Guilder Institute January 2014 issue

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 4 B R O U G H T T O Y O U B Y K P M GA N D D A L N I E Z E N B R O K E R A G E I N C .

ABOU

T THE

COVE

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CLAMOR AND SPARKLE OF THE NEW YEARWe wait for the clock to strike 12, to jump like crazy in hopes of gaining height albeit the age, to witness fireworks of epic proportions highlight the city’s skyline, to start our Project 365’s, and to finally begin resolutions we hope to stick with for the entire year. But what we’re most excited for is the new maze we’re about to enter. It’s a labyrinth of sorts, with loads of twists and turns in store for all us. A place where the old and the new shall meet, it’s time for some change. Welcome to 2014.

P H O T O B Y D E N I S E S . D . S A N T O S

by Pauline Sagayo and Maica Fernandez

by Jason Virtucio

by Jose Isaguirre II

by Caitlin Gregorio

W H AT N OW ? : MO R E T H A N A Y EA R A FT E R T H E “ E N D O F T H E WO R L D ”

UP Tacloban now open

Team Hyperion wins 6th Research Challenge

Yet Another Suspicious Move from China

BA Week celebration makes a statement

TABLE OF CONTENTSN EWS4

PUBLICATIONSKyle Abella, Maki Bajit, Erika Buenaventura, Iya Brucal, Angelica Calso, Janelle Carrillo, Debbie Dizon, Maica Fernandez, Caitlin Gregorio, Jose

Isaguirre II, Raphael Layosa, Mikhael Magana, Kenji Muramatsu, Carmille Romero, Pauline Sagayo,

Aiko Sagusay, Isaac Tambunting, Alyssa Uy, Patrick Vicente, Mithi Zamora

ADMINAlvin Amil, Patricia Anatalio, Camille Calma, Josel

Rivera, Hector Salatan, John Soriano, Renzo Tiangco

CREATIVESDaniella Adriano, Frances Lee, Carmela Mira,

Jadiene Teng, Shei Ruiz

CONTRIBUTORSDenise S.D. Santos, Lugille Teola, Michelle Joaquin,

Monse Alfaro, Whitney Dy, Jacqueline Diaz

Editor-in-Chief

Associate Editors

Managing Editor

Business Manager

Creatives Director

JASON VIRTUCIO

CARLO PIO RODAARVIN LIM

JAPHET LUISTRO

SAMANTHA ANDALES

THERESE ASEOCHE

A . Y . 2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4

F I V E P EO P L E YO U M E ET I N VS B6by Alyssa Marie Uy

W H Y S H O U L D YO U G O TO A CO N C E RT ?

8by Lugille Teola

A S H O RT S EO U L STO RY10by Jacqueline Diaz

P R E V I O U S I S S U E

T H AT DAY W H E N D R AG O N S A N D L I O N S A R E O N T H E ST R E ETS AG A I N

11by Alyssa Marie Uy

TO G ET H E R N ES S AM I DST S E PA R AT I O N

12by Erika Mae Buenaventura

14

by Carmille Romero

V E RY T R U LY YO U R S15by Janelle Carrillo

4 NEWS THE GUILDER INSTITUTE

FOLLOWING A hiatus in the school year brought about by Super Typhoon Yolanda, classes in UP Visayas, Tacloban College (UPVTC) resumed on January 13, with the semester scheduled to last from January to May.

Enrollment for the new semester was held on January 13 and 14. Over five hundred fifty-four (554) students have already registered, while two hundred (200) have yet to be enrolled.

To facilitate the return of students in the Tacloban campus, the administration has offered temporary shelters to its students. The ladies’ dorm, originally with a capacity of seventy-two (72), will now be housing more than two hundred (200) women as well as sixty (60) men, who must stay at the student lounge.

Everyone who enlisted to avail of dorm services will be accommodated, but they are asked to prepare a supply for their own necessities such as beddings, a mosquito net, toiletries, food, and water.

U P TA C L O B A N N O W O P E NWORDS BY PAULINE SAGAYO

AND MAICA FERNANDEZThe school canteen will still not be operational until February, so

students are advised to pack their own meals should it be difficult to buy food in other areas near the school.

Efforts geared towards college restoration and aid for those affected by the typhoon continue as the whole UPVTC community gradually recovers. Through social media, alumni of the college are able to reach out to the public in seeking support. Their program is simple: by contributing Php 300 to the cause, an interested donor can already finance hygiene kits and back-to-school items for a student.

