PhilippineCollegian 06

Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas - Diliman 01.08.06
06
PhilippineCollegian
A rt i c l e s : R a m o n M i g u e l G . A b o l a , K at r i n a
A n g e l a M a c a pa g a l , a n d F r a n k L l o y d T i o n g s o n .
I l l u s t r at i o n : I va n B rya n G . R e v e r e n t e .
Design: Karl Fredrick M. Castro.
G
loria Macapagal-Arroyo has indeed kept her enemies closer.
While she has a handful of steadfast lackeys in her armory, basic
sectors, alliances, individuals, and armed groups are but among
those posed for the offensive – the clamor for her removal from office.
Allies, apparently, are hard to find in the obstinate grip of the presidency,
especially one that has been hounded by a myriad of issues. Arroyo has no
other option now but to retreat in a tight corner.
M i l i ta r y
Fractured Military
Support
Ch u r c h g r o u p s
Divine Intervention
Workers and Peasants
Mass condemnation
Militant workers’ alliance Kilusang
Mayo Uno (KMU), condemn the Arroyo administration for the stagnation
of the minimum wage as the daily
cost of living continues to escalate.
According to a survey conducted by
the Social Weather Station, almost
2.8 million families experience hunger under the said condition. “High
unemployment rate and the widening
gap in the cost of living and minimum
wages due to skyrocketing prices of
basic commodities are the culprits in
the rising hunger trend,” said KMU
Chairperson Elmer Labog.
Peasant groups, meanwhile, rage
over the persistence of landlessness
among their ranks. Rural poverty incidence is two-and-a-half times that in
urban areas and 73% of the country’s
poor live in agriculture-dependent
rural areas. As early as 2003, peasant alliance Kilusang Magbubukid
ng Pilipinas secretary general Danilo
Ramos said,“terminating the deadliest virus in Malacañang is the only
way to stop further contamination.
Ms Arroyo is the main source of the
Filipino people’s sufferings.”
Arroyo’s stubborn subservience
to foreign dictates on the economy
draws the ire of the cited sectors. The
economy has been further configured
to cater to foreign interests as seen in
drastic tariff adjustments during the
Arroyo regime. Around 156 workers
are now retrenched daily due to the
rampant bankruptcy of local establishments, which make up 90 percent
of all industries in the country. Tariff
reductions for agricultural products,
meanwhile, have worsened the plight
of farmers all around the country due
to unfair competition.
l e s b i a n s , g ay s , b i s e x u a l s &
transsexuals
Rights aside
When Mrs. Arroyo assumed the
presidency in 2001, the Lesbian and
Gay Legislative Advocacy Network
was already pushing for the passage
of the Anti-Discrimination Bill in Congress. Most recently manifested as
HB 634, the bill criminalizes any form
of discrimination based on sexual
orientation and/or gender identity
by defining discriminatory practices
in part as the inclusion of “sexual
orientation and gender identity in
the criteria for hiring, promotion and
dismissal of workers”. Currently, it is
pending for second reading in the
House. However, HB 634 has not
been enacted because the Arroyo
administration pressures Congress
to prioritize Charter Change.
United Opposition
Opposition from
Within
Opposition forces within the administration, although coming from all
ends of the political spectrum, are
united towards deposing President
Arroyo. According to House of Representatives Minority Leader, Represantative Francis Escudero, “These
groups are now all lined up against
GMA. Although of varied origins and
persuasions, these groups maintain
lines of communications. The level of
comfort and confidence among them
is increasing and definitely higher this
year than last year.”
Stalwart among these groups
are progressive party-lists including
Bayan Muna, Gabriela, and AnakPawis, whose five representetatives
themselves were victims of Arroyo’s
repressive and undemocratic policies
implemented during the week-long
national state of emergency. AnakPawis Representative Crispin Beltran
is on his fifth month of detention at
the Philippine Heart Center as of
press time.
The wide opposition condemns
Arroyo’s record of over 700 political
killings.Bayan Muna Representative
Satur Ocampo said that these killings
are “widespread and systematic.”
Youth
Policy of neglect
Youth groups protest against the
Arroyo administration due to its
unsatisfactory performance in areas
such as in employment and education. Expenditure for education has
dwindled in the last five years. In
2005, of the P134.5 billion allocation
set for Education, Culture and Manpower Development, only 4.1% went
to school buildings, textbooks and
other teaching materials. The proposed 2006 budget increases the allocation to P146.4 billion. Due to high
inflation, this represents only 13.9%
of the proposed national budget, far
below the standard of 20% set by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization.
In 2003, it was discovered that
11,640,000 of the youth, aged 6 to
24, were no longer attending school,
mostly because they were either
looking for work or were already
employed. Not only does this point
to an increasing incidence of poverty,
it also heralds an increase in the
semi-skilled labor force. This in turn
aggravates the already problematic
labor conditions of the country.
L a w y e r s , H e a lt h G r o u p s ,
Academic groups
Professional Outcry
Lawyers belonging to groups such
as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), Counsels for the Defense
of Liberties (Codal), Concerned
Lawyers for Civil Liberties, Libertas,
Young Lawyers League, as well as
law students from different colleges
and universities have expressed indignation at Arroyo’s undemocratic
policies. Recently, more than 200
members of these groups held a
march in celebration of the Supreme
Court’s decisions of declaring illegal
PN 1017, Executive Order No. 464,
and the Calibrated Pre-emptive
Response.
A nationwide alliance of health
workers have also forwarded an impeachment complaint against Arroyo.
The alliance includes groups such as
the Health Alliance for Democracy
and Health Action for Human Rights.
Both groups issued the prescription
“Impeach Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,”
citing the Congress as the “patient.”
The nationwide alliance blames
Arroyo for the misprioritization of
budget allocations, channeling the
bulk of funds to debt servicing and
military spending, while funding for
health services remain low. The group
also accused Arroyo of using health
funds, among others, to win in the
elections, citing how the PhilHealth
coverage went down from over 90
percent in 2004 to around 60 percent
in 2005.
Meanwhile, public and privateschool teachers and university professors have also signed an impeachment
complaint against Arroyo. Chairman
of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers Antonio Tinio signed the complaint with 50 other teachers, saying
that Arroyo must be accountable for
her “numerous crimes against the
citizenry. Tess Busadre, president
of the Quezon City Public-School
Teachers’ Association also said that
as teachers who served in the 2004
elections, they have “moral obligation” to bring out te truth about the
cheating in the elections.
Even as the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP)
official stance counters the new
wave of impeachment complaints
against President Arroyo, a growing
number of Church members have
gone against this official statement.
One of those is Bishop Deogracias
Iniguez, who was among those who
filed an impeachment complaint in
his own “personal capacity.” More
church people have joined the impeachment bids, including the parish
priest of San Miguel Church covering
Malacañang and several other Catholic priests, Protestant pastors, and lay
churchworkers.
Ecumenical groups which are
critical of Arroyo have now been
formed, such as the Promotion of
Church Peoples’ Response (PCPR),
Iglesia Filipina Independiente, (IFI)
and United Church of Christ in the
Philippines (UCCP). These groups
are among the signatories of an
impeachment complaint against the
President’s gruesome human rights
violations. In fact, a priest from IFI and
more than a dozen UCCP pastors and
laymen are victims of the prevailing
onslaught of political killings.
While the CBCP has refused to
support the impeachment cases filed
this year, they assert that they are still
seeking the “truth” about the charges of electoral fraud against Arroyo.
However, PCPR member Fr. Gilbert
Sabado also states that CBCP should
fulfill its prophetic role by supporting
the people’s moves to find the truth
through an impeachment trial.
Women
Inequality in
numbers
Women’s groups all over the country
hold President Arroyo accountable
for her neglect of women’s issues. For
instance, Violence against Women
(VAW) had escalated from 1,100 cases in 1996 to 6,505 in 2005. Around
1119 of those crimes consisted of
rape. In addition, close to 2,160
cases, or one in every three, were of
physical injury or battery.
Moreover, the female labor force
participation rate from 1995 to 2005
was only 50%, where for men it was
80%. At the same time, only 36%
of salaried workers were female. As
of 2004, while 51% of OFWs were
women, their average monthly cash
remittance represented only 57%
of the P74,267 average monthly
cash remittance of men. This figure
points out that female migrant workers are taking on low-paying and
unprotected jobs. In fact in 2004, of
the 355,000 laborers and unskilled
workers deployed, 301,000 were
women.
Although President Arroyo has persistently declared the Armed Forces
of the Philippine’s (AFP) full support
for her administration, the constant
surfacing of military factions prove
otherwise. One of the most recent
threats to the administration was the
alleged coup plot at Fort Bonifacio
on February.
Even though presidential advisers
say that the recent arrest of Magdalo
junior officers prevented “any serious threats” against the President,
members of the opposition say that
military unrest still looms as long as
Arroyo remains in office. According to
Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr, “There
will be no end to unrest and divisiveness in the military for as long as
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
remains in power and doubts over her
legitimacy is not resolved.”
The AFP is an institution that
continues to reek of corruption and
patronage politics, with positions
based more often on seniority or
loyalty to the president. A growing
number of military officials and officers are also forwarding grievances
over soldiers’ salary and housing. If
these concerns remain unaddressed,
it may later cause frustration among
the military, like what occurred in the
2003 Oakwood mutiny.
CPP - NPA - ND F
Armed and
dangerous
Seeing that the Arroyo administration
has exacerbated the deep-seated
crisis of a “semi-feudal” and “semicolonial” society, the CPP-NPA-NDF
is the administration’s fiercest enemy.
It remains steadfast in its campaign
towards dismantling the systemic
roots of poverty in the country.
