to be immersed in the work of youth leadership and good governance.

The speakers for the two-day event included the following: Senate Committee on Youth Chairman Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, social entrepreneur from the Pinoy Doctors Medical Center Dr. Michael Santos, Asian Institute of Management

Policy Center Executive Director Dr. Ronald Mendoza, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Assistant Governor Almasara Tuano-Amador, Joey Velasco Foundation President Queeny Velasco, University of the Philippines-Diliman Political Science Professor Clarita Carlos, PhD, Akbayan Partylist Spokesperson Risa Hontiveros, A kbaya n Represent at ive Honorable Walden Bello and Ateneo School of Government Dean Tony La Viña.

The Ateneo Assembly is an accredited student political organization of the Ateneo.

Legislation

The PMCA featured simulations of actual law legislation procedures through a unified plenary, which was the main gathering of all the delegates in the conference.

Prior to the event, the delegates were sorted into committees that suited their skills and interests. The list of committees included the following sectors: Business, economics and entrepreneurship, education and culture, labor and agrarian reform, health and science, technology and environment.

During the commit tee sessions, delegates met with their respective groups to debate over and decide upon a bill proposal that would be subject to the plenary’s approval.

Bi l ls t hat pa ssed t he plenary level included “An Act Enhancing the Mother TongueBased Multilingual Education of the K-12 Prog ra m by Teaching Regional Literature in Grade 7 through Mother Tong ue La ng uages” a nd “Ammendments to Republic Act 7875: An Act Instituting a National Health Insurance Program for All Filipinos,” which were proposed by ma nagement eng ineering junior Marc Duque and health sciences senior Francesca de Jesus, respectively.

The said bills will be forwarded to the House of Representatives for further deliberation and for possible enactment and legislation into new laws.

Call to action

During the national situationer forums, the conference speakers encouraged the delegates to involve themselves in various problems that continue to confront the nation and the world at large.

The said forums were a twopart segment of the conference where guest speakers talk about and raise awareness over a specific national issue or concern.

In his speech, Aquino stressed the importance of the participation of the youth, particularly in the discourse of public issues.

“The role of young people is to really make sure that as our country grows, there is really space for everyone else.”

“There is a need to mainstream the youth, as opposed to [them] being the outliers,” he added in a mix of English and Filipino.

Hontiveros, on the other hand, called for support to the marginalized sectors who continue to suffer discrimination and other social injustices at present.

She expressed support for the Kilusan para sa Ugnayan ng mga Samahang Magniniyog (KILUS Magniniyog), an alliance of coconut farmers rallying for the proper procurement of the coconut levy funds which will aid in the development of the coconut farming industry.

“Sana maging mabunga ang pagharap ng mga magniniyog at ni [President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III] (Hopefully, the negotiations bet ween the farmers and President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will be fruitful),” she said.

On November 26, the KILUS Magniniyog farmers engaged in a dialogue with Aquino at the Malacañang Palace.

Aquino agreed to declare the enactment of the coco levy bill in Congress as urgent, to protect the P71-billion levy funds; he also agreed to issue an executive order that will mandate a yearly procurement of P3 B to the farmers while legislation of the said bill is still underway.

During his speech, La Viña PMCA highlights ›› 5

Ateneans rally...

KILUS Magniniyog on December 12, the farmers said they welcome the SC’s decision with positivity and that they are looking forward to the fulfillment of Aquino’s promise to issue an EO. The farmers promised to actively participate in the discussions and hearings for legal amendments on the coco levy case.

The statement reads, “Hindi lang pribilehiyo ng iilan ang katarungan—karapatan natin itong lahat (Justice is not just a privilege for a few—it is a right for all of us).”

KILUS Magniniyog’s visit to the Palace is part of their 1,750-kilometer KM71 march, which started at Davao City on September 21, to lobby for the creation of the trust fund and to raise awareness on the coco levy issue.

Afarm Research and Advocacy Member Christabel Bucao said that that the march was a way for the coco farmers to bring themselves to justice in the best way they knew how.

“I think that the coconut farmers are doing all that they could... through active, ‹‹ 1

nonviolent means such as the KM71 march,” said Bucao.

According to the Afarm primer, the coco lev y fund scam is said to be “the largest legalized theft in contemporary Philippine history,” as it totaled to a collected levy of P9.7 B from 1973 to 1982.

The government required coconut farmers to pay a levy of P20 in 1974 for every 100 kilograms of copra on their first sale, until the levy increased to P76 in 1977.

Afarm is a student-led task force of rural development advocates from the Ateneo.

Remaining positive

After Aquino’s promise to certify a bill for the protection of the money as urgent, Dela Cruz said that Afarm is now more hopeful about the establishment of the Perpetual Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund.

“It might be just the first step, but at least now, we’re sure t hat [we’re] get ting there. So long as our national government remains true to their words, we’re sure that our coconut farmers will

finally get what they rightfully deserve,” said Dela Cruz.

In a statement released on December 1, Afarm acknowledged Aquino’s commitment to his promises.

Afarm said they remain cautiously optimistic, especially now that what were discussed and agreed upon between the farmers and Aquino coincided with Afarm’s manifesto on the issue.

The ma nifesto, which was released by Afarm and Buklod Atenista, calls for the establishment of the trust fund.

Buklod Atenista is an alliance of student governments from the Ateneo de Manila University, the Ateneo de Davao University, the Ateneo de Naga University, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University and Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan.

Afarm’s statement further reads that they are, however, wary that the EO that the president will craft and the bill he will certify as urgent may not be the same as the EO and bills that KILUS Magniniyog has filed through people’s initiative at the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In light of this, Afarm urges Aquino and the involved government agencies to consult with the farmers to ensure that whichever EO and bill are passed will be for the farmers’ benefit.

Atenean support

Afarm and Buklod Atenista organized the Laban Niyugan week from November 17 to 21 to raise awareness in the Ateneo community on the plight of the coco farmers.

Apart from lobbying for the Perpetual Coconut Farmers' Trust Fund, the coco farmers are also struggling for the attention of the government towards their cause.

Adelmo Arandela, one of the farmers, said that the government has not paid enough attention in resolving the issue.

“Kulang na kulang [ang atensyon na binibigay ng gobyerno].

2012 pa nahatulan ng Supreme Court ‘yong pera [pero]... kaming mga magsasaka sa niyugan ay naghihirap (The attention of the government is inadequate. It was still in 2012 when the Supreme Court gave a verdict regarding the money, yet we farmers are

still in poverty),” said Arandela.

According to Afarm Buklod Atenista Ambassador Camille Leong, the current administration has the most unsatisfactory performance among the last three administrations when it comes to agrarian reform.

She also added that that the coco farmers are among the poorest farmers in the country, earning only P18,000 per capita per year.

In line with this, Dela Cruz said, “If the government’s agenda has always been for inclusive growth, they must make sure that all sectors are included that no one is being left behind. [Aquino] has to make sure that before he steps down, our coconut farmers get what they deserve.”

During the week-long event, Ateneans were encouraged to join the Pledge P71 donation drive and to sign the petition for the establishment of the trust fund.

On November 18, a forum titled “Laban Niyugan: The Coco Levy Fund Scam and March for Historic Justice” tackled the historical and legal context of the

struggle of the farmers on the coco levy issue.

Aside from these activities, Afarm also led the KM71 Salubong on November 21 to welcome the coco famers to the Ateneo. Students, administrators, faculty members and staff personnel from the Ateneo showed their support with chants of “Coco Farmers’ Trust Fund, itatag, itatag (Establish the Coco Farmers’ Trust Fund)!”

The KM71 Salubong continued through a Solidarity Program at the Cervini Field, wherein students and faculty members reaffirmed the university’s position in supporting the advocacy of the coco farmers regarding the coco levy issue.

During the program, Associate Dean for Student Affairs Rene San Andres reassured the farmers that the school is open for the farmers.

The farmers left the Ateneo on the morning of November 21 to continue their march to the Malacañang Palace.

With reports from Ennah A. Tolentino

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News

8 SOSE students intern at Naist

By Macneil A. Mendoza AS PART of the Nara Institute of Science and Technolog y (Naist) Project for Interns (NA PI), eig ht School of Science a nd Eng ineering (SOSE) students worked in different research laboratories at Japan’s Naist from October 19 to November 2.

The Na ist , wh ich is composed of graduate schools of information science (IS), biological science (BS) and materials science (MS), is a topranked Japanese university for both education and research.

Naist’s internship program, NAPI, aims to use science and technology to promote interdisciplinary and international cooperation.

Master of mathematics st udent Victor A nton io, computer science senior Camille Ruiz, master of electronics engineering student Benjz Sevilla and computer eng i neer i ng supersen ior Dominic Enriquez worked in the laboratories under the IS graduate school.

Two interns, master of chemistry student Nikita Bacalzo and master of science in biology student Katreena Sarmiento, worked in the BS graduate school laboratories; along with them was recent graduate, Paolo Bareng (MSc in Biology ‘14).

Moreover, master of chemistry student Giancarlo Uygongco and physics and material science engineering supersenior Hani Francisco were accommodated in the laboratories under the MS graduate school.

The interns were assigned to the laboratories that specialize in the same major they are taking up.

In an interview with The GUIDON, Uygongco shared how

programs like the NAPI are of great help to aspiring researchers and scientists like him.

He said that the internship inspired and widened his perspective on how to execute his own research in the future.

Similarly, Francisco said the program gives access to aspiring Filipino scientists to work in more advanced laboratories like that of Japan.

Sarmiento, on the other hand, thinks that internship programs such as NAPI could definitely improve Philippine scientific and technological researches.

“The students can actually see and work on world-class facilities and machines that, at first, we could only read in journals,” she said.

The NAPI was spearheaded

by NAPI 2014 Coordinator Lorlynn Asuncion Mateo (BC ECE ‘09) and was organized by a group of Ateneo alumni who are currently pursuing graduate studies in Naist.

Learning from experience The interns devoted their weekdays on working in their respective laboratories where they experienced hands-on activities with most of the experiments.

Uygonco said that his internship at Naist gave him an opportunity to experience world-class scientific research because they were given access to high-technology equipment and resources.

“I'm always reading up on scientific journals and articles, and I was given a chance to actually do that sort of research for a short span of time,” he said.

Francisco, in his working hours at the laboratory, was asked to assist a Naist graduate student from early noon until late afternoon.

“For me, the most memorable part is the work in the laboratory. This is because I

OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME. The Ateneans' internship experience will greatly help them once they begin conducting their own research endeavors.

PHOTO FROM THE ADMU WEBSITE

genuinely enjoyed doing the experiments that they asked me to do,” said Francisco.

Francisco described his Naist experience as a fruitful one. “I’m confident that the skills I picked up there will prove to be beneficial as they are consistent with what I want to pursue in the near future.”

For her part, Sarmiento was given the opportunity to work on cross-breeding experiments and green fluorescent proteinexpression analysis on zebrafish.

Sarmiento was able to work in three different BS laboratories.

“I was introduced in each of the laboratories, then the professor and some students introduced their projects and explained to me the focus of their own laboratories.”

Local scientific research For Francisco, getting the chance to work on facilities in foreign institutes such as Naist can inspire local scientists to improve the state of Philippine scientific pursuit.

“It is undoubtable that experiences [in foreign laboratories] serve as an inspiration to further delve into the field of science and technology, which I believe this country needs,” he said.

According to Uygongco, the scientific research and development sector in the Philippines is facing various problems, such as outdated equipments a nd obsolete facilities.

However, he said that these problems cannot be attributed

to a single root cause alone.

“This would be a disservice to the many people working hard to alleviate the problems the sector currently faces.”

Uygongco also identified a lack of communication between the scientists and the laypersons as another problem in the local scientific field.

He s h a r e d t h a t , a s Philippine Biotech Leader and Entrepreneur Maoi Arroyo puts it, scientists usually “speak nerd” to explain the need of long-term investment on research, which discourages people from being engaged with the topic.

He said that the lack of support for scientists and a lack of people who listen to them

result in the trend of brain drain, or the emigration of educated individuals to better working environments.

Sarmiento, however, disagrees that the Filipino scientists and researchers are lagging behind.

She said that they are theoretically equipped and capable of making the best of what is readily available in terms of scientific research.

“When we are exposed to other countries, such as during conventions or this type of internship, and submerged into the different topics relating to our respective expertise, I can say that we could respond and give out our own ideas,” said Sarmiento.

PLDT-CTC and JGSOM buildings undergo expansion

By Joline S. Acampado

RELOCATION. The offices in the PLDT-Convergent Technologies Center and the John Gokongwei School of Management have temporarily moved to the top floor of the Matteo Ricci Study Hall in preparation for the construction which will start this December.

PHOTOS BY CHI D. PUNZALAN

CONSTRUCTION IS underway for the fourth and fifth floors of the PLDT-Convergent Technologies Center (PLDTCTC) and the John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) buildings, respectively.

The construction period is estimated to last eight months, beginning on December 2014 and ending in July 2015.

According to Assistant to the Director for Physical Resources Kristine Advincula, the new floor of the PLDT-CTC building will include classrooms, computer, electronic and science laboratories, and offices for the Health Sciences Program and the School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) dean.

SOSE Dean Evangeline Bautista, PhD said that there is a need to add more research laboratories to “stimulate more interdisciplinary projects.”

“Most of the laboratories in the new f loor [of the PLDTCTC building will be] shared by different departments… some of which are devoted to wel l-f u nded resea rch projects,” she said.

Moreover, Advincula said that the JGSOM building will have teleconferencing classrooms and a more spacious room for the School of Management Business

Accelerator (Somba) program.

Somba serves as an experiential learning laboratory that supports student entrepreneurship by helping students set up their own businesses while still in school.

JGSOM Dean Darwin Yu, PhD said there is also a need to expand faculty spaces and to bring together the JGSOM’s three centers: The department, the Ateneo Family Business Development Center (AFBDC) and the JGSOM Business Resource Center (JGSOM BRC).

The third floors of the PLDTCTC and JGSOM buildings are closed for the duration of the construction; the offices of JGSOM, AFBDC and JGSOM BRC were temporarily moved to the first and second floor of the Matteo Ricci Study Hall.

The AFBDC helps family businesses understand and effectively manage their family dynamics and business challenges, while the JGSOM BRC is a university-based learning resource for small- and mediumsized enterprise communities.

Features Advincula said that the new floors will have sustainable design features, such as the installation of solar panels for energy conservation and a rainwater harvesting system for the restroom flushing.

Moreover, the buildings w i l l i ncor porate g reen wall systems as a means of sun-shading to reduce the heat inside the rooms.

A green wall system includes a wall that is partially or completely covered with vegetation.

Loyola Schools (LS) Vice President John Paul Vergara, PhD said that the budget will come from a portion of the tuition and fees.

The Office of Administrative Services (OAS), together with the Central Facilities Management Office (CFMO), will serve as technical support in the evaluation of the construction’s design requirements and implementation.

The design requirements include the interior space planning, architectural design and design of engineering systems of the new floors of both buildings.

The new floors will feature a fire protection system, an air conditioning system, a structural system and an electrical system.

The OAS supervises and develops the non-teaching staff of the LS and the CFMO maintains, secures, and improves physical fixed assests such as buildings, grounds, road system, and utilities and of the university.

News

The GUIDON November-December 2014

55

CROWD SOURCING. Founded by Life and Leo Lofranco and Francis Plaza, Muber uses crowd sourcing to function. It enlists travelers abroad to fulfill shopping requests.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEO LOFRANCO

Atenean businesses...

Mango Tours.

Leo Lofranco explained that one opportunity for Muber is to open it up to deliveries from the Philippines’ neighbor countries, since Filipinos want to purchase items abroad but feel discouraged by the shipping fees. ‹‹ 3

PLENARY. The Philippine Model Congress: Ateneo featured actual law legislation procedures, with the plenary deciding on which bills to approve.

PHOTO BY ARIELLE A. ACOSTA

PMCA highlights... raised issues concer n i ng public health and the environment and called for a realignment of goals.

"Our environmental state now has been the result of accumulated decisions for the past 20 years,” he said.

Ong said that the forums were intended to inform the delegates of the marginalized sectors of society so they may instill the value of nation-building as leaders.

For business administration and legal management junior Marizeta Auro from Ateneo de Naga University, the conference helped her develop a firm resolve to “make the Philippines better.”

“My knowledge of the situation of my country leads me to anything I could do to be a good citizen of it and eventually, of today's world,” she added.

Chemical engineering senior Joeces Cual from Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan ‹‹ 3

said that taking part in the conference was an enlightening experience, as it helped him assess and see for himself which mandates need to be prioritized for the benefit of his “marginalized countrymen.”

On the other hand, economics and development studies junior Paolo Magnata stressed that the conference made him experience what it feels like to draft laws and fight for them.

“We were pressured. We were angered. Nonetheless, we were motivated,” said Magnata.

Selection

The PMCA invited aspiring delegates coming from Jesuit institutions all over the country.

Carillo said that the PMCA screening committee had to limit the selection of delegates in order to adhere to the rules and technicalities set by the original PMC franchise, which requires the establishing of a

"distinct community.”

Moreover, Carillo said that she wanted the conference to serve as a way to unite the collective voice of the Atenean.

“When Ateneans incite discourse, people listen. Our Atenean education has equipped us with this natural aptitude for leadership,” she said.

On the other hand, PMCA Research and Analysis Head Leo Abot stressed that the selection committee gave more emphasis on the applicants’ skills in addressing a particular problem in society.

He said that the selection criteria they employed aimed to assess an applicant’s ability to articulate a societal issue and devise effective solutions. “[The selection committee] was after candidates who were clear, idealistic, but also downto-earth,” he said.

With reports from Macneil A. Mendoza

Takeoff Ta keof f Mu lt i-Su r face Residue Remover serves as the flagship product of Venyre Corporation, a student-owned company that stemmed from the John Gokongwei School of Management Business Accelerator Program.

According to Uy, their product was conceptualized in an Opportunity Seeking and Marketing Analysis class (MKT 102), when the group was discussing the cursory removal of election campaign posters.

“Why weren’t election campaign posters removed properly, if not at all, from posts and walls in cities and barangays, leaving these areas very messy?” she said.

The group later learned that most adhesive removal solutions that could be used to remove these posters are solvent-based, toxic and corrosive to many surfaces; the group surmised that this might be the reason why adhesive removal solutions are seldom used.

“Our g roup wanted to provide a safe, effective and env ironmenta lly f riendly

remedy to this problem,” said Uy. Uy further emphasized the team’s belief in the potential of Philippine products to compete in an international market.

“Our company believes in being responsible for our consumers… and their welfare, and we saw this in the opportunity to provide an innovative solution that was both effective and safe for use,” she said.

Uy said Venyre Corporation plans on expanding Takeoff after graduation now that the cash prize they won from the GSEA has been introduced to the company for operations.

“We plan to expand in terms of selling, distribution and marketing, starting from agg ressive direct selling initiatives to gain more and more public trust, and then consignment at retailers like hardware stores and homecare establishments,” she added.

Student entrepreneurship

Between learning technical and design skills and addressing customer feedback, being a student entrepreneur can be tough, said Leo Lofranco.

“It’s not only in the sense of managing your time, but also the skills that you learn as you go along.

As an entrepreneur, you also have to talk to a lot of people,” he said.

Life Lofranco added that they would sometimes postpone school work to focus on

the enterprise instead.

“A lot of times, we also thought of stopping Muber because the fees were piling up before we launched. We just believed that it will work,” he said.

Despite that, the brothers perceive student entrepreneurship as a good way to develop skills that are intrinsic only in business practice.

Likewise, Uy described life as a student entrepreneur as challenging, since it coincides with the daily ef for t to attend to both academic and extracurricular activities.

She added that her group struggled in adapting to each member’s work ethic and formulating group dynamics, emphasizing that none of Venyre Corporation’s members have prior business experience.

However, Uy said student entrepreneurship also has its rewards, especially when the team’s commitment to the company surpasses academic priority and takes on a professional course.

“Even if you didn’t make a sale, let’s say your social network got one more ‘like’ or one more ‘follow,’ or you received an inquiry in your email [inbox], it puts this kind of achievement into perspective and reminds you about the very essence of being entrepreneurial: Perseverance,” she said.

With reports from Vince M. Estrada.

Administration, union...

Villarin noted that in past negotiations for the CBA, “more often than not, [ both the Union and the administration reached] an agreement among [themselves] without the need for mediation by a third party.”

