Philippine Collegian Tomo 90 Issue 16

7/30/2019 Philippine Collegian Tomo 90 Issue 16

1/12

Opisyal na lingguhangpahayagan ng mgamag-aaral ng Unibersidadng Pilipinas - Diliman

Tomo 90, Blg. 16Nobyembre 14, 2012

Survival of the FittesREGISTRATION WOES AND THE STFA

IN THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SEMESTE

UP STUDENTS ENDURE LONG LINES AND T

LABORIOUS PROCESSES OF CLASS ENLISTMENT AN

TUITION PAYMENT. ENROLMENT THIS SEMESTER

NO EXCEPTION. AS BOTH SYSTEMIC AN

PROCEDURAL ISSUES CONTINUE TO HOUN

UPS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

MAKING IT INTO THE OFFICIAL CLA

LISTS OF THE NATIONS PREMI

STATE UNIVERSITY SEE

TO BECOME MORE AN

MORE DIFFI CU

Balita


2/12

ideal arrangement, the US merelysecures its current politicalhegemony through militarymight and neo-liberal economicpolicies. In this setup, third-world economies such as ourswaste awaywhile superpowerslike the US continue reaping thewealth o other nations.

Amid brewing discontentcaused by his administrationsailure to eect relevant andgenuine change in the lives othe Filipino people, PresidentBenigno Aquino III sees a policyo subservience to US interests anecessary exchange or politicaland economic support.

With the government turninga blind eye as the US continuesto pollute our shores with unairtrade and deense agreements,the people will not simply standand watch. The collective orcethat has once eectively uprootedthe military bases in the countrywill once again rise to cleansethe countrys sovereignty romthe flth o its neocolonial chains.

Punong Patnugo

Kapatnugot

Panauhing Patnu

Patnugot sa Latha

Patnugot sa Grap

Mga Kawani

Tagapamahala ng

Sirkulasyon

We can allow our

experience vicari

smoothness o th

but can not and s

pin our hopes on

come. Nothing in

dential election a

o anything; not i

and not in the ut

TOXIC AFFAIRS

Mga Katuwang na

Pinansya

Editors

Notes

As the Ph

celebrates its 90th ye

rom prized editorials

defne the publication

critical and earless jo

Pamuhatan Silid 4

Vinzons, Unibersid

Diliman, Lungsod Q

Telefax 981-8500

Email kule1213@g

Website philippine

Kasapi Solidaridad

Alliance o Student

and Writers Organ

College Editors Gu

o the Philippines

Ukol sa Pabalat

Dibuho ni Ysa Ca

BIG DEAL

On the 1992

US presidential e

Pablo John F. Ga

13 November

A FOUL OFFENSE HAS DOCKEDon our shores, its odor remindingus that the century-long toxicrelation between the UnitedStates and Philippines mustbe terminated to redeem thepeoples dignity and our nationssovereignty.

In Subic Bay, once the host o

tactically positioned militarybases o the United States,Philippine (PH) authoritiescaught vessels owned by GlennMarine Deense Asia (GMDA),a US-based private militarycontractor, lacking pertinentpermits and documents necessaryto operate in the country. Worse,the said vessels were ound tohave violated two environmentallaws or carrying withoutpermission 50, 000 gallonso domestic wastes and 200gallons bilge water withinPhilippine territory.

Instead o heeding authorities,GMDA, which was spottedcollecting the contraband wastesrom a US navy ship in Subic Bay,

invoked the controversial VisitingForces Agreement (VFA) to shielditsel rom any criminal liability.Both the US and Philippinegovernments later rejectedGDMAs claims, arguing thatthe private contractor wasa third party, and thus notcovered by VFA.

The stench o disrespect, oblunt ignorance o nationalboundaries, cannot be masked.

Yet, the Aquino administrationmanaged to do the unthinkable:a complete dismissal o USgovernment liability and negligenceo the act that the contrabandwastes came rom US navy ships.

The case in Subic Bay provesthe PH governments culpabilityin reinorcing the countrys

subservience to US interests.In the recent case, the Aquinoadministration readily acquittedthe US government o liabilityand wholly blamed the GDMA,and immediately watered downthe insult done to our nationalterritory by embracing theexcuse that the dumped substanceswere household wastes. Certainly,Aquinos words and actionsonly betray his real loyaltyto the superpower, not to theFilipino people.

While the government kept onplaying the role o a US pawn,the Filipino people consistentlycondemned blatant US interventionin local aairs. Pressured by themounting public clamor to close

down military bases in the country,the Senate abrogated the US-PHmilitary bases treaty in 1991.Unortunately, less than adecade ater, Senate ratifedthe VFA, and thus signaled thereturn o American troops tothe country.

The VFA has resulted to variousincidents that have trampledPH sovereignty. In 2009, LanceCorporal Daniel Smith, who was

convicted o raping a Filipinain Subic, was released by PHcourts and allowed to returnto his country. This incidentestablished the special treatmentaccorded to US military throughthe VFA. The 12-year militaryagreement has also allowedcountless human rights violations

committed by American soldiersto prevail in the countrysidewith impunity.

And so, while America andthe champions o the ree marketare intoxicated with the reelectiono President Barack Obama, thePhilippines gets dumped withtoxic wastes rom the worldswaning superpowera fttingscenario, considering the tumultuoushistory o US-PH relations.

The relationship between USand PH is a history o subjugation,a series o uneven relationswhere the PH harbors dirt at thesuperpowers willwithout evenraising a pretense o protest. Itis this history orged by unairpolicies that predicts how Obamas

extension in power wouldimpact US-PH relations. TheFilipinos could not expect changeat the hands o Obama, not whenhe adheres to the same oreignpolicy designed to maintainUS hegemony.

The US has always sought toperpetrate and even assert itsdominance at the expense o thepeoples o other countries. Bypresenting the status quo as an


3/12

NEW POLICIES ON THE SOCIALIZEDTuition Financial AssistanceProgram (STFAP) and stricterimplementation o existing ruleshave caused several registrationand payment issues this enrolment.

Even with constant eorts toreview and revise the STFAP, the

system itsel has inevitably causedproblems, said Student RegentCleve Arguelles.

[Based on] policy studies, as wellas direct surveys and inputs romthe students, the STFAP has ailedto meet its objective o fnanciallyaiding and assisting the studentsto cope with the high cost o UPeducation, Arguelles said.

The STFAP is a system whichcategorizes students into bracketswhich determine their capacityto pay tuition based onsocio-economic indicators, such asamily income. Only undergraduate,law, and medicine students canapply or STFAP.

Delayed STFAP results

Following the June 5 memo-randum on Bracket B certifcation(BBC), students who have not appliedor STFAP are placed, by deault,under Bracket A and thus have topay P1,500 per unit.

Nadine, a BS Math reshmanwho requested anonymity, wasone o those automaticallyclassifed under Bracket A. She thensubmitted her STFAP applicationor Bracket D on May 30, the deadlineor the second batch o STFAPresults. However, she was assignedto Bracket B only on the releaseo the ourth batch o results onSeptember 15.

Bracket results are usuallyreleased a month ater the deadlineor applications. While applicants

wait or the results, some chooseto apply or BBC temporarily andpay P1,000 per unit under the saidbracket, according to the Ofceo Scholarships and StudentServices (OSSS).

Nadine has since submitted anappeal to be reassigned to BracketD, but she had to apply or a loanto be able to pay her ull Bracket Btuition or the meantime.

With the two-month delay inthe release o the ourth batcho STFAP results, students whoare unsatisfed with their bracketassignments had barely a month tosubmit appeals or lower bracketingto the University Committeeon Scholarships and FinancialAssistance (UCSFA).

Composed o university ofcials,administrative sta, and studentleaders rom all UP units, theUCSFA only meets every othermonth. During their Octobermeeting, only 88 cases, or less than25 percent o the total 375 appeals,were deliberated, according tothe OSSS.

The UCSFA will convene again,tentatively, in January, accordingto the OSSS. Currently, theeight-member sta o the OSSSis conducting house visits orstudents with pending appeals.

Unlike the previous years, theOSSS has also decided not toaccept new STFAP applicationsduring the second semester. Thiswas done to encourage students tosubmit applications during the frstsemester, so that appeals could beprocessed during the second se-

mester, OSSS Administrative StaJocelyn Aberin said.

