Frances Vincent S. Decena
Editor-in-chief
Science sec�on in-charge
Layout ar�st
Graphic designer
Aira Donna D. Priela
Sports sec�on in-charge
Associate editor
Karl Aaron D. Galvez
Managing editor
Eusheka Rebancos
News sec�on in-charge
Xavier Bryan B.
Briñas
Opinions sec�on in-charge
Ginuwine Kaye
Bautista
Features sec�on in-charge
Carl Delina
Jewel Ayrish Molina
Editorial Cartoonist
Jejomar Belano
Photojournalist
Contributors:
Jodel Dien Biag, Bryan Kent Nares, Lordy Ampongan, CJ Perfecto, Ace Bayobo, Ariel Benedict Marquez
Roselle Jamee
Yvonne P. Gonzales
School Paper Adviser
Erma D. Escuro, Ph.D
Secondary School Principal IV
Sherlina H. Dela
Torre
Assistant School Principal II-SHS
Geraldine M. Navales
Head Teacher III--English
The truth becomes radiant.
The pandemic aftermath issue, Volume 45 No.1 (SY 2022-2023)
News, page 3
Project CLEAN seeds ‘solution’ to homeowner complaints; students whine it’s ineffective if ‘majority don’t cooperate’
Frianela—the library is the heart of the school, a shelter for learning
Monthly electricity bill soars to P150,000; Escuro eyes solar panels to reduce monthly costs by 67%
PiliNHS Bests 15 Schools in 60th UNEP Activation Day, Bags 5 Awards in 3
Categories
News, page 4
SPTA primes new projects for S/Y 2022-2023, Says ‘More improvements’ are to be expected
Booklat launched, aims to boost learners’ reading level
The Rainbow, Ang Bahaghari find difficulty in looking for new recruits
FEU donates chairs to PiliNHS
205 families receive relief donations from Project Balde PNHS scribes bag 1st runner up overall in 3rd Congressional SSPC tilt
Opinion, page 5
Don’t Cross the Line: What it Means to have Boundaries
Your Say
Opinion, page 6
Mind the Meme
Above the Law: Are Police Using Their Power for Good?
On Abortion: When Justice
Bleeds
Features, page 7
Shaping the Future of Modern Education
‘Covid hit when I was in 5th Grade. Now I’m on my 2nd year of high school’
Features, page 8
BLOOM
Science, page 9
Trust Vaccines?
191 students readily vaccinated in vacc-to-school program
Are Facemasks Still a Thing?
Science, page 10
‘It’s Skin-shivering’: What to Know About Monkeypox
The Rise of a Rebellion: The Resistance of Bacteria
Sports, page 10
Mustang Girls Clinch Palarong CamSur Title Honing Quality Athletes
Chained by a Budget Deficit: Unveiling what is hidden in plain sight
Ateneo outlasts UP in the battle of wills
Inspired by John Singer Sargent’s Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose and Martin Henning’s Thistle Blossoms, the digital artwork displays two transwomen ruminating at the edge of a meadow. Intwined, it illustrates how sexuality can be as fragile, yet as beautiful, as flowers that spring from the ground–encompassing why we need to embrace and nurture That beauty in what we are, instead of letting them wither on the vines of fate.
Like how flowers bloom after winter, perhaps, there is nothing that time can’t heal and foster.
ARTWORK by Frances Vincent DecenaTo the editor:
When Booklat was launched, books that were found there were for entertainment purposes to entertain students like me. It was quite evident that the students manifested interest, like me.
But from what I observed, the number of students who go to Booklat to dive in its sea of novels and entertainment weren’t even close to how I imagined it—in fact, I may even go to say that no students go there at all.
My concern is that this platform isn’t being put to use. Its purpose is to allow students to enjoy in the art of reading, but I’m appalled as this purpose isn’t put in light.
I wrote this letter as a voice to emphasize students to use the Booklat, and not let its books wither to waste. But more to that, to ask the teachers who oversee that platform to also be more welcoming to students who would like to go there.
Jodel Dien Biag9-Sapphire
To the editor: The Department of Education (DepEd) reiterated an initiative, DO No.32, s.2017, that states that schools should uphold gender-responsive policies to protect its students from genderrelated abuse and to promote a safe space for students of all SOGIE (which, as indicated in their Mission, Vision, and Goal,
should have been evident from the start).
Yet, the LGBTQ+ community is still in constant threat in the schools’premises—which goes against their policies. In fact, many of my queer friends have complained about being called out by their teachers and by their classmates simply because they were being true to themselves.
I wrote this letter not only to express my grief in the lack of response that DepEd has to this problem, but also to express my hope that LGBTQ+ community would be able to walk freely without the need of exclusion or prejudice from people—we all deserve a space in this world, after all.
Vernard Angelo NgoTo the Editor:
There is a prominent issue in the school that, in my perspec�ve, seems like no one ever talks about—the catcalling in the hallways.
Whenever I pass by the hallway near the English Department, I am met with catcalls by the random male (and some�mes female) students that sit there. I o�en here a whispering “Pheow, hi ganda” with matching lust-filled eye winks and an echoing laugh, or a pervasive “Ang sarap mo naman po.” (Disgus�ngly creepy!)
And for God’s sake, the uncountable, almost immutable phrase “Aesthe�c!” that random people seem to label me with when I don in an ou�it that I’m proud of.
I have had enough with the catcalling and bullying. Yet no one seems to ever talk about them.
We deserve a place safe enough to stay! I wrote this le�er as a way to inform the admins in charge of the school to facilitate students’ e�que�e no ma�er where they are—even in the hallways!
Mary Joy Binavente 11-STEM“Thelibraryisourarchives–it’sthe heart of the school. It’s something that cannot be replaced by the internet nor the passage of time,” said Katheryn Frianela, the school librarian, when asked on the significance of the school library despite the massive spree of the internet.
According to her statement, misinformation and disinformation are factors that make the internet “unreliable”, disregarding its efficiency.
“Libraries contain our archives. It hasbooksthatspanfromthe‘90sup to present, which are all fact-based and have been carefully reviewed by those who authorize them. In
fact, some of the information in these books can’t even be found on the internet,” she proceeded.
She explains that “Libraries not only provide shelter to books, but alsoashelterforlearning.”Students can use the library to focus on learning and stray away from the nuisance of the outside world, part of the reason why libraries are immutable facilities for schools.
When asked how the library can cope with the demands of time, Frianela answered that they need more “computers and laptops” as well as a stable internet connection to lure students to use the library.
“In fact, during the pandemic, maraming mga SHS [Senior High
School] students ang pumupunta dito. I let them use the two laptops that we have in store para makabrowse nila and magamit nila for rersearch purposes.”
She adds that “books allow students to tour around” and is a different experience from surfing the internet. “In fact, my kids who I only give books have shown to be more comprehensive in understanding concepts that were written in it,” she added.
For book borrowers, Frianela also stressed that students must oblige to the rules she indicated during their orientation (for new students and transferees) when borrowing books.
“Many homeowners have complained that students, likewise teachers, of PNHS do not care where they throw their garbage and that we are not aware of cleanliness andorderliness.Inresponse,Project CLEAN aims to solve that,” said Geraldine Navales, the academic coordinator and proponent of Project CLEAN (Care, Learn, Encourage, and Nab), during an interview.
She stressed that due to the lack of trash-disposaletiquettethatstudents and teachers of PNHS exhume, many homeowners of Del Rosario subdivision and those near the school’s vicinity have started complaining, where one had sent a letter regarding this to the central office.
“In response to that, we implemented, and again, made the proposal for Project CLEAN,” Navales says.
She stressed that Project CLEAN, as its name suggests, should incentivize students and school staff to “care for our cleanliness, learn from the experience, encourage others to do so, and nab those who go against the rules and standards that Project CLEAN enforces.”
Many club officers of PNHS however have complaint that it’s ineffective if the majority don’t cooperate.
“Even though magayon ang intensyion niya sa school and sa environment, garo ang ibang students and teachers dae man dedicated,” opposes Rick Andro Banaria, an 11-HUMSS student and an SSG (Supreme Student Council) officer.
