The Urian Newsletter 2022 Volume 61, Issue 01

FSUU hosts ‘first’ joint nursing capping, pinning ceremonies after two years

THE FSUU Nursing Program hosted a first-achieved program feat last October 15 after staging their student nurses’ joint capping and pinning ceremonies after two years at the FSUU Main Gymnasium.

Delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, three year levels –Levels II, III, and IV – and some alumni from Classes 2020 and 2022 attended the event, in which Tarcisio Candog, RN MAN claimed as the first for the program to hold.

The program dean remarked

that hosting the event was ‘special’ for the student nurses in many ways, which prompted them to make long preparations for it since June.

“Hosting the capping and pinning ceremonies, para sa ila, means that they’re both equipped and prepared to venture in the hospital, then in the professional world,” Candog stressed.

And despite easily ‘controlling’ the said year levels’ attendance, he also revealed that what made

WHAT’S INSIDE?

News | Page 4

Struggles in the Blended Modality

Editorial | Page 5

121st U-Days: Underwhelming?

Opinion | Page 5

the affair’s preparations difficult were getting the alumni to attend and attaining the materials needed for their gala uniform, whom he said were ‘busy’ and would take long to obtain, respectively.

“They (alumni) were supposedly complete, but others couldn’t make it as their preparations for their board examinations like their final coaching and intensive review sessions were ongoing,” he stated. “The materials for their gala uniform also made the

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CJEP claims ‘historic’ 121st U-Days overall championship

FOR the first time in history, the Criminal Justice Education Program (CJEP) has been named the Father Saturnino Urios University’s 121st University Days champion, advancing 54.3 points over the other the eight programs.

The historic victory of CJEP made the Formidable Knights own the night, filled with the loud cheers and amazement of all programs. CJEP-Supreme Student Government (SSG) Governor Kristine Joyce E. Bulabog shared that she aimed for the championship,

as they prepared for this annual event even before the face-toface classes began.

“Wala pa nagstart ang face-to-face, nagpatabang kos senior, mga kabatch nako, og mga players. Ka-kita nagplayers wapay U-days. Sa U-days, wana kaayo nagkaproblema,” she said.

Bulabog also pointed out the nature of discipline and seniority in their program, which she quoted that ‘seniors are

always right’. This helped to keep the program united, as the seniors made a significant contribution to the program’s participation in the events.

Amidst this, lack of budget and negative feedback even before results had been released, became challenging to Kristine. Proudly, she can now appreciate their efforts throughout the lengthy preparations they put their time into.

Aside from the preparations, they also encouraged the students to unite and support the events and cheer for their program to boost the courage and determination of their participants. She was grateful because the Knights willingly followed and welded as a program.

Following the championship title is the Accountancy Program (AP) with a total of 46.3 points.

AP-SSG Governor Khryzell Guill V. Lagurin lauded her program

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FSUU Engineering Team settles for runner-up in reg’l typhoon-resilient mini-model competition

‘seniors are always right’

TEP’s

Shaira Arcenal crowned queen of U-Days festival queens

By ANNALIZABETH AWA

SHAIRA Anne Arcenal of the Teacher Education Program claimed the title in the first-ever Festival Queen Competition following this year’s University Days with the theme of Philippine Festivals on October 28 at the FSUU Main Gymnasium.

Representing the Pahiyas Festival, Arcenal, a Bachelor of Physical Education freshman, gave a graceful solo turn with her brown and yellow gown enough to captivate the audience with her poise and confidence, which sealed the victory for her.

She stressed that she did not expect to win with their limited preparation, but it was with teamwork with the Guardian Owls that propelled her to the title of festival queen.

Clad in a mixture of brown

and yellow gown, TEP delivered a graceful solo turn, captivating the audience with her poise, refined movements, and on-point facial expressions.

Arcenal’s great routine was rooted from experience as she expressed, “My first-ever exposure in festival queen competitions was in our church in Fatima Parish (Libertad, Butuan City). My graceful moves also come with the experience of being a contemporary dancer.”

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Yanez, ASP notches ’22 Emblem throne

AFTER four days of thrilling battle, the Arts and Sciences Program’s Green Rising Stallion, represented by Madonna Yanez, seized the coveted Emblem Competition prize on University Night.

In a refined stallion fit, Yanez displayed her charming stallion-like grit and poise on the runway, captivating the audience and delivering an outstanding performance on stage.

