Tolentine Star Tabloid 2020-2021

TOLENTINESTAR THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS MEMBER, COLLEGE EDITORS GUILD OF THE PHILIPPINES

AY 2020-2021 LXXIX No. 1

TRUTH AS IT HAPPENS

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SHIFTS AND TURNS UPFRONT INSPECTION. Visual aids outlining minimum health protocols and requirements upon campus entry are presented at the University main entrance. photo by RAEVERLY ELENA RAMIREZ

Tuition fee lowered by 3%, no misc fees for 1st sem

by KRISHA MARIE SEMELLANO

The school board approved a threepercent decrease in tuition fees and waived charges on some miscellaneous and other fees for the first semester of academic year 2020-2021 as entailed in Special Memorandum No. 021 and Memorandum No. 017, respectively.

Director of External Affairs Dr. Carlos Legaspi Jr. said that the guidelines enclosed in Memorandum No. 17 stated that the cultural, medical-dental, and sports fees will not be charged during the first semester while for students who already paid in full, their payments will be credited to their respective accounts.

Moreover, during the virtual forum conducted by the University administration in partnership with the UNO-R Supreme Student Government last Sept. 30, University Comptroller Ma. Luisa Catague, CPA, MBA, said, “You [students] will not be charged for the services you did not avail,” particularly referring to waived

charges of miscellaneous fees. Hence, the following miscellaneous fees will be removed from the students’ assessment.

With the adjustments in fees, the University expects that the changes will affect its workforce, budgeting schemes, administrative processes, and overall operations.

“Not only [with] the [implementation of a] discount but also taking into consideration the significant drop in the enrolment due to fear of COVID-19, it has an effect on the projected budget of the University,” Legaspi stated.

Legaspi further stressed the value of solidarity embraced by the school board for students and their families affected by the pandemic.

“When they [school board] decided to give the discount, it is all in the spirit of Caritas and solidarity,” he said.

Third-year Electrical Engineering student Sean Ellery Lagdameo shared how the tuition discount helped his family amidst the pandemic.

“The three-percent discount helped us [family] despite our situation. Even if it [tuition fee discount] is small [in amount], but with that amount, we can still buy food and other necessities and it’s better than nothing.”

However, Shen Young Salarda, second-year Mass Communication student, shared that she was disappointed with the minimal decrease in the tuition fee.

“I was actually hoping for a higher discount since we aren’t using any of the University’s facilities. But, at the same time, I understand that these fees are needed for the University to operate,” she added.

Legaspi shared that the discount for the first semester might be extended until the second semester, however, as of press time, there are no updates.

He also added that, for this academic year, UNO-R was the only one among all major schools in Bacolod City that had implemented a tuition fee discount.

UNO-R gears for virtual A.Y. 2020-2021

by ROMCHELLE CHRIS DANIELLE WAMINAL

Classes are in session. The University opened its virtual doors to the students of academic year 2020-2021 as online classes ensued amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, following a new set of educational guidelines issued by the Vice President for Academics, Aug. 17.

Among the major features in the new scheme is the shifting of the University to a phasing system instead of the implementation of the usual terms per semester. “[This is] to reduce the student’s course load given the shortened period of implementation [which is] six weeks per course,” Rev. Fr. Jose Alden Alipin, OAR, vice president for academics, said.

College departments are in charge of clustering the students’ subjects while

INSIDE

the Management Information System makes sure that the students won’t have a five-unit subject in a particular phase. Subjects with more than three contact hours may require two to three phases for completion, according to Engr. Christopher Taclobos, MEng, university registrar.

“CHED [Commission on Higher Education] prescribed that the total contact hours in a week should not be more than 36 [hours],” Taclobos said in the University-wide student forum on Sept. 20.

Other components of the new guidelines include the use of Schoology as the main Learning Management System (LMS) to aid instruction dissemination from teacher to student where class materials such as course 03 NEWS UCDO UCDO, UNORSSGO raise over P100K in online benefit concert

notes, book references, and slides presentations are to be converted into PDF format, video clips, audio recordings and links for further readings are placed in the platform, the use of a video conferencing software for teachers to facilitate the students’ learning as well as changes in the grading system that entailed conducting of only midterm and final examinations per phase.

STUD POP DROPS With online classes pushing through, the first semester of the academic year 2020-2021 was greeted by 3,916 college students as opposed to last year’s 4,175 students representing a 6.2-percent decrease in the total tertiary student population according

Studs keep U-Week spirit alive thru ‘Baliktanawon!’

by CARLA JOANNE ROBLES

An online campaign to celebrate University Week 2020 was organized by the UNO-R Supreme Student Government (UNORSSGO) to bring color and festivities closer to the UNO-Rian community amidst the pandemic, Sept. 9.

“This mini celebration is just a simple and fun ride down the U-Week memory lane. Through the theme, “Baliktanawon!: University Week in Retrospect”, we would like to reminisce the events that took place in the past two U-Week celebrations,” UNORSSGO President Charles Gabriel Gelotin said.

As an online alternative, the UNORSSGO included posters and University-Week bingo checklists for social media stories and feeds for the students to be engaged.

“We also want students to share their unforgettable U-Week experiences where they can receive load vouchers,” Gelotin added.

Despite the virtual activities, online classes still continued, a shift from the usual no-class scheme during U-week.

“As a UNO-Rian for three years, I kind of expected that I would experience a kind of event where I can enjoy a week without worrying about all the hassles of school

U-WEEK NOSTALGIA. BALIKTANAWON poster. photo courtsey of UNORSSGO

work,” Accountancy sophomore Joshua Priolo shared.

Daniela Villacampa, a second year Education student who participated in one event of UNORSSGO, shared that the event was successful despite the lack of face-to-face activities.

“This clever way of our Supreme Student Government on how to adapt to change in celebrating our U-Week serves as an avenue for each of every UNO-Rians to reminisce the previous years of being so supportive to each other,” she shared.

Another sem starter activity will be organized by the UNORSGGO during the second semester.

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03 GROUND ZERO

04 TAMPOK

Studs, admin convene at U-wide virtual meet

Ang makulay na kasaysayan ng San Sebastian de Magsungay

05 BAHIN SIUDAD Masskara 2020 kanselado

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

10 EDITORIAL New normal, same old issues

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AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

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AY 2020-2021 ...

NEWLY APPOINTED. Rev. Fr. Romeo Ben Potencio, Jr., OAR is the new University Religious Education Department Director for academic year 2020-2021. photo courtesy of JOEY JOLITO

Potencio is new REED director; Teodulfo leaves for Baguio

by CARLA JOANNE ROBLES

Rev. Fr. Romeo Ben Potencio Jr., OAR marked the beginning of his stay at the University as the new Director of the Religious Education Department (REED), Sept. 1.

“As a religious education director, my primary task is to assure that the evangelizing mission of the school is realized through the theology subjects offered in the tertiary level,” he said.

After his transition period, Fr. Potencio plans to look into the content of the REED subject material in view of reinforcing the effectiveness of religious education in the University.

Fr. Potencio will be under the supervision of the Vice President for Religious Affairs and previous REED Director Rev. Fr. Cristituto Palomar, OAR. One of Fr. Potencio’s duties is to be the new spiritual director of the Recoletos Augustinian Youth (RAY) de Bacolod, taking over the position of Rev. Fr. Jose Teodulfo Jadulco, OAR. According to Fr. Potencio, he will be focusing on two things as RAY spiritual director, accompaniment and formation.

“My primary task is to assure that the evangelizing mission of the school is realized through the theology

subjects offered at the tertiary level.

This would mean looking into the needs and concerns of the REED professors for them to make their classes an evangelizing experience for their students,” Fr. Potencio added.

Fr. Potencio was previously assigned in the Order of Augustinian Recollect General Curia in Rome, Italy and was informed of the transfer last July 25.

“I taught first at the Recoletos School of Theology in Quezon City, but I also taught in some other theological centers in Metro Manila.” he shared.

Fr. Potencio earned his Licentiate in Patristic Science from Institutum Patristicum Augustinianum in Rome, and then came back to the Philippines to teach Patrology, Augustinology, Latin, and Greek.

On the other hand, the University extended its gratitude to Rev. Fr. Jose Teodulfo Jadulco, OAR, previous property office administrator for almost three years and two-year RAY de Bacolod Spiritual Director, as he ventured on his new assignment in Baguio City, Sept. 28.

No property office administrator is assigned for academic year 2020-2021 according to University Registrar Engr.

Christopher Taclobos, MEng.

SDPC services center on mental health in new norm learning

by CRISTOPHER VILLARUEL

Mental health programs are one of the focus campaigns of the Student Development Placement Center (SDPC) for academic year 2020-2021 according to College SDPC Director Chris Feli Joy Tajonera, MSGC, Dec. 2.

“There can be people who struggle on this [mental health], which is why your SDPC counselors are trying their best to be within reach so no one will struggle alone,” Tajonera said.

The Office is offering online psychosocial support for students via Messenger where counselors and the concerned student talk online within office hours for their personal concerns.

“Students can send us a private message right away. They can also refer another student or a friend through [Messenger] chat and make use of our [SDPC counselors] contact details.

There are some [students] who reach out through the counselors’ personal Facebook accounts and there are some who send emails for privacy. Rest assured, though, that on the official Facebook account of SDPC, everything is treated with utmost confidentiality.”

As online classes ensued in the University, Tajonera assured students that the office still renders its services to those seeking to avail them.

“Prior to the school opening and having the pandemic in the mind, we did turn the table by designing all

activities into online ones. We made it a point to befriend all UNO-R students through our official SDPC Facebook account in order to stay in contact with them.”

Along with the online counseling sessions, Tajonera stated that other office activities, such as awareness campaigns and webinars, are being pursued as well.

“With our monthly meeting, we get to check the status of activities written on our action plan.”

As the University currently requires a skeleton workforce in its operations, Tajonera shared that it does not hinder the office in assisting student needs.

“The skeleton workforce, I believe, did not hamper our chance to cater to the students’ concerns. A few [students] would call the office about their concerns but a lot would reach out through chat. That, even at home, we get to spend time addressing their concerns,” she shared.

The office is also planning activities that are suited for both online and face-to-face means, such as the administering of admission exams while observing health protocols and homeroom guidance classes to be in touch with the students.

College students can reach the SDPC office through its official Facebook account, UnorCollege Sdpc, for queries.

to Taclobos.

“We can cite several factors but one obvious reason is their [students] connectivity. Not everyone is ready for the demands of online learning,” Taclobos said.

Melody Cauntod, a second year BS Social Work student shared how, despite the circumstances of online class, she still pursued in continuing her studies this school year.

“Despite the financial problems, for me it is still important to continue with my schooling and not miss a year to graduate soon,” Cauntod said.

However, Jade Christine Orquia, a former BS Business Accountancy student who stopped this school year, shared her thoughts on different circumstances brought by the new educational set-up.

“I had to stop because of how difficult it is to look for a good internet connection in our area. I know it sounds cliche but i think my mental state also had to do with my decision.

Considering how everything has to be done online now, my mother also suggested to take a break for now,” Orquia said According to Orquia, online classes can be fitted to everyone with has a good access to the internet; however it is not the same with students whose

learning capacity is not suited for the said kind of learning approach.

Moreover, having the most enrollees, the College of Engineering caters to 1,416 enrollees while the College of Business and Accountancy comes second with a total of 975 students.

The College of Allied Medical Health Sciences accommodates 495 students and 397 students in the College of Arts and Science with the colleges having positive increments of 17.6 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively. 360 students are enrolled in the College of Criminal Justice Education while the College of Education caters to 273 students.

Moreover, the overall student population, including those of the Integrated School, School of Law, and Graduate School, dropped from 8,696 enrollees in the previous academic year to 7,421 total enrollees, an overall 14.7-percent decrease for this academic year.

COPING WITH CHANGE “Even though we experienced many challenges during online classes, I hope that we, your faculty members, didn’t fail to inculcate knowledge to the students during this pandemic,” Civil Engineering faculty member Engr.

Mark Edwin Jereza shared.

However, Jereza also elaborated that

going through phase one was difficult for him as he, at that time, did not have a laptop and was faced with signal interruptions during content delivery.

“I remember that I needed to travel to another city just to get a stable signal to upload the said video [for discussions] whenever I encounter signal interruptions,” he stated.

Moreover, Medical Technology student Alrenzi Esparagoza shared that going through the online learning set up took a toll on her mental health.

“I miss walking around campus and the company of my classmates. There’s also the anxiety of the possibility of graduating without actually mastering the concepts,” she elaborated.

Acknowledging the struggles faced by the students and faculty members in the online learning set up, Fr. Alipin shared that these challenges are gratefully accepted amidst the circumstances.

“They [students and faculty members] just have to embrace technology and be ready to unlearn, learn, and relearn,” he added.

Moreover, Taclobos shared that for the second semester, laboratory activities will be conducted via face-toface classes while lecture subjects will continue through Microsoft Teams as the LMS.

[information] with the different schools [that are members of the organization] were surely a struggle,” Ea said.

He shared that since Rev. Fr. William Emilto Villaflor, OAR, president of the Recollect Education Apostolate in the Philippines, is in Bacolod City this year, he is eyeing for a head start in compiling the requirements for the accreditation.

Ea then elaborated that he and other members are still working on the proposed turnover ceremony for all of the other members of the Federation in light of the suspension of mass gatherings due to the pandemic.

“FARSL pretty much works over the Internet since then. So, this is kind of normal [for us] but we’re still hoping for the Congress inauguration to happen when this pandemic ends,” Ea said.

Ea also shared that there was no

election process that took place but since UNO-R is the host school for this year, the president was automatically chosen from UNO-Rians who attended FARSL’s eighth congress.

As this organization unifies the five Recollect institutions, the Federation is focused on initiating the exchange of leadership strategies of student leaders while adapting the cultural inputs of the respective Recollect schools.

Conveyed in FARSL’s history, as ratified in its Seventh Federation under President Hon. Richmond Alimarcan, FARSL is a federation that consists of registered Recollect colleges namely the University of Negros Occidental- Recoletos, University of San Jose- Recoletos, San Sebastian College- Recoletos de Cavite, San Sebastian College- Recoletos Manila, and San Sebastian College- Recoletos Canlubang.

“From the very beginning, my aim is to foster the Augustinian values of loving, sharing, and caring amongst the UNO-R community, to showcase the UNO-R talents, and to raise funds,” Calimpos said.

Forty-eight performers from different partner organizations graced the online benefit concert according to Online Musical Director Rowel Huera.

“We invited student performers from the Integrated School and College Departments. Some were UNO-R faculty members, religious administrators, and alumni. In this way, we could maximize their capabilities

by representing their circle.”

Online Musicale Program Committee Head and UNO-R Supreme Student Government (UNORSSGO) President Charles Gabriel Gelotin said that the online concert was divided into three acts that revolved around the initial outlook for the year 2020, current social realities, and a call for unity.

“We used the eyesight as a metaphor in conveying these messages. From the perfect vision full of aspirations to the darkness that made us all blind until the sun rays pierced through the clouds again signaling a new beginning,” he

UNO-Rian leads as 9th FARSL Prexy

by LESLIE MARIE BANABAN

Andrei John Ea, third-year Civil Engineering student and former UNO-R Supreme Student Government senator, stepped up as the Federation of Augustinian Recollect of Student Leaders (FARSL) Organization’s Ninth Federation president.

“Being elected as the president of the five-member Recollect school organization is more than just a responsibility and a blessing. I felt like all this time, I knew my efforts and capabilities were far much more than the things I think I could possibly do,” he added.

Ea believes that his plan for applying for the accreditation of the organization could be a legacy that he could leave in his term.

“FARSL hasn’t been accredited since then [First Federation]. There were attempts [for accreditation], I believe.

But having a lack of communication and the stresses of having to relay

UCDO, UNORSSGO raise over P100K in online benefit concert

by KRISHA MARIE SEMELLANO

Bows of charity. More than P100,000 worth of donations served as early Christmas gifts to the University READS scholars, security and janitorial staff, and RESOURCE-Handumanan families through the “Caritas: One Love UNO-R, An Online Benefit Musicale” via a live stream on the Heart Media Production Facebook Page, Dec. 5.

