October 2007

The Art of Being an Isko

UP has a growing roster of noteworthy alumni who have made significant contributions in their respective fields. No other university in the country has produced as many government officials, national artists, renowned scientists, and prominent figures. It is mainly this clout, along with a distinct campus culture, that makes UP and its students frequent news items.

Over the course of a hundred years, various events and personalities have contributed to the history of the University of the Philippines. This history can be seen as an artist's palette which holds the multitude of colors that represent the university. Media uses these colors to create their interpretations of the UP student. However, from the wide array of hues available, only a few can be seen in mainstream media's creations, which are often gross, two-dimensional misinterpretations of the iskolar ng bayan. “Activist,” and “violent” are most common generalizations of UP students. Although the first two are not necessarily bad, careful observation will reveal sketches of negative connotations beneath the paint.

Iskos are portrayed as violent rallyists who flock to the streets and create havoc. In an Inqurer.net article published on September 26, 2006, UP is described as “a hotbed of student activists,” implying that the university constantly produces students whose actions are undesired by society. Such descriptions may be misinterpretations of UP's tradition of critical thinking.

The university exercised its political autonomy during the historical Diliman Commune and First Quarter Storm to fight the repression of the Marcos regime. More recent displays of activism include demonstrations against the alleged cheating during the 2004 elections, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Presidential Proclamation 1017, and RA 9372 or the Human Security Act of 2007, all of which did not involve the use of arms. These are just some of the many instances where UP students have proved that political and civic participation are not confined merely to suffrage every three years.

Rallies are not the only venues for student activism. UP can be proud of the literary pieces, independent films, documentaries, and works of art used as political satires, calls to action, and mediums to express political dissatisfaction. Diliman's Philippine Collegian and Los Baños's Perspective of UP Los Banos were student publications which kept their critical stance and continued operations underground even during the media blackout of Martial Law.

One of the more recent misinterpretations by media of UP students was a response to the death of Cris Mendez where iskos were portrayed as violent fraternity members who kill in the name of brotherhood. The September 4 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer featured an editorial cartoon of the Oblation statue replaced by the grim reaper with skulls at its base. The caption accompanying the text read “The New Oblation: UP's Culture of Violence.”

The death of Mendez is a sensitive topic that requires attention to detail. Not only does the illustration imply that all UP students are killers, it also adds insult to injury. The cartoon was published only after Mendez's death, a time when his family, friends and fellow students were grieving for his loss. Because the perpetrators of the crime are still at large and no final resolution has been reached with regards to this issue, it remains a touchy subject.

All the misrepresentations cited create a representation of UP students by the media that is a far cry from a masterpiece.

With the beginning of a new centennial, iskos will surely experience countless events that will add new shades to UP's expanding palette. It is therefore media's responsibility to give audiences a well represented view of UP or any other multi-faceted subject it will tackle. For it takes the skills of a true artist to create a play of colors as rich as the subject itself, and the courage of an experienced master, to allow his creation to be interpreted by his patrons. i

STAFF PHOTOS

Writing about food in a starving nation

In journalism, as in any other profession, it is important for one to find his/her niche. Some journalists venture into citizen, investigative or alternative journalism, others in sports or photojournalism. Food writing, on the other hand, is hardly considered real journalism and food stories seldom make it to the headlines.

Having grown up in a family that loves to cook, it has always been my ambition to become a food writer. However, this ambition has always been accompanied by a moral dilemma: How do you write about food in a starving nation? Awarding stars to restaurants or discovering new recipes for coconut milk while almost half of the world suffers from hunger is just something I cannot not stomach.

According to the latest Social Weather Station survey, some 3.8 million Filipino families experience involuntary hunger. This statistic is enough to discourage any aspiring food writer. But from another perspective, this should be the reason for more journalists and editors to include food as a regular part of news.

Many social, political, and environmental issues involve food. It is the responsibility of journalists not only to inform readers of current events but also to empower citizens to initiate change.

Food is one of the most effective ways through which citizens can change public policies. Sure, they can write to government officials about their grievances however this is often proves to be a lengthy and unsatisfying process. Food, on the other hand, is something on which we have a direct impact. We cast consumer votes every time we buy food products. If we do not approve of how certain foods are produced, making a statement is as simple as boycotting their products.

Many people complain about grocery food products having so many additives. Scientific findings have linked some chemical preservatives to certain cancers. The reason why there is a proliferation of such unhealthy food products is because there is a market for it.

As a child, my father and I had a weekly ritual of visiting Farmer's Market in Cubao to buy ingredients for our chosen culinary creation. We would be there before the break of dawn, weaving through the crowd of buyers and vendors boasting of the freshest four-foot sword fish and vegetables by the sack. By six o'clock, some stalls would have depleted their stock. Today, sellers hawk their produce until the late afternoon. Households opt to purchase frozen food from groceries than make trips to the market. Even traditional Filipino dishes like adobo, sinigang and kare-kare no longer require hours in the kitchen. With the help of Mang Tomas and Mama Sita, cooking is a breeze.

Pressure for suppliers to provide healthier yet affordable food options will ultimately come from the consumers.

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Politicians are one of the few people who realize the wisdom in this saying. They persuade citizens to elect them into office by promising to eradicate hunger and poverty. After all, how many of us can say no to food? Unfortunately, many government officials end their terms without fulfilling their promises. Indeed, the way to a man's vote is through his stomach.

Perhaps it is time voters play closer attention to political platforms of candidates when it comes to addressing the issue of hunger.

The agricultural sector employs 35% of the country's labor force but accounts for only 20% of our gross domestic product. This discrepancy has been going on for several administrations yet no agrarian reform law has effectively addressed the issue of low agricultural productivity, the main reason why most of our farmers are poor. More than anything else, I believe this is a moral issue. Unless those in power have the conscience to address this problem, 35% of our fellow Filipinos are bound to go hungry. And because our rice supply depends on farming productivity, it is no surprise if the rest of country starves because of the government's unwillingness to pay attention to the needs of peasant farmers.

There is much buzz around the world about global warming. Western countries have spent billions of dollars on technology built to help fight global warming and lessen the harmful effects of climate change. Although the Philippines cannot afford such technology, this does not mean we cannot make a difference.

By simply supporting local food products, which travel shorter distances compared to imported products, we not only significantly decrease our carbon footprint but also provide more jobs for Filipinos. By supporting environmentally friendly food production processes and sustainable farming techniques, we are providing food security for future generations.

Who says all food stories are soft news? Everyone needs to eat. Food will always be relevant and food issues timely. Knowing how people can use food to bring change for the better, it is up to journalists and editors to start including food issues in news publications.

Anyone can make a difference, regardless of profession. Even food writers, with the power of the pen, have the power to make readers realize just how influential they can be.

Blurs and distortions

If there is a campus issue that remains to be misunderstood even if the damage has been done, it would definitely be the tuition fee increase or TFI. We have reflected on the death of Cris Mendez together with the mainstream media, but we remain callous to UP education’s decay as a public institution happening before us. Ironically, the argument of financial survival through the tuition fee increase serves the impending doom of our country’s premiere state university.

One of the most common misconceptions that I hear from fellow students and professors is that the tuition increase will avert the state of decay of classrooms and facilities. That reasoning is anchored on the false presumption which equates the increase to the purchase of new facilities and renovation of classrooms. Computing the income that will be generated at full implementation of TFI up to 2010 hardly justifies this wishful thinking. Of course, everyone wants to upgrade the quality of instructional materials, but subscribing to this fallacy will only reflect a decaying reasoning.

Perhaps it is significant to point out that TFI does not exist in a vacuum. It is not merely a result of huge budget cuts; it is a manifestation of long-standing educational policies of the government that are prescribed by World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The Higher Modernization Act (HEMA) of 1997 and the Long Term Higher Educational Development Plan (LTHEDP) explain the skewed sense of priority of government that is inclined to debt servicing. The tuition fee increases in other state universities and colleges (SUCs) and the declining number of SUCs in the country are clear indicators that these policies are at work.

Such neoliberal policies are tucked under the rhetoric that “everybody has needs.” The insistent demand for greater state subsidy for UP is often construed as an underestimation of the needs of other SUCs that share the same pie. However, that thinking pits accessible education against accessible education, conjuring the necessity for competition for a measly allocation while leaving out the huge allocation for debt servicing and military spending from the bigger picture.

In the face of dwindling state subsidy, UP is pushed to embrace the logic of commercialization as the last resort for financial survival, which coincides pretty well to the intentions of HEMA and LTHEDP. Alongside the tuition fee increase, event sponsorships and business concessionaires have become the source of funds for the miscellaneous expenditures and maintenance of colleges. In the College of Home Economics for instance, the presence of Figaro is justified by its functionality in training students and its financial assistance to the college.

Yet such half-capacity dependence on income-generating tie-ups negates the demand for greater state subsidy, since government funding is inversely proportional to the private assistance the university gets. An increase in the revolving fund (or the income generated by the university) has a corresponding decrease in the subsidy that the university receives. Furthermore, the intrusion of commercial interests into academic spaces has a stifling effect to the exercise of academic discourse, as business entities will always preclude anything that will go against the profit motive.

