Today's CAROLINIAN - August 2015 Newsletter

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Photo Source: http://www.gov.ph/images/uploads/2015-SONA-1.jpg

PNOY DELIVERS FINAL SONA Mikhailah RaĂąada & Bryant A. Gonzales President Benigno Aquino III (PNoy) delivered his sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 27, before the Joint Legislative Session at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City.

Some notable persons in attendance include Vice President Jejomar Binay, cabinet members including DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, and foreign dignitaries.

SONA 2015 focused on the improvements of the country in economy, anti-corruption measures, internal revenue collection, education and infrastructure. Again, the president mentioned comparisons between his performances and the previous administration.

Among the key programs the administration has delivered for the past years are the Public-Private Partnerships, Pantawid-

Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.

Furthermore, according to Aquino, the Department of Education built 74, 608 out of the targeted 118,000 classrooms and hired 145,827 teachers needed for the K-12 curriculum.

The remaining classrooms needed will be provided once the legislative department approves the 2016 National Budget.

Aquino also mentioned that the Bureau of Internal Revenue posted a P 1.3 Trillion collection in 2014 compared to its P 778.6 Billion collection in 2008.

Government owned and controlled corporations, which are among the controversial agencies for the past years, eliminated corruption from their system that led to 131.86 Continued at Page 2

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Continued from page 1 billion PHP dividends in the current administration compared to the 84.18 billion PHP dividends, which the previous administration posted.

Moreover, Aquino was praised for his effort for sound economic growth and competitiveness. Among the achievements posted were three investment grade rating upgrades, 6.8 percent unemployment rate – the lowest in a decade, reduced number of labor strikes, and a 579 percent increase in net foreign direct investment from 2010 to 2014.

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The president also mentioned that despite the successes and improvements, criticisms on the programs his administration implemented were still present, pointing out to slow progress and blaming him for every critical action. Despite these, it was said that he has been praised by other state leaders for the things he has done for the country. When people suggest that he stay on as president in order to continue the daang matuwid, he rejected calls because it would invoke future presidents to do same, which might hold the Philippines at risk.

Aquino closed his SONA by acknowledging

AUGUST 2015 | Vol. 3 No. 3

the people who helped him during his term and called for the continuance of reforms towards the daang matuwid. He claimed that the programs he started were only the beginning of the story of a resurgent Philippines, and he challenged every Filipino to continue the transformation.

The president also challenged potential presidential candidates and emphasized that the 2016 general elections will be a referendum on his daang matuwid program. He finished his address by assuring the Filipinos of his support even after he steps down from office. TC

Killer Quake Preparation Laura Posadas A massive earthquake drill led by the Metro Manila Development Authority was participated by government officials, workers, students and communities all over Metro Manila last July 30. This is to brace for a possible 7.2 magnitude earthquake from an active fault that, according to Phys. org™, could kill tens of thousands and displace millions.

“The plan is to raise the level of preparedness and awareness, so that

in 2016, we will have a better drill, and an improved one in 2017 until we do it perfectly. There is nothing wrong with being prepared,” MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo after a meeting on disaster preparedness, according to Inquirer.net.

The drill began at 10:30 a.m. and lasted for about 14 minutes. Alarms sounded, church bells rang, sirens wailed and phone alarm messages were sent to

signal the start of the drill. People did the “drop, cover and, hold” while on their way out of the buildings and shopping malls. They then stayed at the nearest evacuation centers.

Soldiers, firemen, coast guards and Air Force personnel did their parts as they acted out to mock situations on how to rescue victims. Some Supreme Court employees also pretended as injured or dead victims. TC

JPIAN Warriors Win Quizbowl Theresa Kate Palompon Cebu Federation-Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants celebrated their Accountancy Week last July 12 to 18.

All students from the Department of Accountancy from different universities gathered to compete in both academic and non-academic matches.

In line with this celebration , a Quiz Bowl was held at Ayala Center Cebu last

July 15, tackling different topics in the accounting discipline. Participants of the said challenge came either in pairs or in teams of five and were divided into two categories: Level One and Level Two. For Level One, USC representatives Irish Kabingue and Miguel Albert Taveros garnered first place; Alexander Igot and Regen Ludivese, representatives

from UC-Lapu-lapu-Mandaue, came in second; and Jessa Belle Almeda and Neil Joseph Enero claimed third place for University of Cebu- Banilad.

On the other hand, Level Two winners include the following: Vianca Pearl Amores, Jessa Bermudo, Trisha Claire Cabanlit, Ervin Michael Cavalida and Joshua Echivarre from USC won first

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place. Jayvee Faust Anga, Allan Leo Paran, Kenny Tabiliran, Shenen Mae Goc-ong and Elyzza Kaye Toress, from the USJR claimed second place; and Erly Marie Grace Jumalon, Genovevo Caruana, Lorenzo Labaya, Jojo Denlauso and Jason Orozco from UC-Main made it to third place in the competition.