“Itong iba man inconsistent sa paglinig. Itong iba, garo kung nuarin lang pwede saka lang
malinig. Kaya sana next school year, kung iko-continue pa man ining project na ini, mas maging cooperative sana ang gabos,” Banaria adds.
“Project CLEAN helps us to develop a sense of responsibility over our school’s environment.This initiative can help us to instill good habits that can be carried forward intootherareasofourlives,likeour own homes and communities. We just need to cooperate and be dedicated to its cause,” says Prince Lester Belza, a member of multiple clubs of PNHS and an 11-ABM student.
Although Project CLEAN’s main purpose is only to respond to the complaints of the homeowners of Del Rosario Subdivision, she says that it also aims to instill to students values, and that being “they are indebted to bring their own waste at home. Kasi, Project CLEAN is inclined with DepEd’s ‘Basura Mo, Dala Mo’policy,” she vocalized.
When asked about the negative feedback that the Basura Mo, Dala Mo policy has had from teachers andstudentsovertheyears,Navales stated that “the policy is directed by DepEd, and Project CLEAN is inclined with that”
“Although, effective naman siya [Basura Mo, Dala Mo policy] when inside the school,” Navales argues. “Ineffective lang outside the school kasi when students get out of school, tinatapon lang naman nila ‘yong basura kung saan-saan.”
SinceProjectCLEANisnearingits completion, Navales was asked if she plans to continue the project next year. “If you’re asking kung iko-continue pa next year, my answer is probably ‘yes’,” answers Navales.
As the monthly electricity bill of Pili National High School (PiliNHS) has started to rise to P150,000 per month since last year, School Principal Dr. Erma Escuro has initiated plans on using solar panels to minimise monthly costs by 67% (roughly P100,500 per month) in the next 3-4 months.
“Dahil nga halos lahat ng mga buildings ng school may aricons, even the admin building alone has more than 6, other than electric fans and other appliances that are always on, of course tataas ‘yung bill natin sa kuryente,” explained Principal Escuro when asked how our electricity bills have ballooned.
“Pero we already have plans naman,” she added. “We have already started to use solar
By Frances Vincent Decenapanels, and we want to expand them through every building in PNHS.”
She also said that after the solar panels near the pathway, which were bought using the funds from last year’s SGC collection, have been installed, the energy cost had already started to deescalate to P120,000. “What more if lahat na ng buildings meron?” she emphasized.
“Meron na rin akong ibang programs na na-implement last year para ma-tackle natin iyang issue na ‘yan, kagaya ng Energy Saving program, wherein offices were instructed to only use aircons during 9am-3pm. Pero wala, eh. Hindi naman sumusunod ‘yung mga departments,” she clarified.
Some teachers have also initiated their students to cut off electricity during certain times of the day, which sacrifices the students’ rights to access necessary appliances to lessen energy cost. However, Principal Escuro stated that she did not “instruct” teachers to do this as it would not ensure the students’safety.
Furthermore, she also added that solicitations to different organizations have already been made to collect funds for the solar panels, and if it isn’t enough, she said, “we’ll ask for assistance from the SPTA.”
Principal Escuro, moreover, stated that it would take three to four months before monthly energy costs start to recede completely by 67% or P100,000/ month.
PiliNationalHighSchool's Drum and Lyre Corps (DLC) Marching Spartans, the Alluring Majorettes, and the Citizenship Advancement Training (CAT) unit participated and won various awards during the 60th Army R.O.T.C Activation Day of the University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP) that was conducted this Saturday, November 5, 2022 in Iriga City.
Of the awards they corralled, PiliNHS's Marching Spartans won first place in the DXC Exhibition; the Alluring Majorettes won first place in the Majorettes Exhibition;
and the CAT unit won third in the Crack Platoon Silent Fancy Drill. Awards were also given to the leaders who brought direction to their team's performance. PiliNHS's Kim Bona of 11-Lorentz won best in band leader during the DXC Exhibition, and Gwyneth Sabularse of 12- STEM-C won best in majorette leader during the Majorette Exhibition.
"We are destined to conquer a bigger stage!" Majorettes Coordinator Efren Bogayan posted on Facebook in celebration to their winning.
vvAbout 20 schools from Bicol region, both public and private, participated in the Activation Day. According to UNEP's official student publication The Frontline, there were 15 schools (including PiliNHS) that competed under Category 1-CAT Unit, and there were six schools that rivaled under Category 2- ROTC unit.
Thecommencementceremonywas followed by a parade after all the schools had assembled on the university ground of UNEP, in which the bands circled the perimeter of Iriga City.
On Tuesday, Noli Marlon Angeles, the treasurer of Pili National High School’s (PNHS) School Parent Teachers Association (SPTA), cited a few of their plans for their upcoming and on-going projects for school improvement initiated this school year 20222023.
According to Angeles, the first project that the SPTA wants to prioritize is the continuation of the pathway-shed structure near the pavilion. He said that the project started before the school implemented its full-blast, face-toface classes.
Angeles also mentioned that the renovation of the SPTA office is alreadyon-going,makingitapartof their projects for this year.
One of the biggest projects that they’re planning to start is the elevation of the pathway to the
pavilion. Angeles said that the struggle that teachers and students face everytime it’s raining is the muddy and rocky ground that often gets flooded even from the slightest amount of rain pour. They want to elevateittomakethepathwaymuch more presentable and easier to walk on.
However, the main problem that theassociationisfacingrightnowis the lack of funds to start and continue these projects.
“Ngunyan, ang collection pati nagkukulang pa. Lalo nang kadakol man bagang gastusan. Dae ta man iyan pwedeng pwersahan na magbarayad tulos, kaya… little by little,”Angeles said.
The SPTAstill has a lot of projects and plans in mind, butAngeles said they don’t want to mention all of themyetincasetheyfailtodothem due to the shortage of collected funds.
Theschoolreceived 100students’ armchairs from the Far Eastern University (FEU), a private university in Manila, in response to the school’s request this Monday, September 19, 2022.
Pili National High School (PNHS) Head Erma D. Escuro, Ph.D felt grateful to receive such solicitations from one of the country’s premier university.
Principal Escuro stated some of the special features of the armchairs fromthesaiduniversity. “Wehave solicited 100 students’ armchairs, durable…students’ armchairs na talaga namang students will appreciate because some of those students’armchairs meron baga dun sa baba na parang locker nila,” the principal said.
As she stated, the armchairs that were received from FEU are highly durable. The armchairs also had their own mini compartments beneath it.
The principal also said that “the priorityisfortheSPA”inwhichshe postulates how the Special Program in the Arts (SPA) learners lack the class materials for school materials.
In addition, Principal Escuro acknowledged Mr. Alexis Nillo, Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of MAPEH Department and a member in her staff for his connection with the FEU.
“We have in my staff, Sir Alexis Nillo,whosebrotherisconnectedto themilitary,Ithink…Iguess,saAir Force ata ‘yon. And through him, we were able to connect with the FEU.”
Furthermore, Principal Escuro mentioned that the PNHS also plans to submit more letters requesting class materials to the FEU.
“They are also giving donations to schools, however, we really need to submit a letter of request and upon learning all this, I immediately instructed our PINAHSTEA Secretary, Miss Kiel…to craft a letter to be sent to FEU”, Principal Escuro added.
In Escuro’s statement, she said that other equipments, musical instruments for instance, are now being requested from the FEU.
Pili National High School’s Teachers’ and Employees’ Association (PINAHSTEA) implemented a new project called Project Bringing Acts of Love, Deliverance and Empathy (BALDE) last December 16, 2020. With the efforts of the association, they were able to gather a total of PHP 182,739.17—which was utilized to engross grocery packs for 205 families.
In provision with the successful collection, the association prepared 205 pails that were filled with groceries such as canned goods, instant noodles, and rice—which were given to the 205 families, both
Pili National High School spearheaded the launching and ribbon-cutting of the Booklat Reading Center held on December 9, 2022 at the school grounds.
