THE PREMIER POST JANUARY 2021 TABLOID

What’s inside?

WE ARE MADE FOR SERVICE

Gapo’s Sangguniang Kabataan: The Leadership

CC upholds core value, allows city to use hotel as COVID-19 isolation area Announcement draws mixed reaction from community

BY RANDELL JAN PALATAN

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taying true its core value of service, Columban College, Inc. (CCI), in coordination with the Olongapo city government, made its hotel in the Barretto campus into a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients after a sudden surge of cases in the city.

School president and chief inspiration officer Rev. Fr. Raymann Catindig, together with other school administrators, directors and staff, led the opening and blessing of the

laundry business with the tagline “May the Fresh be with You” which was taken from the tagline of film franchise Star Wars.

TRUE TO ITS CORE. Columban College, Inc. made its hotel located in Barretto campus into a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients.

>PAGE 3

JANUARY 2021

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC. OLONGAPO CITY

Student grantees receive DIWA Cash Aid

BY CATHLEEN KIMBERLY FLOR

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ore than half of the Student Grantees of Columban College, Inc. received P3,000 as cash aid from the Democratic Independence Workers Association Partylist (DIWA) OlongapoZambales last September.

According to Hennessy Apelo, one of the student grantees who received P3,000, such an amount is helpful enough for a student like her because even under CCI Student Assistance Program, which provides full scholarships to qualified students, there are other more expenses to pay.

“Mahirap na makahanap at makakuha ng P3,000 sa panahon ngayon na libre; malaking tulong ‘to sa iniisip namin kung saan huhugot ng pang baon at pang bayad sa bills pati na rin sa load lalo na at pandemic” says Apelo.

DIWA FOR CCI. In frame: half of CCI Grantees who received cash aid from Democratic Independence Workers Association Partylist (DIWA). | Photo by DIWA Partylist

The said fund for the educational cash aid program was given to DIWA by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as a scholarship for students but according to DIWA Partylist

9.6%

S AT I S F I E D

UNDECIDED

22.9%

CC weighs in on gov’t respond to COVID-19

U N S AT I S F I E D

67.4%

Only 9.6 percent of Columbanites satisfied with gov’t COVID action

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BY LORENA JOY D. DE DIOS

bout 9.6% of students in Columban College, Inc. (CCI) are satisfied with the Philippine government’s current management against the COVID-19 health crisis, an online survey conducted by The Premier Post (TPP) showed.

From the recent online survey, the According to the said student, he result also revealed that there are finds the actions of the government 67.4% unsatisfied respondents with equally effective and ineffective how the administration is managing because of how people got agitated the situation with this pandemic instead of seeking solutions and how while a big 22.9% were undecided on the government built the Interthe matter.

Agency Task Force (IATF) concerning emerging infectious disease.

“For me, as long as my parents have a job and we survive on an Moreover, he extended his everyday basis, the government’s appreciation to the local government impact will stay positive for me,” said unit of Olongapo City, and his one of the satisfied respondents in a confidence to the health workers that follow-up online interview. everything will go back to... normal with their help. > PAGE 2

Regional Coordinator Jack Gardon, they decided to divide the P1,000,000 fund to provide both cash and food assistance to more than thousands of students in Olongapo and Zambales. “..dagdag tulong namin sa mga nag-aaral, para pambili ng mga gamit o pandadgdag nila pambayad ng tuition” adds Gardon.

the partylist for this coming election. “...ang ibang partylist makikilala mo lang pag election, ‘yon lang ‘yon, kami continuous after ng election.

Kung ano ‘yong program, ibibigay na sa tao...” as stated

by Gardon.

ELECTION 2022

DIWA simply aims to help as many students as possible to graduate, that is also the reason why they do not require a particular grade and students coming from private schools are also welcome to seek assistance, as per the DIWA Partylist Regional Coordinator.

DIWA Partylist Educational Cash Assistance Program is limited to college students but according to Gardon, the said program is not a tactic to reintroduce

The partylist’s educational cash aid program and other scholarships have been helping students and citizens of Olongapo since 2010 and will further continue to reach out.

Although the slots for the Educational Cash Aid Program is restricted, DIWA does not require a particular grade for a student to qualify.

NEW NORMAL, NEW PREXY

Catindig to serve as 4th CCI prexy during new normal

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BY RANDELL JAN PALATAN

everend Father Raymann G. Catindig, Ed.D. will serve as the new college president and Chief Inspiration Officer of Columban College, Inc. (CCI) and superintendent of the Association of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Iba (ACSDI) during its transition to the new normal Catholic education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic after he was installed last June 19. pre-recorded speech to welcome the trusted the school with their children “It is not a matter of ‘who am I’ but ‘whom am I,’ To whom do we belong and I will tell you the answer to that; we are Christ’s and not our own,” Fr. Raymann said in his inaugural address during the Thanksgiving Mass and Investiture at St. Columban Parish on August 6.

During the past months, the college has stood strong amidst the unprecedented challenges brought by the pandemic as Catindig reassured that along with their desire to continuously deliver quality Catholic education, the safety of everyone will never be compromised as top priority.

“The entire Columban College community will continue to support and walk with you in your transition into college life, despite pandemic, we must begin academic year 2020-2021 and learning must continue,” he said addressing the students during a

4TH CCI PREXY. Father Raymann G. Catindig during Sr. Salbina Daguplo 40th religious profession in the Garden of God, Carmel. | Photo by Fr. Edwardus Antonious academic year.

Catindig also urged students to welcome the year with enthusiasm to learn amidst this global pandemic and thanked their parents who

and reassured their safety and quality learning.

Prior to his appointment, Fr. Raymann already served as parish priest of Immaculate Conception... > PAGE 2

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VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

CCI opens laundry business to gain funds

Gapo regulates karaoke ban amid COVID-19

BY KYLE ANTHONY MAGNO

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Brgy. Barretto Capt. Gie Baloy, the author of the Videoka Karaoke Machine Ordinance or Ordinance No. 27 S.O 2008, said in an interview that in order to minimize the noise for the sake of the students in the residential areas, they had to implement said ordinance and adjust the operating hours of the karaoke

DepEd disowns modules with “dirty names”

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BY KYLE OCA MAGNO

fter a photo of a page from a module went viral, the Department of Education clarified in a statement the that the modules with provocative names did not come from the department itself.

“We would like to clarify that a certain viral photo of a module page with provocative terms was not created by the Department of Education,” DepEd said in a statement released last September 25.

Reports claim that the modules came from a review center in Zambales with terms include Pining

Garcia, Malou Wang, Abdul Salsalani and Tina Moran.

Meanwhile, another module was found to be body shaming Angel Locsin in one of their example exercises. DepEd has also released a statement condoning body shaming and a formal apology to the actress.

ONLY 9.6 PERCENT OF COLUMBANITES SATISFIED WITH GOV’T COVID ACTION • FROM PAGE 1 • “It almost flattened the curve but still the budget is not answered if it was distributed and there are anomalies in some agencies,” another satisfied student stated.

According to the respondent, the Philippines is well provided by the government but in a slow pace due to the many requirements and authorization.

“It makes my life into many struggles, but if I will put it in positive way, I would say it makes me strong to survive,” he added. Meanwhile, the topic of resiliency being overused have taken mainstream media by storm calling those who romanticize the concept as “privileged”.

On the other hand, an unsatisfied respondent said that the provision of the nation’s needs was not enough.

“I think the government actions ineffective because it is more on military approach rather than empowering medical forces,” he explained also showing doubt on the assurance that everything will

go back to normal once the vaccine comes.

Meanwhile, the administration was heavily criticized for focusing instead on other issues like the ABSCBN shutdown and the Dolomite sands of a tiny section in Manila Bay, and has yet indicted Senator Koko Pimentel, Mocha Uson, current Philippine National Police chief Debold Sinas, and many more associates of the president despite obvious health violations.

President Rodrigo Duterte also still reiterates his trust to Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque for mishandling the crisis and alleged corruptions, in connection with the PhilHealth scandal, and manipulation of COVID-19 cases data.

• FROM PAGE 1 •

In his years of service, he brought the academe closer to Catholic teachings through the establishment of a Youth Ministry and daily,

“The Department of Education requested the city officials to continue implementing the ban in order for students studying at home have a more conducive learning environment during this,” the

I

BY JON PAUL MINOLA llegal shipment of waste materials from United States was intercepted in Subic Bay Freeport Zone by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) last October 21, 2020.

Charges of violation of Section of RA 10863, or the Custom Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and other related environmental laws was filed against

weekly, and monthly mass attendance and sponsorships.

Catindig served as the school director of TR Yangco Catholic Educational Institute (TRYCEI) in San Antonio, Zambales for several years before succeeding Most Rev. Msgr. Crisostomo Cacho as CCI president who now resides in St. Joseph Parish (SJP) in Olongapo City.

CMFF A DAY BEFORE. Senior highschool students watching CMFF film entries in Communication Laboratory hours before the cancellation of CMFF Awards Night. | Photo by CK Flor

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SEIZED WASTE. Customs officials seize two illegally shipped waste cotainers from the US at Subic Bay Freeport Zone. | Photo courtesy of Rappler to the consignee.

“As the world shifts to promote an environmental friendly approach, the BOC remains committed in environment protection,” Martin said.

Following Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon filed Senate

Bill No. 18 or the Waste Importation Ban Act of 2019 because of the increase of garbage shipments to the Philippines in recent years.

The proposed act seeks to ban the garbage importation in the Philippines, with the violators facing up to 12 years imprisonment and fines up to 15 million.

“After the cancellation of our event, we, the CMFF Committee gathered and thought of another plan as to how we would continue the event, and we have decided to just make it virtual awards night than to lose all our efforts.” said Whendell Sicat, CMFF’s 2020 production manager.

night of awards.

According to Sicat, the CMFF committee gathered after they heard of the cancellation of events and thought of an alternative for their event and hard work. He also said that he expected a huge difference between having an actual night of awards and online, which may be a reason not to see the participants’ excitement and the amount of time they usually enjoy from the previous

Sicat stated that he did not think of participants losing interest in their online awards night, despite the cancelation of the CMFF Awards Night that was notified to them with only two days left before the actual event. He was also pleased to see how spamming was done by participants in the live award ceremony in the comment section.

cases.

“An emergency crisis that erupts unexpectedly can be addressed only by an equal eruption of hope.

A pandemic spread of a virus must produce a pandemic ‘contagion’ of charity,” he said in response to the call for assistance of the city to the Catholic Church.

STRIVE TO THRIVE. The Premier Post in the

TPP steps up their game in Regional Press Confab

BY ANGELICA MAY YAP

he Premier Post (TPP) continues to strive to thrive. Recently, TPP bring off triumph as they bagged 39 regional awards in the 19th Regional Higher Education Press Conference (RHEPC) organized by the Association of Tertiary School Paper Advisers of Region III (ATSPARIII) with the theme “Promoting Integrity through Ethical and Innovative Campus Journalism”.

According to the Former Editorin-chief, Yurika Shirato, she is beyond proud of her co-staffers for bringing home several awards in both publication and individual categories. She also stated that the RHEPC of Region 3 is one of the most daunting conferences that TPP annually prepares for, that is why winning in the specific regional conference — either as a group or individually, is always an unforgettable experience for the

As a private non-profit educational institution, CCI’s operations has been badly hit by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and is looking to expand their services in forms of other businesses to fill the gap and further support the institution’s needs.

s the Corona virus pandemic spreads, the annual Cinemaskom Film Festival of mass communication students of Columban College Inc. was held online. Olongapo City alarmed and set a date for city lockdown as a result of the spread of COVID in Central Luzon last March 9, 2020.

Ms. Fatima Dela Cruz, SORC’s advisor, also stated that they believed that the CMFF participants were disappointed with the cancellation and problems with the registration fee that had already been spent on the production.

• FROM PAGE 1 •

TPP accumulated 28 publication and 11 individual awards in the Press Confab held at the Hacienda Gracia Resort and Hotel in Lubao, Pampanga last January 22-24.

In the future, CCI is also planning to open next its own coffee shop to be situated in the commercial center in front of the

Main Campus that will provide affordable coffee, bread, cookies, and other pastries which will be baked from the Columban College Hotel in the Barretto campus.

BY LOUISE JOHN ESPINOZA

CC UPHOLDS CORE VALUE, ALLOWS CITY TO USE HOTEL AS COVID-19 ISOLATION AREA

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Dr. Matriano also explained that the name ‘Starwash’ was conceptualized by Ms. Maria Isabel Bautista, staff of the Alumni and External Affairs Office, based again on the Star Wars franchise.

