The Weekly Sillimanian - January 16, 2013

years109

Ace Logic Solutions explains

TOWARDS A PROGRESSIVE CAMPUS PRESS | VOL. LXXXV NO. 13 | WEDNESDAY, 16 JANUARY 2013

By Kristine Ann M. Fernandez

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of UNESCO Clubs in the Philippines (NAUCP), Inc. named a Senior Nutrition and Dietetics student as one of the seven National Outstanding Youth Leaders Awardees of 2012 in the college students’ category.

Silliman’s first NAUCP Outstanding Youth Leader, Retz Pol Pacalioga, will attend the awarding ceremony and the 2nd Annual Convention of NAUCP this Jan. 26-29 in Calamba, Laguna.

Pacalioga said that his award is a result of his discipline, patience and passion towards his activities that focus on the advocacy on food security since he is exposed to rural places where there are

malnourished children.“If given the time…maybe after

I graduate I will do them [plans on applying the things I’m about to learn in the conference] since I am planning to volunteer for United Nations (UN),” Pacalioga said.

In celebration of the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation and Education for All, the convention’s theme will focus on water education. This will target UN’s 7th Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on ensuring environmental sustainability.

Pacalioga is one of the approximately 700 educational leaders, researchers, policy-makers, pioneering practitioners, youth leaders and industry-experts from all over the country who will participate

in the conference. The convention aims to gather these participants to discuss teaching approaches to water issues, showcase youth skills to help achieve water-related-UN MDG, facilitate networking among participants and convene all accredited UNESCO Clubs in the Philippines to plan strategies and programs for water education.

Some of the conference topics include assessing basic education to achieve water-related MDG, developing programs, pedagogy, curricula and materials on water education, and the role of Sangguniang Kabataan.

Pacalioga represents Renaissance Youth Leaders Forum – a UNESCO accredited organization in Silliman University.~

UNESCO awards Sillimanian OYL

CCTV system now workingBy Jelanie Rose T. Elvinia

AFTER AN UNANSWERED issue on Silliman University’s CCTV system’s inability to record a campus theft last Nov. 19, the system supplier clarified that it was due to the unfinished installation process of the cameras.

Ace Logic Solutions is the supplier of the entire CCTV system of the university. The issue started way back November last year when Earl Magbanua, a senior law student, lost his bike worth 90 thousand at Villareal Hall. He asked for the footage of the incident from the Public Assistance and Security Office (PASO); however, he could not get any since it was discovered that the installed cameras were not functioning properly.

The real story“It [CCTV] needs a lot of time to be

installed,” Carlo Uy Matiao, manager of Ace Logic Solutions said. Uy Matiao explained that there are two phases for the installation. First was the putting up of the first five cameras and second was for the other cams. He said that by the time the incident happened, they were still on the second phase of the process, which is why it was not recorded.

Uy Matiao clarified that the camera units don’t have any problem. He further explained that the real issue was with the type of system to be used that will really fit the structure of the campus. “Our first plan was the CCTV analogue system. But due to the very complex area of Silliman, it’s not applicable. So we decided to have

the IP camera (Internet Protocol System), a new technology for surveillance,” Uy Matiao said. The difference between the two is that the CCTV analogue system uses wires while the IP cameras process data through the wireless network.The picture at present

The IP cameras were fully mobilized by late November according to Uy Matiao. “It’s working as what we’ve expected.” He added that their technicians who installed the system are “really competent” experts.

On the other hand, Dr. Nichol Elman, PASO chief confirmed that the system is now working well. “I hope it will be a great help for us. It’s a very good system to help us especially in Silliman which has a very complex campus with so many gates to guard for,” he said.~

By Katrin Anne A. Arcala and Mariella S. Bustamante

THE M/V ZAMBOANGA Ferry boat of the George and Peter Lines ran aground in Dumaguete City on the morning of Jan. 3, threatening the lives of 228 passengers.

The ferry was unable to dock due to the strong wind and waves brought by tropical depression Auring. Witnesses said that two lifeboats were provided by the ferry, while the Dumaguete rescue team was able to send in one rubber boat and a jetski.

“It’s a delicate situation. All systems in the ferry are down. We are only dependent on lifeboats,” said Leila A. Canete [Check spelling.] , a member of the Philippine Search and Rescue squadron. Canete said that although the water is not very deep, the strong waves make it difficult to rescue passengers. Most passengers were returning from their Christmas vacation.

The first rescuers were Looc fishermen and stevedores. The Dumaguete City rescue team, the Dumaguete Fire Department and the Philippine Red Cross (based in Dumaguete) assisted in the rescue of passengers aboard the ferry. Politicians personally extended help as well. The passengers who have been rescued were immediately sent to the PPA (Philippine Ports Authority) located in the port of Dumaguete.

The ship was from Zamboanga en route to Cebu. While no casualties were reported, one of the passengers died of heart failure. The passenger was identified as Julius Nuñez, 34, from Lapu-Lapu City, who reportedly needed further medical treatment in Cebu.

The entire rescue operation for passengers lasted until 4 PM. Baggage were claimed a day after the incident. (With notes from Negros Chronicle)~

Tropical depression threatens 228 lives

By Ma. Josebelle S. Bagulaya

STUDENTS WHO ARE victims of bullying will soon have a support group to help them combat intimidation and mistreatment.

I Matter, an independent youth group in Dumaguete, will be spearheading an anti-bullying campaign to protect students from bullying and to eventually stop bullying incidents in schools.

“Our main goal is to create awareness in the youth and in the students about bullying. [Bullying] is an issue, it is a problem. We need to create solutions for it,” said Project Coordinator Lurlyn Carmona.

Dubbed “Pages”, the anti-bullying movement will be launched next month and will run throughout the whole month of February. The campaign will kick off in Silliman University, Negros Oriental State

University and Foundation University with seventh graders as their target audience.

“They are at the bottom of the bullying food chain because they are the young ones susceptible to the hardest bullying [situation],” said Carmona.No laughing matter

Bullying includes name-calling, ostracizing, spreading rumors and exerting power or control over someone.

According to cyberbullying.ph, 1 in every 10 students stops going to school due to repetitive bullying and nearly 9 in 10 LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) students have been bullied about their gender in 2011.

Carmona added that bullying has serious and harmful effects to the victims.

“Bullying can do bad things [to the

victims]. It can cause self-anxiety that might turn to depression and lead to suicide.”

“’Pages’ was created because it stemmed up from the bullying that I got, personally, when I was young,” said Carmona. “But at the same time, it was created for those people who are being bullied right now. We want to change the lives that are being inflicted with the issues of bullying.”

I Matter is also tapping graduating education students to help in this campaign to prevent bullying in the future. Bullying incidents, the group said, are rampant in the school environment.

“Eventually they will be the next generation of teachers They are the biggest witnesses where bullying happens—in the classroom or the school. They are the ones who are capable of stopping bullying and creating change,” she said.~

Youth movement to stop bullying

WE SURVIVED. 2012 has been a year filled with both good and bad news. Here are the still moments which landed as banner photos in the year 2012 this school year.

TRACES OF SADNESS. Pablo’s fury left the country leaving the strongest trees uprooted from the soil. PHOTO BY Henzoly Hope Alboroto

BANNER PHOTO. Stranded passengers of the M/V Zamboanga are rescued due to the boat’s failure to dock at the Dumaguete port (See story for further details). This shot also landed as banner photo of the Jan. 4 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. PHOTO BY Melissa Pal

2 twsopinion the weekly sillimanian16 january 2013

WE ARE NOT MAKING a big deal out of it. However, we are not letting it go until we make it a deal. We do not wish to rub the salt on the scar. However, before everything just turns into an unnoticed mark, we want to point out how there was even a wound in the first place.

Last week, a PNP-Dumaguete officer scolded one of our photojournalists, threatening him with words like “…dad-on ka namo sa prisohan” (We will bring you to jail). On that afternoon, our staffer was assigned to take photos capturing how the city is implementing the half-received, half-criticized helmet policy.

Unfortunately, when he was about to do his work while the PNP monitored the passing drivers at Hibbard Avenue, the said officer called our staffer’s attention and scolded him. The officer also made accusations while questioning the right of our photojournalist to take photos in that particular area. He said that our staffer was violating his privacy.

In the end, for the good sake of not calling more attention from passers-by and respecting the words of our elders, our photojournalist apologized.

The Weekly Sillimanian may not be made up of law students who are well-versed with all the edicts in this land. We may just be novice journalists in the eyes of others. However, no matter how budding we still are, we are not ignorant.

Yes, we do know that in a public place, one does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Hence, we can take a photo of whatever a certain person is doing in a public place. Privacy is a word that does not exist on the streets.