The event was done with the help of grade 7 and 8 HRPTA, Nancy Ababa Fussle, PNHS Class of 1991, Raj Vishwa-Rajama & AIG UK, and VINWAA who sent their support and sponsorship to the development of the reading center.
According to Ababa, the Brigada Pagbasa Coordinator and propeller of Booklat from the English Department, the leading cause as to why the reading center was established was to “encourage learners to read.”
She also said that the Booklat Reading Center is a venue for “reading intervention,” considering the fact that rooms and facilities of the school are fully occupied and there are no availbale areas where students can immerse themselves in reading.
In addition, Ma’am Ababa aforementioned that the said reading center is just a supplement for the school library. She mentioned that it is in the school library wherein you can find books for reference and research as books in Booklat only caters books that intentionally picks someone’s interest in reading.
“Youcan’tfindresearchbooks in the Booklat Reading Center. What you can find there are novels or mga beginning reading materials that are intended to enhance or improve the reading skills of the students” Ma’am Ababa said.
She also shared her dreams for the school to have a reading facility which became her inspiration for the establishment of Booklat Reading Center possible.
Ma’amAbaba,inherstatement, also stressed the issues on students’ education—reading, for instance— which was brought by the COVID19 pandemic.
“As of now, it’s a common problem.It’snotjusttheproblemof the Pili National High School. It’s the problem of all the schools’ because we have a learning loss because of the two-year pandemic;” Ma’am Ababa emphasized.
Furthermore, she said that the estimated cost of the establishment of the said reading center— excluding the books—had already ammassed PHP 85,000 which was donated by the sponsors, the school, and some of her close friends and relatives as books in the Booklat Reading Center were from Ma’am Ababa herself, Ma’am Kiel Pural, Groliers, and the Far Eastern University (FEU).
Ma’am Ababa hopes and prays that this newly established reading environment can enhance the learners’ ability to read and understand texts, and—hopefully— shorten the gap in our current education crisis.
October 3, 2022—The Rainbow and Ang Bahaghari, the publications of Pili National High School (PNHS) in English and Filipino, had conducted a twoweek long screening test to look for new writers, photojournalists, and cartoonists for the current school year, where 200 students had taken part.
But only 12 qualified.
“When we look into their works kasi, we’re not just looking for someone who knows how to apply language perfectly or someone who knows how to draw good. In fact, wala nga naman kaming nakitang ganyan out of the 200 pieces we reviewed. We look for
By Frances Vincent Decenasomeone who knows what to encapsulate in their work, as well as how they can improve it,” says Frances Vincent Decena, the editor in chief of The Rainbow for school year 2022-2023.
“None, if only a few of them however, had shown to uphold those values,” he added.
Marlon Borja, the School Paper Adviser (SPA) of Ang Bahaghari, exhumes that it was “hard” for them to look for new recruits because none of them knew how to write.
“Wala akong nakita sa junior high na may writer quality. Halos lahat ng journalists ko kinuha ko sa
Senior High, pero part ng reason diyan ay dahil parte naman talaga sila ng publication dati pa,” he explains.
The Rainbow and Ang Bahaghari, dealing with a shorthanded staff, hopes that next year more students would join and pass the screening test.
“It really isn’t a matter of talent. Writing is a skill that you learn — in fact, I don’t even call myself good at it yet. I just know how to improve and improve,” emphasised Decena. “And joining the publication can help you with that,” he added.
from junior and senior high, selected and validated by the advisers and the officers-in-charge.
PINAHSTEAOfficersandteachers
from the SHS and JHS volunteered in preparing the gift packs. They repacked five days before the said project took place—December 10 and 11, 2020 at the PINAHSTEA office.
As the pandemic hits harder on marginalized communities, the orgnization hopes that this act of altruism would serve as a shed of light in the shadow of the pandemic.
Calabanga,CamarinesSur--The Rainbow andAng Bahaghari, both publications of Pili National High School in English and Filipino, have bagged 1st runner up in the overall results of the recently concluded 3rd Congressional Sectoral Secondary Schools Press Conference (SSPC) that was held at Jose C. Prevosa Sr. National High School this May 18, 2023.
The individual awards that The Rainbow campus journalists corraled are: Frances Vincent Decena, 1st Place in Sci-tech Writing (English); JewelAyrish Molina, 1st Place in Editorial Cartooning (English); Princess Angel Gonzaga, 2nd Place in Copyreading and headline writing (English);Aira Donna Priela, 5th Place in Sports Writing (English); Jejomar Belano, 5th Place in Photojournalism (English);Ariel Benedict Marquez, 7th Place in Feature Writing (English); Karl Aaron Galvez, 9th Place in News Writing (English); and Ginuwine
Kaye Bautista, 9th Place in Editorial Writing (English).
Ang Bahaghari campus journalists tallied the following awards: Dianna Guazon, 1st Place in News Writing (Filipino); Carl Jullien Perfecto, 1st Place in Editorial Cartooning (Filipino); Lorebell Boceron, 2nd Place in Editorial Writing (Filipino); Giada Mujar, 3rd Place in Photojournalism (Filipino); Cathleen Esteban, 4th Place in Sci-tech Writing (Filipino); Mark Steven Balderrama, 5th Place in Feature Writing (Filipino);Art
Michael Gallego, 6th Place in Sports Writing (Filipino); Elerie Delima, 6th Place in Copyreading and Headline Writing (Filipino); and Ivy Pauline Muit, 9th Place in Column Writing (Filipino).
Both The Rainbow's andAng Bahaghari's Radio Scriptwriting and Broadcasting teams were hailed as champions, who are:
Annaliza Nares, Nicole Briones, Jodel Dien Biag, ZephAlim, and Vince Danabar for The Rainbow;
Rick Bañaria, Thomas Estrada, Princes Vibares, Crystal Delatado, and Neil Delima forAng Bahaghari.
The broadcasting team from The Rainbow was coached by Ma'am Diana Rose Conel, while the broadcasting team fromAng Bahghari was coached by Ma'am Essene Plaza.
Meanwhile, Sir Joeric Paz coached both english and filipino editorial writers, column writers, and editorial cartoonists. Sir Efren Bogayan, on the other hand, coached the photojournalists, both in english and filipino.
According to the working committee of the SSPC, only those who place 5th and higher can advance to this year's division-level press conference.And in accordance, a total of 11 individual writers and 10 Radiobroadcasters from The Rainbow andAng Bahaghari will compete in the next division competition on May 24-25 at Sipocot National High school.
The system isn’t broken; it’s working as perfectly corrupt as it was intended to.
A bold, cowardly refuge of the weak — as aptly described by the New York Times. Media censorship, as its name imposes, is the act of censoring informa�on by revising, adjus�ng, or discarding content that people in power label as objec�onable, indecent, poli�cally incorrect, and more. Media repression, on the other hand, maneuvers the media through in�mida�on, harassment, physical violence, arrests, or even imprisonment of journalists. These methods allow those in authority to filter out what informa�on they want to broadcast through media channels—but for what cause? Personal gain? Ulterior mo�ves? To keep people from being aware of the truth? Or in this case, to cloak the nega�ves of an ins�tu�on under a façade of posi�ve deeds?
Media censorship and repression is an a�ack on both the freedom of speech, and the freedom of the press. This hinders campus journalists to communicate what needs to be communicated, shu�ering the voices of not only the students, but the school itself.
Crimes against the campus press spans vastly that, in fact, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) has documented approximately a thousand instances of campus press freedom infringements since 2010. Several of these incidents encompass ac�ons such as: In�mida�on and/or violence targe�ng student authors and editors, interference with editorial guidelines, ac�ve control over editorial material, retaining and misusing funds meant for publica�on, lack of collec�on or obligatory collec�on of publica�on fees, managerial involvement, temporary suspension and removal of student editors and authors, ini�a�on of defama�on accusa�ons against student reporters.
And even while wri�ng this editorial ar�cle, we wonder: how can we be the vanguards of truth if our safety is compromised?
Incidents that compromise the safety of us campus journalists infringe RA 7079 or the Campus Journalism Act of 1991. But, according to CEGP, because of this law’s “toothlessness”, fully lacking a dis�nguishable punishment, “perpetrators know they will never be accountable for said crimes.”