“Ate Cristina “Baby” Fajardo, our maintenance staff was trained for its operation and will be transferred to Starwash as key personnel,” Dr. Matriano stated, adding that another maintenance staff will also be deployed to assist Ate Baby during peak hours.

CMFF cancelled due to pandemic

In a statement of BOC said that the two containers were seized by Subic District Collector Maritess Martin along with the officials from Department of Natural Resources were part of the 30 shipments leaving the Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation.

In identifying the Volume and nature of the prohibited waste materials an examination was still being done.

“It is a sole proprietorship type of business owned by the school but named me as its owner,” said Dr. Eric Matriano, EdD, dean of the College of Business and Accountancy (CBA), in an online interview.

In line with this, the city government also imposed regulations such as the “Anti Open Muffler & Bullet-Type Muffler” ordinance to combat the said concern in the city.

Containers of waste materials intercepted in Subic Bay

Martin said “the shipment was declared as American old corrugated cartons for repulping and were consigned to Bataan Twenty Twenty Inc.

olumban College, Inc. (CCI) opened last November 6 their own business Starwash Laundry Services to gain more funding for the college to subsidize other expenses on faculty development and school improvement during the New Normal.

Captain said.

As of writing, the Philippines has 432,000 confirmed cases, about 400,000 has recovered and nearly 9,000 dead. The Philippines has taken the top spot in confirmed and active cases in the Southeast Asian region several times.

CATINDIG TO SERVE AS 4TH CCI PREXY DURING NEW NORMAL

Parish (ICP) when it found its new home in Columban College-Barretto (CCB) Chapel during the closure of the main church in 2013 due to several issues.

machines from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm to 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.

BY RANDELL JAN PALATAN

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ith the students’ being at home for their modular or online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city council continues to regulate the usage of karaokes around the city to prioritize unnecessary disturbance in residential areas.

IN FRAME: The viral photo of the module produced by a Catholic school in Zambales that contains provocative names. | Photo by Reyson Lee

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whole team.

After seven years, TPP continued the publication of its Magazine, the Apo Premier Magazine that gathered eight awards. It won the 6th Place in Cover Design, 8th Place in News Page, Editorial & Opinion Page, and Sports Page. It was also in the 9th Place for the Feature & Literary Page, in Page Design, and in DevComm Page, and ranked as the overall 9th Place Best Magazine.

TPP’s Literary Folio, The Maharlikang Plutiel’s 10th Edition, Lunas, received the 1st Place in Cover Design for its unique cover design of a band-aid, 7th Place in

Literary Concept, 8th Place in Visual Arts, 10th Place in Page Design and, Literary Content and, the overall 8th Place in Best Literary Folio.

TPP’s Newsletter and Tabloid both accumulated seven awards, a total of 14 awards. The Tabloid newspaper managed to get the 9th Place in the Best Tabloid award while the Newsletter got into the 7th...

Place in the Best Newsletter in the overall publication ranking.

TPP did not just slayed the publication competition but they have also shown their game face in parlor games and the publication jiggle contest which >• PAGE 3

The school president further explained that the decision was reviewed and it followed the guidelines set by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) before being allowed.

“Columban College, Inc. with its sense of mission as a Catholic institution aspires to thrive in the new educational set-up with every ounce of courage and relentlessness.

We assure you, our dear stakeholders, of your safety, health, and wellness as our top priority in facing the greatest challenge that COVID - 19 brought us,” Fr. Raymann added.

This statement came in response to mixed reactions, not just from the Columban community, but also from the local residents of Bo. Barretto where the hotel is located.

“Ang mga pasyente po ay dadalhin sa isolation facility (Columban Hotel) at diretso sa kanilang mga kwarto, at hindi makalalabas at makakaikot sa hotel o maging sa Columban compound,” Brgy. Capt. Angelito Baloy said in his Facebook post addressing the Barretto community.

Despite the assurances, however, local residents were divided with the decision of the government and church officials with some expressing worries of health risks even though CC Hotel is an enclosed area and patients will be housed far from residential roads.

“This is the best decision the leadership has decided. Thank you to my CCI family for the decision!” said Georgie Parian, former dean of the College of Business and Accountancy (CBA) of Columban in her comment under the post.

However, some netizens don’t share the same view as her with a local resident suggesting to use another college that is located inside the city closer to hospitals.

Several months in, the decision has yet to cause community transmission within the area despite the influx of Olongapo and Zambales cases.

FRESH BE WITH YOU. CCI opened their own laundry business located beside the main campus, to gain more funding. | Photo courtesy of Dr. Eric Matriano TPP STEPS UP THEIR GAME

IN REGIONAL PRESS CONFAB

SK officials aid students amid modular, online classes

• FROM PAGE 2 •

BY ANGELICA MAY YAP

they have won on the first day of the Conference.

Former editor-in-chief, Yurika Shirato won 1st Place in the Opinion Writing-English and 3rd Place in the Editorial Writing-English. She also ranked 10th Place in the 19th RHEPC Highest Pointer while John Paul Minola won 10th Place in Editorial Writing-Filipino.

Randell Palatan, associate editor, won 4th Place in News WritingEnglish and 6th Place in Copyreading-English while Staff artist, Aljon Ebero managed to win three 6th Places and these are in Editorial Cartooning-Filipino, Comic Strip Drawing-Filipino, and Literary Graphics-Filipino. John Cedrick Misola won 9th Place in Poetry-English.

Head Photojournalist, Cathleen Kimberly J. Flor won 3rd Place in Photojournalism-English and Louise John Espinoza, DevComm Editor won 10th Place in PhotojournalismFilipino.

“As a publication, we always strive to perform our best during conferences and bring recognition to the school and the community we represent. Aside from learning from the respected journalists during lectures and co-campus journalists during socials, we also try our best to bond and build teamwork while enjoying the events by supporting one another and celebrating each other’s success,” Shirato stated.

Due to the Corona Virus outbreak in the country, the Luzonwide Higher Education Press Conference (LHEPC) that was supposedly to be held in Camarines Sur, Naga City last April 20 to 22 was cancelled.

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midst the pandemic and the ongoing online and modular classes implemented in the country, the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials from various Barangays in Olongapo City took initiatives to help out students on their classes with few modifications of the Balik Eskuwela Project made by the SK officials as the start of school year will held be virtually and in modular approach.

Flash drives, earphones, yellow papers, and other school materials were distributed across the city’s barangays.

Due to the limited budget SK barangays, however, it also limited the number of their recipients for the kits.

SK Barretto Chairman Jan Miko Buenaventura said on an interview, “Because of the pandemic education is one of the affected. Youth won’t be able to attend a face-to-face class and giving those things will help their online class situation.”

Micah Grace Eata, a third year Social Work student said that, “Amidst the pandemic, as a student.

All I ever hope for is to survive the online classes, and I never expected it to be this more challenging than the normal classes we had before in school. Although I was not given the opportunity to be part of SK’s project, I am still grateful that my family could provide the means for my online classes. I just hope the program of Sanggunian Kabataan is helping a lot students that are still trying to adapt in the new normal.”

SK New Asinan Chairman John Carlo Fred Eben also stated that a lot of students residing in New Asinan and from Columban College Inc. – Senior High School and College students were included as their recipient on the project and since Columban College, Inc. (CCI) Main campus is in New Asinan, they have also prioritized students studying in CCI. Among the CCI student recipient, Sandy Joy A. Achina, a second year Communication student, during an interview expressed gratitude to her barangay’s SK officials when asked if the Online Class starter kit is useful.

She also stated that the best way, SK officials can do is to help students is by providing them a connection towards the scholarship providers and link them to those students who needs scholarship programs and other educational assistance, since the members of Sangguniang Kabataan have more access to people who are open to grant scholarships.

ONLINE CLASS STARTER PACK. New Asinan SK Officials distributed an online class starter kit to the students residing within the barangay that contains flashdrive, pad papers, and earphone. | Photo courtesy of SK New Asinan

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DEVCOMM

Christmas Goes On

Unity Chritmas Tree, Advent Wreath to light up season on Friday

Living Through the Core Values of a Columbanite

BY RANDELL JAN PALATAN

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CCI Donation Drive for the Typhoon Victims

olumbanites will feel the Christmas spirit beginning Friday, December 4, as the Columban College, Inc. (CCI) community conducts the blessing and ceremonial lighting of the Unity Christmas Tree and the Advent Wreath at the CCI Quadrangle, Main Campus, Olongapo City.

CHARITY CONTINUES . CCI led by CESO, distributed gifts to one of their chosen charities, at St. Francis Learning Center in Mangan-Vaca, Subic | Photo courtesy of Engr.

Noel H. Yap

December Annual Events, Cancelled for CCI Commmunity Extension to Proceed

BY MIA COLEEN CONCEPCION

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School president and chief inspiration officer (CIO) Rev. Fr. Raymann G. Catindig, EdD will spearhead the event and preside the First Friday Mass at the St. Columban Parish before the lighting.

Students, staff, parents, and the whole community are invited to attend the Holy Eucharist and witness the lighting ceremony which will both be livestreamed on the official Facebook pages

of the College of Computer Studies (CCS) and the Campus Ministry Office (CMO).

Online classes scheduled within the duration of the mass and ceremony are cancelled to allow full participation of Columbanites.

Despite the lack of physical gathering due to the restrictions set by the Inter-Agency Task Force

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(IATF) Against COVID-19 and the local government unit of Olongapo, the ceremony aims to uplift the spirit of a unified Columban community this Christmas season.

The annual lighting of the Unity Christmas Tree and Advent Wreath signals the coming of the birth of Jesus Christ and that despite hardships and the distance, Christmas goes on for the entire community.

Community extension continues

This year, however, the COVID-19 InterAgency Task Force (IATF) has prohibited mass gatherings which include most of the college’s events to avoid the spread of the virus and resulted to the cancellation of the annual activities.

All school employees donated Php 300.00 either by cash payment or salary deduction for this year’s charity drives.

The Columban community instead conducted a humble Eucharistic celebration at the St. Columban Parish, Olongapo City followed by the distribution of gifts and a simple merienda for the employees at the Convery Hall, Main Campus.

The pandemic, however, failed to halt the spirit of service of Columbanites as annual charity works for the school’s chosen beneficiaries will proceed as usual.

The Philippines have suffered from continues typhoon that have entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility where it caused agricultural loses and deaths in some parts of Cagayan Valley, MIMAROPA and NCR this November.

59 YEARS OF SERVICE. CCI 59th Founding Anniversary focused on gift-giving and feeding programs to the chosen beneficiaries and James L. Gordon frontliners. | Photo courtesy of CESO

TAWIPAFI holds first virtual Buwan ng Wika celebration

BY WHENDELL SICAT

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ue to the coronavirus pandemic, the Tagapagtaguyod ng Wika at Panitikang Filipino (TAWIPAFI) the official organization of Bachelor of Secondary Major in Filipino held the first virtual celebration of Buwan ng Wika last October 01, 2020.

This year’s theme “Wika ng Kasaysayan, Kasaysayan ng Wika, Ang mga Katutubong Wika sa Maka-Filipinong Bayanihan Kontra Pandemya.” aims to showcase the talents of Columbanites in singing, drawing, writing, and public speaking.

The said organization also launched their first Lakan and Lakambini as suggested by Dr. Christine Gil O. Almazan, EdD, Ph.D., the Dean of College of Arts, Science, Education, and Nursing.

According to Carizza Aller, the president of the Filipino organization, since the beginning of July, they have been planning contests to conduct mechanics and rules and regulations. Each contest has appointed an officer to settle the names of the participants.

The preparation also includes a plan of how the celebration will flow.

Even with a plan, the organization still experienced some conflicts due to online celebration, “Isa sa mga naging hadlang sa aming pagdiriwang ang mga hindi malinaw na impormasyon sa mga kalahok, halimbawa

Virtual 59th Foundation to Focus on Charity Works

na lamang ang pamantayan dahil nga ito ay birtwal lamang.” says Aller.

Moreover, Buwan ng Wika is important to celebrate every year because it reminds not to forget the Filipino language and through this celebration will see talented San Columbano students from various departments. “Ako ay nakaramdam ng saya dahil kahit virtual ay matagumpay namin na naipagdiwang ang Buwan ng Wika.” as stated Carizza Aller.

The adviser of TAWIPAFI Dr. Emilia Sanchez is proud of her Filipino students for giving their diligence, perseverance, and excellence. Also, she is overwhelming with the support of Dr. Tina Dabu, Dr. Christine Gil Almazan, and the whole faculty and admin in the celebration of the event.

“Ang lahat ay posible sa sama-samang pagkilos. Pagpapatunay na nasa puso at isip ng Columbanite bilang mga Pilipino.” she messages to those who continually support the Buwan ng Wika.

