The Bicol Universitarian - Volume XLIII Print Issue 3

The Bicol Universitarian

Volume XLIII Issue 3 | June 2016

Official Student Publication of Bicol University

Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service

PLAYGROUND UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Young residents of Sitio Olag play around their claimed land at the back portion of Bicol University Main Campus despite being ousted due to the construction of Palarong Pambansa 2016 facilities. (Photo by George Gio Brondial)

Construction of Palaro facilities ousts 41 families inside BU Settlers air sentiments to admin

by Bryan Del Castillo and Casandra Balala with a report from Marian De Una

At least 41 households were ejected from their claimed land at the back portion of Bicol University (BU) Main Campus due to the construction of Palarong Pambansa 2016 facilities.

The land area behind the BU Grandstand which accommodated 41 families was used for the construction of an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a viewing grandstand, as cited by

3 | News

BU is 61st on Spanish research group’s univ web ranking

BU Vice-President for Administration (VPA) Amelia Dorosan.

To compensate for the affected families, BU administration and the residents came up with an agreement with the presence of Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal and members of Local Government Units (LGUs).

Each household was given financial assistance by the Provincial Government of Albay, an amount which is expected to finance their temporary house

4 | News Sining Banwa drives for LGBT equal rights

renting for five months.

Residents also agreed to be relocated at Taysan, Legazpi City where houses for them will be built.

CLAIMS One of the residents who wished to be named as “Lita” said that they received communication letters frequently from the university informing them to vacate the area where they’re living.

Lita is a widow of a former BU staff and is living for more than 30 years in the community

5 | community PNOY leads inauguration of Yawa Bridge Widenng

behind the grandstand.

The 60 year-old resident also explained that former BU president Aquilino Bonto was the one who allowed them, together with other former employees of the university, to live in the area.

It was done for them to attend to their jobs as BU staff more efficiently.

Engr. Jefferson Cipriano who was formerly in-charge with the physical development plans, affirmed the claim but cited specific limitations.

Construction of Palaro/ page 2

9 | Feature

Hinagpis sa Aking Kaarawan

BU fails to release ATM-ID to studes

By Christian Robert Roxas and Keren Anne Bernadas

Contrary to the expected Automated Teller Machine Identification (ATM-ID) card for Bicol University (BU) students, the Office of Student Services only released an ordinary ID to those who wished to avail the proposed card innovation.

On July 2015, a memorandum of agreement between BU and BPI-Globe BanKO was approved during the university board meeting on the use of ATM-ID in the university.

BU fails to release/ page 3

11 | News

Nat’l Service Reserve Corps launches in BU

News

2 The Bicol Universitarian | Volume XLIII Issue 3 June 2016

Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service

Construction of palaro/ page 1

EDUCATIONAL BUFFER. Despite the opening for school year 2016-2017, some underprivileged children are still literally left behind in terms of educational modernity brought by the K to 12 program. (Photo by Shan Gabriel Apuli)

Reg’l forum circles on PH’s economic state, governance

By Keren Anne Bernadas LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY Bicol University (BU) together with the Philippine Economic Society (PES) initiated the first regional economic forum which circled on the country’s current economic state and governance last July 31, 2015 at College of Arts and Letters Amphitheater.

Aside from the university’s desire to tie-up with other national and professional economic organizations, the event had two other major purposes. First, was to expose the students, faculty members and other participants to the country's economic status from the perspectives of different sectors in the national scene.

"We aim to let the delegations draw their respective insights and form their own views regarding the economy of the Philippines through the forces of our speakers," said Dr. Eddie S. See, dean of BU College of Business, Economics and Management (CBEM) and the chairman of BU Conference Steering Committee.

Among the speakers of the event were BU president Arnulfo M. Mascariñas, officer-in-charge of National Economic and Development Authority Region V Agnes M.

Espinas, Asian Institute of Management -Director for Economics Society Ronald Mendoza, and University of the Philippines Los Baños Department of Management Asst. Professor Dr. Maja Lea Ravago.

Putting an emphasis on BU students and faculty members, Dr. See also said that another objective of the forum is to prepare them to write studies and research papers. These studies would revolve on the economy of the country and will be presented in the upcoming national conferences.

The forum was attended by 400 delegates from provincial and local government agencies, regional stakeholders, state universities and colleges in Region V, students, professors and other instructors.

GEARING UP FOR K-12 On the other hand, Dr. See also stressed that the idea of putting up the event is inclined to their list of strategic programs in CBEM about the foreseen effects of the K-12 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC).

"We are already engaging our teachers to become well-taught and wellequipped in writing research papers as this would become their alternative load in the next years," he said.

See explained that

while K-12 moves forward in its first two years of implementation, there would be no problem on the working loads of the professors and other instructors in CBEM since they can still teach major subjects to their third and fourth year students.

However, after two years, when these students graduate from their respective courses, the teachers would have insufficient load.

Projecting the possible outcomes, Dr. See programmed the faculty's alternative load in three to four years that will primarily focus on research writing and presenting.

With that, he further said that as early as this year, the teachers are already given the chance to formulate and "up write" new studies that are not yet written or pursued by former students or other economic researchers in the country.

"There is no choice for us [CBEM faculty] in the coming years of this K-12 BEC but to in-line our expertise and skills in other related and relevant field - that is - research," he said.

The CBEM dean also stated that in accordance to Civil Service standards, if an employee is doing “inadequately and has nothing to do at all”, he or she will be rated poor and that it could be a ground for dismissal.

He said that once the employee is no longer working for the university or has already passed away, his or her family is expected to leave the place, giving way to other BU staffs.

However, VPA Dorosan asserted that there is no such “grant” since no university president can grant any portion of BU to anyone.

“Even if you are a president, this [university] is not yours. You just have the right to manage it,” she added.

Nevertheless, Lita admitted that they don’t hold a Land Title for the area but their purok leader already applied for it on behalf of the households.

On the other hand, the university administration holds on to Proclamation no. 26 which claims ownership of the land.

“Proclamation no. 26 is a proclamation setting forth the several lots, na sinasabi na these lots are for educational purposes. Ni-reserve nya ang kabuuang lupa ng BU for educational purposes,” Atty. Norly Reyes, BU Legal Officer explained.

SITIO OLAG Meanwhile, 54 families residing at the backmost part of the university known as ‘Sitio Olag’are also threatened to be driven out of their claimed land.

A source from the BU Planning and Management Office (PMO) who wished not to be named for the reason of the information’s confidentiality said that Sitio Olag, as specified in their proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), will be constructed with administrative buildings, dormitory, and other academic structures.

Robert Guadalupe, 43 yearold resident of Purok 4-A, Barangay 2, said that they’re having conversations with the school administration.

