Today's CAROLINIAN - January 2017 Issue

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Illustration by Justine Patrice Bacareza

Death Penalty Bill Approval Sparks Dispute Joen Jacob Ramas On Dec. 7, 2016, the highly-controversial Death Penalty Bill was approved by the House of Representatives Justice Committee and is up for third and final reading before its passage into the Senate. The House Justice Committee approved the bill with votes 12-6 and one abstinence.

The bill, also known as House Bill 01, imposes death penalty on commission of 20 heinous crimes such as qualified bribery, rape, plunder, drug-related crimes, treason, and carnapping, to name a few. Proposed modes of execution are by hanging, through a firing squad, or through lethal injection.

After Marcos’ authoritarian reign during the era of Martial Law, death penalty was deposed in the 1987 Constitution which prohibits the said punishment but allows the Congress to reinstate it for “heinous crimes.” In 1993, death penalty was reinstated under President Fidel Ramos’ term. It was abolished in 2006 during the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, reducing the maximum punishment to life imprisonment. The abolishment of death penalty in 2006 commuted

1,230 death row inmates to life imprisonment in what Amnesty International says is the “largest ever commutation of death sentences.”

However, with the increasing number of drugrelated crimes, majority of the members of Congress are bound to endorse the bill. At least 8 of the 20 proposed heinous crimes punishable by death are related to drugs.

President Rodrigo Duterte, a promoter of death penalty since his campaign, is pleased that the bill is going expeditiously, as this improves the administration’s war on drugs.

In a speech during Senator Manny Pacquiao’s 38th birthday celebration in General Santos City on December 17, 2016, Duterte said he will push through with daily executions of five to six people as soon as the death penalty is revived.

Vice President Leni Robredo, a vocal advocate against death penalty, says that the reinstatement of this punishment violates international protocol.

The Philippines is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),

entered into by the country in 2007. The ICCPR lays down specific provisions for member states to respect and observe fundamental freedoms which includes freedom from cruel, inhumane or degrading punishment. However, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, in argument to Robredo’s stand, stated that the Constitution is above any international protocol.

The country’s most popular priests, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle of Manila and Archbishop Soc Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, are firm in their stand that every life has hope. Tagle, in an advent recollection, stated that the reinstatement of the death penalty is an “act of hopelessness and despair.” It was backed by Villegas in a prayer-rally on Dec. 14, 2016. “We are not protesting without a solution. We are protesting with an alternative — reform the criminal justice system,” Villegas said.

Although it is still to undergo a series of debates, discussions and revisions, legislators from the lower and upper houses are positive that the bill will be approved in the soonest possible time. TC

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NEWS

JANUARY 2017 | Vol. 4 No. 4

SSC Launches CLAYGO Campaign Genesis Ryan Calle The Supreme Student Council headed by Hon. Honey Babe Tagalog, Health and Environment Committee Chair, launched the Clean-As-YouGo (CLAYGO) Campaign last Nov. 7, 2016.

“This is basically a campaign in the university that encourages the students to clean as they go, may it be in the canteens, classrooms, or just anywhere in the premises of the university,” said Hon. Tagalog in an interview.

Banners with the tagline “Be Like Carlos” were placed in the canteens in the Downtown and Talamban campuses for the students to be reminded to clean their own trash once they finish eating.

Photo by Dorothy Lee

Aside from this, the council has also collaborated with the administration to reinforce the campaign. They gave proposals for attractive designs for the trash bins that would be noticeable to the student body. They have also sent their quotations to different trash bin manufacturers and plan to have these bins placed in the canteens by the start of the next academic year. Hon. Tagalog said that they are only waiting for the administration to release the budget so that the production of trash bins could be started.

Furthermore, concessionaires in Kolk’s Nook in the Downtown Campus have seen little to no improvements since the campaign started.

With the responsibility of making sure that the tables are clean being put on them despite no instructions from the administration, the concessionaires are hoping that the council would implement strict regulations such as confiscating the IDs of students who are caught not throwing away their trash to solidify the campaign. They are also hoping for more visible and bigger trash cans in the canteen.

“The long-term goal for the CLAYGO campaign is to be able to build a community of students who are proactive and very much involved in the creation of a healthy and livable environment,” said Hon. Tagalog. TC

Photo by Gifthir Lemuel Elmido

SSC ConCon Updates on Progress Theresa Kate Palompon Since their second session last Nov. 11, 2016, the Supreme Student Council Constitutional Convention (SSC ConCon) has given word on the progress of their intended review and revision of the 2001 SSC Constitution. At the time of writing, the independent body has already begun the process of the Constitutional Review and Reform through the retrospection of existing articles, beginning with the Preamble and Article 1 on the Statement of Principles and Objectives.

form of a resolution subject for review and debate prior to the inception of a final draft.

Subsequently, such revisions shall be voted upon by the ConCon.

emphasis on the fair representation of students in the university conjured the idea of a Council Reform, which entails the modification of the SSC structure.