According to the overall event chairperson and University Community Development Office (UCDO) staff Elmeer Meynard Calimpos, the concert served its purpose not only in raising funds but also to showcase the talents of the students.

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CURTAIN CALL. Jaylloyd Garche together with the AMS Scholars Dancers awed the audience with their final performance. photo by RAEVERLY ELENA RAMIREZ

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

NEWS

AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

3 GROUND ZERO

Studs, admin convene at U-wide virtual meet

by ALEA JEN VILLAHERMOSA

SAFETY FIRST. Persons entering campus premises are to scan their CCTS card QR codes at the University entrance. photo by RAEVERLY ELENA RAMIREZ

UNO-R adopts BacTrac System

by CRISHA ARROYO

As University offices resumed a skeleton workforce scheme, persons entering University premises are required to scan their Bacolod City COVID-19 Contact Tracing (BaCTrac) QR codes through the QR code scanner placed at the University’s main entrance according to Memorandum No. 026 Series SY 2020-2021 from the office of the University President, Oct. 20.

UNO-R Safety and Security Supervisor Mars Olea elaborated that the implementation of the City-wide contact tracing system is important in the University’s overall transactions and processes.

“The Contact Tracing System is very important to the University because

if they have a confirmed COVID-19 positive patient in the campus, it easily locates those suspected of having close contact with positive patients,” Olea said.

On the other hand, with regards to the entry of vehicles via Gate One, all vehicle owners must undergo scanning of temperature and a tire bath for sanitation purposes then they may proceed in the scanning of their BacTrac IDs at the exit gate.

The BacTrac implementation was headed by the University’s InterAgency Task Force chaired by Rev. Fr. Amadeo Lucero, OAR, vice president for student welfare, and composed of the Safety and Security Department, Office of the Director of Student Affairs,

External Affairs Office, and University Clinic.

The Bacolod local government unit announced last Sept. 27 that residents and visitors are required to register to the BacTrac System.

“It is very simple. It is free for everyone. It is also accessible. Once you are registered, a QR code will be generated for you. You can have it printed out and keep it in your wallet,” said City Administrator Em Ang during the launch of the BacTrac System.

The COVID-19 Contact Tracing System Cards contain the necessary information and a unique QR code to be scanned by the QR code scanner placed in individual registered establishments throughout the City.

Dioso calls for adaptability amidst new norm

by KRISHA MARIE SEMELLANO

COMMITMENT AND SERVICE. Dr. Dexter Paul Dioso, CSASS, shares his insights regarding online learning. photo by RAEVERY ELENA RAMIREZ

Director of Students Affairs Dr. Dexter Paul Dioso, CSASS emphasized the need for versatility in the students’ learning styles when he guested on Calle Ferrero, a local Catholic radio program on DYAF CMN Bacolod 1143 khZ, Aug. 29.

“The transition [to online learning] is a significant space to reach what we hope for. One should bear each other’s shortcomings,” Dioso shared.

Furthermore, Dioso put an emphasis on adaptability which gives students the hope to continue and move forward despite any circumstances.

“They [students] are now growing from these changes and they are now in the action zone,” Dioso shared.

Dioso added that the students can be seen adapting to the new educational set-up through engaging in student-

centered activities which is an indicator that they have already adjusted to the circumstances.

“Behind the uncertainties of these things, there’s something certain to us, and that is the capacity to adapt to changes so that everything would be manageable,” he shared.

Third-year Civil Engineering student Noveen Krylle Labayen agreed that adaptability will make the students become effective online learners. “[We] students are experiencing a new brand of learning platform and this might become a key to unlock a new mode of constant learning through a wider online world of information,” Labayen said.

However, third-year Mass Communication student Czyro Vann

Albay expressed that he disagrees with the statement as Albay added that online classes are not conducive for learning.

“Most students are complying to pass, not to learn,” he said.

Moreover, Dioso stressed the importance of the Recollect core value of interiority or the ability to reflect within oneself as he related it to learning effectively amidst the current circumstance.

“Whatever limitations that each one encounters, there will always be room for creativity. The ‘how’ to learn is not just about studying now but includes discipline and ways to make the learning environment and technologies involved materialize in us,” he added.

Tackling issues on distance learning, ranging from the processing of transactions to course schedules and more, students and representatives of the administration converged at an online forum to discuss matters of concern as online classes kickstarted in the University via Zoom, Sept. 20.

“Given the limited face-toface transactions and the new school set-up brought about by the pandemic, there was a surge of clarifications, complaints, and other concerns from the student body.

As their representatives, we never failed in addressing and directing their concerns to the responsible offices,” UNO-R Supreme Student Government (UNORSSGO) President Charles Gabriel Gelotin said.

ON PROCESSING PAYMENTS The accounting office is open for the student’s payment as long as entering campus premises is allowed, Students can also opt to pay in banks near them, including PNB, BDO, Metrobank, UCPB, and BPI. University Comptroller Ma. Luisa Catague, CPA, MBA added that students can also avail of the services of Palawan Pawnshop, Cebuana Lhuillier, MLhuillier, and Savemore branches for students who live in a municipality without accessible local banks.

Cashless transactions are also accepted as the University now utilizes the GCash payment method.

Moreover, students must prepare their SPN number for every payment transaction Catague added that students with unsettled account balances will not be allowed to enroll for the second semester.

ON FEES Miscellaneous fees such as medical and dental, cultural, and sports will no longer be collected for the first semester of the academic year 2020-2021.

“The medical [and] dental, cultural, and sports fees will be removed from your assessments. For the rest, we will be re-evaluating by the end of November what fees you [the students] did not avail and we will try to credit that to your students’ account. This is all for the approval of the [School] Board. As soon as the Board approves, we will issue a memorandum on that,” Catague said.

For the updated student’s copy, the accounting office and the Management Information System are coordinating to update the UNO-R Information System to reflect the updated breakdown of fees per student.

On the other hand, Rev. Fr. Jose Alden Alipin, vice president for academics, emphasized that the computer and library fees will still be part of the miscellaneous fees considering the faculty and staff that are still dependent on the University’s services.

“If we remove the computer fee, we will all go back to manual [service delivery],” Fr. Alipin said.

Students are encouraged to pay their fees in four equal payments

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

every month for the first semester to collect funds for the University’s use.

“The [tuition fee] payment is every month. We really need to have the fund so you need to pay monthly tuition to avoid promissory notes.

In case, that would be up to the Vice President for Finance to decide,” Catague emphasized.

Exam permits will no longer be necessary, instead, students should present their receipt of payment to their respective faculty members.

ON SCHOLARSHIPS Academic scholars will still be accommodated for academic year 2020-2021 according to Fr. Alipin.

In processing certificates and other related documents for scholarship applications, Engr.

Christopher Taclobos, MEng, university registrar, recommended for applicants to leave a personal message on the University Registrar’s Office Facebook page containing their full name, course, email address, and contact numbers.

Requested documents will be sent via online means and, if necessary, hard copies of these documents will be catered at the University lobby.

ON CLASS SCHEDULES, PHASE BREAKS With regards to class schedules, Planning and Quality Assurance Director Dr. Elmer Haro said that the offices involved agreed to divide the class schedules into three segments per day.

“Classes should start at 9 a.m. We have agreed that the courses will be presented in three segments, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. time periods,” Haro stated.

Furthermore, according to Taclobos, as mandated by the Commission on Higher Education, classes should not exceed 36 hours a week and that students cannot afford to have overloaded subjects.

“It is very difficult to overload subjects. The total hours in a week should not be more than 36 [hours].

We allowed 15 units per cluster that are already equivalent to 45 hours,” Taclobos added.

Moreover, classes with laboratory components will proceed with just the lectures and laboratory activities will be moved to the next semester in compliance with the health protocols by the National Inter-Agency Taskforce.

On a raised concern regarding a phase break, Taclobos said that if the college deans would suggest having a phase break in their respective colleges, with the approval of the VP Academics, a two-day break after examinations can be plausible.

The phase break for phase one was announced via the University Facebook page by the Office of the VP Academics. Phase two classes resumed on Oct. 1 as Sept. 28 and 29 served as the break. However, as of press time, no further announcements from the said office were made with regards to phase breaks for phases two and three. continued on page 05

TAMPOK

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AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

ANG MAKULAY NA KASAYSAYAN NG SAN SEBASTIAN DE MAGSUNGAY

by CRISHA ARROYO

Mula sa kakaibang tingkad ng malaabong kulay na pader na pinatibay ng pundasyong gawa sa gasang, hanggang sa abot-langit na mga arko at simboryo, sino ang mag-aakala na ang Katedral ng San Sebastian ay dating isang maliit na kapilya gawa sa kahoy at galbanisadong bakal? Ang Katedral na matatagpuan sa puso ng lungsod ng Bacolod na nagsisilbing liwanag ng pagasa at pananampalataya ay hindi lamang saksi ng matatag na panata ng mga mamamayan ng lungsod, ngunit pati na rin ng kanilang pagkatao.

Dala ng impluwensya ng mga dayuhang Espanyol noong ika-15 siglo, ang 144-taong Katedral ng San Sebastian ay isa lamang sa mga sangkatutak na simbahang ipinagawa ng mga Espanyol sa bansa. Kaya hindi makakaila na ito ay saksi sa ebolusyon ng lungsod mula sa mga payak na mga tirahan hanggang sa mga gusaling nagdadala ng kislap at kulay sa Bacolod skyline.

Maligayang pagdating sa Bacolod ng kahapon.

lumipat sa maburol na bahagi ng kalupaan na tinawag noong bakolod upang makalayo sa banta ng pamimirata ng mga Moro galing Zamboanga.

“Kaya ang paggawa ng Katedral noong 1825 ay naging bahagi na ng mayabong na kasaysayan [ng Bacolod],” pahayag ng sa kanilang artikulo habang binibigyan pansin ang mga pinagdaanan ng Magsungay hanggang sa pagpapasailalim nila sa mga dayuhang Espanyol.

NAYON NG MAGSUNGAY Noong ika-17 siglo bago sumibol ang lungsod ng Bacolod, may isang nayong pinaninirahan ng mga Malay na kung tawagin ay Magsungay. Sila’y napasailalim sa proteksyon ng San Sebastian ng mga misyonaryong Kristyano. Ito ay karaniwang kaugalian ng mga misyonaryo na ang mga pamayanan ay mapasailalim sa proteksyon ng isang santo. Ang nayon na ito ay napagkilalang San Sebastian de Magsungay na siyang naging pangalan ng maliit na kapilya, na ngayon ay Katedral ng San Sebastian.

“Hindi nakawala ang makabuluhang kasaysayan ng Katedral ng San Sebastian sa akin,” saad ni Connie Veneracion, isang Filipino blogger, sa kanyang artikulo nang siya ay minsang napabisita sa lungsod ng Bacolod.

Ibinahagi naman ng The Happy Trip Team sa isang artikulo ang masalimuot na nahinatnan ng mga Magsungay sa mga piratang Moro hanggang sa napilitan silang

ANG PROSESO Sa huling bahagi ng ika-18 siglo, pinangunahan ni Obispo Mariano Cuartero, O.P. ang pagtatag ng kapilya na noo’y yari pa lamang sa kahoy at galbanisadong bakal. Makaraan ang ilang taon, muling isinaayos ang kapilya bilang isang malaking simbahan gamit ang mga inangkat na mga gasang mula sa Guimaras, at hardwood na mula pa sa Palawan para sa pangunahing pundasyon ng simbahan, na mapahanggang sa ngayon ay makikita pa. Sa huling bahagi ng taong 1882, pinasinayaan ang kapilya at opisyal na idineklara bilang Katedral noong 1933, kasama na ang pagdeklara ka Padre Mauricio Ferrero, OAR bilang ang kaunaunahang Kura-Paroko.

“Ang simbahang pinagtibay ng batong gasang ngayo’y pinatungan ng manipis na semento, ay may klasikong dating,” saad ng Yodosphere.com sa isa nilang artikulo na tumalakay sa disenyo at kasaysayan ng Katedral.

Ang Katedral ay nanatiling isa sa mga

TAHANAN NG PANANAMPALATAYA. Ang harapang bahagi ng San Sebastian Katedral na matatagpuan sa lungsod ng Bacolod ay sumisimbolo ng mataimtim na debosyon ng mga Bacolodnon sa Diyos. photo

by DINDIN COSCOLLUELA

prominenteng simbolo ng relihiyon at kasaysayan, dinadala nito ang mayabong na salaysay ng pagbabago sa lungsod. Sa pagtapak sa tuyong lupa ng bakuran ng simbahan, ang maliit at katamtamang laking kampana ang makikitang nakabitin sa luma at mapulang-ladrilyong kampanaryo na espesyal na ipinagawa ng Sugarlandia Lions Club ng Bacolod noong 1976.

“Ang pagka-antigo nito, ang mataimtim na dating sa pangkalahatang aspeto, at ang tahimik at payapang paligid ay perpektong nagkakaisa kaya maganda ito sa mga gustong maghanap ng ginhawa sa Panginoon,” paliwanag ng The Happy Trip Team habang inilalarawan ang Katedral.

ANG KASALUKUYAN Ipinanganak sa iba’t ibang kawang gawa, ang Katedral ay tahanan para sa mga ariarian na ibinahagi nang humigit kumulang dalawang siglong nakaraan. Bitbit ang mga bato at tisa, tumulong ang mga residente sa iba’t ibang paraan para mapabilis ang paggawa nito at ngayon, maihuhulog na

lamang ang mga donasyon sa mga kahong nasa loob ng simbahan para mapanatili ang simbahan.

“Ang Katedral ay nagsisimbolo ng pagkakaisa at walang pag-iimbot na pagbibigay ng mga residente ng Bacolod,” paliwanag ng Yodisphere.com sa kanilang artikulo.

Ang unang komunidad ng mga Kristyano ang siyang gumawa ng bagong ecclesia.

Matatagpuan sa puso ng matipunong istruktura ng Katedral ang Church Community of the Poor, gayon ang kadakilaan ng Katedral ng San Sebastian.

Gaya na lamang sa tradisyon ng Rekoleto na isinaad ng Forma de Vivir sa The Way of Life na naglalarawan sa responsibilidad at pag-ibig sa lugar na pinili ng Diyos upang makasama Niya tayo sa ating mga altar at simbahan.

“Sapagkat sa lahat ng ito tayo’y mahirap, ngunit dito at para dito hayaan nawa tayo maging masagana. Hayaang walang anuman sa Simbahan ang hindi magpakita ng karangyaan ng maingat na pagmamahal

ng mga naglilingkod dito,” saad ng isang sipi mula sa Forma de Vivir.

Bukod sa sari-saring materyales na ibinuhos at ginamit sa paggawa ng Katedral, ito ay naging tahanan rin ng iba’t ibang uri ng tao. Ito’y naging liwanag ng mga patrong taimtim na nagdarasal at sumisindi ng mga kandila, naging kanlungan sa mga naliligaw ng landas at naghahanap ng mainit na yakap ng pananampalataya, at ito’y naging silungan sa galit ng araw at sa bagsik ng ulan sa mga paslit at matatandang suot ang maruruming damit ngunit nasa puso’t isip parin ang pagsamba sa Diyos.

Ang sopistikadong ganda ng Katedral ng San Sebastian ay hindi lamang naglalahad ng masining na disenyo ng iba’t ibang arkitekto at karpentero na tumulong sa paggawa ng Katedral mula sa simpleng kapilya na gawa sa kahoy hanggang sa bantog na pundasyong pinagtibay ng gasang, ito ay para sa mga taong nananampalataya sa Katolisismo. Ito ay para sa Diyos.

PAGGALANG SA PANAHON NG PANDEMYA ni LESLIE MARIE BANABAN

“Ang mga nakakatanda ay humaharap sa malaking panganib ng paglala ng malalalang karamdaman dahil sa pisyolohikal na mga pagbabago na kaakibat ng pagtanda at posibleng mga kondisyong pangkalusugan,” saad ng WHO sa isang artikulo.