BY CATHLEEN KIMBERLY FLOR

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ervice and charity take center stage as Columban College, Inc. (CCI) virtually celebrates its 59th Founding Anniversary with the theme “59 Years of Caring for the Community” starting on November 23 to 25.

According to Dr. Amelia Cecilia S. Reyes, Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services, the fund collected will be used for the community extensions for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology 164 Station in Barretto, St. Francis Learning Center in Subic, and the Missionaries of Charity.

| Photo courtesy of Dr. Eric Matriano

CCI Science Dept holds fair virtually

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BY LORENA JOY DE DIOS

cience Fair 2020 took place virtually due to pandemic, which was open for Columban College students held on October 9 to 30, 2020. It was handled by the officers of the Science Department with their Adviser of the SMG RISE UP, Dr. Jocelyn Mañago.

The Science Department Officers laid out their plans a month prior the online Science Fair. According to the President of the Science Department, Ms. Stephanie Dalit, they had several meetings regarding the event, whether it will get approved or not.

“We barely had any problem and issues all throughout the month of October. Dr. Jocelyn G. Mañago has been always there to answer queries and provide guidance and help to SMG RISE UP members and students,” she said.

They posted their Virtual Culminating Activity at the Official Facebook group of CASEN, to announce who were the winners and to present the creative outputs of the winners.

Dalit said that it was the

first time they have handled an activity online as it is new to the members of the Science Department and with the students of Columban College.

However, she compared the Virtual Science Fair to their last year’s activity, “Well, honestly, it’s kind of easier especially when it comes to the dissemination of the information since there’s the help of technology.”

The Science Department also considered the situation of some students as it is not easy for them, especially not everyone is privileged to have a good internet connection.

She also stated, “..it’s a good experience. I’m happy it went well.” as she expressed her appreciation towards the Science department who assist to fulfill the event as well as to the students who

participated the activities of the online Science Fair.

Ms. Stephanie Dalit added that the organization didn’t encounter any problem during the virtual activity because of their flexible time and equal distribution of workloads.

Considering that it is new for them to manage an event virtually, the goal of the Science Department was to be able to conduct it as simple as can.

Moreover, to bring awareness to people based on the given theme for this year, “Deep Blue- Innovations for the Future of Our Oceans”, that is very timely and relevant for what is currently happening to the world.

Science Department wanted to continue to hold an activity for the students despite the pandemic and to ease the pressure of online classes.

BY ANGELICA MAY YAP

olumban College Inc. (CCI) students and faculty members live through the core values of a true Columbanite an through Christian character, competence, and service they are ready to help.

fter last year’s extravagant Christmas celebration, Columban College, Inc. (CCI) did not hold any institutional events for December of academic year 2020-2012 due to the new normal restrictions. After last year’s extravagant Christmas celebration, Columban College, Inc. (CCI) did not hold any institutional events for December of academic year 20202012 due to the new normal restrictions.

CCI is known to celebrate various events during December including the Institutional Christmas party. Just last year, it conducted its biggest December event yet, the Christmas Concert for a Cause for then school president Msgr. Crisostomo A. Cacho.

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NEWS

This year’s week-long celebration will not only shift its activities online in accordance with the guidelines set by the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to avoid mass gatherings, the event will also focus more on gift-giving and feeding programs to chosen beneficiaries.

Rev. Fr. Raymann Catindig, EdD, school president and Chief Inspiration Officer (CIO), shared that the reason for this year’s focus on charity works is due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to the less-fortunate community.

CCI will start its celebration on Monday with a thanksgiving mass and a simple motorcade and will be followed by a feeding program for the Caritas of St. Columban Parish

and distribution of refreshments to the frontliners of James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital sponsored by the CCI Alumni Association, Inc. Students are the main focus of Tuesday’s events with a virtual academic and talent competition that will also be followed by the Students’ Online Webinar entitled “Coping Mechanisms During Pandemic” to be facilitated by the Guidance and Testing Center (GTC) Officer in Chief (OIC) Mrs. Jane Palatan.

“Due to the many changes brought by the pandemic, not everyone can cope well. It is important to give attention to the mental health, especially of our students, so we could help them adapt in the new normal,” Palatan

said.

On Wednesday, CCI will once again focus on service with feeding and gift-giving programs for beneficiaries Purok 7-B behind the Barreto Campus and the Missionaries of Charity.

Other events include a Zumba and reorientation of the school’s health protocol both on the first day and an Inter-Department OPM Song Competition on the last day.

The celebration will close on the evening of November 25 to be led by school administrators Fr. Raymann Catindig, Vice president for Lifelong Student Welfare Dr. Teresita R. Dumlao, and Vice president for Finance and Services Dr. Amelia Cecilia Reyes.

ABS-CBN Lost Its Franchise Renewal

V

BY ROBERT IVAN JOHN GENESE

oting 70-11 on July 10 to deny the media giant’s bid for another 25-year franchise to operate, the House of Representatives’ committee on legislative franchises sealed the three cease and desist orders the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) served ABS-CBN to stop airing on television and radio as well as on cable and digital platforms through Sky Direct and TV Plus.

According to Issa de Guzman, an alumna of Columban College under Communication Arts, and is currently a Junior Production Associate of ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. “Star Cinema” said “Sobra talaga akong nagalit sa naging desisyon nila at hanggang ngayon, hindi ko talaga maintindihan how can they do this to over 10,000 employees plus their families in the middle of a pandemic?”

She also said that the network really did their best to save its franchise and have complied to the requirements years ago for its renewal. “The government could’ve given ABS-CBN the franchise since the company have answered and defended the allegations given upon them.” Issa

added. But their passion to do their jobs became even stronger than ever. She also said that even after the closure of the network happened, she is 100 percent sure that its franchise will be given back to them and braver and quality contents will be produced in the following years.

One of the current students of CCI – under Communication Arts who still dreams to work in the said network, Whendell Sicat – the current President of Students’ Organization for Responsible Communication (S.O.R.C.) A.Y. 2020-2021 and a Kapamilya supporter said “as a communication student and soon to work in the media field, the ABS-

CBN’s shutdown has affected my right to be informed.” Whendell said that students should not be afraid to stand up for the truth and must practice their basic human rights and should protect the freedom of the press and remain vigilant.

Before the franchise kill, ABSCBN was the largest network in terms of reach. Now, ABS-CBN’s radio station has also ceased to exist and the radio format program Teleradyo can now only be accessed online and on cable and digital TV. ABSCBN’s block time shift to free TV A2Z channel does not include news programs yet, only entertainment.

The CCI initiates a donation drive for the victims of the typhoons where the catastrophe caused a massive distress and losses in some parts of the country.

The CCI has raised a total amount of 10,438 pesos through the Student Assistant Office (SAO) and GCASH donation, the donation drive have also received groceries, clothes, sacks of rice, and hygiene kit that will then be delivered to the typhoon victims.

CCI student body gives services and does charity works for that is what it is meant for us to do. To help other people and give alms and to also pray for them.

We uphold Christian character where we give what we have and do what we can do to willingly help other people in the best way that we can. The purpose of service is to let God reach others through our hands, for we are the instrument.

The 59th Founding Anniversary of the Columban College has a theme of “59 Years of Caring for the Community” whereas the institutions pivot is service and charity among the community. Along with this is the true color of generosity and meaningful act of the institutions, from the students, faculty, administration to the people they help.

We serve to fill the purpose of our life for each one of us are the same people who will help in times of our struggles in life. We are at our service to provide the needs of our fellowmen and throughout our prayers is a strong force that boost our morale and faith in God. Columban College Inc. molds students to live and act in the goodness and will of God. In this times of devastating pandemic we are having, along with natural disasters we were enduring, we are not alone on our journey for we are looked and guided by people who have became an instrument of God, to help us and to let us help other people.

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THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC. OLONGAPO CITY

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC. OLONGAPO CITY

JANUARY 2021 EDITORIAL NATION

EDITORIAL CARTOON

BY JARED PEREZ

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OPINION

OPINION JANUARY 2021

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

OCCULUS REPARO @kimpottible

BARRED AND HIGH @a_mademoiselle_

It’s Like 1972 All Over Again

BY CATHLEEN KIMBERLY FLOR

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errorism is undoubtedly life devastating; it can severely affect the equilibrium in our society which hinders us from having a safe and secure place to enjoy the gift of life; our basic human rights.

The Important and the Irrelevant:WhatWeighsMore Than Filipinos Well-being?

Supposedly, our basic human rights are protected by the law and by the States. However, with the Terror Law that took effect last July 18, it defeats the fundamental obligation of our government which is ensuring the protection of our rights because unlike the Human Security Act of 2007 that the Anti-Terror Law amended, the prior law enumerates specific predicate crimes for terrorism such as piracy, rebellion, coup d’état, murder, hijacking, etc.

BY ANGELICA MAY YAP

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Silence of the Blue

ilence may mean a lot of things, but it never means yes.

Silence may mean a lack of things to do. The new normal forced to us by COVID-19 has taken a toll to private educational institutions including Columban College, Inc. (CCI). One of which that can be seen is the lack of activities and programs for the academic year of a once very active college.

For an institution relying on the number of enrollees for its programs, the pandemic reducing the number of enrollees resulted to the administration becoming stricter in its allocations and utilization of school funds.

Consequently, there is a need to cut down on spending for annual school events. However, with an online platform that is mostly free, surely there could’ve been more online-based activities such as web conferences.

COVID-19 has also delayed the academic year to a last week of August to early September opening and is continually consuming time with staggered working and teaching systems.

With differing schedules, events seem near impossible but those conducted didn’t disturbing online classes.

statements on such matters yet unbearable silence is often the endgame.

and social media following, we are watchdogs, we are truthtellers, we are catalysts.

Months before class opening, there have been petitions left and right for an academic freeze which means the cancellation of the school year as a whole. However, instead of releasing a formal statement to the Columban community, the school stayed mostly mum with the issue.

A reason being that due to strict minimum number of school days, what will be added to the academic break will be taken from the Christmas break.

The longstanding culture of secrecy between the school and its publication has resulted to dead silence on issues that were never heard by most of its population.

Keeping people in the dark is slowly tarnishing the level of trust and in an era of lies, trust is crucial.

Silence may mean secrecy.

We may have been bombarded this year by seemingly unending problems, most notoriously the environmental, political, and health crises we face today, but we have always been plagued by one thing long before 2020 and that is the lack of transparency.

As a student publication in these challenging times where fake news and false images spread faster than any virus, it is our responsibility not only to tell the good but to reveal the bad as well.

Indeed, the college in all its campuses of white and blue have remained silent for a whole semester. A silence that might save costs but seems to stain the school’s active image.

In many of our previous papers, the editorial board has included many articles that need crucial information. However, some of it were either blocked or were cancelled later on due to the lack of information. They were branded sensitive but we call it truth. They were branded humiliating; we call it truth.

Silence may mean being passive. The academic year has been plagued with unending issues from academic freeze to malicious modules. The community expected immediate address and official

The campus paper has almost regressed into a marketing tool to only include good things as if promoting to everyone that all is well and we reject to be treated as such. More than the awards

Silence may mean any of these or all of it at once, but it never means yes. A lack of things to do doesn’t mean student leaders never tried to organize events. A lack of things to say doesn’t mean student leaders never tried to petition and voice out concerns.

A lack of knowledge of the truth doesn’t mean we never tried to seek for answers. Despite the silence, doesn’t mean we approved of it. Silence never means yes.

The year 2020 sparked the beginning of the new normal and we hope that it also sparks the beginning of a new era where silence is no more. As we transition to a new normal, may we also transition to better cultures and better relations.

The Premier Post has and will always leave its doors open to assist the administration in the best way we can. From organizing online activities and releasing official statements, to spreading the whole truth with full transparency, we extend our arms to help break the silence. Silence is golden if it is a silence of peace, and this is the beginning of an era to make peace. We remain hopeful that we, together with the administration and the whole Columban community, can stand together to create a silence of peace and end the current silence of the blue.

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“... the fight to raise awareness, to demand, and to resist is far from over, it has only just begun.”

hrough these tough times the Filipino people are living in, there is no doubt that the real struggle is within the incompetency of our government. The pandemic opened our eyes to the flaws and irrationality of our country’s system and some of our leaders, where things work under their terms and we have now observed who serves best, who does nothing and who is incapable. It is us who struggle with all these illogicalities and some impertinent plans and laws the government implements.

Nowadays, it’s rare to sight a good public servant, those who have the will and passion to solely serve their people. Those who thinks critically for the benefit and well-being of its fellowmen and those who walk the talk are few and far between. Amidst the pandemic, our government directs its focus on other things rather than the global issue we have. Their pivot is those who threatens their incompetency.

