Contract faw and legalities, not

lack of money, cause

delay of permanent site completion
THE UNIVERSITY of the Philip-
pines Diliman Extension Program
in Pampanga administration has
tendered the proposal of UPDEPPs
transformation to University of the
Philippines College at Clark to the
executive council of the University of
the Philippines Diliman.
Te proposal is the frst step
of the transformation process that the
UPDEPP admin may last for a num-
ber of years.
Additional Faculty
UPDEPP Directress Floren-
cia Charito Sebastian stated that hav-
ing at least 50 regular faculty members
is required for the transformation. At
present, the university only
has 21 regular facul-
ty members.

UPDEPP's
transformation to
College: What's
in it for students?
2013-2014 frst sem
enrolment highest
in seven years
CONTRACT FLAWS in the docu-
ments submitted by the University of
the Philippines Diliman Ofce of the
Campus Architect (OCA), and not the
lack of money, is causing the delay of
the completion of the Academic Build-
ing Phase II.
According to Prof. Patrick De
Leon, Chairman of the Buildings and
Facilities Committee, the 23 million
required for the completion of Phase II
By Albertson Otchengco
is already available. Out of this 23 mil-
lion, 14 million came from the savings
from the construction of Phase I while
9 million came from the undergradu-
ate tuition fee increase.
However, as of press time, ap-
proval of the contract of Phase II has
been delayed because the Ofce of the
Vice President for Legal Afairs (OVP-
LA) is still reviewing the contract,
making sure that it is compliant with
the provisions of the Procurement
Law.
Te previous contract drawn
only had chancellor Ceasar A. Salo-
mas signatory, but the huge amount
of money involved in the contract re-
quired the signatory of UP President
Alfredo E. Pascual, thus placing the
contract for revision.
As of June 5,2013, the approv-
al of the contract for Phase II is still un-
der UP Vice President for Legal Afairs
Maragtas Amantes ofce.
Because of the delays, the tar-
get completion date of October 2013
has been moved to May 2014, accord-
ing to De Leon.
Phase III under normal schedule
Meanwhile, De Leon, a BA
Business Economics professor, adds
that the 68 million required for phase
III of the Academic Building and par-
tial site development have already been
made available. Te 68 million will
be drawn from the 100 million given
to UPDEPP by the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED) last year.
As of June 4, 2013, the approv-
al of the construction of Phase III has
been forwarded from the Ofce of the
Chancellor to the OVPLA. OCA sub-
mitted the letter for phase III to the OC
last May 28,2013.*
THE TOTAL number of enrolled stu-
dents in UPDEPP for the Academic
Year 2013-2014 frst semester is high-
est in the past seven years of the uni-
versity.
According to data prepared
by Mr. Arf Pita, School Credit Evalu-
ator and Adminstrative ofcer, a total
of 603 students enrolled this semester.
Te nearest the university had to this
number of active students was on the
frst semester of A.Y. 2006-2007 when
577 students enrolled.
Since then, the university had
a consistently lowering number of
students, with 575, 565, 565, and 557
students enrolling in the frst semes-
ters of the A.Y. 07-08, 08-09, 09-10,
11-12, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Bachelor of
Science Business Management course
had the highest number of enrolees
for the seventh consecutive year. 208
students enrolled in BM, seven more
from last academic years frst sem en-
rolment.
By Jose Carlo De Leon
New masters of management electives proposed
AS PART of the proposal for upgrad-
ing UP Diliman Extension Program
in Pampanga into a College, a two-
pronged track in electives for the
Masters of Management program has
been tendered by the UPDEPP ad-
ministration to the executive commit-
tee of UP Diliman.
Te major headings of busi-
ness and public tracks will serve as
the core basis for the proposed elec-
tives. Dr. Florencia Charito Sebastian,
UPDEPP Director, states that the new
electives are outlined to provide the
Masters clientele the choice to cater
for distinct development needs of the
region.
Under the two-pronged
track, the electives will cater to more
specifc needs namely transport/logis-
tics, tourism, education, health, rural
development, and technology and de-
By Albertson Otchengco
By Jon Suarez & Linelle Mercado
A dream so near yet so far. Te facade of the fully-constructed phase 1 of the permanent
site Academic Building. Photo by Jamaika Canlas
Awaiting the rise. Construction for phases I and
III have not yet started. Photo by Jamaika Canlas
ENROLMENT, p.2
fense.
Supply chain and logistics
management, Sustainable Tourism
Management, Education Manage-
ment, Rural Development Manage-
ment, Technology Management, and
Health Management are the elective
course subjects which will be estab-
lished if and when the proposal will
be approved by the UP Diliman exec-
utive committee.*
Construction Diagram. Photo from Mr. Arnulf Roan Pita and Mr. Patrick De Leon
COLLEGE, p.2
Vol. II No. 1 | December 2012-July 2013
Illustration by Yra Calamiong
Juan Carlo Tejano, National Chairper-
son of Bukluran ng mga Progresibong
Iskolar UP Systemsupports the Pres-
idents earlier statement. Scrap STFAP
now, and then what? Do not merely op-
pose, propose. Calling for its scrapping
is mere propaganda. Calling for reform
is an advocacy, he stressed in the same
debate previously cited.
Teddy Caliling, UPDEPP
SC Chairperson and Kenneth Santos,
UPDEPP SC Councilor for Students
Rights and Welfare also share the same
sentiment. Kung is-scrap ang STFAP,
may assurance ba na mapapababa tal-
aga yung [school fees]? Kasi yun lang
naman yung available ngayon na as-
sistance [for the students], di ba?, said
Calilung, who believes that STFAP is
indeed benefcial, having been covered
by the program for 4 years now. Mean-
while, Santos quipped, Why scrap a
system that is working for UP? He
suggests modifying the bracketing sys-
tem by expanding further the quota of
annual family income. So parang ip-
apalawig lang. Its a form of rebracket-
ing. [For example,] gawin nilang sampu
yung bracket, he added, believing that
more students entering UP come from
afuent families with annual income of
Php1 million or more.
With the increasing cost of
studying in UP, education has become
a privilege as opposed to being a right.
But in the premier state university, edu-
cation should be accessible and aford-
able to everyone, especially the poor
but deserving students. STFAP was
conceived for that very reason. It even
claims that lack of fnancial resources
should not be a hindrance in obtaining
a UP education. So regardless of our
income brackets, we, the so-called Is-
kolars, should commit ourselves to de-
fending this basic right.*
By Monica Del Puerto and Kathrina Tacadena
CEGP calls for active youth
participation in elections
By Monica Del Puerto
BEARING THE theme, Rock
the vote: Te Campus Press
and Active Youth Participation
in 2013 Elections, the College
Editors Guild of the Philippines
(CEGP) held the 73rd National
Student Press Convention last
April 12-16 in University of San
Carlos Talamban Campus,
Cebu City.
Over 200 campus jour-
nalists from all over the country
attended the 5-day gathering
which ofered journalism skills
training, socio-political discus-
sions, forums and basic masses
integration. Among the pres-
tigious writers and journalists
invited to be key speakers were
Palanca Awardees Mark Angeles
and Jun Cruz Reyes, and the ex-
ecutive director and co-founder
of the Philippine Center for In-
vestigative Journalism (PCIJ),
Malou Mangahas. Respect-
ed personalities like Kabataan
Frontliner editor voted
Editors Guild Central
Luzon Chairperson
A YEAR after its re-inception, a Frontliner
editor has already become chairperson of
one of the forefront collegiate writer orga-
nizations.
Monica Del Puerto wasx voted Re-
gional Chairperson of the College Editors
Guild of the Philippines- Central Luzon
(CEGP-CL) last December 17-19, 2012, in
the 6th Central Luzon Student Press Con-
gress at the Gintung Pakpak Ecopark, Brgy.
Baliti, Arayat, Pampanga.
Representatives, editors, and staff-
ers of 19 school publications from Central
Luzon who attended the Congress, named
Ugnayan 2012, voted Del Puerto for the
position.
Some of the schools present were
Tarlac State University, Holy Angel Univer-
sity, and Angeles University Foundation.
Del Puerto succeeded Jay-vee Pan-
gan of HAUs The Angelite as Regional
Chairperson and will stay in the spot until
the end of Academic Year 2013-2014.
Continuing the Tradition
The CEGP is the oldest and largest
existing intercollegiate alliance of tertiary
student publications in the country. The
Guild has over 750 student publications as
members from more than 500 schools in 68
out of 78 provinces and cities nationwide.
The guild, which works for the
professionalization and independence of
campus press, is considered as the Nation-
al center for the advancement of campus
press freedom.
My goal is to help in establishing
provincial chapters in Central Luzon be-
fore my term ends, said Del Puerto, a se-
nior Business Management student.*
By Albertson Otchengco
On the other hand, 203
students enrolled in the Bachelor
of Arts Business Economics course,
30 more from last academic year
frst sems 173.
Finally, 192 students en-
rolled in the Bachelor of Arts Ap-
plied Psychology course, as com-
pared to last years 195.
Alarming Trend
According to Pitas data,
second semester enrolees have
continuously dropped from frst
semester records in the last seven
years.
A decrease of 26, 21, 2, 20,
24, and 9 students have marked the
second semesters of the past six ac-
ademic years.
Tis may be attributed to
the graduation of Octoberian stu-
dents and cross-enrolees.*
2013-2014 frst sem enrolment highest in seven years
Frompage 1
Frompage 1
UPDEPPs transformation to College: Whats
in it for students?
Sebastian adds that the addition of
regular faculty members will free
the savings of UP Diliman being
spent on lecturers, and can thus be
used for other expenditures such as
facilities improvement and instruc-
tional materials.
Salaries of lecturers are
charged against the savings of the
university, in contrast with the sal-
aries of regular faculty members
charged against the Department
of Budget Management or the Na-
Ugnayan 2012: Frontliner
bags six trophies in Central
Luzon-wide Competition
By Monica Del Puerto
THIS YEARS Ugnayan, the 6th Central Luzon-wide Stu-
dent Press Congress, was held in Gintung Pakpak Ecopark,
Arayat, Pampanga last December 17-19. It was organized
by the Central Luzon chapter of College Editors Guild of
the Philippines (CEGP).
Frontliner, the ofcial campus publication of Uni-
versity of the Philippines Diliman Extension Program in
Pampanga (UPDEPP), brought home six major awards-
Best in News Page, Best in Features Page, Best in Opinion/
Editorial Page, Best in Culture Page, Best in Graphics and
Layout, and Best Tabloid in the 2nd Gawad Jemalyn Laca-
din which was held on the second day of Ugnayan 2012.
Gawad Jemalyn Lacadin is the annual CEGP
Central Luzon search for outstanding student publica-
tions in the region. Te late Jemalyn Lacadin was actually
a former editor of Frontliner and was one of the founding
members of Solidaridad, UP Systemwide Alliance of Stu-
dent Publications & Writers Organizations in 2002. In the
same year, she became the CEGP Pampanga Coordinator
which eventually revived the CEGP chapter in the region.
She died a martyr on March 9, 2008.
Te delegates from Tarlac, Pampanga and Nue-
va Ecija represented their campus publications during the
3-day event. Lectures and workshops on basic and ad-
vanced journalism and socio-political discussions were
delivered by renowned writers and media practitioners
like Palanca Awardees Mark Angeles and Jun Cruz Reyes,
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)
Pampangas Wilfredo Villareal, CLTV 36 host Cecile Yu-
mul, and Philippine Daily Inquirers Tonette Orejas.
CEGP will also hold the National Student Press
Convention in April and the Luzonwide Student Press
Congress in October.*
tional Budget.
Sebastian also states that
the addition of new faculty mem-
bers will lessen the need to have big
classes not conducive to the learn-
ing process.
Home Department
At present, the UDPEPP
administrative staf- Mr. John Paul
Sanchez, Mr. Arnulf Roan Pita, Ms.
Kimberly Surla, Mrs. Leonila Sam-
son, Mr. Eddie Judilla, Ms. Sheri
Joy Villar- with the leadership of
Ms. Carl Anne Sanguyu, attends to
the needs of all the UPDEPP stu-
dents in the four programs, includ-
ing the graduate program.