What is probably more alarming is that the TFI and its consequence of commercialization undermine the democratic access to higher education. In a poor country like the Philippines, raising the cost of higher education will place the universal right to education farther from the reach of poor but deserving students, creating a barrier that will deepen the wounds of social inequality. The STFAP on which the TFI is anchored hardly dilutes the general impact of the increase and only rationalizes the socio-economic discrepancy in the society, reinforcing the myth of poverty and the tale of the filthy rich.

Quite surprisingly, the broad component of the UP studentry has remained passive despite the contradictions of this glaring anti-student policy. While some assert that they are against the tuition fee increase, mere sympathies can do nothing to overturn the Board of Regents’ decision unless translated into signatures and chants. It is only through visible participation in the general stream of protest that the UP administration can gauge the opposition of the students. Now that the fight to junk TFI has reached the Congress, there is no reason to withdraw confidence in the fight to assert the right to education.

Unless students have acquired a distorted perception of their rights, which means that the university of the Iskolar ng Bayan is doomed.

Titanic realizations

I’ve watched Titanic a million times, watched Rose tell Jack, “You jump, I jump,” watched that ship get split in half and watched all those dead bodies float in the cold sea. For a time, I kept dreaming of the same thing happening to the ship where my dad works. Then last September 27, it almost did.

It was an island they were going to hit instead of an iceberg as in Titanic. Their ship’s machine and generator were broken so the ship was just anchored to one buoy. Four ropes attached to the buoy were torn and because the wind was strong that time, the ship was pushed closer and closer to the island. Their captain let out the General Emergency signal. There was a lot of panicking and crying. Good thing that a tug boat, a small but powerful boat that helps larger ships maneuver, prevented them from hitting the island.

It was a nasty, nasty feeling when I found out about this, not just because my dad could have possibly died there, but because I was just telling a friend that afternoon that I don’t care if my dad never contacts me again, except when it comes to my monthly stipend. See, it’s an understatement to say that my dad and I don’t have the best relationship in the world. My mom and dad are estranged couples for more than a decade now and both have significant others which I’ve come to terms with. My dad and I were never close because he was always abroad and when he isn’t, he lives with his girlfriend. There’s a whole sordid story behind it that is best for another time.

Anyway, that afternoon, my friend and fellow Iskolarium reporter Katherine Lopez, interviewed me for their group’s Comm Res 101 paper on the communication between OFWs and their families. I had some really harsh answers, everything boiling down to me not caring if my dad and I never speak to each other again as long as he continues to send my allowance. So you could just imagine the guilt, that ugly, constricting feeling, when I found out about the Titanic-like experience. It was horrible and to find out about it in an internet shop where I have no friend to talk to, only a monitor mocking me with the email bearing the news, just made the feeling worse.

I realized that I would very much care if he never calls or emails me again. Even though we only email each other once or twice a week, those emails were a source of comfort after all. A comfort that even though we only see each other a couple of times a year, that he was just out there.

The same day, I emailed back more than my standard response that I’m okay, acads are fine (even though they’re really not), how are you, etc. I told him to take care, and I actually told him about my day which I rarely do.

I don’t want to become one of those people that only get close to their estranged parent, that only get to open up when it’s too late. After all, everything is not entirely his fault. I should meet him halfway. I don’t want to reach the point that the only time that I’ll talk, the genuine and meaningful talk that goes beyond pleasantries, to him would be at his deathbed or coffin. I’ve already wasted almost 12 years; I don’t want to waste any more time.

Wake me up when September ends

It is again October, the second of the ber months which herald the coming of the holidays. And it was around this time last year, while I was getting all excited to come home to Palawan for Christmas, when my mom called and told me, “Good news, anak. Mormons na kami.”

I was shocked. I almost dropped the phone and not to mention, my jaws, when I heard her “good news”. It wasn’t something a Catholic son would expect to hear from his devoutly Catholic mother. I didn’t know what to say. But I knew I wanted to know the details. I wanted to deconstruct her news and ask her the 5Ws. I wanted to now why. But the only W I managed to blurt out was the least useful at that time, what.

I remember that phone conversation being very brief. Maybe, my mom sensed I needed time to let her news sink in. Or maybe, I did drop the phone. I forget. I think it was all too traumatic for me that my mind just chose not to remember it.

But what’s still clear to me is the feeling. As a saying goes, “What the mind forgets, the heart remembers.” I found it hard to believe that my mom, the most prayerful person I know, has been so easily converted. And my brothers! My rough and rowdy little brothers, who have no trace of religiosity whatsoever. I couldn’t imagine them wearing long-sleeved shirts and ties just to go to church. The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter-Day Saints that is.

It wasn’t just disbelief that struck me. I also felt betrayed. Before the “news”, I was very much looking forward to spending Christmas with my family after 11 months of living far from them. I couldn’t wait to attend simbang gabi, then walk home and enjoy the cool Christmas breeze--- with them.

But after the revelation, my all-I-want-for-Christmas-is-you attitude melted away. I imagined ourselves leaving the house every Sunday for church but going separate ways. I feared that they would no lnger do the usual Yuletide merriments, that I would wait for noche buena alone.

I felt excluded and I hated it. The three of them ganged up on me! They didn’t even bother to tell me before they converted. I thought that the conversion would never have happened if I was there with them. But it had. And my only ally now, is my father, who was born a Catholic, who died a Catholic and who’s now probably in Catholic purgatory, or heaven, hopefully.

When I finally went home that December and got to see my Mormon, or Latter-day-Saint, family, I was determined to be more Catholic, if Catholicism had degrees, in defiance to their ganging up on me. I resolved to pray the rosary in the morning, the three-o’clock prayer, well, at three-o’clock and the Angelus at six in the evening just to mock my mom. I was also watchful of my brothers to catch every misdeed and say, “Is that what Latter-Day Saints do?”

But after the first two Sundays, I gave up on it altogether. Self-righteousness is exhausting. While I was busy pretending to be religious, they, on the other hand, were trying their best not to make me feel shut out. They never mentioned the word conversion at home. Or even religion, which I find funny now that I realize that our surname is right in the middle of it. It was okay. We had plenty of other things to talk about anyway. And we’re still a family, after all.

On the third Sunday of Advent, we’ve come to some sort of compromise. I found myself going with them to their church. I didn’t want to be alone. They wanted to be with me. And their “mass” wasn’t so different, at least by my skewed standards of spirituality, from the mass I was used to.

The night before I flew back here to Manila, I finally had the courage to ask my mom the W question I very much wanted to ask. I asked her, why? She felt it was the right thing to do, she said. She didn’t lose her faith; she just found a better way of exercising that faith. I then asked her how she found out if it really was the right thing to do. She said it was by praying. And knowing my mom, who could have prayed more than a dozen million times in her lifetime, she knows what she’s talking about.

I therefore welcomed this year realizing how praying can change lives. And it is with this realization that I haven’t prayed for nine months now. I don’t want any more lives changed.

Before writing this, I texted my mom to ask when exactly they have converted. It was Sept. 22. It’s been one year. She asked, why? I told her that I needed it for an article. Is it about family or religion, she asked. I said both. Then she said, “It would be great if you could write about how our conversion changed our lives.”

Good news, Mom. I just did.

It is again October, the month of good news.

CRS: No real time enlistment

By Ma. Angelica Perez and Janina Marie Lagunda


There will be no real time enlistment for the coming semester, a member of the Computerized Registration System team said.
Although most of the stages of the new enlistment procedure is to be done online, it is not the same process as last summer’s real time enlistment.

Real time enlistment is done on a first-come, first-served basis. On the other hand, the new enlistment procedure will have daily batch runs which will rely on random selections by computers.

The university’s only attempt in real time enlistment took place last summer when several problems were encountered.

A hardware problem arose as there was only one machine handling all the student requests for subjects. “Hindi tayo nakakuha ng budget for additional resources kaagad last summer,” said the CRS team member who requested anonymity.

Information dissemination was also a problem as the shift to real-time enlistment was only announced online the night prior to its implementation. As a result, students came in large numbers, desperate to obtain slots in their desired classes.

In response to the problems encountered during the summer trial period, the CRS team came up with a couple of solutions.

Considering that there are more than 18,000 students who access the CRS during enlistment period, new hardware or server computers were purchased to facilitate speedy and efficient accommodation of the students’ requests.

Enlistment schedules were also modified to include daily batch runs. “This will collapse the number of students who are enlisting,” said the CRS team member. “The student population will be divided into subcategories so that the system can accommodate all their requests.”

According to data gathered by the CRS team, 20% of the student population gets the entire schedule that they requested. 60% gets half or more of the classes in which they pre-enlisted. The remaining 20% goes through manual enlistment.

The modified enlistment procedure, which will take effect next semester, will allow students to do almost everything online, from the pre-enlistment stage to the advising stage. However, the

CRS member clarified that “there is still a need to go to school to accomplish the needed paper work for verification.”

The CRS team believes this new process will benefit everyone in the university – the administration, students and professors.

For the administration, the new process is expected to benefit the Electronic Data Processing Section (EDP) of the Office of the University Registrar (OUR). Generating reports for the administration from the CRS database will become easier.

Students will no longer have to wait in line, especially during the phases of the daily batch runs, periods for teachers’ prerogatives (prerogs) and advising.