Apart from the Quiz Bowl, USC-JPIANs also won places in the Exam Challenges, Mr. and Ms. CF-JPIA, essay writing contest, poster making contest, poem making contest, inter-school dance palabas competition, and JPIA Got Talent.

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With these triumphs, the USC-JPIANs emerged victorious as the Overall Champion for CF-JPIA Accountancy Week 2015. TC

PNoy Endorses Mar Roxas for President Sofia Isabel Tajos Last July 31, President Benigno Aquino III endorsed Mar Roxas, former secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, as his preferred candidate for the 2016 election. The president called an event in Greenhills, San Juan, titled “A Gathering of Friends”, which was attended by leaders, and officials.

Aquino patronized Roxas and his apparent ability to continue the daang matuwid.

“Siguradong may kakayahan, siguradong walang ibang boss kundi ang taong bayan, siguradong walang ibang pinagkakautangan ng loob,

siguradong walang ibang interes kundi ang bayan,” the president said, to highlight his feelings about Roxas running for office.

All throughout the event, Aquino sang Roxas’ praises; in return, Roxas— promised the president that he will do his best in continuing the daang matuwid. He also stated that he is ready to face the different challenges that come with being a leader of the Filipino people. This is supported with Roxas stepping down as DILG secretary last August 3 to focus on his presidential campaign.

In recent surveys concerning the popularity of the candidates among the masses, Roxas’ ratings have improved, but he is still behind his rival, incumbent Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Aquino said that he talked to at least three people whom he also thinks can continue his platform. Names were not mentioned, but it was previously known that President Aquino had also held meetings with Senators Grace Poe, and Francis Escudero, —two eligible candidates for higher office. TC

Bayani Ba’To forum Ynaro San Juan A 12-minute preview of the upcoming film “Heneral Luna” by the DAKILA collective was shown at the SAFAD Theatre, Talamban campus last July 27, followed by a panel discussion on the movie’s theme: “What makes a hero?” and concluding in an open forum.

Present at the panel were film director Jerrod Tarog, history teacher Alvin Campomanes, and several members of DAKILA who spearheaded the project, among others.

A major theme of the film, revolution, was clarified by the panellists as not just the revolution of an armed struggle, but as a revolution of the mind. DAKILA had

previously visited 40 other schools with the intention of “beginning a revolution of the imagination” and to give rise to a new generation of self-less heroes and thinkers. The panel encouraged the asking of questions during the open forum. “We want a generation of thinkers,” said Tarog.

Tarog explained that the main reason for the film’s existence was not only to awe and entertain the audience, but also to promote cultural growth within the country; by inspiring nation-building in the Filipino youth.

“We are looking at the next Bonifacio,

Rizal and General Luna,” said guest speaker Danielle Delos Reyes of DAKILA, to the theatre crowd.

The event served not only as a sneak peek into Tarog’s latest feature but also as an opportunity to teach history to the attendees. After the preview, Campomanes got up on stage to give an extensive history lesson about the life of General Antonio Luna, covering everything from his family background to his death in 1899.

Heneral Luna will be shown in Philippine cinemas on beginning Sept. 9. TC

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MAIN OPINION

AUGUST 2015 | Vol. 3 No. 3

IF I CAN’T HAVE IT, NEITHER CAN YOU

Illustration by Geralden Morre “Bai, mag-exam ta ugma?”

“Ambot lang lage, bai” “Aw! Sige,salamat!”

“Sige, wa’y blema!”

“Wa diay siya kabaw mag exam! Yes, hagbong natu ay.”

We are so fixated with rising above everyone else. We aim to be better than everyone, and no, there is totally nothing wrong with being competitive. However, being extremely competitive sometimes takes us overboard.

To pass would resort to maximizing all the possible ways that would lead us to good remarks, including cheating, telling peers who would ask about the coverage with “ambot, wala ko kabaw”, not reminding others that there is an assignment due today, and not prompting others that there would be a quiz today.

Perhaps one of the better ways to assess self-performance is to assess how one is doing compared to the others. There is a bit of a problem though in the execution.

Achievements, for example, are given to recognize the efforts and inspire the others, but we use these achievements for us to brag and for us to argue that we are higher than

because we possess such achievements. We should not confuse ourselves though, with expression and recognition from recognition and boastfulness here.