Meanwhile, the UP Visayas Paskua Committee of 2013 has initiated a fundraiser by selling t-shirts with the theme, “Bangon na. May Paglaum pa.” The endeavor succeeded in generating an income of Php 63,240 to be channeled to the rehabilitation of facilities.

Aside from the 500 returnees to the campus, over five hundred (500) UPVTC students have also cross-registered in other UP units. More than two hundred thirty-five (235) are in UP Diliman, one hundred ninety-six (196) in Cebu, and the rest in Los Banos and the Iloilo City campus or Miag-ao campus in Visayas.

WORDS BY JASON VIRTUCIOPHOTO FROM FACEBOOK.COM

T e a m H y p e r i o n w i n s 6 t h R e s e a r c h C h a l l e n g e

TEAM HYPERION won the CFA Institute (Philippines) Research Challenge last January 24, 2014. This is the fifth time the college has won in the six-year history of the national leg of the finance tilt. They now represent the Philippines in the Asia-Pacific round.

The team is made of Geoffrey Bautista, Diego de Ocampo, Nigel Lee, Corrine Reyes, and Miguel Solidum. They are trained through the BA 146 (Special Topics in Finance) class by Prof. Daniel Vincent Borja, Prof. Dani Rose Salazar, and Prof. Lawrence Velasco.

The Challenge aims to “promote best practices in equity research among the next generation of analysts.” (cfainstitute.org) Participants are tasked to research to recommend a buy, hold, or sell strategy to shares of stock of a subject company.

It was taken by various universities in the last quarter of 2013, with Meralco as the subject company. Only four teams made it through the elimination round: University of the Philippines-Visayas (UPV), De la Salle University-Dasmariñas (DLSU-D), University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD), and University of Sto. Tomas (UST).

In the finals, teams agreed with the favorable economic growth and the imminent undersupply of electricity in the near-term. However, each took a different approach in delimiting the scope of Meralco’s core operations, projecting tariff rates, and valuating the company. Team Hyperion of UPD bested the rest with its technical dive into Meralco’s present distribution business and investments in power generation, rearing the highest one-year upside (+43%) among the teams, with risk and sensitivity analyses and supplementary slides to defend its strong buy rating.

UPD won first place, a Php 100,000 cash prize, Php 2000-gift certificates from Valens Securities, among others. UST placed second; UPV, third, and DLSU-D, fourth.

The national leg of the Challenge was summed up by keynote speaker, Joel Litman, managing director of Valens Securities. He congratulated the finalists for their presentations and fundamental analysis and reminded the audience that successful investors have eschewed random walk and herd mentality, and applied systematic investment analysis, instead.

5JANUARY 2014AY 2013.2014

SIX DAYS after the declaration of the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), China took another step on its progress towards sovereignty over its territorial claims as Hainan province secretly issued new fishing regulations over South China Sea.

Hainan province’s new fishing regulations was announced last December 3, 2013 and later forced into action this January 1. Much like East China Sea ADIZ, this action is merely unilateral and an attempt to tighten its grip and control over East and South China Sea. These actions mean a challenge against neighboring states and post threats over the maritime areas.

With these recently implemented regulations, all foreign vessels that seek to fish or conduct surveys over the area claimed by China are required to be approved by the relevant and responsible Cabinet member early before these vessels could cross China’s waters.

Hainan province administration covers the Hainan Island, the Xisha (Paracel) archipelago, Zhongsha (Macclesfield Bank) archipelago, the Nansha (Spratly) archipelago. The inclusion of the Spratly archipelago, as what the Philippines claims to call it, will put Philippine claims on it in great trouble.

In an event of refusal to comply with these regulations, foreign fishing boats and survey vessels will be either forced out of the area or boarded and subjected to a fine of up to $83,000. Hainan province authorities would also confiscate the fish catches inside the boat that it took hold of.

Yet Another Suspicious Move from ChinaWORDS BY JOSE ISAGUIRRE II

PHOTO FROM GOOGLE.COM

The overlapping of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) proclaimed by the Philippines and China’s nine-dash line claim will probably intensify the conflict and could lead to armed maritime clashes if ever Chinese prerogatives are to be enforced.

