june-september issue final

PAGBUTLAK | JUNE-SEPTEMBER 2010 1NEWS

Kakaunti na langang totoong iskolar ng bayan

CONTINUE TO P. 7

Noong 1991, dalawang taong makalipas ang pagpapatupad ng STFAP, isa sa limang undergraduate na estudyante ay libre ang tuition.

Ngunit, dalawang dekada ang nakalipas, isa na lang sa bawat isang daang estudyante ang libre ang tuition ayon sa Office of the Student Regents (OSR). Dagdag pa ng datos galing sa OSR, “Only one out of ten students succeed in applying for STFAP.”

Ngayong 2010, labing apat na porsyento o 253 sa 1,772 estudyante sa UP Visayas Miagao at Iloilo City campuses ang nakatalaga sa pinakamababang brackets sa Alphabetic Bracketing Scheme (ABS) ng STFAP ayon sa datos ng Office of Student Affairs ng UPV.

Sa 253 na tumatanggap ng libreng tuition, 182 ang nasa ilalim ng bracket E1 at 71 naman ang nasa ilalim ng bracket E2 na siyang tumatanggap ng semestral stipend na P12,000.

Ang huling batch na napailalim sa Numeric Bracketing Scheme (NBS) ay grumadweyt noong Abril 2010. Simula sa taong ito, ang lahat ng mga estudyante na regular ay nasa ilalim na sa ABS.

Tumitingin ang STFAP sa pang-ekonomikong indikasyon gaya ng pantaunang kita para masukat ang kinikita ng bawat aplikante. Ang orihinal na pagproseso ng pagpapangkat ay makalawa ng binago sa makalipas na taon para mabago ang pagpapangkat ng mga kita.

Ipinapakita lang ng mga datos na napakaliit lamang ng naibibigay na tulong ng STFAP para sa mga estudyante. Ipinapakita rin ng mga

FEATURE BY LAVILYN HYSTHEA MALTE

Makalipas ang dalawang dekadang pagpapatupad ng Socialized Tuition Financial Assistance Program (STFAP), ang bilang ng estudyante na libre ang tuition ay bumaba ng 90 porsyento.

datos na kakaunti na lang talaga ang mga tunay na iskolar ng bayan na may libreng tuition. Kalakhan ng populasyon ng UP ay nagbabayad ng mataas na matrikula.

Sa ilalim ng ABS, ang mga estudyante na hindi napasailalim ng STFAP ay bumabayad ng P1,000 kada yunit. Ang mga estudyanteng may student numbers na 2006 pababa ay nakikita sa ilalim mg NBS, at bumabayad ng P200 kada yunit.

“Smokescreen” para sa tuition increaseAyon kay Edgardo Atanacio, bise

presidente ng UP System Planning and Finance, isa sa komite na bumago ng STFAP noong 2006 at 2009, “Dinisenyo ang STFAP ng UP Administration para ang demokratikong paggamit sa pamantasan ay hindi maapektuhan kung maipapatupad ang tuition fee increase.”

“Nagkaroon lang naman ng review sa STFAP in preparation for implementing tuition fee increases,” dagdag pa niya.

Noong 1989, ang mabilisang pagtaas ng tuition ng 600 porsyento mula P40 hanggang P200 kada yunit ay napanukala sa ilalim ni President Jose Abueva.

Ang 300 porsyento na pagtaas ng tuition mula P200 kada yunit hanggang sa P600 kada yunit sa regional campuses at P300 kada yunit

Wala na kamingpinagkaiba

sa Private School

PAGBUTLAK | JUNE-SEPTEMBER 20102 NEWS

Hinugyaw 2010 ramps for serviceStudent models from nine

academic organizations in UPV Iloilo rocked the UPV Covered Court last July 23, 2010 for the annual Hinugyaw, an annual showcase of student talents in the field of modeling.

The School of Technology (SOTECH), decked out as chess pieces, emerged as the Best Modelling group for this year’s competition, followed by the Clovers, with their seven deadly sins concept, at second place, while the technology-inspired Skimmers came in third.

Junior CMS student Romelyn

Saporno, as human transmitter Transmitra, bagged the Best Mascot title. The Clovers and Redbolts mascots came in at second and third, respectively.

Freshman Froilene Villanueva from the Skimmers was chosen as Best Female Model and senior Kenneth Pingoy from the Magnates was declared as Best Male Model.

Hinugyaw 2010, one of the activities of the UPV Foundation Week, carried the Latin theme “Viva Para Servir” which means “live to serve.”

Shown during Hinugyaw were multimedia presentations by student and academic orgs, with

Linggo ng Wika sa CAS

Matagumpay na idinaos ng Konseho ng Mag-aaral, Kolehiyo ng Sining at Agham ang Pagsambuha 2010, pantaunang programa sa pagdiriwang ng Linggo ng Wika noong Agosto25, 2010 na may temang, “Sa pangangalaga sa wika at kalikasan wagas na pagmamahal talagang kailangan.”

Tampok sa naturang patimpalak ang pagpapakita ng mga mag-aaral galing sa apat na Academic Organization ng CAS (Clovers, Elektrons, Redbolts at Skimmers) ng kanilang natatanging talento sa orasyon, dagliang pananalita at pagsalin ng kanta.

Dagdag pa nito ay ang paglunsad ng Busay, literary folio ng Pagbutlak, opisyal na pahayagan ng mag-aaral ng CAS (SEE PAGE 6).

Nanalo sa lahat ng kompetisyon ang Skimmers na nagbunsod para sila’y tawagin na pangkalahatang kampeon sa Pagsambuha 2010. Pinangalawahan ng Elektrons, pangatlo ang Clovers at pang-apat ang Redbolts.

Kaugnay din sa pagdiriwang ng Linggo ng Wika, nagkaroon ng Jejemon discussion ang Pagbutlak noong ika 24 ng Agosto, 2010. Tinalakay dito ang wika at mga istilo

ng panamit at ayos ng isang Jejemon.Sa umaga ng Agosto 26 ay

nagkaroon ng isang porum tungkol sa mga katutubo ng Panay na pinangunahan ng CAS-SC Committee on Research and Education sa pamumuno ni Jessica Amelia Lorenzo. Si Atty. Princess May Alcarde ng National Commission on Indigenous Peoples ang nagsalita sa porum na ito.

Nagkaroon rin ng Dila-Ambong, isang pagbabasa ng mga tula, na inorganisa ng Literati sa hapon ng Agosto 27 (SEE PAGE 6).

Ayon kay Bryan John Subong, pangalawang tagapangulo ng CAS-SC, ang Linggo ng WIka ay inorganisa upang bigyang pansin ang paghina ng apresasyon sa mga wikang Filipino sa bagong milenyo. ■

GRAND SLAM: the Skimmers in their winning performance in this year’s Pahampang Cheer-ing competition. Winning for the third time in three years, the Skimmers, clinches the first grand slam of any academic org for the said event.

SHEENA ANGELIQUE ZANTE

“Dagdag na badyet sa edukasyon”

Panawagan ng mga mag-aaral sa SONA

Tubong Mindanao (Tubao), Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (JPIA) and UP Ichthyophilic Society (UPIS) topping the student orgs’ category, and Tycoons, Clovers and Skimmers winning the academic orgs’ category, respectively.

The SOTECH was also announced as the winner of the Amazing Race, a campus wide race spearheaded by the Inter-Fraternity and Sorority Council during the Foundation Week.

This year’s Hinugyaw was made possible by the UPV-USC, Modus, Artists Anonymous and the UPV Miagao college student councils. ■

CAS freshmen up by 16% for FS 2010-‘11

A total of 321 freshmen enrolled into various degree programs under the College of Arts and Sciences for the first semester of the Academic Year 2010-2011.

This is 16% higher than last year’s total freshman turnout of 275.

All divisions, except the Division of Physical Sciences and Mathematics (DPSM), increased in the number of freshmen.

The Division of Biological Sciences currently has the highest freshman population at 106, and the Division of Humanities, the lowest at 42, while the Division of Physical Sciences and Mathematics’ enrollees dropped to 56 from last year’s 68.

This year, the number of new female enrollees continues to be higher than the males’, with a total of 76 males as compared to 245 females.

The CAS has a student population of 1,095. ■

Iloilo Youth-Student Alliance muling binuhay

Isandaang lider-estudyante ng 38 organisasyon mula sa iba’t-ibang pamantasan at kolehiyo sa Iloilo ay nag tipontipon noong Hulyo 17, 2010 sa St. Clements Church Jubilee Hall, La Paz, Iloilo City.

Ang nasabing pagtitipon na pinamagatang “Panaad sang Pamatan-on” ay kaugnay ng muling binuhay na Iloilo Youth and Students Alliance (IYSA) na pinangunahan ng KABATAAN Partylist at National Union of Students in the Philippines (NUSP).