Arroyo has already declared an
all-out-war in an effort to end the
37-year old “communist insurgency”
of the CPP-NPA-NDF. Fueling the
deployment of military troops in
“critical areas,” one billion pesos
has been allotted for logistical support. In addition, the government
has ceased peace negotiations with
the “rebel groups.” Critics have lambasted Arroyo’s militarist inclinations
in combatting rebellion. Conversely,
it has conveniently attributed the
present political crisis to the armed
struggle – what critics dismissed as
“addressing the symptoms rather
than the disease.”
Military operations aimed to
undermine the armed struggle such
as the Oplan Bantay-Laya, however,
have cost mostly civilian lives. Civilian peasant and labor leaders have
been perennially dragged into the
“cross-fire” as they are tagged as
“communist sympathizers.” Various
mass organizations, meanwhile,
have been painted as “fronts” of the
CPP-NPA-NDF, leading to rampant
warrantless arrests, abductions, and
even murder.
Martes
Tomo 84
Isyu 06
oras at sampung
minutong ilusyon
E d i t o r y a l
Isang
N
oong nakaraang Lunes, sa loob ng Batasan,
inilahad ni Arroyo ang aniya’y pangarap
niya para sa isang mas maunlad na
Pilipinas. Suot ang magarbong pulang
ternong may panuelo, na singkulay pa ng
kanyang sapatos at bag, dumating siyang abot-tainga ang
ngiti upang bigkasin ang ikaanim niyang SONA. Sa loob
ng isang oras at sampung minuto, isandaan at animnapu’t
pitong ulit siyang pinalakpakan.
P i ya C . C o n s ta n t i n o
Sa halip na ihayag ang kalagayan ng bansa, na siyang
inaasahan ng mga mamamayan, ginugol niya ang kalakhan
ng panahon upang ipaliwanag ang kanyang mga proyekto.
Kinatampukan ito ng pakikipaglaban sa terorismo, karahasan,
at katiwalian. Ipinaliwanag din ang pagpapasimula sa reporma
sa sistemang elektoral, pagpapasibol sa apat na mega-region,
at mga gawain sa imprastruktura para sa transportasyon,
enerhiya, telekomunikasyon at agrikultura. Gayundin,
binigyang-diin niya ang pagsusulong sa pagbabago ng
Saligang Batas upang maitaguyod ang aniya’y “rules of
investment” ng bansa para sa bagong milenyo. Ngunit nagmimistulang ilusyon ang lahat ng kanyang
inihayag, sapagkat sa labas ng mga haligi ng Batasan,
lumilitaw ang tunay na kalagayan ng sambayanang
Pilipino. Sa kabila ng pagpapadalo sa mga personahe
tulad nina Manny Pacquiao, mga kampeon sa Southeast
Asian Games, at paggamit ng high-tech na presentasyon
ng kanyang mga proyektong panrehiyon, nananatiling
hungkag ang kanyang programa para sa mga isyung
nanghihingi ng pangmatagalang perspektibo. Tila ang
kanyang mga gimik ay inihanda upang pagtakpan ang
pangangarap niya nang gising.
Malinaw na ang tinutukoy niyang pag-unlad ay hindi
nakatuon sa pagpapatatag sa mga batayang salik sa
kalagayang ekonomiko ng bansa. Bagkus, nakasalalay ito
sa pagbubukas sa Pilipinas sa pandarayuhan, sa pagpasok ng
puhunan ngunit paglabas rin nito upang pakinabangan ng
mga malalaking dayuhang negosyante. Sa katunayan, sinabi
niyang dinisenyo ang kanyang istratehiyang pang-ekonomya
upang makaagapay sa kalakalang pandaigdig.
Kaugnay nito, isang malaking usapin ang panggagalingan ng
pondo para sa kanyang mga programa. Sa simula ng kanyang
talumpati, binanggit niyang may sariling pondo na ang
pamahalaan para sa mga programa. Ngunit tila iyon ay bahagi
ng kanyang ilusyon. Halos kalahati sa ipinagmamalaking US $
900-milyong North Luzon Railways na bumabagtas ng mahigit
30 kilometro ay pinondohan lamang gamit ang pautang mula
sa gobyerno ng Tsina. Samantala, ang gobyerno naman ng
Korea ang nagkaloob ng salapi para sa pagpapagawa ng
SouthRail. Dagdag niya, P1 bilyon ang ipinagkaloob mula sa
U.S. Millennium Challenge Account para sa mas maunlad na
sistema laban sa korupsyon. Kung gayon, nakaasa sa dayuhang
pondo, at hindi sa maayos na sistema ng paniningil ng buwis
ang mga proyektong ipatutupad ni GMA.
Gayundin, lutang ang talumpati sapagkat hindi nakasalig
ang nilalaman sa pagsusulong ng pagbabagong pangmatagalan,
tulad ng reporma sa lupa, pambansang industriyalisasyon
at pagpapaunlad ng serbisyong panlipunan. Halimbawa,
pito sa bawat sampung magsasaka ang walang sariling
lupang sinasaka, at nananatili sa kamay ng ilang panginoong
maylupa ang kalakhan ng mga lupain sa bansa. Sa halip na
maghapag ng programa upang hikayatin ang pag-unlad ng
mga saligang industriya tulad ng langis at bakal, isinasailalim
pa ng pamahalaan ang mga ito sa pribatisasyon, liberalisasyon
at deregulasyon. Bukod dito, taun-taong kinakaltasan ang
badyet para sa edukasyon at kalusugan.
Walang kabuluhan ang masigabong palakpakan sa mga
mamamayang nananatiling nakalugmok sa kahirapan –
mga manggagawang sumasahod sa di makataong halaga,
mga magsasakang nananatiling walang sariling lupa, mga
kababaihang patuloy na nagdurusa sa di pagkakapantaypantay, mga kabataang hindi natatamasa ang karapatan
sa edukasyon, mga maralitang taga-lungsod na walang
matirhan at mga katutubong inaagawan ng lupang ninuno
– mga suliraning kapag inihahapag ng kanyang mga kritiko
ay tinutugon niya ng paniniil. Sa katunayan, sa ilalim ng
kanyang rehimen, lumagpas na sa 700 ang biktima ng
extrajudicial killings.
Kung may mahahalaw na aral mula sa kanyang talumpati,
ito ay ang malaking pagkakaiba ng ilusyon at pangarap.
Isang pangarap ang maghangad ng isang lipunang maunlad
at malaya, ng isang “kinabukasang nagniningning,” banggit
nga ni Arroyo. Ngunit ang magnais na makamit ito sa
pamamagitan ng litanya ng pangakong hindi nakaugat sa
tunay na kalagayan ng bansa ay isang ilusyon. At hindi hangal
ang mga mamamayan upang panatilihin sa Malacañang ang
isang pangulong nangangarap nang gising. n
P H I L I P P I N E C O L L E G I A N | Opisyal na lingguhang pahayagan ng mga mag-aaral ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas - Diliman
Karl Fredrick M. Castro • K a p a t n u g o t Katrina Angela R. Macapagal • M g a T a g a p a m a h a l a n g P a t n u g o t Wendell M. Gumban, Frank Lloyd B. Tiongson
Jerrie M. Abella, Melane A. Manalo • M g a P a t n u g o t s a G r a p i k s Ivan Bryan G. Reverente, Rouelle T. Umali • P a t n u g o t s a K u l t u r a Jeeu Christopher A. Gonzales
Pat n u g o t s a L at h a l a i n
Margaret P. Yarcia • T a g a p a m a h a l a n g P i n a n s i y a Ma. Rosalie A. Beronio • M g a K a w a n i Louise Vincent B. Amante, Paolo A. Gonzales
P i n a n s i ya
Amelyn J. Daga • T a g a p a m a h a l a s a S i r k u l a s y o n Paul John Alix • S i r k u l a s y o n Gary Gabales, Ricky Icawat, Amelito Jaena, Glenario Omamalin
M g a K at u wa n g n a K awa n i
Trinidad Basilan, Gina Villas • P a m u h a t a n Silid 401 Bulwagang Vinzons, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman, Lungsod Quezon • T e l e f a x 9818500 lokal 4522
E m a i l
kule0607@gmail.com • K a s a p i Solidaridad - UP System-wide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations • College Editors Guild of the Philippines
P u n o n g
M g a
Pat n u g o t
Pat n u g o t
s a
B a l i ta
Tungkol sa pabalat Dibuho: Ivan Reverente. Disenyo: Karl Castro
01 Agosto 2006
03 Balita
Missing in Action
S
o I went to the State of the Nation Address mobilization. Not
to protest, of course, but to see
Mitch. I had no idea what to expect, as
I’ve never been to a rally before.
I woke up late that day, at around
1 pm. I dragged myself out of bed to
catch up with some Kule editors who
were also just on their way. I had to
be there if I wanted to talk to my girlfriend, if she was
still my girlfriend.
z
i
a
n
r
e
H
s
i
c
Pa
Noel
I wasn’t really nervous about the
rally, I was more
troubled by the
inevitable confrontation. I had
nothing planned. I
knew that I would
have to apologize
profusely for having humiliated her
in front of my class
during that room
to room spiel, but
I wasn’t sure if I was ready to concede
to whatever political stance she would
try to persuade me into.
Finally, there I was in the middle
of the crowd in front of Gotesco,
straining to look for Mitch. Practically
everyone was in red (I wore white),
Mitch included, so it’s easy to imagine
how stressful that was for me. I couldn’t
really run around the area to look for
her because of the rain, and because
I didn’t want to lose sight of the Kule
kids I was with. Like I said, I don’t go
to rallies. I didn’t know any other tibaks
except some of those in Kule.
I tried calling Mitch, but the blasted
rain drenched my phone (and damn, it
was an expensive phone). The people
I was with didn’t have any credits left,
so I had no way of contacting her. We
were at the back of the crowd, there
were throngs of people in front of us.