While most of us have tried being a part of something as organizers and volunteers, it is very evident that when it is over and done with, we become proud of ourselves – we see pictures of organizer IDs on Instagram, some long posts on Facebook, and all the means on how we sort of soak in what we feel. Well, there is completely nothing wrong with this. However, let us go back right to the very moment why we decided to take a picture of something we are proud of, what intentions did we have then? Were they taken as a remembrance and for a bit of appreciation? Or were they taken to be recognized through Facebook likes? To create an impression about how we want to be perceived by others?

“Bai, hagbong ko’s exam dah! 38 over 100 rako.

Pila imuha?”

“74, bai” “Sure oy? Pakita daw sa imong test paper!” *Tsk, pasar jud diay siya dah.

We cannot demand respect; we should earn it.

Our generation is full of people who hustle to create a preferred image of themselves. We are afraid of criticism and rejection, the very same things that restrain us from doing the things we love. We are so afraid that whenever we fail in an examination, we instantly look for others who also failed just for us to gain that others, too, should fail with us.

We are confined in this box wherein we have to conform. We talk against people with dreams and ideas just because someone is weird and that they fail based on society’s standards. We look at other people initially as competitors rather than as friends. We ask and compare scores in exams because we like being “better” and “smarter” than our peers rather than help them accomplish passing grades or even be prouder at them when they get higher scores than us.

We seem to be so preoccupied with proving others wrong. Why not have just a little bit of change of perspective? We should do things not to prove others wrong, but to prove ourselves right. TC

OPINION

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“I Need Space” - Do We Really?

New Horizons, the spacecraft that made the closest approach to Pluto, phoned home July this year signaling its successful encounter with the dwarf planet and its five moons. It has been roughly nine and a half years since the probe study was launched, with its instrument recorded as the fastest ever to leave the Earth’s orbit. As confirmation to its history-making success, NASA retrieved highresolution images of Pluto, the astronomical body that raised countless arguments regarding its planetary recognition.

Julienne Termoso

Various space explorations have been conducted to study heavenly bodies and even possible existing life forms outside our planet. Has

it ever occurred to us, though, that science seems to be paying too much attention to what does not give immediate benefit to mankind? Haven’t we ever wondered why we are so willing to spend millions of dollars to feed the curiosity of the unseen?

Water covers the Earth by 71 percent, a figure enticing enough to suggest that there is so much more to explore in and beneath it.

Compared to what is literally not within our reach, it will be safe to say that focusing on what is in and is ours would be a lot more costworthy.

to be survival. Survival, in the sense that in the event the Earth cannot withstand the abuse of its inhabitants, we would have to evacuate to a completely different and livable world and start society all over again. Hilarious.

The point to be considered would have to be perspective shifting.

Instead of thinking evacuation, why not think restoration? Or better yet, Preservationpreservation? Instead of finding other livable planets, why not transform Earth back to its most liveable state? TC

Of course, the most common answer of the “why” would have

From Barks to Brakes, From Woods to Hoods

Miko Paolo Mangubat

It was about a year ago when news spread about Department of Environment and Natural Resources filing a case against USC for unauthorized cutting down of trees. Fines aside, the university was able to dodge a serious offense from the authorities, but not from our dearest Mother Nature. With the numerous kneedeep floods, the newly found manmade wonders-of-the-world falls inside TC campus, and the proud “To USC, We Swim” singing, TC campus has evolved from a luscious green adventure to a world class parking space.

much Calvin-Benson cycles, yet excavate their roots and cement that space for parking? Are we that willing enough to compromise the beauty and benefits we get from a tree to give space for a one-ton metal box?

entitles a little space for a year.

Still, though a car offers airconditioning, limited comfortable seating capacity and ultimately, security. It does not entitle anyone to subjugate trees and level the land.

Come on. All these cars aren’t from USC’s administration, faculty and staff. Heck, most of these guys don’t even use their vehicles.

I know that most of the students commute on a daily basis, but to have this amount of cars filling up all the available space inside the campus, what just happened?

I guess it’s fair enough to ask, “Why create so many parking spaces then?”. That’s actually a whole new issue.

Isn’t it ironic that we promote smoke-belching free roads because our trees can’t handle so

Of course, the USC Vehicle Pass is not as expensive as a Camry or a Santa Fe, and this somehow

After all, we live in an underdeveloped third-world country that is trying to solve a first-world problem. TC

Playing Like a Girl We often get told that we “ play like a girl” when we fail to perform well.

Often times the female gender has been associated as the weaker gender. Since when did being a girl mean that one is no better? What are the standards needed in order for someone to play like a guy?

As an athlete myself, I cringe every time I hear that comment. I’m a girl and obviously, I play like one and that fact has never stopped me from pursuing more. Women who do sports are underappreciated most of the time, and women in male-dominated sports are almost rarely being noticed of their skill and talent.