Student loans, refundsFor the current semester,

1,700 students have appliedor loans, as o November 12,according to the OSSS. To payor tuition, students can availo loans ater accomplishinga orm with parents or guardians asco-debtors.

Last year, two in every three,or 2,345 o the total 3,364 STFAPapplicants, also applied or loans.Ater the release o the fnal bracketassignments, any over-assessedtuition amount is deducted roma students loan, said ormer OSSSofcer-in-charge Richard Gonzalo.

However, some students weretagged as ineligible to enrol dueto unpaid loans in the OSSS. Theineligibility was eventually lited,but these students still could notapply or new loans until theirexisting loans have been settled.

Meanwhile, the Ofce o theUniversity Registrar (OUR) did notprocess reund requests duringthe enrolment period to ocusoperations on registration transactions,explained University RegistrarEvangeline Amor.

Inherently problematicIn response to issues raised

against STFAP, the UCSFA is againplanning to review the STFAP.However, no concrete plans havebeen set as committee discussionsare still ongoing, said Vice Chancelloror Student Aairs (VCSA) MariaCorazon Tan.

Education has becomeunaordable, and [the] STFAP andthe loan[s] have not proved to beuseul, said UP Diliman UniversityStudent Council Vice ChairAlex Castro.

The student regent alsomaintained that UPs fnancialassistance programs are only band-aidsolutions to the perennial problem othe high cost o UP education. Inthe long run, UP must understandthat policies such as STFAP andother income-generating schemesft into the long-standing policy othe government to abandon their

responsibility to provide higherstate subsidy, Arguelles explainedin a statement.

In the end, the UP communitymust consider enacting moresystemic changes in its policies inorder to concretely address theissues o democratic access but itshould be done within the rame odemanding greater state support toUP; not through increased studentees in whatever orm or guise,he added.

10,000S T U D E N T S

3,284STUDENTS

4,880STUDENTS

PAY

P 22,500PAY

P 15,000PAY A MAX OF

P 9,000FOR 15 UNITS

(P1,500/UNIT)

FOR 15 UNITS

(P1,000/UNIT)

FOR 15 UNITS

FAMILY EARNS

OVER P1M

ANNUALLY

FAMILY EARNS

P500,000 P1M

ANNUALLY

FAMILY EARNS

LOWER THAN

P500,000

ANNUALLYS E L F - D E C L A R E D

BRACKET A STATUS

TO COLLEGE/OUR

S U B M I T T E D

B R A C K E T B

CERTIFICATION

DID NOT APPLY FORLOWER BRACKETS

H A S A P E N D I N GBRACKET ASSIGNMENT

FOREIGN STUDENT

SECOND DEGREE

ProblemsSolutionsAN

D

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF

SEVEN REGISTRATION ISSUES

COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED

BY UP STUDENTS THIS

SEMESTER AND HOW THEY

CAN WORK THEIR WAY

OUT OF THESE ISSUES

GIVEN THE CURRENT

POLICIES OF THE

OUR ANDTHE OSSS

Common

Registration

1. Tuition refund requests

not processed by OUR

Solution: Submit reund

request when normal

operations resume on

November 12.

2. Rebracketed from B to A

Solution: Submit a letter to the OSSS stating the

reason or not completing requirements and

attach the missing documents on or beore

Nov. 16. I approved, you will be reassigned

to Bracket B.

3. Pending appeals

Solution: To pay or tuition, apply

or loans. Even i the nal bracket

assignment will be released near t

end o the year, reund reimburse

ments will still be applicable.

4. Closed STFAP

applications

Solution: To pay or

tuition, apply or loans. The

deadline or the 1st batch

o applications or next yearwill be at the end o March.

5. Unpaid loans,

ineligible to enrol

Solution: Write a promis-

sory note to the Ofce o

the VCSA speciying the

expected date o ull pay-

ment. I approved, you will

be tagged as temporarily

eligible to enroll but cannot

apply or a new loan until

the existing, unpaid loan

has been settled.

6. Ineligibletoenlist

status

Solution: Complete

ineligibilities on grades,

loans or tuition payment.

7. Unable to pay for tuition

and unable to get a loan

Solution: Write a letter

addressed to OUR requesting

or an extension or payment.

Otherwise, le or leave o

absence (P150) or residency

(at least P2,000 or

miscellaneous ees).

STFAP Brackets: Who gets into which bracket and why

**

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

maximum estimaterom the OSSSas o November 9, 2012

estimated rom(qualifed STFAP applica (bracket A, C, D, E)

as o October 9, 2012

Sources: OSSS, OUR

Survival of the FittestREGISTRATION WOES AND THE STFAP


4/12

http://www.philippinecollegian

THE OFFICE OF THE STUDENT

Regent (OSR) has called on the UP

Manila (UPM) administration to

stop the implementation o an

October 23 memorandum which

bars UPM students who ail topay or their tuition on time rom

attending their enlisted classes.

The UPM Ofce o the Vice

Chancellor or Academic Aairs

(OVCAA) released the memo-

randum in accordance to Article

330 o the 1975 University Code,

which specifes that no student

who has not duly matriculated

shall be admitted to classes.

The deadline o tuition

payment in UPM or the second

semester was initially set on

November 16, a week ater theopening o classes on November

10. The regular registration ran

rom November 5 to 9.

With the OVCAAs memo-

randum in place, a number o

students were orced to fle their

leave o absence (LOA), because

they could not meet the payment

Scrap no late payment polic

in UPMSRdeadline, said SR Cleve Kevin

Robert Arguelles, who is also a

UPM student.

As per university rules,

students who are not ofcially

enrolled will be considered onabsence without leave (AWOL),

unless they apply or LOA. Stu-

dents on AWOL are not allowed

to enrol in the ollowing semes-

ter until they ulfll readmission

requirements.

[We] are adhering to the Uni-

versity Code [which] is very clear

lenient in impleme

provide students gre

education, said Argu

In UP Diliman

instance, 336 st

ailed to pay or beore the deadline

purged rom their

middle o the frst

academic year 201

the Ofce o the Un

istrar also impleme

matriculation rule

Executive Commit

eventually allowed

tuition until the last d

The base tuit

university is pegge

or a 15-unit credit

almost twice the P9,1

average cost o

semester. An aver

students apply or

in UPD every semon 2001 to 2011 d

Ofce o Scholarsh

dent Services.

The inability o

pay or their tuition

their dependence on

and other fnanci

programs manie

has become inac

to the high cost o

Arguelles. The uni

then roll back

he added.

KINUNDENA NG MGA MAGULANG

ng dalawang nawawalang es-

tudyante ng UP Diliman (UPD)

na sina Karen Empeo at Sherlyn

Cadapan ang petisyon ng depensa

na itigil ang paglilitis laban kina

Ret. Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan

at tatlo pang akusadong opisyalng militar.

Sa petisyong ipinasa noong

Oktubre 24 sa Court o Appeals,

iginiit ng mga abogado ni Palparan

at M. Sgt. Rizal Hilario na hindi

umano binigyan ng pagkakataong

magbigay ng sariling ebidensya

ang mga nasasakdal sa paunang

imbestigasyong isinigawa ng

korte para sa mga kasong rape,

serious physical injuries, at

arbitrary detention.

Nagsasaliksik sina Karen at

Sherlyn noong 2006 ukol sa

kalagayan ng mga magsasaka sa

Hagonoy, Bulacan nang dukutin

sila ng mga hinihinalang ahente

ng militar. Makalipas ang anim

na taon, hindi pa rin tiyak ang

kinaroroonan ng dalawa.Kasalukuyang nakapiit sa Fort

Boniacio Custodial Center ang

dalawa pang akusado na sina Col.

Felipe Anotado Jr. at Sta Sgt.

Edgar Osorio, samantalang hindi

pa rin nahuhuli ng mga awtoridad

sina Palparan at Hilario.

Kung tunay na walang sala

si Palparan, dapat umanong

sumuko na lamang ang dating

heneral, ani Concepcion Empeo.

Humarap siya sa korte, kung wala

talaga siyang kasalanan, aniya.