According to SSC President, Hon. Bret Alfonso Balbuena, it was a collective decision of the council to amend and revise the present constitution. Members of the ConCon also believe that it no longer caters to the recent issues and problems of the student body.

“It would be an openness to changes that many may not have foreseen in the past,” Reyes remarked on the standard set for the ConCon.

The constituents of the Constitutional Convention were delegated a specific article in the constitution, which they must re-examine and yield a draft of its amendment or revision.

Drafts shall be presented to the body in a

SSC ConCon Chairman, Mar Louie Vincent Reyes, noted that the body shall focus on the plight of different sectors within the university, especially international students, religious, cultural and certain advocacy groups. Such

The third session is set to happen early next year in the SSC Downtown Campus office. True to its initial goal, the body agreed to hopefully finish the new Constitution by February 2017.

They also expect to have the USC COMELEC conduct the referendum either on or after the SSC Elections. TC

NEWS

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SSC Holds Pakghinabi Christian Rey Camay

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Hanged Dog Found in USC Dormitory Jeanne Paulie Yap A stray dog was found hanging on its neck in the USC dormitories about two months ago.

The incident spread across social media, with backlash from students to the USC administration.

However, the USC dormitories administration immediately addressed this matter by confirming that there was no order given to the janitor responsible to hang the dog. The administration further declared that the policies regarding animal protection are in order in the dormitory area.

This was also investigated further along with Ronald Acenas, the accused janitor; Mrs. Celestina Salapa, the USC dormitories supervisor; and Fr. Eleno Bucia, SVD, Vice President for Administration.

Photo by Keith Ayuman The SSC held Pakighinabi, a dialogue among students, the SSC and representatives of the USC administration, last Dec. 1, 2016 in the Michael Richartz Conference Center.

Only a few students, most of which were representatives from student organizations; Fr. Anthony S. Salas, SVD, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Bret Balbuena, SSC president, were present during the dialogue.

Other key guests who were invited were not able to catch up.

of guards in interpreting school policies, Balbuena said, “It is really a human factor.

What I want to do is the most tangible one, the revision of the student manual. [Most] of the rules are outdated and it’s a process and it will take time. Most of us millenials want fast results, so one fast result drive I want to do is to partner up with organizations and empower the students. We need to be assertive. It’s tangible, fast and relevant to millennials, but the ultimate goal is still to revise the manual.”

The early release of ISMIS 2.0, inconsistency of the guards in interpreting school uniform policies, teacher harassment toward students and the usage of the university logo in printing shirts were raised.

An incident in which a teacher challenged a student to a fight was addressed. The student has filed a complaint about this issue, but as of writing, no updates were received from the department where the teacher is from, the OSA and the office of the VPAA. Fr. Salas asked the name of the alleged teacher and told the student that this case must be resolved as soon as possible.

Regarding the release of ISMIS 2.0 in the second semester of A.Y. 2016–2017, Fr. Salas expressed his sentiments that he too was just as frustrated as the students. He highly encouraged everyone “to be patient and understanding”.

As to question regarding the inconsistency

The forum ended early. The SSC hopes that there will be more people that will attend the next Pakighinabi in February 2017 in the Downtown Campus. TC

Acenas, a concessionaire of the dormitory canteen and accused janitor of the crime, was seen in the CCTV recordings executing the animal with a rope.

According to Acenas, no order to kill the dog was given to him by the USC dorm admin and that it was a matter of self-defense since that dog has been known for its noxious behavior.

On the night of the incident, the animal in question posed a threat, which led to the subsequent events.

ABS-CBN News has also covered the incident.

According to their article, Island Rescue Organization (IRO), an animal rights group, has sworn to press charges against Acenas and has started investigating on the case.

According to Mrs. Salapa, no updates from the Island Rescue Organization (IRO) have been given yet. As of writing, investigations are still ongoing for Acenas’s case.

Acenas is still under employment in one of the concessionaires in the canteen. TC

Trump to Take Oath as 45th American President Laura Posadas United States President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 at the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. There, he will officially take the Oath of Office as America’s 45th president and will offer his inaugural address afterwards.

Mike Pence, the vice president-elect, will take the oath shortly before Trump. Chief Justice John Roberts of the US Supreme Court will administer the oath on the steps of the United

States Capitol Building. After the swearing in, Trump will give his inaugural address that will be recorded in the pages of American history.

Prior to Trump’s address, there will be various musical performances and words from religious leaders. The 16-year-old opera star, Jackie Evancho, is confirmed to be the singer of the American national anthem during the inauguration ceremony.

Afterwards, there will be a departure ceremony for Obama and his family. Trump will then attend the traditional Congressional luncheon and take part in the inaugural parade. The new President and Vice President will travel down in a motorcade to Pennsylvania Avenue between the Capitol and White House with well-wishers and protesters lining the streets. Subsequently, they will remain on the viewing platform at the White House to watch the rest of the parade.