We are not generalizing all the PNP officers in our city. Of course, there are good tomatoes and bad ones in a basket. But it’s quite alarming how that officer does not know when the media is violating other’s rights. It’s more alarming how he does not know when he is violating the media’s right. Are there others like him? What else don’t they know?

Ignorance is worse than neglect. If the officer does know that our staffer was not “violating his privacy”, intimidating him points us to another issue: abuse of power.

Threatening a 20-year old student of “bringing him to jail” just because he was armed with a camera and wanted to shot the unfolding news before him is just way beyond the line. We do not mind being asked. Our photojournalist can explain thoroughly why he was there in the first place. Questions, we can take. But being treated like a mindless idiot? We use this paper to motivate minds. Surely, we have some in our own. We do not allow it. We cannot take it.

Because if we do, we allow others – especially those are not privileged to go to school, those who are not aware of their own rights and those who instantly fear blank threats – to be treated the same way (or worse) our photojournalist was treated.

tWS has moved on from the incident. We hope that the officer did too.Ms. Celia Acedo, a Mass Com teacher once said: “Be careful with power. At

first, you may feel like riding a tiger. But if you let the feeling get into your head, you might end up in the tiger’s stomach.”

Our photojournalist has apologized in front of the PNP officer last week. But the apology was not for the officer. It was an apology for himself – for compromising the right that he has and for living in a society wherein the powerful are almost inside the tiger’s stomach. We are sorry that you live in that society too.

But we have the power to change things. Let’s make the tiger puke them alive.~

Compiled by Jae Nejudne and Maya Jajalla

“What can you say about the Helmet Policy?”

“I feel happy about the passage of different laws especially the Helmet Policy. It reduces risks on the part of the drivers, since we are the motorcycle capital of the Philippines.” Nikko Paolo Calledo, BS Architecture I

“I both agree and disagree with it. Agree, because it does help prevent fatal head injuries attained during motorcycle accidents. Disagree, because if ever a crime is committed by motorcycle drivers, they have a bigger chance of evading identification and capture.” Greena Cessa Pesalbon, BMC III

“It’s good because it helps in the prevention of accidents. But it’s also a hassle for us students. When we bring the helmets to school, we don’t know where to correctly put it from one classroom to another. Dumaguete is a small town. We only drive from one place to another. People here drive slowly in the road. It’s a good policy. But choices like wearing a helmet should be decided by the drivers themselves.”John Paul Noel Oira, BS ComEng V

“It’s bullsh*t.” Jessan Mark Katada, BS Entrep III

** Next issue's question:“What are your predictions for the year 2013?”

For your answers, just text the Circulation Manager 09265304941 and indicate your full name (with middle initial), course and year.

The Weekly Sillimanian is published every week by the students of Silliman University, with editorial and business addresses at 1/F Oriental Hall, Silliman University, Hibbard Avenue, Dumaguete City 6200, Philippines. SU PO Box 24. Telephone number (35) 422-6002 local 243.

[email protected]

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Opinions expressed in the columns are those of the columnists and not of tWS or of Silliman University. Comments, questions, and suggestions are highly appreciated. All submitted manuscripts become the property of tWS. Manuscripts will be edited for brevity and clarity.

Member: College Editors Guild of the Philippines

editorial

sillimaniansspeak

We are sorry

The transience of life is best exemplified by the coming and going of the seasons, how one seamlessly passes unto the hands of the other - the fate of our daily toil. We fail to appreciate this gradual shift in our universe because we engross ourselves in personal affairs and in preparation for the hard days ahead. It is also perhaps fair to blame that our senses are not afforded the privilege to witness the change in colors that were once stellar some odd years ago. Our humanity has given us the unusual privilege to stand as markers of the change we wish to manifest around us. In a few decades, the hair atop our heads will turn an ashy gray with age and our hands will become gnarly from hard work. Our priorities will change and the things that captivate us will become nothing but nostalgic memories. All of us will all arrive at this point someday since nothing really lasts forever, not even diamonds.

Not many in this generation value what came before them. The relics that people took pride in now remain as pages of old textbooks stored away in the public library. In efforts to keep the past alive, experts replace wooden flooring damaged by pests with the right equipment

and polish old ornaments to render them anew. Artworks from long ago are preserved, thanks to a new combination of ink and paint to breathe life into them. Blemished gems and broken chains are soldered back to their original form through the expertise of a jeweler. Cryptic literature can be deciphered, translated and simplified fit for the consumption of today’s readers.

Though artifacts can be conserved, there is something about taking away

bits and pieces of these ancient objects that make them lose their soul. Old houses may stand after restoration, but they will tell no more of children’s feet making loud thumping sounds as they play and of the young girl who looked out the Capiz shell window to hear a short serenade from her suitor. Paintings and sketches may become more striking at first glance, but they will not anymore tell of the artist’s inner struggles and inspirations in order to complete the composition. An old necklace may look tasteful

on you, but it will not speak of how your grandpa danced the night away with your grandma on their first wedding anniversary. Centuries-old literature still provoke and intrigue great minds of the present but they will not be enough to understand the elation and despair the writer clung to in the company of his beloved as he set his strokes on paper.

The essences of untold stories or rather, what is left of them now resides in antiquity. These are legacies tying their lives to ours. For the most part, our ancestors have nonetheless been successful in reminding us of their prior existence. The great decision to make now lies in whether or not we are willful enough to do the same—tying our lives to the ones after us—in whatever way we can. There is more to this life than sticking to the moniker of being the Y.O.L.O. (You Only Live Once) generation of neon lights, pretty faces and stardust. Restless as we are, there is a heritage of fiery passion, resilience and positivity that we can very well cultivate, spread and preserve. Do not get caught up with the precariousness of the world but with the quintessential, the worthwhile and the universal.~

Residing in Antiquity

All That Jazz

Michiko Je M. Bito-on

Editor-in-chief Maya Angelique B. JajallaAssociate Editor Mariella S. BustamanteNews Editor Katrin Anne A. Arcala Features Editor Michiko Je M. Bito-onBusiness Manager Justin Val R. Virtudazo

Senior Writer Samantha L. ColincoNews Writers Jelanie Rose T. Elvinia, Elana Joy Bartlett, Kristine Ann M. Fernandez, Nova Veraley V. Grafe, Ma. Josebelle S. BagulayaFeature Writers Roberto Klemente R. Timonera, Royanni Miel R. Hontucan, Earl Paolo A. Jaculbe, Jaizer Jim R. NadalPhotojournalists Melissa Alexandra B. Pal, Alexandra Diane L. Iso, Henzonly Hope A. AlborotoCartoonist Rea Samantha P. MigullasCirculation Manager John Lee D. LimbagaOffice Manager Princess Jezrael A. FrondozoWeb Manager Federico B. Martinez VIILayout Artist Jae Jireh P. Nejudne

Adviser Warlito Caturay Jr.

Under the Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009, motorcycle drivers and back riders caught not wearing the standard protective motorcycle helmet while driving will be fined P1,500 for the first offense, P3,000 for the second offense and P5,000 for the third offense, and confiscation of the driver’s license for the fourth and succeeding offenses.

In my understanding, this whole policy is against our freedom of choice, even the intention behind it is not for our health.

What if they pass a bill saying anyone does not sleep on time should be penalized? Or if you won’t brush your teeth you should pay fine? Or if anyone commits suicide by jumping off the bridge, their parents should pay penalty?

Doesn’t it seem they are invading your personal choices? Well that’s what’s happing right now with “Helmet Policy”. Government says if you can’t take care of your health, then you need to pay us money. Don’t be confused, if someone is caught over speeding or drunk, it might be fair to impose a penalty on them since the driver is putting other

people’s lives in danger. But when it comes to helmet, brushing teeth or jumping off the bridge, it puts no one in danger but the individual himself !

Well they say that this policy is for public health and safety. If that was the case, they should have banned cigarette and liquor.

Within these past few weeks after

the implementation of the policy, hundreds and hundreds of bikes got tickets in Dumaguete City. Take a few seconds and do the math. Have you ever thought why the penalties are monetary? Why not, let’s say, if they caught you without helmet, your bike will be confiscated for 30 days? I’m not against using of helmet; I’m against the policy that forces the helmet down on our head.

Well here is better lie, “Sin Tax”! When I heard it for the first time I was really laughing loud. I was

wondering where our creative and humorous policy makers came up with that name from? Supposedly if they can reduce public sin, God gets happy, people get healthier and government cashes in some money for facilitating this charitable act. Everyone goes home happy. See, it’s a win-win situation designed by our highly effective politicians.

Interestingly, I haven’t yet come across a smoker who says, “Today I’m gonna smoke a stick less since the price has increased.” You think price increase in such items can lessen market demand? Then why do people still buy drugs?