Te submitted proposal, if
and when approved, will result to
home departments for each of the
three undergraduate programs and
one masters program. Te home
departments will also be separately
led by a department chair with the
assistance of their own administra-
tive staf.*
Partylist 2nd nominee Bai Ali
Indayla and Bayan Muna Rep-
resentative Teddy Casio also
graced the event.
CEGP remains the old-
est and broadest intercollegiate
alliance of student publications
in the country. Aside from up-
holding campus press freedom,
CEGP also aims to raise the so-
cial consciousness of campus
journalists and the Filipino peo-
ple in general.*
STFAP HAS been a pressing issue for years now. Recently, it was brought to limelight
with the death of Kristel Tejada, a UP Manila student, who committed suicide allegedly
due to her inability to settle her tuition fees and was not allowed to take the correspondindg ex-
amination. Tis triggerred the call to restudy the relevance of this programon the plight of fnancially
strapped students. Tus, it became a dilemma whether to scrap or reformthe programto make it more
responsive to the needs of students who have limited and short in their fnances . Whether you are
covered by STFAP or not, you have to see the bigger picture in order to come up with a better judgment.
by the National Statistics Ofce. Te
fnal bracket assignment considers the
bracket requested by the applicant, the
reported family income, the predicted
income using the income function, oth-
er indicators, and other adjustments.
In 2009, the UP BOR ap-
proved the Modifed Alphabetic Brack-
eting System or STFAP 2.1 to expand
the coverage of benefts. Te re-brack-
eting of some income ranges with cor-
responding changes in tuition and oth-
er fees and the increase in the number
of brackets fromfve to six are the high-
lights of STFAP 2.1, as stated by the Ad-
missions Ofce. Tis scheme covered
both incoming freshmen fromthe time
it was implemented in June 2009, and
those students covered by the tuition
increase in 2007.
In 2012, the system was yet
again revised when the default brack-
et was adjusted from Bracket B to
criticisms from
its tedious process-
ing to delayed results.
But one of the commonissues ev-
ery year is the mismatched brackets as-
signed to the applicants. Case in point,
the late Kristel Tejada was assigned to
Bracket Dbut she appealed to be re-as-
signed to a lower bracket because her
family couldnt aford to pay Php300
per unit. She took her own life three
days afer being forced to fle a leave of
absence because she failed to pay her
tuition on time. Tis is in line with the
memorandumreleased by the Ofce of
Former UP president Jose
Abueva introduced the Socialized Tui-
tion and Financial Assistance Program
or STFAP in 1987. More popularly
known as Iskolar ng Bayan program,
it was frst implemented in the frst
semester of AY 1989-1990 as a major
reform to democratize undergraduate
student admission. Tis was intended
to give every opportunity to every stu-
dent to avail of the best education sup-
ported by the government.
Te Numeric Bracketing Sys-
tem (see Table 1) assigns students to
one of the nine brackets according his
annual family income. Students in
bracket 9 pay the full cost of tuition
while the rest either pay tuitionwith 25-
75% discount, pay only miscellaneous
and laboratory fees, or pay no tuition
and other fees, and even receive book
allowance and monthly stipend. How-
ever, the NBS does not take into ac-
count the net take home pay, the family
Quality education for all.
Presumedrichuntilprovenpoor
Bracket A. Tis means that students
who will not apply for STFAP will au-
tomatically be assigned to the mil-
lionaires bracket and those who wish
to be in Bracket B will have to submit
a certifcation and other documents.
Terefore, Everyone will be [consid-
ered] rich until proven poor, as quot-
ed by Ynik Ante, University Student
Council chairperson of UP Los Baos.
Tis presumption, however, should
clearly defne the parameters of who is
rich or poor.
From the time it was imple-
mented, STFAP has received numerous
A Flawed System
UPDEPP students top annual psych quiz bee
By Jon Christian Suarez
FOUR BA Applied
Psychology Students
from the Universi-
ty of the Philippines
Diliman Extension
Program in Pampan-
ga (UPDEPP) con-
quered the limelight
as they triumphed
over three other col-
leges in the 10th
Pa-Psychlaban quiz
bee held last March
1, 2013 at the Holy
Angel University.
C o n t e n d e r s
Ila Malenab and Rainier Ong,
current junior students; Eunice
Danica Fe, senior Psych major;
and John Nikko Guiao, a recent
graduate, bested fellow Psychol-
ogy majors from three other
universities.
Systems Plus College
Foundation, Republic Central
College-Angeles City, and City
College of Angeles competed in
the said event.
Locked in intellectu-
al combat, UPDEPP scored 15
points in the first two rounds
courtesy of Ong, Fe and Guiao,
culminating in an elimination
that will determine the three con-
tenders for the final round.
The UPDEPP team then
easily trumped over the two con-
tenders in the final round RCC
and CCA this time with help
from Malenab as substi-
tute for Ong.
Nervous ako nung
Round 1, kasi hindi nam-
ing alam kung sino yung
mga makakalaban nam-
ing. Pero nung next round,
medyo confident na kami
kasi lumalaki ung agwat
ng points., Ong related
when asked about his ex-
periences as a Pa-Psychla-
ban contender. 5 points
na kasi ung nakakaltas
sa round 3. Nakakatakot
din, Malenab said.
According to the UP-
DEPP participants, all of the
questions involved in the con-
test were Psychological concepts
taught in UPDEPP so they did
not have a hard time in answering
the questions.
Pa-Psychlaban is an an-
nual general psychology knowl-
edge quiz bee joined by different
universities from Angeles City, as
part of the PsychWeek of HAU.*
size, family needs and existing liabili-
ties of parents or guardians responsible
for the fnancial support to concerned
student.
In 2006, the UP Board of Re-
gents, the highest policy-making body,
agreed to the restructuring of STFAP
afer approving the increase in tuition
and miscellaneous fees. Te new Al-
phabetic Bracketing Scheme (see Ta-
ble 2) covered incoming freshmen and
transferees in the frst semester, Aca-
demic Year 2007-2008 while the rest
were covered by the existing Numeric
Bracketing Scheme.
According to the Ofce of Admissions,
the major diference of the ABS from
the existing 9-bracket scheme is the use
of a predictive income function that is
based on the Family Income and Ex-
penditures Survey and Labor Force
Survey that are collected and released
Restructuring STFAP
the Vice
Chancellor for Academ-
ic Afairs on UP Manilas
no late payment policy. Pri-
or to this, her petitions for stu-
dent loan were also repeatedly denied.
On April 12 2013, the chancel-
lors of the seven constituents of UP and
the dean of UP Cebu College, Liza Cor-
ro, approved student loan of up to 100%
of fees in order to assist students who
are still waiting for STFAP results and
other valid reasons. However, this will
be on a case-by-case basis because they
chancellors still have the prerogative in
assessing the students fnancial situa-
tion.



Te proponents to scrap ST-
FAP believe that we should demand a
bigger budget for education from the
government instead. Tey believe that
increasing the budget until it reaches
the UNESCO standard of 6% of the
GDP will fx this predicament. How-
ever, President Benigno Aquino III
already pronounced in his 2011 bud-
get message that his administration is
gradually reducing the subsidy to State
Universities and Colleges to push them
toward becoming self-sufcient and f-
nancially independent. Tus, a budget
cut for SUCs.
As a result,
instead of a
full state sub-
sidy that we
all aspire for,
the well-of
students are
the ones who
shoul- der the bur-
den. Tis has
cause some
UP students
to lose faith
on being
called Iskolar
ng Bayan because
it feels more like being an Isko-
lar ng Kaklase.
Cleve Arguelles, former UP
Student Regent, believes that ST-
FAP is tantamount to state abandon-
ment. On a Facebook note, Arguelles
disputed, STFAP reinforces state
abandonment causing us to be disillu-
sioned that it is indeed our responsi-
bility to fnance education of those who
cannot aford. Moreover, this program
had become impractical to some and
did not serve the objective for which
it was conceptualized. When #STFAP
was introduced, I had to pay P9,000 per
sem from just P900 per sem. Brack-
et 1 ako kasi raw Chinese and apelyi-
do ko., Twitter user @miriamgracego
wrote on Rappler.com. STFAP has be-
come an income-generating scheme
that commercializes education because
it appears that those who can aford it
should pay more. Pauline Gidget Estel-
la, National President of College Editors
Guild of the Philippines and former Ed-
itor-In-Chief of Philippine Collegian,
pointed out, Te STFAP is not a miti-
gating measure for the tuition increase.
Its not something that came afer the
tuition increase to cushion the impact.
IT IS the tuition increase, implemented
in brackets where the richest will pay
the highest amount.
On the other hand, some still
advocates for the program not to be
scrapped, but to be reformed or rede-
signed to address the needs of those
students who aspire most to obtain the
best education in one of the premier ed-
ucational institutions which is support-
ed by the government. Tis program
manifests the duty of the State to pro-
vide its citizens social justice and equal
opportunity as provided for in our
Constitution. Its helping the poorest of
the poor, and making sure that the rich
dont get a free ride. Tey should not.,
said UP Professor Solita Collas-Mon-
sod in a debate conducted in UP School
of Economics last July. Tere is a very
highly unequal access to education
in the country; UP is in a position to
socialize tuition because it is the top
university in the country, it attracts the
rich, she added.
According to UP President
Alfredo E. Pascual, If the STFAP
were to be scrapped, poor students
would have to pay higher tuition fees.
A Right or a Privelege
SCRAP or REFORM?
Photo by Jamaika Canlas
Photo by Maysie Medel
Images from https://www.facebook.com/STAND.UPdili-
man, Instagram
Back against
the wall
TO USE an ironical contrast, the University of
the Philippines Diliman Extension Programin
Pampanga is very close, yet so far, to having its
own home.
Not even a kilometre away from its
permanent site, in which Phase I of the aca-
demic building already stands proudly fn-
ished, one would think that the constant threat
of UPDEPP being ejected from its borrowed,
renovated warehouse of a site is over, that its
transfer to a more ftting location for a univer-
sity of such calibre as UP is a done deal.
In addition, Prof. Patrick De Leon,
Head of Building and Facilities Committee,
adds some more good news as he proudly
shares that the 23 million required for the con-
struction of Phase II and the 68 million cost of
Phase III are already available.
While contract faws in seeking the
approval of the Ofce of the Chancellor de-
layed the construction of Phase II from the
projected date of October 2013 to May 2014,
it is indeed refreshing that the budget required
for the completion of the academic building
has been readied, a task which surely proved
to be more daunting than waiting.
However, some realities opposite from
these pieces of good news are also happening.
Real. Tat the university directress and a num-
ber of its loyal teachers headed by De Leon had
to devise their own ways to assemble the huge
money required for the construction of the ac-
ademic building. Real. Tat sweat and blood
were ofered by these people as they took on
jobs not part of the regular load of directress
and faculty, all in the goal of delivering the
UPDEPP student body to its permanent site.
Real. Tat the constructed Phase I
alone, while a thing of beauty, is insufcient
for the needs of the university as it has lesser
rooms compared to the current sites 15.
Real. Tat with the Clark Development Cor-
poration issuing its fnal extension of the uni-
versitys stay in its current site until only A.Y.
2014-2015, UPDEPP is threatened by the
chance of being homeless afer that date unless
Phase II and Phase III are constructed.
Real. Tat the hard and rocky road
of UPDEPP to its permanent site could have
been smoother if the Aquino administration
did not approve the continuous budget cuts for
state universities like UP.
Tere is no greater sign of UP reel-
ing by these budget cuts than the fact that UP
students are now forced into the Millionaires
Bracket of 1,000 pesos per unit and the Social-
ized Tuition and Fees Assistance Program(ST-
FAP) becoming less and less accessible to the
student body.
Finally, it is also, without a doubt, real.
Tat now, as we stand with our backs against
the wall, every piece of support that the stu-
dent body can provide will make a diference.
Support starts with being aware.
Awareness of events such as these in the uni-
versity can help us avoid a passive stance in the
socio-political events that occur in the univer-
sity. Truly, with UPDEPPs current state, it is
not time for us, the students, to shy away from
these issues that cloud not only UP, but more
than 60 other state universities in the country.
And fnally, let us write that as it is
President Noynoy Aquinos plea to eradicate
the feeling of invincibility among corrupt gov-
ernment ofcials, it should also be our mission
to lif UPDEPP by reminding him that the
continuing hampering of SUCs in the country
should not be coupled by this invincibility he
so openly talks about battling.*
Ideals
HEARTS ARE the strongest when
they beat in response to noble ideals.
