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Tolentine Star shines in COPRE 2020
by CARLA JOANNE ROBLES
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In its goal to deliver truth as it happens amidst the pandemic, Tolentine Star displayed its brilliance as its editorial staff bagged three individual awards and one publication award during the virtual College Press Conference (COPRE) and Awards 2020 by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Region Six via a Facebook live stream, Dec. 16.
Among the winners were UNORian campus journalists Joelle Mariel Paderog, Photojournalism first placer, Carla Joanne Robles, Feature Writing - English third placer, and Romchelle Chris Danielle Waminal, News Writing - Englih second placer. “It was unexpected and I’m still shocked because I still can’t believe it. In so many years that I’ve been joining press conferences since high school, I’ve only felt the sense of belongingness in the field of journalism now,” Paderog said.
The publication also bagged the fifth place in the Best Feature Page category with a spread from its magazine Vol. 78 No. 4 with the theme “Seasons.” “I think that the publication, as a whole, is elated to have won something in exchange for all the toiling day-in and day-out as campus journalists,” Tolentine Star Editorin-Chief Romchelle Chris Danielle Waminal said.
Waminal shared that the recognition received by the members and the publication boosted the morale of those who won as well as the standing of the publication in the University.
“Kudos to the previous editorial board and staff members for the painstaking attention to the magazine which nabbed the publication a spot in the top five [of the category],” she added.
Waminal added that the win is for the publication and that through this, UNO-Rians and students in the region may be aware that campus journalists in their respective publications do not settle for anything mediocre.
“We [campus journalists] are still pursuing stories, raising awareness, combating fake news, and keeping the campus journalism spirit alive
REACHING MILESTONES. UNO-R recognizes Class 2020 graduates in the first part of the video series. photo courtesy of UNO-R FACEBOOK PAGE.
Virtual grad rites push thru for UNO-R
by KRISHA MARIE SEMELLANO
In observance of health protocols due to the health crisis, a virtual conferment of baccalaureate degrees was initiated by the University administration as a way of recognizing the achievements of Class 2020, Summer 2019, and October 2019 graduates aired via the official University Facebook page, Dec. 5 and 12.
“Your degrees, your diplomas are just instruments for you to work for evangelization, to spread the good news of God and to build the Kingdom of God here on earth. I ask you to build more lives and to build more communities of love,” University President Rev. Fr. Don Besana said.
University Registrar Engr. Christopher Taclobos, MEng, shared that through this, the University may be able to give the graduates the assurance that their achievements are recognized by the administration.
“This [virtual conferment] is to give every graduate that spirit of professions they earned from the University. It is an assurance to the graduates that the school has recognized their capability, and that they were formed according to the philosophy of St. Augustine - Caritas et Scientia,” he said.
Taclobos also shared that they have received feedback from the graduates with regards to the virtual conferment, such as the incomplete list of graduates and errors in the spelling of names.
“[The] list is incomplete because there are graduates, particularly from the Summer 2019 and October 2019 [classes] who were inadvertently forgotten to be recommended [while] others have failed to apply for graduation,” he explained. Mechanical Engineering fresh graduate Jim Paolo Monterola expressed that it was a good idea on the University’s part to have a virtual conferment for the degrees.
“As an engineering graduate, it really paid off my five years of hard work as a student. When I saw my picture and my name on that video, it motivated me to study more for my upcoming board exam,” he said.
However, Education graduate Ronvic Magbanua shared that he was dissatisfied with the virtual conferment and also suggested that the University should include other student awards in the ceremony.
“I think the awards and achievements of a graduate, if possible, should be included in the virtual conferment. I think everyone who has an award [in other fields] also deserves to be acknowledged,” he shared.
Taclobos added that face-toface commencement exercises will resume in the University once a COVID-19 vaccine is made available to the public.
“Certainly there is no good substitute for face-to-face commencement exercises. But, at this time, we wanted everyone to be safe and healthy . . . We will resume our traditional [commencement] ceremony once there is a vaccine available to the public,” he said.