On July 3, 2020, President Duterte passed the Antiterror law or the Republic Act No. 11479 during the global pandemic.

With this law, fear among people spreads where it caused massive problems with human rights.

The law created a hate impact and disagreement among the Filipino people and the Muslim community in the country because the law would also increase the discrimination on our Muslim brothers and sisters.

when a pandemic such as the COVID-19 appears. The bill is at its best and yet it was overlooked by the government, where to us, it will give us a profound effect on the succession to combat the pandemic.

Seven years ago, the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago authored the Senate Bill 1573 also known as “Pandemic and AllHazards Preparedness Act” and unfortunately, to this very day, it has not been passed into a law.

The bill has a massive significance to our country and the bill was supposed to succor the country to be prepared and be organized

May the things that have had happened and will happen to us in this pandemic and under this kakistocracy be our lesson to differentiate a good and a bad leader. Let us be vocal and vigilant, let us be the voice of the unheard and let us be inspired to build a peaceful country, appoint a perfect fit and headstrong leaders, let us create meritocracy in this country.

On the other hand, what is good to know is that Grace Poe and other senators really focused passing bills that will certainly benefit the Filipino people. Poe filed Senate Bill No. 1450 or the “Pandemic Preparedness and Response Act,” which she said drew an inspiration from the similar measure filed by the late Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago in 2013. Other local government units and mayors in different cities perceivably works hard along their peers to help them cope up the pandemic.

As a campus journalist, thinking about how broad the offenses in this particular law, gives me a high-level of worry not just for my democratic freedom and security but also for those who were marginalized even before this law was passed because this law can apprehend more people without a warrant and detain them for weeks. Not to mention that this law is broad enough to allow the detention of people for simply criticizing the government through social media posts because it ‘incite others’ to perform terrorism

“We have the power to change our society, we have the power to oust the tyranny.”

We have the power to change our society, we have the power to oust the tyranny.

ThePremierPost Editorial Board 2020-2021 RANDELL JAN PALATAN Editor in Chief | JON PAUL MINOLA Associate & News Editor | ANGELICA MAY YAP Managing Editor | SIMON SEZ BALE Sports Editor | ROBERT IVAN JOHN GENESE Features Editor | JOHN CEDRICK MISOLA Literary Editor | LOUISE JOHN ESPINOZA Development Communication Editor | MARC HARVEY LACAP Art Director | CATHLEEN KIMBERLY FLOR Head Photojournalist ZARAH LYNN ALAGAD, HANS CHRISTER ARCILLA, CHARLES RUSHABELLE CLARK, MIA COLEEN CONCEPCION, LORENA JOY DE DIOS,

CHRISTINE JOSH DIZON, LHANCE JEWEEL LINTAG, KYLE ANTHONY MAGNO, JARED PEREZ, DANIKA ANGELICA RAÑOLA, WHENDELL SICAT, JACK DARRLY SOLANO, MICHAEL JON TOLENTINO Staff MS. FATIMA CLARINDA M. DELA CRUZ Adviser

through ‘speeches, proclamations, writings, emblems, banners,’ further limiting freedom of expression and of the press. Not only does this law allow an “Anti-Terror Council” the authority to appoint people as terrorists or terrorist groups, it also permits the Anti-Money Laundering Council, an ATC member, to freeze the assets of these persons or groups, all without giving them the chance to defend themselves and deny any information against them. These clearly violate the Constitution’s guarantee to due process; it is like 1972 all over again.

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araming Pilipino ang nais na magpatuloy sa kanilang pagaaral sa kabila ng pandemiyang kinakaharap ng buong mundo.

Isa ang Pilipinas sa mga bansang tinamaan ng Corona Virus Disease o mass kilala bilang CoViD19 na nagpahirap sa maraming mamamayan ng bansa. Ilang buwan na ang nakalilipas at wala pa rin ang mass testing na binabalak ng bansa. Paano ng aba makakapagtuloy sap ag-aaral ang mga kinabukasan ng bayan kung ang bansa nila’y nasa kalagitnaan ng pandemiya? Tama, ipatupad ng awtoridad ang online class upang ipagpatuloy ng karamihan ang kanilang pag-aaral. Ngunit naiisip nga ba ng iilan ang lagay ng ibang batang walang pambili ng kagamitan para sa online class kasama pa nito ang kakayahang magbayad ng data o buwanang bayad sa internet. Iilan lamang sa mga siyudad sa Pilipinas ang nagkaroon ng mga proyekto upang makapagbigay ng mga kagamitang laptop, cellphone, at tablets para sa kanilang mga kababayan.

“Academic Freeze” o pansamantalang pagtigil ng eskuwelahan sa pagtuturo at upang bigyang panahon ang awtoridad na magpasagawa o magkaroon

ACCIO VERUM @theljespinoza

Walang Iwanan NI LOUISE JOHN ESPINOZA

ng vaccine ang bansa. Sigaw din ng ilang estudyanteng Pilipino na hindi lahat ay may probelehiyong makapagpatuloy ng pag-aaral dahil hindi rin naman lahat ng estudyante ay mayroon ng mga kinakailangan sa pagpapatuloy ng eskwela. Hindi sapat ang pagtutulungan ng mga mamamayang Pilipino kung salungat ang plano ng gobyerno para sa kanila.

Malalaking tao na may pribelehiyo pa ang may lakas ng loob magsalitang ituloy ang klase kahit ang iba’y nawawalan ng ng dignidad upang makabili lamang ng mga kagamitan para sa pagpapatuloy ng online classes.

pati ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas ay nagkakaroon na rin ng pagbabago.

Mataas ng bilihin, tumaas rin ang bayarin sa ilaw at tubig, at

Lahat ng mag-aaral ay sabay sabay na tutuloy sa pag-aaral at hindi lamang sa isang lugar kundi sa buong bansa. Ano nga ba ang sagot ng mga nakaupo? Halos mag-iisang taon ng hirap ang karamihan ngunit wala paring konkretong plano ang mga matataas ang pribelehiyong ito.

Tila naging kangkungan ang ilang paaralan at dumami ang mga sumikat sa social media dahil sa kanilang kabayanihang ginagawa tulad ng ibang estudyanteng umaakyat ng bundok upang makahanap ng signal at ibang mga taong nawalan ng trabaho at nagbukas ng kanilang magarbong pampuhunang tindahan.

“Edukasyon ay isang karapatan ngunit ang pagpapatuloy ng klase na walang konkretong plano ay parang winalang bahala lamang ang kahalagahan ng buhay ng Pilipino.”

Apektado man ang mga estudyante at mga mangagagawa,

marami pang paghihirap ang kinahaharap ng mamamayang Pilipino ngayong pandemiya.

Walang maiiwang estudyante dahil lamang sa pandemiyang ito.

Isipin mo ang mata ng

Duterte said that lawabiding citizens no need to worry if they are not terrorists but knowing the Duterte Administration, this law can be the easiest way to further red-tag people or worsen the extrajudicial killings since it broadens what the government sees as “terror.” This administration already proved from the recent years that injustices and oppressions are their expertise and that is enough for us to voice out more about our sentiments regarding the potential abuse that this law has.

The Terror Law might have been passed but the fight to raise awareness, to demand, and to resist is far from over, it has only just begun.

batang nais makapasok ng eskwelahan dahil gusto nitong maabot ang kanyang mga pangarap at matuto at ang mata ng berdugong mataas ang kinaluluklukang hindi kayang harapin ang mga paghihirap ng kanyang sinasakupan. Sa paglaganap ng mga makabagong gamit sa teknolohiya ngayon, makikita mo kung nasaan nga ba napupunta ang ilang may taos-pusong tumutulong para sa kanilang kababayan. Iilan nalang din ang mga may malasakit na nakaupo sa mataas na posisyon.

Hanggang ngayon ay mayroon pa ring bulag sa katotohanang pinaiikot na lamang sila ng pribelehiyong makasarili.

Sabi nga nila ay ang kabataan ang kinabukasan ng bayan. Ngunit bakit nga ba sila pa yung mas may isakripisyo upang magpatuloy sa kanilang pangarap kung lahat naman tayo ay pwedeng maghilaan pataas.

Walang estudyante ang dapat na mapag-iwanan. Edukasyon ay isang karapatan ngunit ang pagpapatuloy ng klase na walang konkretong plano ay parang winalang bahala lamang ang kahalagahan ng buhay ng Pilipino.

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OPINION

OPINION THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC. OLONGAPO CITY

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

A

gricultural research is essential to support a growing young population.

With more fresh graduates entering the workforce, we need to provide affordable and nutritious food to fuel our economic growth. SEN. Cynthia Villar has categorically refuted claims made by many that converting agricultural land into subdivisions and malls has negative impacts. She boldly stated that such claims are patently wrong.

THE SUN, THE MOON, AND THE TRUTH ivantalavera04.wixsite.com

RichEarth-benderCynthia – An Agri-research Unbeliever

BY ROBERT IVAN JOHN GENESE

Villar is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture. But it is also a fact that she is the matriarch of a family that has made a fortune from converting lands, many of which are agricultural, to subdivisions and malls.

high cost of inputs, low price of palay, lack of capital, labor problem, lack of postharvest facilities, pest and diseases and irrigation system.

How can the government then level the playing field? Who will prevent the rice importers-

S

ince President Duterte’s “absolute and unconditional pardon” was given to Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, which certainly caught many by surprise, many people have begun to speak about the notion of pardon and what the criminal justice system means over the last few days.

Pemberton, a US Marine, murdered Jennifer Laude, a transgender woman, in 2014, and was convicted of murder a year later. He was pardoned by the president in 2020, and he has since been immediately deported.

There have been several debates on the Visiting Forces Arrangement (VFA) and its consequences for the government, and the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Statute that was used to support the release of the Marine, as the court credited him more than 1,000 days before the grant of parole because of apparently good conduct within the prison.

Section 19, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution states that: “Except in cases of impeachment,

The land areas devoted to rice farming will continue to shrink. The rice industry in Central Luzon and Calabarzon has been disappearing since the 1980s due to urbanization and industrial development. In a study by Elvira Manalad of Paragos-Philippines, huge swathes of rice lands all over the country are also disappearing because of the widespread “conversion” of lands supposedly covered by agrarian reform and the unchecked “land banking” operations of the big realty companies and housing/village/ resort developers.

Food secure means that whatever the volatility in agricultural commodities in the global market there are, the country will be able to survive because domestic production is stable and sufficient.

Of course, food security does not mean stopping all agricultural imports.

The point is that the Philippines, given its land resources and know-how, should be able to produce in sufficient quantity its basic food requirements.

Innovations brought about by research prepare our country for the impacts of climate change. Our farmers are already at the rock bottom of our country. The Philippine Statistics Authority rated their poverty incidence at 34.3% in 2015, which is the highest in the nation. And your Rice Tarrification Law does not help, either.

There are several problems besetting the rice industry in the country. Why not talk about common problems encountered by farmers and determine which among these problems significantly affects rice production? This reveals that common problems encountered by rice farmers were:

JANUARY 2021

JANUARY 2021

traders from re-milling cheap imported rice and mixing this with quality rice produced in the Philippines and selling this as “regular milled rice”? What happens to the goal of rice self-sufficiency?

With the influx of cheap imported rice, how can the marginal rice

farmers compete? Some of the answers to competitiveness are well-known: better seed varieties, cheap and efficient irrigation, land mechanization, grain dryers, good transport facilities from the farms, and quality rice mills.

AD ASTRA ABYSSOQUE @jaaaayceeeeee

Pemberton’s Pardon

BY JOHN CEDRICK MISOLA

or as otherwise provided in this Constitution, the President may grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons, and remit fines and forfeitures, after conviction by final judgment. He shall also have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all the Members of the Congress.”

prerogative, is distinct from amnesty, which includes the

not where the differences stop.

“...there is a great risk that this president will practice, unilaterally and irresponsibly, without due respect to public opinion and common courtesy, the right of pardon, an absolute power.”

There is, however, no doubt that anyone who has been arrested may be pardoned by the president. Questions concerning its applicability in this situation have also been presented, though. It is important to look at the definition of pardon to address this.

Pardon, an executive

consent of most Legislative representatives. However, this is

Amnesty refers to political crimes, while pardon refers to violations of order or peace. While amnesty is granted to groups of individuals, pardon is granted to a person.

Amnesty is a public act and so the courts take judicial note of it, and the grant holder does not have to do anything to approve the grant, whereas pardon is the president’s private act, and so the grant holder, who will accept the grant, must justify it in court.

