CARRY ON. SLU Center for Culture and the Arts performs “Tuloy” carrying the message to move forward amidst adversities in Panagbenga Opening Ceremonies at Melvin Jones Grandstand, March 6. Photo by Marc Jandel Buccat As the schools reopen with the limited faceto-face classes for the academic year 2021- 2022, Saint Louis University (SLU) welcomed its students with developed rooms and new facilities through the blessing of three refurnished buildings last August 27. Particularly, the renovated buildings of Konrad Adenauer, Dr. Jose Rizal, and Dr. Otto Hahn which are utilized by the School of Nursing (SON), School of Natural Sciences (SNS), and School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA), respectively were launched during the event, right after the Mass of the Holy Spirit. “This is again a welcome blessing from the Lord that gave us these beautiful facilities so that we could make use of it,” Fr. Sales said. Generally, the elevators in all the buildings were repaired and opened for use. Also, the offices of the dean, department heads, and instructors were fully upgraded with new tables, furniture, and overall arrangement, among others. Many of the developments was for the SEA wherein some rooms in the Dr. Otto Hahn Building were installed with slanted drafting tables, stainless steel sink, lockers, and mounted television with whiteboard.
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SLU celebrates 110th founding anniversary, holds a series of virtual activities National Elections Survey 6 8.
School Votes Breakdown Only 11.62% or 2,670 responded out of 22,976 enrollees in the three-day survey from April
VOLUME 17 ISSUE 01 BONIFACIO STREET, BAGUIO CITY AUGUST 2022 We're
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Story continued on page 3 Story continued on page 4 Story continued on page 4 8 14 PE department readies blended learning RETROSPECTION: Duterte Administration's Six-year Quest3ABS-CBN, SLU holds voter education webinar for 2022 Elections NEWS 6As the gates reopen EDITORIAL SPORTSFEATURES
TREE OF HOPE. With the easing of CoVID-19 restrictions, SLU welcomes the yuletide seasons with its annual Christmas tree lighting, allowing Louisians to enter the campus premises, December 1, 2021. Photo by Kim Angela Santos
just a paper.
Apart from standard safety protocols such as wearing medical-grade masks, Magalong also discussed measures that the Baguio LGU will implement to accommodate the influx of tourists. "We continue to implement our triage system and 'yong border control din natin nandiyan pa rin but more streamline this time, to encourage people to come in and feel the warmth of the City of Baguio," Magalong said. Moreover, crowd-drawing events such as the Float Parade have not been included in this year's Panagbenga. more than
CANDLE LIGHT OF THE NORTH. Different student body and organizations gathered in front of SLU main gate last October 30, 2021 for a Candle Lighting Vigil initiated by Walang Iwanan Louisian Network and SLU KASAMA-SSC following the cry of Louisians for academic break. by Kim Angela Santos
Louisian students, groups call for urgent academic break Admin revises school calendar, guidelines
Jules Philip Tillay & Meha Shane Damiyay
Following the persistent clamor for an academic break, students and organizations from Saint Louis University (SLU) gathered for a candlelight protest in response to the rising incidents of student suicide and self-harm on October 30, 2021. Joining the said protest were some sectoral groups and students from other universities such as University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB)-Rise for Education, Kabataan Partylist Cordillera, and National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP)-Cordillera. This event amassed around 400 participants at the SLU Main Gate. One of the attendees, Yanni Alla, representative of the Democratic Alliance of Students for Integrated Governance (DASIG), said that the protest commemorated the students who had taken their lives due to the immense and unfortunate academic pressures. She also mentioned that there were confirmed incidents of student suicide in the university and that rumored numbers are yet to be verified. “While the numbers are still jumbled, it is still important to remember that one death is already too many. You do not need more deaths to implement an academic break,” Alla said. Even days prior to the candlelight protest, #AcademicBreakNowSLU has become trending on Twitter Philippines. Mainstream media outfits such as ABSCBN, Rappler and Philippine Star have also covered the activity. “No response” yet Joaquin Yabut, the secretary for public relations of the Kataas-taasang Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral/Supreme Student Council (KASAMA/SSC), said that the Council has not received a response from the university administration. “As of now, wala pa kaming nakuha. No response. No email,” Yabut said in a short interview during the candlelight protest.He also said that the KASAMA/SSC Executive Committee has been sending e-mails to the university administration since the first week of October and received no replies even in the succeeding weeks. This urged them to schedule a meeting with the Vice President of Academic Affairs. “It was confirmed by the SLU VP Acad[emic Affairs], as well as some faculty, that the workload is heavier than that of any other university in Baguio [and] so, we asked: why do you expect us to perform all of these without any breaks?” Yabut KASAMA/SSCadded.has also been posting several statements addressed to the university administration through their social media pages. Admin releases official statement A day after the candlelight protest, Saint Louis University (SLU) released an official statement on Facebook. In the said statement, SLU first addressed the issue of student“Whatsuicides.was otherwise a peaceful request of the student body for academic break has quickly escalated by unverified information pertaining to alleged cases of self-harm. This has caused an unnecessary uproar in an otherwise peaceful request,” the statement read. Aside from encouraging students to not share “unverified information of such sensitive nature”, SLU also clarified that the administration convened with the Supreme Student Council. “Even prior to the candlelight protest, the SLU Administration has already begun a dialogue with representatives of the SLU KASAMA/SSC in order to thresh out their request for an academic break. In fact, it was agreed upon that a follow-up meeting between the SLU Administration and representatives of SLU KASAMA/SSC be conducted on November 9, 2021,” the statement read.
Betha Servito, Leah Monica Bandoc, & Phillip Jerome Posas For the second time, Saint Louis University welcomed the yuletide season online by bringing back some traditional annual events for its 110th founding anniversary, starting off with the Christmas tree lighting ceremony last November 26. Led by SLU President, Rev. Fr. Gilbert Sales, and Vice President for Mission and Identity, Fr. Macwayne Maniwang, the ceremony commenced bearing this year's theme “Building Wisdom, Gifted to Give.” During his speech, Sales reminded the audience that lighting the Christmas tree symbolizes that Christ is coming in our midst, homes, and communities to serve as our everlasting light and life. He also expressed his hopes that the next year, the Louisian students would be present for the 2022 Christmas tree lighting celebration. This year’s tree was constructed through the leadership of Dowsers Trend Constructions together with the Campus Planning, Maintenance, and Security Department (CPMSD). After the lighting ceremony, an open mic night event followed entitled "Alumni Gabfest Fundraiser for Saranay ti Alumni," a fundraising initiative of the External Relations, Media, Communications and Alumni Association (ERMCAA) that aims to help send at least one student to basic education or college. Also, the Annual Lantern Parade returned, observing its 13th year through a solemn online event entitled “Angelus et Adventus” via the official SLU Facebook page last December 1. Gracing the event, Sales led the candle-lighting and offering of prayers which were dedicated to the members of the SLU community who departed during the pandemic. Front liners who risk their lives daily to save others were also honored and recognized.“The SLU Lantern Parade is essentially a parade of lights. Light is a symbol of wisdom that springs of God’s revelation and now more than ever, in our lifetime, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us to the light so we may find our way to God, to safety, and normalcy, to life without fear, to happiness,” Sales said. Due to the persisting absence of physical classes, the Lantern Parade for the anniversary only featured footage of previous lantern parades.
until April
INSIDES Baguio relaunches Panagbenga Festival after two-year delay SAMCIS 18% SAS 2.5% SOL 2.5% SEA 18.6% SNS 33.1% SOM 2.1% SON STELA5.1%18%
After postponing the festival for nearly two years due to the CoVID-19 pandemic, Baguio City officially opened all activities and events for Panagbenga 2022, last March 6. Baguio City Mayor, Benjamin Magalong, together with religious leaders and guests started the event with Interfaith Prayers at the Panagbenga Park, South Drive. In line with this year's Flower Festival which centers on the theme, "Let Hope Bloom," Mayor Magalong highlighted the city government's efforts to show that the city is "on the road to recovery."
Jules Phillip Tillay Mercy Grace Tacloy SLU upgrades buildings,facilities as classes resume Pulsong Luwisyano: The 2022
Paul David Bermudez
SLU reopens in-house Igorot museum
Saint Louis University held its 67th Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises, which was the first face-to-face (F2F) activity since the CoVID-19 outbreak in early 2020. Thousands of graduates from the different degree programs participated in the said event last June 22 to 25, 2022. To minimize crowding inside the Prince Bernhard Gymnasium, the SLU administration allowed only two parents or relatives to accompany the graduates. Additionally, the university also set up multiple triage booths at the Silang Lobby for monitoring.Previously, SLU conducted a “blended” graduation ceremony last March 12. In the said blended setup, around 200 graduates and parents graced the Prince Bernhard Gymnasium, while the rest of the graduating batches attended virtually, via Zoom and Facebook Live. “I am very happy to welcome you back to SLU once again after two years of being locked down because of this pandemic,” Rev. Fr. Gilbert Sales, CICM said as he addressed the graduates during his homily. He also thanked the Lord for the opportunity to conduct a face-to-face graduation. Sales reminded the graduates to remember the values they have learned in SLU such as being creative, competent, socially-involved, and imbued with Christian Spirit. “This is the torch we bear, and the challenge we carry wherever we are in the future,” he added.
In an article posted on AppliedHE news website, AppliedHE Ranking Advisory Board Chairperson and City University of Hong Kong Secretary to Council and Court, Dr. Kevin, Downing stated that private universities differ from public universities. “Private universities are different from public universities, and the strengths of private universities are not adequately highlighted by existing university rankings. The AppliedHE Private University Ranking is, therefore, a welcome addition to the Asian and global rankings landscape,” Downing explained.
The School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) led the highest recorded voter population of 10.66%, followed by the School of Natural Sciences (SNS) with 8.63%. The lowest count came from the School of Law (SOL) with only 16 tallied votes which drove the SLU – COMELEC to ask for help from assemblies and publications to encourage more students to vote for the following elections.
2022 SLU General Elections cancelled; Omnibus Election undergoes revisions Hannah Rouie Tamayo With the conduct of the Philippine national elections and continuous talk about the ratification of the Saint Louis University- Commission on Election Omnibus Election code, SLU-COMELEC returns the SLU general election to the first semester of the academic year 2022-2023. Last 2021, the general election was moved from the original first semester to the second semester through Resolution no. 3, series of 2020-2021, due to the shift to online classes; this resulted to the first virtual general elections last May 2021. However, with the end of the academic year and the electted officers' terms, no elections were conducted for the same month in 2022. In an interview with Kristine Amanda Cerna, incumbent SLU-COMELEC Commissioner, she stated that they considered the conduct of national elections wherein it will push them to conduct the general elections earlier, which may cause disruptions in the organizations.
"The Commission holds full accountability in this matter. We apologize for this inconvenience," Cerna said.
With a voter turn- out of 33.44% or 2,347 votes from the first- years, the Partido Reporma ng mga Mag-aaral ng San Luis - Alliance of Concerned Students (REPORMA- ACS) reigned over the mayoral and vice- mayoral seats of most schools as the Saint Louis University – Commission on Elections (SLU – COMELEC) proclaimed the winners of the First Year Kataas-taasang Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral / Supreme Student Council (KASAMA / SSC) Online Elections held last October 1- 8.
Paul David Bermudez
"There are some provisions under the 2018 Omnibus Election Code that are vague or have ambiguous meanings. The Omnibus serves as the main electoral law of the KASAMA/SSC; therefore, it is important that every provision stated in this Code must have been studied thoroughly and must have been written comprehensively before passing it to Congress to avoid frequent revisions," Tizon explained. He further reiterated that the COMELEC started its recommended changes in A.Y. 2020-2021 under Committee for Revised Election Code (Comm-REV). The committee is said to still review and revise the said recommended changes as the new 2022 Constitution, and by-laws are waiting for its approval.
Jules Phillip Tillay For the first time since 2020, Saint Louis University opened the Museum for Igorot Cultures and Arts to the general public during an ‘open house’ activity for the entire month of May 2022. As part of the on-going refurbishment of university buildings and facilities, the museum has also undergone some major Dr.renovations.GastonKibiten, museum director, said that the renovations started ‘just in time’ with the closure of the campus during the pandemic. “It is timely that it [renovations] were finished on schedule.. We had the open house last May and June. It will be fully operational by the time classes start,” he said. Apart from the new layout, Kibiten added that SLU has acquired some new artifacts. “There are a few materials that were added. For one, we have this brass flute which is very exceptional because ‘yon lang ang copy worldwide. That’s the most recent addition,” he said. Moreover, the museum also features dozens of ethnic tools and indigenous clothing from all tribes of the Cordillera region.
Aside from SLU, Saint Mary University in Nueva Vizcaya, another CICM university in the Philippines was also recognized and was ranked 24th.
6,924 5,631 378 644 1,266 2,867
Saint Louis University bagged the 21st seat in the AppliedHE Private University Ranking: ASEAN and fourth among the participating Higher Education Institutions from the Philippines. The said private university ranking is known to be the first edition of ranking international private universities.
Prior to the online elections, SLU – COMELEC and the Candidature Debate Council hosted a debate to evaluate the KASAMA / SSC First Year Mayor and Vice Mayor candidates via Zoom and Facebook Live last September 20.
The commission has had an inconvenience as the names of the two candidates, who submitted their withdrawal letters from the School of Nursing (SON), Danielle Caryl Santos, Christian Johann Torres last September 7 and 8 respectively were still included in the released e-ballots during the absentee voting as per the released Resolution No. 10, s. Comelec2021-2022.enbanc decided to remove the names of the said candidates from the e-ballots last October 4, 2021, which resulted in the extension of the assembly’s voting period until October 10, as stated in the resolution.
Hannah Rouie Tamayo
For the freshman mayors, REPORMA- ACS representatives, Hannah Galang, Trisha Quilala, Xandra Rosales, and Mykee Cattiling won in the School of Accountancy, Management, Computing, and Information Studies (SAMCIS), School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA), School of Natural Sciences (SNS), and School of Law (SOL), respectively. On the other hand, Ma. Shainna Martin from Democratic Alliance of Students for Integrated Governance (DASIG) was elected as the mayor of the School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA). Meanwhile, Rondale Julian, Theo Nacu, and Aerieal Patnongon from REPORMA- ACS occupied the vicemayoral seats for SEA, SNS, and SOL, respectively while for SAMCIS and STELA, Mardrig Matias of The Responsible and Intelligent Governance Highlighting Transparency and Studentry (RIGHTS) and Jhaiona Fuentes of DASIG won.
Overall, 29 universities from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were ranked including 8 universities from the Philippines, and other universities hailing from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Moreover, the criteria for raking the different ASEAN universities focused on the quality of teaching and learning, employability community outreach, institutional reputation, research, and internalization.
"General Election political parties and other offices had a meeting way back last semester to solve our problem kasi we decided na mapaaga yung gen election para hindi matamaan yung national election.But then, it’s too early kasi marami mag reresign and mabubungi yung structure ng mga school assemblies and execom, so nag petition ang parties na ipostpone muna," Cerna stated.
DASIGRIGHTSREPORMA-ACS 4,213 1,044 SAMCIS
MINI BALE. Among the exhibits in the SLU Museum of Igorot Cultures and Arts is the miniature traditional Ifugao kubo or the ‘bale’ which was known to be one of the oldest prefabricated house in the world.
Photo by Marc Jandel Buccat
School of Nursing Commissioner and 2021 COMELEC Commissioner Noel Tizon VI also explained that the Elections Act carried out last May 2021 that enabled the election to happen during the second semester covers only the election for the officers of A.Y. 2021-2022.
According to COMELEC Commissioner, Kristine Amanda Cerna, they decided to reset the e-ballots of those who voted between October 1 to 4, to protect the sanctity of the ballot and to promote fairness.
While there are no major future activities for the museum, Kibiten said that his office also plans to implement some activities for cultural appreciation through SLU’s Cordilleran Cultural Performing Group (CCPG).
Moreover, with the change of election schedule, some of the positions were vacated due to the resignation and graduation of the officer. Tizon explained that only the Committee on Appointments(COA) under the Congress of Louisians(COL) has jurisdiction over it. In addition, Commissioner Cerna stated that they had already asked the COA to conduct recruitments for new members. "On graduates, we asked the appointments[COA] to conduct a recruitment of new members since some members have already graduated, including our two commissioners, and they agreed to start the recruitment process by August," Cerna Regardingsaid. the next conduct of the election, the SON commissioner stated that at the moment, the current en banc will follow what is stated under the 2018 by-laws, which specified that the general elections will be conducted on the seventh Friday after the first week of classes started. Prior to the changes of election schedules enacted, the commission also detailed the revisions currently made to update the Omnibus Election code that guides the conduct of elections in the university.
“Two years na wala na silang activity. Other members [of CCPG] have understandably graduated. We have to reconstitute the group, hopefully by the second semester, for the cultural appreciation activities,” he said. He explained that should the CCPG be reconstituted they are expected to perform ethnic dances and songs in the museum. Further, Kibiten encourages all students to visit the university’s in-house Museum for Igorot Cultures and Arts located at the second floor of the Charles Vath Library Building, above the SLU Publishing House.
NEWS VOLUME 17 ISSUE AUGUST01 2022 SSC POSITIONS STATISTICS COMELEC conducts online freshie elections; REPORMA-ACS dominates results SLU holds blended, F2F graduation ceremonies SLU ranks 21st in ASEAN Private University Ranking ENROLLMENT STATISTICS Second Semester, A.Y. 2021-2022
AT LAST. Prior to the graduation rites, graduands perform a hood ceremony with their parents while the SLU Marching Band plays Auld lang Syne, June 22. Photo by Marc Jandel Buccat SNSSAS SOL SONSEA SOM STELA
"The Act has specifically stated that the KASAMA/SSC General Elections conducted last May 2021 will only be effective for the officers of AY 2021-2022. Hence, the Commission will follow the traditional election indicated under the 2018 By-laws[the conduct of elections during the first semester]," Tizon exclaimed.