However, both the AEWU and the administration were unable to reach an agreement during the recent panel negotiations which led the parties to enlist DOLE-NCMB as a mediator.

The role of the mediator is to give recommendations of possible agreements between the two negotiating parties; both sides are then free to agree or disagree on the mediator’s recommendation, ensuring that a fair deal is reached.

Villarin noted that “there is always give-and-take” in any negotiation. “What adds to the complication is the permutation of components of t hese increases, such as the general, [or] across-the-board increase and the merit, or performancebased increase in salaries.”

According to Christia n Un ion for Socia list a nd Democratic Adva ncement

‹‹ 1

(Cr usada) Prem ier Abbo Her na ndez , t he st udent political party initially had plans to host an open forum with the A EW U and the administration to ensure that Ateneans were updated on the latest developments.

He r n a n d e z , h o we v e r, acknowledged the fact that negotiations between the two parties were at its height and that Crusada had to “tread very carefully,” thus postponing the forum.

“The party decided that we should hold the forum weeks after the negotiations in order to assure that we do not move hastily and create more problems in an already tense situation,” he further explained.

Crusada signed a memorandum of agreement with AEWU in 2013, which declared the two groups as affiliates; both Crusada and AEWU are obligated to offer help and support for each other’s initiatives upon request.

Notice of strike

While the progress of the negotiation was stagnant, Tano filed a notice of strike on November 5 in behalf of the AEWU.

“Puwede ka mag-f ile ng notice of strike once nag-deadlock kayo [sa negosasyon] (You may file a notice of strike once negotiations are at a deadlock),” Tano explained.

“Once na nag-deadlock kayo, dalawa ang puwede mong gawin: Preventive mediation, para patuloy sa pag-uusap, at kung [hindi maayos sa] preventive mediation, iko-convert mo siya sa notice of strike (Once there is a deadlock, you have two options: Preventive mediation, so that discussions may continue, and if preventive mediation does not fix it, you convert it into a notice of strike),” he added.

Tano further said that the AEWU was flexible with its demands in terms of wages and bonuses during the negotiation, but the administration was steadfast with their demands.

“Sabi [ko sa Unyon], wala kaming magagawa dito kundi mag-file ng notice of strike (I told the Union, there is nothing else I can do but to file a notice of strike),” he stated.

However, Villarin clarified that filing a notice of strike was “not an act against the Ateneo.”

“It is one of the various legally

acceptable actions any union may undertake when there is deadlock in the CBA,” Villarin said.

He added that the notice of strike acted as a “cooling off period” for both parties, which allowed them to “sit back, reconsider the options that have already been placed on the table and make time to continue meeting each other in dialogue.”

In addition, Hernandez said that the student body should be taking matters like the negotiation of the CBA more seriously. “[A] strike is really not a joke,” he said.

“We need to recognize that, inasmuch as the administrators and the faculty are the most visceral manifestations of our formators, our maintenance workers and laborers have played just as much of a role in raising us in our second home,” he stated.

Hernandez added, “Our privilege does not afford us the right to forget the well-being of those who have sacrificed their lives for our safety and comfort.”

Reaching a resolution

Villarin is thankful that both the AEWU and the administration were finally able to reach an agreement on a new CBA.

NEGOTIATIONS ON GOING. Villarin mentions that the Ateneo's workers and laborers also play a part in building the community and that a strike is not an act against the Ateneo.

PHOTO BY ARIELLE A. ACOSTA

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the [Ateneo] community, especially the Union and the administration panels, for working very hard on this and finally reaching an agreement,” he said.

Villarin added, “I know people have been praying too and I thank them all for their prayers. In the end, I believe the graces we asked for, the twin graces of patience and wisdom, were granted.”

Hernandez, on the other hand, had no doubt that a solu-

tion would be reached by both parties despite the prolonged negotiations.

“I feel that, given the situation, our administrators and union leaders who negotiated would have never stopped negotiating until they could come up with a figure that would is fair for both parties. We have faith in the individuals who are forming us both in higher office and in the grassroots,” Hernandez said.

6

Opinion

VOLUME LXXXV, NO. 6 NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2014

The GUIDON 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.

Mara Alyssabel D. Cepeda, AB COM ‘15 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Vernise Allison L. Tantuco, BS COMTECH ‘15 ASSOCIATE EDITOR

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY JOSEPHUS T. NUGRAHA

Down from the hill, revisited

Katherine Mary E. Pearson, AB SOS ‘15 MANAGING EDITOR

Jan-Daniel S. Belmonte, BFA ID ‘15 DESIGN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Ennah Faye A. Tolentino, AB PSY ‘16 NEWS EDITOR

Ignacio Gregorio C. Razon, AB PSY ‘15 SPORTS EDITOR

Roxanna May Y. Ramirez, AB COM ‘16 BEYOND LOYOLA EDITOR

Pia Josefina H. Posadas, BS COMTECH ‘15 FEATURES EDITOR

Lyssa Minette A. Marquez, AB POS ‘17 INQUIRY EDITOR

Santiago Jose J. Arnaiz, BS LM ‘16 VANTAGE EDITOR

Catherine Margaret C. Quintos, BFA ID ‘15 GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITOR

Arthur Jarred D. Tan, BFA ID ‘16 MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Karen Therese Romina G. Sison, AB HI ‘16 TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Julie Diane T. Lim, BS ME ‘15 EXTERNALS MANAGER

Ma. Josephine C. Unas, AB COM ‘15 ONLINE MEDIA MANAGER

NEWS Carlos L. Arcenas and Jin U. Lampasa, Editorial Assistants; Joline S. Acampado, Joff D. Bantayan, Katrina M. Bonillo, Briane B. Dela Peña, Vince M. Estrada, Liam C. Lu, Bianca N. Martinez, Macneil A. Mendoza, Miguel N. Sevidal, Samantha O. Subida SPORTS Vincent D. Soliven, Editorial Assistant; Robi R. Andres, Lorenzo C. Aycardo, Joseph J. Bautista, Raizza P. Bello, Faith R. Decangchon, Jeremias Esguerra, Beatrice T. Go, Gian Y. Go, Jaime Katigbak, Noelle M. Recio, Cedric B. Teng Ampo BEYOND LOYOLA Frances P. Sayson, Editorial Assistant; Pamela P. Baluyot, JC A. Beltran, Regine D. Cabato, Alexa B. Fontanilla, Cristina A. Gadiano, Kyle N. Mitschiener, Ina M. Morales, Janella H. Paris, Chynna A. Santos, Aaron M. Tanyag FEATURES Jasmine P. Ting, Editorial Assistant; Marguerite R. Andrews, Ishbelle L. Bongato, Patricia C. Concepcion, Marco G. Dayrit, Tricia T. Lao, Raf S. Nakpil, Isabel A. Rodrigo, Benny G. Tañedo, Andrea V. Tubig INQUIRY Alex A. Bichara, Editorial Assistant; Nicolo A. Fortuna, Uriel N. Galace, Nathan V. Javier, Eugene G. Ong, Mivan V. Ong, Jairus I. Paul, Van T. Siy Van, Vicah P. Villanueva VANTAGE Deany R. Cheng, Editorial Assistant; Paul G. Alcantara, Dre L. Chua, Rissa A. Coronel, Gaby Gloria, Belle O. Mapa, Ashley Martelino, Matthew K. Olivares, Andre Orandain, Katrina Pimentel, Carlos A. Quiapo PHOTOS Arielle A. Acosta and Raquel A. Mallillin, Editorial Assistants; Tynie Asprec, Andrea G. Beldua, Francine A. Bharwani, Joshua E. Cabalinan, Alexis A. Casas, Alexandra L. Huang, Pia R. Nicolas, Isabella Olivares, Chi D. Punzalan GRAPHIC DESIGN Therese M. Pedro, Editorial Assistant; Paulina L. Almira, Angelli J. Aquino, Clara F. Cayosa, Diana F. David, Ian B. De La Cruz, Colleen P. De Luna, Ellan T. Estrologo, Josephus T. Nugraha, Joey D. Ochoa, Nikki G. Solinap MULTIMEDIA Thurees Obenza, Editorial Assistant; Alfonso G. Abaya, Annie O. Coronel, Miguel Feria, Denise G. Fernandez, Princess T. Flores, Sam F. Ganzon, MV Isip, Igi A. Maximo, Angelo M. Mendoza, Arianna Z. Mercado, Tin S. Sartorio, Shaira A. Mazo, Jillian C. Subido, Nikki C. Vesagas TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT Hannah Guinto, Managerial Assistant; Mariel A. Arboleda, Andrea G. Guevarra, Ysabelle D. Lebrilla, Pepper P. Limpoco, Enrique G. Lopez, Kimiko C. Sy, Ven G. Tan, Eli P. Uy EXTERNALS Jelena Tiu, Managerial Assistant; Kristi de Asis, Patrick L. Balisong, Sabina Co, Gio L. Cruz, Anica G. Gomez, Jus G. Lazaro, Marcy A. Miniano, Isabella Naguiat, Mika O. Reyes, Jeric Santos, Sam C. Tacondong, ONLINE MEDIA Lea O. Bolante, Managerial Assistant; Gayle G. Carabeo, Alexander V.C. Collado Jr., Carmel Ilustrisimo, Kian L. Paras, Henna O. Yu COPY EDITORS Rissa A. Coronel and Eugene G. Ong

Ruel S. De Vera MODERATOR

It was quite the controversy in 1973 when Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, then-superior general of the Society of Jesus, stood in front of the alumni of European Jesuit schools and said that the Jesuits have not educated their students for justice. In his iconic speech, Arrupe made a call to the community to be aware of the reality of injustice in the world; he challenged them to live more simply, to draw no unjust profit and to change unfair social structures.

Today in the Ateneo, Arrupe’s call to be men and women for others has become the prime educational objective of the university. It is one of the first things a freshman learns that makes him or her distinctly Atenean.

Over the years, we have seen graduates who went on to answer this call in various fields. Batch 2012 valedictorian Kenneth Abante chose to

work for the Department of Finance and continues to invite Ateneans to serve in government. Roxy Navarro turned her passion for design into Works of Heart, a youthled, socially oriented design company. Reese FernandezRuiz co-founded Rags2Riches, Inc., a social business enterprise that partners with rug weaving communities and turns their products into bags and home accessories. What these three individuals have in common is their striking intention to serve, a quality that Ateneans today must constantly imbibe.

Atenean leaders’ efforts should be geared towards advocacy-driven initiatives— concrete projects aimed at empowering others—that go beyond merely ending their deemed “irrelevance” or winning the race to meet success indicators, such as near-complete attendance and excellent participant ratings.

Past instances have proven that the student body actively responds to calls for help when they come. The recent effort of the Ateneans for Agrarian Reform Movement in support of the coconut farmers is not an isolated case. One only needs to remember the outpour of students who volunteered for the relief operations of the university’s Disaster Response and Management Team to prove that Ateneans do care and are willing to help.

In 2011, the Loyola Heights community took to the streets to protest against the zoning exemption granted by the 17th City Council for the construction of Shoemart Development Corporations’ Blue Residences a long Katipunan Avenue. Several Ateneans joined the Million People March last year and expressed their disg ust towards the controversy involv ing t he Pr ior it y

Development Assistance Fund, which was later declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Moreover, various student organizations have also created projects geared towards alleviating certain social issues; some organizations, in fact, were even established with a particular advocacy as their main mission statement.

Ateneans have been called apathetic, especially in light of past Sanggunian failures of elections. With roughly three months left of the school year, most students groups, the Sanggunian included, are beginning the process of electing, appointing or transitioning to their next batch of leaders. We should therefore use the time to reflect on just how much power we have as students: We have a say in who to put into these positions. Atenean leadership goes beyond the titles; service

can be in the form of being critical with our choices.

If one were to consider the examples stated above, the supposed apathy of the Loyola Schools students may not be inherent as some speculate.

Turning a blind eye seems to be–or should be–the exception rather than the norm.

The challenge for the current Atenean student leaders, then, is to continuously create projects and initiatives that will give their constituents the chance to actively fight for and give a voice to the oppressed, concretizing the call Arrupe made 41 years ago.

Arrupe’s challenge is not about the Atenean being the messiah of the world; we do not set out because we think we are the answer. To be a true man or woman for others is to live a life of service–nothing more, nothing less.

Guest Column

CHALK MARKS

Return of “Blue Eagle, The King”

By Ramon L. Mayuga Something magical happened last October 1 at the Araneta Coliseum, during our final game against National University. Despite our heartbreaking loss, many of the older alumni who attended remained jubilant, since the long-awaited day for celebration had finally arrived: On the first day of Mary’s month of October, our old fighting song, “Blue Eagle, The King (BETK),” made a dramatic comeback in an extraordinary fashion.

At noon of September 30, the day prior to the game, the BETK music video was launched on YouTube, blasted by email to over 30,000 Ateneo alumni throughout the world and reposted on Facebook by diehard Ateneans.

By 2:00 PM, game time, the video had gone viral with over 12,000 hits. This video was conceived a week before, shot from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Sunday, September 28, at the Prince David studio of Andre Yap, participated in by two Jesuits, current Ateneo athletes, and numerous sung and unsung alumni, directed and edited by Direk Yeyey Yatco, all gratis et amore.

As early as noon of October 1, a handful of Ateneo alumni volunteers gathered at Starbucks Araneta to get their instructions on how to distribute the free

collector’s edition T-shirts commemorating the 75th anniversary of BETK, with the full lyrics of BETK on the back. Meanwhile, a Jesuit gave out October medals, while other alumni willingly chipped in whatever they could afford for the cost of the Malabon band hired by Junjun Capistrano to play BETK and other Ateneo songs forgotten at Loyola. Also, to ensure better cheering, Ateneo High School (AHS) Principal Gabby Mallilin sent over 250 high school students after an anonymous donor paid for the five buses they used.

The Ateneo spirit shown by many unsung heroes that day was truly inspiring.

At the beginning of the game, BETK was played, as the older alumni stood up to sing along. Unfortunately, most of the younger Ateneans simply watched in bewilderment. At halftime, after our Blue Babble Battalion (BBB) did their exquisite numbers, Araneta’s overhead screens came to life with the showing of the BETK music video. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Board had given its special approval for is extraordinary tribute, considering this was the very first time a locally-composed school song celebrated its

75th anniversary.

But why was there all this fuss over BETK in the first place? As a part-time faculty member of the John Gokongwei School of Management since 2007, I was surprised to discover that less than 10% of the students in all the classes I’ve handled knew what BETK was. It was shocking to know that only my students who came from the Ateneo Grade School (AGS) or AHS knew the song by heart and could still sing it. I still remember our Ateneo notebooks at AGS had a big “A” atop an eagle on the front cover, with the words of BETK on the back cover.

Intrigued, I began to ask fellow faculty members as to the reasons why BETK went into hibernation. Had they forgotten that this was composed in 1939 by our quintessential Atenean—the late Senator Raul S. Manglapus? Were they unaware that this was the very first school song composed in the Philippines, during the early days of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, while all the other local schools were borrowing songs from abroad?

Did they not know that when BETK was first played, the bandleader was National Artist Lucio San Pedro, and the singer

was the country’s foremost baritone Aurelio Estanislao?

So why was there this collective amnesia on BETK by the majority of current Ateneo college students and of perhaps the more recent vintage of younger alumni? Didn’t they know that we all got to be known collectively as the Blue Eagles mainly because of BETK? The various explanations I got for this curious phenomenon ranged from the retirement of the school bandleader, Col. Jose Campaña, the opinion that BETK had too much hubris and that the school song was changed to the more elegant “A Song For Mary.” I find that those explanations as mere “excuses.” We can always get a new conductor or even merge the Ateneo Blue Symphony with BBB for the UAAP games.

More importantly, BETK was meant to be a fighting song to exhort and rally our troops to battle, hence the seeming hubris. Finally, it was never an either/or proposition between BETK and “A Song for Mary,” since we can always have both.

After I had called the attention of Fr. Jett Villarin, SJ to resurrect BETK, since it resonates with most of the older alumni, he ordered the administration to play the song

over the school sound system at the start of every Monday.

Three years after, many of my students are now familiar with the BETK melody but are unable to sing it. Older Blue Babble alumni, like Dick Gordon and Joey Leviste, have decided to grab the bull by the horns and attend the upcoming cheer rallies at the start of the year so they can help impart the age-old Ateneo traditions like the BETK. We also strongly suggest that the BETK music video be played at the start of all Ateneo assemblies, after the invocation and national anthem. The “A Song For Mary” can still be played or sung as our closing song.

What will happen to BETK will ultimately depend on you, the reader of this article. Already, this year’s Jubilarian classes have adopted “Fly High! Fly Home!” as their theme and will have special numbers to commemorate BETK’s 75th anniversary. Fly High Always, and One Big Fight!

Ramon L. Mayuga (AB EC ‘71) is a part-time faculty member of the Leadership & Strategy Department. He was a contributing writer for the Sports section of The GUIDON from 1967 to 1971.

The GUIDON November-December 2014

Per se Kimmy E. Pearson kpearson@theguidon.com

A new perspective As kids, it seems like growing up is such a long process. When siblings, cousins and relatives were graduating grade school and moving up to high school, that step was so impressive, but it did not feel like I was going to be like them any time soon. In high school, college was so far away, it was like a dream, and so I made big plans to leave home and live alone. Now that college graduation is looming and I did achieve want I wanted—sort of—it feels like I closed my eyes one day and when I opened them again, I was suddenly at

Reverie Roxie Y. Ramirez rramirez@theguidon.com

Not a compliment When I was in high school, I used to walk home. It usually didn’t take long; it was a 15- to 20-minute walk, depending on my pace. Plus, I live in a gated community, so I knew that I would be safe.

But there were times when those 15 to 20 minutes felt like hours. You see, even if I was in my school uniform, which consisted of a blouse around one size too big and a skirt that fell more than three inches below my knee, I would still get “compliments” during my walks home.

These “compliments” ranged from unwanted stares to wolf whistles, to

Click to play Arthur J. Tan atan@theguidon.com

First on decks “Call time is 9:45 [PM]; you’re opening, so 10 [to] 12 PM is your set”—a message that may sound exciting to many first timers to hit the “1s and 2s,” but the opening disc jockey (DJ) can be one of the hardest time slots a person can get. As a DJ, I provide the music, emotion, setting and “hype” of the party. But how do you provide all of that when there is barely anyone in the club yet? After DJ-ing for roughly three years now, I’ve found being the opening DJ a whole different kind of art form.

Being an opening DJ is like being the

Middle ground Karen G. Sison ksison@theguidon.com

History, our story “Why history?”

I used to be asked this question quite often, especially when I was a college freshman, be it in family gatherings or classroom and organization orientations. People wondered–and I think, still wonder why–I chose a course like history when other courses out there are deemed “more useful” or “more practical” in the age of business, information, science and technology.

However, more than a question of course and, possibly, career choice, I think the question is also worth asking on a more philosophical level:

this point in my life.

There was never enough time in the world to do or be everything; that is a fact I am slowly recognizing as I struggle with all the responsibilities on my plate. More than that, I am striving to accept that there are and always will be things missed because I was focusing on different things. In my case, during my stay in the Ateneo, I resigned myself to the reality that I would have to give up spending time with my family. In all honesty, in the beginning, I was more than happy to do so, but as it goes for most people, there are always times when the sacrifice is almost heartbreaking.

Of course, seizing the opportunity to be able to go out and to be independent without having too much to worry about is a blessing that I am eternally grateful for. It still never feels like enough because I am forced to forego my duties to my family. There will always be things like skipped Christmas traditions and even just plain old family time

that put a damper on certain successes.

That does not stop me from making the most out of a bad situation though.

In fact, it provides perspective in that it compels me to find meaning in the things that I do which make me miss out on the happenings at home.

Leaving home opened my eyes to the importance of doing meaningful things and continuously making every effort to be the best person I can be. Otherwise, there is no point in having to neglect the most significant people in my life. At the end of the day, if I had to give up, say, attending my little sister’s Moving Up Day to do something that did not have a deeper purpose, then I would end up asking myself what the point was. So I find myself having to learn to value what is important, like family and meaningful work. At the same time, I am constantly doing my best to avoid that which causes unnecessary and pointless absence at home.

More than that though, ventur-

men on motorcycles and cars asking if I wanted a ride home.

The first time that it happened, I felt f lattered. Maybe it was because I went to an all girls’ school and this was one of the few times that people of the opposite sex paid attention to me. But then it started happening again. And again. And again.