Amnesty can be granted at

Sen. Cynthia should rather keep a watchful eye on agricultural research. Make sure that nothing in the budget lands in the pockets of unscrupulous officials, and that only the most promising research receives funding. You are one of the country’s best entrepreneurs; a powerful woman behind the success of one of the richest men.

any point, but pardon can only be granted after conviction. As with the repercussions, amnesty abolishes the crime, but pardon only relieves the victim of the consequences of the crime. They both do not, however, extinguish civil liability. Therefore, the former looks back and excludes the violation, as if the amnesty grantee did not commit the offence, while pardon looks ahead and removes the sentence.

The grant of pardon, although an executive prerogative, is also a cause for concern in the case of Pemberton. First, forgiveness can lead to impunity, especially against disadvantaged sectors that would not be able to lobby against the granting of forgiveness to convicted offenders where the victims were the poor and the weak. This is what was happening to the Laude family.

Second, there is a great risk that this president will practice, unilaterally and irresponsibly, without due respect to public opinion and common courtesy, the right of pardon, an absolute power.

We must be careful that this does not happen because the grossest injustice will be this.

EDITORIAL NATION

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY JARED PEREZ

TALINHAGA NG DALUBARAL @ponkan08

Blended learning? It’s a prank!

NI JON PAUL MINOLA

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Faux Resilience

he year 2020 will always be remembered as one the darkest times in recent history. From unexpected deaths and the brink of a third world war to blazing wildfires, ravaging typhoons and the global COVID-19 pandemic, it truly is a bad year for everyone with no cause for celebration.

For the Philippines, however, despite a rapidly declining economy, a slow Chinese government takeover, a blatantly dense administration in the face of a pandemic, super typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes that revealed the regressing living conditions of many Filipinos, the same old “Pinoy smile” signifying our resilience seems to be glorified yet again.

The capacity to quickly adapt and bounce back from adversity, resiliency is often seen in the aftermath of any ill-fated event.

For a country who has endured centuries of oppression, resilience is all we had that it became us. Indeed, to experience greater downfalls develop greater resilience. Just like Friedrich Nietzsche famously said – “that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” In a twisted interpretation, 2020 may be the perfect test of how much downfall can we be able to rise from.

A Catholic majority country, the Filipino resiliency is heavily fueled by faith, hope, and love. By no means it is a bad thing, all these are good, however, ‘to what extent?’. People believe they’re invincible, until they’re not. There comes a point when resilience will no longer be enough.

Seven years ago, Yolanda, one of the strongest typhoons to ever be recorded, which left over 7,000 Filipinos either missing or dead, hit the Philippines. In 2020, the likes of Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses, have left many parts of the country in a state of calamity. A drowned nation yet again is being romanticized for smiling despite the challenges.

On January 12, heavy ashfall and tremors came from Taal Volcano displacing nearly 25,000 residents. Quakes, erosions, and even sinkholes have been appearing everywhere. These are only recent examples of the environmental crisis that has plagued the country for so long. A crisis left unsolved,

unnoticed simply because the Filipinos are expected to rebuild again.

Sadly, there’s more.

Beginning March 16 when President Duterte signed Proclamation No. 929, placing the entire Philippines under state of calamity amid the ongoing situation of COVID-19, cases went from just hundreds to now over 400,000.

Since then, many events took place when we came together, then we moved forward, and we forgot.

It was March when we called for mass testing and was continuously denied until now.

May came with a mañanita for now PNP chief Debold Sinas, we called for his arrest but we weren’t heard as with the cases of Uson and Pimentel. Jeepney drivers seeking for help arrested, while the likes of Imelda and Pemberton roam free.

“Faux resilience has no room in the era we are able to build only if we stand together.”

Activists, journalists, and environmentalists are either imprisoned, red tagged, or killed.

Seems like those who see how resiliency is being over-exploited by those in power are silenced. As if telling them ‘let the privileged enjoy the drama of the unfortunate’. Let them smile, laugh, and joke around at the expense of those who barely get by, and pray for those who didn’t.

Yet, there are those who say “puro reklamo”, “’edi ikaw na magpresidente”, and “ano ba ambag mo?” as if they are okay with everything. They’ll keep on protecting their politicians like deities at the expense of the drowned, infected, and deceased Filipinos. As if resiliency has been an excuse for living in mediocrity.

We’ve endured 2020 with resiliency like any other, smiling and joking around, that we’ve failed to realize that by romanticizing the concept, we have lived complacently without improvement. Resiliency should not be same as getting used to. Have you not felt tired of saying “Bahala na” and “Ganyan talaga,

anong magagawa natin”? You should. We should.

Resiliency is good but it is senseless without change. It is not a reason to keep on being content on living a life of poverty, of suffering, of pain. The Filipinos are often far too busy being proud of the eight times they have stood up again forgetting to question why they were left to fall seven. Resiliency is not a drama you enjoy but a wakeup call you shout for.

Indeed, it is of great pride to be able to stand up again but it is not a duty we should carry alone. The government owes it to the citizens they serve to carry us up, hold us up, and make sure that we won’t fall down again. To strive harder in providing communities with opportunities for a better life where resiliency is no longer overused.

No longer can we expect local communities to keep rebuilding disaster after disaster, considering the ones hit the hardest are often among the poorest and most vulnerable. No longer can they expect thinking citizens to endure oppression and corruption without risking revolution. We cannot put everything into “bawi na lang”. We cannot live a life of faux resilience.

Individually, we strongly encourage this generation and the next to stop glorifying resilience like a teleserye. As a Catholic institution, faith, hope, and love is our strongest weapon in the face of darkness. God will definitely provide but so should those in power. Resiliency can only take us as far as the next event that will knock us down, and we could only hope that resilience will be enough to stand again.

In the aftermath of this year, of this administration, it is no longer a question of how and when but a question of where, what, and for how long. We stand where every Filipino’s lives are uplifted to better conditions. We stand for what is right and just. We must be able to stand against the environmental, political, and health crises that has plagued us for long, and this time, we stand for good. No longer fear falling down and putting it all to resilience. Faux resilience has no room in the era we are able to build only if we stand together.

M

agkatuwang ang modyul at online class, ito ang inakala ng lahat ngunit sa paglipas ng mga araw may mga dalubgurong nasiyahan na sa paggamit ng online class at nalimutan na ang katuwang nitong modyul.

Sa nagdaang semestre maraming mga modyul ang nasayang sapagkat ang mga gawain, klase at pagsusulit ay ginagawa at ipinapasa online at ang mas masaklap may mga dalubgurong hindi man lang kinonsidera ang katayuan sa buhay ng ibang mag-aaral.

ginawa para lamang sa kanilang mga mag-aaral.

Marami ring mga guro ang gumagamit ng modyul at nagbibigay ng takdang oras kung kailan lamang sila mag-o-online class upang hindi gaanong gumastos sa load at data ang kanilang mga mag-aaral.

Ngunit paano magiging student friendly ang online class kung nananatiling may mga gurong inaabuso ang paggamit nito. Paano masisigurong walang estudyanteng naiiwan kung hindi nakikita ang sitwasyon ng mga mag-aaral at kung hindi naririnig ang kanilang mga hinaing.

“Paano masisigurong walang estudyanteng naiiwan kung hindi nakikita ang sitwasyon ng mga

Mayroon mag-aaral at kung ding mga hindi naririnig dalubgurong nagbibigay ng ang kanilang mga mga gawain kahit hindi nila oras. hinaing.”

Mayroon ding mga dalubgurong kahit linggo hindi pinapatawad para magbigay ng gawain o kaya’y pagsusulit. Paano magiging student friendly ang online class kung may mga dalubgurong inaabuso ang paggamit nito?

Sa kabilang banda may mga guro ring hindi matatawaran sa kanilang dedikasyon sa pagtuturo. Mayroong mga guro na sila ang naglo-load sa kanilang mga mag-aaral makapagklase lamang.

Mayroon ding mga guro na lahat na ng konsiderasyon ay kanilang

Para Saan pa ang modyul kung hindi naman nagagamit?

Sayang lang ang ginagastos dito na maaaring gamitin sa ibang paraan na totoo at tunay na makatutulong sa mga mag-aaral.

Sa pagsisimula ng ikalawang semestre kung ito’y gagawin pa rin sana’y bigyang pansin ang modyul at mga paraan upang matamo ang lubos na pagkatuto ng bawat mag-aaral.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Filipinos are resilient. The year 2020 brought about many changes in what we were used to doing and so we are forced to endure, adapt, and rise again. This issue was made with that in mind. We’ve been resilient for so many centuries and so we ask, how much longer?

Will there be change? After the crisis has gone, where will we stand?

While we cannot answer for many, The Premier Post will continue to endure and adapt so that we will be able to rise again in this new normal and continue to serve and provide the community the truth they rightfully need and deserve.

“For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” – Proverbs 24:16

Libertas. Integritas. Veritas

BE A CAMPUS JOURNALIST,

BE A PART OF THE PREMIER POST For details, visit The Premier Post on Facebook or e-mail us at thepremierpost.ccipub@gmail.com

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FEATURES

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VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC. OLONGAPO CITY

JANUARY 2021

JANUARY 2021

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

Gapo’s Sangguniang Kabataan: The Leadership

BY ANGELICA MAY YAP

A

lot of terrifying events have had happened throughout the year 2020 and we surely do stress a lot about this and suffered from the pandemic’s havoc in our daily lives, the economy, and our community. It is a tough time for us, and we have endured so much.

Everything stopped for a while and fortunately, from time to time, everything is slowly getting back to normal.

With so much going on in this situation, the increasing problems the country is into, there are people who continuously serves and doing their best to do the best that they can and the better things that they could ever thought of doing for the sole purpose of serving their community.

Amid the pandemic, events like this have become our nightmare as we venture our lives everyday staying at home and coping up. Quarantine bores us out and our mentality has also become at stake. When school starts virtually, in modular and in blended learning, things became quite a joy to some and a dismay to others. However, on the Brightside of it, youth leaders in various barangays in Olongapo City have initiated ways and plans to somehow help students on their online classes and cope up with pandemic.

LEADERSHIP Leadership is to lead, to influence and guide other individuals to their successes but what is leadership in times of crisis? A leader has the responsibility to help its peers, to take care of them, and find ways to engage and motivate their community, especially in this downing

moment.

Johnifer M. Garcia, a Bachelor in Secondary Education majoring in Mathematics graduate and at the same time a SK Chairwoman of barangay Kalaklan has been in the position for 2 years now. She had made various projects that is beneficial to her constituents and make sure that plans are well put out. They tend to criticize their own project so every negative thing that might happen can be avoided. Her and her peers also consider the vote of majority when they are making decisions for their project.

To lead in this time around is a challenge to the youth leaders as they would definitely think of ways on how to help and execute their plans to their

constituents in a sufficient and rightful way, they could possibly think that would resort to a beneficial act.

Garcia expressed that the SK Kalaklan has an annual project of school supplies distribution for the youth, however, in this year, since it’s pandemic and most of the students are attending their classes online, they thought of changing some of the school supplies to more relevant and cater their needs. She also expressed struggles about the hindrance for every project, but they always think of the best way to implement their project.

During an interview, when asked what the motivation was to continuously help other people, Garcia quote, “Honestly, when it is already your passion, everything you see, and you are around with are all

motivation. I love and dedicate myself to public service and leadership. I do not know why but all I know is that it makes my heart truly happy. I love what I am doing, and I am encouraging my fellow youth to be a spark to our fellow youth, a spark that will enlighten them to have a good direction in life.”

Isn’t it fulfilling to help other people? From across the city’s barangays are the youth leaders who became resourceful, a critical thinker and have shown leadership in their community.

They might have those struggles they have encountered helping their constituents out, but they surely help other people in the depths of their power and authority.

“With such charitable works, may it be big or small, as long as it will help other people, it will have a massive impact to the beneficiaries.

Actions are everything especially in these times around where people need help in certain situations.”

Christian Character, Competence, and Service. The SK Chairwoman has also expressed gratitude to Columban College for molding her from what she is right now. She said, “I am once a student assistant of CCI. I have learned a lot of values which I truly treasure. I was molded by CCI and CCSA Family into someone better. The heart of being a Columbanite will be forever with me. I will be forever grateful for being a Columbanite.”

ACTIONS

With such charitable works, may it be big or small, as long as it will help other people, it will have a massive impact to the beneficiaries. Actions are everything especially in these times around where people need help in certain situations.

Leaders upholds their ethical values and knows what the best for their peers and community is.

It is to think in a critical way and to walk the talk as they say. There are more to come, challenges and issues that everyone will face in a matter of time and the youth leaders that leads us will surely be in service if needed.

Kudos to all the SK Chairpersons who serves for the betterment and well-being of the youth, may this generation bring prosperity and a new era of meritocracy and good governance.

