The Official School Publication of St. Joseph School - La Salle A.Y. 2020-2021 PUBLICATION MODERATOR
Ms. Wisah Reyes EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Angeli Semblante
FILIPINO WRITERS
Alyssa Gedorio
Jayson Discutido Daisy Elloran Ysha Garcia Aizelle Makilan
MANAGING EDITOR
PHOTO JOURNALIST
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Crisrey Diosano ENGLISH WRITERS
Azil De La Cruz Fenniel De Pedro Alyssa Estoque Alyssa Gedorio Angeli Semblante Mariness Sembrano Alyzza Tolentino
Michaizel Cartagena GRAPHIC ARTISTS
Mariz Calmerin Arianne Leones Angela Saavedra Jaspher Salvadico LAYOUT ARTISTS
Crisrey Diosano Ma. Avrille Loraña Psalms Segovia Alyzza Tolentino
On the COVER: Brilliance with an air of quiet competence and earned respect in the person of a woman who exemplifies St. Jo’s 60 years.
Inside
Entertainment
Shield Rebranding 3
Book, Album, and TV Series Review 31
Editor’s Note 5
Comics 34
Features
Opinion
A Look into The Past: SJSLS Journey 7
Broken System 6 Sa Likod ng Inaasam na Pagbabago 14
Denouement 9 Leadership Challenged 11
Parasocial Presences 17
Testament of the Founder’s Dream 15 Lasalle’s Living Legacy: Mrs. Lourdes B. Hiponia AFSC 19 A Most Unique Image of Devotion, Love, and Hope in the Year of Saint Joseph 24 Leading Amid an Unprecedented Crisis: The COCOSA EXECOM Struggle 25 On Borrowed Time; Pinong Buhangin ng Magpakailanman 29
Shield Issue 2O21
THE SHIELD | 1
The Shield: Our New Face
Armor of truth: these three words encompassing our mission call for a response that demands accuracy of facts on the basis of staying true to the Lasallian spirit. More than that it is about defining what truth to uphold in the context of the present circumstance and in the capacity of Junior High School campus staff to verify, interpret, criticize, and inform. Here’s the journey of The Shield’s humble attempt to deliver its stories in hopes that it merits trust and wide readership. The Shield’s Facebook page was on hiatus for approximately five years. We officially relaunched The Shield's Facebook page on August 21, 2020.
The new normal has also pushed the members of The Shield to their limits in their call to perform beyond what they could imagine. Thus, the digital publication of this magazine came to be. It has opened a number of possibilities and one of which is to finally adopt a style guide. Gradually the staff has established standards for the publication made possible by having seminars and consultations with Mr. Carlz Elmstherson Libo-on who used to be the Layout Editor of The Spectrum. His valuable inputs on graphics design made a whole lot of difference in the publication's effort to revamp its magazine layout.
Weekly posts were provided on the page. Such posts consisted of feature articles, poems, and comics. We were due for a fresh start. However, as academic work became more demanding, the consistency with the schedule fell short. This was The Shield adjusting with the times.
The new design of our brand defines this roster of young journalists whose vision is to be at par with the campus journalism standards. This could have not been possible without the passion and ingenuity of the lay-out editor, Psalms Segovia, whose influence made other lay-out artists in the team work as much as he did in achieving this final look.
Working in the publication has been an experience for many of the staff, a learning curve of sorts. For the upcoming school year, we hope to put this experience into good use, and provide the campus more quality works from The Shield.
As for the content standards, The Shield, headed by the Editor-in-Chief, Angeli Semblante, along with the staff writers, has been working on the consistency of the language use and making sure to keep the stories relevant.
Aside from the magazine itself, the scheduled posts on the Facebook page will be maintained to reflect this vision.
Other areas may still be a work in progress but what the staff has accomplished is a testimony of a good grounding of talented and committed junior high school campus journalists.
WORDS | Mariness Sembrano PHOTO | The Shield 3 | THE SHIELD
WE ARE THE SHIELD
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Ma. Avrille Loraña, Jaspher Salvadico, Mariness Sembrano, Aizelle Makilan, Alyssa Gedorio, Azil De La Cruz, Michaizel Cartagena, and Jayson Discutido
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Ms. Wisah Reyes, Psalms Segovia, Alyssa Estoque, Alyzza Tolentino, Geli Semblante, Daisy Elloran, Ysha Garcia, and Crisrey Diosano THE SHIELD | 4
I
n the string of St. Joseph School – La Salle’s history, 2020 is a knot prominent under the scrutiny its students and faculty alike.
What lied in the past year has been the unexpected. 2020 was the patron year of adversity, casualty, and distress. The term “New Normal” sprung up as the daily routines we used to do only became distant memories. In light of the matters that the previous year has brought forth, the publication presents to you a culmination of info from the school to bring a sense of normalcy to students. To reflect the enigmatic year, the Shield has also brought its “New Normal” in the form of a debut in a digital setting for SJS-LS students’ reading experience. My deepest gratitude goes to the staff, to our school paper advisor, to our dedicated readers. Despite the shortcomings we’ve faced in the making, we’ve managed to finish this magazine. Threads do not stop at knots– rather, they’re tied around the eye of a needle for you to stitch. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Angeli Semblante PHOTOS | Michaizel Cartagena 5 | THE SHIELD
OPINION
F
ilipino Healthcare System is referred to as “fragmented” by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to an article taken from www.essenburgh.com, “Fragmented care means healthcare providers and/or organizations do not work effectively.” In some accounts, unfair and unequal access to health services significantly affected the poor - one big contributor why the healthcare system is deemed as fragmented. While the flawed system is not unheard of, the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic proves that the Philippines has yet to change its system for the better.
alike are still overwhelmed with the rapid increase in COVID-19 infections as the country has now amassed a total of 1,101,990 COVID-19 cases with 61,294 of them being active as of April 12, 2021 as stated in the statistical report of DOH from ncovtracker.doh.gov.ph. With the resurgence of COVID-19 infections, the lack of access to healthcare has grown acute in recent weeks. However, this situation is far worse for the poor. Six out of ten patients in the
to travel to cities to access such. Some even walk miles to reach a public clinic even if there is no assurance that they will be provided with their medical needs. In most cases, citizens are forced to choose between paying for health services or paying for necessities such as food, water, bills, rent, etc. Mind you, such conditions considered as issues before the pandemic, were either not addressed or given substantial solutions. Even in the past, citizens were hesitant to seek help for medical aid. How much more now, where consultations are expensive. In line with this, citizens are neglecting their deteriorating health, affecting not only their welfare and safety but also their contribution to the country’s development.
COVID-19 IS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR THE DETERIORATING HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Taken from a news report from www.inquirer.net, “Fifteen out of twenty-seven critical hospitals in the National Capital Region have currently reached bed occupancy for COVID-19 patients as of May 5.” Moreover, admissions in Metro Manila hospital takes days for its 300 patients according to www.rappler.com In the worst case scenario, some hospitals would not take anyone in. And despite the ongoing vaccination efforts, hospitals, doctors, and patients
Philippines die because of inaccessible or unavailable healthcare. When Filipinos become ill, they bear 55 percent of overall health-care costs out of pocket. As a result, every year, one million patients are forced into poverty because of unfortunate medical costs which is in agreement with the report from www.who.int. Consider yourself privileged if you can still go to hospitals and wait in line for admission, because for some, they need
COVID-19 is a wake-up call for the deteriorating healthcare system in the Philippines. The country must build a system that aims and provides the needs of its people effectively regardless of status, position, or wealth. Unless this issue is resolved, Filipinos will continue to suffer under this broken system.
WORDS | Alyssa Gedorio THE SHIELD | 6
FEATURE
A LOOK PAST: Into The
It all began when workers of sugar factories and plantations came to reside in the covert area of Barrio Obrero located further east of Bacolod proper, Negros Occidental, Philippines.
Initially, ICFS piloted two classes of first graders and was run by Miss Gloria Cayetano. The Immaculate Conception Free School (ICFS) stood on the grounds of Barrio Obrero in 1954 because of the vision of the La Salle Brothers to establish a learning ground for the male children of the poor and the working class.
The growing number of school children resulting from the establishment of ICFS led to the founding of the Barrio Obrero Primary Free School and the building of a church within the school campus. In 1969, the latter became the parish church.
St. Joseph’s High School (SJHS) was established in 1960; it was named after the patron saint of workers, St. Joseph. There came affluent sponsors to provide with the school’s facilities.