Yanez admitted that she experienced stage frights as she showcased their program’s emblem, but she eventually overcame it by ‘trusting herself and building her self-confidence.’

And as her efforts paid off, she felt glad of grasping such an opportunity.

“When I was chosen to represent our program (ASP) as its emblem, I felt honored (to do so) and gave my best show to repre-

ASP, CJEP clip crowns in Fashion Forward tilt

By DANNALYN CAPAYCAPAY

Flashing their department shirts, and gowns and suits designed in accordance to the the theme, “Embracing the Future with Hope and Resilience,” both ASP’s Michaella Torralba and CJEP’s Jandell Geraldino dazzled the crowd, enough for them to reign supreme over six other Programs.

Torralba was surprised upon knowing the news as she didn’t hear the initial announcement, and she just realized it after her partner pushed her a bit, saying that she got the title.

really helped me and boosted my confidence more during the competition,” he stated. “Winning was just a bonus that I got from it (Fashion Forward).”

Meanwhile, the other contestants still received recognition for their performance and also stressed that it was a great experience for them.

sent ASP with pride and honor,” she uttered.

Meanwhile, the Mighty Cougar emblem of the Engineering and Technology Program placed first in the competition, followed by the Blazing Phoenix of the Business Administration Program in second place. Lovely Jean G. Padaz

Radaza, CSP snags historic U-Days’ Di Ba Teh? ‘22 gold

JOSEPH Kian Radaza of the Computer Studies Program etched a historic feat in the 121st University Days after nabbing the gold medal in the Di Ba Teh? Competition at AVR-1, October 28.

REPRESENTATIVES from the Arts and Sciences Program and Criminal Justice Education Program shone brightly in the ramp after getting crowned as victors in the 121st University Days’ Fashion Forward at the FSUU Main Gymnasium on October 28, 2022.

“Hearing it, I was happy for my department, and of course myself,” she shared.

Geraldino also shared the same sentiment, stressing that he never thought that he would win the event at all.

“Honestly, I never expected anything at all. I was overwhelmed as I received a lot of support from people, which

Through his wits and eloquence, Radaza toppled the Accountancy Program in a 2-1 preliminary round thriller and Bimbo Janerol of Nursing Program in the finals to be hailed as the event’s first-ever champion.

With his love for public speaking, the freshman Firefox took the offer of joining, without any winning expectations, as a way to boost his confidence.

And never did he anticipate that he would make history happen not only for himself by winning, but for his program as well.

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Photo contributed by Janmil Bailo

Urians show creativity, skill in U-Days Literary Competition

By ANNALIZABETH AWA. Photos by DANNALYN CAPAYCAPAY & DAN VERGIL FELICITAS

THE ever-diverse and artistic Urians ignited their creative and competitive fire in the field of literary arts after competing in varieties of categories in the three-day 121st University Days’ Literary Competition hosted by FSUU’s Arts and Culture Department.

The representatives of all eight programs exhibited their literary excellence with confidence and pride, with some of them heralded as the victors in each contest.

On the first day of the competition on October 26 at CBS AVR 2, the categories of Poem Writing, Essay Writing, and Poster-Slogan Making took place with silent hours of making their pieces.

Everyone was focused in putting their hearts and ideas into art using pen and paper and colors, and NP’s Rendelyn Mantiza stepped as the champ in the Poem Writing competition followed by TEP in second place and AP in third.

the preparations and practices the programs put into.

But it was the Nursing Program who was hailed as the event’s Best Radio Production and Best Banner, and their representatives also received individual awards: Best News Presenter (Carmina Amante), Best Infomercial (Roan Angela Labadan), Best Script (Daisy Valledor), and Best Technical Application (Niel Jefferson Vernon).

The third and last day of the competition displayed the Urians’ wits in the literary category of Spoken Poetry, Storytelling, Dramatic Monologue, Ted Talk, and Impromptu Speech.

NP’s charm had not waned in the third day for Ishi Vivero and Vanessa Pabatang won the Dramatic Monologue and Storytelling competition, respectively.

FSUU’S...preparations

difficult, pero amo na lang sila gi-allow nga magpatahi sa ilang mga uniforms.”

In line with the affair’s solemnity, a thanksgiving mass presided by Rev. Fr. Joseph Alner Y. Garrido, the Office of the Religious Affairs director, kicked the ceremonies off.