TC

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MAIN OPINION

JANUARY 2017 | Vol. 4 No. 4

On the Real Essence of Education

Illustration by Geralden Morre Education has always been one of our greatest priorities — our parents work long and hard just to earn the money that will send us to school, and we work long and hard just to earn the grades that are required for us to move on to the next step of the academic ladder.

What for?

Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that education is a right for every person. Article XIV Section 1 of the Philippine Constitution promotes education, too, but in the country’s setting, Filipinos value it because it is the surefire way to have stable jobs. A diploma, a degree or a suffix (or more) after one’s name will pave way to a satisfying life.

Perhaps, that is the reason for the clamor on events that transpired the past year, particularly the rallies that were staged to oppose certain decisions and actions done in this country. A lot of the noise came from “concerned” individuals who think that the students who involved themselves in the struggle were neglecting their education and the efforts of their parents to provide that for them.

Are they, though? Is our culture perceiving the value of education the right way?

These students are standing up for what they are aware of and what they believe in.

They are fighting for the things they learned and processed among themselves. They are applying what they have taken in from school or from other learning platforms.

The peaceful protest against extrajudicial killings conducted by the Department of Political Science on August last year was organized because they have learned in their classes that human rights are not to be trampled on. The rallies that went on all over the country to express dissent over the burial of Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani were done because their history lessons and research shone a light on the atrocities of the Marcos administration. It is also noteworthy that the protest was supported by the political science faculty, and that the rallies were attended by not just students, but also professionals, university heads and chief executive officers of huge companies.

Street assemblies are not a sign of lack of education, because education transcends diplomas, degrees and suffixes after our names.

Our country’s view on education is so ingrained in us that we only work so hard in school because we just want to pass or to get those academic incentives. However, what if we work so hard in school because we just want to be aware of things, to learn more about them, and to know how they apply in our lives? What if we exert our efforts academically not for the enrichment of our bank accounts but for the enrichment of our minds, our principles and our characters?

After all, the said Article 26 states this: “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

We are human beings with the right to cultivate ourselves. That should be the real essence of education.

TC

OPINION

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Chinese Poodle Spotted in Malacañang “I am the president of a sovereign state”, said the poodle.

After barking at U.S. President Barack Obama, our dear lord savior President Duterte went on a tirade of insults, both political and personal, against America as a whole and its officials, marking the start of a one-side romance’s degradation. I agree with the barking, for most part.

Kyn Noel Pestaño

The U.S. is the only remaining political superpower after WWII, and to further its interests it has taken our country by the collar — a lap dog, licking white democratic balls under the guise of eating siopao. White, democratic siopaos do not fill a lap dog’s belly.

The United States’ neocolonialization is derogatory in all aspects. We have continuously given them invaluable leverage but what we have been receiving in return are hand-me-down equipment and dollar scraps they insistently call “aid”. So why am I unhappy with Duterte breaking up with this hegemon? The new girlfriend eats dogs.

States’ offer of security and in the process became its semimendicant, but dogs in China are not as loved.

Our relationship with China traces back to even before Philippine history began, far behind Pigafetta’s first accounts of our archipelago.

The universal pressure for growth shared by all nations, however, prompted us to turn our backs on our childhood friend. To safeguard our national interests, we took the United

This turn from one major power to another is myopic, at best. The issues in the West Philippine Sea have been inflaming our relationship with China, but addressing that by turning our national identity from mendicant to concubine is idiotic. Our exit from the U.S. is well-grounded, but to cushion its impact, this administration should have woven in place strong global and regional ties beforehand, instead of asking for another pair of balls to lick.

From one hegemon to another, Duterte at this juncture, really is the change scammer I proclaim him to be. TC

taking even tomorrow. These powerful people do not serve justice — they own it. They will do whatever they can to manipulate everything and place the situation in their favor, no matter who gets destroyed in the process. At this point, justice is not even in their vocabulary.

Does injustice apply to everyone? Yes, it does. It has become the status quo that injustices do not only affect the large institutions, but also even the smaller units of the society like organizations, private institutions, schools, friends and even within family and relatives. No one is safe.

What’s worse is that, as they harness all the power for their own purposes, the people around them who deserve justice are still waiting in line.

Sadly, justice might never come. Instead, injustice is openly given to anyone to suffer for it.

It is frustrating to know that injustice is prevalent anywhere, and we can’t do anything about it because of the fear planted by those holding power over us.

2012, it was not until recently — when the airstrikes and civilian casualties worsened — that “Aleppo” reached, and perhaps surpassed, the level of notoriety that “Iraq” carried around ten years ago.

skeletons in the closet. Now, both are being bared to the world, no holds barred.

Justifying Injustice Power must always be accompanied with justice.

Yet nowadays, this ideal system does not hold true.

Power does not come with justice anymore, and disappointingly, justice can never be fully realized without power. Apparently, a whole bunch of injustices are waiting to be passed around to the people who are less powerful.

How can injustice brought about by power be justified?

Kaye Diamos

Whoever has the power owns a portion of the world and everything within it.