Brother Francis Cody FSC then Director of La Salle College – Bacolod was moved to seek assistance from ICS benefactors in his desire to establish a La Salle Secondary School “to carry on the Christian values” imbibed by these forty-five young boys, the first batch who graduated in March 1960. It is also worth noting that Brother Gratian Murray FSC became the first resident Brother Director of Immaculate Conception Free School to make the presence of the De La Salle Brothers more engaging.
An adult secondary night high school was established in 1966.
The 1960’s brought an abrupt shift in sugar prices which caused the decline of financial support from benefactors of the ICFS. This recession had forced the La Salle Brothers to shut down the ICFS in 1971. Teachers were still retained to teach in the newly established high school. 7 | THE SHIELD
SJSLS JOURNEY March 19, 2011 marked the Golden Jubilee Celebration of St. Joseph School – La Salle. October of the same year, the visitation of St. John Baptist De La Salle’s relic has hit a milestone in the history of our school.
Honorable Andre Victor O. Las Piñas approved the change of name from Sampaguita Street under SB Resolution No. 103 Series of 2012 to Fr. Gratian Murray Street.
St. Joseph School – La Salle became the institution’s new name as of school year 2005-2006 in order to capture the fifty years of Lasallian education that it provides.
A further study on the parents’ Socio Economic Profile as mandated by the BOT made the implementation of five Categories A – E in S.Y. 2003-2004 possible.
2019 presents itself as the 300th year death anniversary of our founder St. John Baptist De La Salle. SJS – LS, along with the other 15 La Salle schools in the Philippines, took part in the Animosaic event. More importantly, the visit of the founder’s relic to SJS-LS as made possible by the Lasallian East Asia District capped the school’s celebration of St. La Salle’s tercentenary death anniversary.
The school adopted the tuition fee categorization A-B-C in 1993 to make the Lasallian education accessible. As of School Year 2020 – 2021, St. Joseph School – La Salle has established the Digital Adaptive Responsive Education (DARE) in response to the community lockdown that hindered physical contact. In 1971, the La Salle Brothers adopted a coeducational system to offer the same kind of Christian education to young girls.
WORDS | Angeli Semblante ILLUSTRATIONS| Jaspher Salvadico THE SHIELD | 8
I
f there is a worth-sharing story to tell my cross-legged grandchildren fifty years from now, a delight it would be to reel off how the world got together to prevail over the dilemma of whether to bank on science in ceasing the COVID19 pandemic crisis.
Just early this year, our calendars already marked the first quarantine anniversary and yet the world has not completely recovered. World Health Organization (WHO) reports that worldwide confirmed cases are still increasing to which now has soared to more than 160 million that puts a hiatus to some businesses and livelihood. Consequently, it has overwhelmed the global economy from downturns in stock markets and rising unemployment. According to BBC News, “Analysts are worried that the possibility of further lockdowns and delays in vaccination programs might trigger more market volatility this year.” This virus aims nothing but to torture, from attacking man’s health system, slowing down the economic progress, to leaving our usual routine behind and forcefully adapt the strange norm. How long can we endure? It is good news and at the same time a questionable discovery to some that several nations, the United 9 | THE SHIELD
Kingdom for instance which is first to roll out (800,000) Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine doses in December 2020, have produced authorized covax just within a year. Traditionally, it would take a decade or less to develop a vaccine. Compared to the early 1950s, effective polio vaccines, Dr. Jonas Salk’s inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and Dr. Albert Sabin’s oral livevirus vaccine, were authorized two decades after numerous attempts and research which began in the 1930s. But with the advanced technology and human intelligence present in the modern century, scientists and researchers are able to produce possible solutions to the coronavirus in a flash speed, which in fact, go past the former fastest developed vaccine in history— a mumps vaccine in the 1960s that took four years in the making.
Although today’s impressive vaccine development is a milestone to the medical field, we cannot detach the hows, whys, and what-ifs from the citizens who are in fear and in doubt. Undeniably, there were infected patients who were able to get off hospital beds just with hospital care. This indisputable fact triggers the citizens to question those in authority via social media platforms of the sense of urgency to get vaccinated and of the perceived deception to alter one’s DNA. Based on a parent Facebook group, the vaccine causes DNA alteration. This is proved to be false as the messenger RNA present in vaccines is a mere transient carrier of information that does not go into a cell’s nucleus where DNA is located. As to widelyshared conspiracy videos spreading on Youtube that the vaccine contains a microchip, the Pfizer pharmaceutical company is prompted to disclose its vaccine ingredients. It has one active ingredient
“If it’s hurting a little, it’s working.” Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute for Global Health which is the molecule mRNA, and the nine ingredients which have complicated chemical names which I bet you don’t want to read. The other ingredients include lipids ((4-hydroxybutyl) azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2hexyldecanoate), 2 [(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,Nditetradecylacetamide, 1,2-Distearoylsn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and cholesterol), potassium chloride, monobasic potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, and sucrose. These are diluted before injection, and so proves that there is no microchip present in the vaccine. Out of hundreds of vaccine candidates, pharmaceutical company Pfizer/BioNTech’s Pfizer vaccine is the first issued COVID-19 vaccine by the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It has the highest efficacy of 95% in large clinical trials. It is a novel type of vaccine, different from the traditional vaccines since it is made from messenger RNA, also known as mRNA.
RNA vaccines may be new to most since their past progress remained slower than expected. They’re first tested a while back in animals and humans to produce desired proteins, however, immune defense destroyed the synthetic cell. In line with The Conversation US, “That’s because mRNA is not notoriously unstable and easy to degrade in smaller components, it is also easily destroyed by the human body’s immune defenses, which make delivering it to the target very inefficient.” After some time, researchers in early 2005 figured out how to stabilize the mRNA and it is now ready to be produced as a vaccine. According to Deutsche Welle, a media organization in Germany, the RNA vaccine differs from conventional vaccines in that it teaches the body (via the immune system) to protect itself against the disease-causing virus. RNA vaccines inject genetic material (mRNA) in the body, specifically in the arm that encodes a viral protein, rather than injecting directly the viral protein in the body. mRNA shows the immune system what the real virus looks like and so, will produce well-designed antibodies to knock the virus off. And this stimulated immune response keeps vaccinated persons from being infected.
This will not cause coronavirus infection, will not be inherited by the next generation, nor will alter a person’s DNA. Although coronavirus vaccines are developed at a speed, they are ensured to be efficient as they went through 3 to 4 phases of clinical trials. “All laboratory and clinical trials were conducted in compliance with the most rigorous rules, standards and ethical criteria without compromising the safety of the participants,” Vasileios Margaritis PhD, MS, epidemiologist and a Core Faculty member at Walden University pointed out. COVID-19 vaccines will be injected into a person twice, 3 weeks apart to ensure efficiency. There is nothing to worry about if a vaccinated person may experience sore arms, headaches, and muscle pains after having a shot, as side effects that will only last for a day or two. “If it’s hurting a little, it’s working,” Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute for Global Health stated. “There’s evidence that suggests that if you frame pain as a proxy of effectiveness, it is helpful.” Our frontliners— health advocates, scientists, and other names unsung— have done enough ever since the dawn of coronavirus pandemic. We must end this battle in no time by not staying in the gray area; we need a truthful side to stand on. This is what I desire to share with the youth in the coming times, where the world unites in penning a denouement to this crisis.
WORDS | Fenniel De Pedro PHOTOS | Voice of America ILLUSTRATIONS | Psalms Segovia THE SHIELD | 10
11 | THE SHIELD
Leadership Challenged
Mrs. Analie Lomocso - Director Principal
FEATURE
When Running a School Becomes More than Just a Decision…
I
n the face of this unprecedented crisis, feeling of fear envelops many of us but in the case of the school’s director-principal, the situation has made her found herself in a decisive point thus she “needed to listen more, feel more, and do more” than to battle with her own fears.
While people’s response to the threat of the pandemic may vary from person to person, from one country to another, there is no doubt that this a test of one’s character. Mrs. Analie Lomocso shared that her decision-making was exercised with prudence. “I had to keep calm when everyone else was anxious, had to deal with different attitudes and character, had to act on matters in consideration always of the common good,” she added.