Erikka Leslie Fernando

Last month, the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) ended with an epic final match between USA and Japan. With the Men’s World Cup being a great event last year, the WWC, sadly, did not reach the same hype. Some people were never even aware that there exists a women’s sporting event under FIFA. I dare everyone to watch a match from the WWC and compare it to the quality of soccer being played by men. The women are just as tough, talented and even more passionate in their plays than the men’s. Despite its success, compared to the previous World Cups, these female athletes are still not celebrated as frequently or passionately as the men.

There are a number of famous female athletes who have achieved great success in what they do, like Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey, and anyone who knows UFC and tennis know that these women are not to be taken lightly.

Being a good athlete should not be primarily judged by the gender.

For it is through skill, perseverance , talent, discipline, passion and the love you have for the sport that gives each athlete their drive that eventually leads to success. TC

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FEATURE

AUGUST 2015 | Vol. 3 No. 3

WHAT TO EXPECT FOR INTRAMURALS Zarah Majam

We are greeted once again by the thrill and excitement of this year’s USC Days and Intramurals. This has always been a definitive point of every school year because within seven days, USC will be colorfully compartmentalized into teams vying for the championship.

Nothing emphasizes the Warrior spirit like the USC Days, but what exactly must one expect for this year’s intramurals?

The opening of USC Days starts with a jam-packed gym, a parade of classmatesturned-athletes and of course, the cheer dance competition. Seeing the gym flooded with different colors of different schools only enhances the hype that keeps us thrilled throughout the duration of the event.

The opening ceremony continues with the presentation of the Mr. and Ms. Intramurals.

Expect to forget what normal hearing feels like because our ears will be ringing due to the aggressive cheering and screaming echoing throughout the gym.

Next, let us brace ourselves for photos and hashtags that will spread like wildfire on your Facebook News Feed once the games officially begin. Teams from different schools and different sports have spent weeks training for this, the amount of adrenaline pulsing through their veins as they go full on #beastmode is quite unimaginable — go hard or go home, right? Expect to invest in sun block and paypays because the heat is not only present figuratively, but also quite literally.

To conclude this year’s culmination of competitive physical activities is the Pop-

Jazz competition, various performances from plethora of dance troupes in the university, and of course the awarding of this year’s champion.

Just when we thought we have regained our hearing from the opening ceremony, we will experience the familiar ringing in our ears as we realize we have lost your hearing yet again.

Expect to feel the tension radiating throughout the gym as students await this year’s results.

The thrill, as it has always been, will be so palpable and exciting that it really enhances the entire experience altogether.

The USC Days will begin on Aug. 22 and will end on Aug. 29, so Warriors, prepare for the skrimish! TC

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FEATURE

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SSC LAUNCHES FIRST ED CARAVAN Christabelle Escudero

Educational discussions, — or (ED’s) —, are intimate, interactive gatherings where people interactively share their insights about ideologies, current events and other topics, especially pressing social issues. They have been an eminent occasion among advocacy groups. Now, for the first time, ED’s have graced its presence within the broader Carolinian community with their presence.

The Supreme Student Council (SSC) officially kicked off its first ED Caravan last Aug. 3 at the Talamban Campus. According to the event’s Facebook page, it is “a movementdriven social awareness project” that will hop from one school to another to provide ED’s tackling onaddressing local and national social issues concerning the industries that the schools are involved in.

The event’s first leg, hosted by the School of Engineering last Aug. 3 to 4 at the Rigney Hall, focused on the issues on urban planning and voters’ education.

On the first day of the Ccaravan, Julian Libato, Cchairman of the urban poor

progressive group Panaghugpong sa mga Kabus nga Tagadakbayan Kadamay, Julian Libato was the speaker of the first day. He talkedspoke about urban planning and how it affects the urban poor, showing lists and statistics that reflected their situation of the said sector. He expanded on how the sector is deprived of basic needs, social services, reasonable wages and better work opportunities, and how the society can help solve their problems for its own progress.

“A nation only truly progresses if the poor progresses ,” he said.

Atty. Cecilia Adlawan of the Kasamahan ng Kabataan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya spoke on the second day about voters’ education and how essential it is so people will know to vote for during the 2016 General Electionsits essential role ofin informing people on who to vote for in the 2016 General Elections. She further shared about the qualifications for people to be able to vote and about the issues that circulate surround the upcoming elections.

“You [Tthe youth] are the future,” she stated..

“The sooner you care for our country, the better it will be for the next generation.,” she stated.

A number of students, — most of them representing student organizations in the said school, — attended the event and also shared their views regarding the talks of each day’sthe invited speaker each day through interactive flash signs and an open forum.