This is a truth today and is still the course that we are

The real question is: Can the injustice brought about by power be truly justified? TC

Watching Aleppo Burn It has been more than a year since the lifeless body of Aylan Kurdi washed up on a shore in Greece, an image that shocked the world.

Unfortunately, since then it seems that the only real change is that the scope of our concern has moved from the ongoing refugee crisis to its source, the civil unrest in Syria. Aleppo, once Syria’s largest and proudest city, is now center stage for a battle between rebels and the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Although the conflict in the city has been raging since

Paolo Perez

As the buildings in Aleppo crumble, so too do the facades of the foreign powers involving themselves in the carnage.

From America to Russia, the world stage is being shown some uncomfortable truths about its most major players, not all of which can be changed so easily. There are bodies in the streets. There are

As usual, our most visible indicator of the situation is social media. However, the tweets and statuses coming out of Syria are much bleaker, with some explicitly expecting their words to be their last before sending them out.

There is little any of us can do but watch, but are we truly only pawns — or even worse, spectators — in this struggle?

TC

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OPINION

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JANUARY 2017 | Vol. 4 No. 4

Social Media: A Platform for Self-Validation Click. Type. Tweet. Upload.

Post.

Christine Suson

Aren’t we all acquainted with these virtual commands?

Almost everything that happens in real life immediately gets documented online. Almost every experience has an instant online duplicate.

This isn’t exclusive for millennials, but for other generations as well. Ever have an E day, failed to take at least one good photo and found yourself saying “Sayanga uy” as if it wasn’t enough that it only happened offline?

Why is there a need to

screen everything and make sure we upload the best one? To post pictures of events and places we’ve gone to? Why do we have the urge to upload the highlights of our year in one album? Why do some of us — if not all —feel obliged to post whenever we come home from a day’s worth of good memories online?

Is it really just to document our experiences? Is it really just to have something tangible to look back on?

Or is it because deep down, we want people — even strangers — to know that we are having a good time?

We want validation. We want appreciation and recognition. We want to be

told that we are this and that. We want people to want us or to want what we have. This desire is reflected in our social media sites.

losing the essence of the People Power Revolution.

It was through this fearless struggle that the constitution was ratified and the power — especially to impose Martial Law — was decentralized to the three branches of government.

The current administration, however, seems more likely inclined to amend the constitutional process on declaring martial law. It is as if the executive body wishes to monopolize the power to declare martial law without the approval of the legislative and judicial bodies.

happened. It might not be now, but do we really need to see it unfold in front of us and regret everything in the end? Truly, prevention is better than cure. Sadly, only a few of us have noticed and voiced out to the government — which is slowly forgetting its roots.

Yes, we can easily say that the administration might not be serious regarding this issue, yet almost all of the issues the president has joked about actually

The dreams of the past don’t need to stay merely as dreams; we can start realizing them and make them as the foundation to become our reality. TC

Yes, social media fuels our creativity and enthusiasm.

However, during times where we’re able to reflect about why we are doing the things we do, we come into terms with ourselves and the reasons for our actions.

To put it bluntly, social media is not just a platform to connect and share, but is also rather a platform where we subconsciously want to feed our vanity. TC

Philippine Farm

Christian Rey Camay

One could say that the most successful uprising that happened in our country was the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986. Ousting Ferdinand Marcos through the will of the masses, which resulted in a bloodless victory, was unique in its time.

Born were freedom and democracy — which we now enjoy. It is our duty to protect and preserve what the revolution fought for.

However, everything dreamt for us is slowly slipping from our grasp, and the personas that the revolution fought against are steadily returning to power.

Recent trends somewhat show the irony of what the revolution fought for.

There are vital signs that are vividly seen that we are

Are we really just in an endless and vicious cycle? Is it all true that politicians change but their wrongdoings won’t?

The answer to all of these questions lies deeply in our history.

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FEATURE

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DEATH DON’T NEED COFFINS HERE Kyn Noe Pestano

Illsutrated by Geralden Morre

One amoeba, two amoebas, four amoebas, sixteen amoebas, single-celled organisms, multi-celled organisms, Cretaceous Period, Jurassic Period, Dinosaurs, meteor, Ice Age, mammals, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Jesus, Industrial Revolution, Duterte, Trump... Mocha Uson.

you, you begin to understand nothing. While understanding nothing and watching the days pass while counting how many more you might have left, based on the number of soldiers on the next border and the volume of the cries you hear nearby, you begin to take notice of the silence in your own screams.

Three and a half billion years’ worth of evolution, strength, resilience, intelligence, survival, all leading to average-sized mammals scribbling down rules so other average-sized mammals won’t get to scribble theirs. Pathetic, but here lies our saga, so we continue.

Then a camera captures a boy, and suddenly you have a voice.

A cross is not a cross until a dead man’s on it... or so the song in the Middle East goes, or on the streets here in our country, or in the chambers holding law makers or a president’s brain. But here lies our saga, so we continue.