He also expressed his message to the graduates to be inspired by the teachings of the institution towards achieving their goals.
“Despite the pandemic, we were able to adjust our curricular requirement just for you to get the diploma you dreamt of. Let your hearts be inspired by the teachings of our institution that every student should be ‘SIMPLE’ even in the heights of his accomplishments. Make your alma mater proud of you as you participate in the building of a bigger community where you belong.”
The virtual conferment of baccalaureate degrees was done by compiling photos of graduates in a video format and aired online via live stream.
Bacoleño bags 3 spots in GMEA 2020
by KRISHA MARIE SEMELLANO
UNO-R faculty member and SunStar journalist Erwin Nicavera bagged three awards and six finalist citations during the Globe Media Excellence Awards (GMEA) 2020, Nov. 27.
In an article published by SunStar – Bacolod, Nicavera expressed his gratitude towards the award-giving body and emphasized the role of journalists during a health crisis.
“No pandemic can stop us from doing our social responsibility to the community. The global health crisis has also brought limitations to us, journalists, but no pandemic can stop us from doing our social responsibility to the community,” Nicavera said.
College of Arts and Sciences Dean and Mass Communication Department Head Dr. Annabee Claur shared that Nicavera was a diligent and focused student in his college days. ”His success is a pride of the Mass Communication program. It serves as inspiration to the Mass Communication students. As we face the challenges of the pandemic, achievements like these play a vital role in inspiring the Mass Communication students to always strive harder to be the best of themselves in their chosen field,” she added.
Back in college, Nicavera was also president of the Recoletos Educational Assistance for Deserving Students scholars and 2010 Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association champion in Binalaybay
Nicavera won the News Report of the Year for Print (Visayas), Explanatory or Investigative Video Story of the Year for Digital (Visayas), Community Development Story of the Year (Visayas), and six finalist citations in the different categories in GMEA.
Nicavera, a graduate of BS Mass Communication has worked as a Part-time faculty in UNO-R and a Business Reporter and Multimedia Specialist in SunStar Bacolod (SSB), and a news anchor at SSB Newsbits.
GMEA is an award-giving body that holds annual award ceremonies to recognize outstanding media practitioners from Visayas and Mindanao.
PIRMA Kapamilya campaign for ABS-CBN gains Bacolodnon support
by CRISHA ARROYO
Amplifying the call for press freedom, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) launched the People’s Initiative for Reforms and Movement for Action (PIRMA) Kapamilya to bring ABS-CBN back on air and to move for the protection of press freedom and the people’s right to information, Dec. 2.
In line with this, signature booths have been set up in Barangay Granada Market Booth open during Wednesdays and in Front of Limman’s Center, Araneta Street on Monday to Friday.
“I am happy to have a signing area in a much more accessible place in the downtown area, in front of Limman’s Department Store at Araneta Street,” Eileen Hofileña of the PIRMA Kapamilya Bacolod initiative said.
According to its website, only the signatures of registered voters can be considered valid.
At least seven million signatures nationwide or 10 percent of all registered voters and at least three percent of all registered voters in every legislative district is needed for the petition.
As of press time, around 5,000 out of 30,000 signatures have been collected in Bacolod City according to one of its coordinators.
NUJP also hosted a webinar on PIRMA Kapamilya in Visayas last Nov. 21 to inform Filipinos about their right to information and the importance of the free press, especially in today’s time.
PIRMA Kapamilya is a nationwide campaign by PIRMA, an independent network of concerned Filipinos aiming to advance reforms through the people’s initiative in response to the ABS-CBN shutdown last May 5 which affected 11,000 workers of the media giant.
Be informed. Be in the know.