I know that I am not alone with these experiences. Some of my friends share stories of how they too were harassed on the street. It did not matter if they wore shorts and a tank top or a short skirt and a sleeveless shirt or a hoodie and jeans–they would still receive unwanted comments about how they looked.

A certain video has been making rounds on social media over the past months. Conceived as an advertisement for Hollaback, an organization that aims to fight street harassment, the video shows a young woman walking on the streets of New York for 10 hours. She was told that she had a nice body and

that they wanted to take her home. One man even followed her for five minutes, not saying anything.

While the video only showed us a glimpse of the harassment she received, the message was clear: The minute women walk out in public, their physical appearance is all that matters. That women should feel grateful and flattered that men are paying attention to them. That the moment someone says that they have a nice body or that they have a pretty smile, women are expected to give them something in return.

The common counterargument seems to be that these comments are compliments. That women would not mind if they came from an attractive man. That women actually like being catcalled and wolf whistled. To that I say: There is nothing complimentary about being told that you have a nice smile and a beautiful face when you are just trying to get home. There is nothing complimentary about being followed for five blocks just because

appetizer for a grand meal: You give your customer a hint of flavor–just enough to build up to the main course.

The hard part is knowing what appetizer will appeal to the type of customer.

In my experience, this can be both exciting and frightening at the same time.

Exciting, because this is your chance to experiment, try out tricks you’ve always wanted to do outside of your practice time, play some songs that you don’t get to usually. But this can also work to your disadvantage: If a big crowd comes in and doesn’t “vibe” the start of a party or opening of the club, you just lost potential audience.

Research is also essential to be an opening DJ. You wouldn’t want to eat five Double Stuf Oreos only to find out you’re going to quench your thirst with a pint of beer instead of milk, right?

An opening DJ must research who will be playing after him or her during the prime time set. If you know your prime time DJ likes to drop hard-hitting hip-hop tracks, then you have to build

up the ambiance with some hip-hop.

You wouldn’t want to jump the gun and start playing all the crowd-pleasers too early either. Research must also apply to the venue itself: Is it a hotel club where the ages range from 25 to 40 or is it a much younger crowd?

Requests have always been a problem for opening DJs, with people saying, “Hey could you please play [this song] already?” As a DJ, I know it’s too early to play certain songs just yet. At times, some people will bash you for not playing that particular song, but being a smart DJ means knowing when to play it.

Even with the problem of requests, it can be the best experience to be given that early time slot. Everyone starts out as an opening DJ, and it’s through this that you’re able to find your style. You’ll have the opportunity to experiment, expand your library and find new ways to make people stay without entertaining requests.

Compared to a prime time club or

What is it with history and why should we study it?

As a discipline, there are several reasons as to why studying history is of value.

In an age where information is so abundant and accessible, it is more important than ever to know how to properly scrutinize sources of data: To select which bits of information are relevant, to be critical of the claims and arguments that are made in these sources, and to question the credibility and verity of these very sources of information.

The discipline of history teaches that.

Furthermore, students of history are taught how to communicate effectively, both in the written and oral medium, something that is necessary not only in the realm of history but in other fields as well.

More than developing skills on scrutinizing sources and communicating effectively though, I think that the value of history and studying it lies in the name itself. History is a story.

A story is not just a bunch of disparate details put together by the author, which oftentimes, history is misconceived to be. Many people think of history as simply being a bunch of facts about individuals and events that have already passed. This is further driven by the notion that to study history is to memorize dates of past events and names of dead people. While inevitably, history and by extension, stories, do involve these pieces of information, they are certainly more than that.

Stories are not just data, but data that contain and evoke emotion. We are drawn to stories not because of the content, but because of the unifying emotional idea that comes along with it. Stories are coherent. They have meaning and relevance for us, which is why we become so captivated by them. Likewise, with history, we do not study it to learn the past for the past itself. We study history because we hope that in learning more about the past, we can understand our present and consequently, ourselves, more. In a

More than that though, venturing out helped me appreciate all the things I took for granted when I was still living at home.

ing out helped me appreciate all the things I took for granted when I was still living at home. For example, not having to worry about meals and being able to hang out with my siblings every now and then. It makes me wonder what else I have neglected to be grateful for outside of home life.

Attempting to find meaning and purpose in all that I do and appreciating that which I never used to is a

good to strive for, but it is also essential to learn to make the most of the time given to me, to fulfill my responsibilities, spend quality time with my loved ones and work towards becoming the best version of myself. In time, I hope that there comes an opportunity for me to be able to balance everything, and I can only hope that keeping this perspective in mind may help me get there faster.

There is nothing complimentary about being told that you have a nice smile and a beautiful face when you are just trying to get home.

someone claims to want to get to know you. There is nothing complimentary about being killed just because you rejected someone’s advances.

This does not mean that men are banned from giving women compliments. But they should be aware that there is a difference between wishing someone a nice day and saying that they have a nice ass. Men should not be insulted when women do not say

anything back, and they should not be defensive and insist that it is nothing more than a compliment when they get called out for it.

While the easy solution seems to be to suck it up and ignore street harassment, it should not be the only solution. Both genders should aim to create a safer environment for both men and women.

Women should not be afraid to walk in their own neighborhoods.

All DJs have stories to tell through their playlists and libraries, and they want to share them with people.

festival DJ, who will usually play Top 40 music, opening DJs finally figure out what kind of genre of music they really enjoy. Later on, as they become prime time DJs, they can use that knowledge and make it their specialty.

All DJs have stories to tell through their playlists and libraries, and they want to share them with people. An opening DJ must pick which story he or she has in his or her arsenal of

playlists and deliver it to the people, reading the crowd, as the crowd, in turn, reads his or her story.

DJing in itself is an art form, but not many people know what happens when you’re the DJ starting the party.

The most beautiful thing to watch or hear after taking that opening slot is having everyone just at the tip of their toes right before prime time—that is the beautiful art of an opening DJ.

However, studying history has not only made the past come alive— studying history has also kept us alive.

way, through history, the past is made alive and present.

However, studying history has not only made the past come alive—studying history has also kept us alive. One of my Western history teachers once said, “We don’t learn history to learn from other people’s mistakes. We learn history to understand our mistakes.”

We may not notice it, but in one way or another, we use history as a guide on what to do and what not to do.

In this sense, the practicality of history is not simply about future employability or financial security. It is something that is more basic: History can teach us how to live. It is our story, one that is worth telling and even more worth learning from. I may not have chosen history as my major for this particular reason, but it’s definitely one of the main reasons why I choose to stay.

News

8

Atenean Voice Was it justifiable for Vice President Jejomar Binay to withdraw from a debate with Senator Antonio Trillanes regarding the allegations against him?

Bas Claudio 4 ABMA PoS

“I think the simple idea is that, if you want to be a presidential candidate, you have to set an example, right? So, one of the basic things that we want to expect from them, as citizens, is for [presidential candidates] to keep their promises. So the idea that [Binay] was the one who asserted himself, he was the one who proposed [the debate], and that he’s backing out, it shows how lazy he can be. He can’t even deliver. What more right now when he’s not a presidential candidate? What more when he is?”

R.R. Rañeses Lecturer Political Science Department

“Binay backing out of the debate that he called for with between him and Senator Trillanes is justified because debates are supposedly opportunities or forums for mutual understanding and for reciprocal exchange of ideas. The one that Binay initiated might be characterized by one-side overpowering the other side, in this case, Senator Trillanes, who’s controlling the flow of information of the media today and is dominating the discourse. [It] might stunt the ability of the other side to engage in a productive debate. If that happens, it will be just two people talking past each other without reaching any kind of deliberative or communicative consensus.”

Guiliana A. Santos 1 BS HSc

“It is not justifiable on any standpoint. The mere fact that Binay challenged Trillanes to a debate already gives us an idea on what kind of person Binay is—childish, irrational. In addition, for you to challenge someone to a debate means that you are actually confident that your claims and arguments can stand against refutations. His withdrawal not only makes him look foolish, but it further proves to us that he is, indeed, nothing but a haughty coward.”

Jose Tirol Assistant professor History Department

“If you mean justifiable in the sense that a person can always change his mind about something, sure, Binay was free to do that. On the other hand, however, considering that it was actually his camp that brought up the challenge of a debate, the eventual withdrawal on the premise that he would appear ‘opportunistic’ and ‘oppressive’ comes across less as unjustifiable and more of simply pathetic.”

Angeli Magdaraog 3 BS HS

Vanessa Baguiwet 4 BS ES

“It is disgraceful, at one point, and it doesn’t do well for [Binay’s] credibility; because, especially ever since the Priority Development Assistance Fund scandal had happened, we’ve been pushing for transparency now in the government. It’s a big issue, especially that he’s a presidential candidate, that we don’t see the transparency we’re looking for in him. So, especially as I am a voter, it’s disappointing. And, well, honest opinion, I don’t like [Binay]. I think he’s really corrupt. What does it say about him that he doesn’t show up to a debate that challenges him, and what he has done? It’s about time that he does speak about [the allegations against him], and elaborate on what’s really happening, as the public deserves to know.”

“Well, I read some things about it. Obviously, it destroys Binay’s credibility as a politician and if he’s not guilty of corruption, he should have pulled through with the interview. No questions asked. With the freedom to know, more citizens must be aware of what is happening in the government. I mean, I’m biased with the whole hacienda and things being shown on the social media. Even if they are allegations and rumors, there must be some true fact where it all came from.”

Glimpses Hyundai signs for hall in The Areté Hyundai Asia Resources, Incorporated (Hari), the official distributor of Hyundai cars in the country, signed an agreement with the Ateneo for the construction of the 900-seater Hyundai Hall theater and concert space in The Areté. The Areté is the Ateneo’s envisioned creativity hub; construction is expected to be completed by early 2016. The signing held on August 29 was attended by Hari Chairman Edward Go, Hari Chairman Emeritus Richard Lee, Hari President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Perez-Agudo, University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ, Vice President for Social Development Jaime Hofileña and Vice President for the Professional Schools Antonette PalmaAngeles, PhD. The Hyundai Hall will also include the Edward S. Go Wing, named after the Hari chairman. Bianca N. Martinez

Assistant professor chosen as United Board Fellow Filipino Department Assistant Professor Jema Pamintuan, PhD was named the 2012-2014 Elisabeth Luce Moore United Board Fellow by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia.

According to the United Board, Pamintuan was awarded for “exceptional learning and achievement of leadership development” and her “commitment to excellence in teaching and demonstration of outstanding academic leadership” when she participated in a United Board Fellows Program at Georgetown University, USA from January to April 2014. Only one outstanding fellow is chosen from each class upon completion of the program. The program teaches its participants about styles of leadership, organizational structure, educational management and alternative pedagogical styles to enrich their own teaching. Joline S. Acampado

Mentors shine in 2014 Gintong Aklat Awards Two professors from the Ateneo were honored in the 2014 Gintong Aklat Awards held at the SM Mall of Asia on September 17. English Department Assistant Professor Alexis Abola won in the Literature in English category for his book, Trafficking in Nostalgia: Essays from Memory, which is a collection of narratives that center on the writer’s coming of age. On the other hand, Psychology Department Associate Professor Maria Lourdes Llaneza-Ramos, PhD was awarded in the Inspirational/ Self-help category for her book, Inner Blossoming: An Asian-Transpersonal Approach to Learning, Growth, and Healing. The book offers methods on psychospiritual ways to learn, heal and grow.

The titles were published by the Ateneo de Manila University Press on 2012 and 2013, respectively.

The Gintong Aklat Awards were given by the Book Development Association of the Philippines in conjunction with this year’s Manila International Book Fair. Joff D. Bantayan

Assistant professor named founding member of CES Research Network English Department Assistant Professor Jocelyn Martin, PhD was named as a founding member of the Council of European Studies (CES) Research Network on Transnational Memory and Identity based on her strong research work. The CES aims to promote European Studies and to strengthen ties across disciplines. The research network also provides financial, administrative and communications support alongside a setting for scholarly practice. As a member of the CES Research Network, Martin is given the privilege to benefit from these services. Macneil A. Mendoza

Ateneans bag bronze at PRSP Students Grand Prix A team of Ateneans seized the bronze medal at the 2014 Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) Students Grand Prix on October 12 at Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Team “Kopi Mixers” was composed of sophomore Marc Malferrari, juniors Chinny Daez and Toffer Sumulong, and seniors Christoph Doncillo, Ranvin Jarina, Tiffy King, Claire Lim, Juls Ormoc and Rico Oña. They were coached by Communication Department Lecturer Bernie Bagaman. PRSP tasked the finalists to create a public relations plan to increase PRSP membership and improve public outlook on the public relations profession. Kopi Mixers won with a coffee-themed proposal called “Kapihang Magkaibigan,” which promoted PRSP as a relaxed yet professional organization with events that are as calm and enjoyable as coffee. Jin U. Lampasa

Community Calendar

vantage.theguidon.com

First day of classes after the Christmas break January 5 School Forum January 16 4:30 to 6:00 PM Escaler Hall

The decade (so far): Top 10 films

Vantage's 6-step Christmas cards

Digesting Christmas

Stranded in transit: Tanghalang Ateneo's Rite of Passage

Ignite your soul: A review of The Ransom Collective's EP

The five books you must read before you graduate: Fr. Jett VIllarin, SJ

AESS tree-replanting project January 17 The Ateneo Environmental Science Society (AESS) in partnership with the Ayala Corporation will have a tree replanting project in an effort to raise environmental awareness.

TEDxADMU 2015 February 21 2:00 to 7:00 PM Henry Lee Irwin Theatre According to its official website, TEDx is a program of local, selforganized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TEDxADMU is an independently organized TED event in the Ateneo. Deadline of application is on December 21.

For more information, visit http://www.tedxadmu.com/.

Be the voice.

For comments, suggestions and contributions,email desk@theguidon.com

Sports

The GUIDON November–December 2014

99

PRECISE AND ON POINT. Dranz Barbin excelled in this year’s National Outdoor Archery Championships.

SPORTS FEATURE

PHOTOS BY DAX CORDOVA

Hitting the mark

By Faith R. Decangchon MOST ATHLETES look for the blood-pumping adrenaline that allows them to set off the momentum they need to keep themselves in their game. For archers Joseph Alvarado and Dranz Barbin, however, it’s all about level-headedness and composure. Their knack for precision allows them to excel in the field of archery, where they are currently fighting for the position of two of the best in the country.

Alvarado, a management economics sophomore, has been practicing the sport for almost three years. He first gained interest in the sport during his freshman year in high school after seeing a genuine archery bow that got him curious about the game. He watched archery videos to gain more knowledge on the sport, and after a while,

tried his hand at it. He found archery enjoyable and has not stopped ever since.

Sophomore psychology major Barbin, on the other hand, first practiced rifle shooting but was forced to put it on hold after an electoral gun ban was implemented. He needed to find a sport related to target shooting and subsequently tried his hand at archery. Like Alvarado, he proceeded to train formally and went on to join both local and nationwide archery competitions.

National Outdoor Championships

Both of the archers’ background and skill in the sport qualified them to participate in the National Outdoor Archery Championships, one of the most prestigious nationwide tournaments in archery. The Philippine Archers’ National Network and Alliance (Panna) invited 34 par-

It’s important to try to block all other distractions. The only person we’re playing against is ourselves. Getting a higher score than the others is more of a subgoal compared to trying to get the best score you can get.

— JOSEPH ALVARADO, Ateneo Archer

ticipants around the country to compete in Siliman University in Dumaguete last October 25 to 27.

An initial screening was first held to determine the starting ranks of the 34 competitors. A series of 72 arrows were shot, each one with a perfect score of 10 and an overall perfect mark of 720. Alvarado garnered the 20th spot with a tally of 513, while Barbin ranked eighth after tallying 569 markers. Only the top 16 contestants were then allowed to proceed to the headto-head playoffs.

Barbin started off strong in the top 16 as he breezed his way through his first matchup against Elmar Rigor, finishing the game at a clean 6-0. For these matchups, contestants raced to six and were given two points for each shot garnering a higher tally than the opponent.

Heated competition

Barbin’s performance bought him a ticket to the top eight and earned him the right to face the nation’s best.

He kicked off the last stretch of the tournament against Gaby Moreno, a gold medalist in the recent Youth Olympics. Both contestants scored five points by the end of three shots, care of a draw in the last shot that gave them one point each. This led to them undergoing a onearrow shoot-off to break the tie.

Barbin escaped by a slim margin after garnering a tally of eight versus Moreno’s seven, giving him a spot in the top four.

Barbin was then matched up against his coach, Syd Fraginal, who was a Southeast Asian Games (SEA) record holder in the past. Despite his status as an underdog, Barbin remained

unfazed and was able to outshoot Fraginal, 6-4, by the end of the game. This allowed him to qualify for the final head-tohead game of the tournament— the gold medal match.

In this round, he faced his toughest opponent—two-time Olympian Mark Javier. While Barbin gave off two impressive shots that brought him close to the gold, Javier outshot him in the last arrow, finishing the game at 4-6 and giving Barbin a second place finish at the end of the tournament.

A composed mindset

Although short of the top

spot, Barbin admits that he never expected to end up with a podium finish. Barbin shares, “I just said to myself, ‘Look, you trained hard and you have absolutely nothing to lose. You don't need to be scared anymore.

Just shoot.’ And so, I didn't feel scared anymore. I just shot my shots and ended up in the gold medal match.”

Alvarado states that he uses the same mindset in every archery competition. He stresses the importance of composure and level-headedness during the game, as focusing on the pressure runs counterproductive to achieving the best possible mark.

He shares, “It’s important to try to block all other distractions. The only person we’re playing against is ourselves. Getting a higher score than the others is more of a subgoal compared to trying to get the best score you can get.”

This mentality is what pushes both athletes to develop further in the sport and be better than their best. While they were not able to clinch the top spot in the recently concluded competition, both of them know that, with the kind of mental prowess they display game after game, it will not be long before they climb up the ranks and emerge on top in the competitions to come.

10

Sports

The GUIDON November-December 2014

TEAM FEATURE

Ateneo women’s team shines in Varsity Boat Race 2014

By Jeremias P. Esguerra “FOR OUR team” was taped on the boats of the Ateneo Women’s Rowing team during the 2014 Varsity Boat Race held in Malaysia last October 13 to 19. The words served as a constant reminder of the camaraderie that the Ateneo Rowing Team shares. The tournament is a yearly invitational of the top rowing teams across Asia. Both Ateneo teams endured multiple races per day as they competed in the eights, fours and doubles divisions.

Team Captain Rafael Garcia assesses that the entire team did well, given that rowing is not very prominent in the country.

Both teams competed against a tough group of rowers against the world’s top squads. “Overall, competing up against national teams, we are not far from them [skills-wise].” He adds that the team can further improve by adjusting their system.

Despite the men’s team not placing in the overall standings, the entire Ateneo rowing community did not leave Malaysia disappointed.

It was the women’s team that capped off the rowing program’s performance, as they went against all odds and bagged the silver medal in the women’s lightweight fours rowing division. As Garcia claims, “They were really destined to win.”

Rookie surprise

The women’s fours lineup was a rookie team, as three of the four—Celine Villonco, Melissa Del Rosario and Gillian Guzman— only joined the team last June and had no previous experience in rowing. Angelica Agdamag, on the other hand, only joined in October 2013. In addition, the team only had around three months of proper training as the final lineup of the rowing team was only released last August.

Other than the rushed preparation for the tournament,

Villonco expressed that one of the difficulties they had is the lack of competition to measure against. Ateneo is one of the few schools that has a rowing team, so they can’t compare their time trials with other competitors.

Instead, the women’s team remained resourcef ul by

for the majority of the race.

Although it seemed that they would settle for a spot outside the podium, the girls encountered an unforeseen event as the teams in second and third place collided against each other only 50 meters away from the finish line. It resulted into an

I think the love for your boatmates is so strong that it pushes you further.

— GILLIAN GUZMAN Fours division champion, Ateneo Women’s Rowing team

comparing their performances with the teams who previously competed in the Varsity Boat Race. Villonco adds, “When we were doing time trials and comparing it to theirs, that’s when we found out that we can really do this.”

The team had to overcome a huge setback during their first race, as they were not accustomed to the reverse mechanics of the boat they used in Malaysia. The confusion caused them to go off-course and finish sixth place in their first event. Luckily, the mishap occurred in the early stages of the competition, and they were able to bounce back in the losers’ bracket or the repechage round. They tallied a time of nine minutes and six seconds and finished first in order to qualify for the finals heat.