Perhaps Mitch was up front near the
program stage, though I wondered
why she would want to go there in the
middle of the heavy downpour. I don’t
know how much profanity I uttered as
I stood there like an idiot. I knew I was
behaving like a brat, but I just couldn’t
brave through all those people to look
for Mitch.
As I pondered on what to do, I
casted a wary look on the rallyists. I
saw that some of the rallyists were
dripping wet already, and I even saw
some who no longer had any shoes
on. A lot of them still had arm bands
and bandannas bearing the statement
“No to Political Killings!” Why do they
go through all this trouble just to oust
the President? Why on earth do they
go into the streets, even on rainy days
like this, when they can just stay home,
relax, and watch the President’s SONA
on television?
After two hours of waiting, I decided
to go home already. It was futile, and
my hair and socks were wet. I didn’t
have the nerve to make my way through
the crowd, and I didn’t know any of her
activist friends even if they had passed
right in front of me. Shit, Mitch will
probably never talk to me again after
this impressing display of selfishness.
I arrived home just in time to see
the last minutes of Arroyo’s SONA on
air. While silently agonizing over what
I did – what I didn’t do, more like it
continued on p.4
Philippine Collegian | MartES | 01 ago 06
SONA ni Arroyo,
binagyo ng protesta
Victor Gregor Limon
H
indi nahadlangan ng
malakas na ulan at mahigit
16,000 pulis sa Kamaynilaan
ang pagsulong ng protesta laban kay
Gloria Arroyo noong Hulyo 24, araw
ng kanyang State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Humigit kumulang 10,000 katao
mula sa iba’t ibang sektor ang lumahok sa pagkilos na ginanap sa Commonwealth Avenue, malapit sa Ever
Gotesco Mall. May isang kilometro
ang layo ng mga protetsa mula sa Batasan, kung saan idinaos ang SONA.
Kasama sa demonstrasyon ang halos 200 estudyante at guro ng UP.
Ang SONA ay isang taunang ulat
kung saan inilalahad ng Pangulo ang
kasalukuyang kalagayan ng bansa at
mga plano para sa susunod na mga
taon.
Pondo para sa edukasyon
Sa kanyang talumpati, sinabi
ni Arroyo na may pondo na ang
gobyerno para sa mga pangunahing
serbisyong pampubliko, tulad ng
edukasyon.
“Sa wakas may pondo na tayo,
hindi lang para pambayad utang,
kundi para sa edukasyon,” aniya.
Pinabulaanan naman ito ng mga
lider-estudyanteng kasama sa protesta.
Palatino, pangulo ng Kabataan Party,
ang mga plano ni Arroyo na magpatayo ng maraming imprastraktura sa
kabila ng kawalan ng sapat na pondo
sa edukasyon.
“Arroyo was confident talking
about her ambitious projects of
building new airports and railways
for her ‘super regions’ and yet she
can’t even build enough school buildings to lessen the perennial problem
of classroom shortage,” aniya.
Sigaw
Pag-unlad ng ekonomiya
Nagpiket sa Department of National Defense ang mga estudyante ng UP noong
Hulyo 28 upang patuloy na igiit ang ang pagpapalitaw kina Karen at She, isang
buwan matapos ang pagdukot sa kanila.
J u a n Pa o l o V e r z o s a
Ani Juan Paolo Alfonso, tagapangulo ng UP Diliman University
Student Council, mababa pa rin ang
nakuhang budget ngayong taon ng
mga pampublikong paaralan tulad ng
UP dahil sa pagbibigay prayoridad sa
pagbabayad-utang.
Noong isang taon, halos 70 porsyento ng pambansang budget adP721
bilyon ang ipinambayad-utang ha-
bang nasa P110 bilyon ang inilaan
sa edukasyon. Nasa P15 bilyon ang
napunta sa mga pampublikong
paaralan.
“Dahil sa mababang budget, sa
mga estudyante kumukuha ng pondo
ang mga eskwelahan sa porma ng
mga tuition fee at miscellaneous fee
increases,” paliwanag ni Alfonso.
Tinuligsa naman ni Raymond
Palparan, itinanggi ang pagdukot
kina Karen at Sherlyn
Pagsampa ng mga kaso at paghahanap, patuloy
R o n n e l V. I s t u r i s
S
a kabila ng utos ng Korte
Suprema (KS) na ilabas na ng
militar ang dalawang dinukot
na estudyante ng UP, tahasang
itinanggi ni Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, pinuno ng militar sa Gitnang
Luzon, ang pagkakasangkot niya sa
pagdukot.
Dahil sa malakas na bagyo, nabinbin ang itinakdang pagdinig noong
Hulyo 24 sa Court of Appeals kung
saan ipinahaharap na sa ilang opsiyal
ng militar, kasama si Palparan, sina
Karen Empeño at Sherlyn Cadapan
na magkasamang dinukot noong Hu-
nyo 26 sa Hagonoy, Bulacan. Itinakda
ang bagong araw ng pagdinig sa
Agosto 1.
Bagamat dadalo pa rin umano sa
pagdinig, sinabi ni Palparan na hindi
niya maihaharap sa CA sina Cadapan
at Empeño sapagkat wala umano
siyang kinalaman sa pagdukot.
Subalit sa isang pahayag sa media
noon, sinabi ni Palparan na maaaring
ibang grupo ng militar sa ibang lugar
ang responsible sa pagdukot.
Nagsampa naman ng kasong violation of human rights ang Central
Luzon division ng organisasyong
Karapatan laban kay Palparan at sa
iba pang lider ng militar. Isinampa
ang kaso sa Commission.on Human
Rights noon ding Hulyo 24.
Maysala o wala
Ipinahayag ni Philippine National
Police Dir. Gen. Oscar Calderon
noong isang linggo na walang kinalaman si Palparan sa mga pagdukot
at pagpatay sa mga tumutuligsa sa
administrasyon.
Ani Calderon, nabigong makahanap ng sapat na ebidensyang magdidiin kay Palparan ang Task Force
Usig, isang yunit ng pulisya na binuo
upang imbestigahan ang karahasan
laban sa mga militante.
itutuloy sa p.4
Ayon kay Arroyo, patuloy ang
pag-ibayo ng ekonomiya kasabay
ng pagbaba ng mga insidente ng
kahirapan sa mga lalawigan. “Our
economy is now growing over the
longest period in the last quartercentury: 22 consecutive quarters of
growth,” aniya.
Mariin naman itong pinasubalian
ng mga nagprotestang grupo ng mga
magsasaka at manggagawa.
Ayon kay Danilo Ramos, pangkalahatang kalihim ng Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, hindi umano
nararamdaman ng mga maralita ang
“pag-unlad” na binanggit ni Arroyo
dahil marami pa ring mga magsasaka
ang walang sariling lupa.
Sa bahag i naman ng Anakpawis, wala rin umanong mabuting
pagababago sa kondisyon ng mga
manggagawa. “Wala pa rin hanggang ngayon ang hinihingi naming
P125 across-the-board wage hike
at P3,000 namang dagdag na sahod
para sa mga kawani ng gobyerno,”
ani Rafael Mariano, kinatawan ng
Anakpawis sa Kongreso.
Pinasubalian din ni Elmer Labog,
tagapangulo ng Kilusang Mayo Uno
(KMU), ang ulat ng pag-unlad ng
bansa ni Arroyo. “Hindi totoong
nakaahon na ang ekonomiya dahil
nakaasa pa rin ito sa mga remittances
mula sa mga OFWs,” aniya.
Pagkundena sa
pamamaslang
Kinundena ni Arroyo sa kanyang SONA ang mga pulitikal na
pamamaslang. “We stopped judicial
executions with the abolition of the
death penalty… We will [also] stop
extrajudicial executions,” aniya.
Bago ang pahayag na ito, kinilala
ni Arroyo ang “pakikibaka” ni Maj.
Gen. Jovito Palparan sa Gitnang
Luzon. “Hindi siya aatras hanggang
itutuloy sa p.4
04 Balita
Philippine Collegian | martES | 01 ago 06
Bringing down the house
How fee increases infest UP’s dormitories
Roads to Perdition
M a ry A n t o n e t t e A .
Estoperes and Antonio
L. Tiemsin Jr.
UPD trends of commercialization
T
he ten dormitories
in the UP Diliman
(UPD) campus serve
as second home to
some 13 percent of the total Diliman student population. These
residence halls are also being
subsidized by the state, making
its residents “doubly privileged,”
according to Vice Chancellor
for Student Affairs Elizabeth
Enriquez.
The 1990 Revised Residence
Hall Rules and Regulations
states that accommodation in
the dormitories “is clearly a
privilege and not a right.”
Enriquez also says that the
current administration considers dormitories as one of its top
priorities. In fact, P20 million
was allotted this year for major
renovations in Ilang-Ilang, Ipil,
Kamia, Molave and Sampaguita.
But this seems to be an end
for a home-sweet-home as what
looms ahead are various dorm fee
increases, such as the proposed
500 percent hike in electricity
rates and 20 percent increase in
lodging, and new dormitories
with private funding.
All roads lead to commercialization, or so what the government
and its lackeys in the academe so desperately want to happen.
In this series, the Collegian exposes how even the most basic
of services in UP fall prey to the ills of low state subsidy and,
ultimately, dependence to private entities. After all, we can
always take the reverse trip.
Electric Shock
In 2004, the Commission
on Audit recommended dorm
fee adjustments to cover the
large disparity between the
total dorm revenues of P15.1
million and the expenditures of
P17.4 million, Office of Student
Housing head (OSH) Quintin
Resurreccion said.
Enriquez cited as an example
Kalayaan Residence Hall, with
a monthly revenue of only
P116,000 to cover its P163,000
expenditures.