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MISA DE GALLO AND RELENTLESS FILIPINO CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
by CARLA JOANNE ROBLES
The mingling smell of dewy grass and oven-fresh bibingka filled the cold, dry Christmas air used to fill your nostrils when you inhale the December breeze- the utter smell of crisp holiday joy. Walking with great strides on the wet, concrete streets tinged with the flickering of Christmas lights and street lamps, you gently hum your favorite Christmas carol and smile at a friend, forgetting for a millisecond that you were wearing a mask. You breathed in what you thought was the usual coldness of the air and basked in the breathtaking awe of the bright and solemn glow of the Cathedral. Stepping foot inside its marble floor, you held out your palms as a man’s face covered with a mask and face shield sprayed alcohol onto your hands. The pandemic may seem relentless in its rampage but there is nothing that can stop the Christmas spirit and steadfast faith in Him.
The simbang gabi and its rich history can be traced back to the Spanish colonial era when Spanish friars allowed Filipino farmers to hear the Mass before working in the fields in the morning. Although it is called simbang gabi, the Mass starts at the predawn hour in the morning and is also known for its popular Spanish name Misa de Gallo or “Mass of the Rooster”. Continuing from olden times, the tradition lived on, even today. However, despite the unseen enemy haunting us and health protocols transforming tradition, the Filipino Christmas spirit remains unyielding.
STEADFAST DEVOTION
For every waking hour in the wintry darkness from December 16 and onwards, Spencer Villanueva, 20, feels the nostalgia pumping through his bloodstream with what he felt was utterly indescribable. Molded by family tradition, attending the Misa de Gallo was always a must, even in the past when he had physical classes or exams later in the day. He shared that Christmas, even with the pandemic, would be strange without simbang gabi.
“Christmas would never be the same without simbang gabi,” he smiles, thinking how he had been a committed Catholic for as long as he can remember.
Along with the sacred meaning of the Misa de Gallo, Spencer and his family take to heart the widelyaccepted belief that a wish they make with all of their heart will be granted once they complete all simbang gabi Masses.
“We believe that when you finish the nine nights of the simbang gabi, God will grant your wish,” he nods, saying how it feels different when there is a wish to be granted.
The blaring Christmas carols on karaoke and the dancing candy-sized lights in the town plaza were not the only things that remind Spencer that Christmas is near. It was also the irreplaceable simbang gabi moments. The corners of his mouth creased as he divulged his experience despite the hindrances.
“Despite the distance [from my home to the church], the experience is priceless,” Spencer beams with his mouth lined into a cheerful grin.
However, when the pandemic struck and disoriented everyone, mass gatherings were banned and an undeniable change in society has dented tradition. Spencer’s voice slightly wavered when he spoke of the inconsistency of the health protocols from his expectations.
“I thought a lot would change, especially with the choirs and songs but, so far, only a few have changed,” he shrugged at the thought that stuck in his mind.
More than the songs, Spencer revealed that the church capacity was nearly halved with the implementation of health protocols. But that did not stop the devotion of the townspeople as Monobloc chairs were added to the exits of the church to accommodate more churchgoers.
“The pandemic didn’t stop the people from attending the Mass… I can see that the people’s devotion is stronger than their fear,” he says in awe and admiration.
DEVOTION WITH CAUTION
Back when people were free to link their palms together and besos were the norm, Mc Jordan Gayaban, a sacristan of the St. Nicholas Parish Church, would be tasked to collect tithes and offerings from churchgoers but things changed when the pandemic struck. What was once his simple routine over the past few years has now shifted into something that a usual sacristan would be rarely doing during services.
“We are now tasked to scan the temperature of the people and sanitize their hands before going inside the church,” he says as he motions his hands and adds how they used logbooks for contact tracing purposes.
Simbang gabi amidst the pandemic is indeed an inspiring feat but it undeniably asks for great amounts of patience. Jordan shares how the Isabela Parish Youth Organization cooperated with the Interagency Task Force’s mandate to implement minimum health requirements and safety protocols.
“We, at the Isabela Parish Youth Organization, have held hands to implement the said protocols,” Jordan beams in triumph on how the church maintains the minimum health protocols during Mass.
Also, he shares how he witnessed churchgoers underwent huge adjustments at the start of the predawn Masses. They had to fall in line with a massive number of people to write their names on a logbook and maintain the one-meter distance within themselves.