He said that the university is also claiming their land.

He said that the Guadalupe family has been living in the 11-hectare land even before the time of the Japanese occupation and said that they have been paying their tax on the land in form of farm products through Albay Capitol.

After several years, BU had its claim on the land, therefore, suspending the process of paying for their tax.

As of now, the Guadalupes depend on a single tax receipt from the Capitol which dates back to 1953.

However, Atty. Reyes said that the tax receipt is not a proof of land ownership. Instead, it is a proof of “possessing the place”. He further said that possession is different from ownership. Someone can be the possessor but can’t be the own-

er of the land.

Meanwhile, the residents of Sitio Olag remain in the area since they have no information yet whether they will be asked to vacate the place. An anonymous source however, said that the university eyes the area as next to be pursued.

TENSION RISES A former resident at the back of BU Grandstand, who also wished not to be named for the reason of the information’s confidentiality, expressed his disappointment on the allotment of financial assistance.

“Ang sabi‘ diba P100,000 ang ibibigay na financial assistance.

Hindi naman lahat nakakuha noon.

Bago binigay yung financial help, ina-asses muna yung mga bahay.

Binase nila yung financial help dun sa assessment. Yung iba nga P30,000 lang binigay. Kawawa naman kasi hindi yun sapat sa limang buwan na pangrenta ng bahay at iba pang gastusin lalo na kung wala silang trabaho,” he said.

Moreover, Nolita Ordoño, president of the purok, wants VPA Dorosan to clarify why three more families who are only renting a house owned by a certain Juliet Agudo were suddenly included in the list of financial assistance recipients.

Ordoño said that the three families just gave a letter to put their names on the list.

“Tapos na yung usapan na 41 households ang bibigyan ng hundred thousand [financial assistance]. Dapat hindi na kasali yung tatlo dahil nagrerenta lang naman sila, kaya naging 44. Kaya magkakagulo yan,” she added.

On the other hand, the Dela Torre family who lives behind the Institute of Physical Education, Sports and Recreation (IPESR) building, has filed a counter affidavit against the university insisting their rights on the area.

Ordoño expressed her disappointment to Dela Torre family for not including all the residents of the area at the counter affidavit against BU. She asserted that the intention of the Dela Torre family is to own the whole area since they filed the case alone and they hold all the documents, not giving other residents a chance to see it.

“Traydor din yan [Dela Torre].

Kasama kami sa laban ng kaso.

Gumastos na kami. ‘Yun pala sya lang ang nagkaso dahil gustong solohin[ang lupa]. Ang alam namin sabay kami sa kaso. Nagtiwala kami sa kanya. ‘Pag humihingi ng pera nagbibigay kami. Sa akin, sobra 18,000 binigay ko,” she stated.

Though open for negotiations, Guadalupe stated that if the university pushes through with their plans of casting them out of the place without proper procedures, they will not hesitate to fight back.

News

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The Bicol Universitarian | Volume XLIII Issue 3 June 2016

Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service

Bicol U is 61st on Spanish research group’s univ web ranking 2016

By Renzle Mae Miranda and May Altavano

Based on global performance and visibility, Bicol University (BU) attained the 61st spot out of 273 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines according to Webometrics Ranking.

The web-based university ranking was released and spearheaded by Cybermetrics Lab, the largest public research group in Spain.

According to Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, the ranking was based on the performance of the universities all over the world based on their vis-

ibility, presence, openness, and excellence.

Globally, Bicol University ranked 13357th. BU placed 12478th in terms of presence, 14607th in impact, 7134th in openness, and 5484th in excellence among more than 24000 HEIs throughout the world.

Cybermetrics Lab, through their website, offers suggestions for HEIs to improve their ranking.

It suggests that “if the web performance of an institution is below the expected position according to their academic excellence, university authorities

should reconsider their web, open access and transparency policy, and promote substantial increases of the volume and quality of their electronic publications.”

The research group’s main objective is to promote scientific research so as to improve the progress of the scientific and technological level of the country which will contribute to the welfare of the citizenry.

They also play an important role in the formation of new researchers and technicians in the different aspects of science and technology.

Meanwhile, University of the Philippines (UP) - Dili-

man is still in the first place among institutions in the country with world ranking of 1393. De La Salle University Manila came in second place with a world ranking of 2075 while UP Los Baños placed third with a 2312 world ranking.

Throughout the globe, Harvard University ranked first, Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology shared the second spot while University of California Berkeley placed fourth.

University of Tokyo in Japan is the only country in Asia which is included in the top 41 universities.

BU Int’l House set to finish on 2017 Lack of fund delay construction

By Elyssa Kristine Ella

Due to lack of fund, the construction of the Bicol University (BU) International House was delayed and is expected to be finished in 2017 according to Arch. Leo Del Rosario, the building’s designer.

“The

project

was

launched last January 2014 and was supposed to be finished on April 2015,” Del Rosario said.

BU Int’l House located at Daraga Campus will be able to accommodate 100 foreign exchange students and officials in the dormitories, with a room capacity ranging from six to 20 people. The building also includes a lobby, café, and a conference room

that can house a maximum of 400 individuals.

Once construction is finished, the International House will also be used for seminars and conferences inside the university.

A P31 million budget was allotted for the first phase of the building’s construction. Arch. Del Rosario stated that an additional cost of 10 to 15 million pesos will be needed

to finalize the output.

This budget will be allotted for the construction of the parking area, fixing of the drainage, setting up the water and electricity supply, and the installation of a fire sprinkler system.

The Int’l House was launched during former BU President Fay Lauraya’s term as a stepping stone towards internationalization.

BU fails to release/ page 1 With this memorandum, freshmen students as well as other year levels who wanted to change their current IDs could avail the ATM-ID card for P75.00.

This ATM-ID card, which could have been used for BPI bank transactions, costs the same as the ordinary ID card.

FAILURE TO RELEASE According to Atty. Norly Reyes, BU Administrative Officer, the university can actually produce the IDs since the materials needed are ready but the materials for the ATM come from BPI-Banko.

“Since we have to honor the agreement, our own production of the IDs was halted. Kasi kung sa atin mismo, we can produce the ID. Sa atin walang problema but the ATM comes from them.”

Atty. Reyes said.

Reyes clarified the issues with regards to the agreement and the collection of money from the students.

He explained that since the agreement was approved on July 2015, the administration failed to produce ID cards in the onset of the first semester.

BUDGETARY FLAWS The BU Administrative Officer also disclosed that there was a problem when it comes to the fund for the ATMIDs. “Unfortunately, ang naging problema, when we are about to start everything, yung pera napunta sa university fund,” Reyes added.