Naging panauhing pandangal sa programa si Vencer Crisostomo, ang Pangkalahatang Kalihim ng KABATAAN Partylist. Nagbigay siya ng talumpati ukol sa kasalukuyang kalagayan ng ating bansa at sa kung ano ang magagawa ng mga mag-aaral at kabataan para masolusyunan ang mga problemang kinakaharap ng ating lipunan.

Nagkaroon din ng mga maikling diskusyon sa Youth on the March,

Young Citizen Media, Environmental Movements at sa Sex and Gender Issues.

Hinirang na pangkalahatang kalihim ang dating miyembro ng CAS Student Council at NUSP Vice Chair for Visayas na si Regine Viel Manderico. Ang kasalukuyang miyembro ng CAS Student Council na si Zaira Nichole Racadio ang pangkalahatang tagapag-

Ang matinding init ng araw ay hindi humadlang sa humigit kumulang 2,000 katao mula sa iba’t ibang sektor na lumahok sa isang malakihang pagkilos sa mga mayor na kalye ng syudad ng Iloilo noong Hulyo 26, araw ng unang State of the Nation Address (SONA) ni Noynoy Aquino.

Bitbit ng mga demonstrador ang mga panawagan ng kanilang kinabibilangan na sektor, kasama ang

tunay na reporma sa lupa, ang dagdag na sahod at empleyo, ang pag-tigil ng militarisasyon sa kanayunan, at ang pag-usig sa katiwalian ng rehimeng Arroyo.

Kasama sa demonstrasyon ang sobra 100 mag-aaral ng UPV Miagao sa pangunguna ng Sandigan para sa Mag-aaral at Sambayanan-Party Alliance (SAMASA-PA) at UPV-University Student Council.

Hinamon ng mga estudyanteng lumahok sa pagkilos ang bagong rehimen na dagdagan ang badyet para sa edukasyon at serbisyong sosyal.

Ani Raiza Khey Llorico, tagapangulo ng SAMASA-Mass Organization, mahalaga na makibahagi ang mag-aaral sa pagkilos ng mas malawak na hanay ng mamamayan.

“Hindi naman hiwalay ang unibersidad sa lipunan kung kaya’t importante na maiugnay natin ang ating hinaing para sa isang pangmasang edukasyon sa mga pakikibaka ng iba pang sektor ng lipunan,” aniya.

Bilang paghahanda sa mobilisasyon sa SONA ay nagdaos

din ng black shirt wearing at “silent protest” sa pangunguna ng SAMASA sa loob ng UPV Miagao campus noong Hulyo 17.

Private-Public PartnershipsSa kanyang talumpati, sinabi ni

Aquino na ang pagpasok sa mga private-public parternships ang magpapapondo ng mga serbisyong panlipunan. “Magkakapondo na po para maipatupad ang mga plano natin sa edukasyon,” aniya.

Ngunit mariin itong pinasubalian ni Jordana Mari Jaco, tagapangulo ng ANAKBAYAN UPV tsapter. Ayon kay Jaco, ang balangkas na ito ay diumano hahantong lamang sa mas malawakang pagkaltas sa pondo, komersyalisayon, at pribatisasyon ng edukasyon.

“Ang pagbubukas ng sektor ng edukasyon sa pribadong sektor at mga dayuhang kapitalista ay hindi sagot sa kakulangan ng pondo para sa sektor. Bagkus ay gagawin lamang nitong less accessible ang edukasyon para sa naghihirap na mayorya,” aniya.

CONTINUE TO P. 7

THE DEATH OF RIZAL: students of PI 100 reenact the trial and death of Jose Rizal in various locations all over the campus. KRISTIAN PEACE BRAQUIS

ugnay ng UPV Miagao sa nasabing alyansa.

Kabilang sa mga lumahok na paaralan ang UPV Miagao at Iloilo City Campus, West Visayas State University, John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University-Arevalo at Molo Campus, Central Philippine University, Western Institute Technology, Western Visayas College of Science and Technology at ang Leon National College Of Agriculture. ■

KARLO MIKHAIL MONGAYA

INGRID MOSURA

ROSANA INAUDITO

BEMJO TOREMA

LAVILYN HYSTHEA MALTE


DBM cuts proposed ’11 UP budget by 13B

BOR disapprovesPE lab fees

The Php100-250 P.E. lab fees and Php40 athletic fees hike proposed to be implemented on freshpersons this semester was disapproved by the Board of Regents (BOR) in its May 27 regular session and June 2 special meeting.

According to Student Regent Cori Alessa Co, the hike implementation was held back by the lack of proper and comprehensive student consultations and the redundancy of the fees collection. The proposal has been shelved until further discussion.

“Talagang nararapat na magkaroon ng further discussions sa BOR that considers the views of the students against the present thrust of the university and the government towards the intensified commercialization of education,” said Zaira Nichole Racadio, Sandigan Para sa Mag-aaral at Sambayanan-Party Alliance (SAMASA-PA) Chair and CAS Student Council officer.

Along with the protest actions, the results of a survey held by the CAS-SC last March 2010 showed that 70% of the

students are opposed to the new PE fees.“Bilang kinatawan ng konseho ng

mag-aaral ng CAS, nagagalak ako na naririnig pa rin ang tinig ng nagkakaisang estudyante. Ito ay isang tagumpay para sa hanay ng mag-aaral,” said Bryan John Subong, CAS-SC vice chairperson.

However, the P.E. Department OIC, Fernan Tinagan, said that the new fees are important to provide better sports facilities to the students.

“We are getting left behind by other universities when it comes to P.E. Also, it is a lab fee which means that it is not part of the tuition,” added Tinagan.

The BOR formed the committee that proposed the PE lab and athletics fees hike for all the UP campuses last November 16, 2009 for the purpose of purchasing new sports equipment and improving facilities.

The Katipunan ng Mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP, the systemwide alliance of UP SCs, considered the proposed fees as an additional financial burden to the students and instead called for higher state subsidy for education. ■

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has reduced the P18.53 billion proposed UP budget for next year by P13B, leaving P5.53B for the operations of its seven campuses, as well as the Philippine General Hospital.

In its National Expenditure Program released on August 24, 2010, the P5.53B DBM-approved UP budget is only 29.84 % of the budget originally proposed. It is also 20% lower compared to the 2010 UP budget of P6.9B.

UP and other state universities and colleges (SUCs) will have zero budget for capital outlay (CO) in next year’s allocation. The CO is used for the construction of new infrastructure and purchase of needed equipment.

There is also a cut in the

Protesta sa CHED umani ng tagumpay

“Isa na namang hamon ang napagtagumpayan ng mga grupo ng mga mag-aaral,” ani Jordana Mari Jaco, tagapangulo ng ANAKBAYAN UPV tsapter.

Sa pagbukas ng klase noong Hunyo 7, 2010, mahigit 50 mag-aaral mula sa iba’t-ibang kolehiyo sa Iloilo ang kolektibong nagsagawa ng pagkilos upang kondenahin ang lumalalang sitwasyon ng edukasyon sa Pilipinas.

Nagmartsa sila patungo sa Opisina ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED) dala-dala ang mga plakard at nagpiket sa parking lot ng opisina. Panawagan nila na tugunan ng CHED ang isyu sa planong pagtaas ng matrikula ng 24 na kolehiyo at unibersidad sa rehiyon.

Nakasaad sa CHED Memorandum Order No. 13 series of 1998 na kailangan mayroong representate ang mga mag-aaral sa isang komite na magbubusisi sa bawat plano ng mga paaralan na magtaas ng matrikula subalit sa nakalipas na sampung taon ay hindi ito nasunod.

Sa gayong kalagayan, nagkaisa ang ilang grupo ng mga mag-aaral

at kinalampag ang opisina ng CHED para bigyang linaw ang kanilang mga hinaing. Sa nasabing pagkilos ay nagkaroon ng diyalogo sa pagitan ng grupo ng mga mag-aaral at ni CHED Region 6 Director Virginia Resurreccion.

At dahil sa kolektibong aksyon ng mga mag-aaral ay napilitan ang CHED na paupuin ang kinatawan ng estudyante sa komite na sumusuri sa mga planong pagtaas ng matrikula. Si Regine Viel Manderico, Vice Chair for Visayas ng National Union of Students of the Philippines ang uupo sa komiteng ito.

Sa kasalukuyan ay patuloy pang nirerebyu ng komite ang mga nakahaing plano ng pagtaas ng matrikula. Nagpalabas din ang CHED ng memorandum na nagsasaad na ang Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) fees ay hindi obligadong bayaran ng mga estudyante.