Rowena Paraan, the ABS-CBN Bayan Mo Ipatrol Mo Chairwoman started her lecture entitled “Citizen Journalism and the Elections” and discussed the importance of citizen journalism along with the background of BMPM.“Citizen Journalism is not just something that is done because walang magawa o kaya dahil tsismoso at tsismosa ang mga tao. Citizen journalism actually stands on a very fundamental right, isang karapatan na basic sa isang democratic society katulad ng Pilipinas. That is the right to seek, receive and impart information,” Paraan stated. For the second part, Billie Blando, the Chairperson and National Secretariat of the Legal Network of Truthful Elections (LENTE) presented her topic “What to expect in the 2022 Elections?” Her lecture focused on the different campaign guidelines, voter’s rights, and various electoral issues like premature campaigning, campaign finance, expenditure limits, social media during the election period, party-list representation, and COVID-19Meanwhile,Pandemic.Jervis Manahan, an ABSCBN News Reporter, also discussed the role of media in the elections wherein he identified the biggest struggle of the media as the expected deluge of misinformation and disinformation.“Lumalangoy at nalulunod ang taumbayan, ang mga Pilipino sa pekeng balita at sa maling impormasyon, “ he stressed.Manahan also explained the role of media in educating voters on their right to suffrage, reporting the development of electoral campaigns, providing platforms for political parties and candidates to communicate their message, and providing platforms to the public to communicate their opinions, concerns, and needs.Students were as well encouraged to be proactive voters. “Let’s participate and let’s vote because our lives depend on it,” Manahan said. Rev. Fr. Gilbert Sales, CICM, the University President, also delivered a special message after the lecture sessions.
Revised Schedule Following the actions made in response to Academic Break calls, the SLU administration posted a revised schedule for the second semester of AY 2021-2022.Intherevised schedule, an academic break was included after the preliminary and midterm exams. Whereas, no synchronous lessons shall be conducted during the three-day break. In view of the upcoming AY 2022-2023, the university already included academic breaks for the first semester from October 29-30, 2022, and for the second semester from April 3-5, 2023.
ABS-CBN, SLU holds voter education webinar for 2022 Elections 3WHITE & BLUE Volume 17 Issue 01 August 2022 NEWS Candlelights...
Photo from Saint Louis University Official Facebook Page
W ith the influx of student concerns regarding the online enrollment, various Kataas-taasang Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral/Supreme Student Council (KASAMA/ SSC) assemblies offered their school- specific assistance for the opening of academic year 2021- 2022 last August 9.
“It is more important to consider the easing of academic requirements. The need to have time and motion studies on how these academic requirements from several teachers at a given period impact the daily lives and mental health of students,” Magalong stated. Admin approves ‘wellness break’
FLORES DE MAYO A LA SLU. School of Engineering and Architecture Dean Cynthia Posadas portrays Reyna Elena in the first-ever Santacruzan in Baguio, May 31.
“We look for people whose platform of government is clearly enunciated for respect of human dignity, for national interest, and for international cooperation and peace,” Fr. Sales said. The E-leksyon webinar was conducted via zoom and streamed by SLU Mass Communication Society (MCS) and White & Blue via Facebook live.
S LU, Baguio universities join city- wide dialogue Headed by the supreme student government of universities in Baguio City, a joint letter of request was made for a dialogue with the City Local Government Unit (CLGU). In the said Academic break discussion, all the Higher Education Institutions approved the implementation of the academic break as well as the easing of activities. Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong also expressed his sentiments on academic break through his official Facebook page, stating the need to go beyond academic break calls.
I n preparation for the 2022 Philippine National Elections, ABS-CBN Bayan mo Ipatrol Mo (ABS- CBN BMPM), partnered with Saint Louis University, SLU School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA), Mass Communication Society, and White & Blue, to educate the Louisian Community through the webinar titled "Eleksyon sa panahon ng disimpormasyon” last March 15.
Paul David Bermudez
“Althoughschedules.the university has tried to space out the students through scheduling portal accessibility according to their year level, the portal has been hard to access in general,” Yabut said. HYBRID WEBINAR. BA Communication students streamed live the webinar through a face-to-face production inside the newly renovated SLU Tech Hub, March 15. Photo by Carl Kayne Valeriano
School assemblies launch online assistance amidst enrollment issues
W ith the theme, “Pagpapatibay sa Pananampalataya,'' the Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Parish organized the historic first Santa Cruzan in Baguio City to celebrate the discovery of the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified last May 31. Parish Priest, Fr. Macwayne Maniwang said that this celebration is a symbol of hope that would continue to firm up every Filipino’s faith even amidst great challenges in life because, with faith, we know that God will always be there for us. “We believe that this is a very beautiful tradition of our catholic church, na kung saan ito ‘yong pagsasabuhay noong natagpuan ni Helena ‘yong cross kung saan we believe to be where Jesus was nailed on the cross,” ManiwangSantacruzansaid. is a religious-historical tradition that started back in the mid1800s, celebrated by the cities that the Spaniards were able to colonize to honor Queen Helena of Constantinople and her son, Constantine the Great, for discovering the True Cross. As one of the cities that were not colonized by the Spaniards, this is the first time that Baguio City held the event and is now expected to be celebrated annually which will again be managed by the SLU Parish.“Palagay ko, itutuloy na rin ito as one of the traditions we do in SLU; in Christmas, may Lantern Parade, then in May, itong Santa Cruzan and we will look for other ways to express our faith,” Rev. Fr. Gilbert Sales stated. School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA) Dean, Dr. Cynthia Posadas, acted as this year’s Reyna Helena, along with other SLU staff and students who represented over 35 characters in the procession, including angels and archangels. The march began at the SLU Laboratory Elementary School which continued past the Baguio Cathedral of Our Lady of the Atonement, Session Road, Magsaysay Avenue, Bonifacio Street, and ended at the SLU Main Campus where a solemn eucharistic ceremony was held.
Mercy Grace Tacloy For the School of Engineering and Architecture (SEA), the KASAMA/ SSC SEA Assembly opened the Bibo Enrollment Assistance Program (BEAP) which utilizes a Discord server to accommodate the queries and other concerns of the students for the whole enrolment week. According to the official post of the assembly, the support department of the program consists of the KASAMA/ SSC Grievance Committee, SEA student organizations, SEA department heads, and the KASAMA/SSC SEA Assembly. Similarly, the School of Accountancy, Management, and Computer Information Studies (SAMCIS) launched the Enrollment Helpdesk which also uses Discord to virtually assist its enrollees. The School of Natural Sciences also maximized their official Facebook page and Discord server for the clarifications and concerns of theirCompletestudents.directories of the respective schools were as well posted by each assembly and the SLU Supreme Student Council to serve as a contact guide for all the enrollees. At the onset of the enrolment for the first semester, various issues which included "back-payment" policy, new payment schemes, portal accessibility, duration of enrollment, and availability of the subjects were reported according to KASAMA/ SSC Public Relations Secretary, JoaquinCommonly,Yabut. the issues encountered by the enrollees involved accessibility issues, missing enrollment tabs, as well as wrong enrollment
In an exclusive interview with White & Blue, SLU Kataas-taasang Samahan ng mga Mag-aaral/ Supreme Student Council (KASAMA/ SSC) President Mystica Bucad said that they acknowledge the proposal of Dr.Roberto Arguelles, the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) during the dialogue.However, she clarified that the said proposal will be revised due to “Narealizeconsiderations.kasiniVPAA na hindi kakayanin na maging November 3 to 6 ‘yong acad break and November 8 to 12 ‘yong midterm exams, kasi parang magpapahinga lang muna tayo tapos may exams after,” Bucad stated.Moreover, the various schools of the university also had dialogues with their departments regarding leniency on academic requirements and deadlines.
Cristina Palabay, the secretary-general of rights group Karapatan, said that this brings a chilling effect and betrays the mandate of CHED to protect academic freedom as school libraries have to be “bulwarks” of unrestricted access to knowledge. Even UP- Diliman officials called CHED’s actions as a “clear example of censorship” and “slaughter of knowledge”. Louise Montenegro of Kabataan Partylist- Cordillera also said that the order is a ‘strike three’ for the commission, mentioning its controversial forum with the Cordillera RTF- ELCAC that has allegedly turned into a red-tagging session. Before the release of the order, Kalinga State University (KSU) already started purging materials related to the peace talks initiated in the past between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) last September.Similarly, Isabela State University (ISU) library pulled- out approximately 23 NDFP materials authored by Communist Party of the Philippines founder, Jose Maria Sison.
CHED- CAR orders purging of ‘subversive’ books from schools; draws backlash from various groups Hannah Rouie Tamayo
Following the antiinsurgency program of the Duterte administration through Executive Order No. 70, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) released its Regional Memorandum No. 113 last October, urging the region-wide pull-out of subversive materials from higher education institutions which provoked criticism from students and rights groups. Through the memo, colleges and universities are ordered to surrender anti-government materials to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and submit a record of all of the purged items. These materials are described as “literature, references, publications, resources and items that contain pervasive ideologies of the communist-terrorist groups”. According to Ray Salvosa, the former president of the University of the Cordilleras, the order blindfolds the search for truth and resembles the dictatorial approach of the late Ferdinand Marcos. The UP Rise, a student organization of the University of the Philippines Baguio, also condemned this act as a “Nazi-like attempt” in uprooting academic freedom as it “takes away freedom to be critical and freely participate in the democratic space in our society.”
The said event was part of a lecture series and workshop on fact-checking and election reporting hosted by STELA, SLU MCS, and ABS-CBN BMPM.
SLU Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Parish launches first Santacruzan in Baguio City
Hannah Rouie Tamayo
After the series of protests and city-wide dialogue, Saint Louis University crafted resolution no. 40 to update the schedule for the first semester of the academic year 2021-2022. The said resolution permitted the students to have no synchronous activity and no academic submissions for threePriordays.tothis, special considerations were also granted as the midterm exam for the semester was approaching.
Dr. Teresita Ignacio, Associate Dean for Teacher Education, revealed that the fourth floor of Perfecto Building will serve as the Inclusive Education Center of the university, thus specific improvements are currently made to meet the needs of its students. Meanwhile, CCTVs were installed in the rooms of the building. The Perfecto AVR as well as the Mass Communication Laboratory were also fully refurnished.
Marcos- Duterte wins 2022 elections, contradicts Louisian poll results Mercy Grace Tacloy and Jules Philip Tillay Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. claimed his victory as the 17th president of the Republic of the Philippines after the National Elections last May 9, 2022. The son and namesake of the late dictator garnered over 31 million votes. Meanwhile, outgoing Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, an endorsee of Saint Louis University and two other Baguio universities, lost the presidential race by a margin of 17 million votes. Marcos Jr.’s running mate Sara Duterte-Carpio also gained 31 million votes, enough to clinch the vice-presidency. On the other hand, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Robredo’s running mate, amassed over 9 million votes and lagged behind DuterteCarpio. Further, actor Robin Padilla led the senate race with more than 26 million votes. Re-electionist senator Loren Legarda and broadcaster Raffy Tulfo placed second and third, respectively, sharing a close number of 23 million votes. This national election turnout opposes the outcome of the Tindig ng Luwisyano: The Saint Louis University Mock Elections conducted by the SLU Commission on Elections last March 17-19 and White & Blue’s Pulsong Luwisyano conducted last April 6-8, wherein the Robredo- Pangilinan tandem topped both Louisan surveys.
The dialogue was a response to the letter signed by student leaders, urging the university administration and city officials to a break from synchronous classes and asynchronous requirements after the reported suicide cases. Student council representatives from the “Big-4” Metro Baguio Universities particularly Saint Louis University, University of Baguio, University of Cordilleras, and the University of the Philippines-Baguio convened with Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Congressman Mark Go, and Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president, Levy Oracles, to address the request on the citywide Academic Break. During the meeting, all of the mentioned college institutions approved the implementation of the academic break as well as the easing of activities. As a response to the issue, Cong. Go and SK Federation President Orcales also expressed the need for the academic break and proposed the scheduling of non-academic activities.
In an exclusive interview with White & Blue, KASAMA/SSC President Mystica Angelica Bucad emphasized the goal of not leaving any Louisian behind. “We’re promoting for Walang Iwanan Louisian. So anong bang gusto natin, makapagpahingana tayo pero hiwa-hiwalay or magpapahinga tayo ng sabay sabay na assured nati na kahit yung mga interns natin ngayon kumbaga masasakot sila nung break.”
UNRIC holds iCREaTe 2022
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Meanwhile, according to Abra public information office, major roads were reported to be destroyed, while Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo stated that there were at least 70 houses, 20 government buildings, and three bridges that were damaged. Aside from Abra, the earthquake also hit other parts of Northern Luzon including Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan,Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Manila, Quezon City, Pasig Kalinga and other places in Benguet. In Baguio City, a magnitude six earthquake was experienced, pushing Mayor Benjie Magalong to suspend works and classes for both public and private establishments. A few minutes after the quake, Magalong announced that there were no casualties except for the reported case of a 19-year-old student from Saint Louis University who fell from the fourth floor of her dorm after using the fire exit to escape from the building during the earthquake. Further, it was identified that the victim was conscious and was rushed to Saint Louis University Hospital of Sacred Heart after the incident.
Further, the SLU Center of Culture and the Arts (CCA) also performed "Tuloy". Ms. Kath Nobleza, director of Tanghalang SLU, said that the message of "Tuloy" encompasses the people of Baguio and all"TheCordillerans.goalofthis performance is to encourage everyone in the Cordilleras, and the rest of the world, to continue, to push through, and to win this fight. This is to remind us that we have enough wisdom and strength to conquer everything; together, as a community," Nobleza said.
Moreover, winners during the Arts Festival and other creative works from the School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA), particularly by Bachelor of Arts in Communication students were also presented in the latter part of the event.
Meanwhile, Ms. Karen Navarrete Anton, the World Champion in the All Dance International Championship from 2020 to 2021, founder of the Aloha Philippines Dance Academy, and head of Baguio Metamorphosis Dance Group imparted her journey and expertise through her talk on “Dancing: An Art in Motion.”
TIME FREEZE. On Baguio City Hall grounds, the big 4 Metro-Baguio university students unite on Tuesday, November 02, 2021, to support the request of higher education institution student leaders to city officials for an academic break. Photo by Shirleen Joy Aronchay Louisians take part in Flower Fest Thereafter, the opening ceremonies continued at the Melvin Jones Grandstand where the Saint Louis University (SLU) Glee Club played various musical scores.
NEA-endorsed GM Rafael forcibly takes over BENECO amid protests; Baguio-Benguet MCOs reclaim office after 2 days Leah Monica Bandoc and Meha Shane Damiyay Baguio-Benguet Member-Consumer-Owners (MCOs) successfully retrieved the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) main office last October 20.
Philippines hits highest inflation rate in 3 years Mercy Grace Tacloy Due to the soaring fuel and transport costs, the country reached its peak inflation rate within three years at 6.1% in June 2022, as reported by the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA). The last alltime-high inflation was recorded in October 2018 at 6.9 percent, while the current figure matched the 6.1% inflation rate in November 2018. This report also drew attention after President Bongbong Marcos said during his first public briefing that he does not believe in the figure after sitting as the president. “I think I will have to disagree with that number. We are not that high,” he stated.
SAMCIS offers new course; encourages interested students to enroll Paul David Bermudez For the upcoming academic year 2022-2023, the School of Accountancy, Management, Computing, and Information Studies (SAMCIS) started accepting enrollees for its new course offering, Bachelor of Multimedia Arts, last June 13. According to the promotional post of the school, the new program aims to equip students with aesthetic and technical competence in animating, graphic designing, film production, and digital arts. The program is an interdisciplinary dynamic program that combines technology, arts, and communication skills which are beneficial to aspiring Digital Artists, Animators, Multimedia Producers, Digital Imaging Specialists, Graphic Designers, Multimedia Designers (web, interactive, mobile, motion, and time-based media), Multimedia Educators, and Entrepreneurial Initiatives.Prior to the enrollment, a survey form for potential students was disseminated online during its planning phase last May 20.
At precisely 8:43 in the morning, a magnitude seven earthquake struck Northern Luzon, particularly the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), with Abra as the epicenter last July 27. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), residents of Northern Abra experienced an Intensity VII quake which was already classified as “destructive” based on their intensity scale. As of writing, there are six reported cases of fatality in Abra, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMO).
Aside from Creatives Day, UNRIC also held Research Day on June 27 and Innovation & Technology Transfer Day on June 29 in line with the iCREaTe 2022 celebration.
As for the Perfecto Building, its improvements are yet to be completed since some revamping are still ongoing which include the construction of laboratory rooms at the last floor, a Persons With Disabilities (PWD) comfort room in the fourth floor, and a ramp at the building entrance to accommodate persons in wheelchair.
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno later defended Marcos Jr., clarifying that the official was referring to the average full-year inflation rate recorded at 4.4%. He added that the administration would find measures to stabilize the prices. Among the most affected commodities and services were transportation prices, which increased from 14.6% in the previous month to 17.1% in June, and food and non-alcoholic beverages, which rose from 4.9% to 6%. Meanwhile, the World Bank projected that global growth would decelerate from 5.7 percent in 2021 to 2.9%, warning the world- wide economies of the risk of stagflation. “The war in Ukraine, lockdowns in China, supply-chain disruptions, and the risk of stagflation are hammering growth. For many countries, recession will be hard to avoid,” David Malpass, the President of the World bank, said during a news conference.Prior to the enrollment, a survey form for potential students was disseminated online during its planning phase last May 20.