The song in the Middle East is the loudest quiet anyone’s heard in a while. When forces you cannot understand place bombs inside churches or on your neighbor’s homes, you flee. When fleeing while having only the thought of filling the stomachs and quenching the parched throats of your family accompany

The song in our Christmas is accented by a bill passed in the house of people representing only themselves. The date for its chorus is blurred by some people representing their people, but no one ever represents the dead. Perhaps death penalty doesn’t represent anyone beyond the count of unforgivable crimes, or the poor and marginalized caught in circumstances, or the rich and the powerful weaving circumstances, or overworked lawyers unable to serve enough justice for the innocent to not die. Perhaps death penalty is the anthem this administration needs to be rid of everything bad now. Perhaps everything bad now should not be approached by a good founded in death. Perhaps water is thicker than blood in this country – perhaps we are drowning in both.

The song in our Christmas is that of a boy turning 18, and the chorus is in him realizing that revenge is equivalent to justice.

The cross in the country is painted by its god as a cloud of white dust blowing from one windpipe to the next. The song playing as he does so is orchestrated by the hammer in a courtroom and at the back of a pistol’s gun. The chorus is sung by those on the safe end of the barrel, and is listened to by the ones waiting for another life… or another bullet. And we cry, we cry and scream and write about it but when our tears dry up, our throats parch and our ink finishes spreading across a paper no one wants to read, we fall back to the comfort of apathy again. Then a woman holds a man where god thinks the white dust is harvested from, and the singers sing “good jobs” and suddenly the portrait of our cross resembles the overturned scale of forgotten justice.

Our cross now has 6,000 dead men on it, but this is our saga so we continue to sing, anyway. TC

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Today’s CAROLINIAN

FEATURE

JANUARY 2017 | Vol. 4 No. 4

Even the Sinulog Festival is Not Exempted from Change Genesis Ryan Calle

Photographs by Angelo Nico Daroy and Christen Cacanog Winner of the “Best Festival in the Philippines” award by Choose Philippines given last Dec. 1, 2016, the Sinulog Festival beats out other festivals such as the Kadayawan Festival of Davao City, Panagbenga Festival of Baguio City, Pahiyas Festival of Quezon Province, and Masskara Festival of Bacolod City. The Executive Director of the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) Ricky Ballesteros shares this award to all the Cebuanos who make the yearly festival possible. He also iterates that Sinulog 2017 “would still be the grandest and biggest festival in country” despite some changes that are made because of budget cuts and precautions imposed by the new administration.

The annual spectacle that pageant enthusiasts in the region would always look forward to will not be walking the runway of Sinulog this year. The Miss Cebu pageant has been taken out from the official list of activities for Sinulog after Mayor Tomas Osmeña stated that he wants the annual pageantry to be halted to decrease expenses. It is discovered that the Cebu City Tourism Commission would usually shell out PHP 200,000 to PHP 300,000 every time the pageant is organized. This means that reigning Miss Cebu 2016 Gabrielle Raine Baljak will have to keep the sash and the crown to herself in the meantime before the next pageant, if ever there will be one in the next four years.

Another awaited event, especially by students all over the city, that has been scrapped from the official Sinulog lineup is the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan. Viewers will not get to see elementary and high school

students from the city parade the streets of General Maxilom Avenue with their extravagant outfits and synchronized choreographies. Mayor Osmeña found it out of control for public schools to be spending as much as PHP 1.5 million every time they send participants for the parade.

This omission will also save the students from late night practices, shifting classes to accommodate the practices, and exhaustion from performing under the sun whilst donning thick and heavy costumes.

Instead of public schools, the SFI has requested the local barangays to send contingents to a similar event called the Sinulog sa Barangay.

Students are still welcome to participate in the event as long as it does not interfere with their night classes.

Participants of the Grand Parade will get to rest early with the proposed shorter route for the procession. The change of routes was done to make sure that the event will end early with Ballesteros mentioning security priority for the decision’s reasoning. Mayor Osmeña also expressed for people to stop dirtying the name of the Sinulog festival and using it “as an excuse to get drunk, or worse, high on drugs”. He says it ultimately damages the tourism, reputation, and the true meaning of Sinulog which is venerating the Santo Niño.

Despite these changes, it is still expected that the Sinulog Festival will still leave a colorful imprint on the Cebuanos and the visitors, especially on their white shirts. TC

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FEATURE

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FEATURE

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JANUARY 2017 | Vol. 4 No. 4

Fick Pitches a

Filipino Film Fick Shore-Head

Look here, dude. I don’t give a (expletive) whether this plot is out of your (expletive) branding or something, but ya gotta hear me out. This is the most (expletive) brilliant movie I’ve come up with… ever! It’s as pretentiously political as (expletive)!

First, we begin with the May elections, alright? Let’s make that I-got-a-reputation-of-being-crazy Duterte win! That will set up the (expletive) problems of our protagonist. Who’s the protagonist, you ask? Don’t (expletive) know, honestly.

But let him be played by that (expletive) V.G.; we aren’t going for an MMFF award, anyway.