Kabilang sa grupong kumilos ang KABATAAN Partylist - Panay, Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students (LFS), at ang National Union of Students (NUSP). ■

ISABUHAY ANG DIWA NG MGA BAYANI AT MARTIR NG MARTIAL LAW ang panawagan ng mga estudyante ng UPV sa ilalim ng SAMASA-PA na naglunsad ng isang lightning rally noong Setyembre 21, ang ika-38 na anibersaryo ng pagdeklara ng batas militar ng diktadurang Marcos. Bitbit nila ang isyu ng UP budget cut at ang laban ng mga magbubukid ng Hacienda Luisita. Nagtapos ang pagkilos sa pag-alay ng kanta at pagsindi ng mga kandila para sa mga bayani at martir ng dekada ‘70 at ‘80. PAGBUTLAK

Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) budget for UP, which decreased by 52% or P704 million. From a P1.36B MOOE in 2010, it is now only P654B.

Meanwhile, the Personnel Services (PS) budget will increase from P4.2B in 2010 to P4.87B partly because of the passage of the Salary Standardization Law 3, which increases the salaries of government employees, including all the staff and faculty of the university.

Aquino PolicyUP is just one of all 112 state

universities and colleges that will face a reduced budget in the next year. The DBM’s approved budget for the SUCs of P23.4B is P800 million lower than last year’s.

“Aquino and his budget team should refrain from issuing statements

that education is a major priority in the current administration when in fact, he is slowly abandoning the youth,” said KABATAAN Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino.

According to Aquino’s Budget Statement, “We are gradually reducing the subsidy to SUCs to push them toward becoming self-sufficient and financially independent, given their ability to raise their income and to utilize it for their programs and projects.”

Based on data from the KABATAAN Partylist’s 2011 Budget

Briefer, state subsidy in the total SUCs budget has steadily declined in the past decade even as the share coming from tuition and other fees have continually increased.

In 2001, 84.14% of the total budget of SUCs comes from state subsidy, but by 2011, this will drop to 66.3%.

Dire Consequences“The President’s message about

CONTINUE TO P. 7

DECLINING UP BUDGET

Source: 2011 National Expenditure Program

Cando, Nahalal na Tagapangulo ng UPV-USC

Nagkatipon-tipon ang mga represen-tante ng iba’t ibang yunit ng UPV para sa ginanap na University Student Council Convention dito sa UPV Miagao.

Dumalo sa pagtitipon ang Re-hente ng mga Mag-aaral na si Hon. Cori Alessa Co at nagbigay ng ulat hinggil sa kasalukuyang sistema ng edukasyon sa Pilipinas at partikular sa UP mismo.

Sa ginanap na halalan ay nanalo si Angeli Louise Cando ng SoTech bi-lang Tagapangulo, John Christopher Clavesillas ng UPV Miagao CAS-SC bilang kalihim, at Kate Aubrey Hojilla bi-lang head ng Students Rights and Wel-fare Committee.

Subalit dahil sa hindi maiwasang sirkumstansiya hindi nakadalo sa pagtitipon ang mga representante ng UPV Cebu College pero pinayagan naman silang bumuto sa halalan. ■

ROSANA INAUDITO

Pagbutlak organizes Journ Workshop

Pagbutlak held a whole day jour-nalism workshop for its editorial board and staffers on August 14, 2010 at the CAS Faculty Lounge.

Nestor Burgos, Chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and Philippine Dai-ly Inquirer Visayas Bureau Chief, was the main speaker of the workshop. ■

R-VEE TALADRO

PMB holds FratSor forum

The Partido sang Mainuswagon nga Bumulutho (PMB), in associa-tion with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), held a forum for the Univer-sity’s fraternities and sororities on Au-gust 10, 2010 at the CFOS-AVR.

The purpose of the said forum is to orient students, particularly fresh-men, about the fraternities and sorori-ties existing in the campus.

Present were Alpha Phi Omega, Hamili Brotherhood, Hamilia Sister-hood, UPV Vanguard Fraternity, UP Latagaw-Lamdag, Validus Amicita Brotherhood, Sigma Beta Sorority, and Scintilla Jvris Fraternity, and Stella Ju-ris Sorority.

Reiterated by the OSA during the forum are the university rules and regulations concerning fraternities and sororities, especially the prohibition on freshmen recruitment. ■

ERIC ABALAJON

KABATAAN Partylist Sec-Gen talks to UPV studes

KABATAAN Partylist Secretary General Vencer Crisostomo talked in a forum titled “The Youth In PNoy’s Ad-ministration” organized by the Sandi-gan para sa Mag-aaral at Sambay-anan-Party Alliance (SAMASA-PA), on July 20, 2010 at the Multimedia Inter-active Learning Center (MILC).

During his talk, Crisostomo em-phasized that change will not come automatically with the new administra-tion, and encouraged the youth to take an active part in pressuring President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to imple-ment socio-economic reforms. ■

ERIC ABALAJON

NEWSBRIEFS

LAVILYN HYSTHEA MALTE &KARLO MIKHAIL MONGAYA

ROSANA INAUDITO

EUNICE GUADALOPE


The Redbolts retained the title as overall champion of the recently concluded UP Visayas Pahampang 2010, posting a close 6.25-point lead against the Tycoons.

The 4-day finals of Pahampang 2010 from September 1-4 showcased the academic groups at their best in various physical and cultural contests.

On the first day, the Skimmers won first in the Cheering competition, making it three years in a row. This is the first grand slam of any academic org in the said event.

Meanwhile, the Ugyon dominated the ball games, the bowling, women’s basketball, men’s football and softball. The Tycoons got the lead in men’s basketball and women’s football.

The Elektrons secured the top spot in women’s softball. The men’s and women’s volleyball were ruled by

Redbolts remains Pahampang champion

the Scions and Clovers respectively.In the racket games, Ugyon

still held the top post in men’s and women’s badminton, men’s lawn tennis and men’s table tennis. Clovers won in women’s lawn tennis and Scions in women’s table tennis.

The Scions won in track events while Redbolts won in marathon. The Elektrons topped in Chess while Redbolts in billiards. Magnates took the lead in swimming. Tycoons and Fisheries tied in Dart events.

Finally, the Scions triumphed in the cultural and other literary and musical events.

Despite the obvious lead of other academic orgs, the Redbolts still managed to retain their championship title for the second time since last year.

Redbolts was followed by the Tycoons, Magnates, Elektrons and Ugyon. ■

UP Visayas held its foundation week from July 21, 2010 to July 24, 2010, with the theme “UPV Shares.”

According to UPV-USC Chair Angeli Louise Cando, the foundation week’s purpose was not only to celebrate the university’s foundation but also to spread among UPV students the value of serving the people.

The CAS foundation week had its opening exercises at the UPV Auditorium in the Iloilo City campus, which was followed by the Opening of the Exhibit for Extension Activities.

The outreach activities started with the Blood Letting Activity organized by the Fisheries Guild at the GCE Building, after which the UPV Service Award was presented to honor UPV retirees, outgoing employees, outstanding personnel and those who have served the university for at least 25 years.

Simultaneously, the Student’s Fun Day activity, which is modelled on the Amazing Race, was also being carried out. The Fun Day was supervised by the 13 Fraternities and Sororities of UPV.

UPV shares during foundation weekThe second day of the UPV

Foundation week started with the Interactive Film Showing where the directors directly spoke with the audience and shared how and why they made their films. Tado Jimenez, one of the directors present, is a founder of the Dakila Festival and a prominent comedian.

The day ended with the opening of Ed Defensor’s Painting Exhibit at the UPV Art Gallery and the Inauguration of the Defensor Wing. Ed Defensor is an award-winning artist both here and abroad.

Student Org Outreach ActivitiesOn the morning of July 23, different

student organizations held outreach activities for the larger community.

A cleanup of the Miagao coastline was conducted by the Amphiprion Society, Silab Sisterhood, Silak Brotherhood, Ounces, UP Antiqueño, Fisheries Guild, and Ichthyophilic Society.

The Partido sang Mainuswagong Bumulutho held a leadership training seminar for high school students of Miagao at the MILC.

The Oikos Ecological Movement, IFSC, Guimarasnon, Hamili Brotherhood, and Tubao had a tree planting within the UPV campus.

The League of Filipino Students held a leadership training seminar for the student council of the Southern Iloilo Polytechnic College.

Meanwhile the UPV-USC, PH Pub, Red Cross, Hamilia Sisterhood, and the Scintilla Juris organized a medical symposium at the CF-AV Hall, with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 6 Director Paul Ledesma and the Population Commission Region 6 Director Vicente Molejona as resource speakers.

The Chem Society, Komsai.org, Math Circle, and the Stat Society held a literacy training workshop at the Kaunlaran Learning Center while the Philippine Association of Food Technologists-Iota Chapter organized a livelihood training for the mothers of Malagyan at the SOTECH bldg.