Upang maiwasan ang paghahawaan, isang alternatibong solusyon upang makipagkapwa-tao sa kakilala o kanino man ang paggamit ng elbow bump o ang pagdampi ng mga siko sa halip na makipagkamay. Ito rin ang nauusong kaugalian na ginagawa ng karamihan sa panahon ngayon. Kasunod ang pagtango, pagkaway, at pag-ngiti rin ay ang mga pamalit sa pagmamano at paghahawakan ng kamay.

grapiks ni RENEE SUALA

Walang ibang mga kultura sa Asya, sa Europa, o maging sa Amerika na gumanap ng gayong kilos ng pagbibigay ng isang tanda ng paggalang sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng mano. Kung pag-isipan, isang kultura ang pagmamano sa nakakatanda ang nakasanayan ng lahat, gayong bata pa lamang ay naituturo na ang tamang asal na ito na maigagamit sa pakikisalamuha sa iba’t-ibang tao. Iyon ay hanggang sa dumating ang pinakamalaking dagok ng ika-21 siglo.

Nagbago ang daloy ng mundo at ang nakaugaliang pakikisalamuha ay bigla ring napalitan ng takot at pangamba. Ang paguutos ng social distancing ay isinaalangalang ng nakararami lalo na sa kapakanan ng matatanda sa panahon ng pandemya.

BANTA SA NAKATATANDA Sa kasalukuyan, ang panganib ng COVID-19 ay tila isang bangungot para sa karamihan, nakadaragdag pa rito na mataas ang peligro ng matatanda edad 50 pataas sa dinadapuan ng sakit na COVID-19.

“Ang peligro ng malalang karamdaman

sa COVID-19 ay tumataas kasabay ng edad habang ang mga mas may edad ay nasa pinakamalaking peligro,” saad ng Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sa kanilang artikulo na nagpapaliwanag ng panganib na dala ng COVID-19 sa mga matatanda.

Ayon sa datos mula sa CDC, ang hindi pag-ingat sa pakikisalamuha ay maaari maging sanhi ng agarang hospitalisasyon o , kung mapasawalang bahala ito, maaaring magsanhi ng kamatayan. Ayon sa naman sa World Health Organization (WHO), marahil ay lahat ng edad ay mainit sa mga mata ng coronavirus ngunit higit na importanteng malaman ng mga nakakatanda ang estado ng kanilang kalusugan sapagkat sila’y mas suseptibo sa mas malalang karamdaman sakaling mahawaan ng COVID-19.

RESPETO AY KOMPROMISADO Nasanay na si Aling Amy Fe, 63 at residente ng lungsod ng Himamaylan, na salubungin ng mga bata sa pagpatak ng alas sais ng dapithapon. Ngunit naninibago siya dahil sa mga pag-iingat na ginagawa pangontra sa coronavirus disease.

“Wala tayong magagawa tutal tayo rin nama’y nakaranas na ng lockdown, mas mabuting umiwas muna tayo sa maraming tao,” pahayag niya.

Inilahad din ni Aling Fe na ang respeto ay hindi lamang nakabatay sa mismong pagmamano ng kabataan.

“Iyong sa mga bata naman, ramdam ko pa rin yung respeto nila kahit wala munang mano-mano,” dagdag ni Aling Fe. Bukod sa pangkalahatang ideya ng hindi pagmamano, ibinahagi naman ni Arlene Mendoza, isang frontliner, na walang sawang nagpapaalala sa kalsada ng kaukulang preventive measures sa mga taong matitigas ang ulo.

“Ito po ay ginagawa natin para sa nakararami, huwag po lamang dumikit at dapat mayroong distansya sa ibang tao.

Para naman po sa mga matatanda, kawaykaway na lang po muna tayo. Batiin mo

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

lang. Respeto na rin ‘yon,” ani ni Arlene.

SA LIKOD NG PAGMAMALASAKIT Habang unti-unting nilalamon ng pandemya ang mundo, sumibol ang iba’t ibang krisis sa kawalan ng trabaho, pagsara ng mga negosyo at paaralan, at sa iba pang sektor. Hindi maiiwasang makaramdam tayo ng takot at pangamba, lalonglalo na ang mga nakakatanda. Ayon sa United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), madaling maghari ang negatibong saloobin at emosyon sa harap ng krisis.

“Ang pagpapanatili ng positibong pagiisip ay isa nang malaking suporta na maaaring maibigay sa mga nakakatanda,” paliwanag ng UNICEF sa kanilang artikulo tungkol sa estado ng kalusugang mental ng mga nakakatanda.

Ang simpleng pagpapaalala ng pag-inom ng gamot o pagiiwan ng mga mensahe ay ilan lamang sa mga nabanggit ng UNICEF bilang pamawi ng pag-iisa at takot na maaaring nararamdaman ng ating mga nakakatandang kamag-anak.

“Tulungan mo silang maging konektado, na maramdamang kasama sila. May dahilan at mabawasang maging mapagisa,” dagdag ng UNICEF. Higit sa respeto at pagmamano, importante ring maalala natin na ang kulturang ito ay para maramdaman ng ating mga nakakatanda na sila’y napakahalagang parte ng ating mga buhay.

Samakatuwid, hindi basehan ang anumang kakulangan sa panahong mayroon tayo sa gitna ng pandemya para masabing walang pagpapahalaga ang mga tao sa nakaugaliang pagbibigay respeto sa mga matatanda.

Hindi man nagagawa ang nakaugaliang pagmamano ngunit hindi saklaw ng pandemya ang hindi magbigay galang sa anumang paraan na kayang ibigay ng tao nang may pagmamalasakit sa lahat.

AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

BAHIN SIUDAD

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from page 03

Studs, admin convene...

ON THE USE OF LMS Shedding light on the use of Schoology as the main University Learning Management System (LMS) amidst complaints from students on encountered bugs and errors, Fr. Alipin said that the University is still maximizing open-source Learning Management Systems as the administration is still seeking for an LMS that would match the needs of the students.

“The free apps that we are using today, rest assured, that we will not stay with that forever. We are still in the process of trying to familiarize with the LMS,” Fr. Alipin shared.

He also added that the University never is still in the process of entertaining proposals, scouting for vendors for a platform for the University’s needs.

“There are specific needs in every University right now, that’s one thing we need to find out,” Fr. Alipin closed.

KANSELADO. Bangud sa rason sang paglapta sng COVID-19, ginkansela ang palaabuton nga Masskara Festival sini nga tuig. dibuho ni MEA PABIONA

Masskara 2020 kanselado ni CRISTOPHER VILLARUEL

Wala yuhom nga magaparada. Wala madinuagon nga parada ang matabo sa siudad sang Bacolod matapos ginkansela ang selebrasyon sang Masskara Festival 2020 sandig sa Executive Order [EO] No. 62 nga ginpimarmahan ni Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Sept. 21.

Sa pagsaka sang mga kaso sang COVID-19 sa siudad kag pagpaiway sang mga mass gathering, pormal nga ginproklamar ni Leornadia ang pagkansela sang nasambit nga hilikuton.

“Basi sa mga pamatuod kag scientific studies nga ang mga mass gathering isa gid ka pama-agi sa paglapta sang infection...angut dire ang EO ginpaguwa

para sa isuspende ang mga aktibidad sa Masskara Festival 2020,” pahayag ni Leonardia.

Dugang pa ni Leonardia nga indi maga-isyu sang permit ukon bisan anu pa nga lisensya nga mag-operate sang bisan anu pa nga klase nga aktibidad nga may kaangatan sa Masskara festival 2020.

Suno man dire, ang mga na una nga gin-isyu nga permit pagakanselahon.

Suno sa EO, ang iban nga mga aktibidades nga ginkansela amo ang mga parade, street dance contest, exhibits, road shows, sporting events kag talent shows.

Sa pihak sang pagkansela sang selebrasyon, ginselebrar ang Masskara

2020 pamaagi sa “Batô, Bacolod, batô!” kung diin ginpakita sa isa ka video ang mga madinuagon nga performances sang mga nagdaug sang naliligad ng maskarra festival.

“Akon gin istorya si Eli Tajanlangit sang Silver Masskara Organization.

Ginlihog ko sila ga ipakita ang mga highlights sang mga nanligad nga selebrasyon sang Masskara Festival,” pahayag ni Leonardia Sa madumduman, subong nga tuig amu ang ika-41 nga selebrasyon sang Masskara Festival..

Ang Masskara Festival nagsugod sadtong 1980 nga ginahiwat sa ikaapat nga Domingo sang Oktubre.

ang siudad sa Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) sang Sept. 8.

Tungod man sa pagbulig sang Barangay Health Team sa siudad, ang City Health Office nagpatigayon sang contact-tracing sa mga tawo nga nga nagpositibo sa COVID-19.

“Ang MECQ para man sa aton nga ikamaayo. Ginapaabot namon ang posible nga pagtapna kag paghikot nga mahimo sang tanan. Amo man, amo ini ang amon nga trade-off para sa kaayuhan sang tanan, para matapna kag makontrol ang pagtaas sang COVID-19,” suno kay

Evelio Leonardia alkalde sang Bacolod, sa iya pagpahayag sa Resolution No. 69-A sang National Inter-Agency Task Force, Sept. 7.

Ang time-out weekend sa siudad sang Bacolod kaupod sang probinsya sang Negros Occidental isa lamang sa proyekto nga nagapaidalom sa Bacolod Local Government Unit kag Provincial Government sa pag-identify sang mga high-risk individuals kag mga tawo nga may naka-close contact sa mga pasyente nga positibo sa COVID-19.

the Typhoon Ulysses response, the COVID-19 response, and the Pamaskwa 2020,” he said.

UCDO forwarded a total of P69, 240 to the University Accounting Office for the benefit of those affected

by Typhoon Ulysses in Luzon and is pending transfer to the Order of Augustinian Recollects’ Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno Filipinas for distribution.

A total of P12,000 along with inkind donations were collected for the COVID-19 response and were already distributed to University personnel affected by the pandemic and who needed aid according to Calimpos.

However, he emphasized that the donation drive for the pandemic will go on.

“As long as we have the pandemic, we won’t stop [collecting donations],” Calimpos said.

As part of the initiative, a mandatory collection of P50 from Religious Education and Christian Life Formation students will be finalized by the organization before procuring the needed goods in time for its gift-giving campaign for beneficiaries.

The online benefit concert was launched by UCDO and UNORSSGO in partnership with the Integrated School and Religious Education Department.

UCDO and UNORSSGO will organize an institutional Christmas gift-giving campaign on Dec. 23 where donations from the concert will be distributed to the said beneficiaries.

Mass testing sa siyudad, 531 ang nagpositibo ni LESLIE MARIE BANABAN

Bilang kabahin sang time-out weekend sa siyudad sang Bacolod sadtong Agosto 28 tubtob 29 sa pagpatuman sang mass testing sa mga pumuluyo sang siudad, 531 sa mga 4,384 katawo nga nagpaidalom sa Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test ang nagpositibo sa COVID-19, Sept. 4.

Sa 1,492 nga positibo nga kaso sang virus, 595 katawo ang naka-recover, 871 naman ang active, kag 25 ang kaso sang mga napatay, ang Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) naman among nagissue sang resolusyon nga ipadalom from page 2

MOVING ONWARDS “I think it [the forum] was a good idea so that the administration can communicate with the students regarding the students’ concerns and to avoid confusion,” Jane Alvarez, Information Technology sophomore,

said.

Director of Student Affairs Dr. Dexter Paul Dioso, CSASS shared that students have the avenue of communication in raising their concerns to the administration through the different student organizations.

“You [students] can direct your concern to your college if there is a [Facebook] page but you can also raise that to your respective organization president. The COF [Campus Organization Federation] will forward it [concerns] to me via Schoology and we can screen the concern,” Dioso added.

He also emphasized that the students may refer to the Facebook pages of the Tolentine Star, UNORSSGO, and their respective College organizations as a means to stay informed of any updates from the University.

Dioso added that the University administration is looking into all student concerns and will try to address them as much as possible.

An Echo Webinar was scheduled on Sept. 22 to recap the forum discussions for students who were unable to attend on Sept. 20.

PrimeWater kag BACIWA deal magapadayon ni LESLIE MARIE BANABAN

Ang PrimeWater Infrastructure Inc. sang Villar Group opisyal na nga nagbulos sa operasyon sang Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) matapos ginbasura sang Regional Trial Court Branch 45 ang nauna nga petisyon angut sa pagdula sang 25-year joint venture agreement (JVA) sang duwa ka partido, Nov. 21.

Suno kay Romeo Sabater, bise presidente sang PrimeWater, matapos nila mabaton ang kopya sang court order sang Nob. 11, ang Baciwa Board of Directors amo ang naghatag sang gosignal sa pag sugod sang operasyon ka PrimeWater inuras lamang matapos mabasura ang petisyon sa JVA sang duwa ka partido.

“Kami na ang in-charge sa operasyon kag pag-manage sang water supply system sang BACIWA. Pormal namun nga ginbaton ang pag take over sa BACIWA. Bahin dira, magaserbisyo kami diri sa masunod nga 25 ka tuig,” pahayag ni Sabater.

Suno naman kay BACIWA Board Chairman Atty. Lorendo Dilag, siya naga pati nga ang ila nga joint venture para sa benepisyo sa mga residente sang Bacolod.

Dugang pa ni Dilag, ang ila partner firm amo ang maga-gasto sang dugang nga P293 milyones para mapamaayo ang water supply system sa siudad sa ila una nga tuig nga operasyon.

“Sa ini pa lang, makita na ang mga benipisyo nga maangkon sang siudad sang Bacolod. Sa katapusan sang ika 25 nga tuig, ang PrimeWater magagasto sang balor sa P6 bilyones, nga indi ma angkun sang BACIWA nga nagaisahanun lamang,” dugang pa ni Dilag.

Sa pihak nga bahin, si Sabater kaupod ang ila legal council nga si Robel Limibao amo ang nagapati nga ang joint venture sang BACIWA kag PrimeWater ang magasulbar sang krisis sa tubig nga gina atubang sa karon sang siyudad.

UCDO, UNORSSGO in... added.

He also shared that the online concert was made possible with the help of the organizations involved.

“The initiative of helping the victims of the pandemic and the recent typhoons were realized through the collaborative efforts of both UCDO and UNORSSGO. The exchange of resources, manpower, and ideas from both parties made the preparation process smooth and efficient,” Gelotin said. Meanwhile, Calimpos also shared that the funds from the concert will be directed to the Pamaskwa 2020 initiative, one of the three initiatives of UCDO and its partner organizations.

“We decided to categorize our donation drives. So that’s the three,

ANG PAGHANGYO. Ginapakita sa tarpaulin ang pagprotesta sang mga empleyado kontra sa pribatisasyon sang BACIWA. photo by REINHARDT FIRMEZA

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

FEATURE

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AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

NNNP: SILVER LINING TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

by REINHARDT FIRMEZA

Imagine a world that provides so much for us. A place so rich and lush it breathes life as you inhale the smell of fresh, dewy grass. You know for a fact that you could live there forever. You could pick sweet, ripe fruits whenever you wanted. Now think of a world on the brink of collapse; a total opposite.

Where the air is stale and polluted. Where its citizens are struggling to find any remnant of nature, deprived of any natural resource while desperately grappling for something that was once so insignificant and taken for granted.

If you were in this situation, which world would you live in?

Think of that first world as the Northern Negros National Park (NNNP), one of the only two natural reserves in the Negros Island. The area has been one of the critical resources of Negros Occidental, as this is the last intact watershed in the province making it a protected area. Home to countless species, including endangered ones, this area is being protected by laws, such as the R.A. 7586 or the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems (NIPAS) Act of 1992. However, as if such protocols and laws are mere leaves tossed and burned, destructive human activity remains unstoppable. Amidst the worsening of global warming, nobody is taking this seriously. What would happen if all these resources come down to nothing?

CIRCLE OF LIFE The balance of the earth is continuously dragged to the bottom, causing what we, Filipinos, now experience as super typhoons, excessive rain and heat, and strangely, man-induced calamities. The Earth.Org, a global environmental nonprofit and non-partisan organization that informs the global audience of environmental concerns, describes the climate crisis as worsening at an alarming pace.