One of the administration’s
way to cope with the supposed
disparity is through increasing the electricity fees. Thus,
an overwhelming 500 percent
increase in the electricity rates
of the residents’ appliances was
proposed by the Office of the
Vice Chancellor for Student
Affairs (OVCSA) this year. (See
sidebar I)
I. Comparison of Proposed Electricity Fee
Increase by the Administration and the ACD
Appliance
Current
Rates
Administration’s
Proposal
Desktop PC
with Internet
P150
P810
12
P405
6
Desktop PC
w/o Internet
P150
P540
8
P270
4
Laptop without
Internet
P125
P155
8
P38.75
Laptop with
internet: P96.875
2
5
Water
Dispenser
0
Submeter
Cellular phone
charger
P75
P75
3-4
P9.50
2
Electric Fan 12“
P75**
P160
12
P130 **
8
P195
12
4
Cost
Electric Fan 14”
Electric Fan 16”
ACD’s Counter
Proposal
EDC*
Cost
EDC*
Sub-meter
P260
12
Ipod/MP3
0
P75
3-4
Radio: P12.50
Ipod.MP3: None
Communal
Refrigerator
6 cu. ft.
0
P650
24
None, supposed
to be part of
dorm amenities
10 cu. ft.
0
P1,300
24
*estimated daily consumption (in hours)
** uniform rate
The administration intended to apply
the new rates on July 15, but the Alliance
Meanwhile, as dorm
of Concerned Dormitories (ACD), an al- fee increases are coming, resiliance of all dorm house councils, asked dents face an added dorm fee
to postpone its implementation through for the cost of electricity and
a counter proposal submitted on July 13. space rental for their water
It contested that the actual number of dispensers.
hours dormers use the appliances is only
The proposal came after Business
half of the estimates used by the Utilities Concessions Office (BCO) discovered
Management Team in its computation. illegal contracts entered into by dorm
(See sidebar I)
house councils with private water
The Molave House Council (MHC) providers last May. The university had
also discovered the overpricing in the
been paying P3,800 for the electricity
unchanged P75-rate for cellphone char- consumption of each water dispenser
gers, as it should only be P55 according monthly, the BCO said.
to Meralco computations.
The MHC already installed submeDr. Ruby Alcantara, head of the ters on their water dispensers until AuDormitory Oversight
gust 1 to determine
Committee (DOC),
how much rate will
II. Proposed Lodging
said that they will
be imposed upon all
Fee
Increase
hold a meeting with
the dorm residents.
Enriquez on August 2
DORMITORY
FROM
TO
to finalize the date of
Kitchen mess
P300
P350
the implementation Ilang-ilang
Even the dorms’
1,000
of the new rates. The International Center 800
board fee was proOVCSA formed the Ipil
posed to be raised
350
400
DOC last year to look Kalayaan
by the Food Service
500
750
after all dormitory
Regulatory CommitKamia
220
250
concerns.
tee last year, however,
250
285
However, final de- Molave
the BOR junked the
175
200
cision on any fee im- Narra
proposal. The board
plementation should Sampaguita
fee serves as a resi225
250
come from the Board Sanggumay
dent’s payment for
450
550
of Regents (BOR),
food serve by the priYakal
175
200
Sanchez said.
vate concessionaires
in the dorms.
Knocked-out on the door
The proposal came after dorm priWhile only temporary stalled since
vate concessionaires Gloria’s and Herbs,
2004, the administration also has the which caters to Ilang-ilang, Kalayaan,
proposal to increase lodging fee by an and Molave, complained that the curaverage of 20 percent. The adjustments rent rate is too low, citing the perennial
were computed based on the market
increase in the price of commodities.
value of accommodation, Resurreccion
The University Food Service used to
said. (See sidebar II)
exclusively handle dorm canteens, but
University Student Council (USC)
mid 1980s, insufficient budget allocaChairperson Juan Paolo Alfonso, how- tion from UP and manpower shortage
ever, said that lodging fees should not compelled it to lease its three dormibe increased without additional services
tory outlets to commercial entities.
and improved facilities for students.
Former UPD Chancellor Emerlinda New homes?
Roman said that in a survey conducted
Building additional housing for stuamong UPD students who chose to lodge dents are also in the administration’s
in areas outside UP, 60 percent pay an plans – this time, with the full cooperaaverage of P2,500 monthly.
tion of private entities. Two new dorms
are soon to rise, which could house
More bills
more than 2,000 students.
An 8,000square meter
“high-end” dorm complex will soon be constructed on a vacant lot beside Kalayaan
Residence Hall as the BOR approved
its construction on April 16, 2004. The
complex will include three buildings
that can house about 2,100 residents.
The administration entered into a
build-lease-transfer contract with private developer New City Builders (NCB).
This agreement allows NCB to peg
its monthly lodging rates without the
administration’s consent. In return, NCB
leases UP at P280,000 monthly or P84
million in 25 years until the University
gains full ownership of the hostel.
Meanwhile, another dorm complex
is also built along C.P. Garcia avenue
funded by Senator Ramon Magsaysay.
The first building in the complex was
already finished in 2004, and should be
the new housing of the Narra residents
according to a proposal by the administration. The three-storey building
costs P14 million and can house about
100 residents distributed in a six-manroom. n
Missing...
from p.3
– to find Mitch at the mobilization, I heard
some of the points Arroyo was making in
her speech. Tourism and beauty queen
titles to save the nation, huh. If Mitch was
watching with me at that time, I’m sure she
would have cursed continuously at the TV
screen. I, on the other hand, couldn’t care
less about what Arroyo had to say, what I
did notice was the power point presentation she had on. I have only one thing to
say about the SONA: The power point
presentation sucked.
05 Balita
Philippine Collegian | martES | 01 ago 06
5 fratman, kinasuhan
ng attempted murder
John Alliage Morales
S
inampahan ng kasong att empted murder sa Quezon
City (QC) Regional Trial Court
ang limang miyembro ng Sigma
Rho (SR) fraternity matapos umano
nilang tambangan ang isang miyembro ng Scintilla Juris (SJ) fraternity sa
Teacher’s Village noong Hulyo 10.
Isinampa ang kaso ng biktimang
si Elias Omar Sana, isang estudyante
ng Law at miyembro ng SJ, mula sa
rekomendasyon ng pulisya sa QC
Prosecutor’s Office isang araw matapos ang krimen.
Kinasuhan ang mga estudyanteng
sina Paulo Ante, Kevin Bonaobra,
Ronald Chua, Ross Dado, at Ariel
Galamgam na pawang kinumpirma
ni Sana bilang mga miyembro ng SR
sa kanyang panayam sa Collegian.
Kung mapatutunayang nagkasala,
nahaharap ang mga kinasuhan sa
apat hanggang sampung taong pagkakabilanggo at pagbabayad ng hindi
bababa sa P50,000 bilang danyos.
Samantala, ani Sana, nagsampa na
rin siya ng reklamo sa Student Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) na nagsagawa
na ng paunang imbestigasyon noong
Hulyo 18.
Ayon sa UP Revised Rules and
Regulations Governing Fraternities,
Sororities and other Student Organizations, maaaring maparusahan
ng pagpapatalsik sa Unibersidad ang
sinumang mapatutunayang sangkot
sa “fraternity rumble.”
Hindi naman sumagot ang mga
pinuno ng SR sa mga tawag at text
Continuing struggle
ng Collegian upang magbigay ng pahayag. Madalang
na rin umanong makita ng
mga guwardiya ng Law ang
SR sa kanilang tambayan
doon.
Ayon sa ulat ng Q C
Police District (QCPD),
tinambangan ng limang
miyembro ng SR, na nakasuot ng bonnet at may
dalang mga tubo at cutter,
si Sana sa harap ng kanyang
bahay sa Matimtiman St.,
Teacher’s Village noong
Hulyo 10 ng hating-gabi.
Ta t l o n g b e s e s d i n
umanong tinangkang bang-
gain si Sana ng sasakyang
gamit ng lima, ngunit hindi
ito natamaan.
Habang tumatakbo palayo, nakita ng mga barangay tanod si Sana nang
mapadaan ito sa kanilang
outpost. Agad ding inaresto
ang lima na nagresulta sa
pansamantala nilang pagkakakulong sa QCPD.
Walong insidente na ng
away sa pagitan ng mga fraternity ang naiulat simula
noong Hunyo, kung saan
apat dito ay kinasangkutan
ng SR. n
Candice Anne L. Reyes
Dagdag bayarin sa Art Studies at
Chemistry, tinututulan pa rin
N
akaamba pa ring ipatupad
ng administrasyon ng Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura
(KAL) ang P150 bayaring laboratoryo
sa Art Studies I at II, at ng Institute
of Chemistry (IC) ang P50 chemical
waste disposal fee sa mga Chemistry
laboratory courses sa kabila ng batikos mula sa mga estudyante
Pagtutol ang tugon
sa art stud fee
Pa o l o G o n z a l e s
FEU Tamaraws
knocked in an
94-86 win over
UP Fighting
Maroons to
seal its first victory in the 69th
UAAP men’s
basketball last
July 30 at the
Ninoy Aquino
Stad ium. The
UP Fighting
Maroons’ loss
leaves them
hanging at 1-3.
Matapos ang mga konsultasyon
J o h n G l e n n A . P l at i l
UP students show their support for Subic rape victim “Nicole” in a candle-lighting ceremony after a forum on the rape case at the CM Recto Hall last July 18.
Backbreaking loss
Nagkaroon ng konsultasyon sa
may 300 estudyante mula sa KAL at
iba pang kolehiyo hinggil sa bayarin
sa Art Stud na ginanap noong Hulyo
17 sa pangangasiwa ng University
Student Council (USC).
Ani Tricia Cusi, kinatawan ng
KAL sa USC, tutol sa bayarin ang
“lahat” ng mga estduyanteng dumalo
sa konsultasyon.
Tumanggi naman si Elena Mirano,
tagapangulo ng Department of Art
Studies, na ilabas ang datos ng resulta
ng isang sarbey na isinagawa noong
araw din ng konsultasyon.