The day ended with the Hinugyaw at the UPV Covered Court (SEE PAGE 2), while the Alumni Homecoming was held on the last day of the foundation week. ■

Though bad weather and delays marred the activity, the UP Visayas successfully concluded the 2010 All Leaders’ Congress at CFOS-AV Hall, August 28-29.

The two day activity with the theme “STATE U: Upholding the public character of UP in our commitment to the struggle of students and the people” highlighted talks from Einstein Recedes, National President of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, and Cori Alessa Co, UP Student Regent.

Recedes focused on the problems besetting the Philippine educational system.

He discussed the wiping out of the country’s state colleges and universities

UPV joins All Leaders Congress

because of the privatization of the said institutions, resulting to the increased number of out-of-school-youths.

On the other hand, Co was supposed to have her synthesis regarding the UP situation on the first day of the congress, but due to the delay of her flight, it was moved on the morning of the 29th.

The Student Regent discussed the current issues on the UP system, especially the cases of repression in different UP campuses brought by the university administration resulting to various hardships on the part of the students.

If we, students, become united to fight for one common goal, then the one sitting on position would probably hear us and finally we could achieve what we are all fighting for, said Co.

Furthermore, the participants of the congress held a basic mass integration with the fisher folks of Brgy. Trapiche, Oton, Iloilo on the afternoon of the second day. ■

HASA XVIII entertains UPV

At exactly 6:28 pm last August 28, 2010, Validus Amicita Fraternity once again held HASA XVIII, keeping its tradition alive since 1983, at the UPV Auditorium.

With the theme, “Kapamilya Teleserye Stars Caught Off Cam,” this year’s participants from the academic organizations and the faculty and staff union competed by impersonating female teleserye actresses from the programs of ABS-CBN, one of HASA XVIII’s major sponsors.

As Lyka from the series, Lobo,

Mark Vincent Penaflorida of the Ugyon, the faculty and staff union,

came in as first place and won the Early Bird and Best in Gown special awards. Penaflorida works for the UPV SPSO office.

Impersonating Devin from the series, Impostor, Roy Dahildahil of the Clovers

bagged the second place and took home the Best in Talent special

award. John Raymund Macahilas

of the Skimmers, competing as Eva Fonda from the series with the same name, got third place and the special awards, Best in Interview, Swimsuit, and Casual Wear. ■

Name: Froilene Catong VillanuevaCourse and year: BA CMS ISports idols: Logan Tom, Kobe Bryant, Stephanie Mercado, Pau SorianoHigh school sports experience: I’ve been playing sports like volleyball, basketball, softball, and other ball games since I was in high school. I used to be a varsity player in UPHSI and I played volleyball in different tournaments.Your passion in sports in one sentence: It’s the drive to take on the challenge, the will that forces me further, and it’s the feeling of self-satisfaction that motivates me to play on.What do you like in a person(s)? I don’t necessarily like a person because he is physically attractive. I like a person who is not judgmental, not insecure, and not too proud. I like a person who is fair, friendly, a good conversionalist and has a sense of humor.Tips on health and nutrition: Don’t skip a meal, don’t smoke, exercise regularly, eat fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, and get enough sleep.

Name: Ulrick Anthony FernandezCourse and year: BA Psychology ISports idols: Kobe Bryant

High school sports experience: I played for the Red Cross Youth Basketball, Volleyball Mini Tournament 2008, and the IDC with IVA Volleyball Tourna-ment 2008

Your passion in sports in one sentence: I love playing sports.

What do you like in a person(s)? Humble, considers everyone, knows personal limits, most of all, he or she is himself or herself, God-fearing, consistent

Tips on health and nutrition: Stay active in physical activities and eat healthy food.

Name: Angelo Cañete FajardoCourse and year: BS Computer Science ISports idols: Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Lebron James

High school sports experience: Back in highschool, I wasn’t very confident about sports yet.

Your passion in sports in one sen-tence: Courage and determination will be your inspiration and sucess will come in motion.

What do you like in a person(s)? A kind and generous companion. I also like who are and have a lot of things to say..

Tips on health and nutrition: Eat a balanced diet. Do physical and mental activities. Be happy and don’t be stressful. Enjoy your life. (But to be honest, sometimes, I also forget to eat a balanced diet.)

Name: Brent Michael T. BinayasCourse and year: BS Public Health ISports idols: Wayne Rooney, Michael Phelps, and Cristiano Ronaldo

High school sports experience: Pasundayag (HS Sportfest): football, volleyball, basketball, swimming, track and field, and badminton. PRISAA ’09 and ’10 football.

Your passion in sports in one sentence: Achieve victory through teamwork and persistence

What do you like in a person(s)? I like someone who acknowledges his mistakes and doesn’t undermine the efforts of others.

Tips on health and nutrition: Eat anything you want at anytime, just remember that too much of anything is bad.

PAHAMPANG 2010 ROOKIES

UPV ALL STARS: Fiel Manon of the Miagao United lays up the ball at the UPV All Stars game last September 4 during the Pahampang 2010. The Miagao United lost by one point to the Bluechips with the score 63-62 after the winning shot of Bluechip player and MVP Rey Vencer.

ADRIAN REY PENETRANTE

ELLI ANTHONY PIAMONTE

KARL PARCON

EUNICE GUADALOPE

ADRIAN REY PENETRANTE &IRISH JULIENNE MERZA


The Promises and Pitfalls

of the Magna Carta ofStudents

LegislatingStudents’

Rights


UP Los Baños Chancellor Luis Velasco – his face literally colored green – was furious after pressing himself against

hundreds of students barring access to Quezon Hall, the administration building of the Diliman campus.

For the students who threw paint at Velasco’s face, the university official was directly responsible for the unceremonious removal of former Student Regent Charisse Bañez by blocking her application for residency and thus giving a technical alibi for the ouster of a vocal critic of the administration’s commercialization schemes.

On March 24, 2010, students defiantly bore placards and red banners to protest the ouster of former SR Bañez from the BOR. Their call: no student representation, no BOR meeting.

The case of Bañez is just one of many cases of repression of students’ rights all over the country. In UP, we are privileged to still have certain freedoms and the militancy to assert these liberties from time to time. In many other schools, demonstrations or assemblies are explicitly prohibited.

It is moreover common practice for administrations to issue waivers for freshmen against joining progressive student organizations or protest actions. Not a few universities have suppressed student councils and student publications that opposed school policies, and trampled on their autonomy.

The Promise of the Magna CartaIn the Fourteenth Congress, House

and Senate Bills were filed to address these violations and uphold the students’ rights.

The consolidated version of the Magna Carta of Students Bill, as authored by Representatives Ana Theresa Hontiveros-

Baraquel, Edcel Lagman, Rufus Rodriguez and Senator Francis Pangilinan, seeks to become “the Grand Charter for students’ fundamental rights and freedoms” (SEE TABLE 1).

According to the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP), the absence of a Magna Carta of Students is directly responsible for “numerous repressive school policies that have continuously marginalized the students in the whole education system and in the process of democracy.”

The alliance further said that the legislation of such a national policy will “end the chain of campus repression in many schools around the country” (SEE TABLE 2).

In a lecture-series on the Magna Carta last July 30-31 in major universities around Iloilo, Rep. Hontiveros-Baraquel said that a salient feature of the bill is that it actually gives penalties against violators of the students’ rights and welfare and gives teeth to government agencies to do this.

Ultimately, the Magna Carta promises to finally specify the basic right to education as enshrined in Section 1, Article XIV of the Philippine Constitution which declares that “the state shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.”

The Pitfalls of the Present VersionSeveral other earlier Magna Carta

versions has been proposed by the country’s legislators even as early as the Eighth Congress. But like the latest consolidated version in the Fourteenth Congress, all these failed to prosper.

One reason for this failure is the lack of student support apart from a motley collection of a few student groups that act as the youth networks of the proponents in Congress.