By putting the money to the university fund, the contribution to that very purpose became part of the government’s fund. Whereas, it cannot be disbursed without complying with the Procurement Law. When asked about the person responsible for putting the money to the university fund, Reyes said that it is something he cannot disclose.

Until the end of the second semester last academic year, BPI has no further initiative to reopen the subject of ATM ID, according to Atty. Reyes.

In the second General Legislative Assembly last February 20, Santillan in her speech as the Student Regent, presented reports regarding the pending case of BPI Globe ID. Part of the resolution is to refund the payments for the ID to the graduating students. The second part is to finally cancel the issuance of the BPI Globe ID to the students and instead provide the original.

Santillan said that while the Procurement Law takes a long time, the BU administration, together with the new batch of USC, desire to achieve an innovation in the students’ identification cards soon.

News

4 The Bicol Universitarian | Volume XLIII Issue 3 June 2016

Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service

PDMO: Balai kan Alumni ‘soon to rise’

By Casandra Balala

After four years since it was first reported to rise, Balai Kan Alumni will soon begin its operations in order to boost funding of its continued construction.

The Bicol University General Alumni Association Inc. (BUGAAI) intends to use the building as another source of income that will help them gain the estimated P20M budget for the construction of the whole structure. It is situated near the College of Arts and Letters building.

As of press time, only a part of the building’s first floor was finished. The second and third floors will be constructed when the total budget is collected.

“We’re finding an institution or organization that will rent the place. Actually, the College of Medicine wanted to use it as their canteen,” said Arch. Leo Del Rosario, head of Planning and Design Section of the Physical Development and Management Office.

Del Rosario stated that fast-food chains plan to rent the structure’s ground floor.

He added that their expenses for the two phases of the construction almost reached P2M. The start of construction in 2011 cost P1M. Moreover, P800, 000 was spent for the continuation of the building’s construction this year.

Meanwhile, Engr. Joseph Esplana, BUGAAI President and

the City Planning and Development Officer described Balai kan Alumni as a large building that has a “purpose of accommodating the university’s alumni.”

He pointed that the second floor of the building will be used as dormitory for the alumni who want to visit or stay overnight. They will be charged with minimum amount.

Esplana also said that a conference hall will be placed at the third floor of the building where the university alumni can conduct different events like reunions, gatherings and assemblies.

DELAYED CONSTRUCTION According to Esplana, lack of fund and problems in building plans caused the delay of construction of the Balai kan Alumni.

Esplana stated that building officials denied the earlier building plans due to errors in its structural plan. He admitted that they revised the plan to ensure the good quality of the building.

“The building we want for Alumni is strong and can last for a long time. And we don’t want to build a structure without a building permit. It is very important,” he said.

At present, the BUGAAI has less than a million peso as fund which came from the P100 alumni fee. This fee is paid by the students of the university as part of their graduation fee.

“Our fund does not only go to the construction of the Balai

kan Alumni. We need also to expend the fund in some activities of BUGAAI like the assembly,” he explained.

To add for the funding of the construction, the Alumni Association solicited from different groups and institutions in Albay. In exchange for this help, the names of the sponsors will be placed in front of the structure.

Since 2011, only 10% of the building has been constructed.

ALUMNI ASSEMBLY & BLESSING The BUGAAI conducted its general assembly, election, and the blessing of Balai kan Alumni on September 26, 2015.

Esplana presented the status of the construction of the Balai kan Alumni and stated that most of the fund are allocated for the structure.

“We make sure that they know where their money go.

Also, we want them to become updated of the projects and programs of the alumni,” Esplana said.

He added that they plan to have an ID card which would entail an amount of P100 for an active regular member and P150 for graduates. With this valid ID card, alumni may enjoy benefits such as discounted BU staff house accommodation or be able to enjoy other BU facilities.

The annual assembly of the alumni is held every last Saturday of September with an allotted budget of P75-100 thousand.

The proposed perspective plan of the Balai kan Alumni situated at Bicol University Main Campus. As of press time, only a part of the building’s first floor was finished. The second and third floors will be constructed when the total budget is collected. (Photo courtesy of BU Physical Development and Management Office)

GYM METAPHORS. Sining Banwa members perform comical characters to raise concerns and awareness on HIV-AIDS last August 14, 2015 at the College of Arts and Letters Amphitheater. (Photo by Shan Gabriel Apuli)

Sining Banwa drives for LGBT equal rights

By May Altavano and Renzle Mae Miranda

LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY - Dubbed as “Sining Banwa EQUALove Project: Equal Rights, Equal Love,” the 4th Founding Anniversary of Sining Banwa (SB) was celebrated at Bicol University (BU) College of Arts and Letters Amphitheater on August 14, 2015.

Gymgurls, a stage play which called for equal rights and opportunities for the members of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community was presented.

SB also discussed a cultural campaign on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) awareness and prevention.

“This is a cultural campaign because we’re not only discussing HIV and AIDS and how people will acquire and prevent it, but also we want to change the mindset of people about this issue,” President and Artistic Director of SB Roe Jalimao said.

The project is in part-

nership with the Department of Health and Albay Aids Council. Gymgurls was also in collaboration with BU Magenta, a university-based organization for the LGBT community.

According to Marfred Waddell, a cultural activist and one of the Gymgurls actors, it’s their first time to take such issues on HIV and AIDS. They were challenged on how to present the play especially that the subject is a “hot issue” in Bicol region and throughout the country.

SB is a four-year old Albay cultural and community-based group. It is multidisciplinary with sections on chorale, music, dance and drama.

In the past three years, their shows were mainly about student activism, cultural palmers and children’s rights. The main focus of the group is to tell a true story from “grassroot level” to the people in the community.

Jalimao said that so far, the play about children’s rights was the most successful production they had.

Community

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The Bicol Universitarian | Volume XLIII Issue 3 June 2016

Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service

PNoy leads inauguration of Yawa Bridge widening Construction triggers traffic

By Casandra Balala

With the presence of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, the expanded Yawa Bridge at Rawis, Legazpi City was inaugurated on May 4, 2016 to improve the transportation system from Legazpi City going to the municipalities of Albay’s first district.

Engr. Leslie Dy, Planning Division Officer of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said that the purpose of the widening is for traffic decongestion and road safety for the commuters.

Before the bridge’s completion, the DPWH cooperated with the Albay Power and Energy Corporation (APEC) to remove the electricity poles for the widening of the bridge.

Engineer Christian Alzaga, Project Inspector of DPWH, said that after the long process they underwent for the cutting of pine trees, construction for the widening was suspended last January 4 due to the obstruction of the electricity poles on the sides of the road.