“Sa pag-ensure ng press freedom sa campus journalism, hindi dapat makikialam o i-manipulate ng mga school admin ang editorial processes sa mga publica�on. Kasi sa totoo lang, may mga ganoong kaso sa ibang schools — pinagbabawalan maglabas ng ciri�cal stories. Kung ano ang gusto ng mga estudyanteng ibalita at kung paano nila gustong ibalita, sila ‘yung may responsibility doon,” as aptly exhumed by Angelo Vince Marfil, the features editor of SINAG (the publica�on of the University of the Philippines-Diliman), in the ar�cle by The Post en�tled Campus Journalism Faces Threats of Repression.
Marfil’s statement clearly encompasses what sec�on four of the Campus Journalism act of 1991 is: that a student publica�on’s editorial board shall freely determine its editorial policies as well as the management of its funds.
Press freedom is the cornerstone of developing a be�er society because it points out the errors that exists within and beyond the lines of our community, allowing those in power to be�er the system we live in.
If our freedom of press, much so our freedom of speech, is compromised, and people are made to believe a cloaked image of a faulty community under a facade of filtered lies, how can society become a be�er place for us all?
According to the Official Gazette, the Executive Order no.7, s.2022 (which was signed by the newlyelected President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.) allows people to “voluntarily” wear face masks in any public and private setting—may it be indoor or outdoor.
Students in PiliNHS were asked what their say on the matter was.
“Forme,Iagreewiththatprotocolkasiinsomepeopleaka-dependposamokung willing kaming magsuot or no. and din some cases, we’re not comfortable without mask kasi nasanay na po.”
–Jeliane Valenzuela, 12-HUMSS
“Approvepoakodunkasiespeciallymaymgataopokasingnahihirapanwhenit comestobreathingkayapo,kungvoluntarynalangpoangusengmask,masO.K po. Pero dapat po sundin ta parin yung rules ng ibang private or public places.”
–Jaypee B.Albaniel, 12-GAS 5
“Hindi po ako agree. Kasi, malay mo po meron pala yung iba nung virus. Magsusuot pa rin po sila ng face mask kahit po hindi na mandatory yung pagsusuot nila ng maks.”
–Sarah B. Bayos, 8-Loro
“Agree ako kasi minsan may mga cases na may mga nahihirapan huminga. So, pwede naman na hindi na siya mag-face mask. Pero, mas maganda pa rin naman mag-face mask para ma-prevent ang sickness lalo na sa mga kabataan.”
–Danielle B. Espehon, 10-Einstein
A“This law can be a double-edged sword. While people have gained “horde immunity” through vaccines, some remnants of the virus can still wreak havoc if not controlled—and face masks protect us from it. But with this law, the newly risen face-mask pollution may dwindle in capacity.”
-- anonymous
“Everyone has to control themselves. “You are always the one in control of things.” “You’re being too sensitive.” “God,you’reoverreactingagain.”
Whatalie.
Theconceptoflimitsis misunderstoodbymanypeople.They eitherthinkboundariesare“unkind”or theythinktheyalreadyhavedecent boundariestobeginwith.They,onthe otherhand,havebrickwallsbetween them.Havingboundariesisastepforth onmakingbetterofyourrelationship withotherpeople.
AccordingtoElizabeth Earnshaw,relationshipsthatlack healthyboundariessufferfrom feelingsofresentment, disappointment,orviolation. Uncheckedfeelingsresulttoselfseclusionformothers,oreven, enmeshment,whenthereisno clearseparationbetweenyourwants andthose ofothers.Andbothofthese circumstancesarenotideal.
Therearemany definitionsof boundaries,but every individual shouldhave theirown meaning toit.In fact,
boundariesshouldberespectedrather questioned.Boundariesshouldbemoreofa humanrightthanasubtlelyattainable privilege.
Indefinition,personalspace immediatelysurroundingsomeoneinto whichanyencroachmentfeelsthreatening tooruncomfortableforthem.Letuslook intothelastpartofthesentence.Youare theonewhodecidesifyouarecomfortable ornot.Butwouldyoubecomfortableif someonedecidesyourlimitsor boundaries—howcomfortable youare—whichreally shouldnotbeanyone else’sdecision,but yours?
That’sdiscomfort. That’sinvading personalspaces,which crossesthelineof boundaries.So,youare notoverreacting—theyare.
After my alarm rings the seventh, consecutive time, I wake up and choose selfviolence: spending 14 hours glued to my phone screen looking at the most gullible memes.Andwhilememesmay look like an unimportant way to kill time, to me—and most other teens— memes have given us a perspective and a senseofsecurityatatimewhen weneededthemmorethanever before.
Goofy images, nonsensical texts, and Kween Leng-leng, memes have become our sourceofentertainment,racing overusforasfarastheinternet goes. Like moths to a flame, memes have become Gen Z's common language: it has helpeduslinkwithpeoplefrom different cultures, races, and various other backgrounds that would have otherwise been barriers to communication. Anditdoesn'tevenendthere— memes have allowed us to
express ourselves at a time when feeling true was simply beyondouraccess.Asentiment of acceptance, they showed us thatwewere...valid.
Now that the world is revolvinginachaoticsphereof life-altering events—from political discourse, community affairs, to Covid-19—memes are one way to crawl our way through it all. According to a study from the American Psychological Association, "the right memes can make you feel better even when it reminds you of something bad." By memeifying monumental issues, we tend to loosen the tight tension that it has in all of us, lightening the atmosphere. And though it makes it seem that memes trivialize these problems, the truthisitdoesn't.
Memeshelpusprocesstense chunks of information and compact it in a way that could easily be understood by all—
through humor. According to The Swaddle, "memes allow teenagers to participate in discussions pertaining to political and social developments in a less intimidating channel." It basically means that although memes make humor out of global issues, its aim isn't to desensitize any of it at all. In fact, it makes it more accessibletothepopulation.
Whilemostsaythatmemes aid in the spread of misinformation and fake news, memes are entirely just fun jokes and a way to scour entertainment,andshouldn'tbe credited for information dissemination in the first place—they'retheretobringus joy.
Memes have given us a perspective, a sense of place and belonging, in a world that keepsevolvingbeforeoureyes. Whatmorecouldweaskfor?
On December 20,2022, a Senior Mater Sergeant cop had an enraged argument with two civilians—that debacle led Jonel Nuezca, the cop in subject, into drawing his 9 mm. pistol at the heads of Sonya Gregorio, 52, and Frank Anthony Gregorio, 25, and shooting them at point blank-range.
Thisshootingincidentwas caughtoncameraandwentviral onsocialmediathatradiatedthe furyofpeoplenationwide.
Onlineusersandcelebrities denonuncedthekillingsaday afterthetragedyusingthe hashtags#PulisAngTerorista, #EndPoliceBrutalityandsuch onTwitter.
By Jodel Dien BiagDuring President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, more than 6,000 civilians were killed bythePhilippineNationalPolice (PNP) during their on-duty “encounters”—precisely kicking it off with the usual “nanlaban” narrative. According to a study conducted by the Human Rights Watch, police are fabricating evidencetosupporttheunlawful killings on WOD. In addition, numerous extrajudicial executions committed by police during drug raids have been connected to the former presidentDuterte'sWODsinceit began in 2016. The abuse or torture of numerous other suspects has also occurred. Carl Arnaiz and Reynaldo de
Guzman were two youths who were targeted as part of the antidrug campaign, and in 2018, a court found a police officer guiltyoftorturingthem. Andbeforeyousaythat“notall police are like this”, you should read between the lines. Police misconduct is a prevailing pandemic, and the Philippine government must make sure that officers are held accountable. Themostcrucialthingtokeepin mind is that state authorities, including police, have a duty to respect and safeguard the people thattheyhavesworntoprotect.
The pervasive misperception we had is that we think of and consider police as our heroes
who seek and fight for justice when behind the curtains, the exact opposite exists. Police misconductsandunlawfuluseof forceleadstodeprivingsomeone of their right to live, right to liberty, security, free from discrimination and equal treatmentunderthelaw.