TABLE 1: RIGHTS UPHELD BY THE MAGNA CARTA OF STUDENTS

• Right to competent instruction and relevant quality education• Right to organize

• Right to establish a student council/government and publish a student newspaper• Right to adequate welfare services• Right to representation and participation in policy making bodies and processes• Right to access to information• Right to freedom of expression, initiative, referendum and appeal• Academic freedom• Right to due process• Right to privacy

TABLE 2: VIOLATIONS PENALIZED BY THE MAGNA CARTA• Discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, socio-economic status, political and religious beliefs, ethnicity, or disability• Denial of access to adequate welfare services and academic facilities• Illegal searches and seizures• Militarization of the school campus• Tuition and/or school fee increase without due consultation

TABLE 3: PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THECONSOLIDATED VERSION OF THE MAGNA CARTA

• Student alliances and student publications should be included in Sec. 2f, the declaration of policy affirming the students’ rights to organize.• Elementary and secondary school students should be covered in Sec. 3a, the definition of the term student, to ensure that their individual and collective rights are not arbitrarily violated by school administrators. • Ethnicity should be included as a basis on which a student seeking admission in a school shall not be discriminated against in Sec. 5.• The scope referred to in Sec. 8a on the right of the students to organize among should be broadened to include the right to form, assist, or join national alliances, organizations, et al.• Sec. 8b and 8c should be amended to specify that it is the student councils that exercise authority and power with regards to the accreditation process, while the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) shall only provide technical assistance. This is contrary the section in its present form where overwhelming powers are given to the OSA, powers which may be utilized to sanction student organizations arbitrarily.• The provision in Sec. 8c giving the OSA powers to sanction and withdraw accreditation to inactive organizations should furthermore be deleted. Organizations may become inactive due to financial or membership problems which are valid reasons and should not impair the rights of the organizations to exist and be recognized. The OSA does not and should not have powers to limit or restrict such organizations from existence.• “Excessive fees imposed by student organizations to members” should not be considered in Sec. 8f as an act “that impair the right of students to organize. There are some kinds of organizations,

The present versions of the Magna Carta contain loopholes that make a well-

meaning bill reverse itself into a legal

instrument that can be used precisely to limit and further suppress the rights

of groups of people it originally aimed

to protect and empower.

I’m vack vack vakack mga juagelz! Kung inaakala ng madlang UPVundok na ako’y napasama sa mga lizt of unemfloyed Finoyz, puwezzz, nagkakamali kayo, dahil anditetch at buhay na buhay at baklekash pa rin ang sigbinish katawang-lupa ni major major manenay niyong si Moohni!!! Aha-aha! If you thot I made patech olreydi, well, sorry nalang kayech daling Moohni is immortaltxt! I took pikshoor-pikshoor with Oble’s naked yummy-yummy buttiliciouz, so I will survayb!

Nag-byooti rest palang ko, damo na nga mga witiwiws ang nakalambot sa akon thottholee-infested ears! Aw! Ahay? Oh yeas! And what better way to make slurp slurp around than during the Pahampang! Nekked bodies nga ga-drip drip ang sweat… Ga-drip drip man ang green ko nga salivash eh, hahaha! Ooohh… Aaah… Don’t touch my balls bala ref… Prrrrooot! Ay sorry! Nakeri awey ang inyo manenay after making himas ref’s pito…h! Pito ha, the one that makes prooot prooot, kayo ha, your utek cells are so lomotsh green like my salivash! Anyweizzz, gasala na ang long-legged leggz ko kung sin-o nga Adonizzz patuluan ko sang akon lumay! Ahahahay!

So did you mesh your mamasan Moohni’s kapal fecez, este, fez? Well, mesh no more dahil I have made arrangement the latest charuz chekhah preshtijuzz Miss Moohniverse comfitishon, where the existence of aketch will be your major major mistake in your life evahhh! And now, for Contestestant Numerohh Unech!

1. Ayayay! Scared aketch kay I think may I have major major kareval na mahilig din magdribble ng ballsiezzz! According to my ever ever chikadora amega, Vayootee Queen itech, and itech made touchscreen a mareddish-reddish ball… player to make date with Vayootee Queen. But reddish-reddish ball player made rebound, asking if pwede daw mag-make assizzt ang friendship reddish ball player nitech sa date! Na-insultech si Vayootee Queen and made answer the question&answer with “Wat do you tink of me? … I’m weez hilig-hilig in mass productions!” Kay ang gusto pala nitech maneney Vayootee Queen is one-on-one play-off only! Omaigazzzh! My byooti is getting diminished!

2. Chukchakchenezz! Wut is dizz that my Firefockzz has made bukazz! My eyes! My matech! My utek is making corrupt olreydi with Miss Vayootee Titlist Numero Dalawech’s vla-vla-vlag entries! Feechuring his ever daydreaming of making hump-hump jerjerita other pitballs! Open to the favlik pahhh, especially its ever studious fanatexx! Take note ha, fantaserye lang itech ni Vayootee Titlist #2, but a little birdie made tweet2x din na Vayootee Titlist #2 is also attempting to make connect offline! As in to make plug saksakan into socksocket! Ahahahaha! According to Tweet2x, Vayootee Titlist #2 managed to make konek wid older PuTTy in same server as itech! Congratchuulationzzz!

3. HuZz duHtT jEjeMhohn? JeJEjEjeJejhEjehjhE! I th!nCKzz Ur mH@nHeenhA!i Mo0hnh!I kn0oeEzZ! JhEjhheeJejHHe! I was making stroll pOwZhZzz along the Miami lane when I make sugata Vayootee Queen #3 with escort friendship (kUhnO0oh), omaigasssh!! When your manenay made pagod na of bonggang lakat-lakat, I made run to five-star carinderiah and my byootipol matech once again sees Vayootee Queen #3 with escort friendship! Charuz! Madaug ang vyooti! And the voices in my utek made cheka din that these dalawech were also making shower2x together under the fouhring rein in foreign province! Vunggalicios! Wet and wild ang dhramahhh! Is this what they call kamval-tuhkohhh? Pero tek note, amegas! Wala kami confirmeshun, we are just presenting the fuc—estehhh, facts! JhEjJhhEhJhejeeEh!!

Ay arreba arreba, nakapoy ged ang fenggerteps sang inyo major major manenay sang kaka-type para sa Contestestants sang Miss Major Major Moohniverse 2010! Kainish gid kaU mga vakleka vayootee queens! You better make manicure my sigbinish claws ha! Adiuzzz, vavoosh, churvaloo my vayootee queens! Tandaan niyo you will never be as chakaliciouzz as your manenay, so don’t you ever make agaw2x my freshusssh koronah ha!!! Charchar! Mwuahhugzz! ■

MISS MAJOR MAJOR

MOOHNIVERSE 2010

This can be explained by the fact that during the drafting and deliberation of these bills, the interests of school administrators and owners have been given prime consideration even if these directly contradict the interests of the students, said KABATAAN Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino.

The latest consolidated version, which is based mainly on Baraquel-Hontiveros’ bill, is the most detailed and the most promising of the students Magna Cartas.

Yet it also contains many loopholes that, according to Palatino, “make a well-meaning bill reverse itself into a legal instrument that can be used precisely to limit and further suppress the rights of groups of people it originally aimed to protect and empower.”

In such a case, it will not be the first time for well-meaning students to support a bill that they will later find out possible to be actually used against them.

According to Trina Federis, National President of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), the passage of the Campus Journalism Act of 1991 saw initial support from students and members of student publications.

But by stipulating the non-mandatory collection of student publication fees, the CJA of 1991 gave administrations the ability to suppress campus press members who write articles critical of the school or the government by simply withdrawing their source of funding, said Federis.

For a Genuine Magna CartaFor Palatino, the consolidated version

cannot be considered a genuine pro-student magna carta yet because of many loopholes that may instead be used against the students.

In this light, the KABATAAN Partylist has proposed amendments that are aimed to address this problem if ever the same loopholes are encountered in future versions of the students’ Magna Carta (see TABLE 3).

In the end, it is only through the process of lively and exhaustive debates among students, school administrators, government agencies, and legislators that we can ensure the crafting of a bill that is free of flaws and that in effect will genuinely protect the rights and welfare of the students.

However, there should be no false illusions that the passage of a Magna Carta of Students will solve all the problems related to the students’ rights and welfare for its absence is not the root cause of campus repression, the commercialization of education, and other problems that the Magna Carta seeks to address. These are all rooted in an unjust social condition that would require more than specific legislation to solve.

Despite the non-realization of specific

legislation, students all over the country still continue to struggle for their basic right to education, resist campus repression and other violations of students’ rights, and have in fact successfully defended student institutions, publications, organizations, and activities.

Student representation was finally restored in the BOR’s May 27 meeting with the new Student Regent, Cori Alessa Co. The UP BOR was not able to hold any meeting on March 24 because of the intensity of student protests.