“It might be a little hassle but the pandemic doesn’t hinder the faith and willingness of the people to the Lord,” he smiles, relishing in the Filipino spirit of Christmas.
The usual simbang gabi most grew up with may have changed but the joy and satisfaction that churchgoers immerse themselves in as they practice tradition is incomparable to anything. Jordan reflects on the solemnity of the sacrifice of waking early in the morning for the predawn Masses.
“We believe that our sacrifice of going to church despite the risk cannot be tantamount to the blessings that He has showered upon us,” he closes, smiling at the strength of the Filipino despite the pandemic.
IN TUNE WITH THE FILIPINO SPIRIT
The holiday season means a busy time for the parish priests and altar servers but, along with the eventful days, one draws nearer to the Divinity. Director of the Religious Education Department, Rev. Fr. Romeo Ben Potencio, OAR views the simbang gabi as a journey to prepare for Christmas.
“The essence of simbang gabi, for me, is journeying for nine days with the
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TALES OF THE TRADE: DRIVERS OF ONLINE ECONOMY
by ALEA JEN VILLAHERMOSA
With the advent of technology, anything can be accessed practically through a click on the screen. Be it in education, food, medicine, or shopping – everything is going swift online.
As the new normal slowly takes shape, motorcycle riders clad in a helmet and colorful long sleeve clothes plunge into the budding industry of delivery service as courier drivers. With citizens encouraged to stay at home in this health crisis, this delivery personnel makes buying from the comforts of your own home possible.
RISE OF E-COMMERCE
After months of lockdowns, honks of jeepneys that occupy busy streets were silenced. The busy buzzing of people during rush hour vanished, and mall-goers lessened as people feared to leave their houses as news of a pandemic slowly reached our shores.
As physical stores closed during lockdowns, some permanently due to the economic recession, e-commerce spiked up as people turned to their screens to fill the hole of shopping and dining out the pandemic brought upon everyone.
A 2019 survey done by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and Netcomm Suisse eCommerce Association, in collaboration with the Brazilian Network Information Center and Inveon entitled “COVID-19 and E-commerce” done on 3, 700 consumers covering the countries of Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, South Africa, Switzerland, and Turkey, shows how the pandemic has changed the way consumers use e-commerce and digital solutions. This survey also reveals that online purchases have increased by 6 to 10 percentage points across most product categories.
Beyond the comforts of lying on our warm linens and bingeing our favorite shows while waiting for our long-awaited parcels to arrive, the circumstances of our courier drivers are a far cry from the words comfort and warm.
Basking under the scorching heat of the sun wrapped in sweat-soaked clothes or drenched in the pitter-patter of rain, they continue to ride from house to house to be of service to their community and to make a living.
With weary faces and sweaty palms, these drivers uncover the tales of their day-to-day ventures as they remove their sturdy helmets at the end of a long day unveiling their mundane hearts.
WAGE PER PARCEL
Sitting down on his wooden chair, John Kenneth Villahermosa, 28, a former courier driver from October to December 2020, bares the tale of the trade with palms flattened on his thighs. “Tiring” was the word he describes the day-to-day parcel delivery. Still, he could not help but think of the salary he enjoyed after grueling hours of driving on busy roads.
As if he was in the exact scenario, he goes back to a memory of his delivery days when he was under the searing heat with sweat-drenched cheeks as he delivers his 80th and last package of the day wrapped in a tidy red and white plastic envelope.
Through multiple twists and turns in subdivisions and guard dogs trailing by the gates, riders encounter a variety of personalities per household to earn their wage. From the household banters of buyers caught unaware that a parcel has arrived to the enigmatic temperaments of customers who just reached home, it is a Russian roulette kind of experience.
One could not deny that it is not easy to handle most customers. Kenneth says that one of the hardest parts of his work is encountering customers. “If we are assigned in a toxic household, especially if the customer is in a bad mood, they will be most likely mean to us,”
Most couriers, however, hold on to the “customer is always right” mantra and this is what pushes delivery personnel to be professional in their decorum despite being yelled at.