“Fifty-one pine trees were cut and there were another four trees left to be cut

in front of the Mariners. We are 79% done of the construction and I cannot give an expected date of when it will end because is it suspended as of now. The APEC already started the removal of poles,” he added.

The two-lane Yawa Bridge was expanded to four lanes with a total length of 140 meters and width of 14.4 meters, with a 16.4-meter approach. The construction contract is budgeted at P83, 599, 000. The widening started on May 15 last year and expected completion by December 2015 but failed due to the suspension.

CONSTRUCTION’S GLITCHES Heavy rains and traffic became the problems of the DPWH on the proper widening of Yawa Bridge which caused its long construction time.

“It became difficult for us since we need to upgrade new base of sand repeatedly whenever it was affected by the rain and it’s not easy since we’re working on it overnight. We can’t work in the morning since many vehicles are passing by so, we started at around 6 o’clock or 7 o’clock in the evening until morning with depends to the phases that need to be

done,” Engr. Alzaga stated.

When asked about the instances of water flooding to Aquinas University since the road was already elevated, he stressed that there were canals in both sides outside the Regional Trial Court that will pass through the discharge.

On the other hand, some commuters, especially students of Aquinas University complained about the slow construction because of the

dust, mud stains and traffic.

Joseph Alexandrei Guavez, a first year BS Business Administration major in Marketing Management, suffered skin allergy, due to dusts from the construction.

TREE REPLACEMENT Fifty-five trees cut for the construction project required at least 5,500 saplings as replacement.

Amoroso Gumabao, En-

vironmental Mngt. Specialist II said that there should be 100 saplings replacement for every pine tree. All saplings, provided by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will be planted on the designated areas for tree planting.

Gumabao also stated that after a consultation meeting, DENR promptly issued the tree-cutting permit with no objection.

MAYON’S PERSPECTIVE of the now inaugurated Yawa Bridge at Rawis-Bonot section of Legazpi City. It was inaugurated on May 4, 2016. (Photo by Shan Gabriel Apuli)

Albay localizes UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

By Keren Anne Berndas

In order to foster inclusive development in the province, Albay government launched its own Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) anchored on the 17 original goals and standards set by the United Nations.

Launched at the start of year 2016, some of the SDGs are: end poverty in all its forms; end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture; promote health and well being for everyone; ensure equitable access to quality education and promote lifelong learning

opportunities for all; achieve gender equality and empower women and girls; ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; and ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

As of press time, Albay Sustainable Development Goals Office (ASDGO), the entrusted local counterpart office that assesses the provincial development and goals, are still in the process of conducting orientations and SDG conferences with the different sectors of the government in order to talk about localizing and establishing targets and priorities of the said goals.

The implementation

of these SDGs have already been approved by the Provincial council of Albay through Resolution No. 0045-2015 during the term of former governor Joey Salceda and is expected, on the other hand, to be pursued by the next local administration.

ASDGO, in an Executive Order 2015-025 by Gov. Salceda, was entrusted with the responsibility to achieve and complete the unfinished programs from the former Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Likewise, the office and its representatives are the ones committed to maintain and achieve the newlyset sustainable goals.

Jeresha San Jose, Program Coordinator of the AS-

DGO, in her report, said that although there were some difficulties and challenges that hurdle to the attainment of the MDGs on the previous years, she assured that the new set of officials together with the united efforts and collaboration of the different sectors of the government, will continue to strive for shared development for one and all Albayanos.

When it comes to education, Albay was commended

by Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro for serving as a model for the country’s basic education, for ensuring the welfare of teachers and students, for delivering quality education, and for providing sound

school facilities.

The provincial government shifted its strategic focus from Physical Capital Formation like roads to Human Capital Formation that will provide college diplomas.

In this strategy, the local government will allot bigger amount of money for education rather than roads and buildings.

Salceda also targets to fill up gaps in basic education.

DepEd will enhance basic education in elementary and high school but asks Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to limit intervention in schools, universities and colleges.

Opin

6

StaedtlerTM Joshua Caleb Pacleta

Nakatikim ka na ba ng 45 anyos?

System Execution There is no other means President-elect Rodrigo Duterte sees fit to eliminate crime in the Philippines than to reinstate death penalty. The Davao city mayor, however, fails to mention how he will transform the rotten judicial system of the country into a just and stainless scheme.

According to Duterte, capital punishment shall be imposed to criminals involved in illegal drugs, gun-for-hire syndicates as well as those who commit heinous crimes like rapists, robbers or car thieves who kill their victims. Under the 1987 constitution, death penalty is allowed for heinous crimes with the approval of Congress.

However, Commission on Human Rights states three fundamental reasons for opposing death penalty as cited in an article published by The Philippine Daily In-

quirer.

First, it constitutes what is effectively cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment prohibited in the Bill of Rights and international law.

Second, it is contrary to the rehabilitative purpose of criminal justice and does not fully consider the possibility of mistake as it cannot be undone.

Third, it is not a deterrent and is unequally applied on the poor.

Should this punishment be restored, we cannot help but wonder if fair treatment of the law can be applied to all sectors of the society – the rich and the poor, those in power and the ordinary citizens, the ones who really committed the crime and those who were just framed up.

Moreover, pushing for death penalty would only prove that there is an

implied admission of our current judicial system’s failure to enforce law and order.

Duterte proposes death penalty by hanging to instill to other citizens the fear of committing crimes which violates the very rule of law. Under a just and fair judicial system, such scheme could work.

On the one hand, capital punishment does not only place utmost importance on the value of life but also protects those who were truly oppressed.

On the other, applying such in a country like ours would mean deprivation of their rights to life and instead of providing protection, would bring further jeopardy to the oppressed.

The sin must be killed, not the sinner. The judicial system must be executed, not the sinner.

Sinadya kong magsulat ng isang artikulong hindi tumatalakay sa mga nakakahilo’t nakakabanas na isyung bumabalot sa ating bansa pati na rin sa ating unibersidad. Ninanais ko, sa pamamagitan ng kolum na ito, na magbigay pugay sa isang publikasyon na walang ginawa kundi ang maghatid ng nararapat at maaasahang serbisyo sa mga estudyante, sa BU at maging sa komunidad – ang The Bicol Universitarian.

45 taon. 45 taon na ang opisyal na pamahayagang pang-unibersidad ng BU. At sa higit apat na dekadang pakikibaka ng publikasyon na ito sa ating institusyon, sa pamamagitan ng malayang pamamahayag, mapalad ako na mabigyan ng pagkakataon na manilbihan dito ng apat na taon.

Hindi matutumbasan ng

trasyon sa pamamagitan ng mabisa at makatotohanang pagbabalita.