Now, President D. cuts ties with the U.S.A. for not clear reason. Maybe because of a dead gorilla that sparks a (expletive) lewd protest? Dunno. And where he goes?

Russia and China! Yup! You heard me, right. China! Dunno how that will (expletive) affect the masses or Scarborough, but the protagonist is working for an American firm or something. Of course, the Philippine economy goes (expletive) down, naturally.

But who gives a (expletive)? Filipinos don’t care!

Now, let’s throw in some Korean-drama subplot into our story, ya know? Filipinos (expletive) love their Korean love stories!

Let the Korean president — name her Park Geun-hye — be a puppet of this shaman, alright? I don’t know where the (expletive) this is going, to be honest,

have her impeached as the year, I mean movie, ends or something. As long as Seoul is there, the Filipinos are gonna go (expletive) crazy!

Then let’s make the protagonist a swimmer in the Rio Olympics in August, alright?

Even those cheapskate Filipinos will crack at the sight of him swimming through literal poo! The Olympics becomes so ugly, athletes get robbed!

Then them Filipinos love to meddle with Europe, alright? Look at that cheap soap opera titled Amaro Amore! So there’s like a war in Syria, right? Let the war escapees go to Europe, where they cause a lotta (expletive) trouble! The U.K. leaves the European Union, and its economy goes to (expletive)! Let the immigrants run over Germany and rape and kill much to Merkel’s fears! Let terrorists (expletive) attack Belgium and France in a nice truck!

HA! Let terror (expletive) ruin Europe in this story!

Then amnesia attracts them Filipinos to the TV. Let the protagonist have an amnesia about the horrors of Marcos’s (expletive) regime and have him buried in the Heroes’ Cemetery! Then let it be something so quiet, protests only happen after the burial! That (expletive)’s sure cracking me up right now.

Then more November surprises! Let’s make the Americans elect the (expletive)

Donald Trump for president in November!

He even defeats Hillary Clinton — of all people. HA! Then he’s got plans against those immigrants, ya know? Now, the protagonist is gonna have a big problem here, and I mean (expletive) B-I-G. His brother is an immigrant! But not only that, he’s a meth-addicted immigrant!

HA! And you know what? President Foul-Mouth Rody is out (expletive) up them meth addicts! Roughly 6,000 addicts are already killed! Now, let’s not forget about the death penalty on heinous crimes — and some non-heinous ones like piracy.

Filipinos sure love (expletive) deaths!

Then let’s make some set up for World War 3 or something. Dunno how exactly, ya know. Maybe have some random Russian ambassador (expletive) killed in Turkey.

Name him Andrey Karlov. I just wanna feature a lot of scenes outside this filthy country. Filipinos wanna be out of the Philippines anyway. This could happen near the end of the year, I mean film, you know? Even though the protagonist ain’t there, it’s a (expletive) good set up for future installments!

What? You think none of what I said makes any sense? Huh, everything just felt too real to me, ya know? And come the (expletive) on! It’s Filipino entertainment!

It’s 2016! Nothing has to make any sense!

TC

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What was the most significant thing you did in 2016?

When asked to review the year, the Internet would likely say 2016 was a drug-induced nightmare, citing tragedies and political mishaps. With all this negativity saturating the media, it is important to remember that we are capable of putting joy into the world, however indirectly it may be.

We stand on the shoulders of giants like 2016 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos. Although it might seem like we stand on the shadows of people like him, we must not compare our own achievements to theirs. Our small individual actions — even those that only affect ourselves — are also laudable. What were the significant things done by Carolinians this 2016?

“This year has been full of opportunities beyond school. From programs, to competitions and boot-camps. All of them happened outside of Cebu, yet I didn’t pay a single penny. I flew to Manila, Iloilo and even as far as Zamboanga this year. A total of 32 flights all in all.”

– Alexander Bajarias, BS BA Mkgt Mgt 4 “The most significant thing I did for myself this 2016 was finally falling in love with my course. It was a terrible on-off relationship. It kept me stressed. It left me sleepless. There was a point when I wanted to veer away from it, but I did my best to rediscover the reasons why I chose this course in the first place. My college experience is about to culminate in a few months, and I look forward building a career as an internal auditor.”

– Rainiel Llauderes, BS MA 4 “The most significant thing that happened was passing my data gathering for my thesis. It’s the most crucial moment in PolSci because it determines whether you can graduate on time or not. It’s known to fail a lot of people.”

– Caryssa Therese C. Verzosa, BS POSC LPS 4 “Poetry. Rapping. In front of people. Sharing stories. It helped me broaden my advocacy of embracing the Bisdak culture and saturating it with Bisaya rap and poetry.”

– John Paul Arias, BS POSC 3 “The most significant thing I did in 2016 would surely be my participation in student organizations. This started in 2015 for me, but last year I was still constrained by ignorance and the thought that I was still a new kid on the block, so it was still a lot harder for me to expand my horizons then. This year was far more different. I got the hang of the things that made 2015 a rollercoaster for me. I gained a lot of experience, built new bridges, strengthened the ones that were already there and grew holistically.”