With the vast waters being claimed by Hainan, it is very unlikely China can maintain this new regulation. China lacks sufficient maritime patrol aircraft and naval vessels to constantly safeguard the immense area. One possibility arises that China would only apply these regulations against Filipino fishermen. This would increase pressure on Manila’s part and seriously challenge its political defiance against China over the territorial dispute.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement that the recent Chinese regulation “escalates tensions, unnecessarily complicates the situation in the South China Sea, and threatens the peace and stability of the region.”

“There is nothing wrong with the law and the regulation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. “It is because those who read into the law adopted a wrong mindset.”

The Philippines voiced China’s potentially dangerous actions in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting last January 15.

China’s new fishing regulations will probably be the next step in establishing yet another ADIZ covering South China Sea, which will put the Philippines’ disputable claims to the test.

THE RECENTLY concluded BA Week was a big festivity and series of events acknowledged and celebrated by the whole student body. The theme This is Us was a culmination from the council’s insight that the college had an identity crisis brought about by the name change issue. Last BA Week, the council wanted our call to be strong, and our message simple—that according to the majority of the constituents, we are still the College of Business Administration (CBA) and that we urge the Board of Regents to revert back the name.

Accordingly, the denouncing of the renaming of the college was not only because of the historical revisionism implied by such act, but moreover because there were no proper and comprehensive student consultation prior to the renaming. BA Week was thus a means to celebrate the things about our college that should never change- our excellence, our spirit, and above all our identity.

Despite this issue about the switch to being called the Virata School of Business (VSB), at the end of the day who we are is not defined solely by our name but rather the values and our culture we carry as a CBAer. We are diversity, festivity, versatility, living in the moment, and giving back. This was all culminated in the CBA: This is Us pubmat because the council wanted to use the opportunity given to us by making BA Week mean something more than an annual celebration.

Until the Board settles on a decision regarding this issue, it has been decided that from BA Week onwards, all external communications from the council will refer to the college as CBA again—this is our call for our voice to be heard as members of this college seeking to give a stand on who we really are.

BA Week Celebration Makes a StatementWORDS BY CAITLIN GREGORIOPHOTO FROM FACEBOOK.COM

6 FEATURES THE GUILDER INSTITUTE

the five people you meet in VSB

WORDS BY ALYSSA MARIE UYILLUSTRATION BY THERESE ASEOCHE AND FRANCES LEE

WHEN YOU get to college, it’s a totally different story. Especially in the number one university in the country, people of various shades and descent come altogether. You have one problem; you don’t know how to deal with the spectra of these personalities. How can you possibly get along with these types of people in the best way you can? I think knowing each of them will be the solution.

Since the courses in the college are two of the most sought-out for, students make sure they live up to the expectations. They see to it that they are worthy to be part of the VSB community; as most of them were achievers in high school as well. Therefore, the population mainly consists of the cream of the crop.

Meet the Grade-Conscious. These are the studious, competitive and bibbo kids in the class. They track their grades well and organize their requirements for the semester. They sometimes even have their entire schedule planned ahead of time. These people spend more time studying and improving on their class performance. They hate mediocrity and imperfection. They sometimes compare themselves with their classmates to see if they’re good enough. Don’t get me wrong on that: being grade-conscious is a two-edged sword. It is beneficial because you always strive to be the best in everything, encouraging you to work harder. On the other hand, it becomes destructive when you lose confidence in yourself because you’ve focused too much on other’s performance. You get too stressed and pressured. Learn to balance both extremes and this trait will serve you well.

The Grade-Conscious

In the university, you are back to ground zero. You will need new college buddies and friends. Your first friends in the college will be your peers and the upperclassmen (except if you’re blockless). They will aid you in your journey and hence, make your life a lot easier during your stay. Especially when you’re far away from home, these companions will be of great help. Above all the traits a person can possess, friendliness is the one thing some people got more of.

Meet the Org Enthusiast. They’re more of student leaders in a sense that they often apply for org positions. Having to carry big responsibilities gives them fulfilment. They love to mingle with other people, both known and unknown to them. They spend more time with friends and have regular hang-outs. They also put org work as their top priority. They are enthusiastic in joining competitions, performances, and activities of the organization. Even if theose kill their time during weekends, they are willing to allot much inof their schedule to meet new people. They also consider these as opportunities to bond with the other members and to foster relationships. These people have larger networks which is beneficial when they go out into the world.