Professors are also seen to benefit from the new process as they too will be performing tasks such as prerogs and advising online.

In handling the prerog requests, professors will approve and reject enlistments of students online. Professors are given the power to override the system and accept as many students as they can allow.

Furthermore, professors will be provided with a class list of those enlisted as well as those who have or have not paid tuition yet -- a useful aid when handling prerog requests.

But with the new semester fast approaching, there are still problems in the dissemination of information regarding the new enlistment process. Many students are of the understanding that there will be a real time enlistment. “Wala na? What do you mean wala na?” was the most usual reaction of students upon learning that no real time enlistment will take place.

Meanwhile, professors have no knowledge of the intended online prerogs and advising.

After hearing about the new procedure, however, Prof. Regulus Tantoco of the History Department at the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy said, “Ganun rin pala. Walang kaibahan. High-tech lang. How do we know kung sino ang kailangan tanggapin?”

Hopefully, it won’t be as messy as manual,” said Prof. Rachael Khan of the Journalism Department at the College of Mass Communication.

Some students expressed their opinions on the new enlistment process of the CRS as well.
A first year Business Administration and Accountancy student who requested not to be named said, “Mabagal nung una. Tapos bumibilis minsan. Minsan it won’t even load. Malamang down yung system.”

“Well, they make it sound so systematic and organized,” said Kris, a third year Economics student. “However, knowing CRS, things wont be that systematic and organized. But I think that the process is well thought of and is quite logical. I just hope that they have lots of backup plans, and that for once, they'd be able to handle any technical flaws or challenges that might come up.”

On the subject of online prerogs, she said, “But iba pa rin eh. Kasi you can do some stuff in person that you can't do online. I think "begging" is more effective when done in person.”
Second year Journalism major Denise said, “If CRS aims to make the enlistment process easier for UP students, then they've got a lot of kinks to smooth out. From the CRS system & process, to the technical glitches, to the fact that we're not assured of slots... There's definitely room for improvement.”

Registration Assistants, or RAs, will still be provided work during the registration period.

Graduate students need not worry as the numbers of slots for subjects are adjusted for them.
The modification in the enlistment process is also seen as a step towards a new system that will be implemented in other UP campuses.

SR, Rep Casino to push for changes in Charter working draft

By Katherine Lopez


Student Regent Terry Ridon and Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casino said last Sept. 26 they will continue to push for amendments in the approved working draft of the UP Charter Bill, particularly in the provisions on commercialization and land grants.

“The bill has some very good provisions, but it also has very bad [ones], specifically the provisions on land grants and assets of the university,” Casino said after the hearing of the Committee on Technical and Higher Education at the House of Representatives last Sept. 26.

Casino also said in a forum the day before that whatever the university would earn from land grants and agreements with private entities should just be a bonus.

“When it comes to commercialization and privatization, we draw the line that this is a state university, and it is the obligation of the state to provide its premier university with all the support that it needs,” he said.

Meanwhile, UP President Emerlinda Roman said the administration is glad that the House version was adopted to be the working draft.

“They (congressmen) really facilitated it so it can now go to the plenary,” Roman said. “They saved time in deliberating… which to me is a good move.”

But Ridon said even if the House version, with all the amendments they were to push for, would be passed in the Lower House, the bicameral committee can still reject it. "There is no assurance today except painstaking efforts sa students and other sectors to really be vigilant," he said.

The House version, or the Zialcita Bill, was introduced by Rep. Edgardo Angara, Rep. Eduardo Gullas, Rep. Eduardo Zialcita and Rep. Guillermo Cua during the 13th Congress.

Entitled An Act to Strengthen the University of the Philippines as the Premier State University the House version obliges the state to “provide financial support to the [UP System] as the premier state university through the General Appropriations Act and in kind, through land grants and donations and use of other real properties.”
Under the House version, the Board of Regents, the highest policy-making body in the UP System, can also “fix and adjust salaries and benefits of the faculty members and other employees” following the revised compensation and position classification system and other compensation laws.

The House version also authorizes the BOR “to fix the tuition and other necessary school charges after due consultations and consent of the various student councils of constituent universities.”

Before the approval of the House version as the working draft, there were two other versions of the bill amending the UP Charter: the Bicam version and the Casino version.

The Bicam version, also known as the Pangilinan Bill, was introduced by Sen. Francis Pangilinan to the Senate and was approved in the Upper House during the 13th Congress. However, the bill has not been ratified in the House of Representatives because of time constraints.

Entitled “An Act to Strengthen the University of the Philippines as the National University,” the Bicam version authorizes the BOR to “plan, design, approve and/or cause the implementation of contracts, mechanisms, and financial instruments… to give the University the flexibility to generate revenues and other resources from land grants and other properties,” as long as those “mechanisms” are “exclusive of the academic core zone of the campuses” of UP.

The Bicam version also allows the BOR “to fix the tuition fees and other necessary school charges, as the Board may deem proper to impose, after due consultation with the students concerned.” The BOR can also “fix and adjust salaries and benefits of the faculty members and other employees” so that they can be “comparable to those being received by their counterparts in the private sector.”

On the other hand, the Casino version, introduced by Casino during the 13th Congress, proposes to abolish the BOR and replace it with the UP System Assembly (UPSA), to be composed of members elected from the seven constituent universities to represent the students, academic personnel (faculty and research, extension and professional staff), administrative personnel and alumni; and the chair of the Commission on Higher Education, the president of UP, the chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture, the chair of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, and the president of the University System Alumni Association.

Entitled “An Act Reorienting the Charter of the University of the Philippines as the Premier State University,” the Casino version “prevent[s] the commercialization of the university” by stating that “programs, projects or mechanisms to generate revenues and other resources from the land grants… should be consistent with the university’s academic mission and orientation as the premier state university and shall not be meant to replace, in part or in whole, the annual appropriation provided by the national government to the university.” The approval of the UPSA is also required to carry out those programs.

The Casino version also allows the UPSA to “fix the tuition, matriculation, graduation, laboratory and all other special fees upon consultation with and consent of the student body.”

Need to Amend the Charter

Efforts to amend the UP Charter started during the time of former UP President Jose Abueva from 1987 to 1993, when the Senate Bill 2587, which sought to recognize UP as the National University and exempt its employees from the Salary Standardization Law, was first crafted. The bill, however, failed to be voted upon in the Senate during the 13th Congress.

The Salary Standardization Law mandates that government employees be "provide[d] equal pay for substantially equal work" that corresponds to their rank according to the position classification system.

Roman said the changes that have occurred in the university have rendered the UP Charter, crafted in 1908, quite “obsolete.”

“We have really grown so big and there really is a need to amend the charter to incorporate [the] changes that have occurred over time,” she said.

Roman also said UP, according to the old charter, is not exempt from taxes when importing equipment. “We are classified as a corporation. We are not exactly an educational institution,” she pointed out.

Casino, too, believes it is time changes are made to the UP Charter and that it needs to be reoriented “from being colonial and elitist” to becoming “nationalist and democratic.”

Rock concert for Mendez's brother

By Anna Kristine Pasco


Do not only demand justice for Cris Anthony Mendez but also denounce fraternity inflicted violence, shouted members of the Pursuit of Unity through Leadership, Service and Excellence (NCPAG-PULSE), a student political party based in the National College of Public Administration and Governance, during “Shout for Justice, Rock for Cris,” a benefit concert held September 27 at the Bahay ng Alumni.

“Of course we are condemning frat-violence,” Lou Angela Lising of NCPAG-PULSE said, “Ayaw din naman naming mawala ang buhay ng isang tao na marami pang pwedeng gawin.”

“We [NCPAG-PULSE] are not trying to detach ourselves, but we are doing whatever we can to help stop or minimize this kind of violence,” Lising added. “We have so many friends who are members of fraternities, but this is just too obscene.”

NCPAG-PULSE also told Iskolarium they have been helping to resolve the case by collecting pledges and statements that would help in solving the Mendez case, and push for the expulsion of the perpetrators.

“Hopefully cases can be filed on [tomorrow],” Lising said. “This is not just a university issue but also a personal one [for NCPAG-PULSE]. We were murderous when we found this out. For others, it may just be another kind of vigil and rally to do, but for us, this is something.”

Efforts to help the benefit concert were expressed by the University Student Council (USC) and various organizations in the university.

According to USC President Shahana Abdulwahid, the USC helped in the distributing, selling and informing the students about the concert and the case. Also, they have been collecting statements from witnesses and also hoping that the Sigma Rho Fraternity will give a statement about the issue.

“Sa ngayon, humihingi pa lang kami ng tulong sa mga witnesses na pwedeng lumitaw at sa mga possible na witnesses,” Abdulwahid said,” Hangang ngayon kasi, kahit mga SigmaRhoans ayaw talagang magsalita, kahit pigain mo pa sila.”

Abdulwahid also stated that they are concentrating on finding possible witnesses for the case.

Funds raised from the concert will go primarily to the college education of Mendez’s little brother who is currently a third year high-school student because Cris wanted to provide for his college education.

Bands that performed in the concert were Radio Active Sago Project, Giniling Festival, Join the Club, The Dawn, Ciudad, Up Dharma Down, Silent Sanctuary, Concrete Sam, Matilda, Wanwurd, Garden of Eden, SandLady, Out of Body Special, Butterfinger, Deflower, and other local university bands.