In the narrow margins of Philippine society, women have long been treated as commodities: the terms childgiver and tagadalang-tao have been used to aptly describe womanhood, and while giving no room for women to think otherwise. Women’s rights to their own bodies have been shuddered in the shadows of the patriarchy and catholic ideologies that lacked since the 1870s, when the right for abortion was criminalized under the colonial rule of Spain. This criminalization of abortion, however, still hasn’t gone out. And for many women, criminalizing it only makes things far worse than it already is.
The criminal abortion ban punishes women, physicians, and midwives who perform the procedure—under the revised penal code, they may face up to sixyearsinprisonifcaught.The
Opinion article and graphics by Frances
ban constrains women from taking abortion no matter how valid their reason is for taking them: From rape survivors, sexualassaultvictims,high-risk, unintended and unwanted pregnancies, to incest survivors, the cause of why women take abortion are vast and plentiful. Yet they shouldn’t need to have suffered sex crimes in order to validly take it. While the ban appears to prevent women from undergoingtheprocedure,andto safeguardthedeveloping“baby” in its mother’s womb, make no mistake: the criminal abortion ban only further endangers women by leading them to unsafe practices that may potentially end their life and the developingfetus’.
ManyFilipinowomenwho arecarryingunwanted, unintended,andpotentially lifethreatening pregnanciesare
Vincent Decenagivenonlytwooptions:to continuetheirpregnancies,or turntounsafehealthpracticesto abortthefetus.Both,however, areatthecostofriskingtheir lives.Unsafeabortionpractices andthecontinuationofhighriskpregnanciescatalyzea majorityofmaternaldeathsthat occurinthePhilippinesevery day.Infact, accordingtothe Centerfor Reproductive Rights,the criminal abortion banhad takenthe livesof 1,000 women and had
resultedinthecomplicationsof 90,000moreFilipinosin2008 alone.Asalarmingasitsounds, thesenumbersindicatewhywe needabortionnowmorethan everbefore.
On top of that, criminalizing abortion would only terrorize people who live below the margins of the poverty line. While some families have the privilege for proper health care, women who are born in poorer familiesdonot.
While some parallel abortion to murdering a human baby, the truthis
far from it: a clump of cells that has no self-consciousness is still just a clump of cells that’s incubating in a womb. It has no individuality that makes it a viable human being. The one who’s carrying the baby is much more alive and human than it.
We’veputtoomuchofourtrust into thepoliceforce, butallthat, totransmogrifyintoabrutalplay of power against us. We’ve engraved inside our heads that they’re our heroes of freedom— butthequestionbegs:arethey?
Then why don’t we value them over the other? Meanwhile, sending kids of unwanted pregnancies to the orphanage wouldonlyleadtopsychological decline in the child and the mother. According to an article from the Drexel University CollegeofMedicine,theyare“at risk of behavioral and psychological issues in adolescence.”
Women are more than just an afterthought of an archaic systemthatfailstoprovidethem justice. Women should be given a choice to choose from, instead of being antagonized for somethingthattheyhadtosuffer. By decriminalizing abortion, we remove the stigma that it has in women. It’s been years since the catholic church and the patriarchy have reduced women’s bodies as mere objects of procreation—it’s time we makeastand.
The school expands its progressin providinghigh quality educationwith the help of different sports organizations, clubs, sponsors, solicitors, the Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE), and the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). With the growing advancement ofPNHS, the schoolnowofferstwobrandnew specialcurriculumprogramsthat will further enhance students in arts and journalism—the SPJ andtheSPA.
SPJ: Shaping the Future of ModernJournalism
PNHSpaveditswayasone of the most competitive schools across the region in the field of campus journalism, placing spots in press conferences and baggingdifferentrecognitionsin journalism meets. And one way to boost this even more is through the Special Program in Journalism.
“SPJ will help students to further develop their writing
skills and journalism skills and to continue the legacy of winning”, stressed EfrenBogayan, Jr., the SPJ coordinator. Students must meet the requirements in order to participate in this adventure:
"Exhibits interest and passion to learn journalism; an incoming JHSGrade7;ingoodhealthand sound mind; disciplined and of good moral character; final averagegradeof85%orabove", suggestedBogayan,Jr.
This curriculum can providestudents knowledge in the wide scale of campus press. Since the program looks for students with skills in photojournalism, cartooning,and layouting, the SPJmainlyfocusesonwriting— as writing is indispensable in
journalism—and broadcasting— to train students not just in writing and comprehension but also inmass communication. In addition, the said curriculum also briefs the importance of the ethical code of Philippine journalism as well as the right and responsibilities of a journalist.
inOne
For junior high school pupils with artistic aptitude, potential, and interest, the Department of Education (DepEd) has developed the Special Program in Journalism as a unique curriculum. And PNHS offers just that. After the requirements were verified, the schoolsuccessfullysubmittedall
the materials required for the program'simplementation.
Media arts, dance arts, visual arts, music arts, theater arts, and creative writing are among the six art specialities available to students in the aforementioned program, which seeks out bright individuals with an interest and understanding in a wide spectrum of the arts.This program's activities range from instruction, coaching, and pedagogy to hands-on projects and "learning-by-doing" activities. This comprises dance performances, paintings and other visual arts, among others. Ma'amFrancheemphasized,"Sa future magagamit nila 'yon sa bagonilangcareer."
The program also experienced an enrollment hike
from its first year of implementation that reached to around 49%, which is a huge achievement for the said program.Despite its successful implementation, the program struggles with a lack of equipment, facilities, and resources needed for activities (laboratories,adancestudio,and musical instruments). In spite of these circumstances, the SPA is able to raise money for the program through outsourcing, sponsorships, solicitations, contributions, and their incomegenerating initiative, the Project Sustainable Program in Arts (SPA), which helps raise money for projects relating to the arts andtheSPA.
It would surely be overwhelming to choose between something where your life would circulate in for the next 4 years. But these new curriculawouldmakeforavalid choice—now, what would you choose?
By Ariel Benedick Marquez"Goodbye, class. See you after aweek.”Irememberhearingthis announcement from a teacher as I passed by our classroom in 8th grade. Everyone was overjoyed after the announcement was made, most likely because they would have time to do things
other than school works for sevendays.Aweekofnoclasses appeared like a peaceful way to relieve ourselves from the heat of our academic responsibilities.
Butlittledidweknowthatthose seven days of freedom would
lead to an almost-three-year confinementinourhouses.
The effects of the COVID 19 Pandemic had greatly impacted every aspects of our daily life. One sector that took a beating duringitsheightswaseducation. The Department of Education
(DepEd) implemented several newteachingapproachessuchas modular distance learning and online classes to adopt to the new normal. These make the students leave the school groundsforalmostthreeyears.
A Grade 8 Hummingbird student from Pili National High School named Cyv M. Nimo thinks that the said teaching approaches is actually ineffective.
“It was suffocating… confining myself in my bedroom looking at nothing but piles of modules and cellphone screen,” Nimo said. “I was actually glad that we’re now allowed to attend classesinperson”.
However – forgive the contradiction - his classmate Kurtt Balaton experienced a culture shock due to the recent returnofthefacetofaceclasses.
“I was in my 5th grade when COVIDhit.AndnowI’monmy 2nd year of High School”, Balaton said. “I feel like there’s been a gap that the modular distancelearningstoleinme”
A high school campus is often intimidating to a new freshman and can seem like a different world especially for those who’s in their elementary before the pandemic.Butbothofthemtook itallinstride.
“I know their names from the class records, but not their faces,” Nimo said. “I felt pressured at first, but now I’m abletoridethewave.”
Some of the teachers in Pili National High School actually thinks that the students are adjustingwellandlearningmore efficientthanduringthemodular distancelearning.
“It’s like they are finally able to set their heart ablaze which was confined during the pandemic ,“ Jenny A. Nosil, a SHS teacher, said.
She believes teaching has never been more efficient because of thereturnofface-to-face.