“The climate crisis is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, and we are not ready for it,” the Earth.Org starts the article, sparking a little fire of curiosity.

While we all stopped in our tracks when the pandemic hit, environmental concerns were warranted the least attention.

However, among the many challenges of the pandemic, humans have forgotten how devastating nature can be when retaliating.

“While the crisis has many factors that play a role in its exacerbation, there are some that warrant more attention than

others,” the article then proceeds, feeding the interest.

According to Earth.org, the environmental issues that were listed are air pollution that stemmed from industrial and motor vehicle emissions, food waste where 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted and could have fed 3 billion hungry citizens, biodiversity loss which was caused by countless hunting and habitat conversion into residential homes and plantations, and plastic pollution, where tons and tons of plastic are harming wildlife and animals, causing more destruction to the environment. Little by little, each minuscule negligence led to the gradual death of Philippine biodiversity.

“While these are some of the biggest environmental problems plaguing our planet, there are many more that have not been mentioned,” Earth.Org clarifies at the end of the article.

Everyone in the world, not just the Philippines, is accountable for these issues as much as doing day-to-day activities that include the everyday driving of cars that use fossil fuel, use of single-use plastics and masks, and improper waste disposal. People take for granted all of these things because of how the world has technologically advanced, creating convenience for the people around us.

HARD TRUTHS IN SOFT SOIL For Negros, such environmental issues have made their own identities. The Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE), an organization committed to building constituencies and capacities for the environment, laments the threats that continue to endanger the NNNP. “Unabated resource exploitation, especially logging and extraction for charcoal production as well as rattan,

ferns, and orchids trade, have posed as primary threats to the local biodiversity,” FPE reveals in their article.

The persistent cutting of innocent trees, the conversion of the habitat of many animals into sugarcane plantation, all to prioritize selfish human needs. It does not stop at clearing out and converting forests into plantations. Various bird species, including the Philippine cockatoo, were gravely hunted.

“An estimated 840 birds per week were killed within a 600-hectare hunting ground in the late 1990s to early 2000s,” FPE articulates in the article, hinting at the agonizing truth of the many nature reserves.

But then again, laws are supposed to protect the environment too. Despite the protections that help preserve the overall biodiversity within the park, these projects and activities cannot stop them from resuming.

INSTIGATING THE FUTURE Change has been activated, rapid, and almost instant. Many people advocating against all activities that could compromise the NNNP continue to battle the lawbreakers. Erwin Nicavera, writer and photojournalist of SunStar Bacolod, reported two groups of environmental activists, the Group of Environmental Socialists (GOES) and Door Steps to New Life Foundation (Door Steps) that questioned the construction of the Silay-Patag-CadizCalatrava Road as it traverses the protected NNNP thereby threatening to harm wildlife residing there.

“Its issuance is a clear violation of the rules and procedures on issuing ECC [Environmental Compliance Certificate],” goes the call of GOES and Door Steps.

These groups advocate the protection of the NNNP from the possible environmental risks that could happen should the plan be pushed through. In an article written

by Carla Gomez of Inquirer, a letter sent

by San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza highlighted the urge on stopping the continuing development.

“Any development project should not be at the expense of our natural environment such as the old forest that is getting limited in Negros Occidental. Protected areas are our legacy to the generations to come and to humanity,” Bishop Alminaza gravely

warns in his letter.

But then, this is not a dead-end. Amidst the threat of the coronavirus, the Green Alert Network conducted a cycling event dubbed as ‘Panikad-sikad 2020: Sikad para sa Dunang Manggad’ that reminded Negrenses of the ongoing battle to protect the natural park. Around a hundred bikers filled the city roads with placards to remind the citizens of the unrelenting fight to protect the NNNP. “We will not stay quiet on this ordeal.

Only love can save us from the climate crisis and our moral obligation,” Green Alert Negros says in their Facebook post, encouraging not only their members but all Negrenses to support the park’s protection.

These groups have been advocating against this and it has been a wake-up call for the people to stop further damaging this precious resource. If the government refuses to answer the call of the people, we, as private citizens, must answer the call for the sake of the whole world.

The world is already in danger of

increasingly devastating natural disasters.

Human activity continues to be as hostile as ever and its effects are worsening by the day. Our people are waking up from a slumber as they help others advocate for the betterment of this world. The NNNP is as precious as water. This resource that guards the beauty of the future stands as a form of stability and sustainability of our current natural reserves. If our resources are in danger of being lost for all of eternity, what will happen to our future?

We must never let these inexcusable human activities continue, especially when it comes at a high cost. We must let our planet breathe and change our practices for the better. We must be aware of the situation that will haunt us if we pretend to be ignorant. It starts with one waking moment and one person-you. You lead the charge in protecting this environment not only for Negros but for the whole world.

As Green Alert Negros says, “make moral obligation a lifestyle.”

NEGROS FRONTIER. A portion of the Northern Negros Natural Park with its vast grassland and tall tress. photo courtesy of the SAVE NNNP FACEBOOK PAGE

TO JESUS WITH MARY: A UNORIAN’S VOYAGE TO UNYIELDING FAITH

by ALEA JEN VILLAHERMOSA

Like many of us, Engr. Erl Julen Tulod, Children of Mary-Vincentian Marian Youth (COM-VMY) national president, had walked on the University’s corridors during his college days. The busy chattering of students filling the hallway, the sound of the Angelus at the strike of noon, and the buzzing of electric fans in the late afternoon are all familiar to him as they are to those currently basking under the blue-and-gold banner. While most students would define a model UNO-Rian as someone who lives by the Recollect faith and is obedient to the Rekoleto ideals, what truly makes him the concrete model UNO-Rian?

It is not just about the title. There is always more to it as the journey to a blessed life is the road known to be less taken in today’s generation. This is what Engr. Erl exemplified and continues to do.

STARTING LINE We always hear the verses of Proverbs 22:6 saying, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

This is evident in Engr. Erl’s life as he grew up in the care of his devoted Catholic grandmother. Whenever she prays the rosary, he is there.

They have been partners in the faith which led him to be affiliated with a religious youth group in college.

“Joining the COM-VMY was a life-changing choice.

It made me realize my potential and gave me opportunities to enhance it for the service of Jesus and the Church,” he explains, reminiscing his days after

joining the organization.

Engr. Erl graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at UNO-R last 2014. On the same grounds where we stand, he made friends, enjoyed life, and made memories.

“There’s so much to remember from my Alma Mater but to speak about a specific event that I will forever remember, maybe in my service as a Commentator during our Baccalaureate Mass,” Erl says.

Being a commentator, one should make no mistakes as people are listening to what one says. That day, Engr. Erl told everyone to please be seated but when he looked at the priest celebrant, he was making a gesture for everyone to remain standing. The rites were changed and he had completely no idea. Embarrassing as it was, comments from people can be heard all over the chapel. Instead of slumping into an overthinking spiral, Engr. Erl laughed at the back of his mind for the reason that, at least, the listeners’ energy awakened.

At that time, the priest celebrant was no other than the late Rev. Fr. Cornelio Moral, OAR, who Engr. Erl considered a dear friend and inspiration in liturgy and youth.

IN CONTEMPLATION Founded to honor and make others honor the Blessed Virgin, COM-VMY is one of the religious associations in the University that students can actively participate in. Composed of both young and adult Catholics, its members desire to dedicate their lives to the mission of the Church, especially for people in different states of poverty.

“Its members aim to honor and make others honor Mary, especially in her virtues

of faith, charity, humility, obedience, purity, and simplicity.” Engr. Erl enunciates.

The copper-plated metal, with Virgin Mary’s embossed image, remains to be the insignia and the coat of arms of the COMVMY. While the family motto continues to be “to Jesus with Mary”.

“It emphasizes our Christ-centered and Marian-inspired way of life.” he enthusiastically elaborates.

Committed and confident, Engr. Erl confesses that he would always follow Mary’s virtues, to show a perfect example of discipleship. If we wished to be closer to Jesus, he advises that we must be like Mary, to be the “womb” that nurtured Him. DENOUEMENT The battle-sweat infested grounds and famine during all the civil wars up to the world wars one and two led to the disruption of the link between the COMVMY units in parishes and institutions. In connection to this, Engr. Erl summarized the goals under his term to three points that center on reconnection, unity, and collaboration.

“We intend to reconnect them to the National Council. With high hopes to find the lost units, we already are seeking the help of the Dioceses, the priests, and bishops in various regions of the country,” Engr. Erl elaborates.

It takes a great deal of brotherhood or sisterhood to realize the impact a united association can bring.

“Alone, the group is weak but together, as one COM-VMY Philippines family, surely we can do something bigger. It requires unity to bring in great change for a better association,” he remarks, elaborating

CHILD OF FAITH. Engr. Erl Julen Tulod, national president of the Children of Mary-Vincentian Marian Youth (COM-VMY). photo courtesy of ENGR. ERL JULEN TULOD

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on the unity aspect of his goal for the organization.

Every group has its giftedness. For Engr.

Erl, something he considers as a specialty of the group is its emphasis on Marian discipleship and devotion directed to Christ.

“We firmly believe that being an apostle is best practiced in sharing your talents. But we cannot fully share something we are not able to recognize. We have to deepen our realization of the group’s strength,” he explains.

As COM-VMY National President, he intends to leave a message to the youth to never wait for the right time to seek opportunities to learn. Engr. Erl believes that it is a matter of seeking and creating.

“No one is too young to lead for the youth is the future who will inherit everything in its proper time. One must not wait for the opportunity of learning to stumble upon them, rather, they must seek it or make it,” he says in an inspiring manner.

Model UNO-Rian Engr. Earl also emphasizes the importance of acquiring all the knowledge and skill needed until one is confident enough to judge and act based on what is right, just, and true.

Looking forward to his plans, Engr. Erl awaits for the time where COM-VMY will be able to fully offer both their hands and heart for the apostolic works of the Church. For him, that will be a time when collaboration can be done with other missionary groups. It is something he is looking forward to with great intent, the day COM-VMY members around the country can say “To Jesus, with Mary” as one.

FEATURE

AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

7

SHIELDS UP: FIGHTING THE UNSEEN ENEMY

by JOELLE MARIEL PADEROG

Pouring rubbing alcohol from a handy coin-shaped container into your palms is just one of the things we often encounter in the new normal, as opposed to our usual hand hygiene practices before the pandemic. Through this simple act, we practice one of the most essential health protocols While large-scale disinfection and hand hygiene are better and more effective ways of disinfection, simple ways can create a big difference. By following precautionary measures, prioritizing personal overall health status, and being an example to everyone around you is already a big step towards a better, safer community.

- graphic art by RENEE SUALA

In these unparalleled times, people are settled inside their homes and rarely venture outside. Self-isolation has profoundly altered our lives and realities.

This does not only create a level of uncertainty and suspicion but it had also opened doors to new possibilities and opportunities.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, observing minimum health protocols is one way to effectively stop the spread of the virus. In doing so, you prevent yourself from acquiring the disease because by observing these protocols, you break the chain of transmission.

THE HOWS AND ITS PARTNER During the wee months of early 2020, everyone was frolicking around minding their own business, jotting down their summer plans, and having night-outs and getaways with friends at the drop of a hat.

No one expected a new pandemic to greet us this year but it did. Everyone wished the whole crisis would end in a matter of months but it did not. Easing into what we know as the “new normal”, those summer trips and out-of-the-country vacations were kissed with a big “X” mark. Difficult as it is, the whole social distancing and stay-athome rules ensure our safety.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 spreads easily from person to person mainly

between people who are in close contact (within six feet) with one another through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes, sings or talks. Respiratory droplets cause infection when they are inhaled or deposited on mucus membranes, such as those that line the inside of the nose and mouth.

“People who are infected but do not have symptoms can also spread the virus to others,” CDC clarifies in its article.

Since asymptomatic individuals can also spread the virus via droplet transmission, it is important to practice minimum health protocols like proper handwashing, social distancing, cough etiquette, disinfection techniques, wearing of face masks, and monitoring our health on a daily basis.

CDC adds that preventing COVID-19 transmission is not only limited to our physical bodies for inanimate objects can also serve as its reservoir.

“Clean all ‘high-touch’ [frequently used objects like phones and doorknobs] surfaces everyday,” CDC adds on the article’s long list of preventive measures for the virus.

If symptoms develop, citizens are advised to follow the CDC guidelines. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19. Always put in mind that the virus is contagious and absolutely anyone can get infected.

“As much as possible, stay in a specific room and away from other people and pets in your home,” CDC emphasizes, especially for those who show symptoms of the disease.

We should work hand in hand to reach our main goal which is to end the agony that everyone is experiencing as a result of this pandemic. We should not be stubborn and follow these small steps to reach our objectives.

Awareness and education come hand in hand, by being informed of the correct information, equipped with the appropriate materials, together we can achieve a healthier and better Philippines.

Lead the change the society badly needs and do humanity a favor; comply and obey the protocols.

TEST OF DISCIPLINE Humans are social animals by nature.

We crave interaction, being informed of missed conversations, and time spent just being beside our loved ones watching our favorite shows on television.

Deliciously tempting, we are continuously tested to obey and discipline ourselves to limit contact. As Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a news briefing, self-discipline is a necessity.

“Individual discipline is a must for the country to win its fight against the coronavirus disease, ” he elaborates.

On a quest to instill the importance of individual discipline and observance of minimum heath protocols, a joint program

VIRTUALITY: OUR NEW REALITY

by TRISHA SHYNE CABANILLAS

What once seemed like a far-fetched concept born out of science fiction has become our everyday reality as we continue to face every break of dawn with changes in our daily routines.

The pandemic experienced in various corners of the world has truly presented its fair share of hindrances and advantages in the form of the new normal that people try to live through day by day. It has affected the way the economy has tried to sustain itself and how institutions interact with the people who take part in it and with each other. Businesses, tourism, livelihood, hygiene, and even basic human interaction had to adapt to the sudden shift that COVID-19 had now put on all of our properly sanitized hands.

With the enemy invisible to the naked eye, precautionary measures in terms of social distancing, sanitation of public spaces, and home quarantine are implemented in countries affected by the virus. With the emphasis on staying at home, virtual or distance learning are promoted and utilized as an alternative to face-to-face classes.

As education is and will always be a fundamental human right, this new way of learning has been highly encouraged and equally debated by those who are either experiencing the set-up or have a viewpoint in the concerns of the academe.

However, as much as “prevention is better than cure” will always be an entirely correct argument, virtual learning has presented both its sunny and gloomy aspects that continually hinder or aid both teacher and student productivity.

OPTIMISM AT ITS FINEST In this new normal of education, one is required to extend patience to godly amounts. However, this, too, may not be a luxury that all students can afford. This type of learning does not exactly accommodate each student in those little squares in the Zoom room per se. Signal interruptions, a lack of Internet connection, and overall inadequacy of the environment could keep the attendance steady on the muted and no-video mode during synchronous calls.

Jay*, a third-year student, expresses his frustrations over having a love-hate relationship with his Internet connection every day as he attends his online classes.

“It has been quite a struggle truthfully,” Jay* laments. “I just have to say it. The Philippines’ Internet speed seems to get worse every time you need it to be the best it could be.”

For those whose methods of staying in touch with their classes solely rely on the quality of connection that they get from the comforts of their home, the struggle is always the same to Jay* and other

students. It’s always a daily game of Russian roulette of who gets the best and the worst signal and who can answer the teacher’s question while not having to compete with the connection that makes you sound like someone from another dimension.

“Things were different before,” says 18-year-old Social Work student Tess*, who, in her words, does not have the luxury of having WiFi access.

In homes like hers, the weekdays have another challenge and that is counting up the daily data usage per session of their virtual classes.

With teleconferencing and various e-meeting platforms using up to a minimum of 100 MB per session. The data pack that once set her Facebook and Tiktok for a whole month now only lasts her a week or less.

“Things were different before classes started but I chose this so I have to understand that this is what I need to do to pursue,” she says, remaining well-aware of her priorities.

SHIFTING THROUGH A STATIC TIME Learning can also deteriorate in its essence as the preference of a mode of learning initially translates from visual and audio and has to precede a conversion to other learning material types.

