Issuu

Aloysius C. Arcilla

hen we ask for strength, we are not given strength as it is. Instead, we are given the opportunity to be strong. We are put in a tough situation where we will have the chance to be strong and be tougher. Once you surpassed that, there you will gain strength. Similarly, when we want to progress, we are not given progress. Instead, we are presented with a chance to progress and that is what in our faces right now. This pandemic revealed layers of socioeconomic inequalities and worsened already-existing educational disparities. Evidently, flexible learning. How flexible is learning? The school of yesterday is us being there with you in the flesh. Now our homes turned into schools when not all homes are susceptible to these changes. There will always be the will and eagerness to adapt, that is embedded in

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all of us; but, in a highaccepting and socially sensitive civilization, one student left behind is already too many. Changes in how we educate, such as integrating technology in the classroom, are at the forefront of discussions about the future of educational landscape, but there is soundless discussion about modifying what we teach. Vast subject matters that we teach at school today will no longer be applicable in the future. For example, agriculture. Someday, there might be no more lands to practice agriculture because everything is concrete and metal. There might be no more soil to toil and crops to harvest. The future generation is a generation of synthetic feeders. This entails that real food will only be known in textbooks and that is if textbooks still exist. Another, something as simple as a pen, congruently mighty as pen, will no longer be in recognition in the future. Students of the future will not distinguish what a pen is because you won’t even have to teach them how to write. One click is all it takes. There will come a time where we don’t even

have to employ human work force or human labor. Now there is technology that can understand human voice and language and perceive human instruction: Alexa, Siri, Hey Google. The community quarantine taught us how to live with the essentials only. Essential needs, foods, and activities. Why can’t we do that in our curriculum? Why can’t we teach the essentials and equip the students with real world skills. Today, in a normal circumstance, we spend at least sixteen years in school and not every information that you learned and not learned in that span are useful to you. And now when we finally choose to change our curriculum, we chose to remove the subject that bears our identity. In 2019, the Supreme Court of the Philippines declared Filipino and Panitikan (literature) as non-core subjects in college. Killing our distinctiveness, identity, and culture. Why? Because the society tells that it is less important and that is manifested in the economy because social sciences courses pay less compared to STEM and ABM courses. And that is not

because social sciences related jobs aren’t hard jobs, it is because we aren’t willing to give credit where credit is due. This is what happens when we keep on anticipating the future of education and don’t realize that the future is today. We do not stand by for tomorrow to happen, we do not await the future because we build tomorrow, we create the future and why would you let a learner of tomorrow suffer the consequences of today? The human mind is incapable of contentment. It is restless. We spend billions on sending robots outside this planet in search of extraterrestrial life when the people living in it have nothing to eat. We dig the earth too deeply in search of fossils that can trace our inheritance to the point that its surface has already incurred damage too detrimental to heal. In our pursuit of intelligence, to showcase human superiority, we forget to be human. And at the end of the day, who are we competing with? You know why we tell our dogs good boy when they have done something in

human behavior and how we label people as animals when they have done something bad? It is because it is unexpected of a dog to behave like human because its mind is not capable to it that’s why we see it as an achievement. Similarly, it is unfitting and unbecoming to a rationalized being, educated and civilized, to behave like an animal and blindly follow what somebody says. With this logic we see that being human is a prize. This is what separate us from any other beings and makes us humanlike. We all want to leave something good for the future generations. Something livable, habitable, and green. Like a bucket list of travel destinations, we already know that beautiful place we want to go, now we just have to figure out how to get there. And in cultivating the educational landscape towards the development of the school of tomorrow, do we still see students into schools or dogs and robots? It is high time we recalibrate our educational system and focus on where it matters most, its stakeholders. And that time is today.

Are we raising a future-ready generation or future-dependent generation? LAYOUT BY: Angilene Dableo VERITAS . AQEUTTAS . LIBERTAS

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ive years under fractional governing, Filipinos will soon step to the most vital time of choosing the next leader of the country. Popularity over loyalty, money over dignity, and power over responsibility. The decision does not just lie in the hands of the Filipino people, but more significantly hangs on their mind.

T h e Philippines has been on the long battle for truth, democracy, and poverty. The current administration weakened human rights and the press, and power went unbalanced and abused. At least 21 journalists

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were killed, the questionable war on drugs, though sounds very significant to the situation of the country, has led to an increase of injustices and abuse on power, the threatening friendship of the present government to

China that turned the Philippines to a puppet country, and currently adding to that is the mismanagement of pandemic situationall of these were brought by the so-called ‘Kamay na bakal’. The mishandling of a

health crisis and the existence of corruption in different government institutions during a critical situation proved that an administration like this must not remain and continue for another six long years.