“Social awareness is a personal advocacy,” SSC councilor Councilor Pamelle Gallardo, the main proponent of the project, said as she expressed her gratitude during the leg’s closing remarks. “Hopefully, this will be one step closer to an intellectual discourse in the Carolinian community.”

The second leg of the ED Caravan will be hosted by the School of Arts and Sciences this September and will discuss on topics regarding gender, poverty and the environment.

TC

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FEATURE

AUGUST 2015 | Vol. 3 No. 3

TYPES OF JEEPNEY PASSENGERS Kurt B. Bidua

ex-boyfriends, who have made out with their best friends’ best friends. Obviously, they want to make sure that the whole wide world knows how they broke up, so before they went riding, they bought a megaphone. On the other side of the metallic ride, a Sleepyhead is leaning his not-so-weighty head on you. He considers us as a friend, a comfy pillow he can pour his bacteria-filled saliva on.

However, we cannot take the annoyance anymore so we twist our shoulders and let him fall off the platform. Thereafter, we become a man – a very proud one. However, Chewbacca is, at all points in time, very confident. She is very generous as well. She gives us shelter, clothing, and most importantly, food in the form of hair, and lets us live with it. Charity is her strong suit.

Illustration by Esther Daang

Throughout the decades, the ingenuity of the Filipinos has created this sort of “grand thing”. It is grand such that when we try to go cross the road (on a pedestrian lane), while this thing toward us is hooting with god-like speeds, defying the forces of inertia and jumping through Einsteinian referential frames like nobody cares — the “10,000 kph” speed limit are words only anyway — we have to step back, calm down and paint our now red face blue. What is worse is when we are on a commute and the Pass-It-Yourself Angels, the Pa-simple and of course, the Lovers of the Week, come and go our way. Is it just not fun?

Surely, the kaleidoscopic sea of transport the country has is known to be worn-out daily by passengers. The jeepney is not exempt as it is used, only all the time, by a staggering hundreds of thousands of passengers as a means of transport to and from their homes. As a result, unexpected events happen inside it. However, we should not worry, as after reading this article, we’d be au fait with what and whom to expect when we’re on the run.

First, we need to recognize the different types of people we go against and side-by-side in the jeepney. Of course, shouting may be crucial when the little crimes happen — the loss of an expensive iPhone, the mini eye rape or, worse, the theft of a cat. Some of the people whom we will most frequently encounter in our adventure are the Frontrunners, Wow, Chicks, Loudspeakers, PassIt-Yourself Angels, Mother Goose, The Lovers of the Week, DJ-Jej, Sleepyheads, Good Guy, Pasimple, and Chewbacca. There are lots more in the taxonomy, but these are the common ones.

To elaborate, let us set ourselves, as well as the characters previously mentioned, into this plot: It is a humid night and we are waiting in line for a jeepney. The traffic is not elusive in our area, so we say to ourselves, “All of them are probably just stuck out there.” Then, after a few minutes, our ride comes to a halt and exhausts itself of passengers for a haul refill of another set, but suddenly, as we walk peacefully toward the front seat, this Lydia de Vega of a runner dashes madly, like an ostrich laid out to the wild, in front of us and steals our

seat. This type of passenger, called Frontrunner, sometimes jostles with fellow commuters and pushes them to the ground just to win the highly coveted spot. What Godzilla does is nowhere near as powerful, which means then that she is saying bugger off.

Unfilled seats are still available at the back so we, after the previous scenario, settle ourselves there. Daydreaming is not our forte because we always thought that it was for people who lived in the boondocks. However, as we consider it out of boredom, this rare type of gem suddenly appears. It is neither tanzanite nor taffeta. The wondrous heart inside our chests start beating like mad as streaks of pink light this Wow, Chicks type of passenger timidly emits strike your glistening eyes. However, we choose to ignore her, knowing that we do not stand a chance — even with a box of chocolates, flowers and the most sparkling of wines.

Eyeballing the surrounding, we count around fifteen more people, some of whom are humans — some, not so — some are visually good candidates for acquaintance and some, we feel like never having a conversation with unless the terrorist kind of chap holds us up and forces us to choose between death and talking to them. ”Death is obviously better,” we murmur inaudibly. But clearly, something so essential is not happening yet. The jeepney is not moving an inch. A flat tire, maybe? As the inquiries make us weary, the Mother Goose type of passenger comes to view.

Following her up the platform are her two chicks, with their backpacks tidied up and intact with their fragile bodies. We have come to a conclusion that the kids are cute plus the driver waited for them.

Right after, the ride begins.

We watch high-rise establishments flow against the river of darkness that creeps through us.