Crisis In Education The pandemic has led to closure of schools in more than 150 countries around the world, affecting over a hundred million students as UNESCO noted. SJSLS has grappled with the threats caused by the pandemic proving itself to stand against the possibility of losing a large number of students if not near closure. In March 2020, SJSLS was just one of those educational institutions that had to close early on when community quarantine was implemented nationwide. This put the school to implement emergency measures with students’ academic grades preparation, alternative year-end activities, students’ clearances and accountability to be taken into account. All these had to be deliberated upon while the school had to abide by the rules on public health measures. For one thing, that actually left Batch 2020 completers in disappointment when face-to-face completion rites as generally observed had to be done virtually. Beset by the uncertainties of what was to
come, the administrators, faculty, and staff had to face the crisis head on while relying on the fluctuating number of COVID cases in the country. The rise and fall of the COVID cases in the first few months since its outbreak has resulted in the extension of the lockdown causing the educational sectors to make drastic decisions in order to keep the school operations. Ms. Ann expressed her apprehensions as the pandemic scenario worsened because it was very clear at that point that face-to-face classroom instruction was already off the table. Now, she was primarily left to deal with “the health condition of every one, school promotion and students’ admission, school financial stability, salary of the school personnel, enrollment for SY. 2020-2021, and learning modalities”. This moved SJSLS to keep up with the other schools’ efforts in promoting online learning in response to providing no less quality education even in the midst of pandemic. Thus, the birth of DARE, an acronym for Digital Adaptive Responsive Education that promotes St. Joseph’s new online and modular learning system. St. Jo’s DARE has proven “that quality is all about breaking (the) boundaries”. Challenged to reinvent strategies, Mrs. Lomocso and Mrs. Shally Claver, Vice Principal, had to conduct series of zoom meetings for hours to academic coordinators and other school office heads in making the most of the little time given in innovating plans for the new-normal set-up. That is to say the implemented plans in the past academic year were opportunities born out of the shaking of the normal state. Thus, a thorough deliberation and careful planning had to be done and no ideas were too small to contribute in the making of a conscientious decision. In response to the significant demand, Ms. Ann noted that the school invested in several needs as such the installation of layered network for a more stable internet connection, the application of the Learning Management System (LMS) and the provision of gadget loan to faculty and staff. Furthermore, teachers and school personnel had to undergo training and to attend relevant seminars and workshops relating to online education. THE SHIELD | 12
FEATURE Another area of great concern was keeping the number of curricular and extra-curricular activities to a minimum. The major consideration was the program’s attainability to have it done virtually. Class recollections and masses, club meetings, and completion rites were among the activities carried out online. In this respect, the director-principal pointed out how “it affected the students to a great extent” as joining school activities and competition is part of their holistic growth.
Foreseeable Hope Even when the COVID-19 pandemic is seen as a great threat in the pursuit of providing quality education in the coming years, Ms. Ann foresees that SJSLS can effectively deliver with the kind of impassioned workforce the school is made up of. To take the lead in making decisions may have been very demanding and difficult. But with the leading of the School President, Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez FSC, she managed to assess major decisions. As the captain of the ship, she keeps a clear vision. With her moral compass, inspired by De La Salle’s zeal for service, the personnel’s commitment and her love for young learners, she has managed to embark even on stormy seas. Indeed, the past ten months proved to be the hardest hit but this institution is far from staying in the harbor. Even in the midst of uncertainties, St. Jo stays afloat.
Online Learning: An Unfamiliar Terrain
This strong belief is evident in the director-principal’s words: I admit that different apprehensions may set in, but with the charism and excellence that the school has established, and with the commitment it has given for the realization of its Vision and Mission, SJSLS is here to stay.
The school was expected to resume operation following the discussed implementation of Online and Offline Learning. With experimentation of in-partial classes, Ms Ann noted that the implementation of 40-minute period class, as synchronous activity conducted twice a week, was by design “to accommodate all subject areas, to regulate the screen-time of students and teachers…” The provision of asynchronous activities as supplementary learning method was secondarily to instill independent learning. On the use of Learning Management System, it had been discussed among La Salle schools even before the pandemic came. “Though our school is not yet ready financially for the LMS, the initial inputs gathered and meetings attended in one way or the other paved the way for the continuity of learning,” Ms. Ann was quoted saying. However, the downside of this on-line learning modality was undoubtedly greater for disadvantaged students, because acquiring well-functioning gadget and having to secure stable internet connection were particularly hard for them, reason for the school to offer Offline Modular Learning. As for the Offline Modular, a weekly retrieval and distribution of Student Learning Modules was observed for fast monitoring of student’s performance. 13 | THE SHIELD
WORDS | Azil De La Cruz and Wisah Reyes PHOTOS | The Shield
OPINION
Sa Likod ng Inaasam na Pagbabago
M
agmula sa ‘war on drugs’ at extrajudicial killings nitong administrasyon, isa na namang laban ang namutawi at kapalit nito ang buhay ng mga mamamayang nagnanais lamang ng pagbabago.
Tunay bang sa panahon ngayon na ang dating ‘warrant’ lang ay nagiging ‘death warrant’ na? Sapat na ba ang papel na ito upang maging basehan para kumitil ng buhay ng tao? Kung noo’y walang madugong nangyayari sa bawat pag-aresto sa mga mamamayang tumataliwas at lumalaban sa gobyerno, ngayo’y ibangiba na. Maihahalintulad na ang isang simpleng papel bilang isang papel ng kamatayang huhusga sa buhay ng isang tao. Nitong Marso 7, ay isa na namang masaklap na pangyayari ang naganap sa bansa. Siyam na mga aktibista na naman na may kaniya-kaniyang mga layunin ang nasawi at anim ang naaresto sa tinawag na “Bloody Sunday” sa rehiyon ng Calabarzon. Tatlong linggo matapos ang pangyayaring ito ay may dumagdag pang ika-sampung biktimang namatay din sa katagalugan. Ito ay si Dandy Miguel o mas kilala sa tawag na Pang
Dandy, ang vice chairperson ng PAMANTIK-KMU na lumalaban para sa mga karapatan ng mga manggagawa. Sa ngayon bilang pa man ang mga namamatay pero lingid sa kaalaman natin na may iba pang nanganganib at nagdurusa dahil sa patuloy na karahasang ito. Ano gagawin natin kung magpapatuloy pa ang patayang nangyayari sa bayan? Ang mga pagkadakip at pagkasawing pangyayari sa mga aktibista ay hindi na bagong pangyayari sa Pilipinas. Dagdag pa ng nagwika ang Pang. Duterte na “forget about human rights” (kalimutan na ang karapatang pantao). Naging mas laganap ito dahil sa sunodsunod na naganap na raid sa Luzon sa bahagi ng Rizal, Laguna, Cavite at Batangas na nagresulta rin sa pagkasawi at pagka-aresto ng mga ito. Sa gitna nito ay nagsalita ang Commission on Human Rights (CHR) spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia na napag-alaman ng komisyon ang mga nakababahalang pagkamatay at patuloy na red-tagging sa mga aktibista. Mariin din niyang sinabi na ang krimeng nagawa ay nararapat na maparusahan at managot sa ilalim ng batas at makatarungang proseso. Ayon din sa datos ng CHR nitong Marso 7, ay 130 na ang bilang ng mga aktibistang namatay sa ilalim nitong administrasyon.
Ang siyam na nasawi dagdag pa sina Pang Dandy, Nacino (ang inang aktibistang hinuli at namatayan ng anak), Echanis (ang Anakpawis Chairman na namatay dahil sa iba’t ibang saksak na natamo sa katawan) ay ilan lang sila sa mga aktibistang nakaranas ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao nitong taon. Hindi na maipagkakaila na ang palaging tugon na lamang ng mga awtoridad sa mga isyung dawit sila ay ang nakakarinding “nanlaban eh”. Sa sunod sunod na mga pangyayaring ito, nawawalan na ng halaga ang karapatang pantao ng bawat isa dahil nakasalalay na ito sa kamay ng mga may kapangyarihan. Tuluyan na ngang lumulubog ang bansa sa pulang dugong dumanak sa mga taong ang layunin lamang ay makapagdulot ng kaayusan at pagbabago sa katayuan ng bansa. Asam lang naman ng mga Pilipino ang pagbabago ngunit kapalit naman nito ay ang paglibing sa kalahati ng katawan nila sa lupa. Hawak na nga ba nila ang buhay ng mga nakikibaka? Wala na ba talagang nagbago sa hindi makatarungang hustisya?
WORDS | Daisy Elloran THE SHIELD | 14
FEATURE
1 | |THE 15 THESHIELD SHIELD
Testament Founder’s Dream of the
T
he year 2020 was a defining moment in the school's history and for the Lasallian community as a whole as St. Joseph School–La Salle was gearing up for its 60th foundation anniversary.