The concert was organized by the UP NCPAG-PULSE in cooperation with the UP Alumni Association.

Concerned dormers to revive alliance

Majalya Fernando


A group, which may have prevented the confusion and dissatisfaction of many dormers brought about by the Office of Student Housing's (OSH) hasty drafting and implementation of the new dormitory admission policies, is trying to get new members a semester too late.

The Alliance of Concerned Dormers (ACD), a group composed of house council members of each UP dormitory, was created to represent dormers to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA). It is in charge of airing grievances of students regarding dorm-related issues.

The ACD was dissolved due to lack of participation last summer, the same time the Dormitory Oversight Committee (DOC), OVCSA and the OSH were drafting the 2007 Rules and Regulatons Governing Residence Halls in UP Diliman.

Ideally, a process of consultation between the ACD and other concerned parties must take place before a new policy concerning dorms is implemented. However, because the ACD was not around when the new rules and regulations were proposed, there were no dormers to review the proposal.

Under the general guidelines on accommodation to residence halls stated in section 2 of the new rules and regulations, only students with good scholastic standing and an academic load of at least 15 units are qualified to apply for residency. A point system is used to rank applicants according to their place of origin and STFAP or income bracket.

Unlike in the old accommodation procedure where the dorm managers decide whom to accommodate, the OSH and the Dormitory Admissions Committee (DAC) process applications based on the criteria stated in this year's rules and regulations.

Response to new rules

“I find the new admission policy better,” said Teresita Ngayan, Dorm Manager of Sanggumay. “It really gives a chance for the OSH to carefully screen the students. Since there are more heads screening those who apply, they can really study the income brackets and ITRs.”
The new accommodation policy lessens the work of the dorm managers. However, many find the process ineffective.

“Yes, it's more convenient for me when it comes to admission but there's a problem for residents,” said Luz Castro, Dorm Manager of Ipil. “They (OSH) don't see the actual student, they just base it on the papers. There are some behaviors they don't see.”

According to Castro, who was the former Dorm Manager of Sanggumay, some requirements for dorm admission under the new policy are unnecessary.

“For graduate students applying to the dorm, you cannot put basis on the ITR,” she said. “Before, 98% of residents in Sanggumay were scholars. But in the '90's, the number of scholars decreased dahil wala nang pera ang gobyerno. Most of those who apply to Sanggumay are fresh graduates who apply immediately for graduate studies. Nahihiya na silang humingi ng pera sa magulang nila kaya marami sa kanila ang self-supporting. Their parents don't pay for their education so the family income record is useless.”

Numerous students expressed their dissatisfaction mostly over the delayed information dissemination and initial implementation of the new accommodation policy.

“Kung aaralin mo, okay naman yung policies,” said a dormer from Yakal who chooses to remain anonymous. “Yun nga lang, walang nakaalam tungkol dito. Nilabas siya summer na. Siyempre maraming umuwi sa probinsya.”

Of the ten dorms that were operational during the 2nd semester of last school year, only residents of the International Center received information on the proposed rules and regulations. The remaining dorms received a written memo only in May.

ACD's response

There have been recent efforts to revive the ACD. Last month, some dormers from Molave sent out a memo to other house councils, encouraging them to select students who will represent their respective dorms in the ACD and proposing a new organizational structure.

Under the proposed structure, the ACD will be made up of a board of directors composed of house council chairpersons, a secretary general, and a representative each for the socials committee, marketing committee and sports committee.

There still seems, however, to be a lack of support from the house councils. In a meeting with the ACD called by USC Chairperson Shahana Abdulwahid on September 29, only representatives from Ilang-Ilang, Kalayaan, Kamia and Molave were present, not enough to form a quorum and make official decisions.

According to Ychel Rasco, Chairperson of the Ilang-Ilang House Council, it is difficult to get the participation of house council officers because they are already preoccupied with their own dorm activities.

Rasco also added that it is better for each dorm to just send representatives who do not hold any position in the house council but are willing to take on the responsibility of representing their resident hall in the ACD.

The ACD had a constitution during the previous semester however none of the former members or the OVCSA have a copy at present. If the revival of the ACD pushes through, its priorities will be to draft a constitution and begin planning for the coming semester.

October police highlights

By Rima Granali


Stabbing

A first year College of Music student was stabbed in the neck with a barbecue stick at 4pm on September 30 across the Kalayaan dormitory.

The victim, Mary Jeane Egloso, 16, was brought to the UP Infirmary after the incident for medication, police said.

Police said Egloso did not file any complaint against Rose de los Reyes, a 41-year-old suspect from Tacloban, Leyte.


Robbery

A Korean resident of the International Center was robbed of P61, 500 worth of Samsung digital items on September 24 in the said dormitory.

Kim Myung Jun, 23, went to Starbucks at Katipunan Ave. at 8pm. Police said his laptop, digital camera and MP3 player were gone by the time he returned.

The suspect allegedly broke into Kim’s room through the windows.
Police said the case is still under investigation.


Cell phone Snatching

An 18-year-old Industrial Engineering student was walking along the National Institute of Physics on September 22 when a man grabbed her cell phone worth P10,000.
Police said Alexandria Louis Flores was wounded while trying to get back her Nokia 7260.
With the help of security guard, Romeo Grapil, the suspect was arrested and the cellphone recovered.
---

A cell phone worth P15,000 was snatched on October 4 from a fourth year Pulic Administration student while waiting for a jeepney at SOLAIR.
Royce Kamille Salen, 20, wore her gray Nokia-6630 cell phone around her neck. A man grabbed her cell phone at around 2:40 pm.

The cellphone was retrieved from 21-year-old suspect, James Aguilar, police said.
A man in black tried to grab the cell phone worth P18,000 on September 30 from a third year archaeology student at the International Center parking lot. Fredeliza Campos, 28, described the suspect as fat, white and 5-feet-5-inches tall.

Police said the suspect wearing black shirt and shorts failed to grab the cell phone from Campos.
Campos told the police that the suspect was the same person reportedly peeping into her room.
Police said the case is still under investigation.

Racing Rain

By Laurice Penamante

A biker getting trying to get out of the rain. Taken in the College of Mass Communication parking lot on October 3, 2007.

No Kidding Around: Child Labor in UP

By Katherine Lopez and Laurice Penamante


You might have seen them within the vicinity of the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice but barely paid attention to them as they asked you to buy their sampaguitas and hair accessories. You might have responded either by saying you don’t have any money or by simply ignoring them. Little did you know that these kids are trying to help their parents make ends meet.

Everyday, Jon, Gelai and Annie roam around the Parish and sell sampaguitas and hair accesories so they can put food on their tables. Mark, on the other hand, watches the cars parked along G. Apacible St., and wait for the car owners to drop a few coins on his palm so he can have some baon for school. He is a Grade 4 student in Banlat Elementary School.
Like Mark, Annie, 10, sells sampaguitas so she can have baon. Her mother is a housewife while her father works at the National Water and Sewerage Authority.
These children are just four of the many working children in the country.

According to a 1999 survey by the National Statistics Office-United Nations Children’s Fund (NSO-UNICEF), 15. 9 million or 71 % of the 22.5 million children in the Philippines are working.
The International Labor Organization in their 1995 survey said child labor is more rampant in developing countries. Majority of the working children across the globe are in Asia, comprising

61 % of the ILO estimate of 250 million working children around the world.
Poverty prompts these children to help fend for their families, as seen in the cases of Gelai and Jon. “Para may pang-kain,” said Gelai when asked why she sells hair accessories. Likewise, Jon replied, “Para po makatulong [sa pamilya].”

But ideally, children should not be working. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child says that children “should be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with [their] education, or to be harmful to [their] health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.”
In the Philippines, children are protected from the worst forms of child labor under Republic Act

No. 9231 (formerly RA No. 7610). RA 9231 echoes the original intentions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and orders that all public and private social, legislative, executive and judicial bodies exert all effort to promote, enhance children’s “opportunities for a useful and happy life.”

Provisions include that no child under 15 years old is allowed to work except when they are employed in a family business or in public entertainment and information or both. Children are not allowed to more than 20 hours a week or four hours per day. Employers are also required to ensure the child’s physical, mental, and moral well-being, and to institute measures to prevent exploitation, discrimination in work hours and pay. It is also mandatory for employers to ensure continued schooling or programs for training and skills of the children.

The 1987 Constitution also upholds children’s growth and development. Article II, Sec. 12 and 13 recognizes the right of the child to education and holistic growth. It also mandates the state (government) and parents to ensure the child's well being, instill love of country and encourage political and social involvement.

In this light, the month of October is declared as National Children’s Month under Proclamation 267, which was signed on Sept. 30, 1993 during the time of former Pres. Fidel Ramos. This declaration underscores the Filipino children as the “most valuable asset of the nation” and the significance of their roles “within the Filipino family and within Philippine Society.”

But the designation of one whole month for children is not enough for society to show that it takes care of its future generation. As long as we still see the likes of Mark, Jon, Gelai and Annie selling sampaguitas and hair accessories to passers by, we ought to be alarmed. With children who have no access to education and decent living conditions, where is this nation headed?