The Org Enthusiast

7JANUARY 2014AY 2013.2014

Some people believe that only a few gifted people are to have the title, Beauty and Brains. It is also a usual misconception that if you’re a geek, you don’t know how to dress and present yourself well. Here in VSB, these two beliefs are proven wrong. VSBers got the brains and the intelligent eye for fashion. They are never out of style; in fact, they are regarded highly by other colleges as the reigning ideal model for fashion inspiration.

Meet the Chic Fashionista. I don’t know what to call guys who are but to be safe, maybe Fashion Fanatic. But, this encompasses everyone. They are updated, in style, and conscious when it comes to the way they look. They check out the new stuff in blogs and they know what’s in and out for the season. They also know that clothes need not be expensive to look good on you. They recognize what outfits suit their personality and are experts in mix-and-matching. This quality is also very useful in the real world. Remember, you may not have that stunning natural beauty but the way you carry yourself makes up for what you lack. Beauty is not about how mixed your blood is, but on how you make sure that you always stay fresh and fab. Having a fashion sense definitely adds plus points to your attractiveness!

The Chic Fashionista

Some people think that you’ll meet your other half in high school, but they don’t realize how much bigger the world of college is. It can be your friend, an acquaintance, or someone you meet along the hallway. Who knows? He might be in the same college as yours. As you get to know more people and get closer to them, you might realize that your relationship is getting higher with someone. When this happens, that someone might level up your special relationships. This is what we call sparks. Some people in the college just tend to believe more in fairy tales than others and become sweeter, too.

Meet the Hopeful Romantic. If she’s all tired of being single and its perks, there’s nothing to worry about because college grants her a lot of crazy opportunities and whole new experiences. There may be someone who she can just click with easily. These hopeful romantics desire to find love and inspiration in the university. Thus, they might take their relationships with someone to a higher level. They spend more time with their partner during breaks, eat lunch with them, or study with them in the library. These simple things mean a lot to these romantic people. They sometimes sit-in their partner’s classes, or date around the UP acad oval. Indeed, being in love is something good. It makes you look forward to each day. Just learn how to balance everything to avoid listing it as one of a distraction.

The Hopeful Romantic

The Soul-Searcher

You may be a mix of two or three or maybe of everything. Nevertheless, your success will be mainly based on how to balance these traits and use the dominant one to your advantage. How worthwhile your stay will be also depends on how you mingle with these different kinds of people. Have fun mixing and matching!

College is all about finding oneself – determining where you stand, what you want, and who you think you’ll be someday in life. This is an avenue to start discovering yourself and searching for new ways to get to know yourself more. Here, you are no longer sheltered. You are made to experience things you haven’t done before and you are faced with challenges which are foreign to you. Some may have this search their goal during their stay.

Meet the Soul-Searcher. They are the ones who usually are confused on what course they want or if they really belong in the university. Some may already have been admitted into a certain course but they aren’t still sure if they are fit for it. A college professor once said, “College is where you make mistakes, because once you go out into the world, it’s hard to commit those.” They are here in college to widen their choices, to experience new things, and to take risks. This is where they test their limits and realize that the trials make them stronger persons in the end. They also measure how far they can go and survive the tough journey. Their principles and beliefs will be shaken, and they are to determined which ones will stick with them until the end. College is a great way to know yourself a lot better!

8 FEATURES THE GUILDER INSTITUTE

IMAGINE YOURSELF standing among a crowd of thousands. You don’t really know that much about the people beside you, but it’s been an hour or so and you know that you all have three

things in common: first, you all know the lyrics to the song that’s currently playing. Second, you’re moving along and making crazy gestures like everyone else; but of course, no one seems

to care because they’re all too preoccupied with singing the lyrics word for word (forget the tune). And third, based from the aforementioned behaviour, you can conclude that all of you

adore the band or artist singing before you, whether just a few inches or plenty of yards apart.

It was the 24th of October, a couple of years back, when I first felt this, except for the fact that I was seated beside Aji, a dear friend of mine, and in front of Sir Nicko, who was sporting blue hair like one of the boyband members. Big Bang was in town and I’d been dying to meet them for four to five years, and finally, they decided to meet me, too. I was seated on Lower Box 217. After 24 songs, endless chanting and singing and screaming ‘till we’re left with no voice at all, I vowed to myself that I would allow myself to indulge in these wonderful experiences in life and treasure them dearly.