In commemoration of the diamond jubilee, the installation of St. La Salle's painting and marker in the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception took place last December 4, 2020. Situated in Brgy. Villamonte, it is said to be the cradle of Lasallian identity and spirituality here in the Diocese of Bacolod. From the time St. Joseph's High School was established, this parish has been a witness to the school’s continuing effort to grow in its mission in molding faithful and responsible young Lasallians. The school remains faithful in fulfilling its spiritual fidelity to Catholic teachings by the help and guidance of the Parish of the Our Lady of the Immaculate
Conception. In fact, the parish has kept records of numerous sacraments initiated by the school. Interestingly, the installation that took place four days before the feast of Mother Mary was very opportune since we, Lasallians have a special devotion to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Such devotion was inspired by St. La Salle’s strong belief in the purity endowed by God to the Blessed Virgin Mary even before the church formally declared the dogma of Immaculate Conception. As a matter of fact, the sixth decade of the Lasallian Rosary is dedicated to our lady under this title. Together with the school administrators, faculty, staff, Junior Campus Ministers, and parishioners of the said parish, the School President, Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez FSC, the La Salle Bacolod Brothers Community Director, Br. Francisco “Sockie” de la Rosa FSC, and Br. Mico de Leon FSC were in attendance.
The unveiling of the image was initiated by the representatives of the La Salle Bacolod Brothers Community, and the meriano Esporsado, VF. The celebration ended with a mass celebrated by Rev. Fr. Arnold Deletina, Parish Priest of the Queen of Peace Parish. This significant event has not only remarkably opened St. Jo’s 60 years of brilliance but it has also offered a venue for Christian teachers to seek guidance and intercession from St. John Baptist De La Salle, the universal patron saint of teachers. The installed painting is a testament to the founder’s mission in making quality Lasallian education accessible. This also signifies the Lasallian presence in the Diocese of Bacolod that proves to show its continuing commitment to serve by teaching minds, touching hearts, and transforming lives. WORDS | Alyzza Tolentino PHOTOS |Harold Rio THE SHIELD | 16
OPINION
17 | THE SHIELD
T
he social shift COVID-19 has forced upon the year 2020 has affected all of us, especially the youth of this time. Thus, they find alternative outlets to their emotional and social investment.
Evident with how half the world is using social media, media consumption has risen over the past year with 316 million users that have come online. Social media platforms are heavily condensed with users mainly from Gen Z and Millennials. Even the so-called Baby Boomers are involving themselves in the social network. Within the first few months of quarantine, you could observe a number of trends circulating within the media. Leisure, like series-hopping and home cooking, made its way to people through social media influence. Most notably, productions like animated series and movies have been a prominent part of most people’s quarantine life. Now what exactly is the most concerning part of the circumstance? Stress has come for us, left and right. Not all of us could take them all in at once– which is why we’ve come to rely on media content as a form of escapism. As an audience, we might feel a connection to the personas we see on our screens, implanting the roots of a parasocial relationship. The parasocial interactions one experiences can in fact fuel positive emotions. Engaging in lives separate from ours could bring great comfort especially finding an outlet for any sort of stress. It is a way to cope. However if pushed to the extremes, this could cross the lines of what would be considered healthy. For some, parasocial interactions are ways for people to feed their social indulgences. However, this could take for a turn if a person decides that it is only through this way that they would receive social gratification. People would also actively pursue parasocial
relationships as a result of societal rejection, or if they feel rejected by peers (whether or not this is actually the case). We cannot be emotionally and socially reliant on people who do not know us. There is a power imbalance between the media consumer and media personality. A media consumer knows the personal details of notable persons and perceives them as someone close. A media personality is one who doesn’t know devoted fans to a personal degree, and only perceives them as a collective. Though the social dynamic between an idol and a fan isn’t initially harmful, an accumulation of parasocial interactions would lead to illusions of a genuine relationship and intimacy. Not everything we see on media is what it is, and we shouldn’t take everything to face value. Viewer manipulation is much more common than everyone thinks, and it’s less cumbersome than the name would imply. Industries would even encourage parasocial interactions between media personalities and their demographic as a way to promote the content that these personalities create. The catalysts made by external parties remain mostly unseen by the public, but that does not mean they can’t be discovered either. Particularly evident in the KPOP Idol music scene, fan and idol interactions are spurred on through concerts and fan events – where fans have direct contact with their idols. Of course, this has also been the circumstance for many celebrities in the West, but this is notably amplified in KPOP culture. Unlike other fanbases, fans of most – if not all – idol groups are what fuel traction for their pop discography and releases. The parasocial connection present between the fans and idols within this specific culture is paramount to the performances and production as enablers, sating the industries who are profiting off audience loyalty and connection. We may also develop unrealistic and maladaptive thoughts about a media persona if we ever take such relationships seriously. Self-disclosure of
a celebrity’s personal life feeds and increases a fan’s attraction towards them, and further interactions on social media would make it seem like a reciprocal relationship. Regardless whether you’re experiencing romantic or platonic feelings towards particular media personas, they shouldn’t develop past the point where it interferes with your behavior and the way you interact with the people around you. Prioritizing relationships with people whose care for us is superficial, over relationships with those who genuinely are concerned of us is dangerous, as quarantine has enabled the former while contact with real-life relationships has been limited.
One-sided relationships cannot sustain us for too long, especially now that the pandemic has aged for more than a year. Our interests may sway and change as time unravels its thread – and so, there will come a point where these parasocial relationships will dissipate as well. As the phase is over, we would be left in naught – a loss in any social fulfillment, considering the fact that none of our emotional investment would be regarded in the worst case scenario, as nothing. This is easier said than done: Come up with ways on how to talk to your friends, ease yourself back in relationships that involve communication from both parties. Spend time with them virtually; play mediocre online games and ramble about the mundane and miscellaneous. Learn to distance yourself from selfdestructive habits and engage with interests in a healthy way. Developing parasocial relationships is normal, as long as you acknowledge the boundaries that come from being ‘just a fan’ of a certain someone of a certain something.
WORDS | Angeli Semblante PHOTO | Pexels THE SHIELD | 18
COVER STORY
OF
Faith
AND Service
O
n October 21, 2020, Mrs. Lourdes B. Hiponia received the Letter of Affiliation, making her Brother Lourdes Hiponia AFSC. Her devotion and contribution to the Lasallian community for so many years warranted her this honor.
It is most timely we give Mrs. Hiponia a share of the page for her story. She is a woman who will be remembered most for her simplicity but there is so much more for one who has earned the respect of many.
19 | THE SHIELD
Tough Yet Tender The eldest of seven children, Lourdes is the daughter of a seamstress and a traveling salesman. She aspired to be a nurse until a fateful incident involving her father. “At the age of 18, I became the second breadwinner of the family when my father met an accident,” she said. “My ambition to become a nurse wasn’t realized.”
school administrator. She interviewed Br. Martin Simpson FSC, the school director. It went so well that she was offered a substitution job in the Elementary Department of Immaculate Conception School the following year.
“
Those experiences prepared her when she started working at St. Joseph School – La Salle.
When she got married she became a mother of four, three boys and one girl. As a working mother, she had to juggle her professional duties and domestic responsibilities.
Reasons to Stay In 1977, the De la Salle Brothers offered her a teaching position at USLSIS. The salary was higher than her current one at the time. The offer was so tempting that even her colleague convinced her to move to USLS-IS. Asking God for wisdom, she weighed her options and eventually she realized some good reasons to stay.
“[I have] to balance my time to attend to the needs of my family and not neglecting my duties as a teacher,” she pointed out. As a mother, she knew then that there are no perfect children. In those times when her love for them was put to the test she would cry her heart out. Full of unrelenting love for her children, she never thought to give up on them. She would always tell herself to be patient with each of them in the toughest of times.
How It All Began What started as a project in her college days paved the way for her to have been extended a job offer. In her second year as a BSE student, her class was tasked to interview a
“I taught all subjects except Music and Arts. We had to prepare our daily lesson plans. We had test notebooks in all the subjects and our Principal would randomly check all our filler notebooks. That’s why during our faculty meetings, [I was] so nervous because, in the presence of your colleagues, she would call your attention if you failed to perform your tasks,” Mrs. Hiponia recalled her experience during her first years as a teacher.
”
In the early years of her teaching experience, she described it as a roller coaster one for having to learn the nuts and bolts of teaching under the supervision of a strict administrator.