Ralph Bunche
School ng Korupsyon. Tese
three words are the most striking
among the descriptions of the Sang-
guniang Kabataan by Caloocan Rep.
Edgar Erice in fling House Bill 1122,
in which he proposed the amendment
of Republic Act (RA) 7160, the Local
Government Code, to abolish the SK.
Erice added that the SK has
become the logical frst step for con-
tinuing legacies and that the ugly side
of the government has distracted the
group fromits primordial mission.
It is very easy to see why such
statements, coupled with Erices drive
against a group already imbibed to our
culture, were met by resistance from
solons, youth-groups, and indepen-
dent individuals alike. Some, like Ka-
bataan Party-list Representative Terry
Ridon, voiced out that this move may
be a ploy by the Aquino administration
to gather support in the barangay-lev-
els.
Ridons accusations are not far-fetched
as abolishing the SK will distribute
their annual internal revenue allot-
ments (IRA) of almost 5 billion pesos,
an estimated 42,000 pesos per baran-
gay as written in www.sunstar.com.ph,
to their respective local government
units. Tis money can indeed mean
instant support for the Aquino admin-
istration in the coming elections.
Tis is one of the reasons why I be-
lieve that abolishing the SK is not the
solution to our governments dark and
tedious system. However, it is also im-
perative to say that Erice has not exag-
gerated in his description of the sub-
dued and bent state of the SK.
Te golden image of the SK as the
youths voice is completely opposite of
the realities happening. Kristian Men-
doza, Business Economics senior and
Santa Barbara, Baliwag SK Councilor,
has a frst-hand account of the now
blunted tool that is SK.
At the start of the year, nag-
popropose na kami ng AIP, Annual In-
vestment Plan, nakalatag na dun lahat
ng mga projects namin at yung pon-
dong kailangan dun. Pero, every check
na irereimburse namin para sa project,
kailangan ng pirma niya, ang mahirap
dun, madaming ibang priority ang
Brgy. Captain, sa dami ng priority niya,
ginagamit niya pati pondo namin. Te
SK is inefcient because the council
itself is being mandated by the higher
authority of the LGU.
In addition, Mendoza also
witnessed the continuous cycle of dy-
nastic surnames in the SK. He reveals
that their SK Federation head in Bali-
wag is the grandson of the current
mayor while the same mayors son was
a former SK councillor but lost in his
bid as mayor in this years election.
Te few members of SK who
continues to grind hard to fulfl their
obligations, like Mendoza, who had
to solicit money from various poli-
ticians to give 45 scholarships to the
poorest of the poor in his barangay, can
also end up being disillusioned by the
realities of the government.
Tese very events, however,
are the same reasons why the aboli-
tion of SK is not acceptable. Te hard
work shown by the remaining few who
stick with their ideals amidst a difcult
system only proves that the SK can be-
come a very powerful tool for the bet-
terment of the country. Reformation
of the SK, and not abolition, should be
pushed in senate.
Te SK should have indepen-
dence from their respective LGUs. In
addition, the council should be given a
measure of autonomy in fnancial mat-
ters and non-members should not be
allowed to spend the SKs IRA.
In the end, however, it is only
our ideals which can change things for
the better in the country. No change in
constitution can improve this situation
if members of the SK themselves do
not live their ideals.
Afer all, it is our nave ideals
which may actually save a world reel-
ing fromthe blows of reality.*
Cybercrime law: Upgraded?
IT HAS been part of our lives to at
least take a look at our accounts on
Facebook or Twitter just to upload
pictures, chat with friends, or post
about how our day went. Tis activity
surely provides us with some feeling
of content afer all the toil of the day
as iskos and iskas. But, with the ap-
proval of the Cybercrime Preven-
tion Act of 2012, great upheavals of
protests ensued that caused the imple-
mentation of this law to be restrained
indefnitely, until now.
According to Justice As-
sistant Secretary Geronimo Sy, they
would sanction once again the so-
called improved version of the bill to
the next Congress once it opens in
July. Tese improvements include the
exclusion of one of the most disputa-
tious provisions of the article that is
online libel, which in the frst place
was not included in the bill until it
was inserted by Senator Vicente Sotto
III.
Moreover, Sy disclosed that online
libel was never supported by the De-
partment of Justice (DOJ) as a pro-
vision of the law; thus, implying the
absence of thorough review of the
provision as suggested by Senator
Sotto. Terefore, this huge oversight
had threatened our freedom of speech
and expres- sion instead of
assuring our safety over the expand-
ing world of the Internet.
Te creation of Republic Act
No. 10175 by the government in the
frst place should have been for the
protection of the well-being of its cit-
izens instead of inducing control over
peoples opinion. Moreover, the real
point for having this bill was to appre-
hend those online predators who take
advantage of the internet to launch
their evil intentions, which was not
possible in the pastone example is
Onel de Guzmans I Love You virus,
the frst most controversial cyber-
crime case not only in the country but
in the world.
But, the inclusion of online libel to
the Act distorted the useful, though
honestly vague, provisions into shack-
les that placed journalists and other
opinionated individuals into jeopardy.
Yes, freedom of expression may have
been overused a couple of times by
most of us but that does not qual-
ify the government to take drastic
actions such as RA 10175 to silence
its people.
Afer all, the sanctioning of
the new and improved Cybercrime
Act in July will present how the act
was refurbished which will thus de-
termine whether it had followed its
objective to prevent, detect, and pros-
ecute computer-related ofenses in-
stead of silencing, suppressing, and
threatening our opinionated netizens.
Terefore, as individuals, we should
have realized by now that no matter
how RA 10175 is upgraded, it still falls
into our hands to protect ourselves
against those cyber predators and be
responsible in the things we disclose
on the web.
Whats on your mind?*
Cooking Techniques
A hot brew of Cold War cooks over the Pa-
natag Shoal morsel.
ALTHOUGH SIMMERING in
medium heat, the Philippines-China tan-
go remains a hot knife jabbing deep into
the nations side and greater on the gov-
ernments face.
With what has transpired from
the previous months and those surfac-
ing still, one thing remains paramount.
It is the governments recipe to counter-
act Chinas military advances. Of which,
the primary ingredient is no more than
foreign intervention. Well, that is among
other things.
P-Noy, as he is, welcomed such
foreign meddling.
Just last June,
our US strategic
partners docked
on the historically
familiar Subic Bay w i t h
their fag raised for the bilateral naval
exercises. Starkly named Cooperation
Afoat Readiness and Training (CARAT
War Games), the exercises were held not
far from the disputed territories in the
West Philippine Sea. And just so, the con-
venience is too blatant to be missed by the
public eye.
Tink about it. Te military re-
vamp just fortunately coincided with the
West Philippine Sea ammunition show-
down. Te stench of hushed agendas,
hefy debts, and obligated remunerations
is much too strong to dispel. Even the dra-
conic bully, China, poked its snout and
bared its teeth on the chance overlapping
on such troubled times and waters.
However, the Palace dismissed
all rumors of re-militarization schemes
along with further probing on the breach-
es on the countrys autonomy. Sticking
with its pure blend of nonchalance and
postulated immaculacy, it shifed the pub-
lics palate fromlent arsenals to diplomatic
assemblages.
So the government continued to stir its
protective soup. As the Chinese super-
power continued to stretch its military
prowess on the disputed pelagic regions,
the 46th Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (Asean) Ministerial Meeting just
in time was held on Bandar Seri Begawan,
Brunei. Present on the event are no other
than other Southeast Asian countries with
equally hard claims on the contested ter-
ritories.
Te gathering culminated on the idea
of creating a code of conduct that will
essentially help control the rising distur-
bance on the West Philippine Sea. Spe-
cifcally targeting Chinas imperialistic
assaults, the proposal saved the Philippine
government whose options were limited
in if not only a United Nations (UN)
arbitration.
Aside fromnarrowly rescuing the country,
it was an awe-inspir-
ing stroke that has
gained multiparty
thumbs-up. Yet, it
has also given rise
to sus- picions of American
intrusion, suspicions that the administra-
tion promptly and languidly put aside.
Alot has happened and more still are sure
to follow, but I can already see the cata-
lysts and casualties. Te afermath might
not be as catastrophic as a global war, but
it will happen if no one will come forward
to take a stand in raising our real red, blue,
and white, star spangled fag.
Because amidst the hubbub that blankets
the fought-over maritime row, one can
clearly see the real situation. Whereas the
country is groveling for backup, the Pal-
ace still chooses to act indomitable on the
front line. Worse, the government fnds
it best to tactfully taunt its competitor
while hiding behind a gargantuan shield
smithed from continuous UN pleas, an
Asean cooked code of conduct, and the
American military presence.
And through media, it feeds the populace
hearty portions of its cheeky presump-
tions while burying its missteps andcovert
afairs with trivial news bits and pieces. It
works hard to keep us in a stupor-like state
as it makes a show of resolution and secu-
rity. But behind the headstrong faade, the
Philippine government without its peers is
naked before the dragon.
Now, do we burn low or really just quick
to catch fre?*
Editor-in-Chief
Albertson Otchengco
Associate Editor
Monica Del Puerto
Afliation: College Editors Guild of the Philippines
Managing Editor
Yzabel Patricia Landingin
No Room for Apathy
EVERY TIME I hear stories of UP stu-
dents, especially incoming freshmen,
being warned by their families and rela-
tives not to participate in rallies, become
activists or worse, join the NPA, I sigh
in disgust. Te media continues to stereo-
type UP students as
such and UP is no
stranger to red-tag-
ging incidents. But
the fear brought by
these circumstanc-
es led these students to become
indiferent to issues
afecting the so-
ciety. For
them, ac-
t i vi sm
i s
t a -
b o o
and any
i s s u e
t h a t
d o e s n t
c onc e r n
them is
considered
irrelevant.
I
admit I was
once this ap-
athetic kind of
student. In my
freshman year, I
avoided the fo-
rums on budget cut,
STFAP, TOFI and other
UP-related issues. Like
most of the students here, I
believe I entered UP for the
sole reason of studying. Ev-
erything changed when I saw
a Facebook picture of my high
school classmate who studies in
Los Baos, holding a placard in
what appears to be a prop ac-
tion. At frst, I thought the sight
was unnerving. But curiosity
prevailed; I tried to ask him
about it, hoping to be
enlightened.
Listening to a true-blue activist
may be intimidating during the frst time.
It sounds like theyre mad about the world
and they complain on everything - at least
thats how another friend described it.
But if you try to keep an open mind (and
ears), you will hear
past their jargons
and agitations,
and understand
what their cause
is all about and
why they think there is a need for
change.
Joining the college publication is
the major turning point
of my now apathy-free
life. When I was
starting, I constant-
ly worry on how
this will be diferent
from high school.
Writing for the col-
lege paper taught
me to deal not only with
whats happening inside our
four-walled campus but also with whats
happening in the society.
I will never forget the day I
found out about the late Jemalyn Lacadin.
She was a former editor of Frontliner who
died a martyr in 2008. It would be a lie
to say that I didnt feel the slightest appre-
hension upon hearing her tragic death,
being a student journalist as she was. Im
also not certain if most students in UP-
DEPP now are aware of it.
Despite coming from an af-
fuent family, she recognized the plight
of the people around her. She has lived
with communities of peasants and Aetas
in order to identify with their situation.
With these, I realized that we should not
think of Jemalyns death as a cause of fear.
Rather, we should be inspired by her well-
spent short life.
Its tolerable if people around
tell us not to become activists or not to
replicate Jemalyns martyrdombut no one
should stop us frombeing critical and no
one should tell us to live an apathetic life
either. Once in a while, we have to come
down from our ivory tower and become
a part of the peoples struggle. Afer all,
were called Iskolars PARASABAYANfor
a reason.*
Cycle of Integrity
CORRUPTION IS a problemaround the
world and it can happen anywhere. When
politicians put their own interests above
those of the public.When ofcials de-
mand money and
favours from cit-
izens for services
that should be
free. Corruption
is not just an en- v e l o p e
flled with money though these people
make decisions that afect our lives -- our
own will. Corruption has gone straight to
heart why our democracy does not work
anymore. But there is no point any lon-
ger to blame every Filipino for how bad
we have made corruption as it is today.