From then on, I was on a roll. On January 2013, I went to the 2pm concert wherein I felt like I was the luckiest girl alive because I got a chance to meet and greet them and my General Admission ticket was miraculously upgraded to VIP in an instant. Like my friend Eka and I would like to put it in a journal entry: Dr. Ticket 12,000; Cr. Cash 1,000 and Gain from luck 11,000.

For the rest of 2013, I attended concerts of The Script (two days before our BA 118.1 3rd Exam), Jason Mraz, and OneRepublic.

Now, after my concert-filled 2013, it’s your turn to feel the rush! Here are a few important tips that I want you all to remember about concerts:

1. Always check sites such as www.manilaconcertscene.blogspot.com to check for upcoming concerts. Bookmark them! Keep yourself updated! You never know, One Direction could be here! (#kerch)

2. When you find something/someone interesting, text or FB chat your friends/soon-to-be concert buddies to know if they’re interested, too.

3. Once you have already bought tickets to such concert, please DO look up their set list. Please. You don’t want to be lost while you’re in a concert.

4. Take time to download all the lyrics to make sure that you memorize everything. Give it some time, be it a year (like my OneRepublic experience) or a few weeks (though I didn’t get to memorize Jason Mraz a lot. Boo). Memorizing is key because it helps you be one with the crowd and the artists, and it’s your way of having a concert, as well. For me, it definitely gives you the best concert experience.

5. Be early during the concert day; though, this actually depends on where you’re seated. My concert mantra is: It’s either you touch them or you don’t. For me, if you won’t be able to touch them in VIP, just stay in Gen. Ad. Don’t worry – Gen. Ad. is where the cool people are, because, as what I experienced, this is where the noisiest and craziest fans are!

WHY SHOULD YOU GO TO A CONCERT?

WORDS BY LUGILLE TEOLAPHOTOS BY THERESE ASEOCHE AND DENISE S.D. SANTOS

9JANUARY 2014AY 2013.2014

6. During the concert, refrain from recording or capturing the artists. Focus on them!

7. Artists like to play with the song’s introductions, so try to play a fun game with your peers by guessing the next song. Sometimes, the order of the songs in the set list changes - makes things unpredictable and exciting!

8. Sing your heart out during the concert. You guys won’t hear each other or if they could, they won’t judge you because they know you’re doing it out of love.

9. If you really loved the concert, I promise you that you won’t be able to sleep easily. Embrace that fact and try to relish the feeling before it fades! Then, anticipate the day they will come back. If you didn’t like the concert that much, don’t get disheartened! You’ll experience that feeling soon. In the meantime, look up for more concert schedules!

To give you a heads-up, here are some upcoming big concerts for the year:

Avril Lavigne – February 17

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – March 16

Bruno Mars Live in Manila – March 22 (I’m off to this one, jsyk.)

2NE1 Live in Manila – May 17

So put down your pens and books, turn off your calculators, and treat yourself to a once-in-a-lifetime experience! It’s something you would want to relive again and again.

It really is worth it.

10 FEATURES THE GUILDER INSTITUTE

LET ME be honest here. More than an academic dream, it was actually my super happy jologs fantasy since childhood and those younger years. (And by jologs, I don’t mean corny, but simply not the Glee, How I Met Your Mother, Breaking Bad type of thing. Lam mo na yun ‘te. #proudjologshere)

I remember back then, when the clock would tick 10 PM, I would hastily close all my books, cap all my pens, and run, just because I can’t fly, to the television area. It was time to watch our favorite Korean drama, My Girl (if you know it, high five gurl!) which came after the popular koreanovela, Lovers in Paris, which was also a favorite at home (you could now guess the dominant gender in our family).

So in my elementary and high school years, I would watch k-dramas as a stress reliever and developed this desire to experience and live for a while in South Korea. I have always told myself I would go there; I couldn’t tell when or how, but I was certain I must. Hence, when UP announced that Korea is offering this one-year exchange scholarship—everything free!—you could imagine my happy jumpy self. #thisisit!

So I handed in my forms and went through the semester-long selection process. I admit, it was stressful to death, because I had to juggle my studies, organizations and personal life (#wuw), but it was truly worth it. The message announcing that I was chosen to represent the country and UP couldn’t compare to anything else. Aaah, Sarap sa feeling. Priceless.

However, at that time, I still had many hesitations because going there meant extending a year in college, prolonging my student life, choosing a different road. But I was indeed grateful to my professors and friends who encouraged and supported me. Their wise words and advice helped me to be solid and firm in this pursuit.