Through their dedications, no recognition can equate what they have been doing despite the pandemic. The sacrifices they went into to put up plans to help other people is indeed admirable. This is an empowerment of the youths’ act of leadership that every part of the country and the world needs.

Accountable, responsible and influential.

Quaranbiz

BY JOHN CEDRICK MISOLA

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n unfortunate event took place on the 16th day of March earlier this year 2020 when corona virus took the world by a storm causing a global pandemic.

People all over the Philippines were put into lock down to help reduce the spreading of the vicious virus and lower the number of its cases, affecting businesses which, in turn, caused a lot of workers and fresh graduates jobless because their employers can’t afford their wages.

potential” -Kinnea Amber Kinnea Amber Cristobal, a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Communication, established an online food business known as “Good Heavens”, together with her business partner Kath Resurreccion, that sells delicious and beautifully made artisan pastries.

“If you want something to happen, do it. Now is the best time to arise from this crisis & unleash your full potential” ­­­—Kinnea Amber Cristobal, Good Heavens

Amidst this fog of tragic episodes, some students and alumni of Columban College, Inc. (CCI) managed to find a silver lining and turn tragedy into opportunity.

“If you want something to happen, do it. Now is the best time to arise from this crisis & unleash your full

Last November twenty-fifth in the year of 2020, Good Heavens posted on their facebook page that their pastries are also available in a salon called “Bloom Day Wellness and Beauty Center” located in Magsaysay drive, East Tapinac.

“We have this tag line — “LOVE AT FIRST BITE”. Our main goal is to give the people that love at first bite experience. The same feeling, we got when we first tried our products. Since our business started this pandemic, we wanted to give

the people something to fall in love in because that’s the best feeling in this world.” said Cristobal.

“I’m a photographer and my pictures are my products. When I started realizing I could one day make money from photography, I just didn’t hesitate to do it.”

— Bren Bernaldo, Bren Bernaldo Photography Bren Bernaldo, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Architecture, also found a way on how to turn his passion into profit by capturing moments and the essence of the

subject in front of his camera, as a freelance photographer.

“I’m a photographer and my pictures are my products.

When I started realizing I could one day make money from photography, I just didn’t hesitate to do it.” Bernaldo shared.

Vianna Viktoria A. Paraiso, a third-year college student of CCI, is another young entrepreneur who started her own online bakeshop.

what I can bake.” Paraiso says.

The resourcefulness of these people is what aided them to making it through the ill-fate we were given.

To not lose hope, to find a silver-lining, and to turn your passion into something productive that contributes to the survival of our economy.

“... I am very passionate to bake goodies for my family and loved ones. Since I am raising funds for something, I couldn’t think of any other way to raise the money but only to sell what I can bake.”

—Vianna Paraiso, Sweet Boulevard

“I was trying to raise funds during the lockdown. I am very passionate to bake goodies for my family and loved ones. Since I am raising funds for something, I couldn’t think of any other way to raise the money but only to sell

Despite the given difficulty of the situation fate has bestowed upon us months ago, there are people like these innovative and hardworking students who manage to thrive despite the odds.

It goes to show, that despite the seemingly lack of help from government officials, we have it in us to do whatever it takes for us to survive.

12 VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC. OLONGAPO CITY

JANUARY 2021

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A BOOK REVIEW BY DANIKA ANGELICA RAÑOLA

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FEATURES

FEATURES he book “The Defining Decades: Why your TWENTIES matter-and how to make the most of them now” by Meg Jay, PhD. It is a knowledgeable, caring, relatable, and constructive book about the years we can’t afford to lose. Author, Meg Jay constantly explains how people in their twenties often ironically procrastinate and pitch back their responsibilities, including their career and future family, even though this decade is what defines their career and their marital relationship the most. By presenting scientific evidence that backs her ideas and arguments. Meg is able to provide insight into why young adults in their twenties feel underestimated, and why these views are totally incorrect and are probably the farthest away the facts.

The book focuses on Jay’s experience as a clinical psychologist seeing people in their 30’s and 40’s who are hamstrung by “lack of vision” in their twenties. This book is intended to give some guidance to people in their twenties to build the vision they will set themselves up in the future, instead of fooling around.

Jay wanted to pinpoint the idea that the twenties are just a period of prolonged puberty during which young people can have fun and attempt and figure out who they are.

The author repeatedly shows that twenty-somethings who have a focus, a career, and a mission are happier

and less adrift than those attempting to have the time of their lives. His book is mainly

divided into sections is Love, and

JANUARY 2021

PHILIPPINES ≠ PRESIDENT DUTERTE

Fortunately, Jay offers much-needed practical advice about what people can do to take care of their twenties.

She often points out typical pitfalls and suggestions about what to do to stop them.

Jay quoted “How do you get the happy ending? Most 20 something’s can’t write the last sentence of their lives. But when pressed, they usually can identify things they want in their 30s or 40s or 60s -or things they don’t want- and work backward from there.

This is how you have your own multigenerational epic with a happy ending. This is how you live your life in real time.” There is no recipe for a healthy life, but there is also no right or wrong in life. We have options and repercussions. The nicest part of getting older is knowing how your life worked out. The future actually feels amazing when you get there. The future isn’t written in the stars. There are no guarantees. So claim your adulthood. Be intentional.

Get to work. Pick your family. Do the math. Make your own certainty.

Don’t be defined by what you did or didn’t know.

three which Work, Body.

Furthermore, the twenties are a chance to lay essential groundwork for the rest of your life, whether it be through college, starter jobs, or through dating people with whom you might have a future.

BY ZARAH LYNN ALAGAD

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ince President Rodrigo Roa Duterte resided as the Philippine president, there have been continuous controversies against his administration that created a prolonged conflict of wits and will between his supporters versus the anti-Duterte.

‘who to blame’ and the ‘number of good deeds’. It’s a messy war with hypocrisy all over the place.

Maybe the citizens are just too dramatic? Or maybe they are too dependent on

"At the end of the day, DDS or Dilawan, proor anti-Duterte, we are all Filipinos and to the Filipinos: “Love the Philippines, not its politicians.”

The social media became the platform of squabble with both parties aggressively expressing their thoughts and opinions that hits, most of the time, below the belt.

Netizens point out the government’s shortcomings, stand for their rights, cry for help yet Duterte Diehard Supporters (DDS) defend the Duterte Administration and overlook its long-list demerits. DDS famous retorts ‘ano ba ambag mo?’ adds fuel to the fire of hate from the anti-Duterte; the battle of

You see the twenties really are the decade of definition. They are the years that set up your life for success. Learn the lessons of your twenties, take chances, and completely accept maturity to have a solid foundation. They say, set the right habits now to make the rest of your life golden.

It’s not enough to realize how significant your twenties are.

You’re going to have to act on it.

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

the government. It is really frustrating when expectations are not met. On the other hand, maybe DDS are just blind devotees? The loyalty became subjective over time and they are just stubbornly in denial?

The very existence of conflicts in the political system is actually healthy: leftist censures government, political parties mediate the need of the people, and street protest for political and social change, are normal. However, whether a citizen is proor anti- of the current administration, one must support his advocacies and arguments with facts and evidence. This may be the core problem of the discord, parties been have too focused on personal flaws and most of the commentators are politically ignorant.

President Duterte’s term is near its end and it taught the Filipinos a valuable lesson: to be wise in choosing the leaders next election. At the end of the day, DDS or Dilawan, pro- or anti-Duterte, we are all Filipinos and to the Filipinos: “Love the Philippines, not its politicians.”

SPILLED TEAS: ONLINE CLASS EDITION

BY ROBERT IVAN JOHN GENESE

T A FILM REVIEW

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BY DANIKA AN G

he all-star disaster film, Contagion was developed by producer and film maker Steven Soderbergh with a sleek and mostly convincing makeover of the 21st century. The film was a remake of the 1977 film, Contagious directed by Joe Napolitano. Contagion is about a global pandemic, it was released in 2011 on a fictitious pandemic by the virus, MEV-1.

There has been a renewed interest in the movie in recent months as the actual 2019 Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) spread worldwide.

The virus in the film is much more lethal than COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2) and the catastrophe caused by this virus is equally much more worse than the epidemic of the present pandemic we are more likely to see. Contagion, however has valuable details for current viewers since the weather of COVID-19 collectively.

The final scenes illustrate

ELICA RAÑOLA

Contagion’s devotion to scientific precision.

In the past, many lethal viruses have moved from bird to human, from pig to human, or from bird to pig to human. As said in the movie by Dr. Erin Mears “The average person touches their face three to five times every waking minute. In between that we’re touching door knobs, water fountains, and each other.” The interactions between organisms are an important breeding ground for new frightful viruses.

I think this film does not attract you, but really encourages you to understand and learn how things would go in times of a crisis or pandemic. Scenes that demonstrate how the disease spread is essentially right. It helps you to see that isolation is necessary and that hygiene is highly important.

Just like to what we are experiencing right now, this does not tigger fear or ridicule to what we ae feeling, especially to those who are now a posted worker, struggling to find treatment, medication, a meal, or even just to adapt to our current conditions of life. It is complicated all over the world, but we are all in this together. I hope we can get to grips with our current pandemic in the coming days and weeks and life can eventually return to what we know and love.

ARTWORK BY DANIKA ANGELICA RAÑOLA

he year 2020 made a lot of revisions. From our health to our private lives. It is like the pandemic served us a warrant of arrest and we lost to it and that is why we are now locked up inside our houses. But the education in our country seems to be adding up to the fuel. Online classes are perpetuating both our “educational stress and struggles” and “educational necessities and growth”.

There were posts on social media about some students from other schools, who have committed suicide or may have attempted to do it. Confession about the struggles they have experienced in their classes online.

“None of the students wanted to stop learning but none of the students also wanted to be left out in the middle of their studies.”

Columban College, Inc. is virtually doing its job to fulfill its students’ educational needs as of the moment. What a great thing to see CCI pushed itself to make online classes happen in amidst of a pandemic and even when most of their students are struggling financially and having concerns in line with their internet connectivity. But despite of all the complications that are happening, students still enrolled and are now complying to their professors’ requirements given unto them.

At first, it was exciting to try something new. Something students never thought they were going to do. Assuming that everything will be just fine knowing that they will be doing all their school works at home – comfortably, without stress and pressure. But it turns out to be the opposite.

In God’s grace, Columban College have not reported any related issues in regards of the matter we usually see online.

But CCI is not perfect and so are its students. There have been complaints thrown by some students, concerning about endless piling of requirements to be submitted in a very hectic schedule and other mentally,

emotionally and physicallydemanding activities. Complaints about requirements, schedules, internet access and even to the professors.

In terms of reaching out to their students, CCI never failed to respond. They listen to both parties or to whom the complaints may have concern and assess what is needed to be done. But again, nobody’s perfect. There are complaints that are still pending.

Some students wanted to give up for they have been complaining the same thing and/or a particular person all over again and there seems to be no action given unto it.

Students are still hoping for a fast response and a visible action for their complaints.

Setting to the “happy side” of online classes, funny moments are inevitable. Regardless of how embarrassing it was but some students tend to share their stories during their online classes. Some students have been struggling with noisy environment, either from a construction site, a loud

mother, annoying siblings, playful house pets, and other distractions in their houses. This also include the lagging of devices, slow internet connection and other technical difficulties experienced by the students.

Online class is an amazing alternative to continue disseminating the knowledge upon the students but it also takes away their health in general and compromises the ability of the students to decipher such lessons online. Face to face classes has been the number one prayer each student wanted to have for the following

semester.

We all have struggles not everyone can understand. But there are instances that could have been better if it was done in a certain way.

None of the students wanted to stop learning but none of the students also wanted to be left out in the middle of their studies.

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SPORTS

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THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC. OLONGAPO CITY

JANUARY 2021

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I OPINION

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

NEWS

Student-athletes on allocation of time

BY MICHAEL JON A. TOLENTINO

Full-Time Students

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thletic seasons are over yet student-athletes are still in pursuit of their wellness in times of pandemic. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has a societal impact on athletes as it takes toll in their mental health and numerous health concerns. Not just that but the level of anxiety increased and it takes a deeper understanding in regard of their motivation and drive

BY SIMON SEZ GUERRERO-BALE

olumban College Inc. Sports Coordinator Dr. Norly Canonizado prescribed his varsity players to commit their 100% academically and set aside first their duties as athletes this 2020.

Aside from having no budget to conduct face-to-face trainings, Dr. Canonizado also refused to facilitate online trainings for the varsity players of the school.