Last October 18, BENECO was destabilized after the camp of Atty. Ana Rafael, National Electrification Administration (NEA)-endorsed General Manager, once again seized the BENECO main office at South Drive, Baguio City, together with uniformed personnel from the Police Regional Office - Cordillera. The MCOs opposed the forced takeover through a protest at the BENECO main station, at Baguio Athletic Bowl, and at Malcolm Square last October 18. In a Facebook post by the BENECO Employees’ Labor Union (BELU), linemen who were waiting for their scheduled shifts at 2 am on the same day witnessed how armed men forcibly opened and destroyed the office’s main door and sawed the door going to the Network Service Department (NSD). Moreover, BENECO workers were also barred from entering the office after the forced takeover. BELU Vice President Mark Amisola stated in a media interview later that day that NEA should explain what was happening to the confused employees and why they were not allowed to enter the BENECO premises. “Paano ‘yong services na ibibigay namin sa MCOs? MCO ang magsa-suffer kasi main gate pa lang, ‘di na kami pinapapasok,” Amisola stated. Meanwhile, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong denounced the said takeover through an article released by the Baguio City Public Information Office. “Why fix something that is not broken? And at this time, when we are confronted with numerous problems aggravated by the damages brought by the recent typhoon? Why? No one can manage BENECO better than GM Mel. We are here to support you come hell or high water," Magalong declared. Furthermore, on October 19, La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda also stated his support for GM Engr. Licoben. “We call for sobriety, and this call for sobriety is a call for the continued services of BENECO under the stewardship of Engr. Melchor Licoben. As a Member-Consumer myself, along with the many households and businesses reliant on BENECO’s services, I pray for a peaceful resolution of the matter at the soonest time possible,” he announced. Engr. Melchor Licoben was the installed General Manager during the 40th Annual General Assembly of BENECO last October 2. On the other hand, Baguio Midland Courier reported the MCOs' confusion on BENECO tellers’ manual input of payments being tendered on October 19 at South Drive and Maharlika building. The software for the computerized entry of payment is said to be on pending recovery. However, the BENECO social media page announced that they did not authorize the collection of payment at the South Drive, Bonoan, Maharlika, and KM 4 collection centers, and that payment should only be conducted at authorized payment centers.The MCOs marched from Malcolm Square to South Drive Office to conduct a peaceful protest in front of BENECO earlier today, October 20, permitting the MCOs to reclaim the cooperative's main station successfully.
SLU upgrades... Panagbenga...
According to Dr. Danilo Alterado, the Associate Dean of STELA, the pandemic’s silver lining was the opportunity for the administration to renovate the university. “In the past, the studentry always raise issues regarding our facilities and there came a chance during the pandemic. We were able to renovate facilities, equipment, laboratory facilities and others that would boost the atmosphere for learning,” Alterado said.
LOCAL DOST-CAR to establish agri zip-line with SLU, Bauko Hannah Rouie Tamayo Department of Science and Technology-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOST-CAR) signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Saint Luis University (SLU), Local Government Unit (LGU)Bauko, and Towadan-Bito Farmers’ Association (TBFA) to put up Cableways for Agricultural Resource Transport System (CARTS) in Monamon Sur, Bauko, Mountain Province last June 23, 2022. Focused on assisting farmers and addressing the lack of agricultural produce infrastructure, the establishment of CARTS aims to better the agricultural activities in the province by building an alternative cable-supporting transportation system of goods in InCAR.an article written by Baguio Chronicle, it was stated that Mayor Abrahan Akilit commended DOST-CAR for helping their municipality acquire technological-driven development while recognizing that this is their first time to have such a project in their area. The said project is part of Program Boondock: A Mountain Engineering Center Towards Sustainable Infrastructure and Upland Water Security which aims to help preserve CAR’s mountains from natural disasters and urbanization through innovative solutions.Sales reminded the graduates to remember the values they have learned in SLU such as being creative, competent, socially-involved, and imbued with Christian Spirit. “This is the torch we bear, and the challenge we carry wherever we are in the future,” he added.
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LOCAL NATIONAL PH debt hits PhP 12.76T as Duterte admin exits Mercy Grace Tacloy Along with the recent transition from the Duterte to the Marcos leadership, the government’s total outstanding debt reached PhP 12.76 trillion as of April 2022 according to the latest tally of the Bureau of Treasury. Based on the report, 30% of the total debt stock was sourced externally while 70% were borrowed domestically wherein there was a 0.7% increase in total debt from the March record due to the net issuance of government securities and the depreciation of the local currency against US dollars.In order to recover from this all-time high debt, former finance chief, Carlos Dominguez III, urged the new administration to implement new taxes, delay scheduled tax reductions, and cancel some tax exemptions. In the first quarter, the Philippines’ debt-to-GDP ratio was at 63.5% which exceeded the international 60% threshold. Meanwhile, incoming finance chief, Benjamin Diokno, was confident that the country can easily overcome its loans.“Our debt-to-GDP ratio is slightly above the 60% limit. I don’t think that is really a cause for concern because as long as we continue to grow at around 6% to 7% on a sustainable basis, we can easily outgrow our debt,” Diokno said.
Simultaneous with the dialogue, a support mobilization was organized by various student organizations at the Rizal Park to express support and show support to the student leaders.
Moreover, SLU Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Robert Arguelles, granted the academic break request. However, he clarified that the said proposal will likely be revised due to many other considerations particular to the courses that have internships.
Magnitude 7 quake hits Northern Luzon, wreaks damages on affected areas Hannah Rouie Tamayo Hannah Rouie Tamayo With the aim of honoring innovations in creatives, research, extensions, and technology, Saint Louis University - University Research and Innovation Center (UNRIC) hosted the Creatives Day with the theme “Leveraging Innovation with Socio-Economic Impact” via Zoom and Facebook live last April 26. During the event, SLU president, Rev. Fr. Gilbert Sales, emphasized the importance of innovation for future generations and how SLU can contribute to this endeavor. “Nurturing future innovations is the task of high education. It is a social-cultural responsibility to ensure the better condition of future generations. In this endeavor, SLU remains committed to becoming the nucleus for creative and innovative ideas and for the generation of new knowledge,“ Fr. Sales said. In the first half part of the event, renowned speakers were invited to share their experiences and expertise in the field of arts. Ms. Farida P. Kabayao, an Arts Appreciation professor at De La Salle University-Manila and former Repertory Philippines and Repertory Children’s Theater performer, reflected on her experiences in music and theater through her lecture entitled “Songs my HeART Taught Me: Reflections on Music & Theater.”
Moreover, landslides occurred, leaving some roads unpassable in various places in Northern Luzon, particularly in CAR. Along with this, other areas like Benguet experienced power and signal interruptions.
Mercy Grace Tacloy During his first State of the Nation Address, President Bongbong Marcos proposed the mandate for senior high school students to undergo Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) last July 25, seeking to include ROTC as a component of the SHS curriculum for both public and private tertiary schools. Later, the Commission on Higher Education chairman, Prospero De Vera III, expressed his approval as he said that CHEd is ready to submit proposals for revisions to the ROTC program at the university level as well as to the National Training Service Program (NSTP).
Baguio City officials, Big-4 Metro Baguio Universities convene for Academic Break Dialogue Hannah Rouie Tamayo Following the candlelight vigil last October 30, Baguio City Officials conducted an Academic Break Dialogue with student councils and university administrations at the Baguio City Hall on November 2, 2021.
According to Dr. Cynthia Posadas, the SEA Dean, these improvements provide more conducive as well as safe learning environment and office spaces for the students and employees.
Various facilities which include an ergo lab, model- making room, exhibit room, hydraulics lab, Electrical Engineering laboratory, computer lab withnewly installed computers, ME/ MeCE Workshop room, revamped Chemical Engineering laboratories, and Materials Testing Laboratory and Surveying Equipment Room were constructed and developed for the SEA faculty and students.
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“Mayroon kaming handa na na propposal, anytime pwede naming ibigay sa Pangulo o sa Kongreso na ‘yung 2-year program ng ROTC sa university level ay makoconvert into a certificate or a diploma program,” De Vera said. He also revealed that the Commission has a plan crafted four years ago on the possible changes to the NSTP in line with the changes that can be brought by an ROTC requirement in SHS. The Department of Education (DepEd) as well expressed its support to Marcos Jr.’s call as it adheres to having a sense of nationalism which is one of our core values as Filipinos. “The DepEd is in support of such measure to make ROTC mandatory, basically because it adheres to one of our core values of being makabansa (nationalistic),” DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa, said. Meanwhile, according to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, his commissioned Pulse Asia survey reported that 69% of Filipinos agree with the prospective implementation of mandatory ROTC.
B aguio City representative and Louisian student, Ghenesis Latugat, grabbed a spot in the top ten of 2022 Miss Universe Philippines competition as announced after their evening gown competition held at the MOA Arena last April 30. Together with Cebu City and Palawan representatives, she also won the fashion and runway challenge award last March 24. During her preparation for the pageant, Latugat said that this was the perfect time to use this platform to voice out her advocacy and motives as a beauty queen as she shared that after three years of not joining any pageants, insecurities started to build up in herself which is why her advocacies were focused on bullying and promoting self-love. “One step closer to another empowered woman’s dream. It’s time for this Igorota to leave a mark on the Universe. Overwhelmed and grateful for all your unending support! I can’t wait to bring my city, my people, and my heritage on my journey to the universe!” Latugat shared on her Instagram post. As for her winning runway model performance, her entry was a video shot at the foot of the mountains where she dressed in a short nude garment featuring Kalinga and Benguet weaves designed by Erjohn Dela Serna.Thewinners in the segment were determined through a combination of fan votes and judges’ ratings. At present, the beauty queen is studying Bachelor of Science in Architecture student at Saint Louis University and is not new to pageantry as she has already participated in numerous beauty competitions. Some of her achievements include Miss Tabuk City National High School 2014, Miss St. Joseph– Inandila 2015 second runner-up, Miss Tabuk City Agriculture 2016, Miss Silka 2016, Miss Baguio 2016 fourth runner-up, Miss Cordillera Queen of Festivals 2016, and Miss Sophie La Trinidad 2017 second runner-up.
"The different Schools such as: The School of Medicine, Nursing, Natural Sciences and other Allied Health Sciences can utilize this facility," Dr . Quitiquit indicated.
On the other hand, retired Vice President for Hospital affairs, Atty.Arnulfo Soriano, said that the new hospital building took 37 months to be accomplished , and the old hospital building will now be used for other
The blessings of the new facilities and building was conducted during the celebration of the 30th Sacredotal Anniversary of SLU President, Fr. Gilbert Sales,CICM.
Louisian finishes as top 10 finalist in Miss UPh, bags award in Fashion and RunwayColinacompetition
T en years ago, the country’s education system went through an abrupt transition to the K-12 curriculum. With this, batch 2022 historically (and perhaps unluckily) became the pioneers of that change and had to take two additional years of basic education. Unfortunately (again), six years later, they had to face another freshly-baked curriculum as college freshmen where there were a lot of modifications to the offered courses, subject topics, and overall system implementation. As a member of the batch, I even remember having to write on my newly-bought book as my instructor/ one of the authors of the book dictated the errors that were not corrected due to the premature publishing. Still, despite the adjustments and the subpar implementation due to the newness and unfamiliarity thereof, batch 2022 had no choice but to adapt. In testing a new system, it is necessary to have “lab rats” who have to go through the rookie mistakes, lack of preparedness, and other deficiencies of the system in order to identify the needed interventions for improvement. Indeed, we were the first test subjects on what seemed to be an experiment in Philippine education.Then, as if all the bad luck in the universe chose to be showered upon us, our batch was one of those who had to go through online learning due to the pandemic. At this point, everyone would think that we were indeed cursed. For the third time, we suffered, explored, and fought against the issues, difficulties, and shortfalls of the new normal in learning which were not limited to a poor Internet connection, unprepared instruction materials and instructors, lack of actual skills training, anxieties brought by the pandemic, etc. We were always at the forefront of pioneering changes in the academic system. Although we equally deserved an administration and a system that are well-equipped to provide us with quality education, we were compelled to just adjust, adapt, and be resilient even if many of us cannot afford to because of the lack of privileges. That said, those mishaps we had to go through should not just remain as an unfortunate remembrance but should also serve as a call for a standard quality education that can accommodate all Filipinos, whether through online or actualNonetheless,learning. after all the misfortunes and coming into terms with all the remodeling, the cursed batch is finally set to graduate; and face the labor world during a period of economic regression. Again, another tribulation. Aside from the worry of being discriminated against by employers for graduating through online learning and not having sufficient actual skills training, we are destined to be immersed in a depressed job market where the country is currently dipped in a 12.76T debt and experiencing a soaring 4.1% average inflation rate. In addition, based on the prediction of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), unemployment is projected to rise to between 7 and 9 percent through 2022 due to the limitations brought by the pandemic.Then again, to be part of the resilient batch 2022 means having the ability to adapt proficiently and recover from adversities quickly. Perhaps, that is the only consolation we can tell ourselves at this point.Overall, it was our hard-fought journey to learn and reach this point of achieving our dream profession. And it will be a tougher journey ahead as we face the reality of joining the labor market. Still, as the unfavored batch who had survived multiple misadventures, I believe that we can make this through.
Photo by Robe Martin Reyes BY MERCY GRACE TACLOY JIN ZAFIRO lag AdjustORDERBrightnessDELIVERY
"Theservices.current hospital building will still be used such as Offices, Out Patient Department, Other diagnostic centers like Hemodialysis, the Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation Department and others,"Atty.Soriano said. Moreover,the hospital said that there are improvements that are yet to be accomplished, but have not disclosed the certain planned developments.
T o cater more medical services, Saint Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart launched its new building and changed its name to Sacred Heart Medical Center last April 26,2022 . According to Dr. Paul Adlai Quitiquit, Hospital Administrator, the rebranding was made to indicate that more services are offered. He further stated that this new building will open more opportunities to the medicine and allied health courses of the university.
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Paul David Bermudez
HOSPITAL GLOW UP. Blessing of the SLU Sacred Heart Medical Center, formerly known as SLU Hospital of the Sacred Heart took place last April 25 alongside the 30th Sacerdotal Anniversary of Fr. Sales.
Meha Shane Damiyay
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5WHITE & BLUE Volume 17 Issue 01 August 2022 NEWS SLU hospital unveils new building, rebrands to SHMC
JUNIOR CARTOONISTS
Erika Dyane Corsino, Mikaela Garillo, Aliyah Jenelle Javier, Saint Relly Bartfermil Landingin, Christine Joy Maghibon
DANIELLA IVY DUCUSIN PROBLEMCHAMPAGNE
History is always based on facts but a local celebrity attempted to disagree or so she thought. Recently, celebrity Ella Cruz found herself in a piping hot bath of backlash due to her statement, "History is like tsismis ", basically stating that history is derived from mere gossip. Some netizens are quick to call her out, and most of them counter Cruz's statement about how important history and preserving facts are. Celebrities and social media figures who call themselves "influencers" possess a flock of followers that include young audiences. Concerning this, youngsters, if not careful, could be easily deceived since these public figures appeal to their liking as they are fans. Perpetuating disinformation is just one factor. Considering how information could quickly be transferred online, history would not just be bent or revised; it could be erased. Historical Revisionism has been on the top talks in the digital spaces in relation to the Marcos regime, which many feared to happen again because of the Marcoses being back in power. Most of it is concerned with portraying the Marcoses as innocent from the ill-gotten wealth and that there was no oppression in general. All these claims are easily proven false by multiple history books and pieces of evidence but convincing misinformed Filipinos is otherwise a challenge. History is something one cannot change because events happened. Labeling factual events as “mere opinions” neglects and Patience is a virtue. That’s what they always say It was 6 AM on May 9th 2022. My mom basically knocked on my door hard enough for me to hear the hinges clanking. She then told me to wake up so we both could go to our voting precinct. Before we even arrived at the gate of our town’s central school, we were greeted by a long stretch of people. Along with some dozens of locals, I fell in line and stood under the shadows of a nearby tree to shield myself from the scorching sun. A man in front of me burst out in disgust and confronted one of the poll watchers. He asked in our dialect, “What is taking us so long? We still have errands to do.” “Let’s just keep quiet and wait”, the poll watchersAndsaid.wait we did. Patience, indeed. When my knees started to get numb, I was called to my voting precinct after almost
Maria Lea Ancheta, Raphael Jego Basangan, Yohannah Bawang, Hephzibah Cirene Ely, Via Patricia Rivera
W&B EDITORIAL
Welcome back to Malacanang up to this point are constantly attacking the media for being ‘biased.’ It puts credible media sources in a bad light to their numerous followers. It’s just sad that more and more people are being confused and misled that reporting critical about the government is anti-government, leading to some Filipinos' distrust of Nowmedia.withthe accreditation of vloggers, this is an outright disrespect to the fourth pillar of democracy. If you were to argue for freedom of speech as we are in a democratic country, maybe you forgot that we aren’t free to deceive people. We are free to inform, not to disinform and misinform anyone. Pro-Marcos vloggers have already started a group named United Vloggers and Influencers of the Philippines (UVIP). John Anthony Jaboya, popularly known as Sangkay Janjan, was the vice president for internal affairs of UVIP and had the highest number of followers on YouTube among the members, close to a million. He was being criticized for posting false claims and information and for violating YouTube’s rules on harassment. As of writing, Jaboya has already deleted more than 160 posts with those types of content. There’s nothing wrong with expanding the access to Malacanang information or news reporting in general to various people, if and only if journalism ethics will bound them. Them vocally expressing support for Marcos is already a red flag. Ironically, they are basing their code of ethics on the Kapisanan ng Mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP). Fairness and objectivity are just two of the many KBP standards, and they have violated them with their content even before they are accredited. If the role of the vloggers were to cover Malacanang, why not just give or strengthen the Editorial Independence of state-run media and information outlets? In the words of University of the Philippines professor and press freedom advocate Danilo Arao, editorial independence, not vlogger accreditation, is needed. Let government-owned media be free to air both the good and the bad about the current administration without them fearing being shut down and red-tagged like what happened to ABS-CBN and Rappler’s Maria Ressa,Nowrespectively.morethan ever, journalists are the most suitable individuals to cover the Malacanang beat. However, bias aside, and again if and only if journalism ethics will be followed strictly, vlogging or its format can be a powerful tool to reach more audiences. But with the current situation and the status of those vloggers who wish to be accredited, you can’t blame everyone for being skeptical. If you still want to push for vlogger accreditation, the accreditation should not be limited to just being Filipinos, 18 years of age or older, and at least 5,000 followers. At least leverage qualifications with standards of journalism and a series of background checks. Let that accreditation come with responsibility and accountability, not just an avenue used as machinery to promulgate personal interests. Hopefully, by the time we hear “Welcome back to Malacanang,” it implies Malacanang is pro-people, welcoming and catering to the needs and interests of the Filipino people, and not just a platform for mind conditioning and reshaping of public opinion to favor only those in power.