Nananatili namang pabor ang
administrasyon sa pagpapatupad ng
bagong bayarin. Ayon kay Marilen
Canta, katuwang na dekano ng KAL
“In my personal capacity, I’m willing
to support the request of DAS for the
implementation of laboratory fees
within this school year.”
Binanggit niyang halimbawa ng
pagkakagastusan ng bayarin ang pagpapaayos ng mga sirang projector na
nagkakahalaga ng 30,000 bawat isa.
Ayon naman kay Cusi, “We recognize the need but not the burden of
students to pay.” Iginiit niyang hindi
naman consumable ang ilan sa paglalaanan ng bayarin, na siyang dapat
pinaggagamitan ng laboratory fees.
“Mapanlinlang” na survey
para sa chem fee
Samantala, sa isinagawang survey
ng IC noong Hunyo 30 sa may 1,200
estudyanteng naka-enroll sa Chemistry courses na may laboratoryo, 94
porsyento ang lumalabas na pabor sa
bagong bayarin.
Subalit nauna nang kinuwestiyon
ng iba’t ibang grupo ng estudyante
ang pagsasagawa ng naturang survey
dahil sa “mapanlinlang” nitong mga
tanong. (Sumangguni sa sidebar)
Ani Paolo Alfonso, tagapangulo
ng USC, balak magsagawa ng sariling
survey ang konseho upang mabatid
ang malinaw na posisyon ng mga
estudyante.
Inihayag naman ni Irene Villaseñor,
direktor ng IC na mahalaga ang bayarin dahil gumastos na umano ang IC
ng 2.2 milyong piso para sa chemical
waste identification, segregation at
disposal na ipinoproseso pa sa sanitary
landfill ng Clark Field Pampanga.
“Totoong kelangan ng budget
for waste disposal, but it should
not come from the students,” tugon
ni Alfonso. Minungkahi niyang
maghanap ng ibang pamamamaraan
ang administrasyon para malunasan
ang suliranin sa waste disposal.
Patuloy umanong ikakampanya
ng konseho at iba pang grupo ng estudyante ang pagtutol sa mga dagdag
na bayarin. n
Sipi mula sa survey ng
Institute of Chemistry
para sa panukalang
waste disposal fee
1. Are you currrently enrolled in a
chemistry laboratory course?
Yes – 1, 277
No – 1
2. Would you be able to properly
dispose your own chemical waste
generated during your laboratory
class?
Yes – 1, 277
No – 0
3. I think that the laboratory waste
disposal fee of PhP50/unit (P100
for 2-unit laboratory course):
is just right – 926
too high, should be lowered
– 147
is lower – 91
Petsa at oras na isinagawa ang survey:
June 30, 8:30 am hanggang 5:30 pm
Pinaghalawan: Tanggapan ng Direktor ng IC
06-07 Kultura
Philippine Collegian | martes | 01 ago 06
a r t w o r k : k e n d r i c k b a u t i s ta . pa g e d e s i g n : k a r l f r e d r i c k m . c a s t r o a n d n o e l pa c i s h e r n a i z .
Jeeu Christopher Gonzales
sidebar: r. miguel g. abola
“… it is manifest that beyond the
so-called curtain [of phenomena]
which is supposed to conceal the
inner world there is nothing to see
unless we go behind it ourselves,
as much in order that we may
see, as that there may be something behind there which
-can be seen …”
– Georg Wilhelm Friedrich
Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit
S
ince the antiquities, the
veneration of idols has been
practiced by all religions
except Islam. Iconography
connotes the worship of a deity
or saint through an image or
statuary, particularly in the
Judeo-Christian tradition. The
tremendous power that the
church yields through these idols
however, can only be rivaled by
the icons the state can produce.
The Order of Lakandula is one of
these mechanisms. Created through
Executive Order 236 or the Honors Code
of the Philippines, one of the award’s
criterions is “a life worthy of emulation
by the Filipino people.” As with saints,
icons like Manny Pacquiao, Precious Lara
Quigaman, Southeast Asian games gold
medalists and the Mt. Everest climbers
become models for the masses to emulate
or look up to.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo invoked
these icons during her latest State of the
Nation Address (SONA) as the epitome
of the Filipino spirit. In doing so, they
became instruments of Arroyo’s relentless struggle for political survival.
The Matrix
Compounded with the current political situation, the veneration of icons such
as Pacquiao do not simply portend respect and admiration. As the individual,
or the subject, becomes enamored by
these icons’ victories and accomplishments, they are also subjugated into what
these icons represent.
These idols become mediators for Arroyo – what French psychoanalyst Jacques
Lacan called the “Other.” Awareness of
the other begins in the “mirror stage,”
wherein the subject becomes conscious
of an external entity or image from which
he could identify himself from. In Lacan’s
psychic structure, the Imaginary is the
fundamental fantasy that exists in the
subject’s relation to oneself. The Other
is contained in the “Symbolic,” the order
or structure of things that mediates for
the “Imaginary.” Pacquiao, Quigaman and
the others therefore, mediate between
Arroyo and the people, concretizing the
role of the Symbolic in subjugating the
people to the state’s tyranny.
Here, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj
Žižek draws his treatise on the interpassive subject.
Drawing from Lacan’s notion of “decentrement”, or the externalization of the
most intimate feelings, Žižek considers
that the pursuit of the Real, or the void
that renders reality incomprehensible or
incomplete, is equal to total annihilation. In other words, the people’s desire
to experience the world as it is before it
is mediated by the Other is self-destructive, since the Real can only be explained
by means of mediation by the Symbolic.
This means that if an individual wants
to know what the meaning of Arroyo’s
Strong Republic is, he or she has to know
through the signifiers of the said concept,
such as international recognition, poverty
alleviation and economic progress.
Because of this, the Imaginary recognizes that freedom can only result from
the recognizance of the Symbolic order,
which Žižek equates with Law and the
state. The people therefore, allow themselves to be subjugated by the oppressive
powers of the state because it is the only
way that they may express their subjectivity. In allowing the Symbolic to mediate
for them, the people can go on with their
civilian lives.
Precious Lara Quigaman
In the 2005 pageant held in Tokyo, Japan,
Precious Lara Quigaman bested 11 other finalists and became the 4th Filipina to be crowned
Miss International. Born January 3, 1983, Lara
first experienced pageant life when she won
first runner-up on Eat Bulaga’s “TeeVee Babe”
in January 2001. She then took her chances in
the 2001 Binibining Pilipinas pageant and lost,
only to return and win in 2005.
“The fact that our president is a
woman proves that women are on
equal footing with men.”
—Precious
Lara Quigaman ,
on chivalry
Mount Everest Climbers
“The Philippine Eagle has landed,” radioed
Leo Oracion to Base Camp on May 17. He was
the first Filipino to summit Mount Everest, the
highest mountain in the world. Oracion, a 32
year-old veteran mountaineer and lifeguard, led
the first of two teams from the First Philippine
Žižek argues that the state need not
brainwash its people to follow its political will. Instead, the state allows the
subjects to maintain a safe distance from
its explicit orders and prescriptions. This
ideological disidentification becomes the
subjects’ passive acceptance of the oppressive powers. He cites the example of a
priest reciting mass in Latin upon people
who do not understand a word of what
he is saying, only the vague acceptance
that the priest knows what he is talking
about. To keep the faith intact, the laity
accepts God’s word through the mediation
of the priest. Similarly, the recipients of
the Order of Lakandula mediate for the
President that awarded them for their
accomplishments.
As such, the political system, or the
“big Other,” exists in an ideological tautology with its subjects. The subjects operate
on the premise of Lacan’s “Other supposed to know,” which makes the people
accept the prescriptions of the regime
because the wielders of power are supposed to know how to govern. The state
also indulges the subjects’ jouissance, or
enjoyment, to a certain extent. While the
people might not see the concretization
of sacred political words like “Strong
Republic”, “war against poverty”, “from
arms to farms” and “globally competitive”
as what the President reiterated in the
recent SONA, these “master signifiers”
are manifested through the subjects’
identification with the Other. With testimonials from a former member of the
Cordillera People’s Liberation Army, a call
center agent and the Lakandula awardees
in the recent SONA, Arroyo makes these
concepts become comprehensible and
concrete. The people listening to the
SONA therefore, passively experience the
Mount Everest Expedition. The next day, Erwin
Emata, also 32, headed the second team to
reach Everest’s summit., UP Mountaineer Romy
Garduce, a 37 year-old IT professional from
Balanga, Bataan, also reached the summit two
days later, in a separate expedition.
“We are recognized in the international community that the Filipino
can. Mabuhay!”
—Romeo Garduce , at a press conference
upon his arrival from Everest
“Magaling ang Pinoy dahil ang
imposible ay nagagawang posible.”
—Erwin
Emata ,
in a Palace courtesy call
“In everything, we have to show
unity among the people and not
conflicts. All of us are just the same
in terms of goals... Just for once there
was no politics. Luzon, Visayas, and
Mindanao – let us unite and help
each other.”
—Leo
Oracion ,
in a Palace courtesy call
Manny Pacquiao
Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao captured the
attention of the international boxing scene as
the reigning WBC International Super Featherweight champion. Born December 17, 1978,
the General Santos City native cultivated his
passion for boxing while working as a construction worker in Manila, and finally went professional in 1995. His record holds at 42 wins
(33 by knockout), three losses and two draws.
Most recently he beat Mexican Oscar Larios at
the Araneta Coliseum last July 2. His success
widened his opportunities; currently, he holds
numerous endorsement deals with companies
like McDonald’s, San Miguel, Darlington and
Dolly Tuna. He also released an album with
“Para Sa ‘Yo” as the carrier single.
“Maganda ang mga sinabi ni Presidente sa SONA. Alam mo na maganda ang hangarin ni Presidente kaya
dapat natin siyang suportahan.”