Because that would not put an end to this
so-called democratic defcit. We need to
ask the right question. Tus, I ask: What
needs to be done?
One word. INTEGRITY.
Politics and integrity should go hand in
hand. Like a Greek temple, the pillars
representing the diferent branches of
our government and society, if the in-
tegrity of any of the pillars are weak, the
state will crumble. In a country like the
Philippines, corruption has already been
institutionalised: nepotism exists in ap-
pointments of cabinet members, bribery
during elections, and protection of those
found guilty of corruption. In other
words, we breed corruption every time
we compromise the pillars of integrity.
Integrity is not something that can be
administered but something that must
come from within; it must be inherent,
and if it isnt inherent it must be learned.
Integrity matters because at the end of
the day, it is individuals who, in their
daily roles, have the responsibility to de-
cide whether or not to cross the line, to
abuse entrusted power
or not.
But how do you
teach integrity, es-
pecially to the younger ones,
if it seems that in our society today, the
kind of role models that stand for integ-
rity are lacking? How do you educate a
new generation in the values of honesty,
fairness and concern for the common
good where corrupt practices are part of
the normal way of life because it has been
tolerated for many generations?
Integrity begins on a small stage in
homes and in our schools. Catch them
when they are young and we have a great-
er chance to cultivate that entrenched
sense of integrity that will always act as
an antidote to corruption. Young people
have to understand that it is their values
that will shape the future which is why
it is important to get the message right:
fghting corruption is learning integrity.
In parallel with this, if leadership at the
local and national level embraces integ-
rity the message will continue to spread
and spread more quickly. If, to give just
one example, newly elected politicians
make appointments based on merit and
not because of family relationships or
campaign contributions, people will start
to learn that achievement, not who you
know, pays.*
I
llu
str
a
tio
n
b
y
Y
r
a
C
a
la
m
io
n
g
Illustration by Renee Sanchez
Illustration by Yra Calamiong
Illu
stra
tio
n
b
y
Y
n
a
C
a
la
m
io
n
g
News Writer
Jon Christian Suarez
Editorial Writers
Lawrence Jiel Yuzon
Jose Carlo De Leon
Gabrielle Joan Calucin
Kathrina Eileen Tacadena
Editorial Cartoonists
Yra Marie Calamiong
Yna Marie Calamiong
Keziah Cyrene Garcia
Renee Louise Sanchez
Feature Writers
Lian Mae Espino
Patricia Marie Lazaro
Florence Camille Medel
Linelle Margie Mercado
Eunice Danica Fe
Photojournalist
Jamaika Canlas
Lay-out Artist
Linelle Margie Mercado
Secured Triumph
These two chiefs triumph
over the pangs of employment unse-
curity proves not only to be their per-
sonal triumphs, but the rare bonds
that, through the years, have devel-
oped between students and security
guards.
For your information, Jo-
seph Nuqui was born on August
20, 1980. Sometimes, he prefers
to be called Jojo (Just check
out his FB account, and see for
yourself). His parents named
him Joseph after the biblical
figure Joseph the Dreamer in
the book of Genesis, as his par-
ents were religious.
On being a father, Jojo
preferred a diplomatic approach;
that is, he is open to his childrens
suggestions, comments, violent reac-
tions, clarifications, etc. He does not
pressure his children in their studies
and lets them do what they want, pro-
vided that there are limitations set.
Jojo underwent training be-
fore becoming an official security
guard working for Glocke Security
Services, Inc. Upon his first day at
UPDEPP on November 2008, stu-
dents rarely approached him, yet, be-
cause of his jubilance, he eventually
became attached to the students. Se-
curity first, multiplier, that is Chief
Nuquis funny signature line.
As a father figure to UP-
DEPP, he would like to leave this
message for students to always ponder
on, Iskos and Iskas: : Ang masasa-
bi ko lang ay kung gaano kayo kabait
noon at ngayon ay ipagpatuloy niyo
lang iyan. Kung may kailangan kayo,
handa kaming sumoporta at tandaan
niyong nandito lang kami. Handa
akong ibuhos ang buhay ko sa para
maprotektahan lang
kayo.

Mean-
wh i l e ,
Renato Ato Sauro
is born on January 29, 1970 in San
Isidro, Northern Samar a province
of the local ethnic group Waray. He
was the second of seven children. Be-
ing the penultimate older child was a
tough challenge, recalled Ato.
Chief Sauro was once an ath-
lete because of the daily training he
made with his favourite hobby- bas-
ketball. When it comes to delicacies,
Chief Sauros topnotcher was any-
thing adobo, ranging from chicken to
adobong baboy.
Before entering UPDEPP,
Chief Sauro was selected to be one
of the guards of Holy Angel Univer-
sity for four years before transfer-
ring in UPDEPP in November 2008.
With him was Joseph Nuqui, a fellow
Glocke Security Inc. trainee.
Chief Sauro found his second
home in UP Pam-
panga. According to
him, the Iskos and
Iskas of UPDEPP
were very benevo-
lent and gentle in their
words, they know how to
set limitations when con-
versing with him and most of
all, respectful and courteous.
Since Chief Sauro comes
from a Waray heritage, he would like
to share one virtue of the Warays to
the Iskos and Iskas of UP Pampan-
ga: love. He describes himself and the
Warays as loving people, yet, behind
the loving persona lies a formidable,
strong and unbeatable strength of at-
titude. Matibay pero mapagmahal,
as he says.
There you have it. There re-
ally is more to Chiefs Nuqui and Sau-
ro than meets our eyes. Although they
came from humble pasts, their pres-
ent and future will be more extrav-
agant and lavish as they continue to
serve the place they called their sec-
ond home. Salutation is not enough for
these two strong and carefree persons.
If they were generals, reverence would
be the ultimate thing to recognize the
unforgettable deeds of these two sir
chiefs.*
KC Gar ci a & Jon Chr i s t i an Suarez
Tr i u mp h o f B o n d s RECENTLY, A rumour that
Chiefs Joseph Jojo Nuqui and Re-
nato Ato Sauro would be replaced
circulated around the school, yet,
eventually, this was clarified and they
were able to serve for another term.
Subsequently, UPDEPP was gripped
with suspense and uncertainty upon
hearing this speculation. Among oth-
er things, the whole UPDEPP fam-
ily came to love these two strong yet
charming men.
Security guards like Chiefs
Nuqui and Sauro are under the super-
vision of security agencies in charge of
appointing them in different compa-
nies, schools and the like every year.
Should they request for a longer ten-
ure, they will have to apply for renewal
where they are currently dispatched.
Yet every year, a bidding between se-
curity agencies commences. If an agen-
cy loses, their men wouldnt be able to
secure another tenure in their job.
This year, four agencies bade
for the position of security in UP-
DEPP. These bidding activities were
held privately. Luckily, the agency of
Chiefs Sauro and Nuqui won the bid-
ding, yet, they still had to undergo a
final process to secure an additional
tenure.
How were they able to accom-
plish the requirements of another ten-
ure?
It was an arduous process.
They are required to visit their agency
in UP Diliman and have to earn the
signatures of their bosses with the
hopes of prolonging their tenure as
chief of UPDEPP. Fortunately, the
renewal process was successful and
the agency was able to approve of their
additional stay. However, it is a yearly
uncertainty whether or not they will
still be appointed in UPDEPP.
I Shall Return...
CARRYING THE CUDGELS:
Tasks For the New SC
Al ber t son Ot chengco
IF THERE is one thing
that keeps up with the continuous
flow of academic years that the
university has, its the continuous
passing of one generation of stu-
dent council to another.
This year is no different,
and especially so, as it welcomes
an entirely different generation of
student council members from the
SCs UPDEPP has seen in the last
four years. Unlike before, the new
SC is entirely composed of stu-
dents who have not joined the stu-
dent council in the past.
Not that inexperience with
this institution is unarguably a
liability, as a matter of fact, as
the Teddy Calilung-led new stu-
dent council should prove; vibrant
youth and new wills may just be
what are needed to revive an oth-
erwise stagnant institution.
Last years SC, headed
by John Carlo Naguit, succeeded
in one main task- the visibility
of the UPDEPP student council
in UP-wide and intercollegiate
meetings and events. Under Na-
guits leadership, the SC became
up-to-date with the issues UP is
facing like the Tuition and other
fees increase (TOFI). In addition,
the past SC re-formed its associa-
tions with groups like the National
Union of Students of the Philip-
pines (NUSP) and the Katipunan
ng Sanggunian ng Mag-aaral sa
UP (KaSaMa sa UP).
It is one of the biggest tasks
of the new SC to continue on the
legacy that the previous council
established. In an
interview, Calilung
states Sa pagli-
pas ng panahon,
nagbabago ang
mga bagay. Ka-
pansin-pansin rin
ang pagbabago ng
ideolohiya ng bawait
Isko/Iska pagdating
sa mga pangyayari sa kanilang
paligid. Ngayon, isang malaking
hamon para sa ating pamumu-
no ang pagtuklas ng angkop at
epektibong pamamaraan upang
mapanatili ang pagiging kritikal
ng bawat Isko/Iska sa ibat-ibang
isyu na nagaganap sa loob at labas
ng pamantasan.
There are still rooms for
improvement though, the SC could
further build up on this ground by
fully involving the students of UP-
DEPP in taking an active stance.
More events like the campus mobi-
lization last September 13,2012,
where students joined in a noise
barrage, snake rally, and other
anti-TOFI activities may prove to
be effective.
Providing students the av-
enues to learn issues and express
their voices may be one of the big-
gest tasks for the new SC. As a uni-
versity, UPDEPP in general can be
characterized as at least isolated
when it comes to issues and na-
tional events.
The previous student coun-
cil succeeded in establishing the
universitys identity inter-colle-
giately. However, progress in es-
tablishing steady relationships
with the students of UPDEPP is
still there to be desired.
I would also like to restructure
the image of the SC making it
more visible and proactive in ad-
dressing all the concerns of every
student. This goal would be real-
ized by improving the: (1) com-
munication not just between the
students and the council, but also
between the admin and the coun-
cil and (2) its overall operations by
ensuring that the council mem-
bers are united and one in the goal
of serving the people, Calilung
adds.
UPDEPP Updates, a Facebook
group geared for the dissemina-
tion of important information to
the current studentry, as written
in a post by current vice-chair-
person Domino Ractis, serves as
the councils flagship project for
the establishment of inter-student
communications. Recently, howev-
er, the group has sparked debates
on some of its decisions, such as
the ability of administrators to de-
lete posts and comments, and the
exclusion of alumni and LOA stu-
dents from the group.
While the current SC may improve
the workings of the group by ob-
taining the voice of the majority of
students in its major decisions and
actions, UPDEPP Updates indeed
holds great promise in its main
purpose of information-dissemi-
nation.
The past council focused
on university-wide issues, while
the present council has, for the
first two months of its term, paid
its attention in establishing in-
ter-collegiate connection. Howev-
er, both of these focuses, if not to-
gether, do not fully serve the needs
of UPDEPPs students. It falls on
the current SC to unite these two.
Di ko talaga alam kung
ano nagpanalo sa akin. Even my
filing of candidacy for SC Chair-
personship was an unplanned
move. It was just simply answering
the call to serve my fellow students
and the Filipino people in general.
I admit I did not hold any position
in the SC before. All I know is that
I have dreams for UPDEPP. Pos-
sibly, I had visions similar to the
majority of UPDEPP studentry.
While dreaming is the first
step of innovation, it is the SCs
task to make certain that these
dreams have become action by the
end of the academic year.*
Issue awareness
Building Up
Student Communication
LUMIPAS ANG Independence Day
nang wala mang nakapansin, o kung
di naman ito ay naipag-balewala na.
Pwera nalang siguro nung sabihing
walang pasok. Nabanggit nalang din
naman, naalala ko pa yung talon at
hiyaw ko nung makuha ko yung teks.
Di kayo nagkamali ng pagkabasa,
tumalon po ako sa loob ng jeep.
Gayunman, bumalik tayo
sa ating naturingang national hol-
iday. Diba mas nakakatuwa at ang
sosyal-sosyal pakinggan ng Indepen-
dence Day kaysa sa medyo nakakari-
marim na Araw ng Kalayaan. Isa pat
di naman natin kailangang gunitain
and ipagdiwang to, ginagawa naman
ng sapilitan ng elementarit hayskul
yon. Mas mabuti na rin yung ganon
para may oras tayo sa mas mahahal-
agang bagay, tulad nalang ng pains-
ta-Istagram ng sang basong kape na
galing Starbucks.