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Even after constructive responses from other celebrities and even academics Cruz still fails to realize and address how harmful her statement was. Ella Cruz's statement only amplified a long-existing matter on historical Revisionism, other content creators and even paid accounts are orchestrated to condition the mind of virtual viewers. Their goal is to make it appear that there was no tremendous negative effect of Martial law, erase oppression, and paint a particular dynasty as messiahs of the country’s economy, which didn’t happen. Netizens who have access to resources should consider only believing reliable sources. As this may be easy to say, acting upon it as if it's a subconscious needs more practice. Moreover, public figures should establish their platforms only for truthful information. In this digital age, they should know how to use their connections and so called “influence” be used for the greater good. It is just their responsibility to do so, if they couldn’t give anything for the people, then having such power is questionable. In parallel, government agencies should double and triple their efforts in combatting disinformation, especially about our history. Although there are a handful of initiatives by NGOs and students in doing so, their efforts need more support from the government and famousCelebrities,figures. influencers, and all sorts of citizens should know and spread that the only T in History is the truth and nothing else.
Are we entering a “Welcome back to Malacanang” era for news coverage in this Marcos Administration? Newly appointed Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, a lawyer, radio commentator, and vlogger herself, prioritizes pushing for vlogger accreditation to cover for Malacanang under her office, thus making access to Malacanang open to even non-media professionals.Overthe years, disinformation tainted the image of credible news reporting turning tables in favor of propagandists. In the 2022 report of Reuters, the trust rating of Filipinos in media rose from 27% in 2020 to 37%. However, this still falls below the 42% global average. Moreover, trust in individual news outlets dropped. ABS-CBN and TV5 incurred a 5% shred, followed by GMA and PhilStar by 4% each. The same report revealed that 55% of Filipinos opt to avoid the news instead. On the other hand, 78% of the respondents in the recent study of Ateneo School of Government get news via Facebook, followed by TV with 66% and YouTube with 56%. The research manifests the preference of Filipinos for social media over traditional reporting.With the status quo of Philippine Journalism, there is no doubt that social media will be weaponized for personal interests. Looking back to the historic 2022 Philippine National Election, social media has become a breeding ground for fake news peddlers. Despite the robust fact-checking of credible news sites and independent groups to reclaim unbias journalism, ‘truths’ told by some vloggers accompanied by trolls propelled now elected-President Marcos to victory. Many social media pages and accounts
Carmela Cerdan, Erin Dacanay, Tricia Marcos, Micko Nieves, Aloysius Seno JUNIOR PHOTOJOURNALISTS
The Light of the North is set to flicker once again, as shadows crowd the background. Two years after the CoVID-19 pandemic hit the Philippines, Saint Louis University finally decides to implement face-to-face classes in the upcoming academic year 2022-2023 for numerous collegiate programs. Before the university arrived at this decision, there have been several pilot tests for hybrid or limited faceto-face classes for some programs. While they helped the administration gauge the feasibility of the apparent opening of in-person classes, these pilot tests also exposed several challenges to a number of students who participated. What could have been an exciting return to the campus was overshadowed by woes on abrupt schedule changes and even canceled trips and apartment reservations. Aside from this, the university recently conducted face-to-face graduation ceremonies in the last week of June 2022. Thousands of students marched out of Prince Bernhard Gymnasium into the ‘real’ world after years of mostly ‘virtual’ college experience. While this year’s batch of graduates is beaming with resilience, many of them had been robbed of the necessary hands-on and on-site internships. Tales of delayed memorandums of agreement and late department notices plagued the graduates’ last few semesters in SLU. In all of these narratives, it appears that there is a widening gap between the administration and the student body. In retrospect, the participants during the candlelight protest last October 2021 were witnesses to this gap. With national media coverage and the intervention of the Baguio City government, Louisian student groups resorted to a public outcry for an academic break as if learning in the middle of a pandemic was not already enough for a plea. Time and again, the valuable voices of the student body seem to gradually drown in futility. It seems that the inconveniences they have experienced from enrolment to graduation are just mere noise. Hopefully, students have not endured two full years of online classes just to walk into the same old predicaments: riddling enrolment lines, an inaccessible portal, and barely functioning elevators. As the gates reopen, let the demands and voices of the students be heard, in the pursuit of accessible quality education. As the gates reopen
JUNIOR LAYOUT ARTISTS
dismisses the people involved and how the current and future is earned in its being. Dismissing martial law survivors and victims' families and labeling what happened as gossip or "tsismis " is disrespectful to begin with. Real people experienced oppression, real people died, and real people can retell what truly happened during those times. Academics and historians corroborated for many years to publish books on different monumental events. Detrimental as it sounds, it is also discrediting years of hard work of people in the academe, let alone educators who dedicated their lives to getting to know where we came from through preserving facts. As more statements arise from the public, academic institutions are now taking stances in upholding Philippine history. Ateneo de Manila recently published a memorandum supporting Dr. Ambeth R Ocampo, a wellknown Filipino historian, and other historians and academics facing a sustained campaign to malign their work and reputation. Sought after historians and are now on the move in reclaiming the importance of préservation of facts and condemning harassment and intimidation in physical and virtual spaces about historical Revisionism.
JUNIOR STAFF WRITERS
MARC JANDEL BUCCAT IPSUMLOREM
JULES PHILIP TILLAY LO BEHOLDAND Desensitized three hours. Nah, my knees will be fine. At least, I exercised my right, right? Two months later, I found myself at the halls of the city post office with dozens of people. I wanted to get myself a postal ID card because of one reason: the national IDs are taking forever to be delivered. And I was right to assume that these people beside me were queueing for the very same reason. I waited, again. I was patient. I waited long enough for me to realize how Filipinos have become so numb to the government’s failure to properly serve its constituents. Hundreds of employees in the metro have to wake up at 4 AM just to wait for buses and still show up at work---30 minutes late. Farmers and their families hold on to thin strings of hope for the parcel of land that they should have received two decades ago. If patience was really a virtue, then many Filipinos must be on such a high moral pedestal.The thing is, the bar is already so low that many Filipinos got accustomed to the incompetence and the mediocrity of the government and of the very people they have elected. The bar is so low that some Filipinos became apolitical and apathetic. Ultimately, the bar is so low that many Filipinos believe nothing good ever happens to the country regardless of whoever is at the helm. As we all fall in line and play this dreary waiting game, we slowly get desensitized. But we must assert that we deserve better. We demand better.
Pouring the T in History
OPINION VOLUME 17 ISSUE AUGUST01 2022 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF INTERNAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR EXTERNAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR EXCHANGE EDITOR Marc Jandel Buccat Jules Philip Tillay Daniella Ivy Ducusin Khamilla Mae Sualog Meha Shane Damiyay ADVISERS Engr. Jeffrey Des Binwag, Prof. Analyn Caroy WHITE & BLUE is a member of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines Editorial Office: Rm. 06, Student Center Building, Saint Louis University, Assumption Rd., Baguio City 2600 Editorial Board 2021 - 2022 working staff for this issue NEWS EDITOR Mercy Grace Tacloy SPORTS EDITOR Athena Myrrh Puday CHIEF PHOTOJOURNALIST Kim Angela Santos CHIEF CARTOONIST Angelo Antolin CHIEF LAYOUT ARTIST Elyzsa Renee Jasmine Paje FEATURES EDITOR Rio Jane Rabaca ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Emmanuel Tinio LITERARY EDITOR Bianca Irish Rivera Allison Binay-an, Leah Monica Bandoc, Jonas Angelo Catubay, Vianca Joyce Cordova, Ayrton Cris Dizon, Mikhael Raeon Felix Ebalo, Sheryl Lai, Grail Lubangas, Japheth Lance Pecaoco, Phillip Jerome Posas, Stephen John Sabadao, Hannah Tamayo SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Shirleen Aronchay, Angellie Baluyut, Martin Cheung, Lance Cruz, Margarette Curilan, Emmanuel Gregorio, Sonai Longsiab, Andrei Gasmen, Aldrich Penaflor, Robe Martin Reyes, Andrew Seno, Carl Kayne Valeriano SENIOR PHOTOJOURNALISTS Naomi Bumal-o, Jonekah Alexine Catadman, Andrely Ciano, Luwy Jane Colina, Stephanie Imingan, Karen Faith Nuguid, Jayne Macrine Sayson, Mary Rose Tiongco SENIOR CARTOONISTS Chriselyn Alconis, Myrisha Dela Cruz, Cyber Domingo, StevenEstabilloRay SENIOR LAYOUT ARTISTS
Angely Elaine Acosta, Nadz Aldrin Benico, Paul David Bermudez, Justine Iris Buenaobra, Daren Angeline Bueno, Villamor Dumlao, Katherine Maire Laguna, Paul Raphael Orsolino, Alfonso Justin Pantig, Kelsey Kitana Rivera, Deo John Rosario, Betha Servito, Kristine Piyaselli Wijayawickrama
Letter to the Editor
Farewell Experiment No. K+12 day of ‘Junior High’ when our teacher said she doesn't know what to teach as she only has the old curriculum syllabus , the first day of senior high school where we were sent home as there was no allotted classroom yet for us , and the first day of college where we were asked ‘ di ba dapat naituro na ito sa senior high?’. Profuse questions bleeds through both us students and the educators who are supposed to carry on the new education system- RA 10533.
The sudden transition into the online setup has left both the student body and the teaching personnel scrambling to adjust themselves. There was so much work to do: learning how to use certain software, conducting lectures in front of a camera, establishing a good internet connection, and even finding a quiet space toTheselearn.gaps were overwhelming both teacher and learner, and by taking all these concerns, the Saint Louis University student council of KASAMA/SSC became the messenger that presented these to the administration. Through this, the student council was able to bridge some gaps, reducing some of the burden brought by the online setup. The student council was able to get permission to conduct a loading service to send to students that needed mobile data especially in areas experiencing electricity blackout. The KASAMA/SSC was also able to negotiate for more lenient deadlines as well as reduce the workload, allowing for more time to fulfill home duties to be able to do their schoolwork more efficiently.The countermeasures are not the best, and are definitely the type to immediately make permanent, but overall, the KASAMA/ SSC exercised their power in representing the student body, and in doing so, eased the stress not only for the students, but also for the teaching personnel as well.
JAPETH LANCE PECAOCO GAMBITTHE
The Next Step for Filipino Hoopers month; strides above what a PBA player can earn even with a max contract. Financially speaking, there is no reason to stay. The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is undoubtedly the biggest sports league in the country and the most recognized by many. However, it cannot be disputed that playing with an international ball club in Japan or Korea provides more exposure to our players and the benefit of world-class coaching. By bringing their talent overseas, young players are on a faster route to superstardom. Evidently, Matthew Aquino, who played for Adamson University and National University, donned Japanese colors for the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. Additionally, the lack of variety in the PBA and the distribution of talent might be another reason players tend to go overseas. Since San Miguel Corp. and MVP-backed PBA teams dominate the league, competition has been very weak. By farming draft picks and star-caliber players to their company-owned teams, these groups of companies ensure continued success while the cellar-dwelling teams stay at the bottom. The mass exodus of talents to other countries has been frowned upon by PBA chairman Ricky Vargas and considered it poaching, as the country has been deprived of prospects that might become the league's future. However, it is not the responsibility of our athletes to stay in the country to make the league more enjoyable and thus more profitable. One cannot blame the players as the allure of the international stage and playing on a bigger market allow athletes to improve their careers and achieve financial stability for themselves and their families, which is a very human thing to do. Even other local sports leagues are virtually nonexistent to the casual viewer. Suppose sports federations in the Philippines do not want to lose their talents on other prime destinations. In that case, monetary offers should be matched- but this is easier said than done as there is no evidence that these leagues generate revenues that could match overseas clubs. On the bright side, the migration of Filipino athletes is good for Philippine sports. Recognizing our locally cultivated talents will bring more opportunities; the advanced training and stiff competition will only elevate the skills and drive of our athletes. Filipinos will be more attuned to different play styles, which might be the first step to becoming more globally competitive than we currently are.
“I just hope that our university is truly ready for the resumption of F2F classes and is present, open to sincerely helping its students adjust to these challenging times of their learning journey”.
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BS CHE- 4
A Proposal to Ban Pork and society from the U.S to the present day. Now that they have alllowed the banning of abortion in states which decide to do so, it effectively opens the possibility of changing their reproductive health rights. Predictably, this decision by the U.S. Supreme Court seemingly legitimizes the criminalization of abortion in the Philippines in the eyes of its conservative and predominantly Christian citizens.Abortion, a monumental and complex concept in its own right, is already a crime in the country - and has been for over a century. The Revised Penal Code of the Philippines: Book 2 (Section 2, Articles 256-259) includes criminal provisions for intentional and unintentional abortions; the 1987 Philippine Constitution (Section 12, Article II) mandates the equal protection of "the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception"; additionally, the Hippocratic Oath of the Philippine Medical Association states, "Neither will I give a woman means to procure an abortion. I will be chaste and religious in my life and in my practice." It is no question that religious groups, especially the Roman Catholic Church, profoundly influence the country's stances on the matter. With no exceptions for allowing abortion and the stigma surrounding it,
Empirically…..No.Theparameters of this paradigm could have been good, this experiment may have yielded better results when the law targetted the main problem of our education and not only coat it. A better angle of this experiment could have started with building additional classrooms, providing proper materials for education, conducting sufficient and quality trainings for teachers and increasing their salaries, and assuring proper compliance with education standards. These are only few recommendations as a part of the experimental batch as we conclude our trial phase. As the trial phases continue to the next batches, may the government shift to really addressing these concerns inorder to really attain the said enhanced education.
BS CE- 3
The risk to reward ratio favors the merits of face to face in my case. Digital learning is not aligned with my academic learning style and overall habits thus, having a major impact in the efficiency of my learning progress. Switching to face to face will make me go back to a more efficient academic lifestyle.
BA PHIL-2 "One issue that I believe should be raised with the administration is that of student organizations. Although it is admirable that each school at the university devises its own methods for recruiting students to join an organization, I believe that proper and deeper information dissemination would encourage students to join. Students should be informed about the benefits of joining organizations rather than becoming enamored with the names of the organizations and then leaving the organization afterwards"
BA COM- 3
To give some background, Thirdy Ravena, one of the country’s premier shooting guards ever since his Ateneo days, blazed the trail as the first Filipino import in Japan B. League back in 2020. Since then, a handful of Filipino cagers have followed suit to make waves in the Land of the Rising Sun. Playmaker SJ Belangel also made history as the former Blue Eagle will be the first Filipino to take his act to the Korean Basketball League. Additionally, Justine Baltazar, a locked first-round pick in the 2022 PBA draft, withdrew his application to accept an offer in Japan. But could this mean the eventual death of basketball entertainment in the Philippines? As an avid sports fan, a part of me believes that this will only force a drastic change. If leading sports authorities in the country want to entice its players to stay, they must grow beyond what they are accustomed to. Appealing contracts is one speculated reason Filipinos are tempted to take the offer to play overseas. According to an article by Spin.ph, the base salary for an Asian import starts at $10,000 and averages at $20,000 a
_______________________________. Footbridges Between CliffsTales of KASAMA/SSC's responsiveness KASAMA/SSC in the eyes of the studentry... Anonymous, 3rd year student Anonymous, 3rd year student SPORTS COLUMN
MEHA SHANE DAMIYAY LAB-'BRATS'
BA COM- 3
Since the expansion and emergence of sports leagues overseas, many Filipino top prospects and young talents are migrating to foreign lands in favor of a higher salary, fiercer competition, and better opportunities.