Among other things, the sense of belonging made a great impact on her decision. “The sense of community. Although there’s no such thing as a perfect community, in St. Joseph, I could feel the support, care, and love of my colleagues. The community is willing to extend financial help when needed. The community (colleagues, students, staff) doesn’t look down on you when you have the same pair of shoes, bags, etc., for [the] whole school year. You can be at your ‘gut level’ and you don’t feel scandalized, ” she recalled.
THE SHIELD | 20
COVER STORY
From then on she knew that SJHS was where she belonged. She dedicated her life to St. Jo that some notable events were a testament to her dedication and love for her students. When she was an adviser, the Principal would check the I.D. cards of the students and if anyone would be caught without one, the whole class would be punished. Protecting them from a penalty, she covered for them. From that moment onwards, no one broke the policy again since she managed to gain their trust and cooperation. In 2005, an alumnus visited her office. Carrying gifts, he told her that he came to express his gratitude. The alumnus even recalled how it meant so much for him when Mrs. Hiponia offered her food at recess. “Every time we cross our path, I would always ask him ‘Kon, kamusta ka?’. That simple question serves as an inspiration to him, ” she fondly remembered her usual encounter with him. Paying it forward, he granted a scholarship to a student. Now, that same scholar is a teacher in St. Joseph School – La Salle.
Bigger Responsibilities Mrs. Hiponia, after being an English teacher for 12 years, went on to tackle more demanding positions. She had
21 | THE SHIELD
been a 1st year Level Moderator from 1980 to 1983, Academic Coordinator from 1984 to 1990, Assistant Principal from 1991 to 1995, Principal from 1995 to 2003, External Relations & Alumni Affairs Head from 2003 to 2005, and Planned Giving & Alumni Affairs Office Head from 2006 to 2019 for the duration of her 39 years in the institution until 2019. More obstacles came with her promotion. Appointed as the Academic Coordinator, she remembered being hesitant about her position. Because of her limited experience with the subjects Math and Science & Technology, she had to be candid about it to get the other department heads’ support. Furthermore, she had a difficult time demanding authority from other teachers due to her being a novice. “Dealing with the tenured teachers also posed a problem, claiming that they’re more experienced so they tend to question your authority.” The Brothers continued supporting her endeavors, working with her in her appointed positions. When the use of technology became a necessity, lesson plans, grades, memos, and reports were computerized. While it was welcomed by the majority of the workforce, Lourdes continued to perform her duties in the most conventional way. With a notebook on hand, she was able to deliver just as effectively as the others.
For the duration as External Affairs and Planned Giving Office head, noting all important appointments, and details of meetings were done through writing by hand. To render those written records into a computerized system, some kindhearted office personnel would gladly take upon themselves to assist her. As for her assumed position, her established good relations with the alumni was the apparent reason why she was fit for the role. Her positive, strong connection with St Joseph’s graduates was one key to attract benefactors to provide the school with scholarships and funds for the welfare of its students and administration.
Br. Lourdes Hiponia AFSC With all the years she dedicated to the school, Mrs. Hiponia learned that she must value the trust given to her by the Brothers. Though this trust is one of the many factors that pushed her to do her best, it was her pure love for service that made her excel and become beloved in the community. St. Joseph School - La Salle is not without the virtues of its founder. For Lourdes, she always carried with her these values into the classroom, in disciplining students, in managing teachers, and in running the ASPO. She learned to protect her integrity, to be transparent, and to always walk the extra mile to fulfill her responsibilities. She even assisted in the pre-school of her parish in terms of hiring teachers as well as arranging the annual evaluation for retention of the teachers. The fact that her profound influence went beyond her call of duty and years of service, the first ever employee of SJSLS to have been granted affiliation by the De La Salle Philippines has truly earned her place.
inculcation of Lasallian values, and provides equal opportunity for growth through Christian education. While it is a common knowledge that La Salle Brothers come and go, she pointed out that the continuing ministry of the founder lies at the heart of each employee’s sense of commitment and that opportunity to be a part of the founder’s dream is “a privilege that you only get when you teach in a La Salle School.” Judging through her words and actions, Br. Hiponia AFSC is Lasallian values put into physical form – indeed an example worth emulating. So being that faithful, committed, and compassionate, she has this message for the Lasallian community whom she served: I pray that we may never get tired of reaching out to the lost, the least members of our society and be brave enough to say: Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!
One memorable night, the Brothers’ Community invited her for dinner, alongside her son, Dr. Kerwin Hiponia. That night, they gave her the Letter of Affiliation. She certainly didn’t expect this, and became overwhelmed from the recognition. Lourdes couldn’t sleep well that night, having to recall the hardships of her early years of teaching. Had she quit during those times, she would never have found herself in the same position at present.
A Woman of Faith As a woman of faith, Lourdes exhibits her expression of gratitude to and confidence in God by starting and ending activities with a prayer. To be decisive, she invokes the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, knowledge and understanding to get through the day. Being a Marian devotee, Lourdes claims that Mother Mary is always there to intercede and grant her prayers. She recounts that attending the Mariology, Retreat and Recollection has deepened her faith in the Blessed Mother. Many of her petitions were granted; such as the fact that her husband died peacefully in his sleep. When in need of an intercession, Lourdes prays the Memorare for her guidance.
Passing It On “If I was able to serve St. Jo for more than 5 decades, it’s because of the sense of community and support of the La Salle Brothers for which I’m forever grateful.” These are the words of the newly affiliated La Salle Brother that stand true to why SJSLS has stood the test of time for 60 years.
WORDS | Wisah Reyes, Angeli Semblante, and Mariness Sembrano PHOTOS | Mrs. Hiponia Archives and The Shield
Naturally, there is no perfect institution. But she believes that with the concerted efforts of the people in the community, they have established to make the school a place of learning for all. It cannot be overemphasized how the school upholds THE SHIELD | 22
F
A COVER STORY
Affiliation of Mrs. Lourdes Hiponia
10/21/2020 The De La Salle Brothers grant Mrs. Lourdes Hiponia the Letter of Affiliation signed by the Superior General of the Brothers of the Christian School, Br. Robert Schieler at the Oscar J. Hilado Civic Center.
23 | THE SHIELD
FEATURE
A Most Unique Image of
Devotion, Love, and Hope in the Year of Saint Joseph
I
n commemoration of the 150th year of the saint’s proclamation as patron of the universal church, Pope Francis announced a “Year of St. Joseph” beginning 8th of December 2020 and concluding 8th of December 2021. The Holy Father has emphasized how the pandemic has moved him to reflect more deeply on the humble and quiet saint as the former wrote, “Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and a guide in terms of trouble.” In the same light, devotion to St. Joseph was considered by St. John Baptist de La Salle as the most appropriate for the Brothers in particular and for the teachers in general because St. Joseph was commissioned by God to take care of the Child Jesus, a child not his own yet he loved so much. As we join the Holy Father in his call to celebrate this special year and as we emulate our founder’s devotion, we focus our attention to a most unique image of St. Joseph inside the campus of St. Joseph School – La Salle. What makes this figure distinct are what you will find missing: first, St. Joseph’s right hand and second, the Child Jesus. As we fix our eyes on this symbol, may we be inspired by this most unique image of devotion, love, and hope. To the teachers, may this image remind us that: first, St. Joseph has no longer a right hand but ours. Ours are the hands through which he holds the hand of Christ present in our students. The Child Jesus is lost, let us seek Him and find Him in the students who are entrusted to our care. Let us be the hope for the lost, the last, the least, the lonely, and those especially distraught by the pandemic. To the students, the Gospel of Luke tells us of the story of the Child Jesus “being lost” and after three days found in the temple. When you feel abandoned, when you feel lost, go to St. Joseph because for sure St. Joseph is looking for you with great anxiety. May you find St. Joseph in your family, teachers, and peers. And continue to hope that you will be found and be guided back. To everyone, let us ask the intercession of St. Joseph to build a home in our hearts for Jesus and Mary and like him to live totally dedicated to the interests of Jesus, our Savior and Brother. Let us nurture hope in our hearts as we live to seek eternal happiness with the Lord. Especially in these troubled times, let us be like Joseph: an intercessor, a support, and a guide – a tireless, silent worker; an emblem of strength, love and hope. WORDS | Br. John David Ong FSC and Cheri Miranda PHOTO | Michaizel Cartagena THE SHIELD | 24
FEATURE
LeadingAmid an Unprecedented Crisis:
I
n a crisis characterized by uncertainty, leaders are faced with unfamiliar challenges that test their limits, but as leaders they have to keep in mind “that leadership knows no boundaries..." This is what Ma. Avrille Marquiela Loraña, the COCOSA EXECOM Vice-President of St. Joseph School-La Salle shared for young aspiring leaders.