Kasarinlan ng bayan.
Kasarinlan mula sa mga ma-
nanakop at manlulupig.
Yan daw ang ibig ip-
arating at kailangang
Lawrence Ji el Yuzon
i pagbunyi
sa ating
Araw ng
Kal ayaan.
Di bali na
yung mga
nagsusulputang isyu sa Japan, gaya
nalang ng pinag-uusapan ngayong
paglapastangan ng isang hapones
na alkalde sa mga naging comfort
women nang hukbong hapon sa Pil-
ipinas noong WWII. Kumbaga, past
is past.
At bakit di rin natin kalimutan ang
ating kasaysayan kasama ang mga
joe o sundalong Amerikano. Ayos
na man din tayo diba? Nagkaroon
naman tayo ng treaty na ibinabalik
sa Pilipinas ang awtoridad sa sariling
lupa at wala na ang mga base mili-
tar dito. Nasa tin na ang pinakasar-
iling-sarili na maaaring maabot ng
kasarinlan. Mayroon tayong liber-
tad, aydentidad, at higit sa lahat
soberanya.
Nitong isang linggo nga lang ay
sinagot na nang pangulo ang
mga bintang at aka-aka sa pag-
ma-manyobra
nang Amerika sa mutual defense
treaty nito sa Pilipinas para lang
itoy makapagtayo muli ng mga base.
Sabi niya ay kailangang matutunan
ng mga kabakas nating Amerikano
ang hindi pamilyar at kakaibang
kalupaan ng Pilipinas.
Saka bakit naman natin maiisipan
yon, ang bait-bait at sobrang matu-
lungin ng Amerika satin. Di ngat
dapat nating pasalamatan ang Esta-
dos Unidos sa pagtulong ma-imprub
ang sekyuridad at military n gating
bansa. At kung humingi man ito ng
pahintulot para makapagtayo ng ak-
ses sa mga base ay bakit hindi natin
sila papayagan, lalo na ngayong may
kumakalaban sa karapatan natin sa
mga isla ng West Philippine Sea.
Idagdag mo pa riyan ang inisyatibo
ng bansang ito sa kapakanan at mga
kritikal na isyu ng ating bayan; mula
sa mga usapin sa teritoryo hang-
gang sa mga pang-ekonomiyang
desisyon. Isa tayo sa mga
pinakamalapit sa Estados
Unidos at pinaka pinag-tu-
tuunan nito ng pansin, kaya
bakit nalang natin pag-iisi-
pan ito ng masamang interes
Interes. Hindi maitatago ang
interes ng Amerika sa Pil-
ipinas, kahit takpan pa yan
ng malalaking ngiti at ma-
pupulang kolorete ay dapat
batid natin ang kakaibang
pasinasyon nito sa ating inang
bayan. Ito ay isang obyus na pasin-
asyon na kitang-kita sa kahit anong
mapa ng Asya. Ang Pilipinas ay nasa
sentro ng kalipulan ng Silangang
Asya isang estratihikong lugar para
sa isang military outpost.
Bukod pa diyan ang sentristiko at
imperyalistikong atityud ng Estados
Unidos. Nakuha ito ng tama nang kol-
umnistang si Randy David nang ban-
sagan niya ito bilang panopticon. Ito
ay hango sa isang istruktura ng isang
dayuhang pilosopo na kung saan ito ay
nakaayos na sa isang lugar ay makikita
ang kabuuan ng isang kulungan.
Ikinukumpara ito sa ginawa at patu-
loy pa ring ginagawa nang Amerika sa
Asya at sa kung iisipin ay buong mun-
do. Ito ang pagtatatag nito ng isang
ideya na ang disrupsyon at mga aktibi-
dad na taliwas sa dinidikta ng UN ay
malalaman ng Amerika at papatawan
nito ng parusa.
Yun ay isang simbolistikong panop-
ticon, pero hindi malayo ang pagka-
kasatuparan ng isang konkretong uri
nito. Ito ay sang establishimento na
palihim nang binubuo sa ilalim ng
mga ibat-ibang isyu at patsada. Ang
Estados Unidos ay patuloy na nanghi-
himasok sa mga pribadong usapin at
aktibidad ng bansa.
At kung ngayon palang dumapo sa
isipan mo ang katotohanan ng mga
pangyayari ay tunay lang na ang isang
preso ay malaya hanggat iniisip niyang
hindi siya nakakulong. Ito ay patunay
ng pasibong paggalaw ng taumbayan
sa mga usapin ng hindi lang pulitika
kundi soberanya. Ito ang kadahilanan
ng pagwa-walang halaga sa Araw ng
Kalayaan.
Ngunit, ito rin ang kailangan nat-
ing mabago upang mapigilan ang
pagkawala nang tinatamasa nating
kasarinlan. At ang tabak na ipinangla-
ban ng ating mga kinikilalang bayani,
ngayoy inilipat na sating palad upang
ipagpatuloy ang pag-ugong ng ating
lahi.*
Mapping the Closet
Lawrence Ji el Yuzon & Li nel l e Z. Mer cado
TRIMS AND RUSHES of old clothes
cling on my slick forehead, while wood-
en panels graze my bare knees. As my
lungs gasp for air, I am rewarded with
sufocation and amever closer to break-
ing away from the darkness I thought
was my refuge. Te silence of my secret is
static to my ears, yet fear keeps me from
shouting out. My body is numb almost
dead as I yearn to breathe a crisp, fresh
breeze, to stretch my hands and shoulders
wide, and to fnally whoop in victory. But
with nearby footsteps and conspicuous
prodding, I force myself deeper into my
hovel. Tis is a game; I must remain quiet,
immobile, unseen.
Te need to hide
Te mechanics of hide-and-seek are sim-
ple and are no diferent fromwhat each of
us experience and more to what the les-
bian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT)
community have faced or is still facing if
not denying. It difers only in degree, con-
sequence, and reason.
When the stress of society begins to weigh
in on ones shoulders, even the simplest
childhood memories can be twisted into
something complicated and ugly. Sud-
denly, people dont fnd themselves hiding
fromplaymates anymore. Instead they be-
gin to shy away fromconfrontation due to
prejudice and eventually start to hide their
whole identity.
In the LGBT point of view, one is pre-
sented a need to conceal orientation from
family, friends, and community. He or she
is handed a necessity to screen and rebuke
the reality from his or her religion, phi-
losophy and conscience. Tis need is im-
posed not only by society, but
also by oneself and by his
or her conjured image of
what should and should
not be.
It is a requirement that
they keep it from or dis-
play it freely for everyone
to see. Many do show their
true selves, while more take
it to their grave.
What they seek
Instinct takes over
when people see those who are apart from
the norm as if the human brain is pro-
grammed to rule out completely and not
simply identify the unfamiliar. Frankly,
the Filipino norm is just hardcore Catho-
lic-imposed conservative.
As God only made man and
woman, an LGBT is chained
not only by the unspoken
laws of society, but also by
their faith. Religion is such
a sensitive matter that when
they begin to question them-
selves and inevitably fnd no
reasonable answer, they look at
themselves in the mirror with ab-
horrence. Some people
break, but less dont.
Te few who stay frm know that the only
thing that is worth seeking is the one thing
that they try so hard to hide and burry.
And it is that one must know, accept and
love his or her self.
Te in between
Looking at all the aspects that the LGBT
community must take into consideration
daily, it seems that the question they ofen
ask themselves is, Is it safe to come out?
How ofen has it been said that being les-
bian, gay, bisexual or transgender can be
cured, like homosexuality were a cancer
that needs to be expunged.
Tere are many metaphors of illnesses
that humanity is faced with, but being an
LGBT is not one of them. It is, in fact, a re-
lease from the ignorance that people cling
onto.
***
Sudden clarity, its one of those short mo-
ments when I can think clearly. Moments
when I can soberly choose what to do
next. Ten just as quick, I amterrifed and
hug my knees trying to push myself deep-
er among cloth and wood. My eyes glaze
over as I begin to weigh my chances of get-
ting caught and my chances of winning. I
gulp in a breath as I realize that I would
lose nothing whether they open the doors
or I do. My eyelids futter as I gather cour-
age. It hadnt occurred to me that maybe I
could win either way that maybe leaving
the darkness is a risk worth taking.*
Illustration by Yra Calamiong
Illustration by Yna Calamiong
Kabanata 20
HINDI MAINTINDIHAN ng
karamihan sa aking mga kaibihan
kung bakit nagkukumahog ako sa
bagay na sa tingin ng lahat ay napa-
kaordinaryo ang
pagiging beinte
anyos. Mapag-
dadaanan ito ng
halos lahat ng tao
sa mundo ngunit ito ay taong naka-
kakatakot para sa akin, noon.
Malapit nang sumapit ang
kaarawan ko at sa araw na iyon ay
magiging isang beinte anyos na ako.
Gusto kong bumalik sa mga taong
iniisip ko ang kabataan ko. Sensyales
na kasi ito na tumatanda na ako, na
hindi na ako teenager. Ito ay nagsis-
ilbing simbolo na sa aking buhay, ito
na ang oras upang kumilos ako nang
naaayon hindi lamang sa dikta ng
lahat ngunit sa kung ano ang tama.
Isa iyon sa mapait na katotohanang
kailangan nating isaalang-alang ang
iisipin ng mga tao sa ating mga kilos
dahil sila ang mundong kinagagala-
wan at kagagalawan natin. Maraming
mga bagay na hindi dapat ginagawa
ng hindi na isang teenager lalong-lalo
na sa harap ng maraming tao. Hindi
na bagay ang gumalaw ng kasing-ga-
slaw gaya ng mga batang uhugin na
pinipilit sumayaw sa piyesta sa amin,
tumawa ng walang humpay at mal-
akas, kumain ng lollipop, manood ng
Dora at Tomas and Friends, magsa-
bi ng kung anu-anong kaweirduhan
o lahat ng mga bagay na dapat iwan-
an ng isang tumatandang kagaya ko .
Napapaisip talaga ako kung
sa pagdating ng araw na iyon ay ma-
giging buo baa ng kaligayahan ko.
Marami akong pinagsisisihan na hin-
di kailanman sa mga bagay na naga-
wa ko ngunit sa mga bagay na sana
ay ginawa ko. Sa pagsapit ng araw na
iyon ay dalawampung taon na ako
sa mundo ngunit wala pa akong na-
gagawang konkreto para sa bansa ko.
Totoong naiinggit ako sa mga taong
nakapagsilbi na sa bayan lalo na sa
kabila ng mura nilang edad at kas-
alatan pa sa buhay. Isa pa ay hindi
ko naranasang maglakbay sa isang
napakalayong lugar na ako lang mag-
isa. Kapag kasi ako ay tumuntong na
ng beinte na siyang takdang taon na
makakatapos na ako ng kolehiyo ay
wala na akong
oras upang
gawin iyon ng
mag-isa at saka
sa ala-ala ko ay
hindi ko na maipagmamalaki na
noong bata ako ay buong tapang
akong nagpunta sa malayong panig
ng mundo. Marami pa dapat akong
bagay na ginawa bago iyon ngunit
sadyang sa kakaunti kong oras ay
maaaring lumipas na iyon, na wala
pa rin akong nagagawa.

Sa kabila ng pangamba at takot na
kaakibat ng nalalapit na araw na
akoy magiging beinte anyos na ay
bigla akong may naalala. Naalala ko
na may mga kaibigan naman pala
akong handa akong suportahan kahit
sa mga oras na nag-iibang anyo ako
at handang sakyan ang mga bagay
na gusto kong ginagawa. Naalala ko
rin na maaari ko namang paglaanan
ng pagkakataon ang bagay tulad ng
pagsisilbi sa bayan at hindi naman
kailangan na baguhin ko ang mundo
sa napaiksing oras. Dapat makita ko
na ang pagiging beinte anyos ay hin-
di isang masamang simbulo ngunit
mabuti sapagkat ito ay nagmumung-
kahi ng isang magandang bukas, na
maraming mabuting pagbabago ang
maaaring maganap nang dahil sa
mga pagkakataong kaya nating sa-
mantalahin habang tayo ay nagsisim-
ula pa lang. Sa ganitong kaisipan ay
posibleng mabago talaga ang mundo
sa pagsasamantalang mabago natin
ang ating mga sarili. Maaari rin pa
lang maging positibo tayo sa kabila
ng pagiging hindi na teenager. Dapat
din na iniisip natin ang bukas at ang
kahapon ngunit dapat nakahihigit
ang ngayon. Natatawa ko ring naalala
na may magulang pala ako na hindi
naman ako papayagan pumunta sa
Bangladesh kahit sabihin ko pang
thesis namin iyon.*
SOME OF us have been through
bad relationships, where our only
refuge is to, once and for all, end it.