It is a merry object for those, who live and travel in this great country, in permanence or in passing, to have at least a taste of the abundant variety of Filipino dishes. Masterfully created with local ingredients, inherited recipes, a dab of several foreign influences, affectionate labor, and a plethora of meat, these viands, prepared and served in any (and every) special and menial occasion, are elemental cornerstones in Filipino culture and identity. Adobo. Crispy Pata. KareKare. Dinuguan. Bagnet. Menudo. Lechon Kawali. Pork barbeque. Sisig. It is also a surprise to no one that most of these staple Filipino dishes include a hundred creative ways to utilize the beloved swine. And, in solidarity with the spirit of celebration of Filipinos around the world, I propose to ban them all. As the overturning of Roe v. Wade made waves in the United States, I began to wonder how this would inevitably reach Philippine shores. Filipinos continue to view Americans favorably and in high regard (as one normally would their former colonizers), and our country has enjoyed and accepted influence in its system of government, education, economy, Graduation blues flood the various social media sites, and graduates glee for finally entering their campuses after two years of having virtual classes; I can’t help but celebrate the milestone of these hybrid students. Finally, the preclinical trials of a failing education system have exited their experimental stages. It was this exact same month, a decade ago, when it was announced that the graduating elementary of batch 2012 will be the first to enter the stages of a so-called new curriculum termed as the K+12. This prompted the education system to mandate children to enroll first to Kindergarten and the usual 4 years of High School will add a two-year Senior High School trend. This, in exchange for the promise of ‘ globally competitive students’ as the Education Department claims that the country needs the additional two years to further develop other skills of students so they can cope with the need of the global market. However, this program, like any other government programs, was premature and has not reached its aims. Looking back at my memories of being a part of the ‘first batch’ , I can conclude it through the word ‘confusion’. From the first
BS PSYCH- 3 Yes. I will be willing to attend face-to-face classes provided that the university will implement strict health standards, monitor students' outside activities and whereabouts for contact tracing purposes, and ensure that all of us will be given adequate assistance in case of emergencies. Apart from assuring that the spread of the COVID-19 virus will be contained, this is also to guarantee that students will receive proper facilitation and support system from the school especially for individuals who are not local residents of Baguio.
BSN - 2 I have always had reservations about the re-opening of physical classes. However, I believe that both the Department of Health and the school have complied with the necessary precautions and protocols to provide a safe and strategic system that will protect both the students and teaching or non-teaching staff. The blended learning strategy also limits physical classes by combining them with online classes, hence, still limiting students' exposure while providing students the quality education that may have been minimized when having pure online classes. So, I am willing to attend face-toface classes as long as the school complies with and adheres to the necessary health protocols.
BSTM - 3
If the university will reopen for the resumption of the face-to-face classes, will you be willing to attend despite the existing health risks due to the pandemic?
In our dilemma, we nursing students must comply to the urgent and serious call of our duty. I believe aside from the negative impacts of COVID, it also brings us to the reality of our field that is why I am also in favor in the resumption of physical classes.
BS PSYCH-2 “As my blockmates would always emphasize, we are all living in different conditions right now and the situation makes it harder for us to comply with certain rules especially when it has something to do with internet connections. I just hope that Louisians can be given extra consideration since some of us also deal with mental health issues and taking it little by little might help us cope.”
7WHITE & BLUE Volume 17 Issue 01 August 2022 OPINION
Enacted on May 2013, the new paradigm of education in the Philippines went on to having an ‘Enhanced Basic Education Program’ as stated on Section 4 of the law. Despite the over the top goal , there was already an existing crisis in education that is not being addressed well and this shift, aside from being a band-aid solution, was a premature treatment. Leading then to having the so called ‘Experimental Batch’ of K-12. On why it was called as such, the process of enacting the law was a trial and error experiment. Like as stated on its Section 5,where a harmonized curricula should be made to avoid duplication; this was not the case when the first batch finished their basic education. General subjects paid and taken during the two years was again offered in higher education, wherein the units for this subjects were again paid resulting to more expense to attain that said enhanced education. There are more instances where this education system tested from this batch, and was it succesful?
I think we don't have a choice but grab the opportunity to attend f2f classes especially that our program requires us to get equipped with first-hand experience, which we cannot avail at our home.
BS ACC - 4 women are left to seek unsafe, back alley procedures to terminate unwanted and unplanned pregnancies; reports estimate 475,000 to 973,000 illegal abortions, resulting to 90,000 to 100,000 hospitalizations from complications and 1,000 maternal deaths each year. Then, since we are already hellbent on protecting human life - at the small, frivolous cost of our people's bodily autonomy - why don't we go the whole hog on our laws and regulations?Inow humbly propose my thoughts on pork and babies / bacon and embryos/ baboy and babies. For first, pork consumption by an average Filipino is estimated at 14.2 kilograms (more than the world's average) with a total of 1.42 million metric tons of pork consumed and 1.3 million metric tons produced by the Philippines in 2021. Consequently, it is no surprise that the leading causes of death in the country are ischemic heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases - taking more lives last year than the infamously deadly COVID-19 virus. With diet being a vital risk factor in heart diseases, banning pork would significantly lessen these deaths and preserve public health. If we were to protect human life and prevent its termination at all costs, it is only reasonable for us to do so – a heart attack is basically a consented risk when we keep promiscuously eating pork. If you believe life starts at conception, I believe life starts ending when you take a bite off of that Lechon. Secondly, I argue that the banning of pork consumption reinforces Article II Section 15 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution that declares "The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them." and further supports Article XIII, Section 12 that mandates "The State shall establish and maintain an effective food and drug regulatory system and undertake appropriate health manpower development and research, responsive to the country's health needs and problems."Thirdly, as the argument against abortion contends that increased access to sex education, birth control, and health insurance would render abortion unnecessary, I say that banning pork (which actively increases health risks) would also render medical procedures for heart conditions unnecessary. After all, abstinence is key. Many more advantages may be enumerated, such as the support from and inclusion of Jews, Muslims, Seventh day Adventist, among others, since pork is already prohibited in their dietary laws. The decrease in meat production and consumption would also fare better for the environment, as it usually requires more resources and leads to increased pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and deforestation.Asforme, I confess that I care little and am affected less by the criminalization of the consumption of pork. As I am a young woman of better health, less susceptible to diseases, and of a middle-class family that can afford other food options, less inclined to be hungering for pig flesh; therefore, it is easy for me to propose such a law. We insist on dictating what is best for the public and denying them their self-governance, for reasons stated above, for religion and for one's own conscience. Our right to life far outweighs our bodily autonomy – it is a truth accepted and a gospel unspoken. A principle maintained by the laws that have come before, and this proposal, as vehemently opposed you may be, would be no different.
“Students' fees rise year after year, yet we do not receive the high-quality education that has been promised to us. There are also laboratory costs, internet fees, and other miscellaneous fees that students do not feel as we are now in an online environment. Hence, I support the call to junk exorbitant redundant and dubious fees and uphold the rights of students for accessible and quality education. In addition to that, we also demand the administration to provide transparency and a breakdown of fees to students. “
It would be better to attend the physical classes since it has been 2 years of flexible learning that cannot provide a 100 percent quality education. Regarding the health risk, maybe, we can just have to go under a proper screening and class procedures. We cannot afford to graduate with a degree without getting exposed in the workforce and real-life challenges of it.
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KHAMILLA MAE SUALOG TUPAKIJOBU
DA HOY! TAPE RECORDER
One of the most controversial laws passed during his term is RA 11479 or the antiterrorism law principally authored by Senator Panfilo Lacson. The law states that it is intended to prevent, prohibit and penalize terrorism in the Philippines. However, the vague and broad definition of “terrorism” cited in the law is a worrisome for lawyers and human rights advocates. This is because the new law adds the following as crimes: threatening, planning, training, facilitating, proposing, and inciting to terrorism. “Inciting terrorism” involved free speech in which a mere criticism to the government is defined as terrorism. In addition, the law extends detention of a suspected terrorist for up to 24 days, compared to the previous anti-terrorism statute's 3-day maximum. A suspected terrorist may also be under government observation for up to 60 days rather than just 30. Law enforcement would no longer be obligated to pay damages for wrongful arrest when they wrongfully detain someone for terrorism.Onthe other hand, it was also in the same year that ABS-CBN, one of the country’s top broadcasting channels, was shut down. The broadcasting company is accused of being a long critic of the administration and this closure has been long seen as a threat to freedom of the press. They were forced to discontinue all media operations following the National Telecommunications cease and desist order.
One of the foremost reasons for Pres. Duterte getting his feet on the Malacanang office is his consistent political campaign against illegal drugs. Since day 1 of the campaign period, he made it clear that his top priority will be eradicating illegal activities related to drug use in the country, in whatever means it may be. The promise of doing all these in six months gave him an instant ticket to presidency, along with the reputation of Davao City as being one of the safest places in the country. Bearing the promise and hope from the President’s words, the entire country closely monitored his first few months in the office. When killing has been a primary policy and what is said to be “collateral costs” are innocent lives where justice is yet to prevail, this is where the “national punisher” begins to threaten the lives of mostly the marginalized. According to amnesty international, more than 7,000 accused drug suspects have perished in extrajudicial assassinations, run-ins with the law, or shootings committed by "vigilante" groups. Human Rights Watch called Duterte's first year in office a "human rights tragedy" and expressed widespread international criticism of the killings. The then Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa defended this rootless threat to lives and fatal injustices by stating that these events are inevitable and “shit” does happen. This type of mockery is a precursor to all the other crimes ahead of the last sixTheyears.17-year old Kian Delos Santos, 3-year old girl from Manila and 43-year old Oliver Dela Cruz are all collaterals in the government’s war on drugs. The so-called “license to kill” became the ticket of having the country as a topic of global concern. Among those who conveyed their insights on the said war is United Nations. According to the UN, President Duterte's campaign against narcotics in the Philippines has resulted in widespread murder with "near impunity" for perpetrators. An impartial investigation into the nation's violations of human rights was demanded by the report. Official figures show that over 8,600 people have been killed in Duterte's campaign against illegal drugs since 2016, "with some estimates putting the real toll at more than triple that number”. In addition, the International Criminal Court also investigated the said violations to human rights. Former ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda says her office is monitoring the happenings in the Philippines as the toll from drug war operations continues to increase. Bensouda also cautions that "anyone in the Philippines who incites or engages in acts of mass violence, including by ordering, requesting, encouraging, or contributing, in any other way, to the commission of crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC, is potentially liable to prosecution before the Court" without naming any specific official. As we go back to the very goal of the war on drugs, safety of the people was supposedly the end goal, an argument on why endless killings have to take place. The Global Finance’s World Safest Countries 2021, says otherwise as the country ranked bottom and was the least safe country in the world.
The Agham-Advocates of Science and Technology for the People, a national group of Science and Technology professionals, reiterated that the presence of Chinese vessels in this reef will significantly affect the livelihood of approximately 627,00 fisher folks and will impede the studies of the marine scientist being conducted in that area. Despite the efforts of establishing ties with China, his strategy to reclaim the West Philippine Sea failed to advance the interest of the Filipinos. Although he was handed the Arbitral ruling at the beginning of his term, he stuck with his original tactic of befriending the enemy, which does not seem to compensate for the livelihood our fishermen lost.
Another distinct part of the president’s campaign has something to do with our foreign ties. His might and charm on how he is willing to go after China himself in a jetski took a toll in a positive way. The year 2016 was the time of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of the Philippines v. The People's Republic of China) issued a unanimous award largely favourable to the Philippines. This further gave the country the means to fight for what we rightly might as well give Pres. Duterte the might to fight for one of the country’s sources of livelihood. His first few years are a complete paradox of what was uttered during the campaign period. Early in his administration, Duterte stated that he preferred the "Chinese approach," arguing that improving relations with the superpower would be beneficial for the country's economy. He even cut ties with the country’s longest ally, the United States of America. On his official visit to Beijing in 2016, he boldly called separation from USA, severing the ties between the two countries. In Duterte also called Americans “discourteous people” who are too loud for Asian sensibilities. He said he likes China because it does not go around insulting people. Flipping the coin around the new tactics seem to favour China more as numerous events lead to domination of the latter to our own territory. The incident on Julian Felipe Reef recently this year is an evidence of how China intentionally ignored international ruling in favor of our country. Chinese vessels occupied Juan Felipe Reef, a part of the exclusive economic zone of our country. This is part of Beijing's vast claims in the South China Sea including areas in the West Philippine Sea.
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Notable and controversial. Just like a coffee that can be brewed bitter or sweet, this administration has taken into account a lot of controversies that placed the country in both the limelight and the pedestal. The seemingly obsolete irony fuelled by issues in the different sectors of the government unveiled both the strengths and weaknesses of the Duterte Administration. As the country is far from the end and eyes a couple of years to quench the thirst for change, a retrospection of the people’s quest under his presidency is a beginning to the end of an era.
Bloody dueReluctanceWartoties QUEST TO RETROSPECTION DUTERTE ADMINISTRATION'S Anti-terror Law and ABS-CBN shutdown: QUEST ON WEST PHILIPPINE SEA Vianca Joyce Cordova ILLUSTRATION Karen
Tax, health and Infrastructure: COVID -19 Response: HOLISTICHEALTHDEVELOPMENTANDSAFETY QUEST TO FEDERALISM RETROSPECTION: ADMINISTRATION'S SIX-YEAR QUEST CHANGECHARTER :
Nuguid
DIVERSIONS
Some of the most essential laws and projects under Pres. Duterte’s term are Tax reform law, Universal Healthcare law and infrastructure building. A net amount of P68 was raised through the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, a few tax amnesty initiatives, and the series of "sin" tax legislation put in place since 2018. That year, additional revenues of $4 billion; P134. 7 in 2019, P144 in 2020, and P228 in 2021. In December 2017 , the administration's initiatives in the areas of infrastructure, health, education, and social services. Although it increased taxes on fuel, alcoholic beverages with added sugar, cigarettes, Universal Healthcare Law enables access to healthcare services and medicines intended for the poorest of the poor. According to the Department of Health, the extension of population, service, and financial coverage through a variety of health system reforms is one of the UHC Law's most notable features. A paradigm shift toward primary care, which is at the core and center of all health changes under the UHC, is also anticipated in conjunction “Build build build” is one of the core projects of the administration with the aim to have significant improvements on the infrastructure and urbanization. According to PNA Gov, The fundamental objective of the 'Build, Build, Build' program is to invest adequately in infrastructure to support and sustain the country's growing economic activities represented by its Gross Domestic Product,” Sadain said. All projects provided 6.5 Two years after the world has been affected by the COVID-19 virus, the country is still waddling towards economic recovery. The Duterte administration received a lot of criticisms with the way he responded to the virus, especially after he initially downplayed its gravity in January 2020, when the first imported case of It was only in February that he was pressured to restrict travel from places that already had a surge of cases like those from Wuhan, Macau, and Hong Kong. On the 8th of March 2020, he declared the Philippines as a State of Public Health Emergency under Proclamation No. 922 while also suspending classes, placing the country in what has been dubbed as “one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the A series of controversies followed suit as the lockdown dragged on. Instead of focusing on handling the spread of the virus, the administration focused on other things like the Anti-terror Law and ABS-CBN shutdown. Another highlight was the seemingly militarized response to the pandemic instead of highlighting The imposed lockdown placed the citizens into strict curfews, home quarantine, regulation of food acquisition, and distribution of daily needs －all of which were monitored by uniformed personnel. This invoked more fear with Duterte’s statement, “shoot them dead,” referring to how the police and military should deal with people violating quarantine protocols. To subdue the social media uproar, the PNP head clarified that the President’s statement was only a hyperbole and that they wouldn’t necessarily shoot anyone in plain sight. However, incidents of shooting were reported. A retired soldier was shot dead by the police at a checkpoint in Quezon City for allegedly violating lockdown protocols. The mother later revealed that his son was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to his military service. A farmer was also shot dead in Mindanao for not wearing a mask at a checkpoint, after he supposedly attacked the healthcare workers who warned him. With these killings and many more under the Duterte administration, It’s ironic how the quest for health and safety during the pandemic brought about danger and fear to the people’s welfare, as the aforementioned digits on the bloody war increased during the lockdowns and cases of extrajudicial fatalities were reported.
& Rio
The Duterte administration proves that change is the only thing constant as he pushes to amend the 1987 Constitution in order to abolish the party list system in the country. He sees the abuse of the party list system as a way for communists to “infiltrate” the Congress and that it mostly favors the rich. During his campaign for presidency in 2016, one of his platforms tackled charter change, shifting the current government into a federal one. For years, Duterte’s war on drugs became the highlight of his presidency, making others think that his plans for federalism is dead. Which is why questions rose when the charter change he’s aiming for focuses more on the economy to boost foreign investment, due to the speculations that he is extending his term These speculations stem from his predecessors — Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, and Gloria Arroyo, who all wanted to change the constitution and who all failed due to public outrage. Duterte wants to pursue the amendment to support the government’s anti-communist campaign as well as to actually use the party list system to give voice to lowly Filipinos, saying that the system usually favors those who are wealthy. Duterte highly encourages the abolishment of the party list system as he stated that these serve as facades of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP). He also listed Furthermore, he encourages his successor to make the changes as soon as possible so as to avoid speculations that the change is meant to extend his/her term. As we reach the end of the quest under the Duterte Administration, the prominent marks from his ruling run deep in the country. People hoped for change under his presidency, but this thirst has yet to be quenched by a satisfying governance. The lenses of the country have seen the peaks and criticisms of the administration, and crave for a cleaner and clearer authority; one that yearns to give the people what they truly deserve. This retrospection marks the end of an era and meets the beginning of a new one.