At the end of the day, it is only through the students’ militancy, vigilance, and collective action that their rights and welfare can be asserted. ■

such as sports and talent organizations, which may require the payment of higher fees. This is an internal arrangement within a student organization.• The provision in Sec. 18 which requires school authorities “to designate a certain area within school premises where students can express their grievances and organize activities” should be deleted as this limits venues wherein students may exercise their freedom of speech and expression and the right to peaceably assemble.• The right of student to publish a student newspaper and other similar publications in Sec. 19 should not include the Republic Act 7079 or the “Campus Journalism Act of 1991.” Student publications have long expressed opposition to provisions in the CJA of 1991, in that they are repressive and are being used by school administrations to repress campus press freedom. Particularly, the CJA of 1991 does not mandate school administrations to collect publications fees. In particular, stipulating the non-mandatory collection of publication fees have caused many student papers to close down. To include the CJA of 1991 as basis for this section is therefore found questionable.• Sec. 19 should also be amended to stress and specify the role of the faculty adviser, if any, as purely for technical assistance and shall not in any way intervene in editorial matters or concerns: technical assistance of a faculty adviser shall mean any matter related to grammatical concerns, proofreading, and the like.• The provision in Sec. 19 that states “Ethics in journalism shall be observed by the editorial staff. It shall be the responsibility of the editorial staff to ensure that the student paper is not used for purposes contrary to the law” should likewise be deleted since the vague nature of the provision can also be used to ensure that editorial boards would not criticize school administration policies and be involved in national and political issues. • Sec. 19c which stipulates minimum standards in consultations before imposition tuition and other fee increases should be revised such that the section is formulated to ensure that school fees and other tariffs undergo democratic consultations processes before being approved and imposed.


Coding is Poetry

You might have heard of words like Linux, Ubuntu, or perhaps of viruses. These are part of my course lingo. As a computer science student, I will give a glimpse of what my course is all about. When I asked around about people’s impression of Computer Science (CS), I got vague answers pertaining to making games, social networking sites, of course – computers, etc... So, I interviewed Prof. Francis D. Dimzon to straighten out some common misconceptions. Prof. Dimzon, popularly known as FDD to us CS students, graduated with a degree in BS Applied Mathematics, cum laude in UPV Miagao. He handled mathematics subjects for two years before pursuing Masters of Science in Computer Science at UP Los Baños. He now handles CS courses for majors.Define computer science in a way everyone understands it.

Well, it’s not all about computers! The field of computer science is about problem-solving which does not only involve finding solutions, but also expressing these problems unambiguously in formal ways and then creatively finding efficient solutions.How is computer science different from other computer-related fields/disciplines?

Computer Science, somehow, deals more on the theoretical part like formulation of algorithms. Unlike computer engineering which deals more on hardware, or software engineering which concerns software development and implementation, or information technology which deals more on developing technology. CS is a science that exists regardless of technology. In fact, the theoretical computing machine by Alan Turing was invented before the invention of practical computers today like the desktop, laptop, smartphones, etc.What jobs are available for computer science students?

Well, after graduation, one can be a programmer, a systems developer for a corporation, or a teacher. Every aspect of life and society has an information technology (IT) component somehow. Definitely, there’s a need to computerize everything when it comes to processing data. In general, there are many jobs available in this field.In your case, why teach CS?

Yeah, teaching! Many would often wonder: there’s a large demand outside, everyone’s going out, why am I still stuck here? Well, I was addicted to teaching. Here, you continue learning, especially now that the development in CS is so fast. One never stops learning and solving exciting problems, and it’s not just another-day’s-job. It’s just the idea that you impart knowledge to others. And this, to me, is fulfilling.In pop culture, how is computer science viewed?

Of course in movies, it’s a different story. But usually, a sci-fi film depicts a utopian-state computer science. Machines are perfectly fast to process information and can think like humans. Before you came here, I was watching the movie The Matrix to scoop some scenes that are somehow practical to be believable. There is one scene where Trinity successfully powered down the power grid. She uses the Nmap program to scan the system for vulnerabilities and then executes a fictional program, SshNuke to remotely access the power grid system.

CS students can appreciate films like Inception and Alice in Wonderland in the sense that there are many programming metaphors implied in these films.In Math, 0 and 1 are favourite numbers because when used in mathematical operations, they give you quick answers. What about in CS?

0 and 1 -- the binary system. There are only two possible values, 0 and 1 – the on and the off. It’s the basis for digital devices. The way data is stored is in streams of 0’s and 1’s. But why not add more like 0, 1, 2, and 3? It’s because combinations of 0’s and 1’s are sufficient to represent all numbers. Any data can be represented by numbers. The letter A, for example, is represented by a number and is stored in the computer as a binary equivalent of that number. What do you mean by bugs? Why are they called bugs anyway? How about worms, Trojan horses and so on. Why these names?

If your program does not compute the way you want it, we can say that your program has a bug. According to hacker lore, there was really a physical bug that got stuck inside a computer causing the latter to stop working. So whenever one’s program has some errors, he/she would say that it has a bug! Haha!

Worms and viruses are malicious programs that get installed into a computer. A computer virus attaches itself on a valid program inside a computer and spreads in a manner like biological virus. Trojan horses are programs that are advertised to do something but actually, they wreak havoc to a computer.What’s the best thing being in the CS?

High paying jobs? Perhaps yes. But it’s also the feeling of being able to control a machine through programming. This, I think, is the best part of it. You can practically tell a computer what you

want it to do. Of course there are limitations such as your competence, hardware speed, capacity, and cost. All the same, the quest to conquer these limitations is still an ongoing, and it’s an exciting adventure.How long have you been teaching in UPV? How was your experience, especially with the students?

BUSAY: The Little Red-Orange BookThe little red-orange book is how CAS Dean Rommel

A. Espinosa described the BUSAY 2009-2010 Vol. 12 No. 5 – the literary portfolio published by Pagbutlak – during its book launching ceremony on August 25, 2010.

The book launching opened the Pagsambuha program organized by the CAS Student Council in celebration of the Linggo ng Wika.

Dean Espinosa began the afternoon activity with a short message, followed by the authors’ reading of several works included in the book, including an excerpt from “A Probable Future” by Nathan Briones, and the winning 2010 Pagbutlak Poetry contest piece “Sa Huli” by JC Alejandro.

Pagbutlak Editor-in-Chief Karlo Mikhail Mongaya also gave a backgrounder on BUSAY, which was then distributed among the audience. ■

An interview with Prof. Francis Dimzon

Before going into Master’s, I taught

mathematics and programming for two years. After Master’s, I have been teaching CS for ten years now. Students? My impression is that the learning distribution is skewed. Some students are poorly advised -- they took up CS not knowing what it’s all about so they end up shifting. Most of them have this misconception that they’ll be working with Adobe Photoshop, or video editing but that’s not the main job of a CS person. But over the years, there have been really good students, and as always, I can’t help but be amazed by students’ creativity. There is one area, though, that I want most of CS students to focus on – language. Having been into programming and teaching it to young minds, I have realized that programming students should exert more effort in learning how to communicate well in their native language and in English. Good programmers are good writers. Coding is poetry.Who are the people you adore in the field?

First, Linus Torvalds – he gave Linux (an operating system like Windows) to the world for free. Second, Richard M. Stallman, a programmer and a philosopher – Linux wouldn’t be a success if not for the set of programs which Stallman also gave for free. Lastly, Eric Raymond, a hacker extraordinaire and an open source advocate. I try to emulate their philosophies and principles.Oh hacking!

Contrary to common notion, hacking is not at all bad. Hacking is modifying things for the better. Stealing passwords or credit card numbers is not hacking, it’s cracking. These two things are different. The problem is with the media -- they mistook one for the other. We really have to correct them and educate people about hacking and hackers.And in Literature?

I like reading the works of Gabriel García Márquez and Pablo Neruda. ■

Programming students should exert more effort in learning how to communicate well in their native language and in English. Good programmers are good writers. Coding is poetry.

I almost choked at breakfast when I heard about the Philippines being at the world’s top once more. Sadly, it’s because we’re at the top when it comes to countries frequently hit by disasters.

Have we mistaken an emergency siren for a “wang-wang” or have we just forgotten our umbrellas because we’ve relied on one sunny morning?

Maybe we’ve suffered too much that disasters have become ordinary for us, or maybe our best weather forecasters have flown to a happier sanctuary. But one thing’s for sure: we need to be quick, alert and prepared for the unforeseen.

The wind is swinging back and forth, sometimes like a predator. Roads are filled with potholes and crevasses. Everywhere life is becoming unlivable. But we are fortunate to receive a span of time to think of what we can do. Here are some tips that’ll serve as your parachute out of every disaster:

1. Know what’s going on around you.It’s not just a total subscription to a

particular news show. Double-check the storm signs, and don’t let clear skies fool you. That’d be just like trusting your friend so much you wouldn’t believe he he’d actually betray you. That’s the game of our skies.

2. Bring back the good old elementary days.What would you bring if it’s getting

cloudy or hot? Let’s go back to our elementary days, when we had those big bags filled to the brim with everything we needed. We had our moms prepare our raincoats, sweaters, umbrellas, caps, boots and not to mention a big water container. Maybe even an extra shirt. We even had Celin every night to boost our immune system. What about now? Do we even bring anything? Sure, we have our brains, but in panic mode they’re not very useful.