Grit with a dash of luck

Although the women’s fours group’s determination propelled them to the final round of the tournament, the team still remained as the underdogs. Come the championships, they stood at fourth place

automatic disqualification, thus giving Ateneo the chance to take over and cross the finish line for second place. Despite the opposing teams being granted an appeal for a 500-meter sprint makeup, the women’s team convincingly dominated the re-race and claimed the second place title in the fours division.

Thei r d ra mat ic f i n ish wrapped up all the hard work the team devoted to the competition. With practices twice a day, and the combination of land and boat training, Guzman adds that all their sacrifices worked out, especially when coupled with their trust in their system. “I think we all agree that it’s really worth it.

We just learn to love it. We know how demanding it is. We know how tiring it is. We know how nerve wracking it is to be in a race, but we’re still here.”

The team admitted that there are times when they question their abilities, but continue to push themselves nonetheless. Villonco believes that their training is also a test psychologically just as much as

ROWING TO VICTORY. The Ateneo Rowing team took surprised their experienced foes in their performance in the 2014 Varsity Boat Race.

PHOTOS BY JOSHUA E. CABALINAN

it is physically. “That’s what we learned, as rowers, I think. It’s really all in the mind.”

Additionally, Guzman expressed how their teammates help them do better. “I think the love for your boatmates is so strong that it pushes you further.” She also notes how they can’t be selfish: “When you want to stop or get a breather, you also have to think of what will happen to the rest of the group.

We can’t just think of ourselves.”

Bright future ahead

Looking forward, the entire rowing team has the potential to win several more tournaments

in the future. In Del Rosario’s words, “There is no way to go but up.” The women’s team is full of young rowers as Villonco is the only senior in the fours lineup. For the men’s rowers, they’ve been transitioning the younger members of the team with the immediate development of a training pool. “It’s already difficult, [but] it’s just that we have had to step up [ever] since knowing that we’re up against a lot of national teams,” says Garcia in a mix of English and Filipino.

With the experience of competition under their belt, they will no longer have to deal with the

learning curve. This entails more time to prepare for any future events with the mix of veterans and future recruits in their roster.

In the face of success, both teams remain humble. Del Rosario says, “I don’t want to say [that] we’re confident. But I feel that we can do it.” With this great start, the entire Ateneo rowing program believes that they will be even more prepared for future competitions. Time will only tell how many more tournaments they will compete in and win, but one thing is certain: The future is bright for the rowing team of the Ateneo.

The team may have lost some veteran experience, with Libero Bea Tan and Setter Natasha Faustino graduating, but the recruitment class of 2014 looks to make up for lost experience with promise and potential. Bea De Leon, Madeleine Madayag and Jamie Lavitoria will be making their debut for the Blue and White this season.

Despite the team ending both conferences of the Shakey’s V-League with fifth place finishes, they remain positive.

They have, after all, achieved their goal of getting these rookies the additional experience they need in order to prepare for the upcoming UAAP games.

opportunity for the team to be ambassadors of the game.

“I think it’s a blessing.

Volleyball’s popularity is really rising, and I think we’re just honored and humbled to be a part of the uprising of the sport,” she says. She follows this up by stressing the attitude the team has taken as they face the season ahead. “We try to stay as humble as possible. We don’t want to let anything go to our head because that will affect our game. We don’t want the popularity to change us. At the end of the day, we’re just student-athletes who play the sport that we love.”

Both the Blue Spikers and Lady Eagles have achieved leaps and bounds from what they were initially expecting the season before. This year, heightened expectations and new targets on their backs will test both teams like never before. But with a combination of maturing veterans, promising rookies and a renewed hunger to win, the Blue and White are ready to take on all challengers this Season 77.

Keeping up... success is a far cry from the modest goals of yesteryear.

Even with expectations at an alltime high, veteran middle spiker Amy Ahomiro knows that the team will remain focused on the task at hand. “Obviously, we have expectations. Our management and coaching staff want us to get the back-to-back. Who wouldn’t?

But as a team, us girls, we’re just trying not to let that kind of pressure get to us and just play every game, one game at a time.

Hopefully all of our hard work and discipline pays off,” she says.

Despite the cautious mindset that the team is taking, the Lady Eagles are still very much in their prime. Returning to the lineup is Season MVP, Finals MVP, Best Scorer and Best Server Alyssa Valdez. Last season’s Best Digger and Receiver Dennise Lazaro will carry the libero duties, and veteran open spiker Ella De Jesus will also be coming back to the fold, both will be playing out their final year of eligibility. ‹‹ 12

BATTLE-TESTED SPIKERS. The men’s volleyball team sets their eyes on the championship in this year’s UAAP. PHOTO BY ANDREA G. BELDUA

More than athletes

Inevitably, the success of Season 76 has not gone unnoticed, and the Blue Spikers and Lady Eagles now face the added challenge of defending their titles under the bright light of the media. Some may see the added exposure as a distraction, but Ahomiro sees it as an

Sports

The GUIDON November–December 2014

11

GALLERY OF EAGLES

Track and Field rookies

PHOTO BY FRANCINE A. BHARWANI

Kimberly Zulueta

By Joseph J. Bautista CONSISTENCY IS vital to the success of athletes around the globe. These world-class athletes continually improve the new base line that allows athletes to keep pushing themselves to go up the ranks of their competition. These hard workers eventually reach the top and become number one. Lady Trackster rookie Kimberly Zulueta is no stranger to this practice.

A graduate of University of St. La Salle in Bacolod, Zulueta’s track career was marked with gold medals, Most Valuable Player awards and fast sprint times. She’s currently a promising member of the Ateneo Track and Field team as a rookie, with her hardworking motor.

Although she’s already made a name for herself in the high school division, Zulueta recognizes the importance of properly adjusting now that she’s in a higher level of competition.

“Back when you thought you were the best in high school, come college, you start again

PHOTO BY FRANCINE A. BHARWANI

Rabbi Villanueva

from the bottom,” she says.

Zulueta understands that selfdiscipline is the key to success.

“In track, your biggest rival is yourself. You have to beat your weaknesses first before you beat your competition.”

Her humble attitude paid off once she stepped into the collegiate level as a key member of the team. During the course of the offseason, her times in her forte events, which are the 100m and 200m, have been consistently improving—even managing to go neck-to-neck with veteran University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) athletes.

She has also gained additional experience in the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association where she competed with fellow UAAP teams. “This experience made me improve my times in my events. It is a good way to expose myself and get used to the real competition feels.”

Her notable pre-UA A P success was her triple bronze win in the recently concluded University Games in Iloilo. She won the 100m dash, 200m dash and helped anchor the 4x100m

relay team to a bronze medal finish. She quips, “Competing in such meets made me more confident and ready to compete in UAAP this coming December.”

Despite the amount of success she has been able to garner during her rookie season, she still admits that there is room for improvement. “Even though I have been running since I was in high school, I can't deny the fact that I still have a lot to learn from my veteran teammates and coach. I still got a long way to go.”

As such, she acknowledges that mistakes will happen during the upcoming UAAP season. But as these errors occur, she hopes that she learns from them, and comes back even better and stronger the next time around.

She adds that the team set goals for Season 77, “For my team, my goal for this UAAP is to place in either of the relays or, better yet, a podium finish.”

Her ability to record consistent performances coupled with the patience, competitiveness and her sheer desire to improve may be what the Lady Tracksters need in the coming years.

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By Joseph J. Bautista HOMEGROWN STUDENTATHLETES have always been the pride and joy of Ateneo, in part due to their loyalty to the school. It is expected that they will be able to adjust comfortably, and as such, perform well during competitions.

To an extent, this is true for Blue Trackster Rabbi Villanueva, who has been in track and field ever since his days in the Ateneo Grade School. He made a name for himself early on, in local high school track and field circles— most notably for his 400m dash and the 400m hurdles performances. But despite his years of experience, the freshman development studies major admits that college is different compared to how it was before. “Kakaiba na kasi ‘yong lakas at ‘yong bilis ng competition sa college kaysa sa high school (The strength and speed is really different in college compared to high school),” observes Villanueva during the course of the season.

Despite the adjustment period,

Villanueva has already shown visible signs of progress as an athlete. Straight off his high school graduation, Villanueva finished fourth in the 400m hurdles last May in the Philippine National Games. He kept the momentum going as he consistently improved his performances in the 400m dash and 400m hurdles throughout his training sessions and competitions.

His hard work was evident when he eventually put up a good fight against the college track scene’s top competitors.

Villanueva ended his preUniversity Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) run with a double bronze medal finish in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay in the recently concluded University Games in Iloilo. He came short of a triple bronze medal finish as he placed fourth in the 110m hurdles—an event he only started training for a week prior to the competition.

The all-around athlete shares in a mix of English and Filipino that the preseason program before the UAAP in December has helped him slowly get his feet

wet in the college ranks. “The competitions that we joined this year before the UAAP helped me, in a way, to know where I am in the college competition.”

When asked about his mindset and goals for the UAAP, Villanueva says, “My mindset as a rookie is to just do my best in every race and try to contribute as many points as I can to the team.”

It’s only a matter of time until Villanueva proves himself in the collegiate ranks, what with his performance for the Ateneo in the grade school and high school levels. As a rookie, Villanueva has already shown that he can perform well in years to come.

Team Captain Maki De Jesus affirms that Villanueva is loaded with potential as he shares that the freshman holds a chance to make it to the top eight this UAAP season. “Though it might be difficult, I know that he won’t give up with the event he’s gonna join.” De Jesus adds, “His talent is very evident with the performance that he has given [in competitions], and from what I’m seeing, he has a good future in the sport.”

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No offseasons WRITTEN BY Chino C. Razon ILLUSTRATIONS BY Nikki G. Solinap Team Ateneo kept themselves busy over the break with various tournaments and training camps in preparation for the second half of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) competition.

Ateneo competed in the 2014 University Games held in Iloilo last October. The Blue Eagles along with the Lady Booters took home the championship title for the Blue and White in their respective sports.

Not too far from them are the Lady Netters and the Lady Tracksters, who both placed first runner-up in their respective tournaments.

Ateneo’s track and field program tallied a total of 17 medals in the University Games. The men’s team secured four silver and six bronze medals, while the Lady Tracksters managed five bronze medals and two gold medals.

The men’s and women’s volleyball teams, and the Blue Batters, had their share of international experience by holding training camps in Thailand and Taiwan, respectively.

The Blue Batters went up against the nation’s finest in the Philippine Sports Commission tournament. The baseball team will rely on this additional experience as they gun for a three-peat in this year’s UAAP.

Editor: Chino C. Razon · Editorial Assistant: Vincent D. Soliven · Layout Artist: Ian B. De La Cruz

Sports

10 HITTING THE MARK Sharp eyes and mental stability lead our Atenean Archers to success.

Keeping up the “Heartstrong” in Season 77

By Beatrice T. Go and Robi R. Andres SEASON 76 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UA A P) was definitely a successful stint for the Ateneo Blue Spikers and Lady Eagles. With both teams entering the final round, it was a moment to celebrate when the Blue Spikers were awarded the silver medal and the Lady Eagles were crowned the champions.

This season is looking promising for both teams, as the Lady Eagles have been preparing for their big title defense, while the Blue Spikers are eyeing their first championship title in 27 years. The increase in expectations is building up the players’ motivation to achieve their goals as they don the blue and white.

Hungrier to end the drought

Last year, the Blue Spikers delivered an outstanding performance by rising from the seventh seed to second place in Season 76. The team, predominantly made up of rookies, went beyond expectations, since they only set their eyes on advancing to the Final Four in the first half of the season. Even though they fell short against the current two-time defending champions, the National University (NU) Bulldogs, their stellar run served as a gauge to measure the team’s preparation for the upcoming season.

A week after Season 76 ended, the Blue Spikers immediately started to train under the guidance of Head Coach Oliver Almadro.

They set a rigorous program with training sessions scheduled twice a

day in order to secure their chances of winning the championship this season. Aside from continuously improving basic skills, which were already excellent last season, the new training program by Almadro focused heavily on aspects that they struggled with.

As additional preparation for the UAAP, the team, along with the Lady Eagles, was sent to Thailand for training sessions, where they were able to train and compete against Thailand’s greatest players and one of Vietnam’s volleyball clubs. “The experience helped us a lot [ because] we picked

these veteran players, the team made up for it with a lineup of four new recruits.

Th is sea son , Nat iona l Collegiate Athletic Association Juniors Volleyball’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) John Rivera will immediately be filling in the position of Flores as the starting open spiker. On defense is 16-year-old middle spiker Jasper Tan, who will be threatening other teams with his towering height of six feet and four inches when he comes off the bench. Utility spiker Raphael Santos will also be a key player in playing

We try to stay as humble as possible. We don’t want to let anything go to our head because that will affect our game.

— AMY AHOMIRO, Middle spiker, Lady Eagles

up a lot [of ] new skills,” says veteran Rex Intal in a mix of English and Filipino. “We were taught how to adjust, not only against our opponents, but also within the team.”

Having to learn to adjust is, in part, due to the team losing a major chunk of their core of vital veteran players, such as Neil Flores, Ricci Gonzales and Season 76’s Best Receiver, John Paul Pareja. Despite the exit of

offense against other teams.

Lastly, one of the most prized recruits is the four-time Best Libero in the Juniors level, Manuel Sumanguid III from NU. Unfortunately, he is forced to comply with the residency rule as he has yet to be released to play this season by the Bulldogs.

Returning veterans who will face this season with more experience and skill are also ready

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS. The Ateneo Lady Eagles will carry their heartstrong mantra for their Season 77 UAAP title defense.

PHOTOS BY ANDREA G. BELDUA

to share in the combined efforts of the team to win the championship.

Utility spiker and Team Captain Ysay Marasigan has shown major improvements in both skill and leadership. Tomie Rivera will be maximizing his fifth playing year and will continue to play in the position of the libero. Sophomore key player Ish Polvorosa was awarded Best Setter last season and will continue to run for that campaign. Lastly, Season 76 Rookie of the Year and MVP Marck Espejo will be coming back with more expertise under his belt; he is expected to lead the team on their way to the championship.

New expectations

While the Blue Spikers are

hungry for a title, the Lady Eagles are back this season for a championship defense with a whole new set of expectations.

The Lady Eagles captured the hearts of millions in their journey to accomplish the impossible. They endured a playoff bout against Adamson University, followed by an elimination series against the second ranked NU Lady Bulldogs.

The Lady Eagles went through both teams prior to eradicating the thrice-to-beat advantage of the top-seeded De La Salle University in the final round of Season 76.

Ateneo shook the nation and wrestled the title away from the three-time defending champion as they won three out of the possible matches. This run was famously condensed into a single phrase,

uttered at every stop by Head Coach Anusorn “Tai” Bundit: “Heartstrong.” By the end of the tournament, “Heartstrong” became the official motto not only for the Lady Eagles, but also for all who witnessed their journey to the top.

The road back to their ultimate goal will be different from that of previous years. At the start of Season 76, the Lady Eagles set their goals a step at a time, as they had the initial objective of qualifying for the Final Four. But now, with the first taste of championship success ingrained in these women’s palettes, the hunger to deliver another championship is stronger than ever. Their current The season ›› 10

Editor: Roxie Y. Ramirez · Editorial Assistant: Frances P. Sayson · Layout Artist: Nikki G. Solinap

Beyond Loyola

02 BREAKING DOWN BINAY Examining the controversy regarding the vice president.

Justice in the time of Jennifer Laude ILLUSTRATION BY ELLAN T. ESTROLOGO

By Janelle H. Paris and Frances P. Sayson

H

ER FACE and neck marked with bruises, head swollen with contusions and clots, and body slumped against a toilet bowl—in this state, Jennifer Laude was found naked and lifeless on the floor of a bathroom in Celzone Lodge, a motel in Olongapo City's red light district.

The autopsy report later released by the city police reported the cause of death to be “asphyxia by drowning.”

In addition, the wounds on her scalp, chest, arms and legs suggest that she was beaten by primary suspect United States (US) Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, with whom she had gone out on the night of October 11, before being drowned. The investigator tagged the killing as “a crime of hatred” carried out after the suspect discovered that Laude was not born female.

Laude was a transgender woman. According to an article by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Laude had identified herself as a girl at the age of five and began cross-dressing when she turned 18. She was a student in Asian Institute of E-commerce College in Olongapo, where she worked in a beauty parlor.

Custody crisis

In the week after the killing, several members of various lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) g roups st aged protest s condemning the alleged hate

crime. Representatives from organizations like women's group Gabriela and LGBT group Kapederasyon, clamored for justice outside the US Embassy, where alleged suspect Pemberton was being detained at the time.

Their common protest: “Justice for Jennifer. Junk [the] Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).”

The VFA is the implementing agreement of the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty, a pledge signed in 1951 that ensures mutual support between both countries in the event of an attack by a third party. Ratified in 1999, the VFA allows military exercises between the two countries and permits US ships to visit the country for repairs, refueling, and rest and recreation of the crew.

Groups like Kapederasyon and Progressive Organizations of Gays in the Philippines (ProGay Philippines) see the VFA as the main hurdle in the legal process.

Kapederasyon Spokesperson Corky Hope Marañan believes that the VFA cannot be detached from the case. “[It] created the social and economic conditions that led to [the] tragedy,” Marañan says.

Calls for the junking of the VFA are not new. The agreement, riddled with controversies throughout its 15 years of implementation, has been lambasted for placing unequal relations between the Philippines and the US, particularly in terms of access to natural and military resources.

This supposed inequality also extends to the criminal jurisdiction of the US over their visiting personnel. According to Article V, Section 6 of the VFA, “the custody

of any United States personnel over whom the Philippines is to exercise jurisdiction shall immediately reside with United States military authorities, if they so request.” Interpretations of this provision vary, particularly with regard to the custody of the visiting personnel.

In an interview on GMA Network last October 14, Department of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Charles Jose stated that the custody of Pemberton belongs to the US side in accordance with the VFA. However, Atty. Harry Roque, who represents the Laude family, has said in his blog that “Philippine authorities should have custody over non-service related crimes committed by US servicemen under extraordinary circumstances,” in accordance with a provision under Section 3 of Article V. Pemberton was transferred from the ship USS Peleliu to Camp Aguinaldo last October 22. He still, however, remains in the legal custody of the US. While Marañan blames the VFA for the slow legal process, she thinks the media coverage will contribute positively to the LGBT movement. “I think that this focus really opened up more avenues for the discussion of LGBT issues and it is exciting to see people debating because that is the first step towards recognition,” she says.

Nuanced narratives

Recognition of LGBT issues in the country has been both positive and negative.

ProGay Philippines points out that increased media coverage

tends to stir up negative conversation and narratives that divert discussion to Laude's gender instead of the murder itself. After Laude’s death made headlines, LGBT groups and advocates, including Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chair Loretta Ann Rosales, decried hateful remarks against the slain trans Pinay. A scroll through comment threads of various news websites evinces victim blaming—assertions that Laude deserved to die on the basis of her lifestyle and gender identity.

According to Rosales, the most obvious attitude regarding the issue is “the lack of respect for [Laude’s] human dignity... because [she is a] trans woman.”

This is telling of trans treatment in the country. A 2012 study sponsored by Transgender Europe (TGEU) lists the Philippines as the country with the highest incidence of trans murders in Asia from 2008 to 2011. TGEU reports that the 22 murders over four years of monitoring showed “a disturbingly high degree of violence” and transphobia, with a number of them committed upon perpetrators’ discovery that the person was trans.

Both ProGay and Kapederasyon attribute the transphobia to the patriarchal nature of Philippine society, which was increased further by Christian colonization. In the country, identifying as trans is still seen as an abomination or a sin, usually by family members.

In a 2009 study titled “Lost In Transition,” Sam Winter, a scholar on gender and sexuality from the University of Hong Kong, says “40% of Filipina

trans women reported paternal rejection when transitioning.”

transwomen [chose to go to] Japan because of better job and living opportunities,” explains Strap.

Lobbying for legislation

It is a rejection that extends to legislation of basic rights. According to ProGay, “Transgenders [in the Philippines] still have to fight highly dehumanizing conflicts for the simplest access rights, such as the right to use toilets of their chosen gender.”

At a forum held at the University of the Philippines Center of Women’s Studies in May 2014, trans Pinay model and co-founder of Gender Proud, Geena Rocero, said, “While transgender people are culturally celebrated, they are not politically recognized.”