Gelai is celebrating her 12th birthday on Oct. 12. But instead of celebrating it with cake and ice cream, she will roam the vicinity of the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, together with Mark, Jon and Annie, hoping that passers by and church goers would buy from her so she can have something to fill her stomach.

Fieldwork Across the Border: The Sabah Experience

An Exhibit at the U.P. Anthropology Museum (October 3, 2007)

Sabah’s historical links and proximity to the Philippines make it a familiar name to Filipinos.
With its tourist destinations and rich culture, academics around the region find it a good place for conducting research. This year, the U.P. Anthropology Department made history when it held its first overseas Anthropology Field School (AFS) in Sabah, Malaysia. The field school is a trademark of the B.A. Anthropology program of U.P., started by noted archaeologist Robert Fox in Tabon Caves, Palawan during the 1960s. With 17 senior anthropology majors, Dr. Nestor T. Castro, also the Associate Dean for Administration and External Affairs of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, headed the UPAFS last April 23-May 20.

Before going to Malaysia, UPAFS 2007 students underwent a series of numerous preparations which includes a crash-course on Bahasa Melayu, Malaysia’s national language, to equip them with the basic syntax and vocabulary of the language. The students also gained insights from former fieldschoolers in a forum arranged by Prof. Emilita L.Cruz, Linguistics Department chair.

The students were enrolled in two courses (Anthro 195- Field Methods in Archaeology and Anthro 196- Field Methods in Social Anthropology) during the UPAFS 2007. They studied the culture of the three main ethnic groups in Kota Belud—the Bajau, Dusun and Iranun. They came up with good results, not to mention the warm hospitality and worthy experiences they enjoyed while on the field.

And what’s the best way to showcase these good learning experiences? The answer: an exhibit.
On a Wednesday afternoon, October 3, 2007, students, professors and guests had a glimpse on the exhibits “Fieldwork across the Border: The Sabah Experience” and the separate “Salakot: Juan de la Cruz’s Headgear of Choice” in the Anthropology Museum. These have been made through the efforts of the students of Anthropology 119 – Introduction to Museology. There are five sections, namely: “Tamu: Meet you at the Market,” “Perkahwinan: Weddings and the Performance of Ethnicity,” “Kenduri: Gendered Celebrations,” the Sabah Fieldwork Experience and “Salakot: Juan de la Cruz’s Headgear of Choice.”

The student-organizers of the event wore traditional dresses like the baju korong of the Kenduri group and the sarong of the Perkahwinan girls that gave spectators a glimpse of Sabah’s traditional costumes.

A peek in each exhibit would make anyone see the effort exerted by the Anthro 119 class. The “Salakot: Juan de la Cruz’s Headgear of Choice” area showcases the diversity of salakots in our country. It also shows the local name for the salakot in a particular place, together with its design. On top of that is a Philippine map that gives information on the specific provinces and cities which have traditionally utilized and appreciated the salakot. There is also a section that shows the 36 steps in salakot-making. The steps are grouped into three major processes, namely: preparation of the materials, shaping and finishing. Moreover, the Regalado Trota Jose Salakot Collection features a variety of salakots donated by Regalado Trota to the U.P. Anthropology Museum.

Next stop is “Tamu: Meet You at the Market.” In this area, a mural of the tamu mingguhan or weekly open market serves as the main attraction. Tamu is the Melayu word for “market” derived from the word “temu” which means “to meet”. In the glass cases featuring the tamu mingguhan, products made by the different ethnic groups and sold to natives and tourists alike are displayed. Examples of the artifacts displayed are the beaded crafts and gongs made and sold by the Dusun Rungus of Kudat and also the sarongs worn by the people there.
How do some ethnolinguistic groups in Sabah perform marriage ceremonies?

The “Perkahwinan: Weddings and the Performance of Ethnicity” section will show the details of it. The exhibit features two-dimensional life-size models wearing the marriage costumes of the Bajau and the Dusun Tebilung. The Bajaus costumes are very colorful while the Dusun Tebilung costumes have black as the dominant color. The Bajau are the second largest indigenous group in Sabah, Malaysia and their marriages have three wedding ceremonies held in separate days—Akad Nikah (the solemnization of the marriage contract), Mandi Badak (the blessing of couple by family and friends), and Bersanding (symbolizes the couple’s union and also a day for feasting). On the other hand, the marriage rituals of the Dusun Tebilung, a group located in many parts of Sabah, have five stages, namely: the Merisik (the meeting of the groom with the parents) Mengantung Cincing (engagement), Pertunangan (negotiation of the bride price) Maklis Perkahwinan (exchange of vows) Miatod-atod (the couple will live in one roof). Just like the Bajau, their wedding ceremony is commonly celebrated with music and dancing. All these stages are shown using photographs of mock weddings taken by the Anthropology students during the field school.

In “Kenduri: Gendered Celebrations”, museum visitors would discover that the people of Sabah are like Filipinos too when it comes to celebrations. The featured Kenduri, a Malay term for feast or celebration, is held for various reasons—to celebrate special occasions such as weddings and engagements, to commemorate the memory of departed loved ones, among others. It reaffirms and strengthens family and community ties as people gather together in unity and celebration. Why gendered? It’s noteworthy that in a house where the Kenduri is held, there is an immediate separation between men and women. The women were directed to enter the house through the back part where the kitchen was while the men entered the house through the front. This aspect of the Kenduri is highlighted by making the male guests enter the left side of the exhibit while the female guests enter the right side.

The last exhibit is about the fieldschoolers on their Sabah experience. It includes pictures showing their interaction with the people of Sabah and activities on the field. Their journals and tape recorders are also put on display, obvious reminders of a tedious yet fulfilling fieldwork experience.

Seeing the photographs of Sabah’s countryside in sections of the exhibit (apart from the Salakot section) would make remind Filipinos of their homeland. The pictures show scenery very similar to the Philippines’ rural areas. Coconut trees and lush greenery line the long and seemingly never-ending road. Houses are far apart, with large windows often made of capiz. It is easy to confuse the locals with Filipinos, since both belong to the Malay race. Even their language has many words similar to Tagalog.

It seemed that everybody present in the exhibit opening learned something from each section. Mr. Michael Chua, a history lecturer in the university said, “Maganda ang placements ng mismong exhibit. Effective din ang paglalagay ng mga things na di natin masyado ine-emphasize like the steps,etc. Basta, ang ganda talaga niya. I’ll invite my students to visit this.”

Indeed, everybody was happy. The visitors were then treated to a smorgasbord of Filipino delicacies collectively known as kakanin, plus siomai and a chocolate cake.

Kudos to all the people who toiled in the exhibit! It is high-time students will be acquainted with societies where Filipinos share cultural similarities. And mounting this big exhibit is a good undertaking to showcase this endeavor.

Food for Thought

By Froilyn Naparan


This semestral break, instead of merely stuffing you face with every edible morsel you can find in your refrigerator, why not try your hand at a little cooking? Not only will you come up with more delicious dishes, but will also beat boredom and get just a little exercise. You can even cook for a picnic on a sunny day or a slumber party on a rainy night with your family and barkada. Here are some easy and affordable recipes that you can try.


Corned beef burger

Ingredients:
Patty
150 grams corned beef
200 grams potatoes, grated and squeezed to remove liquid
1 egg
3 tablespoons onions, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons cooking oil
5 pieces hamburger buns
3 large lettuce leaves, cut in half
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
5 cheese slices

Procedure
Combine patty ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Form ¼ cup of the mixture into a patty.
Pan-fry in oil for three minutes per side.
Slice buns in half and spread mayonnaise. Place a piece of lettuce leaf, corned beef patty and a slice of cheese.


Chicken fingers

Ingredients:
Honey-mustard dressing
¼ cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon mustard
2 skinless chicken breasts, sliced into ½ inch strips
salt and pepper
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg white
¼ cup flour

Procedure:
In a small bowl, mix well all ingredients for honey-mustard dressing and refrigerate.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
Dip each strip into beaten egg white and then into the bread crumbs.
Fry or bake in an oven toaster until golden brown. Serve with rice and honey-mustard dressing on the side.


Marble potato salad

Ingredients:
1 kilogram marble potatoes
½ cup mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons mustard
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh dill

Procedure:
Wash and scrub marble potatoes in running water. Boil until fork-tender and slice in halves.
In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper and chopped dill.
Toss in potatoes until well-coated.
Store in a clean, dry container with lid and refrigerate overnight.

Tuna melt

Ingredients:
2 slices of wheat bread
3 tablespoons tuna in water or brine
tomato slices
low-fat cheese

Procedure:
Place tomato slices on two slices of bread.
Top this with tuna and put second layer of tomato slices.
Top this with cheese.
Put them in the oven toaster for five to eight minutes. Serve hot.


Chocolate muffins

Muffins:
60 grams butter
1 egg
1 ½ cups plain flour
1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
125 grams soft brown sugar
100 grams milk chocolate, chopped
180 ml milk

Icing:
100 grams butter, softened
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 tablespoons icing sugar

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 180o C. Lightly grease a muffin pan (5 cm) with vegetable oil or softened butter. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and chopped chocolate. Mix well. Stir in the milk, melted butter and beaten egg and mix well. Pour in the prepared tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until risen and spongy.
To make the frosting, sift the cocoa powder and icing sugar into the softened butter and whisk until well combined. Spread a little on top of each muffin.