Bagama’t hanggang ngayon, hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng nakararami na hadlang pa rin ang mababang pondo ng publikasyon dahil na rin sa mababang publication fee nito – P12.00, na siya ring pinaka-mababa sa buong bansa. Gayunpaman, kailanman ay hindi sumuko ang Unibe sa pagsasabuhay ng mantra nito – Fainess, Accuracy, and Genuine Student Service.

----Ngayon, nakatikim ka na ba ng 45 anyos? Kasi ako, oo na. Masarap at ninamnam ko ang bawat sandaling sumakay ako sa indayog at ritmo nito.

Nilasap ko ang bawat pagkakataon na tinitira at hinihigop ko ang bawat kapeng nagbigay init sa aking katawan sa kala-

Ngayon, nakatikim ka na ba ng 45 anyos?

Kasi ako, oo na. Masarap at ninamnam ko ang bawat sandaling sumakay ako sa indayog at ritmo nito. anumang salapi ang pagod at mga aral na napulot ko sa publikasyong nagmulat sa aking mga mata sa mga mahahalagang isyu’t impormasiyon na dapat malaman ng mga kapwa ko Bueno. At sa apat na taon kong pamamalagi sa Unibe (alyas ng publikasyon), nasaksihan ko kung paano nito ipinamalas ang sinasabing genuine student service – na ika nga’y walang ibang hinangad kundi ang ipaglaban ang karapatan ng mga estudyante at isangguni ang kanilang mga hinaing at sentimiyento sa adminis-

gitnaan ng malalamig na press works. Napa-ungol ako sa tindi ng hapding dulot ng paghahanap ng balita habang tirik na tirik at nag-aalab si Haring Araw.

Sa aking huling kolum sa Unibe, wala akong ibang hangad kundi ang tagumpay ng publikasyong ito. Publikasyong nagbigay ng maraming aral sa akin. Publikasyong itinuring kong ikalawang tahanan… Mabuhay ang Unibe!

Mabuhay ang Pampaaralang Pamahayagan! Mabuhay si KaErnie!

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website unibeonline.com rappler x x.rappler.com/u/thebicoluniversitarian

Summation Jervy Anne Romero

Punching Shear Regardless of the results of the Palarong Pambansa 2016, the province of Albay had already been victorious.

Triumph was clenched right after the home of the majestic Mayon volcano won the bid to host this year’s national games. With this comes new sports facilities for selected institutions including Bicol University as well as huge opportunities to boost tourism.

All hats to the provincial government for proving its critics wrong and for gaining positive feedback from the athletes. Indeed, those who stayed in the province even for a short period of time would be leaving with smiles on their faces

because of the generosity and hospitality of the Albayanos.

With the end of this national event, we are left to enjoy and benefit from the facilities which are now considered “remnants” of the palaro. We are also left with the responsibility of maximizing the capacity of these resources on the condition that their current states will be maintained.

As far as BU is concerned, the rubberized oval and the olympic-sized swimming pool are just little steps for the institution to reach its vision of becoming a world class university. With these facilities, there is no way for the athletes to be unable to develop their skills as

Bull’s Sheet Bryan Del Castillo

Entitlement The lands of Bicol University (BU) must indeed be used for the benefit of the students, neither for residential purposes nor for useless buildings.

When I first heard of the university driving out 41 families from their houses built within the school premises (behind BU Grandstand), I was quite in doubt as to whether it is really necessary.

However, when I learned that the school holds on to a legal basis, I thought otherwise.

True enough, the disputed land was reserved by law for educational purposes and it must not be made a residential area. Though these families assert that they were allowed to settle on the place, they must still abide to the

limitations of the grant, considering that the area is a public school’s property.

It might be saddening to think that for our university to move towards its goal of becoming world class, some people had to be adversely affected. However, it is essential for the BU administration to maximize the use of its resources even though it’s hard to break shelters that accommodated families for three decades already. By saying maximize, the university administration is meant to make the most out of its property for the benefit of its primary clients, us.

On the other hand, our university has been so industrious in constructing

they venture onto becoming international competitors in the field of sports.

The essence of these amenities, I believe, should not end right after the conduct of the national games. Its main role lies onto providing avenues for sports enthusiasts to identify, develop, and hone whatever skills they have not only because they are representing their region, but also because they believe in their abilities and dreams. That is why, the government must not limit its assistance onto the construction of these facilities but must also allocate sufficient funding for their maintenance if it aims for lasting results.

It is good to know that in Albay, the Committee on Budget Appropriations passed an ordinance allotting P5 Million so these facilities would be continuously taken care of. The Department of Education’s vi-

new buildings. Among others were the once called Balai kan Alumni, BU International House, and the Food Innovation and Commercialization Center (FICC) in East Campus.

How are these buildings doing now, by the way?

The Balai kan Alumni now stands between BU College of Arts and Letters, and College of Medicine (CM). According to reports, its ground floor will be used as the canteen of BU-CM while the still imaginary second floor will serve as a dormitory for the university’s alumni.

Meanwhile, the BU International House in Daraga Campus is both nearly finished and nearly forgotten.

It’s quite huge for a building that houses empty spaces.

Lastly, for the FICC to materialize, another building, the newly renovated BU College of Industrial Technology (CIT) canteen was demolished. To my view, it is unreasonable

sion of having one sports complex for every province is also a good start for boosting sports in the Philippines. However, plans must be laid and actions must be taken so that this highminded vision would not stay as a far-flung ambition but be transformed into reality.

Let the challenge be punched at the faces of the newly-elected government officials. While it is true that corruption, poverty, and crime are far greater problems which need immediate solutions, it is also true that when our country is bombarded with issues, we cling to achievements in sports to uplift our derogated spirits and bring honor to the Filipinos.

It is just high time we take a share on our athletes’ achievements by providing them the assistance they rightfully deserve.

We might as well hope for the time that our university can truly serve its purpose.

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Plans must be laid and actions must be taken so that this highminded vision would not stay as a far-flung ambition but be transformed into reality.

to spend for buildings sought to be destroyed after a year.

The repair cost of the canteen amounted to P193,500 and it must’ve been used for more relevant expenditures.

As much as educational purposes are concerned, I don’t think that the construction of these buildings (except for FICC) is necessary. Instead of these, the university could’ve thought of building new classrooms considering that after the two year K-12 vacuum effect, BU will welcome more students.

Anyway, the construction, though slow-paced have already started. What’s left for us to do is to wish that these facilities will be readily available to the BU students unlike that of the fenced sports complex which when opened made the BUeños seem like tourists on their own territory.

We might as well hope for the time that our university can truly serve its purpose.