Gender Proud is a global awareness movement focusing on transgender recognition and acceptance.

In the wake of Laude’s murder, CHR Chair Rosales urged legislators to pass the Anti-Discrimination Bill with provisions on LGBT rights.

Various versions of the bill have made rounds in Congress, the first of which was authored by Rosales herself in 2006. As of 2014, a law has yet to be enacted.

Lack of legislation also engenders a problematic employment climate for trans people. According to TGEU, “Employment discrimination has led Filipina trans women to engage in sex work or leave the country.”

The Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines (Strap) reports that migration, especially to Japan, started in the 1980s, a trend furthered by heightened discrimination during the Marcos era. “Many Filipina

Injustice and indifference

Currently, the many issues surrounding the investigation hamper the Laude family’s quest for justice. Months ago, a protest in Camp Aguinaldo by Roque, Laude’s fiancé Marc Sueselbeck and Laude’s sister Marilou led to Sueselbeck’s widely publicized deportation and a disbarment case against Roque.

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has also found himself mired in controversy after his refusal to attend Laude’s wake and his administration’s insistent defense of the VFA. However, he has expressed his desire for justice, citing the pivotal need to identify the culprit immediately.

According to Political Science Department Lecturer Hansley Juliano, protest groups currently seeking the VFA’s abrogation will most likely be unsuccessful. “The protest movement itself at the moment cannot scrap the VFA [because the] Armed Forces are demanding it and the VFA agreements are pretty much the lynchpin of our relationship with the United States at the moment,” he said, pointing out that the present US-Philippines relationship is mostly military in nature.

Rega rdless of the surrounding issues, preliminary i nvest ig at ion s a re now underway. Following approval by the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office, DNA samples were taken from Pemberton last November 6 to aid with the probe.

The spread of panic

By Cristina A. Gadiano and Kyle N. Mitschiener THE EBOLA outbreak on the western African coast has caught the world’s attention. It is the largest outbreak to date; the World Health Organization (WHO) reports over 15,000 confirmed cases and around 5,600 deaths.

Cases of Ebola were first reported in Guinea around December last year, and quickly spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

According to the WHO, “Ebola virus disease, formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals

and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.”

In an interview with CNN, director of operations for Médecins Sans Frontières Bart Janssens says, “This epidemic is without precedent...It's absolutely not under control, and the situation keeps worsening.” To contain the disease, the WHO says that “drastic action is needed” in a concerted global effort.

The first reported case of this iteration of Ebola is said to have been that of two-year-old boy, later identified as Emile Ouamouno, who succumbed to the disease on December 2013. According to reports, his family had been hunting

an Ebola-harboring species of bats for bushmeat. Later on, his mother and grandmother would also succumb to the disease, and so would people from his village in Meliandu, Guéckédou Prefecture, Guinea.

Not long after, the disease had spread across three countries in West Africa. Much faster than the spread of the disease, however, was the spread of fear.

Vulnerability

While the Philippines remains Ebola-free, it still faces potential threat due to migrant population.

About 10 million Filipinos are dispersed globally and over 1,700 The spread ›› 4

GLOBAL OUTBREAK. As of December 10, the Ebola virus has claimed nearly 7,000 lives in the West African region.

PHOTO FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES

Beyond Loyola

2

Breaking down Binay Vice President Jejomar Binay is caught in allegations of corruption—but how did it all begin, and what does it mean for his presidential bid?

By Ina M. Morales and Regine D. Cabato “Isang bukas na aklat ang aking buhay (My life is an open book),” Vice President (VP) Jejomar Binay claimed in his address at the Philippine International Convention Center last September. He was denying allegations hurled against him for the controversial Makati City Hall Parking Building II. His name was dropped in the overpricing of the Makati Science High School Building, which had an estimated cost of P348.6 million but cost P1.3 billion on paper. Binay denied pocketing 13% of Makati project funds, dismissing the allegations as baseless.

“Si Mar Roxas ang isa sa nangunguna sa Oplan [Stop] Nognog 2016 (Mar Roxas is one of the people leading Oplan Stop Nognog 2016),” he said in an ANC interview. Oplan Stop Nognog 2016 is the nickname for the rise of allegations against Binay, supposed attempts to disfigure him for the 2016 presidential elections. Roxas, the Interior

secretary, has long been eyeing the position as well.

JV Bautista, the interim secretary general of United Nationalist Alliance, Binay’s party, first brought up Oplan Stop Nognog 2016 in an ANC interview. "Nognog" is a derogatory term that refers to dark-skinned Filipinos and is supposedly the nickname of Binay among Liberal Party members, of which Roxas is part.

But how exactly did the heated accusations begin? In case you missed the issue, here is a walkthrough.

Who’s who

An investigation followed after former Makati barangay chairman Nicolas Enciso VI and Atty.

Renato Bondal filed a plunder complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman last July. Bondal, a former friend of the Binays, claimed other projects were overpriced too, including Makati City Hall at P7 B and phase 2 of Ospital ng Makati at P2 B. Former Makati vice mayor and trusted ally Ernesto Mercado was instrumental in the disclosure, admitting he

benefitted from the Makati building and delivered around P1.5 to P10 M from projects directly to Binay. Mercado alleged that out of the P1 B Binay raised from 2010 election kickbacks, he had only received 13% as other Makati officials may also have taken a share. He also exposed “Hacienda Binay” at the hearing.

For mer M a k at i Cit y Ad m i n i s t rator M a r jor ie de Veyra said that the city government planned to file charges against Mercado for alleged anomalies in his term, commenting that he “abused the trust and confidence” reposed by the Binays. Enter the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee, which was crafted to aid legislation and led by Senators Alan Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes III. In an October Senate hearing, videos of a 350-hectare farm spanning four barangays in Rosario, Batangas were shown.

Hacienda Binay was estimated to cost P1.2 B, with 150 hectares developed with road networks; it included a fancy garden, airconditioned piggery, a 40-car garage, man-made lagoons, an aviary, a fighting cock farm and

INFOGRAPHIC BY Nikki G. Solinap and Angelli A. Aquino

P15 M to Binay’s vice presidential bid, which were notarized by Daniel Subido, Subido’s brother.

Tiu dismissed the links, saying his brother may have political ambitions of his own.

Insult or investigation

Many believe that the senators of the Blue Ribbon Committee have similar ambitions. “His political opponents want to bring him down, want to lower his stature,” says Fr. Joaquin Bernas SJ, dean emeritus of the Ateneo Law School. Binay, who had been an underdog until he bagged the 2010 elections, claimed that the probes for the alleged anomalous contracts are part of the demolition campaign against him.

Trillanes, for example, threatened Binay with “a new exposé, new documents, and hopefully new witnesses.” He did not specify the details of the new exposé, but plans on conducting more hearings to scrutinize other anomalous M a k at i i n f ra s t r uc t u re s .

Cayetano also suspects Tiu of also laundering money for the Binays. Their methodology at hearings has been criticized for

July 22, 2014 Two former barangay chairmen, Nicolas Enciso VI and Atty. Renato Bondal, filed a plunder complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Vice President (VP) Jejomar Binay, his son Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay and other respondents. The complaint featured the alleged overpricing of the 11-story Makati City Hall II parking building.

Timeline on the Binay controversy WRITTEN BY JC A. Beltran

a mansion with a pool.

Greenergy Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Officer Antonio Tiu claimed to own the lavish property despite allegations that it belonged to Binay. He said that he had “full enforceable right to the property” after purchasing it from Agrifortuna Inc. through Laureano Gregorio.

Binay, his wife Elenita, Gregorio and two others, founded Agrifortuna Inc. Binay eventually divested from the farm when he was elected as VP. Gregorio showed him tax declarations referring to the existing structures in the property, which included the rest house, pavilion, gardens and a small zoo. However, when Senator Aquilino Pimentel III prodded him to provide a transfer certificate signifying his purchase from Gregorio, Tiu had nothing to show. “In our eyes, you aren’t the owner just yet,” Pimentel responded.

Questions of Tiu’s ties with Binay were raised when links between Binay and Tiu’s lawyer, Atty. Martin Subido, were found.

Tiu’s brother, James Tiu, and his wife Anne Buencamino, donated

SOURCES gmanetwork.com, philstar.com, inquirer. net, abscbn-news.com, rappler.com, interaksyon. com, mb.com.ph

1

August 11, 2014 As response to the resolution filed

by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for investigation, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee commenced its probe, with Senator Teofisto Guingona III as committee head.

September 1, 2014 Trillanes and Pimentel led the ocular inspection of Makati parking building. After the inspection, probers doubted Junjun Binay's claims and assessed that the building is at “average standard.”

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7 August 22, 2014 Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee, said that he was leaning towards Trillanes’ suggestion of conducting an ocular inspection of the Makati parking building.

August 13, 2014 Junjun Binay fired back at Trillanes for “prejudging” the issue as he conspired that the move was to malign the reputation of his father, VP Binay. He dared the senator to issue a public apology once the case was proven wrong.

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August 20, 2014 During the hearing, Bondal revealed that cakes given to senior citizens and other buildings, notably the Makati City Hall, Ospital ng Makati and Makati Science High School, have been overpriced.

Meanwhile, Junjun Binay defended the lavish pricing of the parking building, calling the infrastructure “green” and “world-class.”

Implications and inferences

Despite the controversy, Binay may still have high chances at bagging the presidency. “He’ll probably say, ‘I’m persecuted, and the guys who are after me… they’re my competitors and they Breaking down ›› 4

September 4, 2014 Engr. Mario Hechanova, former head of the city's General Services Department and vice chairman of Bids and Awards Committee, testified that he was ordered by the late Engr. Nelson Morales to rig the bidding for the construction of the Makati parking building.

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September 11, 2014 Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado reveals that VP Binay received a 13% kickback from every project organized by the Makati City government. The Senate has formally invited VP Binay to the next hearing.

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being rude and judgmental.

“I am very uncomfortable with what they’re doing,” comments Tony La Viña, dean of the Ateneo School of Government. “I think that they are disrespectful to the witnesses, to the VP, and to everyone they’ve called who are against them.”

Development Studies Program Director Jayeel Cornelio, PhD agrees, saying that hearings should instead discuss loopholes in laws addressing graft and corruption, and how these can be modified. “The law says [the Senate can conduct hearings] ‘in aid of legislation,’ not ‘in aid of prosecution...’

That’s the responsibility of the Ombudsman,” explains Bernas, but adds that it is difficult to define the line between legislation and prosecution.

August 26, 2014 During the Senate hearing, former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado disclosed that he benefitted from the construction of the parking building and implied that VP Binay benefitted more than he did from the 2007 project. He added that Senator Nancy Binay, the daughter of VP Binay, was involved in supplying the overpriced cakes to senior citizens.

After the hearing, Nancy Binay denied her involvement in the process.

The GUIDON November–December 2014

Anticipating 2016 elections the old way

WRITTEN BY Pamela P. Baluyut

INFOGRAPHIC BY Angelli J. Aquino and Nikki G. Solinap

Hacienda Binay Hacienda Binay refers to the 350-hectare estate in Rosario, Batangas allegedly owned by the Binays. Former vice mayor to Elenita Binay, Ernesto Mercado, unfolded the details about the reported P1.2 B farm in a subcommittee hearing last October 8. He described its enormity and its luxury, and further stated that 150 out of the entire 350 hectares have been developed.

Senior citizen cakes Bondal also brought up an anomaly in the so-called “Binay cakes” during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing in August. A program that started in 2003, the cake-giving for Makati citizens aged 60 and above was an initiative by former Makati Social Welfare Department Head Marjorie de Veyra at the time of VP Binay’s mayorship. The city government gives a cake to each senior citizen who celebrates their birthday through this project.

SOURCES abs-cbnnews.com, gmanetwork.com, inquirer.net, rappler.com

Atty. Martin Subido, legal counsel to the VP, refuted this, saying that the entire compound is only 145 hectares big. In addition, he and the Binay family pointed to a certain Laureano Gregorio as owner. Businessman Antonio Tiu, CEO of Greenergy Holdings, Inc and owner of Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corporation, also claims proprietorship of the realty, saying that he has rights to the entire compound, having signed a memorandum of agreement with Gregorio.

Bondal claimed that the said cakes, amounting to P1,000 each, were overpriced. However, Makati City Administrator Eleno Mendoza Jr. has refuted the complainant’s statement, saying that the cakes were bought at P306.75 each. The topic was immediately dismissed by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman of the subcommittee conducting the investigations for the plunder case filed against the Binays.

Discrediting is not a new move in the arena of Philippine politics, and for the past weeks, Vice President (VP) Jejomar Binay has taken center stage as the target. Along with his family, the VP is facing charges regarding the controversies listed below.

All of these remain accusations and are under investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. The Binays view the sudden surge of allegations as a collective scheme planted to destroy VP Binay’s reputation before the 2016 presidential elections, which he plans to participate in.

Makati Hall II parking building Allegations about the Binays pocketing from the funds allotted for the Makati Hall II parking building located at F. Zobel St. in Poblacion has spread. According to Atty. Renato Bondal, former Makati vice mayor during VP Binay’s mayoral incumbency and Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay’s opponent in the 2013 elections, the alleged P1.56-billion infrastructure is overpriced. Calculations made by the indicter, which were based on data from the National Statistics Office, showed that the controversial 11-story building is only supposed to cost around P245 million, leaving more than P1.3 B in excess.

October 8, 2014 Mercado unveiled another alleged property of VP Binay with photographs and aerial footage of a 350-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas, dubbed by media as “Hacienda Binay.” Furthermore, Trillanes brought up the name of Antonio Tiu, the chief executive officer of Greenergy Holdings, Inc. and owner of Sunchamp Real Estate Development Corporation—the company that supposedly owns the Batangas property.

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Medical equipment and supplies Last October 28, Dr. Elenita Binay, wife of the VP and former mayor of Makati, bailed herself for P70,000 for the graft and malversation charges brought against her by the Sandiganbayan. She has also done the same for two other cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Both entities have criminated her for dubious anomalies in the purchase of medical equipment and supplies during her term. These case initially did not include Elenita Binay when they were first filed last year, but state prosecutors have since added her name to the list of respondents.

October 22, 2014 Tiu attended the Senate Blue Ribbon hearing and was grilled by the panel. The panel was not convinced by his claims.

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13 September 18, 2014 VP Binay delivered a televised speech at the Philippine International Convention Center.

He denied allegations thrown at him regarding the overpriced parking building and lashed out his critics for lack of evidence.

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September 25, 2014 VP Binay and his allies kept their promise and were absent in the Senate hearing.

November 5, 2014 The debate between VP Binay and Trillanes was set by Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas on November 27 upon the agreement of both parties.

October 30, 2014 Tiu submitted before the committee an unnotarized one-page document that supports his claims of the land ownership. Meanwhile, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano presented circumstantial evidence with Instagram photos posted by VP Binay's youngest daughter, Joanna Marie Binay, which indicate that the Binay family owns the property.

16 November 7, 2014 VP Binay justified his absence and called the Senate probe “useless” since he has been “prejudged” by some fellow senators, particularly Trillanes and Cayetano. He insisted that he has already answered allegations on overpricing.

17 September 12, 2014 Binay accusers Bondal, Enciso and Mercado have been admitted to the Witness Protection Program (WPP) upon approval from the Department of Justice and recommendation from the Senate.

October 23, 2014 Although refused at first by Tiu, Trillanes and media were finally able to enter Hacienda Binay and began their ocular inspection.

November 6, 2014 VP Binay was a no-show in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing. The next hearing is scheduled on November 17.

During the hearing, Tiu said that he would not submit any documents on the Batangas property despite the subpoena issued by the Senate.

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November 8, 2014 The Senate Blue Ribbon would no longer invite VP Binay in the next hearing.

November 11, 2014 VP Binay backed out of his November 27 debate with Trillanes.

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20 November 16, 2014 The Senate moved to drop the probe against VP Binay for now in order to focus their attention on the 2015 budget hearings.

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Beyond Loyola

The GUIDON November–December 2014

Breaking down...

The spread...

want to run themselves,’” says Bernas.

Both La Viña and Cornelio note the relation of the controversy to class divisions. “[The middle class] ousted Estrada, disregarding the will of the poor... He might have been corrupt, but these people wanted this man to be their president.

But the rich and the elite disrespected the will of the people,” La Viña explains, clarifying that this was not necessarily bad, but the situation worsened as it was followed by 10 years under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“What is being asked instead

overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are in Ebola-stricken countries such as Guinea and Liberia.

With the Christmas season just around the corner, there would be a number of OFWs returning to the country. Health sciences junior Mike Agoncillio says, “The nurturing nature of Filipino families is in stark contrast with Ebola, which demands that physical intimacy be avoided.”

Mor e over, health organizations like the Council for Health and Development (CHD) are skeptical about the country’s readiness against Ebola. “If the Department of Health (DOH) has a problem managing preventable infectious diseases such as measles, how can we be assured that it can handle the deadly Ebola virus?” questions CHD Deputy Executive Director Rosalinda Tablang. Tablang noted that Philippines still has a poor health system, considering cases of measles and dengue are still prevalent.

Consequently, the country is not sending health workers abroad despite the WHO’s call for deployment of health personnel in areas affected by Ebola. DOH Spokesperson Lyndon Lee Suy says that physical presence is unnecessary and assured that there are other ways to help. “Assistance is not only ‹‹ 1

ILLUSTRATION BY JOSEPHUS T. NUGRAHA

‹‹ 2

is whether Binay is a good person or not, then it becomes a moral judgment on the man himself. Therefore, what we are seeing is not a rational, intelligent investigation into issues of corruption,” Cornelio explains, saying that following the issue is like watching a soap opera.

“But what we’re seeing is the unfolding of courtroom drama… If Binay is a culprit to corruption, then bring him to court, right?

File a case against him.”

“The business of the Senate is not to look for guilt. Guilt is the responsibility of the prosecution,” says Bernas, saying that if the case is forwarded to

the Ombudsman, a preliminary hearing must be held. “[The Ombudsman] decides that there is probable cause, then she can file a case in court.”

Bernas doubts that a court hearing will happen any time soon. Both he and La Viña say that there is not yet any evidence that implicates Binay directly.

La Viña adds that while Binay’s trust ratings have declined, he is still the person to beat. “For me, the real question is not whether Binay will be weakened,” he said. “The real question is whether Binay would have an opponent who is strong.”

humanitarian, we can send money or in kind,” Lee Suy explains.

Contingency plans

At present, the government is focusing on preparation for the possible entry and spread of Ebola virus. Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas explains that a “whole government approach” strategy was undertaken by the government.

This led to an executive order signed by the president that called for an inter-agency task force to manage emerging infectious diseases in the country.

The DILG and the Philippine National Police are mandated to coordinate with each other to monitor the possible outbreak.

In addition, DOH, in partnership with the WHO, is also conducting specialized training for both private and public health workers built on the previous prevention trainings on Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus and A(H1N1) which broke out April this year and on 2009, respectively. This will include guidelines on infection prevention and control, clinical management, and isolation and laboratory diagnosis.

Further preparations are being done in major government medical institutes like San Lazaro Hospital and Lung Centre of the Philippines, both

deputed to be treatment centers.

About 20 government and 50 private hospitals were also urged to be retrofitted for accommodation of possible patients.

“The Department of Health and other concerned agencies lately have been doing a good job in disseminating information about the virus, as well as following global health protocols,” says Gino Trinidad, lecturer for the Political Science Department.

An example is President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III imposing a 21-day mandatory quarantine period in Caballo Island in Cavite for the 112 peacekeepers that will return home from Liberia. He explains in a press conference that this action would make sure “1000%” that no Ebola virus will enter the country.

Despite the skepticism faced on the country’s readiness for Ebola, there are still high hopes that the Filipinos will be able to overcome the threat imposed

by Ebola, being “well known survivors,” according to WHO Executive Director Ian Smith.

“You have been hit with more than your share of disasters and misfortune in recent years. You survive. You learn. You prepare better using these lessons, and then you share these lessons with others,” says Smith.

Building back better

By Aaron M. Tanyag and Alexa B. Fontanilla THE YEAR 2013 did not end on a promising note for the Waray locals of the Eastern Visayas region. On November 8, 2013, Super Typhoon Yolanda tore through the region, robbing locals of their homes and their loved ones.

According to Rappler, the typhoon was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded. Exactly a month after the calamity, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported over 5,600 dead and 1,761 missing persons. In addition to this, OCHA notes that a total 14.9 million people were affected by the typhoon.