—Manny Pacquiao , a few hours after this
year’s State of the Nation Address
experiences while he himself is engaged
in a different activity at the same time.
While Pacquiao beats Larios to a pulp
and Quigaman basks on her beauty title,
the subject does his own routine – going
to work, school, taking care of the family
– while at the same time passively enjoying the activities of the Other. Interpassivity therefore, works as passivity, but with
the notion of false activity.
The Construct
benefits of Arroyo’s governance through
the Other.
The passivity that results from this
identification is the subject’s jouissance
by primordial substitution through the
Other’s experiences. Pacquiao’s fans
rejoice as he showers Oscar Larios with
his flurry of blows as if they have done it
themselves. Leo Oracion, Erwin Emata
and Romeo Garduce delighted us when
they scaled, or conquered, Mt. Everest.
This is the same as hiring “crying ladies”
in a funeral, or entering the realm of a
role-playing game.
Interpassivity, however, brings the
subject’s jouissance through the Other’s
More than the passive/interpassive
decentrement of the subject however, the
conferment of the Order of Lakandula to
icons like Pacquiao instills a notion of nationalism in the subject – that the Filipino
is also at par with the rest of the world.
The quest for equality with the rest of
the world however, is not exactly about
nationalism – it is about globalization.
While one can talk about globalization
strictly in terms of technology and economics, the postmodern crumbling of
economy into culture – and vice versa
- prompts the study of its social and cultural repercussions. The much heralded
global village, as presented by Marshall
McLuhan, does not only entail the fluidity of goods (and people), but also the
standardization of world culture. At first,
nothing ominous can be detected at such
a transformation. In reality however, this
standardization is actually the Americanization of world culture, as American
theorist Fredric Jameson tells us. As the
country with the largest economy, US
cultural politics follows on the heels of
McDonald’s and Hollywood.
Having scaled the highest mountain
in the world, Arroyo basks at Oracion,
Emata and Garduce who placed the country in the mountaineering map – never
mind that they achieved this feat 53 years
after Edmund Hilary conquered it. The
spilling over of American wanderlust
into the Third World is one of the effects
of globalization. It also brings with it the
imperial drive for conquest. Reaching
a particular place is tantamount to its
occupation, especially when the traveler
symbolically carries with him the pride of
an entire nation.
In the latter half of the 20th century,
Americans crisscrossed the globe in
search of an unspoiled patch of land.
By 1969, they have reached the moon
and placed an American flag where they
landed that symbolized a territorial post.
Oracion himself wanted to plant a Philippine flag at the summit of Mt. Everest, had
it not only been prohibited. With most
of the world’s land divided into different
countries, only physical domination of a
previously insurmountable/unreachable
piece carries with it the recognition of
domination.
While their feats might be admirable,
the way they are used – or how they have
allowed themselves to be used – by the
state is not. They praised Arroyo for her
support in their respective ordeals. Most
government support however, comes ex
post facto, after the deed has been done,
prizes won or titles defended.
Obviously, these accomplishments are
in line with Arroyo’s promise to bring the
country into the Enchanted Kingdom of
the First World. This ambitious declaration, however ridiculous its packaging,
may seem to be Arroyo’s ultimate goal to
foster economic progress and alleviate
poverty. This also fits into the neo-liberal framework of free market capitalism,
wherein an economy is forced to compete
with the rest of the world. Because of
the international prestige these icons
hold, they are perceived to be globally
competitive. And because the masses can
identify with them, by extension, they see
themselves and their activities as “world
class” as well.
Zion
While an individual’s most intimate
desires may seem far removed from the
workings of global political powers, this
same desire is also what is expropriated by
Arroyo’s aim for self-preservation. Since
nothing is concrete of Strong Republics,
Enchanted Kingdoms and other political
rhetoric, the individual recognizes that
only through subjugating himself to the
state can he achieve “freedom,” that is,
the subjectivity of everyday life. As he
interpassively experiences the joys and
sorrows of the Other, the state reifies
these symbols to preserve order. Thus,
the creation of awards like the Order of
Lakandula and the usage of master signifiers such as Strong Republic.
But the political force of these master
signifiers relies on the place, or office
that an individual occupies in a political
system. Thus, in the event that Arroyo is
removed from office, her political rhetoric
is also weakened, if not entirely destroyed.
This creates ruptures in the world order
that is being standardized by globalization. As political power resides only in
the place of authority where it was issued,
the use of violence against the subjects
can only be interpreted as the state’s
own confession of its weakness – a fact
that is manifested almost everyday with
the continued killings of activists and
journalists.
Arroyo’s weak administration therefore, cannot rely on its own political
rhetoric to save itself from collapsing.
And as Pacquiao, Quigaman and all the
others are unmasked as instruments of
the weak state, these signifiers are reduced
to a meaningless display of symbols. Only
through this can the people see the desert
that is the Real and emerge into the order
of the sublime. In Arroyo’s words herself,
“makawala sa gabi ng kilabot…at makaahon sa bukang-liwayway ng hustisya at
kalayaan.”n
References:
Helmling, Steven. Jameson’s Lacan
http://www.monasteryicons.com/info/history_iconography.
hzml
http://www.op.gov.ph
Hurley, James. Slavoj Žižek and “Post-Ideological” Ideology
Jameson, Fredric. Globalization and Political Strategy
Kotsko, Adam. Slavoj Žižek’s Materialist Trinitarianism
Lacan, Jacques. Seminar XI: The Four Fundamental Concepts of
Psychoanalysis
Macapagal-Arroyo, Gloria. State of the Nation Address 2006
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Žižek, Slavoj. The Desert and the Real
___________. The Interpassive Subject
___________. Welcome to the Desert of the Real
08 Grapiks
Philippine Collegian | martES | 01 ago 06
09 Grapiks
Philippine Collegian | martES | 01 ago 06
Baha
Umaga pa lang noong Hulyo 24, nagsimulang magtipon
sa UP ang iba’t ibang grupong maglulunsad ng SONA
ng bayan kontra sa State of the Nation address ni Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo. Nagmula pa sila sa mga probinsya ng
Timog at Gitnang Luzon, kung saan marami na sa kanilang
mga kasamahan ang pinapaslang at dinudukot. Nagdaos
sila ng maikling programa sa Bulwagang Quezon bago
magmartsa patungong Batasan.
mga kuha nina
J ET H ER AMAR
PIYA CONSTANTINO
PAOLO GONZALES
APRIL DEEVIAN MOS Q UERA
ROUELLE UMALI
J UAN PAOLO VERZOSA
Disenyo nina
k ARL CASTRO
n o e l pa c i s h e r n a i z
C H ESKA MONTES
Buhos
ng mamamayang
nagngangalit
hinahampas ng panunupil at pagpapatahimik
umaagos sa lansangan ang paninindigan
rumaragasang nakikipagtapatan
sa mga talumpati ng panlilinlang
sa mga hambalos at pambubusabos
patuloy na tinatangay at kakapit
sa unos ng digmaan
para sa kinabukasan
Lansangan
Sinuong ng iba’t ibang sektor ang matinding buhos ng
bagyong Glenda, at nananatiling nakatipon sa may Ever
Commonwealth, may isang kilometro ang layo kung
saan nagtatalumpati si Gloria. Bumaha ang mga talumpati, kulutural na pagtatanghal, iwinagayway ang mga
plakard at bandila, isinigaw ang slogan at panawagan.
Persona
Nasaksihan ng
mamamayan
ang pakikiisa
ng mga lider at
personalidad
mula sa iba’t
ibang panig ng
oposisyon.
Bantay
Labing anim na
libong pulis at militar
ang ipinakalat sa
iba’t ibang bahagi ng
Kamaynilaan noong
araw ng SONA.
Inilalarawan lamang
ang marahas na
administrasyong palagiang ginagamit ang
kanyang masusugid
na alagad upang
supilin ang boses ng
mamamayan.
Alab
Alab
Hindi napigilan ng ulan ang pagsunog sa isang effigy ni Arroyo, na pinatatadyakan pa ng mga raliyista
hanggang sa tuluyang magkandapira-piraso. Patuloy na bumuhos ang galit ng mamamayan sa alab at unos
ng protesta.
10 Opinyon
Philippine Collegian | martES | 01 ago 06
Write to us!
Justice for the latest
youth victim of
Arroyo’s all-out war!
T
ANGGULAN Youth Network for Human Rights and Civil Liberties strongly
condemns the killing of Rie Mon Guran,
21 year-old League of Filipino Students (LFS)
spokesperson in Aquinas University, Albay
province.
According to reports from the Bicol chapter
of human rights organization Karapatan, Guran
was shot in a bus terminal in Bulan, Sorsogon
as he was on his way to his school in Legazpi
this morning of July 31. A lone gunman, with
companions outside the bus, boarded the same
bus he was on and killed him. He acquired four
gunshot wounds, one in the head and three in
the body.
Guran turned 21 years old only the day before. We hold this government accountable for
this cold-blooded murder of student activists.
Who else has the motives to silent its critics?
Who has the greatest benefit if those the government considers as ‘enemies of the state’ are
physically eliminated?
That this happened only a week after
Gloria Arroyo praised Gen. Jovito Palparan’s
criminal acts in her SONA, proves the farcical
nature of Arroyo’s ‘condemnation’ of political
killings. Nothing is actually done to stop the
killings and instead, murderers like Palparan
are being honored. The implementation of her
‘all-out war’ and ‘Oplan Bantay Laya’ continue,
targeting unarmed civilians and activists.
R i e i s a l r e a d y th e s e co n d s tu d e nt
leader of LFS slain this year in the Bicol
region after Cris Hugo of the Bicol University.
Hugo, 21 year-old LFS regional coordinator was
killed by an unknown assailant last March 19
while walking home, after a class outing in the
area of Washington Drive, Legazpi City.
We call on all students and youth to partake
in the all-out war against Arroyo’s tyranny.