Health is not the issue; taxes are the government’s life blood. And yet, it’s all done under the banner of public health and safety. Government can use education or mass media to teach us how to brush our teeth. But they can’t force us to do so. The priceless loss is not money but our freedom. To me, it seems government is taking away our freedom in small doses. Government was made to serve people, not people serving government’s agendas.~

Government: AMALAYER?!

Perspectives

Tedrik Norouzi

Two thousand thirteen is here and as what most social network posts and text messages would say, “It’s another 365-day chapter of one’s life.” But before we go on and start living the new year, let’s stop for a moment to look back at the year that was—the supposed year when the world should have ended.

If one had just done a little research about the Mayan calendar, one would find out that it actually does not predict the end of the world on December 21, 2012 but rather it represents a new cycle on their calendar, a b’ak’tun. This is similar to the (more commonly used) Gregorian calendar’s shift from one millennium to another— only a bit longer.

People would consider this fact as irrelevant due to the date’s passing already. But if one has observed the events of 2012, they certainly suggested an ominous forthcoming. It would seem that the world was failing altogether. Civil wars and international disputes increased which also took a toll on the economy. Freak storms ravaged places where they normally didn’t enter leaving many confused and unprepared. Mass murders were apparent even on highly urbanized areas of supposed advance nations

But out of all these somber matters,

the human spirit continues to be ever resilient. With every tear shed comes a loud shout for change. At every aftermath of a disaster, people held hands. Take for example, the deeply unnerving Sandy Hook massacre in Connecticut, USA. The tragedy was commemorated not only through etched stones and solemn speeches but also, and more significantly, with kind acts. Random individuals started performing twenty-six random acts of kindness to strangers in honor of the

twenty-six victims of the bloodshed, asking only for the same actions to other strangers in return. In the local scene, the Pablo victims in Mindanao continue to receive aid from all corners of the nation. Episodes of unity between some rebels and the army working together to look for survivors lost within the wreckage and ruins were reported by media men who sacrificed being with their family in order to give timely updates about our brothers and sisters.

Just like a soldier who goes into battle and arrives with battle scars, the

world can never fully mend the hurt that it experienced. There is a reason why there would always remain a scar: so that we would be reminded that through everything, we are still here and there is still hope.

It has become apparent that there are not a few hearts that gave up in the near end of 2012. Many would quip that New Year resolutions are now illogical—that change will never happen. One may not finish the whole 12-month gym program nor can he push through the meticulous one-hour daily study. Liquor continues to be drunk and DoTA continues to be played. You may still never have the guts to say those three words to your beloved mate. Why must we give out promises we can’t keep for the whole year? To all those weary hearts, I leave a famed quote from the great Bruce Lee:“A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

Two thousand and twelve can be considered an end of a world—the world of darkness and apathy. This year could be a new era of prosperity and unity among the inhabitants of earth. This is not because old prophets and shamans would predict it will happen but because the modern community dares it so. It is up to us.~

the weekly sillimanian16 january 2013 twsopinion 3

Greyer Pastures

Joshua Ryan S. Salaveria

By Jeahan Virda B. De BarrasBMC 2011

You keep staring at yourself in the mirror bordered with yellow light bulbs. Smokey eyes, hair curled,

red velvet dress very much auction-able sometime in the near future. You are looking great, dear. You are more than ready to play the female lead of an all-out theater production.The door opens and in peeks one of

the many production assistants whose names you will never know.” You’re up in six,” he says. “Get ready.” Then the door slams.It’s opening night so naturally, you

are thrilled. You are already picturing out the obsequious reviews of all the A-List critics. You are already thinking about how you will make use of the It Girl Status you sure will be having immediately after the show.One problem though. You absolutely

hate, hate, hate the script of this production. No, it’s not awful at all. Personally, you think it’s even the most brilliantly written of this time. It’s just that most scenes of the script ask too much inconvenience from your part. Like in Act 7, could the townspeople please not go near the protagonist during the part where she faints? And in Act 13, could the protagonist and the leading man just not kiss?You wish you could make alterations

to the script. After all, you are the protagonist of this whole production. What would this production be without you?And also, you hate the playwright. He

is bossy and he wants his script followed conscientiously.Really. can’t you just make a few

alterations to the script?Now here’s the part where I tell you

what you need to know: This production isn’t about you. Sure, you have worked hard to be where you are right now, at the green room, waiting for your opening night performance. And sure, the success of this production also depends on your performance. But way before the costumes and props and the choreography of your back-up dancers took form, even long before you were cast as the lead part, there was the brilliant mind of the playwright from which had sprung an idea that turned into an all-out production.You would not be where you are now if

not for him.You will never arrive at the last few

moments of the last scene if you keep on arguing with his script.You will mess up the whole production

if you don’t follow him.So, you know what? Trust his expertise

in his field. Believe in him. And know that he actually likes you, that he thinks highly of your potential, and that as a matter of fact, he was the one who chose you to be cast as the lead role.There are times when we feel like

experiences and choices from the past simply fell into place to create things that are new and perfect—almost as if someone had planned all the events.And right we are when we feel that

way. People’s lives are all beautiful scripts written by one brilliant Playwright. He’s already finished every single one—craftily, thoughtfully, lovingly. Also, He promises that not one ever ends tragically.

Now, why do we still keep on worrying when we have a brilliant Playwright behind the story of our lives? Why are we still wasting too much time figuring out how we move from one act to the next when everything is already clearly stated on His provided script?And why do we still keep on asking

for little miracles, serendipities, the-right-place-at-the-right-time moments, events falling together as if by magic? When all we have to do is take a step back to have a good long look at what’s already happening on the big stage that is life and realize how the Playwright is already gently taking us to the place and time best for us.There will be times when, yes, we

will be asked to endure inconvenience. And it is during these times when we would especially feel like altering the script, giving the Playwright a thousand suggestions to make certain parts of His work more favorable for us. Let us chide those feelings. However inconvenient for us, at the end of it all, the Playwright knows best, especially for our lives.Let’s say you want to be in Paris. So you

work hard and finally, you find yourself there, living the dream. You do this even when the script clearly states that you have to stay, say, in Cavite. No matter how things will seem to be in favor for you in Paris, you will eventually be back in Cavite. There will be reasons—meeting a husband who wants to settle in Cavite, a sick loved one left in Cavite who requests for your care, a questioned visa. Whatever the reason, you will be back, and when this happens, all you will be able to do is laugh in awe at how the Playwright of your life gets it His way full circle every time. But it doesn’t stop there; a few months later you also hear from the news that the very apartment you were staying at while in Paris had been bombed during a terrorist attack. All your neighbors are dead. You could have been one of them.Knowing that even though we may

mess up from too much altering and adlibbing from our scripts, the Playwright has already come up with back-up lines for us to get back to the right direction of the story. In order to, you know, actually get to the ending. Knowing that scripts had already been finished prior to us all entering our physical bodies is a great comfort. Knowing that a brilliant Playwright is behind the script of our lives is enough to rejoice about. And what better way to rejoice than to actually follow that script.So instead of fighting it, follow it.

Follow that beautifully-written script. Relax, stop worrying. Be tranquil, be still. Let the Playwright do His thing.Do it. It’s the most uncomplicated way

to live a life in peace.You have about three minutes more

until another one of the production assistants calls you out of the Green Room and head for the big stage. Will you still carry on with those little alterations you have in mind?Tell you what. You are but a rising

starlet. And the playwright is already a Tony Awards Hall of Famer.So, no, dear. Do not even dare think

about altering that beautiful script. Unless you want apples thrown at you, instead of flowers, during curtain call.~Editor’s Note: This space is intended for contributing writers of the Silliman University Alumni Association. Once a Sillimanian, always a Sillimanian.

At the Green Room

By Kelvin Wu

Friend, before you – whoever you are and whatever it is that you might believe in – proceed in reading,

I would like to express to you my deepest gratitude in finding me in my words [what does this mean? gratitude for what?]. I thank you for making the painstaking choice of noticing and partaking of my heart and mind in this large piece of paper which could otherwise have been insignificant to you. And with that, I wish you well and may you find enlightenment in consuming the aching unheard voice of my soul. Do not be offended with any of my expressions, I bid you, but rather hold them in the palm of your thoughts [awkward] that it may live on as it is, or evolve to be another for better use – whichever you choose and see fit to your liking. [check structure]

Because of the rabid nature of my curiosity, I have come to a point in which I question the very fascinating nature of wonder and hideousness of our being (of which the latter, I believe, is absent among other kinds of creatures of this earth as far as ecological practicality is concerned). Truth be told, I have many unquenched obsessions of the troublesome effect we have on each other and upon this borrowed land that which owns us, however, on this occasion, I would like to bring your attention to a “day”.