Cordova Jane Karen Faith
& BLUE
Rabaca
Nadz
Carl Kayne Valeriano
GENDERED
Ease Through Rest ""
FACTS
Nadz Aldrin Benico PHOTO
Carl Kayne Valeriano
Kristine Piyaselli and Aldrin Benico PHOTO
Wijayawickrama
FEATURES WHITE & BLUE
Trapped in a world devoid of equality and where the value of fact seems to have already been based on subjective reasonings, the horrific truth surrounding the sentiment goes to show that the denied entitlement for equal treatment declines the progression we have been long yearning for. From the seat of presidency to the jobs offered in a workplace, women and girls including the members of the LGBTQIA+ community are still fighting for their inclusion, representation, rights, social and economic outcomes, equality and protection–and facts share a crucial role in the shaping of their present and future.As the rampant mis- and disinformation increases exponentially and deepens truth destitution, gender-based information are also connectedly at stake casting shadows in attaining equality for all. With threats further amplified by our vulnerability to fabricated news, achieving equality only gets tougher to come by as it undermines freedom and is therefore an issue of concern to everyone regardless of distinction. According to International Media Support, a non-profit organisation working to strengthen the capacity of media to reduce conflict, strengthen democracy and facilitate dialogue; 46% of news stories reinforce gender stereotypes while only 4% of stories clearly challenge it. It indicates that the presentation of facts, even in its purest form, has a transformative role in achieving gender equality in societies. But relieved that the sun will always set on something, our hopes bode well that an equal future is within our reach. And while it is with so much importance to raise the issues of falsifications in the field of gender and development, greener grass will only be attained if we will also place emphasis on its solutions. This directs to the importance of quelling perpetuated gender stereotypes and to the depiction of sex as an object. The mere will to embrace inclusivity can help us uphold our compassionate beliefs that could be the gateway for the global community alleviate the torment exhibited through the unequal and maltreatment among our fellows. For, it is our conviction that everyone deserves a place in our society's halls that could inspire us to create a world in which people coexist without being constrained by outdated preconceptions. By beginning to change the decades-long narrative of certain sectors being consistently left out, we can break through the glass ceiling one after another–clearing the way for others to follow. On a wider note, our genders and sexes do not exist to fill the void of our hunger for superiority. The continued efforts of trying to get in touch with the truth is not only a matter of facts and fallacies. It is also the gain of knowledge that can be used to wipe up ignorance in the development even in the discipline of gendered challenges. Therefore, we should not let this poorly constructed society define us just by the virtue of our sexes and genders. The gender and development crisis is not only a challenge for global equality but also a test for human discernment for facts. Facing the fact, unlike gendered-mis and disinformation, there is no such thing as gendered facts. Gendered facts are logical fallacies deceiving the mind. Facts do not have an inclination to a specific gender and thus, just like how it was defined, there is no need to challenge sex and gender but rather, the challenge should be on how the socially constructed gender roles and relations rule. It can thus be said. If there is a more apt epitaph for our current situation with regards to gender and development, it would be this: "Accompanied by the misrepresentation of facts, gender and development still has a lot to develop. But with the likes of us who will provide the echoes of truth and integrity, we can amplify our hopes for an equal and truthful society."
Striving to keep going in a fast-paced world where dreams pile up bumper to bumper in the road of success, the mere existence of twenty four hours in a day has been a necessity insufficient for a student’s life. With the indications that the education system is already recovering from the pandemic-induced recession after more than two years of home study, a lot of things have happened which have scarred the students’ mentality in a short amount of time. From the celebration of a supposed one-week break before the lockdown to the candle-lighted rallies held to demand for an academic ease by the students as the school year resumed during the pandemic, things have taken a wild turn of events affecting not only how the educational institutions run but also how the lives of the students revolve in the cages of four walls transformed from their forgotten bedroom into an online classroom. According to UNESCO, the pandemic has been the worst shock to education systems in a century affecting more than 1.6 billion children and youth not being able to attend school for months. But despite the grueling numbers it appears that there were no concrete actions addressing the education’s issues and the pressure among the students seemed to have a direct proportionality to the increasing numbers of affected as it continuously strained the students from learning, making them exhausted from the newly proposed distance learning. Furthermore, the continuous trespass of academic pressure and physical exhaustion in the well-being of the students seemed to have been heightened by the isolation caused by the pandemic. A foot away from the cliff, hanging by a thread, battling the waves of burnout, fatigue, and emotional breakdowns and even anxiety, the need to sustain composure and health at the same time has been a chore instead of a necessity. Keeping up with the growing expectations to become critically skilled and globally competitive youth has consequences lined up on the other end. In line with the exhausting strife in hopes of attaining quality education even in the digitally draining era, the wish for academic ease has long been flooding each and every student’s mind. But along with the surge of wishes and hopes was the sway of thoughts covered in fear. With the uncertainties keeping its level near everyone’s sanity, the risk of mental health being affected is high. As reported by WHO, the prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25% in the first year of the pandemic. A huge leap from an outbreak which we were acutely unprepared for. In such light, the pressure created upon the demand for the new norms of learning was a burden in different shapes carried by the whole system. With some having the challenge in the form of adaptability, others carry a heavier load with the means of surviving being also their other problem. While it is true that everyone is trying the best that they could to survive, the current online set-up does really compel the students to beg for an ease. Holding placards and candles, the streets catered to the students’ demand as they staged nationwide strikes and protests. The call for a break from online classes and academic requirements heightened as they sought for measures to aid teachers and students in adjusting to the new modes of learning. In hopes to hear their cry, not only did the students of the Saint Louis University reached out to the majority by trending hashtags to hear their plea bu they also clothed themselves with courage to voice out a concern on the right they deserve as a student, along with the joint support of various students from all over the nation. This led to hundreds of students and various youth groups gathered in front of the Saint Louis University’s main gate to appeal for a break last October 30, 2021. At the end of the day, it has been a hard pill to swallow for the executives in the education sector to realize that facing the pandemic with little knowledge and without experience was already a door that wreaked its havoc and is already a catastrophe in its simplest form. Being distinguished as the disease that made the world go down to its knees, the area of effect of the health crisis created unprecedented challenges leaving us restless. While there has been progress to our current state, our right for an ease shouldn’t be synonymous to protest. Today, we still find ourselves on the grounds of the pandemic like the years before as it instilled to us that the mere existence of twenty four hours in a day has been a necessity insufficient for a student’s life, yet, the brutal labor of focusing on passing and meeting the deadlines only taught us that the need for an ease is as important as working hard. The yearning of detaching even for a little while should never be a luxury but a right that students deserve to enjoy. Productivity may lead us to the cornerstone of success but it is our state of consciousness and passion that would lead us to the pinnacle of our careers. And we would not be able to set foot to a brighter tomorrow if we are forced to disregard the brakes that our bodies and minds are requesting. As we all have distinct demands of coping mechanisms with stressful situations, there can only be one thing for sure–we all care about our emotional wellbeing and mental health and the plea for an ease testifies that. Certainly, it was unknowingly a hard endeavor and a distressing scene that the whole education system had to be scrutinized in. But we cannot allow the pandemic to derail our education nor rob us of the rest we were bestowed with during the pre-pandemic era. We are students, we are the expected youths, and probable leaders of the future, but we are certainly not machines built to function even when our environment is shredding our parts into doom.
The health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic also awakened a nationwide quandary from good intentions but misacted implementations, one of which was the: “No Vaccine, No Ride” policy which struck especially working-class Filipinos during the peak of the pandemic. “Napapagod na ‘ko. Diyos ko,” Diane, an employee and a commuter, said in tears when she was denied boarding to the EDSA Carousel bus on the first day of the No Vaccine, No Ride policy implementation despite being partially vaccinated against COVID-19.Inanother setting, a similar crease of conviction was shared by Gemma Parina, a non-vaccinated vendor at Paco Market in Manila, who hankered government officials to oppose the said policy in an interview with Radyo Inquirer. In her statement, Parina not only highlighted the tribulations caused by the government’s incompetence in their overall pandemic response, but also that of the social amelioration program (SAP) and the upsurge in Meralco bills. “Mamamatay ang tao sa gutom, kailangan ka pa magpavaccine,” Enraged by the coalescing distress, Parina claimed that she is forced to walk from her house to the market since she had not been vaccinated due to her health condition. Parina referred to the protocol as “harassment” of the underprivileged and raised the Filipinos’ human rights into question. Despondent and incapacitated, they are just among the many who plead for the consideration and dissolution of the policy enforced by the Department of Transportation (DOT).Dissatisfaction arises and complaints pile from ordinary people as restrictions flood on the unvaccinated. According to the study “Reducing Vaccine Hesitancy in the Philippines” conducted by the World Bank, there is a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy in the Philippines compared to other countries in the area. This is related to a lack of information about the vaccines, misinformation about the probable effects, and suspicions about the mechanisms and consequences of having a jab across the nation. As the Philippines remains in the throes of the pandemic, the country has logged its all-time high record of COVID-19 cases at 39,004 on Saturday, January 15; bringing the total COVID-19 cases in the country to a staggering number of 3,168,379 as per the tally of There is one word nearly every person uses to describe a farmer, resilient. The mental image of men baking in the midday heat, knee deep in mud and water, sowing rice seedlings. With their blood and sweat, we are able to find the food to buy to put on our tables, but for all their sacrifice, we do not appreciate them enough. We celebrate our farmers, we parade their produce, and cheer them on when we hear their successes, but why is it we turn a blind eye to their struggles? We make so much room for the success of the family of farmers on our news and television. Glued to our seats we watch as Henry thanks his father for his farm and how it sent him and his six siblings on the road to success. Filling our heads thinking that is not just a possibility, but an eventual reality for anyone who works just as hard. For every family that manages to send their children to university, to succeed in their studies, to pull them out of poverty. For every success we televise, filling it with messages and praises for their hard work and sacrifice. There are more wallowing in poverty, sinking deeper, as their harvest and toil barely feeds their family for the Para sa mga tumotoda tila isa itong surpresa kada araw, isang milagro kung tutuusin kung mayroong rollback or bahagyang pagbaba ng presyo ng petrolyo. Namamasada lamang si tatay Allan, hindi niya hawak ang prangkisa nito kaya’t napakaliit na porsyento lamang ang naiuuwi niya. Ayon sa PISTON, isang transportation workers’ rights group, umaabot lamang ng 300-400 pesos ang naiuuwi ng karaniwang drayber kada araw sa loob ng labinganim (16) hanggang labingwalong (18) oras ng pamamasada. Hindi rin maaring magtaas ng pamasahe ang mga tsuper dahil mayroong alituntunin tungkol dito. Nanantili itong nasa 9 na piso, ngunit mayroong mga pasahero na nagbibigay na ng sampung pisong pasahe bilang pakikiramay sa mga drayber. At mayron ding iilan na mga drayber ang napipilitang magtaas ng pamasahe. Dagdag pa ng PISTON mayroong proposal na nailapit sa Cabinet's Economic Development Cluster na naghahangad ng subsidiya sa mga transport drivers at fuel vouchers sa mga magsasaka. Hindi pa rin nararamdaman lalo na ng mga tulad ni Tatay Allan ang subsidiyang ito. Tila isang bangkang papel lamang ang kasulatang ito na iniaanod at hindi na matukoy kung saan napadpad. Ang mga manggagawang bumubuno sa pangaraw-araw na komyut ay labis na naapektuhan. Ang bawat baryang naidadagdag sa pamasahe ay malaki ang naibabawas. Dagdag pa rito ang patuloy na paglobo sa presyo ng mga bilihin tulad ng bigas at de lata maging ng mga karne at poultry products. Sa kakarampot na kita, lalo na ng mga minimum-wage at contractual workers ubos na agad ang sahod sa pamasahe at pambili ng basic necessities.Sapagtaas ng mga bilihin sa merkado, ang epekto din nito sa mga maliliit na business o kumpanya ay mapaminsala. Ang mga small-time vendors ay nagtataas ng presyo na nagreresulta sa kadalasang pag-iwas dito ng mga parokyano. Kung walang bumibili ibig sabihin ay wala ring kita ang mga tindero. Madalas pa ring hinihikayat ang mga ito kahit tila ginto na ang presyo. Ngunit ang pag-angkat mula sa kanilang mga supplier ay isang bagay na nagdadala ng pasanin, kaya’t kakarampot rin ang bumabalik na kusing. At dahil mahal ang petrolyo, dagdag pa ang walang hangganang trapik, ang mga supplier at distributor ay maaari ring nagdadagdag ng bayad sa bawat angkat. Ang sistema nila ay hindi tiyak, kaya’t nadidikdikan ang mga maliliit na negosyo sa pagtaas ng petrolyo. Bunga nito, tumataas na mga bilihin. Masisipag ang mga Pilipino ika ng itopanahongtotoo,bagamatkaramihan,itoaysamas
11WHITE & BLUE Volume 17 Issue 01 August 2022 FEATURE Mikhael Raeon Felix Ebalo ILLUSTRATION Yohannah Bawang Angely Elaine Acosta and Katherine Maire Laguna ILLUSTRATION Raphael Jego Basangan
Victims of Incompetence and Misinformation:Filipino People on Vaccine Hesitancy
nananiag ang pera at kapitalismo kaysa sa kasipagan. Ang petrolyo ay tila isang rotondang walang hangganan, ito ang nagdidikta sa maraming bagay na ating pangangailangan sa pang araw-araw. Sa bawat patak ng petrolyo ay katumbas ng iilang baryang napakaraming biyahe at liko upang kitain. Hindi maaaring walang paraan upang baguhin ito sapagkat mayroong mga tao, korporasyon at gobyerno na may kapangyarihan. Ngunit hangga’t walang diskusyon o kasunduan sa puno’t dulo nito, ang tagasagip ng mga epekto ay TatayordinaryongmgaPilipinonatuladniAllan.
Pulang pasada
Daniella Ivy ILUSTRASYONDucusin Via Patricia Rivera Si Tatay Allan, isang limampu’t walong gulang na jeepney driver. Nawalan siya ng hanapbuhay nang nagsimula ang pandemiya. Kahit may ayudang natanggap, hindi iyon kumakasya para sa naghihirap na panahon. Dalawang taon ang lumipas, nakabalik siya sa pamamasada, ngunit ngayon ay may dagdag pasakit, ito ang lumulobong presyo ng bilihin, lalo na ng petrolyo na siyang nagpapatakbo ng kanilang buhay. Sa patuloy na pagtaas ng inflation rate sa pandaigdigang merkado, isa sa mga pinakatumaas ay ang presyo ng petrolyo. Malaking sanhi nito ay ang hidwaan ng Ukraine at Russia. Dagdag pa rito ang kaliwa’t kanang iringan ng mga malalaking kumpanya na humahawak ng langis sa mundo. Ang Pilipinas ay dumedepende sa pandaigdigang merkado ng petrolyo, kaya’t dama ng mga biyahero at ordinaryong Pilipino ang epekto nito. Ang mga bagay na ito ay maaring mahirap intindihin para sa tulad ni Tatay Allan. Maski mga nasa working age o estyudante hindi rin ito maintindihang lubusan. Kaya’t ang sunod-sunod na price hike at rollback ay tila isang sirang plaka sa mga nagdaang mga buwan at linggo. Simula noong Marso umiikot mula 1 centavo hanggang tatlumpu’t taltong (13) piso ang itinataas ng petrolyo depende sa araw. Umabot na rin sa isang daang piso kada litro ng gas ,gayun din sa diesel at kerosene.
Silencein the Farm
Department of Health (DOH). To address this alarming escalation, the implementation of the “No Vaccine, No Ride” policy in Metro Manila’s public transportation was set to take effect on Monday, January 17. Under the order, only vaccinated individuals are allowed to board public transportation in the National Capital Region. The presentation of COVID-19 vaccine cards, vaccine certificates, or any IATF-prescribed documents with valid government-issued ID is compulsory in adherence to the guidelines. An individual is deemed to be fully immunized two weeks after receiving the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, or two weeks after receiving a single dose. Otherwise, unvaccinated individuals are barred from using public transportation. In line with the directive, health professionals have emphasized vaccination as effective protection against the crippling strain of the virus and severe hospitalization. The DOH has declared that COVID-19 patients in Metro Manila who are in need of mechanical ventilators are unvaccinated, while 85 percent of patients are in Intensive Care Units. As of July 27, 2022, there are 48, 353, 655 Filipinos who are fully vaccinated out of 109,035,343 total population of the Philippines quantified by the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) on May 1, 2020. These figures yield that 44.34% of the nation is fully vaccinated. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) is still studying the percentage to attain in a population to attain herd immunity against COVID-19.Navigating the way out of the country’s blind alley through compliance with the government’s intention of mitigating the impact and addressing the repercussions of the pandemic should have been a seamless route had there been no dissemination of misinformation and augmentation of incompetency through the government’s poorly implemented policies.
Gemma Parina’s earlier skepticism about Filipinos’ human rights resonates with the mandate of President Rodrigo Duterte on barangay officials to “restrain” unvaccinated individuals from going outdoors as the surge in cases persists. In a televised address, Duterte has given barangay captains the locus of power in arresting recalcitrant individuals and enforcing laws according to their jurisdiction. Furthermore, rights groups such as the Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and Amnesty International condemned the transport ban as “anti-poor” as those most affected are less likely to opt for private transportation.However, the DOT denied the calls that the policy was “anti-poor.” “We believe that it is more antipoor and anti-life if we do not impose interventions that will prevent loss of life due to non-vaccinations,” they mentioned. “The reality is that ordinary Filipinos continue to rely on public transportation in attaining basic needs, such as for food, work, and accessing health services,” CHR stated. It also added that addressing the vaccine hesitancy and low vaccination rates. “We continue to urge the government to address vaccine hesitancy and the low vaccination rate in the country with education that addresses common misconceptions and positive encouragement,” they concluded.Intimes of emergency, protocols must be deliberated and exercised but the efficacy of these restrictions greatly lies on how it is done, not only on the utopic result wherein the inception pursues. Also, it is concluded that education, simple communication, and promotion of the social and personal benefits of vaccination increase vaccine acceptance among the unvaccinated by about 15% according to the World Bank. As uncertain times and the risk of other diseases lurk, it is with nationwide proactiveness and individualized awareness that uncontrollable circumstances can be regulated on an extensive, efficient level.
year, opting to sell their land in the face of a declining agricultural industry. Then what about those that work for plantations, where their cries for better conditions, better pay, are silenced with the crack of rifles. Hacienda Luicita is remembered for the massacre, but it is not alone in that incident. Sagay in Negros saw nine men and women dead from unknown gunmen. The government chalks these problems up to rebel activity, blaming the New People’s Army for the increase in agrarian violence, claiming that it is all done to discredit them. Yet, when the farmers cry for help, their answer is always silence. The pandemic has hit everyone hard. Frontline workers trying hard to keep the cogs of our society turning, the rising unemployment when businesses failed and dried up. It is already a challenge to squeeze any substantial support from the government for the people that are dying from a disease that turned the world on its head. Our farmers are some of the most affected. Quarantine only accelerated the reality that our agricultural industry is dying. The cost of goods reached new highs, as they trade their lands and livelihood to see a tomorrow. All the while we turned a blind eye, hoping they could weather this storm.We cannot blame the government without acknowledging another prominent issue with our agricultural industry, wealthy landowners. For decades they stood opposed to every measure of progress and notion of land distribution even with appropriate compensation. Opting to keep their farmland. Those that choose to branch plantations subject their workers to brutal conditions paying them pennies while they turn millions in profit. Others turn their sprawling plots of land into subdivisions and urban sprawl, snapping up failing farmer’s lands to add to their ever growing empire. Not every landlord or haciendero is similar in practice or ethos, but the reality is all the same. Our agricultural growth is halted by the few keeping thousands of hectares of arable land to themselves. The reality of us relying on exports to feed our growing population has already come. There are people that want to resuscitate the industry. Unions and Parties forming around the rights for their livelihood, support from the government, protests, and activists. Fighting for their rights, for an increase in government subsidy, for fairer prices of goods and better salaries and working conditions in plantations. But it is not enough. We need to open our eyes, and accept reality. Our farmers are a dying breed, the age of us having one of the most prosperous fields in the world has long come past. Let us help our farmers back on their feet, before their fields become silent forever.