– John Jay Seno Batulan, BSED-English “Looking back at 2016, I think the most significant thing I did was conquering my fear of doing things alone. I was very dependent on my friends before. I didn’t have the confidence to own my decisions.”

– Hephzibah Beulah Pilapil, BEd EDEd – MontEd4 “The most significant thing I did in 2016 was applying for Top Outstanding Leader [in USC]. The application period made me change my outlook on life. This outlook refers to being positive in everything that I do and utilizing each mistake made as an advantage to develop myself.”

– Jefferson Ombe, BS IE 5

“The most significant thing that happened to me this year was my breakup with my girlfriend of two years. It directed my focus to my studies and helped me realize what real intimacy is. She was my first girlfriend, and I don’t think I’ll look for anyone anytime soon because I can’t handle the idea of having someone other than her.”

– James Ababao, BS EE 2 “I helped a suicidal person. It was a long and hard fight, but in the end, they really tried to change their perspective and the way they handle things.”

– Edgie Sarino, BS Psych 3 “The most significant thing was being able to serve the students for the last time before I graduate, and to have had my advocacy materialize through my organizations.”

– Christian Talens Cubillan, BS CS 4 “I had my hospital internship at Chong Hua Hospital. I consider it to be one of the most significant events because I got to immerse myself in the actual practice of my profession. I saw the beauty of the hospital pharmacy workflow system, dealing with different personalities of people in a workplace and handling responsibilities under pressure.

Accomplishing 240 duty hours was so meaningful with the warm welcome of the CHH pharmacy staff and the knowledge-based training they instilled on us. Amidst the busy schedule, that internship experience didn’t only equip us with pharmacy-related concepts but the experience helped me to be responsible of my actions and to make practical decisions in the real world.”

– Mary Drixie Sudario, BS Pharmacy 4 “I guess it would be cutting my hair to the point of it almost being a boy cut just to see if the female social construct exists near me. And if it does — it did — I would challenge it and show others that girls can totally pull off the boy cut and still be girly about it.”

– Erwina Chan, BS AA 3 “I gave up my favorite handkerchief, given by my Grandma, to a kid who was soaked. He didn’t have anything dry on him and was shaking, so I ended up giving it up.”

– Aiona Bulanon, BS ID 3 TC

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Today’s CAROLINIAN

LITERARY

JANUARY 2017 | Vol. 4 No. 4

Daughter of the Ocean Erica Nicole C. Jabel

Illustration by Eduard Jude Jamolin

Take a deep breath, test the waters and plunge headfirst Fingers crossed and eyes shut And no matter what, keep going You don’t have to drown within the shallow waters of everyone else’s opinions about you There’s never any shame in fear and self-doubt, in needing help Stop hurting yourself up over each mistake One day, you will see that in the depth of the shipwreck you call your life There’s a lighthouse, guiding you toward the shore of forgiveness It’s not too far away, just take the first step You must learn to forgive yourself first I can still remember five years ago, you called me up Said you needed to tell me something, you were sobbing Said he took it away, like it was nothing But it was not nothing It was something. Something you took care of, hoping to give it one day to the right one Listen, your body is a map and the only one who knows every corner of every place within, is you He may have placed his mark on you, but he doesn’t own the most precious jewel you hold, and that is your heart There’s an ocean of strength somewhere within you, And when you realize it, you will see that you had Atlantis within you all along Many years ago, sailors use the North Star to help them figure out where they are in the vast ocean Today is the day you take the charge of that helm You’re the sailor of your own ship in this vast ocean we call life Though nothing good is ever certain Look up the sky; hold up your palm and point it to the Northern Star After all, you are the daughter of the ocean Set sail, be free TC

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LITERARY

Today’s CAROLINIAN

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THE TIME HAS COME Zarah Majam

Illustration by Jon Ahmed Durano

I do not want to raise my son in a world where men attack women. I do not want him to believe that because of his gender, he is entitled to a woman’s body. He did not spend nine months in my womb to believe that it is okay to disrespect a woman – or anyone, no matter their sexuality.

He will learn that masculinity is not about how many girls he can get in one night, or how he throws his punches. Masculinity is about how you give and receive respect to everyone and anyone no matter their race, their gender, or their religion. He was born in this world with love, and through love he shall live.

I do not want him to believe that a woman is defined by the clothes she wears. I refuse to let culture cultivate him into thinking that a woman’s body parts are meant to be objectified. For him, a woman shall not be a tool that he can use as he pleases, but rather, a woman is a reflection of the strength he sees in himself. There is no beauty in objectification, but there is beauty in respect.

I do not want him to be induced with pride and ego. I do not want him to look at people as his inferiors, as if he was made to dominate. He was made to look at people as his equals, as his companions – willing to lift them up rather than bring them down.

I want my son to openly embrace his emotions and not conform to the roles that are so vigorously placed upon him. He is entitled to feel, and he is entitled to cry and to enjoy the vast spectrum of feelings that our bodies produce. He is allowed to do all these things and not be chastised for it.