Habang iginigiit ni Palparan na

karapatan niyang ipagtanggol ang

sarili sa mga kasong nakasam-

pa laban sa kanya, tumatanggi

naman siyang magpasailalim sa

batas, ani Atty. Edre Olalia, pang-

kalahatang kalihim ng NationalUnion or Peoples Lawyers.

Ibinasura ng korte noong Abril

ang nauna nang petisyon nina

Palparan at Hilario na ihinto ang

paglilitis at bawiin ang arrest

warrant laban sa kanila.

Cross-examination

Samantala, sa huling pagdinig

ng kaso na ginanap sa Malo-

los Regional Trial Court (RTC)

noong Oktubre 29, muling hu-

marap sa korte ang testigong si

Raymond Manalo upang sagutin

ang mga tanong ng mga abogado

ng depensa.

Ipinasalaysay muli kay Manalo

ni Atty. Abner Torres, isa sa mga

abogado ng depensa, kung paano

siya dinukot ng mga hinihinalang

ahente ng militar noong Pebrero

2006, at kung paano niya nasak-sihang pahirapan sina Karen at

Sherlyn na naging kapwa bilang-

go sa Camp Tecson, San Miguel,

Bulacan, noong Agosto 2006.

Matapos ang 18 buwang

pagkakadakip sa ilalim ng mili-

tar, nakatakas si Manalo noong

Agosto 2007, habang naiwan

naman sa isang sae house sa

Zambales sina Karen at Sherlyn.

Sa ginawang cross-examination

ng depensa kay Manalo, lumala-

bas na pinapahaba lamang ng mga

Palparan at isa pang akusado, nagpetisyon

itigil ang paglilitis sa kaso nina Karen at Sh

on the matter o matriculation,

said UPM VCAA Marie Josephine

De Luna.

UPM is one o the seven

constituent universities o the

UP System. The Manila-basedcampus admits close to 900

reshmen annually to its 31 un-

dergraduate and 24 graduate

programs, mostly in the felds o

medical sciences.

Through an October 30 letter,

Arguelles requested that the UP

administration allow students to

pay tuition beyond the November

16 deadline. However, the OVCAA

only extended the deadline o

payment to November 23.

The SR then submitted a

second appeal to the OVCAA on

November 7 to urther extend

the deadline o payment to

accommodate more students.

Students who are experi-encing fnancial difculties are

advised to avail o fnancial

assistance provided by the university,

read the memorandum.

Students who will still be

aected by the memorandum

are advised to make their in-

dividual appeals to the UPM

administration so [their] specifc

situation can be evaluated, said

UP President Alredo Pascual.

On the other hand, the

university administration can be

abogado ng depensa

sa kaso upang m

pagbuo ng desisyon

Gng. Cadapan.

[T]he deense t

credit [Manalos] te

destroy his credibilit

Manalo was able[his story], paliwa

Julian Oliva, abugad

at Sherlyn.

Itutuloy ang ikal

ng pagcross-examin

sa paglilitis sa Nob

Malolos RTC. Sana

nila Palparan] ang b

sa kung anu-ano pa

[nila] para mapaba

Humarap siya sa ta

talaga siyang kasala

Empeo, ina ni Kare

CALL FOR SAFETY. In observance o the Mine Saety Week, environment, church, indigenous peoples and labor

groups stage a lie-in protest at the national ofce o the Department o Environment and Natural Resources on

November 13. The group called or the passage o the HB 4315 or the Peoples Mining Bill that promotes anenvironment riendly mining industry.


5/12

WITHOUT INSERTING SIGNIFICANT

amendments, the House o

Representatives (HOR) approved

on third and nal reading the

P2-trillion national budget or

2013, which several progressivegroups criticize as an election

budget.

On October 15, 196 members

o HOR voted or the approval o

House Bill No. 6455 or the Gen-

eral Appropriations Bill, which

the 2013 National Expenditure

Program (NEP) prepared

by the Oce o the President

through the Department o

Budget and Management.

The administration programmed

the budget to boost the popular-

ity o the Liberal Party among

local politicians and voters or

the 2013 elections, according to

multi-sectoral group Bagong

Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).The House approved P156.9

billion or the operations and

on the other hand, are set to

receive P32.77 billion in direct

appropriations, which is only

60 percent o the P54.61-billion

budget needed by these higher

education institutions. The UPSystem will receive P9.5 billion

next year or 60 percent o the

P18.4 billion proposed by the

university administration.

For health services, the House

approved P50.1 billion, or roughly

P529 or every Filipino or 2013.

O the health budget, P32.8 billion

was earmarked or the Aquino

administrations fagship health

program Universal Health Care.

The 2013 national budget

is clearly an election budget.

Oces under the leadership o

THE STUDENTS HAVE SPOKEN.

Majority o the UP Dilimans

(UPD) student body, or 13,209

out o a total o 24,884 students,

signed the Philippine Collegians

petition to adjust the student

publication ee rom P40 to P72

every semester.Projected to be sustainable

or at least the next ten years,

the adjustment will allow the 90

year-old student institution to

secure enough unds to continue

publishing 32 issues every year

and 15,000 copies every week.

In compliance with the Board

o Regents (BOR) resolution on

miscellaneous ee increase im-

plementation, the Collegian edito-

rial board is set to consult with the

Oce o the Student Regent (OSR)

and the UPD University Student

Council (USC) within the month.

The Collegian will then present

the nal proposal, results o the

programs o the Department

o Public Works and Highways,

P91.1 billion or the Department

o the Interior and Local Govern-

ment, and the P56.3 billion or the

Department o Social Welareand Development, which include

P44 billion or conditional cash

transers under the governments

poverty alleviation program.

Highly contested appropria-

tions including P371 billion or

the Special Purpose Fund and

the P117.5 billion unprogrammed

unds were also retained in the

House version o the national

budget. Social Watch Philippines

(SWP), a non-government organ-

ization advocating or poverty

eradication and gender justice,

has raised concern on the lump

sum unds as these could be used

as the president pleases.

The House inserted onlytwo amendments in the budget

bill. The HOR allowed the use

o the P24.89-billion budget

or the Priority Development

Assistance Fund, or pork bar-

rel, or the training o barangay

ocials at the Development

Academy o the Philippines.The House also allocated P22

billion or the Priority Social

and Economic Projects Fund

(PSEPF) o government agencies.

The PSEPF is a lump sum o

allocations or special projects

proposed by particular govern-

ment agencies including the

DPWH and DSWD.

Meanwhile, the Department o

Education (DepEd) will still receive

the highest budget among other

agencies as the HOR approved 292.7

billion or the department.

For the implementation o the

K to 12 program alone, however,

DepEd already needs P334 billion

or next year.The countrys 110 state

universities and colleges (SUCs),

More than half of UPD students

OK Kul budget increase

petition, and support statements

rom the OSR, UPD USC, and

local college student councils

(SCs) to UPD Chancellor Caesar

Saloma who will then endorse

it to the BOR, the universitys

highest decision-making body.

I approved by the BOR in itsJanuary 2013 meeting, the P72

student publication ee will apply

starting the summer term regis-

tration o the current school year.

The Collegian sta initially

projected the new student publi-

cation ee to take eect starting

this semester but was unable to

submit the necessary documents

to the administration, as the

BOR resolved not to convene in

November and consequent-

ly meet only once every two

months starting September.

Launched in February this

year, the budget campaign aimed

to address the Collegians average

annual decit o P230,000 caused

by the declining real value o the

current P40 student publication

ee amidst rising operational costs.

Survey saysMeanwhile, in a stratied ran-

dom sampling survey conducted

by the Collegian in September,870 out o the total 997 UPD student

respondents, or 87.3 percent, said

they agree with the proposed ee

adjustment. The respondents were

grouped into six main academic

groups, each with a number o

respondents based proportionally

on its respective student population.

Meanwhile, 821 out o a total

997 UPD student respondents, or

82.3 percent, said they read the

Collegian, while 905 out o total

980 respondents, or 92.3 percent,

said the student publication is

relevant in their university lie.

(see sidebar for other survey results)

Several college SCs also

pledged support or the Colle-

gians petition during consulta-

tions held early this year.

Bilang mga alagad ng me-

dia, ang [College o Mass

Communication (CMC) SC]

ay susuporta sa Collegian upang

pinal [nang] maisaapruba itong

panukalang budget increase, said

CMC CSC Chair Mario Urrutia III.