The ceremony proper then followed suit, where the student nurses, led by Level IV’s top student Anghelica Wahing, who acted as Florence Nightingale and felt ‘honored’ for doing so, received their nursing caps and pins from their clinical instructors.

Wahing also admitted that the revered modern nursing founder, even after assuming her role in the ceremony, gave her ‘hope’ to excel in the profession, which she wanted to share to her patients.

“Gihatagan ko niya’g (Nightingale) hope nga mag-excel sa akong profession and para mapa-feel sa akong mga pasyente puhon nga naa ra ko diri sa ila to care for

The Soaring Eagles once again owned a category when they bagged victory in the Essay Writing Competition with Ninna Tungul representing them.

After playing with colors, BAP’s Karen Pahayahay won the PosterSlogan contest and claimed the gold.

Moreover, the excitement in the Radio Broadcasting Competition roared the next day considering

them,” Wahing stated.

Furthermore, Marietta M. Calo, RN also delivered a short talk for the student nurses, where she ‘challenged’ them to pursue the best in their careers through the Urian core values and their learning experiences.

The top-performing student nurses from the three year levels and alumni in the academic year 2021-2022 were also recognized in the event’s finale.

Ozzy C. Alaba

CJEP...

with their rank this year as it is the fruit of all the Elite Falcons’ sacrifices to compete and show their talents.

Lagurin further admitted, “At first, we aimed to be the overall champion, but we were also satisfied and honored to be placed as the 1st runner-up during the 121st University days. As a governor, I was grateful that we still got the overall 1st runner-up.”

Business Administration Program (BAP) finished third place with 42.4 total points and accord-

Moreover, BAP graced the two other individual accolades, with Joshua Baclayo as the Best Anchor and Travie Gerald Yuting also holding the Best in Technical Application award.

ing to BAP-SSG Governor Mark Anthony M. Jaictin, it was just the beginning of something bigger for their program.

“BAP will take the momentum we made this year to come back stronger and more prepared next year,” he expressed.

Taking the fourth rank is the Nursing Program (NP), garnering 41.4 points, and the Teacher Education Program (TEP) in fifth place with 28.7 points.

Arts and Sciences Program (ASP) took the sixth place having 14.5 total points, followed closely is the Engineering and Technology Program (ETP) with 14.4 points. Computer Studies Program (CSP) placed eighth with 8.1 points.

Moreover, the SSG Executive did not release to the Urians the full disclosure of the winners per events.

Nevertheless, in this annual celebration and competition showing every programs’ wits and creativity, it is in 121-year that marked CJEP’s historic victory. It is surely a year worth remembering for the Knights.

Annalizabeth T. Awa

AP also held two victories on the same day: in Spoken Poetry delivered by Aubrey Lusica and Frema Baguhin in the Ted Talk category. Meanwhile, CSP’s representative Joseph Kian Radaza was declared winner in the Impromptu Speaking.

TEP’S...

FROM PAGE 2

Meanwhile, the Nursing Program’s Czarina Ruales, depicting the Dagkot Festival with her stunning blue and white gown with moving birds in her back, settled for second; while the blue ensemble-clad Roxette Docor of the Accountancy Program, portraying the Masskara Festival, claimed third.

The other programs namely the Arts and Sciences Program rode the rhythm of the Sinulog Festival, Business Education Program celebrated the Panagbenga Festival, and Criminal Justice Education Program danced to Dinagyang Festival.

Computer Studies Program, on the other side, represented Ati-atihan Festival and Engineering and Technology Program marveled with their Kadayawan Festival.

Prior to the event’s conduct, FSUU’s SSG-Executive Council announced that its original venue, which was at the College Building mini-park, and time changed due to heavy rains, but the pageant proper still ensued.

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

Leviticus trips in ALLG G’Finals bid, yields to UST in LB semis

S P O R T S

FSUU Engineering Team settles for runner-up in reg’l typhoon-resilient mini-model competition

FSUU’S Engineering and Technology Program stood tall in the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Caraga Region-sponsored Typhoon-Resilient Housing Miniature Model-Making competition as their representatives settled for first runner-up over other schools at Robinson’s Mall Butuan, October 27.

As the highlight of the DHSUD Caraga Region’s celebration of 2022 National Shelter Month, the participants were tasked to create scaled models of TyphoonResilient Housing with the concept of a Safe Room for four hours.