"We do on stage things that are supposed to happen off. Which is a kind of integrity, if you look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else."
WHITE & BLUE ENTERTAINMENT
Home Beside the Creek Katherine Maire Laguna ILLUSTRATION Karen Faith Nuguid
W
henever I am asked to name wonders in my province, I never pause nor second-guess my response— Sapang Balen, the creek abreast our ancestral home in Mabalacat; the place holding decade-long dreams and tales of successes from my mother. My mother is the third of five siblings in the Tuazon-Due family. She spent most of her early days playing along the creek, building fortresses made of sand, and watching it crumble once the pristine water washes it away. Her photographic memory of the creek displays relics of her childhood, including the terrors of the Pinatubo eruption, and the nightmares of the heavy typhoons that flooded their home. “The creek was treated as a dumpsite. On Sundays, it would be engulfed in plastics, on Mondays–chemicals, and wastes,” my mother remarked, in retrospect of how the creek was dealt with by the people in the village. Waste dumping was done day-by-day, in schedules, awaiting the deadline when the creek would refuse to wallow in the trash of its people. This seemingly small-scale trash contribution would, later on, be magnified once news headlines paint the letters of my hometown in bold fonts and bright hues: Pampanga River, a major source of pollutants in the ocean. What it meant maybe for the people outside the scope of the city was that it only entailed a minor caveat, merely another headline that would be gone once tomorrow’s papers had been published. For my mother and her four sisters, it meant being asked by my grandparents to pack their belongings for they never know when the water from the creek would destroy their home. In 2019, graduate students from the University of the Philippines Diliman found emerging contaminants in the basin of the Pampanga River. Among these concentrated contaminants is Bisphenol A, which can be found in plastic bottles, nonylphenols for detergents, antimicrobials, and estrogens, which are all products of individual households. SunStar Pampanga in 2021 released an article about the Pampanga River ranking sixth among the top ten polluting rivers. This is reflective of the data asserting that more than 56,000 houses and establishments in Central Luzon contribute to Pampanga River pollution. According to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), approximately 50,000 houses, 7,000 commercial establishments, and 100 factories did not have proper sewage collection and treatment facilities. All these data account for unimaginable repercussions for the people not just of Mabalacat, of Pampanga, but of the whole Philippines. I remember discussing what my mother feared the most, and it’s exactly what’s happening now—floodings are more frequent, less biodiversity along the creeks and rivers is observed, foods are often contaminated, and diseases and mortality occur more persistently.Althoughthe realization and response to what had been done were a decade late, slivers of hope continue to light the path towards attaining the common goal of the people in my town—reclaiming the health of our beloved waters and resurfacing memories that have been tainted with trashes. In 2020, 600 residents of Barangay Sto. Rosario participated in the “Refill Revolution”, an advocacy campaign by the DENR-EMB in Central Luzon, aimed at battling plastic pollution by less plastic production. Eco-bags and reusable goods were also sold at 50-70% lower than their actual retailing price. Some major companies that joined this movement were Nutri Aisa, Pepsi Cola, and Water District Prime Water. This is one of the many campaigns raised in my hometown to beat the water pollution in our province. Living along the creek was the last treasured memory my mother had with my grandparents. The creek held stories of her early memory, of her first word uttered. The creek witnessed how my mother grew up with her siblings, and how they went from children who hoped for a better future to esteemed doctors and educators today. Oftentimes, whenever I am asked to name wonders in my province, I never pause nor second-guess my response— Sapang Balen, the creek that held the dreams and successes of my mother; the place where I would hope and see a progressive future, one where my home, our home, is never compromised by unbridled civilization.
-Tom Stoppard
Theater and drama: a classic art form dating way back in history where life is magnified and emotions are heightened. It’s as if the stage is a huge mirror to which we see our own selves in hyperbolic details. On May 30, 2022 Tanghalang SLU, the official and resident theater company of Saint Louis University, once again opened the auditorium for everyone to be taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. For the past two years, the production has settled with online performances for passion’s sake, refusing for the pandemic to hinder their craft. And finally, it is time once again for arts to be performed and audiences to be marveld. This 23rd theater season is made up of 5 different stories under the direction of Kath Nobleza. They called this the Curtain Call—so named to honor the last curtain call of the graduating members for this year and the legacy they will leavePobrengbehind.Alindanaw by J. Dennis Teodosio, titled after the Visayan folk song, is a story of a butterfly and two dragonflies as they journey to their realization of the meaning of beauty in life. The discourse over these three little friends got us reflecting over the dimension of beauty and purpose in life—such profound concepts disguised in a cheerful facade. We were then taken back to the 19th century in Joi Barrios' Las Viajeras as we watched Gregoria "Oryang" De Jesus and Josephina Bracken converse, Daren Angeline Bueno PHOTOS Carl Kayne Valeriano Of Magical Playhouses, Final Bows, and Curtain Calls Of Magical Playhouses, Final Bows, and Curtain Calls argue, and comfort each other on their mournings and sorrows of their tragic life. As we were accustomed to the stories of national heroes we’ve read in history books, it is refreshing to know the side of the women beside them—those equally brave in their own battles. The two acts of Earl Justin Pingol are dramatic pieces. Samuel and Pavel entails a story between two star crossed lovers separated by borders, both literal and metaphorical for belonging in different social groups. This illicit affair and the courage it required to choose between love and family was both hilarious and heartbreaking to watch. Puntod features two half brothers' conflict over the grave of their loved one, throwing blame, regrets, and spiteful dialogues about stories told too late which ended in a brilliant twist. We learned about forgiveness and family and the conditions that come with it. The final act, El Heredero by Jeffrey Tabason creatively depicts a typical Filipino family dispute over heritage, money and the never ending discussion of who’s most deserving of them. The characters surely know how to make the crowd laugh and anticipate over who will be the final heir which was presented to us with a surprise. As the ride comes to an end, the impending final bow before the curtains close, we were left with feelings afloat and lessons learned. The show closed in sunflowers and light tears as the SLU CCA acknowledged and thanked the graduating members of the crew for lending years of their passion and talent on the stage. It is a bliss to be before this platform of imagination and witness people whose performances take you to another realm, one that is different yet familiar—a theater built by every artist in their craft, each bold and brilliant for bringing scripts to life. The night is indeed enthralling and bittersweet. It is an end but artists will always find a way to make endings poetic. And in this closing bow, may the spotlight and the applause be engraved in each artist’s memories—a pleasant place to visit when the time requires them to remember what magic felt like.
Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975)
The thriller film Eskapo is directed by Chito S. Roño and written by Roy Iglesias and Jose Lacaba. Set in 1972 after martial law was imposed by Marcos Sr., the story follows the arrest and imprisonment of Eugenio “Geny” lopez and Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III based on false accusations of a failed assassination plot to kill the president. The two create a plan to escape prison and leave the country, away from the dictator’s reach. (Available on Youtube)
Based on the novel of the same name by Edgardo M. Reyes (In the Claws of Brightness) and directed by Lino Brocka, the film tells the tragic story of a poor fisherman named Julio Madiaga living a simple provincial life. His decision to go to Manila to find his first love Ligaya Paraiso leads him into a spiral of chaos involving underpaid construction work, human trafficking, wealthy foreigners taking advantage of the poor, and the political mess that enables the situation. (Currently available on: Youtube, fdcpchannel.ph)
Eskapo (1995) Batas Militar (1997) Manila by Night (1980) Barber's Tales (2013) Imelda (2003) Kisapmata (1981) Liway (2018) The Kingmaker (2019)
Allison PHOTOSBinay-an FROM GOOGLE IMAGES
Starting.
They say that life imitates art, but oftentimes, art imitates life to preserve the memories of the past in the hopes that the future may learn from them; and this time, art endures. As if three counts of colonial abuse were not enough, the hem of The Motherland continued to be drenched in blood. At the precipice of the unknown (or the repeat of a history not too long ago), the country continues to hold its breath for a change worth doubting. With old and stained names assuming high positions using a complex machinery of disinformation and misinformation, it is no surprise that a frenzy would take over the supporters of the opposition: an attempt at preserving the artworks depicting the unmasked truth of the abuse of the Martial Law in a country barely on its feet only a little over thirty years past. Such a dark history continues to be buried to this day, but not on the film industry’s watch, not from the photogenic memory of a camera’s lens. Here is a list of 9 films and documentaries, currently streaming for free, that held stories whose emotions sparked the undying love for the country in a citizen whose eyes have been opened to the truth.
Directed by Kip Oebanda, Liway is set near the end of the Martial Law era in a prison camp for political detainees. The film follows a boy named Dakip, who grew up in said camp and looks up to his gentle mother, whose identity in Negros during the Marcos regime is much more than that. (Available on: Youtube, Liway Official Facebook page, Vimeo)
Kisapmata is a psychological horror that should bear the trigger warning of incest, murder, and suicide. Directed by Mike de Leon, the film presents the story of a retired police officer Diosdado "Dadong" Carandang and his tightfisted grip on his family. The film mirrors the faulty system of a patriarchal society and its downfall when the head of the family turns on the very thing they vowed to obey. The plot was inspired by a magazine article entitled “The House on Zapote Street”, a true crime that happened in 1977. (Available on Youtube)
Beginnings are always difficult. Your hands stretch before you, touching the air, desperately trying to grasp something. Anything. Your legs wiggle at the first step, almost giving out from the anxiety of venturing beyond your comfort zone. Words come as jumbled letters, refusing to form a coherent thought. Puddles look like oceans, and pauses look like prolonged spaces. I find myself staring at my computer screen, struggling to write. My mind thinks of countless words, but none of them want to fall into a sensible sentence. I look for inspiration in the pieces I’ve written, hoping to get struck and motivated, but… It is always difficult to start. In those first days and even weeks moments of writing, everything seems to be in a frenzy; broken thoughts wound me with their edges, making me bleed out of words. The gentle hum of the keyboard turns frantic as it rivals the melody of the classical music. It is a process of becoming and unbecoming. I strip my mind of other thoughts just so I can locate and focus on a single one. “Write to express, not impress.” So, in those instances where introspection is halted, and I am a lost lamb wandering in a vast and empty field, I go back to the very reason why I started writing- to express.Writing is messy, confusing, and even hard. Sometimes the poetic words laid are the product of hostility marked by frustration, desolation, and even anger. There’s beauty in writing, yes, but there’s also the ugliness to it that only a few know. It’s a doubleedged sword; a friend and a foe. One must be brave to face it, to wield it. The beginnings might be scary as they are always almost marked by difficulty and fear. The anxiety of starting may sometimes be so heavy that I evade writing. But as I try to make sense of these feelings and frustrations, I come to recognize that I have reached the ending.There’s no moral of the story here, but only a piece of friendly advice. Cry if you must, be frustrated if you must. Beginning a task is already halfway to its ending. It cannot be denied that the proliferation of fake news is a serious and major concern in the country right now. Anyone can be tricked or misled into believing and sharing false information, especially with the use of social media. This does not only affect the person but can also have ramifications on the community as a whole. Sharing false information unintentionally with no propaganda intention is called misinformation while disinformation is deliberately spreading false information to deceive people and to favor a certain group. This problem has been going on for years but many of us still fall victim to fake news. And what’s concerning is how fast it can spread with the help of social media. One click or one share can influence a lot of people into believing wrong information which can cause harm to the people. Studies have shown that 51% of Filipinos said that it is difficult to spot fake news in the media based on the results of a Social Weather Station survey released last February 25. That is why others can be easily influenced by the false information shared with them even without verifying it. Also, people are more prone to share fake news when it favors their beliefs whether concerning politics or public Misinformationhealth. and disinformation are serious threats in the country because people can make decisions with the information they believe is true. It can be used as a tool in propaganda and can cause unrest in the society. Trolls are still present in every comment section encouraging people to believe false Therefore,stories.there is an immense need to be accountable and responsible for the things we share with our family and peers. Sometimes, we do not bother checking or verifying the information because it is shared by someone that we trust not knowing that they are also victims of misinformation. So simple precautions like fact-checking and verifying credible sources will be a huge help in combating the proliferation of fake news and the production of malicious content. We must be vigilant to ensure that disinformation will not persist to push any agenda that can harm the community. These simple steps are necessary to make sure that the truth will be delivered. How to start? You know the hardest part about doingMakingsomething?mistakes.
The film Manila by Night was directed by Ishmael Bernal. It explores Manila in its naked truth: of pain, joy, crime, and chaos in separate nights with different protagonists. For a film released at the height of martial law, Manila by Night expressed what the Marcoses tried to hide in the shadows of the city, for how can one hide the flaws in the shadows when the night and the shades all roll into one? The film has another name, City After Dark, after former First Lady requested for its rebrand. (Available on FULLTV movies)
Barber’s Tales depicts the literal and figurative sense as it tells of the story of the widowed Marilou who inherited her deceased husband's barber shop. As it was passed down for generations by men of his family, her decision of running it immediately posed a challenge on her. The unexpected aid of a befriended prostitute allowed it recognition, breaking through the macho-feudal system. Directed by Jun Lana. (Available on Youtube)
13WHITE & BLUE Volume 17 Issue 01 August 2022 ENTERTAINMENT
Directed by Ramona Diaz, Imelda is a documentary following the life of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, starting from her childhood, her marriage to the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., her extravagant lifestyle and influence in the dictatorship, to the Marcos family’s exile to Hawaii, and finally, her return to the country. It includes third-party interviews and materials that compares to her claims. (Available on Youtube, Vimeo)
BIANCA IRISH RIVERA LEXIAS Of andFrustrationsBeginnings RIO JANE RABACA ORION'S BELT L ights,c voLtamera...u ion! Check out our releases https:/issuu.com/whiteandbluesluin COMING SOON!
The Kingmaker is a documentary film directed by Lauren Greenfield featuring the extravagant political career of Imelda Marcos, wife of the late dictator and former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr, and her influence in his husband’s presidency. The documentary also delves into the blatant rewriting of the truth, weaving history in a way that favors them. (Available on Youtube although currently in the Philippines only, Vimeo)
ResponsibilityEverybody's
Batas Militar is a documentary directed by Jon Red and Jeanette Ifurung focusing on dramatizations during the imposition of said law. The documentary features the violations tied to martial law that continues to instill both fear and patriotism among progressives and supporters of the opposition. The documentary also shows the state of the economy during his reign, clearing disinformation. (Available on Youtube, Vimeo, Facebook)
Physical Education (PE) is a crowd favorite in the Philippines regarding course subjects. They see it as “playtime” or a break from the four walls of the classroom. PE changes as we transition to an online setup for education. The struggle is “reel” as students keep up with the adjustments in education during the time of a pandemic. 18,688 Posts Followers Following Follow Message
DIFF. Although Attacker Viper successfully killed the Defender Viper, it wasn’t enough to clutch the 1v5 situation ending in 13-8 favoring SAMCIS. Screenshot from SLU Supreme Student Council Facebook page
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Photos from SLU P.E Department Facebook Page
Justine Buenaobra
Physical Education:
lane as Penny took advantage of the diversion to push through the bottom turrets The Weaklings became sitting ducks as the Night Owls solidified their map presence further, capturing the first Lord en route to the 12th-minute mark of the game. The Weeklings gave the Night Owls a run for their money in the 7th-minute clash, but Deimos successfully slipped past Paquito. The Night Owls retaliated as they picked off The SAMCIS champs bounced back from a Game 2 comeback loss as they orchestrated a 9-0 romp as attackers to end the first half of Game 3. Ramos spearheaded hAA’s offense in Game 3 as his Jett racked up 29 kills while Banaña’s Reyna followed suit with an 18-8-6 slate. In the other all-SEA semifinal matchup, RIRI outlasted ENVY in hard-fought 139, 13-11 victories on Ascent and Haven. After a 4-8 start in Game 1, RIRI turned the tides right here and then as they dismantled ENVY’s defense to post a 9-1 reversal in the second half. RIRI’s Magtoto stepped up in Game 2 as his Jett paved the way with 31 kills as they closed out hAAENVY.willenjoy a hefty P3,000 cash prize while RIRI will settle for P1,800. Weaklings in the succeeding play. Fresh from the semis, Night Owls opened the match in their favor with the kill score of 6-1, with additional two turrets taken away from Weaklings in the first seven minutes of the game. Night Owls’ MVP Deimos led the team in the entire series averaging 9.0 kills and 8.5 assists, while Weaklings’ Omen but diff sadboi averaged 8.0 kills and 3.0 assists throughout the best of 3 series. Night Owls bagged the top prize of P10,000 while Weaklings guaranteed P5,000 as both teams topped the KASAMA/ SSC-backed event. The top 3 out of 37 teams participating in the tournament will donate a total of P2000 from their earnings to the healthcare frontliners. of the Physical Education before pandemic hits.