The approval o the budget

campaign will help students

rom all elds to make decisions

based on inormation about

current events in UP and in t

country, said National Colle

o Public Administrati

SC Chair Theresa Carlos.

Armed with overwhelm

ing support rom its publis

ers, the students, the Collegi

condently takes the challen

to continue its 90-year traditi

o critical and earless camp

journalism, said Collegian edit

in-chie Ma. Katherine Elona.

FLICKERING HOPES.

A man lights a candle

at Mendiola on the evof the November 13

hearing of the House

of Representatives

Committee on Public

Information on the

Freedom of Informat

(FOI) Act. With only

30 working days left

before the Congress

adjourns this year, civ

society groups call fo

lawmakers to prioritiz

the passage of the FO

bill that will forward

accountability and

transparency through

the disclosure of

public documents.

the Presidents political allies w

be getting bigger chunks o

budget [at the] expense o soc

services, said UP Student Rege

Cleve Robert Arguelles.

The national budget or 2013currently being deliberated in t

Senate Committee o Finan

The Senate is set to pass

version by December, s

Senator Franklin Drilon, head

the Committee o Finance.

A bicameral conerence, co

posed o representatives ro

both chambers o Congre

will then convene to reconc

dierences on the bill beore t

President signs it into law.

House passes 2013 natl budget

without major changes

Collegian Readership (in UPD)

Out o 997 valid survey

respondents, 821 say they read the

Collegian in print or online.

Collegians Relevance to UP Life

Out o 980 valid respondents,

905 students say the Collegian is

relevant to their UP lie.

Collegians Readership Ratings

Survey respond-

ents gave the Col-

legian an average

rating o 3.71 out o 5

or its website, 4.0 or

layout design, 4.07 or

content and 4.16 or

overall quality.

Relevant

Not relevant

905 students

75 students

Support for Collegians Budget Initiative

Out o 997 valid survey respondents, 870 s

they agree to adjusting the student publicat

ee rom Php 40 to Php 72 each semester.

87.26%


6/12

IT WAS THE FIRST THUNDER-

STORM OF MAY.

The Festival o Elections starts

at sundown. The towns name,

once carved on its mosscovered

entrance arch, has aded through

out years o neglect. Town roads

were decorated with small, col

ourul ags in an attempt to

make the Festival appear merry.

The town has barangays marked

by entrance stoneslike grave

stonesthat are draped with

Have a Merry Festival! banners.A barangay at the central plains

is enclosed in a wall o bladed

traps to cut o the eet o arm

ers trying to run away rom their

hooded landlord. Another baran

gay is peopled by women whose

hearts are ripped o their chests

at a very young age, replaced by

artifcial ones; they are trained

since childhood to be prostitutes

sold to oreigners the Pacifc

brings. Nearby is another baran

gay o malnourished children

that stopped growing at the

age o twelve. The rest o

the twelve barangays

live under the

same destitution, all people

bareoot under

the harsh sun.

An old man walks bare

oot along the dusty

streets o the town,

while the people all

into silence at the

sight o a hooded

orm behind

the tinted

windows

o a pass

ing car. Long have si

lence and a hooded man

been the mayor o this seaside

town.

In whispered conversations,the townspeople share the same

disgust over the politics o the

hooded men. However, they are

ully aware o their powerless

ness. Out o ear, nobody dares

touch the thinnest thread o the

hood to uncover their aces.

The shadowed aces beneath

the hoods evoke ear and

mystery among people

who knew only how to

secretly wonder. How

have the aces changed

ater years o being shadowed

behind hoods? Have they all ac

quired the same ace? Has the

hood already turned out to be

their ace?A century ago, a heavy typhoon

devastated the town. It continued

or a month, destroying the crops.

In exchange or the downpour

to end, their mayor made a pact

with the towns sun god. He sur

rendered himsel to anonym

ity and covered his ace with a

black hood. The torrential rains

stopped.

A tradition o gloriying the

hood persisted through the

yearsa aceless m

ing himsel to ano

vice. However, ele

elt the suocating

hood, sharing it to a

advantage o its pow

ly, they began stealin

the barangays they r

A deluge o such

never happened ag

sun shone unusu

making it harder or

townspeople to til

crops they would evrender to the hood.

But on the day o

the sun hid behind d

As the old ma

House, he sees the

voters rom aar. Ju

at the town hall, h

surrender his harve

ofcials as people lin

theirs. Struck

witnessed,

ple did the

There wer

ever, wh

up, too rig

against the

The F

menced aso rain hit the b

bareooted town

the metal gates o t

are usually closed t

a dead dog lay at t

entrance arch, its

easted on by worm

cook was roasting do

gaudy A Happy Fes

banners hung in d

everywhere.

The old mantr

townspeoplewas t

who witnessed the

o seless servic

hood only as a

power.

With or hood, we

ing, he

himsel. He

ward, and d

or a seat i

The s

ied as th

cast their

structiv

major

Every

in the

the so

der. Y

artiicial

children, and

antsall o them po

commotion.In the darkness,

fgures stealthily ab

Balay amid shouts a

terror.

Storm clouds ob

sunrise.

At the entrance a

dog was gone, was

the previous nights

replaced by the dea

old man, soon to be

worms.


7/12

Sa tunay na buhay

NAKATUTOK ANG MARAMI

sa pagbabalik-telebisyon ng

Primetime Princess na si Kim

Chiu at ng Two-time Best

Actress na si Maja Salvador.

Pagsapit ng 8:30 ng gabi,

kinikilig ang magkakaibigan

sa mga ngiti nina Enchong

Dee at Xian Lim, habang

nagpipigil naman ng luha ang

mga nanay sa mabibigat na linya

nina Cherry Pie Picache at Janice

de Belen.

Ang Ina, Kapatid, Anak

ang pinakabagong handog ngABS-CBN Primetime Bida.

Sinusundan nito ang tipikal

na kuwento ng isang anak na

nawalay sa kanyang mga

magulang at nakipagsapalaran

sa Maynila upang makapag-

aral sa UP at balang araw

ay makaahon sa kahirapan.

Mainit na pinag-uusapan ang

nasabing teleserye, lalot isa ang

UP sa mga pangunahing lunan.

At sa patuloy na pagsubaybay

ng marami sa mga susunod na

tagpo,patuloy ding ikinikintal

ng Ina, Kapatid, Anak ang isang

ideyal na imahen ng UP kung

saan napagtatakpan ang ilang

realidad na tunay na humuhubogsa pamantsan.

Hiram na mukha

Bilang kilalang unibersidad,

maraming mga tagpi-tagping

pagkakakilanlan sa UP ang nasa

kamalayan ng mga Pilipino

matalino ang mga estudyante,

uso ang mga rally, tumatakbo

nang hubad ang ilang kalalakihan,

at iba pa. Sa pagsugal ng ABS-CBN

na gawing pangunahing tagpuan

ang UP, binubuksan nito ang

posibilidad na maipinta ang

isang mas buong imahen

ng unibersidad mula sa

perspektiba ng mga bidang

iskolar ng bayan.

Ngunit sa mga unang episodepa lamang ng Ina, Kapatid,

Anak, kapansin-pansin na ang

ilang maliliit na detalyeng

hindi makatotohanan sa

karanasan ng mga

isko. Ipinakitang dumadaan

ang Ikot sa Melchor Hall,

halimbawa, at tumatayo ang

mga isko sa tuwing nagre-recite

sa klase. Samantala, wala ang

mga karaniwang tagpo kagaya

ng mahahabang pila sa pagkuha ng

student loan at pag-enrol.

Itinatakda ng mga sablay na

detalyeng ito ang kabuuang

tunguhin ng teleserye na tila

malayo sa sanay mas

makabuluhang pagpapakilala

sa UP. Sa teleserye, ipinakitang

mabilis na nakapasok ang bidangsi Celyn sa UP sa kabila ng

kawalan niya ng peraisang bagay

na malayo sa karanasan ng mga

isko na naghihintay sa resulta ng

STFAP at pumipila sa student

loan ofce para lamang tunay na

mataguriang iskolar ng bayan.