Exhausted with all the stuff we did in school hours ago, we close our now heavy eyelids and shift to REM sleep mode. A dream about the fairest unicorn ever been born was playing through our subconscious when these three other types of passenger irksomely make our eyes pop open again. The Loudspeakers are talking about their

Sharing blessings is so trending these days that the Lovers of the Week, like Chewbacca, consider charity for asset as well. They willingly give us the chance to view, personally, things like hugging and kissing among others, most of which one can only imagine as a single, contented person. As we are so delighted with what we are looking at, we forget the bother DJ-Jej has brought us for the past few minutes. This type of passenger always brings with him his boom box of a headphone. It is so powerful that the jeep shakes with the tune.

The brain in our head tells us to stop caring anymore, so we stare blankly at other people’s drained faces swooning by the window. Then, unusually, we feel a twitch. We know for ourselves that we’re the most handsome person on earth and now, we have brought about a proof of our theorem and wrote it a book titled The Faultless Face. The verification process was simple: We caught the Pa-simple girl, also called the verifierof-the-perfection-of-your-face passenger, staring so hard at us, shattering glasses, and that was it. This type of passenger always makes sure we wrote that book.

As our stop approaches, we howl palihug or “pass my fare, please” but unluckily, our last stride is not as fun as we thought it would be because the Pass-It-Yourself Angels are on our way for aid.

Neither will they hear a thing nor will they care, no matter how loud we shout or how hard we drill our fare to their faces. The Good Guy, sensing discomfort in the air, lends his hand to us and makes sure that the gold and silver coins get to the driver. We are saved.

We, along with the strangest of passengers, get stuffed in jeepneys like sardines in a tin can.

We probably do not like it, but these jeepneys have been alive and kicking since the end of the WWII and it is probably going to stick around for another million years. The Philippine jeepney is already heavily embossed into the Filipino culture.

Removing it in exchange for improvement and development is like playing Whack-A-Mole — the harder we strike, the more points we get, but the harder the game gets. We only need to ride and love the experience — let loose and meet people.

We will realize in no time that we actually brought it with us through the toughest of times. Although, we probably brought traffic jam with us as well — but still. TC

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MASKARA Hazel Olive Parmes

Illustration by Geralden Morre Conyo dito, conyo doon. Normal na lang kung sa ating kapaligiran napakikinggan.

Tingin natin sa ating mga sarili’y mga bihasa sa larangan ng pananalita habang pilit na tinutugma ang magkakaibang mga wika, Ingles man o Bisaya. Sa tuwing nababanggit na ang salitang “Filipino” ay humahawak agad sa ilong, sabay sabing, “Wooow!

Nosebleed.”

upang makamtan natin ang ating kalayaan sa pamamagitan ng matibay na pagkakaisa at rebolusyon .

Mas maganda sana, ika nga, kung ang kahulugan ng nosebleed na ito’y ang kataasan ng reputasyon ng wikang mayroon tayo. Ngunit, baligtad sa atin ang katotohanan: Nosebleed — kasi hindi natin nakagawi-an. Hindi natin alam.

Ngayon, masakit mang aminin , na sa madugo at makapigil-hiningang takbo ng mga pangyayari sa ating kasaysayan ay hindi tayo marunong lumingon sa ating pinagmulan.

Para bang ikinakahiya at kinalimutan na ang isang wikang ikinokonsidera ng mga kritiko katulad ni Isagani R. Cruz bilang “isa sa pinakamayamang literatura sa mundo.”

Mayaman, oo, dahil bihira lamang sa mundo ang mga etnolingguwistikong grupo sa iisang arkipelagong nagkakaraoon ng sariling literatura.

Ilang mga henerasyon na ang lumipas at tila hindi pa rin tayo nagkakaroon ng ganoong klase ng pagmamahal na ating inilalaan sa Kanluraning mentalidad, sa kung ano ang orihinal na mayroon tayo. Ang tipo ng orihinal na humigit-kumulang apat na siglong pinaghirapang buhayin ng ating mga ninuno

Ang aklat ni Stanley Karnow, na pinamagatang In Our Image: America’s Empire in the Philippines, isang obrang di lamang nanalo ng Pulitzer Prize kundi isang lupon ng mga kabanatang puno ng katunayan na hindi labis naikintal sa isipan ng mga Pilipino ang kahalagahan ng kasaysayan ng ating bansa.

Ito mismo ang siyang nagsasabing, “Ilang mga bansa ang patuloy na nakakadena sa kahalagahan ng nakaraan; hindi ang Pilipinas.”