Well, it pretty seems much easier to
let go of relationships than to try
and fx them. Lets break up is all
you need to hear or say to get rid of
the person who has caused you so
much pain in your life.
But, come to think of this,
is it really a bad relationship, or are
you just having bad circumstanc-
es? Because sometimes, when you
and your partner are going through
some bad times, you just want to let
go of it all, escape from reality and
throw away everything thats caus-
ing you pain. Its human instinct. It
takes more efort to repair and com-
promise things, so it seems more
convenient to dump those which
are broken and replace them with
new ones.
Yet, letting go is not always
the answer. Sometimes, you just
have to hold on, and put on the ef-
fort, especially when you know that
the person is worth it, worth all the
pain and sacrifces. So, for this ar-
ticle, I wouldnt treat you
like a child and teach
you how to avoid
everything that
can hurt you.
Instead, Ill
slap reality
right into
your face
and tell
you that
n o t h i n g
worth hav-
ing comes
easy. As what
an anonymous
said, Forget the
risk, and take the fall.
If its what you want, then
its worth it all.
1. Tend your own gar-
den. Most of the time, youre
too focused on what your
partner did or did not do
that you tend to forget
that you are also a part of
the relationship. It takes
two to tango. Its not al-
ways your partner who
has to do this or that. You
have to accept the fact
that you also have
faults and short-
comings which
you need to
focus on. So,
saying this,
here comes
the second
step.
2. Learn
how to apol-
ogize. Its not
really hard to
say it, but people
refuse to say sorry
because they think
that apologizing is
an act of inferiori-
ty, surrendering to
the superior gen-
der. Hey, honey, re-
member that this is not
a competition. Tis is a
graceful dance between
two companion souls. Im
getting all twitterpated
here, but you get the point,
right? If youve made a mistake, it
may take you some time to realize
it, but once you do, admit it and say
youre sorry for what youve done.
3. Learn how to accept
apologies. Yes, when your partner
is the ofender, its understandable
to get furious and hold a grudge
from some time. But, if the person
has apologized and he really means
it, then you should stop sticking to
your guns, especially if its just a pet-
ty quarrel anyway. Accept the apol-
ogy, and move on. Dont be afraid
to trust again, because trust is an
essential part of a relationship.
Staying in a relationship
takes a lot of efort. Youll shed
tears, have sleepless nights, shout,
and cuss at each other, but thats
the thing about life. Its not always
rainbows and butterfies. Youll
make mistakes; hell make mistakes.
What you need to do is work with
your partners faws. Compromise is
the word (and a lot of patience too).
If theres one thing to remember, its
that bad circumstances do not make
a bad relationship.*
Oh my Dear Kryptoni te
Pat Lazaro
I AM no Superman fanat-
ic but I came to watch
Man of Steel. Well,
what can I say? Hen-
ry Cavill is HOT.
Im glad there
are not much of
lovey-dovey mo-
ments with Lois
Lane, not because
Im jealous
(hahaha!)
but be-
cause its
a su-
per(alien)
hero mov-
ie not some
damsel-in-distress kind with
an Im-caught-by-the-bad-guy-
save-me leading lady. What Im
trying to say is that superheroes
were supposed to save every-
one, right? And not just some
sole individual whose only job
in the movie was to get caught
by the bad guy or meet an acci-
dent. (Sorry for the fanatics of
these kinds of movies. No hatin
baby!) But other than the hot
British superhero, what caught
my attention was the delivery of
a certain quote. People fear what
they dont understand. (If thats
not the actual quote then that is
its idea.)
People fear what they
dont understand. Ive heard
and read this numerous times
now. Some important and in-
spiring person come and tells it
to the protagonist. If this argu-
ment were true then can I say
that Chem 16 students fear the
course because they cant un-
derstand it? Well, somehow that
may be true. But what can ac-
tually be the things that we fear
and yet we dont understand?
Death could be one. Its non exis-
tence. People fear it probably
for the reason that they
dont know what hap-
pens next afer dying.
People may fear the
insane because they
dont know whats
going on with their
heads. But can you
attribute fear just
because an object
or an idea is
unknown
to you?
W h a t
m a y
be un-
k n o w n
to you
may be
clear and
utterly un-
derstandable
to someone
else. Tat can be a
possi- bility right?
Somehow I think that the state-
ment should be stated this way:
People fear what they fail to un-
derstand. In the movie, Kal-els
stepdad did not want him to
showcase his powers; he didnt
want him to use them. He even
sacrifced his life to save people
without wanting help from his
son. His reason was that because
People fear what they dont un-
derstand. And just like Super-
man there will be times in our
lifetime wherein well be afraid
to show people who we are be-
cause they may not accept us,
because they dont understand,
they may fail to understand.
Well what does this tell us? First
is that those people who fail to
understand you are freaks who
are too close-minded and could
not understand the idea of indi-
vidual diferences. Second is that
you are a coward for not fghting
for yourself. You are ashamed of
whom you really are and so you
pretend. You, more than anyone,
should know your capacities,
your identity. Knowing thyself
will take you to places wherein
Pppff!
RECENTLY, THE proposal of the Komi-
syon ng Wikang Filipino to rename the
country from Pilipinas to Filipinas has
been a hot topic for most Filipinos.
Tere were some who were for
and there were a lot
of Filipinos who
were against it.
Even though the
Malacaang has
not discussed the
fnalization of this proposal, many of
the Filipino people have expressed their
disapproval of this proposal. Some were
asking the question Why now? or
What is this non-sense? Many of Fil-
ipinos regarding this issue are puzzled.
For everyones information, the
reason why Komisyon ng Wikang Filipi-
no [KWF] proposed to rename the coun-
try from Pilipinas to Filipinas is because
it was the original name given to the
country by the Spanish colonizers. Tey
think that it would have an impact on
the Filipinos and would develop much
deeper connection with the countrys
ancestors --- the frst Filipino people
in the country. Also, at the same time,
the KWF is eager to eradicate the name
Philippines frst, due to its vibe that the
country is still under the infuence of
the American rule. Te name Philip-
pines, actually came from King Philip
II of Spain in the 16th century, and was
just ofcially adopt- e d
during the Amer- i -
can occupation of the country. Filipinas
was previously the ofcial name of the
country but it changed in the course of
history.
Te question here now is that,
does it really mat-
ter which name to
use? Will it change
the countrys cur-
rent condition?
Will it feed thousands of
Filipinos who remain to be below the
poverty line? Will it educate the Filipino
children who thirsts for knowledge and
who are deprived from good quality ed-
ucation? Will it really help Filipinos to
love more their country to be nation-
alistic and passionate with their own
culture, traditions, language, heritage
and the like?
Philippines. Pilipinas. Filipinas. It seems
that with whatever name the country
uses, it will still be the same. Philippines
would still be the country infuenced
by their colonizers. Te country and its
people may not know where they really
came from who they really were and
what was the country called before it
was called Filipinas. It might be even
better not to revive Filipinas at all. Te
country should keep moving forward
and focus on the countrys future. Who
knows what Philippines could be in a
decade or two? It could have a diferent
name too.*
A Different Kind of
Wholesome
I t zel Landi ngi n
Were you one of them?
Were you one of those people who actually believed headlines
like Overconfdent Nancy Binay Dares the Filipino People: DO NOT
VOTE FOR ME or Cebu Pacifc announces Centavo Fare to win back
Publics Trust? If you are, indeed, one of them, I recommend you to be
more aware of your surroundings; if not, keep up the good work, my
friend.
During the campaign period, a number of satirical news circulated the
online social networking sites and immediately got the attention of the
people. Satirical news aims to do away with the mainstream news that
we see and hear every day and incorporate humor into them. With that
being said, it is no wonder why it clicked right there and then with its
chosen audiencethe Filipino netizens.
So, Whats News? is an example of a popular online source for
satirical news. It is a fctional website that was created by anonymous
people who wants to give the people a twist in our everyday news. Up to
now, the website still exists and continues to bring humorous headlines
in the social networking world.
Do not get me wrong, I am very impressed with the creative juices
of these anonymous authors and the way they hide their sarcasm towards
diferent news. What bothers me is the reaction of the readers or the neti-
zens. I cant help but observe how people do not think before they click,
and how they do not read before they share. A lot of people expressed
hate towards the individuals or frms involved, without even reading the
whole story. A lot of people seemed to miss the sarcasm enveloped in the
articles.
So, you, see, the whole point of this is to remind everyone to be very
careful of the things they express and share, not only in the online world,
but also in our real lives. We should always be informed and keep reliable
sources. By being improperly informed, we ofen spread news that have
already been tampered with other peoples version and opinion of the
story without even verifying its credibility.
Afer all, its the truth that we all want. Or are we just too fed up with the
truth that sometimes we begin to unconsciously deny ourselves of it?*
youll have the chance to grow and
develop the you who is confned
in that nutshell which is your
body. If you dont choose to be the
person who you like yourself to be
youll only end up going with the
fow of life. You will be a passerby
who just lived to experience life
and not to make it worth living.
You have to be like Super-
man. Your S should mean hope.
He made the people understand
that the powers he had were not
for harm, they were for everyones
protection. Be like him and be-
lieve on the gifs that God has put
into your hands. Nurture them
and let them grow. Dont lock your
potential because you believe that
people wont understand. You will
always fnd one. If not, then youre
looking at the wrong place or
maybe you should frst look inside
yourself. Believe in your potential,
kick away your fear, and faunt
your inner beauty.*
Illustration by KC Garcia
Illustration by Yna Calamiong
Illustration by KC Garcia
Illustration by KC Garcia
Email us at
FrontlinerUPP@yahoo.com
welcomes you to the new school year!
Frontliner 2013-2014
Photo by Elijah Joshua Ojera
IT HAS been exactly a year since I frst en-
tered the rusty gates of UPDEPP. I can still
recall the disappointment of not making
the cut to Diliman where I once thought
authentic UP life was. Dilimanwith its
Oble and famed professors, its Sunken
Garden and UP Ikot, its isaw and tapsi-
log, and best of all: the Virata School of
Business (VSB)was my road to inherent
success.
Flashback to the day the UPCAT 2012 re-
sults were released online, our house was
a wreck. As I was bitter and unwilling to
go, my parents were the exact opposite,
smiling ear-to-ear despite the additional
EPP in UPD written under the Campus
column.
In my head I was shouting for
help whilst swimming in a sea of sharks,
and the shore was a long breath away. But,
with a bit of courage, I would eventually
make my way to shore and fnd myself a
warehouse of golden opportunitiespun
completely intended.
Te frst time my parents drove
me to UPDEPP, they had tasked me of
spotting the university. As my eyes were
set on fnding a non-existent Oblation
statue, we missed the building twice be-
fore fnding the school signage. Compared
to the Diliman campus, it came as a bit
of shock afer a 30-second sweep of the
area- that a single-foored building could
house 500 students.
Later into the year, I would al-
ways crack up when they called the cov-
ered
court a
gym, a group of ba-
hay kubos the Tambayans, a
row of stone tables the Flintstones, and
three rooms separate of the main build-
ing the annex. My friends and I had less
than a handful of options where we could
sob quietly while reminiscing about high
school and how much we missed it.
Despite the exaggerated pain,
however, we slowly succumbed
to the charm of the vicinity. It
took a while to realize that slug-
gishly walking to the next class
for a few meters instead of rid-
ing one jeepney afer another
had its own charms.
Afer a semester, I had uncon-
sciously trained myself to recognize
schoolmate from stranger and eventu-
ally warmed up to the campus. Kong Ed
has become a confdante, Chief Sau and
Chief Nuks have transformed into regular
tambay buddies, and my block-mates- a
much-needed support system in our tiny
home.