“The distribution of knowledge is more fluent and immediate response from the students makes the progress monitoring systematized”
‘Covid hit when I was in 5th Grade. Now I’m on my 2nd year of high school’
Like innocuous voices, clothing speaks to us: its beauty doesn’t revolve around the aesthetics of whatever you wear, but solely on the story that tells why youwearit.
Whenever Gilary Salvino and Jeremi Navales, both transwomen who go to PiliNHS, come to school on Monday to Friday, they wear feminine tops, mid-length skirts, and anyotherthingthatspells the word slay: appearances, which once seemed small and ordinary, had now come to glow a brighter meaning.
And meaning, that is, can be subjective—what matterstousmostdoesn’t necessarily mean that it will constitute the same value to the people around us. In contrast, though,that’sthepoint—
thattheydon’thavetosee its value, but they just have to respect and comprehend that it matterstous.
Ever since childhood, Salvino and Navales had already known that they weregirls.Althoughborn in the wrong gender, this fact was true in their hearts.
Before they outed themselves, it was as if they were piecing together the broken fragments of a puzzle to which they had now come to know as themselves. It was as if looking at the sun felt better than looking at a mirror.
“It felt like there was something wrong with me. Like, I didn’t really feelthatitwasmewhenI lookedatamirror.Itwas as if I tried becoming a person who wasn’t me,”
follow terrorizes students from marginalized communitiestofitintoits cookie-cutter model of conformity. And it’s no secrettoothatwehaveto findotherwaystoexpress ourtruthsevenifitcauses people to turn a glaring eyeatus.
One thought lingered in Navales’ head: “I really wanted to pursue what my heart was aching, dreaming to have. Because if I hadn’t, the thought of ‘Why didn’t I just do it?’ would linger in my mind and poison me.”
When news broke out that LGBTQ+ kids were now allowed to wear the uniforms that they preferred, both Navales and Salvino were beaming with bliss— “It was our dream come true.”
just ignored them,” she continued.
Not always, though, do people like us have to suffer the extremes of beinganLGBTQ+kidin an environment that is deeply appalled by our existence. There’s hope, and Navales’ story perfectly exemplifies this:
“The first time I wore feminine clothes, I felt scared. Anxious. I kept thinking that maybe the people at school would make fun of me— degrademeforbeingtrue tomyself.”
“ButIwaswrong,”she continued.
Salvino exhumed. “It felt like I was faking myself when I wore men’s wardrobe.”
Navales, on the other hand, entailed that she lost her “confidence and eager to go to school” wheneversheworeattires that didn’t suit her gender.
“MyheartbrokewhenI wore uniforms that were meant for men. I was a girl at heart, but I was forced disguise myself in the skin of masculinity. My confidence and eager togotoschooldrastically faded—butIkeptfighting and fighting because my parents needed me,” she told.
“I had to endure all of that because I loved them.”
It’s no secret that the norms and rules that society enforces us to
Their journeys to becoming themselves, however, was never smooth: their lives rotated in a spiral of doubtandfear,aresultof the antiquated, heteronormal rules that society enforces. The injustices that they were forced to face felt like a beating of a thousand cuts—peer-based discrimination, passersby talking behind your back, ill-conceived eye rolls on crowdy streets. To some LGBTQ+ kids, this is the landscape that welivein.
When Salvino was asked how she felt when she started to transition, she told us: “My family was really happy to see me transition. I wore short shorts, crop tops, andthingsthatIhadlong adored.”
But I only ever heard harmful things when I stepped outside of our house. One of our now subject teachers even calledme‘abnormal’and that people like me had really affected their dignity in a negative way,” she added. “But I knew that I wasn’t stepping on anyone with what I was doing. So, I
“The first time I wore feminine clothes to school, my entire class kept cheering for me. Theywerereallyproudto see me as I am. Even the boys at my class treated melikeagirl.Itmademe reallyhappy.”
Sometimes, a loving homecanevenbeenough to let us feel that we are valid.
“Ifindsafetyandloving in my home—it was the people there that cared forme.Thatsawme.And thatshapedmetobewho I really am,” Navales said. “This was where I first came out and got accepted without being discriminated.”
As tender as open wound,wefindourselves a common ground—that we are more than just an afterthought of an insulted conversation. To us, clothing doesn’t conceal,itletsusbecome visibleintheshadowthat injusticecasts.
WhenIaskedSalvinoif she felt safe in her environment, she deeply replied:“Idon’tthinkI’m safe.”
“EverywhereIgo,Ihear people saying stuff behind my back. I’m oftenfrightenedbyit.But I choose to make the places I go ‘safe’for I’m the only one who can makeitthatway.”
Hours spent waiting in line, surrounded by strangers wearing masks of different colors. They didn't know what was in it, yet they let the needle pierce their flesh in hope that it'd protect them from the enemy hiding in plain sight.
A substance used to stimulate immunity to a particular infectious disease or pathogen, vaccines mimic the virus or bacteria that causes disease, and triggers the body's creation of antibodies. The antibodies will give protection once a person is infected with the actual diseasecausing virus or bacteria.
On march 1, 2021, ex-president Rodrigo Duterte initiated the vaccination program in the Philippines. It was the day after the arrival of first vaccine doses which were donated by the Chinese government.
The program was approved by most Filipinos. For months, covered courts, schools, and hospitals were filled with queues, people waiting to get vaccinated to protect themselves from the harm of the spreading virus.
As of march 15, 2023, around 79.2 million Filipinos were already fully vaccinated,
including the ones who received single-dose vaccines. 75.7 million people, on the other hand, were still waiting for their second dose, and 24.2 million already received the booster shot. However, the remaining countrymen are hesitant to get vaccinated. From the previous PulseAsia survey that was released in January 2021, 47% of Filipinos said they were unwilling to get the shot if the vaccine was available.Among those unwilling to get vaccinated, the survey found that the top three reasons for refusing a vaccine were the following:
Pili National High School (PNHS) conducted the PNHS Vacc-to-School Open Vaccination Program where a total of 191 individuals were vaccinatedandhavereceivedthe protection of the COVID-19 vaccines held on Thursday, January 12, 2023 at the school’s pavilion.
The program's primary goal is to provide students and
"not sure of its safety" – 84%, "vaccine might not be effective" – 7%, "a vaccine is not needed to combat COVID19"– 6%.Aside from this, 1% of survey respondents said they wouldn't have themselves vaccinated as the vaccine "might not be free," and "might be costly or expensive."
survey to determine who is vaccinated and who is willing to be vaccinated. Result revealed that large number of students, particularly senior high school students,areunvaccinated.
Covid-19 vaccines are crucial tools in the pandemic response. They provide at least some protection from infection and transmission, but not as much as the protection they provide against serious illness and death.
With the continuously lowering rate of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, newly elected president Bong Bong Marcos signed the Executive Order no. 7, s. 2022, which implemented the voluntary wearing of face masks in both indoorandoutdoorsettings.This order once again opened up an opportunity to minimize the
community members protection, well-being, and resilience in the faceoftheCOVIDthreat.PNHS students,particularlyseniorhigh school students who wanted to be vaccinated, and members of the community partook in the saidprogram
Prior to the vaccination, the school clinic headed by the school nurse, Ma'am Venice Barrameda, R.N., conducted a
The school nurse believed that vaccinations were required in college, so she and the members ofherstaffwantedtoensurethat students would be accepted before graduating. It was also a precautionary measure, especially since the school welcomes students from nearby citiesandmunicipalities.
Furthermore, the school invited the University of Nueva Caceres (UNC) College of
With the order signed, it means that Filipinos wouldn't have to need to spend money on face masks anymore. It means they won'thavetosufferinhalingand exhaling in their masks. And it means that the country is surely managing after years of fighting foreveryone'slives.
However, COVID-19 is an airborne virus. It attacks whoever, whenever, and wherever. low case rates don't mean the virus is completely gone. with everyone living "normally" once again—no face masks, no social distancing, and sometimes others don't use sanitizers and alcohol anymore—the virus, sinking its claws in this county once again, willnotbeimpossible.