Ang kasaysayan ang nagbibigay sa isang lahi ng tiyak na pagkakakilanlan. Filipino ang pagkakakilanlan nating mga Pilipino at nawa ito’y patuloy na respetuhin, lingangin at pagaralan . Ang paggamit sa wikang Filipino ay di hamak na kasing importante ng paggamit sa wikang Ingles. Kung tayong Pilipino’y nag-aakalang mas nakahihigit sa isang tao kapag nakakapagsalita ng maayos na Ingles, ang ating mapurol naman na Filipino ang maskarang naglilito kung tayo ba ay tunay na Pilipino.

Kapatid, subukan nating hubarin ang maskarang matagal nang nakatakip sa ating mga mukha, nang ating mapagtanto na hindi ito kailangang itago, kung hindi ang kung ano tayo ang kailangang magbago. TC

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MOVIE REVIEW

Today’s CAROLINIAN

AUGUST 2015 | Vol. 3 No. 3

THE WATCHLIST Jose Anthony Bernaldo & Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu

BIRDMAN / (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu

The Piano

by Jane Campion

Love, Rosie

by Christian Ditter

This is one of the movie that is filled with feelings not just in romance but a more general and realistic comparison, cleverly written and one of the films you will never forget.

Plot twists galore in just one story, it fades its charm towards the end. A romantic comedy that sets more on the realistic side of life.

A Woman Under The Influence

by John Cassavetes

The Best Offer

by Giuseppe Tornatore

The Seventh Seal

by Ingmar Burgman

A perfect example of a feminist film. A study in the difficulty of love, in the delicacy of mental disorder and in a way society demands firm conformity.

A combination of overwhelming feelings that leaves you breathless, it leaves a mark for you to figure out the open ending.

A classic film by Burgman which tells us a story of a knight who, on his way home, stumbles upon Death and plays chess with him to forestall his demise. It is a clever film that haunts us the horror of the inexistence of God and Faith.

Ridiculously continuos shots, was made to look like a One take, Awesome Movie.

It provokes feelings towards the character, more likely to be a satirical comedy or black comedy perhaps.

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COMICS

Today’s CAROLINIAN

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ILLUSTRATION OF THE MONTH

Illustration by Geralden Morre

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SONA

Today’s CAROLINIAN

ECONOMY

AUGUST 2015 | Vol. 3 No. 3

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

CREDIT AGENCY and RATING 2013

NET FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

FITCH

BBB - STABLE

(Minimum investment grade)

2013 2010 P 1.7 Billion

2014

(lowest in a decade)

2014

MOODY’S

Baa2 - STABLE

(Minimum investment grade)

STANDARD & POOR’S

ANNUAL MANUFACTURING SECTOR GROWTH 3%

8%

2001-2009

2010-2014

BBB - STABLE

(Higher than minimum investment grade)

TESDA

EMPLOYED GRADUATES

821,962 P1.24 trillion

APPROVED DOMESTIC 2003 -2Q 2010 INVESTMENTS P2.09 trillion

91.26%

OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS

2014

2nd

JOB OPTIMISM in ASIA PACIFIC JOB OPTIMISM in the WORLD

2011

1st

P9.51 million

CAAB

BACKLOGS REMOVED 2013

61.7 million textbooks

66, 899

classrooms

CLASSROOMS needed for K-12

33,608

constructed

41,000

constructed for 2015

2013

PAL can now fly to the European Union

DepEd 118,000

28.5% ARROYO ADMINISTRATION

P9.07 million

2011

AQUINO ADMINISTRATION

graduates found a job in the semiconductor and electronics industry

3Q 2010-2014 *SURVEY CONDUCTED BY GALLUP INC.

81.9%

training for Work Scholarship Program Graduates

60,000

lacking and will be contructed once Legislatives approve 2016 budget

2.5 million chairs

145, 827 teachers

2016 BUDGET RESOURCES

103.2 million textbooks

4.4 million chairs

Significant safety concerns by the International Civil Aviation Organization in 2009 were lifted

2014

Cebu Pacific can now fly to the European Union

upgrade of US Federal Aviation Administration from Category 2 (given in 2008) to Category 1

2015

EU Air Safety Committee lifted all travel bans to all air carriers a first for EU Air Safety Committee to lift all bans to an aviation sector of a country

PANTAWID PAMILYANG PILIPINO http://todayscarolinian.net PROGRAM Beneficiaries

SONA DOTC

786,523

2010

PROTOTYPE WAGON

AUG 2015

12 REPAIRED ESCALATORS

DEC 2015

4.4 Million

2015

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Today’s CAROLINIAN 3 WAGONS DELIVERED MONTHLY UNTIL JUNE 2015