Seoul is a big city, with an advanced transportation system and a technology-rich lifestyle. Everything for me has been super convenient. Popular for Samsung and LG (aside from Gangnam Style), South Korea is a nation of tech-savvy smartphone users, from little kids to young adults to grandmoms and grandpops. Internet is fast and CCTV cameras are simply everywhere, even beside dorm refrigerators! (Dormers will definitely understand why hehe)

Living here has been a wonderful and eventful experience for me. As an international student, my academic load was slightly less

WHEN OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

than that of a regular university student and thus, I was given more opportunity to attend various events, meet more people, and explore places. The cultural exchange with other international students and my self-immersion in the Korean way of life were pretty fantastic and fascinating for me. With this, I was able to know and understand the perspectives of different nations and the various ways people act and respond, in relation to their cultural background and national origin. I was able to expand my horizons, deepen my understanding of the world, and compare the norms which I thought were universal (but are simply not).

In my business classes, I honestly learned so much and enjoyed the enriching educational experience. All the concept discussions, group meetings, and project presentations were very helpful and healthful for my growth, as a student and as a person. The insights of people from various parts of the world, the fruits of our many discussions, and the wise words from global industry experts and business conglomerates indeed molded and inspired me in ways I couldn’t even put into words.

Aside from visiting temples, palaces and k-drama spots (hehehe), one of the remarkable experiences I had was joining the DMZ Road to Peace Camp 2013. This year marked the 60th anniversary of the border between North Korea and South Korea, and people in the South clamor for peace and unity. In that seven-day camp, I had the chance to be interviewed in the special documentary about peace and unification between the two divided regions and share my thoughts and perception regarding the Korean war. For me, that was very meaningful because I was able to contribute somehow to the promotion of peace and love, and at the same time, represent my dear land (and be a true blue Iskolar ng Bayan).

South Korea has indeed given me a chest of memories to cherish and remember, plus a load of learning, adventure, fun, and growth. And if there is one thing I realized from this pursuit is that the human heart—this mysterious, powerful guiding tool of life—is stubbornly amazing, in that whatever it so desires, it eventually draws. Eventually. And if it can’t draw, by all good and possible means, it will still chase the dream and drag it close.

So as the title says, this is a short piece. So it must be. Thank you for reading my story and I hope to read yours, too. Someday. Soon. Eventually.

STUDIES AND STAY IN SEOULLAST WORDS (...JUST FOR THIS PIECE)

WORDS BY JACQUELINE DIAZILLUSTRATION BY DANIELLA ADRIANO

11JANUARY 2014AY 2013.2014

That Day When Dragons and Lions Are On the Streets Again

WHEN ONE starts to hear the noisy explosion of firecrackers or the wild beat of the drums, it is the day: it is Chinese New Year! What is more interesting is that one is never sure of when that day would fall in every year. It has irregularities since it follows the lunar calendar. One may think of it as the event where the Chinese could proudly practice their superstitious beliefs. Those were the traditional Chinese and those were days past. We are the modern Chinese. If others think of the celebration as nothing more than an exhibition of Chinese rituals, then find out what deeper meaning it has on us Chinese and the non-Chinese.

Having grown up in a Filipino community splashed with a touch of Chinese culture, I realized I never fully appreciated its influence until I left my hometown. I studied in a Chinese school back in high school so I got a pretty good grasp on the Chinese part of me. Back then, my classmate and I would rant about how hard our Chinese subject is and how irrelevant it was to our future careers. We would always agree that it will have no contribution and no use eventually. But now, I realized how much I long for those days, especially because I missed the Chinese New Year celebration in my hometown.

Chinese New Year is something we look forward to. The last days of the year would always be spent in preparation for the coming year. Streets are decorated with Chinese lanterns, Chinese schools prepare cultural presentations, and dragon and lion dancers begin rehearsing their performance.

The day itself is welcomed with the air of festivity and positivity. This is the time when dragons and lions are out on the streets again. They visit store-to-store with deafening noise to ward off evil spirits and bad vibes. “Ang Pao” or red envelopes are given to the dragons and lions as a sign of gratitude. Children are also given these red envelopes with money inside. This is also the time when special cakes are given by Chinese people to friends. Tikoy or “Nian Gao,” (which also means higher year) is considered as Chinese New Year cake. Symbolically, it means aiming for something higher. Some of our Chinese friends also prepare round fruits for fortune.