At Saint Louis University, physical education classes continue online, pushing for courses such as Health and Wellness, Combative Sports, Outdoor and Adventure Activities, and Aquatics. Experiences may vary per student according to their background and online setup. MostWW students look forward to taking their Aquatics classes because of the swimming facility in the Bakakeng Campus. In this subject, they are to learn proper swimming techniques, safety in the water, and aquatic exercises. This time around, students are to “swim” in the comfort of their homes. Alyssa Fernandez, an incoming 4th Year Financial Management student, already took her aquatics class during the 2nd semester of her second year. Swimming is not her nature; therefore, she was okay with the online setup. Most of her duties in PE was just to submit videos of herself doing proper swimming techniques and workout. Students must wear appropriate attire for the videos, but she opted for her ‘pambahay’ instead for convenience. “Ang funny kasi mukha akong gusgusin tapos di ko na masyado inaayos ‘yung vid kahit putol itsura ko.” She laughs as she recalls her activities. She doesn’t own a tripod, so she had to make do with the items in their provincial house, resulting in what she refers to as a funny PE video requirement. When asked if she prefers online PE classes over face-to-face classes, she chooses online PE classes specifically for Aquatics because she doesn't know how to swim. Despite all of these, she remembers how fun face-to-face PE classes were before because she gets to do it with her classmates. Another student who completed her Physical Education online is Samantha Valdez, an incoming 4th Year Chemical Engineering student. Her class took a different approach as they were tasked to film workouts and answer quizzes. Like Alyssa, Samantha also felt awkward filming her videos because watching herself exercise was funny. She says, “’Di ko na lang pinapanood ulit para ‘di na bumaba self-esteem ko.” A line most students can surely relate to in submitting their PE videos. Sam prefers face-to-face classes because she wishes she could experience aquatics classes on our campus. Even when her PE classes were limited to an online setting, she saw how this improved her health as she did workouts for her class. It was the first time again in months, and if she did not take Physical Education, she might not have any motive to exercise. Lastly, Johyll Grandez, a footballer of SLU Navigators and an incoming 3rd Year Electronics Engineering student, took the Outdoor and Adventure Activities during the first semester of Academic Year 2021-2022. Despite the set-up, he shares his expectations about the class and is still looking forward to it. For him, Physical Education is important because it helps him stay fit and balance academics with fitness. “Ngayong pandemic kasi hindi masyado nakakagalaw mga tao at maraming bawal (sa outdoor activities) kaya ang ganda na may PE tayo ngayon, para maka exercise pa rin kahit papaano sa loob ng bahay.” Grandez also shares he misses the interaction with people pre-pandemic PE class. To him, it is where bonds are formed and people learn things beyond academics.Even with different situations and angles, it is common among these students that they all miss doing PE courses on campus. Now, as we see signs of going back to face-to-face classes, we must also realize the role of Physical Education in our holistic development no matter what platform. We are again moments closer to taking these reels into real onsite experiences.
Prof. Teresita De Guzman, the Head of the Physical Education (PE) Department, confirmed that they are currently preparing for a face-to-face mode of learning for FIT Aquatics and FIT Outdoor and Adventure Activities. However, the status of FIT Combative Sports and FIT Health and Wellness’ are yet to be confirmed. During the height of the pandemic, the PE department had to adjust its modes of instruction to comply with the health restrictions in place. De Guzman mentioned that the shift to online learning was difficult considering
Zhong) and Penny (Sun) combined for 11 kills and 9 assists to secure the title. The Night Owls ended things early as they quickly pummelled through the enemies’ inhibitor turrets to prevent a last hurrah for the Weaklings.Y.Ubaited the Weaklings with his dragon form, allowing his nearest allies to take down two enemies in pursuit. The Fighterclass hero continued his assault on the top Night Owls shatters Weaklings, grabs SLU-SSC ML tournament crown the nature of the subject. However, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) encouraged all higher education institutions (HEIs) to adapt to the “new normal.” In addition, instructors from the PE Department were encouraged to attend webinar series organized by the university. These webinars equipped the department with the required skills and knowledge for teaching physical education by using different platforms and media. In coordination with their training series, a karate demonstration of the professors themselves, one of their projects, After two years of online physical education classes, Physical Activity Towards Health and Fitness (FIT) courses will be offered in a hybrid setup this coming academic year 2022-2023.
SPORTS VOLUME 23 ISSUE JANUARY01 2021 W&B SPORTS NEWS
E-games tournaments:
PE Department readies blended learning
The SAMCIS troopers weathered a late SEA storm with Ramos securing Breeze’s A site with a triple kill to deny RIRI’s entry after losing four consecutive rounds. RIRI’s Christian Gerome Magtoto and captain Eistle Cabanban kept SEA’s hopes alive as they appeared in clutch situations to extend the match until 12-8. Magtoto leads with a game-high 27 kills while Cabanban, Nigel Apil, and Gabrielle Sta. Ana combined for 39. SAMCIS opened the series with a commanding 13-2 victory on Icebox, with Banaña and Ramos dominating on 20 and 19 kills. Fresh from a Valorant tournament held last Tuesday, Tadeo and company punched their ticket to the championship round after handing SNS YUMMIES a 13-7,7-13, 13-5 beatdown in the semifinals.
Ayrton Cris Dizon
A blueprint to trace for the next SSC admin around 281 million E-sports viewers worldwide in 2016, which ballooned to 380 million last 2018, and significantly increased to 557 million viewers in 2021. The transition from pre-pandemic (2018) to mid-pandemic (2021) timeline with combined occasional and e-sports enthusiasts and viewers doubled. It has proved that e-sports built a solid foundation during the pandemic period. Even before the height of the pandemic and the introduction of distance learning, E-sports tournaments have emerged in other higher education institutions inside the country, such as STI Colleges, Far Eastern University (FEU), and De La Salle Lipa (DLSL); facilitating competitions in popular Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games such as DotA 2 and League of Legends Some Louisians even suggested introducing events for the famous shooter game Call of Duty: Mobile, and Tetris to be a part of the Intramurals or University Week for the years to come. Additionally, League of Legends: Wildrift and Clash of Clans tournaments are some of the top prospects for possible lists of Accordingtournaments.torecent studies, besides entertainment, students can reap more benefits from playing video games, such as developing collaborative skills, decision-making, and cognitive functions. These skills are evident for winning teams where they display their collective effort and effects of their decisionmaking and ability to recognize the opponent's movement to win the game, which can be helpful in a learning environment. The SSC should organize E-sport events annually as part of the highly anticipated Intramurals or University Week and expand it so that more Louisians can join and showcase their gaming skills. The current KASAMA/ SSC administration successfully laid the foundations for these kinds of events next and should be continued and improved on for the years to come.
Japeth Lance Pecaoco VILLAMOR DUMLAO GAMBITTHE
TEAM
Reel Life Stories From Students was uploaded to their respective Google Classrooms for their students to follow. “There is nothing compared to teaching it in the face-to-face mode, where the students are able to perform their activities in person rather than through a camera,” De Guzman stated.
Last year, the Saint Louis University community saw a breath of fresh air with the introduction of Electronic Sports (E-Sports) tournaments for its University Week. Spearheaded by the KASAMA/SSC, a campus-wide Valorant tournament was held last November 26, 2021, and a SMART Communications Inc.sponsored event for the famous app Mobile Legends where various students competed last December 2. Given its commendable success with the live streams for both competitions garnering hundreds of views and positive feedback within the Louisian community, it is evident that the KASAMA/SSC should continue these types of events annually to cultivate and develop Louisian talents in a different field. Additionally, the rising popularity of these events, especially among the youth, would promote student interactions.
SAMCIS stomps SEA, clinches Valorant E-games crown & Villamor Dumlao
Justine Buenaobra
PRE-PANDEMIC PE. These are snapshots
“I want the SSC to carry on with E-sport event as a part of Intramurals because most of students are familiar and interested with this kind of event, other than that most of the students are stressed and pressured in their online classes, an event like this will be good for entertainment,” a student from SAMCIS said. Considering the current situation and restrictions in public gatherings, E-games garnered explosive popularity during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic as they became a coping mechanism for many because of restricted physical activities outside their home. This provided an opportunity for the gaming community to be recognized. According to a forecast, there were Night Owls edged the Weaklings in Game 2 to complete a 2-0 series sweep in the SMART-Play North Luzon, Fight for the Frontliners Mobile Legends Online Battle Finals, last December 2. Deimos (Natan) fuelled the team with six kills and seven assists while Y. U (Yu The School of Accountancy, Management, Computing, and Information Studies’ Team hAA showed flashes of brilliance as they swept the School of Engineering and Architecture’s Team RIRI with a dominant 13-2, 13-8 triumph for the first SLU University Week Valorant Tournament championship, last November 27, 2021 hAA’s Keerick Banaña eliminated enemies on duels while sharpshooter Jerico Ramos peeled off SEA with his smooth operator skills as both tallied massive 26 and 23 kills,Onrespectively.theotherhand, team captain Emmj Tadeo provided additional support as his Viper’s pit, and snake bites secured rounds while he finished with 14 kills.
The life of a student-athlete is a challenge not everyone can take on. Aside from the responsibilities of being a student comes in hand the discipline needed to be an athlete. The challenges brought by the pandemic changed a lot for them. This can mean more training hours, fewer playing games, burnout, and so on. From BSBA Marketing Management, Don Peredo shares his perspective as a student-athlete during this pandemic. He has been a student-athlete since he was in elementary. He plays basketball, soccer, and volleyball and joins triathlons. “I had always been interested in sports even when I was young,” Don recalls. With student-athletes, it is vital to meet discipline, hard work, and proper time management. Having a routine makes the tasks manageable. To Don, balancing his academics with training seems to be a breeze as he has a weekly schedule. “My usual routine if I’m not training for Triathlon would be a regular gym session every afternoon, then I run 3-5 kilometers. After this, I practice basketball at night.” When asked about his schoolwork, he says he accomplishes these during the morning or late at night after basketball practice. Right now, he is training for a triathlon, so his weekly schedule is more intense, each day packed with running, swimming, basketball, biking, gym, and school works. Being exposed to this environment, opportunities such as connections, exposure to various communities, and national events have opened up for him. “I joined Tinman March this year, and I’m looking forward to my next event, Spartan Stadium.” Both of these are triathlon events. . With COVID-19, studentathletes expect changes as they cope with their physical and mental health. The pandemic also brought changes to lifestyles and schedules. To Don, the pandemic gave him more free time and event “The pandemic has changed my schedule in a dramatic way. Due to all the free time this pandemic, I could allot more time to training and participating in events.” Don shares how his routine changed. However, he also thought about his academics and how it was affected. “I could maintain my academic standard but not improve it. I have different priorities now that I’ve signed up for events, so most of my time goes to training, and whatever free time I have, I use it to When asked which set-up he would prefer between online or face-to-face classes, he says he’s okay with either of the two as they both provide him opportunities to excel in his field (academically and athletically). “The major difference would be the time allotted for studying as face-to-face classes require me to be more active within class Though life may be different during this pandemic, Don’s story showed how student-athletes will still work hard and persevere amidst the challenges. His attitude towards the changes during this pandemic offered a different perspective of how this global shift gave him more opportunities in the athletic field, how he could get into more events, how he has more time to train now, and more.
Justine Buenaobra
Pinoy Pride Glowing Within Popular Video Games
Lapu-lapu. Nicknamed the Courageous Blade, Lapu-Lapu was a replica of the Philippines’ first hero. In his backstory, he was the leader of Makadan Islands in the Land of Dawn, who stood his ground to defend their land against the Moniyan invaders. With his powerful twin blades and tactical leadership, they defeated their enemies, refusing slavery and eventually regaining their territory. Similar to the history of the Philippines, Lapu- Lapu was a datu who became victorious against Portuguese conquistador Magellan in the Battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521. Moreover, in the game, he was accurately portrayed from the appearance of actual datus, tribal tattoos, and accessories to their traditional attire. Lapu-Lapu is a hero who exhibits the brave heart and strong mindset of Filipinos that is willing to sacrifice their lives for the freedom of our motherland. Josie Rizal. Inspired and named after the Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal, this fearful and jolly fighter from Tekken 7 specializes in kickboxing and the country's national sport- the Arnis. Despite her cry-baby personality, as shown in the game, she was determined to join the Tekken Force after seeing them helping and providing typhoon relief in the Philippines, which became a ravaged country after the disaster. Using her attributes and lessons learned from home, she is ready to take on any challenges and soar high on her way to greatness. Her character design also captured the features of Filipinos, such as brown eyes, tan skin, and dark hair. Moreover, the color of her clothes resembles the Phillippine Flag as she wore a yellow top, red bow, blue miniskirt, and a Sampaguita design on her outfit. Josie Rizal manifested the courage and unity of the Filipinos, especially in times of calamities; she was willing to do everything to aid her country, displaying the ‘Bayanihan’ movement of the Philippines. Pacquito. Referred as the Heavenly Fist, he is a fighter who dedicated his life in training his body and mind to attain an incredible strength that no one can steal. This hero was influenced by and formed from the roots of the Filipino legend and the eight-division world champion, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. Paquito was born in a tiny community in the southwest of Moniyan where you had to be strong to live and prosper. Since he was a young lad, he had only one dream: to become the strongest fighter in the world. He resembles the undying fighting spirit of the Filipinos since he showed the never say die mentality during his battles and collisions among his enemies. He faced the harsh realities of his land as he fought for justice and eradicated evilness around him. From there, he exhibited the Filipinos’ true leadership, mighty perseverance, and an endless dedication for an exquisite dream.
Pinoy Pride Glowing Within Popular Video Games
SARI-SARING LARO SA UNIBERSIDAD ni Naomi Bumal-o
Proper stance, nocking the arrow, setting the hook, establishing a bow hold, aiming, releasing, and following through—are the basic shooting skills to conquer and electrify the archery field. However, before honing these skills, various abilities should be acquired and flourished first to become a dominant and effective archer ready to soar high in the said domain. Archery is not simply drawing your bow and hitting the target with arrows. Like other sports, it also has a particular way of development or skill requirements that archers must fortify in their minds and bodies. Similar to the quiver containing the arrows, your body’s arsenal should also carry particular and significant abilities to be one of the best bowhunters that surge their way to the top, bursting the targets and tearing down their foes. The skills needed to be an efficient archer include high flexibility and upper body strength, excellent balance and coordination, great power, and tremendousArcheryagility.requires a lot of strength and power, specifically on the upper back, arms, and shoulder muscles, since these muscles do the main work in hitting the desired targets. They are responsible for making precise movements such as pulling the string, maintaining control over the draw range, and extending and stabilizing the drawing arm. Some common archers’ upper body strength exercises are bench dips, pull-ups, and push-ups.
Neon. Valorant’s 18th agent with a codename of Sprinter is a young electrifying Filipina duelist endowed with bioelectric powers, allowing her to slide back and forth with electricity and zap her foes with a glowing lightning laser. Hailing from Manila, she is bound to join the Valorant Protocol. From there, she brought representations of her culture like the walis tambo, a Gilas Pilipinas jersey, and an image of her aspin dog. Aside from her proud-to-be Pinoy items, Vanille Velasquez, a promising Filipina voice actress, was the sound behind her character. Interestingly, Ylona Garcia, a Filipina singer, brought Neon’s debut theme song, Entertain Me, to life. Neon reflects modern Filipino youth who, despite their young age, have never forgotten their roots, bearing the customs of Filipinos within their traits.
Aside from these Pinoy-inspired characters, the arrival of Filipino video games also became relevant. With creative imaginations, clever ideas, and great talents, Filipinos created and produced many games that are playable on different devices or consoles. One of these is the Bayani, a fighting game set in a post-apocalyptic Philippines with super-powered Pinoy characters. The next game is the Maharlika Mobile, a Call of Duty-style multiplayer first-person shooting game with locations across our nation. Another is the highly anticipated Balete City, an indie role-playing game based on Filipino folklore. This game will revive the presence of Philippine mythical creatures— aswangs, kapres, bakunawa, tianaks, and siokoys, among others. Filipinos are truly remarkable in various ways, from being shards of video games, making their presence felt in the esports landscape, to becoming developers of Pinoy- based online games. On top of that, we should be grateful that Filipino representations in these games are escalating rapidly and becoming more popular. The reason is that international developers acknowledge the tenacity, boldness, patriotism, and burning passion. Pinoy appearance in these video games will leave a notable mark in history, and it will always be a significant fragment of our national heritage.
Deo John Rosario ILLUSTRATION Naomi Bumal-o Deo John Rosario ILLUSTRATION Jonekah Catadman From bagging championship in Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) 2, securing title reigns in Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB), and popularizing the signature adobo and ‘otso- otso’ buffs in Valorant- all made on international tournaments. These accomplishments are fragments of the rise of the esports scene in the Philippines as the Filipinos showcased their love and support for various video games worldwide, propelling and fortifying the country’s trace and legacy on the international stage. As many Pinoys were thrilled to bits and appreciated these games, numerous Filipino representations emerged, boosting the excitement of the players in the country as different developers made the Philippines a breeding ground for Filipino characters or heroes in some of the popular video games. Besides Talim of Namco Bandai’s Soul Calibur II, released in 2002, other online playable characters also possess the heart and heritage of mighty Filipinos, such as Neon of Valorant, Lapu- Lapu and Paquito from MLBB, and Tekken 7’s very own Josie Rizal.
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