“Wala tayong scholarship, wala rin tayong laro, sinong gaganahan sa online training? Kung magpaparticipate sila, siguro kapag gusto lang nila pero hindi full commitment,” Dr. Canonizado said, as he is sure that an online training will be only an option of the players.

According to Dr. Canonizado, he also considered the motivation of his athletes in participating if there is an online training.

TORCH UNLIT

SEA Games A Year Later

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t’s the most wonderful time of the year. Or at least, it used to be.

It’s the end of another year yet again. How different we end 2020 from how we ended 2019.

Fireworks, dance numbers, sporting competitions, in a sense last year’s December was the last hurrah before 2020 came barging in. Now it’s quiet, eerily quiet.

We get why this December lacks the party vibe due to the COVID-19 pandemic but what we don’t understand and we reject to do so is why the government and their cronies have been so quiet about the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games issues that has seem to be forgotten a year later.

Last December 2019, and months before so, the Philippines has been plagued with perhaps one of the biggest flaws the administration can never deny, the SEA Games controversy.

SEAG was managed by the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) Foundation Inc., a private group set by former House speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. Why he had to form that, nobody will know considering that event President Duterte said that the private group should not manage the SEA Games as the money for the international sports event might be at risk of corruption but he was not heeded. Perhaps it’s one of those instances he got it right.

Congress continued to allocate P5 billion for the event, another P1 billion in augmentation funds from Duterte, and about P1.5 billion was collected from private sponsors. And from then, everything is infamous history of Cayetano’s Achilles heel.

The rushed, cheap, and unfinished venues, overpriced barongs for Cayetano and his friends, and most notoriously, the P50-million-peso worth torch.

Fast forward a year later, the nearly P8 billion budget for SEA Games has yet to be liquidated and Cayetano and his cohorts could not account for the money spent in the Games and the President may just want to look into this. Current house speaker Lord Allan Velasco, who forced Cayetano out of his seat,

BY RANDELL JAN PALATAN is probing the anomalies. Cayetano even challenged Velasco to jail him if the issues are proven. And he might not be that far from his wishes.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has reportedly been receiving “too many” demand letters from SEAG suppliers and service providers after PHISGOC, Cayetano’s ‘award-winning’ group, apparently has yet to pay them P387 million for transportation services for the athletes, catering services, janitorial services, housekeeping, and more. Senator Nancy Binay

“What was supposed to signify the blazing fire of the Filipinos now only signify the undeniable corruption of the administration. even asked if yet again the taxpayer’s money are going to be used to pay for the debts of politicians?

Meanwhile, Cayetano’s men Rep. Bambol Tolentino, president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and PHISGOC President Ramon Suzara could not account for the money spent on the SEAG even though POC’s primary responsibility is to oversee that PHISGOC accounts for all the expenses incurred in the SEA Games. Despite being given a deadline, which has now passed, Tolentino used the pandemic as an excuse and says he didn’t want to be rushed. Surely 12 months is more than enough to liquidate expenditures, so, how come?

If memory serves from my studies in Auditing, the rules of the Commission on Audit is that the liquidation should’ve been submitted on February this year. It’s already December. Perhaps they are still coming up with excuses on why money has gone missing.

Another issue is Cayetano’s chairmanship of PHISGOC while

still secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) which is a clear violation of Section 13, Article VII of the Constitution saying members of the Cabinet “shall not, unless provided in this Constitution, hold any other office or employment during their tenure.”

Since there are no incentives and sporting competition this year, CCI recommend the varsity players to dedicate their selves fully in being a student.

He also added that due to lack of budget, coaches and trainers do not also have honorarium from the

Usually, half of the time of the school’s student athletes were dedicated to playing and the other half is for academics, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they make sure to fill in their absences last semester, this year.

“I’m more focused on being a student because we don’t have trainings and no varsity for this academic year,” said Women’s Table Tennis Acting Team Captain, Salve Ann Austria.

Instead of participating in a regular training, CCI’s recent and aspiring student-athletes chose to commit their entire time academically, but is still in their discretion to maintain their physique this year for the upcoming sporting events once everything went back to normal.

This year has been plagued with so much problem and even more debts. That P50-million torch sure doesn’t do anything to fix 2020 for many Filipinos. A kaldero, as the cauldron was derisively called by the public, worth that much could have filled many Filipinos’ kalderos with food in this trying times.

Are these so-called “priceless piece of art” worth more attention and money than real life problems the Filipinos are facing? Have we stooped so low as a nation that we can’t hold accountable someone already out of power to pay for his crimes and corruption? And in these darkest of times for those who need the light, the fire is burning no longer and hope seems far.

A year later, the controversial kaldero sits forlorn and unused in Clark as with many venues now eerily quiet and abandoned. Sports is always about the TEAM spirit and the hosting of the SEA Games 2019 aimed to show that yet it was the spark of a nation further divided.

What was supposed to signify the blazing fire of the Filipinos now only signify the undeniable corruption of the administration. A torch that tried to cover up the real state of the Filipinos.

In the darkness, the fire is nowhere. A torch unlit.

STUDENTS BEFORE ATHLETES. CBA basketball team huddle up before their game starts vs. Engineering last Palarong Columban | Photo by TPP Lens Artists.

FEATURES

COVID-19 Crisis on CC Student-Athletes

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BY MICHAEL JON A. TOLENTINO

he coronavirus pandemic has been jarring the usual routine of the athletes. Sport routines and events had to stop. Some of the athletes have currently improved their wellness at their own home.

“In this pandemic, I had to adjust to certain situations and those things that I have been doing for so long, like I can run for 30 minutes straight without resting. But now because of wearing a facemask, I cannot take enough air to sustain running,” said

by Andrei Dizon, student-athlete in an online interview conducted through social media.

In another interview to Lloyd Allejos, student-athlete, he stated that has been trying to get eight hours of sleep every day and to exercise at least twice a week. When asked about his routines and trainings, he said that he has been doing push ups and footwork routine for the first three months of lockdown.

Alongside, Heaven Bernal, student

Volleyball players had given their statements on their personal time management as student-athletes.

Heaven Bernal had been doing volleyball routines at home every five in the afternoon. He also stated that it has become his habit and life must go on. Also, Andrei Dizon had been regularly running as a routine and had been doing fewer courses outside. In company with them, Lloyd Allejos had his first three months of lockdown in pursuit of grinding but then slowly toned down as the

school that is why the best choice is to cut-off all trainings this academic year

Now that this seemingly invincible Duterte crony is out of power and position to hold on to, we do hope it is only a matter of time until the little chicken is in his coop.

It is to note that no one foresaw the pandemic, still, long have the Filipinos needed uplifting from their current living conditions but they’re met with reclamations and beautifications. A move that emphasizes more on cover-ups and false imageries contrary to how poor the majority of the country is.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC. OLONGAPO CITY

JANUARY 2021

athlete mentioned that he has been experiencing anxiety in the loneliness of isolation. To combat this, he has been eating healthily and through reading inspirational books. “This won’t stop me from reaching my goals and dreams because I have the greatest shield in me which is God and big protection through the love and support of my family and friends,”he stressed.

There are big changes to studentathletes essential activities and even lesser activities as many have been cancelled. Only one thing is continued and it’s the athletes will, passion and their discipline amidst pandemic.

school responsibilities had been disseminated.

A sports activity on lockdown is tough on everyone but for these college students, they manage to create unique routines to combat the set of problems. Their day-today struggles ma show yet thrives to constantly improve their physical activity in this limiting environment they have in sync to participating their online classes.

POSSIBLE PALARONG COLUMBAN • FROM PAGE 17 •

No Athletic Scholarship

Sports Editorial

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layers running in the gym for more than 30 minutes and training for half a day during their weekends. It seems that “break” is not a functional word for Columban Knights athletes. They must double their efforts as their varsity scholarship depend on the level of competition they can achieve. Hard work and glory in exchange of a financial help, that is the life of our athletes but what is the assurance that they can be on top of the podium once again after this pandemic if there is no scholarship this year that serves as a driving force for them to keep improving.

For years, Columban College Inc. was a well-known institution, not only in the Zambales-OlongapoBataan area, but in the entire Central Luzon in terms of producing highcaliber players. But this year was an unexpected turn of events for the school’s varsity scholarship was removed and brought a heavier burden for students whom relying in the scholarship. Leaving no motivation for the athletes to enhance their skills in the middle of the pandemic, and worst, disabling them to enroll in this academic year.

Private School Athletic Association (PRISAA) Meet is the only Athletic Meet that the Columban College Inc. is participating, which has three levels that dictates the scholarship percentage of CCI athletes can acquire after the academic year. Cluster Meet qualifiers has a corresponding 25% discount, Regional Meet qualifiers has 50% discount, 75% for National Meet qualifiers and if a medal is bagged in the latter meet, then the athlete will acquire a 100% discount on the tuition fee. Tears after losing in the championship match of the PRISAA Meet does not necessarily mean of failure in achieving honor or glory, instead, it can be a tear of failure in receiving high percent discount.

According to CCI’s Sports Director, in his estimate, there were 5 varsity scholars last year who chose to stop schooling amid the pandemic as they depend on the scholarship of the school. After their hard-fought battles in the past years, how painful it is for athletes that commit their selves to represent the school and gave glory to her name that the only incentive they can have in return in doing so disappeared? For the currently enrolled students who were varsity scholars last year, they admitted that training is not their

top priority now, and they need to be more focused on their academics this year as they are required to fully pay their tuitions.

Instead of using this period to become better in their respective field, the pandemic tends to give amnesia

“No one was prepared in the turn of events this 2020.

Columban College Inc. is a center of excellence, both academically and in sports, however, CCI’s status as an institution of higher education is still a factor of its limited movement.”

Moreover, once everything went back to normal, there are more opportunities for CCI students that will be re-opened such as the return of scholarships, including the varsity scholarship for athletes.

“Ang mga student assisstant natin may binabayaran din na halos

50% kaya kapag bumalik sa normal, mababalik talaga ang mga scholarship,” said Dr. Canonizado.

Not only educational institutions were affected by this pandemic, but the entire country, and a vaccine is believed to bring back the dynamics of all sectors of the community.

Mandatory online trainings were also discouraged by the institution to pave way to the student’s academics.

Thus, this academic set-up is already a conflict to students and teachers, what more if there is a regular online training for student-athletes that might lead to a bigger conflict.

COVID-19 brought crisis that almost killed the economy. Every sector is affected, and all kind of job were limited that produced number of jobless Filipinos. The virus was a root to a financial instability of most families that is why unnecessary fees in an educational institution were removed to lessen the expenditure of parents that have a child or two that are studying. In line with this, CCI Finance Office removed the PRISAA fee, athletic fee and other fees that are unimportant for the academic year.

to CCI athletes that they are still athletes. Forgetting to train for their skills and neglecting their food intake amid the outbreak.

Indeed, no sector was exempted with the impact of Coronavirus, including educational institutions.

No one was prepared in the turn of events this 2020. Columban College Inc. is a center of excellence, both academically and in sports, however, CCI’s status as an institution of higher education is still a factor of its limited movement.

Unlike universities in Manila that are already self-sufficient and independent, CCI still needs to follow the guidelines set by the Commission on Higher Education.

Hence, in a way, COVID-19 pandemic reminded all studentathletes that “student” came first before “athletes”. Meaning, they are students first that needs to pass requirements, learn their lessons and prepare for a bigger chapter in their lives after graduation before being a part-time representative of the school in the field of sports. It is also the time for student-athletes to revise their priority list, that education must come first before any extra-curricular activities.

Lack of budget is the main problem of Columban this pandemic that is why they are forced to remove all their scholarships this academic year and a bubble-like training is not possible for athletes. Her focus as an educational institution is the only job she can perform during the pandemic, but dissimilar to other extra-curricular activities, sports requires a long-term program and continuous support for athletes to improve their positions in the podium.

Athletes in Trouble

BY SIMON SEZ GUERRERO-BALE

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thletes relying in varsity scholarship from Columban College are facing a dilemma as the school removed the PRISAA fee and athletic fee in the academic year 2020-2021.

Since contact activities and mass gathering were prohibited by the Inter-Agency Task Force against COVID-19, laboratory fees and other fees including the PRISAA fee and athletic fee were removed as no sporting event will be held this year. “’Di gaya ng AUF (Angeles University Foundation) na may pondo. Hindi natin masusuportahan ang mga athlete natin ngayong taon dahil nga walang fee. May internal arrangement kasi sila, may pondo kaya mamemaintain ng mga players ang discount nila,” said Dr. Canonizado.

According to Columban College Sports Director, Dr. Norly Canonizado, he proposed to maintain the fees even during the pandemic for the athletes that are depending on the scholarship.