Known to have established leadership styles, good leaders are well-rounded people equipped with the necessary tools needed to run an organization. To guide by example, to serve with passion, and to inspire followers, it takes certain qualities and skills for the absence of which may take the team’s desired goals off-course. For the purpose of limiting the scope and sense of significance of this discussion, let us look into our own student leaders. Their struggles aren’t as 25 | THE SHIELD
regarded compared to the others for little is known about them. These challenges were significantly augmented with the threat of the virus, for the massive scale of outbreak and its sheer unpredictability made it more challenging for these young Lasallian leaders to respond and to perform their sworn duties.
Strong Leadership Bearing the trail of destruction from the pandemic, St Joseph School-La Salle's Coordinating Council for Student Activities Executive Committee, also known as COCOSA EXECOM, faced great difficulties in handling the school's supposed plan for the academic year. With the new normal set-up that urged people, mainly the school population, to stay in the safety of their homes, the actualization of their duties as student leaders was affected to a great extent. The running and supervision of school activities had to be no less productive as it had been before. With the guidance of Ms Cheri Mae Miranda, the COCOSA
moderator, all were made possible for the student government to function well. Though the number of activities was kept to a minimum, the committee was able to conduct some plans unarguably because of Ms. Cheri’s efficiency and resourcefulness. As expressed by Marquiela, the student government was able to feel her presence. She tried to connect with the team, making them work for specific realistic goals in response to the challenges brought by this pandemic. Moreover, the lack of face-to-face meetings did not hinder Ms. Cheri from going the extra mile to communicate with them and to provide them venues for growth via social media platforms and any means possible. She pushed them beyond their limits according to Michaizel, the committee President. In fact, the COCOSA moderator urged them to partake in online discussion such as the Lasallian International Experience (LINE) to quench their growing awareness on leadership and service.
"If you're being met with resistance, that means you are doing something new.” -Taylor Swift
Response to Crisis With the sudden shift from face to face to distance learning method, the school has adapted two learning modalities: online and modular. The school has given two options to continually provide the students the wealth of knowledge of the subjects and opportunities to hone their skills but provision of which depends on what certain capacity or condition the students find themselves in. Now think of how the great shift created an impact in the lives of the student government when what they initially hoped for turned upside down. They, fully armed to dedicate themselves wholly, were left to think of creative ways to discharge their duties for the school community and for the student body in particular to whom they swore to serve. For leaders, this significant uncertainty did intensify the challenges associated with decision making that led to rapidly adaptive response. Take Sean Carlo Samonte, the Sports Coordinator of this council, for instance. He stated that his primary role as Sports Coordinator was put aside due to this global condition; his duties shifted into helping his fellow members in graphic editing. In addition to that, other young leaders also revealed the hardships they encountered in performing as student leaders and in coping with the demands of distance learning. Still, despite everything, they managed to serve with passion and carry out their responsibility. Though many annual activities were put on hold, COCOSA was able to carry on some activities for students to participate in virtually. Posting religiously on their Facebook page infographics of
different events was one. During Araw ng Lahi, COCOSA shared “Tuklasin Natin”, an infographic that would help students uncover Filipino cultures and a lot more. Moreover, activities like “FUNinlo”, “QuaranTanim”, and “Peace Crane” were conducted during the environment month to highlight the importance of cleanliness and taking care of our surroundings. Also, in honor of St. Joseph School La Salle’s Diamond Jubilee, the committee organized an Interclass Digital-Art Making not only to encourage healthy competition among classes but also to promote artistry. All in all, these young leaders managed to successfully organize activities even in the face of pandemic.
Facing Head On Being away from one another and serving virtually posed a totally different challenge to beat. For Michaizel, who has been trying to maintain her academic performance, she knew all too well how to manage everything at once in a new platform. So to describe her situation as hard is an understatement. She also shared her thoughts about feeling pressured in her effort to discharge her duties. With a much stronger sense of commitment, she, together with her co-officers maximized whatever opportunity there was to hold alternative activities very well suitable for students to participate in during the pandemic. Similar sentiments can be shared for the COCOSA EXECOM Secretary, Psalms Jacob Segovia, who also found it difficult leading an organization in this
new normal. But what made him different was that he faced the challenges with courage that never did he back down. He recounted that landing head first with each task and not wasting any opportunities helped him overcome the difficulties that went with his position. Moreover, his fixed mindset can be expressed in these statements: “It’ll be over soon” and “This is easy.” So, any trial is nothing more than he can handle. Michaizel and Marquiela shared being exhausted by the amount of work some events had. The 60th Diamond Jubilee celebration, the LINE sessions, and ProjeSKWELA program took so much of their time while being the head of the team. Meeting the deadlines was overwhelming for they had to juggle their duties as students leaders and as normal students. The difficult yet rewarding experience taught them a number of things: to coordinate with one another, to maintain the flow of the program, and to resolve problems as they arose. As a student, first and foremost, Alyssa Therese Estoque finds the whole idea of transitioning in the learning modality hard. She admitted that she couldn’t reasonably handle the new strategic way of learning at first, causing her stress and her grades to initially slip. But big thanks to her peers, classmates, and teachers for the support, enabling her to cope. Though stress depends on the many factors one may deal with, it may be from the huge amount of workload or mismanaged time, for Czarina Duane Ureta, the LAMI Coordinator of the committee. With the extraordinary demands the pandemic has placed on her shoulders, she expressed being THE SHIELD | 26
FEATURE consumed with anxiety and stress when things didn't go accordingly as she planned. She continued by saying that her stress level would increase to a great extent with the piled up workload. That gave her a hard time contemplating where to begin.
While for Marquiela it is to banter with Binibining Yolly Murillo, the Grade 10 Filipino teacher. Meanwhile, Sean shared that pulling some all-nighters during performance task week is in his opinion the most unforgettable.
MEET THE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
2020-2021
Michaizel Joy Cartagena
As for Cyn Rjycl Santiago, the Cultural Coordinator of the committee, she herself earlier thought of this distance learning as much less demanding. But she has proven herself wrong as things got eventually harder. For one thing, she found connecting with others difficult. But learning the practicalities of online learning, she was able to manage her time and to cope with the situation by working smarter in the process.
Not Just an Afterthought At present, imagining a “postpandemic” time seems possible with the current rollout of vaccines and innovative medicines for the virus. For that, the publication has collected responses from the executive committee on the things they are delighted to do after this crisis. Both Sean and Alyssa look forward to traveling, while Cyn and Psalms choose to visit the school with friends again. Marquiela is excited about going to a movie theater while Czarina prefers to meet up with friends as she anticipates the return of traditional classes. Their answers are as simple as they can get, and they represent the mundane lives the COCOSA officers live outside their responsibilities on campus. However, Michaizel differs from the others in a way that reflects her ambitions. She would want to pursue the plans that her and her friends had, specifically teaching those unfortunate children in the streets with the knowledge that they had.
In the past academic year, their involvement in Lasallian InterNational Experience (LINE) and regular school meetings made the year extra special.
Piece of Advice "If you're being met with resistance, that means you are doing something new," COCOSA EXECOM Secretary Psalms Segovia shared an excerpt of Taylor Swift’s speech. Dealing with the challenges and obstacles of the past academic year, they have gained resilience and somehow made it through with the mindset that these challenges serve as a learning curve for the betterment of their capabilities. Indeed, leadership is hard, for there is no class in early education that defines leadership, nor its difficulty being one. The ability to lead is cultivated by oneself either from a natural disposition, or from a series of learning and improvement. For what it’s worth, there is something certain: these young leaders didn’t work hard for nothing. It is for this same reason that COCOSA is home to a selected number of students who are future responsible leaders highly esteemed for their love of service.
EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT
Ma. Avrille MarquielaLoraña
EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT
Psalms Jacob Segovia
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Romero Miguel Claridad
EXECUTIVE TREASURER
Alyßa Therese Estoque
EXECUTIVE ACADEMIC COORDINATOR
Czarina Duane Ureta
EXECUTIVE LAMI COORDINATOR
Of Memories and Mirth… Looking back, among the many memorable things of their four-year stay, Year Level Interaction, Lasallian Academic Breakthrough, and the Interclass Sportsfest are found to be what they generally missed most. For Cyn and Czarina, however, they found the mentor’s day as the most memorable.