The time has come for us to raise our sons in a society that does not define them by their gender roles, but encourages them to look past the conformity. The time has come for us to make a difference in the way our boys think and in the way our world lets them think.

It is time for us to create a world where we want our sons to live in.

TC

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COMICS

Today’s CAROLINIAN

“I’m going to exercise this year.”

“I’m going to exercise this year.”

JANUARY 2017 | Vol. 4 No. 4

“I’m going to exercise this year.”

I’m going going to to exercise exercise ““I’m this year. year.”” this

New Year's Resolution Things ni Eduard

HOROSCOPES BY LIT AF, BAI Aries

Cancer

Libra

Capricorn

Your dad will finally palit you those jeans you saw while window shopping at Happy Mart, bai.

Deym, don’t move too much lang, magisi siya slight sa may tuhod but s’all good ‘cos you can palusot they are tattered. You will be lit af (fire emoji, 100 emoji) this month, bai.

Oh, no, bai. Your motto this buwan is, “Can’t. I’m broke.” Mommy will cut your baon to 30 pesos a day apil na plete ‘cos your car got prenda. Hitch nalang sa squad and snap the moment jud kay usahay ra ka makasakay sa back seat of his Rover that you know you can’t afford.

Please amot sa tagay, bai. Sinulog pa jud, don’t gun drinks you did not bayad for, ha? Kusog kaayo ka mu-drink nya kusog sad kaayo mu-CR kung tingbayad na. Don’t me, bai. #gosh

Delete your Snapchat, now na. So tired of your 43 selfies a day doing nothing, bai. No need to hambog about your face also ‘cos #FilterPaMore ra na. If you want jud daghan views, go nalang to Messenger ‘cos sharo you won’t get 20 views from your 2k plus friends. Yassss, famous goals!

Lucky Color: Luhcoste Green

Lucky Color: Li-og Black

Lucky Color: Cool, Bro(wn)

Lucky Color: POTUS Orange

Taurus

Leo

Scorpio

Piso fare ang Cebu Pac this month so travel all you can, bai. Palit na flight to Manila and make sure you bring your passport. You might not sakay the plane nya without the passport, strict raba ang NAIA Terminal 3. Watch out ka!

You know Drake? He’s not the DJ of “Middle,” ha. Nor a DJ at all. Gosh, you ba. Research more this month, bai. Fact-check everything you say ‘cos your friends will start to notice na jud, sayang imong effort in making libre your future employers.

Your mom will order an iPhone 7+ for you, bai! Congrats! Your life goal has finally been achieved, grabe I’m so, so, so proud of you. After all your sacrifices and hardships, bai, your mom bought you an iPhone najud. Worth it ra jud lagi ang life, bai, you reached your dream na at this age, wow. #believelikeScorpio

Your squad will hagad you to a night out in Liv sa end of the month but amot daw mo for the VIP table. Sugod saving na so you can amot more than others! Lunch out lang sah in Burp plus Pabugnawan drinks this week. Shucks, so hard to party noh? Theme daw is, “Any color basta white.”

Lucky Color: Cherry Mobile Rose Gold

Lucky Color: Any color basta white

Lucky Color: Panit sa Lechon Velvet

Aquarius

Lucky Color: Bun-og Purple

Gemini

Virgo

SagiTtarius

Pisces

If you are wearing braces, bai, please lang visit your dentist na. Ayaw kahadlok your dentist will say your teeth look perfect na and take it off.

Mao na’y use sa braces, bai, not for picture. Pls lang, ni-graduate nalang ka from high school, mu-graduate nalang ka sa college, braces still.

So not cool, smh. Kung wala ka ga-braces, pag-braces na kay para you’re cool nalang pud. #bresheshbro

Stop using gluta na, bai. You don’t need to be puti just so you will look like you can afford buying lapis at Muji without hurting your pitaka. Love your skin, bai, and most importantly love Mongol # 2. If you’re naturally puti, stop using that tint from Ever Bilena ‘cos you lookin’ like gisagpa gikan.

You are the star this month, bai. You will top your class, your teacher will choose you as the representative for a contest, you will gain more friends, you will travel around Badjan and Dumanjug, plus you will win an electric fan in a raffle draw in Gaisano Jai-Alai. January is your month, enjoy!

Bai. Your happy crush will tagad you today ‘cos she saw something in you that others do not have. Act natural, bai. Don’t paklaro your kulba.

Breathe in, and slowly make pagawas your iPhone 7. Mao na iya nakit-an in you. Congrats sa love life this month and make andam loads of cha-ching!

Lucky Color: Alimutak White

Lucky Color: HBW Blue

Lucky Color: Hepa Yellow

Lucky Color: Lagos Violet

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Today’s CAROLINIAN

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Photograph by Christine Suson

I think we deserve a soft epilogue, my love. We are good people and we’ve suffered enough.

- Nikka Ursula

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Today’s CAROLINIAN

JANUARY 2017 | Vol. 4 No. 4