Kate*, a freshman straight from the interactive environment of the interactive Humanities Senior High strand, for example, once preferred to internalize learnings with interactive discussions among her peers or in classes.

“That’s why I loved debating back and forth with my classmates because I always find myself not having to study the lesson anymore afterwards or before exams because I already remember the terms,” Kate shares as she recalls her class days before the pandemic.

With the suspension of face-to-face classes, those days have now been tucked away on the shelves along with her school bag, uniform, and the satisfaction of

productive physical interaction.

“But I know it will all be better soon.

We all just need to do our part and stay at home,” Kate then adds a smiling emoji to further express her hopefulness despite this tough time.

Graduating student, Marvin* also expresses his distress with the new normal as he admittedly struggles to find his online class silver lining.

“It’s weird not having our laboratory classes at school and, I admit, it is not what I expected for my school year. I admit that I prefer learning on the job with me physically navigating my way through equipment and applying what is taught to us but it’s not like we can do anything about that now,” Marvin says describing his distance learning expectations.

In this situation where the students are in attendance virtually and physical learning areas are not utilized, this, too, becomes a hindrance to effective learning.

With that, the line between academic work and resting at home is blurring out as time gets consumed by outputs assigned just as soon as meetings conclude.

Soon, students find themselves spending a bit more of their time than what was needed allotting seconds on top of seconds towards finishing their to-do lists whose lengths has come into competition with the household’s grocery list.

“I’ve become too hesitant in submitting works and, with the weight of this being my final year, I feel like I need to put my best foot forward without me having my best weapon to do so. I find myself putting more time than I usually do for

with the private sector and the DILG paved the way in launching “Bida Ang May Disiplina, Solusyon sa COVID-19” to combat the transmission of the disease.

“Public-private cooperation is indeed an ideal solution to our present situation to defeat COVID-19 as it augments both local and national government’s efforts and resources,” Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III says during the launch of the program.

While cases have been depleting at this time, the observation of minimum health protocols will still reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 particularly for those with pre-existing health conditions. It is also a measure of discipline. If Filipinos continue to follow minimum health protocols, it demonstrates and reflects how disciplined and committed we are in flattening the curve to strive for that common goal to resume the things we left behind before the lockdowns and the distancing.

LOCAL STATE OF AFFAIRS Bacolod City Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia lowered the quarantine status of the City from Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) on Oct. 1, minimum health standards are still observed. With the public transportation continued on entering Bacolod City with protocols on the check, Chris Ann Abello, a resident of San Carlos City expresses her distress on her experiences upon going to the city whilst studying for her Master’s degree in Bacolod.

“As a non-Bacolod resident, I could say

my outputs and I fear that I may not leave time for rest as I did before,” he adds when asked about any concerns regarding their study environment during the school year.

He also pointed out a noticeable occurrence on trending posts asking for donations or any subsidy for classes on various social media platforms. True enough, being financially able to purchase gadgets needed to provide convenience during class calls that last for hours on end has become an all too familiar matter for Filipino educators and students alike. Calls for aid and electronic cash codes as means where netizens can spare their generosity have spread across the Internet and have caused students to either realize their respective fortunate stability, empathize, or lend a helping hand.

“But I do recognize my privilege and how lucky I am to have what I need to get me through these times.” he further expresses his sentiments regarding the said posts.

RAINBOWS ON THE CEILING With these arising difficulties and the call for the safe opening of classes not being heeded, a heavy cloud hangs above our heads. However, this mandatory alone time can also be an outlet for a space that we did not get to wander towards when everything was allowed out in the open.

This can also be a perfect time to cherish the company that we are technically stuck with in the safety of our own homes. With the world’s demands from us, our homes often become a shelter where we sleep,

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

that Bacolod City needs to improve its health protocol. People aren’t properly wearing their face shields and I can see some people commuting with their face shields above their head, others are not wearing it at all,” she exclaims at how alarming it is for a city with skyrocketing COVID-19 cases to have non-compliant citizens.

As for City Administrator Em Ang, the executive director and deputy for administration and operations of the Emergency Operations Center Task Force, the increase or decrease in the number of positive cases in the City primarily depends on the cooperation and compliance of the Bacolodnons with local policies and observance of minimum health protocols.

“Lately, most cases are from close contacts. We have to be vigilant and careful so we can maintain and sustain the lowering of cases,” Ang says, warning all the citizens of the city what non-compliance would cause.

While executive orders and restrictions are indeed one way to prevent people from gathering into large flocks and partying, compliance remains to be a major part of achieving a safer community. As much as government agencies, private sectors, and responsible citizens promote and obey health protocols, it all goes to waste if citizens remain apathetic and ignorant towards COVID-19. The virus may be dangerous and lethal to immunocompromised persons, but remember that nothing beats an informed and disciplined citizen prepared for invisible combat with a common enemy.

eat, and, now, take classes. This can also become one’s pause button away from the usual outdoor hustle.

Furthermore, being away from your usual environment can be a change that we may all need and this change can be channeled in various ways depending on one’s coping mechanisms. It can either be a change you have long aspired of in the forms of getting your fitness goal, a style change, learning how to cook your mom’s specialty, or learning how to be a planttita. It can also be a change that you seek through finding inner peace in solitude or it can just be you and a good book finally reuniting after long hours of facing the glow of the computer screen. Whether it is a work or class shift written down on your quarantine edition to-do list, a cross off of your life bucket list, or an unexpected yet highly appreciated gift from yourself, this new normal will open enough doors for us to determine which things and relationships we need to prioritize.

Indeed, this is an undeniably difficult time for the country and for the world.

And, though, unabashed optimism may get us through the day, we cannot deny the struggles that we face in the new normal, whether in our class or our lives. But, now that it is here, all we have to do is keep our heads afloat as we try to navigate through this unknown and be each other’s support systems, one house slipper at a time. *not their real names

- graphic art by KAREN JOY TOLOSA

A Plastic Tale:

Wh can help

8

AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

The journey of plastic from our hands to the world Compiled by Romchelle Chris Danielle Waminal Graphics by Cristopher Villaruel

60% Inadequate waste management systems are the primary cause of plastic pollution in Southeast Asia and China.

Around 60% of marine plastic debris enters the ocean from just five countries namely China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

In Malaysia and the Philippines, just 15% of plastic waste is safely disposed of.

The numbers present an urgent need to effectively execute proper collecting, sorting, recycling, and disposing of waste.

Single-use plastics and packaging for consumer goods are the main drivers of the increase in plastic pollution.

36% Globally, 36% of plastic is used for packaging.

32% of it leaks into the environment.

14% The remaining 14% is recycled in some way with only 2% being continually recycled while the rest is dumped into landfills.

Product packaging is the major user of plastic and accounts for about half of the world’s plastic waste.

Whereas, household consumption of plastic packaging means plastic will most likely end up in the oceans.

“Filipinos use more than 163 million plastic sachet packets, 48 million shopping bags, and 45 million thin-film bags daily,” the Global Alliance in Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) stated in its 2019 report.

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

hat you n do to p AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

Support an ecobrick initiative.

Bring your own sustainable drinking bottle.

Slow down on online shopping consumption habits and reconsider options for shipping.

Say no to plastic cutlery.

Opt for paper or cloth bags rather than plastic bags

9

Support local and national initiatives that are advocating for a sustainable future.

Promote eco-friendly stores.

3rd

Pandemic driven

The Philippines is the third biggest ocean polluter according to a widely cited 2015 study conducted by the University of Georgia and reported by the Ocean Conservancy.

According to the World Health Organization, the world’s medical frontliners need 89 million medical masks, 76 million gloves, and 1.6 million goggles monthly to be properly equipped in combatting COVID-19.

20 The Philippines is hit with an average of 20 typhoons a year. Floods are inevitable and are only worsened by the country’s plastic problem.

Global anti-plastic movement Break Free from Plastic in its 2019 audit,identified the top three corporate plastic polluters

While medical wastes are necessities amidst the pandemic and are disposed of differently than other wastes, most face masks used by the public are not disposed of properly and add to the world’s already accumulating waste.

In a study published in June 2019 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, researchers calculated a monthly use of 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves globally during the pandemic.

This amount of waste is not only an environmental problem but also poses a public health risk as mounds of contaminated PPE are thrown out.

Global anti-plastic movement Break Free From Plastic, in its 2019 audit, identified that plastic bags, sachets, and plastic films were the most ubiquitous plastic items found dumped in nature and contributed the most to the country’s plastic problem.

74%

Call on our governments to introduce an inclusive, legallybinding agreement to lessen plastics polluting our oceans.

According to a 2018 report by WWF, 74% of plastic that ends up in the ocean is from waste that has already been collected.

Czarina Constantino, who spearheads the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) global campaign in the Philippines to stop the flow of plastics into nature by 2030, stated that the lack of waste disposal facilities is one of the main causes of plastic pollution in the country.

GAIA revealed that for plastic sachet packets alone, Filipinos produce enough waste each year to cover the entire land area of Metro Manila with one foot of plastic. That’s not considering the 17.5 billion pieces of plastic shopping bags and 16.5 billion pieces of plastic labo bags Filipinos use per year.

What the future holds By 2030, the amount of plastic waste in the world’s oceans could reach 300 million tons if not properly mitigated.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a waste reduction and management tool proposed by the WWF Philippines to the Philippine government that alters the life cycle of consumer products and ensures that manufacturers take responsibility for everything they manufacture and sell. With this, companies are given the extended responsibility to dispose of and recycle their products post-consumption.

Eco-design refers to designing physical materials that are intended to be integrated into a sustainable environment. More start-ups and small businesses in the country are adapting alternative packaging and technology to undertake eco-design.

GAIA also urged the creation of regulations banning single-use plastic products such as sachets and utensils similar to the plastic bag ban that’s already in effect in several areas.

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives - Plastics Exposed: How Waste Assessments and Brand Audits are Helping Philippine Cities Fight Plastic Pollution Rappler - A Plan to fix the Philippines’ Plastic Problem by Iya Gozum Rappler - Designing a Greener Future by Iya Gozum World Willife Fund - Plastic Packaing in Southeast Asia and China

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World Wildlife Fund - Ten tTps to Reduce your Plastic Footprint

OPINION

10

AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

editorial

New normal, same old issues

cartoon by RHEYMAR CHUA

As education is one of society’s essential resources for progress and change to ensue, its adaptability to be delivered through online and other modalities is vital, as education continues amidst the threat of COVID-19.

Answering the demand for online

classes, the University adopts a distance learning scheme as per CHED COVID Advisory No. 6 guidelines to ensure that learning must safely continue despite the circumstances.

Not only as small community but everyone in the academe as the

Journalism in the Shade of Red ASTRA Crisha Arroyo news and sports editor aakkiiarroyo@gmail.com

Silencing journalists may ultimately mean silencing the voices of those who express dissent.

Thirty-two journalists were among the 58 victims who were slain in the Maguindanao Massacre of 2009, a blood-stained event considered as the country’s worst case of election-related violence and the single deadliest attack on journalists.

On the World Press Freedom Day forum last May 3, Luis Teodoro, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication, said that from June 30, 2016 until April 30,

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Since 1947

EDITORIAL BOARD AY 2020 - 2021

Editor-in-Chief Romchelle Chris Danielle Waminal Associate Editor Cristopher Villaruel Managing Editor Jusalanne Matulac DESK EDITORS News and Sports Editor Crisha Arroyo Opinion Editor Krisha Marie Semellano Feature Editor Carla Joanne Robles Literary Editor Leslie Marie Banaban TECHNICAL EDITORS Multimedia Editor Joelle Mariel Paderog Multimedia Associate Renee Suala Online Content Manager Alea Jen Villahermosa Writers Trisha Shyne Cabanillas Regen Envidiado Cartoonists Rheymar Chua Joshua Garita Carl Andro Vallejera Videojournalist Reinhardt Firmeza Photojournalist Raeverly Elena Ramirez Layout Artist Karen Joy Alexandria Tolosa Human Resource Consultant Kaye Eunice Lamera, RSW Technical Consultant Alyssa Marie Arceño Technical Adviser Engr. Ashraf Khater, ChE, MEnE

2019, at least 128 threats and attacks against members of the press were monitored.

To rub salt to the wound, the denial of the franchise renewal of the media giant, ABS-CBN, that had come under fire in President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, the cyber libel case against Rappler CEO, Maria Ressa, the numerous false charges on journalists and the murder of various media practitioners from all around the region, we ask, is press

Lag, connection lost, shut down.

This is a series of circumstances common to almost all students and teachers in this online set-up. It has been hard for everyone to adjust to the ongoing changes of shifting from physical means to a virtual platform because the last time I checked, not everyone has access to the latest gadgets and aren’t privileged to have a stable and high-speed Internet connection, especially those living outside the City. Online classes only highlighted the division between the students’ social status and how it is a different race for each to grasp the right to education.

While other countries are slowly going back to normal and are easing back into campus life, the Philippines finds itself in another cycle of community quarantines that led to the implementation of online classes as a way for the students to continue their education amidst the circumstances.

Despite the “no vaccine, no faceto-face classes” announcement of President Rodrigo in his public address on May 25 with his statement that, “I will not allow the opening of classes where the kids will be beside each other. No one will go to school unless I am sure they are safe. There has to be a vaccine first,” the Department of Education announced last April 30 that the opening classes would officially start on August 24 and, indeed, it had.

As Education Secretary Leonor Briones stressed, education must continue, and online learning is a viable option that doesn’t require physical contact among students. Even though the Philippines is known for its slow Internet speeds, the country still pushed through online educational delivery.

And from what I have seen, the

pandemic trudges on.

Despite the enrolment announcement on July 15, no memorandum was yet released on the plans for academic year 2020-2021. It was only until Aug. 12, five days away from the official start of classes on Aug. 17, when a statement was released through the Registrar’s Office Facebook page that a phasing system was to be adopted. Further explanation on the plans for distance learning was posted on the University website on Aug. 17 as online classes already commenced.

In this unprecedented turn of events, the students were left with merely a few days to adapt not only to the new learning environment but also to the changes in the schedules as the University does away with the usual semestral terms in an attempt to cope with the demands of online service delivery.

This, more or less, last-minute dissemination of plans for the new

academic year may have added to the already existing toll brought upon by the pandemic as students were not given a proper heads-up on what to expect in the upcoming school year.

Just as we have repeatedly raised concerns on the often changing University protocols over the past few years, the students are expected to juggle yet another set of changes this year, a topping on the existing physical and mental toll brought by the health crisis.

Here we are again calling for the earlier issuance and dissemination of announcements, especially of memos greatly influencing the scheme of the University’s processes affecting everyone in this institution.

Moreover, we are also amplifying the call for an efficient system between the studentry, the student government, and the administration to ensure that there is transparency and all voices may be heard on all sides, to

be ensured that the well-being of the studentry is constantly represented to the administration so that proper action may ensue and for the students to know the proper channels to voice their concerns.

We are also hoping for a more effective and well-grounded planning scheme for online learning that would ultimately acknowledge that not everyone has access to the same scale of resources, a system that includes wellgrounded mental health interventions.

Although the already-present mental health programs are appreciated, we think that it is not enough to shoulder the large-scale effect caused by the circumstances not only to the students but to everyone in the academe.

We hope that this piece may reach the ranks of those concerned as we strive towards that common goal to provide a better environment for everyone in our community as we are all coping with the current circumstances.

freedom still prevailing in the country?

The Philippines continues to be in the top rank among the deadliest countries for journalists. Hence this year, the International Federation of Journalists ranked the country as the second most dangerous place for journalists over the last 25 years.

Silencing journalists may ultimately mean silencing the voices of those who express dissent. These victimized journalists were often among the few forces defending our democracy or at least offering some check on those in power. They are the people to whom citizens turn to when police and courts and political institutions fail them and the people who can inform citizens of what is happening.

On July 3, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the highly contentious Anti-Terrorism Bill which received a sweeping vote of 173-31 in the House of Representatives despite appeals for

its repeal.

Again, this was another attempt to silence the free press and has raised a ruckus among activists and the masses, in general.