Cyn Rjycl Santiago
EXECUTIVE CULTURAL COORDINATOR
WORDS | Azil De La Cruz PHOTO | Michaizel Cartagena 27 | THE SHIELD
Sean Carlo Samonte
EXECUTIVE CULTURAL COORDINATOR
THE SHIELD | 28
LITERARY FEATURE
On Bo�owed Time As I turn the pages of my life, I find half-written stories, half-untold, I read half-scribbled poems, song halfcomposed, I see half-covered lies, truths unexposed. What occupied most of my life, I wonder why? What made me turn the other way, oh, why? I realize that nothing has ever been completed, though I tried, Because I let go of my dreams and then just cried. What made me afraid, I ask myself, On borrowed time, I wasted much, Will there ever be a second chance? To compensate, not to regret for such? I remember the days of my uncelebrated youth, The days I did not run, nor jump, nor dance.
For suns and moons and stars untouched, For heart unburdened and love unmatched, For aches suppressed, for joys unwinded, For unfulfilled promises and desires unintended. For unrevealed secrets and mysteries unraveled, For unforgiven lies and perfumed Judas kisses, For unshed tears, and unatoned black sins, For happiness unclaimed and silenced pains.
The rivers I did not cross The oceans I did not swim, To turn against the tide, To swim upstream.
For letters unsigned and books unread, For mountains unclimbed and hills unreached, To fly across the universe, To fathom ocean depths, These I have to do, To see what lies ahead.
To cross uncharted seas, To reach the skies, For lost- sighted horizons, For hopes that quickly died.
For broken wings that cannot fly, For eyes that failed to see, For steps unsure, for voice unheard, For being afraid just to be ME!
For untraveled paths, For rainbows sadly missed, For drops of rain uncaught, For uncaptured silver mist.
Oh, Lord I pray, please give me time to make up, I need to do the things I left undone. I need to say the things I left unsaid. I must do all of these to know how well I’ve lived. WORDS | Haydee Einosas Castillo West Negros College High School Class ‘63 Anniversary Magazine
29 | THE SHIELD
Pinong Buhangin Magpakailanman ng
A
ng mumunting pagsayaw ng mga dahon, ang malumanay na mga alon, at ang mga pinong buhangin ng matayog na karagatan—ang mga bagay na ito’y madalas nating nakakaligtaan buhat ng bumabaha nating mga pinagkakaabalahan. Palagi na lang pinag-aantay ang panahon ngunit kinakain lang pala nito ang naghihintay nating mga pagkakataon.
Mundo. Tulad ng malinaw na kristal na sumisilbing proteksyon sa buhanging nasa loob ng isang pigura ng orasa, ito ang santuwaryong bumabalot sa atin. Tayo’y mga malayang nilalang na umiikot at nabubuhay sa loob ng isang kulungan. Ang munting mundong ating ginagalawan ay siyang biyayang binigay sa atin bilang oportunidad na mabuhay, maramdaman ang paligid at matuklasan ang hiwaga ng daigdig. Ito ang lugar kung saan tayo unang tumawa, umiyak at nagmahal, ngunit sa kasamaang palad, ang taning ng oras na binigay sa atin ay ‘di-maiwasang balewalain at hindi lubusang mapakinabangan. Ang pagbuhos ng malamig na
ulan, ang pag-ihip ng pang-umagang hangin at haplos ng tanghaling araw ay hindi natin lubos na ninanamnam. Habang tayo’y abala sa mga makamundong kaabalahan, hindi natin namamalayan na ang buhangin ay mabilis na palang hinihigop ng pangalawang espasyo.
Panahon. Tulad ng pinong mga buhanging nagkakarerang lumipat sa hungkag na bahagi ng orasa, mabilis ito, hindi namamalayan. Ito ang elemento ng mundo na palagi nating pinagdarasal na tumigil. Subalit maaari ba nating pigilan ang pagpatak ng panahon at bawiin ang mga sinayang na pagkakataon? Tila hindi sapat ang itinakdang panahon upang sungkitin ang ating mga pangarap. Ang isa pang masaklap na katotohanan ay pagkalimot nating damhin ang tunay na mundo dahil higit sa oras natin ay inilaan sa mga bagay na dapat ay hindi pinagkakaabalahan. Isang umaga paggising natin kinakain na tayo ng panghihinayang dahil sa nasayang na pagkakataon.
hindi panghabang-buhay. Sa huling patak ng buhangin ay siyang katapusan ng tumatakbong oras. Ang katotohanang lahat tayo ay hahantong sa kamay ng kamatayan ay mahirap tanggapin ng iba ngunit madali sa iilan. May mga pagkakataon na ito ay biglaan at minsan nama’y nagbibigay ng babala. Sa kung anumang pagkakataon at sitwasyon, tayo lang ang nakakaalam sa ginugol nating panahon sa mundo kung sapat ba ito at puno ng kaligayahan. Habang may buhangin pang pumapatak, lasapin ang mga bagay na biyaya ng Maykapal. Ang huni ng mga ibon sa umaga, ang pagsayaw ng mga puno tuwing tanghali, at ang tunay na pakiramdam ng yakap at kalinga. Kadalasang nakakaligtaan ang mga ito dahil nilalamon tayo ng mundo pero sa takipsilim ng buhay ay ilan lang ito sa mga pangyayaring mahalaga sa atin. Maaaring wala ngang nakakaalam sa naghihintay na kapalaran, ngunit hawak natin ngayon ang kasalukuyan.
Kamatayan. Ito’y hindi saklaw ng bahagi ng isang orasa. Ang nakatakdang pagdaloy ng buhangin ay nakasalalay sa mahiwagang may hawak nito. Nakakamanghang isipin na tayo ay binigyan ng oportunidad upang galugarin ang mundong ito ngunit
WORDS | Ysha Garcia PHOTO | Wallpaper Abyss THE SHIELD | 30
REVIEWS
The Book Thief: I Review
n Molching, Nazi Germany, Death observes the book thief, nine-year-old Liesel Meminger, who arrives at Hans and Rosa Hubermann's home, her new foster parents. She was adopted after losing her biological parents to the Nazis due to communist sympathies. Her little brother, Werner, who's supposed to be adopted as well, died on the way to Molching. During his funeral at the nearby station, Liesel committed her first theft — in the form of a book, The Grave Digger's Handbook. Shortly after arriving, she befriends her neighbor, Rudy Steiner, and slowly becomes accustomed to her foster family's way of living. Hans soon discovers that Liesel does not know how to read and takes it upon himself to teach her, fueling the girl’s love for reading. Despite being German, Hans and Rosa do not entirely support the Nazi regime and secretly hide Max Vandenburg, a Jew who fled home to save himself, in their basement. However, as the political situation throughout Germany escalates and antisemitism rises, will Max, Liesel, and the Hubermanns live through the war unscathed? Markus Zusak's The Book Thief focuses on the once quiet life of the people of Himmel Street. Through Death's 1 || 29
observations of the living, the novel focuses on themes of love and friendship, mortality and death, the contrast between kindness and cruelty, the power of words, and duality.
included in the novel. Stories such as "The Standover Man" and "The Word Shaker" further highlight Liesel's and Max's love for reading and the importance of words.
As the story's narrator, Death explains and narrates the story's events at a distance, recounting the times he met the book thief and the people around her. He shares how he feels pity and sympathy for his victims and how each character's reckless actions and decisions can cause their deaths. He is presented as far from threatening, acting as an audience to the horrors and joys in Nazi-occupied Germany.
Zusak's portrayal of Germans in World War II sheds some light on the theme of duality — how some characters have two sides and are far different from what we see on the surface. Take Rudy Steiner as an example. Despite being the embodiment of being an ideal German, academically and athletically gifted, and a member of Hitler Youth, he idolizes Jesse Owens, an African-American athlete, a contradiction to what the Nazi party stands for.
While the book may initially be "slow" and challenging to understand, the author's attention to detail makes up for it. Enclosed are stories within stories, history within each paragraph written. As a reader, I find it delightful to see the stories Max has written for Liesel
People who are interested in history would love this book, as the book pays homage to the events that happened in World War II. While I cannot safely say that the entire novel is historically accurate, it gives readers insights into what life is like during the war. The novel shows how the characters find joy and contentment in the little things they have, filling them with hope to live through the terrorizing Nazi regime.