Wala ring depiksyon ang

teleserye sa militantet palabang

katangian ng mga isko, walang ni

simpleng pagpasada sa banggaan

ng mga pulitikal na paniniwala

ng mga mag-aaral dito. Sa UP ng

Ina, Kapatid, Anak, nakakulong sa

mga personal na hinaing sa buhay

ang tunggalian ng mga bida. Kung

gayon, isang ideyal na bersyon

lamang ng UP ang ipinapakita ngteleserye kung saan abot-kaya

ang tuition, at hiwalay ang mga

mag-aaral sa mga krisis na

nararanasan ng bansa.

Kung may isang bagay man

na napatotohanan ang Ina,

Kapatid, Anak, ito ang unti-unting

nagbabagong oryentasyon ng

edukasyon sa UP. Sa motibasyon

pa lamang ng karakter ni

Celyn, mahihinuhang

itinataguyod ng teleserye

ang ideyang isang behikulo ang

edukasyon upang kumitat

maging maunlad ang

mga mag-aaral

balang araw. Itinatali nito ang

kaunlaran sa konsepto ng

paramihan ng yaman, at inilalayo

ang pag-aaral sa dapat na

tunguhin nito ang paglinang ng

mga kakayahan at pagkatuto.

Agawan ng yaman

Dahil isang tipikal na teleserye,

isang mahalagang elemento sa

Ina, Kapatid, Anak ang usapin

ng ugnayan ng mga pamilya. Isa

ito sa mga mapagpasya kung

paano tatakbo ang kwento; kung

walang pamilya, tila hindi buo ang

pagkatao ng isang karakter.Pawang mga tipikal na relasyon

at diskurso sa pamilya ang

inilalahad sa Ina, Kapatid, Anak.

Sa isang banda, binibigyang-diin

ng kalagayan ni Celyn ang

konsepto ng pagsisikap hindi

para sa sarili kundi sa ikauunlad

ng buhay ng pamilya. Samantala,

mayaman naman ang pamilya ni

Margauxngunit dahil ampon

siya, personal niyang suliranin

ang pagtiyak na sa kanya

mapupunta ang yaman ng

kinalakhan niyang pamilya.

mga manonood. Simula nangipalabas ito noong Oktubre,

laging pumapalo sa 20 percent

ang ratings nito patunay na

bagamat walang bagong temat

tunggaliang inilalahad ang

kuwento, tinatangkilik pa rin ito

ng mga Pilipino.

Marami sa mga nakasanayang

ormula sa kuwento ng mga

teleserye natin ngayon ang

nag-ugat sa moro-moro,

komedya at sarsuela na tanyag

noong panahon ng Espanyol,

at maging sa mga vaudeville at

pelikula na ipinakilala naman ng

mga Amerikano. Ayon sa Ameri-

kanong pop culture expert na

si John G. Cawelti, masasabing

epektibo ang isang ormulaic

na likha kapag pamilyar at

kumportable na rito ang mga

manonood o mambabasa.

Dahil paulit-ulit nang naukit sa

sensibilidad ng mga manonood

ang mga ormulaic na tema tulad

ng pagkawalay ng anak sa

magulang at pagyaman ng isang

mahirap na tauhan, nagiging

panatag na rito ang mga manonood

o mambabasa. Dahil dito, mas

madali para sa kanila na unawain

ang kuwento. At para naman mga tagalikha ng kultural

produkto, ang pamilyaridad na

ang nagbibigay-daan sa mas mabi

na produksyon ng mga ideya.

Ngunit nagreresulta ang paul

ulit na paggamit ng mga ormu

sa pagkasanay ng mga tao na hin

na suriin pa ang takbo ng kwen

[They] learn how to experien

this imaginary world witho

continually comparing it w

[their] own experiences, dagdag

Cawelti. Ito ang dahilan kung ba

epektibong paraan ng pagtakas

eskapismo, ang mga teleserye.

Kung tutuusin, hindi tungku

ng isang teleserye na magi

makatotohanan dahil isa

rin itong kathang-isip na lik

Gayunman, hindi maipagkaka

ang kakayahan nitong mapagtag

ang pagiging malikhain at pagigi

mapanuri sa mga napili

tema. Kung magpapatuloy a

pagiging ormulaic at limita

ng mga teleserye, patuloy di

masasayang ang oportunid

at saklaw ng telebisyon upa

maiangat ang kulturat kaisip

ng mga Pilipinong patuloy

tumatangkilik dito.

Labanan ngkarapatan ang isa

sa mga tagline ng

serye at pangunahing

pinatutungkulan nito ang

banggaan nina Celyn at

Margaux sa manat pag-aari

ng kanilang pamilya.

Pinatutunayan lamang nito ang

sinabi ni English-German theorist

Friedrich Engels na ang

pamilya ang pinakamaliit na

economic unit sa lipunan na

nagiging kasangkapan sa pag-abot

o pagpapanatili ng yaman at

kapangyarihan.

Tinutumbok din sa teleserye

ang mga tunggalian ng mga

pamilyang mayaman at mahirap.

Ngunit gaya ng sa iba pang

serye, hindi inuugat ng kuwento

kung paano naging mahirap o

mayaman ang mga pamilya rito.

Tila ipinalalaganap ng mga soap

opera na tanggap na realidad na

ang pagiging mahirap, at wala

nang puwang upang kuwestyunin

ang mga ugat nito.

Ngayon at kailanman

Sa kabila ng lahat, patok pa

rin ang Ina, Kapatid, Anak sa

SA LIKOD NG MGA TAGPONG PUMUPUKAW SA ATING MG

DAMDAMIN, MABABATID SA INA, KAPATID, ANAK, ANG ISAN

UP NA TALIWAS ANG KALAGAYAN SA TOTOONG BUHAY.

Ihulog ang barya/hilahin ang batutmachine/ hukayin ang bulsa/ laglagang pera ang pop machine! Alamingaano kalagkit ang langis na nagpasa makinaryang nagluluwal ng laha

jologs at sikat, at kung bakitnakakaadik sumabay sa uso, kahit pagtawanan ka pa ng mga kaibiga

Pop Machine


8/12

THE GOVERNMENT OWNS THE

largest paper business in the country.

It produces a special kind o

paper that every citizen must avail

ocial documents that unlock

certain privileges in society.

Possessing products such as a

passport, or example, allow you

to go overseas. Having a police

clearance, meanwhile, banishes any

criminal suspicion against onesel.

Such power to grant liberties

is exclusively inherent to the

government, giving it a monopoly

in the market.

Like any business, it is also

susceptible to an increase in

production costs and a decline in

projected prots. Hence, to prevent

this, President Benigno Aquino III

signed last month Administrative

Order No. 31 (AO 31), which gives

government bodies authority to

revise existing service ees or

impose new ones.

With saeguards in place, AO

31 assures the government that it

can keep its business running, and

even expand operations under the

overarching policy o turning

essential services into businesses.

Preferred strategy

The governments paper

business is simple: national

government agencies (NGAs) and

government-owned and/or

controlled corporations (GOCCs)

collect ees and charges romrendered services like processing

and issuing documents. These

collections, along with sales o

treasury bonds, and shares rom

privatization or public ventures to

sell government assets, constitute

the governments non-tax revenues

(NTR), which are remitted to the

national treasury.

In 2011, ees and charges make

up P63.1 billion or 45.7 percent o

the P138.06 billion NTR, according

to the Department o Finances

Revenue Program.

Once all revenues are remitted,

both rom taxes and NTRs, allocations

or the operation o the governments

business branches are made or theensuing year.

As such, market actors like

infation and rising costs would

eectively reduce the

value o the total

government budget as NTRs

derived rom ees and charges

become insucient. Such case

prompts the use o tax revenues

instead to ll in the devalued

amount.

To ensure the smooth operations

o NGAs and GOCCs, ees must berevised to recover costs, says Trinidad

Rodriguez, National Tax Research

Center executive director.

However, critics argue that revising

charges is not the best solution

to address the eects o infation

and rising costs to the budget.

Citing a 2011 Commission on Audit

report, Kabataan Partylist Rep.

Raymond Palatino pointed out that

inecient tax collection has drained

the government P101 billion in 2010.

Meanwhile, Department o Finance

Secretary Cesar Purisima even

estimated an even higher loss at

P250 billion annually.

Instead o increasing ees, why

not improve eciency by ensuringthat peoples taxes are put into good

use? Beore the government orders

or new ee hikes and charges, it

should rst account or all ees that

it has collected in the past years,

says Palatino.