It is clearly stated in the 1987 Constitution under Article 3, Section 4 of the Bill of Rights that “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances” while Section 8 under the same Article states that “the right of the people, including those employed in the public and private sectors, to form unions, associations, or societies for purposes not contrary to law shall not be abridged.”

Even a student can understand what it means yet the controversial Bill was still passed into law. If the government can distort these laws under certain

circumstances in their favor in an attempt to mute the media and to silence the masses, can you imagine up to what extent of horror they can do just for their benefit?

It happened to Maria Ressa, to ABSCBN, the 32 massacred journalists, and the list continues.

If it happened to them, it can happen to anyone. This is how politics in the country works.

There will be no end to these attacks so long as the authoritarian leaders will remain feeding themselves with their vanity. Because unless they do, courageous journalists will still seek the truth, speak for the people, and even shed blood for the country.

The killings need to stop, the assailants need to pay, politicians should stop their corruption, and the people need to be heard.

Freedom has many colors; red should not be one of those.

“must” in continuing the education depends on what the students and parents can afford, either on modules or virtual learning – worst, neither – when you have nothing aside from the money in your pocket for plastic or rice. It is kind of unfair that being poor makes you underprivileged even to afford education nowadays.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, most people have been striving to survive every day. The majority’s mindset is that the most important thing for them and their loved ones is to, at least, have three meals a day.

Now, top that with the high costs of their child’s (or children’s) monthly tuition fee.

Maybe for some, it isn’t a problem, but for those who need to stretch their time to multitask part-time jobs while attending virtual classes during breaks from work, it is a hard juggle. This is especially so when academic deadlines are piling up, yet they are still haunted by the fact that their education is at stake if they don’t work until twilight hours. Alongside that, many elementary students depended too much on their parents in answering modules that somehow led to nonlearning.

Nowadays, rather than learning and complying with activities, students tend to comply without learning to get a passing mark. One reason is that the current learning method is hard to process because the information students get from online materials and hours’ worth of video discussions is difficult to comprehend for most students, if not all, since not everyone has the same learning style.

In addition to that, factors affecting the students’ attendance and performance is mostly correlated to the Internet performance and is those

New-normal Learning is Not for Everyone WINGED EYELINER Jusalanne Matulac managing editor jusa.matulac@gmail.com

I hope that the government will be able to secure and take responsibility for the students’ safety as we pursue an education that is open for everyone. who have access to a stable Internet connection are in an advantageous position compared to those in farflung areas and who need to climb mountains to get a few good bars of signal. It is a struggle to meet academic requirements on time when something not under your control, like your signal quality, is messed up.

Everyone struggles with this set-up, even teachers who aren’t familiar with the digital arena. A nationwide survey was launched by the parenting website MomJunction published on Sept. 28, which took into account the efficiency of teacher-student interaction in virtual sessions. Data from the said survey tells that 79 percent of parents across the country feel that teachers are struggling to cope with online classes and that teachers didn’t have that long-time training to adapt to the virtual platform’s demands abruptly.

But since this is their profession, they try to make the best of the situation to still offer quality education to their students. However, new-normal education isn’t for everyone. The present circumstances and shifting of priorities in this pandemic are a

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

struggle.

On Dec. 14, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the pilot implementation of face-to-face classes in selected COVID-19 low-risk areas.

The implementation will run for the whole month of January 2021. This is a glimmer of hope to the students’ gloomy, often lonely, days facing a screen. The said pilot implementation of face-to-face classes will be under the strict health protocols and under shared responsibilities of DepEd, LGUs, and parents to approve students’ participation in class.

As this article highlights the difference between learning through the screen and actual participation, I hope that the government will be able to secure and take responsibility for the students’ safety as we pursue an education that is open for everyone.

Since learning is the key to the future and the virus is not eradicated yet, safety and efficient education, and a long -time solution to conquer the new-normal set up is a feasible option that everyone needs the most rather than waiting for the vaccine alone.

OPINION

AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

The Unsung Bay-ani WANDERLUST Joelle Mariel Paderog multimedia editor jmdpaderog@gmail.com

It’s time for us to not be drawn into the culture where these people, in this kind of job, are tagged as below you because they are not engineers, doctors, or business managers.

In every grain of rice, there is a nameless hero.

While we partake in hearty meals in the comfort of our homes, have we ever wondered about the lives behind the hands that toiled under the heat of the sun to bring our daily supply of food on our tables?

Unsurprisingly, this is where the disconnection between the suppliers and consumers lies. The general public does not know how farmers devote their entire lives to supply us with the food that we need. Farmers were cast as incompetent and lowly workers, when, in fact, they are the real heroes of our agriculture industry.

The passage of Republic Act No. 11203 otherwise known as Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) on Feb. 2019 had promised farmers to elevate their competencies and livelihood. It removed the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice importation. It was ratified to protect the farmers from the entry of imported rice through tariffs As we transcend into the digital age, we must equip ourselves with the necessary skills to dissect and validate the information we read online. It’s not about being rich, smart, or being techsavvy. It’s about having the essential knowledge of knowing what to believe or not.

In October 2020, Peter Guest, a contributor at Rest of World, said that, in the Philippines, “fake news can get you killed,” linking it to the continued red-tagging of human rights and propoor activists that led on to their untimely deaths. He also emphasized how the growth of fake news in social media, especially in Facebook, had surged from the moment President Rodrigo Duterte weaponized this massive online platform during his campaign period and up until he seized the presidency.

In April, 32 individuals were penalized because of spreading fake COVID-19 news. Four years after the local news network Rappler had reported that more than 300 websites were disseminating false information and the emergence of trolls and suspicious social media accounts during the 2016 presidential elections, we are all now beginning to become accustomed to these occurrences, but this shouldn’t be the case.

In an article published by Martha Jean Sanchez of Statista, a database company, last July, she stated how the year 2019 had an overwhelming amount of 74 million Facebook users in the Philippines. These users were composed of diverse people who spread and absorb information. It’s scary to think that what if half or almost all of these users were fed with fake information. Imagine reading someone else’s post that says that Beyoncé is dead when she’s out there living a good life. Think of this: if one person believes something untrue and passes it, it creates a ripple of lies and

and to let consumers enjoy lower rice prices. However, as we revisit this law a year after its passage, who became the real winner? Well, definitely not the farmers, because up until now the promises that this law had pledged are still out of sight.

This is just one of the sad realities faced by these nameless heroes and seedbeds of the agricultural industry.

Stereotypes, overgeneralizations, and such more fallacies had dented farmers and it is time for people to wake up and see the bigger picture.

Discouraging younger generations from pursuing agriculture or any profession that relates to farming became a norm because society set a standard where it automatically implies as low-skilled, low-pay, unsociable hours, hard, and dirty work.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, Philippine agriculture performance was flat in 2019, growing by a measly 0.7% from 0.6% recorded in 2018. Aside from this, when RTL

paved the way for the liberalization of rice importation, exportation and trading, the safe armor bestowed to more than 2.5 million rice farmers was removed and led them to become vulnerable.

The fall in the price of palay (unhusked rice) has been alarming.

The rise in the supply of imported rice, along with the calamities that have recently hit the rice lands and impacted harvests, led farmers to sell their crops to private traders at P12 to P13 per kilo farm gate price. This is a disaster considering a farmer’s recovery of production.

Farmers are growing old and their kids have migrated to other occupations. Many of our agricultural schools generate office-oriented employees who would much rather do paperwork than help develop the country’s agricultural sector. Not to mention the numerous horror stories at the Department of Agriculture involving corruption.

We often look up to people who wear suits and ties with attaché cases in their hands, driving four-wheelers car but look down and never pay attention to the people whose rugged clothes are muddy, hands are calloused, and maneuvering a carabao just to feed the society.

We tend to forget how they had worked hard from daybreak till dusk.

We are all blinded by the fact that their work is a bone-breaker. Farming requires a lot of industry, perseverance, and tolerance.

It’s time for us to not be drawn into the culture where these people, in this kind of job, are tagged as below you because they are not engineers, doctors, or business managers. Not one person’s job is more worthy than the other. Farmers? They deserve to be treated with respect and not looked down upon. If it weren’t for them, the world will be starving. A job that serves people well, is a job that can be considered meaningful. Hence, not all heroes wear capes.

Social Media Literacy: Truth beyond Facts ELIZ Alea Jen Villahermosa online content manager ajvexo@gmail.com

Feed yourself with facts and valid details to be aware of what is true and what is not because sometimes the truth is easily rendered and hidden by unknown hands. the most vulnerable here are those who are misinformed.

How do we combat it? Definitely by honing media and information literacy.

Take the issue of the Australian doctor and Youtuber, Dr. Adam Smith, versus Dr. Farrah Agustin-Bunch, a Filipino self-proclaimed Harvard doctor, as a concrete example. Who would you believe? A ten-year experienced physician from England who had undergone multiple medical missions or a doctor promoting natural medicine who first claimed to be a graduate of Harvard but has just gone on a fivehour course? Everyone can claim who they are online but what they say and what they do would still reveal their true selves.

Many pages and user accounts are sprouting everywhere on different social media platforms that feed us with enormous information. We need to always be mindful of verifying that information they feed us. There are numerous trusted sources for verifying information like media giants such as ABS-CBN News and GMA News,

compared to a Facebook post made by someone you barely know online. Factchecking is a must if you don’t want misinformation spinning on your hand.

Google is also composed of numerous pieces of information but if you are a student, there are more ways to find facts. Rather than copy-pasting everything that is stated in Wikipedia, you could go over the footnotes and discover the main sources of the data for more reliable facts. On the other hand, Google Scholar and Mendeley are some trusted sites if you want to find journals, articles, and research papers as references for academic use.

Media and information literacy will help you become social media literate wherein you’ll no longer welcome fake news and untrue information to be chewed in your mouth. Feed yourself with facts and valid details to be aware of what is true and what is not because, sometimes, the truth is easily rendered and hidden by unknown hands.

P.S. Fake news is created by trolls, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.

11 On Summoning the Phantoms in the City of Smiles MOON CHILD Krisha Marie Semellano opinion editor krishamariegs@gmail.com

Vanquish what is wicked and let hope seep through in the City by promising not to forget the names of leaders who feign deafness to our call for good governance.

Curtain call in 3, 2, 1.

In theatrical plays, the stage can either break or make you. In life, crises and catastrophes can sap a man’s hope for growth. In our case, as when the COVID-19 pandemic started to wreak havoc, the glitz and glamour of the political arena began to run down.

Our government houses ticking time bombs that, with just one pull of a string, will expose its secrets. The health crisis, more or less, turned out to be a trigger to summon the phantoms lurking beneath the thick skins of power and fame.

A month after the medical community pleaded for stricter community quarantine protocols to ease the surge of virus infections in Bacolod City, the National InterAgency Task Force against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to put the City under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) status from Sept. 8 to 30.

President Rodrigo Duterte agreed, accepted the recommendation, and effectively put the whole City under MECQ a night after his public address on Sept. 7.

Bacolodnons expressed their rage as the announcement was so abrupt that it caused people to panic. A night had us turn our heads to the Local Government Unit (LGU), as the majority of the public is caught, once more, in a haze. It left the citizens no choice but to wait for the amenities that will be provided by the local government.

However, amidst the health crisis and the sudden implementation of MECQ in Bacolod, our local government officials flaunted what they are truly made of. After the first day of the stricter community quarantine, the LGU was not able to release the Executive Order for the City’s MECQ guidelines promptly.

It then caused clamor among Bacolodnons as everyone became unsure of what are the prohibitions of the quarantine protocols then causing panic buying in grocery stores and markets where social distancing could not be observed.

But this was not the first time that the LGU failed to properly communicate with its people. Another example is the release of confusing and vague guidelines during the City’s timeout weekend restricting the movement of people and transportation from Aug. 28 to 30. With unclear guidelines, causing another wave of panic buying of concerned citizens. Rather than being firm, systematic, and efficient in leading their people, they paraded a circus of failed trials and errors.

Needless to say, things became out of hand.

As of Dec. 8, Bacolod City has a total of 5,468 cases of infection according to the COVID-19 Regional Case Bulletin No. 256 of the Center for Health Development – Western Visayas.

Bacolod City sat next to Iloilo City with the highest number of cases in the region. It seems like our LGU is following the footsteps of the national government – a cascade of haphazard protocols and empty words. This development is quite similar to how the Philippines had turned the tables when it entered the top 20 countries with the highest COVID-19 cases

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

in the world. This had caused us to deepen our sighs. Indeed, so much had happened for a proclaimed model city.

With this, heated conversations from netizens continue to explode and swarm on various social media platforms nitpicking the lapses of Bacolod LGU officials.

To further rub salt to the wound, it wasn’t over a week after the MECQ implementation that news broke out that the LGU had given expired food packs to the affected public utility drivers in the City. Diego Malacad, secretary-general of the United Negros Drivers Operator Center, expressed his frustration towards the expired goods given to him and his fellow public utility drivers as they have no other means of livelihood since public transportation is suspended during the duration of the MECQ. In his statement posted on Aksyon Radyo – Bacolod’s Facebook page, Malacad shared that they discarded the expired goods since it cannot be consumed anymore. What a roller coaster ride for the Bacolodnons yet authorities resort to pleading for the people’s consideration saying unity is what we need right now. But how can this happen if they continue to slap us with their incompetence?

The mysteries behind the alleged fabricated COVID-19 cases also lurk through the City’s streets.

Bacolodnons expressed their rage and filled their social media timelines with concern on the lack of action from the local authorities brandished with the occasional meme. They even renamed the health crisis into Bacolod “Cupit –19”, a jab at the LGU’s poor management and suspected corruption. This is an evident case that, as the positive COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Bacolod, so are the people’s suspicions and lack of trust in the LGU. This global pandemic does not only pose risks to our health and security but also serves as a precursor to a whole series of masquerade and circus-like events staged by the lurking phantoms in our local government unit.

As a UNO-Rian, I believe that as this global pandemic has summoned the phantoms lurking beneath the glamour of political power, we must be proactive in our call for change. Let this be a reason to revitalize the broken and crooked political system, not only on a local scale but also in our national government.

Let’s stop being blinded by the power play and politicking. Vanquish what is wicked and let hope seep through in the City by promising not to forget the names of leaders who feign deafness to our call for good governance. Continue to scream the truth until their ears bleed. Don’t stay behind the curtains of apathy and complacency.

Scream your frustrations because, only then, they will know the power of dissent as we unite through our voices.

Put an end to their lame dramas. Do your part, comply with the protocols, wear your mask, practice social distancing, and do not partake in social gatherings. If in this game, we are on our own, be a better and fiercer fighter.

Thus, goodwill shines its light over the wicked. Through this, soon enough, the story will be ours.

12

COLLEGE BEATS

Artians gather for ‘An Hour with the Dean’ questions by the students during the activity.

Students were allowed to ask only one main question and one follow-up question to the Dean.

For concerns not covered during the scheduled activity, Dean Claur answered them through a Facebook Messenger group chat with the students.

CAS faculty members and staff did not join the session as concerns regarding the said parties were personally catered by the college dean through a private message.

The “An Hour with the Dean” session was first launched on Sept. 22 to 26 for phase one and on Nov. 5 to 9 for phase two.

CCJE dep’t sponsors school supplies for public schools

by CRISHA ARROYO

To aid in the teachers’ needs in printing modules, the College of Criminal Justice Education (CCJE) distributed five reams of bond paper and three bottles of printer in to teachers in Handumanan National High School and Corazon Locsin Montelibano Elementary School, Nov. 19 “The number of people allowed to come [during the outreach] is limited because of the pandemic but [the faculty and students] were handson during the community outreach,” Gladys Estrellanes, CCJE faculty member and University Community Development Office coordinator, said.

CCJE President Jessa Mae Martir also emphasized to her fellow UNO-Rian

students the practice of the UNO-Rian core values of service and community life, especially in this time of a global crisis.

“A community outreach is about giving, contributing, and helping.

Community outreach also allows us to influence others to give back to the community. It helps the community grow in a substantial way. It brings the community together as a whole,” Martir added.

Estrellanes and Martir shared that the College may conduct another community outreach to aid the University’s school feeders during the second semester.