One year later, the region has started to show signs of recovery. Although the government had stated that recovery efforts still have a long way to go, the situation in the affected areas have significantly improved in comparison to the immediate aftermath of the storm.

the affected families.

In terms of livelihood, OCHA reports that over 5.6 M workers were affected by the calamity, with their sources of income destroyed, lost or disrupted.

Organizations like World Vision have started to provide livelihood assistance such as livestock management trainings to qualified beneficiaries.

Yolanda-affected schools have started conducting classes, although according to a report by

in Tacloban, was one of those who witnessed firsthand the devastation of Super Typhoon Yolanda during its aftermath.

She recounted her initial reaction when her plane landed in the airport. “I was personally shocked when I came out of the plane,” she recalled. “I had to go to a corner to cry and to compose myself. The whole area was in total devastation.”

The sight she was not ready to see was the remains of the

Road to rehabilitation

Although the government had stated that recovery efforts still have a long way to go, the situation in the affected areas have significantly improved in comparison to the immediate aftermath of the storm.

Recovery efforts

After months of anticipation from locals and different sectors, President Benigno “ Noy noy ” Aquino III finally ratified the Yolanda Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP) last October 29. The P167.9-billion rehabilitation master plan aims to address post-calamity issues concerning livelihood, resettlement, social services and infrastructure. The target beneficiaries of the master plan are the 171-Yolanda hit towns in six regions of the country.

In an article by Rappler, only 50 families in Tacloban City have moved to permanent settlements. Groups such as Habitat for Humanity and GMA Foundation have been building shelters to speed up the process of relocation for

to stay alive,” she recalled.

Days later she got a call from her family informing her that they were all safe.

During their conversation, her mom was tearfully telling her, “Ginhahagkot na kami (We’re cold).” “Nothing is more heartbreaking that hearing your mom cry,” she said. “My family was hungry and cold and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.”

Rappler, only 300 of the 2,300 needed classrooms have been completed. Classrooms that are currently being built are designed to withstand intense earthquakes and winds.

In a press conference, Julie Hall of the World Health Organization reported that only one in every three health facilities has been repaired.

Only two-thirds of the 600 damaged health facilities is undergoing repair.

Aftermath of the devastation

Despite these developments, memories of the tragedy still remain with the people. These include the volunteers and those with relatives in the affected areas.

Sr. Odilia Bulayungan, OSB, a Benedictine missionary assigned

locals. “I saw lots of black body bags lying beside the road among the big piles of debris.

[They] were ready to be picked up by the dump trucks and to be brought to unidentified mass graves,” she said.

When she first heard about the devastation caused by Yola nda, junior Cha rlene Aguilos, a Tacloban resident, wa s i n t ot a l d i sb el ief .

“Tacloban is such a small and quiet town. I never really thought that it would be placed in that position,” she said.

Like many who have relatives living in the affected areas, Aguilos was worried about the condition of her loved ones. “The whole weekend [when the storm was raging] was just a mix of long prayers and terrible images in my head of my family fighting

Despite criticisms for lack of urgency and commitment to its rehabilitation programs, President Aquino defended the government’s efforts. He said that he wants to ensure that the program will be carried out completely rather than hastily.

“I am impatient like everyone else but I have to stress that we can’t rebuild haphazardly,” he said in a speech last November 8. “We have to build back better… Let’s get it right the first time and the benefits should be permanent.”

Many attributed the large chunk of the development to the efforts of various nongovernmental organizations.

Aguilos said that they “were much more visible [than the government] and they boosted the morale of the [people].”

These organizations worked hand in hand with the locals in restoring their communities.

Bulayungan said that the locals of the region learned a lot from the tragedy, and are still continuing to learn more. “We have to equip the locals on the skills on disaster mitigation so that they will be self-reliant,” she said.

Like many Filipinos, both Aguilos and Bulayungan believe that hope is still alive for the victims. “Significant changes really took place in the lives of the people,” Bulayungan said in Filipino. “The Waray locals will rise and they will rise through the mercy of God.”

BEFORE: A group of boys play with replica guns amongst debris in Tacloban City following the recent super typhoon on Nov. 17, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines.

AFTER: View of the main road in Anibong district one year after Typhoon Haiyan on Nov. 3, 2014.

PHOTO FROM CHRIS MCGRATH—GETTY IMAGES

ERRATUM •

In the publication’s previous issue, the illustration for "A teacher's pledge" was mistakenly attributed to Josephus T. Nugraha. It should be by GM A. Espeleta. The GUIDON apologizes for this oversight.

Editor: Pia H. Posadas · Editorial Assistant: Jasmine P. Ting · Layout Artist: Colleen P. De Luna

Features

02 HUMANS OF MANILA Twitter explodes with a variety of familiar Filipino personalities.

Mythmakers and believers The ancient world has its myths, and we have ours: The fashion model.

PHOTO BY ANDREA G. BELDUA

By Raf S. Nakpil

T

he most specific mythic figure in the modern world is the fashion model, the standard bearer of beauty. It is tasked with making the claim that beauty is attainable for the right price believable.

But the model’s mythology is not based on the model itself, not its achievements, its consciousness, its person, but instead by its—in most cases—innate ability to meet the manufactured standards of beauty today.

The trade is the trick

Next to beautiful, the adjective that most easily attaches itself to the modeling profession is glamorous. But while glamor is something most image-conscious people strive for, there is a tendency to forget that glamor is, by definition, only a trick. The reality of modeling work, as shown by the countless reality television shows on offer today, is that it is work.

Hye Won Jang (BS ME ‘12) has become one of the pre-eminent models on the Philippine fashion scene. Regularly included on lists of the country’s most beautiful women, she’s worked photo shoots and runway shows from Mandaluyong to Dubai— and it’s busy work. “There was a week where every single day, there was a fashion show. Call time was 8 AM, the show was at 7 PM. The next day, call time was 8 AM again,” Jang says, recounting her first two months after graduating from the Ateneo.

Jang has done a number of runway shows, which have very different demands from photo shoots. For example, hair and makeup for most runway shows

is done only once, unlike photo shoots where it is regularly changed. Models participating in most runway shows are also required to learn and rehearse blocking and walking paths; keeping the show running at the appropriate pace can be an exhilarating experience. “The adrenaline is really what I like when you’re on the runway because you just feel like you’re in the moment,” Jang explains.

Working photo shoots is something all models end up doing at some point, but each and every shoot is looking for something different. Catalog shoots are for showcasing apparel companies’ latest product lines. Editorial shoots, on the other hand, are meant to explore the most current trends or st yles. Fina lly, commercial shoots become print or televeision ads for the products on offer by various companies.

Kelsey Merrit, a communication sophomore and veteran print model, says that she likes to get through being photographed at shoots as fast as possible: “I like throwing a lot of poses and finishing a layout in more or less two minutes if possible. I lose my momentum when I don’t work fast.”

And then there is the case of the Fit Model. Usually the least seen but the best paid, the Fit Model usually works directly for designers instead of being contracted to intermediary modeling agencies. The Fit Model’s primary purpose is to serve as a template for the fit of the designer’s clothes as well as to test clothing. The work requires the model to strictly maintain his or her figure usually through rigorous dieting and fitness regimens.

World mythology

America’s Next Top Model, the reality show-cum-talent search hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks, has portrayed photo shoots and runway shows as the model’s main work. While this holds true for the most part, the hugely popular show tends to oversimplify the demands that the multi-billion dollar fashion industry makes of its most prominent laborers.

Apart from being one of the most demanding professions today, modeling is also one of the

regions of the world, a talent like Merrit working in New York was almost a forgone conclusion.

In the end, modeling work consists of following the instructions of photographers, creative directors, designers, fashion show directors and corporate clients for grueling and irregular hours, while offering little job stability to small and middle name models. But as with all jobs, it does pay. When asked what her favorite thing about modeling is, Merrit answers with a laugh: “Getting my paycheck

Some people are very loud and frank.

They will tell you what they don’t like about you: Your face. And you just have to accept that, and have a strong ground and not get moved by those things.

— HYE WON JANG BS ME '12

most cross-cultural. The work is largely the same throughout the world because of just how large the fashion industry is.

Merrit was recently scouted

by Wilhelmina Models to work under contract in New York City.

“I wasn’t ambitious. I dreamt of modeling in New York but I never actually thought I could or would be able to,” she explains.

But in an industry that’s reach extends to even the most remote

afterwards!” All professional models charge a talent fee, around 30% of which goes to the modelling agencies who act as intermediaries between the models and their clients.

For freelance models like Jang, who aren’t signed exclusively to an agency, getting paid can get tricky: Some clients don’t pay, or don’t pay the right rate. This is where organizations like the Professional Models Association

of the Philippines (PMAP) come in. PMAP works like a union, charging a monthly membership fee for “reasonable working hours and standardized compensation,” according to their website.

For the truly top models, however, t he work does offer excellent pay as well as opportunities for travel and avenues for networking with the biggest names in the fashion industr y a nd conceivably even beyond.

Myth material

Modeling work requires incredible patience and a tremendous work ethic, like most professions do, as well as the confidence and optimism that the model can book as many jobs as possible. But the most fundamental element to booking any jobs is also the model’s greatest asset: Its look.

When clients hold castings, it is not uncommon for them to specify that the casting is for models of a certain ethnicity, height or body type only.

Hiring workers based on these criteria would be completely unacceptable in nearly all other fields, but in the fashion industry; clients aren’t just hiring workers–they’re shopping for a look. “Some people are very loud and frank. They will tell you what they don’t like about you: Your face. And you just have to accept that, and have a strong ground and not get moved by those things,” Jang explains.

“You can’t expect all clients to like you because you have a certain look, and that look fits certain jobs, not every single job.”

The fact of the matter is that all the glitzy ad campaigns and photo shoots are almost never dreamed up around the model as a person but instead around a

look. The model just so happens to be able to carry that look.

Most people venerate models for their beauty, but it is not the model itself that makes its own beauty venerable. Instead, it is the mythmakers with the necessary financial muscle and media influence.

Today, the most beautiful models aren’t classically beautiful. Some of the most famous and “beautiful” models are gap-toothed, like Lara Stone, or possess disproportionately long limbs, like Sam Humphries.

It speaks to a cultural mindset that has associated beauty with individuality. In a world that promises that your appearance can determined entirely by you, the model is the template, the starting point for the person you should aspire to be.

The model promises that identity is inextricably linked to appearance, and herein lies the model’s greatest irony. The model, as a person, cannot define itself by its appearance. “Your look is different from your self,” Jang explains.

The model’s look is the currency with which it pays for its mythology. That mythology in turn shrouds all that is ordinary about the model. But in a world where information on anything and everything is so readily available, the model’s mythic status is only maintained by those with the opportunity to profit from the story.

Ultimately, the model is merely an image, the mirage of someone else’s dream. “In terms of photos and shows, there’s a particular person that the designer sees in you, and that’s what you have to be in the shoots and the shows. You can’t just be yourself,” Jang says.

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Features

The Sandbox Collective: Breaking boundaries

A NEW HOPE. Dani Girl is an Off Broadway musical that tells the story of a nine-year-old girl who refuses to give up in the face of terminal cancer.

PHOTO BY FRANCINE A. BHARWANI

By Patricia C. Concepcion and Benny G. Tañedo

A

single spotlight focuses on the center of the stage. A little girl in a hospital gown walks out, her outstretched arms holding a shoebox with a stuffed rabbit doll inside. She begins a mournful hymn in remembrance of her toy rabbit, which has finally succumbed to the effects of terminal cancer.

Imaginative, quirky and full of emotion, this is how Dani Girl, an Off Broadway musical about a nine-year-old girl battling leukemia, opens. In selecting such a delightfully offbeat and tear-jerking show as its maiden production, The Sandbox Collective made a statement about the kind of theater group it wants to be. Judging by the rave reviews its take on Dani Girl received, both critics and audiences liked what they saw.

By experimenting with other mediums and collaborating with all kinds of different artists, the Sandbox might just be the reinvigorating force that local theater is searching for.

Behind the curtains

After failing to get accepted into Columbia University’s MFA Directing Program twice, the Sandbox’s Managing Artistic Director Toff de Venecia (AB POS ‘08) decided that it was time to stop putting his life on hold for it. “So I decided to put up this performing arts group with the

help of [9 Works Theatrical],” he says. “I work in Young Star also, and I really see what’s happening in the culture scene, in the college scene… There’s so much happening out there, everyone is working individually in their own spheres, and wouldn’t it be nice to bring everyone together?”

Since April this year, the Sandbox has done precisely that; according to de Venecia, the group’s creative process involves a multidisciplinary approach and embraces visual art, spoken word, film, music and dance. This process is also highly collaborative. “I suppose my job as a director [is] about steering everyone in one direction and not being, ‘Okay, we do this,’ but more of making sure that everyone’s ideas come together,” explains de Venecia.

When it came to Dani Girl, gathering input wasn’t limited to the company alone. “We wanted to be authentic about it, and so we had to do a lot of dramaturgical work,” de Venecia shares. The preparation involved visiting the kids of Child House, a home for young cancer patients.

The cast sought to understand the condition as it really was, as opposed to just reading about it in books or articles, to respectfully portray their roles.

Dani Girl was the chosen piece for this year’s Re:Imagine, where one existing show from Broadway, Off Broadway or the West End is selected and recreated to better fit Manila’s audiences. Aside from Re:Imagine, which is only one-

third of the Sandbox’s yearly program, there is also Blueprint and Imaginarium.

Blueprint is an annual event that features an original production from the company; currently, this is set to debut in 2015. On the other hand, this season’s Imaginarium, a multi-arts festival, ran from October 28 to 31 at the Philippine Educational Theater Association Theater. This year’s Imaginarium was branded as a “festival of the absurd,” what with all its scheduled multimedia events—from plays to short films to spoken word performances—exploring the themes of life, death and art in a daringly fresh way.

Charting the craft

Across countless countries and cultures, the surprising twists and turns that unfold in theatrical performances have succeeded in taking audiences on many an emotional rollercoaster.

Still, there are also playwrights and directors who advocate theater as a way of engaging people’s thoughts: De Venecia is one of them.

“It’s not just a show, but an experience,” he says on how theater should have a purpose beyond entertainment. “It doesn’t always have to be revolutionary. For me, I feel like theater should have a conversation. And it’s also about liberating the conversation outside of the four walls of the theater.”

The Sandbox accomplishes

this through activities like Fore:Play, a pre-show activity that jumpstarts the whole discourse, and Talkback, where audiences get to interact with the cast and crew after certain performances.

Its choice of plays also reflects its aim to engage audiences with more serious and thoughtprovoking topics. For instance, the Imaginarium showcase featured plays like Sipat Lawin’s version of Ubu Roi, a burlesque parody of Shakespeare’s Macbeth that explores power and greed.

Another is Mga Kuneho, a play on senseless murder and despair written by literature (English) supersenior Guelan Luarca.

The Sandbox’s intentions in this regard may not be the best way to attract mainstream audiences, but this does allow it to create a certain niche.

Giselle Garcia (AB LIT (ENG) ‘08), a part-time instructor at the Fine Arts Program and the dramaturg of the Sandbox’s staging of Dani Girl, thinks that the group is poised to do well.

“I’m a big believer in how you don’t have to attach yourself to big names to actually do good work, and that’s what independent companies like Sandbox is doing,” she muses.

Still, it might be a bit too early to claim smooth sailing for the Sandbox from here on out. De Venecia recognizes this, mentioning how it took them some time to gain traction: “Every time you do something different, there will always be a critic… People [are] used

to things being done a certain way, [so] of course, you’re going to shock their sensibility.”

Similarly, he mentions how there are practical constraints to consider, such as the high overhead cost of production.

In spite of these challenges, de Venecia intends to persevere with what he has started. “Hopefully, with Sandbox, we can open doors for people,” he shares.

Art in absurdity

Although the writing and practice of drama dates way back to ancient times, the style of “theater of the absurd” isn’t quite as old. It was born as a literary movement in the wake of World War II, as artists and writers began to question the larger scheme of life in the midst of seemingly senseless death and destruction. Here, they use equally absurd scripts and sets to showcase their controversial and experimental new style.

Samuel Beckett’s tragicomedy, Waiting for Godot, which is about exactly what the title suggests, and Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, a grim depiction of the afterlife, are just two examples of this rich genre charged with philosophical themes on the human condition.

These themes have resonated pa r t ic u l a rly wel l w it h millennials, the Sandbox’s main target audience. According to de Venecia, a twenty-something himself, growing up in a new millennium has imparted to this generation a drive to explore the world. More often than

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK. The Sandbox Collective took a risk with the way it staged Dani Girl, proving to be the breath of fresh air local theater needs.

not though, this exploration involves a struggle with personal questions on the larger scheme of things.

As a genre then, the theater of the absurd acts as an invitation to think. “When you encounter something that’s uncomfortable, it leaves a lasting impression to help you ruminate on your life better,” de Venecia explains.

When cast in this light, the performing arts mirrors today’s creative breakthrough while celebrating yesterday’s genius. This way, theater serves not just as a space for dated works to be relived, but also as a riveting prompt for thoughtful discussion.

As art is a ref lection of the times, various art forms change with it. As Garcia puts it, “Sandbox might literally be what its name is. It’s literally a box where you can play with whatever… It’s that flexible and it’s that open to the kind of theater artist that does not want to confine itself in a particular type of way of doing things.”

In a local theater scene overcrowded w it h highf lying witches, red-headed orphans and bohemian twentysomethings, The Sandbox Collective brings something new to the mix. It might not yet be as experienced as other theater groups, but by fearlessly tackling complex subject matter in an experimental manner, there is no doubting that it holds a relevant place in today’s stream of spotlights and stages.

PHOTO BY FRANCINE A. BHARWANI

The GUIDON November–December 2014

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ILLUSTRATION BY MEG C. QUINTOS

@CaricaturesOfManila

By Ishbelle L. Bongato and Tricia T. Lao

F

rom Sunday lunches to holiday get-togethers, this is a common sight: In one corner, the dads, titos and lolos gather around a table, laughing boisterously at a corny joke between sips of beer and plates of pulutan. At another table, the moms, titas and lolas exchange juicy bits of gossip.

These endearing quirks have become so familiar that Twitter accounts like @DadsOfManila and @TitasofManila have gained thousands of followers with their hilarious portrayals of these archetypes. Other kinds of personalities have also jumped onto the bandwagon—@YayasOfManila and @ManilaConyos have also been entertaining people with their witty one-liners.

Following these accounts surely gives people a good laugh, but they also bring attention to the uniqueness of Filipino humor and the various cultural quirks we experience on a daily basis.

Follow frenzy

These local trending Twitter accounts, which serve as a source of entertainment to many Filipinos, is in part inspired by Humans of New York (HONY).

Created by amateur photographer Brandon Stanton, the wildly popular photoblog features candid street portraits with insightful anecdotes and quotes.

“It started when a couple of friends and I joked about how I was starting to sound like my mom,” says Menchie*, the twentysomething Twitter account manager of @TitasofManila.

“We joked about starting a Twitter account that kind of parodied [HONY] minus the profundity and then bam, Titas of Manila.”

What started with the simple tweet of “Belinda, how do I use Twitter?” has now gotten nearly 14,000 followers in just a month, especially after Armi Millare, Up Dharma Down’s lead vocalist and keyboardist, retweeted her “[Paano] mag RT?” tweet.

Menchie’s sudden success certainly took her by surprise.

“I didn’t mean for ‘Tita’ to be a mere stereotype or caricature,” she remembers. “Plain and simple, ‘Tita’ is my mom—and everyone else’s titas and moms, apparently!”

There are over 150 “Of Manila” accounts to date with other subcultures, such as @IndieGirlsofMNL, and even other creatures, like @Ipisof MNL, represented on l i ne . Seba st ia n*, t he

Twitter account manager of @ManilaConyos, was in turn inspired by @TitasofManila and decided to poke fun at his own social circle. “It also acted as some sort of social experiment to see whether or not these [conyos] are aware of their behavior,” he says.

The Probinsyanos in Manila account (@NotFromManila) was created as a reaction to @ManilaConyos. “One night, my little brother and I were reading the tweets of the @ManilaConyos account and we thought that the guy was really funny,” recalls Mikey Baron, its manager. “But then we couldn’t relate to all of the tweets [because] we’re not really from Manila, [so] I asked my brother if I should try making one.”

humor] is so Filipino is because [the Twitter accounts] don’t try to generalize about Filipino-ness— they only focus on a particular kind of Filipino character.”