Justice for Rie Guran!
Tanggulan
Youth Network for Human
Rights and Civil Liberties
SEND YOUR STUFF via snail mail or submit a
diskette copy to Rm. 401, Vinzons Hall, UP Diliman,
Quezon City. Email us kule0607@gmail.com.
Format all MSWord attachments with .rtf extension,
with INBOX, NEWSCAN or CONTRIB in the subject. Fax us 9818500 local 4522. Always include
your full name, address and contact details.
Inbox
We welcome questions, constructive criticism, opinions,
stands on relevant issues, and other reactions.
Letters may be edited for brevity or clarity. Due
to space constraints, letters should preferably
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Get free publicity! Send
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invitations, etc. DON’T TYPE IN ALL CAPS and,
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only. Dnt use txt lnguage pls. Please provide a short
title. Be concise, 100 words maximum.
We a re
open for
contributed articles from student writers,
subject to the approval of the Editorial Board.
All submitted articles should have a maximum
length of 900 words.
Newscan
Contributions
SONA...
Kule Meetingzz Editionz (Pahirapan
uli sa pagbabasa pakshet!!!)
Mabuhaaay! Oh yezz I’m back beybeh! Almozt
famouz na akong ma-wafaz ni vagyong Glendaciouz
noong Zona ni Madamme. Pero keri pa naman ang
lohka, maka-zenz ka ba naman ng mga cutie sa mga
jumoin sa froteztha. Eniweiz, balaj talaga tong mga
co-columnists kong sina Pinky at Brando, nag-fifeeling abduction victimzzz at never ever na kong
tinulungan tzuimizmakz ditech! Di na nga nafuvlish pangalan ko last wiek, anliit
pa ng ezhpazhio ko dito ngayon hmph. Oh well.
Pa-jebz.Habang solemn na nagmi-meeting itrez mga Kule peepz sa ofiz, zuddenly
nag-appear itong si Chairvaperzon ng Univerzal Shubidoo Cownzel. Aba, kalohka
si Chairva nang shum-out siya ng “Excuzzziemwah, keribels ba kong jumebz sa
toilet ditey?” At nag-reply naman ang Kule peepz: “Keri!”
So continue lang ang mga utaw sa meeting, you know, azzezzment portion, chika
portion, landian portion, talent portion, zwimzuit portion, nightgown portion,
etzetera. Kebz na whatevah happeningz kay Chairvaperzon sa kanyang meditation
sa bonggaciouz toilet ng ofiz. And in the middle of the queztion and anzwer portion
ng mga walang kamaley-maley na mga peepz, zuddenly nag-Out si Chairvaperzon
proclaiming his succezz! Then fly na siya back to his own ofiz. Too bad, di niya
na-experience ang help-me-nakulong-ako-sa-cr portion ng mga visitorzzz ng toilet
ng Kule that autmatically locks itself. Ang joy joy sana nun no?
Zlow. Az ever, wonderful na naman ang ish ng Kule last week, kahit na-wafazwafaz pa rin ang mga utaw sa mga deadlynzzz and all.
Sa isang azzezzment portion ng Kule, na-wafung na lang ang aming cover artizzz
nang na-amaze ang mga zlow na utaw sa cover dezign ng aming last izzue. Ay
mah goddezz jezzuzz, di fala na-getz ng ilang farticular peepz sa ofiz na ZONA
pala ang naka-spell sa dinrowing na mukha ni Madamme.
And you, you na bumabasa nitong writingz of mine ditey, I’m zure di mo rin nagetz
yun no?! Azhus, admit it!
That’s all for now muna mga sis. Mag-bu-beauty sleep and pampering galore muna
ako. Di ko na kinakaya ang darknezzz ng weather at ng ofiz. Oh mah goddezz
jezzuzz. Vavavavoo!~ Alih Alembong
mula sa p.3
Palparan...
mula sa p.3
Pi Sigma Month
In celebration of its 34th anniversary, Pi Sigma
Fraternity will hold the 1st PI SIGMA Month. The
month opens with an exhibit (FC Gallery 2) on Jul
24. Other actvitie: 19th Annual Open Debate Tournament (Jul 31-Aug 17), Paragon Shootfest and
Alumni Night (Aug 12), Open Tambayan Celebration
(Aug 15), Gawad Kalinga Build and Medical Mission
(Aug 19), Golf Tournament to be spearheaded by
the fraternity’s distinguished alumni (Aug 31).
UP ERG DigiQuest Flash
Contest & Seminar
On August 16, the UP Engineering Radio Guild
will hold a Flash mtv animation and games contest
and an introductory Flash seminar in celebration of
its 71 fruitful years as an organization. No registration fee is required, the winner will receive P4,000
plus a trophy. The last day of entry submission is on
Aug 13. For details email erg.digiquest@gmail.com,
contact 09204058261 or visit the UP ERG tambayan
at the back of the EEE Building. Flash and Burn!
UP Buklod-Isip, 25 Taon na!
Ipinagdiriwang ng UP Bukluran sa Sikolohiyang
Pilipino ang ika-25 anibersaryo nito ngayong
Agosto, at inaanyayahan ang lahat na makibahagi
sa kasiyahang ito. Magkakaroon ng free Ikot rides
(Ago 1), art contest at eksibit, isang Grand Pakain
sa Palma Hall Annex (Ago 14), at isang inter-school
student conference na pinamagatang “SaPalaran:
Ang Sikolohiyang Pilipino sa Iba’t-Ibang Larangan”
(NISMED, Ago 25-26). Para sa mga detalye, dumaan
lamang sa aming tambayan sa East Wing ng AS o
kaya’y makipag-ugnayan kina Gracie (09176236558)
at Gale (09158686414).
UP Organization of Novo Ecijanos
(UP ONE) will be accepting applicants from Aug
3 to 8. Visit our xtremely asteeg booth at the AS
Walk. Orientation will be on Aug 9, 2006, 1:30 pm at
the UP ONE tambayan, Vinzons Hill. For more info,
contact Ela (09269635457) or Ex (09157578792) Be
one of us and we will forever be one.
UP Zoological Society at 53
The UP Zoological Society will be having a weeklong celebration of its 53rd anniversary. ZS Week will
be held on Aug 21-25, starting with an exhibit opening
in the Institute of Biology, followed by a Seminar
on Wed (Youth & the Environment), and a Film
Showing on Thurs. Interested Parties may contact
DS(09205837007) or Irina(09178223755), or you
may visit us at our tambayan at the Owl’s Nest (in
fornt of Pav3, Llamas Hall).
The Notebook Concert
Join UP Delta Lambda Sigma Sorority as they
bring you Brownman Revival, Kala, Agape, and
other major bands in the benefit concert “Kwadernz: Take Note!” on Aug 4, Friday, at the Bahay
ng Alumni. All proceeds will be used to give tuition
scholarship grants to deserving students in the following year levels in UP: grade school, high school,
undergraduate, and law school. In addition, the
DLS Notebook Campaign will be giving out specially-made notebooks for public school elementary
students in Metro Manila.
UP SILIP orientation rescheduled
UP Sining at Lipunan (SILIP)’s Applicants’ Orientation has been moved from Aug 4 (Fri) to Aug 7
(Mon) 5:30 PM, venue to be annnounced. For inquiries text Val (09183719249) or Divs (09166003417)
or email us at upsilip@gmail.com. Watch out for
the next issue of Articulations, SILIP’s film zine, out
next week! SILIP is a university-wide, CMC-based
organization which aims to affirm the vital role of art
and film in shaping and changing society.
11 Grapiks
Philippine Collegian | martES | 01 ago 06
ivan reverente
Senti
M
iss na kita.
Nitong mga nakaraang buwan,
hindi na tayo masyadong nagkikita. Simula nang matanggap
ka sa trabaho mo sa production naging bihira
na ang ating mga kumustahan at ang mahahabang kwentuhan habang nakatambay sa rooftop
namin. Kaya heto ko ngayon at nagpapakasenti
habang walang tigil ang buhos ng ulan. Miss
na talaga kita.
Naalala ko pa nung bago ka makapasok sa
trabaho, marami kang frustrations nun. Nalaman mo noon na hindi pala basta-basta ang
buhay pagtapos ng kolehiyo. Hindi katulad ng
iniisip ng karamihan, nalaman mo na hindi pala
porke’t nagtapos ka sa UP ay makakakuha ka
kaagad ng trabaho. Lagi kang malungkot nang
mga panahong iyon, binabagabag ng pressure
na nabibigay sayo ng mga pangangailangan
mong pansarili at ng iyong pamilya.
Marami kang sinubukang pasukan, hanggang sa ikaw na rin ang kusang bumigay. Dumaan ang panahon na parang naghahabol, di
mo namalayang matagal-tagal ka na ring palang
naghihintay sa mga tawag na hindi na dumating. Unti-unti kang nawalan na ng pag-asa. Sa
mga panahong iyon ay aking nasaksihan ang
iyong pagluha na maging sa aki’y pumapatay.
Nanatili ako sa tabi mo, ngunit naramdaman
kong hindi sapat ang balikat kong pwede
mong sandalan. Higit na malalim ang iyong
pagdurusa.
Sa mga panahong iyon, hiniling kong sana
bumalik na lang tayo sa mga panahong tayo’y
high school pa. Kung saan mapupunan na ng
yakap ang lahat ng iyong kalungkutan. Sa tagal
ng ating pagsasama’y marami kang naituro sa
akin. Hindi ko ikakaila kahit sa isang saglit na
Alam kong minsan kailangan nating
magsakripisyo, tutal sino ba naman ang nagsabi
na madali ang buhay sa totoong mundo.
utang ko sa iyo ang lahat ng tagumpay na nakuha ko. Ikaw ang nagturo sa akin na maniwala
sa aking sarili. Ang aking naging takbuhan ko
sa tuwing ako’y mabibigo. Tinuruan mo akong
mangarap sa ilalim ng mga glow-in the dark
stickers na dinikit mo sa dati nating boarding house. Ngunit sa kabila ng lahat, hindi ko
magawang tumbasan ang ibinibigay mo. Hindi
ko napawi ang iyong kalungkutan.