Feel free to experiment. Give these recipes a personal touch by substituting some ingredients to suit your taste and mood. Load up. You'll need the energy for next semester.

Student outing tips

By Virgil Lopez


Students are really looking forward to their semestral break after all the work that they have done. Thoughts of having a barkada out-of-town trip this coming sembreak are springing out of their minds because they need to give themselves a break from the grueling challenges in school.
Your traveling must be planned ahead of time to ensure a fun, safe, and memorable outing with your buddies. Arm yourselves with these tips for your much awaited backpacking:

• Pick your top three destinations and research on the possible locations of your outing. Ask your parents or call some relatives and friends who can help you learn more about the places your group wishes to visit.
• Take into consideration your financial situation and the possible expenses in your outing. Do you have your own money to spend for your trip? How much would you ask from your parents?
• To help you determine the cost of the trip, list down the travel expenses: food, lodging, transportation, pocket money (for souvenirs and other items to be bought), medical expenses (just to be sure in case any emergency arises) and safety money (this is not meant to be spent unless for urgent situations such as increase in the room rates, or additional transportation expense.)
• To make sure your estimated budget for the trip is enough, better call the hotel or your choice of board and lodging to know their room rates. Also call the bus terminal or the airline (if traveling outside Manila or out of the country) to provide you the prices of the transportation plus the travel tax.
• Since most student outings are on a small budget, make sure you pack all your necessities to cut down on miscellaneous expenses.
• You and your barkada can create an itinerary to make the most of your trip. An itinerary is helpful so that you will not miss any famous or historical spots to be seen.
• As much as possible, leave your official school identification card at home and bring other valid IDs. This will prevent the hassles of going through the slow and tedious process of having your ID replaced if ever you lose it during the trip.
• Secure all your documents and tickets in a pouch. It is easier to find and present the necessary travel documents if you place them in a separate bag.
• Double-check your belongings before you leave the house. Make a checklist beforehand to help you locate items inside your bag. The checklist also helps in making sure that you forget no items for your travel.
• Bring a small phonebook containing all the phone numbers (both landline and mobile) of your loved ones. Call them often and let them know where exactly you and your friends are. This gesture will lessen their worries while you are having fun.
  

These are just some of the pointers to take into consideration before you travel with your buddies. Traveling is one of the best learning experiences a person can have since he or she will be acquainted with different places, cultures, and events in different travel destinations. So what are you waiting for? Biyahe na!

Reel Good Time

By Dyan Zarzuela

With all the typhoons that are likely to come our way this sem break, we’re prone to become couch potatoes. What better way to utilize those lazy days than with some good old love stories on DVD? After all, with the rainy days come the perfect senti moments. Might as well emote with Penny Lane, Clementine and company.

First in our list is Almost Famous. It’s not really a love story per se but you can’t deny that it’s about love—love for music, bandmates, band aids, family and friends. This semi-autobiography of its director Cameron Crowe tells the story of 15-year old William Miller writing a story on rock band Stillwater for the Rolling Stone. It is on the tour with them that he falls in love, loses his virginity and does almost everything his mother told him not to do. Scenes to be played again and again are the one where guitarist Russell Hammond jumps off a roof into a pool after screaming “I am a golden god,” the one where Penny Lane responds with “What kind of beer?” after William tells her that her married boyfriend Russell lost her to a band for $50 and a case of beer, and, of course, the tell-all airplane scene.

Next is the beautifully chaotic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind which tells the story of how Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) struggles to preserve his memories about girlfriend Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) that he paid to be removed after finding out that Clementine had her memories about them removed. The disorienting timeline and unfinished resolution of the film reflect the nature of love. Most memorable scenes are the one wherein Joel, instead of fighting when his last memory was about to be erased, decides to enjoy the moment and the open-ended ending scenes.

Third is from the local arena, the fairly recent A Love Story, a love triangle between Ian Montes (Aga Muhlach), Joanna Villanueva (Maricel Soriano) and Karyn Torres (Angelica Panganiban). Trailers of the movie deliberately did not say who the third party was (“When does a wife become a mistress, and a mistress become a wife?”) and it isn’t until around halfway into the movie that she is revealed. The acting is natural, simple and moving; the script wonderful. Scenes to watch out for are the questions-only games between Ian and Karyn and the final confrontation between Ian and Joanna.
For the next one, we delve into the fantasy world of Never Never Land. A respite from the heaviness of the previously mentioned movies, Peter Pan (2003) portrays the untainted love between friends and blossoming puppy love. It’s a feel-good movie with a definite ending and where the good guys win, giving breathing room from all the questions left by the previous movies.

And last would be 50 First Dates which tells the story of how Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) made his girlfriend with short-term memory loss Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore) fall in love with him everyday. This is sure to lighten dreary rainy days; just seeing Sandler’s laughing head is bound to do that. Best scenes are the different ways Henry courted Lucy and Henry serenading Lucy with the song Forgetful Lucy.

We finish with a relatively happy movie because, really, all that emo has to stop at one point.

Music Musings

By Laurice Penamante


Music is the eternal pastime of the soul, and one who's off to far-flung places over the semestral break will need to bulk up on music to pass the time, to take away the tediousness of travel and of doing nothing. The Iskolarium Life Team has compiled a short list of must-have music to add mood to different modes of spending the sem break. Pop them in your player and hope you enjoy the break.

For the beach bums stuck at home who need a "I wish I was at the beach” soundtrack, a mix of electronica and dance music is recommended. Pop into your player Sunburn by Sandwich, Ever After by Bonnie Bailey, any Daft Punk song and the infectious Papaya by Urszula Dudziak for that “I'm at the beach” vibe. For a more old-school feel, throw in some Beach Boys and the Summer Lovin’ track from Grease for a mini-summer feel.

For rainy days spent in bed, listen to OPM and pop jazz like Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall, APO Hiking Society originals, and Parokya ni Edgar's Inuman Sessions album. These are all perfect to key in when the continuing threat of typhoons tap against your window.
Music for internet vampires are from rock, punk or pop rock bands. They let loose infectious vibes that will keep you awake. Foreign bands such as Death Cab for Cutie and local pop and punk rock bands like Bamboo and Chicosci are top picks.

Underground rocks its 5th anniversary

Dyan O. Zarzuela


Multi-colored lights dancing to the tune of spirited music, illuminating flashes of fists swaying to the beat. Rock-on hand signals and cameras pointed to the stage. Pounding drums and fingers gliding across guitar strings. A whole lot of jumping. Teenagers, kids and kids at heart in skinny black jeans smashing against each other in a circle surround by bouncers in Do-as-you-are-told shirts. A held-up “Emo Society of Payatas” banner. A caped Spiderman in the crowd. Sweat mixing with smoke and the smell of the 25-peso mystery juice.

Such was the Underground: Cinco experience. Cinco is the 5th anniversary of the UP Underground Music Community held Sept 25 at the UP Bahay ng Alumni.

Every year, Underground organizes an anniversary concert for free. This year, the bands that performed were Bamboo, La Passionaria, Giniling Festival, The Brew, Chubibo, Oi Wag Dito, Sacramento, Ang Bandang Shirley, Sandlady, Matilda, Delta Joy, The Chimsons, Death by Tampon, Wanwurd, Cathexis, Ice Cream Mundae, Cast Iron, Damas Band, and Ivan Theory.

Penshoppe models Jericho Rosales, Heart Evangelista, Matteo Guidicelli and Dawn Balagot introduced Bamboo who fired up the crowd with Probinsyana and then proceeded to play '90's Rivermaya songs Elisi, Hinahanap-hanap Kita, and Kisapmata. The band also played Mr. Clay, Noypi and Tatsulok which the crowd seemed to know by heart. Bamboo finished the set with Hallelujah.

Up and coming band, Ang Bandang Shirley, played the six-line-long Sa Madaling Salita. This whas followed by the stirring Bato with its lyrics “May hinihintay akong mangyayari/ Tapos sasabog ako/ Unti-unti nang madudurog ang puso kong bato...” Later, the crowd lept to its feet at Matilda's opening song Iyak ni Maria-- haunting, screaming and rousing.

“The concert was not everything we imagined; hindi namin inexpect na ganoong karami ang pupunga,” said Laurie Maravilla, Underground's Events Committee Head. According to her, around 2,500 people attended the concert, a huge increase from the approximately 700 attendees in the previous concerts.

“Worth it siya kasi pumasok ako sa trabaho nang nakangiti at walang tulog,” said Raschell Samson, a 3rd year student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and online English instructor associate.

For people who wanted a more lasting Underground experience, Underground's new CD Diliman: The UP Underground Music Community Sampler Volume 2, was for sale at the concert.

This year's Underground anniversary celebration is different because it featured a back-to-back concert with Bamboo and free interactive classes on runway ramp, DJ mixing and make-up and styling provided by their sponsor Penshoppe as part of the the last leg of its Higher Learning: The Bamboo Campus Tour.