“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” -Markus Zusak, The B�k Thief
WORDS | Alyssa Estoque ILLUSTRATION | Goodreads
Hiraya: Siyasat sa Internasyonal Midya
folklore - Taylor Swift: ALBUM REVIEW WORDS | Aizelle Makilan ALBUM COVER | Taylor Swift
“I know they said the end is near But I'm still on my tallest tiptoes, Spinning in my highest heels, love. Shining just for you.”
M
uling napamangha ng Artist of the Decade na si Taylor Swift ang kaniyang mga taga-hanga matapos ipalabas ang kaniyang ika-walong album, ang Folklore noong ika-24 ng Hulyo taong 2020 na siyang umani ng iba’t ibang papuri’t parangal sa industriya ng musika. Ayon kay Taylor Swift, ang pagsulat ng mga kanta at ang pagbuo ng kaniyang bagong album sa gitna ng pandemya ang naging paraan niya upang matakasan ang lahat ng mga negatibong nangyayari. Binubuo ang Folklore ng 16 na kanta at bawat kanta’y may kaniya-kaniyang espesyal at malalim na kahulugan. ‘Tila sa bawat pagtugtog ng mga kanta ni Taylor Swift ay idinadala ka sa isang paglalakbay sa mga kuwento ng naudlot na pag-iibigan, o di kaya’y pabalik sa kasaysayan kung saan malayo sa nakagisnan natin ang pagtrato ng lipunan sa kababaihan. Masidhing damdamin ang pangkalahatang emosyong
ipinapahayag sa Folklore na siyang magkasing bigat sa mga pagsubok na kinakaharap ngayon ng mga tagapakinig ni Taylor Swift, lalo na sa usapang pagbigo’t kasawian sa pagibig at paghilom sa anumang sakit ang napala mula rito. Mistulang ang mga kanta sa Folklore na ang aking naging sandigan sa pagpawi ng kung anumang nararamdaman. Folklore ang album na pipiliin kong pakinggan sa mga maulang araw kung saan tanging musika ang makakapagbigay sa akin ng inspirasyong maniwala na bukas, mayroong pag-asang sisibol at bahagharing magbibigay ng kulay sa noo’y madilim at makulog na kalangitan. Sa labing-anim (16) na kantang nasa Folklore, ang linyang ito mula sa ikaanim na kanta na “mirrorball” ang pinaka-tumama sa akin ay,“I know they said the end is near But I'm still on my tallest tiptoes, Spinning in my highest heels, love. Shining just for you.”
Lahat tayo ay may kaniya-kaniyang pagsubok na hinaharap at minsa’y kahit pakiramdam natin na katapusan na ng lahat, may mga tao o bagay na nagbibigay pag-asa at lakas sa atin upang magpatuloy. Minsan, maaari rin na tayo mismo ang tumatayong pag-asa para sa ibang tao, kahit tayo pa rin ang unti-unting masisira sa huli. Hindi maitatanggi na isang mahusay na mang-aawit at manunulat si Taylor Swift at sa bawat obra-maestrang ipinapalabas niya sa publiko, walang pag-aalinlangang siya nga ang itinanghal na Artist of the Decade.
THE SHIELD | 32
REVIEWS
Ohm (Sing Cheewagaroon), Namtan (Lily Apichaya), at Wave (Chimon Wachirawit) na may kakaiba sa kanilang klase. Naisip nila na ang Gifted Program ay dinisenyo upang gisingin ang kanilang "mga potensyal" na may kinalaman sa ilang uri ng espesyal na kapangyarihan na nagbago ng kanilang buhay.
The Gifted: SERIES REVIEW WORDS | Jayson Discutido POSTER | GMMTV
K
ilalang teleseryeng mula sa Thailand, ang Gifted the Series ay batay sa maikling pelikulang thesis ni Dhammarong Sermrittirong at orihinal na ipinakita sa 2015 film festival ng Faculty of Communication Arts ng Chulalongkorn University. Ito’y kinuha ng kompanyang nasa ilalim ng Thai entertainment conglomerate Grammy o GMMTV dahil sa kakaibang kuwento nito. Ang Gifted the Series (2018) ay nasa produksyon ni Parbdee Taweesu na idinirekta ni Dhammarong kasama sina Patha Thongpan, W. Ketpetch at Jarupat Kannula. Ang serye ay ipinalabas ng GMMTV noong 1 Pebrero 2018 at naging patok sa panlasa, hindi lamang sa mga kabataan kundi pati na rin sa mga matatanda. Ritdha High School, isang paaralan na may Gifted Program—espesyal na klase para sa mga piling mag-aaral na may ‘di pangkaraniwang kakayahan. Ang pangunahing tauhang si Pang (Nanon Korapat) na mula sa pinakamababang seksyon ng paaralan, ay nakakagulat na pumasa sa Gifted Program Placement exam. Ang pagpasok niya sa Gifted Program ay puno ng malaking pagkalito. Kalaunan, napagtanto nila ng kaniyang mga bagong kaibigang sina 1 | |THE 33 THESHIELD SHIELD
Ang simbolismo at potensyal ng bawat tauhan ay nauugnay sa tunay na buhay. Tulad ni Wave, ang pagiging matalino ay hindi palaging nanganaghulugang mas mataas ka sa iba. Si Namtan ay nagpapaalala na subukin mo mang kalimutan ang nakaraan ay bumabalik pa rin ito sa kasalukuyan. Ang ngumiti at maging masaya sa kabila ng hamon ng mundo ay siya namang masasalamin kay Ohm. Ang katauhan ni Punn ay nagbibigay babala na mayroong isang demonyo sa bawat isa sa atin na kinakalaban natin sa araw-araw. At kaniya ring ipinapahiwatig na sa pamamagitan ng paglaban dito, ating makakamit ang tagumpay sa piniling larangan. Si Claire naman ay sumasalamin sa mapait na katotohanan na hindi lahat ng tao ay magiging masaya para sayo. Panghuli ay si Korn na nagpapatotoo na ang labis na pagtitiwala ay magdudulot ng lubos na pasakit. Ang pagsasakripisyo para sa kapakanan ng iba ay siya namang nais ipahiwatig ni Korn. Ngunit sa mga karakter, si Wave ang pinakamaiuugnay natin sa ating mga sarili. Siya’y isang matalinong estudyante na nawalan ng mga magulang sa murang edad. Nais lamang niyang mag-aral subalit dahil sa kawalan ng pera, dala ng pagkamatay ng mga magulang, ang kaniyang natitirang pamilyang kumupkop sa
kaniya ay pinilit siyang pumasok sa isang pampublikong paaralan. Doon ay nakatanggap siya ng pambubulas mula sa mga kaklase at guro, subalit ‘di ito kailanman gumanti. Doon din siya nakitaan ng potensiyal ng isang guro na naging kaibigan nito na kilala bilang si Ms. Nara. Maliwanag na siya ay masungit at mayabang, at kinamumuhian ng ibang mga mag-aaral sa Ritda, subalit ito lamang ay kaniyang panlaban sa mga taong nagsasamantala sa kaniya. Ang kaniyang kapangyarihan na technopathy ay naging malaking tulong din sa kanilang grupo dahil siya ang isa sa naging utak sa kanilang mga plano. Ang paaralan ay isang talinghaga ng lipunang kinagagalawan sa kasalukuyan. Ang bansa ay nahaharap sa isang diktadurya ng militar sa loob ng maraming taon, at isang maliit na pangkat lamang ng mga tao ang namumuno sa bansa mula sa tuktok ng sistema. Si Pang, ay tulad ng mga aktibista na nagnanais tanggalin ang lahat ng masama, hindi pantay, at awtoritoryan na sistemang pampulitika sa kagustuhang gawing pantay at malaya ang lahat. Maihahalintulad naman ang direktor sa mga diktador na tinutugis ang mga nakikipaglaban para sa hustisya. Lahat ng tao ay may kaniya-kaniyang kapangyarihan upang baguhin ang mundo. Ngunit, hindi lahat ay mayroong tapang upang harapin ang mga nang-aapi. Kaya’t ang serye ay nagpapaalala sa atin na huwag manahimik kung tayo’y kinukulong sa hawla ng pang-aabuso at kawalan ng katarungan.
ENTERTAINMENT
ILLUSTRATIONS | Mariz Calmerin
ILLUSTRATIONS | Angela Saavedra
ILLUSTRATIONS | Arianne Leones THE THESHIELD SHIELD| |34 1