According to the world health organization(WHO),facemasks are used as a part of a broadgauge management strategy to suppress the transmission of the virus and save lives. However, covering our noses and mouths is simply not enough to protect us.
Nursing oheaded by Mr. Francisco Rico Raquitico to collaborate for the program where the student nurses were assigned in taking vital signs, recording,
taking vital signs, recording, documentation,andvaccination.
Meanwhile, the Rural Health Unit (RHU)-Pili facilitated the distribution of the Pfizer shots and boosters where they placed it in a cold chain management system, a method used to keep the right temperature for the vaccines and boosters, in order to ensure the proper vaccine administration.
surgical masks—and the worsts managingjust7%.
Three-layered masks, particularly those which includes a disposable filter set, tendtobethemosteffective.The fabrictypealsomattered,andthe worst-performing masks only have a single layer of mostly polyester. Which suggested to lookforamixofdifferentfabrics such as cotton, polypropylene, anddifferenttypesofpolyester.
masks are used for source control,whichreferstoblocking droplets ejected by the person wearingit.moststudiesshowthe filtration effectiveness of cloth masksrelativetosurgicalmasks. particle sizes for speech are on the order of 1 μm, whereas the typical definition of droplet size varies from 5 μm to 10 μm. the filtration rate of generally available household materials is between49%and86%forevery 0.02μmexhaledparticles.onthe other hand, surgical masks filter 89%ofthoseparticles.
public health standards of the countryduringthestateofpublic health emergency regarding the pandemic.
Almost two years ago, with the viral cases skyrocketing each second, people couldn't even step a foot outside of their households without a face mask on. Securities were strict, public
transportation drivers were temporarily prohibited, and each barangayhadsetrulesgoverning safetypatrols.
Face masks, that is to say, were crucial—such small pieces of fabric protected us and everyone around. They were hoarded, given,styled,overpriced.
"Wearing a medical mask can help limit the spread of some respiratory diseases," the organizationalsostated.
During the recent investigation of the British consumer magazine, which? It was proven that there's a huge variation in the ability of fabric masks to filter particles.The best ones are abletofilterout99%ofbacteriasized particles—as good as
Face masks have served as our looking glass to view the pandemic throughout. And it gave us the ability to access the world amid the change of the Covid-19. Face masks are nothing but ordinary; but it’s whatprotectedusthroughoutthe pandemic. And it still might be the only thing that may protect usafter.
ThelightofMonkeypox, a viral disease known to cause puss-filled lesions on the skin, has started to glow since the beginning of May 2022. In July, as global infections started to rise in numbers, the World HealthOrganizationdeclaredthe disease a global health emergency—branding Monkeypox an ”extraordinary event” that required the highest priorityof containment.
First observed in monkeys from a laboratory in Denmark, Monkeypoxisazoonoticdisease that involves animal-to-human transmission. According to the BBC, the disease is caused by the Monkeypox virus—a type of virus that belongs in the orthopox genus from the poxviridaefamily.
Howdoesittransmit?
Monkeypox is transmitted through contactwithaninfected person’s wounds, scabs, lesions, and puss. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the disease can also be
transmitted through contact with infected respiratory fluid—for instance, coughs, saliva, and mucus.
Monkeypox, however, does not spread through sexual intercourse. The CDC says that Monkeypox is not a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), and the reason behind its transmission through sexual contact is due to open exposure toinfectedfluids.
Althoughstatisticsshowthat gay men are primarily the ones being affected by the disease, this does not indicate that Monkeypox only occurs in the queer or male population—the diseaseis,infact,notbrandedon gender. The reason for its common occurrence in this sexually-biased sphere is due to thefactthat
What’s the Difference between Monkeypox, Chickenpox,andSmallpox?
Chickenpox, Monkeypox, and Smallpox are three distinct
By Frances Vincent Decena
diseases. Chickenpox, unlike Monkeypox and smallpox, is caused by a herpes virus. However, smallpox, a severely lethal disease known to have claimed 300 million lives in 1900 alone (but is now fully eradicated), is more closely related to monkeypox—being that they come from the same orthopoxvirusfamily.
The only grateful difference that smallpox and monkeypox have is that monkeypox is far less fatal and has caused lesser deaths.
On the other hand, Monkeypox is separated into two varying clades: the West African and Central African clade—the Central African being deadlier and having known to catalyze more acute effects.
Whatdoesitcause?
Monkeypox causes lesions to pop up on the skin, in which they progress through four stages: from macular, papular,
drug Penicillin, which propelled medical sciences into its golden age by the mid-1950s. Penicillin waspliedtotreatbacterial-borne diseases, like throat infections, meningitis, and syphilis, that posed hazards to human health in the past. Like all antibiotic drugs, Penicillin works by killing the bacteria or hindering itsprocessofreproduction.
While that may sound like a diabolic relief, some bacteria haveevolvedtorebelfromthis.
When antibiotics are used by people with infections, some remaining bacteria that may havesurvivedthiskill-wavemay remain dwelling in our repository. These “surviving” bacteria develop an immunity to the antibiotic that it was often exposed to. And as it incubates in our system, it multiplies an multiplies until it is exposed to theopensurface.
vesicular, and onto pustular, each indicating their own level of severity. After progressing into the pustular stage, the lesions become scabs and eventuallydryoff.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Monkeypox endures for 2-4 weeks. The organization stated thattheincubationperiodforthe disease is 3-17 days, where the infected person may “still feel fine”during.
Monkeypoxmanifestsfeverlike symptoms such as chills, exhaustion, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, and coughs. Often, people tend to manifest the symptoms before the development of rashes. On othertimes,though,it’stheother wayaround.
Global Count; First
Recorded Case in the Philippines
As of July 2022, 20,300 cases of Monkeypox have been
confirmed in 70 countries that arenotendemictoit.
The Philippines detected its first case of Monkeypox on July 29ofa31-year-oldwhorecently came overseas. The Department of Health (DOH) says that they are closely monitoring trace information on the 10 people whom the 31-year-old had contactwith.
Health Undersecretary BeverlyHostatedthatthecaseis currently being eyed on, and the people subjected are undergoing strict isolation, monitoring at home. She says that systems are also being primed in order to containthedisease.
“Our systems are in place, but we all need to work together and be vigilant,” she said. “Especially the key population groupwhoareatmostrisk.”
Bacteriumaresmall, butlarge in capacity: before the wonder drug antibiotic had been invented in the 1920s, a simple scratch from anything can cause an infection that would have probably killed you. The reason that things like this rarely happen now is because we’ve
become resistant to bacterial infections.
But what will happen if bacteriumbecomeimmunetoit?
The first antibiotic drug was produced in 1910, going by the name Salvarsan. In 1928, Alexander Fleming accidentally uncovered the wonders of the
Ifbacteriumbecomeresistantto antibiotics completely, we’ll have no way of controlling or treating bacterial infections that propagate in human society as we know it. The advancements in the world of medical sciences that we’ve been bent so hard on developing for the past centuries
would only prove feeble, if not bleak, to the rise of antibacterial resistance. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) so aptly puts it as a “postantibacterialera”.
According to Charles Penn, a coordinator of WHO on antimicrobial resistance, “we will lose the ability to treat a range of serious conditions such will lose the ability to treat a range of serious conditions such as blood stream infections, pneumonia, tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV. And the benefits of medical treatments such as cancer chemotherapy and major surgery will also becomemuchriskierandwillbe lost.”
So how can we decrease the problem from propelling further and further? WHO states that antibiotic resistance is escalated by the “misuse and overuse” of antibiotics. To mitigate its acceleration, we are indebted to: use antibiotics exactly as they are prescribed by our medical professionals; hinder from reinforcing the idea that you need antibiotics even if you don’t really need to; disengage
from using or sharing scrapped antibiotics.
In order to further fortify this, said the organization, policy makers would need to reinforce laws that prevent people from unconsciously consuming the drug, as well as integrating a well-maneuverednationalaction plan addressing the issue as a primary concern. This would emphasize why we need to tackle the problem now more thaneverbefore.