A day, I have come to realize (in the simplest), is the mere rising and falling in the horizon – a reappearance

and disappearance, if you will – of celestial bodies upon their cycles, whatever they may be, as a result of our planet’s course of habit in the universe. Regardless of the knowledge that life is (inevitably) finite, the above mentioned have no care it seems for they still continue on their plotted route (oblivious of everything else, rumor has it). Hence, a day is nothing more than just another day (and I apologize if I tend to complicate but it is rather necessary).

Another day: in another day, another week spawns; in another day, another month spawns; in another day, another year spawns. Hence, with that, allow me to appeal to your (perhaps “Godsend”) intellectual quality that we may be able to examine such a mundane fact of life. I ask, why is a “new” year reason enough to legitimize noise and merry-making (of which only we, humans, benefit of if we ever benefit out of it at all) when in fact, like I said prior, such spawns from a “new” day? What makes a “new” year so unlike any other day that it requires so much effort for festive moods and celebration? If it is a matter of gratitude for surviving yet another anxiety-provoking apocalypse speculation (or whatever else of a motive), why then is such air of gratefulness absent in the next few minutes (or days) that we walk (mindlessly perhaps) through this strange phase called life?

There is but still a multitude of inquiries I’ve yet to ask of our topic, however, let us satisfy ourselves with only those that I’ve written

presently (to keep it simple and to avoid giving you the impression that I’m a lunatic of a thinker). If I may be so straightforward myself, even I do not know precisely the answers to such concerns, and the reason why I introduced them to you, my dear friend, is because I want you to recognize a certain brand of skepticism – that endeavors to eradicate a stationary mind that clings suicidally to an erred traditional belief system. I am not speaking of a complete divorce of our ancestral inheritances per se but rather of an inspection of it. Consider, for example, a seed where so much potential is encapsulated around its shell. Parallel to our living conditions, a seed is of a progressive nature, that is to say that it is capable of being a tree eventually. If we CHOOSE to stagnate our understanding of the seed to only a seed, we lose sight of its end which is a tree.

In the act of investigating a plain yet unsuspecting facet of life, which in this instance is the “day”, we open a portal that enables us to be aware: of us, of the things around us, of the phenomena that affect us. In consequence of that, we will be more capable of shifting towards a transcendental way of being because naturally, awareness brings the capability for change. That is why I wish to influence you with my advocacy for questioning – so that you, as well as I, will no longer have to live unexamined lives that are not worth having. So, what say you?~

Danger of the Unexamined

An End of a World

People! This is not about the little thing called LOVE. It is finding the “good” in the word goodbye. After all the collateral damage is done on a person there would be a time that the mind beats for sorrowful blank thoughts and the heart thinks being hurt would mean letting go and moving on. As they say, “Man is the cerebrum, woman is the heart.” If they think alike, they become one but if they think on contrary the tendency is they find another one. But in my own perspective and alignment of thinking, I would rather say “Boys get the pleasure, girls get the pain.” I

would not expound on that anymore, it’s self-explanatory.

For everyone who were cheated, for those who were left behind, for those who were taken for granted. The best revenge is just moving on and getting over it. Don’t give someone the satisfaction of watching you suffer because in the end you will be the biggest loser. Some piece of advice for those who are lost and doesn’t know where to begin, do it one step at a time. I will tell you a silly statement, tell those who hurt you that they are like computers; they need to be shut down because your feelings might

restart at any possible time. Moreover, I know it’s hard to convince yourselves that you have picked up the broken

pieces of your heart but wake up because your light and shining armor or your gorgeous princess is already gone they maybe for someone else story and you’re nothing but a mere cast to have their story a little bit of

twist and that’s what you call “LOVE HURTS” what else you can do? Move on right? Yes it would probably tear you down, you strained to hold on but it hurts too much and I bet you forgive and forget but it was not enough to make it all ok. What you should do is think that it is perhaps mind over matter, this time love yourself more than others. Do the things you love, talk to your friends because they got your back, and lastly to have that good vibes pray and ask God to give you a trusting heart not a questioning mind.

There is always “good” in goodbyes because it opens up new opportunities

to seek, a start of something new, a step forward from the past and I suppose a happy ending even if both of you were meant to be or yet supposed to be together. Nonetheless, just because lips have met doesn’t mean hearts have joined and not just because two bodies were drawn from each other doesn’t mean two people were right for each other. A physical relationship doesn’t equal love. Find the good in goodbyes it will be peculiar but it helps in moving on. As for the song of Air Supply continue to make love out of nothing at all.~

Pinnacle of Moving On

Animal Birds!

John Lee D. Limbaga

By Jaizer Jim R. Nadal

There is an unlikely order to things that every devastating event seems to adhere to. Too often have

we seen great destruction dwarfed by restoration. Storms have the tendency to uproot trees, adorning the streets with branches in their wake. These same streets are swept clean by so-and-so the next day, as if nothing happened. Such is the case with a number of calamities that have transpired these past few months. Just recently, a ferry was stranded a few meters off the shore of the pantalan. Days after the rescue, its metal bow continues to muck the water with rust, a harrowing reminder of the cruelties of wind.

To witness these anomalies in nature is a strange honor. It is quite extraordinary to see the earth cave in on itself as you’re sipping a fresh brew in Bo’s Coffee or what have you. All the while, caffeine junkies pull out their IPads and tweet about “the big storm.” But that is neither here nor there. The only thing more outrageous than the price of coffee in Bo’s is how phenomenally dangerous it would be to be in there while Pablo was demolishing the boulevard. In which case, the image of raining cats and dogs wouldn’t require a stretch of the imagination. Simply put, a storm like that was of biblical proportions.

It seems that storms are a trending plague these days. Dumaguetenos were still hung-over from the sting of Sendong when this new catastrophe decided to nose its way in. Yet another souvenir from that previous unwelcome visitor was the sunken ferry that decorated the shores in

front of the Chinese Temple. As evidence of rebirth in the aftermath of turmoil is how the locals transformed this piece of wreckage into a venue for recreation. A month after Sendong, kids were swan-diving off the deck

of the ship. Meanwhile, fragments of houses were washed off the shore of the boulevard. Former residents rummage through sand and coral like vultures picking on dead meat. But instead of carcasses, these were homes. Heavy with life, or once was. Dead all the same.

There was a hefty amount of hysteria going around at the time. Wind speed was expected to be twice as strong as that of Sendong. And this

was a typhoon, mind you. “I stocked up on supplies,” says Sam Belarga when asked about his initial reaction to the news. He is a resident of KrossKat, a dormitory that is peculiar in the sense that the cafeteria doesn’t

serve them food. “I got canned food, pancit canton, a few bags of chips. Just enough to get me through at least two days.” A form was released concerning dormitory residents and certain precautions that should be taken. This included evacuating the dormitories and requesting the students to sleep in groups. Silliman also offered sanctuary for 50 families who were evacuated from flood prone areas.

Electricity was scarce. It was like a scene from an old-timey film reel. Candle light spilled from windows of Spanish homes. Occasionally, a kalesa would pass by and it almost seemed surreal. Not that this was a

particularly good thing. It spelled a great many complaints from the locals. In a world where the majority of our waking life is dictated by something as trivial as an ATM, one can’t afford a lapse in resources. Apparently, a tree was entangled in one of the main wires which provide power to the entire city. Such an inglorious mess of bark and metal caused a week’s worth of horrendous generator buzz. Despite NORECO’s

extended efforts, progress came slow.In consideration for the safety of

the students, classes were suspended. This ran from primary school to the colleges. Dormitories such as KrossKat discouraged residents from going outside. “I spent most of the day texting my family and friends,” says Beau Lagua, a student. He is a native of Bukidnon, yet another area that was affected heavily by Pablo. It is included in a roster of areas that had a storm signal no. 3. Beau’s sentiment is a mutual reaction among the students in response to the event. Specifically for students from Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Compostella Valley which were most affected by the typhoon. “Thankfully they were all safe,” continues Beau. “In times like this, that’s all you can hope for.”

As of late, and due to a succession of earth shattering episodes, Dumaguete’s shoreline has transformed into a bizarre expose of the consequences of natural calamities. Aside from the ferries and whatnot, the pantalan is still anchored to the boulevard. As of now, it serves as a tambayan for some of the locals by day and roof for the homeless by night. The carnage probably wasn’t as sensational when juxtaposed with other parts of the Philippines. To put this typhoon in scope, the death toll rose to over 300 and three areas were declared to be in a state of calamity. Although an online article on the aftermath in our city left a much more disquieting aftertaste to the reader. “Pablo plunged Dumaguete in darkness amid strong, relentless rain in the city, which left an 11-year old boy dead.” A city weeps for one soul.~

4 twsfeatures the weekly sillimanian16 january 2013

By Earl Paolo A. Jaculbe

After almost a dozen issues published since its late start last August, your beloved tWS has

brought you a number of eyebrow-raising and confidence-building news besides the usual and boring coverage of seminars, workshops, and research papers from different colleges. At first glance, writing for a campus paper seems like a walk in the park compared to writing for broadsheet in the outside world. But for your tWS staffers, looking for and choosing the most relevant, most interesting, and most newsworthy events is as hard as looking for and choosing a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Let’s look back at some of the stories that rouse our emotions and minds, and maybe enraged some people a little bit.Broken Promises

Which news story published last year do you consider the most controversial? If your answer is not the Erap Foundation Scholarship, then either you spent Founders Week outside Dumaguete or you never read tWS, at least the news part.