The ETP triad, consisting of Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering seniors Khaiel Gementiza, Mark Furia, and Steve Seno, with coach Engr. Nikko Jadumas showcased their skills in building a miniature of a typhoon-resistant affordable house within a limited time, making a house with its floor elevated to 0.4, which was enough to claim silver.

Though costly, the house, which was made of concrete, had a firewall which lessens the wind’s impact, and also featured lights, was seen to be resilient by nationally and internationally acclaimed judges, proving to be the main factor for their finish.

Furia admitted that they decided to design the miniature the day before the event to focus on building the idea for their house on the competition proper, which gave them confidence in their piece.

He also stated that he was grateful for the trust given to them by their program and everyone who supported their journey in the said event.

Meanwhile, St. Joseph Institute of Technology coveted the event’s championship, while Surigao Education Center clipped third.

The Urian Arena Vanguards’ Call of Duty: Mobile squad Leviticus’ pursuit for a slot in 2022 AcadArena Alliance Games grand finals ended, bowing to UST in a 0-3 sweep in Group A’s lower bracket semifinals of the tourney’s second split, November 11.

The seven-man team struggled to find their groove to the opposition’s aggression, and never found their footing from there, succumbing to a bitter loss that found themselves falling short of making a major feat for FSUU – qualifying to the main stage in their first year as a team.

“In comparison to UST, we

(Leviticus) were greatly unprepared as we had no formal training and there were also unfavorable blackouts that played a great factor in our loss,” John Buco, UAV’s president, uttered in a virtual interview. “Nonetheless, I’m still proud of them as we went head-tohead with a top contender.”

For a participating squad in the said affair to book their ticket to the Grand Finals to be held in Manila, one has to win the split playoffs.

Before submitting to the Teletigers, the troop was pushed to fight for their tournament lives after being sent to their group’s lower bracket by Mapua-Makati after a 1-3 dismantling.

NP bags awards in Thailand, Manila nursing health research fora

By OZZY ALABA

The FSUU Nursing Program clipped major feats in nursing research after snagging awards in two different health fora conducted on separate dates.

Their first recognition came from the virtually-held 6th International and National Health Forum last August 26 in Thailand as their three representatives etched a 1-2-3 medal finish in their respective events.

In the NCDs and Health Diversity event, the team of Tom Cuenca, Quennie Ayson, Kyle Talines, Oswald Guiritan, Nely Naranjo, Mary Busante, and adviser Mrs. Sheryl Ciencia, RN, MAN with their research title “COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Middle-Aged Adults in Butuan City” claimed the gold, while the title “Application of Health Belief Model on the Compliance of Childhood Vaccination” authored by James Bolanio, Christelle Castillo, Jiain Esguerra, Sweet Labitad, Odale Piquero, and the same adviser settled for a silver.

Meanwhile, the team of Axyl Alaba, Camille Butao, Chessabelle Dablo, Wesy Lozada, April Rojas, Anghelica Wahing, and adviser Mrs. Oliva Asendente, RN MAN with their research title “The Impact of Social Media on the Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccines” snagged the bronze under the Community Public

On the other hand, they advanced to the group stage after escaping the gritty sides of Xavier University and Lyceum of Subic Bay in a 3-2 third and fourth lower bracket round thriller, respectively, and sweeping Cybersharks, 3-0, in the fifth.

Despite their defeat, Buco stated that Leviticus is aiming to go for gold next year, this time to prove something for the university and the Mindanao esports scene.

“They (Leviticus) want to get another shot at the trophy next year and prove that Mindanao esports can go toe-to-toe against big-named schools,” he noted.

RADAZA...

Health and Health Promotion category.

Meanwhile, Alaba and Cuenca’s respective teams also heralded the university in the Research Poster category in the 20th ADPCN National Conference for Nursing Students last October 8 at The Manila Hotel, where the former placed ninth out of 36 accepted research abstracts.

Tarcisio Candog, RN MAN explained in an interview that the student nurse-researchers nabbed such awards as they underwent not only the ‘typical’ research process, but they also promoted the ‘social value’ of their papers.

“The reason why their (student nurse-researchers) topics have this social value is because they tackle on the Regional Unified Health Research Agenda (RUHRA) for Caraga, especially in Butuan. As much as possible, we wanted their papers to contribute to both the profession and the society,” the program dean shared.