Dumating ang araw na iyong pinakahihintay,
muli kong nakita ang ngiti sa iyong mukha. Masayang masaya tayo nun hanggang sa malaman
rouelle umali
Walang Nilaga
“T
en job opportunities today.”
‘Yan ang sabi sa job alert na
nabasa ko sa email ko. Nakapangalumbaba sa harap ng
monitor, matagal kong tinitigan ang bawat letra
ng mensahe. Napagdesisyunan ko na huwag na
itong buksan, matapos mabigo ng ilang beses sa
mga nakalipas na mensaheng nabasa ko nung
mga nakaraang araw. Ang buong akala ko nung
freshman pa ako, madaling nakakakuha ng
trabaho ang mga gumagradweyt sa UP. Habang
nasa harap ng computer, naalala ko ang mga
pinagdaanan ko sa paghahanap ng trabaho.
Anim na taon kong tinapos ang kurso ko sa
Fine Arts. Matapos ang sandamakmak na plates,
gabundok na papers, di mabilang na drop at
incomplete na marka sa subjects, katakot-takot
na mga terror professors, at taun-taong pagtaas
ng mga bayarin, wala pa ring linaw kung makakakuha pa ako ng matinong trabahong bubuhay
sa akin at sa pamilya ko.
Hindi naman ako sobrang pihikan sa paghahanap ng trabaho. Basta ba qualified ako, papatulan ko. Sa katunayan, ilang trabaho na ang napasukan ko sa nakaraang dalawang taon. At sa lahat
ng mga naging trabaho ko, hindi ako tumagal ng
limang buwan. Naranasan ko nang masuwelduhan nang hindi tama, magpuyat sa overtime ng
kong sa Rizal ka pa pala papasok. Dahil na rin sa
demand ng iyong trabaho ay kinailangan mong
manirahan doon pansamantala. Naisip ko kaagad
kung paano tayo magkikita, sa dami ng kailangan
mong gawin. Minsan sa isang linggo na lang
tayo magkakaroon ng pagkakataong magkita at
makapag-usap. Ngunit sa matagal na panahon
ay di kita nakitang ganito kasaya, kaya mahirap
man, naging masaya na rin ako para sayo.
Sa ngayon, nahihirapan pa rin akong magadjust. Nilulunod ko na lang din ang sarili ko
sa mga raket at sa lingguhan kong gawain dito
sa opisina. Mahirap mang gumalaw kapag ikaw
lang ang lagi sa aking isipan, okey lang. Alam
kong makakatulong naman ‘yan sa iyo. Marami
kang matututunan upang lalo mo pang mapatatag ang iyong sarili. Higit sa lahat nandyan
ka na ngayon sa trabahong gusto mo talagang
ilang buwang walang bayad, magtiis sa mababang
sahod, at takasan ng boss matapos magsipag sa
trabaho. Pinilit kong magtagal sa mga trabahong
iyon, pero mismong ang mga trabahong ‘yon ang
ayaw sa akin. Naisip ko na kung ganun, dun na
lang ako sa trabahong gusto ko.
Sinubukan kong mag-apply na maging penciler o taga-guhit sa komiks na pinangarap ko
mula pa hayskul. Ilang buwan kong pinilit tapusin
ang requirement para makapag-apply. Nabuo ko
gawin. Sana kayanin natin ito. Hinihiling ko
ring maging matatag ako. Alam kong minsan
kailangan nating magsakripisyo, tutal sino ba
naman ang nagsabing madali ang buhay sa
totoong mundo?
Panay pa rin ang buhos ng ulan nitong mga
nakaraang linggo. Patuloy pa rin ang pangungulila ko sa’yo. Kung ako man ay tatanungin
kung ano ang aking dahilan, sasabihin kong
hindi lang dahil sa ulan… kailangan ko pa bang
ulit-ulitin? Mahal na mahal kita. n
ipaparamdam sa iyo na walang kwenta ang mga
pinaggagawa mo.
Sa mga naranasan kong hirap, pa’no kaya
yung ibang mga kabataang aplikanteng tulad
ko? Isa lang ako sa daan-daan libong kabataan
sa buong bansa na nagsipagtapos noong Abril
at naghahanap ng trabaho ngayon. Patuloy na
tumataas ang mga buwis, presyo ng mga bilihin,
langis, pamasahe, at iba pa. Sa dami ng gastusin,
lalo kaming nagkukumahog na makahanap
ng pagkakakitaan. Hindi na ako magtatakang
pare-parehas lang kaming mga bagong gradweyt
na taon pa ang bibilangin bago makakuha ng
permanenteng hanapbuhay.
Kung hindi lang mahalaga ang pera sa buhay natin, marahil ngayon ay masaya na akong
nagtatrabaho sa napili kong propesyon. Ang
totoo, basta ba masaya ‘ko sa trabahong gusto
Matapos ang lahat ng paghihirap at sakripisyo makapasok
lang sa pinapangarap mong propesyon, biglang ipaparamdam
sa iyo na walang kwenta ang mga pinaggagawa mo.
na ang portfolio ko. Nakipagkumpitensya ako sa
ibang aplikante. Nagkandaligaw-ligaw sa paghahanap sa opisinang pupuntahan. Ngunit biglang
sinabi sa ‘kin ng kumpanya na hindi pa sapat
ang “nalalaman” ko para matanggap sa trabaho.
Maniniwala na sana ako kaso biglang siningit
nila na kung gusto ko raw maging qualified,
pumunta raw ako sa kanilang seminar na ilang
libo pa ang gagastusin sa registration. Ang mga
walang hiya, peperahan pa muna ‘ko. Matapos
ang lahat ng paghihirap at sakripisyo makapasok
lang sa pinapangarap mong propesyon, biglang
ko, balewala na sa ‘kin ang sweldo. Basta ba
may pang-kain ako sa araw-araw at pang-gastos
para sa pamilya ko, ok na sa ‘kin ‘yun. Pero sa
panahon ngayon, unti-unti na akong nawawalan
ng pag-asa na hindi na mangyayari ‘yun. Dati naniniwala pa ’ko sa kasabihang “kung may tiyaga,
may nilaga”. Ngayong binuhos ko na lahat ng
pagtya-tiyaga, ‘asan na ang nilaga ko? Hindi ako
mapapakain ng prinsipyo ko – na hindi mahalaga
ang suswelduhin sa paghahanap ng trabaho.
Ipinamukha na sa akin ng mundo na pera lang
talaga ang nagpapaikot dito. n
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Maniniwala ka pa bas a SONA ni Gloria?
Of course I will need to have faith in the president and her coming SONAs even if it sounds stupid
to do so. Corruption and bad governance are not as
detrimental to the RP as an entire population swept
in pessimism. Don’t you ever get tired of everyone
hating Gloria? I do, and I don’t even like her that
much. -06-33138
Syempre, hindi na ako naniniwala sa SONA ni
PGMA. Kung magaling siya, naramdaman na nating
ang mga repormang pinangako niya dahil 5 na taon
na siyang nakaupo. -06-30171
Siguro makikinig pa rin ako sa kanyang mga
susunod na SONA…pero maniniwala?! Masyado na
yata akong matanda para mauto ng mga fairytale
stories…06-21631, BS Civil Eng’g
I want to, but I DON”T. Ambitious ang pangarap
niya. Who wouldn’t want it to come true? But I
DON’T think it would, NOT on her term. Sa bagal
ng pagkilos ng projects sa Philippines? Malabo.
-06-57031, MS, BA EL
Super regions daw?! At ano siya (GMA)? Super
President?! Gimme a break. -06-30259, Pabz. BS
Mat. E.
Hindi na. Kahit “I love you” nakakasaw pag
paulit-ulit at labas sa ilong diba? Mabubusog ba
ang mahihirap sa pagpapagawa ng mga daan at
airports? Dagdag pollution lang. -04, 37328
Anong masasabi mo sa headbutt ni Zidane
kay Marco Materazzi nung World Cup?
It would have been a great finals if not for the
heabutt. Zizou could have taken a penalty shot
instead of Trezeguet. It’s just sad that his final
appearance on the pitch ended in disgrace. -0150415, Journ
Sana tiniis na lang niya muna galit niya kay Materazzi kahit sobrang personal nung hirit. Fairytale
farewell pa naman sana yun kung nanalo France.
Pero kahit anupaman idol pa rin si Zizou. -98-60555,
Jeremy, BS Geog
Comments
P1000-P1800? Kung ganyan kamahal ang tuition
fee ng UP ay sana nag AMA na lang ang mga magaaral dito. Hindi naman lahat ng mag-aaral dito sa
UP ay kakayanin ang ganyang kalaking pambayad
para sa edukasyon, kahit sabihin pa na tama lamang
ang halaga para mabayaran ang magandang edukasyon dito. Para sa anupa’t tinawag tayong mga
iskolar ng bayan. Iskolar nga diba. -06-07199, Star
Jayme, BA Polsci
For Noel: Kung break na kayo ni Mitch, akin ka
na lang. Nood tayo ng ‘Sukob,’ kakapit ako sa’yo
habang tumitili. Sige na. -00-30820
(Ummm. No comment. - Noel)
Next Week’s Questions
1. Ano ang masasabi mo sa nagaganap na
digmaan sa Lebanon?
2. Ano ang pinaka-weird na narinig mong
dahilan ng frat-related violence?
We need web staff now!
Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease
email sample works, a description of yourself, and
25 smileys to kule0607@gmail.com. Uhm, we’re
looking for layout artists too. C’mon up!