The interactive classes were held during the day in the AS Parking Lot. Freelance stylist Cherry Pacheco- Uy and make-up artist Mitch Lim gave tips and makeovers at the make-up and styling booth. Mike Constantino, also known as DJ Mike Cons, spun, divulged tricks and taught hands-on to one lucky student. Penshoppe models Dawn Balagot, Einar Ingerbrigsten and Vicky Herrera gave tips and strutted their stuff at the runway ramp booth.

Each class had around 25 participants. “Medyo kaunti lang yung tao pero natuwa naman yung facilitators kasi may interaction,” said Ean Aguila, the new Undeground Governor and member of Ang Bandang Shirley and Delta Joy.

This is Underground's first time to collaborate with a commercial sponsor at this kind of level. “We needed to tap financial support from Penshoppe. Given the choice, personally ayaw ko,” said May Anne Bastes, Underground's Marketing Committee Head. “The problem with commercial sponsors is they ask too much from us. Like yung concert, they made it look like a Penshoppe event.

According to Maravilla, Underground and Penshoppe shared the rental of the Bahay ng Alumni, which cost P31,000, excluding electricity expenses and the AS Parking Lot which cost around P4,000. Penshoppe took care of the lighting, sound system and stage. Meanwhile, Underground was in charge of security and most of the promotions.

Other sponsors were Pepsi, Smart Buddy, XO, Chippy, Mang Jimmy's, Lutong Bahay, NU 107, Orange Segment, MYX, Sugar Sugar and MusicFil.net.

“Next year, goal naming walang sponsor... Magbebenta na kami ng kidney,” Maravilla joked. Kidding aside, she said they would still get sponsors for next year's concert.

Respect, music, brotherhood-- these are the three tenets of Underground. Underground welcomes not only UP students but also students from other schools, everyone regardless of age, gender and musical preference.

“Music is the thing that binds us all,” Bastes said. “'Di lahat kami ay skilled pero lahat kami ay music lovers,” And with students, employees and kids from diverse backgrounds and generations all coming together at the UP Underground concert, there is no doubt that music does bind.

The sweetest thing

By Janina Lagunda


Fashion experts all over the world are of the same stylish opinion when it comes to saying that accessorizing is the way to go if you want to give your outfit a little something extra, be it a little shimmer here or a little sparkle there.

As a result, accessories have become an essential in any girl's wardrobe-- jewelry being one of these. They may be diminutive in size but their effect is simply dazzling however simple a piece may be.

Fortunately nowadays you don't need to burn a hole in your pocket just to buy the really pricey pieces of jewelry made of gold, silver or diamond. Many necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings varying in material ranging from crystal to plastic may not be in the same level as their more expensive cousins but they are good enough to give your outfit that magic touch and give any wearer the sweetest thing there is: satisfaction.

And satisfaction for her customers is what 29 year old Lynette “Sweet” Bancil strives for when doing her kikay hobby of making accessories in her little store called Sweet Accessories, nestled between two second hand bookshops by the AS Walk.

For five years now, Sweet has been selling her products not only to the students and alumni of the university, but also to those outside UP, including celebrities like Ehra Madrigal, Francine Prieto and Toni Gonzaga.

“Students hanggang Fine Arts. By word of mouth talaga,” said Sweet about her customers.

Some UP alumni who know about her and her business even buy from her in bulk and sell the accessories in their own work places.

She started her business of selling accessories when one of her friends, founder of UP Underground Music Society of which she is a member, told her there were slots for business stalls in the university.

“Ininform nila ako na may tiangge-tiannge dito. So start ako dito,” said Sweet. “Dati nag s-stall na 'ko sa ibang place... sa mall. Meron ako dati sa Ali Mall, Farmer's, Robinson's Metro East and Shoppesville.”

Her skills in accessory making did not result from workshops of any sort. The creative entrepreneur learned the art on her own. She makes use of various materials such as crystal and pearl but not plastic. The designs are whatever comes out of her mind. And that is probably what makes Sweet Accessories special.

“Unique siya because wala sa labas, own design. Kaya every design is one-of-a-kind,” said Sweet. “Less than ten minutes kong gawin ang isang earring. On the spot ako gumawa dito so pwede siya while waiting. So just imagine kung gaano siya kabilis gawin, less than fifteen minutes isang set. May customization dito.”

Her present collection includes long necklaces and bangles, and pieces that are reminiscent of the 70's or retro era which is making a huge comeback.

And uniqueness is not the only thing that makes Sweet Accessories popular among customers. The price, too, is very much agreeable as it fits the typical UP student's budget.

With a reputation as good as hers, it isn't any wonder why Sweet can earn as much as P8,000 in sales on a good work day.

“Focis lang,” said Sweet, the all-in-one artist, sales girl and accountant who sees her brand of accessories in one of the malls around the metropolis in the future. Her adivce to those who want to go into a business such as hers, “Know your market. Alamin mo kung ano sa tingin mo ang gusto nila. You have to be deicded on what you want to achieve and work hard for it.”

“Ang pag nenegosyo, gamble 'yan kaya kailangan lakasan mo ang loob mo,” Sweet continued. “Always expect the worse. Hindi pwedeng isipin mo na darating agad yung kita. And focus lang talaga at dapat gusto mo talaga yung ginagawa mo.” Some sweet advice from a girl who knows her accessories.

Anatomy of a mind

By Larice Peñamante


Tucked away in pockets of university life must be words that lift the soul and books that change your life. Sometimes realization hits you when you're at that small bookstore browsing through hard-to-find tomes and pop books. For some, reading is a passion that takes you places or, as an aphorism goes, expands the mind.

“If you are from this university, chances are, you are an avid reader,” said Rene Bauca, who mans Manong's, a makeshift bookstore along the AS Walk. Originally a clothing and trinkets store in 2002, Manong's became a full-fledged bookstall in 2005. The shift was gradual; he would bring a few books to his stall and be amazed as they sold out faster than his other wares.

Manong Rene says he earns enough to get by, no small feat for someone who opened the stall intending to oversee his then freshman daughter in 2002. His daughter, Abigail, graduated last year form the College of Business Administration, but Manong decided to stay on. “For a man who loves books,” he said “this is the life.”

Manong is intrigued by the reading community in UP. “They read because they love to read books, but they read not only to entertain themselves but also to learn,” he said. This is how he describes the UP student, whose horizon knows no bounds. They are just as likely to read Malcom Gladwell's The Tipping Point as Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues. He quipped, “Nagugulat nga ako dito, walang naghahanap ng Bible. Pero Satanic bible ni Salman Rushdie may nag hahanap.” That's why he makes sure he reads most of the books he sells not only to expand the mind but also to know the author's style and the types of books the students read.

The students already know who the good authors are. “By nature they like to read, kaya marunong ang mga taga-UP,” he said. Books by popular authors, new releases and even the classics are always in demand, he observed, either because the books are required in class or most likely are just very popular.

Marino Villarin, who owns Soft Pages at the University Shopping Center, agrees insofar as what books are popular. “Fantasy and science fiction are standards,” he said. But with DVDs enjoying a surge in popularity, he believes students have become lazier. “Instead of reading Hamlet, they will just watch the movie.”

---

Best selling books
1. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
2. The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee Harper
4. Mythology by Edith Hamilton
5. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez

Best selling comic books
1. Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson
2. Peanuts by Charlie Schulz
3. Dilbert by Scott Adams
4. Garfield by Jim Davis
5. The Far Side by Gary Larson

Best selling books of the semester
1. For One Day More by Mitch Albom
2. Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
3. Life of Pi by Yamn Matel
4. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
5. Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder

All time best selling book by a local author:
Women with Two Navels by Nick Joaquin

Pep talk with Pippo

By Edgar Villar


The UP Pep Squad has been looked up to in the cheerdancing scene for years now. Especially with the championship crown in the Cheerdance competition back in UP’s premises, the UP Pep Squad has regained its glory after a four-year loss to UST’s Salinggawi Dance Troupe.

With this kind of achievement, the members of the squad have been treated with high regard as a group. But seldom does one pay attention to the composition of the squad, the individual members who sweat it out to build fantastic pyramids, play those well-coordinated drum beats, and shout those solid “ooohs”.

So what really composes our champion Pep squad? Believe it or not, students just like us.
Paolo Soriano is now a fourth year journalism student at the College of Mass Communication. He transferred from UP Manila on his third year but was already training for the UP Pep Squad as a drummer the previous summer.

Pippo, as he is called by his friends, has been a member of the UP Pep Squad for a year now, so the obvious question would be how he copes with his studies considering the time-consuming training demanded by the squad. “Time-consuming talaga dahil matagal ang training,” he answers, and when asked about any conflicts in academics, he replies with a smile: “all the time”. “Minsan you really have to cut classes for some games,” he admits “but you really have to keep it to a minimum.”

But the sacrifices do pay off for the squad has again achieved their first championship since 2002. “Syempre masarap ang pakiramdam,” he says before bursting into laughter. “Second competition ko pa lang nakatikim na ako ng championship,” he boasts. “Maswerte talaga ako kasi some who join the squad ay guma-graduate na di man lang nakaranas ng championship”.

But now that the cheerdance competition is over, what’s life going to be for a Pep Squad member? “Definitely balik acads na muna, habol-habol in time for the finals,” he sighs, thinking of all the work in front of him. The members do not enjoy incentives in other subjects besides PE.