With these results, he also revealed that NP aims to host the second Nursing Research Congress in 2023, where, apart from waiting for more research conference invitations, new and additional research can be presented to more nursing schools in Caraga and Mindanao.

“It feels flattering to be the first champion, but whether I made it or not, I still enjoyed the competition and being there, exchanging adverse opinions against my fellow competitors, really was fun and enjoyable,” Joseph uttered.

Meanwhile, AP beated the Arts and Sciences Program in the third-place match to bag the bronze.

The 30-minute informal debate featured rules prompting debaters to share their stances on picked popular culture topics like blended learning and teleseryes in 15-second intervals in the prelims and 30 in the finals, with each throwing arguments within the time duration.

One of the aims of this competition was to promote gender inclusivity and diversity for the LGBTQ+ community in the university.

And for Teacher Education Program’s Marlou Rafada, one of the tiff’s hosts, this event provided support that the group needed towards their acceptance.

“Hosting this event (Di Ba Teh?) could boost their (LGBTQ+ community) confidence as well as lessen discrimination and bullying towards them,” said the TEP-SSG auditor.

Lovely Jean G. Padaz

Ozzy C. Alaba

FROM PAGE 2

Ozzy C. Alaba

STRUGGLES IN THE BLENDED MODALITY

AFTER two years of online classes, FSUU has transitioned into blended learning modality for both the Basic and Higher Education departments at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. This implementation served as an initial step before going back to a full-fledged face-toface learning modality. However, this has become difficult and has created a new array of struggles for the students.

In the blended learning modality, students receive both online and face-to-face instruction, for the purpose of limiting physical interaction and exposure in the classroom. In this setup, students have the chance to interact with their classmates and teachers during the face-to-face schedule and remain at home for online classes. It may appear simple, but not when some problems such as scheduling and resources get in the way.

One of the drawbacks of this modality is that Urians face no stability or proper finalization of their class schedules. Sometimes, they are required to attend a face-to-face class, then the next one immediately shifts online or vice versa. Doing online classes at school can be frustrating because wifi and mobile data are slow and frequently fail to carry the online platforms. In addition, there is no quiet, secluded place to conduct the online setup aside from the

Library’s Collaborative Rooms, which cannot accommodate one regular section, nor access easily. There are also instances when teachers schedule a face- to-face class, the only one class that a student has to attend for that day, then canceling at the last minute. In most cases, students, particularly those living outside Butuan City, have already arrived at the campus, and spent transportation expenses (this in the face of the fare hike. Adding to

OPINION

the strain are instructors who are difficult to reach online for scheduling or inquiry purposes. In fairness to the teachers, they also have a lot on their plates and may experience unexpected changes in their schedules. But it is a different story when this happens multiple times.

To say that Urians are having a hard time adjusting to the direction of the new normal educational system is an understatement. This is not about what’s the better modality and comparing online to face-to-face; it is about how crazy and messed up the situation had become where some logistics were not considered and needs not met. Blended learning is a flexible modality and can be of great advantage, but it undeniably caused more struggles for the students and may have further compromised the quality of learning they deserved.

121st U-Days: Underwhelming?

By KYLE ANTHONY ONG YIU

WITH a series of events that began with the games and contests taking place before the celebration proper of the 121st University Days, the general population of the FSUU student body already had an idea of what to look forward to with the rest of the events leading up to the culmination night. However, a majority of the students felt that what happened entirely in the festivities was relatively underwhelming and that they had expected more.

The festivities set off on the wrong foot a couple of days before the opening night as accusations of cheating occurred during the preliminary rounds of several Esports events.

According to a representative from the Computer Studies Program, they got confused in the set-up because the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) were not clearly stated and implemented.

Adding insult to injury, the opening motorcade, which was supposedly meant to set the festive tone of the activities transpiring in U-Days, turned out to be the opposite, with someone from CSP saying that it “didn’t

feel like a motorcade as everyone was separated, with some riding cars and paced the path quickly than others, who were just left at the bottom of the pack.” They also felt that it was just simply a ‘convoy’ from campus to campus but in a disorganized manner, with some performers even struggling to arrive at the Basic Education Department gymnasium, their performing venue. Furthermore, it wasn’t just in the Esports preliminaries where issues continued rising as even in its formal conduct, dissatisfaction from the student body kept swelling. A representative from the Business Administration Program’s student supreme government (BAP-SSG) expressed that members from the SSG-Executive Council that were assigned to facilitate such events were, at times, absent and were also not knowledgeable of their job, which led to chaos between their players and the facilitators at some point.