The banner story of the issue released during Founders Week last August featured the “17 sign up for Study Now Pay Later’ (ERAP Scholar: Promises are made to be broken)” article. The unsettled account of the interviewed “ERAP scholar” from first year to third

year reached more than P200, 000. Fortunately, the university decided to shoulder the scholars’ three years worth of expenses while helping them look for legitimate scholarship grants for their final year of stay in the university.Security Issues

Just a few days after the first issue was released, Dr. Nichol Elman of the Public Assistance and Security Office (PASO) encouraged students to report names of security guards who are not consistent

in checking IDs. His statement came out after an incident involving a security guard who granted a carpenter access without proper clearance. Two weeks after the opening of the second semester, an expensive mountain bike was stolen in front of a CCTV camera. There was no video record of the incident because the whole CCTV system is not working. If that fact fails to rouse your emotion, how about this--PASO refuses to reveal the amount spent in purchasing

the malfunctioning CCTV system. Losing your sense of security inside the university is one thing, losing your confidence in the people in charge is another. By the way, it seems that tWS has also its mascot and Goodie the goldfish.Univeristy Achievements

Enough with the bad news; let’s look at the confidence-building stories. Raymund Ayco, one of the agriculture students who was

supposed to be an Erap Foundation scholar, turned down scholarships from other schools like Negros Oriental State University. Why? Because Silliman Univeristy is the home of achievers.

A third year high school student bagged gold in the 1st Asia International Math Olympiad in Hong Kong. Fresh graduates from the College of Nursing, Institute of Rehabilitative Sciences, and Chemistry Department grabbed the

top spots in their respective board exams this year. Ayco’s very own college, College of Agriculture, and Nutrition and Dietetics Department posted passing rates higher than the national passing rate in their respective licensure exams this year.

Ian Rosales Casocot, a faculty member of the English and Literature department bagged his fifth Palanca award for his short story this year. Information Technology graduate,

Mark Javier, competed in the 2012 London Olympics.

Three other freshmen archers competed and won in Singapore last December. If those achievements do not perk your college spirit up, how about a list of popular people who visited the university?Tourist Hotspot

Video blogger Mikey Bustos roamed around the campus last August to shoot clips for a project sponsored by an airline company. Bayan Muna Partylist representative Teddy Casiño discussed the proposed

Philippine Mineral Resources Bill last September. Cosmopolitan columnist Ana Santos cleared the misconceptions on sexual health the same month at the Silliman Hall.

Itchyworms, Imago, Ebe Dancel performed during Founders week while Yeng Constantino, Aiza Seguerra, Ogie Alcasid and many more attended the graduation rites of Elements, a songwriting camp held in the university. Jade Castro, Raymond Lee, Joel Torre and Lourd De Veyra were among the filmmakers who shared their knowledge in Hasik. Veteran journalists like Maria Ressa, Patricia Evangelista and Chay Hofileña promoted social media and its role in social change last November.New Things to Come

Students from the College of Performing and Visual Arts are already enjoying their new buildings near Luce Auditorium. Students of the College of Mass Communication can’t wait for their new building on top of the Audio Visual Theater. A new section in the library will feature collections of former president Fidel V. Ramos. New deans will greet the 2013 freshmen. Next school year will have new controversies to tackle, new achievements to reach, and new people to meet. You can be sure that tWS will be there to write about them. And hopefully, the staffers will meet their better-halves next year. ~

Before the world “ended”, these things happened in SU

The Darkness of Pablo

PHOTO BY Melissa Pal

the weekly sillimanian16 january 2013 twsfeatures 5

13 Predictions for 2013By Royanni Miel M. Hontucan

It sure has been frustrating, going through the past few months knowing---or should I say waiting?---for that

apocalyptic prophecy to take place last December 21, 2012. I mean, it was everywhere, even if it was a little late. Who can resist the words “end of the world” when it’s on the front page of a newspaper? Our Mayan friends seemed too preoccupied with their previous lives to give us the early warning , which gave us enough time to create our nuclear bomb–resistant vests and helmets.

Look at us! Let’s congratulate each other for successfully surviving!

But…what do we do now? Guess we’ll just pop open another bottle of champagne and give a toast to the new year: 2013! What’s in store for our brand new year after surviving the “end of the world”? Will it be worth surviving for after all? Here are some predictions spreading over the cyberspace telling of more apocalyptic mayhem and other weird and wacky events in the future:

1. “In the coming year , every 21st day of the month will be an unlucky day. This is the day where anyone’s luck or expectations is antagonized by bad luck as the evil force will increasingly show up by 2013 with his serpent.” - Psychic Divino

2. “Justin Bieber will do more acting. There could be a sitcom. He has to be careful of fast cars or red ones.” - Psychic Nikki

3. “January 2013 is a friendly month

for people with the zodiac sign of Sagittarius, Gemini, and Pieces. This month brings forth luck to anyone who was born 3rd in his family with great opportunity and chances to win in number games like lottery, casino, and any related number games.

However, it is forbidden to drive a vehicle from 3 pm-6 pm since the road is not favorable to his vibration.”- Psychic Divino

4. “2013 should be an excellent year for those born under the signs of Leo & Taurus. Business & personal relationship opportunities will be available as well as increased respect from others.” -Lon Strickler

5. “Zendee Rose Tenerefi’s debut album under Warner Music P h i l i p p i n e s will be released to much fanfare and critical reception. Her naysayers will eat a generous serving of humble pie, r e a l i z i n g she is the real deal.”- Psychic Josh Atilano

6. “The year 2013 will have an increase of male born c h i l d r e n

compared to female born children around the world. This was the message of December full moon as it attracts more genus male species.”- Psychic Divino

7. “A major government will experience a huge cyber attack during 2013 resulting in worldwide review of defenses, identification of security gaps and the application of new radical safeguards. ‘Ransomware’ is a term that will become m o r e

prevalent in 2013. It is operated by encrypting files on a victim’s computer which can only be unlocked by paying the hackers a ‘fine’ or ‘ransom’. It has been a big issue in other countries and will see its way to the U.S. in the very near future.”- Lon Strickler

8. “Pacquiao Marquez V will happen as planned. Pacquiao will avenge his loss by knocking out Marquez in a close and competitive match.. A Part 6 is inevitable before the year ends.”-boxingforum.com

9. “An undisputable revelation concerning the 9/11 attacks may come forward from an inside source.

2013 will be the year that starts renewal and truth. There may be several stark realities that unfold

in our near f ut u re…many that could shake our trust in the standard-bearings of our democratic society.” -Lon Strickler 10. “By

the coming of 2013 I fear a collapse of a cross

section in one of the light rail transit ra i lway s in the

Philippines. I have seen this a day before I posted this vision with many people riding in the transit railway that has collapsed.” -Psychic Divino

11. “Come second week of January 2013 a big typhoon is to come in the Philippines expectedly in region 6,7, 8 and 9. Streets will flood though it will not devastate much of the livelihood.” - Psychic Divino

12. “NASA will categorically see different meteorites which will become progressively dangerous as envisioned by late quarter of 2013. The existence of these meteorites once they show up that will build an emergency forum hosted by NASA…” - Psychic Divino

13. “The person reading this has survived the 2012 catastrophe that ended the world last December 21, 2012. 12am.”

These predictions may or may not happen. Prophecy or intellectual wisdom, of course, can’t help but trigger our curiousity. We can’t deny the fact that we have the fear of the unknown. Sometimes, wouldn’t it just be easier to see what’s in store for the world? I guess it will just eradicate the whole sense of surprise. Oh, well, it’s fine if we don’t know what’s going to unfold as long as we’re just prepared. Wait, is that a burning meteorite falling? Anyway, welcome to 201----BOOM!~

Honest EngagementsBy Roberto Klemente R. Timonera

For someone who’s been trained to craft solid, structured arguments—often while being stared

down by a team of equally sharp minds and a thousand-strong crowd from all over the nation—Micah Stefan Dagaerag is surprisingly soft-spoken. He has a relaxed air about him, an easy grace that refuses to be weighed down by his heavy backpack and workload.