However, data rom the 2013

Budget o Expenditures and Sources

o Financing (BESF) reveal the

Department o Budget and

Management already projects a

2-percent increase in ees and

charges collection to P69.5 billion

in 2013 rom P67.9 billion this year.

I the BESF is any indication,

then the government has shown its

clear preerence or AO 31 over any

alternative to address scal problems.

Market potentials

Several institutions have

required the paper business

products, turning it into a big

compulsory hit. Overseas employers

and college administrations have

made overseas Filipino workers

(OFW) and students requent

customers.

Beore OFWs can work abroad,

they have to acquire several

government documents (see

sidebar). OFW welare advocate

Migrante International estimates

that an OFW must spend at least

P25,367 or government documents

to be able to work abroad.

Meanwhile, UP students

especially those applying or the

Socialized Tuition and Financial

Assistance Program (STFAP),

also need to retrieve certain

government documents.

Indeed, people are compelled

to patronize the

governments paper

76 signatures (as document

certifcation)

Philippine Overseas Employment

Administration ee

Mandatory insurance coverage

E-passport ee

Philhealth

Overseas Worker Welare

Administration ee

Pag-IBIG mandatory contribution

P7,600

P7,500

P6,192

P1,200

P1,200

P1,075

P600

ITEM NEEDED

ITEM NEEDED

Birth certifcate

Parents employment certifcate

Statement o assets and liabilities

Certifcation o assets and liabilities

Certifcate o indigency

Certifcate o tax declaration and

real properties

Birth certifcate

Parents employment certifcate

P140-P250

rate varies

P1-P4/ page

P15-P20

P0-P20

P 3 0 - P 7 5

P140-P250

rate varies

Sidebar: Shopping list

Servic

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.

OFWS

Students

business or vario

However, accomplish

is a daunting task

the present living

most Filipinos.

At present, Filipin

it expensive to sec

government docum

more i governm

increase charges? as

In Metro Manil

minimum cost o livin

o ve amounts to P9

the National Wages an

Commission. Indepen

IBON Foundation,

hand, estimates an

amount at P1,017. M

daily minimum wage

the National Capital

rom P424 to P446

earn much lower.

Clearly, as the

ordinary citizen e

living lags behind it

the governments pro

unaordable as it al

implementing AO

aggravate the situatio

Double whammy

Over the years, var

orders and memoran

mandating rationali

and charges like AO

released to boost N

more room or the g

pursue other program

Failing to recover

strain the budget o

pursuits, explains Ro

In the 2012 nat

some seemingly m

programs are Aq

debated anti-pove

Conditional Cash

debt servicing cos

and P333.1 billion,

Meanwhile, services a

with ees and charge

less. OFW legal servic

are only given P100 m

Clearly, the govern

its burden because

other programs in its

little or services ac

by the people, says G

secretary-general o

group Migrante InterAs the governmen

services to become

NTRs, it assumes t

business, as it is orc

or services already

taxes. With AO 31 in p

are orced to becom

customers, held hosta

in bureaucratic proce

deeper holes in their p


9/12

GUNSHOTS BROKE THE EARLYmorning peace o Kiblawan, Davaodel Sur on October 18, 2012.

Without warning, the 27thInantry Battalion o the ArmedForced o the Philippines (AFP)rammed gunre on the hut oDaguil Capion, a New PeoplesArmy (NPA) sympathizer, butmissed him. What the military didhit, however, were unnecessarycivilian casualties: Capions pregnantwie Juvy, and two o his our children.

The Capion residence, ater themassacre, resembled a slaughterhousecomplete with detached limbs,open skulls, and splatters o bloodand brain.

Public condemnation orced theAFP to apologize hal-heartedly,

justiying their actions by sayingthat they were ater Daguil Capion,not his amily as i a dierentoutcome would have justiedtheir inhumane actions. Althoughthe soldiers who massacred theCapions aced court martial, theproceedings have been delayedindenitely, much to the dismay oCapions relatives.

For joining the struggle o theBlaan tribe in deending theirancestral lands against the intrusiono multinational mining companyXstrama-SMI, Capion was tagged

as a communist rebel, an accusationthat cost him his amily.

The harsh case o theCapions vividly illustrates theinherent dangers o red-tagging,a pronouncement as good as adeath sentence.

The victimRed-tagging reers to the

act o publicly accusing peopleas members o armed rebelmovements like the CommunistParty o the Philippines (CPP)-NPA.Legal activists and progressiveindividuals who campaign or thelegitimate interests o marginalizedsectorslike the Blaans in Capions

caseare the requent victims ored-tagging.

During the Arroyo administration,the bloody counterinsurgency planOplan Bantay Laya (OBL) practicallyinstitutionalized red-baiting whenit tagged organizations critical ogovernment policies like BagongAlyansang Makabayan, KilusangMayo Uno, and its allied party listsas communist ronts.

OBL eectively blurred anydistinction between legal activistsand armed rebels, a policy widelycriticized by local and internationalhuman rights (HR) groups, and evenPhilip Alston, United Nations specialrapporteur on extrajudicial,summary, or arbitrary executions.OBL, human rights organization

Karapatan asserts, is responsible

or the 1,205 reported cases oextrajudicial killings committedduring Arroyos regime.

UP constituents are no strangersto red-tagging, especially those whoespouse political belies perceivedas threats to the establishment. UPDiliman students Karen Empeoand Sherlyn Cadapan, who wereconducting research on thecondition o armers in Hagonoy,Bulacan or academic requirements,ell victims to red-tagging, andhave joined the ranks o countlessvictims o enorced disappearance.

Among the recent cases oUP-related red-tagging includethe separate cases o harassmentagainst social work students romUPD, and development studiesmajors rom UP Manila, wholike Karen and Sherlyn, weremerely doing their eld work inar-fung communities.

Tuwing tinutukoy ng mgamilitar na communist ang isangtao, its as i may right sila naipapatay yan, says KarapatanSecretary-general Cristina Palabay.Under the current system, meresuspicion o being a communistalready warrants abductionsand other orms o human rightsviolations, she adds.

Currently, there is no law

criminalizing membership in

communist organizations likethe CPP-NPA, as Republic Act 1700or the Anti-Subversion Law wasalready repealed in 1992.

Internationally, espousingcommunist ideologies does notmerit any sanction or punishment.The perpetration o red-taggingsurmises that being a communistis evil, which is wrong, says JigsClamor, national coordinator oanti-enorced disappearancesorganization Selda.

There is widespread belie thata true accusation is an acceptableone, a mindset HR advocatesstrongly oppose. HR advocatesinsist the accusation true or not still carry the dangers perceivedwith being a communist, such asthe AFP taking the law upon theirown hands and executing peoplethey suspect are communists.

Hence, beside the clear threat tosecurity and the absence o legalgrounding, lies the inconveniencebrought by red-baiting to theperson taggedstigma comingrom the socio-cultural meaningsattached to communism orbeing communists.

The culpritsRed-baiting is reminiscent o

witch-hunting practices duringthe medieval times when the Church

and all available media depictedwitches and indels as demons whodeserved purging. The modern-daywitches, however, are not thosewho hold unconventional religiousbelies but those who holdout-o-line political ideologies.

The incessant vilication oinsurgents by the mainstreammedia, a campaign which includeblaming these groups or anyuntoward incidents and unrests,has misled people into believingthat rebels deserve to be killed,says Palabay.

Red-baiting was at its worseduring the height o the Cold War.In the 1960s, 10 UP proessorsincluding Ricardo Pascual andLeopoldo Yabes were arrested

by the now-deunct Commissionon Anti-Filipino Activities, acongressional committee thatpersecuted subversives. UP studentsrallied in Congress, demanding orthe release o the proessors andthe end o the witch hunts.

Unortunately, the practice ored-baiting has prolierated outsidemilitary ranks. Several studentsand government ocials likewisepractice red-tagging, unaware o

its repercussions. In 2009,then UP Los Baos

Chancellor LuisVelasco did

nothing to stop the circulatio fyers labeling 111 students members o NPA, eectively giviconsent to the red-tagging his constituency.

Unortunately, constant victio HRVs are those who assthe rights o the marginalizsays Palabay.