“Wala man sila’y (SSG-Executive Council) klaro kay pati ang (mga) officers nga assigned didto, mawala na lang gani unsahay, dili pa gyud kabalo unsa’y dapat bu-

haton pag mag-facilitate,” the player-representative narrated.

Even the different sporting contests were also riddled with similar levels of chaos and confusion for the participants. For instance, some of the assigned referees and judges in some sports were allegedly affiliated with some programs, which prompted allegations of biased judging, discouraging a number of participants.

SSG-Executive President Marc Anthony Miomio denied this occurrence and stated that in other contests, no university employee was allowed to judge in any of the events to avoid this type of issue; and instead of programs, the participants were also recognized with their assigned contingent number. He also said that the apparent lapses in the U-Days were mostly under the Athletics, and the Arts and Culture department’s events. On the contrary, some of the institution’s teachers were seen judging some events, casting doubt on his statement.

Aside from that, the Executive Council had also failed to release a transparency report for the entirety of the festivities,

including the winners of the different hosted contests and events to the student body. But Miomio expressed that the detailed report was already released, but it only featured the winners of the events handled by the Executive Council, given that the winners for the different sporting events were out of their jurisdiction and it was to the Athletics, and the Arts and Culture Office to publicize it.

Checking the council’s posts on their Facebook page, the said ‘released’ report was nowhere to

be found. If it has been released, then where is it now? The student body is still unaware of it and has no idea of the full list of event winners. The president probably has a different definition of publicity, but it is not publicizing the report if it was just released to a handful of individuals who are also in the administration.

Meanwhile, Arquel Dagohoy, the Athletics, and the Arts and Culture coordinator, admitted that they were unable to post a medal tally board in the

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Illustration by Nico C. Simbajon Contributing Cartoonist

Photos by DANNALYN CAPAYCAPAY, DAN FELICITAS, & DARYL RUIZ

The Harrowing Rise of Job Mismatch

EVERY year, the number of graduates adds to the number of the unemployed in the Philippines. Some graduates find work in their fields easily, while others struggle to get accepted. Some choose not to work yet, while others choose to take whatever is available to provide for their families.

Isn’t it disheartening that we cannot use the knowledge we studied for years to acquire and master, and the job we dream of having remains elusive once we enter the labor force?

The cashier at the mall is actually an education graduate; a licensed medical technologist ventures into the business market; and, a business graduate works as a call center agent.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the unemployment rate eased to 2.6 million in July of 2022. The increasing number of job seekers who are eager to begin and advance in their careers have resulted in widespread job mismatches across the country. Conversely, this has also become a major concern in the labor market.

Job mismatch as quoted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) can be horizontal or vertical. A horizontal job mismatch occurs when an employee who has studied in one field, works in another and may not have the necessary level of expertise.

This kind of job mismatch is familiar in government offices, with President Bongbong Marcos serving as Agriculture Chief, Vice President Sara Duterte also working as the Department of Education

By ANNALIZABETH AWA

(DepEd) Secretary, and the former chief of Philippine National Police (PNP) Camilo Cascolan as undersecretary of the Department of Health (DOH).

Meanwhile, vertical job mismatch happens when an employee’s level of education or qualification is less or greater than the required level for a job. It comes down to over and under qualification. This is also uncontrolled in the labor market like an education graduate works as a sales clerk.

There are a variety of reasons for these alarming job mismatches, including the fact that an employees’ course may not have been their personal choice in the first place, and they now chose to pursue the career they really want. It could also be that they are simply unhappy with their field of work, or there is high competition in the employment arena, or the low salary, or wanting to find a stable job in government.

Whatever the case, job mismatch is a significant factor in employee performance, as well as their success, motivation, and happiness.

Consequently, it might be difficult for employees to do their job properly if they lack sufficient expertise in the field. Imagine how someone can work efficiently, particularly in the high office in the health sector without a background in health and medicine – does not make sense.

In Butuan City’s growing economy, various jobs are available, yet there is also fierce competition, as well as an imbalance in ratio of vacancies and applicants. As the number of online and work-from-home

URIAN INSIGHTS...

What are your thoughts regarding the 121st University Days?