Aside from having to be mentally and emotionally strong to face the spectrum of personalities they have to encounter per day, the seasons - rain or shine- must not hamper their services as well since their daily wage solely on the number of packages they can transport.
“Yes, [I work during rainy days] because if I deliver less, I will receive a smaller income,” he flinches his fingers as he imagined those days, especially when the location of his delivery is in areas where roads are narrow and prone to flooding.
This serves as a challenge to all riders but Kenneth continues to tread despite the heavy downpour of rain or waves of heat like most couriers in the name of work. Nevertheless, he earns a monthly gross of up to P18,000 which heavily influenced his career choice since one parcel can amount to P25.
“I chose this work before because the income is good,” he shares while reminiscing his working days when he was still a driver for the courier company.
ON CUSTOMERS AND BOGUS ORDERS
Being a courier rider includes houseto-house delivery which is a risk that needs to be overcome for a daily income. And even with a wary eye, one should continue to power up their motorcycle and begin the ride.
Meanwhile, aside from online applications for buying clothes, appliances, and other dry goods, ordering food online has been made easier with delivery apps like GrabFood and Food Panda. And unlike parcels that reach three to five days to be delivered from the seller to the customers’ homes, food orders can be delivered within the duration of 30 minutes to an hour. With this kind of ease and accessibility, scamming involving food orders is often the talk of the town.
Affecting food couriers and other consumers, scheming callers in the guise of harmless food orders were documented on social media sites. Last Dec. 16, a resident of Paco, Manila, Rome Vladimir Cuevas, was shocked to see 16 different riders parked outside his family’s house claiming that someone in their home ordered food.
“Have mercy on our Food Panda and Grab Riders… Is there a party?” he quoted in disbelief on his Facebook post, implying that someone exaggerated on orders and used his address as bait.
While the prankster remained unknown, the majority of the netizens that commented on Rome’s Facebook post had said it was most probably a prank pulled by one of their comrades in the delivery service industry. Ken Bocago, whose comment gained four reactions, shed his opinion in the comment’s section saying that it was one of their co-riders who had initiated a fake order booking.
“It’s their co-riders doing the fake booking. They’re dragging themselves down,” he remarked.
Another netizen, Ryan Balatz Maravillas, suggested in a comment on the Facebook post that food delivery service companies must verify each customer to avoid scams and to prohibit VPN (Virtual Private Network) in hiding customers’ locations.
“There should be a way to trace these bogus buyers for legal action,” Ryan stated, proposing that the location of customers should be tracked to determine fake addresses.
Amounting to P1,900, the perpetrator remained unidentified. Because of this, the delivery drivers themselves paid it with their own money. The unbearable thought that someone still had the humor to prank delivery drivers remains unthinkable. In this unprecedented time, all we hope for is not to burden the people trying more than their best to survive.
Knowing that the purchase of food orders are from the pocket money of drivers themselves, the one who had the guts to fake the order does not know the sacrifices and tears behind the tinted helmets our frontliners are wearing to support their families.
With almost everything relying on the convenience of the virtual platform ever since the threat of COVID-19 started, almost anything and everything can be accessed with a mere touch of a finger or the pressing of a few buttons. However, it has also become destructive both on the delivery drivers and customers.
While we complain of damaged or delayed parcels, we must try to understand the struggle our delivery drivers face in their paths as frontliners working day in and day out to deliver food amidst lockdowns, facing the perils of unknown paths and jampacked roads, and the inadequate compensation they are receiving despite the risks of their work.
Though such problems do matter, they are only superficial setbacks leading to the core of the problem, an economic recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic, panic caused by uncertainties in gearing towards the new normal, and the unjustified compensating schemes large companies offer to their employees.
As members of the same community facing different hurdles brought by the crisis, let us manifest the spirit of bayanihan that links us together despite our differences because we do not face the same demons. Humanity knows no profession and respect knows no division. Amidst this gradual economic emergence, let kindness light up the dark and chaotic world because a little act of goodness goes a long way. Make it ripple.