You might have read his name in the newspapers quite a few times now. He has, after all, helped establish Silliman University as a formidable force in the field of debating, serving among its representatives to contests in the Philippines and abroad (and winning some sort of best speaker award on a number of occasions). In the elimination round of the 2012 CVC Law Debate, he and his teammates, Rochelle Lu and Kenny Hotingoy, won over St. Louis University - Baguio (SLU) by a unanimous decision. This was a debate that aired nationally on ANC last November, and the quarterfinal round is set to take place later this month.

Although it has become impossible to dissociate Micah from his debater/law student image, this is not one of those love at first sight stories; it took two years of Nursing and three semesters of Philosophy—along with a certificate degree in Education which he earned on the side—before he found himself in Political Science, the course that influenced his life a great deal.

His other preoccupations include music (he played 3rd trumpet for the

SU Band and sang bass for the Men’s Glee Club), theater (played Paco in Man of La Mancha and Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof, both under the direction of the late Prof. Evelyn Aldecoa), and writing (he served as Features Editor and later Senior Writer for the Weekly Sillimanian). It was largely thanks to the latter that he became a debater in college,

as many of his colleagues were also debaters. “Ironically, I kept avoiding the invitation for almost a year before I mustered up the courage to attend their orientation meetings,” Micah says. “The uncertainties inherent in debates reveal and demonstrate deep and hidden aspects of my own self,”

he reveals, “so I often use it to peer into what’s going on inside and check whether or not I’m lagging behind intellectually [or] slipping into vain conceit.”

His brilliance in his chosen fields has earned him no small amount of recognition. Aside from the various debating contests he has joined, he has also won 3rd prize in the 2011

Drucker Challenge, an international essay writing contest in Switzerland. This granted him a place in the Drucker Forum in Vienna later that year (in which he was the only participant from Asia). Also in 2011, his home Iligan City honored him as one of the Ten Outstanding

Iliganons of the year, a distinction more often bestowed upon the city’s older vanguards.

In spite of everything he has achieved at such a young age (he’s only 25), Micah has remained extraordinarily grounded. He feels a deep sense of gratitude to his high school, the Integrated Developmental School (IDS) of MSU-IIT. It was

here that he discovered his love for writing and took his first forays into debate. “If after I graduated from Political Science I had taken the licensure exam for teachers,” he says, “I would have taught in IDS and stayed there. I love that place.” In fact, to this day he is still considering

going back there to teach. “If they accept me,” he adds modestly.

He is very thankful to his mentors—attorneys Levy Estolloso, Mikhail Maxino, and Marcelino Maxino, Prosecutor Angela Cortes—as well as to the family and friends who have supported him in his endeavors through the years.

Further grounding him is the type 1 diabetes he was diagnosed with last June, which inhibits his capacities to some extent and necessitates a twice-daily insulin shot he injects into himself. Strangely enough, he is thankful for it: “The disease is good…Each injection reminds me that I’m not as independent, as indestructible as I once was.”

Micah keeps a strong Christian faith. He considers Christianity to be the best thing that’s ever happened to him, and it is something he values more than anything else. “[Debate, writing, etc.]—these are nice, these are fun, but… if your identity and your worth are placed in things that are finite and that are temporary, you will never be satisfied,” he says. “My security is already in God. I can lose anything in my life but as long as I still have Christ, I will not have lost anything because Christ is everything.”

Currently a third year student at the SU College of Law, Micah keeps a blog called Honest Engagements, so named because “the ideal of honest engagements is to help each other discover points of agreement and disagreement without losing a friend in the process.” In it are his thoughts on a variety of topics, as well as his discourses with other netizens. You may follow him at http://honestengagements.blogspot.com. ~

PHOTO BY Alex Iso

6 twsroundup the weekly sillimanian16 january 2013

By Nova Veraley V. Grafe

THE PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY section will be launched at the 1st floor of the Silliman University (SU) Main Library.

University Librarian Lorna Yso said that the university administration has ordered them to move the Cyber Library to the third floor as they prepare the ground floor for the construction of the new section. The latter will be filled with the archives of former President Fidel V. Ramos.

Yso said that the university chose FVR’s collection for the new section because he was the first President awarded with an Honorary degree by SU.

In the Sept 8, 1993 issue of the Weekly Sillimanian, then SU Acting President, Dr. Betty C. Abregana, presented the award to Ramos, in recognition for being the first protestant president of the Philippines and “for having distinguished himself in the area of public service.”

Abregana recognized FVR’s efforts which include “the launching of peace initiatives for the restoration of public order, for promoting international

relations, for fostering harmony and cooperation among Asian Neighbors, for instituting trade missions and investment consortiums, for promoting growth and sustenance in health and environment programs, and for his devoted work in support of church affairs on both local and national levels.”

Former President Ramos is the youngest SU alumnus granted with the said award.

Details on the launching will be announced as soon as the plans are polished by the administration.~

New library section to honor FVR

By Nova Veraley V. Grafe

AS PART OF Silliman University’s Service Learning Program, the College of Agriculture conducted an outreach program in Palinpinon last Jan. 10.

The college created two major activities for those residents who had been victimized by the Bagyong Sendong with the help of Local Government Unit of Palinpinon.

“We will be providing bamboo seedlings to the community and encouraging the people to plant them along riverbanks for the flood negating project,” said Dr. Jose Edwin Cubelo, college dean.

The second activity included establishing training programs for the farmers and for the residents. Seminars and trainings on plant and vegetable production, livestock, poultry and hog-raising, and cattle and beef production will be given as well.

Cubelo said that the whole program is for the entire semester this year. This will be facilitated by the 22 listed as graduating agriculture students.~

Aggies reaches out to the

community

By Mariella S. Bustamante

AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHT EVE Ensler visited Silliman University (SU) last Dec. 18 to promote her One Billion Rising World Tour, a global protest campaign to end violence against women and girls and promote justice and gender equality for women.

Ensler, who is famous for her internationally acclaimed play The Vagina Monologues said: “One in three women on the planet will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. One billion women violated is an atrocity. One billion women dancing is a revolution.”

She further explained that one billion women continue to experience violence, abuse and exploitation globally and that dancing was a way to free them of the anger felt in their struggles. Ensler is also a victim of abuse by her father. She is encouraging women to join One Billion Rising, scheduled on V-day, Feb. 14, by walking out of their homes and dancing.

“It is my firm belief that the image of women dancing is something amazing,” she said. “You’re loud, you’re open, it’s transcendent, it’s holy, and, most importantly, it’s ours.”

Ensler added that she admired Filipinos for their commitment to women’s rights.

“The Grassroots movement is one of the strongest women’s movements I’ve ever seen. I tweeted ‘the whole world should be paying attention to what is happening in the Philippines,” said Ensler, who also praised the recent passage of the RH bill.

Monique Wilson, known for her lead role in the Broadway musical Miss Saigon was also present during the lecture. Wilson is a long-time V-Day activist.

“We’re really fortunate to have Eve here,” said Prof. Michele Joan Valbuena, who has been teaching at the SU Psychology Department since 1997. Valbuena said that she learned through Wilson that Ensler was visiting the Philippines to promote her campaign, which she has been travelling around the world for.

Silliman is the only university that Ensler visited during her stay here in the Philippines. “We’re lucky, as Silliman is not only the first university Eve’s visited in the Philippines, but also the first one she’s attended and talked to,” Valbuena added.

Eve Ensler’s visit to SU was sponsored by V-Day Dumaguete, SU Psychology Society, the Edilberto and Edith Tiempo Creative Writing Center and Rock Ed Dumaguete.

SU has been celebrating V-day in Dumaguete since 2003.~

Eve Ensler visits SU

By Katrin Anne A. Arcala

NATURAL WONDERS ARE the ace in the history of Negros Oriental tourism, tourism officer said.

In line with this, the provincial Department of Tourism promoted a couple of other attractions in Negros Oriental for 2013. These top features are Tambobo bay, Mantalip Reef Inn and bird watching.

Tambobo bay is a rendezvous for yachts coming from almost every continent of the world. The bay is found at the coast of the Municipality of Siaton and its mouth opens to Zamboanga del Norte with a 55-km distance. Myla Abellana, Head of the Provincial Tourism Office, said that the bay is sought after by foreigners due to its tranquility and the simplicity of structures surrounding it. The bay was already featured in national programs such as I-witness.

South bound is the well known twin lakes of Sibulan. Apart from plunging in the lake and kayaking, bird watching is now well-recommended for this wild bird-inhabited area. The area near the lake is home of the endemic Visayan Tarictic Hornbill, White Throated Kingfisher, Flaming Sun Bird and Blue-Napped parrot. This new tourist attraction was highlighted during the Wild Bird Club

of the Philippines Festival last 2011. The national bird festival was attended by about a hundred foreign birdwatchers. It was hosted by Silliman University.

Mantalip Reef Inn is located is located in the town of Bindoy. The inn is established only a few meters away from the reef considered as the abode of Bright Blue Starfish and Blackspot Snappers; even Butandings and sharks were seen around the area.