I felt like a lot of the events that happened during the U-Days celebration were unorganized and uncoordinated. I was disappointed because I wanted to enjoy the activities but I just got more stress instead.

jobs such as call center, online teaching, and virtual assistant increased during the pandemic, many degree holders opted to take that virtual road, even if it was not what they were prepared for.

Certainly, job mismatching reduces the number of unemployed Filipinos, but working in a field where one is not skilled enough is unfortunate, despite the fact that it pays the bills.

Job mismatch is just one of the issues that the country faces. It has been and will still be present in the future considering the amount of unemployment and the overall state of the Philippine economy. It is a serious matter as it not only causes skill alignment concerns, but also steals someone’s supposed job and marketability, not to mention unfair competition.

But why is it so hard to find the right job? What should be done to address this matter?

Maybe it is high time for employers to align and place the right people in the right positions for more important, prioritized office projects, and the right solutions to problem areas. With the right employee, they can get fresh ideas from someone who graduated from that certain field and who understand how things work and for the employee to apply what they’ve learned over the years and get the work done correctly, without spending unnecessarily on trainings and professional development. As Werner Heisenberg said, “An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes that can be made in his subject, and how to avoid them.”

121ST...Urian

Games due to the lack of time in their preparations. However, it was also stated that the Executive Council officers were welcome in their ‘dug-out,’ where they could see the leading teams in the games. Nonetheless, it is still a point that the overall results of the events during the University days were not made public. With that, he suggested that for the results to be publicized effectively and quickly for next year’s conduct, he’ll try to get the services of notable organizations like the Le Lumiere Film Organization and communications-related clubs, which he envisioned to give live courtside coverage of possibly the majority of the games.

As all of these mishaps occurred, several questions begged to be answered, but they all boiled down to one main inquiry: Where had the Executive Council’s months of preparation gone if they began preparing before the onset of classes? If they truly prepared for the University Days and if it was as successful and seamless as they claimed it to be, then why does the student body continue to echo their disappointments?

Also, it seems like there has been no collaboration and confederacy in carrying out the U-Days events. The preceding organizations were fixated on their assigned task, not realizing that all of these conclude to only one: the celebration of the annual University Days. Remember that the essence of the Student

Supreme Government is to work on the students’ affairs, particularly the mentioned event, which is the biggest and most significant event during their term. In such a case, they should even exert their full force in effectively collaborating with the department handling other events and in our student organizations, as Dagohoy has suggested.

Acknowledging the fact that this was the first face-to-face celebration of University Days since the outbreak of the pandemic, it feels new, even to the said council, but couldn’t they have pulled off the event organization with teamwork and a thorough plan? The U-Days is an annual yet important event of the institution; one that the students were excited for as it signified becoming a full-blooded Urian, hence the heavy expectations.

As a famous quote highlights, “with great power comes great responsibility,” and in the case of the Executive Council, asking questions like those is just a little way to demand accountability for their apparent lapses. As students, experiencing the best for arguably the most awaited celebration in the University is something that the student body deserves. Asking the authorities to be accountable for every action is one way that ensures the possibility of success in the implementation of their plans. If Urians would continue to condone these incompetencies, then the fault would no longer solely be in the administration’s hands, but in theirs too.

of seeing some more improvements.

CSP, 1st year

121st University Days is one of the events that I attended that I can consider one of the memorable events so far after the hiatus, and it was fun celebrating it again. But as a fourth-year student who will graduate soon, this would be the last U-Days I could enjoy and cherish as an Urian student.

TEP, 2nd year

What were your expectations regarding the 121st University Days, were they met?

I expected booths where the students can engage and enjoy while waiting for the events they want to watch.

My expectation is that everything is settled and the flow of the UDays is smooth with little to no errors. However, they were not met. The exec should be open to the participants who are participating in the events.

ASP, 4th year

ETP, 2nd year

What improvements would you like to see in the next University Days Celebration?

The Executive Council should settle everything and should communicate with the students who are participating so that there would be a smooth flow during the University Days.

NP, 2nd year

I was present for days 1-3 of the 121st University Days and no ticed that the game schedule had been changed; the game would be rescheduled again when the participants arrive. I believe the executives should establish or enhance their schedule of games to reduce player inconvenience. Additionally, by altering the schedules, it was also causing conflicts with the players’ other schedules.

ASP, 4th year

ETP, 2nd year