ESC launches ML tourney as ‘break’ from online classes

by LESLIE MARIE BANABAN

Engineering Tigers greeted the new school year by competing in a Mobile Legends (ML) tournament headed by the College of Engineering Student Council (ESC) highlighting its Welcome Smash 2020 activity roster, Sept. 20.

“We are all struggling during this pandemic. We all did not see this coming and we were all unprepared.

So, having some fun activities would significantly affect especially the mental health of the students as we embrace this new normal,” ESC Governor Mardy Gargar said.

Moreover, Event Head Raiven Chua shared that the main purpose of their activity is to at least help students give them a break from their online classes.

“We need [our] students to enjoy it [online classes] and it’s because they

Renowned speaker talks stud motivation in PASMETH con

by CARLA JOANNE ROBLES

by CRISHA ARROYO

To provide Artians with a platform to voice out their concerns and queries with regards to online learning, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) kickstarted its “One Hour with the Dean’’ sessions via Google Meet, Sept.

22.

“The very sole [reason] why this activity was launched was to help the students voice out their concerns and queries. Considering that we are in an online mode of learning, through this activity together with our Dean, we can cater to the problems of the students,” Jhelly Mae David, session moderator said.

Queries regarding subject requirements, payments, and secondsemester plans were the most asked

AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

are all bored in their houses. Some don’t know what to do so they join [online activities] to cut off boredom and enjoy,” Chua said.

Tantan Esports under team captain Venz Jovic Guanga, a Mechanical Engineering sophomore, was hailed as champion in the said tournament.

Besting 16 competitors, Guanga shared that there was no secret to their success but pure discipline and cooperation.

“There should be trust with each other and just more practice,” Guanga added.

The online activities of the ESC kickstarted in August during the University’s Welcome Smash 2020 and continued until September.

Award-winning academic writer and resource speaker Dr. Paolo Manuel Macapagal, Rpm, RPsy highlighted the significance of motivating oneself and keeping track of one’s goals amidst changes in the educational set-up with Medical Technology students nationwide via Zoom, Sept. 15.

“Look unto your goal and your goal is to become a Medical Technologist.

We shouldn’t stop because of the pandemic,” Macapagal shared.

He expressed his displeasure on the topic of academic freeze, saying that children and teenagers were just frolicking in the streets and playing mobile games.

“Your goal is simple. You need to

graduate. You need to get that license,” he added.

Meanwhile, PASMETH President Dean Bernard Ebuen, MAEd shared in his opening remarks that students may experience difficulties in course deliveries, teaching strategies, and learning experience.

“To cope with these challenges, the only thing we have to do is to stay mentally fit so we will be able to sustain on this drive that we finish our education,” Enbuen said.

Jhenny Alvarez, a third year Medical Technology student thought that the webinar indeed motivated students.

“Maybe the webinar served its purpose for those privileged students,

those with no financial problems but for underprivileged students without the luxury of self-care, I think not.” she shared.

According to Alvarez, the focus of the discussion is for students who attend online classes comfortably.

“They assume that all Medical Technology students are well-off.” she closed.

The webinar is the fifth of the series of professional and studentbased Medical Technology webinars prepared by the PASMETH for its 50th Founding Anniversary and Medical Technology Week 2020.

benefit from,” she added.

Although there were minor setbacks encountered during the event live stream, a Slack group created by the organizers kept the members informed and updated about the agenda.

“Some difficulties encountered would probably be the miscommunication that happened between the speakers and the host since, sometimes, something had gone wrong with the connection and such but these were only minor setbacks and the entire event flowed smoothly,” Cababahay added.

A core member of the University’s DSC chapter, Jericho Besa, a secondyear Computer Science student and a participant for the DevFest 2020, shared that he was intrigued with the new programming languages he learned and deeper insights on how an application is developed efficiently.

“Another part which I enjoyed was the short lecture on team organization

that included several factors in becoming a good team player,” Besa disclosed.

Meanwhile, Computer Science sophomore Hurly Zade Christian Cabalan found it interesting about how the speakers talked about psychology during the event.

“One other thing I found interesting during the event was how they talked about psychology using concepts in game theory, brain functions, and general psychology to explain best practices in a workplace,” said Cabalan.

Among the Universities that participated were DSCs of the University of the Philippines- Visayas, University of St. La Salle, and Central Philippine University.

Furthermore, GDG Bacolod plans to team up with the DSC groups in the province to initiate their tech fests to be launched on weekends from Oct. 24 to Nov. 7.

to their mentors who are helping in molding a better future.

“Even in a simple video presentation, it shows how grateful we are that we have professors like them who’re willing to build our future. Also, the importance of [this] simple tribute is to show how we recognize the efforts made by our professors,” Seva added.

COED faculty member Methozela Iligan, LPT, MAEd, expressed her gratitude as she shared the greetings her students prepared for her on World Teachers’ Day. “One cannot deny the fact that teachers really struggle as much as everyone else yet we still put our best foot forward for the sake of delivering

quality education. Most of the time, we’re the ones who give pats on the back. We all are grateful to have received that pat in return,” she shared.

Aside from the Tanglaw ng Wika Club, the Association of Future Physical Educators Organization, English Teachers’ Club, Fuse Organization, and Pythagorean Theorem also prepared other online gimmicks such as contemporary dance videos, collages, and gave flowers, chocolates, and cakes.

World Teachers’ Day is annually celebrated every Oct. 5 to give importance to all educators around the world.

DevFest PH 2020 hit virtual platforms

by CARLA JOANNE ROBLES

Equipping their audience with technical skills such as surviving work environment and firebase machine learning as developers, DevFest 2020 commenced spearheaded by Google Developers Group (GDG) Philippines together with UNO-R Developer Student Club (DSC) and DSCs from various schools in Western Visayas, via YouTube and Facebook live, Oct. 17 to 18.

“Developers of all backgrounds and skills levels were involved, from the audience up to the speakers of the event. It is a public walk-in sort of event,” UNO-R DSC Lead Bianca Cababahay said.

Cababahay shared that some of the speakers emphasized the importance of a safe space for operation while some gave tips on how to stay afloat during the pandemic.

“Most of the showcases contained more technical knowledge that aspiring developers could really

Mentors prep for World Teachers’ Day

by ALEA JEN VILLAHERMOSA

College of Education (COED) Tanglaw ng Wika Club spearheaded the “Gurong Dakila, Gurong Huwaran”, an online poem-making activity as a dedication to the University’s teachers in line with the celebration of World Teachers’ Day, Oct. 5.

“This poem [-making activity] was dedicated to all the professors of the University and the poem was presented through a video that was posted on the College of Education Student Council Facebook page,” Tanglaw President Allen Joshua Seva said.

Seva emphasized that, despite the simplicity of their tribute, the club still wanted to express their gratitude

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

INSIDER

AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

13

Ang ini nga bahin para lamang sa mga estudyante nga gusto magpabutyag sang ila mga hibubun-ot ukon reklamo nga ila man gusto ipalab-ot sa mga nasa-aran. Ang Buckle nagapadayon sa pagbaton sang nagaka-angay nga mga isyu. Kung gusto mo mapalab-ot ang imo mga reklamo batok sa administrasyon, sa kapareho nga mga estudyante, ukon sa wala labot nga katawhan, indi guid magpangduwa-duwa nga ipadala ina sa Tolentine Star (tolentinestar@gmail.com), may ngalan man ukon wala. Gani, sa wala pa dira mamuragmuragan sa ila katulugon kag sa mga wala pa naigu-an sang bato nga halin sa langit, magbugtaw na kamo kung indi niyo gusto mabatyagan ang kasakiton sang nagapadayon nga paghanot sang...

“How did you find UNORSSGO’s Baliktanawon?”

ni KALISUD kag KALIPAY

BUCKLE GHOSTED BY MY TEACHER Shout out kay miss kag sir. Ang pag-seen kag ignore sang messages sa chatroom kag private message ma-antos pa namon pero ang pag-ghosting sa online class, sobra-sobra naman na guro? Hidlaw man kami sa inyo, miss kag sir, ay. Indi tanan nga estudyante mala-Einstein ang IQ kag parehos reading comprehension sa mga DDS. Ang pag-upload sa Schoology sang Youtube links, PDF files, kag Powerpoint presentations, enough na miss kag sir para ma absorb na tanan namon? Tapos hinay-hinay lang tani miss/ sir kag indi man kami pa-ulanan lang sang tulun-an. Tapos ma-meet lang sa Zoom para mag-quiz? Para ano? Para may ma-record? Mas mabatunan pa na guro ang maka-receive sang nubo nga grades pero gintudluan ka kag ginklasehan sang inchakto kaysa nga nubo-nubo imo grades wala ka pa gid may natun-an, double kill miss kag sir!

compiled by CARLA JOANNE ROBLES

Kenneth Marfil BS Medical Technology I “As a freshie, seeing the Baliktanawon of UNORSSGO excited me to create memories with my newfound friends here. I feel like my journey wouldn’t be completed without having to experience the fun and excitement of the U-week. I actually felt envious of my friends reminiscing their U-week experiences in the past years but with Baliktanawon, I felt like I immersed myself there and I hope, after this pandemic, freshies like me will still have our chance to enjoy and feel the hype of this [U-week] celebration. And tani may ‘Purge’ liwat kay sadya kuno.”

Carlos Gabriel Castro BS Psychology II “Wala ko kabalo nga may virtual U-week pero about to sa throwback nila sang last year nga U-week. Daw ka pang-hype para sa mga student nga dapat abangan ang U-week mag - face-to-face liwat next school year.”

MAYDAY! MAYDAY! Sang una 7/11 lang ang nabal-an namon nga open for 24 hours, subong pati pag-eskwela 24/7. Wala guid weekends. Wala pa guid breaks. Indi tanan prinsesa kag prinsipe sa balay. Mga bata kami nga ginasugo, ginapatinlo, kag gina-fulfill ang responsibilidad sa pamilya. Indi tanan maka-butang sang “DO NOT DISTURB” nga notice sa pirtahan sa kwarto. Abi namon ang paghimo sang phasing scheme kay para indi kami matam-an nga mga estudyante pero ngaa 5 subjects gid ni ya per phase haw? 9 hours nga online class sa isa ka adlaw kag on repeat halin Monday to Saturday. Dugangan mo pa sang assignment kag tasks nga i-upload sa Schoology kung Sunday. Mayday! Help us juseyo! Indi kami mapatay sang virus kay ang pressure, overload sang ulubrahon, kag over-exposure sa radiation ang makapatay sa amon. It’s sad nga dapat ang teachers ang ma guide kag mag-motivate sa amon nga mag-padayon pero sila pa ga-put more pressure kag frustrations sa tam-an ka critical nga tion. We hate to break this pero ang iban nga teachers ginafulfill lang nila ang superficial nga purpose sang pagtudlo, ang pag-upload materials kag requirements. We’re breaking the very purpose of learning.

Compliance over authentic knowledge. *disappointed but not surprised GIF*

NANG DAHIL SA SCHOOLOGY Tungod sa Schoology, natun-an namon mangin praktikal. Tungod kay may pa-timer si ma’am nga 30 seconds per question kag pa countdown sa solving problems sa Calculus, natun-an mangin realistic. Bati namon sa piyak nga college (ang color orange bala), sa ila exam, lima ka problemsolving questions kag 10-item identification test ang need nila answeran within 45 minutes lang?! Tapos dapat with complete solution and illustrations pa! Gusto mo ‘yon? Maano na lang kami ya nga academic scholar nga may ginalagas nga grades? Indi enough nga matuon ka lang kay ang kontra mo computer-operated system? Wala gahatag consideration. Galing bala pati gali si miss daw Schoology man ang giho?

Kay kung ngayuan mo pasaylo kay nagka-power outage sinyo, replayan ka lang sarcasm. Paano ka man gid tuod kakwa exam, kung indi kaonline?

Gani man ‘no?. Let’s demand an offline test ah! Hahahaha awsus ah. Sa online class indi ka lang sa quiz or exam kurugon, pati sa Schoology. Indi na daan stable connection mo, sala-sala pa ang Schoology. Kulang na lang ilampos namon ang amon laptop! Ang gakakita niyo nga videos sang mga estudyante nga gahibi samtang ga answer module kag ga-atubang sa laptop tapos ginapunggan mag-tiabaw, tuod na! Kay naagyan na ina namon kag kabalo kami nga indi lang kami! #AcademicFreeze

Colline Aspan BS Information Technology II “The ‘Baliktanawon’ kind of made me feel sad and nostalgic. Sad because we could not and will not celebrate it the same as before. Nostalgic because I miss spending one week in school trying out new foods and making new experiences, without worrying about school works. On the bright side, it’s fun to read other people’s U-Week experiences in the comment section of the Baliktanawon post where I can really relate to their experiences. It made me realize that the memories I spent with the people I love (and used to love) during U-Week in the past, sometimes give me that little spark to keep on going and to look forward to the next possible U-Week in the future.”

Michael John Bais BS Civil Engineering II “Having my first University week sa UNO-R, it’s the best experience para sa akon kay imagine that time damo gid ko may naintrahan nga events especially ang LitMus. That day man ang amon championship game sa men’s volleyball kag halos adlaw-adlaw may event ko amo na nga nag-enjoy gid ko. I am also part of UNORHYTHM so busy man sa Music Fest namon sa tubang Engineering building. Solid experience gid ang U-Week, so I’m thankful sa UNORSSGO’s ‘Baliktanawon’ kay nadumduman ko na naman ang memories ko sang previous U-Week.”

Christian James Ca-ang BS Criminology IV “I find it amusing. I commended their work and effort.

Since this year’s U-week celebration was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Baliktanawon was still a success to be reminded of the fun of last year’s U-week. It’s the best way to bring joy by reminiscing the moments through virtual presentations of previous U-week activities.”

DEAREST OFFICES Greetings in St. Nicholas de Tolentino! Tubtob subong ang requests para sa release sang personal records and important documents, wala gihapon!

May-ara indi kabayad sa accounting kay wala pa na release ang grades nga requirement para ma-renew ang scholarship grants. Kag indi lang gali sa gobyerno may delay ang operations, pati di sa aton. Ang enrollment sa piyak nga college nadelay na, daw ang lakat pa guid sang processes parehos sa bao haw? Ang requests nga sang phase 1 pa, subong nga manugtapos na ang last phase, wala gihapon na sapakan. Tapos ang accounting, biskan seen wala. Kay tungod virtual media gamit naton subong tani open man tanan ang offices nga magbaton complaints, queries kag issues sang mga estudyante.

Tani mag step-up man ang communication system sang tagsa- tagsa ka mga offices. *sighs*

Nicole Ordaniel BS Secondary Education Major in English III “The ‘Baliktanawon’ has shown how the UNORSSGO exerted their efforts just to bring us to our fun-filled experiences during the different University-wide events. It’s nostalgic in a way that we can able to recall those moments virtually; the laughter, the chika, and the gala portion we shared with our friends. Baliktanawon made me realized how productive and exciting face-to-face classes are, especially when you share them with people you value.”

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

ENTERTAINMENT

14

AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

Buwas naman

- komiks ni RENEE SUALA

Wrong send

- komiks ni RHEYMAR CHUA

likha ni Josua Garita

Kumpletuhin ang crossword puzzle. Isumite sa aming Facebook Page ang litrato nitong pahina at maging isa sa limang mananalo ng premyo mula sa Tolentine Star.

Down:

Across: 2. “Bawal ____________” - kontrobersyal na pahayag ni Kim Chiu na umani ng maraming batikos.

5. Katawagan sa mga babaeng mahilig mag-alaga ng mga halaman.

8. Pinakapopular na online shopping app na pwede kang makabili ng anumang bagay na nais bilhin; nakakaubos ng pera.

9.Pinaikling salitang video blogging; lubos na pinagkakakitaan ngayon.

10. Kapag ang video ay tungkol sa isang tao na kumakain ng napakaraming pagkain o inumin ito ay tinatawag na _______.

1. Kailangang sagutan ng mga mag-aaral upang maipasa sa tamang oras; madalas mong ginagawa isang araw bago ang deadline.

3. Tawag sa mga pasaway na sumu­suway sa mga paalala kontra COVID-19.

4. “___________ All” - paboritong linyahan ngayon ng mga Millenial kapag nainggit sa kung anong meron ang iba.