Indeed, countless activists aprogressive individuals like Capihave been rewarded with threand harassment or the dedicatithey have shown or thselfess causes.

The caseThe Capion case is only oo a myriad o HRV cases in tPhilippines. Various local ainternational HR groups lHuman Rights Watch and AmneInternational have condemnthe countrys HR climate, which hgained overwhelming notoriety.

Alstons report in 2008 haurther strengthened the alarmistate o HRVs in the Philippinand has directly implicated tgovernment and its state securorces as its primary perpetratoThis year, the UN HumRights Council has conductedreview on the Philippine governmencompliance on the recommendatioset by Alstons report, only to

out that little to none was done.A year later, the AFP issued

directive to its members orderithem to never tag any organizatas pro-CPP or anti-governmeshowing that even the Arecognizes the dangers red-taggientails. However, the countrhead o state himsel seemignorant o this.

Pressed to comment during recent state visit to New ZealaPresident Benigno Aquino categorically denied the countrHR situation, and dismissreports and statistics o HRas sheer letist propagandeectively legitimizing state conseo HRVs and the perpetuation the culture o impunity.

Such remarks have enragactivists and HR advocatespecially the relatives o Hvictims such as Edith Burgmother o abducted activist JonBurgos, and the relatives o tCapions. To dismiss the legitimcall o ending HRVs in the counand the swit administratio justice or HRV victims propaganda is the height insensitivity to the hardshaced by their grieving amiland riends.

Red-baiting cultivates environment tolerant o HREven worse, countless individuremain ignorant o the inextricaconnection between red-tagging aHRVs, putting more lives in risk

becoming mere numbers in tstatistics o the diappear

and the executed.

THERE ARE

THOSE WHO BELIEVETHAT THERE IS NOTHING

WRONG WITH RED-BAITING. FOR THEM, THE

INNOCENT HAS NOTHING TO FEAR OR HIDE.

YET, HAUNTING STORIES OF ENFORCED

DISAPPEARANCES AND EXTRAJUDICIAL

KILLINGS HEINOUS CRIMES

THAT STEM FROM RED-BAITING

REMIND US OTHERWISE.


10/12

sila sa kakaunting kita ng kanyang

asawang mag-iipot o tagakolekta

ng dumi ng manok. Bukod sa

nakaambang mga banta ng

demolisyon, may mga militar din

na nagtayo ng kampo sa kanilang

komunidad noong 2010.

Taktika umano ng mga militar

ang kaibiganin, lasingin, at takutin

ang mga residente upang

maimpluwensiyahang huwag nang

ipaglaban ang kanilang lupa. Sa

katunayan, natiyempuhan naminang ilan sa mga militar na rumuronda

sa ilang bahagi ng sitio.

Naalarma kami sa

ganoong sitwasyon. Hindi kami

makapaniwalang sa likod ng masaya

at mapayapang highway sa Calamba,

naroon ang isang sitiong mistulang

binilanggo ng mga itinuturing na

tagapagtanggol ng mamamayan.

Kailangan bang dahas pa ang

maging sandata upang makamit ang

kapayapaan?

Hapon na nang magpaalam kami

kina Ate Maritess. Sa paglabas

namin sa eskinita, patuloy lamang

ang daloy ng buhay at komersyo

sa lungsod kumakaripas ang mga

pampapasadang jeep at bus, at

matatanaw ang mga namamasyal onagsha-shopping sa katapat na mall.

Nakagagaan sa loob ang

makasalamuha at makausap ang

mga residente ng Sitio Kabute.

Araw-araw man akong may

matutunang bago sa mga

leksyon sa UP, hindi naman nito

matutumbasan ang aral na nakuha

ko sa karanasang iyon.

*hindi tunay na pangalan

belonging to the pool o the

best and most talented young

intellectuals when in several

places beyond the reach and

confnes o our beloved UP,

thousands are displaced rom

their lands, suer extreme hunger,

or experience inhumane treatment.

Yet we choose to be so ull o

ourselves. As i achieving honor

and excellence alone is the most

noble and only possible endeavor

on earth.

Somehow, theres this personal

concession, a humble sense o

ulflment. For all the things Ive

learned inside and outside the

university, all the tight situations

which I managed to get mysel out

o, which have always prompted

me to silently thank the heavens

and the cosmos or conspiring in

my avor.

I have broken one o the three

sacred vows I made as a Collegian

writer during my reshmen year,

and is considering to break another,

but Im nowhere near troubled.

Indeed, they got it right when they

said people change. And who doesnt

want to change or the better?

In the end, I believe no one can

truly and accurately gauge how

much one has learned in his or

her stay in UP. Not proessors, not

subjects taken, or length o stay.

Not even numbers.

PARADIGM SHIFT

LAKAS TAMA

Whats in a name?*

In my almost ouryears in UP,

I have alwaysreconfgured my

value systems to suitmy dispositions.

Pumasok kamisa isang maliit naeskinita mula sa

national highway, atpagdating sa loob,

para kamingnapadpad sa isangkakaibang mundo.

SA SITIO KABUTE

ISANG MUNTING DIGMAAN ANG

demolisyon.

Walang awang hinahampas ng

mga pulis ang mga residente gamit

ang martilyot matatabang kahoy.

Binobomba sila ng tubig mula sa

kanal at binabato para lamang

mapaalis sa kanilang mga tahanan.

Kapag napaamo na ang sitwasyon,

isusugod sila sa presinto at hindi sa

ospital.

Sa tuwing inilalahad ang ganitong

eksena sa telebisyon, laging marahasang paglalarawan sa mga residenteng

pinoprotektahan ang kanilang mga

bahay na ilang taon din nilang

itinuring na tahanan.

Kamakailan lang, mapalad akong

nakasama sa isang integration

activity sa Sitio Kabute, Calamba,

Laguna, isang komunidad ng mga

maralitang tagalungsod. Pumasok

kami sa isang maliit na eskinita mula

sa national highway, at pagdating

sa loob, para kaming napadpad sa

isang kakaibang mundo.

Gawa sa tagpi-tagping plywood,

tarpaulin ng mga pulitiko, at mga

nangangalawang na yero ang mga

bahay sa Sitio Kabute. Halos sinlaki ng

dalawang cubicle sa palikuran ng AS

ang mga bahay na ito na nakatayosa itim na putik na pinaliligiran ng

mga puno, damo, at basura.

Noong 2008 naganap ang unang

demolisyon sa komunidad. Dahil

sa takot, sila mismo ang gumiba sa

kanilang mga bahay upang maitago

pa ang mga materyales na maaari

nilang gamitin sa pagtirik ng

susunod nilang tirahan. Nanatili

sila nang ilang linggo sa city hall ng

Calamba, at doon nila nakilala ang

yumaong si Ka Arman Abarillo na

mula sa Bayan Muna.

Sa tulong ni Ka Arman, iginiit

nila ang kanilang karapatan sa Sitio

Kabute. Bumalik silat muling

itinirik ang kanilang mga bahay.

Walang silang tiyak na paglilipatan

ayon sa mga kompanyang

nagtatangkang paalisin sila sa sitio

kaya naman ipinaglaban nilang

manatili.

Taong 2009 nang bumalik ang

demolition team. Nakakamangha

na ang tanging sandata laban sa

matitigas na pamalo ng demolition

team ay ang kanilang inipong

dumi. Ibinalot nila ito sa plastik at

ibinabato sa mga nagbabantangsumira sa kanilang tahanan.

Hindi pa rin tapos ang kanilang

laban, ani Ate Maritess*, isa sa mga

residente ng sitio. Halos 13 taon

nang doon nakatira ang kanyang

pamilya, simula nang mapilitan

silang lumuwas mula sa Bikol sa

pagbabakasakaling maiaahon ang

kanilang buhay sa kahirapan.

Ngunit hanggang ngayon, nagtitiis

ID LOST MY BID TO GRADUATING

with honors last semesterjust

when I was, hopeully, a sem away

rom obtaining that undergraduate

degree.

Ater heeding some riends

advice, I fnally mustered enough

courage to see or mysel that

single numerical fgure which

supposedly sums up all the things

I have to put up with throughout

almost our years o college. Those

countless exams. Those tons o

academic requirements competing

or time and attention. Morn-

ing sprints rom the Collegian

ofce so I could make it in time

or the proessors roll call.