The Provincial Tourism Office launched its campaign “the fun starts here, naturally” early last year. The line is related to the national promotion, “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” Tourist count increased to 300,000 from 260,000 recorded in 2011. DOT attributes this increase to their province-wide campaign.

“We will carry over the campaign this year since it has proven successful last year. We would like to really promote the natural wonders since they are the aces of the tourism in the province,” Abellana said.

Christopher Catacutan, Marketing and Promotions officer said: “Other tourism officers from the national level dubbed the province as the silent treasure of the country. Our province is not too crowded. And tourism is not in a heavy traffic. The tourist influx is enough to give jobs and at the same time maintain the beauty and tranquility of the tourist spots.”~

DOT launches 2013 hotspots

By Samantha Rose Colinco

BETA EPSILON WON first place in the Parol Making Contest held last December with their entry made out of C2 bottles, drinking straws and bottle caps.

Ang Sandigan and the Kapunungan sa mga Mass Communicators followed at second and third place. The Silliman University Student Government (SUSG) organized the contest.

SUSG President Marian Vanslembrouck said, “The parol making contest was done to help celebrate the

start of Advent.She added that it was started last year

by the SUSG Environmental Committee, which required participants to submit parols out of recycled or indigenous materials.

Winners received P2,000, P1,500 and P1,000 respectively.

The parols or traditional Filipino lanterns were judged according to resourcefulness - 20%, creativity and innovation - 30%, artistic quality -20% and online voting - 30%. Judges were from the Spiritual Life Committee, SUSG and the dorm management.~

Beta Epsilon bags parol making first place

By Mariella S. Bustamante

“INSPIRATION IS DIFFICULT to sell,” said Juan Valeriano Respicio IV, the Kaakbay Youth Development Initiatives chairman during the opening of the first National Youth Development Summit (NYDS) in Dumaguete City. Held in Silliman University, the summit lasted for four days, from December 16 to 19. “The NYDS is our [KYDI] first major event,” said Respicio. “Our theme is ‘Reclaiming the Past, Imagineering the Future,’ which means that we need to reclaim the past and its lessons, in order to create or engineer the future,” he said, adding that imagination is a nessesary tool to move forward, and that he envisions a Filipino youth that is proactive and accountable to the nation’s future.

This event was good news for Dumaguete,” said Silliman University Student Government (SUSG) President Marian Vanslembrouck. “The city gets more exposure and a chance to showcase what we can offer.” NYDS was attended by three hundred sixty-five students and youth leaders from all regions nationwide. “We have delegates from all over the Philippines,” said Krizia A. Magallanes, a student from Silliman University who also serves as the program director of

the summit. “We have students from Ilo-Ilo, Leyte, Sultan Kudarat and some delegates come from as far as Ifugao.”

“We noticed that most national events were held in Manila, so we wanted something different,”said Respicio, who is also the executive director of the Youth Development Summit. Silliman University was able to host the summit largely thanks to the suggestion of Prof. Leonor Magtolis Briones who Respicio is connected with, as he is a student from UP (University of the Philippines) and Prof. Briones was a former professor there. “Dumaguete is at the center of the visayas, and it would be easier for students from neighboring provinces to visit it,” he explained. Respicio noted that it was ironic that most of the delegates came from Luzon.

President Benigno S. Aquino III, who was invited to be the keynote speaker for the summit, was unable to make it to the event. “He had other priorities,” said Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, who was President Aquino’s representative.

The main activities in NYDS were discussions on various topics that are relevant to the youth today, such as human rights, the environment, governance, entrepreneurship, social media, and social responsibility. Speakers from a wide array of expertise and professions were invited

to facilitate discussions. Aside from the discussions, the delegates participated in the summit’s competitions on elocution, essay writing, photography, poster making, and song writing.

“What attracted us [the delegates] to the summit were the speakers,” said delegate Emil James P. Tanagon, a student from Mariano Marcos State University, Ilocos Norte. “I really enjoyed them [the speakers] as they do a really good job of telling us about their experiences.” He added that he likes how the topics were geared towards the youth, and felt that he learned a lot.

The National Youth Development Summit (NYDS) was co-organized with the Kaakbay Youth Development Initiatives (KYDI) a newly founded organization dedicated to youth empowerment and development. It was also supported by the United Nations Development Programme, the Commission on Human Rights, the National Youth Commission, Social Watch Philippines, Pipol Power Institute, National Association of UNESCO Clubs in the Philippines, British Council, Friedrich Neumann Foundation, and the Office of the First District Representative of Negros Oriental.~

National Youth Development Summit held in Dumaguete city

STOP BULLYING. Student leaders plan and discuss the upcoming anti-bullying forum which will guide students on handling intimidation and mistreatment. PHOTO BY Alex Iso

ABOVE The Beta Epsilon parol made up with recycled bottles wins last month’s parol making contest. RIGHT Kapunungan sa mga Mass Communicators’(KMC) “Star of Life” lands in third place. KMC’s star is made up of indigenous materials. LEFT Ang Sandigan’s entry, primarily made-up of straws ranked second in the competition. PHOTOS FROM THE SUSG FACEBOOK PAGE

BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND The Christmas Tree at the Freedom Park in Dumaguete City was one of the most photographed attraction during the “Pasko sa Kapitolyo” last Dec. 15 - Jan. 6. The tree was transferred to the Free-dom Park after it was primarily stationed at the Sidlakang Negros Village. PHOTO BY Melissa Pal

INTO THE WOODS. Cast of the musical play “Into the Woods” extend their hands to thank the audience for supporting their play. PHOTO BY Melissa Pal

the weekly sillimanian16 january 2013 twsroundup 7

By Joshua Ryan Salaveria

On a night with an unusually low amount of schoolwork, I chanced upon an

opportunity to watch a movie I had long wanted to see. No, it’s not another latest blockbuster film shown in Robinsons Movieworld. It was the movie, Pay It Forward, which was released in 2000.

The plot revolved around the simple concept of repaying a good deed. If someone does something good for you, you must ‘pay it forward’ by doing good deeds to three other persons. And here’s the catch: it must be something really difficult for you to do. No, it doesn’t actually require the physically difficult acts like giving out all your organs to charity but those personally difficult for you such as doing a polite favor for an old enemy of yours.

Doing some research (*cough* Wikipedia *cough*), I found out that the idea itself is not new but was actually recorded as being conceptualized even in the early

B.C. period. This would lead one to think why the world right now is still in the same state as was before. Do we really suck that much?

And yet one would realize that this is why movies like these are shown to us—to remind us of a very simple idea that could someday shift the world into a better one. The same thing is present in all movements and advocacies. It has always been my belief that all these movements are powered by inspiration. Great philanthropic ideas are passed on from person to person through the use of words and actions which initially comes from the originators on the other side of the world and eventually from your closest peer.

Let’s put it in a simple metaphorical sense. Imagine a lighted candle. That candle uses its small flame to light another candle. Then, both candles light up another set of candles, and so on. The number would multiply exponentially and soon the small flame had started a great sea of blaze. It could be a through a video, a written story, or

even by word of mouth. Inspiration abounds by the many if one cares to open his mind to sources other than that from an intimate partner. Marami ang nangangailangan ng pagmamahal mo, hindi lang si bebs.

Where can one start? Simple. Look at the social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. Search for Juan Mann, Coca-cola Happiness Project, GK Kuya Mau’s Story, or you may just ask your one of your environmentalist friends for recommendations. The amount of ideas and projects are by the thousands. Your reach is limitless. But let’s be frank here: , don’t just Like/Share/Retweet what you see—act on them.

Going back to the ‘Pay It Forward’ concept, I now feel obligated to perform three difficult tasks that will directly benefit three people. One of which is to help someone achieve an unselfish dream which would also tantamount to starting a new stage of friendship. Wish me luck!~

Pay it forward

From su.edu.ph

EFFECTIVE DECEMBER OF last year, the e-mail system of Silliman University was already hosted by Google.

The migration to Google was a response to the need for a more efficient e-mail system that offers larger storage capacity for its mailbox and facilitates quicker and more reliable transmittals.

This development allows for su.edu.ph e-mail account holders to conveniently access their mailbox via Gmail with its signature user-friendly interface and features.

There is no change to the official su.edu.ph e-mail addresses of the different offices in the University.

In the next months, interested

Silliman faculty, staff, students and alumni may avail of an official su.edu.ph e-mail account.

Meanwhile, full access to the Silliman website was restored last week. Google had lifted the malware warning, which is a standard procedure to inform users of the present state of a website, following the University’s request for a review.

Users encountered difficulty in accessing the site after it was hacked towards the end of November last year.