Ty emphasizes his point by giving @DadsOfManila’s “Mcdo delivery: ‘Isa ngang Champ’” tweet as an example. “The fact that the Philippines refers to McDonald’s as McDo, or that ‘Champ’ refers to [a burger sold by] Jollibee…

[Without knowing these things], you’re not gonna get this joke, so context is important.”

Beyond the stereotypes

Although these Twitter

reckless abandon. Probinsyanos were made perpetually naïve, jologs and jejemon ridiculed, and the poor continuously marginalized.”

Sebastian, however, disagrees.

“I don’t see how my tweets from [a parody account] can really affect people’s view on certain groups of people. I’m merely pointing out the things they already know.”

As for Baron, he believes that this trend encourages a certain level of self-reflexivity.

“I think the positives outweigh the negatives because at least now, the people who’ve seen my tweets are aware and could be more sensitive when they treat

Daily dose of laughter

The secret behind the success of these Twitter accounts seems to lie in their ability to find humor in everyday experiences and translate them into witty statements. For communication sophomore Andie Cruz, these Twitter accounts are entertaining precisely because they are so relatable. “A lot of the tweets, at least to me, are about situations and ideas that no one openly talks about… It gives you that ‘Now I know I’m not the only one!’ feeling,” she explains.

This seems to come easily to Baron. “What makes my tweet a uniquely Probinsyano in Manila tweet is the fact that it happens to a lot of people from the province,” he shares. “So even if it sounds as stupid as someone from Manila thinking I used to ride a carabao to school everyday, people need to understand that it happened.”

That isn’t to say that coming up with fresh material is never challenging. “There are some days when I find it hard to find things to tweet about,” admits Sebastian. “Sometimes, I feel like I’ve tweeted everything there is to tweet about conyos.”

For Menchie, sustaining a consistent voice or tone, especially over time, can be difficult too.

“It’s hard to maintain a single tita voice, especially because I get contributions from friends, but the tita-ness in me comes naturally too, then I just laugh because it’s exactly what my mom would say or do.”

The tweets aren’t just funny because people can relate to them on a personal level; many of these are cultural inside jokes that manifest our distinctly Filipino sense of humor. According to Andrew Ty, a lecturer at the Department of Communication, “I think the reason why [the

It started when a couple of friends and I joked about how I was starting to sound like my mom. We joked about starting a Twitter account that kind of parodied [HONY] minus the profundity and then bam, Titas of Manila.

Who’s who in Manila

By Andrea V. Tubig

@YuppiesOfManila, @ArtistsOfManila, @DriversOfManila— these days, anyone worth knowing in Manila can be found online. Not all Twitter accounts are created equal, however, and some are more popular than the rest thanks to their hilariously clever turns of phrase. In 140 characters or less, here are the must-follow personalities:

@ManilaConyos 30,191 followers Walwal nights out with the bros, a brand new pair of boat shoes and an undercut fresh from Felipe and Sons—some days, he truly is #blessed.

@TitasofManila 14,171 followers Despite her frugal household tips and tricks, she regularly dines at Cibo and Bizu and shops at Rustan’s with Belinda, her trusty alalay.

— MENCHIE* Twitter account manager, @TitasofManila

accounts entertain, others argue that they fuel prejudices against certain stereotypes and reinforce social stratification. As the Nigerian writer and speaker Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said during her TED talk entitled “The danger of the single story,” “The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue but that they are incomplete.”

“I guess the problem with these accounts is that they reveal things we don’t normally talk about, like class divisions,” Ty explains. “These issues are serious, but when they are turned into objects of humor, there’s a complicated transformation process that takes place. It’s not easy for us to say whether these things are good or bad.”

Most “Of Manila” tweets are usually done in good taste, often endearing themselves to the very people they parody, but according to an article in The Philippine Star by Jansen Musico, other accounts tend to be unnecessarily exaggerated and blatantly mean. “[Chinoy accounts were] spewing borderline racist tweets with

people from the province a certain way,” he says. “Another positive effect is that people who are in the province now can try and understand more what could happen when they get to Manila.”

Ty says that while most tweets are done in good fun, there is the danger of generalization or “drawing people in broad strokes.” “Humor does not excuse the insensitivity, but it at least keeps the insensitivity from turning into outright hate,” he shares. “I’m a believer of the way humor can mitigate things, though I do understand that there are certain things that you shouldn’t joke about.”

While social media will soon move on to the next big trend, the unique sense of humor that these accounts embody is here to stay. Perhaps Baron says it best: “I think we’re all, in our own ways, just trying to keep the people entertained.”

Editor’s Note: Some names have been changed as requested by the interviewees.

@YayasOfManila 6,930 followers When she isn’t with her beloved alaga, she reads Precious Hearts Romances novels and secretly enjoys being teased with the driver next door.

@DadsOfManila 6,779 followers He often drives his family crazy with his tendency to nag about his kids’ whereabouts, doze off during Mass and get addicted to Farmville.

Editor’s Note: Follower counts as of December 8, 2014.

4

Features

The GUIDON November–December 2014

Made in the Philippines

By Marguerite R. Andrews, Marco G. Dayrit and Isabel A. Rodrigo

D

eep inside Makati, along Pasong Tamo Extension, is the Green Sun Art Space, which houses a selection of local labels on its ground floor: From the street wear brand Proudrace—arguably the biggest player in local ready-to-wear—to the rookie clothing and accessories line Salad Day, retailers have grouped under the name SOMA to show off what local independent labels have in store.

These local labels have it tougher than most. Things run differently in the Philippines when it comes to fashion.

British and American designers typically have an easier time with funding, while Filipino designers, such as those of Proudrace, have had to back themselves up financially.

The fashion industry here may struggle for support, but

these independent designers housed at SOMA Stores prove that local fashion is a cause worth championing.

Proudrace

“Proudrace was born out of nostalgia,” says Rik Rasos, who founded the street wear label with his friend Pat Bondoc in 2007. While the brand began as a line of T-shirts that parodied big fashion houses like Chanel, it’s since grown into a local street wear giant with stockists from Singapore to the United States (US).

“We grew up around the time that the US Naval Base was closing in the Philippines and most of the products left by the base were American brands,” recalls Rasos. “We grew up wearing Stussy, Nike, Calvin Klein. We were exposed to a lot of American TV. So we were into different subcultures like skate, surf and MTV, and we spent our teenage lives loving and doing those things.”

Rasos admits that their designs are heavily influenced by the subcultures that remind them of their youth, as well as the minimalist side of ‘90s fashion. Their subcultural leanings fit in perfectly at SOM A, which Rasos says has been a good learning experience for Proudrace “to study the local market and see if there’s potential to set up shop here in Manila.”

he cites time and the lack of government support in particular as the difficulties of the industry.

Listing his daily tasks such as calling his supplier, cutting fabric and running his first store, Mateo makes it clear that time is an asset he wishes he had more of.

“I guess I can call [it a] day if I feel I did what I have to do.” He also expresses admiration for how the Singaporean government provides space for local designers to display their work, something that is not done here.

Mateo hopes that Filipino brands and designers will one day become globally recognized. As for Salad Day, he plans to open up an online shop so people, even in other countries, can buy his creations more easily. He advises those aspiring to work in fashion to think of the future as well, urging them to have a clear vision and direction. “That’s your strongest weapon,” he says.

Randolf Clothing

It was in high school when Randolf Clothing designer RJ Santos first dipped his feet into the world of fashion. “I wasn’t really into fashion that much during that time because I thought [it] was just glamor,” he says.

A photography enthusiast at the time, he credits his introduction to fashion to a classmate who offered him Flaunt, Dazed and Confused, and i-D magazines for his

Definitely fashion does not come first in a Third World country, but there are people who are enthusiasts, and these are the people who make you want to keep pushing your craft.

— RIK RASOS Founder, Proudrace

While Proudrace has enjoyed success the world over, Rasos says: “It’s difficult to run a small clothing business here.” He names logistics and suppliers as their foremost problems, adding, “Definitely fashion does not come first in a Third World country, but there are people who are enthusiasts, and these are the people who make you want to keep pushing your craft.”

Salad Day

For Willar Mateo, designer and founder of Salad Day, fashion has been a big part of his life for a long time. He recalls always wanting to dress up back in high school, leading him to take a fashion course in college. “[It’s] really cool to think that I made what I wear,” he muses.

Salad Day, which features bold, f lamboyant clothing designs highlighted by hot pink, draws from Mateo’s childhood.

He notes how things such as My Little Pony, stickers and morning cartoons from the 1990s serve as inspiration for his designs, which he then turns into clothes that people would likely buy, to “balance it in a business aspect.”

Though he may be pursuing a longtime dream, running a clothing and accessories line is not without its challenges;

perusal. The magazines featured pages upon pages of carefully constructed photographs of models, clothes and accessories.

“It brought me back to when I was a kid obsessing over music videos,” he muses. “I realized that fashion can be just [as] fun and casual.”

It was then that Santos decided he wanted to design and create clothes for a living.

“Since high school, it has always been my goal to have my own brand.” College was simply the planning period where he learned the technical skills needed to translate his ideas into something tangible. After completing a degree in Clothing Technology at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, he launched Randolf in 2013.

When asked what sets Randolf apart from other brands, Santos says it’s his hand-drawn prints.

His first collection of tees boasted an odd mix of Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington patterns. The bright colors, pop culture references and simple cuts make the clothes ideal and fun for daily wear.

With Randolf’s inclusion at SOMA as one of the first major accomplishments of the brand, Santos remains hopeful for the future of Randolf. “[The

fashion industry] is growing, but we definitely need direction,” Santos explains. “We’re lucky to be part of SOMA [because] it’s good training for us and we’re able to actually interact with the customers.” For now, he is focusing his efforts on expanding his collection, gaining a stronger local following and tapping foreign markets.

Fashion for everyone

While these startup brands seem to have lucked out with SOMA, their success is not without some challenges. Both Santos and Mateo comment that the Philippine government makes it difficult for local independent fashion designers to succeed on their own, citing a lack of support as their reason. Mateo describes the fashion industry in Singapore as his ideal scenario. “[Their government] supports local designers by giving them a space to show their work,” he says.

The Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board Singapore, or simply Spring Singapore, a government agency which promotes local enterprises, funds the fashion incubator program called Parco next NEXT. Launched in 2010 as a training and mentorship program for budding fashion

entrepreneurs, the clothes are sold in a store given to the designers for free at the Parco Marina Bay mall. Several graduates of the program have gone on to participate in international fashion weeks like the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia.

Despite the challenges, the growing number of local fashion designers and international brands brought to the Philippines has everyone hopeful. For Aldrin Pabello of The Weekend Movement, an apparel business included in this year’s School of Management Business Accelerator (SOMBA) program, the number is only set to increase because “resources are plenty and there are so many avenues for promoting your products.” The trend of online selling through social networking sites eases some of the difficulties designers face. It makes promotion, selection and purchasing quicker for both designer and consumer.

Santos sees the promise in the medium as well. “It’s exciting,” he says, “With these fast fashion brands all over the country, people will eventually want to look different and have different styles. Enter indie brands.”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ELLAN T. ESTROLOGO

Editor: Mint A. Marquez · Editorial Assistant: Alex A. Bichara · Layout Artist: Joey D. Ochoa

Inquiry

02 GREEN-LIGHTING GRIDLOCK What was the decision-making process behind the capricious traffic scheme changes?

Burnout

By Nicolo A. Fortuna University life is an experience of newfound control over one’s personal time. Compared to high school’s rigid schedules and set periods for extracurricular work, the long breaks and many meetings of college life can be disorienting.

Yet, as they face it, so many students seem to thrive in all of this newfound time and control over their schedules. In the Ateneo in particular, students surround themselves with highachieving peers who seem to accomplish so much so cheerfully, and still find time to party and hang out with friends on weekends, or even weeknights.

Everyone has a friend who is in the running for Latin honors, on the executive board of some organization, owns some kind of food stall business and has a great internship—all at once.

This ecosystem of achievers can be a very empowering reality that brings out the best in students, but some simply struggle to keep up.

Conventionally, many imagine an adjustment period preceding all this, where college freshmen learn to cope with these new realities, and eventually begin to flourish in this environment a semester or two later. But the reality is, not everyone learns to cope by then, and in trying to keep up, students bite off more than they can chew.

These students end up going to great lengths not to let themselves fall behind. But how much does this culture of overwork affect Loyola Schools (LS) students?

Who’s at risk?

The problem is, so many students dive into this reality unprepared and unguided, and many end up with more work than they can handle. Asked about this, LS Office of Guidance and Counseling (LSOGC) Director Dr. Peter Gatmaitan points to a survey conducted

by the LSOGC as evidence. It showed that stress management and time management were among the top four areas that scholars needed helped with, along with financial management and planning for the future, and he believes the trend will hold true for the general population as well.

Gatmaitan points to students juggling a lot of responsibilities, often either minor or major roles in several orgs, as common examples of how overwork manifests. These people are driven not only by a desire to give back to their community and org, but sometimes even a need for belonging. “It’s fun to meet new people and it’s fun to hang out with them, but then sometimes seeking this fun and belongingness overtakes the responsibility of the student’s academics,” he says.

The academic work many students choose to take on can overwhelm them as well.

These come in the form of minor degrees, second major degrees or difficult classes taught by difficult teachers.

OVERWORKED. LS students take on a lot of work—sometimes biting off more work than they can chew.

PHOTO BY TYNIE ASPREC

thesis semester with a minor degree, a top position in his org, managing a food stall and daily travel to and from Makati that often found him arriving home at 10:00 PM. He estimates that for at least half of the five months of and leading up to the semester, he had less than

Asked why he thinks he let himself get so overworked, Juan points to a misconception of magis...

In Gatmaitan’s experience, overworked students in the LS also include athletes that have the added and heavy responsibility of training, and students who live far away and are forced to manage around the considerable time they spend traveling to and from home.

One such student is Juan*, a senior management engineering student. He had to juggle his

four hours of sleep per night.

At one point, he had caught a disease and was admitted to the hospital for several days, where he was told that his sleep schedule was a contributing factor to the illness’ severity.

He recalls having pulled at least 10 all-nighters during those five months, most of those being for thesis submissions. “We had an internal team deadline,” Juan

explains, “and we usually ended up needing to not sleep just to finish [on] the deadlines we set for ourselves.” A few other allnighters, he recalls, were for org work. Outside of the work-heavy days, he recalls feeling that he “needed the time just to catch up.” “The work load kept piling up on me, to be honest,” he adds.

Asked why he thinks he let himself get so overworked, Juan points to a misconception of magis, one of the characteristics of a Jesuit education that calls us to strive for excellence. Juan understands magis as “doing as much as I can for the cause I wanted to fight for.” Since that semester, however, he’s come to temper that conception, as juggling too much at once can compromise the quality of work, and that the living out of magis should be concerned with that.

By the number

It seems that Juan is not alone in feeling overworked. The Ateneo Statistics Circle administered a survey to a random sampling of 100 LS students for this article, and it yielded results that showed that the average Atenean gets only 5.7 hours of sleep on a regular night. The average Atenean also loses two more hours on average

during self-defined “hell weeks,” which are weeks when a student has exceptionally more work than usual. As many as 39% of respondents averaged five or less hours of sleep per night, and 15% averaged four or less hours per night. This is far from the ideal—eight hours of sleep per night—and students know it. 74% are unhappy with the amount of sleep they get on a regular week.

That number climbs to 92% on hell weeks.

According to Gatmaitan, students approaching a state of overwork do spend less and less time preparing for classes and working on course requirements.

“By implication,” he adds, “this leads to late passing of course requirements, great amounts of stress in trying to meet course requirements’ deadlines, or preparing for exams and quizzes.”

This contrasts with survey results that suggest that org work only accounts for two additional hours of work on an average day. Org work also ranked lowest in terms of time allotment in comparison to academic work, sleep, time with friends and time with family, suggesting a problem in how students manage extra work.

Despite these observations

Hours spent in class and hours spent doing academic work

and numbers, about four in 10 students still do not feel that they spend enough time on academic or extracurricular work.

Looking at other aspects of a student’s life, about 30% do not feel they spend enough time with their friends, and just over 50% do not feel they spend enough time with their family.

Gatmaitan observes that overworked students can even come into conflict with their family as they often have trouble observing set times when it comes to going home from school.

The community coping

Asked about effects of overwork on health and wellbeing, Gatmaitan says that there are “serious implications.” The adverse effects lay mainly in three areas: Anxiety, depression and, in rare cases, suicidal behavior. The LSOGC cannot disclose numbers related to this, but Gatmaitan assures that these are issues to be taken seriously on campus.

The LSOGC has made recent attempts to reach out to students in need in a broader sense, holding sessions this year with mandatory attendance to inform Burnout ›› 3

General mood during hell week

6

Clocking in overworked

ANXIOUS 5 15%

RESEARCH BY Nicolo A. Fortuna INFOGRAPHICS BY Jan-Daniel S. Belmonte

H O U R S

4

DETERMINED

10% 47%

3 8%

INDIFFERENT

2

STRESSED

7% 13%

1

As research for “Burnout,” the Ateneo Statistics Circle conducted a survey about the workload that Loyola Schools (LS) students take on. This survey was administered online to a random sampling of 100 LS students. The survey asked questions about their academic and extracurricular workload, and what effects their work has on their lives. From hours of sleep to hours spent with family, it may be seen that some LS students do bite off more than they can chew.

LEGEND

(light)

Regular week (light)

(dark)

Hell week (dark)

MON

TUES

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

OTHERS (includes relaxed, 'YOLO', excited, nervious and relaxed at times)

Adjustment of time spent on various activities during hell week

PRESSURED

Changes in satisfaction on hours spent on various activities

3 %

S A T I S F I E D

1

0 ACADEMICS -1

-2

-3

50 40 30 20

10 10 20

30 40 50

60 70 80 90

%

ACADEMIC WORK

2

H O U R S

90 80 70 60

ORG WORK

HANGING OUT WITH FAMILY

HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS

SLEEP

ORG WORK

FRIENDS

FAMILY

SLEEP

U N S A T I S F I E D

Inquiry

2

Green-lighting gridlock

By Eugene G. Ong and Vicah P. Villanueva

L

ast September 10, the Campus Safet y and Mobility Office (CSMO) issued a memorandum: In three days, the U-turn slots along Katipunan Avenue would be closed and replaced by the reopening of the intersections fronting the Ateneo campus and Miriam College (MC). The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) decision was radical, if not baffling.

However, there was no stopping the change that the MMDA wanted to implement.

On September 13, traffic was once again in the hands of three colors and timers. Everything worked that Saturday without any huge consequences. The following Monday, though, was the complete opposite. For hundreds of Ateneans riding or driving private cars to school that morning, it was a nightmare.

The weeks after brought on a flood of changes in on-campus traffic routing. The MMDA, meanwhile, opened a zipper lane and switched off the traffic lights during the morning peak hours.

Two months later, a sense of normalcy is beginning to settle—a result of both the traffic situation improving, and of just getting used to the longer trips to and from school. However, the experience has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many—and a lot of questions.

Pressure points

Even before recent events, traffic has already been a primary concern of the administration. Currently, traffic management on campus falls mainly under the jurisdiction of two offices: The CSMO oversees the actual traffic systems used on campus, while the Facilities Management Office (FMO) attends to the construction and maintenance of roads and other related structures in order to carry out desired policies. Marcelino Mendoza, the director of the CSMO, explains that the CSMO is to the MMDA, while the FMO is to

the the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Both offices are keen to emphasize the fact that decisions are collective agreements among the two offices, the Office of the Vice President for Planning and, if necessary, the Office of the University President.

As such, all of these offices had to consult each other when they made decisions in response to the MMDA’s move, something that Canlas admits “eats up a lot of time for discussion.”

That being said, however, he is confident in the benefits of the collaborative approach.

Although recent changes have clearly been caused by the new traffic lights, both offices insist that other factors also matter in making decisions, such as the university’s own push towards sustainability. Thus, while the university aims to be able to accommodate the horde of cars that go in and out of campus, decisions also have to discourage the use of cars and instead promote alternative means of transportation, such as bicycles and electric jeepneys (e-jeeps).

References to many other proposals in the interview testify to the capricious outside forces to which the Ateneo has to adjust. Some proposals sound outlandish, like planning to develop the Katipunan area into a campus tourist spot like Harvard University. Others seem more mundane, like finally making the northbound lane of Katipunan Ave. consistently five lanes wide.