JAN 2015

TRAIN POWER SUPPLY UPGRADE

2016

MRT REHABILITATION

2015 BENEFICIARIES

PhilHealth

333,673

FREE HEALTHCARE IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS

HS GRADUATES

HS GRADUATES with HONOURS and ACHIEVEMENTS

POLICE-PISTOL

40%

2012

2014

first awarded Public-Private Partnership under the Aquino Administration

BENEFICIARIES

89.4 million

2013: 1.7 Million

20%

47 million

OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN 2008: 2.9 Million

MUNTINLUPA-CAVITE EXPRESSWAY (MCX) INAUGURATION

(poorest population)

13,469

DSWD

TRANSPORTATION

2010

JUNE 2015

2T

380

TAX EVASION charges filed

1.5 T

P1.3T P1.06B

1T P778.6B 500 B

2008

3,328 INVESTIGATIVE KITS

179/577

302/2523

UTILITY VEHICLES

PATROL JEEPS

NUMBER OF LABOR STRIKES

163,000 1,000 CRIMINALS CAUGHT

GANGS NEUTRALIZED

51,000

292,494

AFP & PNP HOUSING

DEC 2015 2017

DELIVERED/TOTAL PURCHASED

Landing Craft Utility 2010

6/8 BELL-412

15

3Q 2010-2014

Lowest ever

1

2013

UNLICIENSED FIREARMS CONFISCATED

FA-50 Fighter Jets

HELICOPTERS

2015 (est)

199

HANDHELD RADIOS

7/13 AW-109

2014

2001-2Q 2010

LONG FIREARMS

31,136

2012

TAX COLLECTION

12,399 +16,867

1:1

a joint project between DPWH and AYALA

2015

HELICOPTERS

DOE

25,257

(2011) SITIO ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAM BENEFICIARIES TARGETED SEP WITH ELECTRICITY CURRENT BENEFICIARIES : 78% BEFORE AQUINO STEPS DOWN : 100%

Landing Craft Heavy 617/617

TROOP CARRIER TRUCKS

50,269

ASSAULT RIFLES

AFP MODERNIZATION PROJECTS

56

45

AQUINO

ARROYO

TARGET 2 FRIGATES 6 CLOSE AIR SUPPORT AIRCRAFT 142 ARMOURED PERSONAL CARRIERS

2010

C-130 2010 2015 2016

C-295 2010

49,135 FORCE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT UNITS 2,884 GRENADE LAUNCHERS 23,622 ADDITIONAL ASSAULT RIFLES

GOVERNMENT-OWNED and CONTROLLED CORPS. (DIVIDENED GARNERED)

P84.18 million - 7 1/2 years ARROYO

P131.86 million - 5 years AQUINO

P168.36 million

BEFORE AQUINO LEAVES OFFICE

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Today’s CAROLINIAN

LITERARY

AUGUST 2015 | Vol. 3 No. 3

THE PALAVER OF A DYING BIRDBRAIN Kyn Noel Pestaño

On days when symbiosis of birdbrains and fur balls is non-existent, I flee to the quiet of the mammoth’s niche.

I was six when Trump, the last of the mammoths, died beneath a ravine.

He was a gentle giant with a pair of six-foot ivory tusks yellowed by 200 years of living. Yes, his kind has finally kicked the damned bucket, and now, all that’s left of him and his brethren is a nest of bones overgrown with river weeds.

The flock today is deathly silent, which means the community again is in for some nonsense. It almost always is, actually. I, my parents and a handful of relatives are what’s left of our bewitching species; hunted for bejeweled feathers and black-market price tags. Resilient, we decided to coexist with the lynxes; another threatened species, albeit a lot less pretty. We give them food – they give us shelter. Sort of a win-win, I guess.

Before the “grand acclimation”, we avian of paradise had brittle, fickle bones that held our sun-kissed feathers. Now however, they are thicker – stronger. Extinction is near, and if we fail to adapt, well, the next funeral’s

not going to be Trump’s. Suffice to say, my biodiversity and the ecosystem in general, are screwed.

Our population’s original habitat has been turned into a sprawling concrete kingdom and us, little winged birdbrains, had and will never have a say. ...

As I peer over Trump’s spine, a 12-foot arc of pockmarked calcium, eyes trailed on the last of the autumn suns, I realize that these feathers, these bones, they’re all just borrowed properties leased to us by kind Mother Earth. That these colors, they’re seasonal; gone will they be when time deems them fit to go.

And I have to wonder.

When they decided to build their kingdoms, did they also realize that concrete was just another borrowed property and that perhaps they, too, were subjects to the law of seasons?

Today’s CAROLINIAN

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Photographed by Christine Suson

The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.

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Today’s CAROLINIAN

AUGUST 2015 | Vol. 3 No. 3