Being a small community gave
way to familiarity, a reassurance that
no matter how small of a mess someone
makes, everyone will eventually know and
smirk at himor her for it. Grin!
Most of the people I spent my frst
year days with considered UP Clark only
as a stepping-stone towards holy ground.
It was by the
end, however,
that most students
begin to take the challenges of the
extension program for their own. Howev-
er, while many have decided to make the
most out of their next 4 years in Clark-
some students still wish for Diliman.
Tere might be an insane amount
of reasons as to why the idea of Diliman
continues to appeal to many students, but
the one argument that stands out for some
is that Clark just isnt Diliman. Perhaps, its
because they believe that the gravity of the
name implies the level of respect people
hold for it and not the other way around.
Some believe that UPDjust simply appeals
more than the UPD- Extension Program
in Pampanga.
I may not know what efect the D word
has on future employers, but worrying
about the predisposition of people based
on a name is, I think, complete BS. It is a
proven fact that the UP sword has edge,
but it is in the hands of the wielder that the
swords fullest potential is proven.
Whether an Isko has to run a few miles to
get to his next class or walk only to the next
room, whether an Iska gets lost in a crowd
of strangers or knows everyone she passes
by, whether it is Diliman, Clark, Manila,
Baguio, Los Baos, Visayas or Mindanao
on a UP graduates resume, we have all
been equally granted the pleasure of qual-
ity education. Although an isaw stall or
a tapsilog joint on our campus would be
pretty nice, too.*
Warehouse of Opportunities
SAANNGA bang UP ko gusto? Iyan ang
kadalasang isasaisip ng sinuman sa atin,
sapilitan o hindi dahil isa ito sa kailangang
sagutan para makapag-UPCAT. Isa sa pala-
giang sagot diyan ay UP Diliman at kasama
sa karamihanna iyonay ang mga mag-aaral
ng UPDEPP. Bukod sa lokasyon na ano pa
bat layo sa Maynila, ang UPDEPP campus
ay sadyang maliit kumpara sa UP Diliman.
Sa liit nito ay medyo imposibleng magka-
ligawan liban na lang kung naghahanap ka
ng room 5 o iba ang konsepto mo sa tina-
tawag na gym. Bukod sa kaliitan at ka-
kaunting bilang ng kurso, may mga bagay
pa bang iba kaysa sa ibang UP campus?
Ang alam ng karamihan sa ta-
ga-UPDEPP ay isa tayong college ng UPD
kung kayat hindi naman talaga tayo sina-
sadyang maiba sa kanila. Ngunit sa ibat-
ibang kultura at tradisyong nanalaytay sa
bawat UP campus ay nagsilbi itong mga
tulay upang masabi na marami tayong pag-
kakaiba.
Sa itsura pa lang ay talagang
maaaninag na ang pagkakaiba. Sa UPDEPP
karamihan ng buhok sa atin ay karaniwang
kulay itim, brown, at mapula-pula ngunit
sa Diliman ay may pink, white, blue, red,
green, orange , yellow, violet at rainbow
na kailanman ay hindi magiging ordi-
naryo at minsan din ay masusumpungan
na ang lalaki ang long hair at ang babae pa
ang kalbo. Kapag siguro sa UPDEPP gina-
wa iyon ay siguradong pag-iisipang otaku
(adik-adik sa anime) o kaya shabu pa. Sa
Diliman puwede kahit anong isuot, pajama
o mapa-gown basta walang pakialaman
sa kagustuhan ng bawat isa. Sa UPDEPP
magsuot ka lang ng sleeveless, maiksing
shorts, palda, sando, dress, polo o alin pa
mang kasuotan na hindi karaniwan mong
suot ay gagawin kang tampulan ng tukso na
kung saan raw ang punta, may date ba, o
kaya mga masasakit na uy, binata/babae ka
na o J.S. kayo uli?. Sa pag-aaral naman ay
magkaiba rin ang sa UPD at UPDEPP. Sa
Diliman, sabi ng aking kaibigan, mahirap
may makasabay ng anu pa man sa kanyang
kabarkada. Iba-ibang schedule, iba-ibang
building, at kanya-kanyang kaibigan ang
mayroon sila. Sa kabilang banda naman ay
ibat-ibang uri ng tao ang makaksalamuha
mo, maraming magaganda, marami rin ang
pangit. Maraming mayayaman, marami rin
ang mahihirap. Marami ang napaparan-
galan, marami rin ang puro bagsak, may
mga magna (magna-nine years na sa UP)
at summa (summa-sampung taon na sa UP,
summa-summer na naman o kaya sum-
ma-langit na sa katandaan sa UP). Sa mad-
aling salita, napakarami nila, biro lang, ang
totoo ay hindi mo na kailangang maglakbay
sa buong Pilipinas upang makakita
ng ibat ibang uri ng tao. Sa
Diliman, naroon
na ang repre-
sentasyon ng
karamihan, ma-
talino nga lang
ang lahat. Sa UP-
DEPP naman,
halos lahat maaaring maging magkaklase.
Laging may kakilala, halos memorydao ang
kanya-kanyang pangalan, kapag nadapa,
maraming makakakilala, kapag maganda at
gwapo, marami ring makakakilala. Sa org,
at soro at frat, kapag ikaway may sinalihan,
tiyak ka ng magkakaroon ng mga kaibigan.
At sa madaling salita, mahirap hindi mag-
karoon ng kaibigan sa lugar na kayo lagi
ang makakasama.
Noong pasimula pa lang akong
mag-kolehiyo ay laging tinatanong sa akin
kung saan ako nag-aaral. Lagi sa tuwing si-
nasabi kong UPay agadna itatanong sa akin
kung Dilimanba iyano kung saan-saan. UP
Clark ang sinasabi ko at bahagi kami ng to-
toong UP system. Palagi rin naman sa pag-
tatanong ng mga karaniwan ay matatanda
sa kurso ko na Business Economics ay me-
dyo may halo ata iyong pang-iinis o hindi
ko malaman. Ang Business Economics raw
ba ay ang mga nagluluto, nagtatahi, nagbe-
benta nmg natahi o kaya ay nagdidisenyo
ng tinatahi. Mahirap ipaliwanag ang
mga ganitong konsepto
ngunit mas
mahirap pang ipaliwanag ang isang bagay.
Hindi makakaila na ang karani-
wang kaisipan ng iba sa atin ay ang UP-
DEPP bilang isang stepping stone patungo
sa UP DIliman. Ang hindi nila alam ay
mahirap kaya ang pagdaraanan rito upang
lamang makalipat. Hindi lang dahil sa ma-
hirap magkaroon ng disenteng marka na
sapat para paglipat kundi pati na rin sa sa-
mahang dito sa UPDEPP mo lang makikita
na maaaring masakripisyo. Mapa-inuman
man iyan o mga pagsasamang maram-
ing halong kakornihan, bisyo ito na hindi
kayang bitiwan na lamang. Hindi dapat
isipin na madali ritong lumabas dahil ang
katotohanang mahirap ay magbubunga
lamang ng masaklap na damdaming may
halong panghihinayang. Dapat ay pahal-
agahan natin at isaala-ala na lahat ng UP
units ay dapat pantay-pantay. Pruweba nito
ay lahat tayo ay may iisang himno na isi-
nasaawit ng buong puso. Walang lamang
o daig. Sa mga aspetong may pagkukulang
man ang isa ay dapat lamang paglinganin
ng iba sapagkat mapa- UPDEPP, UP Dili-
man o alinmang UP unit iyan, UP pa rin
tayo.*
UPDEPP Bilang Isang UP Campus
Li an Espi no
Why Clark shines like any other despite lack of good isaw
Claiming The Right to be Unhappy
Li nel l e Z. Mer cado
A n g U P D E P P A t A n g U P D
UPDEPP Sa Kabil a Ng Mga Akal a
Ma k i n g i t t o t h e wa r e h o u s e
Me e t i n g t h e l o c a l s
S . O . S !
Euni ce Dani ca Fe
BUT I like the inconveniences.
We dont, said the Controller. We prefer
to do things comfortably.
But I dont want comfort. I want God,
I want poetry, I want real danger, I want
freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.
In fact, said Mustapha Mond, youre
claiming the right to be unhappy.
All right then, said the Savage defant-
ly, Im claiming the right to be unhap-
py. Not to mention the right to grow old
and ugly and impotent; the right to have
syphilis and cancer; the right to have too
little to eat; the right to be lousy; the right
to live in constant apprehension of what
may happen tomorrow; the right to catch
typhoid; the right to be tortured by un-
speakable pains of every kind. Tere was
a long silence. I claim them all, said the
Savage at last.
People averse pain and sufer-
ing. Yet, when torn between choosing a
systematized society where everything
is convenient and in order, and a disor-
ganized society where conficts, dangers,
and suferings are everywhere, John the
Savage in Aldous Huxleys novel Brave
New World chose the latter with no hes-
itations. He wouldnt trade his volatile
world for the comfort and stability that
the World State ofers. For the savage,
inconvenience is an essential part of our
lives. It ignites in us the passion to have an
ambition and strive for a better condition.
Tus, struggles make one a bet-
ter person.
Nonetheless, the novel also taps
another issue in our society. To
achieve the order that the World
State has, the fate of the people are pre-de-
termined by the society. Babies are born
in bottles, and conditioned to accept the
morals impinged on them. Tey are born
into castes, the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Del-
ta, and Epsilon, with the latter three being
the product of the Bokanovsky Process
which involves shocking an egg so that it
divides to form up to ninety-six identical
embryos, which then develop into nine-
ty-six identical human beings. Simply
stating, they are clones made to perform
identical tasks to identical machines, even
being exposed to chemicals at their fer-
tilization to perform the ugly-and-stupid
role that they have in the society. Tis
may be a horrifc idea, but Im afraid that
the non-fctional world we live in is not
far from being the World State in Huxleys
novel. Some people believe in the advoca-
cy of the implementation of eugenics and
cloning the human race. If this happens,
the diferences we hold from each other
would vanish, thus, losing our identities.
Also, the recessive and unpleasant genes
would be extricated to remove the illness-
es, suferings, and inconveniences for the
future generations. At this point, people
would not even know how it is to experi-
ence pain, to be rejected, to fall down, and
stand up again. You see, we need sufering
in our lives to know what it is to experi-
ence relief. We need to know how it feels
to be rejected to appreciate our accep-
tance. We need to feel unhappy to know
what it means to be happy. So, next time
youre feeling pain or in despair, shout to
yourself, Im claiming the right to be un-
happy!*
Youngest Elected Ofcial
in Philippines is Iska
I t zel Landi ngi n
SHES MORE than just a pretty face.
Winning with 27, 282 votes
in the 2013 elections, Krizzanel
Win-Win Garbo, the daughter of
Board Member Crisostomo Cris
Garbo, is now serving
as one of Mabalacat
Citys councilor.
She is not only
the youngest
elected coun-
cilor, but also
the youngest
elected of-
ficial in the
history of
the Philip-
pines.
S t a t -
ed in the RA. No.
6644 is the act of re-
ducing the minimum age
of the different elective local offi-
cials. We quote: Candidates for the
positions of member of the sanggu-
niang panlungsod or member of the
sangguniang bayan must be at least
eighteen years of age on election
day, which makes Win-Win, who
just turned 18 last March 27, 2013
and was exactly 18 years, 1 month
and 16 days old last May 13, 2013,
the youngest elected official in the
history of the Philippines. Council-
or Eduardo Digul Gullas formerly
held the record for winning a seat as
a councilor of Talisay City when he
was just 18 years and 7 months old.
Win-Win is not new to being
a public servant. She started in pub-
lic service when she was just a Se-
nior High School student, at a very
young and tender age of
15. She served as the
Sangguniang Ka-
bataan President
of the Province
of Pampanga
from Decem-
ber 2010 un-
til June 30,
2013. She
was a former
UPDEPP and
a BA BE stu-
dent but because
of her busy sched-
ule and other priori-
ties then, she had to leave
UPDEPP and transfer to another
university that can accommodate
her.
Along with the other winning offi-
cials, Win-win was officially seated
as one of Mabalacat citys councilors
last July 1, 2013. When asked about
her plans for her people, Win-win
told us that she will mainly focus on
health and education for the youth
and social welfare.