What is great is that the New Year is not celebrated by individual families over the table, but it is celebrated by the entire community – whether Chinese or non-Chinese – on the streets of the city. The people gather together to learn more about the Chinese culture. Chinese cultural presentations are featured and Chinese food is made available by food stalls. All together, they excitingly wait for the countdown. The whole event is a collective effort; the festivity cultivates oneness, camaraderie, and prosperity.

Chinese New Year is not all about superstition. Camaraderie and unity give a deeper meaning to the celebration.

The Chinese New Year is not only for us Chinese, but it is also for all the Filipinos. We thank them for openly accepting the Chinese culture and for becoming a great part of the Chinese community.

We, the Tsinoys, have become the bridge of uniting these two very diverse cultures. Chinese New Year is a new year for everyone. Happy Year of the Wooden Horse!

Gong xi facai!

WORDS BY ALYSSA MARIE UYILLUSTRATION BY DANIELLA ADRIANO

12 FEATURES THE GUILDER INSTITUTE

HIGH SCHOOL barkadas may seem to be the most inseparable circle of friends during our four-year stay in high school. We are all together from early morning ‘til afternoon, and even sometimes – dinner and way past it. Every moment seemed so happy as if it would last forever – but it wouldn’t. As we approached the end of that four-year journey, we soon learned of the truth that our barkadas would go different ways – different courses, different colleges and universities.

When we entered college, our barkadas faced a new set of obstacles just to be together again; it was so much different from high school where we can just go to our barkada and have our instant bonding sessions. Our friends are now all busy, to the point that they’re not even a phone call or text away (as some others are too busy to have time to even check their phones and reply to messages).

Conflicting schedules then usually come on the way. One may have vacant period at times where others are not free. If most members of the barkada is lucky enough to study in the same university, it is still unlikely that the barkada gets the same timeslots for their subjects.

Joining various organizations may also be part of the obstacles barkadas have to go through. Organizations take a significant chunk of our time. One of our barkadas may ask for a get-together but our planner, unfortunately, may have already been marked by a prior org event.

Weekends! Weekends may be the only days left for get-togethers. Oops! Weekends now are reserved for examinations, just like the ordinary days. Some may even have classes despite weekends.

Now, there are only a few days left for our high school friends - birthday celebrations and holidays. Barkadas make the most out of these few days. We usually plan ahead through our Facebook groups as to where and when our barkadas will meet. Eat out, watch movies, sing on karaoke, stroll around parks, or just sit and chat to catch up with our friends are some of the few things that bring back the good old memories. Those that seem as struggles for our barkada – the conflicting schedules and school work, other events and examinations – just make the long-awaited reunion sweeter and more memorable.

Amidst any challenge that college life may bring, the high school barkada may never be out of the picture. The memories we have made in our high school days are enough to make the friendship last, to make us long for the bonding we have used to, to make us find ways just to get along with our friends. Though we may have new circle of friends in college, nothing can replace the now-parted yet ever-bonded high school barkada.

WORDS BY ERIKA MAE BUENAVENTURAILLUSTRATION BY JADE TENG

PHOTOS BY IYA BRUCAL, WHITNEY DY, MONSE ALFARO, THERESE ASEOCHE, ALYSSA MARIE UY, MICHELLE JOAQUIN, AND JANELLE CARRILLO

14 FEATURES THE GUILDER INSTITUTE

THE CALENDARS have just been changed and now, just like that, the world is in the year 2014. No meteor hitting the earth, no extreme heat literally toasting all living things to death, no alien taking over the planet; people are just in their plain and usual everyday lives. They wake up in the morning, eat breakfast, do the laundry, go to work, and sleep at night. Nothing, generally, has actually changed.

Rewind a little more than a year back, in December 21, 2012, a lot of people seemed to “look forward” and actually expect an end of the world. The prediction started when there were claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, was headed towards the Earth. This was supposedly predicted for May 2003 but it did not happen. So the end of the world was moved. It so happened that the end of the ancient Mayan calendar was at the winter solstice of 2012; hence, the date of doomsday, December 21, 2012. Such prediction was further backed up by stories of planet alignment, polar shift, and meteor collision. After all these (and more) presuppositions have been said, one question begs to be asked: why in the world are we still here?