3. Back-up your files.You must always have a Drive D for all

the important stuff in life. Secure the things you need in order to go on with life after a disastrous event. It may be your money, UP ID, flash drive, research data or just a gold pendant - anything that can still make you smile even if nature strikes full force.

4. Wear a “wang- wang.”Practice your reaction time. When a

glass sculpture is about to fall, slide, glide and catch. Be flexible and crafty in any situation. Always be ready to respond

5. Pray.If you profess that you have faith, why

not share it?

These steps are simple, like centavos on the floor we never care to pick up. We’ve lost the chance to prevent the ugliest disasters, which mostly stem from our exploited environment. Every patrol seems redundant. Every story of survival sounds boring. But even so, we should always remember the fact that we are at peril and will always be, which is why we should always be ready. ■

“Pre-adrenaline” Responses

5 Tips for DisasterPreparedness

INGRID MOSURA

LITERATURE & CULTURE Paindisanay winnerportrays social realities

Dead bodies dancing to the stacatto of gunshots.This is how the Magnates’ performance in the

Modern Dance competition drew attention to the continuing quest for justice for the victims of the November 26, 2009 Ampatuan massacre of more than 50 journalists, women, and civilians.

The same group’s interpretation of Melchor Cichon’s Akeanon poem “Nakita Mo Bala” had actors representing different sectors of Philippine society. It begins by portraying these sectors’ views about street children and poverty. The masses then unite against the heartless and abusive elite politician and his wife. The skit ends with the 2 becoming the beggars.

The Magnates won the top prize in both the Poetry-in-Motion and Modern Dance contests in the Paindisanay 2010, an annual cultural contest for UPV academic organizations organized by the Alpha Phi Omega, last September 3, 2010 at the UPV Iloilo City Auditorium.

The Clovers came second and the Redbolts third in the Poetry-in-Motion while the Tycoons and Scions came in second and third respectively for the Modern Dance.

Other contests in the Paindinaysay include the Vocal Duet where the Clovers won first place, followed by the Tycoons in second place and the Scions in third place. The Scions came first in the Acapella, followed by the School of Technology (SOTECH) and the Clovers. ■

ELLI ANTHONY PIAMONTE

JUSTINE ALVIAR

Dila-AmbongTo promote the regional languages of the

Philippines, the UPV-CAS Literati organized the Dila-Ambong poetry reading in the afternoon of August 26 at the Social Science Lobby.

The Dila-Ambong is part of the college’s annual Linggo ng Wika celebration spearheaded by the CAS-Student Council.

The event started at 4:30PM with an opening remark by Dr. Alice Tan-Gonzales, CAS Humanities faculty and multi-awarded literary writer including seven Carlos Palanca Memorial Literary Awards.

This was followed by the reading of poetry in different regional languages were spoken, including Kinaray-a, Hiligaynon, Tagalog, Cebuano, Negrense and Akeanon.

The event’s name is derived from the Hiligaynon phrase “dila nga maambong” which means beautiful tongue in English. ■

JULIE ANN MAE SILVIDERIO



It’s all a matter of nomenclature. Who names what and what is what is so much of an issue considering the context of our society: traditional and religious. Yet, moving towards the 21st century is not as easy as patching our economy. Numbers alone cannot solve our society’s problems and lead our people to economic sufficiency. A preview of the problems our society is facing is manifested in how our society reacted to the “Adolescent Sexual Health” or perhaps simply, “Sex Education.”

The emergence of the need to implement sex education for students as young as 4th and 5th grade not only initiated the classic Sex vs. God odds, but also raised the question of how this could help society in particular. Status quo suggests that majority of Filipinos still have a Christian vote, a choice or selection that is not necessarily directed by the Church but more of a decision influenced by the Church when we talk about ethico-religous morality.

In status quo, what ought to be is simply deduced to what is in our society. Ironically, what many Filipinos consider to be true in our society is what ought to be that the Church presents. Fundamental

to our religious and conservative culture is the preservation of our traditions and beliefs that do not allow change, do not welcome rationality and to the point, are indifferent to the problems our society is experiencing. This is a suicidal case when we talk about increasing trends in pre-marital sex and the double digit increase of sexually transmitted diseases.

It is unnecessary here to narrate what other forms of sexual and health hazards are related to the use and abuse of technology, the internet and extreme poverty, for we are not blind. However, what makes the majority of us insensate to these painful truths is the anaesthesia injected into our society – the Church. Unless this anaesthesia loses its insensate effect on our rationality, we will not be able to solve the overarching problems stunting economic development.

This is a constructive criticism of the Church and those against the idea of sex education – a critique that calls for the

flexibility of our stands, opinions and even the Church itself, because there is no such thing as perfect justification for what morality is. We should ask ourselves what the impact of our decision is for the general good. Faith in this question can guide us but can never be a substitute for an answer. In that case, we are not only being anesthetized to the society we are a part of, but in the process we are also killing that very same

society.Yes, we cannot directly

feel the pain of a needle piercing our flesh because of the promise our faith is always there to reward us. However, sooner or later, like how any other anaesthesia works, it will soon lose its capacity to insensate us, and we will find ourselves confronted by an almost dying society that we wished was not

really happening. In this case, the words of Karl Marx may be true: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” Think twice. Ours, even now, is starting to die. ■

Anesthetized Rationality

SONA FROM P.2

This is a constructive criticism of the

Church and those against the idea of

sex education… Faith in this question can

guide us but can never be a substitute

for an answer.

Sa halip na hayaan ang responsibilidad nito para sa sambayanan ay dapat i-rechannel ang pondong nakalaan sa debt servicing para sa edukasyon, mungkahi naman ni Raymond Palatino, kinatawan ng KABATAAN Partylist sa kongreso.

Kamakailan lamang ay inipanukala ni Palatino ang House Bill 1962 na magpapawalang bisa sa automatic debt servicing ng gobyerno para sa mga dayuhang kapitalista at nag-gagarantiya na 6 percent ng gross domestic product ng bansa ay nakalaan para sa sektor ng edukasyon.

Dagdag rin ni Bryan Subong, pangalawang tagapangulo ng CAS-SC, na hindi solusyon sa problema ng sektor ang mungkahi ng Pangulo na pagdagdag ng 2 taon sa pag-aaral.

“Quantity does not translate to quality. More than additional years, what we need are qualified teachers, upgraded facilities, error-less textbooks, to cite a few, ani Subong.

Truth CommissionTampok sa SONA ang paglantad sa mga

irregularidad na naganap sa administrasyon ni Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Kabilang dito ang mga perks and allowances ng Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System o MWSS Board of Trustees, ang pagdivert ng calamity fund patungo sa Pampanga district ni Arroyo, ang nabubulok na rice stocks ng National Food Authority o NFA, at ang mga samu’t saring katiwalian sa Department of Public Works and Highways o DPWH.

Iniutos ng pangulo ang pagbuo ng isang truth commission na mag-imbestiga at magrekomenda para sa pag-uusig ng administrasyong Arroyo sa pagkasangkot nito sa korupsyon.

Sa kabila ng pagpuri sa hakbang upang bigyang hustisya ang mga biktima ng lumipas na rehimen, nadismaya ang mga progresibong grupo sa ilalim ng Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) na hindi kasali sa pagimbestiga ng truth commission ang mga kaso ng paglabag ng karapatang pantao at ang mga pagpatay ng mga mamahayag at aktibista.

Halos 20 truth commissions na binuo mula 1977 hanggang sa kasalukuyan, partikular ang sa Argentina, Chile, El Salvador, at Guatemala, ay may mandato na imbestigahan ang mga kaso ng paglabag ng karapatang pantao ng kanilang mga gobyerno, ani ng grupong BAYAN.

Mga omisyon sa SONATinuligsa naman ni UP Faculty Regent Dr. Judy

Taguiwalo ang mga omisyon ni Aquino sa iilang tumpak na pambansang isyu sa kanyang SONA.

Ayon kay Taguiwalo, hindi tinalakay ang repormang agraryo at ang pagbabahagi ng mga malawak na lupain ng mga malalaking panginoong maylupa katulad ng Hacienda Luisita. Tahimik rin diumano ang SONA tungkol sa reproductive health at freedom of information. ■

hanggang P1,000 kada yunit sa Diliman campus ay napanukala naman noong 2006 sa kabila ng malawakang protesta ng mga estudyante.

Ayon sa administrasyon, ang STFAP ay isang “major reform” para sa demokratikong pagpasok ng mga undergraduate students sa unibersidad.

Ngunit para naman sa mga estudyante ay “smokescreen” lamang ito para sa walang habas na pagtaas ng tuition. The STFAP only raises false hopes of democratic access in the university, ani National Union of Students of the Philippines Sec-Gen Vanessa Faye Bolibol.