6. Isang sikat na app kung saan pwede kang magvideo habang sumasayaw, kumakanta, umaarte, at iba pa.

7. Pagsasara ng mga border sa bawat lugar dahil sa COVID-19.

likha ni Joshua Garita

1. Cat 2. Heart 3. Paw Print 4. Telephone 5. Paint brush 6. Saturn

7. Music box 8. Starry Night 9. Statue of Lliberty 10. Mount Fuji 11. The scream 12. Hourglass

Complete the crossword puzzle, submit a picture of this page, and be one of five people to win a prize from Tolentine Star.

Submissions are accepted through our Facbook page.

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

SPORTSTAR

AY 2020 - 2021 VOLUME LXXIX

15

JIU-JITSU: A HISTORY MAKER’S JOURNEY

by CARLA JOANNE ROBLES

His opponent’s body was stuck in a tricky angle with feet struggling to regain ground but Dr. Sunny Diego planted his feet on his opponent’s hips and immobilized him. Pressing his mouth into a thin line, he breathed lightly and snaked his right arm to his opponent’s left elbow, forcing a submission. There was no stopping the time but, with the triangle choke, there was no stopping Doc Sunny from being the first Negrense to win the Pan-American Championship.

His opponent’s body was stuck in a tricky angle with feet struggling to regain ground but Dr. Sunny Diego planted his feet on his opponent’s hips and immobilized him. Pressing his mouth into a thin line, he breathed lightly and snaked his right arm to his opponent’s left elbow, forcing a submission. There was no stopping the time but, with the triangle choke, there was no stopping Doc Sunny from being the first Negrense to win the Pan-American Championship.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is predominantly a ground-based martial art that uses the principles of leverage, angles, pressure, and timing. But unlike many martial arts that focus on strikes and kicks, Jiu-Jitsu features close-contact grappling techniques. The word Jiu-Jitsu is derived from the Japanese Ju which means gentle and Jutsu meaning “art”. If taken literally it actually means gentle art. The martial art asks for patience, humility, and time but as for a champ in the international playing field, what does it entail being at the top of one’s game?

John Maxwell team member, trainer, and speaker that he is now.

“I just suddenly became another person,” he says while getting lost while talking about his days before becoming a part of the John Maxwell Team, and for the latter part, Jiu-Jitsu.

After becoming a John Maxwell team member, trainer, and speaker, he ventured out to learn the martial art Jiu-Jitsu, a sport that would later put him on the front page of the daily paper.

“I went back to the Philippines to share what I have learned along the way,” he continues, sharing the intent on his homecoming.

However, anyone would think that someone as busy as Doc Sunny would have no time to socialize or check up on his family; he is an anomaly. Being an only child, his apparent love for his mother never ceased even though his busy schedules tussle him day by day. By luck and commitment, he also maintains a healthy marriage anchored in love, with his wife Hannah Diego.

JIU-JITSU TAKEDOWN “Ambitious” was Doc Sunny Diego’s middle name back in college. He is a Computer Science graduate of UNO-R and a Doctor of Humanities but even before the PhD, he was already relentless. Juggling his academics, extra co-curricular activities, and romance with the love of his life, he spent his time in swirling routines and occasional pauses. Moving forward with his professional life, he even became a distinguished alumnus of the university in Human Resource Development in 2016. But more than that, he confessed that he hated losing more than anything else.

“I am not the type of person who would just sit around and wish. I always put in the work,” says Doc Sunny, president of Gracie Humaita Jiu-Jitsu Redlands, and athlete of Gracie Humaita under Prof. Omar Salum Jr. Dreams are just thoughts if we remain still and wait for them and that was what he was so determined to disprove. After college, he started to read piles of books and listened to different speakers and mentors to become more aware of life.

The upbeat and pumped-up music of the parties that he used to go to, the little shots of alcoholic beverages— all of the vices of his renegade youth went down the drain.

Just like that, he transformed into the

UNDER THE AMERICANA ARMLOCK A day in Jiu-Jitsu means a day full of intense grappling tactics, sinewy and stretched muscles planted in a chokehold, and taps of submission. All under a wide array of belt colors and stripes, athletes from various walks of life tackle each other for the sake of sportsmanship.

“A couple of things that are worst in JiuJitsu are injuries and egos. Sometimes you really cannot avoid it,” he chuckles upon revealing his thoughts on the matter.

Although the martial art seems to be difficult and dangerous, he continues to seize each day of training, energized, and ready for battle.

“It is the best thing that ever happened to me. One may never understand until they are deep into it,” he sighs, completely lost in the joy of being immersed in the martial art.

All the matches that he fearlessly fought, all the chokeholds that he managed to execute, and all those times his arm was raised after a victorious fight were all relish to the one thing that continues to motivate him as an athlete, being in tip-top shape to pave his way to the top of the game.

“The most memorable thing about being an athlete is championships! All about

being a champion,” he exhilaratingly says, scattering his positive energy.

After all the chokes and jointmanipulation training, he finally stood victorious and is now the Master 3 Light Featherweight Pan-American Champion.

He is the first Negrense to win the Master 3 Champion in Pan-American history and is also the first male student of Professor Omar Salum Jr. who won the Pan-American Championship.

RESPECT AND BOW Being an only child, he was the center of attention and received a great deal of love and support from his family. His mother, Crispina Diego, Ph.D. confessed that as a child, Doc Sunny was always competing in sports, was an academic achiever, a UNORian basketball varsity player, and a band member. He later came to train with Mixed Martial Arts after being in-charge of one of the gyms in Bacolod.

“He continued to train with MMA, where I was greatly concerned since that is a tough sport,” says his beloved mother, Dr. Diego.

As a passing sport, he continued to pursue Jiu-Jitsu. Although Jiu-Jitsu is slightly different from other martial arts, his mother saw the dedication and commitment he had put into the sport.

“I am not surprised he would go further because he wants to prove he can do more,” she adds with complete confidence in her son.

While the shimmer of achievements and goals are indeed enticing, dilemmas and tricky challenges define our individuality.

Each of us deals with problems differently and Doc Sunny believes that it is up to us, humans, to understand the deeper meaning of life and design.

“Everything I am is carved by what I have experienced,” he says, closing the little moment spent in reminiscing his journey.

We all start from small steps. From taking risks and keeping on track of our goals. Doc Sunny may be the first Negrense to win the Pan-American Championships as he managed to break through into the international field yet this is all part of a journey in opening the door of opportunities for many Filipino athletes.

One thing is for certain, this is just the beginning of a whole new history.

RISE TO THE TOP. Dr. Sunny Diego displays his gold medal after being hailed as champion of the 2020 Pan-American Championship. photo courtesy of SUNSTAR BACOLOD

ATTACKING TURRETS. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, a popular mobile game, is commonly being played in local esports competitions and events. photo by REINHARDT FIRMEZA

HERALDING A NEW AGE OF COMPETITION

by REINHARDT FIRMEZA

The air is thick and heavy. The musty smell of sweat lingers in the air as the twodimensional heroes rampage on a final battle. The impatient taps of anticipating feet echoes and, as if on cue, the enemy base crumbles to mere pixels. Tension, trash talks, shouting matches, and camaraderie despite the grueling matches - these traits always shine through when a game of Mobile Legends or ML, as people endearingly call the game, is played. The clutching smart use of skills and even questionable gameplays frustrate many players during a crucial ranked match when ascending to the top ranks is a do-or-die task.

With exposure to esports tournaments such as the Evolution Championship Series, the International (TI) 2016 Dota 2 Tournament, and the like, Filipinos have gradually gained recognition in the gaming world with some even reaching the top ranks. Along with fame, a career of becoming one of the best esports athletes has become a viable option for many. The boom of e-games, however, did not just happen overnight. How did this favorite Filipino pastime end up becoming a competitive landscape here in the country?

TEAMS AND TURNING POINTS Internet cafes have been a thing since the 2000s and, among the long list of services people can get from these cafes, they have become hubs for gaming activities, especially for the youth. As Internet cafes bear witness to how some gamers spark a passion for strategic gameplays through, it also saw how some have taken it lightly.

“Though competitive video games like Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and League of Legends are mainstays across the country’s many computer shops and Internet cafes, most people see them as hobbies and something not to be taken seriously.” shares Bjorn Biel Beltran, special features writer of the Business World.

This was until TI2016 when TnC Predator, an esports team from the Philippines, defeated a powerhouse team from Europe named OG. “59 minutes and 20 seconds into the game, TnC Predator did what many thought impossible as they forced the GG [good game] call from OG, eliminating the two-time major champions and tournament favorites,” an article from Inquirer.net states.

This was the moment in the country’s esports history that ignited the start of the egames revolution that captivated the hearts of many.

BEATING ENEMIES AND THE STIGMA “It’s just a video game!” or “Why do you waste time playing video games?”

These words sometimes ring through harmless conversations when online games are the highlight of one’s day. The ongoing stigma that video games cannot create jobs or be able to benefit gamers is still haunting professional gamers and those who aspire to be one. “In the Philippines, when one expresses the intent to be a professional gamer, it isn’t always met positively,” Xairylle, a writer from Tech in Asia says in an article on the tendencies of Filipinos to react to professional gaming.

The said article also mentions four major points on this behavior. People tend to see video games as just a game for pastime, career options at that time were limited therefore an individual is left with no choice but to do gaming, gaming has no benefits, and that gaming is bad.

It seems, as though, that no matter how much the video game industry establishes its success, some people think that video games are just a pastime and an addiction.

“In the end, there is no easy way to make people easily understand or accept esports in the Philippines as there are many other factors that affect it,” Xairylle reflects in his article.

In another article by Rhys Elliott in NewZoo.com with regards to the

TOLENTINE STAR IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL - RECOLETOS

Philippines games market, statistics show that 74% of the recorded population play video games through their smartphones, 65 percent of people prefer using their personal computers, and 45 percent use their consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. These figures show that video games are indeed a staple pastime in the country. Even before its popularity, the possibility of being in the gaming industry is depressingly low because of the stigma surrounding gamers and other personnel in the industry. Try and ask a parent what they want their children to be when they grow up and you’d be surprised if they aspire for them to have a career in the video game industry.

RISING AS A WORTHY OPPONENT To support the growing demands and professionalism of esports, the 2019 SEA Games included six games conducted through gaming consoles, computers, smartphones as part of the medal race.

Among the games are Dota 2 and the trending Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

Although the sporting competition revealed how much esports has progressed over the years, the revolution happened way before the SEA Games.

In efforts to promote esports as a real sport, the Philippine Gaming and Amusements Board under the Office of the President allowed esports professionals to acquire athletic licenses in 2017.

This legitimizes professional gamers as athletes thereby boosting support for the Philippine esports community and its popularity to new heights.

Local Internet cafes have also hosted local and small-scale video game tournaments using the widely known, Mobile Legends, as well as major esports events in cooperation with large companies like Globe Telecom and PLDT. With this, the formation of the esports league, the Nationals, started its inaugural season in 2019 and, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, pushed through with its second esports season in 2020.

“For its second season, the Nationals will be shifting to a strict online set-up and a shortened three-conference season due to restrictions brought by the pandemic after holding six-conference inaugurals on live studio settings last year.” John Bryan Ulanday, a writer from PhilStar says in his article.

These significant events and milestones have been a part of the Philippine esports revolution in the country. Today, esports are finally recognized as a legitimate sport in the country recognizing gamers as athletes. From the TI2016 stint of TnC Predator to the 2019 SEA Games, the gaming community managed to successfully establish an esports league and the country’s esports scene is beaming now more than ever. The future of the industry could shape the careers of many Filipinos who aspire to become professional gamers. From an often looked down pastime, it is now on its way to becoming a legitimate option in one’s career path, most especially now that the world has become more reliant on technology than ever before. This is a new age for competitive sports and whatever happens today, esports will have a slim chance of losing traction and momentum as technology is slowly becoming, not just a privilege, but a necessity.

CAUGHT IN ACTION: CAPTURE THE ENERGY, CAPTURE THE DRAMA.

by JOSEPH LETRAN

No 2020 UNIGAMES

IRON WALL. A solid block by two Lady Rams secure the team score versus USA Eagles. photo courtesy of USA PUBLICATIONS

by REGEN ENVIDIADO

The annual sports gathering, the Philippine University Games (UNIGAMES) 2020, that was earlier scheduled on October 23 to 30 in Bacolod City, is a no-go in its silver year celebration due to the Coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19).

UNIGAMES President Roger Banzuela stated in his official announcement that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought widespread damage to the country’s economy

and that many private schools have not been spared as some have closed down and mass gatherings, like sports competitions, are banned for the safety of everyone.

“The virus doesn’t move, people move it. [When] we stop moving, the virus dies,” Banzuela emphasized.

The University participated in the 2019 UNIGAMES hosted by the University of St. Augustine in Iloilo City and competed in the football,

basketball and volleyball sports events.

The UNIGAMES is a national collegiate sports competition in the Philippines organized by the UNIGAMES Incorporated. It is composed of 14 sports disciplines namely Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Football, Chess, Karatedo, Lawn Tennis, Sepak Takraw, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, and Archery.

Assistant to the Governor for Sports Development Anthony Carlo Agustin said in an interview with SunStar Bacolod.

Agustin elaborated that the need to encourage athletes to develop an active lifestyle despite the community quarantine is what initiated the program.

“I think that when things return to normal, we need to get back to the basics. . . That instead of spending more of their time on cell phones, they will have some activities where they can take part in,” he said.

Moreover, Agustin also shared that

the office is willing to collaborate with the Department of Education for the online sports mentoring program to help the country’s sports tourism industry regain its status.

“Hopefully, we will be able to finish the program by next month so we can inform the coaches through different media outlets,” he added.

The online mentoring program is also a way to show Negrenses that the province is striving to find ways to deliver its sports program and services to the citizens across any platform available.

Provincial online sports program to boost athleticism

by CARLA JOANNE ROBLES

An online sports mentoring program by the Provincial Sports Development Program Office of Negros Occidental will push through on January 2021 in an effort to ramp up the athleticism of student-athletes and sports coaches amidst protocols in the health crisis, Nov. 24.

The online sessions will focus on fundamental exercises and drills that student-athletes and coaches can perform in each of their households.

“We don’t have to force our youngsters but make it as part of the school program where there will be weekly tournaments, “ Executive

UNO-Rian rises as PSME chess tourney champ

by JUSALANNE MATULAC

Class 2019 Mechanical Engineering graduate Engr. Jan Danielle Magalona clinched the championship title in the members category and bagged silver in the overall competition at the 68th Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers National Conference (NatCon) 2020 virtual chess tournament, Oct. 17.

The five-year chess varsity team captain dominated the board versus member and guest woodpushers consecutively in seven rounds only to be crunched during the eighth round under the might of overall champion Michael John See of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the guests’ victor.

In the match against See, Magalona primed his game with a Caro-Kann closed variation opening with Magalona, on black, at an advantage but See, playing white, turned the tables and outplayed Magalona midgame.

Magalona resigned after his 20th move as See’s next stance was to leave his pawns queenless.

The last round was sealed with Magalona garnering a total of 7.5 points with a 0.5-gap versus See with 8 points.

Magalona was a representative in every provincial meet since high school and, unlike his usual competitions, the virtual chess tournament had different circumstances.

“In playing chess online, you will

15 SPORTS FEATURE

JIU-JITSU: A HISTORY MAKER’S JOURNEY

THE CHAMP. Engr. Jan Danielle Magalona way back in his college years. photo courtesy of ENGR. JAN DANIELLE MAGALONA

have to encounter many problems like Internet interruption, brownout, or disconnection. Unlike in face to face [tournaments], you only need to adjust yourself to the surroundings and have your game intact,” he said.

Before the main tournament, a mini arena was conducted as a practice game where Magalona claimed two spots in third place and a top rank.

Aside from the chess tournament, the PSME virtual NatCon consisted of a series of technical webinars for member mechanical engineering students and professionals that ran from Oct. 17 to 24.