Finance head, Dr. Amelia Cecilia Reyes firmly removed the fees in order to lessen the expenditure of students in the Academic Year.

Another proposal was made by

the Sports Director which is to include a P50 athletic fee in order to maintain the sports equipments and facilities such as the Columban Gym in Barreto.

Thus, Commission on Higher Education of Region 3 questioned the P50 athletic fee proposed by the school which was soon denied by the said office.

On A.Y. 2019-2020, each college student was charged P200 for the PRISAA fee and P150 for the athletic fee per semester which helped CCI athletes as a portion of their tuition fees was refunded depending on the level of competition they have reached.

Athletes from CCI will be paying the whole tuition fee per semester this academic year which is a burden as most of the players are depending on the discount of the varsity scholarship.

However, there are still student-athletes who were financially struggling that were helped by the faculty to enroll this academic year.

16

SPORTS

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC. OLONGAPO CITY

JANUARY 2021

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

BY SIMON SEZ GUERRERO-BALE

RISE OF PH SPORTS ANIME

BY RANDELL JAN PALATAN

I

f there are two things Filipinos definitely love, well aside from gossips and food, it’s got to be sports and anime. While the former has been around for far longer, anime has quickly found its way to the hearts of many Filipinos in the previous years. Perhaps the love for anime is rooted to the fact that Tagalog-dubbed versions has been airing in local television networks since the 70s. So, imagine these two things, sports and anime, combined into one wild ride.

Since the 90s, Filipino kids have a longstanding special relationship with the sports anime genre.

Who could forget the team of Shohoku and the misadventures of Sakuragi?

If Manny Pacquiao is to live boxing, then it could be argued that Ippo Makunouchi is to anime boxing. The Filipino love for sports anime has transcend decades with its continuous love for newer series in the

genre in the form of Kuroko no Basket and the beloved Haikyuu!!

Many people say animes are just for kids, I suggest we throw them overboard (just kidding). This notion is proven wrong by Filipino otakus who have love Japanese anime from then till now. They seem to always excite us, whether by Tagalog or English dubbed or even subtitled. Japanese

SEPAK TAKRAW If you ever have that one damaged rubber slippers, you’ve probably played sipa once during your childhood days.

So, when the Filipino-founded Sinag Animation Studios announced a new sports anime about the Southeast Asian native sport Sepak Takraw, that’s a definite win in the book.

If you love the volleyball anime Haikyu!!, you’ll need to look forward to Sepak Takraw…it’s kind of the same, just with foot, it’s literally called Kick Volleyball.

Actually, each country in Southeast Asia have different terms for it. In Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, it’s called sepak takraw while in Thailand it’s simply known as takraw.

In the Philippines, it’s sipà tákraw or sepak takraw or simply sipa. Although real sepak uses a rattan ball rather than a piece of tingga with straw or plastic rope children play sipa with.

The rules are like with volleyball, pass it to the other team only using feet, knee, chest and head to touch the ball, and don’t let it touch the ground (told you it’s like volleyball… except…you know…no hands).

Apart from the premise that the anime will follow the life of Timoteo, or Eyo for short, as he plays this sport, not much is known about it. But looking at the released teaser, that animation doesn’t look cheap at all. The new Filipino anime titled is currently on production and no release date has been made yet.

If done correctly, not only will the studio’s hopes of the industry reaching maximum potential in producing world class animation embraced locally and internationally come true, it will also inspire a new wave of Filipino youth who have probably neither played nor heard of sepak or sipa.

Perhaps this will shine a ray of light (haha, get it? ‘cause ‘Sinag’…never mind) to native sports that are being forgotten and only seen a few times in special occasions.

anime is indeed cool with its incredible animation, great storytelling, and lovable characters but it’s about

time we try and create our own. So, for you, how does a Pinoy-made anime sound?

BARANGAY 143 Are you even considered a true Filipino if you’re not a basketball fan?

Pinoys crave for basketball, whether it be the NBA or PBA or even a liga in their barangay covered court. Perhaps this is rooted from our nostalgic love for the anime classic Slam Dunk way back decades ago. Admit it, you tried that underhand free-throw at least once in your life. Indeed, any basketball anime that will be made has a big shoe to fill in, and that’s the challenge for the Filipino-Japanese-Singapore collaboration Barangay 143.

Billed as the first Filipino anime, Barangay 143 aired October 2018 on GMA 7 with a full Filipino voice cast and features soundtracks from local artists as well. Since its release, it left fans divided on whether it’s good or bad and the hype for it before now seems to have died down.

Set against the gritty Tondo district, Barangay 143 is a coming of age story of a Korean boy Bren Park whose search for his biological father brings him to the Philippines. In his lowest times, he finds an unlikely family in a team of misfits, the once powerhouse Puzakals, whose only ambition is to bring glory back to their barangay when one of their own, their coach’s son Basti was killed by a gunman from a large syndicate two years prior. It’s a story about love, family, and justice in an action-packed world of street basketball, where the stakes are always high and life is the biggest game you can win.

Despite many criticizing the dubbing, the animation is not cheap and rushed at all, the storyline is great and a definite must-watch for basketball and anime fans. With its local approach, if given the chance and appreciation it deserves, this anime will inspire street basketball players to chase their dreams. After all, “Ito ang liga ng buhay.”

Columban athletes, back to zero due to pandemic

KAMAGONG You won’t be judged if you didn’t know that the national martial art of the Philippines is Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima.

Another project from Sinag Animation Studios, “Kamagong” is a sports anime series based on Filipino comics creator Carlo J. Caparas’ work of the same name which will championthe Filipino martial art of arnis. While Sepak Takraw is a modern take, as can be seen in the teaser, Kamagong will dive into an action-packed history version of arnis.

Once a comics, Kamagong was adapted into a movie in the 1980s starring action star turned “politician” Lito Lapid. Fast-forward 40 years in the future, the animated version of Kamagong is penned by Christian Mark Vidallo, Crisanto King Cortez, and Sinag Animation Studios president and CEO Dex Villamin.

Kamagong tells the story of protagonist Bagtas, the heir of Namayan kingdom occupied by a foreign empire. Bagtas’ goal is to find the eight bulawans, or gold in English, of Bathala to unleash the true power of its titular weapon, the Kamagong.

He will be accompanied in his quest by characters Kinari, the female guardian of Amang Puno, the source of origin of Arnis Kamagong, a gunslinger named Bagsay, and Otto, a fighter with inhuman strength.

If highlighting the national martial art in the form of anime is not an accomplishment enough, the series will also feature different locations around the Philippines in hopes to boost tourism. The release has yet to be announced but it is definitely deserving of a watch.

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OVID-19 dealt huge impact to Columban College Inc. athlete’s physical conditions as the school chose not to engage in any specified training programs for A.Y. 2020-2021.

In terms of body weight and current physical condition, the school’s athletes admitted that most of them gained weight and lost their endurance as there are no trainings and everyone is required to eat a lot in the pandemic.

“Lahat naman tayo aminado na we really broke our natural diet and gained some weight because of this pandemic. We ought to eat a lot because we need the right nutrition to avoid COVID,” said by 2nd year Civil Engineer basketball player, Ray Allen Calma.

Online trainings were discouraged by the school’s sports director, Dr. Norly Canonizado, as he is not confident yet with the athlete’s disciplines if an online training is conducted as the school will be still held accountable for injuries and other circumstances that might occur during the training.

“Kapag pinagjogging natin ang mga players for cardiovascular endurance tapos nadisgrasya,

sa school pa ang magiging sisi,” said Dr. Canonizado as he want to avoid conflicts that an online training might bring.

Unlike other university-status institutions that can conduct bubble-like trainings, CCI’s limited sporting budget became a huge hindrance to conduct one as the school removed sporting fees such as the athletic and PRISAA fee for the first semester of A.Y. 20202021.

“Sa Manila kasi, ung mga universities doon, kaya nila magconduct ng ganon (bubble), kasi may mga dorm sila at may budget. Sa atin (CCI), saan tayo kukuha ng budget sa pagkain pa lang ng mga players,” Dr. Canonizado added.

Moreover, acting team captains encourages their teammates to conduct self-training to maintain their conditions in the middle of the pandemic.

“There are no mandatory trainings but we are advised to

exercise as much as possible to maintain our weight or to lessen the chance to gain weight,” said CC Men’s Volleyball Acting Team Captain, Dominic Macaspac who encourages self-training for his team.

With the guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) against COVID-19, Olongapo City is already under a General Community Quarantine and individual and dual sports such as badminton and table tennis can be conducted, but with the danger present in the city due to the virus, players for the respective sports chose not to engage in such activities and use this time to rest.

JANUARY 2021

VOLUME XX • ISSUE I

With such projects, it’s not to bad to hope for Filipinomade sports anime about boxing, about billiards, or even about sungka. Maybe we’ll get to see animated versions of Manny Pacquiao and Efren “Bata” Reyes. Who knows? The world animation opens a wide variety of opportunities for Philippine cinema and television.

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF COLUMBAN COLLEGE, INC. OLONGAPO CITY

As the Philippines transition to the new normal, where Physical Education and Sports is somehow set aside due to health reasons and distance learning, perhaps it is time to take advantage, not only of e-sports, but of sports animes as well. The genre has proven to stand the test of time and is well-beloved in the Philippines. It is only right to introduce it to students in hopes to inspire a liking for Filipino-made animations and Filipino sports like street basketball, sepak takraw, and arnis. If there is a best time to apply “tangkilikin ang sariling atin” this is that time.

The perfect time has come to show appreciation to Philippine anime and Philippine sports. The time is nigh to take a stand and commence the rise of Philippine Sports Anime.

LOOKING FORWARD

CCI plans to maintain sports reputation

S

BY SIMON SEZ GUERRERO-BALE

ix-month conditioning, that is the prescribed training program of Columban College Sports Director, Dr. Norly Canonizado that will bring back the shape of the school’s athletes once everything goes back to normal.

LAST PALARONG COLUMBAN. CCI gathers in the Main Campus during the 2019 Palarong Columban. | Photo by TPP Lens Artist

Possible Palarong Columban

BY SIMON SEZ GUERRERO-BALE

W

ith the discipline of the people and the improving cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, Columban College Inc. Sports Director, Dr. Norly Canonizado is optimistic that there is a high chance of conducting the Palarong Columban either on the mid-term or final term of the second semester of A.Y. 2020-2021.

Though there are still active cases in the country, the projected release of COVID-19 vaccine on the month of December or January paves way to the different activities that might be held by an educational institution, including sportsfest.

“Parang sa dengue, hindi naman talaga nawala ang dengue pero dahil may vaccine, nabuhay na lang tayo kasama siya,” said Dr. Canonizado as he believed that it is not necessary to reach 0 COVID-19 cases to bring back everything to normal as long as there is already a vaccine available in the market.

Note that last Palarong Columban 2019 was a blast as for the

first time, the college and senior high school department of both main and baretto campus merged to compete for the title.

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) strand from the Main Campus was hailed the over-all champion among 11 teams, 5 teams from the college dept. and 6 teams from the senior high. dept.

Even if the 2020 Palarong Columban was suspended, the College dept. is looking forward for the next Palarong Columban to... redeem themselves and to bag the overall championship title. > PAGE 15

Dr. Canonizado recognizes the struggles of the athletes during this pandemic and since there are no online trainings for this year, he is looking forward on regular trainings once school went back to face-to-face learning.

“6 months conditioning tas 3 months skills training, mababalik na kahit papaano ang mga laro niyan,” said Dr. Canonizado.

However, he also admitted that he expects the level of playing to lower, not only for CCI athletes but for the entire cluster of Zambales-OlongapoBataan, as trainings are suspended for almost a year and competitions are suspended for more than a year.

“Bababa talaga ang level ng laro dahil sa pandemic pero kung

ung ibang mga school ay hindi rin makapagconduct ng training kagaya natin (CCI), hindi lang tayo ang bababa ang laro, bababa din sila,” Dr. Canonizado added as he is still optimistic that Columban College can still defend and bag championships in the next Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) Meet regardless of the drop in the level of play of his athletes.

Thus, even in the middle of the pandemic, different team captains are still positive and excited to play once again, not only to win but also to play the sports they love when things go back to normal.

“We

all miss to play

badminton and wanted to see each other too so when this pandemic is over, we will surely be back on track.

We are hoping that we can represent the school again,” badminton player, Laverne Basto said.

With the same athletes from last year and new enrollees this year and on A.Y. 2021-2022, tryouts will be conducted once again for all of the sports as the CCI’s Sports Director recognizes the rich talents present in the school and wanted to select the best players out from it.

2022 is the projected date for the next PRISAA as the association agreed to suspend the athletic meet for 1 year due to COVID-19 pandemic.