It is alarming that in the present situation, the u n e m p l oy m e n t rate rose to 8.9 percent in September based on Philippines S t a t i s t i c s Authority (PSA). The country’s debt based on the ORACLE

the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) ascended to P11.64 trillion in August. The pandemic also increased the poverty rate among Filipinos to 18.3 percent that covers 20 million of the country’s total population.

voters earlier this year showed that President Duterte’s intent to run for vice presidency was unconstitutional. But that alone is not enough to stop his manifesto, the game is still on until results were seen.

Few more months from now, the Filipino people will again choose the path they want for the country. Indeed, the pandemic has led the people to a more stable and concrete realization about politics. At least everyone w i t n e s s e d changes that are unpredictable and perhaps inevitable. A survey on Filipino

The surge of misinformation and social media weaponization at a critical time caused serious array of lies and confusion among voters. The historical revisionism that turned the years of suffering into golden era of development has created a change of mind among voters’ preference. Elitism and

illiberalism have become popular intentionally covering essential matters such as health, well-being, and education. If this is still the direction that everyone desire, Filipino people will certainly be left behind. However, at the very least, the substantial voices of the Filipinos are starting to be heard. It has been proven that the collected power of the mass against injustices, corruption, and incompetence could overthrow an authoritarian ruler. An act for rehabilitation and development is a catalyst in reaching a sustainable and virtuous

government. Now, the responsibility that every voter must take into action is the right to choose rightly. Who could navigate the fate of the Philippines t o w a r d s democracy? the son of the former dictator,

a boxer-turnedsenator, a mayor, the president’s favored police chief officer, or a woman who dares to look for the roots of insurgency, corruption, injustices, and abuse on power in her country?

The want for continuity or the need for change is for every Filipino voter to think… twice and wisely. John Henry Pangilinan LAYOUT BY: Angilene Dableo

Downfall’s Loop By M4 LMG I was Icarus. Thou are the sun. Holy shrine am barred to touch gods forbid this pilgrim blush to want thee is a kiss at death, exhaling thy last breath But dangers stay No matter how low or high I fly the sea is waiting to be my grave have my sins forgiven? Shall the gods bless me with wings striven, Then, hear my plea: I will fly and fall For the thousandth time VERITAS . AQEUTTAS . LIBERTAS

but never will I stay away from my sun. as to what is living? when I have the chance to fly, instead I walk. To see from afar or embrace thee burn the bold dealt; oh how my wings melt. the scorched feathers that once soared me to your divine, now gallops my facet and serves as my casket. dangers stay, let thy will be done let me fly and fall a thousand time and one.

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On Online Classes:

Mga Lukot na Pahina ng Nakaraan

a loob ng humigit-kumulang isang taon ang mga unipormeng dating unat na unat at ang pares na sapatos na dinaig pa ang diyamante sa kintab ay nakatago na lamang sa dulo ng tukador, mga gamit pang-eskwelang inamag na ng panahon. Lukot-lukot na rin ang mga kwadernong naglalaman ng aral mula noong mga nakalipas na taon, hindi na mag-aaksaya pang buklatin ang mga pahina at malunod sa ala-ala ng sandalling nasa silid-paaralan pa ako kasama ang guro’t mga kaklase ko. Makakabalik pa nga ba tayo sa tradisyonal na moda ng pagaaral na ating kinagisnan o mananatili tayong nakakulong sa ating mga tahanan kaharap ang kwadradong cellphone bilang ang ating munting silid-aralan? Maswerte tayong iilan na mayroong pribilehiyo na makapagaral sa gitna ng pandemya habang ang iilan ay butas ang bulsa, kumakalam ang sikmura, o kaya naman ay wala ng buhay. Nakakabahala. Parati kong naririnig ang mga katagang hindi hadlang ang kahirapan para makapagtapos ng pag-aaral, nakakatawang marinig ito mula sa mga mayayaman na hindi na kailangan pang magtrabaho umaga hanggang gabi kumita lamang ng kakarampot na barya na kung minsan ay kulang pa para makapaghain ng maayos na pagkain sa mesa. Kakarampot na salapi na sana ay ipambibili na lamang ng pagkain upang maibsan ang kumakalam na sikmura, nasaan ang hustisya para sa mga mahihirap na mag-aaral sa panahon ng pandemya? Paano nila magagawang makisabay sa sistema ng edukasyon kung kapos sila sa salaping pambili ng gadgets at ng internet connection na gagamitin nila para sa kanilang online classes. Hindi nga ba talaga hadlang

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ang kahirapan para makamit ang pangarap o nakapiring lamang ang mga nasa mataas na estado ng buhay upang hindi makita ang pahirap na dulot ng kahirapan at pandemya sa edukasyon ng mga kapos-palad na estudyante ng Pilipinas? Lumalaki na ang bilang ng mga estudyanteng tumigil sa pagaaral mula ng magsimula ang pandemya, hindi lamang buhay at panahon ang ninakaw sa atin ng pandemya kung hindi maging ang pangarap ng bawat mag-aaral. Dapat nang ibaling ng gobyerno at departmento ng edukasyon sa paaralan, mag-aaral at sa sistema ng edukasyon ang kanilang mga atensyon at dapat nang pag-ibayin ang mga konkretong plano para makamit ang ligtas na balik-eskwela para sa ikabubuti ng mga Pilipinong mag-aaral at imbes na pagtuunan nila ng pansin kung paanong mas pagtitibayin ang online class ay dapat din nilang bigyan ng pansin kung paano nila magagawang maging mas accessible ang moda ng pag-aaral para sa lahat, mahirap man o mayaman. the ORACLE