NASA has already answered this question in an article released last December 22, 2012; the day after the “end of the world.” The Nibiru story is a sham. If there was, astronomers would have tracked it in the past decade and it should have been visible by 2012. As per the planet alignments, there have been major alignments in the past such as what occurred in 1962, 1982, and 2000. These had negligible effects on the Earth. Furthermore, a reversal in the rotation of the Earth is impossible. The magnetic polarity of the Earth does change irregularly but does not cause any harm to life on Earth. Lastly, Earth has always been subject to collisions by comets and asteroids. However, big impacts are very rare. In addition, astronomers carry out the Spaceguard Survey to find any large asteroids long before they hit the Earth.

So everything about the 2012 doomsday is over. What’s next? It is more interesting to look into the fact that there exist reserve dates for the end of the world. Literally, if one doomsday date does not materialize, another doomsday date is awaiting everyone, and another, and another. An Egyptian biochemist named Rashad Khalifa predicted that the world will end in 2240 because

this is what the Quaran Code says. The Quaran Code is a series of hidden messages in the holy book of Islam. However, another believer of Islam, Said Nursi said that the end will happen in 2129 and not in 2240. A closer prediction came from Dr. F. Kenton Beshore, founder of the World Bible Society, who said that doomsday will happen in 2018. According to him, the world will experience an extreme heat-up; therefore, ending life on Earth.

All these predictions and thoughts regarding the end of the world have different repercussions for different people. It can be argued that having an anticipated ending makes people more aware of the things they have yet to do. Due to a constant fear that whatever is in front of them can at the same time be their last shot, they give out their best. It unconsciously makes people more conscious of what they do, say, and think about. Since people know that whatever they have are temporary, they do their best not to take things for granted; at least, to some extent. One concrete example for this is environmental awareness. It comes to people’s thinking that if they start taking care of the environment, they can at least save a little bit of what’s left of nature before everything comes to an end.

What do these predictions have to say about people? Do people ironically love to fear an end? Are they more driven by the thought that they have limited time left to do the things they want and need to pursue? Or are they too afraid to realize that they still have time left to change the things they can change?

Today is 2014. People will never know what will happen next. Should tomorrow be feared? Should it be foreseen? Neither. It should be faced. Truly, that is what all these predictions teach people. Today is 2014. People should gather enough strength and courage to face whatever happens thereafter. Actually, that is the precious thing about life: its surprises. Live it, love it, and conquer it. Today is 2014.

SOURCES:http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/mayan-apocalypse-did-not-happen-but-more-1500397

WORDS BY CARMILLE ROMEROILLUSTRATION BY THERESE ASEOCHE

15JANUARY 2014AY 2013.2014

WRITE AND break free. Do not be afraid of being consumed by the voices around you. The gentleness of your spirit and the vulnerability of your soul are the most beautiful things you can offer to the world. The words that you choose, carefully picked and mulled upon, will be your song. And those who hear will be overjoyed.

Listen and be astounded by the things life has to offer. Stop and breathe. Listen to the stories of those around you, take down notes, and see life through someone else’s eyes, then you will realize how different yet perfect everything is in its place.

Make lists – of things to do, things to achieve, to remember, things to bury in pages that you never intend to open again. You’ll find yourself more settled and ready.

Keep a journal and revel in the mystery and beauty of words and stories. Explore your mind, heart and soul as you spend time in worlds you never even thought existed. See life as a great big book, and you’ll see that the simplest tasks - and words - do hold the deepest meaning.

Go places, and take others with you. With your story, you will inspire. Carry your readers on your shoulders and fly them to your

to you whose voiceis too soft to be heard,

but whose thoughtsare too loud to keep them in,

this is for you.

own eternal snow globe, and they will experience wonder, with snow that falls forever.

Each of us has his own story to tell. With words and phrases, exclamations and conjunctions that altogether string up a story that’s unique and honest, bare and beautiful. Remember that nobody can write those words that you’re going to write – - those words that will light up and change a life – but you.

Your words are powerful. Use them with wisdom and restraint. Use them to build up, and not to tear down. Remember that life’s most trivial and important occasions are represented by words – the vows we make in our wedding, the greetings we relay to celebrate birth, and the goodbyes to those who went ahead of us.

So to you whose words are bursting to just flow onto a sheet of paper or itching to be typed on a computer screen, sit down and take a moment. For nothing is more unsettling than words left unwritten.

WORDS BY JANELLE CARRILLO

16 FEATURES THE GUILDER INSTITUTE

Dalniezen Brokerage Inc.