The team of the University was able to locate and clean up the contaminated files, and monitoring by the Management Information System unit continues to avoid the same problem.~

E-Mail System Migrated to Google; Website Restored

From su.edu.ph

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) Assistant Secretary Geronimo L. Sy discussed the importance of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 in curbing human trafficking, at a forum conducted by the Dr. Jovito R. Salonga Center for Law and Development at the close of 2012.

Heading the first cybercrime office in the Philippines, the Assistant Secretary said the proposed cybercrime law can help arrest big syndicates preying on innocent minors and women.

“The Internet is not regulated, so it is easy to commit things that can hurt a lot of people,” he stressed, defining cybercrime as an illegal act committed using information and communications technology.

The Assistant Secretary added that cybercrimes victimize people over a short span of time. Their operations are also global in reach, and the criminals behind them are usually anonymous. Tracking down these criminals have also become tricky because of encrypted files and servers that are often hidden and viewable only in North America.

With the proposed law, the government is given more authority to locate child pornography and cyber porn dens that lurk in the country. More importantly, it provides more specific bases for stricter prosecution of cybercriminals.

On the issue of libel being included in this law, the Assistant Secretary said that the provision on libel was not part of the original document submitted by the DOJ. It was only added by politicians at the last minute. He shared his thoughts on libel though, describing it as a “social problem”.

Libel in this law, he explained, has a higher degree of punishment because the internet can facilitate faster transmission of false information, and there is easier access to venues where derogatory comments can be made against a person.

The Assistant Secretary, however, made it clear that the priority of his office is apprehending “big fishes” behind cybercrimes in the country. A virtual office was mentioned to have been setup where the public can report on illegal activities conducted on the internet~

DOJ Assistant Secretary Tackles

Proposed Cybercrime Law

From su.edu.ph

Dr. Enrique G. Oracion, Director of the Research and Development Center, was the lone

resource person from the Philippines at the International Symposium and Student Exhibition conducted late last month at Duta Wacana Christian University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

He presented on “The Importance of Service-Learning Network for Improving the Role of Higher Education in Community Empowerment” to an audience of around 80 faculty and students, most of whom coming from academic institutions in Indonesia.

The presentation discussed experiences of the service-learning program in Silliman in building linkages with Asian and American universities since it was

established in 2001. He shared how the program gradually hosted a growing number of foreign students since 2006, and how it inspired the institutionalization of service-learning and the eventual establishment of the Institute of Service-Learning, formerly Service-Learning Center.

Himself among the individuals behind the successful promotion of service-learning on campus and among the University’s partner schools in Asia, Dr. Oracion concluded that service-learning has allowed for foreign and local students to connect communities. The process takes on a higher level when the results of processed experiences become best practices featured in conferences, publications and related professional engagements.

Dr. Oracion said the empowerment of communities

is derived from an experience of having been able to assist students, whom they may have perceived to be elites at the start, in learning about life from a different perspective. He said recognition by the students of the inherent value of the local culture and practice imparted develops within the communities a sense of importance and enhanced self-esteem.

With service-learning as a teaching pedagogy that provides practical grounding to lessons learned in the classroom, students draw out from the community their own issues and ideas. This process of being heard and becoming a source of knowledge, Dr. Oracion said, allows for the community to achieve a certain level of satisfaction and a sense of power or control.~

Research Director: Service-Learning Empowers Communities In its constant effort to pro-

mote and uplift student-press interaction, The paper wants to know the pressing issues faced by the students and how their fellow students would respond to them. For:

POLITICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL AND LEGAL MATTERS

Let’s “Discuss with Gus”(Gilbert Augustin Ganir)

HEALTH AND MEDICINE-RE-LATED INQUIRIES

Address your letter to “Clinica de Bianca”

(Bianca Camille Bulaybulay)

MATTERS OF THE HEART AND TEENAGE DILEMMAS

Your questions will be an-swered in “Love, Stephanie”

(Stephanie Denise Martin)

TROUBLED FAITH AND SOULS“Letters of Pol to the Silli-

manians” will help you in your struggle.

(Retz Pol Pacalioga)

Send your questions and prob-lems in a three to five-sentence paragraph to [email protected]. We will only

feature one letter per week.

Write to us. We hope to hear from you.

ADVICECOLUMN

ANNOUNCEMENTAlpha Phi Omega, in cooperation with International Order of DeMolay Leon Kilat Chapter, invites you to CUPATIG - a seven aside football competition at the

Perdices Coliseum on Jan. 26.This is open for all. Come and join us!

Follow the trending topics of the week in the only TV-magazine show created

by an all-student team. Watch #SU every Monday at 8 p.m. on Fil Products Duma-

guete Channel 6.

#SU is a 45-minute TV-maga-zine show created by the COM 36 - TV Production class of the Silliman University College of

Mass Communication.

To get more updates, follow us on Twitter @hashtagSU

#SU - Your portal to the trending world.

LONELY CHRISTMAS Typhoon Pablo caused the gloomy holidays in Southern Mindanao last December. PHOTO BY Henzonly Hope Alboroto

Dear tWS,

Staple wire on a ham, a steel wooI in a lumpia, and a cockroach’s foot on a Chinese pechay—are just one of the few mistakes of the Silliman Cafeteria in cooking food for the dormers.

I have been a dormer for three semesters and as I left the dormitory life, I have gladly left the dormitory food, as well. It has always been the same even until now—not well-cooked and unsanitary. I know this has been a fact known for too long now. And for too long, it has remained only as an issue. It has continued to be just a joke that nobody has paid close attention to it enough for the cafeteria to actually do something. It’s like they think that the quantity is enough to overpower the quality. Sometimes both actually are missing.

I wish someone would do something about this. I’m not sure if there has been news about food poisoning or the like in the dormitories. But I hope that we’d not wait for such. I wrote this letter hoping that the administration who is con-cerned on these matters would read it and have this problem fixed.

Love,Jea Perez

Dear Jea,

Thank you so much for raising an old but still unresolved issue here in our university. We will ask one of our staffers to write an investigative article on how dorm foods are pre-pared. If we can identify how the problem came to be, we will go from there.

We hope to hear more from you. More power and May God bless us all.

Sincerely,The Editor

Nag Panchami is a religious Hindu festival where people worship live cobras or images of them. Young women traditionally swing on temporary swings on tree branches and young married women visit their homes before marriage.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/)

8 twsroundup the weekly sillimanian16 january 2013

SILLIMANWEEKLYSURVEYChristimas Break! T’was the season to be jolly..

and chubby. We ask:

Q: “Did you gain weight last Christmas break?”

Ten representatives per college served as respondents of this survey. Survey conducted by Earl Paolo Jaculbe

This 2013 is the Chinese Year of the Water Snake. If you don’t have a crippling fear of these creatures, here are some facts relating to our reptilian friend:

Some years that fell as Years of the Snake were 1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1967, 1977, 1989 and 2001. The snake is the sixth animal in the Chinese Zodiac following the dragon. Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, Audrey Hepburn, Abraham Lincoln, Ann Rice, Edgar Allan Poe, John F. Kennedy and Pablo Picasso are some famous individuals born under the Year of the Snake.(source: http://www.usbridalguide.com/)

theRANDOMspace:The venom of the Boomslang and twig snake destroys blood cells and causes hemorrhaging. Early symptoms of being bitten by these snakes are nausea, lethargy, headache, mental disorientation, diarrhea, bruising and bleeding through all body openings.

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/)

Egyptians and Greeks consider the snake as a symbol of eternity. A snake biting its own tail whom they named Ouroboros came from the belief that serpents devour themselves and are reborn from themselves in an endless cycle of destruction and creation.

(source: http://www.mythencyclopedia.com)

According to Chinese superstition, drinking snake blood enhances virility. Traditional South American medicine also prescribes dried or powdered snake meat to cure ailments. The meat is said to taste like chicken but a closer flavor is of frog legs.

(source: http://www.fitday.com/)

PROMISE?

SENYORA -- FACUNDO BY MICHIKO JE BITO-ON

In its constant effort to be relevant and innovative, The Weekly Sillimanian will launch the video version of “Sillimanians Speak” next

week.

Are your opinions as hot as the Level 5 tempura? Or are you lax like the Level 1?

“Usapang Tempura” - COMING SOON on Youtube, Face-book and your TV screens.

LETTERTOTHEEDITOR

Be updated with the latest news in Negros Oriental every Monday evening at 8:45 p.m. on Fil Products Dumaguete

Channel 6.

Silliman Insider is a 15-minute news program created by the COM 36 - TV Production class of the Silliman

University College of Mass Communication.

View the world through the eyes of the Silliman Insider.

CONGRATULATIONS!

DAVID MUPEFor being one of the Three Outstanding International Students of the Philippines

CHERRY MAE GUMAPAC

For being a finalist (top 20) in the Top Ten Jose Rizal Model Students of the

Philippines