Totoong hadlang ang kahirapan sa edukasyon at sa pagkamit ng ating mga pangarap pero huwag nating hayaan na piringan tayo ng mga estado natin sa buhay upang hindi bigyan ng boses at ipaglaban ang karapatan ng mga estudyante walang pribilehiyo upang kumalas sa kahirapan ngayong pandemya. Tayong mga may pribilehiyo upang makatungtong sa pagaaral kahit nasa gitna ng pandemya ay dapat pa rin na lumingon at ialok ang ating mga kamay para ipaglaban ang Karapatan ng ating mga kapwang estudyante para magkaroon ng patas at maayos na sistema ng edukasyon sa gitna ng pagpapahirap ng pandemya sa ating bansa,

Huwag natin na hayaan na malukot ang lahat ng pahina sa ating kwaderno at makalimutan ng panahon ang mga pangarap na iginuhit natin gamit ang itim na tinta ng panulat. Carise Joy Dacayo LAYOUT BY: Angilene Dableo

Vision Tarlac State University is envisioned to be a premier University in the Asia Pacific Region.

Mission Tarlac State University commits to promote and sustain the offering of quality and relevant programs in higher and advanced education ensuring equitable access to education for people empowerment, professional development, and global competitiveness. Towards this end, TSU shall: 1. Provide high quality instruction through qualified, competent and adequately trained faculty members and support staff. 2. Be a premier research institution by enhancing research undertakings in the fields of technology and sciences and strengthening collaboration with local and international institutions. 3. Be a champion in community development by strengthening partnership with public and private organizations and individuals.

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Halalan 2022

Khyla Ni

he current government has set the bar too low; curses after curses, lies after lies, debts after debts. The Filipinos have undergone so much neglect to the point that the upcoming election is a critical indication of hope. After the numerous storms of human rights breaches, word vomits, and countless questionable thought processes, we, the Filipinos, desire even a shaft of sunlight. The #Halalan2022 results will dictate the condition of the nation for the next six years; will it be an administration trite or a ray of light? A widowed lawyer. A dictator’s son. A professional boxer. A former actor. A detained senator. Different varieties of aspirants had announced and officialized their intention to be the 17th president of the Philippines in October 2021. There is no dominant figure, according to Richard Heydarian, a history and political science professor at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, “It’s going to be highly, highly competitive.”. The stakes are high on this tight race. The PDP-Laban leadership, Secretary Cusi, said, “We’ve found nobody else but you to continue the legacy of President Duterte – our campaign against drugs, corruption, insurgency. All of these, you can continue.”, pertaining to Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, PDP-Laban Cusi faction’s presidential bet. He explicitly stated the need to continue Duterte’s legacy. During the first half of 2021, talks about the 2022 election already surfaced. Movements to convince politicians to run for specific positions were all over the screens and streets, literally. Diehard Duterte Supporters (DDS) were one in convincing

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ILLUSTRATION I Missy Dansal

President Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to be her father’s political heir. The “Run, Sara, Run” tarpaulins earlier this year and the #SaraAll hashtags are manifestations of the supporters’ call for the ORACLE

2: Light or Trite

icole Guevarra

with market research firm Tangere, examined how Filipinos across the nation perceive the upcoming elections. The study found out that the majority of participants say that they will participate in the 2022 elections because they want to make a difference. In addition, the message of netizens was clear when following President Duterte’s announcement of the lockdown, DuterteResign received at least 16,600 tweets, while the #DutertePalpak hashtag obtained 89,200 tweets. Based on these figures and study, a great number of Filipinos do not align with PDP-Laban and DDS’ hope for continuous administration. As a nation, people have lost faith in critical authorities since 2016, and our sovereignty has been irresistibly sacrificed. In the ruthless war on drugs and the far-reaching pursuit of terrorism, we have breached human rights and cost many lives. Too many people have died as a result of a pandemic that the government responded to too late and is still dealing with inefficiently. This is the summation of the ongoing government neglect and abuses the Philippines has been under for almost six years.

continuity. The Outlook Report on the New Filipino Voter, a study conducted by Trust Central, EON’s insights laboratory, in collaboration VERITAS . AQEUTTAS . LIBERTAS

The concerned Filipinos want change and the Halalan 2022 is a oneway ticket and the final shot for the welfare of the Philippines for the next six years. LAYOUT BY: Angilene Dableo

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