Opinion

8 The Bicol Universitarian | Volume XLIII Issue 3 June 2016

Post Script Arthessa Marie Ladoing

Inflicted In the search for the next President, the current administration repeatedly endorsed its bet as the person to continue his “tuwid na daan” leadership and to oversee the country’s “booming” economy. This makes me wonder if they would also do something to promote human rights and protect members of marginalized sectors of our society.

Apparently, this reality was a blur until a school project (entitled #UntilItHappensToYou) kicked my senses. It was an advocacy campaign concerning discrimination and human rights, with photo exhibit as one of the approaches. Women and

members of the LGBT Community were more likely to experience such. But the photo entries depicted mostly children -deprived of basic rights such as nutrition, protection, education and recreation.

This reveals a sad reality that many children throughout the country face a wide range of human rights oppressions. For instance, in September 2015, the Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights group, documented a smallscale gold mining where children are exposed to extremely hazardous work conditions, working deep underground, diving

Technically Speaking Randall Matthew Lorayes

Vulnerable While the automated elections are now over and the next set of leaders have been chosen, let us not forget the various glitches the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has faced in preparation for the polls such as when hacking group, Anonymous Philippines, defaced the COMELEC website back in March.

Defacing websites are common acts by these groups in order to get the attention of the concerned agency as well as the people. In this case, they were calling on COMELEC to activate the security features of the Vote Counting Machines (VCM) which will be used by voters during the elections such as the ‘voter verification paper audit trail’ wherein

the names of the candidates voted will be printed out in a receipt.

What’s more concerning about this breach is that another hacking group known as Lulzsec Philippines also got into the COMELEC websites hours after Anonymous and claimed to have obtained sensitive information of about 55 million registered voters and was leaked where the general public can easily download a copy of the data.

The data hackers may include but not limited to email addresses, names of family members, home addresses, passport numbers, phone numbers, and other personal information the voter may have given during the registration process. Even the

Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service

underwater to dig for gold, and processing ore with toxic mercury. These children compose the growing community of young workers. They are supposed to be playing in public parks, or learning inside a classroom.

They should’ve been carrying a backpack, not the weight of work.

This makes me believe on the same group’s “disappointing” assessment on the administration’s 2015 overall human rights record in their 659-page report (where it reviewed human rights practices in more than 90 countries).

Another thing, there’s this practice I cannot tolerate during high-profile events, where authority detained hundreds of street dwellers in Metro Manila (amongst were children) to clear the capital. A scenario manifest-

biometrics data was allegedly included.

Third-party security researchers then are warning that based on their investigation, these 55 million Filipinos, myself included, are now at greater risk of being a victim of identity theft and fraud among others if the people with right knowledge exploit this stolen information on what is now believed to be the largest government-related data breach in history.

This statement comes after the COMELEC played down the incident claiming that no sensitive information was stolen.

Obviously, the security experts have spoken. We are in fact at risk.

I am disappointed that COMELEC was not able to keep their servers secure enough which led to these unwanted people obtain access to restricted areas of the website and

Editor-in-Chief Joshua Caleb Pacleta Associate Editor Jervy Anne Romero Managing Editor Bryan Del Castillo Senior Editor Jessica Bechayda Arts & Graphics Editor Nichole Baloloy Online Content Editor Randall Matthew Lorayes Copy Editor Arthessa Marie Ladoing

ed during the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

It is so ironic how one administration which considers Filipinos as its boss tend to overlook the welfare of these people.

And it’s an annoying thought that the chief institution who should supposedly help them, was the first one to discriminate and literally separated them from the society.

Should human rights oppression cease (or atleast drop), only then could we achieve the true essence of “tuwid na daan” - equality, democracy and social change. Besides, if our leader truly considers himself and his family as inflicted during martial law regime, I really wonder why he is futile in creating significant reforms to ensure a lasting positive human rights legacy.

We should all be concerned that if the breach really contains all of that sensitive personal information, 55 million Filipinos are definitely at risk.

Should human rights oppression cease (or at least drop), only then could we achieve the true essence of “tuwid na daan” - equality, democracy and social change.

was even able to download all of the voters’ personal information from their databases.

Look, I am not a security expert but it’s common sense for system administrators or whoever you call the people running COMELEC’s website that these kinds of databases should have the highest standards of data security and encryption.

However, the damage has been done.We should all be concerned that if the breach really contains all of that sensitive personal information, 55 million Filipinos are definitely at risk having exposed information which must not be known by the general public.

I would like to see more media coverage on this since more than half of the country’s population could have their personal data be used by others who can disguise themselves as one of those 55 million Filipinos.

The Bicol Universitarian Editorial Board & Staff | A.Y. 2015-2016

Writers Keren Anne Bernadas, Casandra Balala, Gladys Ebrada , Elyssa Kristine Ella , Renzle Mae Miranda, Mark Colin Abliter, Rojee Peninoy, Alyssa Joana Aro, Jerald Talavera Cartoonists Deano Christian Echague, John Paul Revilla, Layout Artist Edward Lustan Photojournalists Jan Marie Raquion, George Gio Brondial, Shan Gabriel Apuli Public Relations Staff Joshua Mirabuna, Marian De Una, Jasmine Yao , Christian Robert Roxas, Ivy Cuebillas, May Altavano Technical Adviser Prof. Felipe Jose Peralta Office: 2/F MP Bldg., Bicol University Main Campus, Legazpi City | Member: College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), Bicol Association of Student Campus Journalists (BASCAJ)

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The Bicol Universitarian | Volume XLIII Issue 3 June 2016

Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service

Hinagpis sa Aking Kaarawan Ni Bryan Del Castillo Debuho ni Deano Christian Echague

Sa labis na tuwa ata’y nakalimutan na nilang ako pa rin ang kanilang pangalawang tahanan.

Mahigit tatlong buwan na lamang ang hihintayin ko bago pumatak ang pinakaaasam na araw sa kalendaryo. Libo-libong kabataan din ang nag-aabang ng espesyal na sandaling ito. At bagaman may edad na akong maituturing, sariwa parin sa aking alaala kung paano nakapagdulot ng ngiti ang kaarawan ko noong nakaraang taon.

Walang cake, regalo, o anumang klaseng sorpresa ang inihanda para sa akin.

Sa halip, nar’yan ang kulitan ng mga barkada, sayawan sa oval, mga palarong isports, hiyawan at iba pa. Ngunit kung gaano kadalas mahulog ang mga hinagis-hagis sa ere na mga mananayaw sa unang araw ng aking nakaraang anibersaryo ay siya ring dalas ng pagtapon ng mga bagay na sa kanilang pakiwari’y basura na. Ewan ko ba. Sa labis na tuwa ata’y nakalimutan na nilang ako pa rin ang kanilang pangalawang tahanan.