Sa unang taon ng pagpapatupad nito, 30 porsyento sa populasyon ng UP ay nasa ilalim ng pangkat 1 hanggang 5, pinakamababang pangkat ng NBS, at sinasabing libre ang matrikula. Ang mga estudyante kabilang sa pangkat 1 hanggang 4 ay binibigyan din ng semestral stipend na umaabot sa P4,500 hanggang P8,250.

Subalit sa sumunod na taon na pagpapatupad, nakita na bumababa ang bilang ng mga estudyante na tumatamasa ng

Kakaunti FROM P.1 “The National University shall take affirmative steps which may take the form of alternative and equitable admissions process to enhance the access of disadvantaged students,” ayon sa Seksyon 9 ng 2008 Saligang Batas ng Unibersidad. ■

KASAMA ang sobra 100 estudyante ng UPV Miagao sa kilos protesta sa unang SONA ni Pangulo Noynoy Aquino noong Hulyo 26. PAGBUTLAK

reducing subsidy to higher education is not different from the previous administration’s position… This is why UP has been trying to generate resources from other sources and its land grants,” said UP President Emerlinda Roman in an interview with the Philippine Collegian.

Meanwhile, UP Student Regent Cori Alessa Co said that the budget cut will have the dire consequence of intensifying tuition and other fee increases and further the commercialization and privatization of the university.

Presently pending implementation is the automatic yearly tuition increase which is part of the TOFI policy approved in 2006.

Budget cut FROM P.3

There is also a new proposal of a full tuition or P100,000 per semester payment for students under the Bracket A of the Student Tuition Financial Assistance Program, said Co.

“Ito ay hayagang pagtapak sa karapatan ng bawat isko at iska ng bayan na makakakuha ng isang dekalidad ngunit abot-kayang edukasyon,” added Angeli Louise Cando, Vice-Chairperson for Visayas of the Katipunan ng mga Sangguniang Mag-aaral sa UP, and UPV-USC chair.

Thousands of students in urban centers all over the country walked out of their classes and marched in the streets on September 24 to protest the education budget cut . The UPV-USC spearheaded a black shirt day as UPV Miagao’s contribution to this national day of protest. ■

TUITION RATES OF MAJOR UNIVERSITIES

• Ateneo de Manila University P2,517.03/unit (2008)• De La Salle University P2,225/unit (2010)• University of Sto. Tomas P1,072.9/unit (2008)• John B. Lacson Maritime University P795/unit (2010)• Central Philippines University P465 (2010)• UP Diliman, Los Baños, Manila P1,000/unit (2007-present)• UP Visayas, Baguio, Mindanao P600/unit (2007-present)

We welcome inquiries, constructive criticisms, opinions, and contributions. Visit our office at The Nook, College Union Building, UP Visayas, Miagao or email us at [email protected]

CLYDE BEN GACAYAN

libreng matrikula.Ayon sa ulat ng Philippine Collegian,

20 porsyento lamang ang bilang ng mga undergraduate student ang libre ang tuition sa ilalim ng limang pinakamababang pangkat noong 1991.

Pantapak sa kulang na badyet“Kaunti na lang ang nagkakaroon ng

libreng tuition dahil sa hindi pagbibigay ng sapat na subsidy ng gobyerno para sa unibersidad,” ani Zaira Nichole Racadio, Sandigan para sa Mag-aaral at Sambayanan Party Alliance (SAMASA-PA) Chair at CAS-SC councilor.

Taunang kinakaltasan ng gobyerno ang pondo para sa unibersidad. Para sa 2011, P5.5B lamang ang inilaan para sa UP ng gobyerno kahit na P18B ang ipanukala ng unibersidad. (SEE PAGE 3).

Kung ang STFAP ang nagbabawal sa estudyante sa demokratikong paggamit sa pamantasan sa halip na ito ang tutulong bagkus ito ay isang malinaw na pag-abuso sa UP charter, ayon kay Faculty Regent Dr. Judy Taguiwalo.


The welfare of the nation can be measured by the wellbeing of the people that compose the nation. National development

is not only an abstraction represented by economic figures but is reflected in real and material conditions such as food on the table, decent shelter, accessible education, and employment for the people.

As the national university, the principles guiding the University of the Philippines should therefore embrace the long-term interests of the Filipino people for nation-building and genuine social reforms. At the outset, the university administration and the next UP president must unite with the students and entire UP community in the struggle for greater state subsidy for education and against the intensified commercialization and privatization of the university if this is to be achieved.

The UP Visayas Miagao campus was founded in the 1980s by Presidential Decree of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. It was established as one of the preconditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund – World Bank (IMF-WB) in return for the dictatorship’s uninterrupted receiving of loans and hence continuing of the vicious cycle that led to the ballooning of the country’s debt to $26 billion when Marcos fell in 1986.

The founding of the Miagao campus was therefore premised on the integration of the local economy to the logic of the world market. This dynamic caters to the demands of foreign monopoly capital rather than the actual need to develop our very own aquatic and human resources.

Such a beginning has led to the domination of a productivist spirit in UPV. Rather than producing knowledge for the requirements of national industrialization, the overall thrust has been that of providing skilled labor for advanced capitalist centers of Western Europe, North America, Japan and their profit-making transnational operations all over the Third World.

For decades now, the university system itself has been caught in a grave contradiction where its formal statement of principles, such as the upholding of academic freedom and democracy, are belied by actual practice. How can one speak of academic freedom, for example, if the lone student representative of 40,000 iskolars ng bayan, was unceremoniously ousted from the highest decision-making body in the university? The travails of former Student Regent Charisse Bañez in

the previous academic year is an example of campus repression. There can likewise be no real democracy if thousands are deprived of democratic access to UP education due to the intensified commercialization of the university as exemplified by the 300% tuition increase first implemented in 2007.

The existence of the College of Arts and

Sciences (CAS) can counter the complete domination of a mechanistic logic that seeks to transform the university into an assembly line that churns out graduates with no other ambition than to go abroad and earn dollars. The offering of courses in the humanities and social sciences apart from the hard sciences opens many possibilities to the university’s students apart from the ones

determined for it by the late dictator and the IMF-WB.

The question, however, is how the CAS can go beyond giving a human face to the bleaker reality of the university’s functioning as a mere cog in an international division of labor that privileges the advanced industrial centers and relegates the country to the periphery.

The CAS can give free play to the creativity of the students by encouraging the flowering of the culture and the arts in the campus and by upholding the rights of the students to freely express grievances, peaceably assemble, and organize for their national democratic interests.

The CAS can help reclaim the university’s role as the bearer of the Filipino people’s welfare by aligning its programs to the requirements of nation-building and the raising of the nationalist consciousness of its graduates. The offering of programs such as the community-based Public Health (PH) and Community Development (CD) as well as the retaining of Literature is a step in the

PAGBUTLAK | Official student publication of the UP Visayas - College of Arts and Sciences

Editor-in-Chief: Karlo Mikhail Mongaya | Associate Editor: Rosana Inaudito | Managing Editor: Bemjo Torema | Financial Manager: Elli Anthony PiamonteSecretary: Lavilyn Hysthea Malte| Fulltime Staffers: Angeliza Arceño, Eric Abalajon, Eunice Guadalope, Ingrid Mosura, Irish Julienne Merza, Jonathan Gonzales, Justine Alviar, Kim Lexi Rivera, R-vee TaladroRegular Contributors: Adrian Rey Penetrante, Clyde Gacayan, Julie Ann Mae Silviderio, Karl Parcon, Sheena Angelique ZanteVisual Artists: Anavie Alegre, Fraime Barcelo, Justine Bennette Millado | Faculty Adviser: Prof. Tomasito TalledoOffice: The Nook, College Union Building, UP Visayas Miagao, Iloilo | Email/Facebook: [email protected]: SOLIDARIDAD - UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations, College Editors Guild of the Philippines

right direction in a country with a predominantly agricultural, backward, and export-oriented economy.

This does not mean neglecting the hard sciences as these are equally important if the nation is to make a great leap forward towards a nationalist industrialization and a truly self-reliant economy that can provide for its people. Ultimately, what matters most is for the university to advance the interests of the greatest number of people by ensuring democratic access to quality education.

The figure of the UPV diwata graphically illustrates the mechanist sprit or factory mentality pervading the university. Instead of facing the ocean, our diwata turns its back to the sea and hauls off nature’s bounty with a net. Diwata, rather than standing for nourishment and the protection of the native community and the environment, instead stands for rapacious exploitation.

The CAS can do more to overturn this dominant paradigm by embodying a truly nationalist, scientific, and mass-oriented education and culture. ■

The existence of the CAS can counter the complete domination of a mechanistic logic that seeks to transform the university into an

assembly line that churns out graduates with no other ambi-

tion than to go abroad and earn dollars.

The CAS in the Service of the People

june-september issue final

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