“After this, definitely pahinga muna,” he answers when asked for any plans for next year’s competition. “May pressure to defend the title especially dahil host ang UP next year,” he says, “pero ngayon focus sa acads, yun naman kasi ang mahalaga di ba?”#

Coach Lipa's job in hang time

By Edgar Villar

By the end of the second round of the men’s basketball division in the UAAP 70th season, controversy surrounded the Fighting Maroons coach, Joe Lipa.

Resignation was inevitable and expected from Lipa after the 0-14 win-loss streak of the Maroons during the two rounds of elimination in the men’s basketball division. But controversy struck when the coach was reportedly removed from his position as coach of the team.

Professor Ronualdo Dizer, an instructor and coach at the College of Human Kinetics sheds light on the controversy. “It is recommendatory of the college (CHK) to preterminate his contract or not to renew his contract after its expiration on December”, Dizer said. He said that the college did not axe him per se but only “recommended” him to leave. “It is still up to Chancellor Cao to approve the college’s recommendation or not,” he said.

As of now, no decision from Chancellor Cao has been officially released giving Lipa some slack from the issues. But as early as it is, the coaching staff of the Fighting Maroons is now in search of the next head coach for the team.

Being the host of the 71st season next year, the pressure is now on UP to regain its former glory. No coaches have been named yet to head the Maroons but they are definitely going to name one sometime soon as preparation for next season.

When asked about Lipa’s chances of going back to coach the team again, Professor Dizer replies, “Let’s put it this way, kapag binastos ka na sa isang lugar, babalik ka pa ba?”

Some sectors of the UAAP community, however, reacted negatively to the treatment Lipa is getting from the UP administration. Forums have sprouted from all over the Internet with the Joe Lipa threads reading; “Joe Lipa deserves better” and “I love Coach Joe”.

Joe Lipa led a coaching career for the Maroons from 1981 to 1986, leading the team to five straight championships, three UAAP finals, and even the first and only championship title the Maroons have, back in 1986, when Benjie Paras was with the team.

Coach Joe also led the Ateneo Blue Eagles to their championship when he was their coach from 1999-2001. #

College basketball in foul trouble: Game fixing

By Virgil B. Lopez

Last August 1, the National Bureau of Investigation arrested the star guard of the College of Saint Benilde basketball team on allegations that he fixed at least one game he played.

The NBI said they acted on a complaint filed against the player, Paolo Orbeta, by his classmate who bet on the game after Orbeta guaranteed he would win. When the classmate didn’t pay up, the player and some of his companions allegedly threatened him with bodily harm.

CSB promptly announced it was suspending Orbeta while the case is still being investigated. The NCAA, the league to which Saint Benilde belongs, was equally quick to pronounce the incident as

an isolated one.

“The NCAA has been very vigilant in terms of monitoring any forms of illegal gambling as evidenced by working closely with NBI since the 81st season. This season [the 83rd] has been very quiet and an incident like this is purely an isolated case allegedly involving an individual,” one top official of the league said.

The official may be whistled on for jumping the gun. It is too early to conclude that the Orbeta case is a rare exception. Or if Orbeta was fixing games on his own. The NBI has long had its eye on a highly organized syndicate running high-stakes, illegal sports betting. It just could not get hold of hard evidence to bust the group.

Sports has always been a rich hunting ground for criminal syndicates. Even professional leagues are not immune. A referee of the National Basketball Association is under federal investigation over suspicions that he had bet on games he officiated and agreed to influence the winning margins. The NBA commissioner, David Stern, described the referee as a “top-tier official” and intimated that he may have links with the Mafia.

In the early 1970s, several marquee players of Crispa, one of the country’s long-reigning basketball dynasties, were implicated in game-fixing and were invited for questioning by the military. No charges were filed, but the incident cast the players under a heavy cloud of suspicion.

In the university, however, College of Human Kinetics dean Hercules Callanta downplayed any speculations that game-fixing also happens. “That’s ridiculuous though it’s possible,”he said.
“Siguro may iilan dyan na sumasali sa mga illegal betting games but as far as UP is concerned, I think wala naman,” he added.

As the shadow of the scandal spread, the Games and Amusements Board chairman, Eric Buhain, acknowledged that game-fixing and illegal gambling did bedevil the Philippine Basketball Association in the past, but added that the pro league has licked the problem.

“We didn’t discount the possibility that game-fixing and illegal gambling exist in professional sports, but management control and vigilance in informing the players, officials and even the top-level executives made things easier for the GAB to control or even eradicate the problem,” Buhain said. #

With reports from the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Ubelt.com

Lady Maroons bow to Eagles, 58-62, for a runner-up finish

By Virgil Lopez


The Ateneo de Manila Lady Eagles captured on Saturday afternoon the 70th UAAP Women's basketball crown after a heart-stopping 62-58 victory over the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons in Game 2 of their championship showdown before a packed crowd at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

The Lady Eagles pushed the tempo in the fourth quarter, pressuring UP at the backcourt. Treena Limgenco provided the go-ahead basket, receiving a kick-out pass from Crystal Ballentyne, with 17.2 seconds left in the game clock, and the score at 59-58. Ateneo trailed by as much as 13 midway into the third quarter.

“We had difficulty once again executing, just like in the first game,” explained ADMU coach John Flores. “The girls only loosened up the in the last five minutes.”

This is Ateneo’s second championship in three finals appearances. Last season, the Lady Eagles finished second. UP, however, has never clinched a women’s basketball title.

Limgenco led in scoring with 16 points going with four rebounds and two steals. Cassy Tioseco had a double-double of 12 and 13. She also chomped three assists, three steals, and four blocks.

Both Kat Quimpo and AJ Barracoso scored ten while Ballentyne had a near double-double with eight markers and nine boards.

“I commend (UP mentor) Eric Castro. He did well,” The 41-year old guru said. “The one thing they did well was give Kat Quimpo a hard time.”

The Lady Maroons had control most of the way, ending the half with a 12-2 scoring blast, 23-18. Asistio gave them a 13-point spread with a three-pointer at the corner, 5:01 of the third, 37-24.

Ateneo de Manila then trimmed the lead down to six going into the final ten minutes with a Tioseco three-point play against Fiona Molina, 39-45. Another Tioseco and-one play tied the count at 54-all with Quimpo expanding it to three with free throws, 1:17 remaining in the game.

Two Tolentino freebies and a Sadora lay-up off Tioseco made it 58-57 for the State U, with 26 ticks to go. After ADMU called for time, Limgenco received the leather then released a short jumper from the side against two defenders.

Fille Cainglet’s forward pass was deflected by the tall Tioseco to Quimpo for two charities. Cainglet once again lost the ball from the inbound as Ballentyne sealed the game by making her second attempt from the 15th parallel.

“They turned on the heat. UP did not respond well to the pressure,” Flores mentioned. “We were hoping composure would come into play.”

“Sayang, panalo na sana pero ganun talaga but it was a good fight, we put up a good fight” Sadora of Lady Maroons said.

“Bawi na lang tayo next year,” mentioned teary-eyed UP coach Eric Castro after seeing his cage belles losing to Ateneo four times this season. “But then, I salute the girls for a job well done. Motivation na rin ito para galingan pa ang campaign next year.”

In their first game, the Lady Eagles prevailed as they repulsed the Lady Maroons, 64-60.
The so-called “Battle of Katipunan” was sealed after the two teams subdued their respective Final Four foes at the Far Eastern University (FEU) Gym in Manila last September 15.

The top-seeded Lady Eagles escaped the no.4 qualifier Adamson Lady Falcons down the stretch to hack out a 56-47 victory and advance to their third championship appearance in four years.

The No.2 Lady Maroons, on the other hand, dominated the defending champion University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses all game long en route to an 80-61 win that catapulted them to their first title series in five years. #





With reports from Ubelt.com

UP tankers dominate UAAP

By Virgil B. Lopez



Bucking the absence of their two star tankers, the University of the Philippines ruled the men’s division for the fifth straight time, while University of Santo Tomas completed a four-peat in the distaff side at the end of the UAAP swimming competitions last September 23 at the Trace Aquatic Center in Los Banos, Laguna.

The Fighting Maroons extended their domination in the men’s division by amassing 204 points to beat La Salle, which placed second with 189 points, and Ateneo, which collected 179 points, for the crown.

The Tigresses nailed its fourth consecutive women’s crown with 224.50 points to crush the vastly-improved Lady Eagles, who placed second with 180.50, and the Lady Maroons who slid to third this year with 162.50 points.

Reigning UAAP Athlete of the Year Luica Dacanay made a record of sorts as the senior Family Life and Childhood Development student bagged an unprecedented fourth straight MVP award in the women’s division.

Dacanay was not bothered by the left knee injury she incurred on the eve of the competitions, as she won seven gold medals.

In an Inquirer interview, she said: “Every year, mahirap makakuha ng MVP award but this year yung pinakamahirap sa lahat, hindi lang sa injury ko but also, ang daming lumakas from other schools.”

“Kaya kung yung unang past three years, I gave my 100 percent best, I gave 100 percent more this season in my effort to swim,” she added.

UP captured the men’s title despite losing two of its key players—Ryan Arabejo and Ken Uy—due to their Olympic training program abroad. #