Ang sakit lang isipin na sa loob ng napakaraming taon, ganito lagi kung matapos ang aking kaarawan — madumi, sobrang dumi. Kung mapagdamdam lang ako’y iisipin kong ito ang regalo’t sukli nila sa aking tulong sa pagpapanday ng diwa.

Sa kabilang banda, natawa naman ako sa lakas ng tama ng mga nangangarap na tawagin akong world class. Siguro’y labis na nga ang sangsang ng sistemang bulok kaya’t napakasama rin ng hanging nalanghap ukol sa kahibangang yaon. Hindi naman sa ayaw kong umusad sa aking estado ngunit nakakahiya lang talagang makabitan ng pang-uring world class kung ang mga matagal na ngang problema’y di pa rin nabibigyan solusyon.

Nahiya din ako sa mga kabataang kasabay na iniangat ang pangalan ko sa mga propesyunal na pagsusulit.

Sa kabila ng kakulangan sa aking mga ekwipment, labo-

ratoryo, at mga kagamitan, nagawa parin nilang makipagsabayan sa mga indibidwal na galing sa mga prestihiyoso kong kauri. Naiinggit ako sa kanila. Nais ko ring bigyan ng kumpleto at maayos na kagamitan ang mga kabataang sa aki’y nananahan.

Ngunit sino nga ba naman ako? Nakakainis dahil wala akong magawa.

Sa aking pagmamasid, akin namang napansin ang pyramid, isa sa mga istrakturang labis kong hinahangaan. Grabe. Sa loob ng mahigit dalawang taon, bakas pa rin ang hagupit ng matagal nang nalusaw na bagyong Glenda. Siguro’y para sa kanila’y napakasarap titigan ang sira-sirang mga bubong na dati’y nagsilbing atraksyon. Binilang na at ipinresenta sa nauukulan ang halaga ng mga nasira sa bagyo ngunit tila hanggang doon na lamang ‘yun. Naalala ko tuloy yung dalawang estudyanteng minsan kong narinig na tila

nagtatalo. Ngayon ko lang napagtanto na tama nga yung isang babae nang sabihin nya sa kanyang kasama na “para mo lang ibinahagi ang problema mo nang walang intensyong solusyonan ito”. Oo nga naman.

Sa halos 200 milyong pisong halaga ng destruksyon, hindi ko na lubos maisip kung paano ako magmumukha.

Siguro’y gutay-gutay na ako kung wawariin. Pero sa tingin ko ay ayos pa naman ako.

Kinakaya pa naman ng tuhod kong tumayo bagaman ay mahina na ang baga ko. Sa dinami-dami ba naman ng sasakyang naglalabas-pasok sa aking mga pintuan, at sa unti ng mga punong nananatiling nakatayo sa aking paligid, ewan ko na lang kung hindi ‘to bumigay.

Isa rin sa mga nakapagdulot ng stress sa akin ay ang tila aso’t pusang pagtatalo sa pagitan ng administrasyon at ng mga illegal raw na naninirahan sa aking likurang

bahagi. Kung gaano kasakit sa tainga ang mga ingay na ito ay sya ring sakit sa puso ng paglisan ng mga pamilyang ilang taon ding nanirahan sa aking kandungan. Kung may ibang paraan sana para umusad nang walang maaapektuhan ng ganito, iminungkahi ko na.

Sa ilang taon kong pamamalagi rito sa mundong ibabaw bilang si Bicol University, hindi na bago para sa akin ang mga problemang yaon. Bagkus, ito ay iilan na lamang sa pinakamabibigat na pasanin ko habang patuloy na tumatanda.

Nalalapit na ang aking ika-apatnapu’t pitong kaarawan at sa tatahaking landasin ay walang kasiguraduhan kung ano ang naghihintay sa dulo. Mas masarap sana lumakad kung walang extra baggage. Uusad ba ako o hindi? Gayunpaman, hindi naman ako mag-isa sa byaheng ito. ‘Di ba nga kasama ko kayo?

News

10 The Bicol Universitarian | Volume XLIII Issue 3 June 2016

Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service

Kaya Natin Movement, Jesse Robredo group train BU student leaders

By Gladys Ebrada and Ivy Cuebillas

Broad studes’ org establishes first video blog

By Ivy Cuebillas

SHAPING FUTURE LEADERS. The speaker of the Youth Leadership Training Program discusses the characteristics of a true leader as manifested by the late Secretary Jesse Robredo with emphasis on the concept of accountability. The training was held last August 27-29, 2015 at the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Arcilla Hall. (Photo courtesy of Paulino Belga III)

The Kaya Natin (KN) Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership and the Jesse Robredo Foundation conducted a leadership training last August 27-29, 2015 at Bicol University College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (BU-CSSP) Arcilla Hall.

The said training was participated by 35 student leaders from different colleges in the university like CSSP, College of Business, Economics and Management, Gubat Campus, Tabaco Campus, College of Industrial Technology, and College of Engineering. Three students per college were sent to attend the training.

“This event is very advantageous because student leaders are exposed to leadership trainings and it was handled by organizations that are credible when it comes to training like Kaya Natin Movement,” Dr. Rosemarie Frias, BU Professor and Coordinating Head of

the event said.

The late Jesse Robredo was chosen by KN as a model of good leadership because according to the movement, Robredo upheld good governance not only in Naga City but also in the whole country when he was the Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary. He was also one of the lead conveners of KN Movement together with Grace Padaca and Among Ed Panlilio.

Congresswoman Leni Robredo, Jesse Robredo’s widow and Liberal Party’s (LP) Vice Presidential bet, was scheduled as the speaker for the event but failed to attend because she had an emergency meeting with the LP. However, she sent Gabriel Bordado Jr., Naga City Councillor, to replace her as speaker.

The first day of the event focused on Robredo’s life and leadership, character building and introduction of KN and their brand of leadership. On the second day, Councilor LA Ruanto of

Infanta, Quezon, tackled the role of the youth in nation building.

The participants were taught during the last day on how to make project proposals which would be of contribution to their community.

Throughout the event, only 24 students graduated and finished the leadership training.

“After every training, it will still depend on the individual on how he can apply his learnings,” Paulino Belga III, fourth year AB Political Science student and one of the participants of the event stated.

It was KN Movement’s first time to conduct an activity for the students of BU. They already conducted activities but most of those were attended by local government officials.

KN Movement sponsored the event together with the Vincent and Juanita Hao Chin Chua Foundation, Inc. which has formed partnership with BU.

The Balangibog organization of Broadcasting students of Bicol University (BU) established its official and first video blog dubbed as “Boses ng Speechless” (BNS), last August 14, 2015 in the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Arcilla Hall.