We’re currently fighting over a pandemic and an invisible war againstabacterialrebellion.And it seems that the world is slowly failing to resist its stand against the latter. But more technological advancements may pose a remedy to this deescalation of events: for instance,withtheriseofAI,new antibiotics are currently being sought using the benefits that thisnewtechnologyhasinstore.
According to The Conversation, “AI can identify new antibiotics thatarestructurallydistinctfrom currently available ones, and are effective against a wide range of bacteria.”
Dauntlesstroopshauling spikythorns.
Upon completely annihilating the opposition in the sector, the PiliNHS Mustangs made a bold breakthrough as they thrashed tough foes in a basketball girls' 5x5 championship game of Palarong Camarines Sur at Freedom Sports Complex on March 13 to represent Camarines Sur in the Bicol ClusterMeet.
Withmonths of grueling training, fueled by the cheers of
PiliNHS students, the team wasmoreeager to remove thorn after thorn lying in their path to pave the way through the championship.
Early on in the first game, the Mustangs showed an excellent performanceastheyclinchedthe first victory against the 4th district, 60-54,gaining the attention of their opponentsand inspiringthemtogrindmore.1-0
The 5th district, after catching sight of the Mustangs’vigor, has become more determined to win the second game to advance to
the next round, not letting them pass easily. Hence their first defeat, derailing one step ahead ofthecrown.1-1
TheMustangs,notwithstanding theirloss,carriedonwithaclear objective in mind without faltering. Taking it as motivation, yet not a letdown, they continued their conquest of seizing the scepter and crown, ousting the 4th district for a comeback.2-1
The final match to figure out the chalk seed who will advance to the championship round was
Aftertwoyearsofbeinglocked and reserved,anewclubarosetoreignitethe fieryheartsofsportsenthusiasts.
Various facets of students' lives have been overturned by the pandemic COVID-19. This includes their involvement in physical activities that are supposed to be supervised by the instructors but are unable to do so due to the implementation of modular learning as well as the students active participation
Even when face-to-face classes have resumed,studentsstillstruggletopartake in physical education activities as they havebecomeaccustomedtospendingthe entire day in bed without any warm-ups or exercises, making it hard for them to adjust.Therecentlylaunchedsportsclub aimed to restore each student's vitality and bring forth their competency in the fieldofsports.
PiliNHS never had a club made particularly for athletes, and although there were already existing sports supported by the school, they weren't associated in an official club. Additionally, the resources allotted in this regard were very sparse, hampering the provision of the necessary sports facilities. Hence, the school's sports club endeavors to gain qualification in order to acquire sufficient funds to deal these kindsofinadequacies.
“Now is the time that the students can coordinate physically and mentally with other students, with the help of sport.”
Ryan Salud, the sports club coordinator uttered.
He suggests that joining in sports club would be a perfect opportunity to forge strongerbondsandinteractwithstudents who have similar interests. Several students have trouble connecting with their classmates and schoolmates; some of them insist on working independently ratherthanconspiringwithothers,which isnotentirelyterrible.
However, there are tasks that call for collaboration amongst learners. Thus, sports club aspires to alleviate these breaches by encouraging sports games that would aid students develop teamwork skills along the line and enhancetheirphysicalandmentalhealth.
Pili NHS students enrolled in s/y 20222023wererequiredtotryoutandregister for at least one sport. Students must also be capable of learning, being a member and representing the school in different tournaments.
Among the thrilling activities offered by thesportsclubarebasketball,volleyball, badminton for boys and girls, arnis, athletics, taekwando, and the recently introduceddancesports.
Bymeansofthis,theschoolprospectsto enhance the physical and mental fitness of all students, foster relations between students,andhonetheskillsofathletes— leading the school into the limelight in thefieldofsports.
Photo fromABS-CBN. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.abs-cbn. com%2Fsports%2F12%2F21%2F22%2Fbaldwin-ateneo-pay-tribute-to-unheralded-buffaloes&psig=AOvVaw3rmcwJu0HAQQGFMZKLHQs&ust=1692269324257000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBAQjRxqFwoTCJD4 -e_J4oADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE
with the 1st district. Driven by adrenaline, the Mustangs were bentonmovingahead,havingno desire to show leniency as they overwhelmed their rivals with ardorandwill,62-33.
Amidst the tension surging in their nerves as the climax draws near, ice water remains in their veins.
As the tournament reached its peak, the Mustangs and 5th District emerged as favorites. Two top-performing teams battled out in an electrifying clash of skills and strategies, withbothteamsleavingnostone unturned in their quest for victory.
The Mustangs gave their blood, sweat, and tears in court to ultimately get rid of the last hurdle, beating the 5thdistrict twice. Reigning supreme in the championship game. With the score 64-45 in the first match, and60-40inthesecondmatchof thechampionshipgame.
“Ang motivation ko sainda is ang practice ninda sa aroaldow, ituyo ang hilingon para mas mamotivate, and dai masayang ang training ninda,” coach Archie Lopez
As per coach lopezsaid, their training regimen had instilled in them a sense of discipline and focus that carried them through totheend.
The unwavering domain of Pili National High School’s (PNHS) very own Mustang Basketball is widely knownforbeingfirmlyestablished. After winning various competitions, one would have thought that the students have had every resource necessary to achieve such greatness. However, the truthisfarfromwhatyouhaveinmind.
According to PNHS’s Sports Coordinator Ryan Salud, the school is just only at the beginning of the implementation of clubs in every sport. Hence, the availability of resources is fairlylimited.
In addition, the PNHS’ budget is currently split across various departments. Due to the school being more academically oriented, the Sports Department will not have adequate fundingtoreplacetheirgadgets.
These make the players use outdated equipment which for a fact affect one’s development.Eventhoughitmightseem
Witheightteamsvyingforthe top spot, the competition was fierce from the very start. But after weeks of intense play, two teams emerged as the top contendersforthechampionship title:AteneoBlueEaglesandUP FightingMaroons
Ateneo and UP reachedthe finals as the top seeds, boasting an11-3 record in the elimination round. The two teams led by Angel Koume and Carl Tamayo showed outstanding performances throughout the season.
The finals match-upbetween two etermined teams promised tobeafiercebattle,anditdidnot disappoint as Game 1 was a back-and-forth affair, with both sides trading baskets and momentum that went down to
insignificant, using poorly developed sports gear can cause an athlete to become uncomfortable, if not misdeveloped, during practice and have troublebuildingtheirconfidence.
One step that Mr. Ryan Salud thinks the school should take to fix the misalignment of the support to the athlete’s motivational drive is to have moreprogramsregardingsports.
“Eventhoughweareoneoftherecipient of new equipment distributed by SDO CamarinesSur,wecan’tsoarwithoutthe properassistancefromtheschoolitself” he said. “I believe the school should provide us sufficient budget for building the students so that they’ll be able to put upafightwhenthetimecomes”.
If the school were to give the sufficient budget the sports department needs, it’ll release the shackles that the sports clubs are bound onto and we’ll finally witness shots that’s unhindered by the chains of budgetdeficit.
the wire. Ultimately, UP emergedvictorious,72–66.
Game2wasevenmoreintense, with both teams fighting tooth and nail for the win. Up was set to claim a back-to-back championship title. But Ateneo had other plans. With Kouame leading the charge once again, theBlueEaglesmanagedtohold off the fighting maroons and forceado-or-dieGame3,witha finalscoreof65–55.
Facingeachotheronceagainin the winner-takes-all Game 3 showdown, the Blue Eagles, backed by their passionate supporters,cameoutfiringonall cylinders, taking an early lead withaflurryofbaskets.
Despiteavalianteffortfromthe Maroonsto attempt a
comeback,with one minute and 48 seconds remaining, Ateneo’s star Kouame converted a three point play and swatted away Carl Tamayo's attempt in the next sequence, hindering UP's comebackpush.75-68.
Backed up by the cheers of its passionate supporters, Kouame pulled off a 19-point career for Ateneo, with 12 rebounds and four blocks. Bagging the Finals MVP.
With a 2-1 lead in the finals, ADMU clinched the championship, capping off another exciting season for the UAAP.