Shuttling between buildings or

consecutive classes. The struggle to

remain awake during boring

lectures. Skills that are absolutely

necessary in class, such as how

to secretly make un o annoying

classmates or proessors in your

head. And o coursethe semestral

Hunger Games come enrolment

period. All these at the backdrop

o the gruelling, almost week-long

ritual that is press work.

Yet, it didnt matter. In act,

this sort o things hardly matter

anymore. In my almost our

years in UP, I have always

reconfgured my value systems

to suit my dispositions. I welcome

changes in views and perspectives,

those moments when you

suddenly begin to realize that the

things you once value no longer

have any signifcant meaning

a paradigm shit.

What does getting a 1.0 mean,

when what the majority o the

Filipino youth really ever wanted

was to get to college so they could

study and reach their ull potential

but are barred by their fnancial

incapacity?

Whats the point o perecting

class attendance, when in the

streets, the people alter the course

o history one little step at a time

and rewrite power relations in

society, while we passively sit in

our classrooms, too busy to involve

ourselves with the nuances o the

world outside?

Why bother bragging about

being an Iskolar ng Bayan, o

HINDI KO ALAM KUNG

kailan ako nagsimulang

masanay na tawagin

kang Mama.

Noong bata pa ako,

tinatawag lang kita sa pan-

galan mo. Okay lang sa yo,

chill ka lang. Lumilingon

ka kapag tinatawag, deadmalang sa mga kaibigan mong

pinupuna ang bastos na

relasyon nating dalawa.

Naaalala ko pa ang pagtataka ko noong

lahat kasi ng kaklase ko, mommy o kay

tawag sa mga nanay nila. Nangingiti ak

tuwing nakakarinig ako ng mommy

nakakatuwang isipin na sa sobrang li

halos pare-pareho ang pangalan ng mga

kaklase ko.

Bagaman may mga pumupuna sa akin

raw iginagalang ang nanay ko, hindi ko lub

ang pagiging mali ng aking asal hangga

ako sa grade school. Tuwing tinatawag ko a

mama, nag-iiba ang hubog ng mukha ng m

nanay na laging present sa mga PTA

susmaryosep at dyusko rin ang natang

Sa pagkakatanda ko, una kitang tinawnang pinagsulat kami ng thank you lette

magulang noong Grade 4. Pangalan mo la

ko sa bating panimula kaya ibinalik ito sa a

Binura niya ang pangalan mo, at nag

komento: Mama and Papa? Mommy and

and Tatay?

Dahil ayaw ko nang makipagtalo, Mam

isinulat ko. Hindi ko kayang maglagay ng

kahit ba peke lang. Pakiramdam ko kasi, i

insulto sa iyo kung may makakahati ka sa p

Natawa ka nang mabasa mo ang su

Nang tanungin kita kung bakit, ibinalik m

tanong, Sino si Mama? At nang sumago

ko, tumawa lang tayo pareho.

Kahit ilang araw ko nang pinag-iisipan,

matumbok kung ano ang turning point

ng bansag ko sa iyo. Gusto sana kitang

ano sa tingin mo ang nangyari, pero bihmagpang-abot online. Sa huling private

sa akin sa Facebook, binati mo lang a

non-major, at sinabing naipadala mo na an

ko. Salamat ma! lang ang isinagot ko.

Alam kong masyadong makasarili

kitang bumalik na lang dito sa Pilipinas.

pagkakataon talagang ikaw lang ang tangi

kong makausap, at hindi sumasapat kah

yosi at alak.

Sa tingin ko, mababasa mo ito. At kapag

tiyak kong iiyak ka. Agad mo akong iti-t

mag-usap tayo sa Skype, tapos hahagulg

at sasabihing miss na miss mo na ako.

pagkakataong iyon, siguradong deadp

Stoic, kunwaring cool, at tutuksuhin ka p

kang madrama.

Pero minsan, naiisip kong sana magpal

Kung maaari lang sana kitang patahanna parang sanggol na humuhugot ng k

dibdib ko. At habang yapos ko ang mga bis

at aakuin ko ang pagod, puyat, at lungkot na

Wala akong pakialam kahit tawagin nil

o pariwara. Mahal na mahal kita, Una,

kitang higit pa sa respetong ikinukulong

kung ano mang salita.

*pasintabi kay Shakespeare


11/12

NEVER FORGET: Ampatuan Massacre

3rd Anniversary CommemorationNovember 16 FORUM: WE DEMAND JUSTICE!

A Forum on the 3rd Year Commemoration o theAmpatuan-Maguindanao Massacre at the UP CMCPress Freedom Hall (ormerly CMC Auditorium)

November 18 PLEDGE RUN: MarchAgainst Impunity around the UP Academic OvalNovember 21- Impuni-Tree Planting

at the CMC VerandaBrought to you by the UP College o Mass

Communication, National Union o Journalists othe Philippines, College o Mass CommunicationStudent Council, CMC Graduate StudentsAssociation, Union o Journalists o the Philippines- UP Diliman, University Student Council, Stand UP CMC, Mass Media Awareness Month Team

Textback

Eksenang

Peyups

Newscan

Key in KULE MESSAGE STUDENT NUMBER NAME and COURSE(optional) and send to

Non-UP students must indiate any school, organizational or sectoral afliation.

The ermahgerd balik-klase edishun!Oh, hi there. The araw ng mga dead has lon

past na pero I think maraming dead pa rin. Manare like still so tinatamad pumasok and gusto lanhumilata sa house, no taking bath, only makigising when they want to make lamon. Theyre deadlike your love lives. Hahaha! Make landi na kasi

you have someone to arouse your love lrom slumber.

A yes! I have kwentos pala! Hahaha, like nakalimutkong yun pala ang reason while Im writing thahihihi.

Ermahgerd 1: Oh, you two in the validation pin CSSP ha! You two vaklushes were like havingheated argument about your exes. But suddenone o you made like sorry with matching akap the other. My gahd ha! So cinematic ha! At may kpa. Pasali nga! Acheruru.

Ermahgerd 2: In the jeepney during enrolmethere was a girl who was strongly expressing gato CRS because she only got like 3 units. She weon or like the entire Ikot trip then she blurted ouTangina yan. Tinatagusan na nga ako, pinipilit kong maglakad! Nakailang palit na ko ng pantAh, excuse me. Youre in a public place, so dont ryour pussy issues with us kei. So amoy metal, eew

Ermahgerd 3: Speaking o pussy issues, therthis girl rom the college o hipsters who got bittby a pussy, like the urry meow-meow thing. Hriends were like Dalhin sa vetmed, dalhin sa vemed! When they went to the vetmed nearby, the vasked them, Ano bang dala nyo, hayop o tao? Triends were like, uh, Tao po. Ermahgerd ha. Taothe vet? So telling, ano kaya hitsura ni girl? Charu

Anyway highway my way. Im sure this week magstart ang classes nyo coz the pros were liall dead pa rin last week. I hope you have a gosem ha. And I hope your love lie go rom zero bingo this sem, so you get aroused na rom the deaOoh aah yeah!

Water is LifeThe Water or the People Network (WPN), Water

System Employees Response (WATER) and the STOPPrivatization Alliance invite you to WATER IS LIFE,a national conerence against water privatization onNovember 20, 8am at the Bulwagang Tandang Sorao the UP College o Social Work and Community

Development. There will be a registration ee to coverrereshments and the conerence kit. For details, youmay call 9276986 and look or Xands or Lomel.

Remembering BonifacioMark your calendars!Ibon Foundation, in cooperation with Center or

Nationalist Studies, Agham Youth, and UP Solidaridad,cordially invites you to Remembering Boniacio,

the opening salvo o the nationalist economicslecture series at UP Diliman, on November 28, 2pm atthe UP College o Mass Communication PressFreedom Hall.

Get free publicity! Send us your press release,

invitations, etc. DONT TYPE IN ALL CAPS.

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NEXT WEEKS QUESTIONS:1.

2. Ano ang resolution mo ngayong second semester?


12/12

SIPABalatkayoTaong-Putik FestBrgy. Bibiclat, AliNueva EcijaJune 2012Jiru Nikko M. Rada

Philippine Collegian Tomo 90 Issue 16

Documents

Transcript of Philippine Collegian Tomo 90 Issue 16