The official video blog of the organization was introduced in order to showcase the skills of the Broadcasting students as well as to tackle existing societal issues.

The project features online episodes during Fridays, twice a month. The episodes are also available in different social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Boses ng Speechless was derived from Balangibog’s tagline, “Your voice when you cannot speak.”

PRINT MEDIA COUNTERPART The video blog of BNS is considered to be the “counterpart” of a campus publication with an executive producer in place of the editor-in-chief, associate producer instead of associate editor, cameraman instead of photojournalist, and host rather than PR Staff.

The production team is also composed

of segment producers, researchers, and writers.

“This is a dream come true for us, seniors, not only because we will be pioneering this program and we will be leaving a legacy, but also [because] the skills learned by the students will be applied and used in this program,” said Ruffa Mae Lozada, Balangibog President.

Meanwhile, Ralph Raven Tubice, the Balangibog Secretary and the proponent of BNS said that the organization did not encounter much problem in the approval of the proposal.

“Instead, we gained commendation from the dean telling us that this project is an innovation to CAL [College of Arts and Letters],” he added.

The Balangibog officers together with the production team are aiming to expound its reach in the entire university.

“We are open on the possibility of holding events but for now, we will focus on the video blog and its monthly release,” Francine Arroyo, BNS Executive Producer said.

The organization foresees that for the coming years, BNS will be an independent organization and will be well-funded by sponsors, not anymore by the Balangibog organization.

News

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The Bicol Universitarian | Volume XLIII Issue 3 June 2016

Fairness · Accuracy · Genuine Student Service

Nat’l Service Reserve Corps launches in BU

By Casandra Balala

Throughout the country, Bicol University (BU) is the third to organize the National Service Reserve Corps (NSRC) in preparation for the non-existence of National Service Training Program (NSTP) this year due to the K-12 program implementation.

The graduates of NSTP particularly the non-military components which are the Civic Welfare Training Service and the Literacy Training Service consist the members of NSRC. “Students on higher years should be members of NSRC. It is explained at the end of the semester that graduates of NSTP shall form part of the NSRC as mandated by the law. You don’t need to apply because you would automatically be a member of NSRC,” College of Arts and Letters (CAL) NSRC adviser Rowena F. Zoilo said.

As set by law, NSRC organizations are under the Office of the President. In case of emergency, it is the president who can order to mobilize students during disasters or calamities.

“They [students] are telling me that they want to be involved in the community. The children have their enthusiasm and motivation so I said, okay, you organize the NSRC. And now they are very

active,” Zoilo added.

Every year, BU produces around 4,500 NSTP graduates and there are at least one million graduates all over the Philippines.

“Imagine, we are about to be in our 14th year of having NSTP here in BU, at least we have produced 45,000 strong, capable, and talented graduates of NSTP,” the CAL NSRC adviser added.

LAW DRIVEN The approval of Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 strengthens the role of NSRC. Stated under Section 13 of RA 10121 is the NSRC which involves the training, organization and mobilization of the volunteers.

Another objective of NSRC is to serve as an auxiliary to the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils response unit and respond in case of mobilization for national emergency. It will also provide support in the implementation of the NSTP. “The concentration of NSRC is focused on activities related to disaster risk reduction and management, like providing assistance during typhoons and other volunteer works for community service and literacy,” NSTP Director Domingo Nace said.

Although it is already man-

dated under Republic Act 9163 or the NSTP Law of 2001, its full implementation had loopholes due to lack of policies, particularly the implementing guidelines and procedures.

POLICY REVIEW Through the Office of Extension and Service Center, BU proposed a Policy Review for NSRC last November 5 and 6, 2015 here in Legazpi City with the participation of different government agencies.

Agencies which participated were the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education, Office of the Civil Defense, Commission on Higher Education and Department of Interior and Local Government.

After the policy review, it was found that the university should reinforce the NSRC by having its Manual of Operation. It involves the process on how it will function, organizational structure and the source of funds.

“In fact, one of our recommendations is to have at least 100 pesos per student for NSRC fee. But, it will only happen if it already turns into a policy. It should be approved by the Administrative Council and Board of Regents,” Zoilo affirmed.

PREPARATION IS THE KEY. Professor Rodel Ninofranco of Emergency Paramedic Training Unit (EPTU) gives lectures to the officers and members of the National Service Reserve Corps last July 2015 at BU EPTU Building.

The lecture revolved on first aid practice to prepare the participants for the preliminary earthquake and fire drill set on August. (Photo courtesy of NSRC Facebook page)

STUDENT ORGS The NSRC shall assist in the planning and implementation of student programs, projects and activities relative to disaster risk reduction and management, promotion of civic welfare, literacy programs, socio-economic development, environment protection and other related undertakings within and outside BU. CAL and College of Business, Economics and Management (CBEM) NSRC organizations attended the Move Philippines Capacity Building on Disaster Risk Reduction

last August 15 and 16.

The event was conducted by the Albay Provincial Government together with Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

“In this event, we teach elementary pupils, particularly grade 5 and 6, on disaster preparedness through the use of play or games as methodology,” BUCAL NSRC President Angela Obsum said.

CBEM has almost 100 members of NSRC while CAL had listed 45 NSRC members.

DOE conducts campaign on EPIRA

By Marian Deuna and Colin Abliter The Department of Energy (DOE) - Electric Power Industry Management Bureau together with Bicol University (BU) conducted a seminar on R.A. 9136, or “Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001” last August 20, 2015 at the College of Arts and Letters Amphitheater, Legazpi City.

The event, in coordination with BU Affiliated Renewable Energy Center, aimed to give information, education and communication campaign on EPIRA. The seminar was participated by the students of BU Polangui Campus(PC), College of Business, Economics and Management and College of Engineering.

Luningning Baltazar, Power Market and Development Division chief, said that the purpose of conducting the campaign on EPIRA is to give basic information to the students.

She also added that EPIRA is one of the misunderstood laws so their target participants are the students because they have great potential in ac-

cepting new knowledge and information which can be disseminated to other consumers.

With this, Engineer Arnulfo Malinis, BUPC Dean and the activity coordinator, said that it was the first time for BU to have such campaign.

When it comes to privatization, Baltazar stated that one of EPIRA’s components is to privatize, specifically the National Power Corporation, to achieve the goal of having power supply security through the newly implemented Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) on generation and supply sector.

The RCOA allows contestable customer (commercial establishments) to choose its own supplier and eventually it will be brought down to the household level which could lessen electricity rates.

DOE will continuously campaign on RCOA, intensify the monitoring governance of the market power abuse and supervise the governance of the electric cooperative for the development of the power industry.