The latter was, in fact, one of the reasons behind one of the most recent changes—the closure of the Diversion Road parking area. The announcement was met with hostility, mainly from student drivers concerned with the further reduction in the tight supply of parking slots on campus.

Canlas counters, however, by claiming that there is a greater propensity for accidents along the thoroughfare. This is because Diversion Road is now used by cars coming from the John Gokongwei School of Management Student Enterprise Center or the Ateneo Grade School to circle

around towards the Ateneo High School or the drop-off points at the Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall and Gonzaga Hall. However, he denies that an actual incident has already occurred, stressing that the move was a preemptive one. He further argues that the closure was simply an “inconvenience,” as he says only a little more than 80 slots were removed.

The value of the new traffic scheme itself, then, does not only come from improved travel times.

Miguel Panal, MMDA Katipunan district head, asserts that using traffic lights provides more safety than U-turn slots. A lot of accidents in the past happened, he explains, because there was limited clearance for traffic to merge orderly and safely. Traffic

RED LIGHT. Despite numerous changes meant to improve the traffic scheme, cars on standstill are still a common sight on Katipunan Ave. PHOTO BY TYNIE ASPREC

traffic lights, Canlas says, came on a Monday in August.

Prior to the call that summoned them to a meeting at the MMDA’s headquarters in Guadalupe, neither the FMO nor the CSMO, or indeed any office in the university, had been informed about the new scheme. Canlas says that they attended the meeting without knowing the context in which it was held. It was then that they were informed about the traffic lights, and that the MMDA was planning to roll out the scheme on the Friday of the same week. In fact, people had already come to install the traffic lights that Monday.

The word "no" pops up several times when Canlas and Mendoza are asked if they were consulted about the scheme. lights and intersections, on the other hand, create well-defined and manageable spaces that allow cars to go where they need to in relative safely. In fact, he claims, vehicular accidents have fallen from 203 in July to 111 in November.

A benefit of the more organized vehicle flow the traffic lights create is that traffic enforcers do not have to intervene as much in sorting out tangled up logjams, allowing them to focus on actual enforcement of traffic regulations.

Apart from this, the new system allows traffic enforcers to rest more, something particularly important given the stressful nature of their work and the environment they find themselves in.

Push and pull

The information about the MMDA's implementation of the

The word “no” pops up several times when Canlas and Mendoza are asked if they were consulted about the scheme. It was not, they say, something that they could question. The only thing they could do at the time was to postpone the implementation of the traffic lights to September 13, a Saturday, so that they could test it without the added challenge of the weekday rush. Aside from that, they requested for certain adjustments, such as the provision of timers, which had not initially been part of the MMDA’s plan.

Canlas and Mendoza allege that when the MMDA came to them, they had not done any studies on the amount of southbound and northbound vehicles or shown the Ateneo an origindestination matrix.

This lack of vehicle counts and origin-destination matrices led to the MMDA’s setting the timer for the traffic lights at Gate 3 to 35 seconds at first. This meant that hundreds of vehicles inside the Ateneo were locked up, and, consequently, the flow of traffic outside was locked up as well.

This is why, Mendoza says, during peak hours—5:30 to 8:00 AM—the management of the traffic lights switches to manual.

This means the MMDA officials run the timers themselves—and the number of seconds allotted for vehicles driving through intersections increases.

Mendoza, however, points out that on the National Capital Region level, credit must be given to the MMDA for improving traffic conditions particularly along C-5. However, it must be noted that there are no schools found by that road. As an example, he compares the implementation of the traffic lights outside Eastwood City to the one outside the Ateneo and MC. In the case of the former, the problems regarding congestion were solved in roughly two days. On the other hand, it took the MMDA two to three weeks to address the problems along Katipunan Ave., and minor adjustments—such as manual timers and opening up alternative routes inside the Ateneo campus—are still being made.

He adds that the MMDA and the Ateneo coordinate with each other everyday in order to ease the traffic. At present, it is still difficult to let the timer run automatically during peak hours, as both parties have yet to arrive at the optimum number of seconds to be allotted for the traffic lights to change.

Mendoza also says that the Ateneo has a pointperson in the MMDA whom they can call, should there be an event held on campus that will lead to a high influx of vehicles outside of peak hours.

Panal also lauds the excellent working relationship between the Ateneo and the MMDA. However, he refutes that the MMDA installed the traffic

lights on a whim without any good reason to do so. He insists that the MMDA too takes great interest in the state of traffic in the Ateneo. Proof of this is the numerous recommendations he has made to improve the overall situation in Katipunan Ave.—such as the installation of pedestrian lights. As the overall head of enforcement of traffic in the Katipunan area, Panal emphasizes that he and his enforcers take their work seriously, no matter how difficult it may be.

A sustainable future

Amidst of all these problems, Canlas and Mendoza remain optimistic for the future of traffic in the Ateneo. While they say that they cannot predict conditions in the following years, such as an increase in the number of vehicles, they have several programs on the drawing board that are in keeping with the Ateneo’s thrust for sustainability.

They are looking into tie-ups with private companies to provide more shuttle and bus services for the grade school and high school students, as well as an increase in e-jeeps on campus and improvements in the carpool system for students of the Loyola Schools.

Canlas shares an innovation of the MMDA in the 1980s, the Love Bus, which traveled from Alabang to Katipunan Ave. He says that if the MMDA could bring this back, then the students coming from faraway areas could simply ride this bus and get off at the Ateneo’s pedestrian gates, where they could then board the e-jeeps plying the campus roads.

Ultimately, Canlas and Mendoza want to assure the community that the FMO and the CSMO are always looking at the bigger picture, and the decisions they are making will be for the benefit of everyone in the future.

Already, Canlas says, he can hear people saying that the traffic conditions are getting better.

Meanwhile, along Katipunan Ave., the timer ticks down to zero. Above the sea of cars, the traffic lights turn red.

3

The GUIDON November 2014

Bellarmine Hall

Timeline of traffic changes RESEARCH BY Nathan V. Javier and Mivian V. Ong INFOGRAPHIC BY Jan-Daniel S. Belmonte

GATE 3.5

During a transferee’s first year in the Loyola Schools, his or her experience of studying in the Ateneo is significantly different than a regular student’s. From being in Block TR to repeating classes, transferees face additional challenges in adjusting to a new university.

Bellarmine Field

Leong Hall GATE 3

Faber Hall

➊ July 7, 2014

Xavier Hall

• The entrance and exit of the North Car Park are switched. The entrance is now in Parade Loop, directly across Bellarmine Field.

Baseball Field

➋ September 10, 2014

LOYOLA SCHOOLS CAMPUS

• The midway U-turn slots along Katipunan Ave. are closed. Traffic lights are used instead, creating intersections on the avenue.

• The new scheme makes vehicles coming from University of the Philippines (UP) Balara enter the Ateneo through a left turn to Gate 3.

• Gate 3 becomes an exit point for southbound vehicles via left turn at the intersection.

• Part of University Road—from Gate 3 to the corner of Fr. Arrupe Rd.—is two-way.

• Ateneo Grade School (AGS)-bound vehicles are encouraged to enter via Gates 1 and 2.

• Northbound vehicles exiting from AGS are advised to exit at Gate 2.5, while Southbound exiting vehicles are advised to take the CP Garcia U-turn slot.

Gonzaga Hall

JSEC

➌ September 13, 2014

Matteo Ricci Study Hall GATE 2.5

• For southbound vehicles coming from UP Balara, the first and second lanes from center island of Katipunan Ave. are designated for Ateneo-bound vehicles turning left to Gate 3, while the third lane is for trucks.

• Gate 3 is used for entrance only.

➍ September 17, 2014

Ocampo Field

• Gate 3 is now two-way. Exit and entrance have two lanes each.

• Exit time via Gate 3 is extended to 45 seconds.

• Vehicles coming from Fr. Arrupe Rd. can pass through Gate 3 Auxiliary Road in order to exit using Gate 3, and vehicles exiting to Katipunan Ave. can exit at Gate 3.5 via Northwest Carpark Side Road.

• Fr. Masterson Drive in front of the Church of Gesù accommodates two-way traffic.

• First pedestrian lane in front of Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall is closed.

• On the southbound lane of Katipunan Ave., a counter-flow lane will be implemented from the footbridge by Gate 2.5 to the intersection by Gate 3 from 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM to accommodate vehicles heading to the UP Balara area.

Manila Observatory GATE 2

Blue Eagle Gym

➏ October 2, 2014 • Gate 2.5 is re-opened to help decongest traffic inside the university. ighter

➐ October 18, 2014 • The John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) faculty and staff car park will be temporarily closed from December 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015 due to the construction projects around the JGSOM building and PLDT-Convergent Technologies Center areas.

➑ November 3, 2014 • Diversion Rd. car park is closed.

➒ November 22, 2014 • Bike lanes are placed along major university roads such as Fr. Masterson Dr., University Rd. and Parade Loop.

LEGEND Henry Lee Irwin Theater

➎ September 24, 2014 • Gate 3 Annex now serves as the exit gate for vehicles passing through Diversion Rd. Right lane vehicles are to go straight to CP Garcia, while left lane vehicles may take a left turn at the intersection traffic light.

Vehicles wishing to go back to University Rd. can take Diversion Rd. and turn right.

• Gate 2.5 is closed, while Gate 3 is only open as an entrance.

• The pedestrian crossing in front of Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall is re-opened.

College Covered Courts

Moro Lorenzo Field

Parking entrance Building Open field Parking area

GATE 1

Burnout the student body about their services.

Gatmaitan says that reaching out to students suffering from overwork is one of the reasons, among others, behind this.

The LSOGC has also initiated efforts to proactively identify students at risk due to overwork or other reasons. One area that is accessible to the university administration to observe is the classroom. To pursue this, the LSOGC held a type of roadshow for professors, to teach them how to identify common warning signs in the classroom. These warning signs include regular tardiness, near-maximum cuts, having difficulty meeting course requirements deadlines, sleeping in class or noticeable declines in grades. Through professors, the LSOGC identifies, monitors and may approach students that seem to be at risk.

Another area that could suggest the state of a student’s ‹‹ 1

well-being is the very output of their work. Outside of the physical classroom, teachers are also taught to look at the content of papers or projects because sometimes even these can provide clues for what students may be going through.

Gatmaitan admits the office still has a lot of work ahead of them in terms of creating more specific services. On that, he also brings up that the office is indeed planning to have its own research laboratory to better identify which students have which concerns so they can create more targeted programs.

Getting help

Gatmaitan explains that for students that do approach the LSOGC for help, the office always tries to cater their approach to each case based on individual students: In particular, what they are feeling, the intensity of these feelings and the types of support options

available. The approach to each student is catered to his or her own needs and expectations.

This follows a process that begins with an agreement on goals, boundaries and expectations with students first and the plans for therapy develop from there, all with the consent and cooperation of the students.

Gatmaitan wants to emphasize that the university really is here to help. “Ateneo is a very special place and I can attest to this,” he says. “The Office of Guidance and Counseling works together with departments including the [Office of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs], [Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs] and even home departments, just to see how the university can help.” This is an especially important role that the office plays: To communicate with authority the difficulties that some students face.

The type of help dealt out in practice has indeed varied

greatly, Gatmaitan recalls. The services have led to tutoring or, in cases where students have had a hard time making friends, reaching out to orgs to help give the student a sense of belonging.

This also comes with the general service of counseling: Someone to listen, and be an outlet, but also someone to help facilitate the level-headed thinking necessary to reorganize time, priorities and reassess capabilities.

Despite all that, however, the system relies on students choosing to come forward with their problems and choosing to get help for their problems, and Gatmaitan realizes that it is always difficult to choose to get help. Ultimately, it falls on each student to recognize his or her problems, and, with some help, take back control for himself or herself, as Juan learned the hard way.

Editor’s Note: Juan’s name was changed at his request.

4

Inquiry

The GUIDON November 2014

Bidding on dignity

By Alex A. Bichara and Van T. Siy When the Office of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (ADSA) released the "Statement and Warning against Human Auctions” and the like last September 29, the Ateneo community was nothing less than shocked. After a number of human auctions were approved by the Office of Student Activities (OSA) over the years, this contentious statement sparked a fresh debate on human dignity.

According to ADSA, “Such ‘human auctions,’ where people are treated as commodities, are a direct affront to the values of a Filipino, Jesuit, Catholic educational institution that holds the dignity of each individual sacrosanct.” These values revolve around service and excellence, but also uphold critical analysis and development of what it means to be a human being.

But when dealing with a concept as specific and unique as a person’s dignity, one wonders whether it was appropriate to ban avenue for expressing it.

The very idea of human dignity and freedom connotes a certain freedom of choice that an individual possesses.

As president of AIESEC Ateneo, Ariza Francisco puts it, “I don't think that ‘selling’ equals commodification of people right away.” She says, “It's more of a matter of what they make them do or the nature of the human auction.”

Indeed, Ateneo Economics Association (AEA), Ateneo Celadon a nd Ateneo Management Information Systems Association (MISA) have all claimed their human auctions were used only for fundraising activities.

MISA President Carmela Balboa recalls that their organization was initially shocked when they received the hard copy of the memo. “After we talked about it, we realized [that] we didn’t do anything wrong,” she says. OSA had checked paperwork for their human auctions, and the participants of their auctions never complained.

“It’s been happening for years, [so] why [ban human auctions only] now?” she asks.

An issue of commodification

According to ADSA Rene San Andres, the issue began when a student from De La Salle University gave a printout of an Ateneo organization’s human auction’s online advertisement to an Atenean, who then relayed the information to Ateneo Residence Halls Director Timothy Gabuna.

Gabuna then alerted San Andres about the ongoing human auction.

“He was kind of appalled that that information came from outside,” says San Andres.

OSA Director Chris Castillo says the memo was issued after five factors had been taken into consideration: First, organizations that used to hold human auctions were accredited and would have proper rules protecting the students.

Second, the human auction that triggered the memo was not from an accredited org and was essentially open to bids from “the public.” Third, that specific human auction’s mechanics did not pass through “legitimate processes,” or did not present any clear limitations. Fourth, the visuals representing the human auction were not “tastefully done” and were rather “suggestive.”

Lastly, the human auction was

COMMODIFICATION? Some argue that auctioning off people equates the humans to objects, but whether or not human auctions truly commodify people remains up for debate.

PHOTO BY TYNIE ASPREC

done online—anyone else could see it, and that is precisely what happened.

“Ang sabi ko, this is like prostitution,” says San Andres.

Without clear rules, limitations or boundaries, the human person is cheapened and turned into a commodity freely auctioned off online.

OSA’s stance on human auctions has also been questioned, following the release of ADSA’s memo. Organizers of past human auctions have said that OSA had signed off on their human auctions, as it was required of project proposal forms for all

was “hitting some of our core principles about human dignity” and exposing students to risk.

These risks may include the “auctionees” having to do things against their will, such as engaging in dangerous behavior or sexual favors in order to acquire profit. ADSA’s fear here is that the Ateneo community may have found themselves already “acclimatized” to these very risks.

A double-edged sword

While ADSA remains firm about its current stance on human auctions, student orgs have formed different attitudes

Ang sabi ko, "This is like prositution," says San Andres. Without clear rules, limitations or boundaries, the human person is cheapened and turned into a commodity freely auctioned off online.

— RENE SAN ANDRES Associate Dean for Student Affairs

student organizations.

Castillo says that OSA had no particular stance on human auctions before the issuing of ADSA’s memo; human auction project proposals would be assessed on a case-to-case basis.

While waiting for official action from OSA, however, ADSA decided to issue the memo “as a preemptive measure.” San Andres relates this to strategy in times of war; time matters twice as much when others are at risk of falling victim to abuse of their own dignity. Since the release of the memo, OSA has chosen to respect ADSA’s decision to forbid Atenean participation in human auctions.

According to San Andres, the human auction in question

about them. The common premise they share is that human auctions are fundraising activities that are planned depending on necessity.

When asked about how participants for the auctions were chosen, Balboa says that they have no quantitative criteria. MISA gets “people who are active in the org” and are “game to model for photos” that are then posted online.

These photos advertise the candidates of human auctions and allow potential bidders to view all the people being auctioned off before making a decision. The bidding then takes place either online or in an area with the bidders. AEA President Margarita De Chavez states

that these students can always decline participation, even if the organization nominates them.

This part of the selection process shows that students can already determine whether participation in the auction is worthwhile. Within the organization alone, mechanisms like these allow students to make informed choices about what goes on in the human auctions and if they still want to join them.

Bids can range from P50 to P3,500, depending on how large and how popular the auction is.

In AEA, the “auctionee” plans the activities before the auction and decides what activities he or she will participate in with the bidder. The effort put into these plans and the time spent with the winning bidders are similar to those of other service work.

Both are compensated with the money paid by the consumer of their services, the nature of which is decided by the one marketing his services.

As for when auctions are necessary, Francisco conjectures that a human auction is one of the easiest ways to raise funds.

Not much of a capital is needed, and because of the “friendship or relationship card, people are bound to be bought.”

The ease at which auctions appear to help earn funds may have a downside: Simply putting up people at no cost and earning from the event seems dull and straightforward when one considers that there is no need for a marketing scheme or a unique plan. De Chavez thinks that “orgs [resort] to human auctions because it’s an easy way to earn money without putting much effort into it.”

Even the idea of dehumanization cannot be neatly compartmentalized into black and white.

For De Chavez, commodification is “if [taking part in the auction is] dehumanizing, [and] if what you’re doing for money no longer makes you happy or satisfied.”

This leads to the problem of what “happy” and “satisfied” mean. Discouraging students from participating in human auctions altogether presents a dilemma for students, because not all human

auctions end up with a case of someone being disrespected or harmed. ADSA’s actions aim to combat the human auctions on one end of the spectrum—those which prioritize profit over the well-being of their members, advocating events that are tantamount to having a “slave for a day.”

Questioning maturity

While the university has yet to decide on official sanctions for those who choose to participate in or organize human auctions, both OSA and ADSA advise students to read through the Code of Discipline for certain segments or items that could be violated during these fundraisers.

There have been reports of instances wherein barkadas or groups of friends would pool their funds in order to bid on a specific person being auctioned off during an event. According to San Andres, this could be considered as an act of disrespect or discourtesy, to be sanctioned with regard to the Code of Discipline’s list of Offenses Against Persons found in the undergraduate student handbook.

However, the possibility of the reappearance of human auctions in the Ateneo is not a lost cause. If the students being auctioned off agree to participate in human auctions, if sufficient rules are put in place, and if the reasons for holding the auction are valid, the Ateneo administration may still consider allowing human auctions in the university. Castillo adds that human auctions could be subject to future reassessment, possibly when “something like it emerges” again.

ADSA’s memo was issued in response to a specific incident, but it was also meant to make a statement to the entire Ateneo community. Rules must be laid down and deemed acceptable or unacceptable within the scope of the Ateneo’s Ignatian values and principles.

“We have to also be equally conscious of unintended disvalues,” says Castillo. This calls for greater awareness of “unintended disvalues” and how they weigh against a certain

project’s “intended values.”

This hearkens back to the school’s goal for students to discern, and to think critically about and develop as human beings. Human auctions are a gray area and harm should be defined by tangible cases, not from the activity itself.

ADSA’s stating that they are completely against human auctions, shows they do the thinking for the students, an act which contradicts that aspect of their teaching values.

In an article posted on InterAksyon last October, National Youth Commission Chair Gio Tingson argued that the disallowance of human auctions may be an infringement on human rights. In other words, the Ateneo cannot ban students from participating in human auctions.

A lt hough Sa n A ndres recognizes that students have the right to participate in human auctions, he says that they “do not have that right” in the Ateneo because it is a Catholic university. The university believes that students ought not to have this right because their parents entrusted the Ateneo to form them to be persons closer to “the idea of Jesus Christ.”

He further explains that a university’s stance on an issue such as this, is always rooted in its mission and vision, and students must subscribe to this.

While ADSA, OSA and other Ateneo administrators endeavor to be as democratic and “non-interventionist” as possible, San Andres says that he trusts students’ maturity.

Ateneans must have the capacity to discern between right and wrong, but when lines are crossed, the Ateneo administration must intervene.

A line was crossed when students put themselves up for sale with no limitations this year.

For now, student organizations in the Ateneo will have to resort to bake sales and other means of fundraising—at least until a final set of rules and sanctions are put in place with regard to human auctions held in the university.