Win-Win is currently a 2nd yr stu-
dent at Angeles University Founda-
tion and is taking up AB Communi-
cations. *
KUNG DATI hashtag foodie, food-
porn, foodgasm ang trend, ngayon
Hash tag selfe na! Sa twitter, insta-
gram at pati na rin sa facebook lag-
anap. Ito yung pagkuha ng photo ng
sarili mo. Hindi ko alam kung ma-
tutuwa ba ko na hindi na pagkain
ang pinipicturan ng mga tao, o mal-
ulungkot dahil bawat galaw selfe na
kaagad. Bago umalis ng bahay, selfe.
Habang nasa cr, selfe. Habang nag-
aaral, selfe. Grabe hash tag medyo
vain! Yung mga guilty dyan oh, wag
kayo magalit. Wag OA okay? Lahat
naman may pinch of narcissism eh.
At hindi naman bashing ang point ng
article na to. Ang goal ko is malaman
kung anong klase kang selfe-er [ta-
ong nagseselfe].
#selfe number 1: Wacky
Eto medyo laganap. Selfe ng
paglukot ng mukha. Dito wala naman
masyado ruling. Basta ang point lang
ng #selfe na wacky ay yung mag-
mukha kang nakakatawa. Kahit ilabas
mo yung dila mo, magduling-dulin-
gan, palakihin butas ng ilong o ng-
umanga ka dyan okay lang. Kahit
anong itsura sige lang! Kasama din
dito yung duck face. Yung papausliin
mo yung nguso mo to the max haha-
ha! Dati madami gumagawa nyan eh
kaso simula ata ng mapagtawanan sa
mga social network hindi na nila gaa-
no ginagawa. Medyo nahiya siguro :P
#selfe number 2: Mirror mirror
Sila yung mga selfe-er na
pipicturan yung refection nila sa sa-
lamin. Minsan sa kwarto or sa CR.
Kahit saan basta may salamin. Yung
iba nga sa mall pa eh. May isa nga
ako natyempohan, kumuha ng damit
sa department store, sinuot sa ftting
room, nag selfe, tas hindi naman
binili yung damit! Uso kasi to sa mga
fashionista dyan. Madalas pag gnyan
yung selfe, may kasama syang #ootd
or outft of the day. Ginagawa nila
yan para makita mo yung suot nila.
Siguro para alam sila hanapin pag
nawala sila. Haha. Madalas
ginagawa din to ng mga artis-
ta, bago sila lumabas sa guest-
ing ganyan.
#selfe number 3: Toggle
view
Hahaha eto ung mga taong
medyo obsessed sa mukha nila. Every
view may selfe. Top view, lef view,
right view lahat na ng angulo pinat-
ulan. Minsan may bottom view pa
nga eh, yung tipong nostrils nya lang
yung nakikita mo. Madalas ito yung
selfe ng mga nagpapacute. Yung pa-
smile smile dyan, make face dito,
pa-sibi efect. Benta din ditto yung
pa-serious efect yung nagmomodel
modelan >:D
#selfe number 4: Just >insert verb
here<
Eto yung pinaka nakakatawa
sa lahat para sakin. Haha lahat ng
gawin nya may selfe. Pagkagising
Just woke up okay post sa insta-
gram. Pagkakain Just had lunch/din-
ner. Pagkauwi Just arrived home.
At ang pinaka weirdong post sa lahat,
yung bago matulog. Now sleeping
Wow ha, matutulog na lang picture
pa. Di naman talaga tulog, pinictur-
an lang yung sarili na may kasamang
unan tas nakapikit! Hahaha grabe
lang.
Hindi lang naman yan ang
mga klase ng selfe ngayon. Madami,
kukulangin ang isang page para sa
kanila. Kasi ang selfe parang refec-
tion yan ng kung paano nakikita ng
tao ang sarili nya. Magseselfe sya
sa paraan na magmumukha syang
maganda, cute o kung ano man yung
pose na sa tingin nya na-capture yung
personality nya. Minsan lang talaga
kaya tayo pinagtatawanan sa mga sel-
fe na yan ay dahil sa iba ang magan-
da para sa kanila at para sayo. Kung
di matanggap ng tao yung paraan mo
para ipakita yung sarili mo. Wag mo
sila pansinin. Wala lang sila magawa
sa buhay nila. Ang importante sa la-
hat ay yung kung paano mo nakikita
yung sarili mo. Dont compare and
dont rely on how people will evaluate
your beauty. Kasi true beauty relies
within ones self and only one s self
know how beautiful he or she actually
is. *
P a t L a z a r o
#selfie
CRI TI SKO
Maysi e Medel
YOU WOULD expect that
the Hollywood power couple Kanye
West and Kim Kardashian would
give their baby a new out of this
world name or even a name start-
ing with the later K for traditions
sake. Lo and behold, the name of
the child is North West. North being
the first name and West the family
name. Is it creative? Well if you in-
tentionally want your childs name
to be banal and heard from any-
one who concerns themselves with
navigation then yes, it is creative.
North West is the official name of
the baby and is confirmed by her
birth certificate. Way to go thinking
outside the box! Compared to the
names Blue Ivy (Beyonces baby
girl), Blanket (Michael Jacksons
son), Pilot Inspektor (Jason Lees
kid),Undoubtedly the name North
is much better but nonetheless
weird. North will still be the butt of
all jokes like these: Teacher! North
West is not following directions! Or
Well we know that the kid is going
straight to the top and a little to
the left.
Remember the commo-
tion on Scarborough Shoal and
how China (with the help of their
friend, Russia) wants their land
(although rightfully ours) back?
Well, our constant bickering with
Frontliners review of everything
groundbreaking (or are they?)
t h e
C h i -
n e s e
l e a d
to us
bei ng
b u l -
l i e d
by the
super-
power
and STILL not having Scarbor-
ough shoal (surprise, surprise). I
guess, until now. Recently, Japan
pledged to aid us in protecting the
Philippines remote islands, un-
like the Americans who promised
to help, so where are they now?
The Japanese had their share of
land disputes with China, so here
we are now, teaming up with a new
found friend. Who could blame
them for such a move? They too,
had tensions with China because
of them competing over the Japa-
nese-held islands of Senkaku. They
are our karamays and maybe
partners in upholding justice. Hav-
ing Japan as a friend is quite nice,
they will be giving us 10 new Jap-
anese patrol boats within the next
18 months. Arigatou Gozaimasu
Tomodachi.
On June 2013, Edward
Snowden, former National Secu-
rity Agency (NSA) contractor has
caused an uproar in the United
S t a t e s .
T h e
O b a m a
a d m i n -
i st rat ion
is in hot
pursuit of
Snowden,
who I
might say
is a good
hider for his whereabouts are still
hazy (He may be hiding under the
coat of Russian President Vladi-
mir Putin as of the moment, or on
the way to Venezuela) and is still on
the run. Snowden, now deemed as a
whistleblower, divulged top secret
documents under the NSA which
says that the US is a true to life BIG
BROTHER. Everyone (excluding 4
countries) is under virtual surveil-
lance. Your phone, your facebook
account, your emails and so much
more can all be accessed and re-
corded by the NSA using their spe-
cial tools, stalker level over 9000.
This leaked classified information
has caused irrevocable damage
on the US government (How now
Obama?). Many thought this high
tech stuff only exists in movies,
many have never been so wrong.
Thank you Edward Snowden for
revealing to the world the truth,
some say that you are a traitor and
a criminal for exposing the NSA
and its little schemes, but for the
many whose eyes you have given
N o r t h w e s t
J a p a n t o t h e R e s c u e
He r o o r Tr a i t o r ?
sight, you are a legitimate patriot.
Knowing this, what can we do now?
Go Hide yo kids, Hide yo wives and
hide yo husbands cuz theyre look-
ing at everybody out here.
Which do you prefer? Oreo
or Cream-O? My Phone or Apple?
Coca-Cola or RC Cola? Nips or
M&Ms? Chances are, you chose
the bigger and international
brands. A logical explanation for
this is that the marketing strategies
of big brands are convincing their
consumers all over the globe. Each
brand wants to be on top of the
consumerism game and the buy-
ers are head over heels on the new
products. Consumers come rushing
in the stores to buy the latest gad-
get, who here is smart and who is
dumb? The consumer or the pro-
ducer? The masses should educate
themselves on the industry and its
products for them not to be vic-
timized by the crazes and trends
made by the marketing stunts of
influential businesses. First of all,
do not be fooled by the latest in-
novations. Be objective and focus
on the function, price and the look
of the product rather than buying
the product just because it is the
latest release and everyone is dying
to have one. Think people, think!
There is more to a product than
meets the eye and the ear. Use the
brain.*
B r a n d C o n s c i o u s n e s s
What is your say
on the canteen
services?
P O O R .
Overpricing. Yung quan-
tity ng pagkain di enough
sa binayad. Di masarap.
Yung cleanliness di
na-uuphold. - Baby Boy
M (12-04613)
Teir sup-
ply of water is ofen gone
by lunch time. Teir cof-
fee is diluted, and some-
times their food is served
cold. - Sam
Sometimes
they dont have change
and overpricing. -De
Leon, Aps (2013-18816)
Fine. Tough the line
tends to get long and
there are some instances
there would be lack of
seats. Te food (most of
it) tastes good. - Kathleen
B. Gonzales (12-58536)
Okay naman. over-
priced nga lang. -Joie
(2012-62476)
Ok lang naman. Tama
lang yung price. -Jem
Erroba (13-64305)
In general,
the canteens service is
good. Te personnel are
approachable. However,
I can say that at around
afernoon theres no
more free water. Jason
Trabuco (11-19895)
Are you in favor of
using e-cigarettes as
substitutes for real
cigar sticks?
N o .
Teres still nicotine in
them. - 11-34894
No, be-
cause smokers are actu-
ally addicted to nicotine
which is dangerous to
ones health. E-cigs still
contain nicotine; other-
wise they wont have use
to smokers.- 11-47415
No, because it is expen-
sive to purchase. Also the vapors and
toxic chemicals present in ordinary cig-
arettes are still present in e-cigarettes.
Te atomizer of e-cigars makes fumes
more minute, but still its contents are
the same with ordinary gas.- Rhys Pal-
aganas (13-66344)
Weirdest
and funniest
moment sa
UPDEPP!
Speak
UP
N a d a p a
ako. Hihi. Planking )
Pero okay lang kasi big
girl na ako. -Anonymous
(11-44579)
Nung nag-text ako kay
Maam Carreon kung pu-
masa ako sa removals tas
tinext nya ako kinagabihan
matapos kong mag-cel-
ebrate at ipagkalat ang
good news. -2011-49845
What is your say on the
SC decision to allow only
currently-employed UP-
DEPP students to join the
Facebook group, UPDEPP
updates--thus excluding
alumni?
Its okay.
Sometimes when there are
too many members in an
FB group, some members
are uncomfortable posting
anything and its supposedly
a group for update, right?
-Shai Peaforida
I think its only logical to
allow only currently-enrolled UPDEPP
students to join the FB group. It is UP-
DEPP updates afer all. If there are peo-
ple who are not enrolled and want to be
updated, maybe we can have a fan page
that can post certain updates for them.
-Cutie (11-50180)
Hindi maganda ito kasi
hindi na mauupdate ang mga alumni ng
UPDEPP. Eh what if gusto pa rin mag-
ing involved ng alumni sa mga activities
and events ng UPDEPP? Mahirap nang
makasagap ng news kung hindi kasali
dun. Zero Shiki Drop Shotter
I believe that
its a good idea because if
there are diferent members,
they might just disturb the
formality of the group. -
Carlo (2013-59481)
Ayos lang
kahit matagal ang results
and ang daming certif-
cates na kailangan. - Jec
(2012-84615)
Ma h a b a
yung pila. Kasi kung
kelan deadline ng appli-
cation, doon dumadagsa
ung mga applicants. -Gi-
john Meliton (11-42916)
First day ng
application, hassle na. Ma-
haba ang pila. Pero mabilis
ang process kasi mas sure
ka na kumpleto ang require-
ments mo. -Bernadette De
Guzman (2011-32704)
Kumusta
pagkuha ng
STFAP this
sem?
Illustration by Yra Calamiong